Me: Hello once again everyone. I worked hard on this chapter because I do just love Venom Fan's reviews! I would appreciate all others as well.
Greed: Keeping things short here, Sommer doesn't own FMA or other references to outside people, bands, etc. Song for the chapter is "I'm With You" by Avril Lavigne.
Me: Enjoy!
Chapter 9: Decoy
Envy
For the past couple of weeks, the other six homunculi had been lying low, hiding underground and above all, avoiding Central at all costs. With Mustang head of the military now they had to keep themselves under the radar more than they had to before. Thanks to Pride being on the inside for a time he knew the safest underground hideouts for them, although they never stay in one for more than a few days. Envy was especially troubled because out of all the homunculi, he was the only one whose death was a suicide. He could blame no one and it set him apart from his brethren.
"We would have succeeded in our plans if it wasn't for that damn traitor!" Wrath bellows his anger in eruptive shouts, showing his sin more than ever. Upon returning to the world his host body reverted to that of a young Bradley, more specifically the age when the stone was first introduced to his body. Gluttony, who had been limited to very few meals since his return, crouches next to his latest victim, slurping and munching away loudly.
"Gluttony! Keep it down! I can't even hear myself think!" Envy shouts. The plump man does as told and Lust places a comforting hand on his head.
"Greed did foil our plans quite rudely," she states. From one of the darker areas of the lair, young Pride ponders the situation.
"We have to assume that if we are here that Greed must also be out there somewhere, if not in the vicinity." This receives a groan from Sloth.
"What a pain." Wrath lets out a yell and thrusts his sword into the concrete wall, burying it to the hilt.
"When I find that scumbag traitor I'll kill him over and over until he has no choice but to stay dead!"
"Don't you just hate that?" The six homunculi freeze upon hearing a voice not from any of their mouths. The husky Romanian accent has them all on alert. Wrath jerks his sword from the wall.
"Who's there?" From behind him, hidden in shadows the voice continues as if never spoken to.
"I mean you put your trust in someone like that and they just go and abandon you." They turn to meet the intruder but see only blackness. Suddenly it comes from another direction again. "It's criminal."
"Show yourself you coward!" Envy shouts. Two red eyes appear in the shadows and they all brace themselves.
"Now now, there's no need for harsh words. I just want to be friends. You see we have more in common than you know."
"And what might that be?" Wrath questions. A fanged smile can be seen glinting in the darkness.
"To the outside world we're the ideas of myths and fairytales, we don't exist. At least we're not supposed to." Without warning, Lust uses her ultimate spear to stab the intruder, earning and audible grunt. A splatter of blood hits the floor. Suddenly growls and hisses from throughout the darkness sound, different colored eyes appearing against the blackness.
"Silence," the man says coolly. All goes quiet. Lust retracts her spear and the figure begins laughing to their surprise. He steps forward, revealing himself fully. His body is carefully sculpted and built. His skin pale as a corpse, apparent because he wears only pants. This mane of silvery hair flows to his hips. The most striking feature is his ruby eyes. Holding a hand over the bloody wound in his abdomen, he smiles a fanged grin a Lust. "That was a nice try luv, but to no avail I'm afraid." He lifts his hand and they gasp at seeing no wound whatsoever. Smirking he licks the blood from his hand. "Don't think it was inadequate because that would have killed a normal human. The problem is I'm not a normal human."
"Just who and what are you?" Pride asks.
"He smiles towards the child and bows his head respectively. "Where are my manners?" He takes Lust's hand and presses his lips against it. "My name is Kovu, and I have a proposition for you."
Angel
"What in the hell is wrong with me?" She slaps at the water's surface once more. She glares at her marred reflection, furious that she could have dropped her guard so easily and made weakness known to someone, especially Greed.
She reclines her head to gaze at the crimson moon, the roar of the falls barely drowning out the roar of the speakers below. If anyone happened to look up at the waterfall they would surely notice her on one of the protruding rocks sitting in a small pool that had collected there.
