DISCLAIMER: I don't own FMA or the characters. But I do own Auori and this storyline.
--Chapter 5--
"You have now arrived at North-North West, District S, Supplies Warehouses."
Auori stood up, and quickly exited the train. Checking a nearby map, she discovered that the warehouses were only about a 5 minute walk away.
"As if I'm not tired enough..." She mumbled to herself.
When she arrived, a bulky man greeted her at the entrance to the warehouse lot.
"Sorry, yuh need uh pass to go in, miss," the man said in a slurred accent. Auori pulled out her State Alchemist symbol and showed it to the man. Seeing that, the man immediately straightened up and led her to a small building labeled with a faded "1".
"So yer thuh alchemist we sent foh?" He asked, as Auori nodded. "I didn't expect yuh would be uh miss. Don't see a miss alchemist ev'ry day..."
"Yes, female alchemists are very rare..." Auori said, a bit defensively. The man, now named Garen, knocked on the door to the "1" building, and a tall, lanky young man opened the door.
"Hey, hey," he said. "Who's this, Gary?"
"This here is, uh, thuh State Alchemist we needed, Sandy. Yuh know, for the robbin' stuff? Her name's Auori." Garen introduced Auori, and Auori held her hand out to the man called Sandy. He took it, while saying, "So you're the alchemist, huh?" Auori nodded. "Not much of a talker, are you?" Sandy joked, and quickly led her to a back room, dismissing Garen.
"Hard to believe, that you're an Alchemist, Miss Auori," Sandy said with a smirk. "A girl. You don't see that very often. How old are you?"
"Eighteen..." Auori led off. "So, where can I start?" Sandy looked at her, and then smiled strangely.
"A bit younger than me," he stated. "And you can start right here, miss," he said in a flirty voice. "See, I'm the boss around here, and everyone does what I say," Auori flashed him an uneasy glance, and then returned to her normal, calm demeanor.
"Then, I'll be heading to the 5th, 6th, and 9th warehouses. That's where Colonel Mustang instructed me to investigate. I'm sure I can fix the damage." Auori said dismissively, and then exited the way she came.
"What a player," she groaned, obviously irritated with Sandy's actions. "Who does he think he is. Who does he think I am. Geez, the next time that guy says something wrong, I swear, I'll punch him in the mouth..."
She spotted Garen again, and asked him to lead her to the attacked warehouses. When she arrived, the three of them were in complete shambles. A few workers were around a table off to the side. Auori thanked Garen, and then went up to them.
"Hello," Auori greeted. "Are you three... workers here?" The workers nodded, and one asked, "Who're you?"
"Are you the alchemist, miss?" Another piped up.
"She is, I see the watch!" The third exclaimed. They all rose and asked her, "You're here to fix the warehouse?"
Thrown off by the cloud of attention, Auori backed up a bit and confirmed their flurry of questions. Without further ado, she walked up to a warehouse, where the ground was marked with a "5".
"Are all the construction pieces there?" She questioned, before beginning the process. The workers nodded, and Auori turned back to the wrecked house.
"Alright, then," she breathed. "Let's see if I remember how to do this..." In quick succession, Auori clasped her hands together, and slammed them into the ground next to the warehouse. With a quick flash, the warehouse was back in perfect shape.
The workers gazed in shock and admiration. "How did you do that?" "That's amazing!" "It looks just like new!" "What about the alchemy circle thingy?" They cried, crowding around poor Auori. With no real way to keep it a secret, Auori told them (in simplest terms possible) how it worked.
"On my shoulder blades," she gestured, "and lines down to my hands," she gestured again, "are my home country's alchemy circles. They're tattooed on with special ink, made from berries. Energy comes from my shoulders, down to my hands along these lines on my arms. But that's different. My hands can perform separate, modern alchemy with a simple connection between these two circles. It's like what the Full Metal Alchemist uses, but he doesn't have any circles." She concluded, and glanced over at the amazed workers.
