Chapter Text
Two Time couldn’t believe it. How could an imposter- a demon- use their body better than they could?! It was infuriating, watching it dance around John Doe as if it were as simple as praying. It even mocked the beast, only receiving a single hit in response. It then stood still, only being grazed by spikes it seemed to anticipate. What manner of creature was this?!
More importantly, how long would it last without gaining the suspicion of others? While it may have fooled Chance and Elliot, the others ought to be more perceptive, no?
Two Time was dragged with it as it returned to the cabin, clearly a bit surprised at the sudden change in scenery. It relaxed after realizing its new location, before tensing at the sound of Chance’s voice- they were congratulating the imposter. Its (Their) eye twitched at the sound, causing the gambler to back away. It was agitated for some reason Two Time would likely never know, and they prayed that this would be its downfall.
+++
Right. He had to be ‘normal’ about this. He was currently possessing a creepy ass cultist whom practically no one trusted. Be formal, and smile. Easy enough.
They broke out into a grin, staring the gambler in the eyes. “Apologies Chance, I was merely thinking. I appreciate the positive remarks of my performance.” God, did speaking like a fucking medieval peasant make him cringe inside, but it was for the greater good.
“Yeah… that was surprisingly impressive? How’d you even do that?” Elliot asked, trying to find a respective way to look at Two Time without… looking them in the eyes.
“While that may be true, why now pay your dues?” Dusekkar interjected, hovering over to the table.
“Ah… truth be told, I’ve been… secretly practicing. I am afraid that this is the first time I’ve put my work into action. Unknown as it may be… I am well aware of how you all view me due to my inability to contribute much. Therefore, I have decided to find a way to apply myself.” That was a horrible lie. Please, please let Two Time be an absolute shut-in or whatever- just something to make it believable!
The pumpkin sorcerer seemed to sigh, while Chance and Elliot actually appeared to be a little embarrassed. “An unfortunate fact now well known, is your decision set in stone?”
“Why of course, o’ Divine Pumpkin.” Oh yeah. A little bit of Dusekkar glazing to really sell the False Time act.
“Your choice is made, I will let the others know of new aid.” He stated, levitating out the room.
The other two survivors left the room with Dusekkar, and False Time let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. If every interaction was going to be them tip-toeing on unknowns and possibilities, they might just lose it and embrace not being the real Two Time.
But then again, he had no clue on just how much power any survivor had outside the ‘rounds,’ and he would rather not get smited by Roblox god, or something. That was basically just what Builderman was, right? Or something like that. Regardless of who-was-what, the Admins were dangerous for obvious reasons, (banning) and he’d rather not figure out the real-life implications of getting banhammered here.
“Once I’m done here, I should ask them about-”
“Sooo… considering that really impressive no-hit-jutsu you pulled off there, wanna help us scavenge?”
“...What?”
“Wait- ask who about what?”
“...Nevermind that. What were you asking of earlier, dear Shedletsky?”
“Hah! No need to be formal- but yeah, we need to go on a supply run, and if what Dusekkar’s telling me is true… then you’re our guy!”
“Ahh… that was quick…”
“News spreads fast ya’ know-! It also helps that there’s like- only eight other people here. Seven, including you.”
“Well… I suppose I could aid in scavenging supplies… what do we need?”
“Eh, Builds will go over the specifics once we’re out and about. I don’t really do all that counting stuff, ya’ know?”
“I- of course. I… understand.” So… Shedletsky was either lazy, or just trying to act laid back for the sake of everyone else’s morale. Probably both… he seemed like the type to shirk responsibilities. It was the face, really. The goofy, horribly unserious face.
“Since you’ve never been on one, I’ll explain it as we go!” With that, False Time found himself unceremoniously grabbed and dragged by Shedletsky. Who still had that goofy smile on his face.
“Please unhand me. I am capable of moving on my own.”
“Aww… c’mon! Can’t I be a little bit excited about you actually wanting to pitch in for once, Timey?”
“I will slit your throat.” Oops. That may have been a bit too much- he was still being in-character though, right?
Fuck it… we ball. I’m going AAAALLLLLL in.
