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“Wait, Flame? Bro, why are you in the mafia?”
Wemmbu had just wanted to free Eggchan. His friend, in his time in the Mafia, had set a stasis that a diamond member had pulled. Wemmbu came, obviously, and the two fought.
He did not, however, expect to see FlameFrags when he popped the player’s totem.
He should have.
Flame had always been against Wemmbu. He had attacked his empire and fought against Mane, working under PrinceZam’s orders.
He hadn’t seen him since ClownPierce. But here he was, holding Egg in an obsidian box in order to lure Wemmbu in.
Flame demanded he hand over his mace. Wemmbu steadily refused, instead flying into the air and launching himself towards the blaze, mace striking against his shield.
The two exchanged sword blows, Flame keeping him from taking off. Occasionally, Wemmbu would catch a window where he could rocket up. Flame would block with his shield each time.
At one point, Wemmbu got a hit on Flame, so he pulled out a bow. Wemmbu didn’t realize the effect at first, until he figured out that his mace wasn’t working anymore
Slow falling.
“Are we seriously doing this right now?” He shouted as his sword met Flame’s.
“I wouldn’t have to if you didn’t use that mace!”
The two continued to exchange blows, but with Wemmbu grounded, the tides were turning. Wemmbu suffered a slash to the arm and Flame took the opportunity to back away from the fight and approach the cage.
Egg.
Before Wemmbu could get over, Flame had mined the obsidian separating the two and was right next to him, holding a sword to the angel’s throat.
“Wemmbu, hand over the mace. Or I’ll kill Egg, right here, right now.” He eyed Flame sceptically. He was too far away, stuck standing outside the prison. Wemmbu definitely wouldn’t have time to react if Flame decided to act.
“Here’s how this is going to go,” Flame continued. “You’re going to surrender. All of your weapons. Then I’ll let Egg go. A trade.”
Wemmbu growled. “I popped your totem in 10 seconds. What makes you think you could beat me?”
Flame grinned, something feral behind it. “Because I would hate it if my sword slipped and your little friend here faced the consequences. What’s it going to be, bro?”
“I’d just kill you first,” he shot back. “You had to call 3 gold trims to fight me last time.”
“I wasn’t even trying then. And, besides, I don’t think you’re in the position to negotiate.” Flame’s sword tip pushed against Egg’s neck, spilling a few drops of blood.
Wemmbu looked down at his mace. Then looked back at Egg. Physically, he was standing tall, only a slight quiver in his hands. But his wings were tucked tight behind his back, a sign of his fear.
There really was only one choice.
He threw the mace on the ground at Flame’s feet. He grinned, picking it up. But he didn’t back away.
“What are you doing, bro? I gave you the mace. Now let him go.”
“As much as I appreciate your sign of negotiation, I’m going to need a little more. A mace is one thing, but to free a prisoner, someone else has to be offered up, hm? A soul for a soul.”
Wemmbu glared at him. “What? You want me to find some chungie?”
Flame laughed. “Oh, Wemmbu. You really don’t understand what’s happening here.”
“Ashswag knows what you’ve been doing. You and Mane.” He spit the name out. He and his brother weren’t on good terms.
“Raiding bases, killing players. You’ve been a thorn in the side of the mafia recently. But, y’know what? We can fix that, all right here.”
Wemmbu narrowed his eyes. Flame’s grin grew. “All you have to do is set a stasis. Then Egg over here will be free.”
Wemmbu physically backed up. “No. No way. There’s no way in hell you expect me to do that.”
Flame tossed an ender pearl in his hand. “You want your friend, don’t you? Really, this is generous. Traitors of the Mafia never get free.”
A trade. A soul for a soul. It made sense. Wemmbu had combat experience, he’d be a better resource for the Mafia. And they held leverage to make him do whatever they wanted.
Before he spoke, Wemmbu met Egg’s eye. He shook his head frantically, eyes widened. Flame held a hand over his mouth, preventing him from talking, but the message was clear. Don’t do it.
That was never going to be an option.
He stepped forwards. Flame tossed him an enderpearl, and gestured to the second obsidian structure. In the center of it was a bubble column. A stasis chamber waiting to be set.
