Hi! Sorry for the delay, that was due to a combination of writer's block and real life...
I really had trouble writing the Fifth Lab bit... and I spent a lot of time going from doctor to doctor which is time consuming on its own.
Yet again, I'm really sorry!
Like always, feel free to point out spelling/grammatical mistakes.
One more thing: for all people suggesting other universes for the serie... I accept suggestion only if the story/manga/etc... is complete.
IX: 1914
Infiltrating the Fifth Laboratory wasn't something that would be done in a day – acting rashly in the heart of the city where the enemy laid was stupid.
So the Elric siblings took their time, using it to decipher doctor Marcoh's notes during the day, and sniffing around at night.
The first thing that soon became evident was that Central City was the home of several homunculi. The first, of course, was Fuhrer Bradley himself – then the one that had been following them until recently, that had left, then came back to the city, and two more.
Fortunately, they didn't seem to be under too much scrutiny from the homunculi – on the other hand, one of the unknown homunculi seemed to be roaming around Central City without any pattern.
Planning around that one wouldn't be easy.
In the end, nearly three more weeks went by – in that time, they did manage to broke the code that Marcoh had used to encrypt his journals. And while they had already known that the Philosopher Stone's main ingredient was humans, and had seen the ruins of Xerxes, somehow, reading the personal notes of a man that was just another State Alchemist on the topic was different. It made things more tangible, reminded them that beyond the Promised Day set for Spring 1915 there had already been life sacrificed to the Red Stones recently.
This wasn't just about avoiding History repeating itself – it was about stopping all the exactions going on right now around the country.
During those three weeks, they had also had a bit of a fright – when the news came that heavy bloodshed had happened in Reole, Sheska, Maes' new assistant, had nearly started to put the ugly puzzle together, the intelligent woman and her eidetic memory picking up on the pattern of the recent revolts on the map...
Thankfully, Maes had been the one to catch her while she was researching this – and while she hadn't been brought in completely, she had been told enough to understand that it was a dangerous topic to research.
Still, after weeks of preparation, they were ready.
Ari had taken out one of the soul-bound items that had followed her from her previous life, and Leon had been put to work and the result of his work sent via Chaos' Game message system. Alpha was back, while Ed had been given the Fox mask and Al the Cat one.
While it may have seemed idiotic to use masks representing the pets they were well known to have to hide their identity, their intention was precisely to point out that these choice were far to evident and thus could only be the work of someone trying to involve them in something they didn't know anything about.
Of course, their best bet was not to be seen, but who knew what was waiting for them in the Fifth Laboratory?
When it came to their clothing, they had left their usual red coats in their Inventory, opting for dark and neutral outfits, and a simple alchemical manipulation temporarily darkened their hair and eyes – with Ari simply using her Metamorph skill to get back to her more usual back hair and green eyes.
Completely bypassing the guard posted at the main entrance – which alone would have made them suspect foul play if they hadn't already know that what had happened in the laboratory – they easily scaled the high wall that enclosed the empty building.
Except that, to Ari's soul sense, it clearly wasn't empty.
She shuddered "There are souls here... souls without bodies..."she shared, the nearby unnatural presence glaringly obvious among the continuous flux of informations brought to her sense by her Soul Art and Blood Art
Her siblings shared a glance while she made them hurry into the building thought a ventilation duct. A few seconds later, the sound of rustling metal echoed, and Al, the nearest to the outside, blanched.
"They are... They are what I nearly became." he whispered, quickly putting what he was seeing, and what his sister had said together
"Let's see what's more there's to this house of horrors." muttered Ed darkly, urging his sister forward
With a nod she began to crawl again, and soon, they were dropping from the duct into the run down building, cautiously exploring it while Ari kept her senses sharp, looking out for the bodiless souls that apparently were guarding the building. Apart from the one outside, she could feel a couple more deeper in the building "We should check the basement." she suggested "If there's someone there, that must mean there's something to guard."
A couple of silently agreeing nods, and they were off.
¤.¤.¤
If the building had truly looked derelict above ground, it was a different story once they found their way underground. They shared a look before opening the door to a large room, visibly an empty alchemy lab with a circle drawn on the ground and a large mural on the farthest wall, which the three alchemy geniuses swiftly identified as an improved, small-scale circle to create a Philosopher Stone – and what probably were the schematic to the array that was set to destroy their country.
In the few seconds it took them to analyze all this, a familiar notification flashed...
[Goal complete! +100XP
Goal update: survive the cleaning team
Bonus goal complete! +150XP
Bonus goal update: defeat the lab's special guards (0/3)]
[Level up! You are now level 48!
+2SP]
The teens frowned at the ominous goal, and turned there attention to the large metal armor that was standing in the middle of the empty lab. They could hear the surprise in the voice that came out of it "You managed to get past Number 66?"
"If you're talking about your other metal chum outside, he didn't even saw us." shrugged Ed
"Yet you aren't even trying to hide right now." noted the armor idly "No matter, I'll deal with you."
"By all means, please do try." even if Alpha's mask was hiding her features, the bloodthirsty smile was heard in her words, blade lightly held in her finger
The other's only answer was to rush toward her, katana in hand and visibly knowing how to use it.
Ed and Al were moving to join the fight when their sister shouted "The one that was outside is coming this way. And he's not alone!" and with that affirmation, her movements were suddenly a lot more hostile, the armor's head flying away from the body in one precise strike, the body cut in two by a trowing knife glowing with an alchemy circle – her Crimson Edge non-living variant
[Bonus goal update: defeat the lab's special guards (2/3)]
As for Al, he'd turned toward the door, and as such jumped toward the new figure running toward them in a metallic rattle, barely letting the other open his mouth before using an alchemy circle to pin his legs to the ground, much the empty armor loud protests.
[Bonus goal update: defeat the lab's special guards (3/3)]
Neither brothers bothered to listen to the armor they'd just defeated, moving to flank their sister who was turned toward the door they'd just entered through – and soon, Al too could feel the one that had her so tense.
An homunculus, the one that had been following them in East City and to Central City to be precise.
"My, my, visitors." stated a smooth, womanly voice "How unexpected."
The silhouette of a tall, beautiful woman with lush, dark hair cascading in her back, wearing a long, skin-tight black dress and arm-length gloves of the same shade, stepped out of the hallway. What really was telling, however, was the Ouroboros tattoo proudly displayed between her breast – the same symbol Feng had told them to be the homunculi trade-mark, and he himself no longer sported.
