OKAY THE BADGUY HAS A NAME YAY thankyou for the few suggestions i got xD
i have a pic of my bad guy (and unfinished one of the lackeys) on my Deviant art page, ther is a link to my DA on my ff profile xD
just so you know i did a shit ton of research for this chapter, like i think i worked harder on this than i did for all my highschool homework combined! LMAO! ill try to explain some of it at the end of the chapter and i may makeup/ alter facts aswell as misunderstand stuff coz it reeaaallly is complicated! but yeah
alright more story BAM
Though she couldn't see anything Winry could feel herself being moved. First she was shoved into the back of a some sort of van. No wait, it sounded like a 1902 Amestrian Delivery Van, made by the Armstrong Automobile Co. She recognised the putter of the engine. She knew the sound because a man in Resembool owned one. He often helped her and Granny transport automail supplies from the station to their home. In exchange the Rockbells helped repair it whenever it broke down. For Winry it was love at first tinker.
But this poor machine was in bad shape and needed a service stat! The engine sounded HORRIBLE! The poor thing had lost its spark, all she wanted to do was take the baby apart and give her a good tune up. But her mechanic thoughts were interrupted when the engine she was listening to sputtered to a halt. Suddenly she was filled with a heavy feeling of dread. Oh god. She didn't know where she was, no-one did.
Up until that moment a part of her had figured Edward and Alphonse would come find her, or get the military to help... But they were just boys, and the military just men. How would they find her? Panicking, she fought against the ropes that bound her wrists, winding her mind into knots just as tight.
She jumped as the back of the van was suddenly thrown open, and light seeped in through the woven bag on her head. She turned her head back and forth trying to see through between the threads but she could make nothing out.
"W-who are you?" She called out at the shadow before her gulping as she waited for a response.
"Ya got one?" A raspy voice called from the distance. "It any good? It better be better than the last one, or else the boss'll be mad. I heard him say ya only got one more chance."
"Yeah, yeah I know. Don't you worry, this one is a good catch." A deep voice, right in front of her responded as a hand grasped her elbow. "Are we clear?"
"Yeah, we clear." the raspy voice was closer now. "Oh yeah! She does look like a good catch, got some meat on 'er bones. Better than the gangly bitches we got out back."
"Hey, what's going on?" Winry spoke clearly this time, now with two men in front of her one was bound to respond. But she was completely ignored.
"Stop your gawking and gi'mme a hand," the deep voice ordered the raspy one, "meat on the bones means heavier."
Suddenly Winry was dragged towards the opening, her knees scraping on the rough floor of the van; it stung as she could feel the skin tearing.
"Nah way man! Catching an' transporting is yer job," the raspy voice laughed and turned away, "my job is jus' ta open the door. Now hurry up an' get her inside before someone comes."
"Lazy fuck!" The deep voice cursed and pulled Winry out of the van with more strength than necessary; taking his anger out on her.
Winry screamed out in pain as she felt her shoulder twist unnaturally, but was immediately silenced as she was shoved against frame of the van. Her head throbbed in pain, as she hung from the man's grasp in a daze.
"Shut your trap, girl!" She made barely made out the words hissed at her. "If you value your life, you should be silent!"
"Ha! If ya value what's left of yer life, ya mean," the raspy voice laughed again from the side, "an' she ain't gon' have much more life left. The boss says it's happenin' tomorrow!" A creepy eagerness seeped into the man's voice. "He's goin' ta do it tomorrrow, he's gonna bring 'em an' show us the truth!"
"You shut it too, Finch!" The deep voice snarled. "You know that's a secret! Even the followers don't know about that shit. Only me, you, Bart and the boss know, lets keep it that way!"
What were they talking about? It didn't sound good, she had to get away. She ignored the fuzzy dizziness in her head and forced her limbs to cooperate. Wriggling against the man's grasp, she managed to place a foot on the ground and pull away. Just as she grasped at freedom another hand was grabbing onto her opposite elbow.
"A real wriggle worm, ain't ya?" The man named Finch giggle right in her ear, and pushed her back onto the grasp of the second man. "Thought it was yer job to transport them Zain. Ya ain't doin' it right, ya almost lost one."
"I did not almost lose one," Zain growled back as he lifted Winry and threw her over his shoulder. "You are the one not doin' his job. Now do your fucking job and get the fucking door!"
Hanging limply over the man's broad shoulder, Winry could do nothing but wait and listen. Cringing in pain with every step the man took, the bright light around her gave way to what she assumed to be the inside of a building. Each step the broad man Zain took echoed through the room, while the quiet steps of Finch on the stone floor barley made a sound.
