The Fallen City

Pale buildings several stories tall loom over the cityscape, glass glinting in the sunlight. A piece of paper drifts across the road as it is carried by a slight breeze - the modern version of an old west tumbleweed. For such a large place it should be bustling with people of all shapes and sizes and colors.

But it's not.

It's silent, vacant. The buildings sit in eerie quiet. The sidewalks are still clean and the windows clear, yet not a soul is in sight.

Except for one. He is tall, taller than six feet, form obscured by a long black coat. His head is bent low and the collar of the coat up around his neck. The sun is rising behind him, silhouetting him against the horizon as he walks down the road. His white-gloved hands are tucked into his pockets as he strides down the empty road.

Spoiler

None of the three characters I'm using in this storybook have character profiles as of right now, so I'll just describe them here in this spoiler. If I do make profiles, I'll update this with their links instead. They're from my Bartimaeus Trilogy and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood crossover.

Sebastian Kueper: A state alchemist in the country of Amestris who reports to Colonel Roy Mustang. He's twenty-five years old and has done alchemy since he was a kid. He has black hair, blue eyes and is roughly the average height for someone of his age. He wears the uniform that all members of their military wears. He lost the lower half of his arms in an accident several years ago, and now has automail in place of them.

Engel: A walking, talking suit of armor that follows Sebastian around and pretends to be a normal guy with an interest in armor. His armor is tall but slim, unlike the bulky armor Alphonse Elric's soul is bound to. He can't perform alchemy in the traditional sense, but he has spent the past few years studying it.

Geist: Their traveling companion who rarely keeps the same appearance. It tends to change depending on his mood, which frequently causes problems when Sebastian is out on assignments. He doesn't talk much about his past, but has made it clear that he was among the Ishvalans when they were persecuted by the government of Amestris.

An odd duo made their way down the street of the abandoned city. The first of these two - the one who had taken the lead - was relatively normal. Dressed in the blue uniform of his military, he did not stand out. His companion was the one who made them both come across as odd. His suit of armor glinted in the light of the sun.

The first man listened to the sound of his metal footsteps; it had become a comforting sound in the years since they had met. He had been assigned to investigate this strange city, but their search so far had shown nothing. It was oddly clean for a city that had been abandoned, and relatively free of damage. Even if it had never had its intended occupants, the man knew that there should have at least been a few squatters.

To make matters worse, the third member of their little group had gone missing upon their arrival. He had snuck off to who knows where. A groan escaped him at the thought of the trouble he was bound to get into; he had a knack for making every assignment more difficult than it needed to be.

His companion joined him at his side. "Sebastian," he said, his calming voice echoing from within the suit of armor. Two pinpricks of light peered out at him from the depths of darkness. "Geist won't get into too much trouble."

"He'll get into some trouble," Sebastian groaned, "and that's enough for me."



He liked to change things up; keeping them the same for an extended period of time resulted in immense boredom, and he was not a fan of that. His cursory investigation of this odd little place had proven that it was unoccupied. It made him giddy with joy. He would have found a good place to change guises, but he was alone. There was no need to worry about the being called a monster or a demon or, worse, Envy.

His current form was discarded for another rather quickly, but he struggled to determine what guise he was in the mood for. Little kids had never been his style, and he had spent the past month following in Sebastian's footsteps as an adult. A teenager was undoubtedly the best choice at the moment, and he wasted no time in determining what that teenager would look like. A mop of white hair, piercing red eyes and dark skin, dressed in a hoodie and jeans; it was dangerous taking on a guise like this in any other setting, but there was no one here to judge him.

Or at least he thought.

As he turned the corner, he stumbled upon a man. This man was taller than him by at least a good foot and possibly more, and he seemed dangerous. The Ishvalan boy's lips curled up into a little smile. He could do with some danger.

"Hello!" he called out, hoping to catch the man's attention.

Spoiler

Fullmetal Alchemist fan, are we? XD Brotherhood or the original series or the manga?

He stops, looking up to pinpoint the sound. His skin is an unnatural, almost corpse-like pale, and his eyes are a grayish-white, nearly colorless tone. His hair is a similar hue to his skin in stark contrast to his onyx attire.

The man's sharp gaze falls on the Ishvalan boy, and he is silent for a moment, studying him before acknowledging his words.

"Hello," he replies in a cool, even, almost bland tone.

Spoiler

I really love both Brotherhood and the manga, though that's probably because they have similar storylines. 2003 is good but just isn't the same.

