He chuckled along with May. It was going according to plan!
Envy started laughing. "Listen! Is that a hawk you hear? Or is it Annabeth? Your cute little friend is the one who informed me of your presence here, doctor!"
True, there was a hawk, screaming in the distance. "What? Annabeth… Annabeth really is a traitor?" he gasped.
"But that's impossible!" May whispered. "She set this up!"
Then it hit him. "She can bypass your alkahistory! It's because of her wings she set this up like this!"
Envy had decided to give it another go, but was struck again. Then he blew a fuse.
There was a furious scream. "You should remember your place!" There was the scream of a hawk, and something invisible slammed into Envy, making the thing stumble. "Ha-ha!"
They could see it now. It was Annabeth. She fluttered just out of Envy's reach as he swiped at her. "No, Envy, I didn't warn you of the good doctor's presence! I lured you to your doom, just as I was created to do! You go down today, Envy! Lower than us 'dirt!" she taunted, taking daring jabs at him, distracting him.
Finally, she touched down. "Now!" she yelled. "Now, Envy, do you see how much braver we puny humans are than you? I just came out of my turf to fight on yours!" she yelled angrily, taking her stance.
"Ah, but you aren't exactly human are you?"
Everyone gasped, and Annabeth looked confused. "What are you saying, Homunculus?" she yelled.
"Look at you. You have wings. Your eyes change color when you want them too. You can speak languages no one understands. Your life plays to a sound-track in your head. You aren't human. You even understand your little pet just by hearing her growl and looking at her body posture!" Envy sneered.
"Shut up! I am as human as they come!"
Al gasped. She was crying. Annabeth was crying. And in her eyes, he could see something…
Envy was telling the truth.
Her eyes said it was true. Annabeth wasn't human, and she knew it. She was trying desperately to fit in, but would never be able to.
"Fine, so I'm not! But you're still wrong… Humans are strong. I should know… Why don't… Why don't… you…" Annabeth shuddered.
"Huh? Why don't I what?"
Her wings unfurled with a snap and she was in the air so quickly they couldn't trace her. She was then on his back, grinning through her anguished tears. "Why don't you try this on for size?" she yelled, letting her sleeve fall down.
Spiraling up her pale flesh was the same tattoo that Scar bore.
Her hand fell down onto Envy's back, and he roared in agony. Annabeth fluttered off of him as he roared in agony.
She landed next to Marcoh as Scar emerged from hiding. "Is he dead?" Scar asked.
"Don't count on it." Annabeth said. Her face was down-cast as she clutched her arm and added something he couldn't hear from that distance.
Something shot out and grabbed Marcoh. At the same time, Annabeth grabbed it. Envy was still alive, and he was holding Marcoh, Annabeth clinging firmly onto his tongue. "You know, Envy, I didn't draw just this tattoo on my arm! Return to your original form!" She held out her hand towards Envy, and Marcoh gasped.
Her hand and Envy both crackled red. As Envy started to scream, he dropped Marcoh. Annabeth quickly caught him before he fell to the ground. They all came out to watch the spectacle.
"No… This can't be happening!... No…" Envy was gasping.
"I almost feel pity for you, Homunculus. I told you, I knew your form, that I could crush you with one hand. But you refused to believe me. Look where you are now; Beneath us, smaller and weaker. You refused to believe me." Annabeth said softly.
"So this is the face of the one causing so much pain? Pitiful." Scar said scornfully. "And what about you? Who's side are you on?" he asked turning to Annabeth.
"Yes. Tell us, Annabeth. Who are you helping?" he agreed, thinking of his brother, Winry, and everyone else. Had she been leading them all along the whole time?
"I… don't have a side. I make sure the story goes how it should, so I change sides as needed. I'm No-Man's-Land, here to be taken." Annabeth said, smiling sadly. "After all, everything is the same everyday. Why not make it different? I live off of this, not the idea that tomorrow will be better. I'm always wondering if the thing I'm looking for has fallen somewhere and if I'll find it, how exciting life will be with it, and how will the road ahead be different."
"So… You were on his side, but you changed in the blink of an eye?" asked May. Annabeth nodded.
"Now, c'mon. We really need to be getting back now." Annabeth said softly, trailing absently in the direction of the slum.