Her smile was cold as she stated "You really shouldn't be sniffing around here."
There was no tell-tale sign before her hand was thrown toward them, nails growing into long and sharp spears – and only the three wariness helped them to dodge, each in one direction.
"How bothersome." sighed the homonculus "What good are you if you can't manage to do your work and keep intruders out?" she harshly added, her nail extending toward the discarded helmet and piercing thought the exposed blood seal "You're lucky I was passing by!"
"Brother! No! We can still be of use!" was the desperate cry coming from the partially deconstructed armor
The woman's nails were aiming toward it – but a blade stopped her, and she jumped back, evading the attack coming toward her "Stealing their body wasn't enough?" Alpha's icy voice echoed in the large, nearly empty lab
"Are you pitying them?" a laugh "Do you even know what they are?"
"Murderers souls shoved into a metal body." she shrugged "But then again you aren't even human, so you can't really talk can you?"
The homunculus' eyes widened, surprised at the unknown intruders knowledge, and her next attack was even faster – visibly having decreed that they knew far too much to be allowed to leave alive. Of course, this wasn't anything they hadn't expected – from the start they had known that if they seen here they would have to fight for their life.
No, what truly was on the three siblings mind was the recent goal update – the expression "Cleaning Team" implied at least two enemies, and as such it was in their best interest to deal with the homunculus in front of them quickly.
Which of course, was easier said than done.
¤.¤.¤
For now, they had fought while restraining themselves – alchemists with the ability to perform circle-less transmutations weren't all that ordinary, and Ari's one-handed alchemy was, to the Father's knowledge, unique. Using either would make the precaution they had taken to hide their identity as good as useless.
But their opponent was far more skilled than her risqué dress and sophisticated guise had hinted at.
Fortunately, they had thought about that problem while planing their incursion in the Fifth Laboratory and as such, each of them had prepared a few weapon already engraved with alchemy array – each using a weapon they were good at, but that wasn't associated with them. Al had taken a liking to the dao, the short sword used in Xing, and combined with the use of water alchemy and his face hidden, should easily pass for a Xingese; Ed made a collection of throwing daggers of all sizes, each with its own personalized alchemy circle of various effects; and finally Ari took a leaf out of her previous life, and made herself a kyoketsu-shoge under the bemused eyes of her brothers then swiftly proceeded to engrave several fire arrays on the weapon, discretely enhanced by air alchemy, making it quite deadly.
As such, while they weren't fighting at their best, the three of them were prepared – and knew that if necessary, they could switch to their usual fighting method. Staying alive was more important than protecting their anonymity in the end.
Ed bit a curse as he was a bit to slow, the dangerous woman's nails bitting in his side – forcing himself to disregard the pain for now, he pushed himself out of her way, Al's sword surprising her and leaving a deep gash into her shoulder.
A gash that was closing right under their eyes.
And that was exactly the problem – while, being three against her, they did manage to hit her often enough, the homunculus merely used the souls trapped within her to heal herself right away. Killing an immortal enemy wasn't all that easy.
Ariana frowned. The goddess in training knew that killing the homunculus in front of them would be simple enough, were she to use her holy powers – but those powers had left her exhausted each time she had used them in this world up to now, and she couldn't afford to be taken out of this fight when they didn't know how many enemies would come at them after this one.
This left one other solution – cut the homonculus from its life source.
Pinpointing the red stone's presence in her body was easy enough, the cries of the imprisoned souls a clear marker, and the Father hadn't been very original, simply placing it where the heart would have been had the beautiful woman been human.
Sharing her plan on the voice chat between to strike, and her brothers adding their own contribution, they were soon regrouping, and changing their strategy. Al and Ed attacked together, completely focusing on the offensive while the chain of their sister's weapon deflected the woman's nails when needed, soon deluding her into focusing more on the two brothers than the younger girl in the back, letting her the time to craft the weapon she needed.
The claw was rudimentary, and would only last for one good strike, but this was all she needed.
Feeling a new, ominous presence approaching, she informed her brothers, and on a silent signal, the boys violently jumped away from the latest attack coming toward them rather than ignoring it – and instead of parrying the attack for them, Ari dashed between them, claw burrowing in the soft flesh and finding the price it was looking for.
By now, the woman eyes were betraying her fear as she could feel the core of her life slipping out of her body, and her nails were violently attacking the opponent she had previously underestimated – but Ari didn't care about the piercing nails that were cutting her back open, entirely focused on the small, egg-like, blood red stone in her claws, then her fingers.
With one last unhesitating move, she wrenched it out of its living shrine.
¤.¤.¤
The beautiful woman collapsed to the ground, body fading into dust, as a new voice screamed in agony "You killed Lust! You bastards!"
Storing the Red Stone that had been the heart of the newly named Lust away, Ari, Ed and Al turned toward the latest arrival.
Looking like a teenage, with an androgynous face and willowy body clad in a skin-thigh short and tank-top, long, spiky wild hair descending to his waist, his face was contorted with fury as he rush toward the one that had just killed on of his siblings.
Ed and Al deflected the attack, as Ari jumped back. Between Ari's heavy blood-loss, and her siblings state of weariness, this fight wouldn't be easy. The girl didn't let this realization depress her – after all, this was exactly for this kind of dangerous situation that her Past Life Aura was useful.
With a thought, the power swirled around her, green eyes glowing eerily in the bare room as she assessed the new enemy in front of them.
The countless souls screaming inside his body, nearly saturating her Soul Art, clear marked him as a homunculus, but it was her Blood Art informations that were more interesting.
"He's a shape-shifter," she calmly informed her siblings, infuriating even more the already incensed homonculus, who had momentarily stopped attacking, taken aback by the sudden rush of unearthly power around her
"You know way too much, girly! You won't get out of here alive!"
"And yet, we're alive, and your sister isn't." taunted Ed, deciding to stroke the other's temper even more
After all, an angry enemy was liable to do more mistakes than a calm one – that, and he always found it satisfying to get on peoples nerves.
As predicted, the other's temper erupted "That was only luck, you fucking human!" he howled, throwing his arm toward the eldest Elric sibling – an arm that had grown into a sharp edged tentacle, that the teenager barely avoided, thanks to his sister's previous warning
As the fight took off again, the siblings soon remarked than, on top of the shape-shifting Ari had warned them about, his human body wasn't, contrary to Lust's form, behaving like one.
