Dear Readers,
So sorry it took so long for me to do this damn chapter. I just went back to school for not being there in a whole month, I have a stomach ulcer ( It should go away soon, so don;t freak!). This story was born when i first got sick, so i worked literally NONSTOP! So, I'm really happy with this chapter. Everyones coming together and stuff. But, sadly, we won't be able to see from Envy's point of view in a while :( Oh, I told you guys I would tell you what happened to him..Didn't I?READ IF YOU WANT TO KNOW: Okay, well, remember what Dante does to Gluttony when he doesn't start easting Alphonse? I think it's in episode 49..ya it is. And she does something to him that makes him bend to her will, forgetting his emotions and only focusing on one thing: EATING. She does the same thing with Envy...But I can't explain EXACTLY what she makes him think. Cuz that would just ruin the glorious surprise! Once again this is taken from episodes 43 and 44, but I've added my own special twist. hope it's okay with yall...Thanks so much for the reviews! yall are magical! I'm working as fast as I can on the next chapter! DON'T WORRY!
- Ramona F.
Joining Forces
Winry watched with wide eyes as Edward and Alphonse ran wildly on a giant boulder. If she hadn't been so distressed she might have actually laughed at the two fumbling Elric's, mainly Edward. He made strange noises as he tripped over his short legs, his blond hair falling into his flustered face. It was so good seeing him, she felt one half of her heart flutter.
She also got a bitter taste he in her mouth as a pair of eyes flashed in her mind.
Winry made her bound hands into fists.
You stupid gearhead!
" Oh my, are they alright!" Sheska asked from beside her nervously.
Winry smiled softly, trying desperately to calm herself.
" Oh ya, they're fine." She said as if trying to convince herself.
But she had to admit, she had seen them go through worse than this.
She knew the brothers had gone through more than keeping their balance on a moving boulder.
However, her strange sense of calm was forgotten once she saw Coronal Mustang raise his gloved hand into the air with a smirk. She stiffened, knowing that this action couldn't possibly be good by any means...
The loud snap and strange electrical bite to the air confirmed her panic.
Suddenly the large boulder the brothers where balancing on exploded, flinging the two into the air ( Edward screaming the entire time) to only disappear in the giant cloud of dirt that had taken to the atmosphere. She distantly heard Edward coughing, and her heart ached. The mechanic glared daggers at the back of Mustang's raven black head, her bound fists tightening. She did not like him.
Needless to say their walk to the rivers edge had been unendurable. Especially when Hawkeye had told him who she was. He had given her this...Look. Like he knew her. Or like he knew something terrible...about her. She couldn't decided which. She just knew that she both hated and strangely respected the man, a decision she had made in no longer than twenty minutes of knowing him.
" You know running makes you look guilty." The Coronal said as the smoke settled, revealing the two brothers. One motionless while the other shoot with his coughing fit, but stilled once he heard Mustang's remark.
" Ed! Al!" Winry couldn't help but cry out, happy to see them safe but scared at the same time.
She wanted them to run. Badly. If they got themselves killed...She wouldn't know what to do.
The mechanic watched as the Fullmetal Alchemist turned around sharply upon hearing her voice. His eyes widened, appearing to be like two golden stars in the sky of his surprise.
" Winry?" He exclaimed, clearly surprised to see her there.
She smiled sheepishly and tried to hide her hand bounds, but his burning amber eyes saw everything, and soon he was scowling at Mustang.
" We're running because we knew you'd come after us. Isn't that what every dog does when it's chased?" The teen asked bitterly to the man, who hand his gloved hand poised in the air, fingers ready to snap at any moment.
Winry held her breath, and heard Sheska whimper beside her.
" Yes, but a trained dog never defies the orders of it's owner." Mustang said.
" Then I'm a stray." Edward quipped, sneering at the man.
" Really?..." Mustang paused.
It was quiet for a moment as the tension in the air built. Winry could tell Edward clearly did not like the man, and the man had a resentment for the boys actions. She wondered momentarily what exactly he did to get in this kind of trouble. But all of those thoughts where dismissed one she heard Mustang's next remark.
"...Then maybe we'll have to put you down." The Coronal finished, his voice bitten with a cold edge that made the hair on the base of her neck stand erect. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice as her throat got thick with her worry.
No...Please no. Not another one...
Tears welled in her large eyes and she closed them softly, a tear racing down her cheek and falling off her chin. She opened her eyes to find Edward was looking at her. He quickly looked away, and returned to glaring at the man, teeth bared and sweat rolling down his tanned cheek.
" Just come with us Edward, okay? We're not out to hurt you. We just want to get to the bottom of what happened in Lior." Hawkeye tried, her voice pleading as she took a tentative step forward.
The mechanic stared at Hawkeye. She had been so kind to her when she was in the hospital. She knew her words where true, somehow. Riza had a certain air about her, an air that told someone she didn't lie unless she needed to. And only them. She remembered speaking to her once on a train when she had been taken back home from Central, and asking if she had ever shot anyone. The woman had replied with the truth. And that's all Winry had to know. She trusted the woman...
Winry stiffened as she heard two approaching footsteps close in on the brothers, the two soldiers ( who she recognized as Breda and Falman ) held up their guns to her childhood friends.
" I'll never go back there," Edward said fiercely in his strong voice which rose above the babel of the river, " You'll have ta kill me first." His eyes became deadly as his face became a hard mask or defiance and strength.
