Chapter Text
‘Huh?’
He looked around.
It was snowing.
Why the fuck was it snowing? And it was night time too. Why the fuck was is night already? He was just about to enter his next class. Damn. He pulled an all-nighter for this assignment and what does he get?
A trip to lalaland.
Clank!
He jumped. He could’ve sworn he saw something orange flash real quick. It was just nearby. There he started sprinting towards that sound. If there was anything he could describe right now, it was that this place is downright terrifying! And he felt heavy. Him. Norton Campbell, Mr. Athletic. Mr. I-can-totally-out-run-anyone felt heavy. He stopped by a vintage car and examined himself.
Aside from his awful burn, he now had button eyes and a stupid nose piercing (he will not admit to anyone that he looked good with those stupid nose piercing). That and he wore a miner’s outfit. Is he a prospector or something?
Upon closer examination of himself, he discovered that he had magnets. He accidentally dropped one on himself then flew to the adjacent tree.
It was fun but it was not cool.
Shockingly, he actually didn’t feel any pain. He shook it off and head on to that orange flash earlier.
He found it weird that the place was filled with mazes and pallets. It was like a small gaming arena. And it reminded him of a game he played with his friends. It was Dead By Daylight and it felt eerily the same. The closer he got to the orange flash, the more he heard clicking noises. A turn around the corner and he found another one of his kind.
He didn’t really seem friendly though.
(But then again he wasn’t a friendly person per se so he isn’t one to judge)
“If yer not gonna help decode, then I suggest ya find yerself another cipher. I don’t want no hunter coming near me.”
... is what he said.
With a shrug, Norton continued exploring the place. There was a lot to take in. For example, apparently his magnets can either repel or attract. And there seemed to be some sort of cool down before he can pull off the same stunt.
For some reason if he stops doing anything, his body does this some typical character emotes (and he’s not happy about it). And when he moves, theres is a shake in his knees. He’s not scared but man does his body do.
Further exploring, he saw another one of those ‘ciphers’ as what he had heard from the ratman. So he starts ‘decoding’ whatever that is.
Dong dong!
He spots a flash of red and black. He assumes that that was the hunter. From the sillhouete, he can make out that it was a bulky man with a... shark thing? That was the hunter? He rolled his eyes and continued to decode. If that was the ‘so-called’ hunter, then he has nothing to fear.
Or so he thought.
He feels a hard thump in his heart. He sees that the cipher has a purple light. It was coming from him. He had a purple light that grows brighter in synch with his loud thumping heart. The prospector ditches his cipher and makes a run for it. He sees no one on his trails so he opts for walking and returns to the cipher.
The cipher is reduced to half its original decoded progress.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
“Mr. Hell Ember has equipt Abnormal, if that’s what you’re wondering...”
It took all of Norton’s manliness to not flinch in suprise and maintain an impassive face, “And you are..?”
Lady freckles gave a thousand watt smile (which was totally out of place in Norton’s opinion), “I’m the Gardener! Emma Woods. We got a word that there would be two new participants.” She held out her hand, “Nice to meet you.”
Norton took hold of her hand and shook it once then went back to decoding, “likewise”
He found it peculiar that lady freckles over there seems to be fine with this setting and everything. Unlike ratman, who looks like he wants to get out of this place.
“What are your current opinions of this place?” Asked Emma
“Hmm? I think it’s ok, I guess.”
“Have you seen all of the survivors?”
“Ooh, ok so we are called survivors. Nope. I think...”
“Did you know that Mr. Hell Ember is my dad?”
BZZT!
Ok so that’s how you get that red flare.
He gives Emma a weary glance, “Have you ever heard about TMI?”
Emma shrugs and takes over the decoding, “I think Mr. Hell Ember is currently playing with the other survivor. I don’t think you’ve seen him.” And with that she pops another cipher. Emma grabs her tool kit and runs for the next cipher, “We have two left! Better try to see the other survivor, they might need help!”
Norton just stares at her fading back. No one is probably more laid back than her. The prospector runs for whichever unpopped cipher left.
DONG! DONG!
He spots Mr. Hell Ember and another survivor tied into a balloon. He should try and help.
Keyword: Try
He dashes for that figure before the shape fades out. He might have lost his path at some point but at the end of it, he saw that thing and the survivor.
