A Familiar Sin
– Chapter 1-
Even though it was mid-day, a blonde-haired figure was busy at work, blood covering his pale arms and face as he continued this on slaughter... so many people dead... it amused the boy... his red eyes glimmering with malice, he moved forward, slitting open the throat of a man, and turning to snap the neck of a nearby woman, laughing cruelly. The voice, and body though... seemed to belong to a boy, no older than 18, his slightly dark blonde hair and blood red eyes contrasting nicely, his completely black outfit making his skin look deathly pale... and that was no exception to the strange, and familiar ouroboros symbol that stood out on his neck... this boy.. resembled in every way, Edward Elric... even though he was said to have been dead for almost a year...
At the same time, Winry Rockbell, 18, and now a refined auto mail mechanic, had stepped off the train and tipped her hat to glance at the sky. She frowned, for the train station was empty. No people, no pets, not even birds singing. It felt just like a ghost town... She shivered and hurried along. Hoping to get to Al before she found out why it was so irregularly quiet.
Meanwhile, with a final smirk, the blonde haired boy easily shot his hand through the neck of a young man, halfway through screaming and tearing his throat out, blood issuing everywhere... the blonde sighed, licking the blood off his fingers, dropping the boy to the ground, though knowing that boy's scream might have alerted any living people nearby to where he was. but the boy, who could be known as 'Ed', grinned. 'Oh well... if there are any living people nearby... that's just one thing better to look forward to' Ed thought with a laugh, walking through the puddles of blood that lay around the blood-soaked, mutilated bodies around him carelessly.
Cringing slightly, she stepped out into the city and froze. Dead bodies everywhere. The blood on the ground literally came up to her ankles. "Oh my god..." She whispered in fear. Gripping her bag, her breathing sped up and she began to silently panic, wondering what in hell could have happened here.
Ed stopped in his tracks at hearing Winry's steps through the vast puddles of blood, and he smirked for a moment, before, kicking out of his way, a little girl, who, somehow still being half-alive, cried out in pain, making Ed laugh cruelly, and he bent down and picked her up and stared up at her in confusion, as he didn't understand what pain was to them... he just dealt it out...
Winry paled as she saw the blond figure heave the girl up. She couldn't stop herself from screaming out, in an attempt to save the little girl. "What are you doing! Put her down you psycho! She hasn't done anything to you!" She slapped a hand over her mouth, regretting alerting him to her presence.
He blinked, hearing the girl's voice through the silence, and dropping the small girl as if she were a small rag doll. His eyes then narrowed, and in a split second, ran up so he stood right a few feet away from her, glaring at her. "What do ya know... people still are alive around here..." he sighed."You know... it was pretty stupid... what you did... i just dont get humans..." he frowned, glancing back at the unconscious girl behind him before looking boredly back at Winry.
Winry froze, and her breath caught and she dropped her bag into the blood. "Ed...Edward!" Her body shook very hard and she had to fight to keep her knees from buckling.
'Ed' tilted his head to the side for a moment before grabbing her wrist very tightly and bringing her closer to him, anger apparent on his features. His grip tightening to an almost bone-breaking hold, he sighed. "Don't call me that!" he spat angrily, his crimson-colored eyes narrowing icily. "And with that... don't act like you know me" he added darkly in an undertone.
Winry frowned, and narrowed her eyes in pain and let out a gasp. She placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed slightly. Against her better judgment she place said hand on his cheek and looked into his red eyes. "What's happened to you? I thought you were dead..." Her eyes widen slightly at him telling her she didn't know him. "Ed, it's me, Winry. Don't you remember? We're best friends..."
He frowned as her hand touched his cheek, and at her words, his eyes widened a little, and in confusion, he abruptly sighed, and then simply backhanded her, letting her go as he did so. "Best friends my ass... I've barely even met you... so stop acting like we're pals... "He said angrily, glaring at her.
She placed a hand in the blood to stop herself from falling into it. Her face full of shock and pain. A tear ran down her cheek. She whispered his name and whimpered slightly. Ed had become the thing he hated most.
He paused a little in thought, staring at her in contempt for a moment, before a frown crossed his features. "What's your problem now? You seem 'upset. Not that I care… the only thing that matters to me, is causing a massacre...and seeing the lives of so many humans come to an end." he said, amusement in his tone, looking down at her, her words previously said, running through his head.
"How could you do this?" Winry shouted as she shakily stood up, barely having even fallen down moments before. 'II hate to admit it.. but..it's definitely Edward…' she thought. 'He looks exactly the same as before... except the eyes.' She thought again with a grimace as she looked him over briefly.
He looked from her to the bloody massacre around them and back to her, a cold look on his features. "well... I want to... humans all deserve to die... they're just filth to me... I don't care for their lives..." he said simply, taking a few steps from her and kicking away the dead body of a young child, no older than 5, that was covered in blood and gruesome cuts...