And then he stared at the swordfighter. Stared at him good and hard, using that inherently creepy smile of Two Time’s. (He had to remember to smile often- Two Time always smiled, right? His naturally neutral face wouldn’t do here). Shedletsky only glanced back, chuckling stiffly.
“HAH! Good one!” And then he continued dragging the poor cultist out the door.
As they went (good LORD Shedletsky was a lot stronger than he looked) False Time got a good look at the survivors, the most notable being Guest 1337, who gave him a nod of acknowledgement, and Noob- who just ducked behind the aforementioned sentinel upon spotting False Time.
He couldn’t help but snort at Noob’s skittishness, and that only made them squeal in terror.
“Aw, don’t terrify the poor kid like that.”
“I don’t believe anything I’ve done would have spooked dear Noob- and if I have done something to scare them, then I humbly apologize.”
For a moment, it looked as if Shedletsky was going to say something- but his mouth opened to nothing and he shook his head. “Ah- well- it was a rough round for them.”
“I see.” They still had no clue what happened during the round- they only encountered Chance and Elliot before being thrust into a Last Man Standing. “Is there… anywhere specific you have in mind to meet everyone?”
“Oh, yeah. By the docks. You can go on ahead, I got others to round up.”
“You… you could have told me earlier.”
“You were threatening me!”
“I had every right to. Do not touch me.”
“Geez! Fine!”
+++
Unlike in-game, the cabins outside were much more numerous. Did each survivor get their own cabin, or did they have two to each cabin? Honestly, he thought they all shared the three or so he’d always see in-game. This amount of cabins… was definitely an oddly kind thing for the Spectre to do. Especially since he had definitely spotted some NPCs on his way out.
They shivered, a freezing breeze passing through them.
It felt like something was grasping at him- something that felt welcome and familiar. At least, to the body they were inhabiting. Looks like someone wanted their body back… fuck. He was really hoping that Two Time would just be in a coma-like state. Or at least some sort of state where they wouldn't be aware of his escapades.
Well… whatever beings he made a deal with definitely held more power than Two Time, and so did the Spectre. They wouldn’t be able to take their body back. Not until he was done with it.
It was a haunting thought, yet a relieving one.
He still felt awful for feeling better about it, though.
…I shouldn’t get too mopey right now. We’re meeting at the docks, and that’s all I need to focus on right now. Besides, these are video game characters… it’s not like fucking with them will have any real consequences.
Thankfully, the docks were pretty close to the cabin they came out of. They noticed some other Survivors gathering around, although it was mostly Sentinels. Elliot (and Builderman, obviously) was there too, but why all the Sentinels…? Isn’t it bad to put all your eggs in one basket?
“Yoooo, Two Time!” Chance called out, waving to him with a massive grin. “Took ya long enough!”
“...I just saw all of you in the main cabin…?” At least, they assumed it was the main cabin.
“Eh. We have our ways. Thought you knew a shortcut or ‘two’ to the docks.” Shedletsky snickered, taking a bite out of some fried chicken he pulled from his pocket.
“Haha. A wondrous joke. Now then, what is our destination?” False Time clasped his hands together, already cringing at what was already coming next. “I am sure that no matter where we go, the Spawn will bless us all with safety and good health.” God he felt like putting a gun to his head.
Glances of ‘is this guy for real?’ spread around the small group, but no one said anything. Two Time had proved their abilities, and would be good for the next part of their scavenging plan.
Builderman cleared his throat, and everyone turned attentively to him. Aside from Shedletsky, but who did he even pay attention to? The Admin treated everything like an absolute joke. “Anywho, ya’ll know why yer here. We have a limited amount o’ time to gather resources before an ‘official’ match starts, n’ the Spectre puts us through th’ ringer again. Even durin’ our scavengin’ mission, we might have to deal with Killers chasin’ us. Th’ Spectre likes to make everythin’ harder.”
There were curt nods from everyone else, and Evan followed along. Simple enough, right? Besides, stuff like this never happened in-game… it could be pretty damn fun.
“Now then… you all know yer duties, but Two Time is new to the squad, so I’ll go over it real quick for ‘em, so extend a bit o’ patience, yeah?”
“Much appreciated, may the Spawn bless your patience.”
