Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters contained herein, I merely make them dance in what I hope is true to their rhythm.

Chapter 9

Reeled In

"What are you going to do with me?" I asked Wrath.

He bared his teeth. "I'm not sure yet," he said with no small amount of bitterness in his voice. "That's not for me to decide."

Wrath had taken me instantly from the terrorist training camp the moment he had touched me. I wasn't sure where he had taken me, but I knew that I was still in the same when. I didn't know how I knew, but I did. I knew that Greed and Stormageddon would come to find me. Again, I didn't know how I knew, but I did.

Wrath had brought me to what looked like a wooden shack. It was bare except for a beat up wooden chair. I was seated in this chair now with my hands tied behind my back. Wrath was alternately pacing in front of me and leaning against the wall.

"Where are your friends?" I asked in the most biting voice I could manage. He didn't react to my tone.

"They're on their way, but they had some business to take care of first, elsewhere and elsewhen," he said.

I shook my head to clear my ears. That was a new word to me, but it made sense. We were in one when, and this business was in another. It was taking place at two different times, but at the same time. It was enough to make my head hurt.

"So what's going to happen in the meantime?" I asked. "We're just going to sit here and wait for them?"

Wrath nodded. "I hate it just as much as you do," he said. "This sitting and waiting thing is a job for Sloth, not Wrath." He punched a spot on the wall and it burst outward, revealing a bright speck of light. "It pisses me off!" he yelled.

I was confused. They had told me previously that they couldn't act on their own emotions. Greed, though, had said they could affect each other. Was this just some wrath leaking through? I had to see if it was possible, but I had to do it so he wouldn't take it out on me.

"Yes, it must be terrible for you," I said. "I know I would hate to be just someone to come when you're called, and go when you're told." I paused. "Like a servant. Like a slave."

Wrath's nostrils flared. "Wrath is nobody's slave," he said silkily, his soft voice sounding more dangerous then his yells. "Wrath is his own master!" he suddenly yelled, and he turned around and punched the wall again. This time a whole chunk of it flew outward, and light streamed in through the gaping hole he had made.

I detected a note of something familiar in his voice now. Acting on impulse, I said, "But how will you get the power to overthrow your current master? Doesn't he control you?"

Wrath whirled around and glared at me. "That is impossible now," he said. "I can be more powerful than him. I am more powerful than him!"

I had to work hard to keep a smile from my face now. My freedom was close now. There was a definite note of greed coming from him.

"What will you do with your master?" I asked him. "What will you do with your fellows?"

He bared his teeth. "I will use my power on them, and they will turn against each other!" he cried gleefully. "Once they see that I can make them tear each other apart, then they will worship me and follow my orders!"

I heard a furious flapping of what sounded like large wings outside the shack. Wrath whipped his head around and peered through the large hole he had made. He growled and looked at me. "Looks like I have my first customer," he said.

I had the presence of mind to pretend to look terrified of him. I was afraid, a little. I didn't know if his power would work on Stormageddon, but I was almost sure it would work on Greed. But could Greed convince Wrath, using his own power, that Wrath needed him alive? I was about to find out.

There was a loud crunch, and half of one wall fell in. I was glad that the shack itself seemed to be well built, for all that it looked like it was rotting away. Otherwise I would have had to deal with it falling down on me.

The crunch, of course, had come from Stormageddon attempting to kick the door down. He had missed the door itself and hit the door frame. I realized as I saw the shack shift and shake that I had thought too soon that I was safe from it falling. I had to get out of the chair and out of the shack.

Greed stepped into the shack and looked from me to Wrath, and back. He nodded at me once, and turned back to his fellow homunculus.

"Well, Wrath, I can't say it's good to see you," he said casually.

"Don't try your tricks on me, Avarice," said Wrath. "We both know I'm the more powerful one."

"Are you indeed?" asked Greed, raising an eyebrow. "When did you get a taste for power then? We both know you're not clever enough to hold onto power for long."

Wrath's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Is that a challenge?" he growled.

Greed raised his eyebrows and hands. "I wouldn't dream of challenging you," he said. "I mean, as far as brains go, I've got the lion's share, but when it comes to brute strength..." His sentence trailed off and he shrugged. "I'm afraid I didn't get that aspect from the Master."

Wrath smirked. "That's right, I'm stronger than you," he said. "Don't you forget it."

"But there are others still stronger than you, Wrath," said Greed timidly. I couldn't help but be impressed at how well he was playing his part to get Wrath to be greedy.

Wrath wasn't having it. "There are no others!" he shouted, slamming his fist against the wall.

The shack shuddered again, and I knew that I had to get out quickly. The ropes holding me to the chair were too tight, but I could feel them moving, along with a hot breath on my hands. I stayed still. Wrath hadn't noticed Stormageddon. How was that possible? I stayed still though. I didn't want to draw his attention.

"Well, actually," said Greed, smiling somewhat sheepishly and holding up a finger. "There are others more powerful than you. Did you know, for instance, that we were replaced on Olympus?"

Wrath blinked. "Olympus?" he asked stupidly.

"Yes, Olympus," said Greed impatiently. "I knew you were slow, but I didn't know that you were able to forget who you used to be!"

Wrath cocked his head like a dog. "I'm confused," he said. "Haven't I always been Wrath?"

