It's been a long time since my last update. Life got hectic. I apologize for any mistakes this chapter just wasn't working with me. Please review but no flames. I do not own FMA.
Roy sat on his couch resting his chin on the palm of his hand. An annoyed scowl was plastered onto his face. Izumi sat comfortably next to her husband, nattering off to Ed about Lizzie's first time fishing. Lizzie, Izumi and Sig's adopted daughter, was currently trying to braid Alphonse's hair but failing miserably.
The five-year-old had apparently caught a small fish after much work, according to the 'riveting' tale her parents told. Roy had never seen the fun in fishing; you sat there until some scaly water dwelling animal stupidly grabbed on to a hook. He thought it would be much easier to simply go and buy a fish. Riza had told him years ago that if everyone thought like that then there would be no fish to buy.
Al yelped pathetically when Lizzie yanked on the teenager's hair in frustration. Sig bent down and picked up the daughter. Her black hair framed her pixie face nicely. "I don't mean to be rude Izumi but why are you in Central?" Roy asked.
"I came to check up on my student." Izumi said casually.
"You said Ed and Al were no longer your students." Mustang said looking at Izumi with calm onyx eyes
Ed grinned and rubbed the back of his head, "You see I've been taking lessons in self-defense to make up for the loss of my Alchemy."
"Brother, how come you never told me?" Al asked looking at his brother, startled about this tidbit of information.
Ed grinned, "It would be more interesting if it was a surprise."
Roy closed his eyes, "I still doubt you will be any good. You are too skinny if you want my judgment."
Izumi turned her head slowly to glare at the war veteran, "I am an excellent teacher. I taught these two brats alchemy and if you can use your body correctly then you can win in any fight." Izumi finished her speech with fire in her eyes and snarling menacingly, she cracked her knuckles to add dramatic flair for which she was known.
Roy looked up at the woman with a comical look of fear. He had been working with Riza long enough to know that the gender stereotype; men were stronger than woman, very rarely applied...well, at least in Roy's life.
"I will show you that I am a great teacher and house wife!" Izumi said glaring down on Mustang who was slowly sinking into the couch under the woman's feral glare.
OOO
Izumi's husband held his daughter in his meaty arms. Al stood next to him with Roy Mustang on his left.
Ed and Izumi stood in front of the four onlookers. Ed's face held a look of extreme concentration. His left arm held in front of his body and his legs apart but loose so he could move them quickly while staying in a stable position.
Teacher held a similar pose except her feet her placed together. The stance was deliberately unstable to fool opponents about her capabilities in close-range combat although Edward knew the stance was forged incompetence.
Ed decided to make the first move. Running swiftly towards his teacher. Izumi aimed a punch at the blonde's head. Ed dropped into a crouch, leaning sideways and swiping his arm behind the teacher so it hit the back of her knees, making her legs bend, throwing the proud woman off balance.
Izumi grabbed Ed's arm that he was using for stability so as she fell he was dragged down with her. Izumi leapt to her feet quickly but Ed kicked her back, using it was a launch pad for him to get up off Roy's back garden's grass.
"Ed wasn't lying. He's not completely awful in fighting." Roy said smirking with his arms crossed.
"I was wondering if Ed would learn to fight since he no longer has alchemy." Al muttered in thought.
"Go big brother Ed! You can win mommy!" Lizzie cheered, unable to pick a side.
The fight continued for a few more minutes until Ed and Izumi were both gasping for breath and covered in sweat. Izumi waved her hand to signal the end of the fight. A draw was a fine conclusion for the mock battle.
"See, Mustang, I can teach a person to fight." Izumi said putting her hands on her hips.
"Mommy is goodest!" Lizzie cheered happily.
"No," Sig corrected, "Mommy is best."
Lizzie stared up at her father, with glowing eyes, "Mommy is best." She agreed happily.
Even Mustang had to admit the tiny child was adorable. Her foster parents had taught her discipline and equity even at her young age.
Riza made her way to her home. She remained fascinated by the lives of the people who lived in Amestris. She envied them, they knew what it felt like to not have taken a person's life from behind a rock, to be able to lead a normal life not in the fear of someone coming after you to kill you for what you did in the past. They knew nothing about the blood-soaked nightmares Riza endured every night.
