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Unsettling Affairs	By : xkesshoux Category: Fullmetal Alchemist > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1906 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Alchemist, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 27
- 28
- 29
Each
individual chapter will have a different rating, different pairings,
different spoilers, and a different setting and timeline. Multiple
people were involved in writing this fic, I do not claim to have
written anything other than my own characters. I do however claim to
have come up with the plot, story idea, and organizing it all. The
others who write characters in this fic are well aware that I am
posting it, and contribute willingly. This fic is an ongoing project
with an unknown number of parts, with alternate storyline as of the
fifth laboratory incident. Enjoy!

Of
Rank, Reversion, and Rage

Rating:
PG-13/R (Language, violence..stuff...)
Pairings: What the
hell is the main pairing in this fic! It's all of them in general, so
sue me. No sexual activity, just angst. Okay I lied. There's public
molestation, not in the sexual way. It's Envy. What can I
say?
Disclaimer: I don't own FMA.
Spoilers: Oh
hell I don't know anymore!
Setting: Central City HQ/Urban
district
Timeline: Roy, Ed, and Havoc arrive in Central
from Geriko.

Fuhrer
Bradley smirked to himself. He hadn't really expected the courier to
get the nerve to deliver such a missive to Mustang and his motley,
but loyal, crew. But there it was, and Mustang was coming to a
courtmartial.

He had to
admit, though, that he was curious to see what Havoc had turned out
like. He had always possessed a special soft spot for chimerae.
Perhaps because they were just as maligned as homunculi. Or maybe
even more – the normal populace knew about chimerae.

Colonel
Mustang, neatly pressed, pristine uniform, plastered on mask, and one
gigantic bundle of pissed-and-not-showing-it, saluted instantly as he
was shown into the man's office. "Sir, you requested to see me,
sir." He remained stiff at attention until given the order to
relax, pointedly avoiding Bradley's one-eyed gaze for a point just a
little to his left.

Edward,
being the insubordinate sonofabitch he was, slouched in after
Mustang, flopping himself onto a nice plush couch and propping his
feet up on the table. Certainly, it wasn't the Taisa's office, but it
didn't really matter to him.

Bradley's
eyebrows rose, and an amused grin tugged at his mouth. "Well, I
suppose your little misadventure hasn't left you in too much
disrepair."

Havoc
snuck in, trying to remain merged with the background. Bradley
acknowledged his wish to remain silent and turned his attention to
Mustang. "I assume you know why you're here right now."

Roy,
still at attention, hid perfectly the rising urge to crisp Bradley.
"Yes, sir..."

"You
are allowed to sit down," Pride said mildly. "You may want
to in a minute anyway. I have an offer to make you."

"Yes,
sir." Mustang took a seat across from Fullmetal. "An offer,
sir?" He tried his best not to sound appalled by the thought of
blackmail, because surely, that's what it was going to be.

Ed
fidgeted slightly, blonde veil of bangs hiding his two-toned eyes
from sight.

Bradley
sighed, the slightest hint of impatience in the sound. "Yes, an
offer, yes, it amounts to blackmail, but in this instance, our
interests coincide.

"You
want Ashton Fawkes dead. And so do I. Preferably in a very, very
graphic and bloody manner."

Roy
narrowed his eyes this time, fists clenched. "Permission to
speak freely about the subject at hand, sir."

Bradley
waved an impatient hand. "Mustang, you and I both know we're off
the record here. Cut this formality. You're running out of time."

"Just
what do you know about Fawkes, and the group known as Predator..."
Roy eyed Ed's silent form and clenched fists for a moment before
continuing.

"You
placed one of them on my staff, ordered Havoc back here before the
transmutation had cycled fully, and I'm pretty sure you damn well
knew what would happen if he were to undergo Clarity in Central! You
ordered him to the front line in negotiations, you're responsible for
the deaths of all of those men, you used us all and lied to
your country, and now you expect me to help you!"

Unruffled,
Bradley tilted his head back. "No," he said simply. "I
don't expect you to help me at all. I expect you to do what in the
best interests of the country and your own best interests."

From the
corner, Havoc's low voice said, "Mustang, hear him out. He may
know something we don't. I'm willing to trust him."

Unclenching
his fists slowly, Roy forced himself back into trained indifference.
"I still want to know just why you can't use your friends to
take care of them, after all, Homunculi don't die, right?" It
was a stab in the dark, Mustang didn't know for sure, but this would
confirm or deny any and all suspicions.

"No,
we can't. Those things have us drawn up on short leashes. I'm sure
you know what happened to my comrade Greed. Sloth and Wrath are also
in danger, if not already bound.

