Waltzing to Darkness
Bye Phe Phe Minoda
(I don't own FMA and this has not been beta for I have none)
Figure Two
Mezzo piano
Riza Hawkeye stood at attention in front Colonel Mustang waiting for him to tell every one what was on his mind. "How many of you remember the Hell Hounds?" the dark headed man asked as soon as they were sure it was safe.
The unlit cigarette in Havoc's mouth fell out. "Y…you mean the psychopaths that got a dishonorable discharge?"
Fury frowned, "what did they do?"
"The Hell Hounds we discharged for numerous war crimes, mostly prisoner abuse and sex crimes," Falmon said looking disgusted.
Fury paled, as Havoc picked up, "they are the lowest of the low, they deserved more than getting discharged dishonorably. Many good soldiers committed suicide because of them…"
"It didn't matter who was on what side in some cases," Hawkeye said darkly.
"And worse of all they're still out there," Mustang said much more darkly than anyone else expected. "FullMetal ran into a pocket of them."
Every one in the room stared at Mustang. "Is Edward-Kun alright?" Hawkeye asked concerned.
"He's ill, and he's been injured, but he has not been touched," the tightlipped Colonel said.
Havoc rubbed his eyes, "do you think that Edward may be a target now?"
"Ashton was there, he is a target," Mustang said looking at them all one by one.
"Wasn't that the one…" Mustang put his hand up to silence Havoc. "Never mind…"
"Edward and his brother will be staying at my house, it's safer than the dorms," Mustang said grimly.
Fury looked like he was about to faint. "S…Sir?"
"They're all ex-soldiers, it would be no problem for them to infiltrate the dorms," Mustang said with out missing a beat. "Fury I want you to go in and keep an eye on FullMetal. Brenda, Falmon, go keep watch outside. Alphonse is inside." The men saluted and filed out of the room, though it still looked like Fury would faint. Roy waited till they were gone before talking to the two Lieutenants. "To answer you're question, yes it was Ashton who tried to rape me. I think he was testing Edward back there to see how much he could take and to send a warning to me."
The two Lieutenants looked at each other before Hawkeye ventured to speak, "you don't think that he'll…"
"Ashton hates me because I got away and was able to maim him so he could not get away with what he did," Mustang's eyes grew darker, "I put nothing past the man."
Havoc nodded bending down to pick up his cigarette, "so, how do you want us to guard you're house?"
"The best way is to have all of my staff stay at my house," he said running a gloved hand through his hair, "it's not fool proof but it's the best I can come up with outside of transmutating all exits up and changing the wood to stone."
"How deep are we in Sir?" the blond woman asked looking sharply at Mustang.
Mustang sighed, "deep enough to want to get shit-faced."
Havoc whistled, "that bad?"
"Worse probably, who knows what kind of scum Ashton Marks picked up," the man scratched his head. "How do those two always manage to get into these sort of messes."
Havoc shrugged, "I don't know sir…"
Hawkeye watched as The Flame Alchemist began to pace. He was worried, his dark eyes downcast as he paced. "We shouldn't let this out, it will only have them attack with more numbers." The officers nodded. "Hawkeye stay here with Edward, Havoc take me to my house, I have things to prepare."
"Yes Sir!"
Fury watched as Ed softly thrashed about. "Oh, no, he exposed his stomach again…" Al said walking up to cover him again. "He does this all the time," he said looking up at Fury, "it's a really bad habit."
Fury nodded dumbly looking at the boy as he thrashed about. 'He doesn't even know what the Colonel knows. What if those people attack now? What can I do to stop them? Could I stop them.' He sighed looking at the window, 'Edward-kun looks so frail, I wonder what happened…'
"Sergeant Major Fury?" Fury looked up to see First Lieutenant looking at him.
"Uh, Yes ma'am?" he asked standing up saluting her.
She smiled, "if you want to take a break or something you can we're going to be here for a while…"
"Yes Ma'am…but uh, Hawkeye, Ma'am I could stay here a little longer," the pudgy soldier said honestly.
Hawkeye nodded and took up a seat by the window. "Colonel Mustang is setting up at his home for them."
Al shifted where he was standing, "uh, are you sure that's a good idea?"
Hawkeye sighed but smiled, "it probably isn't but what else can be done right now. The Colonel will have to act his age for a while."
"Don't you mean both of them have to act older then the age of five?" Al asked inquisitively.
Fury paled thankful that Ed was not up. "Who are you calling a bean…" the Alchemist asked making Fury jump. "Stupid Colonel, I'll punch him with my fist like I should have done that time…"
"…" Every one in the room just stared at Ed. "Heh, heh, it seems that Brother's feeling better…"
Hawkeye put her hand on his forehead, "his fever rose again, Fury get the nurse."
