The Winged Alchemist: Blood Lines

Chapter Six: Vengeance

Winry opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling above her. She blinked, flexing her fingers and grabbing at the sheets she laid on. Where am I? She found herself admiring the satin material and turned her head to look out the window. It was dark, the sky spotted with clouds. A breeze blew in through the open window and she inhaled deeply. The air was clean and she smiled. But her smile faltered. She sat up and ran a hand through her messy hair. She could tell she had been sleeping for a while. She felt dirty. Soreness ached between her legs and her frown deepened. She felt unclean in more than one way.

"What…who am I with?" She searched the room for something, anything to give her a clue. There were no pictures on the nightstands that stood by each side of the bed. No pictures on the wall. She looked to the floor and found no clothes, no wallet. "Everything is so clean…too clean…" Her head began to hurt and she put her forehead down into her palms.

"Winry, why are you awake?" A smooth voice washed over her and she looked up, her frightened blue eyes becoming clouded as a man entered the room, shutting the door behind him. She smiled at him and reached her arms out to him. He crossed the room and sat down on the bed, allowing her to hug him tightly. He embraced her and put a hand on her neck. She looked up at him and he kissed her. "You'll catch cold with the window open, love."

Winry kissed him again. "I won't with you here to keep me warm." The man laid her down and crawled over her, nipping at her neck down to her bust. She closed her eyes and whimpered for more, but something in her mind troubled her. As he stripped his clothes free and climbed under the blankets to caress her already nude body, she felt as if something wasn't right.

"Winry…thank you for waiting for me." He kissed her long and hard, taking her by surprise when he entered her. As he had his way with her, she let her head fall back and a tear slide down her cheek.

Who is this man? Why am I letting him do this to me? She pulled him down closer to her and cried out with pleasure as he moaned out her name. After a few minutes, they reached their climax and he fell on top of her heavily, breathing into her face and making her scrunch her nose. But he smiled at her. "What's wrong?" He asked her, stroking her cheek. She leaned into his touch, startled when she wasn't sure why.

"Nothing." She found herself saying while looking into his dark eyes. His short, brown hair dangled just shy of his brow and his tan skin seemed to glow. She looked away a moment, not paying attention as he smiled maliciously. By the time she looked at him again, it was soft and loving. "Paul." He finally slid out of her and laid next to her.

"What is it?"

"I…how long have we been together now?"

"Why…8 months now. Why do you ask?"

"And we truly love each other?" She asked.

"Of course, Winry. You know that." He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and cocked his head a little to the side as if he was thinking deeply. She watched him until he blinked and kissed her. "Now that I think about it, I've thought of a great idea." He sat up partway and she followed suit, sensing excitement.

"What is it?" She asked. He winked at her and leaned over her to open the drawer of the nightstand on her side of the bed. When he closed the drawer and sat back up, he held a small box in his hand. She eyed it suspiciously, her heart skipping a beat. "Paul…" He opened it up and met her eyes. Inside the box was a beautiful diamond ring on a silver band. "Paul…"

"Winry…will you marry me?" She felt more tears fall down her cheeks and she shakily looked away from the ring to him.

"I…" No! No, I don't even know this man! Her mind thought frantically. "Yes!" She sobbed out, allowing him to place the jewel on her appropriate finger. He wrapped her in his arms and hugged her tightly.

"I love you, Winry. Forever." He whispered into her ear as he laid her down again. She looked up at him and smiled. His eyes seemed to reflect a non-existent light for just a moment and she blinked. What was that? That didn't look human!

"I love you, too." As he reentered her and began a rough rhythm, grunting and moaning, she let her head fall back once more and she closed her eyes tightly. Who is this man? Why am I marrying him? She gasped as he moved even faster. Who am I?

. . .

Alphonse looked up from where he was bound to the door in front of him. A light on the other side turned on and footsteps approached. He clenched his fists and growled, the door creaking slowly open. "You're sick." He said, his voice echoing more so than usual in the empty room. The door closed and a smile gleamed in the darkness.

