A.N.: Hey I guess I'm back with another story. I felt bored and wrote this. It's going to be very Riza centered, with some implied Royai of course. It takes place after the manga. So if you haven't read the whole thing, there's going to be some spoilers! Beware! Please be nice with me... and I hope you like this one too. It's not going to be too long.
After the whole incident in Central with the Homunculus has ended, Roy Mustang was promoted to the rank of General and immediately started working on his project to rebuild Ishbal to its former glory. It was a promise he had made with Doctor Marco in exchange for using the Philosopher's stone to get his eyesight back. However, it was not only the promise that drove him into conducting the project, but also the obligation he felt in doing so. He knew that nothing they did could ever atone for what the amestrisian soldiers had done to the holy land, but it was a start from both sides aiming for the same goal.
In spite of the General's hard efforts, there were still some minorities that opposed his leadership. Most of them were young men that had survived the Ishbal war, yet have lost some or all of their family members. Having lived day by day in slums and small villages, their harbored hatred for the amestrisians continued to grow in silence. The thought of having these soldiers that had taken everything from them trying to rebuild their land was mortifying and humiliating. Worst of all, it was the so-called 'Hero of Ishbal' that was attempting to be their new hero.
With the help of the elders, these young men hadn't acted up against Roy Mustang, but were obviously bitter about his part in this reconstruction. However, it wasn't enough to completely tame their anger. From time to time, they would initiate small attacks aimed at amestrisian soldiers. There hasn't been any deaths up to date, but if their skirmishes continue, complications could arise for the safety of the workers. This left Roy Mustang highly perturbed.
With the advice from his team, he was not to set foot in Ishbal until they had sorted out the problem. Each week, he would send a group of his subordinates to Ishbal to inspect on the progress and get an update on the rebels' pursuit.
"Be careful out there Lieutenant," Roy said with a strict voice.
Riza was about to board the train, but stopped midway. Looking back, she saw the look he gave her, and then nodded.
"Yes, sir." She saluted and went in to find a seat.
Roy didn't like the idea of staying in East City where he couldn't do anything but send out subordinates to do his job. It was infuriating and it irritated him. He knew that if he attempted to go there, Riza would drag him back. With the unknown threat over there, he would have to stay here until it was resolved. Still, he despised the idea of not being able to confirm his subordinates' safety at all times. Although he would never admit it, he truly felt useless, cooped up in an office. After he had watched Riza almost bleed to death in front of him, he would always feel uneasy whenever she was out of his sight.
Roy let out a heavy sight and walked back to his car. It has been a few months since the fight in Central against Father, but everything still felt like it had just happened the day before. His memories were still vivid and he could remember all the details of that day. He cringed as he remembered the blade cutting through her white skin; blood pouring out and the man dragging her around like a corpse. Roy grunted and ran a hand through his hair.
"Are you alright, General Mustang?" asked his driver.
"Yes, I'm just a little bit tired." It was true. Roy had spent a few sleepless nights thinking about the problems in Ishbal. All he could do now was trust Riza with his work and wait for her return.
Riza was reading reports on the more recent attacks on soldiers. They had some patterns that were similar in each case. They would strike at night; beat up their victim, rendering them unconscious and always aiming for an amestrisian. However, the urgency for her visit was because of the most recent case. This time, there was a message that was left at the crime scene. It said: In the name of our God of the holy land of Ishbal, accept your punishment in retribution for your actions. At least that's what the translation of the original message said.
Riza didn't blame them for still being angry. After all, there was no way they could ever undo the past. However, they were trying their best to reconcile with them. They were not there to seek forgiveness, but to fulfill their duty as fellow citizens of the same country. With a direct threat to the General, it was impossible for them to ignore this matter any longer. She had four subordinates assigned to her for this visit, since Roy had insisted she take some men for safety purposes. It seemed that the General did not understand that she was his bodyguard, and very capable of protecting herself. She did not need bodyguards of her own.
After riding the train for four hours, they came to a stop at the newly built station. There, she met some representatives from the construction team that led her towards a car that would bring her and her subordinates to the main office where she could meet with the one leading the project.
As they drove through the streets, Riza had a pleasant view of everyone eagerly working to rebuild the torn land. Harmony and laughter filled the air as the bond between the citizens strengthened. It was truly a good ambiance. But it left her frowning, wondering who could possibly want to ruin this newborn friendship.
Her timing couldn't have been better as she arrived to the head office of construction. Miles and Scar were already there discussing with Gerome, a skilled engineer whom Roy had entrusted with the project. She saluted the major and greeted Gerome and Scar.