More glances. And honestly? Evan wished he could join them. LARPing as a deranged cultist was just as cringeworthy as he thought it’d be. The problems of having a main with genuine issues…
“...Anyhow, Elliot’s job is ta’ keep everyone in tiptop shape, especially if a Killer is ‘round. Otherwise, he’s great at telling what’s spoiled n’ whats not when we’re scavengin’. Guest’s job is ta’ keep everyun’ safe, n’ make sure that anyun’ with supplies is well-protected from any targetin’ attempts. Shedletsky’s job is pretty simple… he’s just there to stun th’ Killer, really. Not much else he can do.”
“-Hey!”
“Chance has th’ same job, but from a distance. He’s meant ta’ provide cover for anyun’ who needs it. He’s incredibly helpful, even if he blows ‘imself up occasionally.”
Chance only winked (wait, how could he tell they were winking-?) and waved. They made no objection to this fact.
“And, Two Time… yer role in all of this.”
“The Spawn shall guide me to do my task well, Builderman.”
No glances. Just exasperation.
“Well, yer role in all of this is ta’ distract th’ Killer, and prevent ‘em from targetin’ anyun’ that has supplies. N’ yes, they will go after any of us with supplies, regardless of their capabilities.”
“I will accept this task with the utmost discretion.”
Builderman nodded, before motioning for Two Time to come over. As they joined the other Sentinels (and Elliot) they noticed Builderman heading back to the cabins. Which was odd, seeing as he was the one orchestrating this whole trip…
Shedletsky elbowed them, chewing on yet another piece of chicken. “Oh, yeah, Buildermyan has to keep stuff organished back at home bashe. Killers can harass ush here, but they can’t enter our cabims. You’re… alwaysh somewhere elshe when it happems, so we dunno how much exactly you know about what can happem when we’re out scaveging.”
“...Thank you for the insight dear Shedletsky, but you are… getting spit and chicken all over my face and clothes. It is quite disgusting of you.”
“Oops, my bad.”
Somehow, Evan got the feeling that Shedletsky didn’t really mean it.
+++
Honestly, Evan wondered just how much media from his world was in this one. Why? Because the entire time they were heading to the scavenging area, Shedletsky wouldn’t stop singing Lava Chicken. It was funny at first, but it quickly became irritating. He eyed Chance enviously, desperately wanting those headphones… earmuffs…? Unfortunately, Chance noticed this and clasped his hands protectively over them.
“Oh, we’re here! Follow my lead, gang! Hehehe…” Thankfully, Shedletsky had finally stopped humming, but he was in an entire league of his own. In terms of how much Evan felt like he was dying inside due to this grown ass man acting like… this.
“...See that? The dark spot over there.” Guest 1337 asked, pointing at a distant splotch. “It looks like John Doe is prowling at this site today. Or he set traps earlier, and it’s someone else…”
Chance bit their lip, flipping their coin. “Not sure how much I like those odds. There could always be more than one Killer.”
“Jason’s bad. If he chases one person, they’re as good as dead. 1x is bad too, but at least their attacks are easy enough to kite. If anything, they’re an issue for Shedletsky. Still don’t know why they do that…” Elliot added, looking at the chicken-eating man a bit suspiciously. “John Doe’s traps are awful to step in, and so is getting trapped by those spikes, but that’s really all he has… and stop eating all your chicken! You might need it!”
Shedletsky stopped mid-chew, staring at Elliot in surprise. He clearly didn’t expect a sudden callout during the detailed Killer analysis.
“And C00lkidd… his fire and minions are both dangerous. They kill where poison doesn’t. And the slowness he inflicts…” Two Time added, getting too drawn in by the deep analysis they were doing. “The best Killer to face would be John Doe, or 1x. I have already proven myself against John Doe, and 1x can easily miss her attacks. C00lkidd and Jason are much, much trickier.”
“Huh. Didn’t take ya’ as the type to uh… analyze your enemies, Two Time. Kinda creepy. Also, what do you mean by ‘her’ when you referred to-”
“Oh please-” Two Time quickly interrupted Chance, forgetting that they probably weren’t privy to the lore he was, from the wiki. “-if you all are allowed to analyze Killers, then why am I not?”
