Interlude Three: The Alchemist is Calm, and…

Tossing this up before the school year starts again!

Alcatraz Jail

Special Underground Cell

“No……it can’t be, it can’t be, it can’t it can’t it caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan’t!”

For such a scream to echo in a men’s prison –

It was an occurrence that, logically, should not have been possible.

Because not only was it a feminine voice that cried out, but also clearly that of a young girl.

However, several floors down and ensconced from rest of the prison by thick walls, such a sound had no way of reaching Alcatraz’s other levels.

And what was more –

All around the United States, this same scream was being echoed by countless women.

“No no no…it can’t, it can’t be….Daddy, Daddy’s eye…”

In front of the weeping girl, a man knelt forward on one knee.

In the area where his left eye should have been, the man merely had a red, gaping hole. Despite this, there was a faint smile on his face – a smile however, that was not reflected in the eyes of the girl next to him. The simple fact that the man next to her had been injured was enough to suffuse the girl with anxiety – and near-hysterical, she wildly cried:

“Hoooooooooow!? Why….how…hoooooo….”

In the next moment, however, her screams abruptly cut off.

Because gently cradling her shaking frame, was the man the girl had called “Daddy.”

“It’s alright, Leeza.”

“Ah…aaaaaaah, wah….wah, waaaah…”

“Be a little calmer, please. It isn’t much – my field of sight has only narrowed a little, that’s all.”

As the girl continued shaking in his arms, a faint, tight-lipped smile appeared on the man’s face.

However, Huey Laforet’s smile was hardly directed towards the girl in his lap –

But rather towards the current situation’s turn of events.

After the girl had finally calmed down, Huey put her on the bed. Glancing around him, he remarked in a unconcerned tone:

“It appears that this is different from merely closing an eye…well. What an interesting experiment this is turning out to be.”

“Why….Daddy’s eye….where did it, where did it go….?”

Trying to avoiding looking at his face, Huey’s “daughter” asked this question in a small voice.

Forcing a slightly strained smile, Huey pondered what to tell her next.

Should he tell her ‘it was gouged out by one of the men here earlier?’

Or should he just tell her something else, and thus divert her attention away?

If he were to let her know the man responsible – and if that was Firo, if Huey was to name him as the man who had harmed him –

Then it was likely that Leeza would, without any regard for her safety, run to retrieve his stolen eye.

But even after she had taken the eye back, Leeza was still unlikely to forgive the men who had harmed him. Potentially, she would even try to kill everyone who had earlier been in this room.

Then again, that could be quite interesting, too.

If his only opponent was Firo, then no matter how much Leeza wanted revenge, it would be impossible to kill him, as Firo was an immortal like Huey.

However –  if the men calling themselves the former Felix Walker, as well as the man named Ladd, were involved, then the situation was completely different.

That man, Ladd Russo – even when it came to a young girl like Leeza, he gave off the air of being able to kill her without a second thought. From his prior reports, Huey had already began to form a picture of the type of man Ladd was, but only now that he had met Ladd in the flesh did Huey truly understood what his reports had already told him.

Although Ladd may have been a madman, he was a logical madman.

The type of man who not only completely understood what he was doing, but who also steadfastly carried out his beliefs.

Although it was difficult to guess from his vicious personality, Ladd’s true nature was actually much more cold and intelligent. Even if he was naturally impulsive, he managed to always carry out his plans. And although Huey was currently unable to determine whether this impulsiveness came from anger, simple sadism, or some other source, one thing was clear: if this man wanted to kill Leeza, then he would not hesitate for a moment to do it.

That could be quite troublesome.

After all, I still have several experiments I want to perform on her –

At least before we escape, if she doesn’t prove to be of some use, I’ll be quite disappointed.

After musing over these decidedly un-paternal thoughts, Huey gently patted Leeza on the head.

“It’s alright – the loss won’t be any bother to me.”

“No…it can’t be, it can’t be! Daddy, Daddy can’t be hurt…he can’t be…! Daddy…who…who did this? I’ll kill them, I’ll definitely kill them! It’s not okay, it’s not okay – Daddy, you can’t be hurt!”

Though he could not tell if her words were more out of worry for him or herself, Huey knew that such a reaction was natural for Leeza.

Leeza Laforet.

That was the name of Huey’s biological daughter – however, she had another as well.

A name she shared with countless others –

Hilton.

