Lessons Learned (A PRIVATE FMA rp)

[Wolfborg007]

"I didn't know you felt that way..." she mumured, "Edward... I wish I knew before..."
Her eyes were still closed as she still cuddled against him comfortably.

[Lierik]

Ed choked, "W-what? Felt what way?" He turned to the unconscious girl and whispered frantically, "Felt what way?"

Unfortunately, he wouldn't have reserved a response even if Winry had been fully aware of what she had just said as the train took that moment to lurch violently and the brakes squealed desperately, sending up sparks.

Al, who had been discreetly shifting closer and closer to the girl by his side, suddenly found himself with a lapfull of Xinginian princess. And he couldn't even enjoy it.

"Ow!"

What with the sudden introduction of Mei's forehead to his nose.

Mei jerked up from Al's lap, hand clapped to her forehead. That had hurt. She was about to apologize when screams from the adjoining apartment stole her attention.

[Wolfborg007]

Winry woke with a start and sat up.
"What happened?" she asked, looking around and rubbing her eyes.
She looked at Ed to see him bearing a distinctly worried, almost disturbed countenence.
"Are you okay?" she inquired, "You didn't get hurt, did you?"

[Lierik]

"I'm fine," He bent to study her face, "Are you alright?"

At Winry's nod, he turned to his brother and said, "Come on, Al, let's see what's going on."

"Okay, Nii-san." Al rubbed at his nose one last time and stood to follow the older boy's lead. As he shimmied passed Mei in the narrow space he smiled encouragingly at her nervous face and whispered, "Don't worry. Whatever it is, me and Nii-san can handle it."

Ed moved to the entrance of the compartment and then paused. He was about to say something he never thought he would. "Winry...take out your wrench." He watched her hesitantly take it out of her pocket and then, grabbing Al by the elbow, ducked out of the compartment.

[Wolfborg007]

"Be careful, you two..." Winry warned, holding her wrench tightly in her hands like a baseball bat.
She watched them leave, and came to a realization...
They were magnets for trouble... even after they got Alphonse's original body back.

[Lierik]

Mei shifted uncomfortably behind the blonde girl, staring after the boys' retreating backs. She didn't like them leaving her sight when she didn't know what was going on.

Alphonse-sama...well, he was Alphonse-sama. And Edward-san, once one got over his initial abrasiveness, was a kind boy. She didn't want either of them to be hurt...

But she was probably just worrying over nothing. The train's sudden stop was probably just due to mechanical problems.

Alphonse followed his brother down the corridor, their feet silent as any cat's. He hoped this wasn't as big a deal as the brothers were making of it, but long experience told him that if he and his brother were involved, it could never be that easy.

They creeped slowly closer to the next compartment's door, but as he reached for the doorhandle Edward's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. He turned a questioning look on his brother, but Ed just raised a finger to his lips and shushed him.

"Listen," Ed whispered, and craned his neck forward to listen to the suspicious quiet. But then a voice began...

[Wolfborg007]

"NOBODY MOVE!"
The sandpaper voice grunted.
Gasps of all genders were heard as shuffling was heard.
"IF YA LISTEN TO WHAT I'M TELLIN' YA, NO ONE'LL BE HURT..."
The man scanned the crowd... his eyes taking in every inch of the train car.

Winry looked in the direction that Ed and Al went... her wrench still in her hand.

[Lierik]

Ed crouched on his haunches and leaned forward. "On three, Al."

"One, " Al counted, preparing to spring.

"Two," Ed said, tensing and raising to the balls of his feet.

They pounced before ever making it to three.

[Wolfborg007]

The bandits turned around, as several of their members fell to the ground. Their trigger fingers pulling back and shooting bullets into the ceiling of the train.
Passangers cried and gasped in horror at the sounds.
The leader of the bandits turned around.
"WHAT THE HELL? MEN, ARM YOURSELVES! TAKE CARE OF THE SHRIMP FIRST!"

[Lierik]

Ed looked up from where he was crouched over the unconscious form of a train robber to look up and snarl at the supposed leader. But before he could so much as start on his tirade--

"Who the hell are you calling a SCRAWNY little SHRIMP-boy with no MUSCLE MASS?!?!? Alphonse shrieked in outrage.

...Ed had discovered about four months ago, a few weeks after Al had gotten his body back, that he wasn't the only Elric with a height complex.

It turned out that, no matter how much Al had complained about being big and scary at the time, suddenly going from a towering six foot nine to hardly past most adults' chins wasn't easy for any teenaged boy to take. The fact that Al was discovering what testosterone was first-hand for the first time probably didn't help either.

[Wolfborg007]

There was a mass eyebrow raising in the crowd, but the men didn't lower their arms... but they didn't shoot either.
The leader looked around,
"Well, what are you WAITING FOR?!! GET THEM!"
The men rushed forward with a battle-cry that only rivaled that of Braveheart.

[Lierik]

Ed, hearing the battle cry, released one of his own and ran forward a step before colliding heavily with Al's arm. He blinked and turned to his little brother inquiringly.

"Let me do it, Nii-san." Al grated. When he saw several of the men smile mockingly, getting closer and closer and waving guns at his brother, Al snapped.

Blinded by sudden rage, Al weaved from outlaw to outlaw, taking each out with a single, overpowered punch or kick. Within moments he stood staring into the boss's eyes.

"Now..." He said harshly, a crazed glint in his eye, "What did you call me?"

Ed, watching the scene, stood awkwardly by the door. He waved shyly to any of the passengers who could rip their eyes from the spectacle long enough to give him a questioning look.

[Wolfborg007]

THe men rushed forward as one by one, and two by two they began to fall.
The leader looked at him, actually frightened by the young boy.
"A shrimp?" he replied.

Winry heard the fighting and bravely, she made her way over to the others.
She saw Ed only standing there as Al was in the complete massacre of the men.
She was about to say something, but words just seemed to escape her.

[Lierik]

Al's glare hardened, "That's what I thought you said." And so, with a one-two combo that would make Izumi shed tears of pride, the so-called 'burglary' was over.

Upon seeing Ms. Rockbell get up to follow the boys, Mei got up as well. Even if they had been told to stay here...Well, Alphonse-sama and Edward-san might need help!

However, the scene Mei arrived to spoke quite clearly of the fact that help was in no way necessary. In fact, it seemed the younger brother had taken care of everything.

"Oh, Alphonse-sama!," Mei exclaimed, "You're so brave."

At the sound of Mei's voice Al whipped around, dangerous criminals all but forgotten. "H-hey, Mei." He blushed bright red. Mei smiled up at him and the only thought Al could manage was, At least I'm taller than Mei. Why would I need to be any taller than that?

So far were they in their own little world, that they didn't even notice the passengers around them getting up to (quite literally) kick the outlaws while they were down.

Sensing a presence at his back, Ed turned to find Winry standing and looking at the scene blankly. "Hey, Winry. What are you doing here?"

[Wolfborg007]

The leader of the bandits lay on the ground groaning in agony.

Winry looked up at the scene, and hearing Ed's voice she turned to him startled.
"I-I was just seeing if everything was all right.." she said, "But... I guess Al has it covered."