Otp: Ok guys sorry for the long wait but school started which means less writing time….
Roy: Ha! School is for wimps!
Riza: And idiots like you
Otp: I would personally love to see him take health 'insert evil grin'
Riza: 'insert matching evil grin' I think I might be able to convince Olivier to come and teach….
Roy: 'pales considerably and tries to run…..'
Olivier: I hear that I have to teach this mutt health. Well haul your ass off the floor and MOVE!!!!!!
Roy: Yes Ma'am!!!!
Otp: Haahahahahhaha……..ahem……anyways the next chapter to Hunted for ya!!!!!!
Riza: And she thanks all of the reviewers!!!!!
Chapter 14 The Alchemy Exam
Roy stepped into the room with Riza in tow. Her expression was grim and he was still extremely tense. The men waiting in the room all looked up when they entered. Some of them smiled nervously in their direction while others completely ignored their presence.
Soren, Atlas, and Raymond were fidgeting and they were obviously anxious. Rube only grunted up in seeing them and he went back to mumbling to himself.
Riza's eyes stopped on the last man, Grahm Aushwitz, and she frowned. Something was a little off about him. 'He's not nervous at all. He almost seems…smug about something.' She thought.
Unfortunately, she didn't have any time to dwell on the thought for Roy had cleared his throat. Her gaze shifted back to Roy and a flash of violet flashed across her vision.
Just as fast as it had come, it was gone again. She shook her head to rid herself of the odd feeling deep in the pit of her stomach. This sudden feeling unnerved her, it overwhelmed her senses for a few moments and she knew it didn't bode well.
"…good to see you all again." Roy's voice broke her trance and she focused her attention back to him, pushing aside her fear for the time being.
Riza's sudden odd behavior had not gone unnoticed by Roy and he was worried, 'I had better wrap this up quickly.' He thought.
He continued, "I am here to take you down to the exam and explain what you are going to have to do." His eye raked across the room
"Once I take you down, you will each be briefed about what your tasks will be. After you have been briefed, you will wait until your name has been called to begin your exam. Are there any questions?"
"What sort of tasks will we have to perform?" Soren asked.
Roy smiled at Soren, "I can't tell you that but I will tell you that they will test your alchemic control and your endurance."
Soren nodded his thanks and Roy waited to see if there were any more questions. When nobody spoke, he put on a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, "Well, follow me and we can get started." He said.
He jerked his head at the door and Riza nodded her head and pulled it open. He walked out but not before he gave Riza a concerned look.
She shook her head slightly and gave him a look that said, "Not now." His frown deepened but he walked past her followed by Grahm, Raymond, Rube, Atlas, and Soren.
Riza closed the door after Soren and walked behind him.
He fell into step with her and smiled, "Lt. Hawkeye, it's nice to see you again. How is Hayate?" he asked.
"He's doing just fine, thank you for asking." She said with a tight smile.
Soren's brow furrowed, "Lieutenant, is something wrong?"
"Just a lot on my mind lately." She replied truthfully. She did have a lot on her mind what with everything that was going on.
He wasn't convinced but he didn't push it.
Their procession continued to make their way down the hallways towards the courtyard where the exam was going to be held.
They stopped in font of a tent that was set apart from the arena where multitudes of targets were set up.
Roy lifted up the tent flap and ushered the contestants inside saying, "You are to wait here until someone comes in to explain what you are to do in your exam. Good luck men." He said and he let go of the tent flap and turned to Riza.
"Come with me for a moment," he said holding out his hand to her.
She reached out and took his and he led her to a deserted area close by and looked her in the eye, "What did you see in that room Riza?" he asked softly.
Riza hesitated before she buried her face in his jacket, embracing him, "I saw something violet flash before my eyes, and they looked exactly like Abunai's. I'm not even sure if it was really there or not it was gone so fast."
He wrapped his arms around her, "I don't think you would imagine something like that. I think your stalker was in that room, I'm sure of it." He almost growled. "I can't wait to get my hands on him."
Riza pulled away slightly to look into his face, she managed a small smile and she reached up and touched his cheek, "I think you're right Roy, we'll just have to be on our guard." She said gently, pulling his face down to hers and kissing him.
He broke the kiss and tucked a loose strand of hair back behind her ear, "We had better get going; they might come looking for us."
