The Truth Within the Truth: A Fullmetal Alchemist RP

[CrazyBlaze]

"Ehehehehe... our only goal is explosions! But our leader, well, he might have other ideas in store. Not like you'll be in time to do anything about them, of course. What was that one gent's name? Marlin, was it? Ehehe..."4

James face twisted in anger, rage consuming his every fiber. He grabbed one of Kren's bombs, stuffed it into his mouth and took Kren's lighter.

"Here is what you are going to do. You are going to tell me where your trap is, and what it is. If you don't, I'm going to blow your head off, nod if you understand," James threatened in a quiet, yet treating tone.

 

[Pappytech]

"Amestris isn't about genocide, assassination squads, or war with everyone in sight, is it?"

Frieda's words, for once, had a soft tinge about them, a slight warmth that had been missing from her voice earlier. By no means was she forgiving, or comforting as she spoke to the man before her, sobs wracking his body. There was no friendship, nor kindness in her words. But, there was pity, a hint of gentleness, and maybe, just maybe, a bit of hope.

As her words slowly faded into the night, Isaac allowed his tears to run freely, contradictory and chaotic thoughts rushing through his mind, further damaging his already unstable mental condition.

For years, he had been a model soldier; he received orders, he performed them. That was his life, his entire existence. Of course, there had been times when he had questioned his actions, when he had noted odd and unnecessary items, but he had quickly shoved such thoughts to the back of his head, choosing instead to trust his superiors. They had never steered him wrong before, why should he distrust them now?

But then, there was the undeniable fact that Frieda was telling the truth, here and now. There was no way she was lying; Isaac would stake his life on that. And in this state of duress and bloodloss, he wasn't really capable of self-delusion.

Isaac surprised himself when he began laughing, his strained chuckles breaking the monotonous pitter-patter of the rain. "No, it isn't about those things, is it? I've been missing the point, thought that I was getting some semblance of meaning from this. So what is it all about then? What does define Amestris, if not for its military actions? What's supposed to be happening?"

His head drooped forward, as Isaac's laughter slowly died out. "What am I supposed to do now?"

 

[Fragrance of Mtn Dew]

Almost all of Marlin's suspicions were confirmed as the man told him about the experiments that turned him into a chimera and his fellow chimera emerged from the shadows. Though the sight of the horrid looking creatures was quite horrifying, Marlin felt a bit calmer now that he knew what he was up against. Now that they were all out in the open and he knew exactly what they were, the element of the unknown was out of the equation. This is what the military has been doing? What terrible research... Still, if these are the rejects that means that their combat abilities must be subpar. I'd rather not find out though..

Being outnumbered 5 to 1 meant that escape was Marlin's best bet for survival though even that would be quite difficult. Perhaps a mist to conceal my presence? No, superior animal senses means they would likely be able to sniff me out either way... Too risky. Their leader appears to be a reptile of some sort.... Perhaps he's coldblooded? Ice could be effective against him and leave the others disoriented enough for me to get away...

Marlin's thoughts were interrupted by a loud banging noise. Could it be his comrades like the chimera suggested? That seemed unlikely since he hadn't told anyone where he was going. Still, it wasn't entirely impossible. Perhaps if he could hold off long enough rescue would come. The creature asked for his surrender and Marlin used that to buy himself some more time. "... And if I surrender? What happens then? I find it hard to believe after all your talk of revenge that you would simply take me alive."

 

[Viking Incognito]

Vlad's right ear was still ringing as he stood up. His walk was slow, purposeful. He approached Kren and, with everyone watching, pushed James out of the way, grabbed Kren by the throat, hoisted him to a standing position, and bit into his neck.

Kren gasped, allowing the grenade to fall from his mouth, and then the glow of a transmutation was seen coming from Vlad's bite.

The vampire alchemist pulled his head back, blood dripping from his mouth, and glared into Kren's eyes.

"What in the name of-" That was as far as he got before he howled in pain.

"Your blood is scabbing over inside your body. This will be the most agonizing thing you will ever experience. It will feel like each layer of tissue you have is being slowly removed with a rusty saw. But that isn't the worst part. The worst part is, I can revers and restart the process at any time. What I'm saying is, this wont stop until I hear some answers." His voice was cold, dark, and terrifying.

Kren's skin was darkening as blood vessles clogged underneath it, and he was screaming like a gut-shot animal.

 

[Redryhno]

Kallu watched in a mixture of anger and horror underneath his stoic exterior while Vlad threatened and tortured the prisoner. Well, not that he tortured the man, but that he did it out here in the open.

