Consciousness came slowly, bringing with it a muted kind of pain he suspected came from medication. He could feel something covering his burns—bandages, maybe?—but it didn't stop his chest from hurting every time he breathed in. His head pounded, a dull ache spreading through his skull. His entire backside was pressed against a mattress, and as much as the pain made him want to roll over, he was coherent enough to realize that any position would present the same problem.

"Hnn…"

"You finally decided to wake up, huh?"

Startling, Envy pried his eyes open and tried to take in his surroundings. He was definitely in the hospital, the blinding whiteness of the walls and ceiling assaulting his senses. He shut his eyes for a moment, trying to focus, trying to muster up enough strength to actually move.

"You've been unconscious for three days. How do you feel?"

Envy took a somewhat deep breath and pushed himself up on his elbows, ignoring the hurt it caused and slowly opening his eyes. He immediately found Mustang sitting in a chair pushed up against the wall. "I…" He managed to stay propped up for another second, but then he collapsed back to the mattress. "My head hurts." He swallowed, his throat dry and raw. "Well, everything hurts, but you know that."

Mustang hummed, and as much as Envy wanted to try and read the look on his face, he knew there was no way he could get himself upright. So, he kept his mouth shut and stared at the ceiling, waiting to see what would happen, silently reminding himself that Mustang wasn't done with his designated punishment.

For another moment, there was nothing, but then came the rustling of clothes and footsteps. "Here." Mustang came into his peripherals, grabbing something from the bedside table. "Drink this. It will help."

Envy realized that, unfortunately, he would have to somehow force himself into something resembling a sitting position. So, he took a breath and pressed his hands against the mattress, pushing with all the strength he had in his battered body.

"Easy." Mustang stepped closer to the bed and brought a small cup to Envy's lips. "You'll want to drink it fast, but you need to take little sips or you're just going throw it all up."

Envy offered a faint nod and then put his lips to the rim, waiting for Mustang to tilt the glass. As soon as the water breeched his lips, he understood what Mustang meant. It felt like heaven on his parched throat, the pain of speaking and breathing eased by the cool sensation of liquid running over the damage.

"Take it slow."

Envy took Mustang's advice, sipping the water slowly despite his desire to drown in it. It took about a minute and a half, but he managed to get the whole glass down, all the while watching Mustang out of the corner of his eye. Something was causing the military man to show him kindness, and given how angry Mustang was about the victims of the explosion, there had to be something going on.

"We need to talk."

Envy slowly sank back into the mattress, his muscles flooding with relief, and he tried to maintain a casual air. "'Bout what?"

"I received a very interesting report this morning." Mustang stood by the bed, crossing his arms over his chest and staring the homunculus down with an unreadable expression on his face. "Around four o' clock this morning, military personnel apprehended the man who blew up the Green Dragon four days ago." He glared. "Do you want to tell me how that's possible?"

Envy stiffened, shifting his gaze to the ceiling. "Um… not really."

"I would strongly advise you reconsider."

For a moment, Envy kept silent, trying to figure out the best approach to the problem at hand. He hadn't expected the military to continue looking for the perpetrator if he admitted to the crime, so he hadn't created a contingency plan for Mustang finding out the truth.

"Now, Envy."

"Fine." Envy swallowed. "I didn't do it."

"You still haven't learned the pointlessness of lying to me?"

Envy glared, finally meeting Mustang's eyes, and he didn't know what possessed him to start an argument, but he got the feeling it had to do with him surviving Mustang's most recent round of torture. "Oh, please." He fisted the bedsheets. "I knew you wouldn't believe me if I tried to tell you I was innocent, and I wasn't about to let you torture me extra for telling the truth."

"If you had said you were innocent, I would have needed to find some proof before I could punish you." Mustang opened his mouth to continue, but Envy cut him off.

"You wouldn't have needed anything, and don't try to tell me otherwise." Pushing against the bed again, he tried to sit up. "You can talk about your mercy and empathy, and you can tell me you don't want to lose the respect of your subordinates, but you would gladly take the bare minimum to put me through whatever punishment you see fit." He leaned toward Mustang's side of the bed, still clutching the sheets, pain racking his entire body. "You give yourself a code to make it look like you have a moral compass, like you're holding back and being a decent person, but you're really just biding your time. You're just waiting for me to slip up so you can finally do what you've been waiting to do since the day you captured me." He broke off, coughing as his body rejected the strain he was putting it through. "Go ahead—and hit me." He sucked down a lungful of air and coughed it back out. "Because I won't—be sorry for that."