"Hurry up man! The sermon is gonna start soon!" A loud yell of a new voice echoed through the building. The room's acoustics were so amazing, it seemed like the voice was coming from all directions.
"Oi Bart! The boss said not to yell in the church!" Finch snarled in an almost as loud voice, "tha acot- atousc-acowsti- SOUND is really loud."
"He also said to not call him boss any more," Zain growled in a tone more suitable to their surroundings, "he said to call him Pastor!"
"Nah nah, Pasta's food, ya dolt!" Finch brushed the large man's word off. "He said somthin' like priest, it totally had a 'r' in it."
"I thought it was primate," the third voice chimed in as it approached, "that has a 'r' in it."
"Haha! Nah Bart, ya got it all wrong," Finch laughed as if he was the most intelligent man in the world, "those are monkeys an' shit. Ya guys are such idiots."
Winry was dropped on the cold stone floor as the large man, Zain sighed.
"Whatever man. I'm heading back out," the deep voice headed back towards the entrance, "I'm goin' ta go try the west side of town. I hear there's an all girl's school over that ways."
After a moment of squabbling between the remaining two men, Winry heard what sounded like a trap door opening. She was forced to stand and pushed forwards only to have the ground disappear. Instinctively stepping back she, backed into a scrawny body.
"Aw sorry toots, I ain't got time to play with ya," Finch laughed amused by his own joke, "come on sweety just get in the hole!" With that last word the man shoved her forwards and she fell into the nothingness.
"Hey Sheska, Is LtCol. Hughes here yet?" Edward blurted as he burst into the room, ignoring the clang of his little brother face-palming behind him.
"Huh wha-?" Sheska jerked her head up from its spot on the desk, and looked around the room though her crooked glasses. After a moment of staring blankly at the boy, a look of recognition crossed her face. "Oh Edward. Wh-what are you doing here?"
"Looking for Hughes!" Ed snapped at the woman, glaring angrily around the very Hughes-less office. "Where is he?!"
"Sorry Sheska," Alphonse apologised for his older brother, "LtCol. Hughes asked us to meet him here. Is he not back yet?"
"Uh no, sorry boys." The woman smiled sadly as she peeled a piece of paper off her face. "He left a while ago and didn't tell me when he was going to be back."
"Oh okay then," Al's posture drooped for a moment then he glanced at his brother. After seeing his older sibling's determination he couldn't help but feel refreshed. It was going to be okay, they were just going to have to wait.
After a while of watching his brother pace, Al decided to start a polite conversation.
"Um Sheska?" When the armoured boy received a hum of a response, he continued. "What is it you are working on? Still writing up the lost files from the library's first branch?"
"Uh yeah, sort of. I've been slowly working through them, but out of the blue the Lieutenant Colonel dumps me with extra work." Sheska let out a massive exasperated sigh as she dipped her pen in the inkwell. "He picks out certain cases and insists I write them out immediately, even if I'm in the middle of another one."
"Really? Wow, th-that must be hard." Al stuttered a polite response, he was just trying to make conversation. He didn't expect to be complained at.
"Yeah it is hard," Sheska drooped her head as she adjusted her glasses. Al thought it was over until the woman sat back up, waving her pen in the air, splashing a spot of ink on his helmet. "Like this time he just comes out of the blue and tells me to write out a report on a rogue alchemist, and a report on an investigation into some religious sect. He insists they have relevance to a current case. I don't see how, one of those reports was fourteen years old!"
"Wow a rogue alchemist and a religious sect huh?" Al didn't want to trigger another rant, but was really curious.
"Yeah the alchemist was a guy named Boris Clives, he was known as the Cross Alchemist." Sheska sighed as she leaned onto her open palm, her head drooping and her eyelids following suit. "And the religion is some cult, that surfaced a while back but has really taken off recently. It's called Chrysopoeianism." At the last syllable Sheska nodded off to sleep... for a moment.
"Did you say Chrysopoeianism!?" Edward was suddenly in front of her banging his fists on the desk.
"Y-YES sir!" Sheska squeaked as she dove to catch the ink bottle from spilling on the floor, and in doing so loosing her balance and spilling it on herself.
"Brother what is it?" Al's worried voice chimed behind Edward, saving Sheska from Edwards intense glare.
"Chrysopoeia is the alchemical term for transmuting something into gold," Ed looked at his brother with an expression saying 'why didn't you notice too'
A quiet gasp sounded from inside the armour, and Alphonse reflected on what this new information could mean. Turning back to the confused woman, Ed looked her in the eye with a stern expression
"Sheska, I want you to show me everything you have on this cult."
