Parties and Surgery [BRIGGS Mission Lead out]

Murazar groaned as he stumbled out of bed, he had been resting from his surgery for two days and he was tired of it. He still was recovering from his bodily wounds but he couldn't stand not seeing. It was scary. He soon after that battle had seen all the souls in agony, it was all he could see in that dark time. On the way back he didn't even wait to call up a automail mechanic and got them free travel to briggs before they would arrive. He was instantly put into surgery and now that he was out of it he was happy.

He unwrapped the bandages around his eyes and stumbled over to what he temorarily and blurryly saw as a mirror. His vision cleared and...Damn he looked like shit. He combed his hair out to just get it straightened before putting on his normal clothes next to the mirror which covered his worn and damaged body. He checked his eyes, he had the ability to zoom in and highlight objects and probably targets. That was helpful, other than that it was pretty simple. Maybe he'd improve it in the future. For now he was hungry and had an extreme desire to go to Rei-chan, he had explaining to do among other things to talk about.

He decided to put on his traditional white suit and threw over his shoulders a Major General's Cloak from the Amestrian army that also had the sigils of Head of Intelligence and the Head of the North. He smiled to himself wondering how he had gotten this far and this powerful both with alchemy, experience, and somehow as a military officer of great status. He limped out of the door favoring his left leg. He gritted his teeth for a moment before forcing himself to walking normally and relaxed himself as he walked down the corridor of ice and snow before taking several turns and through several doorways to avoid most of the people in briggs before opening a door and walking inside the large cafeteria room that was reserved for the highest of the people of briggs.

It was pure darkness before the lights flipped on just as his eyes were adjusting almost instantly to the darkness and were temporarily blinded for less than a second as they readjusted. He was just thankful he still had the same eye color and they didn't look too different than normal eyes except for the semi-mechanical sharp motions they made when looking around. He grinned a small smile as he looked around.

TWO DAYS AGO

He had finally returned to Briggs. After all of this bullshit with Creta, he had finally come back to the place that he belonged. A small smile crossed the face of the redhead for but a second as he approached the doors, limping with every step. His deep red eyes scanned the large fort that stood between them and Drachma, seeing that nothing was different about it, in appearance. But he himself knew that it would be utterly different in terms of his reception. Nobody would trust him anymore. The animosity in the air would be hard to go with. Also, Nika wasn't there. He had scoured the battlefield for a while, and realized that she was gone. So he wasn't just worried about being received as a traitor, but also about that woman who he felt he could confide in.

The double doors were open before him, and he took his first step back inside the halls of Briggs, staring at the familiar passageways. But they weren't familiar to him anymore. Instead of the warmth that he had come to being used to, he had been plagued with the idea that this place was as cold as it had felt to him on his first day, over a year ago. His second step followed his first, and he suddenly stopped, eyes widening, forehead covered with sweat despite the cold. He breathed in a sharp breath, and fell onto his knees, his willpower finally giving way to his exhaustion. Images crossed his gaze, his eyes following the pictures that he saw as if he couldn't not watch them. At this point, comprehension was impossible, and he simply fell forwards and collapsed into a deep sleep. He didn't feel himself being picked up and carried back to his quarters. All he wanted to do was sleep away his troubles and tiredness...

TODAY

"Yaaaawn..." The redhead sat up in his bed and stretched, seeing the familiar setting of his dorm around him. This was the room that he and Murazar shared, he remembered that. Murazar wasn't here, so one could only assume that the man was still in surgery, or had already gotten up and left. Dai assumed the former. Now, as to the day... He looked at the clock beside him and read the date... what?! IT HAD BEEN TWO DAYS?! He had been asleep... for two days... straight...

"Had I really been that tired?" He must've been. The redheaded Alchemist smiled to himself and laughed. That would explain why he was so well-rested for once. He was surprised that his insomnia didn't work it's magic. Obviously, when he needed to sleep, he would sleep. Daigoro smiled softly at this notion, stepping down off the bed and stretching again, looking towards the door. He was expecting some form of court-martial, or at least a demotion. Maybe he'd find that out today.

His footsteps carried him naturally towards the cafeteria, his Amestrian uniform mostly on properly. He carried himself without regret or sadness. He knew that this was the only path that he could take, and that changing the past was nothing to even consider. So as he finally walked into the cafeteria... he saw that someone was already standing there. A small smirk lined his face as he walked in behind the head of white hair.

"Good to see someone already up and about. I've had a pretty boring couple of days, myself. Sleep deprivation, even with insomnia... It's never the best." The redhead chuckled. Murazar was the man that he should be resenting, seeing as a rival. It still caused him to wonder why he didn't do so. But he decided against thinking about it. "Have the found Nikita yet?"

Reila's hand fell from the light switch and her eyes onto Mura. They were dark--overcast as if the sun was doused out and rust-colored rain was injected into their gold irises. A tired glance. She hadn't slept. Reila didn't remember the last time she had slept, which was why she had been sitting in the darkness thinking about it. It was now bright since she had turned on the fluorescents upon seeing a shadow in the doorway. It was a shadow--it could be any shadow, but it was Mura. She almost sighed in relief until she remembered what happened. There was no relief there--nothing. He was alive and that was all. She wasn't angry...it was more like ...nothingness. She stared into the void between them and said absolutely nothing as if expecting him not to notice her at all. And he didn't at first because his eyes were now automail, or so was reported. She didn't know how she felt about that either. Probably would have cried if she had tears left, but after she had gotten back, the bloody mess that she was, Reila had sobbed for six hours. She was glad for the first time that Ilona was gone. Because her room was empty; she wouldn't keep anyone awake with her anguish. She didn't want to be found even now that she finally left her room.

