tampered | Log; Complete

Hawkeye, however, knew the main part of the City like the back of her hand. She had to, considering the varied routes she took to get from work to what counted as home, and from what counted as home to work again.

And it had been after work that she'd seen that her commanding officer - no matter what the Fuhrer said - had arrived. One thing to talk to him on the network, another thing to see him again. It had been months, and she'd shrugged and put it out of her mind. She'd return home eventually, and she would work with him there again, and that would just be how it went.

But he was here. He was from her world this time. This was the person she knew, who knew her, who shared in her fights and in their goal.

And he was asking to stay on her hospitality.

She'd not wasted time, leaving Hayate behind, and clipping the pistols to her person automatically as she'd left the apartment, slipping down the back door and around towards the fountain, in a speedy but relatively invisible path. And there he was- sitting at a table as nonchalantly as one could expect.

Cross the square at an angle until she reached him. Salute precise, heels together, she spoke. "Colonel."

He was really here.

Roy, of course, had seen her as she started her stride across the square toward him. She was always very easy to pick out of a crowd, but perhaps part of that was how well he knew her. From the painfully erect posture that the military had beat into her, the starched blue uniform and shining brass all the way to the guns he could see strapped beneath her jacket and at her hip. He couldn't hold back a slight smile. It was Riza, alright.

He stood, returning her salute in a very sharp, professional, and at the same time nonchalant manner. He had done it so many times that returning salute was second nature.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye, prudent as always. Good to see you're in one piece, I couldn't be sure over the Network, but . . . " he nodded. "It's good to see you."

There was something altogether too reassuring in how normal this was. How unlike their last meeting this was, she tried not to think.

Salute dropped, Hawkeye allowed her expression to fold into something less formal, eyebrows pulling together.

"I could say the same about you, sir." The last time she'd seen him had been to give him that message, knowing they had both been under tight surveillance. Her eyes flicked to his hand, the scar that traced the back of it. Without a doubt, this was the Colonel she knew.

He had to admit, it was good to see her like this. Without the pressure of the Fuhrer and the homunculi weighing down on them. Without having to second guess if it were safe to be standing here like this.

"Mmm, it's been longer since you've seen me than vice versa, after all." Cavalier as ever, he slipped an arm around her shoulders and smiled down at her. "Perhaps we should go somewhere more private to catch up?" He hoped they hadn't been apart for so long that she would think he was being serious with his blatant come-ons, but the privacy and catching up were pretty serious concerns of his.

While there was no immediate, pressing concern of the homunculi's plot, there was still the ever-present worry that they might be watching or listening.

Hawkeye just managed to keep herself from stiffening- what had the City done to her? - but she wasn't about to let him get away with this. It was enough that she'd agreed to let him stay for a couple days.

She met his smile with an expression so deadpan it could have won awards, reaching across her body to pick up his hand with two fingers, lifting it off her shoulder and holding it an inch or two from her arm for two moments before pointedly dropping it, punctuating the release with a monosyllabic "Sir."

But she was by no means dense, and took a few preliminary steps away from him, route back to her apartment formulating in her mind.

Looking considerably dampened by her stoic shut down of his antics, and grudgingly followed after her, his step noticeably lacking its usual skip. No one could manage to knock him down a notch or two quite as well as Hawkeye always did.

"So cold." He complained as he tagged slightly behind her, trying not to make it too obvious that he didn't have the faintest idea of where they were going. "I see in your case distance has done nothing for the fondness of the heart."

He was following, so she could afford to quicken her pace slightly- the less time spent dawdling when she was en route to her apartment, the better.

"And in yours it's overdone it." The retort was automatic, as she led him in a distinctly different direction than the one she'd approached from, circling back behind the cluster of buildings before stopping at the front door of the second building, pulling open the door and holding it open behind her for the Colonel.

Hawkeye could count on one hand the number of people who had known where she lived at any point in time in the City- even what building she was in, she'd kept secret. But the Colonel had a right to know, and she started up the staircase in front of her. "It's up a few floors."

"You could at least let me down easy, Lieutenant." Roy knew he shouldn't have expected any less in a response from Riza, she'd been handling his antics for entirely too long. So, he let the conversation drop as he headed in the door and up the stairs.

