Chapter 1: Start Anew
Chapter Text
“I am truly sorry 7n7. I—I never planned it to be like... this. There's nothing else I can do to save the two of us; I've tried my best, and none of it had worked out in my favor.”
“...Figures. I expected this to happen.”
“In that case, wouldn't it be better off if we're apart—you and me? I hope that's okay with you, Noli.”
“—Wha, hey? Why are you cutting me off all of a sudden? Isn't this what you wanted? Hey, 7n7, we can-”
“—not do anything to fix all of these. Trust me, Noli, I'm not born yesterday. Last thing we can do is to respect the rules and give in. Do anything stupid and we'll be, in quote, "neutralized". It won't take a second for them to do so, you know that, right?”
“...”
“...then, promise me, you'll come back as soon as possible? Right after time resolves it naturally?”
“Oh, don't worry too much about it, yeah? I'm sure we can get out of here one day, somehow. Even if we're not going down together, know this, that we at least shared a history together. Even the tiniest memories do matter.”
“Well, yeah... I'm putting my hopes in you, 7n7.”
“I can say the same. For now, take care of yourself good, Noli. I'll see you again, sooner or later.”
There had been more that I wanted to say. That day, I wanted to express more than just words. Feel more than just a touch.
Yet, I couldn't bring myself to act upon it.
Not because I don't want to,
but rather, I couldn't.
After all, the saying ``I would, if I could.`` exists for a reason.
Had I followed my mind to follow your path, I would've been dead. Many, many times. And now I'm alive, at the cost of our... gray relationship. Sad to know, but that's just how the world works.
Everything had been silent. No more chases, no brutal invades, not even a police siren blaring in front of my house. Ever since that night passed by, it all felt sickeningly calm. Suffocating, even.
Isn't this what I wanted?
To achieve something they called “peace”?
It doesn't sit right with me. It never does. What was supposed to be a painkiller of some sort for others had became my anesthetic. To the point where I would get confused with sensation, as far as to getting lost in the wrong direction.
This is so... wrong.
But what else can I do? Cigarettes are expensive. I won't survive in this economy if I rely on those sticks. Ketamine lasts longer, and is cheaper, so that counts as a win, doesn't it? Or..., eugh. Whatever works best, I guess.
During our prime, Noli had always babbled on about things, telling me to get a job until my ears were bleeding—that's one thing.
And I've got a job now! That's another. Something real and official to focus on instead of drugs.
Kind of unfortunate though, since that damned restaurant manager was the one who hired me.
Did he forgot who I was? Or the things I had done to that sh(beep)tty excuse of a workplace he organize? I've never taken him for a serious guy, so maybe he has gotten a few screws loose in the past few years.
I just know that the employees will hate me for sure. Perhaps not. I can't remember.
Didn't I burnt them all down along with the building that day? I think that's right, is it not?
Ha, it's taking a toll on me. I should stop taking huge doses, in case if someone will notice tomorrow...
Chapter 2: Brief Interaction
Notes:
hhhhhhh i worked on this for like, 10 mins. 80% looking thru the internet for suitable wordings n definition. I'm nerfed so bad oml
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
I always think lowly of the things around me.
So much so, I forgot that things can change gradually.
Be it objects, animals, people—they all evaluate before then evolving, taking shape of a better form.
Right, not to be a sophisticated person, but I think I should stop dissing others as a responsible person. Gotta keep a low profile, y'know? People aren't as easy to fool as they were back then—that alone already screams at me, demanding for an abrupt improvement, if not adaptation.
Worse of all, I can't even hack some dollars into my account. The admins are getting smarter each day; securities were tightened, no longer accessible for me to breach. Moreover, I lost my privilege as an eligible Robloxian too.
I want to try doing something good for once, but what can I do? I could be more useful than just delivering pizzas, right? I'm worth more than that. And look where I am today. Hell, I can't even use my phone during work hours. Not that I have anything interesting to check on, but still.
What if I crash this car somewhere far? Or maybe run over an innocent Robloxian? That would be fun, if it weren't for my daily wage getting cut off by doing those things. Such a shame working with those party poopers, really.
No, hold on. You're a grown man in your 20s, 7n7.
24 to be exact, though that doesn't matter at the moment.
‘Get a grip.’
....Okay. Let's be a mature man from now on. Don't think badly of anything, ever. And make some good use out of your situation, because you won't be able to afford another cost of your recklessness.
“Have you seen my gloves, 7n7?” Said a worker from behind the crates, trying to look around for his pair of plastic covers.
‘Ha, I've been sitting in a stupid vehicle the whole day, how am I supposed to know?’
“I didn't, I'm afraid. Perhaps they were by the register counter. You went there earlier, didn't you?” 7n7 managed to force out along with a subtle low hum. It was more of a theoretical answer, because, well. He just got here.
“Ah, really? I think I did, maybe I took them off there. Thanks a bunch!”
—is all the worker could say before his figure fades behind the doors. Typical.
“How can people be so... formal and polite?”
