Yes, update!
ROY
Roy sat behind his desk doing paperwork. At least that's what he tried to do. He had to reread every sentence two or three times before he understood it. His mind could not focus on anything knowing that she was out there somewhere. He swivelled around on his chair and looked out his window. The city was painted white and the snow was still falling down. Hawkeye. Where are you? He hoped she was safe and warm until they found her.
At first, he felt hurt and confused. He couldn't understand why she didn't come looking for him. He spent the night thinking about it. Slowly, he started seeing things from her point of view. If she only had her memories until she was eighteen years old, then her last memory of him would be the one when he left her. After her father's funeral, he had stayed for three days copying the secret array on her back. Not much had happened in those three days. She had never been the talkative type of girl, but those three days had been the quietest. He remembered how she had laid down for hours without complaining and how her skin had shivered ever so slightly at his every touch.
His teacher's work was a masterpiece, he had to admit, but the way he had hidden it was atrocious. He had placed a heavy burden on such a young, beautiful girl. He remembered having left after lunch on the third day. His notebooks were full of scribbles and notes. He had everything he needed to complete his flame alchemy training. He had promised her that he would burn everything once he had mastered it, which he did a few weeks later. He had given her his information card to contact him if she ever needed anything from him. She never did. He had been slightly disappointed, but soon forgot about her when he got sent out to Ishbal.
What did I say to her when I left? He had tried to think about the last words he had spoken before he had left her front steps, but he couldn't remember them. All he remembered was the guilty excitement he could barely contain. Knowing that he had the secrets to one of the most powerful alchemy in the palm of his hands had given him a power surge. Digging through his mind, he could not remember the last conversation he had with her, nor her facial expression. Was she sad that I was leaving? Was she mad at me? Even if she had been, he was sure that he wouldn't have known.
Riza had always expertly concealed her emotions, even at a young age. Throughout the years she had worked with him, he had learned to read her discreet facial expressions and her body language. Sometimes, she would even allow them to see her real emotions, but that was rare. She had always been selfless and generous. She was not the type to complain or to cause trouble for others. It wouldn't have surprised him that she had smiled at him when he left. I abandoned her. That thought had haunted him for many years after they had met in Ishbal again. If only he had taken better care of her. She might not have ended up where she was now.
Roy wanted to punch himself. I'm such a jerk. She must hate me! He was nothing to her except for her father's naive student who had jumped at the opportunity to empower himself. He had told her of his dream and she had trusted him with it. He had taken her secret and left like a thief. Had she hoped that he would bring her with him? Thinking back, he had been really insensitive and selfish. She had told him that she would be fine and he had believed her. Stupid! So Stupid! How could you have left a young girl by herself? She had only just finished high school with no job and no one to support or guide her. Despicable.
What Roy was frightened of at the moment was her opinion of him. That must've been why she hadn't come looking for him. Is she mad at me? Does she not trust me? What if she doesn't know where to find me? That's impossible. His face was plastered everywhere. People talked about him all the time. She must've seen me.
There was a knock at his door. Roy gave the permission to enter. Havoc entered, still with his black coat on and some snow that had accumulated in the creases. He saluted before speaking.
"We've been asking around the area, but it seems like no one has seen her." It was the second day of their search. On the first day, Havoc and Breda had visited multiple shelters and churches and had found one where she had stayed nine days ago. Other than her name, there was no other information. They had brought back the paper she had signed and Roy had confirmed her handwriting himself.
"Did she go back to the bank?" Roy asked.
"Not that we know of. The bank would've contacted us, but we'll check again," Havoc answered.
Roy sighed and looked outside. We have to find her quick. "Continue the search. Check every place you think she could try to find a job. Ask everybody on the streets." He felt uneasy about the whole scenario. How could no one have seen her?
"It might be paranoia, but I think something's strange," Havoc said uncertainly.
"What is?" Roy asked interestedly.
"When we show people her picture, they seem to think and hesitate a bit before they deny having seen her."
Roy raised an eyebrow and turned fully toward him. "Really?"
"Yeah. Breda thinks they're all lying. They seem to be hiding something. Maybe they're all working together to hide her. But that doesn't make any sense. Why would they even do that?"
Indeed, it was strange. However, Roy had never doubted Breda's ability to observe and see through people. But why would they do that?
