Still a little slow on the plot, but this is the hurdle I needed to get over. It`s all downhill from here guys, and to the Al fans, I`m sorry.

Chapter 13 - Segregation

Sitting around idle was something that neither of the Elrics enjoyed doing. Edward suggested they travel around town to see if any of the locals needed help; unfortunately, the way the initial part of their mission was set up, no one was suppose to know they were there. They had to sit tight.

Ed glanced up to the sky, there wasn't a cloud in sight, the sun was as bright as it could be, but the air was still frigid and hurt each time you took a breath took quick. The snow crunched below their feet as Ed, Al and Sheska found a quiet corner to sit and await further orders.

"This is so stressful." Sheska leaned against a stack of two crates and let out a sneeze. "This is what we have technology for. Call, set up plans first, don't make us wait in the cold. Frostbite, I can feel it." She rubbed her arms.

"But if they used a telephone, there's a better chance someone could eavesdrop." Edward pulled up a good point, though, in the back of his mind, he agreed with her.

"Ehh." She shivered in frustration.

"Edward, Alphonse." Roy's voice traveled through the air, as he approached them, his heavy winter coat caught the top of the snow on it's hem. The brothers headed in his direction, his hand motioning them closer.

Approaching the colonel, they could see a forlorn look on his face. "What is it? Did they cancel the mission, can we go home now?" Ed said in a joking fashion.

"Far from it." He reached into his pocket and handed Edward some keys. "When Brigadier General Evans saw the two of you, he inquired on your ages. I had to tell him and couldn't lie."

"Now he wants me to run people over? I can't be running errands if that's what he's asking." Ed swung the newly acquired keys around his finger.

"No, he wants you to get your license. He saw that you were nearly seventeen with no other credentials, so if you wish to stay here, you need to get your license." He looked off to his left. "They'll be testing you in the field over there, report immediately."

Giving his brother a nod, he took the colonel's words into account, knowing full well there was no way out of it. Luckily he had taken a few lessons from his father, so he was that much better off.

Watching Ed walk off, Alphonse glanced back to Mustang. "I assume I can't get mine yet." Being only fifteen, he wasn't yet allowed to drive.

Turning his attention to their newest alchemist. "No, you're coming with me." Briefly nodding in Sheska's direction, as if to apologize for taking her company, he looked at Al once again.

He locked eyes with the colonel, and on overwhelming sense of dread washed over him. The look on his face was more than enough to tell him that something was wrong. "Alright." He said in an uncertain tone.

"Seriously? Really?" Ed planted his forehead against the center of the wheel, not enough to sound the horn.

"Yes, Edward." Armstrong said, cramped in the driver side. "I was the driving instructor for many years before I became an alchemist. I'm sure we'll have you driving flawlessly by days end. Now, start the car."

Ed turned the key, clutch pressed down as far as it could go. The engine purred. Ed claimed a silent victory, he had started the car on his first try.

"Wonderful. Now, pull up to the markers." He pointed straight ahead, only removing a hand from his folded arms to do so, replacing it when Ed knew where he was going.

He pressed the clutch and changed to first gear, only to take his foot off the pedal too soon causing the car to make a jerking motion and then sputter to a stall.

"You took your foot off the clutch too soon Edward." He said in a monotone voice.

"I'm trying!" He bellowed in frustration. "I'm still new at this."

Again, he pressed the clutch and turned the key. Nothing.

"You're in first gear." Monotone again.

"Damn!" He switched gears, pressed the clutch, turned the key and successfully started the car. He began to press the gas and slowly remove his foot from the clutch. The engine whirred.

"You're in neutral." Monotone once more.

Ed grumbled under his breath through gritted teeth. Edward hated the idea of driving.

"I will give you instructions as we go." He began.

"I don't see this working." He sighed to himself. For as much ambition he had in learning alchemy, he lacked an equal amount when it came to learning how to drive. "I don't even need a car. I get the train everywhere."

"What of in case of an emergency?"

"Taxi." Ed retorted.

"What if they can't make it? In a life or death situation, seconds matter Edward." He opened a single eye and looked down at the young alchemist.

Ed's mind immediately jumped right to Winry. 'Life...' He thought to himself as he calculated her due date; it would be somewhere in May, which was during flood season. "You're right." He shut the car off. "Let's start again, you call the shots."

