Captain... Such a new term...

A small sigh. That was all that could escape Euphemia's lips as she traipsed through the Central City street. She was tasked with finding the man who had recently contacted her, only calling himself Jack. Sorry, 'Captain' Jack. He seemed like a rogue to her, and that was something she might appreciate. He was forming a crew, and wanted to bring democracy back to Amestris. That sounded good enough to her. As long as they restored peace AFTER Dietrich died, she'd be perfectly happy with it.

The violet-haired woman pushed through a door into a warehouse, seeing nothing but pure darkness. She blinked a couple of times, trying to adjust to the low light levels, and finally succeeding. She sighed, and leaned against the wall. Where was Jack? She closed her eyes and breathed out slowly, before raising a hand above her head. If she couldn't see him, she'd hear him out...

...

...

Nope.

Alright, time for a different strategy. The former Cretan Princess blinked, and sat down on a chair, waiting for the man to get there.

"Where in high hell is this bastard?" She tilted her head to the side, her gaudy clothes standing out in the bleak and drab surroundings of the warehouse itself.

"You know, I wouldn't really live up to my title if you were able to find me that easily" Came a voice from out of the darkness. "Oh, and you might wanna close your eyes for a second, it's about to get a whole lot brighter in here" said the voice again. A second after it had been said, the lights suddenly turned on; flooding the warehouse with light. Well, it wasn't too bright, as most of the lightbulbs seemed to be dim and near death. Still, in comparison to the darkness, the contrast was still pretty high. "Now then, how about I introduce myself" came the voice again, its owner still unknown. Suddenly, a tall, tan skinned man walked out from behind a large stack of crates, a playful grin upon his face. "I am the one and only, The Pirate Jack, or Captain Jack if you're so inclined." Yes, this man was Jack Fulhelmknight, the one who had contacted Euphemia about joining his crew.

As Jack walked closer to Euphemia, the grin on his face remained. "Heh, no need to get so angry, I mean, if I were that easy to find, would you really be interested in joining my crew?" Jack asked with a slight laugh, his tone slightly a joking one. As he said this, Jack looked Euphemia over, seeing if there wasn't anything about her personality that was given away simply by her outward appearance. Well, that, and he was sizing her up for combat. Of course, this only took a mere few seconds, and quickly Jack walked over to a nearby folding chair. Picking up the chair, Jack moved it over in front of Euphemia and placed in down backwards, the chair's back facing her. Sitting down on the chair, Jack had his legs on either side of the chair's back, and was resting his left arm on the top of the back, holding his chin as if he were thinking. "So, seeing as you've come all the way here, I assume that you are interested in joining my pirate crew?" Jack asked her, adopting a much more serious tone, as well as facial expression. Because of the way he was sitting, if Euphemia decided to attack him, Jack would be able to draw his .44 Caliber Magnum Revolver within seconds and have it aimed at her head. Of course, that was only if she were foolish enough to attack him.

He seemed innocent looking enough. Kinda cute, yeah... But probably not her type. As roguish as he was... nah. She'd be better off with someone else. She laughed softly, inside, and then looked at the man carefully. So, he was The Pirate Jack. That was what he wanted to be known as? Fine by her.

"The Pirate Jack. I would've joined our crew even if you'd put a giant sign over your head that said; 'I'm fucking over here.' Your ideals seem righteous enough for me, and that's all that matters. I mean, once my Cousin is killed, that is." Her eyes narrowed slightly, just enough for Jack to notice. Her cousin really was the bane of her life. Even if she was still Royalty, she'd probably want to kill him. He was as smarmy and power-hungry as they came, and he enjoyed it too, the bastard. She sighed, and whispered something to herself in Ishvallan.

"I really do hope he dies. That bastard Dietrich." Of course, she had no idea that the man before WAS Ishvallan, simply because she didn't realize that his eyes weren't of the usual Ishvallan disposition. If she had realized, she wouldn't have said anything...

Jack chuckled a bit at the girl's straight forward attitude; readjusting his katana, Honjo Masamune, so that it didn't get in the way of how he was sitting. To be honest, Jack liked this straight forward, almost brazen attitude; because he knew that if she ever had a problem, she wouldn't hesitate to let him know. Of course, her fiery nature also suggested to Jack that she might be a good ally in battle, although she may need to work on that, as it seemed almost like she could be too eager to jump into a fight. Still, all of this was merely speculation; just what Jack could read into by her appearance, attitude, and speech. However, something at the end of Euphemia little "rant" caught Jack's attention. Not only had she mentioned something about killing her cousin, but her facial expression had also changed slightly. Now, while most people wouldn't have noticed too much of a change, Jack had become very adept at reading people over the years, and even subtle changes in body language and facial expression was enough to alert him.

