Alright lets get this started! As you can tell the old one is gone and now here is the start of the all new B.P.R.D: The Philosophers Stone. I'll be starting it off in B.P.R.D vol 6: The Universal Machine.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything B.P.R.D related or anything from Fullmetal Alchemist
Kate couldn't believe it, she just couldn't, their last hope at bringing back Roger failed. It made sense, in some twisted cruel way, she was just in reach of the book that could help them re-grow homunculus tissue when that monster flung her from the room.
Now sitting in Manning's office with Abe and Liz, Kate could only think of what they could do next. There had to be something; a book stored in the bowels of this facility, some machine that could grow organic parts, anything that they can use to bring Roger back.
"That was the only copy of the book, and it wasn't in the rubble. Unless somebody else has a suggestion, I'm not sure anything is 'next'" Manning said, giving the three a solemn look.
"So that's it? That was Rogers last hope?" Liz said in a defeated tone.
"Well, I know one guy who's not giving up just yet." Abe said.
Manning looked up, a bit startled, "Who?"
"Johann, he's been going through all the old files found in the fourth sub basement. He thinks there might be something there of use."
"I can't believe it, you guys are trying to bring something-"
"Someone" Liz cut in, glaring daggers at Manning.
"-someone, back from the dead. I don't know if I have to remind you people that we have a few bigger problems to deal with."
"We haven't had any reports on any frog sightings for a month. At least we should be aloud to do whatever the hell we want to in our spare time." Liz countered.
Manning waved his hands, "Whatever, just don't go to weird shops in foreign country's that are owned by psycho's."
The three left Manning's office, Liz caught up with Kate.
"Hey, hows the wrist?" Liz asks.
"Hmm? Oh good, still kinda hurts but not as bad as before." Kate replies, tentatively touching the cast on her arm. "I just still can't believe it, I was this close, this close and the damn castle and everything else collapses around me"
"It's ok," Liz says, placing a hand on Kate's shoulder, "lets go see if Johann has found anything."
:~:~:~:~:
Johann sat in a small office room, surrounded by stack upon stack of folders, boxes, and papers. He was so engrossed in one file that he did not hear the knock at the door, or the squeak as the door slowly opened.
"Johann? Are you in here? Oh here he is hey Kate I found him!" Liz hollered over her shoulder to Kate as she walked in, "Find anything interesting?"
Kate came in shutting the door behind her, "I swear, this place has way to many rooms."
"Hmm?" Johann looked up, just now taking notice that the two women had entered the room. "I'm sorry, what was that?"
"Just asking if you have found anything," Liz said, "seems that you had to of been reading something good to of not heard us walk in."
"It's all really interesting, how did your meeting with Manning go?"
"Don't bring it up." Liz groaned, burying her head in her arms"
"Lets just say, he's not too happy about how we're spending our spare time" Kate explained, grabbing a file and leafing through it half heartedly.
"Well doing research about death and how to bring the dead back is, in most societies, a taboo all on it's own." Johann said.
"Yeah, but we're not even sure if Roger is...well...dead." Liz said, "He wasn't really considered alive by most. The researchers back in California are still not sure on what to pronounce him as."
"True enough, and those notes left behind by the alchemist who created him are impossible to decipher. Hence why I have turned here." Johann said, indicating the towers of files around him.
"So you think the researchers who were here before might of experimented in this field?" Kate asked.
"Or at least tried, I haven't come across anything to do with growing homunculi. But there are quiet a number of research attempts involving a philosophers stone."
"A what now?" Liz said.
"The Philosophers stone is a myth on it's own." Kate said, "Most people who tried to make one failed or ended up blowing themselves up, or those who tried to find it went missing."
"And where never heard from again, right?" Liz asked.
"Yes, or came back crazy."
"Ja, and trust me there are many notes about experiments, which failed. But there is one that is most interesting." Johann said.
"Oh boy, don't tell me they found it and all we have to do is find it in the basement." Liz said, a bit on the sarcastic side.
"No, they apparently made a trip to a shop-"
"No, NO, no more travelling to shops with crazy owners. I don't want to come back with another cast." Kate said.
"Well, I doubt it's open for business at the moment." Johann said.
