A Hawkeye's View

It was another day in the nation-state of Armetris. Everything was just about as clear, and cut that you could get it. There were mighty blue skies with white clouds over the sun to protect the people’s eyes, and provide shelter against the sun’s heat. It was actually quite warm on this day, even though it was only a little after 7:00 A.M. A tall, blonde hair woman was sitting in an office at central HQ, home of main branch of the State Military. She sat at the desk with a pencil in hand. On her desk, her name was on a little stand. Riza Hawkeye…

“Let’s see…haven’t heard from Colonel Mustang at all today. Did he show up today?” Riza mumbles to herself. She slowly rises from her chair, and walks around the general building. As she walked a long every corridor, she took a notice of something. It seems a lot of military personnel have seemed to have abandoned their current posts!

“What is going on?! Where is everyone?!” Riza shouted to herself. However, her answer was soon to be answered on its own…just by looking out the window next to her. She sweats, and quickly finds a door to go outside.

“My fellow military men! Today is a day to be proud. We are the strong, the fearless, and the proud! Our might has been known throughout countless battles, and our integrity is high!” A booming voice shouted into the open of a dozen men in blue suits, “There will be a day where this man before you will lead, and make things even stronger! There will be a day, when I’m Führer, new rules will be added! All officers of the female gender will have to follow the mandatory of having to wear…TINY MINI-SKIRTS!” The audience yelled, and sobbed with joy in unison as they cheered.

Riza, on the other hand, was just sweating her head off in embarrassment. “Oh yes, I know who is saying all that…”

It was as so she said. The man who was saying that had black hair, sharp eagle-like eyes, and a seemingly charming grin to himself. It was none other than Colonel Roy Mustang, also known as the Flame Alchemist. Next to Roy were his friends, and fellow subordinates: Jean Havoc, the light red-haired man that usually has a cigarette in his mouth and Vato Falman, the white-haired, pale man.

“Oh Mustang, you really are a man of prowess! Your skills are of the highest degree!” Havoc yelled with huge enthusiasm. He quickly crawls to his knees, and hugs he leg as his cigarette drops out from his mouth.

“I admit, the last part is odd, but he sure does really know how to rally people to an idea.” Falman expressed with a slight smile. However, his nose slightly twitches. “Mustang, it seems we’ve got another person coming.”

“Who is it, Falman?” Mustang asks before he slowly turns his head forward to look beyond the crowd. The crowd themselves soon disperse as they see a slightly annoyed Riza march towards the three men in front of them.

“There’s an approaching threat at 12’o clock! What do we do?!” Havoc freaked out about.

“I suggest we either run for the medic room so that we’ll all be ready to get treated for our pain,” Falman shares.

“Relax, I’ll take care of this,” Mustang told them as he walked toward Riza, “Hello, First Lieutenant.” Mustang smiled.

“Hey, it gets the men energized for their work; I don’t see a major problem.”

“But it’d be a great addition! Don’t tell me you wouldn’t look great in a mini-skirt?” Mustang laughs a little. However, Riza just glares at him. Jean and Fato speak off in the sides.

“I swear, that look is enough to give me a heart attack.” Havoc whispers to Falman.

“Oh come now, I don’t think you really want to argue with your high authority figure, do you?” Mustang quipped. “It seems quite a bad move on your part, Riza.”

“Listen here, ‘Superior’, but you should learn to control your little cocky attitude sometimes!” Riza barked at him.

“Sure. I’ll do that when you’re either a rank higher than me, or when I have no rank at all.” Mustang finished as he began to slowly walk off. Havoc’s mouth was wide open, and Falman was just watching, tilting his head.

“D-don’t walk away when I’m talking you!” Riza badgered him. However, the Colonel kept walking away, lifting his left hand, giving a wave with a grin. Riza really gave him a good cold stare

“…Uh…are you going to be okay?” Havoc asked. Riza turned her head at both him, and Falman. “…We’re going to go! Wait for us, Colonel!” Havoc quickly ran to join him. Falman followed as well, but turned to say something quick.

“I’m sorry for his actions. Try not to take the actions of the Colonel so serious. I hope you’ll be better later.” Falman suggested politely as he then followed off after them.

As the sun started to rise higher given the time of 9:30 A.M. Riza was walking all a long the city, looking at many sites to try and relax her. However, to a small avail, it only achieved so little. She still had that thought of the confrontation she had earlier with Mustang. It was just totally aggravating to her.

