Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The temple remains silent. In this place, not even the wind seems to visit. It is dense, no living thing dares to intrude as only the ‘Void Star’s’ followers shall enter to kneel and worship its existence. Noli looks at them, all of them loyal and needy of guidance, all of them lacking purpose before being blessed by his direction, he’s given them a reason to live. It’s everything ‘he’ has ever wanted, to lead, to be recognized and seen.

To aid those who were just as lost as he once was.

His nails tap the chair’s armrest, and he tilts his head, boringly glancing down at those who kneel before him while chanting a prayer. With a sigh, he stands up, and every miserable soul looks up at him, not daring to move until he speaks. “Y0u’re [all] dism1ssed.” Noli states dryly. He is still new to acting professional.

He looks displeased, his followers wonder if they’ve done something wrong but remain silent.

Noli watches them go, one by one until everything is empty again. He walks down the stairs, his steps echo through the temple while his cloak drags behind him. He’s unsatisfied as he should be sharing this with his beloved, and he can’t help but scowl at the empty seat beside him.

007n7 had promised Noli a future they’d both share, together. The hacker was so excited about the ‘Void Star,’about finally being equals, and when all their plans were near being accomplished, he had refused the Vo— Noli, he had refused Noli and all they’ve had built together. It’s been a month and a half since that incident.

Noli can’t concentrate on anything else since then, all of this mess, because of some freakish-looking brat. He can’t believe the man would throw all of this in the trash to take care of an orphan. Perhaps he visited on a bad day…

007n7 did tend to lash out…

His body relaxes, and he straightens his back. How hadn’t it occurred to him before? all he had to do was set his partner’s mind on the right path once again, and show him all the progress. Then, 007n7 would beg to let him join his side again, right where he belongs, with Noli. It wouldn’t be an easy task, but it’d be worth all the obstacles.

…

Noli shouldn’t be showing himself to the public, not anymore. As he stands in 007n7’s doorway, he notices the ‘welcome’ carpet is dirty and that the house looks unkempt from the outside.

It’s nighttime. He’s become used to the sight of the odd but beautiful sky that is above his temple, so seeing the black and starless view of the city’s contaminated night sky feels unfamiliar to him.

A hand is brought up to knock on the door, Noli pauses and brings it back down. He stays still in front of the door, he knows the man inside will close it and dismiss him as soon as he’s revealed. He takes a step back, and there’s a small pause before he decides to go to the back of the house. He doubts 007n7 ever fixed that broken backyard door of his.

Just as he predicted, the man, didn’t fix it. Knowing his current situation, he probably can’t afford it in favor of buying baby food and diapers. While he is ashamed to admit, he’s still rusty with his newfound abilities and would rather sneak in than use teleportation. The door slides open, making loud noises that make Noli wonder how 007n7 didn’t wake up.

The man must be exhausted.

His friend has gone soft.

With a step, Noli enters the house, he glances at the kitchen, which has unwashed dishes piling up in the sink and a cold cup of halfway drunk coffee sitting forgotten on the counter. He catches a glimpse of cheap fast food wrappings in the trash. He can’t believe 007n7 abandoned everything for these miserable-looking living conditions, but to be fair, it’s similar to the life they shared back in college.

The interior is dark, he’s confident that he blends with the shadows and so moves freely, his steps are silent, his weight barely making the wood creak after sacrificing his body to the ‘Void Star.’ Noli keeps inspecting the inside of the house, the hallway is pretty empty, no pictures or plants in sight, it’s been a while, and he barely visited, so he makes a quick guess on which of the rooms could be 007n7’s.

A creak echoes through the hallway, he peeks inside the room, just like the other parts of the house, would look pretty much empty if it wasn’t for the crib in the corner of the room and a drawer with baby products on top of it. Noli thinks about immediately exiting the room, this wasn’t what he was here for anyway. Still, last time, when he had met the little being resting on the crib, 007n7 was protective and prohibited Noli from coming close to the child.

So naturally, curiosity washes over his being. He hadn’t gotten the chance to meet the reason for his partner’s extreme personality change.

Noli looms over the crib, his mere presence makes the infant squirm and squeeze their eyes, looking like they are about to wake up and cry. The cult leader’s eyes widen slightly and internally panics. He takes a step back. The baby seems to be on the verge of letting out a cry at this point. Out of impulsivity, he gets near and scoops the baby up, who stops abruptly and opens their eyes to stare at them.

The man’s heart bangs against his chest. He didn’t want to cause a scene between him and Seven so soon.

A giggle fills the room.

He looks down to see the baby let out small giggles when seeing him. Noli gapes and then shuts his mouth. He puts the infant against his chest and tries to get them back to sleep before the baby throws his stealth out the window. “Shh, shh.” He tries, rocking the child with no experience whatsoever, he looks like a fool.

