Of Lust and Wrenches
Ember Sunblaze: I'm glad this chapter is finally finished. I am glad to say I am done teaching for the year and I will never stand in front of a classroom again. Teaching has been the most miserable experience for me over the last two years and has drained my social life and extra free time. But I am changing careers. Yay! So that means hopefully more time to write! I also got engaged! :DDDDDDDDDDDDD July 21st is the wedding date! So I've been busy wedding planning for the last few months. I feel like my life is going in new and better direction!
On a side note...this chapter was so fun to write! I LOVE ENVY! I feel like he is my favorite person to write as (evil characters are so fun!) So I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 20: What Everyone Else Was Doing While Ed and Winry did the Deed
Envy snarled, his feet pounding against the gravel at high speeds as he traveled through the dark alleyways of Central. In this small cat form, no one payed the feline any mind as it raced past. The dark cat's pulsed raced as memories of a few hours ago still seethed in his mind, making him bare his fangs in frustrated.
"Damn that Lust! What the hell are you thinking going off like this!?" He came to a stop, chest heaving as he caught his breath. Right after the whole fiasco with Scar that morning in which Lust had failed to defeat the Ishvalan terrorist, Envy had overheard a very suspicious Lust having a conversation with their captive doctor about the said Ishvalan. What really got Envy's attention was the addition of a third voice in the conversation. Envy knew there could only be one explanation for this. However, when confronted, Lust showed no sign of giving in to the younger homunculi's arrogations and instead decided to off to hit the town.
After that Envy had made an attempt to follow her, but had been pulled back by Father who had wanted a word with him about Marcoh. By the time he had finished, she had already gotten a head start, making it a hassle for Envy to find her trail.
"I swear I'm going to find you and get to the bottom of this if it's the last thing I do!" He growled, his claws raking the ground in aggravation. His murderous exclamations caused a pair of alley cats to poke their heads out of their garbage they called home. Envy snarled, baring his fangs for all to see. "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT!?"
The cats meowed in fright, darting away from the alley. Envy watched their retreating forms, making an irritated tch sound. He sat there alone, his mind still fuming as continued thoughts of Lust filled his head. Of course, he knew about Winry. He was the one who had dragged the girl over to become her new body. He was also there when Winry had taken over back at the cabin. He could never forget the look she gave him, blue eyes staring frightfully up at him from behind Fullmetal's arms. That look was so unlike that of Lust. The Lust he knew never looked scared, never looked uncertain about anything.
Now here she was letting some human girl take over like some weakling. And what's worst, she's lying about it. Keeping a secret from her family….from him. A low growl rumbled in his chest, his eyes glowing murderously. If there was anything he hated the most, it was being made a fool of. He stared up at the night sky, the moon shining down on his lone figure.
"Lust…." He muttered, teeth grinding together. "Why are you doing this?"
He bend his head, shadows consuming him. "Why did you have to change?"
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" Envy yelled down at Fuhrer Bradley, otherwise known as Wrath. Merely an hour ago, Lust had faced an untimely demise under the scorching flames of Colonel Mustang. Upon hearing this news, both Envy and Gluttony had bombarded the Fuhrer into terminating the Flame Alchemist immediately. However, much to their surprise and dismay, Wrath seemed to have other things in mind for the Colonel. This did nothing to console the seething homunculi. "How can you let that bastard go after what he did!? YOU SHOULD HAVE CUT HIS TONGUE OUT OF HIS MOUTH!"
Behind Envy, Gluttony sat sniffling and beside himself with grief. "Sniff….He killed Lust…oh Lust."
Envy eyed his sobbing sibling, before continuing his tirade. "It's not too late to kill him! So get to it!"
The Fuhrer turned his back to his two comrades, his expression void of emotion as he stated calmly, "We can use Mustang. He's worthless if we kill him however."
Envy blinked, taken aback. "Use him….you mean the portal?"
Bradley chuckled, clearly amused by his statement. "You don't need to worry about it." He said, waving the two off as he made his way out of the lair. "Forget about Mustang. Father wants me to handle it."
"Hey! Where do you think you're going!?" Envy yelled behind him, watching his retreating figure angrily. "Come back here!" Wrath kept on going, not even bothering to look back.
Beside Envy, Gluttony continued to sob. "Sniff…Sniff…What are we going to do now? Lust is gone…and there's nothing we can do." He bought his fat wrists to his face and the tears multiplied. Envy turned to him, the sight of his grieving companion only seeming to piss him off even more.
"Quit your pathetic crying already! It's so pathetic I think I'm going to be sick!" Envy berated the poor homunculus before stomping off into the darkness. Gluttony watched, his beady eyes growing even more subdued as he realized just how alone he was now.
"HOW DARE HE!?" Envy ran through the darken sewage underground tunnels, his stifling rage blinding him to where he was going. All he knew was that he needed to get away. Away from that damn know it all, son-of-a-bitch Wrath before he ripped that ugly fucking mustache from his stupid ass smug face!
"Damn it! How dare he do that to Lust! You dirty piss fucker!" He paused, turn a corner just in time to see a group of chimeras feasting upon the corpses of who knows what. They lifted their heads at the homunculus, giving a warning growl. Envy sneered, teeth bared satanically as his eyes burned with a murderous rage. "Just what I was looking for….a good fight."
The chimeras reared their heads back in alarm as Envy rushed at them, hands transformed into razor sharp claws. Within an instant blood splattered the walls, beast after beast falling under the homunculi's lust for blood. With each swipe, images of Lust's face flashed in his mind. His memories of her training him, of them conversing, and completing missions together. Each one of them bought a stinging pain through his chest that made him want to rip out the throats of Mustang and every human alive.
"Damn those humans! DAMN THEM ALL TO HELL!" Envy snarled, breaking the jaw of his latest opponent and ripping his body clean in half. "I'll get you….just watch….your filthy little lives are mine…" He stood there panting, surrounding by the guts and gore of the now dead pack.
"Having fun aren't we?" An ominous voice rang out from the darkness.
"What the hell do you want?" Envy growled, turning to glare venom at the small young child that stepped out of the shadows.
"Nothing much. Just performing my elder brother duties of checking up on my younger sibling." He sniffed, eyeing the puddle of blood at is feet disdainfully. "You know, these things aren't exactly easy to come by."
"Piss off! Like I give a crap about those things." Envy snapped, turning away moodily.
"I can see…" Pride replied, giving a slight kick to a nearby bone. "Even so, don't you thing picking a fight with beings much weaker than yourself just a tad bit childish, even for you?"
At that Envy turned, his violet gaze livid. "You have no room to talk about things being childish!"
Pride cracked an eyebrow, but otherwise seemed unperturbed by the comment. "Hmph…what's wrong Envy? Trying to bait me into a fight? I'm sorry to disappoint you, but's that's not what I'm here for. Though if I was, you can be sure I would not face the same fate as those chimeras." He finished with a chilling smile.
