Chapter Text
Elliot was within the pizza place, idly glancing out the nearby window as he drummed his fingers atop the granite of the counter. The gentle hum-buzz drone of the overhead lamps encapsulated his hearing, a constant sound which Elliot had well gotten used to by this point. He lazily placed his cheek into his palm, his gaze flicking over to the clock in order to check what time it was.
It was nine fifteen O’clock, meaning Elliot could close up the pizza place soon enough. There were only two other employees in the building, and he was currently manning the register. No customers had come in for a while, so Elliot could only assume that he wouldn’t have to be of service to anyone else for the night. Despite how late it was, Elliot wouldn’t quite mind if one last customer or two came into the pizza place.
Elliot loved his job wholeheartedly, it was his very soul and life itself- in a sense. He wouldn’t trade his job for anything, not at all. His job didn’t pay particularly well, but it wasn’t about the money to him. It was about assistance and warmth, about serving customers who desired pizza. Behind a rather innocuous position, Elliot heralded passion for his work. After all, his father owned the establishment, and he’d be damned if he didn’t help out.
He took his gaze to the pile of closed up pizza boxes, finely adjusting one of them to be more in line with the rest of the heap. He moved his thumb and forefinger up to his visor, briefly removing the adornment to correct his hair. He swiftly slid it back on, clasping his hands together on the counter’s fine granite.
“Hey.” Elliot glanced up at the voice, snapping his head to the left. It was his coworker, a pizza box in hand. A delivery? Wasn’t his other coworker supposed to be handling those?
“So.. Some guy way out in the middle of the woods ordered a pizza. I know- like- who does that, but ya’ gotta do what ya’ gotta do.” Elliot’s coworker set the box by his side, a shit eating grin plastered across his face.
Elliot deadpanned at his coworker, narrowing his eyes at the man in front of him. “..Isn’t the other guy supposed to be handling deliveries?” Elliot asked, opening the pizza box in order to check the contents within. A large pepperoni pizza, a personal favorite of his.
“Welllll.. He would’ve, but whoever ordered is like.. forty miles out, and you’re the only one who's passionate enough to make a trip like that this late.” Elliot’s coworker stated bluntly, crossing his arms in expectation. In a sense, such was true. Elliot never really downturned any task he was offered at the pizza place, no matter how inconvenient it was. Hell, Elliot practically had to be dragged out of the pizza place whenever he was sick or unfit to work.
Elliot looked unamused, turning to fully face the guy. “Dang. I’m so going to get back at you guys whenever I get back.” Elliot teased, shaking his head as he picked up the pizza box. He couldn’t recall if there were any houses in the woods, let alone as far out as forty miles, but he supposed it’d be an adventure.
“Hey, hey. Don’t invoke your wrath on us, delivery boy!” Elliot’s coworker chirped in reply, casting another grin Elliot’s way before disappearing back into the rear of the establishment- out of sight.
Elliot shook his head, rolling his eyes at his coworker’s antics. He didn’t quite mind the little teases and jeers, they made his otherwise rather uneventful workplace have a certain interest to it. Elliot grabbed the pizza box, slinging it horizontally under his arm as he took to the entrance of the pizza place. He swung open the glass door, the biting night chill immediately meeting his skin.
Elliot shivered as he was exposed to the cool chill of the outside, stars peppering the sky above- little pinpricks of light in an otherwise unfathomable void. He glanced around to the other side of the building, going around back. Elliot’s only illumination was the vague glow of haphazardly placed lights adorning the walls- flanking the path leading to the back of the building. The pizza place was surrounded by a vast forest on either side, the expansive environment encapsulating Elliot’s vision.
Glancing to the sky, he hummed as he gazed at the stars above. He’d always found the stars gorgeous and grand, he’d love to spend some time stargazing if he could. However, he had his job to do. Following the path to the back of the building, he approached the moped he used. It was his favorite, the sleek design much easier to drive than the clunky, outdated cars. Setting the pizza box in the pouch which was attached to the moped, he fiddled with the key to the moped as he took it out of his pocket. He briefly glanced at his phone, memorizing the pathway to the delivery site before setting it into his other pocket.
