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The first thing Rudo sees is the people from the sphere. They stare at him, eyes gleaming with violence as he can feel the disgust and hatred radiating off them.“Throw the trash where it belongs.” They holler out, some with anger, others with satisfaction. However, now that he pays more attention, he is in the audience... Looking at himself
What’s going on?
He rubs his eyes and blinks a few times, suddenly standing above Regto. Rudo can see the way his blood is spilling everywhere like dye in water... Honestly it's kind of pretty to look at, but just like before, he isn’t in his body; Rudo sees himself behind “him”
When did he get this tall?
Why is he looking at himself?
Why can't he move his body?
All of a sudden, the form he's in starts moving. He, or it, starts running out as he hears his past self yelling at "him", and promptly getting attacked by guards. It runs past a mirror, as the word "doe" is heard faintly. Time seemed to stop for Rudo as his eyes zoned in on the mirror. It almost seemed like there was a man in the mirror, he looked quite similar to someone he can't quite place, but why? A mask, a light brown from the amount of dirt and what not on the cloth covering the figure, but one question stood. Why is it so familiar?
"Rudo!"
still faint but a lot stronger this time
Rudo? Who is Rudo? Is that me? Is anything even real, why is this happening to me?
"RUDO!" A yell woke him up, he sits up panicked and looked around him to see Riyo, Enjin, and Zanka by his side
"W-Wah...? Huh?" Rudo looks at them, confused why they woke him up
"Good, you're awake" Enjin sighed, exhausted but relieved. "Semiu told us about a place that may have answers that interest you" Riyo said casually with a sly and a care free smile
Rudo's eyes widened at that, but what Zanka added made him nervous yet excited
"Yeah, what Riyo said was true, but Seimu said it was also really dangerous, so we're going with you alongside others, however they are just backup to call when we need help" Zanka's eyebrows were knitted together looking both worried and calm at the same time
"So... What is the information?" Rudo asked
"Umm, I'm not so sure about it but I'm pretty sure its about the watchman series and information about the sphere" Enjin was scratching his neck, his eyes looking up as he answered his question
"WHAT" He screams as he looked at Enjin with shock written on his face, everyone knew he was going to agree with that reaction, so Rudo was told to get ready to go soon
——————————
This sure is a long drive Riyo thought as she looked out the window, it kind of sucks that Enjin was driving just to stay awake
As Riyo starts to zone out the car suddenly stops and Riyo almost hits the back of the seat in front of her, snapping her out of her thoughts, “We're here” Enjin loudly announces. Following it with a call for Riyo to leave the car
She obliged and left the car. As they left, Enjin told the others with them to stay by the car and if they needed help then they’ll just call them on their chocker
——————————
The thing is quite boring, they just split up and search their respected areas, group up and tell information, then go deeper, split up and do the whole thing again
After their 4th time, they hear a noise,
Is that talking? couldn't be right, they should be the only ones here and the voices don't sound like the people from the cleaners' HQ, so who could they be?
"You guys hear this too right?" Riyo hesitantly asked the others, looking around and grabbed her vital instrument
Zanka grabs Lovely Assistaff after a short silence, then Enjin, and finally Rudo
"Well if it isn't Mr. bad Attitude”
Great, it's the raiders, out of anyone it could've been. Why wouldn't it be them?
“What the hell are yer doing here?” Zanka questions. He points his Assistaff at the raiders with eyes that yell ‘leave now or die trying’. On the other side with the raiders, none of them are smiling, except Jabber. Just like the cleaners, their vital instruments are also activated
“Why do I feel so weird… I feel so sluggish it's gross” Riyo thought to herself but didn't show it on her face. Her movements and reaction times are way more sluggish than normal but like the way she always does. She brushes it off… It's not like she is all that important, right? Yeah, right. She shouldn't be complaining, everyone has had it way worse than her
“Oh hey aren't you the girl with the braids that shot me in the trash beast?” Jabber just said so casually that you would have to take a second to realize what Jabber said
“I-I! It-Those weren't braids! Those were fishbones!” Was the first thing she could spit out. “I don't think that should be the thing you're worrying about,” Enjin stated disappointedly. Enjin pinches the bridge of his nose, letting out a disappointed sigh before he shortly says, “we'll talk about this later, we kinda have to focus right now, yeah?” Enjin whispered to the red head, making sure he ended it with some positivity to keep Riyo going. “At least Enjin is gonna be there for me that's for sure,” Riyo thought before quickly brushing it away to focus
“Answer my question! What the hell are yer doing here?” Zanka is obviously getting more and more agitated as the raiders don't answer. It is quite obvious that he is going to get the answer to his question even if he's gotta force them
“I could ask you the same thing” Jabber casually retorts. His signature smile plastered on his face without faltering from when they met all the way to now. Honestly, it's kinda impressive, but now wasn't the time, they're in battle. But before anyone else could say more, one of the raiders spoke
“I-Wereherebecauseweheardaboutpossibleinformationonthewatchmanseries!” The one in the back spews out clearly out of instinct. The other raiders whipped their heads around to glare at the boy with white hair with a red peekaboo underneath. Their eyes were yelling at Fu, anger apparent. As he realized what he just did, he slapped a hand over his mouth, eyes popping out of its sockets
tap
What was that?