But Mura found her.

She stared at him and his horrid appearance until a very discreet sound jolted her entire being--heart flip-flopped, pain singed her thigh briefly, lungs hitched.

There was Dai.

She had heard him coming and knew the footsteps so well it scared her. It really, truly scared her. Just like the nightmares. She was convinced that she would never sleep again. Reila didn't even hear the man as he spoke. Instead, she bore through the wall across from the velvet arm chair she was sprawled out in. Various empty pots of coffee were turned over, leaking the few drops left while others had a dried, brown sheen wrapped around them. She turned her eyes as if it were the task of pulling a shopping cart packed full out of a ditch and then focused dully on her coffee mug that had been used way too much in the last two days. Her left hand twirled at the undone metal strings of her stitches incessantly as if it were her job, but she didn't even know she was doing it. She also didn't know that it hurt or that a thick line of blood curled around her bare leg and to the floor. She was wearing jean shorts frayed at the ends and a loose tank top currently revealing a black sports bra as it fell down slightly. She didn't acknowledge it or the fact that she was so slumped over her butt was half way off the seat. Empty feet perched on the table amid the spilled coffee grinds, holding her up into the comfort of the overstuffed chair. She didn't move save for her hand and her eyes. She wanted to though. Oh so bad she wanted to jump to her feet and be gone again. Reila wanted nothing more than to be alone. She wanted to be able to cry because there was no other way to express how she felt--how she failed--how she had forgotten... She wanted to run away--to push her back against the wall--to get as far away as possible, but she didn't. Running away was something she wasn't capable of. She also wasn't certain she could even move but small, meaningless muscles. The strain of just breathing bore it's ugly face against her parted lips and she wished upon wish that this was just another nightmare.

Murazar waited a moment as he saw Rei-chan, he inhaled sharply upon seeing her and froze. As a prey does when a predator approachs the vicinity, he heard Dai behind him and he decided to approach Rei-chan. He took a step forward before looking into her eyes, then he understood. She was now feeling like he had been all along, how he took in every battle they had ever been in. He conveyed a sad understanding, as if his eyes said he had been there and done that before they had met. They conveyed comfort as if he knew exactly what she really needed. They conveyed knowledge as if he knew the only way out from that darkness he had chosen himself so long ago.

He spoke softly to Rei-chan, he chose Auregese her natural language."Rei-chan, if you wish. We can talk now, otherwise you need rest. You can pick one of those two, just dont run. Please dont run away from this." His eyes were sad now, he seemed to know that wasn't just her wanting to run away physically, but mentally in every capacity. He had been like that before, he ran away from everything that could constitute a relationship or reliance on others. It had broken a little while ago and took almost a entire two years to do so. He walked forward slowly, then it turned into a limp very easily.

He didn't look back to Dai, he acknowledged he was there. Right now however they needed to make sure Rei-chan was ok, or at least mentally stable enough to talk on either or both the military situation and/or the emotional end of things. He still felt uneasy about admitting how he felt openly, that just wasn't how he did things. He was a private man, not public at all if he could help it. He also felt like he had just escaped from more than just the jaws of death. He felt death taste his soul and had barely pulled away at the last instant. It was a adreneline rush that was higher than any other at the time. It was dangerous and as on the edge as you could get. Right now if he had to he would chase Rei-chan down if she ran, he would never give up on her. She deserved back into the light, she was a kindred soul that deserved better than the darkness that ruled him. She was his light, his only hope out of it and he couldn't afford to let her fall into it.

He stumbled as he almost tripped as he neared Rei-chan before regaining his balance he looked her in the eyes again and spoke once more," Didn't I say before not to leave me alone?" His eyes bespoke the fear he still felt, he felt a fear more than just a general blindness left with agony. Now it was the fear of lonliness a fear he had obviously hid since he was with briggs and from his childhood. He had always been alone and had given himself completely over to others whether they knew it or not. He was selfless at heart when he tried to appear selfish. In many peoples eyes he was a good man, while in his own he was a villain.

Isabella sat in her hospital bed, biding her time, considering she had a great abundance of it. Sitting upright, her left hand busied itself, drawing lines across a piece of blank paper. It helped distract her from her “right arm.” Or, rather, the lack of it. It wasn’t so much the fact that it was amputated that bothered her, but rather how she still felt it was there, and used to its existence. She was familiar with the sensation, but on a much smaller scale.

Spazzing out for a second, she pulled the blankets closer to her. Briggs was apparently the last place left with decent medical care, or at least the closest. So out of the way, so… cold. So very cold. She clenched her fingers, finding herself helpless to even crack her knuckles. What she’d give for her arm back.

”This is what you’ve earned for your stupidity,” she mutters to herself. Still, there was work to be done. She had laid out the basic skeleton, and needed to fit more than just the standard mechanics inside the casing. She sighs. This was harder than her parents made it seem.

