Chapter 4

A storm is brewing

The strange group managed to get to the Devil's nest. Greed was impatiently tapping his foot against the hardwood floor, nerviously looking at the watch on his wrist, they sure took their time. When he saw that the four rose up to five with Bido and Kimbley missing, he rushed them to the back room. Alphonse put down Edward onto the couch, he was still in shock but he calmed down some bit. Both of the Envys explained what happend, Greed just kept nodding and humming, listening carefully to the he heard enough, he silenced them, much to green haired sin's protest.

"I looked around Dante's house, she isn't there. Then she must be in Central. The Central underground told me that something is happening in the military, something about Liore?" Greed asked at the end, he didn't know what the military has planned for that small town.

"Liore? What happened to it?" Edward snapped back to reality, he defaced that 'prophet' in Liore.

"You haven't heard kid? Riots sprung up after their prophet was discovered to be a fraud, he led the inital riots." Greed answered, shooting a dark smile towards the green haired Envy, hopefully Edward didn't notice it.

"It's my fault, I tried to help them and I only made it worse?" Ed gripped the couch so tightly, leaving his knuckles plain white.

"It isn't your fault brother, you did what is right." Alphonse was consoling his older brother. He doesen't need this on his shoulders too.

"They say that a scarred man came into town while dragging a large stone, which is odd, even for a human."

"It's Scar. I don't know what he is planning but we have to stop him, but I have a clue about what's he doing." Edward replied shortly, his eyes grew dark from the visions of possible outcomes if the plan he thinks Scar is trying to pull of succeeds.

"Dante is far more important." older Envy said coldly, having no apparent worry if that town is destroyed of worse.

"How can you say that?" Alphonse squeaked the question, he was thinking the same as Ed, how could Envy be so cold now?

"Envy, you said that you need my help, right? Well if you don't help me stop Scar, I won't help you get your revenge agains't Dante. Equivalent exchange." Edward asked, a smile broke out on his face, another proof that equivalent exchange is undeniable.

The green haired sin started laughing full heartedly, this is the first time he laughed like this in 400 years.

What's so funny!" Edward yelled.

"Oh, I haven't laughed like that in years. You can always crack up a person, shrimp. Ok then, if that's what you need you will get it." Envy stopped laughing, turning towards the door, followed by his younger brother.

"You get more intresting by the minute my dear brother." the black-gray haired sin stated.

"Come on people we have a train to catch, we will explain the rest of the story on the train." the older Envy said, exiting the back room.

An explosion attracted the attention of the group, followed by the arrival of Greed's lackeys, saying that apparently the Fuhrer is here. Greed's and older Envy's faces turned into frowns. Pride is the closest of the homunculi towards being human earning envy and hatred from his 'siblings' although Envy wasn't really bothered by it. Gunshots and yells could be heared down the hall, followed by another explosion, compromising the integrity of the building even further. From the smoke appeared the calm face of Pride, his uniform unscathed. The sabres he holds are stained with blood, adding to the brutality that he executes with grace. Envy morphed his hands into talons, followed by Greed's Ultimate Shield.

"What are you doing here, whelp?" Envy hissed, he is an ancient towards the young Pride.

"You are in no position to call me like that, Envy." Pride retorted and flunged white shards in their direction. They penetrated the skin and turned out to be bone shards, resulting in both of Envy's and Greeds paralysis. Wrath noticed that the bones were doing this and dashed towards his paralyzed 'brethren'. Before being cut down by Pride, he managed to take out the shard out of the oldest homunculus and flinged it into the back of the room. The battle is being observed by Izumi, Alphonse and Edward, which were surprised that the Fuhrer was on par with the homuculi. Envy swiped at Pride's head, trying to decapitate him but only slashed off Pride's eyepatch, giving proof to Ed that niether the Fuhrer is normal.

Pride saw that now Edward and the other humans know his secret and since they are no longer needed, dashed towards them. Envy took out the shards and sprang towards Pride. The other Envy saw that the sabres blade is heading towards Edward, his self-preservation mechanism malfunctioned and he found himself infront of Ed with a sabre lodged in his heart. Pride was motioning to kick him off his sword but was stopped with dodging talons. Edward knew that his savior would be alright, after all he IS a homunculus, but was confused why it blocked the sabre with it's body.

"What the hell do you think youre doing?" the younger Envy yelled, his voice full of hatred. 'Nobody will hurt Edward while I am standing' Envy thought. These mixed emotions surprised him nut there is no time to dwell on them. He managed to kick Pride into the stomach, launching him into the wall. Pride's mouth got filled with blood, spitting it out he again dashed towards the confused blonde, his golden eyes still set on the pale teen in front of him. A clap echoed and a concrete wall cut of Pride from his target. He hissed at that blasted woman's swift actions. He can't let his subordinates see him retreating, thus he resorted to use Greed as a wall opening intrument. He grabbed Greed's head and flinged him into the wall, revealing that the sewage is right behind it. Izumi was glad that she isolated themselves from the fight those monsters are leading until a sabre pierced her arm through the wall. The younger Envy burst through the thick wall and sent a fist at the sabre-lodged wall, his fist met with skin but it wasn't Pride's head or chest, he caught the hand. The older Envy reacted quickly and morphed his foot into a large spike and impaled Pride's leg. In pain, the enraged superior sin, severed the Envy's leg from the rest of his body with his sword. Greed joined in and started swiping with his diamond tipped claws.

