Who: Roy Mustang and Chris Redfield, random NPC of Riza Hawkeye and mentions of other Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood characters What: Two soldiers meet and discuss the problems in Chris' world. Roy offers up red water from the Philosopher's Stone as a possible solution. When: Last weekend sometime Where: Amestris, through Roy's door, in the General's office Warnings: Maybe mention of war.
Leonard had received instructions from the voice inside his head that he was to ‘report to the hotel’ at once for a military confidential meeting. He knew that the voice inside his head was a general in some other world’s military, so he knew that this was probably why he was asking him to come to Passages in this manner. However, Leonard had the day off, so the least he could do was let the other cross through and take control for a while.
He waited by the door leading into Roy’s world, wondering when this other man would show. Roy had given him a very detailed description of what to expect. He had to admit that the man was thorough in his work, something which Leonard appreciated. All he had to do now was wait for the man he was supposed to meet to let him through the door.
Azeneth was getting a little tired of hearing dates and times and instructions whenever she walked out her door, but at least they were usually on the weekends. Or maybe that was even worse. She’d be pissed if she had to skip a class or a lab or a chance to go out in the field, but it wasn’t like she’d never done that before. Her weekends, on the other hand, were her time and her time alone. Or, rather, alone with whoever she wanted to spend them with. Very rarely, up until recently, had that meant a (moderately good-looking) man with guns and a world of his own where she had to sit quietly and play nice until he was done doing whatever he needed to do.
But she felt bad just screwing him over constantly, so she let him have his hours. And that meant, today, going back to the hotel to meet up with another stranger. Are you sure you’re not trying to set me up with people? she chided, to which she heard nothing in response except a dismissive grunt. He needed to lighten up.
At the intended door, someone was already waiting. And maybe it would have been a wise move for Chris to remember to mention to the General that on this side, he was stuck in the head of a lithe young woman who tended to watch people a lot more intently than they liked her to. Azeneth stopped a few feet away from the other man and smiled slightly. So long as they were in the hotel, whoever it was at least knew the situation at hand. Didn’t mean he was necessarily trustworthy, though.
“Hey,” she said, hands in the pockets of her cargo shorts. “You’ve got a General with you?”
Well, whomever he was supposed to be meeting, they were on time. Leonard checked his watch, remembering what time the General had told him to expect the other person. He had to admit that he was surprised to see a young woman standing before him, who looked nothing like the man that the General was meeting. Then again, he had to admit that he had heard of this before from others. Some had males in their heads as females, while others had females in their heads as males. Leonard supposed he was lucky, that he had a General. Granted, a womanizing General who was already smirking in his mind and preparing jokes about Chris’ fortune at being stuck inside a woman’s body.
“I do,” he commented in response, his British accent sticking him out like a sore thumb. He smiled comfortably, pulling out the pen that was representative of his key. “You’ve got the guy who’s meeting with him?” Leonard had to admit that he didn’t know too much about Chris, but the General assured him that this was for the best. The less people knew, the better off and safer they were.
“Pretty sure. Army boy.” Air Force. They were basically the same thing, Azeneth countered mentally, and Chris actually snorted in response. She smirked outwardly and turned her attention back on the other man. “He won’t tell me the details, but I’m sure we’ll get to find out sooner or later anyway. After you.”
She gestured toward the door, glancing at the pen that must have served as his key if he was getting it out now. Her own heavy iron one weighed down her pocket, and she touched it briefly with her fingertips. Odd how much psychological weight it seemed to have for the point man; he didn’t like it, and he didn’t like the look of the door he went through, either. But it never took them anywhere unpleasant. Or hadn’t yet, at least.
So where was this one going to go? Only time would tell, and she would follow the other man through the moment he’d set foot on the other side.
“Makes sense,” returned Leonard softly, a small smile on his lips. It seemed army people were all the same. Detail oriented, only telling what little information to others that they needed. Roy had filled him in on what to do, but nothing much more than that. He reached his pen into the keyhole, turning it delicately.