"Can you fix the other two, too?" The first one asked eagerly, and Auori nodded.
She continued to work on the houses, and finished, without flaws, in minutes. Tired and out of energy, Auori returned to the first building and knocked on the door. The man, Sandy, opened the door, and Auori quickly regretted what she had done. Crap! She thought angrily.
"Can I help you, Miss Alchemist?" He said in a sweet, yet deceiving, tone.
"I'm done with the warehouses, but I need a bit of food and rest before I can capture the attacker." She explained uneasily, worried about what Sandy would say or do.
"Well, come on in, then." He invited, and Auori shuffled into the front room.
"I got some food somewhere..." Sandy said vaguely. Then, as if from out of nowhere, a plate of spaghetti with sauce appeared from behind his back, in his hands.
"Here," he said sweetly. "Have some. It's homemade."
Auori eyed the plate suspiciously. Where did that come from? She wondered. Could he be an alchemist? Or...
Envy was clasped to the awning above the window where Sandy and Auori were talking. What's he scheming? Envy asked himself. What could he be up to?
Why don't you find out, Envy? Lust's voice asked, sarcastically. Maybe you should try not screwing up this time. You've wasted enough time with that detour you took to get here.
Envy grunted. I've got it, I've got it. Watch over Ri-r-- the girl and check o-- study her battle skills.
Glad you're not distracted enough to forget that. Lust commented. Just get to work. Make sure you're NOT spotted by her.
"...why so suspicious, Auori?" Sandy grinned, slightly pushing the plate towards her.
"Why so informal, especially when you're talking to an equivalent to a Military Major?" Auori rebuffed, while stepping back a bit.
Sandy placed the plate on a nearby table, and said, "Difficult, aren't you? Not a fan of spaghetti, hmm?" He said, a flirtatious tone increasing in his voice.
Auori had had enough. "I'm leaving. I'll get food somewhere else," she said, obviously displeased. Turning around abruptly, Auori walked toward the door, and turned the knob.
If the knob would turn. Locked in, damn it! Auori swore, and Sandy quickly came up behind her, and slammed his hands on either side of her.
"As if I would let you go so easily... Miss Auori..." he said, in a dangerously seductive tone.
Envy was flaring. Infuriated, and envious, true to his name. WHY CAN'T I FREAKING JUMP THROUGH THE WINDOW AND KILL THAT GUY!? He thought in extreme displeasure. Watch for just a bit longer, Lust soothed. She'll fight.
WHAT IF I DON'T WANT TO WATCH? IT'S SICK! HE'S FREAKING TRYING TO PLAY HER! I'M GONNA KILL HIM!
FWASH! A burst of wind exhaled out the windows, as Sandy was sent flying across the house, into a bedroom. Knocked out, Auori ran up to him and snapped out a small bottle of liquid from her bag. She tore open the waxed cork and shoved the liquid into Sandy's unconscious mouth.
"Drink up," she muttered. "Just forget, right? Forget..." Making sure the bottle was empty, Auori shattered the vial into little pieces. "Just to make sure..." she led off.
No food or rest for me, she thought, growingly irritated. I gotta finish this tonight.
She exited, and discovered that the sun was falling, and the sky was becoming darker. Auori tiredly walked up to a nearby warehouse, marked with a faint "7". The other warehouses were attacked, with all food and medicine either stolen or obliterated, she thought wearily. The thief could attack any warehouse at any moment. Who knows? They could be robbing one of them right--
Auori spun around on the spot, hearing a crunching sound coming from a warehouse across a dirt lane, which was marked with a "2".
What could that be? She sarcastically wondered. Silently gliding across the lane, Auori snuck up around the entrance, and glanced at a local sign, which claimed that Warehouse 2 was another food warehouse. She peered through the entrance, and tried to see inside the darkened warehouse.
