Chapter Text
Cheerful music filled the ears of the two agents.
“Let’s stay calm alright, Agent Grapes?” Was all that Agent Bronze could say to reassure his junior with an anxious streak.
After receiving a distress call from a civilian trapped in a theme park darkness, the two agents had found themselves lucky enough to land in the same zone. Unluckily for them, the theme park was filled with grotesque and jarring decorations that clearly unsettled the younger agent.
“We just have to find the civilian and use the five-coloured shoelaces to help them escape. Agent Grapes, do you remember what they look like?”
“He’s… He’s a male with white hair, wears glasses and was last wearing a white coat before he got trapped.”
“That’s right. What should we do if needed?”
“Focus on our own lives.”
Despite that, Bronze knew his rookie well enough to know that he would not follow the Bureaus’ motto. It tugged at his heart strings to see his precious junior so dedicated to saving others despite the fear that came with entering a new disaster. He knew how desperately Grapes had tried to enter a different department. Yet his poor junior had been so capable that the Bureau still assigned him to dispatch. In the end, all Bronze could do to soothe Grapes was struggle as he tried to be a reliable senior for him.
Dispatch was terrifying, but they had each other, and Bronze would always be there for his junior.
“How are you feeling now, Agent?”
“I- Better. Thank you Agent Bronze.” Grapes was still frazzled but already seemed to be calmer.
Little did Agent Bronze realise, Kim Soleum was absolutely not calm. He knew exactly what disaster they were in and the only reason he even seemed alright was because he knew the rules of the amusement park.
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Cheerful Theme Park User Guide (Applicable up to Exploration Record #64)
3- Please refrain from expressing negative and intense emotions such as crying, wailing, or screaming!
They do not suit the atmosphere of the cheerful theme park.
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Kim Soleum could feel cold sweat rolling down his neck. He really didn’t want to die in a murderous theme park, but the two unconscious bodies on the floor greatly lowered his and Ryu Jaekwan’s chances. The tiger mask and suit that one of them wore screamed Daydream and the glass hand cannon already being on Ryu Jaekwan’s finger screamed their death.
They couldn’t just leave them there either, they hadn’t done anything - yet. Plus Kim Soleum knew exactly what would happen if they tried to separate from the two. He just hoped that neither side tried anything.
“... What should we do about them? I don’t think we can just leave them here.” The rookie asked as he tried to remember about any mentions of a tiger mask in the DER. Maybe they still had a chance if it wasn’t someone similar to Viper? They’d have an easier time, at least.
“You’re right. But they’re still Daydream and this is still a disaster. We should get them somewhere safe at least.”
Ryu Jaekwan moved to grab the employee and-
!!!
“Agent Bronze!”
“Don’t move. Let’s settle this peacefully, okay?” Called out an easygoing voice.
Ryu Jaekwan breathed shallowly and quickly. His eyes were wide as they flitted between Kim Soleum, the figure pressing his arms behind his back, and the knife in the latter’s hand that promised to slit his throat if he or Kim Soleum tried anything.
“We aren’t here to fight.” Kim Soleum felt as though he could barely hear himself over the theme park music.
The masked figure tilted his head towards Ryu Jaekwan, “Are you sure?”
“We won’t do anything.”
“You say that you like you don’t have your item ready.”
“I’ll put it away.”
“That’s not enough.” The man spoke casually, almost as though it was some silly banter between the two- Almost as though he had not already drawn blood.
“Agent Bronze, I think you should just listen to him for now.” Kim Soleum hoped that the red blobs that had been approaching them weren’t malicious. But he knew. He knew what they were and what they meant.
Every instinct in Ryu Jaekwan screamed at him that it was insane to give up his weapon. Not in a disaster, especially not with Daydream there. But, as he stared at the desperate glint in his junior’s eyes - the junior who had proven himself time after time?
“Fine.”
“I knew you were good.” The employee smiled and pocketed the other’s weapon, but not before ruffling the other’s hair as he ignored the puzzled look the other gave him. He got off of the agent, offering a hand to help the other up. “Let’s get along well, ok?”
The agent remained silent.
“Don’t be like that, after all we’re stuck together until we get out.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“If we try to split up, this darkness punishes us. So, we’re a team now!”
Ryu Jaekwan and Kim Soleum exchanged looks.
“I’m not lying, that’s why we have to bring this guy along too.” The employee nudged the unconscious body of the researcher with his foot.
“Let’s say we believe you, what do we call you?”
“You can call me Tiger.”
Kim Soleum internally frowned. No new information. “Tiger, even if we follow you, we’re still looking for a citizen.”
“Let me guess, he’s a male, has white hair, wears glasses and is wearing a coat?”
Kim Soleum hoped his frown wasn’t obvious.
“That ‘citizen’ is happily and safely sitting in a lab. I saw him myself before entering this darkness.”
Bang!
Organs decorated the floor and percussion drowned out any response the two agents could muster. Kim Soleum fought the urge to throw up and Ryu Jaekwan had his eyebrows furrowed.
