Chapter Text
The news came by courier, sealed in an official report.
Roy cracked it open at his desk, skimming the words once before setting it down with deliberate calm. His hand lingered on the paper longer than it should have.
“Lieutenant,” he said softly.
Riza looked up from her paperwork, brow furrowing at his tone.
He slid the folder across the desk. She opened it, eyes scanning the neat type.
Prisoner #4426 — deceased. Fatal wound sustained during altercation in holding block. Incident under review. No surviving witnesses.
Her jaw tightened, but her voice stayed level. “The stalker.”
Roy leaned back, cane balanced loosely against his knee. “Stabbed. Knife fight with another inmate. Convenient, isn’t it?”
Breda, who had been leaning against the doorframe, frowned. “You think somebody wanted him quiet?”
Roy’s smirk was humorless. “I think men who make enemies tend not to live long behind bars. Whether it was chance or design, it doesn’t matter.”
Havoc exhaled smoke toward the ceiling. “Guess that’s that. One less creep in the world.”
Fuery looked uneasy. “Still feels… abrupt. We didn’t even get a trial. No answers. Just—done.”
Falman nodded, expression grave. “Loose ends rarely tie themselves this neatly. It suggests either negligence… or intention.”
The room went quiet at that.
Riza closed the folder gently, fingers lingering on the edge. Her voice was calm, but softer than usual. “He’s no longer a threat.”
Roy studied her carefully. “That’s not relief in your voice.”
She met his gaze. “He was a danger, yes. But he was also a symptom. Remove him, and another will rise. The press, the Council… they’ve already built the story. His death won’t kill it.”
Roy’s smirk flickered, thin and tired. “And here I thought you’d scold me for not being the one to light the match.”
Her lips twitched, though her eyes stayed serious. “That was never your fire to start.”
He leaned forward, voice lowering. “No, but it was mine to end.”
The silence stretched between them, heavy but not suffocating.
Finally, Riza stood, stacking the folder neatly atop the finished reports. “Then it’s over. At least this chapter.”
Roy’s eyes lingered on her, dark and unyielding. “…Until the next one.”