Post by The Madness Menagerie on May 14, 2021 18:38:54 GMT -5
Eugene Constance Hawke had always considered himself to be a successful man. He had a charming, stay-at-home wife, his one child was a boy that would be able to carry on the Hawke name for at least another generation, and he was forever successful in his job up until he was forced to retire. Eugene could look back on his life and smile at all of his accomplishments but as soon as he opened his eyes, when he brought himself back to the present; all he saw was the abject failure that was his son Sebastian.
When Eugene last saw his offspring, he was thrown to the side by Sebastian and his friends. BOYfriends, probably. Eugene couldn’t tell the difference, it was 2021 after all. Still, as he sat at a Baltimore bar and watched the local news talk about Chaos, Carnage, and the young up and comer Sebastian Hawke being the savior of his team at Incursion, Eugene couldn’t help but swallow the bile that rises in his chest. He gestures for the bartender to come over and orders another shot. Since being ousted from Sebastian’s life, Eugene never went back to Las Vegas. Instead, he followed Sebastian at a distance, trying to think of a way he could repay his son for all of his misdoings. He smiles as his shot comes and he reaches for his wallet, his hand lightly brushing the picture he had stolen in the dead of night from his son’s abandoned apartment. When the time was right…
His thoughts are interrupted by a conversation from the people next to him, watching the latest episode of Chaos, or whatever it was that was playing on TV at the time.
“Buncha fairies prancing half naked if ya’ ask me!”
“Heard that it’s all choreographed anyways…”
“I kind of like it…”
The group pauses as they look at the last person and then they all laugh, the joke obvious. The first speaker’s voice belonged to the man closest to Eugene, a big guy with muscles for his muscles, and even more to spare. He eyes Eugene. “Ya’ got something to say?”
Eugene couldn’t speak for a moment, unaware he had just been caught staring. He eyes the group before making eye contact with the speaker, gathering what remained of his courage after being called out, takes his shot, and replies. “Just that… I agree with you. Bunch of fairies. My son… He’s…” Eugene does his best to look sad as he looks at the TV, an Entourage highlight conveniently being played, with Sebastian being featured. Eugene looks back at the man. “He’s an embarrassment. Not only does he insist upon ‘wrestling’ but he…” Eugene looks away, once again feeling the picture in his pocket. Slowly he pulls it out and sets it on the bar, the men crowding around him to see; a picture of Sebastian Hawke, picking up a boy no older than ten, in a giant hug. “Looks like my son is a… Well…” Eugene once again gestures for another shot as the second man speaks up.
“Hey, that’s on us. What was your name?”
Eugene smirks as he replies. “Eugene Hawke. Just retired from the Air Force to spend some time with my family and this is what I come home to. I just don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“I do.” The first man once again speaks and grabs the picture, pocketing it. “Boys, let’s spread this around. Trash like this doesn’t belong in our city. Thank you Eugene for your service… And for helping us take out some trash.”
Eugene’s smile grows wider, almost sinister. Suddenly, he felt like he didn’t have to worry about Sebastian. Ever. Again.
Sebastian was never one to read the dirt sheets when it came to rumors, “juicy tidbits,” or anything he’d rather not think about. That’s why when Ax called Seb to tell him all of this stuff, he dropped the phone when he heard that there was a rumor he and Frankie…
”No…”
Sebastian forces himself to stop thinking about it, instead turning up the music with one hand and concentrating on getting to Frankie’s house. He feels the car surge forward under him and for the briefest of moments, he forgets about why he was headed to Frankie’s house.
That sensation is quickly vanquished from Seb’s mind as he rounds the corner and sees Frankie’s father outside his house, alone. Sebastian pulls the car to a stop in front of the house and hops out, awkwardly coming over and joining Albert in leaning against the side. Albert Jennings sighs and rubs the back of his neck.
“So, I’m guessing you heard?”
Sebastian nods, not trusting his voice right now. He knew he was ready to explode but this was the last place he wanted to lose his temper on the subject. He still couldn’t believe the rumor.
“Seb look, Nancy and I love you. The things you helped Frankie with, the memories you gave him, they’re irreplaceable.”
Finding his voice Sebastian chokes out, “But…” His voice is low, an undertone of sadness mixed with rage at the unknown person that started this.
