Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

OO. QUESTION ! :

Would anyone be interested in me making a new private twitter account to show art for this, as well as character designs?

O1. INTRO :

I’d like to begin by saying that this is actually my first ever fic. It's not perfect, but I'm willing to learn my ways around. This was written purely based off of MY AU. The main ship is NOT Forsaken-based, nor is it TRUD, or any other media revolving around Roblox myths you’ve consumed wherever. I will say that some have been inspirations to this, but more or less, everything has been directed by me, from the world-building, to the lore of certain characters, these are my interpretations.

For 1x1x1x1 and John Doe, again, it will be solely my AU, as for ships such as 77Noli, DoubleFedora, obviously broken off from Forsaken, mixed with just a pinch of my interpretations as well. While this book will be 1xdoe centered, I’ll also be involving other ships, not just by interest, but to portray different personalities, views, motives, and such. I’ll be focusing heavily on how I do write characters, and am open to criticism or ideas on how I do this, respectfully of course. Any help is appreciated.

For an early story, I will be starting very lightly. Mainly trying to get the dynamics out, set a stage before I bring in anything… ‘Extreme’.

O2. WHO AM I ?

For now, just call me Rez, if you do want to address me, that is. You can even call me John if you’d like, since I happen to be a roleplayer, and in fact, I’ve done the research, as well as have a few experiences myself, with how he’s portrayed. Also I thought it’d be a little fun and interactive leaving vague little in-character moments in the comments. Maybe. I use any and all pronouns [ She / They / He ] and I have no specific preference.

O3. WHY ARE YOU ON ANONYMOUS ?

While I do favour remaining nameless, that’s not the reason in this case. I’m not exactly proud of my writing as I’d like to be, but I have so many ideas that I’d like to share. I may not have the best way of showing it in terms of words, but I can only hope I do, and I’m also open to criticism on how I write.

Maybe in the future if I find that people do like my writing, I’ll get off of being anonymous, but for now, I’ll just be sharing. Also saving myself the embarrassment of looking like a fool in front of a few authors I do enjoy reading works from.

O4. WHAT IS YOUR GOAL ?

I’ve said it at least two times now, but yes, more or less it’s a plate of 1xdoe, with a side of 1xdoe and a sprinkle of 1xdoe. Joke, but yes, it’s 1xdoe. HOWEVER. I do plan to explore, not only relationships and generally how characters interact with each other, but also how characters handle situations, how they process things from a psychological point of view, how they talk, how they operate. Everything. It’s all a big study for me, and I enjoy it a lot. Some things may be inaccurately portrayed, but based on what I research, I'll try my best. Feel free to point out anything.

O5. ENOUGH BORING SHIT, LET’S SEE SOME HOTTIES !

Before I go onto that, I do want to point out that this is PROGRESSIVE. Think of it like a pokédex, you’ll only learn when characters are introduced, and more will be added the more you get to know them. It’ll be notified in the notes at the top of the chapter.

1x1x1x1 / “ The Adversary ” :

1x1x1x1 is a complex thing, separated into two: 1x1x1x1 and The Adversary. 1x1x1x1 is merely the Vessel, cause of death will remain unstated for now, and The Adversary is from the Green Domino Crown atop the Vessel’s head, who doesn't control, but contributes to how 1x1x1x1 thinks. Majorly, 1x1x1x1’s thoughts are their own, but that’s as much as I’ll tell you.

John Doe :

John Doe has arguably been around the longest in comparison to characters such as 007n7, Chance, etc. He is less experienced than the Admins, and far lesser than Noli, 2x2, Shedletsky, Builderman, and so on. There’s actually not much to say about him right now besides being a basic white man. Or in this case yellow man. The most I can share is that he’s very… Sickly. I may choose to add more later.

NOlI :

Currently there isn’t much for me to reveal about Noli, but do take his inclusion here as a hint, if you will.

J. Shedletsky :

Absolute nut job sometimes. You could wonder how he even became an admin? He jokes around, bothers his peers, and by peers, I mean mostly Builderman. Don’t be fooled by his clownish personality, he can be serious when he absolutely needs to be, but in all reality, he’d rather avoid conflict at all costs if it’s not just playful banter.

D. 'Builderman' B. :

Boss of the big office on the top floor. Builderman displays proper leadership skills. He’s head-strong, calm under pressure and has fair experience when it comes to mediation in the workplace, as well as outside. He makes the final calls and decisions after matters are brought to debate. However, there has been a history of him hiding information that had to be known, whether all found out were the only ones he’s hidden is unknown. Ironically, with all these skills, being head-strong, he’s a little hard-headed, and it’s not from the safety hat, his listening skills are not the best.

C. 'Brighteyes' S. :

Arguably the heart of the entire cast. She’s alive and energetic, enjoys spreading her works and creativity, and she’s very open to feedback, as well as pure criticism. She's always looking to better what she does for both herself and everyone else. She’s the type to compliment you on the way to her office and be on her way. Her only downside for now is that she’s TOO understanding at times. She is also Shedletsky’s wife, of course.

J 'Jan' E. / B. :

[No, this is not an OC. This is Builderman’s actual wife.] A very capable woman for sure, and like Builderman, she’s quite headstrong herself, often no-nonsense, prepared for hectic situations at HQ. While she isn’t majorly involved with the job Admins do, she does lend word when she has to, her way of giving a helping hand to push them in the, hopefully, right direction. She’s much softer in terms of talking, but can be firm when absolutely necessary. This has only been seen when she scolds her husband however.

D. M. 'Sorcus' C. :

“My name’s too hard to say anyway." - Like Shedletsky, he’s a prankster, but much more passive. He offers words purely for the sake of comedy at times. Of course, he knows when to be serious too, but he’d rather make light of a situation by joking about it, or just not saying anything sometimes. He has a much more rich story behind him however, but even he chooses not to bring it up. Not that it brings him discomforts, just that he finds it ‘too long’ and he ‘doesn’t have that much time to explain’.

A. 'Clockwork' Q. :

“Sure, I look a little rough, but I used to look worse! Thank goodness modifications exist.” - One of Robloxia’s newest interns! This robot can tend to everything the team is lacking on, even if it’s minor work for them. Still working on themselves, of course, often needing small modifications to their system or even limbs to work properly. Normally Sorcus is the one to do this, since even a jokester like him knows his work well enough to. Clockwork may be a robot, but he brings an energy that makes everyone feel aliiiive! He started off just as a prototype, but over time he started accessorizing and upgrading! Looks and ‘feels’ better than ever before.

