I don't own the characters or plot lines of FMA, but I do own the original characters and plot of this story.
Edit made about 20 minutes after original post.
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"He's gone," Maria said as she burst into the room where Denny sat listening to Schiezka interrogating Ken about his characters.
"Who's gone?" Denny asked, although he was pretty sure he knew who she was talking about.
"Colonel Mustang, it's just like Ed and Al all over again! C'mon we've got to go find him. Schiezka, do you mind keeping those two here?" Maria asked, there was no way she was going to drag a writer and waiter along with her.
"Not at all," Shiezka said grinning at the two men sitting across from her.
Maria shook her head in disbelief as she heard Schiezka say something about aliens as Denny closed the door.
"How'd he get out?" Denny asked as they practically ran down to the car park.
"He transmuted a hole in the wall, and climbed out, then sealed it up. I passed someone in the hall who was talking about someone walking the halls with drawings on his face. When I questioned him I found out Colonel Mustang got a uniform and was headed for the car park. I thought I'd get you before I left. If he's got his gloves there's now way I can stop him on my own," she explained.
"Where's he going?" Denny asked.
"I told him about Lieutenant Hawkeye," she said as they reached the car park.
"Where's the fire tonight?" the officer in charge of the keys joked, in less than an hour he'd passed out five sets of keys, the last one to a certain alchemist, he knew something was up.
"Did the Flame Alchemist pass by?" Maria asked, brushing off the question.
The officer frowned at her, had she not gotten his joke? "Yeah, took car seventy-six," he said flatly, already pulling out a set of keys for her.
"Thanks," Denny said as he showed the proper identification in exchange for the keys marked 77.
Jean pulled the vehicle to a stop behind the one Andrew was driving. He tucked the keys into one of the few empty pockets he had, and watched everyone piling out of the four vehicles. The road they were on led out to the country, and street lights were few and far between, once the head lights were all out he could only make out impressions of the cars and people until Andrew turned on a flashlight. They gathered in the middle of the street around the circular metal disk of the manhole lid. He listened as Andrew explained their tactic. They would split up and enter the town from different passages on the south side. Jean was glad to hear that he and Kain were in the same group.
He climbed down the old metal ladder and waited for his team to gather in the designated area. Andrew stood in the center of the gathering giving detailed instructions to all groups. It would still be another half hour before anyone left the area.
Scar turned away from his fellow Ishbalan's glare and focused on Julie. "Why didn't you tell me someone else would be there?" he asked.
"I didn't know," she replied.
"Where is he now?"
"He's left town on assignment," she lied, moving her hands from the red plastic locket and folding them her lap.
"Why are you nervous?" he asked when he noticed the way she tried to stop her hands from straying to the red pouch tied around her neck.
"They know Riza Hawkeye is missing," she blurted out, hoping he would believe her.
"I knew they'd realize sooner or later. She's going to help me, or at least she claims so. A boy tried to help her escape today, but she stayed. She's starting to think like an Ishbalan."
"An Ishbalan?" Julie interrupted.
"She has to be Ishbalan with those eyes," he explained. "You're going to make sure they stay away from here, or they'll find out you helped me."
"Let me see her," Julie demanded. She softened her tone when Scar scowled at her, "We're friends, I just want to make sure she's okay."
Scar considered sending her away, but decided she could let the boy go for him while he went and gathered up the last few things he needed.
"Untie the kid in there and let him go," Scar said, leading her and Shelly to a room down the hall. "Shelly, make sure she leaves with you in five minutes. Remember Julie, if they find me everything I have points back to you."
Riza glared at the woman that opened the door. All it took was seeing the familiar face for all the pieces to fall into place.
Roy saw the dark lumps of vehicles on the side of the road, and passed over the manhole he knew they'd gone into. He used the beams of the head lights to follow the road until he saw the next manhole. He made a sharp turn into the dark countryside, cutting across the field south until he reached the next street over. He didn't know how large the city was, but he didn't take the chance of passing it. He steered the car to the side of he road and pulled the manhole cover aside and climbed down the rickety ladder.
Julie smiled sweetly at Riza while she freed the boy from his bindings. "You go and wait outside while we grown ups talk," she said, patting him on the back.
Ben looked over t Riza and left when she nodded at him. "How cute, the boy's worried about you," Julie mocked as she closed the door behind the him.
Riza set her jaw as Julie approached her. It was always good to let the opponent think they had the upper hand. Julie took a seat on the bed with her knees tucked under her inches from the cross-legged Riza. Riza didn't flinch as Julie's cold, manicured fingers dug into her chin, but kept her jaw clenched and eyes narrowed. Soon, all she could see was Julie's porcelain face, and all she could smell was her sickly sweet, minty breath. Riza's heart was pounding in her ears from the anger of Julie's betrayal.