Elliot hopped onto the moped, setting the key inside the ignition and cranking it in one swift movement. He set his foot on the ground, balancing the moped as he gripped the handles. He kicked the kickstand up, driving off as he made his way to deliver the pizza.
The streets were quiet, thankfully. Elliot wasn’t too fond of traffic, but he sucked it up. He didn’t mind driving at all, but there were certainly people within the town that scared him. If there's one thing Elliot learned from his time making pizza deliveries, it was that some could be utterly reckless drivers. Pulling the moped to a stop, he glanced up at the intersection’s lights as he waited for it to turn green. He preferred night deliveries over day, it was faster due to less traffic.
As the light turned green, Elliot set off to continue the trip. It was mostly a blur, paying more attention to driving than gazing at the passing environment. He was used to driving out to far away locations to deliver pizza, remembering a few times he had to deliver to someone who was just barely within the 45-mile range.
Something about this trip twisted his gut a little, but he shrugged it off. He was meant to deliver the pizza, that was his job. It was a little strange, this customer’s location. They’ve never had someone call from such a far out address before, but maybe this was their first time. He wouldn’t say no to bringing the pizza establishment more money.
He pulled off onto a side road, grimacing a little at the unsteady turn. It was fine, he’s done this plenty of times before. He went down the dirt pathing, gazing at the woods that loomed beyond. The forest was dark, the insides dusky as the trees blotted out most of the stars and moon's light. It almost looked twisted, but he dismissed the detail in hopes the delivery was a quick one.
He approached the treeline, slowing down as the moped brought him inside. He always liked to go slow when he had to go into places like this, even if some customers were a little annoyed that it took slightly longer for their food. He never knew if there was a tree branch or a root in the path. Or an animal, for that matter.
The entanglement of trees seemed to snuff out any life which dared to attempt to break through. The flora was almost suffocating in nature, the branches of the large oak and pines seeming to reach out in an effort to seize him from his vehicle. Elliot craned his neck to face forward, narrowing his eyes as he sought to see beyond the dim light of his moped’s headlamp.
A stray tree root decided Elliot’s journey to the destination wouldn’t be so easy. The obstacle struck the front wheel of the moped, sending it to a resounding halt. “Damn.” Elliot huffed, deciding just to take his journey on foot. It wasn’t much farther, anyway. He zipped open the pouch which contained the pizza box, slinging it into his hand and beginning to trudge through the pathway. The pathway clearly wasn’t often traveled on, and something about the condition of it made Elliot’s gut coil into a knot of anxiety.
The canopy above Elliot only seemed to constrict, akin to a serpent wrapping around its prey. As if it was spearing his very being- threatening to smother and die. Elliot shook off the thoughts and overwhelming dread which plagued him. He was positive this was no more than instinctive anxiety. He couldn’t blame someone for wanting to live in the woods. Not at all. After all, the woods were quaint and quiet, a far cry from the bustling metropolis which was most of Robloxia.
Elliot stopped as the pathway was cut off, the end of it leading to a small clearing. The dingy dirt road led nowhere else, Elliot was simply left to find the residence by his lonesome. He focused his gaze on the space beyond the trees, noting something which resided within. He used the palm of his hand to push back the flora, something odd being revealed.
A cellar door, in the middle of nowhere.
Patches of flora and vines clung to the man made object like a vice, as if the plants were attempting to absorb it. Elliot was simply confused- there was no house in sight. Although this was clearly the right address. The clearing was quiet otherwise, eerily so. No birds sang, no crickets chirped, no owls called for those beyond. The entire situation at hand practically stabbed and wrenched him apart with dread and anxiety. He shook his head, slipping the box beneath his arm as he decided to simply return back to his moped.
Stupid, really. Some prank caller ordering a pizza fifteen minutes before closing and sending him out to a spot in the middle of nowhere was something Elliot really didn’t want to deal with. He brushed past the plants which flanked the clearing, before pausing in his tracks. Despite Elliot’s annoyance, his desire to straightforwardly head back to the pizza place- he felt something more than that.
