Zilo: You're back?
Chizi: Wrong punctuation.
Zilo: Oh, sorry. You're back!
Chizi: Forgive us for the lateness! And thanks for sticking it out while we juggled this with our human responsibilities, everyone!
Zilo: Ew! It sounds like you mean we were going to the can a lot...
Chizi: Uh, NO?
Zilo: Anyway, here's the next chapter!
Chizi: Get your mind out of the toilet, Z-chan.
Zilo: (sticks out tongue)

Disclaimer: The both of us love animals and don't think it's cool to choke the life out of them. Envy's actions don't reflect our own ideas!

5: A Step In The Right Direction

It was now a staring contest. Roy itched to fry Envy again, but with him standing behind Edward, it was too dangerous to the currently very confused and agitated 16-year-old. Roy still had his fingers poised, in case an opportunity presented itself.

"This is a waste of time," Envy suddenly said, still smirking. "As much as I'd love to have you and your comrades lying in your own pools of blood, I have things to do."

"You aren't going to take Edward, if you manage to escape," Roy snapped.

Envy laughed. "Do you honestly think he'd stay with you, the colonel who's been manipulating him since he was twelve?"

"I have not been manipulating him," Roy ground out.

"Then what do you call it? Tennis?" Envy sneered.

Roy's eyes narrowed as he glanced at Edward, who still had his eyes closed and his ears covered. But he could sense that the boy was listening. "Edward is not a tool. Edward is my friend. He may have gotten under my skin several times, but I still respect him and what's been trying to do for his brother," Roy angrily said, meaning every word.

"Oh, please, Flame," Envy said. "No friend would put a child into the military and then use him to run around, cleaning up messes and thwarting evil. Do you honestly expect anyone to believe that you don't enjoy the pipsqueak having all his fame, since it can be credited to you, his superior?"

Roy hated the Homunculus. If he said no, then he would be lying, if he were honest. In some ways he did appreciate that Edward's good reputation added to his own, but that wasn't why he liked having the foulmouthed alchemist around.

Envy's eyes narrowed and brows raised at the same time, as if daring the colonel to dispute it.

What do I say? Should I lie and hope I can convince him? Or should I be honest?

"You don't care, do you?"

Roy blinked at Edward, who now had his eyes open, and his fists balled at his sides. "You're just using me because I make you look good."

Damn it all!

"That's not true!"

Roy turned at the new voice and saw that Riza was back. She had not only Alphonse, but Winry Rockbell in tow. A smart move.

Alphonse had made the proclamation, but now Winry was speaking. She looked ready to cry soon. "Edward, you can't believe what that Homunculus is telling you! He's trying to mess you up! You've got to believe the colonel!"

Roy turned back to Edward to see how he reacted to that statement, but the reaction from both Edward and the bastard behind him completely shocked Roy.

Edward was staring at Winry, his fists now trembling. His eyes were wide, as if she were a ghost. Behind him, Envy looked seriously pissed as he glared at Winry.

"W-Winry..." Edward said, his voice missing a lot of the anger it had held when he had talked to everyone else.

Riza and Roy exchanged a glance, and Riza nudged Winry. "Keep talking to him," she said in a low voice.

Winry seemed to have no problem with that. "Edward, we're all your friends. You've got to believe me. None of us want to hurt you, no matter what that--that--" Here she pointed a finger at Envy. "--thing told you!"

The look in Edward's eyes filled Roy with hope. Was it possible, perhaps, that the Homunculi had forgotten to turn Edward against Winry?

He heard the sound of a gun cocking and saw that Riza had somehow managed to sneak by everyone's notice again. She stood a few feet behind Envy, gun pointed directly at him. Roy took the opportunity to get back into the conversation. "Try and leave if you want," he said, "but you aren't getting your hands on Edward again."

Envy scoffed, but he seemed to get that he was in a bit of a pickle. His eyes glinted with barely concealed rage. "You filthy humans," he hissed. Before anyone could blink, he used a high sweeping kick to whack Edward in the head, knocking him onto the ground.

Roy, incensed, snapped his fingers, but Envy jumped over them. Riza fired after him several times, he but he was too fast even for her. He had jumped to the top of a building and disappeared into the night.

Slowly, Roy lowered his fingers, wishing he had been able to barbeque such a monster one last time. He turned to see that Alphonse and Winry had already rushed to Edward's side, kneeling down on either side of him. Alphonse had lifted his brother's head off the ground. Riza was on her way over to them, holding her gun to the side. Roy jogged over and knelt beside Winry, who was holding Edward's flesh hand.

"Edward? Can you hear me?" Winry said tearfully.

"Brother, wake up," Alphonse said.

Edward's eyes fluttered, and he managed to open them. His eyes moved slowly from face to face. Winry had tears threatening to spill. Riza looked sadly concerned. Alphonse's face, of course, was blank, but he still managed to look concerned and upset somehow. Roy wasn't one to display his emotions, but he knew he must look worried.