The sharp blades of their weapons were having trouble to bite through the seemingly normal skin, each of his blow had much more strength behind it than it should...
Ari frowned.
Even with her powers multiplied as they were through her Past Life Aura, this homunculus was holding his own well against them. Oh, sure enough, with time, they would be the one to come on top – but that was just the problem.
They didn't have time.
Her back was still bleeding out, weakening her more by the minute, and her brothers, while less injured, hadn't escaped whole from the previous homunculus either. They had to end this fight now – or at least, injure the other enough that they could escape while it regenerated.
"I'm going to use my powers." she announced on the voice chat, not needing to specify which of her gifts she was talking about
"Are you mad?" protested Ed hotly
"We can't afford to have this fight last much longer." she pointed out "Beside, with the homunculus fighting back like he is, I can't just cut the link with the Stone just like that," she admitted "So I'm going to settle for just part of the souls." and though she hated it, it was the only solution she had right now
"What do we need to do?" asked Al, Ed's silence proof enough that he understood that it was their best bet
"keep him from interrupting me." she simply said
With a resolute nod, both boys jumped toward the non-human, knowing that the fight would be much more difficult with only the two of them – and behind them, the power flow around their sister changed, reminding them once more of the unnerving feeling of being in front of the Gate of Truth – a feeling that their enemy probably felt too, as his head brutally turned toward her and he tried to jump toward her.
The minutes that followed were tensed, the other having understood that whatever the girl was doing, it couldn't be good for him, was continuously trying to get to her, her brothers tiring more and more as they relentlessly protected her. And suddenly, the power swirling around her surged toward the homunculus, making him jumped back – or rather try to.
The will of the androgynous non-human and the goddess in training clashed, the former's human appearance melting into that of a gigantic eight-legged chimera with a dog head and a lizard body, human faces visible trough it skin and crying for help.
Ed and Al shuddered in horror at the sigh but pressed on their advantage, attacking the monstrous beast that was kept immobile trough their sister's will.
And suddenly, the human faces visible on the monster's body seemed to try and escape him, slowly condensing into a funnest and familiar item.
"No!"this time, fear was mixed with rage in the homunculus' voice as he realized that his life source was being stolen away
With one last effort, he managed to break through her spell, lunging toward Ari – Ed was sent flying into the nearest wall, blood smearing his face and automail bendat an impossible angle, Al's weapon was destroyed with barely a glint of sharp claws, that teared through dao and automail alike without a care.
But even thought she was visibly exhausted, Ariana was still standing in a storm of power, and with a wave of unleashed energy, the homunculus was sent stumbling back, the holy powers already trying to steal more of its life source. Understanding that, weakened as he was, he wasn't sure to be the one getting out alive from this confrontation, survival instinct finally won over anger, and the non-human fled the laboratory, leaving a blood-trail that proved he'd came close from dying for a supposed immortal.
[Life Quest complete! +100XP
Reward: Challenge System unlocked
Bonus Quest complete! +150XP
Bonus reward: Bookworm (+5 to all knowledge and language) Perk unlocked
Hidden Goal Complete! Roses are Red
Defeat Lust
Reward: +200XP, Homunculus Lust added to Boss List]
[Level up! You are now level 50!
+2SP, +2CP, +1PP]
[Perk available:
- Smooth Talker: double rate of learning Communication and Awareness Skills
- Fighter's Mind: double rate of learning Survival and Ground Skills
-Spirit's of the Pack (2/3) Rashaba's gift: +3 Strength (unlocks Spirit's of the Pack (3/3) Chinook's gift)]
[System Log: Specialty Available!
You are now eligible to select a specialty. Note that each specialty has a specific skill requirement to choose it, and will offer specific bonus and skill set that will add itself to your current class bonuses.
You will not be able to level up above level 50 as long as you haven't selected and gained your Specialty.]
Dismissing the onslaught of notifications for later Ari turned toward her brothers.
"Lets clean this place of traces of our presence and get out." tiredly mumbled Ed
The others didn't even bothered to answer back, merely getting to work. Al's destroyed automail was carefully recovered, the circle on the ground destroyed, as was the mural – but it also made them stumble upon a realization.
"You know, last time everything was done out in the open..." started Al, an idea visibly shaping itself in his mind as he was speaking "But for now we haven't been able to find a trace about the array being carved in our country..." he looked around him "What if it just was under our eyes... literally..."
"The fucker is digging his mad-man array!" blurted Ed, brusquely understanding what his younger brother was saying
"But how is he doing it without being discovered?"wondered Al - before setting the question aside for latter, focusing on his current task
Soon after, they were gone, Ari's black Flame finally advanced enough that she could pop them directly into the Hughes' home.
"That," shuddered Al "was really strange. And cold."
"Let's sleep." groaned Ari, barely standing on her feet now that they were back into safety and far too used to the feeling of travelling through her Nigh Flames to find it strange anymore
"Not just yet." contradicted Ed, provoking a second groan "Those wounds have to be cleaned, and dressed."
"I know." she admitted with a sigh, looking longingly toward her bed "Stop making sense, brother, you're not supposed to." she added, pouting
"Hey!"
With that, they stumbled into the hall, deciding that bathing and cleaning their wound together would be quicker – only to be interrupted by a gasp "What the hell happened!" shout-whispered Maes "You need a doctor right now!"
"Of course not." contradicted Ari "It would only risk attracting the attention of people we don't want to know we got hurt tonight." a sigh, seeing the man wouldn't be detracted that easily "Let us clean up and we'll talk okay?"
With that, he relented – and nearly an hour later, when he saw the kids again, wounds bandaged and looking to be awake only by shear force of will, he sighed and let them go to sleep, simply saying he would ask his friend doctor Knox to check on Ari on the next day, as she had a nasty cold.
The excuse should be good enough as long as no one looked too closely...
It was nearly midday the next day when they woke up, to a surprising sigh.
"I really can't let you out of my sight can I, bambina?"
"Get out of our room, colonel bastard! Stop stalking my sister!" immediately - and automatically - shouted Ed, still half-asleep
"What are you doing here?" wondered Ari, smiling at her other half
A smirk.
"Well there was an opening for a position in Central City, what with Scar killing off alchemists left and right, so of course they appointed the best."
"Arrogant bastard." mumbled Ed, still too tired for the usual insult to sound heartfelt
As for Roy, he was ignoring him, shrugging the cover off the bed where they'd fallen asleep in a puppy-pile "Let me see it." he demanded
The move and order were so familiar that Ari had already taken off her bandages and was leaning on her stomach, leaving access to her worst wound to her husband, when she realized "You've..."