Like Sham, it was the name of a single entity occupying the bodies of many.

Though this project had originally been started by Szilard Quates, thanks to another alchemist’s theft, it had been Huey who completed and carried it out instead. And while there were many who believed Huey to be its original creator, it was this thief who could be said to be its true engineer.

In order for it to work, all that was necessary was to drink a certain liquid. After that, then the “thing” inside the liquid would engage in a battle with the  person’s consciousness. And if in this battle “it” emerged victorious – then not only would it acquire all of the person’s knowledge and experience, but also a new body to control. But if, on the other hand, it was the human who emerged victorious, then they would gain only the liquid’s memories in addition to their freedom.

Unlike a poison or a truth serum, this liquid only involved a pure consciousness.

Not having personally tested it, Huey didn’t know how the liquid actually worked – but if he were to take it and to be subsumed by the “thing” inside, then it would be, for him, the equivalent of being devoured.

That’s right…that person was eventually devoured, wasn’t he?

After he had brought them the technology to create Sham, the alchemist’s name had continued to show up in Rhythm’s research facilities, as he brought them various news and books. But recently, they had completely lost contact with him.

Since Firo had been the one to devour Szilard, didn’t that meant that he knew this, too? Or had that person already been devoured by someone else – or had he gone into hiding, and now wanted nothing to do with them?

Ah, but I can afford to think about him later.

Smiling wryly as he found his thoughts drifting to trivial matters, Huey turned his attention back to the girl in front of him.

“No matter who stole it, it’s only a minor detail in an unimportant matter. There’s no hurry to retrieve it; right now, our more pressing priorities are the situation in New York and escaping from this island.”

“But how can that be…no! But….but…”

Although she had already been assured to not worry, Leeza could only frantically shake her head, completely unable to accept his words.

Of course, such behavior was only natural for someone who had just learned their family member had been hurt.

But Huey knew that although Leeza’s reaction could chalked down to familial feeling, her distress was more closely tied to her particular view of the world.

And just as he knew this, he knew that it was because of how he had raised her that Leeza had developed her peculiar beliefs.

Right after her birth, Huey had had his newborn daughter drink Hilton’s liquid, and had since carefully nurtured her.

In her eyes, the center of the world was Huey Laforet. For both Hilton, the consciousness responsible for gathering information, and her vessel Leeza, he was not only the most important thing in the world, but the god controlling it. In fact, it could be said her entire world revolved around Huey.

And though she possessed the memories and experience of countless people, she had remained absolutely unshakable in her views of her “father.”

Huey took a moment to muse on what Leeza must have been currently thinking.

Her God had been hurt.

Her world had been insulted.

And the one responsible for it had been someone other than her father – in her view, a completely insignificant insect.

How odd…that although I’ve never thought of others as insects, Leeza has come to feel this way…

Although Huey himself viewed those around him as nothing more than “raw materials,” this was how he now dispassionately considered his daughter’s outlook.

Leeza…

Among all of Hilton’s vessels, she seemed to regard this girl, her first vessel, as “a unique individual.”

Unlike Sham, who had long since seen his vessels as mere tools to be used, Hilton had thought of her vessels as the bodies through which her mind flowed, a structure in which each limb had its unique place.

Regarding her fondness toward Leeza, could the sentiment be similar to someone who said, “I like the thumb or my right hand?” Or was it, as Huey suspected, more akin to a person’s feeling towards their heart or their brain?

Huey had no way to be sure on this particular detail, but from what Hilton said in Leeza’s childish tone, it seemed that Leeza was not an isolated instance.

“Daddy…I…I can’t forgive them – who was it!? Was it that man called Ladd? Or was it that horrible Firo? I’ll go after them right now, and cut them into pieces!”

Although Leeza’s tone resembled that of a child losing their temper, there was nothing childish about the threats she now voiced.

Closing a hand over his wounded eye, Huey gently stroked Leeza’s cheek.

“Leeza, there’s no need for you to take any more risks. I don’t know what happened while I was unconscious, but if their goal had been my eye, then it’s already long gotten past the guards and been taken off this island.”

“Guards…so is it one of the guards, then?”

“Taking about this is becoming tiring.”

As Leeza quivered with every intention of killing every guard on the island, Huey could only gently pet her head, eyes glancing at the guard still stationed at the entrance – Sham, who had not passed out when Huey had and who could had thus tell him what had happened earlier.