Tiger, however, merely let out an amused whistle. “That’s an interesting welcome. We should get going, shouldn’t we?” As he slung the unconscious researcher over his shoulder, almost as if he weighed no more than a sack of potatoes.
“I haven’t been in one of these for a long time.” Tiger glanced over the roller coaster that sat waiting for its next riders. He moved to get in before-
Plink! Plink!
Ah. He knew his back pocket felt lighter. Turning around, he was greeted with the… the ride turned to maximum speed? And he thought Daydream employees were supposed to be the crazy ones. These two were insane.
“Why did you do that?” He spoke in a hushed tone, hoping that the mascot would not catch wind of what they had just done.
The rookie still had the audacity to smile sheepishly at him, “Well, I thought that speeding up the ride would basically skip the story so we don’t have to follow it.”
Tiger turned towards Bronze, waiting for the other to call his rookie out for his logic. Just to see the agent looking away as he slipped his hand cannon back into his pocket.
“You two are insane, we’ll die. We can’t.” The researcher finally piped up. “Great. Not only forced into a darkness but also on a team with two suicidal maniacs.” He grumbled under his breath.
Tiger frowned, even before entering the darkness, he had disliked how the researcher behaved. Each irksome comment that the researcher made seemed to get on his nerves.“Now that I think about it, your idea makes sense. Let’s try it.”
The researcher stared at him, aghast.
Agent Grape’s eyes lit up at his agreement and Bronze nodded in approval at his junior. And, if Tiger felt surprised at the slight warmth that spread through his chest at the sight, who could blame him?
“Don’t you get it? This is like an initiation ritual. I know you don’t have something like this in the Bureau but stuff like this is pretty common at Daydream. We just have to follow the narration!” The masked man had a tight grip on the collar of the researcher. If he sacrificed one annoying person, the rest of them could get out alive - He was basically killing two birds with one stone.
“Wait, let's think about this. If we follow the story, we’ll all just end up killing each other.”
Tiger frowned as he looked between the agent and the researcher.
“Not just that, this Disaster bound us as a team, if we killed one of our members wouldn’t there be a massive penalty?”
“That’s right, you crazy bastard, if you kill me we all die.”
Tiger narrowed his eyes and gave the researcher a shake. Letting out a contemplative hum he glanced around. Then,
Thud
Tiger smiled as he watched the researcher slump down. “Fine, you make enough sense.”
Kim Soleum and Ryu Jaekwan could only internally sigh in relief.
Goop-like monstrosities poured onto the walkways. Each one joined the chase of the small group who were running desperately for their lives.
“There!” No one knew who was the one who pointed it out in the chaos.
[FANTASYLAND (WESTSIDE GATE)]
“Under- Get underneath now!”
Kim Soleum quickly moved under the gate before turning back. Right behind him was Tiger, followed by the researcher who struggled to keep up despite Ryu Jaekwan staying behind him to steady his pace.
Just as Tiger moved to crouch under,
“Fuck, move already!”
The researcher shoved the employee out of the way and slid under. A blood curling scream rang out as the body of Tiger collided with one of the mascots. The man collapsed to the ground as the smell of burnt flesh assaulted the noses of the others.
Part of Tiger's mask had been burnt off revealing lifeless eyes that stared blankly at the mascot towering over him. They were resigned and unafraid as though he had long accepted that his death was unavoidable. All he could do was laugh in the face of his demise.
The mascot above the man moved to finish him off. It swung its arms downwards and
Bang!
Tiger found himself greeted by a concerned pair of eyes staring at him. At least, if he was dying, he would go out with a strange warmth in his heart.
Then something was shoved into his mouth. The taste was like the feeling of warm oceans and a sea breeze. It brought him calm and hope, it felt as though he was seeing a glimmer of light in the dark - not unlike how he felt when he first met one of his team members.
A gentle shake brought him out of his reminiscence. Instinctually, Tiger flinched, expecting the movement to hurt with the injuries he had gotten. His eyes widened as he felt no pain at all.
“Just keep the candy in your mouth. Don’t chew on it.”
The employee nodded as he sat up, looking around to observe the situation. He met eyes with the researcher who had shoved him. The other flinched away and took a step back. His face was full of terror as he braced himself for the worst. Yet, all Tiger did was smile warmly at him. A warning for what would come when they were no longer restricted by the rules of the darkness. Tiger shifted his attention to the other members of the group. Kim Soleum seemed to be alright, yet, the senior agent…
Part of Ryu Jaekwan’s sleeve had been burnt, the remaining fabric stuck uncomfortably to the agent’s bicep. His upper arm was red and covered in blisters. Splatters of dried goop accented the burns that decorated his skin. The agent himself had his jaw clenched tightly as he took in short and succinct breaths in a pitiful attempt to cope with the pain.
Tiger knew first hand how terrible the pain was. He frowned. This foolish agent, why had he done that for him. What happened to that Bureau mindset of ‘Agent’s life first.’ He seemed like the type who would hold a grudge against Daydream too, so why? He watched as the younger agent passed a candy to Ryu Jaekwan, the blisters healing as the agent popped the candy into his mouth.