A/N: Hi!
We have the Elrics back in Central and now with Winry! But Hughes is not there anymore :(
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Thanks for reading!
See you in two weeks!
Golden and Flame
Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist characters don't belong to us. We are just having fun with them.
Chapter 13. Painful news
Under a sunny sky, the Elric brothers and Winry descended from a train at the Central City station. At first they were accompanied by two hooded people but were soon left alone when they both discovered that their master had disappeared. Ed was relieved to be given a break and it was only then that he felt the joy and excitement of being back in Central City. With all the things that had happened to them over the past few months, Ed almost felt like it had been years since they had visited this city.
Since Al, Armstrong and he had left Resembool a couple of months ago, the Elric brothers had been through several things. First, Tim Marcoh's clue led them to Central's library, discovering that it had been burned to the ground just a few days before they arrived. Both would be lying if they said they weren't discouraged to learn of that incident but their hopes were quickly revived when the head librarian told them about Sheska, a former library employee who turned out to have an incredible photographic memory.
In the company of Second Lieutenant Ross and Sergeant Brosh, bodyguards that Armstrong left in charge of the Elrics much to Ed's chagrin, the two brothers obtained Marcoh's complete research thanks to Sheska's efficient work in reproducing the texts. After a week of intense work to decode the research, Ed and Al arrived at the terrible secret hidden in the philosopher's stone: its main ingredient was living human beings.
The revelation came as a shock to the Elrics. The best option they had pursued for years to retrieve their bodies involved considerable bloodshed that they would never dare to carry out. However, the very night that truth came to light, a talk with Major Armstrong and his subordinates caused Ed to remember and focus more on the words Marcoh had told him when he handed him the paper with the location of their investigation.
Despite the soldiers' warnings, Ed and Al could not restrain themselves and went to explore the abandoned Laboratory 5 alone, as they had a suspicion that there they might discover more about the whole secret that encompassed the philosopher's stone. Their suspicions were fulfilled when they discovered that the place was guarded by criminals 48 and 66, who were souls bound to armor as in Al's case, and also when Ed was near a strange alchemical circle before his confrontation with number 48. Each brother fought on his own and managed to get out of the place alive, although Ed was considerably injured courtesy of his confrontation with number 48 and the unexpected appearance of a couple of mysterious guys with Ouroboros tattoos. One of them hit him hard, knocking him unconscious, but to the surprise of Al, Ross and Brosh (the latter of whom arrived shortly before the building collapsed), this mysterious fellow carried Ed out and handed him to Al with a smile on his face before disappearing.
As a result of this adventure, Ed lost a lot of blood and his automail was damaged (which is why Winry had to go to Central). Despite his multiple injuries, what hurt Ed the most and really terrified him was the existential crisis that Al suffered because of Barry The Chopper's words. Maybe Ed wasn't the best with words but he was very surprised that Al had piled up all his worries in those days without saying a single word to him. Ed had noticed that his brother was acting a little strange but he thought he would soon talk to him and everything would be back to normal, but when Al exploded and furiously revealed that he was almost certain that his own existence and memories were nothing more than a creation of his, Ed feared that the very close connection they had always had would be broken forever.
As soon as Al finished explaining what was happening to him, Ed pounded his fists against the tray containing his food for the day. In a soft voice Ed asked Al a few questions and finally left the room saying an I understand. He couldn't stay there, not now that the fear he had held back for so many years finally had its chance to come out. There was no turning back. His greatest fear had come true: Al, his little brother, hated him and blamed him for what had happened. He couldn't blame him, as he himself had carried the immense guilt all these years but now to be certain that Al felt the same way was a whole different level of pain.
Ed stood for a few moments leaning on the hospital rooftop railing watching the scenery, trying to calm himself. Shortly thereafter Al's unmistakable footsteps were heard. This time they sounded like his normal gait but more delicate as if he was debating how he should approach him. After a few seconds Al called him Brother but, noticing that Al wanted to apologize, Ed interrupted him and challenged him to a sparring match. At first Al was refusing because he knew that his brother's wounds were not yet healed but Ed didn't listen to him and continued with his usual combat moves. As soon as Al decided to focus on the fight, Ed threw a sheet completely covering his vision and, with the help of that little trap, the blond finally beat him for the first time.
They both lay there and began to share their childhood memories, enjoying and laughing at the remembrance of their adventures together. If Al still had any doubts about their existence, at that moment they vanished. There was no way those warm memories and his own determination were a mere creation. He was Alphonse Elric and he was going to recover his body and his brother's limbs. Understanding his brother's intent behind his last actions, Al apologized as Ed gave him more arguments that supported his humanity and served as reinforcement for the goal they would reach together.
Despite the pain Ed had felt just moments before, sharing that training and that talk with his brother had opened his eyes. His little brother didn't hate him or blame him and that was all he needed to know. The bond the Elrics shared was quite strong and therefore no typical words of apology were necessary, because in those moments the fracture that threatened to sever their trust and love was gone forever. Thus the promise to become stronger together was more than enough to give closure to that difficult misunderstanding and move on, knowing that both would always have each other's support and affection.
Shortly after that incident, Ed shared with Armstrong and Hughes the information he had up to that point about the Philosopher's Stone, Lab 5 and the mysterious beings that were there. From what little they knew they couldn't surmise much about it, so Ed and Al decided it was time to face the wrath of their sensei, trying to convince themselves that the perspective and information she could give them would be worth the beating she would undoubtedly give them as soon as they set foot in her house. That being the case, the next day Ed, Al and Winry boarded a train at the Central City station bound for the southern part of the country.
At Winry's insistence, the boys made a stop in Rush Valley, where they met Paninya, a skilled automail user, who used to steal, and a family of mechanics. After Winry managed to help deliver the baby of the couple they were visiting, she got a recommendation to apprentice with a good automail mechanic, so she stayed in that town while the Elrics continued their journey.
As they guessed, the blows from her sensei Izumi were not long in coming. At first her harsh reception was mostly due to her annoyance at having to learn from rumors that Ed had become a dog of the military. However, it didn't take long for Izumi to figure out what the Elrics had done, which is why the brothers had to tell her everything that had happened since they had finished their training with her. The scoldings were not lacking but, despite the serious mistake they had made, Izumi still loved them very much (even if she didn't tell them directly) so she hugged them to comfort them because she was aware that both of them had gone through terrible things. After that touching moment between the sensei and her disciples, Izumi offered to help them figure out ways to recover Al's lost memory, as Ed and she had concluded that perhaps the answer to their problems lay in that.
The Elrics spent a few weeks at their sensei's house and, unexpectedly and brutally, Al regained his memories of the gate of Truth. It was all triggered by Greed, who was the living proof that homunculi existed. Taking advantage of the fact that the brothers were separated for a couple of days so that Ed could go to the southern headquarters to attend his annual examination, Greed's gang (a group of human chimeras) managed to kidnap Al even though the young alchemist managed to wear them down and evade them for a considerable time by running through the hidden places of Dublith.
Greed wanted to learn how to bind souls as had happened with the younger Elric, so when Izumi tried to get Al out of Greed's hiding place, Greed stood in her way with his ultimate shield telling her that the only way he would let Al go was for Ed to tell him how he had bound his brother's soul in a suit of armor.
Extremely annoyed and frustrated, Izumi relayed Greed's words to Ed as soon as the blond returned to Dublith. Without hesitation, Ed immediately went to confront his brother's captor to rescue Al as quickly as possible, but Greed's shield and regenerative ability complicated and lengthened the combat for both of them. While the two were fighting, a couple of Greed's henchmen took Al away when they discovered that a group of military men, commanded by King Bradley himself, were destroying their lair and killing any enemy that crossed their path.