What was revealed the moment that he stepped through the door was the inner workings of the military at hard work. Roy’s world opened into his office, and Roy was glad of it. If Kimblee or any of the other monsters dared to appear as an Alter, he’d be the first to know. Leonard faded into the mental aspect of the shared mind, while what stepped out of the door was a man in his thirties or so. He was decorated in a full blue and gold military uniform, complete with white gloves over his hands. Four gold stars rested on each shoulder and a handle of medals were pinned to his chest, the signs of a true and full General.
He was greeted almost instantly by a blond woman, who saluted him with a proper ‘Sir’. Roy merely smiled, shook his head, then replied, “At ease, Hawkeye. Prepare the lunch for the men. I’ve a meeting with a guest for a few hours.” Roy finally then turned around to look for his new companion. It wasn’t that he trusted this man not to shoot or do anything behind his back; he knew that the woman in front of him would shoot on sight if anything possibly looked wrong. He trusted her with his life, and that much he intentionally was showing to Chris immediately. He wanted the other stranger to feel comfortable in his office.
When the other man stepped through, Azeneth followed, taking a breath automatically because ti was something she’d started to get used to. Chris followed through, letting it out, opening his eyes and looking around at the office he’d arrived in - and the General nearby. The man had the look and bearing of a high-ranking military officer, though the outfit was a little flashier than anything Chris had seen in a while. Chris himself was almost the same age, well-built and wearing the standard B.S.A.A. field agent uniform. He’d elected to pull the jacket over the bulletproof vest, though. It was at least partly polite to do that much. His M92 was holstered, and his knife was securely in place on his back.
He stayed silent, reorienting himself, as the General greeted a woman with whom he seemed completely comfortable. It seemed like nothing was immediately going wrong, with no real chaos, just the standard kind of any base. He gave the woman a brief nod and glanced at Roy, sizing the man up the same way he knew was being turned on him. It was something you did when you weren’t sure who was going to stab you in the back, and Chris knew he wasn’t exactly the fresh, clean sort of military recruit people automatically trusted.
“Chris Redfield,” he said, introducing himself more to the woman than to Roy but, as he’d never given out his surname or actual rank, it would benefit the General, too. “SOU Captain, B.S.A.A.. Don’t know if that carries much weight here, though.”
“You’re welcome among us,” returned Roy casually. After a brief glance towards the man in uniform. “You’re lucky the Elric brothers are off on a mission of sorts, otherwise this office would probably be a bit more chaotic at the moment.” Roy smirked, then nodded to the blond woman beside him. “This is Colonel Riza Hawkeye, the best sharpshooter our military has. She’ll help keep the rest of the men in line during our meeting, but we shouldn’t have a problem.” After another nod, Hawkeye saluted once more then made her way into the outer office to prepare the lunch for the other men who had been in the office when Roy had stepped through.
“In this office, it’s not so much about ranks as it is about what you can do, Captain,” Roy explained softly. “Kain Fury is my technology expert. He was the young man you saw with the glasses. Jean Havoc is our outsourcer. You can spot him with a cigarette most of the time. Breda is a skilled fighter and has fought on the front lines several times. Falmann is our key to knowledge. Any military code or resource he’s probably got it stored in his head. Alex Armstrong, who’s not here presently, helps with understanding the old families of the military. He’s also our strength, and an alchemist like myself. The Elric brothers, Edward and Alphonse, aren’t here at present. Edward is our lead researcher, quite a talented young alchemist. And Alphonse, though not officially part of the military yet, is a skilled alchemist himself and a brilliant mind. Besides, he helps me to keep his brother in check.” Roy smiled a bit then, then turned his attention fully back to Chris.
“Which brings us to myself. Critical thinker and planner, also an alchemist,” Roy introduced properly. “General Roy Mustang. However, Captain is quite an impressive rank in itself. I’m not certain of how the other...world’s military works, but you are safe here. Would you care for anything before we begin?” Roy was also taking this time to personally assess the young man in front of him. He looked a bit battered, but given what little information Roy had received from his world, he could see that whatever the man had said wasn’t a lie. His dark eyes scanned around him, too. He was assessing Chris’ responses to what he said, curious to know how the man handled new information like this. Roy knew, after all, very little about him so far.