"I'm a main player of Chaos' Game too, bambina. Of course I've got a Past Life Perk."
"And you kept your Sun Flames."
"They aren't as powerful as they were, of course, just as your Night Flames aren't, but they still give my health and wounds regeneration a boost, and allow me to heal people."
Ed's loud protests about his sister's modesty died down as the older alchemist's hands came alight with bright, yellow flames under which Ari's wounds started to heal fast enough that it was visible to the naked eye.
After a few minutes, he stopped, a small frown on his face "That's the best I can do for now, my skill isn't advanced enough to compare to what my Flames formerly were."
Ari nodded, sitting up with an appreciative smile "Still much better than earlier." her face turned grave "There's one thing I want to take care as soon as possible now that I can at least move better."
With a thought and a wrist movement, two blood red stone were called out of her Inventory.
"Let's get rid of this, Death has been waiting for these souls, and the poor things have been suffering for far too long."
No one protested, even if they'd have preferred for the girl to be healthier before doing her godly duty. With but a thought, a red alchemy circle came alight under her feet and her bedroom was replaced by the white emptiness and the large archway of the Gate.
"Back again little Shadow?" asked the grinning god "You've worked well, I didn't expect you to give back those souls..."
"You do realize that I am a god of death, even if I'm not Death himself." Ari remarked, a bit vexed
"Ah, but you're still so mortal in the way you think and live, I wondered if you really did understand your duties..." a grumble "I know some of my siblings clearly didn't when they came into their powers! I mean, Lore spent several centuries doing nothing but reading before she started to work!" a shrug "Well clearly I was mistaken, I'm not all-knowing when it comes to things outside of my realm." he admitted, surprising the younger goddess
She was starting to wonder if there wasn't more to Truth refusal to accept help from his siblings than Knowledge had said – but decided that investigating this would wait until after the country she lived in wasn't in danger of being used as sacrifice by a mad entity.
"Anyway, you can't get out of here without something, the exchange has to be met." stated the other god, not really surprising her – it wasn't the first time she met him after all "So, what do you want? Your arm back?"
She thought about it a bit, then shook her head in negation "Explaining how I got it back would be too bothersome." she said "And since I've got my hand-fastening mark back, I don't really care. Beside, it's not like I won't have it back in my next life."
"Well, some kind of knowledge then? Or a physical gift?"
Ari had to repress a snort when she imagined the reaction of her siblings if they were present for this bargaining. As for Chaos' Game, it suddenly came alive with a notification, Truth's proposition having been interpreted by it...
[Truth's Exchange: perk available:
- Blood Ritualist: +5 to all Mystic skills, +10 Blood Affinity
- Alpha's calling: all your senses are as sharp as that of a canine Yokai, you gain claws and fangs
- Philosopher's daughter: +5 to all Alchemy skills, +5 Blood Affinity
- Holy resilience: you may look human, you aren't one anymore, making you much harder to get rid of, + 5 Endurance]
After a moment of hesitation, the choice was clear – Blood Ritualist it was. If there was any chance of making the ritual Roy and her were crafting easier, she'd take it.
It may be selfish, but this time, she hoped to grow old by her husband side, and not wake up to a new world before a long, long time...
¤.¤.¤
"Well, that's done with then." nodded Truth approvingly "Exchange done. And who knows, if you manage to finish the job I may whip up some kind of price that'll make it worth your while!"
And with that, the whiteness faded back into her room in the Hughes household, and a notification popped in front of her eyes.
[Challenge LV 100! The Lost Souls
Goal: Free all of the Xerxesians soul
Reward: +1000XP, one soul-bound token, one Alternate Life Perk to be chosen]
note that this challenge can be done in several way : battle is not a necessity]
Ari's eyes widened as she read the challenge – it wouldn't be easy, but it wasn't anything she hadn't planned on doing. And the reward wasn't anything to sneer at!
After a brief summary of her meeting with their world's strange reigning god, they focused back to more down to earth problems "Getting a leave to get both our automail repaired right now would be bad," was saying Ed "It would be as good at pulling up a 'here we are' sign for that Father bastard."
"True. But my arm's completely busted, and yours is one bad move away from falling apart..." pointed out Al with a frown
"Why don't we meet Winry somewhere else, then?" suggested Ariana "She was saying that she wanted to go to Rush City to find a mentor, granny's hit the limit of what she can teach her. We can send her a message telling her to meet us here, then we'll all go with her on our way to teacher's place..."
"If you can manage to hide your injuries and failing automail that long, it would work." nodded Roy
"We'll, we've been spending quite a lot of time doing research, so if we're seen continuing to do that it should be a good enough cover." thought Ed out loud "Just be seen a few moments looking for books, then back her to study hem like we've done should be manageable..."
With that, their plan was set, and Winry informed – their childhood friend would be there under a week, which they spent pretending to be healthy.
The colonel used his flames on all three regularly to speed up their recovery, and even made them go through a few 'light sessions' of training despite two of the three's missing an arm.
Ana seemed to understand the need for secrecy easily enough, helped by her own background of being a chimera, and her flourishing intelligence as the youngest of the Elric, and even tried to keep up with them while training.
While the little girl wasn't on par with them, she still was taught a few fighting moves, and Al took advantage of their free time to further her schooling not only on the normal topics but also on all four types of alchemy – and it soon became apparent that their youngest sibling would one day be a master of fire alchemy, much to Ed's hilarity and Roy's bemusement...
It was only two days after they came back from the Fifth Laboratory that Ari remembered her unacknowledged notifications and went back to her Statistic Window to choose a Specialty and a Perk.
After quickly choosing the Spirit of the Pack second perk, she took a look at the Specialties – there we only four, with much higher skill requirement than the Classes that were available at level 25; but the choice was easy enough.
She wasn't powerful enough in a fight, particularly as soon as she was restricted in her alchemy, the fight against the homunculi had proved that. As such, as familiar sounding specialty was soon chosen...
[Assassin Specialty chosen!
