the last glow
Character: Jade Tempest, Edward Elric
Summary: She is still gleaming thought she is jaded.
The second-in-command of the Department of International Affairs of the Southern Headquarters is the kind of woman no one should mess with unless he or she has a certain death wish or no interest in pursuing a successful career because while she is fair and keen on having a good and stable relationship with her subordinates, she has a firm set of rules everyone should know and abide because otherwise, she can and will destroy an entire career within the blink of an eye and she will not feel guilty about this.
To be fair, this is a fact known mostly among the soldiers of the South who have frequent contact with the woman in question or the soldiers of West City where the second-in-command has worked previous to her transfer to the South. And yet, not knowing about the woman's temper is no excuse if she hands out severe punishment for doing something to disturb the order of the headquarters. Some said that if there would be prize for the best organised troupes, the South would have only one true opponent: Briggs – and this is an admirable feat because the South has far more soldiers they have to keep in charge.
And yet, there is always some fool who forgets to check whether he is entering a lion's den. And in this case, Edward Elric has had no clue what kind of lioness he has had disturbed.
It is a normal day in South City when Edward Elric arrives, carrying a letter from his superior which he is supposed to trade for a permission to have full access to the library of South City which is supposedly the largest after the one in Central City has been burned down.
The youngest state alchemist in Amestrian history merrily walks up to the receptionist in the entrance hall and waves politely. "Hey there," he greets with a smile. "I got a letter from my superior and he said that I should check in with the officer responsible for the state alchemist down here in the South … can you tell me where I can find them?"
The young woman goes through a few files before she looks up with an apologising smile. "I am sorry but … neither the lieutenant general nor the major general are in today – they have some family reunion down in the Western Area … so I can only tell you their replacement in case of emergency. Lieutenant Colonel Tempest sits in the West Wing, Department for International Affairs, Room 459. That's on the fourth floor…"
"Well, if the other ones are out, I also take a lieutenant colonel," the boy grins as he heads for the western part of the building while he wonders why the entire building is so silent. He is used to East and Central Headquarters where the hallways are bustling with stressed soldiers who hurry from meeting to meeting, always hoping to be on time, and more relaxed fellows who gossip. But in this building, the silence is nearly eerie. If he would not see the soldiers, he would seriously consider the option that there is no one but the receptionist and the lieutenant colonel in this entire wing but he sees them in the hallways and he sees them working in their offices. Strange.
But a work ethic the lieutenant might seriously appreciate.
He finally reaches the door that proudly announces Department of International Affairs – Officer-in-charge: Major General K. Hamilton – Second-in-commands: Brigadier General B. Llewellyn and Lieutenant Colonel J. Tempest and for a moment, he wonders what this department actually does all day long because even with Aerugo just down the street, they cannot have that much work.
He shrugs and keeps walking after pushing the door open until he gets to room 459 where he stops, brushes back a rebellious strand of hair and knocks – a little bit too hard because the door trembles after he withdraws his hand.
A moment later, a young man with blond hair opens, a wide smile on his face. He has forgone his uniform jacket – Edwards spots a blue object crumbled on the couch – and seems generally easy-going so for a moment, the boy seriously believes that this will be easy.
"Look, Lieutenant Colonel," he starts as he holds out his letter. "The bas- the colonel gave me this letter and told me to use this as reference and proof of my identity blah-blah-blah to get the actual permission to visit the library. That's all I came for."
"That's nice … Major," the man started, "but I am not the Lieutenant Colonel. I am Brigadier General Llewellyn – it's still nice to meet you."
"Uh, sorry," Fullmetal starts. "But – hey – why are you here if you are not the right person?"
"First of all: this is still my department and so I got a right of being in this office," the blond man grins as he takes a step back. "And secondly, it seems like the lieutenant colonel is down with something. We found her on the floor a few minutes ago and so, we are waiting for her to get up."
"Wait a moment – you found her? The lieutenant colonel is a woman?"
"Lieutenant Colonel Jadelina Tempest, currently the highest-decorated lieutenant colonel in the army, Breeze Soul Alchemist, translator-in-chief and second-in-command of this department and yes, indeed a woman," the brigadier general chuckles as he mentions towards the curled up form of a woman on the second couch. "She ain't got a fever so it's probably just over-exhaustion."
"Why are you using a southern accent if you are not from here?" Edward asks as he tries to figure out why this man is so relaxed even though his co-worker has passed out. He has not seen much from Mustang's team but he is pretty sure that they would throw one hell of a fit if something like that would happen with their beloved lieutenant.
"Caught me," he says as he crosses the room to tug his co-worker in after her blanket has dropped nearly to the floor. "I am really not from here – I was born and raised in Central City where I spent the first few years of my life and afterwards, I lived and worked in West City and later on up at Briggs – good times, those – but right now, I am a Southern boy and you know what they say: when in Xing, be like the Xingese."
