The Truth Within the Truth: A Fullmetal Alchemist RP

[Fragrance of Mtn Dew]

As Tasha and Victor left, Marlin nodded quietly to both of them while his mind processed the information he had just been given. After all that had happened, it was a miracle that their had only been one casualty but.... The sight of Amon's corpse lingered in his mind still and he couldn't help but wonder what sort of monster had done such a thing and why it had done so. But he hadn't much time to worry about that now. He had a train to catch to find out just what was going on.

Marlin left the hospital and returned to his quarters to prepare for the trip. There wasn't much he needed to do, he tended to travel light after all, but he certainly couldn't travel in his military uniform without attracting attention. That was a simple fix though, all he had to do was change. A pair of black pants, a white shirt and a brown jacket over that was a common enough attire that would allow him to blend in easily. The bigger issue was his jar. It was what he was most famous for as an alchemist and anyone who sought his life would be sure to recognize it. Traveling without it was out of the question since he would be nearly defenseless, so the next best thing he could do was pack it into a suitcase along with his pocketwatch.

With everything he needed ready, Marlin paused to decide whether he should try to find Lila and tell her he was leaving. "I did say I would come find her after everything has settled down... But things haven't really settled down much and meeting me was what got her into so much danger to begin with...." He was quite conflicted and before he knew it he had wasted far too much time without even making a decision. He threw some stationary into his bag as well, deciding that if anything he would write her a letter once he reached Dublith.

Finally ready, Marlin hurried to the train station and got his ticket. The station was crowded and he was worried that Tasha and Victor had left without him, but eventually he found the two of them along with Roland. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long..... Things took a little longer than they should have on my end.... My apologies..." He said as he walked towards the three.

 

[Jedoro]

"Jeez, who had the bright idea of putting a city full of people constantly touching metal out in this place? How long have you and your family been out here, Sergeant?"

"Hah, long enough, sir," Elias replied, just glad that Rush Valley was slightly cooler than Ishval had been. "I was born and raised here, and my father was, too. Hell, we've been here several generations, back to when it was just mines. Guess they all figured automail'd be easier to make close to the source."

"Must be nice," Faith began, "having your family live in one place for so long. I'm sure you've all got many lovely memories of this place." She'd said it with a smile and probably the sweetest voice she'd ever used in her life, but Elias could feel the anger behind the words. Before he could think of a memory to use as an example, one ran up and jumped on his back.

"Ah, what the-" he began, but stopped when a woman's right hand and her cheap automail left hand covered his eyes. The brunette on his back wore a tank top and cargo shorts, along with the cheap automail on her left arm that began at the elbow. It was a piece reserved for when a person's actual automail was being worked on, but one could tell that the creator still took some pride in the arm.

"Just keep walking," she ordered. "Hi, new people. Let's see if our boy Brandon here can tell you who I am. The old arm might throw him off, but I'm sure my voice has given it away by now. Hasn't it, Killer?"

"Really, Baker? You're gonna call me that in front of my guests, people who could walk away from business with us just because I'm in the military? And what's wrong with your arm?" Baker moved her arms down to around Elias' neck, but made sure not to choke him.

"Kids got icing in it, so your dad's cleaning it out for some cookies. At least, he was, until he sent Kim over to tell me he'd just gotten an emergency order. And then magically, you step off the train soon after. My connection sense is tingling."

"I won't be in town long, Baker, we'll catch up another time. Lady and gentlemen, this hideous creature latched onto my back is Molly, an old friend who probably has some goods that are about to burn."

"Oh crap, your dad's cookies." Molly hopped off Elias' back and dashed back to her bakery. "I'll bring 'em by later!" He watched her run off until she disappeared around the corner.

"Baking doesn't strike me as one of the more hazardous occupations here," Hohenheim began, choosing his words as carefully as an outsider could. "Would it be rude to ask how she lost her arm?"

"Not here. If it's showing, they either want people to ask or don't care if they do, but that's if it's close to what they had. Someone with a cannon for an arm, or in most other parts of Amestris, better to play it safe." Perhaps he was projecting his own reluctance to explain his wounds as the reason others covered their automail, but in his experience those who didn't want to talk about it kept it relatively hidden.

 

[Pappytech]

Yeah, Isaac is feeling kind of bored. So he's singing this for the entire ride.

 

[JokerboyJordan]

"...We were supposed to board the train together. I still, er, had a few questions about automail. I-I had assumed you'd already left."

Roland studied the lad carefully, before throwing back his head and bellowing out a laugh.

"Don't worry about it, I was only messing with ya anyway" he said as he patted the now shrinking Victor's back, who grimaced with every one as he tried to look he did not belong with the man.

"I'll be glad for the company aboard the train anyway. Steam locomotives are always so boring, save for the odd curvaceous serving girl". He gave a wink that seemed to suggest Victor had now been recruited as his wingman against his own will.
He reached into his jacket pocket, before returning with an empty hand, looking flustered. He frantically patted himself, checking every pocket, before gripping his golden hair and letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Dammit... Must have forgotten to buy some more cigs after last night's antics. That damn broad must've made be burn through them. They better sell them on the train."


"Sorry Victor, for some reason my all nighter last night is taking a heavier toll than I thought."

Roland turned to catch the sight of Tash strolling on in to greet them, looking like she had been rushing about. There was a smell of caffeine that lingered on her breath, further cementing his reasoning that she had been tired and/or rushed.

"My my Miss, what did we get up to last night then?" he asked suggestively with a coy smile.

"If I had known that you were around then I would have invited you for a morning coffee..." Roland flirted blatantly, accompanied by a wink.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long..."