Winry felt herself flush...She had never seen Edward like that before.
Sure, he had been like that when he was little. Not afraid to stand up for himself and talk back to adults. But he had never looked so...powerful before. And his threat only added to the emphasis of his willpower.
Once again Winry was reminded of Envy, who clearly hated the woman he had called "master" and visible hate for all authority. He had always said her name in a mocking tone ( except for two times she distinctively remembered him saying them with respect. The first time being after they had kissed, and the second before he had thrown her from the window) She had noticed the sins malice to the cold woman who controlled all of the humunculie. Winry had once believed that she did so with the stones...But now she wasn't so sure. After all, she had believed Envy had changed...
" So what? Your going to shirk off responsibilities and revert to a stubborn child?" Mustang growled impatiently at the stubborn teenager.
" Say what you want! I'm in control now!" The teen said as he quickly clapped his hands together and pressed his automail hand to a nearby stone, glowing his trade mark light blue.
Suddenly there was a giant explosion of water, the streaming bursting up and shooting into the sky, only to rain down on Winry and the others. She heard Mustang grunt and shield his eyes with his arm as water poured on him in thick clumps.
Winry frowned, not understanding what a little drizzle could do.
" Good luck make'in sparks now," Edward smiled cockily, then his head snapped in Al's direction, " Al." he ordered, then quickly turned on his heals and sped away, his brother following silently while his footsteps echoed.
Winry still didn't get it, until she saw Mustang inspect his white glove. She then noticed a strange symbol drawn on the material, which was soaking wet and dripping. Her eyes widened as she put two and two together, and she couldn't help but smile at the retreating form of Edward Elric.
He really is clever...
Her hope of them getting away was dashed when she heard Mustang call on the tall man she had come to know as a Major Alex Louis Armstrong. Winry liked the man. He was kind and friendly, his only flaw being that he constantly showed his muscles any chance he got...But the accepting girl was now willing to hit him with her trusty wrench if he hurt Ed. No matter how big his size!
As he drew back his large fist, the yellow sparks flashing all around like sparklers, Winry's breath hitched in her already tight throat. She couldn't watch, but she couldn't look away. The Elric's impending doom was almost too much for her. The girl knew she should have faith in them...But she had never seen them get into a fight quite like this one before.
As the strange spikes Armstrong created propelled at Edward's back through the air, she saw Mustang take something out of his pocket. What sounded like a match being struck sounded through the dense alchemic air, and a giant flame appeared before him. The flame shot out like a small dragon, encircling it's burning body around the dagger and causing it to explode with a loud bang.
Once again, she was confused, until she saw small bits of rock that looked deadly fly from the smoke the explosion created. All aimed at Edward.
She gasped, tears streaming down her face.
The daggers whizzed through the open air, the sound the only thing she could hear besides Edward's sharp intake of breath.
His brilliant eyes widened with fear.
She closed her eyes tightly, pushing more tears from her burning eyes.
Winry heard a dull clanging and more explosions. Her face twisted into confusion once again, and she opened her eyes. She smiled slightly, relieved to see Alphonse standing before Edward, his large body protecting his big brother from the daggers. Her heart unfroze slightly, but not enough to calm her nerves.
" Al!" Edward said in shock, and looked up at his younger brother.
" I used my alchemy to transmute the rock into a hollow projectile." Armstrong stated proudly.
" Then I heat the air inside it to explode it into a hundred daggers. It's an effective attack, don't you thin?" Mustang explained.
Ooooh. Winry thought but dare not say. She figured it would just make her look like an idiot.
She saw Edward bitterly smile.
" Ya I'm pretty sure the two of you put it to great use in Ishbal." The teen stated.
She felt herself involuntarily freeze.
Ishbal? These two men where in Ishbal? During the war?
Winry saw Mustang tense, and suddenly strike another match. The flames hit a large stone above the Elric's, causing it to fall. She gasped, her mouth opening slightly as she took a step forward. She felt so sick. So sick off all the fighting and seeing Edward get hurt. Winry couldn't take it.
Her eyes bore into the dark haired man from behind, but she tore her hateful gaze away from him to see the brothers as the smoke cleared. She momentarily sighed once she saw they where okay, but stiffened when she saw Mustang walk forward slowly. She saw Edward look around for an escape, but the rocks where too high. She thought she heard Alphonse ask something like, " What do we do?", but her mind was too heavy with thoughts. She had to do something. Anything to help them. She pulled on her ropes, but hey wouldn't budge.
Come on Winry! You had the guts to bate a hungry chimera for some guy who hates you, and the one boy that loves you is going to die in in front of you and you can't do anything?
Tears streamed down her face.
She hated herself.
Edward gritted his teeth and his features became animistic. He seemed to snarl like a feral wolf being cornered, his body going rigid and coiling, ready to spring into attack and ready to do anything to save himself and his baby brother.
Why couldn't she be like that?
Strong? Willing to do anything to save someone.
She recalled Envy's body trembling as he tried to keep the chimera at bay. How he had come to her rescue even after she and him had had a fight. He had sucked out her poison, even when she knew he was probably just going to let her die.
" Oh no your not you stupid human! Your not dying on me!"
