Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The horrific squalor of a round is something that 007n7 has grown used to, over time. He wasn’t sure how long he had been stuck in this purgatory with everyone, nor how long it would be until he was able to leave. The only thing he knew how to do by now was survive. 

Terrified screams and the maniacal cackles of that creature hunting them down faded to background noise as he worked at the last generator, hands tangled in wires that hissed around fingers like snakes.

He was shaking, bruised, and bleeding after an encounter with the monster; the thing that had taken his alias. He didn’t want to think about the fact that it was also his son’s name. He was sure it was a ploy from whatever, whoever put them here to cause more pain and anguish. 

Finishing up the generator, he stood back up, brushing off his cargo shorts and looking around. He spotted a medkit, picking it up and debating against his own injuries for just a moment.

It would be selfish to use it on myself. I’ll find someone low and give it to them.

007n7 set off, trying to ignore the lancing pain coursing through his chest, an arm coming around to cover the wound as he aimed to find someone more useful to give the medkit to. Elliot, Guest, or Shedletsky maybe. He was on the other side of this map, the side with the large sign labeled ‘Toy Box’. 

Heading over to the castle at the other end, where he was sure others had gathered, the music droned endlessly on. It was sad and isolated, like losing someone you had considered close once and not knowing how to process it.

A feeling 007n7 understood far too well.

Upon limping by one of those white maze-like structures, he heard a mechanical whirring from within, followed by labored breathing. Someone was injured.

Pausing, 007n7 weighed his options. The whirring sounded like a dispenser, so whoever it was would be fine if they were able to wait a half minute or so. He looked up above the structure, to a smaller cube-like one with a figure standing in front.

It was hard to see from that angle, but it almost looked like the same figure that stood in the lobby. A chatbot, forever silent unless prompted, one that filled him with a strange sadness.

Sighing softly, he steeled his nerves. Whoever was at the dispenser would only be able to heal if the current killer didn’t track them down again. A medkit was in their best interest. 

“Hello?” He called, voice hesitant and reedy in the stifling silence of the map. The dispenser was placed in a corner around one of the bends; something well placed and hard to find unless the killer was purposefully looking for it. Builderman had always been good at tactical placements like that.

Speaking of, however, the person utilizing the dispenser was none other than the man who placed it. His breathing was strained, hand placed over an angry red gash, laced all the way from his sternum to his hip. It still steadily bled, sending a dark red blossom steadily growing over his darker grey jacket.

007n7 was familiar with this killer; named C00lkidd, but looking nothing like his son, or him for that matter. It was red, yes, but it was tall, warped, fleshy and grotesque and screamed loud enough to pierce ears. 

Builderman wasn’t doing well. He had to be near death, if 007n7 had to guess. A quick look at his GUI, at the ‘player list’ he had gathered, was enough to tell him that. 2%; not good. Everyone else was in the 30% range at the lowest, and even with the steady healing Builderman wouldn’t be able to get better in time. 

At least, not until this killer got distracted with its latest chase: 7n7 could see the formerly 100% Taph slowly ticking down. 

He was expecting the hesitant look the former admin gave him as he crouched down next to him. It wasn’t a surprise to him. “Here,” He said, pulling out the medkit and placing it next to Builderman. “You need this more than me.” 7n7 himself was at around 17%, already formulating a plan to lead the killer away while Builderman healed if it came down to it. 

Even if he was sure the others would complain about him raising the timer with his death, in the end. 

With another hesitant look, Builderman took the medkit. “I got my dispenser, y’know.” He started, popping open the medkit and beginning to use it. 7n7 stood in front of him, a shield, just in case the killer came up again. He kept an eye on Taph; they were at about 55% now.

He could hear the sound of Elliot’s rush hour pass by them, anyways. Nothing to worry about. “I know, but if the killer gets distracted with its current chase and decides to finish off the lowest survivor, the dispenser won’t do much.”

“'S that what yer seein’ on that lil' interface a'yers?” Builderman scoffed, finishing up his healing. 7n7 saw him jump from around 5% to 95%. Right, he had less health than the rest of them. “How close I am t’death?”

7n7 slowly turned, meeting eyes with the admin. He stared back with an intensity, a distrust that 7n7 had grown used to. “If you didn’t want me to help you, you didn’t have to take my medkit.” He said slowly, wincing as it only earns a harsher look from the other man. “...Sorry.” Damn his impulsive tongue.

Despite the niceness of being in the radius of the dispenser – his health having jumped from 17% to around 25% – Builderman definitely wasn’t taking kindly to his prolonged presence. 

“D’ya have anythin’ ya could do t'make yerself useful?” The other questioned him harshly, taking a step closer. “Any more of 'em generators? Ain't you able to throw one’a yer clones out to distract th' killer?”

