The Ten Sephirot - a Full Metal Alchemist rp

[Zhiel]

Continental Year 1914, June 13, Central City

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 rumors 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 assemble at the Central Military railway station, where they would be transfered to Ern under their new superior officer, Colonel Andrews.

Though little information was publicly known, all state alchemists and individuals of Mayor rank and above had been given most of the known data on the mission, in the form of a letter. Though they had been told it was strictly forbidden to discuss these details with anyone outside of the mission who did not already have knowledge of it. Their time of rendevouz at the station had been designated as 09:00, with a warning that Colonel Andrews was very strict about keeping times.

Colonel Andrews herself arrived at the station nearly an hour beforehand as she began to inspect both the train they would use to travel with, the equipment which had been assigned to them and the crew itself. As she walked through the train she kept writing notes in a file she otherwise carried under her right arm, and it was obvious the crew became slightly nervous each time she stopped to take notes as she was known for being a very strict superior. Roughly thirty minutes later she was satisfied with mostly everything, though she stored her notes for the future as they were things she would have to take up with those managing the Central Railway. Either way the woman in her mid-twenties, dressed up in the uniform of the State Military with the markings of a Colonel on her chests left side stepped out of the train-car she had been in currently as she looked around at the people who had gathered early.

Though she did not demand such actions, it pleased her when individuals under her leadership showed discipline without her having to hold their leash. She had a feeling the State Alchemists would be rather troublesome to deal with however, as many of them were quite full of themselves and did not accept that they were put under the command of anyone else... She would make do with what she was given however, for no matter how troublesome they might be to deal with, State Alchemists were invaluable resources in a battle, and for this investigation that involved a potential Alchemist it was a necessity... While thinking about this she unconsciously brushed her chin-length red hair aside, a part of it having a tendency to fall over her right eye which like the left one was a yellow-gold like color. Her skin was tanned and looking like a person who had been out in the sun a lot, or who had Ishbalan or Native Eastern blood in their lineage.

---

The letter everyone of Major rank and above, or those who hold the title of State Alchemist held the usual formalities involved in a transfer, listing both where they were transfered from and where they were transfered to and under whose command. The letter also contained a separate paper with the details of their rendezvous orders written on them along with most of the available details regarding the current situation and what had been discovered in Ern.

Among these were the numbers of those who had disappeared, being twelve people with seven being civilians and five being Military Police who had been out on patrol together. It was also suspected that the culprits was either a few highly trained individuals or an alchemist, most likely a combination of the two as no signs are left behind that the Police have been able to locate and there have been no witnesses. The locations of the abductions had only been vaguely mapped out with regard to people who had seen the victims before the disappearance, and in regard to their assumed destination or in regard to the Police patrol, their assigned route. All in all, there was little information but what was there spoke of a mystery that would most likely entail great danger for them, which was likely why this letter had only been given to the higher standing individuals of the operation.

[GoldenKitten]

Benjamin King was a professional, he was not above showings of emotion but when it came to a job he approached it with high ethical conduct and strict regimentation. Being brought up in a military family, one that was in control of a region constantly mired in revolt and antagonizing hostility he had been taught early on how to be both diplomatic and concise in his formalities. Thus when he was reassigned to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding Ern he was sure to arrive as early as possible, whether his commanding officer had been strict or not was of no concern, it was a matter of principle. Thus he was on the scene roughly around the time Colonel Andrews herself had, perhaps a little earlier, perhaps a little later, it was hard to say since it was a large station and was several minutes before they laid eyes on each other. Of course once they did it should have come with immediate recognition from both parties.

King recognized Andrews because he was educated, he knew how to stay informed and moreover she kept herself well presented and so stood out amongst the relatively rag-tag station workers. He had known even before he met her that they would get along, at least on a professional level as they seemed to have similar work ethic. As for him it was difficult not to recognize him even if you had never met King himself. Though there were a few darker skinned individuals in Amestris you could still distinguish them rather easily from an Ishvalan, even a half-Ishvalan due to their rather unique square and sharp facial structure but seeing one in Central was an almost unheard of thing. Seeing one who happened to be a member of the state military (outside of the South-eastern sector that was) was an even rarer one, and to see one carrying a State Alchemist watch...well suffice it to say there was only one person it could be, and that one person was the point of more than a few arguments amongst the higher-ups. Had it not been for his father such a thing would never have come to pass, but being a Lieutenant General and having connections had it's perks.

