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Entry tags:
06 ⌇ POWERLESS
Title: N/A
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist
Prompt: #095 - Powerless
Character(s): Zolf J Kimbley, Frank Archer (Greed), Fuhrer King Bradley (Pride), Dante
Pairing(s): Kimbley x Greed!Archer kind of?
Rating: PG-13 for language
Word Count: 4,626
Summary: Dante finds out about the newest Homunculus.
Author's Notes: Based entirely on this PSL. In which Archer is the Homunculus Greed and Kimbley is a dumbassnews at ten.
The tip of the blade digs in at his throat and the only thing Kimbley can think is "How the hell do I get myself into these shitty situations?"
Liore was one thing. It was a mess, but it had been something he didn't have any control over. He had been recruited by Archer and had been dragged (no, not dragged - that implies that he hadn't wanted to come when that certainly wasn't the case) to Liore, where he was given an assignment by the Fuhrer to go in and take out an alchemist to initiate conflict. Things hadn't gone as planned, obviously. Edward Elric was still alive and Frank Archer had died in the array that Scar set off after Kimbley had fled the city.
That's why he's here now, actually. Archer had died and Kimbley - like a dumbass - had decided that the only solution was to bring him back. Even now, standing here in the Fuhrer's office with the tip of one of Bradley's signature swords pressed against his throat, Kimbley can't say he regrets attempting Human Transmutation to bring Archer back. Oh sure, it took his arm and leg (and one of Tucker's arms, but who cares about Tucker), but he has automail now and he can deal with it. The important thing is that Archer's alive again.
...Well, okay, maybe he's not Archer, but the Homunculus looks and even acts like him, and has some of his memories. Maybe in time he'll regain more memories and things will get better. Kimbley's certain this wasn't a perfect Human Transmutation, but the red stones certainly helped ensure that it was a successful one. Thank God for Tucker, something he never thought he'd think at any point in his life.
So that's why he's standing here in the Fuhrer's office with a sword jabbing at his throat; it's because the Fuhrer is a Homunculus and he's finally gotten evidence that Kimbley performed a Human Transmutation. The Fuhrer's much faster than any human, but that's to be expected. He's a Homunculus himself. He's already disabled Kimbley's automail arm by striking in just the right places to sever the connections needed for him to control it which immediately put Kimbley at a disadvantage, but he didn't even get time to move before that sword was pointed at his throat.
"Lieutenant Colonel Zolf J Kimbley," The Fuhrer says in a conversational tone. He's smiling which is unnerving enough, but there's something in his eye that indicates that he's deadly serious. "What would prompt you to go against the law and perform a Human Transmutation?"
The Crimson Alchemist doesn't move, instead staring down the length of the sword at Bradley. "You know I don't play well with the laws," He finally remarks, flashing a smirk.
The blade digs in harder at his throat. Obviously that wasn't the right answer. "Why?" Bradley repeats and Kimbley makes a soft, irritated noise as the blade draws blood.
"Are you going to kill me?"
That seems to actually give Bradley pause and he withdraws the sword just a bit. It's not enough to let Kimbley have any room to move - of course Bradley wouldn't allow that - but it's enough room to let him breathe a bit easier. "That depends." Bradley says, "What do you intend to do with your Homunculus?"
Kimbley tips his head a bit. "What do you mean? I don't really plan on doing anything with him."
That obviously wasn't the answer Bradley was looking for, but he releases Kimbley and laughs. "So you performed Human Transmutation without any plans in mind for this Homunculus?"
"...Yeah, pretty much."
Bradley steps back, though the amount of space between them is still not enough for Kimbley to create an explosion without risking serious injury. He's not sure if he wants to attempt it either; an assassination attempt on the Fuhrer will just land him back in jail and what will happen to Greed? He'd be stuck with Tucker, which might as well be a fate worse than death.
"You'll go to Dublith," The Fuhrer was saying, "and meet with our master. She wishes to meet with the new Greed."
"And if I don't?"
Something flashes in Bradley's single eye and Kimbley is suddenly fully aware that this was a stupid question. "You and your Homunculus will be hunted down. You will be killed and your Homunculus will be sealed, just as the original Greed was."
Kimbley bites at his lower lip, thinking. Agreeing to this means that they'll be walking into a potentially bad situation, but at the same time, it's not like he can say no. He's certainly not going to risk death if he can avoid it, and dying here and now would just be pathetic. He also doesn't like the idea of Greed being imprisoned, but that's probably just due to the fact that he really hates prison.
"Alright," He finally says with a nod. "We'll go. I take it you'll cover my work here?"
"Why Crimson," The Fuhrer says, smile reappearing, "I didn't know you cared about desk work."
"I don't give a shit about it," Kimbley retorts. "I just don't want people asking where I went and having to give some bullshit answer."
Bradley agrees to cover for Kimbley, giving him two weeks off of work to make the trip down to Dublith. They're expected to leave tomorrow, so Kimbley has to make sure that things will be alright at the house. It's not like Tucker can go out grocery shopping whenever he doesn't have food, so Kimbley needs to take care of that. By the time he gets home it's pitch-black out and Greed is waiting for him in the kitchen.
"Where were you?" The Homunculus doesn't sound very angry or upset, but there's a crease in his brow that Kimbley recognizes as one of Archer's usual expressions. He might be keeping just how he feels under wraps, but Kimbley has always been able to read those expressions.
"I had to get groceries. For Tucker. He's going to be here on how own for two weeks."
Greed picks up on that immediately, openly frowning now. "Where are we going?"
"Dublith." He anticipates Greed's next question and continues, "Fuhrer's orders."
"Why are you taking me?"