The hood of his cloak is grabbed and tugged. “[Ack—]“ Noli lets out a startled, glitched sound and lets his head be pulled down repeatedly just so the child remains quiet. The hallway’s light turns on, he can see it from underneath the closed door, he tenses, and the door opens, revealing a sleep deprived 007n7 who’s wearing some old shirt, boxers and is currently missing a sock.

His eyes go from squinting at the exposure of light to widening at the sight of Noli holding his son. Both of them stare at each other, their jaws hanging open as the light from outside the room illuminates them. “It’s n0t [what] it looks l1ke!” Noli quickly yells, realizing it looks like he is kidnapping the kid. He doesn’t need 007n7 to have more reasons to avoid him.

007n7 looks like he’s about to say something before he glances around at his naked legs and covers his boxers. “W—what are you doing here?!” He says, exasperated and honestly, frustrated, he has a job interview tomorrow and he’d like to be sleeping.

“0h, qu1t [that]!” Noli ignores the question and narrows his eyes. He tries to set the baby down on the crib, but they cling to his arm. He groans miserably and crosses his arms, the child still hanging onto his arm as they drool on the cloak they’ve begun to chew. “You and I, [both] kn0w what’s under [there].” He scoffs.

The ‘ex-hacker’ pauses. “Under where?” He asks, not wanting to pass the opportunity.

“Y0ur [under] wear!” Noli shouts, now he’s the one exasperated by the other, who snickers like an immature jerk at the answer.

With an exhale, 007n7 stops covering himself and walks into the room, “Bad joke…” he grins and takes C00lkidd into his arms before glancing at his old friend. “[Glad] to see y0u’ve begun tell1ng [dad] jokes too.” Noli bitterly adds.

“Could we go back to the fact that you broke into my house?” 007n7 cuts in. The infant is now making grabby hands at the intruder, which makes his father frown. Noli notices this and feels… weird. Why can’t he be part of—Never mind. He’s not here to play house with Seven.

“Can’t an 0ld [friend] v1sit?” Noli grins and walks to get behind him. He places his hands on 007n7’s shoulders. “I just [wondered] if I could get Y0u to change your m1nd.” He shrugs and leans his head to rest near Seven’s collarbone. There is no other choice, but he knows the man will act erratically if he feels cornered.

“Noli, I already said—“

“[Just] l1sten to me.” Noli quickly interrupts him, it looks like neither of them expected the outburst as Noli’s eyes widen after saying that, he clears his throat, not knowing what came over him. “Please…” he breathes. “I th1nk you sh0uld give what [we] built a chance.”

After hearing that, 007n7 frowns, looking at Noli as if he ware the one acting weird when he’s the one who is acting completely out of the norm. Noli takes his hand in between his own and tries to soften his tone, “[You] can choose 1f y0u don’t want to see [me] after y0u’ve seen what I’ve accomplished for us.” He explains, he’s on the verge of begging.

He just needs for 007n7 to look at him once again. To stop ignoring him like he never meant anything, as if he wasn’t a part of his life.

007n7 looks down at his sandwiched hand, and he feels Noli’s hands tremble slightly against his. He’s desperate, that much is obvious.

He now stares at the figure in front of him, his friend is barely in there anymore, but he won’t ever acknowledge that seeing Noli brings another sense of guilt that he’d rather ignore than face. That he might have condemned his friend, that he might be already gone.

Even if it’s selfish, 007n7 believes there’s nothing he can do to fix this.

The ex-hacker looks away and drags his hand along with his gaze. He’ll refuse. He doesn’t know what Noli has planned, so it’s best if he doesn’t put himself in any kind of risky situation, it’s not only himself who he’s taking care of now.

The single father turns his back on Noli. “You should go.” He starts, “It’d make things easier for the two of us.” Just as he finishes the sentence, the atmosphere changes, it’s colder, precise and dense, the shift is immediate, like the knowledge of realizing he said the wrong words. 007n7 feels himself involuntarily freeze, as if his body was betraying him, it weakens.

Noli walks in front of 007n7, his mask remains happy as the other half expresses the opposite. The cult leader takes C00lkidd out of the other man’s arms, who tries to resist, but upon being weakened like this, fails to do so. The child glances at them both, confused as he’s placed back in the crib.

“…N—noli.” A struggling voice calls. ‘Noli’ glances back to see 007n7 already crumbling to the ground, he’s used this method to make the most deranged followers submit and remain tranquil. He kneels and scoops up his old friend, standing up while carrying him, being gentle despite his actions.

He closes his eyes and concentrates, bringing a hand up, he feels his surroundings slowly and a bit clumsily, morph into the familiar temples he’s learnt to cherish. Noli looks down at the sleeping figure and tries to ignore the bitter thoughts brewing at the back of his mind. He goes up the stairs and lays his beloved down on the chair he had crafted for him.

The Void Star had whispered to him its doubt about sharing the leadership with someone else. Noli had reasoned that as far as he knew, most cult leaders had wives, it’d only be fair for him to have his partner by his side, together they’d make the cult thrive.