When the military men reached the room where Greed and Ed were, the homunculus took the opportunity to get out of there by meeting in a subway tunnel with Al, who had inside his armor one of Greed's allies since with her chimera abilities the woman could considerably slow down the armor's movements. The encounter was very brief since Bradley appeared and began to fight Greed. Al could not see the battle from where he was but soon after he had the misfortune to see, only a few meters away from him, how the Führer killed 2 people almost in front of him. Unfortunately, Al's nightmare did not end there as Bradley killed the woman who was occupying his armor. The shock was so overwhelming that it ended up unlocking the memories of the youngest Elric. Despite not finding a solution as they had hoped, the experience was enough for Al to be able to start doing alchemy without a transmutation circle like his brother and sensei.
Due to damage to Ed's automail in the confrontation with Greed, the Elrics had to return to Rush Valley so that Winry could repair it. Ed was aware that on that visit he wouldn't be spared a couple of hits with his friend's wrench, but what he hadn't counted on was that a foreigner from Xing and his bodyguards would cross his path. At first Ling seemed to be a relatively pleasant bottomless barrel but as soon as he mentioned that he was in Amestris in search of the philosopher's stone a new confrontation between the Elrics and Ling's bodyguards began. The brothers won but there were several damages to repair in the city (not to mention that Ed had now finished breaking his automail arm which earned him another beating from Winry) and, much to Ed's displeasure, Ling didn't get off their backs even as they set out on the journey back to Central City.
During the short time they had been traveling together it seemed that Ling was trying to befriend the Elrics and Winry, but Ed still didn't quite trust him. Maybe it was because he was taller than him (Why? that's not fair!) or because he had flirted with Winry by hinting that when his mission was over he would need a wife at his side. (How dare he?! Winry can't make a life beside a gluttonous, irresponsible, self-interested boy like him!) Anyway, Ed was extremely relieved when Al, Winry and he were able to make it to Central Command without Ling getting in their way again.
The boys arrived at Command around lunchtime, so it was not unusual to find soldiers walking nonchalantly around the building. What was a surprise was to find Lieutenant Hawkeye at the front door, who was receiving some paperwork from the military man who was in charge of supervising the entrance that day.
Although he was surprised to see her at Central, Ed couldn't help but smile at the sight of her. "Lieutenant Hawkeye."
Riza was surprised to hear Edward's voice but was immediately glad. She hadn't seen the Elric's since the morning they had left for Resembool. It was normal for those boys to be running around but whenever they departed Riza found herself wishing she could see them again soon. Directing a quick military salute to the soldier she was speaking with to conclude the matter, Riza turned and gave a warm smile to the new arrivals. "Edward, Alphonse, how nice to see you, how have you been?"
"Hmm the same as always." Ed replied without wiping away his smile as Al bowed his head slightly by way of greeting.
Winry, taking a closer look at Riza, remembered who it was. "Ah! You're the lady from last time." Winry said.
"You're the girl from Resembool." Riza mentioned as she flashed a smile at the young lady.
"Yes! I'm Winry." Replied the girl smiling back.
"How nice to see you again. You've become very pretty."
"You've grown your hair long, Miss Riza. It looks very nice on you."
Riza and Winry began exchanging pleasantries as if they were two old friends catching up on their adventures, which surprised the brothers, as they had no idea they knew each other. Suddenly, something came to Ed's mind causing his smile to disappear.
"Wait a minute, if the Lieutenant is here that means-" Ed started to say before he was interrupted.
"Hello, Fullmetal." Roy Mustang greeted him with the typical slightly smug smile he used to give him, as he closed the door of his car that he had just parked only a few steps away from them.
As soon as he heard the colonel's voice, Ed made an unhappy face.
"Good morning, Colonel." Al greeted him in a sympathetic tone.
Roy inclined his head slightly towards Al to answer his greeting but the gesture on Ed's face did not go unnoticed by him. "What's with the nasty face?" The colonel asked with an offended tone and face, but suddenly his countenance changed as he became aware of Winry's presence, so he put on his most charming face and changed his tone to greet the young lady.
"Oh, but what a pretty young lady. I'm Colonel Roy Mustang, have we met before? True, I remember your pretty face now, but I didn't recognize you at first because you've grown so much. I bet you have to deal with a lot of boys everywhere you go, don't you? If you ever have a problem don't hesitate to ask me for help, okay?" Roy began to chat gently and charmingly with Winry, while Ed became annoyed and grumbled under his breath at the way the colonel was behaving with his friend. During his brief talk with Winry, Roy glanced at Ed out of the corner of his eye and smiled at the blond's grumpy attitude since he had his suspicions that on this occasion Edward's annoyance was due to something else.
A little flustered and dazzled by Roy's flattery and charming attitude, Winry blushed slightly and replied. "Uh...thanks, I guess."
Still annoyed, Ed turned his back on Roy and put a hand to his forehead. "What's he doing here?"
Roy moved a couple of steps to stand next to Riza so he could face the 3 youngsters. "I was transferred to Central a few days ago. So what brings you here?"
Ed's annoyance subsided considerably as he saw that Roy had moved away from Winry. "I'm here to investigate. I've been trying to get information about the philosopher's stone and homunculi."
"Homunculi? What are you, stupid?" Roy asked puzzled. "You know the rules. 'No alchemist is to attempt to create a human being.' Do you really think the military would freely leave information about that lying around?"
Ed frowned. "Well, yeah..." Deciding there was no point in updating the colonel on what happened during Dublith, Ed changed the subject. "Oh, and another thing. We were thinking of going to visit Lieutenant Colonel Hughes, how have he been?"
Roy, who had his back to the boys as he put on his black coat, froze for a moment. With all the grief, sadness and anger he had felt after Hughes' death he hadn't thought about the fact that it was likely that he, being Ed's immediate boss, would have to inform the Elrics of what had happened and honestly, the thought quickly turned his stomach. Taking a few seconds to settle his coat before answering, Roy gave Riza a quick glance and could see the concern in her eyes. She didn't feel ready to release such sad news either.
Roy shifted slightly so he could see the boys out of the corner of his eye. Despite being a suit of armor, Roy could tell by his posture that Al was also anxious and happy to visit Hughes. He wasn't sure if Ms. Rockbell knew Hughes but the huge sincere smile she was wearing at the moment made him believe she was looking forward to seeing him as well. As for Ed...gosh, it was harder to have to break the news to them when those bright golden eyes were looking at him that way. Over the years he had noticed various emotions in Ed's face and eyes, and now he could easily tell that the boy was truly happy and hopeful. Without intending to, the picture of his son came to his mind. Both of their golden gazes glowed brightly without any concern for the moment and, even though Ed was not his son, he felt terrible that he was the cause of overshadowing his gaze.
Roy gave a slight sigh and put his hands in his pockets. He had made up his mind. "He's gone."
"Huh?" Ed asked in confusion.
Unable to look into those golden eyes any longer as he lied to her, Roy turned completely around to turn his back on the boys. "He moved out to the countryside. Things have been pretty dangerous around here lately, so he took his wife and daughter out to the country. He's going to take over the family business." Roy could feel Riza's confused and somewhat accusing look, but it was too late to take back her words. "You're not going to find him around here."
Ed put a hand to the back of his neck. "Really? That's too bad."
"Being a soldier is a dangerous profession." Al added.
"That's too bad. I was really looking forward to seeing him too." Said Winry.
Roy started to approach the front door. "Philosopher's stone and homunculi, right?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "I'll let you know if I find anything. Come on, Lieutenant."
"Yes, sir." Riza replied. Unable to form a smile at the current circumstances, Riza simply tilted her head slightly in the boys direction and began to walk slightly behind Roy.
Roy had a lot on his mind but, to calm the worry that was rising in him as he remembered Hughes' death and the previous incident between Ed and Scar, he added. "Oh, and Fullmetal, avoid getting into trouble. Don't be reckless."
A bit puzzled that Roy directly asked him to be careful, Ed replied. "All right. I'll be careful."
