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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFBe0Eolh48&index=49&

The narrow-eyed young man that introduced himself as a Prince, Ling, moves along to his companions, pointing them out as he introduces them.

"The old man is my retainer, Fu." he begins, before indicating the girl. "That is Lan Fan, his granddaughter, and my other retainer. Their family has been in the service of the Yao Clan for quite some time."

"And this..." Ling points to the currently headless suit of armor. "Is Barry. We met him skulking around the streets of Central just like us. And lucky we did, since he was already familiar with Lieutenant Ross here. Thanks to that, we've had the chance to meet Colonel Armstrong."

"Young master..." Fu approaches. "Are you sure we should be divulging so much information to two people we've only just met? You are aware of how dangerous it is for us to be here, yes?"

"I'm well aware, Fu." Ling replies. "But Colonel Armstrong is a noble man. If these two have his trust, they have mine as well."

"So you two know Alphonse, right?" Barry asks, as he puts back on his retrieved head. "You weren't weirded out by my body or anything."

"If that's the case, then they'll know the Fullmetal Alchemist as well." Lan Fan adds. "We want to know how he was able to put his brother's soul into a suit of armor. We asked Barry, but he has no idea how it works."

>A.Sorry, they left town

>B.Why do you want that information?

>C.Why exactly has the Colonel gone out of his way to accommodate you guys?

>D.Other

>>959492
>>A.Sorry, they left town
>>B.Why do you want that information?

>>959492
>>A.Sorry, they left town
>B.Why do you want that information?

>>959492
>>B.Why do you want that information?

Tell them that Ed and Al are trying to find a way to get Al's body back, so being a suit of armor might not be as great as they think it might be.

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>>959517
>>959523

Even if you did decide to take them to Edward, with the brothers headed to the north, that's not really possible. As for their reasoning, you've got a hunch. But you might as well ask to be sure, anyway. You sign a response to Leah.

"Sorry, but the Elric brothers left town yesterday." Leah explains. "Headed to the north. You'll have to wait until they get back. Why do you want to know how he put Alphonse's soul into the armor, anyway?"

"Oh, nothing big." Ling grins. "Just after the secret of immortality. You see, there are fifty clans that make up the Xing royal family. The Emperor takes a wife from each clan to bear his heir, which as you can imagine, creates a lot of competition when the time comes for succession. I am the twelfth prince, out of twenty four. Counting the princesses, there are forty three heirs in all. Heirs will often stop short at nothing to take out their rivals, even assassination. However, there is one foolproof way for me to take the throne. If I return to Xing with the secret of immortality, I will undoubtedly be named the next Emperor of Xing. For that reason, I have even come to Amestris despite the danger. I haven't exactly made any progress unfortunately, but it seems things are finally looking up. We can hang around for a while and catch the Elrics when they come back."

"In the worst case scenario, we can always just bring Barry back with us." Lan Fan continues. "But I'd really rather avoid that. One, we aren't sure we could figure anything out from him, and two, well... I don't want anything more to do with him than I have to."

"As cold as ever, this girl." Barry chuckles. "Hey, Xing doesn't sound so bad. Better than playing Go all day in here, and certainly better than guarding that old lab. I do miss the chopping, though... Ross, any chance of letting me take my cleaver out for a spin?"

"In your dreams, Barry." the Lieutenant replies. "You're enough trouble for me sitting in this room, you're not going anywhere, much less with that thing."

You think on Ling's answer. As you thought, like May, he's after immortality. So he probably came here after the Philosopher's Stone. Thinking about it, this is the exact type of person Yi said was his enemy. You probably want to make sure they don't meet, if nothing else.

>A.Ask Ross why they're putting up with these guys in the first place

>B.Tell them a body like Barry's or Alphonse's may not be all that hot

>C.Tell them you have no intention of helping them find the secret of immortality

>D.Other

>>959656
>B.Tell them a body like Barry's or Alphonse's may not be all that hot
>D.Other
the curse of immortality is something you do not want. no mater how much you think you do.

>>959656
>>B.Tell them a body like Barry's or Alphonse's may not be all that hot

>>959675
Second.

>>959656
>A.Ask Ross why they're putting up with these guys in the first place

>B.Tell them a body like Barry's or Alphonse's may not be all that hot

>>959675
thirding

hope your moms doing alright laze, my condolences

>>959820
Yeah man, same here.

Sorry about that guys, grandparents came over to bother me for a bit, I'll get to writing in a minute

>>959820
>>959825
She's doing okay, she's back to work now so everything looks alright. She hasn't chilled out though, so her blood pressure is probably not doing any better. I told her she needs to relax, or she's having another one

>>959903
Netflix and chill man. Just gettin' into Star Wars Rebels after losing my pupper and it's helped.

>>959675
>>959739
>>959820

You try to dissuade them from carrying through with this idea of fixing a soul to armor to gain immortality, since Ed did only do it as a last resort. You have Leah relay your thoughts for you.

"Having a body like Barry or Alphonse may not be as great as you think, you know." she tells them. "You may think you want to be immortal, but are you really prepared to live forever in a body with no feeling? You should reconsider."

Everyone is silent for a while, then Ling and Barry look at each other. They look back to you, and then start laughing.

"You're kidding me, right?" Barry asks, after calming down. "This body is great! I don't need to eat or sleep, and I never feel uncomfortable. If I lived forever like this, I really couldn't complain. I think you're getting a bit ahead of yourself in your assumptions. Maybe Alphonse has some problems with it, but that doesn't mean everyone would."

"Besides." Ling wipes a tear from his eye as he stops laughing. "I don't care about being immortal. I only want to become the Emperor. It just so happens that those with the power to make that so really want the secret of immortality. So if I can give it to them, I'll get what I want. It's as simple as that. If that leads to some problems for those individual later, well, that's their problem. I'm not becoming Emperor to help them, but my clansmen. Learning the secret to immortality is just a means to an end. I have no intention of becoming immortal myself, and if I can help it, I want to become Emperor without actually giving anyone the means to become immortal. Just returning with a valid method should be enough to earn me the position. After all, the current Emperor is old, his health failing. If he became immortal, he wouldn't die and I wouldn't be able to take his place. Whatever method I find will have to be inefficient enough to be of no help to him in time. It's just a shortcut, you know? With this, I can become Emperor without all the usual cloak and dagger business. There have been times when the heirs have killed each other down to the last man. I don't want any part of that. One little secret of immortality, and I'm done? Much better. No one even needs to actually become immortal."

"We tried to talk the young master out of it, saying that we would surely be enough to protect him while he ascends through usual methods." Fu adds. "But he insisted. Despite the danger, he would rather come here to Amestris."

"I don't get it, myself." Barry sighs. "I'd have a hell of a time chopping up all the assassins sent after me. Hey, I'd get to chop up my brothers, too. That sounds neat. I didn't have any myself, so I don't know what that's like."

You can see Ross is exhausted from having to deal with these guys.

"No end in sight..." she groans. "I'm going to be parole for these guys for months, aren't I? What did I ever do to deserve this, Colonel?"

>A.Ask why the Colonel has them here

>B.Tell Ling he should lay off

>C.Other

>>960112
>C. "There are no such things as shortcuts. Everything has a price, and what you're looking for may end up costing you more than you're willing to part with.
>A.

>>960112
>A.Ask why the Colonel has them here

brass tacks time, we can putz around with marky mark and the funky bunch later.