(requirement: any fighting skill over 75, any survival skill over 50, any awareness skill over 25)
You will now gain +2 Intelligence and +1 Agility each 5 level
Class Perk available:
- Shadow Path: +10 to Darkness Affinity, +10 to long range fighting, +10 to throwing skill, unlocks Darker than the Abyss passive Ability (critical attacks deals 25% more damage) and Shadow Strike (1/10) Ability (all damage dealt when undetected deal 5% more damage)
- Blood Path: +10 to Blood Affinity, +10 to close range fighting, +10 to blade skill, unlocks Razor Sharp passive Ability (all attacks deals 10% more damage) and Blood Rage (1/10) Ability (each time your health drop by 10%, your damage rise by 1%)
unspent: 1]
Some more thinking, and Ariana had taken the Blood Path. Roy, who was the only of their small group of gamers, to be above level 50, was without surprise of the Artificer Class and Assassin Specialty too, even if his Class Perk was the Fire Alchemy one – and his Specialty one the Shadow one; yet again, no surprise there.
The couple spent as much time together as they could during the week they waited for Winry, not paying any attention to Ed's token protests, and were making good progress on crafting the ritual that would save Ariana.
Finally, a week after the events that transpired at the Fifth Laboratory, Winry arrived at the Hughes home. After being smothered by Maes for her cuteness, and adopted as an eldest sister by Elicia without a second thought, she was soon working on the two Elric brothers' automail under Ana's fascinated gaze.
She had, of course, recruited yet again Ari as an assistant, and with the two of them working through the clock, they were ready to go to Rush City, and Dublith, within three days – which was, given the state of Ed's and Al's automail, quite a miracle.
"Don't be gone too long! Otherwise the colonel will be unbearable once more!"
"Shut up, lieutenant Hawkeye."
"And do come back before my lovely Elicia's birthday!"
"Shut up Maes."
"See, he's already becoming moody!"
"The bastard's always moody!"was Ed's loud affirmation
Ari and Roy shared a glance at the antics of their small group of friends, reminiscent of the Vongola X's craziness, and the dark-haired officer engulfed the slender girl in a hug, not wanting to let go of her just yet. After all, despite his protests, Riza was right in saying he felt better when Ariana wasn't too far away. After all, that girl always manage to land up in dangerous situations.
"Stay safe, bambina. I'm a professional hit man, not a healer."
"Technically, you're a military officer, not a professional hit man." corrected the amused girl, one eyebrow rising
"There's a difference?" he asked with an arrogant smirk
Laughing lightly, she escaped his arms, as the train's whistle called the late passengers. Elicia was loudly crying at seeing the four siblings and Winry leaving, and Ana's eyes looked definitely misty.
"The Hughes are really a kind family," remarked Winry as the dug into the apple pie Gracia had baked for them
"That they are." nodded Ed "It's good the bastard's been stationed in Central City, they'll be safer." he reluctantly admitted
"Maes knows how to defend himself, but the colonel is frightening." nodded Al "Still, they should be safe, I don't think we've been identified."
"I don't think either." confirmed Ari "We haven't been followed by any of the Sins since we went to the lab, and we've even lost our guard."
"That's because Scar's presumed dead." Al pointed out
"And is he?" asked Winry, sounding a bit afraid yet hopeful - the siblings had told her, after their encounter with the man, that he was probably the one who killed her parents
They had felt she had the right to know. Learning more about her parent's murder had been hard, yet therapeutic.
"Well there wasn't any body found, only his coat and lots of blood." explained Ed "So there's no real proof. So the brass may have recalled the alchemists' guard, I'll still keep my eyes open."
His siblings nodded along.
Their defeat against the Ishvalian still stung, and they wouldn't let themselves get caught unaware twice by the man.
"Kya! Here we are!"
Ed jumped away from their childhood friend as Winry rushed out of the train, going from one shop's front to another, eye's sparkling in wonder.
"She really is a mechanic freak." he sighed after making sure she wasn't listening to them, the siblings idly trailing behind the blond girl that had found her paradise "A cute mechanic freak." he amended mentally, eyeing his childhood friend excitedly browse the shops around them
"Well, the city is full of automail mechanics, and automail bearers." noted Al idly as they wandered around the city "She does fit right in."
"Do you think she'll find a good teacher?" wondered Ed aloud, languidly stretching while rebuffing yet another mechanic offering to do a check-up on him
Ari opened her mouth to answer – then closed it, and her arm snaked around her brother's waist, snatching a nimble hand without breaking her stride.
"Eh let me go!" protested the owner of said hand, a young teenage girl with tanned skin and dark hair
"Well, you shouldn't go around pickpocketing passerby if you weren't ready to get caught one day." Ari answered back "I mean, your technique was good enough, but you really should practice on being more discreet."
"Ari," sighed Al "You really shouldn't lecture any criminal we meet on how to become better in their illegal endeavor. We're in the military!"
Said sister didn't get a chance to answer, as the young pick-pocket had finally regained her bearing enough to try and escape, launching a surprisingly powerful kick, blade ripping her pants along her tibia's bone, only to be stopped by Ari's automail.
"So both of your legs are automail, eh?" commented the youngest State-alchemist, as the girl's free leg let out a bullet round that she easily avoided
"So what's to it?" she asked defiantly, while Al was already repairing the damages done by her explosive bullet, under the shopkeeper's tearful thanks
Ari wasn't given the time to retort, Winry, having finally noticed the altercation, suddenly gripping the thief with hearts in her eyes "This work is brilliant!" she proclaimed, minutely examining the two automail legs"This is the first automail I've seen that has interesting additions yet doesn't give up an elegant form either! And it's still sturdy! Please take me to the author of such art!"
Ed snorted at the demand – but their childhood friend knew how to be convincing when she wanted to, and within minutes, they were following the thieving girl outside of the city.
"Mister Dominic is a great man," was explaining the thief who'd identified herself as Paninya "He took me in and made me two legs to stand on when I was at the lowest point of my life, and never accepted any repayment for them! But he's also a loner, which is why his automail aren't well known, he doesn't like to talk with people, so he doesn't take a lot of clients..."
"That's too bad, his work is really great." sighed Winry forlornly "Automail isn't just a science, it's an art too!"
The discussion continued on the same fiber as they left the city behind and were soon in a rocky area, and finally, after crossing one last bridge across a deep ravine, they entered the courtyard of a modest home.
¤.¤.¤
"Hi guys! I brought guests!"
"Welcome!" a tall, smiling man looking to be in his thirties acknowledged from where he was working
"He doesn't look like a loner..." mumbled Ed
"Oh!" a laugh "That's my father Dominic, I'm Ridel, and this is my wife Satella." he introduced as a heavily pregnant entered the room, smiling just as warmly as her husband
"I just made some snacks!" commented said wife "Come in!"
