(HoS) Fanning the Flames
This immediately preceeds Recoil. Beta, someone, if you would? Lore's buried in Orgo studying and I don't want to bother her. ^^;;;;
Fanning the Flames
Roy could move fast when struck by the proper motivation. The casual feel of his movements, the unhurried way in which he procrastinated from doing his work, and the general ease with which he treated life frequently belied that fact. In the last minutes before all his work needed to be finished, or immediately after Riza had paid him a visit, though, it was possible to catch a glimmer of just how swift he could be.
Roy didn’t think he’d ever moved as fast, though, as he did the moment when Breda informed him that Ed had been found.
He’d hurtled past the man, grabbing Breda by the arm as he did so and dragging him in his wake. Together they’d dashed to the motorcade, Roy pushing the man, who was gasping for breath, into the driver’s seat as he himself vaulted into the back. Decorum be damned, if he had thought himself capable of driving he’d have done it himself; no reason to wait for others.
Breda started the car without prompting and began to drive as hundreds of worries flooded Roy’s mind. The orange haired man glanced nervously into the mirror before returning his eyes to the road. It was at least a full minute before it occurred to Roy to wonder where they were going.
“Where is Fullmetal?” He inquired of his driver, resolutely resisting the urge to pull on his gloves. Ed might not even have been in danger - might be fine, might have just been doing something stupid, might have - but no, his lover was nothing if not considerate of the others. He’d never have left Al to worry, if not the rest of them.
There was a tell-tale flick of the man’s eyes before he replied, “North Central Hospital.”
“Lieutenant.” The General’s voice was low and dangerous.
“Yes sir?” Breda replied, again glancing hesitantly into the mirror. As the man watched, Roy pulled a gloved hand from his pocket and held it poised to snap.
“Drive Faster.”
“Sir!”
A record two minutes later, they arrived at North Central Hospital. Roy had thrown open the door and jumped from the car almost before it had stopped moving, logic kicking in just in time to remind him that if he got hurt he’d have no excuse to tease Ed about having done so later. He wondered, irrationally, as he ran into the building as to just how many days worth of recovery he should wait before jokes about not being tall enough to see danger coming would be appropriate.
“General Mustang!” Roy’s head snapped sharply from his goal of the nurse’s station to focus instead on Sergeant Fury, who stood at attention on the left side of the waiting room. He veered off course, heading directly towards the man, who signaled him to a stop. Not knowing which corridor to take, Roy held himself to a standstill and waited impatiently for Fury’s report.
“General, please. Ed’s going to be fine.” Funny how the tension in his chest eased at that statement. Roy drew in a deep breath, his first in longer than he really cared to consider. The shorter man watched him carefully before continuing, “He’s got some cuts and bruises. They’re checking now to make certain that nothing’s wrong, but they’re fairly sure he’s all right.”
“Where was he?” Roy inquired as the man with glasses placatingly gestured at the row of chairs in the waiting room. “Why… hadn’t he come back, if he’s as fine as you say?”
“Well… you see…” Fury stuttered. Roy leaned towards him, scarcely noticing when the timid man took a step back. “That is -“
“He was trapped.”
Havoc, leaning against a pillar and blatantly defying the sign above him by smoking a cigarette in the building. Roy spun towards him.
“What?”
“Boss was trapped.” The man repeated, reaching up to snag the cigarette from between his lips and clasp it loosely in his hand. “I found him behind a stack of crates in a warehouse not far from here. Don’t tell him I said this, but he’s still a little vertically challenged, and they were just a little too tall for him to get out of.”
Suddenly the height jokes Roy had planned on making seemed a whole lot less funny.
“If it hadn’t been for his arm - the automail one, you know? Bastards took it off and left it lying right where he could see it but not get to it - but if it hadn’t been for that, I’d never have found him.” Havoc shrugged, and immediately began chewing on his cigarette.
“They should be down in a few minutes to let us know more.” Fury interjected helpfully. Roy nodded at him idly.
“I’m going to call the others and let them know he’s been found.” Roy said, turning to go find a phone. “Let me know as soon as more information becomes available.”
