Disclaimer: I don't own either of them…
Beauty of the Military
Ch. 5: Consequences
The next morning, Riza found herself totally exhausted.
She went into the dressing room, while the other girls were busily setting up.
She then put on her outfit, and headed to the stage, where the talents were being shown.
"Oh Miss Flowers We have the water glasses you requested." One of the maids said, giving her a large cart.
There were several different acts. Some girls danced, some sang, and Cheryl did her baton twirling act.
When it was Riza's turn, she dragged out the tray, covered in various water glasses, and she played a few songs.
During one of her songs, her eyes spotted a suspicious looking man.
She kept an eye on him, as he headed towards the stage.
Unable to hold herself for very long, and unable to reach her walkie talkie, she leapt at the man.
Unfortunately, the man was only going to light up a cigarette.
"What the heck was that for!" the man barked in pure shock, "Can't a guy smoke around here?"
"I am so sorry." Riza said, her face darkening, as she felt totally embarrassed.
A few hours later, Ms. Moonbeams, Mr. Arcos, Roy and Riza had a meeting.
"What were you thinking, when you leapt off the stage?" Ms. Moonbeams demanded angrily.
"Yeah, you could've signaled to us first. That is the second time you moved without orders from a superior officer." Roy added.
Riza looked down,
"I'm sorry, my actions were inexcusable." Riza said.
"Look, Ms. Moonbeams, every operation is bound to have its mistakes." Roy said, trying to calm Ms. Moonbeams down.
"Well, as far as I can see, she is still here." The distressed supervisor said.
"Well, we'll look out for that, next time, won't we, Lieutenant?" Roy asked.
Riza nodded,
"Of course, sir." She said.
"Good, now Vic wants to see you. He said it was very important." Roy said.
Riza sighed, and headed to the stage.
"Ah, very good Miss Hawkeye. Now, the interview is the most important part or your score." Vic said, setting up a chair for her.
At the same time, Roy returned to the office.
"Oh Colonel," Lt. Havoc said, "The Brigadier General called. He heard about Lieutenant Hawkeye's incident and he's coming to the hotel."
"Great…" Roy sighed, "I'll hate for him to fire me over the phone…"
Vic continued ranting about Riza's posture, as she followed half-heartedly.
"Now remember, you have to smile." Vic said.
"I would so love to hurt you right now…" Riza said.
"Well, it doesn't matter, as long as you smile." Vic said, "Now, why do you love your job?"
He was reading the question off of a small blue stack of cards.
"Well, it's fun to practice my aim, and see the Colonel totally useless in the rain." Riza said in mock seriousness.
"You know, I don't appreciate your sarcasm and immaturity where I am working so hard." Vic said, growing aggravated.
"What does it matter? It's fixed, I'm in the top five, and you don't have to work that hard." Riza answered.
"Do you not have any pride in your beauty, or the way you act?" Vic asked.
"Look, I'm a First Lieutenant in the military, and I only care about protecting the one's I care about, and my duty." Riza replied.
"Well, you are a very incomplete person. You don't have relationships or anything like that. Instead, you have your coldness, and a gun." Vic said.
"You're telling me about coldness, when all you've said, was nasty things to me, ever since, we met…" Riza asked, "I don't have relationships because I don't want them, and I work almost 24/7. You have no idea what I've seen, or why I am the way I am."
She walked away, trying to keep her temper under control.
"Why are you the way you are, speaking of interviews?" Vic said.
"That's none of your business. I think we're through here." Riza said, pulling out her gun and pointing it directly at his head.
She walked out, and found Roy practicing some of his alchemy on the sidewalk.
"Colonel, I just came by to tell you that I'm quitting." She said, "I can't do this anymore."
"Hold on," Roy said, standing up, "Wait, what you mean that you're quitting?"
"Yeah, it means that you picked the wrong girl," Riza snarled, "I don't even feel like a real member of your team, or a real soldier anymore! All I want is to do my job, that's it! These past few days, I have felt totally useless."