"Are you here for an order?" was wondering Ridel
"Nope, our mechanic's just here." answered Ed, pointing at Winry "She's the one that wanted to come, the monkey's legs caught her eye."
"I'm not a monkey!"
"You shouldn't have tried to steal from me if you didn't want to get called names!"
"Well you wouldn't even have noticed it if it wasn't for your sister, shorty!"
Al, Ari and even Ana winced as the word was pronounced, knowing well what was coming...
"Who are you calling a bean-sprout so short a mouse would think it was its long-lost child!"
Paninya lightly jumped out of the way, and started to run, followed by the eldest Elric sibling, the girl shouting a greeting at a newcomer - a tall, rough looking man with white hair and a heavy-looking wrench negligently resting on one shoulder.
While the two automail-clad teenagers were busy bickering, Winry had approached the grumpy looking man and engaged in a technical talk, somehow managing to keep his attention.
After a few minutes of complicated jargon, Al sighed "I don't understand a thing." he easily admitted
"Can we play then?" asked his youngest sister, coloring pens and paper in hand – with a quick glance around, Al asserted that no one had seen the little girl take the items out of her Inventory and settled on the ground with her to 'play', as Ana qualified her Alchemy lessons
Ari was politely talking with Satella, helping her around the kitchen, and Al, engrossed in his lessons, soon forgot about the strangers around them – until a voice made him jump, unknowingly echoing his observation from earlier, if on a different topic "I don't understand a thing."
Paninya was leaning behind his shoulder, trying to read the simple – for an alchemist – schematics drawn by his steady hands, and Ana's slightly less professional ones.
"This is basic alchemy." he explained "But you'd still need a few lessons before being able to understand those circle."
"And that little girl can do it?" she asked, somewhat doubtful
"I'm not little!" loudly proclaimed Ana, vexed "And I can!"
Al rolled his eyes at the first affirmation, wondered if Ed wasn't rubbing on their sister.
Then said sister resolutely clapped her hands together like she'd always seen her brothers do.
And the paper sheet in front of her burst into flames.
"Ana! What did I told you about doing alchemy without our supervision?" Al automatically lectured, mind still reeling from what had just happened
"Not to." the girl answered guiltily "I should have asked before. I'm sorry big brother."
"Don't do it again." he answered with a sigh "And no more fighting lessons for the week."
"I'm really sorry." she mumbled, tears shimmering in her eyes, clearly understanding she had done something wrong
"I know, Ana."
He drew the little girl in a hug absentmindedly, sharing a concerned look with his siblings.
None of them had realized that Ana had seen Truth when her father experimented on her, and they still didn't know the reason for the homunculi interest in alchemists having seen it. As one, their concern was replaced by resolution – they'd protect Ana, the little girl had already been through too much for such a young child.
This world didn't need anymore children like them.
Children deprived of their innocence in blood and tears.
¤.¤.¤
Thankfully, none of the people around them were alchemist, and as such they didn't understood the importance of what had just happened, apart from the fact that Ana was a very talented little girl.
Then, attention was diverted from them by Winry's loud proclamation "It's exactly as I thought... Mister Dominic, please take me as an apprentice!"
The man didn't waste one second thinking on it as the girl bowed in front of him "Rejected!"
"Please consider it at least!" protested the opinionated blond
"I don't need an apprentice!"denied the other just as fast
The discussion, if it could be called that, went on for quite some time before Ridel intervened "I'm sorry, but my dad is quite stubborn, you should just give up."
"You should just go home!" nodded the man loudly
"In this weather?" protested Ariana "Our automail are heat-proof, not water-proof! Rain gives joint aches!" she added, Padfoot whining loudly by her side – and Paninya nodding vigorously too, legs up and massaging them around the port
"There's no such thing as heat proof automail." sniffed haughtily Dominic
In a second, Ari discarded her red coat, revealing the simple black tank-top she wore under it, blatantly ignoring her eldest brother protests about "protecting her modesty" and shoved her automail under the mechanic's nose, pointing out the alchemy array on it, before walking to the fire and putting her arm in it.
"See," she announced smugly "Heat proof. And Cold-proof too, technically." a frown I guess I could work on some kind of waterproofing circle..." she added, brain already working on it before refocusing on the topic at hand "Still, Winry did it!"
"Er... I only engraved the array," corrected their childhood friend honestly "I'm no alchemist."
"Still you work." shrugged Ari, opening the secret compartment where her throwing knives were stashed "It piss me off to see this guy dismissing your work like that." she admitted, shrugging "You made my first arm when I was nine year old and I became the youngest State-alchemist ever with it. You're not a second-rate mechanic!"
"I never dismissed her work." grumbled Dominic "I just don't want an apprentice. Why do you want me anyway?"
"Your work's the best I saw around town." answered Winry "You're the only one that has any originality, and finesse. I promised I'd do the best for Ari and the rest! I won't settled on some kind of normalized work for them!" she protested hotly
"That and granny Pinako wouldn't forgive you if you left home only to compromise on your work." smirked Ed
"Pinako?" Dominic's face lost all color "Pinako of Rosembool? You're related to her?"
"She's my grand-mother." nodded the pale blond girl, intrigued by his reaction "You know her?"
He shuddered "Let's not talk about that she-devil." his eyed her more seriously "While I do not need an apprentice, there's one man that could help you." he admitted "He's flamboyant, and persistent, and annoying, but he knows his job. And you can come by when you've got a bit of spare time. After all, a true mechanic should be able to learn just by seing a master work."
Winry's smile was blinding "Thanks, mister Dominic! You won't regret it! I'll call granny tomorrow to let her know!"
The old mechanic opened his mouth for what probably was yet another grumpy retort when Satella interrupted, voice eerily calm and resounding loudly in the house despite not raising it "I think my water just broke."
Chaos ensued.
After looking at everyone, bar the pregnant woman, who couldn't move, and Ana, who didn't really understand what was going on, run like headless chickens for a few moments, Ari stepped in "Let's get you to your bed, Satella."
The woman nodded gratefully, and the action calmed most of those present. Taking a rain-coat, Dominic headed toward the door "I'm going to fetch the doctor."
A few minutes went by, Ari, Winry and Paninya helping Satella to the bedroom, while the boys were sent to the kitchen to "get out of the way", then Dominic barged right back in "The bridge has collapsed!" he announced
Ari, having heard from the room, got out, leaving Winry and Paninya to help Ridel's wife while she followed her brothers in the rain.
