Military Talk

[AG]

Ed boarded the train after flashing his ticket to the conductor. He was awaiting Alleck's answer, hoping somehow he could turn it on Mustang, if only to stop his taunting.

[Alleck Davisson [Scar]]

Alleck followed Ed onto the train, receiving even less scrutiny than Edward thanks in part to his uniform. However, the ticket was still shown, and Alleck turned into the coach and headed up the aisle and into a booth near the back of the car. The sudden thought occured to him, wondering where the hell Alphonse had gone? Perhaps in the baggage car? Regardless, he awaited Edward to get comfortable before he crossed his arms over his chest and looked out the window at the station as folks were dashing to get to the train. He blew a sigh. "I'm not sure. I'm a military man of over a decade. And with each passing year, the orders given to me and some trusted associates within the military are increasingly questionable. I'm not at liberty to divulge any details at the moment, but I'm sure it is an ill omen." he trailed off.

[AG]

((I am going to temp Al until we find a new one or our old one returns))

Ed sat in a seat next to a window. He listened to Alleck speak and nodded. He understood the questions that Alleck had. Ed was never close to the higher ups in the Military and didn't have the same knowledge as Alleck. He started to look around, he hadn't even noticed that Al had fallen behind, but by the time he realized Al was not on the train it was too late and the train had begun moving. He opened the window and tossed his head out, "ALPHONSE!" He screamed.

Al wanted to get down to the bottom to why this Haley had been following them. He was walking over to her when he heard his name being yelled from a moving train, "BROTHER!" He yelled back as he started running toward the train. "WAIT!" He exclaimed until he realized it was too late, the train had departed away from him. He turned and looked at Haley, "Oh man..."

((That should have been posted in Risembool...but they'll get on the next train))

[Alleck Davisson [Scar]]

Alleck had his thoughts about Alphonse answered in the form of Edward glancing out the window, where Alleck's eyes had also been trailing, and noting the giant suit of armor that was most certainly not on the train, Alleck leaned forward earnestly. He realized there was nothing for it. "Damn. I wasn't paying attention." he growled, slamming his fist against the armrest. He looked to Edward Solemnly. "Does Alphonse have any money? Perhaps he'll be on the next train?" he suggested.

[AG]

Ed looked out the window and watched his brother get smaller and smaller as they left Risembool. After Al was no longer in sight Ed sat back down and looked at Alleck. "I have all the money...but we did get open ended round trip tickets...so he has a ticket back to Central." He explained. He just hated being away from Al, it was Ed's job to take care of him.

Haley walked to Al, "Sorry you missed your train." She said to him consoling the now very scared kid.

Al looked at her, "I don't want to be on a train by myself." He said to her. He looked at her, "will you...go with me?" He asked.

Haley looked at him questioningly, "to your military base? I don't know." She wasn't too keen on going back to Central, she had always promised herself to stay away from any town that had one of their big headquarters, and she had already been there the other day. She looked at the tin boy standing in front of her. It was almost like she could see his human face behind that tin, he looked very sad and it was too much for her. "Ok, let's go kid. Under one condition..." She told him.

Al lit up and looked at her, "What?" He asked anxiously.

Haley walked over to him and grabbed his head, "You take that thing off, you've got to be hot in there." She said as she started to take off the head of his body.

Al began to panic as he held the helmet down. "No, you don't understand. I can't..." He explained as he pulled away.

Haley didn't understand, but she decided to respect his decision. "Well, alright. The next train should be here in about an hour. I need to get a ticket." She said as she walked to the ticket booth.

((@_@ I hate having conversations with myself.))

[Alleck Davisson [Scar]]

Alleck simply nodded to Ed and leaned back into his seat. "All is well then. It'll probably be some hours after we arrive before he shows up." he mused before glancing Ed's way. "Or we could get off at the next station and wait for his train."

[AG]

Ed thought for a few moments, "We may as well get all the way to Central and wait when we get there." He said hesitantly. After all, what kind of trouble could he get into between Risembool and Central, it wasn't that long of a train ride. It didn't stop his worrying, but he didn't want to burden Alleck.

