Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Maybe creating a web series was a bad idea. Danno knew he should’ve auditioned for that TV Show instead. He exited the building, walking through the city and shoving his phone in his pocket. His blue messenger bag swung over his shoulder, trying his best to keep his back straight and look proper instead of like some jobless scumbag. His girlfriend was definitely right, he should’ve hyper focused on another idea rather than a web series that would take forever. His girlfriend was forever supportive of him, though. Danno would fall in love with her again if he could.

His walk was relatively easy if he could squeeze past all the people who were walking past. Of course, he wasn’t a particular fan of his hometown. It's been crowded for as long as he could remember, but that did mean he’d get his steps in. If an asteroid or a nuke were to hit his hometown, everyone would probably be doomed. Everyone walked as if they were running late for a job interview or if they’d gotten rejected by their high school sweetheart. Danno was grateful he didn’t have to experience either.

Danno didn’t wear anything that was particularly fancy, only a pair of black jeans and an admiral blue collared button-up. He even wore black shoes to match his jeans. It was an easy outfit to walk in, and the jeans weren’t even uncomfortable. If he wanted to, he’d probably be able to run in them. However, he was confident he wouldn’t be late to anything of the sorts. So, he was almost taking his time…almost. His blue messenger back was square-ish, and definitely had something on the walls of it that helped it keep its square shape. Danno was thankful that the top didn’t have any variety of cardboard–or whatever kept the bag in shape. It meant he could put several of his favorite pins or buttons on it. He wasn’t sure if that made him look childish or not.

As Danno made his way to a crosswalk, where he hoped to god no one got run over. He spotted three–maybe teenagers? They appeared 16-18, but Danno wasn’t confident. All he knew was compared to himself, he looked close in age with them. They were still in high school, probably. Junior and senior years? Danno wasn’t confident. Danno ran a hand through his hair, almost laughing at the scene. The three were in incoming traffic, but Danno found it funny. They were kids. Probably trying to live their lives to the fullest.

Danno hummed, looking through his messenger bag. He wondered if he had that notebook on him…the one that was full of ideas he’d created for his web series. He normally kept them in his notes app, but eventually started leaving them in a notebook.

He watched those three teenagers scurry out from the street, running past him and into a crowd of people behind him. He only glanced, then started walking with the crowd of people when they started pushing him around, bumping his shoulders. Danno nearly dropped his notebook, but kept a tight grasp on it. He made his way through the crowd, briefly glancing up skywards when he heard the explosions of fireworks. Who on earth would light fireworks at this hour? It was…maybe eleven in the morning. Danno wasn’t sure.

He adjusted his messenger bag on his shoulder, watching as most people stopped in their tracks as they watched the fireworks from above. It was strange, but not unnatural. Crazy stuff happened in big cities, so what? Danno was used to seeing crazy shit happen all the time.

Danno made it into his apartment building, hurrying up the steps and setting his bag down when he made it inside. He knew Layah wouldn’t be home yet, it was too early. His head tilted slightly, humming while he turned and opened one of the curtains. His eyebrows raised in shock as he examined the world outside. It was completely empty. Fucking no one was outside. That was…weird. Like a shit ton of weird. His heartbeat nearly stopped. It was at best eleven in the morning, how the Hell was it already dark?

Then, it hit Danno. He was alone. He had no idea who he would possibly be with now. He didn’t know if he was the only person on earth now, or if he’s lost his mind and he was in some form of purgatory. His own variation of Hell, maybe? Danno was only making up every theory possible, though. His creative mind might be running wild.

He watched one of the large screens in the city below illuminate, reading the words GAME ARENA THIS WAY with an arrow pointing towards a building on one of the one-story buildings. Letting his curiosity get the best of him, Danno exited his and Layah’s apartment. He tried using the elevator, but found that it was completely out of order. Danno rushed down the stairs, walking through the front doors of his apartment building. He stared at the large white screen, continuing to read the words GAME ARENA. He gulped, knowing this was a bad idea.

Danno held his breath as he walked inside. It was one of those escape room places Layah talked about bringing him to before. They never went through with the plan, though. Danno was always so fixated on making his web series, and Layah was always doing something around the apartment room they had together. Danno wondered why this building was so significant…

As he entered, he was met with at best nine other people. He couldn’t recognize any of them, but most of them seemed like a majority of them knew quite a lot. There was a group of three wearing beach-like clothing. Danno didn’t question any of it, though. It was whatever to him. He’s seen crazier stuff…

In the center of the lobby, there was one sole phone on a table. Danno glanced at everyone else, noticing how their eyes were glued onto Danno. He grew anxious, approaching the table and picking up the phone. He noticed a small sign on the table, reading the words one per person. Danno gripped the phone in his hand, turning around and looking at everyone. They’d gone back to talking to each other rather than glaring at Danno as if he were a completely new species from the medieval era.

As if on cue, there was a voice.

“Ten players have been registered into the game.” A voice rang, causing Danno to lock his eyes on the phone. “Game is about to start.” Danno glanced up, begging someone to give him an answer as to what he wondered the most; what the fuck is going on?

“Difficulty…FIVE OF DIAMONDS.” It paused again. “Name of game…MUTED ESCAPE. Rules of the game…you will be paired up with someone and put into a room, with zero noises besides your own. You must complete the escape room before the time limit is over. If a player leaves the room they’ve entered, they will be eliminated.” It paused, for what felt like forever. “Goal of the game…don’t make a sound until the time is up. Time limit…one hour." Another pause. “Choosing partners now.”

…So he’s playing children’s games? Easy enough.

His partner was chosen, and they walked into one of the rooms. One of the further ones, though. They seemed like they were in a completely separate world from the other players, now. Danno wasn’t sure how that worked, but it sure as Hell did. She had a black tank top on with baggy camo pants. Danno didn’t get a glance at her shoes, but he assumed they’d be either combat boots or some variation of running shoes. She had several tattoos lining her arms, and they didn’t seem to be incredibly important, so Danno disregarded them. Danno did notice the gym key bracelet on her wrist.

Her hair was dirty blonde, but there were some black and red streaks dyed within her hair. Her curly hair was tied up in a high ponytail, tied high enough that it didn’t get in her way. When Danno first entered the lobby, he noticed her first. She was next to a masculine presenting person, who had a red flannel tied around his hips. The only reason he noticed her was because of the red glowing cracks on her. They seemed to originate in the center of her collar bones. In the center of her chest took the shape of a club. The cracks trailed to her shoulders, stopping in the center of her upper arms. More cracks trailed up to her neck, disappearing behind her ears.

Danno wondered if she would even count as a human–maybe a variety of nebulae? The only thing was she wasn’t one color. Danno was about to speak, before he recalled the rules of the game. Danno pulled out a notepad from his back pocket, searching for a pen on himself. He found one in one of his front pockets, scribbling down on the notepad. He tried to grab her attention, but she didn’t do anything. Her eyes were fixed on the puzzle she was doing.

As he tried to pester her, he took quick glances at the room they were in. It was dimly lit, with a leather antique couch in the center. There was a brown wooden table in front of it, and a fireplace aligning with it all. Danno wondered if the fireplace had anything to do with the room, but he doubted it did. There were large bookcases lining the walls, including a desk in one of the corners.

He eventually gave up, and fixed his own eyes on one of the puzzles in the room. He noticed he didn’t actually know what eliminating meant. He assumed it meant the players were out of the game, and they’d just be taken out of the room. The next day, they’d have another chance to play another game. Danno wasn’t sure, though. He was only making up theories and assumptions.

The puzzle Danno found himself fixated on involved an old and black typewriter, several pieces of paper, and a pencil. Danno wasn’t given any variation of explanation, so he had to assume what he’d do. Danno warily took the pencil, gulping. As if on cue, a tapping began. It wasn’t continuous, it was almost rhythmic. He blinked, trying to differ where it could be. Danno wasn’t sure, so he fixed back onto the typewriter. He aligned most of the papers onto the typewriter, keeping one for himself. He listened to the tapping, running a hand through his hair as he listened.

Morse code, maybe? Danno wouldn’t be surprised. When the tapping restarted, Danno listened in harder, brows narrowing. He kept a grip on the pencil, considering his situation. As the tapping went on, he wrote it down. He ended up with three numbers. 3, 9, and 6. All multiples of three. Danno honestly found it sort of ironic, considering the girl had led them both into a room with the number three on the door. Danno glanced around the room, trying to see if there was anything that had a code input.

The girl gestured for him to hurry forward, pointing at something. Maybe a code input? Danno wasn’t sure. He approached her, eyes immediately looking at what she was pointing at. Like Danno hoped, it was a code input. Danno gulped, warily inputting 396. It buzzed. Not the good buzz, the bad buzz. The buzz that told Danno it was incorrect. Did he need a fourth number, or something? Danno only got three numbers. Was there something else in the room? Danno wasn’t sure. Above the three numbers, there were three small lights. One had gone red. Danno was confident he’d be eliminated if he got it wrong three times.

Danno hesitated, but slowly input 0396. He closed his eyes, preparing himself for the worst. Another buzz, maybe? If so, that meant he’d have one chance left. It beeped, and Danno opened his eyes. He watched one of the small lights grow green, and he smiled. The girl pushed him over. Not enough that he’d fall over, but enough so it got him out of the way. She opened the safe, approaching it enough so Danno couldn’t see what was inside. This only made Danno curious, but he didn’t push for information. She took whatever was in it, and shoved it in her pocket.

…What a strange girl.

Danno and the girl finished whatever puzzles remained in the room. As they focused on the final puzzle, with ten minutes left. The game wasn’t anything hard. It was pretty easy, actually.

Just as they were about to finish up, the door that he and she entered through opened. It revealed a girl who looked like she belonged on vacation in Hawaii. Her eyes went wide, and it was as if she were seeing a dead body.

“No…” She mumbled, hands going up to her head as if it had fallen off. “No, no. I didn’t mean to. Please, I-” She was cut off with a vertical red line charging through her head. Her eyes went wide, her breath caught in her throat. She tumbled over, eyes rolling into the back of her head as she fell.

Danno’s brows narrowed, slowly approaching her. The girl he was partnered with didn’t do anything to stop him. As Danno approached her, he noticed everything that was wrong. He got down on his knees, gently shaking her. He was about to snap his fingers in front of her face, before remembering the rules to the game. And noticing her face. There was a clean circle right underneath her chin and just above her forehead. The shape smoked, and Danno noticed what had happened to her.

She was dead.

His eyes widened, stumbling back from the body. He was about to scream, but a hand clamped over his mouth, another hand on his left shoulder. He glanced up, noticing the same girl who he’s been partnered with and has been working with for the past hour. She brought him to his feet, spinning him around and grasping his shoulders. She gave him a look that told him shut the fuck up. Danno nodded, heart pounding in his chest.

Was this his life now? Danno hoped not.

Danno made it out alive. He couldn’t fucking believe it. The girl he was paired with pocketed her hands, glancing around the room until she saw a boy with a red flannel tied around his hips. She quickly approached him, her high ponytail swaying from side to side. They spoke for several seconds, the boy shaking his head. Danno just watched. The girl nodded, and a boy exited the room he was in, room four. He glanced around, eyes landing on the boy with the red flannel and the girl Danno had been paired with. He brought a hand out from his pocket, waving at the two. The boy with the red flannel rolled his eyes, gesturing for the new boy to follow. The boy almost looked offended, but followed after the two.

“Congratulations. You have passed…MUTED ESCAPE.” The voice said, “FIVE DAYS…have been added to your visa.” Danno looked down at the phone he had, gulping.

Danno knew he should’ve followed the three of them, but he didn’t. He had to look for Layah, or at least know if she was safe or not.

Chapter Text

Danno entered his next game arena. He was down to one day on his visa. Every night, he’d wait outside of the new game arena just in case Layah was there. At this point, Danno might go back to journaling. He can’t even recall the last time he wrote anything in some damned journal. High school, maybe? Maybe he did some shit for his therapist, but he hasn’t seen her in years. The last time he saw her was when he almost got addicted to some drug, Danno couldn’t remember which one.

Eyes landed on him, but Danno completely ignored them. He focused on his main goal: get days on his visa. He learned that his visa was basically his way of life. He’d be eliminated if he ran out of days. He’s definitely calmed down after his first game. He’s even seen several people die to that red line. It still freaked him out, though.

Danno took the phone from the table, and unconsciously walked somewhere. He stood beside a boy in red. He was familiar, maybe one of the teens he saw in the middle of the road before all of this? Danno wasn’t sure. He wore a red hoodie. Danno could see brown roots forming at the top of his head, so he assumed his cherry red hair was dyed. He wore black jeans that nearly clung to his skin, but not completely. His shoes were black combat boots, much like the ones that girl was wearing.

As if on cue, someone spoke up. “Excuse me?” He spoke, glancing around the room he was in. “Does anyone know what this is?” He asked. Danno could tell he was new by the way his clothes looked. He had a white tee on, with a green Hawaiian shirt underneath. He wore blue denim pants, too. Danno didn’t get a look at his shoes. He did notice the small gold chain around his neck, though. It held a crown keychain on it.