"You got here quick. Did General Mustang send you right away when he heard the news?" asked Miles.
"Yes. I'm here to investigate this matter and also get an update on the construction," Riza stated.
Gerome reported all the work they had done since her last visit. Everything was progressing at a fast pace because of everyone's motivation and perseverance. Gerome admitted that the reconstruction was going much smoother than he had predicted.
When his report was done, Riza gave her attention to the two other men to discuss about an important matter at hand.
"The elders gave a message to all the young men recently, but it seems to have been futile. Since we don't know exactly who is involved in the attacks, it's proving to be more difficult than we thought," Miles said.
"They must be a small group of about four or five. If the group were any bigger, it would be harder for them to keep everything hidden. Asking around doesn't help either," Scar said.
"Then our only solution is to catch them in action. At least we know they act at night and only against amestrisians." With that, Riza and the two men discussed the different possibilities they had.
Scar and Miles recruited some trusted ishbalians to help them with the plan. They would take turns scouting the area at night, in hope of catching them. Their team consisted of a few people that had the appropriate skills in this kind of mission, stealth being the most important one. Riza couldn't be of much help since she had to return to East city the next morning. She would have to rely on them for this mission. All they could do now was wait silently.
Riza and her subordinates were warmly welcomed for diner, which was held outside in the center of the town where everybody came to get their food. It was a community project to bring everyone closer together by eating and chatting around small fires, laughing wholeheartedly. Riza was astonished every time she came here, how at ease everyone was and the eagerness they had to share their story. A lot of people were grateful for Roy's devotion to this project and thanked her repeatedly. Some of them made requests for Roy through her. It warmed her heart to know that everyone was accepting his sincere intentions.
"Where is he? Does it take that long to take a piss?" Riza heard one of her subordinates complain.
"What is it Michael?" She asked.
"Ah, Lieutenant Hawkeye. It's nothing serious, ma'am. I was just wondering why Sergeant Norman isn't back from his trip to the restroom." He replied tensely.
Riza looked towards the streets with a concerned frown.
"I'll go look for him."
"Huh? Lieutenant, I'll go since he's probably in the men's-" Riza was already gone before he had the chance to finish his sentence.
Riza walked down the empty streets noting every detail. It was already nighttime and her instincts told her something was out of the ordinary. She was on full alert and the further she walked down the empty streets, the more she felt tense.
Suddenly, she heard some faint noises and rough movements coming from an alley up ahead. She drew her gun and silently approached the alley, with her back against the wall. As she took a peek, she saw three men surrounding a fallen one with a bag over his head.
"That's what you get for coming back here." One of them said breathlessly.
Riza recognized the military uniform on the victim. She came out from her hiding, holding up her gun.
"All of you step away from the man." Her voice was angry and her glare was deadly.
They all looked startled and wary when she jumped out. Slowly they raised their hands and backed away.
"Sergeant Norman can you hear me? Norman!" She tried calling him, still keeping her eyes locked on the other men, but he didn't respond. "Are you the ones responsible for the attacks on the amestrisians?"
None of them made an attempt to answer.
"Everything can go smoothly if you all cooperate with me. Answer my questions and no one will get hurt." She warned.
She could see fear in their eyes, but they still stood their ground and refused to say a word. They were young, probably in their early twenties. The silence was making her impatient. She hated it when people didn't give her what she wanted.
"Look-" she started but jumped back when a gunshot landed in front of her, millimeters away from her feet. Turning to her right, she saw another guy with a gun in his hand, aiming at her. She whipped her gun around to aim back at him, and fired before she felt pain surge through her thigh. She stumbled a bit before regaining her composure and running across the street to another alley.
"Your arm! Are you alright?" She heard one of them ask.
"You fool! What were you doing? This was not part of the plan! Now she knows our faces! Make sure you catch her. She has a wounded leg. She can't go that far. If you can't catch her, than silence her for good."
So that gunner is their leader, Riza thought. She clenched her jaw and cringed at every step she took. She had to get away fast and warn the others. But they would also have to leave the area since the gunshots would alarm the people around. Riza was reassured to know that Norman would be safe.
She knew they were close behind because she could hear scurried steps and their voices, cursing at each other.
Damn, why did it have to be the leg. She was finding it more and more difficult to run as the bleeding continued and her vision faltered.
She rounded a corner, only to be met with a dead end. She leaned against the wall and took heavy breaths. Going back to take another route would be risky but she didn't have much of a choice.
