Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Adrenaline pumps through their veins as they drop down to the ground, their feet hitting the graveyard dirt in Yorick's resting place.

Two Time rises from their crouch, assessing their surroundings before stabbing the ground, the holy Spawn's symbol glowing on the ground. Their usual smile is etched on their face, and they turn around to see Elliot.

"Ah, Elliot! It is good to see you." Their smile quirks up a bit. "I assume you wish to be escorted to the nearest generator?"

"... Sure, it'd be appreciated." He gives a nod of acknowledgement, but his shoulders are tense as he stares at them for a second. Two Time follows behind Elliot as he crouches next to the generator that they'd luckily spawned next to, his hands digging in the wires.

Two Time kneels down as well, their thin fingers working through the generator. They weren't a mechanic, by any means- but years of being trapped in this purgatory with the other survivors meant that they had to get good at it.

They grin as they get up, wiping their brow as Elliot finished the generator. "A good day's worth of work! As the Spawn intended- this shall be a great boon to the others..."

Elliot just ignores their rambling as they follow behind him. There's the sound of manic, childish laughter in the distance.

Two Time's smile twitched. "Ah- the demon child. I shall deal with him- no worries." They sprint forward into action, their tail streamlining behind them as they crouch down, hide behind a corner, and...

"Tag, you're- ACK!" Two Time springs forward, their dagger landing true behind c00lkidd's back.

"That huuurt!" He warbles out with his distorted voice, sounding close to tears. Two Time does not care- they run off, leaving someone else to deal with c00lkidd when he eventually recovers from the stun.

Unfortunately, that someone is Chance. "Hey!" They complain as Two Time rushes past them. "No fair! I've only got one heads here!"

"You will have to make do. May Spawn bless you." Two Time hastily says, panting heavily. They move like a cheetah, and Chance yelps as c00lkidd hurls a brick at him.

"AUGH- eh, screw it! One's enough!" Chance holds out their flintlock, aims...

And it proceeds to blow up in their hand, instantly killing them. Two Time can only be happy at the fact that he bought them a minute to run away and meet up with another survivor.

Elliot is panting alongside them, and he perks up. "Oh! Dusekkar- need some healing?"

The admin is floating by, holding his arm with a gash on it- seems like c00lkidd managed to land a hit on him. He nods. "May I request a bite to eat, for protecting the team is no easy feat?"

Elliot tosses a pizza, and Dusekkar hastily 'eats' it, disappearing the moment it touches his body. The mage's wound clears up.

"I thank thee for healing my soul, without your help this group would not feel whole."

Two Time simply watches the two interact, while hastily glancing back to see if c00lkidd had found them yet. A pizza delivery minion stumbles in, dragging it's feet on the ground and kicking up a few sparks of flame.

Obviously, Two Time warns Elliot. "The demon child's minion is inbound!"

"Oh, are you kidding me-"

"THERE YOU ARE!" c00lkidd gleefully shouts, seemingly appearing from nowhere as they crash into Two Time. They stumble back, hissing as they scramble for their blade, but realize that it's on cooldown.

Two Time scrambles to run, but the monstrous child is faster. He giggles maliciously as he grabs them by the neck, lifting them up.

"That wasn't very nice of you to hit me like that!" He complains. "Now, go to sleep!"

His hand clenches around Two Time's throat, and they thrash in his grip, punching and kicking. Their tail furiously lashes behind them, and then...

SNAP!

Their neck is broken effortlessly, and their vision goes dark.

Dusekkar, by some miracle, survived that round. He'd found Guest 1337 and Builderman near the mansion, and with the help of the two, managed to wait out the round until he woke up back at the cabin's table.

He groans, looking up. Elliot is there too, and the mage gives him a curt nod.

"I congratulate you for living through such a plight- for that, I wish you and the others have a good night." Dusekkar says politely.

"Thanks." Elliot sighs, and Builderman pats Dusekkar on the back. "You 'right?"

"I am fine, as you can see- there is nothing that troubles me." Dusekkar gets up from his seat, and goes back to the main room of the large cabin.

The rest of the survivors in the round seem to be doing fine. Two Time is there, but... they're currently asleep, their chest rising and falling as they doze on the couch.

Chance waves them over. "Hey there, pumpkin." He cracks a grin. "You too, Elliot. I'm gettin' kinda worried here..."

"For what?" Elliot raises an eyebrow. "Are you hurt?"

"Nah, I'm fine. But like... Two Time's completely knocked out." They poke the cultist on the side, and they don't even flinch. "They've been like this since they spawned back. Not at the table, but like- the couch and all that."

Not unusual. Sometimes the survivors spawned randomly on the couches and chairs scattered about the main cabin- Builderman called it a "bug" from whatever was keeping them trapped in here.

"I fail to see how this is concerning, for there is nothing unusual in them returning. Their slumber seems peaceful and their health fine, so what makes you think this is not benign?" Dusekkar looks down at Two Time with some disdain.

The admin's dislike of Two Time wasn't a secret to the other survivors. In fact, it seemed like the only one who wasn't aware of this was Two Time themself, who kept on trying to preach about the Spawn to Dusekkar, regardless of how much he visibly disliked it.

"If you ask me, it is good that they are asleep- for then they are silent and cannot make a peep."

"That's the thing! I mean- yeah, I'd usually be glad the weirdo's not running their mouth off about Spawn but like- I tripped and fell on them! And they STILL didn't wake up!" Chance laments.

"... I guess they're really tired?" Elliot suggests. Chance's concern about Two Time was kind of out of the ordinary to him- seeing that most of the cabin avoided them from their general bad vibes.

"No, you don't understand! My gun went off by accident- BAM! And they still didn't wake up!" Chance shouts, looking worried. "Did c00lkidd actually kill them?!"

"They're clearly breathing, Chance." Elliot grumbles, facepalming. "But you're right. That is kinda concerning..."

He looks up to see a bullet lodged in the log cabin's roof. Dusekkar decides to float over to Builderman and remind his boss that there were repairs to be done tomorrow.

"I say don't worry about it. They're hard to kill- kinda like a roach." Elliot says, elbowing Two Time's slumbering body. "I mean, with their whole 'second life' thing, they kinda are like that."

Just as Elliot says this, Two Time's body begins to shift as they mumble, letting out a soft 'mmgh'. Their tail shifts, and they turn around.

"See? They're completely fine." Elliot says.

"Huh. Thought it was gonna be worse." Chance mutters, looking baffled. "Guess you're right. I'll let them rest- they're probably gonna wake up tomorrow anyways."

'Mmph... Where...'

'Where am I...?'

'Last thing I remember, I fell asleep filling out a job application and... and it said...'

'...'

'... Wh- WHAT?! WHY DO I- WHY DO I LOOK LIKE THIS?! WHY AM I-?'

'It's- God, this can't be real, i-it- it can't be real...'

'Right, this... this is just a dream! A really bad fever dream! I really shouldn't have overworked myself...'

'...'

'... Ha. How ironic that I ended up as... them. I guess my mind is really trying to make a point here, then.'

'I'll just... go back to sleep. And if I still wake up in this dream... I'll just play along with it.'

'... Yeah.'

Chapter Text

“Mornings” were usually peaceful in the Spectre’s realm. Tense, yes- but peaceful. The air had that eerie stillness to it that nobody could comment on.

That all was broken by a high-pitched shriek from the main cabin. “DEMON!”

Guest 1337, always the heroic one, sprints into the cabin only to see a frightened Two Time perched on the couch, looking at Dusekkar. “B-back, demon! Back to the pit of hell where you came from!”

Dusekkar looks at them, insulted. “You seem to have forgotten who I am, for as much as I feel disdain towards you, we are both damned.”

”What in tarnation is going on here?!” Builderman grumbles, opening the door to his quarters. Everyone seems to have been woken up by Two Time’s panicked shrieking.

 “I-I-!” Two Time’s eyes dart over to Builderman and Guest, then to a yawning Shedletsky that had just walked in the room. “Hey guys- wow you’re all up early…”

”You!” They quickly dart behind the winged man, still trembling like a leaf as their tail lashes back and forth. “Save me, o angel of the Lord!”

”Angel?” Shedletsky’s wings flap a bit, flattered but confused. “I’m honored, but I’m married, buddy. My wife’s gonna kill you if she sees you hitting on me.”

”I am not-!” Two Time sputters, looking insulted. “I would never be such a whore as to tempt you into infidelity! Especially not an angel of the Lord!”

Everyone in the room bursts into confused exclamations at Two Time’s cussing- and especially because they somehow managed to bypass the filter.

”Wh- language, Two Time’s! That sort of profanity is not tolerated here, even if we’re trapped!”

”Oh, ####, how’d you even do that?”

”Pfft- ahahah!”

Shedletsky was the only admin to find it hilarious that the one thing that made the usually devout cultist cuss was this.

Two Time wilts at all the attention in them, shrinking back and hiding behind Shedletsky’ms wings. They try to inch away from sight, but Builderman stops them.

”Now, I don’t know how you did that, but that ain’t right. Don’t call Dusekkar a demon, you know how much he protects the group.”

”… O-okay.” Two Time stutters out. They look… unusually meek and overwhelmed. “I’m sorry. I- I must have had a nightmare and lashed out.”

“Your apology is forgiven, for a grudge I have not driven.” Dusekkar says, looking only slightly miffed.

Nightmares were common in the Spectre’s realm. Nothing was unusual here.

Guest crosses his arms and looks at Two Time’s, who carefully steps out behind Shedletsky’s shadow. He sighs. “I guess we’re going to have to start our day early… everyone’s awake now.”

”I- I’m sorry for also waking you all up. It was unsightly of me to scream in such a way.” Two Time bows a bit. “I- if there is any chores that need to be done, I shall do them all.”

”Just go hunting and gathering in the woods like usual.” Guest 1337 points outside to the open cabin door. “It’s your turn for that, anyways. Taph will be joining you.”

Taph waves at them, and she goes to Two Time’s side as he pulls out some tripwire.

”👋😊 👍⏰☀️” He greets them.

Two Time politely nods. The both of them leave the cabin.

Taph sets up some tripwires, not limited by just the maximum amount of three that always happens during the rounds. Their head-wings are tucked inside their hood, to prevent themselves from making too much noise and scaring off the prey.

Usually, Two Time would be going invisible, crouching and stalking around the place to see if they could hunt the small animals that periodically spawned in the woods.

They were just… standing there. Nervously fiddling with their knife, looking at Taph work. Their eyes dart over to their handiwork, and they nod.

”Do I… Do I stab? When- whatever gets stuck in the string?”

She nods. They ready their knife, and nervously crouch down.

Two Time’s invisibility activates on instinct as they sneak around, but when they look down at their transparent hand they squeak and jump up, as if surprised to see themselves.

”A-ack!” The invisibility immediately wears off as their hands wave and they fall back a bit. “What was that?!”

“❓🫵💭❌🫥"

"Invisibility? I... how'd I even do that?"

Two Time looks genuinely disoriented and confused. Taph is worried- how did they even forget?

"I'm not sure, I- pardon." They clear their throat. "I don't seem to remember a lot of things. I feel... odd."

"🤒🦠🫵❓" Taph asks, worried. Her hands sign a bit faster than usual from their concern, and Two Time squints, looking embarrased.

"I- please repeat yourself. I think you went a bit too fast with the signing..."

"🤒 - 🦠 - 🫵 -❓"

"... What's the second word you signed?"

Taph has to spell it out, slightly confused. "S-I-C-K." Didn't Two Time already understand sign language better than this? They must be really sick if this was the case...

"I- sick? No, I don't feel..." They glance down at their hands, before perking up at the sound of rustling bushes.

A snow-white rabbit hops through the clearing, unaware of the cultist and the demolitionist. Taph kneels down, her dark robe obscuring herself in the shadows.

"🗡️🍖🍳❗" He gently pushes Two Time forward, even as the cultist seems hesitant.

They crouch down, slowly approaching the unaware rabbit. Their hand is shaking as they grip the dagger, raise it high, and-

Two Time's hand drops down. "I- I can't do this, I-" They look at the rabbit's innocent-looking eyes, and it hops away as Two Time stands up.

Taph furrows his brows underneath his hood. Something was clearly wrong. Why aren't they hunting properly?

"I'm... I'm not used to this. Hunting is men's work." They complain. "I'll just... go gather berries and herbs."

They hand Taph their dagger- red flag number two- and they walk off into the darkness.

When Two Time enters back into the cabin, Taph and Dusekkar are talking to each other. Her head wings fluff up in confusion.

"🕑🗡️ 🤝🫴🗡️ 🤨❓"

"They have entrusted their dagger to you, right out of the blue? Something is amiss, for they would never usually do this."

Dusekkar looks deep in though, and he glances to Two Time as they try to slip by, holding a crate full of berries and herbs.

"And what do you suppose you are doing? From what I can tell, trouble is brewing."

Two Time freezes on the spot, their eyes going wide. They shyly place the basket of gathered food onto the floor, dusting their hands off. "I-is this not good enough? I- I'm really sorry that I didn't kill that rabbit for dinner, Ms. Taph, but-"

Taph holds her hands up and shakes her head 'no'. He's not so worried about Two Time passing up some meat- she's more concerned about why Two Time was acting so off.

He hands back the dagger, and Two Time stares at it a bit before taking it back and tucking it in their belt. "Thank you. But as I was about to say, I- I have not hunted before."

"That itself is untrue, for in the past hunting duties have gone to you." Dusekkar says, looking unamused. "So tell me- what plagues your mind, for you to have declined?"