Greed hung his head in exasperation. "You were a god!" he shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. "You were Ares! You... you were the master of war! Don't you remember that?"

Wrath sat down heavily. He clearly hadn't expected this. "I was a god?"

Greed nodded, his eyes wide. "Yes!" he said. "And we were replaced on Olympus!"

Wrath still didn't seem to get it. "What do you mean we were replaced?" he asked. "Were... were you a god too?" Greed nodded. "And the rest, were they all gods?"

"Yes," said Greed, glad to see that he was finally getting somewhere.

"Why am I no longer a god?" asked Wrath. "Why am I just this thing that's angry all the time?"

Greed smiled. "You were chosen," he said. "The Master chose you for your love of war. He effectively demoted you to be his general, when you used to be the commander in chief!"

Wrath was beginning to become angry again. There was flicker of fire in his eyes. "And I have been replaced on Olympus," he said slowly. "So there is another Ares there that took my throne."

"That's right," said Greed. "That one, at the very least, is one who is more powerful than you."

Wrath shook his head. "No," he said, standing up. "That can not be true." The fire in his eyes was now burning brightly. "I will bring our Master to his knees, and then I will challenge this new Ares. He will know my power before long!"

I finally felt the ropes fall from my hands. I was about to leap up, but I heard Stormageddon whisper in my ear. "Stay still a moment longer, my dear," he breathed, so only I could hear. "I will get you out of here. I promise."

I was so terrified that the shack would collapse at any moment, but I trusted Stormageddon with my life. I stayed still, and grabbed the ropes behind me for good measure.

Greed looked at me, and counted on his fingers behind his back so I could see. When he got to three, I jumped up, still holding the rope that was tied to the chair with one hand.

Wrath looked at me, surprised to see me up. I didn't give him a chance to react. I swung my arms around, bringing the chair with them. It hit him full force in the side of the head and brought him to the ground.

I didn't hesitate. I grabbed Greed and felt back for Stormageddon's mane. My fingers clutched hair and I leaped onto his back. I didn't realize I was so strong. We ducked out of the shack just in time.

I heard a series of loud crashes behind me, and I turned my head around to see the shack finally give way under its own weight.

"Well done," said Greed in my ear. "Not many people can get the jump on Wrath. It was lucky I had him distracted for you."

"How did he notice Stormageddon?" I asked, as the Pegasus unfurled his wings and took off into the air.

I could almost hear Greed's smile widen. "Take a look," he said. "Can you see him?"

I looked down to my hands, and realized that they appeared to be wrapped around nothing. I knew I was holding Stormageddon's mane though. I twisted my hand. "You made all of him disappear!" I exclaimed.

"That's right," he said. "But now is not the time we need to be in. We are needed by someone else most desperately."

There was a note in Greed's voice that I had never heard before. "Greed," I said in surprise. "Are you actually thinking of someone's needs besides your own?"

"Don't hold your breath," he said. "Seriously, don't. We're going into some place more dangerous than any you've seen yet." I blinked, and all of a sudden we were hovering outside a very tall building that seemed to be completely covered in glass.

"What is this place?" I asked Greed.

"It's the headquarters for Microsoft," he said. "It's a place I know well, because it's the brainchild of someone who has made a lot of money off of it, and other people have made a lot of money off it as well by investing in it."

"Why are we here?" asked Stormageddon, who I noticed was now visible again.

"Did you notice that Wrath was alone, and remained alone, the whole time at that shack?" asked Greed. "This is where the rest of them are. Along with their Master."

I swallowed. "And we're going to try to bring them together here?" I asked. "But how many people are in there?"

Greed shook his head. "More than I can think about right now," he said. "But that's not the point, because we're not here to fight them. We're here to save someone. Save several someones, actually."

"Who?" I asked.

"The Master's greatest enemy, along with a couple of his companions," he said. "They're in trouble right now, or my name isn't synonymous with Avarice."

I nodded. "How do we get in?"

Greed pointed over my shoulder at the roof of the building. "The Master and his enemy's companions are on the top floor, so we need to enter through the roof to get to them." Stormageddon flapped hard, and in seconds we had come to a surprisingly soft landing on the roof.

There was a doorway in the corner, presumably leading to stairs. We headed towards it, but Greed stopped Stormageddon.

"Get out of my way," snapped Stormageddon.

Greed shook his head. "You can't come into the building," he said. "There are too many normal people, and they would just freak out at the sight of you. You're also a bit too large to avoid causing some noise and damage, even if you're invisible."

Stormageddon looked at me. I shrugged. "He's got a point," I said. "I don't like it, but the corridors in there are probably too narrow for you to pass through, especially with your wings."

"I'll tell you what," said Greed. "Hover on this side of the building, at around the fifth floor, in twenty to twenty five minutes. We'll be coming to meet you. If we're not there in thirty minutes, come back up to the roof. If we're not here after about forty five minutes to an hour, leave. We'll find you."

Stormageddon looked back at me. "I still don't trust him," he muttered, but he came close to nuzzle my face.

"We'll be okay," I said. "Take care of yourself, and be sure to be where he said, when he said."

Stormageddon nickered softly, and I patted him on the head.

"Are you done yet?" asked Greed impatiently.

Defiantly, I planted a kiss on Stormageddon's nose just to make Greed madder.

"Come on," he said, and I followed him to the door. Here we go, I thought.