The Same Coin

Plume

Winry's blood felt electric. It crackled and hummed in her arteries and veins, where its current buzzed and grounded itself in the seat of her soul. What she had seen in Meteor City had given her a belief in God that even the darkness of the Promised Day had left hollow. Whatever father had been, he had been a product of alchemy — science. This ability, the Sun and the Moon, was something Other.

She hadn't brought her grandmother's pipe with her for this trip so, instead, the hand-rolled cigarillo she'd bummed off a passing stranger trembled between her lips instead. Chrollo had dozed off in his seat on the airship beside her with his head propped up with one hand, an open book across his lap. Winry spared glances of trepidation in his direction every few seconds.

Even with alchemy, Hisoka may not be able to win.

The elder's demonstration had been horrific. They had brought in a child — a small boy dressed in rags. And, once marked, the elder had instructed him to go into a clearing and clap his hands. Winry's composure had never been so tested before and her instincts told her that was exactly why a child had been chosen.

Chrollo's demonstration, however, had demonstrated precisely what made him so dangerous.

As they had reached the docks where they left their small boat to leave Meteor City, a somber horn had blasted across the landscape, hitting a melancholy note. They both turned to look back, and saw a plume of black smoke creep from the highest chimney vent of Meteor City's makeshift skyline.

Chrollo had startled her then, swinging around to kick the rocks at his feet, scattering them violently in an uncharacteristic display of rage. Winry's steps had hiccuped to a stop as she'd looked at him wide-eyed.

"An elder has died," Chrollo spat, pointing behind them in the direction of the baleful sound and smoke. "All the elders were of sound health except that one."

Winry had watched, chewing on her lip, as he took Bandit's Secret from where he kept it, flipping through the pages, looking for the Sun and the Moon. If the elder was dead, he would lose the ability. Everything that they had just gone through would be for naught. She did not know how Chrollo intended to utilize the power — certainly he wouldn't be able to deceive Hisoka into complying so easily as the now dead child. He had to have a plan ready to use, and this ability had doubtlessly been critical to its execution.

If the elder had died, then his ability would vanish from Chrollo's book the way Neon Nostrade's had.

She craned her head to see around Chrollo's broad shoulders. The ink of every page flashed back, stark black against the white paper. It felt like a punch to the gut to see the sheer number of abilities he had stolen — dozens. Perhaps a couple hundred, each of them at his disposal. Hisoka's Bungee Gum and Texture Surprise were versatile and well-suited to Hisoka's methods and creativity, but Chrollo's options were intimidating...and he was just as creative as Hisoka, only in different ways.

Chrollo found the page, and Winry felt her brows furrow together in confusion and surprise. The Sun and the Moon. It was there, but the text was no longer in the perfect black that Chrollo had used to write it only an hour earlier. The ink was faded and gray. But, she thought Chrollo said the ability left his book entirely when the user died?

"Is it there?" Winry asked. "Can you use it?"

Chrollo's dark eyes rose, fixated on the man sitting on an upside-down bucket while he watched the boats, fingers plucking at the bushy mess of his grey-streaked beard. A teenager sat beside him.

"Sir," Chrollo said, and the man glanced up. "Can you two help me with something?"

Winry struck a match and her shaking hands chased the trembling end of her cigarillo. She gasped and nearly lost the cigarillo from between her lips as Chrollo's hand closed over hers, guiding the match to light the end before blowing it out. Her eyes darted to him.

Fear, she realized. Her blood ran cold with it. She had been frightened of Hisoka in many ways — he was sadistic and cruel, but she had never considered Chrollo to be as such. What she'd watched him do on the pier had changed everything.

He was worse.

"I have a favor to ask of you, Winry-san," Chrollo said. The expression in his eyes was deceptive and soft. "If you say no, I will understand."

She deeply doubted that.

"Yes?" she asked.

"For my match with Hisoka, I have specific abilities I intend to use. But to have yours would be a boon..." He gave her a kind smile. "May I borrow your ability?"