He walked over calmly, grabbed the Vampire Alchemist by the neck, and slammed him into one of the walls he had created, face-to-face with the empty face of the Stone Alchemist. Blood dripping down his face and staining his clothes and Kallu's fist gripping his neck in an iron-like vise, each saw the rage in their eyes, Vlad's a hot heat, Kallu's encased in ice.

"This is not the time nor the place to question prisoners, Vlad. Civilians need neither hear or see this happen. Wait until we get them some kind of treatment. Then we can ask them who and what their employers are and what they wanted.Do-not-test-me, Vampire.Or I will encase you in the Stone until you calm down."

He struggled futilely against his grip for a few more moments before stopping, at which point Kallu let him go and allowed him to breathe deeply once more.

"Major Armstrong, I think you would agree with me that these men need medical attention before their interrogations. Can you carry the one Major Dracule recently... threatened? I have the other brother out cold. After I search him for the rest of his explosives, I'll be right behind you."

 

[Viking Incognito]

Vlad breathed raggedly, but the malicious look in his eyes had not died.

Kren once again screamed in pain, causing the others to realize Vlad had not stopped the coagulation of his blood.

Kallu gave him a threatening look, but Vlad's face was still the harsh image of a calculating predator, only made more haunting by the blood coming from his mouth, and dripping down his face from the gash in his forehead the stone alchemist had given him.

"Go ahead, attack me again you ape. I'm the only one that can fix him." Vlad's voice was cold.

There was an almost visible 'presence' behind him, something that wasn't fully human, but at the same time, it wasn't quite Vlad.

 

[Pappytech]

"You let me know when you're done, and I can make it quick. But, if you see Eri... if you see Sergeant Blake, tell her I miss her?"

As Elias gently placed his pistol over his old comrade's chest, Mason offered his former commander a small grin, a bit of solace in the cold night. "Having me play the messenger boy, eh Sarge? Yeah, I think I can pass notes for the two of you, one last time..."

The dying man's words were cut off by a sudden fit of coughing. Flecks of blood leaped from Mason's mouth; his time was running short, and they all knew it.

"I'm sorry sir... I just couldn't handle it. The way they treated me after I came back; gave me some shiny medal, said some flowery bullshit about valor and comrades, then left me to rot. Made me so angry, I just...

"Sir... Elias. Please, don't let them do to you what they did to me. If I'm gonna pass on your message, then do me one last favor, okay? Make sure you live, sir, for all of us. Show 'em that's it gonna take more than this to finish off the Second."

Sighing, Mason closed his eyes, his chest slowly rising and falling. "Alright sir; I'm ready."

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"Now... shall we dance?"

Despite the coughs that wracked her throat, Chartrisse managed to offer Roland a smile that would make the Cheshire cat envious. "Oh, it would be my pleasure," the thief began as she reached for something else tucked inside the crate, fingers scrabbling against the rough wood. "Of course, you should know that I always take the lead."

The crackling aura that enshrouded Roland might have been able to ward off knives and bullets, but there was precious little it could do against the flashbang that was traveling towards him with reckless abandon. The alchemist reflexively shielded his eyes, avoiding the burnt of the glaring light; spots still danced across his eyes, however, impairing his vision for those few partial seconds.

By the time Roland had rubbed away the glare, his opponent was already gone, lost in the shadows and rubble that utterly surrounded him. As he began to frantically scan the area, searching for any sign of his foe, the alchemist heard a familiar rhythm echo through the ruined warehouse, a beat that anyone would recognize.

One, two, three. One, two, three.

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"What am I supposed to do now?"

The question lingered in the air, as Freida finished bandaging her latest charge. The masked assassin would likely have a tough time of it whenever he woke up, but his life wasn't in any danger.

Silently, the woman rose to her feet, her impassive eyes staring at the two men below her, the first bound to the ground by earthen shackles, the other only held there by the depths of his despair. Their physical wounds had been treated; that type of hurt Freida could help. But the pain that forced Isaac to his knees, that pinned him to the street as surely as any restraints, she could do nothing to abate. The man would have to find his own way, would need to stop listening and start thinking, to save himself.

As she began to walk away Freida's voice broke the silence, her words as cold and emotionless as ever. "There's never any one right way to do something. Sometimes, you just have to stop listening to your superiors, and do what you know to be right."

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"... And if I surrender? What happens then? I find it hard to believe after all your talk of revenge that you would simply take me alive."

