Chapter 22: Twenty-nine
"I think you owe me an explanation, Wrath!" Greed shouted as he caught Wrath's sword in the palm of his carbon-fibre hand and pinned it. Mrs. Bradley screamed in the background, sheltering Selim in a corner of the living room. "My past memories won't disappear… They're making so much noise inside my head! And you… Why are you… Why is King Bradley inside of my memories? You! What did you do to my belongings?"
"This is your Greed," Wrath replied, narrowing his eyes at Greed from behind the blade of his sword. "You're a fool who craves even his past, without knowing how to let anything go!"
"Damn you!" Greed spat. Mrs. Bradley knocked a cup over in her attempt to shelter Selim. Wrath used Greed's distraction to attack him, but Greed dodged his blade. Again, and again, and again. Until Greed decided his chances of getting any answers out of Wrath were slim to none. Without wasting a second, he threw himself through the large window and disappeared into the night.
By the time Envy stopped the car at the edge of Liore, the moon was high and Winry was asleep in the passenger seat. He stared out at the desert city, silver under the moonlight. The flickering of orange light off the side of one of the crumbling limestone buildings drew his attention. He pulled the car around to see that it was a small campfire, and noticed a shadowed figure sitting on an overturned bucket. Hands folded over his knees, head down, blonde strands of hair falling before his face, eyes hidden by the reflective lenses of his glasses. Hohenheim.
Envy killed the engine, and left the car. He shut the door quietly, trying not to wake Winry. Hohenheim looked up when he approached. The reflection of the fire in his lenses disappeared with the tilt of his head, revealing wide, golden eyes.
"So, it's you," he said. "Tell me, homunculus, are you still helping Edward or should I be worrying for the safety of this town right about now?"
"As much as I like humans to be careful around me, I'm still fighting against Father," Envy replied. He took a seat across the fire from Hohenheim. Listened to the crackle of flames, the hot breezes blowing across the sand. It was so different than the North. Envy could feel the dust on his skin. He thought the word dry. Felt it in the back of his throat.
"Well, that's a relief." Hohenheim smiled. "This old man's sore from labouring. I don't know how much more my back can take."
A car door closed behind Envy. Hohenheim looked up past his shoulder, and Envy knew without looking that Winry had left the vehicle. Hohenheim gave her a soft smile.
"Good evening, Miss," he greeted. "I'm surprised to see you out here."
"Your Ed's Dad," Winry mumbled, and when Envy glanced up at her she was standing at his shoulder, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "What are you doing out here?"
"I'm helping the people here rebuild," Hohenheim replied, making Envy look around at the crumbling limestone, piles of brick and lumber. A sinking feeling settled inside him.
This was his fault. The memory of his days disguised as the priest of Leto came back to him: sweating under the thick wool robe; Lust murmuring words of Father's will in his ear; the dark expressions of rage in the faces of hundreds of people as he announced to them that there were traitors among them. Pulling the strings here had been too easy. Envy never imagined he would feel the heaviness of shallow guilt about it.
The flames licked at the splintered logs. Envy stared into the coals with a frown. A pressure was on his shoulder. Something soft tickled his arm. He blinked and glanced over to see Winry was leaning against him, head resting on his shoulder, the tips of her hair brushing against his skin. Her eyes were closing slowly. Envy suddenly remembered Hohenheim, and heat crept into his face. He was grateful for the darkness around them. That hopefully his shock had gone unnoticed.
"There's a bit of money in the car. Why don't you go see if you can find a place to stay for the night?" Envy mumbled into her hair. He hoped she would take his suggestion and leave. As much as he liked the comfort of her pressed against him, he really did not feel like answering questions Hohenheim was bound to pose later. Although, a quick glance up at the man told him he was already in for a few.
Winry nodded and stood up. "I'll just sleep in the backseat," she replied. She disappeared and Envy heard the car door shut again.
A silence settled on the two of them. When Envy looked across the fire at Hohenheim, he saw the corners of his lips turned up in a small smile. Envy decided he would rather avoid the questions all together and start a completely new topic.
"We're meeting Fullmetal runt here. Have you seen him?" Envy asked.
