"can you write a fic where riza isn't feeling well but she's too stubborn to go home and it unintentionally jeopardizes the mission she's on with roy? and hes like rly concerned for her? btw I love all of your royai fics ahhh" - anon
The Colonel gave Riza a sideways look, his brow furrowing, accompanied with a concerned look on his face. "Are you all right?"
"Of course, sir. Why?"
Another pause and scrutinising look. "I thought –" Pause. He shook his head. "Nothing. Let's go." Riza nodded, shouldering her rifle and ignoring the pain in her leg as she stepped forward. It took an extreme amount of control but she managed to walk without a limp.
It was a stupid mistake. They'd been hunting these criminals for months and she'd been charged with searching a warehouse for evidence. One of the men was there and had gotten the drop on her, wielding a knife. It was a messy struggle, but she'd come out on top. Unfortunately, she ended up gaining a wound – a large gash on her leg. Superficial, but stung like nothing else and every time she took a step Riza thought she could feel every muscle around the wound straining. She was alone and had no time to wait, so her leg received a quick patch job. When she had a minute, Riza slipped away from the soldiers securing the assailant and changed her trousers to hide the tear in the fabric and her blood. Everyone was none the wiser.
The drive to the next warehouse – where their main suspect was holed up according to the assailant Riza had captured – was quiet but terse. Tensions were high. A lot was riding on this. It was Havoc's first mission back in the field after regaining his ability to walk and it was the Colonel's first field mission since regaining his sight. If all went well, they'd both be signed off.
Riza would make sure that happened. She was fine and this wound wouldn't stop her from the majority of the team reuniting.
The Colonel glanced at her from the driver's seat, which Riza promptly ignored. He thought there was something wrong with her, but she was fine. There was nothing to worry about. She ignored the sweat that had broken out over her skin.
Gun levelled, Riza eyed the doorway she was watching. No one had come and gone in the last five minutes – the time the Colonel, Fuery, and Breda entered the warehouse. Havoc was in the building next to her but was situated higher to get a better vantage point of the only other entrance to the warehouse.
Movement from the left caught her eye. Two masked figures approached the warehouse from behind a shipping container, guns drawn. Riza trained her rifle on them, however they sprinted and ducked behind another container before she could even aim properly. If she let off a shot wildly and missed, it would alert the men and those inside that they were here.
Shit! She needed to get down there and help them.
Leaving the sniper, she grabbed her white jacket and ran for the stairs. Taking two or three at a time, she winced every time she landed, eventually having to stop and grit her teeth against the pain. Although numbness had set in before, her leg was on fire now. Pushing off the wall, she continued her hurried descent at a more manageable pace. Sweat poured off her at an alarming rate.
Riza was limping as she ran as fast as she could across the street. Havoc could no doubt see her by now but there wasn't much else she could do about that. Time was of the essence. She needed to get in there and provide back up. The Colonel had no idea what was sneaking up on him and it was her priority to protect him.
The door barely let out a squeak as she opened it. Struggling, she made her way quietly into the building, maintaining cover behind wooden boxes and metal shelving. The initial hallway led to a catwalk, on which Riza could oversee the entire main room.
"Colonel Mustang," a voice called into the room, tone cold and disgusted. Peering over the boxes, Riza scanned the area below to try and find them. There! To her right on the opposite side of the building she spotted Breda down below. There was no way she'd be able to gain his attention without drawing attention to herself as well. If the men looked up, they'd spot her. "We know you're here. Come out now, and we won't kill you." Riza scoffed. What a great line. Not.
Silence was his answer and Riza crept further along the catwalk. She was entirely hidden by wooden panels that ran the length of the railings. It meant she had to crouch walk, which was hell on her leg, but she pushed forward. The panelling stopped just above her teammates. Peering down she saw the tops of their heads. Mustang was signalling to Breda and Fuery something, but she couldn't make out what.
Movement around the corner of the catwalk caught her eye. A man stood up silently, training a weapon on Mustang's head.
Riza's heart rose into her throat.
The man wasn't hidden but there was no way they'd be able to see him from this angle.
Riza rolled out from behind her hiding place and rose into a sprint, her leg screaming in protest. It felt like her blood was boiling underneath the skin. She charged at the man, the metal of the catwalk signalling her presence as her boots hit it heavily. Riza tackled him right before a gunshot sounded. It pinged off something metal somewhere, but Riza didn't care. It didn't hit the Colonel or her teammates and that's all that mattered.
There was a burst of movement below her as Riza struggled with her assailant. "Hawkeye!" The Colonel called, then there was nothing more but shouts. Riza was too focussed to make out anything else.
The man managed to land a kick to her injured leg before landing another to her stomach. She cried out but it was cut off as an arm snaked around her neck.
"We have your woman!" the man yelled loudly in her ear, tightening his grip on her neck. Riza gasped, clawing at his arm to try and shift it, but it was no use. Her breaths came out choked as not enough oxygen was reaching her lungs. Despite the lack of oxygen, Riza felt she might pass out from the pain in her leg. It was agony.
Another well placed kick to her injured leg and she was done for. The man had hit it to try and force her to the ground, but that was enough. She was gone. Riza blacked out, feeling the heat of flames and hearing someone screaming her name.
