Heir to the Flame

Chapter 9: Riza- Abducted?

Riza slept in relative peace that night even without Roy at constant watch at her bedside. She had to admit that it didn't feel comfortable anymore without him next to her, but she could survive with him for a while as long as she could see him when she woke up. Roy leaned up against the wall, cast a furtive glance at Riza, then his watch, and strode out of the room, out to his car, and drove away.

At the steering wheel he peered around in the darkness, vaguely wondering why a white car was turning into the hospital so late at night. He shrugged it off and continued down the road to his house. He had better bring Riza some clothes to wear and other supplies while she was in the hospital.

Jean Havoc, meanwhile, was casually smoking his cigarette, his legs propped up on Roy Mustang's desk when the owner of the office barged in. Havoc nearly spat out his cigarette, then grinned and slapped his knee. "Damn Colonel, speak of the devil!"

"You're lookin' at him," Roy growled, rummaging around in his ever deepening closet for some article of Riza's ownership. Havoc watched him throw out shirts, cigarettes, tatters, glasses, and empty shells. He finally found what he was looking for and yanked out a few of Riza's shirts and pants, then wondered how they got there... he didn't remember, but had a good idea how they might have, and guessed that Havoc did too from the suspicious look on his face.

"Been having... fun with the First Lieutenant, Colonel?"

"What do you mean, Havoc?"

"I've been wondering why the door's been locked so often down here... you've been taking advantage of her, haven't you!"

"I don't know what you mean," Roy snapped irritibly. Havoc was angry and Roy could tell. "What's it to you?" he growled at Havoc. Havoc was just about to tell him what it was to him when the phone rang. Roy shot Havoc a dirty look and picked up the phone.

"Hello, Colonel Mustang here."

"Colonel Mustang? I- You better get down here quickly... the woman you brought here..." Roy didn't need further prompting. "I'll be right there," he said quickly, slamming down the phone. "Something's happened to Riza in the hospital," Roy nearly moaned. Havoc's mouth worked slowly, then he swallowed quickly as Roy picked up his car keys and raced for the door again. "Colonel!" he called. Roy paused for an instant. "I'm coming with you!" Roy nodded and waved for him to hurry.

In the car, once again speeding down the road, Roy looked at Havoc very briefly out of the corner of his eye. "Havoc," he began. Havoc turned his attention to Roy. "I... there's something you should know..." Havoc waited patiently and Roy swallowed hard, trying to figure out just how he could tell Havoc. "Riza... Riza is pregnant... that's why she's in the hospital." He heard Havoc suck in his breath quickly and he focused all of his attention on the road in front of him.

"You're the father?" he questioned, and Roy confirmed it. "I haven't been taking advantage of her... it's just that I... I love her Havoc..." Havoc snorted irritably, and Roy noted the absence of a cigarette. "You love her and all the other women you've been dating recently?" he growled. Roy shook his head, trying to explain. "No, that's just another way for me to get some information on the higher-ups. I've explained that to her already, and she understands." Havoc still gave him a skeptical look. "Ask her if you don't believe me!"

"What will you do after the kid is born?"

"Hide it as best as we can; we have it planned out. I'll act as if nothing ever happened, and Riza will pretend she had a miscarriage, then the situation at the office will clear up and we'll be able to continue to work."

"And Fullmetal? He won't let you off the hook easily."

"I've sent him to Lior; that should keep the kid tangled up for a while longer. If we're lucky, he'll unseat the prophet up there too..."

It would be significant to note that at this very moment, Ed and Al have just broken a radio in Lior.

"But Roy... how long do you think you can keep the kid a secret? They'll notice if you start to leave early from work to take care of something. As far as they're concerned you're still a very promiscuous bachelor with two dates a night." Roy sweatdropped at the steering wheel. "For your information, Roy Glenn Mustang is not promiscuous! And who said I ever had two dates a night? Well... not one that I was ever serious about anyway..." he slumped a little.

"So you're serious about Riza?"

"I am serious about Elizabeth Hawkeye."

"I just can't help but think that it can't last..."

Roy boiled.

"We're here," he hissed, leaping out of the car and slamming the door before breaking into a dead run for the hospital. He grabbed the handles of the doors and, finding out they were locked,proceeded to slam himself into the door screaming 'let me in, dammit' until someone opened it. He flew past them and into Riza's room uninvited where he was met with an empty bloodstained bed. Havoc found him with his eyes bugged out to the size of dinnerplates on his knees on the floor.

"Where is she?" Havoc asked. Roy shook his head slowly, still staring uncomprehendingly. Havoc then deduced that Roy was in shock and went to find someone who could help. After Havoc left Roy got to his feet with agonizing slowness and crossed over to the bed where Riza had been lying a few hours... no, probably not half an hour before. There was blood all over it; hers or someone elses he did not know, nor, he thought as his stomach turned, did he wish to find out.

