Each individual chapter will have a different rating, different pairings, different spoilers, and a different setting and timeline. Multiple people were involved in writing this fic, I do not claim to have written anything other than my own characters. I do however claim to have come up with the plot, story idea, and organizing it all. The others who write characters in this fic are well aware that I am posting it, and contribute willingly. This fic is an ongoing project with an unknown number of parts, with alternate storyline as of the fifth laboratory incident. Enjoy!
Of Rank, Reversion, and Rage
Rating: PG-13/R (Language, violence..stuff...)
Pairings: What's the main pairing in this fic? It's all of them in general. No sexual activity, just angst. Okay I lied. There's public molestation, not in the sexual way. It's Envy. What can I say?
Disclaimer: I don't own FMA.
Spoilers: Oh hell I don't know anymore!
Setting: Central City HQ/Urban district
Timeline: Roy, Ed, and Havoc arrive in Central from Geriko.
Fuhrer Bradley smirked to himself. He hadn't really expected the courier to get the nerve to deliver such a missive to Mustang and his motley, but loyal, crew. But there it was, and Mustang was coming to a courtmartial.
He had to admit, though, that he was curious to see what Havoc had turned out like. He had always possessed a special soft spot for chimerae. Perhaps because they were just as maligned as homunculi. Or maybe even more – the normal populace knew about chimerae.
Colonel Mustang, neatly pressed, pristine uniform, plastered on mask, and one gigantic bundle of pissed-and-not-showing-it, saluted instantly as he was shown into the man's office. "Sir, you requested to see me, sir." He remained stiff at attention until given the order to relax, pointedly avoiding Bradley's one-eyed gaze for a point just a little to his left.
Edward, being the insubordinate sonofabitch he was, slouched in after Mustang, flopping himself onto a nice plush couch and propping his feet up on the table. Certainly, it wasn't the Colonel's office, but it didn't really matter to him.
Bradley's eyebrows rose, and an amused grin tugged at his mouth. "Well, I suppose your little misadventure hasn't left you in too much disrepair."
Havoc snuck in, trying to remain merged with the background. Bradley acknowledged his wish to remain silent and turned his attention to Mustang. "I assume you know why you're here right now."
Roy, still at attention, hid perfectly the rising urge to crisp Bradley. "Yes, sir..."
"You are allowed to sit down," Pride said mildly. "You may want to in a minute anyway. I have an offer to make you."
"Yes, sir." Mustang took a seat across from Fullmetal. "An offer, sir?" He tried his best not to sound appalled by the thought of blackmail, because surely, that's what it was going to be.
Ed fidgeted slightly, blond veil of bangs hiding his two-toned eyes from sight.
Bradley sighed, the slightest hint of impatience in the sound. "Yes, an offer, yes, it amounts to blackmail, but in this instance, our interests coincide.
"You want Ashton Fawkes dead. And so do I. Preferably in a very, very graphic and bloody manner."
Roy narrowed his eyes this time, fists clenched. "Permission to speak freely about the subject at hand, sir."
Bradley waved an impatient hand. "Mustang, you and I both know we're off the record here. Cut this formality. You're running out of time."
"Just what do you know about Fawkes, and the group known as Predator..." Roy eyed Ed's silent form and clenched fists for a moment before continuing.
"You placed one of them on my staff, ordered Havoc back here before the transmutation had cycled fully, and I'm pretty sure you damn well knew what would happen if he were to undergo Clarity in Central! You ordered him to the front line in negotiations, you're responsible for the deaths of all of those men, you used us all and lied to your country, and now you expect me to help you!"
Unruffled, Bradley tilted his head back. "No," he said simply. "I don't expect you to help me at all. I expect you to do what in the best interests of the country and your own best interests."
From the corner, Havoc's low voice said, "Mustang, hear him out. He may know something we don't. I'm willing to trust him."
Unclenching his fists slowly, Roy forced himself back into trained indifference. "I still want to know just why you can't use your friends to take care of them, after all, Homunculi don't die, right?" It was a stab in the dark, Mustang didn't know for sure, but this would confirm or deny any and all suspicions.
"No, we can't. Those things have us drawn up on short leashes. I'm sure you know what happened to my comrade Greed. Sloth and Wrath are also in danger, if not already bound.
"I admit, I made an error. A very grievious one." His one eye met Mustang's squarely. "I don't expect you to believe me on this one, but I did not order Lieutenant Havoc back to Central. I wanted him kept there with Lisa, but Falsehood somehow trumped me.