Danno was about to speak, but someone spoke before he got the chance. “Just listen to the rules.” He ordered. “I’m not sure what we’re playing, but I hope your stamina is good.” With that, he pushed his earbud back in. Danno glanced down, noticing he had some variety of a music player. There were wires in it, but Danno wouldn’t be able to say what kind of music player it was. It was plugged into an outlet next to the wall he was standing against, with a pair of yellow earbuds plugged into it as well. It was someone from Danno’s first game, but he couldn’t recall who.

“Cdot, don’t be rude.” Someone spoke up. Danno glanced over, recalling the same boy with the red flannel from his first game. Next to him was the girl Danno was paired with…strange. He approached the green one, beginning to speak once more. “I’m Jonny, that one is Cdot.” He gestured to the one in the corner. Jonny glanced over, gesturing to the girl Danno was paired with in his first game. “This is my co-militant, Ana.” He leaned in, muttering something to him. Danno was too far away, he didn’t hear what.

“Oh, come on, Jonny.” The boy named Cdot called, almost offended. “Don’t tell me you seriously want him to come back with us. Are you sure your brother will even accept him?”

Jonny turned, approaching Cdot. “He wouldn’t be a militant, Cdot. We just need some extra help on the executive team. You especially know this.” He spoke sourly, leaving Cdot to his own music and most likely his anger now.

“13 players have been registered. Game is about to start.” The voice called, and everyone’s phones turned on. “Difficulty…FIVE OF SPADES. Name of game…A GAME OF TAG.” It paused. “RULES will be explained shortly.”

There was silence for a long period of time, but it was eventually cut out with the voice again. “Rules of the game…there is a ticking bomb in the apartment complex, the players must shut off the bomb before the 20 minutes are over, or else it is GAME OVER.” It paused. “If the players find the unlocked apartment with the safe zone, it is GAME CLEAR.” Another pause. “It will be trying to stop you. Goal of the game…find the safe zone. Time limit…20 minutes. Players get a five minute head start.”

“What the hell is it?” The green boy asked as everyone began walking out of the main room. “Hello? Someone?”

With that, Danno exited the room. He began checking each door he could, trying to open them as best as he could, but to no avail. Each damn door he tried was locked. The boy in red seemed to be following him around, but didn’t make it too obvious. Danno acted like he didn’t notice, hoping he wouldn’t embarrass the kid. He barely looked 18, and it fucking worried Danno. He was 21–seeing someone under 21 here made Danno wonder if children were registered into the game. It made Danno wonder if toddlers were registered. Was the system that fucked? Danno hoped not. Surely they had some decency, right?

“You two look like you could use some help!” Someone called, clearly talking about Danno and the red one. He wore neat clothes. Something that told Danno he was of high value to the government. This place must be double Hell to him. Danno almost considered laughing for a second, the rich definitely deserved this. The man approached Danno and the red boy, wrapping both of his arms around the boys’ shoulders. “You two are new.” He commented. “How should I help?”

“Uh, no. We don’t-” The red boy began.

“We do need help, actually. What do the playing cards symbolize?” Danno interrupted.

The richer one chuckled. “Spades are teamwork and battle games. Clubs are strength games. Diamonds are-”

“-intellect,” Danno interrupted yet again.

“You’ve played a diamond game?” He asked, Danno nodded. “Seems you’ve been doing good.” He hummed, a hint of jealousy behind his voice. “Heart games?” He chuckled, leaving it at that.

“What?” The red one asked. “What’re heart games?” He asked, gently pushing the richer one off as the three of them walked down a line of stairs.

“They fuck with your mind.” The richer one chuckled.

“Five minutes have passed. It is now loose.”

“Okay, seriously, who the fuck is it?” The red one asked.

As if on cue, a pair of boots echoed in the hallway, immediately alerting Danno. His eyes widened, unable to tell if they were coming from upstairs or downstairs. He quickly differentiated it from downstairs. Without a second thought, Danno raced upstairs. He had an idea of what the tagger could possibly be, and Danno was confident he didn’t want to know. He could only hope the red boy had followed him or anything similar. He prayed to whatever god that existed above him that the rich one didn’t get the hint. Maybe he’d die. That’d be amazing.

The second Danno heard the gunshots, it was like an angel had blessed his ears with Layah’s voice. There was a slight sense of panic, thinking it was the red boy. Hearing the patter of running feet and panting, Danno peeked around the corner. He was grateful to see the red boy still alive. Danno pulled him closer, almost gripping them possessively. Not in a weird way, or some shit. Hell no. Danno only felt a surge of protectiveness knowing they looked barely 18. Danno wouldn’t be surprised if he only recently turned 17.

Danno held him close, a hand over the boy's mouth as the two listened to the loud footsteps grow softer and softer. Danno could tell he was shaking just by keeping his mouth covered, Danno noticed he was probably blocking all possibilities of air with the way his hand was clamped over Redjet’s mouth, only slightly blocking his nose.

Once Danno was confident the two of them were alone, Danno began speaking. “If you’re gonna trail after me, at least tell me your name.” As Danno spoke, he noticed his words sounded like demands rather than suggestions. He uncovered the boy's mouth, letting go of him. As he pushed Danno away, he hunched over and greedily gasped in as much air as he possibly could. Did Danno nearly suffocate him? Shit, does that could as child abuse?

“I-I’m Redjet.” He said, coughing slightly. He stood back up straight, jaw quivering as he chose his next words sparingly. “I’m here alone. My friend's visa days are longer than mine. They told me I should just play a game–one of my friends' legs is burnt.” Redjet paused. “I was hoping I could find a doctor while I was here. Do you…do you know anything about medical stuff? Medicine?” He asked. Danno could tell he was just some scared kid trying to save his friends.

Danno didn’t know why, but he felt like he had to protect him. He inhaled slowly. “Danno,” Danno introduced himself. He knew one or two things about treating burn scars, but he didn’t know the severity of the injury. “I’d need to see it before I could do anything for him.”

“Them.” Redjet corrected.

Danno inhaled slowly, silently cursing himself for his mistake. “Them, I’m sorry.” He nodded. “Come on, we should try and find the safe zone.” He said, gesturing for Redjet to follow him. Redjet seemed to hesitate, but nodded. 

There was hesitance in Redjet’s every step, but Danno pushed it to the side. Redjet would tell Danno if he wanted to. They? Fuck, Danno was definitely too straight for this. And cis. Wait, does that sound homophobic? No, it’s transphobic. FUCK. His best friend in high school was literally trans, he should know this. And she was–no, he? GOD DAMN IT.

Danno brushed it off. The two of them kept checking every apartment door to see which one was unlocked. Danno checked the phone he was provided, the white screen making his eyes hurt for a brief minute. His eyes adjusted, having to squint slightly. He saw the nine minutes left, and gulped. They were definitely running out of time. Danno heard the echo of gunshots and screaming, whipping his head around. Upon seeing no one, Danno turned and focused his eyes anywhere else.

“He has some sort of machine gun. An AK-47, maybe.” A voice whispered, “I didn’t get a good look at him.” When Danno turned and glanced at said person, it was the same red flanneled boy from his first game. The girl with the red cracks was trailing behind him with her hands in her pockets. It was clear he was talking to him and Redjet. “I have an idea on how we can distract him, someone can find the safe zone if it goes sweetly.”

Danno turned to Redjet. He was pretty sure the boy with the red flannel’s name was Jonny, but he wasn’t sure. He was confident the girl with the red cracks was Ana. She stood out easier.

Redjet gulped, but glanced back up at Jonny and Ana. “I can go,” He assured. “When I was created, my parent creators made sure I was speedy. I ran faster than probably anyone when I was at school.” He explained, shooting Danno a look that probably said I might fucking die. Danno nodded.

“I can look for the safe zone.” Danno decided.

Jonny nodded, gesturing for Redjet to follow him and Ana. “A friend of ours is already looking for the safe zone. He’s smart, he’ll find it. Try and run into him.” He ordered, beginning to walk in the opposite direction. Redjet glanced at Danno, before hurrying after Jonny and Ana.

Danno wasn’t sure he liked this plan of Jonny’s.

“We’re gonna bait him into a room.” Jonny explained, taking a fire extinguisher from one of the walls. “Ana, you’re our bait.” He ordered, throwing the fire extinguisher at Redjet. Redjet caught it, tumbling a bit. If Redjet knew anything, it was that he was not as strong as people assume. Redjet was better when it came to agility, part of the reason why he favored club games. Jonny led the two of them down a floor, taking another fire extinguisher in his hand. He pointed to an area on the sixth floor, it looked similar to the lobby. “Red and I will go up there and hide out. Ana, bait him up there.”

Redjet wasn’t strong in most school subjects, but he definitely knew he shouldn’t judge Jonny’s capabilities. With the way he easily took charge of situations like these, Redjet assumed he’s had some form of leadership before. Class president, student council president. Hell, he may have been a sergeant in the army. Redjet wasn’t sure.

Jonny led Redjet up to the sixth floor while Ana tried to find the tagger. Redjet even stopped walking just to watch her. Jeez, she’s quick…that’s so fucking cool.

“Wait here,” Jonny ordered, pointing in a corner. “Wait for Ana to lead him to you. I’ll attack him from behind.”

Redjet’s brows narrowed, “what? Hold on–are you sure?” He asked, completely confused.

“He has a limited amount of bullets or magazines. He’ll have his weaknesses, he’s human just like us.” Jonny reminded. “Go on, I’ll attack him from behind.” He said, walking to a separate part of the lobby-like area.

Redjet gulped, letting Jonny go ahead.

Redjet waited there for what felt like hours. Ana took forever. With each shout Ana made to the tagger, Redjet felt his heartbeat grow more and more quicker. Ana’s voice grew louder as she approached.

“Come on, come here. What are you, a coward?” She mocked, Redjet hated to admit he could hear the smile on her face. It was like she adored the probable pain he’d suffer in mere minutes. Redjet watched her figure begin to take shape in front of him, walking backwards into the lobby-like room. “Jonny!” She called. Upon hearing or seeing Jonny do nothing, Redjet grew confused. He could see the confusion on Ana’s face, too. “Jonny?” She called, backing into the lobby-like room more. “Jonny, why aren’t you-”

With a few bangs, Redjet watched Ana fall backwards onto the floor. His eyes widened, gripping the fire extinguisher in his hands somewhat tighter. He watched the red cracks on her body stretch out on her body, specifically her chest area. Redjet was pretty sure blood was splattered onto himself, now. But he wasn’t sure. Her death was so quick, Redjet wasn’t sure it was real. His hands shook, gripping the fire extinguisher in his hands.

As the footsteps of the tagger grew closer and closer to the lobby area, Redjet’s heartbeat accelerated dramatically. His eyes grew wider than before, trying to figure out what the Hell he should do. Throw the fire extinguisher at the tagger? Redjet doubted that’d do shit. Redjet felt like a scared little kid again. He felt like the scared little boy who lost his creators in the grocery store. He felt like the scared little boy who didn’t want to do a presentation in class because he didn’t like being stared at. He felt like the scared little boy who refused to do something risky unless one of his friends did it with him.

Redjet completely froze up, hands shaking as he dropped the fire extinguisher. He felt like he was in third person, about to watch himself die while having a panic attack. Redjet did not like how it was looking for him. This was how he was gonna die, he was certain. Redjet didn’t like his chances of survival right now.

Danno stared at the door, hesitating. He glanced up at the number, apartment 125. He gripped the doorknob, throwing the door open. He was surprised it even opened in the first place. He’s been to so many locked apartment doors…

Danno hurried in, looking around. Upon seeing nothing, he glanced at another door in the room. He practically sprinted over, hurriedly opening the door. He looked around, spotting a sign in the room. Two players must press each button. Danno sighed disappointedly. Shit, he was fucked. He inhaled, turning around. He was about to find someone else, but was practically jumpscared.

“You and I had the same idea.” He spoke, it was the boy Jonny referred to as Cdot. Danno only stared, watching as one of his hands exited his hoodie pockets. “All the gunshots hit around the door, not the door itself. You seem smart, surely you noticed that.” He smiled, head tilting. Danno didn’t even know that, but nodded his head nonetheless. “Come on, let’s end this.”

Danno nodded again, hesitantly pressing the button. There were one or two explosions, causing Danno to jump, but his phone turned on again.

“CONGRATULATIONS. Game…CLEAR. FIVE DAYS…have been added to your visa.”

Danno turned, and he watched the boy turn and leave the room. “Excuse me, sir.” Danno began, hesitating. He recalled how Redjet’s friend needed help, that their leg was burned. That’s the correct pronoun use, right? Yeah? Sick. “Jonny referred to you as Cdot…are you a doctor?” He asked, genuine concern in his voice.

Cdot stopped, turning to face Danno once more. He gulped, Danno could see the hesitation on his face. “No, I’m not. I hope everyone survives.” He bowed his head, pocketing his hands before exiting.

…Shit.

Chapter Text

“Redjet, you’re okay!” Someone called, practically limping as they tried to walk forward. They wore a blue hoodie, their hair was a mix between ginger and blonde. Their eyes stuck out most of all, being gray among their mostly vibrant appearance.