7n7 raised his hands defensively, taking a step back and out of the dispenser radius. All at once the soft ebbing of soreness evaporated, leaving him with harsh pains. “All the generators are done and I- it’s really difficult to use my clones as shields.” He had tried. “I swear to you, if there was anything I could do to make myself useful I–” 

He’s cut off. A childish tune plays, one that strips him into pieces. The ‘Spooky Scary Skeletons’ jingle was more than obvious within it. Whatever this thing was, it was definitely created to mimic his son.

7n7 acts on impulse, pushing Builderman further into the corner and pulling up his C00lGUI as he could hear the thing coming closer.

“What the hell’re you–” Builderman started, but it was cut off by 7n7 shushing him. They couldn’t afford to give away their positions right now. 

Letting a clone loose, 7n7 instructed it to run aimlessly around the killer. As soon as it left the maze-like structure, he heard an ear-piercing shriek, and the pounding of heavy footsteps. He bought them some time. 

“Get out of here,” 7n7 instructed Builderman in a hushed tone, using his GUI to teleport to his typical spot across the map. “My clone bought us some time. Find a sentinel; Guest and Shedletsky both are in this round with us, somewhere.” 

All at once, the footsteps ceased. It was eerily silent around the map. 7n7 willed his teleport to go faster, and still the ticking of the bar felt like an eternity.

Haxxing in pr0gress...
The childish typeface felt like a cruel jab, above anything.

Suddenly, he heard the whoosh of a brick, felt it shooting through him and Builderman. He got knocked down to 9%, Builderman let out a pained grunt. Both of them would be slower now, and now? Now, the killer knew exactly where they were.
Another shrill cry pierces the air, Builderman’s eyes widening as if he could understand it. The thundering footsteps grew closer, 7n7’s panic worsening. “Come on come on come on…” 

It was almost done. In mere seconds, he would be teleported away; he had no choice but to leave Builderman to his devices, hoping to 2x2 that the medkit would be enough to get the other man through the round. 

Seconds was all he had, apparently. He could do nothing but watch as the beast rounded the corner, letting out something he could only approximate to shrill laughter, something that hurt his ears. 

Letting out a panicked gasp, he could see C00lkidd rearing up to dart forward at them. 

It was impulse, really, what he did. Something he had never tested before.

He threw an arm over Builderman’s chest, making contact just as his GUI finished the teleport sequence. C00lkidd was inches from their face; close enough he could see that carved smile, hear the ragged breaths. 

Suddenly, it was all gone. 7n7 landed on top of someone, in a heap on the grass.

Grass? There was ‘grass’ in that previous map, but it was all plastic, all fake. This felt… real. Genuine in a way 7n7 hadn’t felt for a long time. 

With a groan, he rolled off of who he landed on, squinting against the bright sun.

The… the sun. He could see the sun.

Chapter Text

It had all happened so fast. The round had started out normally, a slew of survivors being sent like lambs to the slaughter against a killer.

Guest 1337, Shedletsky, Elliot, Taph, Noob, 007n7, and Builderman himself, going up against C00lkidd. The moniker itself was cruel; reminders to Elliot, the exploiter that terrorized his workplace, and of course a reminder to the exploiter himself. 

That killer was exceptionally good at taking out survivors quickly, though it often got distracted when multiple were in one area. Especially distracted when 007n7 was around. 

Builderman went about his usual routine of placing a sentry and a dispenser, both in spots that would be hard for this killer to get without going out of its way to destroy them. 

Normally, he was good at not being seen. That time he had been unlucky, and ended up close to where C00lkidd had spawned. He had barely gotten away, building a dispenser up in a corner once he was sure he had lost the creature. 

What he hadn’t expected was for 007n7 to come up to him, offer him a medkit. He held no sympathy for the ex-hacker, only suspicion. Shedletsky had told him to lighten up, but he’d be damned if he didn’t hold hesitance towards former blights upon Robloxia. 

However, their conversation and moment of peace had been short-lived. Builderman had managed to use the medkit, only being brought back down in his own health when a fling brick was thrown through his dispenser, 007n7, and him. 

He had almost thought 007n7 would leave him to die; and it would’ve surely been death. Whatever put them in this tortuous cycle, it had made sure Builderman especially was stripped of his power. It had made sure all three admins were stripped of power.

But — that’s not what happened. 

As C00lkidd was charging at them, 007n7 threw his arm over Builderman’s chest. 

It felt like going through a wormhole; jarring, unfamiliar, nothing like his own admin GUI teleportation. 

It also didn't help that once he was out of the teleportation, there was a heavy weight pressing against his chest. 007n7, if he had to guess. He let out a soft grunt as the other man rolled off of him.

They were sprawled out in the grass. Grass that felt far too real to be part of the map they had just been in. Sunlight where it used to be dark. This was not the same map, not in the slightest.

