Innocence Of A Homunculus

Chapter Two

"…You must. Please say that you know who I am." Clasping her hands together, she looked at him with hopeful eyes.

"Know you?" Blinking. This certainly caught him off guard.

"Its been a long time, I know that. But I really haven't change too much have I?" At this point she was approaching him, as if she really did know him. Stopping, she blinked. "Did you get shorter?" The one she remembered was the same height as her, though at this point she didn't take into account the ridiculously high heels she was wearing.

"What did you just call me!" Instantly infuriated by her simple comment. "Just who the hell do you think you are anyway! You obviously have something seriously screwed up in your head!" Now just flat out mad, he didn't even care why he chased her out there in the first place. "I have better things to do then mess around with you right now."

Pushing past her as he headed out the random alley way and back towards the train station. He had almost forgotten to pick up Winry.

"He's angry at me…?" Standing there as she watched him turn the corner and out of her sight. "Maybe, its because I've been gone for such a long time…"

"Or maybe it's simply because he is not the one you seek." A familiar voice came from behind her belonging to one known as Envy.

Surprised, she almost jumped. Turning her head as she glanced over her shoulder. "Its you again. Why are you following me?" Now turning herself to face him.

"I'm not following you, Vanity…" He stood toward the end of the alley, his back leaned against the brick wall. "You just so happened to be following the same person I am."

"Edward? You are following him also?"

"Need I repeat myself?" Pushing himself off from the wall, he held one hand behind his back. "But since I have you here…might I entice you just one more time…?" Grinning as he pulled his hand from around his back, in his palm were a collection of small red stones.

"I told you I wasn't interested." She had refused his offer before on a couple other occasions.

Making a face, he grunted under his breath. "You remember that philosopher's stone the little brat was mentioning earlier? Well these…are the very same thing." Stepping up to her as he grabbed her arm and placed them in her hand all but gently. "So just keep that in mind for your next little encounter."

- - -

The next day.

"And I need one of these, about a dozen of those over there and do you have this in quarter sizes?" Winry was like a kid in a candy store when it came to tools and other shiny little objects.

The Elrics both stood back. Al was being oddly quiet as usual and Edward just seemed to be in a completely different world all together.

"Hm…alright. I guess this is it for now." Winry looked over to Edward who had an awkward blank stare. "Ed? You ok? Hello?"

Blinking. "Did you say something just now?" He looked at her a little confused, hoping she wasn't trying to tell him something and realize he wasn't paying attention.

Winry shook her head. "Is something ok? You both seem weirder then usual. You especially Ed. Is there something on your mind?"

"Nothing really, just thinking is all." Of course, he never told her anything. This was a way to keep her safe from his hectic lifestyle.

- - -

At Eastern HQ.

Riza had begun to show signs of her worry for the Colonel. Never being able to be found when needed, not paying attention when being spoken to, and always talking to herself which she excuses for talking to her loyal little pup Hayate.

Sitting at her desk going about her usual paperwork, which was surprisingly starting to back up, she could hear a slight whimpering noise. Leaning back a bit in her chair, she looked under her desk where Hayate was most found. Giving him a certain look, arching a thin brow she figured it must be that time again. "Alright…let's go."

Standing from her chair, the black pup hurried over to her office door and looked up at his master with big puppy eyes.

"We're making this quick, I don't feel like being outside today." Opening the door as she looked to see the Colonel pass by. Surprisingly enough, he seemed normal. More normal then usual with a clean uniform and combed hair. "Colonel, Sir?"

"Yes Lieutenant?" Coming to a stop as he heard her voice.

Now shutting her office door, she walked over beside him with Hayate by her feet. "I thought you said you wouldn't be coming back for a couple more days…"

"I wouldn't get any work done by sitting home…" A weird response coming from him, he then continued on his way but not without a faithful Lieutenant following behind.

"Sir, are you feeling well?" Her voice a bit more concerned then anything else.

There was a grin on his face, hearing her tone. "Why, were you worried about me?"

"That was not my question Sir." Again, Riza doing her best at keeping herself professional in the workplace.

"Then yes. I am feeling a lot better." An utter lie. But not completely. "Your visit really got me to thinking, and seemed to have put me into a better mood. Thank you Lieutenant." And with this his would stop again, so suddenly enough that Riza nearly ran him over but managed to stop in time to not embarrass herself.

"Colonel?" She inquired.

"Knowing that someone cares enough…and is able to see me in the worst of moments without being scared to the point of running away." This time he did not face her, but instead had his hand on the doorknob to his own office. "It really shows your loyalty to me. I appreciate that very much." Afterwards he gave no time for her to give a response and was already in his office.

Unfortunately, there would be no response due to the fact that Hayate really needed to do his…business. Whimpering again as Riza looked down to those puppy eyes. She sighed and walked on down the hallway to take him outside.

- - -

"In all honesty, I think she is a fool." This would be Envy, speaking his mind again as he met with his other two fellow homunculi.

The three off them decided to meet at an abandoned church, a little ways from the main city so that there would be no interruptions. Not only that, but there was word that their latest addition had been hiding out in the same area.

"What exactly qualifies her as a fool…?" Lust, crossing her arms as she walked towards Envy.

"What? Did I strike a nerve?" He teased.

Then there was a fourth voice. "Considering what we are, I'd have to say that would be pretty impossible." It was non other then Greed. "Given she is a woman, so I guess the possible mood swing isn't so out of the ordinary." It was rare that he ever came around, personally he wasn't interested in the stone.

By this time, Lust had turned her back to gaze outside of their current little hideaway. The windows were boarded up but a few had been broken in which allowed beams of light to filter through the darkness.

"And what brings you around Greed…" She would ask, though not actually amused by his appearance.

"Oh?" Greed looked over at her, seeing she wasn't paying attention he snuck in a quick little check out before giving her his response. "Then I guess you don't know?" Fixing his sunglasses as he walked up to them, stepping into the lightened area. "A new homunculus showed herself…it's the first that I've been hearing of it but I'm a little out of the loop as it is so she has probably been running around for some time now."

Envy just scoffed, rolling his eyes as she shook his head. "A year and about 3 months if you want to be exact…"

Lust turned around, her face showed she was questionable. Beside her, as usual, Gluttony who really never had anything to add into these discussions. "How in the world would you know something like that?" Asking in a nearly demanding manner.

"Perhaps he's got himself a little girlfriend?" Greed would tease, smirking at his own comment. "So tell me, is she as cutie or what?" Tipping his sunglasses down as he looked to Envy.

Of course, Envy was not amused. "I know because I was there…" He would cross his arms. "Just south of here is a small town…where I thought I saw that little twit running around. He looked like he was up to something, but it turned out to be a different person. Someone who looked just like him was doing another transmutation. Since I had nothing else to do I sat back and watched this kid dig up a grave and run off with it. Not long after I see the girl. Vanity. Wandering around helpless like some pathetic human."

Lust would then approach him. "And you say this was a year ago? You only mentioned this girl in the past few months, what have you been hiding!"

"I haven't hidden anything!" He was actually getting annoyed. "The girl is useless, all that I've told you is true. She follows Edward around like a lost dog or something. And from what I see she has no interest in the stone at all. She isn't like us…she is just different."