Albert sighs again, his voice somber. “But….” He hesitates but continues. “But between the drag show with you as the main event…”
“The drag show?! Albert… Mr. Jennings, please. You can’t be serious?” Sebastian stops, takes a deep breath, and does his best to keep it together. “If that’s a problem I’ll drop from it, completely. I’ll wash my hands of it and I’m sure Silvio and Ax would understand…”
“No… Seb…” Albert sighs and puts a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder, something he hoped was reassuring. “I love the idea and so does Nance. However, between that and now this rumor… People are talking and we HAVE to protect Frankie, you know, do what’s best for him. I know you don’t want things to escalate. It’s just…” Albert takes a deep breath and plows forward before Sebastian can interrupt. “Add the two together and people get their ideas about your relationship. I just… I can’t let that happen to Frankie. That’s why I have to ask you to not see Frankie anymore. Nancy and I won’t do anything crazy of course…” Albert stops and squeezes Seb’s shoulder. Sebastian sniffles in response.
“But I can’t see Frankie. I’m… Sorry about everything. I really am.” Sebastian hesitates. “I didn’t mean for things to go so… Wrong.” The last word drips with disdain and Seb shivers slightly. Albert pulls him in for a hug but Sebastian pulls away. “I can’t. I’ll stay away.” Albert nods as Sebastian gets back in his car and speeds away as quickly as he can.
“This feels weird.”
Sebastian Hawke stands in front of Carnage Arena, wondering if it’s for the last time. He, like everyone else, had heard the news of the impending closure as he stared into space at the Carnage logo above the main entrance.
“Nothing to do but to do though, am I right Avenger? I’ve… Thought a lot about this match since I saw the card posted. Before, I felt that it was easy to tell who was ‘good’ and who was ‘bad.’ The age old story of hero and villain. A lot has happened and all of a sudden my world feels turned upside down. I have to ask myself a LOT, just *who* is a hero in this neverending story we call our professional careers? A legit hate crime was committed right underneath everyone’s collective nose Avenger. You call yourself a ‘hero’ but where do you stand on this topic? If you’re supposed to be the hero that Baltimore needs or even wants, then how can you stand by and do nothing?”
Sebastian sighs sadly and turns to address the camera.
“I’m still considered ‘young’ and ‘immature’ in some eyes Avenger; but even I know that what happened was wrong and make noise about it until something is done. Which, what HAS been done about this Carnage management?” Sebastian gives a pointed stare into the camera lens before continuing.
“Let me get back on topic though Avenger. You and me. Man vs. ‘Hero.’ Does Sebastian Hawke REALLY have what it takes to take on and take down the Baltimore City Champion, Avenger?!” Seb smirks. “I like to think that I do. I went toe to toe with the World Champion, Catalina Cortes and only lost because she got the better of me for all of three seconds. Thanks to me, Carnage’s team won at Incursion. Yeah, it might not have been pretty but it got the job done didn’t it?”
He pauses, a thoughtful expression on his face. “When it comes to us, who is the bad guy and who is the good guy? You call yourself a ‘hero…’”
“Ever heard the phrase ‘Kill your heroes’?”
The camera focuses behind Sebastian; sitting on one of the concrete dividers in the lot is his stablemate and friend, Axton Gunn. He’s wearing wrap-around sunglasses, and a white, pink and blue-striped t-shirt under his customary black denim jacket. Leaning forward with forearms on his knees, he looks unimpressed.
“It means you shouldn’t have heroes, because you’ll idealize them. You’ll put them on a pillar. And when you get close enough and you realize he’s an abysmal human failure just like the rest, you’re only gonna be disappointed.”
He stands up, joining Sebastian with his hands in his pockets.
“It wasn’t just what happened to Jon… I was with him in the hospital, skipped a few shows to keep an eye on him. Never saw you so much as visit or drop off a card, ‘hero’. Speaking of shows I missed, you didn’t have much to say when our UV champ got triple-teamed in a so-called singles match… but there was nothing in it for you there, so I’m not shocked.”
