*One hour, fifteen minutes earlier*

Mustang incinerated the door with a snap of his fingers and was in the room beyond before the ash stopped falling. The four men at the table in the corner stood up, startled by his sudden entrance. He snapped his fingers again and played with the spark, rolling it back and forth, letting it grow, but holding it back.

"Did you set a bomb in my office at Central Command?" he said, not really asking.

They gaped at him, most likely surprised to see that he was still alive. But Mustang didn't really care what they thought. All he cared about was making sure he had the people who had killed his Lieutenant.

"DID YOU?"

They jumped at that, and Mustang loved the fear in their eyes.

"You're supposed to be dead," one of them finally said, confusion joining the fear on his face. That was enough confirmation for Mustang. He let the spark leave his hand, and the man was burning. With his screams as a soundtrack, Mustang turned to the remaining men.

"You killed the wrong person," he told them. "I wasn't in the office. Now, I'm here to make sure you spend what little remains of your miserable lives regretting your mistake."

They blinked at that, and he saw their fear grow. But the leader, a tall beefy man in a military uniform, gave them a look, and that apparently scared them more. Cautiously, they approached. Mustang waited for them. He didn't want this to be over too quickly.

Finally, the tallest of the men seemed to gain a little courage, and he threw himself at Mustang. The Colonel laughed derisively. These men weren't even alchemists. Was this all that they had? Mustang snapped his fingers again, and huge swaths of the floor burst into flames. All three men reeled backwards, the fire reflected in their eyes.

But Mustang had miscalculated. He'd been so focused on what he was going to do to the men that he'd forgotten what they could do to him. One pulled a gun that Mustang hadn't even realized he'd had and fired at Mustang before he even had time to blink.

The bullet hit him in the right shoulder. He sucked in a sharp hiss of pain. He wanted to completely ignore the pain, and pretend that he wasn't injured at all, but when he tried to raise his hand to finish torching the men he found that he couldn't. The bullet must have damaged the muscles in his shoulder. He groaned. That was going to put him at a disadvantage for the rest of the fight.

"Quick, shoot him again while he can't hurt us!" Mustang heard one of the men yell. But before any of them had time to lift their guns, he had raised his left hand, still visibly gloved.

"I have two hands," Mustang said calmly. "None of you make a single move, or I swear that I will incinerate this office with all four of us still inside it. Now tell me...how many of you are there in this building? And where can I find them?"

*Now*

Riza made it maybe twenty feet before she was forced to stop. The Colonel was making an awful whimpering sound, and his face was the sort of pale grey color that nothing living should ever be. The room was covered in rubble from the explosion, and every time she dragged him over something he would cry out, and his uninjured hand would automatically fly to the wound in his side.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…." she whispered. She felt a lump rising in her throat, and it was all she could do to swallow it down and focus on what was happening in front of her. This...this wasn't a time that she could break down. She had to help the Colonel.

But finally, she had no choice but to stop, at least for a moment. She set the Colonel's arms down and then kneeled gingerly by his side. She realized that he had bitten through his lip somewhere during their journey, and a little blood trickled along the side of his jaw. His eyes were closed and sunken into his face, flickering very faintly at the sound of her voice. When Riza looked back, she realized that his body had left a trail of blood behind them, marking exactly where they had gone.

"Can you hear me?" she asked. "Are you still with me?"
"Can you...can you please take me to heaven now?" he whispered. "This hurts too much…."

"Colonel, no, you're not going to die on me, right? Please, you can't die on me yet…."

Somehow, he managed to open his eyes. He raised one shaky hand, streaked with blood, and grabbed Riza's where she had been busy putting pressure on the wound in his stomach.

"Don't be afraid," he whispered to her. "We'll still be together…."

"Colonel…."

She peeled off her sweater, and used it to keep pressure on the gaping wound left by the rebar. It was bleeding so much she was worried he wasn't going to make it to the street, let alone any sort of medical assistance. And she still didn't even know if the hospitals were compromised….

"Please hold on," she whispered. "Please hold on."

*One hour, ten minutes earlier*

"Tell me how many of you are left, and I'll kill you quickly," Mustang promised. The men huddled on the other side of the room looked at him warily.

"Don't say a word," hissed their leader.

"Wrong choice." Mustang snapped his fingers, and the men dropped their weapons and screamed as his flames enveloped them. He was about to let the fire go out when he saw the leader slipping away. He would lead Mustang to the rest of them. Mustang let the others burn and followed the leader out the door.