‘Or maybe you're just full of attitude, 7n7.
No time to waste. Get back to work,’
He reminded himself, albeit a little harshly.
While loading and organizing the pizza boxes into the vehicle, he let his mind wander for a while. Supposedly, there's nothing wrong by entertaining his impulsive thoughts, right? There's so many things he ought to ask, and he wants to satisfy his curiosity, after all.
For example, how's the building holding up fairly decent?
007n7 feels like he remembered everything clearly, even if his memories were a tad bit fuzzy. Every bits and pieces of this place—the glorious Builder Brothers' Pizzeria everyone admired had been reduced to ashes all thanks to the thin, janky digital panel in his control. That's his initial assumption. But it looked fine to this day. Did they rebuilt the whole thing? If so, they did well imitating the old infrastructure and all.
Enters the second question: are they really dead?
007n7 had always considered many things before the final execution; and the employees' survival weren't less spared in his concern. He destroyed the building out of spite. An effortlessly quick termination. Nothing less, nothing more. Unlike the other stunts he'd pull at a weekly basis to terror the poor Robloxians, he certainly didn't plan this one. Fast, yes, but not quite clean.
Surely, some people may have survived. 007n7 is confident that some have a chance of fleet, even if it's slim. It simply baffled him. Everyone in that place saw his face, they 100% did, he's so sure of it. Yet now he's out in the wild, and none of the admins were on his tail. That's a wonder on its own.
Then, his third inquiry: why didn't they report him?
If someone survived that disastrous incident, they could've had the chance to report him, no? The cooked building is enough to be the evidence. Cameras, too. Had someone actually have the guts to be a snitch, 7n7 would've been detained by now. And that still don't happen.
Did he seriously wiped out everyone? Can't be. If anything, that sounds utterly ridiculous. From what 7n7 can recall, there was a few people running off like the scared wimps that they are. So, why—
“—you're gonna be late. Get out, this second.”
“!”
A familiar voice called out, startling the older man. He immediately snapped out of his trance and peeked over his shoulder, only to find Elliot glowering down at him with a displeased composure etched, agitation visible on his face.
Do kids grow this fast during puberty??
“Ah, yes, will do.” 7n7 exclaimed right after, followed by a scoff from the other.
“First day, right? Don't mess it up.”
“O...kay. Won't do.” the latter bowed down at his Manag—hold on, Manager??
Ahem, nonetheless, 7n7 put up a facade in quick succession and bowed down to Elliot before taking his leave. Entering the car just to take some breather in relief. As if out of instinct, 007n7 turned on the engine and starts to drive right away.
He know damn well that getting distracted and zoning out while driving is a big NO, and yet he couldn't help himself. Lots of things to think about, and he'll definitely get a headache tonight...
To be frank, that was one hell of a stare he had ever received in his life, not gonna lie. He had never, and I mean, NEVER, seen someone with that kind of expression. He's a fellow survivor from that incident, isn't he? 7n7 recognized him as the cashier behind the register that day, he can't be mistaken.
How is he still alive?
The thought alone stirred up many other theories that starts to whirl compulsively in his head. The Manager he met yesterday wasn't like that. And not as menacing as Elliot, obviously.
Elliot have the reputation to be... uh, how do I put this? A meek "goody-two-shoes", for the lack of a better word. To see and hear someone as kind as Elliot express himself rudely—what made him so hateful? Does he know a thing or two about 7n7? And one more thing, how and why did he became the Manager...?
Maybe, just maybe, 7n7's the only person he hates. That's reasonable. Yet the possibilities lingered in his brain. He doesn't act like that to others, perchance.
Aah, all of these are going to be the end of him one day. Not today though, he need to finish the last few supplies he owned before dying—that's a must. If he's going to die alone, at least do it happily, that's what they said.
Stop thinking about that.
Notes:
HAVE THIS CHAPTER FOR THE DAYYY, tomorrow I'll post a chapter where he meets his beloved kid yayayayaaayyy (idk who I'm gonna pair 7 with, oh my love I'm actually confused)
Chapter Text
Not even a single wink of sleep.
He hasn't gotten a blink of rest, and his brain kept stirring up crazy conspiracies in his mind like a flood.
He's not gonna get up early like this, never.
What is it that made him so restless?
Supposedly, he's in the clear. No admins stalking him whatsoever.
So, what made him so... paranoid?
It's not like a bomb is going to hit his house and ruin his life tonight, right? No need to be so conscious of life.
Something's gnawing in his mind, like there's a big thing that's going to happen.
Without much consideration, 007n7 slowly sat up from his bed and rubbed his eyes, restoring his vision gradually.
‘Maybe a little drink won't hurt,’ he thought.
Trudging past the doorway, 7n7 made his way to the kitchen and took his glasses that he had placed on the counter. Then, he opened the cupboard and took out a bag of cocoa powder from inside, placing them on the smooth surface of the counter. The clock displayed a time of 01:20 A.M.
Should he take a day off tomorrow? Or, euh, today.
