I'M BACK FROM CAMP! I SURVIVED WITHOUT TECHNOLOGY FOR A WEEK!
Envy: She nearly died and is currently on life support but she technically survived.
It's true!
Liz: REVIEW!
You remember how I complained about how nothing out of the ordinary happening made the last two years dull and out of the ordinary for me? No near death expierences, no landing constantly on my bad shoulder, no secret underling plots involving me and especially no being kidnapped?
Who'd of thought that all four of those streaks could be broken in one night?
How you might ask?
Oh just you wait.
I was on one of those recently, usually harmless, evening walks, trying to get back to Gracia's place before it got too dark outside so that she wouldn't think I was hurt and Ed wouldn't think I had gotten myself killed.
Ed always assumes the worst.
And he is usually right.
...Woo hoo...
As I walked quickly down the shortcut alleyway that recently is turning out to never be a short cut I heard the sound of quick footsteps running up from behind and the sound of a person yelling in anticipation reached my ears. I moved my head to the side and let the fist soar past my cheek, coming so close I could feel the air rush past my skin, before I grabbed my assailent's wrist and used the momentum to flip him over my shoulder and pin him to the ground, twisting his arm behind his back.
"Yeah, just a note." I commented dryly with a smirk. "It usually doesn't help to yell when you're about to attack someone. It kind of alerts them of your presense... just for future reference. You'll never get anywhere in the mugging/ kidnapping/ jack ass buisness with that method."
Yep that's me, your neighborhood criminal advice consultant!
What is wrong with me?
Don't answer that.
"Freeze." I heard a gun click behind me and I glanced twoards my new attacker.
"May I help you?" I asked dangerously.
"You're going to have to come with us now." the man said, joined from the shadows by five others. "We don't want any trouble."
"Yes." I beamed. "That's why you're pointing guns at me and sending multiple people to attack me from behind in the middle of a dark alleyway. It's just because you don't want any trouble. How stupid do you think I am?"
"Quiet." the man snapped. "Step away from the man on the ground and come quietly."
I stared at him "Are you mentally disabled? Who sent you and told you that I would ever come quietly?"
The man pressed his lips together in a tight line before nodding to the other surrounding goons. Goon one charged me, lunging to grab me but I released my captive and ducked low to the ground causing goon one to trip over me and fall straight onto his comrade.
"Well that was pathetic." I blinked.
The guy who seemed to be in charge growled and yelled "Don't just stand there! Get her!"
Two other goons charged me. I cartwheeled out of the way of the first one's kick and ducked under the second's punch before crouching and launching myself into the air. My foot contacted with goons face sending him to the ground. I rolled forward, jumped to my feet and jammed my elbows back into the gut of the second goon before turning to face the awaiting men again with a smirk.
"Next."
I felt a hand close suddenly around my ankle and jerk me off my feet causing me to land... ON MY FREAKING BAD SHOULDER! DAMNIT!
"Bastard! How dare you cause me to land on my bad shoulder." I kicked my free foot back into the face of the man who had caused me to fall and jumped back to my feet. "God why does that always happen to me!"
This distraction however had given the two remaining goons and the guy who seemed to be leading them time to sneak up behind me. Two sets of hands siezed each of my arms and pushed me down onto my knees while another hand siezed a painful handful of my hair and yanked my head back so I was looking up. I felt a gun barrel press up under my chin forcing my head up even more.
"Now you're going to come with us." the man with the gun at my chin told me smugly.
"Like Hell!" I tried to struggle. "Who the Hell sent you!"
"Who did you think?" an annoyingly familier voice of a certain General reached my ears.
"Well if it isn't General Bastard of the Perfect Utopia Jackasses! And I was just thinking about how much I would love to punch your face in and cut that ego of yours down to size" I growled hostilely as the General came into view.
"It's not very becoming of a young lady to make such empty threats" he smirked, coming to a stop in front of me and taking my chin in his hand. "It seems that even you can't fight up several men at once."
"Nah, but I managed to knock out and or give head wounds too alot of them." I retorted, trying to jerk my head away but his grip on my face only tightened.
