Chapter Text
It’s been a month since anyone last seen from TeamKalal. Getting ahold of him wasn’t easy either. Almost no one got a response from him, Yungy, Spongs and even Jumper tried to call him. The only one who got an answer from him was Emma.
Cookiebunsquat: “Hey, I haven’t heard from you for a bit. Are you doing okay?”
TeamKalal: “I’m fine. Just been busy. Sorry”
Cookiebunsquat: “You don’t need to apologize, people are just worried since we haven’t seen or heard from you.”
Cookiebunsquat: “I just hope you’re doing okay.
This was the last conversation and only conversation anyone has have with him. The fact he even replied at all is a miracle. Whatever’s going on is out of character for him, but then again, he has talked about going solo sometimes, though it’s for a reason.
—
Jaden was under the waters away from his boat, in his undershirt that was a warm white with mainly his trident in his inventory. He wasn’t wearing much of his usual stuff since the point of this was to relax. The vast ocean is what he considered his home. On the sea floor he was looking around, he found it fun sometimes to scare the fish, except the barracudas and deadly animals, he learned that the hard way. Something caught his attention though, lack of fish, or any other sea creatures besides the anemones and sea grass.
”What the?” His voice mumbled a bit. Looking further, he found a random sign that was clearly meant to be hidden saying “Placemarker.” Whoever’s put this probably should’ve used something that wasn’t wood. It won’t last long. But it was clear someone has been here. Digging right below the sign was glass covering over redstone….Jaden was confused, why would someone be out in the middle of nowhere creating redstone contraptions. Most of the time that’s for a prison or farm. His fin twitched before he replaced the block to hide evidence he’s been there and swam back to his boat and climbed inside, taking a couple minutes to clean up and dry off. Putting his stuff back on and placing his mask over his face, he began to row towards the area he found the redstone line.
Once making it back to the spot Jaden used a spyglass to look at something that caught his eye in the distance, a house.
”Now ain’t that something.” He smirked under the mask before he began to row there. As he pressed on, there was a name tag that popped up, disappearing before he could read it. Someone was here, but it’s unclear if they were a threat.
Hitting land, he got out of the boat and axed it, placing it into his inventory. Looking at the home, it was made with spruce planks with dark oak as supports on the side. There was an oak door with a bell next to it. Above it was a sign saying “Stay out!” Jaden had an annoyed smiled, he’s seen so many of these in his life he is just always annoyed of these. No one even listens to these so why put them? They just encourage people to go in.
Exploring the outside a bit more, there were anemone flowers. He crouched down to get a closer look, there were mainly pink and white ones though he noticed a blue one in a compost bin. Walking over, there were multiple. Seems someone has a vendetta against blue anemone or something. Looking around for a moment, he snatched a few. These were pretty and possibly he could plant one in a pot on his ship. Might look nice against the tulip he has. Stepping away, went up to the oak door and knocked….
nothing…
Yeah, he wasn’t gonna be playing games like these. Opening the door, bro should invest in a lock, he walked inside. The home was small and looked barely furnished. There was a bookshelf with some books……they were cheap children’s books…I mean, if that’s what fills a shelf I guess….WAIT! Grabbing the book that caught his eye.
“Bro got Peterpan?! This guy has good tastes.” He said with a smirk. He put the book in his inventory, it’s his now. Best perk of being a pirate, what you find is yours.
There was a chest and looking inside was practically nothing, a couple apples, bread, wooden sword…..This is literally what a person would get from a village or bonus chest. Something that he saw was a sticky note. Grabbing it out and reading it over.
”14.7 volts = Car battery.” “Bro I’m a freaking battery.”
No name. Damn…flipping it to its back, there was a mention of a pinball contraption outside. Jaden got up and exited and walked around the house. He saw an area of where grass hasn’t grown back and a trail back and forth. Must be what it was talking about. Noticing something shiny he crouched down…..a piece of a lightning rod. Best to leave it, never was his thing, besides, he’s still a bit wet so it’s better to not test his luck. Entering back inside, continued to explore. There was a bed, yellow. For a moment he thought this was Spongs place but it wouldn’t make sense, Spongs wouldn’t care about messing with electricity or cut himself off from the world.
Jaden noticed dry blood on the ground near the bed. Probably been here for days….Where did that guy go? Looking at the painting on the wall of a creeper, he tested if it was one you could pass through and-
CLICK!
He accidentally hit a button in the eye and a small hole near the bed opened. Jackpot. Pulling out his trident, he hopped down….
Below was a massive bunker like area. There were windows to look at the sea life that swam by, there was metal and stone around them. The floors were the same spruce planks as the house, at least this place didn’t look heartless. Just….hade a lonely feel to it. Jaden’s interest was fully peaked as he wanted to explore every part of this place. There were bookshelves with different books…looks like journals. Grabbing one, and skimming through it….these were entrees.
