The Way to a Man's Heart Isn't by Crushing His Ego Chapter 6: The Path to Destruction

The next day at work, Roy was sitting in his office as usual. His eyes glued to the black ink that formed itself into letters on his paper. He seemed to be in a good mood, but was very quiet. He hadn't said anything all morning. Sergeant Major Fury and Lieutenant Havoc sat at their desks, watching Roy from the corner of their eyes. As usual there was a smoking cigarette cocked in the corner of Havoc's mouth.

Fury suddenly smiled and broke the silent tension in the air. He stood up from his seat and looked down at Havoc. The blond man just leaned back in his chair and stared back at him. "I have to go to Major Armstrong's office to get a few files regarding a case I was assigned too. I'll be back in a little while, alright?" he asked looking over at his superior.

The Lieutenant Colonel didn't make any eye contact with his loyal dogs. "Do whatever you want," Roy replied. His words were rather fast spoken and gruff. This told them something was really bothering him.

Havoc watched as the door closed behind Fury then looked back over at Roy. "Are you alright, sir? You're very quiet," his cigarette bounced as he spoke.

"I'm fine," Roy replied in his usual tone, still not looking at him. No one but Roy and Hughes knew what happened at the bank last night. If Roy would have saved the day you can bet it'd be posted on the walls, along with a photo of Gracia. But since he lost it all to a woman he wouldn't breathe a word of it, and if it slipped out through Hughes' ever-running mouth, then he'd deny any of it ever happened, and Hughes was just making up a story so he could listen to himself talk.

"Ok, whatever you say, chief," Havoc replied and got back to his work. If Roy didn't want to talk, then there was either nothing wrong, or he was in a bad, or soon going to be bad mood. If that was the case, then he really didn't want to get involved. I wonder if he's having problems with the ladies? The Lieutenant began to wonder to himself. Nah! I'm usually the one asking him for help!

As Roy signed his papers he began thinking about what had happened the night before. His eyebrows looked like they were going to come together again as his body tensed from rage. Damn woman… making a fool out of me... I did have everything under control… then she barges in and messes it all up… and she wasn't even properly dressed. Women of her stature should be clothed in the proper tight, leather, black, mini skirt. The Lieutenant Colonel began gritting his teeth as he cursed the sharp-shooter and what had happened.

"Uh…" Havoc said when he saw Roy's grip tighten on the pen he was writing with. A little tighter and he'd squeeze it so hard all the ink would squirt out.

Just then Hughes entered the room with a smile on his face, "Hey, Roy. You feeling better today?"

Roy just lifted his head and glared at Hughes with a 'don't you even dare' expression plastered on his face.

Hughes saw the hatred boiling in Roy's dark eyes and got nervous. "Umm… Hey, I just wanted to say that that new transfer is supposed to arrive today," he began to wonder if he should have just said this. There was a little thought jumping around in the back of his mind screaming, "Notice me!!! I'm over here!!! Pick me! Pick me!!!" Then it hit him. The little voice ran to the front of his mind. Roy's really mad right now, and you reminded him of something he didn't want to know. GET OUT NOW! God alone knows how hot his flames will be if he fries you when he's mad. "Uh... I think I'll go now. I have a lot of work to do…" he said and quickly left the room.

"What's eating him?" Havoc asked curiously after Hughes left.

"Nothing," Roy replied as he got back to his paper. His voice was still somewhat gruff, but held most of its composure. He did care about the new transfer, but he was too angry about last night to really even think about it.

"Oh yeah, we have a new transfer. I almost forgot. I wonder what he's like?" Havoc wondered as he moved the cigarette in his mouth up and down with his tongue. He sat back in his chair and his eyes hit the ceiling, wondering.

"Man, that Roy. He really needs to get along with women. I feel sorry for the girl who gets stuck working with him. Especially after this," Hughes said. Both hands shoved in his pockets and the lively smirk not on his face. His face held a serious expression as his eyes traced the tiles on the ground. He walked down the hallway and to the front entrance. He wasn't sure really what he was going to do there. He was just really, really bored, and if he couldn't bug Roy, he might at least be able to find someone he could talk too.

