Chapter 21: Doppelganger

Major Miles walked into the automail workshop while Winry was polishing one of the finished products for Captain Buccaneer. Envy looked up from staring at the floor, and was grateful when Miles said he needed to meet with General Armstrong. He glanced over at Winry and knew that she would be alright for a few minutes alone. It had been several days since they had first arrived at Fort Briggs, and despite having lots of stories to share from his past, Envy was getting tired of the same routine day-in and day-out. Maybe this meant General Armstrong would finally have some real work for him.

He followed Miles through the long, steel corridor and into the elevator, where Miles pressed a button at the top of the dial. The doors slid shut and for a moment no one spoke. Envy stared at the arrow above the door as it moved slowly towards the higher numbers. He leaned against the back of the wall, and watched their slow ascent. The silence was finally broken by Miles, who said, "So, now I understand your question. When you asked me how I felt to turn my back on my own people, you were asking because you have betrayed the homunculi. Isn't that right?"

Envy frowned and crossed his arms. The arrow had just passed over the center and was starting to make its way to the far right hand side. He did not know why Miles had to ask a question so blatantly obvious. Just because he put up with Winry did not mean he now harboured feelings for any other human. They all still annoyed the shit out of him.

"I'll take your silence for an answer," Miles continued. "But I wonder, did I give you the response you were looking for? That there are no sides, only individuals. Are you seeking to change the world's perception of the homunculi?"

The arrow had almost reached its destination. Envy's frown deepened. "You make it sound so noble. What does it matter to you why I turned on the homunculi? All you should care about in your short existence is that I'm not trying to kill you like the others are, and leave it at that."

"You can be short with me all you like, but I'm not the one who asked the question in the first place," Miles countered.

Ding. The doors slid open and Envy stormed out. His good mood after spending the night with Winry was starting to fade. He hoped the General had something to lift his spirits. Shooting down Drakma soldiers would have been a real treat, but he knew it would be counter-productive to what they were trying to achieve: peace.

General Armstrong waited behind her desk in an office that rivalled the size of the Fuhrer's back in Central Headquarters. She watched them enter, tapped the tip of the hilt of her sword with her index finger until Envy stopped before her desk. He did not salute or bow. He put a hand on his hip, and asked, "What do you want?"

General Armstrong frowned. "You have been living at my Fort for a week now, and Major Miles tells me you haven't caused any trouble. Don't make the mistake of thinking I trust you, but the fact that you haven't tried to kill any of my men is proof enough for me to know you really are on our side. At least, for now."

Envy glanced over at Miles, who stood slightly back from him. Armstrong continued, "As you said, homunculus, I am being called to Central Headquarters, and the Fuhrer is sending someone else to take my place here. No doubt to carve out the blood crest."

"Yeah, no surprise there," Envy said. There was a sour taste in his mouth. "Those bastards have probably pulled some strings in Drakma to initiate an invasion. Probably just a frontal assault. They need casualties, not strategy. I've been worried about that, and I'm surprised it's taken this long for anything to happen."

"We expected as much," General Armstrong replied. "My men know what to do. Even without me here, they can defend the Fort. Though, it seems if Drakma does invade, then the homunculi will have their blood crest. We cannot stop it. But that's not what I called you here for."

Envy frowned. "Well?"

"I want you to leave Briggs before the attack happens. Take Fullmetal's mechanic with you, if you must. Make your way to Central," General Armstrong ordered. Envy narrowed his gaze on her. He knew her next words. She wanted him to help her stage a coup, and at the expense of Father finding out Envy was still alive. He knew it would be risky helping her, and returning to Central. Not to mention Winry would not want him to.

"I'll be heading straight for the top," Armstrong said. "Now that Raven's seat is empty, I can infiltrate Headquarters. When the time is right, my men will clean up whatever mess is left here by Drakma, and we will take Central Command."

"Foolish, human," Envy scowled. "It will be more difficult than that. The Fuhrer is a homunculus. He will not go down easily. And where do you plan on hiding a legion of Briggs soldiers? As soon as your men move south, Central will mobilize."

Armstrong's lips curled up in a smile. "It's all been arranged. Don't worry about how I do my job, homunculus. Worry about getting yourself to Central. I know you have an agreement with Fullmetal to meet him in Liore. Do that, and then help me in Central."