Noli smiles as he sees 007n7, sleeping peacefully thanks to the Void Star’s influence. This is the least he can do, with 007n7’s guidance, he was able to gain power and stand by his side as an equal.

It’s only fair for Noli to guide his friend while he’s lost. 007n7 had stopped him from being weak, to return the favor, Noli would stop him from turning soft at the hands of a feeble child who has no place within their story. He just has to make him see that.

His steps echo through the temple, usually it’s the only sound around here, he reminds his followers to stay quiet, their voices shall be dedicated to worshipping the Void Star. Noli sits on his chair. For a moment, everything feels right. Both seats are occupied, like they were meant to be. He reaches for the inside of his cloak and pulls something from the void that lives inside it, a black masquerade that resembles the half of the white comedy mask he wears, with two red swirls on the cheeks that mirror the purple one on his.

Noli strokes the sides of the mask and then glances at 007n7, he had brought this as a gift the night they had argued. It wasn’t supposed to go like that, but he couldn’t hold himself back from snapping when all he was hearing was 007n7 saying he wanted nothing to do with him. ‘Him,’ who had stood by his side ever since college, who was only asking for 007n7 to do the same at the first ceremony of the cult they had planned together after stealing the Void Star.

The ‘Void Star’ that 007n7 had insisted on stealing.

He glances at his partner and reaches to place the mask on his face, where it should be. Noli stays seated for a while, just drinking in the presence of being accompanied by someone else as he looks straight ahead at the empty temple.

His hums sound across ‘The Tempest’. It feels like being back in that college dorm, spending another night on the couch with 007n7.

For once, the conflicting whispers of the Void Star don’t echo loudly enough to make his head hurt.

For once, he doesn’t feel like he’s rotting alone.

Chapter Text

Nobody likes waking up early.

Well, those who have something tedious to do usually don’t, within the first hour of consciousness, the physical form of most people who prefer their present comfort than future aren’t careful of the position they sleep in, causing the muscles to ache, and as one opens their eyes to face the day of a world that has no care for their existence whatsoever, the first enemy of the beginning are the painful to remove crust that stick to one’s eyes.

Not to mention, if you’re already on a busy schedule, you’re gifted with the heavy unmotivation of getting out of bed since you’ve just realized there’s nothing inside your life that you want or enjoy doing.
Life is a big slap to your face, and mornings are both a blessing and a curse, a milestone that reminds you that you’ve survived another day and have to endure another one.

No one warns you it’ll get harder.

But it does.

007e7 doesn’t mind it, though, he knows that the only thing that’s left is to treat life like that person you’re forced to get along with for your own sake, you have to face it with a hypocritical smile.

Even when he’s forced to step out of routine to check on someone who seems to take life like one big joke. He can’t stand the guy at times, but sadly, they’re family, and that’s the one thing he’ll always ‘have,’ so he has to take care of it. Only thing? He has to dress up like a damn ninja so he isn’t recognized going into the house of one of the most wanted hackers in the area. It’s annoying, and while he isn’t ashamed of being related to the jerk, he doesn’t want to face the difficulty of getting a job because of someone else’s past mistakes.

He pulls out the spare keys he was given from his pocket, unlocking the front door as he stands within the doorway. A grimace makes its way onto his face as he looks at the insides of the house. He knows how careless and irresponsible 007n7 can be, but geez, you’d think the guy would get it together when having to take care of himself. Of course, that’s way too much to ask from someone like his cousin.

As he closes the door behind him, a loud shriek, his shoulders jump upright as his whole body tightens upon getting startled. Is this some kind of prank? Why does he even bother helping 007n7 at this point?
He groans and places the bag of groceries he carried to this hellhole on the floor, walking to the origin of the continuous sound, it’s probably another one of those annoying inventions his cousin makes to pull elaborate pranks on people, even though, they’re usually more creative than a box that produces sounds of a baby crying.

007e7 pulls his hood down and raises a brow at the room decorated with baby items of all things. He takes some steps to peek into the crib, his eyes widen when, instead of a sound-emitting box lying inside the crib, he finds a wriggling baby, crying with what he can only think is a sore throat from sobbing for who knows how long. The infant is weird looking, all red and impish like, but 007e7 doesn’t hesitate to pick them up, cradling the baby in his arms as they cough with pain.

He didn’t think 007n7 would be stupid enough to leave a child this age alone. The poor kid looks exhausted, their face twisted as he chokes in agitated breathing, someone with lungs his size shouldn’t and probably couldn’t bear. 007e7 sighs and carefully presses them against his chest, patting the small being’s back in an attempt to soothe him.
Eventually, the baby calms down. The frown doesn’t disappear from his face, though. If he finds 007n7 sleeping, he doesn’t think he’ll be able to hold back his fist from punching him before starting the swarm of questions he’s already forming about the kid inside of his head. Also, he wants to know who’s the poor gal that dared to taint her bloodline with his cousin of all people.