Roland turned once again to see the Deep Blue Alchemist. True to Victor's word, both of them had appeared to accompany him along the journey, and just as Roland had wished, all of them would provide ample opportunity for idle chat to lighten up the normally dreary experience.

"Welcome Marlin! I was just talking to your colleague about you, saying how glad I am to have such company. I certainly wasn't expecting you all."

Maybe this could be the time Tash and I feel a spark between us...

 

[TheIronRuler]

Leo's nose twitched at the sound of the booze bottle being banged agaist the table. The last week seemed to have broken the man to bits. The things he saw... The things he had done... Leo snapped out of his stasis and broke his empty gaze to look at his bloody hand holding the booze bottle by its cracked neck. He tossed the bottle aside and stared at mister Indigo for a moent before letting a smile creep in his face.

"I move smoother when I'm fueled with good diesel... But this would have to do", Leo spoke in a monotone voice. "Lets go!", he announced with a bleeding right hand. A moment of silence was brokem by Leo's light laughter, "Trust me... I'm a state alchemist.

 

[sage42]

"My my Miss, what did we get up to last night then?" Tasha smirked, she knew her appearance was less than what her station usually called for, but right now she couldn't care less. She was just happy to make it on time.

"If I had known that you were around then I would have invited you for a morning coffee..." Tasha smiled and rolled her eye's at Rolands advances. "Shame you didn't know then, Roland. I would have enjoyed the chance to talk over a pot of coffee. I've been meaning to have a chat with you about your....studies. Ours are similar, but mine lacks the far reaching capabilities yours have. I would love to figure out how to have mine go as far." She covered her mouth and yawned. "And I would have loved the coffee it's self. I honestly haven't a clue why last night is doing this to me. Maybe being around all those injured last night did it." She said with a shrug.

 

[CJ1145]

Victor's expression was one of, at absolute best, displeasure at being caught in the middle of a flirting spree between the two electric alchemists. His already timid disposition got much worse as he averted his eyes, opting to focus on Marlin instead. "R-really, it's nothing to be worried about... I wasn't waiting for very long, anyways."

That was a lie. Victor had actually arrived twenty minutes earlier than he had needed to, and regretted every moment of awkward silence. He was just happy that people had finally shown up, and weren't Roland.

Their conversations ambled for a brief moment, before a whistle from the train announced its imminent departure. Victor quietly rose from his seat. "Erm, I-I guess we'd better get on, right?"

He led the group towards the train, and stepped into a middle passenger car.

[hr]

From the other side of the station, a man in a thick raincoat had been walking very swiftly. Not fast enough to catch the quartet of soldiers as they moved for the train.

Damn, I missed 'em. Was hoping I could talk before they were on the train... it can wait until Dublith.

He began a march towards the train, stopped by a pair of security officers who immediately released him when he flashed an object from his sleeve.

[hr]

"Not here. If it's showing, they either want people to ask or don't care if they do, but that's if it's close to what they had. Someone with a cannon for an arm, or in most other parts of Amestris, better to play it safe."

Hohenheim mused on this, his glasses flashing in the shifting sunlight high above them. He no longer seemed keen on speaking, so James picked up the slack where he left off.

"Seems you know a lot of people here, soldier. Just that sort of friendly town, eh?"

His eyes were scanning the various shops and stalls as they passed, all peddling automail of some sort or another. "Is there really that much difference between one set of automail and the next? Seems like a market that wouldn't require so many different crafters."

[hr]

"Trust me... I'm a state alchemist."

Indigo shrugged, standing up with the other members of his crew. "It's all th' same t' me. Y'aint th' first drunk sonuvabitch I've worked wit'. Let's move."

The sextet of would-be weapons traders took a brisk walk through Dublith. They passed a small butchers shop, and could smell the fresh scent of meat from inside. A candle shop came next, and a tinkerer's little home. All of Dublith was drifting off into to sleep save for them. They were wide awake, and ready for action.

As they turned a street corner on the Northeast side of town, they saw a pair of Indigo's men waiting for him, who waved and pointed at a small door at the far end of the alleyway. "Right through there, boss, he's waiting for us."

Indigo patted Leo on the back. "C'mon, yer our muscle, kid. Make a show fer 'em, show 'em who they'd be screwin' wit' if they screwed us."

 

[TheIronRuler]

Leo stepped through the cold cobbled streets of Dublith, feeling the hard stone with ever stride he made forward. The disturbed alchemist followed after the Indigo crew and stopped a moment after they did, almost crashing into the door. The boss turned to him and asked him for a show of strength. Leo nodded and opened the door to a small windowless stone room, with a metal door in front of him guarded by a large dark man in black clothes and a large hat hiding his face.

"I need to search you before you enter".

"Nobody touches mister Indigo", Leo said with a crooked smile plastered on his face. He jumped in his place and turned on his circles on his feet. The room began to crumble and instead thick pillars of stone rose up, each a bust of the other four crew members and a full sized statue of Mr. Indigo a feet away from the shady man. The walls to the room disappeared into the statues and revealed the meeting place behind them, a large hall with a few windows on the top right wall. Wooden crates laid at the forward right corner and what appeared to be the supplier sat anxiously behind an oak table with a dozen armed bodyguards already training their weapons at the gang, some holding the grenade launchers. The door behind the dark man fell down forward and squashed him under its heavy weight.

"Did I do good, Indigo?", Leo said with a smirk on his face.

 

[JokerboyJordan]

"Shame you didn't know then, Roland. I've been meaning to have a chat with you about your....studies. Ours are similar, but mine lacks the far reaching capabilities yours have. I would love to figure out how to have mine go as far."