"I
admit, I made an error. A very grievious one." His one eye met
Mustang's squarely. "I don't expect you to believe me on this
one, but I did not order Lieutenant Havoc back to Central. I wanted
him kept there with Lisa, but Falsehood somehow trumped me.

"But
you must kill Fawkes soon, for the sake of Fullmetal. If that
monster kills one of the Sins, then he may revert into a true
homunculus to take his or her place."

Edward
nearly choked on his own spit, doubling over and falling off the
couch gasping for breath.

One
violet eye and one gold speckled with violet glared heatedly at
Bradley, fists clenched. So he knew did he? What didn't that
damn one-eyed freak know!

Roy's
eyes narrowed as well, still locked with the single eye of the man he
hated almost as much as he now did Fawkes. A little voice in the back
of his head, though, kept nagging at him that the term 'Wrath' would
have suited Edward's previous actions perfectly, and that made him
almost sick to his stomach.

"Falsehood?
I'm assuming that's one of these...abominations? It would be nice if
we could have their names and descriptions in order to be
prepared..." Mustang ran his fingers through his hair, a bit of
a stressed gesture.

"If
he's after you or us, the quickest way to end this would be to keep
your friends and ours in close proximity so they'll come...Unless you
have some method of contact with them..." Standing, Roy stepped
around the table to help Edward back up onto the couch, rubbing his
back soothingly. As much as he hated to admit it, Fullmetal right now
was the one trump card Bradley had to play to get him to play right
into his hands. "Do they know about Ed and Jean..."

Bradley
decided impulsively to let the name slip go. While it could have been
amusing as hell to watch his rival (yes, rival) squirm, now wasn't
the time for it. "I'm not sure if they know about Lieutenant
Havoc," he said, putting a barely perceptible emphasis on the
surname, "but I'm quite sure they know about Fullmetal. After
all, who doesn't know?

"I'm
sure the Lieutenant is currently in even more danger than I am,"
he continued. "Deceit is a very thorough and vindictive
character – he will not be pleased to learn that such an
annoying little thorn managed to survive."

Havoc
murmured something unintelligable, and Bradley's eye twinkled. "I
quite agree. Therefore, I'm sending just the three of you into the
viper's den. A surprise attack, all the more potent because of its
foolhardy nature and exceptional fighters."

"Deceit
now too you say? Why don't you give us the plan after you give us the
information, I take it that these creatures are named after their
personality quirks like you and your kind?" Roy's eyes focused
on the Fuhrer again.

"How
many of them are there, what are their names, what do they look like,
what can they do...we need this information in order to fight
them..."

Bradley
full-out grinned this time. "Certainly, General.

"I
don't know many of the Abominations – I've only really come in
contact with Fawkes, known coloquially as Deceit, Falsehood, and
Slaughter.

"Fawkes
himself is a maniac with designs upon alchemists and the country as a
whole. I don't know what he plans to do, but I intend to stop him
before he hurts me and mine." His eye hardened into a flinty
look. "Despite what you may say, I do care for my country and
people. If you want a description, I'm sure Havoc could give it to
you. He's an excellent marksman with small arms.

"Falsehood
was that woman that I put into your office. She was also the one that
terminated Stanton and Hughes, both of which I would gladly wring her
neck for. If I needed Hughes dead, I would have rather had my
agents do it. She's part black mamba, and as a result is more deadly
than the chimera known as Martel.

"Slaughter...
is Slaughter. He used to be a professor at the University – I
believe, Mustang, that you had him for your Theory of Philosphy and
Religion class. He's crossed with an ox or bison or something. He's
even more bloodthirsty than Fawkes if possible, and enjoys killing
for the hell of it. I reccomend either crisping him or allowing Havoc
to take him out."

Mustang
did a double take. "Professor Lindblum! Gods..."

He'd
completely missed the fact that the man had called him 'General'.

Ed, who'd
been silent since he'd entered the room, finally spoke up.

"Philosophy
and religion...you homunculi are the Seven Deadly Sins from some
ancient and long discarded tome they used to call the Old and New
Testaments...Envy, Pride, Greed, Lust, Sloth, Wrath, Gluttony..."
He stood and began to pace across the room.

"Falsehood,
Slaughter, Deceit...they seem to follow some similar
pattern...religion...they're abominations..." the ponytailed
blonde stopped suddenly. "There's seven of them, aren't there?
The Seven Abominations Unto the Lord..."

Counting
off on his fingers, he recited what he'd remembered from the texts,
religious or no, he'd read them for their information.

"A
proud look...a lying tongue, that's Deceit...hands that shed innocent
blood, Slaughter...an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations...feet
that be swift in running to mischief...a false witness that speaketh
lies, Falsehood...and he that soweth discord among brethren..."

