Rebound

[avaricious]

Who: Greed (and sorta Alphonse)
Broadcast: Yes
Action: A park on the Starlight
When: February 28th, after this post

[The transmission starts abruptly with a flash of red light. When the image clears, there's a few blades of grass in the way and a grotesque image of a man's back, only it's embedded with pieces of metal armor as well as what looks like an armored hand sticking out from the side. It's all the result of some hideous rebound. The man sways unbalanced and seemingly oblivious to the mess made upon his back. He stands there for a few seconds before stumbling forward and kneeling to something beyond the angle of the camera.]

Alphonse!? [There is the sound of banging on metal.] Alphonse! Dammit, answer me!

[There is nothing. No answer. Just silence.]

Say something you shitty brat! We were getting out of this shit hole together! Don't say you--

[And then, just like that, the feed cuts out without explanation.]

Comments

[avaricious]

[He might regret it later, but a child's voice does nothing for his mental state. He doesn't even realize that it's Koala. It's the communicator. That idiotic device that wouldn't shut up now.]

Shut up! Why won't you all shut up!?

[scrubscrub]

[She shrinks, of course. Of course she does.]

I--I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, you're right! I... I'm speaking out of line...

Couldn't you just... tell me where you are, so I can get help?

[She'll take the punishment, she just... she should help protect her crew, right???]

[avaricious]

There's no time. No one can fix him. No one.

[No one except an alchemist. And the only one here - the only one who knows how is right here. In pieces. Dammit.]

[scrubscrub]

Y-you've got to pull yourself together, sir! W-who are you talking about?

[She doesn't see anybody?! Is someone in danger?? Is it 'Alphonse'? Is that -- is what's left of him exploded, or...?!]

I don't see anyone... Are they hurt? Are you at a park? I can see grass...!

[avaricious]

Koala. [He says the name as if only just now understanding who this was talking to him. Until now, he hadn't. The kid. That damn kid. Why did she have to be watching this!?]

Turn the feed off, Koala. This doesn't concern you.

[scrubscrub]

It does!

[She sits up straighter, pulling up all the courage he could, though her fists shake.]

We're nakama. Th-that means you're... you're my crew... a cherished friend!

Please tell me you've called for someone to help! You're hurt.

[avaricious]

[What the hell is nakama!?]

I'll be fine. There isn't anything that can hurt me.

up to you and your timelines if she finds him but THERE YA GO

[scrubscrub]

Then I need to make sure. I — I'll come find you!

[There's shuffling, a bag hefted on her shoulder. Medical supplies from the med bay, and she hopes Lydia won't be gravely upset with her for that.

... And then Koala leaves the ship, ready to hunt around. She's been to a park here before... M-maybe that's where he is? She's not sure. Either way — let's see if she can actually get there without getting lost in general.]

[avaricious]

[She'll be spared some of the grisly images at least, because by now Greed's back has been freed of the metal debris. The remains of Al look more like a pile, though some rudimentary effort has been made to put all the pieces in some semblance of an order.

When Koala comes, Greed is sitting on a bench with his eyes glued on Alphonse. His hair is a wild mess, his shirt shredded beyond repair, and his hands balled into fists. Yet he at least has the presence of mind to notice the young girl's arrival.]

I told you to stay out of this. [His words are harsh, but not as wild as they had been over the comms.]

[scrubscrub]

I...

[pant, pant — she has to catch her breath; she did get here surprisingly quick for her size and mortal limits. But she's here, scanning the situation, moving to stand in front of Greed.]

I understand, sir. I disobeyed an order, a-and I will — take whatever physical punishment y-you would like to give without a single cry of pain of complaint, that I-I can assure you! But I... I was worried...

[She takes off the pack, holding it in her hands, waiting for... whatever Mr. Greed's reaction may be. He doesn't look... very hurt. And there's just... metal pieces, armor, and she's not sure why Mr. Greed is so upset, but...]

[avaricious]

[Others were supposed to come collect the armor - but Greed wasn't about to take off and leave it alone. Until the work was done, he was going to stay in his spot. Alphonse belonged to him, after all. He was still angry about what happened, but not so much that Koala's talk of punishment to go unnoticed. She was still going on about that kind of stuff, huh?

He took the pack from her.]

What's this?

[scrubscrub]

I.... wasn't sure if you were hurt, o-or how badly... so I brought supplies.

I'm sorry! I know I shouldn't have taken them from the medical bay, but...

[She trails off, wringing her hands.]

Are you sure you're alright, Mr. Greed?

[avaricious]

It's not me who needs help. [He looks down at the battered armor.]

This won't do him any good. [He holds the pack out for her to take back.]

[scrubscrub]

....

[She takes it back, and then moves to sit down beside Greed.]

Help who? I... don't see anyone, sir...

[avaricious]

Him. Alphonse. His body is in pieces.

[He gestures vaguely to the loose pile of metal that is only vaguely laid out in the shape it should be.]

[scrubscrub]

[.... O-oh. She's — yes, she remembers now, an Alphonse being mentioned!

But this...]

He... I just — it's armor, Mr. Greed. Are you saying this was...

[She's so lost, though. A person can't be armor. Can they?]

[avaricious]

Alphonse Elric. A human like you. His soul is bonded to that armor.

[And yet... what good is being bonded to scrap metal? There's no way he can do anything with all that.]

[scrubscrub]

[She turns quickly to look at the armor again.

It can't be —

She puts a hand over her heart, eyes widening.]

A... A soul in armor? W-where's his body?

[avaricious]

[He didn't really know Al and Ed's full story. Ling might have, but as he wasn't here, that left Greed to just go on those brief details that he had learned from Ling and the other Homunculi.]

That's a long story, kid. Call it a cautionary tale in not messing with powers you don't know anything about.

[scrubscrub]

[She looks to the armor again, the concern palpable.

If this is him...]

... What now?