She felt that herself start to tear up a bit.
"Lieutenant…I mean, Riza…I've been waiting for a mission like this one for a while. Do you think I'd blow it off on the wrong agent?" Roy asked.
"I know, the reason you picked me, is because I was the only one who looked half decent in a mini skirt, and wasn't pregnant." Riza said.
"No, that's why they let me pick you. I picked you, because you're intelligent, you're assertive, you're easy to talk to, when you're not armed. Cut the rest of the pageant ladies and Vic some slack, because if they come to know you better, they're gonna love you." Roy explained calmly.
Riza smiled lightly,
"Fine, I'll try my hardest, and I won't quit on you." Riza said, "I might let you down, but I'll try my best to prevent that. I mean, I did promise you, right?"
He smiled at her, as she headed back to her room.
"Thanks Colonel." She said.
The next morning, was the swimsuit competition, and Riza had the biggest urge to run away.
"No, this can't be happening!" She said to herself.
When Vic handed her the outfit, it took all her energy to keep her from screaming.
"I am not wearing that." She complained
"You have to…" Vic said, "It's only for a little while. Once you're done, I'll let you burn it, if you want, or you can use it for target practice, but until then, you have to wear it."
Riza very grudgingly took the suit and put it on.
"I can't believe I'm going to wear this…" she thought, as she stared at her reflection in the mirror.
Well, Vic then led her to the stage, and she then lined up with the other ladies, as Mr. Arcos announced the competition.
""I have been avoiding this kind of experience my entire life…" Riza said, as Vic tried to calm her down.
"Well, just think of grace, and poise and you'll be fine." Vic said, pushing her onto the stage.
People applauded as she walked onto the stage.
After she was done, and she walked off the stage, Riza enthusiastically changed into a modest dress, and got ready for the interview.
Most of the girls answered their questions with the oh, so cliché answer of "World Peace", but Riza's answer was different.
"Well George, our society needs harsher punishment for parole violators." She said, "And…world peace."
She added the second part, out of uneasiness.
Everyone clapped,
Roy then ran up to her, as she walked off the stage.
"Hey, we found a suspect. Cheryl Keiza. She fits the profile." Roy said.
"You can't be serious, "Riza said, "That Cheryl!"
Riza pointed to her friend who was out answering her interview question.
"My perfect date…that's a tough one." Cheryl said, clutching the microphone. I'd have to say, April 20th, it's not too cold, and it's not too hot or not too cold. All you need is a light jacket."
"Yeah, there's a hardened criminal, right there." Riza said.
"Look, maybe she's totally innocent, okay? Why don't you talk to her, y'know, girl talk..." Roy said.
"I'm sorry to say, Colonel, and pardon me for saying, but hearing you say that, it's pretty odd." Riza said, slightly disturbed.
"Girl talk, geez, how am I gonna do this?" Riza thought, as she went to find Cheryl.
She went, got some doughnuts, and headed to the gym, where most of the girls hung out.
"Hey Cheryl, how are you?" Riza asked.
Cheryl looked into a small pool of water.
"How can you ask that? You heard my interview." Cheryl answered solemnly.
"It wasn't that bad. Come on, have a midnight snack with me, and we can chat." Riza said.
"Do you know how many calories you're talking about?" one of the other girls asked.
"It's only a few, geez." Riza said.
Cheryl cautiously took one, and the other girls followed.
"They're so good!" one of them said happily.
"We're gonna need more than this." Riza said.
They went to a nearby club, of Cheryl's choice.
"I had such a good answer to that question too." Cheryl said.
"Don't fret over it." Riza said, "What's passed is passed."
"This is so much fun." Cheryl said.
"Yeah, so much fun it should be illegal." Riza said, "Oh, talking about illegal, have you ever committed a crime?" Riza asked.
Cheryl looked at the table,
"Yes, actually, I have…" she said, regretfully.
"Well, go on." Riza said, trying to get any vital information.