O6. OK BACK TO BORING . . . WHERE ARE WE ?

Welcome to Robloxia, where creativity is greatly encouraged, home to many free builders, coders, designers, and of course, many, many… Many citizens. The worlds and towns are sectioned off, accessed through portals all, excluding the warned, can use. Worlds include places such as: Robloxia Headquarters [MAIN OFFICE] , Bloxburg, Brookhaven, etc. [HOME DISTRICT] , NDS, EMG, etc. [ENTERTAINMENT / GAMES DISTRICT], and much, much more from dedicated teams and developers of high honor.

Then there are the Banlands, an ‘island’ of its own you can say, located far underground and away from Robloxia, caged in by, not only a dome, but surrounded by lava. Outside of the prison dome, there are several layers leading up towards the surface, with the farthest having only standard procedure to descend, and the remaining layers… All heavy security. While it’s easy to get in, to leave or escape is truly a journey through the rings of hell themselves.

Outside of the overworld, there’s of course, the metaverse. Only few can access this place, namely all who are trusted at Robloxia Headquarters, or those who are persistent for answers, with dangerous curiosity. Remember all of this part.

In addition, there is the void, an almost forever-enraged tempest. What lingers in the void and its ruler and dweller will be revealed later on. This realm is only accessed by two individuals, permanently, and the rest are only passersby.

O7. OUTRO :

That’s more or less all from me, this is just a personal project and ‘experiment’ of mine that I wanted to share. I don’t have a regular upload schedule, but it’s safe to say I’d be updating frequently as of current. (hopefully)

Chapter Text

LOCATION: ???

Snow graced the once lively land, burying a long forgotten past. While it was melancholic, it was far better than the dread of an ‘apocalypse’ that was left behind. The screams and cries that tore the air, the ash that rained down, only invited by the fire that devoured the town. That day, the sky had been stained a haunting red, polluted by swirls of black, now just a calm blue, but even then there was no comfort. The wind brushed against his side, carrying across tales of horrors in whispers, even something so important and natural seemed silenced here, a powerful voice stolen from them. Hm.

Ironic. 

Where had he thought of that before?

No matter. 

The blonde rubbed his hands together, trying to retain whatever warmth he could. His boots sank into the snow, even the very hill he ascended warned him of the danger he was yet to meet. It was abandoned, not even a chirp, or chitter, just suspenseful silence, yet even that wasn’t enough for him to listen to himself, was it? You don’t listen to yourself, and you don’t listen to others either. You simply couldn’t leave things as they were sometimes. He tugged his scarf up, forearm lifted to shield above his eyes from the cold air. Even when he couldn’t see a thing, he seemed to know where he was going. Besides, he was too far into it all, it would be too risky going back now, not on account of all that he’s done. What he did to even be granted the opportunity he has. He’d be a damn fool to throw it all away after all he’s endured. 

He made that mistake once already.

He’s better. He’ll be better.

Step by step. It was all planned from the start, wasn’t it? He’d argue he had no way of telling how it would have all played out, he had no way of anticipating the rise, or the fall. Still, you are a heinous man. You go beyond what you’re supposed to, and for what? The sake of being a good person? To try to fix what you can’t, or are simply not allowed to? He bit his inner cheek, gaze narrowing as obstacles came into view. From metallic structures emerging from the snow beneath his feet, rust slowly eating away at it, to concrete, broken apart and left abandoned from the greatness it once was, the purpose it served, neglected and left to rot. No. That didn’t sound right, get your head together. The sight was just upsetting, but even then his curiosity drove him forward.

He needed to see this through.

The farther he travelled, the more the winds fought, dark clouds pooled above, threatening him a blizzard. Quiet warnings now morphed into desperate pleas to turn back, but he had to do this. 

.

.

?

Did you?

I do.

You can’t–

Crack!

He paused, brows lifted when he looked down to find–well, was it goop? Not exactly, but hard enough to break like ice, just a pure black substance resting against the snow, even stained under his boot. His gaze lingered, brows then furrowed, not even bothering to wipe it off, or to inspect further. He continued onward. 

It was now or never, he’ll make do with the chance he had.

Now stood before a display of the same inky liquid? Slime? Ice? Whatever it was, it erupted from the snow in spikes, transparent at the ends only to sink into an abyss devoid of colour. Even the snow seemed to refuse it but couldn’t fend it off either, while the vines welcomed it, embraced it even. Wait. Vines? Such a thing should have been dead to these weather conditions long ago. Life was present? The flora looked a little darker than usual. He crouched down, a cautious hand extended to it and the moment he made contact–Dust. It dematerialized before his very eyes. He pulled his hand away hurriedly, startled, as if he had gotten burnt, but alas got back to his feet eventually. He persisted. The farther he ventured, the brewing storm seemed to have fled, even nature didn't want to stick around to meet the horror that lurked. Dormant and longing, waiting to be awakened again.

And then he saw it.

There they laid, where they always had been. Skin, once soft and grey in colour, now rocky, with black clawing out of their left eye, the gash at their chest, staining the hair at the sides of their head, where beautiful wings were once connected. The gradient of darkness that plagued them when he last saw them had worsened horribly, practically swallowing their arms entirely. Their only good eye, the once gorgeous black that absorbed the colours around, now a blank white, distant and lost. They even wore the same thing from when he had lost them: A green sweater vest, over a white shirt, followed by glaucous blue coloured dress-pants. The clothes were visibly worse in condition, minus them losing two appendages and the hole in their chest. There was no visible rot, nor were there any flies, or maggots, not even a peep of life to begin with, but was death truly present?

He finally let out a breath, suddenly finding it hard to even stay up on his two feet. He stumbled down to a knee, a hand found the ground, and his eyes followed. God, stop shaking, get a damn grip. This isn’t about you. He gritted his teeth, hands balling into fists tightly. If it weren't for the gloves getting in the way, unkempt would have made sure his palms bled no doubt, sure, let it freeze over in the cold too. He winced at the idea of ice shards getting caught into it. He rose from where he had hunched over, his steps felt heavier, and not the hard-to-get-things-done sort of way or even the air conditions to begin with. This was raw. The feelings it brought were nauseating, heart-shattering, it was real. Was it the weight of the past? Had to be, with a few words left unsaid.