"Are you okay?" Winry asked.

Edward didn't respond at first. His eyes were clouded with a mix of emotions, including pain, and Roy could see indecision practically eating at him. He struggled to sit up, but when Alphonse moved to help him he shoved his brothers' hands away.

"Brother..." Alphonse said, sounding hurt.

"We need to give him some space," Roy decided. "Everyone back up."

Riza complied with her superior's orders, taking several steps back. Roy backed up as well. Winry hesitated, but she slowly got up and stepped back. Alphonse seemed to really not want to, but Winry gave him a pleading look, and he finally got to his feet and stepped back.

Edward watched them as they moved away, then he slowly got to his knees, and then his feet. He looked at them all in turn as they silently stood, watching him watch them. His hands slowly curled into fists at his sides, but his face held a look of consternation.

The stalemate lasted long enough to unnerve everyone in it except for Edward and Riza. Edward eyed them all one last time, then lowered his head, his bangs shielding his eyes from view. "If...if you want me to believe what you're saying," he finally spoke, "then let me leave."

"What?!" Winry exclaimed. "We can't--"

Roy held up a hand to stop her. He moved to the side.

Winry and Al both looked like they wanted to protest mightily, but they didn't. Edward wasted no time in exiting the circle and then making a break for a side street. He soon disappeared into the darkness.

The second he was gone, Winry whirled on Roy. "Why did you let him go?" she demanded angrily. "He needs to be kept safe! What if those creatures get him!"

"Sir?" Riza added, indicating she was lost on his logic as well.

Roy merely stuffed his hands in his pockets, not allowing his emotions to show. "Wait and see," was all he said.

I don't understand. I don't understand. Why did they do that? Why?

Edward was huddled up in an alley, trying to sort out his confused emotions. They're supposed to hate me. Why would they do all of those things? They're not supposed to care! He rubbed the back of his bowed head, as if he could brush the confusion away.

"You know what someone made you remember," Roy had said.

Is it true? Is it possible that I don't really hate them? Did Envy and Lust manufacture memories for me, so I would "do their dirty work"? But that can't be! I remember everything clearly. How could anyone possibly make me remember these things?

No answers came along, no matter how long Edward stayed silent.

Then...there's only three things I can do. I can go back to Headquarters, try to find the Homunculi and get answers, or just avoid everyone and stay by myself. He shuddered. None of those options seemed too interesting.

Or...there's one more. I think.

Maybe.

After a few moments, Edward pulled himself out of his ball and stood.

Lust knew something was up the minute she and Gluttony came across Envy. The scenery had been trashed. Several dead animals lay around. Man-made things such as light poles, benches, and even walls had been demolished. In the midst of it all was Envy himself, sitting crosslegged near a small crater in the asphalt, pieces of street littered all around him, choking the life out of an innocent bird.

"What happened," Lust sighed.

"I'll tell you what happened!!" Envy roared, flinging the dead bird aside. "Those goddamn filthy humans and their damn stupid...I should've beat the hell out of them when I had the chance--"

"Where's Full Metal?"

"With them!" Envy kicked the remainder of a bench.

Lust crossed her arms and bravely strode over to the Homunculus. "Why don't you stop the hissy fit and explain what happened?"

Envy glared at her. Lust evenly stared back.

Finally Envy seemed to calm down, at least a little. He heaved a sigh and stood. "I thought we'd covered all the bases," he grumbled, "but apparently we overlooked one of his damn friends."

"Who?" Lust asked, confused.

"Winry Rockbell. Ring any bells?"

Lust sighed heavily. "Not good. I suppose we could try again--"

"You bet we will." Envy's fists clenched. "I did not put all my work into brainwashing the pipsqueak for it go away without a single dead body. We're going to get him again."

"We?"

"Yes, we. You take care of his girlfriend, and I'll get the pipsqueak." A malicious smile spread over Envy's face. "And this time, I'll make sure he loses it."

Gluttony, tired of being left out of the conversation, nudged Lust and nearly knocked her over.

"Oh, and Gluttony," Envy said, "if all goes well, you might just get to eat the Rockbell girl."

"Really?" Gluttony looked delighted.

The next morning...

Silence reigned in the apartment. Alphonse was alone in his room, studying alchemy to get his mind off of the evening's events. Winry was alone in the front room, not doing anything but thinking, curled up on the couch.

After getting over being rather angry with Colonel Mustang for letting Edward go, the two had finally been convinced to go back to the Elrics' apartment. Riza had promised that they would be called if there were any developments.

I'm sure there will be, Winry thought irritably, hugging the life out of a pillow. They'll call to tell us that Edward, once again under the Homunculi's thumb, has attacked somebody else. Why would Colonel Mustang do something so stupid? If he's out on the streets, anything can happen to him!