They wring their hands, and their eyes dart over to Taph's head-wings. Their eyes widen for a bit, before they stutter out a quiet apology. "I- I don't know- I feel as if I am dreaming, like this isn't real-"

"My mind is- is..." Their mouth twitches. "Elsewhere. I apologize to Ms. Taph."

Dusekkar and Taph are quiet for a moment. The admin thinks this is the longest he's heard Two Time not mention the Spawn or try and preach to them.

"There is no need to apologize, for I can see the regret in your eyes. We are simply concerned for your well-being, as much as I do not see myself agreeing."

Two Time was known as the resident 'crazy person' of the cabins. They definitely had some kind of mental condition, hearing voices and constantly looking like they were on 20 benadryl and seeing the hat man. In fact, this was the most lucid that they've been in ages.

"I'm fine." They insist, looking nervous. "I- I don't know why you're all looking at me like I'm crazy, because I'm not crazy-"

Taph and Dusekkar look at each other, and Taph flaps their head-wings a bit. Two Time jumps and yelps. "Ah! A-apologies, angel of the Lord, I- I did not notice!"

Taph waves her arms around, looking a bit embarrased- she's not an angel! Just a hybrid! Dusekkar shakes his head.

Two Time stares at them for a moment, before coughing a bit. "And- I would also like to apologize for calling you Ms. Taph when you are a man. Please, forgive my transgression-"

"👋😦👌 ⚧️❗👍♀️♂️❗"

"I- what?" Two Time doesn't seem to understand him. "I- what does that sign mean? You just signed male-female-water."

"She's trying to say 'genderfluid', Two Time." Chance butts in, snickering. "Didn't you forget?"

Two Time seems to have blanked out a bit, as if the gears in their brain are turning. They blink, before realization sets in. "Ooooh! You're one of them queers!"

Chance, who was sipping some water, spits it out. Taph makes a choked sound, and Dusekkar looks baffled.

"T-Two Time. Pal." Chance coughs and tries not to wheeze, hunching over the coffee table. "What do you- m-mean by that?"

"I'm not exactly familiar by what a 'genderfluid' is, but I accept you." They give an earnest, gentle smile and a thumbs-up. "May the Lord bless you, and may nobody judge you for who you are."

"❓❓❓" Taph is absolutely baffled. Dusekkar tries to say something, but words escape him at the moment.

"Two Time. Buddy. Pal." Chance has to catch his breath from cackling. "You're  queer. You're non-binary."

"I AM???"

"❓❓❓❓❓❓❓"

How in the world did Two Time forget the fact that they were non-binary? Something was definitely up.

Dusekkar pulls Taph aside to talk while glancing at Two Time. They continue to ramble, sounding confused and trying to backtrack.

"I- I mean- I suppose I am??? If you say so?" They look distressed. "How much- how much have I missed? Am I losing my mind? What's going on here?"

"I suspect that something new has afflicted our teammate's mind, for they have forgotten themself in kind." Dusekkar says.

"🕑🗡️ 🧠❌ 💭❓" Taph questions if they've forgotten a lot of their memories.

"We shall have to wait and see if they return back to their senses, for when they have forgotten much they are defenseless."

Chapter Text

There wasn't a lot of time to question Two Time's apparent amnesia- because the next round could start at any time.

Chance is still trying to explain the fact that yes, he was non-binary too, even if he used he/him pronouns, and Noob had joined in with trying to help regain Two Time's memories.

"You don't even remember how to do that weird respawning thing?" Noob asks. Two Time looks baffled and slightly offended. "Re... spawning? Like resurrection?"

"What?! Isn't that like, your whole thing?!" Chance asks, holding their head. "You're always telling us to 'praise the Spawn' or whatever! What's gotten into you?"

Two Time flinches. "Is that... a bad thing?" They look uncomfortable.

"No, I-I think it's much calmer when you're not acting crazy or creeping us out..." Noob stutters.

"Oh..."

The three of them are just chatting among themselves. Two Time is exponentially less creepy or unsettling when not trying to recruit them into their religion.

"Wait wait wait- so you don't remember anything? Not even us?" Chance asks, pointing to himself. "What do you think my name is?"

"I didn't- I'm not clueless, Chance. I'm just... confused." Two Time makes a face. "I don't know what you're like, but I... sort or remember your name."

"Well then, what do I do?"

"You..." Two Time squints at the gambler. "... Kiss men? I don't know, you dress like a homosexual."

Chance immediately bursts out into laughter, and Noob looks absolutely lost at Two Time's answer. "W-wha?"

"What else am I supposed to say?!" Two Time throws their hands up. "You are queer, are you not? Do you kiss men?"

"I- pfft- no!" Chance lets out an amused chuckle. "I'm too busy running my casino for that! Besides, I don't think you can criticize my sense of fashion when you dress like that!"

Two Time looks embarrassed and mortified. "I have no other clothes!" They grab a blanket and cover their shoulders and chest consciously. "It's not my fault that I had to dress like a harlot! I should be in a modest dress, not- this!"

"Don't worry." Noob gently pats them on the back. "There's not a lot of spare clothes in the cabin- since we're kind of trapped here, but maybe we can find something to change things up."

"Thank you. I- really appreciate it." Two Time bows their head a bit, their tail wagging back and forth. It brushes against their thigh, and they jump in surprise, as if they'd forgotten they had it.

Two Time stares at their tail like it's a snake, and their eyes widen. They gently pinch one of the spikes, and their tail twitches.

They get up, trying to chase their own tail. Noob watches the sight with a little bit of wonder, while Chance continues to wheeze. "O-oh my admins- you forgot about your own tail too?!"

Two Time is too occupied chasing their own tail, trying to turn around and bat at it. Noob is reminded of his own cat back at home.

"They remind me of Tac..." She comments.

Their amusement fades as they hear the chime of the grandfather clock in the main cabin's lobby, and Two Time looks concerned at how everyone seems to be tensing up. "W-what? What's going on?"

"It's time for a round." Chance sighs, getting up and getting their coin out of their pocket. He gives it a single flip before catching it with his hand, sighing. "I hope you remembered enough, because it's gonna be a heck of a hard time tryna run from a killer without knowing what they do."

"K-killer?!" They squeak out, scrambling back. Their tail puffs up like a scared cat.

It all goes black.

Guest 1337 heard that something was up with Two Time, but he didn't realize that they were this different.

He watches as they hide in the corner, trembling as they glance at John Doe chasing Elliot around. He runs up to them, looking frustrated. "Two Time!"

They jump up, and their eyes widen in fear as they look up at him. "A- ah... sir- I-"

"Why aren't you helping protect the others?" He says. Guest realizes that he may have sounded a tad bit harsh at first, so he softens his voice. "You've got that dagger- and Elliot needs someone to get the killer off his back."

"T-that monster?" They glance over at John Doe, their hands shaking. "I- I'm not sure-"

"You can do it." Guest pats them on the back. He wants to run in there and take a hit himself, but his block and punch were on 'cooldown'.

This hell didn't just trap them here- it slowed down their power, sapped their strength. It's not that he doesn't want to protect them- he can't, his body failing to make the motions when he wants to block or punch.

Without his cooldown, his punch and block are just normal. He couldn't hurt or stun the killer in any meaningful way.

Two Time takes in a shaky breath, their legs faltering a bit as they crouch and stalk John Doe. They clumsily flip their blade into their hand, trying to get a good grip.

They raise their hand, but it shakes- and John Doe turned around.

They look like a deer in headlights, shaking and freezing in place as the killer runs straight towards them. They raise their knife, stumbling as they side-step John Doe's first slash.

Two Time is completely silent, breathing heavily as their vision narrows and everything fades out, nothing in front of them registering except for the enraged monster in front of them.

The killer gets a good slash on their shoulder, and they let out a pained whimper, their eyes widening in... shock?

John Doe grabs them by the throat, and Two Time screams. It's a high-pitched, guttural screech of terror, loud enough to shatter eardrums.

They writhe around in the killer's grasp, their hand flying out and jabbing their dagger in his arm. John Doe roars in pain as Two Time drags the blade down, sending blood splattering onto themself and on John's shirt.

He drops them. They bolt off, chest heaving as they breathe heavily, passing by Guest 1337 and Elliot. The pizza man chases behind them, tossing a pizza to their back. "Here!"

Two Time's body absorbs the pizza, but they're still running, their eyes unfocused. John Doe chases behind them, then stabs his arm down to summon his spikes.

Two Time doesn't dodge- they get hit directly, screaming in pain as their arm is impaled by the spike. They struggle to pull their arm away, wincing and shaking like they're unused to the pain.

John Doe stalks up on them, and Guest 1337 rushes in, raising up his arm to block. The killer snarls, hitting Guest's arm, and the soldier glares at John as he pulls his arm back.

"Run!" He punches John Doe directly in the chest, hearing a 'crack' as a rib breaks. The killer roars out in pain, having not used his ability to stop the stun.

Two Time has already run out in the way, their tail whipping behind them as they sprint off. Guest 1337 is left facing the killer on his own, gritting his teeth as Elliot Stands behind him.

"Elliot- go! Get the others like Two Time!" He shouts out. "I'll hold him off!"

Taph is busy setting up traps next to Builderman, looking up at the admin with the tripwires he's set up. Builderman gives her a thumbs up.

"Good job, partner. Thanks for workin' on this spot." He gives them a smile and a nod. "My sentry's gonna be nice and secure with that subspace tripmine you've got there."

Taph nods and his head-wings flap a bit in happiness. There's the sound of panting and whimpering as something- no, someone runs into their little nest.

Two Time collapses in the corner, panting and soaked in blood. Their eyes are unfocused, their hair disheveled- so they looked normal.

Taph glance down at them, and glances away. If Two Time was acting crazy again, then it was just business as usual. They left Two Time to have a breakdown.

Builderman frowns, wanting to help them- but he glances at the blood-stained dagger tucked in their belt and goes back to working on building a dispenser instead.

Nobody's willing to help Two Time. It was a harsh truth- but it was better than risking their well-being or getting them on another tirade about their lord and savior Spawn.

They're the loneliest survivor, with only 007n7 being just as isolated as them.

They simply sat there, panting and bleeding out. Their eyes slowly come back to focus as they clutch their arm, right where the wound from John Doe they'd received.

It's healed, courtesy of Elliot's pizza- but they're still clutching it as if reeling from the pain.

 "TDon't you got a killer to stun?" Builderman asks, and they shudder.

They look at him, their eyes filled with terror. Builderman feels like something is wrong- there's a pang in his chest that something's wrong, but he's not sure why Two Time is becoming so skittish now out of all times.

"Two Time." He says, sighing. "Well?"

They look down at their shaking, bloodstained hands, then back at Builderman and Taph. They open their mouth, wanting to protest, but then close it.

"O-okay." They mutter, slowly standing up and shakily getting out of the safe area. Builderman frowns.

"Taph. You know why they ain't actin' like usual?" He asks, turning to the demolitionist. "Two Time's been through this before. Why are they getting spooked now outta all times?"

Taph simply shrugs and shakes her head. She signs hastily to Builderman as she sees John Doe approach their area.

"🫤🤷❓" It seems that even Taph doesn't know.

"Then I guess we gotta figure out what's gotten into 'em. I never thought I'd say this- but them actin' all normal is makin' me uneasy."

All the survivors that managed to survive the killer's wrath teleported back to the cabin, sitting at the wooden table. Guest 1337 is hunched over, panting as he shakily sits up. Elliot is just besides him, along with Chance.

"Woah there, big guy..." They pat him on the back. "Take a breather. You took one heck of a hit for us back there. I think you would've been toast if it wasn't for Elliot throwing that pizza."

"Thank you. A lot." He sucks in a breath, then exhales. There's countless scars on his body, but none of them are from the killers- the survivors always have their wounds healed at the end of a round, all ready for the next one.

Dusekkar, on the other hand, glances at Builderman. His boss is talking to Taph, acting like something was up.

"I'm tellin' ya- Two Time was shakin' like a newborn deer. They've been doin' this with us for ages- what's stopping them now?"

Two Time doesn't seem to hear their name. They slowly get up from the table, and quietly slip out of the cabin.

The admin doesn't like them, to be honest. His disdain and distrust of them is evident. But the way they were acting makes him want to figure out the puzzle that was happening right in front of him.

"Yo, where are you going, Dusekkar?" Shedletsky glances at the mage, and he sighs. "I am going to check on their well-being, for from our gazes they have been fleeing."

"Their behavior is unusual and strange, and I intend to get to the bottom of this change."

He exits the cabin and looks around. It takes a while to find Two Time- they weren't in their cabin, in fact, they were in the woods somewhere, sobbing and hiding their face.

Curious and curiouser. Dusekkar feels a sort of pity for them, as misguided as they are. He floats closer to them, and clears his throat.

"What are you doing out in the cold? Is there something within you that you are trying to withhold?"

"..." Two Time curls up, hugging their knees closer. "It all feels like a bad dream."

Dusekkar is quiet as they mutter. "I don't... I don't remember things. I- I just- woke up here. I don't know what's going on, why this is happening-"

"I have to protect you guys, right?" They glance at Dusekkar. "I- I'm so sorry that I wasn't able to. I'm- I'm not used to doing it."

The admin kneels down next to the cultists, trying to comfort them and coax more information out of them. "What change did your rest bring, to make you forget everything?"

"Not- not everything, Mr. Dusekkar." They meekly say. "I- I know some things, but- it's sparse. I've even forgotten most of myself, aside from... a few things."