Beside his Ishvalan coloring there were other things that made him stick out. Namely the golden-rimmed and dark tinted monocle over his left eye which completely blocked it out from sight. Though many were probably curious as to why he wore this his ancestry was no secret and surely his appointed leader would know that this was because he had inherited the red eye of the Ishvalan in his left eye only, his right being his fathers hazel coloring. He was not ashamed of who he was but as said, his father had taught him to be diplomatic and avoiding uncomfortable situations, racist as that might make the one feeling “awkward”, was one such strategy. More-over his coat was laced with golden lining along the shoulders, cuffs and buttons as well as the pant linings and belt-buckle, he also sported all his positional and acquired medals on his chest. Some might consider that flamboyant or conceited but for him it was simply appearing his best and being properly proud of his achievements. Other important physical features included shoulder length hazel hair pulled into a pony-tail and his rather strong build, a common trait amongst Ishvalan males.

When they met each others gaze as King stood close to the entry of the train but did not board until ordered to he swiftly saluted the young woman, “Colonel Andrews, good day. I am Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin King and State Alchemist, I have been assigned to protect you or do anything else you order of me during the duration of this mission.”

'Do anything else' was governmental parlance for putting down any threats that showed themselves. Acting as Andrews bodyguard was merely a nice title doled out since it rolled off the tongue with less ethical issues than saying he was there to kill anyone they located that put up a fight. King was the muscle here, there were several other Alchemist on hand and no doubt they could fight if it came to that but King was known for truly being the militaries guard dog. Once more he wasn't ashamed of that as that was just a title given by less patriotic individuals, but it was true, King hit the states enemies and he hit them hard. Both individuals present would be painfully aware of this fact and that not only was Andrews probably capable of defending herself but that her protection was not likely the highest of his priorities, however it would not be said aloud.

Before Andrews could walk off to continue her rounds though King spoke, “Just this once Colonel I will speak out of turn. We know theres no particular love between Command and the Alchemist due to our tendency to move as we see fit, however I want it said now that I have no intention of working against you. I've no desire for hostilities between the sects. This is your operation and if you say it needs to be done, it will be done. Just inform me of what you need when you need it.”

He saluted her once more and then waited for her to leave before he went back to standing at the entrance to the train, watching the new arrivals appear until it was time to leave. He already had some thoughts on the situation in Ern but he kept them to himself for now, only a fool or a god would go about openly speculating without more cards in hand.

[Firechild]

A trio of songbirds chirped a soft melody outside the window of currently very messy quarters. There were clothes strewn all over the floor, leaving only small patches of the hardwood here and there amongst the fabrics. A few sake bottles littered the shelves, and a pizza box was on top of a stack of newspapers in the corner. The place was a disaster. A pair of underwear was even hanging off of the doorknob. The blankets had fallen from the bed onto the floor, and half of the sheet was off it as well. Snoring loudly on the bed, was Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Marks, a bubble potruding from his nose inflating and deflating slightly as he slept.

The door suddenly banged open and a very irritated young girl with a wrench in her hand stood scowling at the mess. "Adrian...' She said exasperatedly as she clicked her tongue in disapproval. Natalia walked over to the bed, tapping her foot impatiently, before violently kicking the sleeping Adrian out of it and onto the other side where theres only about a foot of space between the bed and the wall. The Lieutenant Colonel groaned in discomfort and pain as he clambered back onto the bed, yawning sleepily and rubbing his head. "YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN OUT OF HERE AN HOUR AGO!" his mechanic yelled at him. "You're not even dressed! Get your lazy ass out of the fucking bed and get dressed...And pick this place up!" the young mechanic stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her all the while muttering. "Can't believe he's actually a Lietenant Colonel...hell, I can't believe he's even still in the military at all!"

Adrian yawned again blinking after Natalia before he grudgingly got off the bed and began picking the clothes up off the floor. The basket in the corner had long since overflowed, and he hadn't had the chance to do laundry because of his duties, so he just let them pile up on the floor. Taking the clothes he gathered in his arms, he dumped them on top of the over flowed basket, making it read halfway to the ceiling. Adrian walked groggily to the closet and opening it, seeing he had only two sets of clothing left, and one clean uniform. "Great...just great..."

