Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

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"Wemmbu- Wemmbu we should just retreat or something bro"

Rejoice pleaded to wemmbu, but his Pleading fell on deaf ears. He gripped his sword, He wanted to go back to his tower, he regretted every stepping a foot out of it.

He had a bad feeling in his gut.

"He's freeing more wardens!"

Wemmbu shouted as he used his trident to fly up into the air, hopefully landing a killing blow on Jaden. Maybe he could finally put an end to this wild goose chase and go home with his teammates. They could go live a peaceful life in the mountains.

He fell back down, his mace missing Jaden. Behind him a cage of wardens exploded from the TNT that Jaden was placing. Causing a horde of wardens to spill out of the now broken cage.

This was quickly starting to look like a bad situation.

Rejoice let out a scream as a few wardens started to pummel him. They barely scratched him but the heart attack he got from that was not worth it.

Rejoice saw Wemmbu fly above him, trying to get a lead on Jaden.

While his attention was diverted, a blade sliced Rejoices back. the totem he clutched in his hand absorbed the killing blow, letting him live longer. A aura of gold and green surrounded him as he fell to the ground.

Jaden jumped him from behind, catching him off guard.

Wemmbu quickly fell down on Jaden, hitting Jaden's head with his mace. Causing both of them to fly back.

Wemmbu managed to place webs under Jaden before he hit the ground, causing him to get stuck in the sticky webs.

Rejoice took his chance and ran towards the now stuck Jaden.

Wemmbu flew up again, hitting Jaden with his mace while Rejoice started critting Jaden with his sword. At this pace, they were bound to be victorious.

Jaden got out, using a windcharge to throw himself up before falling back down on Wemmbu, hitting him with the mace Jaden stole from him.

More wardens started to flood the space, occasionally hitting one of them.

Jaden started placing withers around some wardens that were still trapped. Which immediately turned their attention to Wemmbu.

They kept chasing and attacking Jaden for what felt like hours.

Jaden managed to go inside another room. Causing Rejoice, Loppez and Wemmbu to chorus after him. But knowing Wemmbu's luck, his chorus teleports were horrible. He commanded Rejoice to stall Jaden while Rejoice begged him to hurry up.

When Wemmbu finally chorused.

They fell into a room crawling with wardens. Most of the wardens were after Jaden, while a few turned their attention to Rejoice. Causing him to fall off the roof of one of the rooms he was standing on. He hit the ground but quickly picked himself back up, taking a bite of a golden apple to heal up.

The wardens did not stop attacking rejoice, they were throwing him around like a ping-pong ball. Maybe this victory wouldn't be that easy to acquire.

Wemmbu jumped off of the roof they were on, jumping deeper into the room full of wardens. A warden's shriek threw Rejoice off the roof. The moment he hit the floor all the warden's decided to focus on rejoice.

He was thrown over the railing of a platform, after a powerful shriek blasted him. multiple warden's jumped down after Rejoice barely giving him any chance of finding his footing. Wemmbu quickly jumped after him, trying to mace some of the warden's chasing rejoice. But with how many there was, it was quite the hard task.

"Wemmbu, what do I even do bro!!"
Rejoice was running for his life, narrowly avoiding some of the warden's fists.

"Gap bro, gap!" Wemmbu shouted over warden's, he hoped Rejoice managed to hear him.

"I can't even move bro!" A shriek sent rejoice flying into a wall, as he screamed for Wemmbu. "WEMMBU!" He screamed Wemmbu's name as he kept getting slammed into walls.

"My helmets about to break!"
Rejoice yelled as he got up from the floor and started running again. Oh how much he missed his tower, he regrets ever stepping outside of it.

"My helmet just popped!"
Wemmbu could see rejoice get thrown next to him as multiple shrieks from the warden's sent Rejoice flying into another wall.

"Wemmbu... it's over"

He could feel blood dripping down his chin, the amount of adrenaline in his body numbed down the pain. Rejoice was pretty sure his right arm was broken too. There was nice way he was getting out of this.