[Alleck Davisson [Scar]]

Alleck gazed at Edward, intent and scrutinizing, but in the end he simply turned his focus out the window at the passing terrain and remained silent for a time. "It isn't a problem. You aren't inconveniencing me by stopping at the nearest station. It is much wiser to do that then go all the way to Central." he said. He shifted in his seat and looked back towards the Fullmetal. "Besides. You don't seem sure of yourself on the idea of going the whole way anyway."

[AG]

Ed looked at Alleck, "no, my brother means everything to me. I almost lost him forever once, I refuse to ever let that happen again." He began to explain, "and if I lose him, I lose everything." He said with great pain. He hated thinking about his mother, but every time he thought about losing Al, all he could think about the pain of losing her. He fought back tears as not to show weakness to this man he had only known for a couple of hours.

Haley approached Al with a ticket in hand. "The next train is boarding, let's hurry." She said to him as she guided him to the train.

"Do you think Brother will wait for us in Central?" Al asked, seriously questioning his brother's ability to be patient.

"I don't know your brother at all..." She informed him.

They got on the train and sat down. Haley looked out the window, she couldn't believe she was on her way back to Central. No matter the amount of this good deed, she hated the idea of seeing military drones again. She looked at Al, "Tell me...why are you so cautious about your suit of armor?" She asked.

((I am not answering that as Al because we have a pending application so I am going to leave that open ended for our upcoming Al so she has something to post))

[Alleck Davisson [Scar]]

Alleck rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he watched Edward, who clearly considered his brother his entire reason for moving forward. Alleck himself had no such motivation past his own willingness to serve the people in any way he could. He smirked and leaned forward, a slight rustle of his stiff uniform announcing his motions, and he reached out a hand to clap Ed's shoulder. "You're overreacting." he announced with the force of confidence that Alleck carried himself with. He leaned back into the seat and looked out the window, crossing his arms over his chest. "He'll be fine. The question is, what to do when we reach Central. I've been hearing odd rumors. You've been noted to have an interest in the Philosopher's Stone..." he trailed off, eyes staring hard at the horizon beyond the glass. "I have a bad feeling about things."

[Alphonse Elric]

Al sat down,trying to make his armor body as small as possible,since he was occupying a really big amount of space.He glanced outside the window,just waiting for the train to depart to its way back to Central.From time to time,he was peeking over to Hailey,she didn't seem too excited about being on this train,one that was going to Central.As soon as she asked Al about his armor,the train began moving with a loud noise made by the alarm announcing the departure.He was used to people asking him questions about his armor,but no matter how much he though he could avoid blocking in answering,that was exactly what happened.

"It's normal to be cautious about an armor you are wearing.After all,it is protecting you.I always have to be prepared for anything,so I'd rather have it on." Al muttered silently,the apparent eyes of the armor helmet fixing Hailey.He hated lying or hiding,but he couldn't simply reveal the truth so easily.Al was always careful of what to say to people,so he didn't want her to find the truth,at least for now.He simply answered that since,she didn't ask him directly 'Hey,what's inside your armor?'.Al glanced back outside the window at the trees passing faster and faster.

[AG]

Overreacting was something Ed did a lot, even though he never notices his overreacting. He was just a passionate person who has been through it all. Not to mention, he felt, when it came to Al, there was no overreacting. Ed's attention was grabbed upon hearing the Philosopher's Stone, "Yeah, been looking for it." He said. "What bad feelings?" He inquired.

Haley looked at Al for a few moments. She didn't really believe him, she figured there was more to it. But he wasn't going to just announce it to her, so she decided to back off until he was ready to tell her. She had no idea he was the armor. "Well, we should be in Central in no time." She said trying to change the subject.

