tampered | Log // Complete

Hawkeye's idea of civilian attire meant a long skirt and button down shirt. It was what she wore when she was off duty, anyhow. And very like off duty times, the skirt has a series of invisible snaps to allow the holster on her thigh to be practical.

The sudden summons meant that something was up. And it never, ever hurt to be early when something was up. Ten minutes to three had shown her arrival at the café, and she'd made her way to the back of the room where a flicker of blue had belied the Colonel's position.

Swinging the purse off her shoulder- it was heavy since it held another gun- she slid into a chair at the table, and murmured, "Sir." No good calling attention to themselves.

His hand almost moved to wave his Lieutenant across to his table, but the gestured died halfway and he simply rested his hand on the table top instead, offering the woman a smile. The last time he'd seen her had been during the last curse day.

"Hawkeye." He replied, just as quietly, smiling as he looked around to check out for anyone who looked like they were searching for someone. He sighed softly and leant forward, resting his forearm across the table so that he could rest against it as he spoke.

"I assume you understand why we're here?"

Hawkeye settled into her seat, back straight and purse in her lap, and undid the clasp, so she could reach in and grab the pistol quickly if need be.

"I have a fairly good idea, yes." Hawkeye closed her eyes briefly. "Is there anything in particular that gave you cause for concern?"

The Colonel watched her settle, and the action seemed to calm him - even if he knew he could see her hand in her purse, obviously allowing herself easy access to her pistol.

"Not so much cause for concern, I'm interested in a few things... We'll just have to see how this works out." Smile still at his lips he leaned into his own seat, scanning the entrance for any sign of Heinkel - not that he knew who he was looking for.

Heinkel watched from afar at first, eyes peeking over her sunglasses. She hadn't really expected her inquires to get her this far, this fast. She scanned the area, hands smoothing over her open cassock, testing the ready availability of twin pistols stashed in shoulder harnesses underneath. If things went bad, they were always an option. There were few customers, and those didn't look that young ... or religious. Yumiko wouldn't approve, but she wasn't here.

With a heavy sigh Heinkel lit a new cigarette, muttered a prayer under the smoky exhale, and approached the far table with the best smile she could muster ...

"You must be Mr. Mustang," cool eyes spark a bit as they glance at Riza, cigarette dangling from her mouth, teeth clenched. "No one said anything about guests, ja?"

Hawkeye flicked a glance at the Colonel. It wasn't terribly surprising that he hadn't warned the woman about her presence, but it meant she needed to make her presence unimportant.

Or at least, at home, that would have been the path. Because the meeting would have happened in Central, and they would have glanced along her epaulettes and proceeded to ignore her in favor of the ranking officer.

Here, in the button-down shirt and skirt, there was nothing to differentiate her from any other woman you might meet in the street, other than an alertness to her gaze and the straightness of her posture.

The blonde met the glance of the other woman evenly, calmly replying, "There's no cause for concern. After all, we have already spoken."

Heinkel glances over her glasses, studying the woman sharply, especially the placement of her hands.

"You must be Lieutenant Hawkeye, then."

Her gaze turns to the Colonel, "Should I be honored, or upset, that you feel the need for ...," gestures towards the Lieutenant, "... protection? Whatever rumors you may have heard about Iscariot, I'm looking information, and maybe even an ally ... not a fight."

Edited 2007-12-30 00:45 (UTC)

Hawkeye's right hand lay calmly on the clasp of her purse, the other resting on the table, face impassive as she inclined her head.

"I am. My pleasure to meet you." The words were issued with the formality and politeness of a more delicate situation than the meeting in the back of a café seemed to necessitate.

"I believe we can all agree we are not looking for a fight."

A very light cough escaped him, and he chanced a glance at Hawkeye before looking up at Heinkel, tell tale signs of a smile at his lips.

"The Lieutenant serves as my aide, however she comes from the version of Amestris that I am not - the one that Greed comes from. It seemed to make sense. She might know something I do not."

He gestured then, with a hand a sort of salute to get the waitresses attention. "Take a seat."

Sharp eyes indicated Heinkel was far from completely convinced, but her visage softening nonetheless.

"My apologies," she said while plopping down into the offered seat, open cassock brushed to the sides of her legs so her guests could catch a glimpse of the armaments underneath. "I don't like wading into unknown territory outnumbered."

