Lascivious

Chapter Three

Jean still couldn't believe it. It had been bad enough when he had seen the uproar someone being rushed in. Someone had fallen from a building, he had been told, maybe jumped; they weren't sure yet. A few hours later one of the nurses had told him that it was a woman, and the building she had fallen from was Central HQ. Still, Jean hadn't been prepared for them to move Riza Hawkeye into the bed next to him.

"Dozens of broken bones- I'm not even talking about fractures, a huge amount of lost blood... Luckily, we were able to get her a transfusion almost right away." The doctor frowned and shook her head. "It seems bad, but considering the height she fell from, she was extremely lucky. We can't be sure of the long term effects, but I predict with enough rehabilitation, she should be able to make a full recovery. I must say, Mr. Havoc," she added, "that it does seem a little fishy. One moment you and General Mustang are in here, and the second he leaves another member of your team is in the hospital."

Jean shrugged. "I guess I've always just had shitty luck. But do you have idea why-"

"She jumped? I'm afraid not. There's an investigation going on I hear, but... normally when someone jumps from three stories high, there's one reason. You worked with her?"

He nodded. "For years. Something like this... it's not like her. There had to be a reason... a good reason."

She smiled in what was clearly meant to be a comforting manner. "I'm sure she thought it was."

She turned to leave, but paused, just outside the door. "I have heard one thing," she admitted. "I didn't think much of it... but maybe since you knew her... She regained consciousness briefly when she was being brought in and said one thing before losing it. 'He's still in there.' Do you have any idea what that could have meant?"

Jean thought hard for a moment. "No," he admitted. "I don't."

She smiled sympathetically as she walked out. "I wouldn't spend my time worrying about Ms. Hawkeye. You have your own recovery to concern yourself with."

Ah. That. As nice of a sentiment as it was, Jean couldn't see that there was much he could do in the way of his own personal recovery. The arrangements had been made: he had officially retired from the military and had a nice cushy store job waiting for him back home. He had given up; General Mustang might be waiting for him at the top but it looked like he was about to stand up that particular date with destiny.

The lights clicked off as the hospital settled down with nightfall. He tried to drift off to sleep but his thoughts were still with the woman in the bed next to him. He knew Riza well enough that she wouldn't have jumped unless she had a very good reason, and he couldn't help but think that it was somehow connected to the incident at the laboratory. There was clearly corruption from deep within the military, so... a failed assassination attempt? Was this like General Hughes' murder-had they learned too much? It still didn't feel right.

His thoughts were cut short by the sudden sound of the door creaking open. He looked over expectantly, hoping it would be the pretty brunette nurse, who, after Mustang's release from the hospital, had begun to take a liking to him. He was surprised to be greeted with a more masculine figure.

"Mustang?" he asked, incredulous. "You know, visiting hours are over, chief."

The man, who had been focused on the body of the unconscious woman, looked up in surprise.

"Do you know what happened to her?" Jean pressed on. "Was she pushed or-"

"Oh she jumped," Mustang said, looking back down at her. "Damn woman thought she could escape me if she made a big enough scene in a big enough crowd. There were enough people down below that she'd be taken to a hospital immediately- no way for me to get to her around all those people. Well she underestimated me. I don't mind making a little bit of a mess."

Jean gaped. "What?" His head was spinning, trying to make sense of what the other man had said. "You're... you're not Mustang."

"Catch on quickly, do you? I can see why Hawkeye was Mustang's right hand and not you. No, I'm not the Flame Alchemist. My name is Lust."

Jean paused, staring in shock at his former commanding officer.

"Solaris?" He was decidedly aware of a flush rushing to his face.

"Who?" Lust looked annoyed. "No, you must have known the old Lust. She's gone; I'm here to stay."

Despite everything, Jean couldn't help but feel relieved that the man who looked like General Mustang held no memories of being his ex-girlfriend.

He recovered quickly though. "And what is it you're doing here, then? What do you want with Lieutenant Hawkeye?"

"What I want the woman for is none of your business," Lust shot back. "She possesses something important and I need her close to me. Seeing as she seems to choose to run away, I need to take her back to my Father so she can be kept completely under our control."

"You can't just take her," Jean said angrily. "She's in a hospital for a reason; if you need her alive you have to keep her here."

Lust waved his hand dismissively. "She'll be healed completely once I take her to my Father. You'd be better off worrying about yourself," he said with a vicious grin as he unsheathed long black spears. "It's too bad you couldn't have just stayed asleep; now you're a loose end that needs to be cut off."

Jean grinned back, pulling a gun out from under his bedsheets. "Now, you see, I was kind of expecting that. As much as we'd both like to think otherwise, this isn't my first time dealing with you, Solaris. I know how you hate to leave a mess."

Lust raised his eyebrows, clearly impressed. "You smuggled firearms into a hospital?"

"Call me a paranoid gun nut, but right now I'm pretty glad I did."

Lust just laughed. "Well it's no matter; you say you know me, well then you should have learned that your gun is pretty much useless."

Jean smirk didn't waver. "See that door over there?" He nudged his head to the left. "That's the hospital staff's break room. Right about now, there should be several nurses in there, gossiping and complaining about having to take the night shift. I shoot you, sure you'll kill me in an instant. But in the time it takes for you to recover, the noise will have brought several nurses in. There's no way you can make a getaway undetected."

Lust froze. "Not too bad," he admitted warily, "I underestimated you. But you're doing me the same disservice. Even if I leave now, I'll just back and get Hawkeye another time."

He sighed, looking down at Riza and then back at Lust determinedly. "I don't intend on stopping you."

"You don't?"

I'm sorry Riza. "You say this Father guy will heal her completely once you take her with you?" Lust nodded. "That's a better deal than she's probably going to get here."

Lust nodded slowly. "Alright. Deal." Slowly, he withdrew his spears and pulled the sheets back from Riza's unconscious body, picking her up. "I haven't seen the last of you, have I?"

"Probably not," Jean admitted.

Lust paused for a long moment. "Good," he said slowly, as if each syllable came with tremendous difficulty. "I thought I'd be waiting for you at the top, but here I am at the bottom. Either way, I'll be seeing you, Jean Havoc. I knew you wouldn't give in so easily." He shuddered for a moment, and then left as quickly as he came in.

Jean sat there for a moment.

"I get it now, Riza," he said to the empty bed beside him.

He's still in there.