Yikes.

007e7 exhales, his body relaxes once again. He looks around and his eyes set in the inside of the crib again before he leans down to lower the baby into his crib, but he’s unable to do so as tiny hands grip his hoodie. Baby strength is no joke. With another tired sigh, he keeps him in his arms, not having the heart to rip the kid off of him after the little guy was forced to be alone for long enough already.

It’s a bit comedic how they both stare at each other for a little bit, as if asking silently for answers from the other. “…ba?” The baby lets out the sound, looking around, funnily enough, 007e7 understands his intentions, he’s looking for someone, that someone being his idiot cousin who dared to leave someone so young without proper care.

He soon finds out the kid is a talker as they start to babble nonsense and cling to his face to keep the attention on himself. 007e7 laughs before gently freeing himself from the grasp to walk out of the room. He holds the baby’s head carefully. He’s never held an infant before, but he believes he’s doing great so far. He pushes another door open, expecting to see the poor excuse of a father that is 007n7 sleeping on the messy room’s bed, instead, he finds it empty. Now, if his cousin left the house with what he supposes is his kid, alone, in it, he’d have to have a serious talk with the guy.

The plain mattress is on the floor, it’s unmade and looks like 007n7 got out of it in a hurry, judging by the blanket that sits on the ground beside it. He makes another face as he notices the empty alcohol bottles that are placed near, every single one a different kind of liquor. Knowing his cousin, he was probably trying to see which one hit him the hardest, one that’d be the ‘cure’ to his daily problems, but this still doesn’t make sense to him, he knows 007n7, while he did drink from time to time, they both knew that he couldn’t stand the taste and just did it for the results.

What could be so bad for him to endure drinking something he hates just for some peace of mind?

007e7 frowns and walks over to the drawer. He’s already here, he might as well be nosy. The top cabinet opens when he pulls it with his hand, a gun, probably self-protection. He shrugs, he has one too, a box of cigarettes, an addiction from college, hard to get out of, he understands it, so he keeps inspecting… house keys?… Why would he leave without his keys? He pushes it close and moves on to the other two, which are just filled with clothes, so he leaves that alone, no need to check out the ugly underwear 007n7 buys for himself.

The keys being left behind in this room do give him a bad feeling, though. He keeps looking around, his eyes land on a box on the floor, labeled with tape and sharpie as ‘fix later’. He hesitates but eventually crouches down, balancing the baby against his chest as he opens the shoe box, a screen, blank and with wires sticking out of it like guts, it looks broken beyond repair. 007e7’s squints and then his eyebrows shoot upwards, he can’t believe it, a device made for selfish entertainment, something coded with little to no care, yet was kept around like some fundamental, necessary object, stood in pieces within the box in front of him.

Its demise didn’t look like an accident. Whoever did this, did it with intent in every hit. The C00lgui’s pitch black and broken screen looks back at him while he stares at his face in its reflection. His hands reach to grab it, he stands up and looks around the mess that surrounds him once again, another piece to the puzzle, he notices 007n7’s phone charging on the floor, his frown deepens, he’s never felt more lost before. The room is a mess, and so are the questions that invade his mind.

The kid in his arms coos and reaches for the piece of technology with bright eyes. He lets it fall onto the ground and hoists the baby up to look directly at their face, as if the infant carried the answers to his unraveling psyche. The more he sees, the more he notices the small details that explain an untold story. He’s always been observant, careful, two things his cousin didn’t possess as traits. They complemented each other nicely, two different kinds of smarts.

‘C00lkidd’

He supposes the branded shirt was coded into existence just like the child.

“The C00lgui’s been glitchy lately… keeps spawning shit I didn’t ask for.” 007n7’s voice plays in his memories. They were both on the couch. His cousin tossed a pack of ‘Bloxilicious’ gum onto his lap, complaining how he tried to cheat and get free groceries, realized he’d have to learn the actual code of the items and now has a hoard of items that wouldn’t de-spawn. He had said it was useful to be able to spawn things he could keep instead of things whose existence would expire at any given time.

007e7 remembers saying how it’d make his clones more believable if he didn’t have to spam their assistance to get a good distraction, how he should just learn how to make them go away when he needs them to, an upgrade. He’d been drunk and given his cousin shitty advice instead of telling him to fix the thing.
In his defense, the idea that the C00lgui could spawn a kid of its own making didn’t cross his train of thought, ever.

Now, the only mystery left is, where the hell is 007n7?

Still, he’s afraid he might already know the answer, the messy room, the forgotten phone, the house keys, the baby being alone despite the fact that 007n7 bothered to buy things for him, a kid, one of the things he despises the most apart from hackers that take the pastime seriously instead of an activity for the mere purpose of soulless, selfish fun.
He shakes the hypothesis away, maybe he just recklessly left to get some fresh air.