Two Time looks down at the ground. "... Is this how it feels to be here? I... I feel so alone. My heart hurts and I don't know why."

"..." Dusekkar is quiet as Two Time slowly breaks down- more than they already have. Their odd moment of lucidity shouldn't unnerve him- it should make him relieved, that they weren't preaching about the Spawn, but...

"Maybe you should leave me alone, sir." They say, their voice quiet. "I... I'm feeling really tired..."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Two Time slumps down in a deep sleep. Dusekkar looks stunned, but gets up and tries to get them to wake up.

"Two Time." He says, looking worried. He shakes their shoulder, getting no response. If not for the rise and fall of their chest, he'd think they were dead.

Dusekkar quickly floats back to the cabin, calling out for someone to help. "Guest, if I may ask- I need your strength for an important task!"

"Alright, I'm coming over."

Noob isn't sure what to make of Two Time's sudden change in personality. Nothing out of the ordinary happened out in the round with c00lkidd, but why did they turn out this way?

Two Time is back on the cabin couch again, slumped over and sleeping peacefully. The survivors around them were talking over each other, arguing about what was up with them.

"I think they just got so crazy that it just looped back around to them being normal." Shedletsky says, shrugging as he bites into some chicken.

"I mean, that sounds kind of rude if you put it that way." 007n7 frowns, crossing his arms. "You shouldn't talk about them that way, even if they are a bit... unstable."

"I think they're more fun when they're like this!" Chance lets out a bit of a laugh. "They're funny! Didn't even know they were non-binary until I told them!"

"I think that's more concerning than funny, Chance..."

The survivors are interrupted as Two Time shifts with a groan, stretching and blinking open their eyes. "H-huh...?"

"Oh! Two Time, you're back!" Chance greets them with a smile. "How was the rest?"

"I have rested well, praise the Spawn." They give Chance a wide smile, closing their eyes and nodding. "Although, I am confused as to how long I have been asleep."

"What do you mean? You passed out in the middle of the forest with Dusekkar." Guest 1337 says, looking concerned. "We saw you running from John Doe?"

"Are you mistaken?" Two Time looks baffled. "I was just in a round with the demon child, last I recall. Are you certain that you were not dreaming?"

The survivors look at each other, and Noob coughs, trying to explain it to them. "So... you don't remember what happened the last few hours?"

"I have been asleep for hours?!" Two Time looks shocked. "How slothful of me! I should have woken up and done my duties..."

Guest 1337 gets them out of the cabin, looking sheepish. "Maybe you should go hunting... we weren't able to get a lot of meat without you."

"Ah! Of course, it was my turn to hunt next, correct?" Two Time gets up, stretching their arms and taking their knife out of their belt. "I shall make haste."

After they leave, Builderman furrows his brow. "They're just- back to normal, just like that?"

"Normal isn't exactly how I would describe their state, for their mind has been oddly lucid as of late." Dusekkar says, gripping his staff. "They are back to their frenzied self, as detrimental as it is for their health."

While the others chat amongst themselves, Noob is pondering what he's seen with Two Time. It's at the tip of her tongue, and she's trying to remember what exactly Two Time's deal is.

They gasp as it hits them. "Oh! So that's what it is!"

"What?" Chance leans on the couch, looking curious. "Did you figure out what's up with them?"

"Do you think they have DID? I mean, dissociative identity disorder?" Noob asks.

"Oh, that makes a lot of sense actually..."

"Yeah, that sounds reasonable."

There's a lot of understanding from the other survivors that yeah- Two Time, a person who's shown a history of mental problems before, was dissociating the last few hours. Not their usual dissociating where they didn't say anything or disappeared for hours on end, but with a completely different personality and selective amnesia.

"But why would they be showing the symptoms now? Haven't they ben here with us for years now?" Guest 1337 asks, worried. "What happened in that round with c00lkidd?"

"Nothing unusual, really..." Elliot responds. "Well- unless you're talking about the fact that they fell asleep and didn't wake up until hours later."

"Perhaps it is because their head experienced quite the hit, for after the child downed them they were thrown and their head split?" Dusekkar supplies.

Because after Two Time had been killed by c00lkidd that round, the child had thrown their body with a bit of force, accidentally cracking their head against a wall. It was a grisly sight, but nothing unusual for the Spectre's realm.

In fact, the idea that Two Time could have been affected by this is absurd- their wounds have never carried over from a round before post-mortem.

But alas, that was the best explanation they had for their teammate's odd behavior. Only time could tell if it was going to happen again.

Chapter Text

All the others have been acting off recently. Two Time knows this, because all of the other survivors are staring at them as if they'd grown a second head.

Chance walks up to them and tries to crack a joke- something about them not knowing that he was non-binary? How baffling!

As distant as their mind was some times, Two Time is certain that they know about that! The Spawn accepts all- no exceptions!

Dusekkar was also questioning towards their beliefs again. It is such a bore, having to deal with the admin when he was badgering them about the Spawn. What does he know about it?

"Two Time, I once again ask you to clarify- why should the Spawn care if one lives or dies? It does not have a doctrine one must abide, and any who say it does speaks nothing but lies."

"How dare you?!" Two Time hisses. "The Spawn requires absolute faith! It is absolutely baffling that an esteemed admin such as you does not understand his holy mission."

"..." Dusekkar gives them a look, looking weary. "You cannot change your mind- truly, to your own deceptions you are blind?"

"Blind? No, no, you do not understand- I am the only one here who can truly see." They spread out their hands.

"You, admin- divine pumpkin- I respect you. But the Spawn's word is infinitely more credible than yours." They say.

Dusekkar simply shakes his head and floats away, an expression of disdain on his face. Two Time ignores him, and focuses on Chance.

"Heeey! Nice seeing ya!" Chance lets out a laugh, patting them on the back.

Normally, the rest of the survivors would be freaked out by them- but Chance seems to be willing to take a gamble today.

"Ah, Chance... it is good to see you as well." They give them a smile- it looks a bit too wide, but as unsettling as it was, it was genuine.

Chance's own grin wavers a bit in nervousness, but they hold out some cards. "Wanna play poker with me? The others are busy, but I'm bored..."

"Playing poker?" Two Time raises a brow. They're on the edge about playing cards with Chance- doing so is not a sin, but knowing the gambler's greed and recklessness, they were hesitance.

'He's a sinful fool.' Their mind supplies. 'He's trying to tempt you into the sin of greed. Why listen to a heretic?'

Two Time shakes their head, clearing it for a bit. "I am... unsure." They say. "No betting."

"Aw, man..." Chance huffs, looking slightly down but perking up. "But you'll let me teach you how to play, right?"

"I will. But I shall not be tempted into your sinful gambling and boozing, Chance."

"Pfft, alright..." He snickers. "I just won't use anything to bet. There's no cash or chips here anyways."

"That does not matter. The sin of greed persists without monetary gain."

As they sit at one of the tables, holding their cards as Chance talks on and on. Their mind wanders as they glance at everyone else, who tries to avert their gazes as Two Time looks back.

They feel like a martyr. Let them talk- it doesn't matter to Two Time.

It does.

They were the only enlightened one here- the only one who followed the Spawn's teachings. They feel like they're the reason why the Spawn has shown these damned souls mercy, and why they respawn after their deaths in the trials.

This purgatory is meant to punish them and wash away their sins. Why else are they suffering?

"Hey- you still here, Two Time?" Chance waves their hand in front of their face. "Hellooo? Two Time?"

Two Time blinks, and looks back down at their cards. They have a two, ten, seven, and five of spades. Their fifth card is an ace of spades.

"A flush! Not bad for a first timer!" Chance lets out a laugh, and shows his cards. "Too bad I'm better."

Of course, with their luck, they've gotten a royal flush. Two Time lets out a chuckle. "I would have lost anyways. Your luck is legendary, gambler."

In another world, in another life- a young woman opens the door to her apartment. She lets out a sigh, pushing back her curly brown hair as she places her belongings down, relaxing.

Despite having a barista's uniform on, and the presumably minimum-wage work not being enough to pay for rent in this economy, her apartment is spotless.

The whole place has been cleaned and organized with a caring hand. The floor is mopped and swept, the shelves are dusted, and there's the sound of chopping and sizzling from the kitchen.

It smells savory and homely. She sets down her jacket and walks over to the small counter, looking at the cooking utensils strewn about.

"Stress-cooking again, ███ ?"

"What? Me? Stressed?" She laughs, pushing the pasta around with a spatula. "No, no, I'm doing fine. You don't have to worry about me."

"..." She looks at her friend's hands, which are constantly moving and still stirring the pasta. There isn't a need to stir the pasta. It's already well cooked, and there's already a plate of well-seasoned chicken and a plate of chocolate chip cookies on the side.

" ███. You're not doing this." She gently turns off the stove, and places the pan to the side. "You need to tell me what's wrong. And if not me, then at least tell your therapist."

"I know, I know." She says, sighing. "It's nothing, Jas. I just had a bad nightmare."

"Mhm." Jasmine shakes her head. "Same dream?"

"... Same dream." She lies.

"It's still bothering you, right?" Jasmine asks. She sits ███ down, and places the food in the fridge, wrapping it in plastic wrap and saving it for later. "Is your mom still bothering you?"

"No, I haven't heard from her since the restraining order." She mutters. Her hands twiddle a bit. "... I miss her."

"Even after what she's done to you?" Jasmine scrunches up her face. "She's terrible. I don't even know why you stayed with her and your stepdad when she acts like that."

"You don't understand." She stresses. "She wasn't- like that at first. She's raised me. She's a good mom."

"Really? Even after everything she's done to you?"

"She loved me. If it wasn't for her making a few bad mistakes, it wouldn't have ended like this..."

"███, dragging you into a damn cult and assaulting you when you try to leave isn't 'a few bad mistakes'." Jasmine crosses her arms.

"It's not... it's not her fault though." She argues weakly, still trying to cling on to her hope. "She's hurting just like me."

"And she hurt you. Does it still excuse what she's done?"

"..."

"Maybe it's better if we talk about something else." Jasmine sighs. She takes some of the pasta and plates it, munching on it.

███'s cooking was always a treat. A strict, religious upbringing had made her good at traditionally 'feminine' skills- and she used them to repay Jasmine's generosity.

Someone like her was reliant, broken in to be a rule-follower and a dependent from who knows how long. It was a miracle that they became friends in the first place, when she was so isolated from the outside world.

"... Okay." She clears her throat, and glances over at the food. "Can I... can you tell me more about that game on... Ro-blox, was it?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Jasmine chuckles a bit, rubbing the back of her hair. "Forsaken? We can play it together. It's free."

"That's nice." She lets out a bit of a small chuckle. "Those little characters look interesting. Do they have backstories?"

"Oh? You're interested in that?" Her friend tilts her head.

"I suppose they just... call to me." ███ says.

"Sure. I'll tell you all I know."

Chapter Text

Two Time has fallen asleep again. This time, they dozed off in the middle of a round with Noli, leaning on one of the walls in The Tempest.

Elliot finds them tucked away in the corner, dozing away as their chest rises and falls. He makes a concerned expression, pulling Taph over.

"🗡️🕑 🛌💤 👇🗺❓" She signs, looking confused as to why Two Time had fallen asleep here out of all places.

"Maybe they're going through it again." Elliot says, looking worried. "I thought they'd be fine, but..."

Taph doesn't waste any time and places two tripwires around Two Time's sleeping body, before tossing their subspace tripmine next to them. They've got to keep their teammate safe as possible, after all!

"Huh? Why are you all gathered around here?" Shedletsky jogs up to the two. He glances down at the sleeping cultist, and then lets out a chuckle. "Man, they must be really tuckered out!"

"Hello? Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey?" He gently pokes them with the flat edge of his sword, to no avail. Two Time is still snoring away.

Shedletsky shrugs and runs away to try to protect the others- Noli is still chasing after 007n7 and yelling about something, while Guest 1337 was punching the air and gritting his teeth from what might be a hallucination.

Surprisingly, it's Builderman who strolls up and glances at Two Time. He gives them a once-over, says a curt 'mhm', and begins to build a sentry next to them.

"Reckon they've got narcolepsy too?" He asks, looking at Elliot.

"Don't look at me, sir." Elliot holds up his hands, backing off. "I'm just the pizza guy."

"Right, right. Forgot you ain't a doctor, even with all that healing of yours." He wipes his brow and stands up, admiring his handiwork. "Think this'll protect Two Time well enough?"

And right as he asks that, Noli comes barreling down in their direction. "Ca-a-annonBALL!" He screeches, cackling and grinning with his half-masked face like a maniac.

The subspace tripmine placed there blows up in his face, Taph, Elliot, and Builderman jumping out of the blast radius. Noli trips over one of the tripwires, his face smacking onto the ground- before he manages to blow up Two Time.

"..." All three of them stare at the killer as he accidentally kills the cultist. "Nevermind."

Elliot focuses on running as fast as he can away from the killer while he's still incapacitated, and to his displeasure, he crashes head-first into the one person he absolutely dislikes in this place.

007n7 stumbles, looking sheepish as he catches Elliot. "A-ah- sorry, Elliot-"

"Save it for later! I'm running from a literal void god- or whatever the heck he is- and I do NOT want to hear your stupid voice!"

"S-sorry!" 007n7 quickly sends out a clone to body-block for Elliot, letting Noli miss him and grumble.

"No fa-a-a- [fair!]!" He complains. "[STOP] protecting the-e-e [HOT N' READY PIZZA] guy!"