"Same thing was said about THAT place" Kate muttered.
"It's a shop that, frankly, grants wishes. They went there and told the shop keeper that they wished to own the stone. The shop keeper refused, saying that they could not pay the price to own it and told them to leave. One of the researchers was angered by this and returned to the shop the next day with a few armed men, only to find the lot where the store was to be empty."
"No kidding?" Liz said.
"Ja, he questioned the locals about it and no one remembered there ever being a store there."
"And what makes you think it's there now?"
"I'm not to sure it's back just yet, but I found a curious photo."
"What photo?"
"It's strange, I actually read through this file yesterday. Apparently the research group took a picture outside the place when they first went there," Johann said, holding a old photograph out to Kate and Liz showing a group of men outside a small house, "then on the second day when the one went back to find the empty lot the photographer took another picture of it, for comparison when the film was developed. As the notes say the second picture turned up just as they saw it, empty. When I first look at the photo, I also saw a empty lot. But when I cam down here today this is what I found." Johann handed Kate the second photograph.
Kate was a bit confused, not quiet getting what Johann was saying, "I don't see anything, just a empty lot with a bunch of guys running around."
"Look closer at the empty space, more specifically the sky, you'll see the outlines of a building." Johann said, pointing at the blank space of sky.
Liz looked over Kate shoulder and saw it, the light outlining of the roof of the building. She grabbed the first photo and held it next to the one Kate was holding. Just as Johann said, like water marks the light showings of the building began to reveal themselves to the three.
"Ok...are you sure this thing was blank when you first saw it?" Kate asked Johann.
"Ja."
"Could someone of come down here and messed around with the picture?" Liz asked.
"Nein. Only a few people know I'm working down here, and fewer know what I'm actually working on."
"Could be a crappy developing job, could of gotten a water mark from the first picture." Kate said.
"I highly doubt it." Johann said, "Each member of the team that went down there were made to write their own reports on exactly what happened. Each one has said that the shop was there, then it disappeared."
"So what? After a bunch of crotchety old men went to a shop to ask for the philosophers stone, and were refused, the shop just went 'Oh I think I'll close up for the next 40 years or so' and now it's back open for business?" Liz asked.
"I am not to sure." Johann said.
Kate sighed, "Dare I ask where it is?"
Johann was interrupted from answering Kate's question by loud knocking on the door, "Wonder who that could be?"
The door opened on its own revealing a very mad Daimio.
"The hell are you people doing?"
"Can't you tell? We are having a tea party." Liz commented.
"Ha ha very funny Sherman. I mean with this Roger business."
"I take it Manning has had a few words with you?" Kate asked.
"A few? Are you kidding me? The man barges in on me in the break room and starts ranting about how this team is using its time. I get it that you guys have a very interesting view on life and death here, but as far as I know when a guy blows up he's not coming back."
"Hence why we are trying to find a way of re-growing his body." Liz said.
"Oh right, here let me lend you my kiddy pool size petri dish so you can get started." Daimio responded, keeping a level glare with Liz.
Kate rolled her eyes, "Ok look it you two, stop fighting. As Liz said earlier we are allowed to do what we want on our spare time as long as it does not interfere with our missions. And there has been no sighting of frogs or any unusual disturbances."
"Anyway, Johann has found something that could be used to bring Roger back." Liz shot in.
"Oh really? Johann please enlighten me." Daimio said, turning to Johann.
"Well...I'm not even sure it can be done. Even if the philosophers stone even exists how are we going to acquire one? And if this store is back I believe the owner will be as lenient about giving the stone to us as he was to the researchers."
"Another store? Seriously?" Daimio said, directing it to Kate, "Isn't having one building fall apart around you enough for one day?"
Johann filled Daimio in on what he has been reading for the last 2 days, about the vanishing store and about the philosophers stone and how it could be used to restore Roger.
Daimio shook his head "Sounds like a wild goose hunt to me."
"I think we should see if this picture develops more. When the store is completely there I might believe that it's officially opened for business." Johann said.
"Still sounds hooky."
Liz got up and stormed past Daimio, giving him a good little shove with her shoulder as she passed by him, "As I see it Captain, we are doing everything in our power to help a teammate, what are you going to do?"