-Earlier that week-
The whistle blew as the train moved away from the platform. The back compartment was almost empty except for two teenage boys. The one with lighter hair stared out the window in such a way that one would think he had nothing on his mind at all. If only that were so as his bright amber eyes watched the scenery start to pick up the pace. His companion was obviously much younger then him and had slightly darker features. He pulled out a book from his bag and opened it to a page he had marked.
Letting out a sigh he stated, "She really didn't want us to leave, did she, Ed?" The blond across the way let out a groan as he placed his hands back to support his head. Closing his eyes, he was still thinking about their predicament.
"Let's make this a short trip, okay Al? I really don't want to be gone too long," he answered which was better then what his younger brother thought he was going to say. Usually he would say something like 'I wish she wouldn't carry on so much', but this time seemed different.
"Yeah, I want to get back too. After all that traveling we use to do, it's nice to just stay in one place."
"Sounds like you're remembering more now," Ed mentioned, opening one eye.
"It's starting to come back, slowly." Edward settled against the window, making an effort to get comfortable. He wasn't having much luck though as he moved around more and more. Finally ending up in what seemed to be the most uncomfortable position to Al, his older brother closed his eyes and fell asleep. He recalled that he never did have problems sleeping just anywhere. Quietly he went back to his alchemy book.
~~~~ By the time they made it to Central, it was late afternoon. No one was there to meet them as no one was expecting them. Alphonse grabbed their suitcase and for some reason remembered it not being so heavy before. As he struggled to carry it behind him, Ed was looking at a map of the city.
"What are you looking for, Brother?" "First things first," he stated with a determined tone of voice, "we find somewhere to eat. Last time we were here, I tried this one place and they had the best homemade bread, I swear they just took it out of the oven."
"Brother, how can you think about food? We came here for a reason, you were all concerned, remember, and..." There was a low growl that didn't come from Al's mouth but from his stomach. It brought a slight embarrassed look to his face and a smirk to Ed's.
"See you're hungry too. Now come on. Last time we were here, you didn't get to eat at this place. It's the best, promise." He grabbed the suitcase from Al and led the way to the restaurant. Alphonse was somewhat relieved that he didn't have to carry the bag for once.
As they exited the station, Edwards jaw dropped as he took in all the changes of Central. Although for the most part it was the same city but had gotten bigger. Whole sections of buildings looked new. The government seemed to have expanded the military as there were more soldiers on the streets then he ever remembered. One thing he noticed that he didn't like was that they were all carrying weapons, ready for anything. At least before, they kept their guns hidden and not so out in the open. Maybe there had been a rise in crime but still it seemed to be an extreme measure. If he managed to run into Mustang he would have to ask him about it.
Now that he thought about it, he better make sure that everything happened the way it was suppose to and the Fuher was no longer in control. He could always look it up in the records if necessary when they went to the library. Carefully they crossed the street, making their way through the crowd. Another thing he had to say for the city was there seemed to be more people. A cold wind kicked up and the Elric brothers both found themselves wanting to reach their destination. While they both had long warm jackets on, the sudden gust still stung their hands and faces. Ed wished he still had his gloves but for the life of him he didn't know where he had them last.
Finally they turned a corner to find the restaurant and hurried to get inside. Before they really didn't have to deal with the elements so much, especially Al. He breathed in a sigh of relief as the heat hit his face. It felt nice as they rubbed their arms, trying to warm up.
"Kinda cold out there, huh boys?" An older lady who looked to be the owner said as she greeted them. "Sit where ever you want." They found a booth farther in, away from the door. The menus were already on the table for them as they slid in on either side of the table. The lady returned holding two mugs and a pot. "Coffee?" Ed nodded insistantly as it had become something he'd grown to like but more importantly right now, it was hot.
She took their orders and headed back to the kitchen. Edward placed his hands around his mug and smiled in contentment. "Don't burn yourself." Al warned him.
"I don't know if it's possible right now. My fingers feel like they could fall off." Al glanced over at another table and noticed a newspaper laying on it. He grabbed it and handed part to Ed.