“Mello–Mello! You shouldn’t be walking!” Another shouted, dressed in green from head to toe. They took a grasp on Mello, holding them up. “You should’ve told me you were gonna stand up first, you…” They sighed, looking up at Redjet before shifting their attention to Danno. “Who’s this?” They asked.

“This is Danno.” Redjet introduced, holding onto his own right side. “He said he might be able to help if Mello lets him look at their burn.” Redjet assured, turning to Danno. “Danno, this is Mello and Datchia.” He confirmed.

Datchia looked Danno up and down, then focused their eyes on where Redjet was holding his side. “Redjet, did something happen in last night's game?” They asked, brows narrowing. “Did you get it bandaged correctly? You’re an android, but you could still get an infection. Your creators didn’t make you invincible, Redjet!” With the tone they were talking in, it made Danno think Redjet was getting scolded by an Asian mother.

“I wasn’t able to bandage it, no.” He sighed. “The cut was deep, but with enough pressure–”

“Come on, we should get you bandaged either way and see if we can put something on it.” Datchia interrupted, holding Mello up as the two of them began walking from the opposite direction they came from. Danno felt like he was interrupting some type of found family trope, he almost felt guilty. He’d feel more guilty if he was breaking into their hideout.

Redjet sighed, obviously amused with the Datchia’s antics. He trudged after the duo, non-verbally telling Danno to follow after him. Danno did so, running a hand through his hair. He was trying to figure out how he’d find Layah when he had a few high school aged kids with him…shit. This wasn’t looking good for him one bit. Danno was afraid he wouldn’t be able to find Layah if he were looking after a bunch of…16? 17 year olds? Damn it. He was 21, he should know how to take care of a kid if he wants to marry Layah.

Their hideout wasn’t anything Danno hadn't seen before. It was left surprisingly clean, which Danno didn’t expect. Dear god, a few 16 or 17 year olds were doing better than a 21 year old in an apocalyptic setting. Maybe that says something about Danno…

Their hideout was just one of those small shops in a mall. It wasn’t anything special. It looked like one of those kids’ bedrooms in a Disney show–like Henry Danger, or iCarly–but make it more. Larger, expanded. A bit dirtier, too. Danno was surprised the three of them were able to make it work. The bigger question Danno had was where the Hell were their parents? Danno wouldn’t ask them, knowing it’d probably be a bit of a rough topic to manage in this world, but he still wondered.

“He knows how to manage burns, right?” Danno heard Datchia ask as he walked in.

“He wanted to take a look at it. He should at least know some basics.” Redjet promised.

Danno could sense the hesitation radiating off of Datchia, but watched them nod nonetheless. “Mello, you should sit down so he can look at it. I’ll manage Redjet, for now.” They ordered.

“What’d you expect me to do? Not sit down? I can just barely stand, Datchia!” Mello exclaimed, adjusting their seat on one of the wooden chairs. Mello dragged another wooden chair over with their foot that wasn’t injured, resting their injured leg onto the chair before they began undoing the bandage on their leg.

Danno adjusted their gaze over to Datchia and Redjet, noticing how deep the cut on Redjet’s side actually was. It had mostly been covered by his hoodie, so Danno didn’t comment on it. Looking at the wound, Danno noticed the actual severity of it. Danno knew androids existed, but he never encountered one. He was pretty sure there was one in his elementary school, but they were bullied to hell and back. Or were they a nebulae? Damn it…

Danno fixed his eyes on Mello’s injury, tilting his head. It was sure as fuck a burn, but it definitely seemed to have healed since whenever they got it. A few days ago, at best. That’s what Danno would assume.

“Have you been putting cool water on it? Cool–not cold.”

“I- I think so?” Mello stuttered, crossing their arms as if they were hiding their torso. Dysphoria, maybe? Danno noticed their voice had a tinge of feminine to it, but didn’t bring it up. Some people just had feminine voices, you know? Danno was told he had a feminine voice when he was younger. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t experienced or seen. “I don’t know, man. It feels cool.” Mello continued, obviously anxious. Danno understood why. He was some 21 year old talking to a 16 or 17 year old kid in an apocalyptic setting. Danno wouldn’t be surprised if Mello was the youngest between Datchia and Redjet.

Danno inhaled, nodding. “You should put some sort of lotion on it after putting the wound under cool water, and when it dries. The safer bet would probably be to pat the wound dry, then apply lotion.” He explained, “I don’t have hands-on experience, nor would I trust myself, so I think one of your friends should do it.” He admitted shamefully, running a hand through his hair. He wouldn’t admit it, but he felt weird being around the trio. He was 21, they were 16-17. They were kids.

“So, I’ll be okay?” Mello asked, Danno could sense the hopefulness in their voice.

Danno hesitated. He wasn’t sure, but he didn’t want to lie to them. “I’m not sure,” He said honestly. “When we get out of here, you should get to a hospital. They’ll be able to treat you properly.” He nodded, smiling at Mello. Mello simply nodded back with a smile of their own.

Redjet dropped a walkie talkie on the wooden table, playing the last message that was recorded.

“Games are over…players of Utopia, please return as soon as possible.” The walkie talkie spoke, a crackling sound, and the message was over. Redjet replayed the message. “Games are over…players of Utopia, please return as soon as possible.”

“It fell out of this girls’ pocket. Her name was Ana, or something. The message played almost the second me and Danno’s game was over last night.” Redjet explained, tying his hoodie around his waist. “That boy she was with–Jonny, I think–was already gone. I don’t think he gave even the slightest fuck about that girl.” He sighed. “What a jackass.” Redjet mumbled underneath his breath, swallowing. Danno couldn’t blame him, leaving a girl for death? That’s a new low.

“What even is Utopia?” Datchia asked, pulling a black school notebook out from underneath the table. They took the pen from their ear, clicking it.

“Utopia’s definition is an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect.” Mello read from a dictionary, humming a small tune to themself. “Could it be a safe haven?” They said aloud, Danno assumed they were only thinking.

Datchia scribbled something down onto their notebook, humming along with Mello. Were they seriously making up their own song right now? Danno was surprised–they were definitely good at teamwork. “But calling it Utopia is stupid.” They mentioned. “If utopia is supposed to be a world where everything is perfect, it’s impossible. I’ve heard some people call this place we’re in the Borderlands, and it doesn’t seem like a utopia. It’s more like a dystopia, if anything.” They argued.

“I agree with Mello,” Redjet said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Utopia is some sort of safe haven.” There was a pause, then Redjet began to quietly sing. Datchia gently hit the back of his head. “What the hell, dude?” Redjet questioned, rubbing the back of his head where Datchia hit him.

“The second lyric is don’t desert me now, not don’t deserve me now.” They lightly scolded, chuckling.

“It’s don’t deserve me now in the second verse!” Redjet exclaimed, almost offended.

Mello snickered, placing the dictionary on the table in front of the four of them. “It’s don’t deserve me now in the second verse.” They vouched.

“It is not!” Datchia scoffed, leaning back in their seat. They exhaled, coming down from their high and running a hand through their hand. “On a more important matter–me and Mello’s visas run out tonight. We have to go to a game.” Danno could hear a slight sense of disappointment in their voice.

“I’ve been counting,” Redjet assured. “I’m coming with you two, don’t worry.” He smiled, shifting his attention to Danno. His gaze said enough.

Danno nodded in return. “You three are…what? 16 or 17? I don’t wanna leave you three alone.” He said.

“Mello’s 15,” Datchia corrected, putting their black school notebook in its original place. Datchia rested their pen above their ear again. “Redjet and I are 16, Redjet’s almost 17, actually.”

…Motherfucker what? Danno’s eyes widened slightly, knowing his expression said it all. 15? They’re kidding. Danno felt like it was so quiet, blood would begin rushing to his ears. Danno’s attention slid to Mello, who slowly nodded.

“2010 April 9,” They swallowed. Danno could see their leg begin to bounce anxiously. Danno didn’t point it out, though.

“You only recently turned 15? It’s fucking June.” Danno lightly scolded, but he knew he couldn’t control time.

Redjet quietly chuckled. “It’s why their parents hate me and Datchia so much,” He said, smiling. “They think we’re a bad influence on their precious little angel.” He mocked, obviously trying to hold back his own laughter.

“Dude, don’t call me that…” Mello’s face grew red, slumping back in their chair.

“What? Your parents literally call you their angel!” Datchia exclaimed, smiling.

Mello sighed, covering their face. “You two are so mean.” They quietly complained.

“You love us, Mells.”

“The…Grand Garden?” Datchia’s head tilted, brows narrowing. “One of the game arena’s for tonight is a botanical garden?” They questioned, “How’s that supposed to work? What kind of game would even take place in a botanical garden?”

“A diamond game, maybe?” Redjet suggested. “Like…plant smarts?”

“I didn’t pay any attention to science…” Mello said, an arm wrapped around Datchia’s shoulders to keep themself up.

“Let’s just go in.” Redjet insisted, “It’s probably almost 6 PM, and your guys’ visas will expire by 12 AM.” He pushed, walking in front of Datchia and Mello.

Danno wouldn’t tell the trio, but he had a feeling tonight wouldn’t end well. The four of them stalked into the botanical garden. Danno could hear his heart pounding in his chest, he could hear his breathing get more and more heavy with each step he took. He fucking hated how this was looking.

In the lobby of the botanical garden sat two tables. One had an array of weapons, and the other had an odd contraption on it. It was almost like a VR Headset, and it looked like it had a scorpion tail in the back. There was a form of choker for it. Danno wasn’t sure how it worked. It was a dark gray, but not black. It was too bright to be black. It was made of metal. This made Danno wonder where the phones and all of the objects came from. Were there people who worked for the games? How did that work?

Danno took one of the sets, placing it on his head. He felt the mechanisms gently vibrate against the back of his head, beginning to set in place. He felt like it was digging into the back of his skull, messing up his hair.

“What’re we doing? Playing…some VR game, or something?” Datchia questioned.

“This feels too familiar.” Mello mumbled, gently massaging their neck with one hand.

“Four players have been registered. GAME is about to start.” Danno inhaled sharply. He was about to speak, but the voice interrupted him once more. “Difficulty…SEVEN OF HEARTS. Game name…HIDE-AND-SEEK. RULES will be explained shortly.”

“Hide and seek?” Mello copied, tilting their head curiously at the large TV in the lobby. “They’re treating us like kids.”

“We are kids, Mells.” Redjet lightly scolded, chuckling.

“Rules of the game…one player will be chosen as WOLF. The other players will be SHEEP. Time limit…15 MINUTES. Hide well, SHEEP.”

“Choosing WOLF now.”

The other three began to talk, while Danno’s mind went wild. He began thinking. The rules were too vague, there was something else about the rules that he wasn’t being told. Danno just needed to figure out what it was. Everyone can survive a heart game, it’s just that the mechanisms of a heart game made the players think killing had to be involved. Heart games were emotional manipulation. They’re supposed to break apart friendships, they’re supposed to hurt people.

Danno’s eyes widened slightly, glancing up at the trio in front of him. He figured it out, and he hated where this was going. He swallowed, hesitating. Their voices were mere background music, Danno wasn’t sure what they were saying. Their voices all mixed together, Danno eyed the table, slowly sliding the first hammer he saw off of the table.

He knew how this would end, and he hated it.

“Guys,” He glanced up at the trio, swallowing. His jaw quivered, unable to form words.

“WOLF…DANIEL.”

“I’m so sorry.” Was all he could say, before sprinting off into the garden.

Mello looked up at Redjet and Datchia, brows knitting together. “What the hell is he saying?” They asked, noticing how Redjet’s gaze seemed distant. “Redjet,” They called. “Redjet, answer me.” He pleaded, voice growing desperate.

“The dealers rigged it.” Redjet said, an expression of realization on his face. “Only one of us is making it out of here alive. The wolf has to hide, not the sheep.” Mello watched Redjet pull something from off the table, then went sprinting after Danno.

“What? Redjet!” Datchia shouted, eyes widening. “Shit, they’re gonna kill each other.” They whispered. Their eyes glanced at the table of weapons, then at Mello. Datchia knew everyone can survive a heart game. Datchia just had to plan it out correctly. They swallowed, setting Mello on the ground. “Mello, you’re gonna be my test subject.” They decided, picking up several of the screwdrivers and just general tools from the array of weapons.

“I’m what?” Mello practically shouted, but made no move to stop Datchia.

“WOLF…REDJET.”

Datchia dropped whatever they grabbed onto the ground, examining the contraption on Mello’s head. They touched it with gentle hands. Datchia tilted Mello’s head in every direction possible while looking at it. The screws weren’t anything Datchia hadn't seen before. They were just self-tapping screws. Datchia’s worked with them before, and they were pretty sure Redjet was kept together with self-tapping screws. Mostly self-tapping screws, at best. Datchia never really worked on Redjet.

“WOLF…DANIEL.”

Datchia picked up one of the screws, examining the point and trying to unscrew one of the screws on Mello’s headset. They did this over and over again with every screw they picked out, but none of them worked. This was more like a diamond game, if anything. Upon learning none of the screwdrivers worked, Datchia stood back up and examined the array of weapons. Their eyes landed on a pair of plier cutters. Datchia swallowed, dragging the pair of plier cutters off from the table. They turned their attention to Mello.

