FMA - The Revelation of Truth

[Zhiel]

OOC: Meh, crappy first post <<. Didn't know what else to write really.

Continental Year 1914, June 13, Central City Eastern State Military Compound.

A usual day in the life of Central, the largest city in the nation of Amestris. The streets was filled with the bustle of people and the noise of the occasional car, with the massive fort that served at the State Military's Central headquarters standing aloft in the middle of the city, stretching nearly three or four times as tall as the tallest building or wall in the city itself. Being a very militaristic nation the city itself was patrolled by soldiers and was well guarded and maintained, keeping crime rate to a minimum.

This was a luxury that could not be transmitted everywhere however, as disturbing rumours of mysterious disappearances had spread from the nearby town of Ern. And due to the requests of the local police forces the State Military had decided to send a few select people to take care of the problem before it grew. Those same people had all been ordered to the eastern State Military compound, located on the other side of the river which flowed through Central, near the middle of the outer city.

Each one of the soldiers sent for by the State Military had been given just a little amount of information. And that was to assemble in the Compound, and that they would be transferring to Ern after their briefing. The time of their arrival had been specified as 10:30 in the main lobby, a large room spanning about thirty meters from wall to wall in a square with couches along the walls and a few tables lined up in an orderly fashion. After most of them had arrived a soldier who by the mark on his uniform was a Sergeant entered the room through the double doors with the state military symbol on them. "Your briefing will begin at 11:00, you will be put under command of Colonel Andrews. That is all." And after saluting the man who appeared to be in his mid thirties exited the way he had come.

Elsewhere.

After having been relocated back to Central, Colonel Diana Andrews had been transfered to the Intelligence Division and Military Court, with her first task being to discover and deal with the strange disappearances in Ern. Right now the Colonel herself was looking over the documents she had received the day before, making a final check-over to see if she had missed anything. "Hmm... That should be all." She said silently to herself as she sorted the papers back in order and put them in the file, before picking it up and holding it under her arm as she stood up.

After doing her preparations, by fastening her saber to her belts right side and her handguns to her back, the young colonel walked over to the coat-stand near the door to the office she was in and took the standard issue black trench-coat soldiers tend to wear hanging there before putting it on, though not closing it in the front so her uniform was clearly visible under it. Though whether by coincidence or so, the mark that signified her as a colonel was covered by it. Being ready she turned toward the door and opened it, before stepping outside and looking around, sighing slightly as she saw who she was looking for.

"You shouldn't be acting like that just because I made you wear your uniform... Major." She said to the young man who was sitting at a bench just outside her office, pouting. "Just this once, ok? I won't force you to wear it after this, but please try to act formal. For me at-least, Colin?" She continued, speaking softly to the young man who she saw like a younger brother. "We need to get going now, or we will be late."

[Tagz]

Colin’s Jackson, he was an arrogant young boy that loved to stand out. How many people walk around wearing the same blue and white uniform? Who were they to picture themselves as great as he? Colin’s Jackson, known as the Crystal Stone Alchemist, who were they to think that they could match up to the seventeen-year-old Major? Worst of all, the uniforms weren’t even stylish. They were way too formal. The young man refused to wear the uniform given to him. If one wanted to know his ranking, he’d tell them. If they doubted it, he’d show them. For him to walk around as just another pawn on the militaries chess board was absurd. He was so much more than that. He was THE Colin Jackson. Why was this such a hard point to get across? Had it have been anyone other than Colonel Andrews who’d asked him to do so, nay, begged him to do so… he’d be sitting outside their office in boxers and a tank top just out of spite.

Colin was sitting on a bench outside the Colonel’s office. He had been told to assemble in the compound and that he would be journeying to city of Ern in the very near future. The reason that they were heading there for was kept secret until the meeting. Odd bunch of people these military higher ups were. Regardless, the young man had more pressing matters to deal with. Was he going to be wearing these clothes throughout the mission? Hell no. If Diana even had the audacity to request that of him, his uniform would have a misfortunate accident, leaving him with nothing but his boxers and tank top once again. Yes, the teenager much rather preferred to parade around in his underwear before walking amongst the commoners as if he were one of them. So for the last thirteen and a half minutes, he’d been sitting outside Colonel Andrews office… sulking.

That’s when doorknob turned and the door swung open. Standing there was the woman he viewed as family. She had a kind caring look to her. Clearly she knew how much it bothered him to wear his uniform.

“You shouldn't be acting like that just because I made you wear your uniform... Major.”

Colin glared at her. The simple way she said ‘Major’ held some bitterness. Or at least, that’s how his bitter ears perceived it. This only made the man sink lower in his seat and pout some more. A ‘humph’ escaped his mouth before he spoke.

“Damn it, “Colonel”, you know I don’t like them. Why the fuck I have to be formal for? You know I’ll get the job done anyways, whatever the hell it is.”

The young Alchemist spoke with intense acrimony. That is, until the woman managed to calm him down. Damn that sweet voice of hers.

“Just this once, ok? I won't force you to wear it after this, but please try to act formal. For me at least, Colin?”

The man let out a saddened sigh. He really hated uniforms. It was hard to understand how one could have so much hatred towards such a thing. But it was possible and it was done. Regardless, what’s done is done. He had already allowed himself to be forced into the uniform to begin with. He nodded in agreement when she told him they needed to get going. But… Colin had been waiting outside for her for all of thirteen and a half minutes. Just what was she doing in there anyways? Having a tea party? It didn’t really matter what she was doing. The two were on their way to the meeting place. The sooner the meeting was over with, the sooner he could get out of these godforsaken clothes. Life really was a bitch at times, was it not?

[Mr. Butterfly]

Clink, clink, clink.

With the many attachments on his apparel, the young man made slight noises with every casual step he took in his stride to get to the main lobby from the left wing hall he had been hanging out in to kill time. His hand came up to the doorway he was entering through, revealing a hand with a ring on the middle finger as Henry Lanier "pulled" himself through. Henry's lean form fit through pass a small crowd gathered around so new alchemist graduate. Apparently, the kid could use fire pretty good . . . bah, who needs fire? Destruction through small packaging was the way to go.

