A/N: So admittedly, I had two days off this weekend and with the Super Bowl today, I wanted to get this down on paper. Thank you Shadowing for reviewing! I'm glad you caught the name of the OC Antagonist of this story, as it actually gives a bit away. As promised in the Aftermath Chapter, this continues a bit of the character development, or at least relationship growing between Ridi and her four somewhat reluctant travel mates. Naturally, it focuses back on the Devils' Nest Crew. I had to rewrite it a few times, and reread a few former chapters to get the flow right, so I'm admittedly a bit nervous about this chapter, but, without further ado! Here we go!

Candor

The crew didn't stop moving until the next night. Thankfully, there had been no more detours or pit stops other than the quick bathroom breaks, eating, or refueling. Thus, when Greed had finally called it, they'd been relieved to get out of the car and stretch their legs. Ridi had caught the welcome sign coming into town, and determined they were in a place called Voec.

What I wouldn't give for an Amestris map.

Greed had saw fit though to remind them to keep their eyes peeled and senses sharp. She'd finally managed to shake off what ever weird wave of lethargy had hit; and thus didn't find too much of a problem with that.

The route so far had been tedious, but, other than Ridi's bailing to vomit all over the side of the road, uneventful. They had taken shifts in driving, and Ridi had even taken some time to sit passenger and keep an eye out for anything that would seem out of the norm , thankfully not passing out further than when it was off her shift, and when she was in the back. What was weird though was the kid had shut down since the dream.

Not the biggest talker to begin with, she'd at least been becoming a tad bit more sociable in the past few weeks. Greed thought they'd made some better progress, so hadn't been shy to admit it aloud when the kid just had reclusive barrier around her. He also hadn't refrained from mentioning she was a dull driving partner to her, trying to get a rise out of her. This had gotten him a lackluster, rasp of an apology as opposed to a negative response. Thus, it irked him a bit. She'd completely disengaged and become closed off. A consist blank stare on her face that looked out the window, as though she'd been lost in thought. That hadn't stopped him from talking with the others though. Their talks though usually consisted of things like logistics, where the best beer was in the North, how they were going to get past North Central, and how they would have to change vehicles to be able to handle the colder climate, along with how long they expected to stay up there before the heat died down. She'd taken a lot in, but only seemed to engage back in over that day and a half when Martel asked why the vehicle change.

"Your battery loses charge in colder weather." She'd said, dragging her eyes away from the window to look back at the blonde woman, during one of Greed's shifts, "That and the fuel will freeze if it's not kept warmer once temperatures get low enough, that is, if the fuel quality is shit. Sometimes colder climate vehicles has a block warmer, at least where I'm from, or something to help keep the charge; same deal with the fuel. Otherwise your car's dead. Usually keep a duffle with extra clothes and gloves and what not in the car too, in case you break down." Little inklings had been given in those short sentences. It had shocked the group into a tense silence, but the teen had shrugged and looked back out the window, leaving it be and drifting back into her thoughts.

Greed found himself thinking more and more on it, and he wasn't the only one. The unspoken gazes from his men had been enough to give him the cue of what they needed next. Thus when they had finally stopped from the two days of driving, and once dinner had managed to get into their stomachs, he secured a place to stay in the red light's district for them. He figured it was time to bite the bullet and gear up for another night of fighting with the kid to drag out what the hell was up.

This time though, he wasn't alone. Dolcetto had seemed to be able to drag things out of her before, as did Martel. Roa, also, was ever calm but quietly intimidated, and thus the Avarice incarnate figured he could assist with the simple chat they were going to have. Though if he had to up and drag her away to get it out of her straight again, he wasn't above it either. This was going to be an attempt…

In some ways, Greed felt like he was dealing with a puppy in a pack of wolves; but if they were going to run together, his group needed to coalesce and stay that way. Whether she realized it or not, the grudging acceptance she was traveling with them had already occurred; and so her attitude an effect on all four of them. He was focused on the long term now. Liking it or not be damned, he'd already said the kid was stuck with them, both while in debt and out, so they may as well all play nice together. What ever was shutting her up was so unnerving that he wanted to kill it, right here, and now. It didn't do for one of his possessions to be out of alignment with the others, just as from what he could tell, she was so fragile amongst them that if something cracked her; it needed mended and fast.

