Chapter Eight

Scattered Allies

Eastern Region

Late Winter

Jerso, Zampano, Yoki

Jerso, Zampano, and Yoki traveled hidden in plain sight throughout the winter as entertainers. It had been a simple plan, one which they hadn't fully believed would work, but it was the best they had been able to think of at the time. Someone had to get word out to the scattered remains of Scar's people and their allies. No one really paid attention to entertainers, and dressed in thick grease makeup, no one made the connection between a group of clowns and the wanted posters posted at every train station.

In short, it was working. Every town they came to, one of the chimera would venture into the slums and seek out the Ishbalans, they would pass on the message from Scar including the old coded phrases to get the ones in charge know it had been one of their brethren had given the message, and then they moved on before anyone in the military noticed they were there.

It was going well, but it was a strain. It wasn't easy to be constantly on the move. Yoki was not the easiest of travel companions either. He wasn't used to a vagabond lifestyle, having spent most of his life in relative luxury. It didn't take long for the other two to become annoyed with him. He wasn't trying to be difficult, but intent didn't matter after weeks of listening to him complain.

The closest the came to getting caught was late in the season, when Yoki was being particularly loud with his whining he made a comment about the unfairness of going from running a village to wearing grease paint. Luckily Jerso noticed a guard looking in their direction, so he quickly silenced Yoki with a huge hand over his mouth and lead him away all while complaining about Yoki's "delusions". Once they were free from watchful eyes, the lecture became quieter and far more threatening. After that Yoki kept his complaints to their camp.

West HQ

Heymans Breda

Heymans did his best to take advantage of the situation he had found himself in. He was well aware of the reason behind the transfer and was not happy with being a hostage, but couldn't openly take any steps or he would place Mustang and the rest of the team in danger.

That was not to say he sat back and did nothing. Instead he made contact with the few people he knew for certain (or as certain one can be in this situation) and began discreetly spreading word of the upcoming uprising planned in Central. He assured everyone he spoke to that should they fail the team would insure the safety of their families and friends.

Most of the one he spoke to didn't believe him. They agreed to come anyway, because as Breda understood it and then passed on, this head of the group would kill them all and then just move on to the next place he could establish a hold and start building up his weapon once again. No one wanted to argue against the military for fear of being labeled a criminal.

Eventually, he had gathered a small group of allies and felt a bit better about the whole thing. Now he contacted Havoc on a secured line and through a series of coded conversations, arranged for Havoc to contact their foreign aide. Ling well Greed, had given Ed a letter to pass onto Izumi requesting her help, if she was close to it all. She agreed to help all she could but she was not now or ever would she join the military. She was still angry and Ed and AL over that one.

He deferred to Jean on the plans. Jean had become an underground hub, running their part of the operation out of his family general store. Heymans wasn't certain if Mustang was in on this part of the plan, though honestly he had learned over the years of working on the Team that it was better to keep to your part and not worry about the rest. He knew everyone including Mustang agreed that knowing everything about the plan was a security risk and was to be avoided. That said he was pretty sure Roy knew the whole thing, or close to the whole thing.

Once everything was in place all that was left to do was wait. Waiting was the hardest part, kept in the dark like this. Heymans worried the others. Especially Kain who was stuck down south and Vato who was stuck in Briggs under Kimblee. He hadn't worried about Vato at all until he learned Kimblee was there.

Unlike Kain, Heymans was in Ishbal. Luckily for him he had been far enough down the chain of command at the time to escape notice from (most) of the state alchemists. He was originally placed in the battalion that Kimblee worked with. He had seen the man in action, and it still gave him nightmares.

Gran and Mustang, who he had later worked under, took to the job with grim determination. They didn't enjoy the slaughter. Kimblee loved it. You could see it in his face and it was terrifying. Rumor had it that in the beginning, when they first arrived, Kimblee had been like other men (boys, really) and disturbed by what they had been asked to do. Something in Kimblee broke after the first few strikes.

Unlike Armstrong, and everyone knew he broke, Kimblee grew to enjoy the work. He treated the enemy as objects instead of people and kept a running tally to see how effective he had become constantly trying to beat his last record of death. So, though Kimblee had started out an innocent, he had long ago become a monster.

That's what bothered Heymans and Jean most about their boss. He called himself a monster, saw himself as a monster, but he regretted everything they had made him do. If he was a monster, so was every other person who donned the uniform. He knew Jean agreed, more than once over the years too much alcohol had loosened their lips to each other.

Unnamed Hamlet

East

Havoc General Store

Jean Havoc

Jean hated being useless like this. He couldn't fight, he couldn't even walk over to the phone. He knew his Mom was happy to have him home, away finally from the military that ate boys and girls and threw back broken men and women. He had never mentioned to his mom that he knew Edward Elric because she had a lot to say on the subject of the young alchemist without finding out that he had been part of Jean's team.