"Then what do you want?" Envy snapped, irked by the homunculi's presence.
"I already told you. As your sole elder sibling since the unfortunate departure of our dear sister, I find it's my responsibility to make sure all is well in our much smaller family." Pride said, giving a caring smile that only managed to send shivers through Envy.
"Cut the crap Pride!" Envy growled, throwing a hand up. "When have you ever given a crap about any of us!? You're just here to make sure I don't go after Mustang and his crew!"
"I'm hurt you would make such accusations about me." Pride said, putting a hand to his heart in a hurt gesture. "But I can understand where your anger is coming from. It's only natural to feel a sense of remorse after the loss of a loved one. That anger your feeling, that deep unresolved loathing for the injustice of it all. Well that's just a part of life. It's normal to feel that way." A sly smirk split his face, eyes darkening menacingly. "It's only human after all."
Envy stiffened, back turned away. "What did you say?"
"Oh about being human? I just found it sort of humorous. A person who loathes the creatures so much, but seems to display behaviors quite similar to them. Getting the angry over the mere death of a companion. Using that emotion to exhibit actions one would usually have complete control over, even to the degree of disrespecting a figure of authority. Over something so simple as death." He gave a humorless chuckle. "It's pathetic."
To Pride's surprise he saw Envy's back shaking, loud snickering coming from him. "You really think I'm upset about Lust?" He asked quietly. Pride was silent.
"Heheehee…You really think I care that much for that bitch?!" Envy asked, a tight smile stretched across his face as he turned. "Why the hell would I mourn her!? A homunculus who was so weak she couldn't even fight off a mere human!"
"LUST DYING IN THE ARMS OF A HUMAN!" Envy cackled, voice rising in volume as he continued to laugh maniacally. "It's so ironic, it's HIRLARIOUS!" His hands covered his eyes, tears of mirth threatening to escape. He pulled his head back and laughed, the sound of it echoing throughout the tunnels.
He paused, taking a second to catch his breath. A few lingering snickers escaped his mouth before he lifted his head, staring Pride dead in the eye. "It's so funny, it hurts."
Pride remained emotionless, keeping Envy's gaze. "Hmph, well I'm pleased to see this incident did nothing to damper your spirits." He made to turn but paused, one eye still turned in Envy's direction. "I'm impressed actually. Despite her fault, I have to say Lust did train you well."
With that he turned, leaving Envy to stew in his own mess. Laughing long ceased, Envy's arm sat at his side, hands shaking in tight fists as his cold gaze fell on the ground. His reflection stared back at him, illuminated in a puddle of blood.
"I won't be like you Lust. I won't be weak." He whispered determinedly. "I'll never forgive you for that….ever."
Envy shook his head, escaping his musing. He had sworn to forget about Lust. To not let her memory hold him back like those weak humans did. Letting those they love govern over them, making them forget the main purpose of life….to live. Things have changed though. Lust is back, but not the same. Not only had she been defeated by humans, now she was depending on a human body to live. A human body that may still have its human it.
He felt his body shake, anger pulsing through him. No, not for long. He was going to catch that girl. No way was he going to let humans ruin everything again. He wasn't going to let them take Lust again. Not like they did with Greed.
He shook himself, letting those forgotten emotions fall away. He had a mission to accomplish. "Now let's see…if I was Lust where would I go to cool off?"
This was a tough question. Lust had been in so many missions, rubbed shoulders with so many different humans from every walk of life; from the dirt bags of the Central all the way to the upper-class of the Ritz's. "Hmmm…." He hummed thoughtfully, raising a paw to scratch his ear. He sniffed the air, face scrunching up in disgust as he smelled the sweet air of downtown Central. "Gross! It smells like piss and bad choices out here! Guess I'll keep walking." One good thing about traveling in this form was that no one gave you a passing glance.
He spend a few minutes exploring, popping his head into every bar he saw. The night was still young, this section of town starting to get crowded with young people and old men wanting to drink away the dramas of work. Same scene of men getting drunk, woman demoralizing themselves and the usual same guy always puking in the back alley. Nothing new.
"Man she was so hot! You don't see sexy blondes like that everyday!"
Envy paused, ears perked. "Blonde?" He backtracked, stopping at the corner of a fairly decent looking bar. Outside, two younger looking men in their teens stood talking. The one who spoke had an animated expression as he recalled his story, while the other nodded along, taking puffs of his cigarette every few seconds. The scene was normal enough, if it wasn't for the guy talking holding a large ice back to his groin area. Envy slinked closer to investigate.
"I tell you man, I was this close to getting her number!"
"Didn't she whack you in the balls?" His friend answered, clearly not interested.
"Yeah…." The other guy answered, a dreamy look crossing his features. "….she did."
Envy rolled his eyes about to be on his way again.
"Oh Winry! Why did you have to run off!?" The man yelled, rivers of tears running down his face dramatically as his friend patted his back.
"Winry!?" Envy paused, head swiveling back again. "Could it really be her? He did say she was a blonde. If that's the case she has to be close!" With that he continued down the same road, figuring this would be the direction she would have headed after stopping there. He walked a fast pace, ears swiveling for any sound of the Lust or Gluttony's voice.
"Mustang, you feeling okay?"
His paws froze, seething anger rippling through his veins. Getting as low as his body could go, he slinked his way forward coming to the open doors of a dinky looking men's club. Peeking his head in, his violet gaze instantly fell on the hunched figure of Roy Mustang, a huge mug of foaming beer clamped in his hand. The guy looked pathetic, with dark circles casting shadows against his forlorn face. The colonel seemed lost in thought, his eyes dull and unseeing as he gazed down at his drink.
The bartender stood before him, wiping a towel across the counter. When it looked like he wouldn't get an answer out of him he moved away to deal with the other customers.
Envy watched the exchange, his claws unconsciously slipping out and raking the ground. There he was. Mustang. The guy who had started this whole mess to begin with. It was his flames that had scorched through Lust, destroying not only her, but something much deeper. He was the reason, for all this. He was the reason why she was gone... Red hot anger bubbled in his chest and he bit his lips, savoring the sweet taste of blood. He was so close. So close to getting revenge for everything that had happened...
No. He wouldn't disobey orders. Not for her. Slowly he backed away, turning to leave. As if on cue, the Colonel turned in his seat, as if sensing the murderous thoughts driven his way. For a moment, the two gazes met, locked together. Despite himself, Envy felt his hair stand on end, the only thoughts running through his mind were "This was the man who killed Lust."
Slowly he turned his back to the Colonel, making a swift exit. His breath hitched as he ran as fast as he could from the bar, wanting to put as much distance as possible away from him and the Colonel. "Damn it Mustang! Just you wait! Someday you will meet your end!"
Envy continued looking through the red light district for a while, before making his way towards the better part of town. He had heard from a few passing policemen that there had been some sort of commotion down at the park. It was an unlikely place to find Lust, but it was still worth an investigation. He was just about to exit an alleyway when a pair of voices caught his ears, a pair that he thought he would never encounter in person.
