Oh my goddness! This took me forever to write, but here it is. We're nearing the end soon. I can feel it. Sorry about the slow update, but things got tricky this last week and I was forced to pay attention to my financial issues *sighs*. The joys of being a student and living away from home... Anyways, here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it, and please review!
Chapter 7: Death by Temptation
High above the streets of Central two ominous figures cloaked in black sat on the rooftop of one of Central's residential houses listening to the patter of rain and watching the open window of the primary interest. Lust's normally wavy hair was sodden and cold, dripping with august rain. She watched keenly through the blur of falling droplets as her former comrade and acquaintance made a hasty escape from the female's bedroom window and disappeared into the greenery surrounding the house.
Her lips straightened into a small frown. "Oh, Envy, you are a terrible hypocrite," she cooed as she watched the homunculus disguise himself as a smart businessman and make his way casually down the street. He was oblivious to the homunculi spying from above.
"That's right," Lust's frown deepened, as she continued her dialogue to the rain, "So, you won't accept my thoughts on our ability to become human and here you are fooling around with one. You are truly despicable."
"Naughty, naughty," Gluttony smirked. His bald head glistened with beads of rain water.
"It's no matter," Lust replied more to herself than to the other homunculus, "The fates that be decided to keep me from knowing about my past. So, naturally, it would be unfair to let Envy carry on pretending he's been gifted with the fates' favoritism."
"Does that mean I can eat her, Lust?"
"No," Lust replied, darkly, "I'll deal with Envy's pet myself. This sort of work takes a skilled hand."
She flexed her fingers as they slowly turned to sharp points. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Gluttony shook with excitement, "Can I eat her after?"
"No, Gluttony," Lust snapped, impatiently, "I want her corps to serve as a reminder to Envy that he is not human and continuing this petty game will only distract him from his true goal of getting the philosopher stone. I can't loose Envy now that he's turned his back on Dante. There are too many advantages to having him on my side, and I won't let that blonde whore get in my way."
It was very gray outside. The rain was still coming down in buckets. Winry frowned at her breakfast as the sound of the rain lulled her into deep thought. Thunder tore through the air above them.
"Oh!" Sceizka ran into the kitchen covering her head with one of her many books, "I hate thunder and lightning."
Winry giggled slightly and took a bite of her toast. "It doesn't bother me much, and I like the rain."
"You're weird," Sciezka commented with a small smile, "You know, if you want to get going I can clean up your dishes."
Winry glanced up at her curiously. "Why?" Then, she saw the clock and jumped up, "Oh crap! It's noon already? Shit!"
"Great first impression," Sciezka teased as Winry ran around to collect her purse and jacket.
"See you later!" Winry ran to the front door and yanked it open. She disappeared into the grayness before Sciezka could say anything.
"Come back with stories!" Sciezka sighed and locked the door behind her. She dragged her feet back into the kitchen where she started the tea kettle. She flinched at the sound of another roll of thunder overhead. "Oh, I hope this storm goes away soon."
The café near Central Library was brightly lit and had a sterile sense to it. The walls were white, save for a few roughly hung pictures of coffee mugs, cutlery, and other inanimate objects. The booth seats were hard and faded. The table-tops were white-washed and plain looking. The owner hadn't even bothered to put a small decoration on the table. If Envy had been one to care about appearances, he would have walked out by now. However, besides the brightness of place, nothing else bothered him too much, but he hoped Winry would get over there fast so that they could leave. The brightness was starting to burn into his eyes.
Nobody else was in the café except him and the anorexic chef who wore a white apron and stood behind the counter. Envy frowned and looked out the window at what looked like blackness surrounded by a crisp white sill. He shut his eyes and put his head in his hands trying to shut out the brightness of the café. He didn't normally get migraines, but there was a first for everything.
Talking about firsts…
Envy smirked into the palm of his hand. He was sure last night had been Winry's first time with a man. As for him, well, he was four hundred years old. He knew the tricks, as it were. However, it had been his first time with a human. It had been so difficult to control himself. So, he hadn't enjoyed it as much as he could have.