Mustang stared at him, not saying a word but not visibly angry, either. Envy lifted a fist to his mouth, still hacking up a lung, and he tried to swallow the agony surging through his chest. Tears started to burn the corners of his eyes, and the relief from the earlier water was completely undone by the trauma he was putting his windpipe through.

Suddenly, Mustang reached out and took Envy by the shoulders, pushing him down into the mattress. For a moment, Envy thought the colonel was going to strangle him, and he braced himself, but Mustang just grabbed the pillow from beneath Envy's head.

"Here." He pressed the pillow against Envy's middle. "Hold this to your chest as tight as you can. It'll help with the pain."

Confused, Envy did as he was told and wrapped his arms around the thin sack of cotton. He felt relief immediately, and even though his throat was still screaming at him, his chest mostly returned to that dull ache that had been assaulting him since he woke up.

"Better?"

Envy nodded, sucking down a lungful of air only to cough it all back out again. He screwed his eyes shut, still clutching the pillow, and tried to muscle through the fit.

"Sit up a second." Mustang grabbed Envy by the shoulders, and it felt like he was actually trying to keep from causing pain. "Maybe some more water will help." He pulled until Envy was upright, and the homunculus found that having someone else do the work greatly eased the pain in his muscles. "Do you think you can drink some more?"

Envy coughed a few more times and then gasped, trying to relay with his eyes that he had no idea what he was capable of. Mustang didn't respond, instead grabbing the pitcher from the table and filling the cup halfway. Holding it out, he pressed the rim to Envy's lips, and with another rasping spasm, Envy tried to drink some.

It took a little effort, but he managed to swallow, and the more he drank, the less he coughed. Slowly, he eased out of the fit, his grip on the pillow relaxing slightly. Mustang took the glass away, and then he pulled the pillow from Envy's arms, placing it back at the head of the bed where it belonged.

"Lay down. You need to rest."

Envy stared with cautious, suspicious, somewhat afraid eyes.

"Go on." Mustang gave him a little shove.

Still watching, Envy eased his body into a position that would facilitate sleep. "I…" He shifted, pulling the sheets up to his chest. "I don't… understand."

Mustang sighed, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He rubbed it for a few seconds and then dropped his hand, giving his captive a look that was none-too-friendly but lacking the usual hatred and anger.

"You're right."

Envy blinked.

"I wouldn't have believed you, and you would have been punished for lying." Mustang put his hands on his hips, and even though nothing about his countenance said he was taking a submissive position, his words said the opposite. "I am… sorry. I'm sorry you had to choose between two terrible options because of my stubborn hatred."

Envy froze, staring at the colonel with wide eyes and trying to figure out what had just happened. It sounded like Mustang had just apologized to him for being hateful, for forcing him into a lose-lose situation. It sounded like that, but that couldn't have been right. Even if Mustang was in the wrong, who would ever apologize to an enemy? Who would ever admit defeat like that? It was so humiliating. He could understand humans debasing themselves for their loved ones, but for an enemy? It made no sense. It made no sense at all.

Envy averted his eyes, muttering under his breath. "Yeah, you better be."

Mustang said nothing for a moment, but then he gestured to the bed. "You're always cold. Do you need another blanket?"

Still suspicious, Envy offered the faintest of nods. He thought about making a snide comment about the lack of cold he had experienced when Mustang was burning him to a crisp, but he kept that to himself. He didn't want to disturb the tentative peace that had been formed, and he definitely didn't want to push Mustang to his limit.

"I'll go find one." He stepped toward the door, stopping short to offer a warning. "I doubt you can do much in the state you're in, but Lieutenant Hawkeye is standing outside in case you try anything."

Nodding again, Envy let himself melt into the sheets, wondering if he would actually be able to fall asleep. He had been unconscious for three days, and he doubted there was anything in him that wanted to sleep some more.

Might as well try… He once again thought back to Mustang's apology, a scowl twisting his lips. It doesn't make any sense. He pondered it for another minute, and then he shrugged. Stupid and weak. What else can you expect from humans?

"It looks like we're all here."

