What Lurks Beneath

Fifteen

Raymond stared at the dynamite he held in his hands, and then looked up, out onto the land. Where was that giant armor? Had he blown it up? Was it in a million little pieces? Ray snickered and clenched his hands around the dynamite. What did Roy think he was doing? Did Mustang actually think he could do anything against him? The stupid Colonel already had so much blood on his hands that they were stained a beautiful crimson. Raymond giggled. Did Roy know his precious little bitch was dead and buried in the mine? Did Roy know that it was hopeless to even try that silly rescue operation?

Raymond tossed the bundle of dynamite onto one of his transmutation circles and covered it all with dirt. He wanted Roy to suffer, wanted Roy to bleed for what he’d done. Roy Mustang didn’t deserve to be happy! Roy Mustang deserved to die a slow, painful, lonely death, knowing that the blood of his pet prodigy was on his hands!

It wasn’t fair that Roy excelled in the military, that he became the State Alchemist, that Coletta chose him, that he discovered that damn little prodigy Edward Elric! Roy had the luck of the devil and Raymond swore Roy’s luck was going to end.

Raymond froze as he heard the familiar clunking of a mobile armor and grinned. He hurried up the little trail he blazed at the beginning of his little adventure, and crouched down, dynamite ready to be lit and thrown. Realistically, he supposed he should’ve gone with grenades, but that wouldn’t have been as fun.

He saw the armor come over the crest of the hill and took careful aim. If he could get that armor down, then Roy wouldn’t have anything to hide behind. Ray flipped open his lighter and ignited the fuse, counted to give, then threw the bundle of dynamite as hard as he could. The bundle came down on the armor’s head, knocked off the helmet, and dropped right into the armor’s chest.

Not even five seconds later, the dynamite exploded.

The armor shattered into a thousand shrapnel pieces.

“And that’s why we had you transmute that iron and stone.” Roy whispered to Alphonse. He looked to Riza and signaled to her. The sharp-shooter nodded and headed up the mountain, her rifle slung over her shoulder.

“Now what Colonel?” Alphonse asked.

Roy looked back to the boy and smiled slightly. “We wait for Lieutenant Hawkeye to get into position. She’ll tell us if she has her shot and we’ll go out and meet Goetz.”

“And we make him pay for everything he’s caused.” Alphonse whispered, his hands curling into fists.

“More or less.”

Alphonse looked up in the direction Lieutenant Hawkeye had gone up in and waited for her signal. Roy crouched beside him, his eyes focused on the area around them, waiting for another bundle of dynamite to come down on them or for Raymond to show himself.

Alphonse shifted when he saw Hawkeye’s mirror flash slightly. “Ah, Colonel. The Lieutenant is ready.”

Roy turned to look at Riza’s flashing mirror and nodded. He made a sharp gesture with his hand and Alphonse watched as the sharp-shooter eased her rifle into position. “Okay, Al, this is what we’re going to do. I want you to wait for my signal. When you see it, I want you to use your alchemy to catch him. No matter what happens, do not under any circumstances reveal yourself.”

“But, Colonel, what if he has a gun?” Alphonse protested. “What if he tries to really kill you?”

“That’s why have Riza on my six and you providing backup. Besides,” Roy gave Alphonse a slight grin, “I’m not without my own tricks.”

Alphonse gave a weak nod and watched the black-haired alchemist nod at Riza. Then Roy pulled himself out of their hiding hole and walked confidently out into the field. Alphonse sketched a transmutation circle into the rock that was shielding him and waited for the signal, for anything. He heard Roy’s footsteps move forward, stop, then move forward again. Alphonse felt a shiver course through him and knew he was afraid. How couldn’t he be? He was about to let Roy get himself killed! Edward would kill him for sure! But he couldn’t expose himself. He’d promised Roy.

“So, you came out to play, Roy? I’m glad. Though I thought you’d have come sooner.”

“I came here to kill you, Raymond.” Roy answered. “It’s just you and me. No witnesses, nothing to give me away as your murderer.”

“Now, that’s where you’re wrong, Colonel.” Ray’s footsteps grew louder as the boots he wore crunched over debris. “Can I call you Colonel? Anyway, I’m the one who’s going to be doing the killing.”

“You couldn’t beat me then and you can’t beat me now.”

“I beat your little pet. It wasn’t hard to lure him into the mine, him and that walking armor. Too bad it didn’t survive the dynamite.”

Roy chuckled. “What’d you tell the pipsqueak? That some poor kid was playing in the mine and got stuck?”

Alphonse bit back his laugh of nervous embarrassment. In fact, that was exactly how Raymond got Ed and him into the mine. Alphonse looked up and saw Riza signal him, and knew Roy was getting ready for some sort of attack.

“How does it feel, Mustang?” Ray asked snidely. “Your precious little bitch is dead. Dead, just like my Coletta!”

“See, you aren’t the first to assume the Fullmetal Alchemist was a snot-nosed brat who slept his way to the position he has now.”

If Alphonse had a body, he would’ve blushed. As it was, he felt properly offended for his brother.

“The pipsqueak has the uncanny ability to surprise.” Roy continued. “So until I see a body, I’m going to assume Fullmetal is still alive.”

Alphonse could imagine the sneer on Ray’s face. “It’s took bad that you won’t be around to see him even if he does survive.”

The fourteen-year-old activated his transmutation circle and opened up a pathway under the top layer of rock and dirt. He moved into the tunnel, moving slowly and carefully, feeling the movement of the two men above him. Alphonse scratched another transmutation circle into the stone above his head. He heard muffled voices, one the low rumble of the Colonel Mustang and the ever-increasing pitch of Raymond Goetz. Alphonse had to time it just right, activating his circle in time to pull Roy out of Riza’s shot. Alphonse felt dirt trickle into his armor and heaved a sigh.

All he could do now was wait.