Chapter <•4•>

<•The Next Day•3rd Person POV•Around 2:30 PM•>

Mustang fidgeted endlessly. His nerves getting the best of him this afternoon. Everyone could tell something must've been wrong, Havoc had confronted him at least once asked what the matter was just to get shrugged off with a sharp reply.

To say he was nervous and irritable was only a fraction of the problem. Especially after the other day. Had be been to irrational? Did Riza hate him now? Why was she late? She's never late. Ever. Something must've gone wrong. She may have just gotten a cold.

But no, she was perfectly healthy yesterday. Roy ran a hand through his black hair, distressed. Fuery could be heard whispering to Falman in the background asking if the Colonel was alright. Physically, yes. Mentally and emotionaly, not quite.

He looked down at the papers on his desk which had barely been done at all. Then to the phone, then back again. He reaches out to the phone, picked it up, and began dialing. He tapped his free fingers on the table, listening to the ring.

Ring. Ring. Ring. After a while of waiting, no one answered. He put the phone down, hanging it up. He folded his hands and put them to his mouth, elbows on the desk. Eyes staring straight ahead.

She didn't answer. She always answered when she was home. His heart rate was picking up. Something was wrong. He could feel it. He stood abruptly, his chair making a scrapping sound against the floor.

"Falman, Havoc," he said "you two are in charge. I'm going on a quick errand. "

Both Havoc and Falman saluted, and yes sir'd. Roy nodded, taking his leave as he snatched his coat of one of the hanger pegs and opened the door, as a brisk walked started down the halls.

<•No More Than Ten Minutes Later•>

Roy had already reached Rizas apartment. Though probably breaking the speed limit more than once. He went inside and took two steps at a time until reaching her door.

He reached out a hand to knock, and as it gently touched the wood the door squeaked open, having not been shut all the way. This sparked Mustangs curiosity and worry farther.

Her apartment was dark. No light except for the bathroom, the door wide open and light left forgotten. But that's not what startled him. Instead, it was the clothes on the floor and dripping of the shower. Rizas gun (that Roy recognized easily) carelessly on the floor. But with farther investigation, he noticed small droplets of blood on the tile floor. He knelt, a crease in his eyebrows.

He reached out and touched the blood; it was dry. This must've happened hours ago. Mustangs heart skipped a beat. Something happened. And he wasn't there to have protected her.

Roy stood abruptly, and his blood boiled with rage. Somehow had done this. Why, or who, didn't matter. They would pay. Her absence burned a hole inside of him, the desire to refill it overwhelming. He needed her back. No matter what the cost.

The time when they where battling Father, when the psychotic doctor had ordered her neck to be sliced. He though she was going to die. The long scar is still barely visible, sticking out barely from the top of her military jacket. He remembered as he burned the secrets of Flame Alchemy of her bare back, she didn't scream. She suffered through it silently, and Roy hates himself for going through with it. For hurting her.

But now, as she was missing. The odds shifting downwards. He turned and was about to exit the apartment when he was stopped by muffled bark and yaps. He turned at the front doors thresh hold. The sounds persisted.

Mustang went farther into the apartment, until he stopped at a small closet where the sounds came from. He carefully opened the door, and Black Hayate leaped out in a black and white blur of motion as he leaped onto his savior.

Roy let out a breath as his back collided with the wooden floor boards, the now much larger then before dog stood atop him, tongue lolled to the side as he drooled all over the colonel. Then happily began licking at his face.

"Ack! Off! Bad!" Roy tried, momentarily distracted, putting his arms up in defense of the slobbering beast.

He pushed the dog off himself, shivered in disgust, and rubbed his face off with his sleeve. The dog sat staring at him all the while.

Roy reached out and pet Hayate, scratching behind his ear.

"Don't worry," Mustang said. "I'll find her. I swear on it. She'll be fine. "

The words of encouragement where mostly to himself, trying to lift his own spirits that once more turned dim. He saw a leash sitting on a small counter top and latched it to the dogs collar.

"We're setting this as top priority as soon as we get back. The longer Lieutenant Hawkeye is gone the bigger the risk. " he said, turning his voice back to its usual formal self.

Don't worry Riza, I'll find you. I will always find you.

[A/N] yay! Another chapter lol so, hope you enjoyed it! It's gonna start getting better now. And yes there shall be a reason it's PG-13. I didn't want to rate it R, cause that's a bit extreme, but it's gonna get pretty intense real soon. So, just be prepared. I'll say in a A/N in advance if a chapter has more mature content or whatever lol :3

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