A shoulder slumped, his other hand coming to slide the strap of his bag off, lazily holding it as he trudged over, his head shook in disbelief. All this time had passed, and here they were, unbothered, unmoved, an empty husk of what they used to be. His demeanour dimmed, falling onto a knee and letting the other follow, sitting on his knees before them, bag left to lean against his thigh. Unclipping the flap, his hand slipped in to retrieve a crown, reflecting the soft light that tinted the Earth. Green in colour, clean, three cuboids connected to the top, all spread evenly apart. A range of Viridian gradients, with the top holding the darkest colour, blending in smoothly to the lightest at the base. It was gorgeous, but even just from first glance, it looked dangerous. There was something malicious, as if it could have poisoned the air, if that were possible.

With a careful grip, he held the crown above him, his other hand, steady and careful, only hovering over them as if preparing himself first. He scooped them under their back, holding them up against his chest, but couldn’t stop the gag that slipped by. It wasn’t that it was disgusting, but it was more brutal up close. And disgusting, yeah fine, he’ll admit that. The blonde peered back over to their face, noting the weight of their eyelids over their left eye, past the lids through the thin slit was just empty, the skin around stained black, the pattern branching off and resembling veins. He swore he saw shards of bone wedged somewhere in their skin. Couldn’t help but shudder.

Bringing the crown back down, he rested it gently atop their head… Flinched like a coward though, expecting something to happen, and when nothing came, he opened his eyes, a sigh of relief escaping him. Just the slightest breeze brushed on by, and–

Snow rumbled nearby, the sound unmissed. Clearly, judging from the scream that left him. It was quick, and then abruptly cut off in a moment of self-reflection.

“Okay. That’s… Uh. Yeah. Should have expected something at some point.” John said, a little disappointed in himself, even nodding just to cope. Still scared the shit out of him though, “Crown. Check.” The same hand reached back into the bag, holding whatever was inside with care, and slowly took it out. A book, heavy judging from the thickness, the pages clearly worn down, as well the cover, colour drowned out drastically. It looked like the dictionary definition of ancient, had engravings on the cover, the pages were chipped and torn, and had splatters of browns, oranges and yellow. Didn’t even need to open the book to be able to tell. On the cover was a simple brick, specifically a grey 2x2 one. John lifted a knee to support the corpse’s back up, his other hand coming to open the book. Inside were words written in strange orders, almost unreadable to most, but John was somewhat familiar. He squinted his eyes and even adjusted his glasses to focus, he was a smart man, an experienced one too, he knew what he was looking at.

“...” He stared in silence, the only give away in his expression was his brow cocking up, “What in Roblox am I looking at…” Okay, maybe a little overestimation. “Gods, I wonder if I can still read Lua.” 

“Ispedead. . . Npehseh Spawn tru. . . Reginet everesp ped. . . Adeven tuh handler. . .” He chanted, the wind stirred around him, the spark of hope present, “Ispedive. . . Triclievent Respawn!” The author never doubted him for a second. The Robloxian watched as the snow rose, caught into the stream, his eyes filled with wonder, but only shortly. The snow settled back down, leaving him puzzled, all the excitement he gathered, the happiness he had yet to share, disappeared within mere seconds. John took one more look at the cold body that rested against him, hand brushing the hair off of their face and stared. Waiting. Waiting for anything at all. His gaze eased, solemn, but understanding. Perhaps he was a fool to believe such an old tale, to believe that life truly was helping him by getting this far. Closing the book, he slowly got them to lay back down onto their little void of a bed.

“This was all a damn mistake, wasn't it,..” John sighed, shaking his head as he stood up, hands tucked into his pockets, talking to seemingly no one, “Spent a fortune just to get that crown too. Damn.” He had to admit, it suited them well, they would have liked it maybe. They would have, wouldn’t they. A soft smile warmed onto his face, despite the winter’s cold, “Can’t return it now… That’s a shame. Looks good on you though, just like everything else did. You may as well keep it, I suppose.”

He grabbed his bag off of the ground with little care. If he didn’t have any respect or mannerisms, he would have tossed the book out into the snow too. Leave it for some fool to find thinking they’d found gold. That would have been funny, he thought, but alas, the cursed item was only ‘borrowed’, and he knew better… Ah, who was he kidding, he’d probably light the thing on fire when he got home. Burn off a little frustration out too, why not. His eyes saddened, a face once fitted to greet anyone and everyone, to make them feel welcomed. Oh, John. His finger slipped into the pocket of his coat, sliding out a small photograph, aged, damaged from causes that were not known, but from just first glance, it seemed to have endured burns. 

“How you stayed here in one piece is a mystery t’ me, y’know. Then again, you did mention a few… Strange things, didn’t you… But I guess you’re home anyways.” He whispered, head shaking in disbelief as he slung the bag over his shoulder, “I know you can’t hear me, but– I want you to know that there hasn’t been a single day where I don’t miss you. So much has changed, I wish you could have seen it… I would like for you to. Think you would have liked it. Just–I wish we could start over again. Maybe. It’d be like us again when we were kids.” His hand slowly lowered to his side when he was only greeted by silence, releasing the photo paper to find its way to the ground, “I really tried, you know. But I’m glad about one thing… We had some good times before it… All happened.” He sucked in a breath, the low temperature and, what he believed to be, ice biting at his lungs, “I know I can’t get that back– but. It was nice seeing you again, Tes.” 

The darkness that pooled around them seemed to have taken it, absorbing it, but he didn’t wait long enough to see it for himself. Didn’t even take a last look. Just turned his back to the scene to leave. A click sounded from the deceased, and another.

Everything stopped, as if time had frozen and space was a myth.

The skies, pastel blue just only a moment ago, broke into a violent green. Black clouds circled, lightning of red and green struck down, conjuring up a hurricane, but the clouds didn’t blubber. Not even a drop of rain. It never wailed, only howled, drowning the land under its imposing presence. John spun back the second that cry pierced the air, wide eyes following the beam of green that met the very ground, lingering. Admiring. It was terrifying. The world even seemed to morph under its reign, it was surreal. Didn’t feel like he was in the right plane of reality to begin with. And here he was, standing around and kicking rocks. Run, white boy, run!