Greed, the one thing she couldn't stop thinking about. It bugged her to no end that he was constantly on her mind. She craves to hate him but the feelings she carries aren't hatred. She clutches her chest to ease the pain. There is no physical wound but it's as if her soul is being prodded at with a hot iron. She just wishes she had never met the avarice. She scoffs at herself. She sure proved her hate when she had her leg around his thigh. "May Sin-Cara have mercy on my soul." She remains that way for nearly an hour, just her and her thoughts. The roar of the falls. The occasional splash of a fish chimera. The atmosphere so tranquil and placid.
"HEEEEEELLLLPPP!" Her ears cower at the shrill scream and she's at her feet before it even stops. Using inhuman force she leaps to the clearing in just a fraction of a second. She lands next to an alert James. With a single glance he lets her know he heard it too.
"Damon!" he shouts. In just as much speed the ebony haired counterpart appears beside him and the three form a triangular formation and waste no time in going after the scream. They had recognized the scream as a wolf chimera pup named Bethany. Only six years old. Since the forest is now dead silent, they follow her scent. Then it hits them like a wall, blood. In her peripheral vision she sees a flash of yellow and she circles round. She freezes when she sees it. Before them, lying in a mangled heap lay their worst nightmare. Gasps and cries ring out as the others who had heard come up behind them shortly afterwards.
Little Bethany; her strawberry blonde pigtails slashed and stained crimson, her petite body torn and mangled, her yellow sundress in tatters and shreds on and around her. They can't even bear to look at her face, forever frozen in a state of terror and pain. Another scream sounds over all the others; Irene, the mother, seeing her little queen in this horrific state. She runs straight to her lost child and snatches her up, cradling her close as if it will somehow make her return.
Greed's heavy shoes thump against hard ground as he comes up behind Angel to examine the situation. "Damn…" His violet eyes widen at the disturbing scene.
Angel is no longer there. Her fists clench so tight that her claws dig into her skin and she begins bleeding profusely. Everything goes silent as her fangs lengthen and poke from her snarling maw. A deep rumble rises from within the core of her chest. Blinded by fury, sorrow, rage, regret, and self loathing her animalistic roar shakes the very earth. Her mind fades to darkness, the last thing she hears being Greed's voice. "Wait! Angel!" She's gone, her body launching into the woods in an all out rage.
Greed begins to go after her but is stopped by James. "You can find her later. Right now we need to get everyone home safely. Trust me, you don't want to be near her right now." He's reluctant but he listens to the older male.
Flames engulf the sky, boulders shatter upon contact with the harsh winds, the plants freeze unnaturally as she passes, fully transformed. ( Not describing her form until later on for suspense reasons ;) ) Howls and roars rip through the night. The townspeople will get no sleep.
A single heartbeat. One every thirty seconds. The normal rate for a hybrid chimera. Angel's eyes flicker open as she awakens to the surrounding destruction. She lay naked in a wet pile of mud and ashes, the area around her reduced to nothingness. A scent reaches her nostrils and she looks up to see violet eyes. The homunculus says nothing but wraps a blanket around her. She tries to stand but nearly collapses. He catches her and pucks her up bridal style, carrying her to her manor and jumping through the open balcony doors to her room. He informs her that everyone is downstairs, to come down when she's ready. When she's alone she makes her thoughts audible. "Whoever you are that hurt her, you will pay. You wanted my attention well now you have it. I will end you. Nobody, I mean nobody, hurts what's mine."
Downstairs James asks about his sister. "She's fine," Greed answers.
"How hard was she to find?"
"Once I hit the center of destruction and debris? Not hard."
The Xingese prince makes himself known. "What were you able to gather from the kill sight?"
James shakes his head. "I'm not sure what to think honestly. I caught the scent of…" he fades off. "Him. I caught Kovu's scent. It was miniscule though, like he wasn't there."
"Are you sure?" Ed asks. "You said he's been MIA for nearly two and a half centuries. Why would he just appear and kill a child?"
