007. [Video]

[garbagechild]

<sub>[It's not uncommon for Wrath to be sharing screentime with his Pokemon, but in this case, he looks distinctly irritated about it.]

[Behind him is a Lopunny that's a good foot or so taller than him, clad in a dress that is... DAMN FANCY-LOOKING, ACTUALLY. There's like... frills and ribbons and junk.]

[Wrath glares directly into the camera, appealing to the hypothetical audience to side with him.]</sub>

She wasn't gonna be happy until Mama and I bought her a DRESS.

And she's still not happy!

Why does she like clothes so much?

Pokemon don't even need to wear clothes like people and things that look like people do.

I wish I was a Pokemon, because then I wouldn't need to wear clothes.



<sub>[The Lopunny-- a recent acquisition from the raid he'd performed with Ralph of a wealthy socialite's all-night dinner party, aka Wrath's first Real Mission (tm)-- lets out a huff and taps her long, curved claws impatiently on her arm. She clearly is about as pleased to be paired with Wrath as he is with her.]

[He responds with a huff of his own.]</sub>

Hmph.

Anyway, she's brown.

So her name is Dirty.

_{[The rabbit Pokemon's head whips around, outraged, but Wrath yells right over her angry growl.]}

I DON'T CARE, DIRTY!

Comments

[garbagechild]

I WAS civil to her!

She started it by scratching me.

_{[And unlike when Mad left chompmarks all over his hands, he is NOT happy about getting scratched by his latest recruit.]}

[envy_the_sinners]

Then why don't you just let her go?

[garbagechild]

_{[Wrath sounds scandalized.]}

I can't do that!

She's seen too much.

[envy_the_sinners]

[...]

Too much what?

[Dumpster diving? Rat chasing?]

[garbagechild]

_{[There is a very, VERY long pause.]}








.... s'a secret.

[envy_the_sinners]

[Well there's a bit of a pause on this end, too.]





I am very good at keeping secrets.

[garbagechild]

<sub>[That was a very valiant effort, Scar, and a commendable one. Truly. No sarcasm. You even look like a dude who would be good at keeping secrets.]

[But there's one little problem.]</sub>

What?

No, you're not.

You're friends with the traitor.

_{[WHICH CLEARLY MEANS THAT SCAR'S LOYALTIES ARE JUST AS WIBBLY-WOBBLY AS LUST'S! WRATH'S GOT YOUR NUMBER, BUDDY!]}

[envy_the_sinners]

[Scar can only guess that he's referring to Lust... He's really fixated on that, isn't he?]

Traitors have to be good at keeping secrets. If they aren't, they get found out by the people they're betraying.

[garbagechild]

<sub>[YOU'D BE FIXATED TOO IF SOMEONE SKEWERED YOUR BRAIN, SCAR!]

[Wrath's answer is, possibly, frustratingly blase.]</sub>

Well, it's not like SHE was very good at it.

It was pretty obvious.

_{[SHE DID LET THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE QUITE LITERALLY GET UP AND WALK AWAY. ON PURPOSE.]}

[envy_the_sinners]

[SHE HAS TRIED TO KILL HIM ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, YOU THINK HE DOESN'T KNOW??]

Who says that wasn't part of the plan? She did successfully get away, did she not?

[garbagechild]

<sub>[For a second or two, Wrath's expression basically does the human equivalent of a loading circle as he just... processes that.]

[And then he gasps. ANGRILY.]</sub>

... SHE DID!

[envy_the_sinners]

[Scar makes a shrug-like gesture that communicates "See?"]

We are very good at keeping secrets.

[garbagechild]

<sub>[TOUCHE, SCAR. TOUCHE.]

[Now Wrath is puffing slightly, tapping his fingers on his legs as his little internal clockworks tick away, analyzing this NEW PIECE OF TOTAL BULLSHIT.]</sub>

So it was a scheme.

_{[He's muttering mainly to HIMSELF, but it's not like Scar can't hear him plain as day.]}

She waited till Mommy was gone, got me alone... and then STABBED MY BRAIN, and now we're HERE! And she's FREE! Ooh, Master's gonna be SO MAD....

[envy_the_sinners]

Your "Master" has no control over any of you, here.

In that sense, all of you are free.

[garbagechild]

Nuh UH!

She'll come! She always does, and she knows everything! _{[Except for the bit where Lust was going to toss in the towel and make a break for it, but then again... maybe that was why she sent the awful brainwashed hell child along with her.]}

You'll see!

[envy_the_sinners]

She has no way of getting here. And she knows far less than she lets on. Even if she were taken here, it would not be through her own power, and she would have no control over any of you.

[garbagechild]

SHUT UP!

_{[His voice had taken on a slightly hysterical note.]}

You don't KNOW! You don't KNOW!

She ALWAYS has control!

You just don't KNOW because she was still being NICE with YOU!

[envy_the_sinners]

She was never nice with anyone. And I never even spoke with her.

[Lust would have

told him that

haha

haaaaaaaa]

[garbagechild]

Yes you DID! She was using you to-- <sub>[And that's maybe when he realizes oh shit and snaps his mouth shut. And then clamps his hands over it.]

[Because oh god.]

[Oh god.]





[He wasn't supposed to tell anyone that.]</sub>

[envy_the_sinners]

[Judging by the "oh shit" look Wrath has just given the camera, Scar might. Actually have something to be concerned about.

But there was never anyone who could have been...]

To create the Philosopher's Stone?

[She wouldn't have been one of the people of Lior, and there was only one Amestrian whom Scar put his trust in.]

[garbagechild]

_{[Wrath looks kind of ill. When she gets here, she's going to kill him.]}

I-- I gotta go...

_{[That probably answers Scar's question for him.]}

[envy_the_sinners]

[Scar won't say anything else. He wants to know more, but in spite of the dizzying bomb that's just been dropped on him, he has enough tact to not demand further answers from a child who clearly thinks he's going to be beaten for letting this slip.

There's a reason Lust and Gluttony just happened to show up in the city. There's a reason a young Amestrian woman showed up and suddenly started caring for the people of Lior. There's a reason the military invaded counter to their supposed orders. Why Lyra was always with him...

What of the tunnel? Edward clearly got away, and that left her with Rose. What happened to Rose? What happened to the other citizens? Scar suddenly felt sick.

Al must have known. How could he not, at this point? But he could have assumed anything, there were plenty of excuses for his never so much as mentioning it.

For Lust, there was nothing. She knew the entire time. She would have known in Lior. She would know here. There was no excuse. No reason for her to keep the truth from him. He suddenly feels sick, heavy. Like acid is spidering from the center of his chest out to his limbs. It's awful, miserable, and recently unfamiliar. What else is she lying about? This is what he gets for ever trusting her in the first place.

Eventually, Scar remembers to click off his gear.]