AtamaGaKuruTeru:Thank you so much~ And no problem! I really enjoyed it, so. I don't particularly have a favorite Hetalia character (All of them are so awesome) but my FAVEFAVES consist of America, Russia, England, Spain, and South Korea.
Jayfish:For some reason after reading your review I laughed really hard. And I don't usually laugh out of term. XD Thank you for reviewing!
A/N: I honestly think I screwed up the last chapter; it was such an important chapter too! It moved too fast, but I never intended it to do so. When I type, sometimes I stray from the natural flow of the story I guess. Just to point some things out, it isn't LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT, QUI~ Greed and Catalena have known one another for half a year already, and just recently has Greed been feeling 'interested' in her.
And interested does not imply love in any way. For all you know, Greed probably just wants to steal Catalena's V-card. (That is, if she is currently a virgin, kukuku~)
My apologies.
That new Ling x OC story I've promised was already published. Please check it out if you were anticipating it; please read and review and tell me your thoughts.
Disclaimer:I do not own FMA or FMA Brotherhood. If I did, Greed would get his own theme song, but I think I would let Ling sing it for him.
BECAUSE HE HAS THE VOICE OF AN ANGEL HOLY SHIT YES, YES. GOOGLE/BING IT, NAO. Ling's theme, SHAME ON ME FOR NEVER LISTENING TO IT UNTIL NOW. Not that I listen to Japanese music, usually. I only have FMA and DRRR! songs.
"Rain", "Period", "Again", and "Scandal" are AWESOME. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE Rain, because I like watching my favorite characters become drenched in angst.
Rapacious
.
| It is only when that certain person is gone, do you realize your true emotions for them. |
Chapter 5
Mine
.
There are two roads.
In my endless struggle, one leads to a mass of thousands of souls screaming and wailing. They are waiting for me to add myself to the infinite abyss.
The other lead to an impenetrable darkness, and it is quiet there.
It felt right, so I walked the quiet road.
Since that point I've been feeling like there is someone—some thing positioning itself right beside me as I travel my consciousness.
But when I open my mouth to speak to it, that voice isn't mine anymore.
.
.
.
He wasn't a househusband. Hell, he wasn't even engaged. He obviously wasn't labeled as compassionate, either. So why had he stared out all night into space, avoiding sleep, and waiting anxiously within that small, empty pub?
Despite that he was a homunculus and didn't need to sleep, what was this tugging feeling inside of him?
Greed began to believe that his immortal life was slowly slipping away via boredom.
The lean man sprung himself from the couch, casually slipping his hands into his black pants before traipsing down a hallway leading to several bedrooms. Even though his body did not require sleep, sleep seemed the best way to escape time at the moment (Even if it was afternoon and everyone else were scheduled on their individual routes).
His personal quarters were the first destination, but as he neared a certain familiar doorway, Greed's purple optics eyed it expectantly. He was waiting for something to spring out of it, appeasing the emptiness in his chest.
Casting a glance over his shoulder to another door at the end of the hallway, Greed's nimble hands clasped the body of the doorknob before turning it eagerly.
He did not expect this, but naturally he was ecstatic.
Perceiving the reminiscent figure of the woman, Greed grinned and sneered teasingly, shark-like canines protruding, "Kitten~ I didn't know you came back. Did you sneak through the window hoping I wouldn't punish you for coming home late?"
At the sound of his voice, the figure tensed up a bit. Catalena kept her back facing him, and appeared to be trying to make some sort of decision before responding. In what seemed like an eternity to Greed, the brunette finally turned around, her gray eyes unseen because they were shut in a sly expression. Not to mention she also had a benign smile on her face.
"Not at all! Did you miss me?"
Greed's lips slowly parted, on account of her uncharacteristic response.
What? Did he hear her right?
Plugging his finger into his ear to make precautions, Greed then cleared his throat, pushing Catalena a little further down the edge, "Maybe. Not really. But I know you did." One of his purple eyes gazed back at her, questioning.
Finally her own gray eyes widened to an almost surprised stare, as if she weren't expecting Greed's choice of appointed words. She decided to play it off by laughing and rubbing the back of her head, but that didn't fool Greed in any way, "Oh, hahaha! What are we, like dating or something?"
