Befriending a Beast

[taisky16]

Tai was taking a stroll through some alleyway. He had decided to get familiar with the rest of Amestris and not just limit himself to East City. He had never wondered from that section of the country, so he was wondering around aimlessly.

Yeah. What a great idea THAT had been. He had neglected to bring a map with him. He had been so stoked when he'd been given time off he had rushed straight into the slums without bothering to think about what might happen afterwards.

The sun was high in the sky, but it was covered by dreary grey clouds that threatened rain. The sky was a fiendish dark blue mixed with black, and Tai didn't feel like explaining to his mechanic why his automail had rusted in the rain.

"Well, I was walking around like an idiot, lost without a map, and got caught in the rain," Tai mumbled with a grin, seeing how the conversation would go. "Man, I'm positivly bored! A nice fight would help right about now. I haven't had a chance to try out my skills for some time now. I've been stuck with rinky-dink assignmentd when I'm capable of so much more!"

Tai ran a hand through his moppy golden-brown hair, heaving a sigh. He brushed some non-existant dirt off his blue shirt with forest green sleeves and his faded blue jeans. His crystal blue eyes gleamed mysteriously in the dull sunlight. His silver pocket watch was in his pocket, chain attached to his beltloop. The shiny metal matched that of both his arms, and secretly his left leg.

As he turned a corner, Tai saw a sign with a devil head on it that read 'Devil's Nest'. Curious, Tai proceeded down the stone steps. The place he entered was an old time bar, but it looked like a hurricane had hit it. Leather seats were torn, glasses were broken, and it smelled terribly musty.

"I'm not gonna find anybody down here to fight, that's for sure," he grumbled as he turned around. Just then, a tall shadow loomed over him. He swerved.

"What the-?!"

[silverviper2134]

Greed was sulking on the couch, completely ignoring the women around him. He couldn't believe he had let Dante and the brat get away with Martel! How stupid could he be? Noticing the newcomer, he stood up and walked over to him.

"What're you here for?" he asked.

Dorochet stared at Tai. Something was bothering him, but he wasn't exactly sure.

[taisky16]

The man that stood before Tai was a good few inches taller then himself. He had pitch-black hair that was short and spiky, and his eyes were obscured by small, round sunglasses tinted black. He wore a black leather coat with white fur surrounding the collar. His pants were also of black leather, but his shirt was probably cotten, but black as well. Up close Tai noticed the man had abnormally sharp teeth, deathly pale skin, and belts wrapped around his left wrist.

"Wait a second..." Tai mumbled, taking a closer look at the man's left hand. It had a red tattoo on it, one of a star in the middle surrounded by a snake eating it's own tail. Where had he seen that symbol before? He couldn't remember, but he'd read about it somewhere, of that he was certain.

"Don't mind me, just passing through," Tai responded. "I didn't think anybody was down here. I'm ff duty, and I was hoping for some action. I..." Tai then realized he had hinted at being a State Alchemist. A vague hint, but any military paranoid person would instinctively look at his beltloop, looking for his silver pocket watch.

"I'm sorry to have bothered you. I was hoping for a sparring match. Nice tattoo, by the way."

Tai absentmindedly shoved the watch deeper into his pocket, hoping nobody would notice...

[silverviper2134]

"Yeah, not really in the mood right now" Greed said with a shrug. He went over to the bar, grabbing a bottle of vodka. Leaning against the counter, he drank the liquid straight from the bottle.

[taisky16]

Tai wasn't sure why, but he felt like all eyes were on him. He didn't have anywhere else to go or have anything else to do, plus he was lost, so he decided to hang around. Strolling over to a shredded arm chair made of torn blue fabric, he seated himself and got comfortable.

"You don't mind if I stay for awhile, do you?" he asked bluntly, winking. "I have nothing better to do with my time. Everything has been so boring lately, I want to scream!"

Tai surveyed the area once more.

"Do you guys live here?" he asked. "Odd place to live. Of course I don't have room to talk. My house is a hotel room. Which reminds me, I need to pay the rent soon. So, what are your guys' names? I'm Tai, Tai.......just call me Tai." Anybody would know the name of a State Alchemist. The fact that Tai was one wouldn't help him with these people if they didn't like State Alchemists. Of course, how many boys with the name 'Tai' were there in Amestris? He didn't think many. He'd probably just blown his cover...

[silverviper2134]

"Yeah, we live here. And why the hell are you hanging around? There's plenty of bars around here. If you want a fight, go to one of them" Greed said, taking another swig of vodka.