"Maybe Hawkeye has got them all whipped," Havoc hypothesized. Roy gave him a wry look. "What? I'm just stating the possibilities. You know she'd be able to do that."
"Not as an eighteen year old girl. She wasn't like that back then," Roy said calmly.
"You knew her back then?" Havoc asked with evident surprise.
"Yes. I was studying alchemy under her father," Roy said a little uncomfortably and cleared his throat. "Anyway, continue looking around and try to find out what's going on."
"Yes sir." Havoc saluted and left with a cheeky grin. Roy scowled at his back. He better not mention it to anyone or I'll make a torch out of him.
The fact that people were lying about her whereabouts was disquieting. Do they know who she is? What if they took her as a hostage? The situation had become even more urgent. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't just go out there and look for her. All the field work had to be done by his team. Damn. There was also the leader of Aerugo coming tonight and a small ceremony to renew their peace treaty the next day. He couldn't just disappear and neglect his duties. Too many people were watching his every move.
He was hoping to get a report from Fuery or Falman in the afternoon, but there was nothing to be heard from Marcus. What's taking so long?
A knock came at the door and Sakel slid inside. "The leader of Aerugo will be arriving soon sir. You are requested to go to the main entrance to greet them."
"Right, I'll get ready." He needed to be in the grand hallway of the main entrance to greet and have dinner with them. Roy checked himself in a full-length mirror, making final adjustments of his hair and uniform. He could see from the corner of his eyes that Sakel was staring at him, but he ignored it nonchalantly.
Roy, accompanied by his two assistants, Sakel and Brandt, and his bodyguards, walked to the main entrance. The hall had been cleaned, a big dark red carpet had been installed and soldiers in crisp uniforms were standing guard at every decorative column. Quite impressive. Roy had given the order to make the place presentable and he was indeed pleased with the result.
"When will they arrive?" Roy asked.
"We've received news that they have been picked up at the train station and are on their way. They should be arriving soon," Brandt said.
A few minutes later, they did. The leader walked in, accompanied by his family and personal guards. They were dressed elaborately in thick fur coats. Roy walked up to the man and greeted him.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person President James Cristo. I'm sorry you had to face such an extreme weather on the day of your arrival." Cristo shook his hand with a big smile.
"Thank you for your hospitality Fuhrer Roy Mustang. I'm happy to have arrived safely," he laughed out loud. "We do have some snow in Aerugo, but nothing like this. It doesn't get as cold as it does here."
"This must be your wife Sarah." Roy approached a woman in her late forties, who still maintained all of her beauty. He gave her a kiss on both cheeks. "And these two ladies must be your daughters." He smiled at them.
"Yes. This is Maya, who is twenty five, and our oldest one, Christina, who's twenty eight," their father presented them with a proud smile. Roy smiled charmingly at them and gave them both a light peck on the hand. Both of them were pretty and smiled shyly at him.
"I am pleased to meet you, Fuhrer Mustang," Christina said. She was beautiful and well-mannered. Roy could definitely see Havoc falling for her, or either of them.
"Likewise. How about we move to another room. It'll be warmer inside and we can get ready for our dinner." Roy led them inside, toward a nice room designed for official meetings with foreign representatives. It was prepared to host a fancy dinner with the Cristo family that night.
The room was cosy and nicely decorated. Upon entering, attendants took the guests' coats away before they seated themselves on a rectangular table. Roy sat at the head of the table, while the daughters sat together on one side and their parents on the other.
Aerugo and Amestris had always had a good relationship. The whole affair of resigning the peace treaty was only for official purposes. After King Bradley's ruling had finished, it was Roy's job to maintain the peace. He had invited them to reinforce their friendship and to solidify their alliance once again.
Wine had been brought in while they chatted pleasantly, but Roy was aware of their secret glances here and there, and the messages they passed between themselves. It was clear they had a goal in mind, but he chose to ignore it and remain professional.
"So Fuhrer Mustang, what are you planning for the holidays?" Cristo asked.
"Just the usual. I'll spend time with my family and take the time to rest at home." He could see their interest building up.
"You're going to visit your parents, is that right?" Roy nodded his head and took a sip of his wine. "I heard that you're not married yet Fuhrer. Is that true?"
"That's right. I just can't seem to find the time for that," Roy said with feigned disappointment.
