RIZA

If breathing wasn't vital, Riza would've stopped a long time ago. Unfortunately for her, it was probably the only thing keeping her alive. Ever since they had taken her out of her cell, she hadn't gotten any water or food. Breathing had become tiring and painful, but she couldn't stop. She had to concentrate on taking small slow breaths so the pain wouldn't erupt all over her ribcage. From what she remembered, or more like heard, three of her ribs had broken or had fractured when they were beating her. Now, her left shoulder was also dislocated and her right arm was probably badly bruised from the chair when she fell down with it.

Anyhow, apart from the constant waves of pain, the rest of her body was numb. She knew her face was swollen, but she couldn't really feel anything at the moment. Her mind wasn't clear and she could barely stay conscious for a long time. She laid there exactly the way they had left her, lying on her right side on the cold cement floor, still tied to the chair except for her left arm, which she couldn't move anyway.

Sometimes when she would regain consciousness, she made the error of trying to move, resulting in causing a strong pain in her upper right arm, the one that was being crushed by her weight and the chair. Each time, she would grit her teeth and whimper slightly as her breath caught in her throat. It's a vicious circle. If I move, I'll feel pain. If I don't move, my arm will get worse and I can't get out of here.

Unfortunately for her, she didn't feel strong enough to move and to tough the pain. It was just too much for her. Somehow, she would have to remove the ropes tying her right hand behind the chair so she could free that arm. Then she would have to remove the ropes on her two legs. Just thinking about bending over to reach her legs made her cringe. It was already painful enough to breathe. She couldn't imagine how excruciating it would be if she had to move that much. To top it off, if ever she would be caught trying to escape, it would probably mean another beating and she definitely didn't need another one.

How many days has it been now? Roy had five days to find them and to come alone. She had no doubt he would come if he ever found her. The problem was the finding part. How could they possibly find her? There was nothing out of the ordinary in this room, nothing that could give them a hint. All the walls, including the ceiling and the floor, were made of cement. There were no windows, except for a small one on the door. The room was lighted by a single hanging light bulb and the light coming through the small window on the door. Even in here they wouldn't let her see the outside. She couldn't discern whether it was day or night.

Riza didn't want Roy to come, but her selfish side wished for it at the same time. She knew that if he came, alone nevertheless, they would ambush him and hurt him, probably even kill him. She would gladly sacrifice herself if she knew for sure that it would protect him. But she knew all too well how caring, brash and just he was. The moment he would see the video, he wouldn't be able to stop until he found her. He won't even sleep until he does. It was just the kind of man he was, never abandoning anyone, putting equal importance on all of the people under his care and command.

On the other hand, she desperately wanted to live. She had waited almost all her life to see Roy reach the top and now that he had, she wanted to watch him change the country, to live in the better country he was supposed to create. She thought of Hayate and her dear friends at work. She wanted to see them one last time. She wanted to see Roy.

But never in these circumstances. She couldn't afford to wish for those selfish desires. Every time she thought about him coming to save her, her heart would beat faster with dread. She knew he would prefer to come, suffer and die with her than to continue living, knowing he had abandoned her. Please don't come. Please don't come.

Later, when she thought about it again, she realized that her prayer wasn't very fair for him either. If he saw the video, but couldn't find her in time, it would be just as bad as having abandoned her. He would drown in the guilt of having failed her. If that happened, he would never be the same man again. After all, it took him so long to let go of Maes' death when it wasn't even his fault. If he knew her death had been caused by him, he would never forgive himself.

Riza closed her eyes firmly, trying to keep the tears from spilling. It seemed that every scenario from this situation would end with Roy getting hurt one way or another. They really have him trapped. It would be their win in the end and she couldn't do anything about it.

She heard the doorknob turn and then saw Marcus, Rob and Jack enter the room. Her vision was blurry from exhaustion, but she knew those figures belonged to them.

"She'll be dead before the five days. Get her some water and put her chair back up." She heard Marcus bark out.

Barely after she had finished processing what he had just said, she felt herself being jerked up harshly back to a sitting position on the chair. She let out a loud gasp as she was heaved up and struggled to breathe. The sudden movements had made all of her body explode, wave after wave, with pain. Her vision had went white. Her ears were ringing. Her head felt like someone was hammering it from within. She especially felt her limp left arm hanging from her shoulder, the force of gravity pulling it down and making it worse.

Riza was breathing in short gasps, whimpering from the pain her body was feeling. Her head hung back limply. Her eyes were half open, but saw nothing and her whole body was trembling.

