A/N: Next chapter! This one took me a little longer than expected, mostly because its all new material. Wanted to explore Greed's character a bit more with Liz and have a fun conversation with him. Hopefully you like it!

Chapter 38: The Devil's Nest

The man with the spiky hair mentioned that he and his cronies her taking us to a bar called the Devil's Nest. Admittedly, it wasn't the most subtle name for a criminal hideout, but, hey, subtlety didn't seem to be this guy's thing. He didn't tie my hands up but, handed me off to Kimblee, promising he would let the crazed alchemist explode me if I tried anything. Curiosity and fear of being blown to pieces kept me obedient.

But it did not keep me quiet.

"So the Devil's Nest," I said. "Very spooky choice. But if you want to hide better, I suggest camping out at the Happy Birdies Nest." I shrugged. "Or if you want to be ironic, the Angel's Nest."

"You know a place that goes by either of those names?" the man with spiky hair raised an eyebrow.

"Well, no. It was just a suggestion." I said. "Anything but the Devil's Nest. That's literally the first place people will look." I crossed my arms. "No one would suspect the Happy Birdies Nest."

The man gave me an odd look. "You're not too worried about this whole kidnapping thing, are you kid?"

"If I had a dollar for every time I'd been kidnapped… I could buy a very nice lunch." I sighed. "Since I started working with the fullmetal pipsqueak I've been kidnapped or held hostage like… ten times. Wait is that right?" I counted on my fingers. "No. No just seven times. If you count the one time at the fifth lab as two because I escaped before I got caught again." I tapped my chin. "Man and all in the last few months. That's crazy."

The man was still staring at me like I had crabs crawling out of my ears. "Crazy is a word for it." He turned around to face me, walking backwards down the street. "You said something about the fifth lab? What were you doing there?"

"Long story. I'd bore normal kidnappers like you with the tale." I rolled my eyes.

"Normal?" the man cocked his head to the side, a smile stretching over his face. "What makes you think we're normal?" He nodded at some of his fellow kidnappers. "You see, all of us escaped from the fifth lab too. For various reasons."

"Really?" My brow furrowed. "So you were there the day the place went to rubble? Why? Were you the prisoners that were supposed to be made into the stone?"

"I was." Kimblee said from behind me. "Being a normal human, they were willing to contribute me to the mix."

"Normal. That's a stretch." I muttered. "And if you're the only 'normal' human, what are the rest of you?"

"We're chimeras." A short man with a sword replied. "Experiments of the state."

"Chimeras?" Al asked, speaking for the first time since we had gotten kidnapped. He was not nearly as relaxed as I was. "But how? I've never seen chimeras so seamlessly made before."

"More importantly, why was the state making you?" I asked. "Why would they authorize that kind of thing?"

"The state is full of many secrets, doll," the spiky haired man said. "This is only the tip of the iceberg. You should get to know your boss' a little better."

"Yeah, what kind of animal did the combine you with?" I asked with a frown. "Something annoying I'll bet."

"Oh, I'm not a chimera." The spiky haired man said. "I'm something altogether different." He lowered his hand to my view and for the first time, I noticed the red oroborus tattoo on the back of his hand. "I'm a homunculus. The name is Greed."

I think he expected fear of some kind, but instead I groaned. "Are you kidding me? Another one of you? I swear we just got done with another homunculus incident and before that I was kidnapped like three times by the freaking palm tree with the bad attitude and now here I am again with you. Why am I such a homunculus magnet? What did I do to deserve this?"

"Palm tree with the bad attitude?" Greed blinked.

"Yeah, probably one of your friends." I said, tapping my head. "Spiky palm tree hair. Smirks a lot. Psychopath."

"Ah." Greed's eyes narrowed. "You're familiar with Envy then?"

"Yeah, fucking Envy. I hate him."

Greed chuckled. "As do I."

"Huh?" I almost stopped in my tracks but Kimbley kept me going, shoving me forward. I spied the Devil's Nest on the corner. Yeah, not the most subtle place. "But you're a homunculus like them."

"Well, we had a bit of a falling out some 120 years ago," Greed said. "I'm not much of a fan of any of them, especially their boss. But Envy and I have a particular… problem with each other."

"Wow," I said. "I instantly like you now. Envy and I have lots of problems. I'm probably lucky he can't kill me because of orders from their master or something. He almost did a few times. Must be part of his charm."

"Really now," Greed opened the door and his crew flooded in. But he didn't take his eyes off of me. "Hey Roa! Take the Alphonse kid to the basement."

"And the girl?" Kimblee asked.

Greed smirked. "She's going to join me for a drink."

"Am I?" I crossed my arms.

"Yes," Greed said. "I think we have a few interesting things to talk about."

I wasn't sure how I felt about Greed yet, but at the very least he didn't like the other homunculi. And if I could get special treatment during my kidnapping, I might as well.

"Fine." I smirked. "You're buying."

Moments later I found myself sitting at the bar with Greed, sliding a glass of water between my hands.

"Not one for the hard stuff, huh doll?" Greed asked.

"I'm sixteen. What do you think?" I rolled my eyes. "It tastes terrible anyway."

Greed took a giant gulp of his whisky. "You don't drink it for the taste."

"Well, obviously," I said. "But if I want to put myself out of it, I'll just go too crazy with my energy alchemy. Or, you know, ram my head several times against a wall."