"Nice place, at least these 'deities' were gracious enough for that." He observed, double-checking behind him after every floor in the event that they'd finally reached the one that Hawkeye would declare was hers. "I'm going to assume you have the mind to be less-then-forthcoming with the location?" He asked as they continued up the stairs, primarily to make conversation and secondarily to establish just how tight-lipped he should be about staying there.

"They vary in quality quite substantially. Those with a higher-paying income find better, larger apartments. Mine isn't substantially larger than my apartment in Central." Reporting off details like this while walking was second nature, although usually she was following, not leading. This whole situation was a mess of role-reversals, and it was jarring.

Fifth floor, and Hawkeye stepped off the stairwell into the hallway, stopping still momentarily. Her expression was direct- he should know she wouldn't advertise her location, not with enemies about. "You will be the second person in the City to know where I live."

He would be, in a couple moments, when she walked down to the end of the corridor and unlocked the door marked 500, and intercepted Hayate from jumping at the person following her.

"I knew to expect that kind of security precaution from you, Lieutenant. You aren't the type to skip the small details." Roy commended, following her down the hallway and stopping in front of the door where she had. Building 2, Room 500. Easy enough to remember. The City was pleasantly small enough that he only had to remember a few key areas to familiarize himself with the entirety of it.

"I'll try not to take up your couch for too long, then." He assured as he headed inside, smiling when he saw Black Hayate scrambling around at his feet, smelling his leg and jumping up. He leaned down to pick him up and got knocked in the face with the dog's muzzle. Letting out a groan, he picked Hayate up in one hand and wiped his face off with the other.

"Excited to see me? Moreso than your master, obviously." While his words were directed at the dog in his arms, they were quite obviously aimed at Hawkeye and he spared a smirk in her direction.

"Traitor," Hawkeye muttered at the puppy, not that she begrudged him his exuberance. The dog had been tied outside Central HQ many a time, and she knew that all their crew had paid him visits and snuck him treats on breaks- it'd been some time since Hayate had seen any of them. Or herself, for that matter. But herself she could write off. She was fine. She'd been separated from them even before she'd escaped Amestris, and she was fine.

But it didn't keep her from sending a Look in the Colonel's direction, half glare, half skepticism, eyebrow raised. "Careful, Colonel. I'm being kind enough to give you my couch for a couple days. Don't push your luck."

"I can't help it if even dogs can't resist my charms." Roy chimed, scratching behind Hayate's ears so that the dog panted happily, wagging his tail. After another few moments of this royal treatment, he knelt down to release the canine, who continued to lick at him until Roy stood out of his reach.

"I don't know that that's something to brag about particularly, sir." Hawkeye closed her eyes for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts, think about how to handle this. She'd distanced herself from the last Colonel, whether purposefully or subconsciously, and that Colonel had never stood in her apartment.

...Or she could forget about that, push it to the corner of her mind, and ignore it. Deal with business. So it was after a short pause that she opened her eyes again.

"I don't know how much the others told you about the situation here, Colonel. Beyond the double Amestris and Kimblee showing up, that is."

"As I said before, I was given a guide of the City by one Sir Integral, I was hesitant to acknowledge any information that Kimblee was feeding me and instead confirmed with Barry that you had become the Chief of Police, and that Kimblee was under the impression that he still held his rank from Ishbal."

He paused to move over to the window on the opposite side of the room, looking out it to see what kind of surveillance they could get from the apartment. It was easy to see those who were coming in and going out of the building, which was noted as particularly useful. Hawkeye was, of course, always careful about things like that. He shouldn't have expected any less.

"He also confirmed the presence of the homunculi in the City. Envy contacted me over the Network. I was a little surprised he would come out of hiding so readily, but . . . I suppose they have nothing to fear, do they?" He grimaced, and turned to look back at Hawkeye, lips pursed in a firm line. "Is there any good news?"

"The guide of the City is about as good of an explanation of this place as you'll find. It frequently defies logic. Barry's been quiet lately, but he's helped me in the past."

Hawkeye stayed stationary, leaning against the wall, watching him analyze, process, and decide- whether about the view out her window, the rifle laying in the corner, or the situation at large she had no idea.

"Lust and Envy both are here, and until recently, Greed." She paused, closing her eyes once more. "Neither Lust nor Envy are from our version of events. And they're ...constructed slightly differently." By the time he'd turned, she'd her eyes open to meet his gaze, face inscrutable.

"Edward and Alphonse are both here as well. Neither of them are from our version of Amestris. Edward's slightly older than I remember, and Alphonse...has regained his body."

