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Games without Frontiers

Chapter 38: You Tried to Take Me, But I Knew All Along

Rating: T

Soundtrack: Trouble – P!nk

Riza tried her best not to look up as General Hakuro stormed into the office, but it was hard. The man looked like his rear end was on fire. His complexion was an alarming shade of ruddy red and if one looked very close, one would have seen smoke coming out of the man's nose. Everyone else in the room made it out of their seat before her to salute the man, so she was saved the trouble when he waved all of them back down. His goal was obvious and he didn't care about anything else in pursuit of it.

Thank goodness, Hughes had left the Colonel's desk earlier to interview a few more people. More than likely, he was just showing off more photographs of Elysia because he'd already 'interviewed' everyone at least three times. She believed that the girl was past composing her first symphony and now wanted to put on her own play. Riza was surprised she didn't see tickets being printed already.

Hakuro snatched up the phone on Roy's desk and barked instructions into it. Riza kept her expression neutral as she heard him requesting Major Archer at Central on a secured line. When he got his connection, he continued to bark instructions, this time at the Major in reference to the 'Tin City Laboratory Theft'.

Riza's ears perked up at that.

After an eternity of waiting, General Hakuro finally snapped into the phone. "Are you sure? There is a report? Who signed off?" He heard the answer and his eyes narrowed. "That's why there was no connection. Read me the brief on what happened."

As she pretended not to watch him listen, she saw his eyes wander in her direction. "Really? Took one of the unit members hostage, you say? Is there a name?" He turned his attention back to the pictures running through his mind. "No that doesn't help! Attempted bodily injury? What was the date?" He nodded to thin air. "Of course, of course. And he was liquidated? And where are the remains?" He stood and looked at the phone in shock. "Dumped into an incinerator by the angry townsfolk? Are you positive?" Hakuro gave a bitter laugh. "Poetic. Damned poetic. Well, that theory is blown out of the water."

Riza was relieved. So, he'd questioned the Colonel and had gotten more information than he'd bargained for.

"What?" Hakuro suddenly said. "Classified?" Again, the man's eyes wandered in her direction, and widened at whatever Archer had just told him. "Order 3217? Are you positive?" He cursed. "No, you imbecile, you cannot use that order as evidence for anything more than the fact that the girl is a special case." His eyes left her swiftly when he caught her looking.

Riza slammed her eyes back down to the paper in front of her.

"Well, Major, if you bothered to read the entire order," Hakuro was saying, this time with contempt stemming from bad temper lacing his voice, "and if you knew anything about anything, you would know that both parties are exempt from anything we could throw their way. They answer directly to the Fuhrer. You need an order from Bradley to even point a finger and shake it in his direction."

Riza broke out into a cold sweat that had very little to do with hormones. Something about the conversation tugged at her fight or flight instinct and she didn't like that one bit.

"They are answerable only to the Fuhrer, Major," Hakuro said impatiently. "If you couldn't get the information you required from that stupid woman, then we are out of luck on that score too." He slammed the phone down. It was on the tip of Riza's tongue to chastise him for telephone abuse, but she held it back with a mighty effort. The idea did make her smile, though.

"Captain," he snapped in her direction. Riza stood up then and saluted. "We will be leaving by the end of the day. I'm sure you'll be happy to get your offices back to normal operations."

"Sir, yes, sir," she answered. "If I may ask, when will the Colonel be returning to work?"

Hakuro's lip curled. "He can return to work when he's ready to come back."

"So he has been cleared, sir?" she asked with all of the innocence she could muster.

The man fixed her with a glare. "Yes, he has been cleared," he said between his teeth. "It was discovered that the actual perpetrator was killed in an early action. But I'm sure you already knew that didn't you, Captain?"

Riza blinked. "Sir? I'm not sure I–,"

"Kimblee, Captain. Zolf Kimblee. Yes, I see you know what I'm speaking of now." The General strode to the door. "Lieutenant Colonel Hughes can brief you when he returns. Tell him that he can return to his own office as soon as he is able."

"Yes, sir."

Riza held herself still until she was sure the man was some ways down the hall. The others didn't have that much restraint. As soon as the doorknob hit the man square in his ass, Breda, Havoc and Fuery let out a loud 'whoop' of joy. Falman just gave a huge grin, and ran his hand over his brow as if wiping away sweat. Riza sat down and allowed herself a small, reserved smile.

It took about fifteen minutes for Hughes to come back to the office. He stepped through the door with the proper amount of solemnity, and then let loose the largest grin she'd ever seen on a person's face as soon as the door shut. "We'll have to give that man a cookie!" he said. "The Colonel, I mean, of course. From the look on the General's face, I believe he got a lot more than he bargained for when he tried to tangle with Roy."

