A Lesser Known Incident

Chapter 2

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Six days went by since Roy's departure, and Hughes was feeling antsy. The targeted location was to be traveled by truck for two days through a discreet route and the rest of the distance had to be traveled by foot to avoid being conspicuous. Really, the mission was simple, sounded simple. But his gut told him that there was more to it than what met the eyes.

His deduction told him that Roy would have to return within a week, but this was the sixth day and there was no news about Roy. Hughes worried his lips as he paced about his tent, trying his best to not think about the worst case scenario.

To the military (and the Führer), Roy Mustang was one of the youngest and most brilliant state alchemist. This indirectly meant that he was a weapon to them; to be used to gain means to an end with no regards to his being as a human. He has been with Roy since almost the beginning of the extermination process, and he had seen with his own eyes how it affected him.

Though, for better or for worse, Roy had become accustomed to the death his alchemy caused ( a single snap of his fingers could kill thousands within a blink).

But despite that, Roy was just a man. He was dangerous but not invincible. So if anything happened to him, if anything went wrong......

"Captain Hughes?"

Hughes whirled around, and immediately flinched at the sting of pain that bloomed in his thigh due to the sudden movement.

"You shouldn't pace around, sir. You should rest," the same voice stated drily.

Hughes opened his eyes (when did he close them?) and blinked. Riza Hawkeye stood before him with her perpetual poker face.

"Ah... Hawkeye... what're you doing here?"

"Just came back from the Frontline," the sniper gestured at her rifle. "I was hoping to meet Major Mustang."

"He left for a solo mission a few days ago, should be returning soon though."

"Oh."

"...."

"...."

"...."

The awkward silence wasn't helping his nerves. He turned to start pacing again but hissed when his aggravated wound made itself known once more.

"Sit down," Hawkeye said.

"Huh? Oh I—"

"Sit. I'll sit too," and she sat down on the cot. Resigned, Hughes sat down beside her, keeping a respectful distance between them.

He did a once over at Hawkeye. Now that he observed, it was evident that she came over immediately after returning. She was absently picking at her dirt caked nails, her blonde hair was matted with dirt, and her white cloak along with her uniform was smeared with what most probably was - even though she looked unharmed - dried blood.

He first heard about her from Roy in their student days, who had spoken many a times about his childhood sweetheart whom he had met during his apprenticeship under Berthold Hawkeye. The photo he was shown was of two children grinning widely and looking at the camera with sparkling eyes. But the girl he met at the battlefield had no trace of the dainty little girl from the photograph. Rather, she was a war hardened soldier who had the same lifeless, dull eyes (eyes of a killer) as the rest of them.

He sighed and took off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. He couldn't block out the awful thoughts that were running around in his mind in an endless loop. As much as he hated this war, he hated being out of duty even more, feeling useless at being unable to help or do something.