As he walked away from his officers, Roy silently made a vow never to let Ed know just how thankful he’d been for old mistakes at that moment.
Fanning the Flames
Roy could move fast when struck by the proper motivation. The casual feel of his movements, the unhurried way in which he procrastinated from doing his work, and the general ease with which he treated life frequently belied that fact. In the last minutes before all his work needed to be finished, or immediately after Riza had paid him a visit, though, it was possible to catch a glimmer of just how swift he could be.
Roy didn’t think he’d ever moved as fast, though, as he did the moment when Breda informed him that Ed had been found.
He’d hurtled past the man, grabbing Breda by the arm as he did so and dragging him in his wake. Together they’d dashed to the motorcade, Roy pushing the man, who was gasping for breath, into the driver’s seat as he himself vaulted into the back. Decorum be damned, if he had thought himself capable of driving he’d have done it himself; no reason to wait for others.
Breda started the car without prompting and began to drive as hundreds of worries flooded Roy’s mind. The orange haired man glanced nervously into the mirror before returning his eyes to the road. It was at least a full minute before it occurred to Roy to wonder where they were going.
“Where is Fullmetal?” He inquired of his driver, resolutely resisting the urge to pull on his gloves. Ed might not even have been in danger - might be fine, might have just been doing something stupid, might have - but no, his lover was nothing if not considerate of the others. He’d never have left Al to worry, if not the rest of them.
There was a tell-tale flick of the man’s eyes before he replied, “North Central Hospital.”
“Lieutenant.” The General’s voice was low and dangerous.
“Yes sir?” Breda replied, again glancing hesitantly into the mirror. As the man watched, Roy pulled a gloved hand from his pocket and held it poised to snap.
“Drive Faster.”
“Sir!”
A record two minutes later, they arrived at North Central Hospital. Roy had thrown open the door and jumped from the car almost before it had stopped moving, logic kicking in just in time to remind him that if he got hurt he’d have no excuse to tease Ed about having done so later. He wondered, irrationally, as he ran into the building as to just how many days worth of recovery he should wait before jokes about not being tall enough to see danger coming would be appropriate.
“General Mustang!” Roy’s head snapped sharply from his goal of the nurse’s station to focus instead on Sergeant Fury, who stood at attention on the left side of the waiting room. He veered off course, heading directly towards the man, who signaled him to a stop. Not knowing which corridor to take, Roy held himself to a standstill and waited impatiently for Fury’s report.
“General, please. Ed’s going to be fine.” Funny how the tension in his chest eased at that statement. Roy drew in a deep breath, his first in longer than he really cared to consider. The shorter man watched him carefully before continuing, “He’s got some cuts and bruises. They’re checking now to make certain that nothing’s wrong, but they’re fairly sure he’s all right.”
“Where was he?” Roy inquired as the man with glasses placatingly gestured at the row of chairs in the waiting room. “Why… hadn’t he come back, if he’s as fine as you say?”
“Well… you see…” Fury stuttered. Roy leaned towards him, scarcely noticing when the timid man took a step back. “That is -“
“He was trapped.”
Havoc, leaning against a pillar and blatantly defying the sign above him by smoking a cigarette in the building. Roy spun towards him.
“What?”
“Boss was trapped.” The man repeated, reaching up to snag the cigarette from between his lips and clasp it loosely in his hand. “I found him behind a stack of crates in a warehouse not far from here. Don’t tell him I said this, but he’s still a little vertically challenged, and they were just a little too tall for him to get out of.”
Suddenly the height jokes Roy had planned on making seemed a whole lot less funny.
“If it hadn’t been for his arm - the automail one, you know? Bastards took it off and left it lying right where he could see it but not get to it - but if it hadn’t been for that, I’d never have found him.” Havoc shrugged, and immediately began chewing on his cigarette.
“They should be down in a few minutes to let us know more.” Fury interjected helpfully. Roy nodded at him idly.
“I’m going to call the others and let them know he’s been found.” Roy said, turning to go find a phone. “Let me know as soon as more information becomes available.”
As he walked away from his officers, Roy silently made a vow never to let Ed know just how thankful he’d been for old mistakes at that moment.