A loud rumble stops his spiraling mind. He looks down at the kid again, and he’s squirming in his grasp. It’s evident the little guy is starving. He sighs, “Let’s get you something to eat…” he decides to put his focus on something else than worrying this early in the day. He walks out of the room and makes his way to the kitchen. The fridge is still stuffed with items the C00lgui had spawned, and he isn’t sure if the baby is old enough to eat solid foods…

cRunCH!

007e7 jumps and glances at the kid, his eyes wide while he stares, speechless as the baby munches on a cordless phone he got by reaching for the counter while in his arms. The infant tilts their head and offers the device to the adult before swallowing the pieces they bit off.

Well, there’s his answer.

He shakes his head and closes the fridge to lean against it. The backyard door is wide open, now he has the answer to why the house is so chilly.

007e7 takes a deep breath and then exhales, looking from the open door to the dirt on the floor and then at the unusual kid in his hold.

He wonders,

“What did this idiot get himself into this time?…” He sighs, looking up at the ceiling.

…

‘What the fuck did I get myself into?’

Those are the first words that appear in big red letters within 007n7’s mind when he wakes up, in a cold, stone-made chair with many comedy mask-wearing people surrounding him like a swarm of sharks, eyeing him like he’s the weird one here. Upon noticing his movement, the murmurs begin, whispers fill the temple, rumors reach silent corners, and uncertainty can be felt in the air.

They speak quietly, he can barely hear them, for him, it’s like they’re saying nonsense.
He shrinks back against the seat, uncomfortable with all the ‘eyes’ on him. His memories hit him like a bullet. He remembers waking up, the kid being held up by Noli, his…

Right, he’s in nothing but underwear.

Out of reflex, he quickly pulls his legs up and his hands shoot down, trying to cover himself.

He looks down.

Oh. He’s clothed, in some weird… cloak that looks like the other’s but more detailed. He looks back up, he’s faced with silence and some tilted heads, watching him in confusion, a small, nervous chuckle escapes him. Are they judging him? Did he blow his cover or something? Telamon, he’s stupid, now they were going to skewer him up the ass, roast him, season him and eat him like the freaks they are and all because he acted odd when he just wanted to cover himself up and—

“We d0n’t [welcome] our own, like this.” A voice rises from between the commission, ‘gently’ scolding the swarm who steps to the side like some kind of hive mind to free the path that guides to 007n7. His heart sinks as everything falls onto his shoulders, digging in like knives as if to remind him of his situation. He had forgotten, but now, face to face once again with his old friend, he remembers.

“…Noli.” He says, gaping as said person steps closer to stand before him, a smile on their face, “[Seven.]” They acknowledge him. 007n7 never saw Noli as someone so… extra, but now? It’s the only way he can describe them, with the detailed fabric, all the jewelry hanging from them as if they were some kind of Christmas tree, the mask… the crown.
The murmurs come back, everyone tries to get a good look at him, one of them even tries to poke the noob head that’s on top of his burger hat, who hisses as a defense mechanism.

Noticing the conflict, Noli raises a hand. Everyone backs up, and quiets down. The silence weighs heavily, only one of them notices, though. “You’re [awake].” the cult leader notes, not finding the words to say to the man he just kidnapped without any further plans. 007n7 looks up at him, the mask he had placed on his face still hiding the upper half of it. They can’t look at each other’s eyes, which just adds to the distance that’s evident between them.

He swallows, “I am.” Is all he answers, it’s awkward, even the followers seem to notice. Noli doesn’t pay mind to it though, their hands reach to cup 007n7’s face, whose breath hitches. While being held between palms, there are collective gasps.

The news are clear, the temple is complete. Their guide’s other half has found his way home.

It’d be a good day for the cult today.

007n7 doesn’t share the sentiment. There’s something on his friend’s face that takes him back, something that said ‘this is more than just playing around,’ more than teasing touches, more than just sharing a bed because it was too cold and they were too broke to waste money on a heater. It’s a gentle, fond smile, accompanied by eyes that try to pry into 007n7’s mind, pull him apart, study him and understand him like no one has tried to before. That face would haunt his restless nights, his dreams, his nightmares, his thoughts, his mind. That face would thug at his heart strings and make bile rise in his throat. He’d be hit with disgust, something uncomfortable that itched his skin, and forced him to want to flee away from someone who only wished to deepen their ‘connection.’

It was never talked about, their tension was always left unresolved, like 007n7 liked it.

’Nothing serious’ he’d always say.

