Chapter 2

Like Love and True Romance

The next time Pride awoke, he did as he was told. Ate what was given to him. Followed the woman into the hallway. He had to pause at first, not because of the height, but because the memories of the place began to consume him. However, the woman's gentle hand on his shoulder willed them away.

"Come," she ordered next and Pride followed her to the main floor. Then, in one of the side-rooms, she presented him with a belt of four wide daggers with black handles. "These are for you. Use them as you wish."

Pride turned the blades over in his hands. In his left, they seemed strange. But in his right, the dagger almost felt like an extension of himself. Which brought him to a question that wouldn't leave him alone: "Why is my right arm made of metal?"

"Because you were transmuted from a body with metal limbs. Most of the other homunculi are merely created from dust, but sometimes the alchemist uses the remains of the dead. However…" the woman paused in thought, "I can return your original limbs to you, if you wish."

"Yes." Pride said, "I want that."

"Then, they shall be yours."

"When?"

"When I have time, dear. I am rather busy at the moment."

"Fine." Pride frowned and let his shoulders slump. "When will you not be busy?"

"When you prove your worth," the woman leaned over and kissed his face. "Now, about that eye…"

"What's wrong with it?"

"An eye patch won't do, now that Bradley's dead." the woman scowled and reached over to move some of Pride's black hair into his face, but his bangs weren't long enough. She then tried to undo the braid, but the tie keeping it together regenerated the moment it was broken. "Damn it. Never mind about the hair."

She took a step back to peer into his eyes again. "We need to fix your other eye as well. Only homunculi have purple eyes, dearest. I suppose for now though, a mask may do. It is not like I am going to replace Bradley. No. It's too late for that. The Military has chosen someone else by now. Besides, all I want you to do is steal a body."

Pride watched the woman clap her hands together and found himself flinching at the sound. Next, following a flash of blue light, the woman handed him a white mask with no openings for his eyes. He stared at it a moment, but at her urging, put it over his face- securing it with the attached ribbon. Like the walls, he could see through the mask just fine with both eyes open. However, when he closed his left, his sight went dark.

"Now," the woman picked up the belt of daggers and secured them across his chest- her hands gently caressing him as she did, making Pride uncomfortable. "I need you to bring back the corpse of Selim Bradley. Is that understood?"

"Y-Yes," Pride nodded and put on the dark cloak she offered next, along with a silver medallion on a chain. " How…how do I leave here?"

"Oh, Gluttony will show you the way."

"Gluttony?" Pride instinctively put the medallion in the pocket of his black pants.

"He's another homunculus, dear. Do this and I will return your arm to you."

"I want the leg." Pride could live with his metal arm, but walking was his current problem. Every other step was clunky and strange. Besides, he needed both-

You have two good legs, get up and walk.

"I will give you the arm." The woman said, snapping him back to the present. "That is final. Ask for the leg again and it will remain in the Gate."

"Understood." Pride took a deep breath and tried to stand up straight. "I will get the body you request."

"Good." The woman sounded happy- a good sign. "Now, go Pride. You will find Gluttony in the main room."

He nodded and was about the leave when the woman pulled him close, pressing her body into him, followed by her lips on his. Pride wanted to back away, but he knew what this woman could do to him, so merely let her do as she wished. Once she let him go, Pride went to find Gluttony. The other was resting in the sitting room across the hall and Pride took a moment to introduce himself.

"I'm Gluttony," the other, fatter homunculus proclaimed happily. He staggered over and hugged Pride so hard, the other felt ribs break. "I am happy you're here. Was so lonely."

"Sorry about that," Pride wasn't, but figured it was best to go along with this strange blob of a creature. "Is there no one else beside me to keep you company?"

Gluttony glanced down at the ground a moment, "no. All others gone."

"Dead?" Pride asked and the other nodded. "Shame. Anyway, Let's go…fatso."

"Yay!" Gluttony cheered and Pride followed him out of the room.

Soon they were climbing the winding steps toward the surface. Pride had to stop a few times along the way as memories invaded his mind, but soon the two of them came to a halt a wooden door. The moment Gluttony opened it, a voice yelled:

"Put your hands up!"

"Stay." The older Homunculus whispered to Pride, then stepped through the exit. The door slammed behind him, but that didn't stop Pride from seeing what followed. The man who had demanded Gluttony to stop had his side torn away by ferocious teeth. Next, the officers- Pride staggered back as another wave of memories hit him.

He awoke to Gluttony shaking him. "Okay?"

"What?" he glanced up at the other who seemed worried.

"Pride okay?"

"Don't know," he confessed and after a moment, Gluttony dragged him to his feet.

"All clear now." He announced and Pride saw the mess before him. Blood on the floor, walls, and pieces of bodies strewn about. "Go."

Pride nodded and followed the other out of the dark corridor and into an old church. Soon, the two were wandering down dark side-streets to a fenced building. It was surrounded by guards, but Gluttony urged Pride on.

"Pocket." Was all the other said as he nudged him forward.

"What?" Pride glanced down at himself and realized what Gluttony meant. The oddly taller homunculus checked his cape was over his head and then, pulled the silver medallion from his pocket. This time, all Pride could do was stare at the silver object in his hand. No, it was a watch. A silver pocket watch attached to a matching chain.

