Dimensions
By: Kurama-Sweethart (Moe)
Warning(s): Spoiler for the SERIES AND MANGA. It isn't really based on either one alone, per say- but my own crazy rendition of the two. For example, the timeline is manga formatted- Cornello happened before Nina, and Ed is 15. However, the events that take place are in the anime format, when it comes to dialogue and happenings. Also, Mustang is Colonel as opposed to Major, as shown in the series. Obviously, in the beginning it is set before the death of Maes Hughes. Blah blah, I'm sure you get the idea.
Pairing(s): Assorted pairings- Yaoi and Yuri involved.
Author's Note: This chapter was the hardest to write just because of its content V-v Gag.

Roy Mustang shuffled from the mess hall, mug of the strongest coffee he could get folded between his fingers. He had stayed out way too late with Hughes the night before, talking, laughing like they were kids again. The thought of those days brought mixed feelings to the Colonel: A mixture of longing for his youth and thanks, for the opportunity to relive it once again.

Maybe he should have given up his façade a long time ago. Perhaps he really should find a woman and settle down. It's not like it'd hurt his image any. It would give him someone to come home to each night, which he was going to rely on more and more in as he grew older. He became especially interested in the swirling black in his mug for a moment, steps slower by instinct so as not to run into anything.

Roy had to be brutally honest with himself: He wasn't getting any younger. His best interest would be to pick a woman- any woman, it didn't matter which one- and marry her before he grew too old to be the fancy of anyone. That was just the way things were.

He rounded a corner, nearly running into his Lieutenant, Jean Havoc.

"Oh, um… Hullo Colonel." He greeted cheerfully, saluting.

The Colonel nodded in return, eyes dark and drowsy. "Chipper as always, I see." He mumbled, taking another long swig of his coffee.

"Er… Yes sir." Havoc raised an eyebrow. "Are you feeling all right, sir? You look…" He paused to take a look at the Colonel. "Tired?"

"MmmHmm." Roy answered, sipping from his mug again. "Anyway, did you get those leave papers I asked you for?"

Havoc nodded. "Yes, sir. I sorta thought maybe I could leave after I turned them into you. My train leaves this afternoon, and there's not another one to the north until next week…"

"That's fine, Lieutenant." Mustang answered, taking the slip from him and letting his eyes scan it. "Leave date, return date, name, signature…" He folded it and placed it in his pocket. "I'll be sure to sign it and file it for you. Have fun visiting your parents."

Havoc smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Sir." He saluted and made his way back towards the dorms to collect his things for the train. He couldn't help but smirk triumphantly. The plan was working perfectly.

He didn't know how long he'd been passed out. He couldn't remember anything, in fact, before running that errand for the Colonel. He had been sent down into the basement file room for the papers regarding Armstrong's leave to Xenotime. He was supposed to get them filled out, get Mustang's signature and… file them away. The Major couldn't leave until Roy got the slip signed and approved by the General.

But then… the basement was dark and murky, and he remembered his boots slipping on some water. He caught himself, but lost his cigarette in the process. Swearing, he continued his way down the cabinets, looking for the right paper when-

"Hello, Lieutenant Havoc."

He looked up, squinting into the dim light, trying to find the source of the voice. "Colonel?" He asked.

"What are you doing down here, Havoc?" The Colonel asked. Havoc began to explain that he was getting those papers that Roy himself had asked for not five minutes earlier when he suddenly lunged at him, raising a fist above his head.

And that's when he blacked out.

Envy had looked over the body of the Lieutenant thoughtfully, changing from the Colonel's stiff body to the one of this 'Havoc' he had just rendered unconscious. Shrugging, he picked up the discarded cigarette and put it between his lips.

"Wonderful performance, Envy."

He glanced up, eyes noting the lithe figure of Sloth. "I thought you left." It was more a command than a question.

"Lust sent me here with Gluttony to retrieve the body." She answered slowly, motioning to the short, bulky figure clinging to her dress, lovingly sucking on the tip of a forefinger. "Besides, the Colonel and Lieutenant have only just discovered that Douglas woman's true identity."

It was here Havoc started to come to. "What the…" He looked up at his mirror image, a deranged grin on his own lips. Then at the woman… the Fuhrer's secretary! He pleaded at her. "Where… where am I? Who are you?" He glanced at his look-alike.

"Sloth. Sloth!" Gluttony cooed, tugging on her sleeves. "Can I eat him?"

The homunculus smiled down at him. "Sure." She answered breathlessly.

The short man came at him suddenly; the previous innocence on his face wiped away and all that was replaced was a hungry look in his small, watery eyes.

"What… what are you doing?" Havoc struggled to his feet, backing away towards the door. He was on his feet now, the short figure advancing quickly.

He gaped at his look-alike, who only shrugged, and then at the secretary, who looked away. "This is treason." He growled, pulling a pistol from his belt. He shot three rounds at the bulky creature only inches away. Gluttony looked stunned for a moment, and then pounced.

Envy grimaced. "E-e-ew!" He stepped around Gluttony and the blood now pooling around him, heading towards the door, papers Havoc was sent to retrieve tucked under his arm. "Well, Seeya guys. I hear that the Colonel and Lieutenant wish to have a talk with me after I turn in these." He motioned to the papers. "Something I'm not supposed to tell anyone under any circumstance." The face of normally collected Lieutenant Havoc stretched into an eerie grin. "Tell Lust I'll be along in a few days."

Sloth snorted but said nothing.

"It's about time you returned to us, Envy." Lust said quietly, not even looking up.