When he had been with Lust, however…
His smirk grew wider. He wasn't afraid to admit that Lust had laid him down with little effort on her part. It was a part of her nature after all, and therefore her talent. But that had been a long time ago. Just after Dante had found her and Lust didn't know the boundaries, she had advanced on the first male present without thinking. She only did it once. Envy made her realize that he was in fact Dante's right hand homunculus, and she didn't touch him after that.
But despite the physical void, a bond had started between the two homunculi. Envy didn't know why, and he didn't much care. Lust had started to talk to him about things. Not just anything, but thoughts on her existence, things that bothered her. She seemed to feel that Envy would listen, or that he was the only one that would, even if it didn't seem like it at the time. Ignorant of Envy's indifferent attitude towards her, Lust continued to treat Envy… like a friend. And that was how Lust had slowly leeched the information about Envy's past out of him bit by bit. He hadn't wanted it to be like that, but now Lust was the only one who knew besides himself and Dante. If that bastard Hohenhiem was still alive he'd count that one more.
Envy briefly glanced at the clock on the white wall and scowled. Winry was late by four minutes. How infuriating!
The little bell on the door jingled cheerfully as someone entered the café. Envy glanced over his shoulder from where he sat to see if it was her.
"Oh my god, Sherry! No kinding. I hope you totally told that bitch to go to hell," said a nasally voice. The girl seemed to be speaking to two of her other friends as they entered. They didn't seem bothered by the whiteness of the café. They made their way up to the counter to order drinks, and Envy watched them out of the corner of his eye.
Not that he found them attractive. No, it was quite the opposite. He found them rather annoying and fascinating at the same time. This wasn't his first time sitting in the company of humans, but it was his first time being around them in his usual green haired form. It wasn't like they had a hope of discovering what he really was, but he knew his usual form drew attention to him. Most of it was unwanted.
He was only in his form so that Winry could recognize him when she finally arrived. When would she arrive? Envy glanced again at the clock. Ten after. Irritably he fingered the butter knife next to him.
"No, let's sit over here," said one of the girls. She threw a look in Envy's general direction, thinking he hadn't noticed, "That guy creeps me out."
Envy's frown hardened into a sour expression. If Winry didn't show up soon, someone was going to get hurt.
Twelve twenty-five.
Why was he still sitting here?
It sickened him to think he was actually waiting on her. Not only that, but he was waiting in desperation. He was getting angry because she was late. He shouldn't even care! He shouldn't even care about her! She was a human and he despised humans! Why was he sitting here like an idiot waiting for her?
Across the café, which wasn't very big, the three girls giggled loudly at something one of them had whispered. Instinctively, Envy glanced up at them with a glowering expression. Patience was not his talent and he hadn't practiced it in a long time. He may hate fighting, because he'd rather someone else suffer the pain for him, but he hated humans more.
"What's with that guy?" one of them whispered. The café was small, and Envy's hearing wasn't all that bad. "He's totally staring at you."
"Maybe you should go over there, Sherry."
"Yeah, give him a good slap," hissed the other.
"Tell him to keep his perverted eyes to himself."
They giggled again. Envy silently dared them to confront him. If only they knew who and what he was…
That's when he realized something. His slow pulsing irritation grew. He was not human. So, why was he pretending to be like one? His time with Winry, leaving Dante and sitting here putting up with this bullshit; it all felt unnatural to him. He seemed to be trying to find his place among the humans with Winry, when in reality, his life as a human ended long ago. He was a homunculus! He was not fit for this role. So, why was he trying so hard to live it?
Twelve fourty-two.
"Screw this. I'm out of here," Envy made to stand up, but the bell jingled again and someone entered. He turned around and was shocked to see Lust striding towards him. His mouth was agape. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Lust frowned at him and sat across from him. "Well, Envy, I thought you'd be happy to see me. I guess that's too much to hope for."
