JEON JEONGGUK, OWNER OF MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR COMPANY, STEPS
DOWN TEMPORARILY
Jeon Jeongguk, new owner and CEO of Jeon Industries, is taking a temporary leave from his multi-million dollar company for his mental health.
THE PAPER ARRIVED on Greed's doorstep two weeks later. He was used to being on the front page on the newspapers ever since inheriting the company, but after reading the headline, he crumpled it up and threw it in the trash.
He had bought a small apartment away from his company. It was smaller than he'd like---just a bit too cozy, but he'd manage. He wasn't quite sure when he'd return, though---he wasn't ready yet. Some days he'd feel nothing, no pain, just the dull feeling of absence. Other days he'd sob silently and clutch his chest because it hurt too much.
Today was the latter. The doorbell rang, and Greed wiped his eyes quickly and erased all trace of sadness from his face. He opened the door to an old lady, who was smiling and holding a tray of cookies. She said something about welcoming him to the neighborhood---Greed wasn't really paying attention. He thanked her for the cookies and shut the door in her face, proceeding to dump the cookies in the trash.
Greed sighed and opened the fridge, only to find it was empty.
Shouldn't have thrown out the cookies, he thought.
Greed slipped into some better clothes and grabbed a wad of cash, making his way out of the apartment and into the elevator. He felt oddly paranoid, but he'd been feeling like that ever since he took a leave from the company. He wasn't used to living without bodyguards and security at every turn. It was just something he had to get used to.
He walked to the small market across the street and bought vegetables, fruits, meat, and kitchen essentials. He struggled with the bags a bit, but was able to make it halfway home, when he bumped into someone. Greed staggered, the weight of the groceries making him lose his balance a bit. He caught his footing quickly.
"Sorry," the person said, apologizing and steadying him with their hands on his shoulders. "I'm so sorry, I---Greed?"
Greed looked up and sighed tiredly at the taller, older sin. "Wrath," he said with a nod. Wrath was less annoying than the others. Maybe this encounter would go better than the last two.
"You look. . ." Wrath didn't finish the thought. "What are you doing?"
Greed gestured to his groceries. "Making breakfast. What are you doing? Did Envy send you?"
"No. After that warning you gave Pride, we decided we could go to Hell without you. I was just coming back from visiting my parents."
Greed nodded and brushed past Wrath, hands gripping the bags tighter. He felt even more paranoid now that he was standing outside his apartment. He couldn't shake the feeling of eyes on him; he hoped it wasn't the press. He turned around and raised an eyebrow at Wrath. "Are you coming?"
"Huh?"
Greed rolled his eyes. "I may be selfish, but I have manners," he lied. He was just in a rush to get back inside. "Come on. I'll make coffee."
.
.
.
"I don't have a coffee machine."
Greed only remembered that when the two of them arrived at his apartment. Wrath shrugged.
"That's alright. I had some coffee this morning, anyways."
"So." Greed sat down and eyed Wrath. "Haven't left for Hell yet, huh? Is Envy stalling?"
Wrath shook his head, sitting down across from Greed. "You know that the Gates to Hell only open at a full moon. Getting to a gate early and having to fight an army of monsters while waiting for it to open isn't ideal."
Greed inclined his head, considering. "I suppose it isn't."
There was a small silence. Greed swallowed. Now that they were back in his apartment, Greed felt safer. Now he wanted Wrath to leave---he had no use for him anymore.
There was a knock at the door, interrupting Greed's train of thought. Greed stood up and opened it, not expecting to see 4 other sins standing in his doorway.
Greed clenched his jaw. "Come to ruin my morning?"
Sloth shook his head, giving a small wave to Greed. "Kid, we came to get Wrath."
"Great," Greed said. He turned to Wrath. "I didn't want you here any longer, anyways."
"It's good to see you, Greed," said Gluttony. Greed gave him an acknowledging nod. Gluttony had never wronged him.
"It's good to see you too," he said out of courtesy before he turned to eye Envy with mild disgust. "Some less than others. Anyways, get out, I don't have time for---"
A loud screech came from down the hallway. Greed, curious, exited his apartment and headed down the hallway to see the old lady who had given him cookies had fallen. She was kneeling and making strange sounds.
"Old lady?" Greed asked, tilting his head curiously. "Are you alright---?"
She turned around and Greed yelped, jumping back and running to the other end of the hall, back toward the sins. "Shit! She's a demon!"