A doctor came in. "Colonel Mustang, we're glad you're here; maybe you know what happened here?"

"I'm sure I have no clue..." Roy said hollowly. "What exactly happened? Who did this?" he asked, gesturing to the bed. The doctor mopped his forehead with a cloth. "There was a woman who drove in just after you left and asked to come into this room. We let her in and the next thing we knew, the woman here screamedand we heard gunshots- what are you doing?" Roy surveyed a bullet buried into a wall. "This isn't Riza's bullet... it's not even a military weapon... did this woman leave anything behind? Did you get her name?"

"She said her name was Violet... she left this in the room." He held up a thorny rose and Roy took it, a look of horrible realization dawning on his face that worried Havoc to no end.

"Violet," Roy repeated. "Damn! Violet! Havoc, give me a gun!" Havoc started and stared at Roy's outstretched hand. "Don't just stand there man, give me a gun!" Roy screamed at him. Havoc tossed him one and Roy jumped out the open window to his car, waited just long enough for Havoc to situate himself in the passenger side, and hit the gas pedal.

"You going to tell me what this is about, Colonel?" Havoc muttered, holding onto the seat for dear life and wondering why they hadn't gotten a ticket by now. He was wondering why they weren't dead by now; the Colonel was driving like a madman with one arm, one eye, and half a brain missing. "Violet... Violet is an ex-girlfriend of mine... we broke up because she's insanely possessive and jealous... she thought I was cheating on her, we had a row, and I broke up with her. I didn't think it would come to this... she must have been..." he had another epiphany.

"She was stalking you Colonel? How long ago did you break up?"

"Ahh... two years ago... I think." Havoc sweatdropped. "She's been stalking you for two years and you didn't even notice?"

"I guess I was worrying about other things..." Roy muttered sourly, and yet another random epiphany struck him.

"Does that mean she was watching when Riza and I were- Oh my God." Havoc wanted to laugh insanely and throw up over the side of thecar at the same time. "I need to pay more attention when I go out now... hell, I need to draw and lock all my windows now too! And where the hell did she take Riza?"

"You mean you don't know?" Havoc yelled at him.

"Well... not really... wait a second, Havoc, hold up that rose for a second, would you?" They stopped at a light and Havoc held up the rose for Roy's examination. "I remember those... you only find that kind wild near some of the military warehouses..." Havoc looked at it too.

"Now that you remind me... near warehouse six, right? In between warehouses six and seven?" Roy nodded and pushed the pedal even harder, making the car put on another burst of speed.

The car screeched to a halt near warehouse four and Havoc staggered out unsteadily, gawking as Roy got out perfectly fine. "Do you drive like that all the time Colonel?" Roy shot a look at him. "No, I usually walk."

Roy snuck down in between warehouses six and seven and peered through the grimy windows of warehouse six. Seeing nothing, he jumped down from the crates and clambered up onto more crates near warehouse seven and pressed his face against that nasty window.

"Riza!" he whispered. He peered around as best as he could, trying to scope her condition, but he could only see her lying on the floor ina heap, which worried him. He couldn't see her stomach either, which gave him bouts of anxiety. He leaped down from the crates and went to the doors of warehouse seven, grabbed the handle, and tried to lift it up. It wouldn't budge no matter how hard he pulled, and he pulled until his face turned red. He huffed tiredly and stepped back, removing a glove from his pocket. He fitted it on his hand, snapped his fingers, and melted a hole through the metal. He stepped through quickly being mindful of the melting metal and ran halfway to Riza when he heard a gun cock in front of him just as Havoc stepped in behind him complaining of the damage and how obvious it was that he had done it.

He saw a woman in front of his quirk a twisted smile and point a gun at Riza's prone form on the ground.

"It's nice to see you again Roy," Violet murmured.

I know, I know... before my fans kill me, I will admit that I like to put Roy and Riza into uncomfortable and very dangerous situations. See, I admitted it. As to when this story is set, it's a bit of a 'what if' 'dark secrets' story that's set when Ed has just begun his quest for the philospher's stone. I have read up to chapter 52 in the manga and seen quite a bit of the anime, so my knowledge of the plot is not so lacking; just thought I'd clear this up.

Now that I think about it, this story might actually end up becoming a variation of the original plot of Fullmetal Alchemist. If it does, it'll come with a bucketfull of spoilers... -sigh-

Anyways, twenty plus reviews of chapter... uh... i think it was seven! Not bad, not bad at all! Unfortunately, I've been cruel and left you another cliffy. Don't hate me T.T

-T A