The Other Exams
By: Bar-Ohki
Disclaimer: Do I honestly look like a Japanese Manga-ka to you?
Recap: Roy Mustang gathers up his nerves then burns the socks off the competition.
Other Stuff: I was so touched by the reviews! Thank y'all for reviewing! I plan to try to be on top of updating as soon as I can for y'all! I plan to cover the following: Armstrong, Kimblee, Marcoh, Tucker, Grand, and Comanche (he's a minor alchemist that Scar does in from the manga). Not necessarily in that order, please let me know if I've missed someone. Enough of me babbling, lets get to the good stuff!
Chapter 2: It's a family tradition
"Son," his father began with all seriousness, "it's time. Please come with me." A younger Armstrong, with a little mop of blond hair atop his head, followed his father down the halls of the Armstrong manor. His stomach was turning in nervousness and excitement. He was now old enough to witness the family's alchemy. If young Alex took an interest, he'd begin his training.
At last they reached the large room full of books and materials. His father took a piece of chalk and drew a circle at the base of a large bolder.
"Now sit back and watch my son! Behold our family's beautiful alchemy that has been passed down for generations!" His father hit his hands to the circle and within moments it lit up. Lightening arched off the rock and circle as the bolder turned into a larger-than-life statue of his father.
"Oh father!" Young Alex cried. "I would very much like to learn the family's alchemy!"
-break-
"Oh yes father, I remember the first day I saw alchemy. As well as if it were yesterday." Alex assured his father. He studied his father curiously, it had been 10 long years of study since that day.
"Well my son, there is nothing left for me to teach you," his father began. "You are now the full heir of this family's grand secretes of alchemy."
"Really?" Alex was caught a little off guard by this.
"Yes, now all is left is for you to decide what you will do with it." The older man looked at him with love and pride. "Which I can trust to be something great and wonderful. I can trust you to further the family's alchemy a little more with your own research then to teach all of what you know to your child someday. But can I trust you to use it for good in the meanwhile?"
"Of course you can! All can have faith in me and my talents passed through the Armstrong family!" Alex jumped to his feet, a bit teary-eyed. His father smiled.
"Good." The old man let out a breath of relief. "Say, my son, would you like to join the military?"
"Father?"
"There is conflict brewing in the east, it would be good of you to protect our nation and its fine people with your talents-" Alex cut his father off.
"I will do my duty as a man, and as an Armstrong! I will take up the call and become a State Alchemist!" Alex had jumped to his feet again and ripped off his shirt, showing off his muscles. Then the pink sparkles, you can't forget those to matter how hard you try. (1)
"Now that's my boy!" His father began to sparkle.
-break-
"Thank you for the ride good Watson." Alex bowed deeply to his family's chauffeur.
"Any day for you Master Alexander." The elderly man bowed his head. "I will await your return."
Alex strolled into Central Headquarters confidently, having had been here many a time as a child. Now the crowd parted for him, weather it be from fear of his large, muscular stature or from the millions of sparkles that seemed to follow him, we will never be sure. He approached a young man with blonde hair and a small mustache.
"Please tell me, good sir," Alex's voice boomed with pride, "where I can find the register to take the State Alchemists exam?"
"Oh-o-over th-there!" The young man stuttered.
"Oh thank you!!" Alex grabbed the man's hand then proceeded to shake the man up and down in thanks. Alex, much to the man's pleasure, let go and marched over to the poor intern that sat unsuspecting at the registration table. The mustached man was soon helped off the floor by some random co-worker with brown hair.
"What was that?" The mustached blond found himself laterally brushing the sparkles off his uniform.
"An Armstrong." The man with brown hair responded, a little wide-eyed. "I think it's the end of the world…."
"Lets go get horribly drunk to forget this!" The blonde suggested.
"Brilliant plan!" And so those two walked away and got themselves most seriously smashed.
-break-
This was not in the job description. The intern remarked to herself mentally. I better be getting paid extra for this…. She cringed as Alex continued his lecture on his family's alchemy and military traditions.
"-and that is why there is a statue of my Great-great-great-great-grandfather Victor Jason Armstrong at Central Station!" He posed dramatically, much like that of the statue, to emphasis his point. This is when the poor intern realized that a crowd had gathered and was now observing the shirtless man babble about his family traditions. She squeaked, nervous with all the extra attention she was receiving.
"Sir?" She asked meekly. Alex, much to the amazement of everyone, stopped mid-word.
"Yes, milady?" He asked.
"If you would like to become a State Alchemist you have to fill out a registration form first…." She held her breath, bracing herself for a lecture on how the Armstrong family had traditions in the art of filling out paperwork.
"Oh, of course milady." He took his form and sat down, leaving sparkles in his wake.
The poor intern let out a breath.
-break-
"Alexander do you have your lunch and cushion?" His mother asked him.
