Chapter 12: Homunculi

Sila was getting ready for bed when there was a loud knock at her door. She looked through the peephole and quickly looked away 'What is he doing here? Maybe I can pretend I'm not here.' Sila tip toed away from the door.

From the other side of the door her visitor said loudly "I can see your light on Sila! And your shadow creeping away. Please open the door. It's important.'

Sila sighed and knowing she was caught opened the door. She said "Make it quick Havoc!"

Jean Havoc came into her apartment for the first time holding a manila envelope and a lollypop dangling from his mouth. "I don't have much to say. Just some interesting things for you to look at."

Sila eyed him with her arms crossed. "I'm only offering this because I don't need to hear from anyone else that I'm a bad hostess. Do you want something to eat or drink?"

Havoc wanted to be in her presence for as long as possible and said "both please."

Sila sighed and went into her kitchenette. She prepared some instant noodles for him and poured him a glass of juice. When she served him she swore she could see hearts in his eyes.

He thought 'These will be the best instant noodles I've ever had because they were made by the woman I love!'

Sila stood with her hands on her hips scowling at him. "Are you going to eat or what?" she snapped. Havoc quickly began to devour the food while Sila picked up the envelope. She sat across from her visitor at the same table at which she and Archer completed their all night audit.

He said with a full mouth "These are really good Sila. Mmm. What did you put in it?"

"Water" she said as she flipped over the envelope.

"Was it filtered? Because it tastes just—'

"Is this for me?" she said as she opened the seal.

Havoc swallowed "Uh huh"

She popped open the seal with her thumb and reached into the envelope. Instead of finding papers she pulled out a few photos.

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Frank Archer reached Sila's apartment complex out of breath then rolled his eyes in aggravation as he realized he had to climb a few flights of stairs. The third flight up Frank thought 'Shit, what I'm willing to do for tail…' By the time he reached Sila's door he was a breathless sweaty mess.

He knocked on her door and bent over to rest and catch his breath. To his relief Sila's door creaked open.

"Sila…:" Franks words were interrupted by panting and gasping. She looked down at him with sad eyes. He was confused and it showed on his face. "What? What is is…the …matter?"

She dropped the photos on the floor in front of him. He hung his head and looked at himself in the photos. They were the same ones the Fuhrer had of him in the pink tutu and red ballet shoes.

"I know …know what this…for crying out loud…let me in to sit!" 'Where does everyone keep getting these pictures?' Frank used the door frame to help him stand upright.

Sila opened the door further and revealed Havoc standing behind it. The first thing Frank thought was 'Is that a cigarette? No, I see, it's a lollypop. What is a grown man doing smoking a lollypop? Wait…' Frank made the connection between Havoc and the pictures. He was determined to get revenge.

Sila allowed Frank inside and let him take a seat. Sila quietly got him a large glass of ice water and offered him a sandwich and snacks.

'Sandwich and snacks?' thought Havoc. He was jealous of Sila's treatment of Frank and the two men began to exchange glares.

Frank quickly regained his composure and said to Sila "I dance for strength training. It also helps flexibility."

Havoc held the pictures of Frank leaping through the air and said "It suuuuuure does" he showed the picture of the pink tutu wearing Archer right up to Sila's nose and said "Don't you think Sila?"

She pushed Havocs wrists aside and said to Archer "I don't think there is any shame in dance, Lieutenant Colonel, but…" she looked at the pictures again "The uh…--'

Frank knew where she was going with her unfinished statement.

"I gave my leotard to Armstrong. The pink one was the only a spare one we found. "

Havoc remembered seeing the two men poking around the room for something.

Sila bared the sight of the photo in her hand. "I never did dance as a girl."

Havoc said "I was never a dancer myself" as he chewed on the candy stripped stick in his mouth.

"Iew!" said Sila "get rid of the stick! You're so gross!"

Havoc sighed. Even in the face of Lt Col's bizarre behavior she found something she didn't like about Havoc. He was about to press the Lieutenant Colonel ballerina about his strange activities when Sila said "Just go home Havoc and take your gross stick with you!"

The next thing he knew he was pushed into the hallway without his pictures. 'Whatever, I have copies' he thought.

