(DISCONTINUED) The Flames of Envy (Envy x OC)

Chapter 7

Alexis awoke with no idea where she was. She grunted, feeling someone underneath her. She looked around, but it was pitch black, so she snapped her fingers, sending a trail of fire into the air, briefly illuminating the open area, showing a telephone pole-like structure, which she decided to burn as a source of light.

Her eyes slowly adjusted and she saw who was underneath her. She had her legs on either side of Envy so she was straddling his waist. He grunted and opened his eyes, seeing her on top of him. His violet eyes glinted mischievously. He smirked and said, "Oh, control yourself, Fireball." She blushed furiously and said, "M-my name i-is Alexis! D-don't go g-getting any ideas, Envy!" She stood up, turned away, and crossed her arms, trying to regain her composure.

"Wh-where exactly are we...?" she asked, still feeling heat in her cheeks. Envy stood up and said, "We're inside Gluttony's stomach." Alexis shrieked, "WHAT!? We're inside Gluttony!? H-h-how is that possible!?" Envy put his hands on his hips and said, "You see, Gluttony was a failed attempt to create a Gate of Truth...meaning there's no way out. We're trapped here. Forever." Alexis let out a whimper, "F-forever...? N-n-no...! I-I can never see Roy or Riza...again...?" Envy shook his head. Alexis began to tear up and said, "N-no.... Th-there's gotta be a way out...! There's gotta be a way!" Envy sighed, held his forehead with his palm, and said, "Listen, Red, there's no way out of here!" Her eyes grew wide, fearing his sudden outburst as he began to shout at her, "You and I are gonna be stuck here for the rest of our pathetic, miserable lives, so get used to it!!!"

"E-Envy's as upset about our situation as I am...which...which means he must be telling the truth...we really are trapped here...!"

Envy kicked, splashing the calf-deep blood that surrounded them, clearly furious.

"He...he's pissed...b-but...why do I care? He's nothing but a...a heartless monster...a Homunculus...so, why...do I want to help him...?"

"Envy, wait!" She waded through the blood and grabbed his wrist. Envy snapped at her, "Yeah, and what do you want, now?" Alexis said, taking him off guard, "I-I...I'm sorry...!" His violet eyes met her blue ones and she said, "I'm sorry...for everything I did to you...."

"What the hell is up with her...? Mere moments ago, she hated my guts...now, here she is suddenly feeling sorry...? Tch. Humans are such confusing creatures...."

Soon, the pair heard Ed's voice echoing through the darkness, "Alexis! Alexis, is that you!?" Alexis quickly let go of Envy's wrist, turning a light pink color. Envy looked at her briefly, then shook his head and turned to where Ed's and now Ling's voices were coming from.

"Envy! So, you're stuck here, too?" Envy sighed and said, "No. We're all safe and sound, back in our beds, dreaming the same exact thing. Of course I'm stuck here, you Pipsqueak!!"

"ALL RIGHT, SMART-ASS!!! THAT'S IT!!!" "Come at me, Runt!!" Ling had to hold Ed back while Alexis grabbed Envy by the arm and held him back. Envy and Ed growled at each other as Ling said, irritated, "Stop it, you two! We'll never find a way out if you two can't put aside your differences for just a while!" Envy smirked and said, "As I just said to Red, here, there is no way out, you idiots!"

"I really hate his god damn nicknames...he's really starting to piss me off with this whole Red, Ginger, and Fireball business...!"

Envy shook Alexis off his arm and explained the situation to Ed and Ling. Alexis just stood, staring up into the void.

"Damn! Th-there's no way! I-I have to get back to my brother! I made him a promise!" Ed said, growing more distressed as he thought about the group's predicament.

Meanwhile, back in the outside world, Alphonse had decided to ask Gluttony to take him to Father. Gluttony did so, leading Al through Central and underground where he and Alexis were previously kidnapped by Greed.

"I...I hope Brother and Alexis are alright."

"This way! Father will be so pleased that I brought you here! Come on! Come on!" Gluttony beckoned Alphonse as they walked through the sewers. Al silently followed.

They turned corners upon corners until they finally reached a doorway.

Gluttony pushed the door open a little before opening it the rest of the way.

"Father! Father, look what I brought! A sacrifice!" Gluttony said, reminding Al of a child showing off something they found or made. The man Gluttony referred to as Father walked out of the shadows, revealing his face to Alphonse, who reeled back in surprise.

"V-Van Hoenheim...? D-dad?"

Father tilted his head to the side, confused by what Al had said, and asked him, "Van Hoenheim, you say? No, I'm afraid I'm not the man you are referring to." Al said cautiously, "Th-then how do you look exactly like him...?"

Back inside Gluttony, Ed, Ling, Alexis, and Envy were preparing to be Transmuted by Edward. Envy, in the new form of a creature with many human-like faces protruding from his body, had gone to get pieces of the broken gate that were lying around and had brought them to Ed in an attempt to escape.

"R-ready?" Ed asked. The group nodded and Alexis said, "A-are you...s-sure about this, Edward?" He grinned at her and announced, "Everyone, hold still!"

Ed clapped his hands together and a bright light engulfed the group.

Alphonse backed away from Father, still distrusting of him. Suddenly, a bright light lit up the room. As the light dissipated, Alphonse saw Edward, Ling, Alexis, and a huge creature with many faces all over its body lying around.

"Brother!?" He ran to Edward's side. "Alexis! Ling!" He looked over as Alexis stood up and muttered, "Well, I'll be damned...! It...it worked...!" Ling held out his hand and Alexis took it, being pulled up to her feet by the young Prince of Xing.

"Wh-where are we...? Al's here, but so it Gluttony...."

Envy then turned on the group, pinning down Ed and Al in one hand and Alexis and Ling in the other.

"E-ENVY!?! W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!" Ed shouted. Alexis was speechless. She did realize something, though.

"My right hand is free...if things get too out of hand...I can burn him again...sorry, Envy."

With that thought in mind, she watched as an old man stepped into view and Alphonse explained that he was the one the Homunculi call Father. Father soon turned to Ling and, seeing a cut on his cheek, produced a Philosopher's Stone in the palm of his hand.

"H-how did you--" "QUIET, RED!!" Envy roared at her.

"W-wait! Stop--" Ed began to protest before being cut off by Ling, "No! I-I need this...! It's the only way I can become Emperor!"

Father dropped the liquid Philosopher's Stone onto Ling's cheek and it made its way into the wound. Before long, Ling started thrashing about in pain. Envy loosened his grip on Ling, but did his best to keep the Pyre Alchemist imprisoned. After several minutes of Ling's agonized screams and flailing, Alexis saw on his left hand, the same exact marking on all the Homunculi, the Ouroboros mark, appear on his left hand. Just like Greed.

"Ling!! Ling, come on, man!! Fight it!!!" Ed's voice echoed through the room, followed by Alexis' fingers snapping.