Just now he had been finalizing the plans with Fu and Maria Ross, when his mom cleared her throat behind him. He told them he had to go with a groan and turned his attention to his mother. "Jean. You are out of it. It isn't your problem anymore, why are you letting them pull you back?"

"I can't go back mom. Not like this. That doesn't change what is broken in this country or that I need to help fix it!" Jean said as he moved his wheelchair closer to her. "I don't want to hurt you mom, but Mustang needs my help to make things better, and this is how I can do that. "

"Mustang." She said with distain. "I know all about Mustang. The Hero of Ishbal. He's a cold blooded killer and you expect him to be able to fix this country?'

"He isn't though. I have worked with him since we got back from the war. No one hates that title more than him…expect maybe the Ishbalans. He doesn't consider himself a hero, which is what makes him one. He has spent the last few years working from the inside to change things so that we don't ever have another Ishbal."

"A fine job he's doing of it too, with what's been going on in the North and South." His mother hmmped.

"Well, you know, Xerxes wasn't built in a day." Jean said cheekily.

"It was destroyed in one." His mother quipped back a familiar response in their family.

"We aren't trying to destroy anything mom, we're trying to build it. Build a better future. One where things like a twelve year old prodigy can't slip through the cracks and get into the Program, instead helped in anyway that is rational.' Jean said, addressing (somewhat) one of his mother's chief complaints about his job.

"I'm sure they've done a fine job turning him into a killer by now, even it doesn't make the papers. 'Hero of the People' . Hero of what exactly?"

"Ed is NOT a killer. He is the kindest people I have ever met and he deserved his title from the first step into a dangerous situation and came back with just a minor dent in his arm."

"Dent?" his mom said. "You talk like you know him."

"I do know him, he's been assigned to Mustang's office, so my office, since he joined a few years ago. He is very loud and very rude, but he is the nicest person I have ever met. Jean defended as he rolled back over to the phone. "Now if you'll excuse me-"

"No you don't. Explain to me how a twelve year old managed to get into the military and everyone is okay with it.

"I met Ed back when he was twelve and determined. He had just recovered from double automail surgery. He was and is one of the tiniest people I know, yet he is always looking for a way to help other people. Mustang does everything in his power up to and including taking the jobs himself to keep the worst of it from Ed." Jean said with a smile. "He's an honestly kind person in a world of hate and deceit."

"What is he doing enlisting? Wait, automail? On a twelve year old?" His mom said horrified. Everyone knew how terrible the recovery was, most mechanics wouldn't consider even consulting with someone under sixteen.

"He enlisted to take care of his little brother. They're orphans. As far as the automail goes… he's from Resembool. He was at the train station when it was attacked." Jean said, ignoring his mother's horrified gasp. "He defends Ishbalans whenever it comes up in the cafeteria or on the street. He tells everyone who will listen that people should be judged by their actions not their heritage. This boy who was blown apart during a war, who was orphaned in the war, defends those we declared enemies. Not everyone carrying a watch is a monster. I've seen the monsters, and I've seen the others."

"One example…of a CHILD who is in over his head isn't the whole group Jean." His mother replied, still refusing to see his side of it. "They're weapons. Monsters."

"If they are monsters, Mom. Then so am I." Jean said with a sigh. "I was a sniper in Ishbal. I sat up in a tower picking off the stragglers. It was my orders and I obeyed. Then Roy Mustang came to me and promised me that if I joined him, I would never again have to shoot down innocent children. He kept his promise." Jean was done with the conversation, he turned and rolled out of the store as quickly as he could. He would be back after he had a chance to calm down.

Southern Border

Kain Fuery

Kain had never seen war before. He knew he was lucky, that he was the only member of the team aside from Ed that could say that. It didn't help right now because now, now he was in a war zone. It wasn't an official war zone, but it was one.

He was terrified and was totally willing to admit it. Mustang had shielded him from this for so long… he wished the man was here now, only he didn't because if they called in the alchemists it would be so much worse. Kain knew because Breda and Havoc and Falman had all been there and they all had said it was.

In between the bouts of terror that was slowly becoming normal for the communication specialist he was slowly building the network they needed to end all of this madness on Promised Day. He was grateful to be communications, not just because he was able to help the Team but because he wasn't out there. Instead he sat in a tent listening to the reports roll in and trying not to cry.

Twice since he'd been here the fighting breached the camp. Twice he had to defend their comm center. Twice he'd had to kill. He was glad the Elrics were far from here, he hoped wherever they were it was far from this fight. Let them be free of the stains of war a little longer.

Northern Territory

Marcoh, Scar

They had found another shack, one in even worse condition than the one that contained his brother's notes, and settled into it. It was just one room, with an old fireplace and no furnishings, but the earthen floor was perfect to work out the arrays and notes hidden in his brother's journal.