"You didn't think Roy Mustang really cared about you, did you?" Julie asked in a whisper. Riza kept her lips in their firm line, and Julie smiled. "Good, scum like you doesn't deserve him. That's all you are, an Ishbalan piece of scum," Julie said, spitting in her face. Riza's only response was a flash of anger in her eyes. She reminded herself to wait for the right moment. "No one cares about you. Nobody's stopped by your apartment to see how you're doing. If they did they would have noticed your door was left unlocked, but it's too late for that now. You're going to die here, and Scar won't even know until I'm long gone. Then Roy will be all mine," Julie said, he free hand going for the gun tucked in her pants under to coat she wore.
Riza saw the moment she'd been waiting for, and rammed her forehead into Julie's nose. The raven-haired woman fell backwards with blood pouring down her painted lips and ivory chin. She started to scream, but it turned into a choked gurgle as she sucked the metallic liquid in with her breath.
Riza grabbed the gun Julie had loosened her grip on and tucked it into her waistband in the middle of her back. She found the piece of cloth she'd torn from the bed sheets earlier and stuck it in Julies mouth the quiet any screams she might attempt. Before the traitor could react further Riza pinned her flailing arms under her legs, her right leg protested to the pressure, but she bit back the pain.
Julie brought up her knees as far as she could and attempted to hit Riza's back. She landed one blow before Riza bent over and placed a sweaty hand on each side of her face. Riza never had to come into such close physical contact with her opponents before while keeping them silenced. She'd never used this tactic before, and hoped she never would again. With trained, but not seasoned, fingers she found the proper points under the base of the jaw with her thumbs and behind the bottom of the ears with her index fingers. After a minute or two of heavily applied pressure Julie lost consciousness from the pain and shock of decreased blood pressure.
With that done Riza tied the woman up and checked for any other concealed weapons. She hesitantly opened the red pouch hanging around her neck, took it, and emptied the contents on the bed—nothing but fine, short black hairs. Riza looked at Julie and remembered her words about Roy. Her mind came to the conclusion that the hair must have bent taken from her superior officer's head, and as she thought about that she recalled the red shower curtain that hung in his bathroom. She rubbed her fingers over the plastic material and threw it across the room in disgust. She gave her knots a final check, ungaged the woman, propped her up against the headboard of the bed, and walked towards the slowly opening door.
She drew her newly acquired gun and pointed it at the woman standing in front of her. "Come on, before he gets back," Shelly said.
Riza took note of Ben huddled at the woman's side, and after a brief silent exchange said, "Lead the way."
She checked the clip of ammunition as the walked to the stair case—fully loaded, perfect.
Roy walked through the sewers going south at the second tunnel he passed. He made sure to mark his way by scorching the corner he turned at.
Maria spotted the place Andrew had stopped at and pulled to the side of the road.
"Only four cars," Denny observed.
"Dammit," Maria hissed, pulling back to the road. She looked both ways and saw skid marks under the lamppost a ways ahead. She drove to the area with her eyes carefully scanning the street. She was awarded with tire tracks in the dirt field. She followed the tracks and found the car with MP 76 marked on the plate in the bumper. "We've got him," she told Denny and pulled the car up behind the other one. Maria checked the car to make sure he wasn't inside, annoyed by the light drizzle that started, while Denny pulled the manhole cover away from the sewer entrance. Maria climbed down first, and Denny pulled the manhole cover closed above him before he descended the ladder.
"My brother, Peter," Shelly said as Riza pointed her gun at him when he entered the house. Riza took her aim off him and gave a weak smile.
"Through the back door, Scar is coming," he said, pointing in the other direction.
Riza was now at the middle front of the group—Peter with a gun in the lead, Ben behind her, and Shelly bringing up the rear, holding the gun she had pulled from one of her coat pockets.
Jean walked with the rest of his unit through the tunnel with Andrew at their head. He held up a hand for everyone to stop. "Remember this is a rescue mission, hold you're fire unless they shoot first. Our witness says it was only Scar down here, but we can't be sure. I want the assigned officer, you know who you are, to stay at the rear of each group. If we seem to be outnumbered go back to the unit where we entered and send them in, if someone doesn't report back to you in twenty minutes report back to HQ. Remember, all we're doing is going straight down these sewers, clear intersecting paths, but don't stray from the plan. Let's go," Andrew commanded, watching the other two units file into their own tunnels, and then leading his own team down the center one.
Once they got far enough into one of the sewers Riza started to slow down, the ache in her leg increasing with every step.
"Are you okay?" Ben asked
"Yeah, I'll be fine," she said and resumed her pace.