Roy and Riza continued walking down the long path that ran through the command gardens toward the main building. Roy kept his eyes straight ahead and his hands in his pockets while Riza, after what she considered a safe distance, turned her face so she could look over her shoulder at the boys. When she had seen the boys she had been overjoyed but now she was worried about them. What would happen when they found out the truth? How would they take it? Would they be angry with them for keeping the truth from them? Even if it was the appropriate thing to do, Riza didn't like the idea of being the one to have to break the bad news to them, but part of her wished she could be with them when they found out to hug and comfort them because something told her they wouldn't take it well at all.
Riza watched the boys until she saw them start walking towards some destination unknown to her. Making sure they still had some distance to go before they reached the main building, she decided to voice her concerns. "Why are you suddenly treating him like a child?"
Roy kept walking without turning to look at her. "It is not necessary for them to know the truth at the moment. For those brothers to move on, the fewer obstacles in their way the better."
Riza remained silent. She was aware that the truth would come out sooner or later but she understood Roy's point. He did not wish them to blame themselves for Maes' death because it would be a hard blow to the boys. They already had too much burden on their shoulders to add to it.
Roy paused and looked up at the sky. The brightness of the sun reminded him again of Ed's golden eyes and involuntarily a smile appeared on his face. Maybe this was a risk but he would do his best to keep the fire burning in that look. "Who am I kidding? I guess I'm just a softie like Major Armstrong."
Riza sighed and smiled. Knowing Roy, this was as close as he came to saying he cared and loved the Elric brothers. She had noticed how the appreciation had been growing rapidly but with how proud Roy was, she was sure he wouldn't admit out loud his true feelings for the Elrics. And well, she couldn't blame him either. She herself hadn't either but surely the colonel and her coworkers had noticed that when it came to Edward and Alphonse she easily lowered her barriers to support and care for them whenever the opportunity arose.
Focusing her eyes on the sky as well, Riza thought about how she would have liked to chat and spend more time with the boys. Knowing them, it was more than certain that in a couple of days it would be difficult to reach them.
Just on the day the Elrics returned to Central, news began to circulate in the headlines of the Central Times that Second Lieutenant Maria Ross had been found guilty of the murder of Brigadier General Maes Hughes, which came as a shock to everyone in the Mustang unit. The suddenness of the sentence, the absence of a trial, among other things, made this accusation very strange, causing that in the eyes of the unit this was seen as a manipulation of information to make Ross a scapegoat. Immediately Roy, together with the unit and even together with Barry, began to investigate about the situation and planned a way to prevent an innocent person from being convicted.
That same night, the plan was executed. Everything was going according to plan, every step was being executed to perfection to the surprise of Roy, who had his doubts about Barry. Everything was going well until Edward crossed his path, just as he was standing next to the freshly charred corpse. The unpleasant aroma of charred flesh flooded the dark alley in which the two of them found themselves. A smell that was not alien to Roy, as it reminded him of the hell he created years ago in Ishval. As soon as Roy heard the footsteps stopping a few feet away from him, he turned around and had to suppress the bewilderment that seeing Edward there caused him.
Ed, for his part, as soon as he saw the colonel through the curtain of smoke that had been created, could not help but open his eyes wide in disbelief at what was beginning to materialize in front of him with the dissipation of the smoke. He did not want to believe that the conclusion forming in his mind was true.
Suddenly Roy greeted him with a firm stare. "Hello, Fullmetal."
The scent of the charred body hit Ed hard, especially when he could finally visualize the source of the scent. He had refused to accept what his mind was trying to tell him but a glance at the ID bracelet confirmed to him that the incinerated body lying on the floor was that of Second Lieutenant Ross.
"What does this all mean?" clenching his fists tightly, he asked Roy trying to keep his composure calm. But when he didn't receive an immediate answer, Ed exploded. "How could you do this?!, Explain yourself!" he shouted.
Roy remained silent and kept his composure steady and even cold, as if nothing important was happening. He understood perfectly well what Ed must be thinking of him, but in that instant he couldn't afford to explain things to a rambunctious boy. So he decided to go on with his role as a cold-blooded killer, besides it wasn't the first time he had murdered someone.
Ed, for his part, was struggling to try to keep his cool to get the answers he was looking for. He kept clenching his fists tightly at his sides as well as his jaw. "Why is Lieutenant Colonel Hughes dead?" He paused slightly. "Why is Lieutenant Ross...?" Ed blurted out unable to complete the last sentence. Finally he could contain himself no longer and lunged at Roy, grabbing him by his jacket with both hands. "Why didn't you tell me?!" he shouted clutching Roy tightly, releasing in each of his words his fury and helplessness at the situation. Also his gaze hardened sharply at the emotions that overwhelmed him. Something inside him could not quite accept Mustang's cold behavior and actions.
Seeing Ed's fury-filled golden gaze, Roy couldn't help but feel bad about deceiving the boy in such a way. Yes, fury was the predominant emotion in Edward's gaze but the colonel could sense the pain and confusion at the betrayal the blond was feeling at the moment. The latter caused something inside him to stir making him feel even worse for the stance he was taking. But just as all those feelings came he let them go, repressing them immediately. It wasn't the right place or the right time to clarify the situation about Lieutenant Ross.
Roy mentally took back the scene in front of him and quickly remembered that Ed had dared to face him that way, completely overlooking his military rank, something that puzzled and annoyed him at the same time. In other circumstances he could have let it pass, but he had to keep his role as a killer to the end, besides Edward had to learn how to behave to avoid future problems. Therefore, Roy suddenly impacted his right fist against Ed's left cheek, causing the boy to let go of the colonel and stagger back a few steps.
As soon as Ed let go of Roy's jacket, the colonel brought his right hand to the collar of his jacket to accommodate it. "You dare lay hands on someone of higher rank...remember the position you're in." Roy said to Ed in a loud, authoritative tone.
At this, Ed spat aside the blood that had originated in his mouth from the blow, got back on his feet and without thinking lunged at Roy again with the intention of answering the assault with his automail fist. He had barely gained momentum when he felt his brother's metal arms wrap around him to stop him.
"Stop, brother!" shouted Al.
Ed tried to break free of his brother's grip. "Get off me, Al!" he shouted.
"No! I don't know what's going on but-" Al replied without loosening his grip.
"This bastard murdered Lieutenant Ross!"
Until that instant, Al hadn't noticed the presence of the charred body, so he turned in its direction and once he saw it, he returned his gaze to the colonel's direction, without loosening his grip on his brother. "What is the meaning of this, Colonel?!" Al asked in exaltation and disbelief at what was happening.
"Maria Ross was convicted for the murder of Hughes. When she escaped from prison the orders were to shoot to kill. There is nothing more to say." Roy replied coolly and casually, as if the matter were of no importance.
"That explains nothing!" Al shouted. Annoyance, though more controlled than his brother's, was evident in his voice.
"I apologize for keeping you in the dark about Hughes' murder." Was all Roy added before turning his back on them to deal with the military policemen who were arriving on the scene. He felt the intense gaze of the Elric brothers on his back but he kept his mask unperturbed. Al's desperate and annoyed tone also made him feel bad for having to hide from them the secret plan that was taking place, but what stuck with him the most that night was Edward's look full of fury and pain.
Roy's confrontation with Ed was only the beginning of what had been anticipated to be a long and grueling night. Roy had to deal with interrogations by the MPs, then wait a couple of hours in the forensics area of the headquarters for the final verdict on the remains found in the alley. At all times, he maintained his cool, smug, and indifferent posture, pretending that he had not the slightest remorse for having "killed" the alleged murderer of his best friend.
Sometime during the wait, Major Armstrong arrived in the waiting room of the main forensics room. Being Lieutenant Ross's immediate superior it was obvious that he would be immediately informed of the news. Besides, Roy had the impression that the Major was very affected by the news since his fists were clenched and shook slightly as Armstrong looked at him and nodded his head in greeting before heading to the armchair farthest from where the Colonel was, since the Elrics were also waiting for the results but had opted, probably at Al's insistence, to sit as far away from him as possible to avoid another confrontation.