"So if you are on a graveyard, you are automatically dead?" Edward rolls his eyes. "Anyway, could you do me a favour and wake her up? I really need that permission – my brother is waiting for me in front of the library."
"I'd rather not to," the man says, all his jokes are suddenly forgotten as he turns serious. "I have known her since we were kids since she's a Central kid like me and I learned one lesson quite early: do never wake her as long as the house isn't aflame."
"But … what am I supposed to do now?" he snaps at the older man. "My brother…"
"I will call the library and tell them to let him into the foyer where he can wait for you to pick him up. I will also make sure that you can get into the library as soon as Jade wakes up and that you can stay there for as long as you need to."
Edward realises that this is less about the proper code of conduct but more or less to save the reputation of saving the lieutenant colonel's reputation which is probably also the reason why there is no nurse in the room because as a female, she is always judged harder and more frequently than a man and cannot afford a moment of weakness. Plus…
"…you don't want to be alone with her … a jealous girlfriend?" Edward asks as he sits down on the other couch and smirks up at the man.
Llewellyn only smirks as he sips on his tea. "I am currently single," he says, "and even if we were dating, she'd hardly be the jealous type. You know what they say about queens, don't you? They are never scared of being replaced by anyone but an empress and no matter how much of a princess Jade used to be, she will forever be a warrior."
"A warrior can also be a queen," Edward remarks, thinking of the lieutenant.
"A queen she will be one day but she will never be my queen," the man replies calmly. "I am a loyal man and once I have chosen my queen, I would not trade her for anything in the world."
"That's admirable loyalty," the alchemist says with a shrug. "What makes her so special?"
For a moment, there is silence before a low rustle appears. "She makes me smile so much easier than normal people can and she matters most. There is no other explanation," the brigadier general replies before he moves quickly to restrain the woman who has shot up from her lying position on the couch and grabbed a knife from some hidden holster. "Jade, calm down," he says.
She trashes and tries to escape his grip but he does not let go of her as she mumbles something.
"No, vice-president, there is no one who wants to kill you here," he says as he takes the knife from her and finally releases her. "You do have a guest, though."
There is an instant change in the woman's posture. She relaxes and brushes back her hair before she turns around and sends Edward into hiding because there are two things he might have wanted to know beforehand. First of all, she has the most jaded and vacant green eyes he has ever seen and he wonders whether her first name is some pun with the fact that she looks absolutely disillusioned. Secondly, if there is a female version of the colonel, it would be here and given that they look about as similar to each other as Mrs Hughes and Elicia who look nearly identical with a few minor changes, it is extremely likely that this is the bastard's sister.
"Um, hello Lieutenant Colonel," he awkwardly greets as he holds out the letter. "I just…"
"A permission to get into the library? Right now? Forget it," she says as she impatiently grabs the letter from him. "I really don't know what Roy's thinking – he knows that I am working on a long-term protect that just entered its final stage and so it is unlikely that I will let someone disturb the sacred silence of the library."
"The letter says that he needs access to the eastern wing, organic and medical science," Llewellyn remarks after scanning the letter. "You're in the southern wing. He cannot disturb you."
"How can I know that Roy didn't send him to spy on me? We are pitched against each other after all and … I wouldn't put it past him to send someone to spy on me."
"Being paranoid?"
"Wouldn't you think the same if your mother would send her most innocent looking officer just at the same time when you are working on some important project?"
"Well, you are here, aren't you?" he smirks. "That is kinda suspicious, vice-president…"
She glares at him. "Alright, Elric," she spits out. "You can go to the library and you will be granted full access but I will personally control you. To your misfortune, I can do this … just thought that you might want to tell Roy-boy that I looked right through him."
"Madam … Roy-boy?" Edward asks, wondering whether he should be terrified or amused.
"He is my cousin so I can call him by his childhood nickname. Anyway, if you want to get to the library, we should get going now. Bendix, are you with us? I think Lynn called you and told you to send her a bunch of books so…"
"She did … but how do you know?" the man asks as he grabs their coats. "I cannot remember telling you about that call, spy."
"It's not spying if I am told those things," she replies with a smirk as they head for the door. "Let's go."
The library is heaven on earth for everyone who appreciates knowledge and so Edward feels like walking on cloud nine because this is simply amazing. Light falls through the large windows and makes the golden letters on the books' backs glitter and shine. To Edward, this is truly heaven on earth and he hears a low chuckle from Llewellyn who merely steps into the study hall after grabbing a book in passing. "You are reacting just like all the other state alchemists – well, with the exception of Wave, Lightening and Silver Hands because they grew up in this library," he grins. "Anyway, you get to your work while I get to mine. I got some research to do after all."
For the next few hours, silence reigns in the large hall as Edward hurries around, handing tons of books over to Alphonse who holds them until they finally settle down on a desk to start their actual work. Both brothers have to admit that this library is far better than any other one because they have the better structure and everything makes sense.