Regaining his senses, skin riddled with goosebumps, he took off back to the site, tripping and stumbling on the way. The storm grew enraged, sobs and screams of the past overpowering any other sound, if there was any at all. Now, death was present. He fought against the winds, the pressure, his forearm shielding his eyes. Then they came into view, the area surrounding them painfully silent, like being stuck one hundred meters underwater, only the depths replying with deep hums that made a person go mad. He lifted his head slowly to follow the beam, and the clouds left a space at the centre. His eyes widened a fraction.

The- The ‘R’ of the sun, it was gone, left with an old friend that was first to wake the land every morning. A circular symbol, white in colour, with outlines spikes all around that curved in one direction, equally apart. It spun, and John couldn’t help but stare in awe, adjusting his glasses on. What he would give to see that every morning again, made him feel unstoppable. Like he had it all again. The corpse rose from where it laid, their head tipped up to the sky, a streak of red shot down like an arrow right into an eye, planted into the socket, and then the other. From the Spawn above, the stream of light progressively sank into something deceptively brighter, their hand lifted to reach out for it. It didn't take the most observant person to realize that the air grew thinner. John backed away slowly, he swore he had seen enough movies to know what that was. It looked almost like a wick, slowly burning out. He turned to run, to find cover but before he knew it, everything had flashed green, red and white, squeezing his eyes shut from the sudden blinding lights. A ringing filled his ears, covering them with his hands and groaning out in pain, blown back from the impact but saved by the snow. 

On the other hand… Rose a new challenger. A skull had formed onto their head like a helmet, jaw piece split in two to cover theirs. A newfound spark from their right eye, a red glare of light, burned brightly through the socket, while the left only glowed dimly. On their torso, a ribcage caged their chest, and a spine slowly formed to mold over their own comfortably, the tail bone just a little longer with structure. They growled as the bones of their arms and legs snapped unnaturally to accommodate for new ‘improvements’, protruding through the skin, but the colour of this new frame wasn’t white, or yellow. It was jet black, it didn’t even reflect light. Didn’t even welcome it to begin with, its aura dominating. No blood had seeped out, seemingly long dried out over the years. From the left of their chest, a green shone through their shirt, as well as their best, fighting for freedom. Meanwhile, muscle had pulled over the new formed bones, encasing the previous body under something new. Something that changed them entirely, literally and figuratively. The collected strings wrapped one over the other neatly. Rightfully. Eventually came the skin, the same black, but more reasonable with light, wrapping around their head, arms and legs. Even hair, the same colour with a pleasant gradient of dark blue rising from the ends. It was the same bubbly texture as the one they once had, but it grew. And grew. And grew, until it even met their feet. A crackle was heard from their chest, bursting through the gash on their stomach was something almost acidic, but contained, as if being poured into a bottle and taking the shape of it. It had fit perfectly as a replacement.

With a new hand, claws sharp, they reached into their new torso easily, gripping at the old, more ‘Robloxian-like’ one before tearing it out at the neck. Then the shoulders. And the legs. Until it was disconnected entirely, ripping it out and tossing it out to be forgotten. Their mouth was replaced by a zipper, slow to form, but once it had rendered in, revealed a satisfied smirk. Torn fabric of what once was a coat wrapped around their hips, the interior green, while the outside was black, with two red symbols on both of the sides to represent eyes. A loincloth, a pleasant gradient of black, to blue, to green respectively, the front looking like that of a domino piece. On their head, the Green Domino Crown remained, but pricking into their scalp and snaking around the base of the head-piece were red vines, sharp thorns littered over it. Lastly, a cloth, much like the one at their waist, worn like a scarf and hung off their left side, shredded up at the edges. The storm dispersed with a burst of energy, so strong and moving, felt like it was sent right through the metaverse.

John groggily opened his eyes, but only as thin slits, finding that everything had ended. His vision was blurry, couldn’t even hear a thing to begin with. Could he even remember how he got here? Or what he ate for the day? Actually, scratch that last past, who was he kidding, he could never remember what he ate. He lifted his head, trying to prop himself up onto his elbows, only to wince when a foot stepped down onto his chest, sending back to lay down against the ground.

“Hah. Heheheh…” 

A chuckle was heard, rough sounding and far deeper than anything he expected to hear, and he wasn’t sure how, but it sounded almost radio-like in quality, and far louder than usual? But it was still understandable.

“That feels so. Much. Better.” 1x purred delightfully, digging their foot in against John’s chest, with only little pressure, but if they wanted to shatter his ribcage, it could have been done with no issue, “What an unfortunate encounter. You look disgusting, I almost pity you for what you’ve been cursed with.”

They crouched down, grabbing John by a fistful of his coat and lifted him off the ground with little struggle. A mockingly thoughtful gaze landed on him, their free hand held him by the jaw, turning his head from side to side before letting it lower. “It matters not what sort of filth you are, you reek of this loathsome dimension.” The Adversary spoke walking John to the slope with a smile, “Now. Cower. And. Pray.”

John, who was fighting unconsciousness, finally snapped back to the reality of his situation.

“Wait! WAIT! WHAHA!” He squawked, legs kicked for a moment before his hand had tightened on the book, fumbling to lift it at first and almost even dropping it, but lifted it. Showed them the full cover, the logo at the front, and they stopped. Huh. 2x2 brick. Ancient book. The ‘BLOX’ that was spelled at the corners of the front. It didn’t take much for them of all people to recognize that…

“The Necrobloxicon.” 1x said aloud, gaze narrowing at it in thought. So that would mean he had been resurrected, and this… Basic Robloxian was the one that had raised them from the dead. How did someone like John get it was beyond them, but who were they to complain in the first place. They could use that in the future maybe, depending on his sources. They tossed him to the side on the ground, leaving a dent in the snow.

John winced, getting back up to lean on his elbows, a hand going to his temple. He did make a mental note of the fact that it was the book that interested them. He’d have to hang onto this thing then.

“Well that would mean, I’ve returned to Robloxia at last.” 1x purred, hands on their hips and posed up for maybe a little too long. Then it hit them, looking side to side, “You. Mortal. Where is this place.” There was no questioning tone, not with them. Everything came as a demand.

“Ah, huh? This is–...” John started, getting back up onto his feet and dusting the snow off before looking over to the other, then in the distance, but needing a double take at them. They did look different, a lot different, but– somehow, subtle reminders of who they once were remained. It was reminiscent. Their hair, the most. My, they were extraordinary, there wasn’t a time where they weren’t.

