Chapter Text
Breathing hurts, each breath sending a wave of pain in the chest. Everything is too bright, blurry. There are voices, but the words are unrecognisable. Why breathing hurts so much? One of the voices is closer now, pulling them up. Eventually the sound returns.
- "Woah, buddy. Just calm down, try breathe the best you can!"
- "Wh... Where?"
- "Nope, don't talk. I'll explain everything once you're fully in reality."- The voice says. It takes a while, but eventually the sound returns to normal. The world becomes sharp again, but the light still hurts.
- "Okay. First thing... What's your name and in what group you belong?"
- "Oh... I'm... I'm Chance."
- "Huh... Interesting name. What group?"
- "Uhh... I'm not sure?"
- "See I told you. It was a bait and you took it. Let's just leave him before we get jumped by the rest of his team."- The other person that was standing further away says with cold voice.
- "Rob! Stop that. He's injured, who knows if it's not a concussion or something."
- "Whatever. Soon the rest of our group will be here. We're leaving soon."- The person, Rob, starts to walk away to pack some things.
- "Sorry about him. He had it rough since the day disaster struck. Do you at least remember the direction were you came from?"
- "Uuh... It's like...."- Chance looks around, trying to piece together where he is.
- "It's alright, take your time!"
- "A hill? Next to the city?"- Chance says, the young man in front of him stared at them in shock.
- "You're one of them? The Freaks from the Hill that somehow managed to tame a beast?!"
- "You mean Guest 666?"
- "You named it!?"
- "Them... And yeah? They already had name.... Besides. The Freaks from the Hill? What name is that!?"
- "How else you would call a bunch of random and odd looking people that appeared out of nowhere and started to scavenge the city with a help of a beast?"
- "....I dunno! But for sure something else.... Wait... You stalked us!?"
- "No. But we saw your group before, from afar. How did you tamed the beast?"
- "No idea. Noob did some magic and suddenly they didn't want to kill us. Who are you anyway?"
- "Oh. Sorry... I'm Danny a member of Crossroads scavenging team. The other guy, his name is Rob. We found you laying unconscious on the ground... Rob wanted to leave you, but something told me it's not a trap."- Danny, explains. - "You had quite a fall, bruised, maybe broken ribs, been out of it the entire night. You're lucky it wasn't the highest point of the bubble."
- "That explains why breathing hurts... also... Bubble? What do you mea- "- Chance cut's off. Finally registering what he sees. They're still underwater, but there's a gigantic bubble filled with air. He can see fishes swimming on the other side of the bubble where the water is. The same thing happens over his head - "Dear Admins.... What?"
- "You act like you never seen that before? It isn't the first spring disaster that happened."
- "What do you mean? It isn't the first time this is happening?"
- "I'm wondering if you really have concussion. It's been five years since the disaster began?"- Danny explains. Chance feels like his whole world turned upside down.
- "Five years....? It's our first time...."
- "What? You're joking?!"
- "N-no... I'm not... What..."
- "Danny! We're leaving!!!"- Rob calls out. There are more people standing next to him. Danny helps Chance stand up, the gambler bitting inside of his cheek when the chest pain worsens.
- "I... I don't know what is going on. But we can try figuring it out in the safe ground's. Now come on."- The young man says. Both he and Chance join the group. Everyone giving Chance cold shoulder and sneaking judging glances. The gambler wishes he had his glasses with him, he feels really uncomfortable without them. Chance feels glad that there isn't much light so his light sensitivity won't make the whole thing worse.
The group continues to move forward. Chance observes everything around them. Filled with confusion and awe. Everything looking completely different than what they're used to. His chest continues to throb, the pain reminding him of all the time when John Doe ripped them in half. Sometimes they need to stop to catch the breath, the only one actually helping is Danny. After what seemed like hours of walking, the group enters underground cave, Danny explains that this is the only way to get to Crossroads, because the bubble ends soon after.
The cave is dark, lighten up only by flashlights of the scavengers. Chance has a feeling that he heard familiar hiss of a spider. Only this one isn't tamed like the basement ones. This one is hostile, however it didn't approach. Eventually the cave ends, climbing up from it makes Chance's chest scream in pain. When he exits the cave, he needs a while to be able to breathe slightly easier. When they finally look around, the sight is mind-blowing. This air bubble is much bigger than the previous one, but something else is even more catching. There's an entire underwater city, a big skyscraper that reaches the surface is located in the middle of the city, it splits into two towers with walkway in the middle. The city looks abandoned at the first glance, but once the group comes closer Chance realises that people live here. The gambler is silently freaked out, because for the past centuries he hadn't seen anyone else other than survivors and killers.
- "Welcome to Crossroads. A city that focuses mostly on trades between different groups scattered across the world. Some people spend days to get here just to trade. Me and my team will check out, but once I'm done I can show you around and explain how things work here."
- "Alright. Lead the way." - Chance smiles, trying to avoid looking at the lights as much as possible. They already feel a headache coming up, they wish they had their glasses.
A while later Chance and Danny separate from the rest of the group. Rob staring at them as they walk away.
- "So the person that started the whole 'Trade City' idea was a historian called everyone called Professor Liam. After the disaster struck five years ago he wanted a place where all people could assist each other, despite their differences. He called it Crossroads to pay honours to mythical city that had the same name."
- "Mythical?"
- "Yes. Professor Liam was a historian, interested in old Robloxia. In one of old books he found notes about the first city that connected different parts of Robloxia. But other than that, the name Crossroads is more a myth than a real place, no one knows if it really existed."- Danny explains, entering a big building. Chance follows, realising it's a library. Walking a while further, the duo sits down next to one of the tables.
- "Chance... Do you really don't remember how the world works?"
- "I... Yeah..."- Chance says with a sigh. It's simpler to lie than explain the purgatory and how he's originally from the time when Crossroads are a real place.
- "Alright. So every season comes with new disaster and creatures we need to survive. Spring is one gigantic flood, summer is a drought, fall comes with thick fog that makes you unable to see and winter is the endless snowstorm."
- "That's sounds... Dangerous."
- "It is. Each season also comes with different monster types, but it's a lot to tell you right now."
- "You mentioned rules?"
- "Ah. Yes. If you want to trade, your group needs to be registered, and of course. Bring something unique that will make others want to trade with you. What do you and your team have?"
- "Uhh... Not much. We mostly live from scavenge to scavenge."
- "That's stupid. And a death sentence."
- "We know..."
- "Also... Here everyone expects a favour. So based on that. I saved your life so you have debt for me. I would let you go, life shouldn't be something you trade, but Rob. He won't let you go until you pay off the debt."- Danny says. Chance curses. Not only his team must believe that he's dead, dead. Now he can't try to get to them because he's in debt.
- "How do I repay you?"
- "Well... Since you don't have anything valuable on you. It has to be a favour... But I don't need anything for now."
- "Dude! I need to go back! My team believes I'm dead!!!"
- "You would need a boat anyway. Unless you want to swim the entire way. I'm sorry. I will tell you once I will need something. For now you should try your best to get comfortable here, you can stay with me for a while."
- "And get even more debt?"
- "... Unless you want to live in the streets?"
- "...For admins sake, fine!"- Chance finally agrees, annoyed. He doesn't see how Danny's expression slightly changes at the mention of admins.
Some time later Chance is standing in cramped and slightly destroyed living room in house that belongs to Danny. He has only one goal. Return to his team, or at least let them know he's alive.
- "Hey Two Time? Are you doing alright? I hope you're not avoiding meals again.... Two Time? Two Time where are you? Oh... Oh Gods.... TWO TIME IS MISSING!!!"