Hell Ember had the small guy tied to a chair and went back to catching—
—But not without planting a puppet first.
...
Ok maybe he shouldn’t help after all.
...
But what happens if the time on the chair runs out?
With a defeated sigh, Norton had decided to just fuck it and dashed for the other guy. But what he actually did was tip-toed to him as to not awaken the puppet. He gave the small guy an intense look as though trying to say something significant (and totally not eye fucking him) and untied him from the chair. He grabbed him and ran towards the nearest place with blockings.
Here he learned that apparently he can heal. It took him a few seconds before the small guy was restored to full health.
He had a get up of a circus actor, eyes heterochromatic blue and yellow, body lithe and curved all in the right places. Norton is totally not gay.
CLONK!
Another cipher popped. Wow he’s kinda useless in this game.
“You okay?” Norton, smooth motherfucker, asked, “It looked like ya got a bad hit just now..” real smooth Campbell. Real smooth. Like this little bunny didn’t get chaired just now am I right?
Small guy gave a shy (shy!!!) smile, “Ahh, to be honest, I was only dizzy. That guy had a stuffed shark toy! But after getting hit three times, I couldn’t move!” He scratched his floofy hair, eyes avoiding Norton’s “I don’t know if you’ll believe me but I’m new here and I was just about to start bathing ... and then in a blink of an eye, I got transported here!”
Attention Norton. He is naked under those clothes.
Norton supressed the urge to slap himself. Why must he be dumb during important events?
“I understand. I’m new too. I just met the other two survivors and we’re meant to decode ciphers and—“
On cue, a siren rang across the area.
“I’m guessing the ciphers are decoded..?” Baby bunny helpfully supplied.
“Yes. Yes it does.”
“I don’t know where the exits are..”
“No shit bunny, me too.”
Now if Norton saw some form of bashfulness on the baby bunny, he does not dare comment about it.
They chose to outline the perimeter in hopes of finding the exit. Suprisingly, they were already near one and an open one at that.
Emma and ratman were waiting at the other side. Baby bunny ran towards them and gave his own chirpy greeting. Norton took his own pace as he crossed the gate.
“Is it always this quick?”
A shrug, “For the most time yes, but that’s because you two are new. I hope you got the mechanics down?”
Norton snorted, “Gotta be honest, but I got nothin’ much.” He turned to the baby bunny, “How ‘bout ya?”
Again with the shy (shy!!!) smile, “I was busy running away from the hunter, I didn’t get to do much...”
“Nonsense!” The gardener shouted, “You got to kite for a long time! And that’s some feat you gotta celebrate!”
“I don’t know if I should even celebrate that...”
“Celebration for winning your first match then!”
“Ehh...”
Ratman scoffed, “Can we go now? I am was busy with a new case.”
Norton raised a brow, “Quite rude, ain’t ya. No one is stopping ya though.”
“That’s rich coming from a newbie who never introduced themselves!”
“I am Norton Campbell. Happy?”
Ratman was not pleased, “And yer role?”
“My what?”
“I can’t believe he got recruited in this game without knowing anything” Ratman muttered under his breath, “I MEAN what character did you get?”
“I think I’m a prospector... I smell like dynamites and dirt.”
“Oh! Oh! Me! Me!” Bunny jumped in front of Norton, facing ratman, “I’m Mike Morton! I’m an Acrobat!” To prove his point, he did a back flip. Unfortunately, one of the balls from his bag fell and exploded.
Norton is not amused. And so is Ratman it seems.
“Oops.”
Emma just laughed and tugged them all towards the path, “Nevermind that! Let’s go back to where we were shall we?”
..
...
...
“YO! YOU GOT CHOSEN!”
“I got what?”
“Dude we totally saw! The whiteboard became a projector and everything!” Classmate A slammed a hand on Norton’s back. He had all the right to break his classmate’s hand.
And so he did.
“—Ack!! Wait! Wait! I give—I give!! Jeezus christ Norton.”
“Nice fly by the way.”
Classmate B must’ve been referring to the magnet experiments. The prospector could only deadpan.
Right on cue, A tall man with ash blonde hair had arrived in the classroom, “Mr. Campbell, congratulations on your first win. Now please release your grip on your classmate.”
“Yessir.” With an impassive face, he had released Classmate A and returned to his seat.
His mind wanders to the snow and the bunny.