Envy bit the inside of his lip. "Father thinks I'm dead –,"

"Fullmetal told me." Armstrong tapped the hilt of her sword. "Do you think I'm stupid, homunculus? Now stop wasting my time, and get out of my Fort. I will give you an hour to pack."

Cold wind brushed against Edward's face as he and Alphonse sat inside a wood shack listening to Mei talk about Alchehestry. They intended on learning as much as they could in the short time they had. After discovering the reverse transmutation circle theory with the help of Scar's brother's notes, they realized there was very little time left. A blizzard had forced them to take shelter in an Ishvalan slum, but Edward wanted to head to Liore as soon as they were able.

"…you're supposed to read the veins of the dragon while performing Eastern Alchemy!" Mei was telling Alphonse. Edward desperately tried to understand what she meant by that, and decided Mei's calling was not in the teaching profession, as Alphonse snapped back for the fourth time:

"And I'm telling you, I don't understand how!"

"Sharpen your senses!" Mei shot back. She pointed up at her temples. "See, I can do it!"

"I can't!" Alphonse stood suddenly, shocking Mei into silence. "I'm sorry, let's just try again later."

Edward sighed, grateful for the break. He knew once he and Alphonse sat down with the material they would be able to learn it alone, but Mei had no patience for teaching, and by extension they had no patience to learn from her.

"Sorry I have to ask you to hide us here," Scar was saying to an Ishvallan man, as Edward and Alphonse left the hut. The white landscape blinded them momentarily. Heavy footfalls crunched the snow and Edward's eyes adjusted in time to see Jerso and Doctor Marco approach Scar.

"Let Zampano know that we're going up to the mountains to collect firewood," Jerso said. Edward glanced over at Alphonse. It was their cue. Scar watched as Marco and Jerso left, before turning to them and saying, "If you two are going to help, you should take the Xingese girl and go now."

Mei appeared next to Alphonse with Shou May on her shoulder. She looked over at Edward and Alphonse, and whispered, "I know where there's a place we can set up. Follow me!"

Edward and Alphonse followed her to the edge of town and as they distanced themselves from the people, they were finally able to talk freely.

"I'm surprised the homunculi reacted that fast," Alphonse said. There was a hint of nervousness in his voice, a tremor that mimicked Edward's own feeling of unease. "I wonder who they've sent."

"Who knows," Edward replied. "I'm getting tired of surprises. Hopefully once we catch whoever it is, they can answer some of our questions."

"I still don't get why you didn't ask Envy before we left Briggs," Alphonse said. "I mean, he could have saved us all this trouble."

Snow blanketed the land. They waded through it to get to a small shelter, where Mei had already prepared a remote for the several transmutation circles left out in the snow near a single tree. Jerso and Marco were already there, waiting under it some yards away.

"Wait a minute," Mei said, as they reached the shelter. Edward cleared a patch of ground and sat down. He felt the cold seep up into his spine, and hoped Zampano would get back sooner than later. "Envy? The big monster I saw back in Central? You're telling me you're friends with him?"

Edward and Alphonse glanced between each other, before Edward replied, "Calling him a friend is giving him too much credit."

"Brother!" Alphonse scolded. "If you really mean that, you wouldn't have left Winry with him."

Edward sighed. "Come on, Al. He's just working with us."

"So then, why didn't you ask him about that creepy guy's plans?" Mei asked. "Then I wouldn't be stuck out here, freezing my butt off, trying to catch a homunculus!"

Edward frowned. "When the Colonel declared he would kill Envy regardless of whether he helped us or not, I knew Envy would withhold information. It was no use asking after the Colonel's threat."

"I see," Alphonse said, darkly. "So, Envy must think that we'd give him to the Colonel once he's told us everything he knows."

"But you wouldn't do that," Mei said, looking over at Alphonse. "Alphonse, you're definitely not like that."

"Of course I'd never do that," Alphonse replied. "But Envy's being cautious."

Edward nodded. "I guess if I worked for a guy like the homunculi's Father for all my life, I'd be cautious too."

Mei stared into the center of her transmutation circle. Five knives pinned around the edge of it. Her onyx eyes misted over in thought. "I feel a little bad for him."

"Whatever you do," Edward said, "don't ever tell him that."

"Shh! Here they come!" Alphonse pointed across the white landscape as two figures appeared on the crest of the hill. Zampano was being followed by a cloaked man with dark skin.

"Well, it's not Gluttony," Edward said, squinting across the snow at them. "Then who…?"