The said homunculi grunted, bringing a hand up to rub his neck. "What did you expect? I left this morning. It would take any normal human days to make that trip." He paused. "The subordinate the Flame Colonel sent to retrieve the Elrics is just arriving today- and he left nearly a week ago."

He looked around the room, golden eyes of Lieutenant Havoc noting Sloth was seated in the corner, Lust at the opposite side with Gluttony at her heels. "Do they suspect the absence of that military man?" She asked, motioning to his current bodice.

"I told them he was visiting his parents, who used to live up North. They're dead now, I made sure of that. It'll be at least a month before they realize he's missing." He growled at the stiff military uniform and quickly returned to his normal figure, stubborn hair cascading over bare shoulders.

Lust pulled a hand up under her chin. "Does anyone else know of Sloth's identity?"

"What is this, an interrogation?" He leaned back against the wall, arms folded above his head. "The only ones who know are the Flame Colonel and his little sidekick, and of course they told 'Havoc' to take action if we were to kill them. HA! But they aren't to be worried about. Once Fullmetal boy gets things moving, we can forget all about-"

"No," Lust hissed dangerously. "We are not to leave any tracks. What if those two men decide not to keep our secret? That homunculi were in the military to gain their resources?"

"And besides," Sloth intervened, the first sign of movement since Envy had gotten back. "After we become human they may trace our identities. The military isn't full of idiots, you know."

"I know, I know." Envy cut in, waving a hand to illustrate that he didn't want to hear anymore. "Fine. We'll kill them all. Until then we can just have Wrath keep an eye on them." He snickered at his pun.

There was silence for a long time, until finally Lust spoke again. "We are going to go pay the Elrics a little visit tonight, by the way, Envy." She glanced at Sloth who smiled knowingly. "I thought it'd give you opportunity for some fun."

"Oh?" He asked, opening one eye curiously. "Do tell."

The guilt was like an irritating bug, buzzing in his ear every time he saw Edward. Since their first attempt to open the vortex, there were new possibilities on the horizon. While the vortex had been close to opening and all systems had pointed to 'GO' since then, Ed was convinced there was something missing from their research. There had been that hesitation, he said, he could feel it. Russell then promptly retorted that he had no idea what he was talking about, which would get the Fullmetal into a huff and he'd lock himself in the laboratory. Of course, then he'd emerge gloating about some new idea or another that he thought they should try out on their next vortex-opening-attempt.

Which didn't help the guilt any. Because of the sudden splurge in priorities (research coming first) Russell had yet to really delve into his new feelings for Edward, which he found terribly unfair to both of them. They hadn't spoken of the kiss since the day it had happened. In fact, there was absolutely no proof that there was any romancing going on at either end. Which, Russell thought was a totally unreasonable cause for guilt. But it didn't change the way he felt.

He also thought it totally unfair that he be kept awake by the so-called guilt he was feeling now, which had morphed into a looming feeling in the pit of his stomach. Of course, Russell had given up all claim to religion when he had begun to do the devil's work of tampering dimensions, so he had no way to describe his feeling of foreboding except perhaps a stomach ache from too much research and not enough nutrition or sleep. Maybe it was Satan himself signaling some sort of distress. He didn't linger on the thought.

Thus, there he stood, smack dab in the middle of the hallway and facing the closed door to Edward's bedroom. Russell had to talk to him, and soon, or else he felt he might explode.

He reached out hesitantly to turn the doorknob-

"Where do you think you're going?" Russell tossed his head behind him, taking in the form of his younger brother.

"Fletcher?" He asked into the dim light. "What are you doing up at this hour?"

The younger Tringham smiled, peering up through heavily lidded blue eyes. "I could ask the same of you, Brother."

Russell reached out to ruffle his hair when he felt something sharp against his back. He stiffened, his breath hitching in his throat.

"Yes, what are you doing up so late, dear brother?" Fletcher sneered, in a voice that didn't belong to him. It was deep and cynical. "Going to see the Fullmetal pipsqueak, perhaps?"

The elder refused to move, the blade pressing deeper into his flesh. "Fletcher, what are you doing?" He asked quietly. Whoever this was, it wasn't his brother. And yet he couldn't refuse the impulse to refer to him as such.

"Funny you ask, dear brother." Fletcher snarled. In a slow, lazy flash of light, he had grown taller and his hair fuller and not quite so scruffy- an exact replica of Russell.

There was something eerie about standing there, staring at his own body. Russell quickly calculated his actions, ducking and wincing as the blade caught the flesh of his right shoulder. Dodging a frantic kick from his new duplicate, Russell landed on his feet at the other end of the hallway, hand flying instinctively to his wound. The one that had pursued him from the rear was a rather curvy woman, her fingers outstretched to create scythe-like weapons. His look-alike looked bored and the woman amused.

Before he could react he felt her fingers extend more, piercing his other shoulder and halfway down his abdomen. Blood immediately surged up his throat and pooled on his tongue, bitter and metallic, and he yelped. Maybe someone would hear him.

"The Fullmetal is mine." His duplicate rasped in Russell's own voice. Then he edged along the wall, half obscured by shadows before quickly slipping into Edward's room. Russell didn't have a chance to stop him.

To be continued. Eventually. Gah! I wanted this chapter to have much more content, but MB storage only allows up to 40 per chapter. So wait until CH 10, Requiem dear n.n; Anyway, hopefully I'll finish this arc soon so I can update faster.

I think you know what I want you to do now :) Please and thankyou.