"It's the third day today and still no news of your dear Fuhrer," Marcus said as he held her chin to make her face him. However, Riza was only half conscious and couldn't really hear anything he was saying. "Disgusting." He let go of her and wiped his hand on his pants. "Where's the water?" he asked.

"Here." Jack had returned with a glass of water and went over to Riza. He held her head straighter and made her drink the water. In the beginning she choked on it, but when she realized it was water, her eyes focused a bit more and she drank greedily. When there was no more water, she breathed heavily and coughed a little bit. She felt someone lightly slap the side of her face to make her stay awake.

"Wake up. Listen when we speak to you," Jack said. Unfortunately for her, he had slapped the left side of her face, the side that was already swollen and hurting. Those hits definitely woke her up and she had to put in a lot of effort to keep her gaze steady on them.

When Marcus was satisfied with her attention, he asked, "Do you think he'll come for you?". Of course he will, you freak. She didn't say anything, refusing to play into his games. "I mean, if he's seen the video, he'll know that you're almost half dead. Why would he put himself in danger to save a lowly subordinate like you?" Marcus walked back and forth in front of her, grinning when he saw a change in her expression.

"He'll come for me. We've worked together for over a decade. We're childhood friends. He's not the type of person to abandon his friends, or even anybody. Is that what you're thinking?" he asked her again.

"Go to hell," Riza said slowly.

"Oh, I assure you, we've been there and back," Rob said in the background.

"Roy Mustang may love his friends and subordinates, but you can't forget the fact that he just became the Fuhrer. After many long years of striving for the top, it would be hard for anyone to risk it all for one subordinate. Am I right, Lieutenant Colonel?" He bore his eyes into hers, trying to see past her walls, but she didn't budge, despite the turmoil growing inside her. He was right about everything. Roy would have to risk everything to come save her.

The amusement in Marcus' eyes infuriated her. "Is this all a game for you?" she asked through her teeth, barely over a whisper. She was so angry that she was choking on her words. He smiled thinly at her and stepped back.

"We're just trying to put Roy Mustang in a difficult situation. We want him to sweat in fear and feel helpless. We're trying to see just how much of a priority you are to him. Who knows? He might not even come. You might not even be worth all the risk and effort." He paused a bit, "We'll just have to wait and see what happens. There are two days left. If he doesn't show up by eight in the evening on the fifth day, then you'll be the one who dies."

When she was back to being alone in the room, she closed her eyes and listened to the eerie silence for a while. Too much was happening at such a fast rate that she felt overwhelmed. It seemed like each time she woke up, days had already passed by and something new had already happened without her knowing any of it. Not only was it really hard for her to concentrate on anything other than her wounds, she was missing too much information to be able to understand the whole situation.

What if he's right? What if he doesn't come? What Marcus had said was really getting to her. She knew it would be the right think to not come. When they had enlisted and had been recruited under Roy Mustang, they all knew that his life came before their own and that they would have to sacrifice their own lives to keep him safe if it was necessary.

However, working under him for so many years made her realize that he had influenced her so much more than she would've thought. They had learned to treasure life and to never abandon a comrade. Roy would put himself in danger without a second thought if he knew he could help his friends. Saving lives would always be his first priority. That's what made him different from other leaders. That's what made him outstanding. That's what made me follow him.

She believed in him. He would always find a way out of the most dire of circumstances. She didn't have many people she could believe in or rely on, but she knew she would always have him. Because of this fact, she was in distress about the outcome. Please be safe.

Riza opened her eyes and took a better look around the room, hoping to find more information. It would also keep her occupied for a little while, instead of letting herself think about horrible outcomes. The room had a dim yellow light hanging right above her head, which made her relish in the little heat it was giving off. Apart from the camera, the desk and the case sitting on it and another chair, the room was empty. She found herself studying the crack in the walls and the floor where her eyes could see without having to move her head. She took her time with each line, scrutinizing every detail. It allowed her to stay awake and to sharpen her mind a little bit. Eventually, her eyes wandered onto the camera.

It looked like any normal camera to her, but she wouldn't have been able to tell otherwise if it had been a professional one. Her knowledge in cameras was very limited after all. She studied the camera, the tripod and the way the camera was attached to it. In the end, she concluded that there was nothing noteworthy she could get from it, so she moved on to the desk.

Once again, it was very plain and boring. She could have spent a long time studying the lines and patterns of the wood, but she was too impatient to find something useful. This is getting nowhere. There's nothing here.

