Chapter Text
Shadows dance across the walls as the candles flicker. The flames reveal the faces of seven people, patiently waiting in a decrepit room for their eighth. Within minutes, the unmistakable sound of footsteps begin to echo throughout the musty halls. Just as the sound comes to a halt, the door to the room opens with a painful screech.
“Sorry about the wait,” Wrath says as he struts into the room, “it took me a bit longer to get across the Fifth Ring than I expected.” His curly green locks were still damp and slightly frozen. He gazed over the room, seeing his brothers and sisters; Sloth was slumped in the corner napping, while Lust draped herself across his left side, trying to stave off the freezing temperatures of the Ninth Ring. Greed, Gluttony, and Envy are all standing before Lucifer’s desk, which was currently occupied by the former Archangel, himself. That just left-
A condescending laugh cut off his train of thought. “Hah, you must be getting slow, Wrath. Even Sloth was able to get down here before you.”
Pride. He was leaning against the wall right beside the door so Wrath couldn’t see him. His blood always begins to boil whenever he interacts with his arrogant brother, however, he knows better than to rise to the taunt, especially with the Lord of Darkness several feet away. He may enjoy a good fight, but even he knows that there is a time and place for everything.
Wrath was about to retort before a quiet sigh caught his attention. “I’m only here because I was promised cold soba...,” he heard Sloth murmur in a flat tone.
“Well you sure don’t hear me complaining,” Lust purred as she cuddled up closer to Sloth, her smile showing off her sharp, jagged teeth.
A loud snap of fingers draws all of their attention to the desk at the head of the room. Lust and Sloth untangle themselves and join their siblings as a hush settles over them. “Now that you’re all gathered here,” Lucifer begins, “I have an important task for you all. I have an…” he paused, trying to find the right words, “appointment with someone in the living world that's centuries overdue, therefore, I need you to eliminate them,” he states as his hands lace together under his chin.
Wrath feels the mood of his siblings drastically change, ranging from pity to amusement; mainly, he was curious. Who was this person that was able to avoid dying? Conveniently, Envy decided to speak his thoughts for him. “Huh? What person could possibly possess the power to avoid the sweet embrace of death?”
Lucifer furrowed his brow, “His name has no meaning now. He instead goes by the moniker of All For One. He used his ‘quirk’ as the living call them to steal another’s longevity ability. He has committed countless atrocities and needs to be stopped.” Wrath tensed at the words. There were only a few things that could land someone on the devils radar, and by the sound of it, this person checked off multiple boxes on that list.
A huff escaped Pride’s mouth as he turned and began walking towards the door, “I’m not going to waste my time dealing with some two bit thug,” he said, loathing dripping from his voice. “Let the feathery bastards deal with it.”
He was almost to the door when Lucifer's voice rang out. “I’d appreciate it if you watched your mouth, Pride.” The malice in his tone was palpable. “Besides-” his eyes narrowed, “-I’m offering some incentives.”
Pride paused, his hand barely grazing the door knob before looking back. “What kind of incentives?” He asked with one eyebrow quirked.
“The duration of a natural lifespan topside, including the time it takes you to kill All For One,” Lucifer said, a slight smirk on his face.
This time, everyone in the room turned to gawk at Lucifer’s words. A lifetime on Earth? That was literally a ticket out of hell for the next 70 years, give or take. Slowly, all of their expressions morphed into grins that were slightly too wide for a normal person.
“Well then,” Wrath's voice carried over the silence, “where do we start?”