In Barnum's lab three souls were having a little sit around. Barnum was patiently stirring a beaker which suddenly gave off a violent spark. Wrath was sitting on a stool nearby kicking his legs like a bored child as he tapped beakers only to be berated by the cat. Nifty was zipping back and forth around them using her little feather duster to clean the room which she insisted was very dirty.
It was just getting to early morning outside. Earlier Wrath had volunteered to help Barnum test his newest concoction, and though nobody thought it was a good idea Wrath had seemed so excited that no one said anything. "What are you naming this drink Barney"? Wrath asked.
Barnum's ear twitched, though the cat got along because of Barnum's love for science and Wrath's love for anything dangerous. Barnum did not seem to like Wrath's nickname for him though. "I don't know" Barnum said. The cat coughed once from the spark from the beaker.
"You could name it Maribeth. That's a pretty name" Nifty chipped in lifting a beaker filled with red liquid and dusting under it.
"A tasty name for a hopefully tasty drink" Wrath said excitedly. "Can I have some"? Wrath pleaded. Barnum took a whiff of the drink which gave off another spark. Barnum considered it for a moment before shrugging and handing the beaker to Wrath.
Wrath was visibly shaking with excitement as he took a swig of the concoction. He politely put the beaker on a nearby table. Both Nifty and Barnum were watching Wrath, waiting to see what would happen. Wrath smacked his lips and gave a small burp.
"Spicy" Wrath said.
Then he started melting.
In a few seconds Wrath was replaced by a pile of clothing as well as a puddle of red goo. Nifty placed both her hands on her face. "OH, MY GOODNESS"! She exclaimed. "HE'S DEAD"!
"He'll be fine. Just wait five minutes. Wrath does not do zee dying zhing" Barnum informed. Barnum grabbed the beaker and placed it in his sink, but he didn't pour it out. Nifty blinked a few times.
"Huh"? She asked.
The pile of ooze which had once been Wrath began to move. It seemed to levitate, filling up with limbs and forming shape. It formed around Wrath's clothing until Wrath was sitting on the stool looking around. His face still looked a little melty with his right eye a little lower and waterier than the left but he seemed otherwise okay.
"Vat did you zink"? Barnum asked lifting up a clipboard.
"Are you okay"? Nifty asked blinking her one eye as if very confused at the goings on in front of her.
"It was oozy... But very tasty. Do you have any more of that stuff? And yeah, I'm fine, this kinda stuff happens to me all the time. Envy says it's because I have 'no regard for my own safety' and 'take stupid risks' but I think it's because I'm not boring and know how to party" Wrath asked and explained. He made air quotes when he talked about Envy.
"No, I'm afraid you drank zee last of it. Zere is no more" Barnum lied.
"So, you can't get hurt? Like... At all"? Nifty asked.
"Well. That sucks, make some more of that good shit later for me please. And yeah, I lost the ability to feel pain decades ago" Wrath confirmed.
Suddenly there was a massive crash from downstairs. "That sounded like it came from outside" Nifty said.
"It sure did" Barnum agreed. "I vill stay up here, because spending time vith large groups of people makes me feel vile deep inside. Tell me vat is going on later". Barnum turned on them and started to work on something.
Wrath shrugged and headed downstairs. "Okay, don't drink any of that Maribeth" Nifty told Barnum before following Wrath down.
"I'm not nearly drunk enough for this shit" Husk's complaint was the first thing the two heard upon coming down. Vaggie rushed down behind them holding her reaper spear.
"What the fuck was that" Angeldust peeked out of a window. The spider demon had come back the previous night and had told everyone about Lust's non-compliance.
Alastor seemed to appear out of a doorway no one could be sure had actually been there in the first place. "It would seem someone is having quite the good time outside" the radio demon said aloud twirling his cane.
Charlie was peeking through the front door. "There's some really big guy outside" she said.
"How big"? Gluttony, who was sitting on a couch asked.
"Does he have long hair, and a handle bar moustache"? Valian asked. His wings seemed a little smaller than they had been but they were growing back their feathers nicely. Charlie took another peek outside and turned back giving a nod.