Was that tapping?
Am I going crazy?
Riyo looked at the others, their faces confirmed that it wasn't just her, everyone heard it
Tap
tap
tap
tap
tap
tap
tap
tap
taptap
taptaptaptaptap
taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptapta-
suddenly darkness
—————————
When Cthoni came too, they were no longer in the building they were in, but a completely new one. It looked spacey, clean-ish maybe but there's dirt spects on the wall making it darker than supposed to. The blue haired girl looked around observing her surroundings
On the cleaners’ side, everyone is out. On the raider’s side, everyone also seemed to be out. When Cthoni looks closer, she realises Jabber is awake, just quiet.
That isn't usually like him
Is he sober for once?
Did something happen?
Cthoni stood up and went towards Jabber. Sits down beside him, humming a little as she waits to be acknowledged before talking. She looks at him and looks away, seeing if Jabber will look at her. It takes a while but when she looks back at him for however many times, Jabber’s head is fully facing her, startling Cthoni a bit.
“thoni?” The dreadhead questioned, he looked pretty drunk but also sober. His half lidded eyes just stared at her looking as if he couldn’t understand anything. Like he was under water accepting death. “Hey, how are you feeling? Good? Bad? So-so?” The blue haired girl bombarded him with questions the second she got something from Jabber. He takes a while to take in what she said. Maybe she shouldn't have attacked him with questions
But he answers
He always answers
“Y-yeah… I'm fine, just a little light headed, ya know” Jabber smiled weakly but genuine. Different from how he usually does. Softer, kid-ish. It was nostalgic seeing that smile again
“Good, tell me if you need anything, yeah?” Cthoni asks Jabber how a mother would talk to their crying child. She pats Jabber’s head in a calm and slow rhythm as Jabber lays his head on Cthoni’s lap.
“Aww, ya worried about little ol’ me” Jabber teases Cthoni, as he chuckles, the older woman hits his head while looking at him with a disapproving look. “Okay, Okay, jeez man, I get it. I will, promzies” Jabber caves and gets an approving look from Cthoni
“whateva’, where the hell are we at?” Jabber looks around as he pushes himself off Cthoni. “Did you send us here or what?” Jabber questions, back to his normal self. “No, I just woke up here” her cold tone makes her sound annoyed. “Darng,” Jabber said disappointedly. He opens one eye then froze “Hold on a sec’, Who’s that one?” Jabber questions as he points a finger at a girl in the corner. Cthoni hadn't noticed her before. That's weird.
The girl had two long side hairs but it was short in the back. On the two side hairs, orange takes over until it reaches her chin. The rest of the hair was jet black. She had an orange and white striped neck choker on her neck, a big bow behind it. Her outfit was quite revealing. The top half had a hole in the middle of her chest held together by an orange bow, a white and orange striped scarf, the exact same as her necklace wrapped around her upper torso. Under that had it split in half, revealing her belly button, hips and underwear. On her thighs had ribbons that are held by silver rings. The girl doesn't seem all that old. Her boots look familiar.
Is that the watchman series on it?
Is she one of the watchman series givers?
Why is she here?
Why are they here?
Why are WE here?
When Cthoni looked back at the girl, she was staring directly at them, no, she was staring directly at Jabber
Not her
Not the people on the ground
Just Jabber
Weird
“Amo wants to know where we are,” the girl states. So, her name is Amo, and Amo speaks in 3rd person
Good to know
“That's the thing, we don't know either. We're trying to figure that out” Cthoni answered before Jabber could speak, for he would’ve made everything more difficult
“Amo doesn't like this” The girl- I mean Amo seems to get agitated. Her voice started to become slightly shrill as she spoke
“WHERE ARE WE!? WHERE IS AMO AT!?” Ouch, Cthoni’s ears are about to bleed from how loud she screamed. Apparently it was loud enough to wake everyone else up. They went up like zombies crawling up from their graves.