"Yeah, you said it Phil. We could beat him in a heartbeat."

Henry talked to his dear friend Phil once again. However, Phil was nowhere to the left, the right, or in Henry's steel-eyed gaze at all. Phil lay on his back. And Phil wasn't on his back like some sort of pink haired little girl that would play with some oddball bells in a crazy hairdo - no, Phil was strapped to his back because it was a bomb to big to carry regularly. Phil was actually specially made from transmutated metal and explosive materials - it was rigged to be a much more destructive boom.

Therefore, when some of the more senior members looked at Henry like he was a bit crazy, it was quite understandable. Most people did not understand, like Henry did, that the explosives were people too. They could talk - though Henry had realized it was a gift of his to understand them. And a gift it was - he wouldn't be in the position he was in now if he hadn't listened to them as they guided him through his missions and fights. They were his family. All 107 pieces of destructive material - each and every one with an individual personality and ideas.

Henry took a seat, and reached into his pocket, pulling out a cigarette. He stuck it in his mouth without lighting it - he didn't feel like smoking it, he just wanted the comfort of having it in his mouth. He twiddled it around with his tongue while straightening out his uniform, even showing the badge that stated he was a First Lieutenant in the State. About that time, another man entered the room - and spoke a line he needed to hear, since it pertained to why he was here.

Your briefing will begin at 11:00, you will be put under command of Colonel Andrews. That is all.

"Colonel Andrews? Bah . . . just another man in the military to tell me I can't use a popcap to suspend a suspect . . . huh? Whatdya mean, Andrews is a she? How do you know, Gregory? You don't, so be quiet. Andrews is a man's name. God, sometimes, you can be a pain . . . no, not you Josh, you're fine with me . . ."

And so he carried on, mumbling and muttering to himself, as the two people seated near him scooted further and further away.

[GoldenKitten]

More than one person was clanking through the halls this day. Ash was quickly making his way up the steps to Central HQ and today he wore every weapon he had in his possession, this was of course getting him some odd stares but having some idea of what his new orders might entail he was coming prepared. Thus with every step the many weapons on his body jostled up and down including the four katanas, two on each side of his hips which were sheathed in large pink matte holsters and indeed made walking through confined halls a pain. He was wearing his usual bright pink and white outfit and today adorned his more androgynous pink coat though the obviously female clothing beneath was also there, luckily he looked just fine in that. He was not one for wearing the clothing of the military though today he made sure to display the chain and watch of a state alchemist at his waist.

Despite all these deep thoughts and sickeningly ironically masked killing implements the effeminate man who held them all was his normal cheery self, stopping to talk to those he knew well and waving to or greeting those he didn’t. It was just another day in the life of the Detective Prince who had caught over fifty of the most dangerous rogue alchemist and murderers to ever ply the lands. And there was the heart of it, the brutal truth beyond the kind persona and the flashy exterior.

Ash was angry, he had done so much, come so far and now he was being cut off from the group he helped create to aid another. True he knew scattered details about what was happening, he was a detective after all, and while it was a serious matter it hardly seemed like his addition to an already large group would make a significant difference. He wasn’t so conceited to think that he was single handedly holding the world together so surely these other people could have done just as well on their own? It wouldn’t have been so bad if they had asked for his temporary aid but command had downright cut his title from his previous role in investigations and put him on an entirely different pay grade, clearly this was meant to be a permanent change, or at least a series of changes but none of them would be as they were. He was proud of what he had done, of the evil he had stopped and though he never thought he was any more than a “dog of the military” as the common man liked to say he had still hoped his actions were valued enough to see him constantly progress as he had. Quite right, even those around him had expected he would one day make Colonel of Investigations and then in one night with no warning he was pulled from that course and tossed into what seemed like a dead end to him. Regardless he said nothing of this (though he had certainly made his feelings known upon first learning it) and pushed on, determined to see what would become of it. Ash had long ago learned fate was a fickle thing and he was not one to make rash judgments’, he would wait and see what occurred.

Despite the raging turbulent thoughts going on in his mind his outward motions were as polite and kind as ever, even with the anger building inside. Of course had anyone ever really known Ash they would have realized this kindness was a mask in and of itself. A natural byproduct to hide his true intentions and intelligent self-commentary within the vault of his mind where no other could see. Unlike others he did not become cruel or neutral when closing himself off, he put on a pleasant facade that made him likeable and had earned him many “friends” but in truth the only real friends were the ones he could be brutally honest with. The ones he could share his intelligent thoughts and theories with and not hide behind an always-cheery face…the ones who were still back in investigations. He once again became angry, he was a genius indeed but not an egotistic genius, he was more than capable of making friends with those below his own intellect and he had left many of them behind there. He doubted he would find others anytime soon.

Ash had wound his way carefully to the meeting place and saw others were already going in ahead of him. He greeted the man at the front with a ‘hello’ and a smile and had received one in return, the fact that this man probably hadn’t smiled at anyone else all morning and also checked out Ash’s ass as he passed through suggested he was perhaps not as known by as much of Central just yet as he might have hoped. Either way he made his way into the room just in time to hear the mans declaration of when the briefing would begin, he checked the his watch…that thing actually came in handy for things other than identifying him as an alchemist and then went and stood behind the last row of chairs. He wasn’t much for getting crowded in next to others and he was loaded down with many blades that would have been a pain to deal with in such a situation, he doubted anyone cared. He gave those in the room a quick run-down but saw nobody he was familiar with much less a friendly face and then sighed once more before crossing his arms and simply waiting.

[Zhiel]

OOC: I'll get to the briefing in the next post, was hoping for the other players to join first -_- If they don't reply by the time I do the third post I'll count em as missing and they'll have to catch up on their own.


Diana coulden't help but give a light chuckle at her 'brothers' response. The young man really did not like the uniforms and even less having to be formal but the woman thought it a necessity when you were going to an important briefing or meeting with your new squad. Though she usually managed to get her way when she put on a smile, even if the 'slightly' childish man tended to be really sulky for several hours after.