"Edward will be here? I haven't seen him," Hohenheim replied. "Although, that doesn't mean much. If Edward is here, he might not want to talk to me."
Envy snorted. "Save me the details. I don't give a shit about your dying father-son relationship. I just asked a simple question. Yes or no would have done fine."
"Well, I'm glad you brought up the question of relationships, Envy." Hohenheim's lenses flashed in the bright firelight. A soft smile was on his lips. Envy could have slapped himself for being so careless with his words. "It seems like Winry is very comfortable around you now since the last time I saw you two."
Envy's face was going hot, and it had nothing to do with the fire in front of him. "So, I wonder why it is you would come all the way out here just to do some labor. Immortality getting that dull? Or are you here for another reason?"
Hohenheim seemed to accept that Envy did not want to talk about his and Winry's relationship, but there was still a grin on his face when he replied, "I think you know what I came here for."
"The secret entrance to the tunnel," Envy muttered, and Hohenheim nodded. "That means you must have met Pride. He guards it."
"A very interesting older brother you have there," Hohenheim replied, making Envy frown. "Created from Father's own image. His original image. Yet, even though he's not literally in a flask, he's still contained."
Envy smirked. "Yeah, that little shit's been a thorn in my side for two hundred years. I'm going to relish the moment when I finally crush his philosopher stone. I want to see the surprise on his face when he realizes I'm still alive and that it's because of me, and because he failed to kill me, that Father's plan will fall apart."
Envy snickered. Tried to imagine the look of fear in Pride's eyes. Remembered how the shadows used to follow him wherever he went, watching him. Hohenheim stared across the fire at him until his laugher died down.
"Tell me, Envy, how is that new stone feeling?" he asked. Envy's eyes narrowed on Hohenheim, wondering where he was going to take this question.
"It's…" Envy started to say it felt fine, but then decided to be honest. "It's not as strong as my original stone."
"Yes, I imagine the one provided by Father was quite substantial," Hohenheim replied. "So, how many souls do you think are in that one? Fifty? Thirty?"
Envy frowned and looked into the fire. He knew the exact number of souls used to create this stone. He remembered herding the subjects into the circle for sacrifice right before the gold-toothed doctor transmuted them. Marco's co-workers. The scientists that helped him create the first stones before Marco had a change of heart and ran off.
"Twenty-nine," Envy said, looking up from the flames and into Hohenheim's eyes. He could not see past the reflection of fire in his lenses, but he could tell from the frown on his face that he was unsettled by something.
"And can you hear them?" Hohenheim asked. Envy bit the inside of his lip. Hear them? Their screams? He was used to their cries by now. Remembered the sheer number and volume of the cries coming from his original stone. It made his current one seem quiet. Like a whisper in comparison.
"If I try, I can." Envy furrowed his brow, and scowled. "What's this about, Hohenheim? What are you getting at?"
"If you are serious about fighting against your Father, then you will need the help of the people within you," Hohenheim said. Envy's eyes widened.
"You mean talk to them?" Envy asked in disbelief. "You sound like your pipsqueak son; pretending the people in the stone are still alive. Don't you realize they aren't real people anymore? They are just energy to be used."
"That's not true." Hohenheim's eyes narrowed on Envy from across the fire. The way he was staring reminded Envy strongly of Father. The intensity of his glare silenced him. "I've spent a great deal of time conversing with the people within me. If we have any hope of winning this, we are going to need their help. If anything, the reason Father will ultimately fall is because he stands alone. It will be your fate as well, if you don't seek the help from the people within you and around you."
Envy crossed his arms, frown deepening. "You're an idiot."
"You know as well as I do that if Father gets his hands on you he will try and take back your stone," Hohenheim said. "You will be an easy target, simply because you are a part of him."
Envy stood up, taking Hohenheim by surprise. "I am not a part of that bastard! You're lucky you're friends with Winry, or I'd be wringing your neck."
Without giving Hohenheim a chance to reply, Envy turned on his heel and stormed into the shadows between two tall buildings. He knew it would be safe to leave Winry there with Hohenheim. Envy needed to clear his mind. The old familiar burning of hatred was starting to rise in him again. It was strange to love and hate something at the same time. Hate, and the fury that accompanied it. It used to empower him. Now, it clouded his mind and forced him to take a step back from everything. Re-evaluate with a calm collectedness that he never used to be capable of.