Winry's eyes glared at him in rage. "Aren't you the one who used to say no one had the choice to choose anyone's deaths!" she shouted as she took a step towards him. "You had no right to kill any of them!"
He smiled cruelly in amusement at her words, and an icy laugh escaped him, his red eyes looking back at her sharply. "Yes... I did... they were in my way... and one even commented on my height... foolish human thought I would care about that sort of thing.." he said with a hearty, amused laugh, looking around at all the bloodshed. "Why shouldn't I kill you humans? you're just vermin... infecting this earth... like a disease..." he added shortly, an edge to his voice as he spoke.
"You have no right!" she shouted in rage as she walked up to stand straight in front of Ed. Winry glared at him for a few moments then raised her hand and slapped Ed across the face.
He raised an amused eyebrow at her words and the rage that emanated from her, though the amusement all disappeared all but in a flash, as he felt her hand connect with his face, turning his head a little with the impact, a red hand mark clearly visible on his cheek, mild shock on his face. He looked back at her before grabbing her by the throat and lifting her the slightest bit off the ground, fury evident in his features. "Don't ever do that again..." he ground out angrily in a low voice.
Winry looked down at Ed as she began to try to pry his hands from her neck, anger, sadness and pain in her expression and being... "Why should I listen to you?" she said in a defiant tone as she looked down with definite fury.
"Because..." he said with a dark glare. "one, you piss me off again and I'll wring your neck, and secondly, humans like you have no right to touch me" he spat, throwing her to the ground and taking a few steps away from her, muttering under his breath.
After she had fallen to the ground, Winry laid there for a few moments before she sat up and stared at Ed. "What happened to you?" she asked coldly. "You used to be good. What happened to you? When did you get back?" she questioned as she stood up, her legs very shaky and feeling like they might give out any second.
He turned to look at her, and for a second, a curious look was on his face, making him look almost like the old Edward Elric for a split second before he frowned. "None of your business..." he said simply."Though... if you must know... some strange little brat calling himself my 'brother' would know... but don't bother asking..." he put on an amused smile. " the poor boy's lost his voice box..." he laughed heartily at this, finding it so amusing... in so many ways.
Winry's sapphire-blue eyes widened at the last statement. "What did you do to Al?" she shouted, even more outraged then before. "Where is he and what the hell did you do to him!" she said as she took a few steps towards Ed. "If he's hurt I swear I'll..." she trailed off.
Sighing a little, he looked back at her, smiling a little. "Don't worry. I never did anything too bad to him... the brat was in enough pain as it was..." he sighed again. "he was trying to bring someone back... and the gate must have taken his voice box for doing something so stupid..." he finished with an amused tone
"Where is he" winry said softly and she looked at Ed with an eased look, but still with worry and anger attached
"Probably somewhere in town... I wouldn't know... and frankly... I could care less... the boy was incredibly irritating... calling me 'brother' all the time..." he said sharply with a frown. "I really had no clue what he meant..."
"You're just as blind as when you were before" Winry said as she ran off deeper into town, looking around searching for Al or what might be Al
He raised en eyebrow for a moment at her words, as he then watched her run off, a smirk coming across his features. Not too far from where Winry and Ed were, was Al, stumbling out from one of the more tattered, beaten up buildings, a hand on his throat, blood staining his skin and the top part of his shirt, his long, golden-brown hair still in it's ponytail, his clothes a mess, not really fully aware of what had just happened here in central. his only focus was on Ed... or what he thought was Ed, anyway... he had to find him... he closed his eyes and rested just outside the building, sighing, even though no sound came out as a result of his missing voice box
Winry ran for about five minutes before crossing by a building with a familiar young man leaning against it. Blood covering most the top half of him made her eyes widen as she ran over to him "Al!" she shouted as she ran up to see the poor boy
Al's eyes opened tiredly at seeing her, and he smiled and made to say hello, when he stopped, remembering he didn't have a voice anymore, and he looked down in hurt, moving away from the wall a bit, his hand that was on his throat, rubbing it a little, as it hurt a lot to breathe as it was.
"Al what's the matter?" Winry asked in worry as she noticed the no response from him except a few small movements. "What happened? Whys Ed, or what ever that is, killing people?" she questioned as she looked down at Al, fear mixing in with worry as she looked back at the demolished, blood stained city
He cringed at her words, especially as she mentioned Ed, and after a moment, he moved forwards, clapping his hands and lightly touching her arm. Of course, what he'd just done, had made it so now she could hear what he was thinking... he could speak to her this way... it was the only way he could... 'I'm... sorry Winry... this is all my fault... I tried to bring Ed back... and I failed somewhat... and lost my voice box as you can see...' he paused in his thoughts for a moment. 'And about... Ed... I don't know why he's killing people... it must be part of... being a homunculus... he just told me he had a taste for blood, after I revived him, and than ran off...' Al shifted slightly, looking away from Winry at the bloodied city with a guilty look.