So here they were, settled (though crammed was more like it) in a small living room of a domicile belonging to one of the ladies of the night's that he'd met back in the day. Temporarily borrowing after she'd agreed to stay out at a friend's place for the night. Himself lounging on her loveseat, with Martel taking a corner, and Dolcetto and Roa in armchairs. Ridi having taken to the small kitchen table to sit by herself. Something about, 'two helps double to triple the pay' had been the selling point to get Clarice to give up her place for the night. He hadn't really paid too much attention to what he'd been saying as he had schmoozed her, (as was basically his second nature) but it did kill him a little to miss a good night to earn some extra cash. Not with Clarice, but perhaps with whoever her partner was. His priorities, unfortunately, had once more been on just finding something low key and out of the way for the night though. So here he was, on some weird pink love seat, not enjoying the harlot's taste in furniture or setting, while resting an arm on a fluffy heart pillow with the scent of stale sex covered up by some aroma that he guessed was an attempt at roses.

Either way, it didn't work well with his cologne and nearly made him gag, but; it would work for the night and a place to sleep, and plus, nothing was cheaper than free.

He was dragged from his thoughts though as it'd been surprisingly Dolcetto though who broke the thought filled silence. Given the man was on the most even ground with the death craving kid, Greed could appreciate it as the katana wielding man broke the ice with the ironic statement of, "So you're from the north, then."

Ridi hadn't quite been plucked from her daze to respond, but she had focused back to the here and now from the kitchen table behind them where she had been peering down at a magazine. A popular romance rag to be exact. She was on the 'how to make your partner orgasm better' section. But, Greed couldn't help but notice her eyes hadn't ever moved across the page. Both hands holding her head, and her brows had furrowed to a frustrated line, hands just below the ear shaping her jaw. Slowly, she sat back against the small wooden chair while the rest of them lounged about, having formerly discussed how their disagreements with Clarice's furniture choices before hand.

Focusing on them behind dirty glasses though, she'd manage, "Yes, once upon a time."

"And… where exactly was it up north you were from?" Martel prodded now. The teen looked between them before frowning, she'd look back to the book. A few moments of quiet covered and the blonde opened her mouth again, only for the teen to surprise her with a response.

"I'm afraid it's not anywhere near here or where we're going." She'd state curtly, and a soft ripple of tension had moved through her shoulders. Greed, familiar with the signs of the oncoming bout the kid would unleash, readied; but it seemed to stand restrained, "Least as far as I can tell." They contemplated for a moment how much to prod on it, before Roa spoke next, deciding to change the subject.

"What do you think made you ill earlier, Ridi?" It was like he'd dropped an anvil into an ice cold pool and the waves left behind a thick silence. But in addressing her directly, a small sharpness entered the elder's gaze as her own locked onto the ox chimera with a renewed focus. He pressed forward, the older and a bit wiser of Greed's group, focused on picking up the not so subtle conversational pressure points the kid had "Seems to have distracted you, more so than usual."

"Yeah." Greed reinforced, "You don't have your usual snap and fight up, kid. You look more lost puppy and less pain in my ass." The others nodded in agreement. Martel even cast a wary gaze as the teen looked between the four and away, before the homunculus snapped in order, "And get your ass over here. Sit with us." This caused a round of shocked expressions, the man kicking his feet up on the quaint little coffee table before him, arms outstretching on the loveseat. "You've been in a car all damn day with us, so get over here and join the group, kid."

Ridi stiffened, and waited. Oh god, please no. Anxieties quickly rushed into her mind and she felt her hands clench on the table. A few moments of quiet held, where Greed was pretty sure she forgot how to move; or breathe, before she'd grudgingly get up and move stiffly towards the couch, dragging the kitchen chair behind her. The magazine had been irritating her anyways, she had discovered she couldn't recognize half the of the writing in it. So, she had decided she may as well. Once the chair was set to complete the make shift circle they had going on, she all but collapsed on the rickety thing. She still managed to go quiet and simply stare at the lot of them blankly and bewildered with a, 'okay, I did the bloody thing, now what' expression. It reminded the homunculus too much of a deer caught in the headlights of a car.