Something clawed at Elliot, not annoyance, but a vehement urge to open the door, out of genuine, unfathomable curiosity. He initially pushed such a thing into the recesses of his mind- he wanted to go back to the pizza place, not waste time. But the thought overwhelmed him, consuming all other emotions like a starless void.
Elliot turned back around, taking a step forward to the enigmatic door. Each step felt like a thousand ton weight, as if something was pulling him down to the ground below- anchoring him firmly. Yet Elliot pushed onward, dismissing the plant life away from the door with the back of his palm. The vines and plants fell away with little struggle, allowing Elliot access to the door. He wrapped his hands around one of the copper handles, giving it a firm tug. The door gave way to his hold, swinging open with a resounding, hissing creak.
Elliot was half expecting something to jump out and seize him- yet such a thing never came. He peered within the blackened space beyond, choosing against entering. He really wasn’t up for getting spiders or bugs on him. He simply closed the door back up, his curiosity satisfied. He’d be sure to come back out here later- perhaps to blacklist the address, so nobody else would have to go out here. when he glanced up. what was supposed to be a forest beyond, was replaced by a resounding, solid wooden log wall.
Elliot peered around, confusion painting his features. He gazed down at the cellar, trying to discern what had happened. Reaching down once more, he attempted to pull the cellar door open. With a sharp click, the cellar door refused to open. The vines had long since gone, the door almost pristine in nature, now. Elliot was confused, really confused.
Dread built within Elliot’s gut, almost dropping the pizza as he caught himself. This was strange, unbelievably weird. Had he been teleported to the actual address somehow? That shouldn’t be possible, not without him receiving a notification of some sort.
Reluctantly, he stepped away from the cellar door. He trudged backwards, wincing as his back collided with a tree. He grumbled something under his breath, trudging forward as he sought to get to the front of the house. He wasn’t panicking, not yet. Elliot’s shoes met a pathway, similar to the one which was in the forest beforehand. Notably it was more upkept, unlike the drab and obscure trail he’d previously traversed.
He glanced around, taking in the environment which encapsulated him. There were three cabins in total, two of which were smaller, with nobody appearing to be inside. There was a bulletin board positioned off to the side of the path, sparsely placed lanterns illuminating the way forward. To the left, there was a dock which led out into an expansive lake, one which stretched for miles upon miles. Elliot took his gaze upward, a large cabin meeting his eyes. He assumed that the largest one was the one he ought’ to be delivering to.
He curiously peered around the cabin and its porch before he decided to go up. The stairs were rickety and creaky, each step Elliot took causing a creak in reply from the small flight of steps. He glanced around, noting that the porch had two wooden chairs adorning it- the seats overlooking the rest of the forest and environment in general.
He shook his head, biting back his nerves at the unsettling predicament. He knocked on the door, hoping that he could leave once the pizza was delivered. He didn’t receive any sign of someone being inside. If he had half his mind he would’ve walked straight back to the cellar to try and leave again, but some vehement buzz in the back of his mind coaxed him to stay. Besides, the cellar door was locked anyway- it’s not like he’d be able to leave back the way he came.
“Hello? Pizza delivery!” Elliot exclaimed, gazing down to the doorknob. He slowly flicked it to the side, the door opening to reveal the cabin’s inner expanse. Who even needed a cabin this large? There seemed to be no lock gracing the door- inviting anyone curious enough to enter within.
Elliot slowly stepped inside, gazing around as his eyebrows furrowed. No one seemed to be home. He was well aware he shouldn’t have stepped inside, but a nagging feeling convinced him to do the action. He walked over to a drawer that was settled next to a couch, nervously setting the pizza box down. There was a fireplace, but the insides were unlit.
“Anyone home?” He asked the question, the dread in his gut churning like a flooding tide. Something was majorly wrong, and he knew it. He noticed that there was an upstairs to the cabin, yet he refused to go upstairs to see if anyone was there. This entire place just felt wrong. He felt like he shouldn’t be here, unaware that he’d walked into a web he couldn’t escape from.
He slowly walked towards the back of the cabin, his footsteps light as he tried to remain quiet. He didn’t like any of this, not at all. The situation made his hair stand on its end, his hand moving up to his visor. He took the article off, running a hand through his hair as he sighed. He set the visor back on quickly, gazing at what seemed to be a kitchen and a dining room. He wasn’t up for dealing with whatever he’d be unwillingly dragged into.
