"The best revenge is living well.
The second-best revenge is fire ants."
- A Softer World
"Are you sure about this, Artie?"
"Absolutely," Arthur answered Alfred as he kicked the pile of dirt that concealed a thriving colony of fire ants. "Pass me the jar."
Alfred obeyed and handed the jar (the lip of which was slicked with oil so that the ants wouldn't be able to escape once they crawled in) to Arthur. Arthur sat it in the very middle of the swarming ants and watched as they attacked the glass intrusion, becoming trapped in the process. "I know that Francis was being a jerk, but does he really deserve this?"
"Of course he does. He wasn't just being a 'jerk'; you saw what he did to me. Completely humiliating. And in front of the whole school, too!" Arthur huffed and crossed his arms. The ants were starting to calm down and rebuild, but there were still dozens stuck in the jar. Those would be used for the revenge. "He deserves every single burning sting from these creatures from hell. I hope they get his stupid face..."
Alfred scrunched his mouth to the side but didn't argue. He wondered for a moment if Francis was allergic to fire ant stings, but figured they would find out in a little while. Still, he didn't like what he was doing.
"You know," Alfred said, "my grandma always told me that the best revenge is living a good life. You could show Francis that he doesn't bother you and be happy just to spite him."
Arthur screwed the lid back on the jar and shook off the extra ants. "I've heard that, too, and I think it's not quite accurate. At least, it doesn't tell the whole story."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yes. 'The best revenge is living a good life,'" Arthur quoted before grinning deviously. "But the second-best revenge is fire ants."
A/N: Uh-oh. Francis told the school about Arthur's love for a certain pony-themed television show. Good guy Alfred is trying to save Francis's face.
I've been reading a lot of A Softer World comics, and there are so many inspiring quotes for fanfiction (and writing in general). I plan on doing several of these. The ratings, lengths, main characters, and genres will vary.
~Jel