"There's no such thing as no time for a lady!" Cristo teased him.
"That's right Fuhrer. If you don't make time for it, without noticing one day, your prime time would have passed. You need to build yourself a family," Sarah interjected.
"Are you saying I'm losing my charms Mrs Cristo?" Roy asked teasingly with a smirk. All the ladies blushed.
"Oh dear, of course not! I'm just saying it would be best not to wait too long to start a family. The younger the better," she quickly explained herself.
Roy smiled at her and said, "it will happen one day, but not at the moment. It still hasn't been very long since I became Fuhrer and I have a lot of things to do. Maybe I'll think about it in a few years." The Cristo family hid their disappointment. "Shall we start dinner?"
They enjoyed a delicious five course meal. By the end of the night, Roy could feel his stomach about to explode. In the past few weeks, he had been eating less and sometimes even skipping his meals, so his stomach wasn't used to eating this much food anymore. Oh damn it, I shouldn't have eaten so much... He hid it well when he sent them off. They were headed to a five star hotel for the night.
"Thank you again for the lovely evening Fuhrer Mustang. The food was truly exquisite," Cristo said.
"It was my pleasure President Cristo. Please rest well tonight. We have a big day tomorrow."
"Indeed. Goodnight Fuhrer. We'll meet again in the morning." The family bid him goodnight before leaving.
When the doors closed, Roy went back to his office. He gathered his things and prepared to go home himself. It was near eleven and he was dying for a shower and some sleep.
Sakel and Brandt were still waiting for him at the entrance.
"You guys are still here? Retire for the night. We have a big day tomorrow. I'm heading home right now." They saluted him and accompanied him to his car before walking away.
When he got home, one of the guards had told him that Fuery and Falman were waiting for him inside. He had given special permission to the four men to be let in to his house if he wasn't there. I hope they have some news. He took long strides to reach his door and go inside, sheltered from the cold night air.
"Fuhrer!" Fuery and Falman saluted together. They had been waiting for him in his living room, with papers spread out on the coffee table.
"At ease. We're off duty. Did you guys find something important that couldn't wait until tomorrow?" Roy asked while he promptly removed his coat and boots.
"Yes, we found the shop where Marcus bought his camera." Fuery walked toward the coffee table and picked up some papers. "Marcus was indeed his real name. His full name is Marcus Orman. He was a freelance journalist. However, during the past few years, his activities diminished and when he did publish anything, it touched dark subjects, mostly murder cases, torture and anything related to that."
Roy sat down heavily on his couch with Marcus' file in his hand. What a sicko. "What happened to him? Why did he suddenly turn this way?"
"We don't know. The owner of the shop didn't know the reason either. He noticed how Marcus had started to become a little strange, but he never asked," Fuery said
"Any family or friends?" Roy asked as he flipped through the papers.
"His father died when he was young and his mother passed away eight years ago. He doesn't seem to have many friends nowadays. He cut contact with everyone and no one knows what he does exactly. Quite mysterious," Falman said.
"But we know how to find him."
"What?" Roy looked at Fuery with surprise.
"He has an appointment at the shop to fix something in his camera."
"When?" Roy asked eagerly.
"In four days. His appointment is in the morning, at ten," Falman said.
"I want a small team tracking him. Wait for him at the shop. When he's done, I want him followed. We have to find out as much as we can and hopefully, he'll be meeting up with his partner." Falman and Fuery nodded. "We'll finish this once and for all."
"Do you think he'll meet up with the spy?" Falman asked.
"I think it's highly probable. If his spy knew so much about us, then he should be close. He'll definitely be in Central," Roy contemplated.
"So it'll be the best time to meet up with him," Fuery said.
"Only if they're unaware of what we're doing. If they don't suspect anything, then our chances are high. Whether he meets up with his partner or not, we can't let him escape. If you see him trying to leave the city, stop him, but don't kill him. I want him alive."
The look in Roy's eyes made Fuery and Falman cringe with pity for any person at the receiving end. Before they left for the night, they asked about Hawkeye.
"Nothing yet, but something seems to be going on. Breda suspects that people are hiding her."
"What? Really?" Fuery asked incredulously.
"Yes, but we don't know why. Anyway, the last thing we need is to let Marcus find her. He'll kill her for sure if he does." Roy clenched his shaking fists.