“Wha-huh? Where are we?” Rudo was the first to speak from the woken group. He was looking around dazed while the others were still trying to pull themselves together. “Amo?” asked a dazed Rudo, obviously confused, then in an instinct, he snapped out of it, “Wait, AMO! I-is that really you!?” Loud and obnoxious thought Cthoni as she sees the sphereite running towards the Amo girl, hugging her when he reaches her, bawling out as he continuously repeats “Thank god” and “I was so worried.” Amo on the other hand, looked quite awkward as she just stares at the boy, hesitantly reaching a hand out to pat his back
“Wait, hold on for a sec” The yellow haired tattoo man said dazily. Obviously not in the fullest mind, “Wha did you just say?” He asked, rubbing his eyes. “Where are we?” a blond boy with dark ends asked, way more put together then the other man. His words made everyone that had just woken up actually look around and think, all wondering the same thing
Where are they?
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out” Cthoni butts in, just to make sure they “don’t get their hopes up” the blue haired raider told herself. “Well that’s not good” the girl with red hair states the obvious, leaving the others disappointed. “What! No way, I tootally didn’t know that” sarcasm dripped from The blue eyed boy. The red head just started at him annoyed
“W-wait! So-so Y-youdidn’tsendushere!?” Fu’s voice rips out his throat, worried for what was to come next. “No I didn’t” Cthoni confirmed his fear, someone other than Cthoni sent them here
Cthoni then felt a breath by her ear, “We can't use our jinki ‘thons. I tried, doesn't work”
Fuck
Cthoni tried to use her jinki with the thought of maybe jabber is making an unfunny joke
He wasn't
During her panic, an umbrella gets pointed in her face. “What did that one say…” The man points to Jabber “…To make you panic” serious, not afraid to fight. Noted.
Should I tell him
What if he freaks out on her
He's the enemy-
“Our jinkis don't work”
A voice
Jabber’s voice
Did he just say it?
“What…?” A weak voice crowed, unrecognizable. Just like that, everyone realized what the boy had said, and just like that, everyone started to panic after trying to use their jinki but realizing that Jabber was telling the unfortunate truth
“W-what the hell” a weak voice spoke, likely the sphereite
None of their jinki worked, but before they could worry much longer, they heard a voice. It was every loud and commanding, just their voice was commanding enough to just go on your knees and bow down to them
“I see that everyone is here. Although the cleaners are pushing it, for they weren't originally a part of the plan, I guess I can make room for a few more.”
“What is this? Where are we at? Why won't you show your face?” Rudo screamed, anger burning his eyes
“Where are your manners, little one, turn around and stay quiet like the good givers you are.” The last part made many shiver, wishing they didn't hear that. Including Cthoni, however, she put herself back together before turning around
The lights cut out, soon following three spotlights pointing at the curtains that were definitely not there before. Soon, the curtains opened showing a woman and multiple big screens all showing her on it. Also not there before
“Hello my fellow raiders, and cleaners. I have been watching all of you and decided that the nine of you would be the perfect candidates for my experiment. I already know what all of you went through, and it wasn't pretty, some worse than others, obviously.” The woman’s words were not comforting. “Experiment? Like lab rats?” Momoa asked “And how do you know our past, were we picked when we were kids?”
“No silly, like you, I can see people’s past.” The woman told the teal haired girl, ignoring the first questions. “What about the lab rats part?” Not letting that question slip out. “If you are just so persistent, sorta, yeah. Lab rats are not that far but as you are here, your reactions will be written down. So I guess, yeah you are my lab rats picked out my me”
Great, we're now “lab rats” for this woman's plan. Speaking of it, what does she have for us
“You said experiment, what is the experiment?” Cthoni asked the woman above
“I’m getting there” the woman seemed annoyed, probably because she keeps getting interrupted
“Now open your silly little ears up, because I won't repeat myself. All of you have been through something bad, possibly multiple and that's fine. You all will be stuck in this building until all of you have figured out each other's past. And I mean the whole thing without pressure or it doesn't count, in this room a big screen where I am currently will appear. It contains your names, a picture of you and beside it you will see other people's faces, if you see someone else's face in your column that means they already know what happened and do not have to worry about telling them. When you find out someone’s past, then a speaker will broadcast it out for everyone to know that someone knows someone else's past. Got that?”
Wow, just wow
being stuck with these people until we know each other's past? That has to be the most stupidest experiment
“Why is this an experiment” the red head asked
“I wanted to know how different people react to figuring something that may either bring sympathy, shock, disgust, or relation to their past. It's quite the question, but I'm an experimenter, so I will find this out”
Great
“Before I go there are a few things to be said. One, your rooms all have name plates with your name and face, showing that it's your room. Two, for a cozier and friendlier environment, in your closet, you've got new clothes waiting for you, that include pajamas. Three, every room is sound proof, however you are not permitted to use that to your advantage for bad things. Consensual sex is alright and you've got to clean up when you're done, but using the sound proof rooms to do harm to someone else in any way will get you punished. And lastly, there are cameras everywhere including mics to track and figure out progress. Enjoy and ba-bye”
Just like that the curtains dropped and was replaced with a big screen that showed what the woman was talking about
Great