Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ This Time it's for Real ❯ Suspense ( Chapter 2 )

`Co…Colonel…no….' Riza Hawkeye murmurs unconsciously; lying in the corner of the small, stone-walled basement of the bar `Devil's Nest'. `COLONEL!' Riza starts, fully awake, eyes wide-open. She finds herself being bound at the hands behind her back, and utters a gasp as she sees two people in her company. Lust, curly hair falling forwards to hide half her face, wearing a daring midnight black dress, elbow length gloves and high heels, was sitting casually at a wooden table, staring at a clock on the wall, her head resting on her long fingered hands. The other person, Envy, was standing right in front of her, hands at hips and sleek, black hair falling about his face, looking straight into Riza's eyes and wearing a devilish grin. Riza thrust forward and asked, `Why am I here? Where's….? I…' she stopped as Envy crouched down and gave her a sharp smack in the face, saying, `Colonel? I am the Colonel. I went to your apartment, silly. Bet you weren't expecting me.' He transformed into the dark haired Colonel Mustang, and with the familiar sneer, `I can't believe that the famous Flame Alchemist has chosen you for a secretary. I had been expecting someone smarter.' Riza clenched her teeth in anger, and attempted to stand up again, but was given a shot to her stomach, sending her against the wall again by Envy, who had transformed back to his original self. He stood up, grinning maliciously down at Riza, and asked, `You don't get it do you?' Riza was bewildered, and said, `What are you talking about?' Envy threw back his head and laughed, a cold, blood-chilling laugh, leaving Riza getting scared and bewildered as she watched him. `You're just the stepping stone, you know. Once he gets here, we're gonna slice him in half.' `Who are you talking about?' questioned Riza, but she already knew the answer somehow, and cold sweat slid off her forehead, making her golden hair stick to her neck and face. `The Colonel, of course!' Riza struggled helplessly against her bonds, and her eyes were narrowed in anger, heat coursing through her mind and body, searing her heart, wanting to tear the smirking person in front in half…she hurled forward again, but stopped short as a knifelike fingernail extended a millimetre in front of her neck. She took a sharp intake of air, and fell backwards, as she noticed Lust walking towards her in a most relaxed way, a piece of yellow parchment in her other hand. It was her that the fingernail had belonged to; Lust had the power to extend or shrink her fingernails at her will, they were hard and sharp as steel, and could slice through anything, even rock. Lust threw the parchment at Riza's feet, falling neatly and opening just at the right angle for Riza to read the contents. Lust lazily tilted her head and said, `I just can't get what I need without his absence, Lutienant. Besides we're not going to kill you, we're going to let you end your life yourself. You can't blame us.' Riza was struck silent at her words, and was even startled as Lust threw another object at her feet, yet it gave a clinking sound as it hit the floor this time. It was a silver dagger with a black handle. Lust then turned back to her sitting-place and sat down. Envy, however, gave Riza a thump in the stomach with his foot before turning away and leaning against the wall beside the door.

Riza squirmed as Envy's foot made contact with her stomach, and her eyes watered with pain and anger as she glared at his back. She twisted her hands, until she could feel the small silver ring given by the Colonel, slipped on the fourth finger of her right hand. A tiny feeling of comfort crept into her heart, knowing that the ring was still safe on her finger. But her relief was short-lived. She knew that he would come in any second, and she knew that these two homonkulus would slice him in half, or anything else that was fatal to him, leaving him lying in a pool of his own blood. Her eyes strayed over to the clock, and in the silence, heard the soft tick-tock of the clock. She didn't dare blink, and looked at the hand move on in the quarters of the seconds. The tick-tock sounds echoed endlessly around Riza's ears, and it grew louder and ever echoic, the hurried sound of footsteps down the stairs outside the wooden door……..

A uniformed Colonel slammed open the door and staggered in, crying, `RIZA!' his eyes searching, he soon located her pale and startled face, rushing towards her… but Envy was too fast for him; he received a blow in his abdomen and heard a drawling voice say, `Surprise.' Next to his ear. Roy's eyes widened in surprise as he saw the two homonkulus; he quickly sent a lane of fire down at Envy, and Envy howled in anger as he sprang away from the panting man and tried to beat off the flames. The Flame Alchemist attempted to rush towards to Riza, who was frozen, tear-strained eyes locked on his face, but was stopped by Lust's knife-like nails. His hands flew to his neck as Lust took a swipe at his neck with a flourish. Envy took the chance to slam his fist into his chest. Lust then makes another long sweeping movement of her hand and succeeds in opening a few gashes at the Colonel's shoulder, neck and waist, not to mention a deep cut on his face. Blood gushed from his wounds, staining his open uniform….

Riza's heart thumped painfully at her ribcage, tears streaming down her face. She was angry at him, but she was also touched at his bravery and his loyalty. She was angry at him for making himself bleed, for letting her see his injuries, her grip on the ring tightened until her finger hurt-
`Try and save her, you flame alchemist.' A sneering voice behind Riza awoke her from her reverie. Silence echoed around the stone basement. Envy was standing right behind her, silver knife ready at her throat. The Alchemist uttered a silent scream, and dashed to Riza, arms apart, ready to receive any injuries that Envy might give him. He couldn't notice Lust pulling back her hand. Riza stared in horror as his chest was pierced through by Lust's knife-like fingernails…