He pushed himself off the wall and ran the opposite way of the warden's

No, he has to stay hopeful.

"Chorus bro!"
Wemmbu threw multiple chorus fruits on the floor, hoping rejoice would pick them up. He tried splashing a potion of healing near where he hoped rejoice was. He never knew if the potion helped or now.

Another shriek sends Rejoice flying past him. "I'm trying!" For a brief moment, they made eye contact.

"I have to eat gaps tho! " rejoice spat out as he hit another wall.

They both knew they were cooked.

Jaden was gone, and they were stuck in a pit of wardens.

"Wemmbu... I'm gonna die here" Rejoice said while he ran past Wemmbu

"BRO, GET OUT OF THE CORNER. CHORUS!!"

"Alright, I'm chorusing!" Rejoice took a bite of the bitter fruit, it only teleported him a bit forward. Not saving him from any warden's.

"Yeah– Wemmbu I'm going to die here bro"

The Warden's gotten Rejoice in another corner. Wemmbu saw particles of gold and green erupt from rejoice as another totem popped.

"Wemmbu– it was fun while it lasted wemmbu" Their eyes met again through the crowd of warden's.

Bruises and cuts were littered around rejoice's face. his nose was bleeding, seemingly broken.

"CHORUS BRO"

Rejoice was up against a wall, warden's continuously beating him.

"It was fun while it lasted Wemmbu!" Rejoice hastily said as he spat out blood.

"I appreciated playing with you guys!"
Rejoice tried to smile at wemmbu, but his teeth were covered in his own blood. And his look was a silent plea to not leave him behind.
Wemmbu was trying to kill some of the warden's attacking Rejoice, but it was hopeless.

"I'm dead, my leggings brok–"

and just like that, Rejoice was gone.

Purple particles surrounded the corner he was in, signifying Rejoice successfully chorused.

Wemmbu let out a sigh of relief. Rejoice was fine, Their team was going to get out.
They can't re-gear and kill Jaden later.

He just needed to get out.

He quickly realized the situation he was in. Now that Rejoice was gone, the warden's focused on the only other person in the room.

Wemmbu.

He tried to wind charge up, but a warden grabbed his leg and slammed him into the ground. The fight with Jaden already depleted his resources and ruined his armour.

His chest plate shattered as he hit the ground. Small netherite shards impaled his chest. He was trying to find ender pearls in his inventory as the warden kept slamming him into the ground.

He kept cursing to himself, trying to hold back screams and shouts of pain. More warden's started to dogpile him, shrieking or pummelling him with their fists.

He could feel bruises forming, or bones starting to break. How was he supposed to get out of this?

Before he knew it most of his armour was broken.

He thought back to earlier, to that smile rejoice gave him when he thought he was going to die. That smile was filled with joy and gratitude. rejoice was thankful to meet him, Rejoice was happy that he wasn't alone anymore, He couldn't just abandon rejoice now– his thoughts were interrupted by a warden bringing down it's fist on his skull. Crushing it.

| Wemmbu was slain by warden.

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Boots and cats

Chapter Text

"When you are a 5 foot out of the house car "
"It will okay" - Archie 2025

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Rejoice managed to chorus right before a warden managed to bash his head in. If he chorsued any later he would've been reduced to a red stain on the wall.

He let out a sigh and let himself sink against a wall behind him. He tried to catch his breath. The constant running and near death experiences left him a exhausted mess.

Slowly as his adrenaline faded, the pain of multiple broken bones started to kick in. He peeled what was left of his armour off of him and looked at his wounds.

He was pretty badly beat up, he needs to properly take care of his wounds later. for now a golden apple would be enough, he just wants to go back home and regroup with the gang.

He slowly pushed himself off the wall. He was inside a smaller sideroom. How will he get out? Rejoice never went to the factory before, nor this deep into the civilization. Everything was so new and confusing to him. The fact he wasnt alone, the fact he left his tower, and the fact he was hunting down Jaden, were all new experiences to him.

He couldn't wait to crash into his bed and sleep.

