Aftermath of Sin: This Machine Chapter 4: A World so Hollow, a fullmetal alchemist fanfic

Aftermath of Sin: This Machine

chapter 4: A World so Hollow

The phone rang, it's piercing siren bouncing off the walls of the small flat. Blinds were drawn in one room, light filtering through small cracks, and covers were drawn over a gigantic lump in a rough cot that seemed much too small for the person sleeping in it. To make up for this, there was another cot shoved up next to it, which seemed to be just enough for the person's large height. There was a deep groan from under the covers, which had originally been three sheets but had been sewn together to make one, and a hand three times the size of a normal hand slithered out from the sheets, feeling around for the alarm clock. The hand found it and picked it up, dwarfing it completely, and bleary blue eyes stared at the clock before putting it down again. It wasn't the clock that woke him up...

A little boy ran into the room, arms flailing around, and jumped on his chest. He grunted and looked at the boy who was grinning from ear to ear at him; he was tiny for being nineteen years old. The boy had stick up blonde hair and the same blue eyes as the man still trying to sleep. The boy pulled at the man's blonde hair, still grinning. "C'mon, Scorpio, wake up! We've got a case!"

Scorpio groaned again and picked up the boy with one hand, tucking him resolutely under one arm. The boy whined and flailed some more as Scorpio walked around the room in a daze, picking out a clean white shirt that had been made from two shirts and a suit that had been made in the same way. He pulled on a pair of pants that had been home-made, seeing no other way to get him clothes, then picked a comb off the nightstand and ran it through his hair five times at most before putting it back down and switching the boy to under his other arm. He stooped a little to avoid his head brushing the ceiling and ducked out of the room to the main room where a woman was holding the phone in one hand. She had black hair cut close to her head; a boyish cut, but it still looked nice on her, cute, even... A mischevious smile played on her lips as she switched the reciever of the phone from hand to hand, and Scorpio noted rather distantly that she had on her black heels again, and that black halter top leatheresque dress. He sat himself and the boy down on the couch, the couch groaning under his weight. It was good to sit down, he worried less about punching his head through someone else's floor that way.

"Scorpio, Virgo, we have another case!"

"It's about time too! I wanna help more this time, please, please, please, please, please, please?" Virgo cried, scrabbling around on the couch. Scorpio sighed and put a gigantic hand on Virgo's head and he went silent instantly.

"What kind of case, Libra?" he asked.

"A government case, with a big payoff. We're talking about 10 mil here."

"I kind of figured, but what are we supposed to do?"

"A hunt, Scorpio, a hunt. We're tracking an E-Series escapee, number 566. Also, a K-Series has been seen with him, number 666. Capture of either will be rewarded the full 10 mil. Half of it is up front cost, of course, so we've got 5 mil under our belts, guys."

Scorpio stroked his chin thoughtfully. "666? He's supposedly the top model of the K-Series... he's also property of Lord Windsor Montague. Dealing with the Montagues could be risky, they've proved very protective of what is theirs."

"I know, but we'll be fine. They're wanted for escape, 666 is wanted for being an accomplice, so... we've got a big payoff here! C'mon, what do you say?"

"Whatever you want, Libra." Virgo nodded from under Scorpio's hand, grinning. When Libra put down the phone, he erupted again.

"5 mil? Does this mean we can move out and get a better place, Libra?" Virgo asked, bouncing up and down on the couch. Scorpio waved his fingers in the air and a hologram of a keyboard and screen appeared in front of him. He waved again and the words 'Bank Account- PSIREN Detective Agency', flashed up on the screen. There was a meager 1000 under 'Balance'. Then the screen flashed the letters 'Please Wait, Government Transaction in Progress', and 5,001,000 flashed on the screen under 'Balance'. Scorpio waved his finger and secured the transaction, putting in an encryption, making it impossible to withdraw the deal, then closed his fist, making the hologram disappear.

Virgo watched him longingly. "Wish I could do that..." Scorpio laughed and patted his head gingerly, not wanting to use too much force.

"We all know that you would be withdrawing money for candy, Virgo. Besides, only I can do it without a computer."

"And it's saved us a whole lot of money, too. We just haven't had enough to spend on computers recently," Libra sighed. She picked up a package of papers and flopped onto the couch next to Scorpio. "So, are you up to it?"

"Of course." He lifted Libra onto one shoulder and Virgo clung to the other, posing on his left shoulder, letting his prized kicks fly. "Try not to move so much, will you? It bothers me." Virgo pouted and made a face at him, and Scorpio mimicked him, throwing it back.

Libra settled on his right shoulder, seated comfortably near the crook of his neck, arm resting on the top of his head. "Let's go already. The first place to look is around the immediate area of the Montague Spire."

Oh girl we are the same
We are young and lost and so afraid
There's no cure for the pain
No shelter from the rain
All our prayers seem to fail

In joy and sorrow my home's in your arms
In world so hollow
It is breaking my heart
In joy and sorrow my home's in your amrs
In world so hollow
It is breaking my heart

Oh girl we are the same
We are strong and blessed and so brave
With souls to be saved
And faith regained
All our tears wipe away

In joy and sorrow my home's in your arms
In world so hollow
It is breaking my heart
In joy and sorrow my home's in your arms
In world so hollow
It is breaking my heart

And my home's in your arms
And it is breaking my heart
My home's in your arms
And it is breaking my heart.

The music played as Scorpio waved a finger, and Libraturned to him, eyebrow raised. "Feeling sentimental, Scorpio?" He said nothing, but let the music keep playing. This world did break his heart, every single day. It was a hollow world, one that ran on the toil of the weak, that stole children from their beds and turned them into soulless monsters, to playthings of the devil. He believed strongly that he had to stop it, but he just didn't know how.

In joy and sorrow...