“I’ll describe them to you later…so right now, Leeza, calm down a little.”

A different glint now appeared in Huey’s eyes –

As, in his heart, the beginnings of a vague desire stirred.

If she were to lose Leeza…how Hilton’s other vessels be affected?

As this thought flashed through his mind, Huey could not help but chuckle softly.

For someone to regard even his own daughter as merely another test subject –

If in this world, there truly exists some afterlife…

Then I suppose my place would be in Dante’s ninth layer of hell.

Absently stroking Leeza’s hair, Huey continued musing on what soul he could have left and the girl he had shaped in its image.

Who truly were they, these irrational existences who now  dwelt in the world – were they like him and his daughter, who awaited an afterlife upon dying? Or rather, were they like ordinary humans, who could indeed greet death?

The answers to could be truly interesting…

“Leeza , I also don’t intend to stay forever in this condition. But in order to reclaim my eye, right now, I may have to ask you to temporarily act as my sight. This may limit your freedom for a bit –”

“As if I care about that! Even if Daddy told me to be free, I’d still be trying to get your eye back!”

Seeing his daughter’s firm nod, Huey once again smiled faintly.

But while she’s here, I still have so many experiments to test out.

He began slowly murmuring to her, careful to avoid anything that could anger Leeza.

All the same, Huey had his own doubts of Firo.

And as he continued gently speaking to her –

All the while, his mind continued pondering his endless, lonely experiments.

---

Ten minutes later

Though the tears on her eyelids were still wet, Leeza’s eyes were closed and she was gently breathing.

Gently covering his daughter with a blanket, Huey quietly took a seat in the chair in the middle of the room.

“…what, Leeza’s already sleeping? Master Huey…”

“She is, after I finally managed to calm her down enough to sleep.”

“…and your left eye?”

“A trifling matter. Please don’t concern yourself about it.”

In the fading light of the single bulb above, the shapes in the room flickered, echoing voices and shadowy images spilling into the corridor outside. Without the slightest surprise, Huey remarked:

“In any case, you seem to be finally awake. I had thought you for dead, and was already planning how best to proceed.”

“If that were to happen, then it’d probably be best if you just waited here. My other vessels would come soon enough to take this one.”

“The death of this vessel wouldn’t bother you then, Sham?

“It’d  feel having an arm or leg twisted off – but no, not really.”

Slowly standing up in the doorway, was the second guard whom Ladd had earlier knocked unconscious.

Alright then.

As Sham met Huey’s gaze, he began quietly planning what to do next.

So far, Huey didn’t seem to be aware of the fact that he had already been betrayed.

So right now…I’ll need to be extra cautious.

Especially when I’m around Master Huey.

Although Sham had already betrayed his heart, he still mentally affixed this title before Huey’s name.

His feelings hidden in the depths of his heart, Sham blandly spoke.

“I have an update for you. In Chicago, members of Lamia were clashing with the Russo family when Renée Palamades Brinvillier suddenly appeared. In the end, Nebula was able to shoot and capture Frank. Whether he’s alive or dead at present, I would have to infiltrate Nebula to know.”

Finishing with his odd report, Sham quietly awaited Huey’s response.

“…”

After several moments of silence, Huey spoke.

“Are you alright?”

“Huh?”

“Oh, it’s only that I remember that when the others were beating you, you seemed to be further back…What’s more, before I lost consciousness, I remember your body being in a different posture. Were you awake earlier and moving around then?”

“…”

Huey’s last words were extremely abrupt. Perhaps because of how unexpected this question had been, Sham now quickly shook his head and, as calmly as possibly, replied.

“No, I didn’t…perhaps when the others were leaving, though, they managed to kick me over?”

“Is that so? Well, no matter then. Though it would have been useful if you had been awake and could have heard what they were saying.”

“Yes, I suppose…”

Although this was how Sham responded, inside, he was far from calm. With someone like Huey Laforet, it was completely possibly that he had already discovered Sham’s betrayal, and was now silently mocking him.

But if Sham were to appear rattled now, then even if Huey had no suspicions, he would be instantly found out.

Forcing his face into a more natural expression, Sham calmly continued as before.

“Oh, and another thing…right now, Rail has asked me to aid him in rescuing Frank.”

“Is that so? Well then. Who would have thought Rail would ever asking anyone for help.”

From the feud with the Russos to Frank’s capture, Huey’s attention now turned to Rail.

