A baritone voice protested again behind him. Greed wanted to rip his tongue out.
"I said we can't go yet!"
The bulky hulk of an ox-man sure could holler when he wanted. Greed had to admit, he hadn't expected that a Chimera of something so placid would give him much trouble.
It irked him.
Around them, the dogs had halted; the alpha bitch stood scowling with arms crossed. Apparently both she and the ox apparently had cold feet.
"I'm sorry," Greed spat over his shoulder, true venom in his voice. "Did you have a prior commitment to attend to?"
The ox's eyes were veiled as he shared a glance with the bitch. Neither deigned to reply. The corner of Greed's mouth twitched down in displeasure.
"Then lets move it!"
He tried to stare down the old Chimera. Damn it, didn't the old bastard know he was now Greed's lacky? That he was now wasting valuable time in this rotten hell hole that they'd been imprisoned in for fuck knew how long?
But the ox had a measured look about him that wasn't shifting any time soon.
"We're not done here," the ox repeated.
That made Greed stop. Was the old bastard bent on revenge after all? He hadn't seemed like the sort. Maybe he'd read the Chimera wrong; it had been a long time since he'd bothered with people.
Something raw flared in his chest, and he flexed his fingers with frustration. It had been a long time, but Greed bit down on it.
Slowly, the homunculus eased around to fully face the ox man, every movement tense and deliberate.
Somewhere, a dog whimpered. The ox didn't so much as flinch. Neither did the bitch.
"You have an appointment or something?" Greed taunted. "You haven't been out of that cage for all of thirty seconds, and now you're trying to run the show? I don't think you realise the position you are in."
Something like uncertainty flickered in the ox man's eyes, and cruel satisfaction flooded Greed's gut. It looked like he had to spell everything out to these morons, least they got the impression that anyone aside from him was in charge.
He owned them, after all.
Sweeping an arm around at the pathetic rabble surrounding him, the homunculus bared his teeth.
"You work for me now and I've made it clear we need to move." There was an edge to his voice that was sharp and grating with scorn. The dogs stank of fear, and it made Greed's warped smile stretch wider. "I don't plan on spending any more time in this suffocating piss hole."
Uneasy assent rippled through the crowd, and Greed was gratified by their uncertainty. His pleasure dipped when the ox glared back.
"There are kids here," Roa said evenly. The bitch spat on the ground. A collective sigh seemed to shudder around him, and it tasted like shame and pity and hate.
"Hah!" How ridiculous. How fucking, god damn pathetic.
Greed held up one hand, five of his lanky fingers outstretched before slowly, one by one, he curled them into a fist.
"That?" He made his tone cold and callous. "That is how many fucks I give."
The line of the ox man's shoulders fell. For the first time, a hollowness haunted the Chimera's features. Greed smirked to himself; it was gratifying to know the he could still find where to shove the knife.
These losers had to learn, after all. Greed was the one in charge.
"Those kids," the ox man started, and Greed almost stabbed him out of fury.
"They're...special. Valuable, even."
The woman scowled in disgust.
Greed's eyes widened, but the homunculus could not fathom how much of an arsehole the old bastard had to be to have decided to keep on talking.
Well he had balls, some part of Greed admitted.
"Seems like you broke in here with a bone to pick," the old Chimera continued, determined to say his piece. "Stealing those kids would royally piss those white-coats off. S'all I'm saying."
"Give it a rest," Greed cut him off sharply. He had heard enough. A whiny bunch of brats stuck in a place like this? It was laughable.
"Ox, you've truly touched my heart. Those poor children." Every word Greed dripped with derision. The wounded look in the ox's eyes deepened. His companion looked away.
How Greed loved the weight of fear and expectation that settled on his shoulders. The old git wouldn't defy him out right, as much as the ox man wanted too. This ragtag pack of Chimera's were completely under his command. As it ought to be!
The laugh that erupted from Greed's throat was long and jagged and met with silence.
"Come on then," the homunculus jeered, eyeballing the ox man to see him flinch.
"Let's all risk our lives to save some kids who have no value to us."
Greed assessed his audience, and threw an arm in the air to indicate they were departing.
