welp (open as open can be)

[imperfect]

Date & Time: The evening of the 17th September, up until the actual rescue on the 19th
Location: Various bits of the UE compound
Characters: Anyone who may have gone along with Ed Elric's early bird rescue attempt, anyone in the compound who wants to run into them
Summary: A mingle log, so tag in and around or take this as a sign to horn in on the original kidnappee log as you please o/
Warnings: I'll edit as they come up.

[From one point of view, the most insulting part of this failure is that it wasn't even spectacular. Sure, the alarms went off, maybe stirring up a little confusion among whoever overheard them - who would have thought you could build machines to detect powers nobody was using at the time? Technology in this day and age is weird - but they didn't last long. Neither did the struggle between the trained guards on patrol and a few misfits worn out from two days of constant travel who were only attempting recon for the real break-in, heated as it was.

The facility workers' debate over what to do with the new arrivals was another story, but even they couldn't fret about proper protocol forever, and now here you are: probably tired, probably aching for one reason or another, possibly even a little worse off, but without a doubt booted unceremoniously into the communal lounge with nothing but the gown on your back and left to your own devices. You might wonder what's going to happen to you - or, if the UE employees thought you seemed inconveniently lively in either the initial brawl or the first round of testing, when all the cotton wool temporarily filling your universe is going to go away - but the only answer you'll get at first is the steady thrum of the bright, sterile lights overhead.

So, what now?]

Comments

[imperfect]

[He resists the urge to spring right back up, barely.] And you couldn't?

[Sure, it might not be the best idea to start talking over Plan B for busting out of here just yet... but if he didn't chicken out before, what's the point in getting hung up on it now that he's already been caught?]

[alphonse]

Don't pretend like it's the same thing.

[Him handling a dangerous situation badly is no reason for Ed to respond by upping the ante.]

I didn't go charging into the United Earth on purpose.

[imperfect]

I said, save it. [He's still resolutely staring at the wall, but the pronounced scowl on his face belies how much of what willpower he has left is going into keeping himself there.] It's not like the plan was charging in.

[alphonse]

Then what would you call it?

[There's no sign of backing down, but at least he doesn't try to force Ed into looking at him.]

You've seen exactly what these people are capable of and you still rushed in completely unprepared. You barely even brought any backup!

[imperfect]

[He raises his voice a little, although there's a limit to how authoritative you can sound while avoiding eye contact in the sulkiest way possible.] Getting everyone out, what else? And that's still the plan. That's the only thing worth concentrating on now.

[alphonse]

[Frustrated, Al goes quiet save for the sound of his armor as he settles down on the ground. Rationally he knows it's probably futile to argue while Ed is still drugged, but after everything that's happened he's too worked up and restless to let it wait.]

We can't use alchemy here. [Rather than raising his voice in turn, he sounds serious and uncharacteristically grim.] Whatever they're using to block people's powers gets in the way of drawing in the energy.

And there's a military base right next door. So even if we tried to fight our way out, we wouldn't be able to make it very far before they called in reinforcements.

[It looks impossible without outside help, and he'd been a lot more certain that was coming when he'd thought Ed was safely back with the other Transports.]

Getting everyone out of here safely is going to take time and a really good plan.

[imperfect]

All the more reason to focus on that first.

[He doesn't show much sign of surprise, and if anything sounds like he's calming down, although there's every chance that could be the sedatives too. He does tense up slightly at the mention of the base, though; that's one thing he didn't get to see from outside.

After a moment of thought, he shifts a little, propping himself up on an elbow.] What if we could break into there...?

[Ugh, this is a pain. His head isn't clearing at all.]

[alphonse]

Into their base?

[It's such an unexpected suggestion that Al abandons whatever else he was going to say to look up curiously.]

And do what? Try to create a distraction for ourselves?

[imperfect]

Maybe. Depends what's there. [He closes his eyes.] But there's gotta be something.

[Which is to say two pretty obvious things: he doesn't know yet, and he doesn't think it'd help his case to admit that out loud.]

[alphonse]

Brother... [Anything they come up with is going to be pretty high risk, but that's no excuse to take suicidal shots in the dark.] I think you're underestimating what we're up against.

We're in the United Earth's territory now, and the last time we fought them we-- [That particular train of thought proves to be dark enough to make him falter, even if he's quick to shake it off.] --we didn't stand a chance. So we have to be really careful, okay? I don't think we're going to get more than one try at this.