Havoc decided to linger a bit then reported back to the Colonel Mustang.

Frank straightened his collar and said "I knew you would understand Captain."

"There's one thing that doesn't add up sir."

Frank pretend not to understand. Sila said with seriousness "Dancing on pointe can be painful and it takes a long time to adjust to the feeling." She took a look at the photo "You seem to have adjusted quickly to shoes you claim you just found."

Frank was caught. 'Shit. I need to change the subject. Perhaps I should tell her.' Frank looked at Sila's earnest face and said "I'm sorry. This is unrelated, but I…I think I love you."

Sila smiled and began to giggle. It wasn't what Frank expected and he gave her a confused smile in return. Sila's giggle turned into a hearty laugh and then it transformed into a maniacal cackle.

Frank was mortified and confused at Sila's sudden maddening. A strange light enveloped Sila and traveled downward revealing a homunculus Frank would later come to know as Envy. In Frank's confusion he stumbled backward. Envy stopped laughing and said "Why Lieutenant Colonel, I had no idea. HA!"

Frank did not know who or what this creature was and became angered and aggressively stepped forward. "Where is she? What did you do with her?'

Envy smirked and said "Don't you get it?"

Then Frank felt he understood and said "No…" in disbelief.

"That's right Frankie boy. There is no Sila. I am Sila Wellbrick, your precious Captain." Frank's recently awakened heart burst into two. He was disgusted by himself after making love to a strange shape shifting monster. Frank thought about the research he had recently uncovered. 'Is this a homunculi?' His anger reached a boiling point and he wanted nothing more than to destroy all the homunculi and bring an end to their trickery.

Envy released the hatred and burning desire for violence in Frank's being. 'My job here is done' thought Envy. The homunculus laughed some more and deftly jumped out the window.

Franks' knees gave out and he hit the wooden floor. He pounded his fists repeatedly into the wooden floor. He felt filthy and did not hesitate to jump into Sila's shower. He did not like being tricked. He scrubbed his body with angry vigor and decided 'I must press for a campaign to destroy…' the memory of Envy laughing at him as he bared his soul '…no, capture and torture any Homunculi we can.'

Frank was satisfied with his plan and stepped out of the shower. Frank picked up one of Sila's frilly towels and looked at it as he clenched it in his fist. 'She was not real…Even when she was a cadet?'

Frank felt something fishy going on. 'How could they have set this all up? How long have those Homunculi been around?' Frank began to dry himself off and one more thought occurred 'Was that thing a man or a woman?' His face twisted in confusion as he dried his arms off 'What gender was that thing?'

Havoc walked a dark street along after being pushed out of Sila's apartment. He stopped at a general store and gave in to his strongest current desire. He continued his walk under the broken street lights, the tip of a lit cigarette the only light visible. He felt bad over what he did to Sila, but she didn't seem to know all the sides to her commanding officer. 'Frank Archer is bad news and I had to protect her.' Havoc thought back to the academy and to when he first met Sila.

They were crawling like snakes across a training field.

Live ammunition whizzed over their heads. A bullet strayed and pinged off of Havoc's helmet. Sila was the first to notice the unconscious cadet. She backed up from where she was and back tracked to help him. 'That woman dragged me all the way out. I owe her my life.'

Havoc remembered coming to and seeing two of the most beautiful angels he had ever seen. He asked "Am, a…I…"

The doctor came into view and he said "Thank God, we thought you might have lost you. Cadet Sila here dragged you to safety."

Havoc's two angels melded into one human cadet. "Nice to meet you, Sila" said a groggy, but happy Havoc.

Sila spoke and said "The pleasure is all mine."

Havoc then reached for a box of cigarettes on the night stand and lit up. Her face fell in disgust and Havoc joked with the lit cigarette in his mouth "What woman, you think you can change me?" He meant it as a challenge, but Sila took it as an insult. She hated Havoc ever since.

Havoc sighed lamenting the past. 'I didn't mean to imply she had feelings for me, or to sincerely be a jerk. I was joking!' Havoc knew he lost his chance with his angel, but still felt he owed her his life. He wanted to protect her…plus she was cute.