No one moved. They didn't seem to have the heart. He was being cruel, Greed knew, but it was all too delicious calling the shots again.
"Well?" he asked, gesturing impatiently to the current pain in his arse. "Those snot-nosed brats aren't going to rescue themselves!"
An odd sensation warmed his insides as comprehension crept over the old man's face. Much better than that pathetic look of defeat. The bitch looked stone cold shocked, which delighted him.
"Yes, sir," the ox replied with a salute. How sweet.
"Don't delude yourself, Roa," scoffed the alpha bitch, punching the ox man in one thick shoulder. "You don't have the nose for this job."
She eyed Greed warily, before closing her eyes to loudly snuffle at the air.
"This way, boss."
Darn it, if that didn't give Greed the shivers. It was good to be called that again.
Greed put the bitch on point, and she leapt ahead like she was on the hunt. Roa stayed at his six like a mountain of muscle.
Another round of soldiers would find them soon, Greed was certain. If there was one thing the Fifth Laboratory wasn't short on, it was gung-ho soldiers, filthy experiments, and crazy scientists.
However, Greed considered, it wasn't like he was short on crazy either. He'd have to be to break in here, and the Chimera he'd just liberated? They'd fallen into a blood rage fast enough that Greed wasn't too concerned about the soldiers. That was reserved for if any of his siblings decided to show up. Especially that little shit, Pride.
Still, Greed knew he held one advantage over his siblings; he damn well knew when to tuck his tail and run.
"Oi Alpha, where to now?"
"Somewhere down the next corridor on the left," the woman in front of him growled.
They turned a left. At the end of the hall, two scientist stood with clenched fists and eyes pulled back in horror. Greed sprang forth with a speed even a dog couldn't match. Behind him, the pack started to howl.
Both of the craven bastards turned tail and fled for the door at the end of the hall. They didn't quite make it; the automated door wasn't quick enough. Greed slammed into it, one steel arm thrust through to stop the door from closing.
"Not so fast," Greed hissed as he latched onto what felt like a man's head.
The scientist in question let out a shriek of terror.
"Now, now," reassured Greed, in what was not an especially comforting tone. "No need for that."
The pressure from the automated door grated against his arm. Although his Ultimate Shield was invincible, it was still uncomfortable.
"Key-card, now, or I'll crush your skull," the homunculus said through gritted teeth.
"I don't have it!" wailed the scientist as Greed flexed his fingers. "Th-the other guy! he's got-"
"Liar!" Greed bellowed. He crushed the man's skull and ripped the sliding door off its hinges in one brutal movement. Lying was a coward's game, and one Greed didn't tolerate. Stepping away from the ruined door, he squatted down and groped around in the scientist pockets.
They were empty.
"Oops."
Greed drew himself up and sighed; the other scientist had fled into the dark depths of the room...
"This is it, Boss," the Chimera bitch said as she and the others approached.
"Finish off that bastard. I'll do the rest."
She nodded, and darted off after the scientist. Greed tapped his foot as he studied the dimply lit room.
Large windows lined the walls, though only three held any light in them. He felt Roa shudder as he came up beside him.
"Were these all full?" the ox man whispered. The homunculus had no answer for him.
Mouth in a tight line, Greed stalked toward the closest lit window. It was thick glass, he noted, leaning forward to inspect what was on the other side.
She was older than he imagined. When the old ox had said kids, Greed had supposed kid kids, with snotty noses and chubby hands. This one looked to be sixteen, tall and lanky as she was. Her shoulders were slumped, elbows on knees as she studied a wall with a blank stare from her thin cot. To the right was a small bookshelf, its contents scattered on the floor.
"Hey!" he snapped. When she didn't respond, Greed eyed the window before roughly pressing at a button next to a small speaker. It clicked, but did nothing. The lights beside it were dead.
"Tch." He must of damaged some of the laboratory's wiring with his earlier display of chaos.
Growling, Greed slammed his bloody palm against the glass to get the blond girl's attention. With any luck, it would be a one-way glass, else the girl was in for a fright when she saw the bloody print he'd just left.