"But you must kill Fawkes soon, for the sake of Fullmetal. If that monster kills one of the Sins, then he may revert into a true homunculus to take his or her place."
Edward nearly choked on his own spit, doubling over and falling off the couch gasping for breath.
One violet eye and one gold speckled with violet glared heatedly at Bradley, fists clenched. So he knew did he? What didn't that damn one-eyed freak know!
Roy's eyes narrowed as well, still locked with the single eye of the man he hated almost as much as he now did Fawkes. A little voice in the back of his head, though, kept nagging at him that the term 'Wrath' would have suited Edward's previous actions perfectly, and that made him almost sick to his stomach.
"Falsehood? I'm assuming that's one of these... abominations? It would be nice if we could have their names and descriptions in order to be prepared..." Mustang ran his fingers through his hair, a bit of a stressed gesture.
"If he's after you or us, the quickest way to end this would be to keep your friends and ours in close proximity so they'll come... Unless you have some method of contact with them..." Standing, Roy stepped around the table to help Edward back up onto the couch, rubbing his back soothingly. As much as he hated to admit it, Fullmetal right now was the one trump card Bradley had to play to get him to play right into his hands. "Do they know about Ed and Jean..."
Bradley decided impulsively to let the name slip go. While it could have been amusing as hell to watch his rival (yes, rival) squirm, now wasn't the time for it. "I'm not sure if they know about Lieutenant Havoc," he said, putting a barely perceptible emphasis on the surname, "but I'm quite sure they know about Fullmetal. After all, who doesn't know?
"I'm sure the Lieutenant is currently in even more danger than I am," he continued. "Deceit is a very thorough and vindictive character – he will not be pleased to learn that such an annoying little thorn managed to survive."
Havoc murmured something unintelligable, and Bradley's eye twinkled. "I quite agree. Therefore, I'm sending just the three of you into the viper's den. A surprise attack, all the more potent because of its foolhardy nature and exceptional fighters."
"Deceit now too you say? Why don't you give us the plan after you give us the information, I take it that these creatures are named after their personality quirks like you and your kind?" Roy's eyes focused on the Fuhrer again.
"How many of them are there, what are their names, what do they look like, what can they do. We need this information in order to fight them..."
Bradley full-out grinned this time. "Certainly, General.
"I don't know many of the Abominations – I've only really come in contact with Fawkes, known coloquially as Deceit, Falsehood, and Slaughter.
"Fawkes himself is a maniac with designs upon alchemists and the country as a whole. I don't know what he plans to do, but I intend to stop him before he hurts me and mine." His eye hardened into a flinty look. "Despite what you may say, I do care for my country and people. If you want a description, I'm sure Havoc could give it to you. He's an excellent marksman with small arms.
"Falsehood was that woman that I put into your office. She was also the one that terminated Stanton and Hughes, both of which I would gladly wring her neck for. If I needed Hughes dead, I would have rather had my agents do it. She's part black mamba, and as a result is more deadly than the chimera known as Martel.
"Slaughter... is Slaughter. He used to be a professor at the University – I believe, Mustang, that you had him for your Theory of Philosphy and Religion class. He's crossed with an ox or bison or something. He's even more bloodthirsty than Fawkes if possible, and enjoys killing for the hell of it. I reccomend either crisping him or allowing Havoc to take him out."
Mustang did a double take. "Professor Lindblum! Gods..."
He'd completely missed the fact that the man had called him 'General'.
Ed, who'd been silent since he'd entered the room, finally spoke up.
"Philosophy and religion... You homunculi are the Seven Deadly Sins from some ancient and long discarded tome they used to call the Old and New Testaments... Envy, Pride, Greed, Lust, Sloth, Wrath, Gluttony..." He stood and began to pace across the room.
"Falsehood, Slaughter, Deceit... They seem to follow some similar pattern... Religion... They're abominations..." the ponytailed blond stopped suddenly. "There's seven of them, aren't there? The Seven Abominations Unto the Lord..."
Counting off on his fingers, he recited what he'd remembered from the texts, religious or no, he'd read them for their information.
"A proud look... A lying tongue, that's Deceit... Hands that shed innocent blood, Slaughter... An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations... Feet that be swift in running to mischief... A false witness that speaketh lies, Falsehood... And he that soweth discord among brethren..."