Her body was melting away to reveal a large, black bird like creature with red eyes and claws at the end of its wings. Greed had only seen demons a few times before, and had slayed them each time. It had been a while and Greed didn't know if his skills were still sharp enough to take this thing down, but he had to hope---he was the demon killer of the sins, after all.
"You still know how to use this?" Envy asked, throwing Greed an angelic blade. It burned in Greed's hands when he caught it, but Greed paid no mind to that.
"For the sake of all of us, let's hope I do," Greed muttered lowly, turning around and tossing the sword from hand to hand. The demon was at the other end of the hall, getting ready to attack.
"Hey! Ugly!" Greed yelled. "Come and get some!"
The demon screeched and flew toward him. Greed charged, gripping the blade tightly and bringing it own on one of the demon's wings. Greed cut the wing off and felt blood splatter on his face. The demon let out a loud shrill scream and began charging toward the other sins.
Greed knew he wouldn't get there in enough time if he ran. Instead, he threw the sword towards the demon. It landed in the back of the demon's head, and it fell. The body evaporated into nothing, leaving behind the sword and a small device.
That was too easy, Greed thought. It was probably here to deliver a message.
Ignoring the other sins as they asked him if he was okay, Greed wiped blood off his cheek and crouched down, picking up the device and turning it over in his hands. A hologram message popped up and began playing.
Lust appeared in the hologram, smirking at them. Envy made a choked noise in the back of his throat. Greed rolled his eyes.
"Hello, sins," Lust said, his deep voice sounding victorious already. "I assume you've killed my demon, yes? That's how you've gotten this message. Before I continue, I'd like to say that if you find Greed dead, it's because the demon fed him some poisoned cookies."
Greed gave a small, appreciative nod. It was a good effort.
"Anyways!" Lust clapped his hands together. "I'd like to warn you not to come to Hell. And before you think that I'm recording this in secret, in an attempt to 'warn my dear friends of their impending doom'," Lust made air quotations, "I'll tell you that I'm not. Lucifer has my loyalty. Now, if you do come to Hell, we'll have you killed at the front gates."
Greed gave another nod. That was expected.
"And since I'm not a murderer, I don't need your blood on my hands. But I think you'll ignore this message and come anyways, hm?" Lust licked his lips, grinning maliciously. "See you soon, sweethearts."
The hologram disappeared and the projector sparked in Greed's hands. He dropped it quickly, letting it fall and break on the ground.
As the sins discussed the hologram message, Greed bent down and picked up the angelic blade, turning it in his hand. He watched the other sins and felt a sudden urge to kill them all with this blade.
It was just a thought, maybe even a temptation---but Greed wouldn't actually do it. Still, the angelic blade seemed to sense his thoughts and burned his hand. Greed yelled and dropped it, cradling his hand to his chest.
"Are you okay, Greed?" Wrath asked, going to examine his hand. Greed let him, simply because Wrath was the best at first aid.
"Fine," said Greed. The thought lingered in his mind but he pushed it away; he killed demons, and demons only. "I hate those blades. . ."
.
.
.
Greed invited the others into his apartment while he took a shower to get the blood off.
"Help yourselves to the fridge," Greed muttered, those words feeling foreign on his tongue. It wasn't selflessness, it was indifference. He could always get more food. Who cared if the sins emptied his fridge? Greed certainly didn't.
Greed returned only a few minutes later, with a bandaged hand and a towel around his shoulders. His hair was damp and any blood had been washed off.
"Well?" Greed asked. Gluttony was digging through his fridge shamelessly, while Sloth and Pride were making themselves comfortable on his couch. Wrath and Envy stood awkwardly by the door.
"Well, what?" asked Sloth, flipping through a book Greed left on his table.
"Well, get up. Don't wanna be late for the end of the damn world, now do we?"
Envy's face lit up in a way that made Greed scowl. "You're coming to Hell with us?"
Greed rolled his eyes. He'd made the decision impulsively while in the shower. But he needed something to do---running the company was boring now.
In the back of his mind, Greed knew he really just wanted to be with his old friends again. Not Envy, but the others---Greed remembered the days when they all hung out together. They couldn't go back to that ever again, and Greed didn't know why he was even considering trying.
But he couldn't say that out loud. He couldn't let them know that he needed anyone but himself. So, he lied.
"Don't flatter yourself by thinking I care. I need a distraction. What better way to distract yourself than with a suicide mission?"
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