"The
religion you want is Christianity," Havoc remarked. " 'By
Faith ye shall be saved...' But none of this theology will actually
kill them. Unless they're like the antiquated werewolves and vampires
where you can only kill them by blessed silver or water. Even then,
it's going to be a moot point. Christianity hasn't survived in any
recognizable form except for the Ishbarite religion. Even then, it's
more Moslim than anything else."

Bradley
frowned. "That is a viable line of thought, but I doubt that it
will do any good. These things are normal. Or at least as normal as a
wild chimera can be."

"Normal
is pretty damn subjective here," Havoc retorted.

"Well
sorry! I was just trying to figure out the rest of them since
you apparently can't give us their names!" Ed fumed, violet
threatening to take over his remaining gold eye.

Bradley
leaned back, waiting for the inevitable explosion. Havoc, knowing
full well what could (and would) happen, slid over to where Ed was.

"Calm
down," he murmured. "Otherwise you're not getting your
birthday present."

Fists
still clenched, Ed stalked back over to the couch, flopping back down
again and crossing his arms over his chest indignantly.

"Whatever..."

"Look
there's obviously nothing to be done about this but go along with
you, so you might as well just tell us where to go so we can just get
this over with.." Roy sighed heavily, leaning forward on his
crossed hands.

"Good
boy," Havoc purred, grinning.

Bradley
watched the ongoings interestedly. Apparently there were dynamics
between those two that even he hadn't noticed. He cleared his throat.
"They'd probably be in Ishbar," he said. "I'm not
quite sure, however."

His eye
met Havoc's. "Captain, there is something that should be given
to you."

"Sir?"

Roy's
left eye twitched slightly when Havoc purred, noticing Ed's shiver
only due to the fact they were sharing the couch.

"Jean
Havoc, your new set of tags have come in today..."

Havoc's
face crumpled into a complicated frown. "Sir, I already have..."

Bradley
pulled out a box. "I know that, Captain. These are a bit...
different. If you accept these... you'll be under my personal
protection and you will answer to no one except me."

Havoc's
eyes narrowed. "You're asking me to whore myself out?"

"Sometimes
one has to do distasteful things to accomplish a goal."

"...
I'll take them."

Roy
instantly lifted his head, eyes focusing on Jean in half-confusion,
fighting to win over anger and hurt. He felt his stomach twist into
knots for a minute and just what that agreement entailed.

He wanted
to kill Bradley more than ever now...goddamn bastard...

Havoc
regarded the nondescript box with something like a sinking feeling in
his gut. With a sigh, he opened it.

Three
tags – name, rank, company on one. The other, his number. The
third... the Führer's personal seal. He ran a thumb over the
embossed dragon, then lifted the chain and dropped it over his head.

Goodnight,
sweet prince, he thought bitterly.

Hands
clenched tightly, almost hard enough to cause sparks to leap from the
ignition cloth gloves, and Roy pointedly avoided looking at Havoc,
Bradley, or even Ed for that matter.

"Your
new uniform is on your desk," Bradley said briskly. "Since
you're in Special Operations now, you ought to wear the uniform.
Dismissed."

Havoc
nodded glumly, saluted, and left.

Roy was
worried about Ed's current level of silence, it never meant anything
good. Instinct proved right when not a moment after Jean had left the
room Fullmetal was pushing himself to his feet.

Mustang
caught his arm just in time before he lashed out, grip firm on the
smaller wrist. "Don't be an idiot!" he hissed, pulling Ed
back into his arms and refusing to let go despite the boy's protests.

Bradley
just gazed with that damnable smug, knowing calm. Positively
goading...

"What's
the matter, Fullmetal?" he asked sweetly. Too sweetly.

"You're
the problem you goddamn sick fuck!" Ed growled, struggling in
Roy's grip. "Let me the fuck go Mustang!"

Both eyes
shone pure violet in rage, though the pupils seemed to remain normal
for the time being, it still wasn't a good sign. "I said let
me go you bastard!"

Bradley
just grinned.

"LET
ME GO!" Ed managed to slip his automail free from Roy's
grasp, elbow slamming back into the older man's chest and throwing
him off. The second he was free he'd lunged at Bradley over the man's
desk, teeth bared and eyes wild with an untamed pure rage.

Gasping
for air, Roy went down on one knee, mentally cursing himself for not
keeping a better hold on the boy and at the same time for Fullmetal
being so damn volatile in the first place.

He tried
to get back up but stopped short when he heard an audible cracking
protest from his ribs, sinking back to the ground to take short,
shallow breaths.

This was
bad...