>>960136
>"No shortcuts, you're gonna kill your brothers, and you're gonna like it"
I know you didn't mean this, but it's what I thought of when I read that

>>960152
Good lord!

Also I can't wait for LinGreed to show up.

>>960112
Sorry to hear about everything Mini, hope all is well.

>A.Ask why the Colonel has them here

>>960162
>Mini
Man, it's been a while

>>960136
>>960138
>>960162

You figure that's enough out of them for now. You're more immediately concerned with the why. As in, why are they here? You sign to Leah, who asks that very question to Lieutenant Ross for you.

"I only ran across them by chance, and told the Colonel, who came to meet with them himself." Ross explains. "That's when they revealed that they had to stay hidden or they'd be killed. Well, you know the Colonel. He didn't believe it. So he did some digging. Turns out, it's true. The military isn't just trying to keep Xingese out, they have systems in place to dispose of any they find. They keep this off the record, usually."

"Not just that, but the military also controls the information." Ling adds. "In Xing, we don't have a whole lot of info on you guys, by virtue of not being allowed here. Mostly just secondhand. But the Colonel checked all around. The military actively disposes of any books that do more than mention the existence of Xing. That's the most almost any Amestrian knows."

"We've been able to discern the reasoning behind it, somewhat." Fu says. "Alkahestry, it seems. They seem to be trying to destroy any evidence of its existence in this country. Why, we're still not sure. But almost no one in Amestris know alkahestry even exists, and the military seems to want to keep it that way. None of us are alkahestrists, as likely is the same with countless other Xingese that have come here. Yet still we face the consequences jut for the chance that we might know about it."

"The Colonel learned about this, and well..." Ross sighs. "He did his usual shtick. Said he wasn't about to let them die over something like that. So they're under his care for now, even though he knows he'd be in hot water if anyone found out."

>A.You guys should go before the Colonel gets in trouble

>B.Then you'll help so they can get out of his hair

>C.What about Barry?

>D.We should talk with the Colonel about this

>E.Other

>>960279
>>C.What about Barry?

>D.We should talk with the Colonel about this

>>960279
>B.Then you'll help so they can get out of his hair
I follow too many quests, does Yi know Ling is here?

>>960332
Second

>>960279
laugh internal because we know Alkahestry now

>>960332
>>960336

Sounds like the Colonel you know. You should talk to him about this now that you know the situation. You do have one more question though, and you have Leah ask it for you.

"What about Barry?" she asks Ross. "Why do you have him here?"

"I... don't know." Ross mutters. "Why do we have him here? I guess he's payed nice so far, and hasn't done anything too far out of line. I mean, the alternative is just letting him go, and we can't do that. And the Colonel isn't just going to condone killing him outright. I think it's just out of convenience at this point."

"Hey, I'm being nice, right?" Barry adds. "Look, we all know I'd love to be out doing some chopping, but these ladies here are really doing things for me. I'll stay put as long as you want. And hey, if things really do hit the fan, you might need me to chop some things up after all! Sticking with these foreigners seems like it'll increase my chances. I'm sure they'll do something to reveal themselves sooner or later."

"Well, there you have it." Ross sighs again. "This is what I have to deal with. This is my life now."

"Miss Ross, you could always take a break while the young Sergeant Brosh takes over." Fu suggests. "We know this is hard on you, and we don't want to make this harder than it needs to be."

"We plan to go talk with the Colonel about this." Leah tells Ross. "We'll figure out what to do from there."

"Alright. I think I'll take up Fu's offer." the Lieutenant replies. "I'll go call Brosh over to cover for a while."

Ross heads over to the phone, and starts dialing, while waving to the two of you. The rest of the group goes back to the positions they were in before, with Ling and Lan Fan relaxing while Barry and Fu play against each other in that board game.

>A.Say something to one of them before you go (Wrote-in)

>B.Wait for Ross to get off the phone and tell her something (Write-in)

>C.Leave and head back to HQ to see the Colonel

>D.HQ might be too risky, try to see if you can see the Colonel at his house

>E.Other

>>960518
>E.Other
study the magics

>>960518
>D.HQ might be too risky, try to see if you can see the Colonel at his house

>>960574
Second.

>>960574
third

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>>960574

You want to go talk things over with the Colonel, but with everything going on, it might be too risky to go over this at HQ. No telling who could be listening. Instead, the Colonel's house might be safer. You wait until Ross is off the phone, then ask her how to get there. After a moment of hesitation, she relents and writes out the directions for you. You wave goodbye to everyone, and take your leave.

It takes a bit to get there, and once you arrive, you have to do a double take. The place is huge. A giant gate surrounds the expansive grounds, on which you can see an enormous mansion. It's easily the biggest building you've ever seen. You stop at the front gate, and the guard comes to the two of you.

"What business do you have at the Armstrong manor?"

You pull out your watch and show it to the guard, while Leah does the talking.

"This is the Silent Alchemist, and I'm his assistant." she explains. "We're subordinates of Colonel Armstrong, and we had an important matter to discuss with him that couldn't be done at military headquarters."

The guard is silent for a moment, looking the two of you over. "I'll ring for the Master."

A few minutes later, a man comes to the gate in a horse drawn carriage. He steps out, and the guard opens the gate to let you through.

"Welcome, to the Armstrong family manor." the man greets you, sparkling much like the Colonel. "My name is Philip Gargantos Armstrong, Alex is my son. I hear you're his subordinates. Please, come aboard. I'll take you to the mansion. Alex may be some time, so please relax while you wait."

You and Leah get aboard the carriage, and take in the the luxury of your surroundings.

"Yes, the military men of the Armstrong family have a long history of taking good care of their men." Philip tells you. "What brings you here to speak with Alex today, you two?"

>A.Sorry, it's classified

>B.Just need some advice from our superior

>C.We came to ask for help with a certain matter

>D.Change the subject, ask about something else (Write-in)

E.Other

>>960763
Oh, I thought you meant Mustang.
>>960763
>B.Just need some advice from our superior
>E.Talk about how helpful Armstrong has been

>>960783
>Mustang
>A Colonel

>>960791
He's a Lieutenant Colonel, it has Colonel in the title.

>>960763
>>D.Change the subject, ask about something else (Write-in)

"tell us more about the Armstrong family, im sure you have a fascinating legacy to regale us with and is it true that the Armstrong alehemicalical technique has been handed down through the generations?"

us being huge nerds will love it, but it will annoy Leah to death as we sign it to her with the bisist shit eating grin.

>>960763
>>B.Just need some advice from our superior

>>960783
>>960809
>>960828

You obviously aren't going to just out the Colonel, so you downplay your visit. Armstrong watches with curiosity as you sign to Leah.

"Sign language. How very interesting." he mutters. "It seems these days, even those with disabilities can excel in our military. That's wonderful."

"We just came to get some advice from our superior." Leah tells the man. "Colonel Armstrong has been so helpful before, sir. We can always depend on him."

"Yes, that's Alex alright." he chuckles. "When he was younger, he was a bit of a crybaby, you see. Olivier was always teasing him, calling him weak. The military has really sculpted him into a fine man now. His compassion remains, but he always stands firm for his beliefs and his subordinates. He truly does make the Armstrong family proud."

Intending to fill up some more time, you begin to sign questions to Leah about the Armstrong family. You can see her enthusiasm dull as she reads your hands.

