Chapter Text
Lumi was tending to their crops like they did most mornings, getting ready to start some more food as their team had burned through it all at this point. As they worked they heard the faintest footstep behind them. Lumi had memorized every player's footsteps from previous tournaments. This one seemed… new.
Within seconds, Lumi sprung to her feet and drew his sword, raising it to the stranger's neck. The newbie's hands flew up as they stepped back. Lumi noticed that they didn't have much on them and decided that they didn't seem much of ⏃ threat, though the played didn't let their gaurd down. They scanned the area For any potential team members of this player.
New players are normally swept up by ⏃ team faster than vultures swoop down for food. “Who are you and why are you here?” Lumi spat out practically circling this player like ⏃ shark. Did they see Lumi as an easy target? ⏃ quick kill whilst she was distracted? “Where is your team? I'm certain you have one. You wouldn't wonder onto blood thirsty land without protection now would you?” Lumi said, even more venom dripping from each word.
The stranger looked confused maybe even ⏃ little intimated. “My name is Wing. ⟟ was brought here and ⟟ don't know why! ⟟ was hoping you would know.”
Lumi let out ⏃ sharp chuckle. “You really expect me to believe that? You took my place last time. You were brought here because ⟟ couldn't fulfill God's twisted plans. You know where you are and why you're here. Just another cycle of death and war. Now tell me Wing. Why did YOU REALLY come here.” Lumi raised their Shield, their voice threatening as they cornered the stranger, Wing, against ⏃ wall.
“Your place? What is that supposed to mean?” Wing shot back with just as much venom as Lumi had, if not more. This genuinely surprised Lumi, as the last newbie to show this much snark and disregard to them was Ocie after breaking into Lumi’s home back in season four. “Is this some twisted fucked up joke? I'm not supposed to be here? Did everyone just decide to fuck with my head? Where the fuck am i?! JUST ANSWER ME ALREADY!”
Lumi dropped their shield and stared at Wing with sorrow in their eyes. “You really have no idea do you-” Lumi looked nervously at their communicator checking to see if their team's coms were on to see if they were home. Seeing as none of his team members were online at the moment, Lumi grabbed wing and pulled her inside, locking the door and doing one last sweep of outside.
“Before I explain, I need you to promise that you will not inform anyone of our location- there are many people who want some of our heads on a stick- quite literally.” Lumi said an air of caution filling the room as she spoke. Wing simply nodded in agreement, drawing a deep sigh from Lumi.
“Firstly, my name is Lumeni… but most people call me Apollo- Apollo is an old friend. I think he was supposed to be drug in but it got mixed up. We are currently in round 7. I was brought in at the beginning of round 2. The cycle has repeated over and over and has never stopped… every four or so years it happens again. We are dropped into a new world and forced to kill over and over. First come first serve- and if you fuck up… you die. You have twenty lives but you can buy more from the gods. Don't trust anyone you don't know when someone will stab you in the back. Even your own team- i betrayed my team in round- um….” Lumi trailed off trying to remember which round was what as the years bled together in their memory of life and death. Wing cocked an eyebrow at this, slightly concerned for them. “Round four? Yeah the snow one.. Yeah that one. I blew up our base and killed toast. Toast wasn't on our team to be exact but she still trusted me. Moral of the story is trust no one. Only one can win”
Lumi stopped looming over Wing , finally sitting down next to them, glancing back at the com activity stats. “All animals can be hostile… There used to be chickens and cows that would kill you if you tried to kill them. Be careful animals may not be your friend. Assume the worst. Death hurts like a mother fucker i can promise you that” Lumi drifted off at the end their fingers mindlessly drifting to their left eye.
“You good there man?” Wing asked, reaching for Lumi’s shoulder. Before Wing could even touch him he slapped their arm away and reached for their sword out of pure instinct. They stopped for a second seeing Wing pull back. “Sorry- just kinda used to- violence?”
Not even a second later Lumi heard a footstep outside and their head snapped to the door, tossing a trident to Wing to protect themself. Lumeni crept to the door, and cracked it open to a familiar face. Raptor stood in the front lawn, scanning the area carefully before their eyes landed on Lumi. “KIDDO!” Raptor let out a small giggle coming up to hug Lumi
“Hi volc!” Lumi wheezed out as Raptor squeezed the air out of their lungs from the tight hug. Wing popped her head out of the door dropping the trident next to them. “Raptor? What's up man?” Raptors eyes lit up “WING! I see you met Apollo! This is my kiddo! They aren't on my team this season though- so maybe things might get rough- but still my kiddo!”
“They dont know do they… Apollo?” Wing spoke, glancing at the smaller of the three. Lumi kinda smiled awkwardly “what could you ever mean? I tell Raptor everything..” Wing smirked and glanced at Raptor “So you know that's not Apollo right?”
Lumi huffed and stomped on Wing’s foot looking up aggressively at them. Raptor looked between the two confused “what do you mean? Yes it is.. That's my kiddo” Lumeni started to panic a bit, looking between the two. “No they are just fucking with you! Don't worry”
Apollo had been supposed to take on the games, brought in by Raptor and the God Konics, and Lumi wasn't sure Apollo would be able to handle it. Lumi themselves had sat out a round because of injuries during round 5 from the kraken, not that they minded the games, but that ment someone else needed to suffer in their place. Lumi didn't like that idea, they might have bad intentions but they still dont want someone who doesn't have to be hurt to be hurt. She was scared that if Raptor found out he wasnt Apollo, the real Apollo would get hurt.
Wing chuckled “Lumeni why don't you tell them.” wing smirked “that Apollo never set foot in the games, and it's always been you” wing laughed out, being a menace as always. “Its not like i havent been there. My brother played last season instead of me so-” Lumi froze looking at the ground. They would be replaced, lost to the void forever.
Raptor let out a small giggle, “Yeah i know, i have for 2 seasons now” Raptor stopped for a second to catch their breath, while Lumi looked up in horror. “WHAT?! B-but how?”
Raptor smiled softly. “You tried to kill me kiddo… Apollo doesn't like violence. Not only that but you made the mistake of giving me speed swimming boots and accepted a contract for my life- i kinda knew since then. I wasn't gonna say anything because maybe you wanted to go by Apollo and you are still my kiddo afterall”
Lumi started to cry happy tears, but it didn't last long as they got a notification on their coms that their team had come back online, before they could speak they watched as wing and Raptor had been killed. Wing being shot in the back, and Raptor with a trident to the chest… at least Lumi was safe.