It takes Kimbley a moment to realize that Greed misinterpreted what he said and the Crimson Alchemist is suddenly overwhelmed with the idea of lying. It's embarrassing enough that he was caught off-guard by Bradley and couldn't do anything, but the fact that his automail arm won't work at all is adding insult to injury. He could very easily lie to Greed about it, he could claim that he'll need someone's help to get down there - he's getting his arm fixed down there, after all since his usual mechanic is out of town - but the Homunculus trusts him so completely that it almost feels wrong to lie to him.
Besides, what good will it do? Greed will obviously find out when they go meet this "master" Bradley was talking about.
"...He found out about you." Kimbley finally says, staring down at the floor like it's the most fascinating thing he's ever seen. "I don't know how, all I know is that he knows. He told us to head down to Dublith to meet his master. I don't know what's going to happen from there."
"I take it saying no wasn't an option?" Greed's voice is terse, but Kimbley doesn't look up to see his expression. He knows the Homunculus is upset, but he's not sure whether Greed is upset at Kimbley or at the situation. Or both, it could very easily be both.
"It wasn't. Bradley rendered this useless." Kimbley taps the automail arm in explanation. "I couldn't fight him and he's way faster than me anyway."
Something flashes in Greed's eyes, but whatever it is dies out quickly. "Very well," He finally says, expression and voice falling back in to the usual nearly-bored norm. "I take it we're leaving tomorrow?"
"Yeah, pack your shit. You've got enough clothes for two weeks, right?"
"Of course. You purchased more than enough when you last went out shopping."
Kimbley finally does look up at that, offering the Homunculus a smirk. "Yeah, well get ready. We're leaving tomorrow at eight."
"...You don't even get up before noon if you can help it." Greed deadpans.
"Y-Yeah, well this shit's like work, it's not like I have a choice!"
"We're probably going to be late," The Homunculus predicts.
He's right; they barely make the train station on time. That's partially Kimbley's fault for underestimating how much time it would take for them to get out the door, but really it was mostly because he didn't want to get up. Even as they file into their private car he still looks like he's not awake.
"Shit, I can't sleep on a train," He complains to no one in particular as the Homunculus stores their luggage. "Couldn't do it back during Ishbal, doubt I can do it now."
Greed sits opposite of him, resting his pale hands on his knees. He looks like he doesn't know how to relax. He probably doesn't; Archer never knew how to relax. "How long will it be until we reach Dublith?"
"Hours," Kimbley remarks helpfully. "I don't remember. I'm kind of bad with time. Solitary confinement without a window does that to you."
The Homunculus nods, though it's obvious that something Kimbley said is bothering him. The alchemist doesn't press though, flopping down on the bench and throwing an arm over his eyes. He might not be able to sleep on a train, but he can certainly rest.
It's hours later when he wakes up with a jolt, sitting upright and looking around warily. "Shit, how long was I out?"
"Hours," Greed replies. He's not sure if Greed is mocking him for his remark earlier or if he genuinely doesn't know. The Homunculus continues, "We should be reaching the station soon."
"Oh. Good." He runs his hand back through his hair, trying to straighten it out a bit from where it's been crushed during his sleep. Greed watches him intently, violet eyes never leaving him. Normally a stare like that would unnerve Kimbley, but Archer did a lot of staring when he was alive and the alchemist got used to it.
It looks like Greed hasn't moved from his spot; he's still sitting there with his hands on his knees, back ramrod straight. "You can relax, you know," Kimbley teases.
"I am relaxed." The reply is almost confused, but Greed's expression doesn't alter any.
Kimbley snorts and moves to get their luggage, only belatedly remembering that his automail arm is completely useless. He cusses under his breath and tips his head toward their bags. "You wanna help me out with this?"
"Of course." The Homunculus is quick to join him in handling their bags. Kimbely can't help but watch Greed move; he never really saw Archer do anything like this (physical labor was always delegated to those beneath him, oftentimes that meant "Kimbley, go do this") and it's sort of fascinating to see the Homunculus' muscles ripple beneath the light blue collared shirt as he lifts the bags.
...Kimbley needs to get laid. He wouldn't be thinking about this if it hadn't been literally months since he last slept with anyone.
The train station is nearly abandoned at this time of night save for the passengers getting off the train. Kimbley stretches a bit and motions for Greed to follow him, leading them toward the hotel Bradley had directed him to.
Their room is large enough for both of them, though it's fairly obvious that they'll have to share the bed. Kimbley wonders if Bradley did that on purpose. It's hard to tell with him. Regardless of the bed situation, the room is well-furnished and lit, leaving Kimbley feeling almost safe despite what they'll be doing in a few days. He needs to get his arm repaired first, but after that there really won't be any avoiding the inevitable, not if he wants to live, that is.
"You're being unusually quiet," Greed remarks after he's set their bags down.
"Ah, yeah, I guess I am." Kimbley flops on the bed, then sits up to undo his ponytail. "I don't really know what to expect from this meeting with this "master," so I guess I'm a bit anxious."
"It's not like you to get anxious." Greed joins him on the bed, apparently having no problem whatsoever with sharing.
Kimbley shrugs. "Yeah, well, I guess you could say I've done a lot of growing up since Liore." He likes to imagine that Archer would be proud of him, but more likely than not Archer would just roll his eyes and tell him he's not doing a good enough job. The idea almost makes Kimbley smile.
"Are you going to require assistance in the shower?"
"What?"
"Your arm," The Homunculus tips his head a bit in indication. "I imagine it would be difficult to properly wash your hair without both hands."
"N-No, I'll be fine. Don't worry about it, alright?" Kimbley gets up to commandeer the bathroom so Greed doesn't see how flushed he is. Again, Kimbley needs to get laid. He wouldn't even be thinking like this otherwise.