Not being a stranger to worry, he noticed the immediate expression shift in Ed's face. "Is everything ok?"

"Not really." He said, staring at the wheel, deliberately avoiding eye contact.

"Do you want to talk?" He said in a comforting tone.

Ed thought for a moment. "If I didn't think you were going to report right back to Mustang, I would talk...let's just get this over with."

Begrudgingly, Armstrong turned his attention to the driving exercise. He didn't think Ed would have caught on so quickly. "Certainly."

"Why him though sir?" Mustang addressed the higher ranking officer with frustration. "We have plenty of more soldiers that are much more qualified. Please reconsider." He pleaded with the Brigadier General's decision with Alphonse.

Micado stared coldly at Mustang through his single working eye. "Do you know what I saw that boy doing not even five minutes off the train? I saw him playing with a cat he had found at the train

Station."

"That "That shouldn't matter. I saw that cat and I pet it as well, why not send me." Roy was becoming frustrated.

The older man glared as he reminisced and explained. "Did you pick that cat up and begin cradling it all the while talking to it like it was a small child? Are you telling me that you don't have faith in your men Colonel?"

He was struck for words. "...yes!" He boldly stated. "Alphonse isn't use to this sort of thing, do you want to break him on the first mission? He needs to be eased into battle, not thrown in head first."

The hefty man chuckled. "Such a sense of humor."

"I'm not trying to be funny sir. I'm quite serious. Please." He stared at him.

Micado looked at his brass pocket watch and popped it open. "Seems like your efforts are in vain colonel Mustang, their ride has already left. Looks like we're going to see who's right and who's wrong." He raised his eyebrows to the young subordinate. "Won't we?" He smiled. "We've no room for the weak, so they must be weeded out. You should understand."

"Yes sir." He saluted and exited the office and made a sharp turn, his crew had been waiting in the hall for him.

"So, did you get him to change his mind?" Breda asked, doing his best to keep up with the colonel's furious steps.

"No." He clenched his fists, sparks flew from them as he did so.

"But you did manage to keep Edward from interfering, right?" Vato seemed worried about the older 'more protective' brother.

"Yes, and I have Armstrong running him through the course, so they should be getting done right about now." He cringed.

"Sir, you know he's going to be cross with you for withholding information about Alphonse." Kain stated, reminiscing about his little one he left home with Rose. He knew what it was like to want and protect the innocent, this was no different. "Why didn't suggest Ed go with him?"

"He wouldn't have went along with it, then I would have been chastised for not having control over my men." He reached the front of the temporary building and looked around for the truck. "Damn." He kicked some snow.

Alphonse sat in the back of the military issue truck with several other soldiers and peered out the back to the slowly vanishing encampment. The snow kicked up behind them in a flurry of white. The decision to stay with the military was his choice, so being ordered to do things he wouldn't normally do was inevitably going to be in his job description. He held regret, not so much as to want to run away, but regret no less. He couldn't help but feel the irony in his alchemic name 'Wandering Soul Alchemist'. He wasn't able to wander at all, he was trapped.

"Are you alright?" A female voice sounded across from him. Riza's concerned gaze met with his own.

Giving it a moment to process, he spoke. "Yeah." All the while shaking his head 'no'.

"You understand what we do this for, right? It's to protect the innocent." She said, trying her best to comfort the youth.

"I know...it's still tough accept...I'll manage." He swallowed hard. "I'll protect the innocent." He clutched the sniper rifle standing at his side, his left hand holding it in a firm grip as the opening pointed towards the vast blue sky.

"Where did Al go?" Ed looked around to find neither Al nor Sheska in the most recent location. Wanting to show off his newly acquired license, the photograph he was warned about, didn't make him look like a convict, he was pleased.

Finally coming across a familiar face, he called out. "Lieutenant Ross!" He waved an arm. She approached him. "Hey, have you seen Alphonse?"

She nodded. "I saw him with colonel Mustang not that long ago, maybe he knows. He should be near the dinner hall right now, at least, I think that's where they were heading."

"Thanks." He lifted an arm to wave and took his leave.

There you go. I'm making Al kill...hehehe.