Finally, she eyed the case lazily. It was made out of a dark leather, worn out through time. It had a hard casing, with a flap on top that revealed extra storage space. Riza was about to close her eyes again when something caught her attention. She squinted to have a better look, but her swollen left eye was making that challenging. On the corner of the flap of leather, there was a faint imprint. Marcus Or... The last few letters of his last name were very faded and almost indistinguishable. However, Riza had always taken pride in her last name and had never failed to live up to it. After a few more seconds of intense focus, she could finally see the letters, and even spotted another small inscription in the bottom.

"Marcus Orman," she whispered to herself, "Central."

She shut her eyes and repeated those words in her head like a mantra. Marcus Orman, Central. Marcus Orman, Central. If I ever survive this, I'll be coming for you, Marcus Orman.

Riza knew she had slept for a long time, because when she had woken up, her neck was extremely stiff. Her body was numb, cold and rigid at the same time. At least I don't feel the pain as much. She immediately took back her words the moment she lifted up her head. Once again, the room spun around, the pain took her breath away and left her heaving. She grimaced at her miserable state and whined to herself. Make the pain go away. I want to go home. She was desperately wishing it was all a sad dream and that she just had to wake up to make it end, but she knew better than that. She only allowed herself to be dismayed by her pitiful state when she was alone. It would be the last thing she'd want to show her captors.

This time, she stayed awake for a while, waiting anxiously for something to happen. Her heart leaped when she heard the door opening. Did he come yet? Marcus, Jack and Rob walked in casually. Marcus, like always, was the one standing before her, leaning on the desk. They all stayed quiet, observing her. What's going on? It was unnerving and she hated to admit it, even to herself.

"Has it been five days yet?" she asked cautiously, not knowing what to expect.

"No,"Marcus answered leisurely, "but he won't be coming." That made her eyes widen in surprise and confusion, despite having told herself that she wouldn't show them too much emotions.

"Wh- what do you mean? How would you know that? How much time is left?" The news had shaken her to her core. Although she had wished that he wouldn't put himself in danger for her, the discovery was unexpected. How can this be? Did he really receive the cassette?

"There are four hours left, but he won't be coming." He signalled to Rob, who left the room and quickly returned with a rectangular machine. Riza was following every movement in the room, feeling like she had missed an important part of the conversation. Nothing made sense to her. She glanced at Jack, hoping to read some facial expression that would give away the truth, but he had his usual scowl on his face and glared at her when their eyes met.

Marcus took out a small cassette from one of his pockets and held it up in front of her.

"Do you know what this is?" he asked her.

"An audio cassette." Riza was starting to sweat. She felt restless and uneasy about its content.

"That's right. Victor sent this to us. Thanks to you, everything that's said right outside of the Fuhrer's private office is recorded." He smiled with amusement. "Listen to this. I'm sure you'll get all of your answers." He put the cassette into the player and pressed a button.

There were some scratchy noises in the beginning, then it cleared away. Riza had to strain her ears to listen carefully and to focus in order to ignore the loud heartbeats pounding throughout her whole body.

"What about Hawkeye?" Her breath hitched at the first sound. It was Brandt's voice.

"We don't need her anymore, so get rid of her. I'll get-" there was a short scratchy sound that interrupted the sentence, "a new and sexier-". The cassette ended with static and Marcus stopped the machine with frustration.

"Stupid machine. Keeps cutting the sound." He slammed an angry fist on it, before he signed loudly and crossed his arms, facing back at her. He snorted and chuckled when he saw her expression.

Riza had her head bent down, staring into empty space. It's not him. It can't be. She knew that voice. It was definitely his voice. She couldn't mistake it with anyone else's, but the things he said were so unlike him. It can't be. Things were getting more and more confusing for her. Of all the scenarios she had imagined, even the wildest one didn't come close to this. She could never imagine him intentionally throwing her away like this, abandoning her like some used up tool.

'-you can't forget the fact that he just became the Fuhrer. After many long years of striving for the top, it would be hard for anyone to risk it all for one subordinate', she remembered Marcus saying a few days ago. Riza's chest tightened, screaming in pain, but she could barely notice it because of the emotional turmoil that she was facing at the moment. It can't be. She knew this man for practically all her life. She knew he had dreamed and aimed for the top, but he would never use people to achieve it. He wouldn't abandon them after reaching it either. It can't be.

There was a low rumbling sound coming from her, then a small chuckle, which turned into a laugh when she raised her head. The three men stood quietly, watching her with a frown. Riza finally stopped and glared at Marcus fiercely. She could feel her head heat up with the anger boiling inside.

"What kind of joke is this?" she spat out every word with distaste. Marcus no longer had the hint of amusement in his eyes. She could tell he was not happy with the reaction he had gotten from her.