Rejoice started limping to the two spruce doors that were the exit, and hoped no wardens would meet him on the other side. The pushed the doors open and was met by the lights of the main storage room. The same storage room he almost died in.
Luckily all the wardens seem to have left by now.

He looks around the room, to make sure it was safe before finally exiting the small side room.

The first this that caught his eye were gleaming items, sitting in a corner unattended.

The closer he got the more items he noticed.

Armour pieces... swords...miscellaneous food items... And a mace.

He picked it up, immediately realizing it was far heavier than expected, and looked at the name engraved on the handle.

"*Gambit*"

Rejoice immediately dropped the mace and backed up as it hit the stone floor with a thud.

Did Wemmbu die?

He couldn't have died, he was one of the strongest people Rejoice ever met. He couldnt just die here... Right?

Rejoice shook his head in disbelief.

No, he wouldn't have just died to a warden. He's better than that.

Then... Why were all his items here? Rejoice stared at the mace sitting on the floor. Was this some kind of joke?? Was this a test of trust??

Rejoice pulled out a shulker and started storing all the items before they despawned. He finally got to the sunflower he gave Wemmbu, A gift of friendship from Rejoice. Not his friend was dead. He could barely wrap his head around the fact, the friend he was talking and joking with a few hours ago was now dead, reduced to a puddle of items.

Rejoice shuddered, and stored the sunflower. What was he going to tell Egg? What would his reaction be?? Would he blame Rejoice and attack him? Honestly, Rejoice felt like he deserves to be blamed, he couldn't protect Wemmbu, instead he ran from the fight. Maybe if he didn't chorus and simply fought instead, Wemmbu wouldn't have died.

He needs to go back to his tower to figure out what to do and to mend his wounds.

Rejoice started limping out of the storage room, it will take a while to get back home with the state he's in.

He focused on his walking, with each step he took his body hurt more. But anything was better than thinking about what just happened, maybe if he keeps walking he'll simply forget about it.

-

Rejoice woke up on the floor of his tower. He didn't realize that he passed out. Maybe it was from the amount of weight he was carrying, or the amount of blood he lost. He needs to patch his wounds but everything felt so heavy, he couldnt move from his spot on the floor.

Maybe he should just let himself bleed on the floor, it's what he deserves after everything that happened. He couldn't save Wemmbu, he couldn't even properly hunt down Jaden. God he sucks at everything.

He wishes he could just sink into the floor and disappear. he couldnt save Wemmbu or the civilization he was supposed to guard.

He used one of his arms to push himself off the floor, as he gripped his stomach with his other hand.

Everything hurt like hell, but someone needs to tell Egg and Loppezz what happened.

Slowly, with shaky legs he stood up. He placed down the heavy shulker of items down on his floor before rummaging through his chests for anything that could heal his wounds or at least make them hurt less. He founded a healing potion and hastily chugged the sweet red liquid inside.

He pulled back from the chest and sunk down onto the floor, with his back slouched against the chest behind him.

He was still processing what happened. One moment he's in the factory fighting next to Wemmbu, and in the next he's alone in his tower.

He shivered from the coldness that seeped into his bones. he wasn't cold from how chilly it was, but from the coldness that being alone always caused him to feel.

So far everytime he made friends, they either left him or died. Wasn't he being a good person? Why does it feel like he keeps getting punished for being the slightest bit kind.

He never wanted to kill Jaden, but now he feels like he doesn't have a choice. Rejoice blames himself for Wemmbu's death, but blames Jaden even more. This all would be have happened if he killed Jaden the moment he met him.

Rejoice suddenly remembered the fact he didn't tell Egg or Loppezz what happened to Wemmbu. And honestly, he was scared to. He didn't want to accept the fact he was dead yet, and he didn't want to see the look on their faces. Would it be disgust? Hatred??

Rejoice sighed and pushed himself up.

Better tell them now before he does something stupid, or forgets completely.

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Chapter Text

Pardon my late update, a lot of stuff went downhill and I didn't have the motivation to do anything. I'll try to go back to updating daily.