Seeing the Major approach, both brothers stood up and Armstrong began to speak as soon as he stopped in front of them. "I am truly sorry for not informing you about the death of Lieutenant Colonel Hughes."
"So he was killed for knowing too much about the philosopher's stone." Ed replied with a slightly sad tone. "It's all my fault." Feeling overwhelmed, Ed squeezed his eyes tightly shut. "I got him involved."
Armstrong looked at him sadly. "It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself."
Ed opened his eyes but kept his head slightly down. "Winry was really looking forward to seeing the Lieutenant Colonel's family. I...I don't know how I'm going to tell her."
Armstrong continued to look at him sadly noting how Al's helmet was also bowed indicating how disturbed and saddened he was by recent events. The Major wanted to find the words needed to comfort them but before he could utter a word Dr. Knox came out of the main autopsy room.
Once the autopsy revealed from the dental records that the body was Lieutenant Ross, Ed felt the guilt over Hughes' death and the anger over what had happened turn his stomach. At some point in the conversation his fury was further triggered by hearing Dr. Knox's comment at the mention that Mustang shouldn't have done that to a young girl, causing him to clench his fists until his knuckles turned white. Like Ed, Major Armstrong could barely control his anger as he apologized to Colonel Mustang for what his subordinate had done.
At all times Roy remained impassive, although the time waiting for the verdict, allowed him to come up with a last minute plan to soothe the Major's and the boy's emotions, so, before leaving, he crouched slightly in front of the Major's seat and suggested he take a vacation in the East and just walked away as if it were nothing, not caring about the thump he heard on his way out. After several years of Ed kicking in his office door, he was sure the blond must have taken his anger out on some object in the waiting room.
Later that evening, the Colonel went to his office to find out if there had been no difficulties with the rest of the operation. Despite being somewhat late, he was not surprised to see his loyal lieutenant diligently working at his desk as soon as he crossed the threshold of his unit's office.
"Good evening, Lieutenant, don't tell me we'll have to fill out more paperwork for overtime this week?" he remarked lightly joking, as he headed for his private office, motioning for Riza to follow him.
She got up and followed him. "Good evening, Colonel, I'm afraid you are correct." Riza played along.
Once inside his private office, they closed the door. "Has Jaqueline called in my absence?" Roy asked.
"Sir, you are hopeless. You shouldn't push that lady so hard." She humored him knowing full well he was referring to Havoc. "But yes, she called a few minutes ago and asked me to tell you that the shopping trip with her friend was very entertaining. She even told me that she met a very nice girl from Xing who offered to take them to meet her country. She said she would call him back as soon as she knew if she was going to take the offer to go to Xing or not."
"That sounds very nice, too bad I couldn't take her call."
"Surely it won't be long before she calls you back, sir. And you, how did your nightly round go?"
"Ah, you know how those guys are with their endless interrogations, it was just boring. What I hadn't planned on was the Elrics crossing my path."
She was surprised to hear that the Elrics were present. "Where did you run into them, Sir?"
Roy sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "In the alley in New Swell, that one that's always dark."
She understood immediately that the boys had seen the crime scene they had implanted, internally she worried about what they must have gone through seeing that. At that moment Roy realized the concern that was dawning on her.
"Unfortunately they ran into a couple of nasty things. But don't worry Lieutenant, I've got that covered." Roy said holding up a hand to stop Riza before she spoke. "I'm thinking with today's stress Fullmetal could use a breath of the clean air of his hometown. Might even get him some nice company... I wondered if Braidykins would be available." Putting a hand to his chin pretending to think carefully about his options, he continued. "Well maybe we could call on Major Armstrong to escort him, knowing him, surely the Major would appreciate those landscapes to relax by drawing a little."
She nodded knowing full well what he was referring to. "I agree, Sir."
Ed and Al were walking through the streets of Central after saying goodbye to Major Armstrong, who still remained at the headquarters to help with the paperwork necessary for the release of Lieutenant Ross's body to her parents. It was a very somber night for the young brothers. From being a bright and cheerful day it turned into one of the worst days of their lives, learning in those same 24 hours of the death of Lieutenant Colonel Hughes and almost witnessing the cold-blooded murder of Second Lieutenant Ross. Two people who, without expecting anything in return, had extended their hand to help them on their way and who had lost their lives because of it. They both felt sad and above all guilty, especially Ed who had become engrossed in his own thoughts, feeling anger with himself gnawing at him internally.
"Brother, what do you think?" Al suddenly asked in a sad tone as he saw Ed so engrossed in his thoughts.
Ed, still pacing with his hands in his pockets, sighed. "This was all my fault, I'm the one responsible for two innocent people losing their lives." Ed replied in a tone of annoyance directed at himself.
"You didn't kill either of them." Al said using a firm tone.
"Not directly, but by wanting to help us both lost their lives. And then that damned bastard had to brag in the worst possible way about the destructive power of his alchemy? Now I'm beginning to understand why they call him the Hero of Ishval and how he's the best dog in the military."
Al made a sighing sound. "I still can't understand why the Colonel did that. From what they say about his performance in the war, he doesn't have the need to show all that power in an urban area. I think this means the Colonel can be a bit arrogant and cocky."
Ed raised an angry eyebrow. "A little?" He asked in a sarcastic tone.
"Brother... I'm having a hard time believing what just happened because up until now the Colonel seemed to me to be a fair man who cares about his subordinates."
"Don't talk nonsense, Al. That guy only looks out for himself and his interests. He has such a huge ego that I'm surprised he hasn't drowned in it yet. Didn't you see the cold, calculating way he referred to his actions regarding Lieutenant Ross? He didn't even deign to show a hint of guilt. I can't believe Lieutenant Colonel Hughes would have been friends with a guy like that... Of a cold-blooded killer."
"That's exactly why I have a hard time believing it, brother. Lieutenant Colonel Hughes was a very intelligent person with integrity, I don't think he would be friends with a cold-blooded killer. Perhaps being his friend he knew the Colonel in depth. Besides we can't forget that, in his own way, the Colonel, along with the members of the unit, have been looking out for us."
"Nonsense, Al! That bastard has only done it to make himself look good to the higher-ups so he can keep climbing the ranks. He's an ambitious fool. Nothing to do with Lieutenant Colonel Hughes or Lieutenant Hawkeye."
"I insist, brother, if even the Lieutenant is still in her unit it must be for a reason. We know she's a good woman who strives to do the right things."
"Whatever you say, Al, nothing justifies what that scoundrel did. Sometimes you're too noble and that's why you're always trying to find something good in people." Ed said directing a small sad smile at his brother, which quickly disappeared. "Now what worries me most is how we're going to tell Winry what happened to the Lieutenant Colonel."
At the mention of Winry the two boys were speechless for a moment, trying to think of how they would let their friend know that Lieutenant Colonel Hughes had died.
"It's going to be terrible news for her." Finally Al whispered back.
"I know, she had grown very fond of him and his family." Ed said in a sad tone.
Without another word, they continued walking to their hotel. It was very late when they arrived, so they decided to wait until the next morning to talk to Winry, assuming she would be asleep by now. Given the recent events, Ed refused to sleep for the few hours left in the night so he and Al snuck onto the roof of the hotel and quietly stargazed.
In the morning, when the dreaded moment arrived, Ed knocked on Winry's bedroom door but received no answer, so the two brothers returned to their room to await her return. To both of their surprise, Ed realized at that moment that the door to the room they had been staying in was slightly open.
Both brothers carefully entered the room to make sure no one was inside. As they did a quick check of their surroundings, Al asked. "Nothing was stolen right?"