"The religion you want is Christianity," Havoc remarked. " 'By Faith ye shall be saved...' But none of this theology will actually kill them. Unless they're like the antiquated werewolves and vampires where you can only kill them by blessed silver or water. Even then, it's going to be a moot point. Christianity hasn't survived in any recognizable form except for the Ishbarite religion. Even then, it's more Moslim than anything else."
Bradley frowned. "That is a viable line of thought, but I doubt that it will do any good. These things are normal. Or at least as normal as a wild chimera can be."
"Normal is pretty damn subjective here," Havoc retorted.
"Well sorry! I was just trying to figure out the rest of them since you apparently can't give us their names!" Ed fumed, violet threatening to take over his remaining gold eye.
Bradley leaned back, waiting for the inevitable explosion. Havoc, knowing full well what could (and would) happen, slid over to where Ed was.
"Calm down," he murmured. "Otherwise you're not getting your birthday present."
Fists still clenched, Ed stalked back over to the couch, flopping back down again and crossing his arms over his chest indignantly.
"Whatever..."
"Look there's obviously nothing to be done about this but go along with you, so you might as well just tell us where to go so we can just get this over with.." Roy sighed heavily, leaning forward on his crossed hands.
"Good boy," Havoc purred, grinning.
Bradley watched the ongoings interestedly. Apparently there were dynamics between those two that even he hadn't noticed. He cleared his throat. "They'd probably be in Ishbar," he said. "I'm not quite sure, however."
His eye met Havoc's. "Captain, there is something that should be given to you."
"Sir?"
Roy's left eye twitched slightly when Havoc purred, noticing Ed's shiver only due to the fact they were sharing the couch.
"Jean Havoc, your new set of tags have come in today..."
Havoc's face crumpled into a complicated frown. "Sir, I already have..."
Bradley pulled out a box. "I know that, Captain. These are a bit... different. If you accept these... you'll be under my personal protection and you will answer to no one except me."
Havoc's eyes narrowed. "You're asking me to whore myself out?"
"Sometimes one has to do distasteful things to accomplish a goal."
"... I'll take them."
Roy instantly lifted his head, eyes focusing on Jean in half-confusion, fighting to win over anger and hurt. He felt his stomach twist into knots for a minute and just what that agreement entailed.
He wanted to kill Bradley more than ever now... Goddamn bastard...
Havoc regarded the nondescript box with something like a sinking feeling in his gut. With a sigh, he opened it.
Three tags – name, rank, company on one. The other, his number. The third... the Führer's personal seal. He ran a thumb over the embossed dragon, then lifted the chain and dropped it over his head.
Goodnight, sweet prince, he thought bitterly.
Hands clenched tightly, almost hard enough to cause sparks to leap from the ignition cloth gloves, and Roy pointedly avoided looking at Havoc, Bradley, or even Ed for that matter.
"Your new uniform is on your desk," Bradley said briskly. "Since you're in Special Operations now, you ought to wear the uniform. Dismissed."
Havoc nodded glumly, saluted, and left.
Roy was worried about Ed's current level of silence, it never meant anything good. Instinct proved right when not a moment after Jean had left the room Fullmetal was pushing himself to his feet.
Mustang caught his arm just in time before he lashed out, grip firm on the smaller wrist. "Don't be an idiot!" he hissed, pulling Ed back into his arms and refusing to let go despite the boy's protests.
Bradley just gazed with that damnable smug, knowing calm. Positively goading...
"What's the matter, Fullmetal?" he asked sweetly. Too sweetly.
"You're the problem you goddamn sick fuck!" Ed growled, struggling in Roy's grip. "Let me the fuck go Mustang!"
Both eyes shone pure violet in rage, though the pupils seemed to remain normal for the time being, it still wasn't a good sign. "I said let me go you bastard!"
Bradley just grinned.
"LET ME GO!" Ed managed to slip his automail free from Roy's grasp, elbow slamming back into the older man's chest and throwing him off. The second he was free he'd lunged at Bradley over the man's desk, teeth bared and eyes wild with an untamed pure rage.
Gasping for air, Roy went down on one knee, mentally cursing himself for not keeping a better hold on the boy and at the same time for Fullmetal being so damn volatile in the first place.
He tried to get back up but stopped short when he heard an audible cracking protest from his ribs, sinking back to the ground to take short, shallow breaths.
This was bad...
Bradley was still smiling even after he smoothly vacated his chair, drew a long, shining blade, and held the razor-sharp edge right over the back of Ed's neck. "Now, now," he admonished the alchemist. "Look at what you did. You hurt Mustang." He pressed the edge a fraction closer.