Sebastian smirks. “From where we stand Vengy, your only goal is to gather more fame and prestige by facing people with titles or influence. You attained the Baltimore City Championship and call yourself the city’s champion, the city’s ‘hero,’ but what exactly have you done for The Legion at large, or even the city itself? Any volunteer signings? Photo ops? Hell, up until recently I did my best to give a kid with a terminal disease a chance to smile, make his life better by giving him some fond memories to look back on.” Sebastian stops and takes a deep breath, obviously finding it difficult to continue but does so anyways.
“Where have you been, Avenger? Hell, where were you before you were champion? Like when our brother Dominick did his best to do the right thing for the company and the people around him? Instead of accolades, he gets fired on the spot. Where was the protest? The heroic entity coming in from the sky and saving the day? You want to call yourself a hero so bad yet you marinate yourself with a sense of entitlement and laziness, with the sweet sprinkle of silence when shit turns sour. If this is what being a ‘hero’ is in Carnage?”
Sebastian pauses for effect and eyes the camera. Beside him, Axton sneers. “I’d rather be the bad guy. At least they get shit done.”
“Consider me the villain in this tale then. I’ll make you pay, Avenger, for your silence when you were needed the most. I’ll play the man draped in shadow and the only one that seems to be able to take the ‘hero’ down a peg or two. Make no mistake, I WILL be walking out Chaos the victor, and if that earns me the title of ‘bad guy villain’ then so be it. That’s a spot I’ll happily take considering the opposition I’ve been facing lately.”
“Carnage has been making us the bad guys since day one,” Axton says, looking over the top of his shades at Sebastian. “Let’s give them what they want.”
Sebastian nods. “Avenger’s platform as a hero was built on a foundation of lies and laziness. You want that title SO bad Avenger, that even I can taste it from here. I have to wonder exactly what you think a hero actually is?” Sebastian starts to pace.
“Adrienne Levi did something few people in her position would have thought she was able to do. She overcame each and every obstacle put in front of her and surpassed it. She used this uncanny ability to win a tournament and make her the new Baltimore City Champion. As a champion,” He turns to Ax. “Do you think she’d have allowed any of this to go on?”
Axton shook his head as he popped a strip of bright green chewing gum into his mouth. “Nah. ‘Cuz she actually understood what the belt around her waist meant.”
“But let’s not dwell too much on the past, how about we go with a more recent event?” Sebastian centers his gaze on the camera. “Incursion. Not only did our UV Champion get ambushed in a cowardly move by UGWC, but Catalina, Carnage World Champion, was betrayed by one of our own. Where were you Avenger? You could have swooped in to make the save, be all heroic and shit, yet once again there is no sign of you. If I had been there still? I would have made sure that I had run out and helped out Cat. We might not see eye to eye on what it means to hold that belt either, but that doesn’t change the fact I’d be there to help defend the face of Carnage.”
Sebastian sighs and looks over at Ax. “It’s weird how we both show off more heroic traits in the last several months than Avenger has in his little finger, and WE get branded as ‘too mean’ or ‘bad people.’”
“Uhhuh. I’m a bully now, apparently, because I called Cortes out on her tiny head, but whenever I show a lick of anger when someone’s giving me shit, I’m the one who needs to ‘take a joke’. Where’s the justice in that?” Axton scoffs, chewing his gum while he speaks. “Where’s our Discount Green Lantern, the Avenger, swooping in to make things right?”
“Too busy trying to figure out his next high profile target. I had a feeling this meeting was going to happen sooner or later. My star is on the rise early on in my career and Avenger wants a match to ride my coattails into the night.” Sebastian hops onto a nearby small wall and balances perfectly as he continues his pacing from a height. “That’s fine but that gives me the opportunity to compare scorecards. I’m not one to usually toot my own horn, but I’m the one that won the team match at Incursion, representing Carnage to the best of my ability. How did you fare in your bout against Centurion, ‘hero?’”
“You lost, bitch,” Axton says, popping a bright green bubble.
Sebastian winces. “Rough dude. Looks like I get the point there. Let’s see. As Chaos Champion I represented Carnage outside of the ring, in the community. I stopped for unplanned photo ops and signings. What have you done as champion?”
“In THIS dimension,” Axton adds, holding up his index finger. “Just to be clear. You know. The one you’re the champion in.”
