The Beggar Man Comes (Fin)

"Move it buddy. The weather's blowing in."

"Aw cmon, I got mouths to feed. You been busting my chops all week. Can't you just give me a warning? Keep the merchandise."

Ignoring the kid he had in custody, the police officer shoved his charge further out into the street and then slammed him into his car bonnet. He began to roughly put the cuffs on, "Possession of a class A drug. Intent to sell. You won a cell back at station, dumbass."

"Is there a problem officer?" The cop turned. There were a number of people around trying to look like they were minding their own business, and failing. This one however had approached him. The bystander was dressed in a simple jerkin and seemed to be on his way to a carnival, judging by that mask.

The officer naturally distrusted the hidden face. Masks meant trouble. He sounded threatening, "Mind your own business. Move along." The man didn't move and the officer got leery. His hand moved down to his gun. Punks everywhere. He hated coming down crash alley. The trick was to keep them scared, "You want to join him? I said move along!"

"That's not happening Matthew."

He drew his gun, "Make a move freak."

The stranger's hands slowly rose, "There's no need for that. You are in charge. You are in control here. You are always in control here. There is not a man, woman, or child walking these streets who does not recognise you. There is not one who does not resent you."

"Stop talking. Walk away."

"I know your kind. You wield your authority like a truncheon. Threaten to bring the hammer down on anyone who scares you. Well Matthew we're scared too. We're all scared of you. We think it would be best if you went away."

A hand fell on the officer's shoulder. A fist followed. While he had been focused on the stranger another bystander had freed the prisoner. Everyone on the street corner now crowded him. His gun was swept from his reach. The small brace of hateful people fell upon their oppressor with sinful relish and kicked him senseless.

Envy skirted around the mob and pulled out the drug-dealer by his shoulder. The kid obviously had no idea what was going on. He'd just taken the opportunities presented him. Envy's mask stared hard into the eyes of the reprobate, scarcely out of high-school, "Where is Greed?"

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The rain now came in earnest. The hooded revolutionary walked down a lonely sidewalk, kicking up puddles with his boots. He hoped the weather hadn't driven his brother away. He'd been on their trail for a while now. He knew that at least two of his siblings had been operating out East. Then when he'd gotten wind that Pride was heading in this direction, he figured something was afoot.

They'd left him out. Again. His brothers and sisters were always excluding him. He just knew it was so. Well not this time. This time he was going to see they gave him his fair share. All he ever asked was that they be equal in their misery.

He came across a decommissioned bus shelter, for a route that had since ceased service, with a bicycle rack attached to its back. The metal monstrosity stood in all its graffitied glory. A school kid ducked out from inside and pulled her hood as she ran off into the rain. Envy saw she was also a drug dealer. He made them start young. That sounded like Greed.

Envy walked into the shelter and stood observing the person inside. Often his siblings changed their appearance, and this time was no different, but Envy always recognised them. He knew exactly who he was looking at. The question was - did Greed?

"Narcotics is it brother? You should have taken my invitation and come to Myanmar. They have great thirst for them there."

Jealousy stood dripping in the shelter, a hiss of a downpour to his left. This did not seem an auspicious day to renew old relationships. But it appeared Greed was lacking somewhat in the memory department. That was as good as any blank slate. Although Envy had to wonder if his brother was playing dumb after all when he hazarded a guess at his identity. The masked Sin tightened his fists briefly, but suppressed any other reaction.

"No. Not Pride." He'd let Greed do the remaining math himself.

Deciphering the meaning from his brother's ramblings reminded Envy that this was a superhero town. Jump City, famous for its metahumans and aliens and demi-gods and all type of superior beings. Not without its share of misfortunes. But what could you expect when you added another level to the class system? It was a smelting pot about to bubble over, in Envy's considered opinion.

"Well brother, now that I'm in your neck of the woods, I hope you'll repay my hospitality in kind." In reality Envy had never made the Myanmar offer. It'd been a fabrication. When he had something in the offing, he didn't want to see hide nor hair of his siblings. They'd just ruin it. Especially Greed. Who couldn't keep his grubby mitts off of anything.

"I find myself at a crossroads. My work in Yemen is done. They don't give out pensions for what I do. Any resources I had are back across the ocean. I haven't a penny to my name. But fortunately, I have a wise and successful brother who can front me what I need to set myself up here." Envy was staring at Greed using his ESP. He was evaluating the Sin, trying to judge what he was worth now. If there was one thing that he could rely on, it was that Greed always had his hand in the cookie jar.

"I know how difficult it is for you to share. But don't worry. You're going to be very happy about it." Envy pulled down his hood and removed his mask. Underneath was his decidedly demon visage, horns and all.

At Greed's claim to prefer Envy, all the Sin could think was, Feh. I bet you were... If he thought otherwise he'd cease to be the underdog.

In removing his mask Jealousy had exposed his mouth for a short time, before he pulled up a necktie to cover that third of his face. He'd been quite sour looking. But now that the etched lines of his lips were gone he was able to portray a neutral countenance, "And you always ask for more. I'm prepared to oblige." Greed's frank confessions surprised Envy. Especially that he all but announced he was memory deficient to the extreme.

Envy managed something nearing a sympathetic tone, "You mean you don't recall? I'm sorry, our kin really did a number on you." The thought brought Envy some happiness. One of their siblings had killed Greed and now he was a shell of himself. That was almost funny, "Well I'm not in the kill for hire business anymore. That's more Wrath's wheelhouse now, if you're looking for vengeance." Assuming it wasn't Wrath who killed Greed. Yeesh. He had been excluded from all this precious family bonding.