Mustang ran along behind his adversary, not making any effort to stay hidden. Clearly, the soldier thought he was leading Mustang to his death. Maybe so, but he wouldn't be going alone. Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, Mustang followed the man through the winding hallways, ready to kill some more.

Ahead of him, the leader skidded into a turn, and Mustang heard his footsteps stop. Before he followed him, he sent a stream of fire ahead to clear his path, and stepped into the hallway.

He was met with a roar and a blur of movement, then felt a blinding flash of pain as something sliced across his chest, leaving slashes several inches long. Mustang fell backwards, instinctively snapping his fingers as he crashed to the floor. There was a crackle and a scream, and he watched as the leader burned before him, halfway through his transformation into a gigantic bear. Chimera.

"I should have guessed that scum like you was responsible," he told the dying thing. He heaved himself to his feet, swaying a little, then gaining control. He couldn't afford to stop now.

*Now*

It wasn't until Riza had gotten the Colonel outside that she realized her car was around the other side of the building. She cursed. She knew there was no way Mustang would last the journey to the car. He would bleed out long before that.

There were a few empty cars parked on the side of the road, but there was no sign of their owners. She would have liked to ask to borrow one of them, but that was no longer an option. She'd just have to hotwire one.

She picked a car at random, a military-style jeep, and carefully propped Mustang up against it. His eyes were closed, his breathing shallow. He didn't have the ability to sit up, and as soon as she let go of him he slumped sideways. Riza knew she didn't have much time.

She vaulted into the driver's seat and pulled out the wires from under the steering column. She closed her eyes, trying to recall what she'd learned in the Academy. Carefully, she connected two of the wires, and the car sputtered to life.

Somehow, Riza managed to get the Colonel into the car. He was still conscious - barely. She didn't know how he hadn't passed out from the pain, but as she summoned all her strength and muscled him into the the passenger seat, he opened eyes.

"...Lieutenant?"

"Colonel! Just stay quiet, alright? I'm going to get you help." She slid into the driver's seat and reached across Mustang's limp body to strap him in. She pulled the seatbelt across his chest, and as she buckled it, he reached for her.

"We're…going somewhere?" he asked weakly.

"Yes, to a doctor," she answered, turning on the car and pulling away from the old factory. She had decided that taking him to Dr. Knox would be the safest bet, in case the hospitals were compromised.

"Are you taking me to heaven? Because…it doesn't hurt as much…now…."

Riza felt her heart twist in her chest. Keeping one hand on the wheel, she reached her other hand out and touched his forehead. His skin was clammy and startlingly cool. Riza bit her lip.

"What are you doing?" he murmured softly. He reached up weakly and tried to peel her hand off of his face. His hand was cool too, which meant that he wasn't getting enough blood to his extremities. He was clearly going into shock.

Riza wasn't sure what to say to him, not without terrifying him, so she just stayed quiet and tried to drive a little faster.

"Lieutenant?" he finally whispered.

"What is it, Colonel?" she said. She looked over at him. He was slumped against the side of the car, which was the only thing keeping him upright. His head was curled into his chest. One hand was placed lightly on top of the wound in his stomach, as if he had started trying to put pressure on it but had realized suddenly that he lacked the strength. That hand was covered in blood. In fact, there was blood everywhere, all over his clothes, his face, the upholstery in the car. Even the window was streaked with it. Before, his breathing had been labored, but now she could barely hear it. The only thing that confirmed he was alive was the faint cloud his breath made on the window.

"Where...where is Hughes?"

His voice was so quiet and weak that for a second Riza was sure that she had misheard. "What?"
"Where is he? Where...where is Hughes?"

Riza started to panic. Was he so far gone that he was hallucinating? Did he forget that his best friend had died months before?

"Hughes is...he's dead, Colonel, he's not going to be able to be here…."

Mustang sighed faintly. "But you're here…."

"I know, but I'm not dead…."

Mustang didn't seem to hear her. His brow furrowed faintly with confusion. "Does he not want to see me?" he whispered. "Wasn't he waiting for me too?"
Riza knew that she needed on focus on getting the Colonel medical attention as soon as possible, and emotions would only complicate that and make it harder. But still, she couldn't stop the few helpless tears that drew their way down her cheeks. Swallowing hard, she wiped them away as soon as she could.