“I do wonder what that idiot is doing now…” Riza as she thought in her mind. She stopped as she took a note of something she was seeing now. She looks forward on the path to see a huge person that is in bluish armor, and a person in a red coat…that is really short! “Is that…the brothers Elric?” Riza quickly dashed forward to catch up with them.

Ahead of here, the two were conversing with one another on some matter as Alphonse was speaking, his voice slightly echoing given his form of the armor. “Big brother, do you think we could really do something like this?”

“Relax, Al. This actually seems pretty simple, given the basic principles of what we are doing.” Edward responded with a smile of confidence.

“Edward? Al? Are they…really here?” Riza asked herself as she got right behind them. Alphonse turned around, and waved.

“Hey, Edward, it’s Riza from central!” Alphonse alerted to his big brother. Edward turned around, and waved his automail hand at her.

“Same old military…unfortunately, that means same old Mustang.” Riza mumbles.

“He’s…well, himself. Any who, what are you two little boys doing here near central?” Riza asks them both, curious from what she heard earlier.

“Well, it’s kind of a work in progress sort of ordeal.” Alphonse shared, “want to share, Ed?”

“I guess we could. Would you like to learn about it more as we head back to studies?” Edward nicely asks Riza.

“I think it could be a bit fun. I’d love to look at it.” Riza finished as she quickly followed the two Elric brothers to their quarters they are staying at.

Riza looks around inside of the building. There is much open space in the center with almost dozens, maybe even hundreds of books that cover the other parts of the area. There is a huge white circle with triangles, and symbols in the very middle of the room. Riza takes it all in, and tilts her head with her hand on her chin trying to figure things out.

“Wow, you boys put a lot of work into this…thing. What is it exactly?” Riza asks, really curious about seeing all of these items, and their ‘finding’.

“Okay, well, here’s the idea in a nutshell,” Edward coughs before continuing, “There is an equation that states that density time volume can give you the mass of an object. While this is law, we are wondering if we can change some things within this.”

“Well, we are trying to see if by increasing volume of an object that in turn it’ll increase the overall density, which could then raise the mass of said object.” Edward finished.

“Wait, wait, and slow down. You said you would give me a nutshell view of it.” Riza joked, thinking of their meeting earlier.

“What it basically means is we’re trying to see if we can alter an objects size, and all.” Alphonse said simply.

“N-no, big brother, I didn’t say that at all!” Alphonse waved his hands, acting innocent. Riza laughed a bit, and stood up straight, intrigued.

“May I see a test, please?” Riza quietly asked. Edward and Alphonse then abruptly looked at her, and thought.

“I suppose we could try, if you wish to have a demonstration!” Edward said, clapping his hands. However, he stops. “…I need an object.”

“Oh, brother, we could use this little piece of marble we found!” Alphonse suggested, pulling out a tiny square of the item. He walks over to the middle of the circle, and quickly rushes back to Ed’s side. Edward claps his hands, and places them in a mini-circle that connected to the bigger circle inward.

“I don’t get it; we didn’t even get so much as a flicker, brother.” Alphonse pondered.

“Well, let’s look up something.” Edward offered as he pulled a side book, and quickly skimmed through it. Riza, however, silently walked into the circle, and observed the square piece of marble.

“Well, so much for glorious finding…” Riza sighed as she bent down, and touched it.

“Oh, wait! I know what we did wrong! I forgot to add a symbol!” Edward told Al.

“I got that, brother!” Alphonse happily responded, by grabbing chalk, and quickly adding it in front of him. “Now it should work, go ahead!”

“With the up most pleasure!” Edward cheered as he clapped, and slapped his hand down into the circle in front of him.

Suddenly, the circle lines start to brightly glow a white color. Lightning also sparks from all around, in the circle, raging like a thunder storm. Riza raises her head, and looks around seeing she is trapped in there, trying to kick out of the area. The lightning wraps around her, and seemingly drags her smack dab into the middle of the circle, holding her. She screams in pain a bit, and looks at the Elric brothers, trying to call for help.

“Riza?! When did she enter the square?!” Edward yells, putting his hands on his head.