"I'm sure that sound was coming from in here," she whispered to herself. "Wait a second..." Auori's eyes shot open, as a person emerged into the moonlight. Garen?!?! She thought wildly. No...
Garen spotted her, and lunged at her wildly, knocking her down. While Auori was pinned to the ground, Garen then uttered a high-pitched scream, that rung through the warehouse district. Not knowing what this was for, Auori quickly blew a dense wind-ball into Garen's stomach, knocking him into the far back of the warehouse. A faint rustling occurred, and Auori immediately realized what was happening. He was possessed, and so were the forty workers running towards her now.
Damn, Auori swore. My first battle, and it's forty-something to one. Auori dashed into the warehouse, and shut the large doors behind her with a snap of air. Inside, there was only a few light sources from windows to outside. Otherwise, it was dark as dark could be. I have to fight him almost blind, then. Auori thought.
She could hear "Garen" breathing heavily, about 20 feet away from her. Auori stepped forward, and Garen lunged again, screeching. Dropping into a roll, she countered with a blade of wind, sharper than a knife. She thanked silently that she couldn't see, because by the sound of "Garen's" shrieks, the wind blade had caused major bloody damage to his body.
A shouting came in through the windows. Crap, Auori thought. The other possessed workers are here. I can't hurt them all. And I can't hurt Garen's body too much, either. She took a blind glance in Garen's direction. Though I might have gone too far already...
"Do yuh realize..." a voice, Garen's, began. It sounded strangled and otherworldly. "How little fud we guht here? And medicuhn? Help muh, Miss Alchemust. We need fud..."
"Shut up, doppelgänger," Auori said coldly. "Come out of your shell and fight." At this, the possessed Garen sprang again at Auori, this time his blood splattered Auori's face and clothes, as she tried to dodge again.
"Why're yuh doin' this, missy?" Garen said. "It hurts..." Not knowing what to do, Auori clasped her hands together and slammed them into a crate, which fell apart and formed a wooden axe. She threw it into the air, and began spinning it with wind. She was just about to launch it towards the possessed Garen, when the warehouse caught on fire. The possessed workers got their hands on a torch or two.
I need to finish this, fast. Auori panicked. Or else we'll both burn to hell. She ran for the doors, and then realized that all the workers were out there. She couldn't escape.
Envy was also panicking, hidden away in a tree, watching Auori. Lust... I need to help her!
No, you don't, Lust said dismissively. Let's see what she does in a situation like this.
But she'll burn! Envy yelled. She's too kind to just kill innocent people! She's too smart to think that killing the man would solve the problem! Envy rose, beginning to leap out of the tree to her rescue.
Don't you dare, Envy! Lust yelled. She wasn't named a State Alchemist for nothing. She will fight.
If she dies, the entire mission could be ruined! Envy countered, panicking even more. All would be lost! She's going to die!
Let it be, Envy. Lust said. Stop worrying. You can play the hero when you're supposed to. Which should be never.
SHUT UP, LUST! Envy shrieked.
Don't yell at me, Lust said, annoyingly calm. Watch.
--Chapter 6--
"EEYAAAAHHHHHH!!!!" Auori screamed. The warehouse was falling apart from fire damage, and Auori and the possessed Garen were stuck inside. At this rate, Auori was going to be burned black. Garen lunged again, unfazed by the warehouse burning up. The heat and smoke was burning Auori's eyes, making it hard for her to see, making her vulnerable to Garen's attacks. His long, dirty nails dug into her shoulders, causing her to bleed. "Aaaaaaagghhhh!" She screeched in pain.
The warehouse was getting hotter, with the walls getting weaker and weaker. Auori's gold eyes searched around desperately, trying to find a way out. Then, with one final hit, Auori was knocked out.
"Auori!" Envy shouted in sudden alarm. Before Lust could protest, Envy sprang out of his hiding spot and snuck around the side of the warehouse. He spotted the possessed workers, and quickly dodged back. Damn, he thought. I'll have to jump in through a window. He looked up, and then realized that the windows were shrouded in flame. In fact, everything was shrouded in flame. He hit his forehead in frustration at his own stupidity.