Builderman sat up, squinting against the harsh sunlight. He had become far unused to the brightness of the sun, given the majority of the maps they were thrown in, including their main cabin area, was swathed in darkness. He could see 007n7 struggling to his feet as he himself stood.

"Where in 2×2's name are we?" Builderman muttered, putting a hand over his forehead to shield his eyes from the harsh glare overhead. It was somewhere in Robloxia, that much was certain — but it was a point he wasn't familiar with.

A neighborhood, from what he could guess; one that looked like it had Brighteyes' hand in the making. Various different houses line the street, different colors and shapes in each, some lined with flowers or shrubbery while others had neatly-trimmed lawns.

The 'imperfectly perfect', as Brighteyes had enjoyed calling her constructions. Builderman shook the thought of his coworkers and employees from his head; he was certain they weren't actually in Robloxia. Knowing how sick their captor was, he wouldn't be surprised if this was just another map that 007n7 had accidentally ended up sending them to.

Looking over to the man in question, however, brought about a different reaction. The former exploiter looked almost nervous, uncertain about something as his gaze flickered over the neighborhood.

There was familiarity in his gaze, Builderman could ascertain that much. Something that flickered in his chest, the need for answers. "Seems like y'know where we are?" He pointed out, trying to keep his tone casual.

007n7 jumped, as if he had forgotten the fact Builderman was there. "O-oh- I mean…" There was a pause in what he was saying, eyes flicking around. He looked like a scared animal, trying to decide whether to run, fight, or play dead. "Yes? I think so. I-I don't think this is, um, a new map, I mean…"

Something about his tone flickered something new in Builderman's chest. Something akin to pity, maybe; something he had never expected to feel for the former exploiter. "So… what? We're just outta there?" He questioned, voice taking on a harsher edge as the implications rose to the surface.

The realization was something snarling and angry, wrapping around his throat and cutting off his airway. His promise, the one he made with Shedletsky — if him and 007n7 were truly out, he had broken it. He wouldn't be able to protect the others anymore.

He could hear 007n7 attempting to speak again, awful stuttering that was suddenly grating on his ears. Whirling around, he grabbed the other by the collar, watching his eyes widen as he tried to suppress a wince. "What, did'ya just have this up yer sleeve th'whole time?!" He barked, 007n7 flinching at his words. "Was I just an unlucky inclusion?!"

007n7 raised his hands in surrender, which did nothing to calm the boiling anger Builderman felt. "I- I didn't-!" His voice cracked, reaching a shrill point, and he paused to take a breath. "My GUI's never done that in the games before, I mean- I was really limited I had zero knowledge that it could do that!"

Builderman narrowed his eyes at the former exploiter, gripping his shirt harsher within his fist. It elicited another wince, a slight choking sound. "So explain." He gritted out, teeth gnashing. "Where the hell're we?" Letting 007n7 go, he stumbled back, letting out a soft hiss of pain. Builderman couldn't find it in himself to feel sympathy, not with the broiling storm that was currently his mind.

He had let everyone down. He had made a promise to protect them for as long as they were in there, and now he couldn't. And it was all thanks to the man standing in front of him, now looking strangely guilty.

"I mean- we're in Robloxia… though that's the obvious part." 007n7 said, voice oddly quiet as he glanced around. His eyes kept landing somewhere specific, over and over again.

Following his gaze, Builderman's eyes landed on a poster taped to one of the lampposts lining the street. A missing poster. Actually, they were taped to every single lamppost. Builderman could even see them against walls, across the street, down the ways to a nearby grocery store.

The words were blaringly obvious. 'MISSING: HAVE YOU SEEN HIM?' sat at the top in bold black, the name 008c8 sitting underneath. A photo of a little boy, red skin and hair with small horns. He was dressed in a Drakobloxxer jacket in the photo, smiling wide at the camera. The poster specified the boy responded to Coolkidd.

The boy wasn't someone Builderman was unfamiliar with, although most of his memories of the child — Coolkidd — were of him hiding behind his father's leg as he scolded 007n7 in front of Builder Brothers Pizza. Again. He wasn't aware the kid was missing: 007n7 must have avoided putting the posters up near HQ. The photo itself put a strange pit of familiarity in his chest, something that sent chills down his spine as he recalled a large, fleshy, and clumsy creature crying out for a father no one seemed to be aware of.

"—Builderman?" A voice suddenly cut through his wanderings, making him jolt slightly. Seemed he had been staring too long. As he turned, he found 007n7 looking at him with uncertainty. "I was just, um, saying- HQ is kind of far from this neighborhood, I can walk you to the grocery store so you can call someone? I don't know if you have your GUI is all." He spoke fast, as though he was expecting Builderman to interrupt him.

