Author's note: Ack, long time no write. Thank you other fanfic ideas, writer's block with this piece and general depression for throwing me so far off track. Don't worry, dear reader's I haven't forgotten your dedication to Toxic Toast, and I am truly appreciative that you've stuck with me this far. There is more epicness to come in this story, and as always, I'll continue to strive for quality writing. If you want to know what other story has been taking up my time, check out my Axis Powers Hetalia story titled "The Chronicles of the Aftermath." Not that I haven't shamelessly promoted it already. Well, back to the main event, here's the next chapter of "Toxic Toast." I do not own Doctor Who or FMA (or APH).

Toxic Toast

Chapter 15 All in the Act

Cold. Flat. Hard. Envy opened his eyes and found them staring at a chalk covered stone floor. He was lying on his side, partially curled up. Head still foggy and limbs still heavy, Envy tried to make sense of things. The node on his shoulder that lay on the ground felt like a cattle prod was lodged in it.

"What the hell is going on?" He croaked.

"You're awake," said a young voice. The voice's owner came around to Envy's field of vision and squatted down to see him. A sandy blonde male with golden eyes. "But I don't understand why you're here. Brother saw you die."

"Alphonse Elric." The Homunculus said weakly, "And in the flesh, but it seems that they forgot your brain." When the boy didn't react, Envy sighed, resettling himself as best he could, and said, "It's a long and unbelievable story."

"Do you think I can't handle it?" Alphonse said, insulted.

"I was abducted by aliens, turned into one of them, and now am in training to save the universe from its greatest evils." Envy smirked; he knew Alphonse to not be the sort to kick somebody in the jaw at the first hint of sarcasm, so Envy was safe even when he was as debilitated as this.

Alphonse stared at Envy, looking doubtful. "I think you're joking."

"Nope. Not at all." Envy stared back, trying to look expressionless.

"You could be killed here."

"Quite." Envy said with a click of the tongue. "In fact, there's nothing stopping you from offing me right now. As you can see, I'm not in the best shape right now, so what I-I-I'm-m wondering is what's with the transmutation circle. What's it do, anyway?"

The boy's eyes widened. "Why- do you want to know?"

Envy rolled on to his belly, pain draining as the node on his shoulder lost contact with the floor. Still, moving took a lot of energy. He pillowed his head on his forearms. "If you're letting me live, then there has to be a good reason. If I were you, I'd kill me the second I'd see me." He felt Elric's hesitation. "But then again, you're not the type to attack unprovoked. And I didn't even get the chance to say anything."

"You said "Doctor." Do you still have something against Doctor Marcoh?"

"That old bat? Puh-leeze. But as for that fireball…" Envy's eyes unfocused; he remembered something important. "Mustang. It had to be. There's something on your mind, isn't there?" The boy's lip quivered as he took a step away. 'Okay, how does the Doctor do this?' He took a breath and began.

"Alphonse," Envy spoke softly, pushing himself up onto his elbows as the boy turned to him, "You seen what happened at Rush Valley. You've seen those ships attacking the town. There are things out there that you aren't able to understand yet, but I am. You need my help. That's why you didn't kill me, isn't it? Because you knew you needed me." Rising to his knees, Envy kept eye contact until a wave of vertigo overtook him, and breathing heavily, he went limp. Red and grey clouds colored his vision, but he registered that Elric was dragging him out of the transmutation circle. He was set up against a wall and the boy tried shaking Envy until he came around.

Envy batted him away, and risked glancing up at Elric, waiting to hear an explanation. When none came, Envy said, "It's bad, isn't it? You're really trusting me."

"Yeah, it's Colonel Mustang- he's not acting like himself." Alphonse offered up, sitting down beside the Homunculus. "Like an animal's inside him. And things happen around him, sometimes."

"Things? What sort of things?"

"Nothing having to do with him or any alchemy," Alphonse said, twiddling his thumbs, "just weird things; like from dreams." Envy rolled his wrist, asking for more explanation. "Well, sometimes I turn around, and there's someone facing him, or speaking to him, but they weren't there before."

Envy leaned back with a sigh and closed his eyes. He was going to need more than this. "When did it all begin?"

"Two, two and a half months ago? That's when- when Big Brother went... missing."

Envy turned slowly to face Alphonse. "Is that when the automail users began getting attacked?"

The boy gasped. "How did you know?" Envy waved the question away. "That's only been circulated on military-only radio frequencies. N-not that I'm supposed to know, but… Wait, do you think that the change in Mustang and the attacks are connected?"

"Don't ask stupid questions." Alphonse and Envy jumped at the voice, knowing they've been caught. Looming in the doorway was a cold-eyed man in a military uniform. Mustang's face was disturbingly similar to the one he wore the last time he and Envy met. "Cohering with the enemy, Alphonse. What are you up to?"

"Please-" Alphonse stammered, nervous. "We have to save Brother, he could be in danger." He started to rise, but Mustang sparked a fireball that sent Alphonse slamming into the wall- but was there something else Envy felt? It was like a little waver, or an arch of energy tapping into a host. Alphonse crumpled to the floor, wheezing. The boy's clothes were charred and it looked like he took some second-degree burns on the face.

Envy turned from Alphonse to Mustang, startled. Mustang had already crossed the room, stood over Envy, and seized him by the scalp. With a frightening amount of power, Mustang thrown Envy back into the circle. Envy crashed headlong and into his shoulder, feeling his clavicle crunch in on itself as his jaw dislocated.

"Nngguh…" 'The man definitely isn't himself today.' Envy didn't revert to his parasite form, but Philosopher's stone couldn't repair the damage. Mustang stood before him again. 'Was anything about my training supposed to prepare me for this?' Envy noted that that was a very Doctor-ish thing to think at the moment.

But that was a good thing. If you're not a good actor, you're not a good shape-shifter. And if you can't get into the mindset of your character, then you can't act. The Doctor's style of confrontation was not Envy's cup of tea, but it had a better record. So, without further ado, he began to multitask.

"Coming back here was pretty stupid of you, Homunculus." There it was again- that little arc of psychic energy, and Envy latched onto it, shoving his pain aside.

Gingerly, Envy managed to pop his jaw back into place. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me that. It's a bit rude, if you take my meaning." {As properly as any self-respecting parasite should, Envy anchored himself deeper into this mind- without being noticed.}

Mustang squatted down, pulling Envy up by his hair again. "Don't get smart. Why are you here? You're supposed to be dead." {This was good- the mind was too distracted to notice Envy's probing.}

"I don't know; you brought me here, whoever-you-are. And I say that because the boy's right. It's not by much, but there's something that's a bit un-Mustang-ingy about you. So- why are you possessing the Colonel?"

"What?" Alphonse almost whispered from where he lay.

"Shut up!" Mustang snarled. "I'll kill you!" {It was only a moment that Mustang dropped his guard, but that's all Envy needed. And Envy saw.}