At least Chance had the decency to appear a bit embarrassed by the hypocrisy they demonstrated. The others just looked away awkwardly. Except Shedletsky. False Time missed the sudden hardening of his expression, unsure suspicion lacing his features as he stared.
By the time everyone regained focus, Shedletsky was back to that whimsical expression of his, never appearing worried.
Guest1337 was the first to move forwards, motioning for the others to follow. “Get in, get out. Quick n’ easy, alright?”
Evan found himself nodding along with everyone else.
+++
It was… strange. The area they were scavenging from looked like… an old town. Destroyed and set alight in some areas, but still… it was clearly a town. Maybe a neighborhood? It looked familiar, for a reason False Time couldn't place. Not only that, but this wasn’t any other map Evan had ever seen before. It was completely new, and that made him nervous.
Don’t be afraid.
You’re just here to make entertainment for everyone, no?
He… had no clue where that came from, but he wasn’t sure if it was his own thoughts or the wind on the breeze. It didn’t make him feel any better though. Especially not with his current role of ‘go check things out and distract the Killer, Two Time!’
So here he was, creeping along the burnt surroundings and keeping a close eye on everything that dared move near him- including the fire. It was distracting, and occasionally embarrassing to be spooked by a moving flame.
There were the distant sounds of rummaging, as the other Survivors were looting the place. He wished he could too, but again, his job was to distract the Killer. If there… even was one. The Spectre probably got a kick from the Survivors being paranoid out of their minds during scavenging missions.
This town looks familiar… I’ve been walking down this road for a while, and most of the houses look the same. They’ve even got the same mailbox out front! But… where do I know the town from? I feel like it’s just on the tip of my tongue-!
They furrowed their brow, trying to take in the details surrounding them better. Obviously, there was fire and half-destroyed buildings. But he could also make out some crashed vehicles. Red ones, with-
Work at a Pizza Place?! This- this is the town in the game- that you can customize your house in, and deliver pizzas to-!
“...That’s odd, I’ve never seen such a place in the game…” Evan mumbled to himself.
This place was certainly getting odder and odder… was he truly in Forsaken, or in a parallel world- where things were much more real than he saw behind a screen…?
If I am… then Anon would be better to ask about that kinda shit. He knows more about that stuff than I do. Or at least- I like to think so. His worldbuilding is so cool…
He sat down, wondering just where he was- clearly, this place was based off of Forsaken, but was it really the game he’d play with his friends…?
“...Obviously… obviously it can’t be, ri-”
Their head snapped up, hearing the distant sounds of sirens. No, not now-! So… Guest was right then. Doe did trap the place, but he’s likely not here. And 1x is Shedletsky’s problem… should he really step in for this? Surely, Shedletsky could handle his own creation, even if he was nerfed.
Besides, they’re much more than a player behind a screen now. John Doe might be a mindless beast here, but 1x is likely much more skilled… possibly due to being an offshoot of Shedletsky.
Two Time eyed a nearby house, yellow in color- even if the paint was melting away from the flames. “I’m sure they’ll be fine… Two Time’s gotta get themselves some loot!” He grinned, rubbing his hands together.
+++
“SHEDLETSKY DO SOMETHING!!!” Elliot shrieked, his delivery cap melting from the potent poison of a near-miss Mass Infection.
Shedletsky was scarfing down on a piece of chicken, trying to heal some wounds he had sustained earlier. “I’m- I’m tryim, Emlliot!” All he wanted to know was how things got so bad.
Chance was behind a piece of rubble nearby, the sudden ambush causing them to use their gun on one charge- with disastrous consequences. Thankfully, his weakness wasn’t too high, but it was still a rough spot to be in for their only ranged stunner. 1x1x1x1 was putting too much pressure on Elliot to allow him to heal Chance effectively, and that pressure was doubled once Shedletsky got near.
“AAARRGHHHH-” Holy shit. Guest must’ve punched them.
“Gogogogogo Elliot! Nownownow!” Shedletsky urged, watching the healer zoom off to Chance’s location.
The former Admin followed his lead, pushing himself up from the rubble he was using as cover. The previous aching in his arm was gone, so it was now or never. He had to Slash 1x, before it got the upper hand over Guest.
