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Not a day goes by that Egg isn't grateful to be friends with Wemmbu. Even when he’d try to stay back, hide in the shadows until it was safe, his friend would pull him out and share his world with him. It’s guaranteed that he and Egg will be side by side forever.
So when he’d suggested the ‘fake your death and go invis’ idea to Wemmbu, he hadn't actually expected for him to take it seriously. Yet, his friend praised him for the idea and soon enough, he was waving goodbye promising he’d be back soon. Thus, with Egg stuck in the end, he really had no choice but to watch as Wemmbu came and left over and over again. He felt left behind and entirely invisible, which was ironic.
This feeling of worthlessness didn't disappear despite being freed from the end. They were side by side once again, but he couldn't help but wonder if he had the right to be running next to Wenmmbu.
· ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
The first thing he did when he heard Wemmbu’s voice again was to start cracking jokes. It’s easier to laugh than fight when you’re constantly stuck in a situations like his. After his friend made his demands, Egg gladly donned his role of the helpless victim to buy time for him to take action. Finally this whole entire thing would be over. He really hated being kidnapped.
“...are you broke or, am I just worth nothing?” Egg teased.
“This is good money!” Yungwill refuted.
“Bro... can someone raise this?” he said, glancing towards Wemmbu.
Egg could practically see the tension radiating off him. The death grip on gambit, wary glances to arachnid and the fact Flamefrags had just betrayed all gave pretty good contributors to his not so hidden uneasiness. He hoped his friend could still keep a level head, a fight was going to erupt soon. It's predictable when Flame and Wemmbu are in the same place at the same time.
Focusing back on the auction, Egg noticed the invis player hadn’t taken anyone’s wager yet. But he wasn't too worried about being ‘sold’, it's not like this debate was going to last much longer anyways. His friend would free him and then they’d boat away into the sunset. When they got back to their base they could drop their masks. Just thinking about it made Egg smile, he glanced up to make sure he hadn’t made too much noise.
The tug of his stasis made him freeze as he watched Wemmbu's eyes widen as he disappeared.
· ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
The look he’d seen on Wemmbu's face made him pause. Egg had no talent in pvp compared to his friend’s prowess, yet, being each other's confidants gave him the confidence to proclaim his rescue was inevitable. He saw no harm in making a few jokes instead of trying to escape himself.
After all, he seemed to be the type of person who forged his own future and forgot the past. He never mentioned much of people who betrayed them or died. His friend always switched his attention to fighting the newest civilization who wanted him dead. Had he really never noticed any signs of fear on Wemmbu? Or had he just ignored them?
He’d assumed his friend yearned, or at least reminisced about his ‘glory days’. When he’d been an unstoppable force, a smile on his face has been as predictable as the sun. When he and Egg were the ones who chased after players, when they’d had enough resources to be thoughtlessly leaving them in shulkers around the servers.
Wemmbu was the brawn, Egg was the brain.
Egg glanced around him, finally taking in his surroundings and was met with obsidian all around him. He could barely see his hand in front of his face. There was little to no space to move around, stretching his arm out left him touching the wall.
Maybe if he was stronger he wouldn't be uselessly leaning against obsidian and awaiting rescues. He sinks to the ground and waits. His friend will surely save him soon.
When had he begun to think of Wemmbu as a means to an end, just like everyone else?
· ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Wemmbu wanted to go home and throw pencils at Egg more than anything. Instead, he was doing his best to mace and dodge attacks from aracnid, the invis player and flame all (after he so rudely betrayed!) all at the same time. With his rapidly depleting resources he wasn’t going to last much longer. I mean are they seriously going to keep on attacking when this battle is obviously going nowhere? They ought to just let Wemmbu take back the angel, he's not something to own, he’s his friend.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a large dark structure with a wide frame and dramatic staircase. If his past experience with ‘big bads’ in the server were to be trusted, there's a pretty high chance that's where Egg was being kept hostage.
Weaving through attacks, he ducked behind a pillar and threw down a invis pot. Removed his armour and started looking around, none had noticed he’d vanished yet. He dashed out from the shadows and made his way to the ominous doorway.
· ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
“I look forward to our partnership.” Arachnid was sitting opposite him, and Wemmbu could barely register he was speaking. The jolts of the carriage as they crossed didn't even phase him. All he could focus on were the words of Arachnid and Yungy looping in his head. He still didn't know where Egg was.
He’d failed to do the one thing he was good for, for the one person who was good to him.
The carriage jerked and he didn't bother to catch himself. He watched as the ground got closer when Arachnid’s hand lunged out and caught him by the arm.
“Careful now. I need you at full health for our future plans.” he said with a small smile.
Wemmbu jumped back, hitting his head against the wooden carriage frame. He barely felt it, much more focused on the person in front of him.
“Yeah! And at least pretend like you're listening to us!” Yungy quipped, making full eye contact while putting his finger in Wemmbu’s face. Almost like he was giving a misbehaving child a lecture.
He couldn't take this anymore. He didn't want in on any part of this. He wanted to go home.
“WEMMBU!!” an awfully familiar voice rang out. Kind of like-
He scrambled to find the source of the sound.
Running full force beside the carriage was Eggchan. Instantly, he felt a smile stretch across his face as he threw himself out the carriage.
“HEY. GET BACK HERE.” Yungy tried to grip onto the same arm Arachnid had just held.