"I wonder if the Colonel is still here and anyone else. It would be nice to see how they're doing." It seemed that coming here was helping Al remember a lot more but Ed still made a face.
"He'd probably give me some kind of lecture or try to put me to work. I hate to say it but since we don't know what kind of condition the military is in, we should lay low for awhile." Al nodded quietly since he knew they were just here for research anyway.
"I know, it would just be nice to get to see them, especially since we got our bodies back too." Ed shook his head back, knowing full well where Al was going with this.
"I told you, this is not a social call. Maybe some other time." Al would not go against his older brother's wishes even though seeing the people they met on their journey would really help him out. Ed was hoping the paper would shed some light on what had transpired in his absence but most of the news was recent and didn't mention the military. The food came out and they both scarfed it down like they had never eaten a meal before in their life.
"You were right, brother. That was amazing." Al sat back contently with a smile on his face. Ed picked up the bill and grabbed his wallet. Looking inside, a small gasp escaped his mouth as he didn't have enough money. "Oh crap." He glanced up at Al nervously. This was something they never did before. "Don't you have money?"
"Not enough, guess mine was more then I thought." Alphonse rolled his eyes and grabbed his wallet.
"It's a good thing Granny Pinako gave me some money before we left." Ed let out the breath he was holding.
"Thanks, I can get more from the bank here. I should still have an account."
"That doesn't sound very convincing."
"I have my reasons. Cut me a break here." "Fine."
They grabbed their jackets and bundled up as best they could before heading out again. The cold air hit them as they forced the door open. The federal bank was only a couple of blocks away but since they had spent two hours eating, the sun was beginning to set, which made it even colder. There weren't as many people on the streets now as they pushed on. Finally the bank building came into view and they ran the last couple of yards to the door. "There has to be a better way to go from place to place, at this rate," Ed complained as he managed to catch his breath. He regained his composure before going up to the counter. The short red head on the other side greeted him with a smile.
"I'd like to withdraw some money from my account."
"Alright, and do you have your military ID with you, sir?" Ed froze at the question. He no longer had his pocket watch if that was even what she needed from him.
"Actually I've been out of the country for awhile and don't have it with me. How would that work?" He felt so embarrassed that he wasn't prepared for this.
"Well what's your name, I can ask my supevisor and she can help me with the problem." Ed quickly gave her his name and along with his state alchemist title without question. She disappeared into the back. Al came up next to him to see what was going on.
"No problem, I've got this covered." The women returned along with her supervisor to the counter. "I'm sorry Mr. Elric but we called the main office and they said they can't verify anything today. You can either try back here tomorrow or go to the main office and see if they would issue you a new ID."
"What, seriously, but we're only in town for so long and I needed the money today."
"I wish we could be more help but that's all we're able to do right now," the manager explained to him. There was a sudden ruckus outside the front door that caught his attention. Several cars pulled up to the sidewalk. Ed quickly noticed a back exit and nodded to the manager.
"Okay, we'll be back tomorrow to get this straightened out. Come on Al." He pulled Alphonse to the back.
Before he had a chance to ask why they were going that way, the front door opened and several military police came in, weapons drawn. They slipped out the back door and into the alley. Ed clapped his hands together, making sure the door was sealed so that they couldn't be followed. "Hurry, we've gotta move." They headed behind the buildings. Several blocks down and behind a dumpster, they had to stop to catch their breath.
"What was that about?" Al sounded demanding as his breath came out in small white puffs that quickly vanished.
"How should I know? They certainly are organized, aren't they?"
"Yeah and mad at you. So what are we going to do about a hotel tonight?" Ed shrugged his response.
"You mean you don't have a plan? Brother, we can't sleep out here on the street. Why can't you ever think things through?"
"And when was I suppose to get us money for this trip anyway?" His tone was flat and annoyed. Al took in a deep breath and decided he wasn't going to keep this fight going.
"Then can we just go with what I wanted to do in the first place?"
"What was that?"