"Mommy, can we go back and play with Winry?"
Envy's eyes widened, his fur standing on end as he peeked his head out the alley. There walking hand in hand were Gracia and Elicia, the wife and daughter of Mae Hughes, the officer he had murdered not too long ago. The daughter, Elicia was looking up at her mom expectantly, waiting for an answer. However Gracia seemed distracted; her eyes were downcast and seemed lost in thought, a deep frown shadowing her face. Every few seconds she would glance behind her, as if expecting someone to be following her.
"Mommy?"
"Oh!" Gracia exclaimed, snapping out of her thoughts. "Yes dear?"
"Can we go back to play with Winry?" Elicia repeated the question.
"No….no…not tonight." Gracia answered distractedly, once again glancing behind her. She pulled her daughter along, her pace quickening.
Envy watched the exchange, his mind calculating. It was clear by the mom's mannerisms that something had went down with Winry, a.k.a Lust, that night. Did Lust blow her cover in front of them? Or worse, did she reveal any of their secrets to the military widow? Envy's blood ran cold thinking about how bad that would be for their plans. He had to find out what happened and fast! He raked his claws out, scratching the concrete anxiously. If worst came to worse, he would have to kill these two. But first he had to find out what they knew. Envy stepped out of the alley, sitting on ground and licking his paw cutely.
"Nya Nya!"
Elicia turned her head, her eyes growing wide and sparkly as they fell on the cat behind her. "OH! Mommy! It's a kitty!" She let go of her mom's hand, running to hug the dark stray.
"Elicia wait!" Gracia yelled, panicking as her daughter left her grasp.
Elicia squatted down, pulling the stray close to her. "Aww you're so cute!" Envy rubbed against her chin, purring and further exciting the toddler. She turned to her mom, eyes pleading. "Mommy can we take him home? Please!"
"Alright! That's fine, but let's just go. Mommy wants to get home soon." Gracia agreed hurriedly, grabbing her hand once more.
"Come on Kitty!" Elicia said, indicating for Envy to follow. "You have a new home!"
"Perfect" Envy muttered, smiling slyly as he followed the two. They arrived at the Hughes household ten minutes later, with Elicia flinging the door open in a dramatic fashion.
"WELCOME HOME!" She yelled, running in and flinging herself on the couch. Envy followed more slowly, warily stepping over the threshold. Humans or not, he was still treading into enemy territory. Somewhere he would rather not spend too much time in. Gracia came in last, locking the door behind her. Elicia ran around the moderate, yet cozy apartment, dragging out various toys to show the new member of the family.
"Look! This is Mrs. Bubblegum Sugar Plum Princess Victoria the 3rd! And this is my jigsaw puzzle! And this is my Choo-choo train! Which do you want to play?!" She held the toys out in front of Envy. However his gaze laid elsewhere, following the slender figure across the room.
The devoted housewife was pacing the kitchen in midst of making a cup of tea. She hands shook as she performed the task, something Envy took note of as she sipped her mug. She seemed to be deep in thought, her gaze distant as she stared into space. After a few moments she blinked, just noticing the scrutinizing eyes of the dark cat watching her.
"I'm sorry. You must be hungry." She said, smiling down kindly at Envy. "Elicia, put your toys away. It's past your bed time. After we feed the kitty, both of you will go to bed."
"WHAT!" Both Envy and Elicia exclaimed indignantly.
"No buts. It's been a long night." Gracia said firmly, grabbing a bowl out the cabinet. She went to the fridge, pulling out a bottle of cold milk. "It's not much, but it will have to do for such short notice." She explained, pouring the milk into the bowl and setting it in front of Envy.
Elicia watched, curious. "Milk?"
"That's right, Elicia. Cat's love milk." Gracia explained.
However, Envy wasn't impressed. He stared down at the white liquid, brow twitching. "Milk? But….I hate milk." He sat there, face sullen. Elicia looked up at her mom confused.
"He's not eating?"
"Maybe he'll eat some later?" Her mother suggested patiently.
Elicia pouted, stomping a foot and pointing at the milk. "Listen hear! You need to be a good kitty and eat your milk! If you don't you'll stay small and tiny forever!" Spreading her arms wide to emphasize her point.
"Screw you!" Envy snapped. "You're ten times smaller than me you little brat! Eat this!" Envy pushed his paw against the bowl in an attempt to push it over, but instead, it dipped it towards him, splashing the substance on top of him.
"Meow!" Envy howled, fur dripping.
"Kitty made a mess! Kitty made a mess!" Elicia chanted, giggling to herself. Envy prepared himself to give her the scratch of a lifetime but was stopped as something large and fluffy draped over him.
"There, there… not need to fuss." Gracia hummed, gently rubbing his fur dry with the towel. Envy found himself unable to move, the skin under his fur turning red. The humiliation of this almost too much to bear.
"There. All done." Gracia said, pulling away from more fluffy looking Envy. He shook himself, making his fur lie flat once again. Despite being dry, he felt colder for some reason.
"Kitty Dry! Kitty Dry!" Elicia chanted happily.
"Okay time for bed." Gracia announced, clapping her hands together. Elicia's smile dropped.
"But….."
"Bed." Gracia said, her tone leaving no room for arguments. Elicia pouted, but stomped her way to her room. Gracia followed, shaking her head. Envy stayed behind, mind forming some sort of plan. What should he do now? It's obvious from her the mother's behavior, something had happened tonight. Whether it was due to something Lust did, he couldn't be sure yet. He had to find out what happened, but how? He could transform and threaten the information out of Gracia. But if she really did have information about Winry, she might hide it from him. He knew humans like this. They always cared more about protecting the younger brats more than their own worthless lives. How pathetic. But what if he used the daughter as bait for her to tell the truth...that could be an option.
He frowned, putting his weight on his back legs and crossing his paws. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Revealing his identity to humans, especially ones connected to the military was always a tricky affair. One that had to be treaded carefully. Killing a recent widow could cause suspicion that they really couldn't deal with at the moment. There had to be another way….
"My, don't you look cute."
Envy gasped, over balancing and tumbling on his back. Gracias stood behind him, smiling fondly. She bend down, rubbing his exposed belly. "You're quite unusual aren't you? I've never seen a cat sit like that before."
"Buzz off!" Envy hissed, swiping at her hand and leaving a faint scratch. She pulled back, surprised. Envy rolled and ran under the couch, his violet eyes narrowed to angry slits. Once again, his fur became very hot at her touch, making Envy feel sick and irritable. "Damn woman, can't keep her hands off of me!"
He expected her to be angry. After all, the wound he left her with must have been painful. However, to his surprise, she saw feet approach his hiding place, stopping a few feet away from the couch. Her gently voice reached out to him in the darkness.