There are so many things I could say right now, Envy, Lust said in amusement. Envy chose to ignore that.
He looked back at the burning warehouse, and silently wished he could form a carbon armor like Greed could. He began to think of what was happening inside the warehouse, but quickly shook it away. The thoughts began to creep back, and Envy punched the warehouse wall in frustration. Though he burned his hand, Envy felt calmer.
The wall began to crumble away where Envy punched it. Surprised, Envy crawled through the hole, burning his hands again. Through the fire, he spotted Auori's still shadow. He dashed towards it, when the shadow rose and put out its hands. What's she doing? Envy thought nervously. Is she... conscious?
Suddenly, two balls of fire formed in Auori's hands, and they raced up her arms and down her back.
"AUORI!" Envy shouted, panicking. He ran towards her, but a huge burning piece of the roof fell, blocking his way. "Ugh!" He cringed, blocking himself with his arms. Even though he was a Homunculus, the fire licked his already burned skin. The balls of fire in Auori's hands grew and grew, and the flames on her back burned higher and higher. Envy was sweating with extreme anxiety and stress, as he attempted to climb over the inflamed wood.
"HaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Auori screamed, as her hands came together, combining the two fire balls into one big inferno. Envy watched in confusion and amazement, distracted from his main objective. The inferno ball burst, shrouding Auori in flame.
Why isn't she being incinerated? Envy thought with worry. What's going on?!
On fire, Auori leaped onto the flames (you heard me, she leaped onto the fire), bounding to the top of the flaming warehouse. Envy looked up, watching her darkened eyes. Her hands crossed, as a huge dome of wind formed over the warehouse. "Wind dome..." Auori whispered. "Smother!" Envy shut his eyes due to a burst of sharp wind, and when they opened, the fire was gone.
"What?" Envy's violet eyes widened in surprise. "What... just happened?" He looked up at Auori, and realized she was falling 30 feet to her fated injury, or worse...
"AUORI!!" He shouted, dashing under her plummeting body. With a great THUD, the unconscious girl landed in Envy's arms. With one hand, he wiped soot off of her hot cheek, heated by the flames that shrouded her before. How did she do it? Envy thought, relieved she was alright. Thank God she's okay.
Crunch...
A sound alerted Envy to Auori's target. He laid Auori down in the ashes, and walked towards the source. Expecting to find the man named Garen to attack him, he braced himself. Instead, he discovered a yellow blob, no bigger than his palm. Daring not to touch it, he quickly picked up a smoking log and squashed it mercilessly. "Stupid parasite," Envy said disgustedly. "Go to hell." He searched around, listening, and the shouting from outside died down. "Guess the workers are back to normal, but what about the old man..." He was suspicious, because not even a blackened corpse was to be found.
"The geezer was a parasite from the start," Envy concluded. "Inhuman, just like... me..."
Envy walked back to the unconscious Auori, and picked her up once more. "Auori... what did you do to yourself?" Her clothing was black from fire burns, but her bag remained unharmed. Fire-proof, Envy thought. Impressive planning. He glanced around her, and discovered she was bleeding on her shoulders and had sears through her shirt on her back. I need to get her healed, fast.
Envy carried Auori outside, her head resting close to his chest. I gotta find a good hospital before this gets worse than it is, Envy decided. He looked around to see that the workers were already behaving normally, as if nothing happened. He walked over to one, and asked him where the nearest hospital was.
"The nearest hospital? That would be about a 5 mile journey from here to the East, to the nearest town. There's no buses or trains, so you'd have to walk there."
Obviously displeased, Envy turned and walked away, mumbling. "A fricking five-mile journey... what the hell?! Guess the parasite was right about lack of medical supplies." He turned around, facing the warehouses. "Hold on a sec... this is the medicine and food district. For Central, right? I'll just take some, they won't mind..."