"I suppose the fight you put up was decent" he sighed mockingly. "But either way you're beaten."
"Not the way I see it." I snapped though that was exactly the way it looked right now. See after not being kidnapped for over two years I was actually starting to get used to not having to glance behind myself every two seconds and not having to come armed when I walked but these Bastards just had to show up, chuck me on my bad shoulder, kidnap me and threaten me with death making my life normal again...
I mean Golly Gee! Me getting kidnapped? In what universe is this!
"What the Hell do you want" I asked suspiciously.
"Well not only can you provide us valuable insight in to Shamballa and that witch craft alchemy-"
"It's not Shamballa and alchemy is science. You're an idiot."
"-But you are also bait."
"For what? Ed?" I rolled my eyes. "Because if you wanted him you could of just caught him and saved alot of trouble!"
"Not for Elric. For the Great serpant... or I suppose you know him as a shape shifter."
I froze and stared at the General wanting so badly to rip the triumphant look off his face "H-How do you... how did you find out about him? Ed and I were the only ones who knew... HOW THE HELL DID YOU FIND OUT!" I jerked violently at my captors grasps. "TELL ME!"
The General smiled smugly and released my chin, raising his hand to stroke his own. "You know that Gypsy... she really wants to see your world. She wanted to help so that the portal could be opened. She wasn't that hard to persuade actually."
"Noah..." I growled. "Why... after all we did..."
"I warned you about the dreams little human" Truth murmured in my head.
That was right... the dreams. That was the only way Noah could've figured out. She knew about Envy. She told them... And now I was the bait to lure him in... Noah had betrayed us. I could never forgive that... Had she read Ed's mind too? Did she find out about their relation? How much else that we had kept secret did she find out. If I ever saw her again I was going to give her the guilt trip of a life time.
I swallowed and let my head hang, staring at the ground. They had me and I could do nothing.
"Deliver the note" the General said. "And we're leaving."
"Envy... don't you dare come. I'll kill you if you decide to give yourself up for me" I thought as I was dragged away.
I can't lose you too.
Third person with Ed:
"Edward? Where is Liz?" Gracia asked the blonde boy as he sat deep in thought at the table. Al Hiedrich had stormed off the previous night to work in the factory and Ed hadn't gotten too much sleep afterward.
He looked up "Uh...I haven't seen her come to think of it... It's late..."
"I'm worried... do you think she's alright?" Gracia murmured looking twoards the door.
Ed opened his mouth to reply when a knock came. He hurried to answer it and saw officer Hughes standing in the doorway, a sheet of paper clutched in his hand. His face looked grim which couldn't be a good sign.
"Edward. I found this while I was making my rounds. It's about Liz." he said holding out the piece of paper.
Ed snatched the piece of paper and read the note.
Edward Elric,
Don't worry, your friend is safe with the Thule society for now... but we won't be hospitable for too long,
If we can not open the gate by November 8th she will die,
We need the great serpent to do this. You know the shifter, find him.
If we get him we will release your friend.
-General Hess
Ed read over the paper several times his eyes wide, his hands clenching the parchment so hard it nearly ripped. The shape shifter? How did they know... how did they know about Envy? Liz wouldn't of told them so how?
"Edward?" Gracia asked worried.
Ed squeezed his eyes shut in frustration "Damnit... I'm going out!" and he hurried past Hughes and out the door.
This was the last thing he wanted to do. He wanted to stay as far away from Envy as possible. But if he was the only way to save Liz... what choice did he really have. If there was any other way he would take it but he couldn't think of anyone else who would help him... or at the very least help Liz.
And that pissed him off too no end.
He hated Envy... Envy hated him... but they both cared about Liz, and just maybe that would be enough.
An hour of searching later a light rain had begun to fall and Ed had no luck finding Envy. Who was he kidding anyway? That homunculus could be anywhere and hardly anyone would be outside in this weather anyway.
"Damnit Envy." He hissed as he walked quickly through the streets ignoring the facts he was starting to get soaked. "You stupid excuse for a brother where the Hell are you! If you don't show up soon I'm going to-"
He was cut off as a foot stuck out and he tripped over it sending him falling hard to the ground.