Suddenly Ed's gaze focused on the table they had in their room and as he did so he could feel his stomach turn as he saw that the newspaper Al had brought him the day before reporting that Maria Ross was the murderer of Lieutenant Colonel Hughes was not there. Tying up the loose ends, Ed exclaimed. " It''s not there." At a slight sound of confusion from Al, Ed continued. "The newspaper is gone." What little calm that spending the evening watching the stars had brought him vanished immediately. How could he have been so careless in such a delicate matter? Winry didn't deserve to learn the truth like that. Feeling extremely frustrated with himself Ed dropped into the armchair opposite the table as he brought his left hand to his face. "I'm a real idiot!"
Understanding the situation, Al dropped heavily onto one of the beds not knowing what to say. This visit to Central was going terribly wrong. As if reading each other's minds, both brothers remained seated in their respective places without saying a word, anxiously waiting to hear the slightest sound that would indicate Winry was back.
A couple of hours later, someone knocked on the door of their room, to which the two brothers quickly reacted to open it expecting it to be her. In their haste to immediately open the door, Ed tripped and Al fell on top of him. Disappointed to see that it wasn't Winry, Ed noted that it was a hotel employee who had come to inform them that they had a call.
Ed took the call and at first was surprised to hear Mrs. Gracia on the other end of the line, but couldn't help but be concerned when she informed him that Winry was at her house and didn't look too good. Ed thanked her for the call and told her he would be there soon. Wasting no time, Ed told his brother that he would go get Winry to tell her the truth, asking Al to stay, to which he flatly refused.
"This is not just your problem, brother." Al said firmly. "It's both of ours. I have to go, too."
Ed lowered his head for a few moments as he debated internally. After a sigh he focused his gaze on his brother and resumed talking. "Hey, Al, if-"
"If others must sacrifice themselves for me, I'd rather not have my body back. I decided to get my body back no matter what but... if people have to die for me, I'd rather stay in this body forever." Al said in a determined tone, clenching his fists.
Ed gave him a slightly worried look before he started walking followed closely by Al. He knew that in that way his brother was like him, when he decided something there was no way to make him change his mind.
Moments later, the boys were at Mrs. Gracia's house to pick up Winry, but not before talking to Gracia to apologize for her husband's death. They told her about their investigations of the philosopher's stone, how they had initially contemplated using it to retrieve their bodies and how the Lieutenant Colonel had been involved in it to help them and that he had been killed because of it. They offered their apologies and even said they would stop on their journey to retrieve their bodies to prevent some other innocent person from dying for them, to which Gracia replied that if they did not go ahead, her husband's death would be in vain. The slight smile with which Gracia spoke of her husband and the determination shown in her gaze as she motivated them not to give up deeply impacted the brothers, realizing that even though the road was difficult they would have to keep going.
As they left the house, the three boys could not help but feel terrible, especially Ed who, as he stopped for a few moments in front of the entrance to the house, could see through a second story window the sad image of Gracia crying inconsolably as she carried her little daughter in her arms. Gracia was undoubtedly an admirable woman, willing to help others despite her own pain and suffering, just like Mr. Hughes. Being able to witness her pain by looking at that sad image broke his heart.
As soon as they were back at the hotel, Ed headed to the hotel restaurant at Al's insistence to get something to eat, which he barely did, because he was really overwhelmed by an enormous sadness that robbed him of his appetite. As he tried to eat something, he began to reflect on the words Mrs. Hughes had said to him and on recent events. After a long time trying to eat, he gave up and went to Winry's room, worried that she had not eaten all day. He knocked on the door and as he waited for an answer, he could hear light sobbing. When Winry opened the door, Ed couldn't help but notice that her eyes were red and puffy, probably from crying, something that hurt him deeply although he tried not to show it so as not to upset Winry even more.
"Winry, you haven't eaten all day, have you? The restaurant is about to close." Ed said.
Winry tried to crack a slight smile but it was almost imperceptible. "I know."
Ed started walking towards his room. "If you don't eat you probably won't be able to keep up." He added without turning to look at her, feeling unable to keep his gaze on hers.
Just as Ed walked away from the entrance to Winry's room, she spoke. "Hey, wait." Suddenly she grabbed him by his right hand, causing Ed to blush slightly and be surprised at the gesture. "Come."
She directed him toward the table that was near the bed and the couch in her room. Ed sat down on the couch as she placed a cardboard box and opened it in front of his eyes to show him what was inside.
"Apple pie?" he asked.
"I used Mrs. Gracia's kitchen to make it. Go ahead and try it." She said trying to offer Ed the best smile she could afford at that moment.
Ed put his left hand to his chin, carefully contemplating his friend's creation, somewhat hesitant since he had just eaten.
Winry sat on the bed across from him, placing both hands on her knees. "Mrs. Gracia taught me how to do it when I stayed at her house for a few days." She mentioned a little embarrassed, then changed her expression to a slightly more cheerful one. "I practiced many times since she taught me. I don't know if I should say it but I think I've improved... I really..."
Ed kept looking at Winry. He was worried about her and it hurt him to see her suffer.
She began to shed tears before continuing her story. "I wanted Mr. Hughes to taste it someday..." She continued without being able to keep her voice from cracking at the end.
Unable to help it any longer, Winry began to sob freely, so she brought her hands to her face to hide it from Ed.
Ed watched as Winry began to break down in front of him and felt helplessness fill him. Mrs. Hughes had encouraged them to move on but that didn't make it easy to watch the people he loved and cherished suffer for the death of someone as good as Lieutenant Colonel Hughes. He knew that there was no way to turn back time but he wished so much that everything that had happened was just a dream. Now every sob from Winry seemed to squeeze his heart even more, preventing him from forming words of comfort. Not knowing quite what to do in such a situation, Ed decided to take a slice of Winry's apple pie. He then popped it into his mouth to taste it, while she continued with her hidden face sobbing.
"It's delicious." Ed said after taking a bite of his slice. "I know Al will love it when he gets his body back."
Winry, surprised, removed her hands from her face, raised her gaze to meet her gaze with Ed's and checked that his words were sincere. She cracked a slight smile which he returned shyly. She watched him silently, at the same time occasionally running a hand over her eyes, trying to stop the tears.
As soon as he finished his portion, before he could think better of it, Ed stood up to walk over to the bed and sit down next to Winry. She didn't take her eyes off his actions, even though her vision was blurred with tears. He remained sitting beside her for a few minutes until he gathered enough strength to hug her. Winry tensed slightly at the abruptness of the gesture, but immediately relaxed and returned the embrace, feeling at that moment the security and confidence to allow herself to cry and express her feelings. She knew he didn't like to see her cry but there was something in the way he held her that made it clear to her that he wanted her to unburden herself and lean on him to get through this difficult situation. So she buried her face in his shoulder and continued to sob, while he gently rubbed her back with his left hand to try to comfort her.
"Mr. Hughes was very good, from the first moment he gave me his friendship, his hospitality, his affection, his sympathy, his advice, his help... he was an admirable man. Under his hospitality and care I couldn't help but feel safe and cheerful... I even think I visualized him as my father." She said between sobs.
"I don't blame you... he had an eagerness to help others without expecting anything in return, just like your parents did." Ed replied in a soft tone.
She nodded. "Why do good people have to leave, Ed? Why?"
Ed sighed, trying to find the right words to comfort her. "I don't know, Win. Maybe it's because wherever their souls go, they need good, pure souls like theirs, including my mother's."
"Maybe... I'm going to miss him so much."
"Me too."
Winry pulled away from him slightly to look him in the eye. "Whenever I come to Central, I'll come visit him and his family. I'll play with Elicia and help her so her father's absence won't be so hard." Despite her sobs, one could see the determination in her voice and her gaze.
"I like your plan, maybe even Al and I can join you." Ed said in a slightly more animated tone. Steeling himself he raised his left hand and wiped away some of the tears running down Winry's cheeks. "It's the least we can do for him... be there for his family." With that said, he moved his hand over her head and pulled her to him.