Have you no conscience, Reyven? Auori's voice echoed in Envy's head. You can't just take things like that! It's against the law!
That's right... Envy looked down at Auori's head. She wouldn't like that if I took the stuff freely. Better ask someone. Once again, Envy walked over to another worker and eagerly requested to use the supplies.
"I really shouldn't let you..." the worker replied nervously. "...but I can surely see that your girlfriend needs it. After all, she saved us!" Envy blushed at the 'girlfriend' bit, but also felt a bit proud of Auori, for having such power.
She could become a very good weapon. Lust said. Keep it up, Envy. She could become very reliable.
Long time, no hear, Lust, Envy responded in dismay. What do you mean, weapon?
If she loves you that much, she would do anything. Including turning on her friends.
She wouldn't dare, Envy snapped. She's too honest and loyal for that.
You're so protective of her, Reyven, Lust said playfully. Which proves my point yet again, Reyven.
SHUT UP! Envy said fiercely. ONLY AUO- THE GIRL CAN CALL ME THAT! NO ONE ELSE!
You're so defensive, Envy. Lust teased again. How in love can you be?
In frustration, Envy punched straight through a wall of a nearby warehouse. The hole was as big as the windows, and the workers near him stared in fascination and fear. Embarrassed, Envy dashed away with Auori into the same warehouse he punched.
Dammit, Lust, he said, self conscious of her words. Why can't you just leave me the hell alone?
... sure, Envy. Lust replied. I'll leave you alone... for two more weeks. Until the month is up.
Taken aback from Lust's agreeability, Envy only muttered an "okay".
Envy soon discovered that warehouse was a medicinal warehouse, with bed material, bandages, and pain killers. Bashing open the crates and creating a make-shift bed for Auori, Envy soon gathered (as far as he knew) what should be used.
"Now, this is used for... what?" Envy said, taking a bottle of pain killers from a crate. "Aceta--mino--phen? What the hell...? All these things that humans have to feel better, I don't get it at all..." In frustration, Envy threw the bottle across the room. "Dammit!"
"Um, excuse me, mister..." A voice said from the entrance of the warehouse. Envy turned around abruptly, and saw that a worker had appeared in the doorway.
"I'm really sorry to disturb, but, um... do you need help with the medicine?" The worker began to walk in, when a hand came behind her and grabbed her shoulder.
"Where do you think you're going, missy?" A familiar voice said to the worker. She cowered back, shakily responding, "I was, uh, there's... over there, he..."
Sandy shoved her aside and swaggered into the warehouse. Envy immediately recognized him as 'the sleaze ball who tried to take advantage of Auori' and took on a face of hostility and displeasure.
"Now, now, now, who do we have here?" Sandy said, looking down at Envy, who was sitting next to Auori's still unconscious body. "Miss Alchemist? What's she doing here? Shouldn't she be working at finding the thief, eh?" Ignoring Envy's existence, he kneeled down and began to grasp Auori's shoulder, when Envy grabbed his wrist and gave him a death stare.
"Leave her the hell alone, you bastard," Envy retorted angrily. "I'm taking care of her."
Continuing to ignore Envy, Sandy snatched his hand back and grabbed Auori's shoulder. "Get up." He said, shaking her shoulder, to no response.
"Get up, you damn alchemist." Sandy commanded, shaking her shoulder more violently. His anger flaring, Envy stood up and kicked Sandy in the stomach, knocking him backwards, away from Auori.
"I told you to leave her alone, you damn pervert," Envy said darkly. "I'm taking care of her."
Finally taking notice of Envy, Sandy stood up and said, "Well, you're going to need some help with that, aren't you? You don't know what you're doing. And don't call me a pervert, 'cuz I'm not." Once again, he walked towards Auori and Envy and picked up a bottle of acetaminophen from an open crate.