Roland grinned at the fact that Tasha was playing along with his philandering, he had missed these bouts of vocal sparring and wordplay, or in other words, he hadn't had a decent flirt in years.

Sigh. The joys of getting old...

"Well let me assure you Tash, one night with me and you'll learn all you need to know" he said wantonly, making eyes at Tash as he emphasised the "me" in the sentence.

Unfortunately, their blatant flirting was cut short, as Victor piped in to obviously delay their advances and shift their attention to the task at hand, voicing some idle apologies to Marlin before diverting them to the train, which had blown it's whistle, a sure sign of near departure.

"Erm, I-I guess we'd better get on, right?"

Victor lead the group on board, showing them to the middle carriage, whereupon Roland stepped aside to allow Tash to go before him.

"Ladies first" he said with a wink.

 

[sage42]

"Ladies first" Tasha smiled, it was mice to have people look past the automail and the watch for a change. "My, my, such a gentleman. Hard to find one now a days. Thank you." She said stepping onto the train. She followed after Victor into the middle carriage, not missing the stutter as slight blush. Kid needs to lighten up, he's gonna give himself a heart attack at this rate. Ah well, hopefully the ride to Dublith will help him relax a little. She thought as she followed him into a seat. She crossed her legs when she sat, minding her skirt, so as to get more comfortable.

She turned to Victor. "Now Victor, I'm sure you have many questions about the automail now that your out of the hospital. So please ask away, we have plenty of time before Dublith."She said with a smile.

 

[Jedoro]

"Seems you know a lot of people here, soldier. Just that sort of friendly town, eh?"

"Friendly enough, for a town full of salesmen, sir," Elias replied. "But the more you're a part of them, the more friendly they are, just like anywhere else." Its status as his hometown and his four limbs made him very welcome in Rush Valley, and some residents were jealous that he had so much automail. Not jealous enough to hack off their own perfectly good limbs, as they heard all the time about how many with automail wished for their original parts back.

"Is there really that much difference between one set of automail and the next? Seems like a market that wouldn't require so many different crafters."

"It's as much a trade as it is an art. Automail can be built as simple, extravagant, or weaponized as you like. Along with all the different makers, you've got folks who fix it, put gold on to engrave, and make different munitions. A buyer with enough money, can get anything and everything they want." Elias stopped outside a particular home, which had a sign out front that simply stated "Elias Automail." It did the job without anything fancy, just like the family's work. He knocked on the door, and seconds later he heard the doorknob shake, but it soon stopped.

"Mom, wait," he could hear a woman whisper. "You can't make it seem like we were just waiting for him. Give it a few seconds."

"Kim, I can hear you, and I've got a client and some company. Open the door."

"Oh, crap, I forgot!" The door flung open to reveal two women. The first, who held the door open, had short black hair and blue eyes, and looked to be a few years younger than Elias. The second had her black hair tied back in a ponytail, with several gray hairs mixed in. She looked at the group with her own blue eyes and smiled warmly.

"Brandon! Welcome home, dear," she began as the two shared a hug. "Oh, we've missed you. I'm glad you're here in one piece."

"For once, right?" he joked, which got a disapproving look from his mother and a giggle from his sister.

"And yet you still need work. Hello everyone, I'm Michelle Elias. You've met my son Brandon, and this is my daughter Kim. Jonathan's finishing up some work, but he shouldn't be much longer. Please, come in and have a seat." Elias moved to the left to let the visitors in first, and he quickly winked with his left eye as Faith began to walk in. "It's good to finally meet you in person, ma'am."

"You may call me Faith, and the pleasure is mine," Faith replied, playing along perfectly. "I spoke with Brandon on the train, and I must say you've raised a good man." Before adding the last bit, she turned to face him. "He's a credit to the uniform."

 

[CJ1145]

"Did I do good, Indigo?"

The crime boss waltzed in after his henchman, admiring the carnage with a low whistle. Slim Abel was practically ready to howl with pleasure. "Son of a--yer tellin' me we got a bust maker in this deal? I'm likin' this personal alchemist deal more'n'more."

Indigo only had one word for the scene, uttered with a subdued grin: "Poifect."

"HEY!"

Indigo and crew looked back towards the room the man in black had been guarding. A simple warehouse storage area, packed high with all manner of crates presumably stuffed with munitions. A man in a familiar black coat--to Leo, a fellow member of the military--was surrounded by a dozen subordinates. All of them had rifles drawn, and trained on the six newcomers. The officer stepped forward, speaking in a commanding tone.

"What the hell, Zero?! Just think you can barge in here and--oh, damn it."


Indigo, with an elaborate brandish, drew his pistol and aimed it square at the officer's face. The soldier responded in kind, moving just as fast but with a more efficient motion. Slim Abel and crew drew their shotguns and tommies, taking aim directly at the troops advancing towards them, outnumbering them three to one.

"Who the hell are you?" asked the officer.

"Dey call me 'Indigo'." the boss responded with a devilish grin. "An' who da hell're you?"

The dark-haired officer snarled. "Captain Frank Archer. Where's my buyer?"

"Same place as yer boys, in about five seconds. Do it."

A raging fountain of bullets were spat out, filling the room with lead. Casper's shotgun blew a soldier's torso wide open, and three more were nothing but red hunks of flesh when the others unloaded their salvos.

Then, the quartet charged.

Slim Abel moved the fastest, pulling a pair of knives from his pocket ad shoving them into a soldier's abdomen. The unlucky man coughed up some blood, falling over as Slim removed one blade to slash across the throat of the one directly in front of him. Another, immediately to Slim's left, took aim with a rifle. A resounding bang cracked through the room, as Darrel's pistol effortlessly shoved a slug through the unlucky boy's temple.