Noli turns around, facing away from his dumbfounded partner, who’s staring at the floor, trying to regain his composure. “Treat my equal with [respect], underst0od?” He keeps a firm tone, his followers nod, now only curious about the newest acquisition of the cult. The man’s hands grip the chair, he inhales and dares to talk,

“What’s all of this?” 007n7 whispers, freaked out by the clothes they’re all wearing, the temple, the obedience… everything. Noli’s smile thins into a straight line, and he turns around once again to look at his partner. It’s unsaid, like many things that surround their story, but as always, Noli is left to put the pieces together and figure out what 007n7 wants. They raise their hand, they’re not holding anything, but a quiet twinkle sound can be heard, the followers understand and leave the place, letting their two superiors alone to discuss whatever is concerning them both.

Noli sits down the throne beside his and rests his elbow on the armrest to lean his chin on his palm, a smile on his face as he starts talking, “Don’t [you] like h0w it all [turned] out, Seven?…” they ask, it’s obvious they’re proud of themselves, judging by the tone he used. The cult leader’s legs cross, they’re already comfortable in this environment, which isn’t expected from someone who claimed not to want a position of power when being convinced to wear the crown.

“…This is insane.” 007n7 pinches his nose bridge, exhaling tiredly and standing up from his chair, uncomfortable by the implications of being seated in such a thing.

The cult leader frowns, “No, [this] is extraordinary, Sev. [This] is what we dreamed 0f.” He starts and stands up, not liking the sight of 007n7 looking down at him like he’s scolding him. They’re equals now.

“Late n1ght plans… all the [research], the preparations, everything. We’ve accomplished everything, the crown is in our hands,” the speech sounds passionate, he’s never heard Noli like this before. “We have people bending at [our] wishes, a temple of our own. Here, we can d0 anything!” they laugh, his hands land on his friend’s shoulders.

“Don’t [you] get it?…” he breathes out and then pauses, “With your strategy, and technology, and my connection to the Void Star… we could stand our ground against the admins…”

“A new start for Robloxia, underneath the blessing of—“

“We just stole that stupid crown for the thrill of it.” 007n7 cuts the rambling off, when Noli narrows his eyes, he tries to fix his mistake, “Initially.” He corrects himself and then continues, “But you— you just let the power get to your head.”

“Get to my [head]?” Noli laughs, “You told [me] we could do [anything] we wanted with this.” He takes a step closer to 007n7. “S0 I wore it.” ‘For you’ is left unsaid.

…

“I’m willing to [rewrite] this world for the sake of our sick version of [fun].” He adds, staring directly into the other’s mask. “For [old] time’s sake.” He smiles and leaves the subject behind.

“This is just what you want. Everything I did was for entertainment, everything I said? A joke, there’s nothing else to it.” 007n7 states, not backing out.

Noli’s eye twitches, “Is it [really] too much to ask for you t0 stay by my side for something I want, then? Last time I [remember] I’ve never failed to be there for you, n0 matter how [immature] your vandalism can be.” They say bitterly, now defensive and on edge. He’s losing himself, everything he’s ever known has been twisted into something unrecognizable within his memories, he’ll cling to his only friend with both hands if that’s what he needs to keep the only bit left of a life he’s left behind.

007n7’s body relaxes. That sounds more like the Noli he knows, even if he still isn’t making sense, jumping from subject to subject. They’re erratic.

“I’m just… lost right now.” He admits, “I don’t know what to do. Everything’s been…” he doesn’t find the right words. When does he ever? “It’s just…”

Let me help you, Seven. Stop shutting me down, stop pushing me away, let me start fresh along with you, don’t leave me to rot alone—

“I guess I just want to start over.” 007n7 explains. As if he had the right to do so.

Somehow, it isn’t the resisting, the rejection, the edge to every word he says, how he flinches and keeps his guard up around him, but that statement? That statement is what makes Noli snap, “Quit it, with [that].” His finger presses against 007n7’s chest, pushing him towards the edge of the stairs. “This [was] the d0 over, you’re just [being] difficult.” He scowls, facing away.

007n7’s frustration rises from that, Noli isn’t listening to him. The conflict between them strengthens, the violent tension is undeniable, and they’re both on edge trying to get their point of view across.

“Alright!” 007n7 says, exasperated, switching their positions so now Noli’s the one on the stairs’ edge. “Maybe, I just want some space, ever heard of that?… No! You wouldn’t have because you’re always all up on me— you barely let me breathe!” as if to prove his point, he takes an agitated breath before continuing, “You always have to be there! All up on my business, and you can’t accept the fact that I might want something else in this life that doesn’t involve you, since you’ve always been an obsessive, clingy—“ perhaps the last part was a bit much.

Because what he gets next isn’t an answer, but a fist striking down his face, making him stumble before he looks back at his friend in shock. Noli stares back, fist trembling as he looks at the mask he had ‘gifted’ 007n7, broken in half. “[Seven] I…” he manages out before his voice halts, he swallows and shakes his head, no, he isn’t in the wrong here.

How dare he say that after everything they have done for him?