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Rejoice was walking on the soft wool pathways connecting the whole civilization together. it's been months since they were properly used. since almost all the inhabitants died or disappeared entirely, the pathways were left to rot. Layers of dust from the cavern walls covered said pathways, with each footstep rejoice took dust clouded around his boots.

He was focused on his walking, he didn't want his negative thoughts to catch up to him. He wa starting to approach the forest Egg and Loppezz build their diamond shack in, would they know what happened?He was gone alongside Wemmbu for a white, not to mention Loppezz was present at the fight, Did she see what happened? Did She witnesses Rejoice's incompetence?

He shuddered at the thought, he couldn't let himself spiral again. He was at the forests edge now, anxiety was tugging at him. He was scared of how they would react, would it be anger? Disgust?? Regret??? Rejoice took a deep breath and walked into the forest.

He could see a small cloud of smoke reaching up to the top of the cave, presumably from their campfire. He stopped in his tracks. He couldn't do it. What was he even supposed to say? Plus, he wouldn't be able to stand the heartbreak in their eyes. He shouldn't do this, he can-

"Yo, Rejoice!"

He felt shivers crawl up his spine. He quickly turned around to see Egg staring at him.

"Bro where were you two? You both were gone for a day"

Rejoice froze, he could feel his throat closing up. He just hoped the look on his face wouldn't give it away.

"Yo, you good?"

Rejoice clentched his fists and looked away from Egg's gaze. Rejoice was fighting back tears, it would be embarrassing to cry in front of Egg.

After what felt like a decade, he manage to croak out something with a strained voice

"W-where's Loppezz"

"At our glorious mansion bro. Why, did something happen?" Egg was now staring at him with a confused look

"Listen bro, you're acting wierd. If something happened just tell me"

Rejoice gulped and clentched his fists.

"I need to..... We need to have a meeting"

He looked down at the ground with glossy eyes, nails digging into his palms.

Egg gave him a confused look

"Alright, wheres Wemmbu tho?"

Rejoice froze.

"Rejoice?"

".... Lets go to the camp." Rejoice's eyes were glued to the ground, he didn't have the guts to see egg's expression.

Rejoice turned on his heels and walk towards the direction of the camp, Egg's footsteps followed behind him.

It was a short walk from where they originally were, Loppezz was sitting near the campfire. Watching it as if its the most interesting thing in the world.

"Yo, Loppezz!" Egg shouted from behind Rejoice. Loppezz' head shot up towards them, she smiled brightly and waved at the two of them.

They walked towards the campfire and sat down around it. Rejoice's eyes were still glued to the ground, not meeting the other's eyes. Egg and Loppezz exchanged glances, Cleary worried about Rejoice.

"Aight, so Rejoice wanted to call a meeting after I found him moping in the forest" Egg spoke after a while of silence.

"Arent we supposed to wait for Wemmbu?"
Loppezz' voice was soft and filled with curiosity.

"Thats what I'm saying bro" Egg turned towards Rejoice
"Are you gonna tell us what happened or are you going to keep moping"

Rejoice finally looked up from the floor, his eyes met Egg's. His expression looked empty without his usual smile it, looking distant and cold.

"I.. Wemmbu won't be coming back.."

"Listen- Jaden released wardens and...."

Rejoice covered his face, he didn't want to think of this, he hated remembering.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have ran..."

Loppezz covered her mouth in shock as she gasped, while Egg's shoulders dropped.

"I'm so sorry" Rejoice was fighting back sobs, he's starting to regret telling them this.

He changed the topic before he started to cry in front of them.

"Do you know where Jaden went..?"

"Oh we fought him after he left the factory, made him run like the wimp he is" Egg replied.

Loppezz was staring at the fire again, seemingly heartbroken.

"I should go... I'm sorry" Rejoice swiftly stood up and started walking away.

He didn't turn back as the two other remaining team members called for him.

He needed revenge, and he needed that mace back.

He needs to avenge Wemmbu somehow.