Winry was a little surprised but didn't show it. She just held him tightly as she inhaled his scent hoping it would help stop her tears completely.
They remained in each other's arms for several minutes in silence, letting out all the sadness that was engulfing them at that moment, feeling each other's support to get through it.
The next day Winry, Al and Ed were in the Elrics room. There was still some sadness in the air about what had happened recently, but Winry tried to pull herself together and try to bring some normalcy to the three's environment so she insisted on cleaning and oiling Al's armor. While she and Al worked on the cleaning, Ed remained pensively lying on his bed, his back to them both.
Not feeling comfortable with the silence that enveloped them, Winry began to talk to Al. "I didn't realize it before, but up close I can see you're really beat up. You must be having a really rough ride." She said as she wiped the neck of the armor.
Al just laughed trying not to make a big deal out of it but Winry couldn't help but worry. She knew the brothers were very good alchemists and knew how to defend themselves but they also had an incredible knack for getting into trouble (mostly thanks to Ed). With the recent news of Mr. Hughes' passing, her fear that something might happen to her friends had increased even though she tried to conceal it.
Trying not to delve too deeply into her own thoughts, Winry looked over to the bed Ed was lying on and raised her tone of voice slightly so that the blond would realize she was addressing him. "So... what are you guys going to do now?"
Ed didn't answer right away focusing on looking at his automail hand, so Winry returned her gaze back to Al.
"What should I do?" wondered Ed aloud. Shortly after he sighed and turned in the direction of Winry and Al. "What do you want me to do?"
Winry almost dropped the rag she was holding in her hands and turned to look in Ed's direction in complete surprise.
At the obvious show of surprise on Winry's part, Ed asked staring at her. "What's wrong?"
"Uh... it's just that you guys have never asked me for advice."
Ed averted his gaze and leaned back with his arms behind his head. He couldn't blame Winry for being surprised when what she had said was true. He and Al had always tried to keep her out of their troubles so as not to worry her and, most of all, so as not to expose her to the dangers they themselves were exposing themselves to. "That's true." Ed replied in a soft voice.
Realizing that Ed actually expected her advice, Winry began to speak. "Um... I was scared. When I thought about how you and Al have been fighting in a situation where even someone like Mr. Hughes was killed... it really scared me." She tried to continue polishing Al's armor but her hand stayed still on Al's back. "I mean, you guys could actually die on this mission. You guys could go far away and I'd never see you again. When I thought about that, I was terrified." Winry bit her lower lip before continuing. "It made me wish you would stop traveling. But when Al said he'd give up on getting his body back... I knew I didn't want him to give up." As if remembering what she was doing in the beginning, she resumed the work of cleaning Al's armor. "These are my honest feelings. I want you to get your bodies back but I also want you to stop this dangerous journey and... um... I'm sorry. I guess I don't really know what I want." She concluded by throwing a slightly sad look at Ed.
"Winry, you are so kind." Al said.
Winry focused her gaze on Al and blushed at the compliment. "Huh? What are you talking about? I'm always nice!" She replied emphasizing her point with a little smack on the armor. As Al laughed, she continued to hit him a few more times with her wrench.
"Stop it! You're denting me more!" Al replied with a tone mixed with amusement and a bit of concern.
Ed watched the scene and couldn't help a slight smile. He understood Winry's concern and indecision as he too was in a similar situation. It wasn't that he was really worried about dying but the more time passed and new difficulties crossed his path, the more he was scared that he wouldn't be able to find a way to get his body back to Al or even lose his brother completely during one of his travels.
Ed's thoughts were interrupted when they received an unexpected visit from Major Armstrong who, by way of greeting, punched Ed right in his automail as soon as he opened the door, causing his right arm to break down and the Major opted to drag him down the hotel hallway claiming they had to go to Resembool to repair it. Winry and Al were puzzled at the scene but before they could ask for explanations, the prince of Xing, Ling Yao, appeared and told them why Ed had been dragged out of Central.
At Central Command, Colonel Mustang's plan was being carried out with all his subordinates from his unit deployed at a strategic point to find out more information about Hughes' death and the very likely military involvement. In the absence due to "sickness" and "vacation" of his loyal subordinates, the colonel's shared office was temporarily housed by two other officers from outside his unit. Shamelessly, the colonel began calling one of his "girlfriends" on the phone to flirt with her, oblivious to the discomfort of his temporary subordinates.
"Hi, Elizabeth! How are you?" greeted Roy in a cheerful and flirtatious tone.
"Thanks for calling me, Roy! Are you calling from the office again?" Elizabeth replied in a cheerful tone.
"Yes, I just wanted to hear your voice." Roy said flashing an ear to ear grin.
"Oh, you're very kind but isn't your Lieutenant going to freak out if you don't come back to work?"
"Don't worry, she's on vacation." Replied the colonel with a laugh.
And so continued for a few minutes Roy's flirtatious conversation that, regardless of the fact that this was part of his plan, he was really enjoying it because he was getting the perfect opportunity to talk freely with his beloved Lieutenant without getting a scolding from her.
"Let me see, maybe tomorrow I can stop by the store, do you want me to bring you something?" he continued flirtatiously.
"Oh, thanks! Can you bring something for Kate too? She's been working so hard. Oh, give me a moment, Roy." The colonel could notice how the audio denoted that Riza's voice had drifted a little off the speaker. "Kate we have a customer." At a response Roy couldn't hear, the Lieutenant continued. "Kate, can you call Jacqueline for me?"
Roy couldn't help but smile smugly as he noticed that everything was going perfectly.
After a couple of minutes Roy spoke again. "I heard a loud noise, what happened?"
"Nothing to worry about. A customer was bothering Jacqueline and I had to slap him." Riza said.
Roy couldn't help but smile as he imagined the kind of slap Riza was referring to. "Strict as ever, Elizabeth. Your store looks busy, should I call back later?"
"It's all right, besides you seem busy too."
To the annoyance of the soldiers in his office Roy replied. "Not really. I can take it easy thanks to my subordinates." To Roy's ears the sound of shouting was heard over the phone. "What's going on?"
"There seems to be an argument, Jaqueline is having some problems with her clients." Riza answered without taking her eyes off her rifle to keep an eye on her companions, until her sniper senses alerted her to a strange and unpleasant presence at her back. "Oh, I'll have to call you later, one of my guests has arrived." She said to immediately remove her headphones and turn towards her rival, aiming and firing cleanly at his head as soon as she caught a glimpse of the strange being approaching her menacingly.
To Riza's surprise, the hideous being, twice her height and extremely fat, did not die and simply stopped its advance for a moment as its bloody head healed in front of her eyes. She felt a shiver begin to run through her entire body.
As soon as Roy heard the sound of the gunshot, he wanted to know the reason. "What's wrong?" he paused slightly waiting for her answer. "Hey, Elizabeth!" he began to speak with a tone of concern when he received no answer. At that moment he couldn't help but remember his friend Hughes dead outside a phone booth. His breathing stopped for a moment as he tightened his grip on the telephone receiver hoping to hear Riza's voice, feeling panicked at the thought that she might be facing the same fate as Hughes.
Wasting no more time, he completely forgot that he had to stay in the headquarters to cover up his involvement in this mission and sped off in his vehicle towards the place where he knew Riza and the others were, not caring about the curious looks he got from the soldiers in his office. Damn it! Please let me get there in time, don't let there be a repeat of Hughes with her, not with her. Roy thought as he sped towards his destination and slammed one of his hands on the steering wheel as he drove.
Riza, despite her efforts to destroy the strange creature in front of her, was unsuccessful and was captured by him. The huge hands of the mysterious being were holding her by the shoulders and neck with the clear intention of bringing her closer to his mouth to eat her. At that moment, she noticed a strange tattoo on the guy's tongue and began to feel the lack of air in her lungs. Resigning herself to her fate, she closed her eyes for a moment. Images of her son and Roy came to her mind. My son, although I will no longer be in the same world as you, I will always think of you and wish you the best. Forgive me for abandoning you and please be happy... Roy, I am so sorry. It seems I won't be able to keep my promise to help you reach the top, please don't do something foolish when you find out about my death. Keep fighting for a better world for our son and forgive me for everything... I love you.
