Hey lovely readers, I have another chapter here for you and an interesting one at that. I'm sure you'll enjoy hearing the thoughts of a certain homunculus on a lovely young hybrid, dark, lustful thoughts ;) This chapter is part of the reason this story is rated M though it returns to being tame fairly quickly. I do hope you enjoy!

Chapter 12: Another Day

Greed awoke the next morning with a yawn. His sleep had been pleasant once he had found the state of mind to find it. He found himself eager to start the day and to get started on reclaiming his bar completely. Everything would be altered to it's original state, from the crack in the banisters to the squeak of the bottom step. He slipped from his bed, previously occupied by the Diablo vermin, in his naked glory. His ebony hair was spiked in various directions from his wallowing in bed, though he couldn't recall a sounder sleep, and his morning wood was quite apparent. He gave a smirk upon noticing this. "Guess even when I fall asleep my body just wants her too badly," he muses, taking a seat on the mattress once more to tend to himself. He recalled his vow the previous night and intended to make good on it, he also recalled at how Angel had mistakenly stated to Jagger that she secretly did like him but was afraid to admit it to herself. "Hot." His mind was taken by images of her long silken hair that constantly caressed her voluptuous curves, her almond eyes that held such a soft darkness that he welcomed it, her full pouting lips that scorned only him with disgust, he rather liked it. His hand drifted downwards, ghosting over the symbol of his arousal. Her soft skin, so flawless and perfect beneath his possessive hands... He gripped himself firmly, starting a slow rhythm and allowing his mind to drift to a darker place. Her warm body, pinned beneath his own, her long legs wrapped around his waist in a needing manner... He felt himself slipping back against the headboard, his breaths quickening as he pleasured himself to her image. Her supple breasts bouncing with each movement he made into her hot folds that were undoubtedly still dangerously tight with purity, it made his pace quicken, his hand moving faster against his length. A soft groan escapes his lips as he imagines hers fastening to him, her moist tongue mingling with his in an act of passion and need, he longed to taste her for himself. He gripped the mattress with his free hand, clutching it dearly as his palm squeezed harder towards the base of his manhood. Mere moments later he would succumb to the intense release that came with his orgasm, white excrement coating his tired hand as he emits a moan.

He let himself relax against the bed, allowing himself to recover from his session and reflect. He had woken up first thing in the morning and masturbated to a girl he barely knew, wanted to possess, and didn't think twice about it. "I've fallen far haven't I? Can't even restrain myself." He could almost scorn himself, but then again how many other men had met her and experienced a similar effect? Nearly all he assumed, she was definitely an image of sexual appeal. He couldn't spend all day fantasizing though, he had work to get done.

He cleaned up after himself and slipped on his pants and the like, his shirt taking form over his torso. He slipped his shades on and took one last run of the hand through his hair before exiting his room and heading downstairs. He noticed that Angel's room was empty and her bed made, but he also noticed that everyone else's doors were still closed and lights on inside them. "How early is it?" he wondered. He descended the stairs with hands on his hips, looking around the corner as he neared the bottom. He noticed immediately that something was missing. "Wasn't there a body there last night?" He was sure he didn't imagine the death of one of the gang boys and his lifeless corpse sinking to the floor in front of the door, yet there was nothing there, not even a sign of bloodstains or smell of chemicals that may have been used to clean up. He turned to the kitchen, walking in to find Jagger in a small apron to his surprise, setting full plates piled high with pancakes on the small table, scrubbing the counters and stove as he went.

"Morning Boss," he said shyly as he continued on. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah, like a rock," Greed replied, examining the breakfast before him. He hadn't realized until he glanced at the clock that it was still only nine in the morning. He was surprised he felt as well rested as he did considering how late they were out last night. "You?"

"Fine thanks." He seemed in a better mood that morning, as if things hadn't gone the way they did. Was he missing something? He knew he was.

"So where's Angel kid?"