They were as beautiful as the day he lost them.

1x lifted a brow over the time they waited for John to answer, then thinking this was him testing their patience. “Speak!”

“Wh– huh?” John stammered, flushing from embarrassment, looking left and then right and back to them, swallowing thickly as he recollected his words, “You see, uh… You could say this is Robloxia–”

“This is Robloxia.” 1x repeated, looking around, unimpressed by all that they saw, which was just nothing around.

“Nnnno…”

“This isn’t Robloxia.”

“You’re not letting–.”

“You’re useless.”

John would deadpan at them if it didn’t mean getting his head chopped off. Still the same stubborn 1x he had ever grown to know.

“I didn’t have high expectations of this wretched place to begin with. And you.” 1x hissed, shooting a glare John’s way, “You’re a little more pathetic than the void had described, but I suppose you’ll do.”

“Wh– Hey–” John took offense to that, but never got a say. By now he wasn’t even sure if this was the 1x he even knew, or if he had invited something entirely different. Well– yeah, no shit, but it wasn’t supposed to be full possession! Not from what he had researched, then again it was probably wrong of him to believe such sources. He snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed 1x examining their hand, “Forgive me if this is rude, but… Who are…” He pointed to all of 1x, “You exactly?”

“Don’t play stupid with me and ask dumb questions yet.” 1x sighed wearily, but managed the nicest smile they could. It looked threatening anyway, “You know who I am.”

“I do?” He earned another hard look.

“Don’t let all these… Changes fool you. I’m everything I’ve used to be, but I’m also more than I was before. Much more.”

“That didn’t–” John had stopped, feeling as if his senses were being stolen in a moment of stupidification, “Let me try again. What’s your name?”

1x slowly turned their head to look at him.

“I know what your name is!” John said quickly, hands held out and waving as a show to clear any misunderstandings, continuing slowly, “However… I do want to know if you even know who you are.”

For the first time, 1x seemed to hesitate. It was hard to miss, but John picked up on it when they shifted their weight to the other leg and even looked to the side. Or they could have just been irritated. Either or.

“I–am 1x1x1x1.” John’s expression eased.

“That wasn’t too hard.” He whispered, feeling a little satisfied. Of course he’ll have to still be wary of them, but for now, at least they knew their own name. One less issue among a hundred other ones. The four-dimensional being only scowled.

Flinching at the sound of beeping, he fluttered his lashes before looking down, pulling up his sleeve to look at his watch. His timer had ended, maybe a little later than anticipated, but he calculated his remaining time.

“We’ll sort this out later, for now we have to get moving. I don’t know about you, but here’s a place I wouldn’t want to get stuck in.” The Robloxian reasoned, pointing down the slope, “Also I’d rather not get caught either. The exit portal’s this way.”

“And why would I follow.” 1x grumbled, their arms crossing over their chest, their gaze sharp, fixed on John and his every move. They weren’t being stubborn, but they were defensive. Unsure. They wanted answers, and that was something John could understand.

“I’d love to tell you, but we’re running out of time here.” John replied, letting his hand fall, as well as his smile, brows creased, “I’ll tell you eventually, once we’re out of the open. But. Do know that I want you to recover. Whatever it’ll mean in the end, I just–...”

.

.

“I can’t lose you again.” 

His voice had gone quieter, not wanting to say it aloud. Even when alone, he wanted to make sure it was only them who heard the words.

The words made them feel–awkward, honestly. Not in the way that they were uncomfortable, but the words were foreign to their ears. They weren’t sure what to make of it, so they didn’t comment, only huffed. 

Silence settled over the two, John didn’t move, he had the choice to leave if he wanted–but he wasn’t going to make that mistake again. He stayed. 1x didn’t even look at him, but surely enough, they walked off in the direction he pointed, down the hill. Not bothering to share any words, and didn't wait for him either. John let his shoulders relax, relieved at their compliance. He followed along, bringing his bag in front of him to store the book–the Necrobloxicon, it seemed– away.

He’d have to consider giving that a better reading eventually, but for now, he can relax, knowing they were back. That he could go home, with them under his care. That he could start from the beginning. That he could try again.

Chapter Text

LOCATION: ROBLOXIA’S HEADQUARTERS

“Where the hell is it?!  Yer tellin’ me some dumb crown grew a pair o’ fuckin’ legs and walked right out?!”

A voice boomed throughout the office, you’d think he would sound serious in a clearly serious situation, yet that high-pitch panic in his voice was selling. Still got the message across at least. Admins scrambled to and fro, searching every corner, every blindspot, from most obvious to almost impossible to spot, where was it?!

Welcome to Robloxia Headquarters, it’s usually more composed and quieter than this, but it seems they all have quite the predicament on their hands. That bird-brain with the big, brown wings and currently girly voice is Shedletsky.

“Everyone, scatter! No one’s leavin’ this building until we find that relic, or someone hands it up! - n’ don’t notify the rest of Robloxia, we can’t have a word of this breakin’ out!” Another figure ordered, more authoritative, stronger with words, and by far more grounded. This one was deeper in comparison, sounding somewhat more hopeful, “Shed, that includes you! Quit yer bitchin’ and get to work!”

That there is Builderman, the boss of the office, his years of experience exceeds him clearly, despite his more casual look… Though that second part usually never ended-

“Me?! Clearly you need a pair of glasses yourself, can’t see I’m catchin’ my ass already? Lookin’ and can’t find nothin’, we’re trying here, David!” Shedletsky barked, jabbing a finger in Builderman’s direction, even having the audacity to approach him.

“Builderman, Shed. It’s Builderman. We’re in a professional setting.” He reminded him, not humouring the other for even a second. He could understand it was one of the worst things that’s happened as of recently, but sometimes Shedletsky was too much with his behaviour. Not in the sense it was always ‘inappropriate’, but in the sense it didn’t help solve anything.

“Oho. Yeah, reeeeaaaal professional!” The brown haired Robloxian mocked, opening his arms out to gesture to the place, interns and admins frantically searching the place down, papers flew, pens fell and reeked of overall poor communication. He leaned in to growl, “Seems like I’m talkin’ to Builderman, alright.” Builderman scowled, two sets of footsteps following in amidst the chaos…

“Ow! Ow! Damn!” Both Shedletsky and Builderman yelped when they were pinched by the headwing and ear separately, dragged apart from each other.