Roy managed to choke out a sentence, one hand clutching his side while the other rose, poised to snap. "Hurt him... and I swear to god I'll kill you..."
"So you're willing to kill for Fullmetal, but not Havoc? I'll have to tell him about that..." A wolfish grin sparked back to the injured man. "Besides, Mustang, you can't kill me."
Ed flipped back over Bradley's head, coming down behind him with the chain of his silver watch pulled tight across the man's throat. Slightly pointed teeth sneered over the man's shoulder and a too cold voice left the blond's mouth.
"Maybe he can't... but I'd be willing to bet I can..."
Roy coughed and spat up a small spot of blood on the Fuhrer's carpet. "Don't get me wrong... I get word that... you so much as-" he was interrupted by a strong wave of stabbing pain, "lay a hand on Jean..."
"You're too overprotective of a fully rational being," Bradley said, ignoring the chain. "Havoc is capable of making his own choices. Are you going to strip him of his last hold on humanity?"
"I should just... let Fawkes kill you..."
"Then your beloved Jean also dies, and this mockery of a human being will become me. It's your choice, Mustang."
"How dare you call him a mockery when you yourself are worse off..."
Roy watched with a pain even stronger than the sharp stabbing of broken ribs. He watched unable to do a goddamn thing, and he hated it.
"At least I have control, Mustang..."
"That's because you don't have a stupid fucking human soul trying to split your fucking head in two every waking second, Pride!"
The blond dropped the watch, hoisting himself up on Bradley's shoulders to perch there. "You have any idea how much of a fucking headache that kid is!"
"I can only imagine," Pride said wryly. "If he gave me trouble, it must be a nightmare inside.
"You are...?"
"Well I'm not Edward Elric I know that much! And a damn good thing too!" The blond cracked his neck a bit, doing a cartwheeling flip back onto the Fuhrer's desk.
Pride rubbed his temple. "Well, you certainly have spunk. And a foul mouth, even worse than Envy's. Blasphemy, perhaps? One of the most common and virulent sins, even now."
Roy tried once again to get to his feet, once more failing and biting back a yelp of pain at the jarring sensation of falling back to his knees.
Fuck... Jean had been able to drag Ed back to the surface, he hadn't... and now there was nothing he could do but watch, onyx eyes recording each and every movement, everything that was so blatantly not Edward...
Ignoring the injured man's feeble attempts, the blond seemed almost calm compared to the other day when he'd nearly killed both Mustang and Havoc alike, and then that Delgardie as well. "Maybe. You really pissed the kid off though for me to get out without him even so much as blinking, last time he totally passed out!"
"M'm. I believe it's because I now have total control over someone the boy cares deeply about. Hatred is a powerful motivator for some things."
"You mean that pointy-eared animal? The one I almost killed? Damn that asshole, don't know what he did back there but it was not pleasant getting thrown back at that goddamn gate without any warning at all!" The blond reached up to his cheek to feel that the scratches were still there. "Feh..."
"H'm. Then Elric and Havoc must have a deeper connection than what I had first assumed."
There was a brief flash of gold in slit-pupiled eyes, but it was gone in an instant. "Fuck... obviously..."
"Language," Pride said mildly. "And what do you mean, 'obviously'? Is there something that I somehow missed?"
The blond snorted a reply. "Well duh, you don't have his voice in your head, nor do you have to see through his one eye!"
Pride's patience thinned. He tugged on the long golden hair. "Do you mind divulging this secret of yours?"
The boy swatted Pride's hand away and stretched out a bit. "What's in it for me if I do?" Violet eyes idly noted that Mustang had passed out from the pain. He had to give it to the kid, Edward did have a fair amount of strength for a human. The blond just grinned crookedly at one eye, waiting for an answer.
Pride chuckled. "I like you, child. What would you want?"
"Can you get this goddamn brat out of my head for starters?"
"Unfortunately, that isn't possible for us. We have to live with what we're given, and apparently, schitzophrenia is your curse. Anything else?"
The blond thought for a few moments, as a decidedly wicked grin split his lips to show the sharp points of his teeth.
Slitted eyes narrowed slightly as well, he propped his head on one hand. "How about the beast and the flame..."
"Agreed. But you'll have to keep the chimera in one piece, child. Now. What is this secret of yours?"