Five minutes later, the Lietenant Colonel stepped out of the slightly cleaner room and, adjusting the white glove over his automail, he walked towards where Natalia was waiting for him. Before he even had a chance to open his mouth to ask what that was all about she scowled at him once again and began ranting about his next assignment. "Ern you dolt! Ern! You're supposed to be at the train station in less than ten minutes. If you're late AGAIN I highly doubt Colonel Andrews will find it fit to excuse it again. Now. Get. GOING!" She swung her wrench around, aiming for Adrian's head. Adrian just barely ducked in time and began complaining. "But Natalia, I don't have anything to drink for the trip!"

The mechanic sighed and shook her head, bonking him slightly on the head with the wrench before reaching behind her belt and unclipping the flask that was there. "I know, I've prepared for that..." the Sky Breaker alchemist smiled softly as he graciously accepted the drink, before cringing and rubbing his head where the wrench impacted. "Ouch...thanks Natalia, what would I do without you?" this brought a smirk to the mechanic's face as she pushed him lightly to go. "Dunno, probably be sleeping your days away in a cardboard box somewhere. Now get out of here, you're going to be late." Adrian ran out the front doors of the Headquarters in central, and glanced around for his transportation. Finding it he sighs and gets in. "Central Station, and step on it."

Another five minutes later, and the car pulls up outside the Station. After thanking the driver, the Lieutenant Colonel walked through the entryway, and spotted Colonel Andrews and Lieutenant Colonel King, who he had worked with only once in the past. Colonel Andrews he'd met once or twice, but didn't really know much about her other than what he had heard during is time thus far in the military. Benjamin King however he had seen in action...the Blackwing Alchemist. Truly one of the military's most skilled Alchemists, maybe even better than Adrian himself. Either way, only a fool would doubt Benjamin's skill.

They had earned each other's trust and respect, but it was a long and grueling campaign against a pair of expertly created Chimera that were far more powerful than what you would usually see in that kind of case. They were forced to work together without help from the headquarters. It took almost a full year to take the two Chimera's, now in the intensive guard cell in the most heavily fortified prison in the nation.

Glancing aroumd, he noticed that he was one of the first few to arrive. With a sigh, he realized that he was early. "Damn it...Natalia did it again...yet I believe her every time...Oh well..." After he felt he was done conversing with himself, Adrian walked over to where the Colonel and Lieutenant Colonel were. He saluted respectfully to both. "Lietenant Colonel Adrian Marks reporting for duty ma'am. I beg your pardon if I am interrupting, but I was hoping to know before we leave...Do we know anything of the situation in Ern yet? Or are we walking in blind?"

[kensei]

The harmonic sound of a v-twin 600cc hetok engine on a Garth chopper filled the air of Ern. The monstrous machine revving high and loud. “Oh yeah baby!” Exclaimed its rider, a large man who, when standing, measures in at six foot two, his exceptionally large arms where connected to a equally large chest, legs, and hands. He pulled the throttle back and smiled as the motorcycle charged forward; gulping each inch of the road like it was the last inch it would travel. His gray bandanna whipped in the air, and his tight, black, short sleeve shirt gripped him harder. His black paints swayed in the air, but even so the two holsters caring his twin M1911’s where steadfast in the wind. If only his bloody 1903 Springfield rifle would stay still instead of slamming into his back every few seconds.

Even so, nothing seemed to bother the half lion Chimera. In fact, some people might clam he enjoyed the constant beating his rifle gave him, though he would deny such things. The Chimera just made his way towards city hall, there he was to meet with the mayor. There meeting was to discuss the payment and enrollment of the Sphinx mercenary group, to help with Ern’s situation. While normally he would let other members take on this task, he had been itching for some action, and he was one of, if not the most skilled agent the Sphinx organization had. Despite being its founder, he enjoyed letting other people take care of the organization and all the paperwork they had. He just liked to do what he was made to do. Hunt down, and kill his targets.

Within minutes he had reached city hall. He quickly made his way to the Mayor’s office, to get whatever business they had out of the way and make sure they got paid. As he walked into city hall, he almost laughed to himself as two guards asked him to hand over his weapons. He raised his hand slowly, showing his claws. His mouth opened slowly, showing his elongated canine teeth. “If I want to kill anyone, I don’t need my weapons. You want them, try and take them.” His unnaturally deep voice caused there bodies to quiver slightly as the sound waves reverberated through them. “As you where.” One of them managed to say after a minute or so. He sighed and walked past them, and as he neared the stairs he looked at them and said. “Pusses’.” He pushed the door opened and began his quick ascent up the stairs. No sooner had the door closed behind him he was in the mayors office.

