In A Crumbling World
Chapter 10: THE CONNECTION
By Faith E. Worster, a.k.a. "The Maine Coon Cat"
"WHAT?!" Angel incredulous cry reverberated off of the thick maple walls.
William winced, the pain in his head intensifying slightly. Still, he went on, reaching into his pocket. "Look– I have proof." He retrieved the old drawing that Edward had made, and held it out for Angel to see.
Angel stood up, stalking over and leaning down to get a better view of it.
...Then, he made a face comically similar to Marjorie's expression upon first seeing one of Edward's drawings. "Is that supposed to be me?"
"No, it's supposed to be Envy."
The humanoid stared at him. "...You're a really poor artist, you know that?"
He almost laughed, but the situation was too dire. "I didn't draw this. It was done by my great-grandfather, back in 1953. The date's right here, along with the title and his name."
Angel snatched te paper from his hand and proceeded to read it, "So, who's Envy, then?"
"He was someone my great-grandad knew on the other side of The Gate."
Angel stiffened. "The same Gate the master talks about?"
"Dante? Yes. The same one."
"...How do you know all that?"
"Edward Elric– my great-grandfather– kept records and made stories about his life in Amestris, the world beyond The Gate's doors. Envy was an artificial human, called a 'homunculus', much like yourself. He was created by Edward's father, Hohenheim, around four-hundred years before Edward was born; to replace a son that had died previously."
The androgynous being paled further.
"Envy looked just like you, only he had green hair and violet eyes, along with the ability to shape-shift. Personality-wise, though–" William hesitated, studying Angel for a moment, "you appear to be less...how should I put this... 'hard-core' than he was. That could be because you haven't had as much time to develop as he did, however."
Angel obviously wanted a better explanation than that. " 'Hard-core' ?"
"You–you're hateful...but not quite as much so as he– I mean, Envy– was." A light went on inside William's brain then. How could he not have seen it before?
Envy had, in both instances, invaded Angel at a time of high stress. The first time had been when Angel was dying, and the second had been when he was abandoned by the only person who had ever meant something to him...in an eerily similar way to how Envy himself had been rejected.
It all made sense now!
Sort of...
Meanwhile, as William was going over all of this, Angel had furrowed his brow at Will's earlier remark: 'Hateful'. That snot-nosed pipsqueak had called him 'hateful'! As if Angel had no right to be! He did have a right. He was a superior being whose own fath– who had been betrayed by an inferior worm. He had every right in the world to hate...!
Plus, he was irritated that said pipsqueak had been completely ignoring him for the last few minutes. "Hey, Earth to Elric! What about Envy?"
The blonde ('DUMB blonde', Angel sneered to himself) suddenly glanced at him, golden eyes shining. "You and Envy are connected, and I think I know how." He proceeded to explain his theory to the humanoid, who stood, hands on his hips, giving William a generally puzzled look.
"It's as if...history is trying to repeat itself, only it's screwing up." Will finished. "And Envy must still be alive in The Gate, even though he was sacrificed to it."
Angel, who had been sitting on the sofa, turned his head away from William, and remained silent for a while.
Sighing, Will leaned back against the wall. "And there's not much we can do, is there? After all, I'm going to be sacrificed and you're...well, who knows?"
The creatures face suddenly broke into a vicious grin. "I know! I'm going to kill that thing that betrayed me. Then I'll slaughter the rest of your pathetic race– one by one!"
William shuddered inside. He knew, perhaps more than anyone else, that Angel was very serious...and dead-set on his goal. Still... "How do you know that's going to pan out?"
Angel halted in the midst of his psychotic laughter, narrowing his eyes. "What?"
"Well, with Envy inside you...controlling you sometimes...how do you know it's all going to go your way?"
"It has to!" Sounding oddly like a raging child, the humanoid stood up, fists clenched, voice hoarse, "It has to! I'm going to kill him myself– and no one's taking that away from me!"
"But–"
Without another word, Angel stormed out the door, slamming it violently behind him.
"– you really don't know that, do you?"
William was alone. Again.