So while he stared at the silent teen with a frown, watching her struggle with words and and as she clenched her hands down onto the cargos and hunched her shoulders in the grips of anxiety, Martel figured it may be easier to just take a stab at it and guess, "Hey, was it because it was scary?" Ridi'd flinch and then look to the blonde as the snake chimera would lean forward with her elbows on her knees, "You were clutching your hands pretty tight right before you came to, not to mention shaking up a storm."

The teen's face flew into various expressions of fear, tension, and then finally, heavy resolve. She'd give a slow nod, jaw loosening somewhat before she'd sigh, she slowly sat up a little more, opening a bit more to the group, "…It… was." She'd admit, "But… not… not cause it was a nightmare. More of… what it meant. If I… get it right." It was doubtful, and strained, each word though got quieter and quieter as the hesitation held in her voice. She looked back to the floor in pensive conflict. Martel gave a small purse of her lips and nodded.

"So what'll it mean if you do?" The blonde patiently asked, encouraging her to continue. Greed felt a bit of wonder as this was managing to work a bit better than his tactics just a couple days before, and with mild relief. He shouldn't be surprised though, and he was somewhat pleased the situation hadn't needed to get violent… yet. It was a statement to the kid's progress with them. The three chimera though had also gone through their own personal hell, and like he suspected, were plenty ready to handle ups and downs of one traumatized brat. Did he think they were happy to do so, probably not, but they likely were better equipped than himself. He turned to Ridi who looked about the room once more, then finally landed on him. He'd give his own encouraging nod. Go on kid, out with it.

"Well, Martel." She'd begin and look to the blonde. The two made eye contact and Ridi's hand gently clenched back into fists on her lap; she felt the tension in her shoulders but forced them to roll down as what felt like a barely restrained torrent began to fill her chest, sitting a bit straighter. She'd pause, lidding her eyes, inhaling deep, and then exhaling slow from her mouth. The torrent eased, and she managed to figure out her next words. Opening her eyes fully again, she'd manage, focusing on the eyes of the blonde "It'd mean, that other than throwing me in some alley and beating me over the head, and then cutting the shit out of my hands… that the prick that put me in this state." She'd open both hands up and have the tops of them face the snake chimera woman and Greed, wiggling her fingers, "Did… even more… or rather something more… twisted." She'd shake her head, "And it makes me sick to my stomach to think on."

"Like what?" It was Greed to who decided to take the plunge, but a coldness had filled the man's voice that drew her attention to him after initially flinching. He looked at her with razor focus, and Ridi didn't know how to feel on that. Greed assumed the worst, and thus if he was finding out something of his had been violated, on to top of the current injury… She'd consider the unspoken implications for a few moments, before slowly shaking her head in the negative.

"I- I don't know. Not… a," Her brows scrunched together again as blue eyes would lift to the ceiling, "Not a physical something. There was a lot of blood in that alley, but I don't know who's. I was in pretty bad shape yeah, but…" She'd grimace, "I don't think all of it was mine… I think if I lost that much, I'd probably be dead." Though, there was also the theory that that last fall down the stairs had indeed killed her, and this was all some weird afterlife phenomena. But she wasn't going to touch on that, such fears didn't need to be voiced or given credence too, "I mean…" She'd swallow and look to Martel, "Don't you think?"

"I saw it, and yes... it was a lot of blood." Martel leaned back in her seat on the corner of the couch and inhaled in thought. She shut her eyes, recalling the red that had painted that alley, "Easily a couple bodies worth, to be honest." She'd pause in thought though, "Though… I think there was an array on the ground now that I really think on it." She'd look to Ridi now frowning. "Could have been that or an old sewer access. We weren't sure. You see it?"