The way she held that jittery expression on her face, Greed quickly interpreted her reply as a true inquiry and not sarcasm. What the hell did she do last night? Maybe she was having a hangover or something…
Greed stepped closer to the female, whom he noticed clothes were different. Instead of the usual attire of different hues of blue v-neck sweaters, she was wearing a black blazer over a lighter shade of gray v-neck. Why the sudden change in clothes? The only possible answer was that she just had the best night ever and he wasn't invited.
The male homunculus crossed his arms over his own fur-lined vest, watching her suspiciously, "You're acting kinda funny. Did that old man-scientist beat you out unconscious and then dissected you?"
Catalena stood up straight again, looking almost bewildered.
"…You're acting like a completely different person…" Greed continued.
And he was going to attempt to finish, but he would never calculate in a million years the action that was happening to him right now.
Catalena threw herself at the homunculus, pinning him down to the face of her bed. It shook under the combined force of their weight. Steeling through the aftershock of the moment and finally opening his purple eyes—only after blinking did he acknowledge her gray irises peering hungrily close down at him.
Greed didn't know what the scientist did to Catalena, but he was sort of reveling in it.
.
.
.
What the hell do you think you're doing?
I had to shout at it. It completely dismissed my advice and went straight for the kill. I had to berate it, whether or not Greed would get hurt in the process.
You said you cared about this guy, right? Well, I'm only getting into the acting a bit more~
Repulsive, sick-minded, zealous—
There are two things wrong with your empty threats, Miss Catalena: One, this Greed person doesn't find me repulsive. Two, calling me zealous is just plain sad. You should know I take that as a compliment.
That's because you're in MY body! I'm pretty sure Greed would let any woman crawl all over him. I thought you were genderless, anyway.
Mhm~
What…what are you doing? STOP THAT. NOT WHEN YOU LOOK LIKE ME!
My cries were thus ignored, and no matter how flustered and heavy-hearted I felt when I watched my body 'mindlessly' nose its way to make contact with Greed's smirking lips, there was nothing I could do. I didn't want Greed to think I was this kind of woman, and I certainly would never aim to kiss him in such a disgusting and blunt way.
I secretly wished Greed would see through this thing's facade…
. . .
Catalena's body hovered above Greed's relaxing figure. The male homunculus patiently waited for her trail of light kisses to dance from down his collarbone, up his neck, to his anxiously heated lips.
For once in a long time, the unrequited passion locked inside of him, seeped through bit by bit.
Unfortunately, it just wouldn't break completely.
And here's why.
Just as the woman's soft lips traced Greed's jaw line, the clever, grinning homunculus took a hold of her upper arms, temporarily stunning Catalena in a trance of shock. The sudden, almost bone-crushing grip on her arms caused her recent lust-filled face to change into one of disdain. Gray slitted eyes glared from his now blackened arms to his own lavender slitted eyes.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Ding ding ding. And that is the most in-character thing you've said all afternoon." Greed chuckled, propping himself upwards off of the bed while still holding Catalena's arms in his carbon-enforced grip.
For once in its brief life, the other homunculus was not enthusiastic. It abhorred the 'forced into a corner' situation it was in.
Locking sharp eyes with the feminine ones of the thing in front of him, Greed finally sighed, "You're not Catalena. Who are you?" Greed quickly added a second question after seeing himself reflected in its gray slitted eyes, "What are you?"
For a fact the thing he held in his hands was not the Catalena he'd known for half a year. She was not the cynical, sharp-tongued, and critical woman. There was no such thing as no such thing, so if some thing just so happened to squirm its way into Catalena's body, Greed would believe it. He was capable of believing many things, since his own very existence was unbelievable.
Her face remained the same, albeit her eyes had slits in them and looked more sharp and sadistic looking. Her usual flat mouth now was a deadly looking grin, "You two must be close, huh? Or the other option is that I'm a bad actor."
Greed was amused by its choice of words, "Well, obviously the latter."
Without warning the being in front of him wrenched its arms from his tight grip—showing inhuman strength—backed away closer towards the exit. Greed took a step forward, anticipating that it would run away in Catalena's body, but instead it laid a hand on its chest, "I was born yesterday, but the man who named me was terrible with names."
"The old man scientist…so you were created?" His purple eyes widened slightly.
