Chapter Text
Flame slams the door to his base open and leaves it ajar, well, it wasn’t like it was going to close properly anyways since it was already busted and broken from, Flame guesses, the Law bargaining in and messing everything up.
Flame shucks some random trash he had in his inventory into whatever sad corner of his base as the door hinges and creaks as Wemmbu pushes the door slightly.
Wemmbu narrows his eyes at the mess Flames base was in, the walls were bare, most of the decorations (sorry excuses of banners) were on the floor and there was dirt almost everywhere. The chests were broken and anything useful was gone.
“Damn, this is where’ve you been living?”
“Yeah, no thanks to your friend Lettuce,” Flame spits the name out like it’s a curse, “And besides… it’s not that bad. You’ve seen how it was before the Law fucked it up, I had a pretty good—“
Wemmbu scoffed, “Yeah, you’re unorganized plain base with Boosfer—“
“Bro. This is not Boosfers base, he just made a room here… and my base isn't disorganized or plain it looks fine!”
“Okay man whatever you say,” Wemmbu passes a finger over the lid of a chest and flicks off invisible dust, “Hey, does this mean I’m finally able to make a room here?”
Flame rolls his eyes, “Whatever bro, just make it in Boosfers room or something, mine out some space if you want to. But don’t touch anything outside of that.”
“Fair enough. I’m surprised you even wanted me here.”
“It’s not like I’m going to live in Law HQ and be a prisoner, do you think I’m stupid?” Wemmbu shrugs, if Flame didn’t have his back to him a fight would have broken out, “Lettuce isn’t being subtle in what he’s trying to do, I'm surprised you would let him push you around like that.”
Wemmbu was silent.
“What? Too embarrassed to say anything?” Flame turns to Wemmbu and was surprised to find he wasn't bristling with rage. Wemmbu was strangely calm, quiet to his taunt which made Flame uneasy, even though he didn’t know why. “Or you’re content with being his little lap dog, because you’re getting something out of this? Trying to recover your reputation after I beat you so badly… Yknow— cause I’m the strongest and y—you’ll never beat me, ever.” Fuck Flame was starting to stutter, losing his confidence as Wemmbu just stared at him and let him yap. This is why he hated talking. He’d rather all conversations he had was just fighting because this was awkward.
“Bro, I— I’m actually disappointed that you would stop so low to work with someone like Lettuce— like, bro, you’re obviously leeching off anyone with power, like how it was with Zam before— before he tossed you aside.”
“Okay, so that literally isn’t relevant to this situation,” bringing up Zam made Wemmbu start to talk again and Flame felt relief even if it was barely overpowering the guilt that was forming. He didn’t mean to say that but… it just slipped out. Or maybe he did mean it, why does Flame care?
Wemmbu doesn't seem mad though, just more tense at the mention of Zam, and Flame doesn't blame him.
Flame was prepared to double down but he barely stops himself, the urge to be an asshole to Wemmbu was great but he didn’t actually want to bring up the memories of Zam, after all he was one of the few that knew what had happened between the two of them and it made even him feel a little bit… Never mind.
It wasn’t like he had a choice in the matter, he didn’t feel guilt. That was stupid.
He was just ordered by Zam and was getting money out of destroying Wemmbus civilization. And he needed that. If Wemmbu had just.. Flame doesn't know… left Zam alone? Maybe he wouldn’t have been hurt as badly. But instead he and Egg and Mane—
Manepear.
After everything Mane did for him back then, after Mane betrayed Flame for him. Wemmbu was working with Lettuce to endanger him?
“Right, I shouldn’t mention your past, I forgot how you like to run away from your problems,” Flame spits out Wemmbu visibly recoils at the rage Flame has in his voice but he quickly steels his surprise into a glare.
“Whats that supposed to mean?”
“Dont act like the reason why you faked your death was so you could run away from my rematch after you cheated and beat me—“
“Are you serious? Not everything is about you, Flame!”
“Really? So it’s just a coincidence you decided to throw away everything and live as a nobody right after our duel? It just sounds like another sad attempt at abandoning your responsibilities because you realized that you’re not cut out to do anything!”
“I’m not cut out to do anything? I won against you, you're just bitter I took away the one thing you were good at, and you're not even the best at it!”
“BRO, YOU CHEATED!”
“I DIDNT CHEAT! I WON FAIR AND SQUARE, JUST BECAUSE I USED A DIFFERENT WEAPON OTHER THAN A FUCKING SWORD DOSNT MEAN THAT I DIDNT BEAT YOU!”
“YOU HAD NUKES! YOU HAD A MACE! IF YOU REALLY WERE THE STRONGEST YOU COULD WIN WITHOUT OVERPOWERED MECHANICS!”
“I USED WHAT I HAD, UNLIKE YOU I'M NOT UNABLE TO USE MY BRAIN AND MAKE PLANS. AT LEAST I DON'T ACT LIKE I HAVE A STICK UP MY ASS TELLING ME TO USE A SWORD LIKE I HAVE NO OTHER CHOICES.”
“YOU THINK YOUR FUCKING BETTER THEN ME?”
They pause for a second to breathe, the base was filled with them panting and glaring at each other. Flames arm was smoking.
“Yes, of course I am. Because at least I’m someone without a stupid title, you cling to it with your life and it makes you look pathetic, Flame.”
Flame covers the distance between them in a second and he’s already raising his sword, Wemmbu of course predicted this and he’s able to block the strike with… nothing. Wemmbu is reminded suddenly that he was stripped of his armor, he’s vulnerable and he has no shield. The best he could do was attempt to make the strike nonfatal and… block it with his arm? That’ll hurt. Well, it’s better than better than dying.
It wasn’t like this would be the first time Flames left a scar on him.
Wemmbu arm as Flame swings down and he braces himself for the sharp wave of pain that would follow, if he was lucky maybe Flame would give him a golden apple afterward, then Wemmbu is going right back to Lettuce because he’s not going to be welcome here after this. And it’s not like he’s going to want to stay here either.
What did he expect?
Flame was his rival.
And it was always going to stay that way. Marriage or not.