"That Mustang guy is out of the loop, he's the only one who's had to live through it all without anything serious happening to him..." The blond gestured vaguely at the prone form. "The Fullmetal kid was probably having wet dreams about the guy long before he even knew it, and yet Flame got both of them secondhand. Something happened between those two that I can't even begin to figure out, they've both been through hell and back, fighting with each other every step of the way and yet still they're bound closer than this kid was with his brother! It's unbelievable, how pathetic they are and yet one fucking look can pull him back or send him off so I can play!"
Pride leaned back against his desk, arms folded and nibbling at a thumbnail. "Resonation. A stupid little story that I thought was a myth. How very odd... bizarre how a relatively normal human can have such power over another, stronger human."
"Like I said, normal is pretty damn subjective here," Havoc's voice said lazily from the door. He leaned casually against the doorjamb, arms folded. "Hullo, you nasty little ass."
Grin curled back onto young lips, pulling them back to show sharp teeth again. "Pleasure to see you too, mangy old dog!"
"Cat," Havoc corrected languidly, an equally feral grin on his own lips. "Mangy housecat is the insult you're looking for. Or have you forgotten the basic differences between cats and dogs?"
"Still a dog of the military, so why does it matter? My what an interspecies relationship you're having!" The boy slid off the desk, nudging Mustang with the toe of his boot before shoving him over onto his side and out of the way.
He ignored the pained whimpering. "Feel like going another round, you snivelling wretch of an animal?"
An eyebrow cocked infuriatingly. "Are you trying to insult me?"
"I'm simply stating the truth, mongrel..."
"M'm. Honesty is always such a virtue in children. I'm glad to see that you still possess it to some degree. And while we're on the topic of honestly, I'm not a dog. I'm a cat. Feline. Spelled f-e-l-i-n-e. Look it up in an encyclopedia."
"You're a confused, pitiful little lapdog either way, so it doesn't really matter to me what you are other than somebody's bitch." The boy took a seat on the arm of the couch, still smirking.
Havoc smiled sweetly, entirely unruffled.
"I'm not going to be so willing to let you drag him back again you know... I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you..." Violet eyes looked over Havoc's form rather boredly. "I can see why he liked you though..."
"I'm sure you can," he murmured, still smilling.
The boy glanced up for a moment. "You might want to do something about him though... before he internally bleeds out and dies..."
"He'll be fine," Havoc said calmly. "There are things that can be done with an Albedo that can't be done with the Red Stone." He eyed the homunculus cooly. "I didn't know you cared."
"He's more useful alive than dead, and easily manipulated by this body..." One leg crossed over the other as he leaned back against the arm of the couch still.
"Please. He's not that weak. Still, I'll just collect him and be on my way." But Havoc leaned still, blue-green eyes studying the homunculus' face with something like regret.
Violet eyes narrowed slightly, grin still present but soon exchanged for a mock frown of disappointment. "Not going to rise to the challenge? I thought I'd get a little more fun out of you, fiesty a tom as you are..."
"Quit patronizing me, Ed," Havoc said coldly. Then his voice returned to his typical tone. "All I wanted to do was come by and say happy birthday."
"Well you're talking to the wrong person then, Edward Elric isn't here right now, scruffy."
"I noticed." Blue-green cat eyes lidded halfway, disguising completely the swirl of pure green. "I suppose you're not going to be having your birthday for another... what? Six, seven months? Something like that anyway."
"I really could care less what you're trying to get at, but I thought you might like to know it's not getting you anywhere at all."
"I thought you would have recognized right now that I'm not trying to get at anything. I don't care anymore. He's gone. So what? We'll all be gone sooner or later, including you."
The blond shook his head, closing his eyes and running his fingers through his hair in order to hide the flashes of gold and the slightly pained expression when something screamed in the back of his head. "Then take that human and get the fuck out of my sight.."
"Your wish, my command." He padded forward silently, bending down to gently check Roy's pulse.
That time the boy couldn't quite hide the sudden convulsions. "Shut the fuck up and leave you fucking idiot! I don't want to see your goddamn fucking face!"
Havoc was up in an instant, his hands around Ed's shoulders. "What happened Ed...? Are you okay!"
The boy growled, snarled, did anything but open his eyes and refused to look. "Get... your grimy... fucking... paws... off me... don't fucking... touch me..."
Havoc's voice was gentle. "I have the right to be worried, don't I, Ed?"
Another convulsion snapped through the small frame. "I'm... not... Ed...!"
"I don't know... it'll be okay... I promise..."
