Author's Note: I forgot a disclaimer in the previous chapter. Oops, apologies, everyone!
Disclaimer: Assorted Military personnel, Alphonse Elric, and newly civilian-ized Riza do not belong to me.The word 'civilian-ized', Fedora-man and the name 'Lisa Rhade' DO... that's about it. I was going to say something funny here, but I forgot.
I think I shall go eat a mini-cream puffafter typing all this... yum. As a note, it is FAR too hot where I live for me to put up with flames, they shall be shoved outside to ROT in this burning heat (But Roy-flames... that is something else entirely). Anyway, if you have critism, say it nicely so I can improve.
Edward and Alphonse Elric were walking toward the National Library with Maria Ross and Denny Bloch not far behind when Ed saw a familiar face. "Lieutenant!" he called, walking faster.
The blonde woman looking at purses in a store window froze, then hurriedly started walking away.
"Brother?" Alphonse looked down. "What is it?"
Ed frowned. "Ignore me, will you?" he muttered and dashed after. "Lieutenant Hawkeye!" He caught up and grabbed her arm.
Her eyes widened, and she jerked her arm out of his grasp. "I don't know what you're talking about, kid. My name is Lisa Rhade, I'm not a lieutenant of anything." She walked away, leaving Edward standing there with his mouth open.
Maria, Denny, and Alphonse caught up to the young alchemist. "What is it, sir?" Denny asked.
"That was Riza Hawkeye."
"So?" Denny exchanged a confused look with Maria. "What if it was?"
"She denied her identity... something's wrong."
Alphonse shrugged. "Maybe you were mistaken, Brother."
Edward shook his head. "No, it was her, I'm sure of it."
"With respect, sir, you're not making any sense," Maria said bluntly. "Now, are we going to the Library or not?"
He looked after where he had seen the other woman disappear, then sighed. His brother and the Philosopher's Stone were his primary goals, not this puzzle that was Riza Hawkeye. "Yeah. Let's go."
-xXx-
Riza sighed in relief in the dank dimness of an alley. Fullmetal hadn't followed her, and she could only pray he would forget the entire incident. Not likely, she knew, but she didn't really have any other way to respond. The identity the Investigations Department had constructed for her seemed airtight, but she couldn't afford to be recognized again. For all she knew, the criminal group she was supposed to infiltrate was already shadowing her. He heart was pounding in her ears, and it took a minute to get her breathing under control. Damn this undercover!
Riza had received a visit from Lt. Colonel Hughes at her apartment exactly a week ago to the day. It had been one of her few days off, and she had just given Black Hayate his breakfast when someone knocked on the door.
Riza unhooked the chain and unlocked the door. "Lieutenant Colonel Hughes?" she asked, surprised. A second later she remembered to salute.
"Enough of that, Lieutenant Hawkeye," Maes said seriously. "May I come in?"
"Certainly, sir," she replied, stepping aside to let him in. "I have tea on, would you like some?" It may have sounded dumb, but she was trying to return some semblance of normalcy to this unusual situation.
"Yes, thank you," Maes answered, looking around her apartment.
"Here, I'll take your coat," she offered.
"No, thank you, Lieutenant."
There was silence as Riza went into the kitchen and put a tea bag in a second mug. There was no small talk, no 'isn't-my-daughter-adorable?' dialogue. Eventually the tea was done, and she sat at the kitchen table, Hughes across from her.
"What is it, sir?" Riza asked, coming straight to the point.
Maes sighed and cradled his mug, "You know of the major crime ring in Central City, correct?"
"Who doesn't?" Rhetorical question: anyone who had spent any time in Central knew of the Organization, a simple word synonymous with pain, fear, and death.
"I'm heading the investigation to shut them down. I've made no secret of it, you can ask Roy." He paused and looked down into the steaming liquid, not seeming to notice the condensation fogging up his glasses.
"We had an agent working undercover- you wouldn't know him. He had a long, white scar along the back of his hand.
"Yesterday morning, I found and unmarked package on my desk. The hand was in it. An attached note read:
"'Don't try and find your man's body- we've hidden his corpse where the State watchdogs will never find it. I suppose you'll just have to label him as MIA. Consider this a warning.
"'P.S.- you have a lovely daughter. It would be a shame if anything should happen to darling little Elysia.'
"It was signed with a red 'X'. When I got home that day... someone had shot a hole through one of the upper-story windows. Elysia's room."
Maes took of his glasses and wiped them methodically on his shirt to clear off the fog. "The bullet lodged in the wall had the same red X."
Riza sat with the back of her hand pressed against her mouth, tea sitting forgotten on the table.
"Officially, I've been removed from the investigation by the higher-ups. Off the record... my department is working overtime on this case. However, I can't risk sending in another agent, odds are these criminals have knowledge of the entire Central Command staff. But we can't give up now, not when we're so close to bringing the Organization to justice. We need someone unconnected with Investigations or Central who would be able to take care of themselves."
He put his glasses back on. "Someone like you, Lieutenant."
The bright morning sunlight streaming through the windows seemed to mock them both.
Maes pulled an unmarked envelope out of his brown jacket pocket and set it on the table. "Come see me in Central," he said, walking to the door. He paused with his hand on the knob. "Oh, and thanks for the tea." And he left, shutting the door quietly behind him.
The cup sat untouched on the table, steam still rising from its contents.
Riza opened the envelope to find a one-way train ticket to Central City... and a letter of resignation.