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He walked back to his base and started stocking for the upcoming fight.

He was rummaging through a chest, checking if he had any remaining totems, but seemingly he barely had any left. While pulling his hand out of the chest, he cut himself on something sharp.

He fell backwards and clutched his hand, seeing the small cut slowly fill up with blood.

Damnit, why can't he do anything right.

Rage bubbled up inside of him, he was tired of everything going wrong, he was tired of being alone. He kicked the chest that was in front of him from anger, it hit the hard stone floor with a thud, spilling its contents all over the floor.

Why was he like this? Why was he feeling angry? He stared at the fallen over chest, as if it fell over on it's own. He shouldn't be feeling angry, he's never angry.

He looked at his hands, they were stained red with blood, Wemmbu's blood. Blood that he'll never be able to wash off. He caused Wemmbu's death, he left Wemmbu to die. He deserves to feel guilty, he caused this. Then why does he hate the guilt that's haunting him? He should be happy that it's always there, always reminding him of what he did wrong. Instead he wants to fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness.

Being angry didn't feel right. Well, nothing felt right anymore. He felt lost and alone, in a way he indeed was alone. He couldn't go back to Egg and Loppezz, he felt shame for what he caused. And Jaden was the enemy here, if Jaden never built that trap, or never released those wardens, maybe Wemmbu would still be here.

Maybe he should focus all his anger on Jaden, he's the true cause of this. Didn't Jaden steal one of Wemmbu's maces? Maybe if he kills Jaden and gets Wemmbu's mace back, maybe that haunting guilt will finally let him go.

He needs that mace, and he needs Jaden's head.

Rejoice looked towards his stash of supplier.

Then it's settled.

Jaden is a dead man.

Chapter Text

He never felt like this before, was it bloodlust? Maybe he was simply grief-stricken. All he knows the only cure for it is seeing Jaden's dead body. Rejoice will make sure Jaden will not have a merciful death, seeing the Life leave Jaden's eyes will release the grip guilt has on him.

He was roaming the abandoned civilization halls with the goal of finding Jaden. He had no clue where Jaden could be, but Rejoice knows he'll show up eventually.

In all honesty, Rejoice wasn't prepared for a fight. His armour was cracking, it was in a state of disrepair. He didn't have the chance to mend it since...

Rejoice pushed that thought away, it doesn't matter if his armour is healed or not. Jaden will die, one way or another.

He wasn't sure how long he was wandering for, a distant ache was settled in his legs. But the need for vengeance drowned it out. He needs to get his head in the game and figure out where Jaden is.

He barely left his tower, but he practically had every landmark memorized. Looking down at the civilization was one of the only things he could do while locked in his tower. Well, he wasn't really locked in was he? He could've left at any moment, but he stayed on duty. It what was asked of him. Even as all the civilians vanished or died he felt like his duty was to stay in the tower. Plus what if not everyone died,
what if someone caught him outside of his tower?

Rejoice sighed at his thoughts, he missed the times when this civilization was booming. He really hates being alone.

Rejoice looked behind him from where he was standing, his tower stood behind him. It doesn't feel right being outside of it.

A castle was towering over him, it's immense size making him feel like a small bug. He remembers always staring at the castle, wondering what was inside.

Now he finally has the chance to find out.

He walked inside, it smelled damp and old. Probably from the months of neglect. With each step he took, dust that setteled on the floor would be kicked up, making the air quality even worse.

He'll probably suffocate from the bad air quality before he'll find Jaden.

In the middle of the hall, a single stream of wanted trickeled down from a broken warden spawner above him.

He wonders if it was like this from a fight Wemmbu had with Jaden, or if it was already like this before they came down here.

He walked past the stream, he had no point in going up there and risking another encounter with wardens. The castle halls were coated in dust and spiderwebs, no one being able to tidy it up. Occasionally rejoice would pass one or two wardens, causing him to crouch around them.

Entering the castle seemed pointless, there was no sign of Jaden anywhere. What if Jaden already escaped the civilization, what if Rejoice was too late?