"Well, I stole a red pair of underwear once." Cheryl said, "My mother wouldn't buy them for me. She said they were 'Devil's Panties'"
Riza let out a deep sigh,
"Oh, and there was this one time, I was in beauty school, I'm studying to be a hair dresser…anyway, my teacher attacked me." She said.
"Did you turn him in?" Riza asked.
"Oh no, I never told anyone before. I know that kind of thing happens all the time." Cheryl said.
Riza shook her head, startled.
"No, no it doesn't, Cheryl. Oh, if I only knew you before. There are so many defense moves and techniques I could show you!" she said.
"Really?" Cheryl asked, in awe.
"Yeah, "Riza said, "Here, stand up."
She helped Cheryl up.
"Here, keep your feet planted on the floor, and they might come at you from here…" Riza said, turning around.
Cheryl, suffering from slight exhaustion, collapsed on the floor.
"Oh my gosh, Cheryl, are you alright?" Riza asked, worriedly.
Cheryl just moaned softly.
"Let's just get you to the bathroom." Riza said, picking her up.
"Wow, she looks horrible." One of the other girls said.
"Yeah." The others agreed.
"It reminds me of the time Ms. Moonbeams took the place of the winner in her last beauty pageant, when the winner mysteriously got food poisoning." One of the girls said.
Riza thought for a while,
"Well come on, let's get her back, before Ms. Moonbeams finds out anything." Riza said.
When they got back to the hotel, and Cheryl settled back in her room, Lieutenant Falman approached Riza.
"First Lieutenant Hawkeye, the Brigadier General has to see you. It's very important." He said.
Riza nodded, and followed him, feeling terribly nervous.
"Yes, we captured the Tornado." The Brigadier General said.
"Really sir?" Riza asked.
"Yes, he was holding up a small bar, outside of town." Roy said, "You can get out of that dress."
Riza smiled for a second, but then went stoic.
"I think that we should stay here, and keep an eye on Ms. Moonbeams." Riza said.
"Do you have any proof?" the General asked, "Does anyone have any proof, on why we should waste military funds on a solved case?"
"But sire, I request permission to stay here with a small number of subordinates." Riza said.
"Request denied. If you want to stay, you can, but as a private citizen." The general said.
"Sir," Riza asked, growing slight upset.
"Colonel, is there any reason why we should support Ms. Moonbeams?" The General asked, looking at Roy sternly.
Roy looked from the General to Riza, and back.
"No sir, there is no evidence." Roy said, his voice lined with guilt.
"Very good, now let's move out. Hawkeye, you can turn in your badge, and your gun." The General said, exiting the room.
Riza held back her tears, and looked at Roy, as they started to pour down her face.
"Please Lieutenant, don't cry on me please…don't give me that look." Roy said remorsefully, going over to her.
"Colonel, I'm no longer a lieutenant." Riza said, handing him her badge, and her gun.
"Please Riza, don't do this. I need you on my team." Roy pleaded.
"I have to protect those girls." she said, wiping her eyes, and walking towards the door, "From what I saw right now, you can take care of yourself, I quit!"
Roy looked on, and sat in a chair, as the door slammed behind her.
"I can't believe it…" he said, softly to himself, putting his head in his hands.
Riza headed to her room, and Vic was packing his things.
"Where are you going?" Riza asked, fearing the worst.
"I regret that I have to leave. The contract is no longer intact, but I have done, what seemed to me, the impossible." Vic said, "Oh, and I got this for you."
He handed her a wrapped box.
"What's this for?" Riza asked, looking at the light blue box.
"Well, the Colonel told me that you didn't even own a dress." Vic said, "I believe it's in your size."
"Thank-you." She said, "But now I have no hope in getting into the top five."
"Don't give up. Why, if I had a daughter, I'd imagine that she'd be something like you, but, perhaps that is why I have never reproduced." Vic said.
He then closed his suitcase, and headed out.
Riza sat on the bed, feeling totally helpless, and hopeless.
"I hope those guys are right about her." She thought, the tears still coming down her face.