Winry sadly remembered the day when he had turned on her all too vividly. The look in his eyes had been...So sad. So pained. She didn't understand. Couldn't understand. She recalled how his lips had curled into a snarl and how his teeth had suddenly looked frightening when they usually did not. How the point of his blade had almost broke skin. How he painfully pushed her against the desk, then bruised her by harshly grabbing her in unknown, rough movements he had never displayed before. She would never forget the feeling of falling as her body became suddenly weightless, and all she could do was stare at his pain filled eyes as he looked expectantly out the window. As if waiting for something. His words to her...His voice...Everything. That was the freshest memory of him she had.
And she hated herself for not doing something.
If she really had loved him, Winry knew she should have fought more. Should have demanded he told her what was wrong and what was going on. If she had really loved him like she thought she had, then she would have been brave like she had in the face of death.
She made her frail hands into fists and closed her eyes tightly, seeing nothing but his eyes.
" Nothing. I've just come to kill you, that's all..."
" STOP!"
Her voice sounded in the horrible silence, sending a chill down her spine. She trembled, her palms began to sweat and she felt freezing.
Once it was quiet, and she could no longer hear the loud footsteps of Mustang, she fell to the ground and tilted her head down. " Please...Just stop." Her eyes leaked tears and she felt so weak.
So incredibly weak.
" Don't touch me, human."
" Winry..." Edward whispered, even over the loud stream it felt like he had whispered in her hear.
"...But...I would never hurt you Winry..I..."
She clenched her jaw tightly. She tasted metal in her mouth.
" I once executed two people...Two doctors..."
Winry stiffened, her eyes snapping open to look at the Coronal.
Edward gasped.
" ' There are no sides, just patients ', that's what they said as they treated our fallen enemies in Ishbal," he paused, his voice becoming more strained as he began reliving the memories, she guessed, "But the people they where healing would just rise up again to fight us. The military asked them to stop. But they wouldn't. And their makeshift hospital was becoming a den for insurgents."
Winry just couldn't believe it.
But somehow she knew...She knew he was talking about her parents.
"...I got my orders in the morning. And I shot them. That night. After wards I tried to kill myself...But I was too much of a coward. So I took an oath instead..." She felt the emotion pouring from his voice. It was enough to make her quiver and her tears sting. The raw emotion of it...she was so confused. "...To never follow unreasonable commands again. To reach a position, where I wouldn't have to. And I've stayed true to that..." His voice got fierce, and she could help but look up at the man who had killed her parents.
Winry hated to admit it...But she respected him in a strange way.
Her feeling where just as strange as the feeling she felt towards Envy. She know shew should love him. He hates her. Wanted to kill her the last time she saw him. But she still would choose him over Edward in a heart beat if he came back. Even if it would break her heart in the process, because she also loved Edward. She was even more messed up than Roy Mustang. To not hate the man that killer her parents, and to love a man who hates her.
Still, she found his words to be moving...Especially when he spoke that way. She thought he would make a wonderful leader with his inspiration speaker. She suddenly got chills.
Winry could see that Edward was feeling the same. He no longer had the look a a beast, ready to fight of an attacker. Now he looked stunned and amazed. His mouth agape and his eyes focused.
" I'm not chasing you because I was commanded to. I'm doing it because I'm pissed. Now why the hell did you two run away with out asking for my help first!"
Her chills rolled up to her spine. She looked over to try and see the brothers reaction to the mans speech.
Edward smiled slightly, and only continued to stare at the man with a strange look on his sweating face. Winry wanted to sigh at the teens stubbornness.
Armstrong walked over to his friend and placed his giant hand on his shoulder, trying to support him when the Elric's continued to stay quiet.
" Tell us boys, please. What happened?" The tall man asked.
There was nothing but the sound of the river now.
Winry held her breath.
Alphonse's large body straightened from it's crouch. His glowing red eyes looking almost deadly as he spoke, " Fuhrer King Bradly, is a homunculus."
Winry gasped. Her insides felt cold and she jumped slightly. She felt Sheska look at her for a moment, but avoided the mousy girl's eyes. The mechanics mouth stayed opened in her shock.
What?
She felt the others stiffen just as she had, gasping as well.
" When you say the word homunculus...You mean an artificial human?" Asked Falman.
"...He is a homunculus. A being created from the failed human transmutation of a once living person."
" Yes...Their after the philosophers stone. And their pulling all the strings in the military." Edward explained.
Winry stiffened. This was all news to her. Even if she had been with the homunculus for a month, she never knew of their plans for her or their proclaimed control of the military. And if what Edward was saying was true, then that would mean that Envy and the others had been the cause for many wars and tragedies. Including the one at Ishbal. That would mean the the strange family she had come to love and miss was, indeed, evil. She closed her eyes briefly, remembering Wrath playing with her. His big smile.
Is it really true?
" That can't be true." Roy murmured.
" The fuhrer had no idea about the experiments going on in Laboratory 5! The military was being infiltrated without his knowledge." Armstrong argued.
Alphonse quickly rose to his feet and stood proudly, " He had the mark of the ouroboros. I saw it myself. What else do you think that could mean?" The armor argued.
Winry couldn't breath. She gasped slightly and sputtered to find some air.
Images of Envy's thigh assaulted her mind. Along with the underside of Wrath's foot, the center of Lust's chest...All of them... They all had the marks. The ouroboros...
" You told us of a homunculus with the ability to shape shift..." Armstrong said.
Winry nearly fainted now, and her hands became clammy. She knew they where talking about Envy. He had said so himself, he was the only humunculie who could shape shift. But the fact that Edward had told the military made her feel uneasy. Was Envy really that much of a criminal?