There's the sound of a dial-up phone, a loud BOOM as Elliot is blown sky high. The healer grunts as he's thrown to the ground, trying to recover- but Noli is faster, grabbing him by the shoulder and slamming him down to the ground.

Elliot, unfortunately, gets a boot to the face, the Void Star in his chest, and a trip back to respawn.

The pizza guy groans as he gets up from the couch, rubbing his head. He frowns, looking at the empty table where the victorious survivors usually spawn in after a round.

No such luck. The round was still ongoing for a minute more, and he's stuck wandering the cabin with the others.

"Hey, Elliot!" Chance lets out a laugh, waving at him. "Coming back so soon?"

Elliot rolls his eyes and sighs. "Yeah, laugh it up, Chance. I was distracted because Two Time fell asleep in the middle of the round."

"Wait, really?" Chance scratches their head in confusion. "If that's the case, where are they?"

"You didn't see them spawn in?" Elliot is confused. Shouldn't they be asleep on the couch?

He turns around to see an empty couch. Chance shrugs. "Hey, I wasn't in the cabin when they spawned in. And I just came in from my room."

The pizza guy and the gambler look around in the cabin to try and find the cultist, but they're nowhere to be found inside.

Chance walks out of the cabin, scratching their head. "Man, I don't know. Maybe they want to be left alone."

And right as they ended up walking on the grass, they yelp, tripping over the body.

Elliot looks down, seeing a sleeping Two Time on the floor.

"Aw man, I don't want to carry them..." Chance complains. "I don't have the muscles!"

"Chance, they're light as a feather." Elliot hoists them into a princess carry. The healer was surprisingly strong despite being the 'weakest' of the survivors- he just didn't have the same durability as the others.

Elliot is used to carrying tons of pizza boxes, and Two Time was concerningly underweight. It fits.

Right as he's carrying them to the couch, Two Time groans and turns around, their eyes blinking open. "H-huh...?"

They shuffle around for a bit, and freeze up once they realize they're in Elliot's arms. Two Time lets out a meek 'eep!' and jumps, making Elliot drop them onto the couch.

"You alright, Two Time?"

Two Time makes an indecipherable noise, looking mortified as they scramble away from Elliot and covers their shoulders with their hands.

"E-eek! D-don't touch me!" They shudder. "I- I don't-"

"Sorry." Elliot sighs. "You were passed out on the grass outside. I didn't want you getting cold."

Two Time looks to the side, still clutching their torso. They look uncomfortable at the fact that Elliot picked them up without their knowledge, but they relax a bit. "... O-oh. Thank you, if- that's the case."

They grab one of the blankets draped on the couch, and drape it over their shoulders. "I... suppose I am back."

Elliot raises his eyebrow. "Back?"

"Back from my... rest." They explain. "Last time I recall, I fell asleep while I was talking to... Dusekkar? The pumpkin demon."

'So that confirms it... they don't remember anything in between then and now.' Elliot thinks to himself. 'It means they really do have DID, like Noob theorized.'

"Are you aware that you are... different?" He asks, gently trying to break the news to them. "That you kind of have a... different personality when you're asleep?"

"I..." They avert their eyes, their face filling with shame. "I know."

"Sometimes I feel like I am a demon possessing this body." They look down at their hands. "That I am a filthy sinner, and that this is my punishment- to be cast down in this hell all of us reside in."

Elliot's brow furrowed, looking concerned. "No, no- it's not demonic possession. Do you even know what DID is?"

Two Time stares blankly at him. He clears his throat. "Dissociative Identity Disorder."

"I am... unfamiliar with mental disorders." They look lost. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize." Elliot shakes his head, and tries his best to explain it with what Noob has taught them, last time they talked about Two Time's predicament.

The cultist is quiet, contemplating the pizza guy's words as they listen to him talk. He explains how people can have different personalities and seem like completely different people when they dissociate, and how it comes as a response to extreme trauma.

He delicately leaves out the fact that they expected Two Time to have some sort of mental condition because of their other self's crazy personality.

It would be rude to say something like that.

"I understand." Two Time closes their eyes. "I- I was unaware such a thing existed. That such a word existed for this... condition... aside from 'possession'."

"It's not really supernatural, ironically. Despite us being stuck here..." He sits down next to Two Time. "There's not really anyone here that's possessed."

"..."

"Aside from the killers, maybe." Elliot coughs.

The round ends, and there's the sound of the clock chiming in the lobby. Elliot perks up, tilting his head to look at the wooden table in the other room.

"Guess they're back from the round." He says, getting up. He peeks through, looking at all of the exhausted survivors.

They're all sweating and panting, looking harrowed even though they were physically fine from respawning back in the cabin.

"Yo, Elliot!" Shedletsky gives him a cheeky grin. "You got some food ready? We're really tuckered out from that round."

"Come on, Shedletsky. Give the guy a break." Builderman chastises him. "He ain't feeling good after the round- died early, remember?"

Elliot simply sighs, and glances at the rest of the exhausted survivors. "I'll be cooking in the kitchen."

Elliot washes his hands in the dingy bathroom. The fact that they had a bathroom and kitchen was a miracle in itself- before Builderman was forsaken, the place didn't have any of that.

The pizza guy would know- he was one of the first to be dragged into this hell.

He goes into the kitchen, adjusting his shirt. He pauses when he sees Two Time in the kitchen, assessing the kitchen knives.

'Oh, great. This again.' He cautiously walks up and puts a hand on Two Time's shoulder. "Two Time."

They flinch from the contact to their bare shoulder, and "H-huh? Oh." They give Elliot a gentle smile. "You look really stressed- so I'm helping you cook!"

"Aren't you..." He glances at the knife in their hands nervously. "Bad at cooking?"

He wasn't lying- Two Time was genuinely clueless when it came to preparing food. Hunting and gathering? They were good at it.

But when it came to making a good meal, they ended up butchering everything and making a mess. And that wasn't mentioning how creepy they got when they had their hands on a knife.

"That's the other me." They insist. "I can cook. I- I promise."

They look a little desperate to prove themselves, clutching the knife in their grasp like a prayer. "Please? I can- make a pie, if it makes your job easier?"

"Pie?" Elliot raises an eyebrow. "With what we have here?"

He gestures to the sparse cooking materials they have. Two Time nods. "I can make a wildberry pie. Just watch."

"Whatever." Elliot's doubtful that Two Time can actually keep their promise, with their track record in the kitchen. "I'll be making stew. You do you."

Elliot gets to cutting apart the squirrels that Taph brought in- they're already skinned and dismantled, so all he has to do is separate their parts and cook them.

The pizza guy used to only be able to cook with store-bought items, but being stuck in purgatory with limited supplies meant that he learned to make do with sparse ingredients.

Whatever was keeping them there at least stocked the pantry with flour, butter, all the basics of cooking. He seasons the squirrel with salt, pepper, and some garlic and herbs harvested from the forest.

Expecting the worst, he looks to the side. To his surprise, Two Time is peacefully mixing some sugar, flour, butter, water and salt in a bowl, mashing it together with their bare hands and kneading it to make the pie crust.

"Huh." Elliot blinks, taking some tomatoes and veggies to dump in the pot. He borrows some salt, pouring a bit in as well before dumping in the meat. "Actual pie crust."

"I told you I could cook." Two Time gives a sheepish smile. "Do you have a pie tin? Uh-"

"Does it look like we have pie tins in hell?"

"Sorry, um-" Two Time grabs one of the low metal plates instead, moulding the pie crust dough into the plate. They place it in the makeshift oven.

Elliot thinks this Two Time apologizes a lot. They look very meek and quiet, pouring in sugar, cornstarch, flour to coat the berries gently.

The two of them cook in silence. Elliot coughs. There's more silence.

"So." He glances over at their hands, dusted with flour. "How'd you learn how to bake?"

"Since I was young." Two Time replies. They absently flatten out more dough, glancing at the pie crust cooking in the oven. "Cooking and baking is what's expected of a good future wife. It's- women's work, you know?"

Elliot's not sure how to respond to that. He opens his mouth, confused as to why Two Time was gendering themself, but he simply lets them talk.

"And- my father said it was my one redeeming trait. The only reason everyone kept me around and liked me so much was because I could cook." Two Time chuckles. "So I had to get good."

"I guess my proper place is in the kitchen. As the lord intended."

"I- huh?" Elliot's not even sure how to respond to that. Two Time takes out the pie crust, gently pouring in the berry filling and covering it with dough.

They gracefully slice some holes in the top, and place it back in the oven. Two Time hums softly, and gently lean on the kitchen counter.

"That sounds... really lonely." Elliot finally says. "Are you sure that they really thought that way about you...?"

Sure, he would understand why Two Time's father (who the heck even WAS the cultist's father? They never talked about their family) and their fellow... friends? Cult members? He can see why they dislike them for their creepiness.

But this side of Two Time was completely fine to be around- a bit skittish, yes, but much more friendly compared to their usual crazed preaching.

"... They did. I did not believe their claims- anyone could be anything they want, as long as they don't hurt anyone." Two Time confirms. They look remorseful for a bit, before their expression brightens up. "But that doesn't matter for me! I like cooking, and I was fine with my place in life- the kitchen's a good place to gossip, anyways."

They lean next to Elliot, watching as his stew bubbles and their pie cooks in the oven. "I liked it when all the other ladies came over to the house after mass- they'd make this delicious meal for the family and I had to help cook."

Two Time softly chats on and on as Elliot listens to them, nodding. They talk about old gossip from years ago- how Mrs. so-and-so accidentally burnt her rose bushes with her husband's propane, how so-and-so's family had family from Italy over and they'd made a mess...

It sounded like Two Time grew up in a small, homely rural town instead of a cult. They seem to have fond memories of it. But appearances can be deceiving, and Two Time's memory has been proven to be spotty and biased before.

"And of course- there was that commotion about..." Two Time trails off, their gentle smile fading and their expression falling. "..."

"About what?" Elliot asks.

"... Nevermind." They quickly say. "Nothing but gossip about a... heretic who's lost her way."

They quickly take out the pie using some spare cloth as an oven mitt, and the heavenly smell hits his nose so quick that he forgets to question them.

"Oh my admins." He breathes out. "How does it smell so good?"

"Love and care." Two Time says, humming. "Let's go serve the others."

The survivors are all gathered around in the dining area- it's just the table where they always spawn in after surviving a round, along with all the other booths surrounding it.

They smell a sweet, appealing scent. Noob's eyes widen, and Shedletsky drools.

"What's Elliot making in there? Sheesh, I feel hungry already!" His stomach growls.

Elliot comes out holding a pot of squirrel stew- and to their surprise, Two Time helps him carry a freshly-baked pie. Noob's jaw drops, and she's sure that everyone on the table was drooling now.

"Is that a pie? Woah, Elliot- you're really treating us today!" Shedletsky whistles, impressed. "I didn't know you could bake!"

"Oh, that? That wasn't me." Elliot looks to Two Time, showing off their handiwork. "Two Time baked it!"

"Huh?!" Chance looks baffled. In fact, most of the survivors do. "What do you mean?"

Two Time rubs the back of their head, looking embarrassed. "I'm... not usually good at cooking when I feel unsafe or stressed." They say. "And the... other me isn't exactly relaxed."

Noob blinks, and makes a small 'oh!' of recognition. "Okay! That makes sense."

Two Time lets out a sigh of relief, and Shedletsky has already cut out a chunk of berry pie. Dusekkar cuts into his piece, and everyone else scrambles to take a bite of the delicious-smelling pie.

The swordfighter is the first to have a taste. The moment he puts it in his mouth, his eyes widen, and his wings shoot out behind him.

"I think I'm in heaven..." He begins stuffing his face with pie, and the rest of the survivors follow suit.

Taph's head wings flap furiously as she takes a bite. "🫐🥧 🍽 😋❤️ ‼️"

"Thank you, Two Time." Guest says, visibly relaxing.

Even 007n7 looks comfortable, melting into his seat as he eats his pie slice.

Two Time simply gives all of them a gentle smile and a chuckle. "T-thank you..."

Chapter Text

007n7 isn't exactly well-liked by the other survivors. Sure, they don't outright hate him (Elliot might, though)- and all of them agree to help each other during a round.

But outside of them? He's awfully alone. Nobody to talk to, nobody to hang out with- only silence and his own thoughts.

And boy does he have them. The fact that he's messed up so badly in life that his consequences from his youth followed him into hell, that his son was dragged into it because he made the stupid mistake of leaving the c00lgui out for his son to get it and-

Well. Builder Brothers' Pizza had it's first case of arson in years, and guess whose fault it was.

He sighs, sitting at the small dock by the lake. The night sky has no stars in it, and he wishes that he could just get out of here so he can see them again.

He thinks back to c00lkidd. How he'd taken his son stargazing once, and c00lkidd was all happy and excited to not go to bed early.

He'd spent an hour sitting with his son in the park, pointing out the constellations he knew and letting him drink a warm hot chocolate.

c00lkidd had fallen asleep right next to him, his small head resting on 007n7's arm and snoring away. His horns are digging into his arm, but it doesn't matter.

007n7 picks up his son and gently carries him back into the car.

Suddenly, there's a rustle of grass directly behind him. 007n7 jumps, his c00lgui popping up in front of him as he prepares to teleport on instinct.

"H-hello." Two Time stands over him, twiddling their fingers. "Um... I..."

They awkwardly stand there, standing at him. Their gaze is locked on the red horns on his forehead. His red tail swishes back and forth, tracing the water.