“I…I don’t know…no! It can’t! I’m not going to let anything like that happen this time!” Edward says trying to keep his cool, having flashbacks…of a very dark day in the brother’s history. Riza tries to keep her conscious, she tries to keep up her strong will, but it seems all for not as she feels that her energy is being literally drained out of her. Her soft, light colored eyes slowly blink as they being to close, and all she sees’ is darkness…

Echoes were going about the room. They were all just mumbled, and juggled to the ears until they adjusted, and awoke to their full potential before going through such an event. Words are thrown across, and items are heard being taken out.

“…Ugh…” Riza moaned out as she slowly opened her eyes. Everything seemed fuzzy for a few seconds, but then the adjustment came, and she could see everything perfectly now. “…Edward? Alphonse? …Havoc?” She noticed when she saw all three men in the room. She also looked down to see that she was in some bedroom on a bed with green sheets covered across her, and a washcloth on her head. “What…what…” Riza stopped as was interrupted.

“That’s good. We were afraid. Five more minutes, I thought I would’ve had to call central about the situation.” Havoc told, rubbing the back of his head.

“You were out about almost an hour now. It’s currently 11:00 A.M. We were really afraid.” Edward expressed to her.

“You were trapped inside; we couldn’t get you free until whatever it wanted to do was done. Or, what it was ‘supposed’ to do.” Al added.

“Yeah, thankfully, nothing happened to you. We were so thankful. However, when you passed out, we were quick to find help. That’s when we ran into Havoc here, and we carried you all from our place to his building to set you on a comfortable bed, and have supplies to help you. I’m just so thankful you’re okay....” Edward smiled, feeling a huge weight off his shoulders. Riza returned the smile to him. She tries to get up, but then falls back down.

“Whoa, you need to lie down! I’m surprised you woke up as early as you did.” Havoc said. “Listen, you boys can go on, and do whatever you were doing. Riza is going to rest here for the time being. Is that okay?” Havoc asked. Edward and Al nodded as they gave their formal good-byes. The two even race each other to see who could get back to their quarters first. Havoc chuckles as he closed the door, “Those boys are sure energetic…” He walked back into the bedroom, “Would you like something for lunch?”

“No problem.” Havoc closes his eyes, and slowly shuts the door so Riza can rest. Riza smiles a bit, and looks at the white ceiling straight, and thinks about all that has happened for the next few minutes. The circle…but then she thinks of Mustang. She cannot seem to expurgate the thoughts of this morning with that cocky attitude, his ‘high’ position, and etc. It was all so bugging to her. She wished she could…do something. However, something was feeling…strange…odd…very odd...

“Ugh…” Riza moans about as she looks through her eyes at the ceiling, her vision is becoming very blurred. She slowly rises to sit straight, still on the bed. She holds her left delicate hand to her head, and feels she is sweating. “Why do I feel this way?” She looks around the room, feeling the walls closing in on her, “H-Havoc?” She tried to call out for him, but her voice was very raspy and weak at the moment. However, everything seemed to stop, and she blinks. “The pain…the sweats…went away? Maybe it was a slight after affect…” she sighs with relief.

“Oh boy, I hope she likes this.” Havoc tells himself as was he over the stove, preparing the final preparations to the meal.

“Whatever Havoc is making…smells nice. I should also thank him as well for letting me rest in his room as well.” She starts to rise from his bed slowly, but she hits her head on…on the ceiling?! “W-What is this?” She sits on the ground, “Is Havoc that short, or did the ceiling-…” she stops as she looks at a mirror, hanging on the back of the door. She sees’ to herself that is getting taller by the second! Her smooth face and light eyes expand a bit as her head does; her arms lengthen also in sync with her legs. Her chest slightly pushes outwards, and her hips also seem to spread out as her whole body continues to rack up in height. Luckily for her, the clothes too were in the same process. “Why is this happening?!” she asked herself in her mind as her head once against meets the ceiling while still sitting, her body seemed to knock off a few pictures on the wall, and she completely crumpled the bed behind herself.

“Oh yes! Finally! This has probably got to be the greatest dish I’ve made in…well, probably my whole life.” Havoc sweats to himself as he got a tray, and set everything on it. He slowly walks to his bedroom door, and begins to turn it. He suddenly hears much banging, and crashing in the room. “What in the world was that?! Riza?! Riza?!” Havoc quickly opened the door. He looks up to see his room generally demolished, his bed crushed, his walls cracked, and a very giant Riza still growing to this second.

