Author's Notes: Okay, well, this got way out of hand. It was meant to be a one-shot, but then my brain went into like ten different directions, so I decided to divide this into two parts. It made more sense. This was supposed to be in Havoc's POV entirely, but I could not for the life of me get into to work and I'm too fond of writing about Havolina from other people's POVs, especially from someone that might not like it. This first part is from Roy's perspective while the second part is from Havoc's. Think of part one as rescue and the second part as recovery. Prepare for some angst – because I didn't think Havoc alone freaking out over a hurt Rebecca was enough.

Disclaimer: None of this is mine. I'm just reading the FMA manga and dealing with it by writing fanfiction, as usual.

out of the flames
part one: rescue

It started as a routine investigation.

It became the most harrowing few hours of life experienced by the normally stalwart crew.

When the team was dispatched to check out an abandoned factory hiding possible dissidents from Creta, Roy hadn't thought much of it. A year into being back in Central after stationed in Ishval for the reconstruction had worn his sharp mind into even more jagged edges. Being suspicious of something kind of became dull after the threat of being stabbed in the dark was the norm for so long. When it came to enemies, Amestris certainly didn't lack, even after the change in leadership and the end of the secret machinations of Father and the Homunculus, so it was of little surprise whenever something like this came up.

Perhaps it was below the work of a fully fledged General, but Roy had liked to make a show of the fact that he was not one of those superior officers that stayed in the office and let the men and women below him put their lives on the line and work day in and day out. He was not just about issuing commands from safety. Roy would be out on the field until it was no longer probable. After all, even though King Bradley had been a homunculus in the end, he'd done right by occasionally joining missions. It put off the right air.

Most importantly though, while making an appearance with the public was good, General Mustang still went on assignments with his team so that he could observe them in the field, so that he could protect them. The covert missions where he'd been forced to stay in his office and communicate with his subordinates via telephone had always driven him mad, in fear that he might lose them if he wasn't with them. They'd had their scares through the years often enough. Not that his team wasn't perfectly capable of handling things on their own – they most certainly were – but it gave him peace of mind to see things for himself.

Plus, people were on the tips of their toes and more willing to talk when he was around. His rank made people jitterier than they liked to admit and it worked to his advantage.

Not so much with First Lieutenant Rebecca Catalina, but then again, she wasn't a part of his normal retinue. The information about the warehouse had come from her. She worked with the Fuhrer's security detail personally and had been the one to start tracking down threats made on the Fuhrer's life. Because it had been her work and dedication that found the lead, Grumman had insisted that she accompany Roy's team to investigate. It made sense and it wasn't like he wasn't familiar with her or her solid work in the field, but that didn't make him any less…disgruntled on the matter.

She may have been Riza's best friend and even Havoc's more or less girlfriend, but that didn't mean that she and Roy were friends. On the contrary, his relationship with Catalina was perhaps even more antagonistic than his relationship with Edward Elric these days.

Upon their arrival, it was obvious that Catalina's intel was correct. There was definitely something going on, but the only way to figure out exactly what was if they somehow got inside. They managed that, splitting into three teams, but there was only so much sneaking around they could do. Once they were in position, Roy would be able to use his alchemy to round everyone up so that they could be arrested. It was simple really. Put the snipers in place with everyone else close to the exits and all Roy had to do was figuratively snap his fingers.

What they hadn't counted on was the use of alchemy against them, specifically alchemy laced traps that had a distinct alkhestry feel to them. Such long distance use of alchemy was still relatively unheard of in Amestris, which was why no one had considered it.

A sudden explosion to the south of the building caused Roy to jerk his head in the direction, hand raised and at the ready, and mutter a single, "Shit." That had been where Catalina, Breda, and Havoc had gone. Without hesitation, Roy turned on his heels and bolted in that direction as gunfire began to clatter throughout the factory, ignoring Riza's protests. Surprise was no longer on their side and if they didn't shut this down right now, an all out gunfight was going to turn out and, judging from the weapons that they'd seen being smuggled in, that was something they couldn't afford to get into.

