"We'll that was a long, and ridiculous day of success. We found nothing! Again!"
"Easy, Havoc, we'll find something soon." Mustang approached the front desk of the inn for the third time and rang the bell.
Sequoya stepped out and laughed. "Still nothing, huh? What the hell are you guys looking for anyways?"
Mustang shuffled through his options: She was Ishbalan… She was a citizen in this town; surely, she's heard something… "We're looking for a small rebel group said to be around here somewhere. I'm pretty sure I know where but-"
"I don't think they'll be a problem anymore." Sequoya's smile shrank and she turned her back to them to warm her hands on the fire.
"Pardon?"
"I called it off…" She turned slowly back to them, fearful of their reactions.
Mustang simply stood, surprised.
"There's somethin'." Havoc barely whispered to Riza and she rolled her eyes.
"So you are one of the rebels?" Riza stepped up to Mustang's side.
Sequoya nodded, "Well, was. I was the brains behind the plot; but I called it off, like I said."
"Why?" Havoc paced forward also.
Sequoya felt like prey now. Slowly being surrounded by the predator group who were ready to pounce as soon as she made the first move. She stuttered and stoped short of finishing words. She was not good under pressure.
"Are you alright?" Mustang reached out and supported her with a startling hand; Sequoya flinched at his touch.
"Uh, I… er… Yes?"
"Oh, my dearest Sequoya, what are you doing?" A new, unfamiliar male voice entered the room and Sequoya went rigid, her eyes narrowing to burning red slits.
"Jayler, what are you doing here?"
"What are you talking about? We've come to complete the operation… Looks like you've done your part." Jayler grew a wicked smile as the rest of the Ishbalan adolescents filed into the room, each holding a gun pointed at the three military personnel.
"NO DAMNIT, I CALLED IT OFF!!! PUT YOUR GUNS DOWN!"
"Sorry. You ordered military death. If you're on their side, I'm afraid you'll have to go as well."
Jayler raised his gun, and the shot sounded in the near emptiness of the wooden room.
The boys stood in shock as they stared down at their writhing new leader, not quite sure of what they should do next.
Riza lowered her gun to her side and watched as well, in sick interest to his reaction. Sure it must hurt, but does he really have to scream about it? That'll just drag in unwanted problems off the street… of course.
A small Ishbalan woman from outside the inn stepped through the door and gawked at the scene. After only a brief moment of her horrified stare, she turned and ran back out the door, shouting out for help; 'vicious military member's shooting at our kids!'
Here we go… Riza reached up to massage her temples with her thumb and forefinger while Mustang vocalized her thoughts and they braced themselves for hell from the Ishbalan citizens.
"NO! Wait!" Sequoya bolted out of the door onto the porch, stopping the people already on their way in. "It's not like it seems!"
A voice from the crowd that couldn't be identified from her position spoke out, "How's that?!"
"Jayler's the only one injured and it's only his foot… But it's only because he was about to shoot the Colonel!"
"Yeah, and you should 'a let 'im!" "YEAH!" The crowd raised their variety of collected weapons into the air and began to shout in unison a non-discernable array of distasteful phrases against the military.
Mustang began to approach the doorway in defense, but Sequoya pushed him back, "Not now, they'll kill you. Let me handle this." "Well either way, I won't let you blame the military! I brought them here! I started the rebel group that took their interest! I'm the one who called it off at the last minute that made Jayler mad! That's why he was so reckless! That's why he got shot!"
Silence filled the streets for a moment and a soft hum soon followed as some of the crowd began to disperse.
"Welp," Sequoya clapped the dirt from her hands and placed them on her hips behind the closed door. "That probably didn't help your cause, but it got them to go away for a moment… You can thank me later." She walked closely past Mustang knocking his shoulder back with her own and headed down the hall; hidden tears filled her eyes.
Mustang shook his head, and then shrugged, "One less thing for us to worry about right now…"
The Lieutenants nodded together.
"Good. Then I have one last thing I want to do before we go…" Mustang had begun walking to the door with Havoc, but Riza hesitated. "Lieutenant?"
"Somehow… I feel like our job here… isn't quite done. Like we just created a bigger problem."
"I'm sure it'll be fine if we can get out of here soon, I'm ready for my own bed."
"Amen." Havoc imitated a priest, raising his right hand, and the three of them left for the train station.
"Sir, what was it you were going to take care of?" Riza quickstepped so she was even paced with Mustang's brisk steps toward the train.
"I was gonna look around at the next station. See if they had heard anything about a train dragging in a car… something along those lines."
"Sound's good." Riza gave him a small reassuring smile that faded in doubt.
"I swear if I don't find civilization soon, I'm gonna kill myself." Ed lowered himself onto the metal siding of the track to rest under the insufferable sun. Shielding his eyes with his automail hand, he looked up at the sky, "At least it's sunny today… Stead of cloudy… Although the clouds prevent sunburn… ugh, I can hardly feel any of my living limbs anymore… I'm starting to think I'm already dead." Glerrrrrrrlerrrr. "And I'm so hungry." Glerrrrgrrrr. Ed sighed. "Well, I'm not getting any closer to food at this pace… I don't think I am going the right way, but if I keep going… maybe, I'll run into people… I am following that last train, that's for sure." Ed began to walk again.
Glerrrrrr. "I don' wanna hear it." Geuuu. "What did I just say?"… "AGH! I'VE BEEN OUT HERE SO LONG; I'M TALKING TO MY OWN STOMACH! ROY, YOU BETTER BE REALLY HAPPY!"