Like Envy had been saying. Roy swore inwardly, trying not to show his concern. He continued to inspect her security measures as the problem posed by this discrepancy weighed down on him. So, he hadn't been lying in his taunts. He allowed himself to be preoccupied with this until he heard "regained his body." Roy stiffened, eyes slightly wide as he threw a sharp look in Hawkeye's direction.

"Alphonse regained his body?" He asked, disbelief coloring his voice. "How? Do you think a similar method would be effective for the two back home? And, how different would you say the homunculi here are? Structurally speaking, do they require the same principle for death--injury beyond the stone's regenerative capabilities?"

So many questions. He should, perhaps, give her a little more time to reply but he would much prefer an immediate understanding of his surroundings. It was so strange. Edward was here, but not their Edward. Could he be trusted in the same way? This Edward had succeeded where the other was yet to, Al had his body.

Then, perhaps, something had been done about the trouble Amestris was in there. He had to speak with this version of Edward, find out anything and everything that could contribute to their less-then-desirable situation back at home.

The reaction had been expected- it'd been very nearly the same reaction she'd had when she'd seen him. Being accustomed to the kindly suit of armor, seeing the boy was jarring, especially considering... "Alphonse has no memory of how it happened. He's apparently missing approximately 4 years of his life from his memories. Edward was not present, as far as I can tell. So I really can't say whether it would work for the ones we know."

The homunculi- "Significantly different. At home, my shots may not have done much, but they at least slowed them down. Here..." That fight had gone hideously poorly. Her gunshots had done nothing. And Envy had gotten close enough to engage her in hand-to-hand combat. It had not gone well. The blonde shook her head. "They appeared to do nothing." Hopefully that would be the end of that line of questioning- that fight was one she'd rather not relive.

Roy nodded, silent during her entire explanation. His enthusiasm was deflated considerably by the realization that nothing could be gained from the Elric brothers from this other Amestris, but he was even further downcast when he found out that the homunculi were stronger.

"The Elric brothers," he suggested after a moment's silence, running a stressed hand through his hair, "do they know of a more effective way of dealing with the homunculi?" He moved away from the window, seating himself on the arm Hawkeye's couch.

They seemed to be backed into a corner. He couldn't tell Riza the argument he'd had with Envy. There were no second thoughts of him sheltering Hawkeye from Envy's threats, it was important that she not know about that. But, unless he got information from the Elrics, he couldn't really do anything to protect her from him if the time came that he had to. The homunculi in their world were super-powered enough without being immune to bullets and who knows what else.

Hawkeye shifted slightly, one hand rising to press two fingers to her temple, before letting it drop. Her information never seemed to be good, lately, and this was no exception.

"Edward...may. I doubt Alphonse will- apparently he was friends with that version's rendition of Wrath, for a time. Neither of them were about at the time."

At the time- what a way to phrase it. That fight had proven a number of things- that they couldn't afford to keep fighting the homunculi. A pause, and Hawkeye's glance hardened.

"I hope you're not planning on taking them on right away, sir."

Roy looked over, his gaze firm when it met hers. He didn't want to lie to her, but he couldn't make any promises that Envy wouldn't move immediately. He clenched his jaw as he debated his answer, finally speaking.

"I have no intentions of immediately engaging any of them." Delicately worded so that he could not be held accountable for lying if they did, in fact, make a move. "I will take the time to speak with Edward on the matter of eradicating them. Obviously, death is a less-than-ideal solution as it isn't permanent here. We'll have to find a more effective method of dealing with them."

He sat back, sighing and shutting his eyes. This could easily be more complicated than the situation at home. At least there, he knew to not trust anyone within the military and that if he came up across a homunculus, he could destroy it--save the Fuhrer, of course. Which made that man and his goings on Roy's only immediate concern.

Here, however, it would take a lot more careful thought to handle the homunuculi's presence. He couldn't even begin to think how fortunate it was that the Fuhrer had not made an appearance.

His pause was less than promising.

She knew, from watching his post, that Envy had talked to him, taunted him, and it had ended. Maybe. Envy liked his games. She had been one of them for too long, here. But she had thrown up barriers, taken his barbs and tried her best to refuse him the satisfaction of a good reaction. The Colonel was new, Envy's games would still strike deep. Lust's and Kimblee's as well- hopefully Kimblee wouldn't decide to bring the Colonel into things. Some chance of that, she knew.