Looking towards the door, she heard a conversation drift through the halls. It seems like she wasn’t the only one to have been seriously harmed. Not surprising, considering the damage dealt to both sides, but still, she’d prefer to be in her home. Her nice comfy home in West City. Somewhere nice and quiet, where she wouldn’t have to worry about other people, other distractions. That is, unless she had to run errands in Rush Valley.

The recently promoted Major General walked the halls of Fort Briggs with a far off expression on his face. Ignoring anyone he walked by, unless they said something, his mind was somewhere else. He'd been like this ever since the battle had ended but two long and dreadful days ago. Since then, Jet had been from Central to West City to North City, frantically keeping Amestris from falling to pieces. West City had been hit harder than the original reports had claimed, and only two-thirds of its population had been evacuated. He'd walked the death laden streets of West City, HIS city, with tears in his eyes and sorrow in his stare. He had not only failed his soldiers that day, but he had failed his people. The ones he had sworn to protect no matter what, the ones that now were being collected and given proper burials. It saddened Jet beyond belief to see so much death and destruction in one day, let alone the three. He felt like Amestris had been dipped into Hell itself, and very few would disagree. Central was worse than any of the others though, as all but its soldiers were inside when the bombs went off, it was a massacre. People literally filled the streets, blood flowing like a river down every crevice. Once glorious buildings were now piles of rubble, soot, and ash. Some simply no longer existed, only blast marks showing anything was ever there.

All of this ran through his mind as he walked to halls of the last sanctuary of the Amestrian Military. North City had gotten the least amount of damage, as most of the bombs had frozen. Briggs was also the only base completely unharmed by the attack, West HQ inaccessible because of its location in the middle of West City. Most of the wounded had been brought here since no real medical facilities existed any longer, all destroyed in the explosions. This meant a lot of people from the Western Forces were here recovering from the battles, mostly those that required serious medical attention. There was one person in particular however that stood out, at least for Jet that is. That person was Major Isabella Galicia, Head of Military Intelligence at Western Command. During the battle, she had confronted Dietrich and sadly lost her arm in the conflict. She was flown here directly afterwards and her new automail arm was installed. Jet had been too late to save her arm, and he felt responsible for her loss of it in the first place. He had ordered her to lead the counter-attack.

Jet came around a corner and saw Mura and Dai at the end of the hall, standing at the entrance to the officers mess hall. They seemed to be talking to someone inside, probably the Lt. General. That was his second reason for being here, to meet her and see how things were going on her end. He had just met Tataki in Central the previous day, East City was just as bad as West if not worse. The three Generals were trying as hard as they could to keep the country intact, Jet hadn't even slept since the Fuhrer and her assistant betrayed Amestris. She seemed busy, so Black shrugged and walked into the room where the Major was recovering from her recent surgery. The Crimson Fist of the West, formerly the Black Templar, strolled in wearing his new and very shiny red power armor, only a slight look change from his previous set. Sword at his hip and his yellow cape flowing behind him, he smiled at the sight of Izzy. "Major, its good to see you're okay," he said, staying at the door to be polite.

Xanthus Icarus clashed with the stranger wearing the mask again. He had been in the midst of a battle with a yet indeterminable enemy force when the masked alchemist appeared from seemingly nowhere and attacked him furiously, using such alchemical techniques as he had either not seen in a long time, or not at all. His shadows tore a cannon apart that the stranger created and threw a piece of it at him, merely for a giant stone hand to catch the cannon fragment and break it. The cannon had been however, merely a diversion. Xanthus Icarus' shadow was suddenly at the strangers' neck, his the point merely inches away from the windpipe. Drawing ever closer, the shadow spoke, demanding the removal of the mask. The stranger chuckled darkly, then complied, leaving Xanthus Icarus standing face to face with...Leviathan.

In reality, Xanthus awoke to find himself covered with a cold sweat. He looked around, breathing somewhat heavily, then sighed before frowning. He had apparently had that nightmare again. With a slightly annoyed look, Xan picked himself up and walked to the shower, where he felt himself begin to feel better as the steaming water hit his bare flesh.

"Damn. Since I got back...that nightmare has occurred every time I fall asleep."

Unfortunately that was not an exaggeration. In Xan's dreams, Pride faced Leviathan on a now nightly basis. Two of his personas clashed continuously in his subconscious. Apparently some things just did not stay dead any longer. Damn that Aurelius...bringing back RIOTE was right around one of the few things that could make Xanthus do what he did upon first returning to Briggs; he had sworn an oath that day. He would kill Aurelius, or at least be present when Aurelius was brought to his knees in submission. After the battle, Xanthus had used his own personal, secret method to return to Briggs quickly, his little brother joining him for the ride. Looking around, he saw that Lyte was still very much asleep on his bed. Deciding against waking him, Xanthus put on his uniform, which now felt quite heavy and began a trek to down the halls.

His long trip eventually carried Xanthus to the kitchen, which was not surprising in the least. What was surprising however, was who else was in the kitchen and what they were doing. Being utterly silent for the moment, Xanthus stood in the entryway, not entirely willing to enter quite yet, as he felt that to do so would be to intrude upon something sacred.

She still looked at him like he was a stranger. Even if it wasn't obvious, Dai could see it. She made her way towards the coffee, and he could all but sigh softly. There was too much tension in this room, and it was dropping his own mood drastically. He wanted to feel happy again, but after his own selfishness ended with this rending of Briggs... he couldn't do it anymore. The redhead crouched down, looking up at Mura with eyes that screamed distress. He really didn't know right from left anymore... And there was that other thing niggling him in the back of his head. Well, it sounded like a voice to him. In fact, he was pretty sure it was a voice.