As she was deciding to leave, she noticed a small sewer opening on the ground near a corner. Then she remembered how Ran Fan had escaped from Bradley a few months back and smiled. It was a better idea than to risk going back the same way.
There was nothing covering the hole and the ladder leading downwards were old and rusty. It was probably the abandoned sewer system they had before. Without a second thought, she started to descend the ladder. Her heartbeat thumped harder and faster as the ladder cringed loudly and shook beneath her feet. She was afraid they would hear the noise and at the same time, she was afraid that the ladder would give way. She couldn't see the bottom and didn't know how high she would fall from. Unfortunately, both of her worries came true.
Her footing gave way and she fell with a hard landing to the bottom. The metal bar fell and landed on the cement floor with a loud clank. Riza's eyes widened and she gasped. She held her breath, listening for any noise up above.
"I heard something! Over here!"
She sighed in frustration. This was definitely not her day. She quickly hoisted herself up with a grunt, only to fall again, this time in the water. It was too dark to see anything and she had to feel her way around. Her pace quickened as she hear the voices approaching.
"I'll go down. You guys keep guard."
Riza didn't know where she was going. Every step took an immense effort and the growing pain in her right thigh didn't help. What was worst was the sewer water. It released a horrible stench and it crept up her pants all the way to her wound.
Riza was now racing to escape from the men and against time. She didn't know how much longer she could keep this up.
She slowed down when she thought she had been walking long enough. She came to a stop and listened. There was only silence; an eerie kind of silence. She sighed and felt around the dark for the side, where she could sit and get out of the dirty water.
Riza collapsed in exhaustion on the cement. It was pitch black. She felt around her thigh to evaluate the degree of injury she acquired. The bullet had lodged itself in her flesh, but she could take it out without a light. The only thing she could do was to stop the bleeding and cover the wound hoping that it hadn't yet been infected, which she highly doubted.
When she opened her eyes, her vision was blurry, her head was throbbing and her leg in extreme pain. It took her a few minutes to remember where she was and to get control over her body. What a mess, she thought as she saw her stained clothes.
That's when she realized there was light, at least enough for her to see. Looking to both sides, she saw openings and light coming from the small holes. The light had an orangey color. She couldn't tell if it was sunrise or sunset.
She painfully got up, gripping the wall, and made her way towards the light. However, when she arrived at the opening, the ladder on the side of the wall had all rusted and fallen to pieces. You've got to be kidding me.
She continued walking that way, searching for another opening. After all, sewers had many of them all across the town. If she continued walking she was bound to find another one.
Riza has to rely on the wall for support. She could feel herself growing hot with cold shivers. She felt utterly drained and light-headed. The worst thing was that she was completely lost.
She came across a few more openings, but it was to no avail since there was no way up. It was also starting to get dark, which indicated that it had indeed been sunset. Great, just my luck, she thought. She couldn't believe she had slept through a whole day. She was sure Roy had heard about it and rushed to Ishbal. She sighed, thinking about how he wouldn't ever let her come alone again.
Further ahead, she saw dim light coming from afar that illuminated an intact ladder. She limped faster towards it, thrilled to have found an exit. When she reached the surface, it was close to nighttime and she quickly needed to find a place to stay for the night.
Looking around, she didn't see anything familiar. She assumed it was another small town on the outskirts of Ishbal, or even further away. She came out of an alley very much similar to the one she had entered in the first place. She was met with a busy street, which she assumed was the center of the town. She spotted an inn at the corner of the street and headed towards it, trying to look as normal as possible, but it wasn't that easy with blood smeared all over her pants and the smell that reeked. She avoided the eyes of everyone that stared at her and concentrated on her goal.
The entrance of the small inn was directly in the pub area, where people came to drink and eat their meals. It must've been around suppertime since the room was packed. As her presence was noticed, the room suddenly got quieter as all the eyes observed the newcomer.
She walked to the front desk where a woman stood there, with a frightened look, waiting for her to speak.
"Excuse me ma'am, do you have a phone I could use?" Riza asked.
"Ah, uh, yes." The woman pulled the phone on her desk closer to Riza so she could reach it.
"Thank you. Could you tell me which town this is?"
"This is the town of Stratos."
"Is it close to Ishbal?"
"It's directly south of Ishbal, but we're separated by a chain of mountains, so it take about eight hours by car to go around them and come here. At least that's the fastest way I know."
The sewer must've passed directly under the mountains to reach this town. It must've been quite a large and impressive network to cover all the area in the East. That means she probably walked around for a good two to four hours to reach this place.
