THE TRAIN TO CENTRAL
“Well, at least we get to travel in luxury for once.” Hughes grinned at Mustang. Roy grunted his agreement and leaned back in his seat, sipping a glass of wine. It was an actual leather-upholstered bench, not one of the thin, cloth-covered wooden seats he knew all too well.
The military had reserved the front part of the train, shunting several disgruntled travelers to the middle and rear. Mustang, Hughes, and the rest of Mustang’s entourage weren’t arguing.
“It is a nice change. Nicer still that we’ve got a little privacy here.”
“Why Roy, I’m a married man… I’m sorry, but my heart can never be yours.”
Lt. Hawkeye smirked, as she stood outside the thin curtain separating the booth from several others near it. No one would listen in on this conversation on her watch. At least, that was the plan…
“Can the comedy, Hughes.”
“Ah, you’re an easy mark, that’s all. Still, since there’s no real challenge…”
Lt. Hawkeye didn’t see Puck, as he perched on her shoulder, shamelessly eavesdropping.
“At any rate, what do you make of it?”
A sigh. A creak of leather, as Hughes leaned back into his own seat. “Damned if I know. I started investigating the facility, only to be shut down everywhere I turn. From Armstrong’s description, it was no less than a full-blown alchemical research lab. And I turned it up on some old blueprints… It used to be Central Laboratory #5. But, here’s the thing. It was shut down years ago. It was supposed to be an empty building.”
“Empty buildings generally don’t blow up. Well, maybe when Fullmetal’s around, but still…”
“I’m getting a stonewall, too. From quarters I didn’t expect… A few of the upper echelons are covering their ass, and not the ones I expected.”
“Maybe I can help. Give me a name.”
“Basque Grand.”
“….. Shit.”
“Tell me about it. That killer couldn’t have planned it better.”
“You think there’s a connection?”
“Roy, you told me yourself he was blowing up walls with his bare hands. Being able to explode something with your bare hands is something right up an illegal alchemy lab’s alley.”
“Damn. This complicates things. And the woman?”
Puck leaned forward.
“We’re not even supposed to talk about her without a distinct need-to-know and authorization from the Fuhrer himself. I’m breaking some serious commands doing this, I hope you understand.”
“I do. What I don’t understand, is why. Can you tell me that?”
“Wish I knew. She’s an unknown hostage rescued from the labs. That’s all. I’ve run her prints, but they’ve come up negative in every record we have. Not a criminal, not in the military, not registered at all.”
“Somehow I’m not surprised.”
“According to an inside source, she can’t talk beyond a babble. Mentally retarded, acts like she’s 3. Body of a woman, but a mind younger and more innocent than my Elicia’s… Hard to believe, but there you go.”
“She’s got to be the one he’s looking for.”
Puck twitched his ears, and grinned. I’d better go tell Guts!
“So who’s he?”
“You know, I know as much about Guts as you know about your mystery woman. But he more than lived up to his end of the bargain, so I figure I owe him this much.”
“You’ve got no info on him?”
Puck slipped from Hawkeye’s shoulder, and sped off down the hall of the train car.
“Well… Have you ever heard of a town called Liore? That’s where Fullmetal first ran into him…”
The two voices faded from his hearing, replaced by the click-clacking noise of the train. Puck waited by the door until a conductor came through, then popped into the next car.
This one was a step down from private luxury booths. The seats were leather, but they were in rows.
Ed, Al, and Winry were in here, along with the rest of Mustang’s entourage. The soldiers had a card game going, and the Elrics were chatting among themselves. Winry was listening in, making a show of doodling automail diagrams on her sketchbook.
Odd. Thought Puck. Guts was right here a minute ago. His sword’s lying across that row of seats, so he can’t be far off.
Puck skittered by, unnoticed. Al was the only one who could see him here, and he was busy talking with his brother.
“Are you sure we’ll find it in Central?” The hollow-voiced child intoned, clasping his gauntlets together.
“It’s the best lead that we’ve got yet. And Dr. Marcoh had no need to lie.” Ed leaned back, and crossed his arms behind his head. “If this works out, we’ll have the knowledge we need, easy.”
“Is it really going to be that simple?” Winry piped up.
“No, probably not.” Said Ed. “Knowing how to make the stone is one thing, but we don’t know what kind of materials we’ll need, or how much of an array we’ll have to build, or… It gets pretty technical. Let’s just say that if it were easy to do, a lot more people would have already done it.”
“You never take the easy way on things.” Winry sighed, returning to her notebook. “Just like Guts, it’s always the hard way.”
“Tch!” Ed snorted. “Don’t lump me in with him. We’re nothing alike.”
“Not this again, Brother…”
“He kills, Al. He nearly blew that man apart with a cannon. That’s attempted murder any way you slice it.”
“He did it to save us. And I seem to recall you shooting at people with cannons before.”
“That was different.”
“A cannon’s a cannon. And yours was bigger, I seem to recall.”
“Trying to prove something, Ed?” Winry seemed to mean it as an innocent question. She looked honestly puzzled when Al started laughing, and Ed spluttered furiously.
“I, ah, I er, ah, NO! Agh, why do you have to come to Central too?”
“I told you, you keep breaking your automail! Be more careful and I won’t have to follow you around!”
“Hey, it’s not my fault…”
The door slid open at the far end, and Puck grinned as he buzzed through…
And stopped cold, in the next car. Guts was at the near end, standing in the aisle with his flesh hand gripping the luggage rack.