“You boys oughta learn some respect! We’re all trying our best.”

“She’s right… We’re all working together here, not trying to pick any unnecessary fights.”

Would you believe me if I said the two knuckleheads listened? Shedletsky pouted his way out of trouble while Builderman muttered soft apologies to the other man, even through his tough act, earning a comforting hand to his cheek from the woman. The two instigators only turned to each other.

“Wonderful work, Bee, nicely done.” The one with Builderman hummed in approval, her head tilted only slightly.

“Awe shucks, you… You know your way around that one, yourself.” The other with Shedletsky purred, paying a playful wink, then tending to smoothing back her poor husband’s hair and feathers.

Those two lovely women are Brighteyes, Shedletsky’s wife, and Jan, Builderman’s wife. 

Brighteyes was a very chipper woman, lively and enthusiastic. She brought wonderful energy to the office. Jan was more calm, she was more of an advisor than actively working, still doing a great job nonetheless by doing everything she can. Sometimes the two ladies seemed a lot closer with each other than their husbands at times though… Ah, no, just girls being girls, surely…

 “I’m going to check the other building, okay! I’m sure Roblox will let me in.” Brighteyes chirped, her hand returned to her side, backing off from the three. Seems she can handle the urgency of the whole situation better.

“Good idea, I suspect it won’t be, but still check. Try not to cause any ruckus, and call if you need any help.” Builderman nodded, giving her a small salute as she ran off, turning to the winged Robloxian and deadpanning, “You can learn a thing or two from her, Shed.” He earned a tap upside the back of his head from Jan.

“I’ll be sure to go ask Roblox for footage from the cameras underground. Assumably only twenty four hours. Will check back in.” The tall woman informed, only giving a wave, maneuvering past peers with ease. Shedletsky couldn’t help the smirk that tugged at the corner of his lips, only glancing over to the grey-complexioned Robloxian.

“Not a word, Shed.” He grumbled.

“Hah… Heheheh.” A fellow admin giggled, wearing a black fedora with lightning bolts around the body, hands buried into wires, the torso of a robot it seemed. He mocked, his voice mellow, blank and yet somehow was the most comedic yet, “You two got in trooouble.” Shedletsky and Builderman glared in his direction. Hey, they agreed on that one at least.

“Pardon me for interrupting, but I’m not sure I follow… What’s so important about this ‘crown’ you all speak of?” The robot spoke, voice trained well, even portraying the highs and lows to mimic emotion, but the buzz from the speaker gave away the fact it wasn’t real. Nonetheless, this particular robot seemed more sentient if able to question freely. 

“Don’t worry ‘bout it, I’m sure the thing’s up on a shelf somewhere.” The fedora wearing one huffed, looking to both of his occupied hands and then opting to take two wires between his teeth just to get it out of the way.

Boy, everyone’s here today it seems. Let’s see… The guy working on the robot, that’s Sorcus. Office jester, loves pitching around jokes about people, might even bait a bit of anger if possible, to a degree of course. He’s fluent in English, sarcasm, sarcasm and… Sarcasm. Oh, and Hindi.

The other one sitting on the chair getting repaired was Clockwork. They were newer compared to the others, but they knew what they were doing, could even repair themselves with that kind of knowledge, if Sorcus didn’t already offer. A crying shame only his UGC and audio had made the cut, but who knows, maybe he was destined to get his more technical work out there.

“On a shelf? I can see why you’re not looking.” Shedletsky mumbled, hand lowered just a little below his height, a fake pout on his face.

Sorcus fished his hand back out to take the wires from his mouth, an index finger lifted to point over to the winged one. “**चुप करो.” He said, expression not changing for even a second though, returning back to Clockwork. Shedletsky only snorted in amusement.

**[ “Chup karo” - Stop talking / Shut up ]

“Is a head-piece that important?” Clockwork added on, head tilted to the side.

“Yes!”

Builderman and Shedletsky shouted in unison, looking at each other for a moment and then back to Clockwork, who had to lean backwards and raise their hands in surrender.

“Couldn’t be far. When did the thing disappear? That entire floor is littered with cameras left n’ right.” Sorcus pitched in, biting the end of a wire to string the insulation off. Well he seemed pretty confident with what he was doing. He spat it out to the side, not caring where it ended up and twisted two loose ends together, “Roblox had to have seen somethin’ somewhere.”

“Well- That might be a bit… Difficult to find… You see, we…” Builderman fumbled for his words, unsure of how to say it, but it was alright. He had someone who would.

“We don’t know when it disappeared.” Shedletsky scoffed, and the shorter Robloxian couldn’t help but sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Well that’s great news.” Sorcus jested, giving the two a look, not bothered much in the slightest, “Looks to me you’ll find it in no time.” Sure it looked suspicious how little care he showed, then again, this was Sorcus they were talking about. Clockwork looked between all three as silence settled among them, minus the chaos in the background of everyone rummaging around to find the missing item. Sorcus seemed indifferent, but the bead of sweat that ran down his face didn’t go unnoticed. Never once did he sweat when it came to these sorts of tasks. Shedletsky was stressed beyond what they had ever seen of the man, feathers ruffled up and all, hands holding the sides of his head. Builderman was… A mystery, pensive, almost distant. Was that a subtle show of uncertainty?

“Why not ask Mr. Doombringer?”

All three looked at them as if they were looking at a ghost. It wasn’t the worst suggestion. They added,

“He patrols the floor, does he not? There’s a possibility that he may have seen something. If he was there around the time it disappeared, that is.”

The Admins exchanged glances among each other, but only shortly.

“That’s not a bad idea, actually.” Builderman noted, his arms crossed, a closed fist under his chin. His voice was quiet, still heard, but much more hushed in comparison to that authoritative voice he carried. Just a little embarrassed for missing something so obvious, but still appreciative of Clockwork’s reminder. Just one peep in Shedletsky’s direction told the winged Robloxian all he needed to know, marching off in search of the missing employee, easily pushing past the others and disappearing off into the mass. “Sorcus, seriously, help around when you can. Clockwork, if you can too. We need as many hands as we can get on deck.”

“Of course!” Clockwork chimed, watching the wires that were held in front of their face, holding it in confusion, a hum of approval from the engineer followed after.