Envy scratched at the gauze wrapped around his right arm, violet eyes traveling over the collection of humans that Mustang referred to as 'all.' He had three weeks of recovery in his rearview mirror, and he had been expecting Mustang to start up the interrogations again now that he could function, but… no. It looked like something else was being planned.

Hmm…

Most noticeably, the Elric brothers. How Alphonse got his body back, Envy had no idea, and he didn't know why both arms coming from Edward's sleeveless, black top were flesh. But, apparently, they had accomplished their goal of getting their original bodies back. So, why were they still in the military? And what would Mustang want them for?

Maybe it's something the Elric brothers have exclusive knowledge on… human transmutation? The Gate of Truth?

But it wasn't just them. Mustang's entire team was gathered, most of them standing across from the desk while Havoc lounged on the sofa with Envy, entirely too close to tolerate. So, even if it did have to do with some alchemy expertise, it was still something the military would be involved in. Did that mean—

"Did anyone bring him up to speed?" Edward jerked a thumb in Envy's general direction, a less-than-pleased tone in his voice. "Or are you dragging him into this blind?"

"I figured I would tell him and update you at the same time." Mustang looked at Envy, a completely unreadable expression on his face. "We are dealing with disappearances."

Envy blinked. "Okay?"

"It's a severe uptick, and most of the bodies that have been found don't have any discernable cause of death, even after thorough autopsies. We suspect that there could be a team of scientists creating Philosopher's Stones." Mustang rested one elbow on his desk, gesturing with his hand as he spoke. "We know Father had operations all over the country. Taking that into consideration, we surmised that he had to have had more scientific teams and laboratories than the few we know about."

Treading carefully, Envy leaned back against the arm of the couch and folded his arms over his stomach. "Yeah, we had a lot." He wasn't sure how much that was really giving away, and his brain was scrambling to figure out how much he was willing to share. "Do you know why they're making them? I mean, is it just so they can have immortality for themselves, or are they actually trying to accomplish something?"

"We aren't certain." Mustang had a cautious look in his eyes, like he was trying to decide what level of difficulty he expected from the homunculus. "I told you most of the bodies had no discernable cause of death. However, one of them looked like it had been torn apart from the inside, leading us to believe a homunculus is being made in the same way Wrath was."

Envy kept a passive expression, but internally, he was trying to figure out what the purpose of such an attempt would be. Did they really expect to create something more powerful than themselves and then have that being do as it was told?

You're more powerful than Mustang, and you still do what you're told, his brain reminded him, an almost gleeful note to the degradation. Then again, maybe you're not more powerful than him. Maybe you're so weak and used up and worthless that—

"We don't know if they're acting independently, or if the scientists who used to be in league with Father are trying to create a new order, but people are dying." Mustang narrowed his eyes slightly. "You would be able to recognize what methods they're using and what those methods might mean."

Envy blinked. "Huh?"

"We don't know if they're creating more of those white, brainless beasts you unleashed on the Promised Day, or if they're making a homunculus like Wrath, or if they're making a homunculus like you." Mustang shrugged his shoulders. "Basically, we don't know if we need you, but it's likely, so we're going to keep our resources close. Understand?"

Envy bristled but nodded all the same. It wasn't as if he had any choice. If he tried to refuse, Mustang would bring out one of his many trump cards and shut him down. Or he would try and incinerate him again.

Alphonse cupped his chin and stared at the floor thoughtfully. "Were there any signs pointing to a specific kind of homunculus?" His voice came out solidly, not echoing the way it used to.

Mustang shook his head. "As I said, we found a body that looked like it had been taken apart from the inside, but there's nothing to indicate what the intended power was. Ultimate Shield, Ultimate Eye, Ultimate Spears—it could be any or all or none of them." He nodded in Envy's direction. "I figured you would have some thoughts on that as well."

Snorting, Envy shook his head. "I can see why you need me. You clearly don't know a thing." He let out a bit of a theatrical sigh, running a hand through his hair. "Without Father, there can be no Ultimate Weapons. On top of that, creating a homunculus the way Wrath was made would lead to a lot more torn up bodies than just one. It takes several attempts for that method to work. Greed—or whatever that kid's name was—was an outlier, and from what Wrath told me, the human could actually take control at times. That's not normal." He barely took a breath. "If they created a homunculus the way I was made, well… the method is a little more consistent, but you'd need more from your Stones." He waved a hand dismissively. "Still, you have an entire train ride to ask me questions."

