Archive of Our Own ^beta

John Doe was steadily rotting.

  It was on his bed, unable to sleep due to unknown parasites rummaging through his brain and memories.

  He didn't even know his corruption could do that, reaching into its body beyond the code.

  The weird, fleshy feeling he got after poking the hole made something in his chest churn in disgust. Granted, it was a small hole, but it was still gross.

  The “rot” in question was on his more human arm, and it felt the corruption seeping through his hole, like a can of worms being released into the small river.

  It doesn't hurt, not really. The pain fades away when he doesn't press on his hand. But the strong waves of discomfort makes up for the lack of suffering it deserves.

  He wasn't even supposed to be rotting, he was a Robloxian, was he not? Just another complex line of code. Not even his sparring matches with 1x causes this, further proving his point.

  ‘Maybe my body is finally giving up on itself.’ Y’know, with him being a zombie host for its corruption.

  John Doe stands up, going outside of it's cabin, for it was too suffocating in there. It doesn't really keep things tidy. He's sure the only reason bugs don't come and take over his place is because of its corruption.

  As it wanders through the fake grass, through the forest, it wonders where to spend the rest of its time, since the round won't come for the next few hours.

  The huge cabin with all the other killers? Well…

  C00lkidd was out of the question. That child uses the main cabin as his playplace, and it's almost always filled to the brim with Legos. Damn do those things hurt. And he was scared to death at the sight of it if he even tried approaching (and he can't blame him.)

  There's 1x, but he doesn't really think they'll enjoy his company right now. Sure, they have quiet, peaceful moments where they enjoy sitting beside each other mutually.

  It almost reminds him of that pink-haired girl he sees in the past rounds, how he

  But sometimes 1x pushes him away for whatever reason, grumbling sentences too glitchy and low for it to decipher.

  And then Jason is left.

  One could assume he and him being mute (though he prefers not talking, he isn't sure about the other) would undeniably make them closer than anyone else in this forsaken realm.

  But the man likes his space, really antisocial, and only hangs out with them after a round or during eating hours.

  In fact, John Doe sees his cabin right now, light smoke particles wafting behind the cabin, out of its view, the usual chainsaw noises were missing. Well, whatever, he won't bother him.

  ‘Guess some alone time will do.’

  Eventually, he arrives at the docks, sitting down at the edge while observing the larger island in front of him. It had always wondered what's on the other side.

  The moon lights the almost invisible ripples of water, emphasizing the deep ocean in front of him.

  A pang of pain shoots through it again, as he sets his human hand on the moist wood full of salty seawater. It moves its index finger, hoping he'l somehow l get a splinter from the wood. At least it will fill the hole with something, even if it pains him.

  John wishes it has something to cover up the hole, something to speed up his body’s battle against the rot. Its emotions are suppressed, but he feels a twinge of fear.

  Will he finally succumb to being an entity who feels nothing? Just following a meaningless goal of killing with no reward.

  His train of thought continues as it stares into the water, slowly coming to a stop.

  For now, he can handle sitting like this.

  After discovering its rotting body, it thinks he'll ever get rid of the feeling. He misses the feeling of someone special pressed up beside him, her comforting

  He sits quietly. Now that he knows he's rotting, he won't ever feel the same.