While walking down the corridors of the Central eastern compound the young colonel dropped her smile and exchanged it for her usual strict and serious look she forced herself to take whenever she was on duty while in the precense of other people. And with a straight back and arms by her side, one carrying the file containing her orders, she rounded a corner with Colin just behind her, seeing their destination right infront of her as she did. Not wasting any time Diana walked up to the now closed double doors and saluted to the same soldier that Ash had passed by just a few minutes earlier, who saluted back though looking a little sceptical about why she did.

In the meantime Colin didn't bother with the formalities and just walked straight in, which caused a slight scowl from Diana. If a person of high position, such as a Colonel, was accompanied by someone of lower rank, such as Major, it was customary for them to follow, not lead. Well done was done, and it was not like it really mattered, she'd bring it up with the man later though, oh yes she would.

Sighing lightly the woman turned to the now open door as she put her buisness face back on and walked inside, closing the door behind her before she turned to look out over the rather large lobby. From the looks of it they were missing a few people, and with the way everyone had spread out you'd think they were afraid of each others... Diana had a bad feeling about this group... After looking out over the room once Diana walked up to the first row of seats but did not sit down as she brought the file folder up on her right arm while bringing out a small note pen with her left as she looked over a list of names.

"We seem to be missing a few people... In the meantime, I'd like for you all to confirm your names, so that in a worst case scenario we can send for replacements of those missing." Diana said, though her voice was still fairly light it was completely serious and clear sounding and carried out over the entire room with ease. A few of the low ranking soldiers that was in the room, most of them only Privates, responded with a salute and their names, after which Diana noted them down, though still waiting for the others.

[GoldenKitten]

Ash listened to the goings on about him for some time with little interest though his face just sat in its neutral position of mild kindness for the moment. Though his thoughts were still rambling he had quieted them down a tad and was now taking in the surroundings instead of cursing his luck, unfortunately there wasn't much in the way of distractions. Of course there was the guy who was apparently talking to an explosive in his hand that Ash hoped dearly didn't have actual powder in it. But then you didn't live the life Ash did without meeting a few kooks...regardless, he took a couple steps back. After this point he simply took to watching the walls and fixtures upon them, of course all the while he was contemplating what exactly they would be doing to right the situation in Ern of which he knew spotty details. It was not however until an important arrival came through the doors however that he truly paid attention to anyone else, she had come through the door in a different and more haughty manner than the rest and so reeked of command.

Ash had gone through her profile, this was Colonel Diana Andrews the woman under which command the higher-ups had for some reason seen fit to place him. He quelled the fire within his belly reminding himself that it was not in fact this womans fault for his rearrangement and that in fact she was one to be respected, even if she was a little to staunch for Ash's taste. She was apparently a strict sort, known for holding the letter to the law and controlling things with an iron fist, albeit a kind one at heart. Ash stopped thinking about his annoyance and started thinking about the complexities of the situation he now found himself, if he couldn't fix anything he might as well think on how he could best prepare to tackle the coming situation. This Colonels personality would provide both pro's and con's to the situation, he of course respected the law though he was hardly as concerned with proper etiquette as this woman but at the same time he took a sort of “whatever it takes” approach to catching criminals, he doubted that would fly with her. Regardless he was used to operating under limits and was already plotting out his actions on a minute by minute basis.

He took notice of everything she did, the motions she made and the words she spoke, as this happened he became ever more convinced that while they might develop a mutual respect in time they could never be true friends. Regardless he didn't let this get to him, respect was better than what he had for the majority of people he had seen here so far and probably more than they would ever gain, not bad for thirty seconds. Diana wanted to take names and though Ash had flashbacks to his short time in the academy he didn't see any better ways to spend the time waiting for any stragglers. He thought it sort of funny that she seemed to be going by rank and let this happen randomly instead of going by name, calling them out and getting a response, at least in that respect school teachers had things right. Of course it could have been that like himself this woman was capable of running multiple thought processes at one time which gave him hope that whatever they might be doing it would at least be organized intelligently, he hoped anyway. Being one if not the highest rank under Diana in the room Ash came in very last or damn near it.

“Ash El'Jonson – Lieutenant Colonel.” He said this while still bearing a slight smile and giving a salute though he only did it with two fingers, his pointer and his middle though it seemed more a playful action than a disrespectful one. Inside he strongly wanted to add 'Central Investigator' out of spite but managed to hold back, hopefully if this woman actually knew what she was doing she would already have read the dossiers of all the people here and know such things. Ash hoped dearly that whatever this woman would tell him it was worth his removal from investigations...like the world was about to blow up...at least.

[Kiyoshi]

DINGDINGDINGDINGDINGDING!!

The very very annoying sound of an alarm going off flooded the eardrums of one Felix Anderson. Man did he hate the crap out of that thing, it was such a nuisance to him. As the annoying dinging of the bells seemed to increase, Felix stired from underneath the covers. He poked his head out from under them to check the time on the clock. 11:00am. Holy crap he was late for the important briefing that was suppose to be going on right now. "Shut up will ya." He tossed his pillow at the clock knocking off the little side table and crashing it on the ground. With that the annoying contraptioned was silenced. Felix sluggishly draaged himself to the edge of the bed, then rolled to his side and fell right off onto the floor. His logic was maybe the hard crash would jolt him to wake up completely, it didn't work. For a moment he just lied there on the ground half wrapped in his comforter with his left leg propped up on the bed. Mornings sure as hell weren't this kids time of day.

Felix finally decided to get the hell up before he could be anymore late for the briefing. He stood up from the ground, tossed the covers back on the bed, stretched his arms, then scratched his ass. The basic routine for him. After he felt that he was fully awake, he went over to his closet and sorted through his piles of clothes. Hanging above them was the standard military uniform that all soldiers wore, pressed neatly and with his rank of Staff Sergeant on the shoulders. He finally found his black boots that were hiding underneath the piles of stinky clothes. After putting on his pants, he slipped on his boots and fastened them tight. Felix was too damn lazy to even put on a shirt so he just threw on the blue uniform jacket not even bothering to button it up.