Her gaze didn't waver as she heard out his reply, keeping silent until he sat back, mirroring his sigh with a barely audible one of her own. The familiar knot of worry resettled in her gut - she couldn't do anything to protect him if she didn't even know what threats he faced.

It was with a slightly softer voice that she finally responded. "All death does here is give a 24 hour respite and a permanent tie to the City. ...I've tried to keep myself uninteresting to them."

Hawkeye moved, finally, to sit at her desk- a spartan affair with the Network device and her own paperwork. Coded, the important things were, but the Colonel would be able to read them. She just needed to sit down, give herself something to do, something else to look at other than the man on her couch posing difficult questions, and who knew her well enough to guess that 'uninteresting' meant she'd put up with too much for her own taste.

Roy paused, covering his mouth with one hand. He hadn't considered it before, but in the time that Hawkeye had been there--nearly a year, hadn't she said?--he hadn't been there to keep them at bay. She'd been on her own, he'd failed to protect his subordinate. He'd failed.

He shut his eyes, holding back the frustrated urge to hit something, because he wanted to hit himself. He'd let her down, and he couldn't even begin to consider what had happened in a place like this in the past year. Her last statement drew up the question that would be hardest for him to ask. Roy didn't even want to consider the possibility, Hawkeye was his right hand. Without her, he wouldn't have nearly enough to support to achieve his goals--to turn the country into something good.

His gaze shifted towards her again, staring at her face. He could see that hidden behind barrier after barrier she was just as distressed by the situation as he was. Which, wasn't promising that it would get any better with time. He sucked in a deep breath, standing and taking a few purposeful strides across the room so that he was standing beside her. He placed a hand that was meant to be comforting on her shoulder.

"Lieutenant," he kept the shaking out of his voice. "You aren't tied to this City, are you?"

She watched him come, wondering what question would come next, looked at the hand on her shoulder.

She would have said something scathing, would have brushed it off with a sarcastic remark and changed the subject, but this was different. He was entirely too serious- and then she heard his question.

Surprise. Her eyes flicked all the way open, looking up at him, she hadn't meant to even hint that she had...died here, she couldn't afford to die here.

As soon as she could muster a reply, she did, a candid "No, sir." flying quickly from her lips. She paused then, purposefully, glancing away from him. "You'd know if that weren't so." The coolness to the touch of the City's deceased and the lack of a heartbeat were telltale signs, and couldn't be easily hidden.

A wave of relief hit him and his grip on her shoulder loosened considerably to reflect that. He still had his best man. He should have known better than to think she'd allow something like that to happen, but with the homunculi around, he reasoned, his worry hadn't been unfounded.

"Well, let's work hard to keep it that way." Was all he said, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice, to remain formal and stoic as an officer was trained to.

"But, tying the homunculi here isn't good enough because that will do us no good. They'll still be a problem while we're here, though it will save those in their world some trouble. We'll need to find a better method of containment. I assume they still have the same individual powers?"

The release of tension was obvious to her trained eye, and a flicker of guilt passed across her face, quickly stifled. She hadn't meant anything by her comment about death here other than the information within it, and something that serious needn't have been something he should have worried about, even for a minute.

Eyebrows still drawn together slightly, she replied, "Of course, sir. I didn't mean to worry you."

"They do, yes. Envy's still a shapeshifter, and Lust is still the Ultimate Lance. I've been keeping tabs on what they've been up to, more or less, but I've a feeling they might be expecting that, so my account is probably extremely incomplete."

"I'm sure your account is as accurate as it can be." Roy complimented, moving to sit back on the couch now that his worry was dispersed. He really should give her more credit than to think she'd get herself killed if he weren't around--she was the best shot the military had to offer, after all.

"I'd be interested in hearing, at the very least, in any public mishaps that involved any of the homunuculi--even the now-absent Greed, if it isn't too much trouble." He paused. "At least in the past couple of months."

Hawkeye let the compliment slide off, reaching back to the shelf of notes she kept on her desk, pulling a sheaf of papers out of a place close to the edge. She'd kept these notes half for herself, and half for him, if he ever showed up.

Flipping through the pages, she caught main words from the documents, and set them down on the corner of the desk. He would know that it was the paperwork he needed, if he chose to look through it. "The homunculi have been fairly quiet recently, which is odd, all things considering. The largest public mishap with the homunculi was the trial of Greed in front of the deities and subsequent conviction on a count of pedophilia. His powers were revoked for a period of two weeks. But that was some time ago. The last time I've come face to face with any of the homunculi was over six months ago."