"Like I said he wasn't here directly. My guess is he sent someone to do it for him. Someone knew since I didn't recognize any of his old pack members. I didn't recognize the kill signature either. It was mostly puncture marks so I immediately thought they were gunshot wounds from a pistol with a silencer, but the entry ways were bigger than the exit wounds. Too add to things the only other scent I caught smelled like you Greed, only female."
The homunculus' eyes widen. "Lust."
"Your supposedly deceased sister?" Gin asks. The avarice sits and furrows his brow in concentration.
"Alphonse."
"Yeah?"
"When you did the transmutation on me, are you sure nothing else came from the portal?"
"W-well we left so soon after you came back…"
Damon snaps, "Are you trying to say that he must have accidentally brought back not only you, but your siblings from the other side of the gate?"
Suddenly Greed erupts into laughter and Gin looks at him concerned. "Boss?"
He stops and looks at the ceiling. "What do ya know, I get a chance to kill my family all over again."
"Not before I do." Angel appears on the staircase fully clothed. "Lust, I get to be the one to rip her apart." Her eyes are still in their chimera state. James sighs.
"Is it that time again?" She nods. He looks down. "Look Angel, Kovu is somehow involved in this. He knows where you are and if you want to keep the town safe I think we need to go through with this plan of mine."
"And that is?"
He takes a deep breath. "I think you should leave Luna with Greed." Everyone's jaws drop except for Ed, Al, and Ling's. Greed even gasps. Angel's gaze stays on the floor, pondering. "You're not safe here and I think you should leave. With Greed because it's his family. He knows them better than any of us their ideologies and weaknesses. Damon and I have to look out for the town here. You need someone who won't die easily. He's the only one I trust for the job."
Ling nods. "He has a point. Greed can protect her better than the rest of us."
"Whoa there," Greed says. "I'm flattered and all but I'm only one guy. Plus I don't recall saying I would watch over her. And if I did where would we go?"
Silence. Damon breaks it after what seems like forever. "Dublith?"
Ling shakes his head. "Only an idiot would go back there."
"So idiotic it's perfect," Ed exclaims. "You're a genius Damon!"
"I am?" the hybrid says.
"Let me put into perspective for you, if you get caught robbing a bank and years later you intend to do it again, what bank would you go after?"
"One far away from the first one right?" Gin asks.
"That's what would be expected right?" Ed states.
Damon scratches his head. "So how am I a genius?" His twin snaps his fingers in realization.
"Of course! I get it, it's brilliant!"
"Huh?"
"You return to the scene of the crime because everyone will not expect it. It's so idiotic that they wouldn't bother to worry about it."
"So what do we do?" Mei asks.
"We're going to be idiots," Angels states.
Greed crosses his arms. "Again, I'm still just one guy. I hate to admit it but I'd need help."
"I could come," Ling says.
"No," says Angel. "You have a country you need to return to. Your people need you Ling."
"And yours need you, which is why I'm offering my help." She still refuses him.
"Angel?" Al asks. "Do you have a phone?"
"The only one in the city. Why?"
"I know just the chimeras for the job."
"Who Al?" his brother asks.
"Two of them have worked with you before Greed. And the other two accompanied me to Xing." The homunculus thinks.
"You mean the gorilla and lion? Darius and…Heinkel I think?" He nods.
"And Zampano and Jerso." Greed nods, pursing his lips. Despite her hatred for him, Angel can't help but blush at the expression.
"I guess they'll do," he finally says. James sends Al to make the calls before looking to Greed.
"You leave tonight."
Me: So the journey begins! Angel and Greed on the run together with chimera bodyguards, dodging Angel's ex love and Greed's vengeful siblings!
Greed: The suspense is just killing me doll...
Me: (Chops Greed over the head and grins as he rubs his aching head.) Anyway PLEASE REVIEW!It's much appreciated!
Greed: Bye or whatever loyal possessions.
