Chapter 12

Roy's P.O.V.

"Man, you've got to focus," said Havoc, sternly, as I began to drift off to sleep.

"Havoc, we've been on this train for twelve hours and we've got nine to go," I muttered, "let me rest."

"You'd be awake if Riza were here," he huffed.

"Only because she'd have a gun pressed to my temple by now."

"That's probably true."

I sighed inwardly and looked around the train carriage at my small crew. Havoc, Fuery and Falman alone were to accompany me on this mission- posing as a few odds and ends looking to buy the drug off the black market. The official mission was to shut the crooks down, but it's no secret that I was doing it for a slightly more personal reason. Still, no one questions it- they haven't even mentioned it, and I'm glad. We have this sort of pretence going- we're all thinking that Riza's back in Central, whipping our stand-ins into place until we return. None of us want to her imagine her lying in that goddamned hospital cot, so pale and sickly like she is… not our brave Lieutenant Hawkeye. Not my beautiful Riza.

I closed my eyes and for a moment I was there with her- sitting by her side, smoothing her damp bangs away from her forehead and kissing her mouth gently as she sleeps… but then Havoc taps me again and I'm back on the train- powering away from Riza back in Central, and leaving her to face her demons alone.

"Come on, chief," Havoc said, shaking his head, "now's not the time to be thinking about her."

I looked up again and saw Fuery and Falman nodding at me sadly. "I'm sorry," I said.

"Don't worry, sir," said Fuery sympathetically and Falman agreed.

"Why don't we think up our aliases while we have the time?"

"Fun!" Havoc exclaimed, brightening suddenly, "let's all do me first! What's my name?!"

"The initials should still be HC, just so we don't forget ourselves," said Falman, practical as always.

"John Huntsman," said Fuery dryly as he flicked an offending spider away from him.

"Jean-John… Jean-John…" said Havoc, weighing it up in his head and nodding eventually, "yeah, I can see myself remembering that. Background story now!"

It was our tradition, when creating aliases, to sit in a circle- or something resembling one- and to go around adding bits in until it was deep enough. It was no secret that this was Havoc's favourite part.

"Okay! My name is John Hunstman," Havoc began, "and I come from Rush Valley, where my dad and mum work with automail, but since I never had much talent for it, and my parents found all the girls -naturally attracted to me, of course- in the shop annoying, it was decided that I should move to Central and finish my education there…"

"John," I said as he gestured for me to continue for him, "completed his education at a public school of little standing and went on to work as a baker…"

Seeing Havoc's disappointment, Fuery was quick to interrupt, "then, one day, a beautiful girl named… Marina walked into the shop and ordered three French rolls…"

"And they fell madly in love," Falman added dutifully, bringing the story back into Havoc's grasp.

"We married two years later and a little after that, we had our first child-"

"A boy named Roy," I cut in, grinning a little.

"Who was very, very naughty!" said Fuery, nudging me.

"And who had to be sent to military school to knock some sense into him," said Falman and I made a face.

"My wife, Marina, and I rented a lovely little summer house in Eastern…"

"But there was a fire and she died," I decided, "and John became depressed."

"But then-"

"Fuery, stop being nice- this guy's supposed to me a drug addict not a happy, healthy man with a wife, two kids and a dog," I pointed out and Havoc sighed loudly.

"Fine… why don't you just finish the story then, Roy?"

"Huh? Why just me?"

"Because you're good at breaking people's hearts," said Havoc, grinning and prodding me.

I glared, but obliged anyway, "John moved back to Central and found the bills for Little Roy's military academy in the mail. He didn't have the money, so he set his house alight, pretended to be dead and ran away, but he was caught and sent to prison." I watched in amusement as Havoc's face grew sadder and sadder. "But an inmate secretly supplied him with small, dilute amounts of Jaade during the months before his break-out and now he wants more. He worked up the money for the train and came to Eastern- the end."

Havoc frowned, "let's make Roy's story as bad as mine!"

"Yeah!" Falman and Fuery agreed forcefully and I sighed.