Seb smiles. “Oof. Sounds like another point for my column. Now how about some community outreach? I’ve reached out to Jon’s friends to see what I can do to help them all through this terrible time.” Seb hesitates. “I… I sponsored a small kid with Lupus, gave him a bunch of memories to look back on and smile. The rumor mill claimed another victim though as it generated some falsities about mine and this kid’s friendship. People have formed their own opinions and… It’s no more. But what about you Avenger, hm?” Sebastian’s voice grows darker. “What have you done for the community around you?”
Sebastian waits a half second before answering his own question. “Nothing. Looks like I won that square too. I beat you on paper and at Chaos, I’m going to beat you like the ‘hero’ you are.”
With that the camera shuts down and all that is seen is inky blackness.
As soon as the camera powers off, Sebastian’s shoulders slump as he takes a seat on the wall he was just pacing on. Looking up at Axton, Sebastian’s voice changes from tough to small and fragile as he addresses Axton. “I don’t know how it happened. A picture of me hugging Frankie got out and… People do what people do.” Sebastian shrugs. “I’m not allowed to see Frankie anymore…” Sebastian’s voice goes hollow as he shudders.
Softening himself, Axton sits down and wraps Sebastian in a hug of his own, giving him a reassuring squeeze. He draws back to look him in the eyes, removing his shades, trying to pass on some of his own confidence.
“Hey.” His voice is gentle, giving Seb a little smile. “Take it from me… I’ve been spotlit for most of my adult life, Sebby. The rumour mill is gonna say what it’s gonna say. Tabloids are full of shit. What’s important is that you know who you are, and you keep putting your energy where it’s gonna do good. Good for you, and good for others. Fuck anybody who tells you no. No matter what happens after all of this, I’m with you. I’m behind you. And so are all the people who know what kind of curly-haired little dive bombing angel you are.”
He pauses, looking up, then back at Sebastian. “Also, if it escalates to actual slander and libel, I have a really good legal team that can tear some shit up for ya.”
Seb nods. “Yeah. Thanks, I really appreciate it.” Closing his eyes he takes a deep and calming breath before opening his eyes once again. “So… Tacos?”
“There’s my guy,” Axton says with a grin, slinging an arm around the shorter athlete’s shoulders. “Hell yes tacos.”
“Say no more. They’re on me this time around.” With that Sebastian hops off the wall and leads the way into the sunset.
When Eugene last saw his offspring, he was thrown to the side by Sebastian and his friends. BOYfriends, probably. Eugene couldn’t tell the difference, it was 2021 after all. Still, as he sat at a Baltimore bar and watched the local news talk about Chaos, Carnage, and the young up and comer Sebastian Hawke being the savior of his team at Incursion, Eugene couldn’t help but swallow the bile that rises in his chest. He gestures for the bartender to come over and orders another shot. Since being ousted from Sebastian’s life, Eugene never went back to Las Vegas. Instead, he followed Sebastian at a distance, trying to think of a way he could repay his son for all of his misdoings. He smiles as his shot comes and he reaches for his wallet, his hand lightly brushing the picture he had stolen in the dead of night from his son’s abandoned apartment. When the time was right…
His thoughts are interrupted by a conversation from the people next to him, watching the latest episode of Chaos, or whatever it was that was playing on TV at the time.
“Buncha fairies prancing half naked if ya’ ask me!”
“Heard that it’s all choreographed anyways…”
“I kind of like it…”
The group pauses as they look at the last person and then they all laugh, the joke obvious. The first speaker’s voice belonged to the man closest to Eugene, a big guy with muscles for his muscles, and even more to spare. He eyes Eugene. “Ya’ got something to say?”
Eugene couldn’t speak for a moment, unaware he had just been caught staring. He eyes the group before making eye contact with the speaker, gathering what remained of his courage after being called out, takes his shot, and replies. “Just that… I agree with you. Bunch of fairies. My son… He’s…” Eugene does his best to look sad as he looks at the TV, an Entourage highlight conveniently being played, with Sebastian being featured. Eugene looks back at the man. “He’s an embarrassment. Not only does he insist upon ‘wrestling’ but he…” Eugene looks away, once again feeling the picture in his pocket. Slowly he pulls it out and sets it on the bar, the men crowding around him to see; a picture of Sebastian Hawke, picking up a boy no older than ten, in a giant hug. “Looks like my son is a… Well…” Eugene once again gestures for another shot as the second man speaks up.