Red sparks crackled around him as he transformed from the blonde-haired, blue-eyed officer to his preferred form. Silver moonlight caught in his violet eyes. In the darkness it seemed like a faint crimson glow smoldered in the depths of his pupils. The remnants of his philosopher stone. His core.
His feet slipped on the fine sandy streets of Liore. He could taste the dust, feel it on his teeth, on his skin, in his hair. He walked through the darkened city, and came across no one. If it had not have been for the moon, the stars would have been burning brightly.
Envy stopped before the crumbling remains of a temple that once stood. Its proud spires, precariously reached up into the navy of evening as if they wanted to pierce the moon. A statue that once stood at the foot of the temple's entrance was in pieces, face down. The Temple of Leto.
Envy could still see the balcony where he once stood, watching over the city as chaos ensued. Blood soaking into the sand. The eerie sound of a hundred sharp knives slicing through flesh. The shattering of shop windows. Corpses rotting in the sun, day-in, day-out. Envy remembered it.
Liore. This destruction was his doing. Just like Ishval. It was his last secret kept from Winry. A piece of him that he was determined to bury.
He could still hear the screaming. Or perhaps that was only his philosopher stone. He thought he should pity Fullmetal for thinking the souls within his stone were still alive, but he could not deny the doubt that was starting to bubble up. Like blood bubbling from a fresh cut, or the cracks in his dry lips.
Is it really possible…? What would be the harm in trying…? If he tried and failed, it's not like he had to tell anyone about it.
Envy sat down on the statue's head, and stared up at the temple. Its dark windows. Its deformed exterior. The alchemy that had been used to create it, also destroyed it. It was almost poetic.
Envy looked down at his hands. Hohenheim was right, but Envy didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing it. He knew if he didn't make himself different from Father, he would not stand a chance against him. And the only way to stand apart from Father was to convince the souls within him to fight with him. If they were alive at all…
He closed his eyes, and concentrated on trying to separate the screaming voices inside him.
Winry woke to the sun streaming in through the car window, to the sound of hammers, to the scent of morning and dust. She sat up and let her eyes adjust to the brightness. She felt delirious. Wondering for a moment where she was until she remembered they had arrived late last night in Liore.
Winry glanced around for Envy, but did not see him. When she left the car she noticed streets bustling with people. Some carried hammers, others long cuts of lumber. Gloves or no gloves, head shawls draped to keep the sun off their necks. Everyone was working. Rebuilding. She followed the street, worried that she might go too far from the car and get lost.
Before she could worry too long, she spotted Hohenheim talking to a young woman with long brown hair. He noticed her and waved her over with a wide smile.
"Good morning, Winry," he greeted. "I hope you slept okay. I'd like you to meet Rose. If you stay again tonight, she's offered to put you up in the apartment down the road."
Rose smiled at her. "It's not a problem at all. You're welcome to stay as long as you like. I hear you're friends with Edward and Alphonse, is that right?"
"Thanks," Winry replied, "Yeah, I've known those two since we were kids."
"Edward helped Liore several months ago. If it weren't for those two, I don't know what would have happened to this town," Rose said, folding her hands before her apron. "We are indebted to them, and now your other friend is helping us rebuild. He was up with the sun, and didn't even stop to have breakfast."
"What?" Winry blinked.
Hohenheim smiled. "Yes, Envy's been a great help."
He pointed across the street, and Winry followed his finger with her gaze. She spotted Envy in the midst of several other workers, nails clenched between his teeth, hammer in hand. He was perched precariously on the top of the building's frame, helping put the trusses together. Three men at the bottom leaned a solid wooden beam against the frame, and called up to him. Envy lifted it from the ground and up onto the roof with one hand, grinning like a loon at the shocked faces of the men beneath him.
"What a show off," Winry said, but a small smile was on her face.