“Mello, I’m gonna test something. You have to trust me.” Datchia said, trying their best to hold their voice from cracking.

“WOLF…REDJET.”

Mello was quiet for a long time, but inevitably responded. “Okay,” They said.

Datchia kneeled down behind Mello, squeezing the pair of plier cutters in between the skin of Mello’s neck and the metal of the collar. They hesitated, just barely aware of the consequences of their actions. Datchia’s only goal was to make sure that at least Mello made it out safely. At least Mello. Datchia carefully squeezed the handles together, swallowing. They closed their eyes. Datchia knew it was probably a bad idea, given the situation.

BAM!

Datchia opened their eyes, their heart pounding in their chest. Datchia immediately dropped the plier cutters, their breath caught in their throat. They stumbled back, watching blood begin to seep and dry in the pavement of the lobby. Datchia’s now bloodied hands shook, backing up from Mello’s body as best as they could. Datchia’s mouth was slightly agape, chest heaving up and down.

“A PLAYER has been eliminated. THREE MINUTES remain. Hide well, SHEEP.”

Datchia found could just barely breath, trying to greedily inhale puffs of air. They felt like they were being cornered in their own body. They didn’t feel in control, and they hated it. Datchia felt like they were being puppeteered. And fuck did it hurt.

“Mello!” Redjet’s voice came into earshot, “Mello! What–” Redjet stopped in his tracks, practically choking on his own words as he stared at the scene in front of him. His eyes landed on Datchia, Datchia was trembling like a goddamned leaf. Their hands were shaking, and the top half of their regularly covered green sweater was coated in blood. Half of their face had a decent splatter of blood.

Mello, however, was a completely different story. Blood was seeping from their neck, their face completely neutral. Blood was staining the hood and collar of their hoodie, beginning to dry against the concrete of the ground below.

Redjet’s head snapped to Datchia, immediately hurrying over and kneeling down next to them. “Datchia, what were you doing?” He spoke, voice growing softer than earlier. “Datchia, answer me!” He exclaimed.

Datchia choked on their own words, grabbing onto Redjet and beginning to sob their heart out. Their arms latched around Redjet’s neck. They didn’t admit it, but Datchia felt like a toddler again. Losing their mom in a supermarket, or some shit. Datchia hated it.

Redjet looked up upon hearing Danno approach, hesitating before making direct eye contact with him.

“WOLF…DANIEL.”

It was silent for much longer that Redjet wished, but he held Datchia as close as he possibly could.

“TIME IS UP. You hid well, SHEEP.”

Chapter Text

Cdot slammed the car door shut, shoving a hand in his pocket while the other fished a walkie talkie out of his shorts pocket.

“Dude, don’t slam my damn door!” The nebulae shouted, stepping out of the driver's seat and raising his rifle at Cdot.

“Fuck you, I’ll do what I want.” Cdot scoffed, turning the walkie talkie on. “We’re here.” He told Jonny. Cdot wished Jonny or his Boss had sent three others with them. It was gonna be awkward as fuck with only Bam.

The walkie talkie crackled to life, announcing Jonny’s presence on the other end. “Great, and Cdot?” When he spoke, Cdot could hear the hesitance in his voice. “Try not to kill my damn militant, would you? This is me and my brother making sure you two actually get along and not be at each other’s throats.” He explained, and Cdot heard Bam groan, kicking the ground beneath him. “You’re both executives. The fact that my brother and I had to organize this makes me think you two shouldn’t even be on the executive team. Just make sure both of you get out of there relatively safe.”

Cdot scoffed, “Yeah, yeah. I’ll take care of your precious angel.” He sarcastically promised. Cdot heard Jonny begin to talk, but he shut off his walkie talkie and shoved it into his pocket before beginning to tread into the next game arena with his hands in his pockets. He didn’t bother seeing if Bam was trailing behind him. Bam’s visa would expire tonight. He had to join a game. Cdot just wished he weren’t babysitting Bam.

“I hope it’s a spade game.” Bam said hopefully. Cdot hated the tone he was speaking in.

“If we knew the games we were playing, you’d pick a spades game every night.” Cdot scowled.

Bam chuckled, throwing his rifle over his shoulder. “Oh, you know me too well, Cdot.” Bam didn’t say his name sourly or anything. Cdot couldn’t even tell what was behind Bam’s voice. And it pissed him the fuck off.

Cdot looked Bam up and down, examining his appearance slightly. It wasn’t anything Cdot hadn’t seen Bam wear before. It was only his dark pink and black Hawaiian tee, tucked in a bit by his black jeans. Cdot would call them skinny jeans, but they were too loose to be even skinny jeans. Cdot noticed Bam’s Doc Martens. Cdot didn’t even know Bam owned a pair of Doc Martens.

Cdot couldn’t help but feel slightly jealous. Bam got to wear jeans. Cdot hadn’t been able to wear jeans or sweatpants ever since he joined Utopia. It was uncomfortable wearing shorts all the time. Damn security…

Bam stopped outside the doors of the game arena, briefly gripping Cdot’s wrist, eyeing the gym key. The number on it was just the number five, but it pissed Bam the fuck off. The Boss valued Cdot more than him, and it fucking sucked. Bam silently envied Cdot for being higher up than him. Bam should be number five. Not Cdot. Cdot should be number eleven. Not Bam. Bam released Cdot’s wrist, scoffing at him before stalking into the game arena.

Cdot could see the jealousy melting off of Bam’s figure, and he couldn’t help but laugh. It told Cdot that Bam envied him, and Cdot loved that. Cdot loved that he was above Bam. Cdot loved that the Boss would probably believe Cdot over Bam any day. Cdot wasn’t a founding member of Utopia like Joe or Jonny, but it didn’t stop Cdot from knowing the Boss would believe Cdot’s lies rather than Bam’s. It gave Cdot a sense of superiority above Bam, and Cdot loved it more every time he remembered it.

Cdot trudged through the doors of the game arena after Bam, pulling the walkie talkie out of his pocket and began throwing it up and down. A soft thwack noise was made each time it hit Cdot’s hand, and he continued throwing it up into the air. Cdot wondered if Bam was technically his bodyguard for the night. If so, that’d be hilarious. Cdot knew he should stay at Bam’s side, and he hated that. But he seriously didn’t feel like being kicked off the executive team. He enjoyed the privileges he had.

“No phone today?” Bam questioned as he walked into the lobby, narrowing his brows. He turned to Cdot, who was still throwing the walkie into the air just for it to fall back into his hand. “Quit doing that, jackass, it’s pissing me off.” He scowled, aiming his rifle at Cdot.

Cdot looked at the rifle, then back up at Bam’s eyes. He raised an eyebrow, chuckling. “Come on, you know Jonny will kick you off if you kill me.” He reminded. “Plus, in front of all these people? You’re crazy.”

Bam lowered his rifle begrudgingly, rolling his eyes. “You piss me off.” Bam said sourly, leaning against a wall in the lobby.

Cdot followed Bam, one hand going up and unzipping his hoodie a bit. “If I did, you would’ve killed me the first day you met me.” Cdot countered. Bam didn’t reply this time, only looked Cdot up and down and scoffed.

Several others piled into the room. None of them were players from Utopia, which Cdot was thankful for. If anyone from Utopia saw Cdot with Bam, he’d probably kill himself on the spot. Cdot did not want to be seen with Bam. Cdot mostly zoned out, keeping himself a foot or two away from Bam. Bam toyed with his rifle, huffing quietly. Cdot assumed Bam had the same idea. Stick with the person you know.

“30 players have registered. Game is about to start.” The voice called, “Difficulty…SEVEN OF CLUBS.” Cdot watched Bam perk up out of the corner of his eye. “Name of game…FREE-FOR-ALL.” Cdot could see Bam’s smirk grow wider. “Rules of the game…this is a FREE GAME. A button must be pushed in order to CLEAR the game. The game can go on for as long as possible. There is plenty of food. Your visas have been paused, and will be unpaused once the button is pressed.” Bam began raising his rifle, but Cdot raised his hand up slightly, stopping him. “Goal of the game…find the button. There is no time limit.”

Cdot sighed slowly, glancing over at Bam. Their eyes spoke measures. Cdot reached into his pocket, pulling his walkie talkie out. It crackled to life, and Cdot began to speak. “Jonny, we might be back sooner than we thought.” Jonny was about to speak, but Cdot shut the walkie talkie off and shoved it into his pocket.

“GAME…START.”

Bam pulled his Hawaiian tee up slightly, pulling a pistol out and handing it to Cdot. Cdot noticed a slight imprint on Bam’s skin from where the pistol was kept hidden. Cdot let out an amused scoff, pulling his hand out of his pocket and taking the pistol gratefully. Cdot leaned in close to Bam, his voice loud enough for only Bam to hear.

“Kill them if they get in our way.” Cdot barked. “That’s an order from number five.”

A wicked grin curved on Bam’s face, and Cdot wanted to laugh. “There aren’t many bullets in that pistol.” He warned. “Be careful with the amount of bullets you shoot.”

Cdot tilted his head, looking Bam up and down. He nodded in understanding, gripping the pistol in his hand.

“Clubs are teamwork, how about we–” Someone began to speak, but Bam let his rifle rise and shot them dead. Cdot made no move to stop him. The group backed away from Bam and Cdot. Cdot was sure he saw someone begin to tremble. Cdot watched another step up, and Bam shot them dead too. Blood began pooling down beneath their bodies, and Cdot was almost confident he’d been injected with some variety of heroin. The adrenaline coursing through his veins was strong. He wished he could keep the feeling, but knew it’d be gone by the time he and Bam left the arena.

Bam shot someone else, and Cdot began to stalk into the next room. If Cdot saw the sign outside correctly…this was a casino. The Ruby Rouge Casino, maybe? Cdot heard of it before, that it was a total scam, at least. That was all he knew. As he stalked into the large variety of rooms, he was hit with a variety of crimson and ruby and every type of gold.

“Keep people out of my way,” Cdot told Bam. “I’ll find the button.” He promised.

Bam scoffed, the stock of his rifle hitting the carpeted ground. “Come on, man. Let me come with you.” He pleaded.

Cdot turned to face Bam, looking him up and down. “You can follow me, I just need to find the button.” He told Bam. His footsteps retreated, slightly muffled by the carpeting beneath him.

Bam scoffed, hesitating before raising his rifle and throwing it over his shoulder. He watched Cdot retreat further into the casino. Bam was conflicted with himself. He knew he should stick with Cdot, but fuck did he hate that damn nerd.

Cdot stepped out of the car, his walkie talkie crackling to life. “Jonny, we’re back,” He called, hoping Jonny would respond soon.

“That quickly?” Jonny responded, sighing. “Come by the meeting room. We aren’t sure if they’re a stalker or a dealer or what, but we found someone.” He demanded. Cdot couldn’t even hear a hint of any suggestion, and Jonny was number ten.

Cdot sighed, slamming the car door shut. “Yes, Jonny.” He said begrudgingly, turning the walkie talkie off and shoving it in his pocket. He slammed the car door shut, shoving both hands into his hoodie pockets.

“What’s going on–quit slamming my damn door!” Bam scolded, sighing. “And I need my pistol back.” Bam said, circling around the front of the car and facing Cdot. Cdot threw Bam his pistol, watching Bam shove it back in its original place between skin and pants.

“Jonny said they found someone. A stalker or a dealer, they don’t know. I’m not even sure who might’ve found them.” Cdot summarized. Bam wouldn’t admit it, but he was grateful Cdot just gave him a simple summary. When Jonny explained something, he could go on for hours. He made sure his explanations were clear, it hurt sometimes. Bam loved Jonny, but yeesh…

“A stalker or a dealer?” Bam echoed, his brows narrowing. “Aren’t they the same thing? I mean…the dealers technically stalk us.”

Cdot gave Bam an exaggerated gasp, “Really?” He said, a shocked expression on his face. The shocked expression was dropped, replaced with an are-you-serious? expression instead. “The dealers watch us like hawks. That’s practically a stalker.”

Bam scoffed, rolling his eyes at Cdot. “Okay, smartass, shut the hell up.” He scowled.

Cdot led the militant into the hotel. The calm, easy-going stride Cdot normally had. Bam would say he’s surprised Cdot is still around if Cdot weren’t number five. He always had his hands shoved into his pockets, a slow, easy stride to his figure whenever he walked. For fucks sake–Bam wasn’t even sure why he was on the executive team! What would he be? A voice of reason? Actually…that would make sense. Cdot had opinions, but they could definitely piss people off.

As they trudged to the meeting room, Bam couldn’t help but notice how some players stopped Cdot just to say hi or make small talk or ask a question. Hey, Charlie! or Cdot, can you help with Piper later? She hurt herself. or Cdot, how do I do this unbelievably specific medical thing? Another example was Charlie! Good to see you’re back safely. No one even acknowledged Bam. Bam quietly groaned every time someone stopped him and Cdot.

“Hey, Bunny,” Cdot called, standing in front of Dunbun. Bam wasn’t even sure how Cdot came up with the nickname bunny for Dunbun. It didn’t make any sense. “Is all good? With the lad inside, that is.” He specified.