As he ran through the hallway towards where the explosion had gone off, Roy kept picturing Havoc lying face first on the ground in a puddle, unconscious and bleeding out, and it made panic gnaw at the edges of his mind. He couldn't let that happen – not again. He'd be damned before he allowed anyone on his team get hurt like that, least of all a man that had already gone through nearly dying. Maybe it made him think less clearly. He didn't care. He could only think about protecting the soldiers under his command.

When three men ran out of a side room in front of them, guns drawn, Roy didn't even give Riza time to shoot before he rubbed his fingers together, creating a spark, and fire exploded behind the men, knocking them out of the way. He didn't stop running either, choosing to dart through the smoke and leap over some debris. She followed him wordlessly. There was no time to stop, no time to reflect on loss of life, no time to consider damage, not when he had men in the line of fire.

He rounded a corner, but was suddenly jerked back by the collar of his jacket right before a bullet smacked into the spot that he'd just been standing in front of. Roy blinked at the bullet hole. If Riza hadn't pulled him back in time, he would've been shot right in the chest.

Riza heaved a breath behind him and let go of his collar. "I kept shouting to warn you, sir. They have a sniper in position on the walkway."

Roy cursed under his breath. His men were on the other side, but they needed to cross this area if they were going to be of any help. He could hear someone shouting – it sounded like Fuery – and cursed again. "Do you have a shot?"

"Not without giving them an opening to shoot me first."

That wasn't an option. He trusted her aim and speed, but they were at a disadvantage. No doubt the sniper was patient, no doubt just waiting for them to walk out and step into their crosshairs. They would have to try another route, something they hadn't done in years and only once before. He had to rely on her for sight. "Where is he located?"

"At your seven o'clock, around twenty meters away, third floor walkway."

Roy threw his left hand to the side and twisted his fingers again. A line of fire spiraled towards the area that Riza had directed, exploding once it reached its destination. He heard a crash of metal as the fire made purchase. If there had been anyone near where the fire had hit, they wouldn't be there any longer. Without waiting, Roy rounded the corner again and darted through the room. No bullets were hurled their way. Indeed, the walkway had been shattered, broken metal fragments and spots of fire everywhere.

When they finally reached the others, Roy threw himself behind the same metal table where Havoc was currently pinned down. "Nice of you to join the fun, sir!" Havoc greeted in an almost cheerful manner. "But I believe you are supposed to go in the opposite direction of gunfire, if I'm correct. Isn't that part of your job, Captain?"

"He wouldn't listen," Riza deadpanned.

Havoc snorted and then popped up to shoot twice. When he ducked back down, bullets sailing right where his head had been seconds ago, he leaned back against the table. "Breda and Fuery managed to make it out, from what I could see. Rebecca is with Falman behind those barrels. He was grazed with a bullet in the leg, but I don't think it was a direct hit." He and Riza moved simultaneously to return fire, the same sniper trained precision in their movements. "I wouldn't suggest using your alchemy though. Too many explosives lying around."

"I could create a wall to use as cover," Roy said, "but I'm not so good with distances when it comes to that. I'd only be able to cover us."

"We have to get Rebecca and Falman," Havoc said quickly. "I'm not leaving without–"

"I'm not suggesting we leave anyone behind, Lieutenant," Roy interrupted, sounding steady considering the fact that they were getting shot at. Bullets pinged off the metal table and burst into the wall behind them. He almost growled at the noises disrupting his thoughts. "It could give us a better angle to return fire."

Nodding his head, Havoc replied, "That could–"

"They've got a damn grenade launcher!" Catalina shouted from her position.

"Shit!" Roy pressed his hands together and slapped his palms on the ground. Blue light snapped to life in the air as a stone wall erupted in front of them. It just barely managed to cover them when an explosive hit it. For the most part, it stayed intact, but stone still exploded around them. Roy threw his body over Riza before she could even think to cover him, knowing full well that he'd be given an earful after all this was said and done. As the smoke cleared and dust settled around them, he coughed as he pulled away from her. "That was too close."

"Rebecca!" Havoc shouted, looking like he was close to leaping out in the open. "Rebecca, are you–?"

"Don't you– don't you dare leave your cover!" Catalina yelled in between sputters. "We're okay!"

