Chapter Text
It was uncomfortably warm. It wasn’t like a warm blanket around him, it was more like a stifling heatwave. That's the first thing Bdubs noticed. The second thing he noticed was that he was unusually groggy, how badly had he slept last night? When did he go to sleep, actually? He couldn't remember. He sat up a little, trying to wake himself up. A crackle caught his attention. He… he had no recollection of starting a fire of any sort, it would make sense as to why it was so warm, but Bdubs wasn’t sure why it’d be so hot-
Wiping at his eyes, he got up. And now understood the crackling and the heat. He was in a forest, and it was on fire. What the hell?!? He scrambled up. He didn’t know where he was, he didn’t know how to get out he-
He scrambled up, trying to put some distance between him and the fire, but it seemed all-encompassing, eating up the forest for as far as he could see. Bdubs was scared. Every step he took felt like the fire took two, flames lapping at his heels. He started to cry as he ran for his life, but the heat dried them almost as fast as they fell.
His face lit up a little as he spotted a pool of water. Water would keep himself safe from fire… right? He didn’t hesitate, and made a beeline straight to it, leaping in. The water was a refreshing contrast from the stifling heat above. He could only hold his breath for so long but its almost like he could catch his breath here. He didn’t have to worry about getting burnt, and it wasn’t like the fire was gonna heat up the pool of water any time soon, right?
Well, the water started bubbling. And this definitely wasn’t a natural jacuzzi. Bdubs wasn’t sure how being in boiling water hadn’t hurt him, nevermind how quick the water had heated. He scrambled out, quickly getting dried by the heat around him. There was no where to run.
Bdubs was trying his best not to freak out again, but it was increasingly difficult. He was going to die here, burned, lost, and alone.
He backed himself against a cliff-face, curled into himself. And cried. It got brighter and brighter around him. He figured it was the fire finally reaching him, and this was the end. But then there were footsteps. And then a voice.
“You okay there buddy?”
Bdubs almost jumped out of his skin. Why was someone here? How was he not burnt to the high heavens? Or had Bdubs passed on and not noticed in his panic? Bdubs curled further into himself.
“It’s okay, I’m not gonna hurt you.”
Bdubs hesitantly unfurled himself enough to see who had found him. He ended up not actually focussing on them at first, rather looking at the charred forest around them. The fire was nowhere to be seen, just the smouldering remains of the trees. Where had that bright hot light come from then?!
"Where- the fire??-"
Bdubs was beyond confused.
"Not to freak you out more, but I think you absorbed it or something." The man gestured to Bdubs' hands.
Ah. That's where the light was coming from. His hands were glowing, heat and light radiating off of them. He took a sharp intake of breath, before holding it. Don't freak out. Don't freak out.
“I- i-”
“Would this help?”
Bdubs looked up confused.
This guy was handing him… an apple?
“I find eating calms me down… I can only speak for myself though.”
Bdubs stared at him, finally actually taking him in. The stranger was a bearded person in green, one of his eyes covered by a mechanical-looking… eyepatch? Bdubs in his current state couldn’t tell whether they could see out of that or whether it was just covering their eye. His attention was caught on their belt. They had a gun.
He shook the spike of fear out of his head and hesitantly took the apple from them. Honestly eating didn’t do much for Bdubs, but it was better than nothing. He did relax a little more though. I mean, the fire wasn’t chasing him (apparently it was IN him, but he’d think about that later-) and this stranger was being nice to him, he could let down his guard.
“D-do you know what’s going on?”
He shook his head. “The most I know is people have been appearing for the past month, and none of us remembers getting here. I figured the fire wasn’t natural, and then I found you.”
“I’m not the only-? Wait, you expected me from the fire??”
“The people here are weird, long story short. Finding a glowing dude after a forest fire suddenly vanishes? I expected as much, there’s definitely no lava sources near here.”
Bdubs was reeling. Were- There were other people with powers too? He had powers? He had far too many questions, about what’s going on, and even about himself, though his blank memory served no answers.
“I don’t expect you to trust me, all of this is scary and new and you can decline,” he offered his hand, “but would you like to come to stay at my camp? It’d be safer than staying here and setting the forest alight again.”
He considered it for a moment. And then he took their hand.
“...Sure. What do I call you?”
“I’m Iskall. And you buddy?”