Dunbun shrugged, his eyes seeming to light up at the nickname like they did every time. “Nope, Jonny just told Net and Coe to haul him in there. We don’t know anything past that.”

Cdot seemed to grimace at the mention of Net, but quickly recovered. He bowed his head, smiling. “Alright, I’ll make sure to ask him. Take care, Bunny. We’ll talk later.” He nodded, Dunbun smiled, then let Cdot enter the meeting room.

Bam paused, forcefully grabbing Dunbun’s wrist and staring at his gym key. He enviously stared at the number eight on his key, and Bam scoffed. He released Dunbun’s wrist, lightly pushing him away before entering the room after Cdot. The second he entered the meeting room, he was hit with a loud shout from Cdot.

“You put a fucking plastic bag over his head?” He shouted at Net like he was crazy. “You know tape exists for a goddamn reason, right? Tape his mouth shut, I don’t give a shit! But you can’t put a plastic bag over someone’s head!” His mask only covered his mouth, but Cdot could see the guilt and the anger behind his face. “Goodness gracious…no wonder you’re number twelve, Net. You don’t even know…” He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

Net was about to unsheath his katana, but Bam assumed Cdot had hit him with an are-we-seriously-going-to-fucking-do-this? look. Cdot could hear Bam holding back his own laughter. Net just crossed his arms, leaning against the wall behind him. Despite being mute, he sounded quieter than usual. Bam watched Cdot march towards the possible dealer, removing the plastic bag from his head and checking his pulse. He continued checking it maybe a couple hundred times, checking it over and over again to make sure he was still living. Cdot eventually turned to Net, pointing at him.

“You are so lucky he’s still alive, Net. You are so…hoo, boy.” Cdot exhaled slowly, combing his fingers through his hair. “Net, was it your idea to put the bag over his head?” Cdot asked, voice sour.

Net slowly shook his head.

“So it was Coe’s? Be honest with me, Net.” His voice was threatening. Even Bam felt himself begin to cower a bit, and he wasn’t even the one being threatened.

Net slowly nodded his head.

Cdot inhaled. “Coe fucking Canine!” He shouted, storming out of the meeting room. Bam watched him leave, making no room to stop him. Bam honestly found it hilarious when Cdot got pissed. It was like a predator had been released within Cdot.

Bam turned to Net when he was confident Cdot was far enough away. “You put the bag over his head, didn’t you?” Bam asked Net.

Bam couldn’t see it, but he could’ve sworn his lips turned into a small curve. If he could, he’d begin laughing his head off.

The nebulae rolled his eyes. “You’re evil, Net. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He chuckled, stalking out of the meeting room, leaving Net alone.

Chapter Text

Danno stirred awake, squinting his eyes as he glanced up. The back of his head throbbed like crazy, and he could just barely recall what happened last night. He still hadn’t found Layah, Danno knew that much. What he did know was he found Utopia. He saw it from afar, at least. But that was it. After that, his mind went completely blank.

Now that Danno was thinking about it…he couldn’t even move. He tried to struggle, but something restrained him. His wrists were tied behind him, and he couldn’t move his legs an inch. Looking forward, Danno felt like he was alone. He was pretty sure he was alone. Was this some mandatory game that was made? If so…yeesh, the dealers are going to some wild extent just to organize a game.

The room was mostly wooden, the floor red and carpeted. There was a long and rectangular wooden table pushed to the right side of the room. A long way in front of him was a large wall with a variety of cards–maybe 20 feet in front of him? He wasn’t sure. He noticed that the variety of cards were mostly crossed out besides a few. He noticed that the ten of hearts, nine of clubs, five of diamonds, ten of spades… seven of hearts .

Danno’s breath caught in his throat, heart stopping. He felt goosebumps begin to spread across his entire body, and boy was it uncomfortable. Danno swallowed, biting the inside of his cheek until he was confident he’d bleed. He felt his hands begin to shake, a shiver running up his spine and a flash of heat hitting his entire body. He needed to get out. Danno knew he shouldn’t be here. Something in his gut was telling him this was how he’d die. This was the game he would die in. He felt the back of his neck grow sweaty, eyes getting wider and wider by the second.

He heard a door click open, and Danno tried to struggle against the restraints. He wasn’t sure who or what it was, but all he knew was he needed to get out. He couldn’t move, he didn’t know where he was–well, he had a hunch–and he felt like this was how he’d die. His eyes glued to the carpet beneath him, his heart pounding in his chest. He felt his hands tremble slightly, but he wasn’t sure if it was real.

Someone pulled a chair up in front of Danno, mostly blocking his vision. They sat down, leaning forward in hopes to meet Danno’s eyes.. Danno didn’t look up to meet their gaze or anything, he kept his wide eyes glued to the carpet. He was trembling like a goddamn leaf. They were talking, but Danno couldn’t even acknowledge their voice. He wasn’t sure who it was. They seemed to yell at him, and Danno flinched, trying to move away from them despite being able to do nothing.

They were about to grab at Danno’s shoulders, but another hand stopped the first one. Danno wasn’t sure what was happening, but they were arguing, maybe? Danno wasn’t sure. The first person left Danno’s site, and was replaced with someone else. Danno could tell they were masculine presenting, the zipper on their hoodie was down to mid-chest. One hand exited their pocket, going up to gently hold Danno’s shoulder. Danno flinched just at the touch, and they pulled away.

They slowly stood, circling around and beginning to untie Danno’s wrists. Once untied, Danno felt himself wanting to run. He didn’t, though. He stayed as still as possible, but still found himself trembling like crazy. They circled back around and sat down on the chair in front of Danno.

“Hey,” They called, their voice was like honey to Danno’s ears. “Can you see three things for me?” Their voice was in that perfect spot of male high, on the brink of female low. Danno could somewhat tell that he was a boy.

Danno’s eyes began darting around the room, landing on a number of objects before landing back on the man in front of him.

The man smiled. “That’s great,” He praised. It was like he didn’t even need to ask Danno what he saw. It was like he knew right off the bat. “What about three sounds you can hear?”

Danno tensed slightly, growing completely still. He could hear a distant fan…yelling in the background, maybe a few whispers. That was it.

“Yeah, I hear that too.” The man confirmed non-verbally. What the fuck was he, a psychiatrist? No, wait. That isn’t the word. A mind reader? “Try and move a bit, three body parts at least.”

Danno seemed to tense slightly. He sat up in his seat, going up and gently rubbing the back of his neck. His neck had gone completely dry. He wasn’t sweating anymore, he felt relatively better. He glanced up at the man, narrowing his brows. Was he a fucking magician? Danno could’ve sworn he recognized the man from somewhere. He narrowed his brows, trying to discern him. Eventually, his eyebrows raised, recognizing the man in front of him.

“You’re Cdot,” He said with surprise. “You were in that game with me.”

Cdot only nodded. “I’m glad to know you’re out of the state of mind you were just in.” He said hopefully, smiling. “You were going through a panic attack. Why? I’m not sure. I’m sorry we had to manhandle you. We can’t differentiate players from dealers.”

Danno slowly nodded, looking Cdot up and down. He was wearing the exact same thing as he had when he first met him. Danno didn’t respond this time. He just nodded along with Cdot, slumping back in his chair.

“We can take it from here, Cdot.” Someone called.

Cdot glanced up, his expression shifting significantly. To what? Danno wasn’t sure. He nodded, standing. He put the chair back in its original place, moving out of Danno’s line of sight and Danno had to assume he exited the room. Danno wasn’t sure how many, but several people were in the room now. Danno swallowed nervously.

They were all somewhat older than Danno, he knew that much. They all wore swimsuits, which absolutely confused Danno. One of them seemed Spanish, her hair black and making it down to her waist despite being tied up into a high ponytail. There were various braids in her hair, but not many. She had a black swimsuit on, her skirt was slightly slanted. Another one had blond hair–medium ash, at best, dressed in blue from head to toe. The third one looked like he belonged in a black and white movie.

“We apologize for having to manhandle you.” The black and white one said. “As Cdot said, we’re unable to differentiate players from dealers.” He said simply, freezing up slightly. “You are a player, are you not?” Danno only nodded in response.

“He can barely speak, Joe.” The woman lightly scolded, tilting her head as she leaned forward to look at him. “Don’t worry him even more.” She turned back to face Danno. “How did you find out about Utopia?” She questioned, her expression innocent. Danno worried something lingered underneath her innocent surface.

He hesitated. “I…I was in a game. My friend grabbed the walkie talkie of someone who had died, and–” Danno inhaled carefully, preparing himself. “Yeah, me and a friend…we were together, and they took the walkie talkie of someone who had died.” He said simply. “After the game, we heard about Utopia.”

“Where’s your friend?” The blonde asked, narrowing his brows. Danno went completely silent. The man’s brows raised just enough to show that he understood. “I get it. He died.” He hummed.

“They.” Danno quickly corrected.

“There were more?” The blonde questioned.

Danno went quiet again, and the man hummed. Danno felt like an open book. And he felt scarily vulnerable amongst the group in front of him. “What is Utopia?” He asked. “Are…are we safe here? From the games?”

Someone erupted into laughter, obviously catching Danno’s attention. His head snapped around, looking the figure up and down. It was a man, Danno knew that for sure. The mask he wore covered his whole head–and it was somewhat blocky. He wore a red and black robe, perfectly paired with a red pair of swim trunks.

“ Safe ,” He mocked, exploding into laughter once more. His voice was loud, and just slightly deep. “You must be mad !” He exclaimed, striding through the large room. He made his way to the blonde and the girl, wrapping his shoulders around them. “Reina, Rex, good to see my favorite lovebirds are still up and running.” He complimented, pushing the duo to the side and making his way to Joe. “You’re free to leave. Go back to your little science lab with the three scientists.” He ordered, smiling.

Joe begrudgingly sighed, glaring at the masked man before turning and exiting. Rex seemed to have a flushed expression on his face. His pale skin made the red tint obvious. “We aren’t…lovebirds, Boss.” Rex corrected, clearing his throat.

The room was completely silent, Boss seemed to be giving Rex and Reina some form of look. “ Right. ” He nodded, “Has anyone explained the rules to this one here?” He asked, and the room was completely silent again. “ Seriously? Rex, if you’re gonna be number two, you need to get used to this.” He sighed, beginning to pace around the room as he spoke.

“First things first–swimsuits. As you can see, everyone you’ve seen so far is wearing clothes that are unbelievably light and fitted. But why? Firearms can’t be hidden in them! It’s simple, really.” Danno couldn’t see it, but he could sense the smile on his face. “Secondly…do whatever. I’m dead serious. Get drunk, do drugs, have sex , I don’t care. The locks have all been superglued, anyway! You can’t get away with anything here. People see and hear everything.”

Danno hesitated, looking the man up and down as if he were inspecting him like a specimen. “What if I don’t abide by your rules? What if I don’t want to join?” He asked.

The Boss froze completely, and Danno could’ve sworn he watched his fists clench together. “Number three, death to any and all traitors. ” He said in a low tone. “All cards belong to Utopia.”

Danno’s breath hitched in his throat, his mouth slightly agape as he tried to decide his next plan. He surely didn’t feel like dying, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to stay, either. He was literally shaking. Danno’s knuckles whitened, and he swallowed. “Alright, where do I get a swimsuit?”

“That’s what I like to hear.” Danno couldn’t see it, but he could hear the smile on his face. “Cdot, show Danno where the swimsuits are, won’t you? You’re a sweetheart.” The Boss didn’t even give him any time to respond. He just assumed Cdot would do it …what a jackass.

Chapter Text

“I don’t know if it’ll fit you exactly,” Cdot said as he led Danno through the hallways of Utopia. It seemed that all of the floors were carpeted red, which annoyed Danno. It was the same color palette literally everywhere. What was the point? “We’re headed to number eight’s room. You two appear to be the same size, and he won’t mind. I’m sure he won’t.” Cdot’s hands were shoved in his pockets, and Danno wondered if it was a choice for comfort or if he was hiding something. Cards, maybe? That was definitely illegal.

Cdot had a stride in his walk which made Danno wonder if he had some form of authority before being sent to the Borderlands. If so, it was totally worthless now. Cdot just acted like he wasn’t in a death game the entire time. He probably ran with his hands in his pockets, too…what a fucking weirdo.

His hair was strangely blonde, medium ash like Rex, maybe. Danno assumed his hair was supposed to be darker. It didn’t look natural. He wore a black hoodie with yellow accents littered around it. His swim trunks and flip flops were both black. Danno thought he saw something yellow sticking out of his pocket, but he wasn’t sure. His eyes seemed to be gray, but they had a tint of blue to them–maybe green?

Cdot led Danno to a room with the number 108 on it, clicking the door open and letting Danno enter before him. The room was simple. Nothing Danno hasn’t seen before. A bed was pushed against the east wall, clothes were thrown around the room. Dark clothes, specifically. Who lived here, an emo? Probably, actually…Danno hated thinking that. It looked a lot like Danno’s room back when he was in high school. Damn…

“I’ll find you a clean pair of clothes,” Cdot told Danno. Danno watched as Cdot carefully picked out a pair of clean swim trunks and a white Hawaiian tee. He managed to pull a pair of white flip flops out from the whole thing, too…jeez. He offered them to Danno. “I’ll wait outside, don’t dawdle here.” He ordered. As Danno took the clothes from Cdot, Cdot’s eyes lit up slightly. He pulled out something green from his pocket, holding it out for Danno to take. “It’s your official sign that you’re a member of Utopia.” He smiled. “I’ll be outside.” With that, Cdot exited the room.