Greed gave me that funny look again. It made me proud. I had made a hobby out of confusing kidnappers at this point. "You know, doll, you remind me of someone."

"A good someone?" I asked. "Or a crazy someone?"

"Little bit of both," Greed said, but he didn't elaborate further. "So tell me. The boss lady wants you alive. Why?"

"So it's a woman?" I raised an eyebrow. "Didn't know that. But I have no clue. Envy was a little vague on explanations." I shrugged. "But at least the order has kept me alive. Otherwise I'd be dead by now."

"You would. Envy's not big on letting humans live. Especially humans who try to annoy him," Greed said.

"Yeah or ones that fry him," I said cheerfully.

"Huh?" Greed almost dropped his drink.

"Oh, I blasted him with a ton of lighting. Fried him where he stood. I was a little bit pissed off. He killed a friend of mine." I frowned. "So I tried to test the extent of his immortality. His immortality is in tip top shape, let me tell you."

"You should be dead," Greed said.

"Yeah, well I did use way too much energy, so probably," I said. "But then again—"

"I don't mean from your alchemy, doll," Greed said. "No matter how important, Envy kills anyone who makes him look weak. He'd have killed you and made it look like an accident. You should be dead."

"Maybe I'm… super important?" I suggested. "Honestly he got more pissed when I called him a puppet."

"Do you have a death wish?"

"That's entirely possible."

Greed leaned against his hand, studying me. "Like I said, Envy doesn't like anyone pointing out his weakness. He especially doesn't like humans pointing out his weakness. He has a bit of an inferiority complex you see. He acts pretty confident. Like he's the strongest there is." Greed smirked down at his drink. "But let's just say his name suits him. He's envious. Especially of humans."

My eyebrows shot up. "That so? He seemed big on homunculi being better than humans."

"Sure he is," Greed said. "All talk though. He always gets angry when he's worried about people finding his weaknesses. I'd know. We go way back." He rested his hands behind his head. "Envy was the first homunculus. I was the second. Unfortunately for him, I know him pretty well."

"And why are you telling me this?" I asked.

"I like giving people the weaknesses of my enemies." Greed said. "And if any alchemist can take down Envy, you seem like the one to do it, doll."

"I'd be happy try, trust me," I said. "But he's a little immortal."

"You'll find a way I'm sure," Greed slid off his stool. "I've gotta give the Alphonse kid a talk. Kimblee, keep an eye on the prisoner."

"Will do," Kimblee said.

I stared after Greed, confused for a moment before I remembered something. "Hey, Greed! That person you say I remind you of. What happened to her?"

Greed glanced over his shoulder. "Envy killed her." Then without any further explanation, he disappeared around the corner.

Well shit. Here's hoping for a reverse of that situation in the future. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. "Ah…So what about you?" I spun around in my seat, observing Kimblee, who hadn't spoken since we got back. "Why are you still hanging around Greed? What's the advantage in that for an ex-state alchemist?"

"You say 'ex' like I was gently fired." Kimblee tilted his head to the side, a snake like smile spreading over his face. "I was imprisoned and set to be executed. According to military records I'm dead, but since I'm not, I'm still a criminal." He balanced a coin over his knuckles, rolling it from one end of his hand to the others. "But the simpler answer is I get a chance to use my talents again. I go to the highest bidder in that case. Whoever gives me the most chance to make fireworks again. First it was the military. Now it's Greed. Who knows what will happen in the future. As long as I get to use my talents."

"Your talents of murdering people," I said, bitterly.

"It sounds so crass when you put it like that."

"Crass but true, Kimblee."

"Perhaps," Kimblee rose, returning the coin to his pocket. "But when one's alchemy is meant to destroy, one can't help to want to fill that purpose." He looked up at me. "You should understand that, shouldn't you, Lightning Alchemist?"

I stiffened. "No. I don't. I don't kill innocent people."

"But you have killed before," Kimblee said.

"What makes you think that?" I asked, trying to keep the answer from flickering over my face.

"I can always tell," Kimblee said. "There's something that changes in a person when they kill. And I don't just mean accidentally or in self-defense. I mean deliberately take a life." He leaned against the back of the couch. "Your friend the Fullmetal Alchemist? He's never deliberately taken a life. I can tell that much." He cocked his head to the side. "But you? You have."

"So what if I have?" I asked. "It's not like I've killed nearly as many people as you. There's a difference."

"Is there really?" Kimblee asked. "We've both tasted that sweet moment that comes right before you take a life. That power you feel seeing the life leave their eyes. In that moment, we decide who lives and dies. It's a nectar you can't just forget."

"You're right. I won't forget it," I said coldly. "But I just remember the bitter aftertaste. It's not sweet to me, Kimblee. Its only sweet to psychos like you."

Kimblee closed his eyes, the smile lingering on his face. "So you say."

I would have followed up with a biting retort but at that moment the whole building shook, almost sending me flying off my stool. One of Greed's men ran in minutes later, panting for breath. "Some crazy woman… just stormed the basement."

"And that's my cue." I stood, grinning. "Catch you later, Crimson Alchemist. Or hopefully never." Then I took off toward the basement.

Not that I wanted to deal with my crazy aunt right now, but so long as she was leading the rescue party, I would have to.

Hopefully she wouldn't kill me any worse than my captors.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter completes the Greed arc. And then the chapter after that we give into some of the heaviest EnvyxLiz content. Oh boy... I've gotta write that. REVIEW!