"I'm sure we'll find her. It's Breda's field of expertise after all," Falman said hopefully.
Roy smirked and sighed. "Alright guys. Go home and sleep. I have a big day tomorrow too."
After they left, he took a quick shower and went straight to bed. Four day. You just wait Marcus. I'm coming for you.
The next day passed by in a flash. The anticipation of catching Marcus was keeping him in a state of distraction. It was always in the back of his head. Whenever he had a little break, he would think about it. The thought of catching him and questioning him was exhilarating. I'll personally be the one to do it.
Despite his busy thoughts, he performed everything in the ceremony flawlessly. It was made public to the press and only lasted the morning. After it had ended, he and the Cristos went for lunch at a high-class restaurant.
"I heard you are an excellent chess player Fuhrer Mustang. You simply must allow me to have a match against you one day," Cristo exclaimed.
"Of course President Cristo. I'm always up for a good match. We'll have to have one the next time I go visit Aerugo," Roy replied with ease. Cristo laughed with delight. Their easy conversation continued until they finished their deserts.
"It's such a shame that we can't stay any longer Fuhrer Mustang. One night seems awfully short, but it can't be helped since my husband has a lot to do in Aerugo too," Sarah sighed heavily.
"Yes, unfortunately short vacations come with the role of being the leader of a country. There's just always things that need our attention," Roy said suavely.
"Darling, we can always come back to visit Amestris another time," Cristo said to his wife, who nodded.
Roy was glad they didn't bring up the marriage issue another time. He didn't want to be bothered by that again. After their lunch, the Cristos went to the train station to go back home.
Roy went back to the office in the afternoon. Fuery and Falman were at their desks doing their paperwork. Roy knew they had everything under control. They both had given him looks and slight nods when he came in.
"What's my schedule for the afternoon?" he asked his assistants.
"You have an appointment with Colonel Banks at 1500. Other than that, you just have some papers and final reports to sign," Brandt said.
"The paperwork has been placed on your desk sir," Sakel said.
"Thank you." He went inside and closed his doors. Three more days.
The next day passed by quickly and calmly. There were still no news of Hawkeye. Roy was getting restless, now that he knew the day Marcus would arrive was nearing. Why is it so hard to locate her?
"Sir, Royce will be coming back to work in a couple of days," Brandt told him when he came in to work the next day. Roy stopped mid-track and turned toward him.
"Is that so? How is his mother doing?" Roy asked.
"He said she was doing well. She's moving to Central to get better treatment and to be closer to him. This way, he can work at the same time."
"That's good to hear." Roy looked at the empty desk beside Brandt. Sakel hadn't come in yet. "Did you tell Sakel about it? She'll have to get her transfer papers ready."
"Yes sir, she knows. Her papers are all ready. She won't be going too far. She said it was another position in Central."
Roy nodded and went into his office. Near lunch time, he received a phone call on his private line.
"Roy Mustang," he said as he answered it.
"Sir, it's Havoc!" he said. Havoc was breathing hard and sounded alarmed.
"What is it Havoc?" Roy asked urgently. "Did you find her?" The tone of Havoc's voice had made him so tense with anticipation that he was halfway out of his chair.
"No, but she went to the bank. We got the news a few minutes ago. Apparently she went in there and withdrew five thousand in cash."
"Did she get her cards?"
"No, she didn't pick anything up. She didn't even ask for them." Damn. Does she know about it? Is she really hiding from us? Or maybe she's running away from someone else.
"Do they know where she went? Why didn't they contact you the moment she came in? Why didn't they keep her there?" Roy was frustrated. It was going way too slow for him.
"They said the person who helped her out was a new girl and she wasn't aware of the situation. She had just transferred in from another branch." Roy let out a growl and slammed his fist on his desk. You can't be serious!
"I'm sure she's planning to leave the city. I want you two to go to the train station and check if she's left yet. Hopefully she won't put a fake name. If she did buy a ticket and her train hasn't left yet, then I want you to stop the train. Find out everything you can. Don't let her get away, but don't get too close to her. Be careful, she's very perceptive. If she's slightly suspicious, she'll flee." Since every passenger had to register their name on their ticket, they had a chance to find out whether or not she bought one.
"Yes, sir. What if her train has left already?" Havoc asked.