A suspicious groaning sound above them caused Roy's eyes to examine the area. The grenade had done a lot of damage. The few explosions he'd caused earlier had done some work too. If their attackers decided to launch another grenade, he wasn't so sure that the infrastructure would be able to handle it. Already the roof was partially caved in and metal beams were wavering. Fire and debris littered the place. Roy did not want to be inside when things finally came crashing down.

"We need to get out of here!" Roy shouted.

"No shit!" Catalina responded.

Roy ignored her smartass remark. "On my signal, run to the nearest exit on the right!"

"Are you kidding?" she yelled back over the sound of more gunfire. "What signal?"

There was no need or time for him to explain that to her. For someone that liked to hide behind schemes and manipulations, Roy could be a fairly blunt and obvious man when it was necessary. He flicked his wrist and twisted his fingers to direct flames, smaller and more precise, with fewer explosions and more heat. They weaved around the place, creating a maze of flames that acted as both walls and guidance. That was his signal.

Roy, Havoc, and Riza all jumped to their feet and began to run through the paths that the flames created. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Catalina and Falman following them. Havoc instinctively slowed down so that the two of them could catch up and then he took the rear, shooting at people trying to follow them. There was a hissing sound and then a small pop before an explosion rattled behind them, letting Roy know that one of his flames had accidentally hit an explosive. He winced, but it did end any gunfire following them.

Once they were finally outside of the building, Roy took a wheezing breath. He may not have been out of shape, but running through smoke was never any fun. He turned to make sure that the rest of his team was on his heels. Riza came out first, debris in her hair and dust covering her jacket. She had an arm under Falman, who was limping due to the bullet wound on his leg, and helped him walk over to where Breda and Fuery were standing guard and watching with wide eyes.

Crashing noises caught his attention and Roy snapped his eyes up to see the roof finally buckling from all the destruction. Words snagged in his throat as he stepped forward, eyes locked on the opening where he could still see Havoc and Catalina inside the building.

In that exact moment, Catalina saw the same thing that Roy did. It happened so fast, but Roy watched in perfect detail the way her brown eyes locked onto the collapsing debris and an alarmed yet determined expression swept across her face. "Jean!" She leaped forward and threw her body into the taller Lieutenant as hard as she could, knocking him out of the building just as a pile of debris collapsed where he'd been standing.

A cloud of dust and smoke burst around them, blocking Roy's vision of the factory. As the wind cleared the area, Roy spotted Havoc's figure on the ground, hacking roughly and slowly pushing himself up. His heart plummeted when he did not see anyone else.

"Shit, Rebecca," Havoc grumbled. When he rolled over though, he froze on the spot and stared at the wall of distorted metal from the collapsed building. His face was already chalky from the dust, but it paled even further as he realized what Roy had already taken note of.

Catalina wasn't with him. She had pushed Havoc out of the way of the falling rubble and had become trapped inside the building in the process. She had sacrificed herself for him without any thought for herself.

The moment it clicked for Havoc, he scrambled to his feet, stumbling as he attempted to get up and run towards the collapsed factory at the same time. Roy was on him in an instant, wrapping his arms around Havoc to hold him back. It wasn't an easy task. Havoc was taller than him and, as Roy just now found out, very much stronger, especially as he struggled to break free and fight back, surging with the adrenaline of the situation.

"Rebecca! Rebecca!" Havoc screamed, his voice strained and cracking. He managed to elbow Roy right in the face, causing him to hiss in pain, but Roy still didn't loosen his grip. "Get the hell off me! Rebecca! Goddamnit, Mustang, let go of me! Rebecca is in there! She's trapped! REBECCA!"

"You can't go in there!" Roy snapped back, digging his feet into the ground and pulling back with all his strength. The two of them staggered forward as Havoc managed to drag them forward. "Havoc, you can't! Stop! It's too unstable!"

"I don't give a damn if it's unstable!" Havoc yelled back, breaking free from Roy's grip.

Roy stumbled a little, his face already throbbing in pain, but grabbed hold of Havoc's arm to jerk him back before the man could run foolishly straight into the burning building. "You'll die if you try to go in there!"

"She'll die if I don't!"

"There's nothing you can do, Havoc! I'm not going to let you throw your life away!"

The two men looked at one another, gulping down heavy breaths. There were tears swirling in Havoc's eyes, but he didn't go to run to the building as he stared back at Roy.

