MISSION: The South

The foreign words rang in her ears like a soft bell from a distant childhood memory. She grasped at it through the resonance of betrayal and, even after so many years, deciphered his words without thought. So Dai had actually come. She looked up at the man with tear-stained, golden eyes filled with so many desperate emotions. It was only then that she felt the hand that had been on her shoulder. She stared into those bright red eyes as if they were what tied her to the earth and then slowly came back to herself--gathering the scattered remnants of her thoughts and trying to sling them together. They collided, thrashing against the walls inside her head. She quickly looked away before he could see too much, and stared transfixed now at an imperfect rose on the bush beside her.

Reila nodded silently as she bit back more tears, not trusting her voice any further. Her eyes fell to her hands in her lap and she clenched her fists, trying to rebuild her torn courage--to bring it back to what it had been before she had figured out what happened a few hours ago. Everything Dai had said was right and that was all she needed; she had to hear it from him. And no one else. A light smile fell on her lips and she looked back up at him, squinting in the bright sunlight. No matter what she did, Reila could never erase her emotions. She wasn't a machine; she was in every way human. But she also knew that if she didn't steel herself against them, she could never lead. She knew this very well, which was why Dai was the only one who knew.

When she spoke, her Auregese words poured forth like frozen rain--caught between scorn and sorrow. "That's something we have to figure out." She stood up abruptly, her long hair spreading around her with the currents of the wind. She raised her hands to her eyes and the tears on her cheeks froze into small icicles as she wiped them away into the air. "Thank you, Dai," She whispered, a different light shining through the depths of her eyes as she held out a hand to pull him to his feet also.

Once he was standing next to her, she placed a hand on her hip and adjusted the radio headset on her ear. She switched to all frequencies. "This is Brigadier General Reila Tsukino speaking, if you don't know my voice by now, you can go to hell. ...It seems we've made significant progress in the past three hours and I am calling for a meeting. We will all meet up at the make-shift HQ in twenty to compile the information." She switched off the speaker and sighed, turning a sharp, calculating look onto Dai. Her previously strong voice quaked with the intensity of her words. "Dai... those bodies out there. The corpses... they aren't real."

That was when Reila felt someone nearing and shut her mouth. She whipped her head around and saw the shadow before the human. Scanning upwards, she gasped. "Jay...?" What was that girl from the pharmacy doing here? The general blinked in bewilderment, but swallowed the initial surprise when more hit her...hard. Despite how careful Jay had been at hiding the item she placed in Reila's head of military operation's hand, she still caught a glimpse of the red sliver. Reila hadn't even thought about finding it--as if nothing else mattered but the result. That...that was the reason why all those people died. Reila shot Dai a severe keep-that-hidden-and-safe-or-die look and then smiled briefly, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Yes, that may very well help us." She bowed politely to Jay and reached calmly into her pocket to withdraw what may be considered too much money for a stone. She handed it to her acquaintance and forced herself to brighten a bit. "Thank you for your help." She then began walking towards their make-shift HQ in the near distance, motioning with her head for Dai to follow.

Yochi recieved the order and nodded. It was about time all the reports were compiled so they had the full puzzle or at least most of the pieces so that they could properly solve this. Knowing who did this, who they worked for and what the stone was going to be used for were three things they needed to know. The stone would obviously be used for alchemy, but who by and for what. As they were willing to go to such lengths as wiping out a large city, whatever it was it wouldn't be good. She sat down at a desk with a piece of paper and a pen and began writing down each of the items they knew and circled them. South City, the population of south city, transmutation circle, human transmutation, philosopher's stone. Next to this last one she put a question mark as it wasn't a guaranteed thing yet.

She began to set her analytical mind to work. There were five areas north, east, west, south and central. Each of these had a major city named after the area. Maybe the other cities were the targets? She put a circle down saying target and linked it to another saying other cities with a question mark near it. She then began to list those who might want to destroy the cities each with a question mark next to them. She sighed. This puzzle was so complex and she didn't seem to have any of the corners or edges.