"Have no fear mother!" Alex held up said things, "for I am always prepared!"
"Good luck my son!" His father cried. Soon the entire family was in dramatic tears, waving to Alex as he walked into the exam room. Most bystanders sweatdropped while observing the scene.
-just before the test begins-
"Mr. Armstrong please sit down and put your shirt on so we may begin." General Aching reminded Alex again. He then promptly decided it would be time to retire. (2)
-just after the test ends-
Everyone in the room let out a breath of relief once they were free of the sparkles.
-break-
"Now remember to make our family proud and leave a good impression on the Further." His father reminded Alex.
"Of course." With that Alex walked into the room. Without invitation he quickly sat down in the chair, gazing forward fearlessly. Within a moment they turned on the bright spot light. Alex sat up tall, grinning with huge teeth, sparkles glittering everywhere.
Is it just me, or did the spot light go to his head? One general sweatdropped. Soon others joined him.
"State only your name, age, and years of study." One of the generals ordered, this one remembering the horror stories of the last Armstrong that went through this exam. He hoped he was prepared.
"Alexander Louis Armstrong. 21. 10 years." Alex answered with efficiency.
"Glad to see the tradition of Armstrong efficiency is still passed on." Bradley remarked. "Now, why do you want to become a State Alchemist?"
"I want to use my beautiful alchemy for good, for the honor of this county, and for the honor of my family!" He stood up posing, putting even more sparkles in the air.
"Er… Please sit down Mr. Armstrong." All the generals sweatdropped again. Alex immediately obliged them.
"Mr. Armstrong we would very much appreciate it if you remained seated and with your shirt on." The same prepared general explained. The other generals gave him weary looks, not wanting to know exactly what they were being spared of.
"I can most certainly do that." Alex assured the man. There was a general sigh of relief.
"You still wish to do this, even in this time of war?" A female general asked from the said of the room.
"I will fight for this country to protect her people." He assured them.
"Very well them." Bradley nodded.
-break-
"You're doing so well!" His mother hugged him. "You've passed both the written tests and interviews!"
"I won't let you down mother!" He promised her, confident he'd do well. His father tapped him on the shoulder.
"Son, I would like you to have these…." He handed Alex large iron knuckles with transmutation circles on the back.
"Oh father…." Alex became teary eyed. "These were yours weren't they?"
"And my father's before mine. Please, take them." Alex bowed his head and humbly removed the knuckles from his father's hands and put them on.
"Thank you father." Alex sniffed.
"Make me proud son!"
-break-
There were only two other contestants besides Armstrong that day. They sat there stunned by the large, sparkly man beside them. A younger, Lieutenant Colonel Marcoh stood there, planning to over see the exams. He soon realized he'd be overseeing a lot more.
"Alexander Armstrong, you are first. Please use any and all materials as you see fit." Marcoh read off his official sheet that was conveniently held in place by his clipboard. "Greg Kelvin is on deck, and Jolly Rogers is in the hole."(3)
"Behold the beautiful alchemy passed down through the Armstrong family for generations!" Alex punched the ground, creating a statue of himself being held up by busts of himself. Every detail was sickeningly accurate, even down to the huge of the sparkles.
Everyone just sat there awestruck because nothing else seemed to be appropriate.
"I'm not sure I could top that…." Greg remarked his eyes bugging out in pure amazement.
"Aye." Jolly Rogers agreed. (4)
"Well if you two forfeit…," Marcoh began, "then Mr. Armstrong here is now an alchemist of the State. Congratulations!"
"Oh thank you!!" Alex proceeded to give Marcoh a bone-crushing hug.
-break-
General Aching groaned when he found out that he was going out to Ishbal. He just about committed suicide when he found out that Armstrong was now under his command. And now he was panicking as Armstrong pranced into the room.
"Good day sir!!" Aching prayed the sparkles were not contagious.
"Yes, well, uh, Major Armstrong!" General Aching stumbled over his choice of words. He picked up the silver watch.
"Congratulations, as of today, you are officially the 'Strong Arm Alchemist'!!" He announced.
"What a wonderful name! You have my thanks!" Armstrong gave the poor man a bone crushing hug.
1- And many poor people in the military agree with me, its not for the lack of trying either.
2- General Aching had the 'pleasure' of having had another Armstrong under his command. After Ishbal he retires to a mental institution as he continually mutters things about the sparkles chasing him.
3- Track and Field terms. "On deck" refers to the person going next and "in the hole" refers to person going after the person "on deck". Throw for my school, so I couldn't help but to put this in.
4- Jolly Rogers is the name of the skull and crossbones flag that is typical with pirates. This came out of watching Pirates 3 the other day. Good movie, go watch it.
Well its not too surprising that Armstrong managed to make two people get themselves drunk and one guy go insane. Review please, it does encourage me!