"Sir, Iskander here is quite interested in the Armstrong family legacy." she begins. "In particular, the alchimical technique that's been said to have been passed down for generations."

"Of course!" Philip laughs. "Yes, I'll start at the beginning. Around five hundred years ago, the Armstrong family were known as sculptors. We applied our knowledge when alchemy became prevalent, becoming one of the most notable..."

The man drones on and on. You find it suitably interesting, but Leah is struggling to pay attention. The man continues his explanation even after arriving at the manor itself. He only stops once inside, and at the sight of a young girl at a piano.

"Ah, that's my darling daughter Catherine." he tells you. "So diligently practicing. It brings a tear to my eye."

As you're led through the mansion, you pass two huge women that bear a strong resemblance to the Colonel. You try to look at them as little as you can. Leah however, watches them go by with her mouth open, before turning back with a somewhat smug grin.

Eventually, you're led to a large room where you are told to take a seat. Philip entertains you, until the Colonel finally arrives.

"Father, thank you for taking care of my subordinates. I'll take it from here." Armstrong says, as his father leaves. "Well? Now you know the situation."

>A. What do you intend to do about them?

>B.We have another thing we need to do

>C.There's actually even more going on

>D.Other

>>960938
>smug grin
What why is she smug!
>C.There's actually even more going on

>>960938
>C.There's actually even more going on

Eating dinner guys, gonna be a little bit

>>960950
That's the first time she's ever seen a girl taller than her

>>960938
>>C.There's actually even more going on
the fact

I think its time to fill in our other CO about the craziness happening in our happy little family.

>>960972
Oh thank god, I thought she was going to mistranslate our sign language to ask Armstrong about his beautiful sisters.

I wish I had the errands picture.

>>960950
>>960952
>>960980

The Colonel seems convinced that things are all out in the open now. You hate to be the one to burst his bubble, but you decide it's finally time to fill him in. You sign over the explanation to Leah.

"Sir, there's actually quite a bit about the situation that you still don't know." she begins. "Lieutenant Colonel Mustang has been working to uncover the military's secrets for some time now, and we've found some things even more disturbing than you have."

"Hm? Surely you can't be serious?" Armstrong raises an eyebrow. "I thought I had uncovered a terrible secret here. I'm hesitant to hear what might be worse, but I'll brace myself. Go on."

Leah goes on to explain everything that's happened on your end so far. From the confrontation with the homunculi to the excursion under Central, and about the connection between the Fuhrer and Father. After finishing, the Colonel sits with his face down, held in his hands.

"I was already doubting. With the truth of the Philosopher's Stone, and the information lockdown on Xing." Armstrong begins shaking. "But this... The entire military is compromised. The Fuhrer, and who knows who else up at the top... The institution that I dedicated my life to is just a sham... All the pawns of some inhuman monsters!"

Armstrong shoots up from his seat. His expression is one of determination.

"I won't stand for this." he goes on. "My allegiance is to the country and it's people. I won't have them be toyed with from the shadows. I will join your effort. I'll try to do what I can to let Mustang know I am with him. Perhaps through Hughes might be feasible... Iskander, Leah. Thank you for telling me all of this. I was conflicted before, but no longer. I know that something now must be done. I already have a lot on my plate, but I can still find ways to help. If you ever need anything, just say the word."

>A.Actually, we do need your help with an alibi

>B.Ask what he has planned for Ling's group

>C.Other

>>961186
>A.Actually, we do need your help with an alibi
>B.Ask what he has planned for Ling's group

>>961186
>>A.Actually, we do need your help with an alibi

>B.Ask what he has planned for Ling's group

>C.Other
inform him that it would be best if he still plays the part of the "uninformed good little soldier" as right now he is mostly beyond suspicion from the higher ups,

>>961220
>961220
Second

>>961211
>>961220
>>961288

You're glad that you finally brought the Colonel up to speed. It feels good to know he's got your back. And now, it will be easy to move to the next topic. You sign to Leah.

"Sir, we actually do need your help with something." she tells the Colonel. "We need an alibi. We were going to go down to Resembool to see the Elric's father, and ask him how he's involved with the man we saw under Central. But it might look suspicious for us to just leave."

"Ah, I understand." Armstrong replies. "Don't you two worry. By tomorrow, I'll have a 'mission' for you, and you'll head on a train eastward. No muss, no fuss. Just come by my office in the morning."

"One other thing, Sir." Leah adds. "Just what did you have planned for Ling's group?"

The Colonel's confident smile fades somewhat, and you can see a bead of sweat form on his forehead.

"Well... nothing." Armstrong admits. "It's a bit embarrassing, but taking them in was a spur of the moment decision. I wanted to keep them safe from the injustice I had discovered, but my measures up to now are merely temporary solutions, I know. I'm not even sure if I want to help them with their goal at all. I need some time to consider. Perhaps they could prove to be valuable allies in the future? Somehow? I feel terrible for placing this burden on the Lieutenant while putting in so little thought. While you two are off in Resembool, I'll consult with Ling. Maybe we can work out something mutually beneficial."

"Thank you for your help, Sir." Leah says. "Also, Iskander says you should probably still act as if you don't know anything. It might be best to keep you from any suspicion."

"Noted." Armstrong smiles, sparkling once more. "Those higher-ups will never suspect a thing!"

You finish your little chat, and the Colonel shows you out. On the way, you see his father and thank him.

After the long walk out to the gate, you and Leah find your way back home and eat before returning to your room. You pack up for the trip to Resembool tomorrow, then turn in early to get plenty of sleep.

That's all for tonight guys, I'll be back to run again tomorrow

>>961426
night laze

The morning comes, and the two of you head out after eating. You go straight to headquarters, and make your way to Colonel Armstrong's office. In side, you see him sitting behind his desk, with a man you recognize as Mustang's subordinate, Warrant Officer Falman to the side.

"Excellent timing, you two." Armstrong greets you. "You know Warrant Officer Falman, I'm sure. He's taken the liberty of filling me in on a discovery that's been made. You see, we've gotten word of one Tim Marcoh being sighted in a small town to the east. Dr. Marcoh was a researcher that went AWOL many years ago, so I'd like you to investigate."

You of course, already know about Dr. Marcoh. The Colonel himself was present when you met him. Though you suppose few others know about that. You see Falman doing something with his hands to grab your attention. Once he's sure you're looking, he signs to you. He seems to have gotten a lot better. He signs that they tried to find Marcoh at his house some time ago, but he wasn't there. He goes on to add that nobody should know that they know that yet, so this alibi should work just fine.

The news that Marcoh is missing is a bit worrying, but this should at least be perfect to cover for your trip to Resembool.

"Understood, Sir." Leah replies. "We'll investigate the matter immediately and get back to you."

The two of you take your leave, and head right for Central station. The route is easy enough, a train to East City, then a transfer south. It takes a bit of time, but you reach Resembool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASWcIZWmXfk&

"This is a bit farther away than our supposed destination." Leah tells you, as you step off the platform. "So we should try not to dally, if possible. Don't want to raise any suspicion."

>A.Check the Elric house

>B.Head to the Rockbell automail shop, Winry's grandma will know where to find him

>C.He might be at the grave again

>D.Other

>>962817
>C.

>>962817
>B.Head to the Rockbell automail shop, Winry's grandma will know where to find him

Alright, waited long enough. First reply decides B or C

>>962868
>B.Head to the Rockbell automail shop, Winry's grandma will know where to find him

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>>962882

You decide to start your search at the Rockbell automail shop. Winry's grandmother should be able to point you to Hohenheim, but it also might just be nice to get an actual conversation in this time. You may want to take care of things here quickly, but it's still not as much of a rush as last time.