Elliot crossed his arms, pausing for a moment before he decided to make his leave. Obviously nobody was home, so he had no use to continue being here. After all, he still had to clock out and finish locking up the pizza place- it was probably 15 minutes past closing by now. Elliot flicked his finger midair, summoning his UI forward.
Yet to Elliot’s shock and utter horror, he couldn’t utilize the UI to leave. Usually, one’s UI could be used in order for fast travel and to discreetly leave games. But Elliot simply couldn’t leave, he couldn’t do anything- for that matter. It was as if his UI had a makeshift lock placed on it, preventing any use of the interface.
His mind trailed to see if there was anyone he knew that could do something like this, but his mind came up blank. Except for two people– 007n7 and C00lkidd. C00lkidd has tormented his work before, often unanchoring and recoloring the walls. He still held a grudge against 007n7 for not stopping his child from destroying his workplace, even if the man had offered to pay for damages time and time again.
But still, he doubted that the two could even do something like this. He knew C00lkidd was an exploiter, but he never had the heart to inform anyone. He hadn’t seen the child in a long while, hoping that 007n7 had finally gotten his kid under control.
He closed the UI, trying not to panic at the realization he couldn’t leave. Something was definitely up– why had he opened the cellar? What force drove him to do that? His own common sense certainly hadn’t driven the choice. Elliot peered up, slowly turning around to face the living room. He walked closer to the area, noticing the lit fireplace. It wasn’t lit when he initially so who could’ve possibly lit it without him noticing?
He closely examined the area. Roughly 2 dining tables were situated to the back of the cabin, alongside a nice, quaint kitchen. He took his gaze to the fireplace, trailing upward to the mantle. A flatscreen TV was perched expectantly above the lit fireplace, the flames blazing and crackling with life as Elliot investigated and snooped about.
A sharp creak resonated from the floor above Elliot- the upstairs. A voice called to him soon thereafter, causing him to nearly jump out of his skin and sharply whip around.
“..Hello?” A voice called to Elliot from above, a mysterious figure stepping from beyond the upstairs. Their form was revealed to the delivery boy from the landing of the steps. Their appearance was strange, their skin a pale, ghostly white. They had black fingerless gloves, as well as a pitch black shirt and pants. They seemed to be confused as well, mirroring Elliot’s expression.
“Oh! Pardon me.. Is this your house?” Elliot asked, noticing the robloxian’s confused expression. Hopefully it was this person’s house, otherwise he was just as lost as he previously was. He took in the robloxian’s form, noticing that they primarily had a black and white appearance. He squinted, recognizing the faint symbol on the
robloxian’s shirt. Was that Spawn?
“No, I was simply asleep within my compound and awoke here.” Two Time was utterly bewildered. There was simply no way they could just be.. taken elsewhere without being woken up.
“What is your name? Mine is Two Time!” They chirped, narrowing their eyes at the delivery boy’s clothing. He bore a red polo shirt along with black work pants. The visor on his head was a vibrant shade of red, the same as his shirt. They trotted down the stairs, hopping down and standing in front of him. Their tail briefly twitched in curiosity behind them- odd spike-esque structures adorning the spindly appendage.
“Elliot.” Elliot replied, nodding at the robloxian. If this location wasn’t Two Time’s, then who did it belong to? “Do you know who’s house this is? I was uh.. trying to deliver a pizza.” Elliot gestured with a hand, gaining a sort of uneasy feeling at Two Time’s presence.
“Elliot! That is quite a nice name, the Spawn would like it.” Two Time paused briefly, before they tilted their head to the side. “Also, no. I am completely unaware as to why I have been brought here.” Their gaze flit about wildly around the cabin as they sought to take in the sights around them. They skipped over to the couch, briefly examining the lit fireplace. Their tail perked up, turning to face Elliot.
“Did you light this?” They hummed, kneeling down to further investigate the sight. They got off their knees, spinning back around and hopping over the couch. Their agility seemed to be.. prevalent, that was for certain.