"Forgive me, I didn't mean to startle you. I know you must be a scared." She apologized kindly. "You're probably not used to humans." She sat down, tucking her skirt under her as she folded her knees. "I know I must seem really different to you and maybe a little frightening, but we're actually very similar."
Envy's ear twitched, her soft voice and the way she spoke to him like a mother talking to a child was really getting on his nerves. "What kind of idiot talks to their cat like this!?"
"Both of us like having a nice warm home and a family to love us. I'm sure someday you'll start to see that too." She stood up, dusting herself off. "I left the door open. If you would like to crawl in bed with Elicia, I'm sure she'll love that." With that said, she walked to the kitchen, leaving Envy alone.
Ever so slowly he crawled out, making sure Gracia was busy washing some dishes before he made a mad dash to the hallway, where he saw Elicia's open doorway. He ran in a slammed the door, his heart beating ridiculously fast. "Damn woman! Who does she think she is talking to me that way!" He growled, his body shaking slightly. Something about being close to her unnerved him and he didn't like it one bit. "I wonder what I should do now…."
"You can talk!?" An excited voice piped up from under a mountain of covers. Elicia popped her head up, a wide grin splitting her face as she stared down at Envy from her bed. Envy panicked, his front two paws coming up to cover his mouth.
"Crap! The brat was still awake!?" He looked down, eyes narrowed as his extended his claws out. "Looks like I have no choice but to kill her now."
"Are you magical?!" Elicia asked, completely oblivious to the danger she was in as she crawled out of bed.
"Magical?" Envy repeated blinking. A sly grin creeped on to his face as an idea popped into his head. "Looks like I may be able to get information after all."
"Okay kid, you caught me." Envy said, padding out to the small child. "Yes, I am magical. What other reason would I be able to talk?" His Cheshire grin stretched out, hiding his discomfort.
"YAY!" Elicia exclaimed, clapping her small hands together excitedly. "Magical Kitty! Magical Kitty!"
"Right….Now there's somethings I want to ask you…." Envy began.
"Can you grant me a wish!?" Elicia interrupted, eyes shining brightly. Envy blinked, flabbergasted by the unusual request.
"A wish…?"
"Yes! All magical animals make little girls' wishes come true! Daddy said so!" Elicia explained like it was common knowledge.
"Right….." Envy replied, wondering what kind of crack pot parents were teaching these kids these days. Their father may have been tough on them but at least he never made them believe ridiculous stories like that! "Whatever…..sure I'll grant whatever wish you want. BUT!" Envy said, pointed a claw at Elicia. "You first have to answer my questions. Deal?"
"OKAY!" Elicia agreed, smiling brightly. She plopped down from her bed, sitting cross legged across from the small cat. Envy groaned internally, wondering if bargaining with a three year old was a wise choice.
"Okay…" Envy said, clearing his voice. "You went to the park tonight right? Tell me what happened there."
"I had fun!" Elicia answered simply, throwing her hands into the hair. Envy's mouth twitched.
"Can you….be a little bit more specific?"
" Spe...fic?" She repeated, head tilting to the side. Envy fell to his side.
"What….made….the park…..fun!?" Envy asked tersely, mouth stretched into a strained smile.
"Oh….Big Sis Winry was there!"
"Now we're getting somewhere…." Envy muttered, feeling a migraine forming. "What did Winry do?"
"She fought off these really bad men!"
"Bad men?" Envy repeated, head tilting. What other enemies did Lust have?
"Yep! And then she stayed at the park with me and we played tag and played in the sand box and dug holes and did all kinds of fun stuff!"
"Wait, wait, wait….slow down. Did you actually see her fight these bad men? What did they look like?"
"No Mommy said I had to hide. The guys were funny looking. Hmmmm they had flowers and were sparkly!" Elicia answered, face scrunched up cutely as she tried to remember.
"Flowers and sparkly?" The only image Envy could come with was a picture of Lt. Armstrong. Envy shook his head, not wanting to think about that. "What about Winry? Did you see her fight?!
"No…." Elicia replied, clearly disappointed. "Mommy said we had to hide. Once we stopped hearing noises we went to find Big Sis and they were all gone."
"Is that so? And you said she….played with you?"
"Yep! It was fun!"
Envy found it hard to believe that Lust would go near a child willingly, let alone actually play hide and seek with one. That only left the option that Winry was in control at that time. Envy felt his fur rise in irritation. Damn it, if only he had been there sooner! Then wouldn't have to be sitting here interrogating a rugrat!"
"Winry was acting a little funny though." Elicia added, finger tapping her chin thoughtfully.
"Funny? How so?" Envy asked, pulse racing slightly.
Elicia scooted closer, seeming to enjoy gossiping with Envy. "Her voice would change sometimes. Sometimes it would get lower…..uhhh…like mommy's voice almost!"
Envy nodded knowingly. This must be Winry switching to Lust, who naturally had a more womanly voice than the younger teen. He blinked, sensing uneasiness coming from the child. She bit her lip, her small hands kneading the hem of her night gown.
"Come on spill it! I know something else happened!" Envy barked, getting impatient. He had most of the information he needed. Now he just needed to get out of there and find his prey. No more dealing with this baby sitting crap.
The small girl still seemed unsure, her lower lip quivering slightly. Envy growled. "Come on! Talk! Before the cat really catches your tongue!"
"There was this man with Winry…" Elicia began, her voice small. "He kept talking to Big Sis. Talking to her like she was someone else. He called her a weird name. He said…..he said…" At this moment, her cheeks puffed out, eyes bright. "He said Winry wasn't Winry! He was so mean! I don't like him! I don't like him one bit!"
"Elicia? Elicia is that you? Are you awake?!" A voice called out, as footsteps sounded walking up the hallway coming towards the bedroom.
"Mommy!" Elicia yelped, jumping up and hiding under the covers. Envy ran under the bed. A few seconds later, Gracia cracked the bedroom door open, peering in. Seeing the lump under the covers, she sighed in relief, closing the door softly.
Envy pulled himself out and padded softly towards the window. He had heard enough for now.
"Wait! What are you doing?" Elicia called out, jumping up from under the covers.
"What does it look like twerp?! I'm blowing this coop." He jumped up on the window sill.
"No you can't leave!" Elicia cried, crawling to the end of her bed. "You promised you would grant my wish! You promised!"
Envy paused, glancing back at the small girl. Tears swelled at the ends of her eyes pathetically. Envy rolled his eyes. "What would a brat like you wish for anyway?"
"I want..." She paused, looking down shyly. Her small hands squeezed the hem of her night gown tightly. "I want...to see my daddy again."
"Ohhhh...I see." Envy purred, eyes glinting slyly. "And why the hell would you want a dumb thing like that?"
Elicia stared his surprise, her eyes growing wide. "I...I love my daddy. And if he was here...we would happy." She lip trembled slightly as she continued. "Mommy wouldn't cry anymore."