"Hey!" They heard Zampano call over to Marco and Jerso. The cloaked man pulled back his cowl, but Edward did not recognize him. He looked like an Ishvallan man.

"Who might that be?" Marco called back.

"Maybe that's another homunculus?" Alphonse whispered to Edward. "One we haven't seen yet?"

"No, we know about the Fuhrer and Gluttony," Edward ticked them off on his fingers. "Lust was killed by Mustang, Envy's with Winry in the North, Gluttony doesn't look like that, Sloth is underground and unless Selim can change his appearance, I believe we're dealing with a completely different homunculus here."

"He's a vagrant I met this morning," Zampano was saying to Marco. "He wanted you to see him, Doctor –,"

"That's enough, Zampano." The man said, narrowing his eyes on Marco. "The shitty acting ends here."

Red sparks crackled around his body. Edward's eyes widened as the man transformed from the feet up. Long dark hair sprouted from the top of his head, violet eyes replaced the crimson Ishvallan ones, an ouroboros tattoo appeared on his thigh.

"Envy?" Alphonse gasped. Mei put a finger to her lips to silence them. The snow kept his voice from travelling, Edward watched in confusion as Envy started walking up the hill to Marco, Jerso and Zampano. All the while, his mind spun with questions. Mei was kind enough to voice a couple of them.

"I thought he was with your friend? What's he doing here?" Mei asked. Her hands hovered above the transmutation circle, and Edward could tell she was hesitating using their traps.

"No," Alphonse suddenly said. "It's not the Envy we know. Ed, remember when Father recreated Greed?"

Edward nodded. "Yeah, I was thinking that too. When Pride took Envy's philosopher stone, he must have brought it back to Father so that he could make a new Envy."

"This isn't good," Alphonse said. "Envy's not going to like this when he finds out."

"Excuse me for interrupting your train of thought, but what should I do here?" Mei snapped. "Is he your friend, or not?"

"The plans still a go, Mei," Alphonse said. Mei nodded and they turned their attention back to Envy, who was walking up the hill to Marco.

"You're being too optimistic if you think insects like you can pull one over on me," Envy smirked.

"Now, Mei!" Alphonse hissed, and Mei put her hands into the circle. An explosion blew up the snow several feet away and Envy groaned in pain. The powder cleared revealing a sharp icicle had pierced right through his foot.

"What the hell is this!?" Envy yelled. Zampano rushed away from Envy to stand next to Marco.

"Our goal from the start was to lure one of you homunculi here!" Marco revealed. "You did just as we expected. I knew the homunculi would want me dead after what I did in laboratory five. Once we planted the information of my location, all we had to do was wait."

Envy's eyes narrowed. He balled his fists and freed his foot from the spear, only to be hit with another one of Mei's transmutations. It sent him flying into the air. He landed in the snow, face first.

Mei giggled.

"Nice one!" Alphonse said. Edward watched Envy stand, snow falling off his head, as Marco said, "They work like landmines. Alchemy evolves every day."

"That kind of alchemy doesn't even exist –," Envy punched the ground only to have Mei activate another circle. Large ice spikes shot up from the ground and surrounded the homunculus.

"That's the proof I needed to know for certain he wasn't the Envy we know," Edward suddenly said to Alphonse. He did not have to voice the rest of it, before Alphonse nodded.

"That's right," he replied. "The Envy we know already knows about Mei's Alchehestry. He would have put that together, and figured out that Mei was using remote transmutation."

"Well, Envy," Marco said, "how does it feel to be ridiculed by those you look down on as insects?"

Envy was staring at the snow. Edward could tell they had him fooled by the way he was trying not to move. Envy balled his fists and glared up at Marco, baring his teeth. Mei giggled next to Alphonse and Edward, and said, "Things are working perfectly. He has no idea it's remote alchemy."

Suddenly, red sparks crackled again around Envy's body as he shouted, "That's enough! You bastards want to play your little games? Well, I'm putting an end to it!"

Envy grew in size, his skin turned a dark green, his hands turned into claws, his face elongated. Edward's eyes widened as Envy's monstrous form loomed over Marco, Jerso and Zampano. He whipped his large tail into the snow, sending a blinding cloud of white powder into the air. They heard Zampano screaming for Marco, but could not see anything aside from Envy.

"How do they expect me to use my traps now? I can't see a thing," Mei said, voice piquing in panic.

"Just wait. It'll clear any second," Alphonse said.