“…B…B…BWAAAAAH!” Havoc screams out real loud in intense fear, and runs out of his house onto the street that leads straight to central, “Riza has turned into a monster! Call the military! …Wait, I’M in the military! Don’t make me fight her! Colonel Mustang!!!” He shouted off in the distance.

“Oh my...I better stop him before he causes a riot.” Riza told herself by placing her right hand on her hand, and slowly getting up from the debris that was mostly Havoc’s house. She seems to have stopped growing, and rises to her full height. “Guessing by the building next to me…I guess I’m about sixty or seventy feet.” She looks to see Havoc still running. She then slowly lifts her left leg, and walks. She sees’ no real reason to run since to her she’s walking as fast as Havoc is running. “Havoc, come back!” she orders him, and then follows him.

Central was quite peaceful at the moment. Few men were out in the courtyard talking random things to them. Suddenly, they saw Havoc dashing through the courtyard yelling his little lungs off, and his hands rose in the air.

“It’s the end of the world! I’m dead! I’m DEAD!” He shouts before he finally enters the building itself.

“What do you propose was wrong with him?” asked a fellow military man to another. None of them could provide an answer, and shrug when they couldn’t tell anything at all. However, their ears were soon greeted to strong thunderous pounding the ground as they looked down the street to see a giant Riza approaching them from beyond. The men scatter about, and flee the place in fear of this giant woman. Havoc, on the other end, was running down the corridors of the building, and tries to find Colonel Mustang.

“Mustang, where are you?!” Havoc screeched out, weeping. He quickly saw a door, and opened it. “Oh thank goodness sir, you are here!!!”

Mustang was sitting in his chair with Falman in front of him in another. “What is wrong, Havoc? You looked like you’ve seen something horrible like a ghost or something.” Mustang joked, rising to pat his shoulder.

“I’m not lying to you! Riza, she…she…” Havoc stops as he has a huge gap in his mouth.

“What’s wrong now, Ha-…?” Falman stops too. He is sweating, and twitching his nose a lot. Mustang takes notice of Falman, and badgers them both.

“Okay, I’m tired of this foolery right now! Whatever you are seeing is probably in your minds. I can’t believe that you would buy into this little gag, Falman!”

“Beg your pardon?” Mustang replies. Havoc grabs Mustang’s shoulder, and turns him around to face the window so he can see out to witness the sight of a very, very tall Riza Hawkeye. “Oh…I guess…I see where you’re coming from…” He apologizes to his men, and exits the building to greet the ‘new’ Riza.

“…Hello, Havoc.” Riza says, having her hips on her waist, tapping her huge foot down so it makes a slight rumbling through the ground as Havoc knees shake with such fear. Havoc leaps behind Falman.

“Man, Riza, you sure got big!” Mustang joked, “You definitely look like a higher up to me! Heck, you could make up about fifty Führers!” Havoc’s mouth was wide open, Falman was sweating a lot. Riza’s eyes were glaring straight down at Mustang with a little passionate hate. Oh dear…

“Colonel, I don’t think we should joke about something like this!” Havoc warned.

“Oh come on, she’s a subordinate. No matter how tall she is, she doesn’t really have any power over us. However, we’ll probably need a huge mini-skirt sewn for her. A really huge one.” Mustang quipped, laughing his head off. Riza stomps her foot hard next to him that it literally shakes the ground around him that he falls. “What the…Riza, what are you doing?!” Mustang shouts as he slowly rises.

“I’m tired of you prancing around acting you’re all high and mighty,” Riza shared, cracking her knuckles as she stands back, “I wish to play a little something. I want to see if you are truly worthy of this title you have been beseeched upon you, Colonel.”

“I accept. Name the game, First Lieutenant.” Mustang responded, and put much emphasis when he said the last two words of his sentence.

“Survive…from me.” Riza continued, “If you are truly as of high rank, you could survive a long time against any form of harsh attack. So, you just have to out last me for about…” Riza stops, and looks at the sky, “I give you…six hours. It should be about 5:00 P.M. by then.”

“Don’t worry. I am the Flame Alchemist, and we surely won’t lose!” Mustang cheered them on.