Having already partially carried out his betrayal, Sham now strongly felt the force of  Huey’s gaze on him, and was all too keenly reminded whose creation he was. It was a feeling he couldn’t help shuddering at, but even as a cold chill ran down his neck, he forced himself to continue talking.

“Well, how do you plan to aid Rail, then?”

“Oh – well, he wants to ask you to help him, sir.”

“Alright, I shall, then.”

You’re not even going to ask what he wants help with?

As if sensing Sham’s thoughts, Huey gave a slight, knowing smile.

“I, sadly, am not yet omnipotent – if I were unbothered by this state of affairs, then I would have to be Ronnie Schiatto or one of his ilk. What’s more, I do need the experiments in Chicago to continue, even if I am temporarily absent to give instruction.”

“Ah…”

“Though I find it too troublesome to outwardly express it, I, too, am worried about Frank.”

“You can’t be serious – Master Huey –”

“Sham, I am sincere about my worry about Frank, though I suppose my reasons for it may seem less so. I am truly worried about him – but as you know, I am indeed the type of villain who cannot be induced to feel sorrow for others. If it were Salome or the others who learnt Frank had been shot, I’m sure they would already be frothing at the news.”

After mentioning the name of his lead researcher, Huey again fell silent.

Then, as if deciding to return to the present, he uttered, almost questioningly, a name –

“Renée Palamades Brinvillier…”

“Yes, she’s started to act. We don’t know what it’s, but it’s begun – that’s for certain.”

“I would have already guessed so, but to think she would progress so quickly…”

“Well, the Senate and the FBI have nearly all their attention on New York, and she has relations within the Russo family. That, along with some other incidents…”

As Sham’s report gradually trailed off, a slow smile appeared on Huey’s face.

Seemingly finished talking about the future, Huey then slowly stood up, and turned to give instructions to the vessel in front of him.

“In that case, for now, I want to you to keep watch over Firo Prochainezo and the rest of prisoners who were here earlier. And as for the other guard who rushed into this room…I’m uncertain of his name, but as he was beaten by Ladd, his injuries should make him easy enough to recognize. Keep an eye on him, as well.

“Yes, sir.”

Bowing deeply, the guard turned to leave. However, before he could go, Huey calmly called after him –

“Tomorrow, I’m planning to leave here…at this time then, I should be able to able to personally give orders.”

“…understood.”

Taking care not to wake Leeza, Sham silently closed the door. Standing in the darkened corridor, he let out a deep breath.

 I hope I haven’t found out...

He knew Huey’s powers of observation were astute, and that no sign of nervousness or slip in words would slip his gaze.

But as he sucked in another deep breath, Sham’s resolve hardened, and it was with renewed determination that he placed his guard’s cap back on.

Even if I’ve already been discovered –

 

– I know I’ll still continue down this road.

---

As these thoughts were whirling through Sham’s head, on the other side of the door, Huey’s expression had once again assumed a perplexing smile.

“Renée Palamades Brinvillier…”

As he whispered the name Sham’s report had mentioned, Huey turned his eye to the ceiling, gaze seemingly focused on something far, far above.

Ah, after all this time, her name is still so cumbersome…I now understand why Elmer insisted on giving her different nicknames each year.

The smile that came over Huey’s face then was no calculating or smirk, but rather that of an ordinary person, a smile full of natural warmth.

Those memories, of the time before he became immortal –

After all these years, he still considered it the happiest time of his life.

 I suppose if I were to call her simply ‘Renée,” that would be the simplest solution…

 Huey thought, then, of their time together. Because of their difference in age then, it still gave him pause to call her by her first name.

When we meet again, however, we’ll be enemies…so I suppose it’s best I simply refer to her with the name I remember her by.  

Thinking this, Huey quietly murmured this name –

 

“Professor Palamades.”

Saying this, Huey seemed to drift off into a sort of dream, his mind lost in remembrances of a lost, nostalgic time.

A time before he had stepped foot into this prison –

Before Leeza and Chane had been born –

Before he had become an immortal –

Before he had even met with Maiza and the others –

To that cherished time when he and Elmer were still students, attending classes that often seemed more like magic like alchemy.

And also appearing in that dream – the figure of their alchemy teacher, looking exactly the same as she did now, expression distraught as she stared at yet another broken piece of equipment.

Her glasses may have been from a long bygone era, but her body remained, as it always had and always would, that of a young woman.

Chapter Four, 1/2