The two of you make your way down the road, and eventually come to the hill on which the shop sits. The dog from before with the automail leg gets up from his lazing when he sees you, and starts barking to inform its owner of your arrival.

"Alright Den, I'm coming." you hear from inside. "I hear you already, knock it off, would ya?"

The short old lady opens the door and greets you face to face.

"Well hello there." she smiles. "Aren't you that young couple from before, when Ed and Al came to get patched up?"

"That's right, Mrs. Rockbell." Leah replies. "Iskander Steiner and Leah Crawford."

"And you couldn't talk, that's right." the woman puffs on her pipe a bit. "By the way, just call me Pinako. None of that Mrs. Rockbell. Come in, come in."

You're led inside, where Pinako sits the two of you down, while she goes to fix some tea.

"It's been quite lonely these days, with only Den to keep me company." she tells you. "Winry is off getting some experience working in Rush Valley. Or she was, anyway. She left up north after hearing that those Elric brothers went that way without telling her. She was fortunate enough to catch them yesterday before it was too late, I hear. Good thing too, that stupid brat Ed nearly froze himself to death by having the wrong automail."

"Well, listen to me ramble on. You probably didn't come here to chat with me." Pinako sets some tea in from of you and Leah. "What can I do for the two of you?"

>A.Ask where you can find Hohenheim

>B.Ask what she knows about Hohenheim

>C.Other

>>962924

>B.Ask what she knows about Hohenheim

>A.Ask where you can find Hohenheim

>>962924
>A.

>>962924
>>A.Ask where you can find Hohenheim
>B.Ask what she knows about Hohenheim

>>962950
>>962960

You consider trying to find out if Pinako can tell you anything that might be strange about Hohenheim, but you decide against it. She could get suspicious, or you might give the wrong impression or something like that. It'd probably be better to just talk only to the man himself. You sign to Leah to ask of his whereabouts.

"Well actually, we happen to have come for the same reason as last time." Leah explains. "We need to talk with Hohenheim again. Rather, this time it's a bit more purposeful than before. Do you know where he might be right now?"

"So you want to see that old man again, huh?" Pinako raises an eyebrow. "From what I heard, your last encounter didn't get much out of him. But don't worry, you're in luck. I don't know where he is right now, but I know where he'll be tonight. He'll be right here. It's our drinking night. And we'll see if we can't loosen those lips a bit to make it easier for you guys, huh? So you just relax here until he comes around."

You and Leah thank the old woman, then chat with her for a few hours until evening comes. You hear the dog bark again, and Pinako goes to answer the door. In steps Hohenheim. You can tell he's a bit surprised to see the two of you.

"You two again?" he asks. "The boys aren't here, are they? What are you doing out this way by yourselves?"

>A.Say you're just visiting, and just hang around for a while

>B.Tell him you need to discuss something with him in private

>C.Tell him you want to know why there's a doppelganger of him creating homunculi

>D.Other

>>963026
>>B.Tell him you need to discuss something with him in private

>>963026
>B.

>>963026

>B.Tell him you need to discuss something with him in private

"ever have one of those days where you feel like you've met someone before when you really haven't, we have."

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>>963035
>>963037
>>963057

You want to talk with Hohenheim alone, so as not to get Pinako involved, if you can help it. You can only hope he'll be a bit more cooperative this time around. You have Leah relay your message.

"Hohenheim, we have some very important things to discuss." she begins. "But the nature of the topic is a bit of a secret. We'd like to converse in private, if you don't mind."

"I mind that it's keeping me from my drink." Hohenheim replies sarcastically. "Pinako, I'll just step out for a minute. Can you get me some scotch for when I'm done with them?"

"Sure thing, old man." Pinako grins, as she heads back to a cupboard. "Don't take too long, or the ice'll melt."

With that, Hohenheim steps outside, and the two of you follow. You go around to the back side of the house, where Hohenheim leans up against the wall.

"Alright, what is it that you two want this time?" he asks, as he looks lazily up at the sky. You can still see the vestiges of color left over from the sunset. "Yet another inquiry into alchemy, I presume? I heard you weren't satisfied with my answer before, but when you don't ask anything specific, then you'll get a vague answer."

>A.Only tell him that you met someone that looks just like him

>B.Add some context, tell him that he was called Father and was in a series of tunnels under Central

>C.Tell him everything, that Father supposedly created the homunculi, and is controlling the military

>D.Other

>>963150
>C.

>>963150
>>C.Tell him everything, that Father supposedly created the homunculi, and is controlling the military

"cards on the table sir, you don't have to do anything but any info you can give us would be great particerly who he is how he can cancel our alchemy and how to kick his ass from here to xing"

>>963159
>>963251

Father said Hohenheim was one of his sacrifices. Between that and their similar appearance, it's too much to say that he isn't already involved. You decide to lay out everything for him. The more you tell him, the more he might be willing to tell. You begin to sign your explanation to Leah.

"Sir, we came here today to ask you about your connection to a man called Father who looks almost exactly like you." Leah begins. "We found him while exploring tunnels under Central. He wouldn't tell us why he looked like you, but he did reveal that he's manipulating the military in secret, and created artificial humans, homunculi."

Hohenheim seems stunned for most of the explanation, but his eyes widen at the mention of homunculi.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-GWaFYgXM0&index=34&

"What? Created homunculi..." the man mutters to himself. "Then if you're telling the truth, there's no doubt. He's here, in Amestris. No, not even just that, controlling it, you say."

Hohenheim suddenly runs past you and into the house.

"Pinako, where do you keep a map?" he shouts, rummaging through some drawers.

"You know I don't have a map here, you'll have to run home and get one." the old lady replies. "What do you even need it for, anyway?"

But Hohenheim is gone out the door and down the road without ever answering the question.

"His drink is still here waiting for him, what is he thinking, running off now?" Pinako sighs. "Just what did you two tell that old coot?"

>A.Wave it off and wait for Hohenheim to return

>B.Run after him, try to catch up

>C.Tell Pinako what Hohenheim freaked out about

>D.Ask just what the relationship is between the two of them

>E.Other

>>963355
>B.
Hopefully we can bring him back to Pinako's after we get the map he might be distracted when we get to his house

C-can Hohenheim even get drunk?
>>963355
>B.Run after him, try to catch up
>E.Have Leah ask about D, then catch up

>>963355


>E.Other apologize for interrupting their drinking night

>B.Run after him, try to catch up

>>963390
seconding this >>963390

>E.Have Leah ask about D, then catch up

as well if we need to ask him anything we can write it down it may not be as fast or efficient but we can still get a point across

>>963367
>>963390
>>963400

You're about to run right after Hohenheim, but you do feel kind of bad for interrupting their drinking night. You sign to Leah to stay here and apologize for you, and maybe chat with Pinako while you go after Hohenheim. Maybe ask what the connection is between the two of them. You tell her you'll bring Hohenheim back in a bit.

With that done, you take off down the road, toward the Elric house. When you arrive, you go through the door to see Hohenheim at a table. He's got a map of Amestris in front of him, and is making some marks with a pen. However, his expression is one of frustration.

"It's no use. I can't figure it out." Hohenheim says once he sees you. "I don't have enough information to make out exactly what points he's working with. Just looking at the map isn't telling me enough. I'm sure it's his plan, though. Just like before..."