And she knew where they all lived! Well, she didn't know the exact location, but she had been there! Had met their master! Her insides twisted.
Should she say something? The poor mechanic had no idea what she should be doing.
" The fuhrers secretary is a homunculus to." Edward said coldly.
For a moment Winry tried to guess which one of her old friends it could be, until she heard Sheska gasp from beside her. " I thought she was an alien."
Winry, even through her stress and anxiety, found it within herself to sigh at her friends stupidity.
" If that's true and the fuhrer and Ms. Douglas are humunculie inside the military...What purpose do they serve? What is it they hope to gain?" Hawkeye asked, her voice no longer carrying the strong tone it usually did.
Winry had been wondering the same thing...If Edward was right, and the humunculie where trying to get their hands on the stone...Why would they need it? They had immortality, great power...What could they possibly use the stone for? What did they have to gain that they didn't already have? She remembered the stories Envy would tell her of all the places he had been, the people he had seen...With such a great gift, what could the beings possibly want?
" Humanity."
Winry thought she was hearing wrong. She honestly was. She felt her body go still, and then tense at the silky smooth voice she was currently hearing. It was a distant voice from her memories, a person she had been missing. One she remembered but thought she would never hear again.
" Lust?" Edward said aloud, confirming her accusation.
" Lust?" Roy repeated, clearly confused.
Winry stood slowly, then turned around even slower. She looked to her feet, then felt some one walk to her. Hawkeye tensed beside her.
" She's one of them dammit! A humunculie!" Edward hissed.
" What?" Roy asked sharply.
Hawkeye instantly fired, not hesitating for an instant.
Winry instantly looked up, tears already in her eyes. She was greeted by the sight of Lust, smiling wickedly with her black lips and shimmering red velvet eyes. She was just as lovely as Winry remembered, and just as strong. She watched as blood poured down her gorgeous face and onto her still smirking mouth.
The bullet pushed itself from Lust's forehead as if it was a living being. The hole closed itself, but the blood remained on her porcelain skin. The wicked lovely creature licked her lips.
Hawkeye gasped from beside Winry, and held up her gun again. As the Lieutenant was about to fire, Winry propelled herself in front of Lust without thinking. Her body moved faster than she remembered it being able to, and she watched Hawkeye's mahogany eyes widen in surprise.
" WINRY!" Edward screamed.
The gun went off with a loud bang.
Edward ran forward, pushing his body to all of it's limits
His heart felt like it was stopping.
Everything in the moment mattered about just one thing; Getting to Winry.
He had been a bit shocked that She had been there at all...How had she known that they where going to be escaping that way? And furthermore...Why was Sheska with her? He had been shocked at Mustang's statements, revealing not only that he did in fact kill Winry's parents, but that he also cared for the two brothers. The had really surprised the young alchemist.
But the biggest surprise was definitely the arrival of the humunculie that called itself Lust. He remembered meeting her in Ishbal...Had she followed them home? But why? Had she heard everything he and Alphonse had said? He knew that they where right, and surely the monster did as well. So was she going to kill them now?
Was it just a strange coincidence that he had just been explaining to the military that they where being run by humunculie that she chose to make an appearance? He knew the humunculie was one to sit and watch...Waiting for the opportune moment to strike, like the snake she was.
He watched at the bullet came dangerously close to Winry.
Using speed he hadn't know a humunculie to possess, the black haired creature quickly moved before the bound mechanic, face suddenly serious, smirk gone from her bloodstained black lips. The bullet hit her right in the ouroboros mark, and blood stained her snow white skin once more and ran down her endowed chest. The bullet immediately pushed it's way out of her inhuman body, and she stood looking deadly and beautiful as it hit the ground. Her red eyes bore into Hawkeye's, then flickered violet.
Edward's brows pulled together. He hadn't remembered that ever happening...He also hadn't thought Lust would ever take a bullet for someone.
He watched in confusion as Winry immediately stepped in between the two women, as if trying to save the humunculie with her small body and bound hands. Her large eyes where pleading and tear filled.
The sin looked pissed, taking her now red eyes off of the lieutenant, who still had her gun poised in the air. She placed her hands on her curvacious hips and glared down at Winry.
" Are you crazy! You know we can't get hurt! What where you thinking!" The sin snapped.
Edward froze. He had no idea what was going on. He was sure Winry had never met Lust before...So what was going on?
Winry turned and looked up at the sin with tears in her eyes, and strangely enough, she smiled.
" Sorry...I just...Forgot." the mechanic said and shakily shrugged her shoulders nervously.
Forgot?...What the hell is going on!
" Brother, what's Lust doing here? And how does she know Winry?" Alphonse asked. Edward hadn't know he had followed, and suddenly jumped at his brothers closeness, taking a step away. He still couldn't get close to him because of the philosophers stone.
His worried where momentarily interrupted when he saw Lust pat Winry's head. His temper flared and he marched up to the humunculie.
" Alright! Mind tell'en me what the hells go'in on here!" He demanded angrily, then put himself in between Winry and Lust, trying to puff out his chest to tell her he meant business.
Lust smirked down at him and crossed her arms, clearly relaxed and not at all intimidated. She was still bloody, but didn't seen to care as she locked eyes with the golden eyes boy.
" You mean she didn't tell you?"
He stiffened, then turned to look at Winry, confusion in his eyes.
She was looking down at her feet, her eyes hidden behind her bangs, expression unreadable.