"Envy."

Envy put his eyes on Mustang, recognizing the danger in his tone.

"One single misstep, and I will make you beg for death." Mustang glared. "Do we understand each other?"

Envy stared for a moment, and even though he was still wrapped in bandages from the last round of torture, he couldn't help himself. His lips pulled into a cocky, self-satisfied sort of grin, and he replied.

"I wouldn't want it any other way."

"So, you guys burned down your house years ago, right?"

Envy looked up from the book he had been reading, curious eyes peering across the experimentation room they had found in an unused wing of a laboratory.

"Um… yes?" Edward squinted at Havoc from his side of the room, clearly confused, standing there with a large book in his hands.

Havoc grinned, picking up a blade from a table of nightmarish instruments. "So, that means you're living with Winry." He put it down and picked up some kind of drill. "How's that going for you?"

Edward immediately grew red in the face, making stammered and broken noises for a few seconds before spitting out a response. "What kind of question is that? And why'd you say it that way, huh?"

Laughing out loud, Havoc put a hand on his hip. "I thought you might react like that." He sighed, shaking his head with an ever-growing smile on his face. "I gotta say, Fullmetal, I never pegged as the type to settle down."

"We're not settling down!" Edward all but screamed the words, waving his arm frantically. "We're just friends! We've known each other since we were little kids! That's all it is!"

Havoc just kept on laughing, stepping away from the table and crouching down to inspect the chalk circle on the floor. Edward continued to sputter, looking back at the book he was holding and, most likely, trying to distract himself with the words on the pages.

Envy watched them for a moment more, and then he put his eyes back on his book, not reading a single word. He stood there, overcome by the sensation of futility the conversation had evoked. Edward was living with his childhood friend—the one who had been used as a hostage—and they apparently had feelings for each other. They were going to grow up, and acknowledge their feelings, and maybe get married, and maybe have kids. They were moving on, and it was… unsettling, to say that least.

Envy had put so much time and energy into Father's plan, and not only had it failed, but was it really so pointless? Had the humans they manipulated and controlled and tormented already started to move on? Was it that easy for them to shrug off the fact that they had been pawns in a cruel, twisted game and get back to normal life?

Did Envy really lose everything for nothing?

"I want to know how these guys haven't been caught yet." Havoc moved a little closer to the center of the transmutation circle, trailing his fingers through some partially dried blood. "I know this wing is supposed to be abandoned, so there probably wasn't anybody coming down here, but…" He shook his head. "I mean, I don't even understand alchemy, and I can still figure out that something bad is going on here."

Grunting, Edward wrestled with the top of a wooden crate. "Knowing that they're doing something bad doesn't exactly tell us who or where they are."

Everything we threw at them, and it just made them stronger. They aren't afraid of this place or what's being done here. They're confident in their ability to stop it, mostly because of what they learned from fighting us.

"Hey, Envy."

Envy jerked himself from his thoughts just in time to catch the book that had been chucked at his head, an irritated growl rising in his throat.

"Quit slacking, or I'll tell the colonel to cremate you again." Edward pulled another book out of the crate he had opened. "I know this is, like, the third place we've looked, but we can't stop. Especially not in the middle of investigating one so sketchy."

Envy glared at him, opening his mouth to reply when he saw the cover of the book that had been thrown. "Wait." He dropped the other tome, no longer interested, and began to flip through the pages of the new text. "Wait, this might actually be something."

Frowning, Edward stopped digging through the box. "But that's about chimeras, isn't it?"

"Exactly. Chimeras are created by cutting apart two creatures and stitching them back together, just like what happened to that Tucker kid." Envy ignored the look on Edward's face, eyes jumping back and forth across the pages. "Remember what I was telling you on the train? It isn't that different from how homunculi are made." He stopped. "I mean, chimeras are chimeras, and homunculi are obviously superior, but the basic concepts are the same."

Havoc left the transmutation circle and came up behind Envy, peering over his left shoulder. "I thought homunculi were artificial humans."