>A.Ask who Father really is

>B.Ask just what Hohenheim thinks his plan is

>C.Ask what information he's missing

>D.Have Hohenheim come back to Pinako's and talk there over drinks

>E.Other

>>963482
>>B.Ask just what Hohenheim thinks his plan is

>>C.Ask what information he's missing

>>963482
C, A, B

>>963487
This

>>963482
>A.Ask who Father really is
>B.Ask just what Hohenheim thinks his plan is
>C.Ask what information he's missing

>>963482
>A.Ask who Father really is

>B.Ask just what Hohenheim thinks his plan is

>C.Ask what information he's missing

>>963487
thirding this order of events

>>963486
>>963487
>>963492
>>963499
>>963501
>>963512

Taking out your notepad, you quickly right out a series of questions for Hohenheim. He seems to be onto something, and you need to know what.

"What is the true identity of the man that looks like you, 'Father'?" Hohenheim reads the note aloud. "What is it that you think he's planning? What information are you missing?"

Hohenheim pulls back from the note, then leans back in his chair. He's silent for a while, presumably lost in thought.

"That one that calls himself Father is a homunculus. The first homunculus." Hohenheim eventually answers. "I still don't know exactly how they managed to do it, but they pulled a bit of the material from beyond the gate. They mixed my blood with it, and it created him. Presumably, that's why he takes my form. Or perhaps it's just sentiment. If he truly can feel such a thing. As for his plan, if he's manipulating Amestris from the shadows, then he likely intends to recreate his destruction of Xerxes."

Xerxes? You've heard of it, of course. the once great country in the desert to the east. They were supposedly very powerful, but the legend goes that they disappeared in a single night. Hohenheim says that was Father's doing? Yet he said Father was created with his blood.

"I looked at the map to try and figure out how he's lining everything up, but I don't know enough." Hohenheim goes on. "I would need to know all about every major battle this country has ever been involved in, and I only have a cursory knowledge. And some of the things I know conflict, even. I can't even begin to develop a countermeasure this way. Is there even enough time left?"

Hohenheim takes off his glasses and puts a hand to his face.

"I could really use that drink right about now."

>A.Head back to Pinako's with him

>B.Hold on, how was Father created from you, but still responsible for Xerxes' destruction? Who are you?

>C.Why do you need to know where battles were fought?

>D.I think I know someone with access to all the info you need

>E.Other

>>963613
>A.
Then with the pad and paper on the way back
>B.
>D.

>>963613

>>963630
seconding this but add

>A
Then with the pad and paper on the way back
>B
>C
>D

File: Xerxes.png (2.05 MB, 1385x778)

2.05 MB PNG

>>963630
>>963667

You have more you want to ask, but it can be done on the way back. Don't want to deny this man his drink any longer than you have to. He puts his glasses back on, stands up from his chair, then fold the map up and puts it in his pocket. The two of you then leave and head down the road.

On the way, you show him the other things you've written down. He holds up a lantern as he reads.

"How was Father created from you, but still responsible for Xerxes' destruction? Who are you?" Hohenheim reads aloud again. "I think I know someone with access to all the info you need, but why do you need to know where battles were fought?"

Hohenheim takes a bit to answer again, scratching his beard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8SfncLB964&index=58&

"Everyone in Xerxes really did disappear in a single night. It's not just a legend." he tells you. "I know because I was there. I am almost four hundred and fifty years old now."

This revelation makes you stop in your tracks for a moment, but Hohenheim just keeps walking, so you catch up with him as he continues his explanation.

"The king of Xerxes desired immortality. That's why he asked how to obtain it to the dwarf in the flask. The homunculus." Hohenheim goes on. "And he hid exactly as he was told. He made a giant transmutation circle around the entire country. At certain points, he killed hundreds of people, letting their blood soak into the land. And when it was done, he made every person in Xerxes into a Philosopher's Stone. The homunculus tricked the King, however. He told him to stand in a certain place, that it was the center of the circle. But the true center was elsewhere. It was where I stood, holding the homunculus. And so, the two of us were made into Philosopher's Stones. I can only assume he intends to repeat himself with Amestris. But unless I can identify the circle, we don't have any hope of stopping him. If you could get me the necessary information, I just might be able to come up with something. If not, well... Everyone in this country will die."

You've reached Pinako's house, and Hohenheim goes in, but you stay put. Thinking over what this means. Father intends to put a giant transmutation circle around Amestris, and use the souls of everyone in it to make a Philosopher's Stone. Can something so ridiculous even be true? As much as you don't want to believe it, you know you can't waste any time doubting. If that really is their plan, the lives of everyone in Amestris are on the line.

"Isk, what are you doing?" you hear Leah from inside. "Stop standing there and come in."

You do as you're told, and watch Hohenheim take a seat. He pounds down his watered down scotch instantly, then goes to pour some more.

"What was that all about?" Pinako asks, drinking some alcohol of her own. "You were running like it was the end of the world, or something. Incredible, considering your age."

>A.Tell Pinako that she's in danger here in Amestris

>B.Tell her it was nothing

>C.Other

>>963896

>A.Tell Pinako that she's in danger here in Amestris

"time for a nice vacation granny"

>>963896
>A.Tell Pinako that she's in danger here in Amestris
Aerugo is nice this time of year.

Sorry about the wait guys, had to fix myself some dinner, since everyone went and ate without telling me

Writing now

>>964122
At least it's not errands.

>>963929
>>963962

You don't intend to spill all the details, but if you can get this old lady to leave Amestris, she'll be safe. Even in the worst case scenario. You sign to Leah, who is confused, but relays your message without asking anything.

"Pinako, you're in danger here in Amestris." she tells the woman. "You should really get out of the country. At least for a while. Like a vacation."

"Ehh? You want me to anywhere at my age?" she scoffs. "You must be crazy. Besides, I can't just leave this place. I need to be here so Winry and the boys have a place to come back to. God knows those boys won't go home."

"Let her be, kids." Hohenheim sighs. "Pinako. I'll do what I can, but it may not be enough. If it really comes down to the wire, I'll tell you again."

"Shove it, old man." the woman grins as she replies. "You know just how stubborn I am, I'm not going anywhere."

"Well, we'll see." Hohenheim mutters. "We still have a bit of time. We can hope it'll be enough. Depends on just what kind of scale we're looking at. Iskander, right? I need you to get me that information as soon as possible. We don't have any time to waste. You should head back first thing in the morning. For now, let's just try and relax. Lighten the mood a bit. I know things may seem bleak now, but worrying won't help any."

You decide to take his advice, and take it easy, at least for tonight. Leah is still confused, so you take the time to sign an explanation to her. She's just as shocked at all these revelations as you were, and you imagine the silent conversation between the two of you must look quite strange to your hosts. By the end of it, Leah is clearly stressed out.

"I thought the conspiracy was bad enough as it was..." she sighs. "This is it, right? It doesn't get even crazier, does it?"

"It should be." Hohenheim answers. "I can't think of any further he could go with this."

"Don't even want to know what you're talking about." Pinako butts in. "You look like you could use something to calm you nerves, girl. Here, take a glass."

Pinako pours a glass and puts it in front of Leah. She hesitates for a while, reaching out for the glass very slowly.

"Just this once..." Leah says. "Not going to make a habit of this, but I don't see myself sleeping tonight without a bit of help."