"Man you humans really are pathetic." Envy commented, jumping down and stepping towards the small girl. His footsteps hardly making a sound. "Out of all the things in the world you could wish for, you want that?!" Envy gave a sneering laugh. "Tell me? How exactly are things going to change for you and your precious mommy? You really think things will go back to normal by bringing your daddy back?" He moved his face closed to hers, purple eyes narrowed. "Let me give you a little reality check. It won't."
He pulled back pouncing on one of her teddy bears and started clawing its chest angrily. "Nothing ever stays the same! The people you love will always find a way to hurt you!"
"Please...stop." Elicia begged, tears pouring down her face.
"What you don't like that?! You think I'm wrong?! Let me tell you I bet you would wish your father was DEAD if you knew half the things he's done." Envy growled, creeping up towards Elicia as she backed away in fright. "It's because of your precious daddy that many little girls like you have dads with bullet holes through their skull!"
Elicia halted, her back against the headboard of her bed. She quivered in fright, too scared to make a sound as Envy continued forward, eyes blazing red and drool dripping from his mouth and he continued his crazed rant.
"But no, you're right. I did say I would grant your wish. So how about this, better than bringing your dad back. How about you just join him." As he spoke his body grew. Towering over Elicia who was frozen in petrified fear was her father, grinning down at her wickedly.
"Anyone who yearns for the dead shouldn't be with the living." Her father sneered, his hand reaching out towards her tiny neck.
It was at that moment the small girl found her voice.
"MOMMY!"
"Elicia what's wrong!?" Gracia cried out, flinging the door open. She ran over to the bed where her daughter was sobbing into her knees. She quickly rushed over consoling the small girl. "There...there...what's wrong dear?"
"WAhhh...Daddyy...Wahh..he was in here! But he wasn't daddy...he wasn't daddy." The girl would say no more, continuing to sob into her mother's chest. Gracia patted her head comfortingly.
"It's okay, sweetie. It was just a bad dream." Gracia murmured reassuringly. Slowly the girl's sobs subsided into shallow breathing as the girl drifted off to sleep. Gracia quietly tucked her into bed. She glanced around the room, but saw the cat from earlier nowhere to be seen. She glanced towards the window, where a small breeze was fluttering the curtains. She made to get up, but paused, her daughter's small hand clutching her dress.
"Mommy...the kitty...he talked to me." The girl's voice muttered, half way between reality and dreamland. "He...wanted...Winry..."
Gracia instinctively stiffened at the girl's name. Quickly she crossed over and closed the window. Making sure to lock it tight.
As Envy's retreating figure fell into the shadows of the night, another being was also exploring the shadows of the city. However, Alphonse had a different reason for being out past curfew.
"How about this spot? Anything look familiar?"
The giant suit of armor paused on the outskirts of the deserted train yard. A few yards away he could see the remnants of his earlier skirmish with Scar before Gluttony and Ling had shown up. Water still trickled down from the busted up water tower and black skid marks still scorched the ground. However, Alphonse's attention was focused on the small black and white creature sitting in his palm.
The little panda, otherwise known as Xiao-Mei, gazed around, her little nose sniffing the air in anticipation. After a moment her hung fell sadly, indicating no recognition of this area. Alphonse sighed in disappointment.
Ever since the Lieutenant had dropped him off, Alphonse had walked up and down different alleys and streets trying to find the little panda's home. After the whole fiasco today, Alphonse had decided maybe keeping a pet around wouldn't be sure a good idea. Especially after what happened tonight with his brother. They needed to focus all their energy into figuring out where they should go from here.
Alphonse sighed, dark memories of what conspired between Ed, Winry, and Mustang coursing through his mind. What were they going to do?
"GrowlGrowl?" Xiao-Mei squeaked, looking up at Alphonse worriedly. Alphonse's red orbs shone as he chuckled.
"Oh don't worry about me. I'm not tired one bit. It's just..." His metal plates creaked as he sat down on top of a crate, his helmet looking upwards at the night sky, where stars could be seen even above the city lights. "I'm worried about my brother. With everything that's happened lately, I don't know how things will turn out." An unexpected quiver came to his voice, unmasking the child that still remained in the steel body. "I'm scared. I just don't know what we're going to do! I know brother's probably just as lost as me."
Xiao made a whining sound, scurrying up Alphonse's arm and patting his helmet understandingly.
"I want to believe there is a way to fix all this. To bring back Winry, to help my brother...I just wish I knew how." Alphonse bought his heads up to his face, overcome with this sense of helplessness.
"Grrrrrr!"
"Wha?" Alphonse exclaimed, glancing down at the panda perched on his shoulder hissing and baring her fangs angrily. He stood up quickly, red orbs just noticing movement at the end of the alley. A large shape was moving towards them, hidden by the shadows cast by the buildings on both sides of them. "Who's there?!"
The lumbering footsteps continued towards them, finally emerging into the light. Alphonse gasped, taking a step back in surprise. "Gluttony!?"
Gluttony blinked, seemingly out of sorts, not even noticing the suit of armor standing before him. Wet streaks of tears flowed down his face, casting the look of a sad, lost puppy. He staggered over to Alphonse, head down and nose sniffling as snot dripped down pathetically.
"Lust..." Gluttony whimpered, tripping and falling to the ground.
"Gluttony?" Alphonse asked, his hand reaching up to grab the snarling panda on his shoulder. "What are you doing here?" And why are you alone? Usually Gluttony was always backed up by either Lust or another homunculus. Does that mean this is a trap? Head swiveling, Alphonse took a quick glance around, noticing nothing out of the ordinary. It looked like they were completely alone. What if this was a trick?
"Gluttony! What's going on?! Why are you alone! Answer me!" Alphonse yelled, getting into a defensive stance. He wasn't going to take any chances. Alone or not, Gluttony was still a homunculus and dangerous.
Alphonse's question fell on deaf ears as Gluttony lifted himself up, large tears dripping down his face. The homunculi seemed beside himself, lost in his own misery. "Lust..." Gluttony choked out, tears still streaming down. "Lust is gone."
Alphonse felt the world suddenly tip around him. "...What?"
He had to be lying. It just couldn't be true. If Lust was gone that meant Winry was...No. He couldn't bare think of that. Not now. Not after everything Edward's done! While these thoughts swirled in Alphonse's head, Gluttony continued, speech broken and confused.
"I don't understand...I did everything right. I found Lust a body. She was perfect! Just perfect! So why..." Gluttony faced Alphonse, his hands scratching his head in frustration. "WHY ISN'T SHE MY LUST!? WHY IS LUST NOT LUST! I DON'T UNDERSTAND!"
"Of course it's not going to be the same!" Alphonse shouted, sudden anger pulsating through him. "Look I don't know what happened between you two, but Lust died! You can't just bring someone back from the dead and expect everything to go back to normal! It doesn't work that way!"