"Oh Miss Angel? She made breakfast and told me to get everything ready so that she could tend to Spike." Spike, that was the name Jagger had called that kid from the previous night. So she had kept her promise to clean up that morning. "When did you guys wake up?"

"About seven. I'm pretty used to it and Miss Angel said she had stuff to get done today."

Greed nods. "I see." She had plans as well did she? "You know where she is now?"

"Outside somewhere, she told me not to come out until she had given the all clear. If your hungry though breakfast is ready sir."

"Thanks but-" Greed cut himself off upon hearing loud rumbling from upstairs, followed by thumping on the stairs. With a start he jumps out of the way just in time to avoid being trampled by the decently sized chimeras who had shot downstairs like bats from hell. "The fuck?"

"Smelled the pancakes!"

"I heard breakfast!"

Greed didn't bother trying to hear more, never try to get between a man and his food. "Well good luck with these guys kid, I'll just look for the elusive chimera queen out back."

"U-um, okay!" he stammers, watching nervously as the men start wolfing down the battered delights like ravenous animals. Greed wasted no time in heading up the steps leading to the exit, inhaling in relief as the rays of the day rained in on him when he opened the door. It was warm outside despite it being about mid autumn now. There was a chilly breeze going but nothing that would ruin the day. It was rather beautiful out, but looking around he didn't see the hybrid anywhere on the street. He started around the building, not in the alleyways. He decided to take a walk down the road, maybe she was in one of the local shops? Nothing, in the liquor store, then again why would she go there when she's staying in a bar? Not in the general store. Or the market.

"Damn, where is she?" He was starting to worry. He was supposed to be watching her after all, he had promised to protect her. He wasn't about to make a liar out of himself. He hadn't checked the woods yet, they were just behind the line of buildings after all. He decided to check there next. He rounded the alley and almost got run over by some maniac thinking he was all that in his car, but he made sure his tire 'accidentally' burst as he passed. "Oops." He went out behind the Devil's Nest, violet eyes scanning the area carefully. "Angel? Doll? You back here?"

"Over here..." He turned towards the sound of the soft voice with a smirk that quickly faded when he saw her standing solemnly over the dead teen laid on a bed of dry straw. It resembled a funeral pyre almost, and her demeanor wasn't as hostile as it had been when she had been reprimanded for killing him the previous night. He went to stand at her side, watching her face as he approached. Her bi-colored eyes were locked on the boy, her head hung in what almost seemed like respect and her face reading what resembled guilt.

"Hey, you okay?" he asks quietly, careful not to disturb her peace. When she shakes her head he lets his gaze fall to the corpse, the pale boy's blonde hair combed neatly and his clothes tended to without a spec of dirt. "You cleaned him up." She nods, tucking some hair behind her pointed ear. "Why?" For a while she was silent and didn't show any signs of hearing him. He almost asked again, but something told him to just let her come out with it as she saw fit.

"I have my own set of moral codes you know, when it comes to hunting I mean," she started softly. "I promised myself long ago that I would never kill a human being. Stupid huh? I didn't last a year before I caved and practically mutilated some psychopath running rampant on the streets. The sight was so gruesome that I actually made myself vomit. I killed him for what I thought was the sole purpose of surviving, even if it were true I let it go to waste." He could see that she was conflicting with herself and that she had trouble looking away from Spike, who in death seemed more at peace than he did in life.

"Doll?"

"I altered my promise then Greed. I would kill only when it meant saving lives, and even then I would make it as painless as possible." He was stunned that someone who had killing bred into them could be so compassionate even to the most fiendish of humanity. She continued to surprise him around every corner, whether with her unfaltering kindness or her sheer beauty. It was then that he noticed her place a hand on the boy's chest. Beneath her palm ignited a blue flame that had him staring in confusion for a moment before he recalled her distinct abilities. She stood back then as his body was slowly enveloped in the flames. He had no interest in the boy but he found himself sticking around for the small funeral, entranced by the unnatural beauty that seemed to spring from the dissipating youth as the dancing sea of searing blue glided over his corpse and darkened it, not in a disgusting way of decomposing rapidly, but in a much more caressing way, as if the fire wasn't destroying his remains, but simply converting him into a simpler, more contentious form. He glanced up at Angel as the ashes gathered on the grass and would've spoken if not for the breeze that stirred the scene, catching his attention once more as the blackened velvet remains were carried away in a livid caress among the wind.