“Mr. Mayor, pleasure to meet you.” The Mayor looked equally as scared of him as the guards downstairs. “Welcome, Vincent is it?” He shook his head yes and proceeded to set himself, putting his rifle between his legs, barrel on the floor. “Your wish to enlist the help of the Sphinx mercenary group to help in dealing with the disappearances, aiding in the rescue of those taken and killing of those responsible correct?” The mayor was taken back it seemed but nodded his head. “Yes, but I would prefer that you bring them in for questioning.” Vincent shook his head no and said. “These are dangerous men Mr. Mayor. If I have them in my sites there to kill them not disable them. IF you cannot accept this then find another group.” The Mayor stepped forward and said. “Please! You’re the best there is, you know what needs to be done. Just get the people back and stop these damn disappearances!” Vincent nodded and stood up. “Alright, the first payment will be fifty thousand dollars, with ten thousand each month that we are here and another fifty thousand when we get the job done. Don’t worry about us extorting you and letting the problem keep going, we are cutting are usual rate for you so the sooner we get out of here the more money we make.” The mayor took a step back and said. "That's a bit expensive don't you think?" Vincent laughed and said. "We are dealing with highly trained professionals, we will be risking our lives out there. And to top it all off we could be dealing with alchemists. We are the best there is and we will get the job done. Other merc groups will be as useless as your police are.' The Mayor shook his head. "Alright, we have a deal." Vincent smiled and said. "Good now let me see the information you have on the disappearances."

The mayor snapped his fingers and one of his assistance brought forth the all the information they had. “Good.” He said as he started to open the documents. His smile quickly turned to a frown and as he finished it he sighed and said. “Your police have a horrible standard for documenting and investigating.. But what can I do.. Try and keep the local yahoos out of further crime scenes please.” The mayor was about to defend his men but decided it was best not to and simply said. “As you wish, also a train will be here soon bringing with it members of the military, a few majors and colonels and a state alchemist or two I presume.” Vincent rolled his cat eyes and said. “Alright, just contact my people they will take care of payment and everything else. Don’t worry we have insurance so if we blow anything up its covered.” But before the mayor could respond Vincent left.

He got on his bike and made his way to the train station. He might as well meet up with whoever he was going to be working with right off the bat instead of half way threw an op. As he got there he parked his bike and stood next to the tracks. There he waited for the military and their dogs, the state alchemists.

[Zhiel]

Diana had just finished her inspection round of the train when King approached her, seemingly having stood nearby waiting for a while. While Diana had read the files of all the State Alchemists and higher standing officials which would join her for this operation she would not have needed too to recognize the only State Alchemist of Ishvalan lineage as the man stood out like a sore thumb among his peers. Of course this was not meant in a negative way, Diana was unlike many of her peers not anti-Ishvalan and only saw him as another person. And from what she had heard while he might be a bit extreme he did what was necessary to finish his missions, something she could respect. His reputation was grand, but she'd need to see for herself whether he lived up to it or not and as such reserved any personal judgments of him until she learned more for herself.

As she turned to face the man who quickly stood up straight and saluted she did the same. From this close Diana had to tilt her head up a bit to look the man in the eye, an important thing for her as one could read a lot about a person from how they reacted though the height difference wasn't so severe it caused her any problems. At roughly 170 centimeters of height she was used to being shorter than most other Amestrians after all.

“Colonel Andrews, good day. I am Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin King and State Alchemist, I have been assigned to protect you or do anything else you order of me during the duration of this mission.”

It was well known to Diana that State Alchemists wasn't sent to defend those investigating a possible threat, but to eliminate the threat once it was found though she could hardly blame him for not wanting to sound like the human weapon he was. One of the reasons she had put down her Alchemical studies was what she witnessed in Ishval, and the many State Alchemists which had been so ravaged by the conflict they had given up their titles and shortly after many had either disappeared or taken their own lives... While she wasn't proud of what she had done in Ishval, she knew it had been necessary. However she could not bring herself to begin her studies again after the war... Though it had only been for a moment Diana had tensed up as her mind had wandered back to the Ishval Massacre those many years ago, though she quickly erased any signs of it and responded to the man.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Blackwing Alchemist." She said this in her typical nice, but at the same time stern voice she used when speaking to those under her command. It told both a story of a woman who meant well, but also of one that would not be quick to forgive sloppiness or outright failures. "You'll have to forgive me but there is still things I need to check before we depart. We will speak more once on the train." She then said as she gave a quick salute once more and was just about to turn around and leave when King spoke again.