Darrel leaned back, avoiding the stock of another trooper's waving rifle, and let Zeke get in close to drub him with a metal-tipped cane. The blows made the man recoil, and he retreated with the big-eyed gangster in hot pursuit.

Casper was the most efficient killer by far, as well as the most brutal. Leo hadn't even seen what was happening to him, but by the time he looked the big man's black suit was stained red in a hundred spots, and he was busy throttling the life out of the last remaining soldier. The blubbering young man's eyes rolled back into his skull, and the meaty hands gripping his throat loosened. The corpse hit the floor besides three others, just like it.

Archer frantically eyed his dead men, occasionally glancing back at the man taking aim at him. "W-what do you want, you son of a *****?"

"Ain't it obvious?" Indigo asked, mocking him with every sarcastic word dripping from his mouth. "Yer weapons. Yer goods. Yer ammunishin. Everythin' ya brought."

The tension in the room was palpable as Archer weighed his options. After what seemed like an eternity, Frank gingerly started to lower his weapon.

BANG

A bullet passed between his eyes, and the Captain's body hit the floor with a muted thud. Indigo suppressed a bit of laughter. "Idiot shoulda known never t' bargain wit' criminals."

Zeke took Leo by his drunken hand, and led him to the circle forming in the warehouse. Indigo was looking around, seeming wholly pleased with himself. "Not bad boys, not bad at all. Ya made me proud here today. Darrel, dis shipment legit?"

"Oh, it's legitimate all right." the tall man called from the other room. He brandished a submachine gun freshly drawn from a crate to prove his point.

"Poifect." Indigo reiterated. "Y'all did swell, real swell; go carry dese crates out t' our ride, an' I'll made sure ya all get yer cu--"

KABOOM


The wall opposite came crashing down as a battering ram (tipped with a face, of all things), slammed through it. Not two seconds later, it was followed by a gigantic man, rippling with muscles beneath his white button-up shirt and brown sweater.

"RAPSCALLIONS!" cried Major Armstrong. "I COULD HEAR YOUR VIOLENCE AND SMELL YOUR GUILT FROM A MILE AWAY! YOU'RE ALL UNDER ARREST!"

[hr]

The train took off, leaving East City behind. Roland, Marlin, Tasha and Victor were situated together in a four-seater booth, watching the countryside pass by as they began their journey westward.

"Now Victor, I'm sure you have many questions about the automail now that your out of the hospital. So please ask away, we have plenty of time before Dublith."

Victor immediately blushed, and hid his hand within his jacket pocket. "Oh! Um... OK. I s-suppose if it's all right, I had a few... questions I'd gotten from r-reading."

Suddenly, his hand withdrew from the pocket, holding a slip of paper within it. Victor unfolded it, revealing a list some--good lord that's a long list.

"First, I guess, would be, is there any specific metal I should be getting? Or an alloy, maybe? Would a basic arm be the best choice, or are there other models you'd recommend? Is there anything special I should have done to my automail if I need to go to the desert? What would you say's a good price for what I need? Would I want a warranty?.."

The notion slowly dawned on Tasha that she wasn't quite realizing what she'd agreed to when she offered to answer Victor's questions.

[hr]

James and Hohenheim stepped in after Elias and Faith, the former smiling and nodding at the Sergeant's family. "It's a pleasure to meet you both. Just call me James," he said, extending a hand. "I'm a comrade of Brandon, and I can definitely back up Faith on her claim."

Hohenheim seemed more curious than anything else, offering a polite but short greeting to the homeowners before looking around. He seemed entranced, almost, and very quickly found himself standing front of a cabinet, looking at a few family photos. James was immediately confused by this, but tried to ignore as he tried striking up a conversation.

"So," the officer said as he sat. "do you receive guests often? I don't mean to be intruding; my friend and I could go if you'd like some time with your son."

 

[TheIronRuler]

The skirmish had ended even before Leo realized he had to go and help the crew. The four men who Indigo was carrying around seemed to be a bunch of bafoons when Leo first met them, but the intensity of their kills frightened him. It looked like they had so much practice with breaking bones and cutting flesh that they appeared to be more butchers than actual soldiers? but Leo then remembered who he allied himself with.

A bunch of gangsters.

Leo wanted to question the commander, the one who seemed to have stolen military hardware and sold it to the underworld Indigo was a respected resident in, but the boss had already got him in between the eyes, instantaneously killing off Leo's dream of finishing this bad trip with a proper award.

The rest seemed to be out of place as well ? There were soldiers in uniform coming with the commander, actual soldiers of the army? What seemed to be like the actions of a corrupt official turned more and more to the workings of the military's dark operations? The spicy smell of blood reached Leo's nose, but the man didn't flinch. He had seen enough of it in Ishaval. He had grown tired of killing people? but it seemed like the Indigo team hadn't.

A blonde hulk burst through the end of the warehouse and revealed himself to be someone Leo vaguely recognized. It seemed like another state alchemist he was familiar with, one that had served in the Ishaval conflict as well. The man announced in a great shout that Indigo's crew and Leo were under arrest, a notion that only clicked in Leo's head a few moments of silence after the hulk's grand entrance.

The liquor was really doing its work, and Leo had regretted he returned to his old ways. He did regret it? the same way he regreted killing all of those people in Ishaval. The same way he saw them get torn to bits, and he didn't stop his comrades.

They're just meat, not people.

They're animals.

It hit him without notice. His eyes bounced from the group of dozen poor soldiers and his supposed blood covered comrades. It was the same? it was carnage all over again. No negotiations, no talks? no attempt to stop the violence. Just watching who will be the last to fall on the group and bleed to death.

