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It’s the second death that really does it for Flame.
PrinceZam was killed by Mapicc
FlameFrags died
“What the hell is she even doing?” Flame says, his fists shaking as he gathers himself up again. Mane had messaged him after the first sudden, unexpected death to let him know he had his stuff in a chest, but that’s a couple thousand blocks away. If Mapicc is going to be spawnkilling Zam and Flame is getting caught up in that, then it’s going to be pointless trying to head out anywhere right now.
Spawn is actually a lot closer.
Fuck.
Flame was hoping that he wouldn’t be caught in this stupid curse.
They had noticed it a few days into the server’s start. The soulbonds. Ash and Squiddo were the first pair, with Squiddo abruptly dying at the same moment that Ash was killed by a zombie. It seemed like an odd coincidence, and Squiddo had laughed it off, saying it was just their own rotten luck. But then, some time later, Jumper was killed by dripstone and Minute died too.
Minute reported that evening that he had looked into his code and, for some reason, his life was bound to Jumper’s. He had told them he would do some looking into it, and in the meantime, Pangi died to a creeper without anyone else mysteriously dying, and then Woogie was killed by a zombie, taking Reddoons out with his death.
Minute just had enough time to give a vague explanation that it seemed like some of the players were soulbound in an odd way. Hearts and health weren’t shared between the pairs, but a kill on one player effectively meant a double kill.
Suddenly things got a lot more tense. Mane thought it would be fun picking off the double-kill players while Flame quietly wondered what the likelihood of himself or Mane being paired up with anyone. Obviously the best option would be each other, or to someone strong like Clown or Minute, but there was literally no knowing until people died.
And then Kaboodle was also killed by a zombie, accompanied by Clown’s death message.
“He’s gonna be mad about that,” Flame said, reading through the shocked responses in the main comms channel.
Mane was cackling. “I wanna start killing, bro. Imagine only killing five people and getting to twenty hearts that way.”
Flame laughed too. “You’re not just gonna settle for five kills.”
“No way,” Mane said. “I’m killing everyone. C’mon, let’s go look for some easy kills.”
They made their way to spawn eventually, where they found a pink house under construction. And Zam, without a single piece of armor and a battered set of stone tools. Flame was admittedly a little shocked seeing such a cute build already. Even more shocked that Zam didn’t seem to feel the need to make any kind of armor for herself. Zam showed off the house, and Flame and Mane told him it was nice before leaving.
Because free hearts was one thing, but Flame didn’t want to go around attacking players like that. Not even for the possibility of getting a double-kill.
Clearly Mapicc doesn’t have the same ideals.
Flame just can’t believe he’s in this situation. They’d only figured out a handful of pairs: Jumper and Minute, Woogie and Reddoons, Ash and Squiddo, Clown and Kaboodle, Ecorridor and Pentar.
Of all the people on Lifesteal, he’s stuck with Zam?? Zam, who’s been planting cherry trees and building nice things at spawn? Zam, who has repeatedly insisted that she’s not going to fight anyone and she’s going to be a pacifist?
PrinceZam was killed by Mapicc
FlameFrags died
Flame throws himself off the bed. This is fucking stupid. This is pathetic. This is annoying.
He grabs his communicator and directly messages Mapicc.
Flamefrags> you just gonna farm us all day bro
He paces the small cramped room. It’s not much, just a bed and a chest with some extra gear and stuff. Enough to get him back to where he died, but it’s not something he was expecting to need.
A few moments later, Mapicc responds.
Mapicc> this isnt even about you
FlameFrags> I think she got the message by now
Mapicc> you dont know her
Mapicc> not like I do
Flame waits in the bunker, fully prepared for Mapicc to kill Zam a fourth time.
ManePear> yo you want me to hunt down mapicc
ManePear> assuming hes still at spawn
FlameFrags> not now bro
He doesn’t exactly need to give Mapicc any more reason to keep killing Zam. Flame can’t imagine what would have caused Mapicc to do it in the first place. Is he just that desperate for hearts? Does he have beef with Zam? If it’s some kind of leftover grudge from the past, the dude seriously needs to let it go. Zam literally hasn’t done anything but build stuff.
Then, something unexpected happens.
PrinceZam> he’s gone now
PrinceZam> I assume you lost your stuff
PrinceZam> should be safe to go back and get it
Flame squints at his communicator screen. It’s fucking bizarre. He puts the communicator away, puts on the spare armor and starts heading off towards the coords that Mane messaged him after the first death. It takes a few hours, but finally he catches up with Mane, who has taken the time to set up a temporary potion brewing station. Flame appreciates it, but he doesn’t appreciate the ridicule that Mane immediately starts up once Flame goes for his stuff.
“That’s fucking unfortunate, bro,” Mane says in between bursts of laughter. “You’re at seventeen now?”
“Whatever,” Flame says, fastening his armor to his body. “I’ll get them back.”
It’s almost satisfying the next week when Mane dies alongside Bacon. Flame is away when it happens, and he does feel a little vindication, but he does commiserate with his teammate as Mane messages him in a rage about how unfair this all is.
This is going to be a rough season.