Her head jerked up, and she pressed one pale hand against the wall. With a confused pout, the girl looked quizzically in his direction. That her eyes didn't focus on him or the handprint told Greed it was, indeed, one-way.
"Dirty perverts," he muttered, all the while thinking. She'd heard his strike, but not his voice; had she picked up something else other than sound?
He ran his blood free hand through his dark hair and contemplated his options. The quickest option would be to call on his Ultimate Shield to shatter the windows. The safer option would be to find the key-cards to the cell doors and escort the girl and any others out.
Greed did the former.
With all the force he could muster, Greed drove his metallic arm through the thick glass. It broke magnificently.
With a broken scream, the girl sprung to her feet and flung her arms up defensively, book in hand. Greed opened his fist and wiggled his fingers. Glass tickled as it hit the floor. He grinned.
"Hey there."
"Wh-what the hell?"
Slowly, the Homunculus withdrew his metal arm from the hole he had made. Leaning down, he peered in and smiled.
"Well, it's very nice to meet you too, Miss."
Her mouth hung open and her green eyes locked onto him. A moment later a sound escaped her hanging mouth. It was the kind of wiry shriek that only a teenager could make. She also threw the book at him.
"Hey! Heeeyyy," Greed called back indignantly through the hole. "Damn it, I won't hurt you!"
With short, sharp breaths, the girl started and froze again. She looked lost, about a shade away from panic. Greed tapped his fingers against the cracked glass, and saw her shiver.
He got straight to the point
"We don't have much time," he said, trying to catch her eye. "You want out of there?"
The nod was small, but sure. Thank fuck.
"Well, this is going to take a bit more work than I intended." Greed tried to make his next words sound less of a command and more of a polite request. "So, don't move and don't make a sound." He received another nod.
Clenching his fist again, he drove his armoured arm through the glass. Piece by piece, it broke under the blunt force until there was enough room for the girl to get out without being sliced open.
Greed lent in, one knee up, so that he could reach through the window's remains.
"Come on, I'll help you out."
Reaching out with the arm that wasn't stained with brain matter, he offered an open palm to the girl. At the sight of his claws, the blonde haired girl stepped back, eyes narrowed.
"Oh yeah, this. It's nothing." He smiled softly.
With a little shudder, Greed pulled back the Ultimate Shield from his skin.
"See? Back to normal," Greed reassured her. Part of him wanted to cackle; when had he ever been this gentle?
It must of seemed genuine; her first few steps were hesitant, but the girl didn't falter as she tip toed over fragmented glass. He was glad she came willingly. Greed detested the idea of having to manhandle such a slip of a girl.
Pale fingers slipped into his palm, and with one swift pull he hauled her up and over the broken window edge. Her face held a tight little smile as her feet touched down.
"Who else is here?" he asked when she looked back up.
"The twins," she replied, pulling Greed over to where the other Chimera huddled around the two other occupied cells.
"Hendricks is there." She jerked a thumb to the right. Pivoting on the spot she pointed to the window on the left. "Over here is Dolcetto. You have to get them out too!"
Bold little thing, when it came to her friends.
"Right," Greed replied, as if he knew exactly who she was talking about.
Roa met his gaze from over the girl's shoulder.
"How're we going to do this?"
"I thought I'd see what you could do, old man," Greed said glibly, raising his brows before turning to the window behind him. He heard Roa huff and move away.
When he turned, the blond was already pressed up against the glass, rapping on it with her knuckles. On the other side, a scrawny kid with an ugly scar lent toward her.
"Is this Hendricks ready?"
The girl inclined her head. Both flinched as a deep bellow sounded with the harsh shifting of flesh and bone. Glancing over his shoulder, Greed watched Roa's massive form bulk and grow.
Another guttural yell, and the ox man charged head first into the thick glass.
Satisfied, Greed returned to the job at hand. Both brats had fallen still.
"Guess it's my turn," Greed smiled as he cracked his knuckles.
"It's certainly taken you long enough," came a tinny voice from the working microphone. The kid's expression was unimpressed.
"Hendricks!" admonished the blonde girl, but she was smiling. Her friend replied with two knocks on the glass.