You're pretty sure Leah's never drunken alcohol in her life, but she downs it like a natural. You decide to keep an eye on her so she doesn't get carried away.

The night goes on, and you spend it joking around with Pinako and Hohenheim, almost able to forget about the truth you learned earlier in the evening. Eventually, Leah can't stay awake any longer, and it's called there.

"Alright, I'm headed home." Hohenheim tells you, as he heads out the door. "Get that info to me as soon as you can."

"I've got plenty of room here, I'll get something together for the two of you." Pinako says, before grinning. "Separate rooms, this time around. Can't have you taking advantage of the young lady."

I know it's a bit early, but that's it for tonight. See you guys tomorrow

>>964207
Thanks for the run Laze, good night.

>>964207
thanks again for running laze have a good night

>>964197
Thanks for running.

What happens when alchemists attempts to perform transmutation without full array/circle?

Nationwide transmutation circle would have easily over 1000 kilometres length, not counting inner lines.
There is no way military could protect it all.
Maybe we only need to destroy it at few points and wait for Father to kill himself by rebound form using incomplete circle.

It takes you a while to get to sleep, as the weight of Hohenheim's reveal is still on your mind. However, you eventually doze off into a fairly peaceful sleep. When morning comes, you head out of the spare room you were lent to find Pinako frying up some breakfast.

You're surprised to see Leah isn't here, as she has almost always woken up before you. You actually have to go to her room and drag her out of bed to the dining room table. Describing her as groggy would be an understatement, though you find it odd that Pinako seems none the worse for wear, since she easily drank over twice as much. You all eat, and by the time Leah has stumbled through breakfast, she seems to more or less be back in working order. Save for the occasional rubbing of her temples. The two of you get ready to head out, and thank the old woman for her hospitality.

"It was nothing." Pinako waves you off. "The Elric brothers are like my own grandkids, and if you're their friends, then I'll always be willing to help out. Come back anytime, you hear? We can drink together again."

"We'll see about that." Leah sighs, holding her head. "Next time we come to visit, I should have a bit better judgement."

The two of you say your farewells, then make your way to the train station. You catch the train to East City, and then transfer to Central. Leah is actually asleep for a good portion of the ride this time. But the ride is long, and by the time you pull into Central station, she's as alert and focused as she's ever been. The two of you step off onto the platform.

"So you told Hohenheim that you'd get back to him with that information." Leah says. "But we already went out of our way just to go see him this once. Should we try and get out of town again once we know, or call him to come here? We might be able to send someone else his way, too. Of course, we need to get the info first. Now how do we go about that..."

>A.First thing, head back to Armstrong and report on your "mission"

>B.Hughes works in records, right? He'll have the info we need

>C.Looking into the records might raise some suspicion, what about someone that already knows the info?

>D.Try to meet with someone offline to discuss your findings first (Write-in)

>E.Other

>>966157
>B.Hughes works in records, right? He'll have the info we need

>>966157
>>B.Hughes works in records, right? He'll have the info we need

>>966157
>A.First thing, head back to Armstrong and report on your "mission"

>B.Hughes works in records, right? He'll have the info we need

Need to not arouse suspicion. Also lets see if we can keep hughs safe.

File: Sheska.jpg (24 KB, 640x480)

24 KB JPG

>>966192
>>966253

Putting aside the matter of how to inform Hohenheim, you think about the best way to get the information in the first place. One place in particular crosses your mind as the most likely, and you think you have an in. You sign your idea to Leah.

"Hughes? I think he does work in records, yes." Leah contemplates as you walk. "He should be able to point us to where we can find the information we need. We don't know how tight they might have cracked down on him, though. Not anywhere near as hard as Mustang of course, but we'll have to be careful and keep our eye out."

The two of you make your way to Records, where you find a girl in glasses filling out a giant stack of paperwork. She looks positively exhausted.

"Excuse me, we're looking for Lieutenant Colonel Hughes." Leah tells the girl, as you present your watch. "We need to speak with him."

"Huh? Oh! Yes, of course!" the girl shoots up from her seat, as if being asked something of was a shock. "I'll be right back."

The girl runs into another room, shouting for the Lieutenant Colonel. There doesn't seem to be many people here right now, which you expect is lucky for the girl, since they'd probably get pretty annoyed.

"What is it, Sheska? There's no way you finished all that work already." you hear Hughes as he comes into the room. "Hey, Iskander and Leah, good to see you!" Did you need to see me for something?"

>A.Ask if it's alright to talk here

>B.Just say you need access to some records

>C.Ask where you can find records on major battles the military has been involved in

>D.Ask if he can talk to you in private

>E.Other

>>966311
>>B.Just say you need access to some records

>>966311
>A.Ask if it's alright to talk here

We got to be sneaky

>>966311
>B.Just say you need access to some records

>>966312
>>966345

You decide it'd be best not to divulge anything, at least not now. You can go through and find the information yourself. You sign your simple message to Leah.

"We just need to access some records." she tells Hughes. "We need to look something up."

"Is that so..." Hughes narrows his eyes. You're sure he wants to know what's up, but he lets it go. "That should be fine. Sheska here did work so diligently to reproduce them, so might as well make use of them, right? Follow me."

Hughes takes you to a room in the back, that's absolutely packed full of books as far as the eye can see. Every bit of every single wall is covered in shelves and shelves of books, not including the rows of shelves set up in the middle of the room.

"Knock yourselves out, kids." Hughes laughs. "Tell me when you leave, so I can lock back up, alright?"

With that, you and Leah are left to browse through on your own.

"Well then..." Leah sighs, picking up a book from the nearest shelf. "Might as well get started."

>Roll 1d100, first three

Rolled 6 (1d100)

>>966400

Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>966400

Rolled 86 (1d100)

>>966400

>>966410
thank you anon

>>966410

You comb through the records, looking for mention of battles. You're able to narrow down your search to a couple of relevant shelves, and it makes your job much easier. The records go back pretty far, but there's very little on the time directly around the country's founding, so there's a chance you could have missed something there. However, you're confident you've taken note of every other possible conflict in the country's history. From the conquests of Riviere and Cameron, to the shutdown of Hakuro's rebellion. There are actually a whole lot. So many in fact, that you can't make heads or tails of it. If you were to plot these out on a map, it would look like swiss cheese. You don't know exactly what can qualify a point, but Hohenheim said they used hundreds of deaths back in Xerxes. Almost every one of these conflicts has quite a bit more casualties than that, so you're not sure. You do add death counts to your notes when they're available, in case they might help. Most of these battles likely aren't relevant, but you're not the one who can make that determination anyway, so you just record everything. Hohenhiem will be able to pick the important ones out, and it's much better than missing anything that could potentially have been a key to solving this mystery.

By the time you're done, it's nightfall. Incredibly enough, you managed to get all the info you needed in a single day. When you saw the records room, you were sure you'd be coming back for a while. You and Leah exit the room to find Sheska almost done with her work, the huge stack reduced to just a few papers now. Leah calls for Hughes, and he locks the records room up behind you.

"Alright then." he says, smiling. "You find everything you need?"

>A.Sure did

>B.Thank him for the help

>C.Ask if he can get together later to talk about things

>D.Ask how things are going on his end

>E.Other

>>966531
>A.Sure did
>B.Thank him for the help
>D.Ask how things are going on his end

>>966531
>A.Sure did
>B.Thank him for the help
>D.Ask how things are going on his end

>>966547
Seconding

>>966547
>>966561

You shoot Hughes a smile, while signing your reply to Leah.