You can hear me, can't you? Ugh. He needed to get rid of the Stone.

I know what you want, don't you? He was already beginning to sweat slightly. Mostly out of annoyance and nervousness.

"Y'know, you're a horrible conversationalist." The redhead laughed softly and stood up, wiping his brow with a smile. He would ignore that voice. No matter how much it said. Instead, his eyes flickered back to the scene at hand, with Murazar walking over to Reila. His heart twitched, but he ignored the feeling. He'd already decided. If Reila chose Mura, then Dai would allow for it. He would fight for her, but not to the point of destroying anything else. His previous selfishness had shattered too much.

"Heh. I think we can all have a hand in speaking Aerugese." A soft smile crossed his face as he stared at the pair. Said smile dropped slightly when Murazar told Reila not to leave him. What was he thinking? Even though... no.

Still stubborn, despite that jealousy? He gritted his teeth.

"Shut it, Stone." Okay, he may have said that one a little too loudly. He looked up at Mura and smiled briefly, before turning away, bright red. He... had just... spoken to the Philosopher's Stone in his pocket. What. The. Fuck. They were going to think he'd lost it. He hadn't, right?

"Sorry about that, I felt like saying it to myself. Don't know why." An obvious lie. He laughed nervously and turned back to them, rubbing behind his head with a casual smile, before turning serious again and looking at the pair.

"Sigh. Look, I don't know where any of us stand with anything. But right now, our biggest worry is rebuilding and recuperating. RIOTE's attack..." The redhead spat that name out with annoyance, "Crippled us no end. So I can't see any reason to do anything but fix ourselves so we can counter-attack."

That's it. Hide your emotions. Lock them away. You'll become a proper soldier in no time.

A nightmare she had been forced to wake up from--the thrust of reality licking the grime off her skin to reveal thick wounds beneath no one had seen before. She felt herself sink further into the chair as the mercenary drew nearer to her. Bare feet slid from the table where they had perched and fell to the icy floor, taking a coffee pot with them. Glass shattered, spreading shards everywhere. She jumped despite the fact that it wasn't surprising, feeling guilty for the destruction of something else. And then... a glitter of thin gold shifted to meet eyes that weren't real. Narrowed, cold, angry, she stood up on the glass. Her small form rose below the towering male and she drove her gaze through him. Did it look like she was running? She may not know how she felt--may not be able to cope with the failure, but she was still here--still awake while everyone else had been sleeping. She had to think--had to plan ways to save the withering ruins of a once great nation. It was up to them...or it was up to no one. And that idea scared her.

She said nothing to the familiar rings of her natural language, wondering why Mura had used it at all. There were no secrets to be kept...so why? She touched the tips of her greasy hair, twirling it around her fingers like she had with the stitches. Why did it feel like she was being studied--being scrutinized like a test subject gone wrong? It sickened her, the lack of confidence making her want to tear her own heart out and show the world. Maybe then they would really see what was there: the suffering, the terror of betrayal, the inability to run... She wanted to tell them all that she hated Aerugese--that somewhere deep inside her, she never wanted to hear it again. She wanted them to understand...how fragile she really was, but how strong she could become because of it. In her mind, she felt the air leave her lungs as she blew away the ashes and broke through to the surface of perception. That was what kizuna was--the never ending bonds, the unspoken understanding... She felt it and knew it...with these people. But the fear laced the man's voice and his eyes were sad, real or not. Dai looked like he had lost the world, his own eyes screaming out. And Reila felt that only she could change it--only she could rid those expressions from her comrade's faces. That was why they were here--that was why they had come to her.

Her eyes widened, red hair splayed against her shoulders as it dropped from steady fingers, and something cold ran down her neck from her eyes. She bit her lip and embraced the emotions, letting them fall like the slither down of melted icicles. A ghostly smile grew on her lips until it danced to life and reached her glazed eyes. Only she could change it. It echoed in her mind like sound of a million grains of sand dropping over the roar of waves soon to wash them away. Reila's determination flew back, mended. And for the first time, she turned to look Dai fully in the face.

"Shut it, Stone." ...what... She felt her anger bleed out from the bottoms of her feet and turn to mild confusion. Her brow furrowed and she learned forward to make sure that she wasn't just hearing things. Stone...stone...Philosopher's Stone. The tension in the air grew, seeping into her eyes that studied every flicker of movement from him. The rest of what he said faded out as she cracked her knuckles and advanced on him, hoping Mura wouldn't stop her. Dai couldn't touch those red, soul-covered stones for the life of him...not without losing his mind, blowing people up, or going somewhat senile. She took a deep breath and steeled herself for the moment when their skin connected, and it did. She feathered through his outfit, checking pock-- A spiral of electricity ran through her as fingers met a solid, round object. Found it. She yanked it out and thrust in his face, accusingly.