Lust sighed. " Oh dear. Well, this is a mess. And here I was hoping to just get a few limbs..."
Edward started, looking back at the tall woman who was grimacing and completely ignoring her earlier statement all together.
" What the hell are you talking about Lust! Why are you here dammit!"
The sin rolled her eyes.
" I'm here to help you boy. And to get help in return," She said coolly, then directed her blood red at Winry, " I need your services. A friend of mind has lost some limbs. And I thought you'd be the perfect girl for the job." She smirked again.
Edward couldn't believe what he was hearing. He stared dumbly at the tall woman, than at the girl who was blinking rapidly. He was so lost. Utterly, and completely confused. Just what the hell was going on? How did Lust know Winry? His Winry! And Who did the sin need to get automail for?
And did he hear the woman correctly?
Helping?
" I thought humunculie where bad, Edward." Roy commented, suddenly beside him.
Edward frowned. " They are. She's just lying." he hissed, balling his hands into fists.
Lust turned to Roy, and mockingly saluted, causing the man beside him to stiffen.
" Lust, reporting for duty, Coronal..." She purred in that sexy voice of hers. Edward wasn't sure if she was trying or not...It just seemed to be in her nature to act in that way. He also caught Hawkeye glaring at her as she lowered her gun slowly, then cast her glare at Mustang.
Edward also turned to look at him, and his jaw dropped open.
The damned idiot was smiling and giving her those looks Edward always saw him give cute nurses!
" Well..." The Flame Alchemist murmured.
" Sir." Hawkeye narrowed her eyes.
Edward bared his teeth. " Hold it! She's our enemy! You just ca-"
" S-so are you really here to help?"
Edward stopped once Winry began to speak to the sin, looking up at her with trusting azure eyes. Her tears where still falling slowly from her eyes, and the light captured her just in the right way, at the right moment to make Edward calm down. Her beauty shone around her like a hallow, and he slightly blushed as he recalled her from the other night. He could feel her hands moving over his chest...
" If the runt will just calm down and listen to me." Lust answered.
Edward's thought's where interrupted as he heard her comment, and he turned to her in his flaming anger. "Runt?" He repeated loudly.
The sin raised a dark eyebrow at him, but said nothing to disrupt her calm composure.
Roy chuckled softly and Edward turned on him.
" Who you call'in a guy so short you can't find him without a magnifying glass!" He seethed.
" It seems Winry seems to know something about them, sir." Hawkeye commented the obvious to Mustang, both ignoring the boys outrage completely. Mustang was still staring at Lust with fascination, and itched his chin, never taking his eyes off her bloody face.
" This could be an advantage for us...If what the kid says about the fuhrer is true." Roy commented.
Lust turned her gaze on him, " Oh, it's true alright. I can assure you that. How the boys found out however...That's a mystery." She then turned her gaze on Alphonse and smiled.
" Glad to see you didn't blow up after all."
Edward heard Alphonse squeak softly, unable to reply to the woman due to his bashful and shy nature. He instead twiddled his fingers together and looked down to the ground.
" Sir, do you think the homunculus is truthful?" Armstrong asked.
Edward turned on him. " Of coarse not! She-"
" Is my friend."
Edward's body broke into a sweat. He turned to look back at Winry, who's hand's where still bound before her. Her face was fierce, eyes no longer filled with tears and now ready for a fight if the blond boy asked for it.
" W-Winry...What?" He whispered.
" B-but how do you two even know each other?" Alphonse asked.
Before she could answer, a group of soldiers walked over to the group, stopping abruptly once seeing Edward and Alphonse. Their eyes nearly fell from their sockets when they landed on the bloody woman, who smiled darkly at them. He noticed Armstrong lean down to Mustangs level and ask him something, only to have the Coronal nod in agreement.
" Men our mission is complete! We can now return with our heads held high!"
The soldiers looked bewildered, and stared up at the giant man with their mouths open.
" But aren't you supposed to keep an eye on the Coronal?" One of them asked sheepishly, clearly confused by his orders.
Armstrong suddenly ripped off his shirt, exposing his muscles and posing under a light that seemed to shine from know where. " Do you doubt the integrity of a man who's can do this?" He asked while vigorously flexing, pushing the men to the forests edge.
" Ah, no Major, that's not it!" Another man said as he waved his hands in front of him.
" Then I'll show you what they can do!" Armstrong insisted.
The group stared at the retreating men with frowns as they all sweat dropped.
" Sir, we really should discus this elsewhere." Hawkeye commented, eyes shifting to look around the forests edge.
Edward intently watched Winry as her ropes where cut by Lust's claws, and was disgusted when a smile formed on her full lips. His jaw clenched in anger at what she was obviously not telling him. And after what they did the other night, he thought she would have been more open with him...
Wasn't she the one who always hated for us to not tell her things! And now here she is with a secret this big!
But, he did remember that he hadn't actually told her everything that had been going on with him and Alphonse yet...He wasn't even sure if he ever would. But still, Winry had heard him talk about the humunculie before. If she had known anything about their existence, then she should have said something!
" How do you think Winry knows Lust, brother?" Al asked from beside him.
Edward made his hands into fists, glaring at her long blond hair as she walked in the line the group had formulated. She was happily chatting with the tall woman, who he suspected was talking back.
" I don't know...But I'm going to find out." He said darkly and proudly strode up to walk beside Winry, who was talking about something stupid to the humunculie.
She stopped once she noticed his presence, and the glare he was sending her. She sweat dropped and nervously smiled. " H-hi Ed."