Rummaging through his pocket, 7n7 took out a thin device and turned on his phone before he scrolled through his contacts.
— 3 unread message(s) from Elliot. —
「 007n7. 」
「 The delivery guy's sick, fill in his shift tomorrow. 」
「 6, sharp. Be punctual, or I'm gonna cut your pay. 」
「 Yeah, sure. I'll check in early. 」
Great.
He's going to miss out on a proper slumber again.
He's not the kind that really depends on some mindless leisure, no, but at this critical moment; he really needs it. Elsewise, he's not going to function properly.
What's next? A loud obnoxious knock on the door to remind him of his—
thud.
“Speak of the devil.” he mentally facepalmed himself. 007n7 didn't want to deal with anything—not when he's utterly exhausted at the moment, yet he wasted no time and strode towards the door. He didn't bother turning on the lights as he approached.
“Sorry, but I don't think this is an appropriate situation to make an appoint...”
By twisting the knob, 007n7 had expected someone to bother his night on purpose—maybe the landlord, a lost Robloxian, or even the admins. Whatever. Though he paused in his tracks when he found nobody standing infront of his door. Instead, he's greeted with... a peculiar sight. Not something he'd see in common.
“Funny-looking little thing that you are.” he spat out, unfazed by the sudden manifestation of a... 'red pill baby', placed inside a box covered with a few shabby toys and a blanket.
“Now, now, who could have had the heart to abandon you here? Don't they know that I don't have the money to raise children?” 7n7 clicked his tongue in annoyance before he picks up the young infant.
By scrutinizing the latter intently, 007n7 figured out one thing: this baby is maybe no older than 2. Don't know. And his skin looked a little dry, is he malnourished? Whatever this is, 007n7 isn't sure whether is he to be trusted with a baby. In such situation, what else can he do? If he stayed silent, his cries are gonna get louder; eventually provoking the attention of many.
“I'm sorry pal, but this house don't welcome a guest of any kind with open arms at the crack of dawn. See you again in the morn—”
His words came to a halt once they locked eyes. It wasn't the kind that would drown him in guilt. The young's teary irises was that of a soft, innocent child. Oddly attached, even. And how his gaze quickly gets warmer once he noticed that the man is staring back at him—oh, 7n7 really is getting sensitive. He really can't afford child care in this economy, but...
“...Well. Must've sucked to be you.”
And with that, he took the box into his house and locked the door shut with a gentle click.
007n7 made sure to place the little one on the sofa with the utmost care, lowering him down slowly as he wrapped the child in a new blanket he took from a nearby drawer, though he fumbled a little since the kid won't stay still.
“You're quite small for a child your age. Do you have a name?” 7n7 uttered, searching through the worn down cardboard box—yet he found nothing that describes anything about the baby nor his whereabouts. “New identity it is. What name should I give to you, eh?”
The man pondered for a short while, digging through all names he could think of.
“Bill? Timmy? Eh, that's just some plain and boring addresses. How about... hmm, c00lkidd? You know, like a matching name? Since we both have some numbers in our name. And I think you look pretty cool!—ha, get it?”
The baby didn't seem to respond well. Rather, he eyed 007n7 curiously as his hand went up and grabbed 7n7's thumb, squeezing it a little.
“A bit selfish, I know. Just this once, yeah? Since you'll be under my care from tonight, we should try getting ourselves in the same page, don't you think?” 7n7 persuaded the younger individual.
Unexpectedly, the kid simply went on with it, no snarky retorts of some sort like 007n7 had expected. He clenched at 7n7's finger tighter, expressing his excitement with the same toothy smile he had—or, um. The lack thereof. He's only got a pair of bunny teeth set on his upper jaw, is that normal?
“Look, kid, I'm not trying to scold you or anything, but it's early in the morning, and I've got some work to do by 6. So, uh...” trailing off of his sentence, 7n7 have no clue on what he should do. c00lkidd doesn't seem to want to go to bed right now. 7n7 himself aren't that knowledgeable in this matter; putting a baby to sleep and all.
He heard from Noli that babies won't be easy to deal with. But, not ALL and EVERY babies are like that, right...?
“Please, just cooperate with me this once. I'll, uh, I can buy you ice cream later, is that good?”
“.....”
“...”
“Okay, okay, I'll get you something better.”
“Hmp.”
“Is that a yes?”
No, that was NOT a yes.
Here he is, struggling to maintain even the slightest consciousness, all because of a damn baby keeping him awake the whole night by wailing aloud right when 007n7 had already laid down on his bed.
Then, what? The result is clear: 7n7 getting eyebags AND mismatching regulars' orders. All of these people ordering pizzas are ridiculous—who the hell would buy food—more so, a pizza—in this ungodly hour????
—‘Oh yeah, keep yourself in check, 007n7. This is not the time to be complaining about life, neither is blaming special clients the right thing to do.’
“Haah, f-cking hell. I swear I'm going to kill myself if this goes on.” 007n7 cursed aloud when he noticed that there's nobody around. What's the use of getting in early if there's no customers at all?