Roy smiled at the waitress when she noticed him, and as she hurried across to their table he turned his gaze to Heinkel, still wearing the same smile.

"Who does?" Was his only response to the comment, and his attention was back to the waitress - she wasn't as pretty as he'd first thought.

"Three tall Latte's I think." She nodded, and took her time to write before walking off and Roy sighed, smile disappearing.

"Greed, then?"

Heinkel's smile screwed slightly as she watched Roy's interaction with the waitress - men, they were all the same.

"Ja," she sighed through exhaling smoke, cigarette nestled between two fingers, "that vile monster. But do I really need to explain myself again? I'm sure the good Lieutenant," sharp eyes glance in Hawkeye's direction, "filled you in on our conversation."

"But if you have questions," Heinkel stated while leaning back in her seat, "by all means ... ask."

Hawkeye had ignored Mustang's ordering of drinks completely; at this point she was almost used to her drink being ordered for her. Almost, because she wasn't really a latte type of person. It didn't matter- she'd drink it.

Hawkeye was watching the woman across from her. Perhaps the sharp glance had been meant as a silent accusation of indiscretion- after all, it had been the Lieutenant who had assured the other of her discretion. But what that had meant was that she needn't have found out about the short briefing she'd given the Colonel. His requesting her presence made that pointless.

"My briefing to the Colonel covered merely your goals and some of the points of our discussion." Enough, in other words, to facilitate the conversation here, without having divulged the entire conversation. She hadn't really had time to do more than that.

She was here as a facilitator, and a mediator. But the question had been aimed at the Colonel. So she deferred to him, turning from her scrutiny of the woman to look back at the Colonel.

It was a shame the chair didn't have arms - this was the kind of time he'd find himself with one elbow propped up with his chin on his hand... He settled instead for resting his forearm on the table top, the other in his lap.

"Thank you, Lieutenant. As it happens, I do have a few questions." He said, letting a soft sigh escape him. "We all know that none of us are friendly with Greed, and I am aware you feel he is a monster - but what ends do you wish to achieve?"

Heinkel sighed and took another drag from her cigarette. How many times had she explained this over the last few days? Perhaps she should have had the foresight to get it printed up into a pamphlet.

"Vanquishing him is meaningless, he'll just come back. The demon has to be bound. The threat he poses neutralized. Some way of tethering or governing his actions would work. Caging, incapacitating, imprisoning ... anything that can be maintained long-term with a low risk of physical death ... is also a viable option."

Hawkeye wished she had had time to explain to the Colonel in depth the conversation she'd already had. Judging by Heinkel's sigh, she didn't like repeating herself. Understandably.

Hawkeye closed her eyes, calling to mind reports on the homunculi. Unofficial ones, of course, after the others had been sworn to secrecy. And her experience. Open them again, and meet the eyes of those sitting opposite her.

"The problem with attempting to incapacitate a homunculus is that they regenerate very quickly. From what I remember of Greed, his shield might make standard methods of imprisonment difficult." This had been said before. If they were to advance, new information needed to be put on the table.

"The philosopher's stone at their nucleus provides them with the power to do so."

By this time, Roy was far too intrigued by the conversation to have delivered any of his usual charm when he waitress brought three cups of coffee across to their table, a simple lift of his hand was his only acknowledgement of her presence.

Of course, that was usually what happened when he was in thought. It was a tricky one really. He knew how Homunculi were 'killed' in his own version of Amestris, and he also knew the way in which they were deconstructed in the other.

A hand curled around his cup, and the other arm was propped on the table, serving to allow him to rub his temple. "Alphonse would easily be able to disengage Greed's shield, but to incapacitate him alone... it would either require a well thought out hold... or at least some constant vigilance over him..."

It was surprising really... when it had come to Lust, Kimblee and Envy - there had been no puzzle to solve - it was only now he realised how much he missed Amestris.

Heinkel watched the man across the table withdraw in thought. No wonder he brought the woman with him. It was sheer foolishness to allow oneself to get lost like that. The Iscariot shot Hawkeye a softer, sympathetic, expression, before returning her attention to the Colonel.

"Alphonse?" Heinkel asked with a smirk. "Are you not skilled enough in your world's witchery to do it yourself?"

Edited 2007-12-30 20:04 (UTC)

The sympathetic glance noted by Hawkeye- what had that been for? Colonel Mustang wasn't even doing anything absurd. The blonde mentally shook her head.