"Oops, my foot slipped, what were you saying you'd do pipsqueak?"
"Envy!" Ed rolled over, propping himself up on his elbows. Envy was looming over him in his human form, a mocking smirk plastered on his face as usual. Ed's eyes narrowed and he yelled "WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU I'VE BEEN LOOKING EVERYWHERE!"
"Huh?" Envy blinked obviously taken aback by this. "I'm pretty sure you've lost me little brother."
"Stop calling me that!" Ed snapped thrusting the paper crumpled in his hand twoards the homunculus.
"That..." Envy said after a pause. "Is a piece of paper."
"Read the damn note you psychotic bastard!"
"Tch." the homunculus snatched the paper from from Ed's hand, abored expression on his face, and scanned the words with his eyes. His face turned stony and serious, the smirk melting away. "...So they took her?" He asked lowly his eyes never leaving the note.
Ed nodded "She never came back from her walk last night."
"That idiot." Envy growled rubbing a hand over his face. "I told her to be careful and she goes and gets herself kidnapped again."
"You do realize that all those times she got kidnapped besides that were mostly your fault right?" Ed growled annoyed.
"Course I do... seems it's still my fault." he crumpled the piece of paper in his hand. There was no mistaking the deadly edge to his voice. "Shape shifter... great serpant..." His cold gold eyes flicked to meet Ed's for the first time. "And I'm wondering just how they found out about that since clearly the only people who could know were Liz and you. We do have an interesting possible scenario here don't we?"
"If you're insinuating that I was the one to tell them about what you are you're wrong!" Ed snapped, standing so that he was almost eye level with the older boy. "I didn't tell them anything. I don't know how they figured it out. Why would I do that anyway?"
"Oh gee, I wonder" Envy growled, sarcasm and distrust dripping from his voice. "Give me one good reason why you wouldn't do that. It's a perfect oppurtunity to take me out and get yourself home. Why wouldn't you?"
"I'll give you two reasons why!" Ed snapped, fists clenching. "It's true you're one of the people I hate most, and quite frankly that idea of getting rid of you and going home at the same time would sound nice but there are two things that put a wrench in the situation" he raised one finger. "First off, the reason they need you is to open the gate to our world, making a life size oroborus. They're going to use it to invade Amestris and use it's power to fuel their own war and I'm not going to bring anything like that on my old friends. I'm not that selfish" he held up a second finger. "The second reason is Liz or did you even need to ask!"
"Liz?" Envy asked an eyebrow raised. "And how much do you know about that pipsqueak?"
Ed stopped short. Envy probably didn't know that Liz had told him everything. After a pause he said "I know enough to know that Liz cares about you for... whatever reason that I fail to comprehend. And she's my friend. She's lost too much and I would never volentarily take something else away from her!"
The younger boy had Envy speechless for a moment again, a refreshing sound. The homunculus studied him for several moments before he sighed "Damn... you humans are so cleshe..." his face turned serious again "So do you know where these guys are?"
"Yeah... Liz and I went there the other day to take a look around." Ed nodded.
"Right, you have a habit of sticking your nose into things you really shouldn't." Envy muttered. "Alright pipsqueak. You're going to take me to where ever this place is and we're going to get Liz out got it?"
"You're agreeing to this alot easier than I expected." Ed said warily.
"Normally I would beat the location out of you but in case something does happen I need someone to get her out." he said tightly. "And to get one thing straight I hate you. The only reason I'm not choking you to death right now is because of Liz."
"The only reason I haven't killed you yet is because of Liz." Ed retorted evenly.
"Well then since we're both alive I guess Liz is doing her job well." a smirk broke out onto Envy's face and he turned and started down the street. "Come on all ready... if those short legs of yours can catch up."
"I'm not freaking short you bastard!" Ed growled not wanting to follow the older homunculus at all. But if this was for Liz what choice did he really have?
So the reluctant alliance begins.
Oh don't worry there will be plenty of tension to go around.
Ed: Fantastic.
Envy: Do I get to beat him up?
Most likely.
Envy: Fine by me.
Liz: REVIEW!
