Ahh! Sorry that the last chapter ended at such a weird point. I was really eager to get that chapter up, so it cut off at an awkward moment. I'm also working on the first few chapters of a pair of new fics, so keep an eye out for them. (Not Royai, but I hope they'll still be decent!)
Please note: There will be some talk about Grumman's role in the war in this and later chapters. His role is totally my creation; there are no canon references to it.
MAJOR SPOILER ALERT: This chapter references manga chapter 57 and the scenes of Riza's past later on. These do not appear in the anime.
Thank you all for your kind reviews after my extended absence! And without further ado, a short recap and then on to the story!
"Oh, sorry sir. You're right, of course. The Lieutenant rarely speaks about herself. There was actually a pool a while ago about how long you two'd known each other before the rest of us came along… I don't think it was ever resolved." Fuery mused. He was oblivious to Havoc's frantic gestures to stop speaking.
"Is that so? Well… for your information, gentlemen, the Lieutenant General is my grandfather. As for how long Roy and I have known each other, I think you'd be surprised." She said. The men were caught between terror at the irritation in her voice and amazement. Havoc's cigarette fell from his lips and Fuery was frozen. Roy chuckled, leaning forward to pick the cigarette up before it burned through the carpet.
"Why didn't ya tell us that?! No one knows that, you don't even have the same last name!" Havoc spluttered, snatching his cigarette back from Roy. Fuery was similarly astonished and momentarily shocked out of his inhibitions around his superiors.
"But, that… That could be why they're attacking you! Maybe this group has some great, great, big grudge against your grandfather from the war, and they're out to get you to pay him back! Maybe… maybe some of your grandfather's troops killed some elder's granddaughter, and now they're after you!" Roy and Riza could almost see the scenario playing out over Fuery's head. They both stifled laughs.
"Fuery, I'm sure this has nothing to do with him. He was shot in the leg before the conflict really started. His injury and other circumstances led to his commanding the troops at Briggs in the North. That's why we do training exercises with Briggs troops these days. He met Major General Armstrong while he was in command of Briggs. Deep down, they're two of a kind." Riza said calmly, trying to placate the young man, whose imagination was clearly still running rampant.
Havoc, after his initial outburst, had been overwhelmed by the influx of new information. He now had his cigarette back in his mouth, but was looking off into space. It was clear that he was not going to be coherent for a little while. Even Roy was a little surprised at what Hawkeye had just said.
"Wait…You just said they're two of a kind? Does that mean Armstrong's really like your grandfather?" He tried to picture the Major General joking like Grumman and playing chess with subordinates. He failed. That idea was a little too strange. It was almost frightening to think about. "Or do you mean your grandfather's really like her?" He imagined Grumman looking as determined as Armstrong and just as ruthless. Now that was downright terrifying.
Riza laughed at the men's antics. "Which do you think?" Roy opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. Riza, turned to the other two men. "Havoc, close your mouth. Fuery, stop. My grandfather had nothing to do with it."
Havoc's mouth closed automatically and Fuery stopped babbling, but neither completely snapped out of it. Their superior frowned. She really didn't have the patience to deal with this right now. Being tired and (though she'd never admit it out loud) a little sore, did not make Riza particularly happy to be dealing with her sometimes moronic subordinates (and superior). It was time to swallow her pride and get out of there.
"Roy, I'm getting tired. Would you mind explaining to these two what we found out? I need to sleep before my grandfather's party."
Roy looked over at her concernedly. Since when did Hawkeye admit that she needed rest? "Of course, I'll explain. You need help going upstairs?" Riza gave him a cool look that clearly warned him not to push it, she was going upstairs but she did not need help.
"Thank you, but I'll be fine. Goodnight, gentlemen. Thank you for your concern." Riza walked briskly out of the room and closed the door behind her. Her superior officer was left looking after her. After a moment, Havoc cleared his throat. Roy quickly turned back to begin explaining the information that they had received that day.
The man climbed nimbly over the fence. He had overheard the mercenary commander speaking to his leader earlier in the evening. What he had heard had prompted him to go out on this little expedition. Fool! Your idiots couldn't even hit the right woman! She killed half of them! That woman murdered in the massacre and taught that alchemist his alchemy and your men let her get away!
He had almost given himself away at that point by gasping. The woman knew alchemy? She taught the alchemist that had killed his brother in the attack on the apartment? He had managed to stay quiet long enough to hear the a little more as the pair approached around the corner. His leader had argued with the cruel soldier of fortune. We do not know that she taught him he alchemy. All we know is that something that looks quite like his array is tattooed on her back. And I will remind you that some of your men failed to kill her in the attack as well. They had rounded the corner then, and their eavesdropper had rushed off in a rage.
If the woman was really involved in something as ungodly as alchemy in addition to her crimes in the massacre, he couldn't bear to let her live.
That was how he had wound up running from shadow to shadow towards the large house with a gun slung over his back. If he saw her through the window he could shoot. He might be able to get the alchemist too he mused. The assassin crept closer. At one point, he was almost certain that he had been seen by a guard roaming the property, but the guard had not said anything. He had either been mistaken or the guard was the one he had heard about. The man finally reached the one group of illuminated windows on the side of the house facing him. He cautiously peered in through the window.