Good thing she wasn't useless in the rain.

*One hour earlier*

Mustang must have killed ten men already, but they just kept coming. The death of their leader had left them seemingly unfazed. Now, more men were pouring into the room, stepping over the chimera's blistered carcass. I can't get through them all, Mustang realized. There were just too many. His right arm was useless, and every time he breathed, a searing pain shot across his chest. The chimera's claws had cut deep.

Mustang made up his mind. Riza would be angry, but he didn't know what other choice he could make. Until now, he'd been fueled by a burning rage. But even if he made it out alive, the rage would be gone, leaving a yawning emptiness that he didn't think he could overcome. He couldn't live with that. He couldn't live without anybody to trust.

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant," he said, no longer caring who could hear him. He stepped forward and snapped his fingers a final time, at the same time pushing at the oxygen in the room. The air caught fire, and the men around him screamed as he waited for the flames to claim him. The wall crumbled behind him, and chunks of cement began to fall. He stood there, calmly, finally at peace.

*Now*

"Lieutenant?"

Riza looked over at the Colonel, hardly able to believe he was still alive. Even his voice was barely there, weak and breathy. She could hardly hear him, and it was clear that talking was causing him a fair amount of pain. With every word he spoke, the lines on his face deepened, and Riza thought she could see him lose a little more color. Not that he had much color left to lose.

"Colonel, please don't try to talk," she said helplessly, knowing he wouldn't pay her any mind.

"I'm…sorry," he whispered.

Riza looked at him quizzically.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for," she said, curious despite herself. What was the Colonel talking about?

"I knew…that you'd be mad, but…"

He trailed off, and she thought he was finished speaking, but he breathed in, winced with sudden pain, and continued.

"I just…I didn't…I couldn't do it all alone…without…do you understand? I had to see you again…please, don't be angry…."

He closed his eyes in exhaustion, but then forced them back open, watching her, waiting for her response.

Riza felt like all the oxygen in the car had been sucked away. Had he...had the Colonel caused the explosion knowing that he would probably die, but not caring because...because he had wanted to see Riza again? The Colonel needed her that much? Enough that, when he thought she had been dead, he had wanted to die too?

"Colonel…."
"Everyone else is gone," he whimpered. "Please don't be angry, I need you…."

Riza felt her throat get tight again, and for the second time during the ten minute car ride she found herself choking back tears. She turned the car to the left, and heard Mustang groan as the seatbelt dug into the wound in his stomach. She took one hand off the wheel again and reached out to gently touch his shoulder. He was trembling faintly.

"Hey," she whispered. Her voice cracked, and she swallowed hard and tried again. "Hey, I'm not mad at you. I...I could never be mad at you. Just...don't you die on me, alright? Don't you dare die."

Mustang didn't respond. Riza couldn't even hear him breathing. Her entire body was so tense that it hurt. She jiggled his shoulder faintly. Nothing.

"Mu-Mustang?" Riza said softly. She could count on one hand all the times she had used his given name without the title. He still didn't respond.

Riza's heart was hammering in her throat. It was only a few minutes until they would reach Dr. Knox, they could still save him. It wasn't too late. It...it couldn't be.

Mustang had kept talking about how much he needed Riza, but had he ever stopped to consider how much Riza needed him? Her purpose in life was to protect him. For so many years, her reason for getting out of bed in the morning had been to keep him safe. Without him, she would be lost.

He was her Colonel, and she was his Lieutenant, and without him she didn't know what to do anymore.

Finally, after what seemed like hours but couldn't have been more than a couple of minutes, Riza found herself peeling into Dr. Knox's driveway. She let out a shaky sigh and threw the car into park, then ran around to the passenger's side so she could get Mustang.

His eyes were closed, and his face was pale as death. Riza knew she should probably check for a pulse, but she couldn't bring herself to. Instead, she unstrapped him and heaved him out of the car. She pulled his less damaged arm around her shoulder, and started dragging him towards Dr. Knox's house. Normally, she didn't think she was strong enough to carry him this way, but now she knew that she had no choice. His head was lolled against her shoulder, and she could feel his hair tickling her neck. Within seconds, she was soaked with his blood.

Riza managed to get Mustang to Knox's front door. She didn't have a hand to knock, so she kicked helplessly at it, praying to every god she knew that someone would hear her and answer.