The boy tried not to do anything, tried not to even breathe because that scent was right there and that stupid kid kept pounding his skull and dammit he knew that Pride was back there feeling rather smug about it all! "Get... OUT..."
Havoc enfolded the writhing youth in his arms. "I don't want to lose you again..."
The ponytailed blond suddenly went rigid for a moment in Havoc's arms. "J... J.. Jean..."
He could feel tears running down his cheeks, but then something screamed and faded away and Ed had to throw his arms around Havoc's neck and cling to ease down the overwhelmingly sudden sense of vertigo.
Havoc nuzzled Ed's ear. "Shh... it's okay, I'm here for you... I won't let go this time..."
Gloved hands, flesh and automail, clutched the back of Havoc's shirt as Ed buried his face in the crook of the older man's neck.
"It was so cold..."
"It'll be okay... you're here now, it'll be warmer... I'm here to protect you."
"Don't... wanna go back there again... hurts... 'm'sorry Jean..." By now Ed was just mumbling against Havoc's neck, lulled into a half-sleep by the smell of smoke and the strong but gentle arms that held him.
"Shh... you won't have to..." He dropped an affectionate kiss on top of the boy's gold hair, a thumb running down his spine easing away the worst of the tension. "If you can calm down a little, I'll get you home so you can shower, eat, and take a long nap. How does that sound?"
Ed managed a mumbled reply, nodding slightly against Jean's shoulder.
"Good kid." Havoc lifted green eyes to the obviously amused Bradley. "Request permission to get the hell out of here?"
"Granted. What do you want me to do about Mustang?"
"Medics are outside. Just tell them to get in here and take him up to the Ward. He'll be fine. I'm more worried about Ed."
He eased the boy out of the room and down the hall, keeping a firm arm around him to make sure he didn't fall.
Despite being half-asleep, Ed still managed to hang on, and for once, he wasn't complaining about being carried.
"Are you feeling all right?" Havoc asked in a low voice. "Do you want a bath or dinner first?"
The ponytailed blond simply nuzzled his head against Havoc's neck, mumbling incoherently.
"If you feel that way about it, I'll just warm up some milk for you," he teased. "I'm sure that my charwoman can get me some unskimmed milk for you..."
Edward tensed and growled, biting Havoc's neck in disapproval, since it was within reach.
Havoc grinned and nuzzled Ed's ear. "Relax, Ed. You know perfectly well that I'm not being serious." His apartment complex loomed over them, red brick somber in the clouding day. "Do you think you can stand on your own two feet long enough to let me open the door and get into my apartment?"
Ed nodded again, but made no move otherwise.
"Here kitty kitty kitty..."
One emerald green eye and one pure white gazed down from the rooftop at the two blonds, blood red hair blown slightly from the breeze as a similarly colored tail waved slowly behind the form all too easily recognizable now as Ashton Fawkes.
Havoc froze dead. "Ed... I'm going to put you down now, then go rip someone's throat out. I advise you to run like crazy. Understand?"
The blond boy looked up wearily, but nodded nonetheless. "Nn..."
A smirk curled Ashton's lips, fangs glinting slightly.
Havoc set Ed down. "What do you want, Fawkes? Come back to finish the job? Or did Bradley come running like a good dog to your beck and call to tell you about what happened and you lost your temper and want to take it out on me."
"I just want to talk is all, really... I'm surprised you made it back alive..." The feline crouched and lept down from the rooftop, landing a few feet in front of Havoc. "Let's just say I'm intrigued... oh... and don't try anything stupid now, I don't really think it needs to be mentioned how easy a target that boy is right now, from any distance..."
"I wasn't planning to try anything 'stupid'. If this is going to be just a talk, I'm sure you know the rules of immunty. Or not..." He dug out his keys and tossed them to Ed. "Here kid. Let yourself into my apartment. Room 3A."
"I can't be sure really... stupid has a completely different meaning in your case..." Red tail swaying, Fawkes approached Havoc, one good eye scanning the tall blond head to toe. One clawed hand reached up to drag the blunt end of nails lightly across Havoc's cheek. "Indeed a fine specimen you are..."
The half-dazed blond barely managed to catch the keys with his automail hand and get to his feet, wandering past the other two towards Havoc's apartment.
Havoc's eye twitched in disgust. "Of course, you're just as charming as ever. I hope you clean your claws on a regular basis..."