The names that came at him, a little quick and some of them without faces attached, mostly got lost for Chris, but he tried to connect them with the people he could see, at least. He was silent as Roy introduced them and their specialities. It looked like he had a core group around him that could take care of problems, and fast - which was a good thing to have. Like what Alpha Team had been, so long ago. Stealth expert, demolitions expert, pilot, point man … he blinked and looked around as Roy finally turned back to himself, ending the speech with a question. Chris automatically straightened his shoulders, arms crossed out of a lack of anything to really do, and shook his head.
“No thanks. I should be fine.” Again with the idea that he was in a completely different universe. This was the third one so far, though the general atmosphere of the base itself was more familiar than either of the other two. “From what you’ve told me so far, I don’t think they’re all that much different. At least not as far as the basics go.” Which was another comfort, if minor. The subject of alchemy that kept coming up in passing was still one he wasn’t entirely clear on. But he could almost guarantee that whatever he said about the bioterrorist threats he dealt with on a near-daily basis would be the same sort of thing for the General and any of his men. Azeneth didn’t get it, and half of the people he talked to over the phone’s application didn’t really comprehend it, either. New worlds, new concepts.
It wasn’t quite as bizarre as he’d have expected it to be a month ago.
Requesting for a glass of water himself, Roy slid into his comfortable chair behind his desk and motioned for Chris to take a seat. Technology in Amestris wasn’t nearly as advanced in some areas as technology on Earth was. The telephones were still the old touch-dial phones, and one rested on the desk in front of Roy. Scattered papers in what seemed to be like relatively neat piles sat in front of him as well.
“Very well, then. Let’s get started, shall we? The lunch should keep them occupied for an hour or so,” Roy explained, “and if we need longer, Hawkeye will handle things. Were you able to secure the samples that I asked for?” Roy knew that seeing things first hand was often the best way to handle things, but he was going to treat this like the chimeras that he’d dealt with before at first. Chimeras were mutations of animals, forged together by alchemy. Any type of animal could usually be combined with another, though most recently, at least one particular alchemist had forged his own wife and daughter with animals to attempt to create a talking chimera with human intelligence.
He guessed that what he would be dealing with was similar to human transmutation, or shifting a human body. Edward knew the subject best, of course, but Roy had a very good understanding of it and was able to manipulate data himself now. He leaned forward on his desk, curious to know what this young soldier had to offer.
The phone was one thing Chris gave a longer look to. If the technology they had here meant rotary phones were still in use, then he wasn’t sure that what he was about to bring up was going to work all that well for the General. Still, he sat down and pulled out his own phone - made for standard military use, with GPS and a backup battery on hand, and put in the passcode in order to get to the few scans he’d managed to load onto it during his last quick visit. He turned the screen around so Roy could see it once they were up. The files themselves had microscopic views of the infected tissues taken back from various dead Majini, as well as a number of reports on the behaviors of those infected by the evolved version of the Las Plagas, both from Kennedy Report and from his own reports written after he’d left Africa.
“This is what I could get,” he explained, “but I’ve had more first-hand experience to make up for it.” That this was really a military operation, almost like his days in the Air Force again, took away most of the concern he’d had over whether or not the General could be trusted, or if he’d been lying about his world. It didn’t feel so much like a breach of any contracts he’d signed with the B.S.A.A. to talk about it with him. “This is one of the more advanced versions of what’s been developed over the last fifty years. It started out as a virus that first killed the living host, then reanimated the corpse as a zombie. Minor brain function, slow reaction time, difficult to stop even with a barrage of bullets. Since then … it’s gotten a lot worse.”
What Chris had to offer, insofar as this was concerned, was experience. He wasn’t the best marksman (though he was damn good), or the most intelligent on any squad, and he didn’t understand a lot of what went on in the more scientific aspects of all of this. But as far as he was concerned, he didn’t have to. He’d seen what these things could do and he knew how to fight them. Even better, he could lead people to do the same. Some days, though, it didn’t seem like enough.
