First off…sorry for not updating in like…forever. But I am working on finishing several of my well neglected fics…though some may be dropped due to the fact I'm not sure how to finish them TT. Anywho! I've got one or two story ideas for the future that I hope you'll all enjoy. One of which is a sort of spin-off of Casino Royal only with L's past instead of 007's . Finally! After much deliberation (only ½ true) I have decided to give Apathy a sort of theme song w. Also, if I decide to not be lazy; I may draw up a bunch of pictures, combine it with a few clips from episode 25 of Death Note and a few from FMA…I'll make an Apathy AMV! I bet you're wondering what that song is right w ? Well…it's 'So Cold' by Breaking Benjamin. Questions? Comments? Leave a review! For every review, L gets a sugar cube! And you don't want to deprive him of sugar cubes do you?

Edward Elric, the FullMetal Alchemist, and his younger brother Alphonse arrived in Central. They were hoping to visit the first branch of Central Library in search of any information on the Philosopher's Stone. But when they arrived, the building had been burnt to the ground; this hampered the brothers' search and left them in low spirits. They soon learn, thanks to a stroke of luck, of Laboratory Five and its possible connection to the stone. The brothers are told not to do anything dangerous and that the military will look into it, they of course did not listen.

The Elric's went to lab five and managed to get inside; Al actually remained outside to keep guard. It is there that Edward runs into prisoner # 48.

--

Edward stood in both awe and mild horror as he entered a large room; there was a large transmutation circle drawn on the floor. He walked forward into the room to get a better look.

"What is this place…?" the blond muttered, "Could this be where they transmute the Philosopher's Stone?"

"It is." A dark menacing voice answered, a tall suit of samurai style armor stepped out of the shadows holding a sward. Edwards eyes narrowed.

"I don't know who you are, but you seem to know much about the stone…too much." The armor said, "I have been entrusted to guard this place. For now, you may call me number 48."

The young alchemist glared and mentally prepared for a fight.

"My orders are to eliminate any intruders who trespass here. I'm sorry that I have to do this, kid."

"I'm sorry, too," Edward said clapping his hands together and transmuting his arm blade, "Sorry that a 'kid' like me is gonna kick your butt!"

"Hm! Alchemy huh?" Number 48 said, "Well, then…let's see your skills…" he then lunged at the FullMetal Alchemist with blinding speed.

"So fast…" Ed gasped just dodging the speedy slash.

"Hya!" 48 roared bringing his sward down and slicing the boys black under jacket at the right shoulder. "So, your steel limb extends up to your shoulder. It just save your life. To bad for you," 48 lunged, "My trusted blade can even cut through steel!"

Edward blocked the attack and threw it aside; he then moved back a step and threw a fast side kick. The kick landed but the sound it made surprised the alchemist.

"Hey! I know that sound," Ed said with a slight smirk, "Could it be that you're hollow inside?"

"Very good…how did you know?" 48 asked.

"I spar all the time with a guy like you. I could just tell by the feel." Ed smirked.

"Oh? So there are others like myself on the outside?"

"It makes me sick," Edward continued, "Knowing that there are idiots out there besides me who would even think of binding a soul to a suit of armor."

"Allow me to tell you a little more about myself then." The armor said, "48 was my number on death row. In my previous life – or rather when I had a body of flesh and blood – I was the killer know n as 'Slicer'. Officially, I was supposed to have been executed two years ago. But my new employers needed the Slicer's skills. So they pulled me aside for their experiments. Now I serve as their guard dog."

"So that means, there must be a seal that connects your soul to the armor right?" Ed brought up when 48 had finished.

--Watching from the shadows—

Lust, Envy, and Apathy watched as the two fought each other. The two elder sins seemed amused by this, Apathy though just watched with an almost dead expression; his mind had wondered and that put the young sin in a sort of daydreaming state. He then turned to the others and asked,

"Who is the short one again?"

Envy scoffed and smacked Apathy in the back of the head saying, "That's the FullMetal Runt idiot."

Apathy just rubbed the back of his now rather sore head and nodded, "He looks familiar…" he muttered, "Kind of like…"

Lust suddenly held up her hand, her fingers extended and impaled the helmet that was now lying on the ground a good distance away. She walked out of the shadows and Envy followed, Apathy remained in his spot and watched.

"That was too close," Lust said with a slight smile, "Now, now, 48. Don't talk about things that don't concern you." She'd been referring to what the armor had been talking to Edward about.

"Oh my…" Envy smirked walking over to where Ed was, "What's the FullMetal Runt doing here?" he leaned in real close, his smirk widening a bit, "I suppose we'll have to fix that, won't we?"

Ed just gazed in silent shock at the two sins, 'Who the hell are these guys?!' he thought nervously, 'What the hell are these guys?!'

Apathy watched the scene fold out in front of him; he'd crouched down with his knees close to his chin, the sin would occasionally bit the tip of his thumb but stopped after a second, not liking the taste.

'Why does he look like…Father?' he thought as Envy had started a little skirmish with the small alchemist, 'Why don't I?' he watched as Envy kneed Ed in the gut, knocking him out. It was at that moment that Apathy stood up and slowly walked towards his brother and sister.

"You really…have no self control, do you?" Apathy muttered, Envy smacked the emotionless sin upside the head again; "Ow…" he rubbed the back of his head slowly before walking over and standing next to Lust where it was safer. Lust just placed a hand on her hip and said,

"Well then, we no longer need this facility to make stones anyway. Let's just blow this place up to get rid of the evidence, shall we?"