"Y…Yes ma'am!" he said jumping up before scrambling to get the nurse in a bit of a panic.
Havoc blinked as he looked at the mess that was Roy Mustang's house. "Hey did you ever think of getting a maid?"
"Why would I want some one to go through my things?" he asked looking up from a mountain of papers and books.
"I don't know so maybe you could walk in a room with out hurting yourself on attack dust bunnies…" Havoc said offhandedly.
"Just be quite and help me…" Mustang grabbed a bunch of books and papers off the floor, "and don't read anything…please…"
Havoc sighed and picked up a pile of the State Alchemist's books and papers. "Where do you want them?"
"My bed room, I don't want that pint-sized Alchemist looking through them," he said leading the way to his bedroom.
Havoc's mouth dropped a pone seeing the room. "Uh…where in here do you want me to put them?" he asked looking at the wall-to-wall mess of books papers and uniforms.
"Right here," he said shoving them into the closet where the door broken and looked a tad bit singed. "And make sure you're careful," the Flame Alchemist said walking out to get more books out of the room.
"Yes, Sir," Havoc said before dropping the books onto of the books in the closet. He was going to duck out of there when something caught his eye. "Hmmn?" he picked up a small blade and cloth that was covered in dried blood. "…" He glanced at the door and pocketed the items before going to finish helping his superior clean out the two guest bedroom. It took the better part of the night to finish. Roy was busy trying to reorganize the items in his room while Havoc made a phone call to Hawkeye. "How's Ed?" he asked when he got her on the line.
"He's awake…and not very happy," she answered, "he's already threatening to strangle the colonel."
"Ahh…that's good," Havoc said lighting his cigarette, "we're ready on this end."
"That's good," the woman on the other end of the line said.
The blond hung his head, "yeah, look I have something to discuss with you later."
"Why can't you…"
"Trust me, I'd rather talk about it in person…" Havoc said leaning against the wall.
"Ok, I'll see you later Lieutenant Havoc," Hawkeye said, probably saluting at the phone.
"Yep bye," Havoc said hanging up the phone.
"Jean?"
Havoc slowly turned to see a very pissed Roy looking at him. "Uh, sir?"
"…What did you take out of my closet?" he asked pissed off.
"Nothing," the second Lieutenant lied to his superior.
The dark headed Alchemist cornered him, "second Lieutenant Jean Havoc, do I have to search you…"
"No sir!" Havoc said knowing his back was literally against the wall.
"Then give me what you took," Mustang said glaring.
Havoc shrugged, "I have nothing," he said.
"GIVE ME MY GOD DAMN KNIFE AND FACE CLOTH DAMN IT!" Mustang growled grabbing Havoc by the collar of his shirt.
"Sir?" Havoc squeaked as Mustang started to search him before finding what he was looking for and taking them away.
"Get out of here, I can finish up on my own…" Mustang said still glaring. "Tell no one."
Reluctantly Havoc saluted, "sir." Havoc began to stalk out of the house before stopping. "Can you tell me why?" he asked not turning around to see the Flame Alchemist.
"No I can not."
Havoc nodded and walked out the door slightly pissed at himself for not hiding them elsewhere till he was ready to leave.
Ed was lying down raised slightly on the bed arms crossed. "Why am I here again?"
"Your temperature won't stay down and you're dehydrated," Fury said smiling, "but at least that means you get a vacation right Edward-kun?"
"But that's time I'm wasting," the young Alchemist grumbled crossly before erupting into a coughing fit. Al looked at his brother looking as worried as armor could, but Ed shrugged him off. Finally the coughing subsided, and Ed looked around for a drink of water. "Where's the water the nurse left for me?" he asked shifting a bit trying hard not to winch in pain.
"Here brother," Al said handing him the glass.
Ed took it carefully, trying to keep a firm hold on it. "Damn it…" he growled as he nearly dropped the glass. He some how managed to hold on to it and took a small sip. "Gah, can we go yet?"
"You can't go till tomorrow, that's what the doctors said," Riza said coming back from her phone call.
"I don't care," Ed said sitting up abruptly before falling back down head spinning this time he did drop the glass and water went all over him. "Damn it!" he growled angrily.
"Quite it will do you no good to argue, you're too weak," the officer said kindly.
"I'm not staying at that bastard colonel's house though…" Ed said crossing his arms, "I don't understand why I can't stay in the room I normally stay in when I'm in central."
"Because Al can't move about freely because he's armor, and what happens if something comes up with you're health that he can't help with? Edward-kun…I know you don't want to have to live with him but please just to be safe, stay with The Colonel."
"I don't want to," Ed said pouting.
"Winry said she'd be here tomorrow to fix any problems with your arm," the blond officer said cutting Ed off.
Fury smiled, at Ed who rolled his eyes. "When is this nightmare going to be over?"