"Then find out her destination. We'll have to follow her." There was no way in hell he was letting her go.
The next couple of hours were torture. He could barely do anything in the office. Drumming his fingers on his desk, he kept imagining their reunion. There were so many possibilities, but he just couldn't predict her reaction. I think she'd be surprised. No, what if she's mad at me. She'd probably run away. Do I chase her in that case? But that would mean she doesn't want to see me... He sighed and stared at the phone. Come on. What's taking so long. Ever since he sent Havoc and Breda to the Central train station, he'd been anxiously waiting at his desk for an update. Luckily for him, he had cleared out every meeting he had for the next five days. That was the best he could do, but he needed to make sure that he'd have the time to prepare to catch Marcus and to find Hawkeye.
He jumped in surprise when the phone rang. He sprung up and snatched the receiver.
"Roy Mustang," he said as he held his breath.
"Sir, we found nothing at the station. They have no record of her. It doesn't seem like she bought any tickets," Breda said. Roy let out his breath with disappointment, his shoulders slouching slightly.
"Did you check if she might've used a different last name or first name?" Roy asked.
"There are no names with Hawkeye. We found a passenger with the name Riza but it was an older woman. Other than that, we have nothing." Roy could hear the clear disappointment in Breda's voice. He could imagine just how frustrated they were. After all, it was those two that were outside looking around for her. Just when they thought they had a lead, it was another dead-end.
"Tell them not to let any train leave if she comes to buy a ticket. Tell them it's an upmost priority to contact us immediately if she goes there. Don't make it obvious that they are stopping her though. Just make them delay the train until we get there. None of them are to try to stop her, understand? That's an order from the Fuhrer."
"Yes sir," Breda said and hung up the phone.
Despite coming so close to finding her, they didn't find any other lead after that. If she's not leaving the city, then what is she doing? What would she do with that much money? It was possible that she was aware of them looking for her. The fact that some people on the streets were acting suspicious when they asked about her was a sign that she might've known about it all along. Maybe she's avoiding the train on purpose. If that was the case, then their chances of finding her again were slim. They'd have to wait and see if she'd go to the bank again and see where she would be.
Such bad timing. Marcus was scheduled to make his appearance the next day. He would have to focus all his attention on capturing him, preferably alive, and make sure that he didn't meet her. I have to protect her no matter what.
Roy had left the office without his assistants, saying that he had a personal meeting, and was overseeing their mission in a secret hideout. Fuery was in charge of maintaining a good communication between every person involved in the operation. Since Marcus probably knew all the faces of the men working under him, they had assigned Goldsby and Dorse to go undercover in the shop. Goldsby would already be in there when Marcus arrived and Dorse would come in a little bit after. They had to take the utmost precaution not to let him escape.
Havoc, Breda and Falman were all disguised and hidden close by. They had carefully chosen a small team of elites that weren't normally directly related to the Fuhrer's activities. This way, they had a better chance to avoid involving the spy. If Marcus didn't show up, then they would know that something had gone wrong and that his spy was aware of their plan. Please show up. Their whole team was made up of fifteen officers, properly trained for such missions. They had been dispatched here and there in the vicinity to look out for Marcus and to make sure that they wouldn't lose him. None of the other men knew he was overlooking the entire operation. The briefing on the mission had been kept to the bare minimum, just enough information to carry out their respective roles.
9:47. There was still no news of him. Roy was beginning to fidget. What if he knows? Damn it. Please show up. He had had enough bad news in the past few days. He really needed this plan to work.
"Marcus in sight. He just rounded the corner of Kirk and Gladstone," a voice erupted into his earpiece. Roy's heart leaped. Finally!
"Sighting confirmed. Presently walking down Kirk street holding a worn leather camera case. He's wearing dark blue jeans, black boots and a dark green coat," Falman said quietly. All of the men could communicate between themselves, so everyone could be updated with the newest information.
"Fuery, connect me to Falman," Roy asked.
"Connected sir," Fuery said after flipping a few switches and changing some plugs.
"Falman, is he wearing any disguises?" Roy asked through the mouthpiece.
"No sir. He looks exactly like he did in the video."
How arrogant. Marcus was clearly not afraid of getting caught. Maybe he's doing this on purpose, but why would he? Nothing good could come out of it.
"Tell the others to be careful," Roy told Falman. It could be a trap, and if it was, he didn't want any of them to get hurt.
