The Hawk's Unwavering Flame

whispers

Riza sat silent, in her too empty house and stared at the wall. She hadn't forgotten the warning she had been given by Salim Bradley, about his shadows always watching her. The military had decided that they would give the kid a second chance, under the love and care of his mother, without the influence of wrath. Riza was unsure about the ability of humans to get along with homunculi. If they were evil, Salim wouldn't forget the threat he had made to Riza. She was still afraid to be alone. So Riza spent every waking hour she could at work. When she had to finally go home, she held onto her dog, and thought of her Fuhrer. "He'll keep us safe." She whispered to the dog, reassuring herself more than the pup. 

...

The next morning when Riza returned to work, she rushed the coffee to Mustang's office, knocked once and placed the cups on his desk. She saluted and sat when she was dismissed. "You look tired lieutenant." Roy commented, sipping his favorite coffee that Riza had brought. The lieutenant sipped her drink, and sighed. She sometimes hated that he could read her like an open book. "I didn't sleep good sir, that's all." She held the coffee cup tight, to hide the shaking of her hands. He nodded and looked back down at his reports, but she could see  a tension  in his shoulders now. Riza hated bringing pain on him. Roy thought of everyone but himmself first, and she had too much emotion for him to think of. "I'm going to practice. Do you need anything?" Riza asked, standing shakily. He shook his head and waved her on. The lieutenant walked quickly to the training rooms with her gun on her shoulder. People glanced respectfully at her as she passed, and it made her feel self assured. She felt most focused when aiming her gun, and focus was what the lieutenant needed most right now.

Roy slouched in his chair right when his first lieutenant left the room and closed the door. He hated seeing her like this, and he knew there was something she was hiding. He had known her too long for her to hide from him. Right as he fixed his composure, his second lieutenant walked in the room without knocking. "Mustang, there's been a report of homunculi activity." Havoc was urgently writing notes as he walked. Roy's eyes widened. "Where?" He growled. "In Central!" Havoc spat and sank into the chair Riza had vacated. "What the hell is happening?" The flame alchemist had sparks flying from his hands, and his face was full of rage and guilt. There goes my anger again... He thought to himself. "We're unsure. There was a death in downtown today, and our posted state alchemist detected homunculi magic." Havoc rubbed his eyes in frustration. This caused Mustang to instinctively touch his eyes,still  shocked to be seeing again. "Let's go investigate then." Roy stood abruptly and radioed to tell Hawkeye to stay in the building and watch over things. He didn't give her all the details. Then he and Havoc departed swiftly. 

Riza returned to the Fuhrer's office to watch over the phone and finish the reports he had left for her. After about an hour of this, she heard a noise. When the lieutenant looked up, the room went mostly dark. "Hello?" said a voice. Riza jerked out of her daze and shuddered with sudden cold. "Who's there?" She asked shakily. Riza was afraid of the dark. "Do you remember me?" The voice aksed, high pitched and evil. She nodded, knowing the creature could see her "You're here to finish me off then?" Riza asked, not letting the thing know she was afraid of it. "Not yet. This is a warning. I haven't forgotten you, and I've taken an interest in your Fuhrer. Tell anyone and you die." Hawkeye swallowed hard, and turned away to look at the faint sunlight through the window. When she turned around, the whispering shadow had left. "Great." Riza moaned and sank back in her chair. Just great... The murder was just a distraction. She thought to herself.