A roar of thunder cut through her words. Envy smirked as the three girls flinched and let out whimpers. He looked at Lust. Her hair was dampened with rain, but she still looked unnaturally beautiful. The three girls were gawking enviously at Lust, and seemed shocked that she was sitting with the 'creepy guy'.
Envy looked away from them and back to Lust. "So, Envy, I didn't think you would actually take my advice and follow through with it," she said, darkly.
The corner of Envy's mouth pulled upwards and he closed his eyes modestly. "Oh, don't look so surprised, Lust. After all, how many humans have you fooled around with? It's not like sex means anything to us," he opened his eyes to see her expression. She was indifferent.
"I suppose you're right. To me it's my nature, but I never thought that idea would cross your mind," she said, folding her arms on the table and hiding her ample sized breasts.
"What are you trying to say, Lust?" Envy said, heatedly. In the corner of his eye, he could just make out the figures of the girls huddled together and casting suspicious glances in his direction.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten what we were originally created for?" Lust frowned, "If you want to play human so badly then help me get the philosopher stone so you can become one."
"I don't want to be human," Envy countered, "You're starting to sound like that bitch."
"You…" her confident voice faltered, "You don't want to be human? But I thought… why have you been helping Dante all this time if you never wanted it to begin with?"
Envy didn't answer, but Lust jumped to her own conclusion. "Don't tell me you're still waiting on her to take up her role as a mother to you?"
Envy smirked. "You worry too much about my motives for doing things. Don't you ever think that I do things for no reason at all?"
"No, because you don't do things without a reason," Lust said. Envy was taken aback a bit, but he just shrugged off her comment and glanced sideways out the window. "Think what you want," he mumbled.
"So, what does the girl mean to you?"
Envy looked back at Lust. Her blunt question threw him an obstacle. He wouldn't be able to slide away from answering without her noticing he'd purposefully avoided it. He decided to tell her the truth for once, because he didn't know the answer either. "Mostly curious, I guess."
"Remember what curiosity killed? I'll give you a hint: you have similar eyes," Lust warned.
"Anyone is welcome to try," Envy replied, icily. His eyes glinted with malice that challenged anyone daring enough to strike him with his back turned.
Lust smiled. "That's the Envy I'm used to," she said, "By the way, I'm curious to know why you're here. Don't tell me you're meeting that human. Honestly, I don't think she's going to show."
Envy glanced at the clock. It was now after one. He frowned, but he didn't want to admit she was right. Another stroke of thunder rumbled through the sky outside. This time it was accompanied by a brief flash of lightning.
Winry dashed outside and threw her hood over her head. The café Envy wanted to meet her at was near the library and that was about ten minutes away. Envy would be angry with her. There was no doubt about that. Winry flinched at the thought.
She came to the end of the street. There was a natural park up ahead. If she cut through it she could be at the café in five minutes. She jumped over the chain link fence and stomped on through the mud. The park was a lush green belt that surrounded the small stream and cut cleanly through the heart of Central. She'd followed the trails sometimes with Sciezka when she first moved here, but it had grown over since then. She could hear the stream through the brush and plowed towards it.
Her boot got suck in the deeper mud. Winry cursed and pulled it out, only to stumble back, trip on a stump and land on her bottom covered in mud. "Oh, well this is just great!" she grumbled.
Standing up, she noticed someone watching her from the streams edge. She was a little shocked, because the woman looked like she belonged on a model runway in Central, not a muddy forest. However, that thought was quickly driven from Winry's mind. The expression on the woman's face was sly. Her thin lips donned a small smile, but her eyes were cold.
She had the same eyes as Envy. Winry took a step back. She had forgotten about the rest of the homunculi and Envy's warning, and she had also left the chest contents on the table in her haste to leave. Winry swallowed. "H-homunculus?"
"Impressive. I didn't know humans still knew that word," Lust said, her voice like silk to the ears.
"I know one," Winry warned, but her voice was shaky, "You better stay away from me, because he's around here somewhere. He promised to protect me."