"Pedophilia? Who was the victim?" Roy had to double back and replay the conversation in his head to make sure what he was hearing was right. The homunculi were surely morally bankrupt, but to believe he would commit an act such as that--especially to think it was the one homunculus who had qualms with what the others had been doing and had gone rogue.

"Though, I would be more concerned that they've been quiet lately. That usually means they're up to something, they're just very good with hiding it."

"A girl named Cheza. She's apparently a flower in human form, and has the mentality of a child. It was not repeated."

Riza nodded. "It's been something of concern. I asked Barry to keep an eye out for things in case they were filtered against me personally, and the Intel department in the Police force has a tip about Kimblee and Envy to keep an eye peeled as well, but I haven't heard anything from either of them."

Something of concern, because her position was visible now. She couldn't hide in the shadows and pretend to be unimportant. She couldn't hide behind her superior's orders. And they knew her rank and would not hesitate to make a fool out of her if they had the chance. Kimblee had already tried.

"Poor girl." Roy murmured, nodding solemnly to show his compassion toward the girl--flower--child.

"I would offer my assistance, but I think we can both agree that anything filtered away from you is likely going to be henceforth filtered from me as well." He pursed his lips thoughtfully, trying to find a more efficient way around the filter. "--Wait." He froze, suddenly directing a sharp look in her direction.

"You said your last face to face contact was over six months ago--when did you come face to face with any of them, and why? You put yourself at risk in doing so, Riza, I assume you had a good reason."

"Most likely." It would be common sense. The Colonel was better known at home in both worlds. It wouldn't be unreasonable to assume anything that might have been available to him would be quickly locked.

His sharp glance this time was one she didn't want to meet, eyes closing and breath exhaling in a sigh.

She didn't want to tell him this. Didn't want to tell him what his previous incarnation had done, and how angry she had been at him for it. How she could think so easily now that it had been the 'other' Colonel after all.

"Seven months ago." She paused. "Your prior counterpart in the City was from the other version of Amestris. We were forced into engaging the homunculi Lust, then from our version of events, and Envy. I was there because I would not let you- him- go into a situation like that alone."

She would not mention that it had been herself who had been threatened with the direst threat. It had been herself who had been threatened with pain and suffering until they killed her in front of him. It hadn't happened. He hadn't known, even then, what she had been threatened with. They'd barely made it out of it alive.

Roy found himself less and less pleased with her explanation of the events the more she explained. Not one, but two homunculi had revealed themselves. Lust alone would have been no trouble for him now that he knew how to deal with her, but he couldn't have any guarantee that his counterpart had similar experience and for Hawkeye to just go charging into battle with him, unprepared and undoubtedly blind to what they could be facing.

He gritted his teeth, trying not to react as angrily as he felt he should. In 98% of cases, he could trust Riza's judgment to be better than his own. He could trust that she would take the actions that would be best for everyone involved and that would end in the least casualties, even more often there would be no casualties when she was heading up an operation.

However, in this case, there was no progression of events that could ever lead her to feel it was logical and best for all of those involved for her to throw herself in danger against the most bloodthirsty of the homunculi. Envy had been the one to kill Hughes, hadn't she realized that by now? He could have just as easily done away with her and made it look completely unrelated to them. He clenched his fists, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye," he began, voice quite stern to reflect his displeasure. "I am disappointed in the actions you have seen fit to take against the homunculi in the City. What could have possibly possessed you to make you believe that this other version of me was reliable in any way as a partner? Not to mention the high possibility of City death and the consequences thereof. It is through plenty of luck compounded on your skill that you aren't tied to this godforsaken place." He shook his head.

"I expected more sense of self-preservation out of you."

She should have expected this.

She honestly, truly, should have expected this. But seeing him there, sitting on her couch, he could have been sitting behind his desk in Central, he could have been laying in a hospital bed, the anger that was there was real. And it was gutwrenching every single time she found it directed at herself.

Because it meant she had failed him in some major way. And failing him was the one failure Riza Hawkeye could never accept from herself.

She closed her eyes, eyebrows drawn together, her own hands balled into fists in her lap.

