AN: Ok, now some of my readers e-mailed me and said they couldn't keep the kids straight. So I guess I'll tell you them too.
First you met Jazz. She's the lil' 5 year old girl with long messy black hair and brown eyes. She has a tan dress that goes down to her knees. She doesn't wear and shoes and has tanned bruised skin. You'll find out why later…
Next is Reina. She's 10 and Jazz's best friend. She loves Roy (if you can't tell) and has dark brown hair pulled into two pigtails and dark brown eyes. She wears a faded red shirt that's way to big for her, and brown shorts. None of the kids wear shoes, they are poor orphans.
The last girl is Sayo. She's 7 years old. She has long black hair pulled back into a ponytail and lime green eyes. She wears a black shirt and black capris for pants. Riza claims she has seem the girl, or at least her eyes, somewhere before, but we'll get into all that later.
There are 3 boys in the group, Kenny, Tommy, and Blare. Kenny is, like Reina, the leader of the group. He's 8 years old, the second oldest in the group. He has short messy hair, light brown or cinnamon in color, and golden eyes. He wears a dirty white tank top and baggy black pants.
Tommy and Blare are brothers, much like Ed and Al they are only one year apart in age. Tommy is 6 and Blare is 5. They both look very similar, and have blond hair and brown eyes. The way to tell them apart is by their height and clothes. Tommy, being older, is a little taller then Blare. He wears a dark blue shirt while Blare wears a brown one, and they both wear blue pants.
I hope that helped you some!
The Way to a Man's Heart Isn't by Crushing His Ego Chapter 31: Through the Wind and the Rain She Stands Hard as a Stone
Riza looked back at Roy again. "What do you want to do, Lieutenant Colonel, sir?" she asked.
Lieutenant Colonel? Hell's Fire smirked. He's cute, and he has a title.
"Uh…." Kenny said as he clung to Roy's leg. "What do we do now?" he asked in a quiet voice as he glanced back at the gangsters, his golden eyes full of tears.
Roy sneered. He knew a battle was going to take place any minute.
"Heh," Hell's Fire smirked again. They stood silently for a moment, just waiting to see what the other was going to do. Hell's Fire was the only one who knew exactly what was going to happen. "GO!" she shouted as she jumped to the side. Her red eyes flashed as she looked back at the battle scene.
The quiet night was suddenly filled with the sound of blasting gunfire as the three men quickly opened fire on the dogs and orphans.
"Eh!" Riza reacted instantly. She grabbed Sayo and Tommy in each arm, jumping to the left and out of harm. Jazz quickly dashed in the opposite direction. She ran as fast as she could, and hid behind a nearby support beam, using it as a shield against the bullets.
Roy reacted just as quickly as Riza, but in a completely different manner. Once he heard the first shot he snapped his fingers. Flames immediately appeared in front of him. He grabbed Reina in one arm, Kenny and Blare in the other, and dashed out of the way of bullets that were flying in a wild and confused manner through the flames. He ran in the same direction as Riza, but she had gone farther back, giving the kids a safe chance to get away unharmed.
The men were ready this time. They knew what Roy could do and it didn't take much effort for them to avoid his attack. They shot their guns even though they couldn't see Roy through the heavy flames, hoping to get a lucky hit. Luckily Roy was able to think on his feet. He didn't make the flames powerful enough to catch the wood on the ground or in ceiling on fire.
Damn. Roy thought to himself, a disgusted look on his face as he stopped 30 or 40 feet away. His dark boots sliding on the wood shavings once again. He tried to stop on a dime, but because of the lack of friction beneath him when he tried to stop; he continued to slide and then began to fall backwards.
Once he hit the floor Kenny and Reina jerked out of his arms. "AHHHH! Master, save us!" Reina screamed as they quickly dashed back toward Riza. The pounding of bare feet were heard as they came bounding across the room.
Riza began to return fire as she raced toward the men.
"HA!" Jackal snapped with satisfaction when he saw Roy's attention was not on them, but on the floor he had fallen back on. He raised his gun quickly, not wanting to miss his chance.
"Eh!" Jazz hid in her hiding place. Her brown eyes immediately widened when she saw what Jackal was about to do. "DADDY DON'T!" she screamed and took off toward the vicious man she called her father.