"We did." she tells the man. "Thank you for your help, Lieutenant Colonel. By the way, how have things been going for you lately?"

"Well, Gracia and Elicia are as darling as ever! But that goes without saying, I'm sure." Hughes begins, barely containing his enthusiasm. "As for work, uneventful. It's just me, Sheska, and Captain Focker around here these days, and Focker didn't even come in today. Had some family business. So it can get pretty boring. I'm sure you've already heard, but they took the Colonel and I off the Scar case. That was my big chance to move up too, what a shame. They went and stuck me back here, big old dead end that records is. I won't be seeing any upward movement here for years unless something crazy happens. Anyway, they put that guy Kimblee on the Scar case, you know. The unhinged guy. Heard you saw him in New Optain, weird that they'd give him this job, right? He was even in jail for a while, no one knows what they were thinking, letting him out. Well, I asked around. Apparently they put him there as a mole. It was thanks to him they were able to quash the matter so quickly. But then you get to thinking, why would they let it come to fighting at all if they had a man on the inside? It doesn't make any sense. I say stay wary if you come across that one. In other news, I haven't got a chance to talk with Roy at all. They've kept him completely swamped this whole time. I don't envy him, as much as I complain about things here. Anyway, you guys take care, alright?"

You say your farewell the Hughes, then leave.

"Alright, we have the information." Leah says. "Now how do we move next?"

>A.Let's just head right back to Resembool and give it to him

>B.It's too risky to leave now that we've been back to Central, let's call Hohenheim here

>C.We haven't told anyone about this yet, and we really should. Once we do that, someone under less suspicion can go convey these to Hohenheim

>D.Other

>>966686
>>C.We haven't told anyone about this yet, and we really should. Once we do that, someone under less suspicion can go convey these to Hohenheim

We should see the Elric brothers. Maybe a fresh pair of eyes can reveal something we missed.

>>966686
>A.Let's just head right back to Resembool and give it to him

>>966686
>>C.We haven't told anyone about this yet, and we really should. Once we do that, someone under less suspicion can go convey these to Hohenheim

>>966718
They're out of town, anon. Up north right now

>>966718
>>966721

Okay, I kind of screwed up not prompting a choice about who to see, and like I said, the Elrics aren't available

So, first reply to this post decides between A and C, and if you choose C, pick someone in Central to tell about what you've learned

>>966845
A

>>966857

While you consider telling someone else, then having a proxy convey the information for you, you'd rather quickly get to the heart of the matter. You can let everyone else know once Hohenheim figures everything out. Besides, you kind of want to be there in person for it.

You haven't gotten back to the Colonel yet, so you hope you still have some kind of deniability. If anyone asks, you can just say you were looking through the records for your mission. Decided, you and Leah head right on back to Central station to catch the overnight train. You briefly think on the fact that you've taken the train more in the past couple of months than the rest of your life combined by a huge margin.

After the familiar train ride, you come to the equally familiar town of Resembool. Since Hohenheim is expecting you, you assume he'll actually be at his house this time.

As you walk down the road towards the Elric residence, you see a whole bunch of tents set up in a field in the distance. You see a soldier or two walking here or there. From what you catch of a villager's conversation, tensions are reaching a boiling point again with Ishval, and some soldiers will be mobilizing from here if things go hot. A lot of the villagers are worried about such a scenario occurring it seems, but they continue on with their daily lives. You wonder to yourself if an attack on Ishval could constitute another point in Father's circle.

You eventually reach the house, and knock. Hohenheim opens the door, and lets the two of you inside. You hand him your notes, and he starts marking another map. You and Leah wait in silence as he works. He eventually stops, and sighs.

"Assuming he could be anywhere from done with the circle to two points away from completion, there are about twelve different layouts we could be looking at." Hohenheim tells you. "We don't even know the size of the circle, and there are points all over that could fit the requirements from the past three hundred years or so. This degree of redundancy... Is it part of his plan? To throw anyone off his trail?"

Hohenheim looks at the map again.

"If we take the circle at the widest possible point, add in these skirmishes in other countries..." Hohenheim mutters as he makes some marks. "This layout is only missing two points, at Leore and Southern Ishval. Given the soldiers that have just arrived, it could very well be this one."

You look at the map. The circled area includes quite a large amount of neighboring countries, particularly Drachma, and just about all of Ishval.

>A.How could he maintain a circle that huge, outside of Amestris even? It must be smaller

>B.If this is the conclusion you've come to, let's roll with it

>C.Raise an objection to this particular layout

>D.Other

>>966978
>B.If this is the conclusion you've come to, let's roll with it

>>966978
>>A.How could he maintain a circle that huge, outside of Amestris even? It must be smaller

I went to eat dinner, but we still seem to be at a stalemate here. So, first reply decides it

B, we're going to start acting under the assumption that this is the circle

Or A, we're not quite sure

>>967270
B

Anyone got the map of Laze!Amestris?

>>967297

It's hard to believe that Father could maintain a circle this big, and with so much of it outside Amestris. But if this is the conclusion that Hohenheim has reached, then you'll follow it. You sign to Leah to tell Hohenheim that you'll work with this. Leah nods in understanding, but looks back at the map. For some reason, she seems... dissatisfied. She drops it though, and relays your message.

"So we'll act on this, then." she tells Hohenheim. "Assuming this is in fact the circle being used, what would your plan be to stop it?"

"Stopping him from activating the points themselves may be an exercise in futility." Hohenheim says. "You could try it, but with all the influence he has, there's no doubt he will find some way of getting enough people to die at the right spot. You could try to obstruct the circle itself, but I don't think that's a good idea, either. We don't even know where it really is, and even if we did, the circle is the most crucial part of the plan. It's likely being protected more securely than anything else. In my opinion, trying to obstruct it is more likely to get you killed than anything."

"Then what should we do?" Leah goes on. "You do actually have a plan, don't you?"

"I have a plan." Hohenheim assures. He looks at his arm, then up to his open hand, as he clenches his fist. "I'll have to depend on them. The only question is if there's enough time. That's a lot of ground to cover, and we don't know when he'll try to pull it. Though maybe with a bit of research, I could narrow it down..."

Hohenheim looks at the map again, his expression hardening more than ever.

"But... If I start this countermeasure now, and this isn't the right circle, then it's over." he tells you. "For me to reverse the transmutation, I need everything to be in the right spot. If I leave the souls I have in me in the wrong locations, there are no second chances. The reverse transmutation will fail, and that will be the end of it. Damn him, he knew this would happen. It's like taking a shot in the dark. And we only have one bullet. Can you two make absolutely sure this is the right circle? If we can find the physical circle itself, or confirm all of these points have been used, that would be enough. But I think we're short on time. If I'm right, he's intentionally kept the points from all being used down to the wire, so as to minimize the time I could set up a countermeasure. I still don't know if I could cover this much ground if I left today. I might need some help, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

>A.We'll help you out

>B.Hold on, just what have you been going on about needing to do for the countermeasure?

>C.Ask Leah what's on her mind

>D.Other

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>>967355
Here you go, anon

>>967387
Thanks Laze. Leaf Ninja Quest: The Next Generation when?
>>967376
>A.We'll help you out
>D.Ask if a circle that big is even physical, and if it is, how come nobody noticed it?

