Original Sin

Anger: Ceaseless (Chapter 2)

The first thing they had done was track down Silence's father. He had squealed like a pig when they blew off the front door, and had begged for his life, he and his wretched friends. For all the torture they had put Silence through as a child, he paid them back in blood.
Then they wandered. Heard stories of a gang-leader, and ended them. Tales of a rapist, a stalker, a murderer, all closed with open wounds.
Cutthroats. Purse-snatchers. Burglars. They found the the trail, pulled on it, and slit the neck of whatever came tumbling out.
Did innocent people get hurt? Sometimes. But surely that was inevitable.
It has been nearly a year since Alex first met Silence. Since Tom had become the holder for Pride, and they had learnt the truth about the Spirits. A year since they had sworn to seal the other four sins away, but had been forced to slay them instead.
A year since Tom and Silence were murdered by Sloth. A year since Alex had become alone, like before.
And yet, never alone. Not with Anger still in his head. Only now, he doesn't need sleep. A place to call his own. He has all he needs.
Blood.
"You were sated yesterday," Alex replies as they walk down the street on the first day of November. All Hallows Day. The day of the saints.
Never. Never am I sated. Not until there is nothing else to break.
"We have a deal, remember?"
Anger growls.
I stay. I unleash righteous Anger on those too long ignored. And in return, I do not hurt those who you deem 'innocent'. But, surely you can see the beauty in carnage now?
"I see it all too often."
I don't see it enough.
Alex shudders, both against the cold and the splatters of gore Anger flashes through his mind's eye. Even though Anger is more under his control, even though he accepts it as part of him, it's violent tendancies still sometimes overpower his rationality.
Four. Four times, he has allowed it too much freedom. People other than those he has targeted have been hurt four times. These days, he lets it happen. Better to leave the blame on the homicidal spirit. And better to have no injured witnesses. Explaining about an age-old entity surviving on inside your body is a trip straight to a psychiatric hospital.
If you don't hurt someone, you can pass as a hero. If someone is injured, you might as well finish the job.
Once, it would have scared him. But Alex sees the efficiency in Anger's methods. No trials that can be sabotaged. No bias for race, gender, sexuality. He is fair. He is order. He is justice.
There is a bar that they frequently visit. He took all the money from the three men he slew in the alley last night. They wouldn't be needing it anyway, and a drink to lose himself seems like a good idea.
The bar itself is old - a family run business, spanning back generations. Anger has some kind of attraction to it; maybe last century, it visited here too. Sat on these stools, and drank this specific beverage.
Not that Alex cares. He isn't thirsty. Drinking is just a way to pass the time. Anger won't let him get drunk anyway.
The alcohol is bitter. It stings the back of his throat like bile. Good.
You're bored.
"So?" Alex glares at the man sat a few stools down, who is giving him a funny look for talking to himself. If only he knew...
Go out there. Shed some blood. We always enjoy that.
Once Alex would have disagreed. But he acknowledges it now; when others die, he feels most alive.
Or find it. Immortality is somewhere.
The fabled return to Anger's true form. Of course it would want to become as it had been before; uncontaminated, feral, free.
Alex is running out of reasons not to search.
If it weren't for the Spirit Law, binding the Seven Sins to reincarnate every 100 years into new hosts, the two would never have had to meet. Anger would never have slain his family. He never would have killed countless others. Whether or not that is bad is becoming unclear.
Anger gives him a shot of awareness.
You're growing tired.
"I'll be fine, Anger. You can stop trying to keep me awake."
Where would you sleep?
Alex slams his mug onto the desk.
"Alright then, I'm going! Sheesh."
Anger snarls.
"Don't take that tone with me." He storms out of the bar. "Come on. Where are we going then? Or did you not get that far?"
Anger snarls again.
What is it you want from me? If we just did things my way, we could sleep where we want, live like kings, and have everyone else search for immortality for us! But no, you say keep back. Leave everyone alone, and only hurt those you judge worthy. When will you understand? No-one is innocent!
Alex turns around, no longer listening. Something has his attention, and he absent mindedly taps into Anger's power.
Sure. You only keep my power around until you need it, and then you lock me away again.
"Be quiet," Alex commands. It's definite now. Someone is watching them.
Now Anger bristles defensively, sensing the threat too.
Something is wrong. Terribly wrong.
"I feel it," Alex agrees, as Anger increases his sight until the dark seems like day, "It's like when we were around the other holders."
Someone is watching.
But they can't tell where from.
"I thought we killed the Seven Sins."
"We did. This is... something else."
Alex checks behind him suddenly. The faint cool of power trickles over his fingers, as talons grow over his nails. But no-one is there.
Alone. But never alone.