”Uh.. nope. And nobody else is here- so maybe it’s just automatic. I think.” Elliot replied. eyes narrowing at the lit fireplace. He didn’t light it, Two Time certainly couldn’t have lit it, so who did? He moved to sit down, figuring he might as well get comfortable. Perhaps a bit of comfort would serve to quell the dread and anxiety which was clawing at him.
“Perhaps!” Two Time chirped in reply, hopping onto the armrest of the couch in order to sit. Two Time had a dagger bound steadfast to their belt, a sight which made Elliot’s gut churn in anxiety. Why did Two Time have a knife on their person? What purpose could such possibly serve?
“I wonder if we’re alone here.” Elliot murmured, glancing around once more as he contemplated on joining Two Time on the couch. He eventually sat down, figuring it would be safe to do so for the time being.
Two Time perked up as a resounding creak resonated from the front door, someone odd stepping within. “..Hello?” Shedletsky muttered, his gaze focusing on the two which were presented in front of him. His blade was sheathed tightly by his side, the weapon’s glistening surface shimmering in the dim overhead light above.
“Hey hey! We were waiting for the owner of the cabin to come back- are you the owner?” Two Time asked, the grin on their face never exactly faltering, their eyes meeting the swordsman’s own almost uncannily.
“No idea, I just got teleported here.” Shedletsky crossed his arms, tapping his foot on the wooden ground below.
“Well, that makes three of us.” Elliot replied, gazing at Shedletsky. He recognized the former administrator quickly, having seen the man visit the pizza place on a few occasions. He usually saw Shedletsky with Builderman.
“There’s pizza if you want some. Still warm.” Elliot offered, gesturing to the pizza box that was situated behind where he sat. “I thought I was delivering a pizza before I was taken here.”
“I’m fine, honest.” Shedletsky raised a hand, small talons adorning the scaly surface. “I was just in my house.” He shrugged, moving to seat himself on the armchair to the left of the raging fireplace.
“Have you seen anyone else?” Two Time glanced out one of the few windows, narrowing their eyes at the starless, almost uncanny night sky above. Strangely enough, there were no stars in the sky. Nonetheless, Two Time was sure it was just dandy.
“Nope, nobody else out there except for me. Tried to access my admin panel- but nothing came up.” He attempted to swipe his claw upward to summon it- to no avail. “..As you can see.”
“That’s strange..” Elliot murmured, watching Shedletsky attempt to access the admin panel. Something was definitely up if Shedletsky couldn’t access his panel- there was no way to disable an administrator’s panel. “..Wait, aren’t you a former admin? How do you still have access to your panel?”
“Builds let me have it. He trusts me enough.” He waved his hand at Elliot. He hoped Builderman wouldn’t be too worried whilst he was here. Something felt horrifically off, though. When Shedletsky first arrived here, he was met by a vehement dread, one which churned within his gut and flayed him alive. Such anxiety only continued to fester, yet he wouldn’t dare to mention such. He was sure everything was fine- maybe this was an odd sort of glitch or bug. Shedletsky was positive he’d and these other two would be out of here in no time.
Shedletsky was positive his palpable dread only stemmed from being somewhere so unfamiliar, so alien and unsettling. Yet he stayed calm outwardly, he needed to, for himself, and for those which he saw now.
“Huh.. alright.” Elliot mumbled, fiddling with his hands as he turned to gaze at the fireplace. He stretched for a moment, running a hand through his hair and pushing it backwards.
Builderman blinked, having suddenly been teleported directly into the cabin. He stood in front of the front door, silent for a moment as he processed the sudden change. He was utterly perplexed, and it was obvious. “What the..? Shed?” He spoke, taking a step forward towards Shedletsky. “What is dis’?”
He stared at the three in front of him, obviously just as lost as they were. He walked over without missing a beat, getting to Shedletsky before the former admin could make it to him.
Shedletsky perked up, standing up from the chair to fully meet his friend’s gaze. “Man- You’re here too? Can ya’ get your panel up?” He gestured for the developer to swipe, his claw curling midair as he made the gesture.
