DISCLAMER: I own nothing other than the fanfiction itself

A/N: I'll do my best to update frequently, but I start school next week so the chapters might be a little chaotic for a week or so.

Chapter Nine: Damage Control

The doors to the Ishbalan temple broke open with a bang, slamming inwards against the intricately ornamented walls on either side of the entryway. With a snap of his fingers, Roy used his alchemy to light the candles within the room, giving the temple a dim illumination so that they were capable of seeing as they rushed inside. The candles were scattered around the sides of the room resting upon what Riza assumed to be some sort of offering tables, but the majority of them were arranged in some sort of pattern around a mural at the front of the temple. It wasn't clear to Riza what it depicted, but she was certain that it was a scene having to do something with the Ishbalan religion. Having been raised an atheist, the idea of religion was strange to her; yet she was certain it would have been a sin to kill a handful of Ishbalans outside the doors of their own sanctuary.

There would be plenty of time to ponder that fact later, though. She squinted as the lights suddenly came on in the church, shortly followed by a chuckle and the statement "Let there be light." She couldn't be sure which of her comrades had made the pun, but it seemed a little more sacrilege than usual when they were standing in a temple.

"Charlie, Anderson – block up the door." Roy ordered as he strode down the aisle between the wooden pews. "Matthews, Jackson, McNeil – scan the temple for any sign of intruders. Connors, Burke – secure the back door." As he reached the front of the temple, he turned back around to face his men. "Hawkeye, come with me." With that, Roy headed for one of the doors at the back of the temple just to the left of the mural.

Riza reached inside her jacket, withdrawing one of the pistols she had brought with her in a safety precaution. She followed after Roy as everyone else scattered to do what they had been ordered. Highly aware of the sound of her own heartbeat, Riza followed Roy through the door, trying to make as little sound as possible. There was always a chance that an ambush had been planned, and one false move could get them killed. As she looked at the man in front of her, slipping through the darkness, she couldn't help but morbidly wonder if this was the last time she would see him alive.

No, she decided with a shake of her head. She couldn't think like that, and it simply wouldn't happen. Roy Mustang was too skilled to fall in the line of duty. It just wasn't a possibility.

The further they traveled down the hallway, the darker it got and the further away the voices of their comrades seemed. The temple was large, and it would take a great deal of effort from everyone involved if they were to secure the entire building. As Riza was mulling over these thoughts, Roy stopped abruptly, and Riza lifted her gun in anticipation of what he had seen.

Rather than attacking, Roy turned around and placed one hand atop her gun, guiding it down. "Listen to me. Whatever happens here tonight, you are to make sure that you stay safe. That's an order. If things get too dangerous, I want you to run. I don't care what happens to me or the others – if things look bad, get yourself out. Do you understand?"

"But -" Riza began, only to be cut off.

"This isn't up for discussion." Roy said firmly.

Riza's lips pulled down into a frown, and she looked up at Roy with defiance in her eyes. "Fine. But I will be fighting up until that point. Until my own personal judgment tells me things are too dangerous, I'll be right alongside you."

Roy knew perfectly well that Riza wouldn't consider something too dangerous until she was injured and the last one standing, but if there was even a hope of her agreeing to get herself out alive, he would take what he could get. He let out a sigh, resisting the urge to cross his arms over his chest. "That's it?"

"That's it." Riza stated flatly. "And it's not up for discussion."

No matter how old she got, Riza always seemed to have that same fiery disposition just beneath the surface, and Roy wouldn't have traded that trait for anything in the world. He stepped closer to her, closing the small distance between them before bending down to press his lips to hers. To his surprise and joy, she didn't fight him back, but instead wrapped her arms around his neck and responded to the gesture.

The kiss didn't last long, but it lingered far longer than was safe for them to have done. There was a chance that both of them would die in this church, and neither of them saw any harm in sharing a moment away from any prying eyes. Naturally, Riza was the first to pull away, regaining her senses faster than Roy. "We need to get moving."

"You're right." Roy agreed, stepping back from her. "We have a job to do."

The two of them scanned every room they passed, making sure that no one was hiding inside the temple. By the time they had gone full-circle and re-entered the main room, the rest of their squadron had gathered around the barricaded main doors.

Charlie turned around to face Roy. "Sir, we did our best to block off the doors, but I don't know if it will hold if more Ishbalans try to storm the temple."

An ear-splitting crash came from above their heads, and remnants of a stained glass window cascaded down off the balcony rimming the inside of the temple walls.

Roy frowned as he said "I don't think it's the door we need to worry about."

A/N: Reviews are love :)

Up Next:

Chapter Ten: Thou Shalt Not Kill