Wrath Reincarnated

PATIENCE

"Stop!" someone shouted from outside the room. "Intruder!" Patience looked away from Lust; he heard her thrash about, trying to take advantage of the chaos and escape. The door to the interrogation room burst open.

"What is the meaning of—"

Some inept Hunter crashed to the ground behind him. Patience looked up and saw none other than the Desert Mouse.

"Oh," Patience said. "It's you."

Jafar stormed inside, and his gaze froze just behind Patience. "What in the fuck do you think you're doing?" he demanded. Patience glared at the incompetent guards in his room and hallway, all scrambled about like eggs, on the floor.

"I trust you have a good reason for showing up here empty handed." Patience turned his attention back to Lust. Neither of you were supposed to see the other this early. We need a way to diffuse this situation, Charlotte. "So, why are you here?"

"Where are we?" Jafar's voice dripped with scorn, and it sent a shiver down even Patience's spine. He stared at Lust, and Patience felt adrenaline take hold of himself.

"We are in Sylvan Hollow, my old friend. Which begs the question—how did you not know? And furthermore, where is my prey?"

"Sylvan Hollow." Jafar clicked his tongue. "Still working for That Bitch? I thought you were on your way to retirement. Free agency, and all that other bullshit."

"It's been a long time for you, hasn't it?"

"Fuck off, Spider."

"Where is Wrath?"

Jafar approached Lust. Her eyes darted back and forth between them. Her fear would even be apparent to that blind man in Aquilantis—Why should I think of him, now? Focus.

"This the broad from Shinsora?" Jafar asked. You better hide your bloodlust, Jafar.

"Whom else could it be?"

"Can't say I like your tactics." Jafar placed a hand on Lust's shackles. She writhed and flinched away. "Relax—I'm trying to set you free. Don't get me wrong—I still have to kill you, but this isn't the way. How the hell do these things work, again?" He raised one of her arms up to inspect the locks.

"Need I remind you you who I learned them from?"

Jafar froze, then he lowered her hand back down to the tray gently. He turned his entire body to face Patience. That's right, you fool. And didn't I just mention your bloodlust?

"I still won't have it. Not here, of all places." Jafar drew his dagger and stuck the tip in the lock.

« Stop » [Patience]

Jafar grunted loudly, then he growled like a beast. Lust shivered, closed her eyes, and tried to withdraw her hand.

"You wanna die?" Jafar asked through gritted teeth. My, my. I have never once seen you lose your cool like this.

"Quite the opposite, actually."

"That's ironic, because who you work for invites death. I thought this was your last mission, but I guess that was just another lie—Ya know, I don't know whether you're telling me these lies, or yourself."

Patience smiled and laughed, then motioned at Lust. "The price to leave is steep."

Jafar narrowed his eyes. Then they widened, and he glanced back and forth between them, bewildered. "You're a Sin!?" he asked Lust.

Aw, you poor things. You both look confused. This is the way, Charlotte. Pit everyone against everyone else.

"What's it to you?" Lust asked.

"Show me your Seal, if it's true." Jafar reached for her, but stopped himself. Patience walked over and snapped in her ears. Jafar gave him a sideways glance. When she didn't comply, Patience held her down and forced her to show him the Seal.

Patience's jaw connected with the metal table that held his torture tools, down at what should be chest-level. Do not rub your cheek. Do not show pain. He rose slowly. Jafar's hand was still outstretched from the strike. "It would appear I slipped," Patience conceded. But show weakness. It'll come in handy soon, I'd wager…

Jafar glared at Patience until the latter broke eye contact. I hate playing weak, but there is likely only one way out of this scenario. He must become overconfident.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"Your Familiar—It a raven?" Jafar asked. Patience couldn't help but smile. At least you uncovered something useful to me, Desert Mouse.

"No, and I'll never tell you what or where he is, so stop wasting your breath." Jafar leaned down to her face, and she spat in his.

"That's OK. That's OK." He pursed his lips and just nodded his head. "Given your circumstances, I will give you this much: If he is a raven, he is doing well. Truly." He stood back up and rattled his fingers on the medical table. Deep in thought, I'm sure. To the new repercussions. "Deal's off. Contract's over."

"Oh no—And why is that?" So predictable.

"You set me up for the last time. My gut told me—Ha! My gut told me the entire time, and I never listened. And you knew it and played me like a fiddle." The symphony's not over yet, Jafar. "I would have never agreed to this job if I had known. Not her. Not here. Not a Sin." Jafar shook his head nonstop.

"What?" Lust asked.

"She's a sworn enemy of yours," Patience pushed.

"And now so are you."

"Oh, I'm simply terrified."

Darkness enshrouded Jafar. Dark Magic, what a crude way to intimidate me. Unlike Wrath's father, I know where your Skills stand.

"Tell me, what would it take for you to stay?" Patience asked. "A dead Maiden?"

"That's certainly a start. Add on a dead Virtue and I think we're good."

"Who…?" Lust glanced between the two, then shouted at Patience. "Oh you motherfucker!"

