When Choosing Friends
Disclaimer: Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.
Maes Hughes gave the creature sprawled across his couch a wary look. His hands drifted toward his throwing knives.
"Relax, I'm not with them," Greed said. "And even if I was your little toys won't do you any good so you may as well sit down and listen to what I want like a civilized person."
"You are one of them," Hughes said. He gestured to the ouroboro on the back of Greed's hand. "Or is that just body art? Why should I believe that you're not working for the Fuhrer?"
"Pride; Bradley to you, isn't running the show, he's just the top pawn," Greed said. "As for me, I've got my own agenda. I saved your little book-girl from Lust and Gluttony; would I have done that if I was working with them?"
"Prove to me that Sheska is safe," Hughes said.
Greed pointed to the phone. "The number's 715-4567."
Still keeping a careful eye on Greed, Hughes hurried acrossed the room, picked up the phone and dialed.
"Hello?" a man's voice said.
"Put Sheska on," Hughes ordered.
"Hey, book-girl, your boss is calling."
After a few seconds Sheska said miserably. "I'm sorry Lt. Colonel, I – I'm just no good at this espionage stuff."
Maes sighed. "Sheska, I didn't ask you to investigate those rumors," he said and hoped that she'd get the hint that this wasn't a secure line and it would be a good idea to not implicate him. "I hired you for your memory not your acting skills."
"I'm sorry," Sheska repeated. "I shouldn't have gone off on my own."
"How have they been treating you?" Maes asked.
"They, um, haven't hurt me or anything," Sheska said. "They've mostly been telling me stuff."
"So you think they could be the source of those nasty rumors about our Fuhrer?" Maes suggested.
"Er, um, yes sir?" Sheska replied.
"Okay, well don't you worry; I'll have you back in the office looking at photos of my adorable daughter in no time," Maes declared. He hung up and turned back to Greed. "So, what do you want?"
"She really is pathetic at this game," Greed commented.
"She's the best researcher I've met," Hughes set defensively.
"Careful, you might convince me that I want to keep her," Greed replied with a shark's grin. "And it's not so much what I want as it is a matter of what we can do for each other. For example, that girl is hopelessly compromised. You're going to have to send her away. I'd also like to get most of my people out of the Fuhrer's territory. It would be safer for her if she had an escort when you sent her where-ever it is that you're amassing your allies."
"Seems like you could simply pack up and go if you wanted to be gone," Hughes said.
"It was just an example," Greed replied with a careless shrug. "You need to know more about what you're fighting. You need proof of illegal and immoral acts being committed by the Fuhrer's government. I know as much about homunculi as you do about humans. MY people include human chimera, created by the Fuhrer's government and they were ordered to instigate the Ishbalan War. As for me, I need allies. We've established that I'm not on their side and my former Master won't forget me. They're trying to kill your girl for spreading rumors when my people are living proof that those rumors are true. And I'm Greed; trust me, I am getting something out of allying with you; I just thought I'd focus on what you get out of the deal; it's more persuasive."
Hughes leaned casually against the door frame; his glasses gleamed in the reflected light from the hall. "Well Greed, I've learned that it's prudent to ask the cost before making the deal; especially when it's a tempting offer."
"The suspicious sort huh?" Greed asked. "Why's it so hard to believe that I want allies? It's me and my little gang of misfits verse Pride, Sloth, Envy, Lust, Gluttony and their whole Military State. And then there's our Master; she has a little something of mine that threatens to take away everything I've acquired. I need someone else to fight her; you need to know how to fight my kind. You've got a country and an army in the making. You've got Alchemists like that Fullmetal boy and the Flame who just might be good enough to make a difference against my kind. I want that… on my side."
"Pride, Sloth, Envy, Lust, Gluttony and Greed; isn't someone missing?" Hughes asked.
Greed shrugged. "If there's a new Wrath, we haven't found him yet. Are you ready to deal or not."
"I'm ready to deal." Hughes replied.