"They are." Turning another page, Envy tried to explain. "But you have to make the human body, or whatever you're putting them in, and then fuse it with the Philosopher's Stone. With Wrath, the stone was injected into him, a human, and he was torn apart and put back together." He shook his head. "You can't do that with real homunculi. First, you have to create a body that costs around five or six souls to make so it's fortified enough. Then, you have to damage the body and the Stone so they will fuse together in equal parts."

"How do you damage the Stone?" Edward muttered, walking across the room and standing on Envy's right side. "Do you just… break it like you would a regular stone?"

Envy shrugged, his shoulder nearly hitting Edward's chin as the annoying blonde tried to get a look at the pages. "Basically. It's easiest to use alchemy of some kind to continually break it apart." He stopped flipping, leaning a little closer and sniffing the red stain on the text. "It's blood."

Reaching out, Edward brushed his finger against the mark. "It's fresh."

Havoc pointed toward the center of the circle. "Yeah, that blood is only kind of dry."

"So, what?" Edward took a step back and looked at the two. "They just left? Or—"

They all froze at the sound of a gunshot.

"That's gotta be Hawkeye," Havoc muttered.

They heard another bang, and Edward bolted for the door. "They must still be here!"

Envy watched the blonde disappear, but after a gesture from Havoc, he found himself pushing his still burned body into a run. They went into the hallway and followed Edward down the corridor to the right, the halls looking less than official and more like the paths of an old warehouse that had been repurposed.

I should tell them. Envy immediately reprimanded that part of his brain, reminding himself that he was under absolutely no obligation to prepare the humans for what they were about to see. I don't even know for sure a homunculus will be there. Maybe the twist in his gut was telling him there would be, but that was hardly proof. Even if it was, this was their mission. They were the ones who decided to get involved, so they were the ones who could deal with the consequences. Just forget it.

It didn't take long for them to hear the high-pitched shriek of alchemy underscored by a chorus of desperate screams that served as the proof Envy needed. They followed the sounds, taking another right, and as they passed the empty and not-so-empty rooms, they were joined by the rest of Mustang's team. Envy let Edward stay in the lead for most of the trip, but when he saw the doorway up ahead, he pushed his pain aside and darted around the alchemist, flying into the room with a single command.

"Don't interfere!"

Envy had to take in the scene quickly, his brain processing each aspect and cramming the information together to try and figure out what to do. Mustang was standing on the opposite edge of the glowing circle, trying to inch himself closer to the chaos in the middle. Hawkeye stood off to the left, aiming into the mess and most likely trying to figure out how to kill only some of the creatures in the middle. Alphonse was struggling to restrain a scientist, and as the other soldiers came through the door behind Envy, they ran after the three other people trying to get away.

But Envy didn't care about any of them as long as they didn't interfere. He cared about one thing, and that was the bundle of flesh and screams splayed in the center of the transmutation circle. There were five chimeras—no doubt starving and tortured out of their minds, as that was the best way to do it—and beneath the mess of fur and fangs, there was a body.

"What do you mean don't interfere?" Edward came to a stop beside Envy, taking one look at the feasting creatures and sprinting towards the circle.

"Pipsqueak!" Envy reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "This is how you make a homunculus. If you stop them, he'll die."

"They're eating him!" the blonde shot back angrily.

Envy glared at him, violet hues unwavering. "Don't interfere. You don't know what you're doing." He stepped around Edward and pointed at Mustang, who had started to move toward the carnage once more. "That goes for you, too! We let them eat him."

Mustang practically snarled at him, shouting over the commotion. "You don't get to make that decision."

Envy snarled back, equally loud. "This is why you brought me along! If you want him to survive, you let the process run its course. He'll be fine." Or she. But he had only ever had one sister, so he made an assumption based on experience.

"This is sick." Edward clenched his fists, ever the righteously outraged hero. "They're tearing him to pieces."

"Remember what I said." Even though he was speaking to Ed, he kept his volume high enough that everyone in the room could hear him. "You have to destroy both the Stone and the container. Alchemy is damaging the Stone, which is most likely at his core, and the chimeras are damaging the body. If you stop them now, he'll be left with a body that is demolished but not bonded with the Stone. He'll die." He turned back towards the circle and approached, watching the massacre with steeled composure. "It won't be long now. Just keep your pants on."

They stood in silence, Mustang and Edward hovering at the edges of the circle, ready to pounce in as soon as it was over. With Breda's help, Alphonse was holding someone against the wall, and Havoc was doing the same on the opposite side of the room. Meanwhile, Fuery and Falman were pinning two more to the ground. Hawkeye stared, ever unwavering, aiming and waiting for the moment she would be allowed to fire.