Scion was left standing alone, right at the spot where he stood. The women split up, in order to look for the stone, but Scion took his time. Then he heard a female voice over the hidden radio he had oh his head, under the hood. She was going to hold a meeting and Scion intended to come as well.
Just as the swordsman began moving in the direction of the crater, he noticed a man standing in the distance, due to the habbit to always survey his surroundings, and changed his course. The man was quite easy to spot, towering above other people that were walking around, doing their work.

Scion came up to him and spoke, a little hint at "emotions" sounded in his voice:

"War. I'm surprised to see you here this early, but I figured you would come here." -Scion crossed his arms oh his chest and looked around, nobody was watching - everyone were either busy or too far away to notice. Good. And there was still some time until the meeting.

Jay turned to the new, slightly familiar voice. She turned to Reila and smiled lightly. "Oh, hey! I hadn't noticed you here. I think I remember you from somewhere... Dunno where exactly... Um... Oh yeah! The pharmacy thing! And your name was Reila, right?" She hadn't known that Reila was in the military, especially not in such a high seeming position. She then noticed a huge stack of cash, which she gratefully- and gratefully as an understatement- accepted. "Really? This much money just for a rock?" She placed the money with the money she had already been paid by Dai. "So do you mind me asking why it's so important? I figured it was just some gem that you might have needed..." She really had thought that simple thought at first, but now she had begun to doubt it. She thought back REALLY hard, and finally remembered seeing Darkamaru eat one of them before gagging on it. She wondered what it was if he had to eat them as well as him hating them...

((xD yet another Darky cameo! XDDD))

Murazar grumbled to himself as reila finally put herself together to get a meeting together. He spoke into the frequencies for them only to hear, "Very well, i'll hold the information until the Brigadier Generals meeting. Unless you know a firefight happens and something goes batshit crazy and attacks us in this vulnerable situation. Out"

He stood up and changed the frequencies to all of them once again before compiling his final report for the debriefing room of the commanders. He pointed at one of the nearest privates who were mainly running coffee around and water to everyone who needed something to hold them over. He yelled over the noise, " Hey Private! Get over here." Once the kid came over to him, he put a finger to his chest.

" Get me a vest, rifle, fill the vest with some ammo, and some magazines for a forty-five calibur pistol. Oh yea, make sure the rifle has a scope, flash light, red dot, the works. I'm going to go out there after my meeting if necessary, i'll need you with me so grab what gear you need after mine and outfit yourself. I expect you here in ten minutes."

After a quick salute and yes sir the kid sprinted down the stairs to the makeshift armory that was in the basement. After all it was the least likely place to explode, the kid he decided would be his bodyguard after the meeting. Before that he'd simply guard the paperwork.

[150 words per post please...>.< Also, why is everyone mentioning Reila being emotional when none of them saw her like that except Scion and Dai? Maybe I missed something??]

{OOC: Well for mura he's just ticked off she's out in the field, digging around, and not answering him which means either a: she doesn't want to answer him which isn't like her to not answer your intelligence head or b: Mental breakdown of some sort from the incredibly enormous amount of carnage that most people would break down at one point or another for.}

{OOC - Actually, I didn't really understand that either. People, remember that using information that your character knows nothing about IC is known as Meta-Gaming, and is against the rules.}

Daigoro looked up at Reila and smiled softly, before taking her hand and standing up as well. He sighed, and looked over the landscape, surveying it. It took him a couple of seconds to realise he was still gripping Reila's hand. He blinked, and pulled it away. He then noticed a small figure on the landscape. Jay? He wathed her walk up to him, and hand him a small red stone. He peered at it for a couple of seconds, his worst fears confirmed. He sighed, and pocketed it, nodding at Jay.

"Thank you." When she asked him why th stone was so important, he smirked.

"It... may be what this was all about." He said, before turning his head towards Reila, speaking quietly in Aerugese.

"I wish that I could just throw this thing away, get rid of it. But I guess that's no option for us..." He sighed, before looking out over the landscape. Once Reila had spoken, he put a hand up to his own ear and spoke.

"Men, you heard the lady. Be prepared." He then switched back to Houka's frequency.