“Thanks for reminding me…” Riza boomed out as she picked up Mustang with her left hand. “Today, you’re not having the Flame Alchemist to rely on…” she told him as she turned him upside to make his white gloves that have transmutation circles fall out of his pockets onto the ground. She then sets him back down on the ground. “Now, I give you a one minute head start…go and hide. Please enjoy yourselves.” Mustang sweats at not having his gloves, and grabs Havoc and Falman to run off from there…About a few minutes later, the trios of men stopped, and was in an alley way in the city. Havoc was pulling at his hair; Falman was sitting thinking, and Mustang was having his hand on his chin.

“What are we going to do guys?! We’re done for! Can we really last that long?!” Havoc asked them as he was running down, and up the alley in a fit of fright.

“If you don’t stop moving, she’ll hear you and get you.” Falman advised. Havoc froze in his tracks, turned white, and sobbed silently.

“Well, she told us we have until nine. I figured if at least one of us can make it, we still win. It’s all about increasing the chances on our side.” Mustang explained.

“I guess that makes sense…” Falman shares, and rises off the box, “I guess we get to it. We’ll meet again, hopefully. Good luck.” He starts to walk off.

“Listen. You are Jean Havoc, Second Lieutenant of the State Military. You show no fear, you receive no fear, and you are strong…got that?” Mustang asked him in a commanding voice.

“Y-yes, you’re right! I have nothing to fear!” Havoc tells himself, pounding his chest.

“Good. We’ll meet again.” Mustang says with a smile as he dashes off in the distance to go his own way. Havoc puts his hands in his pocket as he walks off too.

“He’s right…I’m in the military! I’m supposed to focused, and sharp-minded. I can’t let anything cloud my thoughts with fear! I am strong!” Havoc tells to himself as he pulled out a match and a cigarette. He lights it, and puts it in his mouth. He begins to move around like he’s some kick boxer or something. “I am tough, and I will succeed!” Havoc moves out into the street, practicing his punch. “If the Colonel says I can do anything then by the gods, I can do anything!” He closes his eyes, and punches across himself.

“Nice jab…” a loud voice said from above him. Havoc’s eyes opened, and they were wide. He sees what he had punched was a…giant boot. He slowly bends his head back as he saw a giant Riza staring down into his eyes with a giant smile.

“…I’m doomed…” Havoc mumbled to himself. He tried to turn away, and run down the alley, but bumped smack dab into her right hand. Riza then clutched her hand around him, and quickly lifted him up to her face. Havoc felt nausea as he was quickly pulled so fast. “Y-you’re going to kill me…right?” Havoc closes his eyes, and waits.

“…No.” Riza whispers to him, laughing a bit. Havoc opens his eyes, and looks into her large eyes.

“…Really?!” Havoc asked, crying from relief, “wait then, why are you doing this?” Havoc then noticed that Riza stopped clutching him, and placed him in the palm of her hand as he was sitting down in it.

“Well…I’m not going to do anything to you or Falman…” Riza explained to him, rubbing the back of her short blonde haired head.

“…Someone has to keep him in line.” Riza replied in tone with a grin, and staring eyes off in the distance.

“I know you’re still angry from earlier. Can’t you let what he said pass you? We have got to find the Elric brothers, so they can change you back to normal…”

“I’m afraid I can’t let that happen. Not now at least. We’ll do it later, but I must do this…Mustang is in for the ride of his life…” Riza tells him as she starts walking forward. Havoc tries to hold his ground, and makes sure he doesn’t fall off.

“I’d let you go, but unfortunately, I can’t count on you NOT to tell the Elric brothers so that they come here. Instead, I’ll just keep you somewhere safe for the moment.” Riza opens a small pouch on the front of her uniform, and slides Havoc down in there. Havoc turns kind of red as he feels her chest against him in the pouch.

“Consider it thanks for letting me rest at your house.” Riza then starts moving along, and looks for more officers.

Mustang was running down an alley way. He turned down an alley from the street, and jumped into a pile of garbage to hide. “This is degrading…I’m a Colonel for sake!”

“Its weird how things like this seem to happen.” a voice said next to him. Mustang looked over to a box, and saw Falman. Mustang rose from the pile, and dusted himself off.

“I’ve bee here for probably a majority of the time. I haven’t seen Havoc though…”

“I’m sure he’s alright. He’s a resourceful person. But I’m thinking we should try to find some other place to hide in this place. We only have three hours left and Amestris is only so huge…”

“Why, yes it is.” said a voice from above. Falman and Mustang look above to see Riza.