"I'm sorry do you want me to leave?" the pudgy officer asked.
"No, I just really hate being sick," he said pulling the covers over his face.
Al nodded, "he's always hated it, one time Sensei had to tie him to the bed to keep him there when he was sick."
Fury gasped as if it was inhumane. "Huh?"
"It's nothing," Ed from underneath the covers still not peeking over. He wanted out of the hospital and he did not want to go to his superior's house. Something else was also bothering him, 'why the hell is Fury and Hawkeye in the room? It doesn't make any sense.' Ed pondered that for a while till he blinked and pulled down the covers to find both officers in question looking at him, "what going on?"
Hawkeye and Fury exchanged glances that stated something was going on. "It's nothing big right now."
"Bullshit, why are you two hovering over me like I'm going to get broken or something, what's going on?" Ed asked attempting to sit up again lacking both the strength and all of the pain that went with the attempted motion.
"We're making sure you don't run off Edward-kun," Hawkeye responded to him pushing him back down easily.
"I'm not a fucking child, I can take care of myself," Ed growled glaring.
"Brother!" Al exclaimed worried, "maybe you should go back to sleep…"
"NO I…" Ed was interrupted by a long bout of coughing, which left Ed feeling drained much to his displeasure. He tried to swallow some saliva but his mouth was so dry it only caused him to start coughing again.
"Fury get the nurse, Edward-Kun needs some water," Hawkeye said sternly.
Fury saluted before scampering out of the room to do so. Ed groaned when the nurse came back and checked him over. "His temperature went up a little bit," she informed, "but what concerns me is the dry mouth, it means he's dehydrating." The Nurse shoved a cup of water in Ed's face and waited for him to drink it. Ed drank it trying not to sputter quite annoyed that she was not letting him hold the cup.
There was a slight creek in the door and Ed looked up to see Havoc peek his head through, "Hawkeye can I speak to you for a second." Hawkeye nodded and sat up.
Ed thought about how the officer had looked when he had peaked his head through, worried. Ed sputtered a bit having another coughing fit. 'This sucks' he thought as the nurse gave him a towel.
Riza looked skeptically at Havoc, "what do you mean 'watch the Colonel'?"
"I can't go into that I can only ask you to watch the Colonel," he responded.
Riza nodded slowly, unsure of what was going on. "Should we still send Edward-kun there?"
"Yes, the kid's sharp, he'll pick up what others may miss," he said nodding. "And Al's even more perceptive than that."
"True," Hawkeye looked at the room where Ed was still having a coughing fit.
"He doesn't sound good," Havoc said biting on an unlit cigarette. "I hope the Colonel doesn't try the kid's nerves…"
"You're not the only one, Edward-Kun is having a hard time with this illness," Hawkeye said looking at Havoc intensely.
Havoc simply nodded, "I'll be out side smoking I need it badly…"
"You should quit," Hawkeye said clucking her tongue in disproval.
"Yeah, yeah," he said walking down the hall waving a hand.
Roy Mustang sat in his room with his face in his hands. 'I can't believe Havoc found those…never mind finding them, I can't believe that I didn't hide them.' The Flame Alchemist sighed and collapsed sideways on his bed. "I have to pull myself together before Edward gets here…" he sighed rolling on his back and looked blankly at the ceiling. "Damn it Maes…why did you have to die…why couldn't you have told me what was going on…" Roy turned his head to see the small knife and face cloth. "Heh, you nearly threw me in a mental institution when you caught me carving the number of lives I killed on the underside of my arm before, what would you do now?" he asked the air before sitting up abruptly.
"You'd probably grab my arms and tie them behind my back before removing every sharp thing in this house. Then you'd pack up everything I may need and force me to move in with you and you're family…" dark eyes fluttered to the picture in the picture frame, it was a young Roy and Maes that looked at him. "Damn it…Alcohol would be safer…wouldn't it…"
'But it wouldn't be good enough Roy…' Mustang imagined his best friend say.
"God damn it," he hissed taking the knife that was beckoning to him to take the scab under his arm off. It said one thing, 'Maes Hughes' in crude choppy small writing.
Roy peeled his jacket off followed by his shirt and undershirt shortly after. He examined the arm before deciding that the scab looked like it was starting to become infected and that carving his best friend's name deeper would not be a good idea till it looked better. Roy got up and dragged himself to the bathroom before getting the antibiotics to clean the self-inflicted wound off. He applied it winching as the pain kicked in.
Done with that Roy cleaned the bathroom a bit before returning to his bedroom and hiding the knife back in his closet. Roy took the stained face cloth and brought it into bathroom. He tossed it and a match in the sink and watch it disintegrate.
"I'm sorry Maes…" he said as he washed the ashes down the drain, tears running down his cheeks.