At that instant, his faithful friend Black Hayate appeared and immediately rushed at the creature to bite him on one of his shoulders, giving Riza the opportunity to free herself from the monster's hands. Then Fuery appeared and threw her a pistol and between the two of them they began to shoot, alarmed to discover that each of the wounds inflicted by their shots were instantly repaired.
When they both ran out of ammunition, the monster looked at them malevolently, slowly approaching towards them to eat them. Riza was feeling very bad that Fuery was going to share their same fate, when suddenly a bolt of blue light that later turned to fire crossed in the middle of the two of them lashing out at the monster, throwing it with a blast out of the tower. Behind them, leaning against the doorway leading to the tower stairs, was Roy Mustang breathing heavily trying to catch his breath.
"I barely made it." Roy said still panting.
"Colonel... What the hell are you doing here?! If you had left us to die here, you could have feigned ignorance of this matter but now you've given yourself away to the enemy, Sir! Are you a complete idiot?!" Riza began to shout at Roy. Internally she was grateful and glad to see him, but she couldn't help but feel angry that for them he was risking his position.
Roy was more than relieved that he had arrived in time to save them, so he didn't think much of Riza's scolding. "Yeah, yeah, I'm an idiot, happy?"
Before their discussion could continue, Fuery warned them that their target was mobilizing, so Roy and Riza gave instructions to Fuery and Black Hayate respectively before heading downstairs to meet Havoc.
"Lieutenant." Roy said without stopping his steps.
"Yes?"
"I'm glad you're alive."
Riza smiled slightly. "I'm sorry to have worried you, sir."
When they met up on the street with Havoc, they got into the Colonel's car and just before he started the vehicle, along came running Al, who directly asked if this all had to do with Hughes. Roy could sense the determination in the boy's voice, so he asked him if he would join them to which the boy replied affirmatively, taking a seat in the back of the car. So, Roy, Riza, Havoc and Al began to follow Barry. On the way, the boy told them about the homunculi, a fact that surprised everyone a lot, it was something that Roy thought impossible but that Riza easily believed after her experience with one of them a few moments before.
After a while, they stopped at Military Lab 3. Barry indicated that this was where his body had been headed and, without waiting any longer, he broke into a run in search of it. Using Barry's distraction, the others infiltrated the lab saying they would stop him. They descended some stairs leading down to the basement of the place, where they came across a long corridor. There they decided to split into two groups to cover more ground, Al and Riza on one side and Roy and Havoc on the other.
Although Riza was not entirely convinced to stop watching her superior's back, she knew that at that moment it was the best thing to do, because that way each team had an alchemist and a good sniper. Al, for his part, initially felt out of place, thinking that perhaps he would become an obstacle to the mission. However, she immediately reassured him when she gave him her vote of confidence.
What she did not expect was that the boy would actually have to be involved in such a complicated life-and-death situation within minutes of being separated into two teams. When the woman who called herself 'Lust' informed them that she had gotten rid of the colonel, Riza had never felt so much combined anger and pain in her entire life. At first she didn't want to believe it, she refused to, but she remembered the loud explosion they had heard moments before and the ease with which that woman had finished Barry off.
Riza tensed and began to tremble slightly as she became convinced of the facts. She knew it was useless, but she wanted to try to avenge Roy's death and in the process try to protect Al, which is why she started firing again and again at the "woman" in front of her, while cursing her, trying in vain to kill her. When Riza ran out of ammunition, Lust was still standing in front of them finishing healing from the bullet hits as if nothing had happened.
"Are you done?" Lust asked smugly.
Riza felt so helpless at that moment, she moved her head slightly to the side, squeezed her eyes tightly shut and as she opened them, rivers of tears began to flow down her cheeks. She dropped to the floor and continued to cry looking down at the ground. Roy... we were supposed to build a better world for all of Amestris... for our son... Why? Why did you leave?
As Lust laughed at her, Al stepped between the two women.
"Stand up, Lieutenant." Al said in a determined tone.
"You need to get out of here." Riza replied.
"Silly boy, do you want to be the first to die?" Lust asked in a mocking tone.
At this Al put his palms together and transmuted a spear from the ground to defend himself and the lieutenant from Lust's attacks.
"So you opened the portal" Lust said with a wry smile on his lips. "What a pity. I'll have to waste a perfect human sacrifice." She added as she slashed at Al's spear and dug her long fingernails into the armor, trying to get to Riza who was at Al's back, but the boy covered each of the attacks with his arms .
"Don't just stand there, Lieutenant, run!" Al shouted.
"Stay out of this, kid. That woman doesn't want to go on living." Lust said with a smirk.
"I won't allow it!" Al said as he again covered another direct attack towards Riza with one of his arms.
"Alphonse, leave me here and save yourself." Riza said devastated. At that moment the last thing she cared about was her own life. With Roy dead, she saw no reason to keep standing, she no longer had her son or the love of her life.
"No!" Al flatly refused Riza's request.
"I said leave me! Get out of here!" Riza insisted without looking up.
"No!" Refuted Al. "I won't! I'm tired of seeing people die because of my weaknesses! I won't let another person I care about be killed when there's something I can do to protect them!" He exclaimed with much determination in his tone of voice, startling Riza.
Lust launched her long nails at Riza again, missing her attempt thanks to the cover Al had made with his two arms, but breaking chunks of the boy's armor in the process.
"I like what you just said, Alphonse Elric." A familiar voice was heard at the entrance of the place.
Riza's breathing stopped at that instant as she recognized that male voice and before she could raise her gaze to verify if she had heard correctly, Al created a wall in front of them to protect them. As soon as the characteristic blue light of a transmutation came into view, he embraced the Lieutenant to protect her from the approaching explosion.
"What!" Lust questioned.
To Lust's surprise, Roy Mustang was standing in front of her, with a transmutation circle marked on his right hand which was holding a lighter. His other hand was clutching his left side where he had been mortally wounded by the homunculus, but which he had cauterized himself to avoid bleeding to death. He quickly began a series of explosions against Lust, who kept regenerating again and again against Roy's attacks. Riza wanted to immediately run to his side, but was stopped by Al to protect her from the explosions that were taking place.
After several explosions, Lust's philosopher's stone finally reached its limit and vanished just like her in the form of dust. Roy, seeing that there was no longer any danger and prey to his own effort and exhaustion, dropped to the ground. Riza immediately rushed to his side, still with tears in her eyes.
"Colonel!" She cried out as she helped him carefully onto his back. "Are you all right, sir?"
"Oh, Lieutenant, you're safe." Roy said relieved.
"Worry about yourself, Sir."
Roy gave Riza a small smile before focusing his gaze on the younger Elric. "Alphonse, I thank you for protecting my subordinate." He said as he lay there, his right hand pressing down on his wound.
"Don't worry about it, we need to get a doctor." Al replied.
"Yes, get a medic for Havoc... please." Roy said, as he closed his eyes and sighed, doing his best not to focus completely on his physical pain.
Al nodded. "Yes, I'll be right back. Lieutenant stay with the Colonel, I'll handle it." And he ran out of the place in search of the medic.
Riza, who was kneeling next to the colonel, noticed at once his frown, a clear sign of how much his wound was hurting. Without a second thought, she carefully took his head with both hands and placed it in her lap. With her right hand she began to move the dark bangs that covered his forehead and leaned down to deposit a tender kiss there.
"You're going to be all right. Don't you dare leave me... please." Riza whispered through her tears.