- - - - - - - -
In the white-carpeted room, two figures stood, the older one regarding her servant with a conspiratorial smile. "Lyra, it's time."
Amethyst eyes lit up with delight. "Yes, Master. And then–"
"Yes, Lyra, I know. You'll be given your share."
"Thank you, Master."
Heavy doors crashed open against the walls, causing both women to jump.
"Angel?" Dante snapped. "What now?"
The creature glowered, his gaze roving from one to the other suspiciously. "What's going on?"
"None of you busine–" Lyra started, but Dante cut her off.
"Actually, it is his business, my dear. Angel is Hohenheim's creation, after all."
Angel went livid at the name. "Hohenheim?! What about him?"
"We're sending out someone to fetch him for me, dear." Dante answered coyly, "And, ultimately, for you."
His eyes glittered. He had known it! He had told Elric that he would kill the doctor– and so he would! "Send me! I'll go get him!"
"No. I can't risk it. Your hatred and rage are too strong. You might kill him before his due time."
The humanoid growled with frustration, yet said nothing more.
"Who are you sending, Master?" Lyra questioned curiously.
Dante smirked, pointing casually at a small, huddled figure that sat at the other end of the room. It's curly red hair bobbed as it shook. "Why, a trusted colleague of Dr. Hohenheim himself. We all know her..."
Lyra grinned cruelly. "Ah, yes, the little crybaby."
And Angel frowned. "Marjorie?"
- - - - - - - - -
The red-headed woman was bent low, her arms crossed tightly in an almost child-like way. Her glasses, which had been bent slightly after her last ride with an overly-zealous William, now practically hung off of her face. She made no move to correct them, however. In her despair, she hadn't even noticed.
"Monster..." She whispered to herself.
She was an evil monster.
How could she betray him like that? That poor, brilliant young man who had only the best of intentions for everyone around him? How...?
For over seventy years she had lived...breathed...walked the earth...yet she still hadn't learned. She was still so selfish. So vile.
But it wasn't just for herself that she was doing this! Marjorie thought. After all, her husband needed the elixir as well.
Not that he wanted it.
John, he beloved John did not want the eternal life he had been given. "Never again, Marjorie." He had snarled, his handsome face twisting in remorse, "Never again will I kill someone just so I can live..."
I would.
Marjorie wept at the thought, struggling to see the road ahead of her. She was driving now. Driving Will's car...
She would have to kill William.
That was why she had never allowed herself to speak his name...why she had always addressed him as 'Mr. Elric'. It was her way of distancing herself from him; from the fact that he was a loveable human being who had no right to be slaughtered for her sick purposes...
"No..." The word escaped her lips in a whisper, barely audible.
No.
She couldn't do this to him. She couldn't kill William! Not for herself!
Not even for John.
Taking a deep, determined breath, Marjorie slowed, stopped the car...and turned back toward Dante's mansion.
She had a new mission.
"I have to save Mr. Elri..."
No...
"I have to save Will."
- - - - - - - - -
Angel was displeased.
The humanoid paced back and forth angrily, eyes flashing. Just the thought of his former 'Father' being allowed to live any longer was enough to make him explode.
Impatiently, he stalked over to the window, growling as he gazed out at the cloudy, mid-afternoon sky. He'd kill him... He'd show that blonde pipsqueak... Nothing would stop hi–
WHAT?!
Disbelief quickly gave way to rage as he stared down at the lawn below him, where a certain red-haired woman was walking through Dante's yard. He craned his neck left, then right, trying to see if Hohenheim was with her...but the doctor was nowhere in sight.
Three thoughts crossed Angel's mind at that moment.
One: She had come back.
Two: She had not brought the doctor with her.
And the third thought was lost in a white-hot blaze of hatred, which carried him away from the window and down the stairs.
Marjorie Hunt was as good as dead.
- - - - - - - - -
A/N: Well, this is going to be my last update for a little while, as I have to go back to college tomorrow. I have the rest of the story written, though, so don't despair! When I get spare time, I'll be typing this up! God bless, and see you soon!)