[taisky16]

"I don't drink," Tai replied bluntly. "Maybe I don't want to fight anymore! I'm pretty impulsive. Besides, no other bar is gonna let a kid go in whose under age. This place is pretty neat, I like the atmosphere."

Tai hulled himself out of the arm chair and waltzed behind the counter of the bar. Miraculously some of the glasses and drinks weren't gone or smashed to pieces. But what was more surprising was the little red objects littering the floor and shelves. Tai picked up one and inspected it.

"What are these?" he asked aloud without thinking. "Some kind of stone? It's shiny, so it can't be granite. A gem? But where would you get such a thing? I wonder if I could deconstruct it and see what it's made of?"

Quick as a whip, Tai placed the rock on the countertop and scratched a transmutation circle around it. He didn't need to do that, but he couldn't let on who he really was. He pressed a few fingers to the circle, and the alchemic reaction exploded. The entire wooden counter surged with blue light, and all the glass and empty wine bottles were replaced.

"What the-?!" Tai cried out in shock. He jerked back with such force he knocked into the shelves behind him, the force knocking his silver pocket watch out of his pocket. "I...I didn't even have the materials to fix the glasses! How...why...what WAS that stone?!"

Tai sudden;y realized what had happened. He shoved his watch back into his faded blue jeans, but he was sure the others had noticed. Then a thought hit him.

"Where did you get these stones?" he demanded. "They bypass equivilent exchange! How could...!!!!!!" Then it all fell into place. The stones, the red tattoo, the limitless alchemy he had just performed.

"Are you a...Homunculus?" Tai asked, looking at the man drinking the vodka. "No way...this is insane! There are so many questions I want to ask!"

[silverviper2134]

"Yeah, I'm a Homunculus. Name's Greed. And I don't feel like answering questions, so don't ask" he told the young man simply.

[taisky16]

Tai was taken aback slightly. He had expected more of an assult reaction, but this 'Greed' was acting like his secret getting out was no big deal! Tai was getting bored now, and he had been excited a moment ago.

"That's all?" he asked, jumping over the counter and landing in front of the male Homunculus. Tai quickly snatched the bottle of vodka from his hands and tossed it to the ground, where it shattered and drained beneath the floor cracks.

"I get a chance to meet something spoken of only in alchemic lore, and you don't even give me a second look?! What's more is you must have seen my watch, and know that I'm a State Alchemist! Doesn't that bother you in the slightest?"

Tai looked up into Greed's sunglasses, trying to see the eyes behind them.

"I'm not normally this rude, so please excuse me. However, stuff like this doesn't happen to me often. The military doesn't give me the assignments I'd like to go on, so I'm NOT letting this chance slip by! Now, you can tell me why your'e depressed, or I can inform my Colonel of who you are."

Tai didn't like being this wa. He was normally so upbeat and pleasent, but you didn't just walk into the presence of an artificial human everyday. He was determined to get Greed's attention.

[silverviper2134]

"Long story short- the girl who's pregnant with my kid got abducted by an old bat" Greed said bitterly. He was truly fighting the urge to smash the Vodka bottle on Tai's head.

[taisky16]

"Excuse me?" Tai asked, eyes blinking in disbelief. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought Homunculi couldn't make human life, whether they be the mother or the father?"

Tai had to admit, he felt some sympathy for Greed. Whether what he said was true or not, he couldn't help but note the pain in Greed's eyes. It shone through his dark shades.

"What can I do to help?" Tai asked bluntly. "Before you give me your 'I don't need your help' crap, hear me out. Kidnapping his a grave military offense, and we can both profit from it."

"The way I see it," Tai continued, pacing back and forth in the destroyed bar, "We find the abductors, get back your girl, and all's good. You get back the one you love, I get credit for exploiting this poser, and you can rest assured that your existence will go unnerved. However..."

Tai turned to Greed now, trying to meet his eyes.

"Equivilent exchange is at work here. It isn't fair you get two ups and I only get one. To balance the equation, what's say we...team up? Life would be more exciting with you."

*Wait, would Greed think a little higher of Tai because Tai just let on that he's somewhat greedy himself?*

[silverviper2134]

Greed smirked slightly. "I don't see why not. But just remember, betray me and you die" he growled, transforming his tattooed hand into it's sheilded form. "As for your first question, that's what I thought too. But apparently I was wrong".

Dorochet stood up. "Excuse me, Greed, but I don't think we should trust this man".

The Homunculus nodded slightly. "My friend has a point. How do I know you won't turn against us?"