No, sh-t. Customers or not, this is becoming annoying.
Even the smallest inconveniences became irritable. This is what the lack of sleep does to your body?
“Focus, Seven. You're here to work, not to... kill people. Whatever.”
Not the time and condition to do that, no.
Notes:
hhahaAaaaA took me long enough. sorry for not posting yesterday pooks, I got into sum trouble and my phone was taken away. thx for reading xx
Chapter Text
Just how the hell do people raise their children???
These unruly, menacing little things they'd call "adorable" is more than just a hostile disaster for 7n7.
Emphasis on the word "disaster".
Last time 7n7 tried letting his clone take care of c00lkidd when he's out to go to work one day, the clone had malfunctioned, horribly.
Not only that, his c00lgui also broke down because c00lkidd won't stop messing with the thing and triggered the security system by mistake, resulting in 007n7 unable to load the coding and lost almost every access to his clones. Lucky for 7n7, he managed to fix half of it in two and a half days.
What kind of thing is he taking care of??? 7n7 is highly convince that c00lkidd isn't like a regular human infant; more so when he noticed how he seemed smarter and slick than children his age.
Looking back at the damages done by that devilish excuse of a son, 007n7 can't entrust his whole house to the former entirely—if he can destroy his indestructible GUI, who knows what else he can do to his only property.
Hiring a babysitter doesn't seem like a good idea either because he's short on money, this month's salary is enough to cover the basic bills such as food and baby formula. He won't have enough to pay the loans and all.
If this is left untreated, it's going to get worse than this, he's sure.
“Should I just sell you off to a trafficker? You seems profitable.” 7n7 muttered lowly, followed by a resigned sigh, “...no. You shouldn't be like that, 007n7. Think clear, efficient.”
He stole a brief glance towards the floating panel besides him, and decided to get his things together.
007n7 pulled the panel closer into his view before inspecting it closely, he examines the errors and glitches popping up near the GUI program and eventually opened the base coding after a long pause. As usual, it's still inaccessible for him to edit however he see fit.
“Think you can solve this, kid?” 007n7 exclaimed softly as he pointed at the difficult codes and programs displayed, yet the child showed no interest in the panel. Not even the tiniest bit.
“How did you even break the whole thing in one sitting? You really are bothersome...” Said the man in a perplexed manner. Though, he made no effort to tend to the whiny baby and directed his focus towards the screen.
From his estimation, this might take up half of his day, if not more. That is, if he can keep c00lkidd in check. He's quite the rebellious little guy—maybe the apple didn't fell far from the tree. Is that how the saying goes? He can't tell.
007n7 didn't want to spare his sleep tonight, and with that, he immediately worked on the scraps of codes that was his c00lgui.
He spawned in a technical keyboard that is a separate device from his GUI and began to revise it. Starting from resetting the broken GUI before restarting the whole program.
After verifying that the access to the base coding system is manageable with a few clicks, 007n7 diligently explored through each lines and columns, making sure that no misspell or errors escape his line of sight.
Of course, not everything goes exactly well.
He'd be distracted by c00lkidd at moments whenever he tries to seek for his attention—and 007n7 drifting away from his main task is to be expected. He really can't let his son pour his heart and tears (also screams) into silence, or else he's gonna be hit by the same guilt over and over again.
Nonetheless, 007n7 was able to finish everything in less than six hours and wrap it all up. Quite a long time, indeed, but for a GUI that's made entirely from scratch, it's considered fast. Or at least in 007n7's logic, that is.
007n7 glanced at the clock hung up high on the wall, the time displayed is 18:22.
‘Huh. Did I really do all of that in six hours?’
‘—Oh, right, it's almost dinner. Might as well prep the chicken while I have the energy to.’
He abruptly stood up and stretched his body to shake off the drowsiness lingering in his head. For once, 007n7 can hear repetitive ringing noises in his head, but that's far from his concern.
While previewing his c00lgui, 007n7 walked towards the kitchen with an apron tied neatly on his front. He didn't bother sparing a glance at the plate of whole chicken in his hands and set it near the sink for it to thaw out.
“Think I've got it right this time. You oughta be lucky to have a c00l dad like me, kid.” He boasted proudly, showing off the now-functional c00lgui panel to his one and only child—who, yet again, doesn't seem to care much.
“Fine by me, but you're going to eat your food 'till the plate is nice and clean, okay, son?”
Still no response.
Whatever.
All that c00lkidd did was staring at 007n7 for the remaining 30 minutes he spent cooking a proper, healthy dish using whatever that's left in the fridge.
Obviously, it didn't last for a long time.
Minutes had became an hour, and it drains the spirit from the child of red whose hunger is getting insatiable as the time goes on. 007n7 knew better than to irritate a chatterbox like c00lkidd, so he rushed the process.
Came out chicken rotisserie with mashed potatoes as a side dish, fresh from the oven—made within the span of a full hour.