"The tattoo on your hand…that's an Ouroboros mark, isn't it? That means you're a homunculus; an artificially created human whose core is the Philosopher's Stone." Her slender fingers reached above where her left breast would be, "…Since this thing that doesn't beat instead radiates the thoughts and personalities of a thousand souls, does that mean that I am also what you would call a homunculus?"
"Seems like it." Greed wasn't smiling anymore. He did not like the idea of a homunculus in Catalena's body at all. From all he's seen, there seems to be exactly no trace of Catalena's former self within this new homunculus.
He didn't like not having Catalena around him anymore.
"…Why are you using her body?"
"I'll tell you a story since I love telling stories. Once upon a time there was a wife and a husband who lived happily inside an apartment. The woman was a beautiful housewife and the old man was a scientist of the military."
Greed stood still, listening intently to the being's story.
"…One day the wife died, and the scientist fell into despair.
He swore he'd bring her back, and with two red stones he had stolen from a project he resigned from at the State Military, performed Human Transmutation on his dear old wife.
The process had been a success thanks to the Philosopher's Stone, and all because of his zeal for his dead wife.
But it wasn't his wife that would become reborn. Instead, it breathed life into me, and my heart became one of the Philosopher's Stones he harbored."
"Doesn't answer my question."
It chastised him, waving a finger, "Don't be so selfish. Let me tell my side of the story as well."
"Well the name is Greed…"
"The body of his old wife wasn't suited for my soul. So then he tried to find a proper candidate to combine my essence to.
Luckily for him, Catalena here broke into his house to repay him for betraying her. Warner thought he could use her body to place me into, but unfortunately he died. By her hands, ironically. I remember the continuous gunfire and powerful alchemy that took place in that apartment."
"The old man's dead now? Shame." Greed shook his head and made a 'tsk tsk' sound.
It smiled at Greed, agreeing with him, "Oh yes. But she was hurt pretty bad. She would've died had she not willingly gave up her body to me. It was for both of our mutual gain. She would live and I would finally get a body."
"How long are you planning on staying inside there?"
It smiled again, looking crooked as it shrugged it shoulders. Just when he thought its answer was an 'I don't know,' the voice belonging to it that sounded slightly like Catalena's spoke again:
"…The vast amount of feelings—memories—personalities of the dead inside of me—I've been missing out on so much of the world; there's just so much I'm excited about! So many things to sample and witness." The thing in front of him threw its hands in front of itself, fingers writhing as if trying to imagine some unsustainable force within the palm of its hands.
It was trying to emphasize the intensity of the meaning of its words; there truly were so many unthinkable things in this world, the new homunculus wanted to try it all.
Greed vaguely saw a piece of his being reflected through this younger homunculus. "…You're full of vigor."
It giggled, chuckled—hell, he wasn't sure what gender it was. At one end its personality was feminine, but then again it seemed masculine. Despite being in a woman's body, Greed would call it an it for now.
"Funny you would say that. Like I said, the dead guy who created me had an abysmal taste in names; he named me after his dead wife after attempting to create me through her image. I'm inspired by his acts, so I thought I'd go and name myself Zeal." The homunculus called Zeal smiled, holding its hands behind its back as it slowly backed away from Greed with a smile painted on its face.
Greed felt his body move after it. No matter what, he had to keep Catalena's body around. If he didn't know how to get rid of the homunculus inside of her, someone else would.
"So what are you going to do now? Are you going to run away and see the world, like you said?" Greed smirked, "It's an ugly world."
Zeal now stood under the frame of the doorway, still eying Greed with interest, "I'll do anything as long as I'm not sitting around in a cage. See, the definition of zeal is ardor, or fervor for an object, person, or cause if you didn't know…"
"That's a change from kitten's aloof person."
Zeal's gray slitted eyes widened for a split second, and then it looked irritated, "Oh, speaking of the owner of this body…since I'm sharing it with her, I'm obligated to at least take heed of her requests. So I guess I'll be hanging around Dublith for a while."
After the few minutes of recent depression, Greed finally felt his nerves ease up at the confirmation. "She's still alive? She's still inside there?" Taking a rather intimidating appearance Greed closed in on the homunculus, "What would it take for me to get rid of you?"
Zeal watched the muscular arms of Greed blacken as a substance covered it, and his fingers now resembled claws.
"…Would killing you until your Philosopher's Stone runs out help a bit?" He grinned, showing appropriate malice.