Roy responded quickly when he was shown the photos on the telephone. With a pen, he almost perfectly drew what was right in front of him. He sketched and glanced up every few seconds, his final picture identical to the one on the phone. The alchemist in him was thinking, fast. Was there a way to just animate the brain, but the body itself was not fully functioning? The way he spoke, it sounded very similar to human transmutation. Roy almost wanted to ask him to visit his world himself, for the first hand experience. “So what we’re looking at is something that is no longer human,” he returned simply. “If the human itself is dead, then whatever is in it, is no longer human. Nothing that has been lost can be brought back.” Roy looked off to the side for a moment, then shook his head slowly.
“To stop them, have you tried fire? Fire can kill almost anything that contains carbon. With the right amount of heat intensity, you can completely burn a body in less than five minutes.” Roy glanced up again, then motioned to the fireplace across the room. He held his gloved hands out in front of him and with a quick snap, he sent flames dancing from his fingers towards the fireplace. In a second, a fire was blazing as though it had been started hours ago. “I have enough skill to light Havoc’s cigarette for him. It may be dangerous, but if we could stop one of these creatures long enough so that I might get a first hand sample of it, I can have my best alchemists look into this virus. There may be a way from my world to either reverse it or to prevent it from spreading.”
He leaned back in his chair comfortably, folding his hands in front of him. “The behavior itself reminds me very much of the chimeras of our world. Dr. Marcoh, one of our leading experts on chimera research, had looked into how to change their behavior.” Roy pulled open the top drawer to his desk, then also brought out a small, red stone in his hands. “This. Have you any idea what this is?” It was the famed Philosopher’s Stone. Roy had learned through Leonard that it was only legend on Earth. But in Amestris, Edward had searched the world up and down to obtain it. And he finally had used it to secure his brother’s future, and then Roy had promised to look after it. He was, after all, one of the few alchemists left who could actually perform alchemy any more.
Chris watched carefully as Roy copied the photos with almost perfect accuracy, both impressed and a little concerned. But if this type of tech couldn’t be shared, then it was the best they’d be able to do for the moment.
“In short,” he agreed, because those things weren’t human anymore. Not even the ones that had been infected since, because at least in the early days, they’d been dead first. Las Plagas didn’t even grant them that. “Fire does work, about as well as it would on a human, but - ”
His explanation - about the evolution of the virus into a parasite, the new methods of infection, the effectiveness of a flash grenade against any exposed parasites - was cut off when Roy held out his hand, snapped his fingers, and started a fire in the nearby fireplace. He almost jumped when it happened. It was quick, and abrupt, and … apparently, that was alchemy for you, because it was something he’d never seen before and it was one hell of a skill. His look, when he turned back to the General, was slightly impressed, but also very slightly suspicious. He couldn’t help it. New forms of weaponry, even if they weren’t technically physical weapons, always put him on edge.
“ … no, I don’t think I’ve seen something like that before,” he said, as the explanation came to a quick finish. Chimeras? He’d just take the General’s word for it. “I’d say you could get a chance to get your own sample, but my superiors aren’t going to be nearly as accommodating as you’ve been - and the virus isn’t something that can be reversed. Not as a virus, and definitely not in its newer form as a parasite.”
Roy set the stone down on his desk, then leaned forward a bit to get a better look at Chris. “Not many would be as accomodating as we are here. But I’ve learned the hard way that it is better to keep your enemies closer. I have no reason to distrust you, since you’re asking me for help, but let’s just say...I’d rather be the one calling the shots,” Roy replied with a shrug.
“As for this, this is the Philosopher’s Stone. Perhaps you’ve heard of it, in legend, in your own world. It is very real. Very dangerous. If I were to perform alchemy as I just did with this in my hand, I could create a bomb with my hands, to say the least.” Roy smiled a bit sadly, remembering those who were lost in the effort to keep this thing safe. He leaned back again to get more comfortable in his chair, then added softly: “Perhaps we can use it in effort to save your world. If anything can, I am certain this would be able to help. It’s also a healing device. Better than any doctor I’ve ever seen.”