"Protect you? How touching," Lust said. Her smile widened with amusement, "What makes you think I want to hurt you?"
Winry shivered. Between the rain and the homunculus she felt cold and uncomfortable. "I don't trust you."
"What a shame."
Hot pain seared through Winry as two of Lust's sword-like fingers were driven through her body. Winry couldn't think anymore. She gasped for breath, but a mouthful of blood choked her. She coughed it out and sucked back on the little air she was able to get.
The sharp points refracted back to the owner, and Winry dropped to her knees. She doubled over in pain and tried to grope at the wounds in her stomach. Her mind seemed to freeze in panic. She was too preoccupied with trying to breathe without choking on her own blood to notice the woman turn and casually walk away from her.
Winry couldn't help but let gravity pull her to the mud. She landed on her stomach by the edge of the stream. Strands of hair stuck to her skin. Her complexion paled by the second and dirtied with a mixture of mud and blood. She felt the rain on her body like pinpricks. She was cold and shaking. She could feel the warm blood flowing slowly over her hands, but could do nothing to stop it.
"What? So you guys aren't going to Dublith to see your teacher?" Winry asked. She looked at Edward as he watched the landscape pass by from his window seat. They were headed to Rush Valley, and Edward had just been released from the hospital.
"Of course not, Winry," Edward replied, "If she saw us she'd know right away what we'd done. No, I heard that there's an Ishbalan refugee camp a little South of Dublith. I want to check it out."
"You think Scar might be hiding there?" Winry asked, worried.
"Yeah," Edward replied.
"Then, why did you say those things back there? Why did you tell everyone you were going to Dublith?"
"Winry, we're not giving up on finding the stone," Alphonse said, "We said those things to ensure nobody else gets hurt for our cause."
Envy looked back at Lust with a grin. "What makes you think she won't show?"
"She won't chance the storm."
Envy shrugged and closed his eyes. A smug look settled on his features. "That's too bad."
"Why don't we get out of here? This place is making me sick," Lust frowned at the chef who simply stared back at her with a blank look mimicked by the walls.
When they stood up, they passed the booth with the three girls. Lust continued to the door, but Envy stopped and threw a dark look in the girls' direction. They simply stared at him with wide fearful eyes. His violet orbs narrowed on the one they called Sherry and he gave her a sharp-toothed grin.
"It's really too bad," Envy said, placing his hands on his hips and savoring the look of horror on their faces, "I was really looking forward to a confrontation with you. But I guess that was too much to hope for. You're a coward. All talk and no walk. You humans are truly despicable."
Without another word, Envy turned on his heel and stormed away from them. Their shocked expressions followed him out the door into the rain.
Lust was waiting for him. "You didn't kill them? You've gotten soft."
Envy waved her comment aside carelessly, "Humans are like insects, Lust. You kill a few and the whole swarm ambushes you. Besides, that chef had a knife and I don't feel like getting hurt."
"Because you don't have the stones in your body anymore?" Lust added, "You can't heal as fast."
Envy looked up and down the street. It was empty. Rain poured down upon them in buckets. Envy glanced back at Lust with a raised eyebrow. "So, Lust, where's Gluttony?"
"I…" Lust looked like she'd forgotten something. Envy's expression grew cold. "I don't know," she finished, lamely, "Why do you ask?"
A corner of Envy's mouth turned up in an attempt to smirk. He locked his gaze with Lust's violet one and stepped closer to her.
Without notice, he drew her into his arms and captured her lips. He felt her body mold itself to his own and she deepened the kiss willfully. She passionately urged his lips apart to explore the taste of his mouth, something she had only tried once. Envy was like a forbidden fruit to Lust. He had been Dante's untouchable right hand for so long, but now he was no longer.
Lust wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed against him with needy motivation. Envy gasped and pulled away from her. He took a few good steps back from her, but didn't take his eyes off her.
"What are you doing?" Lust frowned.