"Hey, Winry!" Winry spun around to see Edward and Alphonse walking up the street toward them. Her eyes and smile widened. It seemed Envy was right and everything had worked out. Edward was being followed by several people: a man with an x-shaped scar on his face, four very large men, a man with a deformed face, and another man with a thin moustache.
Hohenheim turned to greet them. "Edward, you're here –,"
Edward cut him off with a punch to the face. Winry jumped back and away from them in shock, covering her mouth with her hands. "Edward! What did you do that –,"
"That felt good," Edward said, flexing his automail fingers. Hohenheim turned back to him with a bright red spot on his cheek.
"Why'd you have to punch me? And with your right hand too!" Hohenheim grumbled.
"Ho, this is you're old man?" asked one of the large followers. He was very tall and broad-shouldered, with a wide face and mutton-chopped side burns.
"Looks like you made some new friends," Hohenheim mumbled, but a blonde-haired man with a thick moustache and glasses corrected him:
"We're just working with him due to the circumstances."
As Edward introduced them all, Winry tried her hardest to remember the names: Heinkel, Jerso, Darius, Zampano, Marco, Yoki and Scar. No Xingese girl like Envy had mentioned. She wondered if Edward and Alphonse had managed to find her.
"Hey, look who it is." Envy walked up behind Winry and grinned widely at everyone. To her surprise the group tensed, and the man named Marco jumped back and pointed at him.
"It's you! I thought we destroyed you!" he yelled, hands trembling. Envy raised an eyebrow and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, nice to see you, Doctor," Envy sneered. "I like what you've done with your face."
"Bastard!" Zampano snapped, balling his fists. Envy smirked at his reaction.
Edward suddenly jumped between Envy and the group with his hands up, and said, "No, wait! This isn't the Envy we sent with Mei!"
"What?" Envy blanched. The rest of the group, save for Marco, seemed to relax.
"No, that would be impossible," Marco said. "But he's still the same Envy that forced me into making philosopher stones all those years ago."
Winry glanced between Envy, Edward and the rest of the group. Alphonse stood off to the side, hands posed as if he were ready and waiting to stop someone from charging at Envy.
"Envy's working with us now," Edward said, making Marco's eyes widen.
"You're going to believe the words that come out of his mouth?" he spat. "He's a liar, Ed. You can't trust him!"
"Ed's right," Alphonse quipped in. "Envy's been working with us for a while now. He's even been looking after Winry, and keeping her safe from the other homunculi while we've been away. We trust him."
"I don't know, Al," said Jerso. "You saw what the other one was capable of. I'm not going to be letting down my guard anytime soon."
"My animal instincts are telling me to run like hell right now," agreed Darius.
Winry glanced over at Envy, expecting to see a frown, but instead a wide grin was on his face. "Animal instincts?" he said with a mocking tone. There was slight laughter in his voice. "You guys aren't chimeras, are you? Oh, wow. This is just great. A whole team of freaks, and the doctor who made it all possible."
Marco's eyes narrowed. Edward rounded on Envy. "Shut up, Envy. You're not making this any easier!"
"You're a fool if you think he's changed at all," Marco was saying to Edward.
Winry glance back at Envy whose eyes were alight with excitement. The same excitement she had seen him show that one night in the park in Central. Again, she was reminded of the homunculus he used to be, and realized that he would never completely change. For her, he behaved. But a tiger cannot change its strips. It was Envy's basic nature to initiate trouble and enjoy it.
She watched him grin and open his mouth to respond to Marco. But before he could get a word out, she snapped, "Envy, you better think real hard about what you're about to say."
Everyone's eyes landed on her, and she put both her hands on her hips and narrowed her glare on the back of Envy's head. He froze. Edward turned around with wide eyes, and Envy glanced over his shoulder at her, grin faded into a frown. "But I –,"
"No." Winry's eyes narrowed even more. She noticed Marco's mouth was hanging open. "These men are helping us. I don't care if you still carry a grudge, you're going to be as nice as you possibly can."
A touch of color rose in Envy's cheeks. His gaze narrowed on her for embarrassing him. She watched him open his mouth to spout a retort, but she cut him off before the words could even leave his throat. "And if I find out that you're not being nice… Well, I think you know what my reaction will be. Do I really need to say it?"