Roy watched as the other man shook under the fear that the woman he loved might die. It was so easy to see it in this moment. Roy knew exactly what it looked like when a person was forced to watch as the most important person in the world to them die right before them and not be able to do a damn thing about it. For all the small arguments they seemed to get into, for all the times they crashed together and then jerked apart from one another, there was not a doubt in Roy's mind that Havoc loved Catalina. Havoc was breaking to pieces right in front of him and there was nothing to be done.

Standing before him was a man that might shatter if this woman died.

Roy knew that feeling all too well. The memory of Riza bleeding out was all too easy for him to conjure in this moment. He did not know if Havoc could handle that as well. Not everyone could, perhaps not even someone as strong and resilient as Havoc.

Havoc seemed to understand that as well. The tears began to spill out of his eyes in frustration. He didn't even seem to notice them. "Can't you do something? You're an alchemist! Clap your hands, get rid of the debris, I don't know!"

Glancing down at his hands briefly, Roy shook his head. "I don't specialize in that kind of alchemy."

"Specialize? I've seen what you can do!" Havoc clenched his hands into fists and then reached forward to grab hold of Roy by the lapels and jerk on him. His face was twisted into a pained snarl. "You just won't do anything because you hate her! Is that it? Is that why you won't lift a hand to save her?"

Roy did not move to pull away even as Havoc's hands began to shake. "I could do something, but I'd more than likely only manage to cause more damage. I don't know what sort of state she or the ruins are in. If I use alchemy to move the debris…I could potentially bring the rest of the building down and kill her."

That was if she wasn't dead already. Roy wasn't about to say something like that though. So many people assumed the alchemy was the end all be all of things, but it wasn't an easy button. He could do a few more things now that he had seen Truth, such as forego the use of transmutation circles, which gave him a much broader and easier use of alchemy than simply sticking with flame alchemy. He still wasn't as familiar with other substances though or the transmutation equations necessary to perform them.

When the shaking in his hands became too much, Havoc let go of Roy and dropped his hands to his side, staring without seeing at the ground. "So we do nothing? We let her die?"

"Do you really think I'm the kind of person that leaves someone behind?" Roy asked. He could have been angry or insulted that Havoc of all people would say something like that to him, but he knew that the other man wasn't thinking clearly right now. "Breda!"

After saying a few more words to the paramedics that had arrived on the scene to take care of Falman, Breda trotted over towards them. He caught sight of Havoc's lost expression and gave Roy a leery look. "Sir?"

"I need you to get a hold of Fullmetal. He's speaking at a symposium at Central College today. I don't care if he's in the middle of his speech. Tell him I need his help."

If Breda was surprised by the order, he didn't say anything. Instead he cast Havoc another concerned look and nodded his head before finding a phone to call the college. For the matter, Roy didn't flinch at his own order either. It was no small feat to admit to Edward Elric that he might need the former alchemist's help, but the fact that he did admit it would make Edward realize right away that the situation was grave and he wouldn't argue about dropping whatever he was doing.

"Boss," Havoc said in a broken voice, "what the hell is he going to do that you can't? You know he can't…"

"I don't need him to perform alchemy," Roy responded. "What I need is his knowledge. You want me to perform alchemy to save Catalina? I need to know what he knows. He can create the transmutation circles and I can use them."

For a moment, a flicker of hope appeared in Havoc's eyes. It was almost too much for Roy to bear. He was terrified of what might happen if he couldn't perform the miracle that was starting to appear bleaker as time passed. The flames had mostly died down at least from what he could see, but there was no way of knowing what they would find once they were able to remove the wreckage and search for her. The college wasn't too far, less than a ten minute drive if they sped (and that was the only speed Edward went), but every second counted. She could be seriously injured, bleeding out, trapped under a beam, suffering from head trauma, burned…

"They're taking Falman to the hospital now, sir," Riza's voice said from behind him.

Roy just barely managed to stop from doing a full body wince, but he shut his eyes and grit his teeth the moment that he heard her voice. It was so collected. She wasn't aware of what had happened yet as she walked towards them, but she would be in a matter of seconds. He wanted to turn around and pull her to him, but he didn't know if he could face her when she realized that her best friend was missing from the picture. He was a weaker man than he thought sometimes.