"What is this, Dai!? Where did you--" She saw a figure in the doorway behind the redhead currently being interrogated and looked up with shocked eyes. Xan. Oh god it was Xan. She felt tears spike her eyes anew and then threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his back as tightly as she could without suffocating him. She buried her face in his shoulder and took a deep breath, not caring that she was hugging a deadly homunculus that could sap her soul right from her. Her soul didn't taste good anyway. She wanted to apologize for the thoughts that had flitted in her mind at the mention of RIOTE, but knew she needed no words. Instead, she hugged him close, hoping he would understand just how much she needed him--how much she felt and cared about him. The stone fell out of her hand when she let go and bounced atop the glass. Blinking away tears, she looked him over and ignored its overpowering presence. Then Mura's words sounded in her head once more. She stepped back so she could see them all and gave the best smile she could muster.

"I won't leave you, any of you." She looked down and wiped away the streaks of tears, voice vanishing to a whisper. "So don't--don't leave me either..."

Murazar grimaced as she stood upon glass and hid what she felt, then it hit him he had a blinding headache as soon as he heard Dai apparently tell a Philosophers stone to shut up. He blinked in surprise and looked over to Gurthang before speaking to it it spoke to him. Its chilly voice a unreal feel upon the back of your neck where your hairs stood. It spoke to him, " Mura Mura, aww thats so sweet. Almost as sweet as raw flesh being scoured from the lands. Why dont you take the stone for yourself? Eh? C'mon it would make your dreams true. Or take the nightmares away." Then it laughed at him he replied upon smacking it.

" Quiet Gurthang. If your going to act like a evil conscience, then be more subtle." He was completely serious, unlike Dai who was astonished he even talked to the stone of souls. Murazar seemed to have completely accepted that apparently talking to his sword was normal. Commonplace even. He looked at the stone as soon as it was pulled out and recoiled physical several more feet than he was from it. Every motioned that held it even as it was dropped to the ground he circled around it like he was a dog trying to stay away from a dangerous viper. The screaming in his head intensified and Gurthang began to speak babbling violent insanity in his skull. It felt like it was splitting in half, he put one hand to his head, then two as he cradled it he stared at Xan. His eyes begging that the Philosophers stone be removed. Permanently.

His knees shook softly and almost unnoticeably. He backpedaled all the way against the wall to the door leaving the room as his gaze shifted to the stone and he glared at it like he was torn between running over and grabbing it and just running away as far as he could. He was beginning to have serious thoughts about trying to remove his ability to take and hold souls. He just didn't know what the side effects would be. Would the process rip his own soul apart? Or would he just die? Would he even survive the process? He contemplated it momentarily as he looked over to Rei-chan, Dai, and Xan before speaking. " Keep any of those damn stones away from me, please." The last was almost begging, he continued softly as he continued to hold his headas his own souls somehow seem invigorated from seeing the Philosophers stone at all. He closed his false eyes as he held his skull." I can barely control and hold myself together with that damn thing around. I dont want to explain it, Xan might know. I can barely think. "

He paused a moment as he let his hands drop and he forced every soul he had taken back into the hell of which he held them in. He opened his machine-made eyes and smiled weakly before joking," That...Wasn't so difficult." He shook his head briefly as he regained his composure, pretending it had never happened." I think we need to put aside at least right at this moment our feelings and see about readying a plan of action. After we set it in motion we can all talk about each other and set all the records straight however we all wish." He paused looking at all of them, his eyes no longer cold but only trying to seem so. Instead they seemed to be hiding secrets from them so that he could shoulder them alone. As he always had, he could no longer hide much from them anymore.

Isabella looked up at Jet, noting his new armor color. None the quieter, though. ”Wish I could say the same about you, General,” she says bluntly, tapping the tip of her pencil on the piece of paper. ”No need to understate my condition either, sir,” she adds.

She looked at him, trying her best to read his face, though she didn’t dwell on it for too long. She didn’t want to look strange, or give him the wrong idea, or… Yeah. This was a situation she hadn’t planned for. Ever.

Focusing back on Jet, she decided the awkward silence was long enough. ”Good to see you’ve changed up your colors. You look less… depressing now.” She gives a small smile, tilting her head slightly to one side. She always preferred to skirt around situations such as this. Better to find the fastest way out of a minefield then to continue charging through it.

”So, General Black, sir, I uh… I’m going to have to request some additional time off before I come back to work.” Reaching over the side of her bed, she pulls up the automail arm given to her by the military. ”It’s a long story, but I know a few custom mechanics who can make me one to my own specifications. That, and if I get used to this, then I won’t want to upgrade.” She looks at it, holding it somewhat awkwardly, unsure of what exactly to do with it. After a few seconds, she tosses it onto a nearby chair. ”But enough about me, sir. How’re you doing?”

"Deflection, don't fail me now..."

Jet just smiled, she was still her usual self. He knew the two of them didn't always get along the greatest, but he hoped one day to make their relationship stronger. He needed the trust of his officers more than ever in these trying times. Did he have hers? He'd find out soon enough. Black chuckled at her comment on his armor, leaning against the wall as he did. "The guys at Sci-Tech insisted I wear the best of their new armor design, you know how persistent they can be. The color was a personal choice, decided a change would be good, and less depressing," he replied, his laugh much lighter than usual. Jet had to admit, he was a little nervous. This was the first time he'd been in this kind of situation, besides Saga of course. He hardly counted that as past experience however. Surely it was not normal for hospital patients to do cartwheels, dye their hair pink and have a panic attack in the bathroom. He laughed at the thought of it, happiness returning to his features. She always seemed to bring a smile to his face no matter how down he felt, it was comforting to know he had her to comfort and support him for a while at least. He hoped it would last forever, and she seemed to agree with that, at the moment. Could she be the one?...