"Al..." Winry said softly as she looked at him. "It's not your fault" Winry said as she pulled Al into a soft hug, trying not to hurt him but knew he needed some comfort after all that happened. "What do we do?" she asked
He relaxed briefly at her hug, but still a bit tense, remembering all about Ed and how he'd have to deal with him... 'I... I don't know... but I don't want to lose Brother again... we have to do something about him... and make sure he doesn't kill anymore people...' he thought with a silent sigh, feeling tears threatening to fall from his eyes at the thought of Ed, his brother, and what had become of him.
"Al... I don't think there are anymore people for him to kill. At least not here" Winry said in a sad tone as she let go of Al, tears rushing down her cheeks. "Except for us" Winry said in fear as she looked down. "But... would he really do that?" she asked, fearing what the answer might be but also hoping for the other
Seeing the tears running down her cheeks, and at hearing her words, he winced a little and looked down for a moment, clenching his hands into fists tightly, tears running down his cheeks as well, and dripping onto the pavement. 'I don't know... he hasn't killed either of us yet... but it's too early to start saying he won't get bored and come after us later...' He shifted and looked up, wiping tears from off his face, a shaky, yet hurt look on his features
"He could have earlier" Winry said in remorse. "He had me pinned, his hand around my throat, he could have killed me then. He could have killed you before too, couldn't he?" she said as she looked at Al. "I'm afraid of this but he might just be toying with us" Winry said as she looked back down with a pained look
He cringed at her words and nodded a little. 'Could be... but... who knows? What if he isn't? What if there's some shred of my brother really there? That's stopping him from killing us...' a slightly hopeful look crossed his features at this, as he did, in a way think that was a good possibility.
That's when Winry remembered Ed's eyes. "That's right..." she started and looked at Al with a smile."His eyes. They turned gold at one point, just like Ed's. But then they went back to that awful shade of crimson" Winry finished as her smiled disappeared.
At her brief words a slightly hopeful look crossed his features and as he made to reply to that, he was abruptly cut off. "Hmmm... so... is that what you think of my eye color? It's awful? and here I thought I was on to something..." the voice belonged to Ed, who stood only a mere few feet from them, leaning against a lamppost, his dark, blood red eyes filled with amusement as he stared at the two
Winry's eyes widened as she turned around to see the oh so casual Ed standing not to far away "Damn it" she muttered as she backed up a little bit so she was against the wall like Al.
Ed laughed in amusement as he watched her, looking between the two slowly. "You act like you're not happy to see me... and here I thought we were friends..." he said with an amused tone, taking a few steps towards the two of them. Al's eyes narrowed and he took a step forwards, so he was a little bit from the wall. 'Just leave us Alone, Ed...' he thought with a frown, and Ed stopped mid-step, as part of his new powers, was that he had telepathy and could hear other people's thoughts. So hearing Al, he sighed a little. "tsk.. what's the fun in that... you two are the only people alive here... aren't you? where else am I supposed to get my kicks, hmm?" he asked, as Al looked down, cringing, a hurt look on his face.
"Well there would be people if you hadn't killed them!" Winry burst out as the fear in her eyes was replaced with rage once again. "These people did nothing to you but you killed them!" she shouted as she looked down and her tone softened. "Just leave us be."
He rolled his eyes and simply looked bored at her words. "Fine... but I'm sure, as you are aware, I can easily go off somewhere else and kill off another town or city... doesn't really bother me that much" he said with a cruel smile, looking at the blood that was on his hands and parts of his arms with amusement. 'No! don't you dare leave and kill anyone else, Edward... you've done enough as it is!' Al thought angrily, taking a few steps forward, hurt in his eyes, but all Ed did, was move forwards in response and grab Al by the throat, holding him up a little above the ground, Al coughing silently, the pain in his throat getting unbearable, his hands trying to get Ed to release him. "tsk... brats like you don't have any right to tell me what I can and can't do..." Ed said icily, a frown set into his features, his eyes never leaving the boy he now held.
"Al!" Winry shouted as she ran up to Ed. "Let him go!" she demanded as she glared at Ed. "What do you want? Ill give you anything if you just let him go!" Winry shouted as her eyes began to burn with new tears once again
Ed smirked amusedly up at Al before looking over at Winry with mild interest. "Really now? you care that much for this boy's life that you'd give me anything, hmm?" he asked lightly, while Al shot her a fearful look, trying to pry Ed's hands off his throat, tears forming in his hazel eyes. 'Winry, don't! He could kill you!' he thought frantically, struggling against Ed futilely, trying to get loose.