"And I hope you clean that mouth of yours on a regular basis, or does the boy do that for you?" Fawkes stepped around behind Havoc, one eye scrutinizing. "Magnificent... Even more alluring than you were back then, so how does it feel now to be one of us?"
"I'm sure you know exactly how I feel. What do you want from me?" The skin on his back between his shoulderblades crawled.
Fawkes grinned, tips of his claws on both hands tracing the seams down Havoc's sleeves. "First I want you to relax... I'm not going to hurt you..."
"Like that's supposed to make me feel any more relaxed," Havoc retorted. "What do you want from me?"
"Are you on repeat or something, kid? You think saying it over and over'll make me go away?"
"So I'm being nosey. You don't have to treat it like a sin."
There was a crackling light from behind Havoc and a pair of arms wrapped around his waist, dress shirt sleeves pushed up almost to the elbow. A disturbingly familiar voice was purred into Havoc's ear. "I want you, Jean..."
Panic instincts kicked in brutally. Havoc's arm drove back with punishing force, slamming into the thing's solar plexus. He whirled, laying open "Roy's" cheek with his claws.
"You know... that really stings..." The gouges on the doppleganger's face slowly closed back up as he got to his feet, spitting out a bit of blood. "And here I said I wasn't going to hurt you... what a way to pay that back..."
Havoc backed away slowly, feeling like his mind was about ready to snap. He ran slap into a wall, eyes wide and panicky.
"What's wrong...?" Attitudes shifted as 'Roy' walked towards Havoc, arms held out in a trusting manner. "It's okay.."
"This isn't real... it's a dream, I'm asleep in a hospital somewhere, and this is just a nightmare..." Havoc sank to his knees, holding his head. His already tenuous sanity threatened to break.
Pale hands were placed on Havoc's shoulders, dark eyes looking with concern as the man knelt before him. "It'll be okay, I promise..."
"No... go away, you're not real... whatever the hell you are, quit trying to fuck with my mind!"
"Jean, snap out of it!" The doppleganger shook Havoc's shoulders. "Snap the fuck out of it!"
"Fuck... off!" His fist punched out, hitting off-center and breaking the doppleganger's cheekbone.
The doppleganger spat out blood, wincing in an imitation of extreme pain. Feigning difficulty to speak, he lifted his head. "I... don't want... to fight you... Jean..."
"You're not right! You don't smell like Roy, you don't feel like Roy, you're not him! Go away and let me alone!"
Bones cracked back into place and the doppleganger stood, wicked smirk splitting across his face as a crackling light washed over his body.
The thin, lithe form now stood before Havoc, slitted violet eyes laughing down at him framed by a wild cascade of forest green hair. "No less than expected from the new fuzzy boy, good, good!"
"I'm glad someone's happy," Havoc spat weakly. He was still trying to hold the shards of his sanity together; he didn't care what happened as long as he stayed in control.
In a split second Envy was on top of Havoc, pinning him to the ground and straddling his waist. "We've actually met before, you just weren't aware of it at the time..."
Havoc growled, latching onto the homunculus' bicep with his teeth. He bit hard and tore.
"You're even more vicious a furball than Deceit aren't you? I suppose a few sedative measures are in order..." With that, Envy drove his knee hard into Havoc's gut, uninjured hand gripping the blond's throat and holding his head back so he couldn't use his teeth.
The other arm soon healed, and the homunculus grabbed both of Havoc's wrists, this time flipping him over onto his stomach and keeping both arms behind his back.
Havoc hissed dizzily, writhing in a meager attempt to free himself. Hands strained against their captor.
"Doubt you've ever been in this kind of position before, hm?" Envy grinned like a maniac, form shifting over Havoc until cold automail now held his wrists and a blond ponytail fell over the chimera's shoulder.
A warm tongue traced the shell of Havoc's ear even as the flesh hand slid down his back and over the curve of his ass. "Even though you know it's a lie... it's still his face... his voice..."
"No!" Havoc snarled, fighting him like a rabid animal. "Let me go, you goddamn freak!"
"Look who's talking, Jean... you're just as much a freak as I am..." Two fingers rubbed lightly at the base of Havoc's spine. "I could kill you so easily..."
His body bucked at the sensation, even as his rational mind screamed its horror and disgust. Needle-sharp teeth clenched, then opened in challenge. "If it's so easy, then just kill me!"
Ed's voice purred in Havoc's ear as the rubbing continued. "Pride wouldn't be very happy if I did that now would he..." One knee acted as a wedge to part Havoc's thighs, slowly applying pressure to his groin. "And what fun would it be if you were dead?"