Alphonse found his hands shaking. Xiao send him a worried glance, but he took no notice. It seemed like everything bad thing that had happened up to this point was just boiling over, ready to erupt. And it all centered in this one person, this one homunculus that was just sitting there feeling sorry for himself when everyone around him was suffering. It's all his fault!
"Why Gluttony!?" Alphonse yelled, pain and sorrow erupting from his voice. "Why'd you have to do it?! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO TAKE AWAY OUR WINRY!?" His fist punched into the wall, leaving a crack through it. Xiao shrieked, jumping down and scurrying behind a garbage can. The alley was silent.
"Because she was kind to me."
Alphonse stared, his body still shaking with anger. Gluttony looked up at him, large tears swelling as he continued quietly.
"She was kind. When she looked at me, she smiled. It was nice. When I was hungry, she fed me. Gluttony liked her." He sniffled, wiping his nose with the back his hand.
"I know she's kind, but that doesn't mean you should have taken advantage of her like that! Because of what you did she doesn't have a life now!" He shook his head in disgust. "All you did was think about yourself and what you wanted! Why couldn't you have just left Lust dead! It was wrong! You can't just go against nature!
"You did it." Gluttony stated simply. Alphonse's red orbs narrowed.
"Yes I did. And I paid a price for it." Alphonse answered, opening and shutting his hand solemnly. "In the end, the thing we bought back wasn't even our mother."
"I just..." Gluttony paused, looking up at the moon solemnly. "I just wanted to see her smile again."
Alphonse fell silent. Looking down at his hands, he felt all his anger, all his frustration slowly evaporate. How could he stay mad when he had said those exact words before? He had felt that darkness that had crept into their lives when their mother had died. He had remembered that desperation that clung at them to bring her back. To see her smile down at them and tell them how smart they were and how proud she was. And as Gluttony turned to face him, their gazes meeting, Alphonse knew Gluttony understood.
"Gluttony...look I know why you took Winry. But, I still can't agree with it. What you did was wrong. I know it's hard to understand, but equivalent exchange just doesn't work with a soul. There's nothing that can equal up to it." Alphonse explained.
"Lust different. Father gave me Lust's soul." Gluttony argued.
Gave? What did he mean by that? And who exactly was this Father character? Alphonse knew homunculi were artificially created, so the likes of them having a biological father was nonexistent. Could this be the person who created them? But who was he?
"Gluttony... who exactly is your father?"
"Father is Father." Was Gluttony's simple reply. Alphonse sighed, finding the answer very Gluttony like. A sudden growl echoed around the alley, originating from Gluttony's stomach.
"Gluttony hungry. Lust not here to feed me!" Gluttony moaned to himself, looking all the more like a lost soul.
"For a homunculi you really are kind of pathetic." Alphonse joked lightly. It was hard to believe he was the same creature they had fought with earlier that day. Without someone giving him orders, he seemed more like a lost child that a blood thirsty killer.
"You know you never really said what happened between you and Lust. Did you get into a fight?" Alphonse asked curiously. Maybe this information could be helpful to leading them toward her. Gluttony paused from his sniffing of a garbage can.
"Gluttony tried to eat something. But Lust stopped me. She was angry at me, but I don't understand why. It's confusing." Alphonse could make several million guesses on what things Gluttony would eat that would make Lust angry...well at least make Winry mad.
"Maybe for once you should try controlling your hunger." Alphonse suggested. "Try thinking of something else."
"Like what?" Gluttony asked.
"Well..." Alphonse thought hard. It had been awhile since he had actually been hungry. His eyes fell on Xiao Mei peeking her head out cautiously from behind the garbage can. "Oh here!"
Before she could protest, Alphonse had seized the struggling panda and held her out for Gluttony to see. "Isn't she cute?!" Alphonse gushed lovingly as her razor sharp fangs dug into his glove. "Whenever I feel bad, looking at something cute and fluffy always makes me feel better!"
"She looks so good!" Gluttony moaned, drool dripping from his mouth as he gazed at her hungrily.
Xiao's face shone with fear as Gluttony's face came close and she instantly bit down on his nose.
"Ouch!" Gluttony howled, rubbing the top of his nose tenderly. He gave an angry snarl, teeth bared to chop down on her. "That hurt! Me eat you!"
However, Alphonse hand shot out, making him come to a complete stop. "No Gluttony! Stop that!" Alphonse ordered, standing at his full, intimidating height as Xiao Me stuck her tongue out at Gluttony from on top of his shoulder. "You see this is your problem. Food is all you think about. You're so selfish! Here." Alphonse opened up his helmet, pulling something out and handing it to Gluttony. Gluttony looked at the item in his hand curiously.
"What's this?" Gluttony asked, giving it a sniff.
"It's a piece of a biscuit Edward had for lunch." Alphonse explained, sitting down on an upturned crate. He signaled for Gluttony to sit next to him. Once they were settled, Alphonse once again took Xiao from his shoulder. Holding her firmly on his lap, Alphonse held out the treat. "Here girl! Eat up!"
Xiao stopped struggling, looking from Alphonse to the treat in his hand suspiciously. Finally hunger won over and her tiny paws grabbed the treat and stuffed it in her mouth. After a few chews a happy chirping noise escaped her mouth as she munched.
Gluttony watched the exchange, his mind not digesting what just went on. "What you doing?"
"I'm feeding her!" Alphonse explained cheerfully. "See how happy it made her!"
"Food would make me happy."
"Gluttony, you're always taking something. Maybe this one time you should try giving instead of thinking only about your needs. Here try it!" Alphonse said, holding out Xiao.
Gluttony looked at the food in his palm, then at the struggling panda. Slowly his hand reached over, holding out the crumb towards her. Xiao looked from the homunculus to the food warily, not trusting this scenario at all. However, after giving the food a thorough sniff, she decided enemy or not the food was still safe to eat. Gluttony's face beamed as she took the food in her paws and started nibbling it cutely.
"She ate it!" He exclaimed happily.
"Yeah! Good job!" Alphonse praised kindly.
"More! More!" Gluttony begged, jumping up and down like a kid at the petting zoo.
"Okay, okay!" Alphonse said, pulling more food out of his body. "Remember, be gentle."
Gluttony payed him no mind as he held out more food for the little panda, who happily took it. Every time she did, Gluttony would clap his hands excitedly and quickly offer more. That is until Alphonse ran out.
"Sorry." He apologized, rubbing the back of his head. "Since I don't eat anything I don't usually carry a large supply...WAIT GLUTTONY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"
Gluttony had grabbed a large garbage can full of stinky trash and was about to pour the contents on top of poor Xiao, who was waving her paws frantically in protest.
Alphonse quickly tugged it away, much to Gluttony's displeasure. "Me feeding her!"
"She's not like you! She can't eat everything. She can only eat certain types of food." Alphonse explained patiently. "Garbage isn't one of them."
"Ohhh...I see." Whether Gluttony understood or not was up to debate. However, the homunculus still looked proud of himself. He continued to play with Xiao, who reluctantly allowed him to hold her. Alphonse watched the two, a small thought tugging on his mind.