"I know but—"
"Is the Riza Hawkeye putting duty on hold? That's a first." He chuckled.
She pushed him away and stalked off, "Oh shut up sir."
Roy grinned and caught up to her, "You can't order me around. I outrank you." He said smugly.
A most un-Riza like smirk crept onto her face, "Oh can't I? Hasn't stopped me from knocking you on your ass a few times. Do you really think I am above insubordination?" she challenged, her eyes twinkling.
He grinned, holding his hands up in defeat, "I give; you've saved my ass how many times due to insubordination?"
She cocked an eyebrow, "Do you really want to know how many?"
Before Roy could reply, Maes was running towards them, "Hey! There you two are, come on! The exam is about to start!" he said frantically grabbing their arms and dragging them towards the arena and up onto a podium in front of a large audience.
He pushed them onto the stage where Armstrong and Scieszka were waiting but not before he whispered, "Everyone is in position, good luck."
Riza quickly took her place two steps behind Roy while he made his way to the podium. He cleared his throat and addressed the crowd, "Welcome to the State Alchemist Exam. Today we have five candidates but only two will be given a silver pocket watch and a state alchemist title. They will be required to make their way through two challenges that will test their skills with alchemy, their ability to control it, and their endurance." The crowd roared.
They quieted when he raised his hand for silence, "Now I will introduce our first candidate, Soren Quan!"
Soren walked out and smiled at the crowd as he strode over to stand in front of the podium and Roy.
Roy smiled down at Soren, "Now I will let Major Armstrong tell you about your task. Good luck." He said stepping back to stand next to Riza. He frowned, reached up to his eye patch and adjusted it. Riza noted his movement with a frown.
They turned back to listen to Armstrong, "Mr. Quan you will have three minutes to destroy all of the targets that are set up before you but be aware that there will also be target that are fashioned to look like bystanders. If you hit one you will get ten seconds added to your final time. If you overshoot your time limit you will be disqualified." Armstrong declaimed proudly.
Soren nodded and whipped out his sword, "I am ready." He stated confidently.
Armstrong positively sparkled, "Then begin!"
Soren sprang into action and lunged at the opposing targets with gusto, being careful to avoid the ones that were fashioned to look like civilians.
He sliced his way through the targets turning them into two different materials as he went. His movements were fluid and controlled as he swung his sword every which way in graceful arcs.
The crowd cheered loudly, watching Soren make quick work of the targets. By the time he had finished he was panting and drenched in sweat, but he was smiling triumphantly.
He lowered his sword and looked up at the giant clock that had his final time on it: 0:23. Soren had made it with seconds to spare.
By now the crowd was going wild and applauding Soren's performance. He grinned back up at where Armstrong still stood beaming down at him.
"Well Mr. Quan, congratulations. You have passed the first task within the time limit and without any penalties. Take a break and wait for the next task in the tent to my left." Armstrong gestured to his left, sparkling.
Soren bowed and he made his way to the aforementioned tent.
Roy leaned towards Riza, "I really, really hope it's not him." He said.
Riza just nodded and glanced towards Maes and Scieszka, who were scouring the crowd for the others.
Maes caught her look and winked. So, they hadn't spotted anything yet.
She sighed and turned her attention back to the exam. At the moment, some other military personnel were cleaning up the arena and getting it all set up for the next applicant. People were muttering excitedly among the crowd as they waited anxiously for Armstrong to announce the second challenger.
Once the arena was once again set up Armstrong spoke, "And now, I welcome Mr. Rube Thrift!"
Both Roy and Riza zeroed in on the short, stocky man as he trudged onto the field. Armstrong began the same speech that he had used for Soren and Rube didn't look as if he was really paying any attention.
Roy sat back in his chair, fiddling with his eye patch once again and Riza crossed her legs. Both of them were thinking the same thing, 'This is going to be interesting…'
Rube grunted and his body became covered in armor and he turned towards the first target and Armstrong signaled the start and Rube was off thundering towards the target.
He crashed through it and didn't stop. He only continued to rumble through the next one in his path. He continued to crash his way through EVERY target on the field and he only came to a stop after he hit one of the barricades between the arena and the crowd.
Riza was having a trouble keeping her face straight as Roy whispered something about, "A pounding headache." They knew exactly how this was going to end, especially since Rube was smashing through not only the targets he was supposed to but the civilian ones as well.
