Work Text:
When Spoke had talked about exploits he had been so proud, so blinded by his power to 'help' to be powerful, became something he never thought would come back to haunt him. He had pushed away his friends and only placed a target on his back.
Had he always been this lonely?
He doesn't remember, he could hardly care with his friends moving on to better things. He had taken a break... at least that's what people think. He still can easily find an exploit, the others had found many, although it isn't as big as it is server ending, small things like breaking portals and duped items are nothing.
Not until it's in the hands of PrinceZam. Of all the people, Spoke never expected Zam to be the one to join him. He should have questioned it more, how someone who was so against illegal items, suddenly have a 180 and have the time of his life spawning dolphins of all mobs.
Illegal items are used to give people an unfair advantage in a fight. But there are different types of destruction that can be had from creating.
Builds that are not of this dimension popping up. Spoke had asked Zam what he wanted and all he wanted was to place... dirt. Maybe it was because he doesn't need to work for it and get to the fun part. Spoke doesn't see the appeal of frogs being everywhere and Zam shrieking in his ear to save him.
They had started the season almost the same way despite Spoke having lesser hearts than him.
Zam should be an annoying firebug and he can pretty much crush it between his fingers. But he doesn't, instead he watches the yellow streak of yellow zipping around with power that can be very well used against him. He stops, they can believe that he is simply using this to entertain himself.
He has no idea why he was so scared of Mapicc and Zam when they were his puppets. Maybe if they weren't clouded by their experiences and rage they would have seen clearer. But Zam wasn't cut out to be evil. When the wormhole opened he had somehow continued being joyous and whimsical even with ten seconds until the clock ended.
It wasn't until the next season where they had fully embraced their dark side which is funny how noticably easy Mapicc and Zam clicked together. Spoke always knew that Mapicc and Zam had always found their way to each other each season this season was no different, Spoke had different plans and wants to support his friend, Planet.
Yet even he can't escape the void.
Spoke watched from a distance, having already achieved everything he wanted... was content with his life... wasn't he?
He was still alone after all, purposefully pushing people away by gaining all the power in the world had made him lonely, trying to help his friend got him lonely. It seem like the void was never going to be filled.
But it wasn't always like this. He used to have a team, friends. The last person to ever believe in him, had somehow toss him aside now that he isn't a threat. Even if they saw him at the corner of their eyes, they only had eyes for the bigger threat, Minute, Jumper.
They were doing almost the exact same thing as he did last season only somehow they had each other.
Spoke wanted someone like that but finds himself unable to. Planet had been burnt out of lifesteal.
"Spoke?"
Spoke raises his head as he notice that spawn is a lot like last season, thinking that maybe this Empire team, this evil team that was meant to destroy the server will be the next abyss.
But no, their target isn't even an army, maybe the blindfold brothers but given they didn't mind farming them all off the server, Spoke doubt that they really were fighting for the weaker players and were really just fighting anyone that poses a threat to them.
Their biggest threat, is currently in spawn, looking at him with a hesitant smile and a bunch of carrots in hand.
"You okay?" Zam smiles at him and Spoke wants to snuff that smile off his face by doing something mischievious. It's clear what Zam was trying to do this season, Mapicc couldn't stop talking about how Zam is secretly evil.
But all Zam wants is to distance himself from the monster he was last season, which is something Spoke can relate to. Spoke finds that most of their journeys were eeriely similar to each other. A cycle of mistakes and trying to make up for it.
Zam is definitely doing a better job of growing from the ashes to shine again. The same shine he had tried to snuff out so many times before, still peaking underneath the scars that he had from being teamed.
Some kind of ruler on top of a kingdom.
I'm just a jester, I'll never be him.
Spoke tries his best to support his team, as much as they probably go against everything Zam stands for, somehow Zam manages to break out of his pacifism for Mapicc and it does so much more than Spoke can do. But Spoke finds himself not mad at Zam but at himself.
Why was he not enough? What else can he do to help? He can't help last season, he can't help this season either. There is no one there to help him.
"Spoke!"
Spoke's eyes widen as Zam saves him from dying at spawn.
"Jumper! Stop it!"
Spoke is slightly surprised, despite him having a funny bit with the cactus for a good reason. Yet despite planning on using this against him in the future, Zam still protects him, unconditionally.
He has seen him do this to Poafa... or well try to Poafa died anyway.
It was clear what needs to be done yet Zam seems to be unable to pick a side. The same mistake he makes every season, to trust anyone unconditionally. It's been years... yet Zam never could hold a grudge, still ever so trusting.
Spoke had heard of Mapicc and Zam falling out and like everyone else, knew that they would find their way to each other again. But the situation had spiraled into something deeper, Mapicc wants Zam to trust him but the more he does, the more he pushes Zam away.
Spoke never knew why they were so attached to each other. Mapicc had Minute, Spoke, Jepexx yet Mapicc always turns to Zam who wasn't even teamed with him. He had better friends, yet their bond span several seasons.