He looked for a few minutes, but didn't find anyone. Then the fact that only military personnel were on the Central grounds, and he wouldn't find anyone new to talk to hit him. So he took his search outside. He thought he would be able to snag a passerby. After another few minutes of searching with no luck and a slap in the face he learned a new thing. He sat down on the front steps of Central with a sigh. Never show a woman a picture of an even prettier woman and then boast about it, and there are still no pedestrians here. The only person I managed to get was a woman going to a field training practice. The Major thought to himself as he rubbed his sore, now red and somewhat swollen cheek.

So Hughes sat on the steps, thinking about various things, and still rubbing his sore cheek. He was about to give up and go back to his office to do some work that should have been finished two days ago. When suddenly he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Excuse me?" said the voice. It was very feminine and beautiful. He knew he'd heard that voice before. Then it hit him. Oh crap. He turned to see where the female's voice was coming from. He looked and on the other side of the stairs, up a ways from him, stood the female sharp-shooter from last night. She was talking to another one of the soldiers, asking him where she was supposed to be. She looked very different dressed in the navy blue uniform. It covered up pretty much all her female features. Hughes guessed they did that so men would work instead of stare at her all day. But despite the ugly uniform she was still very beautiful.

Please tell me this is just a coincidence. Please… oh man, Roy's gonna be so thrilled. Hughes thought as he stared at her. She didn't even notice he was there. Well, maybe she isn't the new transfer. Maybe she's just coming here for some documents... or something… in any case I think I'd better find out. Hughes decided and got up and walked up to the woman and the soldier.

"Hi there, remember me?" Hughes asked as he came up behind her. She turned fast, not knowing who was behind her.

"Oh, it's you. You're the man from last night. Hello," she said with a little smile. She felt better when she found someone she knew, or, kind of knew.

"I didn't know you were in the military," she said as her eyes traced Hughes and his uniform.

"Yup, I had my uniform on last night. I guess too much was going on for you to notice?" Hughes asked with a friendly smile. His hand quickly went to his head as he rubbed the back his skull, as he often did when he was somewhat nervous or embarrassed.

"Yeah," she replied. She returned his smile with a look of relief and contentment.

"I'll take care of her, thanks," Hughes said to the solider she was originally talking to.

"Alright," he replied and walked away.

"So, what are you hear for?" Hughes asked as they walked into Central.

"I'm supposed to be working here starting today, but I have no clue where I'm going. This place is huge," the woman replied as she looked around. All the other people there were men, and they all wore the same navy blue uniforms.

"I see," Hughes said. His voice became a little uneasy and curious. "And what department are you with?" he asked not knowing if he wanted to hear the answer.

"I'm not sure what the department is. But I'm supposed to work with a Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang. I'm his new chief aid."

Hughes stopped dead in his tracks. His stomach seemed to twist into a hundred different knots when he heard that statement. His face turned green as if he just got sick, but there was also a hint of blue like he had stopped breathing. Once he regained himself enough to talk he asked nervously, "And what's your name?"

"Oh sorry," she replied, "I never did tell you, did I?"

"No," he replied.

"It's Riza Hawkeye."

Hughes thought his heart was going to stop. He almost had a panic attack. Riza Hawkeye… is… Elizabeth Hawkeye…she is the woman who has to work with Roy... and she is the same woman who saved us last night…. God save us all, please… but mostly me... save me!

"Is something wrong?" Riza asked as she saw Hughes' facial expressions change from happy, to surprise, to fear, to panic, to desperate... and just about everything else.

"Oh no, it' nothing!" Hughes replied. He quickly snapped out of his thoughts and he began rubbing the back of his head again, his smile still nervous.

"Ok…" Riza replied. This man was truly a character. "May I ask your name?"

"Oh yeah, it's Maes Hughes. I'm a Major in the Investigations Department."

"I see, well it's nice to meet you, Hughes."

"Yeah, same here," he replied.

"If you're not busy can you tell me where in supposed to go?" she asked.

"Oh, sure. I'll take you there."

"Thanks."

"It's no trouble, I don't have any work to do," Hughes replied. Once he said the 'I don't have any work to do' thing, the small man nearby sneezed, rather loudly.

"This way," Hughes said as he led the way. They walked through many hallways, and saw many people. On their way they met Major Alex Louis Armstrong.

Hughes introduced Riza to the huge muscle man know as Armstrong. They were talking for 25 minutes about the great Armstrong line.

After they finally escaped Armstrong they began on their way again. "He's really proud of his family roots, isn't he?" Riza said with an unsure smile. Everyone she had met today was weird in someway.

"What? You mean that whole 'passed down through the Armstrong line for generations' thing?" Hughes asked.