Danno examined the green object he was given. It was a gym card with the number 316 . Danno noticed the number five on Cdot’s wrist, so he assumed…jeez, were there seriously 316 people at Utopia? There were that many people in the Borderlands? Danno sighed, locking the makeshift bracelet on his wrist. It seemed to lock on immediately, tightly held there. Danno was convinced the blood flow in his wrist would fully stop, but he wasn’t sure. He breathed slowly, beginning to change out of his clothes and change into the clothes Cdot handed him.

And he felt strange . Danno couldn’t recall the last time he wore shorts. He felt uncomfortable and weirdly vulnerable all over. He finished buttoning up the Hawaiian tee, leaving a few unbuttoned before he officially exited the room. Cdot was leaning against the wall next to the door, carefully toying with a strand of hair. Upon hearing the door click shut, he glanced up.

“Welcome back,” He greeted, standing up straight and lifting himself off the wall. “Everyone gathers in the lobby for games at…around 5:30 PM since games start at 6:00 PM. It’s maybe…4:00 PM now?” He tilted his head, shrugging. “Something close to that. You’ll be joining a game with Joe tonight, you’ll die tonight if you don’t.”

Danno’s brows narrowed. “How the Hell do you know I’ll die?” He asked, looking Cdot up and down as if he were crazy.

Cdot pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolded it, holding it out for Danno to see. “This is your last day.”

The reminder made Danno’s heart sink into his stomach, he stared at the paper, sighing. He slowly nodded. “Yeah, yeah…I’ll join with Joe.” He confirmed.

Cdot smiled, letting Danno have the piece of paper. “Good to know, please do explore and get used to your new surroundings. Everyone should begin to beeline for the lobby around 5:30 PM.” He explained, stand up straight. “We hope you enjoy Utopia.” With that, Cdot walked away. He left Danno fully confused, and he probably knew it.

“We’re still looking for D.D. and Preston?!” One of the three exclaimed, trailing after Joe. “I thought Jonny said we shouldn’t do that anymore!”

Joe sighed. “I know, but the Boss wants us to continue looking. Jonny’s number ten, the Boss is number one. You three know how the Boss gets when he doesn’t get what he wants.” He paused, turning to face one of them. “You especially know this, Dee.” Joe turned back around, continuing to trail off.

“Preston looks in a mirror, and he’s the one who cracks!” Dee exclaimed, the anger and disappointment in their voice obvious.

“Oh, come on, Dee.” The second one sighed. “We already messed up once when we got Jonathan killed in a game.” He ran a hand through his hair, making the red cracks on his face more visible. “We don’t wanna piss him off even more. Plus, I’d rather keep my role as number 15.”

Dee was about to speak, but they turned, noticing their companion fixed on one of the paintings on the walls. “Mells, what the hell are you looking at?” They asked.

Mells tilted their head, taking a double take before their eyes landed back on their friends. “Sorry,” They said simply, quickly catching up. “Joe, what’re we doing tonight? Game wise.” Mells asked.

Joe hummed. “I’m bringing the new one, number 316–Danno, to a game tonight with Bundun. I believe we’re bringing Pear with us, too?” He shrugged. “I want R.J. to come with me.”

“ You’re separating us? ” Dee yelled, eyes widening. “You can’t separate us, what if R.J. dies? What if Mells or I die?!” They asked. “Joe, please don’t separate us.” They pleaded.

“No one is dying tonight, Dee.” Joe assured. “It’ll only be tonight. I’m never separating you three again unless absolutely necessary after tonight.” He promised.

Dee slowly nodded, toying with a button on their Hawaiian tee. “At least promise me R.J. comes back safely?” They pleaded.

“Oh, come on, Dee. You know me.” R.J. stopped, “I’m good at games. Especially diamond games, I’ll make it out no problem.” He promised.

“What if it’s not a diamond game?” Mells asked.

“Hey,” Joe stopped the three’s banter. “All three of you are making it out of the Borderlands, whether you like it or not.” He assured. “I promise.”

Danno walked down the stairs, following Joe and the player he was just introduced to; R.J. He was a crazily energetic 22 year old, and had red all over. Danno was near-convinced his skin was slightly red, but he wasn’t sure. From what Joe told Danno on the car ride to the game venue, R.J. was an aspiring scientist alongside his friends; Dee and Mells. R.J. seemed to be the most committed to the work, however. Dee and Mells had the same excitement and enthusiasm for it, but it wasn’t their main focus. They only had knowledge in the science department.

At the bottom of the staircase was a small, concrete room. It wasn’t the biggest, but it wasn’t uncomfortably small. Joe took a phone from the white table in the center of the room, and R.J. mimicked his movement. Joe began trailing into the room over, which was seemingly the main venue, and R.J. did the exact same. The only difference was R.J. had more of a hop in his step. Unlike them, Danno hesitated. He almost didn’t want to take the phone, but he did nonetheless. He didn’t know why, and he silently cursed himself for it. It was whatever to him, his visa expired tonight, anyway.

Danno was about to trail after Joe, but the sound of someone entering stopped him. Curiously, he turned. It was someone from Utopia, Danno knew that much. The first thing Danno noticed about him was how baggy his top seemed. It was a cherry blossom pink Hawaiian shirt, and most of it was buttoned. The lower half of his shirt was tied off at the midriff, revealing his stomach. The next thing Danno noticed was the way he looked somewhat feminine. He wasn’t sure what it was–maybe the way he was shaped? His face? This made Danno wonder what his gender is biologically…wait. Their gender? Her gender? God fucking damn it, not again…

He picked out a phone from the table, letting it recognize his face before turning to Danno. He held his hand out, offering Danno to shake it. “You’re the new one, right? 316?” He asked, “I’m Bundun, number 27.” He introduced himself. When Danno didn’t accept the handshake out of anxiety, Bundun’s hand dropped to his side. He walked past Danno, and Danno found himself following right after him. Danno still wasn’t sure how to refer to them–but he hoped he would suffice. Danno made a mental note to check with Cdot later.

Danno entered the smaller venue, continuing to saunter after Bundun. Bundun stood at the far end of the room, opposite of the entrance. Danno stood next to the entrance, and the door slammed shut behind him. He noticed there was a variety of exposed wires and whatnot above them. Behind Bundun, there was a sliding door. On the left wall, there were three large tubes. On the right wall, there were three switches labeled A, B, and C. The room had maybe ankle deep water, Danno was confident it was close to ankle deep water.

“7 players have been registered. Game is about to start.” The voice Danno recognized and hated announced, making him look at the bright screen of the phone provided to him. “Difficulty…FOUR OF DIAMONDS. Name of game…LIGHT BULB. Rules will be explained shortly.”

“Light bulb?” Someone questioned, tilting his head curiously. Danno recognized him–it was the same boy who was confused in Danno’s second game. He still wore the gold chain with the crown, but it was now tied around his wrist instead.

“RULE ONE…only one switch among A, B, and C will turn on the light bulb. RULE TWO…you only have one chance to flip a switch while the door is open. If the door is closed, you can flip the switches as much as you like. RULE THREE…if someone is in the room, or if a switch has been turned on, the door will be locked in place and cannot be moved.” The voice paused, and Danno could sense the confused expressions on everyone’s faces. “You only have one chance to answer as a group. If the switch you have turned is correct, it is GAME CLEAR. If not, it is GAME OVER.”

Danno’s mind went silent. This…this was child's play to him. It was simple.

“Goal of the game…flip the correct switch. Time limit…10 minutes.”

Water began flowing through the three tubes on the left wall. It was rapid, and definitely caught everyone off guard. Danno even saw Joe flinch slightly.

“GAME…START.”

“If it isn’t A, then it’s either B or C!” The one with the small gold chain exclaimed. “It’s at least a 50% chance if A doesn’t work!” He shouted over the rushing water, pointing at the switches on the wall.

“It’s 66%, Pear.” R.J. corrected, his voice cool and collected.

Pear turned, narrowing his brows. “Shouldn’t it be 50%?!” He asked.

“I can barely do math…” Bundun murmured, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Aren’t you Asian?” Pear asked.

Bundun stared. “That’s racist.” He defended, his voice growing aggravated.

Joe sighed, turning his head to Danno. “Danno, what would you do?” He asked.

Whatever cogs existed in Danno’s brain began to turn. He narrowed his brows, slowly trudging through the water and to the three switches. He turned to the door with the lightbulb inside. The door was already slid shut, so he found no reason to open it. He turned back to the switches in front of him, humming in thought. Without a second to spare, Danno pulled switch C upward.

“Dude!” Pear exclaimed, turning to the door. “Fuck, you’re so lucky that door is closed!” He shouted.

Danno waited, he waited much longer than he wished he did. The water had already met his chest, and he was worried about the outcome. Eventually, he pulled switch C back down, “Open the door!” He ordered.

Bundun faced the door, looked at Danno, and faced the door again. “Shit, I hope you know what you’re doing!” He shouted, opening the door.

When the door was opened, Danno shouted again. “Touch the lightbulb!”

“What?” Bundun asked, voice barely heard from over the running water.

“Touch it!”

Begrudgingly, Bundun trudged inside the room. He reached up, touching the lightbulb. He recoiled, pulling back with a yelp. “Shit, that burns!” He exclaimed, letting his hand fall into the cold water.

Without another second to spare, Danno pulled switch C again. He could hear Pear begin to shout, but the water stopped. He could hear the electricity turn off, and it became dead silent. The voice came back, ringing out through the entire room. “GAME…CLEAR. Four days have been added to your visa.” It said joyfully.

R.J. had a bit of a smile on his face, and he chuckled. “Where the hell did you learn that?” He asked Danno, an amused expression on his face.

“Electricity generates heat. If the bulb wasn’t on, it’d be cold. If it were on, it’d be hot.” Danno explained, leaning back against a wall.

Joe, as well, had an amused look on his face. “With this, the chance of survival increased from 66 to 100 percent.” He smiled.

Pear leaned back in the water, practically floating. “It’s 50%, right?” He asked whoever was listening, relaxing back in the water.

“Shit, I don’t care.” Bundun replied. “At least we’re all alive right now.”

Cdot wouldn’t admit it, but he was not a big fan of executive meetings. They’ve never been his favorite, and whenever the Boss announced one, Cdot doubted they were about anything good. Tonight, Cdot assumed it’d be about the one game they’ve been itching to find. The ten of hearts game. Cdot was hoping he’d participate in it. Ever since Cdot met the Boss in his own first game–the Boss told Cdot he was the best person he met that was good at heart games. Other’s at Utopia were good at heart games, but the Boss always referred to Cdot as the best. Deep in Cdot’s own heart, he hoped he’d be the only person that was part of Utopia to participate in the ten of hearts game.

Cdot took his seat beside Reina, making himself comfortable. Reina was an expert at heart games. Cdot was almost convinced she created them. He’s been in a few heart games with Reina, and she was definitely one of the best. Cdot wasn’t sure if it was his ego talking, but he’d say he was even better than her at heart games. He wanted to chuckle almost. The Boss began to speak, and Cdot saw Reina sat up in her seat.

“Did anyone have any luck on finding a ten of hearts game tonight?” The Boss asked, glancing around the others expectantly.

Rex raised his hand, and the Boss gestured for him to speak. “Reina and I were in a nine of hearts tonight, but I don’t think any player in Utopia’s encountered a ten of hearts game yet.” He explained. “If anyone has, it’d be the news of the century.” His voice was calm and collected. With the way he spoke, Cdot was almost jealous. His voice flowed like literal silk. Cdot wouldn’t tell him straight to his face, but Cdot would fall to his knees for that man.

The Boss sighed. “Well…that’s news. I was wondering who put the nine of hearts on the deck.” He nodded. None of them could see it, but Cdot could sense the anxiety rolling off of him. “Anyone else?” He asked.

“I think Mells and I were in a five of hearts?” Dee murmured, running a hand through their hair. “Joe separated us from R.J. tonight, we were too worried about him.”

The Boss groaned. “Alright, that’s something.” He inhaled. “I’ll join one of the games tomorrow. We’ll be finding the ten of hearts.” He promised.

Something in Cdot’s gut told him this wouldn’t end well.

Chapter Text

“ Joe! ” Pear shouted as he dashed through the halls of Utopia, stumbling over his feet and nearly tripping into a few of the other players as he ran. “Sorry–sorry!” He yelled along the way. Pear noticed a few players shot him concerning glances, and seemed to whisper, but they overall seemed to ignore him. The only time the other players acknowledged Pear was when he pushed someone out the way. “ Sorry! Joe, where the hell are you?!” Pear shouted Joe’s name, fully panicked.

Pear sprinted down the stairs into the annex basement. He reached the end of the stairs, and he sprinted down the hall. He could hear his heartbeat accelerating faster and faster with how fast he was running. His flip flops made a bit of a slap sound against the smooth concrete as he ran. Pear nearly fell on the ground when he made it to the end of the hallway. Pear struggled with the door, but eventually pushed it open.