It was easy enough to find him, seeing as… well, that mistake was something Shedletsky preferred not to dwell on. All that mattered right now was the injured Guest1337 he could see, struggling to play keep away with the hatred-fueled being.
“GUEST, DUCK!”
1x spun around, hearing the voice of their ever-hated Creator. But it was too late, as Shedletsky’s blade met its mark.
“SHEDLETSKYYYY!!!!” 1x howled, absolutely livid, and more so than usual.
While they were stunned, he quickly grabbed Guest’s arm, leading him away. “I know where Elliot is, but we gotta take a longer path so that 1x doesn’t find him right away-”
“Where the hell is Two Time?!”
The chicken-eating Sentinel suddenly paused, his brow furrowing. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t seen them since they split off on his orders. “Where… where is Two Time-?”
Their attention was grabbed by the sound of a distant gunshot, and Guest grumbled. “We can worry about where they are later. We have to save Elliot and Chance.”
Shedletsky nodded. “Right.”
+++
Honestly, there really wasn’t anything… interesting in the houses. They gathered some food scraps here and there, but there was nothing too remarkable. Yet.
He picked up some metal scraps that were spread around, wondering if they’d be useful to Builderman. Or 007n7. They were the tech wizzes, right? Surely some wires and metal pieces could be of use… actually, they had the distinct feeling that soon… soon another Survivor would have use for these items.
And that they wouldn’t be very… chatty.
…What an ominous thought…
He shook off the strange train of thought, continuing to rummage around. Maybe there’d be something of more use in one of the richer looking houses? Sure, that was thief logic, but it was (mostly) true all the time!
They slunk out of the house, tiptoeing to the bigger one a few blocks down. Sure, they had technically left everyone else to deal with 1x, but… it was 1x. Shedletsky’s number one hater. If it even got a glimpse of him, then it was pretty much life or death for the Sentinel. Literally.
Oh. I thought it’d be harder to climb up a house, and enter from a broken window.
…Actually, it should be more concerning that Two Time’s body found it easy to scale houses. Did the guy kidnap people in their freetime?!
Well, he was in the house now, so might as well explore it. In a strange, automatic motion that he barely registered, Two Time’s body quietly dropped down from the window without a sound. Not only that, but it slunk around with ease- dodging anything that would be too noisy. Even if no one was home, whatever instincts these were… they were in full-gear.
Just what the hell did they have Two Time DO in the cult?!
…Best not look a gift horse in the mouth.
He continued slithering around the house, trying to find a balance between staying focused on his surroundings, and not interrupting whatever stealth-mission Two Time’s body thought it was on. It was a hard balance, their body occasionally twitching or breaking its stealthy stance.
As annoying as it was… his suspicions were correct. This house was absolutely loaded. Most of the food scattered around was still good, and the fridge was actually working. It wasn’t too battered, and the food inside was still refrigerated. Maybe they could try bringing it with them? He had no clue if that was something he could do, but it was worth a shot.
Even if it would make the fridge heavier, it was probably a better choice to throw all the good food he spotted into it. If anything, they could get Guest to carry it on his back like a mule.
They snickered at that mental image. Mayhaps they should get him a saddle, too?
They broke out into a fit of laughter, and good god did Two Time’s laugh sound absolutely deranged. That made him stop laughing pretty quick.
This guy is an absolute freak. And not in a good way, either. I think I’m more scared of possessing them, then they are of me possessing them.
What a thought to have…
Anyways, I gotta focus. One last sweep around the house.
They blitzed back up the stairs, taking their final glances around the place. They didn’t find anything but dead bugs and rotted food, so he had successfully cleared the building.
Awwww yeeaaahh! I can’t wait to see the faces on everyone else when I bring back the motherlo-
“Ow- ####!” The staticy noise that came from their mouth scared the shit outta them, but what they tripped over was definitely a little bit more important. “What… what was that? I didn’t see anything earlier.” He mumbled, standing back up.
There was a large gift basket, its contents still held tightly inside it- despite being knocked over. He stared at it cluelessly wondering where the hell it even came from. He then gave it an experimental poke, fully expecting it to be a bomb, or something. Better Two Time’s body getting blown to bits than his.