Bradley
was still smiling even after he smoothly vacated his chair, drew a
long, shining blade, and held the razor-sharp edge right over the
back of Ed's neck. "Now, now," he admonished the alchemist.
"Look at what you did. You hurt Mustang." He pressed the
edge a fraction closer.

Roy
managed to choke out a sentence, one hand clutching his side while
the other rose, poised to snap. "Hurt him...and I swear to god
I'll kill you..."

"So
you're willing to kill for Fullmetal, but not Havoc? I'll have to
tell him about that..." A wolfish grin sparked back to the
injured man. "Besides, Mustang, you can't kill me."

Ed
flipped back over Bradley's head, coming down behind him with the
chain of his silver watch pulled tight across the man's throat.
Slightly pointed teeth sneered over the man's shoulder and a too cold
voice left the blonde's mouth.

"Maybe
he can't...but I'd be willing to bet I can..."

Roy
coughed and spat up a small spot of blood on the Fuhrer's carpet.
"Don't get me wrong...I get word that...you so much as-" he
was interrupted by a strong wave of stabbing pain, "lay a hand
on Jean..."

"You're
too overprotective of a fully rational being," Bradley said,
ignoring the chain. "Havoc is capable of making his own choices.
Are you going to strip him of his last hold on humanity?"

"I
should just...let Fawkes kill you..."

"Then
your beloved Jean also dies, and this mockery of a human being will
become me. It's your choice, Mustang."

"How
dare you call him a mockery when you yourself are worse off..."

Roy
watched with a pain even stronger than the sharp stabbing of broken
ribs. He watched unable to do a goddamn thing, and he hated it.

"At
least I have control, Mustang..."

"That's
because you don't have a stupid fucking human soul trying to split
your fucking head in two every waking second, Pride!"

The
blonde dropped the watch, hoisting himself up on Bradley's shoulders
to perch there. "You have any idea how much of a fucking
headache that kid is!"

"I
can only imagine," Pride said wryly. "If he gave me
trouble, it must be a nightmare inside.

"You
are...?"

"Well
I'm not Edward Elric I know that much! And a damn good thing too!"
The blonde cracked his neck a bit, doing a cartwheeling flip back
onto the Fuhrer's desk.

Pride
rubbed his temple. "Well, you certainly have spunk. And a foul
mouth, even worse than Envy's. Blasphemy, perhaps? One of the most
common and virulent sins, even now."

Roy tried
once again to get to his feet, once more failing and biting back a
yelp of pain at the jarring sensation of falling back to his knees.

Fuck...Jean
had been able to drag Ed back to the surface...he hadn't...and now
there was nothing he could do but watch, onyx eyes recording each and
every movement, everything that was so blatantly not Edward...

Ignoring
the injured man's feeble attempts, the blonde seemed almost calm
compared to the other day when he'd nearly killed both Mustang and
Havoc alike, and then that Delgardie as well. "Maybe. You really
pissed the kid off though for me to get out without him even so much
as blinking, last time he totally passed out!"

"M'm.
I believe it's because I now have total control over someone the boy
cares deeply about. Hatred is a powerful motivator for some things."

"You
mean that pointy-eared animal? The one I almost killed? Damn that
asshole, don't know what he did back there but it was not
pleasant getting thrown back at that goddamn gate without any warning
at all!" The blonde reached up to his cheek to feel that the
scratches were still there. "Feh..."

"H'm.
Then Elric and Havoc must have a deeper connection than what I had
first assumed."

There was
a brief flash of gold in slit-pupiled eyes, but it was gone in an
instant. "Fuck...obviously..."

"Language,"
Pride said mildly. "And what do you mean, 'obviously'? Is there
something that I somehow missed?"

The
blonde snorted a reply. "Well duh, you don't have his
voice in your head, nor do you have to see through his one
eye!"

Pride's
patience thinned. He tugged on the long golden hair. "Do you
mind divulging this secret of yours?"

The boy
swatted Pride's hand away and stretched out a bit. "What's in it
for me if I do?" Violet eyes idly noted that Mustang had passed
out from the pain. He had to give it to the kid, Edward did have a
fair amount of strength for a human. The blonde just grinned
crookedly at one eye, waiting for an answer.

Pride
chuckled. "I like you, child. What would you want?"

"Can
you get this goddamn brat out of my head for starters?"

"Unfortunately,
that isn't possible for us. We have to live with what we're given,
and apparently, schitzophrenia is your curse. Anything else?"

The
blonde thought for a few moments, as a decidedly wicked grin split
his lips to show the sharp points of his teeth.

Slitted
eyes narrowed slightly as well, he propped his head on one hand. "How
about the beast and the flame..."

"Agreed.
But you'll have to keep the chimera in one piece, child. Now. What is
this secret of yours?"