"Marcus has entered the store," Havoc said.
"Confirmed. Marcus heading to the front desk." Goldsby said in a low voice. "They're looking at his camera."
A few minutes later, Dorse entered the shop and Goldsby came out a little bit after, holding something he had pretended to purchased.
"He's leaving his camera at the store for repair. Marcus leaving the store," Dorse said.
"Marcus out of the store," Havoc said immediately after. "Walking back the same way he came from. Team B, follow. Team A and C, head in the direction he's going unless there are any changes."
None of them were in uniform so they wouldn't be that easily spotted. They had also rented cars for the mission to blend into the crowd. This way, it was easier for them to move around without being obvious.
"He's making a left onto Flottis street," someone said.
Roy had a map of Central in front of him and was following them.
"There's an abandoned warehouse at the end of the street on the left," Roy said out loud.
"Huh?" Fuery approached and looked at the map. "You're right. Do you think he'll go there to meet up with someone?"
"It could be possible. If he wants to meet someone in secret and talk for a while without being seen, then it'd be a good place. It's a quiet part of town. There's nothing there that would attract anyone, so there are less chances are getting spotted. Relay this information to the rest of them please."
Fuery proceeded to give out the information out to everyone. Now they just had to wait and see.
"He's making a left toward the abandoned building," said a voice urgently.
"I think he's being followed," someone said in a harsh whisper. Roy exchanged a look with Fuery.
"Describe the person," Fuery said to the last person.
"Black coat, light brown pants and black boot. Carrying a duffle bag. The face is hidden by the hood. I'd have to go closer to get a better view, but I would risk getting exposed." Roy shook his head side to side quickly.
"Remain in position. Do not reveal yourselves," Fuery sent out the orders.
"Marcus has entered the building," Breda said.
"The other person seems to be going around the building. I'll follow once he has rounded the corner," the same person said. "I've lost sight of him. He probably went into the building from another entry," he said a few seconds later.
"We have the building surrounded. Awaiting further instructions," Falman said.
"Tell them to remain in position. Do not attempt to enter the building. Avoid making any noise. Be on standby until I get there," Roy said as he got up and prepared to go out. Fuery quickly gave out the orders and scrambled to get ready.
They went downstairs and got into Roy's car. Fuery drove fast toward the abandoned warehouse. They weren't too far from the place so they arrived within five minutes. They parked a block away to prevent any noise from being heard. Indeed it was a very quiet neighbourhood, so they could easily be spotted.
Roy and Fuery met up with Falman and Havoc in front of the old building.
"Sir!" They saluted.
"Any changes?" Roy asked.
"No sir. He's still inside. The one that was following him too," Havoc said. "Breda and his team are around the back of the building keeping watch to make sure that they don't escape by there."
"Good. Call in the others to come closer to the front. Tell some of them to be on standby in the cars just in case," Roy said.
Havoc and Falman spoke through their mouthpiece and made hand signals. Soon, the other officers who were hidden were gathered around the front of the building. Despite their silence, he could see the surprise in their eyes when they saw who he was.
"What's the plan now?" Havoc asked.
"We're capturing them." Roy gave a murderous grin. "It's going to get hot." Havoc swallowed a lump in his throat and smirked.
Fuery had relayed the plan to everyone and now they all had their handguns out, ready to back the Fuhrer, who was going in first.
"Fuery! Get the ambulance and the firefighters here quickly!" Roy heard Havoc whisper harshly to Fuery behind him. I'll roast him alive.
As Roy approached the entrance, Marcus was just coming out. Standing at the doorway, he stared with wide eyes at the Fuhrer. Roy deepened his murderous glare and held himself back from snapping. Marcus looked around him in a panic, evidently taken by surprise.
"What? You thought we wouldn't find you?" Roy asked with venom in his voice.
"H- how? How did you know I was here?" Marcus stuttered and took a shaky step back.
"Don't underestimate me. You picked the wrong person to mess with. I'll make you pay for everything you did to Riza Hawkeye." Roy lifted his hand in a snapping position.
Before he could do anything, a gunshot was heard.
"Shit!" Marcus cursed and ran inside. Roy followed him to the doorway and snapped in the direction he was headed. Trying to escape by the back? The gunshot had probably been from Breda's team trying to stop the accomplice.
