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Riza wakes up to the sound of her alarm, bleary with exhaustion from yesterday’s hard work at getting Central under some order. She reaches over to turn off the alarm, but her hand meets empty air. She squints her eyes open and is surprised to realize that she’s in her apartment at Eastern. She sits up and reaches a hand up to her hair, a sinking feeling in her stomach to what she will find there.
Huh.
Riza wonders what happened. She stands up and gets dressed for the day. It’s a lot, but she has a job to do right now.
—————
Riza is actually a bit surprised by how easy it is to subtly influence the world around her. She wasn’t sure time would follow her memories, but it seemed like it did. All she had to do was put a certain word in, swap paperwork, be in the right place and right time, and it would cause ripples.
The current wave she’s riding is to the Elrics. She was strongly considering leaving this be, to let it happen as it had, after all they were instrumental to defeating Father and it did end with Alphonse getting his body back, and Edward at least got his arm back.
However… they were children. She wanted them to have better.
Riza walks up the the Rockbell house by herself, she managed to convince Roy to stay back for this and has Falman by her side, instead. When Mrs. Rockbell opens the door, Riza tries to look open, yet professional, at the suspicious glare.
“Hello, I’m sorry to interrupt, I’m Second Lieutenant Hawkeye, and this is Master Sergeant Falman. I’m here on behalf of Lt. Colonel Mustang because of reports of some very talented Alchemists by the name of Elric in the area, and I heard they could be found here. May I have a word with them?”
The older woman scowls, snorting and looking away. “Those boys have been through quite enough without having dogs sniffing after them, too. I suggest you leave,” she snaps.
“I am not here for any trouble. I just want to talk, and then I will be on my way,” she lowers her voice, “I saw what was at their house, I am here to help them, not hurt them.”
Riza sees Mrs. Rockbell’s eyes widen and then narrow. She gives a sharp Tsk and turns around. “You got ten minutes. They’re in rough shape and I don’t want you agitating them,” she warns as she leads them into the house.
Riza was here with Roy the first time, she remembers how small Edward looked in the wheelchair, missing an arm and a leg, the defeated slump of his shoulders and dead look in his eyes. She remembers the way Alphonse loomed behind him, voice breaking on tears he couldn’t shed as he apologized. The memory had burned itself in her mind as clear as any other of the atrocities she’s witnessed.
Even then, she can’t help the way she stops at the sight all over again, the way her heart feels torn out at how small and young Edward looks. He was always a very vibrant boy, and last she saw him, he had really been growing into a strapping young man.
Riza approaches the boy and takes a knee in front of him, looking him straight in the eye with none of the pity she knows he would loathe. Roy had told her that he saw fire in those eyes; Riza hadn’t seen it, but now she does. It’s buried under the pain and despair, but that intelligent light she’s always seen in him is still there. An ember that only needs to be given a small helping hand to bloom into an inferno.
“My name is Riza Hawkeye, I am part of the Amestris State Military, and I can help you and your brother,” she states, using the same voice she may use with someone under her command, the hardness of a soldier in her eyes. She hears Alphonse’s tinny inhale, and she looks up at him as well. “I know what you have gone through, what you did-”
“We’re sorry,” he whimpers, and Riza can’t help the softening of her expression at the sound of a 10 year old voice coming out of that suit of armor.
“I understand. But there are others who will not.” Her voice and expression hardens again, looking into Edward’s eyes again. “You boys are still young, and extremely intelligent. You can do great things, but not if you give up now. You boys can get back what you lost, and I can help you. But only if you help yourselves first.”
She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a card with her number on it and places it on Edward’s lap, and gives his remaining knee a squeeze. “I hope to hear from you when you have recovered,” she adds as she stands, giving both boys one last gentle look and then walking away.
—————
A year later, the phone rings. “You can help get Al’s body back, right?” a voice barks over the line, “I’m ready to go.”
Riza smiles. It’s going to be better this time.