"Houka, any stone that may exist here is second priority. Understand?" He was lying through his teeth, but it needed to be done. "We must take back the South. Nothing else matters for now..." He sighed, and then Reila pointed something out to him. And he was now really confused.

"Ma'am, I don't understand you. What bodies?" He blinked, surveying the landscape again, trying to see these 'bodies' that the Brig Gen was talking about. He saw bodies, alright. In the distance. But they were moving. It seemed to be... an Army? Oh, Shit. He turned to Reila.

"It... seems we have company."

{OOC - RIOTE, that's your cue. All RIOTE members/rebels, begin posting, let's get this show on the road!}

Jay wondered what he meant by 'What this is all about'... Was that stone... Was it a Philosophers Stone? She had heard somewhere that an alchemist could create one at the cost of large amounts of lives... She was actually a bit out of character upon realizing this. Her eyes widened and she paled a bit, knowing that she had found something like that... She saw the stone as he pocketed it and for a glimpse of a second, thought she saw faces reflected in it. She shook her head, snapping back to reality. Dai spoke in Aeuregese, a language she didn't know much of, so she only understood it in fragments. 'Wish'... 'Throw away'... 'Rid of'... 'No option'... She assumed he was talking about the stone. But if it was so important, why would he throw it away? She shrugged it off and that was when she noticed yet another thing. She saw the approaching army of people. She turned and moved quietly towards Ilona. Without a word, she sort of gestured in the direction, making an attempt to discreetly tell her teacher of sorts, about the approaching people. She then gestured towards her back-holster, where she kept her Xerxian Jade katana. She was asking if she should help if they meant to cause trouble.

As soon as their hands broke apart, Reila resumed command--her eyes fierce with the determination she now felt. Quickly, her fingers combed through her long hair and gathered it into the highest pony tail possible, wrapping a rope-like string around it to hold it there in place. Her hair now only fell to the backs of her knees, but still managed to be longer than Dai's. Reila smirked secretly to herself while Dai spoke to Houka. Girls should always have longer hair than guys. She at least won in that respect. While she twirled a stray piece of blond hair around her finger, her mind was busy recovering enough to contemplate the red-haired man's previous comment that had been in her home language of Auregese. Reila's mind buzzed with the wish he had just shared with her, but also was turning rocks over, trying to understand what she had discovered.

Fear gripped her harder--an odd feeling that something was severely skewed and wrongly so was coursing through her. She opened her mouth to explain further and then noticed the shadow of approaching people in the distance to the west of the camp. She noted that Jay was up ahead, moving silently towards what looked like a white-haired alchemist. Reila clamped her mouth shut. Shit. She hit the rose bush beside her and a spray of red petals fluttered through the air. A few of the thorns scratched her fist, but it was worth it to let out the pent-up frustration.

Carefully, the brigadier general slid out her tachi (long sword) from underneath her clothes. She hooked the saya (sheath) to the loops along her uniform and unsheathed the blade in a flash of silver. With her left hand she held the tsuka (hilt) and fiddled with the radio with her other. She flipped the switch and with an angry sigh, sent out the information to all Amestrian military present. "An unidentified army is heading straight towards head quarters. Find out what they want and why they're here; they may be connected with the situation. They may also be an enemy...." She switched the head set off and glared at her boots briefly before looking back up into the horizon of the in-coming disaster.

"Dai, we haven't seen that philosopher's stone, but we know there is one. We're leaving it at that for the time being." She swung her sword out to the side, the blade whistling in fluid song. Then Reila spoke quietly, her eyes wavering gravely, "Those dead bodies everywhere... I'm sure you know that in alchemy when you use human transmutation... there's nothing left--no evidence, but the circle that activated it." She motioned to a group of soldiers hovered over a body nearby. They were inspecting it, but she knew they wouldn't find anything. "They aren't real! It wouldn't just take their souls; it would take their bodies--everything!" She took a few steps forward, looking back at him. "This is all some kind of freak illusion." And with that, she turned forward and began walking straight towards Head Quarters that remained in sight. "Once we make it back, maybe we can figure something out."