When she found her voice again, she could open her eyes, could look at him once more. Barely. Could almost keep the tremor out of her voice. "Do you think I don't know that, Colonel? Do you really think I wanted to go fight them like that? That I would throw my life away here, in this place?"

Her lip shook. She bit it. Her eyes were going to betray her in a moment, and she closed them. Damn it. He had no idea how much that alternate version of him had jarred her, how many times things had struck her as deeply, wordlessly wrong.

And finally the burst of words she'd held back spilled out- he might think less of her as a subordinate, and if that were the case she would have to do all in her power to redeem herself, to let herself be worthy of their promise- but. Her face had lost all shielding, now, this was too close to her heart for lies, and the confliction she'd felt all the way through those months read clearly on her face.

"What was I supposed to do, Colonel? Just let him go die? I can't do that! I couldn't just...turn my back on him."

Her words only proved to make him more frustrated, more infuriated. Not with her, which made him feel an immense guilt for taking it out on her like he was, but with himself. Because, had he been here in the City at the time, she wouldn't have had to worry about it. She wouldn't have had to look at that other version of him and think that he was still Roy Mustang.

He stared hard into her eyes, trying to find something that would relieve the guilt of letting her down, relieve the frustration he felt that he couldn't have been there to protect his subordinate as he'd promised to do.

Roy couldn't take that kind of failure on his part. He couldn't stand to let down the one woman who had given up everything to stand beside him, to push him up the ranks with the promise of her gun awaiting him should he fail. And, here, he had failed.

". . . I should have been here." He muttered finally, covering his mouth with his hands and directing his gaze at the carpet. His elbows were propped on his knees so he could appropriately cover his face, mask his shame.

"If I had been here, I could have prevented this. You wouldn't have had to risk your life. You should never have to put yourself at risk for me, Riza. Not even another version of me." He looked at her again, finally. "You're not allowed to die before me." Too many good men had already fallen because of him, and she wasn't going to add to that count.

This was heartwrenching. She was willing to accept that she had been wrong, if only she could see what she should have done instead. How she could have justified not standing by the earlier version of him, who resembled him too perfectly, who was him and yet was not him. Who remembered their past and yet knew nothing about their present. What else could she have done, but stand by him? But offer her gun to him?

And if he was trying to find something in her eyes, she was trying to find the answers in his, feeling as though the path she'd taken so far had shaken and blurred beneath her feet, only to vanish in the face of his anger, lost to the shadows.

He should have been here? No. Never. She should have been there, she should have stayed in Amestris, should not have strayed out of the watching shadows in Central, should not have been able to go where he could not lead her. How many times had she told her friends that she would not wish him here? She would not. She had told herself, time and again, that as long as he stayed in Amestris, as long as she could return to him there, she could keep her promise. She could maintain her part of her promise to him as long as that happened.

"Colonel..." What do you say, when someone you've trusted with your life says something like that? When your entire life is based on one simple promise.

"I promised to guard your back." If he would still let her do that. Her voice barely made it across the floor to the couch.

"...You can't keep me out of harm's way forever, sir." What did he think she was doing, back home? She was the Furher's Personal Assistant. How was that not risking her life? She had already risked it, with Pride's darker than black shadows crushing movement out of her. It was risked at every moment she looked for openings in the Fuhrer's movements. Every time she was close to the Colonel in any way.

"It's my choice to put myself at risk for your sake." Because she believed he would do it. She believed he was the one who would make her dream of a place people could live in peace come true.

Hawkeye tried to smile. It came out wry, mirthless, and twisted. "I'll do my best not to, sir. Try not to die yourself." How many times had she told him not to die now? It seemed to need reiteration.

He couldn't deny that she was right, she'd already been in so much danger and he hadn't thought twice about that. But, there was something different in being taken away from him and all but held hostage by the Fuhrer when compared to fighting the homunculi with another version of him while in a strange city.

"I can't keep you out of harm's way forever, but I can be there with you when you are. I should be standing in front of you, leading you and standing between you and whatever danger lies ahead." The fact that she said it was for his sake didn't do anything to comfort him and, instead, made it that much worse.

Of course, she wouldn't be involved in any of this if it weren't for him. She would have been able to find a job easily in the civillian world, it wasn't as if she was lacking the skills for it. But, no, she'd followed him into the military and now her blood would be on his hands. He gritted his teeth. Just like so many others. Hughes was gone because of him, Havoc had lost the use of his legs, and Edward was up fighting enemies way beyond his maturity level in the North all because of Roy's selfish dream.