The brand on his neck was seeping a tiny drop of blood. Puck shivered, and twitched his head around Gut’s side.
At the end of the car, the mousy-haired woman stood, equally still, watching Guts carefully. Then her eyes flicked down, to stare directly at Puck through her small spectacles.
He shivered. Just like that sexless guy back at Liore’s gate… She feels wrong, too…
“All right. So what did you want to talk about?” Guts asked.
“That, for starters. What is that?” The woman’s expression barely changed, as she watched Puck buzz up, and land on Guts’ shoulder.
“I’m an elf! What are you?”
“I’m a secretary.”
“What’s that supposed to be?”
“I take messages, write papers, and schedule my employer’s business. It’s a hard job at times, but occasionally rewarding.”
“Job? Oh no, I meant- WA!” Guts had shifted suddenly, and caught Puck with one hand as he fell.
“Whoops. Here you go.” Puck glared up at Guts, then caught the look in his eye. He doesn’t want her to know that we know…
Puck sat still as Guts put him back on his shoulder. “Why is it that not everyone can see you?” The woman continued.
“What’s your name?” Asked Guts.
“Juliet. And yours is Guts. But what is his?”
“I’m Puck. And…”
Puck stood up straight on his shoulder, put one hand on his hips, and pointed at her.
“I’m his secretary!”
The woman’s lips twitched, and Guts gave him a puzzled look.
“No, really! I take messages to him and schedule his life and stuff. Heck, he’d forget to eat if I didn’t remind him now and again. And bathing! Whew, let me tell you…”
“All right, I get the idea.” Her lips ended up in a small smile. “But still, I want to know why you’re invisible to almost everyone.”
Guts looked her in the eye. “And I want to know where Caska is. Are you gonna tell me that?”
Juliet shrugged. “You’ll see her soon enough. After you’ve answered our questions, and we make sure you’re not going to harm her.”
“Harm her? Not gonna happen.” Guts looked away, slightly. Juliet didn’t miss it, and her smile disappeared.
Puck sighed. He still blames himself for that one time… But it wasn’t his fault, it was the ghost’s…
“That’s not for me to decide.” Juliet said, finally. “But, if you answer some questions now, it will speed things up. You’ll have fewer to answer when we get there.”
Guts nodded.
“Sounds reasonable enough.”
“Well, then.” Juliet pulled out a pad of paper, and a pen. “For the third time. Why IS it that only certain people can see Puck?”
Guts shrugged. “Magic, I guess.”
“Yeah, that’s pretty much it.” Said Puck. “Some people don’t believe in magic, so there’s no room in their mind for elves. If someone’s never had their beliefs really shaken, then they can’t see us.”
“Magic.” Said the secretary.
“Yeah. Next question?”
She gazed at them with half-closed eyes, before flipping the page of the notebook.
“Where are you from?”
“East.”
“From Liore?”
“No. Farther east.”
“There’s nothing farther East but desert. Unless you’re talking about the far Eastern nations… And frankly you don’t have the features for that region.”
Guts narrowed his eyes. Going to have to choose my words carefully. I don’t trust her, whatever she is. She’s sharp… Can’t just lie. Have to throw in some truth.
“I come from a place where nothing’s left but ruins. I don’t know what you call it, but there was a city there once. I survived there, until I made my way west.”
The pen stopped, then scratched across the paper. “Ishbal. Are you Ishbalan?”
He shrugged. “Beats me.”
“Do you believe in the goddess Ishvara?”
“Who?”
She looked him over for a long moment.
“What ARE you? You’re obviously not human.”
“Huh?”
“No one human could swing that sword.”
He shrugged. “I do.”
“Don’t lie to me. And that mark on the back of your neck, it’s a seal, isn’t it?”
Puck stared. Her face showed little emotion, but there was a threatening sound to her voice. He didn’t like the way this was going…
Guts shook his head. “It’s a brand. I’m human, that’s all.”
“Lies will get you nowhere. And if you persist, I cannot be responsible for what happens.”
Guts simply stared. His teeth clenched together, in a wolf’s grin as the train rocked back and forth down the tracks.
“Lady…”
“…I’m as human as you are.”
The notebook snapped shut. Juliet adjusted her spectacles, frowning at him slightly.
“Very well. I assure you, we WILL find the answers to these questions, and many more when we arrive. My employer will want to speak to you. I advise you not to lie, for your own good.”
She turned, and moved through the far door, letting it shut behind her with a CLICK
Guts stood there for a minute, looking after her. He nodded to himself.
“What the heck was that about?” Puck whispered.
“There’s something going on. I can’t see what, but it’s bad.” Guts murmured. “She’s a part of it. And now I’m certain… Like that green-hair kid at the gate, she’s not human.”
“Yeah… It’s the same kind of feel. Like pain and power all wrapped up in a human-looking package. Kind of a like an apostle, but… Different. You know?”
Guts shook his head.
“Doesn’t matter. And if they’ve got Caska, this just means we have to get her out of there. Got to be careful until she’s out of danger.”
Puck nodded. “Gotcha! Careful… Quiet…. Suave… They’ll never see us coming, and we’ll be ready for anything they try to spring on us!”
The door behind them slammed open. Puck screamed, and dove for cover. Guts looked over his shoulder, to see Lt. Hawkeye at his back.
“We’ll be arriving in Central in four hours. Do you need anything?”
“No, thanks. Guess I’ll try and catch some sleep.”
Guts and Puck followed her back into the car, shutting the door behind him.
And the train clattered on, into the night…