Chapter Text
Being created seemed to happen both too slow and too fast. It’s what he imagined dreaming must feel like, but he couldn’t know for sure because he hadn’t existed before now. He knew that. It was a lie.
For a moment, he was only aware of himself and the world in the vaguest sense. No words or concepts filled the gaps; it was just him and nothing else. Then suddenly there was everything. Information flooded his system. It was bordering on painful, there was so much rushing in at once. Words and their meanings, language, numbers and math, the basics of life and death flashed through his mind. So fast he couldn’t really focus on any one of them, just try his best to take it all in. These were the things he would need. That certainty came through with the rest of it, something he knew to be true.
He knew a lot now, about the world, but he still didn’t really know much about himself. He didn’t know much, but he did know something. Two somethings, even. They came to mind almost unbidden, at the tail end of the flood of everything he’d been subjected to. He knew his name. He was Greed the Avaricious, and he knew his purpose. He was supposed to be a shield, supposed to protect his creator, his Father, and to do whatever they told him to do, because they had created him. And they could un-create him. He would listen to his creator without question. He would be loyal. Or else.
But… something was missing.
He didn’t actually know who his creator was. When he tried to picture his Father, no image came to mind. Which meant it would be obvious, right?
Trying to find the answer to that question brought Greed to a new realization. He wasn’t actually alone in his stone. For some reason he thought he would be. Opening his eyes, Greed could kinda feel something on top of him. Shaking to dislodge it, he watched a human form spin away from where it was perched on top of him. Why was that there? Greed caught it (him?) before it could get lost in the swirling mass of souls that surrounded them. (He knew that’s what those were.)
Ok, so, he was Greed. And this was… someone. And, as he looked around, he realized something. This, Greed knew, in the same way he knew everything else, was not the real world. If he focused, he could tell there was something else. Something at the edges of his awareness. Something he knew, somehow. That’s where he needed to be.
Once he was aware of them, his senses snapped into focus. It took a moment to get past the disorientation of suddenly being aware of the world around him. Suddenly seeing, hearing, feeling. His body was already moving, was already fighting.
Why?
Greed grabbed for information, because he was missing something here, and it came to him. This was Ling Yao, twelfth son of the emperor of Xing, sent to find immortality. Greed looked through memories not his memories of crossing a desert, of ancient ruins and a town on the other side, of arriving in Amestris, then-
A spike of panic knocked Greed loose from looking at the memories. Forced into focusing on the world around them, he noticed that he’d stumbled- wait. No, Ling had stumbled, because that’s who was moving. He knew that now. But why was there somebody else here, controlling his body? That still felt odd, somehow. Like something he really should know, but when he gabbed for answers, there weren’t any. Besides the momentary spike of panic, Greed wasn’t getting anything from Ling to clarify. Surely he’d know, if Greed didn’t?
“Hey?” Greed tried, but there was no response.
Well, since that wasn’t getting him anywhere, he’d just have to find out more himself. Greed turned to look around him, to try to get his bearings. He spun just as a massive tail hit him in the chest, sending him flying across the room and breaking a few ribs in the process, not that they stayed that way.
Ah, there was a third thing he knew about himself. He was a homunculus. Neat. That explained the souls.
‘Stop that!’ The command came from within. That… was an order. Ling had given him an order. Who did he think he was?! …No, really. Who was this kid? He hadn’t gotten enough information, he needed more, but the memories that had been so easy to grab a moment ago seemed harder to reach somehow.
A few more moments of thought and the pieces began to fit together. It kinda made sense, if he connected the things he didn’t know. He had to protect his Father, but he didn’t know who that was. There was a kid here, one that Greed knew had been sent to find immortality. It fit, didn’t it? He had to do whatever his creator ordered. The best way to do that would obviously be by being as close as possible, since he was-
The next blow sent his way was blocked, the skin on his arms hardening with barely a thought.
-a shield.
‘Don’t ignore me!’ Ling snapped harshly. Greed hadn’t meant to. Warning bells were going off in his mind. He’d ignored an order from his creator. That wasn’t allowed. There would be consequences.
‘Sorry.’ Apologizing felt like something he should do. He knew, in the same way that he knew other things about the world, that he had to obey his creator, or else. Greed didn’t know what the or else was, but something deep within him rebelled at the thought, an uncomfortable warmth prickling just under his skin. Something even deeper thrashed against the cage it had been shoved into.
‘Let me move.’ That was a command. This time, Greed followed it instantly, without question. He hadn’t even realized he’d been stopping Ling. He’d just wanted to try and figure out what was going on. Surely, he couldn’t be blamed for that. He’d just been created. Greed kept the shield up as he retreated. Something told him excuses wouldn’t help him, but action might. Greed could make up for not realizing what was happening sooner. He may not know much, but they were clearly in a fight. And he had a job to do. Even if that job was just maintaining the shield.
Because Ling clearly didn’t need his help fighting. The kid clearly knew what he was doing... Really knew what he was doing. Ling twisted around a shorter fat man, shoving him forward as a spike of stone erupted in their path. Greed didn’t know what happened to the man next, because Ling was already moving away, leaping from one piece of rubble to the next.
Damn, he was fast. In the span of a couple heartbeats, they were beside a kid with sharp golden eyes. Something about him made Greed’s skin crawl, and he tensed, but instead of moving to attack, Ling dragged them both behind some rubble.
“They said they needed you unharmed, right?” Ling asked. Greed wanted to know who ‘they’ were. He wanted to know who this new kid was… and he also kinda really wanted him to stop looking at him (at Ling?) that intensely. For some reason it was putting him on edge.
“Yeah, but- Ling, are you sure you’re alright?” The other boy seemed worried.
“Better than alright! But I do need to get out of here before they realize what’s happening. I’ll find you once things have calmed down, promise.” Ling said, before launching over the pile of rubble and making a dash for the exit. He jumped over the short man, who was no longer impaled? and dodged around the lizard thing’s limbs.
“Greed!” A voice called. It almost seemed familiar.
Greed started to turn on instinct before a sharp, ‘Don’t!’ rang out in his mind. Greed didn’t. He was loyal to his creator, and he’d prove it. Or else.