"He said you would brief us, Hughes," Riza said. Apparently, she was the only one who knew how to keep their cool in the midst of this thing.

"Oh, yes, yes, well. Let me see if I've got this correct." Hughes moved to lean against the Colonel's desk. "I believe that the good General was under the impression – based on some confessions from two of the people involved in the explosions – that there was a conspiracy to overthrow the government and place a...wait for it...State Alchemist in the Fuhrer's place."

Riza's mouth unhinged slightly.

"However, the good General failed to make the connection to the correct State Alchemist. Because, of course Roy Mustang is the only State Alchemist who had problems with the way things were handled in the Eastern Rebellion, you know."

Riza pursed her lips and waved a hand for Hughes to continue.

"Well, from what I understand, General Hakuro was informed of the escape and eventual execution of Zolof Kimblee." He put a finger on his chin. "I wonder who let him on that great secret." He grinned again. "Anyway, that completely blew Hakuro's theory out of the water. He received confirmation that Lieutenant General Grumman filed a report confirming just that, so now, he has to drop the case and file it as solved."

"So...the Colonel has definitely been released from house arrest?" She asked.

"He can come back to work whenever he's ready to." Hughes snorted. "I wonder if he'll take a few days off to, ah, recover."

"Are you kidding me?"

The voice in the doorway galvanized everyone into action. Everyone except Riza, who stood there as if her shoes were glued to the floor. She did manage a sketchy salute, when the Colonel breezed into the room. The others saluted as well, and then fell to pounding the man on his back and offering congratulations.

"I know they say there is no place like home," the Colonel said, "but I can safely say that I've had enough of those four walls for a good while." He smiled winningly as he moved closer to where Riza was rooted in her spot. "I might even decide to do some overtime." He stopped in front of her and saluted again.

Riza was mortified to find her mouth suddenly dry, her limbs heavy and heart pounding. She forced her hand back to her forehead.

"Captain, I'm certain that you've done a wonderful job keeping my office in tip-top shape," he said, with a slow smile meant just for her.

"Yes, sir," she said in the reediest voice she'd ever heard.

He lowered his eyes to half-mast. "And I wanted to thank you for your delivery the other day," he continued, turning away and moving around his desk. "It... came in handy."

"I'm glad, sir." That sounded stronger, and her feet felt like they could actually move. She actually managed to pick them up and make them take her back to her own desk.

Hughes looked from one to the other, and then clapped his hands together. "You know what this calls for? A celebration. Yes, indeed! What's say we shut down early and head to the nearest watering hole for a couple hours?"

The Colonel looked up at his friend, blinking. He thought about it for all of three seconds. "That's a fabulous idea!"

"But, sir–," Riza started automatically. "There are–,"

"They can wait, Captain," the Colonel swept by her, growing more like his old self with each second. "I think I want to show my gratitude to my unit for their hard work and support during this trying time." He waved his hand in her direction. "Come, join us for once."

Riza's eyebrow went up at that. Was that pleading she heard in the back of his voice? She took a better look at him. Yes, he did look a bit manic, as if he was containing himself with great effort. She even noticed that he'd been clenching his fists unconsciously, as he always did while trying to contain a great emotion. Then it dawned on her, finally. He didn't know that the others were aware of things.

As she moved toward the rest of them, she elbowed Hughes, hoping beyond hope he could get the hint. When he looked at her, she jerked her head at the Colonel, and then looked at the others.

He didn't disappoint her. It took the man a moment, but his eyes lit with realization. "Ah, Colonel, there were a few things I wanted to go over with you before we left..." He put a hand on the man's shoulder and steered him away from the others for a moment.

Riza went to the phone to call for a driver – or two. There was no way that they would all fit into one car, try as they might.

Then she found herself swept along with them toward the outside, still a bit in shock.

She'd expected a day or maybe two to prepare for his return, to wipe that image of his tortured face from her mind. But, there he was, moving through things like a whirlwind, sweeping everything from his path like always. Almost as if the past week hadn't even happened. She believed that act as if she believed in rainbow wishes. Well, at least he'd shaved.

A shamelessly grinning Hughes helped her into her grey car. He looked as if someone had told him that his daughter received some coveted award for her composition talents. She slid all the way toward the window on the other side and waited. Sure enough, the Colonel followed a curious expression on his face.