Armstrong was his name, Leo was certain of it now. His hands were shaking at the shock he received and it seemed like the veneer of apathy that the alcohol provided was smashed to bits after Armstrong revealed himself. He was helping criminals, and for what?

Leo reached for his pocket watch and held it up in the air so Armstrong could see it in full view. "S-state Alchemist, Leopold Mensti. Secret Ops? I was following them new weapons who posed a menace in East City's underground?", Leo waddled to the side and stared back at the Indigo crew. The great range of possibilities ran in his mind, and he decided to do the right thing.

"These are my co-workers, I've picked them up in the city. They were gracious enough to help me track this here thief? now deceased, apparently-", Leo awkwardly pointed at the dead commander on the top of soldier's corpses, "-and now? now we meet you, about to ambush us. What the hell is going on here, Armstrong?".

Leo looked back at the indigo crew and let a small hint of a smile creep through.

"Stay still, boys. I'll sort this out".

 

[Pappytech]

The Dublith train station was, quite understandably, almost entirely deserted at this time of night, occupied only by a skeleton crew of porters and a handful of straggling civilians. The bustling crowds that had once filled the depot with their discordant cacophony had vanished alongside the sun, leaving behind a day's worth of grease-stained wrappers, discarded tickets, and misplaced baggage to greet the evening's final arrival.

The loudspeakers, motivated solely by regulation and procedure, squeaked to life one last time, the crackly, clearly exhausted voice on the other end echoing around the deserted building. Not that there was anyone to hear it. Number 107, East City to Dublith, arriving at Platform 6.

A brief pause.

Attention, all passengers and visitors: that's the last train for tonight. Please gather your belongings and proceed to the exits, located at the north, south, and east sides of the station. Thanks, and have a safe night folks.

The announcer, his duties finally done, allowed his stiff body to recline backwards, yawning in satisfaction as his arms stretched towards the ceiling. Some of the other poor saps could handle cleanup tonight; right now there was a warm, inviting bed with his name on it, and he had no intention of making it wait any longer. Giving his desk a cursory glance to ensure he hadn't left anything behind, the middle aged man gathered up his belongings, flicked off the sole lamp illuminating the room, and began making his own way to the station's exits. Resisting the urge to yawn again, the announcer clomped down a few flights of stairs, nodding (Only somewhat smugly) at his fellow employees along the way. "Tom, Claire. Good luck boys; see you tomorrow."

Ignoring his coworkers' muttered responses, the announcer strode out into the lobby, his step quickening as his destination neared. The glass double doors, and the sweet, sweet freedom that lay just beyond, were so close that he barely paid any attention to the few civilians that walked beside him. He had no time nor energy to deal with the family of three struggling with no fewer than eight suitcases (People these days clearly did not understand the concept of packing light) or the bandaged and bespectacled man in military garb as he awkwardly lugged around a trio of bags.

However, by the time he had made it to the doorway, the announcer couldn't help but notice the man who trailed behind him, so close that the railway employee could hear every one of his panting breaths.

Truth be told, the announcer would have loved nothing more than to barrel through the doors and hurry home, but social norms are a powerful thing. No matter his exhaustion, he was obligated to hold the door, a duty he accepted only with great reluctance. Turning around to face the man, the announcer uttered a few words of courtesy, "there we are sir; have a nice..."

The rest of the sentence stuck in the announcer's throat, as he caught a glimpse of the visage that lay beneath that man's wide-brimmed hat. A pair of ice-blue eyes that danced with hints of brilliant insanity, bloodlust, and other emotions too otherworldly to define. Blood-red lips set into a face as white as snow, spread into a perverse grin of manic glee. Teeth that seemed much, much longer and sharper than normal, almost as if they were...

And then the vision of horror and madness was gone, the man stepping through the now open aperture and out into Dublith's darkened streets, leaving behind no trace but his footstep's final echoes and a terrified victim.

[hr]

"...So I just walk up to his room and knock on his door? That's it?"

"Yeah, you got it. Come on, I know you're new, but even you should be able to handle a job that easy."

"It's not that boss, it's just... Why this guy? I mean, does it have to be an alchemist like him? If that info's right, then he could probably-"

"What did I ask you to do?"

"B-boss?"

"Did I ask to question my orders? Did I ask you to try and argue with me, to try and tell me that I'm wrong?"

"N-no; I wasn't trying to-"

"What. Did I ask you to do?"

"T-to go k-knock on his door."

"So what're you gonna do?"

"I'm... I'm gonna go knock on his door?"

"There, now was that so hard? Now go on; go be a good little errand boy. And one more thing."

"Huh?"

"If you screw this up, well... do I really need to spell it out for you?"

[hr]

A series of rushed, panicked knocks suddenly slammed into Kallu's door, rousing the alchemist from his slumber.

 

[Redryhno]

The knocks at the door awoke Kallu from his hard crash. He rolled out of the bed, his bag and untied vest falling underneath the bed as he walked to the door, he quickly awoke though, alert as ever. He opened the door.

"Yeah?"

 

[sage42]

Tasha's moth almost fell open. She knew Victor would have a lot of question's, but a list that long. She mentally sighed Well, at least I'll have something to keep me awake.

"First, I guess, would be, is there any specific metal I should be getting? Or an alloy, maybe? Would a basic arm be the best choice, or are there other models you'd recommend? Is there anything special I should have done to my automail if I need to go to the desert? What would you say's a good price for what I need? Would I want a warranty?"

