Chapter Text
Dark, everything was dark, something 1x1x1x1 was familiar with.a quiet darkness somewhere in the back of their mind that provided her some semblance of peace. The noise of talons hitting good tile shook them from their quiet, as the door to their room was opened. This room held no windows, no amenities, no joy. Only a solitary mattress complete with bedding, a small shelf that held their clothes, their swords, a whetstone ,and a destroyed training dummy. The room itself is solid, flat, no indentations, a perfectly smooth cube.
Slowly 1x stood taking their swords from the shelf, and almost excitedly running up to the door. There stood Telemon, the tall imposing figure of a god that fathered them. Politely she bowed, looking up to him as he turned away from the door with a quick flick of his wings. No words, that was fine, it's just like every other time.
1x looked down at their hands, no longer stained with black, instead a soft gray and their torso no longer see through. Another memory, further back than they'd like, but one she didn't have the energy to change. Quickly they follow behind Telemon letting the memory play out as it's intended.
Rushing up she grabs one of his sleeves tugging on it lightly. “Telemon! Telemon?" Their voice called out younger, happier.
“What do you want?" He asked, hardly turning to address them, leading them through the inner caves of the heights to the blinding outside light.
1x made a noise of discomfort as they brought an arm up to shield their eyes. “I have a request?” She looked up to him waiting for any indication they shouldn't before getting none and continuing. “Could I call you father?"
Telemon turned them in what they think is shock, the younger 1x couldn't read his face, though now they were certain it was disgust. " If you do well in today's training, you may.” He gave a curt nod as he crossed the arena readying himself as 1x did the same.
A silent countdown began, 1x flipping one of the swords in their hands before rushing forward, slashing at Telemon, through the god in a relaxed manner parried and pushed them back with a gust of wind. Quickly 1x moved to act again, throwing one of their swords and rushing up after it, swinging the blade at Telemon's legs. Telemon wise as we ever used his own sword to redirect the one thrown and raise his above their back.
"Dead.” Telemon's voice called out, as 1x looked up to see the blade. "Though it was a good attempt, you've still lost one of your swords and put yourself in a compromising position.” He critiqued using a gust of wind to retrieve the other sword. “You're getting better, 1x1x1x1. Now, again.” He barked, allowing 1x to back up and reorient themselves.
Failed attempt after failed attempt, with many of them ending up with 1x supposedly dead, they'd finally managed a win. Tired, exhausted and smiling as they looked up to Telemon. “Telemon, sir. Did I do well?" She asked, taking in several deep breaths.
“Yes you did well. Very well. I believe you've earned your request." The tone didn't sound quite right, but he'd said it regardless.
1x gasped, quickly dropping to their knees in a thankful bow. “Thank you father!”
1x1x1x1 didn't bother with the rest of the memory; it made them feel weird, something unfamiliar that they no longer understood. So they laid on the couch, her eyes closed, the distant sound of chaos unfolding in the cabin. Before, a solid weight settled on their chest, and they felt hands in both their wings and hair.
Slowly he cracked his eyes open only to be met with c00lkidd sitting on their chest. With an annoyed sounding sigh she looked around spotting the two other children; Pr3typriincess messing with his hair and Bluudud running a hand through the feathers of her wings. “Children. Why are you bothering me? I'm resting. “
“Auntie 1x, uncle Noli blew up the kitchen again and we're hungry. Uncle John isn't here enough for us to ask and Jason is out.” Pr3typriincess whined.
1x looked to the others to confirm. c00lkidd simply offered a tired nod, attempting to curl up on their chest, while Bluudud nodded solemnly. She ran a hand down her face, scruffing c00lkidd but the back of his sweatshirt as gently as they could muster and set him back down on the couch and they stood. He could kill Noli later, right now she needed to corral John to somewhere safe and get the kids food.