Roy Mustang had never felt fury like this before. He saw his Lieutenant crumple to the ground in that bastard's arms and he lost it. His flames took no prisoners as he effortlessly blazed his way through the criminals. Screams erupted throughout the warehouse. The fire wouldn't kill them. Yet. Just enough to stop them and pay for what they'd done to her.
"Boss!" Breda yelled, roughly grabbing his shoulder and turning Roy to face him. "Stop!" Roy's head jerked up, meeting the eyes of the man who was trying to stop him from hurting the people who had ki -
He couldn't even think the rest of that sentence. That wasn't true. It couldn't be.
"Get upstairs. Get to her!" Breda yelled at him, lifting his weapon as he let go of Roy's shoulder to apprehend the criminals.
Riza.
Right.
Roy took the stairs up to the catwalk two at a time, blood pumping in his ears and his heart in his throat.
Please. Please. Please.
She was lying on her side on the metal floor. Her short hair was wet with sweat at the ends. Her fringe was plastered to her forehead, which was pale and clammy. Her face was pure white. She looked ill. Really ill. Turning her gently, Roy's hands shook as he lifted her chin to see if she was breathing. His own had stopped as he waited for confirmation.
It was there. Air tickled his cheek.
Roy let out a sigh of relief, feeling his body shake with it. He felt weak, to the point where he couldn't even remain upright. He landed awkwardly but ended up sitting on the floor.
"Sir! Status?" Fuery's strained voice called up to him.
"Alive." Alive. He thought she'd died. Her body fell and Roy felt his whole world fall with her. "But needs medical attention." Checking her body over, he noticed nothing out of the ordinary, but it didn't explain her pale complexion or the excessive sweat. As his hands swept over her leg, there was a crumpling sound. Lifting the trouser leg, Roy paled when he saw the bandage that had blood seeping through it. There's so much. "Now."
"Get her outside. We've got in here handled," Breda reassured him. Roy scooped Riza into his arms and ran out the door. The military police had their weapons raised to fire as soon as he exited, but Havoc barked at them to lower their guns.
"The men are apprehended inside," Roy barked and the MPs didn't waste another second. They descended on the warehouse, leaving Roy outside with Havoc and the paramedics.
"I saw her limping across the street," Havoc explained as they hurried over to the medics. I didn't think it was this bad." He looked as shocked and as grim as Roy felt.
"She never mentioned it," Roy told him after handing Riza over. She was bundled into the back of an ambulance, the doors closing. Roy winced at the sound, hoping the finality he felt wasn't an indication of what was to come. He couldn't… He couldn't deal with that happening. He'd already had to face that reality on the Promised Day. He wasn't strong enough to do it again.
Roy thought there was something off with her before they came here. He was sure he'd seen her limp, but then she reassured him she was fine, and there was no hint of it before they parted. He should have known she would hide it. Now look what has happened, Riza.
Sepsis.
The blade she'd been struck with had been dirty and her wound had been infected. The doctor had told her she was lucky that she didn't lose her leg. Her stupidity and stubbornness had almost cost her not only her leg, but her goals and her job. If she had lost it, she wouldn't be able to follow him to the top. Automail took years to recuperate from. Roy would already be there by then.
Idiot.
"Why didn't you say anything?" The Colonel's voice was quiet in the dim hospital room. The bedside lamp was on and nothing else. Moonlight filtered through the window, casting a silver glow on the floor before it was swallowed by the artificial orange glow.
"We had a job to do."
Silence.
Roy sighed, straightening in his chair as Riza looked away and moved her gaze towards the window.
"That stubbornness almost got you killed."
Riza swallowed. She knew that.
"I know," she whispered. "I'm sorry."
She really was. She hadn't meant to worry him like that. Not only had she caused herself further harm, she'd jeopardised the mission. She felt like such a fool. Like an amateur.
Riza jumped when Roy's fingers snaked into hers, gripping them tightly.
"This mission was important, yes, but not more important than your life. Never more important than that. I'm sorry if I pushed the priority of this too much."
Riza shook her head. He had pushed it, but she was an adult and had still made this decision herself. She put herself in danger so that the mission would run smoothly. Only it hadn't. It had almost ended in disaster. "You didn't. I had a lot of hopes on this too. This was all on me."
Roy squeezed her hand. "Just… Promise me you'll think of yourself more often. I've almost watched you die twice now." His voice broke. "Please don't make me do it again."
Riza blinked away her tears and nodded. "Sorry."
Rising from his chair, Roy kissed her forehead before pressing his gently against hers. "Sorry for sounding extremely selfish."
Riza chuckled. "It's okay," she whispered. "I was just being stubborn."
Roy snorted gently. "That sounds about right." He pulled away and kissed her forehead again. "I should go," he told her regretfully. "I'm way past visiting time and there's only so much the nurse will take of Havoc's terrible flirting as a distraction."
Riza smiled at his attempt to ease the tension between them. "All right, sir. You better go and save her." He smiled softly at her, but after stealing a third kiss. "And they say chivalry is dead."
When the door closed, Riza took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
You stubborn fool.