Yet when 007n7 served the warm meal to his son, the latter could only stare with a bored, sulky gaze, like the bundle of mess that he is.
“Come on, don't be so moody. I could've taken longer if I didn't sped up the whole thing, I put lots of efforts into this...” 007n7 tried convincing his son to no avail. The younger didn't budge from his seat, slumping down on the sofa with the same pout.
To be frank, 007n7 doesn't have the motivation to tend to another sour shenanigans of his son, so he reluctantly approached c00lkidd in a few strides and pulled him up by his hand, tugging him upwards gently as to not irk c00lkidd too much. “c00lkidd, you must eat your food while it's still warm. You're gonna catch a cold if you keep sitting in front of the fan like that. Come, child.”
It took all self-restraint not to cuss at the child incessantly—but there's nothing 007n7 can't fix. Despite his son's mood that drastically changed, 007n7 maintained a professional demeanor while dealing with the stubborn child.
He summoned one of his clone to prepare a portion for his son, to which the lifeless copy obeyed immediately; grabbing a clean plate from the dishwasher before plating the appropriate serving neatly.
In a sluggish manner, the clone placed the plate on to the dining table right in front of c00lkidd. Not forgetting the cutleries that were purposefully made dull by 007n7 (in case if the little delinquent decides to jab at the furnitures again).
After ignoring all rambles coming from c00lkidd, the latter's excessive whines eventually died down and he began to spoon a mouthful straight into his mouth, chewing slowly as he eyed his father sitting across the table. Seemingly giving up on provoking his father to let him watch the TV a little longer.
Finally. Some peace and quiet that was previously absent in this very household. The clock strikes exactly 19:00 the moment 007n7 took a bite from a chicken leg. There's nothing much he can do after this, so he have time to care for his son before going to bed and have a nice, silent re—
‘CRACK!—’
‘—PRANG!’
“Eugh, what is it now?”
Hearing the loud noises coming from the living room, 007n7 left his seat to check up upon the loud noises ringing throughout the house.
Flicking the light switch on, there he found a certain someone sprawled and limp on the floor with glasses scattered all over the ceramic floor—presumably from the shattered window he'd just entered through. Both of his wings were fluttering rapidly before he sat up straight and untangled himself from the mess he'd just made.
“...you could've knocked. Or better yet, enter from the door like a normal decent being?” 007n7 clicked his tongue in agitation. He can already feel the anger seeping and spreading to his arm, to which he balled up a tight fist as a way to express his irritation.
“I'm not going to entertain your unreasonable tomfoolery—explain why you're here, uninvited. And I don't want you to dance around your words, speak with honesty.”
Truthfully, 007n7 is playing with fire here. One wrong word and he'll anger the admin, that's for sure. Telamon isn't known for his patience as he's better known for his cruel terms of dealing with rebellions—yet, 007n7 too caught up in his broken window to care for anything else. That'll cost a fortune to repair, and he's not sure whether Telamon would pay for it. He never does, so 007n7 never expected anything big from him.
Hearing the dry words roll out of 007n7's mouth with practiced ease didn't seem to please Telamon with what 007n7 had said to him, it's obviously painted on his face. He's the higher-up here, not him.
“Why so bossy, 007n7? You know I mean no harm. Got myself into a nasty fight, and your house just so happen to look like the perfect place to land in. Bit messy, yes, but you should accept me for the night. Won't stay long, mark my words.”
“Ha. Said the oh-so-scary deity. Where did your infamous 'polite & graceful' facade went to, huh?”
“Shush it, Seven. You have no right to speak to me like that. Have some manners, pal. The least you can do.”
“Tsk. Whatever. Don't f-ck up my house while you're at it.”
Almost.
That same eerie face he made years ago is visible; clearly there for 007n7 to see.
Is this his final straw?
“My, my, is that how you see me as a man? Should've sent you to Banlands that ni—”
“—oh? Is that thing yours?”
Telamon suddenly directed his gaze and points a finger to a young child sat behind a table, eyeing the two of them curiously. He didn't recall 007n7 having a wife, less so, children. It's quite a shocker. Thus, Telamon's exasperation died down by a level.
“...that's, uh, I'm... not too sure either. I picked him up 2 days ago. I'm planning on giving him up for adoption.” 007n7 declared firmly.
“How come?”
“Kids are... pricey, to say the least. And that one is quite a handful.”
“I see. Mind if I take a closer look at him?”
“Yeah, sure, go ahead.”
Telamon inched closer with a graceful strides, reaching out to the child in just a few steps. Then, without initiating any form of contact, he began to study the child, scanning every inch of him; from head to toe. He's not human, yet he took the shape of a humanoid.
Two horns and a spike-end tail—is he a demon?
Could be.
Or maybe a Floraph?
May be.
“What kind is your son, Seven?” Telamon quipped as he cautiously circled the gullible young. c00lkidd, on the other hand, is unfazed by Telamon's towering figure. It sort of amused him, how calm he seemed to be despite being in the face of danger. “Trying to play it cool, eh, child?”