"Woah, woah, woah, easy Victor. One at a time now. To answer you first two, chances are it's gonna be a steel alloy, durable, strong, pretty basic. For the model, chances are you'll be outfitted with a basic model, at least till you get used to using it. After that you'll probably want something along the line's of what Elias has, a military model. Though weather or not it has his attachments is up to you. Nothing special, you just need to keep up on maintenance, You need to keep it properly oiled at all times. Which means that anytime you would stop, even for a few minutes, you would have to oil it, or part's of it anyway. Price wise, it's not gonna be cheap. However it'll will cost much less than what one would cost if you already had automail. As for a warranty, there is no such thing for automail. Your left with simple maintenance, getting it destroyed compleatly will require a trip back to your mechanic, the one who set's you up with automail in the first place, who will then fix and replace the busted limb." Tasha explained to Victor, if these were just his first questions there was still plenty more to cover.

 

[Jedoro]

"So," the officer said as he sat. "do you receive guests often? I don't mean to be intruding; my friend and I could go if you'd like some time with your son."

"Don't be ridiculous," Michelle replied warmly. "We'd be happy to have you all here." While she played the good host, Faith noticed Hohenheim's focus and turned her attention to the cabinet, as well.

As the two looked at the pictures in the cabinet, they could see that the pictures were a clear timeline of the family's life. Early pictures showed the children as a typical older-brother-younger-sister pair, but it was Kim who appeared in more pictures with automail and in their workshop. After Brandon's first picture in uniform, he appeared in less of them, until one in particular where his left arm was replaced by metal. After that, the family seemed much closer than it had been since he first enlisted.

The beginning of the Ishval Civil War was marked by a family portrait, in which every Elias struggled to hide a feeling of dread behind their smiles. They all knew that he might not come back, but luckily he continued to appear in the pictures. In one in particular, a younger female soldier made an appearance. For just a moment, Faith appeared stunned to see this woman, but only Hohenheim was in any position to see it.

There wasn't another distance anywhere near the first, but there was another surge in family ties after a picture down the line that depicted Brandon in a pair of shorts, where both legs transitioned to automail at the knees. Curiously, the woman that had appeared earlier was present for this picture, as well. For having a career soldier in the midst, the Elias family members stayed very close to each other over the years, well aware that he was still on the front lines in the war.

The last picture of Brandon's automail was distinctly different from the rest. Instead of a family picture, it contained him and the familiar female soldier sitting on a couch that was still in their living room. She sat to his right, interlocking the fingers of her left hand between those of the automail that had replaced his right arm, and the two sat stoic as they looked at his fourth and final automail limb.

Brandon spotted the two looking at the pictures, but he quickly looked away from the images of Erica that sat in their midst. Instead, he turned to the kitchen, where there was a back door that led out to the workshop.

"...so Kim will show you all the guest rooms, and I'll finish up on dinner," Michelle finished. "Brandon, could you help them move their things?"

"Sorry, I...need to talk to Dad," he quietly replied, turning back to the guests. "Please excuse me." Even though the entire family was close, there were a few things that stayed in the father-son and mother-daughter relationships.

"Of course, honey. Dinner can wait another minute, then, if you'll follow us." Michelle and Kim grabbed what bags they could while Brandon moved to the workshop. Opening the door, he spotted his father at a workbench that was covered in automail plating.

"Once we get all this on," Jonathan began, "your footsteps won't be as distinctive." The metalworker wasn't overly muscular, but he had more than enough to endure the hours it took at the forge to craft his automail. His hair roughly a 50/50 split between black and gray, but very little of it had begun to fall out for his age. "What's up?" The following silence prompted the man to stop his work and turn to his son.

"She's dead," Brandon finally muttered as he stared at the ground. "They're all dead. My whole platoon. We got ambushed, and I killed them all, but I was too slow." He heard a cabinet open and close, so he looked up to see a bottle of liquor and two glasses on the workstation.

"Was it quick?" Jonathan asked as he filled both cups. Brandon walked over, and they each held one up.

"No. Hit her throat, she bled out in my arms."

"At least she got to be with you when she went." The two toasted, then downed their drinks as quickly as they could. "More at dinner, kiddo. Got anyone here with you?"

"Yeah, my CO, his buddy, and... a friend, she's posing as a client."

"Client? What is she, an Ishvalan?" Brandon set his glass down, letting the silence speak for itself. "Do I even need to say it?" Jonathan also set his down as he sighed.

"You really don't." Shaking his head, the older man took a drink straight from the bottle. "Look, it's not a just a war anymore, it's a slaughter. They're making us kill everyone."

"Are they?" Brandon almost blurted out a "yes," but he stopped himself as he realized the real answer.

"No. They're ordering us to, and we're doing it." Jonathan filled his son's glass halfway.

"Personal responsibility's the mark of a true man. All these years, you've talked about how this is 'your job,' but now you finally get it. And this," he topped off Brandon's glass, "is for saying no." He toasted his son's glass with the bottle, and the two shared another drink. "Now, get on out there and see to our guests. I got work to do." Brandon left the glass and walked out of the workshop, shaking his head to try and shake off the intoxication before it hit him too hard. "Lightweight."

"I got less blood, old man!"

 

[Pappytech]

Isaac barely repressed a yawn as he stumbled out into Dublith's darkened streets. He had never been able to sleep in cars or trains; something about the constant movement always kept him awake, no matter how hard he tried to doze off.

Bleakly gazing around the almost deserted city, the alchemist scouted around for any sign of a hotel or inn where he could put up for the night. It wasn't like he had anything urgent that he had to deal with immediately, and sleep was always nice. Besides, Frieda and Rei wouldn't be arriving for at least another day. Setting up a base of operations, no matter how temporary, would be a good idea.