“Joe! There you are, Melon and I– what the fuck?! ” Pear yelped, clapping his hands over his mouth as he stumbled backwards. His eyes grew wide, becoming a stuttering mess.

On one of the metal work tables, a naked female body laid on the table. Thankfully, she was laying on her stomach. Pear was glad for at least that. Dee had a pair of latex white gloves on, the gloves were mostly covered in blood. They held a scalpel in one hand and a spoon-looking object in the other. The female, however, was someone Pear could recall from Utopia. He wasn’t sure what her name was, but he knew her.

Sawdust was poured on the ground around the work table, and there were large amounts of blood soaked into the sawdust. Looking up at the body, her head was completely bashed in. Pear wasn’t even sure where her skull could be. The spoon-looking object that Dee held was lodged into her brain, and Pear was pretty sure he could see brain pouring out of her skull. Jesus Christ, what the fuck were they looking for?

Mells didn’t even seem bothered by this. They had their nose dug in a book–Pear couldn’t see which one, nor did he really care.

“Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah!” R.J. called, striding over to Pear and beginning to push him out of the room as if he were nothing. “You saw the sign, you’re supposed to knock!” He lightly scolded.

“R.J., hold on.” Joe stopped, pulling R.J.’s shoulder. Joe stepped in front of Pear, blocking his view of the body Dee was working on. “Pear, what happened?” Joe asked, his voice growing more and more panicked.

“Melon and I–no, I can’t tell you here. M-Melon’s looking for the other executive members. We told Rex first–I-” Pear was stumbling over his words like crazy, unable to stop. He was practically shaking.

Joe inhaled, “Pear, are we going to the meeting room?” He asked. Pear rapidly nodded his head. Joe turned to the three behind him. “You three, go to the meeting room. Now.”

“What? Joe, I have blood on my fucking hands!”

“Now, Dee.” Joe ordered. “Does your name stand for deaf? I don’t think so. Go, now. I need to go find Rex.”

As if on cue, Dee dropped the scalpel and spoon-looking object on the table. They grabbed Mells’ arm, leaving a blood red handprint on them. Dee exited the room, and R.J. jogged after the duo.

Joe led Pear out into the hallway, shutting the door behind them both. “Sit down, take as much time as you need. I need to go find Rex so I can understand what’s going on.”

Pear nodded, sliding down against a wall until his knees met his chest. He didn’t see it, but he heard Joe hurriedly rush down the hallway

Bam grabbed Cdot’s shoulder, forcing him to turn around. He stepped closer, keeping a small distance between the two. “Dude, Net’s freaking the fuck out, what the hell is going on?” He asked. To Cdot, it sounded like more of a demand.

Cdot glanced around, then maintained eye contact with the nebulae. “I can’t tell you, Bam. Not here.” He stopped. Noticing the urgency in Bam’s eyes, Cdot sighed. “Something happened in the Boss’ game last night. I can only show you what happened.” He said, hoping his eyes told Bam enough.

Bam’s brows narrowed, then his eyes widened. “You’re fucking with me, Jonny’s dead?” He asked. Cdot could see Bam trying to mask his excitement with worry, but didn’t say anything.

Cdot shook his head. “I can’t tell you, but we have to go to the meeting room. Right the fuck now. I need to go find Coe.”

Cdot rushed past Bam, and Bam was left stunned. Bam let a few hundred swear words leave his mouth before he began rushing to the meeting room.

The executive team stood around the meeting table, staring at the body that was lying there. He was fully still, and the Boss was dead cold. Literally. Reina tried to speak up, but was quickly cut off by the door being thrown open. In the doorframe, it was Joe. Upon seeing the body on the table, his eyes widened. He rapidly approached the table, trying to feel and understand what had happened. Pear soon entered the room, closing the door behind him.

“Get your damn hands off him, you old hag!” Bam shouted, raising his rifle at the older man.

Joe backed off, shooting fire in Bam’s direction. He sighed, turning back to the Boss’ body on the table. “It was from a gun, I can tell you that much.”

“ You think? ” Rex asked satirically, raising a brow. He was clearly stressed, so no one bothered trying to calm him down or anything besides Reina.

Reina inhaled carefully. “We should go with the rules the Boss put in place. Everyone goes up a number. It’s simple, it makes sense, and-”

“Oh, please! ” Bam shouted, pacing around the room with his rifle thrown over his shoulder. “Come on, don’t you think the strongest should be the next number one?” He asked, shooting a glance at Jonny. He stopped at the head of the table, seeming to be chewing on a piece of gum. “Come on, let’s do it by a majority vote.” Bam suggested, a hand on his hip.

“I can be number one, Bam.” Rex spoke up, seeming much more collected now.

Bam shot a glare at Rex, rolling his eyes and continued speaking. “Everyone who believes Rex should be number one, raise your hand.” He ordered. Dunbun raised his hand with zero hesitation. Bam raised a brow, stepping towards him and raising his rifle. Dunbun scoffed, dropping his hand back to his side. Bam looked around the room, and smirked. “Now, everyone who believes Jonny should be our next number one, raise your hand.”

Nobody even bothered to raise their hand this time. The only one who bothered was Net, but he barely counted. Cdot knew Bam would raise his hand if he weren’t the one who suggested the whole majority vote bullshit. Cdot watched Bam begin to pace the room, pointing his rifle at various executive members. Dunbun raised his hand first, then Coe. Net raised his katana at Joe’s neck, threatening him. Begrudgingly, Joe raised his hand.

“This isn’t fair.” Reina exclaimed, clenching her fists. She stood up straight, raising her chin slightly. Her ponytail tilted back slightly, her eyes darkening. “The Boss laid out an easy-to-follow rule for all of us.” She argued.

Bam scoffed, approaching Reina and raising his rifle. “Oh, come on. He isn’t even conscious anymore. Fucks sake, he’s dead!” He exclaimed, approaching the Boss on the meeting room table. He raised his rifle and hit the Boss across the face with the stock of his rifle. A loud crack! echoed throughout the meeting room. He turned back to Reina. An uncomfortable expression hit her face, and her discomfort was obvious. Hesitantly, Cdot watched Reina raise her hand. Bam smirked, beginning to approach Rex. Quickly, his hand raised.

Then, the nebula’s eyes landed on Cdot. He tilted his head carefully, approaching Cdot with his rifle thrown over his shoulder. “Cdot, are you looking down on us?” He asked the human.

Cdot hummed, deep in thought. “What if I am?”

Bam’s face contorted into some variety of anger, Cdot wasn’t sure what, but he knew it was anger. Bam raised his rifle, hitting Cdot across the face with the stock of his gun, just like he did with the Boss. Cdot was thrown to the ground, confident his nose was bleeding. Cdot propped himself up by his elbows, watching Bam throw his rifle to the side before he climbed on top of Cdot and grabbed him by the collar of his hoodie and pulled him up, maintaining eye contact.

“Those eyes of yours sure as hell piss me off.” Cdot wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be an insult, but he was taking it as a compliment. It was from Bam, it could be contorted into a compliment if Cdot tried hard enough.

Cdot looked up and down at their current situation, raising a brow at Bam. “Does this make me Gay?” He asked the other.

“Answer the fucking question, Cdot.” Bam ordered.

Cdot sighed, knowing there was no way out of this situation until he agreed for Jonny to be number one. “I vote for Jonny to be number one.” He looked Bam up and down, chuckling. “Surely you don’t mind losing me as a precious no vote?” Cdot smirked, watching Bam get off of him and rise with his rifle in hand.

“Everyone clap their hands for our new number one!” Bam announced, clapping his hands, obviously satirically.

—

“We should quit.” R.J. told Dee after he decided the silence had gone on for too long.

Dee stopped moving, facing R.J. Their expression was pained, and they inhaled. “We’re dying in the end either way, R.J.” They swallowed, lodging their spoon-like object back into the dead body’s brain.

R.J. cringed at the squelch, inhaling carefully. “This isn’t worth it, Dee. I don’t care if we die in the end, I just…it hurts, you know?” He asked. “It feels like we’re hurting Mells.”

Dee kept their eyes fixed onto the body in front of them, inhaling the scent of copper and metal. “We’re dying in the end either way. You know this, we can’t back out.”

“I know, it just hurts. Mells is our friend, Dee.” R.J. countered.

Dee froze again, “I’m going through with the plan.” They decided, changing the topic quickly.

R.J.’s heart stopped, eyes widening. “You’re fucking with me, right?” He asked. “Dee, come on. We can switch places, I can do it–”

“R.J.” Dee said firmly, standing up straight. They shook their head, swallowing. “Neither of us are getting out of here alive either way. Both of us die.”

R.J. was about to speak up, but the door to the annex basement opened up. The duo glanced over, watching Mells walk in with a book in their hands. They were already reading it, and they didn’t even bother to look up at R.J. or Dee.

R.J. hesitated, but began speaking. “Mells,” He called, approaching them and pulling them into a tight hug.

The walkie talkie crackled to life. “ Cdot, this is a stupid idea. ” Bundun said on the other end of the walkie talkie. “ You should quit. ” Bundun paused. “ Please. ”

Cdot carefully rummaged through the royal suit. The moonlight was his only source of light, so he didn’t bother trying to take a flashlight or anything. Ever since Jonny became number one, shit became rough for Cdot. He was number seven now, and Bam was number two. There was no point. Cdot barely had access to anything, and he hated it.

“I’ll be out in a minute.” Cdot told Bundun, “I just need to find the cards.”

“ Seriously? ” Bundun asked. “ Come on, man–the cards don’t matter that much. ”

“All we need is the ten of hearts now.” Cdot countered. “I’m going out tonight. I’m finding that damn game. I’m playing it myself.” He said firmly, leaving no room for argument.

“ Cdot… ” Bundun trailed off, inhaling. “ You sound like a mad hatter. ”

Cdot rolled his eyes. He knew the cards were hidden somewhere unexpected. The Boss decided they’d always have a meeting when there was a new number one. The new number one would look in an envelope, and it’d have all the cards in it. Unfortunately, Cdot knew there were zero cards in the envelope. The Boss wasn’t dense. He knew anyone could steal them. Cdot knew they’d be in the one place the Boss often was. The royal suit.

He’d practically turned the room upside down, then his eyes landed on the painting of an eagle. Directly above the bed. He scoffed slightly, combing his fingers through his hair. Cdot carefully approached the bed, sliding his flip flops off before standing on the bed. He removed the painting from the wall, and stared directly at a small opening. Cdot was surprised he’d never assumed it’d be there, then again, the Boss had tons of tricks up his sleeves.

Cdot smirked. There was a small box and an envelope in the opening. “Bullseye.” He told Bundun through the walkie talkie, opening the box. There they were. The cards. Cdot removed the cards from the box, shoving them in the pocket of his swim trunks. He noticed the envelope was unopened, so he assumed Jonny couldn’t bear to touch it. Cdot didn’t blame him, Cdot could barely think of the Boss without feeling a spear of guilt pierce his skin.

He put the painting of the eagle back in its place, stepping off of the bed and sliding his flip flops back on. Cdot did a quick run of the room, making sure everything was in its original place. Satisfied, Cdot made his way to the door, sneaking out with ease. Cdot has had rough shifts before, but this might be the easiest one he’s had in a while. And he did lots of night shifts.

Cdot turned to Bundun in the hallway, and the other let out a breath of relief. “Shit, you had me worried Bam was gonna shoot you.” Bundun said, removing his pink cap and running a hand through his blonde hair. Cdot nodded, about to speak, but he was interrupted.

“All PLAYERS of UTOPIA, thank you for participating. In return for your contribution, we want to send you the one thing you need.” A voice called, and Cdot’s blood ran cold. “All PLAYERS are to gather in the lobby. Thank you for your participation.”

Chapter Text

The Boss sighed slowly, removing his mask from his face. He glanced up at one of the shops he and Jonny used to visit all the time, carefully cocking his head to the side. “It’s like no time has passed. Don’t you find that unique? Maybe even odd?” He asked his brother.

Jonny sat on a bench at the side of the road, arms crossed over his chest. He wore his red flannel- unlike most nights. Jonny was honestly surprised as to how cold it could get during the nights in summers like these. Most nights, he found himself lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling and wondering when he and his brother would be able to leave the Borderlands.

“Define unique.” Jonny ordered.

“As in…” The Boss trailed off. “Special, as in I feel like we’re on a midnight walk to see if one of the gas stations is still open, even if we both know it’s too late for that.”

Jonny hesitated, but nodded. He stood from his seat, making his way towards the Boss. “I agree, then.” He confirmed. “It is strangely unique.” Jonny paused, trying to find words to explain himself. “And odd. Especially odd.”

The Boss sighed, running his hands through his hair. “All of this…all of the cards. It’s so unique and odd, yet so stupid. ” He said, and Jonny could hear the annoyance in his voice.

“The militants are getting harder to control.” Jonny said, quickly switching subjects. “Specifically Bam and Net.” He trailed off, not going back to finish his sentence.