She thanked the woman again before calling Roy's office in East City.
"General Mustang's office, secretary Lynn speaking."
"This is Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, may I speak with the General please?"
"Oh, Lieutenant! The General left for Ishbal at five this morning. I was told to tell you to contact him there if you were to call here."
Riza thanked her and hung up after receiving Roy's number in Ishbal. When she called, it didn't even finish ringing the first time that someone picked it up.
"Mustang speaking."
"Sir, it's Lieutenant Hawkeye, I've-" Riza could finish speaking before Roy cut her off.
"Hawkeye! Where are you? Are you all right? What happened?" Roy's voice was frantic and anxious.
"Everything's fine, sir. Right now I'm at an inn in a town called Stratos, south of Ishbal."
"How in the world did you get there? Aren't there mountains? Don't tell me you hiked over them!"
"Of course not sir. It's humanly impossible to cross it in one day's hike. I got through from the abandoned sewers."
"I see. That's more reasonable. I'll send someone to pick you up right away. So you can rest for the night." Roy said with a calm voice. After hearing her voice and knowing she was well and alive, he felt a bit more reassured.
"Sir, I've wanted to report to you about the attackers as soon as possible. They were the ones who attacked Sergeant Norman yesterday night. They're a group of four and armed-"
"Don't worry Lieutenant. We've got it under control. One of them had a gunshot wound in his arm, am I right? I assume it was you. Miles and Scar's men weren't too far from the scene and they've managed to catch them after the gunshots were heard," Roy reassured her. Then he lowered his voice and added, "I'm glad you're safe Lieutenant."
"I'm sorry to have worried you, sir. But you should head back to East City as soon as you can sir. It isn't certain that they were only four. It could still be dangerous."
"Yes, yes Lieutenant. I'll return first thing in the morning. And you, make sure you come back quickly."
"Yes sir. I'll see you tomorrow then."
She hung up the phone and sighed in relief. Everything had gone well. She was glad they had been caught, if not, the chances of them fleeing would've been very high.
"Do you have a open room for tonight, ma'am?" Riza asked the woman.
"Yes we do. What kind of room would you like miss?"
"Just a single. Is there a bathroom connected to it by any chance?" You never knew with small inns in towns like these. Some of them had common bathrooms for each floor.
"Yes they do. Now, I just need to ask you to fill out this form and pay for the room."
Luckily for Riza, she always carried a small wallet on her whenever she travelled and she had just enough money to spend the night here. She filled in the form with her general information and handed it back to her.
"Ok, here are your keys and I hope you have a good rest miss Riza Hawk-" The woman's eyes widened and her smiled disappeared. She stared at the paper and looked like she had just seen a ghost.
Riza frowned upon seeing the woman's strange reaction.
"Is everything all right ma'am?"
The woman looked up slowly. The color of her face was drained and her eyes were red. She stared at Riza with wide eyes.
"Ma'am is there something wrong? Are you okay?" Riza asked with concern. She didn't know what was going on with the woman but she was acting strange.
"Huh? Ah, yes. Everything's fine. Your room is the fifth one to the right when you go up the stairs. Please enjoy your stay." She smiled awkwardly and ushered her towards the stairs.
Riza decided to head upstairs and forget about what had just happened. She was too tired to think about anything right now. She just wanted to clean herself and sleep on a bed. However, she kept remembering the woman's sad eyes when they looked strait at her. Somehow it bothered her, as they seemed strangely familiar. But she just couldn't figure out where she had seen them before. She didn't even know the woman.
In her room, Riza took a quick hot shower with the bandages still covering her wound. After she was done, she tended as best as she could to her thigh. Taking out the bullet had almost made her faint a few times, but she had managed to bear the pain. If it had been in there any longer, it would have probably started to rust. She carefully disinfected it and wrapped it with a new bandage that she took from the first aid kit she found in one of the toilet's drawers.
Having no spare clothes, Riza had no choice but to sleep in her T-shirt and underwear. She hoped Roy would have thought of sending her some new clothes with the people tomorrow morning. It was only when she laid down in her bed that she realized in what condition she was in; her mind was tired and her body was exhausted. The pain was pulsating from her leg to the rest of her body and she felt her fever rise. In the end, the events of the previous day got the best of her and she quickly fell into a deep sleep.
A.N.: So here's the first chapter. I hope it made some of you curious as to what will happen next. Hehe. I'm going to try to make this a good story, so I'll be taking more time to think about the script. But it won't be a long one. So I hope you enjoy it. Please look forward to the next chapter!