Envy's expression unnerved her. His eyes were cold and his frown was deep. His face was shadowed by some darker truth. He glowered at her, and she felt confused.
"Where is she, Lust? Where's Winry?" he asked icily.
Lust recovered from her confusion and her lips turned upward in a sly grin. "Oh, Envy. You can't tease me like that and not finish what you've started," she licked her lips.
"That's right," Envy sneered, "Taste every bit of it. By the time you decide to tell me what you did with Winry, you may find you can't move your legs. Eventually your entire body will be immobilized. My body recently absorbed the bone fragments of the human you were created from. That kiss is laced with poison. So, enjoy it."
"Bastard!" Lust choked out. She grabbed her throat and spat. She knew it was too late. She could already feel the numbness moving through her veins like wild fire. Her knees buckled and she fell to the ground.
Envy picked her up by the neck where he hung her momentarily in the air. She looked down at him like a scared puppy to its master. "I won't ask you again," he growled dangerously.
Lust gasped for air. "In the forest…I left her there."
"She better be still alive when I get there," Envy snarled. He let go of her neck and she collapsed onto the ground at his feet. He turned his back on her to walk away, but her barely audible whisper stopped him. "I'm sorry."
Envy shook off the shiver that ran down his spin and broke out into a run towards the only forest he knew in Central. Behind him, Lust rested her head on the pavement in the middle of an empty urban street. Rain pounded down on her as she felt her body succumb to the poison in her veins.
"I'm sorry… I didn't think it was possible for us to love another… like humans do," she breathed.
"Hey, Brother, I was thinking," Alphonse said, randomly, as he and Edward walked back towards Sciezka's place. The rain bouncing off Alphonse's armor made loud tapping noises and Edward had to lean in to hear what he was saying, "Oh, yeah, what about?"
"About there being a city underground," Al added, "How could no one notice it? I mean, I'm not saying we can't trust Winry, but what if she's mistaken? Maybe she was blindfolded and carried to a basement or something."
"No, she said Envy led her there disguised as me," Edward said, bitterly. He still didn't like the idea of being friendly with the mass-murdering homunculus.
"I just think we should confirm things with her."
"Or if Envy wants to do us a favor, he's welcome to pop out of nowhere and point us in the right direction too," Edward scowled, "I don't really want to get Winry involved in this."
"Me neither. Uh? Brother look!"
Alphonse pointed ahead of them. In the center of the street lay a figure clothed in black. Her hair was spread gracefully out on the pavement and her pale complexion made her look like a fragile porcelain doll. Violet eyes stared at the two boys in desperation as they approached slowly.
"It's Lust," Edward mumbled to Alphonse. He kneeled a few feet away from the deadly sin and studied her cautiously. "What happened?"
"Envy…" Lust managed. Her body was paralyzed, but she was still able to form words with difficulty.
"Envy?" Alphonse blurted, "So, Envy is fighting the homunculi after all."
"No," Lust spat. She tried to gesture to the greenbelt up ahead. "He…broke. No stones in him…"
"He broke? You mean snapped?" Edward repeated, confused.
"I don't understand. Hasn't he been helping us?" Alphonse asked Ed.
"Your friend…" Lust managed to gasp.
"Winry?"
"She's…in danger," Lust said, "I tried…to stop him, but…"
"Winry!? Ed, we have to go back to Winry! Envy's going to hurt her!" Alphonse shouted.
"In the forest….that's where… he took her."
Edward and Alphonse looked ahead through the rain at the mass of trees and brush. "Let's go, Al!" Edward jumped up and bolted towards it. Alphonse looked reluctant to leave Lust, but he followed his brother anyways. "Thank you!" he bowed before he took off after his brother.
Lust watched them disappear into the trees and allowed herself one last sly grin.
The rain hit the gutters of the old church and in one smooth-flowing stream sloshed all the way down the side of the building. It followed a crack in the aluminum rod and dripped through the ceiling where it pooled and soaked into the ground near the altar. It continued to steadily drip below the surface where it reached the roof of the cavern below.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Slowly a puddle formed before the entrance to Dante's mansion. Then, as if possessed by it's own will, the water rose and took the shape of a woman. She stepped forward and into the foyer where her master was waiting patiently.