A few minutes of searching later, and Isaac managed to stumble upon a small, out of the way building, a "VACANCY" sign hung in its sole window. Half out of resignation and exhaustion, half because it was fairly subtle, the soldier made his way through the door and to the front desk. Dropping his bags to the floor with a clatter, Isaac offered an apologetic smile to the aged woman behind the desk. "Er, excuse me. How much for a room for one?"

 

[CJ1145]

"-and now... now we meet you, about to ambush us. What the hell is going on here, Armstrong?"

The Major's nostril's flared as he huffed in indignation. "WHAT?" he asked in his strange, gruff voice.

"I am in Dublith on vacation, Barefoot Alchemist! I came running when I heard the sounds of combat, for I feared that fellow soldiers or innocent bystanders might be in danger!"

He pointed an accusatory finger at the carnage. "And here I find THIS! An entire squad of soldiers, dead, and a State Alchemist claiming responsibility!"

In a flourish of entirely undesired motion, Armstrong's sweater and shirt were ripped away, revealing his bare and outrageous muscles as he slammed his fists together, sporting his alchemizing gauntlets retrieved from his waist. Electricity crackled as he drew his knuckles apart. "Whatever these men did does not justify murder! You're hereby under arrest, Major. I'll be taking you in."

"Not a chance, big guy."

Indigo stepped in front of Leo, brandishing a simple revolver as he leveled it at the bigger men. Slim Abel and his men flanked their boss, sporting melee weapons of several varieties, snarling at the military man. This stand-off choked the room, until Armstrong's eyes narrowed. "So be it."

The man charged, dirt and pebbles kicking up behind him as he barreled down like a charging bull at Leo and the men arranged in front of him.

[hr]

Kim led James, Hohenheim and Faith away from the main entertaining rooms of the house, and back towards the bedrooms. She opened the first door, gesturing inside and explaining they were a bit short on space, so the military man and his traveling companion would be sharing a room. Neither seemed to protest, and quickly lugged their bags inside.

Faith was led to the next room down the hall, which would be hers. She quickly thanked her host, and closed the door behind her. Taking great care to lock the door, and pull the window blinds shut, she at last was able to pull down her hood and take a few calm breaths.

That was when a quick jolt of electricity transmuted away the lock to the door. It swung open, and Hohenheim quietly stepped in, closing the door behind him. He looked at her, Ishvalan features no longer able to be hidden. His face was oddly stoic, as if the sight did not interest him in the slightest.

"You could have ran whenever you wished." he stated. "Why did you stay?"

[hr]

Victor smiled gratefully as Tasha answered his questions. He had a pen and pad of paper, and was scribbling down notes as quickly as he could about all of this. "O-OK, thanks! I guess, next, I should ask about the adjustment period..."

Roland tried his best to tune out the technical conversations, as question after question was lobbed Tasha's way through the whole of the train ride. Things went in this pattern for so long, they fell into a rhythm, the alchemist answering the young soldier's questions, only to be met with a few more. Victor had been very thorough in his research.

They could scarcely believe it when a whistle blew, and a conductor announced they'd stopped at Dublith. The trio of alchemists and the one soldier departed their train happily, though only one, Marlin saw the other man at the far rear of the train getting off as well, and immediately marching off into the streets. His face was concealed, but the stride of a soldier was hard to mistake.

[hr]

"Er, excuse me. How much for a room for one?"

"Hm... call it an even twenty and we'll be good."

As Isaac fished out the money required of him, the old woman looked him up and down. "Hm... you a soldier, son? You look the type, and we've been seein' a lot of you fellas around lately." she made a dismissive wave and followed up with "Oh, never mind what this old woman's saying. Cooped up in this old rat town too long, thinking the world's endin'... here ya go."

She handed him his key and took his cash, and pointed upstairs.

"Your room'll be the first on the right."

The soldier began to drag his luggage upstairs, and the moment before he reached the top of the stairs a great clatter, and shouting could be heard. He rushed up, to see the room just beyond his with its door wide open.

This just happened to be the room of Kallu. The moment the door had been opened, he was greeted by a small man wrapped tightly in the cloak, who darted past him into the room, grabbing his bag and leaping out the window, shouting back "Catch me if you can, alchemist!"

He darted off into the night; Kallu would need to move fast to catch him...

[hr]

Night had fallen over the already dark alleyways of Dublith, as a hunched figure slowly made its way to an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the southern town.

"Damn it... damn it... KOFF-KOFF Sssso closssse... Got to get back... regroup. KOFF Jusssst need... to regroup and..."

The snake chimera called Milliard was weakly slithering into the confines of the factory. He knew exactly where he was going, looking for the remaining forces of his group of "freedom fighters". After a few twists and turns Milliard finally reached a processing room of some sort. Two other chimeras were there, waiting, the remaining loyal followers of his dwindling army. He was hunched over, staring in disbelief.

"...Only two of you are left?" he asked, in a pathetic, quiet voice.

The two hybrids eyed each other briefly before one of them spoke up.

"Sorry boss... Ain't nothing we could've done. Military raid blew us outta Central right after the hits got botched. Me and Helder are lucky to even be-"

"Jussst. Sssstop. TALKING!" The chimera hissed, before tumbling over in a terrible fit of coughing. Blood seeped from his throat. "My condition is getting worsssse... unsssstable. I need a doctor... At this rate, I might not make it..."

"Now that would be a damn shame now wouldn't it?"


From the other side of the room a somewhat jovial voice echoed alongside some footsteps. As the figure slowly made its way towards the beastly trio, Milliard instantly recognized the uninvited guest.

"YOU! YOU SSSSTAY AWAY FROM ME! HAVEN'T YOU DONE ENOUGH ALREADY!? YOU SSSSICK BASSSSTARD!"

