EPL: grips the rusted fence Damn it, boy, you're like a ghost in this shithole! What the hell happened?
He looked over at her father "Wha..what are you doing here?"
EPL: slams his fist against the fence Don't play dumb with me, kid! I've seen the footage! You made a deal with the Son of God!
"Yes. And did it work?" He said as he began to walk
EPL: follows him, pacing back and forth Worked? Did it work? Are you f*cking kidding me? Your deal with that bastard changed everything!
"And then what? I can't deal with it now..I have to stay close to the ring if you want to talk"
EPL: grabs his collar, voice trembling with rage You think you can just walk away from all of this? From everything you've done?!
"I'm not even sure I did anything wrong yet." He walked towards the fire escapes
EPL: releases him, breathing heavily Wrong? You think going back to the past and making a deal with a devil isn't wrong?
"Yes. It's been every time I use it."
EPL: paces back and forth, muttering to himself Damn it, kid! You better start talking fast before I lose my goddamn mind!
"What do you want me to say?" He asked as he climbed up the fire escape
EPL: climbs up the fire escape, confronting him on the rooftop You think that's the problem here? You think I need you to say something?
"I don't know. Why don't you ask your questions and see." He said as he sat on the edge of the building
EPL: stands a few feet away, glaring at him Look, kid, I don't care about your excuses or justifications.
"Then why are you here?" He asked
EPL: takes a deep breath, trying to calm down Fine, I'll cut to the chase. I'm here because I want answers.
EPL: crosses his arms, voice filled with frustration Alright, here's what I want to know: why did you make that deal?
"I wanted to win the World Series."
EPL: laughs bitterly Win the World Series? Is that seriously your justification for making a deal with the devil?
"Yes. I thought that the season was rigged anyway."
EPL: throws his hands up in exasperation Jesus Christ, kid! You really did think the whole freaking season was rigged?
"Look. Would you have listened to me if I told you?"
EPL: narrows his eyes, voice filled with disappointment No, I wouldn't have listened to you! Because it's not about the World Series, kid! It's about your life! Your soul!
"And you think I haven't thought of that?" He asked
EPL: rolls his eyes Well, it sure doesn't seem like it! You're playing with forces beyond your comprehension here!
"Do you want to know what's been keeping me sane while I try to prevent the apocalypse? Baseball."
EPL: grits his teeth, voice dripping with sarcasm Baseball? Seriously? That's what's keeping you sane? That mind-numbing, soul-crushing sport?
"That's what kept me sane since my family died in that car crash."
EPL learns about equatorialmuse's tragic past and decides to help him find a way to undo the deal with the devil.
"So...I'm gonna keep watching baseball. I have to until I figure out how to reverse it all."
EPL: sighs heavily, his expression softening Look, kid, I get it. Baseball was our escape, our sanctuary.
"Yeah. They buried my parents together when a car crashed into them."
EPL: pauses for a moment, his anger subsiding Shit, kid...I'm sorry. I had no idea. walks over and puts a hand on his shoulder
"It's ok. But yeah. That's what's keeping me sane."
EPL: lets out a heavy sigh, his voice filled with empathy Yeah, I understand. Baseball...it's the one thing that kept us going, gave us hope.
"Yeah. And then I found out that the World Series had been fixed and I refused to believe it."
EPL: nods solemnly Yeah, I remember that moment, kid. The shock, the disbelief...it's like our entire world was turned upside down.
"Yeah. Until I saw the footage of me making the deal with the Son of God."
EPL: runs a hand through his hair, his voice laced with frustration Damn it, kid. That footage...
"Yeah. That's what made me realize that I couldn't trust anyone."
EPL: clenches his fists, his voice filled with anger Yeah, kid, I get it. It's like everyone's against us, conspiring to keep the truth hidden.
"But then I remembered. I didn't die in that car crash."
EPL: raises an eyebrow, his voice filled with curiosity What? How do you know that?
"Because I walked away from it."
EPL: eyes widen in surprise Walked away? You survived the car crash? How the hell did that happen?