Ridi however looked puzzled. "An array. Like alchemy?" The snake woman nodded, before she'd look to Greed, and then back to the other two. She'd look back at the snake woman shaking her head. "I… didn't even notice it. Was so disoriented and people had been coming that I had gotten the hell out…" She'd shut her eyes and rub her face in stress at this new information, massaging her temples. Meanwhile, Greed gave Martel a side long look; as though asking, You didn't think to say that earlier? The blonde gave a hapless shrug and put her hands up in silent defense, eyes wide and shaking her head; responding mutely that it simply hadn't come to mind at the time. Dolcetto while gauging the room, would quietly unsheathe his katana and pull out a whet stone, beginning to sharpen it. He'd pensively consider the conversation himself. Roa interrupted the silent back and forth between the homunculus and his female henchman with his own inquiry however.

"So, what is it you think he did to you, Ridi?" He asked lowly, but the tone of the ox was gentle and also encouraging. His own eyes were focused to the young woman as the teen looked up from her massaging and swallowed thickly.

She tried to figure out the right way to word this, forehead creasing in concentration, and mouth opening, then closing, before she'd decide on the phrasing, "…I think he ripped something out of me." She'd then rest a hand to her collar above the center of her breasts in emphasis, "Something that doesn't exactly make me whole. Like there's… parts that are missing now that weren't before." She'd shudder and then look back to the floor, searching it, "…and what's left all just feels…" Like I'm going to rip his fucking head off, kick in his throat, burn his being to the ground, like I'm going too- She quickly shut her eyes and tried to steel herself. She felt her jaw tense and she managed to continue, somewhat strained against the violent thoughts, "Well, let's just say different."

"Are you sure it's not because you were beaten over the head and then cut to hell?" Dolcetto prodded this time, curiosity coating his voice. She'd look at him and frown, seeing him rest the katana across his lap and lean back with a thick inhale, "We're no strangers to trauma." She twitched, but the man continued unthreateningly, "It's not unlike that."

She thought on that, and internal conflict came forward in turn. Dolcetto had a point, but it didn't feel right. Her stomach churned as she nervously began to work through it. Logically, there was no way she'd be the same after all that. Who wakes up in another world and suddenly it's all sugar plums and cherries? She'd lick her lips and look up at him wincing, "…It could be that." She'd rasp, but even then, it didn't seem right. "But it doesn't feel like that."

"What does it feel like then?" The dog chimera questioned. Ridi tried her best to keep dinner down as her stomach churned further. Her gaze softened as she focused on breathing in through her nose and slowly out through her mouth in a gentle sigh. Trying to loosen her jaw and cool the tension that was raising from within as that torrent grew a bit tighter in her chest. She had to keep her head, she had to. One slip, one way to give way to more that she knew. Just one and… and what? She'd wonder, what would they do with the information that I used to save them, that has all now been compromised? Her eyes fell to her boots before her in front and her hands relaxed on her thighs.

She heard her name called and look to Dolcetto as it yanked her out of her thoughts and he stared at her patiently. She watched him, a bit too long perhaps, as he quirked a brow and waited expectantly.

She opened and closed her mouth a few times before she''d murmur softly, "It feels like I'm going to fly off the handle at any moment and begin to tear down anything and everyone that's there." A stony silence followed, "Like all I want presently." Her gaze turned to Greed now, though there was hesitation in her voice, "Is to find the old bastard and rip into him until I match the scene of that alley." It had firmed into resolution by the end. She'd then look back down to the floor, "Usually, I'm not that kind of person" She admitted, "It's… well frankly, violence like that, it's never been my style. It makes me sick to my stomach. Would rather fuck with your head. Cleaner, lasts longer... I think I've only gotten in a fight twice in my life. Only won one. Right before I got you lot out... Now I feel like I could go violent at any moment, and not just on that old fuck."