He frowned. " Hi."
They stared at each other for a few moments.
" Mind tell'in me what's going on?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at her.
She audibly gulped and smiled. " Going On?" She repeated dumbly.
A blood vessel appeared on his forehead.
" Yes! What's going on!"
He didn't miss the smile that appeared on Lust's black lips. He angrily pointed at the homunculus. " With her! How the hell do you know he Winry?"
she twiddled her index fingers nervously and avoided his angry golden eyes, trailing hers down to his waist. Her brow furrowed and she cocked her head to the side.
" Ed? Where's your watch?" She asked.
Edward's eye twitched and he looked down at the spot his watch usually was, then back up at her. He would let her change the subject!
Al squeaked from behind him.
" I see, so you've already taken off your pocket watch. You must have really meant what you said about retiring from the military." Hawkeye commented.
Edward let out a sigh through his nose, then turned to look at the woman.
" I didn't take it off to prove a point. Archer took it from me and I never got it back." he explained, remembering the man taking his watch before he left to venture in Lior.
He never really liked that man.
Hawkeye gave him an strange look. " What? But we told Al to give it back to you..."
They stopped to turn their attention to Alphonse, who squeaked again and raised his hands nervously, flailing them about and looking ridiculous.
" I-I'm sorry brother...I-it's gone." he said nervously.
Edward felt what was left of his composure fizzle away as he glared angrily at his little brother.
" You lost it!"
Alphonse was quite a distance away, clearly afraid of his brother, and shook his hands in front of him. " No I didn't loose it! See, Kimblee threw it at Scar," he mimicked throwing, " And then all the red stones fell out of it, and Scar's arms absorbed it! There was nothing I could do!" his voice grew higher and higher the more nervous he grew, and his arms flailed around him once again.
Red stones?
Edward hissed.
" And why where their red stones inside my state issued watch Al?" He asked his brother harshly. Al wasn't the lying type. Or so Edward had thought...
" It's Archer. He uses that trick to create more alchemy amplifying devices..." Mustang said..
" What?" Edward hissed as he turned around to look at the man.
" When we where crushing the Ishbalan rebellion, Grand ordered us to do the same thing."
Edward flared in anger. " What a minute Coronal, your saying that even though you knew the military had made a partial philosophers stone, you waited 'till now to tell me about it?" Edward seethed as he pushed past Breda and made his way over to Mustang, who's head was hung and his dark eyes looked at the glassy river, far away and in a trance. " I thought doctor Marco had gotten away and put a stop to the research..." he said to himself.
But Edward wasn't listening. All he could focus on was beating the shit out of that stuck up bastard Mustang for leading him and his brother into danger, and all for his own selfish reasons.
" I had no way of knowing they where using human beings to-"
Edward grabbed his collar before he could finish and spun the dark haired man around, bringing him down to his eye level forcefully. " I don't trust you." Edward growled.
" Brother!" Alphonse exclaimed, but Edward was way too gone to even hear him.
He knew. That bastard knew!
" You knew what it took to make one! And still, you let me search for that damned thing!"
He wanted to kill that damned coronal for letting him continue his search fro that damned stone. All of the lives lost because of their search...All of those lives could have been spared if that bastard would have told him.
Mustang tried to pull away, " That's enough!"
" Brother!"
" Edward, stop it!" Winry tried.
He felt a large gloved hand on his shoulder, then the whirl of electricity run through him.
Alphonse gasped from behind him, and he turned to meet his soulful eyes before he was propelled into the raging river with a loud splash.
" AL!" Edward cried, fully forgetting Mustang and running forward.
" He can't go in the water!" Winry cried.
" AL!" he pushed himself to the rivers edge, his heart going up to his throat at the thought of his blood seal washing off. He screamed his name again, afraid that the last time he had spoken top his brother would have been just a few moments ago.
" Right here!" A chipper voice called as Alphonse's body was suddenly propelled from the waters surface, jumping high into the air and the sun catching on him.
Edward's mouth dropped open as he stared up at his little brother. Usually if Al fell into water, his suit would fill with water and Edward would have to go and drag him out. He had never been able to jump before...And never so high...
" Wow." Edward heard Lust say dryly from behind him.
His mouth was still agape even when he came back crashing down into the stream, submerged once more. The alchemist jumped when he emerged and began waving at him like everything was perfectly fine and his god damned blood seal couldn't wash off at any second!
" Brother look! I can swim! I can swim!" He declared happily as he began to slightly sink and his voice began to gurgle.
Edward gasped and was brought out of his stupor, " You idiot!" he said as he ran forward, jumping into the stream and dragging out his gleeful little brother.
" I thought that blood seal of yours would wash away if you ever let it get too wet." Mustang said sternly with his hands on his hips, looking down at the sighing Elric.
" Ya..." Edward replied.
" Looks like we don't have to worry about that anymore..." Alphonse said, then turned to Edward, " I guess it's cause of the Philosopher's Stone, huh?" he asked softly, lifting his helmet and revealing the shimmering light within.
Edward flailed his arms, " Okay okay I get it! Put it back on!" he whispered fiercely and gestured for him to put back on his stupid helmet before everyone saw.
He noticed Lust frown and couldn't help but wonder if she had seen.
" What's that? That glowing?" Winry asked softly.
Damn it!