Now fully woke and fully... dressed, Felix went over to a small drawer and pulled it open. Inside rested his three most prized posessions, two golden revolvers and a jet black combat knife. He placed the revovlers in their holts on the sides of his pants then slid the knife into a little sheathe hanging on the back of his pants belt loops. Alrighty then now was the time to head off to that very important briefing that he probably could care less about. After a few minutes of causally walking through the barracks and getting salutes from the lower ranks, he had made it to the designated room. He peeped his head inside and gave a lazy smile as he saw that the meeting was already underway. He rubbed his gloved hands through his wild blonde hair and walked inside with a sigh. A lady, one he was quite unfamiliar with stood in front of everyone calling roll. Felix strolled right pass her not even bothering to salute his superiors and sat.... more like lied down on one of the many couches. He placed his hands under his head like a makeshift pillow, stretched out on the couch, then waited for his name to be called.

[Zhiel]

OOC: Uhm, Kiyoshi, she wasn't calling names.

Well so far so good. All the privates had been accounted for, which included seven regular privates and three Private First Class, ah how proud she had felt when she graduated the academy and was immediately assigned that rank herself. Then the war happened. Diana shrugged mentally, this was not the time to reflect upon the past, especially not that time of it. It seemed the ones of higher rank either waited for their 'turn' or was not interested in listing their names, either case she was not too concerned with any particular order for this little thing itself as she had memorized each persons name and rank, though coupling it with faces from black and white photos was a little harder.

She did not need to be told who Ash'El Johnson was however, it was hard to forget someone who dressed so... Uniquely. Though the profile she had read said male, she still saw a young woman when she looked at him, of course there was the small oddities which stood out, though most would most likely not notice. “Ash El'Jonson – Lieutenant Colonel.” The man announced shortly after the privates was done, at which Diana noted it down, though she could have done so the moment she walked into the room if she wanted to. "I only recall asking for your names, but I'm glad you keep to formalities, Central Investigator." She said, looking up from the file with a friendly smile on her face, though it was quickly erased when she heard the door open behind her, finally another of the stragglers came about.

The woman turned her head around a bit to look at the newcomer from the corner of her right eye, and as he walked inside she could tell many things about him. First of all, he did not respect his superiors. Second, he did not seem to care about formalities, or keeping himself orderly. And third, he was a complete mess. And worst of all, probably, was that he just walked right past her and laid down on one of the couches! And here she thought this squad she had been put in charge of could not get any worse... She wondered if she had been stuck with the group of freaks the military wanted to get rid off...

Diana sighed as she put the file under her arm once more before she moved her hand up to her mouth and 'cleared her throat' "Staff Sergeant Anderson, you are late. I will administrate your penalty for disregard of service after the briefing. But for now I suggest you pay attention, your rank may depend on it." She said, though her voice was calm it was probably not hard for those like Ash to tell she was agitated or at-least somewhat annoyed by Felix. Turning back to the center of the room Diana sighed once more as she looked over to where Henry Lanier, their assigned demolitions expert was sitting. Though he was definitely a weird case, he seemed to at-least know to listen when spoken to.

She was about to address him as well however, when a knock was heard on the door and the soldier who stood on guard duty outside opened it and took a step in. "Colonel Andrews, Lieutenant Colonel Marks has been given a last minute order and will meet you in Ern after you depart." The man said with a salute. Though to those observant it looked like he was facing Diana's 'brother' rather than her. It did not go unnoticed by her however, though she was not about to start a scene over it here and the man soon left out the door once again. So that meant everyone who was meant to be at the briefing was here, no reason to wait any longer.

"Now that everyone is here... For the most part... Lets begin the briefing." Diana began as she put down the file folder on one of the seats in-front of her. "I am Colonel Diana Andrews, your commanding officer for this operation, we have been ordered to relocate to the town of Ern. Some of you might have heard rumors about the situation there, but in either case. There have been numerous disappearances reported from the local police, with no traces of the culprits or even the victims themselves and they suspect Alchemy to be behind it." She continued, pausing briefly to let what she had just said sink in as she looked out over the room again before she continued. "The total amount of victims so far is twelve, including five police officers who was out on patrol together. Our orders are to protect the civilians of the town, and to discover the nature behind these disappearances and put a stop to it. Lieutenant Colonel Marks, who has yet to arrive due to last minute orders will be in charge of civilian protection. Lieutenant Colonel Johnson will give his expert knowledge as a crime investigator to help find the source of these happenings. The rest will be assigned as seen necessary." She finished as she looked out over the room again. "Any questions?"

[Tagz]

Image, image was something everyone had, and anyone can change to fit their specific circumstance. A slight grin crossed Colin’s face as Diana dropped her usual cheery smile for a sterner outlook, better suiting an official. She stood straight and tall… or at least as tall as she could reach, and turned a corner, Colin would follow soon after. Expectedly, Diana stopped for the usual, annoying formalities. The young man felt no need for such trivial greetings and simply shuffled by. After all, the man himself was of no significance. It wasn’t as if he’d ever meet him again, and if he did, it’d most likely be a random passing in the hallways by two individuals who knew or cared nothing for each other. So really, what was the point of wasting ones time with such interactions? That’s right, there was none.

As the man shambled into the room, he could feel the older woman’s cold grimace piercing him from behind. Ignoring the scowling woman, he scanned the room. There was a stunning woman wearing strictly pink and white clothing. There was also a man who was apparently speaking to weapons in his arsenal, and several others who just sort of faded into the background. Nothing of true significance allowed the others to really stand out. Besides that, everyone else was for the most part scattered throughout the place. Clearly there were several people missing. Then Diana moved to the first row, and without sitting down, asked for a roll call. The lower ranked people began stating there names while the higher ranked personnel felt to high and mighty to state their names along with the lower ranked ones. Was Colin like this? No. He was too high and mighty to state his name at all for a person as awesome and mighty as him should already be known by everyone.

