Day 69: Breakfast

[envy_the_sinners]

Scar scowled, both relieved and angry that he had woken up once again in his own bed. That lanky man who had become his new roommate on the night of his death was sound asleep one bed over.

This was coming to be the new "normal." It was infuriating.

As always, he begrudgingly followed his nurse into the cafeteria and took a seat. He preferred to file in with the majority of the patients in order to avoid sticking out, but no such luck this morning.

Scar stared at his food rather than starting in on it, despite the newly found appetite that had been lost thanks to that blasted sickness. He had a lot to think about. He hadn't managed to find Frank last night. The damn intercom had beaten him to it. And judging by Tsubaki's reaction to him, he had been out for at least a day's time. How many had noticed? Cared? It couldn't have been many.

But it was the few who did whose detection Scar was desperate to avoid.

[Eddyyyy!]

Comments

[envy_the_sinners]

"I have no idea when that was, nor do I know who 'Sloth' is." Despite having been so deeply involved in the Elrics' story, Scar knew surprisingly little. The only information he had had either been relayed from the Elrics themselves or through Lust, and bot sources were spotty for varying reasons.

But he could make his own connections. 'Sloth' easily could have been another homunculus, and Lust had told him that she had defected from her companions some time after his death. But there was too much that he didn't know.

[fullmetalheart]

"The same day she died," Ed said quietly. "Envy took Al and I chased after him, and left Lust to deal with Wrath on her own. If I had to guess, I'd say that I got pulled from right about the same time."

He took a deep breath and stared down at his food. Ed wasn't sure how hungry he was anymore. "Your brother wasn't the only one to want a loved one back."

[envy_the_sinners]

It took a while for it all to sink in. Lust had been frustratingly hushed about the events following his death, or even details about what led up to it. She had never mentioned names like Envy and Wrath.

He looked back up at Edward. It all hit him at once.

"Then Sloth was... your sin?" He had never taken the chance to consider how the Elric boys had lost their bodies. But now that Edward mentioned it, it all fit. It was a miracle they had both held onto their sanity. Scar cringed when he remembered his brother- the search for the Stone, the war, the transmutation. It had pushed him over the edge. There had been only a brief moment of clarity in his dying minutes. And yet Edward and Alphonse Elric fought. That was why they had joined with the military. Why they had risked their lives. They needed to set it right.

And what had Scar done? Go on a killing spree? Once again, those boys proved how much stronger they were than he was.

[fullmetalheart]

Ed closed his eyes, afraid to see the look on Scar's face.

"We just wanted to see Mom smile again," he whispered. "We didn't know it would go so horribly wrong."

He laughed bitterly. "My arrogance in thinking I knew better than the adults that forbade human transmutation almost got us killed. Both that night, and when Sloth tried to kill us."

[envy_the_sinners]

It was rare that a look of true horror crossed Scar's face. He couldn't take his eyes off Edward. He tried to swallow, but his throat had gone dry.

"You killed her?" It was the most he could muster right then. He rested his forehead in his hands. Scar had never met another who had committed the taboo. At least, that was what he had thought.

"I..." He cut himself off. So much made sense, now. He shook his head. "I don't even know."

Scar tried to put on a scowl, setting his fists down to the table.

[fullmetalheart]

Ed flinched, eyes opened and focused on his plate. "She didn't give us a choice. She would have killed us, given the chance. She almost did when I was getting people out of Liore."

[envy_the_sinners]

Scar continued to watch Edward, rare sympathy in his eyes. He hated to even ask his next question, but...

"Did they make it out safely?" Then suddenly, Scar tensed. If the answer was a 'no,' then he was going to have a very angry word with Lust. She had told him it had gone smoothly. And she had been still involved with the other homunculi at that point. She had to have known. Now Scar scowled, choosing to glare at his plate, now, rather than at Edward.

[fullmetalheart]

Ed winced a bit, as he finally looked up. "Sloth made her appearance known by attacking some of them. I don't think she killed anyone though, and I know that Rose got out."

[envy_the_sinners]

So half yes, half no. But still- Lust had indicated that the homunculi's actions were all orchestrated. He clinched his teeth. It wasn't that she had truly lied, but that didn't mean that she had been telling the truth, either.

"A blessing, at least." Now wasn't the time to become angry. He needed the Elric brothers to know that he was firmly on their side. Scar took a deep breath to calm himself.

"And Lyra?"

[fullmetalheart]

"Rose left with her after everybody got out, I think." Ed frowned. "I left after to try to keep the soldiers out of the city. Which reminds me."

Ed stood and leaned over the table to sock Scar on the shoulder before sitting back down. "That's for killing thousands of people and not getting the asshole that sent them in."

[envy_the_sinners]

Scar's eyes shot back up to Edward. What...?!

"I did what I had to," he growled.

[fullmetalheart]

"Don't give me that," Ed growled back before he slumped back in his seat. "Regardless, thank you for saving Al's life."

[envy_the_sinners]

"That's a contradiction. It was all I could do to save him," Scar shot back.

[fullmetalheart]

Ed frowned and didn't say anything. Then his stomach reminded him that it was still hungry and he started eating again.

[envy_the_sinners]

Scar huffed.

"Is there anything else you need to know?"

[fullmetalheart]

Ed glanced at Scar's arm. "I take it you can't make things explode anymore?"

[envy_the_sinners]

Scar's left wrist automatically came up to grasp his right. He went back to watching the table.

"I cannot."

[fullmetalheart]

"That's not a good thing here," Ed observed, knowing that he stated the obvious.

[envy_the_sinners]

"It is and it isn't." In a way, Scar was glad the damn thing was gone. Yet here, it meant that he was useless and helpless at night time.

"I have acquired alternate weapons, though."

[fullmetalheart]

"Oh, what?" Ed asked, looking back up from his food.

[envy_the_sinners]

His loot was fairly pathetic, now that he thought about it.

"...I stole some scalpels from the surgery area."

[fullmetalheart]

Ed stared at him for a moment as he choked back the urge to snark. "How about sometime tonight, you look for some sort of raw material and either Al or I can make you something better."

[envy_the_sinners]

"No," he said flatly. He would not resort to relying on alchemy. There had to be something else.

"I am fine with what I have."

[fullmetalheart]

Now Ed lets the snark through. "I can see it now. 'Let me poke you with my tiny knife thing.'"

Then he glared at him. "Don't be stubborn."

[envy_the_sinners]

Scar scowled.

"If I don't need your wretched alchemy then I won't use it."