"Do you have any idea how badly I want to kill you?" "Yes." Judging by the fool's arrogant response, he clearly had no idea. He never did, about much of anything, and it had been a constant source of frustration. For as long as Esau can remember, he and Jacob never seemed to agree on anything. They had a sacred duty, to protect the island from all harm. A duty which Jacob had always seemed to neglect. His head was so filled with his ideas of sharing the island with ordainary people, and creating a utopian society, that he rarely paid attention to anything else. For the life of him, Esau could never understand the concept of sharing. especially not something as precious as the island. And Esau has found himself repeating the same arguments to Jacob. Hadn't mankind already proven to them how dangerous it can be? How can Jacob even think of endangering the island like that? But he never did listen. And soon enough, Jacob had started bringing people to the island. Tired of arguing, Esau ha decided to act. And through his influence, the people that Jacob had brought to the island have never lasted long enough. But Jacob hasn't grown tired, and he had kept bringing more people to the island, in a fruitless attempt to prove Esau wrong. And Esau hadn't tired either, through he was prevented from directly intervening, he had manipulated them into fighting amonst themselves, and even unleashed his pet on them. Cerebrus had never failed him. It had all gone on and on, like a cycle of events. Nothing seemed to change, until that morning. A ship had arrived. They Called It The Black Rock. The Ship's captian was an Admiral MCcauthen, and the first mate's name was Richard Alpert. The crew was paniced, and it had all gone on expectantly when they had commited mutiny. McCauthen was murdered by the first night, and Alpert was left for dead. Until Jacob intervened, and saved his life. "Hello, Richard." "Who are you? What am I doing here?" "My name is Jacob, and I'm- a friend. You were stabbed. I saved you." "My own people tried to kill me. Why would you care?" "Because you were a life worth saving, Richard. I believe you can serve a greater purpose." "Purpose?" "Your people attacked you because they are confused, paniced . They feel that they are no longer bound to any laws, to any civilazation. They think they're free to be savages, but they don't have to be. You can help them find their way, Richard." "How am I supposed to do that? I've never been a leader." "I know. But you will be, once I will provide you with a better understanding of things." And Esau watched as Jacob made Richard his loyal servant. He watched them formed a society. And while a lesser man would have seen this development as a sign of his approaching defeat, he knew That he would soon be able to find his loophole, and rid the island of Jacob. A century has gone by. Most members of the Black Rock's crew have passed away, but not Richard. He hasn't aged a day since Jacob has saved his life, and Esau curses Jacob once again, for sharing Their gift with a mere mortal. The society they have formed has grown over the years, and Richard's role has become more defined. His job is to select the society's leaders, and guide them according to Jacob's will. Esau finds it pathetic how none of the leaders have actually seen Jacob, and yet they all treat him like a God. He makes note of that fact, and plans to use it eventually, when the time comes. The first opportuinty presents itself in 1977. The Society's leader, Eloise Hawking, decides to leave the island in order to raise her son. A child that is doomed just as these fools who have been blindly following Jacob. Hawking's place as leader is taken by her lover, Charles Widmore. The only leader Esau would have approved of, and his first choice for a loophole. He had first encountered him when Widmore was making his way back to their
camp. "Hello, Charles." "Who are you? How do you know who I am?" "I have been expecting this meeting for a very long time." "Are you him? Jacob?" "No, I'm definetly not Jacob. But I am this island's sole protector." "What the bloody hell do you mean by that?" "Charles, what if I told you that you and your people have been misled? That you have been lied to for years?" "I'd say you better explain yourself." "Jacob doesn't care about protecting this island, Charles. He never did." "Richard said-" "Richard has been nothing more than Jacob's lap dog for the past century, Charles. Jacob has been bringing outsiders to this island for years. How do you think The Initiative was able to find it? You and your people were meant to protect this island, Charles. And if you do as I say, we'll be able to do that." Manipulating Widmore was fairly easy from that point. He has followed Esau's instructions for years, and was unaware that Esau was also manipulating The Dharma Initiative at the same time, making them take more aggressive measures against The Hostiles. And The Initiative has built a station called The Tempest. One in which they stockpiled poisonous gas, intended to wipe out The Hostiles. He had informed Widmore of this, knowing the man would not hesitate to order a pre-emptive strike. His greatest mistake however, was underestimating Jacob's anger. "I have let you run rampant all those years, because I foolishly hoped you might come to your senses. I hoped that it would never come to this. It ends now." And he was stripped from his body. Stripped from his powers and now he was nothing less than one of the apparitions he was once able to control. He was imprisoned by a circle of ash inside an old, unkempt cabin. And any lesser man would have given up at that point, but he was no longer a man. He had waited patiently, even when all seemed lost. The one thing that kept him from losing hope was the fact that even though he was trapped, his pet was still free to do his bidding. But then fate once again intervened on his behalf. Somehow, he discovered he wasn't completely powerless. He was still able to appear as an apparition, and things once again went according to plan. In an effort to further distance Jacob's golden boy, Benjamin Linus, from him, he had given the man a tumor. All in order to make him doubt whether Jacob even cared for him at all. Two days later, he was absolutely certain that he will find a way to triumph over Jacob. Ocenaic 815 crashed on the island, and aboard it, was John Locke. The same John Locke Widmore told him had appeared at their camp 50 years ago and claimed to be their leader. After all this time, and all these years of agonizing imprisonment, Esau has finally found his loophole. Jacob has made his job even easier by healing Locke's paralysis. All he had to do was to manipulate John Locke through dreams and visions in order to convince him that he was special. But he had to do it convincingly enough to make both Linus and Alpert believe it.
And it worked. He couldn’t have planned it better himself when Linus brought Locke to his cabin. Locke had broken the circle of ash, and Esau was free.
Then, everything had once again gone perfectly according to plan. After Widmore's people attacked the island, Christian was able to convince Locke to move the island, and Esau knew fully well Linus would do it in his place, causing Locke and his people to start moving in time. Locke was convinced by Christian and Alpert that he had to die in order to bring his people back to the island. And it hadn't really mattered whether or not he did manage to do so, the only way he would could die was if he was off the island, and away from Jacob's protection. And it all went perfectly. Now, he found himself standing in Jacob's chamber, and watching his body burn, while Linus stares at his handiwork in shock. He finally finds the courage to address Esau. "I know you're not John Locke, So who are you?" Esau ignores him, purposely. He keeps watching Jacob's body burn. "Who are you?" Finally, Esau turns around, and looks at Ben. He smiles at the expression on his face. "I'm The Bad Guy, Ben."