The monstrosity's laughter was horrible, a mixture of a hacking cough and a continuous hiss. "Oh, by no meanssss will we be taking you alive. You are our warning to Bradley and hissss ssssinnerssss, our declaration of war to the onessss that desssstroyed ussss and casssst ussss asssside."

The banging noise resumed, prompting the chimera to shout something unintelligible, his voice somewhere between a guttural roar and a shaking whisper. The lion-man, apparently making sense of the horrendous din, turned, and walked back behind the curtain, a low growl emitting from his throat.

A shrill cry pierced the air, a shriek of absolute terror, followed by frantic pleas and begging. It was a voice that Marlin recognized, his eyes growing wide as he realized what these monsters intended to do.

"Make no misssstake, Deep-Blue. You will die here tonight, alone and defensssslessss. But, if you ssssurrender, then Ms. Jenningssss might jusssst live to ssssee tomorrow."

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"Go ahead, attack me again you ape. I'm the only one that can fix him."

Vlad's threat hung in the air, heavy and ominous. Other than Kren's pained cries, there was only silence, unbroken as Blood and Stone faced off, each trying to stare the other man down.

Clang.

"Mr. Dracule."

There was a dangerous tinge to Armstrong's voice, a steely edge that forced Vlad to break the stare, to turn and face the Strongarm Alchemist. There was something horrifying about watching the normally so flamboyant man stare down at him with barely checked rage burning in his eyes, about that giant of brawn and muscle glaring daggers at him, something that almost drove Vlad to his knees.

"I would advise that you heal this man at once. I swear on the Armstrong family name, things will not turn out well for you if you do not."

 

[Jedoro]

"Alright sir; I'm ready."

Elias leaned forward and hugged Mason with his left arm, right arm still ready to fire.

"Nobody kills me, Corporal."

BLAM.

"Not even me," he added as he leaned back. Mason still had a few seconds of life left, and Elias could see the life draining from his eyes. Before he let out his final breath, Mason closed his eyes. When the Corporal went limp, Elias slowly laid him on the ground, but he remained knelt over the dead soldier.

"Before Victor's message got to me," he began, wiping the tears with his left sleeve, "I was standing in East City's graveyard at the grave of Sergeant Erica Blake, one of my squad leaders in Ishval before I was moved to this team." He slowly stood, moving to pick up Mason's pistols. "She was the last member of my platoon to die when the Ishvalans ambushed us. She bled to death in my arms from a neck wound. She...was important to me." Once at the pistols, he knelt down and picked them up.

"I had my gun up against my chin and was in the middle of pulling the trigger when a messenger called out my name. Victor saved my life again." After he pocketed the pistols, he went back over to Mason and began searching him for gear and intel. "I thought I was all that was left of my platoon, and then Mason here takes a shot at Victor." He paused as he took a deep breath. "Now, I hope I really am all that's left. I don't know if I can shoot another soldier of mine." Elias pulled out a few folded papers and began to open them. "But I owe it to Mason here to get out of this alive, whatever 'this' is."

 

[sage42]

Tasha nodded at Elias's story wiping a tear from her own eye. "That's all you can do Sergent, make it out alive, that's all any of us can do. Especially in a time of war." She said putting a hand on Elias's shoulder. "For whatever it's worth Elias, I'm sorry. But that kinda shit is gonna happen, especially in a war like this, one that started over a stupid mistake. And that's all it's ever gonna be, a stupid mistake. A stupid mistake that cost the world hundreds of thousands of lives on both sides. All you can do is keep moving, and don't slow down." She removed her hand and walked to the edge of the building looking for a way down. "Don't dwell on the past Sergent, there's nothing you can do about it now. Keep your mind focused on ending this war as fast and as peacefully as possible."

 

[JokerboyJordan]

One, two, three. One, two, three.

Roland unwrapped the whip from his chest as his hands dove to shield his eyes, he could not see where the witch was hiding, but he could hear that she was close.

Come on Roland, don't let that ***** sneak up on you...

He cautiously strode around the warehouse, trying to make out what direction the noise was coming from, wherever she was, she was nowhere to be found. Panic began to set in ever so slowly as the invisible threat could attack from any direction.

"Why don't you come out and play miss?! I promise I won't bite...hard"

He gave out a booming laugh that echoed amongst the remains of twisted metal and broken concrete, his eyes secretly searching for any figure that was dancing amongst the shadows. There. He caught a glimpse of flash of Chartrisse out of the corner of his right eye.