Of course, as soon as Jack heard her mutter something in Ishvallan, Jack knew that something was up. "You know, if you want to hide something from me, it would be wise not to speak it in my native language" Jack said in Ishvallan, showing that he had understood exactly what Euphemia had said. Of course, he had also let on that he was of Ishvallan descent, stating that Ishvallan was his native language. Well, to be completely honest, Jack really had two native languages, Ishvallan and Amestrian. Still, Jack could tell that Euphemia was hiding something; something more than her true feelings. "You know, if you want to join my crew, you're gonna have to be completely honest with me; I need to know that I can trust you, and I want you to know that you can trust me" Jack said, once again adopting a more serious tone. While Jack may have been a rogue and a Pirate, honesty and loyalty were two valued and tried to promote within his crew. Of course, the loyalty wasn't only to him, but to the entire crew. Because of their rather small size when compared to the military and their lofty ideas, Jack needed for his crew to be closer than family; able to trust each other with their lives. "Now, I'm not gonna judge ya for what ya did in your past, but as Captain, I need to know what's going with all the members of my crew; otherwise, I won't be able to protect you" he said, a slight smile crossing his face at the last part.

The girl was shocked. He was Ishvallan? But the eyes... no, she didn't need to worry about that. This man was curious about her past, wasn't he... She looked up at him, a new resolve in her eyes. This was the first person that she'd tell the story to, and she'd make sure she told it right.

"I gave you my name. Euphemia Til Alexandros. I also asked you to call me Aren in public, or when referring to me. That's for my own safety. I... was once a Cretan princess. Third in line for the throne. My cousin usurped the throne from my mother recently, after I had fled to Amestris. So I only wish to see him dethroned, and the Cretan monarchy fall. I have no wish for the throne, nor for any form of power in Creta." The girl shook her head softly, and then looked down to her feet. Would he believe her story? She had told him the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

"So that's my story. I'm hiding from my cousin until such a time as I can roam the streets without being scared of the next thing to come around the corner. That, and I appreciate your ideals. I think that, with some work, Amestris can become a democracy like Creta. But better. That's one other thing I'm looking for." Despite all her rudeness and total straightforwardness... She was at her most vulnerable right now. She was really speaking from the heart - a rarity indeed...

While Jack would admit that Euphemia's story was a bit out there, he could tell that she was telling the truth. Judging by the tone she had used, her facial expression, and her body language, Jack could tell that this was probably hard for the girl to say. "Well now, I must say that that i quite the background story" Jack said as he stood up, his tone reflecting that he was thinking. As he had stated earlier, he did not discriminate against anyone wishing to join his crew, so long as they were willing to be a team player. Still, Jack could tell that these problems that Euphemia had might come to the surface at anytime. Of course, so long as she was willing to accept his help, Jack really didn't see anything wrong. Now, Jack didn't just go around fighting in everyone's personal battles; but when it came to the members of his crew, Jack was willing to do all that he could to help them.

Once done with his thoughts, Jack walked over to Euphemia, standing in front of her. "Well, I guess there's really only one thing to say...welcome to the crew" Jack said, placing his right hand upon Euphemia's shoulder and smiling after the last part. "While it all may sound a little hard to believe, I can tell that you are being truthful about your past Aren, and I promise that I'll keep your secret" Jack said, patting her shoulder before he took his hand away and began to walk back to his chair. "However, I do have one condition for ya" Jack said, holding up the index finger on his right hand, his back still to Aren. "If you run into any trouble because of your past, royal heritage, or cousin, you are to come to me ASAP, and tell me what's up" Jack said before turning around. As he turned around, there was a warm, reassuring grin on his face "And I will do everything within my power to help you."

A small blush came across her face as the man spoke. She could tell why he was Captain, he was certainly an honorable thief. She smiled softly, and stood up, bowing slightly.

"Thank you. I appreciate it. And if anything happens, I can assure you that I will ask for your help." She nodded, and then turned around to walk out of the building.

"I have some things to take care of, first. When you want me, let me know. I'll be there." Euphemia sighed to herself, and slipped out of the door into the night... and screamed, diving back into the warehouse just as the door was blown off it's hinges, sent into the warehouse crumpled and wrecked.