There was work to be done here.

...Like the mention of witchery. A word that - perhaps- had been carefully avoided in her conversation. Although not surprising, considering the talk of innocents, hellfire, and ...well, her attire.

Still. It wasn't a new accusation, per se, but it belied a mistrust and disbelief and prejudice that was trying to deal with.

Again, this was the Colonel's battleground.

Roy managed to listen to what Heinkel was saying without showing signs of interest in her general opinion. However he wasn't so engrossed in thought that he wasn't able to respond appropriately.

"I have a feeling it will take two capable alchemists to withhold him if that's we decide to do." He said, keeping his eyes on the frothy coffee in his hand, moving the other to cup his chin.

His attention turned then, to the Lieutenant, and he found himself frowning appropriately for his thoughts. "It woud stupid to assume we could imprison him? We'd have to deal a lot of damage to him before he might decide that changing his lecherous behaviour..."

Heinkel couldn't help but interrupt.

"Change?!" She laughed grimly. "He's a SIN! He won't change, he can't change, and being a monster ... really has no ability to either!"

She'd spent the better part of this investigation's beginning speaking with individuals who convinced her she had been insane for thinking anything of the sort. At least Heinkel had ignorance on her side. This guy was from the monster's own world.

The Iscariot lit another cigarette.

"Clear your mind of such pretty ideals. He needs to be bound, body or mind ... what I want to know is how we can accomplish this?"

"It is not a pretty ideal." Stated mildly, the blonde re-entered the conversation. "The Colonel was remarking on the difficulty of convincing him to change, which myself, I doubt possible."

He was Greed by name and by nature. And Riza thought that he was more likely to repeatedly die than actually change.

"To imprison Greed would require a lot of manpower. As the Ultimate Shield, penetrating or preventing him from using his power, if possible, would be a first step towards keeping him from escape." She paused as a thought struck her.

"...He did mention that the President King had succeeded in capturing him before he was set to be deconstructed. How, I do not know, and he did not elaborate."

Hawkeye looked directly at the other woman. "Do not think that we have not been attempting to figure out what to do about the homunculi- it is a constant problem for us here."

His eyes were closed by the time he'd finished listening to the conversation, it was most frustrating to have to listen to someone try and tell him that his ideas might have been worthless when the woman couldn't even come up with her own plan. To stop someone doing something without being able to kill them would seem ridiculous to pretty much anyone he would be stupid enough to ask.

Rather than take a deep breath of irritation, he settled for a soft sigh, leaning back and folding his arms across his chest - his eyes opened and fixed on Hawkeye. "You're suggesting we go and request aid from Bradley?" He replied, with a most irregular tone that he knew the Lieutenant didn't deserve. "He's a Homunculus, of course he could capture him." He gestured with his hands his frustration - at being placed in this inquisition - allowing himself to be brought down the few pegs that this Heinkel had seen fit to expel.

Another, control sigh escaped him, and he shook his head, folding his arms once more. His left leg moved ontop of his right and he studied Heinkel for seconds, until he shook his head.

"The only pathway I can see if catching Greed unawares and attempt to knock him out every time he gets up again." He muttered, shaking his head and staring down at his lap. "If you're prepared to give up your time to keep watch over him, I'm sure Alphonse and I can give our best attempt to capture him for you. Although, quite frankly I don't think it's very..." he waved his hand for the word, before dropping it to his knee. "I don't see how it can work."

"Of course it won't work," Heinkel said with sharply. "If you don't have any faith that it will."

This man was really beginning to annoy her. Perhaps "Lyra" had been right about his usefulness, but not his prowess. His actions suggested boredom and frustration, a lack of engagement rather than intelligence. Heinkel just needed to figure out a way to poke the former, if she really wanted his help at all ...

"And this Bradley person, if he did capture Greed, we could at least ask him how he managed the feat." Now they were getting somewhere. Heinkel had been getting hints of this, and found an odd curse day post on the Network, but no reply when she commented. Which was odd, since monsters generally love to boast.

Hawkeye had simply maintained eye contact with the Colonel after his slightly snippish question.

The other two people at the table were beginning to snipe at each other, and to mediate between the two would require more energy than she had, if this kept up for any long period of time. The blonde closed her eyes momentarily. The issue of faith was not one she wanted to get into.

