Dark, painful, cold. These were the first things that came to Riza's mind when she slowly woke and groaned as the severe pain in her head and abdomen became apparent. She went to rub her head, only to find she couldn't move her arms. Looking down, she frowned at the straps binding her to the chair she sat in. She pulled at her bonds and twisted in an attempt to loosen them, but like it had with Roy, it only served to tire her.
"Ah, the little lady finally wakes."
Riza's head snapped up and she scowled at Finch who met her hard glare with a deranged smile. She wanted to shoot that slimy grin right off his face. He wandered over to her, dragging his hand lazily over her chair as he walked around it. Riza did her best to ignore the unnerving chill that went down her spine at his proximity.
"Where's the General? Tell me what you've done with him or I'll..."
"Or you'll what?" Finch leaned down from behind her, his face far too close to her ear for her liking. He gripped her shoulders and chuckled. "I don't think you're in any kind of position to be making demands, my dear."
Riza clenched her jaw, balling her hands into fists and glaring ahead defiantly.
"You will pay for this," she said, tone quiet and deadly.
"Perhaps," Finch said, moving away from her. "But unlikely, considering where you are currently. How do you expect to punish me if you're all tied up?"
Riza remained silent, refusing to waste any more of her words on him.
"Not going to speak any longer, hm? That's fine, I don't mind the quiet ones."
Finch picked something up off the table in front of Riza and the glint from the dim light that reflected off of the object revealed it to be a knife. Hawkeye didn't react, her stoic poker face in place as Finch approached her, inspecting the knife as he flipped it casually. He leaned down close to her and lifted the knife, the glare from the metal hit her eyes, but she did not turn away. She stared straight ahead, gaze unwavering even as he pressed the knife gently to the side of her face.
"It is a shame though," Finch muttered, so close that his breath ghosted over Riza's face and she had to fight not to cringe. "I've always had a soft spot for screamers."
Finch applied pressure to the knife, just enough to break skin, and he slowly dragged it down Riza's face, a line of blood following in its wake. And still Riza did not move, did not make a sound. Finch grinned as he pulled the knife away and leaned in close to languidly lick the blood off the side of Riza's face and she shuddered in disgust, expression contorting into a grimace.
He pulled back and laughed, setting the knife back down on the table.
"You know, I'd be a fool not to notice the way Mustang looks at you. After watching you two closely for only a few days, I know there must be something more between you. I will use you to break him. Ha! I can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees you after I'm done."
Riza grit her teeth and refused to look away from the wall in front of her, refused to give him the satisfaction of any kind of reaction. She would not let him win.
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Sweat dribbled down Mustang's forehead as he struggled against his bonds again. If he could just free one of his arms it would be all he needed. He could clap and use alchemy to get out and help Hawkeye. He didn't care what happened to himself. As long as she was safe it would be enough.
The door to his room opened and Roy stalled in his movements, glaring up at the man who dared to hurt Mustang and his most precious subordinate.
"Where's the Captain?"
"Ah, so beautiful, both of you concerned for the other." Finch smirked. "She's fine. For now."
Roy pulled at his restraints and attempted to launch himself at Finch who just laughed at him.
"Now, now, there's no need for that." Finch said, stepping closer to Mustang. "I won't do much to her. I'm just going to make a few...suggestions. What happens will all be up to her, really."
"What the hell are you going on about?"
"You'll see," was the only cryptic response Roy got before Finch punched him, his head slamming into the back of the chair from the unexpected force of the blow, knocking him out cold.
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How long had they been locked away by Finch and his mob? Hours? Days? Roy didn't know. He was disoriented and tired and just wanted to see Riza. Needed to know if she was even alive or not. Was anyone even looking for them? Did anyone know they were missing? So many questions ran through his mind and he desperately wanted answers.
After everything they'd been through, to be taken out by a mobster, not even an alchemist, seemed ridiculous.
Light flooded the room when the door suddenly opened and Roy squinted, trying to make out who it was that entered. The silhouettes of three men stood in the doorway. Roy recognized the one in the center very well. Finch motioned at Roy with both hands and the two men behind him moved to unlock the straps holding him down.
Roy cursed inwardly at his lack of strength. He was loose, he was free, if only he had the power to fight against the men that held him.
"What are you planning now?" Mustang said, trying with all he had to sound menacing, but failed. In his weakened state it came out as more of a groan of pain.
"I'm taking you to see someone very important to you."
Roy didn't miss the tinge of excitement in the insane man's tone.
They walked down a long corridor, turned a corner, and entered a room that was much like the one Roy had been locked in, only brightly lit and well furnished.
As soon as Roy stepped foot into the room his eyes fell on Riza and widened in horror. Her clothes were torn and covered in blood, her nose and fingers appeared broken, lips split in several places, a long gash ran down the side of her face, and bruises covered her face and arms. But what hurt the most was her expression. This was not the Riza he knew. She looked broken, despondent, tired. It was almost like she wasn't there.
She didn't even look at him when he muttered her rank.
"See, Mustang? She's still alive. Aren't you happy about that?" Roy glared at Finch and said nothing. Finch turned to Riza and put a hand on her shoulder. It made Roy want to tear the man apart. "Tell him, miss sniper. Tell him exactly what you told me."
Riza finally met Roy's gaze and held it.
"I never cared about you," she said, voice like ice, cold and unfeeling. "How could I after you used flame alchemy to take so many lives?"
And there they were, the words Roy had always dreaded hearing. The thoughts he knew she harbored, but hoped she didn't. She felt betrayed, hurt, bitter because he used the gift she gave him to kill innocents.
The others in the room didn't know the depth of what Riza spoke, but Roy understood all too well. It was like a sucker punch to the gut.
He stared into her dead and distant eyes and felt cold, empty, numb. Hollow.