There was someone else however but Spoke hadn't seen it until the very end, when it was just him and Zam again. Zam tells him everything, because of course he would, other than Pangi, there was no one else he could rely on.
He wanted to talk to Zam and with that he realises that this is what he is missing. A way to be useful to someone. He was supposed to be a villain for them to fight against after Bacon. Who knew that things would fall apart for Zam?
While he is focused on Mapicc and even Flame who somehow Zam manage to get to admit that he had always been on Zam's side the whole time. Spoke had no idea why Flame would do that instead of leave, what makes Zam the one person who he spent the entire season tormenting be the one to get his final support.
Bacon and Flame never had the true motive to do what was necessary. Mapicc and Zam had the deepest bond that once severed, sent tidal waves throughout the server that not even the void can solve.
Spoke sees Derapchu has a possible threat but the biggest threat had to be Pangi of all people. Because despite everything, Pangi had been there by Zam's side, despite being betrayed before by Zam, Pangi continues to support Zam throughout the season actually.
"Spoke?"
He can do something similar to what he did during the wormhole, get Zam to return back to his roots and depend entirely on Spoke. All he needed to was to pull so many blinds on Zam he won't be able to swim out of it. It happened to Derapchu who did try to betray them but regret it deeply given how much he still hovered over Zam.
"Derapchu."
Whatever plan Spoke had blew out the window with Pangi there to save Zam from Derapchu... or well save Derapchu from Zam. Despite having the server's interests in mind, Zam seems to have no qualms making enemies.
Flame isn't wrong, yes he stream sniped because he is a rule breaker, who cares. All Spoke cared about was possibly making the biggest mistake of his life.
It may seem like a small thing but he still feels the same way Zam felt about him. Powerless.
Zam had more power over him than he thinks he have. Realising that he never really had a win over Zam, at least not in a way that truly matters.
Spoke would look at the happy picture of Zam and Pangi together and probably regret this, want to build a time machine that would let him go back in time to redo everything again. He should have seen all the signs.
Spoke knew that him using an exploit wasn't going to fly in Zam's eyes. It has taken so many things away from him after all. So when he completely surrendered he had thought that maybe, without any effort at all, he had a win over Zam. But it was more self inflicted than anything, all Spoke needed to do was have fun with his cheats.
It doesn't leave a nice taste in his mouth if Mapicc and Zam had just made up like that albiet forcefully by Spoke on Mapicc's end, neither does the invitation to Pangi and Zam's 'tax evasion' ceremony.
The lovey-dovey duo should put a smile on Spoke's face but he finds it in himself to be unable to muster any care. Why does he feel burnt out however he has no idea, cheating doesn't even feel good anymore.
"Spoke!"
When you call my name...
Spoke realises then that having a taste of what a blissful life with Zam would be like left a bittersweet taste in his mouth. If he had turned to look at Zam even once, would his position be switched with Pangi? It wasn't like Pangi was completely innocent either but he had simply just stayed by Zam's side when he needed the most.
And the opportunity that Mapicc and Flame carelessly threw away was something Spoke wished he hadn't done the same. He is as lonely as he was from the beginning.
"Spoke..."
Spoke looks at Mapicc who smiles at him but it doesn't reach his eyes. His voice isn't as bright as Zam's, isn't as kind but has that spark after speaking to Zam. Poor guy is still smitten.
"Mapicc?"
Spoke panics at the sound of a voice that is not Mapicc's and leaves. They had suffered a loss but he could hardly find it in himself to care. That voice would threaten himself to care again, maybe he could come in in the last moment to help them again but there was so many exploits he can do until it gets predictable.
Spoke will take the kindness Zam seems to still give him even after what happened last season. It wasn't as bad as previous seasons at least as Spoke had accepted whatever ending Zam wanted which included the destruction of exploits and cheats, this time for real and he gets his happy ending.
This season Mapicc is unable to pick himself up but won't make the same mistake as his previous seasons so probably won't take Spoke's offer even if he were to offer god mode.
Spoke sees Zam happy and find himself content. Maybe some day he would say: 'screw it, this server needs a little more than just opposition' maybe get Zam to betray his team like he always manages to with all his team but one things for certain, even if there were waves of breakups and fights, the Empire made of Pangi and Zam's feelings won't crumble and given Spoke's own feelings, he finds that he doesn't mind and if Zam were to change his mind, Spoke is always here to save the day.
Zam doesn't know why Spoke is avoiding him this season but he guessed that he was busy doing his own thing. Spoke just underestimates how forgiving Zam would be if he just speaks to him and probably never will now that he has Pangi.
But if Mapicc can somehow convince Zam to turn on his team... then it's an opportunity to grab.
Spoke is thinking selfishly again. It's what lost him his team before and thinks, as he watches Mapicc and Zam spar, that he should just let things go for good and set himself free.
SpokeIsHere left the game.