"I gotta say," he murmurs, "I don't think I've ever seen death be so...beautiful." It was Angel's turn to look at him, surprised even that he had said something so considerate, even if that wasn't his intention. He seemed as enthralled as she was at the passing of someone and their joining with the earth.

"You're up earlier than usual," she states.

He shrugs. "I slept like a rock last night, figured I'd get a head start on getting the old Nest back the way it was." She nods, wanting to see it in it's former glory herself actually. She was curious as to how Greed once lived in this simple establishment years ago. She was curious too about his former henchmen.

"Greed?" she asks. He raises a brow in question, signaling her to continue. "I was just wondering, here at the bar, what was it like living here before...well, everything happened?" She wondered if she had stepped a boundary by asking. At first he seemed to misunderstand the question and cocked his head, but after a moment or two he looked off in the direction the wind was blowing.

"Well," he began, "there isn't much to tell really. I split from my old man not long after he created me, not even a decade into the business actually. Naturally I stayed on my own for a while, dodging my siblings' every attempt to drag me back, then when I knew it was safe to stick my neck out I traveled the country in style, taking what I pleased, women, objects, the like. About a decade ago I got a little bored with that and decided to go home and stir up a little trouble just for fun and wouldn't you know it, I stumble upon a military laboratory that was using it's own soldiers as experiments with a philosopher's stone." She takes an earnest interest in what he had to tell as he gestured for her to walk with him back to the bar. He put his hands in his pockets, looking ahead and down slightly as he recalled just how things were. "The particular room I stumbled upon was the hold for the surviving experiments, all ex military, all naked and beaten to a pulp, all crammed together in one mediocre cage. I could tell by just looking at them that they were successful chimeras, some more than others. They looked rather pitiful I have to admit, I almost left them there to save my own skin." They had reached the alley of the Nest and had paused for their little conversation, Angel looking over at him with curious eyes. She wanted to speak on his behavior, but held her tongue and gave him a chance to continue. "They begged and pleaded for me to let them out, to find my humanity and save some comrades in distress, but I wasn't any comrade. I told them as much and even gave them the symbol of my existence."

"Your tattoo," she notes.

"Exactly doll," he confirms with a nod. "They were a bit cautious after that, but they were intent on getting out of there. That's when one got my attention, a spitfire and a snake of a blonde named Martel. 'Release us,' she said, 'and we'll be eternally in your debt.' Naturally I was curious and asked what she meant. She said that they would serve me in any way I wished, and by their nods the vote was unanimous. Being the greedy bastard I am I couldn't turn the offer down. I broke them out without a problem and like the loyal dogs they'd been trained to be they followed me out without question. We headed south, stealing what we could to get by and conquering smaller gang territories along the way. Eventually we heard of a local bar that was up for grabs here in good ol' Dublith. It took some touching up but eventually it was as close a home as I'd ever had and the guys liked it as much as I did. We drank to our heart's content, we trained together and ran the place like any business, and all in all we were content." She pondered this as she leaned against the outer wall, lips pursed in thought and eyes focused on nothing in particular. "Well," he continued, "I guess I never was really content with what I had, I always wanted more, always will. I lost it all though, and I guess it's true that you don't know what you've got until it's gone."

"Yeah, guess so." He looked at her then, with a crooked grin on his pale lips, though she didn't see or seem to notice. It was a solemn smile, he was recalling all the times he had smiled at the Nest those years he spent with his henchmen, his friends. Just like him it seemed, she had lost her happiness, if only until she could return home. "Perk up would ya doll, being stuck with me isn't so bad. You've tolerated living under the same roof for weeks now."