"Go ahead then."

"Okay, Roy- your name is Ridley Merchant," said Fuery.

"And you married a beautiful woman named Elizabeth in Central…" added Falman, and everyone –me included- stared at him in shock before he went on, "…but she became terminally ill and also died."

"Don't even joke about that," I found myself hissing.

"You made my wife die," Havoc pointed out accusingly, "we can kill off yours as well!"

"It's not the same!"

"Yes it is! It's only a story, after all!"

I gritted my teeth and looked down.

"Okay, Falman, I think we'll have to change that part," said Fuery, shaking his head.

"Aww! Why?!" Havoc protested.

"Because Marina Huntsman doesn't exist, and you're upsetting the Colonel by speaking that way about Riza."

"So? It'll only make his act more convincing," said Falman and Havoc agreed.

"You're willing to hurt him to achieve that end?" asked Fuery.

Havoc put a hand on my shoulder and sighed, "come on, man. If we can convince them of your totally real pain, they might just believe us- and isn't that better for Riza in the end?"

I nodded grudgingly, knowing that he wasn't just saying this to spite me anymore. "Fine, whatever…"

"You started taking Jaade and became addicted," finished Havoc. "We don't have to go any deeper than that- his pain will cover up for any gaps."

As we were all starting to feel more than just a little depressed, we decided to condense Fuery and Falman's stories into just a couple of sentences. The two of them were to be posing as cousins from the West, Kale and Vernon Francis, whose only family died in an earthquake when they were small- leaving them orphans. Their foster father became an addict when his wife left him and they managed to get into his stores.

Long story short- four desperate druggies with no other option.

Now only to find the people with the answers.

-

Narrative P.O.V.

"A visitor for you, Miss Hawkeye."

Riza looked up, expecting to see Winry or Gracia, but instead finding a young woman she had never met before. "May I help you?"

"You are Lieutenant Hawkeye?"

"I am. Is there a problem?"

"My name is Hana, from the Investigations Department of the State Military."

Riza nodded silently, waiting for her to elaborate.

"I've been asked to interrogate you," said Hana.

"About what?"

"A certain drug called Jaade."

"What about it?" asked Riza, sitting up a little straighter.

"You've heard of it, then?"

"Briefly- I've heard that the military's trying to peg the manufacturers down in the East," she replied, "but that is all."

"Where did you hear this from?"

"A friend of mine used to work in Investigations, also- Maes Hughes." Riza's voice was hard, "why ask me anyway? My unit has nothing to do with it."

Hana gave her an odd look, "they've found traces of it in your blood," she explained.

Said blood ran cold. "I only know that it is dangerous," Riza said, looking down, "and that it messes with the central nervous system and the brain- something to do with heightening or dulling emotions."

"That's exactly it," said Hana, "and that's just about all we know. I'm sorry- I thought you would have been told."

"Well, I wasn't," said Riza, "nobody told me anything."

"We've sent another small unit to Eastern recently- we're hoping that this one will be successful in bringing us back some samples and shutting down operations there," said Hana, looking a little embarrassed. "I suppose you haven't been told this either, Lieutenant, but it was your unit sent- led by Colonel Mustang."

"I wasn't aware of that either… is there no way I can join them?"

"In your condition, no," said Hana. "I'm sorry but it's too dangerous."

"Hana! There you are! What did I tell you about running around unaccompanied- Oh! Riza!"

Riza looked up, "Maria?"

"I've been out of town- I'm sorry, I wasn't aware you were in the hospital or I would have visited! What happened? Is my sister bothering you?"

"Hana?" said Riza and Ross nodded.

"She's working in Investigations- and she's running late."

"Am not!" Hana protested.

Maria shook her head and sighed, "she's supposed to be talking to a woman forcibly injected with the Jaade drug in room 2-0…3…? Riza?"

Riza followed her friend's eyes over to the number on the door. 203.

"Rize! Are you okay?!"

"See!" said Hana, grumpily, "I'm not in the wrong room."

"Apparently not," said Riza, shrugging.