Night falls but since no one makes a move to get up and leave, they merrily keep working on their research. A soft snore indicates that Llewellyn has fallen asleep over a book called 'Secrets of the Briggs' but he looks peaceful and calm enough to let him sleep until he starts to trash as well. Edward enjoys the silence but around midnight, it is not broken but scattered as a scream resounds through the entire building. Alphonse watches in shock how the man's body snaps into a sitting position before he rushes away.
"What's going on?" he asks. "Maybe there's someone who needs help!"
Edward sighs but follows the scream to the northern part of the library where he nearly crashes into Llewellyn who stands in the doorframe, shock etched into his face. In the moonlight that falls from one of the windows, his facial expression looks strangely eerie and terrifying but suddenly, Edward realises that even this man is a broken one.
Also visible in the moonlight is the face of another woman on the other side of the room, pale hair shining like silver, and the silhouette of the lieutenant colonel, seemingly fighting someone.
"Jade! Stop this madness!" the stranger calls out before she makes a dash into the black-haired woman's direction to restrain her from kicking against a high bookshelf. "Llewellyn, help."
"What the fuck is going on here, Hamilton?" the man snarls as he helps her and grabs Tempest's arms and forces her down onto the ground where shackles of wood keep her down.
"She revives our fight against Scar … only that this time, she dodged that second blow," the woman called Hamilton replies as she presses her hands against the other woman's face. "This means that in her mind, it played out differently – like … Phil died because Serena was too slow to save him. That's what she thinks of … she tortures herself again."
"Remember when she was transferred? I asked you whether she's okay!"
"Excuse me but she was not exactly the person to talk about her own problems when her brother had lost his hand, my sister was an empty shell and I was lost because I had never counted on this to happen! Excuse me for not forcing her to talk when she said that she would be okay. I trusted her on being rational about all of this!"
"How could anyone be rational after what had happened? She nearly died that night!"
"I do know that but seriously – so did everyone else! I was three millimetres out of Scar's reach!"
"She told me about that because we actually talk! She is deadly scared of the possibility that he goes for Serena and Phil again because Kay scared him already off and simply didn't report it!"
"Stop this yelling – now!" Edward interrupts them. "This isn't helping anyone."
The silver-haired woman merely snarls into his direction. "I do not blame you for destroying her like this, Bendix, but … you know that no one is innocent. We are the ones who know her best – and also the ones who have broken her before. We are both to blame on her vacant stare."
"You have broken her first."
"I had to break her to free her," the woman says as she releases the wrists. "There is a difference between you and me, Treasurer," she adds with a snarl. "I had a reason. You had none. You made your choice … and according to my moral compass, it was the wrong one."
"I don't see what your moral compass has to say if I remember the way you broke everyone who has ever gotten close to you, secretary," he replies with a glare. "You are a weapon of mass destruction, aren't ya? You shouldn't forget about that, Silver Hands."
"Not that shit again," she says as she rolls her eyes. "You aren't from here so mind your tongue."
"Well, well, if Queen Mitras isn't a witty one."
"If you two are making another battle of witty insults, get out first," the woman on the floor sighs. "Really, I've had a headache for a decade the last time you did this and I don't want this again. So if you'd please get out now?"
"Understood, Stormy," the silver-haired woman says. "C'mon, Goldy, you heard her."
"I ain't your goldfish, Secretary!"
Edward watches them leave with huge eyes and the most prominent thought in his mind was "And they are seriously members of the military? High-ranking officers even?"
"I am sorry about them … but they have been doing this since Grade three and I seriously don't see them stop anytime soon," Tempest sighs as she grabs into her bag and pulls out a bottle of juice and two glasses. "I heard that your brother won't drink anything, Elric," she says with a nod and suddenly, he realises that she has known, that she has known all along but that she has said nothing for some reason. "Don't be mad at Roy-boy for telling us but he had not much of a choice. Otherwise, he would have found my brother's automail in his mouth and a few teeth missing," she shrugs in embarrassment. "I think he might have a problem with his anger management."
"Wait a second … Mustang knew that I'd meet you here, didn't he? And I just remembered that no state alchemist who served in Ishbal has to take any evaluations so you had no reason to worry that I might be a spy … so, why were you so mean?"
"Just in case that you'd ever meet the Ice Queen, you will know why. You … you see: no matter what, I will forever be Major General Armstrong's one and only rival," Tempest smirks. "She does not fear Roy who burns like a flame or Bendix who is reliable and steady in his pursue of higher and higher ranks. She only fears what she cannot see … and she has not seen me completely since the days when I was the vice-president of the student council and she the president."
"You … you and the both others, you were all in that council, right, madam?" Alphonse asks.
"Yes," she confirms. "In Central City's Private School, we lived, learned and laughed. Some of us even loved but that was never my cup of tea. And given that I am the only one who can truly claim to know what really happened at prom, Roy probably considered it his smartest idea in a long time to send you here first. It's the only way to be prepared for the president."
She suddenly smiles and lights up the entire room as her eyes start to shine.
