Rebirth

[dante]

Sloth was standing beside the table, watching her master dine, when suddenly she heard a faint scream coming from outside. Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, she peered out the window.

"Something wrong?" Dante looked over her shoulder.

Sloth nodded slowly. "I believe I heard someone yelling outside, Master."

"Is that so? Then you had better go inspect it," Dante ordered her before returning to her dinner.

Sloth made her way out of the kitchen without another word, then went to the front porch and looked around for signs of an intruder. "Hmm..."

[silverviper2134]

Wrath followed his 'mommy' out onto the porch. "Do you see anyone, Mommy?" he asked, also scanning the area.

Meanwhile, Martel was leaning against a tree, trying to quiet herself and remain hidden.

[dante]

Sloth hushed him, then quietly made her way off the porch and down the path that led into the forest. "Try not to draw any attention, dear," she whispered to Wrath as she traversed the woods.

[silverviper2134]

Martel knew that those Homunculi were coming over. So, she tried to move. Big mistake. The moment she stood up, a sharp pain cut through her, causing her to cry out.

[dante]

"Show yourself," Sloth commanded sternly, glaring in the direction from where the cry came. "...if you value your life."

[silverviper2134]

"I would, if it weren't for the fact that everytime I fuckin' move, it feels like something is ripping me apart from the outside" Martel hissed angrily.

Wrath titled his head. "Mommy, I think I recognize that voice" he said, tugging on Sloth's hand.

[dante]

Sloth, also recognizing the voice, pulled away from Wrath and went over to the intruder. She widened her eyes in surprise, her suspicions confirmed.

"...What on earth are you doing here?" she asked, absolutely dumbfounded.

[silverviper2134]

"Long story short- Greed and some new recruits got me away from that bastard Fuhrer and one of those jackasses gave some drug that is apparently supposed to make me want to shoot myself" Martel explained to Sloth curtly.

[dante]

Sloth nodded softly. "So you escaped... But before I take you to see the Master, I must ask: What possessed you to come here, of all places?"

[silverviper2134]

"I don't know." Martel said simply, turning her head away.

Wrath looked at Martel, and then at Sloth. "What happened to her, Mommy?" he asked, motioning to the snake-chimera.

[dante]

"It would appear she was drugged," Sloth answered him before turning back to their surprise guest. "Luckily for you, our Master has quite a talent for medicine. Are you able to walk?"

[silverviper2134]

Martel seemed to consider this for a moment, before nodding slightly. She got to her feet, wincing slightly. There was still a considerable amount of pain in her stomach, but she could deal with it.

[dante]

Sloth took her by the arm and led her back toward the mansion, looking back every now and then to see if Wrath was following. "I'm surprised Greed was able to rescue you from Pride... It seems I underestimated him."

[silverviper2134]

Martel smirked slightly. "Greed does act like a dumbass most of the time, but he can be pretty ingenuitive at times" she said, before glancing worriedly at her stomach.

"What's wrong with you?" Wrath asked, poking Martel's free arm.

[dante]

"Try not to bother her, dear; she's in pain," Sloth admonished him as she stepped onto the porch. Opening the door, she escorted Martel into the foyer where Dante's old vessel lay sprawled out on the floor.

[silverviper2134]

Out of reflex, Martel attempted to pull free from Sloth's grasp. She had heard something about 'soul-tranfering' before, but she wasn't expecting anything like this

[dante]

Sloth tightened her grip, frowning in disapproval. "Behave yourself... What you see before you is an empty shell, there is no reason to be afraid."

[silverviper2134]

Martel instantly stopped moving, though she wanted to get as far away from that 'shell' as possible. It smelled like rotten shit or something equally as wretched.

[dante]

Sloth gave her arm a forceful jerk, then lead her into the dining room.

Dante, hearing them enter, looked up from her plate and dropped her fork when she saw Martel. She stared at her in silence for a few moments before speaking up: "....What an unexpected surprise," she hissed.

[silverviper2134]

Martel narrowed her eyes slightly, looking away from the ancient alchemist bitch.

Wrath looked from Martel to his master. "Mommy and me found her in the woods. Apparently she got drugged by someone and it's doing something to that baby of her's" he informed Dante.