“Just this once Colonel I will speak out of turn. We know theres no particular love between Command and the Alchemists due to our tendency to move as we see fit, however I want it said now that I have no intention of working against you. I've no desire for hostilities between the sects. This is your operation and if you say it needs to be done, it will be done. Just inform me of what you need when you need it.”

Diana stopped and began to turn back to the man as he spoke, with slight surprise and curiosity printed on her face though it was quickly erased to be replaced by her usual calm, neutral look. Though she had expected it from his reputation she was glad he was not intending to start running his own private operation like so many other Alchemists seemed prone to, despite their superiors orders. And in her book this gave him a lot of credibility, and though it was too soon to say she trusted him she had no reason to suspect him of anything either. "I appreciate your honesty Lt. Colonel, I look forward to working with you." She said this in a well meaning tone and with a slight smile on her lips, not the same stern one from earlier which probably showed her genuine feelings towards the matter.

"Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Marks reporting for duty ma'am." Adrian introduced himself with a salute. Diana turned to the new arrival and saluted herself, restoring her neutral expression in the process as the man continued. "I beg your pardon if I am interrupting, but I was hoping to know before we leave...Do we know anything of the situation in Ern yet? Or are we walking in blind?" Diana crossed her arms over her chest as she listened to him as she raised a brow like if skeptical to what he said. "Don't tell me... You never read the letter I had sent to you?" Diana lowered her head as she let out an exasperated sigh before she raised her head again, slight annoyance being etched onto her face. "I suppose it doesn't matter... At least you're here on time." Though she had never worked directly with the man before she had heard a great deal of him, some good some bad like with most State Alchemists, though she had not expected him to be sloppy... Though unknown circumstanced could have presented themselves so she decided not to press the subject and let it go for now. There were more important things to take care of anyways.

"Good to see both of you are here already, as I told Lt. Colonel King I still have things to take care off so we will speak more later. The command-car is the second too last one and I will meet you there shortly before we depart and give more detailed information regarding what is currently known. In the meantime, Lt. Colonel King, please fill Lt. Colonel Marks in on the contents of the letter." Once she finished speaking Diana gave a quick salute once more as she walked off to take care of the few remaining preparations. There was a mere fifteen minutes until the train would depart and so she had to quicken the pace a bit.

[Jukuma]

There are some peculiar days on which people see themselves facing an inexplicable chain of unlucky events in one single period of 12 hours, complementing each other and without a gap of rest in between. Some people call this having a bad day, others call it the result of lack of responsibility and preparation, and Kiefer called it the devil's conspiracy to make him lose his job and, most likely, his life.

His alarm clock had completely failed him and, as sad as it was, Kiefer lived with no more company than that decrepit clock (although not anymore), so for starters, he had woken up later than he intended. He had intended to do many other things before leaving, but that was obviously impossible at that point in time. He had woken up with a very calm and clear mind, and that was his first clue that something was completely wrong. Normally, he would never get nearly enough sleep to have a clear mind, on the contrary, many people criticised his always tiresome expression and many went as far as to get concerned of whether he was sick or (and this was the most favorite assumption among his companions) that he engaged on questionable activities during the night, which wasn't entirely out of the truth. When he checked the time due to that, his calmness went right out of the window and it was replaced with a vast amount of mixed negative emotions that had the overall effect of a sensation that felt as if the world was crumbling around him. His job, on which he had sacrificed so many things up to that point, was at stake at that very moment all because of a damned inefficient alarm clock. He was aware that he would be working under a Colonel going by the name Diana Andrews and, while he had never had any contact with her before this one mission, he was also well aware of how strict she was (if what he had heard of was all true), reason why he knew well enough his punishment would be severe, even though he had a clean record of perfect punctuality.