"What I do is far nobler. I am a liberator. A friend to the people. I am a social reformer, bringing equality to all through radical action. That is my game. Just because we are incarnated evil does not mean we cannot reach out and do good." It was a very flowery reflection upon what he did. Envy did not believe his own lies, but he was enough of a showman to portray his work this way, "And if in their zeal, the very people who sought a better way take it too far, well, that's not my problem." He shrugged at his brother. He knew how it was. You could lead a human to sin but you could not make it drink. That was on the human.

"Maybe you don't have a use for that kind of thing. You must sit quite high upon the pyramid yourself. But if I've kept on top of the developments of this country, then I know this HIVE you mention must in some way be in opposition to the government. Considering they were renounced on live television. Yes?" He could not know that they spoke of two different HIVEs.

Of all things he didn't begrudge his brother his vices. If Greed wanted more, at least he had the honesty to state it out loud. That was more than many would do. Although Envy stopped short of agreeing that their time spent together would be fun. Fun for Greed maybe. Jealousy would be too preoccupied making comparisons and coming out short. There was just something about seeing his loved ones succeed that rubbed him the wrong way.

But that was his life. It was no reason to refuse a good deal. Especially one that could so use his expert eye. Envy had birthed his fair share of military juntas. If his siblings were trying to dominate the city, then he had an easy way to claim a portion of the proceeds. He would do what he had always done.

"Lust? She's here?" He sounded pleased. He was anything but. Lust wasn't one of the Sins he'd known about. Further proof his siblings were conspiring behind his back, "And what, pray tell, does carnal desire want with a city of all things? Has she become attached to it? Is it sentimental for her?" He asked nonchalantly. In all honesty he hadn't thought she operated on this grand a scale. His sister could do scandal well enough - but violent take over? This he had to see.

After that Envy would appear to consider the kind offer. The resources Greed promised would put him on his own two feet. It would satisfy his immediate desires, which was important. But eventually he would grow weary of the meagre trinkets and come to view them as an insult. The only thing that could stave off that was a distraction. Such as the sibling drama he believed was looming under this whole mess. The Seven Deadly Sins hadn't been in the same city for so long. And here were at least five that he knew of, present. Someone was going to get hurt. And as long as it wasn't Envy, he would enjoy it.

He replaced his mask and nodded stiffly at his brother, "Alright, you sold me. I'm in. You do these things for me, Greed, and I'm yours. Forget our sister. I answer to you." Let the games begin.

While it was true Envy certainly had more in common with Greed than with Lust, he had no favourites among his siblings. They were equally repugnant in his mind. He projected on them all the advantages that he'd been denied. Even Gluttony, the weakling of the bunch. He wasn't allowed to feign persecution because she trumped him in that regard. The b****. So when he said he was Greed's, he meant it only superficially. Give someone a taste of authority and they began to wonder why they didn't have more.

Following Greed back out into the weather, the downpour had petered off. A grey-white sky loomed ominously in remainder. When he saw where his brother was heading he paused. He was kidding. He had to be kidding. No, they had to squeeze into that enclosed space. Envy awkwardly worked his way alongside his smaller brother and stood looking outward.

When the lift started moving he glanced at the drug pusher and something else caught his eye. He spoke in clippedly, "He trusts you with his treasury?!" Of the many occupations Greed now possessed, buried deep down was a reference to the job of his demon host. Guardian of Lucifer's treasury. And they wondered why he despised them with airs like this.

Industrious. Envy was well acquainted with the difficulties of hiding from municipal authorities. There were eyes everywhere in a city. Sometimes the only viable option for lying low meant taking up residence in surrounding countryside (a lengthy commute). Secret underground bunkers were as much a godsend as they were rare. The last time he had utilised one was back in Paris. And he understood that the catacombs there still didn't have electricity.

HIVE had either had this built or they'd been well connected enough to learn of its existence. It was all very well building a serviceable base, but the achievement came in maintaining its secrecy. He wondered how far the passages led. It was a massive advantage to a rebellion if the people could go where they will, unimpeded. Such freedom would practically satisfy most revolutionaries by itself.

Whilst stood in mute evaluation of his surroundings, Envy was drawn to recall the conversation thread. His brother had made light of his position. But Envy suspected he just wanted to keep the privileges to himself. Jealousy may have hated the Archfiend but he sorely wished favour had been bestowed on him rather than Greed.

"Rumour has it that trove of His is mighty indeed." He continued wistfully, "Maybe if He spread around some of that lavish power every once in a while our place in this reality might not be so needy. But no. He sits on his hoard and lets those prodigious trinkets go to waste. More power than he can possible wield at once and he keeps it from his very subjects. Have you ever heard of such ruinous gre-" Envy paused looking at his brother and thought better of continuing, "...it's this way is it?"

All these riches. All these resources. And the devotees. His brother and sister had done well for themselves. He knew it. He could smell their success from across the ocean. How right he had been to come looking for his own piece. Envy followed along a little diminished by what he was being shown. Yet he managed to present an air of stoic indifference as he was paraded around. His thoughts were his own private temple.

When Greed had finished he wasn't short on idle time. Immediately on to the next big thing. Envy allowed him to depart, talking at his receding form, "You won't find me ungrateful. I am in your debt." It cost nothing to show gratitude. His accursed sister Pride was incapable of such a thing. But Envy knew when to play the grateful serf. He took in his surroundings and allowed a rare smile, "You are in charge, brother. You are in control here..."