Daddy? Riza stopped dead in her tracks, sliding a little, calculating this in her mind. It suddenly all made sense to her. Why Jazz had been hiding in the building in the first place, why she had all the bruises, and why she didn't want to talk about it.
"Huh?" Jackal said in surprise. He glanced over to where he heard the scream. Almost immediately after he'd heard it he felt a weight suddenly appear on his right leg. He glanced down; a disgusted, angered look appeared on his face. "You little brat!" he snapped.
"Please don't!" Jazz cried as she clung to her father's leg. Tears streaming down her face as her grip on his leg tightened. "You can't!"
Roy quickly recovered from his fall. He glanced up to see why he'd heard Jazz scream, and why he hadn't been shot at the perfect moment. His face quickly went from rage and disgust to confusion. He stared for a moment, trying to register what was going on before his eyes.
"Er!" Jackal's gazed returned to Roy in a flash. "NO!" he sneered when he saw Roy's attention was on him once again. His attention was quickly diverted back on his daughter. "I almost had him!" he roared as he lurched out with his left arm and grabbed a handful of the black hair atop Jazz's head in his large fist.
"AH!" Jazz cried out in pain as he pulled fiercely on her scalp. More tears fell as he roared in anger and continued to yank on her hair. "PLEASE STOP, DADDY!" she cried, not loosening her grip on him.
"You little pest! You do nothing but get in the way! The only thing you're good for it target practice!" he snapped as he pulled hard to the left. Jazz couldn't fight back anymore. Her neck began to ache as her head was jerked in every direction imaginable and with a lot of force behind it, too. He jerked his large fist to the left again. Jazz reluctantly let go of his leg. The big man then slung Jazz around, giving one last yank, harder then the rest. He quickly released his grasp and Jazz was sent flying.
"AHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed as the images of the building flashed in front of her eyes. Her neck still ached and was tense from all the abuse it had just received. It felt a lot like whiplash.
Ice, Hell's Fire, and the third man just watched as Jazz flew a few feet, then hit the floor with a hard thud. Her shrieking stopped as she violently rolled and bounced across the floor. Her tan dress getting caught on large splinters that stuck out of the floor boards. Her small body came to a stop seven feet after it had landed. She lay still and motionless for a few seconds, then used her arms to push her upper body up slightly. Her small form shook from weakness and shock as she glanced over at Jackal, most of her face shielded by her long dark hair.
"Jazz!" Reina cried out from her hiding place in the back. Roy glanced back at her for a split second. He saw the other kids with her, watching with tears in their scared eyes.
"Ergh!" Jackal snapped again as he raised his black pistol. He was quickly thrown back by a forceful blow to his abdomen.
Bang!
The sound of gunfire cut through the building. In the surprise of the unexpected blow Jackal accidentally pulled the trigger. It missed everyone by a mile and the bullet lodged itself in the ceiling just above them.
"STOP IT, DADDY!" Jazz pleaded again as she pushed on her father's stomach. She was doing everything in her power to keep Jackal from shooting Roy. As long as she could muster up the strength, she'd keep going back at her father when he raised his gun.
"YOU IDIOT!" Jackal snapped, more furious then before. He glanced up and saw Roy staring at him once again. His nostrils flared with rage. He took his big hand and grabbed Jazz's shoulder. He squeezed tight causing her to flinch. He pushed her back with a lot of force; she fell backwards and landed on her butt.
"Ouch," Jazz said with a whine as she reached up and grabbed her sore shoulder. Then her tearful eyes went back to her storming father.
He stared down at her for a second, glaring evilly. Then he roared again and lurched forward, his large hand clasping around Jazz's small neck.
"AHH-" Jazz tried to scream but was quickly cut off as Jackal squeezed harder, closing off her airway. He smirked as she tried gasping for air. She grabbed at his large arms with her small hands trying desperately to make him let go.
"I told you not to get in the way," he retorted to her gestures coldly, and then he lifted her small frame high in the air, still holding her by the throat.
"Errr…" Roy growled angrily. He was about to get up and help when his eyes widened for a moment and he was frozen, overcome by shock as he watched what was taking place. He'd never seen anything like this, not even in Ishbal. This was cruelty on a totally different level.
