AmiiStarr: Thank you for the review! I'm happy that you liked it.

TimeWolf: So I'm curious; what exactly do you mean by "this type"? Do you mean Greed x OC or something? (By the way, to anyone that cares: I am using the second Greed. I struggle to find Greed/Ling x OC stories that are complete). Thank you for the review, regardless.

A/N: As a last note there is a picture of Catalena that I drew, scanned, and edited a little to help out imagining the scenes. It is on my profile. Please take the time to copy and paste the URL out and glance at her. BTW, I always sucked at coloring, that's why it's in black and white.

Catalena is sadistic and a sociopath, but she does like to be around people. She is also very observative; despite all these cliche qualities, she wasn't always like this. Anyhow, putting aside her chesire smile, I'm not that great but I can only get better.

Disclaimer: I do not own FMA: Brotherhood. If I did, I would be feeling accomplished and would not have any reason to be typing this in the first place, now, would I?


Avaricious

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| …Maybe a little…|

Chapter 2

How to Fuel Fire

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After the strange and awkward introduction, Catalena decided to lean on Colonel Mustang regardless of how problematic it would be. Carrying her legs across each massive array of cement steps to Central Command, she paused, gathering breath as she stared down.

Who the hell designed this place to be so damn high, anyway?

Regardless of the protection of the tunnel's walls, the heat of the afternoon sun still caused beads of sweat to begin streaming down her back. It felt slightly cooler since all she adorned under the trademark alchemist's cloak (Hers in a shade of gray) was a black crop top. Of course the sudden disperse of sweat meant that she was dehydrated.

Still staring down at her shin-high brown boots, she brushed her hands across the white fabric of her capris, feeling her pockets for change. A deep frown resonated, and she remembered that she had to pay for the large meal the Xingese man had conned her into buying. Out of sheer condolences, of course.

Catalena brought one hand up to her still dry forehead, sweeping away her light brown bangs as she stared up at the seemingly endless tunnel. Yes. Why was this place so damn high again? "…Alright, here goes again."

Her sudden motivation to progress was thwarted by a loud voice,

"Come on Al, I swear she'll be in here. We've looked everywhere in Central City by now!" As they passed her on the steps, the flash of blonde hair and red stunned her.

But what captured her attention even more was the noise of clanging that sounded after each and every step a suit of armor had climbed. "W-wait for me, brother!" It had called in the voice of a young boy's.

Catalena quietly followed along after them, keeping at an earshot's distance as they fast-walked up the steps. Harboring plenty more energy than she would ever manage.

Besides the child's voice inside the suit of armor, the shorter one looked about fifteen.

"But what if she isn't? What if the Colonel lectures us for not being able to finish a single favor for him—"

The one with a human body suddenly turned around to face his "brother" but he didn't look anything like loving. Conversely, he looked annoyed, "Al, I thought you've known me long enough that I REALLY DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT WHAT THE COLONEL HAS TO SAY."

Immediately he had blown up, but regardless the suit of armor retorted, "You know, just because you're older, doesn't mean you get to boss me around so much! I'm going to look around the city some more so you're welcome to get yelled at by the Colonel." Satisfied, the seven-foot tall apparently "younger" brother parted ways with the blonde. He traipsed away in a rebellious fashion.

Edward had his fists clenched by his side, his back arched in unsustainable, writhing anger, "AL, GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW! I'm warning you! I'll—"

Slow clapping that seemed to mock instead of applaud caused him to crane his neck at the taller female standing no more than two feet away from him. Her eyes were mocking, with one thin eyebrow raised as they watched him almost amusingly. She had a sinister looking smile etched on her face as her brown-gloved hands clapped against each other monotone.

Edward's golden eyes vexed at her, already denouncing that she was nothing but a hindrance to him.

"So that piece of metal's actually your younger brother? Who knew?" Gray irises traced the boy as he attempted to walk away.

Her comment instantly set off the ticking bomb inside of him before the fuse was even lit. The blonde boy lurched towards her, arms flailing violently, "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY?"