It wouldn't do justice to them if he were to give up now. Even in this City, plans could be made, information could be more easily exchanged, it wasn't a roadblock it was just a limbo. Hadn't the City guide said that only minutes passed for the months spent here? That would give them more time to figure out what the homunculi were plotting and how they could get around it.

"I'd like to think I know better than to get myself killed," he returned finally with a wry half-smile. His hand subconsciously touched his left side where the scars left by his half-assed job of cauterizing his own wounds were still too fresh. "I've got too much left to do."

"I know, Colonel." He would always be in front of her- his was the back she'd promised to follow. His the one she would do everything to protect, no matter how low it dragged her. It had been her choice to join the military, her choice to follow him, to put her arms in the sleeves of her jacket every day and take up her guns.

He was still angry at himself for something, but his gritted teeth gave her no clues beyond the obvious- she had been out of his sight for a year, without him even knowing.

His hand strayed to his side, and the Lieutenant knew the scars that lay there- when he had very nearly gotten himself killed. When she herself had very nearly died, having lost the composure she kept so close to her. "Trust me with the same sense, sir. I can't let you do all that work by yourself."

Roy looked over at her with a sigh. This was one hell of a situation to be thrown into. Who could have guessed it would be so dangerous to just help people. But then again, he had sworn to protect the entire country, after all.

" . . . I guess I can give you that much credit, can't I?" He laughed, but it was a tired laugh, that seemed to echo a jaded age he shouldn't be at yet. He wanted to scold her and say that her idea of sensible was throwing her life out to save people who she didn't need to be responsible for; but, he couldn't bring himself to be frustrated with her when he was guilty of the same thing.

So, he was left with a gratefulness that he would at least have someone to share his ridiculous idealism through it all.

"Thank you, Colonel." She tried to raise a smile to her lips again, but it was a tired thing like the laugh he'd offered her. She'd been in the office all day, working to try and figure out their next course of action with the poisonings- it seemed like so much further away than the mere hours prior it had actually been.

Riza raised a hand to her head, passing it over her eyes briefly. She needed to rebecome the sturdy soldier he required of her, the trustworthy, rational one, shields and barriers sliding seamlessly back into place, if slightly thinner now than she had thought them to be, some time before.

"Well." The blonde bent down, petting Hayate briefly where he sat beneath her chair, before standing, settling herself into normalcy- or as good as she could do, with Colonel Mustang sitting on her couch. "We'll just have to make the best of it, won't we?" Whether 'it' be the City at large, their enemies, what they'd both been through, what they would go through, or merely the situation at hand- it didn't really matter. It would still have to be approached practically, logically, and with the fewest mistakes possible.

"We always do." He agreed, though his tone was slightly sarcastic. He could hear her exhaustion and see it in her movements, though she tried to hide it. They'd known each other too long and he'd seen her like this far too many times for it to be something that she could disguise.

"Well, I've had a pretty tiring day and I'm certain it's no vacation to manage the entire police force, either, so perhaps we should call it a day." He stood slowly, feeling several joints in his back crack as he did so. He stifled a groan and instead flashed Hawkeye a smile. "We can make the best of it in the morning."

Hawkeye knew better than to deny her own tiredness. He could probably have seen it before she recognized it herself- and this evening had been emotionally draining on top of all the work she'd already done.

The outer room with the sofa in it had already been swept of personal items, network device closed on her desk and paperwork stacked neatly there. Not that there had been much here to begin with. The only thing he would find out here was the rifle she had stored in the corner, by the window, and Hayate, who would be trotting at her heels when she left the room.

"Of course, sir." Riza glanced around the room once more, checking for locked doors and things she'd forgotten. Jr. had slept over once, months ago, after getting kicked out of his ship, but this was different. And Hawkeye was ready to beat a retreat into her own bedroom with Hayate for company, and sit there on her own until she could sort things out on her own.

"Until morning, then."

He had no doubts that it would be difficult for him to fall asleep immediately, having to process all the information of that day, but it was important to get started on the road to eventual exhaustion. He gave Riza a warm half-smile as he watched her eyes dart around the room to double-check everything.

"Have a good night, Lieutenant." He bid, taking a seat on the arm of the couch to begin the struggle with his boots to remove them. He doubted Hawkeye, in all her cleanliness and organization, was the sort of woman who would allow shoes on her furniture.

Log; Complete

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