Chapter Text
Despite working for the old champion, it still makes him uncomfortable that he looms over him while he dictates Evbo’s impending doom. The villain sits next to him, carefully watching his writing. Clearly, they don’t trust him to get Evbo’s attention. (Which is absurd; there is literally a paper trail to say otherwise.)
“Okay, Seawatt, let's start with this. You’ll say ‘I’m sorry’ to draw him in. After a second, I want you to tell him something vulnerable, okay?”
“Make it something he’ll care about. Not the whole ‘My parents are dead’ thing. You’ve already used it, and it's a pretty lame backstory anyway,” The Parkour villain says while throwing an arm around Seawatt’s shoulder and putting his full weight onto Seawatt.
Seawatt has to brace himself against both the insult and the weight pushing him downwards. He scowls at the smiling clown; distantly, he wishes to grab the ink pot and smear a frown onto the mask. He thinks a sad clown would fit this man better.
“Sorry for having a family that loved me. What would you deem as an appropriate vulnerability? Should I tell him that I’m so so lonely or that the only company I have is you two bastards?” Seawatt says while shoving the villain off of him
“Actually, being lonely could work. From reading what he’s written, it seems like godhood isn’t all sunshine and rainbows,” The old champion says. “Besides, manipulation works better if there is some genuine feeling behind it. At least for noobs.”
The old champion puts his hands on Seawatt’s shoulders and digs his fingers in to emphasize the last part. Frankly, Seawatt isn’t even sure which parts to be most offended by, but they do make a good point. Evbo has said he feels isolated, and that could be easy to exploit.
Reluctantly, he writes, “Evbo, I’m sorry.”
A couple of seconds later, he starts writing again. “It’s been lonely here without talking to you. There isn’t much to do in hell, and writing to you has made the monotony so much more tolerable.”
“Oh, that’s good, Seawatt. Next, write something even more miserable. Like ‘I met the old champion, and he totally beat my ass’ or something like that.” The old champion says while sitting down on the other side of Seawatt. He can’t see either of their faces, but the scoff the parkour villain just let out says he’s doing something like rolling his eyes.
“Real modest of you, should we also tell Evbo that you are the mastermind behind this whole evil plan?” The villain says, leaning forward to look the ex-champion in the eye. (What’s probably his eye, he does have a helmet on, so does the Villain too, actually.)
“I’m just saying it's believable enough!”
“Just because it's true doesn’t mean saying it is a good idea. Evbo doesn’t trust us, why would telling him that we’re here be any sort of good idea?”
Seawatt ignored their bickering after they started to physically fight, too. How these two thought they would escape together is beyond Seawatt’s imagination. He did start laughing when the champion managed to trap the Villain with an impossible jump. Sometimes they weren’t all that bad. If they can’t be revived, Seawatt wouldn’t mind being trapped here with them goofing off...And if they can be revived, they would take over the world together, with not even Evbo coming between them. Focusing back on the journal, he sees Evbo has started to write again.
“Seawatt, I appreciate the apology. Really…”
The tightness finally retracts from his chest. The unease and worry he had been feeling are gone now. Evbo isn’t mad at him, and things will be just fine. It's really easy to ignore the facts if you think hard enough. The facts, of course, are that the three of them, together, are all actively working to hurt what Evbo loves. For now, while the other two are messing around, Seawatt can pretend that it's just them in the book.
“It's been a while, what have you been up to?”
And so the waiting for an answer begins again. He doesn’t know what kind of answer he wants from Evbo. It would hurt if he said he’s been doing well without talking to him, but he would feel bad if Evbo wasn’t doing well. Yeah, he wants to manipulate him and eventually plan his revenge, but he doesn’t see how Evbo’s momentary happiness can’t be factored in.
“Honestly, Seawatt, I’ve been bad. :( Emf and I got into a fight about me even using the journal. He doesn’t trust me enough to make my own decisions.”
That surprised Seawatt, Evbo, and Emf were close. The fact that they could fight was honestly shocking to him.
“But you’re God? Surely you can be trusted?”
“That’s what I said! Thanks for seeing my side. Talking to you is somehow making the day less shitty.”
“You like him, don’t you, Seawatt?” The villain teases while coming back to the platform.
“What!? NO! I don’t like him. He’s annoying, he is way too trusting, and he ruins all of my plans. If anything, I am glad to be rid of him because he bothers me so much. I would gladly never see him again.” Frankly, it was absurd that was even suggested. He has been so explicit in how he wants revenge and what he wants to do with Evbo and Emf.
“Seawatt, your eyes lit up as soon as he wrote back. You guys just had an argument a week ago and the first words from him have you blushing and smiling,” The evil champion says while hopping back onto the platform.
Before he could stammer out another half-assed excuse. The villain interrupts him.
“Seawatt, it's understandable to fall in love with the champion,” He said while deliberately pushing the old champion out of the way. “Or a god in this case.”
He looked back at Seawatt now, intensely, like he had finally put the pieces together. Like he pitied him because he knew the ending, and it could never end well.
“Do you feel like the world is more intoxicating when you are with him? Or like right there, in that very moment, nothing could ever go wrong?” The villain says, sitting down next to Seawatt again. He puts his arm around Seawatt and draws himself closer.
“That’s how the Old Man drew me in. Really, there is nothing to be ashamed of, for wanting someone so powerful.”
Does he want Evbo?
The old champion comes to sit at the other side of him and starts reading the newest journal entries while Seawatt thinks. Truthfully, he doesn’t want Evbo’s power. When he was alive, he was plenty powerful enough for himself. But he does miss the time they spent together in the fighter layer.
“But he’s with Emf. I can’t compete with that,” Seawatt says. Which is not what Seawatt meant to say. He meant to say it's not true, and he only thought of Evbo’s smiles like you would a friend. And that he only mulled over their conversations a couple of times a day.
“I don’t think Emf is going to be a problem much longer. It looks like their relationship is on the rocks right now.” The champion laughs. It’s a dark and ominous thing, and it does send shivers down Seawatt’s spine.
“I’d say you could convince Evbo to revive us right now. Then, when we’re alive, you can have him all to yourself. No Emf required.” The champion continues, looking at Seawatt.
“Seawatt, I feel like we forgot to ask you what you wanted after our glorious revenge. Clearly, not power, you’ve always preferred to work in the shadows and as a silent force rather than the head of an operation. So Seawatt, what do you want? What would make this the most valuable to you?” The villain says into Seawatt’s ear. He’s really starting to hate how much these guys like to touch him.
“I…” Seawatt starts to say. He doesn’t know what he wants, much less if it's Evbo.
“Don’t think too hard, okay.” The villain says while rubbing his arm gently. “You still have time to decide what you want. For now, let’s just focus on one step at a time.”
“Just tell him exactly what he wants you to say.” The ex-champion says while dropping the book into his lap.
Seawatt picks up the book and quill to write back.
“And don’t worry, we’ll be right here to get what you want,” The champion chuckles while sitting back down on Seawatt’s other side. “Let’s start with ‘I’m just glad I’m here for you.’”
With a deep breath, Seawatt writes, “I’m just glad I’m here for you.”