Despite his hope abandoning him in a distant, far away galaxy, because the time for the train to leave the station was still 25 minutes away, he felt it was his obligation to still try to get there nonetheless, even though the trip would usually take a little longer than that. He didn't even bother to take a shower and simply went to the bathroom to splash water on himself numerous times and dive his head on the little pond that was accumulated on the sink. He didn't sweat much so he was simply hoping that time would not be an exception. Normally he wouldn't be concerned to that extent, but it wasn't just because of the presence of a Colonel or the fact that she just so happened to be a direct relative of a former Fuhrer, but also because he knew he would also be forming teams with various State Alchemists. His information on the mission or who he would be working with was limited, but he was aware of that much, and if he wasn't going to be the only alchemist, he had to be as close to exemplary as he could (not much, considering how he was starting).

It seemed like a scene taken from a cheap comedy; Kiefer exited out of his door barely placing his uniform pants in time for his underwear not to be exposed to the public, the upper part of his body was covered by a black thin t-shirt and the remaining of the uniform remained resting on his shoulder and the bag with all of his possessions would have flown right to the other side of the street if it wasn't for the tight grip he had on it and the fact that he had to give 2 meters due to the weight of the bag pushing him. He ran as fast as his legs would allow him to while hoping with all his might, as if it could alter the will of God, that a cab would pass by, which happened after he passed by the 6th building.

"It'fs an emergency!" Kiefer exclaimed to the driver while violently throwing his heavy bag on the back seat and then jumping right next to it. The driver turned around from the driver's seat to look with concerned eyes at a young man struggling to put on the rest of his uniform, which was now covering his head as he tried to fit it up one of the sleeves. "To the train station, quick!"

"R-Right...!" the old driver did not ask Kiefer any questions and, fearing the worst (it wasn't a pleasant message to receive from someone wearing the military uniform), he accelerated the car to an unusually fast speed.

It wasn't until he was finally able to put on the uniform properly and regulate his breathing (but not his heartbeat) to its usual rhythm that he came to a sudden realization. With a fearful tone and unaware expression, he dared to ask the driver how much the ride would cost him to get to the destination. The answer confirmed his fear and he reached in his pockets to see what percentage of the actual prize he would be able to pay; he had two coins and a receipt from something he didn't even bother to check. Naturally, most of the money he had on those pockets just jumped out of them while he was running. He was hoping to be able to at least get the cab to drive him next to the station, as his warning had been effective and they were having a good pace, but the driver noticed something suspicious in his fearful tone and could notice his nervous hands searching in every pocket he had. Stopping the car, the driver turned around to Kiefer and, with an expression that revealed he had seen through the young man, he asked the unfortunate question.

"Excuse me, sir, but could it be that...?" the driver started, but was interrupted.

There was a blue flash for a split second and the next one there was a huge cloud of smoke that didn't allow for the poor old man to see anything for a prolonged seconds. He couldn't see it at the moment, but when the smoke cleared there was a quick note written by Kiefer while planning his escape saying that he was sorry and would pay back as soon as he could. Kiefer wasn't lying; he didn't have what could be called a golden heart and in his ethics code had more than a few problems, but he understood the poor man had a job and had even written down the plate of the car and left the door open for the smoke to clear faster and let him breathe.

He had to run the rest of the way, but thanks to the fast ride from the cab and his improvisation on shortcuts, Kiefer was actually able to make it to the train station with a bit below 10 minutes to spare. He was able to see a small group of people dressed in the military uniform and recognized the faces during the quick glimpse he had of them while running towards the group and trying to identify Colonel Andrews. They would probably not know him, but he was very knowledgeable of the alchemist in the military as far as name, positions and titles went. He was easily able to recognize the two State Alchemists, the Blackwing Alchemist and the Sky Breaker Alchemist, and only then did he realize the vast gravity of his situation. He could not locate Colonel Andrews, but the two standing before him at that very moment were still in a higher position than him, so he still tensed up as soon as he came close to them and bowed his head in an apologetic manner.

"I am deeply sorry for the delay!" he exclaimed, almost screaming because of the rush, which was unusual in him. He next quickly raised his hand towards his forehead and remained firm in that position "Major Kiefer Bennet reporting! It is an honor to meet you!". His uniform was messed up from all the struggling and running, his hair had dried with the air from dashing in a disorganized manners and his breathing was fast due to his running despite his attempt to hide it, but the train hadn't left and he was there in the meeting point, so he was still seeing a very dim, fragile bit of light.