Jet shook himself from the daydream he had almost fallen into, knowing he needed to stay in the here and now. She was looking at him, her head turned to the side with curiosity. He smiled and shook his head, shrugging his shoulders. ”So, General Black, sir, I uh… I’m going to have to request some additional time off before I come back to work. It’s a long story, but I know a few custom mechanics who can make me one to my own specifications. That, and if I get used to this, then I won’t want to upgrade.” Jet nodded in agreement. "Of course Major, take as much time as you need to get back on your feet. It'll take Amestris a while to heal its own wounds anyways. You'll be missed though, nobody else can do your job as well as you can," he replied, looking at the automail arm she had picked up then tossed aside. Looked like a pretty standard model, but then again those can be pretty crappy, or so Jet had heard. It's not like he knew much about automail, he'd never had to use it and the only person he knew very well that had any was Cironis, and well, he's somewhat of an expert on it.

”But enough about me, sir. How’re you doing?”

"I'm holding up. I wish somebody had told me I'd become a leader of this nation one day tough, otherwise I would have never signed up," he joked, laughing more to himself than anything. "Casualties are low all things considered, about 5 million plus. Still too much for this country to handle though. Currently we're cleaning up West City a bit before we begin major reconstruction. Thankfully HQ was untouched, so we still have our base. 80% of the city was evacuated when the bombs went off, and only 10% of the overall population was killed in the blasts. Thank goodness you're men acted with such speed, otherwise our home would have bodies littering the streets," he continued, glancing down. He was still having a hard time dealing with so much death and destruction at one time, it was appalling to say the least. "Very stressful times right now Izzy, it's not easy. Nobody said it would be I suppose," he said as he stood up, walking over to a nearby chair and sitting down, hoping it wouldn't break under him. That had happened way too many times then Jet would readily admit. "Trust in the military is at an all time low. We were in the 50% range for a while, but after that we've dropped to 30%. Surprisingly enough, the West is still the most loyal area, so that's to our advantage." Jet leaned back in the chair, finding it very sturdy and comfortable, at least as comfortable as a 6 feet tall armored man could get in a metal chair. "Amestris is strong though, we'll endure," he finished, glancing up at the ceiling with slight doubt in his eyes. Was Amestris strong enough to come back from this though?

Xanthus Icarus prided himself on many things. Of course, as Pride this was to be expected of him. One of these things was a nearly unmovable heart. Most situations simply did not faze him; things that could break normal humans simply made him sigh, or in most cases chuckle. He could no longer tell if this was how he had always been, or if it was Pride's influence that caused his heart to harden as it had. However, this was unimportant to the Homunculus.

What was important was that he never forget that unlike him, humans were fragile creatures. Even the strongest among them was possessed of an emotional weakpoint. He knew that in times like these, there would need to be someone who could help to fix the damage to their emotions, and more importantly to their minds as a whole. Perhaps he was looking at things too deeply or in the wrong way, perhaps not. What he knew for certain was that in their own ways and for their own reasons, the top three officers of Briggs (not including himself) were broken and he was obligated to do what he could to help them.

That was why, when Reila hugged him tightly, he hugged her back. It was his wordless way of saying that everything was okay and that he was going nowhere soon. He would at least remain at Briggs long enough to see recovery take place...before he made a decision about whether or not to remain for a long term. After all, there was vengeance to be taken. But this was something to be thought about at another time.

Pride looked first to Murazar, then to the Stone, then to Daigoro. His eyes spoke many words for him. They also reflected that he was adamant in his opinion. His eyes told Daigoro to take the Stone, and that if he didn't, then the Stone would remain there and plague Murazar until he did.

Oh, crap. Reila had heard him, and taken the Stone off of him. He stepped back slightly, looking into her eyes when she thrust the Stone into his face, retaining a look that spoke spades. He cared about this, more than he was willing to reveal. However, he couldn't implicate Xanthus in this. If they found out that Xan had supplied him with the Stone, then they might turn on him as well. He didn't need or want that.

"What is this, Dai!? Where did you--" He was about to say something in rebuke, when she turned away and hurried towards the man he'd called his only ally within Briggs for the past age. A small sigh left his lips, and he watched the Stone collide with the ground, a small sound being made by the collision. With a smile on his face, his look suddenly switched to Murazar, who had just spoken with a voice that sounded nigh on pleading.

"Keep any of those damn stones away from me, please." Daigoro stepped back slightly, watching the man with worried eyes.

"I can barely control and hold myself together with that damn thing around. I dont want to explain it, Xan might know. I can barely think." No, he understood. He felt the same with that thing, but he had to endure it for now. At least his... was only temporary, as opposed to the pitiful looking man in front of them. Murazar had tried to kill him. Why had he not just let him?

His eyes finally wandered back to Reila and Xan, who were in an embrace. He smiled softly at the pair, closing his eyes briefly and opening them again, before catching the look from Xan's eyes. That look spoke loudly to him, and he nodded briefly, walking over to the Stone and slowly kneeling down, picking it up, finally speaking.