Having still been standing, he decided to move down towards the female-looking character. Unbeknownst to him the object of his temporary, wildly changing desires was bore similar ‘equipment’ as he did. And judging from Colin’s lack of overly extended cutlery, this did not mean his gear. The man sat down beside Ash with a very joyful smile and greeted him politely, mentioning his name, and only that. It was not in a flirtatious way, more of a ‘Hi. Let’s use this assignment as an excuse to better know each other. Oh and by the way, ages don’t mean a thing. I’d last longer than any older man you could find.’

When the man gave his name to Diana, he sat back and thought for a moment. Was “Ash” purely a guy’s name? It could come across as feminine when the voice who says is sounds so angelic, and the body from which it’s spoken from looks so gorgeous. But… was it purely a guy’s name? It wouldn’t matter. How could someone who looks that astonishing be a man? It was preposterous, that’s what it was. It was during these thoughts that another man came in through the door. He didn’t mention a name, a rank, nothing. He just breezed by them all and plumped his lazy ass on the couch. Such a man had much to learn if he ever wanted to be as great as Colin was. If it had been him, he’d have given a nonchalant wave and a blank stare of unadulterated boredom and THEN plump his lazy ass on the couch. It was saddening to watch such a blatant disregard of ‘lazy good-for-nothing’ procedures. If he were lucky, he just might get a good talking to from the king of the idle.

Central Investigator? Lieutenant Colonel? My, my, this older woman has certainly made something of herself. The young man let out a chuckle as Diana directed her threats towards the late arrival. Then a man came in and began speaking to him with the misconception that he was in fact Colonel Andrews. What gave him the impression that a seventeen-year-old had so quickly achieved the rank of Colonel was baffling. At that point in time, Colin’s was spectacularly amazing, but had not yet reached the level of godly amazing. However, such a level was soon to come when one is as patient and magnificent as he was. Regardless, he was currently not a Colonel, nor would he ever be named Colonel Andrews.

A sly grin appeared upon his face as he played with the idea of accepting the role given to him and dismiss the man with his new found superiority. But it was most likely that his ‘elder sister’ would give him a tough talking to about it when she finally catches him in private. Letting out a sigh of disappointment, Colin gave up on the idea and simply nodded in the direction of Diana, subtly indicating his grave mistake.

Plainly put, the woman’s words flowed in one ear and out the other. Only selective hearing allowed him to pick up on the fact that she hadn’t mentioned his name so nothing of importance was directed at him. Despite him appearing attentive, he was only looking at Diana as to not let on that he couldn’t care less about their briefing. However, it would go without a doubt that Diana, and most likely anyone who gave a hoot enough to peer in his direction, that he was completely unfocused.

[GoldenKitten]

Ash cringed under the vaguely concealed reprimand, sure he might have gotten the better end of the stick than some to come but it was a call-out none the less. He hadn’t meant to add that last part, he wasn’t angry with the Colonel but it had slipped anyway. If it had been something else he would have just let it fly but as it was adding the rank might have come off as conceited to some, oh well, there was nothing he could do to change it now and it was but one interaction he would likely have with these people in the long run. As such he simply tucked the nugget of a lesson he had just endured away and went on listening to what was going on. He had to admit he was thankful nobody else had been of his rank just yet, he didn’t pride himself in tossing the rank around like some did but it would come in useful here. These people either didn’t know him at all or only did by name; as such it was his rank and not their respect he would have to utilize at first if he wanted to get anywhere. Again he found himself longing for his lost glory, the Investigations department where it wasn’t his rank that mattered; it was what he had done.

It was at this time that Colin had arrived and sat next to him and then gave a look he had seen all to often. He thought it rather ungentlemanly for someone trying to make his way into what he surely thought was a girls good graces to take a seat right next to him, even if there were plenty to spare if your trying to hit on someone it was best to try and stand at their level. He found himself briefly amused at how young the boy was and if nothing else applauded the bravery that was required, though he had a feeling it was more a product of egotism. He didn’t know allot about the Colonel and her followers yet but information on this man Colin Jackson had been more forthcoming without plumbing the depths of the archive and what he knew suggested the boy thought he was the shit, but he at least had proved a good officer, if a bit temperamental. Regardless Ash simply greeted him with a hello back though his said volumes basically stating “Not in a thousand years little boy”, however what Ash knew would turn into an entirely pointless discussion was thankfully ended when the door behind them opened.

Ash turned to look at the new man who walked in late at the same time Diana did. Ash obviously wasn’t a “rules man” but that didn’t mean he was rude and he knew when it was a good time to simply abide the rules in the presence of certain others. This was one such case but not only did this man ignore the obvious he also came off like a jerk. Ash hated jerks, you could get so much further in the world by being nice even if you didn’t want to be, as a general rule people liked you more and were more likely to do what you asked. As such he gave perhaps the first dark look he would make this day, breaking his seemingly cheery form to give the man a tenebrous scowl. He was thankful to see Diana wouldn’t abide this sort of blatant disrespect and his own liking for the woman grew a bit when she chastised the man. He wasn’t sure if this Staff Sergeant Anderson would actually change his ways, from the initial vibe he doubted it, but he might provide a good martyr in front of these others if he kept it up to long. Ash noted the darkness behind the Colonels eyes and realized much like he did she was probably hiding her true personality behind a faux ideology; he kept this in mind lest he ever run into it himself.

His spirits drifted a bit when he heard that another individual would not meet them until they arrived. Not because he was worried about this person, obviously anyone getting special orders knew how to care for themselves but rather because this Mark’s character shared his own rank. Usually when two people shared the same rank of a higher level in one place it ended with both being backed by a certain group of people with tensions raising until an overflow, he dearly hoped that they would be given wholly separate jobs upon arrival. Ash took note of the fact that the man was facing toward Colin next to him, how he missed that the real Andrews was currently standing in front of the group was beyond him forever, it was sort of a guys name but not THAT much of one. He dearly hoped this was not a sign of the intelligence he would be working with in the coming days…but he had a bad feeling. Of course he spotted Diana’s anger over the scenario but like a professional she quickly calmed it, he supposed he understood how someone could make that mistake since he had been the victim of similar mistakes due to his appearance but this one had been even stupider. Ash was not oblivious to the fact that Colin who was still sitting next to him seemed particularly pleased by the matter for a moment before clearly realizing being to obvious was a bad idea. He didn’t much care though, his patience for people like Colin was near zilch and though he was rarely cruel he wanted as little to do with this child as he did the Anderson boy.