"Please hold on," she whispered to Mustang, knowing that he couldn't hear her. "Please…."
The door swung open. Dr. Knox was standing there, looking confused and a little disgruntled. But his expression changed when he saw Riza, swaying under the weight of the bleeding Colonel.

"What's going on?" Dr. Knox said, eyes darting frantically.

"You have to help him, he's going to die…." Riza whispered. Then the weight of the Colonel became too much for her, and she dropped to her knees.

Mustang slipped from her grasp, and she grabbed helplessly at him as he pitched forward. But she couldn't catch him, and he fell face down at Dr. Knox's feet and Riza couldn't hold the tears back anymore. They streamed down her face as she crawled to him and turned him over.

"HELP ME!" she screamed at Dr. Knox, but he was already moving. He lifted Mustang like he weighed nothing and ran into the house. Riza followed him, her tears cutting a track through the Colonel's blood that stained her face. Then, she heard his voice, small and weak, but as loud as he could make it, cracking with fear.

"Lieutenant? Where…?"

She ran up beside Dr. Knox and grabbed Mustang's hand. "I'm here, Colonel. I'm not going anywhere."

He bounced in Dr. Knox's arms and groaned with the pain. His eyes began to drift closed, and his hand tightened around Riza's. Then, his eyelids flickered.

"...please…don't leave…."

"I'll never leave you," Riza promised him as Knox laid him on a bed and ran for the anesthesia and his tools. Riza stayed next to him, holding his hand, stroking his blood and sweat-soaked hair back from his forehead. Knox returned and began to work. Mustang didn't seem to notice the needle enter his arm, but as his eyes began to close, Riza saw panic enter them.

"...no," he whispered, and Riza felt his fingers clench again.

"It's okay, Colonel," she told him, fingers tangled in his hair. "It's going to be alright. Don't be afraid, I'll be here."

Mustang's fingers loosened, and as he finally lost consciousness, his lips formed one more word. Riza leaned forward, and just managed to catch it.

"Promise?"

"I'll always be here," she said, and the tears came again. She didn't try to stop them. "I promise."

Dr. Knox worked for hours, and Riza was in the room the whole time. At last, he stepped back, and with a sigh of exhaustion, told her that Mustang was out of danger.

"Thank you," Riza whispered.

"You should get some rest. I don't want another patient on my hands. He's quite enough."

Riza shook her head. "I promised him I'd stay. He needs me."

Knox threw up his hands and stomped out of the room, muttering under his breath. Riza pulled up a chair and waited for the Colonel to wake up. If it wasn't for Dr. Knox's assurance, she wouldn't believe that he would ever open his eyes again. His face was pale as the white sheets on the bed, the dark circles beneath his eyes thrown into sharp relief. Once Dr. Knox had repaired the gaping wound in his side he had gone to work on some of the smaller gashes, and a neat row of stitches now sat just above Mustang's left eye. His hair was still pasted to his forehead with blood. A blanket covered most of his torso, but she could see one bare, bruised shoulder and a mess of bandages.

His breathing was still shallow, so uneven that sometimes she was sure that it had stopped. But Dr. Knox had told the truth. Riza sat and watched him for hours, so long her eyes started to grow heavy, and he never stopped breathing.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye?" Riza suddenly heard. She immediately sat bolt upright. She hadn't exactly been asleep - she would pinch herself every few minutes to ensure that didn't happen - but she'd been heading that way. But now she saw that Mustang's eyes were open, albeit exhausted-looking, and focused on her.

"Colonel!" she exclaimed. "You're...you're alive, sir."

He nodded slowly, as if considering. "And you're alright?" he finally asked.

"I am perfectly alright."

Mustang looked vaguely distressed, like he was trying to piece together what had happened but knew that he couldn't quite remember all of it. His hand twitched vaguely on the blanket, too weak still to move much. Riza reached out and grabbed it, almost without thinking.

"But the explosion?" he murmured. "It didn't hurt you?"

Riza smiled faintly. "All due respect, sir, but I don't want you worrying about me anymore. It's my turn to worry about you."

Slowly, Riza saw all the tension melt out of him, and he relaxed into the bed. He continued to blink at her sluggishly. He was clearly exhausted, and probably still fighting whatever drugs Dr. Knox had given him to knock him out.

"I...I think I might sleep for a little bit," he finally said, voice weak. "You'll stay here."

"I'll stay here as long as you need, Colonel."

As he fell asleep, she kept holding his hand.