"Don't call me doll," she says with a roll of her eyes. She straightens and continues on to the mouth of the alleyway and he follows until he passes her and enters the light. He notices that her steps stop however and looks back to see her glance back out at the forest and up at the darkening sky.

"You coming babe?"

"Don't call me that either. You go on and do your thing," she starts, lifting her arms to gesture at herself. "It's about to rain and I still have stuff to do."

He shrugs. "Alright, just get back in before this evening. I'm still supposed to be watching you, as much as I think you could handle yourself against any half witted thug in this town."

"I'll take that as a compliment. I'll be back before six." With that she turned and jogged back into the clearing just as it began a steady shower, Greed letting himself admire her backside as she did so. She never said he couldn't indulge in the sight of her after all. When she stopped and upturned her face to the sky he watched. The downpour cascaded over her and her ebony hair clung to her body like a second skin. Her red tank followed suit as did her ripped bell-bottoms. Once intricate designs that covered her body in black paint, dissolved and were washed away to reveal flawless caramel skin. It had been so long since he had last stopped to just look at her that he nearly forgot about her black tattoo, the tendrils that so elegantly circled her bicep in an innocent manner. His eyes came to rest on her perked breasts that were so carefully concealed by the scarlet fabric over them, glistening with moisture. He felt his arousal become hard to ignore as he lingered on her, he had always questioned why he wore leather pants when he knew it only caused him pain in situations such as this. 'Damn...' She bit her lip, unknowingly of course, arousing him further. Her dark lashes fanned her cheeks and her pearlescent fangs lightly pierced her full lips, then, to his discomfort, she began dancing to herself in the downpour, her graceful movements taking him captive and holding him in a trance as she became ignorant of the world around her, enjoying only the refreshing touch of nature's sustenance. He didn't know if he could bear it much longer, she tempted him in a way no woman ever had in her blissful ignorance and angelic innocence, a vixen and a saint in one in his eyes.

He shook his head vigorously, tearing his attention from her siren's dance long enough to gain his composure. He hated what control she had over his body. It should be him who held such power over her! To have her at his feet and eager to please him! He was letting her rule his thoughts, he had other things to do. He was resolved to do those things now but a glint of red caught his eye. Between those perfect breasts on the end of a black cord was that familiar vile that stayed on her neck at all times. It wasn't full he noticed, nearly empty, holding but a few drops really. She had been drinking the blood she kept? Even after feeding last night on the boy? He recalled that unlike humans, chimeras could eat more than their own weight easily, and seeing that she was a hybrid with a higher metabolism and a need for both blood and meat, she would need to eat and drink twice as much as any normal chimera. He wondered how she planned to replenish her secret supply and when. Perhaps that was one of the things on her to-do list? He needed to let her alone long enough to find out and he needed to focus. With one final glance her way he turned a muddy heel back to the bar, groaning lightly at the realization that he was sopping wet and that he probably looked like a drowned rat at present. He entered with a sigh and kicked off his boots, leaving a trail of water as he moved to the kitchen and met Jagger. The teen was cleaning quietly, a single plate of pancakes left at the head of the table with still a little steam rolling off of them. The gangboss was pleased that the kid had had him in his thoughts enough to save him some food despite the ravenous hunger of the other beastly men. The teen gave him a kind smile as he sat down to eat, getting him a towel to dry off with that Greed gladly drapes over his shoulders. 'If anything the kid's a good housekeeper.' He wasn't regretting keeping the kid around at this point. As he finished though he did have a few things for him to do. "Jagger, go around the bar and gather up all the leftovers of the Diablos. I don't want their shit desecrating my place any longer than they need to." The teen nods.

"Is there anything you'd want me to keep?" The homunculus thinks a moment and nods.

"Yeah, money, I.D.'s, guns, the like, stash it in the basement. I'll be down there anyway getting it back to it's former glory as a training room."