"That
Mustang guy is out of the loop, he's the only one who's had to live
through it all without anything serious happening to him..."
The blonde gestured vaguely at the prone form. "The Fullmetal
kid was probably having wet dreams about the guy long before he even
knew it, and yet Flame got both of them secondhand. Something
happened between those two that I can't even begin to figure out,
they've both been through hell and back, fighting with each other
every step of the way and yet still they're bound closer than this
kid was with his brother! It's unbelievable, how pathetic they are
and yet one fucking look can pull him back or send him off so
I can play!"

Pride
leaned back against his desk, arms folded and nibbling at a
thumbnail. "Resonation. A stupid little story that I thought was
a myth. How very odd... bizarre how a relatively normal human can
have such power over another, stronger human."

"Like
I said, normal is pretty damn subjective here," Havoc's voice
said lazily from the door. He leaned casually against the doorjamb,
arms folded. "Hullo, you nasty little ass."

Grin
curled back onto young lips, pulling them back to show sharp teeth
again. "Pleasure to see you too, mangy old dog!"

"Cat,"
Havoc corrected languidly, an equally feral grin on his own lips.
"Mangy housecat is the insult you're looking for. Or have you
forgotten the basic differences between cats and dogs?"

"Still
a dog of the military, so why does it matter? My what an interspecies
relationship you're having!" The boy slid off the desk, nudging
Mustang with the toe of his boot before shoving him over onto his
side and out of the way.

He
ignored the pained whimpering. "Feel like going another round,
you snivelling wretch of an animal?"

An
eyebrow cocked infuriatingly. "Are you trying to insult me?"

"I'm
simply stating the truth, mongrel..."

"M'm.
Honesty is always such a virtue in children. I'm glad to see that you
still possess it to some degree. And while we're on the topic of
honestly, I'm not a dog. I'm a cat. Feline. Spelled f-e-l-i-n-e. Look
it up in an encyclopedia."

"You're
a confused, pitiful little lapdog either way, so it doesn't really
matter to me what you are other than somebody's bitch." The boy
took a seat on the arm of the couch, still smirking.

Havoc
smiled sweetly, entirely unruffled.

"I'm
not going to be so willing to let you drag him back again you
know...I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you..." Violet eyes
looked over Havoc's form rather boredly. "I can see why he liked
you though..."

"I'm
sure you can," he murmured, still smilling.

The boy
glanced up for a moment. "You might want to do something about
him though...before he internally bleeds out and dies..."

"He'll
be fine," Havoc said calmly. "There are things that can be
done with an Albedo that can't be done with the Red Stone." He
eyed the homunculus cooly. "I didn't know you cared."

"He's
more useful alive than dead, and easily manipulated by this body..."
One leg crossed over the other as he leaned back against the arm of
the couch still.

"Please.
He's not that weak. Still, I'll just collect him and be on my way."
But Havoc leaned still, blue-green eyes studying the homunculus' face
with something like regret.

Violet
eyes narrowed slightly, grin still present but soon exchanged for a
mock frown of disappointment. "Not going to rise to the
challenge? I thought I'd get a little more fun out of you, fiesty a
tom as you are..."

"Quit
patronizing me, Ed," Havoc said coldly. Then his voice returned
to his typical tone. "All I wanted to do was come by and say
happy birthday."

"Well
you're talking to the wrong person then, Edward Elric isn't here
right now, scruffy."

"I
noticed." Blue-green cat eyes lidded halfway, disguising
completely the swirl of pure green. "I suppose you're not going
to be having your birthday for another... what? Six, seven months?
Something like that anyway."

"I
really could care less what you're trying to get at, but I thought
you might like to know it's not getting you anywhere at all."

"I
thought you would have recognized right now that I'm not trying to
get at anything. I don't care anymore. He's gone. So what? We'll all
be gone sooner or later, including you."

The
blonde shook his head, closing his eyes and running his fingers
through his hair in order to hide the flashes of gold and the
slightly pained expression when something screamed in the back of his
head. "Then take that human and get the fuck out of my sight.."

"Your
wish, my command." He padded forward silently, bending down to
gently check Roy's pulse.

That time
the boy couldn't quite hide the sudden convulsions. "Shut the
fuck up and leave you fucking idiot! I don't want to see your goddamn
fucking face!"

Havoc was
up in an instant, his hands around Ed's shoulders. "What
happened Ed...? Are you okay!"

The boy
growled, snarled, did anything but open his eyes and refused to look.
"Get...your grimy...fucking...paws...off me...don't
fucking...touch me..."

Havoc's
voice was gentle. "I have the right to be worried, don't I, Ed?"

Another
convulsion snapped through the small frame. "I'm...not...Ed...!"