Then the real meat of the congregation began, the topic of why they were here so Ash focused his thoughts. Little of what was said was new to him though the fact that five of those missing were police officers was something he hadn’t heard of, either way though it was good to hear it from an official with the real deal and not patched together through hearsay. He was dreadfully pleased to hear that he and Marks would be given jobs on different end of the spectrum so they wouldn’t wind up clashing, more so he would be taking part in his area of expertise heading the investigation which was something of a miracle given the tendency towards inadequacy the higher-ups seemed prone to. However in the back of his mind he wondered just what they were getting themselves mixed up in, if this was just a regular mission and was expected to be short he would simply have been loaned off for a short time and not officially moved. When Diana spoke of the work being by an alchemist he hardly worried, after all Ash was one of the top ten investigators when it came to a kill and capture count of rogue alchemist, he was number one for his age. However he realize that this was a serious matter for most and would enforce stricter discipline within them so he stayed logically silent.

When she asked for questions he first allowed anyone else who might have been curious to ask. He knew what he wanted to ask of course but he had to weed through which important questions were logical here, he also knew his questioning would take the longest and wanted to get any non-important questions most of the rest would have out of the way first. When it was clear he was in the green he raised his hand before speaking to make sure he was seen before he just butted in and then began. For the first time it was quite evident that a keener mind than his appearance suggested was running behind those kind eyes.

((OOC: Following topics are branching. If the answer to any of the following questions (as marked) is no then simply skip to the last statement which effectively closes that tree.))

“I have a few questions. I of course understand that the information you have might be incomplete and that there is no substitute for seeing the place itself but whatever information I can get will allow me to begin theorization and more over make for more intelligent dialogue with the local authorities when we arrive.” He nodded momentarily before continuing, “The most important and the one I figure will most likely be noted is do we know where the police disappeared or at the very least where they were last seen? (If yes) Were they near where the civilians disappeared? (If yes) Were the disappearances concentrated in one place or spread out at random? (If no to any of these things) I see, well then how about this.”

He let her answer before continuing, “About the supposed alchemist is there any actual proof or is that just guesswork? (If yes) Then is there any sign as to what form of alchemy might have been used? (If no) That is unfortunate.”

After finishing he stayed quiet before stopping and seemingly contemplating the air in front of him for a split-second and then while smiling he acknowledged her again, “Sorry about that, I prefer to go in with as much knowledge as possible. Thank you very much.”

[Mr. Butterfly]

Henry rolled the cigarette around in his mouth some more, leaning back in the chair in an attempt to find more comfort. He pulled the cigarette out in between his two fingers and fondled it in his hands as the sword girl in pink strolled in. He eyed her, noticing that while she had a cute face, she looked like she wasn't afraid to use those blades of hers. On top of all that, Henry got a glimpse of her Alchemist's watch - and he had never really been into alchemists. He remembered a nasty experience with a cute red headed alchemist that ended in quite the bang, because of a simple misunderstanding . . .

At any rate, Henry reached into his pocket and pulled from within his military uniform a grenade. This was no ordinary grenade - aside from being a dud and older than most people in the room, it was also very rugged and beat up. This was the first thing Henry's father had ever given him - it was very special to him. So special, in fact, that it didn't even have a name. He caressed it, remembering just how special it was to him. He tapped the edge of the cigarette on it, in some sort of rhythm, before the more people walked in, catching his attention.

The two that walked in gave off the air of importance. Well, it was more like the woman gave the air of strict importance while the young man gave the appearance of someone who was very sure in himself . . . or just stupid. He stared at them, still keeping a beat with his cigarette and grenade while the woman informed them all that she was going to take attendance. Well, that wasn't unexpected. Whenever transfers were made, they always got someone to make sure they were there. Although someone didn't know - a few people were still absent.

The pretty girl with the deadly swords introduced herself as Ash - well, a different name for a girl, but he couldn't judge. Before Henry could go ahead and introduce himself, someone else walked in. And this person obviously did not get the memo on being formal to your first time meeting your new co-workers and new leader. He was very sloppy and rude to his superiors.

"You said it, Josh . . . what kind of idiotic fool would act crazy in front of his new leading officers?"

Henry tuned in to the woman, who seemed to be ready to take his name and such down when the door guard interupted them. He spoke a word to the woman, then she turned back to them. Well, seeing as how she seemed ready to start, the guard must have explained the missing members absenses. He then discovered that she was the Colonel they were working under, and the details of their mission. It was amazing how his "friends" always knew things. It was a good thing he listened to them . . . especially in combat. Suddenly, behind him came questions pertaining to their mission. Henry simply waited, then struck the cigarette across the grenade in an elogant - but - swift way, so that it lit instantly. He stuck it in his mouth, but didn't do anything other than that.

[Zhiel]

So much, yet so little, was going on at the same time in the lobby. With all the people around it was hard for Diana to catch all of how they acted or reacted to what was being said or occured in the room, but at the same time there seemed to be no activity at all, except for Diana's 'brother' who seemed to be 'subtly' hitting on Ash. Diana thought it amusing how the younger man was hitting on another man, even if he was unaware of it, and considered leaving it up to Ash to explain how it really was, though that could disturb the operation incase the Lieutenant Colonel decided to hide his real gender.

Regardless, Diana put those amusing thoughts aside for now as she concentrated once again on observing the room, some of the Privates and others of low rank was whispering amongst themselves, though if it had anything to do with the briefing she had just had or not was impossible for her to say, probably not with how some of them were not so discretely eyeing both her and Ash. Diana sighed once more as she turned to the other end of the room, where Henry Lanier was once again talking to his weapons... She had to speak to him about that...

Diana was considering wheter she should continue or not, as there did not seem to be any questions, when a hand suddenly shot up in the air making Diana's eyes snap toward the person in question. She was not directly surprised that Ash, the Central Investigator, had some inquiries. Infact Diana was surprised the man had not been the first to ask questions, but she saw the reason behind waiting to be last as both polite and logical in this kind of scenario.