Catalena smiled, become shifty-eyed as she replied cheerfully, "Would you like me to repeat it?"

Steam erupted from his nostrils, but Edward didn't exactly relish the thought of yelling at a girl. His limbs relaxed and he stood properly, "…I get told that a lot, so once more won't kill me. Yet."

She held her hips as he turned his back on her, and she noticed a mark threaded in black on his crimson cloak's rear. Glancing away from the flamel [1] to the back of his blonde braid, she added, "Eh? Your pride has been enduring such insults for how long now? Why in the world is your younger sibling trapped in a body of armor, anyhow?"

Edward's childish demeanor somehow disappeared and he stared hard at the ignorant female, looking depressed. A flat expression on his face, he slowly explained, "I would tell you if it actually mattered, since it's a long story and all." He turned around completely, holding his sides as he thoroughly added, "Look, it's an extremely difficult and confusing scenario, so you're better off not hearing."

"Does it have something to do with human transmutation?"

Edward hadn't said anything after that. From her point of view, he sort of hunched over, staring hard at his black shoes. Catalena smirked, happy that her wild guess had been correct after all.

"…How do you know about human transmutation?"

Catalena grinned, arrogance filling her cunningly attractive face as she held her waist on one side, "Easy. How would anyone else know about it?" She flexed her wrist in front of her, being sure to show the white lining of a transmutation circle on the back her hand. She made it clear for Edward to see, "...You study it. And then, if you're good enough, you take a State Alchemist test."

Edward's previously gay eyes widened with realization. "Oh! Then you're—" He looked back at his short body, fumbling through his pockets.

Catalena still held her side as she watched him with peculiar interest. She even leaned over his lesser in size figure to peek.

His white-gloved fingers curled around the circular object and he pulled it out, dangling it from its long silver chain in front of her. Her colorless irises followed it as it swung from the gesture in a pendulum motion, almost mesmerized as she realized it to be hers. Her arms looked ready to pounce on him as she exclaimed, "Oh hey, is that mine? Sweet, now I won't be late for work anymore!"

Expecting Catalena to grab it, Edward turned around, the complimentary State Alchemist pocket watch tucked safely within his palm, "Now the real reason I'm even here is because Al and I had some information we needed to give to Lieutenant Maes Hughes—"

"…Uh huh." Her pupils bounced along as she watched the trinket clenched within his fingers.

"—Turns out he retired to finish up some family business. And the Colonel just looked at my arrival as an opportunity to mooch off of my State Alchemist responsibilities. And he requested that I find this girl who passed the state exam." Edward's amber optics leered at the corners of his eyes.

"Ah, I see. So the Colonel wanted some kid to fulfill his duty," Catalena leaned on Edward, but she lacked the charismatic entity of before. She looked dangerously abrasive, actually. Edward's neck slowly turned to meet her, inch-by-inch "I won't accept that."

"Ehhh?"

As quickly as she clung onto him like a shadow, she separated from him, putting on an obnoxious air, "I said I won't accept it from you, only the Colonel. When I officially become a State Alchemist, I want it to be memorable."

"Just what the hell are you saying? This is just official identification—NOT so important!" He was now poking it against her, urging for her to take it and then be on her own way.

Catalena shrugged off his constant poking, "Doesn't matter; it's part of the package. Besides, I want my last moments in Central to be grand," she eyeballed him again, grinning almost malevolently.

"You what?" He had echoed after her. "Leaving Central…?"

She gave him a skeptical look. "Problem?"

Edward gave off an irritated vibe. Maybe this girl wasn't as smart as he thought she was. "Being a State Alchemist doesn't mean you're allowed to take all its benefits and then leave. One of its regulations is to obey the orders of the commanding officer, as well as the law."

She smiled as she recited, "The second is to not transmute gold," in a singsong voice that made him feel itchy. She then added as she held her chin, "Hmm, what was the last one? Oh, yes!"

Edward pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind.