It took her all but five minutes to reach Mura's oh-so-smiling face. She grinned. "I know you hate me for putting you in charge, but..." She motioned to the bodies coming but further into view. "That's making me nervous. We'll have to postpone the meeting." She nodded intently, a hand on her hip while one gripped her tachi tightly.

Zaska glared at the army of RIOTE members behind him. Seriously...why did they have to bring all these people? He cursed Zero's old plans that he was forced to abide by and flexed his gloved-claw, watching the blades go in and out. This was all so annoying...he really wished Sola was with him... Honestly, for the first time since he had met her, he had no idea where she had gone. He was still seething with anger because of it, but it was the worry that was eating him alive. Funny how none of the Rioyokai members were here with him. He didn't even know if they were going to show up. Downright hilarious. He had been tempted for some time now to drop RIOTE and kill all its members himself, but he couldn't bring himself to do much of anything as of late. Still, he couldn't miss the opportunity to destroy Amestris while it was weak. All of South City had been destroyed by something, of which Zaska couldn't care less, though he wouldn't be surprised it it ended up being alchemy that obliterated the entire place. He laughed to himself and sped up towards what he was hoping was Amestris' make-shift head quarters.

Houka stared at the army of what were apparently living dead. How could that be? There should of been no remains of life whatsoever and especially no bodies. How was this possible? She tightened her gloves and drew her sword, which was similar to a katana, but without the tsuka. Along its edge were strange markings. She then dashed forward and was about a slash of flame at one of the bodies to see what the effect would be, THey were moving in an attacking formation so they were no longer civilians they were enemies, when an idea came to her and she stopped leaping back and doing a reverse hand-stand flip so she landed pretty much where she started.

Human transmutation had one other effect. The creation of Homunculi. She switched her radio on again still on Daigoro's signal. "Daigoro what are the chances of them being Homunculi?" she asked watching them approaching. An army this big of homunculi would be suicide to go against. The only other explanation was some force had come and hidden here after the incident to attack them whilst they were distracted by the investigation. But then why go through such an extensive attack, why not just bomb the place? Simple, such destruction would attract top ranking people from all over. This was bad either way they had been lured here with this event as bait...to be killed by whoever those people are. "Daigoro...if they are not homunculi...it is likely this entire situation was bait for a trap. In fact even if they are its a trap."

Layus walked towards the smell, looking for something in the vast openness of nothing. His feet were hurting, but he decided he had to keep moving forward. Maybe he'd meet some people that knew what he was supposed to be doing. Or maybe they would make a tasty snack for him instead, he was pretty hungry after all.

He looked into the distance to find some small shapes moving. Gahhh why were they so far away, couldn't they just be a little closer, it was too annoying to have to walk all the way over there to get something to eat when he was so hungry. He finally made it up close enough to see what the shapes were, he was right! It was people, and they were walking towards another group in the far distance. There was an especially interesting man in the group he was with, with a red coat, maybe after all this was over he'd eat him too. "Hey uhm what are you guys doing?" Layus asked poking at the nearest person. But they kept on moving ignoring him. Curiosity filled him and Layus ignored his hunger pains deciding instead to follow the moving group. He squinted his eyes trying to see the group they were going towards. There were some people there, people with red hair...yum. This was starting to get interesting, maybe he'd eat them for a quick snack...

Scion just finished speaking to War, who left in a hurry, explaining that he was needed elsewhere and it was a matter of speed. With that said he left the temporary HQ. Scion didn't really understand what that was all about, but so be it.
He heard a familliar voice echoing through the world:

"I feel something. I think War-san left a little too early... there's gonna be something big, nii-san!" - then a faint giggle could be heard, and the voice faded into nothingness. Just as it appeared seconds before.

"Hmm... something big, huh?" - Scion's voice never reached the ears of others, he was merely thinking outloud, the mask covering his face made the words sound more muffled and impossible to hear.
Minutes later he heard the General's Reila Tsukino's voice through the headphones. The news weren't good, and it seemed as if an enemy army was approaching towards the temp HQ. Scion quickly made his way upwards a pole, which held the Amestrian flag, and grabbed the pole's top. From here he could see the enemy forces - the only question left was were they really an enemy? Normally a messenger would be sent, informing the base of any reinfocements. But they were moving hurriedly towards this temporary base.

