Chapter Text
He awoke to a gasp behind him.
The first thing he was aware of was smoke filling his nostrils, the crackling of recently sparked flames, the heat of the burning structure in front of him, his own fingers feeling rather warm as well. He looks down.
To see himself gripping flint and steel.
"C-Camarvan..?"
He spun and saw Niki, with her hands on her mouth, eyes wide. She whimpered as her tears cascaded. She fell to her knees, landing heavily as her gaze moved from the replica Camarvan, to him.
The look of utter dejection.
He hears yelling, and fear grips him before he could process anything. Dropping the flint and steel, he stepped back, feeling his legs freeze before he could escape. The yells coming from who he now identifies as Fundy and Puffy are approaching. But all he could do is return his gaze to Niki, who is still staring up at him with those despairing eyes.
"Why..?" Was all she could utter.
Why?
He looks back at the Camarvan, or what is left of it, still burning, a crater in the middle from the TNT that was set off from the inside. That was when the weight of everything all at once hit him like a truck.
What has he done?
A flash of red lands besides him, bringing him back from his thoughts. The figure donning a perpetually frowning mask doesn't even turn to look at him, only gesturing at him with a tilt of his head. A name flashed in his mind, Theo , he recognized him.
"Go."
A trident was suddenly summoned in Theo's hand. The masked boy stood protectively in front of him, as Fundy, Puffy along with more L'Manbergians and some of their allies closed in on them. He finally felt movement return to his legs, and he turned and ran.
He kept running. Noises of fighting can be heard back there, getting farther and farther away. His worry for Theo being buried by his instincts yelling for him to escape. He hears a call to chase him, and his sprinting quickens. Faster and faster. He yelped as an arrow whizzes just past his head. Hissing as another grazes his ear. More and more arrows followed suit and he spun around seeing Quackity, axe raised. Placing dirt blocks to slow his pursuer down, he pivots, going for the trees and grabbing an ender pearl from his inventory. He throws.
And he lands not as smoothly on non L'Manbergian territory. Panting, he slumped under a tree. Curling in on himself as if somehow that'll make him less detectable.
He heard folks teleporting to his destination, the thumps of their feet as they land on the grassy dirt around him. He covered his mouth, attempting to muffle his heavy breathing before any of them could hear. They had since begun speaking amongst themselves, agreeing to spread out to go look for him. Feeling a single bead of sweat trail down his forehead, he shuddered, having heard one of them approach, just a few blocks behind him, so close to the tree serving as his hiding spot. He's still technically crouched, they shouldn't be able to see him. They shouldn't.
They shouldn't.
The ensuing silence is deafening.
All he could hear is the rapid tha-thump tha-thump that is his heartbeat. He could feel them staring at the tree, almost right through, right at him. His hair stood on end as the silence was suddenly broken, his ears picking up the sound of footsteps, to his left, closer, and closer.
They're circling the tree.
He gulped at the sight of Quackity, still wearing his Butcher Army uniform, sharpened netherite axe gleaming with the moonlight. He could kill him, he very well could. He is unarmed and he is not mentally ready enough for PVP. Could he run? He should still have ender pearls. But, he probably won't be able to sprint for long. What if they catch him? He doesn't know what they're going to do with him. He doesn't even remember what he was doing to deserve this. All it takes is for Quackity to turn around and he's a goner. He's screwed. He is so screwed. They're going to lock him up, no, they'll just execute him. He's a traitor. Was he? He betrayed them! Did he? His last life was flashing before his eyes, remembering he had already lost two. Oh god he's on his last life. He will die. He will permanently die. Oh god oh god oh god-
His panicking thoughts were interrupted by a call from the communicator, heard publicly by everybody.
ItsFundy: GET BACK HERE
ItsFundy: WE GOT THEM
Quackity: not now fundy im busy
ItsFundy: come on big q this guys slippery!
ItsFundy: AH WTF?! HE BIT ME!
Quackity: its
Quackity: its just one person
ItsFundy: I KNOW
Punz: what about the other one?
Quackity: ok ok
Quackity: we're going back
WilburSoot: hey guys who's that? why are you all punching him?
ItsFundy: ugh not now ghostbur
Quackity: go vc2
With a sigh, Quackity took one last glance of the trees before spinning around and running off, back to the direction of L'Manberg. He hears who he now identifies as Punz follow soon, stepping on twigs as both their footsteps disappear further out of the forest.