“WEMMBU ITS ME!” The angel stretched his hand out towards him. Wemmbu landed on the ground with an oomph before pushing himself off the ground.
“I'M RIGHT BEHIND YOU, BRO.” he shouted towards Egg’s back.
Egg had been running for quite a while, judging from his heavy breathing, he needed to take a break soon. He quickened his pace. He was so close to him, his hand reached out in his direction and sometimes for a few seconds they’d graze the angel's coat. He didn't care for the arrows flying by his head or the sound of feet running after him, all he cared about was his only friend's safety. For his friend’s sake, Wemmbu needed to be by his side.
“Wemmbu. I will ban Eggchan if you don't turn around.” Arachnid was going to close in on them soon judging by how clearly he could hear him. But none of that mattered.
All he could see was Egg running through the grass gasping for air, the wind gliding through his wings and his laughter ringing out across the field. Wemmbu's feet crushed the grass as he ran faster, the air blew through his hair creating a buzzing sound that rang in his ears. He could feel himself matching the angel’s pace.
Egg glanced beside him and smiled as Wemmbu grabbed onto him and pulled him closer, putting mouth near his ear.
“Ill get us out of here, take this wood, craft a boat. Then hide!” Wemmbu immediately fired off instructions, he wouldn't fail Egg again.
“Got it.” His friend took the planks and changed course to the tree line.
Wemmbu stopped running and shifted his body to slightly face Arachnid, he wasn't really in the position to take a fight but he could buy Egg time.
“Just go.” Is all Arachnid had to say, looking at him bitterly.
“Wha- so thats it? I can go? What happened to forcing me to work? Not even gonna try to take Egg hostage again?” He was in disbelief, after the auctioning on the angel’s life and hiring people to kill him he was giving up that easily? No way.
“Alright. You know what? I don't know, or care, what you're planning to do next so just- leave us alone. Go make someone else be your dog or… whatever. I'm out of here.” Arachnid’s letting him go but most of all, Egg as well… Egg could make sense of it with some convoluted metaphor. No use thinking about it.
“I can always try again.” was the last thing Wemmbu heard Arachnid day before he disappeared into the forest.
· ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Egg glanced behind him where his friend was leaning against the doorframe. Halfway out the door fiddling his hair between his fingers. He’d just finished retelling him about the “great adventure” he’d been forced to go on to save him. Which he figured the guy had, to a great extent, oversimplified.
As long as the two of them could still stand next to each other, he was satisfied.
“Hey wanna know something funny?” Looks like Wemmbu still has more to say.
“I mean like sure, I guess, bro.” Egg made his way towards his study making sure to tilt his head to hear.
“I almost gave those chungies Gambit-” He cut himself off.
Immediately he knew the lighthearted mood was over. He never joked about his maces like this.
“...Wanna tell me why or are you gonna keep being cryptic.” Sitting down at his desk he turned his chair around to face the other.
“You’re smart, you can figure it out.” There's a small smirk on Wemmbu’s face.
“Wow thanks, I can feel the answer coming to me through your telepathic signals.” Maybe it's the selfish part of him speaking, but Egg feels happy to hear his friend equate his value to something of high significance. He felt important.
“Do you think we’ll ever be left alone, in peace?” They had to address this at some point, it couldn't be left in the air forever.
“I don't think I deserve to be. You’re a good person Egg, you could go and live a life. But, you’ve seen what I'm like. I'm fickle, I can control my emotions and that usually ends in me causing even more destruction because of them.” Wemmbu looked at the angel before continuing.
“Seriously… you can't actually think I of all people deserve some happily ever after. I'm not a good person.” His eyes darted to the ground.
“What about me?”
“What about you?” There's confusion written all over his face.
“What if my ‘happily ever after’ includes you.” making sure they were both looking at each other as he said it.
To Egg, his future is only promised if Wemmbu’s in it. His power keeps him safe and his presence gives him a home.
His friend’s face went wide before he hid it under a mask of indifference and looked away. All he could hope was that all his friend’s worries were soothed. After deciding the conversation was over, given by the fact Wemmbu looked to be off in his own world, Egg opened his book and began recording the past few day’s events. Only the noise of pen to paper and the occasional shifting of clothes behind him gave any inclination his friend was still here.
“Am I a bad person?” Wemmbu broke the silence.
Well, considering the things he’d done, it wasn't crazy to say Wemmbu is a bad person. The rest of the server saw him as some power obsessed menace. He noticed Wemmbu was avoiding his gaze. Egg isn't ready to face his own cowardice, much less his best friend's inner turmoil. He isn't really sure how successful his words would reach him, that was more Rejoice’s skill.
“Definitely not.” Egg turned back around to his desk.
“...I think you're wrong.” Wemmbu flicked his hair over his shoulder. It smacked against the wood and echoed. He knew Egg hated that noise. Even if he was thankful for the distraction, two could play that game.
“Wemmbu.” Egg said irritated
“Hm?” His friend sluggishly turned to him.
“Am I a good person?”
Wemmbu looked at Eggchan’s head, his body leaning against the side of his chair refusing to meet his eye.
Despite everything Wemmbu as done, his friend was right there with him.
He watched as the angel’s head turned slightly, there was a smile on his face. Wemmbu felt himself mirroring the expression.
“Definitely not.” Wemmbu turned and walked away. They had a long day ahead of them.