“Yeah, yeah, not right now, Builder, m’ busy–” A choke. Sorcus removed his hands to clutch his chest tightly, breath caught in his throat, wheezing, “Damn-” He wasn’t one to fall sick, not so quick. Not so suddenly. Something was wrong, Builderman noted this down when he rushed to his other side.

Clockwork was quick to assist, prepared for such a situation, free hand went onto their colleague’s back. “Please, lean forward, elbows onto your knees. Release the tension in your shoulders as best as you can.” The robot chimed, sounding rehearsed.

“I’m fine, kid.” Sorcus waved a hand in dismissal, “Just feelin’ a little heart burn coming on or somethin– Urgh.”

This discomfort, it didn’t feel physical. He was sure his body was more or less fine. He wasn’t the healthiest guy in the world, believed in eating whatever he wanted and enjoying life to the fullest, but it wasn’t as bad as this pain led him on to think. This wasn’t on his body, this was from the soul. It had to be, it wouldn’t be the first time, he was no stranger to it, but this was dangerous. A feeling so overwhelming, the pressure felt like it weighed on him any more.

Sorcus looked up at Builderman, his teeth gritted from the pressure alone, his available hand went up to Builderman’s shoulder, tugging him down to where he sat, “David, what the hell is going on here?” Builderman gave him a weird look.

“Not sure I follow.” The grey Robloxian grumbled, a brow raised slightly, “We’re lookin’-”

“Not that. Don’t kid me. Look, I do my job pretty damn well, I can tell when someone passes, know what it feels like.” Sorcus hissed softly, brows creasing, “That– *That*. That was nothing like anything I've ever felt.”

“I don’t know yet. I’m tryin’ to get to the bottom of this too, but I know about this whole thing as much as you do right now.” Builderman shook his head, unsure. He wasn’t going to deny what Sorcus felt, he knew he was normally sure with these sorts of things. Didn’t doubt what he felt either, something just felt off about it all. Too sudden. He could only hope it would be dealt with soon, hope was the only thing he had right now. That, his team and his wife, thankfully.

“That ain’t normal, David.” An exasperated sigh left the Leader.

“I know if ain’t, but we’re doing as much as we can here. Unless you want to get up and start getting some answers too.”

“You’re a damn secretive man, y’know, if you know something, you have to–”

He stopped mid-sentence to glance back in front. Builderman followed, a soft ‘oh’ leaving him, now looking at a curious Clockwork who was looking between the two.

“Do me a favour, Clock, don’t listen in and don’t go sharing this anywhere. To anyone. Like, ever.” Sorcus hummed, to which the AI let out a cheery ‘okay.’ The leader lifted a brow to look at him, to which Sorcus only shrugged his shoulders.

Builderman’s radio vibrated on his belt urgently, startling a gasp out of him. He opened the channel, lifting it to respond wearily, “Builder speaking.”

“Get down to negative six now!!” Shedletsky’s voice boomed through the speaker, and the leader was quick to pull the device away from his ear. Even Sorcus had to cover his ears, and Clockwork was just Clockwork, but more alert, “Mr. Shedletsky, please… Inside voice.” Jan said in the background.

“... On my way.” Builderman replied, quickly composing himself after the initial surprise. He closed off the channel and looked to Sorcus, who for the first time in a while seemed more serious, not anxious, but tense. Everything seemed to be falling apart so quickly, but Robloxia was strong, he was sure of it. The city, as well as the citizens, but all of this? Within minutes? Telamon, help us all, “Clockwork, you stay up here. I know you’ve only been here about a month or so, but try your best to keep everyone in line and calm. Just– supervise them, okay.”

“Me? I’ve only-...” Clockwork began, but seeing Builderman’s worry, and Sorcus’ sudden sternness, the AI nodded. They were new, and supervising wasn’t exactly their job, but they knew of Builderman’s capability as the head of Robloxia. If he entrusted them of all people to such a task, surely he had to know that they were able to do it, “I’ll see what I can do. Yes. Do take care, the both of you.”

“Thank you, and good luck up here.” Builderman bowed his head in gratitude, quick to walk off and route back to the elevator. However, Sorcus stayed back for a moment and a hand clapped down onto Clockwork’s shoulder. He nodded in approval, no words needed for a brief moment of sincerity before jogging to catch up with the other Admin. Clockwork only watched as they left, noting down the interaction. They’d want to remember that at some point, they figured, but for now, they’ll do what they can until the Admins return.

Click.

The elevator doors had closed in when the two stepped in, only the hisses and whirs as it lowered down, eventually falling below ground level. Builderman tapped his foot against the floor, arms crossed across his chest, but hands gripped tight at his biceps. It didn’t go unnoticed by Sorcus who stole subtle glimpses in his direction.

“Relax.” He said, shoving his hands into his pocket. Sounded a little entertained. Negative three.

“Can’t relax, not at a time like this.” Came the other’s reply, grumbly and low, annoyed, but not at Sorcus, not at all, “Just don’t understand how that crown got snatched. Had to be some real mastermind behind this, y’know? If that crown’s in the wrong hands, there’s no tellin’ what could happen.” Negative four.

“You’re not helping yourself either by stressing about it.” Sorcus snickered, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, “You have to-.” Negative five.

“It’s serious, Sorcus. I can’t stay calm all the time, especially not at a time like this, not when it could be threatening millions of lives.” Builderman interrupted, finally turning to look at his colleague, who seemed a little more, not thoughtful, but intrigued, “We can’t brush this under the ru-.” Negative six.

Ding!

And they were marching out in sync, neutral once again. The halls were empty. Good. That was how it should have been in the first place. They navigated through, sharp lefts and rights taken, only to bump into Brighteyes on the way, who tagged along.

“Hey, well if it isn’t Mrs. Sunshine and Rainbows.” Sorcus joked, voice monotonous, expression more or less blank, “Coming in from R2?”

“Unfortunately… Not a single person has seen it around, nor did they see anyone travel down here in days.” Brighteyes muttered, her brows creasing in worry, only paying Sorcus a glance and then down the hall, where the doors to the system waited, “I had to be vague about it, I didn’t want anyone finding out and causing an uproar…”

“This is just great.” Builderman grumbled, fists clenched.

“Hey, that’s my line.” Sorcus complained.

A pause.

Builderman and Brighteyes stared at Sorcus awkwardly.

“What?”

Builderman shoved the doors open, holding both open to make sure it didn’t hit the other two on the way in. He only stepped in once he was sure that they were holding the door for themselves. Jan and Shedletsky turned to look at the two, one purely horrified in the most comedic way possible, and the other just relieved to see her husband.