Use the surroundings came a voice in his head.
The crate you idiot!

Roland obliged and dove towards the direction of the crate, hastily rising he frantically searched amongst the packaging for anything that could be used against her.

Bingo.

He withdraw a large magazine from the crate, it was full to the brim, belonging to one of the military's rifles. He threw it into the air and cracked his whip at it mid-air, the casing broke and the contents rained upon the concrete floor. Roland ran into the centre of where the shells were, sweeping the ground with his foot to create a small circle where he was surrounded by the unspent rounds.
He placed his hands together once again, and the circles on his hands began to glow as the hairs on his body rose. He began to collect charge from the surrounding area.

 

[Jedoro]

Elias paused when he felt Tasha's hand on his shoulder. Right now, feels just as good as the real thing. He took a deep breath and folded the papers back up, deciding he could look at them later.

"Don't dwell on the past Sergent, there's nothing you can do about it now. Keep your mind focused on ending this war as fast and as peacefully as possible."

"Easier said than done," he began as he stood up, "especially when my past keeps jumping out of body bags. But don't worry, I'll see this through to the end. I owe our team and the Second that much." He picked up Mason's body and walked over to the edge of the building beside her. "My legs can take the fall, if you want to just hop on my back. And I thought we could leave Mason in the alley so it'll look like he was just...murdered. No need to report him as the assassin, is there?" Elias looked back and saw the mask Mason had been wearing, soaking in a pool of blood.

 

[sage42]

Tasha shook her head. "I don't see why not, Sergent. He'll be found either way, this way though he'll have a honest burial." She said looking at the body. " And if your sure you can survive the fall, very well. I'd prefer a fire escape or something though." She said looking over the said of the building. She shuddered. "Ehhh, man I hate heights."

 

[Jedoro]

"They're less scary with automail legs, but maybe three bodies is a bit too much," he conceded. "Worst case, we keep roof-hopping until we find a building that does have a way down." Cradling Mason's body in his arms like a large child, Elias began walking around the roof's edges, searching for a more convenient way down than gravity alone.

 

[Fragrance of Mtn Dew]

Marlin tried to hide his shock as he listened to Lila's screams on the other side of the curtain, but he knew he probably wasn't doing a very good job. Having no idea that she had been taken, it was the last thing he had expected to hear and especially since he barely knew her. They trapped me down here and have me outnumbered 5 to 1 and yet they still have one more ace up their sleeve... I can't believe how well prepared they were for this... And what a fool I was for walking straight into it. Marlin's mind raced as he attempted to find a way to get the two of them out of this nightmare.

He couldn't just let Lila die, but giving up his own life for hers seemed an illogical choice. There was no way he could defeat all of the chimera before they killed her either. Perhaps a bluff could get him out of this? If he pretended he didn't care about her, perhaps they would simply let her go. ".... You must be desperate to take hostage someone I just met this afternoon. Do you really think I would... Die..." Marlin trailed off before finishing his sentence. He knew what he wanted to say, but he simply couldn't bring himself to say something so cruel. Especially if it put an innocent life in danger.

"... What guarantee do I have that you'll let her go after witnessing all of this? Set her free first and then I will surrender. You have my word on that." Marlin finally said. It wasn't the outcome he wanted but hopefully it would buy him some more time to come up with a better solution.

 

[Viking Incognito]

Vlad stood motionless, like a panther in the night.

"If you want to kill me Major Armstrong, go ahead and do it. But even if you succeed, that worm over there will still die in agony, and you will follow me shortly. Murder, or even attempted murder of a State Alchemist would be considered treason at the best of times. But in these times of war and domestic attacks, King Bradley would be even less inclined to take chances. If you kill me, you'll end up just like Octavir, but go ahead, let yourself be executed and your family name be shamed over the physical pain of one remorseless terrorist."

Vlad's words were harsh and calculated, cutting right through the Strong Arm Alchemist's threats. Bringing up Octavir served to remind all present that even state alchemists get no mercy for treason, and this was not lost on any of them.

 

[Redryhno]

Kallu stood by Armstong,the two made an imposing sight, much like two mountains in the ever-darkening sky,"I told you that this is neither the time nor the place to interrogate a prisoner. Some of us didn't join the ranks of the Alchemists over bloodlust. Now stop whatever it is you are doing to this man or I swear, you will feel pain like you never imagined, and you will live through it.Perhaps you will still have arms." He left no room for argument in his pronouncement.