"I in no way suggested that we seek his aid. It was merely a statement of the closest lead we have. You know as well as I do that some leads are not worth following."

Hawkeye reached for her coffee, pulling it towards her, and rotating the glass slightly. If anyone were going to talk to Bradley, it would probably wind up being her, and she'd been more than content to leave that thread of her former life behind.

"I cannot say how willing he would be to provide that information to us, in any case."

The last thing he wanted was to cross any avenue that might involve harm being brought upon his Lieutenant. Bradley wasn't stupid at all, and the minute he saw through whatever plan they were concocting the man would probably change his mind about having Hawkeye as his aide and it would make things oh so difficult for him - it had become so that he was beginning to forget that in the City, his Lieutenant could be taken from his side at any moment. It was a thought he didn't like lingering on.

"I'm sorry, Heinkel - but unless you wish to confront Bradley yourself, I'm afraid that's not something I'm willing to risk. Of course, if you wish to follow that path, by all means feel free. If he does give you information and a surefire way to capture Greed - depending on the method I will see what I can do for you then?"

That was fair enough, right? The ring of the word cowardardice swum about in his head - but he'd dealt with the man once in his life already - this time round it was about protection.

"Heh," the Iscariot huffed dryly. She wanted to call the man on his cowardice, but decided against it. "Like I said, I think I have, and the monster is ignoring me. I'll do my best, but if I don't get the information we need, will one of you be willing to give it a try as well?"

These heathens were beginning to annoy her. Did everyone is this damn city have their heads firmly planted in the sand? Even her own Iscariot were playing parish while demons and monsters wandered about.

"It's not like this is some type of grudge." Heinkel sighed out more smoke. "Yes, I did fornicate with Greed, but as part of a deal which I hoped, at the time, would lead to me being able to mitigate some of the harm he causes." She gestured after taking another tense drag from her dwindling cigarette. "An arrangement I thought might work since it was more akin to the demon's nature. However, it didn't, so I escalated the issue. I'm not asking anyone to make sacrifices to this cause that I wouldn't be willing to make myself. For the good of everyone in this city, something needs to be done."

Hawkeye was mildly surprised at the Colonel's outright refusal to talk to the President King. Grateful, certainly, as she'd no desire to do return to the homunculus' side as his aide, but it had been necessary before, and if necessary, she'd do it again. It was what she had to look forward to upon her return to Amestris- she couldn't let the idea of it become more anathema to her than it had to.

But she wasn't willing to commit to this woman, wouldn't make that decision. "Ultimately, the Colonel has final say in that matter."

There- the second time she'd mentioned it, Hawkeye couldn't even imagine making such a deal. Couldn't have even thought to change his behaviour like that.

The sacrifices you make are not ones that jeapordize your life. Hawkeye knew how very perilous her standing at home was; she couldn't afford to antagonize any more of the homunculi than they already had. Couldn't afford to make her life useless to them.

Hawkeye took a sip of her coffee. She needed something black, to jolt her into clearer thought, this was absurd- but the act of drinking from the glass concealed her expression, and would have to do. She had to allow the Colonel to use her once more as a pawn in his power game- if he so chose.

Roy had to force himself not to pull a face when Heinkel mentioned that she had fornicated with Greed, but managed it well, not even a twitch of muscle in his face. Another sigh escaped him, and he pulled his drink up, taking a sip and letting out a more contented breath.

"I would be willing, the four of us?" He paused, looking at the Lieutenant with a nod before continuing. "To attempt to capture and control Greed. I will not allow either my Lieutenant or Alphonse to make sacrifices detrimental to their life - I am sure you understand that - but with our force we should be able to at least manage the situation - of course it will require planning of some sort, and if we do that I want Alphonse to be involved too." He fell back into his chair then, looking a little satisfied with his final say on the matter. One arm wrapped around his waist, as the other held his drink against his chest.

Heinkel finally looked at the coffee. Things appeared to be going her way, so she was willing to relax a little. With a dwindling cigarette still pinched between two fingers, she brought the glass to her lips. Out of politeness, the Iscariot managed to squelch a grimace. She preferred espresso, but since matters seemed to be going well, it seemed prudent to bite her tongue.

She studied the man across from her briefly as she drank. This Colonel was very different from the leaders she knew on her world. If anything, his calm collectedness reminded her of that Hellsing women. But Father Anderson had respected said protestant whore, so Heinkel guessed she needed to give this man some deference as well.