"Think what you'd like, but this is no joke. Victor sent this to us and also informed us about it by phone. He wants us to get out of here soon, before the Fuhrer sends some people to clean up the place," he paused and added, "and to see to your death."

Riza continued to glare at him, but her resolution was crumbling down at a fast rate. He wants me dead? Why? She couldn't think of any reason he would want that, but she couldn't convince herself that it was all a lie either. She bit the inside of her lower lip to stop herself from looking weak.

"I guess you were not as important as we thought you were. You're just useless trash now, thrown away when it got expired." He scowled down at her with a mock pity, shaking his head. It can't be.

"Bring her," he said to both men before walking out the door.

She saw jack and Rob untying her in the corner of her eyes, but her mind was too far away to process any of it. Riza was lost in her thoughts and completely denying everything that had just happened in the room. It can't be. It was only when they heaved her up that she snapped back to reality.

Riza cried out in pain after jack had lifted her from the chair by her left arm. She gasped for air and dry heaved, quickly feeling herself losing consciousness. Her knees buckled and she couldn't find the strength, nor the concentration to stand up. Jack ended up having to grab the back of her shirt instead of the dislocated arm in order to get her to move. She was half dragged out of the room and through the hallways.

They came upon a big door that Riza had never seen. When it opened, warmth enveloped her and she marvelled at the beautiful sky. The sun was already beginning to set and had a light orange tinge to it. Before she could look any more at the sun she had been deprived of for so long, Jack dragged her out toward a car.

"Get in," he grunted. Marcus was already seated in the driver's seat and had been waiting for them. When they were all inside, he started the car and drove out.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"To the place where you will die."

Her eyes widened a bit, but was quickly replaced by defeat. Everything was happening too fast and she didn't know what to believe anymore. Roy Mustang was the man she had trusted all her life. He was the man she had trusted the most. However, she wasn't too sure about it now. She wanted to trust him, but what she had heard had made her heart waver. I don't believe this. One thing she did know was that there was no hope in surviving this. It was three men against her. She was weak and injured. Her muscled had atrophied while she was wasting away in her dark cell. Her left arm was useless and her ribs were hurting just by breathing. I'm going to die.

She looked out the windows and watched the scenery pass by. They were on a long road with plains of grass and some trees in the distance. The peaceful scenery didn't seem to fit with the situation, but she was thankful she could see it before her life ended.

"Where are we?" she asked quietly. Jack and Rob glanced at her but stayed silent. Marcus looked at her from the rearview mirror for a long time. She looked almost peaceful, but what he noticed was the absence of the fire in her eyes, her strong will to live.

"Keller. A town North-East of Ishbal. It was abandoned during the war," he said.

Keller? I've never heard of it. Probably a small town. After thirty minutes, they stopped at the side of a forest. Inside a forest? How typical. She was clumsily pulled out from the car and they all walked into the forest. They walked for another ten minutes. Where are we going? Riza was getting frustrated. If they want to kill me, they can do it anywhere. We're deep enough in the forest! She didn't like how it was dragging on.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of water. The more they walked, the more it became louder. Eventually, they came upon a clearing and they walked her up to the edge. Looking down, she saw a river cascading rapidly. The river turned into a fall a few hundred meters to her right. The thunderous sound caused by the rapids was so loud it resonated throughout her whole body. She felt herself trembling and her heart pounding harder.

"So this is where you'll kill me? Throw me off this cliff? You guys are cowards."

"We're letting the gods decide your fate. Who are we to choose whether you deserve to live or die? We don't have that power." Riza couldn't believe her ears. After all they had done, they didn't want to give the finishing blow. "Any last words?" Marcus asked.

"Yes. Just tell me this. What's the name that Victor is using in the military?"

Riza faced Marcus as she waited for the answer.

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you that."

"I see." She turned around and faced the water again. Looking straight ahead, she could see the sun fading away in the distance, casting a red and orange hue. They let her look at it for a few more seconds before one of them walked toward her.

She quickly shut her eyes tightly, refusing to let them see any of her tears. Why didn't you come? Roy!

She felt a strong push before she flew.

A.N.: Here's the awaited chapter. Damn, you guys are really hooked on to this story aren't you? So many of you are asking for updates, lol. Pressure, pressure. But it's also fun to see you guys suffering, mwuhahaha! I hope this chapter will make things more confusing lol. You're supposed to want more to figure out the truth behind everything. I'm sort of improvising through this story actually. Well, I do have the main parts planned out, but a lot of it is made up while I write, so... sorry if it's not really fancy. And I didn't get the chance to reread this because I was too lazy. Thanks for loving this story! And I love the reviews :) Please review some more. It's encouraging! See you soon.

D