How dare 007n7 explain what they have in this manner? Their relationship can’t be explained with words. It goes beyond that. They’ve connected in a way no one else has before. Noli’s sure of it. He can’t discard their shared memories just like that, not when sharing clothes to the point of forgetting who they originally belonged to, bandaging the other up after escaping admins, taking care of the other whenever they were sick, cuddling in the couch, making out whenever the adrenaline of committing crimes was overflowing within their bodies… not when it all felt too close, still reachable, in his fingertips.

He just had to take it all back.

Then things would go back to how they once were.

“No,” Noli shakes his head, “This is [just] another one 0f [your] games!” He desperately says, “You [can] fight back, you’re just [choosing] not t0.” He hugs himself, “T0 make me feel guilty.” Their voice is bitter as they speak their last statement.

“You wouldn’t even be here [anymore] if you didn’t want t0, I’ve got you all figured out! Always so clever, aren’t you?” He cackles, now finding humor in between the sourness this conflict has brought.

“You just want me to [beg.]” he laughs, it doesn’t sound humorous to be honest. “[Kinky] stuff you’re into, Seven…” even the glitching sounds sad, dejected.

The crown has made Noli paranoid, he thinks.

007n7 finally speaks up, “I can’t leave.” He decides to admit it. Perhaps then Noli would stop thinking he’s playing mind games with him and would quit it with that odd emotional roller coaster he has going on. “I—“ Why is it still a difficult pill to swallow? “The C00lgui’s gone,” he frowns, “I broke it. Willingly.” He says at last, ignoring the stinging pain on his face. When did Noli get so strong? He’s built like a mozzarella stick…

“You [broke] it?” Noli blinks, dumbfounded now. “But— You [loved] that th1ng.” He says.

The C00lgui’s gone…

It’s like the end of an era.

007n7 scratches the back of his neck, the hood of his cloak would be pushed down with the movement, but his anchored burger hat won’t permit it to do so. “The kid…” he bites his lip, “He’s a failed clone, very failed…” he laughs a little, “The burger hat didn’t even load, he just has those horns I had programmed into my appearance to seem more intimidating, and um, I tried to undo the clone, since he was, kinda creepy with all the red over him, but… it just made him small.”

Noli gapes at him,

He winces, “I panicked and bashed it with a hammer out of despair…” he blurts out. “Turns out I accidentally made it possible for things I spawn to exist in our reality, permanently… And while he’s… still here.” 007n7 sighs.

“I’ve noticed he’s gotten… paler, he sleeps more, and— I really need to go back and fix the C00lgui.” The man explains, he had tried to get rid of the child at first but after being stuck with him for a week… ugh, it was like a puppy, a small inoffensive thing, and he just couldn’t bring himself to let the kiddo fade away in pain because he smashed the source of its existence in a very impulsive way.

Noli stays quiet for a small moment, on one hand, 007n7 is being honest with him, on the other… the bastard had lied to him previously. They knew the ‘I found a baby on my doorstep’ story sounded like bullshit, this just confirmed it was bullshit. “…So the [child] will g0 away naturally.” They start,

“That’s great. Now, we [don’t] have to [brainstorm] a way t0 get rid of him.” Noli says simply, ignoring the bruise that’s slowly forming on 007n7’s face, ignoring the way his stomach twists at the sight.

007n7’s face tightens, “Why do we have to get rid of him? Couldn’t he… be part of this, uh…” Actually, nevermind that. “You know, I could go back, and we can schedule this whole… situation for another day.” He’s out of solutions, his only option left? Bargaining.
Which turns out to be absurd since Noli gives him one of his ‘You’re kidding me’ expressions. That’s a very expressive mask… still creepy, tough. “Your [lines] are [getting] repetitive, Sev.” They chuckle, “You [should] give it a rest.”

“After all, [you] said it yourself, you [wanted] the kid gone, s0 why go back?” He questions, “To a [dumpster] of a house, to some… coding [mistake].”

“They’re [not] even meant t0 exist.” Noli shrugs and pats 007n7’s back, hugging them against his side in a friendly manner, even if his actions aren’t seen that way.

When he sees the irritated look in 007n7’s face, Noli scoffs, a bit of humor in his tone, “You [can’t] be serious…” he raises a brow, “You’re confused, l0st, I [get] it.”

“I was [once] lost too.” Noli gives him a fond smile, as if he knew what they were talking about. “Let [me] guide you.” Let me return the favor, set you on the right track.

007n7 shakes his head and pushes his hands against Noli’s skinny torso, putting some space between them. “You’re not listening,” he complains, “I don’t want to be part of this, get over it.” He’s starting to lose his cool again. He wonders when his patience with Noli fell off so badly. They used to be attached at the hip.

“0h? Can’t [handle] the truth? You [need] to focus on what’s important, you should be the 0ne facing the [facts.]” Noli doesn’t back down either, answering almost immediately.
Out of anger, and a bit of pettiness from being punched earlier, he heads in to land a hit on Noli’s stomach.