"Eeeeh? Is that any way to greet an old friend Millie-boy? You know I'm terribly sensitive, don't you? Honestly... That just makes me angry, ya know?"

Stopping under a skylight, the moonlight revealed the jolly visitor. A tanned man in military uniform, with eyes that managed to be more snake-like than the actual snake chimera's and a disconcerting slit of a smile on his face.
Milliard let out a snarl.

"Anton... Master'ssss old *****."

"Ah yes, yes, that's me! You really outdid yourself Millie-boy! Attacking an entire military headquarters? Attempted murder on a dozen or so State Alchemists? You've really made it far since you left the nest, huh?"

"I didn't come thissss far... to be critissssized by a toady! Kill him, quickly!"

The two bruisers made a move towards Anton as he took out his clawed Automail from his pockets.

"Zero stance."

Right as the two chimera made their move, Anton became a blur, appearing right in front of Milliard's face. Behind Anton, the two assailants lurched forward as massive wounds ripped open on their bodies. Milliard could hardly utter a word. Both of his remaining followers. Dead in seconds.

"Heheheh... They weren't much to write home about now were they. Ah! Now I remember. You tried to blow me up too! With my mechanic's woman, no less!"

Milliard tried to utter a coherent sentence of some sort.

"Y-you bastard. Just do it... J-jusssst k-kill me and go tell Masssster what a good puppy you are. Go lick hissss boots, you bastard. He'll get hissss. That G-BHAGHR!"

The chimera's sentence was cut short by an arm being thrust deep into his abdomen.

"Shhhh. Don't say another word Millie-boy. You had your chance, but now the boss wants you back in line. Be that alive..."

Anton took out his arm from Milliard's body. Blood spilled everywhere as the dead body started to collapse, only to be grabbed at the head.

"Or in pieces."

*SCRUNCH*

[hr]

Half an hour later, at a back-alley bar called "Devil's Nest", Anton made his way down to the establishment's cellar. Inside one of the storage rooms he found himself face to face with a man sitting on a couch. The man had a very distinctive face, even as it was cloaked in shadow. Women were wrapped within either of his arms. Sharp features and a smile that made Anton's look downright amicable.

"So, the prodigal son returns. You enjoy your vacation, Wilson?"

Anton shrugged as he spoke up.

"Ain't been much of a vacation, to be honest. That Führer of ours is quite the handful, ya know? In any case, I did bring you a souvenir..."

The lieutenant did a throwing motion, and sure enough, Milliard's severed head rolled up to the sitting man's feet. The mysterious man reached down with a hand adorned by a tattoo, a great serpent devouring its own tail, and plucked up the head to examine it more closely. A vicious smile tugged his lips apart.

"So, what's next... boss?"

The man on the couch leaned forward, and he said

Spoiler

"Oh, that's easy. We move up in the world."

[HEADING=1]END CHAPTER ONE[/HEADING]​

 

[TheIronRuler]

"And here I find THIS! An entire squad of soldiers, dead, and a State Alchemist claiming responsibility!"

It was fucking real. A dozen bodies laid there to his right, and Armstrong was standing in front of him - ready to pounce. His drunken state dulled his instincts, and without even realizing it he let his company eliminate every single one of the soldiers.


"Whatever these men did does not justify murder! You're hereby under arrest, Major. I'll be taking you in."

Murder.

Leo stood petrified. His eyes darted away from Armstrong towards the pile of dead to his right and then back. He was a murderer... 'NO, They are murderers!. Leo's attention turned to his company, his... comrades. They were like him, they were murderers. He only did so under the heel of the Fuhrer in Ishaval and Indigo's crew killed those they wanted to kill. Leo was sure the evidence would save him from an execution, the crates of experimental guns laying there in the corner, but he had to convince Armstrong to stand down first.

"Not a chance, big guy."

The Indigo crew stepped forward, and it seemed like it was happening all over again.

'no...', Leo had to stop it. He wasn't going to fight another State Alchemist, he wasn't about to kill another person he knew. Leo's legs worked quickly, pulling up walls to stop the Indigo crew in their tracks. They looked at Leo, puzzled, but a grin was the only thing that was looking back at them. Armstrong hit hard, and Leo was pushed back towards the other end of the warehouse. The pain was great, but he was sure it would all go away in a few minutes, right after he would clear this whole mistake. That was it... It was all a mistake... not murder.

"Armstrong, they were fucking traitors!", Leo shouted at the behemoth of a man as he laud on a pile of rubble. The Indigo crew stared at the two and stood their ground. Leo spit a little bit of blood on the dusty floor and looked back up.

"I'm not fighting you, comrade. You know what happens to traitors, do you? Did Ishaval not teach you enough, Armstrong?", Leo's words were harsh, but he knew he would understand. Leo tried to pull himself up from the rubble and hoped that the same attack won't happen again. He staggered forward and watched as the Indigo crew slowly walked away from the scene.

"They were thieves, murderers! They stole these weapons to line their pockets... They gave them to street thugs for heaven's sake's! Think of how many would have died in the street of Amestris if they got their hands on these!", Leo tried his best to sound convincing. "I will surrender myself, Strong Arm, but first test me! Look at the crates, see what these vile vermin had done! They don't deserve to wear these uniforms, and their blood in unfitting to besmirch their ranks!".

Leo raised both of his hands up and watched as Armstrong walked towards him.

"Let the others go. They were my lead here, and without them I wouldn't have found these vermin. They preferred filthy money over the safety and lives of the people they swore to protect, and I stopped them!. They could have killed my sister with these weapons, or our friends!".