The night is uneventful, even if Kimbley isn't used to sharing a bed with anyone. Greed doesn't move at all during his sleep, even if Kimbley is the sort to toss and turn for awhile before he gets comfortable. Nothing strange happens the next day either. Kimbley gets his arm fixed and together they explore Dublith (with Kimbley pointing out things to see and places to go; he's even more familiar with the area than he is Central, he did grow up here), but for the most part nothing interesting happens.
It's the next day that they're greeted with a phone call from the Fuhrer. He gives Kimbley directions to the house where they're to meet the Homunculi's master. The house itself is tucked away deep in the woods; it's an older house but it's obviously been taken care of and it's quaint, definitely not the sort of place Kimbley would have imagined he'd be meeting someone this important at.
Before they enter the house, Kimbley stops and presses his human hand to the siding. Greed gives him an odd look, but Kimbley doesn't say anything until he's gotten a good idea of what the house is made of. It's not anything abnormal, at least, so creating an explosion to destroy the place will be easy enough. "Just wanted to check and see how easy it'd be to bring this whole place down," He explains as he knocks on the door.
Greed nods, but he doesn't get a chance to say anything. The door is opened almost immediately by a young woman with dark hair. She's not dressed like a maid, but surely there's no way that she's the person they're meeting. How could someone so young be in charge of all the Homunculi? "Good afternoon." She greets them with a slight incline of her head. "Please, come in."
The interior of the house is finely decorated; it's not quaint like the outside but rather elegant, the sort of thing one might expect to find in a manor. Kimbley has never been in any place this classy, but Greed seems unimpressed. "Who are you?" The Homunculus asks bluntly while Kimbley is still staring up at the ceiling.
"My name is unimportant." The woman replies, leading them into an equally elegant dining room. "Take a seat. I will be back." She leaves the two of them on their own and departs through a nearby door.
The two exchange a brief glance before taking chair side-by-side, leaving the head of the table open for the strange woman. "Is this seriously who we're meeting?" Kimbley asks in an undertone.
"I don't know," Greed replies. "I don't feel anything towards her. I don't know if I'm supposed to feel anything, however."
The woman returns shortly, carrying a tray with a tea kettle and porcelain cups. Kimbley tries his best not to make a face, but he's pretty sure he looks at least mildly disgusted at the thought of drinking tea. He's never been fond of it (at least not without enough sugar and honey to drown out the "tea" taste), but the last thing he wants to do is turn down this woman's hospitality and risk upsetting her, especially if she is the master of the Homunculi.
They're both handed a teacup and while Greed seems content to sip his, ignoring the heat, Kimbley sets his down and turns to address the woman. "Are you the one we're here to meet?"
"Yes," She replies. "Lieutenant Colonel Kimbley and Greed... it is a pleasure to finally meet you both." She certainly doesn't sound sincere about it and her smile is obviously faked.
"Can we at least get a name to call you?"
She's silent for a moment, and then remarks, "Dante."
Kimbley's initial reaction is to complain that Dante is a guy's name, but he wisely keeps his mouth shut on that point. "So why did you have us come here? What do you want from us?"
"Human Transmutation is forbidden by law," She says instead, ignoring Kimbley's questions. "A perfect Human Transmutation is nearly impossible. I imagine you did not receive this form immediately after coming into being."
Greed hesitates for a moment before nodding. "That is correct."
"You must have had access to the red stones, then."
"Yeah," Kimbley replies before Greed gets a chance to. "There were plenty left over from the shit that went down in Lab Five. I was working with a guy who had taken a lot of 'em."
"Shou Tucker, the Sewing-Life Alchemist?" Dante asks.
Kimbley nods. "Yeah. We performed the transmutation together, using some of those stones to ensure we wouldn't end up like the Elric brothers."
"A wise choice. Unfortunately, it wasn't a perfect transmutation."
"No, it wasn't, but we had enough stones to get him fully-formed."
Dante sips from her teacup, allowing the silence to span. It's certainly not a comfortable silence and Kimbley shifts awkwardly in his chair. "I can assist you in finding out what you're capable of."
Greed is silent for a moment, staring at Dante. "...What's in it for you?"
"You will serve me, as the rest of the Homunculi do."
"No." Greed's reply is terse but he doesn't elaborate.
"I thought you might say that." Dante sets down her teacup and moves to finger the jeweled necklace around her neck. "However, you do not have a choice, Greed. As it stands right now, you are living with your creator, a man who has no plans for you and no way to assist you in discovering your capabilities." Kimbley glares at her, but she ignores him and continues, "You will not be able to live with him forever. He will die. You are immortal; you will not fall victim to old age or disease. Living with a human will only cause you pain."
"I don't care." It sounds petulant and Greed's expression of displeasure really isn't helping that image, but Kimbley's glad to hear it anyway.
"You don't understand." Dante doesn't seem upset with him, in fact, she's talking to him like one might talk to a child. "I run this country, Greed. If you refuse to cooperate with me I will simply have your friend killed. If you choose to run, you will be hunted down. If you refuse to obey me, you will be sealed as the previous Greed was. Do you wish to spend hundreds of years imprisoned because you are attached to a human?"
Greed grits his teeth but says nothing, so Kimbley replies instead. "So you're threatening us. Greed goes with you, learns what he can do and is loyal to you, while I get to remain alive. Is that what you're saying?"
Dante gives a brief nod. "That is correct."
Kimbley doesn't need any time to mull it over. "Nah, that's alright, I'd rather risk running." And he claps his hands, activating his arrays and slamming them down on the table. The entire thing explodes in seconds, but Dante is fast enough to clap her own hands and shield herself from the debris. Greed obviously doesn't need to shield himself and he's regenerating already by the time Kimbley grabs his hand and pulls him in the direction of the door.