"Thank you, Alphonse, that means a lot." The smooth voice made him cringe.

"Let her go."

"No. Not until we get what we want."

"You'll never get it, Envy."

"Hahaha! Well, in that case, if I don't then I will just have my way with your little friend until she croaks."

Al tugged harshly at his restraints and shouted in frustration. "No! Edward will come and he'll kill you for what you've done!"

"What I've done?" Envy kneeled down and Al looked away, disgusted at his appearance. The homunculus looked like a normal human with brown hair and dark eyes. It made him want to vomit if he could. The monster smiled, his teeth far from human and baring sharpened points. "You mean to say what I'm doing." He laughed again and swatted Al's helmet off his shoulders and reached inside the armor to his blood seal.

"Wait!" Al gasped as a finger trailed over his seal. Envy chuckled.

"Don't worry, Al. You won't live long enough to see what happens, anyway." Al felt his armor tremble as a nail scratched across the seal.

. . .

Edward looked up into the night sky as he stood in the courtyard of Eastern HQ. Taking in a deep breath, he allowed his body to morph into its true form. His body shifted, growing larger, muscular, yet leaner. His skin glowed a pale color and wings stretched out around him. Beside him, Lee had already transformed, her demonic features sickening him, but also filling him with a hope that her nature would help him in the end. He turned around and looked at the Colonel and his Lieutenant.

Riza's eyes had grown large as she unconsciously clutched at Roy's arm with a strong hand. Roy looked at him with a determined gaze and Ed smiled. This took the man off guard and he frowned. "What?" Ed chuckled.

"You've accepted me for who I am…for what I am." His voice sounded different, as if it had a ring to it.

"Good luck, Ed." Roy said quietly, wrapping his arms around Riza.

"Thanks." Ed turned his attention back to the sky and felt a pit of anger rising in his stomach. "Lee."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here."

"Good. Stay close. If you fall behind, I won't turn around." Lee scoffed and muttered, but he ignored her. He was too worried. If his feeling was right about what he would be stumbling across, he would be losing someone. He clenched his fists and took one last deep breath. "Be prepared."

They took off in flight.

Riza looked after Edward and Lee and squeezed Roy's arm. "Why aren't we going to help?"

"This isn't something we can really help with. Not yet." Roy replied calmly. "But when he finds them and comes back, something tells me he will need us."

"For what?"

"Demons and Angels can't coexist, Lieutenant." He looked at her and gave a half-hearted smile. "We may not live through this, either." Riza let him pull her into his arms.

"Then we better be ready for anything when they get back."

. . .

Edward was uncertain what the Fuhrer was up to, but he knew a few things for sure. Based on what Lee had told him, Bradley was a homunculus named Wrath and Envy was aiding him in collecting him for creating a war on all human civilization, beginning with Central. And Winry and Alphonse were fragged into their plot. Ed beat the sky ferociously with his wings, moving faster than he ever had. He had to make it in time to save them both, even if he felt he could only save one. He had to try.

You cannot ignore what it is you already know. Ed gritted his teeth at the sound of Sabina's voice inside of his head.

I can always try. He glanced over to Lee. The demon flew easily beside him, but sweat lined her brow. He averted his eyes to the front. She's going to try and kill me when this is over.

Yes.

Well, this life sure is starting with quite the bang. Damn it all.

"We're here." Lee spoke, pointing down below them to an abandoned factory. He wasted no time in swooping down to the ground and landed swiftly, never making a sound. Lee followed suit and they quickly entered the building.

It was dark and wet, water dripping noisily from the ceiling. Ed darted from shadow to shadow without giving notice to even the rats. He had to move fast. The air was thick with malice and he knew they were in the right place.

"Here." Ed said, stopping in front of a large door with a padlock. He grabbed it and crushed it with a simple squeeze before opening it fearlessly. When the dim light reached inside the small room, Ed's eyes opened wide. Alphonse was chained to a poll in the middle of the room, his helmet off and his body leaning forward. Ed rushed to him and kneeled down, peering inside of the armor. "Al? Al, say something!"