Two Time's tail is stock-still. They look like a tense sheep looking down at a fox.

"You look... not like I expected." They say. "Everyone says you are a hacker. A criminal."

"You didn't know that?" 007n7 asks, looking tired. He expected the others to talk behind his back.

"... No." Two Time says. "Why does everyone assume that I know everything that my other self knows?" They lament.

007n7 blinks. He turns away. "I guess that's good for me. But- aren't you afraid of me? Of who I used to be?"

Two Time stares at him more. "... I am."

"But for some reason... a friend of mine keeps insisting that you're a good person." They sit down next to 007n7- away from reaching distance, but still close by.

"Who?"

"I don't think she exists here." Two Time mutters, looking slightly embarrassed. "I... I do not like the fact that I cannot distinguish reality from my own foolish delusions."

'Right- they're schizophrenic. At least this version of them is aware of it.' He thinks.

"I do not like the fact that the others gossip about them- about me behind my back." They mutter. "I do not like how they call me a 'crazy person' and talk about me like I am less."

They kick the water a bit. It splashes.

"Like I am less of a person because I cannot control my mind. Because I am broken and disgusting."

007n7's slowly frowns, looking concerned for Two Time. "Two Time, I- we..."

"You do not need to apologize. I know I don't deserve it." They mutter. "My other self refuses to see the light. I refuse to face the consequences of my actions."

"I really am pathetic."

007n7 feels like he's looking in a mirror. The self-loathing, the way that Two Time curls in on themself and how they seem painfully aware of being an outsider.

"... If you're pathetic, then I'm pathetic too." He reaches out to reassure them, but they flinch away from his hand.

007n7 settles for laying his hand down next to them instead, on the pier. Two Time simply stares at it, back at him and his red horns, and down at their own hand.

"Nevermind that." They say, suddenly bitter. Their voice is half dejected, half untrusting. "What was I thinking, shaking hands with a demon of all things..."

They leave him alone, but not without one last look back at him.

Another day, another game of tag for c00lkidd.

He's running around, laughing as he goes back and forth tagging the other runners in the game. "Gotcha!" He yells, tagging Builderman. The admin falls to the ground, "asleep".

He lets out a giggle, turning around to see his horrified father. "Dad! Dad, look- I tagged an admin! Look at how fast I go!"

007n7 gulps, and he nods. "Y-yes, son. You were fast."

He turns around and runs, and c00lkidd runs after him, hand outstretched. "Come on, papa! Let me tag you!"

007n7 pants, ducking in one of the broken buildings of Pirate Bay.

He sends out a clone to run past him, watching it sprint as he holds his breath. c00lkidd actually falls for it, running past him.

He sneaks away over to one of the corners of the map, catching his breath for a moment. Two Time is also there, and they flinch as they see him.

"... Hello." They say quietly. He raises an eyebrow, looking at their harrowed expression.

He's still not over the fact that they called him a 'demon', but... he can't help but feel some pity for them.

"Did you get in enough stabs to respawn?" He asks.

"I... what?"

"You know. The... thing you do." He makes a circular motion with his hand. Two Time blinks, their expression blank.

"Oh my admins. You don't know." He runs his hand down his face, and sighs. "Two Time- the other you, I mean- does this ritual where they stab on the ground, and a spawnpoint is set. Afterwards, if you stab the killer enough times, you get a second life."

"I- resurrection?" They look baffled- slightly in awe. "I am able to perform such a miracle?"

"I wouldn't call it a miracle. Just an ability you have." He says. "Kneel down and try it out."

Two Time tentatively kneels down, holding their dagger in both hands like a prayer. They jabbed it down on the earth once, instead of multiple times.

The glowing spawn symbol flickers into existence, and they yelp, falling back. they quickly yank their dagger out of the ground and back away.

"There you go." He says gently. "You'll spawn back here after you're killed- only once." He follows behind them, glancing back and forth.

"I do not like it." They say, shuddering. "It feels wrong."

"..." 'Two Time's never said that about their power before... what's up with that?'

It's surprising that they're saying anything negative about the Spawn, knowing their fanatical devotion to their religion.

He doesn't get the time to think about it, however, because he's hit in the back by a flying brick. "Gotcha!" A familiar, distorted voice rings out.

"Run!" Two Time yells, grabbing his wrist and dragging him away."

"What's wrong, papa? Scared that I'll tag you and you lose?" He giggles, chasing after the two of them. He readies his sword, about to dash forward.

He looks at Two Time, who looks oblivious to this attack. Right as c00lkidd dashes forward, he yanks them over to the side and both of them tumble to the dirt.

007n7 is panting as he gets up, facing his own son as he looks up.

c00lkidd towers over his own father, chains on his hand and wearing 007n7's old shirt.

"I've got ya, dad!" He giggles, his claws raking onto 007n7's arm. "Tag!"

He grits his teeth, feeling that he's going to die by his son's hand once more- but c00lkidd is shoved off balance as Two Time drags him away. "Enough! Back, demon!"

007n7's hand balls up into a fist, looking upset. "Don't call my son that!"

Two Time could call him a demon all he wants. It doesn't matter. But they will not talk to his son in that way.

They hesitate, but their brow furrows in frustration. "You are being hunted like an animal, and yet you still try to cling on?"

"That thing is not your son anymore." They hiss, dragging him away.

007n7 trembles, both in anger and fear, but he follows them anyways. There's nobody to help them- only Two Time dragging him forward, and his son begging for him behind.

"Dad! Come back!" c00lkidd complains. "They're so mean! I don't know what they said, but it sounds mean!"

As fast and fast as they run, they eventually get tired. And being two outcasts, they didn't manage to find help in time.

007n7 was the first to go down.

Two Time goes with him.

007n7 wakes up gasping and clawing at his chest, right where c00lkidd stabbed him with the Firebrand. He glances over to the couch, where Two Time is also similarly recovering.

Their hands are clasped together in prayer, fervently whispering under their breath as they shake. "In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, protect us from evil and give us the strength to endure these hard times..."

He looks at them, an unreadable expression on his face.

"We need to talk."

They're sitting at the dock again, far away from the other survivors if they spawn in. Two Time kneels on the wooden dock, staring down at the water as they lean dangerously close.

"You'll fall in." He says, his tone serious.

"It doesn't matter." They say, their tone quiet. "You most likely hate me for what I say. Even if it is the truth."

"Don't talk to me in that way, young-" He's about to say 'young man', remembering how he used to chide his son for causing trouble, but quickly pivots. "Don't talk about that. c00lkidd is my son, no matter what's happened to him."

"He is a demon." They hiss. "If he was human before, then he's no longer. A father like you should know when to abandon your child."

"I will NOT abandon him!" 007n7 hisses, his meek demeanor fading to reveal outrage. "I am not taking this laying down!"

"Call me a demon all you want- insult me, judge me, make me feel like I am the scum of Robloxia- but you do not talk about my son in that way!"

Two Time's gaze sharpens. "The best course of action is to leave him behind. It's the kindest course of action."

"My mother wanted to do it, but doing so would have disgraced her farther." They say, their voice firm. "I was sinful. A burden. A relic of the past she should have left behind."

"But because I am her flesh and blood, she was forced to keep me instead of placing me in an orphanage. By the word of the gospel, a mother cannot leave behind their child." They open their palms. "You have no such qualms."

"Let your son go."

The words hit 007n7. He stares at them, his eyes widening and his anger fading into disbelief. "What...?"

Two Time stays silent. They look him in the eyes- normally, their other self had a gaze that was so unsettling nobody could keep eye contact for a long time, but this... they looked desperate. Intense.

Like they wanted him to not make the same mistake their mother made.

"Your... mother. She wanted to leave you behind?" 007n7 asks, trying to get why Two Time would suddenly tell him to abandon his son.

"... Yes. If she had, then maybe... maybe everything that happened to me wouldn't have happened." They said. "Maybe it wouldn't have ended that way."

They shake their head, and look back up at 007n7. "You're a good man. I can see that. But taking care of a child, especially a demon like him..."

"Eventually, you will resent him. Resent how he stripped away your freedom, how you spend every penny of your earnings just to keep him fed and happy."

"You will end up hating your own son. And he isn't even you flesh and blood."

Two Time's eyes are glazed over, and they look... lost.

"Holding on to him will only hurt both you and him." They curl up on themselves, clasping their right arm.

He looks at them in a completely new light. Sure, they had their religious bias- but they genuinely thought that he would hate his son.

"Do you really think of me in that way?" He asks softly. "That I'd ever think of hurting c00lkidd...?"

"..." They're quiet. "I've seen kinder, gentler souls turn to wrath."

The unspoken truth lingers in the air- their own mother was a testament to that.

"I'm not like that." He balls up his hand into a fist. "I've spent ten years raising c00lkidd with my own hands. I've left my old life of crime behind, I've worked my ass off to put a roof over our heads and food on the table- and not once have I ever hated him."

"He's my son. And that's final." He turns back to Two Time. "I'm sorry about your mother. I really am. But... I'm nothing like her."

Two Time's mouth twitches, and they look frantic. "But- but he's a demon now! Red skin and horns- It matters not that you are the same, he far overpowers you!"

"What sort of fool tries to save their son after he's turned into that?"

"Why do you keep talking as if I'm a demon?" 007n7 throws his hands up, looking slightly frustrated. "My horns and tail are fake! I made them with my c00lgui so my son wouldn't feel left out!" He just can't take them off ever since he fell into this purgatory.

Two Time pauses, confused. "... I- beg your pardon? You are not a demon?"

"No! I'm not-" He sighs, massaging his temple. "No. Normal human Robloxian. My son's the demon." He explains. "Don't tell me you don't know about different Robloxian species, Two Time."

"..."

"Oh Telamon, you don't." He breathes out in bewilderment. "Did you- did you really think that my son was one of those demons? The fire and brimstone ones?"

"I assumed he was, yes. Is he not?"

"No!" 007n7 throws his hands up, and he has to explain what the heck he means to Two Time.

"Demons aren't inherently evil. They're just like any other human or hybrid species of Robloxian." He says. "c00lkidd- he's an imp. Red horns, tail and all. I found him as a baby on my doorstep one day, abandoned there. I took him in."

"He's not my biological son, but I love him dearly."

Two Time blinks, and they stare at him for a second. "So... you do not keep him out of obligation?"

"No?" He pauses. "Please don't tell me you think I'm his actual father. We're not even the same species."

Two Time shuffles a bit on their seat on the dock. "... I did not know if demons shared the same bodily traits as humans. I'd assumed that you were a more human-looking demon, and that you'd birthed c00lkidd yourself-"

"I CAN'T GIVE BIRTH!" He screeches, and Shedletsky, who's training outside, trips over himself laughing in confusion. 007n7's face is red with embarrassment. "I'm- you- what?"

 "I apologize. I..." Two Time twiddles with the fabric of their pants. "I could not fathom how you were so protective of your son, if he is not biologically yours. I've always been taught that children sired by their own parents were always more important than those taken in, and that the bonds of blood were absolute."

"But why me giving birth?! What ran through your mind that made you think that I-?" 007n7 looks down at himself self-consciously, and then back at Two Time.

"..." They look just as mortified as him at their social faux-pas. "Promise me you won't get mad, sir."

"..."

"I- I simply thought demons were much different compared to humans, a-and you looked sort of... feminine compared to the other men in the cabin-"

"Two Time!"

Chapter Text

Taph likes having a place to herself.

But seeing that there's limited space in the cabins, and it would be greedy to demand their own room, so he shares it with Builderman.

The admins are one of the few people she feels comfortable around. And even then, she likes to switch up the rooms once in a while, and set tripwires in the front.

He's currently making the beds, neatly folding the sheets as the rest of the survivors do their chores in the cabin. And that's when Two Time approaches them.

They've got softer eyes, much more than usual. Taph tilts his head curiously as they approach.

"Hello, blessed angel." They say. "It is good to see you, Miss Taph."

"I- I am cooking again." Two Time says. "Spare food. Because I do not want the others to starve in between their trials."

"Is there anything you would like me to make? A favorite food, perhaps?"

Taph thinks for a while. Two Time really made an amazing pie last time they baked- she wants to have another dessert.

Her favorite treats are brownies, but there's no chocolate in this hell to make it. They doubt that they will get anything other than basic dishes and wild ingredients, with whatever is trapping them there.

He signs. "💣💥 ♥️ 🍽 🍰🟫"

"You like... um- brownies?" They say, blinking. "I can do that. I just need to find the right ingredients."

They go to the kitchen, rummaging through the ingredients. To their glee, there's a bag of cocoa powder stashed away in the back. "Yes! It's here!" They say, their face brightening up.

Taph watches as they mix melted butter, sugar, eggs, and whisk it all together. They move quickly and with skill, pouring in a drip of vanilla extract and hastily sifting in cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt.

Taph flaps their hands up and down, their wings similarly flapping in excitement. Finally, they were going to eat their favorite treat!

Two Time hums to themselves as they pour the chocolate batter into a metal pan, sprinkling in some berries in the fridge. "There's no chocolate chips, so this will have to do..."

They place the small brownie pan into a pan full of water, raising the bottom up with a cookie cutter. They leave it on the stove, waiting for it to cook.

"It's a no-oven recipe. I know we've got one, but Elliot's using it now to make dinner, so..." They trail off, looking away. "It'll be ready in half an hour, blessed angel."

Taph nods, and they sit down next to Two Time as they both wait for the brownies. The cultist is leaning over, trying to look under their hood curiously.