Even though his back was towards her, he could practically feel her halt as she assessed the situation. "General, where is Lieutenant Catalina?"

Neither Roy nor Havoc answered her. Roy was too much of a coward to look her in the eyes, standing as still as possible and opening his eyes to stare ahead, and it appeared as if Havoc was too wounded to respond, ducking his head and allowing his hands to shake at his side.

"She's still in there?"

Havoc's voice wavered as he finally spoke up, "She…she pushed me out of the way and…"

A sudden flash of blonde and blue startled Roy. He snapped his head up just in time to catch Riza running full speed towards the factory without any hesitation. Before he could even react to Riza's attempt to throw herself into the wreckage, Havoc jumped at her first, pulling her back into his arms much easier than Roy had done with him. He held her so that her feet even lifted off the ground for a second.

"You can't!" Havoc told her hoarsely. "You can't! It could collapse! You could…"

The struggle between the two of them was perhaps more brutal than the one between Roy and Havoc, if only because both of them wanted so desperately to save the person trapped. Havoc was probably half in mind to let go of Riza so that he could jump in the mess himself, but the idea of Riza possibly injuring herself or dying made him suddenly understand why Roy had held him back.

Emitting something between an angry shout and pained yowl, Riza dug her nails into his arms and fought wildly to get out of Havoc's grip, but there was no way that she could overpower him. "She's in there alone–"

"Riza, you can't!" Havoc's voice cracked on the last one. "We can't–"

Her face contorted into the same tortured expression that Roy remembered from when she had been confronted by Lust. He watched in stunned horror as Riza collapsed into Havoc's arms. Both of their knees seemed to give out at the same time as they sunk to the ground together. They sat there, transfixed on the warehouse, shaking and afraid. Roy could only witness as the two of them comforted one another, Riza putting one hand to her mouth and the other on Havoc's forearm as he held her and put his face on her shoulder to shield his tears.

It occurred to Roy that no matter how much he wanted to comfort Riza, no matter how much he wanted to reassure Havoc that something could be done, there was absolutely nothing he could do. All that was left for him to do was wait. He was even more useless than on a rainy day. There wasn't a single word or action that could bring them any sort of peace. This was something between them and Roy was at a complete loss to help either of his subordinates.

When a car pulled up and came to a skidding halt, Roy turned around just in time to watch Edward hop out of the car. It was still surprising to see him so grown up, if only because it was difficult to picture him as anything but the short (tempered) alchemist that had been under his command. But Edward was very much an adult now, wearing a casual dress clothes, brown slacks with a brown vest and tie, and a serious expression to match it.

"What in the hell happened?" Edward demanded. His eyes widened in surprise and he started when he caught sight of Havoc and Riza. Edward had never seen those two act in such a way, least of all the Riza. He hadn't been there to witness her breakdown with Lust.

"Exactly what it looks like," Roy responded, which wasn't really an answer but an explanation nonetheless. He couldn't go into exact details about the situation with a civilian, even if that person was a former State Alchemist, and he didn't have to time besides. "Lieutenant Catalina is trapped inside though. I'm not sure of her condition, but she could be severely injured or worse."

Edward jerked his eyes back to Roy. "So you need my help to get in there safely?"

Roy let out a cold chuckle. "Metal is still your area of expertise, is it not?"

"This will be…tricky," Edward said as he began to roll up his sleeves. "You'll be able to perform the alchemy, but you don't fully understand the formulas or equations."

"I know the basics," Roy told him. "Nearly all alchemists start out the same."

For a strange moment, Edward looked at him like he was seeing Roy for the first time. Perhaps he occasionally forgot that Roy hadn't always been the Flame Alchemist. There had been a time when he couldn't produce a single spark and had started learning the same alchemy techniques and equations that Edward had. Roy didn't practice them nearly as often as he once had, but he never forgot them.

"Right then. Luckily, with your ability to bypass actually needing to draw a transmutation circle, you should be able to still use it." Edward pat down his pockets, but came up empty-handed for whatever he was searching for. "I need something to write with. Do you have a pen or–?"