Zeal's own smile widened into a grin, and then it fell back to a smile, "You'll have to try and find out yourself, now won't you? Just remember to think of the consequences, and ask yourself if you would stick your hand through her body, aiming to kill?"
Greed raised one of his claws in front of him, glancing to and fro from it and the sleek eyes of his opponent.
It was too late for him to make a decision, as Zeal giddily skipped out of the doorway into God-knows-where part of the pub.
Being abruptly pulled back into reality, Greed had to pause and register Zeal's movements before chasing after it.
. . .
Zeal sprinted through the narrow hallway of the living quarters of the Devil's Nest. It wanted to get out of the establishment, and now. No, not because Greed was chasing after it. Zeal just found the place to be boring if that other homunculus happened to be the only being there.
As it raced through the long maze of hallways, a blue figure impeding its escape stood with its back facing it. Zeal's dress shoes skidded against the stone floor, making a noise that caused the person in front of it to turn around.
"Catalena?"
Zeal's gray eyes went wide from realization for a second, but then went shifty. With a brand new smirk occupying Catalena's face, Zeal eyed Cain with exuberance.
Cain was wearing his military uniform, about to go to work, but when he turns around his friend who had been missing all day yesterday and this morning was standing in front of him—and smiling too! Cain took a step forward, looking surprised and hopeful, "Are you all right—"
The quick and sudden rise of her left hand caused Cain's mouth to shut. His hazel irises saw the familiar alchemy glove press against the wall beside her. Before he could inquire about it, the outline of the transmutation circle on her gloves went red, and the same color energy crackled from underneath her palm.
The discharge of red essence traveled through the wall towards him, but he couldn't react fast enough to notice the concrete shard of the wall hurdling at him.
Zeal's sadistic nature allowed it to imagine the scene in slow motion: the shocked expression on Cain's face, the electricity-like red energy of the Philosopher's Stone, and the spear it had transmuted shatter into crumbles of rocks as it aimed to impale Cain's head—wait what?
For once the genderless homunculus looked awestruck. A being completely sheathed in black deflected the spike protruding out of the wall with a single stroke of its right hand, saving Cain from becoming skewered.
The human male felt the remnants of the weapon fall on him, and when he turned around he uttered a shout of surprise. From within his military regalia, Cain pulled a gun on the black humanoid figure with large fangs.
The being sighed, shoving a hand in Cain's direction, "Don't bother trying to shoot me with that. It won't even scratch me."
The pistol was slowly lowered as the male muttered, "G…Greed?"
Zeal, from the other side of the hallway, also gazed dumbfounded at the muscular, bulky figure who was the homunculus it was running from. It had to admit, he looked scary.
"W-what the hell are you doing, scaring me like that! And what the FUCK is up with your face?"
Greed looked irritated, shooting Cain a blank stare while still wearing his full Ultimate Shield, "Would you please cut that out? In case you didn't know, I just saved your life."
"Like hell you did! You just scared ten years off of it!"
"Stop yelling at me!"
Zeal thought it'd be best to slip out of the moment while the two of them were arguing. It did, successfully. It took Greed and Cain a minute to realize Catalena's body was no longer standing there.
"What the hell?"
"Great, look at what you did. Now I have to go chase her out in the streets and threaten my own personal safety."
Cain immediately glared at Greed, whose shield was now receding. Once the whole process ended, he came out stylishly with a yawn. "What did you do to her?"
Greed looked annoyed, and not just because he was standing so close to the other male and that said male was accusing him again. Okay, well, maybe just that.
"Look kid, if I had control over the situation, it would be fixed by now."
"Okay smartass, so then what's going on?"
Greed slipped past Cain, walking with his hands in his pant pockets towards the direction Zeal must have escaped from, "Uh, well, you see…let's just say kitten's undergone a split personality disorder."
Cain watched idly as Greed stepped over a few bits of debris, "…She what?"
"…Sort of. She has a split personality now because she's sharing her body with another homunculus." Greed craned his neck to witness Cain's fiery reaction.
"…"
"…"
Cain sighed, fixing his State Military jacket by straightening his collar out. He looked away from Greed, staring at the wall in front of him, "So my closest friend is now something like you."
"…Seems like it."
"I hate homunculi…" Cain sighed again, walking calmly away from Greed.