"Smart arse," Greed muttered, before rolling his shoulder. What ever the kid was mixed with must have granted them with keen hearing. "Stand back."
With a shake, he pulled the hard plates of his Ultimate Shield back over his arm.
"Both of you," Greed followed up after he noticed the blonde girl hadn't moved.
Hendricks had retreated to the cot, watching him with bright eyes.
The Homunculus made short work of the window. This time he used both arms; discarding shattered chunks of glass to the side of him. There was no pussy footing around with shock, either; he had no time to worry about the kid's feelings.
Greed only felt slightly like a shit-head for the thought.
"You couldn't find a keycard to get us out?" The whisky coloured gaze belied the excitement her tone did not reveal.
"yeah, something like that." Greed shrugged. Straightening, he shook off his metal skin and made to reach in to help the kid out.
Hendricks gave him no such chance. Nimble as a deer, the scarred kid took one step and neatly bounded through the window.
"Show off," Greed sneered, but without any real feeling.
The blond had seized Hendricks hands in a vice like grip, and the two were staring intently at each other. Tilting his head, Greed studied them. As scrawny as she was, Hendricks did indeed appear to be a girl. Her friend practically towered over her.
"Martel."
"Hendricks," the girls voice was slightly softened with relief.
"Dolcetto?" the shorter girl asked, mouth a straight line.
Both turned to him in unison, and Greed suppressed the unsettling reaction it provoked. It was the damn eyes, Greed concluded. Martel's were green and sharp; Hendricks though, were divided by long, horizontal pupils.
Weird.
Still, the feeling remained, and he itched to get going.
"Don't sweat it," Greed answered with unconcerned swagger. "My ox will have him out in no time."
Right on time, he heard the crash of glass as Roa knocked more loose on his way out. A small figure was cradled in his hairy arms.
"Dolcetto!" Hendricks cried, darting forward with a surprising burst of speed. Greed rolled his eyes at the dramatics. Martel stood still beside them, watching as Roa knelt down to grant Hendricks access to her brother.
The ox-man looked to meet Greed's gaze, and the Homunculus sighed as he stalked over. At some point, alpha Chimera had returned, blood painting her arms and chest. She hovered over Roa, whose brow furrowed in worry as the boy whimpered. Greed grimaced.
"What did they do?" With trembling fingers, Hendricks reached for her brother's face. "Dolcetto! Wake up!"
"I'm not sure what those white-coat's have done to him," Roa rumbled. "He seems to be in a lot of pain."
"Bastards," the bitch muttered, teeth bared. "They've messed the pup up pretty bad."
"We can't help him here," Greed told them flatly. Something was prickling at his spine; they'd spent too much time on this rescue as it was. "Carry the kid, or ditch him. Up to you, but we're leaving now.
Beside him, Martel inhaled sharply. The scarred girl shot him a glare, full of fury, before smoothing it to a blank expression.
"He weighs next to nothing," the old man answered, resting a gentle hand on the boys forehead.
"Alright then, shit-sticks," Greed barked. What a ridiculous bunch of soft-hearted sops. He couldn't believe he'd wasted so much time on them. It was pathetic how quickly the Chimera stood to attention at his command. "Move your arses if you don't want to be left behind!"
Roa had pulled himself up, and the two girls had reached for each other again, Greed eyed them sternly.
"You two punks, keep up. You fall behind, you stay behind, got it?"
They both glared, though it was probably more fear than anger. Stupid brats, why he'd come for them in the first place, Greed couldn't remember.
Something pushed against him, against his souls, and Greed felt his mouth go dry and his claws flex. The Chimera felt it too; every single one of the mongrels had bristled. Some were even growling.
It had been a long time since Greed had felt this presence. It was a fuck-ton too soon to be feeling it again, in his opinion.
"Fuck."
"So cold," came the sultry voice from the shadows. "You never were this harsh to your play-things before. Especially in the face of such sibling concern!"
That bitch. Double fuck.
Lust slunk her way through their intended exit, dark and cruel even as she sighed wistfully.
"I shouldn't be surprised." That red mouth curved into a sharp smile. "You always have been cruel toward me. Hm, brother?"