"We should help them," Edward said. He made to stand, but Alphonse stopped him, "No! Doctor Marco said whatever happens…"

The white powder was clearing off. Edward reluctantly sat back down, and watched Envy look around for Marco. Jerso had carried Marco on his back to avoid the powerful attack by Envy's tail. Mei activated another circle to send spikes into Envy's face, but he simply shrugged them off.

"Such weak attacks can hardly pierce my skin!" He snarled. Mei frowned, but Edward noticed Scar appear behind Envy. He jumped up onto the monsters back, right hand ready, and said, "Then what about this?"

A scream erupted from Envy's throat as blue alchemic light cut through the pale landscape. The monster collapsed into the snow with a loud crash and Scar slid off him. There was a moment of pause as Marco asked, "Is he dead?"

Before he could get any closer, Envy's elongated tongue seized him, curled around his body and his neck. Envy held Marco high into the air. "Gotcha!"

"Doctor!" Zampano yelled.

"Whoa, don't move," Envy ordered, "or I'll snap his neck."

"This is looking bad," Edward said, balling his fists. He hated that he had to stay put. He watched Envy break Marco's nose with a snap of his large finger, and had to look away. "Al, I can't take this anymore."

"Marco has a plan," Alphonse reminded him. "If you storm in there now, you could get him killed."

"Okay, why don't I destroy the slums over there? I'll make you watch," Envy was saying to Marco. Alphonse gasped. "But it would be no fun to simply kill them. I could always take them back to Central and make a philosopher's stone out of them."

"You monster!" Marco snarled.

"Calm down, Doctor," Envy mocked. "Since when have you cried over the people you helped turn into stones? You've made so many in the past, so I'm told."

Edward gasped. "So he admits he wasn't there," he said to Alphonse. "He's definitely a remake of Envy then."

"You're right," Marco said to Envy, bowing his head. "I've made many philosopher's stones, sacrificing the lives of many people. I'm more familiar with the ways of making a stone than anyone else in this country."

Edward noticed Marco removed the gloves off his right hand, as he shouted, "But not only do I know how to create them, but I know how to destroy them as well!"

He grabbed Envy's tongue with his right hand and blue alchemic sparks shot up around the monster. Envy shrieked in pain as his form started to fall apart. A soft wind blew across the valley and Envy's body turned to dust. Piece by piece he drifted away. Marco fell to the snow and watched with the rest of them as the monster thinned and disappeared. All that was left was something so small, that Edward could not see it from his place in the shelter.

"I think we can go now," Alphonse said. Edward did not waste any time leaving the shelter to see what Scar was holding pinched between his fingers.

"We did it, Marco," Zampano was saying as Alphonse, Edward and Mei arrived. "We won."

A clock ticked somewhere in the Fuhrer's office. Hawkeye almost counted the seconds it took her to pour tea into a small china cup. Behind her, the Fuhrer waited.

"So, you found out about Selim."

Hawkeye paused. The spout of the teapot hovered over the lip of the cup. She decided honesty was the best course of action. "Yes."

"And my identity, as well."

"Yes."

She continued to pour the tea, and placed the pot back down, wondering where he was going with this topic.

"How do you feel as a citizen of a country to know that your leader and his son are both homunculi?" the Fuhrer asked.

A spark of anger ignited inside her when she realized he must be mocking her. He knew she could make no move against him, regardless of what he says. He wanted to see her squirm under the pressure, but she will not give him that satisfaction.

"I think it's sad to know a leader I'm supposed to trust is just a fraud," she replied, calmly. "You're just playing house. All the while pretending to be human, creatures you deem as fools."

"It's true that my 'son' was appointed to me by my superiors," the Fuhrer said. Hawkeye was disappointed he did not seem to be surprised or taken aback by her bold comments. "My rank of Fuhrer, along with my men and everything else, was also given to me. Rather than 'house', I'd say it's more accurate to say we're playing 'politics'."

Hawkeye dropped her gaze to the steeped tea in the cup. Steam rose and disappeared into the dry air. She remembered Ishval and the terrible orders she had been made to obey. All on the whim of a man who was less real than the steam rising out of his teacup. She wished he would also disappear. For good.

"However," the Fuhrer continued, "My wife was of my own choosing."

Hawkeye let a small gasp pass her lips as she turned and glanced over her shoulder at him in surprise.

"Are you finished with the tea?"