"I
don't know...it'll be okay... I promise..."

The boy
tried not to do anything, tried not to even breathe because
that scent was right there and that stupid kid kept pounding
his skull and dammit he knew that Pride was back there feeling
rather smug about it all! "Get...OUT..."

Havoc
enfolded the writhing youth in his arms. "I don't want to lose
you again..."

The
ponytailed blonde suddenly went rigid for a moment in Havoc's arms.
"J...J..Jean..."

He could
feel tears running down his cheeks, but then something screamed and
faded away and Ed had to throw his arms around Havoc's neck and cling
to ease down the overwhelmingly sudden sense of vertigo.

Havoc
nuzzled Ed's ear. "Shh... it's okay, I'm here for you... I won't
let go this time..."

Gloved
hands, flesh and automail, clutched the back of Havoc's shirt as Ed
buried his face in the crook of the older man's neck.

"It
was so cold..."

"It'll
be okay... you're here now, it'll be warmer... I'm here to protect
you."

"Don't...wanna
go back there again...hurts...'m'sorry Jean..." By now Ed was
just mumbling against Havoc's neck, lulled into a half-sleep by the
smell of smoke and the strong but gentle arms that held him.

"Shh...
you won't have to..." He dropped an affectionate kiss on top of
the boy's gold hair, a thumb running down his spine easing away the
worst of the tension. "If you can calm down a little, I'll get
you home so you can shower, eat, and take a long nap. How does that
sound?"

Ed
managed a mumbled reply, nodding slightly against Jean's shoulder.

"Good
kid." Havoc lifted green eyes to the obviously amused Bradley.
"Request permission to get the hell out of here?"

"Granted.
What do you want me to do about Mustang?"

"Medics
are outside. Just tell them to get in here and take him up to the
Ward. He'll be fine. I'm more worried about Ed."

He eased
the boy out of the room and down the hall, keeping a firm arm around
him to make sure he didn't fall.

Despite
being half-asleep, Ed still managed to hang on, and for once, he
wasn't complaining about being carried.

"Are
you feeling all right?" Havoc asked in a low voice. "Do you
want a bath or dinner first?"

The
ponytailed blonde simply nuzzled his head against Havoc's neck,
mumbling incoherently.

"If
you feel that way about it, I'll just warm up some milk for you,"
he teased. "I'm sure that my charwoman can get me some unskimmed
milk for you..."

Edward
tensed and growled, biting Havoc's neck in disapproval, since it was
within reach.

Havoc
grinned and nuzzled Ed's ear. "Relax, Ed. You know perfectly
well that I'm not being serious." His apartment complex loomed
over them, red brick somber in the clouding day. "Do you think
you can stand on your own two feet long enough to let me open the
door and get into my apartment?"

Ed nodded
again, but made no move otherwise.

"Here
kitty kitty kitty..."

One
emerald green eye and one pure white gazed down from the rooftop at
the two blondes, blood red hair blown slightly from the breeze as a
similarly colored tail waved slowly behind the form all too easily
recognizable now as Ashton Fawkes.

Havoc
froze dead. "Ed... I'm going to put you down now, then go rip
someone's throat out. I advise you to run like crazy. Understand?"

The
blonde boy looked up wearily, but nodded nonetheless. "Nn..."

A smirk
curled Ashton's lips, fangs glinting slightly.

Havoc set
Ed down. "What do you want, Fawkes? Come back to finish the job?
Or did Bradley come running like a good dog to your beck and call to
tell you about what happened and you lost your temper and want to
take it out on me."

"I
just want to talk is all, really...I'm surprised you made it back
alive..." The feline crouched and lept down from the rooftop,
landing a few feet in front of Havoc. "Let's just say I'm
intrigued...oh...and don't try anything stupid now, I don't really
think it needs to be mentioned how easy a target that boy is right
now, from any distance..."

"I
wasn't planning to try anything 'stupid'. If this is going to be just
a talk, I'm sure you know the rules of immunty. Or not..." He
dug out his keys and tossed them to Ed. "Here kid. Let yourself
into my apartment. Room 3A."

"I
can't be sure really...stupid has a completely different meaning in
your case..." Red tail swaying, Fawkes approached Havoc, one
good eye scanning the tall blonde head to toe. One clawed hand
reached up to drag the blunt end of nails lightly across Havoc's
cheek. "Indeed a fine specimen you are..."

The
half-dazed blonde barely managed to catch the keys with his automail
hand and get to his feet, wandering past the other two towards
Havoc's apartment.

Havoc's
eye twitched in disgust. "Of course, you're just as charming as
ever. I hope you clean your claws on a regular basis..."