“How can I be sure you don’t have any more stasises set for Egg? That you won’t go back on the deal immediately?” He kept his voice cool and neutral, unwilling to give his inner turmoil away.
“As if that would stop the Mafia from hunting him down anyway. But no, there would be no point in keeping track of your little friend. He’d be fine without you.”
Wemmbu took a deep breath in. He stood directly in front of the chamber, pearl in hand. This throw would chain him. He’d lose his freedom. His life.
But he’d grant Egg his. He glanced back at his friend. The light to Wemmbu’s darkness. Wemmbu was a devil, causing destruction wherever he went. Eggchan was an angel. Nothing like him.
It was for the best.
Flame laughed as he threw the pearl. It disappeared into the murky water and then floated back up, bobbing at the surface. It was done.
Wemmbu stepped away. Flame let go of Egg, walking towards the stasis. “Pleasure doing business with you,” he smirked.
Wemmbu ignored him, going to Egg’s side. There was a small cut at his throat, but he seemed otherwise unharmed.
“You shouldn’t have done that, bro.”
“I wasn’t about to let you die.”
Egg stayed quiet. Wemmbu’s purple wings spread out behind him, brushing against Egg’s. The two took off in sync, heading back to the jungle. Egg was abnormally quiet, but Wemmbu didn’t bother him.
The treehouse came into sight, but something felt off. The two landed in the treehouse, by where they usually met Mane, but he was nowhere to be seen.
“Mane?” He called. No response.
The two searched the treehouse, but there was no sign of the lion. Not in the basement, or his bathroom, or by the training field, or by the shulkers.
Wemmbu was flying around, looking around for clues, when he saw it. A sign, by the edge of the tree. He flew over to it.
There were two words written on the wood. But they were enough to break Wemmbu’s heart in two.
“Lost Cause”
Without a word, he broke the sign, throwing the pieces off the tree. Egg didn’t need to see that.
He flew back up to the top, where Egg was. “I don’t think Mane’s coming back,” he told him.
“Why?”
“Just… a feeling.”
Egg looked at him. Wemmbu hadn’t seen it before, but there were tears in his eyes.
“It’s my fault,” he finally said.
Wemmbu immediately denied it. “No way, bro. No.”
Egg shook his head. “I was the hostage. I was the reason Flame had leverage on you. Now the Mafia has your pearl…”
Wemmbu grabbed Egg’s hand. “No. Don’t you dare say that. Egg, if anything, this is my fault. Mane wanted to help save you. He knew it was Flame, knew he could take him. I was the one who ran off alone.”
He thought back at the sign. After the first time Wemmbu had failed Mane, he had lectured him on listening and obeying his teammates. But then Wemmbu had done it again, and Mane had walked away.
Lost cause, huh. Everybody wants to fight but nobody wants to learn.
Egg hugged him, wrapping his wings around his body. “I’m still sorry.”
Wemmbu closed his eyes, resting his chin on the angel’s head. “It’ll be okay. The Mafia won’t last forever, bro. And they won’t kill me. I’ll be fine, back before you know it.”
“I’ll miss you, bro.” Egg’s voice was muffled, but still loud and clear. Wemmbu smiled despite himself.
“I will too. Take care of yourself while I’m gone. All the resources here– use them. I’ll come back for you. I promise.”
Egg pulled away. The two looked at each other for a long moment. Best friends, perhaps brothers.
“No one could make me forget you, anyway. I’ll kill Ash and come back. You won’t even realize I’m gone.”
Egg laughed. “The Mafia won’t know what hit them.”
The two walked down the staircase of the treehouse, cracking jokes to ease the heaviness in their hearts. They still had time before Wemmbu would get taken. They would make it last.
When Wemmbu’s stasis was pulled, he disappeared with a smile. He knew he’d be subject to conditioning and horror. He’d be forced to work for them, kill players that they told him to and act as a gear in Ash’s machine.
But it was okay. Because whenever Wemmbu would get lost in the blood, he’d remember Egg. The feather hanging around his neck, a constant reminder of his brother waiting for him.
The mafia would fall. And when it did, Wemmbu would return. Nothing could keep them apart for long.