Sometimes people leave you, halfway through the wood.

[garbagechild]

Who: Alphonse Elric, Envy, Greed, and Wrath.
Where: An ill-fated bakery. All around Goldenrod. The freakin' basement.
When: August 11th onwards! This is a catch-all.
Summary: The world has been pretty good to the various monsters and serial killers hailing from Amestris, but one particular villainous wild child has yet to be rehabilitated.
Rating: PG-13 for talk of abuse, manipulation, brainwashing, all that good stuff.
Log:

Continued from here.

Comments

[garbagechild]

<sub>[The sniffling stops abruptly, replaced by silence for a moment.]

[And then there's an enraged eight-year-old's roar as Wrath comes bursting out from behind the boxes. Is he going to try and charge Envy? YOU BET HE IS.]

[Apparently memories of casually getting kicked or thrown against walls-- or indeed, straight-up killed by the last traitor-- are not enough to stop him.]</sub>

[exeggutorhead]

[Fortunately, Envy was expecting this.]

[He brought this particular Pokeball down for a reason. He dodges out of the way of Wrath's charge, and before the enraged child can redirect himself, hits the button on the ball to release a MASSIVE BEAST.]

[Envy warned Chimera about Wrath before bringing him down here. And not only that, but Chimera has been dealing with Envy since the beginning. He knows just what to do.]

[Which is to calmly stand between them like a big, green brick wall. He'll reach out and carefully catch hold of Wrath if he runs at them.]

[garbagechild]

<sub>[No tricky footwork or dodging this time-- Wrath is frustrated and hurting and SCARED, and acting on pure, raw emotion. He crashes straight into the Tyranitar and lands in those heavy claws. Once there he starts to struggle, of course, but he's no superhuman beast anymore. There's no way he's breaking free.]

[Once he realizes this, he lets out another furious scream, kicking his legs.]</sub>

LET GO! LET ME GO!

[exeggutorhead]

[Chimera holds Wrath gently, but firmly. No, he's not going anywhere. A melodic rumble starts up in the Tyranitar's chest, vibrating through the rock plating; it's a soothing tune that sounds a little bit like the one always playing in the Pokemon Center. Sshhh tiny human, no need for all that yelling, everything will be okay.]

[Envy steps out from behind the big Pokemon, hand on his hip as he lets out a sigh. Yeah, they've got their work cut out for them here.]

Look, we're not gonna hurt you. We're trying to help.

[garbagechild]

_{[The screaming does fade into general noises of frustrated exertion, but no further. Chimera is sweetest giant tyrant lizard there could ever be, but Wrath is too worked up for the soothing, reptilian purrs to really do the trick. The boy continues to squirm, directing a furious glare onto Envy as the older ex-Homunculus steps into view.]}

SHUT UP! STOP SAYING THAT!

YOU'VE ALL SAID THAT AND IT'S ALWAYS A LIE!

YOU'RE TRAITORS! YOU'RE ALL TRAITORS!

LET ME GO!!

[exeggutorhead]

[Chimera keeps it up in spite of the futility, although more quietly so that he can let his trainer speak to the poor upset tiny human.]

[Envy can FEEL the instinctive, frustrated return-shout all ready to burst out, but he clenches his fists and bites it back instead of letting it. If nothing else, he's not going to prove Alphonse Elric right.]

Not this time, even if you don't believe me.

We're traitors because being one is better.

[garbagechild]

_{[Even now, months after he'd accepted that Envy was no longer his brother ally, hearing those words come out of the other Homunculus' mouth is surreal.]}

THAT'S NOT TRUE!

You KNOW what she does to traitors! YOU KNOW! YOU KNOW!

<sub>[If he had a mind for conspiracies, he might think that all of this was some huge, elaborate scheme to test his loyalty. It wouldn't be entirely out of character for their Master to play cruel games like that.]

[But Wrath only has room in his head for so much furious, terrified speculation.]</sub>

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy actually nearly winces. Oh yes, he knows what Dante does to traitors. He knows entirely too well, he's seen it happen enough times.]

I do know what she does.

[His mouth sets in a line.]

But she's not here, and even if she was it's worth it anyway.

[garbagechild]

_{[Wrath had gone back to writhing in Chimera's grasp, but at that, he whips back around to face Envy, eyes bright and hateful.]}

WORTH IT?!

How can you SAY that?!

You were her FAVORITE!!

[exeggutorhead]

[He crosses his arms, scowling; it's subtle but he's gripping tightly at his forearms.]

Yeah, her favorite slave.

I thought that was the best any of us could have, but that's not true. We can have better here.

[The 'we' is the important part.]

I was wrong.

[About so, so many things he'd said and done to Wrath.]

[garbagechild]

<sub>[It isn't until the 'w' word leaves Envy's lips that Wrath goes still, his wild-eyed glare briefly turning into something stunned.]

[Envy has never-- not once-- admitted to being wrong before.]

[Then his eyes narrow and he resumes his struggles, tight-lipped and with nostrils flaring. But that had an impact on him, clearly.]</sub>

[exeggutorhead]

[That's something, at least. And he can gather that he's not going to be getting anywhere else, not this time at least. Not with Wrath clamming up like that.]

[And if he tells himself he's not running away from more difficult talk when he turns back towards the stairs, maybe he'll believe it.]

Chimera's staying down here with you, to keep an eye on you.

[The big rock dinosaur rumbles again in agreement, nodding down at Wrath.]

[garbagechild]

_{[Wrath GROWLS, shooting Envy a sharp glare. Of course he'd use his Pokemon to his advantage-- and after taking away all of Wrath's!]}

You can't keep me down here.

I'll get out.

I'll find a way!