Cycle of Corruption Book One: Delinquent
By
Godell
Disclaimer: I don't own FMA.
Part One: Child's Play
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"Remember, Envy, play nice."
Envy rolled his eyes and chuckled as Dante quietly closed the door, leaving him alone with 19-year-old Alphonse Elric. Really, as far as he was concerned, "nice" didn't apply to him. He gave the young man a once-over quickly with a yawn. Light-blonde hair, steel-grey eyes, peaches-and-cream skin…booooring. Even the new clothes that Dante had given him—a vanilla-toned tunic and black pants—lacked the charm that the boy usually had. It wasn't exactly charismatic charm—it was as though Alphonse had absolutely no hint of evil in him whatsoever; not even mischief lingered in his eyes. There was nothing to bring out in the boy, nothing to change.
Envy's lips curled. Or was there…?
Crouching down to Al's height, Envy's face was a smiling, friendly mask. He watched with satisfaction as Al began to smile shakily, looking nervous. The Homunculus watched the young man scoot a little closer towards him, and away from the wall.
"Do you know where we are, Alphonse?" Envy's voice sounded as though it had been doused in maple syrup.
"Ahh…Dante's house?"
"Very good!" Al began to frown slightly—Envy's tone suggested he was talking a toddler who had just recited the alphabet.
"Why are you treating me like a baby?"
Envy's friendly smile widened. "Why not? Babies don't know how to be naughty"—his voice became taunting, in the baby-talk way—"they just cry and cry, and laugh when someone laughs, smile when someone smiles, just like you. 'Bwuvver, Bwuvver, I can't do things on my own because I'm just a widdle soul!"
Al attempted to glare at Envy, but found that his gaze faltered and he looked down. "I'm not a baby." he sulked.
Envy folded his arms, his voice mimicking Al's sulky tone with the usual ease. "Prove it."
Attempting to stand up, the brunette crashed to the ground, his body held by the ball-and-chain that was tied to his left leg. Stubbornly, Al tried again, but was still unsuccessful. His eyes seemed to flare in rage for a moment, then went back to the sulky look he had worn before.
"Tell me what you want me to do."
Envy's smile slipped into a triumphant grin for a few brief seconds, then melted back into the sweet, childish look he had worn before. His eyes were mirthful crescents, his smile stretched so wide his eyes could barely be seen.
"Oh, nothing much. I just want you to listen to me for a minute."
Al silently waited for Envy's next words.
"Has it ever occurred to you that you have been living in everyone's shadow since the day you were born, Alphonse? Your brother was born before you, and he got to see your Daddy first. You can barely remember what he looked like, but I'll bet he remembers everything. After all, if he can remember alchemic equations, why not memories of him? And what about those first few days in the armor? Was everyone checking in on you every day, caring for you and whispering words of comfort?"
"Winry came. She talked to me."
"But where was she most of the time, Alphonse? Come on, you can answer this one, I'm sure."
Al gulped, his eyes taking on a hint of understanding. "W-With Brother."
Envy gave the young man a conspiratorial wink. "Exactly. Your dear brother."
He stood up, and began to slowly pace around the boy, his lips taking on an alligator grin. Al began to shiver.
"And who was it really who was asked to join the military and be on top again? Edward Elric. Who received all the recognition, though you helped him throughout many battles? Edward Elric. Who had no time for games, even though you were lonely and only 11 years old? Edward Elric. Who lied to you, kept secrets behind your back? WHO DUG UP YOUR MOTHER'S GRAVE AND KILLED HER AGAIN?!"
"Edward Elric!"
Envy nodded, and ruffled the violently-shaking head of the brunette. "Good boy."
Al breathed heavily, his eyes wide with the shock of his primal scream. He looked over at Envy, his eyes pleading.
"I shouldn't feel this way. He's my Brother. I can't hate him."
Envy sighed, flicking a piece of imaginary lint of off his top. He turned toward the door, hiding his face.
"Well, I suppose I'll just have to leave you. We were going to have so much fun, too—playing hide-and-seek in the locked rooms (without Her permission, of course), maybe play outside in the rain and get mud on the floor, steal some candy…all the things you've wanted to do all these years with your brother. Oh, well, I guess your brother has too much of a hold on you. I suppose I'll just have to tell Dante to keep you locked in this little playroom forever, without any friends…"
Opening the door with a snap, stepping across the threshold. Still obscuring his face, Envy ever-so-slowly began to close the door, letting it creak sorrowfully as he did so.