The blood seal was intact. But Al lay unmoving. Ed felt his heart beat faster. He grabbed the metal shoulders of his younger brother. "Al, please!"

"…brother?" A tear escaped and fell down Ed's cheek as the voice of his little brother met his ears. "Brother, you found us." His voice was weak. Ed smiled.

"Where's your head?"

"Over there." The more he spoke, the stronger it became. Ed quickly found and placed the helmet back where it belonged and glowing eyes met his. "What is she doing here?" Al asked, noticing Lee standing behind him. Ed reached around to the chains binding him and easily broke them. They stood together.

"She's helping." Ed said flatly, gaining a nod from Al. He walked out of the small room with Al following behind. He was thankful Al could always read him when he wanted to send a message indirectly. Lee was only pretending to help. Something he knew all along.

"Brother…Envy has Winry. They've done something terrible to her." Ed faced his brother.

"What've they done?"

"Come on, Dark Angel, there's no time for this." Lee interrupted. "She's near. I can smell her." Ed nodded and they walked down the hall to the farthest door. Ed sniffed at the air and growled. An offending odor reached him and he knew what it was Al was trying to say.

"Winry…" He reached the door first and kicked it down without hesitation. When it hit the floor, he froze.

Winry lay in a bed in the middle of the room, a man on top of her and pumping into her. Winry had jumped at their entrance and the man looked back at them with a deadly grin, continuing his business. Ed saw red cover his eyes.

"Paul…who are they?" Winry spoke shrilly.

"Don't you remember, Winry? That man there was the one who killed your grandmother." Paul climbed off of her and stood next to the bed, his body changing into its true form. Edward snarled.

"Envy. What have you done?"

"Your girl." He snidely replied. Winry sat up in the bed while pulling the sheets up to cover herself. She glared at Edward with pure hatred.

"Kill him." She said. The words stung Ed and he faltered. Envy smiled wider and lunged.

"Edward!" Al shouted, snapping him out of his thoughts. Ed ducked, Envy's fist ramming into the wall.

"You'll die for this." Edward said, his voice booming. Envy jumped back and laughed.

"Oh, Pipsqueak means business now? Prove it!"

"I've nothing to prove to you, monster." Ed felt his canines grow and he darted forward, grabbing Envy by the throat. Hoisting him into the air, he looked into his eyes as he struggled, cussing loudly.

"What?" Envy shouted. Ed merely smiled, lowering him down so they could see eye to eye.

"I am no longer the weak human you once thought I was." Without wasting time, He bit into his throat and ripped him apart, blood pouring onto the floor. But instead of regenerating, Envy's body disintegrated. Ed lowered his hand as Winry screamed.

"YOU BASTARD!" She shouted, jumping up from the bed. She had thrown on pants and a shirt, attempting to escape when Envy was killed before her very eyes. Ed looked at her, a glare on his face and blood running down his chin. She sobbed uncontrollably and dropped to her knees, reaching for the ashes that once stood as the man she thought she loved.

"Ed…" Al breathed, shocked at how fast Ed had killed the monster that had plagued them for so long. But before he could say another word, Lee's voice made him freeze with fear.

"You should learn to pay more attention, alchemist." She said, grabbing him and throwing him down, his helmet rolling away from his body.

"ED!" He cried out, gaining his brother's attention as Lee held him down with her foot. Ed held his wings out threateningly.

"LEE. What are you doing?" She crushed the metal below her foot down a ways, making Al cry out with fright.

"The fight is far from over, Edward." She said, looking to the doorway. Ed glared at the newcomer.

"Bradley."

The homunculus smiled as he tore off his eye patch, revealing his ourroborus. "Welcome back, Edward."

. . .

Next chapter will be the last. I realize this chapter sounds a little crazy, perhaps a little rushed, and more mature than what some of you expected, but I have plans for the finale. Enjoy.