“Hey, that’s on us. What was your name?”
Eugene smirks as he replies. “Eugene Hawke. Just retired from the Air Force to spend some time with my family and this is what I come home to. I just don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“I do.” The first man once again speaks and grabs the picture, pocketing it. “Boys, let’s spread this around. Trash like this doesn’t belong in our city. Thank you Eugene for your service… And for helping us take out some trash.”
Eugene’s smile grows wider, almost sinister. Suddenly, he felt like he didn’t have to worry about Sebastian. Ever. Again.
Sebastian was never one to read the dirt sheets when it came to rumors, “juicy tidbits,” or anything he’d rather not think about. That’s why when Ax called Seb to tell him all of this stuff, he dropped the phone when he heard that there was a rumor he and Frankie…
”No…”
Sebastian forces himself to stop thinking about it, instead turning up the music with one hand and concentrating on getting to Frankie’s house. He feels the car surge forward under him and for the briefest of moments, he forgets about why he was headed to Frankie’s house.
That sensation is quickly vanquished from Seb’s mind as he rounds the corner and sees Frankie’s father outside his house, alone. Sebastian pulls the car to a stop in front of the house and hops out, awkwardly coming over and joining Albert in leaning against the side. Albert Jennings sighs and rubs the back of his neck.
“So, I’m guessing you heard?”
Sebastian nods, not trusting his voice right now. He knew he was ready to explode but this was the last place he wanted to lose his temper on the subject. He still couldn’t believe the rumor.
“Seb look, Nancy and I love you. The things you helped Frankie with, the memories you gave him, they’re irreplaceable.”
Finding his voice Sebastian chokes out, “But…” His voice is low, an undertone of sadness mixed with rage at the unknown person that started this.
Albert sighs again, his voice somber. “But….” He hesitates but continues. “But between the drag show with you as the main event…”
“The drag show?! Albert… Mr. Jennings, please. You can’t be serious?” Sebastian stops, takes a deep breath, and does his best to keep it together. “If that’s a problem I’ll drop from it, completely. I’ll wash my hands of it and I’m sure Silvio and Ax would understand…”
“No… Seb…” Albert sighs and puts a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder, something he hoped was reassuring. “I love the idea and so does Nance. However, between that and now this rumor… People are talking and we HAVE to protect Frankie, you know, do what’s best for him. I know you don’t want things to escalate. It’s just…” Albert takes a deep breath and plows forward before Sebastian can interrupt. “Add the two together and people get their ideas about your relationship. I just… I can’t let that happen to Frankie. That’s why I have to ask you to not see Frankie anymore. Nancy and I won’t do anything crazy of course…” Albert stops and squeezes Seb’s shoulder. Sebastian sniffles in response.
“But I can’t see Frankie. I’m… Sorry about everything. I really am.” Sebastian hesitates. “I didn’t mean for things to go so… Wrong.” The last word drips with disdain and Seb shivers slightly. Albert pulls him in for a hug but Sebastian pulls away. “I can’t. I’ll stay away.” Albert nods as Sebastian gets back in his car and speeds away as quickly as he can.
“This feels weird.”
Sebastian Hawke stands in front of Carnage Arena, wondering if it’s for the last time. He, like everyone else, had heard the news of the impending closure as he stared into space at the Carnage logo above the main entrance.
“Nothing to do but to do though, am I right Avenger? I’ve… Thought a lot about this match since I saw the card posted. Before, I felt that it was easy to tell who was ‘good’ and who was ‘bad.’ The age old story of hero and villain. A lot has happened and all of a sudden my world feels turned upside down. I have to ask myself a LOT, just *who* is a hero in this neverending story we call our professional careers? A legit hate crime was committed right underneath everyone’s collective nose Avenger. You call yourself a ‘hero’ but where do you stand on this topic? If you’re supposed to be the hero that Baltimore needs or even wants, then how can you stand by and do nothing?”
Sebastian sighs sadly and turns to address the camera.