" Oh! Eh, nothing!" Edward smiled nervously, turning to look at her. She narrowed her blue eyes and placed her hands on her hips. Lust smiled from beside her and Sheska gawked nervously.
Edward stared at her in disbelief. How could she possibly be mad at him for keeping secrets when she was keeping a big fat one herself! He was about top comment, when Hawkeye interrupted him.
" Alphonse, what's because of the Philosopher's stone?" Hawkeye asked suspiciously.
" ha! Nothing1 Just a little inside joke!" Edward said quickly and stood, then began walking stiffly, " Okay! Let's go!"
Edward could feel their eyes on him as he stiffly walked, and heard Alphonse distantly call out to him then join him by his side. He gulped and sweat dropped.
Damn, that was close...
" Well, looks like the military hasn't arrived just yet." Falman commented from his place in the huddle.
Winry stared at her own house from a distance, and instantly felt like an idiot for doing so. It was clear no one was there, so why where they still hiding?
She looked up to glance at Lust, and couldn't help but poke her, to see if she was actually there or not. The sin's brow furrowed and she glanced down at the strange girl. Winry didn't care. She just smiled like an idiot.
She just couldn't believe that Lust was there!
The sin looked down at her an returned the smile.
Winry didn't care if her face was bloody. She still thought Lust was beautiful.
But her mind was swimming with questions for the sin. Why was she there? Was she really going to help them? What about Sloth and the others? Who was the fuhrer, really? Was Envy alright? And who had she brought for her to fix?
Her inner turmoil was interrupted by the sound of crying.
The group looked over to see Brosh walked by, tears streaming miserably down his face, along with a trail of snot. Winry frowned.
" Wait a minute, that sergeant Brosh..." Breda said.
Winry felt Hawkeye go for her gun, " Is he-"
" No no no! He's not after ed and Al! He's okay! I promise!" Winry said as she waved her hands in front of herself. She got up and went out into the dirt road, leaves falling around her. She smiled, " Sergeant Brosh!"
He looked even worse up close, she frowned.
" Hey, what's the matter with you?"
He stared at her blankly, and the others who where coming out of their hiding place. He broke down even more, tears spilling to his sides.
" Lieutenant Ross!" He wailed.
Winry blinked a few times. She heard Lust impatiently sigh, and then walk out of the groups cluster and past he man.
" Lust!" Winry said impatiently.
" I don't have time for this. I have to take care of someone." She said, not looking back as she walked quickly down the hill. Winry sighed, watching her go.
" Sergeant Brosh! Snap out of it!" Hawkeye snapped.
The man just continued to cry.
Roy sighed.
" Come on, let's go see what's got him so upset."
Winry frowned as they made their way down the hill and, just as they where close to the house, Brosh pulled them into the bushes once more and shushed everyone from complaining.
He pointed to Hohenhiem's back, and Winry's frown deepened.
" Listen! He's been charming her all day!"
The group became quiet and desperately tried to listen.
" A long time ago I saw an eagle with wings as black as obsidian...Your hairs the exact same color. I never thought I'd see it again. Thank you for bringing such a beautiful memory back to me." Hohenhiem said smoothly.
Winry blushed and blinked a few times.
Wow...He's good.
Ross seemed to be just as dazzled as Winry, and blushed crazily and nervously looked away.
" And thank you. What a lovely thing to say."
" See? She's falling for it hook line and sinker!" Brosh sobbed, biting onto his hat and pulling.
Winry sighed and watched the scene before them.
" Don't we have bigger concerns now?" She asked.
" Bigger than love?" Roy asked.
She frowned more. She hadn't seen that coming.
" There's something about that guy...he seems familiar...Doesn't he brother?" Alphonse asked.
Winry stiffened. She had forgot completely to tell Ed and Al that their dad was there! And she knew exactly how Edward felt about their dad.
She gasped when she saw his little body running to his old man at full speed, picking up dirt with his boots and his braid swinging wildly.
" WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING FLIRTING!" Edward yelled as he punched his dad with his automail fist.
He sent the poor man sailing back. Winry gasped along with everyone else in their small group. She saw Lust pause on her way inside, sweat dropping.
" Edward what the-" Ross exclaimed.
" YOUR GONE FOR OVER TEN YEARS AND I COME BACK TO THAT! DAMN YOU, OLD MAN!" Edward said furiously.
Winry sighed.
Maybe I should have told him...
She figured it was just one more thing for him to be pissed at her about at this point. She knew he was angry with her already. That much was easy to see. Especially on their long walk back home. He had just glared at her the whole time.
" Dad?" she heard Alphonse breath.
She turned to look up at the softer Elric's who's glowing eyes where wide and flickering like a candle's flame, full of hope and surprise. " I remember him...From the pictures! Dad!"
She watched with a soft smile as the boy ran as quickly as he could, her eyes soft.
I wish every boy was like Alphonse.
She watched him slow down, and began to frown. She guessed he was a bit nervous...He hadn't seen his father in a very long time. Edward was the one with memories of him...And she guessed he was probably worried his father wouldn't recognize him.
Her heart filled with sorrow.
" Oh, poor Al." She whispered, clutching at her chest.
She watched with worry filled eyes as Alphonse stopped before his father and looked down. Her hears strained to hear the soft spoken spirit.
" I-I know you might not be able to tell who I am...Because of the was I look but-"
" Alphonse," Hohenhiem said with a smile, " You certainly got tall."
" Ah...How did you know it was me?" Al asked.
Hohenhiem only laughed softly.