"They followed me!" She moved quickly to the side, and picked up a nearby steel pipe, just as the men in suits walked into the room. They looked around, and pointed straight at Euphemia, speaking loudly in Cretan.

"Get her! Dietrich orders so!" Euphemia's eyes widened, and she picked up the steel pipe, running straight for the men.

"I won't go back! I won't!" The steel pipe hit the first man on the side of the head, knocking him down with one strike. The girl then rolled forwards, and threw the pipe at the next one, missing completely. As he came closer, Euphemia slowly began to back away...

"I won't go back. I won't go back. I won't go back. I WON'T!"

Luckily for Euphemia, Jack was adept at surprise combat, and as soon as the the door was blown off of its hinges, Jack was already facing the intruders. Unfortunately, Euphemia acted before Jack could do anything else, and while she did manage to take out one of the men, he was easily overwhelmed and was backing away. Of course, since Jack didn't speak Cretan, he had no idea what each party was saying, and it pissed him off a bit. Suddenly, before the remaining man knew what happened, the sound of a gun being fired echoed throughout the warehouse as a bullet flew literally only a few centimeters to the left of the man's face. "Oi! Douche bag, I have no idea what the hell you are saying, but if you take one more step near this young lady here, my next bullet will find a home between your eyes a few milliseconds before you have no head!" Jack shouted the revolver in his left hand still having smoke coming from the barrel. It was easily obvious that Jack was the one who had fired the gun.

As the man was still stunned by how close the bullet had come to his head, Jack walked up to him at a steady yet imposing pace; pulling the hammer of his revolver back to prepare it for another shot. "Now then, I want you to go back to whatever asshole hired you and tell him that Euphemia here is a member of my crew, and if any of you so much as lay a finger on her, I won't rest until I've killed every last one of you" Jack said in a demanding tone, now standing in between the man and Euphemia; his revolver pointed directly at the man's head. "Oh, and before you even say anything, this here is a Smith and Wesson Model 29 Magnum Revolver. It fires a .44 caliber magnum round that will tear your head off right after impact. If I don't get the answer I'm looking for, then you can just say good bye the head on your shoulders." As Jack said this, a new tone took place in his voice; one that strong, assertive, and demanding. Yes, the only people who got to see this side of Jack's personality were those who threatened someone he held dear; such as a member of his crew.

The man... had no understanding of the Amestrian language. The guy who did was unconscious on the floor by Euphemia's doing. She sighed softly, and walked up to the man, before looking him directly in the eye, a fierce flame burning in the pupil.

"He said leave, asshole. I don't want to see any 'envoy' of my cousin's, unless it is for direct surrender. I will accept nothing less." The man recognized the venom in Euphemia's Cretan, and simply blinked, before nodding and running off, dragging the lucid man behind him. She sighed, and brushed back her hair, before looking over at Jack.

"Thank you, Captain Jack. I really appreciate what you did for me." She slowly walked up to him, and pecked him on the cheek. Only a peck, she wasn't sure if she liked him or not. Really, she was just showing gratitude to the man who'd saved her life. She sighed softly, and walked out of the warehouse once more, leaving him in the middle of the room with his thoughts. He could think what he wanted. She didn't know what she wanted yet.

While Jack still didn't understand Cretan, he could tell by the tone and volume of Euphemia's voice that she was pretty much telling the man what he had just said. Letting out a laugh as the man dragged his companion out of the warehouse, Jack slowly lowered the hammer of his revolver down so that it was safe. As he returned the revolver back to under his shirt, Jack turned around to face Euphemia, a confident grin upon his face; making it clear that he was back to his normal self. "Heh, well, let's hope we didn't scare them so much that they forget the message..." Jack began, before being cut off by Euphemia kissing him on the cheek. To be honest, Jack did not even see the kiss coming, and as Euphemia walked out, he was left standing there, dumbfounded. While Jack was used to girls staring at him because of his looks, none of them had ever walked up to him and just given him a kiss on the cheek. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Jack lightly touched the cheek that Euphemia had kissed. Of course, given the circumstances, Jack assumed that it was merely a form of thanks and nothing more; although he still had a bit of doubt left. "Yeah, that must have been all it was...just a thank you" Jack said to himself, although his voice didn't sound as sure as it usually did. Sighing a bit at his internal confusion, Jack began to walk towards the doors of the warehouse. When he reached them, Jack stopped, and suddenly let out a laugh at himself. "Damn, when did I get so pathetic?" he asked himself aloud before exiting the warehouse.