"Heh," Jackal smirked as he brought his arm down hard and fast. Before Jazz knew it the building was moving fast before her eyes again, and her back was smashed into the ground. Her eyes widened in shock as she gasped for a breath, but didn't receive one, and pain radiated through her whole body.
"Should we stop him?" Ice asked as he watched Jackal. The expression on the large man's face was terrifying and deadly. He smirked with a truly evil grin, he was thoroughly enjoying every minute of this.
"No," Hell's Fire replied as she watched Jazz gasp again, then she glanced over at Roy, his face was enraged. "I want to see what he does."
"Hahahahaha," Jackal laughed coldly as he lifted Jazz small frame high in the air again, ready for a second blow. He'd be sure to make this one more painful then the last. The small girl's grip loosened as she felt her body going limp. All she could feel was the stinging pain. Her lungs and brain cried out for oxygen, her body cried out for relief from pain. She didn't get either. She could feel the grasp he had on her throat tighten again and again, and her vision began to get blurry as she was brought down for the second attack.
Please stop, daddy. She thought as her brown eyes closed and she began to loose her grasp on reality. Everything got dark as she felt the pain from the second blow. This one was more intense indeed, she felt the floor below her give way, but the grip her father had on her didn't let her fall.
Roy cursed in anger as Jackal lifted Jazz's limp body in the air again. He sneered and lunged forward. He couldn't use his alchemy, not with Jazz that close to the target. He'd get her for sure if he tried.
"Whoa!" Ice said when he saw Roy charging. He quickly headed for Jackal as well. The scrawny man pulled out his long knife. The blade flashed as it was pulled from the holster. He was going to get Roy before he got to Jackal.
Riza's amber eyes widened when she saw Ice racing toward Jackal and Jazz. "Lieutenant Colonel Mustang, sir!" she shouted, trying to make Roy aware of the situation. In a spilt second she pulled her silver pistol from its holster and fired. She didn't have time to take aim. She could only pray it was accurate enough to stop Ice.
"Damn you!" Ice said as he glanced at Riza when he heard the gunshot. He didn't have enough time to get out of the way. The bullet was on, but not on enough. It entered Ice's arm, and came barreling out the other side. "ARGH!" Ice flinched in pain as he saw the blood begin gushing out of his arm. He glanced up and saw Roy right in front of Jackal.
Roy sneered again as he pulled his arm back and then brought it down hard and fast, right on Jackal's right cheek. Jackal was stunned. He released his hold on Jazz and stumbled back a bit. Roy quickly reached down and quickly scooped up Jazz before she fell down the hole.
"Lieutenant Colonel!" he heard Riza shout again. Roy glanced up quickly, just fast enough to see the knife flying toward him. Ice had thrown it just moments before.
Roy had just enough time to dodge the sharp blade, but he didn't clear it, "Errrrr…" he growled as he flinched, the knife entering the upper part of his right arm. Blood began consuming the blue fabric around the knife, causing the material to become a dark black like color.
He skidded to the side and stopped his failed attempt to dodge the knife. He glared up at Hell's Fire, Jazz still in his arms. Ice knelt on the ground just in front of her, clutching his wounded arm with his other hand, sneering with disgust that his blade had missed its target.
"Why you!" Jackal sneered angrily as he brushed his hand across his face, he revealed a bloody lip. His nostrils flared again as he stared at Roy. He was about to charge at him when he was cut off.
Bang! Smoke appeared on the ground just in front of Jackal. The bullet had gone straight through the weak wood.
Roy's gaze was diverted toward the back of the room. Riza had her gun aimed and ready. There was a stern, serious expression on her face. She'd been coving his back this whole time. "That's far enough," she said, her amber eyes locked on Jackal. Her voice had just as stern a tone and her face held it visibly.
"Heh," Hell's Fire smirked again. "Go get her," she said to the third man.
"Uh…" he replied as he looked at Riza nervously, "….ok…." he said as he cautiously started over toward her.
Hell's Fire smirked. Her plan was working. Riza's attention was being placed on Jackal, and now on the third man as well. Ice still glared at Roy, and he glared back. The he glanced down at Jazz. She looked as if she was asleep. "Hey," he said softly but sternly as he nudged her shoulder with his good arm, in an attempt to wake her up. "Hey," he said again, this time a little louder. He could see she had begun breathing again, her chest was rising and falling, unsteadily and shallow, but it was better then nothing. "Wake up."