Pinball contraption - Entree #63
“I moved the pinball contraption to the below. I don’t want anyone to stumble across it and destroy it. Though it does mean I have to dig an area so electricity can get to the rod. I’ll figure it out later, I still need to finish my wheat farm, it’s a little annoying to have to grab everything personally so I need to make it automated. I’ll do that after I get the iron farm upgraded and then probably make some gold apples.
God I have a lot to do. I can probably multitask or something. I’ll figure it out.”
That explains the sticky note….though seems like this person puts too much on themselves. Jaden placed the journal back. It wasn’t signed yet so he wouldn’t know who this place belongs to. None of them are signed. Sighing, Jaden pressed on.
Opening an iron door to his left, there was a potato farm along with some others. There was an item frame with a book in it, grabbing it and opening it, there was a list.
To-do list
- Update all the farms to be automated
- get villagers to plant crops.
- Make an apple farm
“Jesus, how much does this guy even do?” Jaden said astonished. This with that journal entry is way too much for one person to do. Putting the book back and leaving the room. What was even the point of all this? Was this a base?…well duh, probably. What normal person would just make a normal home with a bunch of farms and hidden from everyone.
Upon continuing, he hears electricity flowing coming from the door at the end of the hall. Running to it and opening the iron door, he was shocked to find someone who’s been missing all month….
”Caleb?” Jaden said hesitantly. Kalal, while placing blocks, jumped, caught off guard as he never expected anyone to find this place.
”JADEN!?” His first instinct was to hide his hands behind his back, not wanting Jaden to see the damage. “Wh-what are you doing here!? How did you even find this place?” His voice was nervous while he was kneeled on a build.
Taking a moment to take in TeamKalal’s look, his hair was singed at the tips, he wore a white collared shirt with his usual suspenders. He wore black boots that had electrical tape around them, keeping them together. Minor scars were on his arms though hard see due to him hiding them behind his back. His entire body was electrified like a creeper that was struck by lighting. Caleb had bags under his eyes, probably sleep deprivation.
”I just came across this place while in the water. Is this where you’ve been?” His tone was concerned and worried.
..”uhhh…yeah..” Caleb was nervous on being found, did it mean he needed to move again? He already built so much, so many sleepless nights to create his farms and base, it’d really such for him to be forced to move again.
Jaden, seeing the nervous expression on his friend’s face, he put his trident away and used a wind burst to reach where Kalal was. What shocked him was the flinching….was he scared? Why was he so insistent on hiding his hands.
“You know we’ve been all worried about you.” Jaden pulled out an oxidized copper block and handed it to him.
Caleb sighed and hesitated before grabbing the block to focus the electricity into it. “I know…” Jaden saw his hands, they were burned black, electricity scars crawled up is arms. He watched him deoxidize the copper by releasing energy into it. Looking closer now, seemed he also had lighting rod parts on his outfit….was he…..was he purposely electrocuting himself??
The room was only filled with the silence between the two and the electricity being put towards the block. Once finished, Caleb almost fell backwards, always drains his personal energy when doing this, though Jaden caught him and helped him off the contraption. “Woah, easy there. Don’t want you to hurt yourself.” Leaning him against the wall and looking over the damaged hands, seems he pushed his body too far. The burns will heal but probably not fully. “Can you feel your hands?” He asked running his fingers over Kalal’s palm.
His voice now mumbly, “Not really…..” he hated that Jaden was so concerned over him. Caleb got so used to doing everything by himself, it felt weird to see someone concerned for him again. “Feels like my hands fell asleep or something.”
Jaden pulled out his water bucket and put Kalal’s hand in it. It did make him chuckle a bit seeing him jolt from the cool water. ”How long ago did you burn yourself?” He pulled his mask off before pulling Caleb’s hands out and wrapping one of his hands before using a handkerchief he has on and to wrap the other.
”2 weeks ago.” He mumbled, slowly falling asleep. He hated releasing energy cause it always made him sleepy.
Jaden leaned him back and put the bucket back into his inventory before looking for a sign of where Caleb’s jacket. “Where-?”
”On the other side of the room…” yawning, trying to stay away though failing. Jaden got up and went to the other side and grabbed the familiar split yellow and blue jacket before making his way back. Seeing him already passed out.
Sighing in relief, Jaden picked him up bridal style and carried him back upstairs to that yellow bed. Setting him in it and looking over the recipes on how to make bandages. Gently playing with Caleb’s hair, very dry. He swears he’ll throw him in water just to make better. Probably not the best idea since he has no idea of what’s going through his head.
”Ah, here it is.” He smirked. “1 wool and 2 string.”