"I got it from an ally in Creta. Someone who understood my cause, and offered assistance. It's a weak Stone, made of the souls of the condemned and those who had accepted their own death." He stood up back, looking at the group. "That said, I've only used it once. And I won't use it again, however it will be returned to it's rightful owner when..." He eyes locked onto Xan and Reila, Dai looking past the woman into the red eyes of the other Ishvallan, "I get the chance." He smiled softly, placing the Stone back into his pocket. "And don't worry too much about me talking to myself. Until I get rid of it, it'll happen, and I'll live with it. There's no need for me to worry, nor for any of you to." His brave eyes were hiding a secret from the rest of Briggs. He... he still blamed himself. He still found himself to be at fault. So if he could disconnect from them, maybe their obvious distrust and hatred of him wouldn't affect him, and he could go on as per normal, save for Reila. He could let her go, if he had to.

And then there was the thing that he didn't know. Why he still felt so apprehensive, and lonely within Briggs. He hadn't completely broken the inception that Harumi had placed upon him, and his own self-hatred wasn't helping him. In fact, it was keeping his mind from completely shattering the inception.

"And Mura, I understand, if only somewhat. It doesn't send my mind into pieces, but I almost feel sick whenever I hold one of these. The power... it isn't something I want to use. When I took it off this ally, I promised him that I wouldn't use it unless I had to, and that I would return it when I could. I stick by that, having only used it once in order to protect myself," His voice dropped to a near whisper, only able to be heard if you were close enough, or if your hearing was overly amazing, "But was that the right choice?"

Reila pulled a Xan and sighed. Softly, the breath exited her lips, returning to that which surrounded them in a huff of air. There were so many problems forming...so much...distance. She almost couldn't accept that she was seeing it happen before her eyes. She saw it in Xan's silence--in his faraway stare. It reflected the stone which had dropped to the floor. She let her eyes stumble over it harshly. Mura couldn't take its presence either. She bit her lip. He was talking to his sword. What...what was with people talking to inanimate objects? She laughed slightly and held her head. Maybe she was just hallucinating--going insane? She nearly wished that it was just her, but...it wasn't. The troubled look on Mura's face told her that clearly. It aggravated her. It all was overflowing her mind, pouring out in shards of glass no one seemed to mind, but her. Where were they? She wanted them to come back. This wasn't normal...this wasn't how it always was. Who were these people? She wanted to cry...she wanted to shake them out of the haze, but she just stood there staring at the stone as if it were its fault that her world was tumbling down. Her heart fluttered and she raised her head to meet Dai's eyes, almost begging...begging that he would have an inkling of understanding.

He nodded, but his eyes weren't meeting her's. She watched him walk over to the stone and bend down. She saw his fingers caress the texture of trapped souls. She witnessed it leave the ground and his mouth open to expel tainted words she never expected to hear. "It's a weak Stone, made of the souls of the condemned and those who had accepted their own death." No... She turned fully towards him and stared with shock. Red hair fell over her face, golden eyes shaking in so many emotions, flooding her all at once. Was this...a test? When he had finally looked at her...all she saw was self-loathing and deceit. She questioned her own memories...questioned that she was even the Head of Fort Briggs. This...couldn't be happening. Everything she had ever known was falling through her fingers like so much sand. To count the grains would be to count her horror.

At first, she didn't know what to say...what to do other than stare at Dai as if he was an impostor. Had someone stolen Dai's skin--climbed inside his body and installed controls? What... What was this!? She sucked in a deep, shuddering breath, clutching herself as if trying to hold the pieces together--pieces that had already been scattered about the universe. She was no longer Reila Tsukino, but just a girl--a girl that only wanted trust... She was a girl that feared betrayal and held friendship over any law. Who had...spent years trying to survive in dumpsters... She was the red-haired child who took the reaching hand, only for it to leave her. She built up herself and met Dai...met Mura...met Xan and thought it would never go away and leave her like he had. ...Danny... Tears molested the rims of her eyes, but she refused to cry. Not this time. She knew her own strength. This was the survival of the fittest and if they couldn't handle it, then...then the...the friendship had never been real to begin with. What...had they had? Didn't any of them remember? DON'T YOU REMEMBER?! She wanted to yell, but knew not even she could reach them anymore. And it hurt... it hurt more than Dai betraying Briggs...more than Xan joining RIOTE...and more than Mura planting bombs in their home. "Please," she begged, meeting Dai's eyes when the tears began to fall yet again. She swiped at them with shaking hands, "don't lie to me..."

Why else would he say that the stone was made from people who had already been sentenced to death? It was a pointless detail...and pointless details out of Dai's mouth only meant one thing: falsity. People who had accepted their own death? Were they suicidal maniacs!? No one...wanted to die. No one. She clenched her hands into fists and took deep breaths to steady her voice so it wouldn't shake. She looked at Xan, barely able to see his face through the blurry scene. "Go. Go kill that bastard. Kill Aurelius and Hild Schwarz. That is an order...first and last." Her voice was lost--cold... She hated giving orders to people she cared about, but she sensed his hatred overpowering her...his anger. And she did it because she didn't want him to leave. He needed to do this, and staying at Fort Briggs wouldn't help him. She couldn't hold him back...that's what friends were for...right? She blinked and looked at Mura sideways. "I'll handle this," Reila said coolly.

She turned from all of them and streamed out of the room, down the hall, and to her room. She swung open the door until it slammed against the wall and ran in, locking it behind her. She threw herself onto her bed and no longer held back the sobs.