“I’m still considered ‘young’ and ‘immature’ in some eyes Avenger; but even I know that what happened was wrong and make noise about it until something is done. Which, what HAS been done about this Carnage management?” Sebastian gives a pointed stare into the camera lens before continuing.
“Let me get back on topic though Avenger. You and me. Man vs. ‘Hero.’ Does Sebastian Hawke REALLY have what it takes to take on and take down the Baltimore City Champion, Avenger?!” Seb smirks. “I like to think that I do. I went toe to toe with the World Champion, Catalina Cortes and only lost because she got the better of me for all of three seconds. Thanks to me, Carnage’s team won at Incursion. Yeah, it might not have been pretty but it got the job done didn’t it?”
He pauses, a thoughtful expression on his face. “When it comes to us, who is the bad guy and who is the good guy? You call yourself a ‘hero…’”
“Ever heard the phrase ‘Kill your heroes’?”
The camera focuses behind Sebastian; sitting on one of the concrete dividers in the lot is his stablemate and friend, Axton Gunn. He’s wearing wrap-around sunglasses, and a white, pink and blue-striped t-shirt under his customary black denim jacket. Leaning forward with forearms on his knees, he looks unimpressed.
“It means you shouldn’t have heroes, because you’ll idealize them. You’ll put them on a pillar. And when you get close enough and you realize he’s an abysmal human failure just like the rest, you’re only gonna be disappointed.”
He stands up, joining Sebastian with his hands in his pockets.
“It wasn’t just what happened to Jon… I was with him in the hospital, skipped a few shows to keep an eye on him. Never saw you so much as visit or drop off a card, ‘hero’. Speaking of shows I missed, you didn’t have much to say when our UV champ got triple-teamed in a so-called singles match… but there was nothing in it for you there, so I’m not shocked.”
Sebastian smirks. “From where we stand Vengy, your only goal is to gather more fame and prestige by facing people with titles or influence. You attained the Baltimore City Championship and call yourself the city’s champion, the city’s ‘hero,’ but what exactly have you done for The Legion at large, or even the city itself? Any volunteer signings? Photo ops? Hell, up until recently I did my best to give a kid with a terminal disease a chance to smile, make his life better by giving him some fond memories to look back on.” Sebastian stops and takes a deep breath, obviously finding it difficult to continue but does so anyways.
“Where have you been, Avenger? Hell, where were you before you were champion? Like when our brother Dominick did his best to do the right thing for the company and the people around him? Instead of accolades, he gets fired on the spot. Where was the protest? The heroic entity coming in from the sky and saving the day? You want to call yourself a hero so bad yet you marinate yourself with a sense of entitlement and laziness, with the sweet sprinkle of silence when shit turns sour. If this is what being a ‘hero’ is in Carnage?”
Sebastian pauses for effect and eyes the camera. Beside him, Axton sneers. “I’d rather be the bad guy. At least they get shit done.”
“Consider me the villain in this tale then. I’ll make you pay, Avenger, for your silence when you were needed the most. I’ll play the man draped in shadow and the only one that seems to be able to take the ‘hero’ down a peg or two. Make no mistake, I WILL be walking out Chaos the victor, and if that earns me the title of ‘bad guy villain’ then so be it. That’s a spot I’ll happily take considering the opposition I’ve been facing lately.”
“Carnage has been making us the bad guys since day one,” Axton says, looking over the top of his shades at Sebastian. “Let’s give them what they want.”
Sebastian nods. “Avenger’s platform as a hero was built on a foundation of lies and laziness. You want that title SO bad Avenger, that even I can taste it from here. I have to wonder exactly what you think a hero actually is?” Sebastian starts to pace.
“Adrienne Levi did something few people in her position would have thought she was able to do. She overcame each and every obstacle put in front of her and surpassed it. She used this uncanny ability to win a tournament and make her the new Baltimore City Champion. As a champion,” He turns to Ax. “Do you think she’d have allowed any of this to go on?”
Axton shook his head as he popped a strip of bright green chewing gum into his mouth. “Nah. ‘Cuz she actually understood what the belt around her waist meant.”