He huffed, why was he even doing this? Wemmbu was dead, no amount of vengeance will make him feel better. Plus if he gets that stupid mace, then what? His only purpose was to guard that tower, now there was no point. There's nothing to guard it from.

He looked back towards the stream, maybe if he'll get on top of the castle he'll have a decent chance of seeing Jaden....

He slowly made his way back towards the stream, it wouldn't hurt to find out what's up there, right?

The stream was slowly cascading down from a broken warden spawner above him, spilling water all over the castle floors. He walked into the puddle of water, his shoes repelling some of the water. He entered the stream and started to swim upwards, he was struggling to hold his breath for the duration of the swim. When he reached the top he gasped for air. he's never going swimming again.

A single noteblock was suspended in the air, it was releasing a rhythmic clicking, luring all wardens that spawned towards the middle. But luckily for him there were no wardens. He looked up, there clearly was another room above him. He fished a water bucket out of his inventory and started making his way up again.

He reached the room above him, one shrieker immediately going off. He quickly removed the water behind him and tried to still his breathing. He didn't dare to move an inch. He doesn't want to deal with another warden, he knows all to well how quickly things can go wrong.

As quietly as possible, he took a deep breath in and started slowly making his way to one of the corridors in the room. He felt his blood run cold with every small noise he made, but luckily the shriekers never picked it up.

When he finally reached the corridor he held back a sigh of relief, the hard part was over, but how was he supposed to get out?
He had no clue where he was, or where to go.

Not to mention the corridor he was in was blocked off, he didn't want to walk back to the shrieker infested room and risk death.

He felt stuck.

He leaned his back against the blocked off wall and let himself sink towards the floor.

Why can't he catch a break from everything.

He shuddered against the wall.
He was wasting time, he needs to find Jaden.

He stood back up. he looked back towards the wall behind him, just to make sure he didnt miss anything. And surely enough he swears he sees a faint light coming from behind the wall. Not to mention how unevenly placed it was. Maybe he could squeeze through one of the gaps to see what was behind it.

He made his way to one of the corners of the wall, and squeezed through one of it's many holes. He managed to reached what looked to be a window, iron bars blocking his view from the other side.

Maybe he could chorus to get to it....

No, chorusing doesnt feel after what happened. And what if he gets a stupid teleport point?

But he had no other way to get through to the other side.

He swallowed his guilt and fished out a single chorus fruit. He took a bite and was immediately met with the room he wanted to enter.

Carpet was laid on the floor, a single lonesome shulker box stood in the middle.
Dust flew around him in swirls, this room must've been ancient.

He opened the shulker, and what he saw inside made him shocked to his very core.

A single elytra was laid out, with multiple stacks of fireworks surrounding it.

His mouth was agape in disbelief. He could get out using it.

Not to mention, imagine how easy it would be to track down Jaden.

The contents of the shulker were coated on a layer of dust, but looked functional.

Rejoice never usen an elytra before, he hoped he wouldn't fumble his first time flying with one.

He took all the fireworks he could fit in his inventory and wore the elytra. The silver pair of wings attaching to his chest plate.

He felt like freedom was at his fingertips. The only thing holding him back was Jaden.

He used another chorus to teleport back from where he came from, and spread the dusty silver wings. He was ready to fly, but then a voice stopped him.

"How did you get an Elytra!?" Jaden said as he walk from behind a wall of the shrieker room.

How did Jaden get here?? His expression must've said enough, Jaden cut the silence "oh dont look so surprised to see me, you left a trail of bread crumbs to your location"

Rejoice readied an axe. He was about to pounce. but Jaden cut him off
"Oh and I'll need that elytra, hand it over and we won't have to fight."

Rejoice didn't waste a second. he jumped. Aiming an axe at Jaden's neck.

Jaden took a step back and dodged, Grabbing Rejoice's elytra and slamming him into a wall.

It felt like all blood in his system was replaced with boiling rage as he hit the wall.

Rage wasn't an emotion he felt a lot, but it was all he felt now.