'Get away from the door, Charlie" Vaggie commanded. Charlie obeyed and Vaggie began to lock it.
"That sounds like Pride, wonder why he's making so much noise. The guys a bigger dumbass then Wrath but he's usually not that bad" Gluttony wondered out loud.
"I'd hit that" Angeldust announced closing the window.
"You'd hit a rabid possum if it gave you five dollars. Step away from the window" Vaggie shot back finishing up locking the door.
"That door lock wouldn't stop Pride" Valian informed. Angeldust shrugged at Vaggie's taunt and walked over to the bar. Angeldust grabbed a drink and leaned on the bar.
"ALASTOR! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! GET OUT HERE YOU COWARD"! A loud booming voice came from outside.
"How does he know your name"? Valian raised an eyebrow at Alastor. Alastor shrugged giving off a grin.
"Let's go find out shall we" Alastor took a few steps towards the door. Vaggie raised both her hands to stop him.
"Alastor, do not open that door. He might bust up the hotel or something" Vaggie said. Alastor chuckled, he snapped his fingers and the door flew open. Alastor took a step outside. Vaggie muttered a spanish curse before following him spear in hand.
Wrath started to go outside, but Gluttony grabbed him by the shoulder. "Nope, you don't deescalate. You just escalate" Gluttony said plopping Wrath down on a stool by the bar. Wrath rested his chin on his hand, moping.
Valian followed the other two outside. Charlie went behind him. Pride was standing a few meters in front of the door, crossing his muscular arms across his chest. He narrowed his eyes and them. This was the biggest Valian had ever seen Pride, and the bigger Pride got the stronger he got. He also got more egotistical but Pride always had a big head so it wasn't much different than usual.
A much smaller by comparison serpentine figure was standing beside Pride. "Hey Pride, I was wondering where you'd ended up" Valian greeted.
Sir Pentious pointed at Alastor. "That is him, Pride. The villain responsible for imprisoning your friends".
Charlie and Vaggie gave off faces that both said 'what the fuck'. Alastor just kept on grinning like he always did. "Uh... We're not imprisoned Pride. It's a hotel" Valian explained pointing to the name of the building.
"Do not worry Valian. I will pound this man's skull into paste and free you from his spell" Pride said. He gave a massive flex before taking a few steps forward.
"Oh. Is that what you're going to do" Alastor said. The radio demon laughed and snapped his fingers. Black tentacles came up from the ground and wrapped around Pride's arms. Sir Pentious gave a frightened squeak, remembering his own defeat a few weeks ago. "Because it seems you're a little stuck, my large muscled fellow".
Pride gave a hearty guffaw and flexed his muscles so hard that the tentacles shattered. "Stop stalling, little man" Pride said.
Alastor's smile faded for a few seconds only to be replaced a second later. "Well... That was unexpected" the Radio demon said.
"Pride's really strong. But he does have a weakness. Shit talking" Valian told them. He'd seen it in action once, it hadn't taken much to shrink Pride down but he'd been a lot smaller at that time. "Hey Pride, your face looks like an ass" Valian called over.
Pride stopped in his tracks and fixed them with a look. "How dare you" Pride grunted. He shrunk slightly, losing a tiny bit of muscle.
Alastor chuckled, "I've seen orphans with more muscle definition then you, my good sir".
"Yeah, and your... Face is... Dumb... Bitch" Charlie joined in, revealing her lackluster verbal sparring skills.
Pride's jaw dropped. "The audacity" he said, but he was already shrinking. He was about half as tall as Alastor now, his muscles were completely gone.
"Someone's not so scary anymore" Vaggie observed. Sir Pentious stuttered a bit.
"I take back the, I'd hit that comment" Angeldust called from inside the hotel.
"Don't listen to them Pride. You're the strongest demon in all of hell. Don't listen to those pretenders whom you could crush under your foot" Sir Pentious led on. "You've got to save those friends of yours don't you. If you let their words get to you, they'll remain forever imprisoned, enslaved by the Radio Demon".