"Aye aye!" he says, taking off with a smile to get started. With a chuckle the avarice heads downstairs and surveys the damage done to his old rec room. It smelled despicable and looked like the remnants of a whore house raid but he could deal with that, at least it was still intact and not severely vandalized. He started by tossing out all of the junk, broken lamps, battered mattresses, and such. He then torched the remnants of that in the fireplace. He called for Darius and Heinkel at one point, needing a little help clearing out the heavier stuff without damaging the doorways in the process while also getting someone to start scrubbing down the dirt and grime. Although Darius was whiny at first and didn't like taking orders as much as he thought he would from the homunculus once again he fell back into pace with the work and by the time Jagger returned to the room they had it clear and back to it's original state. The boy brought in some abandoned guns and knives that were stored for use if ever needed, some wallets that had been neglected when the evacuation was made, some of which still holding a decent amount of cash, and then he pointed out which pieces of equipment had been moved elsewhere so that it could be moved back.

"Good job kid, not bad," Greed praises, patting the boy's head. He blushes lightly at the praise, glad he was receiving some and even more glad that he could be of use.

"We did all the work," the gorilla complains quietly. Greed ignored the comment and ushered him upstairs, followed by the two chimeras. Zampano and Jerso greeted them on the ground level, asking if Greed had anything to keep them occupied. Of course he did.

"Get started with clearing out these shelves of the outdated stuff, anything expired I want thrown out without a second thought. Once you get that I've got a list of stuff to restock. Jagger, you're in charge of money. I'm counting on you kid."

"Yes sir," he says with another pleased blush.

"Heinkel, there's a few broken doors that need fixing. Darius, clear out everything in the rooms that you don't want or doesn't belong to Angel and the kid."

"And what are you gonna do?" he questions.

"I'm gonna make sure we don't get any surprise visits from our old friends. I doubt they're that stupid but it never hurts to be careful." He'd gotten what he wanted accomplished done so far so he was pleased that it was nearing time to chow down once more.

Angel reclined her head to the overcast skies, rain pouring over her in a way she could only describe as perfect. The paint washed from her body and she could feel it's every creep over her flesh as if it were alive. Her senses were in overdrive, the water in the air enhancing her already superhuman sense of smell so that every tiny fragrance was distinguishable. Her skin relished in every touch of pure liquid that graced it's surface and being there, soaked over and weighed down only in body, she felt the weight of her mind slowly lift to a more tolerable state. She didn't think, only acted. She danced to an inaudible beat and swayed to the song of her mind. Her bare feet in the mud felt natural and right, the sensation soothing even. Her shirt constricted around her torso and her pants hung low on her hips but she didn't care. Only when the rain began to let up did she stop and open her demonic eyes to the clouds. A certain pressure between her breasts brought her attention back to her surroundings. She placed a hand over her near empty amulet, looking down at it with disappointment. She had dared to take a sip when she awoke that morning despite having drained the boy Spike. Her body craved more and her metabolism was already trying to slow down for the sake of her own survival. She could go a few more weeks she supposed, then she had never been so low that she attempted to starve herself to death... Still, the hunger was definitely something to be reckoned with. After she had had her fun she decided it was time to get to work with the rest of her plans.

She pulled out the shades Greed had given her, previously stowed in the back loop of her pants. Of course she was drenched but she knew it was of no consequence. She memorized the address of the Elrics' teacher here in Dublith and knew the street was just adjacent to the Devil's Nest. She took her time walking but soon enough she noticed something, she had been on the street before a thousand times. The line of buildings were familiar too. Only when she stumbled upon the right address did she smile and let out a light laugh. "I should've known." She approached the door without hesitation, pausing to knock gently on the wood. A moment passes before she's answered and the doorway is taken up by a behemoth man with his knife.

"Can I help you?" She gives him a gentle smile and tilts her head teasingly.

"What, you don't recognize your best customer Sig?" she scolds. To this the male scratches his head before having a epiphany.

"Angel? Is that you? You're soaked! Get in here before you catch cold young lady!" He ushers her in quickly while she giggles, closing the door behind her. "I hardly recognized you washed up like that, and what are you doing wearing sunglasses on a day like this?" She shrugs as she's offered a towel, running it over her long hair with indifference.