“But let’s not dwell too much on the past, how about we go with a more recent event?” Sebastian centers his gaze on the camera. “Incursion. Not only did our UV Champion get ambushed in a cowardly move by UGWC, but Catalina, Carnage World Champion, was betrayed by one of our own. Where were you Avenger? You could have swooped in to make the save, be all heroic and shit, yet once again there is no sign of you. If I had been there still? I would have made sure that I had run out and helped out Cat. We might not see eye to eye on what it means to hold that belt either, but that doesn’t change the fact I’d be there to help defend the face of Carnage.”
Sebastian sighs and looks over at Ax. “It’s weird how we both show off more heroic traits in the last several months than Avenger has in his little finger, and WE get branded as ‘too mean’ or ‘bad people.’”
“Uhhuh. I’m a bully now, apparently, because I called Cortes out on her tiny head, but whenever I show a lick of anger when someone’s giving me shit, I’m the one who needs to ‘take a joke’. Where’s the justice in that?” Axton scoffs, chewing his gum while he speaks. “Where’s our Discount Green Lantern, the Avenger, swooping in to make things right?”
“Too busy trying to figure out his next high profile target. I had a feeling this meeting was going to happen sooner or later. My star is on the rise early on in my career and Avenger wants a match to ride my coattails into the night.” Sebastian hops onto a nearby small wall and balances perfectly as he continues his pacing from a height. “That’s fine but that gives me the opportunity to compare scorecards. I’m not one to usually toot my own horn, but I’m the one that won the team match at Incursion, representing Carnage to the best of my ability. How did you fare in your bout against Centurion, ‘hero?’”
“You lost, bitch,” Axton says, popping a bright green bubble.
Sebastian winces. “Rough dude. Looks like I get the point there. Let’s see. As Chaos Champion I represented Carnage outside of the ring, in the community. I stopped for unplanned photo ops and signings. What have you done as champion?”
“In THIS dimension,” Axton adds, holding up his index finger. “Just to be clear. You know. The one you’re the champion in.”
Seb smiles. “Oof. Sounds like another point for my column. Now how about some community outreach? I’ve reached out to Jon’s friends to see what I can do to help them all through this terrible time.” Seb hesitates. “I… I sponsored a small kid with Lupus, gave him a bunch of memories to look back on and smile. The rumor mill claimed another victim though as it generated some falsities about mine and this kid’s friendship. People have formed their own opinions and… It’s no more. But what about you Avenger, hm?” Sebastian’s voice grows darker. “What have you done for the community around you?”
Sebastian waits a half second before answering his own question. “Nothing. Looks like I won that square too. I beat you on paper and at Chaos, I’m going to beat you like the ‘hero’ you are.”
With that the camera shuts down and all that is seen is inky blackness.
As soon as the camera powers off, Sebastian’s shoulders slump as he takes a seat on the wall he was just pacing on. Looking up at Axton, Sebastian’s voice changes from tough to small and fragile as he addresses Axton. “I don’t know how it happened. A picture of me hugging Frankie got out and… People do what people do.” Sebastian shrugs. “I’m not allowed to see Frankie anymore…” Sebastian’s voice goes hollow as he shudders.
Softening himself, Axton sits down and wraps Sebastian in a hug of his own, giving him a reassuring squeeze. He draws back to look him in the eyes, removing his shades, trying to pass on some of his own confidence.
“Hey.” His voice is gentle, giving Seb a little smile. “Take it from me… I’ve been spotlit for most of my adult life, Sebby. The rumour mill is gonna say what it’s gonna say. Tabloids are full of shit. What’s important is that you know who you are, and you keep putting your energy where it’s gonna do good. Good for you, and good for others. Fuck anybody who tells you no. No matter what happens after all of this, I’m with you. I’m behind you. And so are all the people who know what kind of curly-haired little dive bombing angel you are.”
He pauses, looking up, then back at Sebastian. “Also, if it escalates to actual slander and libel, I have a really good legal team that can tear some shit up for ya.”
Seb nods. “Yeah. Thanks, I really appreciate it.” Closing his eyes he takes a deep and calming breath before opening his eyes once again. “So… Tacos?”
“There’s my guy,” Axton says with a grin, slinging an arm around the shorter athlete’s shoulders. “Hell yes tacos.”
“Say no more. They’re on me this time around.” With that Sebastian hops off the wall and leads the way into the sunset.