They make it out into the hall before suddenly steel bars raise from the ground, effectively blocking the only exit. Dante follows them out, completely unharmed but looking a bit irritated. "Running will not do you any good," She says, clapping her hands together and raising another set of bars around Kimbley.
The Crimson Alchemist doesn't like being imprisoned, but this is slightly better than being locked in a cell. At least he can still see through the bars. He presses his human hand to them to get a feel for what elements are within, but before he can properly come up with a way to force an explosion, Dante has transmuted something again. A spike launches up through the floor, cutting straight through Kimbley's automail leg and arm, causing him to crash to the ground cursing. The arm is just out of his reach so he can't transmute, and without his leg he isn't going anywhere.
"Make one move and I'll kill him." She addresses Greed. "You certainly wouldn't want that, would you?"
Greed is practically shaking now, but he doesn't move an inch. He doesn't say anything either and Kimbley suspects it's because Greed couldn't manage to keep his voice under control. "I'm fine," He says in Greed's direction, forcing himself to sit up by grabbing at the bars surrounding him. "Don't worry about me."
"I was hoping it wouldn't come to death threats," Dante says with a small sigh. "Unfortunately, you two always have made my plans difficult."
"...I'll stay." Greed says, surprising Kimbley. "I'll stay, but you'll leave him alone. You won't threaten him or attempt to harm him again."
"You're hardly in a bargaining position, Greed," Dante remarks, quirking an eyebrow. "But I will allow it. Kimbley will not be harmed or threatened for as long as you stay with me."
It's fairly obvious that that's not the exact conclusion Greed wants, but there's no way around it, so he finally nods. Kimbley opens his mouth to complain, then promptly shuts it again. There's really nothing else they can do in this situation, is there? Either he dies (which is the last thing he wants) and Greed escapes for the time being, or Greed goes with Dante and he gets to live.
Some part of him is disgusted that he's putting his own life above Greed, especially when he was willing to risk his life to bring Greed into the world in the first place, but he always has been an opportunistic jerk, is this really any different? Kimbley's grip tightens on the bars without him realizing it, to the point where his knuckles have gone white. This is the only way out of this situation, but it's definitely not ideal.
Dante lowers the bars around Kimbley and he struggles a bit to remain sitting up. She walks over but instead of doing anything to Kimbley, she picks up his automail arm and retreats a bit. "You may say your goodbyes now."
Greed doesn't hesitate, instead approaching Kimbley and kneeling down beside him. He doesn't speak, instead helping Kimbley get situated so that he won't fall over.
"Shit," Kimbley finally says, laughing bitterly, "I didn't think it'd turn out like this. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it sure as hell wasn't this."
"Everything will be fine," Greed replies. He doesn't sound convinced, but Kimbley knows he needs to hear the words as badly as Kimbley does. "This is not our final goodbye." That's said much softer so that Dante won't hear it. "I will find a way to return to you."
Kimbley reaches out to grab Greed's shirt, losing his balance and leaning against the Homunculus. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid. I didn't lose an arm and a leg so you could get yourself killed or thrown in jail or something. Do what she says, alright? It's... it's enough knowing that you're here."
"...Is it really?"
The alchemist laughs, the sound harsh and just as bitter as before. "No, no, of course it isn't. But there's no other way around this, right? But we'll meet again. I'm sure of it."
"Time's up." Dante approaches them. "Greed, please go down the hall and enter the second door on your right."
He hesitates and it's obvious that he's seriously considering trying to attack her. Kimbley gives Greed a small push and props himself up so that he's no longer being supported by the Homunculus. "Go on. It'll be okay." He encourages him, trying to force a smirk. It's not really working and he knows Greed doesn't believe him, but the Homunculus finally gets up and walks away.
Kimbley's immediately struck with a sense of finality. This is the last time he's ever going to see Greed. He's already lost Archer and now he's going to lose Greed.
As soon as the Homunculus has entered the room and shut the door, Dante turns to Kimbley. "You made the correct decision." She places his arm down beside him and claps her hands, fixing both the automail arm and leg perfectly, as if they had never been sliced apart to begin with. Kimbley has to wonder how she managed to do that; it certainly isn't any sort of alchemy he's seen before, but if she's the master of the Homunculi, she's most likely familiar with the contents of the Gate. It's a shame he can't remember them or maybe he could have stopped this from ever happening. He would have been strong enough to defeat her.
"Go. You will take the train home tomorrow morning and you will not return to Dublith."
Kimbley gets up, testing his hand and leg absently. He could slam his hands together and try to transmute the entire building, bringing it down around their heads, but she would most likely be able to defend herself and Greed would regenerate. There's no point in it. He'll just make her angry and risk his life.
There's nothing he can do. He has to let Greed go in order to spare his own life.
"Yeah, alright." He finally says with a small nod. "Take good care of him, you hear?"
"Of course." Dante smiles. It sets Kimbley on edge in ways that not even the Fuhrer's smile can compare to. "He will be taken care of, Lieutenant Colonel."
Kimbley leaves then, frustrated about his inability to do anything, but more than that he's hurting for reasons he doesn't fully understand. This is like when Archer died, only this time there's no bringing Greed back. He hesitates once he's off the property, turning to look back at the house.
"...I'm sorry."
The words surprise him and he starts a bit, wondering where the hell they came from. He's never apologized for anything he's done; he's never felt the need to apologize. It's not like this is his fault, not really. Maybe he could have prevented it had he been more careful or something, but apologizing for something that isn't really his fault really isn't his style. So why did he feel the need to say that?