"It's your leg isn't it?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she said, regretting that she'd told him during their time spent together, and she pushed on.
Scar dropped the last of the supplies he needed in his room and opened the door where Riza was, but he found the raven-haired woman struggling against her bonds in Riza's place.
"What the hell did you do?" Scar shouted.
"Me? It was that blonde slut. Her hands weren't tied, why didn't you tell me?" Julie yelled back
"Damn kid," Scar muttered at his foolish weakness. He shouldn't trust anybody, not even his own people anymore. He was weary of untying Julie, this entire thing could be a set up. An echo brought his attention to the sewer entrances he could see from the window.
"What was that for Sergeant," Andrew asked, turning to the wide-eyes officer pointing his gun into one of the other tunnels.
"Sorry, I saw something, but it was just a really big rat, Sir," he said, re-holstering his pistol.
"That just cost us our element of surprise," Andrew said, motioning for everyone to run forward. He hadn't had any other choice but to bring the green newbies with him, they composed the majority of officers scheduled on the graveyard shift. He'd have to put in to get that changed as soon as he could, hopefully he'd be as successful with that as he was with the changes made to the handbook.
Scar untied Julie and grabbed the gun in his room. "Your lovely military knows I'm here," he said pulling her down the stairs. If need be he still had a hostage.
They went out the back door as he heard someone shout, "There's the lavender house!"
Roy heard steps echoing in the sewer approaching him and ducked down the tunnel nearest him.
"Almost there, are you going to make it?" he heard a deep male voice ask as the sound of steps slowed.
"Yeah, fine, keep going," a clipped female voice answered. Roy knew that voice, it had to be Riza's.
He waited for them to pass, and when he saw the brief glimpse of her blond hair tied up in the usual way run right past his hiding spot he called to her. He couldn't see them, but he knew three guns were pointed at him. He snapped, giving them light to see him.
Riza lowered her gun, and the others followed suit. "My superior officer, Colonel Roy Mustang," Riza told them.
As he approached them everyone's attention shifted to the water, which got louder as it started to rise in the trench.
"Storm," Peter said, jerking his head upwards.
Scar dragged Julie behind him, ignoring her complaints about his pace, someone had spotted them, and he refused to be caught. He heard the faint sound of voices up ahead, and slowed down. "If you don't keep quiet I'll make sure you won't ever speak again," he threatened Julie and made his foot steps silent.
When Riza leaned against the wall and looked from the rapidly rising water to Roy she raised an eyebrow in bewilderment. "Sir," she began to question his appearance, but stopped when movement further down the passage caught her eyes.
Roy whipped around and looked in the direction Riza's gun was pointed. Riza frowned, she didn't like the prospect of combat in such places, she much preferred open spaces, but she would have to make do. The click of the safety being removed was amplified in the cement corridors.
"Go," Roy called over his shoulder to the Ishbalan siblings. "I've got a car up there. Take the third turn to your right, and go up the second ladder."
"We'll be fine," Riza called when they hesitated.
"Third right, second ladder," Peter mumbled, pulling his brother and sister along with him.
Scar dashed towards Roy.
"No!" Julie screamed and lunged towards Scar. He was mid-step when she hit him with her full force, and second later he was in the rushing water of the sewer. He swam with the current past the two women aiming guns at him.
Riza had straightened up, ignoring the incessant throbbing in her leg, watched Scar sink under the water and pulled the trigger, even though she knew it probably wouldn't cause him any damage--water reduced the impact of bullets with every inch they went.
Roy watched the running water with both disappointment and satisfaction. On one hand he hadn't been able to repay Scar for the wound on his subordinate's leg, but one the other he was now taking a bath in waste from all the plumbing in Central.
"Sir," Riza said jolting him from his musings.
Julie approached them, with the gun she had grabbed from Scar as she knocked him over still in her hand.
"We're you in the raid with General Sierra's team?" Roy asked, taking note of her dark clothing.
"I'm glad you're okay," she said, brushing off his question,
Riza put herself in front of Roy and took the proper shooting stance, the barrel of her gun pointed at Julie.
"Lieutenant?" Roy asked, confused by the current predicament.
"She's been helping Scar all along," Riza told him.
"But she just—"
Riza cut him off, "She just saved your life, because she's obsessed with you Roy. If you hadn't have been here she'd have let Scar keep going until I was dead. It's been her intent the entire time."
"Lieutenant Mrow, just put the gun down and you won't get hurt," Roy informed her, his eyes flashing in the light of the fire.
"Stop, identify yourselves and your business," Maria shouted, her gun aimed at the three people who had been running towards her.