She watched him with crooked-looking, almost psychotic gray eyes, "…Never perform human transmutation."

With his still flesh arm he gripped his right, looking away from her. The pocket watch seemed irrelevant, now.

Regardless, she clapped her hands a single time and held her hips again, "Once I get my money and title, I'm leaving this place. I'm not sticking around to become a dog of the military."

"You're stupid."

"Oh, yeah?" She closed one eye, challenging him.

"You realize the consequences of disobeying the State Military, since you're so smart, right?" He sarcastically muttered.

She smiled at his words, looking down at his shorter figure with calculating interest, "I'm used to working with the bad guys." Her eyes hovered upwards, and she rethought her words, "Make that, singularly insane people."

"…"

"Oh, but don't worry about me. I've spent my life bending over backwards for a certain guy, and I'm pretty much split about following orders now."

He stared hard, considering her to be a completely different person than what first impressions would have distinguished her. The young but more experienced State Alchemist wasn't at all surprised by her ambitious and greedy intentions. They were one-dimensional and pretty old. He had had enough.

"Alright, then."

"Mm? What was that, shorty?"

Edward smirked at her, his face finally lighting up since a few minutes before their conversation, "How's about a little fight? If I win, you go straight to Colonel Mustang, and you'll listen to what he has to say."

Feigning disinterest, she focused on her brown alchemy gloves; smiling as she tugged at the fingers, "And when I win?"

Edward's eyebrow twitched at her arrogance, but then it softened as he answered in an equally obnoxious tone, "What do you mean when you win? I've been a State Alchemist longer than you have; you've got no chance against a skilled Major of the military like me!"

She clapped as he stood with proud poise. But like the first time she had clapped, it was equally plausible as mocking. "State Alchemist, huh? How old are you, anyway, kid?"

"I'M 15!" He proudly fired at her; the pocket watch was dropped into his cloak pockets.

"15?" she repeated, hints of shock apparent within her face and tone. Edward predicted she would shoot out a snide remark, but instead she graciously nodded her head once, "Well, 15's pretty young. I also hear that boys don't reach adolescence until their later years." Without warning, she patted the shorter-than-she Edward's head, "You've still got a lot of growing to do, kid. I'm 18."

He gridded his teeth together as his hands stretched out towards her, imagining to strangle her figure as it contorted into a chuckling nightmare.

Soon enough her laughter died out and she had pushed him away from her. The brunette smirked at him, "Okay, kid, I'll fight you. Name's Catalena. How about you? Or shall I continue calling you shorty?"

Ignoring her attempt to provoke, he smiled back, "It's Edward Elric," he stated proudly. Then he jabbed his thumb towards his face, voicing, "and my catchy nickname is the Fullmetal Alchemist."

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[1] Flamel – the alchemist mark that is found on Edward, Alphonse, and Izumi. It's supposedly proof that the Elric brothers were Izumi's students.

A/N: I'm having loads of trouble trying to figure out a proper last name for Catalena. Would you all kill her or me if she lacked a surname? Pushing that aside, I have the feeling she isn't going to be a likable OC. But that's okay, because treated as a normal character; there are characters that the reader won't like, so I take it as a compliment.

Why wouldn't people like her? She's abrasive, a troll, clever, arrogant, naïve (In the case of not knowing when to shut up), and probably has some hate points already because she has a Philosopher's Stone.

Well I have reasons for giving her one, so she didn't just randomly come upon it or something. I know how rare and significant those things are.

To avoid Mary-sue-itude, I would like to list her faults as a character: Sarcastic, sociopath (psychotic), arrogant, naïve, doesn't know when to shut up, inability to read the atmosphere at times, selfish, greedy, ambitious, and acts before she thinks.

One can say that her bark is worse than her bite. The point of this is to not categorize her as a Mary-sue, and just be patient. Her inabilities will become evident further into the story.

Thank you, now let's all be posers and streak in the rain.

Please read and review, and thank you for all the alerts! Please tell me what you think!