He shakes his head and turns. There's nothing that can be done now anyway.
Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist
Prompt: #095 - Powerless
Character(s): Zolf J Kimbley, Frank Archer (Greed), Fuhrer King Bradley (Pride), Dante
Pairing(s): Kimbley x Greed!Archer kind of?
Rating: PG-13 for language
Word Count: 4,626
Summary: Dante finds out about the newest Homunculus.
Author's Notes: Based entirely on this PSL. In which Archer is the Homunculus Greed and Kimbley is a dumbass
The tip of the blade digs in at his throat and the only thing Kimbley can think is "How the hell do I get myself into these shitty situations?"
Liore was one thing. It was a mess, but it had been something he didn't have any control over. He had been recruited by Archer and had been dragged (no, not dragged - that implies that he hadn't wanted to come when that certainly wasn't the case) to Liore, where he was given an assignment by the Fuhrer to go in and take out an alchemist to initiate conflict. Things hadn't gone as planned, obviously. Edward Elric was still alive and Frank Archer had died in the array that Scar set off after Kimbley had fled the city.
That's why he's here now, actually. Archer had died and Kimbley - like a dumbass - had decided that the only solution was to bring him back. Even now, standing here in the Fuhrer's office with the tip of one of Bradley's signature swords pressed against his throat, Kimbley can't say he regrets attempting Human Transmutation to bring Archer back. Oh sure, it took his arm and leg (and one of Tucker's arms, but who cares about Tucker), but he has automail now and he can deal with it. The important thing is that Archer's alive again.
...Well, okay, maybe he's not Archer, but the Homunculus looks and even acts like him, and has some of his memories. Maybe in time he'll regain more memories and things will get better. Kimbley's certain this wasn't a perfect Human Transmutation, but the red stones certainly helped ensure that it was a successful one. Thank God for Tucker, something he never thought he'd think at any point in his life.
So that's why he's standing here in the Fuhrer's office with a sword jabbing at his throat; it's because the Fuhrer is a Homunculus and he's finally gotten evidence that Kimbley performed a Human Transmutation. The Fuhrer's much faster than any human, but that's to be expected. He's a Homunculus himself. He's already disabled Kimbley's automail arm by striking in just the right places to sever the connections needed for him to control it which immediately put Kimbley at a disadvantage, but he didn't even get time to move before that sword was pointed at his throat.
"Lieutenant Colonel Zolf J Kimbley," The Fuhrer says in a conversational tone. He's smiling which is unnerving enough, but there's something in his eye that indicates that he's deadly serious. "What would prompt you to go against the law and perform a Human Transmutation?"
The Crimson Alchemist doesn't move, instead staring down the length of the sword at Bradley. "You know I don't play well with the laws," He finally remarks, flashing a smirk.
The blade digs in harder at his throat. Obviously that wasn't the right answer. "Why?" Bradley repeats and Kimbley makes a soft, irritated noise as the blade draws blood.
"Are you going to kill me?"
That seems to actually give Bradley pause and he withdraws the sword just a bit. It's not enough to let Kimbley have any room to move - of course Bradley wouldn't allow that - but it's enough room to let him breathe a bit easier. "That depends." Bradley says, "What do you intend to do with your Homunculus?"
Kimbley tips his head a bit. "What do you mean? I don't really plan on doing anything with him."
That obviously wasn't the answer Bradley was looking for, but he releases Kimbley and laughs. "So you performed Human Transmutation without any plans in mind for this Homunculus?"
"...Yeah, pretty much."
Bradley steps back, though the amount of space between them is still not enough for Kimbley to create an explosion without risking serious injury. He's not sure if he wants to attempt it either; an assassination attempt on the Fuhrer will just land him back in jail and what will happen to Greed? He'd be stuck with Tucker, which might as well be a fate worse than death.
"You'll go to Dublith," The Fuhrer was saying, "and meet with our master. She wishes to meet with the new Greed."
"And if I don't?"
Something flashes in Bradley's single eye and Kimbley is suddenly fully aware that this was a stupid question. "You and your Homunculus will be hunted down. You will be killed and your Homunculus will be sealed, just as the original Greed was."
Kimbley bites at his lower lip, thinking. Agreeing to this means that they'll be walking into a potentially bad situation, but at the same time, it's not like he can say no. He's certainly not going to risk death if he can avoid it, and dying here and now would just be pathetic. He also doesn't like the idea of Greed being imprisoned, but that's probably just due to the fact that he really hates prison.
"Alright," He finally says with a nod. "We'll go. I take it you'll cover my work here?"
"Why Crimson," The Fuhrer says, smile reappearing, "I didn't know you cared about desk work."
"I don't give a shit about it," Kimbley retorts. "I just don't want people asking where I went and having to give some bullshit answer."
Bradley agrees to cover for Kimbley, giving him two weeks off of work to make the trip down to Dublith. They're expected to leave tomorrow, so Kimbley has to make sure that things will be alright at the house. It's not like Tucker can go out grocery shopping whenever he doesn't have food, so Kimbley needs to take care of that. By the time he gets home it's pitch-black out and Greed is waiting for him in the kitchen.
"Where were you?" The Homunculus doesn't sound very angry or upset, but there's a crease in his brow that Kimbley recognizes as one of Archer's usual expressions. He might be keeping just how he feels under wraps, but Kimbley has always been able to read those expressions.
"I had to get groceries. For Tucker. He's going to be here on how own for two weeks."
Greed picks up on that immediately, openly frowning now. "Where are we going?"
"Dublith." He anticipates Greed's next question and continues, "Fuhrer's orders."
"Why are you taking me?"