Hughes hesitated at the door of the car. He took a step, and then shook his head. Now there was a positively wicked gleam in his eye as he entered the car and sat next to the Colonel.

The Colonel frowned in his friend's direction. "I thought you were riding up front with Dennison," he asked, almost darkly. Riza tried to look closer to see what was wrong, but he was turned away.

She could see Hughes' face, though, and it was covered with mischief from one end to the other. "I was. But then I wanted to spend as much time with my best friend as I possibly could!" He leaned around the Colonel to look at Riza. "You don't mind do you, Captain?"

She divided a look between them, as the Colonel turned to her and tried to convey something with his eyes so that Hughes couldn't see. Suddenly, the light dawned. A slow smile crept over her face. "Of course not, Lieutenant Colonel. I understand completely."

The Colonel crossed his arms and did his best impression of a ten-year-old. "This is revenge, isn't it, Maes? For that night, isn't it? Revenge, pure and simple."

"A dish best served cold, I hear," Hughes said, making himself quite comfortable, and draping his arm over his best friend's shoulders.

Riza wanted to laugh until her sides ached. As if she would allow anything to go on in the back of a military issue sedan car. As if she could let anything go on in the back of a car in her state. Even as much as she wanted to.

But that would wait. She was making plans even as they moved toward the old watering hole. Every time she looked to her right, she came up with another ingenious idea. She was sure, by the time they reached the tavern, that her companions thought her completely mad.

They spent quite a few hours there. About halfway through, both Edward and Alphonse entered, garnering strange looks from some of the patrons. Riza waved them toward her.

"Edward! Alphonse! Come over here with the juice drinking crowd."

"Yes, remember, little kids and alcohol don't mix, Boss," Havoc threw in from behind his tall glass of stout.

Riza saw Edward's left eye actually cross and his right eye twitch. She covered her mouth with a hand to keep the liquid she'd just swallowed inside.

"Little? Who-are-you-calling-so-little-that-he-could-be-mistaken-for-an-ice-cube-in-that-nasty-old-glass-of-stinking-beer!"

Fortunately, Alphonse caught his brother around the middle before he could go charging in the Lieutenant's direction.

"It isn't stinking beer; it's stout," Havoc told him, "and I would never ruin the taste of such a great brew with an ice cube. Especially one as small as you."

It was a good thing that Alphonse had the strength of someone twice his age.

"I certainly wouldn't want to be around when Edward gets him alone," the Colonel whispered in her ear.

Her mouth gave a little quirk and she leaned back. "But you will want to be around when I get you alone," she whispered back. And was quite satisfied with the flush of color on his face and the clearing of his throat.

He fidgeted in his chair and swallowed most of the glass he'd been nursing all evening in one gulp. "Fullmetal, do calm yourself. You are drawing unwanted attention."

The young alchemist subsided slowly and straightened his jacket. He accepted a glass of the juice from Riza's pitcher and stuffed himself into a chair. Riza noted that he placed himself so that he had a clear visual of Havoc where he sat with the others. Every time the man brought a cigarette to his mouth to take a drag, Edward rolled his eyes.

"Problem with the poison stick, Fullmetal?" The Colonel asked with a half-smile. Riza took in the half-lidded look and smiled herself. The Colonel had been nursing the same glass most of the evening; it would put him in the perfect mood she was looking for.

"Ever lick an ashtray?" Edward grumbled, flushing.

The Colonel chuckled. "No, can't say that I have. Don't think I'd want to, either."

"Yeah, well I don't want to, either!"

Interesting. Riza noticed that, even from the distance between the tables, Havoc heard them. She gathered that much from the way he snuffed out the half-smoked cigarette and leaned back, mutinous, pointedly not looking in their direction. Moreover, for the last hour they were there, he didn't light one other cigarette. Riza was impressed by the power the young man had over her friend. She would have to find out his secret one day.

Finally, everyone looked up from his or her glasses, some half-glazed, some pleasantly mellow, some–like herself–fully alert but relaxed. She didn't know about anyone else, but she was ready to call it a night. She stood.

Everyone blinked up at her as she said, "I think I've been up way past my bedtime. I'm going home." She looked at her table companions, especially the Colonel, who had come in her car. "Do you think you can find your way home? Should I send the car back for you?"

He shook his head, and then grabbed the tabletop. "Um...think that would be a good idea. Have Dennison come back for me." He raised his finally empty glass. "Thank you, Captain."

"My pleasure, Colonel."

She saw his jaw muscle jump. Just slightly, but enough. She left before she said anything else incriminating. She swore that she heard Hughes chuckling evilly as she left them to the rest of her evening.