"Al its ok..." Winry said softly. "Just let him go. I'll do anything" she said as she looked Ed straight in the eye, determination to keep Al unharmed very clear.
Ed watched her for a moment in thought, before he sighed boredly and let Al go, who, after barely keeping his balance, stumbled back, coughing and rubbing his throat, a fearful look on his face. Ed smiled for a moment, before moving to walk past her. "You're lucky I can't say no to such a pretty face" he said with a smirk, grabbing her hand lightly, though flinching as an image flashed through his mind, and his eyes flashing gold briefly, he let her hand go as if it had been scorching hot. "Come on... you said you'll do anything... so come on... you're going to come with me..." he said after a moment or two
Winry looked worriedly at Al but then gave a surprised look to Ed, at seeing him so quickly in a time span of a few seconds, take her hand and then let it go
before she could do anything she gasped as Ed grabbed her hand, letting go seconds later. "Um...ok" she said as she followed behind Ed, a confused look on her face as she wondered what had happened moments ago
Clenching his hands into light fists, he watched her for a moment, a hurt look on his face. 'Be careful Winry... and don't let Ed leave the city... I... I think I may be able to get the real Ed back...' he thought with a smile, hoping she heard him.'and if not that, I might be able to stop him...'
Already too lost in thought, he didn't hear Al's thoughts, this once, a frown set into his features. 'I... damn that woman... every time I touch her, this happens... why?' Ed thought, looking down at his hand for a moment before glancing at Winry, a pressing question coming to mind. "Your name is.. Winry, right?" he asked after a moment, that name having come up in the brief memory that had flashed across his mind at touching her hand, as before, when Al had said it, it didn't make sense.. but now... that he paid attention... it bothered him... as her name wouldn't leave his mind... for an odd reason that almost sort of pissed him off.
Winry nodded to Al then continued walking. Soon Ed looked to her and she simply nodded to the question. "Why?" she asked with a quizzical expression as she looked at Ed. "And where are we going?"
He sighed and rolled his eyes at her question. "No reason... I just was curious, that's all... nothing more..." he paused briefly and frowned at her words. "None of your business... geez... do you humans have to ask so many damned questions all the time?" he asked irritably, looking back to where they were going with a frown set into her features.
Winry huffed as she looked at Ed with an equally irritated look on her features. "Well sorry. I'm just a little curious" she said repeating his words
For a brief second, an anger mark appeared on his head and he glared back at her. "and that's one of the things I hate about humans... not enough patience, and they're too nosy and 'curious'" he said mockingly, though, unknowingly, his voice seemed to have lost its hardness and cruelness, sounding just like the old Ed completely for a second or two.
"Well sorry" Winry said sarcastically as she stopped and placed her hands on her hips, glaring at Ed. "It's just natural. Nothing to hate." she huffed again
Stopping in mid-step, he looked back at her boredly for a moment or two before turning to face her. "natural for you, maybe..." he sighed. "but to me, it's just irritating... I just don't get humans and their stupid emotions" he added with a small frown
"Neither do I" said a voice as a figure stepped out of the shadows and up to Ed. "Hello, Edward" the woman said as she smirked at the young man
Ed's crimson-colored eyes narrowed, his eyes never leaving the woman, something about her just... untrusting. "I.. I don't know who the hell you are... but stop calling me that... I don't even know who this 'Edward' is..." he spat, taking a small step towards her, slight anger apparent in his tone and expression. It somehow did bother him every time someone called him that name, but yet not ever wanting to say it ever belonged to him...
"Oh don't say you forgot me, Edward. Well just for old times, I'm Dante" the women said extending a hand for a friendly shake. "And that's.. nothing but trash" she said pointing towards Winry. "So why don't you be a good little boy and kill her?"
For a second or two, he thought about reaching his hand out, and he started to, before just shooting her a dark look, and quickly he extended his hand out to shake hers, that glare still in place as he did so and he seemed to freeze slightly when she mentioned killing Winry, and as his gaze turned to her, his blonde hair moved to the side, just enough to reveal the red Ourobouros symbol on his neck. "Don't call me a little boy... and... why should I kill her? why should I do it just because you asked?" he asked darkly, removing his hand from hers coolly.
Dante gave the blonde-haired homunculus an irritated look before losing it and smiling at him softly. "Oh no its because just like you've been saying, she's a human, nothing more then trash" Dante said as she looked at Winry who continued to say nothing but just stand and look at the two.
End Ch. 1 – Ch. 2 coming soon
((A/N: This is one of my first sin stories… so I hope it's good. Reviews are appreciated… I need to know if I'm doing any good in keeping the characters somewhat in character.. I've just been outta sorts lately.. so that's might be why there might be a few imperfections. But anyway… if people give me reviews I'll put the second chapter up)