When Roy produced a stick of chalk from a pocket, Edward looked surprise yet again. "An old habit of mine from my childhood that I haven't yet grown out of." He'd learned to carry it on him when he got switched for not having it every time Master Hawkeye checked him.

Crouching down, Edward scratched the back of his head thoughtfully for a moment before he started drawing a transmutation circle. He worked quickly, considering that they had lost far too much valuable time as it was, despite the fact that it was a complex situation. Roy trusted him though. It may have been years since Edward had performed alchemy, but there likely wasn't anyone as talented or knowledgeable on the subject as him.

If anything were to go wrong in the process of trying to save Catalina, it would be solely Roy's fault.

"There." Edward stood up and dusted his hands on his pants. "That's the best I can figure. It'll restructure the building, but will be careful not to drag any biological components into the reconstruction." He glanced up at Roy, a firm look in his eyes. "I can't do anything about the fires though."

Roy smiled grimly. "Leave that to me."

After examining the array that Edward had created, Roy took a deep breath. Surprisingly, he could understand it for the most part, the bits and pieces of his knowledge on the subject coming back to him, though he never would have been able to come up with it on his own without time to research. He nodded his head to himself and then started towards the building.

Pausing next to his subordinates, Roy placed a hand on Havoc's shoulder. "I need you and the Captain to go back to everyone else."

Havoc looked up at him with wet eyes. "Sir?"

"I don't want you caught in the rebound in case anything goes wrong."

Roy didn't need to look down to see the amount of emotions swirling in Havoc's eyes. He could feel the way that Havoc wanted to protest, as if suddenly realizing the amount of danger that Roy was putting himself in by performing alchemy that he wasn't completely familiar with. Before Riza could jump up to protest, Roy walked away from them. He heard her shout for him once as Havoc dragged her and himself to their feet and guided her away, but he didn't look back.

Strangely he could feel Edward's eyes on his back the most. There was a hard look of understanding in them. But then Edward of all people knew the dangers of alchemy. He understood the consequences of performing alchemy that you didn't quite understand. He could feel the pressure that Roy was facing. And he also knew quite well that if anything were to go wrong, Roy could not only make things worse for Catalina and Havoc, but also die in the process himself.

That was a risk Roy was willing to take for his subordinates though. He was only rising to the top so that he could protect the people below him. It appeared as if Edward would finally see that now.

The heat from the flames wasn't too unbearable – he'd felt worse in Ishval – but he had no idea how Catalina was faring on the inside. At best he could hope that she was conscious and trying to find a way out. At worst… Well, best not to think of that now.

Picturing the array in his mind, Roy focused on the building and clapped his hands together. Blue light from the transmutation circle he created with his arms began to sizzle around him. When he pressed his hands to a slab of hot concrete, there was a loud crack in the air and an explosion of white hot light burst before him, blinding him and everyone else around them. Riza was shouting from somewhere, but it was so faint behind the sounds of the transmutation that he felt like he was barely holding onto to keep together. The alchemy fought back with him, threatening to unravel at any given moment, but Roy didn't pull away. He didn't hesitate. He didn't flinch. He just grit his teeth and finished it, refusing to allow the transmutation to slip through his fingers.

At the forefront of his mind, Roy was focused on the transmutation and alchemy, but the edges pulsed with the desperation that he could save Havoc from living with what he had once faced himself.

When the light finally subsided, a resounding gasp sounded in the air when everyone saw that the once burning and crumpled building was perfectly reconstructed again. There were still spots of fire that needed to be taken care of that Edward's array couldn't account for and that Roy hadn't been able to deal with at the same time. He threw up a hand to signal for everyone to hold back and then clapped his hands together and pressed them against the building once more.

The fires flickered just as the alchemy light glowed until they finally went out. As soon as he pulled his hands away, Roy breathed again. Creating fires was much easier than putting them out with alchemy and safer as well. Snuffing a fire out by taking away the oxygen that it greedily fed on could kill a person as much as fire and smoke could, and it also sucked the energy right out of him from the struggle it caused.

Unable to hold himself up straight any further after all the effort, Roy staggered backwards and found himself close to falling over with dizziness, but he managed to lean forward and put a hand against newly constructed wall to steady himself. It was still hot to the touch.