Nothing happened.
They let out a sigh of relief, carefully picking it up for better inspection. There were all sorts of fresh fruits and veggies within it, along with some bread. And various bags of chips- actually how the hell did that all fit in there?! The entire basket was just a godsend- but… why? Obviously it was planted here, but there was no way the Spectre would do something like this unless-
Unless it’s not the Spectre. It could very well be those weirdly chill interdimensional horrors I met today… and the Spectre might not’ve had a say in this. Honestly… is it bad to trust incomprehensible horrors over an entity possibly made entirely of code, that feeds on- yeah okay the horrors are better.
He honestly debated leaving it there. But… he always wondered what some of the foods found in Roblox tasted like, plus there was no telling if this was a one off thing…
Damn… I definitely gotta snag this shit.
They slipped their arm through the basket, surprised with how light it was- but then again, it held more food than it should be able to. First priority was getting the gift basket to everyone else, while also coming up with an explanation for why they had it…
And to make sure Guest hauled that fridge.
He let out a sigh, already seeing the work laid out ahead for him. Hopefully he could get to causing that chaos and misery pretty quickly… pissing off the Spectre (and his eldritch benefactors) was not something he wanted to do today.
He scratched at his (Two Time’s?) head, before trying to see if the door was a viable escape option. It was blocked off from the outside, but maybe kicking it from the inside would bust it open? He honestly just couldn’t see himself slipping out the window again with a large gift basket.
If the door doesn’t work, then I’ll just see if I can smash another window that’s closer to the ground.
As they inspected (kicked) the door frame, a distant rattling went unheard over their inner-monologue.
Alright, it’s pretty stuck, so I think my best bet would be to just smash another wi-
A slicing, burning, acidic pain ripped through his body, and he let out a pained scream. Despite this, the pain didn’t exactly… feel like it was his. It was like he was seeing someone else in pain, and feeling some of it- yet another reminder that he was still a visitor in this body. Not quite belonging.
The surprise is what made him scream, but he felt like anyone would also scream if their entire body felt like a papercut.
Fuck! 1x must’ve seen me- how didn’t I hear the rattling?!
“####, ####, ugh, that’s so weird-” He stumbled over the static that came from his censored speech, trying to reorient himself with the world.
There was a green tint to his skin- the poison- and a slice-shaped hole in the wall behind him was apparent. The Mass Infection had melted a hole through it- and now that same poison was running through Two Time’s veins.
They suddenly felt a bit nauseous. Holy fuck dude.
Despite it all, the gift basket was still fucking whole. And unharmed. Which was honestly just plain ridiculous.
“I seeee youuuu~” An echoey voice jingled, followed by faint music and the sound of sirens- and then the music behind the sirens grew louder.
Shitshitshitshitshit they’re coming ohhh fuckfuckfuckfuck-
+++
“Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Two Time went and abandoned us for some weird, culty reason. I mean, look at what they did earlier with John Doe! They’re clearly hiding something.” Chance huffed, still flipping his coin.
Elliot seemed exasperated too. “I know. But what I want to know is why. We’re trying to make it outta here, alive, and in order to do that, we have to cooperate!”
“Wait, if that’s the case, then what about 0-”
“-Anyways, what do you guys think Two Time’s trying to hide?”
“Dunno… Dusekkar knows more about that Spawn cult than any of us do.” Shedletsky shrugged. “I mean, they’re well aware that the Spectre and ‘Spawn’ are two wildly different entities… so it’s not like they’re gonna betray us.”
“Well, what if the Spectre tricked them into thinking it’s a messenger of the Spawn? You know that weird stuff Two Time was babbling when they first got here.” Guest stated bluntly.
“Oh. That’s. I hate that you might be right.” Chance coughed, the statement taking them by surprise. “Should we confront them?”
“What if they try stabbi-” Elliot suddenly froze, his head snapping to the left.
Guest lightly tapped him on the shoulder, concerned. “Are you alri-”
“I found Two Time.”
Shedletsky’s expression abruptly became serious. “And 1x1x1x1.”