“I have a few questions. I of course understand that the information you have might be incomplete and that there is no substitute for seeing the place itself but whatever information I can get will allow me to begin theorization and more over make for more intelligent dialogue with the local authorities when we arrive.” Ash nodded like if to himself momentarily, before continuing, “The most important and the one I figure will most likely be noted is do we know where the police disappeared or at the very least where they were last seen?" The Central Investigator asked, and it was first there that Diana truly understood why this 'man' had gained such a title and reputation within Central's investigation departement.

"Yes and no, though there was witnesses that saw the patrol shortly before they disappeared, and people that should have seen them should they have continued on their designated route, and as such an area where they most likely disappeared has been mapped out, but as mentioned there are no signs of either the police nor the assailants." Diana replied, her voice calm as always. Though Ash did not waste any time on the response and continued with his questioning.

"Were they near where the civilians disappeared?" He continued, and Diana in turn had to really think now as she had not completely memorized the report. "...No, the police has not found the location of the disappearances of the civilians, but they suspect it to be in different locations due to where the people in question live." She responded, wondering a little on the thought processes of this rumoured genius. But before she could either say anything more or consider what he had asked he continued.

“About the supposed alchemist is there any actual proof or is that just guesswork? And is there any sign as to what form of alchemy might have been used? " Ash continued, whereupon Diana had to check the file for a second before she could answer. "A little of both, they are fairly unclear on this I'm afraid. A quote from the chief of police of Ern is that 'It is like if the area is too clean', probably suggesting that the culprits clean up the scene using alchemy, but other than that I cannot say." Diana responded with a light sigh as she put the file away again.

After finishing he stayed quiet before stopping and seemingly contemplating the air in front of him for a split-second and then while smiling he acknowledged her again, “Sorry about that, I prefer to go in with as much knowledge as possible. Thank you very much.”


"No need to appologize, your reasoning is fully acceptable and I realize I left holes in the briefing. I will put effort into not making that mistake again. I can tell you will make a great lead for the investigation." Diana said in response, though she kept a strict look to her face it softened a bit when she spoke to the feminine man. Ash seemed to be a person she could learn to respect, and hopefully, become closer with. There was far too few that understood her as it was, sure she might be a little too absorbed in her work, but everyone had to fight for what they believed in, no?

Diana shook her head lightly, pushing her thoughts away, she would have time for reflection later. "If there are no more questions pertaining to the operation at hand, then you are to prepare your belongings and meet at the trainstation at 1900 hours, sharp. If you arrive late then you will miss the train, and will be sure to recieve a letter of decomission the following week." As she said this last thing, it became clear her cold stare was aimed more or less directly at Anderson, before she shifted it back to the room in general and took on a pleasant smile. "I look forward to working with you all."

[Tagz]

Ash’s reactions had been half expected. The cold greeting that gave the impression that nothing would happen between her and Major Colin Jackson. But that meant nothing of significance to the boy. Girls always say no at first. Whether they’re being shy or coy is irrelevant, in the end, they have just as much ‘fun’ as their male counterpart. So what was different now? A thousand years could be meant as a thousand seconds if he put the right game on her. Ash didn’t seem to be the shy type so she was most likely being coy. If not, then she still thought too deeply into the age difference. All it really took was for him to convince her age was nothing but a number. Then she’d come around. Then she’ll offer up her good graces. And with a gorgeous body like that and a very attractive face as she had, those graces were certain to be very good in deed.

Before Colin could further the conversation, the woman raised her hand to ask his ‘sister’ a series of well thought out question. A woman as intelligent as she was might prove to be a difficult housewife to handle, wanting to be all independent and whatnot. How irritating that would be. She’d probably try to wear the pants in the relationship. Now Colin would simply not stand for that. He was dead set on being the man of his household. However, these were problems that were yet to come, if ever. He’d cross that bridge when he comes across it. As for now, he’d pay some attention to what the stunning woman had to say. It actually intrigued him even if only slightly.

The questioning took a moment or two with Diana having to recheck her notes for the final question. During all this, his attention drifted off towards the man who spoke to grenades. A slight shiver was sent up his spine. The man known as Lieutenant Henry Lanier was a creepy man indeed. Referring to one of his grenades as “Josh” and then proceeding to stroke his cigarette, lighting it. He really was disturbing. The man’s actions did not warrant fright, then again, Colin would’ve refused to accept that as an emotion, but it did warrant uneasiness. The adolescent would hope not to be placed anywhere near Henry.

Finally the briefing was over. The time set to reach the train station was 1900 hours. No problem, it was a reasonable time. And even if it wasn’t, he had come on time to this meeting; he could do the same for the next. What had peaked his interest was the fact that the last comment of lateness equaling decommissioning was mostly aimed towards Anderson. The young man had half expected the comment to be targeting him. Diana usually would’ve done that simply to piss the man off. But this time Anderson had succeeded in lifting the attention off of him and towards his own lazy ass. Colin gave a smirk at this thought as he rose up out of his seat and turned to face the very beautiful Ash.

“Well, gorgeous Ash, I look forward to working with you in the near future.”

With a wave of his hand and a pleasant smile, Colin strolled away. Hopefully he’d leave a lasting impression on the woman’s… erm… man’s mind that’d contradict his initial thoughts despite the fact that initial thoughts of Mr. Jackson was on point.

The young man moved towards the front of the room to where Diana stood. He had a bone to pick with her. Oh yes. She was going to get an earful. Who was she to force him into a god damned uniform?!!

[GoldenKitten]

Ash had listened politely and given no suggestion of what he was thinking while wearing a veiling smile. After a few answers that smile cracked just a tad to suggest contemplation but would have been imperceptible to anyone not openly looking for it. It wasn’t that Diana had been so unprepared that got his wheels cranking, she wasn’t an investigator and those were not items she would normally have been forced to consider, so it had nothing to do with her. He was simply perturbed that there was so little information from the outset, oh certainly there were bits and pieces but there had been times when he had solved cases before even arriving on scene. This time however he didn’t even have theories to put forward as the information had been so sparse making any sort of guess would have been folly. Ash realized of course that if he just practiced patience and waited he would no doubt find more evidence personally upon arrival but that seemed ages away at the moment. He also realized that while he would treat them kindly he had already decided the local authorities on the scene could not be trusted to locate anything of value.

