Okay, we're past the flashback chapters. Also, for those who may be interested, there is a side story to this called 'Picking on Alphonse', based on something Envy said in the very first chapter ("most people had never seen Edward run over three bullies and successfully knock one of them out"). It's humour, and a lot more light-hearted than this is. Go have a look if you like.
Notes on this chapter: The homunculi are human in this and needed normal names. But they won't keep those names, so don't worry.
I own nothing. And daily updates will be continued since I have three votes against stopping (and one threat of death by poking).
Chapter Nine: Obsession
Present day
"Hoenheim," a female voice said. She sounded like a pouting child that wasn't getting its own way. "She's gone now. Come back to me."
"Dante- I can't believe you. Leave."
Dante scowled. "But she's dead. Come back to me- you don't have to stay faithful anymore. She's gone."
"Dante, you- I loved her, Dante. I am not going to sully her memory by sleeping with the woman who tried to murder her!"
"But Trisha's gone," she whined like a petulant child. "She's gone. Why can't you see that?"
"Trisha was my wife. Death may have parted us but I that doesn't change how I feel about her- and it doesn't change how I feel about you. You tried to kill my wife and child, Dante. Get the hell away from me before I try to do the same to you."
"You don't mean that, do you?"
"I do. You are nothing more than a malicious bitch, Dante. A murderer."
"I can't be a murderer, since they didn't actually die."
"If you think that makes you innocent, you are wrong, Dante. Leave me in peace."
There was a brief silence. Dante changed tactics.
"Hoenheim," she purred. "Marriage doesn't mean anything nowadays. I know you're being all honourable, but really, nobody would think any the worse of you... you even ran off on her, so you can't have loved her that much..."
"I left her to protect her from you!" he shouted angrily. He stopped, and sighed. "Dante, get out. What do I have to do to make you leave? I gave you five minutes to talk to me, as you requested. Because of you, one of my sons lost two limbs and my wife spent several weeks in hospital with serious injuries. I don't want to see you, Dante."
"Oh, come on. At least tell me how our son is doing..."
"He's not your son. Who brought him up? Who comforted him when he fell? Who stayed with him when he had nightmares? Trisha. He is not your son, Dante."
"Tell me how my little William is, Hoenheim. If you do nothing else, at least tell me that."
"I don't believe for a minute that you care about him."
"Hm? Well, no... But if you tell me, I'll go. I promise." she said.
Hoenheim was quiet. When he spoke, his voice sounded distant.
"He calls himself Envy now. He dyed his hair green... he never seemed happy. But he's a good child... man, now. Takes care of our boys... her boys."
"Oh, does he? Envy, huh... how cute. What a lovely idea. Maybe I should try that- my friends can all be nicknamed after the seven sins. And then he can join us, and we'll all be one big happy family, hm?"
"You mean your gang members? Envy hates you, Dante. You abandoned him. He won't join your gang, and neither will Edward and Alphonse."
"Who said anything about Edward and Alphonse? But more importantly... just remember, Hoenheim. You abandoned him too."
He did not reply. Dante cleared her throat.
"So... you still refuse me, Hoenheim?"
"Yes."
"You will regret rejecting me. Mark my words."
Dante stomped through the old church in a rage. Her followers- the people Hoenheim called her gang- stood at the sides of the room.
The church had long ago been shut up, and was awaiting demolition- it was old, and had become dangerous, and so a new church had been built, and Dante had adopted the old building as a meeting place, enjoying the irony of a house of God and virtue being turned into a den of criminals. The pews had been taken away, so the stained-glass windows cast beautiful jewel-coloured light onto a bare floor, silhouettes of saints glowing on the pale stone.
To one side sat a tall woman with long, wavy black hair, and a curvaceous figure. Tattooed in the middle of her chest was a winged serpent eating its own tail, surrounding a six-pointed star- the ouroboros, a symbol Dante had adopted for her little group. This woman was Belle Marlowe, and beside her stood a short, squat man, with a bald head and a round, bloated face, sucking on his fingertips. This was Jordan Richards, a dim young man with an insatiable appetite. His tattoo was on his tongue.
Opposite these two was a tall man with dark hair, and a patch over one blind eye. It was on the eyelid of his hidden eye that he was tattooed, and his name was King Bradley.
In the shadow of an archway stood Juliette Douglas, twin sister of the late Trisha Elric, and her ouroboros was on her shoulder. Sat on the floor beside her was her adopted son, Thomas Curtis, a small boy aged fifteen, with waist-length black hair and the tattoo on his foot.
Lounging in the shadows was the final member of Dante's gang, Jack Campbell, with his ouroboros on the back of his hand. He wore sunglasses, and had had his teeth filed to sharp points, and he was well known for being avaricious and materialistic.
Dante stopped pacing, and addressed her group of followers.
"Did you know that my son has renamed himself Envy? An interesting idea, don't you think? Naming oneself after a deadly sin... I think it strangely appropriate. And so... I think we should do the same. Hm?"
Jack shrugged. "You're the boss." he grinned, shark-like teeth gleaming.
"It could prevent trouble with the law, should we be overheard." said Belle. Beside her, Jordan nodded happily: Anything Belle said was okay with him.
Juliette nodded her consent, and beside her, Thomas gave his approval. With five votes cast, King shrugged his shoulders and agreed.
Dante smiled. "Good. Juliette, you can be our Sloth, I think, and Thomas... Wrath. King;" she studied him briefly, "Our Pride. Belle... Lust, I think. Jordan shall be our Gluttony, and Jack, you shall be Greed. What do you think?"
The newly-christened Lust frowned slightly, but said nothing. Greed grinned a pointy-toothed grin, Sloth shrugged, and Pride nodded his acquiescence. Gluttony said nothing at all, and Wrath smiled widely.
"Good. Now... Hoenheim has rejected me. Lust, Gluttony..." she seemed to roll the names around in her mouth, as if trying out the fit of them, "Why don't you go and visit his boys and see if we can't find a way to convince him, hm?"
By the way, I did some research and it IS possible to get your tongue tatooed, so Gluttony's tatoo isn't as unlikely as it sounds... but... Ouch.
Just in case it wasn't clear, Belle Marlowe Lust, Jordan Richards Gluttony, King Bradley is obviously Pride and Juliette Douglas Sloth, Thomas Curtis (Izumi's kid and Sloth's adoptive son) is Wrath, and finally, Jack Campbell is Greed. Wrath is obviously a bit older than he appears to be in the anime (how old IS he?) because I wasn't making somebody who looks about nine a gang member.