"You sure it's such a good idea to let this kid live?" Envy asked as Apathy haphazardly picked the unconscious Edward up. Lust sighed,

"Granted, we didn't expect him to find this place, but just knowing about the process of making the stones won't get him anywhere." She then smirked, "After all, our plan is already in its final stage."

Apathy had walked towards the door by now but still over heard what Lust had said; he knew Father was planning something, but, what it was he hadn't learned yet…and whatever it was, it was obviously close to being completed. 'Hmmm…' the sin thought pushing open a large door and leaving.

--

Outside lab five where Alphonse, Sgt. Brosh and 2nd Lt. Ross, where; a loud explosion could be heard from deep with in the dark run-down laboratory. St. Brosh looked up at the building and said,

"What's that sound…?"

The whole building started to crack and crumble, 2nd Lt. Ross turned to the others shouting,

"An explosion! Sergeant! We have to evacuate!" she then glanced over at Alphonse, "What are you doing? Run!"

"My brother!" the large armor gasped turning towards the crumbling building. Ross quickly grabbed his arm.

"Where are you going?!" She demanded.

"My brother's still inside! Let me go!"

"Don't be a fool! If you go in there, you'll be crushed too!" the lieutenant scolded. Al watched the crumbling building,

"My brother…my brother is…"

"Right now, just think about saving yourself!" Ross insisted pulling on the armor boys arm.

The debris started falling more and in larger sizes; Al and Ross both looked up at lab five, much to their surprise a figure could be seen walking out of the crumbling building.

"I believe this is yours." He said.

"Big brother!" Al gasped. Apathy set the boy down and continued,

"His wounds aren't too bad, but he's losing a lot of blood, so you'd better get him to a hospital, quick."

"Second Lieutenant Ross, what are you doing?!" Sgt. Brosh shouted running towards the three.

"Sergeant! Give me a hand!" Ross said.

"Ed?! What happened to him?!"

"I'll explain later!" Ross turned to Apathy, "You should run too."

Apathy's eyes widened very slightly, that wasn't part of the plan; he was told to just bring the boy out.

"Come on, fallow us!" Ross said grabbing the sin by the arm and pulling him with her.

--

Several hours later in a clinic run by a friend of 2nd Lt. Ross, Edward sat with a rather annoyed look on his face in a hospital bed. He wasn't the only one in the room thought; Apathy sat in his now common crouching position in a near by chair, he had an emotionless expression on his face but seemed to be boring a hole into the far right wall. Edward turned his head and looked at the sin, he then asked,

"Why are you here?"

"Because, I was told to fallow you." Apathy relied bluntly.

"By those other two from the lab?"

"No, by the woman…Ross I believe she was called."

Ed eyed him suspiciously before asking,

"So, you're one of them? Who know about the Philosopher's Stone?"

Apathy made an odd sound with his teeth at that question; he'd pressed his thumb to the front of his teeth and started boring a hole in the ceiling, "You won't learn anything about me by asking question s you already know the answer to." He said simply, but in truth, he didn't know anything about the Philosopher's Stone. Edward though didn't look convinced; he just continued eyeing the sin for a while before continuing his interrogation.

"Who are you? Who where those people in lab five? Who do you work for?"

Apathy pressed the tip of his index finger to the front of his teeth and stared at the young alchemist, he then replied,

"I am…Apathy. The ones in lab five were my brother and sister. I work for Father." He was satisfied with how he answered considering he actually only told the boy his name. Ed though looked slightly annoyed.

"Who is Father?" he asked. Apathy eyed Edward again, this time though rubbing his toes together. The sin looked up then around before answering,

"The one who created me…who else…"

The young alchemist was about to ask some more questions only to have the two officers, Brosh and Ross, entered the room. Apathy got off the chair and slowly left the room, a second later a loud echoing slap came out of Edwards room. Apathy just turned a corner down a short hall with sinks and mirrors on one side. He walked over to a mirror and looked at his reflection.

'Why do I call him Father? Why do any of us call him that? We look nothing like him…but that boy Edward does.' He blinked twice, 'Could they be?'

The sin glanced to the right and noticed he wasn't the only one looking into the mirrors. Alphonse was standing four sinks to the right and was looking back at him; Apathy tilted his head in a questioning manner.

"Thank you," the armor said finally, "For saving my brother."

The sin just looked at him but slouched, he turned to leave.

"Can I ask you something?" Al suddenly said, Apathy glanced over his shoulder then turned completely, "Can you tell…if I'm human?"

"No." Apathy said bluntly, Al's head lowered slightly by the answer, "But that's because I feel nothing…that's just how I am."

"What?"

"I'm the living embodiment of Apathy, I feel nothing of or for anyone," Apathy explained, "At least, that's what I was told…But why don't you ask your brother? That's what I would do."

"But I thought you said…"

"You can't show emotion on your face right?"

"Yeah."

"I'm the same way…sort of… I can't show it or honestly feel it, but there are emotions being experienced." Apathy looked up at the ceiling, "Sometimes I get this sick clenching feeling in my stomach; it's like my body is telling me that all of this is wrong, or at least trying to feel something but is being held back."

Alphonse remained silent; Apathy then looked up and asked for him to tell him what was wrong. Al told Apathy about what Berry the Chopper had told him back at the lab, the sin just nodded.

"An artificial soul, you say? Sounds like he was just toying with you…just forget it…" he then turned and left. Al remained silent, he turned and placed a hand on one of the mirrors, he applied some pressure and the mirror cracked.

To Be Continued