A tension lingered over the group until Envy's shoulders drooped and he finally broke the silence with a frustrated growl. He spun on his heel and started walking back towards the building framework where he was helping out before. Some of the workers were already taking over where he had left off, and he shouted angrily at them:
"Hey, morons, you're doing it wrong! Do I have to do everything for you losers? Seriously!"
A sigh went through the group and when Envy was out of earshot, Winry heard Heinkel say, "Wow, what just happened there?"
And Darius responded:
"He is so whipped."
"So, this is an interesting revelation," Hohenheim said. "Edward, you said you fought another Envy?"
Edward nodded. "Yeah, Al and I think Father must have recreated Envy using the stone Pride took from him before."
"So," Winry quipped. She felt all eyes on her once more, and suddenly felt very vulnerable. "Does that Envy… are they the same?"
"No," Alphonse replied. "The Envy we met does not share the memories with the Envy we know. They're the same in appearance, but are very different."
"Oh, my head hurts just thinking about this!" Yoki suddenly said, and Darius nodded in agreement.
"Where is he now?" Hohenheim asked.
"We sent him to Xing with Mei," Scar replied. "He is in no position to fight back in his current state, so no harm will come to her."
"I see." Hohenheim glanced between them all. Something passed behind his golden eyes. "I assume you all know what's going to happen to this country. That's why you're all here, right?"
Everyone in the group nodded. Darkness passed behind their eyes.
"In that case, I want everyone to meet me on the edge of town tonight," Hohenheim said. He looked over at Edward and Alphonse. "I will tell you everything I know."
Envy could not count the amount of times he caught his fingers with the hammer. All he knew was that by the time the sun started sinking beneath the sandy horizon both his hands were sore. The men he worked with that day were starting to pack it in for the night, but Envy did not stop working until he was the very last one on the rooftop.
"Thanks for the help today!" one of them called up at him, waving.
Another smiled and added, "Yeah, you're a real lifesaver! Will we see you tomorrow?"
Envy stared at them. It felt like a weight he did not know was there was being lifted off his shoulders. He could not help the small smile that broke out on his face.
"Hey, no problem," he replied. "And I don't know about tomorrow. We'll see."
"If not, then take care of yourself, man," the worker said. He waved on last time and left. Envy stared after him, wondering what the hell had come over himself. He felt like if there was a chance of a slight breeze, he would float off the top of the building and disappear into the sky.
"Are you going to come down from there?"
Envy looked down and saw Winry. She stood in the road, holding a bowl of stew. There was a soft smile on her face. "Rose said you haven't eaten all day, so I brought you some dinner."
Envy jumped off the side of the roof and landed effortlessly on his feet. "Are you going to yell at me, if I don't eat it?" he said, frowning.
"I'm sorry for biting your ear off earlier, but you have to admit you were being a real asshole back there," Winry countered.
"If I wanted your opinion, worm, I would have asked for it," Envy snapped. "That doctor had it coming."
Winry bared her teeth at him. "How dare you call me that after everything we've been through! And I know that's not what's bothering you. You're angry because I called you out in front of everyone."
"Damn right I'm angry about it!" Envy snarled. "You made me look like – like a –,"
"A human?" Winry finished, raising an eyebrow. It made him stop and wonder why exactly he was angry at all. Is that really all it was? "If I didn't know better, Envy, I'd say you were embarrassed to reveal that we're together."
"It's none of their damn business!" Envy spat.
"It's exactly what they need to see right now," Winry shot back. "The only way you're ever going to gain their trust is if you can show to them there's more to you than a sadistic prick with a god complex."
"Who says I even care what they think of me?" Envy snapped, balling his fists. "I don't give a shit if the rest of the world hates my guts. The only opinion I care about is yours."
Winry blinked. Envy wanted to push a nail through his hand. How could he have let that slip? He sighed. No use crying over spilled milk. He continued, though most of his anger had toppled with the milk carton, "Okay, okay… I see what you're saying."
Winry's smile returned, along with the gentle look in her eyes. "I knew you'd see sense eventually. Luckily for you, I left my wrench in Resembool."