And he stood there, minutes passing, before he finally breathed out the breath he'd been holding for so long. He is now gasping for air, the panic still there despite the threats being long gone. He struggles, trying to ease his breathing. Inhale exhale inhale exhale inhale exhale inhale exhale. He is holding his chest, feeling his quickened heartbeat slow down into a much more normal pace. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, inhale… Exhale… Inhale… Exhale… Inhale… Exhale…
He's fine, he's safe.
Hesitantly, he stood up, legs still shaking. He glanced behind the tree, seeing nothing but trees around him. No other player, only the sound of stray growling from zombies who were just starting to wander around, waking up in the nighttime. He could handle zombies. Yeah, he can handle mobs just fine.
He raises a hand, aiming to wipe a sweat from his brow, but his fingers instead touch a hard, porcelain surface. Confused, he puts his whole hand on his face, trailing his cheeks, still feeling that porcelain accessory covering it. How did he not notice himself wearing anything out of the ordinary since just now. Placing both his palms at the side of his face, he grabbed and pulled.
Only to see, staring right at him, on both of his hands-
A mask.
Shaken, he dropped it. It is still both smiling and frowning at him. Taunting him from the dirt.
His mind is fogging up as he is struggling to remember. What did he just forget? His memories suddenly shifted to Theo- Tommy, as he stared at him, sorry in his eyes. It shifts again, this time, to Dream, emotion still completely unreadable under the mask. All he recalled was fear, intense fear as a name came out of the masked man's lips. Whose name was it? Was it his? No, he can't accept it. That isn't his name. He doesn't want to be named. He isn't that. He's ⍀⏃⋏⏚⍜⍜! He's ⍀⏃⋏⏚⍜⍜!
Wait.
He gripped his head.
"I'm ⍀⏃⋏⏚⍜⍜."
He just said his name.
Why can't he hear his name?
"I'm ⍀⏃⋏⏚⍜⍜! No, I'm ⍀⏃⋏⏚⍜⍜! I'M ⍀⏃⋏⏚⍜⍜! ⍀⏃⋏⏚⍜⍜ ! ⍀⏃⋏⏚⍜⍜ ! ARGH!!!"
He slammed his head on a tree. Which doesn't clear up the static growing in his mind. Why? Why is he starting to forget? He can't forget this. Anything but his name. Anything but who he is. Anything. His cheeks started to sting as tears started trailing his eyes. He shouldn't cry. It physically stings to cry. He can't help it. He is a sobbing mess, his cheeks burning as he kept crying. It hurts. It hurts.
He's losing it.
He turns to look back at the discarded mask. Should he even pick it up? He feels like he has no other choice. His stomach turns at imagining himself wearing it. No, he has to wear it. He has to.
As he reaches for it, he hears a whisper in his ear, a message just for him.
Tommyinnit whispers to you: hey? you ok?
He stares, he's OK?
He's OK!
He immediately starts whispering back.
You whisper to Tommyinnit: yeah
Tommyinnit whispers to you: good
Tommyinnit whispers to you: im probably gonna be gone for a bit
Tommyinnit whispers to you: tell that to dream for me alright
You whisper to Tommy: ok
Tommyinnit whispers to you: is this janus speaking?
He froze.
After minutes of apparently not responding, he hears Tommy whisper back.
Tommyinnit whispers to you: oh fuck its ranboo isnt it?
That's his name… That's his actual name! Why now can he hear it? Or, technically read it since this whole communication method is some sort of telepathy and all. It doesn't matter however. His actual name bounces around his head, glad he can still recall. Delighted he still has a grip on who he is. Or at the very least, somewhat.
And then, Tommy whispers again.
Tommyinnit whispers to you: im so sorry
Tommyinnit whispers to you: janus if youre reading this tell techno where i am
Tommyinnit whispers to you: im sure dream is gonna get you both to bust me out
Tommyinnit whispers to you: tell him im fine stick to the plan
Tommyinnit whispers to you: and ranboo
Tommyinnit whispers to you: go
Tommyinnit whispers to you: there should be a compass leading back to techno's base they shouldnt find you there
Tommyinnit whispers to you: be safe
And then silence. Ranboo is left there, pondering his situation. A name sticking in his head.
Janus.
His memories are fuzzy, he held his head with one hand, struggling to remember the meaning behind the name. Slowly, his gears started turning. He should remember. He should remember.
Before finally, it clicked in place.
Janus.
"...I'm Janus."
His grip on the mask hardens.
"I'm Janus."
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