Maybe it was better to live alone.

[EXIT THREAD]

”Missed? I doubt it…” She held her tongue back, knowing it was best to take a compliment than to deny it. It tended to get on people’s nerves, at least from her experience.

She raised an eyebrow at Jet. She knew that look in his eyes, one of the few expressions she could identify without it being obvious. She couldn’t help but grin. ”Dear lord, it’s always the optimists.” She chuckles. ”You stumble into a grand position, and find yourself at the reigns of change, and you hesitate? See, quite honestly, the worst has already happened to Amestris. Things only get better from here, General.” She grinned at him. ”A chance to improve, a chance to build, a chance to renew… You’ve been given a blank page, and now all you have to do is fill in what you want to happen. You’re getting a chance to do what few others get the chance to do: you get to create on a grand scale.”

She gives a soft smile, looking down at her schematic in front of her. ”It’s a good feeling, Jet, to create something for a change.” After a moment, her eyes shoot wide opening, finally realizing her faux pas. Forcing her serious composure back, she pushes the table away from the bed and turns, sitting on the side of the bed towards Jet now.

”Anyway, General, I have faith in you, and whoever else you’re working with. Between you all, I imagine you should be able to get at least some things right.” She grinned slightly after that. ”And remember, Amestris is like my arm here,” she says, gesturing to where her right arm used to be. ”I had it, I screwed up, and I lost it. I can only improve on what I have now, and the only way to fail is to do nothing at all.”

Izzy gave him this look, Jet couldn't tell if it was pity or sympathy, maybe even a little bit of both. He didn't mind though, either were acceptable at this point. He knew he had failed, but at the same time there was something good about all of this, something Jet wasn't seeing. Luckily, Izzy saw it for him.

"It’s always the optimists. You stumble into a grand position, and find yourself at the reigns of change, and you hesitate? See, quite honestly, the worst has already happened to Amestris. Things only get better from here, General. A chance to improve, a chance to build, a chance to renew… You’ve been given a blank page, and now all you have to do is fill in what you want to happen. You’re getting a chance to do what few others get the chance to do: you get to create on a grand scale.”

Black nodded in agreement, finally seeing the big picture. All the death and destruction, the feeling of failure, all of it had blinded him to it, but now he saw that picture as clear as day. She was absolutely right. Amestris had been dealt a bad hand, but it would survive like it always has, and he, alongside Tataki and Reila, would get to start that process. We will get to mold this country into something to be proud of, a strong and steady nation made of passionate men and women. Jet sat and though on her words for a moment, and came to a slightly depressing realization. He was a destroyer. A warrior who's sole purpose is to kill and destroy for this country. But at the same time, he was a creator. The music he plays is from his heart and soul, he creates it from his passion. One day, he would be a father, and then he could claim to be a true creator.Then, his life would be complete. Until then however, he needed to focus on rebuilding and creating a new Amestris, and he had an entire country to aide him. Jet smiled, the first genuine smile he'd had since Saga had come to his home, and the things said afterwords...

"Thank you for your words of wisdom Major, I really do appreciate it," Jet said as he stood up, a fresh vigor in his eyes. "I'm sorry to have to cut our visit short, but this country won't rebuild itself on its own," he continued with a grin. "I hope you come to a full recovery, and have a wonderful vacation, you deserve it," Jet finished, bowing his head slightly in respect. He walked to the door, but just as he was about to leave he turned back to her and saluted. He put on his usual smile and walked out the door, looking one way, then the other. He turned to his left and mumbled to himself "It's like a freaking maze in here, how am I ever gonna find Reila..."

[EXIT THREAD]

{Xan, Mura, too slow, so I'm skipping you two.}

"Please," P... please?

"don't lie to me..." L..Why had he... why would he...? He shook his head, before resuming his gaze into her eyes. His heart dropped. That expression... that expression would imprint itself into his eyes and mind forever, haunting him in his dreams. She... he'd lost her, hadn't he? No... No.... No...

"I refuse." His voice was barely whispering out, staring at Reila's eyes, only focussed on her. That line had set his heart straight. Even if his mind was holding back, he needed to pour out his heart and tell this woman the truth. His right hand clenched into a tight fist, the metal of the automail scraping against itself with the movements. The Stone remained in his pocket, as red as his hair, as red as Reila's hair... she really did suit that color. He felt himself smile softly, his thoughts only focussed on her, before seeing something else. She spoke to Xan... and then to Mura... and then she left. She just ran off, leaving them there. Dai's eyes widened, and then he looked down.

Do I still love her...?

"Y-yes..." He nodded weakly, and then he slowly raised his head once more, letting a solemn smile cross his lips, looking over at Murazar and Xanthus.

"I refuse..." He laughed softly, and turned towards the door, watching them for a single second longer before breaking out into an unexpected run. He knew. He knew what he needed to do.

"I'm sorry Xanthus, Murazar. I need to do this now, or I'll lose her forever!" He closed his eyes for a brief second, before opening them again and running out of the room, chasing after Reila with determined eyes. He knew where she was going, and he would make sure he told her the truth. Even if she no longer loved him, he would tell her exactly what had happened, and he would hope like hell that she understood. Even if he lost her as a lover...

"I can't lose you completely... Reila, I refuse to let you go."

{Exit thread, leading on}