007n7 dare not answer for a few minutes before he finally replied, “No clue. I haven't got to know much about him lately. Work's been harsh.”
“Pfft, the well-known strike for chaos—007n7, working for a little pest? That's rich. From what I could remember, you despise adolescents.”
“I am dead serious. Otherwise, how am I supposed to keep the both of us alive 'till this point?”
“Didn't expect you to, but you do you.” Telamon shrugged. “I don't take you as the caring kind of person, but look where you are today. Safe to say, I'm impressed that you can keep a child alive in more than 5 minutes.”
“Rude much?”
“As I should.” Telamon snarled briefly before he retreated back into his neutral side. He can't make a scene, not in front of c00lkidd, at least. “You're lucky there's a child in this place. Else, I'd kick your ass this instant.”
“Quit threatening me in my house, you birdbrain.” 007n7 snapped back in reply as he walked over to the kitchen without a pause.
“Dinner's on the table if you're hungry.” He added afterwards. “Chicken rotisserie.”
Hearing that made Telamon's wings perks up. He peeked into the room and lifts his gaze to the cooked chicken located on the dining table—a wide grin flashed that instant. The admin then rushed to the kitchen in a matter of seconds before plopping himself down to a seat.
007n7 watched how Telamon quickly gobbled up a plate of chicken he had prepared, leaving the mashed potatoes intact. Now, he's just wasting his food on an ungrateful guest, didn't he?
“Geez. Are you that hungry, Telamon? Can't you eat the potatoes too?”
“Nah, I'm full. Eat it yourself if you're not gonna be a wasteful prick.”
“...”
“...so?”
“What?”
“You won't fix my window?”
“Why should I? As far as I knew, your property does not concern me.”
“But you're the one who broke it.”
“And?”
“Pay.”
“No.”
“...seriously? You irresponsible son of a b-tch.”
“Can't hear ya, speak louder.”
“No. Forget that I ever said anything.”
“Ehh, mkay.”
‘F-cking fatass.’ 007n7 mumbled quietly before he took the dirty utensils and set it on the sink.
Notes:
HAIII MY LOVES SORRY FOR LATE POST I DIDN'T HAVE INTERNET CONNECTIONS :(
i rlly wanna play roblox gag but I'm late, I'm so sad that I missed the event yesterday, ouh :<
this chapter is a result of my despair bcs I write offline while thinking about all the cool events Jandel must've had created and summoned.... shii thinking about it again hurts my poor soul ueueueueue
Chapter 5: Shared History of The Woe
Notes:
HEHEHEHYY I'M BACKK
also in this story, Telamon can alternalize (or basically change; transform) into Shedletsky freely. yayayayy (also you can take this as a chicken burger post, I don't mind)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
007n7 had never been a tolerant, composed man.
He was supposed to be a figure that strikes fear in many—
—and today, he couldn't even bear lifting a finger against a child whose been interfering with his life, as of late.
That night, after he had forced his dear colleague—Noli—to claim the Void Star, things went awry. Their strategy didn't went as planned, as so their repetitive shenanigans finally backfired on them.
The Void Star requires consumption of something; anything, in order to function properly. And in spite of that fact, Noli became a fallen prey to the corruption due to the strong side effects.
Well, they were NOT supposed to own that in the first place—let alone grabbing a hold of that kind of technology, yet 007n7 was too blinded by the want of power.
007n7 had always considered many things; he always do, now that overthinking is part of his daily night routine. He had estimated that this was bound to happen—but he didn't think it would truly become his reality. Lucky guess, perchance. 007n7 thought that maybe, Noli could've gotten a better grip than the Void Star if he had been a little more careful.
Look at what his greed had costed him—their whole relationship, doomed altogether. 007n7 can also remember something amongst those scarce seconds.
In a fleeting moment, Noli actually cared about him. He didn't think twice to save 007n7 before himself and chose to push him away, in fear of hurting the latter.
Both 007n7 and Noli were too careless and selfless to think clearly. Things would've gone differently, had he jumped into the matter with Noli and guided him carefully, accompanying the other step-by-step.
He's too much of a fool.
Prodding on the past hurts like hell, and 007n7 knew better than to waste everything into a bottle of beer.
Look where his defiance got him to.
He spent the very last of his savings into five bottles of wine. Five. Expensive. Wines. Each bottle costing around $75-80.
007n7 instinctively checked the status of his clones. Through the c00lgui panel, he viewed the clone's perspective intently until his gaze hardens.
“What the hell is it doing in the Roblox HQ??” 7n7 murmured curtly, a sour expression crept up his face. “I don't remember directing that thing to this place...”
“I did. Got a problem with that?” Shedletsky chimed in our of the blue, which startled 007n7 momentarily.
007n7 flicked his head to his side, noticing... “him”, behind the sofa. Right, this is no Telamon. This is the fearless, lite version of Telamon—John Shedletsky—that he had encountered countless times years ago during his prime. That same irritating grin flashed awide, sparking hints of bewilderment in 007n7.