"Are you are having fun?"
"Yeah! Gluttony like feeding cat! Cat likes me!"
The "cat" looked far from liking the homunculus and seemed to only barely deal with his presence. The frown was evident on her face as his chubby finger poked at her cheek.
"Gluttony, I don't understand something." Alphonse said soberly. "You're here being kind and having fun with another living thing, just a like a normal human. And yet, I know the things you've done. I know how blood thirsty and horrible you can be. I've seen it with my own eyes. Why?" Alphonse asked, voice rising higher. "Why do you do those horrible, dreadful crimes? Why can't you just...I don't know...be good?"
Gluttony paused from his play, staring down at his feet. Xiao looked between the two, confused by the sudden tension. For a moment, Alphonse thought Gluttony didn't understand. That is until Gluttony looked up, his expression set purposefully.
"Gluttony does what my family wants. They've always been there for me, helping me since I was born. Gluttony loves them. I would do anything to make them happy." Gluttony explained simply.
"You don't have to listen to your family!" Alphonse argued. "I mean I know they're important but sometimes you have to follow your own path. What do you think is right?"
"What I think?" Gluttony repeated, the words feeling foreign to him.
"That's right. What do you want to do?"
"Gluttony wants to stay with Lust." Gluttony answered quickly. "I...I don't want to be alone."
"Gluttony..." Alphonse knelt down so he could be at eye level with the homunculi. "If you do the right thing you won't be alone. You see, my brother and I used to feel pretty alone in this world too. When our mom died, we didn't really have any other family to turn to. But we were wrong. Every person we met. Every person we helped. They all cared about us and treated us like one of their own. That's the thing. When you help someone..." Alphonse explained, holding out a hand and letting Xiao Mie scurry up it onto his shoulder. "You get something in return. Sometimes it's more than you bargained for." Alphonse said, sharing a smile with the little panda. "Even you and I can become a family."
"If you really want to change, you still can. Even if you have done a lot of bad things, there's a lot of good you can do too. It's never too late. I promise if you do, you won't be alone. You'll have people there." Alphonse held out his hand to Gluttony. "I'll be there."
Gluttony stared at the hand extended before him. Slowly his arm lifted up. Alphonse watched his orbs shining with anticipation. However, to his horror, Gluttony stepped away, backing away from the alchemist.
"Wha?"
"Gluttony don't want to go with you." Gluttony explained sadly. "You...you want to get rid of Lust. You want to make her leave. You want..." He paused, eyes shimmering with unclear emotions. "You want Winry back." He took a deep breath, continuing. "But Gluttony loves Lust. So I can't go with you."
Alphonse felt his heart drop. Though he knew it was a long shot, he had really hoped Gluttony might change. However, knowing the predicament they were in, with both lives of the people they love stuck in a tug of war for existence, Alphonse knew there was not backing down from their position. Though it pained him to admit it, Gluttony was right. They could only stay enemies.
Alphonse sighed sadly, wishing things could be different. "Gluttony I..."
"Envy coming." Gluttony interrupted him, his nose quivering. He turned to Alphonse, his expression unusually somber. "You hide."
"Uhhhh right!" Alphonse replied hurriedly. He grabbed Xiao Mei and ran to a side entrance of the alley. He knelt down, getting himself as far into the shadows as he could.
"Finally! I found you sack of lard!" Alphonse spied a small black cat do a flip down from on top of a building, landing into his human form. Gluttony cowered as Envy marched up to him, bumping him on top of the head with his fist. "Do you have any idea how long I've been searching for you!? This city isn't exactly small you know!"
"Gluttony sorry!" Gluttony apologized, wincing at the sharp jab.
"What are you even doing out here?! I thought you were supposed to be with Lust?!" Envy asked, glancing a look around the alley suspiciously. For a second, Alphonse worried that he would give away his location. But the homunculus remained silent. His attention was focused on his sibling.
"What does Envy want?" Gluttony asked curiously.
"What do you think?! I need your nose!" Envy said, giving his large nose a flick. "I need you to track down Lust."
Why does he want Lust? Aren't they on the same side? Alphonse wondered, feeling uneasy. It seemed Gluttony was having similar concerns.
"Why you want to find Lust?"
"Why?!" Envy repeated, eyes flaming. "Because I don't trust her! That's why! Something fishy is going on and I'm going to catch her in the act!"
"But Lust is our sister!" Gluttony argued.
"Come on! Don't' tell me you haven't noticed? You're the closest one to her! You have to see that Lust isn't the same Lust! What kind of homunculus risks their time protecting some snot nosed kid! No that ain't Lust! I'm telling you, the blonde chick you found taking control right under our nose!"
Gluttony's gaze dropped, his hands falling to his side. Envy smirked coldly. "Guess you see it too then. Come on, let's go!"
Gluttony chanced one quick glance back at Alphonse before him and Envy disappeared into a separate alleyway. Once Alphonse was sure they were gone he stepped out of hiding, Xiao Mei clutching to his helmet. She jumped down, glancing at Alphonse's motionless figure worriedly. Even without words she could see the distress radiating from the suit of armor. Many thoughts swirled through his mind, but the most crucial being that Winry was in trouble.
While two different characters wandered around the city searching for Lust and Winry, a third figure sat drinking, completely oblivious to his connections to their adventures. Roy Mustang, aka the Flame Alchemist, was very well known around Central. Anywhere he went there was sure to be people stopping for a greeting, whether it's soldier he had fought alongside or cute girls he met through the grapevine of his aunt's business. It was because of this, whenever he felt the need to be alone, he would venture out here.
Old Joe's was a bar that had opened nearly sixty years ago. It was old, shabby, small and completely different to the newer, hipper clubs and saloons that had grown alongside the dwelling over the last few years and completely overshadowing its very existence. The place was unpopular, thus Roy enjoyed drinking there. Even if the beer was horrible.
"Here's another cold one, Mustang." The bartender, aka Old Joe, said as the beer was passed to him.
"Thanks." Roy mumbled, eyes barely glancing up from his mug. He took a sip, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. In his palm, Edward's pocket watch sat face up, the dragon engraving mocking him in his drunken state.
"Damn Pipsqueak." He muttered darkly, his knuckles closing over the watch, squeezing the metal roughly. It was because of him that he was here, drinking his life away so he could forget everything. To forget the image of carrying a limp and bloodied girl to Dr. Knox's apartment to recover from an unorthodox amputation. To forget Fullmetal calling him a murderer. To forget the picture of a happy Winry being controlled by a blood thirsty monster he had failed to destroy.
Mustang cursed under his breath, one gloved hand pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. . He couldn't do this. Not now. He had to focus. First things first. He had to find the homunculi and their weakness. Obviously brute force wasn't going to work with them. Even when he had burned Lust to her very core she had still somehow managed to find a new host. But how? Who was the one orchestrating them?