Bottling up emotions wasn't ever a good thing. Greed pondered just how unnaturally unhealthy were Cain's inner thoughts at the moment. But now, Cain wasn't the one with the homunculus problem. Greed had to find Zeal and contain it until he could figure out how to reverse the process.
Perhaps if he was lucky, he could also find a way to complete immortality as well.
.
.
.
I'm happy you believed me when I said you wouldn't be a match for him. And just what was the big idea trying to kill Cain like that?
Within the now lively space of my consciousness, despite the other thousand souls spiraling about, I sat in the center, watching Zeal sprint down the sewage pipelines of the inner Devil's Nest.
"Heh, please. He's just some lovestruck fool; he failed to attack me at the mention of you," it barked back at me through short breaths. "And how was I supposed to know that the human was a friend of yours?"
I paused, watching Zeal now slow its sprint into a casual walk. It would appear it was heading outside.
By listening to me before you take unnecessary actions. …You're not going to keep running away from Greed, right? This place just so happens to be my—our home.
"Ooh, that's too easy. I'll just lie to him and say I'm the only one who knows how to reverse the human-based homunculus process, and use him until the end." Zeal stopped walking, as it was now nearing a large arched alternate exit.
I could only manage a sigh and a facepalm at this. Zeal's naturally enthusiastic nature was annoying. It always wanted to be doing things; it always wanted to be in a new situation. The only thing I didn't quite get about it was what was its object of desire—motivation.
"Wondering about me again, I presume?" Zeal breathed in the hot, dry, afternoon air as it exited the large tunnel.
Yeah. Besides wanting to see the world and everything, just what are you living for, Zeal? I can't imagine the situation you're in. You were born yesterday, an act of human transmutation. Unlike Greed, who once told me he and his siblings fought for their Father. Whoever that is.
"…" Zeal traipsed farther out into the sun, its sharp eyes perceiving bodily movement further down the alleyway it entered.
Well? Zeal?
"…That's a little something I'd like to keep to myself, Cat." Zeal breathed out, feeling tired while it casually walked towards the normal, bustling streets of Dublith.
Hey…you aren't going to be staying in my body forever, are you?
There's just no way I would let Zeal share my body for that long. I did appreciate the power that being a homunculus offered, but since whenever had I had to take matters into my own hands besides yesterday? The only reason I gave Zeal my body was because I wanted to live. But I do not plan on living with my body being steered by someone else.
Zeal stopped walking, its gray slitted eyes jumping from the individual faces of passersby. It smiled to itself and grinned, slipping into the fray of civilized movement.
"I'll stay in this body for as long as it takes, Cat," it whispered to me, portraying a face that represented some sort of dark, twisted enthusiasm.
…
"Being me isn't so bad either, Cat. I still have the other Philosopher's Stone Warner used against you. You're practically an alchemical genius now! You should be ecstatic." Zeal dug one of its hands into its black blazer, pulling out a red stone and indulging in it.
That reminds me…I have a task that relates to that Philosopher's Stone. A client of mine was looking for one, and I—
"Would you shut up about your needs? I'm tired of doing favors for you. Because of you, I wasn't allowed to sample the joy of killing."
Zeal's demeanor seemed more malicious and intimidating than the usual cheerful.
"This body is now mine, you got that? You should be gracious still, as I'm going to pull you out of the depths of criminal life and into the exciting, dangerous world!"
…
I didn't want to be a part of some big, historical event. All I wanted was to live life the way I wished, hoarding as much money as I possibly could and then relishing in it. I didn't want to be held within the same bounds as the typical human.
I wanted to be different,
but not inhuman.
.
.
.
A/N : Hopefully was written better than my last chapter. It lacked a spine! D:
Yeah I changed the summary. I didn't like the old one, so I finally sat myself down for like ten minutes thinking up of a new one. And it fit! The realist isn't looking at the big picture even though she proclaims to do so!
I truthfully do not know what else to write here. I guess I'll just see you all next Saturday. Yeah, I'm lacking my happy nature because I GOT SICK. AGAIN. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY.
LIFE ISN'T FAIRRRRRRR
Damn you sore throat! /swallows warm saltwater because it's supposedly an old remedy
SKYRRRRIIIMMMMMM! ROOOOARRRR. Yeah, most of you have no idea what I'm talking about. D: Forget I said anything.
Please review! I LOVE NEW REVIEWERSSS. I'll elope with you!