A soft, whimpered moan wormed its way out of Havoc's throat. He managed to get a leg up underneath himself somehow, and kicked back with all the strength he could muster, connecting with something. Hopefully something that would cause pain.
Shortly thereafter Envy's heel slammed against the backs of Havoc's knees, rewarded with several loud cracks. "You're just making this harder on yourself... I didn't want to have to hurt you..." though the voice was still Edward's.
Havoc's entire body seemed to contract, folding in on itself protectively.
"Why me?" he hissed. "Are you so fucking messed up that inhuman freaks turn you on?"
"You do realize that you're talking about yourself too... after all, what is he?" That tongue was back, tracing wet paths along Havoc's neck. "It's more fun when they've got a little fight in them..."
"At least I understand him," he retorted, testing the grip on his wrists. Lean muscle bunched as he slowly forced his wrists apart.
"It's not like you're going to be able to walk you know..." Feeling resistance, Envy tightened his grip again, twisting Havoc's wrists painfully. "How's this then... you entertain me now, and I won't have to go after the little midget for fun anymore..."
Something inside Havoc's chest froze solid. "What did you do to Ed?" he snarled.
"The look on his face was priceless when I told him it was me and not his beloved Colonel... sad that he'd fall for the same trick three times..." Envy smirked to himself. "You can't hurt me... You can't walk... You might as well give up..."
Something snapped. Red-hot rage bubbled up behind Havoc's eyes and he began to struggle like a possessed thing.
One coordinated motion with both hands holding Havoc's wrists dislocated the man's shoulders as Envy stood, one foot digging into the small of Havoc's back. "You're stubborn... I like that..."
Havoc finally screamed, going limp and dry sobbing into the concrete. "Damn you," he finally hissed weakly.
Long, thin fingers dug into the mess of Havoc's hair, pulling his head up to meet his eyes, violet to whatever the hell color the chimera's were at the moment. "I know..."
Nearly incoherent with agony and rage, Havoc glared back.
Stupid ass! he berated himself. You should have just swallowed your fucking pride and dealt with it!
"You're a pretty mess... but Pride would probably get angry if I broke you too much."
Envy released Havoc, using a foot to roll the man over onto his back again. "I suppose I should fetch the Fullmetal shorty for you then, what a motley crew you three are, all broken and helpless at the same time, how sad..."
Havoc's eyelids fluttered at the pain of relocation. He lay still, trying to regain his breath, sanity, and composure.
"Oh.. I could do so much more to you right now, but I think I'll let the real Fawkes have a go at you, after all he did have a sick little eye on you..." Envy turned and walked off with that, form shifting into a nondescript, low ranking officer.
That Havoc could have lived without. Senses dulled by exhaustion, pain, and just an informational overload, his conciousness bordered on non-existant.
It wasn't long before a disoriented but now fully conscious Edward came running, nearly tripping over his own feet going down the stairs only to come skidding to a stop on the landing. He was immediately at Havoc's side, careful not to move him as he gently cupped the older man's cheek with his human hand. "Jean? Jean you're gonna be okay, god what happened who did this to you!"
At the familiar voice, Havoc dragged himself laboriously back from the edge. A lopsided grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Bet I'm one hell of a sight for sore eyes," he said wryly, voice hoarse. "I'll be fine, kiddo. Just think of it as some cosmic balance punishing me because I didn't take good enough care of you." His shut eyes tightened in a massive bolt of pain from his legs.
Ed scoffed at that. "If you weren't hurt I'd kick you... Stay still will you, you're just going to hurt yourself more... I'll phone the med ward..."
"Nice to see you can still take a joke," Havoc retorted. "Call the civilian hospital, though."
"Why the civilian hospital? Wouldn't that just raise questions?"
"No. I have a friend in the trauma ward, and I can trust her to keep her mouth shut. I did a favor for her once. " He bit his lip at another bolt of pain. "Look, kid, I'll answer your questions later, just get me there."
"GET you there! How the hell am I supposed to do that! I can CALL them, THEY can come get you, I'm not moving you. Now stay put!" Ed got up and continued to rant under his breath as he walked off towards Havoc's apartment to call the hospital.
Havoc chuckled breathlessly at the kid's retreating back. Guess I hit a nerve somewhere, he thought dryly.
Please review, constructive criticism and questions appreciated, flames will be deflected back at you by Roy. n.n;