Dark lines etched themselves into the Colonel's features. Thinking about the homunculi opened up a new and even darker pandora's box to deal with... Fuhrer Bradley.
"So the Fuhrer was a homunculus all along." Mustang knew he should be surprised. It was an almost impossible scenario, almost like a dark fantasy. But somehow it made all the pieces fall into place. Why the war started, how the homunculi were able to move around the city, why Maes Hughes...
Roy took a long sip, contemplating.
He must have known, Mustang decided grimly. That's the only explanation for how he could have been killed right there on military property. The reason why he couldn't contact anyone for help. Roy drummed his fingers against the wooden counter, the itch to burn something growing strong. Even with knowing this much, there were still some missing pieces left to solve. What was the government's ultimate goal and, most importantly, what was going to happen to him?
The Colonel wasn't so stupid to believe that there wasn't going to be consequences for today's actions. The homunculus knew the Colonel was connected to the Xing refugees. There was no doubt in Roy's mind that Bradley knew his secret was out. The only question was what his next move would be.
He took another swing, willing the weight of tonight's events to lift from his shoulders. Instead they felt heavier, the pressure crushing him as the events played over and over in his head.
"Rough night, huh?" a voice called out from his side.
"Tell me about it..." It was only when the words left his mouth that Roy's mind computed the owner of the voice. The colonel felt his mouth grow dry, his hands beginning to shake. Slowly, his head turned slightly, scared his eyes would betray him. That it would all be some drunken dream. But no. There he was. Sitting at his side just like old times, his same old goofy smile and glasses was Maes Hughes.
The deceased general grinned, one hand raised in greeting. "Yo Roy! Long time no see!"
"M...mm..Maes?" Roy found himself stuttering, unable to process what was happening. Maes had been dead for months. Murdered in a phone booth and buried. He had been there. He had seen the body, he had seen his wife and child weeping. "This...this...can't be happening...you're dead!?"
"And you're drunk!" Maes replied, giving a rueful wink. "But hey! What's new? Hey bartender! Mind if we have another round?" Roy's eyes only got wider as Joe came to their end of the bar with two mugs of frothy beer. He sat them down and left as if nothing was a miss.
"Oh wow! I haven't had one of these in a while. I wonder if they still taste the same." Hughes took one sip and started coughing, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Yep, still the same taste. Horrible. Some things just don't change do they?" His smile turned quizzical as he noticed Roy's odd expression as he fidgeted with his gloves on his hand. "Uh, Roy? You okay buddy?"
"No I'm not. Seeing apparitions, having hallucinations. This could only be the sign that in my drunken state I've fallen into a deep slumber. The only logical way to jolt myself awake is to do the unthinkable..." He snapped the band of his glove dramatically. "Burn myself alive."
Before he could snap his fingers, Maes jumped up and grabbed is hand, pulling the colonel back to his seat. "Dreaming or not, I don't think burning yourself alive is the best approach!"
"Fine." Roy said, giving in and taking a sip of his beer. "I guess I can sit here and humor with my subconscious state for a bit longer."
"That's the spirit!" Maes exclaimed, patting him on the back. "So what's been happening? Have you proposed yet? Gotten married? Had a baby?"
"It's only been three months!"
"A lot could happen!"
"God even in my hallucinations you're persistent." Roy murmured, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Maes grinned, taking a swig of his drink contently.
"Aww, does this take me back!" Maes commented quietly, while Roy remained silent. "Us sitting here together. Reminds me of the days back in military school. Boy did we hate each other! You really were such the idealistic idiot. Thinking of changing the world someday. What a laugh! Never thought in hell I would ever see eye to eye with someone like you. Strange how the world works isn't it Roy?"
Throughout his montage, Roy had remained silent, gazing never moving away from his drink. "Why are you here Maes?" Roy asked slowly, every syllable sounding strained as he asked the blunt question. "Are you here to haunt me? Torment me on the decisions I've made?"
"Or better yet..." Roy continued, turning his dead panned gaze towards his deceased comrade. "Are you here to tell me who your killer is?"
Maes gave a half humored chuckle, ignoring the haunted look of Roy's features. "Can't a guy just sit back and reminisce on the past with his friend." He swirled the contents of his mug absently. "After all, it's not like I have a future."
"AND WHO'S FAULT IS THAT!?" Roy yelled, slamming his fist on the table angrily. "Who were they!? The homunculi? The Fuhrer! Why did it have to be you! Damn it Hughes! What did you discover that made you their target!?" At this point Roy was frantic, holding his friend up by his shirt color, sweat dripping from his frantic face as he tried to pull answers that deep down he knew he would never find.
His deceased friend stared at the colonel sadly.
"What would you do? What exactly would happen if I told you?"
"I would incinerate them to hell." Roy answered without hesitation.
Maes's gaze looked back at him with a pitying gaze. "Your eyes have always been able to look ahead. It would be a shame for them to be blindsided by the past."
"What do you mean, Hughes?" Roy asked, feeling unnerved. "None of this makes sense. Nothing that's happened has made any sense!" Roy clutched his head miserably. "I don't know what to do. I can't have any more people dying." Flashes of Hughes funeral went through his mind, of Gracias and Elicia sobbing. Of Lan Fan losing her arm. Of Winry's smiling face.
"Hughes...if this is really you, tell me how I can stop the homunculi." Roy looked up, but saw no one there. The bar was deserted. Slowly, Roy moved his hand to his face and felt it wet. Tears rolled down his cheek in a steady stream. With an anguish yell, Roy snapped his fingers, engulfing everything into flames.
"AHHHHH!" Roy screamed, jolting wide awake. He sat up and swirled around. The bar was back to normal. Customers sat sipping their alcoholic drinks quietly to themselves. Roy's hand made his way to his face, which was indeed wet but with sweat this time.
Shaking his head, he quickly paid his tab and made his way out. At this time of the night, the streets were now deserted, with only a few stranglers stumbling back home. It was strange, even with all the alcohol he had drank in the last few hours, the colonel's head felt strangely clear. His dream of Hughes still vivid in his mind.
Shaking his head, he unlocked the door to his apartment and stepped in. Just has he turned to lock it back up, he heard the sound of his phone ringing.
"Who could that be?" Roy muttered, glancing at the clock which read way past midnight. Not a good sign. Quickly he made his way to the wall and picked up the receiver.
"Hello?" There was silenced on the other end. After a few moments, Roy made a move to disconnect only to freeze as a small voice came through.
"Roy? Roy is this you?"
There was no mistaking that voice. With shaking hands, Roy lifted the phone back to his ear.
"Gracia, is everything okay?" Roy asked gently.
"I'm...I'm not sure." Gracia answered quietly. Roy felt an uneasiness rise within him.
"Gracia, what happened?"
There was a pass and an intake of breath on the other end. "Roy...it's about Winry."
Ember Sunblaze: Please! Please! Please! Review!