>>967403
Probably in a few months

>>967376
>B.Hold on, just what have you been going on about needing to do for the countermeasure?

>C.Ask Leah what's on her mind

>>967376
>A.We'll help you out
>B.Hold on, just what have you been going on about needing to do for the countermeasure?
>C.Ask Leah what's on her mind

>>967406
>Mini confusion intensifies

Oh boy, five Naruto Quests, and three of them set in the future.

>>967403
>>967411
>>967412

You're all for helping, but you're a confused. Hohenheim is being kind of vague as to what exactly he intends on doing, and what's he's said is kind of hard to follow. You have Leah ask about it for you. She still seems kind of out of it, but she relays your question.

"We'll help you out, but there's a bit of confusion." she begins. "Just what have you been saying is necessary for the countermeasure? Could you explain it more clearly?"

"To reverse the transmutation, you need souls lined up at the right points." Hohenheim explains. "Just like he needs to perform the transmutation. The pattern is a bit different, though. However, it is spread out just as wide. I need to take out my blood, and with it, the souls of the people of Xerxes that sustain me. With their help, we can reverse the transmutation. As long as they are placed in the right spots, that is. I need to go around not only this country, but the neighboring countries, placing my blood and the souls it contains in the ground as I go. As you can imagine, that could take quite a long time. Time we don't have. Once we know the right locations, we can't dally any longer. This is work that could normally take years. I'll probably need multiple people to carry vials to the points if we still want to pull this off. And as I mentioned, we only get one shot."

The reality of the situation is sinking in. As Hohenheim said, that is quite a task. Several points in the reverse circle are likely in the deep wilderness, and even in other countries. It'll be quite a task to line up everything correctly. Not to mention, you don't know how much time you have.

"Right now, I'll focus on determining how much time we have left." Hohenheim goes on. "As well as getting the vials ready. I'd like for you to find more people we can trust to help us on that front. The more, the better."

With that said, Hohenheim goes back to examining the map. You notice Leah has gone back to looking as well. You sign to her, asking what's on her mind.

"Huh? Oh, I don't think it's really anything." Leah waves it off. "It just seems kind of weird that New Optain isn't one of the points on this circle. I thought for sure it would be. But it must have just been either a coincidence, or a redundancy, like Hohenheim said, to throw people off the trail. Aside from that, there is something else... The fact that we just have to expect people to die at these two points left. I know trying to stop it would probably just wind up getting us killed, then no one could save Amestris, but... Thinking that all those people we saw in Leore could just be dead soon... It's terrible."

>A.There's no helping it. We can't jeopardize everything by being reckless now

>B.I don't like it either. We should at least try to do something

>C.Other

>>967527
>>B.I don't like it either. We should at least try to do something

>>967527
>>B.I don't like it either. We should at least try to do something

>>967527
>B.I don't like it either. We should at least try to do something

>>967541
>>967547
>>967555

You don't like it either. Knowing people will die, but not doing anything about it seems awful. You do want to try and do something. You sign as much to Leah.

"Yes, I think so too." she replies. "I don't want to stand by and let it happen."

"You kids are just going to get yourselves killed." Hohenheim interrupts. "Look, if you want to go to Leore and try to evacuate or something, then you can try. But at least tell someone else I can work with before you go. If you go dying on me, I'd still like some help spreading these souls around."

"Then that's what we'll do." Leah replies. "We'll inform someone about the plan, then head to Leore to see if we can stop the point from being activated there.We can also check for the actual circle while we're there too."

"Good enough for me." Hohenheim goes on. "In the meantime, I'll do what I said and finish the preparations. Make sure someone can get in contact with me about this, alright? If I don't get anyone back to me, I may have to call the boys, and we could only hope that would work."

Your plan settled, You and Leah say farewell to Hohenheim for now, and take your leave. Making the ride all the way back to Central, Leah speaks up as you step off the platform.

"So who do we tell about this?" she asks. "Do we only tell one person, and let them spread it to who they see fit?"

>A.Let's tell the Colonel

>B.We need to find a way to let Mustang know

>C.We can tell Yi and let him handle the rest

>D.Someone else or a combination of people (Write-in)

>E.Other

>>967597
>C.We can tell Yi and let him handle the rest
>D.Also Scar/Mei, if we have any way of contacting them, this seems like something they would oppose, and it's not like they can do anything to Hohenheim

>>967597
>A.Let's tell the Colonel
>C.We can tell Yi and let him handle the rest

>>967597
>D.Someone else or a combination of people (Write-in)

Mustang and Yi are our best bets mustang can delegate like a motherfucker and yi is great at getting around quick and unnoticed and can hold his own as well as having access to tucker and the chimera crew.

unless someone can think of something better?

>>967597
>>A.Let's tell the Colonel

>>967607
>>967619
>>967622

You consider telling a few people, but one idea seems more prominent than the others. If you tell Yi, he can get around and let other people know somehow. You'll be able to leave it to him. You and Leah do the usual thing, sneaking through back alleys until you're sure the coast is clear, then making your way carefully to the warehouse in question. When you get there you knock lightly on the door, and Roa lets you in.

"Hey guys, been a while." he greets. "You know, we got a couple more passageways put in so we can be a bit less conspicuous. We want to try and mix it up more, so check them out so you aren't always coming the same way."

Leah assures that you'll do so, and you find your way to the back room where Yi currently is.

"Iskander, Leah. Good to see you." he waves. "I've been terribly bored as of late."

Leah cuts Yi short, and explains that there's no time for simple chat. The two of you take a seat, and begin the explanation about everything you learned while in Resembool. You can't see Yi's face behind the mask, but from his eyes, you assume he's wearing a shocked expression. He stays silent though, for the duration of the explanation, only speaking when Leah has finished.

"Unbelievable. I never imagined a plot of this scale." Yi says. "And just thinking about it makes me imagine Xing making an even greater circle. It sends chills down my spine. We have to stop everything here. Thank you for informing me of all this. I'll make sure Mustang and his men get word. I'll go down and tell Tucker as well. Don't worry, we will mobilize and make sure measures are taken. You just go and check on Leore. I'd hate for anything to happen to the good people of that town."

You and Leah thank Yi, and head back off once again. You could have gone around to do more informing, but you want to get to Leore as soon as possible. Besides, if you went to see the Colonel, you might have to get a new alibi. You're sure Yi can get through to Mustang's men, who are already working with the Colonel now. It'll be fine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaRH_WWNAws&

You and Leah head back to Central station, and off on another train to the east, this time for Leore once again.

You just hope you can do something about this sinister plan before it's too late.

>End of Chapter 11

And that's all for this thread, guys. I'll be back again to run more next week

Twitter is @LazeQM

>>967726
night laze. have a merry Christmas and a happy festivus.

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>>967726
Night Laze, thanks for running. And Merry Christmas.

>>967729
It's already Festivus where I am, Happy Festivus to all. I have a lot of problems with you people.

>Southern Ishval
This one is one that we might have best chance at preventing.
Amestris have to push into Ishval, if they can't win border war they can't reach and activate point.
Campaign would be handled by east HQ, the one that Mustang originates from and should have friends in it.
Controlled leek of military plans or "accidental" incompetence of higher command could make offensive fail before it started.
While Amestris is bigger than Ishval it have to garrison other borders, while Ishval borders desert to the east and Aerugo, that should hate Amestris more, so defenders might be able to muster stronger force, if they would know about the attack.