"Oh, you motherfucker, indeed," Patience replied, but to Jafar. He held his tongue as best he could. That, and his sword arm. "If you tell anyone, Lust, then I will remove both your eyelids and tongue."

"Wow." Jafar whistled. "You are making a great case for me to kill you right now. Honestly, I thought you'd tempt me to stay."

"What if we fought The Iron Maiden together?" Patience asked.

"Where is She?"

"She's nearby, and will be here soon, actually," Patience said. Jafar adjusted the glove Vessel on his wrist. Hmm. "How about a Binding Vow? I hear you're fond of collecting those."

"I've already threatened you enough today, so this time I'll ask nicely: Never mention them around me again. They were your friends, once. But not anymore." So you're interested? "And why the hell would I want one with you?" Wait for it. "But, if I were interested, what do you have in mind?"

"I agree to tell you Her weakness."

"The girl? I don't care. I already know how to—"

"No, The Iron Maiden, you idiot." And stay quiet about that, you fool!

"Hmm." Jafar nodded his head while he looked around the room. "Nah. I'll figure it out on my own. Time to die, Spider." Jafar drew his scimitar.

"A duel to the death!?" Patience feigned his reaction. Keep driving to this end point. "Against you? That hardly seems fair."

"Honestly don't care what you think." He approached Patience. Patience threw down the tray table between them and clawed backward to escape.

"Stop. Stop! I-If I win, then—Then you have to serve me one last time! You've seen me in combat." Patience circled back around Lust, trying to gain distance as they walked around her.

"Why would I agree to that?" I bet you're loving this moment, Jafar. Replay it in your mind for the rest of time.

"B-Because The Iron Maiden will be here in mere minutes. I will maintain your…secrets, should I w-win." He fell to the floor for good measure and scrambled away.

Jafar sighed. "Fine. But I know you System Unlocked at 3rd Rank like I did. I won't go easy on you."

"T-That's fine. Use your full force. All of them."

"All seven? Sweet Salvos, you really want to die, Pat. Are you that afraid of pain?"

I wouldn't expect any less. I won't hold back either. Patience drew his rapier and let his sword arm tremble.

Jafar shook his head and sighed again. "This is so anti-climactic. I thought more of you, Spider. When I send you to the other side, say hello to our old crew for me."

Everyone, every single one of you, is now backed into a corner. Look how far we've come, Charlotte.

Seven lights shined all over Jafar from his fleet of Vessels. Patience dropped his act and took his stance, and activated his own rapier Vessel.

Hello, Voice. Are you there? I think you'll want to see this.

LUST

Seven? Seven what? Sera watched as the intruder lit up with lights all over. The Spider, whichever Virtue he was, activated his own Vessel. No, it couldn't be! Seven Vessels!? There's only one man rumored to have seven…

"Ready?" The Spider asked.

"Yes."

To Sera, they appeared to teleport to each other's positions as they flew by. A jolt of electricity popped between them, and the thunderous crack that followed deafened her in the tight space. Her medical table was blasted over and she looked up to see who'd won. As fast as lightning—No. Even faster.

A line etched across The Spider's cheek, and blooded misted out for a mere moment. His opponent sliced open and apart, just like a chunk of cheese sent through an industrial grater.

"NOOO!!!!" Sera shouted. It can't be—he can't be who I thought, or he wouldn't have lost. How could the Desert Mouse lose!? Someone else—Someone else must have gathered seven Vessels. It can't… He can't be…

His blood pooled along the floor. A trail of it stretched out to her shoulder as she hung sideways, still trapped by the shackles. She let her face sag down into the encroaching blood, let it stain her cheek. How?

The blood receded, along with the scrambled chunks of meat, skin, sinew, and organs, and assimilated back into the man he'd been before. Sera broke down crying. How? How could the only other person who could save me—who I hoped would save me if Jules failed—How could he be on their side!? HOW!?

Shock crept across his face as well, and dismay. They locked eyes. His were full of guilt, hers were full of hatred.

Jafar…

Jafar.

Jafar!

He never looked away. He took his punishment from her, and only her. He mouthed something to her, but rage, and vengeance, and agony blinded her.

Of knowledge passed down to her, from Musashi himself.

For the position she held as a Raventree.

For the position she held as a Sin.

Of knowledge that only members of the Nomadic Clans were privy to.

Of knowledge of who the Desert Mouse—who Jafar of the Nomadic Clans—really, truly was.

The Spider had never said the man's name. But now, with all she'd seen, she knew it deep in her heart.

She shouted and cursed his name from the depths of her soul, from Hell itself, and he took it.

"Greed—GREED!!! You traitorous motherfu—"

« Silence » [Patience]

Patience put a finger up to her lips and hushed her.

"That is not my name." Greed looked up at the ceiling in defeat. "Not anymore."

"Well, Jafar. You lost." Patience disappeared from Sera's vision entirely. All she could see was Greed, the Third Sin. "Bark, bark. Woof, woof."