"Alphonse is already involved." She exclaimed while replacing her glass on the table and leaning back. "He has agreed to help me. And don't worry, I don't like to see children harmed any more than you probably do." She wanted to add "even if they are witches", but decided against it. The Colonel was a witch himself, after all.

"So ..." Heinkel removed her sunglasses, stashing them within her cassock, and in the same gesture twisted the cigarette butt into a nearby ashtray. She then glanced up, gloved fingers sifting blond hair away from her face, and flashed her newest acquaintances a blue-eyed smile that sparkled with more glee than it probably should have.

" ... when should we begin this planning?"

Heinkel may have decided it was time to relax- not so for Hawkeye.

This was her job; to remain alert and thinking while the Colonel appeared relaxed and nonchalant. It was a good system- it allowed them to collect two different sets of information on the same situation, and gave more depth to their knowledge.

The blonde filed the need to speak to Alphonse- mentioned by the Colonel even before the meeting- as ever more crucial. If this woman had managed to convince Alphonse to help her without alerting either the Colonel or herself...there was a breach in security, in information. And it needed to be patched.

Heinkel's smile- the first time it had been seen since her arrival - seemed omnious somehow, and Hawkeye realized the alacrity with which this woman had worked her way into the intricacies of Amestris. Almost disturbingly quickly. And who knew who else she had been speaking to. Or where this information would go, for all her claims of confidentiality.

Planning already. Not her call. She would voice her concerns to the Colonel later. Face impassive once more, Hawkeye looked to the Colonel. This was again a discussion between conspirators. She was mere backup.

If he had been many years younger, seeing the sudden smile on Heinkel's face would have made him recoil a few meters - now he saw right through it, and almost even managed to ignore it. A slight cough escaped him, and in a very telling gesture he lifted his cup and finished his latte in momnts, setting the glass down and turning it so the handle faced him...

"There can be no planning until we see how far you get with Bradley - and I think I'll require some time to think about how we approach this if he gives you no information." Of course, Roy definately felt that she would not be able to squeeze any info from the man. Roy had been working under him for years and still, even after he'd killed him - couldn't work him out.

"I will contact you privately over the network when I am ready to meet with you to discuss this. Curses aside, of course." He added, slowly standing to his feet and giving a clear nod at the Lieutenant to do the same - although she would have been assured of his actions when he'd finished his Latte he imagined.

"Well then. I'm sure we'll see each other soon." He said with a smile, which unlike Heinkel's was not unbecoming of him. His hand moved in an offer of handshake.

"I look forward to it, Colonel."

Heinkel saw right through Mustang's smile. She realized now that everything about the man was a carefully constructed mask. But he was the sort who kept the letter of his word. And whose actions, beyond body language and any political maneuvering, could be ultimately trusted.

The Iscariot accepted the hand with her own gloved one, giving the Colonel a firm handshake.

Unlike some of her fellow clergy, Heinkel didn't feel all heathens deserved to be exterminated. Even back in her world, Catholics were a minority. If a righteous gentile maintained a healthy respect for the Church, she saw no reason to mount a crusade. Sadly, the man was a witch, yet she had promised Alphonse she would keep an open mind about that.

After the handshake, Heinkel turned her attention to Hawkeye, and offered the blonde her hand as well.

"Lieutenant ..."

Heinkel wasn't stupid. Though she knew that many thought the highly religious were, and often used that to her advantage. The Iscariot didn't want to cause a diplomatic situation along fresh alliances, but also knew it unlikely she out-ranked Hawkeye, so ignoring her would be equally rude ...

... Which brought to mind that eventually her chief would have to be informed. However, she'd learned long ago that with Maxwell, it was better to make penance than ask permission.

Edited 2008-01-04 05:30 (UTC)

Hawkeye had risen at the Colonel's signal, purse looped easily over her shoulder and skirt smoothed automatically as she stood. It was fortunate, perhaps, that politeness did not require her to finish her own drink, and she left it, three quarters full, immediately forgotten as she rose, taking up her role of bodyguard once more.

She had been half expecting to be passed over by the other woman, but covered her surprise well, and returned the woman's handshake firmly and silently, inclining her head in lieu of a reply.

Now it would be time to confer with the Colonel. And discuss, perhaps without Alphonse, and perhaps with, what they planned to do.

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