"Guess that means there will be no meeting..."

The next thing Scion saw was Ilona-san, making her way towards the enemy forces. She was alone... perhaps she did not understand what was happening? Whatever the reason - Scion didn't really care, he had no reason to stop her.
He jumped down from the pole and gripped Lilith's hilt. Perhaps she would taste human blood pretty soon.

He needed the Stone and he wasn't going to leave without it.

Jay saw Ilona walk off, ignoring her. She decided to follow her. She ran to catch up and stopped next to her. "Hey Ilona. Jay here." She smiled slightly and walked beside her instructor in being a merc. "So, what happened here, or do you know? All I know is that alchemy and some rock were involved." She was whispering so that their conversation would be private. The 'rock' she was talking about was the Philosopher's Stone, though she wasn't sure what it was, so she was simply refering to it as a rock. She began watching the approaching army closely and, just to have it ready in the case of a battle, she unsheathed her custom-make katana. She looked over it first. Rubber coated steel hilt, a standard of Dark's weapons. The blade, forest green, made of the densest known mineral, Xerxian Jadestone. Sharpened to a deadly point, this blade was her main weapon, even including her minigun. Speaking of which, she reached behind her and, in a free hand, grasped the handle. She had it made, again custom, so that she could easily carry it disassembled, and reassemble it with ease. Also, it was made lighter than most, since most miniguns were mounted weapons, either on a tripod, or helicopter turret. This one though, was smaller and made specifically for Jay's needs. She loved these two weapons.

Daigoro nodded as he followed Reila back to the camp, right fist clenched over the stone. He sighed, before letting it fall back into his pocket. All that... For this? It was now his burden to carry, he surmised, and for now, his alone. Or was it...? He began wondering, as he watched the now tied up hair that walked before him. He smirked -she had always tried to make it a competition between them, which involved him cutting off just a little bit of his hair to make her happy. He laughed to himself, and nodded. No, it wasn't his burden. Not his alone.

He sighed, and looked over the area again, quickly scoping it out. He was still wondering what Reila meant by corpses - he'd never seen any to begin with. But why was that? He sighed again, before Reila spoke to him in Aerugese. He nodded, and spoke back in the same language.

"I understand. And again, I saw no dead bodies. I really don't know what you're talking about. But if it's some kind of illusion, then I wouldn't be surprised. A trap, maybe? Or something used to lure the Military away from the truth?" He then realised that they were getting close to the camp.

"I think we should avoid speaking in Aerugese unless it's in Private or at Briggs, seeing as most people in the Military don't have much like for the Aerugese people." Once he and Reila had reached the camp, he kept walking, and met up with the captain of his elite squad. He put a hand up to his ear and spoke quickly.

"Houka. To me." He then looked at his men, and smiled.

"We are going to be possibly facing up against a hostile force, people, and we need all the strength that we can muster, to fight them off and reclaim South City. Understand?" All that Daigoro heard was the unanimous cry of "Oorah!" He smirked, and turned towards the force that was fast approaching.

This is it, huh? His hand went back into his pocket, but just for a second. There was no need for him to alarm the others, not just yet. If he had to, he'd use the souls of South City to protect it. But that was the worst-case scenario, and only the worst-case.

A loud beep resonated through the thin air around the chimera. Dark gray eyes peered down to the pocket of his bright red pants. He quickly reached into it and pulled out his cell phone, flipping it open to his ear in the blink of an eye. "Hai," A velvet voice broke the silence of feet echoing across the empty pavement. "We found her..." As the meaning of the man's words registered in Zaska's mind, his head jolted up and his dark eyes widened ever so slightly. He almost dropped the phone. Zaska felt his breath catching, but he pushed out the words he needed to ask. Carefully, he spoke, dreading his own curiosity and fearing for the answer... "...is she...okay?"

