 into his pitiful fortress. The constant and relentless calling for him was now being kept at bay by soldiers. "What is this?"
"Sir this is the statement from headquarters." Hawkeye direct leaning into his desk and pointing to the last paragraph. She was relatively clean considering the soiled ground caking to mud with the rain. Above her boots very few splatters peppered her pants, and her hair was neat and pressed. "This is delaying a shipment of our inventory until Tuesday."
"What!" He could not say the same. The mud had not been kind to him.
"Sir!" Havoc came in quickly, and in the midst of the man's run he saw a peek of blonde hair outside having a fit. "We've reached the road block." Havoc solute stopping at his desk out of breath and dirty. He stood at once, pushing the flimsy fold out chair he used back in the dirt glaring.
"Good. Call up the first two flanks, I want men at the roads, we're going to be talking to whomever we need to talk to." He ordered and Havoc nod and left quickly while Hawkeye produced another piece of paper.
"The Brigadier General is calling for you sir. He's missed you each time."
"Has he left a message?" He asked trying for the life of him to sign the document confirming he was aware inventory was delayed and Headquarters was personally telling him and all of his men to bend over. "Will you Shut him up!" He yelled to the front door bringing a hand to his temples before throwing his pen. "Get me a pen that works damnt." He growled dropping his hand and Hawkeye had one extended looking concerned.
"Elric is upset." She supplied gently and he scribbled his name shoving the paper away from him.
"Obviously." He grabbed his gloves from the desk. "How long has it been?"
"Two days." She supplied and he stopped, one glove mid hand.
"Not since he went missing." He correct quickly. "You think I wouldn't know that?" He asked quietly and she averted her eyes. "Our station. How long since we were stationed out here." He frowned and she thought for a moment.
"Three weeks." She answered and he nod heading past her and sweeping his tent door open.
They were at war and had been so for three weeks. There was land being bought and sold, two towns merging into one. Then, a small murder which blew the entire thing to pieces. With the towns at war they were sent in and apparently the towns liked the army less than each other, and band together to fight them. About his shabby tent and office, he was surrounded by his remaining camp of tents and about all else: mud. The field they had taken looked more like a circus with soldiers in every corner. The city visible up ahead with roof tops and smoke.
"SIR!"
"Enough." He waved the soldiers off the boy calling for him and stepped up to him. "We are going to the front lines. If you are to come with me, you must keep your big mouth shut." He ordered and the innocent face started nodding at once.
"I only want a chance to help. I am not just infantry." Alphonse begged grabbing his arm when he went to turn away and he pulled the boy up along side of him.
"Shadow me and stay by my side." He ordered and Alphonse followed with Hawkeye looking a bit out of sorts but ready. The boy was adorned as a soldier, carrying a weapon and had complete boot camp just like any other. "You are not to talk for any reason. No matter what you see or hear."
"I understand." Alphonse nod running a hand though his short blonde strands. "You'll do whatever you can right? Roy? You're going to right?" The boy rambled and he snort. In the bleak weather his complexion was not what he preferred it to be, and his eyes were dark. Dark with hate for this zoo of sticky filthy chaos. He sent a side glance to the boy and smiled.
"I am not called a flame alchemist for nothing Alphonse." He chuckled bitterly. His name had come with a heavy price. "If I need to, I will use force on these people."
"If the colonel goes forward, stay back with me Alphonse." Hawkeye direct sweetly following along behind. He head through the sopping puddles and taffy clumps of earth to their barricade, and past it to the main road of the town. This road was wide separated only by the two large barricades, theirs and the towns both caked with mud.
"Stand down!" He called raising his arm above his head and signaling his men to withdraw their aimed weapons. "Everyone stand down!" He yelled loudly keeping his arm raised for a moment before dropping it to his side and stepping out from the barricade. It was made of an old stone wall they had relocated, before adding sand bags. A mess. Chipped from bullets, and damp from rain this town and this base were the last place he wanted to be.
"Are you the colonel!" A voice called and he took another step forward and stood there frowning. His presence and arrogant silence would tell them his rank and soon enough a few of the people scurried back and they were bringing forth 'the leader.' A tall willowy man with chin length brown hair and a wide smile.
"Colonel Roy Mustang!?" The man called and he grunt. "They've sent a colonel all the way out here?" The man yelled giving a laugh.
"Withdraw your resistance!" He called. "This town is to be apprehended and order restored. Your public disturbance will not be tolerated!" He ordered and the leader took fast aggressive steps forward to retaliate against his words. "What is your name?" The man looked pissed.
"Wessinger." The man barked. "And we have no intention of laying down for the military who doesn't give a damn about our affairs until we slow down the trains!" The man yelled erupting a group holler to support him. He made a face.
"Is all this chaos really worth the result? Is all this worth the ground you're standing on?" He asked and Wessinger stepped forward and spit into the dirt just as Havoc came from behind and whispered to Hawkeye.
"We've waited all this time for you!" Wessinger called. "Thought you could come in and scare us! Well we waited and now we're prepared to fight!" The man yelled throwing up his fists and the crowd cheered behind him raising pitch forks and boards.
"This is ludicrous." He growled turning to Hawkeye as she snuck up to stand slightly behind him. "I will ask you again to stand down! Or we will use force!" He yelled and she stiffened.
"The brigadier left a message this time sir." She whispered quickly turning to go already. "He said we are not to enter the town." He froze.
"We're ready to fight!" Wessinger called encouraging the crowd's enthusiasm until they were yelling taunts and swears.
"What is he talking about?" He growled beneath his breath.
"That was the entire message." She answered and he stood where he was listening to the banter. The crowd spitting to his face and to his men.
"Are you too big a chicken now!" Wessinger called seeming confused. "You've set up an entire base Colonel Mustang!"
"I will give you time to consider my offer. I do not want it to come down to bloodshed!" He called trying to relieve himself and his men gracefully, but Wessinger only grunt. The town wanted a battle, it was insane.
"If you won't come willingly, maybe we can entice you!" The man called before turning to his men. "Get the prisoner!" He called and he closed his eyes.
"Son of a bitch." He swore hoping it wouldn't come to this. "Hawkeye."
"I understand sir." She answered stepping closer to Alphonse. "Stay with me Alphonse." She hushed before her voice became lower and over the cheering crowd he could no longer hear her words. From behind the barricade the sea of villagers were parting for a tall burly man who was coming forward pulling a rope and Wessinger was cheering with the rest of the men waving him out. After the new citizen came the prisoner, hobbling with a bad limp on the left side. Rope tied about his neck, arms bound behind his back. Ed was being drug faster than he could walk and was fighting to stand on his own two feet.
"Don't you want your man back!" Wessinger called kicking Ed to the ground once the boy was up front, and his face hardened.
"That is a poor way to treat a negotiator." He growled and Wessinger gave him a dramatic shrug and exchanged glances with his crowd.
"These are times of war." The man figured reaching forward and lifting Ed's head up by his hair and the boy glared forward at them, gagged with a wood bit forced into his mouth and tied about his face. "You'll fight for your man won't you?!" Wessinger called raising his arms so the crowd cheered again.
"Orders sir. Remember them." Hawkeye whispered catching sight of his fingers which were getting ready to snap.
"I gave you my offer." He explained politely. "You have twenty four hours to think on it." He