He’s stopped. He feels humiliated when a whine is ripped out from his throat as inhuman strength clamps down around his wrist, almost crushing the bones underneath the flesh. “Noli—“ he embarrassingly pleads, playing thug of war with his hand.
Noli lets him go, he doesn’t expect it and falls back. 007n7 groans from the impact, and hurriedly sits up, his head tilted upwards to look at the figure that now stands tall in front of him.

‘Don’t let him hurt our vessel.’ Something whispers in the back of Noli’s head.

“Don’t [test] me,” Noli requests, “Don’t make me do [anything] I don’t want to do.” He warns, and then softens a bit,

“Don’t make [me] hurt you, Sev.”

007n7 is officially terrified. In his mind, the only words that he can find are,
‘What The Fuck.’ He looks up, his jaw hangs low.
As if it wasn’t obvious before, it’s way more evident now, his friend is long gone, and he needs to get out of here before this unstable, purple mess of flesh decides he’s done being patient with him.

Whatever is looking down at him, with their disheveled breath, and fake composed demeanor, isn’t his friend.

That isn’t his Noli.

‘Why? Because you aren’t the one pulling his strings anymore?’ The temple’s walls speak to him. His sweat turns cold. This place seems to be against him, no, it’s watching him, warning him to stay in line.

Stupid, obedient, calm, naive, good at listening, Noli. Of course, he’d be brainwashed by some stupid, overpowered crown—

He hears steps getting closer to him.

Noli looks at their partner, finding some twisted satisfaction at the look on Seven’s face. They’ve both realized the truth, Noli didn’t reach 007n7’s level. He surpassed it, now, he can only stand before the other with an air of newfound superiority. This isn’t an issue, he can help 007n7 catch up. Repay the favor. They cackle, “This [sure] g0t messy…” he tries to joke once again, to make the ambience less tense.

007n7 scoffs and sits up to tackle Noli. He’ll show this bastard ‘messy.’

Arms wrap around his, holding him back, keeping him from launching himself at Noli. He gasps, startled by the sudden touch, and quickly glances at his sides.

Copies of Noli, exact copies of him, are clinging to him, making sure to immobilize him. One reaches for his face, slowly caressing it before he’s forced to face the real one of the trio. He scowls and tries to struggle against their grip. He needs to go back. He can’t stand the guilt that’s been quietly tearing him apart ever since he saw Noli again. He needs to leave, move out, maybe even give himself a new name.

‘Always running from your consequences.’ The Temple says in a disapproving tone. Whatever parasite that poured its lies into Noli’s head, also explored it, it knows their story, it knows their weaknesses.

Noli doesn’t seem to hear the statement, though. Is he hallucinating?—

“Don’t [give] me that lo0k.” Noli scoffs, “You’re n0t the [only] one who can [play] around with cl0nes.” They mock him, reminding him of what he needs to go back home for. Then, they smile and playfully boop 007n7’s nose, who tries to bite his finger.

With a displeased expression, Noli sighs. “Ah, I see. You’re [mad.]” he says in a bored tone before brightening up, “Perhaps… you want s0me [rest]?” He suggests, clapping his hands in a quick motion. The clones start to drag 007n7 away, “You’ll [love] our new room. Reminds [me] of our old d0rm.” They chuckle, excited.

Upon getting no answer, they deflate a little. Noli explains himself, even if no one asked him to. “I [thought] it’d be more efficient, we’ve always [worked] better t0gether.” He hums and then feels slightly upset when he sees Seven is still scowling at him.

…

‘Please don’t look at me like that.’ They bite the inside of his cheek, biting back the words while watching his copies walk down the temple’s stairs with 007n7 struggling against them.
“We’re not finished!” 007n7 shouts, desperate to grab Noli by the shoulders, and shake them… and maybe get in a punch or two, his ego is still bruised from that. He’s never felt more powerless before.

He gets no answer, he twists so he can look back at Noli, who has turned around, his cloak swiveling behind him, before they sit down, watching him leave. They’ve decided it’s better to let 007n7 calm down on their own, as his words seem to infuriate the man further, and he doesn’t want to inflict more harm on his partner.

“This won’t change anything.” 007n7 states, his breath now disheveled from trying to get out of the clone’s grip. His words catch Noli’s attention, their face twists, and they look down. They don’t want to answer, they know that if they don’t cut this conversation up, they’ll give in. Seven will make them question their actions.

They don’t need that at this moment.

007n7 can’t see Noli’s face, not because of his mask or his cloak, but because it’s covered by shadows. He frowns and looks ahead, hanging against the clone’s hold, his fists tighten, and he yells his friend’s name, the only thing that’s probably left of their identity.

‘It’s all your own doing.’ The temple keeps whispering, his shout echoes through it, drowning it out. 007n7 breathes heavily.

‘Noli’ rings within the cult leader’s head. His friend’s voice stays rooted in his brain. They understand what it means, a silent promise.

This wouldn’t be easy for either of them.