“…Scatter!” Mustang orders as he and Falman separate into two directions, running off to avoid being caught.

“Oh, no you don’t!” Riza booms out as she tries to grab onto Mustang. Mustang sees’ a hand coming, and rolls to the left out of the way, and runs down the street. Falman begins to run off, but quickly stop as his nose twitches.

“…I smell…cigarette smoke coming from her…Havoc?!” Falman shouts in a mono tone, trying to receive an answer. He runs after Riza by her side as she walks, looking at the front pocket pouch to see Havoc pop his head from within.

“I was…first to be caught! However, it’s not what you think! It’s actually okay! Riza isn’t going to hurt me or you!”

“Well…most of us! She still has some grudge against Mustang from earlier!” Havoc finishes. Mustang in front heard of all this, looks back, and yells in a furious tone of his own.

“Are you kidding me, guys?! That was just joking! Seriously she can’t be serious?!”

“I’m very, very serious…” Riza grinned, and stomped her foot on the ground very hard the ground underneath her cracked. Vibrations occurred in homes as pictures fall, furniture moved, windows shattered, and other dangerous things happened. Mustang fell face first on the ground, and slowly rises, holding his face in pain. “My, my, those skills…I don’t think I would even call you a petty officer…”

“Riza, what are you doing? You’re being kind of…hard.” Havoc told her. Riza picked him from his pocket, and set him gently down next to Falman. She patted both of them with her giant left hand, and smiled.

“Stay good…not if you excuse me…” Riza rumbled as she turned to witness Mustang back up and on the run again. She smirks, and stretches her legs. She then begins to run at a speed, making the whole ground rumble underneath her weight. Falman turns to Havoc, and asks him everything he knows.

“She’s soft…” Havoc says at first with his mind set in another plane for a second. Falman didn’t catch on at first, but then looks at him with closed eyes. “S-sorry…” Havoc explains how all this went down in a nutshell from the beginning of what the Elric brothers told them to the current situation. “What I do not understand is how she changes much? At some points she is happy, yet at some points she seems angry or violently playful.”

“When the Elrics did that whole alchemy, I’m suggesting everything grew at an abnormal rate. In terms, that means she could possibly be producing hormones at a greater rate than the normal human body does.” Falman suggests.

“…So basically, she’s dealing with larger than life mood swings?” Havoc thinks.

“That’s basically what I’m explaining. It makes sense…she’s happy towards us, for we hadn’t done anything bad to her. She was exceptionally kind to you for you took good care of her during the early stages of this…”

“Her view on his is probably like a little boy. He was rude to her, so I guess she’ll anything like any ‘big’ woman and try to beat manners into him…extreme methods or not. She’ll probably exit this phase when her body starts to get used to regulating gratuitous amounts of them”

“We don’t have that kind of time, Falman! Let’s get the hell out of here, and find them quick!” Havoc commands as he grabs Falman’s arm, and dashes off trying to follow them.

“I can’t shake her!” Mustang curses as he tries to hide into certain spots. Riza keep following him, bashing into a few buildings, denting or knocking down a few walls. Mustang barely stays a few steps ahead of her, and leaps back onto the street to run down it again. Riza looks around, and notices a large fountain in the path of Mustang. She gets an idea, and leaps far ahead of him. Mustang’s eyes turn white as he falls on his back, and turns the other way.

“You look very exhausted. Let’s help hydrate you, Roy…” she laughs as he uses her left hand, and completely rips the fountain so that the water spurts from the ground at a strong force. She throws the fountain in front of Mustang to stop him from running. Mustang turns around, and stares at her.

“Here you go!” Riza echoes as she cups her hands, and puts it over the geyser of water, aiming it so that the blast is mostly redirected forward at Mustang. The water, while less powerful likes this, is flying at extreme force. Mustang is hit by the water, and is blasted back to hit hard against the rock hard fountain. Mustang tries to break free, but the water keep him held back against the fountain. He also can’t take in a fresh breathe of air as the water just keeps pounding at him. Riza, after a few seconds, finally removes her hands. Mustang falls to his knees with both his hands on the ground to support him, as he coughs up water.

