The Hawk's Unwavering Flame

Riza's Secrete

Riza sat with her back to the wall, listening to the sounds of her friends shouting. Pride had told her that they tried to kill him, and of course failed. Her back aches with whip marks and her eyes were sore from straining to see by the dim light of occasional fire. She had never told anyone, not even Roy, but she had picked up a little flame alchemy for herself. She never used it in front of other people, not even in the fight against Father. It hadn't been her time to burn. Now it was. She created a bright flame in her palm, melting the cell bars and crawled out of her prison. She stretched and groaned with pain. Her back wasn't going to stop aching. Hawkeye crept down the long stone halls, taking random lefts and rights, following the sound of battle. No one stopped her, no one was there at all. This was odd to Riza.

...

Roy's group had rested from their travels a tunnel or two away from the entrance to Pride's lair. Someone kept watch at all times. The next morning, or so they thought it was because it was pitch black in the tunnels, they packed up and left for the stairs again. This time they used no flame. They felt their way along the left side of the tunnel, following the wall. Every once in a while someone would trip over dynamite, or stumble on uneven ground.Ling kept an eye on May, and Scar kept an eye on the rest, watching their backs. Roy lead the group back to the stairs where they paused to have a heated discussion.

"How are we going to find her?" Ling asked, unable to trace someone who isn't a homunculi. "Once we kill Pride, the Chimera's will tell us." Ed said, believing that they chose sides based on who was winning at the moment. "We can't just charge in there." Winry whined, holding tight onto Black Hayate, who starting whimpering. "The dog!" Al shouted. "Shhhhh!" Roy hushed him."We can use the dog!" Everyone looked at the dog, who gave them a doggy grin. Winry hugged the pup. "I knew I brought you for a good reason!" "Let's worry about the bad guys first." Olivier barked. They then filed one by one down the stairs, just to run right into a group of Chimeras. "Damn it!" Ed spat, and fell behind with Ling and May. His alkahestry still wasn't good enough to fight on his own. He was about at equal with Al when he had first gotten his body back. Scar stepped to the front with Roy, and Winry moved to the back with Black Hayate.

...

Riza came around the last corner to find all her friends fighting the Chimeras. But where was Pride? He hadn't hesitated to attack last night, they'd told her so. That's when she planned her escape. She hid the flame in her palm when Roy turned to see her. He gasped, and nearly got taken out by a claw. Winry whistled, and tossed a gun at her. Riza caught it and turned to shoot, but something wrapped her ankle, and she went down. It drug her back down a tunnel, and tossed her into the shadows, leaving her in a heap. She was dimly aware of Roy screaming for her. "LIEUTENANT!!!" She couldn't move. Whatever grabbed her had temporarily paralyzed her. Then everything went black.

...

Black Hayate squirmed in Winry's arms when Riza was taken away. Roy's pure hateful scream shuddered her ear drums. Everyone faught harder, and she had to hold tighter on the pup to keep it from running until the Chimeras were dead. Al finished off the final goon, and they all sank against the wall. Roy had tears on his face, but he made no sound. "Let's go." Edward spoke quietly, and took Black Hayate from Winry, setting the dog on the ground. Everyone stood and followed the dog down the dark tunnel that Riza had vanished through.