He could see three figures sitting in the room, speaking quietly. He strained to hear what they were seeing as he inspected them. The lights were mostly behind them and the glass was old and wavy, so it was hard to distinguish their features.
"Sorry boss, but I don't know that I trust her. I mean, I know she lives with the Lieutenant General and all, but the old woman is Ishbalan. Who's to say she's not working with these guys?" Came one gravelly voice. He was pretty sure it came from the shape with the cigarette. Well, that ruled him out as the alchemist.
"Havoc, the Lieutenant General trusts Mayaris and she had lived here for years. She seems to care about what happens to Riza, so I don't think she would be complicit in any attempt on her life." Came the stern reply. The Ishbalan's focus slid to the figure that had just spoken. It seemed that this was the alchemist. He was fairly certain that the smallest figure was male too, which meant that his primary target wasn't in the room.
The men in the room continued to debate about whether the Ishbalan woman was trustworthy as the man outside pondered his situation. He could try to kill the alchemist, but he wasn't sure of his aim through the distorting glass. He didn't like the idea of being burned if he missed. But if he couldn't kill the woman, he wanted to scare her. And there was also the fact that there was an Ishbalan woman in the household. They hadn't known that.
After a few minutes, the intruder decided what to do. He fished around in the small pack of ammo that he had brought until he found what he was looking for. He took the pen he had carelessly tossed in earlier out of the bag and cast around on the ground. It didn't take long to find a large, relatively flat rock to write on. After hurriedly penning his message on the rock by the light pouring out of the room, he stole away from the window.
Havoc had finally conceded that it didn't seem likely that Mayaris was involved when the projectile crashed through the window. The three men hastily got down, Fuery and Havoc drawing guns while Roy pulled on his ignition gloves. They quickly realized that it was just a rock and Fuery started toward the window, still quivering a little from the surprise. Havoc pulled him back. This was the problem with soldiers without combat experience. He hadn't learned that a stunt like that could just be used to lure them to the window to be killed quickly. He and Roy had.
The colonel shot a tongue of flame through the broken glass. When there was no response, Havoc cautiously walked over and looked out. The only figures he could see were two guards rushing over to see what the noise had been. "Clear." He reported. His superior nodded and picked up the cigarette that Havoc had dropped yet again. Fortunately, it was out this time. Tossing it into the fireplace, Roy walked over to inspect the rock lying in the middle of the room.
As he picked it up, the Riza rushed into the room, hair still dripping from a shower and gun drawn. When she saw that there was no immediate danger, she put the gun in the pocket of her robe and walked over to look at what Roy was inspecting. Grumman wheezed as he entered the room quickly and joined them. Havoc was at the broken window sending the guards in the direction the rock had come from while Fuery stood behind him, mute.
"It was just a rock, sir. We did not see the person responsible." Roy reported, flipping the rock over. His eyes widened when he saw what was written on the other side. "Lieutenant General, Hawkeye, I think you should take a look at this." He passed the rock to the lieutenant, who was standing between the Lieutenant General and him.
A moment passed. They stared down at the messy scrawl.
MAYARIS- FORSAKE THE MARKED MURDERESS AND RETURN TO YOUR PEOPLE AND YOUR GOD
"Marked… that means targeted, right?" Havoc asked, looking over the Lieutenant's shoulder to read the writing. He had walked around the group to read the writing too.
Roy looked down at Riza. "Or could they know…" He left the thought hanging, but the concerned look he received from the blonde told him that the same thought had occurred to her. She reached up and rubbed the nape of her neck almost reflexively. Grumman looked up at the younger soldiers questioningly.
"What are you talking about, Mustang?" He asked sharply, clearly put back on edge by this breach in the defenses around his home.
"Yeah, boss, what's up? More secrets?" Havoc asked, easing the rock out of Hawkeye's hand and handing it to Fuery to look at.
Roy just looked at the young woman next to him. She still held one hand at the back of her neck. "You haven't told your grandfather?" He asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. He winced a little, feeling the burn mark from years before through the light fabric of Riza's dark blue robe.
The room was silent for a moment except for the sounds of the soldiers' breathing and the steady drip of water from Riza's hair. Finally, Riza shook her head. She allowed Roy to lead her over to the couch they had used the night before. The others followed. This behavior was so atypical of Hawkeye that they were all concerned. "There was never any need to tell him. I didn't think it would be a problem. We don't even know that that's what the note meant now." She explained, regaining some of her usual pragmatism.
"Elizabeth. What are you talking about? What was there no need to tell me about?" Grumman looked at his granddaughter severely. He was a more than a little peeved at all the secrecy.
His granddaughter tried to meet his gaze with her usual passive gaze, but faltered after a moment. Instead of answering she remained quiet, her hand floating up to massage her neck for a moment before she forced herself to remove it.
As Grumman opened his mouth to insist again, Havoc blurted out from behind her. "Lieutenant! Are you alright?" He stared down at the base of the lieutenant's neck, where she'd inadvertently pushed her hair to one side. Through the darkened strands of hair, he could see bright red marks coming from under her collar. Hawkeye winced. She knew what he'd seen and knew that the decision about whether to tell about the other meaning of "marked" or not had just been taken completely out of he hands.