Briefly, Chris wondered what it would mean to have a tool in his hands that could save the world. Cut down the Plagas and parasites, the viruses all the way back to the Progenitor, find a way to destroy the infection without destroying the infected … it was only good. And it was what he, and everyone else, had hoped would eventually come about from working as an actual task force with its own backup team of scientists researching cures. But up until this very moment, there had always been problems - whether human or in the viruses themselves. It would be impossible to fix everything.
He stared down at that stone, wondering if it was even possible. Dangerous for people like Roy … so what would it do in the wrong hands of his world?
“I get that,” he said, looking back up at Roy with a half-shrug. “And if they had more than my word to go on, they’d probably give you a chance. But the B.S.A.A. doesn’t take anything lightly, especially not these days. A General from another world walking in, looking to fight the infected … it just wouldn’t work. And it could put me under scrutiny.”
And without that job, there was almost nothing left for him. He had to have a way to fight these things, and freelance just wasn’t going to cut it. To get kicked to the curb by an institution he’d helped found would leave him with no other recourse, no matter how many other people vouched for him.
“Plus, I’m not sure I’d want to risk you potentially getting hurt. Not that I doubt you can hold your own, but these things come in swarms.” And he had the scars to prove it.
Roy let the young man speak. He certainly had a good head on his shoulders. He seemed to be able to think through things quite fully. And Roy appreciated that, certainly. “I wouldn’t expect to be just allowed to walk into a foreign country’s territory,” returned Roy with a smile. “Let me offer them something that I can give.” He moved to the drawer again, and this time, Roy pulled out a single vial. It looked like a medical vial, but it was near full with red, thick liquid.
“This is a partially formed Philosopher’s Stone. We call it Red Water. The effects are very similar. I can’t give away the real Stone, not with everything that went into its creation and obtaining it, but try the Red Water on someone who’s infected if possible. Just a drop on their skin will do. Make sure those who aren’t infected aren’t exposed to it for a long time. Wear masks when you unplug the vial. We can think of it as a test run, if it’s possible. I’d be curious to see the effects that the water has on the virus itself. If it works the way I think, it should completely remove the virus from the person. You don’t need anything special to activate it. It’s self-contained.”
Roy held the small vial out to Chris, his hand steady. “A lot of research went into creating this, and a lot of lives were lost. If I didn’t think your own would could benefit from this, I’d be more hesitant about sharing it. But I honestly think this could be an answer for you. Our world may not have the same technology as Earth does, but we have science in other places.”
With all the new information coming at him, Chris could only listen and try to parse what he was hearing as Roy held out a hand, offering a slim vial to him. He took it automatically and thought: this was a level of trust he didn’t often experience. This wasn’t the sort of thing that happened every day. By all rights, none of this should even be real. But it was, and here was something he was being told could cure the T-virus, the G-virus, Uroboros, Las Plagas … the vial itself was a little warm to the touch.
“I … thanks,” he said, thoughts rearranging themselves as he looked back up at the General. “I don’t know if this’ll work, but I - appreciate it.” It seemed a little too close to magic to be real. But so did switching bodies when he walked through a door. Even if the B.S.A.A. had never been able to keep up with the viral developments to fight them effectively, maybe those viruses couldn’t hold up against something completely new, something so different it barely even counted.
Or maybe it would only make things worse, because those viruses evolved fast. But there were opportunities to run tests. Experiments that the remaining researchers would no doubt leap on without hesitation. At least it would be difficult, if not impossible, to replicate the stuff.
“I’m a little surprised you’re willing to just hand it out like that,” Chris said, putting the vial away in a vest pocket very carefully, hoping it would survive the move from one world to another and then back again. “If it’s so dangerous. You don’t really know much about who I am.”
Roy was looking rather amused at the surprise in the young man’s voice. By that alone, Roy knew he could trust him. He came from a cautious world and by being offered something so freely, Roy guessed this was abnormal, to say the least, for Chris. He decided to have a little bit of fun with this serious young man. Smirking a bit as he leaned forward, Roy sipped at his glass of water and leveled a glance at Chris.