"Yes."

"Yep, that's Armstrong. Everything has been passed down the Armstrong line, even if it didn't have anything to do with Armstrong," he replied with a smile and a bit of a chuckle. Riza may have thought they were a little strange, but Hughes was glad the people he worked with were laid-back and not really serious about everything.

"I see," she said as they walked down one of the longer hallways. They were silent for a few minutes.

"You know, I have an even better family then Armstrong," Hughes said with a big smile and reached for his shirt pocket.

"Oh really?" Riza asked. She didn't look at Hughes. She just stared straight ahead, and she hadn't noticed him reaching for anything.

"This is my beautiful wife! Gracia!" Hughes said with a grin that stretched from ear to ear, and he shoved the picture in Riza's face. She had no idea he had done it. All she saw was this woman she didn't even know all the sudden right in her face. It was almost second nature. Her reflexes just snapped and she, in the blink of an eye, pulled out the pistol and shot.

Bang! A single shot was fired.

Hughes stood, shocked. Riza's aim was amazing. She could shoot without even looking. Since it was only a small picture she didn't hit it. Her bullet went into the wall ahead of them. But it was dead center were the person's heart should be, if they were an average sized person, that is.

"Wow…" Hughes said as he stared at the wall. Almost to stunned to speak. "I don't think I have to worry about Riza anymore. It's Roy… he's a dead man…" That was supposed to be a thought, but Hughes was so…. shocked at what Riza could do, that it came out of his mouth instead of staying locked away in his mind.

"What was that?" Riza asked she looked up at him. She heard him mumble something about her and Roy, but she couldn't understand all his words.

"Oh, nothing, nothing," Hughes said nervously.

"Alright. Sorry about the wall. When I get surprised that happens sometimes," she replied with a nervous smile. Riza, you idiot, don't mess it up on your first day. If anyone asks... that was his fault.

"It's ok," Hughes replied, "Come on, let's go."

"Ok," Riza said as they walked the rest of the way to Roy's office. Hughes was planning on telling Riza all about Gracia, but after that, he wasn't so sure if it was a safe idea.

"We're here," Hughes said as they stood in front of the door. He had his hand on the knob. But before he turned it and opened the door, "Ummmm… Riza?"

"Yes?"

"Can I hold your gun for a minute?" he asked. He wanted her gun so he could be sure she wouldn't shoot once she realized who her new boss was.

"Why?" she asked confused as she stared back at him.

"Just because," Hughes replied.

"Uh... ok…" Riza said and handed him the almost fully-loaded gun.

"Thanks," he replied and then opened the door.

Inside they saw Havoc and Roy sitting at their desks working. They were so used to people running in and out that they didn't look up from their work unless called upon.

"Hughes," Roy began in his usual tone. He knew it was Hughes. He was the only one who bothered him 50 million times a day. "I heard a loud noise a few minutes ago. What was it?" Roy asked not looking up from his desk.

"…. a… gun…shot…" Hughes replied as he held Riza's gun in his hand. Riza stood next to Hughes. It looked like she was frozen. She just stood there staring with a blown away look on her face.

"A gunshot?" Roy asked as both he and Havoc looked up from their work. They wanted to hear the story.

"…" Riza and Roy just stared at each other. A sweat drop appeared on the back of Hughes' head. Havoc just twirled his cigarette, wondering what was going on. Just then his blue eyes became wide and a huge smile appeared on his face.

"Hey, you must be Hawkeye. And you're a chick!" he said with a surprised smile. When Riza didn't answer he was a little confused. He looked back toward Roy to see what his reaction was. Roy had the same look on his face that Riza did, more angered then Riza's, but the same none the less. "Ummm…" he began as he looked back and forth between the two. He wasn't sure what was going on.

The tension in the room sky rocketed. It was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

"Well nice chatting with you, Roy. But I really have a lot to do so. BYE!" Hughes said and tried to run away. "Oh here," he said and laid Riza's gun on her desk, which was the empty one right across from Havoc's. "Havoc, it's your problem now. Don't let anyone die, ok?"

"Ok?..." Havoc replied as Hughes ran out of the room and down the hall. Roy and Riza still staring at each other, they hadn't moved an inch, like they were statues that were just a little too rough around the edges.

The only movement of Roy's end was the grip he had on his pen. It became so tight that it actually did explode, getting all over Roy and his desk.