She'd hug her stomach now not looking at anyone now, "So I'm just… angry, and if I'm not angry, I'm tired." She wouldn't look up as she became lost in thought, biting the inside of her cheek. She'd then mutter, "Then there's the dream from in the car. Of… another woman that looks like me, but has a tattoo like on my hand. Like on yours, Greed. And she's sayin' we're not whole either. That after everything, there's no way we could be whole. And then her telling me to figure it out, figure something out, because otherwise she's gonna come and take it from me. Whatever it is."

She'd lick her lips, "Then our hands touch, and it all just hurts. Felt like they were on fire." She flexed the hands that had dulled now to a simple ache. She'd finally look up at Dolcetto for a moment and then to Martel, before finally landing on Roa, "That's what scared me so bad I got sick. Cause if someone's done something to me inside and out, then they've taken something from me, and I don't know if I can get it back. And if it's up and walking around, I ain't even sure if it's going to want to come back." A somewhat bitter smile appeared on her face, she'd then lean back, one hand clenched on her knee while inhaling deeply and feeling her eyes itch. Reaching up, she'd begin to rub at them while she murmured lowly, "But who knows… maybe I've become fuck-all insane."

The crew took a few moments to digest Ridi's admissions in a heavy silence. Greed's head tilted ever so slightly as though he was solving a particularly hard math problem as he'd leaned back, crossed his arms, and kept a rather stern frown on his face on the girl.

Martel's eyes had narrowed, as this was perhaps the most open the younger had been with them. She could grudgingly respect someone who could do that; lay it all out, but it did give her some worry of how tender the teen actually was. She hadn't expected the kid to admit she was wrestling with something that heavy (and contemplating insanity all together).

Meanwhile, Dolcetto had watched as the teen continue to rub at her eyes and tuck her chin with gritted teeth against another fresh wave of tears, a wince and frown on his lips. He didn't know, in hind-sight, that he would have wanted to breach the subject like he did if he had this information before. At least it was out in the open now. He could cope with something he knew, and it gave him a better idea to some of the behaviors they'd witnessed, much more how to handle them.

Roa considered pensively the situation, as he too, wasn't sure he had been ready for the civilian teen's reaction to the question. Slowly, he got to his feet and lumbered towards the sparse kitchen that sat to the side behind the kitchen table the teen had formerly been at. With the wind taken out of her and what felt like a weight taken off her shoulders though, Ridi closed back in on herself, face flushed with sheepishness. Shoot. I wouldn't believe me. And they probably didn't. Her eyes started to well up again and so she shoved both her palms back into them to hold them there and simply rest her head. I just sound like a raving lunatic.

Greed meanwhile, was piecing together what had been given. Cataloguing what had been stated by the youngest of his group to what he already knew, before he'd inhale and slowly lean back, breaking the awkward silence as his hands came up to rest along the backside of the couch. He'd look down his nose to the red faced teen who was failing at hiding that she was crying, "Well… it's pretty crazy." He'd admit quietly, "But it's not the craziest we've heard, kid." He turned to see Roa pulling cups out from a cupboard above the sink, and nod in satisfaction to the soft sound of a tap run while he filled up a kettle with water. "More impossible shit than that has happened to this group. But," He'd add a little humor in his voice to try and lighten the situation, "I don't think I can handle two of you brats. One is already a pain enough for me."

"Yeah, kid." Martel would jump in, somewhat rushed and desiring to break the awkwardness of the crying girl, "You give us a run for our money already."

A broken, watery chuckle left the girl at that. "I'm trying not too…" She'd admit through a sniffle, but still rubbing at her face.

Greed relaxed ever so slightly at that. The tension and atmosphere they had started with had gotten a little more comfortable. Dolcetto'd cast a glance at his boss who lifted his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose and had an ever slight smile on his lips. Noting that the man seemed to be quietly basking in some sort of victory, and didn't want to disturb the moment, for now. There was still plenty to piece together, but what she'd just said let Greed begin to put together a picture, leaving him with the beginning of a base foundation of what he knew on the kid. Rather than go over it now, he'd save it for later, and savor now. Rest was what his four people needed. He could smell the beginnings of chamomile flowers in the roses perfume though, and noted that Roa seemed to be readying them for that department.