“And I’m a little surprised you trust so easily,” he returned coolly. “Not even going to ask for a demonstration on my end to verify that it is what I say it is? Or back up research to prove that it’s real? I could be handing you a liquid bomb for all you know.” Roy let his gaze meet the young man’s coolly, and he knew whatever happened next would be a very good way to judge Chris’ character. “Just because my title is General doesn’t mean you should accept everything that I say at face value.”
Knew it was too good to be true --
Chris ignored the little stream of laughter in the back of his skull and fixed Roy with just as level a gaze, still serious - but there was a little amusement there, even if he wasn’t precisely smirking.
“Point.” Admit when you’d made a mistake, and don’t try to find an excuse. He could say he’d been too blindsided by all the information and the new worlds and people he didn’t know, but the fact of the matter was, he hadn’t asked, period. His wrong move. “And I don’t generally trust people with high rank unless I know them personally. But I know the difference between loyalty by trust and loyalty by fear, and your men - and the Colonel - weren’t afraid of you. Whatever you gave me might not be the real thing, but it’s probably not dangerous.” He tapped the pocket where the vial was securely fastened away. “You can judge a man better by the people around him than by just talking to him, in a lot of cases. Unless you’re just a really good liar.”
Plus, only megalomaniacs would rub in doubt like that if they had really handed over a danger, and Chris had more than his fair share of experience in dealing with those.
Roy had to admit that he liked the young man in front of him more and more now. He was able to admit his mistakes, but more so, he’d seen through Roy’s charade and understood why he’d gone through the lengths that he had at the beginning to introduce his men to a complete stranger. “You could say that I’m both,” acknowledged Roy lightly, laughing himself, “but the latter is only out of necessity, I assure you.”
“We’ve faced death far too many times for my own liking in this office. I can’t vouch for the others outside of this office, but the men in here are men you can trust whenever you need a break from your own world. Fighting a never-ending war, after all, can only be exhausting.” Roy offered a genuine smile. “I like your style Chris. You’ll make a fine officer one day, and hopefully you’ll earn that chance.” He didn’t give praise out easily, but he truly did like the young man’s character. Straight forward and to the point, much like himself when he’d been younger.
Now Chris did smile, though it was brief and banished quickly.
“I appreciate the thought, but I’m not really officer material. Plus, it’d keep me out of the action.” Which was something he absolutely couldn’t have, in either the short or long term. “I tend to clash with authority, anyway. I’ll take you at your word for that; I might drop by sometime, if things are getting stagnant for me. I’d make the same offer if I didn’t think my superiors would try to put you in jail.” Some of them would, he was sure. Others might actually listen. It depended on the day.
He flicked through the other little bits of information he’d managed to bring with him on the phone, grimacing at a still image taken from a video back in Africa.
“If there’s anything else you think you need to know about this, I can try to tell you. My last serious involvement with a rash of the virus was less than a year ago, so it’s fresh, unfortunately.”
“Sometimes that’s what the military needs,” returned Roy with a laugh. “My best alchemist, Ed, constantly clashes with me, but when I need someone I can trust to get the job done, it’s him I send. Just because he may not like me well doesn’t mean that he’s not a good worker.” He sighed lightly at the young man’s mention of his own authorities.
“I doubt they could hold me there for long,” remarked Roy, poising his fingers in the snapping position that should remind Chris of his own alchemy. He was smiling, however, showing that he was joking a bit. “Whatever you’ve got, I’ll take. If you want me to keep it just to myself, I can do that, or I can organize a research team with the best authorities on things such as this in Amestris. If we had a way to play these videos here, I’d find some way to copy them. Unfortunately, where America’s technology spiraled off towards engineering and advanced pyrotecnics, Amestris had alchemy. Seems they didn’t bother to research more about the other matter.”
“For the time being, try to keep it under wraps. Just in case anything goes bad on either my end or yours,” Chris said, not quite bothering to hold back the half-grin that pulled at the corner of his mouth when Roy held up a hand, ready to break out of whatever jail the B.S.A.A. could put him in. “What might be important to know … these viruses can be transmitted by air, but for the most part, they’re only airborne viable for a short time. Not sure how long. Maybe via water, but for the most part … they get from person to person by direct transmission. Biting, in early cases.” And from there it turned into a pandemic. “The parasite version, Las Plagas, requires either injection or … consumption. Usually forced.”