"But she… you… suicide, Rize?!"

Riza lay back down, shaking her head tiredly, "I don't want to talk about it. You can ask Nurse Elanora for the whole story… or Colonel Mustang but your sister says he's on a mission."

"That's true… but have you any idea who could have done this to you?"

"None, I'm sorry… I worry about the Colonel, though. I've been thinking about it, and perhaps whoever did this wasn't out to get me… but him- as his first line of defence, anyone seeking to harm him would have a better chance with me out of the way."

"That may be the case," said a woman's voice from the door.

"Visiting hours are over, ma'am," Maria was quick to tell the young blonde, "we are here on official military business."

"So am I," said the woman, who couldn't have been older than thirty, thirty-five. "I am the Fuhrer Queen Miyelle on my own official military business."

The three young military women blinked and exchanged glances. Slowly, Maria brought her hand up to her forehead in a salute, Hana following close behind. The Fuhrer watched Riza expectantly. Several moments of tense silence passed before the First Lieutenant finished her silent examination of the woman in civilian clothes and saluted also.

"You are First Lieutenant Hawkeye, then?" Miyelle said, eventually.

Riza just nodded silently where she lay.

"I was visited the other day by a Ms Gracia Hughes, whose husband used to work in the Investigations Department."

"I know Ms Hughes," said Riza, ignoring the looks Hana and Maria were giving her- confused and disapproving- obviously noticing her tone, which bordered on insubordination.

"She spoke of you and the Flame Alchemist as though you were quiet dear friends," said Fuhrer Queen Miyelle.

"That is true also."

"She was adamant that the fraternization law be lifted."

Riza didn't reply. What Miyelle said was of no news to her, and the Fuhrer knew that it was not- she was alluding to something greater… but what? When she didn't go on, Riza nodded, "so I've heard."

"I agreed with her and lifted the law."

"..."

"She seemed to think that this would benefit you and the Flame Alchemist personally."

"Fuhrer Queen Miyelle, as the fraternization law has now been lifted, what goes on between your subordinates after hours is no longer any of your business."

Miyelle didn't seem surprised that Riza had answered her thus, in fact, she seemed almost amused, "I will forgive you that and accredit you non-compliance to your condition."

"I only mean to say," said Riza, a little more carefully, "that you have no official right to ask me about my personal life as it concerns the Colonel now that any conceivable relationship is beyond your jurisdiction."

The Fuhrer looked thoughtful for a moment, then bid Maria and Hana leave and continue their interrogation later. When the door closed, she drew up a chair beside the bed and waited as Riza dragged herself into a proper sitting position. "Are you honestly refusing to tell me the nature of your relationship with the Colonel on the grounds that it is not required of you?" she asked.

"I am."

"I don't know another of your like in all the military, Lieutenant." Her tone hinted at a slight admiration and Riza smiled.

"Really?" she said, "well, why don't you try asking Second Lieutenant Ross about Sergeant Brosh? Or Second Lieutenant Havoc about Private Sheska?"

"Hm? You think I would get a similar response? Interesting… still, it is mere curiosity that fuels my instance. Won't you tell me? I understand that you and the Colonel have known each other for many years."

"Almost twelve, Majesty."

"I knew my husband only two…"

"The Colonel was my father's apprentice before he died," a sad look passed briefly over Riza's stoic face, "then he had to go and join the military…"

"And you followed him?"

"He was all I had left- naturally, I wanted to protect him."

"And now you think he is in danger?"

"Yes, Majesty… all because he went to help me. If I'd known…"

"You wouldn't have let him go, would you?" asked Miyelle, smiling in a sad sort of understanding.

"Not without me."

Miyelle nodded compassionately, then sighed, "First Lieutenant, I am about to do something very foolish."

"Majesty?"

"Would you like to come with me to the East? I have some affairs to settle over there. Who knows, your Colonel might need the extra protection?"

Riza searched the Fuhrer's face uncertainly and found an oddly child-like gleam in her eyes. Smiling too, she nodded, "yes, thank you, Majesty. I would love to come."

-

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