Pride gave a smirk; in an instant he was even bigger than before. He gave a malicious grin to the four demons below him and raised a fist. "Do you honestly believe the mightiest of the Seven Deadly Sins can be defeated by words"? Pride said. "Do not worry Valian. You'll be free in a moment".
A gust of wind almost knocked the four of them down, it caused Pride's hair to blow in the wind. Envy stood before them. "Pride... What the hell are you doing"? Envy's voice was calm as he looked up at Pride.
"I am saving you" Pride reassured. "Alastor is controlling your mind".
Envy turned his head 180 degrees to look at Alastor before turning back to Pride. Envy sighed, then he began to grow. His arms and legs lengthened until he was taller than Pride. Envy opened his mouth and eye cutting quite the terrifying figure. "You believe that man, is controlling me"? Envy asked.
Pride shrunk a good amount; he twiddled his thumbs a little. "Sir Pentious gave quite the convincing argument that you'd been captured". Pride pointed to the snake whose eyes widened when Envy threw his scrutiny at the snake.
"Compare our auras" Envy demanded pointing to Alastor whose smile was gone at the display. Pride looked at Alastor and back to Envy. Pride shrunk even more.
"Yours... Is bigger" Pride squeaked. Envy nodded once.
"And that means"? Envy hissed.
"I... Was fooled" Pride shrunk down to the state he'd been a minute before.
"Yes. You were" Envy confirmed. He shrunk down as well. Envy closed his eye and mouth before turning to the others. "You did well distracting him, but when Pride thinks he has a chance at heroics he's easier to build up than he is to break down". Envy turned to Sir Pentious. "I've no clue who you are but your fight seems to be with Alastor if what Pride says is true, it should remain between you and him. Should it not"?
Sir Pentious turned and slithered away, but not before Alastor snapped his fingers again. A tentacle came from the ground, and flung the snake demon away. "I didn't know you could... Do like that" Charlie said. Remembering the power Envy had given off.
"I should've been more patient I suppose, but I've already had a morning full of Lust. Speaking of, show yourself" Envy turned. Lust appeared out of a shadow.
"What's up dumbfucks" she greeted.
"At least you stopped him" Vaggie said pointing to Pride. Pride was sitting down examining his shoes.
"Pride, apologize for your behavior, and Lust do not be rude" Envy said.
"I am sorry for attempting to pound in your skull" Pride said sadly.
"No" Lust countered walking into the hotel.
"Are you sure she wants to be redeemed"? Charlie asked. Envy shrugged.
"I convinced her to give it a try" Envy said. "Pride how do you feel about redemption"?
"I do not know what it means" Pride answered.
"It means you become a better person and go to Heaven" Charlie told him.
Pride narrowed one eye in her direction. "You get to show your magnificent glory to all the souls in Heaven" Envy said it in a way that would sound more attractive to Pride.
"Hell yes" Pride grew a little bit, gaining a bit of muscle.
"I don't think it's such a good idea for him to be big" Vaggie said.
"He's usually harmless" Envy reassured going inside. Inside the hotel Lust had wasted no time noticing Wrath.
"Oh, hello cutie" she greeted him giggling flirtatiously.
"Sup bitch" Wrath said not amused. Lust giggled again and rested a finger on Wrath chest.
"Did you miss me sweetheart" she whispered seductively.
Wrath pushed her away and ran up the stairs, yelling begone thot.
(I could not resist. But I will not apologize).
Lust gave a cackle as he ran. She looked at Angeldust. "Oh, hey there. I remember you, lucky son of a bitch".
Angeldust looked to the right. "Damn, you have got a dirty mind" Lust laughed before going over to the couch to examine a nail. Angel gave a sigh of relief.
"Wait, she makes you uncomfortable" Vaggie teased.
"Well, when I flirt, I mean it. When she flirts, she's trying to eat your soul" Angeldust explained.
"Gotcha" Vaggie said throwing Lust a wary look.
As all the other demons went inside one did not. Alastor stood in front of the door frowning. He shook his head and replaced it with a smile just before heading inside.
And there's another chapter. I hope you liked it if you read all of it. Just two more sins to go.