It takes Kimbley a moment to realize that Greed misinterpreted what he said and the Crimson Alchemist is suddenly overwhelmed with the idea of lying. It's embarrassing enough that he was caught off-guard by Bradley and couldn't do anything, but the fact that his automail arm won't work at all is adding insult to injury. He could very easily lie to Greed about it, he could claim that he'll need someone's help to get down there - he's getting his arm fixed down there, after all since his usual mechanic is out of town - but the Homunculus trusts him so completely that it almost feels wrong to lie to him.
Besides, what good will it do? Greed will obviously find out when they go meet this "master" Bradley was talking about.
"...He found out about you." Kimbley finally says, staring down at the floor like it's the most fascinating thing he's ever seen. "I don't know how, all I know is that he knows. He told us to head down to Dublith to meet his master. I don't know what's going to happen from there."
"I take it saying no wasn't an option?" Greed's voice is terse, but Kimbley doesn't look up to see his expression. He knows the Homunculus is upset, but he's not sure whether Greed is upset at Kimbley or at the situation. Or both, it could very easily be both.
"It wasn't. Bradley rendered this useless." Kimbley taps the automail arm in explanation. "I couldn't fight him and he's way faster than me anyway."
Something flashes in Greed's eyes, but whatever it is dies out quickly. "Very well," He finally says, expression and voice falling back in to the usual nearly-bored norm. "I take it we're leaving tomorrow?"
"Yeah, pack your shit. You've got enough clothes for two weeks, right?"
"Of course. You purchased more than enough when you last went out shopping."
Kimbley finally does look up at that, offering the Homunculus a smirk. "Yeah, well get ready. We're leaving tomorrow at eight."
"...You don't even get up before noon if you can help it." Greed deadpans.
"Y-Yeah, well this shit's like work, it's not like I have a choice!"
"We're probably going to be late," The Homunculus predicts.
He's right; they barely make the train station on time. That's partially Kimbley's fault for underestimating how much time it would take for them to get out the door, but really it was mostly because he didn't want to get up. Even as they file into their private car he still looks like he's not awake.
"Shit, I can't sleep on a train," He complains to no one in particular as the Homunculus stores their luggage. "Couldn't do it back during Ishbal, doubt I can do it now."
Greed sits opposite of him, resting his pale hands on his knees. He looks like he doesn't know how to relax. He probably doesn't; Archer never knew how to relax. "How long will it be until we reach Dublith?"
"Hours," Kimbley remarks helpfully. "I don't remember. I'm kind of bad with time. Solitary confinement without a window does that to you."
The Homunculus nods, though it's obvious that something Kimbley said is bothering him. The alchemist doesn't press though, flopping down on the bench and throwing an arm over his eyes. He might not be able to sleep on a train, but he can certainly rest.
It's hours later when he wakes up with a jolt, sitting upright and looking around warily. "Shit, how long was I out?"
"Hours," Greed replies. He's not sure if Greed is mocking him for his remark earlier or if he genuinely doesn't know. The Homunculus continues, "We should be reaching the station soon."
"Oh. Good." He runs his hand back through his hair, trying to straighten it out a bit from where it's been crushed during his sleep. Greed watches him intently, violet eyes never leaving him. Normally a stare like that would unnerve Kimbley, but Archer did a lot of staring when he was alive and the alchemist got used to it.
It looks like Greed hasn't moved from his spot; he's still sitting there with his hands on his knees, back ramrod straight. "You can relax, you know," Kimbley teases.
"I am relaxed." The reply is almost confused, but Greed's expression doesn't alter any.
Kimbley snorts and moves to get their luggage, only belatedly remembering that his automail arm is completely useless. He cusses under his breath and tips his head toward their bags. "You wanna help me out with this?"
"Of course." The Homunculus is quick to join him in handling their bags. Kimbely can't help but watch Greed move; he never really saw Archer do anything like this (physical labor was always delegated to those beneath him, oftentimes that meant "Kimbley, go do this") and it's sort of fascinating to see the Homunculus' muscles ripple beneath the light blue collared shirt as he lifts the bags.
...Kimbley needs to get laid. He wouldn't be thinking about this if it hadn't been literally months since he last slept with anyone.
The train station is nearly abandoned at this time of night save for the passengers getting off the train. Kimbley stretches a bit and motions for Greed to follow him, leading them toward the hotel Bradley had directed him to.
Their room is large enough for both of them, though it's fairly obvious that they'll have to share the bed. Kimbley wonders if Bradley did that on purpose. It's hard to tell with him. Regardless of the bed situation, the room is well-furnished and lit, leaving Kimbley feeling almost safe despite what they'll be doing in a few days. He needs to get his arm repaired first, but after that there really won't be any avoiding the inevitable, not if he wants to live, that is.
"You're being unusually quiet," Greed remarks after he's set their bags down.
"Ah, yeah, I guess I am." Kimbley flops on the bed, then sits up to undo his ponytail. "I don't really know what to expect from this meeting with this "master," so I guess I'm a bit anxious."
"It's not like you to get anxious." Greed joins him on the bed, apparently having no problem whatsoever with sharing.
Kimbley shrugs. "Yeah, well, I guess you could say I've done a lot of growing up since Liore." He likes to imagine that Archer would be proud of him, but more likely than not Archer would just roll his eyes and tell him he's not doing a good enough job. The idea almost makes Kimbley smile.
"Are you going to require assistance in the shower?"
"What?"
"Your arm," The Homunculus tips his head a bit in indication. "I imagine it would be difficult to properly wash your hair without both hands."
"N-No, I'll be fine. Don't worry about it, alright?" Kimbley gets up to commandeer the bathroom so Greed doesn't see how flushed he is. Again, Kimbley needs to get laid. He wouldn't even be thinking like this otherwise.