He might have been unwilling to come in the first place but now that he was involved it would be all he could think about, any misgivings were now gone as he was officially on the job. Looking around the room he wondered who would be under his command and whether they would be of help or hindrance. He secretly hoped that the bomb talker and the pervert who was still leering at him would not be placed anywhere close though if Diana was coming with him he supposed the latter was just wishful praying. Either way in the end it mattered little as Ash trusted his opinion above all others especially when those others were individuals he did not know. Thus he would simply do what came naturally and solve this case as best he could alone, if any of his supposed “allies” got in the way he would simply do his best to shoulder some task on to them to send them packing for a while.

Ash was pleased to hear that the train would be leaving today, he had feared there would be no action taken for several days as was the norm but it appeared this situation was being taken seriously. As those around him dispersed he wondered whether Diana would be approaching him about his command role in this matter but when she took off upon her own business he decided that she planned to do so latter and began drifting off himself. It was at that time that Colin made his “presence” once more known to wish Ash a farewell; he just shot the young boy an uncaring look back. He knew the boy was trying to cover his previous jerkoff actions and decided that only the worst fate was deserving for him, he would save that plan for a while. If nothing else it would make what would otherwise be a boring trip a little more interesting. With that thought in mind and a sly smile on his face he made his way out of the hall followed shortly by a group of grunts…he was pretty sure they were looking at his butt too.

He spent the rest of the day piddling about, he had been prepared that morning like a professional should have been and so with no work he was left with nothing to do. It had been an eternity since he had truly had a full day off and so he really had no idea what he would do, thus he wound up spending most of it at a café in utter silence, his brain not used to not constantly working. Thus he was about ready to jump up and down with excitement when he realized it was time to make his way to the train station, admitted it was a bit early but what else did he have to do? He arrived around an hour ahead of schedule but the train was already there and being loaded though the machine itself was inactive, he spotted a few people sitting around from the meeting who must have had even less to do than he had. Roughly thirty minutes later as the sky took on an orangish hue other individuals began showing up with more and more shuffling in to the station as it got closer to the deadline. Many might have thought Ash had just arrived early for no reason but in fact this had been part of his plan, he was quickly getting a feel for who was reliable and who was not, barring those that had already made themselves obvious at the meeting. Pleased with his observations Ash went to stand close to the train, waiting for Diana or whom ever else was going to tell them it was finally time to get on the road, he was certainly ready.

[Zhiel]

OOC: Bleh...

The briefing had not exactly gone as well as Diana had hoped, but things rarely went according to plan and it was ones ability to adapt in such situations which separated a decent leader from a good one. After she had dismissed the gathered soldiers and alchemists Diana was approached by her 'brother' whom had yet to realize that Ash was in actuallity a man, though in a way she did not blame him. He might be a good alchemist, but he certainly didn't use his head all too much.

As she and her brother left the lobby where the briefing had taken place Diana could tell that her brother seemed upset about something, and if it was directed at her it was not hard to guess why. However before the man got the opportunity to speak his mind Diana swung around mid-step and stared him in the eyes as she raised her pointy finger toward him in a threatening manner (though mildly commical if viewed from the side, given her short stature compared to him) "Hold your tongue Colin! It would not hurt for you to act your rank and age once in a while." Diana said, her tone of voice obviously suggesting that she was furious. "I ask you to act properly this one time, and what do you do? You start flirting with a complete stranger in the middle of the briefing, worse yet, you were not paying attention!" She nearly yelled up into his face, then stopping to take a deep breath to calm down before she turned around in a more calm manner. "Now if you will excuse me... I've got preparations to take care off." Diana said, her voice calm though cold. She had yet to tell him about Ash actually being a man, but she felt that she'd leave that to the Lieutenant Colonel.


After having left Colin in the Military Compound she had headed off toward her office once again where she had made a few calls, preparing troop movement and whatever supplies she thought they would need when they reached Ern. However despite being busy with her work, her thoughts kept wandering off to her 'brother', perhaps she had been too harsh on him... She would have to make it up to him at a later time, but for now she had a duty to take care off. And with those thoughts Diana finished her preparations and headed off toward the trainstation nearly three hours before the announced time.


As the clock was swiftly advancing toward its time of 19:00, now being just shortly under half an hour left, Diana stepped out of the rear car of the military train they had been given for the trip and looked around. Seeing that most of the regular grunts had arrived and was waiting for the call to get on, she was however slightly annoyed by how few of the 'specials' she had been assigned had arrived however. Not surprisingly Ash was already there, and had probably been for a little while by the looks of it. 'Well, atleast I know he can be trusted to perform his duties well. Unlike some...' She thought as she walked out a few meters from the train. "Squads A to D, assemble in cars two to three immidiately!" She announced, and immidiately there was movement from the grunts whom grabbed their backpacks and headed off to their respective traincar.

In the meantime Diana walked up to Ash and gave a quick salute as she came up infront of him. "Glad you are here well before the announced time Lt. Colonel. I've been meaning to speak with you about your role in solving this case. However first of all I'd like to appologize for my subordinates unfitting behavior, he is hard to control at times but he is a good soldier." She said as she let her arm drop to her side, and though she kept her expression as her usual 'on duty' face, she smirked slightly when she spoke of her 'brother'. Though she did not act like it most of the time, he was very important to her.

"Enough of that though, we got a little more information from the local police shortly after the meeting and I'm sure you would like to take part of it, and at the same time we can determine where the soldiers are best placed." She then said as she waved for Ash to follow as she began to walk toward the rear car once more. Though stopping in the 'doorway' as she turned to a man in uniform who stood by the second last car. "Lieutenant Mason, please direct everyone of our specialists to car four." ((meaning the second last one)) She said to the man before she stepped into the traincar.