Because there weren’t a lot of people willing to go around and swallow one of those damned things happily. He shook his head and continued.
“Companies can mass-infect populations by offering those and masking them as vaccinations. It usually kills off part of the infected group - women and children - and leaves the adult men behind with hyper-aggression and improved physical abilities.” Was it a mercy that some died instead of being infected, or did the terrorists just not care? “Actions like that can wipe out entire cities.”
Chris stopped, suddenly aware that he was doing less to really inform and more just … talking, something he didn’t often do. He squared his shoulders and looked Roy in the eye.
“The infected aren’t people anymore, and they have to be stopped before they can reach anybody else. No matter what kind of future they had, they lost it. They can’t be reasoned with anymore, so there’s no point in trying.” He knew. He had.
Roy had this ability to draw in those who were reliable. All of his men knew they could trust him. They’d used code to speak and to get around even the toughest of situations in the past. Now was going to be no different. And he’d gained Chris’ trust. He had gathered a lot from just looking at the young man, and their short conversation had told Roy quite a bit about his superior officers. And he could tell they were similar to the ones who had ruled Amestris before Roy’s takeover. Roy was quite pleased with himself, but he wasn’t about to show this to the kid.
“So it needs oxygen and blood to live, much like we humans do,” remarked Roy simply, determined to keep this conversation up as much as he could. This was obviously troubling Chris, and he guessed it wasn’t bad to have a new informant. “You are certainly able to think like a soldier, recognizing what must be done to save those whom you still can. It’s not an easy mission. It’s never an easy choice.” Roy’s voice was soft now. “I’ve lost far too many good men because of the corruption in my own military, and because we discovered their secrets...they...some of them were killed in cold blood. I sought revenge, but in the end, it was my own lieutenant at the time who stopped me.”
“What you have are companies wanting a profit trying to take control, but they may not even be aware of it.” Roy was being optimistic, of course. He was already thinking of possibilities, of ways to stop this and ways to help it succeed. “I won’t try to recreate it here. That would be foolish, so rest assured there. Test that vial on some secure sample if that’s possible, and make sure to detail every last result of what happens. I need to know exactly everything that happens before I’ll even think of surrendering the real Stone.” Roy smiled sadly, holding the red stone in his own hands. “Let’s just say that too many lives were lost to create this.”
“They’re aware of it. They know exactly what they’re doing, most of the time - it’s just the results they think they can control, but can’t.” All the way up the chain from regular terrorists to the head of the B.S.A.A. itself, once. “It’s greed that drives them, most of the time. The terrorists who get the bioweapons end up dead by them half the time.” Leaving Chris to clean up the mess, again and again …
But. He almost smiled (it was weak) at the General’s attempt at humor, in half-sympathy to the familiar knowledge of corruption ruining an entire operation. Or team, or city.
“I’ll get back to you on any effects, good or bad. I’m sure someone will be willing to test out a potential cure as soon as I suggest it’s possible.” He’d have to keep it under wraps, though. There wasn’t a lot of love between Chris and the heads of the organization; he didn’t feel much guilt at the idea of keeping something like this from them. “I’ll try to get it back in writing, too. Easier to get to you.”
Roy smiled appreciatively at the young man’s approach to this whole matter. He seemed discreet yet direct at the same time. It was a quality that Roy wished more soldiers had, a quality that would generally get them far in life. Even if at the time it didn’t prove effective, Roy was certain that soon enough, things would look up for Chris Redfield. “Of course they can’t. Viruses such as these are never things you can control,” Roy remarked bitterly. “Our higher ups learned the hard way as well. It’s something each world must learn on their own, or so it seems.”
