Next chapter up! Of course we have some stuff with Ed and Envy and also with Liz.

Liz: Sorry for the wait.

Envy: The authoress was being lazy.

It's the curse of summer! I don't have time to be lazy during the school year but now... SO. MUCH. FREETIME!

Ed: How much sugar has she had exactly?

Liz: Is that twelve empty Monster cans I've seen behind her.

Al: Oh... wow...

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"How nice to see you again Elizabeth."

It was at this simple greeting that I officially decided I hated Eckhart. There were so many things about her that just pissed me off. Maybe it was the smug look. Maybe it was because she called me Elizabeth. Maybe it was because she reminded me of Dante.

...Maybe it was because she was the head of some wierd and insane supernatural organization that was trying to open the gate to my home world so that they could invade it and steal our technology and she had ordered my capture in order to get Envy and complete the transmutation circle with the help of a mind reading gypsy I thought I could trust but ended up being a complete back stabber.

...Yeah I think that's it...

"I can't exactly say the same about you" I growled, jerking uselessly on the handcuffs that held my wrists. Maybe I would have a sudden burst of strength and miraculously be able to break through solid steel!

Maybe I'm just screwed.

"I suppose the General has already informed you of why you're here" she smiled, the smug look never wavering. "We are confident the shape shifter will come. It is likely he will agree to our demands with you here."

"You don't know Envy very well" I growled. "Trust me, when it's dealing with him things might not go exactly according to plan."

"Perhaps." She shrugged. "Tell me. What is his relationship with Hoenhiem of light?"

I clenched my jaw "Why should I tell you?"

"If you're going to be un cooperative we will force you to talk" she frowned slightly. "And I don't want to have to revert to that."

"Try me!" I spat.

"Very well..." I saw Eckhart's gaze flit over to General Hess, standing beside me and before I could react he swung his arm at my face and hit me square in the jaw with a force that sent me to the ground. "Would you like to speak now?"

To my own and everyone elses shock I began to laugh out loud, maniacally, almost making me sound insane "You think that's going to work Eckhart! I'm not afraid of pain. I'm not afraid of you! I've expierinced worse than you can ever do to me!"

"You doubt us?" Eckhart was visably starting to get annoyed. "We can do worse to you. You are young, you think that everything you've expierienced is bad? We could show you much worse pain. We could make your life Hell."

I was still laughing which was seriously starting to freak the sane portion of my brain out. "Hell? I've already been through Hell lady! I've died for crying out loud! Have you been stabbed through the gut? It's not a pleasant expierience." I tapped my bound hands to my scar. "What's more I bet you've never been hurled into another world away from everyone you used to know. And I bet your own body doesn't attack you if you exert yourself to much in agonizing siezures. Have you? Huh? You can't do shit to me!"

Eckhart stared at me for a very long time "You are a facinating girl... you almost seem to think you're invinsible."

"Hardly!" I spat. "I'm not like you!"

Eckhart's eyes narrowed "Lock her up somewhere for the time being General. Make sure she can't escape."

I smirked as I was dragged away. Sure I was a prisoner but I could tell when I scored a hard blow on a person's ego.

And that at least was a small victory.

Third Person!

"Why did you two go snooping around this guys villa in the first place?" Envy asked as the two un willing allies walked down the road.

"When Liz mentioned Dr. Haushoffer I was curious... I heard that name from-" Ed cut off suddenly and clenched his jaw suddenly remebering exactly who he was talking to. "...never mind."

"Hoenhiem?" Envy smirked darkly and sighed. "I can always tell when two are about to mention him. You always cut off akwardly right before mentioning him... What was the context of this guys name?"

"Someone he was working with before he dissapeared." Ed shrugged, not making eye contact with the homunculus. "I don't know details..."

"Hmm..." Envy was silent in thought for a moment before wondering aloud. "I wonder if they know where that bastard is..."

"Don't go there Envy" Ed growled in warning.

"Where do you get off telling me where I should go Elric?" Envy asked, a cool, dangerous note to his voice as his eyes narrowed on the younger boy.

"Where do you get off using my name as an insult?" Ed retorted. "It's your name too you know!"

"...What?"

By the tone of Envy's voice Ed was sure he should probably back track quickly or at the very least, drop the subject but he couldn't. The impules to snap at Envy was almost unbearalble. Both of them had stopped walking and Ed was glaring viciously at Envy, who's back was turned to him.

"You heard me! If you're going to keep calling me 'little brother' then you better well except that you're his son too and that means that Elric is your last name too!" Ed spat angrily.

"I have no last name... I'm only Envy." the homunculus said in a deadly calm voice.

"Well than Envy." Ed growled. "Don't get side tracked by your stupid grudge! This is for Liz. It's all your fault this happened in the first place!"

"For what?" Envy sneered, turning to glare down the alchemist. "Being a homunculus?"

"No! For killing her!"

As soon as the words left his lips Ed knew that he had made a mistake. His hand flew up to cover his mouth immedietly after. Sure he blamed Envy for this whole screw up, but that didn't mean he should voice that opinion. It was a low blow and he knew it.

The silent tension that followed was tantalizing as Envy stared blankly at Ed, for a minute no readable emotion crossing his face. His body was visably tense just as Ed's was. The standoff continued for what seemed like hours to Ed before Envy flew forward with a blinding speed, giving no time to the younger boy to react.

The fist struck Ed's face and sent him flying back into the wall with a yell of pain. A blow to his stomach followed almost immediately after sending him gasping to his knees before he felt a hand wrap around his neck and pinned him to the wall again leaving his feet to dangle off the ground.