Soon it was all over and Armstrong stood up clearing his throat, "That was a most…exuberant display of power Mr. Thrift. You took out every target and under the time limit. Unfortunately, in destroying all of the targets, you also hit all of the civilian ones. This adds to your final time a minute and forty seconds, bringing it to three minutes and fifty seconds." He continued in a grave tone. "I am sorry to say that you are disqualified from the Alchemy Exam."
Rube's face turned red and he stormed off the field cursing loudly and pushing people out of his way as he went.
Roy was smirking, "Serves him right after all the things he did to you."
Riza smiled as well, "I couldn't agree more."
The exam went on, Raymond Shurk barely made it to the next round, and Atlas was disqualified. Now they had finally come to the last candidate in the first task. Grahm Aushwitz was given the speech and the signal to begin.
Grahm never moved from where he stood and he shot all of the targets with his bow, excluding all the civilian ones and in less than two minutes. Needless to say, the crowd ate it up with gusto and Roy and Riza were impressed.
"Excellent! Wonderfully done Mr. Aushwitz, you have broken the arena record by fifty seconds! I must say I am deeply impressed." Armstrong boomed approvingly.
Grahm bowed, "Thank you Major Armstrong."
Now Roy and Riza stood up and approached the podium, "Ladies and gentleman! That concludes the first part of the exam. We now have a thirty minute interlude before we begin the second part of the exam." He said and stepped down from the podium and approached the three finalists.
Riza closely followed him and he scratched his eye again before scrutinizing the three before him, "Congratulations to you all, you can go and rest up in the tent you were in earlier and we will call you when it's time to begin the second task. You are dismissed."
The three men saluted and headed off towards the tent.
Riza had noticed that Roy had been fidgeting with his eye patch a lot during the exam and she was concerned. She tapped him on the shoulder, "Roy, you've been messing with your eye patch all day. Is something wrong?" she asked.
Roy smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, it's actually been bothering me for a while now. I think I'll go back up to the office and put some ointment on it." He said reaching up to lightly touch his eye patch.
"Well then, let's go up before the next segment begins." She said calmly taking his arm and leading him away from the crowd.
"Hey, where are you two going?" they turned to find that Maes had caught up to them.
Roy shrugged, "My eye has been bothering me all day so we're going up to my office to put some ointment on it."
A sly grin crept onto Maes' face, "Alright, but make sure you're back before the next task starts. Don't let me keep you!"
"Don't worry Maes; we will be back in time." Riza said, turning away and pulling Roy towards the main building again.
They arrived at the office and Roy went over to his desk and rummaged through a drawer looking for his ointment. Riza had come over to his side, not hesitating to reach over and pull off the eye patch.
He flinched as she did so, but handed her the ointment. She took it and began to carefully apply it to the irritated skin around his eye.
"How many times has this happened before Roy? I know this doesn't happen very often." She said, impulsively giving his eye a kiss before handing back the eye patch.
Roy quickly replaced the eye patch before answering her, "It hasn't done this since the day Ed came back and it never bothered me this much when it did."
She frowned, "Never this bad?"
He shook his head, leaning into her, "Never, I'm starting to think that it's a predictor of sorts." He pulled away and grasped her hands in his. "This only makes me even more nervous."
Her expression softened and she pulled him into an embrace, "Then we'll just have to be extra careful. Now we better hurry back down Roy." She said pulling away from him.
He pulled her back down into his lap and caught her lips with his in a passionate kiss that took her breath away. She thoroughly enjoyed it and she regretted having to cut it short.
She pulled away from him, breathless and slightly flushed, "Roy…we can finish this later. Right now we need to get back."
He groaned, "Why did I have to fall in love with the most stubborn woman in Amestris?"
Riza chuckled, "You wouldn't have me any other way, now move!" she ordered playfully pushing him out the door and back towards the arena.
Otp: Wow that took me longer than I expected
Riza: ….
Roy: …
Otp:Whatever, MY BIRTHDAY IS ON FRIDAY SO WHHEEEEEE!!!!!! I hope all of you liked the chapter and I am deeply sorry for the long wait……Please review!!!!!
And thank you MSD for correcting all of my funny mistakes...which were a lot...Luvs ya Pooter!!!!!!!