Pride & Humility

XVIII

Beta: TaintedLetter

Warning: More torture. I'M SORRY. I PROMISE THINGS LIGHTEN UP AGAIN NEXT CHAPTER.

(óヮò)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

(WRATH)

Wrath stood before Father in the bowels of Central. Above them swirled Pride's shadows, his gleaming red eyes watching the exchange from below as his dozens of mouths curled up in a cruel smile.

Envy was glowering hatefully up at Wrath, his body still coping with the toxic cocktail he had been repeatedly given only an hour before. His body trembled, and there was a bitterness in the way his facial features twisted.

Wrath wanted to smirk at him. Wanted to taunt him, to mock him for his failures and weakness.

He did not, though.

Wrath was not overly close with the majority of the homunculi. He was on better terms with Pride and Lust than any of the others. Envy was irrational, brash, arrogant, and difficult to work with. Sloth and Gluttony were morons that acted barely above beasts.

Pride and Lust were intelligent, calm, and always produced optimal results.

They were excellent soldiers for Father to use, just as Wrath was.

Father sat in his chair, reading over a binder filled with handwritten notes Pride had previously given him.

They were Elizabeth's notes on the potent toxins she used on Envy.

Had it been anyone else but Elizabeth who invented and wrote those notes they might have been hard to obtain. But Wrath had to only ask her for them and she freely gave them along with samples, the plants she produced, and offers to assist him if he had any questions.

She did not care to ask what he needed them for.

She did not care to question Wrath, or Pride, on much of anything.

"What the fuck was that bitch doing there?" Envy finally snarled out, his anger and patience wearing thin. He had been waiting for Wrath to be the first one to speak, first one to explain the punishment he would give Elizabeth for her behavior.

But Wrath said nothing, only giving Father the notes, and Pride chortled from above.

Wrath didn't respond still, and Envy struggled to push himself back up. "Oi! Wrath! Answer me. Why was she there? Did you know she was going to be there?"

'Of course I did,' Wrath thought, but did not answer.

He knew her better than anyone but Pride. He knew she would get worried over Hughes, which was why he purposefully stayed late in his office, and arranged for Hughes' room in the hospital to overlook his office.

He also knew that even though Envy was warned to leave Hughes alone, his petty homunculus brother would still go back to Hughes' room and mess with him somehow.

Wrath knew the two would meet, and had been anticipating such.

He expected Elizabeth to keep her composure, leave the room, and immediately contact him or Pride for assistance.

But to his delightful surprise she went a step above.

She personally took care of what she deemed a threat. Did so without drawing unnecessary attention, and not a single scratch was made on her. She didn't even get blood on her dress.

Elizabeth worked with cold efficiency.

She worked like the perfect soldier he was training her to be.