+++
Needless to say, it wasn’t very pleasant to outrun a manifestation of hatred while also full of glass shards. While 1x was the slowest Killer statwise, actually facing them with no screen between them was terrifying.
Not to mention the fact that he was actually gaining speed on them.
“Y- you cannot keep this up forever! You will tire, and the others will heed my call for aid!”
“What call? Ah, right… that nuisance of a healer is here too, isn’t he? I’ll just have to make this quick…”
Uh oh.
“Then I will just have to keep you busy.”
The best way to kite a 1x is to predict their Mass Infections and Entanglements… which can be hard if they know what they’re doing. Since this is THE 1x1x1x1, it’s definitely not going to be easy.
He dived back towards 1x, ignoring their momentary surprise as she swung at him. Thankfully, it was a miss- but he could feel the hatred radiating from the Daemonshanks. He didn’t want to find out what getting sliced by a blade felt like- not in his life, not in theirs.
“I have seen amateurs swing better than that!”
“YOU…”
“Catch me if you can, demon.”
It should be pretty easy to ragebait the literal manifestation of HATRED, right?
In theory it should be. But they had to focus on noise cues- knowing which rattling was Mass Infection and Entanglement was unexplainably important.
And so was having a little fun.
“You have not even knocked off this gift bag I hold! Can you truly call yourself ‘worthy’ enough to defeat any of us? Look at you, so slow and sluggish!”
They could’ve sworn its eye blared a darker red for a moment, but he didn’t really get a chance to look before catching a glimpse of that signature spin. The shorter windup on Entanglement meant that it was harder to efficiently aim- at least from his experience from using 1x.
Do I hit the ground, or try to weave?
They spotted a flash of the sword rapidly heading towards them, and decided it was best to hit the deck.
“H- holy s- ####.” He mumbled quietly, feeling the air above vibrate as the sword flew over him. “That’s actually ####### terrifying.”
“Hah- you m-”
They were now staring directly at 1x, of whom had just picked them up by the neck like a cat. A clear smirk was on its face. “Anything smart to say now?”
“...I believe I owe you a very long, and very humble, apology, dear 1x1x1x1.”
He scoffed. “Apology reject-”
“TWO TIME!” Elliot stumbled over rubble, a pizza slice in hand. “Get- take this-!”
And that’s how he ended up with a burning hot pizza slice in his face.
“Mmugh aaprechiatem.”
+++
Shedletsky drew his sword, pointing at 1x. “Unhand that poor… uhm… religious figure.”
“You mean the unhinged cultist you still allow to follow you around? You haven’t changed one bit...”
“...Like I said, religious figure.”
“Hah. Ever so dismissive.”
He grit his teeth. “You want to fight?! Let’s do it with blades, and not our tongues!”
“Finally. The rare thing I can agree with you on.”
They tossed Two Time aside like a ragdoll, and Shedletsky would’ve been concerned if not for the pizza slice the cultist had received.
+++
Evan grunted as they hit the floor, making a point to shovel the hot pizza slice into their mouth before anything happened. He was fairly sure there were burns in the shape of pepperonis on his face now. At least 1x wasn’t his problem anymore.
“Two Time! Where were you?! Did you abandon us or something-?!”
“I would never, dear Elliot! I saw neither hide nor hair of any Killer on my way here- but I did come across quite the find!” They proudly displayed the gift basket, grinning madly.
“Hoooowww did you find th-”
“I also came across a working refrigerator! I stashed more of the various food items I found in there. But I think Guest is the only one who could carry such a burden.”
“That so?”
They looked up at Guest1337, when did he get there nodding eagerly. “Yes! A most wondrous find, dear Gue-”
“...Right. Well, Shedlestly is busy with 1x, so I think now's the time to grab it. He should be able to fend off 1x long enough for us to get in and get out.”
“...Are you sure…?”
The soldier nodded. “It’s not much… but it’s something. 1x already caught us off guard once, it’ll be too risky to stay here. Especially with those traps lying around… we don’t actually know how near or far John Doe is.”
“Ah, of course- but what of Chance?”
Elliot smirked. “Shedletsky’s backup.”
“Wonderous. Follow me to our blessed spoils!”