Taph gets shy, and his wings cover his face. It's almost impossible to see his features under the shadow of his hood, but he's still conscious.

"A-ah! Sorry." They sit straight up, looking embarrassed. "I shouldn't have tried to look. Your holy visage isn't for mortal eyes to see."

No, she's just shy. Taph flaps her wings a bit, flattered. She's not an angel- just a bird hybrid! But Two Time doesn't seem to know that.

"❌ 😇✨" He says, waving his hands. "🕊➕👤✅❗"

"You are a... bird-man? No, bird hybrid." They say.

Two Time looks slightly embarrassed at this. "I am so, so sorry. I- I called you 'angel' so many times- I meant it in a completely respectful way, ma'am!"

They laugh silently, throwing back their head as their wings flap. Taph holds their stomach and quickly recovers. "😂👍 😇✨ 👥🙏"

"No no no- it sounds so improper! I'll- I shall do my best to remedy this, sir Taph!" They wave their hands. "Please- do not remind me of this any further!"

The two of them continued to wait, until Two Time jumps up from their seat and quickly turns off the stove. "Just in time, too..." They say, relieved. They take the lid off the pan, but yelp as they try to pick up the metal brownie tin inside. "Ack!"

They shake their hand and quickly use a cloth to pick it up, setting it down on the table. "Wait for it to cool, Taph- I'll get a fork." They rummage around for the silverware and bring it back to her.

Both Two Time and Taph sit at the fireplace, with Taph eagerly digging into the brownies. They gingerly take one square and nibble on the corners as if nervous to even take a bite.

"🫵🍽 🍰🟫 ➕❓"

"Why don't I... eat more?" Two Time mumbles. "I... suppose it feels wrong."

"Sweet things are too... decadent for me. The sin of gluttony looms over my shoulder." In all honesty, they feel a sense of shame whenever they eat pastries.

"I much prefer simpler foods. I do not feel this guilt when consuming them."

Taph thinks it's complete and utter bull. They were trapped in hell, admins' sake- why wouldn't Two Time want to eat the sweets?

Is it because they feel guilty that the others won't get to eat it too?

She shakes her head, and pushes a brownie square to Two Time. The cultist simply stares at it, and they try to take a bigger bite.

The moment the sweetness hits their tongue, they make a face and chew slowly, putting the brownie square down. "I... apologies. I cannot even eat my own cooking."

Taph doesn't understand. The brownies were the best thing he's eaten in his life, and Two Time looked like they were eating spinach.

"If you wish to share it with the others, it would make me far more happy." Two Time insists. "Enjoy the treat."

The way the survivors know it is night is due to the grandfather clock in the main cabin- the only way they can tell the time in this purgatory.

After the rounds for the day have passed and they are allowed to have free time, they sleep whenever they want. Some of them go to bed early to prepare for the next rounds, some of them have insomnia and can't sleep at all.

Taph was one of the ones that had difficulty sleeping.

His paranoia made it hard for him to feel safe anywhere. She's only settled down after most of the other survivors have gone to bed, and she isn't keen on being easily spotted.

He chooses one of the other cabins- the other one, with the fireplace. Taph sets several traps in front, and takes a slight glance at Dusekkar, who is resting on the bed.

His flames have dimmed down to a gentle glow. Taph finds the light comforting. Easier to see danger when there's a source of light.

She decides to head outside the cabin for one last patrol around the area, just to make sure. Taph's head-wings rustle as they step out, and her ears catch the sound of trembling, nervous breathing.

One of her wings tilts upwards. Curious. Who could it be at this time? Certainly one of the survivors, seeing how the killers never seemed to be this terrified-sounding.

He finds the source of the breathing soon enough. Two Time is huddled behind the cabin, clutching one of the blankets to their body and trying to cover their entire body with it.

Taph knocks on the wall gently to announce his presence. Two Time jumps up, shaking like a horse.

"I- I..." They stutter. Their eyes are slightly unfocused- full of fear. "I- d-don't- don't..."

"❓" Taph asks questioningly. "🫵🛌💤🌲🏞❓❄️🥶👎 ➡️🏡"

They only draw the blanket closer around them. They shake their head, opening their mouth, but nothing comes out.

Taph reaches out to them. They flinch, but don't pull away.

"❓" 'Why?' Taph sighs.

"They're..." Two Time gulps. "They're all men. Or. Feel like men to me." They sit back down on the dirt ground. "... It's pathetic of me. I know."

That's odd- Two Time has never had a problem with the other male members before. They don't seem to be uncomfortable with anyone here- but then again, this was the 'other' Two Time.

Who knew what kind of trauma the cultist had buried deep within them.

Taph sits down with them, making sure not to be too close to their personal space. She knows that she might come off as 'male' to Two Time, and worries about that.

They sign again, asking Two Time to explain what made them so uncomfortable now. The cultist buries their face in their hands.

"It's just- I- I don't know. Improper?" They shudder. "Sleeping around a bunch of strange men who I know nothing about... they've all been so kind to me and protected me during the trials."

"But I've always been told to be wary, and I've been told horror stories to... scare me away from anything sinful." They put it lightly. "I cannot trust a single man when I am asleep."

That paranoia... Taph could relate. He knows it all too well- wondering if anybody would stab him in the back while he sleeps.

Two Time fiddles with their blanket. "I- I hope this is not... insulting to you. But you are the only one I am comfortable telling this to, lest the others get ideas."

"You... you register as a woman to me." Two Time says. "Even if you are... 'genderfluid'. I don't get as nervous when I'm around you."

Taph waves them off. "👍" He signs. "🫵👁♀️🟰🔒, 💣💥😊"

"That is a relief." They mutter. "May I... May I sleep behind this cabin for tonight?"

Taph knows a better, more comfortable spot that is hidden away. She nods, but holds out her hand for Two Time to grab.

The cultist hesitates, but walks ahead. Taph leads them to the main cabin, but gestures under one of the beds that Noob is sleeping on.

Two Time nods, and slips under the bottom with their thin frame. Taph sets up a little tripwire at the edge of the bed too, just in case.

"Thank you." He hears a whisper under the bed. They only nod, and go back to their cabin for tonight to sleep.

In the morning, Noob awakens with a yawn. He takes a step forward out of the bed, only to trip over something, yelping.

She falls onto the hardwood floor with a yelp and a 'thump'. "Owww... what the...?"

She's confused to see a tripwire placed right next to her bed. Noob's gaze goes fron the tripwire to under their bed, and they screech as they see something moving under it.

Two Time, just awakened from their slumber, grins a bit as they crawl out. "Would you like to listen to the word of our lord and savior, the Spawn?"

Looks like they're back to normal, alright.

Chapter Text

Two Time is baffled to have waken up underneath Noob's bed, for one. The tripwire placed there made no sense at all- why would Taph do such a thing?

To protect them from the killers? There's no killers in-between rounds. And Taph would surely not spare his precious resources on them.

Two Time stretches as they approach their fellow survivors in the cabin. "Good morning to you all- and may your slumber be peaceful by the Spawn's grace." They say.

Dusekkar makes an 'oh no not again' face, floating away. Taph's wings flap, and she rushes forward to greet Two Time.

"👋‼️ 🫵✨👍🏥❓" She signs.

"I am doing well, Taph." They say. Two Time hums, looking to the slight mess scattered around the cabin. There are blankets strewn about in front of the fireplace, and Elliot seems to have fallen off the couch in the middle of his sleep.

"I shall do my duties for today, worry not." They reassure the other survivors. "You need not bother me."

And with that, Two Time sets off- to gather firewood and herbs, clean the other cabins- anything the survivors needed to do, really.

But it was apparent that something was up with the others. The whispers and stares seemed to intensify, and while Two Time was usually oblivious to such a thing, this time it was too prominent to ignore.

For Spawn's sake- Builderman was whispering about them to Dusekkar right in front of them. Highly unprofessional of the admin, they think, but they've been stuck here for so long that propriety doesn't matter anymore.

The mystery begins to grow deeper as they overhear the others talking about them doing things that they never remembered doing.

"Two Time's uncomfortable with us? Oh, that's really unfortunate... I really didn't want to scare them."

"Their mind has answers we cannot seek, for one is unwilling while the other is meek."

"Man, I really want to eat their baking again... I really liked that pie they made!"

'Have I... been possessed by a demon?' Their eyes narrow as they slink in the shadows. The thought crosses their mind, but they shake their head. No- they are a devout follower of the Spawn.

He protects them with His grace. There is no room for possession by the forces of evil- even if they are trapped in hell.

"No! I am fine! Perfectly fine- my mind is clear, my soul is pure. The Spawn has given me a test to endure. They recite, clasping their hands together.

'But what if it's not? What if it's all a lie?'

'You're a crazed lunatic who killed their lover. Not some holy saint.'

'Would the Spawn really need a sacrifice?'

'It needs more. More.'

They ignore the voices. If they do it well enough, then the voices face into the background just like the idle gossip about them.

Two Time is good at pretending. Being the 'crazy one' is easy when they actually suffer from hallucinations- everyone assumes that they hear voices all the time and it drowns out their whispering.

No. Two Time hears it. Far too often.

They just decide to ignore it. Just like how they ignored that voice in the back of their mind that tells them what they're doing is wrong, that Azure didn't have to die- because if that was the case, then it all would have been for...

For...

...

No. It couldn't have all been for nothing.

Meanwhile, Dusekkar goes to Taph to see her opinion on things. The mage does not trust the cultist- not fully. But there is a sense of curiosity.

It was like being given a new variable after years of being trapped. A new discovery to break up the monotony of eat, sleep, run and die.

He wanted to know what caused Two Time to become more 'lucid' in their other self- or 'alter', as Noob called it. He'd been very helpful in explaining what DID was.

"Taph." The demolitionist jumps up, surprised at Dusekkar's sudden appearance. The mage coughs. "Apologies for the scare, for my presence I did not declare. I wish to talk about your friend, for I cannot discern what they intend."

Taph nods and signs towards him. "🕑🗡️ 🎭 🫣😥 🤔❓" They were wondering about Two Time's change in personality as well.

"Have they told you anything about themselves, anything that I can not foretell?"

Taph hesitates for a moment. She seems reluctant to share this, but thinks it's for the best that Dusekkar is aware.

"🕑🗡️ 😰 🫂 ♂️, ❌ 💤🛏 💣💥 🤝 🕑🗡️ 🫣⬇️ 🛌."

"You... helped them hide for the night, because being around so many of us gave them a fright?" Interesting.

Dusekkar feels slightly unnerved that the other Two Time was so nervous around them- seeing that they referred to themselves femininely before correcting themselves, and this... it did not paint a good picture of what their previous life was like.

He knew that they were a crazed cultist, yes- and he knew that their misplaced belief in the Spawn was dangerous. But Dusekkar, being a near-immortal admin, did not know what it was like to be in a cult.

He did not know how mortals, how normal Robloxians, were taken in at their lowest point or born into servitude. He did not know the intense social pressure that cults had, the longing for the sense of family and belonging that their members clung on to.

In short- he could never relate to Two Time. He could never understand that even with the danger they posed-

They were a victim too.

Taph tells Dusekkar about how scared Two Time looked. How they hid behind their cabin and was completely willing to sleep outside in the cold and on the dirt, if not for the fact he suggested hiding under the bed.

The mage looks perturbed at this, but moves on. The two other people Two Time interacted with the most during their lucid state was Elliot and 007n7.

He went to Elliot next. The pizza delivery guy was busy sorting out the food supplies, placing the foraged herbs in plastic containers and storing them in the fridge.

"Elliot, I have a question I must ask- what was Two Time like when they helped you with your task?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, them." Elliot places one of the herb containers in the fridge and closes it. "They're a lot better when they're not raving about the Spawn or... having one of their episodes." He glances to the side to see if Two Time is in the room with them. "Don't tell them this- but I liked it better when they weren't crazy."

"I concur." Dusekkar sighs. "I simply wish to know what goes on in their mind, for they have never been this meek and kind."

"They make a great pie." Elliot says bluntly. "I'm not really qualified to say anything about their life but... they were talking all weird? Like, 'a woman's place is in the kitchen' kinda weird. I didn't think they were sexist, just- it's what they were told."

Again, they referred to themselves femininely. Dusekkar feels like this is a touchy subject and moves on. "I see. I shall take my leave, for I have one more person to ask before we sleep this eve."

And then came the third person. Dusekkar's mouth twitched as he sees 007n7 in the distance, huddled away from all the other survivors.

At this time of day, after the rounds- he usually didn't do much. Either he helped with the chores or wandered around aimlessly, his mind elsewhere.

Dusekkar floats up to him with all of the politeness of a parole officer. "007n7."

The former hacker flinches, but tries to soothe his nerves. "Dusekkar."

"May I inquire about Two Time's health? Their intentions are unclear when they are their other self. I wish to know what you have been told, if I may ask to be so bold."

007n7 pauses. His face scrunches up in confusion, then frustration.

"No." He says, his voice firm.

"No?" Dusekkar tilts his head. "Why not?"

"No, because you're acting like a ####head." 007n7 furrows his brow in anger.

Dusekkar reels back- he doesn't expect the usually remorseful father to actually snap back. Even though he disliked the former hacker for his past, he didn't think the man had the guts or the confidence to stand up for himself.

Then again, 007n7 wasn't standing up for himself. He was standing up for Two Time.