Builderman’s eyebrows furrowed at the question, moving his hand to swipe up. He paused, attempting the motion a few more times as his panel failed to appear. “..No. I can’t. Can ya’ not access yer’s?”
“Nooope. Don’t have my Illumina either.” He unsheathed his blade with a click, the weapon being revealed to be the Linked Sword. “Don’t have a good feeling about this.” Shedletsky placed the weapon back tightly by his side, tensing his palm firmly on the blade’s grip.
“Me neither.” Builderman opened his UI, automatically going to the game menu. “..I can’t leave.” He muttered, closing the UI as his eyes narrowed. “How long have you all been here?”
“About ten… fifteen minutes?” Elliot replied, glancing at the grandfather clock which was positioned against the wall, beneath the second floor. It read three AM, which couldn't possibly be right! It was far past nine when he finally managed to get to the delivery location.
“Wait- dude.” Shedletsky narrowed his eyes, flicking his gaze around the space in front of them. “..This is Dusekkar’s cabin.” He didn’t recognize it at first, mostly because of the fact the cabin had been sized up to almost twice its previous size, along with the notable lack of windows, but it was undeniable. He had been to Dusekkar’s cabin in the woods many times, and this structure was obviously it- or at least based off of it.
“Wait, what?” Builderman replied, rapidly turning his head to take in the cabin’s appearance. It was Dusekkar’s cabin for certain, but why was it so different? Dusekkar wouldn’t drag them here out of nowhere, not without sufficient notice beforehand.
Shedletsky shuffled awkwardly within his stance, clasping his hands together in order to fidget with his thumbs. “..Do ya’ think he’s here too?” Shedletsky muttered, taking his gaze upstairs. He narrowed his eyes as a familiar face flitted into his view.
Sure enough, Dusekkar rounded the corner of the hallway soon after, his lofty form levitating at the landing of the stairs above. He was an odd creature, the tassels and ribbons of his robe floating freely in the displaced air which surrounded him idly. The glint within his hollow skull grew brighter at the sight of his fellow administrators, narrowing his eye sockets.
“Ah, visitors. What brings thee here? I believe you have not notified me of your presence.“ He narrowed his eyes as he noticed two others nearby- unfamiliar.
“We just got teleported here, man. We can’t leave or access our panels.” He tilted his head upward to better gaze at Dusekkar, unclasping his hands in order to settle one of his hands upon the hilt of his sword.
“For I awoke askew, a strange storm which brews. Something borrowed, something anew.” Dusekkar slid down the steps, not elaborating upon his rather cryptic message. He could feel that same dread which the others shared in tandem, a festering emotion, really.
“..What do ya mean by that, Matt?” Builderman asked, sharing a glance to the other three that were downstairs with him as Dusekkar descended the steps. Nothing about this situation was right at all, the grouped robloxians unknowingly trapped in a hell that webbed and constricted them together.
“What I may entail is that we are somewhere which I cannot recall, somewhere strange, much so indeed.” He flanked Builderman and Shedletsky’s side, his ornate staff sheathed tightly behind his back.
“And who might thou be? I am unsure if I recognize a face as yours.” Dusekkar took his gaze downward, narrowing his eyes at the shirt and symbol which the strange person before him bore. That of the Spawn, such a thing eerily familiar.
“Two Time! Your presence is welcome, o’ divine pumpkin!” They bowed themselves briefly, seemingly recognizing Dusekkar to be an entity above them.
“Such fanfare is all but useless anywhere, quell thyselves behavior at once!” Dusekkar didn’t understand Two Time’s seeming worship. Perhaps it was because he was levitating? He wasn’t sure.
“Ah, I apologize indeed.” Two Time nodded, tail briefly drooping as they seated themselves back on the armrest of the sofa.
“..Weird.” Shedletsky murmured, leaning against Builderman’s side slightly in order to whisper such a thing in the developer’s ear.
“Don’t be mean.” Builderman whispered back in retort, though he didn’t deny Shedletsky’s precedent. Two Time did seem certainly off putting, yet he chalked it up to no more than anxiety and palpable nervousness.
Shedletsky narrowed his eyes at Builderman before rolling them, playfully pushing him away with a sneer. He perked up as the cabin’s door clicked open once more, another unfamiliar face entering within.