+++
They couldn’t believe what was happening- not a word of it- not the sight of it. How could they not tell that this was not them?!
The… the others must not have known them as well as they had hoped… or the possessor was better at mimicking them than it was given credit for.
But what was the goal? What did it want- and why did the Spectre let it stay? Wouldn’t the Spawn have protected them?
Unless this world is guarded from the Spawn’s influence- they help as much as they can, but it would make sense that the Spectre would refuse to let such a benevolent being interfere with its hellish games.
They trembled at the thought. Not in fear, but righteous fury. How dare the Spectre prevent the Spawn’s holy blessings from reaching their loyal followers?! How dare the Spectre allow a disgusting and unclean creature to puppet their body-!
[ Oh, you are certainly an amusing little creature… adorable, how you think a False God will help you. ]
‘HOW DARE YOU!’ They shrieked, their anger unheard by their manipulated allies. ‘HOW DARE YOU SULLY THE SPAWN’S NAME! TORMENTOR! DEMON!’
[ How feisty… even with no autonomy over your own body… I wonder… shall I get my accomplice to sacrifice your allies TO ME? ]
‘DECEIVER!’ They spat, huffing and puffing despite no longer having lungs. ‘I WOULD NEVER LET A BEING AS VILE AS YOU BE GIVEN SACRIFICES! NOT WITH THE SPAWN’S HOLY DAGGER!’
[ Is that so…? THEN TAKE YOUR BODY BACK. PROVE IT TO ME. ]
Two Time said nothing. Their fury died in their throat. They had already tried. They couldn’t.
[ As I thought. ]
[ Ṕ̵̖̳̰ä̶̪́͐t̷͚̀ẖ̸̍ḙ̷͖̓̑̓t̵̹̔i̸̧̨̠̽͠c̸̖͓͑͆ ]
+++
“Is the refrigerator secure, dear Guest?”
They only received a grunt in reply, the bulky Sentinel trying to readjust the fridge on his back.
“I don’t speak for Guest, but I have a feeling it’d be easier with ropes…”
“Of which I have none, dear Elliot!”
The Support sighed, waving off Two Time. “I’ll help him then. I’ll keep it secured from the back. And you… what’s with the gift bag?”
“Basket. But I do not know… I simply found it whilst I was scavenging for resources! While it could be dangerous- I thought perhaps the Admins could more thoroughly investigate it? It has not exploded me yet, so worry not.”
Guest1337 and Elliot shared a glance, but neither one of them said anything. They simply began to leave, and Two Time followed.
“...Two Time…?”
“Yes, dear Elliot?”
“Maybe you should give me the gift basket, and then Guest and I could head back. That way you can help Shedletsky and Chance out.”
“I suppose that could work, but-”
Elliot pulled another pizza slice out of thin air, gently handing it to them. “Give this to whoever needs it most. Shedletsky still has some chicken left, and Chance is likely the most at risk. Do NOT waste it- I won’t be here to give you guys any more.”
Two Time held the pizza with great reverence, nodding sternly. “I will not waste such a precious gift. You have done well in trusting me. May the Spawn bless your journey back.”
The pizza boy smiled at them, before running off to catch up with Guest- who had continued moving on his own to avoid wasting time. He really didn’t want to seem rude by doing so, but the fridge was digging rather uncomfortably into his back- he’d rather not deal with it longer than he needs to.
Once they were out of sight, Evan dropped the smile for his usual neutral expression. Even if Two Time was the odd one out (aside from 007n7), they still cooperated and worked together. It was sweet- pushing aside the whole ‘trapped in eternal torment’ bit, that is.
+++
“How much you wanna bet they’re gonna save the pizza for themselves?” Elliot sighed, eyeing Guest as he readjusted the fridge again.
“C’mon Elliot, I'm not gonna do that.”
“Well, we need to pass the time somehow.”
“I’m not betting my rations on this.”
“But-”
“Doesn’t matter how much of a haul we might have, not doing it. Ask Chance.”
“But Chance is helping Shedletsky!”
Guest smirked. “Precisely. Now, why don’t we quietly enjoy nature for a bit?”
Elliot sensed the sarcasm, scoffing. “...Sure dude.”
+++
Two Time watched