"And
I hope you clean that mouth of yours on a regular basis, or does the
boy do that for you?" Fawkes stepped around behind Havoc, one
eye scrutinizing. "Magnificent...even more alluring than you
were back then, so how does it feel now to be one of us?"

"I'm
sure you know exactly how I feel. What do you want from me?" The
skin on his back between his shoulderblades crawled.

Fawkes
grinned, tips of his claws on both hands tracing the seams down
Havoc's sleeves. "First I want you to relax...I'm not going to
hurt you..."

"Like
that's supposed to make me feel any more relaxed," Havoc
retorted. "What do you want from me?"

"Are
you on repeat or something, kid? You think saying it over and over'll
make me go away?"

"So
I'm being nosey. You don't have to treat it like a sin."

There was
a crackling light from behind Havoc and a pair of arms wrapped around
his waist, dress shirt sleeves pushed up almost to the elbow. A
disturbingly familiar voice was purred into Havoc's ear. "I want
you, Jean..."

Panic
instincts kicked in brutally. Havoc's arm drove back with punishing
force, slamming into the thing's solar plexus. He whirled, laying
open "Roy's" cheek with his claws.

"You
know...that really stings..." The gouges on the doppleganger's
face slowly closed back up as he got to his feet, spitting out a bit
of blood. "And here I said I wasn't going to hurt you...what a
way to pay that back..."

Havoc
backed away slowly, feeling like his mind was about ready to snap. He
ran slap into a wall, eyes wide and panicky.

"What's
wrong...?" Attitudes shifted as 'Roy' walked towards Havoc, arms
held out in a trusting manner. "It's okay.."

"This
isn't real... it's a dream, I'm asleep in a hospital somewhere, and
this is just a nightmare..." Havoc sank to his knees, holding
his head. His already tenuous sanity threatened to break.

Pale
hands were placed on Havoc's shoulders, dark eyes looking with
concern as the man knelt before him. "It'll be okay, I
promise..."

"No...
go away, you're not real... whatever the hell you are, quit trying to
fuck with my mind!"

"Jean,
snap out of it!" The doppleganger shook Havoc's shoulders. "Snap
the fuck out of it!"

"Fuck...
off!" His fist punched out, hitting off-center and
breaking the doppleganger's cheekbone.

The
doppleganger spat out blood, wincing in an imitation of extreme pain.
Feigning difficulty to speak, he lifted his head. "I...don't
want...to fight you...Jean..."

"You're
not right! You don't smell like Roy, you don't feel like Roy, you're
not him! Go away and let me alone!"

Bones
cracked back into place and the doppleganger stood, wicked smirk
splitting across his face as a crackling light washed over his body.

The thin,
lithe form now stood before Havoc, slitted violet eyes laughing down
at him framed by a wild cascade of forest green hair. "No less
than expected from the new fuzzy boy, good, good!"

"I'm
glad someone's happy," Havoc spat weakly. He was still trying to
hold the shards of his sanity together; he didn't care what happened
as long as he stayed in control.

In a
split second Envy was on top of Havoc, pinning him to the ground and
straddling his waist. "We've actually met before, you just
weren't aware of it at the time..."

Havoc
growled, latching onto the homunculus' bicep with his teeth. He bit
hard and tore.

"You're
even more vicious a furball than Deceit aren't you? I suppose a few
sedative measures are in order..." With that, Envy drove his
knee hard into Havoc's gut, uninjured hand gripping the
blonde's throat and holding his head back so he couldn't use his
teeth.

The other
arm soon healed, and the homunculus grabbed both of Havoc's wrists,
this time flipping him over onto his stomach and keeping both arms
behind his back.

Havoc
hissed dizzily, writhing in a meager attempt to free himself. Hands
strained against their captor.

"Doubt
you've ever been in this kind of position before, ne?" Envy
grinned like a maniac, form shifting over Havoc until cold automail
now held his wrists and a blonde ponytail fell over the chimera's
shoulder.

A warm
tongue traced the shell of Havoc's ear even as the flesh hand slid
down his back and over the curve of his ass. "Even though you
know it's a lie...it's still his face...his voice..."

"No!"
Havoc snarled, fighting him like a rabid animal. "Let me go, you
goddamn freak!"

"Look
who's talking, Jean...you're just as much a freak as I am..."
Two fingers rubbed lightly at the base of Havoc's spine. "I
could kill you so easily..."

His body
bucked at the sensation, even as his rational mind screamed its
horror and disgust. Needle-sharp teeth clenched, then opened in
challenge. "If it's so easy, then just kill me!"

Ed's
voice purred in Havoc's ear as the rubbing continued. "Pride
wouldn't be very happy if I did that now would he..." One knee
acted as a wedge to part Havoc's thighs, slowly applying pressure to
his groin. "And what fun would it be if you were dead?"