"I'm afraid not sir. She was buried alive underground in North City. There is evidence of attempted escape. Her finger nails were torn off and--"

"Enough! ...it's Sola..are you sure?" His voice wavered, as he felt his fangs digging into the sides of his lips where he tried to contain himself--to hold back the escalating sorrow that filled him so completely as his love once had.

"Yes, Berith, sir... we did a DNA test, a scan of--"

"Thank you." He hung up, clutching the phone so tightly that the thing broke easily in his hands. He watched the electronic pieces fall to the ground at his feet and his shadow pass over them behind him. If he had known pain could be this brilliant, he never would have allowed himself to find that happiness... Now she was gone... Sola had been captured as a spy. Under his nose, his watch, his hands!! ...she had been caught. And she had died horribly. Had she frozen to death first... or suffocated? She was gone--taken from him...and so easily. He blinked away the tears and griped his fist tighter, his eyes alight with a fire so intense everyone around him veered away out of fear. Revenge was coursing through his veins more than ever now. First, they stole his humanity and now...they stole his only source of happiness. Zaska almost wished everyone in South City were still alive so he could have the pleasure of killing them all himself. Without thought, a hiss escaped his mouth, building into an animalistic snarl. He raised his eyes ahead at the army he had initially planned to talk to. Now, he was going to annihilate all them and all of Amestris. He would fight until his body no longer responded...until he died himself. With a flash of withdrawn wire, his eyes set fiercely on the Brigadier General a couple hundred feet away. She would be the first to fall for her corrupt country and next... He scanned his eyes over and caught sight of two red heads. If they survived until he reached them... they would be the ones next. He smirked, raven hair thrashing in the heat-infested wind. His claws slithered out from his glove and he flicked a stream of wire at the blondie.

Jay sighed lightly in disappointment, having wanted to know what was going on so much. But, she decided to follow Ilona's instruction and not ask her more until later. At Ilona's warning not to attack, Jay nodded. "I know. There is a 50/ 50 chance of two possibilities. One, they attack. Two, they don't. If it's Two, then I'll hold fire and just let you guys do the talking. If not, though, I'll Just start blasting and hacking." She nodded as she fitted on the next pieces to her minigun. As she put on the barrel, she watched the army carefully. They seemed to be a bit too ordered to be just walking through for no purpose. She now had different ideas for the odds of this. Not 50/ 50, but now about 75/ 25. She was prepared for war. She loaded rounds into her minigun now. She would be ready.

Reila moved away from Mura, her attention shifting suddenly back to the approaching, unknown army. Her golden eyes squinted into the distance and she saw a man cloaked in red, a large hat on his head, and a flash of silver. Briggs soldiers roared with excitement from afar, but she didn't shed a glance; she simply watched the distance and kept walking until she reached Dai's side once again. She leaned her glossed lips to his ear draped with red hair and lowered her voice. "Exactly. We're being fooled. Played with. And it's not those guys." She looked away from where she stared at them and back to Dai, motioning to the red-man. Sweat gathered on her brow and she brushed strawberry blond bangs from her sharpened eyes, wiping under the strands. "Really... what on Earth is going on? I see dead families laying everywhere, but you see nothing? I feel like we're all hallucinating and it's because of a red stone..." She pulled away from his ear with a frustrated, pouty expression. She lifted her tachi up to her shoulder and tapped it against it a few times in deep thought. "Something that tapers with the human mind to fool them...whoever this guy was...he was smart, but something went wrong. It had to of back-fired or--"

Reila looked up in time to see something almost invisible flying right for her. With no time to react, she flicked her blade out in defense. A loud clank resonated through the thickening air and the wire coiled around her sword, pulling tight. She struggled with it, trying to cut the thick wire when suddenly it lit on fire. She hissed with effort and sliced her tachi to the side, the blade turning to ice instantly. To her surprise, the flames didn't go out, but the wire snapped with the force and fell limply to the ground. She took a breath, but in that brief second, a shadow fell over her. Her shocked golden eyes took in the sight of the leader of RIOTE with his claw lunging for her throat. There was no time...there was no time...there was...