"Uh… na…. huh…" she stirred sleepily. Her brown eyes fluttered open, then closed again.
"Wake up, Jazz!" Reina yelled from across the room.
"Yeah!" Kenny shouted, "Wake up already! We know you can do it! Go, Jazz, Go!"
Kenny and Reina began cheering, rising their fists in the air; like they were about to charge into battle, dead serious expressions plastered on their faces. "Go, Jazz, Go! Go, Jazz, Go!" they cheered loudly. Sayo, Blare, and Tommy cowered in the corner, not wanting to been seen by the gangsters.
"SHUT UP!" Ice roared loudly as his deadly glare was now set on Reina and Kenny.
"Eh!" Reina and Kenny stared for a second, huge sweat drops on the sides of their heads. They shot to the hiding place with Sayo and the other two boys in the blink of an eye.
"HA!" Hell's Fire snapped with an evil grin as she shot forward, heading straight for Roy.
"Uh!" Roy saw her coming and started to stand up. Jazz still half asleep in his arms.
"Where are you going, Lieutenant Colonel?" Hell's Fire asked with a confident yet seductive voice.
Roy sneered; he stood up and turned around. He was about to run toward Riza when Hell's Fire cracked her whip. Roy glanced behind him just in time to catch a glimpse of the long strap of leather. girl maneuvered it in a way that it flew in front of Roy, and then looped around his neck. She then pulled it tight, clasping the whip around the dog's neck and choking him. She pulled on the whip hard, causing Roy to loose his balance and fall backwards. He hit the ground with a thud. His dark eyes quickly snapped open and he shot up and in a sitting poison. Jazz lay on his lap.
Roy growled and sneered again as he looked at Hell's Fire. He would have tried to untie the choking whip, but he didn't know what she would do to him or his friends if he tried to escape or fight back. With Jazz sitting right there on his lap it would be too risky to use alchemy. He could use a small flame to be sure it wouldn't hurt her, but in turn it wouldn't do anything to Hell's Fire either. All he could do was wait it out.
Hell's Fire casually walked in front of Roy. "You should be careful, Lieutenant Colonel," she said as she bent down in front of him. Her red eyes level with his dark ones.
Bang! Bang!
Roy's head shot in the other direction. He saw Riza in a quarrel with both Jackal and the third man. She couldn't help him now.
Hell's Fire's slender fingers slipped under Roy's chin. She calming pulled his gaze back to her. "You didn't let him finish," she began, "If you move too fast, then the air current you create with your body could cause the flames to follow your movements resulting on you catching on fire, or you could put the fire out. Either one of them is bad, wouldn't you agree?" she asked as she looked at him dead in the eyes. Roy wasn't too sure what she was trying to say. Was this some sort of foreshadowing? Was she trying to tell him something that was too come? Or was she just rambling about fire?
Her eyes remained calm and peaceful, "You can create flames, can you not?"
Roy just glared at her. The tight whip prevented him form speaking. Hell's Fire knew that, she just wanted to play with him.
"We wouldn't want to put you out, now would we?" she asked with a smile.
"Hell's Fire!" she heard a female voice shout. Hell's Fire's attention was immediately taken off Roy. She stared into the doorway. A female stood before them. She looked to be 17 years old or so. Her hair was bark brown it was shoulder length and pulled back into a ponytail. She had blue eyes. Behind her stood two more teens. They looked to be the same ago, or almost the same age, as she was. Beside the teens stood Vis, the old gangster Roy had come in contact with before. Next to the brown-haired girl stood a tall man. He was tall and muscular. His hair was short and black; his eyes were blue like the girl's. This man was Lex, the gang's leader.
Who's that? Roy wondered as he stared at the girl. She glared down at Roy and Hell's Fire. He noticed once she came into view all the fighting had stopped and the gang members gave her their full attention.
Even Jackal stopped to stare at this new girl. His face was nervous as he stared at her, "Grimm…"
AN: So what did you think? I bet you weren't expecting that, huh? Poor Jazz, don't you just want to hug her? Another cliff hanger. Noooooooooooooooo! Lol, see you next time and don't forget to review!