The kids were left to cuddle together on the couch as she stalked off, their wings tucked closely and a tail swinging behind themselves . As he looked for John they scratched at their chest claws slipping past the transparent green to scratch at bone.
When they'd found John , he'd been staring into a corner muttering something about it being broken and not quite right. She was sure he was muttering something about broken code, though honestly for one of his off days he seemed passive. Good. Slowly backing away, not wanting to interrupt Johns passive staring they moved to the kitchen.
The kitchen itself was a burnt and charred mess explosion damage ( though contained) coated the room along with blood and viscera. 1x rolled his eyes as she made eye contact with Noli who was currently attempting to reassemble the oven and stove. They made their way to the fridge bringing as all inside was nothing but junk food and the occasional animal carcass. But they'd found something hopefully tolerable for the children; a couple yogurts and a plate of nachos. It certainly wasn't much but with John out of commission it was all they really had. She'd fight whomever they belonged to later. Not bothering to warm up the nachos he returned to the couch, setting down the food on the coffee table they presented it to the children who though tired happily tore into the food.
With the children satisfied and no other worries they made their way outside of the cabin. As they stepped out they moved to the docks the sky dark with eternal night as The Specter wills it so. With no sign of Jason she stood at the docks fanning and spreading them open to feel the breeze against the worn and withered limbs.
Suddenly she felt a presence behind her, something like cracking static that unsettled them. He didn't turn to face it . She knew better. A clawed static hand touched his shoulder immediately a searing burning pain ignited beneath the touch, though she made an effort not to react.
1x.
You've been doing quite poorly in rounds as of recent.
It spoke, every word feeling like a searing sharp pain that blossomed in cuts across their skin. Still she made an effort not to react.
How shall I correct this?
It hummed, placing a hand against the base of his wing. That same burning feeling eliciting from.the spot where it touched.
“Jason's been doing poorly as well." She mutters between gritted teeth. Their posture stuff and rigid with pain.
Jason is already being dealt with.
We are talking about your faults, not his.
It's hand presses against the fragile limb forcing it down at an uncomfortable angle in a sharp sudden manner.
You've gotten too comfortable here.
Things have become too regulated despite the addition of someone new.
You're no longer driven by fear and hatred.
Is it the children?
Should I dispose of them?
“No, leave the children alone; they are serving their purpose! The rounds, they are simply… predictable?.." He hurriedly tries to explain, an uncomfortable feeling lingering in their chest as it mentions the children.
It glares, at least it feels like it does as it's hand grips tighter in the wing stretching it out. It's hand leaving his shoulder and finding the joint of the wing and blending.
Predictable?
I see you are growing bored, that's why your performance has slipped.
No worries I can fix that my dear.
1x doesn't have the time to respond before a scream is torn from her throat as it breaks the wing, bone snapping at awkward angles as it pulls and bends. As he's reeling from the pain of fragile bone being broken in several places the feeling of hands find their way across their throat. Squeezing and pressing against their windpipe with the added searing and burning pain.
She reaches up their eyes darting as he looks for a figure to grab hold of, claw at, swing at , stab. But he finds nothing as she struggles to breathe. Their one working wing flared out, flapping awkwardly as their tail swung wildly as they tried to claw at invisible arms, kick at a body that wasn't there, and struggle.
My games are not predictable.
Perhaps Telemon was right about you.
You worthless, pathetic, untalented thing.
How could you of all creatures kill Telemon and now you can't even kill ten measly survivors!
Yet you dare tell me my games are predictable.
I'll correct this.
With the dam already broken 1x choked on a pained noise, air struggling to make it to his lungs,as she clawed at the dock struggling and attempting to pull themselves away. They were struggling with their vision beginning to spot. Wordless gasps and chokes, barely made it past their lips , the cabin too far to even try screaming.
As their struggles and desperate attempts to free themselves slowed. Her vision darkened, and she felt the dock below leave her, the only thing he could register as their body decided to give up was the feeling of the searing pain being eased away and a splash.