A soft,
whimpered moan wormed its way out of Havoc's throat. He managed to
get a leg up underneath himself somehow, and kicked back with all the
strength he could muster, connecting with something. Hopefully
something that would cause pain.

Shortly
thereafter Envy's heel slammed against the backs of Havoc's knees,
rewarded with several loud cracks. "You're just making this
harder on yourself...I didn't want to have to hurt you..."
though the voice was still Edward's.

Havoc's
entire body seemed to contract, folding in on itself protectively.

"Why
me?" he hissed. "Are you so fucking messed up that inhuman
freaks turn you on?"

"You
do realize that you're talking about yourself too...after all, what
is he?" That tongue was back, tracing wet paths along Havoc's
neck. "It's more fun when they've got a little fight in them..."

"At
least I understand him," he retorted, testing the grip on his
wrists. Lean muscle bunched as he slowly forced his wrists apart.

"It's
not like you're going to be able to walk you know..." Feeling
resistance, Envy tightened his grip again, twisting Havoc's wrists
painfully. "How's this then...you entertain me now...and I won't
have to go after the little ochibi-san for fun anymore..."

Something
inside Havoc's chest froze solid. "What did you do to Ed?"
he snarled.

"The
look on his face was priceless when I told him it was me and not his
beloved Colonel...sad that he'd fall for the same trick three
times..." Envy smirked to himself. "You can't hurt me...you
can't walk...you might as well give up..."

Something
snapped. Red-hot rage bubbled up behind Havoc's eyes and he began to
struggle like a possessed thing.

One
coordinated motion with both hands holding Havoc's wrists dislocated
the man's shoulders as Envy stood, one foot digging into the small of
Havoc's back. "You're stubborn...I like that..."

Havoc
finally screamed, going limp and dry sobbing into the concrete. "Damn
you," he finally hissed weakly.

Long,
thin fingers dug into the mess of Havoc's hair, pulling his head up
to meet his eyes, violet to whatever the hell color the chimera's
were at the moment. "I know..."

Nearly
incoherent with agony and rage, Havoc glared back.

Stupid
ass! he berated himself. You should have just swallowed your
fucking pride and dealt with it!

"You're
a pretty mess...but Pride would probably get angry if I broke you too
much."

Envy
released Havoc, using a foot to roll the man over onto his back
again. "I suppose I should fetch the Fullmetal shorty for you
then, what a motley crew you three are, all broken and helpless at
the same time, how sad..."

Havoc's
eyelids fluttered at the pain of relocation. He lay still, trying to
regain his breath, sanity, and composure.

"Oh..I
could do so much more to you right now...but I think I'll let the
real Fawkes have a go at you, after all he did have a sick little eye
on you..." Envy turned and walked off with that, form shifting
into a nondescript, low ranking officer.

That
Havoc could have lived without. Senses dulled by exhaustion, pain,
and just an informational overload, his conciousness bordered on
non-existant.

It wasn't
long before a disoriented but now fully conscious Edward came
running, nearly tripping over his own feet going down the stairs only
to come skidding to a stop on the landing. He was immediately at
Havoc's side, careful not to move him as he gently cupped the older
man's cheek with his human hand. "Jean? Jean you're gonna be
okay, god what happened who did this to you!"

At the
familiar voice, Havoc dragged himself laboriously back from the edge.
A lopsided grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Bet I'm one
hell of a sight for sore eyes," he said wryly, voice hoarse.
"I'll be fine, kiddo. Just think of it as some cosmic balance
punishing me because I didn't take good enough care of you." His
shut eyes tightened in a massive bolt of pain from his legs.

Ed
scoffed at that. "If you weren't hurt I'd kick you...stay still
will you, you're just going to hurt yourself more...I'll phone the
med ward..."

"Nice
to see you can still take a joke," Havoc retorted. "Call
the civilian hospital, though."

"Why
the civilian hospital? Wouldn't that just raise questions?"

"No.
I have a friend in the trauma ward, and I can trust her to keep her
mouth shut. I did a favor for her once. " He bit his lip at
another bolt of pain. "Look, kid, I'll answer your questions
later, just get me there."

"GET
you there! How the hell am I supposed to do that! I can CALL them,
THEY can come get you, I'm not moving you. Now stay put!" Ed got
up and continued to rant under his breath as he walked off towards
Havoc's apartment to call the hospital.

Havoc
chuckled breathlessly at the kid's retreating back. Guess I hit a
nerve somewhere, he thought dryly.

Please
review, constructive criticism and questions appreciated, flames will
be deflected back at you by Roy. n.n;
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Unsettling Affairs