[taisky16]

"Does it LOOK like I can summon an attack squad with a snap of my fingers?" Tai asked with a cocky smirk. "Besides, the military doesn't pay much attention to me. If I'm not carrying out rinky-dink tasks for them, they become too busy to keep a locale on my whereabouts. And even if somebody would chance to question me, I have a high enough rank to drop the questions aimed at me. I'm a sort of 'loner' in the military."

Tai looked at Greed's black hand. He guessed it was a special talent of his. He would have to question the Homunculus about it later, after they were done saving this girl. In the meantime, he had to prove he meant well.

"You don't have reason not to trust me, do you?" he asked slyly. "I may be a Lnt. Colonel, but I'm still a kid, and since I'm rarely around the office, people don't know me as well. Plus I haven't done anything extraordinary since I stopped a few terrorists, and even then I didn't brag about it. So basically, I won't be paid much attention to even if I DO rat you out, so you've got nothing to lose, but everything to gain. So to speak."

All of this was true to a certain extent. Some of it was stretched details, but overall it couldn't technically be called a 'lie'. Tai didn't bother talking to a whole bunch of people he felt he didn't connect with, and only a few people we worked with would know if he did something rash. And they were usually busy as well.

[silverviper2134]

"Hmmm" Greed said thoughtfully. "I'll make you a deal. Do something that shows your worth and loyalty, and I'll let you join us. And when that happens, you can help get Martel back".

Dorochet glared angrily. How could Greed sell them out like this?!

[taisky16]

Tai grinned at Greed's statement. He had expected such an offer. Such was the way of making deals with a person you only just met.

"Agreed," Tai said with a sly grin. "It only remains to be seen what it is you wish me to accomplish. I hope it doesn't involve killing anybody. Other then that, I think I'm good."

Tai turned his head towards the open doorway, his golden-brown hair flying about his head as he did so. For a brief moment he could have sworn he heard something...

*Not as long as usual. I'm letting Kira catch up.*

[silverviper2134]

Hearing him, Greed growled. "Hold on. I never said your friend could come. As for what you need to do, you figure it out. The chimeras more than proved their loyalty, and they figured it out on their own. You're smart. I'm sure you'll be able to".

[taisky16]

"How about this?" Tai asked with a sly smile. He knelt down to the ground and rapped it lightly with his knuckles. He stamped on it with his knee, then smiled, satisfied.

"One part earth, one part concrete, one part mud," he said aloud. "I think I can make this work. Hold on to something, everyone! This is gonna be a bumpy ride!"

Tai slammed both his autimail palms to the bare ground. Instantly blue sparks played at his fingertips, then elongated into severe alchemic lightning bolts. The entire building began to shake, as if an earthquake were ravaging it. Tai spread his fingers apart and the building felt like it was dropping. Dust and bits of earth smashed through the windows, and the tiny bar felt as if it were sinking. Tai was sweating a little, teeth gritted.

Just a little bit longer, he thought. I can make it, I can make it!

After about five minutes the scene returned to normal, except that earth and concrete were scrunched up against the bare windowpanes. Tai stood up and wiped the sweat from his brow, wheexing slightly.

"There," he said after catching his breath. "I've literally transported this entire establishment underground so only the roof is visible. Using the mud components of the ground, I subtracted water molecules to weaker the earth, making it mud. The concrete weighed down the bar in the mud, sped up by my alchemy. Nobody should be able to tell this place is even here unless they were actually looking for it on purpose, and even then the chances are slim."

"So...do I pass?"

[silverviper2134]

Greed smirked slightly. He was a little impressed, but not much. This guy was a show-off and that annoyed him. "Yeah, you pass. But, like I said, do anything to betray me or harm these guys" he nodded towards the chimeras. "And you'll regret it for whatever life you have when I'm done".

[taisky16]

"You got it...Boss," Tai replied with a mock grin. He could tell Greed was impressed. Maybe not a whole lot, but it was there, he could feel it.

"I think it best to get introductions over with," Tai explained. "Can't work with people I don't know, now can I? And I'd like to here about this 'Martel' we'll be rescuing. What is she like? And why do you call these guys 'chimeras'? I've never seen a record of a successful human attempt at chimera alchemy such as this."

And I nearly tore apart the library researching it. This is remarkable!

[silverviper2134]

"Long story short- these guys used to be soliders, but the military used them in experiments. Martel's one of them and she got combined with a snake" Greed said, before nodding to Dorochet. "Dorochet here can help you out in finding her".

The dog chimera frowned slightly. He still didn't trust Tai, espcially after the display of alchemy.