"We've been sent this way by Riza Hawkeye and Roy Mustang," Ben replied when his brother and sister kept their silence.
"Take us to them," Denny ordered.
"No, if I can't have you no one will," Julie declared and pulled the trigger.
Riza reflected her action, pushing Roy out of the way as she fired a round. Roy snapped and joined the battle. Julie nimbly dodged the bullets and flames from her opponents, her efforts focused on Roy. When she ran out of bullets Roy ordered Riza to hold her fire.
"I don't want to kill you," he told Julie.
Julie gave a strangled cry and launched herself at him, but she crumpled on the floor in front of him.
Riza looked in the direction of the bullet and saw Andrew holstering his pistol with a group of men behind him. Riza moved back to the wall for support.
"Ross, I thought I told you to make sure he didn't come trying to play the hero," Andrew called, marching towards them with his teams in tow.
Roy whirled around and saw Maria and Denny standing not far behind them, the three Ishbalans were peeking out from around the corner of the nearest tunnel.
"I tried, Sir," Maria said, saluting Andrew.
"Who are those three?" he asked, his question directed at Roy and Riza.
"They helped me escape from Scar, Sir," Riza said, straightening up as she she gave a salute.
"We'll need them for questioning. Ross, Brosh take them to HQ."
"Yes, Sir," they replied in unison, and went back the way they had come.
"Lieutenant Hawkeye how's your leg?" he asked, noting her clenched jaw.
"Last time I checked some of the stitched had ripped, Sir," she answered, earning her a look of concern from Roy.
"Relax, Lieutenant," Andrew said, and then turned to Roy. "We'll have your arm checked out when he give the doctor a house call," he said, leaving the harsher words for later.
Riza eyes darted to Roy's arm where he'd been grazed by a bullet.
"How do we get back to our cars, Lieutenant Jacobs?" Andrew called, walking back to his group of men.
"We can use that tunnel right past Lieutenant Hawkeye and Colonel Mustang, Sir. It will take us back to the first tunnel we were in," he replied.
"Team three, I believe you're all in the recovery field, transport the body back to HQ. We'll return to HQ. Sergeant Fuery, Lieutenant Havoc take these two back to Roy's car, and drive them back to HQ, we'll have a doctor meet you at the infirmary. Make sure to bandage his arm before he loses anymore blood," Andrew ordered, and saluted them before he left.
Jean and Kain walked up to their commanders with relief that both were okay. "C'mon let's get you two home," Jean said, supporting Riza with an arm hooked under her shoulders.
Roy and Kain followed, and they made it to the ladder without any problems. Riza ignored their protests and climbed up to the street without any help, as did Roy.
The car ride back to HQ was filled with an awkward silence, none of them dared to break.
"You know Miss Hawkeye, bed rest means staying in bed. If you can't promise not to get into any trouble they'll have to keep you here until your leg's healed," the doctor chastised as he stitched up her leg for the second time that week.
She looked away from Roy, who was scrubbing what she had learned was Ed's off his face with a towel dampened with rubbing alcohol and smiled weakly as she watched the threaded needle bob in and out of the torn skin of her calf. After so many years of being with the military seeing her own skin sewn up didn't have the same effect anymore, but when the doctor finished and went onto tend to the wound on Roy's shoulder she had to look away. She could have stopped that from happening if she hadn't of let him try to calm Julie down.
When Roy was given a fresh bandage Andrew debriefed both of them on the events of the past week. "Colonel Mustang, I am glad to see such deep concern for your subordinates in you, but next time you act so rashly a court marshal could be the consequences. As for you Lieutenant Hawkeye, you can do your paperwork from home if you insist on it, but we'll have to send someone over to make sure you aren't going to prolong the healing process. Colonel Mustang seems like a good candidate for the job. Oh, and don't forget to read through the new handbook," he said, handing them each a copy of the average size book of blue with the Armestrian flag on the cover. "There have been a few changes like dress code—the hem of all skirts must fall no more than an inch above the knee when standing, the wage for medical leave as been increased, and a the fraternization laws have been changed—I think we'll see more than a few relationships blossoming quickly in the next few weeks. Lieutenant Havoc and Sergeant Fuery have been ordered to see you both home," Andrew finished, and left after salutes were exchanged.
When Andrew left a myriad of visitors joined them in the infirmary, one of which apologized to her for not letting the military know what he had witnesses as soon as he saw it and laid another book on top of the handbook Andrew had given her. She thanked him and read the cover Military Affairs III: Loopholes by Ken Pierce.
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A.N.- And thus end the tale of Military Affairs. I'll be back with an epilogue in a day or two. I hope you've enjoyed the story as much asd I have enjoyed writing it! Thanks for reading!
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