He didn't see anything odd when he checked the other planes, which was abnormal considering the man's strange appearance. With no clear explanation, he settled on giving an impressed little whistle - he looked incredibly terrifying for someone who must have been a human.

"So how did you end up here?" he questioned, stuffing his hands into his hoodie's pockets. "I came in with a soldier - he's on an assignment from his colonel. The name's Geist, by the way. No last name. Just Geist."

Spoiler

I started with the 2003 one and right now I'm partway through Brotherhood. I plan on reading the manga after. Also if he's looking onto the spirit plane at all, he's not going to have a soul.

The tall man shrugs. "I simply walked and ended up here," he replies in that same, almost monotone, way. "I am called Thanatos. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Spoiler

Oh, okay! Geist actually can't see souls in general - it's more like he can see through illusions?

"Thanatos, huh? Interesting name." Geist looked around. The city didn't seem like the type of place someone would just wander into, but who was he to judge?

Hm. In retrospect, this man could be a serious asset. He must have known something about the town, and Sebastian could do with whatever information he could get. Some helpful hints on this place might get him out of some reprimanding from the alchemist.

He gestured over his shoulder at the empty road behind him. "Got any idea why this place is deserted?"

Spoiler

Gotcha! Just wanted to check

He shakes his head. "Not the faintest. I have just arrived here myself. I take it you have as little idea as I?"

Spoiler

Hey, @soundofmind! I saw that you've been liking the posts. If you're thinking of joining, want to have your character(s) run into Sebastian and Engel?

"Pretty much," he confirmed with a shrug. "Like I said, I came here with a soldier. His assignment was to check this place out. I thought I do a little digging myself."

He glanced around the street. Giving a brief look at the man, he started to head towards the nearest building. It towered high above him. Even back in Central, there wasn't a building as tall as it. Impressive. He wondered how the building of such a place was possible, but this was not the time to ask.

He slipped inside.

It was as pristine as the streets outside were, and just as eerie. He regarded it with a distant yet scrutinous gaze, studying the apparent lack of other people.

"I see. It may be unwise to travel around here alone, however - whatever killed the inhabitants of this city must've done so swiftly."

He looked back at the man for a second time, though he was know peering through the open door to the building. He regarded Thanatos with interest. The assertion was a curious one, considering the fact that he had supposedly come here with no knowledge of what had happened.

"They may have never come," he suggested, returning to his investigation of the building. "People are odd. Give them a fancier city, and they'll be bound to head there instead. Though it doesn't explain why the government's never heard of it..."

There was the possibility that they had. He still didn't know why the government worked in the way that it did, but Engel being bound to that stupid suit of armor was a constant reminder of the secrets they had yet to discover. Hiding a city would be difficult, but not impossible.

Then he shrugged. "No matter what the case is, I'm not easy to kill. So I'll continue doing my investigating, and you can continue whatever you're up to."

"No," Thanatos says. "They are dead, of this I can assure you." Then he shrugs. "However, if you wish to continue your investigation alone, I will not stop you." With this, the odd man continues his way down the road.

It took the words a minute to register.

Then he darted out of the building and back into the road, wildly looking around for the man. When he spotted him only a short distance away, he rushed after him.

"Hey!" he called out. He skid to a halt upon nearing the man. His hand shot out, grabbing onto the sleeve of the man and giving it a hard tug to get his attention. "You're awfully certain of their deaths for someone who says they were just wandering about. Care to tell me why you're actually here?"

He pulls his arm away reflexively with a certain amount of abruptness to the action.

"I am drawn to death like a moth to a lantern," he replies tugging his sleeve back into place. "But I assure you, I am just a traveller in search of knowledge and nothing more."

Darting out from beside the man, Geist wasted no time in cutting him off. He firmly planted his feet down and looked up at the strange human. Giving him a smile that didn't reach his eyes and a slight tilt of the head, he said, "Then let me join you in your supposed search for knowledge."

He didn't believe a single word of it. Theories and gut feelings were a good explanation; being attracted to death was not. It was eerily akin to the soldiers that had flocked to Ishval for genocide.

(And that man - that man who he so desperately wanted to kill to make him atone for his crimes, but had been locked up and would never again see the light of day. Man was too kind of a word for any of those murderers, but especially him.)

Thanatos stops, gazing down at the boy for several moments before speaking. "Very well, but it is unlikely you will like what you find - and I doubt you will tolerate me for long. But if you wish to come I will not stop you." His gaze is cool, analytical - the lack of emotion is a bit unnerving. He doesn't seem to not care; rather, it's a lack of caring.