Author's Note: Whew, I wrote this chapter first, ironically. Tee hee, its my favorite. I'm so cruel to poor Havoc, but I can't help it, he's my favorite.. Therefore I torture him... is slapped by random fangirls. Well, this went through many revisions, as did all my chapters. Unfortunately the next one won't be for a bit, I'm not even halfway done with that yet. BUT I'm working on it! Be patient, my little minions...

To my Reviewers:

Kiyuu-chan- No, thank god. I'dve been really pissed had they done that!

Kellen - Wow, thanks for the compliments! I'm glad you like it so much, I've been working really hard. You're right - romance is great, but action is de best! Hope you continue to enjoy it!

Across town, in the hospital towards where Mustang and Hawkeye now so urgently drove, lieutenant Havoc was staring glumly out the window at the darkening sky. He sighed, blinking as his reflection came into focus. Even to himself he looked visibly thinner and more disheveled. He tore his eyes away from the glass and laid his head back on the pillow, ignoring the strange, sometimes painful, but never pleasant, tingling that ran up his back as he moved. He closed his eyes, reaching a hand out blindly towards the pack of cigarettes and lighter on his bedside table. He fumbled about for a bit, finally finding his lighter. Flipping it open he watched the flame dance a bit.

It was nights like these he hated, all alone in the hospital, with nothing to distract him from the utter uselessness of his legs. Indeed the first few nights he had tried in vain to even wiggle a toe, but his hope had dwindled and died away, just like the lighter flame he now was watching grow smaller and puff out. He sighed, flipping it open and rekindling it, grabbing the packet of cigarettes. He pulled one out from where it lay squished along with its fellows. Holding the tip to the flame he lit it, setting the lighter back on the table. He raised the cigarette to his lips, but suddenly a drop of water extinguished it.

"What the-" He watched the water soak up into the cigarette. Was there a leak or something? Slowly he raised his eyes to the ceiling, where he froze in shock, a strangled cry escaping his lips at what he saw.

As Mustang and Hawkeye pulled into the hospital parking lot, Hawkeye hit the brakes so fast Roy almost flew forward into the dash, but he leapt out of the car and was halfway to the doors before Hawkeye caught up.

The pair was silent as they made their way through the many hallways to Havoc's room, each praying they weren't too late. They met no one and saw nothing as they ran, but this only made Roy more uneasy. Suddenly Riza stopped, and Roy, glancing back at her, stopped as well.

"What, lieutenant?"

"Can you hear that?"

He listened. Above the silence rose the faint sound of water gurgling, splashing, as if someone were running a sink. He looked down the hall as his ears pinpointed the location of the sound. He gasped as his eyes came to rest on a very familiar door.

Had she not grown accustomed to strange sights over the last few years, Hawkeye might have frozen at the sight which greeted them upon throwing open the door. Even Roy's raised hand wavered for an instant.

Long snakelike tendrils of crystal-clear water twisted themselves through the air, all branching from the arms of a woman standing in the center of the room. Four of these gigantic tendrils had wrapped themselves around Havoc's torso, but the man was fighting savagely to stop them wrapping about his face. His arms were straining against the pressing water, and the homunculi seemed to be letting him wear down before going for the kill.

Roy yelled, raising his hand, but suddenly the woman's violet eyes flashed. In the dim light Roy recognized her. It was Douglas. Suddenly two tendrils exploded from her right arm, shooting at the two interlopers. Roy snapped his fingers, but the water extinguished the spark and kept coming, throwing the two of them back violently.

Hawkeye's head slammed into the wall and bright lights burst in front of her eyes. She slid down the wall, staggering a bit as she whipped her gun out of its holster. Her eyes darted to Roy, whom had also regained his footing, to Havoc, whom was still struggling to hold the water at bay. Beads of sweat had popped out on his face, dampening his hair, and his eyes shone with fatigue. As she watched she saw his shaking arms give way a bit, and the water slid an inch closer to his face. The tendrils that had his torso squeezed, and he gasped for breath.

She's constricting his chest so he can't breathe. Riza thought, glaring at Douglas, whom was smiling cruelly. She raised the gun and fired three shots, point-blank range, into the Homunculi's head. She gasped at the woman's face simply exploded, turning to water, and reformed again, the bullets passing through and embedding themselves in the far wall.

"And now I thought all I'd have to deal with was him." She said, wrapping one tendril slowly around the back of Havoc's head; it now looked like he was fighting off a solid sheet of water. The Homunculi's gaze switched from Riza to Roy. "And you. You're the one who killed Lust." It wasn't a statement as much as an accusation.

Roy just glared back, his eyebrows furrowing. Suddenly, behind him, Riza gasped.

"Colonel!"

For she had seen what Roy, intent upon the Homunculi before him, had not. He looked down in time to see a tendril strike him in the waist, lifting him off his feet and hurling him through the bathroom door, which banged violently off the wall. Roy collided with the mirror above the sink, shattering the glass and falling, hitting the sink and landing in a crumpled heap on the floor. Riza screamed something, but was cut short as another tendril pinned her to the wall.