Envy stood right outside the blue line, staring at the carnage taking place in front of him. He watched the limbs flailing, the blood spraying, eyes sliding from one injury to the next as he watched the skin seal itself back up. There's still a delay. Swallowing, he tried to block out the memories of his own creation, phantom pain mingling with the real pain spread throughout his body as he watched the poor creature in the circle.

"You said it wouldn't be long," Edward growled. "What are we waiting for?"

Envy sent him a single glare, eyes sharp and deadly, and then looked back at the violence. If they couldn't tell from the solemn expression on his face that he wasn't waiting for the fun of it, then they were too stupid to understand his answer anyway.

That was quicker. Envy crouched down, trying to see what was going on at the bottom of the heap. He just lost an arm, and it looked like it started to grow back in about twenty seconds. This is good. He leaned over the edge of the circle, not putting so much as a toe inside but still getting as close as he possibly could. Now we just need to wait for it to be instantaneous. He began to count again as the new limb was torn away, the piercing screams slowly slurring into words as the creature's mind began to develop.

"Make it stop! Make it stop! It h-hurts so much, please, make it stop!"

Envy shook his head, knowing they were all looking at him. Eighteen seconds. He held up five fingers, hoping they would understand there was a countdown of some sort. Sixteen seconds. He bent his thumb slightly, putting it all the way down when the regeneration time for a full limb was cut down to thirteen seconds.

"P-please, make it stop! Make it—"

Envy fought off a grimace when the words dissolved into one, long, agonized scream. Ten seconds. He put down a finger, but there were three left, and he could practically feel their crumbling self-control. Seven seconds. Envy put a hand behind him and motioned for Hawkeye to come closer.

"Shoot one." He threw the order in her direction without looking, raising his voice to be heard over the growls and screams and shrieking alchemy. "Just one."

Hawkeye fired, one of the grotesque, dog-like beasts falling to the ground.

Envy dropped another finger as the number of seconds decreased again. This is where it gets rough. He watched, something hitting him deep in his chest as he counted out the numbers, their reduction growing agonizingly slow. It's still solidifying the connection, but he's so close.

He nudged Hawkeye on the leg, never once taking his eyes off the center of the circle.

Hawkeye seemed to understand, and another shot was fired a few seconds later, felling the second chimera. There were still three left, each of them hungrily tearing into the naked body that had yet to stop begging for mercy.

Six seconds. Envy tensed, preparing to launch himself into the fray and pull what he supposed was his new brother from danger. Still six. He didn't know how he was going to kill the chimeras without his power or immortality, but he couldn't let the humans retrieve him. Four. They wouldn't understand like he would. If there was ever a moment in history when a homunculus was capable of the human emotion Mustang called empathy, he was living it. Three. Envy was empathizing, and while he didn't intend to make a habit of it, he remembered how his siblings had taken care of each other in their first days. Still three.

Envy nudged Hawkeye again and held his breath, lowering another finger and waiting to see if there was still enough damage to trigger the Stone with only two chimeras left. Two. Evidently, there was, and he hoped the lessened injuries wouldn't slow down the process too much. He didn't want to prolong the suffering. Still two. He was practically shaking, crouched and tensed like an animal ready to pounce. One. His last finger started to lower, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Mustang hold out a hand in preparation to snap. Come on, come on.

Then it happened. One of the chimeras took a bite from the homunculus' side, and before the flesh was completely torn away, red sparks began to spew from the wound. It didn't matter if the healing wasn't instant, it only mattered that the Stone's reaction had been instant.

"Now!" Envy shouted the command and bolted for the center, dropping to his knees and grabbing the homunculus under the arms. Immediately, one of the chimeras latched onto his forearm, and he had no idea what to do to get rid of it, but he wasn't letting go of his brother.

"Get back you stupid dog!"

It was Edward, and he gave a resounding kick to the chimera that sent the beast flying. Mustang snapped a second after that, enveloping the animal in flames while Hawkeye moved closer to the last chimera, which was gnawing on the new homunculus' leg.

Envy stood up as she fired the last bullet, walking backwards and dragging his new sibling out of the circle. He winced, aware of the pain that concrete scraping against bare skin would cause, but he didn't stop until they were out of the circle.