Winry was suddenly filled with relief, and she smiled, exhaling the breath she had been holding.
Hohenhiem looked up at his other son while still smiling, " Edward..."
She saw Edward look down at him, and she knew he was blushing.
She pleaded with god to let them get along.
Please, please, please!
" ….Do you still hate drinking milk?" He asked.
She winced. " Oh no."
" WHO YOU CALL'EN A MICRO SIZED HALFPINT WHO DIDN'T GROW UP BECAUSE HE DOESN'T DRINK MILK!" Edward Elric screamed as he round house kicked his father in the face with his automail foot.
Winry rolled her eyes.
" That's not what he said Edward." She, Sheska and Hawkeye all said at the same time.
But the blond boy only continued to kick and jump and yell at the man, flinging him around like he was a rag doll.
" S-should we do something?" Sheska asked.
Winry rolled her eyes and turned, making her way into the house to find Lust.
" Just let him get it out of his system." She called over her shoulder as she made her way inside.
Granny Pinako was smoking her pipe at the table, and appeared to be in deep thought. Winry tilted her head to the side, " Granny?" She asked cautiously, going to her grandmothers side to see if she was alright.
The woman didn't look at her, but pointed in the direction of the work shop.
Winry frowned, then looked around, noticed a certain person was missing.
" Where's Marta?"
Granny still didn't look at her.
" The roof. Doesn't like your dark haired friend too much. Tried to kill her."
Winry stiffened, then stopped looking around for the snake chimera, and looked down at her grandmother nervously. Her grandmother finally met her eyes, then shook her head.
Winry heart felt like it was going to dry up and fall into the pit of her stomach. She didn't like the way her grandmother was looking at her...She looked so disappointed.
" I always wondered what happened to you...When you where taken..." Pinako started, then paused, looking down at the table in deep thought. Winry thought she might die if the old woman didn't continue. When five minutes passed, she finally broke down, tears streaming down her face. She placed her head into the woman lap and shook. Pinako didn't scold her. Didn't yell like she usually would. Only patted her head.
" You've grown up so much Winry. I'm so proud of you..." She whispered.
Winry lifted her head up to look into her granny's eyes, hiccuping.
" Y-you a-are?" She sniffled.
Her granny grinned. " I didn't expect anything else form a Rockbell. We're tough women!"
Winry blinked her tears away and desperately tried to wipe away her snot.
" B-but Granny, h-how am I brave? All I do is cry and I can hardly stick up fro m-myself at all. Edward and everyone else is always saving me and I-"
Granny shook her head.
" You just don't believe in yourself Winry. And your just as brave as Edward," She smiled darkly, " and need I remind you that if it weren't for your bravery he would be lugging around a couple stumps right now. Your a brilliant young lady Winry, and I'm sorry I never noticed that until today," she placed her small hand on her shoulder, " Your mother would be so proud."
Winry heart swam with new found pride and confidence at her grandmothers words. Pinako had never shown her so much respect. Never told her how she really thought of her...She had never praised her when she taught her the tricks of the trade in automail. She only belittled Winry and snapped at her, pushing her to move forward. Which the girl didn't, but always with a chip on her shoulder, doubting if she was doing anything right.
So for Pinako to say these things to her...
It was a very, very big deal.
She stared at her grandmother, wonder what Lust had said to her to make her say such kind things. She then wondered if the old woman was feeling well.
The woman returned to normal and brushes her away, then went back to smoking her pipe.
" You have a customer." she said, without looking back up to meet her eyes, as if nothing had happened.
Winry sighed. She guessed they where almost as dysfunctional as Edward and Hohenhiem...
The girl looked out the window, to see Edward was gone and Alphonse was speaking to his father. She wished Edward would just stop being such a brat and talk to the poor man. She knew they had a rough past...And Edward felt abandoned...But he needed his father. He needed someone to talk to besides her and Al. A father.
Winry sighed again, then looked up. She would have to talk to Marta once she was done with whoever it was Lust had brought. She was really itching to see who it was that had impressed Lust so much. She also desperately wanted her questions answered.
With that finally thought, Winry shuffled over to the work room, but stopping her movement once she was at the the threshold to take in the scene before her with wide blue eyes. She covered her gasp with her hands.
Lust was wringing out a bloody rag in her hands, the pink water dribbling into a large bowl of murky water. She returned to her work with tender eyes, dabbing a sleeping mans face with so much care Winry hardly recognized the sin. She noted she was still bloody, and seemed to be in a trance as she intently stared at the man. Winry then decided to look at the man, and blushed once she did. He was very handsome, but his face was set into a hard frown, even in his sleep. His skin was a beautiful tan, and his hair was a white tuft and cut into a strange style. He looked slightly scary, and Winry didn't thinks he would ever have the guts to approach such a man. But once again, the sin amazed her. She looked at the man with so much love, so much devotion that Winry was soaring with happiness for the friend she always thought hated men.
Winry's smile vanished when she noticed the mans arms.
Or where his arms should have been.
well, how do you like that? Everyones coming together nicely. And I'd like to thank 13nsin for calling me a writing goddess *blushes* and for noticing my idea's for both Lust and Edward's future loves. it's obvious! And I was hopping a few more people ( COMMON SENSE) would catch on quickly. You really understood where I was going with this 13nsin, so I bow to you most humbly. Please my dear readers, don't shank me for hurting poor little Edward so much. This is a Envy and Winry fic right! Lol.