Shedletsky is more of a domesticated Telamon who kept his signature authentic features: a set of wings on his back & ears, and a liking towards meat. Though the latter is just sorted differently.
Doesn't mean that this version of Telamon isn't as cruel. He loves chicken while adopting the genes of a bird himself—cannibal, if you couldn't quite figure it out. And he's quirky, in more ways than one. Sometimes Shedletsky can be a hostile individual too, regardless of the fact that he's trying to make up for the damages he'd done manifesting as Telamon.
Nonetheless, 007n7 recomposed himself and turned back to the c00lgui right after. He didn't want to stir up any negative argument this early in the morning. It's the crack of dawn, and 007n7 is not present just to debate with someone who would twist their words cunningly. Not when he's not in the right mind.
“Now, pray tell, why would you do that?”
“Probably ‘cause I don't trust ya. Ever think of that?”
“No, but—eugh. I'm not here to wreck chaos; not anymore. My prime had ended times ago, and you know that these lifeless clones don't have the ability to dismantle buildings anymore.”
“Easy for you to say, hard for me to settle.”
“Trust, I'm a harmless Robloxian now. You've reduced me to that extent, remember? You're the one who disabled my c00lgui and nerfed it badly, so you shouldn't be thinking of—”
“And you expect me to believe it? To accept every word that came rolling out of your pathetic mouth that are full of nothing but sweet nothings?” Shedletsky cooed, fiddling with a pen that was laid out on the table.
”Builderman himself doubted your false promises, saying that you'd perform another one of your tricks if the admins leave you out in the dark for another year.”
“Is that what you're here for? Tracking my house down just to see if I'd break another bone?”
“Halfway there, but no. I'm serious about that fight I'd endured last night.”
“...Huh.”
Shed merely smirked at the sight of 007n7 knocked on the sofa, an exhausted face painted clearly in its wake. It's obvious that he's gonna get drunk tonight with all those alcohol set on the table. “Now, now, what's a fool like you doing here at one in the morning?” Shedletsky then spoke lowly while he sat down beside 007n7, trying to switch up the conversation to avoid more tense moments.
“Getting high up on booze without a care in the world like that is no good. How long have you been chugging down all of these in one sitting, Seven?” A fruitless attempt of escape, really.
“Shut up. I don't want to talk about it.”
“Really? Not to be rude, but I think you need some explaining to do.”
Listening to Shedletsky's words made 007n7's facade crack. He'd turn his head to glare sharply at Shedletsky, demanding a context to be said—
“About the Void Star.”
—yet he didn't expect Shed to return the favor.
007n7 shrunk back into the sofa that instant, letting the soft material drown him in. “Void Star, my ass. I know nothing about it.”
“Oh, but you're allegedly involved, partaking in the incident. Matt's words, not mine.”
“What if I show affirmation? What'd you do, huh, send me to that hellhole?”
“...I'm just asking, geez. Think I'm gonna punch you the way I did back then if you admit it? Pretty sad, if you'd ask me.”
“...”
"You gonna open up?"
"..."
"C'mon, talk to me."
“...It was a mistake on my behalf. I was too... forceful. I went against the rules alone all on my own will, but I didn't want to be forfeited of my rights.” 007n7 finally confessed after he got fed up by Shedletsky's persistent inquiries. He took a large sip as he swallowed it whole, looking away from the c00lgui. In response, c00lgui shut down the system and withdrew all summoned clones.
“So, a friend of mine has to take the inflicted damage. Failed to work wholeheartedly, and I lost something dear to me. All in one night.” 007n7 continued.
“Care to spill the identity of your so-called friend?” Asked the man as he plucked out a worn-out feather of his own with a curious gaze.
“None of your concern.”
“Well, that's just impolite.” Shedletsky whined.
“What if I tell you, I've lost someone I considered important once in my life? What would you say, then?”
“Deserved.”
The admin then paused, feeling his irritation arise the moment he heard 007n7's ‘honest’ opinion.
“On a serious note, I did lose someone to The Spectre. And it pained me for awhile, so I definitely know what you're feeling right now.” the other snarled in reply, right before his tone softened almost immediately. And yet, the smug grin never truly disappeared within his visage.
“You know, I don't really mind it after realizing that I really did lost him. In fact, I think I shouldn't be dwelling into the past for long. The work at the Headquarters kept me busy, so I don't have any time to overthink it all. Lost him, yeah, but it doesn't matter big deal to me now. It shouldn't be interfering with my workloads—I've already got so much on my plate.”
“What about his feelings? Don't you feel... I don't know, the slightest bits of guilt after leaving someone you loved and cherished stuck in a hole by himself?” 007n7 pondered at Shedletsky's nonchalant words. It's ridiculous, almost as if he didn't care much about said person. But Shedletsky's response was a sinister laugh, opposite of what 007n7 would do in such situation.
“Ahahahh, loved? Cherished? Oh noooo, no no no, far from that, actually. He might be important in my life, but important doesn't always mean loveable. No, he's far from that. Not that I don't like him, but I purposefully made him an insufferable f-ck.”