"S-sure!" the bewildered woman rummaged through the documents covering her desk. After turning over a few pages she handed the boy the paper-clipped booklet that was requested.
When he had finished scanning the first page, Ed slid the page from its small metal restraint. His angry gaze never lessening as he slipped it behind the stack he held.
"HERE!" The boy yelled as he slapped the pages with the back of his hand. He slammed it onto the desk and poked the page with enough force to crinkle the paper. His metal finger pointing to a small coiled symbol. "I knew it! I remember reading about the Chrysopea of Cleopatra. It's a parchment of alchemical notes that date back to the 3rd century. I distinctly remember the page of symbols including one of the earliest depictions of the snake devouring its own tail; also known as the Ouroboros."
"Brother, you don't mean..."
"Yeah Al," Ed brought his hand to his chin and peered at his brother with an expression of mischief, "it's them."
"Huuuuh?" A very confused Sheska stared up at the two, her mouth hanging open with a dopey, dumbfounded expression.
"Sheska!" Ed called her name in an unnecessarily loud tone, startling the poor woman once again. "You said these documents relate to a current case right? Is it the missing girls case?"
"Uhhmm I- uhh," Her mouth showing the same intelligence as her expression, "I don't think I'm suppose to tell you that it is, OR MIGHT NOT BE! Ummm." She shot the boys a nervous grin as she internally cursed herself.
"Sheska," Alphonse sighed from inside his armour as Edward glared blankly, stopping in the middle of turning a page.
"Oh okay, fine! Yes it is." The woman sighed, there was no helping it. "Oh and apparently there is also a connection to the Cross alchemist case as well." she said as she passed the relating booklet to the metal boy, as Edward was continuing to scan through the previous one.
"Oh wow," Alphonse exclaimed as he read the first page, "apparently his alchemy isn't very strong, but he can combine different types of alchemy with ease and in doing so it becomes stronger." His brother let out a small hum in response and shifted his weight to his metal leg, not taking his eyes off the pages in his hands. After a moment of silence Al spoke again. "Apparently he got the name Cross Alchemist because he always wears a big cross shaped pendant, and is extremely religious."
"Eh really?" Ed glanced up at his metal brother for a moment. "That's weird. Alchemy is a science, it's kind of unbelievable that a scientist like that could-" the boy trailed of as he turned the page once again. "An Address! I found the address of the church and a picture... Eeeaggh, creepy and but definitely suspicious." Ed grinned up at his brother, as he returned the pages to their proper order and passed them back to Sheska. "Come on Al, lets go check it out."
And with that, both boys jogged out the door, Al calling a thanks as he closed it behind them.
"Uh oh," Sheska mumbled as she cowered in her seat, "I don't think that was suppose to happen."
poor winry, dnt worry so much... actually u prolly should worry... uh ANYHOO i hope you like this chapter, it took many hours of staring blankly and then many more of "research" then more blank staring, some procrastination and FINALLY WRITING
oh and for those who r wondering, the name of the van was all bullshit and i figured since the armstrongs are so rich they probably owned a car company or two :P
"THE ARMSTRONG AUTOMOBILE COMPANY OWNERSHIP HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN THE FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS... uh like two generations actually.."
OKAY RESEARCH STUFF!
i looked up different names of religious leaders and as soon as i saw "primate" on the list i knew there had to be a joke about it so yeah , pastor, priest, Primate and Patriarch are all actual religious leader names
Chrysopoeia is a word meaning to turn into gold. i found it on a wiki page about the ouroboros. "Cleopatra the Alchemist" who was one o the old alchemists of REAL LIFE from around the 3rd -4th century created sheet of papyrus named "Chrysopoeia of Cleopatra" it contains many symbols including one of the oldest pictures of the ouroboros, and its called the Chrysopoeia ouroboros and linked it to alchemy or something so yeah look it up and shit lol
I'm going to use a similar version of the chrysopeia ouroboros as the symbol o the church, as the ouroboros is a "serpent eating its own tail as a symbol of the eternal return" basically taking what exsists and recreating into something new. its perfect for the symbol o the church :P
BOOP im adding more Unlucky thirteen art to to my Deviant ART (link on my profile) page again soon, I have so much now that i have made a seperate folder in my gallery so its all together :P the new pic will be the three idiot lackys outsind the church OH AND THE CAT xD
AHYHOO REVIEW :D