"Envy, WAIT!"
Turning his head slowly to gaze at Al, Envy's smile was a mix between friendly and cunning.
"Yeeesss?"
Al gulped again, his eyes flicking from side to side. "I…I don't want you to go. I want to have fun, like I used to. What else did you have in mind?"
Envy shrugged, and broke the chain that bound him with a single flick of his fingers.
"Whatever you want, Alphonse. I'm not picky."
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Edward blinked in the blazing sunlight, shielding his eyes with his prosthetic arm.
Ignoring the rising temperature that burned on his metal limbs, he trudged on, trying hard not to collapse in the dust. He hated this—hated it with all his guts. He had simply wanted to find his brother, and now found himself working to build a monument for the Furher—alias Pride, one of the Homunculi. Ed growled deep in his throat, hacking disturbingly as sand coated his throat. This, he knew, was a punishment created by Dante, in her own secret way. He didn't know the reason why, but he became a slave.
He knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. Either Wrath or Lust would come in, for different reasons. Lust simply wanted someone to talk to about the human feelings she had—those nights were peaceful, though tiring—and Wrath…well, at the moment he didn't know what Wrath wanted. The 15-year-old decided that his body was far too sickly and "busy at the moment" to be taken. Instead, Wrath would torment Ed simply by mentioning that Winry was as hard-working as usual, and still worrying about him. "But she had a new boyfriend, now, doesn't that just naw at you, Edward?" Of course it did. They had made their vows secretly after all, right in Risenbool—but of course all of the Homunculi knew about it. Nothing was safe from them.
"Edwaaard, are you slacking off?"
Edward squinted up at the dark figure above him, switch in hand. He sighed, knowing who it was. Quietly, he picked up another slab of mud, and began to run with it towards the other slaves who were diligently working. Beginning to pat the slab into place on top of the rest, he brushed his tangled locks of hair out of his eyes. His amber eyes met another's black ones wearily.
"Hey, Colonel."
"Hey, Fullmetal."
"How's work?"
"Dull, but someone has to do it."
"Right, right. I know how you feel. Got a new mission for me?"
"Keep molding that slab."
"Yessir."
It was a mindless routine, recounting old conversations from slightly better times, keeping themselves occupied and off the subject- how they became what they were now. Edward continued to mold the mud slab as instructed, strangely pleased that it was shaped far better than everyone else'. Roy Mustang—formerly of the rank of Colonel—scratched his spine-length ebony hair, yanking a formidable beetle out of his scalp. Edward shuddered, and continued to work, ignoring Roy's screams of agony as Wrath's whip descended upon him.
The rule at the construction area was: if you ignore your friends' suffering, you have a better chance of living.
Edward would have preferred death.
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Alphonse yawned loudly, blinking in the warm, sweet sunlight that filtered through the silk curtains.
Was it all a dream, just something in my head? he thought.
Sitting up, he glanced around the room, realizing that this was the same room he had been in before, the playroom. Throwing off the comforters, Alphonse checked for the binding ball-and-chain. A black-and-blue bruise was all that remained. Quietly slipping out of the four-poster bed, he sleepily glanced about the room, searching for his tunic. He needed to get the mud off before it stained anything…
Then something grabbed his foot.
Letting out a terrified scream, Alphonse collapsed to the floor, scrabbling at the soft carpet in his attempt to get away from whatever held him captive. A low dark chuckle reached his ears. This only made Alphonse struggle even more.
"Gotcha." Envy sniggered nastily, and emerged from under the bed. Smirking, he let go of the boy's leg, watching him breathe heavily in relief. The friendly smile was back on his face again in seconds.
"Did you have a nice sleep, Alphonse?"
Al nodded, still breathing heavily.
"Good. Master wants to see you. She needs your help with something important."
The young man gulped. "Wh-why me?" he asked worriedly.
Envy's voice was velvety and soothing. "Because you are very important to everything we plan. Now don't worry, she won't hurt you. She simply wants information. It's a very simple question."
Sighing with undisguised relief, Alphonse leapt to his feet. "I suppose you're going to have to lead me?"
"Naturally. She's in her private chambers."
With a slight feeling of dread, Alphonse followed Envy out the door to Dante.
End of Part One…