The night is uneventful, even if Kimbley isn't used to sharing a bed with anyone. Greed doesn't move at all during his sleep, even if Kimbley is the sort to toss and turn for awhile before he gets comfortable. Nothing strange happens the next day either. Kimbley gets his arm fixed and together they explore Dublith (with Kimbley pointing out things to see and places to go; he's even more familiar with the area than he is Central, he did grow up here), but for the most part nothing interesting happens.
It's the next day that they're greeted with a phone call from the Fuhrer. He gives Kimbley directions to the house where they're to meet the Homunculi's master. The house itself is tucked away deep in the woods; it's an older house but it's obviously been taken care of and it's quaint, definitely not the sort of place Kimbley would have imagined he'd be meeting someone this important at.
Before they enter the house, Kimbley stops and presses his human hand to the siding. Greed gives him an odd look, but Kimbley doesn't say anything until he's gotten a good idea of what the house is made of. It's not anything abnormal, at least, so creating an explosion to destroy the place will be easy enough. "Just wanted to check and see how easy it'd be to bring this whole place down," He explains as he knocks on the door.
Greed nods, but he doesn't get a chance to say anything. The door is opened almost immediately by a young woman with dark hair. She's not dressed like a maid, but surely there's no way that she's the person they're meeting. How could someone so young be in charge of all the Homunculi? "Good afternoon." She greets them with a slight incline of her head. "Please, come in."
The interior of the house is finely decorated; it's not quaint like the outside but rather elegant, the sort of thing one might expect to find in a manor. Kimbley has never been in any place this classy, but Greed seems unimpressed. "Who are you?" The Homunculus asks bluntly while Kimbley is still staring up at the ceiling.
"My name is unimportant." The woman replies, leading them into an equally elegant dining room. "Take a seat. I will be back." She leaves the two of them on their own and departs through a nearby door.
The two exchange a brief glance before taking chair side-by-side, leaving the head of the table open for the strange woman. "Is this seriously who we're meeting?" Kimbley asks in an undertone.
"I don't know," Greed replies. "I don't feel anything towards her. I don't know if I'm supposed to feel anything, however."
The woman returns shortly, carrying a tray with a tea kettle and porcelain cups. Kimbley tries his best not to make a face, but he's pretty sure he looks at least mildly disgusted at the thought of drinking tea. He's never been fond of it (at least not without enough sugar and honey to drown out the "tea" taste), but the last thing he wants to do is turn down this woman's hospitality and risk upsetting her, especially if she is the master of the Homunculi.
They're both handed a teacup and while Greed seems content to sip his, ignoring the heat, Kimbley sets his down and turns to address the woman. "Are you the one we're here to meet?"
"Yes," She replies. "Lieutenant Colonel Kimbley and Greed... it is a pleasure to finally meet you both." She certainly doesn't sound sincere about it and her smile is obviously faked.
"Can we at least get a name to call you?"
She's silent for a moment, and then remarks, "Dante."
Kimbley's initial reaction is to complain that Dante is a guy's name, but he wisely keeps his mouth shut on that point. "So why did you have us come here? What do you want from us?"
"Human Transmutation is forbidden by law," She says instead, ignoring Kimbley's questions. "A perfect Human Transmutation is nearly impossible. I imagine you did not receive this form immediately after coming into being."
Greed hesitates for a moment before nodding. "That is correct."
"You must have had access to the red stones, then."
"Yeah," Kimbley replies before Greed gets a chance to. "There were plenty left over from the shit that went down in Lab Five. I was working with a guy who had taken a lot of 'em."
"Shou Tucker, the Sewing-Life Alchemist?" Dante asks.
Kimbley nods. "Yeah. We performed the transmutation together, using some of those stones to ensure we wouldn't end up like the Elric brothers."
"A wise choice. Unfortunately, it wasn't a perfect transmutation."
"No, it wasn't, but we had enough stones to get him fully-formed."
Dante sips from her teacup, allowing the silence to span. It's certainly not a comfortable silence and Kimbley shifts awkwardly in his chair. "I can assist you in finding out what you're capable of."
Greed is silent for a moment, staring at Dante. "...What's in it for you?"
"You will serve me, as the rest of the Homunculi do."
"No." Greed's reply is terse but he doesn't elaborate.
"I thought you might say that." Dante sets down her teacup and moves to finger the jeweled necklace around her neck. "However, you do not have a choice, Greed. As it stands right now, you are living with your creator, a man who has no plans for you and no way to assist you in discovering your capabilities." Kimbley glares at her, but she ignores him and continues, "You will not be able to live with him forever. He will die. You are immortal; you will not fall victim to old age or disease. Living with a human will only cause you pain."
"I don't care." It sounds petulant and Greed's expression of displeasure really isn't helping that image, but Kimbley's glad to hear it anyway.
"You don't understand." Dante doesn't seem upset with him, in fact, she's talking to him like one might talk to a child. "I run this country, Greed. If you refuse to cooperate with me I will simply have your friend killed. If you choose to run, you will be hunted down. If you refuse to obey me, you will be sealed as the previous Greed was. Do you wish to spend hundreds of years imprisoned because you are attached to a human?"
Greed grits his teeth but says nothing, so Kimbley replies instead. "So you're threatening us. Greed goes with you, learns what he can do and is loyal to you, while I get to remain alive. Is that what you're saying?"
Dante gives a brief nod. "That is correct."
Kimbley doesn't need any time to mull it over. "Nah, that's alright, I'd rather risk running." And he claps his hands, activating his arrays and slamming them down on the table. The entire thing explodes in seconds, but Dante is fast enough to clap her own hands and shield herself from the debris. Greed obviously doesn't need to shield himself and he's regenerating already by the time Kimbley grabs his hand and pulls him in the direction of the door.
