The Devil’s Nest was a dark and smoky place, smelling of stained beer and men. Sloth wrinkled her nose, feeling out of place in such a seedy dive. She smoothed her lilac skirt over her thighs as she scanned the barroom with her eyes. Rough looking men, loose looking women, she wasn’t surprised at what she found there.

“Well now.”

Sloth turned, unfazed by a voice behind her.

“What’s a nice looking lady like yourself doing in place like this?” The words were accompanied by a wide grin.

“Greed,” Sloth said, politely. He shrugged and smiled, his eyes shaded by his small tinted glasses.

“Sloth.”

She was aware of the hush in the bar. She could feel eyes on them and she smiled politely in response. Greed certainly had quite a ragtag little group assembled.

“So what brings you my neck of the woods?” Greed slid between her and the doorway, entering the Devil’s Nest. “If you’re here to cause trouble…”

“I’m not here for trouble.” Sloth watched him carefully. He was a roguish man, all leather and cigarettes and whiskey. This place suited him.

“In that case, let me get you a drink. Where’s your boss?”

“My what?” Sloth followed him through the bar, watching as the tension faded from the other patrons. Apparently once he had accepted her, so had they. Interesting. Not that a group of humans and chimeras would be any match should she wish to decimate the place.

“Envy. He know you’re here?”

“You seem to be under the wrong impression.” Sloth sat demurely on a barstool, her hair slipping in front of her face to hide her smile. “Envy is not in charge of me.” Envy didn’t even know where she was. He had no reason to.

“Could have fooled me. You his woman, then?” Greed knocked back a shot glass of whiskey and leered at her.

“Pardon?” Sloth remained cool and collected, not about to give anything away. Not to him.

“You’re his type.” Greed shrugged. “He likes’em meek and easy to control.”

“I can assure you, Mr Greed, that I’m not easy to control.”

“A woman with some spirit! I like that.” Greed laughed and signaled the bar tender for another drink. “So why are you here?”

“Simply curious.” Sloth didn’t touch her own drink.

“Oh yeah?” Greed’s glasses slipped down his nose and there was a flicker of something across his face. “What has that face changing little bastard told you about me?”

“Nothing,” Sloth said smoothly. “Only that you’re a potential problem. He doesn‘t like you.”

“That’s fine with me. I don’t like that little freak either.”

“Indeed.” Sloth had to admit she was curious. Envy guarded his knowledge closely, a subtle reminder of his age. I’ve got decades on you, probably more, was the message his lack of information gave her. He enjoyed his mind games.

“You know sweetheart, we’ve always got room for one more down here.” Greed’s grin was back, more sincere than any smile from Envy. “If you feel like a little change of pace.”

“Attempting to recruit me?” Sloth laughed then, a small and thin sound.

“It’s worth a try. I sure wouldn’t mind another beautiful lady around these parts. What do you say?”

“I’d say the women you surround yourself with are hardly ladies.”

“You‘ve sure got a way with words,” Greed said, with another laugh. “You’re something else, Lady Sloth.”

“I could say the same for you, Sir Greed.” She ran her fingers around the rim of her shot glass, still ignoring the liquid inside. She didn’t drink alcohol.

“So what do you say? How about you and me go on in back and have a little talk about our future together?” He dropped a hand on her arm and Sloth simply looked at it.

“I’d advise not touching me,” she said, with a warm smile. “And there is no future for us, or for you. No future other than another hundred years of solitude.”

“Try and seal me again,” Greed said, his voice low and still friendly, “and I’ll kill you. All of you.”

“You can’t,” Sloth said, simply. Their tones were light and friendly, as though they were two young people flirting and enjoying each other’s company.

“Yeah, well, I’m resourceful. Don’t push me. I‘d hate to hurt a pretty lady like yourself.”

“Of course.”

“You’re making a big mistake, sweetheart. Stick around, see what I’ve got to offer you. I can bet you anything it’s a better deal than those other jokers gave you.”

Sloth simply looked at him, her face not giving any hint of what she was thinking. She could use him, if she wanted to. Play both sides against one another if she felt the need to. Envy’s reluctance to follow her orders didn’t sit well with her. Would Greed listen to her? She wondered which path would bring her to her goal quicker. And what about the child? Greed had wanted the boy as well. The three of them together would be rather formidable, Sloth decided. She could get the boy away from Envy simply, she already knew that.

But was it worth it? Envy and Lust were set on their goal. They had laid the steps so carefully for so long now, it would be foolish to abandon their mission now. And there were other things to consider. If she were discovered playing the double agent, there would be consequences. Her youth, she knew, made her vulnerable.

“I’ll think on it,” Sloth said, finally. She wanted to keep her options open, at least. If things fell apart, if Envy continued to be a problem, she wanted an escape route. Greed could be it.

“Maybe I can give you a few more things to think about…” Greed’s hand was still on her arm, but it was no longer squeezing. It was caressing. Sloth raised an eyebrow at the gesture, well aware of what he was doing but giving him no reaction. He took that as a sign of agreement, apparently, as he leaned in to nibble at the shell of her ear. Sloth turned her head shyly, letting her hair fall in a shield between them.

“I believe I have more than enough,” Sloth said, slipping off of the barstool as Greed’s other hand reached for her thigh. He was charming enough in his own way, if one liked arrogant scoundrels. But she had no time for that now. Perhaps later, if she used him as she was considering. At the very least she would guess him to be an experienced lover.

“If you change your mind, you know where to find me.” Greed leaned back against the bar, sprawling like a great cat.

“Of course. Perhaps we’ll be seeing each other again, Mr Greed.”

“I sure hope so, Lady Sloth. For your sake as much as mine.”

“Indeed.” Sloth fixed him with her impenetrable gaze once more, as though taking a final measure of him. She was still chuckling under her breath as she left the Devil’s Nest.