“I’m Bdoubleo… I think. Call me Bdubs.”
“Bdubs it is.”
Iskall helped him to his feet. Bdubs was still rather shaky, still recovering from his freak out. They could walk all the way there, but Iskall wasn't sure how long it was going to be till sunset, and he didn't want this newbie to be out here undefended.
"Odd question, but would you mind me carrying you there?" Iskall scratched the back of his neck nervously, "I figure it'd be quicker than walking-"
"You think I'm that slow?" Bdubs raised an eyebrow.
"Nah, I just figured flying is quicker than walking."
"Flying? But- woaH-!"
Out of what seemed like nowhere materialised a pair of green pixelated wings on Iskall's back, glitching a little on the edges. Bdubs stared in awe. He had a thousand and one questions on the logistics of them, and how any of these powers made sense, but he contained himself. He could politely ask everything once they were at Iskall's camp.
"I warned you the people here are weird," Iskall grinned, humoured by how his eyes lit up at their wings, "You okay with me carrying you?"
"I- Yeah, just try to avoid my hands… I don't know how to turn them off."
Bdubs hands were still glowing, and he could very much tell they were still dangerously hot. He wasn't exactly sure how to turn them off if that was the right term. He hoped they'd cool down rather than him having to release all the fire he'd absorbed. Being shorter than Bdubs, he was surprised Iskall could lift him so easily in their arms. He didn't comment on this though. He just focused on keeping his hands away from Iskall.
Bdubs had to stop himself from grabbing onto Iskall as they flew into the air, very much not used to the sensation of being this high up. They were right, this was going to be fair quicker than walking. The pair covered ground twice as fast up here, the far spanning forest soon opening up to rolling green fields, and on the very edge of the field Bdubs could make out a couple of houses. Was this the camp they spoke of?
As they got closer, Bdubs noticed the light in his hands fading, finally! He didn't want to risk burning Iskall yet, but it was good to know that the heat of the fire didn't last forever in his hands. They were turning dark, almost like they were covered in soot. He made a note to wash that off when he next could.
Iskall gently landed nearby the houses, letting Bdubs down now. Bdubs was far less shaky on his feet now, maybe a little wobbly from flying but he was far more stable now than when Iskall first picked him up. The pair wandered into Iskall's camp, following their noses honestly; the smell of roast beef was wafting through the air. They followed the smell to a fire off to the side, where a guy was turning a hunk of meat on a spit over the fire. On hearing the movement behind him he didn't even turn from the fire before speaking.
"Hey Iskall. Deal with the forest fire that quickly?"
"It was less a forest fire Joe, and more so a new hermit-"
That piqued his interest as he turned from the fire. Bdubs wasn't sure what to make of this guy yet. Compared to Iskall, Joe seemed fairly tame looking, no strange technology, just normal glasses and a blue t-shirt. He seemed to have something dark on his hands like Bdubs, though it didn't look like soot, he couldn't quite place what it looked like.
"Hi?" Bdubs waved from behind Iskall.
"Quite the entrance newbie-"
"I didn't mean to!" He squeaked. "I woke up to the place up in flames."
"Don’t worry about it dude, all of us had mishaps with our powers when we got here. The names Joe Hills."
"Bdubs."
“So Bdubs, am I right to assume you’ve got firepower?”
“No, I’ve got water powers to set the forest alight-”
“Hey!” Joe chuckled, rolling his eyes.
Bdubs tried to focus his power into his hands. He wasn’t sure how to summon the fire back. But nothing. Nothing came back to him. He didn't worry about it though, not too much at least. He didn't exactly want to set this place alight, so he could settle for not summoning fire on command. Maybe it was triggered by emotions instead of at will? He wasn't sure.
"I don't know if it's rude to ask, but what do you two have? Iskall told me people here were weird so I figured-"
"It's alright buddy," Iskall ruffled Bdubs hair. "I shoot things really well."
"I- what about your wings?"
"Eh a perk I guess? I don't really count them as my power."
Bdubs was at a loss for words at that. You get wings on command and don't class that as your main power? Damn. He must be a killer shot then-
"And you?"
"Shadows," Joe shrugged, "I can use em."
Bdubs didn't ask him to elaborate, he didn't have to explain the ins and out of his powers to a man he just met. He couldn't deny that sounded like an interesting power though...