[Alphonse Elric]

"I hope so." Al replied to her with a nod,keeping his glance outside the window.He was more concerned in the matter of his armor and Hayley,who constantly appeared in his eyes as not too cheerful at the idea of going to Central.Now,his first though,became the last,that being if his brother would wait for them when they arrive.Although he was thinking he would,but surely not calm at all.

An awkward silence fell,the people with the two in train lowering their voices to discuss.Al moved his look on Hayley.

"Have you been to Central before?" he asked her,trying to make a conversation,since he was more social and liked opening discussions with people,usually.

[Alleck Davisson [Scar]]

Alleck's eyes shifted over to Ed, but his expression remained stormy. He said nothing for a few moments, but when he finally spoke, he managed to muster a half-grin. "It's one of the perks of being in the military. You develop a sixth sense for disaster. Really, there's nothing going on that would cause anyone any question. But I just have a bad feeling. Things are too quiet around Central. Not even any rumors."

[AG]

Hailey peered out the window of the train. She saw the landscape rush by them, "Yeah...once..." she said to Al. "I had gone there to look for your brother. Then I was sent to Risembool since you guys were there." She finished. She looked at Al, "What made your brother want to even join the military?" She asked, "isn't that selling out?" She blurted out rudely.

Ed nodded, "Well, I hope nothing goes wrong..." he said nervously. He wasn't sure what to think, he didn't have this sixth sense yet, and had no idea if he would ever have it. All he knew, was that he didn't want to think of another war starting, or anything like that.

[Alleck Davisson [Scar]]

Alleck simply nodded to Ed and patted down his coat pockets looking for something. He eventually came up with a cigarette case, which he flipped open. He produced a single, perfect, white cynlinder and pushed himself to his feet. "I'm going to the rear to have a smoke." he informed the young alchemist, and then stepped out of the booth and made his way down the corridor towards the back.

[Alphonse Elric]

Al tilted his head lightly over Hayley,before he lowered his helmet head to the ground.

"Brother...he...didn't join the Military to become one of their dogs.Joining opened a lot of gates for us,he did it so he could fix the mistakes we made." Al said,as he was speaking,with each word,his voice was slowly lowering.He wanted so badly to say 'the mistakes I made',but something stopped him from doing so.

He looked out the window again.Him and Ed took this road so many times,that he could tell how much it was until they arrived to Central.In this case,there wasn't much longer.He wasn't that bothered with Hayley's questions,he saw it the bright way:they were having a conversation.But still,he didn't know what he would have answered if she would ask him more things,that are supposed to stay as hidden as the fact his armor was empty.

[AG]

Ed nodded as he watched Alleck step out. This gave Ed a few moments to think about everything on his mind; Al, his next step, the Philosopher's Stone, everything. His life was far from easy, but it was the life and path he chose. He just needed the resources to fix what he had done wrong. It broke his heart to know that Al suffered more than he did when he was convinced it was his fault, not Al's. Ed sighed as he looked out the window and continued to kick himself for the past.

Hailey looked at Al, mistakes? she thought to herself. She wanted to know what mistakes these were, but she wasn't going to pry. He obviously didn't want to tell her. "Well, at least he had good intentions. It makes me respect him a little more." She said as she turned away from the younger brother and looked out the window.

[Alleck Davisson [Scar]]

Alleck would remain out on the back of the train for the rest of the trip, as it happens.

[Alphonse Elric]

If Al would have real eyes,he would have blinked at her.He instantly though that,like many other people,she was placing all State Alchemists in the same category.But,nobody should have blamed her or any of the other people.The majority of army,or even whole,was the one who massacred so many people during the Ishval war.No one stayed there,waited and though of each individual's intentions.

"That's nice.Not all State Alchemists are the same.I don't blame you for not being a fan of them." he said quietly to her,as he was obviously thinking of Mustang,Hawkeye and basically the other people in army,especially Edward, that proofed they weren't such evil,heartless people.He was aware,of course,that there truly were Alchemists that people should have though that way,though.

"There isn't much of the road until we arrive in Central." he added,handing his ticket to the conductor that seemed to be late at his duty.