"With the raging water, and the size of the ravine, alchemy isn't going to cut it." muttered Al "Any bridge we alchemize would collapse under its own weight before reaching the other side."
"Except if we go at it from both sides." contradicted Ed, drawing a small schematic in the ground "We need someone starting the bridge from each side, and a good use of alkahestry to create a side-beam to support the weight under each half of the structure..."
Ari eyed the ravine. While she could go to places she knew well as far as kilometers away, using her black flames for a straight jump like that was different – she usually only made jumps of a dozen of meters or so. The nearly hundred meters of width of the place wouldn't be easy.
"I'll do it." she decided, resolve made
"I'll take care of this side." added Al
As for Ed, he was busy threatening Dominic "Don't go spread around Ari's strange skill, old man, or you'll regret it."
Of course, the man didn't take too well to the threats - but he was worrying for his daughter-in-law, and understood that the boy in front of him was just the same.
Worrying for his sister.
So he nodded, and as soon as the bridge was completed, took off in direction of the city, having a doctor to fetch. The siblings tiredly walked back to the house, where apparently the baby hadn't wanted to wait for the doctor and was already underway, Winry having taken charge of the operation. Ari went to help their childhood friend while the brothers went back to the kitchen to reassure Ridel.
And finally, the cries of pain were replaced by silence – then the loud wailing of a newborn infant.
¤.¤.¤
All of people waiting in the kitchen relaxed, as a pale looking Paninya finally allowed them into the bedroom...
"I really hate blood..." she whimpered – but her affirmation was drowned by the baby's shouts and the other's happy whooping
When the doctor finally arrived with Dominic, he only had to perform the post-natal check on both baby and mother, and was justly impressed with the girls that had helped Satella in giving birth.
When they left the happy family the next day, Winry had a map and a letter to give to the mechanic Dominic was recommending her to, and all of them had a standing invitation to come and visit when they were nearby issued by the grumpy old man himself.
As for Winry, she had somehow reformed Paninya overnight, much to the Elric siblings disbelief...
"I only stole things to repay the old man for my legs." shrugged the girl "But I realized he gave me those legs to live a good life, not that of a thief. So I'll reform and make him proud!"
Ari had smiled at that.
While she didn't really have anything against thieves and other people who worked in the underworld what with her previous life, she was still happy with Paninya's choice. After all, family came first – and that was just what the grumpy mechanic was for the street rat...
After that, the four Elric siblings dropped Winry at her new master – a very flamboyant mechanic that soon had Ed wanting to escape – and he was even willing, as the group vouched for her, to give a chance to Paninya.
She wouldn't become a mechanic, but he did accept to give her small jobs from time to time...
Their business in Rush City done, the four alchemists were heading toward the train station when Paws wandered off. Al followed a few seconds later, visibly called over by his familiar – it soon appeared that the cat had found a man, passed out in an alley.
"He doesn't look hurt or anything." muttered Ed
"Food..." moaned the man, weakly lifting his head off the ground – and from his face, clothes, and the dao strapped in his back he visibly was Xingese
Ed sighed.
"Why are you always picking up strays?" he asked, half-accusing, half-resigned to his siblings
"Alchemists are supposed to help people, big brother Ed!" pointed out Ana
"That they are." he nodded with a sigh, Al and him helping the man up "Well, I think there's a snack bar near the train station, let's go." he indicated.
As they picked the stranger up, a new notification popped up...
[Secondary Quest! A Prince from a Faraway land...
Goal: help the stranger
Reward: +100XP per goal, unlocks Enhancement System, +1 item-leveling token]
The siblings studied a bit the man they were helping, wondering what could be so important about him that a whole quest had been launched by his presence.
A few moments later, they were seated around a table, the man eating so much food that Ari felt thankful they weren't short on money thanks to the various quests reward, while the siblings themselves were taking advantage of the stop to eat too.
"Thank you," finally said the man, pushing his empty bowl back "You really saved me!"
[Goal complete! +100XP
Goal update: find out the stranger's reason for being here]
"Think nothing of it." answered Ariana with a benign smile before her eldest brother could come up with one of usual retorts
"Still," the man smiled "It's good meet such kind people in a foreign nation!"
"Speaking of this, what's a Xingese doing here?" Ed asked somewhat rudely
"You don't look like you need automail," nodded Al along "so how did you land here?"
"I came to Amestris by the route that goes through the Xerxesians ruins," answered the other back "so Rush City was the nearest city out of the desert."
"It would have been easier to use the sea route." commented Ari seemingly innocently "It's longer but safer."
"Ah, but I wanted to see those ruins." contradicted the Xingese, unkowingly answering Al's unasked question
The siblings shared a concerned glance – happy they had taken care to erase any traces of the old array that had destroyed the country in one night.
"So you're a tourist then?"wondered Ana
"No. I came here to take a look at this country alchemy."
"What for?" wondered Ari, genuine curiosity audible in her question "I mean, Xingese alkahestry is much more advanced when it comes to healing applications. Plus alkahestry can be done from a distance, whereas Amestrian alchemy can't." a small frown "Nowadays our alchemy is more used a tool of war rather than anything else."
"You seem to know a lot, are you alchemists?"
"We are." nodded Al "But you don't seem to know a lot about your own country's alkahestry so why would you be interested in our alchemy?"
"I'm looking for something." he said, eyes suddenly glinting dangerously "And there's a lot of rumors about it in this country..."
The siblings suddenly had a bad feeling.
"You wouldn't happen to know anything about it would you? The philosopher stone?"
¤.¤.¤
Ed sighed again.
"The next time you pick up a stray," he accusingly said to his siblings "We aren't keeping it."
Al sheepishly grinned "Sorry brother."
As for Ari, she was discreetly looking around her to check nobody had heard about the stranger's demand. Luckily, the homunculi hadn't followed them to Rush City, and most people around them only cared about automail, and had as such stopped listening as soon as alchemy had been mentioned.
Still, there were two suspicious presences.
"Are the two people hidden on the roof yours?" she quietly asked to the black-haired man
His eyes flickered with surprise – and interest, before he nodded.
"They are indeed." a predatory smile "And you, my friends, must be very skilled to have felt their presence."
Ari's mouth curved into a lazy smile "Ah, that would be telling wouldn't it?" she scrutinized him "So tell me... What do you want with that rock?"
