Chapter 3

(Well this is very late, but I've given up any hope of being consistent.)

It had taken a while, Wrath dealing with both his Fuehrer duties and his duties to Father, but he had finished work for the day. He was planning to go home to his wife now. So he wasn't particularly happy when Envy, disguised in their soldier form, burst in ranting about Greed disappearing.

"Are you sure he didn't just run away again?" Wrath asked.

"After only three days?" Envy skeptically replied.

Wrath didn't find it that far fetched, but he'd never actually known Greed.

I'm going to have to deal with this aren't I? Wrath thought. "Fine," he said, curtly. "We'll deal with this. I want you to start asking around with the higher ups, see what you can find out."

Then he got up and walked out. He had some delegating and phone calls to make to find Greed. Envy headed in the other direction. As soon as Wrath was out of sight, they changed their form into him. If they was going to talk to higher ups, they might as well be the highest.

Wrath was the one who found Greed. It wasn't particularly hard. A few phone calls and he managed to find out Greed had gotten arrested for being an illegal alien. It seemed even subdued by Greed, that human still found a way to be a nuisance.

Well, Wrath thought, I suppose we still do need to get him back.

He and Envy ended up going to the prison and following a guard as he brought them to Greed's cell. Greed was sitting looking very bored, and seemingly muttering to himself. That changed as the group drew nearer. Greed got up, coming to the door, and smiled.

"Well, if it isn't the Fhuerer himself," Greed said. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

It wasn't a pleasure for any of them, Greed included, but that was hardly the point.

"That's what I'd like to know," the guard muttered under his breath.

Wrath turned to him. "Let this one go. He's commited no crimes."

"He . . . he doesn't have any papers sir," the guard pointed out.

Of course out of the all the guards Wrath could find, he had to get the one who was either brave enough or stupid enough to stand up to the Fuhrer. The fact that both Greed and Envy looked like they were ready to laugh didn't help matters.

"I know," Wrath said. The guard jumped, and Wrath realized he might have let more anger out than he usually did around the soldiers. He attempted to dial it back. "This Xingese man is helping me with a project for our countries. It's complicated, and I can't have many people knowing about it."

Wrath gave the guard a pointed look. If it was confidential then of course they couldn't draw attention to Greed by getting him papers, and the guard would now think he was among the trusted few the Fuhrer had told about this.

The guard still tried to argue one more time. "He, he said some very odd things. Like he was only three days old, and was looking for immortality."

Of course Greed had done that. Why would he ever want things to be simple? "Well I'm sure he didn't think he could tell you the truth. And he can be a bit eccentric."

The guard finally relented. He nodded quickly. "Alright sir. Letting him out now."

He unlocked the door and let a grinning Greed step out. Wrath couldn't say he liked the grin. Did he know how much work it was to come and dig him out of trouble? Is that why he'd gotten into trouble? Wrath's face got a little angrier, at least compared to the one he made around humans, and his hands reached for his sword a little. But he resisted the urge. If he did something like stab Greed, it would be even more work for everyone.

So Wrath gave one of his smiles. "Well let's go now."

"No complaints here," Greed said. He added under his breath, "Except it'll be back to the same old boring routine now. Wasn't it worth it Prince?"

"I suppose so," Ling told him. It was hard to hide his mental smile. "What about you? Was it worth all that stuff, and the Fuhrer's reaction when he finds out you spent his money for it."

Greed shrugged. "He has a lot, I don't think he's going to notice me taking any," he whispered. Wrath had given no indication he heard. Envy did though, and was giving him a weird look. He supposed it was a weird conversation when you could only hear half of it. "But good point out my stuff. I should go after it."

Looked like he was going to get one more trip outside after all. Assuming no one had made off with his stuff. He expected Ling to point that out actually, but the Prince seemed kind of silent. He eventually broke it with a different problem Greed hadn't thought of, but wasn't particularly surprised to hear Ling point out.

"You still broke the lamp."