Roy was almost unconscious but he could still feel Riza's kiss and tears. At that moment he wanted with all his might to hold her and comfort her, but all he was able to do was lightly squeeze one of her hands before he let himself drift into unconsciousness.
Riza stayed all night at the military hospital awaiting news about Roy and Havoc. Once they were both out of danger, at her request, they were placed in the same room so that she could keep an eye on them. Given the events of that night, she wasn't going to take any chances. When they were settled in the rooms, she contacted Fuery to inform him of the situation and ask him to look after Black Hayate. She also took the opportunity to ask him to bring her a map of the city the next day. Fuery immediately agreed and even offered to stand guard that day, but she refused arguing that it was better for him to rest. Internally, she wanted to personally make sure Roy and Havoc were safe. She was on the verge of losing them and would not feel at ease if she was away from them at such times.
After his call with Fuery, she went to the restrooms to wash her face and shortly thereafter returned to her comrades' room. He took a seat in a chair beside Roy's bed and carefully watched the rise and fall of his chest. He was sound asleep, but it showed on his face that he was still in some pain from his wound. At those moments, Riza wished she could take Roy's hand and caress it but they were in a military hospital and, although there wasn't much movement this late at night, she couldn't risk it. Resigning herself, she inhaled deeply, placed her elbows on her knees and bent her head, placing it between her hands. She closed her eyes and for the first time after everything that had happened that day, she began to analyze her actions. As soon as the memory of what Alphonse had done for her came to her, she felt her stomach contract and bile rose in her esophagus.
Alphonse... I am a complete idiot... a useless one. How could I have been so irresponsible and so selfish? I put the life of a 14-year-old boy at risk. Riza thought as she began to shed tears of sadness and anger. That bitch could have touched Alphonse's blood seal and... She shook her head as soon as the thought came to her mind. What accounts was I going to give Edward? Those brothers only have each other and I allowed them to make an attempt on the life of one of them. All because he acted like the adult instead of me... I was supposed to protect him, not him me.
Suddenly, she heard Roy moan slightly in his sleep as he unconsciously clutched his wound. Riza, at the sound, raised her head to look at Roy, who after a few seconds calmed down and continued with his dream.
Roy, I'm so sorry, I failed in my mission to protect your back. If I had done my job properly you wouldn't be here... you wouldn't have been on the verge of death... you wouldn't have had to feel the flames in your body, it was enough with me. Please, despite my incompetence... don't abandon me.
The next day, Fuery and Al were walking calmly down the hospital corridor heading to Roy and Havoc's room until they heard a shout from the colonel.
"IDIOT!" Roy shouted in an authoritative tone. Lowering the intensity of his voice a bit but leaving the authoritative touch evident, he continued. "Did you believe the enemy's lies?! Even if she had been telling the truth, how could you simply lose the will to fight!... I expected more from you, Lieutenant Hawkeye."
Riza closed her eyes and ducked her head slightly. "I'm very sorry, Sir."
Roy stared at her. "Learn to keep your cool. You can't crack under pressure. And never give up on life" He said with an annoyed tone. He didn't like having to talk to Riza that way, but he had felt very uneasy and worried when she told him what had happened before he came to confront Lust. "As a soldier and as my assistant you have to keep a firm resolve."
She opened her eyes, not looking directly at Roy. "Yes, sir."
Roy sighed and laid his head back on the pillow, looking straight ahead. "I will continue to trust you to watch my back. Focus on your task."
She closed her eyes again as she gave a slight bow.
"Look who's talking, Colonel. As the Commanding Officer you shouldn't have been on the battlefield." Surprisingly interjected Havoc, who was lying on the bed to Roy's right.
Hearing those words, Roy moved abruptly to glare at Havoc. "SHUT UP!" He immediately regretted making that move as his left side began to ache.
"Please don't scream, Colonel. Your screaming is making my wounds hurt." Havoc continued talking as if nothing had happened, not bothering to turn his head to look at his commander.
"That's all you have to say to the man who saved your life?" Roy said in an annoyed tone, as he pointed his index finger at him.
"I appreciate that, but couldn't you have been a little more careful with the fire? Girls aren't going to like me with these burn scars on my abdomen." Havoc replied, as he looked at Roy out of the corner of his eye.
Without further ado the two men began to fight like a couple of teenagers, berating each other for their actions, forgetting for a moment about their injuries until the pain reminded them of them. Then they began to argue about why they were in the same room and why someone had not gone to kill them, until Fuery dared to enter the room followed closely by Al.
All the people present, with the exception of Havoc who remained unusually quiet, began to talk about what they discovered the day before and analyzed the map that Fuery brought at Riza's request. She quickly pointed out the approximate radius of the search for possible clues, taking as a reference the laboratory number 3, with which began the suspicion that the Führer himself could be involved with the homunculi, since his residence and the Central Command were within the area delimited by Riza.
Roy was already beginning to plot his next move until Havoc informed them that he would not participate because he could not feel his legs, which greatly worried everyone present. After that statement, they decided to adjourn the meeting to let the wounded rest, holding their hopes high that the upcoming tests they would perform on Havoc would help find a cure for his current situation. Fuery stayed to stand guard, allowing Riza to retire to get some rest, though she had no desire to be separated from the colonel, but it had been a direct order from him. Then, along with Al, she left the room and as she walked beside him outside the hospital, she decided it was time to chat with the boy and offer him an apology.
Ducking her head slightly and speaking in a soft voice, Riza addressed the boy. "Alphonse, I am so sorry for what happened yesterday. It was very irresponsible of me to have exposed you to danger like that. I don't even want to imagine what would have happened if the Colonel hadn't shown up." Inhaling deeply, she lifted her gaze to stare at Al. "Please apologize me for my actions."
Al turned to look at the Lieutenant. Although he didn't have his flesh and blood body to express emotions, he did so through his voice. "Don't worry, Lieutenant. I forgive you. I probably would have done something similar if my brother, Winry or any of the people I care about had been in the same situation."
"You are very good and noble Alphonse. It still worries me, because I am an adult and I didn't act like one. I left you with a very heavy burden."
"Lieutenant, as I told you yesterday, I will not allow people I care about to die, I will do everything in my power to prevent it. So, I am very glad that nothing happened to you. You are a very good person and did not deserve that fate."
The boy's words touched Riza's heart, so she smiled at him. "Thank you, Alphonse. You are a very good and brave boy."
Had he been in his original body Al knew he would have blushed. With the only hand he had available at the moment he scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed. "Thank you, Lieutenant. Despite the bad time we had in there, I'm glad we almost all got out of there alive since, unfortunately, Barry wasn't that lucky."
"So am I. Please, Alphonse, be careful. In your condition it is not advisable for you to wander around the city alone." Riza recommended.
"Don't worry, Lieutenant. I have a friend who is watching me from a distance and who has the ability to detect homunculi."
"Really?" Riza asked a little incredulously.
He nodded. "Yeah, she's from Xing and can sense the ki of things or something, but that allows her to sense when a homunculus is nearby. Plus, she's a really good fighter. So if I should ever need help, she'll be able to help me without a problem."
"I'm glad. Maybe later you can introduce me to her."
"Sure, Lieutenant. You should also take care of yourself so try to get plenty of rest."
"Um... I don't know. I think I'll go to my apartment and take a bath, eat a little and come back in case anything comes up."
"Lieutenant, you heard what the Colonel told you. You need rest, last night was very heavy and wearing, not to mention you spent all night in the hospital. Please take care of yourself, Lieutenant. We need you in good condition to face the enemy."
Riza sighed. "You're right. I'll get some rest. We need to be in the best possible condition now that we're short-handed with the Colonel and Havoc wounded and Breda out of town. Thanks for your concern."
"It's nothing, Lieutenant. Anything I can help you with, don't hesitate to tell me." Al said with a cheerful tone.
Riza smiled and the two continued their walk until they reached an intersection where they would each go their separate ways, where they said their goodbyes before continuing on their respective ways.