She held out the bowl of stew for him, and he took it. He began spooning it into his mouth as he walked with her around the building to the outskirts of town. He was not particularly hungry. Did not need to eat to sustain himself, but he knew it would please her if he finished it.
They walked until they saw a fire pit and several figures seated around it. Envy thought he might see Alphonse's suit of armor among them, but was surprised to find him missing from the group. A few heads turned in their direction, as Winry and Envy approached the circle. Envy noticed Marco shift uncomfortably.
Darius gave up his seat for Winry, and Heinkel looked like he was going to move for Envy, but Envy shook his head. "I'll stand," he said.
He stood at Winry's shoulder, finished off the bowl of stew and tossed the disposable into the fire. Marco was watching him. He could feel his eyes on his from beneath the hood of his cowl. Remembering what Winry said, Envy put both his hands on her shoulders, gently. He tried not to make eye contact with Marco, as Hohenheim started to speak.
"Soon there will be a solar eclipse. He's planning on using that."
"How would he use it?" Edward asked. Envy knew the answer, but let Hohenheim respond. It would only make him look more suspicious to Marco, if he found out he was withholding information. The tunnel that surrounds Amestris. The blood crests. Five sacrifices. Father will try and pull down the sun, become a God. As Hohenheim explained everything, Envy listened. Listened to the words that would eventually seal his fate. Once this information got back to Mustang, he will be as good as dead. A pawn in the Colonel's game that had served its purpose, and was now expendable.
As Hohenheim finished, a silence settled around them. The last of the words had finally drifted off. Envy found himself staring across the fire at Marco, and Marco staring back. There was no anger in their eyes, but no trust either. Still, a sense of resolve was apparent in the way Marco held Envy's gaze with his own. In light of Father's plan exposed, lay an understanding. Regardless of their original alliances, they both knew they would have to work together to undo what had already been done.
Loud footsteps echoed in the desert behind them. Envy turned to see Alphonse slowly approaching them. He did not speak or greet them in any way.
"Al!" Edward called over to him. "Where have you been? You missed a lot."
Dark eyes. Envy felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Something was definitely wrong. Alphonse stopped on the edge of the shadows cast by the firelight. Edward stood and started walking towards him, but Envy grabbed his arm before he could pass him.
"Hey, what's the big idea?" Edward asked, trying to pull away. Envy did not let go. His eyes narrowed on Alphonse.
He felt it before he knew: Pride.
"Ed, stay away from him!" Envy gasped, wide eyes. "That's… He's…"
Edward stopped fighting against Envy to stare at Alphonse with a narrowed gaze. Everyone was on their feet now, including Winry.
"So, you joined them again, Envy." A bodiless voice echoed through the air around them. Envy let Edward's arm go. He was braced for an attack. Ready for Pride to try and take the only stone he had left. "That or I failed to kill you before. Regardless, you have chosen to stoop to humans… you're an embarrassment to the homunculi."
"What is that?" Zampano asked.
"He is Pride," Envy replied, gritting his teeth. "A homunculus. The first created."
"Pride?" Marco repeated, staring across the sand at Alphonse. Dark tendrils were starting to seep out of the cracks in the armor. Envy moved to cover Winry, if Pride attacked.
"How dare you transform into Al!" Edward snarled.
"Transform?" Alphonse's head suddenly lifted off his body and showed the clearly marked blood seal at the back of his armor. "No. This is really your little brother's body."
Edward balled his fists and snarled, "You son of a…"
"I'll be disposing of Envy right here and now," Pride informed them, with a hint of malice. "And then, I'm going to have the Fullmetal Alchemist come with me afterwards."
Envy and Edward took a step forward at the same time as Edward said, "Hey, you guys should go! We'll take care of him!"
"No worries there!" Darius said, as Heinkel backed away. Jerso and Zampano were doing the same. "Our animal instincts are telling us not to fight that thing."
"Are you going to be okay?" asked Marco.
"Of course we are," Edward replied. "They can't kill Al and I because they need us, remember? While on the other hand, I can let loose on him!"
Envy frowned. "And I have a score to settle here. Hohenheim, take Winry."
"You're right, I can't kill you," Pride said. "But I can't guarantee you won't lose a limb. Or three."