Equivalent exchange

Chapter 5

Hononheim was working in his study when the door opened admitting his two elder children and one kitten which was quickly shoed out by the younger of the two. he simply looked up at the two, both looked remarkably like him. gold haired and gold eyed. there was a look of worry in their faces and Ed checked the hall before he closed the door.
"Father we have to talk." William told him.
"About what?"
"Well what happened a few weeks ago." Edward told him, the boy was fidgeting with his shirt.
"Very well."
"Father i was attempting to discover what had happened to Will before using the notes you stole form Dante. I am afraid I did something wrong I am not your Edward."
"What do you mean?"
"the array father, it also brought someone else through apparently a monster called Envy he is William in my world so William makes him weak."
"How?"
"He's a homunculus."
"those are a legend."
"So is the red stone."
"Yes."
"Well it can be made if you are willing to sacrifice thousands of lives."
"that's horrible."
"Yes it is." he sighed. "but Envy knows the secret and he's loose around here he'll probably try to kill everyone here."
"But William weakens him?"
"Yes he was unable to do anything as long as I was in the room."
"I see."

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Al frowned as he listened in on his brothers and father he had known something was up but he could hardly believe his brothers had hidden this from him. and that monster wanted to kill his brothers, who cared that Ed might not be his Ed he was still Ed and he had to help him and Will. he got up and left the library replacing the stone they moved to listen in to their father's study. he headed for his room and grabbed a note book and some pencils as well as his chalk in case he needed it and left the house he would find and stop envy himself if he had too.

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The group that gathered in honeheim's study was an interesting one Roy, Izumi, honenhiem and his older sons. They repeated the story for them and the other s looked at them. the looks from all of them were different Izumi looked thoughtful, and roy looked mildly upset. Izumi stood to walk around Ed she punched at him and he dodged unconsciously in a way she had not taught them.
"Why the hell did you not tell us boy?"
"Because you wouldn't have believed me, but no one else can know."
"And what about this Envy guy?"
"I'm going to go after him and kill."
"Not alone." WIll told his brother.
"That's for sure." Roy grumbled.
"But it's to dangerous."Ed muttered.
"That doesn't matter if you go someone else is going with you." Hoenhiem told him.
"Yes sir."

Ther was a knock on the door and they all stared at the door before Roy went ot open it. Trisha was there looking worried.
"Is Al in here with you?"
"No He was in his room checking on Mittens." William told her.
"He's not there now no one has seen him."
"Al right Ed and I will go look for him."
"Thank you." she left and they looked at one another.

"Al's gone?"
"Apparently."
"Do you think?"
"I'm going." Ed demanded and stormed toward the door followed by his brother and Roy. Hoeinhiem tried to call after them but sighed and looked at Izumi.
"you can't stop them, you couldn't 't stop them from doing something that stupid."
"Sad but true, can they handle Dante?"
"Probably we'll tell Scar and Huges to come and follow them."
"Sounds like a plan."


Al was farther than he'd been in a while on his own. he'd been near dublith once when he Ed and Will had been left alone on an island for three months. that had been an interesting three months actually but now he had to find his way there since he had missed the train and had not wanted his family to catch him he would find out what was going on. He was mad at Ed for not telling him and mad at William for keeping a secret form him too they were his brothers and he loved them but they were such idiots sometimes.

Something moved and he ducked as Envy swung at him.
"Fast little kid aren't you?"
"I'm not a kid." He struggled to no avail.
"I noticed, you also know alot more than the Al I know." He moved and grabbed the younger boy from behind. "you certainly know alot."
"Let me go."
"Maybe ,or maybe I'll have a little fun and leave what's left of you to warn our dear brother not to mess with me. I wonder how he will react to losing you here as well?" He licked the boy's ear and he froze.

Alphonse was frightened this guy could look or sound like his Will but he was scary and could kill him.

"But mother has other plans for you and our brothers of course so come along and meet the woman father left for your mother." he carried the boy away dropping the bag he had carried his things in.

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Ed frowned seeing the signs of struggle and punched the nearest tree. the other two looked at him.
"Ed?"
"I'm fine."
"no you ar upset and punching poor defenseless trees." William told him.
"Why the hell did he come out here on foot all by himself?"
"He must have over heard us."
"when?"
"I don't know we'll ask when this is all done and we've beaten this Envy guy to a pulp."
"I see, roy ar any good at Fire alchemy?"
"Yes, why?"
"Can you just call it up?"
"no."
"Damn, this would be easier." the blonde stomped off and Roy simply watched him go, to bad he wasn't his Ed he still liked him though he should have guessed something was up these last few weeks. Ed had hardly said word one to him and had barely let him touch him. He really wanted to ask if he knew him form this other world but had a feeling he did and they did not get along. he smiled and followed the boy.
"So this other world is just like this one."
"Only things have changed people who were dead there are alive here and things have gone in other directions."
"an Me?"
"you're a bastard Conel who wants to be the leader of our country."
"I see no wonder you're always mad at me." he smirked. "but i'm not him ALchemists are not allowed in the military and we're run by a parliament not one person."
"I know." He tried to step away but roy put an arm around his waist and nuzzled his neck slightly. the blonde struggled .
"I'm not your Ed remember."
"So you are still Ed so far ther has been little difference between you and him "
"roy can you molest my little brother later, after we have rescued our youngest brother." Will told him walking past them and further into the trees.
Ed shrugged Roy off and followed his brother.