She sighed after a few moments, releasing the pillow from its chokehold. "Maybe I can convince Al to search for Edward with me," she thought aloud, glancing back at the door that led to Alphonse's room. "If he ever comes out."

There was a faint knock on the door. Winry looked up in surprise, not having expected any visitors. She glanced back at Alphonse's door, but there was no indication he'd heard. With a little sigh, Winry got up off the couch, straightened her clothes, and went to the door. She pulled it open, and then gasped.

Standing in front of the door, head bowed, was none other than Edward Elric himself.

"I...I want to talk to you," he said quietly.

Winry stared in shock, but then realized what he had said and snapped out of it. "Of course!" she exclaimed, reaching out to pull him in.

Edward stepped back from her hands, and Winry froze, hurt by his reaction. "No, I...just you. Not Alphonse."

Winry did not like the way Edward had said his brother's name, but she supposed that he was still heavily under the influence of Envy's torture. "Well, okay," she said. She grabbed her shoes from beside the door, and had no sooner straightened up than had her wrist grabbed and was pulled away from the door.

"Wh-Where are we going?" she asked.

Edward didn't respond, and Winry managed to put her shoes on as they went. She soon found herself outside and several blocks away from the complex. There, Edward let go of her wrist and sat down on a bench. Winry quickly sat next to him, noticing how he kept his face hidden with his hair.

Nervously, Winry linked her fingers in her lap. "Edward, what did you want to talk about?" she asked softly, wanting to ensure she didn't spook him. This could be the last chance anyone had to break through the walls that he had put up, and she couldn't do anything that might blow it.

Finally he raised his head and looked at her, and his eyes were filled with pain. He looked as though he might have been crying before, and Winry felt her heart twist. "It's just...there's no one else I think I can talk to. I feel like I'm supposed to hate everybody, but I know I'm not. I just...well, I don't know which side I'm supposed to be on, I guess."

"Well, I can tell you that, easy," Winry smiled, trying to be encouraging. Edward didn't return the smile.

"I already know what you're going to say," he said solemnly, "but I don't know if I'll believe you."

Winry started, but she said nothing, seeing that he wasn't finished. "The Homunculi were the ones who beat me up, and did this." He indicated the now slightly dirty bandages still wrapped around his arm and neck. "But I still feel the loathing that everyone at Central has for me. Everyone's telling me I'm supposed to hate the other side. But I don't know!"

"Well," Winry began slowly, "you don't think it's right for the Homunculi to beat you and inject drugs into you, do you?"

Edward's fists clenched in his lap, a strange contrast to Winry's relaxed hands. "No," he ground out.

"And...as much as I may not like the military, they've never done anything like that, have they? None of them have ever laid a hand on you, right?"

"No," Edward agreed. He suddenly couldn't look Winry in the eye anymore.

Winry's eyes softened, and, taking a plunge, she reached out and took his flesh hand with both of hers. Edward flinched, but he didn't pull away. His hand was cold, and for a second she almost wondered if she had picked up the wrong one. "Edward, you trust me, right?" she asked.

There was silence for a moment, and Winry wondered fearfully if she had overstepped the boundaries. But slowly, Edward shifted and looked back up at her. "I...I think so," he said.

Winry smiled in relief. "Then please, listen to me and let me take you back to Headquarters. They're the ones who care about you, just like me and your brother. If you give them a chance, they'll prove it. We all just want to help."

"I don't know," Edward said weakly, sounding as if he were wavering.

"Please. If you don't feel comfortable, I promise I'll stay with you," Winry went on.

Edward looked more fragile than Winry had ever seen him, and it finally dawned on her just how horribly the Homunculi had messed him up. He was afraid to trust anyone because he wasn't sure where his loyalties originally lay. "Please, just try it." She hesitated, not wanting to say what she had thought of next. "If...if it's really not comfortable, then...you can leave. Okay?"

More silence. Winry hoped she looked as encouraging as she was attempting to be.

"...Okay," Edward finally agreed.

Winry's smile grew bigger. "I'm so glad. Come on." She stood, and Edward slowly stood with her. She turned to pull him in the direction of Headquarters, but he stopped her by tugging on his hand. "Winry?"

"Yeah, Ed?" Winry said, turning back to him.

"You'll...you promise you'll stay?"

"Of course," Winry assured him, hoping she sounded as sincere as she was. "I'll stay 24/7. You'll get sick of me."

And then, to her immense surprise and joy, he actually gave a slight smile back, and some of the life returned to his eyes.

Zilo: Edward's getting better! AWWWWWWWW!
Chizi: (sweatdrop) ...
Zilo: ...
Chizi: Anyway, now we have nothing left stored up!
Zilo: But the good news is we should be right on track for the next update!
Chizi: So we shall see you all next Wednesday or Thursday!
Zilo: And, be on the lookout from some other story from me sometime soon!