A big flame erupted inside and burned the whole back wall of the warehouse. Marcus shaded his face and fell down.
"There's no way to escape now. Surrender."
Marcus glared at him and growled through gritted teeth. As he got up, an explosion occurred, blowing up a quarter of the building, throwing fire in every direction and making pillars and planks fall form the ceiling.
Roy threw his arms up to protect his face.
"Sir!" Havoc yelled as he yanked him back harshly. Roy was dragged back by Havoc and Falman, while the other men surrounded them, with their guns poised to shoot.
"What happened?" Falman asked eagerly.
"I'm not sure. I just burned the back wall but there was suddenly an explosion out of nowhere," Roy said as he looked at the flaming building.
"It's possible that there were some old gas tanks laying around that exploded because of the flames," Falman said.
Havoc whistled. "You were serious when you said it was going to get hot." Roy shot Havoc a glare.
"He'll come out soon. Arrest him the moment he does," Roy ordered.
A few seconds later, Marcus stumbled out the front doors coughing and gasping for air. The men immediately jumped on him and tied him up. Marcus screamed and yelled out in frustration. The firefighters were already on scene and were doing their best to douse the fire. Roy looked at Marcus with disgust and hate as the medics were giving him oxygen.
However, Roy was back on alert when he heard Breda through his earpiece.
"His partner escaped, but it's not the same one that we saw! This one was wearing a long dark grey trench coat. We didn't see the other one come out of the building yet!"
"What?" Roy said out loud. He looked back at the burning building. He's still inside? "Hurry and put out the fire! The other one is still in there!" He wasn't going to let him die that easily. He needed to question him and punish him too. Dying here would be too easy.
However, the chances of him surviving was slim, since the building was a raging fire and the smoke was thick. The wood from the building was old and dry, thus easily flammable. About half of the building was burning now, but even if the person wasn't in the fire, the smoke was enough to asphyxiate him. You better not die.
Roy watched as the firefighters went in cautiously, while others in the back sprayed water in the direction they were headed. A few minutes passed by until they came back out. One of them carried the person on his shoulder. Roy watched from a distance and let out a long breath. The fireman deposited the person on the floor and two paramedics were immediately at his side.
"Havoc, go check if he's still alive," Roy said. Havoc nodded and walked toward them.
Roy looked at Marcus, who was still sitting on the ground, his hands tied behind his back. He was looking at the motionless body of the other person in the distance.
"Looks like we caught one of your partners." Roy gave him a dark smirk.
Marcus looked back at Roy with a frown, then laughed out loud. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't even know that person."
Roy's smirk disappeared and he looked at the other person. His stomach was inexplicably twisted in knots and he had an uneasy feeling. What? Did we involve a civilian? Damn! He continued to stare until he saw Havoc's face.
Havoc was standing above the two medics and looked at him with a desperate look. What is this?
"Sir!" he screamed with such frenzy and anguish, that Roy didn't have the time to think about anything before his body started into a sprint.
What is it? He didn't know what could put Havoc in such panic. Somewhere deep inside, he didn't want to know either, but his body reacted before he could properly process things.
He stopped abruptly beside Havoc and looked down. The world went silent. Time seemed to stop as he saw Hawkeye lying on the cold ground. Her face was smeared with dark soot and her dirty hair sprayed around messily. No. No. This can't be. Why is she here? Roy took a step forward and forced his way to her side. He fell onto his knees and let out a shaky breath.
"Sir," Havoc said with concern as he put a hand on his shoulder.
"Hawkeye," Roy said and touched her hand. It was freezing cold. Maybe it was the cold winter air or the snow on the ground that made it cold, but he wasn't sure. He shook her gently by the shoulder. "Hawkeye, wake up!" he said fiercely.
"Fuhrer Mustang, please back away," one of the paramedics said. The ambulance truck stopped beside them.
"Sir," Havoc said more insistingly. Roy brushed him off harshly.
"Hawkeye, wake up. That's an order!" Roy said more desperately. He touched her cheek and stared intently at her face, trying to see the slightest movement. "Riza!"
"Sir, she doesn't have a pulse," the medic said.
Roy snapped his head toward him and stared at him wildly. No. No! Riza!
A.N.: Yes, Riza's dead. Happy new year! Hahaha!
D