Chapter Text
Ragatha’s POV
Caine floated above the stage, glaring down at them. He was more focused on his Awards Show than on that day’s adventure. “Pair up in teams of two. You all get three lives. The last team surviving is the winner. Happy?”
He rushed through the rules, making Ragatha’s head spin. Lives? Survival? Is this going to be like a video game?
Ragatha wasn’t very good at that sort of thing. She’d always been more of an outdoor, tree-climbing girl. This adventure was well outside her comfort zone.
“Uh, not really,” deadpanned Zooble.
“Well, that’s not my problem right now. I have an Awards Show to plan, so you guys are gonna have to handle yourselves for a bit. You get five minutes to figure teams out, and once that’s up, it’s a free-for-all.”
A giant clock appeared above their heads and began counting down. Five minutes wasn’t much time, so Ragatha had to pick someone quickly or risk ending up with Jax. He’d already shot her once; she didn’t trust him not to do it again.
She looked across the room and saw Gangle and Zooble already paired up. They must have discussed it beforehand. That left either Kinger or Pomni. Of the two, she preferred Pomni. Not because Kinger wasn’t capable, but because things had ended awkwardly with Pomni on the last adventure, and she wanted to clear the air.
On the other hand, leaving Kinger with Jax sounded like a disaster waiting to happen. Who knew what sort of trouble they’d get themselves into? That is, if Jax didn’t just shoot him outright.
Before Ragatha could make a decision, Pomni approached her. “Hey, you wanna be on my team?” she asked.
Ragatha hesitated. Surely this was Pomni offering her an olive branch? If they were paired together, they’d get a chance to talk. Just the two of them; no outside interruptions.
“Oh, I’d love to, but…” Ragatha trailed off. She glanced at Kinger, who was swatting at a swarm of butterflies. “Do you think Kinger will be okay paired with Jax?”
“I’ve seen Kinger handle himself before. He’s quite capable with a shotgun,” said Pomni.
“Really?” Ragatha hadn’t known that. “I-I guess he’ll be alright…”
“If you prefer to team up with him instead, then I—”
“No,” Ragatha cleared her throat awkwardly. “I mean, no, I’d rather be on a team with you.”
Pomni smiled and offered her hand. “Then put it there, partner.”
Ragatha chuckled, but shook her hand anyway. She hoped that by the end of the day, some of the awkwardness would fade, and they could start fresh.
Jax’s POV
Jax crossed his arms and pouted. Since Gangle refused to partner with him, and Pomni asked Ragatha, he’d be stuck with Kinger—a dead weight.
It wasn’t fair.
Why didn’t Gangle want to team up with him? They were always together. No matter the group task or adventure, it was him and Gangle. He thought she enjoyed his teasing.
He felt a weight pressing on his chest, making it hard to breathe. Jax didn’t understand why things were changing. Everyone had a role to play. It was the only way to survive this hellhole. Why veer off course now?
He’d known Gangle for years. She was never truly happy, even when she wore her comedy mask. That’s why it broke every day. It was inevitable. So why pretend? Why team up with Zooble?
Jax felt his breathing quicken. He had to regain control of himself before panic took hold. He couldn’t lose it here, not while the others were watching.
Slowly, painstakingly so, Jax forced his fear down, burying it along with all his other emotions. Then he grinned from ear to ear, slipping back into character. Nothing could harm him when he played into his cartoon persona. Words meant nothing to him. They bounced off him like his skin was made of rubber.
Right. Time to find Kinger and come up with a plan. He’d still like to win this if he could.
“Hey, you ready or whatever?” asked Jax.
Kinger was startled by his question. “Huh?”
“Yep, figures,” he deadpanned.
They’d be lucky to make it out of this alive.
Zooble’s POV
Zooble gently nudged Gangle and nodded towards the others. “Those are some interesting pairings.”
Gangle followed their gaze and saw Jax standing with Kinger, while Ragatha was animatedly talking with Pomni. “Huh, I thought Kinger would’ve been Jax’s last pick,” she said.
“He is,” snorted Zooble. “He just doesn’t have a choice in the matter.”
Good on Ragatha. She finally stood up for herself, just like Zooble did for Gangle. No one deserves to be tormented, especially by a guy as pathetic as Jax.
All Zooble wanted was for Gangle to enjoy herself, especially after she’d entrusted her mask to them. Despite all these adventures, they hadn’t yet been paired up. Gangle had always been stuck with Jax. But since this was an in-house adventure, Zooble might as well make the most of it and spend time with their favourite person.
“Let me know if things get too intense for you, okay?” said Zooble. “I don’t doubt that Jax will target us first.”
“I’ll be fine,” said Gangle, smiling up at them. “Because we’ll be together.”
Zooble’s face softened. How did such a kind-hearted person end up in the Circus? Gangle deserved so much better. They’d make sure of that.