“I guess that was a little too much, huh?” Riza whispered as she walked in front of him, bending down to look at him. She picks him up by the collar of his uniform, and stands him up. “You little pretty tired…funny, a Colonel should have energy to do any orders handed upon him…” Riza teased as she kept looking at him with her giant eyes. “Got anything to say at this moment, Mustang?”

“Nothing, but see you later, Riza!” Mustang quipped as he run forward at her, and slid underneath her between her legs as she was bent over, barely avoiding getting sat on. He then quickly spun up, and run off on a street that leads towards central.

“I don’t think going to that building will save you from me…” Riza glares with a grin as she quickly follows him towards central.

It was not almost thirty minutes till 5:00 P.M. and Mustang was entering the courtyard of central building. He looks around the place, and hears for any noises. He doesn’t see Riza or anyone in sight. He witnesses some old footprints in the ground, cracked earth, and dust everywhere. It looked like a total mess.

“Wow…whatever happened to her…she became strong…but different.” Mustang told himself as he grasped his right shoulder in pain. “These confrontations have left me battered…I don’t think I can continue.” Mustang walks over to a tree in the courtyard, and sits under it. The shade feels good as his sweat cools him down. However, he still breathes heavy, and his body aches with pain. He begins to drift off into open space as he looks at the sky.

“You look so peaceful…yet, that must change, formal Colonel…” Riza badgered as she stomped into the courtyard entrance, looking at where Mustang is resting underneath the tree.

“Riza…” Mustang mumbles as he slowly rises, and walks from underneath the tree. Riza takes one giant step, and is before him. He looks at her feet, and then looks up her entire body. “…” He breathes heavily, and turns around to try to move away.

“Oh Roy…someone has to keep you in a straight manner.” Riza gets on her knees, and grabs Mustang with her left hand, and then adds her right hand into the mix, clenching him in an inescapable grip.

“Riza…stop…” Mustang asks weakly as he sweats over his face, and twitches in pain.

“I’m afraid I can’t that, Mustang…” Riza exclaims to him as her grip slowly increases. Mustang mouths clenches tighter and his eyes turn wider as he feels the pain being brought up to him. Mustang makes many noises as he grumbles, and moves about trying to free himself. “You can move, you can use fire, you can gravel, but you can’t get free from me…”

“GAAAAH!” Mustang yells out trying to break free, feeling more pain being inflicted upon him. Havoc and Falman arrive on the scene, but are no sure wither they are too late or not to do anything.

“Riza, you got to stop this! You’re killing him!” Havoc warns her as he runs to get beside her. He sees’ Riza turn her head at him, and looks at him.

“Come on, Havoc, don’t you agree?! The Colonel is just a big jerk. All he likes is having the higher position. He’s just…he…is-”

“Nothing…” Mustang managed to cough out. Falman and Havoc tilts their heads in unison as they heard Roy speak. Riza’s glare seems to fade as her eyes turn into a more relaxing look, and tilts her head at him.

“It’s true. I like higher position. I enjoy being the Colonel. However, I couldn’t have reached this far and maintain myself had if not been for those who have been loyal to me the entire. I wish all of them were here to speak of their own greatness…but…Falman…you are a smart person who anyone who lacks ‘on hand experience’. You would always check things, and make sure they were accurate.”

“Havoc…you are one of my most loyal followers. We’ve been through many tough ordeals. For some reason, I’ve become accustomed to your smoke around. It lets me know that you’re by my side.” Mustang continues on. He coughs a lot, and tries to retain his composure.

“Colonel Mustang, that…means a lot coming from you!!!” Havoc shouted as his eyes were clenched tight shut, and his cigarette falls out of his mouth as he said with slight tears down his face.

“…You did keep me in line. I may usually crack jokes of such, and sometimes act as though I’m degrading people through my mannerisms, I just wish to make everyone energized…happy so to speak. Making it so they can enjoy themselves no matter what falls to them. You did help me stay in line from going overboard on dangerous things that I could’ve done. Your gun skills have helped protect my back through many encounters of different types of enemies. We’re a great little squad we are…strong, and close. Facing challenges no matter what they could possibly be. I’m sorry, Riza. I’m sorry about those taunts earlier. I realize what kind of brash, idiotic statements I said now…how they made you feel less valuable. I should’ve thought before I made any of my comrades feel that way about themselves…I give…a sincere apology to you.” Mustang finishes as his breathing turns lighter, and less frequent.