Chance corrected his tie briefly, his lucky coin tight within his pocket. His suit was well ironed, shades thickly covering the top half of his face. “Ooh.. Did I uh- walk in on somethin’ here? Got a bit lost out there.” He gestured to the cabin’s door, turning to leave.
Dusekkar raised a hand, shaking his head. “Absolutely not, thou is welcome. We are just as lost as one is; stay close, stay steadfast. Dare not to veer off, we are unaware what lies out there.” He insisted, raking his gaze up and down Chance’s form briefly.
Chance simply shrugged, surprisingly not too offset by the entire situation. “If you’re fine with me stayin’. Dunno how I got here, I was just walkin’ down the street and was here.” He narrowed his eyes at the people in front of him, recognizing Builderman- but none of the others.
“Gonna assume you guys tried to leave too?” He tilted his head, taking his coin forth from his pocket, gaining a smirk as he tossed it into the air with a “ping!”.
“Yup.” Builderman affirmed simply, dejectedly so. “Seems like there's just more folks comin’. Guess all we can do is wait.”
Soon enough, another came through. A robed figure tightly cloaked in embezzled gold garments slipped down the steps. He bore a bandanna wrapped finely around his mouth, shrouding him in a sense of ominous mystique. opening his arms wide and gesturing to the group of administrators. “Friends! You here too?” Taph signed, skittering up to the others.
“Who are these guys?” He gestured to Elliot, Two Time, and Chance- narrowing his eyes at the lot beneath his hood. Taph could only sign quite rudimentarily, mostly due for convenience’s sake.
“Oh- Elliot, Two Time and..” Shedletsky rolled his talon in the direction of Chance, awaiting the gambler’s response.
“Er-, whoops. Chance.” He affirmed, nodding his head as he continued to flip his coin in the air.
Taph bowed his head, waving enthusiastically. “Hi, Chance.” He glanced around for an open seat, settling in the one near Shedletsky’s own. “Why are we here?”
“That is the question.” Elliot piped up, turning to face the others. “..We all have genuinely no idea- so uh.. just.. don’t question it for now?” Elliot frankly had a million questions, but he knew such could only remain unanswered.
Taph simply nodded in response, a frown etching his features beneath his bandana. He didn’t like this, not one bit- but he knew he’d have to make do with what had happened to him, and the rest of those who were within the confines of the cabin.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind the group- one hushed and heralding a sense of nervousness. “..Uh.. Sorry- I don’t think I’m supposed to be here.” Noob drawled, fidgeting with the ends of their black scarf. They wore a blue sweater and green sweatpants, with a pitch scarf wrapped tightly around their neck- splotches of red and crimson adorning the fabric.
“Oh- nope. Yer’ fine. Come over ‘ere and have a seat, we’re all stuck ‘ere.” Builderman replied calmly, turning around in order to face the new face. He gestured to an open seat with his hand, attempting to keep the environment somewhat lax. “We dunno what’s gonna happen- so jus’ relax fer’ now, none o’ us can leave.” He continued, stating such bluntly.
“..Oh.” Noob murmured under their breath, shuffling in order to take up the seat which was offered to them- next to Chance. They noted how the man next to them seemed to stiffen at their presence, but they brushed it off. “..Why am I here?”
“..None of us know. We’re kinda just stuck here until somethin’ happens. I think..” Chance took his gaze over to Noob, ignoring the way a sharp pang in his gut struck him at their presence. They couldn’t quite recall who Noob reminded him of, but he was sure he’d remember soon enough.
“..Okkayy..” Noob drawled in response, keeping their gaze locked to the floor. It felt weird to be in such a place, especially with people of obvious status in their presence. This wasn’t right, and they were obviously concerned about it.
The next and seemingly final member of the group was Guest 1337, a soldier who supposedly took a grenade for his platoon. Two dog tags were wrapped tightly around his neck, one of his own, and one of a friend. He was stern, yet radiated a certain sense of warmth, like his mere presence heralded a sense of kindness.