The Stone Alchemist then pointed at Vlad and then the brother,"Wearing the mantle of traitor and murderer is fine with me, if it means one less threat for Amestrian citizens, which you could become at a later date, if this is any indication." His eyes barely contained the cold rage he felt inside, but was able to quench the flames and simply stand passive, the emotion completely gone from both his face and voice.

 

[Viking Incognito]

"THREAT TO THE PEOPLE?" Vlad exploded.

"THAT PIECE OF SHIT BLEW UP A CROWD OF CIVILIANS MINUTES AGO, AND YOU CALL ME A THREAT?"

Vlad whirled around and grabbed the bomber's face in his right hand. He had recently passed out from the pain. Vlad transmuted the blood back to normal and the madman's skin color returned to normal.

"You two stand there, threatening in me, talking about how you would be willing to die. All in the name of an unrepentant murderer who would have blown your head off your bodies if given the chance. You fucking disgust me."

Vlad simply walked away. If they wanted control of the situation, they could have it. He would not stand by, putting himself at risk of harm by two muscle headed neanderthals and their childish sense of morals. At least that is what he told himself. He did believe that bomber deserved what he got, but somewhere inside he knew; he knew that he was imagining himself feeling that pain. He was the one who deserved it. But he would not admit it. He would not accept that his sister was right.

This is what we are...

 

[CJ1145]

The thief couldn't help but watch in surprise as Roland went to work. Circles swept into existence, the Lightning Alchemist plying his craft with expert speed and agility. She chuckled. Or maybe cackled was the better word. Some form of laughter was escaping her lips, and it was malicious to say the least. "Oh, wow. The boss really underestimated you when he hired me, didn't he?"

She smashed her hand into a crate to her left and came out with a freshly-loaded pistol. "Luckily for me, he underestimates his own people just as much."

She raised the gun, and fired a trio of shots into the air. The third one caught the rope of an absurdly precarious crate hanging above them, which dropped like a bomb down towards Roland. "Think fast, little Alchemist. No transmutation stops gravity!"

[hr]

Elias' search was not without success. A little alleyway that nobody seemed to notice offered him respite in the form of a dumpster, filled to the brim with trash bags. Not the softest landing, but surely it had to be superior to solid concrete.

[hr]

The snake-headed man chuckled, a curious sound that mixed with his hisses to create a consistent noise in the air. "Pleasssse, don't ssssell ussss sssshort, Misssster Deep Blue. Though our... methodssss may be crude, I assssure you, we're not the villainssss here. We honor our word; unlike the military."

He gestured to the largest-looking of the chimera, who never took his eyes off of Marlin as he slipped out of sight to retrieve the prisoner. Only a split second of a scream got out before it was muffled; Marlin was prepared to panic, but breathed a sigh of relief seeing it was only a gag once she was brought into view. She was placed directly on her feet, a rope securely tied around her hands being the only restraint she appeared to have. The chimera revealed a heavy-looking scimitar, and raised it above the poor woman.

"Ssssurrender. Kneel, and placccce your jar where you can't reach it. Do thissss, and we will free the woman with that blade. Fail to do thissss, and, well, our mutual friend will only free one of her limbs, of his choosing."

A faint noise pricked in his ears. The chimeras didn't seem to catch it, but he certainly did. Punches being thrown, a few odd grunts and shouts, coming from somewhere underground. He couldn't be sure who they were or what they were doing, but somebody was down there with them in the distance.

[hr]

Major Armstrong watched and clenched his fists as the monster the other Alchemists called Vlad walked away. Before he could get out of earshot, the boisterous man gave him an earful as a parting gift.

"We are SOLDIERS, not monsters. We do our duty to protect the people of Amestris; that's a task we're not worthy of if we have to become like the monsters we fight to do it!"

Vlad didn't seem to be responding to him, so he turned his attention back to the bombers. The one affected by Vampire's alchemy was trying to make pained noises, but even that was beyond his frayed senses. A pair of military police had arrived on the scene by now, who Armstrong approached immediately. Unfortunately, his shirt appeared to have other matters to attend to, and did not follow him.

"YOU TWO! Get this man to a hospital now, and keep him under heavy guard! He holds VITAL INFORMATION ON THE WHEREABOUTS OF A STATE ALCHEMIST!"

"Sir, yes sir!" the two men shouted back, saluting and nearly wetting themselves at the sight of the walking snowball of conflicting traits. They both retrieved the most injured brother and scurried off to the hospital, leaving them with the remaining one.

"I wonder what this one might know..."