"I've had a sensitivity to light lately. Where's Izumi?"

"Well she's-"

"Sig, darling, who's at the door in this weather?" The ebony haired housewife entered the kitchen with a blanket around her shoulders as if she'd been resting on this otherwise peaceful day. Upon seeing the hybrid she gives a soft smile and shakes her head. "You know if you want to visit that bad you can always call. It's not nearly time for your next pick up." She nods giving her hair a shake much to the amusement of Sig, who had returned to his cutting.

"Actually I'm staying with...a friend here in town for a while. My brothers will be picking up the shipments on the usual dates."

Izumi tilts her head. "You only come by once a month, are you planning on staying with this friend very long?" she asks.

Would she? "I don't know really, it could be months but, at any rate it's nothing to worry about." Actually she was severely homesick already. She missed her brothers and her townsfolk: Gin, Amos, Rose, Irene... She missed the Elrics and the Xingese royalty too. "Actually Izumi, I'm here because I recently started alchemy training."

"Oh?" she inquires. "And what got you interested in that sort of thing?" Angel pauses, knowing this next part needed to be treaded on lightly.

"Well, I recently got some travelers in town. They've been staying for several weeks and two of them said that if I wanted to train while I was here in Dublith I should find you. They're...old students of yours." For a moment the woman is silent and seems to ponder the information, her husband watching her and letting out a sigh. Izumi seemed to be restraining herself when she finally spoke.

"Edward and Alphonse, am I right?" Angel nods. "Those idiots," she grumbles. "The military shows up at my front door wanting to know their whereabouts, worrying me half to death... and they took a vacation?!"

"Well actually Izumi they've been helping me with a bit of a...security problem." She didn't want to reveal too much about her secret town. Izumi only knew that she lived just north of Creta, not that Luna was home to hundreds of chimeras living under the military's nose. Izumi seemed to accept that and sighed herself, taking a seat across from her husband.

"That sounds like them. So then, I suppose you want to start on some decent alchemy training then?"

"Alphonse is an excellent teacher, I just didn't have much time to work with him before I left since I had other responsibilities to tend to. I would be eternally grateful if you could instruct me." At this the housewife laughs.

"You act as if you'll be living a hundred years from now and look back on this," she muses. She wasn't far from the truth, Angel had no plans to die within the next few centuries. Then again, she knew a handful of elder chimeras who had been suicidal for centuries themselves. Decade after decade with no more experience to be had, no knowledge to obtain, no love to help make the isolation bearable, it's unnatural to live forever they say. Is it really her place to say whether they should live on? She didn't know, only that if presented the opportunity they would take any way out.

"Will you help me?" she asks gently, pleading behind her glasses with eager eyes. She sits next to the human woman, placing her hands on hers and squeezing.

"As much as I dread teaching anymore, I think it can be arranged. Besides your nails are digging into my hands." Realizing that her claws were still unsheathed, she jerks away, stuffing her hands in her pockets and giving a nervous laugh to hide her panic. She wasn't hiding her current state as well as she could be...would she be able to last the week she wondered? Her cycle began the night before last, so she only had maybe five days left of her unique appearance. The challenge was something worth pushing through though, if only so she could successfully perform transmutations.

.

.

.

Izumi worked Angel diligently for hours, finishing only in the late afternoon when Greed would undoubtedly be hungry from his work. She had studied transmutation circles and drew them out accordingly, telling their purposes as she went, and then joined her new teacher in some combat training. She held back against the human woman of course, she attempted to slow down her speed to a more believable one and she only used a fraction of her true strength. Overall Izumi was impressed with her combat savvy skills and praised her on her development that exceeded even her former students.

Woot woot! Go Greed! A threesome involves three people, a twosome involves two people, well, we now see why they call you handsome ;) I hinted at something that will become more predominant throughout the development of the story, brownie points to anyone who can point it out first! Until next time pretties, please REVIEW!