A little less suspicion rested on Martel's face as she slowly got to her feet and moved forward, "I did tell you though, you're going to have to get stronger. So stop crying." She'd chastise, but it held less bite than before. She rested a hand to Ridi's shoulder and crouched beside her, "Honestly kid, you're running with us, there's no time for blubbering. We got tracks to make. How are you going to make them if you can't see them, huh?" It seemed to help calm the brat down further and she'd look to the blonde and give the tiniest tearful grin.

The knife wielding snake chimera nodded in satisfaction. From there, they'd talked about something quite different. The better tastes in alcohol that they would need to score in the cold (they soon discovered the teen had no idea on what they should get), and the darkness that would likely come as the winters intensified. They talked about the journey tomorrow and how far they would need to go, and when tea was finally set out, the supplies they would need to replenish in food, if able. It was business like, but easy enough to rest into.

Thus when the tea was gone and the discussions ended, Greed watched as Martel loosely clapped the teen on the shoulder and murmured they should go get to sleep, watching as the somewhat dazed Ridi followed behind her. He hadn't taken the blonde for the motherly type, but he suspected that a bit of extra female company might warm the snake woman up to the teen a bit more than originally thought. Roa and Dolcetto, accustomed to sharing, had already gotten up- but Dolcetto stayed behind after receiving a side glance from his boss.

Once the room cleared and the two were all there were, he sat back down and pulled out a pipe; packing it with tobacco after sheathing his katana. Greed pulled out a fresh cigarette and lit it, offering the match to which the chimera graciously accepted. Sitting in silence for the moment as he took a drag and Dolcetto took a long puff, before Greed would murmur quietly, "Well… that was interesting." His loyal grunt gave a nod in agreement. The homunculus letting his head fall back to stare at the somewhat cracked ceiling as he blew out a plume of smoke, "I didn't catch anything."

"Neither did I." Dolcetto admitted, "She wasn't lying as far as I can tell." Greed gave a nod in agreement and let the butt of the cigarette come to rest in his lips. Holding it between his teeth, he'd let his hand fall back and traced the cracks above further with his eyes. "…Do you really think there's two of them?"

"Completely possible." Greed muttered, "But if there is, that means the kid was used for Human Transmutation. Likely explains why she doesn't exactly seem to know where she is or keep present in a situation." He'd tilt his head slowly, "...You think she knows the country's she's in?"

"I think so." Dolcetto stated, the dog chimera adjusted the pipe in his mouth, "Given she knows of State Alchemists, Scar, and at least what an array is. I don't think she knows a bit of other things though. It's spotty, Greed." The homunculus gave a nod, "But I don't think she's trying to lie to us either. Or… hinder us." Dolcetto winced as a purple eyed gaze slid over to him, he'd shrug, "…She's off, and yes, she's got secrets but she doesn't feel like the threat when we didn't know anything."

"Yeah…doesn't seem the type." Greed's agree, he'd sit up and lean over, pulling an ash tray towards him that'd rested on the coffee table (also pink, he would note, for fuck's sake Clarice), tapping the ashes before taking a drag, "But, she did hit Bradley with a truck."

The samurai gave an agreeing grunt and nodded, but the two men sat in pensive silence after. Martel soon came out of a bedroom with a somewhat relieved look, "She passed right out." Roa, though he was no longer in a shirt and looked ready for bed, returned as well. The other two joined them and got comfortable.

"So, what do we do with her?" Martel'd ask as she took up the seat that Ridi was formerly occupying. Her elbows rested on her knees. Greed said nothing for a few moments as he continued to let pieces fall into place. "Mouth of a sailor on her, but I can't help but think she's not too much older than 18."

"Mmm." Roa gave an agreeing nod, before he'd then murmur, "It would be beneficial to teach her to fight, but there is the matter of this violent urge she's described." Greed waved his hand at that.