The fire of Builderman's anger had started to die out somewhat, allowing him to get a better look at the man in front of him. He was in rough shape; there was a cut on the side of his forehead, one that had stopped bleeding but had still sent a stripe of dried blood down the side of his face. A couple spots of his shirt were stained from it, although that wasn't even the worst of it. Three jagged and deep cuts ran along his side, tearing his shirt. They were still sluggishly bleeding, something the other had seemed to notice as he had one blood-stained hand pressed against the wound. His other hand was burnt and blistering, and he was putting more weight onto one leg than the other.

In other words, had they still been in the games, one swipe and C00lkidd would have had his throat in its claws.

Even if Builderman couldn't protect and help anyone else within the games anymore, he could at least protect and help this one person. "'N leave you bleedin' out just off th'sidewalk?" He found himself saying. "Some poor soul'll come across yer body, and that's a PR nightmare."

007n7's eyes widened; he seemed shocked by the sudden statement. "I mean- I'm fine." He quickly moved to say, Builderman raising a hand to stop him. "Really- I know where I am and how to get home."

"So I'll come with ya." Builderman said, raising a brow at the other man. Something challenging, daring him to say no to the figurehead of Robloxia. "Lead the way."

A small pause, 007n7's shoulders slumped as he sighed. Stepping forward, Builderman quickly had to come up to his side as he stumbled. Woozy from blood loss, if Builderman had to assume.

Builderman helped the other man down the street, the rows of houses passing them by. He could see curtains peeking open, blinds shuffling, doors opening as fellow Robloxians watched them walk down the street. Nobody said anything, nobody stopped to ask if the injured man was okay.

Something about that didn't sit well with him, but he kept his mouth shut. The only indication of his disquiet being the slight tensing of his jaw.

Soon enough, they came across a different-looking house on the block. The grass was overgrown, paint peeling and faded, windows frosted over with dust. There was a 'FOR SALE' sign slowly being eaten by the weeds and grass, and a bike further up against the house, similarly consumed. The sidewalk leading up to the porch steps was barely noticeable between the greenery and the dirt that had been spread across it.

It was a house in disrepair. Builderman could only guess this was 007n7's house.

The house looked like it might have been nice, at one point, Builderman looking over the architecture as 007n7 turned down the sidewalk, being careful not to trip over weeds. The paint might've been a robin's egg blue, sunbaked into something that looked more like an ashen grey. The roof, missing shingles and paint fading worse than the walls, was what Builderman could've assumed was a nice dark magenta. A nice color scheme, all things considered.

007n7 got to the door, that same dark magenta as the roof, and tried the knob. Builderman could see blood from the wound he was holding smearing along the worn-down brass as the door clicked open, unlocked.

The house was dark, and smelled of dust and something more metallic, a smell Builderman knew well by now. Blood and viscera. The furniture was still in place, everything settled with a layer of dust. There were points with less dust where Builderman could assume trash was removed, at one point.

It almost felt like someone put the house on the market, but knew no one would buy it. No one wanted to buy the house of a former exploiter, normally demolitionists would take care of that.

But there were no more demolitionists working for the admins anymore. Builderman thought back to Taph, but only for a moment.

007n7 stumbled in, all but collapsing onto the couch even as a plume of dust rose from the fabric. It was worn and old, the cushions sunken in with the smell of decay prominent upon the piece of furniture. Looked almost second-hand. Builderman's eyes drifted over it, catching onto something peculiar. A darker stain on the faded red fabric, something almost black. Splattered, gushed, his eyes trailed upwards and found a similar story along the wall. It was an awful halo framing 007n7's head where he sat. A halo of blood.

Builderman knew where that metallic tang in the air was coming from now. The air suddenly felt heavy with it, even as he tried not to let the realization bleed into his expression. "Where's yer first aid kit?" He questioned the other man, resisting the impulse to start picking up the dark home. The door was kept open, if only to let a little light in.

He at least walked over and opened some of the blinds towards the back of the house. 007n7 watched him warily. "It's in the bathroom, under the sink. I can fix myself up though. You've done enough getting me here." His voice was calmer now, steadier. Laced with a quiet exhaustion and apprehensiveness.

Now that Builderman thought about it, that same exhaustion seemed to bleed into everything he did. "So what, yer jus' gonna fix up that burn with one hand?" He pointed out, gesturing vaguely to the blistering on 007n7's right hand. "Y'gotta admit defeat, you've got too many injuries t'be claiming ya can do it all on yer own."

Despite the apprehensiveness in 007n7's expression, and something further and more complicated layered within, he seemed to cave. Builderman could only imagine the exhaustion hitting him like a truck now that the adrenaline was wearing off. "…Alright." He finally said, voice quiet. "Just… hurry up with it? I don't wanna bleed out on my couch." There was a quiet, resigned chuckle.

Despite everything, Builderman couldn't help the satisfied grin that crossed his face.