"That was a bad move." Edward found himself staring down into Envy's violet eyes, despite him still being in his human form. They were cold, vicious and deadly, almost focusing every ounce of hate onto Ed's wide gold eyes. The grip on his neck tightened and he choked, pulling at Envy's hand desperately with his own.

"...Envy...don't..." he barely managed to choke out the words. He felt his vision starting to become fuzzy and just when he thought Envy was going to kill him viciousness subsided from the violet eyes as if he had just remembered something and the grip on his neck was gone.

Ed fell to his knees coughing and gasping, trying to draw air back into his lungs, rubbing his neck with his hand.

"Know this little brother" Envy hissed from above him. "If it wasn't for Liz... I would kill you right here." Ed didn't doubt the tone in his voice.

Coughing the younger boy looked up into Envy's still vicious eyes. "If it wasn't for Liz... you would've killed me two years ago."

Envy blinked for a minute almost conceding the point before he turned and walked away. Ed got up shakily and after a moment he followed.

He didn't really have a choice did he?

Third person with Envy!

Envy couldn't believe he hadn't killed the younger boy right then. He should've. He could've... he almost did. So why hadn't he? It was because he had promised Liz. That was all. But why should one lousy promise mean so much to him? Why the Hell should he care about any humans? Why did his feelings betray him?

Emotion... that was a weakness for a homunculus. They had no souls, they shouldn't have emotion. It made them weak.

"Do you really believe that?"

Envy almost jumped at a voice in his head. It was achingly familier, he had heard it before... at the gate...

"Correct. I am Truth" The voice answered.

There was a long pause before Envy thought "What do you want?"

"To impose questions that help you make sense of these emotions Envy" Truth answered simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Really?" Envy thought sarcastically. "Do you do this alot or is just me who get's cursed with it?"

"Hardly" Truth cackled gleefully. "Ask that little girl Liz! I've been in her head for two years straight!"

Envy blinked "I'm sorry... what?"

"You heard me. She get's quite annoyed too."

"I can't imagine why"

"Aren't we in a bad mood today."

"Get to the point already!"

"I will ask again" Truth said calmly. "Do you really believe that emotions are the cause of weakness?"

"Yes." Envy answered without hesitation. "It's what makes humans so weak as a whole... that and their kindness..."

"Really?" Truth seemed amused. "Then you believe Liz is weak?"

The question pulled Envy up short "I..."

"It's a simple question homunculus."

Envy was silent for a minute before replying "No..."

"And yet she has a very kind heart... she has lived several years of her life helping two others reach their goals with out consideration for her own because she wanted to right the wrongs of the past. For someone who could have drowned herself in guilt or hate, she chose another path. What about Alphonse Elric?" Truth asked another question."Do you believe him weak despite your animosity twoards the Elrics?"

Envy thought again for a minute "...maybe not..."

"He is possible one of the kindest and more innocent souls for someone who has seen so much" Truth sighed. "He's understanding, forgiving, he tries to see everyones good side. He gave himself up to save Liz and his brother you remember? And now he doesn't recall any of those long years spent trying to recover his origional body. The last thing remembers is the human transmutation of his mother. In his mind he's never even met Liz."

"What?" Envy was taken aback by this. "You mean he..."

"But you don't care do you Envy?"

"I..." the homunculus was frustrated by the sudden indecision. He would normally reply no immediately... but he almost owed the tin can for bringing Liz back...

"And despite your hatred for him" Truth continued. "Do you think Edward is weak?"

Anger bubbled through Envy "If you seriously expect me to-"

"Drop your hatred for one moment homunculus. You can't always look at things from one shallow view point!" Truth commanded sternly.

Envy was silent for a long time before he said "He's annoying as Hell... I hate him... but he might not be... that weak..."

"He was called the hero of the people because he actually tried to help others" Truth recited. "Killing as just as hard for him as it is for Liz. He was even guilty when he killed Greed... did you know that? Despite that homunculus kidnapping his brother. But he always forced himself to be strong for his younger brother."

"...Why are you telling me all this..." Envy asked after a moment.

"I am trying to let you see that kindness and emotion are not bad things. Your natural impulse is to reject compassion as it is the opposite of Envy... but this game is much bigger than you imagine and you will have to comprehend other emotions one day soon." Truth said.

"What are you talking about?"

"I have a larger plan at work. What you think is an end drawing twoards you is only the start. The end is not what it seems." Truth sounded almost giddy.

"I have no idea what your talking about." Envy sighed testily starting to get very annoyed with the voice in his head.

"Just don't look at things one way." Truth sighed. "I have to go."

"Small graces..." Envy muttered.

"Hehe... see you soon."

Envy sighed and looked back to see Ed still walking behind him, his gaze wary.

"He really does care about Liz" Envy mused. "If he's still coming with me after that." he faced forward again and called "Keep up pipsqueak! I don't actually know where this place is you know! You're still supposed to be showing me!"

"...I'm not a pipsqueak" Ed muttered behind him, his voice showing a touch of confusion.

"Wonder if he's ever had a voice in his head?" Envy thought randomly.

"Sure you aren't..."

I sense foreshadowing!

Envy: Which part?

Liz: This chapter was chalked full of it...

Ed: And me getting beat up...

Liz: Hey me too!

Truth: And me being philisophical.

Ed: Who are you?

Liz and Envy: Oh god GO AWAY ALREADY!

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