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Envy smirked at the struggling boy as he dumped him at Dante's feet the old woman looked dow nat the boy with a glare he resembled his father but also the woman who was his mother.

"Here you go mother one brat alchemist and no doubt the others are right behind him." he told her.

Al looked up at the woman, she looked old, really old much older than his father. She was glaring at him eyes full of hatred she would probably happily kill him then Ed and them go to tea or something and she was working with this monster Ed had called Envy thinking it was Will. Will would never do what this monster was doing.

"So which one are you?" she asked him.
"Alphonse." He answered struggling ot stand but Envy kept him on his knees with one hand.
"The youngest one then. Your brother and father should be behind you then. We have to get ready for his arrival put him in a guest room dear ." she told Envy.
"Yes mother." he said and picked Alphonse back up and carried him upstairs to the guest rooms where he dumped him on a bed and smirked taking William's form.
"So the Chibi will come even quicker knowing you are here. Maybe I should find out why my other self likes to spend so much time with you. That kiss was hardly a taste I'm sure."
"Get away from me." he kicked at the homunculus who caught his foot easily.
"Now, now behave little boy you want to be in one piece when your brother comes to rescue you don't you? You need to be a good boy then." He smirked enjoying the boy's fear.


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Ed swore as he tripped over something and was barely caught by William before hs hit the ground. He muttered and dusted himself off. Roy picked up the offending item and held it u, it was a shoulder bag exactly like the ones ed and william carried ther was only one more like it since their mother had made them for the three brothers before their last trip out into the wilderness together.
"this isn't good." Roy said looking at it.
"No it's not." William took the bag and opened it rifling through it. "It's Al's."
"Damn." Ed swore.
"Ed language." William said automatically then looked at the bag in his hands.
"We have to find him." Ed demanded and ran off in the direction of Dante's manor house. The other two were only a step behind.


At the house a group of people were waiting for them at the gate, Ed recognized Greed and his crew or at least this world's versions of them. There were four of them, they had knives and guns on hand and were obviously waiting for them. The man who looked like Greed stepped forward as they approached.

"So you're the brats Dante told us to welcome you to her home."
"Funny I don't feel very welcomed." Ed quipped and clapped his hands. Ther was a flash of blue light and he pulled a knife from his sleeve. The other two looked at him and he grinned. "Didn't expect that to work."
"Explain this later.' William told him.
"I will." he assured his brother and the three defended themselves agianst their attackers.

The girl went after Roy the large guy after William and the smaller guy after Ed. Roy pulled out a pair of gloves with flame arrays on the back of the hands he snapped his fingers sending a stream of fire at her as she stabbed at him. William dodged the hammer carried by the large man who was quite fast for his size not letting the young man get a chance to draw up an array to call up a weapon so he had to rely on Izumi's teaching to fight the man off. He almost thanked the woman for teaching him to move fast to avoid her punches. Gregory watched it with a smile on his face he enjoyed the show. Ed dodged the guy with the sword and moved towards William who caught sight of his movement and dodged the opposite direction their opponents didn't have a chance to dodge as they ran into one another. The two exchanged a glance and charged Greed. The man was taken aback by the two's actions and barely dodged them. He was even more surprised to nearly be burned by Roy's fire alchemy. Once they were past him the other two looked at the brunette.
"I thought you said you couldn't call it."
"I didn't know if they would work i just made these."
"Oh let's find al."
Envy was waiting for them in the foyer. He looked at all three of them.
"And here I was hoping you'd storm off and meet me one on one again Chibi-alchemist . Just like last time you came to save your brother and it will still end the same with you bleeding all over the ground." he said as they glared at him.

"shut up I'll get rid of you for good this time." he jumped at him knife out. Gold eye flashing in anger. Envy dodged him easily jumping out of the way as ed slashed at him. He took Ed's form as he jumped away. They fought for awhile one on one the other two not sure which was their Ed. William frowned and pushed at Roy.
"Find Al I'll help Ed."
"Are you sure?"
"Hey supposedly i can weaken him if i get close enough."
"okay." Roy took off deeper into the house leaving the other two to the fight with Envy.