It meant something- he knew it did as his memories didn't lie- but Pride didn't want to remember. Instead, he took a moment to suppress them again and marched up the guard at the gate. The second the man saw the watch, he saluted and moved aside.

Pride continued on his way and soon was inside the building. He followed the signs to the morgue. There, he asked to see the body he wanted, again showing the watch.

"Why?" the woman behind the counter asked, staring at the mask he wore with due suspicion.

"I'm investigating young Bradley's death," Pride replied, adding that the mask he wore was to conceal a horribly disfigured face. "With all of my alchemical skill, it is the one thing I cannot fix. I am sorry."

"Don't be. This way, Mr…" she paused and Pride didn't know his last name,-so used the only name his memories provided:

"Al."

"Mr. Al. I guess." The woman didn't sound as if she bought his story. "However, I am afraid I won't be able to let you see the body until I get clearance from Central HQ. With all that has been going on, I cannot let you merely walk in there."

"I understand," Pride said, only to remember something else- this time, the memory irritated him more than it hurt. "Call the damn colonel, I guess. He'll know it's me."

Whoever this Colonel man is. I don't know, but the name feel useful.

"Of course," Apparently this woman knew who he was talking about, which made Pride's life much easier. She picked up the phone and soon was talking to the one he requested. "Um, sorry to interrupt, Colonel Mus- excuse me, Lieutenant. I am sorry, sir. ...yes, there is someone here who wishes to see the body of Selim Bradley, sir. He says he's investigating the matter. Yes, he just showed up- yes, he has a watch. Name? Um, Mr. Al?"

There was a long silence that followed.

"Oh, are you sure? I mean," the woman glanced at Pride again. "He's rather oddly dressed- cape, white eyeless mask, right automail arm, and yes, I would say he's about that height, sir. I don't have a measuring- No, sir. he has black hair- like I said, he's wearing a mask. Are you sure you don't want me to- yes, will do, sir. Thank you." She hung up and turned back to Pride, "please follow me."

The woman led him through the hallway to the morgue. Once there, the small form of Selim Bradley was pulled out from the wall by the medical examiner and Pride could only stare.

He's very dead, that's for sure.

"Is this all you wanted to see?" the medical examiner asked after a few minutes of went by. "I can move him into the autopsy room if you-"

Pride dug a dagger into the doctor's throat. He watched her silently fall to the floor before grabbing the body. Then, he paused. How was he going to get a body out? The woman who had led him here was back at the front desk and another was dying at his feet. Pride cursed. He wished he had thought this through, but again, he was going to have to play by ear.

Pride clapped his hands together, only to pause.

What was he doing?

He couldn't use alchemy like the woman, could he?

He touched the nearest wall, but nothing happened.

So, he went back to his second plan. It wasn't elegant. No. It was most likely the worst way to accomplish what he wanted, but at least it would work:

Pride grabbed the dagger, the body of the small boy, and ran. It wasn't difficult to out run everyone in his path as he made for the way he came in. He cleared the front doors and continued to where he knew the other homunculus was waiting.

"We gotta go!" He yelled at Gluttony as he ran across the street. The other nodded and the both dashed through the city to the old church. Once there, they rushed down the steps to the underground city and when they reached the main hallway of their home, both collapsed.

"We," Pride wheezed, face down on the cold marble floor.

"Did it," Gluttony gasped.

"The door." Pride asked next.

"Closed."

"Good."

"I see you both came back," the woman said, walking into Pride's line of vision. "Good job, both of you. Now, please give me the body."

Pride nodded and let go of the dead human in his grasp. The woman took the boy and disappeared again. When she was gone, Pride had to ask: "Why did she want that pipsqueak?"

"She's gonna make more of us. Lots more of us! Maybe Lust! I hope she comes back soon."

"Why Lust? Do you like her?"

"Yes, yes! She gives me goodies to munch." Gluttony said. "Always nice."

"I hope she returns, then." Pride smiled a little and closed his eyes, only to drift promptly off to sleep. When he awoke, he ventured to the ballroom to see what the woman was doing. When he entered, she smiled and asked the next favor of him.

"I need you to bring someone else down here."

"Who?"

He watched her think for a moment before saying, "an alchemist."

"Why?" Pride asked next and a hand connected with his face- making him stagger back.

"Stop asking questions and do what you're told!" she snapped, only to compose herself a few moments later. Then, the woman clarified her request:

"Bring me Shou Tucker. He was last seen around here." She handed Pride a piece of paper and some money. "Take the train to this city I wrote down and remember, I want him and his research alive."

Pride nodded and did not even dare to ask if he could take Gluttony with him- for he already knew the answer.


A/N: This chapter was fun to write. I love watching Pride improvise plans as usual. Anyway, as for the call to the Colonel, it made sense to me he would still be in Central and had not yet retired. I know that in the movie, he has, but this takes place very close to the end of FMA 2003. So, that call could have been directed to the hospital or office. Mustang is also very renown during the show and I am sure, more so now. So when someone says the Colonel, most know who you are talking about. Also, who says he isn't keeping a eye out for missing people, especially two missing brothers? Not to mention, Mr. Al is a very strange name. Hope you enjoyed!