"I bring good news, Master," Sloth announced, bowing as she came to the foot of the stairs, "Envy has taken care of Lust for us, and that girl he cares so much for is dead."
"Good, that only leaves Envy and the Elrics to take care of," Dante said. She laughed and Sloth looked up at her curiously.
"Master, I heard what Envy said to Lust. Those bone fragments you gave me. They weren't Envy's at all. It did nothing to him," she said.
"No, they were Lusts," Dante smirked, "Out the homunculi, Envy is the eldest and most achieved of them all. Did you really think I'd have someone kill him? I know Envy very well. He can be useful to me even when he thinks he's free. I knew Envy would be in touch with Lust eventually. It was only a matter of time."
"But he knew your plan. He killed Lust to settle his own score," Sloth said.
"Yes, Envy's not a fool," Dante said, "Though, I have to wonder why he killed Lust willingly."
"Lust was after the stone and she had killed his pet out of spite," Sloth answered, "That seemed to be his primary motivation."
"Rainwater to eavesdrop?" Dante smiled down at her loyal pawn. Sloth nodded, "I can be everywhere at once."
A sly smile spread across Dante's lips. "A wonderful talent that is."
Edward and Alphonse tore through the brush. They were following footsteps in the mud, which they assumed belonged to Envy. When they reached the clearing near the stream Edward and Alphonse stopped abruptly. They came face to face with an ugly sight.
"Blood! Brother, she was here!" Alphonse pointed at crimson stained puddle where the mud had molded to the shape of a body, but the person was missing.
"Where is she?" Edward glanced around. There were no trails suggesting Winry had crawled anywhere.
"Do you think Lust was lying?" Alphonse asked, urgently, "What if this is a trap?"
Edward shook his head. "Well, someone was here," he said, kneeling closer to the puddle of blood. It was streaming between the folds of mud and into the stream of clear water, staining it. "Whoever it was lost a lot of blood."
"Look! Foot prints!" Alphonse pointed to a trail leading away from the clearing towards Central.
"Someone was carried off," Edward mumbled.
"Brother, I don't think Lust was lying to us. I think Winry got hurt and Envy carried her off," Alphonse suggested.
"That doesn't make sense… but there's no time to think about it, Al. We've got to follow those prints!"
"Right!"
The doors to the underground palace were kicked open with ferocious strength. Dante and Sloth spun around to face the intruder. Envy stormed into the foyer with a look of loathing in his eyes. In his arms he tenderly carried the limp form of Winry. Her body was soaked and covered in mud and blood. Envy himself looked filthy. His feet left a trail of mud and water behind him, but he didn't care.
"Dante!" he bellowed with terrible fury. Dante and Sloth were struck with shock. They simply stared at him with wide eyes. Neither knew what to make of this situation.
Envy came to the foot of the stairs and stopped. The fire in his eyes could not hide the sorrow that dwelled within him. Dante had never seen Hohenhiem's homunculus like act like this before.
"I need a philosopher stone! And if you don't give me one right now, I'll tear you to pieces with my bare hands until I find one!"
Leonahari: Yay! Another chapter out of the way, not that I mind writing them of course XP. In the last week, I've been trying to get my mind off things, because I can't write when I'm stessed, I read instead. I've read some really good EdXEnvy fics recently and it got me thinking that it isn't a bad pairing after all. Originally I was a little skeptical because I'm not a yaoi fan, but if it's well written and the author presents some significant, belieable "bondages" to get the two together, I can buy it. So, maybe I'll write a yaoi fic EdxEnvy after this one and see how it goes...? Maybe...? Anyhow, next chapter will be soon. I look forward to seeing your responses to this chapter, because I'm thoroughly enjoying everyone's reviews so far. Thank you so much!