Turning around, Roy locked eyes with Havoc. Neither of them spoke, but Havoc understood the order passed between their stare loud and clear: Go get your girl.

Without waiting a second longer, Havoc sprinting into the building with Breda hot on his heels to help out. Roy honestly expected Riza to follow after them, but was startled to feel her small hands on his arms, steadying him as he continued to waver on his feet. He watched as her expression changed from distraught to concerned and then to carefully guarded, but there was still a pool of tears in her eyes that she hadn't been able to hide yet. Her grip on him was strong to keep him standing and somehow gentle at the same time to comfort him.

Nothing was said out loud between the two of them as they gazed at one another. He could see her telling him how reckless his actions had been in the frown on her face, but the gratefulness for his determination and help in the glow of her eyes.

It was only when Havoc's shouts of, "I need a medic!" from inside the building did the two of them look away from one another. Roy nudged Riza forward. She glanced at him once before jogging to open the door for Havoc. In the First Lieutenant's arms was Catalina, hanging limply in his grip. From his position, Roy couldn't tell if she was breathing or not, but he saw the way her arm was dangling and the blood dripping down her face. There may have been burns too, but he couldn't see.

Paramedics rushed forward with a gurney, and Havoc carefully placed Catalina onto the white bedding. There were tears in her clothing and maybe a few spots where she'd been burned, but besides the blood on her face and an obviously broken arm, she looked dirty from mostly soot and dust. Havoc's knees seemed to nearly go out again when Catalina groaned and leaned her cheek into the palm of his hand. A trail of tears was plain to see on his dust covered face.

As Catalina was rushed into the ambulance, Havoc opened his mouth to speak when Roy cut in. "Go. Someone needs to keep an eye on her." Havoc swallowed down the question and then leaped into the back of the vehicle with her. Without missing a beat, Roy placed a hand on the small of Riza's back. "Go with them."

Riza gave him a questioning look. He could tell that she wanted to go to the hospital to be there for her best friend, but she also couldn't leave her post guarding him, especially during such a vulnerable moment.

Roy gave her a small smile. "I'll be fine. You should be with her – and I don't want Havoc to be alone." Besides, he had the rest of the team and Edward to keep him company and watch his back. Riza clenched her fists at her side as she thought about what Roy was doing for her and then followed Havoc into the back of the ambulance. The two of them were already focused on Catalina as the doors shut, Havoc smoothing the curly brown hair out of her face and Riza holding onto her undamaged hand. Roy watched the vehicle drive towards the hospital until it was no longer in sight.

"You did something incredibly stupid today." As Roy turned to his left, Edward stepped up next to him, hands dug in his pockets. His eyes weren't on the road, but on the rebuilt factory. "And brilliant as well. I haven't seen alchemy like that in, well…" Edward shook his head. It was one thing for him to know that Roy had performed something that he wasn't entirely sure of and quite another for him to know that Roy's manipulation of the oxygen level could have been catastrophic if not executed perfectly. "So dangerous though, Mustang."

"You think you can call me that just because you're out of the military?" Roy asked with a derisive snort, though there was no true heat behind his words.

Edward looked him straight in the eyes. Remarkable how they were at same level. "I think I can after this." Yes, they were very much on the same level now, perhaps for the first time in either of their lives, even more than when Roy had been forced to face the same Truth that Edward had. "You didn't even hesitate to risk your life for someone that I know for a fact you don't care much for."

"It doesn't matter what I think," Roy responded. "I'm not going to leave someone behind if I can help it."

And it truly didn't matter if Roy didn't care for Catalina or if she seemed to despise him. All that had mattered in that moment was that Havoc loved her – that Riza cared for her – and Roy would've risked anything if it meant doing something for the people that mattered most to him. He couldn't admit to being rattled by the way that Havoc had been ready to toss himself to the flames for Catalina or how Riza had looked close to shattering at the thought of losing her best friend.

But more importantly, Roy could not stop thinking about the way Catalina had willingly sacrificed herself to save Havoc. That wasn't the behavior of a woman that he had seen as nothing but shallow before. That was definitely the actions of a woman that loved a man and would do anything for him, and it had shocked Roy to see that resoluteness in her as much as it had to see the fear in Havoc.