Handing in her letter to Mustang had hurt, but she had done it anyway. She left Black Hayate with Kain Fuery, who almost broke her heart with the look of anguish he gave her. Once on the train, however, it was so crowded she was forced to stand until they came to the next stop. Hopefully people would get off then so she wouldn't have to stand the entire way.
"Hawkeye," someone whispered in her ear, and only her Military training kept her from jumping, startled. "I'm going to be your contact while you're working with Investigations. Meet me in Car Three after the next stop."
Riza turned, but the only person directly behind her was a young mother cradling a crying baby. She caught a glimpse of a man in a battered brown fedora threading his way through the crowd and disappearing into Car Three.
After the next stop, the train was less crowded, and Riza was able to take the only empty seat in Car Three. She sat there, not really knowing what to do or think.
"Excuse me?" a male voice asked- the same voice from before. "Is this seat taken?" He pointed to the one across from her.
"No, it isn't," she answered. She took the measure of the man as he sat before her. He had sandy blond hair and lightly tanned skin, mostly hidden by the brown fedora. He looked completely... ordinary. If she had passed him on the street she probably wouldn't have given him a second glance.
"I'm sure you're already sick of all this cloak-and-dagger stuff," he said, speaking softly with a small smile. "Get used to it, sister. Like I said before, I'll be the your contact the entire time, working as the go-between for you and Hughes." He reached up and took a small briefcase down from the rack above and opened it on his lap. The top kept Riza from seeing its contents.
He passed her a stack of papers. "This is your new identity, put together by Investigations, along with your complete briefing on this case."
"'Lisa Rhade'?" Riza asked, reading the name aloud.
"It's close enough to your real name that you should have little trouble adapting to it. See Hughes once you arrive." He got up to leave, snapping the briefcase shut.
"Wait!" Riza called as he started to walk away. "What do I call you?"
He smirked and tipped his hat, then disappeared into another car.
She looked after him for a while then rested her head against the window and started to read, silently.
'Name: Lisa Rhade. Sex: Female. Age: Twenty-six (26). Date of Birth: Third of May, Year Eighteen Hundred and Eighty Nine. Racial type: Caucasian. Hair color: Blonde. Eye Color: Dark Brown. Current address...'
This 'Lisa Rhade's' profile was more detailed than her own. When she got to Central, she made a point to ask Hughes about it.
"Lisa Rhade... was she a real person?""No. Intel put together the entire profile from scratch using some of your own elements in developing the identity."
"How could you know all these details about me? Where did you get this information?"
Maes shrugged. "Let's check up on Roy, shall we?" He picked up the phone and dialed the operator. "Hello, could you patch me through to Colonel Roy Mustang in Eastern HQ? Thanks."
The phone rang a few times, and then was picked up by an irate Colonel. "Colonel Mustang, what do you want?"
"Roy, is that any way to answer the telephone?" Maes said cheerfully, switching moods completely.
"Not now, Hughes," Riza could hear the exasperation in his voice from all the way across the room.
"Sulking?" Maes asked, sticking out his lower lip comically.
Pause. "How did you know?"
"I've known you for a long time, Roy."
"Oh."
"What is it?"
"Nothing."
Riza heard the BANG of the phone on the other end being slammed down on the receiver. "Don't take it out on the phone, sir," she whispered to herself with a small smile.
So now she stood here in this deserted alley, doing a job she wasn't even trained to do. She was supposed to be contacted by the Fedora-man, as she had come to call him, while she was looking at purses in the store window, but Fullmetal was getting in the way of everything.
"Close one, eh, Rhade?" came a voice from behind her.
Riza counted two heartbeats before turning to face him. Fedora-man was wearing a brown trenchcoat with an unlit cigar in his hand.
"I've spread hints through my own contacts that you're looking for work, and that you're an excellent shot. This is true, correct?"
Riza raised an eyebrow. "So I've been told."
"You have a weapon with you, of course?"
The eyebrow just raised higher.
"Good," her informant smiled. "They should contact you within a few days. Oh, and do try and steer clear from any Military personnel that may recognize you."
"Of course," she said, monotone.
"I have to report into station now, so don't mind me." Fedora-man walked out of the alley without giving her a backward glance.
Riza shook her head and sighed. Damn this undercover.
-xXx-
The apartment Investigations had purchased seemed as if it had been lived in. There were clean towels in the closets, clothes in the dressers... all in her size. Riza found herself vaguely disturbed by this. How much did the Military know about her personal life?
She picked up one of the picture frames that littered a bedside table. All were of scenes she had never seen or experienced herself. The one she held now was of a young girl who looked like her, but was cradling a tiny kitten in her arms that Riza had never owned in life.
Riza went into the closet and sorted through the clothes, pulling out a long, silver evening dress. Do they actually expect me to wear something like this? If so, where? I wonder how much this cost, she mused, stroking the silky smooth material. It had to have been expensive. Taxpayers' money at work, she thought wryly.
Riza looked out the window and shivered suddenly as if a chill wind had blown across her.
For all I know, they could be watching me right now.
End Part Two
A/N: Think of the Organization as something like the Italian Mafia
Thanks to: Anicka, SnakeCharmerFoxx, and especially to Reflection, (who I was not able to reply to) for helpfully pointing out what a 'lemon' is. Thanks, and hope you enjoyed!
Additional A/N: I do not upload new chapters until I get at least one review. I do this because if you don't review,I assume no one is reading and/or cares, andI see no point in updating. Thanks for putting up with me, and if you're not the type for reviews, just leave an anonymous review with either a smiley or a sad face for whether you like or not.
Thanks again for putting up with me!