"I'll save you for last." The Homunculi said, glaring hatefully at Roy's unmoving body that lay sprawled in the bathroom. "You killed Lust, and you will pay." She reached out a snake of water and closed the door on him, turning her attention back to Riza and Havoc.

Riza's gaze lingered on the door for an instant before she looked back at the woman, whom was smiling almost serenely as she watched Havoc struggle feebly.

The man's strength was wavering, his arms shook as the water crept closer and closer to his face. He closed his eyes, gasping for breath, wondering if whether it wasn't so bad to die. Better to be dead than keep living crippled and broken... He opened his eyes and looked straight through the clear glossy water to see Hawkeye pinned against the wall.

Riza's eyes widened and she shook her head, pleading silently. She recognized the look in his eyes, and the message they were sending her. 'I'm sorry. I can't go on.' She struggled frantically against the water binding her as she saw his arms slowly but surely giving way to the writhing water tentacles that threatened to, in one instant, burst forward to take him, drown him, erase him from existence forever. No Havoc, don't give up. Hawkeye pleaded in her mind, struggling to move her hands, or, more specifically, the gun, against the water flow. Hold on a bit longer, please... She gave a great heave, pointing the gun straight up at the water binding her. She pulled the trigger the same instant the bathroom door was blown off its hinges. There in the doorway stood Roy, blood running down his face, his hand outstretched. He glared at the startled Homunculi for an instant before letting the fire fly.

Douglas screamed as she was engulfed, the many tendrils boiling, then exploding in wisps of steam. She stumbled back, away from Roy, whom snapped again. The Homunculus screeched, steam rising off her into the air. Suddenly she collapsed, the flames extinguished as they found nothing to hold on but water. The water slid like a huge clear snake through the room and escaped under the door. Roy made to go after it, but Riza grabbed his arm.

"Now's not the time, Roy." She said softly. "Havoc."

The pair turned. Havoc was lying back on the bed, gasping for breath and soaked to the bone. His eyes were closed and his hands would clench and unclench feebly.

Riza walked to him and laid a hand on his shoulder, feeling him flinch. "Havoc? Jean?"

He opened his eyes, looking up at her. She gave him a soft reassuring smile, which he did not return. He closed his eyes again, shivering.

"Jean, are you alright?" No answer. She glanced up at Roy, standing a few feet away, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"I'm sorry." Havoc croaked suddenly. They looked back down at him. "She- she could have killed you both and I couldn't do anything..."

"Havoc, don't blame yourself." Riza said softly. Roy nodded in silent agreement. Havoc found he couldn't meet their eyes, and stared up at the ceiling.

Riza looked back up at Roy, who in turn looked back at her. Then once again Havoc's voice broke the silence.

"She came from up there..." He remained still, staring up at the ceiling. Roy and Riza followed his gaze to the tiles; indeed, a few still looked damp.

"The ceiling?" Riza muttered, looking darkly at the tiles. She dropped her gaze back to Havoc, whom was still staring at the ceiling. She saw thick shadows of fatigue on his face.

"Havoc, get some rest." she said gently. He blinked, peeling his gaze away from the ceiling and back at her as if her words hadn't registered at all. "Havoc, you're exhausted, you should get some sleep." she repeated.

He closed his eyes, nodding slightly. She smiled down at him for a few moments before sigh from Roy made her look up. He had closed his eyes, and was rubbing the back of his neck. "What a night..."

"Colonel," Riza began sharply. "Your head..."

"It's nothing." Roy interrupted, wiping the blood away with a sleeve. Riza still looked anxious, and he gave her a smile. "I've had worse scrapes, lieutenant."

She blinked, a shadow of a smile appearing on her face, knowing it would be useless to protest. He was too stubborn for his own good. She sat down in one of the chairs by the window, and soon Roy followed suit. His weary gaze traveled up the dark street, dreading lest to see some sulking figure prowling in the shadows. The large Central Headquarters building was only just visible; as the sky darkened it faded into the night.

Suddenly the pair jumped, a loud ringing shattering the silence. Roy leapt to his feet, crossing to the phone. After hesitating a second he picked it up. Breda's voice answered, sounding shaken.

"Hello?"

"Breda, it's Roy."

"Colonel?" Breda sounded relieved. "Are you all okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Hawkeye's with me and we're all fine." Roy said. He paused. "By the sound of it I assume you've been attacked as well. Are you alright?"

There was a long, uneasy pause. "Fuery's been shot sir. In the arm."

Roy almost dropped the phone. "WHAT? How?"

"That kid, he made his arm into a gun. He was using some form of Alchemy I'd never seen before. Didn't need a circle or anything, just like that Fullmetal kid."

"Dammit." Roy gripped the phone hard. "How's Fuery doing now?"

"He's okay, we got his arm all wrapped up and the bleeding's gone down... Colonel, what's going on?"

Roy sighed. "I don't have time to explain it all now. Can you move, with Fuery?"

"Yes, I think so."

"How soon can you get here?"