[Video]

[ahandsomedevil]

[Horst again! A tired looking Horst, holding a cupcake.]

I'm going to visit friends soon, so dear brother this message is mostly for you.

We have another housemate, Miss Alice Liddell. And I promise under pain of smashed kneecap that she's the last. She's just so adorable, I couldn't help but take her in

Comments

[Private//Unhackable]

[bloodseal_soul]

I talked to Rei about the Inner City.

[Private//Unhackable]

[ahandsomedevil]

Alphonse, you always know the perfect thing to say.

[He's only half-joking.]

What did you learn?

[Private//Unhackable]

[bloodseal_soul]

[Half-joke gets a half smile. Serious shit is serious.]

Do you have any information yet? Or should I just go over the whole thing?

[Private//Unhackable]

[ahandsomedevil]

I managed to wring some out of Usagi, but it wasn't anything especially coherent. Let's take it from the top.

[Private//Unhackable]

[bloodseal_soul]

I don't think she went into the Inner City with Rei. She said that she and Hitsugaya were outside as backup, just in case.

She said there were no people inside, and that everything looked like some kind of fight had happened. No people, no bodies, just the scent of blood. She originally said that it looked like they were all killed, but we thought about it a bit more and it could be that they left in a hurry

[Private//Unhackable]

[ahandsomedevil]

But all those people--

[He quickly reins in that knee-jerk response. He has to think rationally, sift through all of this.]

If the Animus did this, that means either the Scientists antagonized them, or they have more power here than we thought. We need to find out which it is.

Sink holes don't fix themselves, and your friend must have fallen through where the tunnels were closer to the surface. If the Scientists did access it through the Inner City, the tunnels have to be located around there.

Which means...it's possible I can find a way in without having to go into the city itself. [Didn't actually mean to say that part aloud. But it's Al, right? He can trust him.

If he can't trust him he can make him forget.]

[Private//Unhackable]

[bloodseal_soul]

The buildings are huge. I can think of any number of ways they might have made the Animus angry. It would be just like the Chairman to try and control them, or something similar.

Maybe. But that's still dozens of square miles of possible entrances, and knowing Zedd, he'd have covered everything over if he felt it was dangerous. He found something down there that scared him, a brown rock with some kind of writing on it. He didn't want me touching it or even near it, which means it's probably some kind of dangerous and powerful magic.

I'd be possible we could find it, I think, but the chances aren't good.

[Private//Unhackable]

[ahandsomedevil]

We have to find them, Al. [His voice is soft, but determined. Desperate, even.]

I'm willing to search that much distance, but if your friend--who I'm guessing was magic--covered it with a spell I won't be able to detect it.

[He tries to sort out the best option, but he can't think of any that wouldn't involve other people. Innocent people.]

What do you think?

[Private//Unhackable]

[bloodseal_soul]

I don't know if he did, but it would explain a lot if that's the case.

[A muscle works in Al's jaw.]

I don't know. I want to check out the Inner City for myself... just to know. I have no problem with running from a fight if I get into one.

[Pause.]

Horst? Can I ask you something?

[Private//Unhackable]

[ahandsomedevil]

[That alone is reassuring. Horst's plan, if he goes to the Inner City, is to simply go in invisible. If he's spotted by the robotics, he'll run; he's fairly sure he can outrun them if Rei's team did.]

Good. Means you're smarter than a lot of people....

[He looks up, meets Al's gaze briefly, and then nods.] Ask away.

[Private//Unhackable]

[bloodseal_soul]

[Al half-laughs. He's also the crazy man who will charge barehanded into battle with a robotic velociraptor and kick it in the goddamn face, provided it's trying to kill someone he cares about. The fun part is this happened.]

Smart means being alive for the next battle.

[Al considers him carefully.] Why do you want to do this?

[Private//Unhackable]

[ahandsomedevil]

[Pfff when Horst figures that out he's going to laugh so hard. Because seriously he loves you, Al.]

Or the next party. It's not all war, you know.

[He purses his lips and looks up at the ceiling, then slowly back at Al.] It's not a matter of 'want'. I'd much rather stay home with Mina, or go drinking with Tyki.

But it's the only way to...get something here that I need. That my brother needs.

[Private//Unhackable]

[bloodseal_soul]

[Al would do the same for Horst, at this point. :|]

You're right. I guess I forget that sometimes.

[Al puts his nail between his teeth, watching him. His eyes are serious.]

Can you tell me what it is?

[Private//Unhackable]

[ahandsomedevil]

No. It's nothing big, nothing that will even be noticed by anyone here.

[Plus he just nearly got into another fight with Rei, which has basically sapped all desire to answer questions in detail. He understands why Al did, which is why he's not angry. Or not acting angry; he certainly is livid about this whole ordeal, about the shitty timing of it and the piss-poor luck of having Rei in charge.]

[Private//Unhackable]

[bloodseal_soul]

Is it dangerous?

[Forgive him for being suspicious. Please. He hates to ask.]

[Private//Unhackable]

[ahandsomedevil]

No. Not as dangerous as not having it, anyway....

Like I said, you won't even know if it's here. It won't even--no one will know it's here. It's just for me.