[hr]

Though standing at nearly forty paces now, and trying not to interfere, Freida had at least some small piece of curiosity held tight as she watched Isaac and wondered what he would do. The assassin he had been fighting just moments before was now bandaged, and lying several feet away. What was more important was, he was starting to wake up. What move would Steel Web make?

[hr]

 

[Pappytech]

Isaac barely registered Frieda's egress, his attention focused on little but the cobblestone beneath him. Tonight's events had shaken him more than he thought possible; likely as not he would be in for a few sleepless nights.

However, regardless of potential personal crises, Isaac's soldier instincts remained as active as ever. As burst of coughing suddenly erupted from the masked assassin, the alchemist reflexively sprung to his feet, hands beginning to curl into fists. Then the rather serious state of his physical condition struck him, bringing Isaac back to his knees as pain lanced through what felt like every inch of his body.

"Jumpy are we?"

Steel-Web warily eyed his immobile companion, watching as his would-be killer feebly struggled against the massive manacles that bound his limbs. Despite the cracked mask that obscured the man's features, Isaac would have bet anything that the assassin was smiling. "At least I can actually move," came the somewhat less than witty replay.

"Touche." The man relaxed, his arms and legs going limp as his head rested against the wet ground, an audible sigh accompanying the action. "Laid low by such foul arts; such a sad, sad end. Tch, my own fault for expecting some semblance of honor from you accursed dogs. Go on then, finish the job."

Shaken and wounded Isaac may have been, but he still found the energy to painfully jab his foe with the toe of his boot, a pained hiss escaping the assassin's throat. "Honor?! The hell is honorable about bombing a civilian area? About trying to kill a man who's never seen you before in his life?" Isaac winced, grabbing his side as his outburst subsided. "Regardless," he weakly continued, "There are rules about prisoners of war. Rest assured, you'll get your precious death, but not at my hands."

The silence that hung between the two men was palpable. It lasted a few seconds, before Isaac inched his way forward, reaching for the man's mask as he growled, "What are hiding under there anyway?"

The mask clattered to the ground, as the alchemist stared at his foe's face, blinking in surprise. Familiar as he was with Amestris' various neighbors, the young man staring defiantly up at him was of a nationality Isaac had yet to encounter. "Who the hell are you?"

The unmasked man glowered at his captor for a moment before speaking, his words edged with restrained fury, "Rai of the Cho clan, and I would kindly thank you for returning my mask. What, breaking my family's swords with your accursed arts wasn't enough for you?"

Isaac mutely replaced the mask, stood still for a moment, before ripping it off again, his own anger replacing his surprise. "No I will not return your mask! You're a war-criminal... and what do you mean by accursed arts? I assume that you've got alchemy in whatever hellhole you're from!"

Rai struggled against his bonds with renewed energy, as his voice rang out, "You take that back, damn dog! Xingise Alakhestry is nothing like your tainted witchcraft; it's little wonder you were overcome so easily, considering your meager skills in such a pathetic art!"

"What the... you were beaten down by alchemy five minutes ago, in case you forgot!"

"...Shut up!"

The two men simply glared at each other for a time, before Isaac finally broke the stare, collapsing back to the ground, his body exhausted. "Look... I'm having a bit of a rough night, what with you trying to kill me and being told that my superiors have been lying to me for god knows how long. Just... tell me why you did it, alright? I'm in no mood for secrets and half-truths; just rant about your damn manifesto or whatever, and I'll make sure you get executed, alright?"

 

[JokerboyJordan]

Roland's closed eyes flickered open from their concentration as soon as he heard Chartrisse, he prepared himself as the shots rang out, hoping to deflect the rounds with his whip, only to find his would be assassin take aim at a crate that he had not noticed hung precariously above him.

"Think fast, little Alchemist. No transmutation stops gravity!"

Hmph, is that so?...

As soon as he heard the cable snap, Roland transitioned quickly into a pirouette, quickly spinning from underneath the crate that fell like a guillotine, simultaneously drawing his whip and shoving an excess of charge towards it, nudging it's contents ever so slightly, moving it a bit more out of his path, just to be safe.
As he span out of the manoeuvre, whip in hand, he uncoiled it as went, sending a blast of electricity down it's length, cracking it directly over Chartrisse's weapon hand as it sent a bolt of miniaturised lightning towards her.

Anticipating for her to resist, or for his attack to otherwise prove ineffective, he rushed towards her other side, swinging his whip above his head like a lasso, before trying to catch her other arm in it's embrace.