The blonde turned down another street. She could see her house in the distance. It stood a little too one-side of the other homes. She had not intended for it to look so isolated from the other houses but that is how it turned out. Riza had had to buy a new house since her old one was one of the few that had been destroyed in the fight against 'father'.
Her small black and dog barked before running straight to his home. Riza let a small smile grace her lips as the wind blew her bangs out of her face. Clearly Hayate wanted food as soon as he could get it.
The sun was lethargy setting on the city as Riza turned the copper key to unlock the door. She hadn't realized how late it had gotten. She had only left Mustang at lunch time but then she had gone to Central to pick up more papers on the murders.
The Hawk's eye placed her keys on the table before flinging the files of the murder cases next to the keys. She switched on the lights in the kitchen and opened up the large bag of dog food for her drooling shiba-inu.
Riza poured a specific amount into the red bowl for Hayate, "Sit." She ordered. The dog obliged and waited for his next command, "Lie down, shake, other leg." Riza commanded, Black Hayate obeyed each instruction and then shoved his muzzle into the food the second he heard the words, 'good boy'.
Riza stroked the dog for a few minutes before standing up and snatching the files off the table to read them.
As she had predicted, each victim had a part of their body cut out and burned. Her brown eyes scanned the words written on the paper. She finally reached the last paragraph that had a picture of a shoe print in sodden soil. She scrutinized the image.
She knew that print, but from where? She looked at the image from different angles. Her mind blindly groping at the answer she wanted. Riza stuck her tongue out her mouth, she knew the answer she knew she knew it, but what was it she knew?
This frustrating exercise continued to bounce around in her head then finally the pieces fell neatly together like the pieces of a child's puzzle.
Rick! The answer rang in her mind loud and clear. She had seen his boot print in some dust from the fight this morning. She had no doubt it was the morbid teenager.
She dropped the file in her epiphany. Hayate jumped when the papers hit the floor. He glanced up at his master who flung herself at the front door, "I need to go tell Roy."
The black and white hound glanced at its food then to the door his master just left through The dog spent a few more seconds deciding if his master was more important than his food or the other way round. Hayate decided on the former and shot out the open door before bolting down the street to catch up to Riza.
Riza was dimly aware of Hayate catching up to her. Her shoes kicked up gravel from the road and her lungs burned from the frigid evening air. It seemed a little stupid to be running around the street at the start of night but the ex-war sniper pushed the thought away as quickly as her heart smashed into her rib-cage.
Taking a sharp left Riza finally raced into the familiar road of her superior. From the distance she could make out three dim figures walking away from Mustang's home. If the Lieutenant was correct it looked like Izumi's family but that small detail made no effect on her.
Riza sprinted into Roy's fenced off garden and nearly slammed into the muscular form of the colonel who was standing wide-eyed as the blonde came crashing into his home.
Roy watched in surprise as Riza Hawkeye came to a complete standstill in front of him. He had to admit though, even gasping for breath and covered in sweat, his lieutenant was damn good-looking.
"Lieutenant what are you doing here at this hour." Roy inquired, as the Elric brothers gathered behind him.
Riza gulped a few more mouthfuls of much needed air before straightening up and replying, "I have reason to believe that the recent killings in Central have been caused by the same man...boy who attacked us earlier."
"What?" Ed yelled stepping closer to Mustang's back.
"She made herself clear Elric." Mustang said his laid-back attitude falling away to a more formal mind-set. If Riza came running here instead of calling then she must be incredibly worried.
"Why didn't you call?" Alphonse asked from behind his brother.
"Call it paranoia but if this kid is killing people and leaving little to no evidence about who he is then he would be smart enough to intercept a call." Riza said forbiddingly.
"Come inside and we will discuss the predicament at hand." Roy said moving out the way for Riza to enter the house.
Once all four people were seated save for the dog that had fallen asleep by the front door. Riza began to slowly explain her theory to the three men who listened intently to her every word.
When Riza finished explaining her findings, Roy ran a hand through his messy hair, "Thank you Lieutenant Hawkeye, I believe you have opened a whole new aspect to two extreme cases in Central.