"Boss, you run let us take care of this." Dolcetto pleaded.

Pride even injured can take down three homunculi, he isn't Dante's grand creation for nothing. Edward transmuted the wall back into the ground and was picked up by the younger Envy, who is running at full speed, trying to get as far away from Pride as possible. Greed quickly put on his shoulder the still 'dead' Wrath and followed, with Alphonse and Izumi close behind.

"This isn't over Pride!" the pale teen hissed at the sword wielding sin who is currently occupied with Greed's. lackeys.


"What?" the young colonel screamed into the reciever, this is one of those few times when his facade drops with a loud outburst, scaring all his subordinates in the room.

"I sent you there just to investigate signs of criminal activity and you end up fighting homunculi?" he yelled while the humunculus part is hushed, "I want you in central right now!" the colonel finished slamming the reciever, sighing in exasparation. Hawkeye just raised her eyebrow, this is the first time Mustang lost his nerves on the phone.

Mustang's mood got darker, one of those monsters killed Hughes and mentaly slapped himself, remembering that Edward doesen't know that Maes is dead. Hawkeye just sent a 'I told you so' look which made his mood even more gloomy.

The yell and the slam made him flinch, he has never heard Colonel Bastard like that before. He turned his attention to the pale hands at his waist and the warm breathing at his neck. Although wierd it still helped him to relax, his shoulders weren't as tense how they usualy are. Ever since the Fuhrer... Pride tried to kill him, the new Envy was practically on him, looking at each corner for threats, even if it is slightly annoying the homunculus looked kinda cute, wait did he just call a cold heartless monster cute?

While Edward is thinking about cuteness and homunculi, the old Envy chuckled silently on the outside but his was roaring with laughter inside. He never thought that a homunculus would actualy get to the point of actualy sacrficing himself for a lowly human or hugging and comforting him, he guessed that his little brother didn't have time to grow cold as him. Deep inside he was glad, the pain that Dante caused him was enough, he doesen't need to go through the hell of loneliness and pain like he did.

Young Envy has one hand on the blonde's waist and with the other he is stroking the golden locks, feeling the tension subsiding. Ed slightly shivered every time when the warm breath touched his skin, slowly sinking into the sin's innocent careses of comfort. His mind started losing control but with a jolt took back, yawning, Edward signaled that he is tired, trying to get the sin of his back. Envy stopped and let go of Ed with reluctance but did anyway, his chibi needs rest, that was the new nickname he had for the shrimp, but he doubted Ed would like it.

"Good night Alphonse." Edward said to his little brother.

Ed could go to sleep without worry, Envy said that Pride won't target Izumi because of him, if Scar does fail, they will need a backup plan. Plus the homunculi hid themselves well, it will take some time before discovered. The second Ed's face met with the pillow he dozed off with Al placing a blanket on him and sitting by the window, turning off the lights. The worry the younger Envy has for Edward is painful, he became possesive and over protective over the lovable blonde. Not being able to take it anymore he, with cat like grace, opened the door and slid in. Alphonse looked at him in confusion, 'which Envy was it?' he tilted his head. What surprised him is that the sin sat in his lap.

"Thought you needed some company, Envy explained about erm... Your condition and that you can't sleep. It must be very lonely, sitting in the dark all night." The younger sin caringly whispered, telling half the truth.

That's the second Envy, there was no doubt in Alphonse's mind, is it true that the homunculi are that evil because of isolation? Alphonse set those thoughts into the back of his mind, payng attention to the sin in his lap, the gray stripes on the shirt sort of gleamed in the dark. This is the first night since he was stuck in this armor that he had company, he never thought that the company would be a artifical human with killing tendencies although he didn't see something like that in this one.

"Heh.. I'm glad to have your company, to be honest I wasn't expecting this." the suit replied happily.

The homunculus and the armor talked into the night, overheared by a happy older Envy, his back to the wall.


"They will pay, soon they will pay." faint whispers echoed in the abandoned streets of Liore, in the middle, a ravine that has been painstakingly dug by pulling a huge stone. The man's red eyes revealed a shell of a former person, now just a container for revenge. The scar on his forehead marked his resolve and the tattooed arm represents sacrifice and hatred. No rest for the wicked echoed in Scar's mind, pushing him to do what has to be done.

"Violence brings more violence. The cycle of destruction and death, you need to break it, or revenge will consume you." Scar's mentor preached, sadly it was unheared by Scar in the past or in the now.


Edward woke up with eyes of violet in his face. His golden eyes widened as he screamed in fear, he thought all of that happened yesterday was just a dream and that Envy is here to kill him.

Alphonse barged into the room to see what scared Ed, followed by the older Envy's confused looks and then laughter. Wrath got there to see what was happening and joined in with Envy in the laughing.

Greed was not intrested into the matter so he just waited for the thing to calm down. What caused the laughter is that Edward was desperately trying to push away the young sin's head, resulting in a slap. Edward's cheeks turned red from the slap and the embarrassment. He quickly got out of the bed and stormed off, ranting about insane dreams and how that insane dream is real.

Without any delay the strange group headed for the train station, the most noticeable were the fumming short blonde and a pale teen who was whining.