Sandy cracked. open the bottle, and peered into it. He closed it, and then picked up a container marked "burn cream". Sandy picked up another bottle of sleeping pills, and a few packs of bandages. He tossed the supplies toward Envy, who caught them and carefully inspected the labels. Sandy proceeded to open another crate, and take out a bucket of water, and two brightly colored rags. He opened the bucket, and plunged the rags into the (apparently cold) water. Holding the dripping rags, he walked over to Auori and started to wipe her with the rags.
Unhappy with this kind of contact, Envy snatched the rags away from Sandy and grumbled, "I'll do it myself. I'd rather do it than let you." Brushing the comment off, Sandy got up and began to leave. He then spotted a book, picked it up, and threw it at Envy, hitting him in the face.
"What the hell was that for?!" Envy exclaimed, taking the book.
"Stop being such a jerk. Stop hogging Auori to yourself. And let me take care of her, because I actually know what I'm doing," Sandy said maliciously. "Who the hell do you think you are? Where did you even come from?"
Envy grinned, and said, "She's mine, if you get what I mean." He stood up to face Sandy, and continued, "I get to take care of her. 'Cuz she's mine. Mine, mine, mine." He laughed, mocking Sandy's ignorance. "Stop acting as if she's your girlfriend, 'cuz she's not. She's M-I-N-E."
Sandy turned red, and stormed back to in front of Envy. He was a good foot taller than him, with fierce ice blue eyes. Hating being looked down on, especially by Sandy, Envy dodged beneath him and punched him in the side. Cringing in pain, Sandy fell to his knees, clutching his ribs.
"That was dirty. What have I ever done to you?" Sandy choked on his words. Clearly, Envy's blow was harder than he thought.
"You tried to play something on her. Remember?!" Envy yelled, wondering what was going on.
"Since when? I never did a fricking thing to her!" Sandy replied angrily.
Envy stopped himself, and thought back to Auori's confrontation with Sandy. So, he... uh... yeah... and then she attacked him, he went flying, and then she... He suddenly realized what happened. [Author's note: remember the vial Auori smashed? Remember what she said? "Just forget, right? Forget..." If you don't get it, then I can't help you.]
But, why would she do that? He looked down at Auori, and back at Sandy. Not wanting to show weakness, or that he was wrong, Envy sat back down and shut himself up. He grabbed another rag and soaked it in the bucket of water that Sandy found. He tenderly washed down Auori's face, arms, legs, and her especially blackened hands and bloody shoulders. He tried to wash her back, but he was afraid to flip her over, in fear he was going to injure her.
"What are you gonna do now, huh, big man?" Sandy said mockingly. "You have to wash her chest, stomach and back, too." Envy didn't look up, for his face was twisted and red. The very thought of coming into that kind of contact with Auori made him blush violently.
"Can't handle it?" Sandy said sarcastically. "Perhaps I should do it...?"
At that notion, Envy's face turned red with fury. The idea of doing it himself is bad enough, but if Sandy were to do it... he would be beyond not standing it.
"You filthy pig," Envy growled, attempting to contain his immense anger. "If it weren't for her, you would be dead right now."
"Aww, afraid to beat me up in front of your girlfriend?" Sandy teased. "Who are you, Prince Charming?"
Envy's eyes turned red. "Shut the hell up, you disgusting bastard, before I--"
"Before you, what? Watch your language, it shouldn't be used around ladies," Sandy continued to annoy Envy.
Envy stood up again and growled furiously, "You have no idea what I am, you ignorant player."
"Oh, yeah? What are you?" Sandy inquired menacingly.
"I'm a Hom--" Auori shivered, and her breathing became audible to Envy's ears. In surprise, he plopped back down to be with her.
Auori shuddered, and Envy moved closer to warm her. She turned over to face Envy, and ever so slowly, her weary yellow eyes opened.
"R...R-ey-v...en?"