"P-please, stop, stop, please, make it stop, it hurts so much, please, please…"

Envy laid the body down as gently as he could, ignoring the pleas and focusing on what he could determine about the homunculus. It was a somewhat small boy, about the size Edward had been when he started his journey as a State Alchemist. It was hard to tell whether he had red hair or if whatever hair he had was just stained in blood, and the eyes were still rebuilding themselves.

"…please stop, please stop, it hurts so much, please…"

Once again, the pleas went unacknowledged, though Envy did nothing to harm the smaller homunculus. He was still doing an inventory of injuries, watching as the protruding ribs began to push themselves back into place. Honestly, the thing didn't look like a human or a homunculus. It looked more like a nightmare, recognizable as a sentient being only by the broken voice coming out between what was left of its mouth.

"…please, please, no, please stop, please, no more…"

"Hey, it's alright." Edward crouched down by the head, reaching out to touch a relatively undamaged shoulder.

Envy's hand lashed out, encircling the blonde's wrist before he could make contact. "Don't do that."

Edward sputtered. "Well, why the heck not?"

Envy actually looked away from the homunculus and met his opposition's gaze. "Listen to him. He isn't asking us not to hurt him in the first place, he is asking us to stop. He's saying no more. Everything still hurts, and it will for a while. If you touch him, his skin will burn like fire. He isn't out of the woods yet."

Mustang's voice came from behind. "You mean the Stone isn't done hurting him?"

Envy laughed, his voice thick with bitterness and scorn. "When will you stupid humans learn? All the Stone can do is hurt people. It will never stop. It can't."

For a moment, there was nothing but whimpers and slurred begging. Then Hawkeye spoke, her typically stony demeanor shaken by the bloodbath she had just witnessed.

"Is that how Father made you?"

Envy scowled. "Why do you want to know?"

Hawkeye paused, seeming uncertain for several moments before finally responding. "If this is how you were made, I wanted to offer my condolences."

Envy scoffed, not knowing how else to respond to the words. "That doesn't even make any sense." But, after expelling a reluctant sigh, he answered anyway. "Yes."

No response.

Envy looked up, glaring at the two blondes in turn. "Don't you dare pity me, you pathetic worms." Envy grit his teeth, shame and anger stirring in his chest. "It was worth it. I'm alive, aren't I? I'm alive, and I am more than you will ever be, so don't—" He was cut off by a burst of pain in his skull, both hands coming up to hold the tender spot.

"Enough." It was Mustang, cold and unsympathetic as usual.

Envy growled, debating whether he wanted to provoke the colonel even more. In the end, though, he decided to focus on his brother. "Once his body is finished healing, we need to get him somewhere comfortable."

Edward frowned. "I thought you said his skin would burn."

"Not literally." Envy cast him a sideways glance. "It will be that way for at least twenty-four hours. We can't leave him on the floor." Technically, they could, but Envy wouldn't let them.

Hawkeye reached out, her hand hovering above the twitching thigh. "Should we test it?"

Envy shook his head. "No. We grab him and move as fast as we can. There's no good way to do this. He'll just have to suck it up."

Running his hands through his hair, Envy thought to himself that it would have been nice if Lust or Greed had been there. Even if it was fake, Lust could display gentleness and caring in a way Envy knew he couldn't. Greed saw the younger homunculi as his possessions, and he hated to see his belongings damaged. He would know how to make the kid smile and relax, how to chase away the nightmares so he could get the sleep he needed to recover, and how to cope with the never-ending agony without losing his mind.

Mustang spoke up then, breaking the silence with a slew of commands. "Lieutenant, find the closest hospital. Envy and Fullmetal, carry the homunculus and go with her. I'll stay here with the team and get the scientists we managed to apprehend to the local jail."

Envy turned his attention to his brother, who was still quaking in fear and pain. He reached out and cautiously waved his hand in front of the now regenerated eyes, but the dilated, frantic blue circles didn't seem to notice.

Boy, have I got my work cut out for me.

Author's Note: So, I kind of broke one of the rules of this story. It's established that Envy's Stone is only healing serious injuries. However. He was burned completely and totally, and he still has his hair. I apologize if this ruins it for anyone, but I didn't want him to be bald. So. Ahem.

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