“There you are… Roblox here…” Jan pointed to a robot, humanoid by appearance, but hooked up to almost everything within the room, some leading to the walls, and others led to systems itself. It seemed it was all managed by this singular AI, “... He ran through footage over the last twenty four hours. And forty eight. And even seventy two! He can’t find a single thing. Worst of all, some of it’s corrupted and unrecoverable it seems?” She lifted a hand over her mouth, turning back to the rest of the group, “If it were one time frame corrupted, maybe it would have been easier to determine a possible cause, or even who could have done this… But multiple?”

“How in Robloxia could someone just sneak on down here, erase hours of security footage just like that and walk off with probably the most dangerous thing we could ever have.” Shedletsky said, a hand waving in Roblox’s direction, then to the various systems he was connected to, “How are we supposed to figure out anything?” Everyone looked to Sorcus, but he had other plans than to try and look for more work,

“Cheers to our security systems, everyone!” Sorcus chirped unhelpfully, only to squeal and flinch one way when he received a jab in the side from Brighteyes, “Okay, fine. I’ll see what I can do, even though it’s quite literally impossible to get corrupted footage back. The most it’ll come out looking like is refined jumbled up garbage.”

“It’s better than nothing, maybe we can make do with that.” Brighteyes commented, trying to lift everyone’s hope a little, feeling relieved when Jan nodded to agree.

“She’s right, perhaps if we just clear it enough, for even just the smallest details, we can present it to a private investigator for help. Or even try to dissect it ourselves to find what we can.” Jan reasoned, and it seemed everyone could agree on that. Besides Sorcus, who only shook his head slowly in disapproval. Roblox shared through the intercom,

“Warning, increased seismic activity detected. Everyone, brace-”

It felt as if everything stopped moving, everyone was tossed to the side violently, with Shedletsky catching Jan and, well, Sorcus hit the wall but cushioned Brighteyes with an audible ‘oof’. Builderman had caught the railing, a growl leaving him from shock. The monitors had seemed like they shut off, only to flash green for only a second… And a deep laugh rumbled from the speakers, bitcrush-sounding and harsh on the ears. The colour drained from both Builderman and Shedletsky’s faces, looking at each other.

“Son of Telamon, I have to go check on Tara! ‘Scuse me, madam!” Sorcus chimed quickly, gently guiding Brighteyes aside to bolt out. He was a questionable worker, sure, but he was a fairly good husband, it seemed. Builderman would have stopped him if it weren’t for the shock that paralyzed him in the moment, jaw slightly dropped.

“Are you all alright?” Jan called, looking at Builderman, Brighteyes and then Shedletsky before stepping away from him, taking notice of the two men’s terror-filled expressions immediately, then calling in unsureness, “Christina?”

“Think everything’s in the right places…” Brighteyes answered, humming when she was called and following Jan’s gaze. On one hand, she didn’t blame the two, it was sudden and uncalled for, even Roblox couldn’t warn them fast enough before the shift. She looked at the monitors and almost screamed when all the screens seemed to shatter, chips falling to the ground. Jan was the one who did scream though, scrambling away. Shedletsky who seemed to snap out of it first followed suit, backing away from the hazard to join the rest. His arm went around Brighteyes, rubbing her shoulder for her comfort, and even his. His eyes took in the sight before him–While Roblox was more or less fine–the state of the room was a little unsettling. It looked like it had gotten raided out during some sort of apocalypse, all in a matter of seconds.

Jan turned to her spouse, her hands finding his shoulders and squeezing lightly to ground him a little. He didn’t even look present, didn’t even look like he was awake to begin with, just a dead-man walking. “David… What are we going to do?” Jan inquired, her voice soft, mindful of his current state but he never even turned to look at her, “We can’t keep this a secret for long, not after that. I’m sure Robloxia’s going to at least notice that of all things– So… What? Do we postpone the search for the relic and tend to the city?” Only met with silence, she sighed, hands slid to his arms and ran them up and down slowly, “We need to know, what will this mean for Robloxia? Please, talk to me.”

“Maybe we should start lighter? Provide supplies for anyone in Robloxia who was affected more. Same with the experiences, see how fast we can get things runnin’ again?” Brighteyes muttered, shrugging her shoulders when the other woman looked her way, momentarily glancing up to Shedletsky, who only gave her a soft smile, “And let’s divide the work. Some people will… Look for the crown, and the others will help with Robloxia. I think I can come up with a few blueprints to strengthen the supports?”

“It’s not a bad idea. I could help you, see if I can get a few from the Builder’s Club to lend a hand.” Jan offered, appreciative of her help, a gentle gaze returned to Builderman, “I’m not sure what it is about this ‘relic’ that’s so important, my dear, but I think we should consider what’s important and should come first. Robloxia depends on us here at Headquarters.”

Builderman only turned around to look at everyone at the mention of ‘importance’, his look unchanged, still frozen in shock. He seemed bewildered by the words even. Jan decided to give him space, settling beside Brighteyes with her hands over her lap. Brighteyes’ expression saddened, feeling for the two, but Shedletsky empathized with him heavily. He knew the severity of this whole thing better than anyone else at Headquarters. 

“I volunteer to help search for the thing. I’ll scan through what I can, check through the catalog. Get a ban-wave up while I’m at it.” The brunette pitched in, much to the other two’s relief, even giving a thumbs-up. He seemed calm, and in a way he was. If you count wanting to tear your hair out from stress as calm. Still, he could read the room, there was already enough distress going around, adding onto it wouldn’t help, “Right, David?” The shortest of the group had yet to answer, only getting expectant stares in his direction. Shedletsky huffed, he recognized that look all too well, slow steps taken in the Builderman’s direction. Somehow that had moved him enough to get an annoyed scowl. Not seriously, but he couldn't help how he felt in the moment.

“Ladies, allow me please, I’m very fluent in this sorta thing.” Shedletsky began, an arm going around Builderman’s shoulders, scowl accompanied by a skeptical glare immediately. He leaned down to Builderman’s height, “Uh huh. Yeah. I hear you, pal…”

Jan and Brighteyes exchanged glances, to which Brighteyes nervously smiled at the other woman before looking back at her husband.

A pause of silence before Shedletsky cleared his throat,

“We’re screwed.”