He inclined his head at the other man’s comment, a smile on his features still. “You’ve done a good job, so far, looking out for your country and building on what resources you have access to. That’s leadership material, if I ever saw it. If nothing else, you’ll always have a place among my team.” It was an honest comment, and almost as though she heard it, Hawkeye had stepped back into the room and nodded firmly in Chris’ direction. “Relax, Hawkeye. I assured you I’d be safe with this young man. There’s no need to be so vigilant here.” She frowned, but she wasn’t quite willing to breach protocol in front of a complete stranger. Around their own men, yes,she wouldn’t hesitate to call him out on his stupidity. But in front of a stranger? Hawkeye remained rigid in military protocol.
“You’ll have to forgive the Colonel. It wasn’t that long ago that I...lost my own sight, and she was my eyes during a fight,” Roy commented honestly. “This Stone, with all the power that it holds, restored my sight fully.” He motioned towards the vial that Chris held. “So keep that vial as safe as you can. Show only those who you trust with it. It’s a powerful weapon, though it may not seem like it looking as it does. How long do you think it will take to report back the effects of this?”
Chris was a little skeptical at Roy’s claim to have been healed from blindness by something that seemed to basically amount to magic, but he didn’t express it outwardly. If it really worked - if the vial’s contents could really cure something that permanent - then he’d curtail his doubts. Have no choice, really. For now, he kept it close in his vest, waiting for the opportunity to get back to his door and put it away for later testing.
I’ll give you twenty minutes, said a thin voice in the back of his mind, and Chris almost made a comment, but the Colonel’s watchful gaze on the back of his neck kept him still. He turned to give her an even look. He wasn’t going to be a threat unless there was one posed to him, and so far, the General had been anything but.
“I understand.” He did. There were people he’d never let go of his gun to protect. “Don’t worry. I’m good at keeping that much under wraps,” he said, turning back to Roy. “A week or two at least, depending on the opportunities I’ve got. If there’s going to be a significant delay, I’ll get a message sent to you. Either personally, or from the Vegas side.” Because for him, Earth was Earth - he had to differentiate by city rather than planet.
Hawkeye was a bit protective, and Roy was amused by the level gaze that Chris sent towards her when he caught her staring again. Chris was to her a complete stranger. The fact that she hadn’t held him at gun point the moment he’d walked through the door had said quite a bit about her trust in Roy. That’s just how their team operated. “Fair enough.” Roy rose to his feet then, and held out his hand properly for the other if he wished to shake it. It wasn’t exactly proper military protocol...usually a salute would do...but Roy didn’t expect this young man to act as though he really were part of Roy’s troops. If Chris wanted to salute, Roy would respect it and return it in kind, but he wasn’t going to force him to do it.
“Until we meet again, then. I hope to hear whatever results you have soon.” Roy glanced up with his dark eyes, letting them meet Chris’ gaze directly. “Our world is your home whenever you need it.”
Chris stood when the General did, shook the offered hand without thinking about saluting until after it was done. He hadn’t been officially part of the military for a while, and while old habits died hard, some of them did eventually settle into a brooding stasis.
“Thanks.” It was repetitive, but genuine. This kind of thing - if it was real, legitimate, actually worked - wouldn’t go unappreciated, and even if it failed, the effort and trust was still something he wouldn’t take lightly. He matched Roy gaze for gaze as he dropped his hand, reaching up to make sure the vial was still in his pocket almost absentmindedly. “I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. And - I’m going to repay you for this. If there’s something you need, help from me or where I’m from, just ask.” What they lacked in magic, they made up for with combat readiness. If these were the standard military uniforms … he wondered what they had that came in place of kevlar, or if they just bore with every bullet. Not a pleasant thought.
With a final nod at Roy and then the Colonel, Chris headed back for the door, taking a breath, Azeneth’s habit having bled over into him, before stepping through.
Roy watched as the young man left and he smirked a bit once he was gone. He liked the kid. Chris still had a lot to learn about military tactics and such, but Roy liked him well enough. And he seemed to intuitively understand the concept of equivalent exchange, offering to repay him without needing to be asked for it. This would be a very interesting arrangement, and Roy could already see Hawkeye shaking her head in the corner as Roy set about making his plans in his head. The General, if nothing else, was very good about planning ahead.