"Kid can't take any of you." He'd mutter simply, "If she were to get out of hand like she described, it's not like we couldn't stop her, or, stop that." He'd take another drag and hunch forward, looking over his sunglasses at the lot, "Not to mention, doesn't seem the type to enjoy that kind of bloodshed. Think the idea she wants it just spooked her more cause of her nature." He'd grimace and look at the cigarette, "The question really is, if there's this another half out there; it sounds like a homunculus, and like a greed based one." He'd tilt his head, "Father's only got me." He'd jab a thumb at his chest, "So who's this guy she's referring to, and how's he able to make them if so?" He'd then tilt his head, "Might just have to wait and see if the other half comes running for the kid."

"Wait, so you really think the dream might actually be something?" Martel asked now frowning, Greed shrugged, but nodded.

"Why not?" He'd ask them, "You three exist. What's to say the kid can't have some connection to another thing, particularly if we have human transmutation involved, or at least some sort of alchemy near the kid taking place?" He'd then look to Martel with a scowl, "What's with that by the way? You didn't mentioning any of that shit when we were hitting up Doc Tabitha." Martel's hands flung up in defense and her eyes narrowed while her lips pursed with furrowed brows.

"It slipped by mind." She'd protest, "I was a bit too focused on the fact we had this kid that you were just about to lose your shit on because she had your tat carved into her hand." He'd contemplate that for a moment and then grudgingly give a nod, blowing out smoke from his nose. Dolcetto politely turned his head to the side as he finished off another inhale from his own pipe.

"…Well, perhaps it does or doesn't exist, but there's the matter the kid thinks it may." The dog chimera'd mutter, then look back, "So how do we want to handle that if the dreams happen again?"

"Find out as much as we can from e'm." Greed stated with no hesitation. "Kid's begging for some sort of positive interaction, to the point she bartered for truce while you three were sleeping back at Marcie's." The gang looked between each other and back at him, he shrugged, "…I may have throttled a bit out of her the night before, but hey." He held his hands up, "It worked didn't it?" He'd grimace and rub the back of his neck, the bud sticking out of his mouth now a bit crooked, "Found out what the kid wanted at least…."

"Yeah." Dolcetto stated a bit incredulously, "Killing this old man, that none of us know, or who he is, and just that they're connected. Super helpful." Greed shrugged.

He didn't care, it was a want, he figured it out. It was a small victory for the incarnate of Avarice. Hell, at least it was something interesting, he doubted the teen in her current state could accomplish any type of gory revenge such as she described, but it was at least a motivation and cued him into the fact she wasn't trying to hide from him but track the old bastard down instead. "Means we'll meet the bastard if she ever catches wind of him." He'd surmise his thoughts then looked to the others, finishing out his cigarette. "… Martel." He'd look to the blonde, "Tomorrow though, when we stop for breaks, start training the kid to at least dodge. You want her to not be dead weight, we're gonna have to invest the time into some of those skills to make her more useful for our line of work."

"She's not the type, Greed." Roa would warn lightly, the homunculus shrugged. "Not to mention she's still a kid."

"Well, I don't think the choices here are in surplus." He'd refute, casting a slitted gaze to the ox chimera. With a firmness in his tone, he'd continue, "And I don't know Roa, getting cut up and fucked over has a tendency to make one grow up rather quick. I think we'd rather have her useful to us, then just another problem." He'd then roll his shoulders back and get to his feet, "At the very least, she can cook better than the lot of you can. So, we won't starve." And with that, he'd leave the room, heading in the direction that Martel had left the teen in.

Begrudging gazes were glanced at each other, before there would be a mutual sigh of defeat (one in the form of a smoke ring). Looking to Roa, Dolcetto'd give a slow shrug, "Well… guess we should consider the kid a new recruit then."

"…This is gonna be a long, cold, pain in the ass, journey." Martel, the newly dubbed Teacher, would quietly lament. The other two pat her gently on the back in shared sympathy.

A/N: Eh hehe, and with that, the next steps are set. Poor Martel, now she has to teach the civilian how to fight. Due to the nature of this chapter, I didn't want to add the other half and Nick yet more so, given the other Half will be doing her own dealings that will need specific attention addressed. Thus, look forward to that in the upcoming chapters. Until then, let me know what you think, but, I'll see you in the next installment!