FALLEN ANGELS ✓

5.

GREED, WHILE HE used to be an angel, had once read somewhere that sins, for all their evil and bad deeds, felt 10 times the amount of pain that a normal human would.

Greed figured it was false information. The amount of times he stubbed his toe and it didn't hurt was uncountable. Heaven would need to update their books on sins.

Not that Greed cared about Heaven. Heaven had thrown them away like they were nothing, like taking the trash out. Heaven could rot, and Greed would watch with a smile.

Greed passed by Envy that morning. The older sin attempted to talk to him, but Greed paid him no attention as he strolled into the kitchen, hands in his pockets.

"Cold shoulder, huh?"

Greed turned to see Gluttony leaning against the wall. In his mouth was a cigarette; Greed wasn't surprised. Gluttony indulged in things like that; smoking and alcohol. It wasn't like it would kill him, but Greed knew that mortals didn't like it when people got addicted to those.

"That's not good for you," Greed said.

Gluttony removed it from his mouth and held it between his fingers, smoke coming from his mouth as he spoke.

"You know these mortal things can't kill us, right?"

"I know," Greed said. "I mean it isn't good for your image. How would the public feel if they saw you smoking?"

Gluttony was also a CEO of his own company, and a rather famous one at that. Not much competition for Greed, because Jeon Industries was internationally known, with all the overseas modelling gigs Greed had done for promotions and what not.

He was fun to compete against. Greed didn't want to win their business rivalry just because Gluttony got exposed for indulging in harmful habits.

"And here I was, thinking you were worried for me," Gluttony said dryly.

"I'm not," Greed said flatly, turning to the fridge to grab some breakfast.

"Well, a man can dream."

"We are nothing but our sins, Gluttony. I couldn't care if you went and got struck by lightning."

Gluttony chuckled. "You were never one to put things lightly, were you?"

Greed hummed in agreement. "I'm not, and that's why you all hate me, isn't it?"

Gluttony pushed himself off the wall and tilted his head. "Who said we hate you?"

Greed just raised an eyebrow. Gluttony sighed. "Alright, sure, Envy and Pride aren't necessarily the happiest campers, but I think the rest of us are pretty okay with you being here."

"You were always tolerant of my bullshit, Gluttony. I'm surprised you haven't reached your limit with me."

"We were all friends up in Heaven. Even though we got banished, I have hope that we can go back to the way we were."

"Hope is a foolish, mortal concept."

"I've learned a lot from these mortals," Gluttony admitted. "I'll admit, hope is foolish more often than not. But you would be surprised by the drive that these mortals have. Some of them truly don't give up."

Greed narrowed his eyes. "Is that why you're here, trying to stop Lucifer from taking over? For the sake of these mortals?"

Gluttony took another drag of his cigarette as he thought of an answer. "No," he decided. "I live on Earth. If Lucifer destroys it or takes over, I die too, don't I? Call me selfish, but---"

"You forgot who you're talking to."

Gluttony blinked at Greed, then laughed. "Right. Well, I'm thinking of my own self interest. The others may have their reasons as well, or maybe Envy just strung them along for one last adventure." He shrugged and headed towards the door. "I'll admit, I'm curious as to why you even agreed to come along, but I know you won't tell me."