"I see you're walking around trying to ask everyone about Two Time. You're treating them like a case study and an oddity instead of a damn person." 007n7 puts his foot down. "Do you know how disrespectful that is?"

"I assumed that you would not care, for they have called you a demon after you gave them quite the scare."

"It doesn't matter what they think about me. They're a survivor just like you and me." He takes a deep breath, and gives the admin a disappointed look. "I thought you were better than this."

Dusekkar wants to protest- what bases does the former hacker (and straight-up criminal) have to judge him on? But the more he thinks about it, the more a sinking feeling begins to form in his gut.

It feels awfully invasive. Every survivor here had their own secrets, and here they were, all piling up on Two Time the moment they were vulnerable.

Sure, this version of them was far more open- but it didn't give them the right to bother them and try to pry.

"If you are unwilling to tell, then I shall respect your choice and bid you farewell." Dusekkar hastily says, turning around.

He's lost the motivation for digging deeper today. It would be best to let Two Time speak for themselves, after all.

Dr. Ghazali had many patients come to him before.

He was a therapist. Not many people from his small community wanted to become a therapist- his parents had wanted him to become a doctor, initially.

But he found his calling in psychology when he took a course in college. It just felt right- like the pieces of a wooden puzzle clicking together.

He liked puzzles. He liked trying to help people put themselves back together.

And the young woman in front of him was like that.

The lady was wearing a long, white sundress and a plaid cardigan. His patient was pretty- like a fair handmaiden that stepped out of a fairytale.

Only one thing marred her beauty. A long, clean slash across her face and right arm, pink from healing over.

She fiddled with the cross on her necklace. "G-good afternoon, doctor." She mutters, quiet and soft. "It is good to see you."

"Good afternoon, Ms. ███." He says, his voice gentle. "It is good to see you too. How was your week?"

"... Stressful." She replied. "It has been stressful."

"Is it your college work?"

"No, sir." The young woman says. "The classes are a delight. I struggle with some of the materials in biology, though."

"I see. There is no shame in that." He nods. "You've said before that you were very behind on scientific education and... social studies."

They talk about the lighter topics first. College, her cooking hobby, her daily life. Dr. Ghazali approaches her problem slowly, as to not make her uncomfortable.

"You've made great progress on your open-mindedness. Not a lot of people with your background are so open and accepting. But..."

"What is something you are uncomfortable about? You say that you do not like being pitied by your peers- why is that so?"

"It's not... pity." She mutters. The bracelet on her scarred arm clinks against the metal chair. "It's their assumption that I need to be 'freed'."

"They still think I am stuck in my previous ways, just because I like cooking and cleaning and taking care of others." The young woman says. "I- I am afraid of that too. That I will never change."

"███." Dr. Ghazali reassures her. "Just because you enjoyed the things they expected you to do- it does not mean that you are as bad as them."

"..." She looks to the side, face riddled with guilt.

"Let me explain." The therapist takes a breath. "Just because you enjoy traditionally 'feminine' roles, it does not mean you are any less worthy of your freedom or respect."

"But they don't respect me." His patient says, downtrodden. "They don't see me for... me. The other girls see me as a dumb, naive victim or someone who doesn't like women's rights. I'm not- I'm not that."

"And all the guys look at me like I'm a piece of fresh meat. Or a trophy wife." She shudders. "At least- at least I think they do. It's so hard to tell- I- I can't tell if they're being nice to me or-"

Dr. Ghazali frowns. "Then they are the ones who are wrong."

"Your peers see you in that way because you refuse to assert yourself. You don't speak up when they talk about you, you don't do anything to correct their assertions..."

"You say nothing. Why?" He folds his hands. "What caused this sort of silence? What happened to you for you to never speak up?"

She opens her mouth. A second passes by. She tries to say something, but the words die in her throat.

I said-

I told them that-

That she was - and it-

She's DEAD because of me-

He hears her breathing get heavier and heavier. His patient's eyes get all blurry and unfocused, and she begins to shake.

"███ ?" He calls out her name, worried. "███."

Still no response. If anything, it makes her dissociation worse. The young woman curls up in the chair, her eyes fixed on him and wide with terror. But despite all this fear, she stays silent.

He's had many patients experience panic attacks in his office. The fight-or-flight reflex happens with a lot of them.

Some try to run away or hide, and others attack him. Those ones, he regrettably has to call security on them.

But there were two other responses: fawn, or freeze. Fawning involves trying to appease who they see as a threat- and freezing is exactly what it sounds like.

"███." He says- firm, but gentle. Dr. Ghazali is incredibly careful with his tone- raise it too high, or accidentally making it too harsh, and he risks scaring her more. "Take deep breaths. Focus on the pen I'm holding."

She does as she's instructed. Even in this terror, she's conditioned to respond to orders by anyone she deems an 'authority figure'- leftover from her time in her old household.

"Now, recite the ingredients to make a cake."

"F-flour, sugar, butter, eggs, milk, oil, salt..." She begins to rattle off the ingredients. "baking powder, flavoring. W-whip the eggs and the sugar, add flor, add milk, add butter..."

It takes a long time, and her voice is trembling all the way- but she manages to focus.

"I'm sorry." She mutters. Her eyes are puffy from crying. "That was stupid. I'm stupid."

"No you are not." Her therapist shakes his head. "You were distressed. Not ready to tackle the problem yet."

"We'll come back to it when you feel better."

Chapter Text

1x1x1x1 hates.

He can't exactly do anything else- he were made to harbor a god's hatred and nothing more. He could feel other things, but it was never as strong as his hatred.

They sharpen their daemonshanks, readying up for another round. For another chance to kill him.

Every round with Shedletsky made his rage bubble up like acid. They want to tear him to shreds, make him pay and feel the wrath they feel towards himself and themself and-

'Focus.' 1x1x1x1 narrows their red eyes as they feel the sensation of spawning in one of the Spectre's many maps. It ends up being the vandalized pizza place- which is not ideal, but not terrible either.

It does not matter. They shall all fall by their hand.

1x1x1x1 immediately rips out their eye, focusing on the survivors' presence. "Found you." They snarl, and they sprint as fast as they could towards Shedletsky.

It was easy to recognize their creator, even after he's changed so much.

Meanwhile, Shedletsky was idly chatting to Dusekkar, who was arms-deep in a generator with Builderman. The mage grumbles to himself as the winged admin blabbers on.

"Man, if only I didn't have that cooldown on my chicken..." He complains. "I mean, it doesn't even have to heal me! I just want to eat that delicious, succulent drumstick whenever I want!"

"Shed, get yerself down here n' help with the generator." Builderman says, unamused. "You ain't supposed to be standin' round doin' nothin'... even Taph's settin' up traps."

"🆗👍 💣💥 🤝🔧 🔋" Taph reassures them, kneeling to the ground and rummaging through the wires. Shedletsky simply shrugs and watches over them, his eyes narrowing at the rapidly approaching neon-green dot.

"Wait- guys?" He raises his voice. "1x's here! Run!"

"Gosh darn it!" Builderman groans, more irritated than scared. "I was just 'bout to finish that one, too!"

Taph nods her head, and rapidly connects the last frayed wire in the generator. It kicks on and begins whirring, and they managed to stumble back in time.

Unfortunately, 1x1x1x1 doesn't go for Shedletsky first- they throw an entanglement at Dusekkar, making the pumpkin grunt out in pain and drip blood onto the floor.

"Matt!" Shedletsky calls out. "Get- get back!"

He's seen this happen before. He won't let Dusekkar get hurt trying to save him again.

Shedletsky takes his sword out and slashes at 1x1x1x1, but his embodiment of hatred dodges and retaliates with a slash to his side, making him grunt.

"Run!"

Dusekkar floats off as quick as he can, Taph priming his subspace tripmine and tossing it at 1x1x1x1's general direction.

Shedletsky grits his teeth, leading the killer to the tripmine. It blows up in his face, and he lets out a roar of frustration.

"DAMN YOU, SHEDLETSKY!"

There's the sound of a knife being drawn, a quick 'I-I'm sorry!', and metal sinking into flesh. The killer snarls in pain, stunned.

Shedletsky runs off, Two Time at his side.

"Thanks for the save, buddy!" He lets out a laugh, huffing. "Man- I should really get back to the others..."

"I can't believe I... actually did that." They say, sounding breathless. Their hands tremble. "I..."

"What?" Shedletsky raises a brow. "What's going on with you, Two Time?"

They go silent. Their hands were slick with 1x1x1x1's glowing green blood.

"That doesn't look very healthy." Shedletsky comments, glancing at their hands. "You should get that washed off. 1x's blood is- I dunno, acidic? Poisonous?"

"Eek!" They quickly wipe their green-stained hands on their pants, shaking them.

They seem a lot more nervous than usual... were they back like that again? But he didn't see them fall asleep in the middle of the round or anything.

"Hey- did you fall asleep again?" He asks bluntly. "You uh... doin' that weird personality thing?"

Two Time makes a face at his words. "Yes, I am doing 'that thing' again."

"Ooooh. Okay." Shedletsky glances to the side, looking curious.

Two Time glances at 1x1x1x1 in the distance, crouching beside a wall to hide themselves. "Who is... that killer? I am unfamiliar with them."

"1x? Oh, yeah." Shedletsky scratches his head. "I mean, you probably know them from all those rumors and myths back in the day..."

"I don't. I've been very... sheltered, in the past."

The admin isn't sure how to explain 1x1x1x1 to them, because who hasn't heard of the scourge of Robloxia? And he wasn't exactly how to talk about his creation to another person.

"He's basically the bad guy. You know Telamon, right? The god of the Heights?" It feels weird talking about himself in third person- but he's done it countless times before. "1x1x1x1- though- some call him The Adversary- was his creation- made to bear his hatred."

"After this uhhh... huge epic fight, they basically were sealed away in the Necrobloxicon. At least, until I was dragged into here."

Two Time blinks, their face turning distressed. "The adversary?" They echoed. "You are telling me that- the Devil himself is hunting us down?"

"Uhhh... I guess?" He says, looking confused.

Two Time begins to tremble, and they slink down. "... O-oh Lord... Oh God, please- s-save me from this hell, for the Devil is present within these damned halls!"

"H-hey, buddy-" Shedletsky tries to calm them down. Their hands are gripping their dagger so hard that the veins in their hands are visible.

"F-finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, s-so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes." They pray, their voice wavering.

"What?"

There's the sound of chains clicking together, and Shedletsky's eyes widen. "Watch out!"

He shoves them aside, taking the brunt of 1x1x1x1's entanglement. He grunts in pain, blood running down his arm as it's clipped by the swords.

1x1x1x1 rounds the corner, face contorted in a snarl. "YOU.  Trying to run, Shedletsky?!"

He throws his hand up, his sword barely parrying 1x's own blade. The second daemonshank jabs at his side, making him cough.

"Sir!" Two Time grabs him by the back of his shirt, taking a blow from 1x. "A-AH!"

"Get out of my way!" The killer growls, attacking them to get to Shedletsky.

Both of them end up dead, Two Time screaming in horror as the creation of hatred plunged his daemonshanks through their chest.

Shedletsky's eyes widen as he tries to fight back, swinging his blade. He pants, trying to keep up with his own creation, but it is futile in the Spectre's realm.

"Shedletsky... you've failed them and yourself. How pathetic." They laugh.

And it goes black.

Shedletsky wakes back up in the cabin, grasping his chest where he would have been stabbed. He lets out a sigh, shaking his head. "Man, I totally got pwned..."

He turns to the side. "What about you, Two Time- Two Time?"

Two Time is curled up, their eyes wide with terror. They clutch the fabric of their chest, gritting their teeth and draping the blanket over themselves.

"No- no no no no-" They beg and try to cover themselves up with the small blanket, hiding themselves. "This isn't real this isn't real this isn't real-"

"Two Time, calm down." The swordsman raises his hand. "1x1x1x1 is pretty scary, yeah- but you'll get used to him."

It does not, however, reassure them. In fact, he might have made it worse  by trying to pat them on the back, because they stiffen up and scramble away.

"NO!" They shout. "S-stay back! Who knows what he has done to you- I- I don't want to be damned! I don't want to burn in hell!"

They try to push him aside, their hands weakly punching him as they fall onto the floor.

"Woah, Two Time, I uh... didn't know they were that scary to you." His wings droop, and he wonders if that part of himself really scared them that much.

'How much worse would they react if they knew that 1x came from MY hatred?'

There was a good reason why he kept that a secret from everyone else- even Builderman and Dusekkar. Who knows how badly they'd react if they knew how 1x actually came into being.

Two Time's reaction doesn't make him feel good. If anything, it makes him feel more guilty- if 1x1x1x1 managed to scare the cultist out of all people, then that part of himself must be repugnant.

The round ends with a victory for 1x1x1x1- Taph and Builderman are the last ones to be killed, and the demolitionist looks at the cultist.

"🕑🗡️🆗❓" She asks, concerned.

Two Time nods, hiccuping and crying. "I- I'm fine, I'm fine I'm fine- just- the Devil is here oh God please save me please bestow salvation unto my wretched soul-"

Taph gently guides them away, leading them to one of the bedrooms to calm down. Every other survivor in the cabin looks confused and concerned.

"What's up with them now?" Chance asks, flipping their coin.

Shedletsky is lost. He doesn't know what to do- should he ignore this as well? Pretend everything was okay, and just crack another joke?

"Haha, guess 1x was spookier than they could handle..." He laughs, sounding uneasy. "Sheesh, I thought they'd be used to him sooner or later."