All together, the nine were packed tightly into the cabin- the environment quiet as the group silently processed exactly what had happened to them all. Confusion hung heavy in the air, mixed with a palpable sense of dread and anxiety. An emotion which all shared, but one they dared not to speak on.
“Is that everyone?” Two Time finally broke the silence, glancing about curiously, nobody having entered the cabin for the past fifteen or so minutes.
“I'd hope so.” Guest replied to Two Time’s query, crossing his arms over himself firmly as he stood over the rest of his fellow to-be-determined roommates.
Meanwhile, 007n7 had been pacing outside of the cabin for at least thirty minutes. He briefly peered in through one of the few windows around the perimeter, noting a few faces within which he’d rather not be close to. He had attempted to use his GUI to peel out of here.. multiple times at this point, yet his teleport command seemed all but nullified.
Although the biting chill which tore itself into the exploiter proved vehement. One which tore and flayed at his insides and disemboweled him to his core. 007 clamped his hands around his forearms, narrowing his eyes at the entrance of the cabin. It was either he’d likely die of the freezing air out here, or he’d go within a place where practically all of his enemies were gathered at.
He slowly trudged up the stairs, dread pooling in his gut as he twisted the knob and entered. He slinked into himself as practically every gaze snapped up to him. Only two of which were vaguely warm, that of the guy in the suit and the soldier. He slowly shuffled to the corner of the cabin, not bothering to properly introduce himself. Everyone within was already unfortunately aware of his past, as much as he attempted to mend it.
This was frankly the worst possible situation he could’ve found himself within. He pulled up his GUI, scrambling in a desperate attempt to find something to possibly escape him from the situation at hand. It was either stay here, or freeze to death; and he wasn’t keen on either. He briefly glanced up from his panel, noting the cold resentment from many which he was familiar with. He exhaled shakily, choosing not to speak.
007 was a smart man. He knew the rest were trapped just as he was. 007 could gather such from the fact that, one- his GUI had been brutally butchered to the bare minimum, and two- none of the administrators seemed to have their panels at the ready. It was obvious he was stuck, and he hated it.
“..Come on.” Elliot muttered to himself, crossing his arms tightly over himself. He knew if he were to be here long term, he’d have to get acquainted with the one he detested most. He narrowed his eyes at the exploiter, part of him wondering if he was behind all of this.
Elliot kept his gaze fixated on the one who made a complete mockery of his establishment so many times- a deface which felt personal to a degree. He recognized 007 as a guy with some form of morale, especially after the advent of his son, but that still didn’t serve to quell his utter distaste for the man, not at all.
“..That makes ten.” Shedletsky muttered, propping up his ankle upon his knee. He clasped his hands together, his fingers intertwining with one another as he placed his hands atop his lap.
Builderman glanced around, settling his gaze on the door. “Think dat’s everybody? Pretty sure the cabin ain’t even able to fit anyone else even if it wanted to.” He snickered, nudging Shedletsky with a slight elbow.
“Think so!” He giggled back, returning the friendly gesture. He cast his gaze briefly over to 007- who was shoved tightly in the darkest corner in the cabin. They deliberately chose not to pay any mind to 007n7 as he entered, knowing damn well how nervous the man seemed.
A sudden dizziness seemed to strike all of them at once, a pang which went unsaid. Yet all shared the same feeling, an overwhelming sensation in the dying, dim light of the dank cabin. They all showed subtle signs of the feeling- Noob reached up to rub at their eyes, Guest shuffled in his stance. It was obvious something was wrong, utterly so.
“Might anyone else feel a bit.. woozy?” Two Time piped up, moving to seat themselves on the floor below. Their tail flicked and flitted behind them- before the appendage went limp in their wake.
“No, no. Not just you, dude.” Chance reassured, taking a brief moment to fix his tie and correct his fedora. He glanced around warily, a sudden buzzing and whirring sound encapsulating the room.
The TV flicked to life- the fireplace fizzling out and dying into pathetic embers. It showed static for a moment, scrabbling to ground itself for some stable connection. The screen flickered to life soon thereafter, a message displayed to the team. It was strange, ominous. A message which was horrifically simple, one which confirmed many of their worst fears and anxieties.
“Round starts in 1:00.”