What is the first step of the equation 5(-x 2) 22?

It seems there may be a typographical error in your equation. If you meant to write (5(-x + 2) = 22), the first step would be to distribute the 5, resulting in (-5x + 10 = 22). From there, you can isolate (x) by moving 10 to the other side and solving for (x). If this is not the equation you intended, please clarify for further assistance!