Orphaned

Roy glanced around the nearly empty park, where Kanone had told him to meet him. He had been early by a few minutes, so he guessed he'd have to wait a bit before Kanone got there. Then again, Roy was learning quickly that he knew nothing about Kanone as he glanced up to see the younger one approach him. He nodded to him, while the brunette smiled brightly, "Hi, there." he greeted, "Sorry for calling you out so late."

"It's alright." Roy replied, not really sure one way or the other if it was. It's not as if he could complain, he did agree to help Kanone, but being called out at all hours of the night for reasons he wasn't sure of wasn't exactly what he called enjoyable.

Another smile graced the young boy's lips as he nodded, "As long as you're sure."

"So," Roy spoke up after a moment of silence, "why did you call me here?"

"Yes, of course." Kanone's eyes darkened a bit, foreboding of the news he was about to give, "Things will be happening soon, very soon." he said, his voice almost a whisper.

"You mean with the Underground." the older alchemist clarified.

"Well, what else? But do be careful that his sight doesn't turn red."

This warning sent a chill down the black-haired man's spine, for reasons he wasn't sure of, "Who?"

"That young alchemist living with you, Edward."

A frown found a place on Roy's lips at the suggestion, "Why would something like that happen?" he asked, a bit scared of the answer.

"Just a friendly warning." Kanone assured him, "They like to hit you where it hurts, no matter where that is."

A small nod acknowledged the possibility but Roy refused to think Ed would turn on him, 'Even if I have been ignoring him pretty much lately.' he thought, 'Ed still loves me, right? At least... enough not to turn on me.' At least, he hoped that was the truth.

"Don't let your thoughts betray you at a time like this," came the southern accent, "and do hope that the boy's loyalty to you will remain even in his darkest hour."

Another nod, "It will." he replied, sounding much more confident than he was.

Kanone laughed slightly, "Confidence means nothing if it only goes as far as your words." he informed him, "You can tell by the inflection in someone's voice whether their words are true, and yours couldn't be any more fake."

An eyebrow quirked at how well he was being read. This boy was certainly not ordinary, though that much was obvious from the go. Still, he sounded confident enough himself while dissecting Roy's own assurances. "Of course." was all he said, all the more thought he gave to the matter.

"I thought I would tell you a bit more." Kanone continued, "About who, or rather what, you're up against."

This time Roy actually paid attention, "Who?" he asked.

"A group of people, alchemists," he began, "that call themselves the Sins. There's seven of them, of course, one for each sin: Pride, Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Envy, Sloth, and Wrath."

"Why are they so powerful that you can't take them down on your own?"

"They hold a power greater than my own." he continued with his story, "Something, as an alchemist, I'm sure you've heard of. The Philosopher's Stone."

Those two words alarmed Roy and also shocked him, though he kept most of his suprise hidden, "How did they get one?"

"Not just one, they've got enough to last them a lifetime, quite literally."

The question came again, "How?"

"They aren't quite human, each possessing a rather unique trait. Envy is a shapeshifter, able to take the form of any being he's seen before. Lust can transform her fingers into long, pointed knives that work quite well for slicing through nearly anything. Gluttony is able to eat through anything, his saliva being like an acid on metals. Greed's body is made out of a material that's literally invulnerable to most anything. Pride has an unnatural talent in swordsmanship and can take down the best in a matter of minutes. Sloth is able to turn her body into a water-like substance and get in through impossibly small spaces. Lastly, Wrath can join his body with objects, becoming one with them."

"If they're not human...what are they?" the older one wondered.

"They are able to possess such powers because of the Philosopher's Stone." the brunette explained, "But not the Stone itself, no, their entire bodies are made from the substance."

Another shock went through Roy at hearing this, "How?"

"They were created, of course. I'm sure you can guess by who."

"Wright." That name was becoming more and more of an annoyance and problem for Roy.

"Yes." the golden-eyed boy confirmed, "I'm not sure as to his full motives for creating them, perhaps just to prove he could. However, they're quite loyal to him, as a pet would be to its master. This, of course, causes problems when he wants things. Say, control of my company."

"So they're why you can't just take control back." Roy easily put two and two together, "How could I possibly help, though?" came the next question, "It's obvious I'm not as strong as you, I couldn't last a minute against them."

'No, you couldn't.' Kanone thought, keeping up a smile, "Don't worry, I'll inform you of your part at a later date. Just be ready to act on short notice." A nod agreed and he smiled more brightly, a truly fake smile to anyone who knew him. Of course, Roy didn't know the first thing about him, did he? "Good, I'll let you get on back home now, and remember what I said about the boy." With that final reminder, the lighter-haired boy turned and walked off back towards his home.

Slightly confused as to his part in the whole thing, Roy made his way home where Ed was in the study, reading a book as usual. Glancing in, the older one alerted the concentrating boy of his presence with a soft knock. Ed's head rose at the sound and a slight smile fell across his lips at the sight of the other. Mostly, that he was back rather soon and seemingly unharmed. The book was set down as the taller one entered the room, "Everything alright?" he asked.

Roy took his place next to the blond, "Of course." he said, "Kanone was just telling me about what we're up against is all."

A small 'oh' escaped Ed's lips before he became slightly concerned, "It's nothing too big for you, right?"

Worrying him would do no good, Roy knew, but lying would do worse, "How he described it, it is," he confessed, "but I trust that he wouldn't track me down just to send me in there and get me killed."

"Are you sure?" the young boy asked, suddenly, "I mean, what do you really know about him? He claims to have been the leader of this Underground place, but you've been there how long and never even heard of him? What if it's all just some overly complex plan to have you killed?"

Ed's words made a disturbing logic, but Roy shook his head and placed a soft kiss on the boy's head, "You know I'm too good to die." he said, acting way more confident than he was. It was obvious Ed wasn't buying it, though, so the older one decided to change the subject. He glanced down at the new jewelery adorned around the other's neck, "What's that?"

Golden eyes blinked and glanced down at the caged crimson stone, "It was a gift." he said, not offering much explanation.

"From who?" Roy wondered, quirking an eyebrow.

"A boy." came the short response. It was obvious Ed was hiding something from him.

"Why did he give it to you?"

"Do people need a reason to give someone something?" the blond shot back, "Besides, it's mine."

The older one studied the child's stubborn face for a moment, "Of course." he complied, reaching out for the small caged stone.

As quickly as he had made the action, he regretted it. Ed's hand clamped in on his wrist with a surprising force that Roy didn't know the lithe boy had. He winced as the grip tightened and Ed's eyes glazed over, a slight red tint to them and his face became cold and hardened, "Mine." he repeated. A slight nod was all that was necessary to release his wrist and he quickly pulled it back. Just as it had come, the small transformation disappeared, reverting Ed back to his normal self. Acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, Ed suddenly jumped up, "So, you're going to cook me dinner, right?" he asked, tilting his head and adorning a sweet smile that he knew Roy couldn't say no to.

After a moment of collecting himself he registered the words and hung his head, "Of course." he repeated, glancing up as the blond happily bounced out of the room toward the kitchen. Shaking his head, he followed him, trying to rather unsuccessfully block out Kanone's warning about Ed. He would refuse to believe the innocent boy would turn on him. Then again, what did Roy know?