"Immortality."
She sized him up, restraining her natural reaction of wanting to snarl at the arrogant affirmation.
"If I thought you really were trying to escape Death, I would be pummeling you to the ground about right now." she stated – and her tone may be light, the tenseness of her body screamed her true state of mind "But you don't seem the type. So tell me... Why are you looking for a mean to achieve immortality?"
Behind his loud-mouth and easy going attitude, the man was far from stupid, and as such, he recognized something important.
Disgust had been the dominant emotion among the three eldest siblings since he'd brought the Red Stone topic up – a reaction so different from anyone else that it was suspicious in and of itself.
Add to that the carefully controlled reaction of the girl to the word "immortality" and he knew that one way or another those siblings knew something.
They knew something, yet didn't thread along the subject as if they wanted to keep the knowledge to themselves by greed. No they acted like people than knew about something dangerous, that shouldn't be lightly shared. And despite their inherent and obvious dislike of the topic, they still were willing to hear him out first.
And so, he opted for honesty.
"I am Ling Yao, of the Yao Clan, twelfth son of the Xingese Emperor." he started "I was raised as a warrior and a prince, and have the duty to protect my clan." a line appeared between his brow "But recently the emperor's health has started to decline, and with it, the intrigue to be declared heir to the throne increased."
"It's not simply the elder?" wondered Al, surprised
"It's not. Each of the emperor's children is the scion of a different clan, and as such, each clan is ready to push for his heir to ascend. With his health declining, the emperor said that the one who would give him the key to immortality would be named his heir."
"Which is stupid. I doubt he would give his throne to anyone if he was to become immortal." idly noted Al
"Do you think I don't know that?" asked the prince "But I've still got a duty to my clan, so if I manage something good enough that my royal father at least became healthier for a time, I would be named heir."
"So its not as much the Red Stone rather than a cure that you're looking for?"
"Yes, but even our best practitioners of alkahestry couldn't do anything for the emperor." his eyes darkened "And they paid a heavy price for their failure..."
"So you followed the rumors of the Red Stone to the ruins of Xerxes." deduced Ari "And, when coming up empty handed there, went to the next location where rumors of the Stone existed."
"Amestris." he confirmed
[Goal complete! +100XP
Goal update: help Ling Yao find an alternative to the Red Stone]
The siblings silently communicated, then Ed let out a loud sigh "Alright, alright, I get it, we're helping the stray prince..."
"We're not helping you get that stone." stated Ari "But we are willing to work with you on finding an alternative. And, if we learn to trust each other, we'll even tell you why this stone is bad news. But for now, know that going around loudly claiming you're looking for the Philosopher Stone may be dangerous."
"Right now, we're going to Dublith." continued Al "Feel free to follow us, or meet us in Central City in September."
The prince needn't think – he had already made his decision when he talked to complete strangers about the political climate of his country.
"Lan Fan, old man Fu." the two hidden warrior kneeled in front of him "We're following them." two nods, and they disappeared just as silently as they had appeared
Moments latter, the four Elric siblings and the Xingese trio were installed within a train compartment, heading toward Dublith.
¤.¤.¤
The day following the Elric's departure, Roy entered the new office his team and him had been assigned, then raised an eyebrow at the chaos reigning inside.
"What the hell is going on?" he asked Riza, who seemed the calmest among the crew
"Master sergeant Fury picked up a dog this morning. Apparently it was raining and he took pity on the pup..." she pointed at a silhouette hiding behind the door to the colonel's office "But second lieutenant Breda is afraid of dogs, lieutenant Havoc wants to eat it..." she trailed, wondering if she really had to continue
"Why did I even asked?" wondered the colonel "None of the Elric are here, is the inherent chaos that follow them everywhere leaking to you?" he asked his team, only half joking
"So, are you going to keep it?" wondered Havoc
"I can't," answered Fury forlornly "I live in the dormitory..."
"And the other idiot wants to eat him..." muttered Roy, not really meaning to be heard
"That was a joke!"
"You're still a menace for the poor beast!" he answered back
He wondered, how it had happened – somehow, between gaining back his memories of Renato Sinclair,and the Chaos force that were the Elric, he'd let himself become much more relaxed with his team as long as outsiders weren't present.
He rather liked it.
"I'll take him."
The feminine voice surprised everyone in the office – well, everyone but him. His sorella was much kinder than she let on, after all and she wouldn't let the pup be abandoned back out in the rain. Grabbing the black and white ball of fluff, she smiled "After all the Elric siblings already have more than enough pets..."
"Somehow I'm just waiting for Ana to find her own." interjected Havoc
"And none of you can, or are responsible enough..."
"What about the colonel?" asked Breda from behind his door, apparently feeling better now that Riza had the pup in her hands – after all, who would be stupid enough to invoke her ire? Even a dog should know better...
"That would be animal abuse." promptly answered Havoc
"I'll let you know that I never had ant problems with Leon." protested said colonel
"Leon is mostly self-sustaining." pointed out Riza
"Leon?" wondered Falman – echoing what the rest of the team was wondering
The question was soon answered as Leon deigned show himself to the group, letting his coloring fade from those of the shoulder he was currently sitting on.
"What the!"
"A chameleon?" muttered an incredulous Havoc
"Leon isn't just any chameleon." corrected Roy, vexed on behalf of his partner
Riza ignored them, raising the puppy in her arms to meet it's eyes "I'll name you Black Hayate."
Then, Roy realized something "Second lieutenant Breda... You do realize that we regularly share our office with both a dog and a fox? How is it that your fear of canine didn't show up before today?"
"Foxes aren't dogs." he answered easily "And Padfoot... I'm pretty sure there's no way he's a dog." he added
At the disbelieving silence following his affirmation, his eyes narrowed, as he looked at his coworkers "What? Don't tell me none of you have realized that he's way too intelligent to be an animal? I mean he gives his opinion when we talk, he knows how to do pranks, and its clear he understand our langage!"
At that, the others couldn't help but nod along.
Everyone knew that the Elric's pets were strange - but the strangest was, without a doubt, Padfoot.
The colonel and his sister shared an amused glance - of all the way their team could have started wondering about all the strange things happening around the Elric siblings in particular, and the Chaos' gamers in general - it was the dog that did it.
Roy couldn't help it, he burst out laughing, tears in his eyes.
Served the old dogfather right for calling him a stalking pedophile!