"Shedletsky." Dusekkar frowns, lowering his staff. "What haunts them is beyond our understanding, although an explanation why they became so scared I am demanding."

"They- I- we got killed by 1x. Nothing out of the ordinary." He says, defending himself. "I tried to get them to settle down but- I don't know why they freaked out!"

"May I inquire if you tried to lay your hand upon them? For doing so does not lead to a good outcome." Dusekkar explains. "They feel fear towards us, and very rarely do they show their full trust."

"Oh, I see." Shedletsky isn'y sure if he's relieved that he wasn't the only one to invoke Two Time's fear, or if he's guilty for scaring them by accident. "Well... I guess we'll just have to give them some distance, then!"

Chapter Text

c00lkidd thinks it's really fun to play with his dad and the others- even if it gets kind of boring doing it over and over again.

He gets to play forever and doesn't have to go to school! No homework, no mean bullies- and no stupid bedtime!

But... he misses his dad. 1x1x1x1 is so cool, and Slasher is fun to play with sometimes- but it's so lonely. He really only gets to play with other people when the Spectre tells him to "go play tag".

And so, he's always extra energetic when playing. He runs around all over the place trying to find his dad, and if 007n7 isn't there, he got sad.

He kicks his feet back and forth, looking up at the dark sky and frowning. The water nearby the docks is calm, barely a ripple across it's surface.

The killers rest on the other side of the lake, isolated far from the survivors. Their cabins are copy-pasted from the survivors' side- not that anybody but the Spectre knows that, anyways.

"It's so dark..." c00lkidd complains. Slasher, who's relaxing nearby, tilts his head. "I can't see any stars. I'm never able to see them."

The young boy curls his legs up, his tail slowly waving back and forth. His horns are lowered and his lip is wobbling.

"Bad nightmare?" Slasher signs. c00lkidd shakes his head. "No, I really want to see the stars. That's all."

"The stars are nice. They're really pretty." Slasher looks up as well. "It's a shame that we can't see them here."

"Uh-huh." c00lkidd kicks his feet back and forth. "Do you like seeing the stars? Did your mom take you to see the stars?"

Slasher thinks back to his life- before Area 51, before his death. He thinks about the last time he's seen stars- looking up in the middle of a warzone at night, wondering if he'd ever make it out alive.

... He misses his mom, too.

Slasher just nods, too tired to sign anymore.

c00lkidd simply goes back to looking at the water, bored. He hears a chime within the main cabin, perking up. "Ooo! It's time to play again!"

He bounds into the cabin, looking at the small chalkboard on the wall. His name is scribbled on the list for the next round. "Yaaay! I hope papa's here today!"

1x1x1x1, who's standing beside the other killers and reading the list, rolls their eyes. "Good luck, little brat."

c00lkidd feels a bit sleepy- and he's teleported into the round.

When he wakes up again, he's standing in the middle of Pirate's Bay. He pouts. "Aw man, no pizza!"

"Oh well!" He slams his hand down in a superhero pose, using the c00lgui to summon his minions. "Let's go find papa and his friends!"

What follows next is a really fun game of tag! He manages to play with Mister Dusekkar and Shedletsky- he tagged two admins! Shedletsky hit him with his sword, which was no fair and it hurt- but that's okay!

Because he saw papa running away! His dad's playing tag today!

"DAD!" He gleefully shouts, barreling past Guest 1337 with a walkspeed override in order to chase his father. "It's so nice to see you, dad!"

007n7 is panting and running heavily, and soon, he flops down on the ground, empty. c00lkidd blinks, and then pouts.

"Dang it! I fell for it again!" He gently slaps himself. "Silly, silly! Dad used his clone!"

He uses his minions- one of them tags Guest 1337 so hard that he falls asleep! And the funny gambling man had his toy gun blow up on him and he went to sleep too.

c00lkidd giggles a bit as he sees this happen. "Too bad! You lose!"

He scrambles along, and doesn't manage to find his dad. But he DOES manage to find one of dad's friends!

Two Time is scrambling back, panting and heaving in fear. Their knife is in their hands, and c00lkidd frowns.

"It's no fair when you try to use that!" He whines. "We're playing tag! Why do you always stab me? It hurts!"

Two Time's breath hitches, and their eyes go blank. They glance down at their dagger, and back at c00lkidd.

Their hands shake so much that they drop it onto the floor, looking like they're about to throw up. "I- me, stab a kid? No, no no- I-"

c00lkidd simply stomps his foot and growls. "You're no fun! Just let me play TAG!"

He swipes his hand across their face, and they get decapitated  teleport away when they're tagged.

c00lkidd is grumpy. Two Time always cheats when playing tag! They act like they haven't gotten tagged and try to stab him again!

Although, Two Time didn't stab him this time. Weird... they look so horrified.

c00lkidd doesn't find them until after he tagged Shedletsky and Taph. Elliot tries to play with him too, but c00lkidd makes him go to sleep.

"I still can't find papa..." He whines, using his minions to look around. They wander towards a small wall, right where c00lkidd could hear pained gasping and coughing.

"There you are! You can't hide from- me..."

He trails off as he looks at the survivor kneeling on the floor, hunched over and in pain.

Two Time's eyes are squeezed shut, tears streaming down their eyes as their wings tremble. Their bony wings had burst from their spine, still coated in blood near the base as they unfurl.

The survivor had taken a beating from c00lkidd's minions. If it wasn't for the fact that they used their knife on one of them in desperation, they wouldn't still be alive. But barely.

"Huh...?" c00lkidd's face turns into confusion, then horror.

The Spectre's hold on him made it so he was unable to see all the violence and bloodshed of the rounds- after all, the little boy wasn't that dumb. He could tell he was hurting someone, if the Spectre didn't actively make it look like all sunshine and rainbows.

But c00lkidd's vision seemed to dim when he got closer to Two Time, his perception 'glitching' as he laid eyes on them. His usually blank eyes regain a shine that wasn't there for ages.

Visions of a skittish and 'sleepy' survivor were flickering back and forth with the raw terror in their eyes, their fingers burnt and their back split open with their wings.

"W-what's happening?!" c00lkidd cries out, looking panicked. "I- oh no, you're hurt!"

He kneels down to try and help them, but they flinch and scramble away, trying to run. "A-agh! G-get- get away!"

Their back hits the wall, and they let out a pained cry. c00lkidd looks lost and horrified, not used to the bloody sight in front of them.

"S-stay here! I'll go get someone!" c00lkidd steps back, but Two Time lets out a sob.

"N-no- I- I don't want anyone here, they'll- they'll see me like this and-"

They fall to the ground, curling up. "So pathetic... why am I always so pathetic?"

c00lkidd pauses. He looks at them, clearly afraid to have any of the admins or the other survivors come close to them, despite being badly wounded.

Surely the Spectre won't mind if he takes a break. c00lkidd sits down, criss-cross style, as he tries to talk to them.

"That looks really scary..." His lip quivers. "What happened?"

Two Time looks at the child with some disbelief. "What- what happened?! You! You hurt me! And you have the audacity to ask what-"

"I- what?!" c00lkidd gets defensive. "I didn't do anything! I was just playing tag!"

"Just playing tag?! You-!" Two Time takes a deep breath, and they make their voice softer, trying to understand. "Last time you... 'tagged' me, what did you think you were doing?"

"I... I slapped you in the face. I-I'm sorry." He crosses his arms. "But you were always stabbing me! It's so mean!"

The conflicted expression Two Time makes is confusing. He just slapped them- so why does it feel like he's done something really bad?

"Child. You... you don't know?"

"Don't know what?"

"..." Two Time opens their mouth to say something, but closes it. They let out a pained wince, and shake their head. "Nevermind. Just... stay here with me."

"It hurts so much."

Two Time seems to trust him, even though he slapped them earlier. He thought they'd be more mad, but they look... tired. Sad. Like how his dad looks sometimes when he thinks c00lkidd doesn't notice.

(c00lkidd isn't aware of how he's one of the few people "Two Time" can stand being around without complete paralyzing fear- because despite being a demon and a killer, he was still just a kid to Two Time now.)

c00lkidd sits down with them, making a face at all the gross blood on the grass below. He looks up at the dark sky.

"Is my papa doing okay?" He asks, looking worried. "He's really good at tag... but he must be so lonely not seeing me a lot."

"I- suppose your father is fine." Two Time stutters, looking confused. "He... keeps to himself. And the others do not talk to him a lot, besides... the soldier. But he misses you dearly."

c00lkidd sighs. He frowns, his tail drooping.

Two Time notices his sad demeanor, and they look away to the distance. "Your... father. He is a good man."

"To be honest... I envy you."

c00lkidd blinks. "Huh? Wha?"

"I'm jealous of you. 007n7 really seems to care about you a lot." Two Time looks longingly at the sky. "... He praises you constantly. Loves you even though you're- even though- um."

"I know I'm adopted." He pouts. "You don't have to hide that from me." The kids at his old school made fun of him for that already.

"... That. Yes." Two Time almost let it slip that he was a killer. They wanted to tell him the truth, but... from what they'd heard about the Spectre from their friend, it was probably best not to.

"Your father is proud of you. He holds you do dearly, even though you are not his flesh and blood." The cultist's mouth twitches downwards. "... Some of us are not so lucky."

Before c00lkidd can ask about what they meant, though- the round ends. Their vision blurs, and they feel sleepy and tired.

007n7 himself had listened in. He knew something was up when c00lkidd was missing from the round, after so many of the others had died and he was left standing with Noob, Chance and Two Time.

Noob is sticking close to Chance, looking skittish and wary, while Chance is slacking off and gambling as always. 007n7 slips away, and he catches the sound of conversation.

He stays. He hears Two Time say he's a 'good man' (they wouldn't say that if they knew him in the past, he thinks), and how they envy his son.

His breath catches as he's dragged back to the survivors' cabin, sitting at the same desk with Chance, Noob, and Two Time.

"Congrats!" Shedletsky pats Chance on the back. "You made it that long? Sheesh, even with the kid being extra rowdy today?"

"I guess it's just good luck!" They laugh, looking confused. "I guess c00lkidd got bored halfway through?"

007n7 doesn't say anything. He watches as Two Time leaves, quietly standing up and slipping away. They walk out of the cabin and to the docks, where it's quiet and peaceful.

007n7 makes his presence known. He clears his throat, standing a small distance away from them. "Ahem."

"A-ah!" Two Time jumps a bit, whipping around. They tense up when they see 007n7, and glance to the cabin nervously. "D-don't tell the the others want to see me..."

"No." He shakes his head. "It's just... me."

"I overheard you talking to my son, and... thank you." He mutters. "Thank you for not telling him the truth, even if he was... close to figuring it out. It would break his heart, and- and I don't want him to know. Not when he's stuck here forever."

Two Time flinches, looking distressed. "That's not right."

"..." 007n7 has a look of guilt in his eyes. "I know. But- can't I just keep him happy and innocent?"

"He will find out. They always find out." Two Time's hands ball up, and their gaze is distant. "... And it is a terrible thing, to figure out that you have been hurting others without knowing. That they never told you about your sins because you were 'too innocent'."

"I was the same way once." They shudder. "... Never again."

007n7 looks away. He's already burdened by guilt- by his past, his mistakes- he's not sure if he can take it if keeping his son clueless was the wrong choice.

"... Even if I told him, he'd just forget." He says, sitting down a fair distance away from Two Time. "The others have tried to tell c00lkidd. He either doesn't believe them, or by the next round, he doesn't remember."

"Whatever's keeping him here doesn't want him to know."

Two Time grits their teeth- not at him, but in terror at the thought. "I see."

The both of them sit at the dock, perfectly silent. 007n7 glances over at Two Time, his curiosity overtaking him. He felt a sort of pity for them- in this state, it was easier to see that they had a tragic backstory.

"You... you envy my son?" He asks. "I don't know where you got the idea I was a good father... I neglected him. Working long hours wasn't any excuse to leave him by himself."

"The grass always looks greener on the other side, I suppose." Two Time huffs. "Compared to what my father was like, you are a far better parent."

007n7 looks at Two Time questioningly. The cultist purses their lips, as if contemplating something.

They close their eyes, and take a deep breath.

"My father was actually my step-father." They explained. "We had a... belief, where I lived- that only blood-related children that you made mattered. More than anything."

"My father married my mother and took both of us in at our lowest point, when I was very young. Even though she was a widowed single mother, and I was a worthless child that wasn't his blood..."

"He told me over and over again that the only reason why he didn't throw me to the curb and to the foster care system was because I cooked and cleaned better than my mother."

They let out a sarcastic chuckle. "I think it made her insecure when he said that, because mom began to hate me too."

"The only reason why my parents... and the entire community, I guess... tolerated me and treated me normally was because I looked pretty, I was useful, and I was obedient."

"If I wasn't those things... I would have just been the bastard kid of a 'useless whore'." Their lip wobbled, the emotion actually hitting them. "I- I did all of that so that they- they wouldn't look at my mom that way, that they would find me useful and her useful but- but she-"

Two Time chokes up, hiding their face. They don't talk anymore, having used up the small bit of bravery they had.

"Why...? Why did he have to be such a terrible man?" They lament. "Why did mom have to love him more than me?"

007n7 feels his heart wrench with pity, and he would have reached out to Two Time if not for the fact that he knew they were touch averse. His tail droops, just like his son's.

"It's not your fault." He whispered. "You tried your best, but it wasn't meant to be."

They let out a choked sob, burying their face in their arms to try and muffle their pathetic sounds.

It didn't work.