Marcoh stayed to translate, and to hopefully remove some of the guilt he carried. Scar didn't speak to him. Never spoke at all unless it was to correct part of the translation. Marcoh could feel the man's hate rolling off of him in waves, but so far he had not struck. Sometimes Marcoh wished he would, then he reminded himself that was the easy way out.

A weary sort of peace had fallen over them as the winter progressed. They had decoded the notes in the first couple of weeks, and spent several weeks planning what needed to be done based on what they had learned. They then remade a new code to hide what they had found, and buried the original notes in a lockbox under the floor. It was unlikely either of them would ever return for the journal and notes, but they couldn't bring themselves to destroy them either. For Marcoh because they were the most complex work he'd ever seen and for Scar because they had belonged to his brother.

In the end, roughly three weeks before Promised Day, they abandoned the cabin, not as friends but no longer enemies either. Once they reached the main roads they parted ways, Scar still had much to prepare and Marcoh had to find a way to sneak back into Central undetected.

Fort Briggs

Vato Falman

Following the Dracma attack, which was a slaughter more than anything, Kimblee seemed to loose interest in the Fort he now claimed leadership to. Vato was glad in a way, though annoyed that the other man spent so long poking around Briggs. Vato wasn't the only one either, most of the men were grumbling about the man's arrogance.

Kimblee was keeping an eye out for the Elrics and their allies, and Vato knew it, but luckily the people in question had all left the area, Vato assumed. He wouldn't consider the other option mostly because Kimblee would have let the matter go.

Vato had dealt with Bullies before and he knew how to wait them out which was his current plan with Kimblee. Briggs men, as it turned out, were on their side, whatever it was that Ed said to the General. Still, he was in the air on if to trust these men with the plan.

Buccaneer appeared in his room one night, shortly after the battle, waiting until Kimblee should be asleep. He let Vato know that Olivier was on board with their plans and that she expected a full list of whoever left the fort and who was willing to assist in the continued protection of their country. Vato and Buccaneer spent the next few weeks arranging everything, including slowly funneling a fourth of the personnel in the Fort down to meet Olivier for further instructions. Soon enough, it was time for the final three to leave, Vato, Buccaneer, and Miles were the last to go, but they reminded the other men staying behind that as far as paperwork went they were on sick leave.

Central City

Olivier Armstrong

Olivier Mira Armstrong was now the head of the Armstrong family. Not by birthright, no that belonged first to her eldest siter and later to her younger brother. Not by desire, she would much prefer to have remained in the North and left her family to their own devices. No, it was by necessity that she had challenged her brother, Alex, for the family seat and won.

Olivier needed the family home for the plan, and she needed her youngest sister safely out of the way. Catherine took after Alex in personality. She had no stomach for violence and war, and would simply be a hindrance in the upcoming fight. Had she been able, Olivier would have sent Alex away as well before he brought more dishonor to their name.

All five Armstrong children were raised to believe it was their duty to serve the country. The eldest two had done so by marrying high ranking officials and keeping their homes in order for them. Olivier and Alex had served directly by joining the military. Catherine was still young, but it was expected that she would marry well, as she was delicate in stature and disposition.

Olivier, if asked, would freely admit to being disappointed in her siblings, especially Alex. His failure in Ishbal was a disgrace. He had simply quit. They were raised better than that. Mustang, for all that he annoyed her, would fit better into the Family. He too had been appalled by Ishbal. SO was she. He did something about it. He began planning ways to improve the world and continued to honor the military with his service. Alex only remained enlisted because he would be disowned should he quit.

It was these reasons that Olivier decided to list Mustang as the next of kin to receive the family holdings. As much as she hated him, and she did, he would not lead the family line to Ruin. She even briefly considered attempting a match between Mustang and Catherine. It was her understanding however that Mustang had already been claimed by Grumman's granddaughter though unofficially, and they were waiting for him to sufficiently climb in rank. Grumman was as respected as Armstrong in the old guard, and Olivier respected this when General Grumman explained it to her recently.

This left her with the option of simply willing everything to Mustang. He wouldn't do anything as underhanded as have them killed to claim the Holdings. He could be trusted to mind Catherine until the girl finally found a suitable match, and he could keep Alex from anymore embarrassing meltdowns so he was the best choice. She loathed to admit.

The worst part was telling him it had been done. He was as smarmy about the whole thing as she expected he would be, but then he let his mask slip just for a moment as he promised to care for her younger sister. Olivier damned herself for believing him, but believe him she did.

They had arranged the receiving of both arms and troops into the mansion under cover of dark over the weeks between her transfer and the Promised Day, so that they would all be armed and ready when trouble came. Everything was in place. She was ready, she had cast her lot in with Grumman and Mustang on the word of a child. She really hoped she had made the right call, or this could be what brought their family to ruin rather than something her brother did.