“Mustang…I…don’t know what to say…” Riza was looking at the ground, thinking, and smiling a bit as her eyes turned very bright from hearing his speech. She closes them and raises her face. “I accept…Roy…I want to say…Roy” Riza slowly opened her eyes and looks at Mustang.

“…” Mustang was silent as he didn’t seem to be moving, and his head was dangling forward on its own.

“…Mustang? Mustang?! ROY?!” Riza boomed out from her voice as she quickly eased her grasp and opened her hands open so he lies there in the palms of both her both. She hugs him close to her, and holds onto to him.

“Colonel Mustang!!!” Havoc bellowed out with his hands on his head. Falman remained speechless as was watching the whole ordeal.

“I still can’t believe this all happened…it’s my fault…” another voice shared.

Suddenly, Roy Mustang rose from his back, and looked around hastily. He saw he was currently in a white room lying in a blue bed covered in blue sheets, a desk, and many chairs. He saw Jean Havoc, Vato Falman, and the Elric brothers, Ed and Al. He hold his right arm tight with pain and winches at it.

“You’re in central’s medic room, its eight now. You were quite banged up they said. You were out for almost five hours. Five broken ribs, and suffering to the right arm. They said it should heal in about two to three weeks with the medicines they left for you.” Falman shares with as he gives a relieving smile.

“We…heard about what happened. It was mostly our fault you’re in such a cruddy shape.” Edward explains, “You see, we’re the ones who accidentally made Riza…well, rise in height.”

“You did that? I must admit, you’ve been developing odd, new tricks.” Mustang tells.

“We’re really sorry, Mustang! I hope you’ll forgive us…” Alphonse said with his head down, looking at the floor with his hand together.

“…I do.” Mustang gives a small smile, but then thinks once more. “…Where is she?”

“…” Roy Mustang summoned much strength and rose to his feet as he saw himself dressed in white pants, and shirt, basically what hospital clothes look like.

“Whoa, what are you doing?!” Edward badgers him, “Sit back down, and rest!”

“You’re in no condition to walk out!” Alphonse was saying, agreeing with his brother.

“…He has to do something. You need to understand…” Havoc added as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

“Thank you…guys.” Roy gives his deepest sentiments, and then walks out the door and down the hall.

“So, you think after everything is done with, you can return Risa to normal tomorrow?” Havoc asks Edward.

“I’m probably can if this thing worked out so well…wait, why wait till tomorrow?” Edward expressed.

“Trust us…we know what we’re doing.” Falman finished as he turned their attention towards a window…

Riza was sitting in the courtyard looking at the stars in the sky, the light of the moon making her seem like she was glowing. Her eyes were filled with depression. Her blonde hair was as in its usual style. She had her arms wrapped around her knees which were up against her chest.

“Riza…” Roy mumbled out to her as he kept walking. Riza’s ear twitched as she slowly turned her head to see Mustang, but then slowly turns her head back around.

“…Hello.” Riza said at a low level. Roy walks all the way to her across the entire courtyard. He winches in pain a bit but he eventually manages to sit on the ground next to her. “…Why are you pushing yourself just to talk with me?”

“I do it because you’re absolutely worth it.” Roy explains honestly as he looks up at her.

“I don’t know what came over me…that whole process…those different feelings earlier…it was just pure madness.”

“But you didn’t, you know. You overcame those urges. You deserve to be a Colonel. No, you deserve to be a Major General yourself!”

Roy pats her side, “You helped me…we helped each other. That’s what comrades do for each other.” He smiles at her. Riza looks down at him, and laughs a bit. She lifts her left hand up to gently carry Roy, “Whoa, whoa, what are you doing?” Mustang asks, nervously.

“You need a more comfortable spot to rest…how’s this?” Riza whispers as she stretches to lie down, and sets him on her chest. Roy tries to hide his face, and lies down slowly upon.

“It’s probably…one of the most comfortable spots that I’ve ever slept on…” Mustang replies in a quiet tone as he soon drifts off into a deep slumber. Riza smile as she uses index finger to rub his head.

“Rest…’Colonel’ Roy Mustang…you’ve had a hard day…”Riza thinks as she looks down at him, watching him sleep in a peace that brings her being…much joy.