“...What?”
“I said what I said, and you'll hear what I spoke of: he's a ruthless bastard; not the kind filled with mercy and naivety. And he'd be the first person to kill you directly if he ever spots you openly vulnerable in the wild.”
“That sounds like and exaggeration. I know you're a deity capable of creating life forms of any kind that you desire, but is it necessary to design him as a madman?”
“Sort of. But he's filled with hatred—MY hatred, so you shouldn't be expecting much kindness.”
“If that's the case, I'm guessing, his persona was inherited from your separate alternation, Telamon?”
“Correct! Didn't think you'd be so smart to figure that out, Seven, I'm proud of ya!”
Shedletsky raised his arm before he smacked 007n7's back with a brutal hit, causing the younger to flinch and arch his back as he winced out.
“Haa... I'm a grown man, I can understand things on my own just fine.” 007n7 mumbled while he rubbed the stinging spot to recover from the hit.
“But, if I may know, who is this person you're mentioning? Just in case I'd ever encounter him or anything.”
“Oh, he's got an unique name, just like you! 1x1x1x1, or 1x4 for short. He wore this neon green crown I'd gave him, and his torso also shines a bright green! Though his limbs are jet black, his hair is pure ivory white. It's an odd color scheme, truly, but I never made him like that, I swear. He kind of... grown out of his old palette, I think.” Shedletsky spat out each and every detail about 1x4 he could memorize, leaving no room for doubt. Yet, 007n7 didn't seem convinced.
Sighing, the deity leaned into the couch and cracked open a bottle before chugging down the whole content in one go at a rapid pace—it puzzled 007n7 greatly. “In shorter terms, he's green and he's dangerous. Not the kind of guy you'd mess with. Not even me.”
“Why? You're his creator. The Telamon I knew won't hesitate to behead even the strongest mankind and defeat every superiors, from what I recall. Is it not doable nowadays?”
“Telamon had became tamer because his power and cruelty had been transferred to 1x4. In other words, Telamon is weaker, both in strength and power. His mental endurance counts too. I could win if I were to fight against 1x4, but I'd probably gonna lose a limb or two, at most.”
“Is there a way to reclaim that power?”
“I don't know, never tried. 1x4 hadn't made his appearance anywhere around Robloxia, he wouldn't be a major global threat for now.”
“I see..”
“But that child you're raising, 007n7, he's... well. Sorry to say, but he's an underling of The Spectre.”
“—Ah?”
“He has a skin disease I couldn't quite pinpoint, but I can tell that it's not something discovered by our researcher, real horns, tail and all. He could be a Floraph, or worse, a Blood Demon. After taking a glimpse of the little kid, I don't think he's worth it. Do you still want to take the risk?”
“Well, I—uh. I'm not sure myself, but is there a way to tame him in the future? I mean, if I raise him right, he shouldn't be aggressive, right?”
“Perhaps. I'm not the best at taking care of children, so I don't know. But that could work, yeah, you just need to keep him out of The Spectre's sight and you're good to go.”
“And how am I supposed to enact on that?”
“You can take him out for walks or any outdoor activities you prefer, but don't get close to the Abyssal Zone. Not even the tiniest stud, should you enter that area. Otherwise The Spectre can gain control of your child with ease—and you won't have a say in this.”
“...”
What is he supposed to say now? He's got nothing to defend himself with against Shedletsky's bitter statement. It's the truth.
“I don't even understand how'd I get so attached to something so fragile in mere days. I'm too foolish for this.”
“No, you're not. I think you'd be a great dad—you're just candid, trusting, and gullible, that's what keeping you down. I won't say that you have some empathy judging by your wrongdoings in the past timeline, but you're just too... selfless.” Shed avowed firmly, lacking the gentle intonation from minutes earlier. Instead, what he just spoke about was nothing but a painfully blunt jab to his head, striking like a bullet—that was the utmost honesty from a well-known deity.
It made 007n7 ponder for a moment longer while he reeled in his emotions. The alcohol he'd sipped starts to enter his system, flooding into his mind before locking out all the thoughts in his head that instant. For once, 007n7 felt comfortable, staying in silence like this.
Shedletsky was right.
Maybe he's just too selfish for his brain to work, generating some logical fallacy in exchange for what he called "distraction from the realm”.
“Didn't think that loving someone would take so much just to keep it alive. What a shame.” 007n7 spoke aloud with an annoyed tone as he placed the bottle down with a harsh 'thud'.
“It has always been like that. But don't you worry, time will resolve every matter stuck in your head. You just need to be patient and wait 'till the both of you settled for the best.”
“Right... all of these will get better, hopefully.”
Notes:
finally finished, 2k words because I love chickenburger (any ship that includes 007n7, really (no 007n7 x minors ship bcs I'm not into that kind of illegal stuff)) and because I feel like I don't want to give cliffhanger for my beloved reader(s).
ty for reading my loves I can finally go to sleep :3