"Y-yes, sir." She carried the tray over to him and watched him take the first sip. Her mind wandered to Envy and, for once, she wondered if it was actually possible for the homunculi to gain human-like connections to others outside themselves.

The Fuhrer smiled. "Delicious."

Winry rested her head against the car seat and stared out the window at the white landscape. It faded off into a pale valley of mountains. Behind them, Fort Briggs shrunk into the distance. She looked over at Envy as he drove the car. Disguised as the blond-haired, blue-eyed officer she had seen him as so many times. When he returned from speaking with General Armstrong this morning, he did not say much. Only that they needed to pack and leave. He said they were going to Liore, but Winry had not had the chance to ask why.

Now, it seemed they had settled into a long ride. She asked, "Why are we going to Liore all of a sudden?"

"Hopefully, if all has gone as planned, the pipsqueak and his brother will be there with Scar and the Xingese brat," Envy replied.

"So when you said they'd gone after Scar, you meant they wanted his help?" Winry asked. "I thought you meant they were going to…"

"Kill him?" Envy finished for her. He glanced over at her and grinned. "Yeah, that was the original plan, but Fullmetal runt is too soft for that. Besides, we need Scar's help if we want to thwart Father's plan."

"Why's that?"

Envy frowned. "I don't want to get into it."

"So…" Winry dropped her gaze to her gloved hands. "You guys are really going after Father. You've told Ed and Al everything they need to know?"

"Not everything," Envy replied. There was a sigh in his voice, something akin to guilt, but it was mixed with resolve as well. Winry's eyes widened at him. "Why not? If you don't tell them everything, it could get them killed!"

Envy's frown deepened. "Because the Flame Alchemist knows I killed Hughes."

A silence lingered between them. Winry's eyes widened even more as she realized what this meant for him. The danger he was in. She knew Colonel Mustang well enough to know he would exact his revenge no matter what.

"Envy…" she tried to tell him how worried she was for him, but the words failed in her throat. It was pointless. He knew she was worried. She did not have to say it. His hand was on the shifter. She reached over and covered it with her gloved one. Even through the fabric his hand felt different, and she wished he would change into the form she was familiar with.

A blush crept into her cheeks as she remembered last night. His hot breath. The feel of his body against hers. The moonlight catching in his amethyst eyes. She glanced up at him now and saw blue where violet should be and was slightly disappointed by it.

"Thank you…" Winry whispered, "for last night."

She felt heat rise in her face, and Envy grinned. "Thank you? Why the hell are you saying thank you? It wasn't a fucking gift."

Winry bit the inside of her lip and turned to stare out the window in embarrassment.

"And don't say it like you think it will never happen again, either," Envy said, making her turn back to him. He had a smug grin on his face, but his eyes were staring straight ahead at the snowy road. "I hope you know what this means."

Winry could not help the giggle that escaped her throat. She tried to stifle it as soon as it came out. "What does it mean?" she asked, playfully.

Envy gave her a toothy grin. For the briefest of moments, when he glanced back at her his eyes flashed violet. He said:

"It means: you're mine."

Winry felt her face redden even more, and wondered how such a small comment could have her more embarrassed than lying naked on a bed in front of him. He cackled, and said, "You should see your face!"

She decided to gain the upper hand. "You're wrong, Envy."

His smile faded and he looked over. His eyes widened in surprise, and it almost broke her heart. The panic there behind them was real, and she wished she had not said anything. Felt guilty for playing such a trick.

Winry gave him a smile. "Actually, if the world does abide by the laws of equivalent exchange and I'm yours, then it follows that you are also mine."

Envy raised an eyebrow. "You've been spending too much time with that pipsqueak alchemist."

"Are you jealous, Envy?" Winry grinned.

Envy snorted. "That runt has nothing on me."

Winry felt Envy's fingers entwine with her own. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Winry smiled, and stared out the window as a comfortable silence settled around them like the snow.

Author's Note:

I've been silent for two years, but I intend on finishing this fic by the end of summer. As you might have guessed, this fic follows Brotherhood and the mange VERY closely. It's a challenge to myself to see if I can tweak the original storyline without changing the outcome, and still have my pairing work. So, if you're wondering why I didn't cover Ed and Al's bit when they find Scar, it's because you should watch the show or read the comic. I don't feel like writing something that's already written unless it's significant to my story. Thank you for the continued support, and I hope you enjoy the last seven chapters of this story!