They make it out into the hall before suddenly steel bars raise from the ground, effectively blocking the only exit. Dante follows them out, completely unharmed but looking a bit irritated. "Running will not do you any good," She says, clapping her hands together and raising another set of bars around Kimbley.
The Crimson Alchemist doesn't like being imprisoned, but this is slightly better than being locked in a cell. At least he can still see through the bars. He presses his human hand to them to get a feel for what elements are within, but before he can properly come up with a way to force an explosion, Dante has transmuted something again. A spike launches up through the floor, cutting straight through Kimbley's automail leg and arm, causing him to crash to the ground cursing. The arm is just out of his reach so he can't transmute, and without his leg he isn't going anywhere.
"Make one move and I'll kill him." She addresses Greed. "You certainly wouldn't want that, would you?"
Greed is practically shaking now, but he doesn't move an inch. He doesn't say anything either and Kimbley suspects it's because Greed couldn't manage to keep his voice under control. "I'm fine," He says in Greed's direction, forcing himself to sit up by grabbing at the bars surrounding him. "Don't worry about me."
"I was hoping it wouldn't come to death threats," Dante says with a small sigh. "Unfortunately, you two always have made my plans difficult."
"...I'll stay." Greed says, surprising Kimbley. "I'll stay, but you'll leave him alone. You won't threaten him or attempt to harm him again."
"You're hardly in a bargaining position, Greed," Dante remarks, quirking an eyebrow. "But I will allow it. Kimbley will not be harmed or threatened for as long as you stay with me."
It's fairly obvious that that's not the exact conclusion Greed wants, but there's no way around it, so he finally nods. Kimbley opens his mouth to complain, then promptly shuts it again. There's really nothing else they can do in this situation, is there? Either he dies (which is the last thing he wants) and Greed escapes for the time being, or Greed goes with Dante and he gets to live.
Some part of him is disgusted that he's putting his own life above Greed, especially when he was willing to risk his life to bring Greed into the world in the first place, but he always has been an opportunistic jerk, is this really any different? Kimbley's grip tightens on the bars without him realizing it, to the point where his knuckles have gone white. This is the only way out of this situation, but it's definitely not ideal.
Dante lowers the bars around Kimbley and he struggles a bit to remain sitting up. She walks over but instead of doing anything to Kimbley, she picks up his automail arm and retreats a bit. "You may say your goodbyes now."
Greed doesn't hesitate, instead approaching Kimbley and kneeling down beside him. He doesn't speak, instead helping Kimbley get situated so that he won't fall over.
"Shit," Kimbley finally says, laughing bitterly, "I didn't think it'd turn out like this. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it sure as hell wasn't this."
"Everything will be fine," Greed replies. He doesn't sound convinced, but Kimbley knows he needs to hear the words as badly as Kimbley does. "This is not our final goodbye." That's said much softer so that Dante won't hear it. "I will find a way to return to you."
Kimbley reaches out to grab Greed's shirt, losing his balance and leaning against the Homunculus. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid. I didn't lose an arm and a leg so you could get yourself killed or thrown in jail or something. Do what she says, alright? It's... it's enough knowing that you're here."
"...Is it really?"
The alchemist laughs, the sound harsh and just as bitter as before. "No, no, of course it isn't. But there's no other way around this, right? But we'll meet again. I'm sure of it."
"Time's up." Dante approaches them. "Greed, please go down the hall and enter the second door on your right."
He hesitates and it's obvious that he's seriously considering trying to attack her. Kimbley gives Greed a small push and props himself up so that he's no longer being supported by the Homunculus. "Go on. It'll be okay." He encourages him, trying to force a smirk. It's not really working and he knows Greed doesn't believe him, but the Homunculus finally gets up and walks away.
Kimbley's immediately struck with a sense of finality. This is the last time he's ever going to see Greed. He's already lost Archer and now he's going to lose Greed.
As soon as the Homunculus has entered the room and shut the door, Dante turns to Kimbley. "You made the correct decision." She places his arm down beside him and claps her hands, fixing both the automail arm and leg perfectly, as if they had never been sliced apart to begin with. Kimbley has to wonder how she managed to do that; it certainly isn't any sort of alchemy he's seen before, but if she's the master of the Homunculi, she's most likely familiar with the contents of the Gate. It's a shame he can't remember them or maybe he could have stopped this from ever happening. He would have been strong enough to defeat her.
"Go. You will take the train home tomorrow morning and you will not return to Dublith."
Kimbley gets up, testing his hand and leg absently. He could slam his hands together and try to transmute the entire building, bringing it down around their heads, but she would most likely be able to defend herself and Greed would regenerate. There's no point in it. He'll just make her angry and risk his life.
There's nothing he can do. He has to let Greed go in order to spare his own life.
"Yeah, alright." He finally says with a small nod. "Take good care of him, you hear?"
"Of course." Dante smiles. It sets Kimbley on edge in ways that not even the Fuhrer's smile can compare to. "He will be taken care of, Lieutenant Colonel."
Kimbley leaves then, frustrated about his inability to do anything, but more than that he's hurting for reasons he doesn't fully understand. This is like when Archer died, only this time there's no bringing Greed back. He hesitates once he's off the property, turning to look back at the house.
"...I'm sorry."
The words surprise him and he starts a bit, wondering where the hell they came from. He's never apologized for anything he's done; he's never felt the need to apologize. It's not like this is his fault, not really. Maybe he could have prevented it had he been more careful or something, but apologizing for something that isn't really his fault really isn't his style. So why did he feel the need to say that?
He shakes his head and turns. There's nothing that can be done now anyway.