The Boss turned to face Jonny. “Then you better learn how to control them.” The Boss barked, and his words almost sounded like an insult. “If they get out of control, you know what could happen, Jonny.” He warned.

Jonny knew exactly what would happen, too. Bam would lose his shit and probably kill half- if not everyone in Utopia, and Net would do the exact same.

“I’m serious, Boss.” Jonny said firmly, glancing up. “One of them is gonna lose their mind sooner or later. Net is fine, I can control him. But if Bam loses control…” His words were a firm warning, while his voice was almost threatening.

The Boss inhaled through his teeth, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pistol. “If you can’t keep them in control, I’ll do it myself.” His voice was firm, dead serious. He raised the pistol, aiming it directly at his brother.

Jonny’s eyes widened, instinctively reaching for his own pistol. “Boss, we can figure this out without a fight. Neither of us have to die.” He said, trying to reason with the other. Unfortunately, the Boss seemed firm in his decision.

“I’m sorry, Jonny,”

Without another thought, Jonny pulled his own trigger. He squeezed his eyes shut. When Jonny didn’t feel himself fall over or anything, he began reopening his eyes. Upon seeing his brother lying on the ground, blood slowly beginning to trickle out of his chest, Jonny’s eyes widened.

“Difficulty…TEN OF HEARTS. Game name…WITCH HUNT.”

Danno stared at the phone in his hand, feeling his heartbeat increase rapidly. Just staring at the ten hearts pop up on his screen gave him a fucking heart attack. He could feel his muscles tensing, his breath growing heavier and heavier and quicker and quicker by the mere seconds that passed. Danno felt the back of his neck begin to heat up, sweat building on his skin. A hot flash hit his body, his hands trembling.

He couldn’t even hear the rules being explained, all he knew was he felt like he was going to die. Seeing Dee lying on the ground, in the center of the lobby, with a knife shoved in their chest, didn’t make Danno feel any better. Blood was still seeping into their light green tee, beginning to pour onto the carpeting slowly but surely.

All noises around him became strictly background noise. His ears rang, his hands trembled. Danno could feel him begin to lose touch with reality. He tried to grasp it, but he felt like there was a headset on his head, grounding him in the botanical garden as Danno tried to pry the headset off of him. But no matter what he did, it didn’t work. The phone slipped out of Danno’s hand, and he made a run for it. He wasn’t sure what he was running from, but he was running.

When Bam shot several bullets up into the ceiling, everyone dispersed with screams.

Cdot immediately gripped Bundun’s hand, looking around. “Shit, I don’t see Danno.” He commented, his tone worried. He desperately looked around, his eyes immediately landing on Pear and Melon. “Pear! Where’s Danno?” He called.

Pear pointed in the direction Danno sprinted in. “That way, I think. He left before the rules were even done being explained.” Pear explained, swallowing.

Cdot inhaled carefully, “Okay, that’s bad. That’s really bad.” Cdot said firmly, running a hand through his hair. He noticed Mells and R.J. begin to approach, obviously confused as to what they could do. “R.J., Mells.” He called, beckoning them to approach. As they got closer, words and plans began to form in Cdot’s head. “Pear, Melon, I need you two to stay with R.J. and Mells. Try to find Danno on foot.” He ordered.

“ What? Audino, I can’t–” Pear began to speak, but Cdot hushed him by gripping his shoulders.

“Alex, listen to me.” Cdot said firmly. “Yes, you can.” Cdot fished his walkie-talkie out from his pocket and handed it to Pear. “If anything goes wrong or if anyone gets hurt, radio Bundun and I. Tell us your location, and I’ll be right there.” He promised. “You can do it, trainer, you’re strong.” He assured. “Bundun and I will be in the security room.” Cdot pat Pear’s shoulders. “Come on, go.” He gently pushed Pear into the direction where Danno went, and Cdot gripped Bundun’s wrist, pulling him into the direction of the security room.

Once he and Bundun were a distance away from everyone, Bundun began to speak, fully puzzled. “Pear called you Audino and you called him trainer–what in the fucking Pokedex is going on?” He asked, the hop that was usually in his footing having disappeared.

Cdot sharply inhaled, keeping his eyes on the current task: find Danno. “I’ll tell you when this game is over. It’s a long story.” Cdot kept it simple. He’d tell Bundun when the game was over, that was the plan. It was difficult to explain, after all.

“Cdot,” Bundun said, stopping. Cdot kept on walking, turning a corner and throwing the door to the security room open. Bundun noticed Cdot was serious about the I’ll tell you when the game is over thing, and sighed. All he wanted was for Cdot to be more honest with him sometimes. He trailed into the security room after Cdot, staring at the amount of screens in the room. It always bothered Bundun how dirty the security room was, but none of the executive members ever let any of the players in. It was a safety hazard or some bullshit.

Bundun unclipped his walkie-talkie from the waistband of his swim trunks, placing it upright on the table in front of them both. Neither of them knew how the security cameras still worked, especially because most electronics had gone out. iPhones, computers, and laptops were all useless. Apple watches and digital clocks had become useless, as well. Everything that had a screen was useless. No one knew how the security cameras worked, but it was definitely a miracle. Especially in their current situation.

“We should look out for the witch, too.” Bundun noticed, watching Cdot begin to boot up the computer. It was used for the security cameras- and was probably the only electronic device that worked in the Borderlands.

Cdot acknowledged what Bundun said. “No,” He countered. “I have an idea on who the witch is, don’t worry.”

Bundun narrowed his brows, a confused expression painting his face. “What do you mean? Have you been eavesdropping or some shit?” He asked.

As the computer booted up, Bundun noticed something in the corner. Pear managed to create something for the computer- no one necessarily knew what it was, but Bundun could recall the way Cdot explained it. In the corner of the screen were numbers. The date, time, and the last person who used the computer. In the corner of the screen, Bundun read June 26, 2025. / 6:13 PM / 7. The day, the time, and Cdot’s number. Everyone can lie about their name in Utopia, but nobody can lie about their number.

“Three days ago, R.J. and Dee were alone in the basement.” Cdot began, “Joe had to go to a game. He was with…I believe you and Pear.” He continued. “Dee, R.J., and Mells all had days on their visas, so they decided not to go to a game. I was in a nine of diamonds game a few nights ago, so I haven’t had to go to a game. Mells left, and Dee and R.J. started talking.” Cdot had his eyes latched onto the screens, but turned to face Bundun. “I have a theory.”

Bundun raised a brow, beckoning Cdot to continue. “Go on,” He challenged, leaning forward almost.

Cdot smirked. “It’s R.J. R.J.’s the witch.”

Bundun felt goosebumps spike up onto his skin, shivers crawling throughout his system. His blood ran as cold as possible. R.J.? The same person who’d stick his nose into any book about human anatomy he could? Cdot had to be kidding, right?

“You’re fucking with me.” Bundun said, his voice firm.

Cdot turned back to the screens, shaking his head. “I’m dead serious, Bundun. Dee hasn’t shown any signs of being suicidal. They’re dedicated to their work, and make no move to turn away from their work if they can.”

Bundun hesitated with their words. Cdot’s theory made sense, but what didn’t make sense was the way Cdot made sure nobody moved or spoke up to anyone about the witch. “You just want everyone to go crazy trying to find the witch, don’t you?” Bundun asked.

There was an obvious smirk on Cdot’s face, one he didn’t even want to hide. “It’s almost entertaining.” With the way he spoke, it sounded like he was in awe of the situation they were put in. He sounded like a dealer, and Bundun hated it.

“You’re the only person who knows who the witch is, Cdot. What if you die?” Bundun asked, raising his voice just enough so Cdot knew he was pissed.

Cdot shrugged. “Then…whatever. That’s alright.” He said, accepting his fate. “I don’t want to die, but I don’t necessarily want to exist in the Borderlands, either.”

Bundun was about to speak up, but he was cut off by his walkie-talkie crackling to life. Both Cdot and Bundun snapped their heads to the walkie-talkie, getting ready to listen in on whoever was about to speak. Part of Bundun worried it’d be Pear and that someone had gotten hurt. Part of Bundun told him this was about to be much worse than he wanted.

“ Net, Bam, any other militant still alive. ” It was Jonny’s voice, and Cdot and Bundun both didn’t have to ask themselves if he was pissed or not. “ Kill them all. ”

“ Danno! ” Pear shouted, making sure Melon was within arms reach. “Danno, dude! Where the hell did you go?!”

Pear and Melon didn’t have a clue what to do. They were practically babysitting R.J. and Mells. Mells didn’t have a clue what was going on, all they were doing was clinging onto R.J.'s side, and R.J.’s face seemed fully emotionless.

“Shit…you think he’s still alive?” Melon asked Pear. His voice was somewhat concerned, but he was practically a pet. He didn’t know most human emotions.

“He’s gotta be alive.” Pear insisted. “If not, I have zero clue what we’ll do. Danno! ” Pear shouted, inhaling.

“What if he ran into one of the hotel rooms?” Mells suggested.

R.J.’s eyes widened slightly, turning to face Mells. “If he did, should we check on them?” R.J. questioned.

“But we don’t know which one he could’ve run into!” Melon exclaimed.

“That’s science- we check our hypothesis.” Mells reminded.

“This isn’t science, Mells. This is life or death.” R.J. lightly scolded.

“Quit arguing.” Pear said firmly, leaving no room for any more argument. “We’re already an hour into the game. I’d rather make it out of here alive.”

And the four of them kept searching.

Bam definitely hated to admit he’d become the one person he hated, but he couldn’t stop now. He hated himself for it, and now that he noticed, he always would. Unsurprisingly, the idea that he could die gave him somewhat of an adrenaline rush. He felt like he’d been injected with heroin over and over again, with a track scar beginning to form on his skin.

Bam repositioned his rifle, beginning to fire at a group of nebulae that had formed in Utopia. Bam was even surprised that certain cliques had begun to form at Utopia. Utopia only existed, for…four-ish weeks? Maybe? If Bam weren’t on the executive team, he’d probably say he felt like he was in high school again. Now that he was number two, he felt like he had control over everything in Utopia. Jonny was going through a bit of a depressive episode, so Bam felt like a god among everyone. They were mere mortals to him.

Aiming at another nebulae, Bam shot. He was getting ready to shoot again, but he was immediately interrupted when the pad of his finger met the trigger.

“Aren’t you tired of bullying the weak?” A voice called.

Bam froze, glancing over at the other. He raised a brow, scoffing at the man. “Where were you hiding?” He asked Cdot, anger lingering in his voice.

Cdot only smirked and it pissed Bam the fuck off. “Wherever I can. Nebulae glow in dark spaces, and you just so happen to be a nebulae in a dark space.” Cdot’s words struck Bam like a torch of fire. “You’re like a bright star in the sky. Everyone sees you, but they refuse to acknowledge you.”

Bam scowled, gripping the shotgun in his hands tighter. “What’re you getting at? Come on, asshole. Spit it out.” He ordered.

Cdot pulled one of his hands out of his pockets, revealing a water gun in his hand. “I made something, and I’ve been wanting to test it out recently.” Cdot stepped forward, but maintained a distance between both of them. “Do you wish to be my test subject, BamBaeYoh?” He offered.

Bam wanted to say yes, but he also wanted to wipe that smug smirk off of Cdot’s face. He wanted to tell Cdot to fuck off and test it on someone else. But Bam couldn’t help but imagine what it could possibly be. It could be useful to him in the future, it could be useful to Jonny in the future. Bam sighed, dropping his shotgun to the floor. He held his arms out confidently, smirking at Cdot.

“Hit me with it, number seven.” He challenged. It was Cdot. It couldn’t be that bad, could it? Cdot removed his other hand from his pocket, adjusting something on the water gun. Bam saw a small flame, and noticed the gravity of his situation.

“Very well, Bam.” Cdot said, aiming the water gun directly at Bam. Upon pulling the trigger, Bam watched a large flame flow out from the plastic gun.

Cdot watched as Bam’s eyes grew wide, his confidence slipping from his fingertips. The nebulae had been fully engulfed by the flames, and his screams of panic and pain brought a smile to Cdot’s face. Ever since they met, Bam and Cdot have had a bad relationship with one another. Seeing Bam completely in pain, and knowing he was lesser than Cdot, made Cdot want to laugh his head off. Bam desperately tried patting on himself, trying to calm the fire at least a bit. It didn’t work, though, and Cdot couldn’t help but snicker.

“It’s a water gun, as you saw. That’s the obvious. The only change is it’s full of gasoline, rather than water. I taped a lighter to it, and that’s all. Pretty nifty, eh?” Cdot explained, holding the water gun up and letting Bam get a good look at it. Cdot doubted Bam could hear him over his own screams and the crackling of the fire, but it was neat to explain it to someone who wouldn’t say it’d get him killed.

Cdot glanced over and noticed Bam tripping over the edge of the building, falling backwards. Cdot raised a brow, humming with contentment. He wanted Bam dead, but he didn’t expect that to happen. Interesting. Cdot would have to write that down when he could.

Bundun sighed. He wasn’t sure where Cdot went. All he said was I need to talk to Bam about something. Bundun was curious, but he knew Cdot’s history with Bam. He didn’t want to push Cdot into saying anything, Bundun would learn sooner or later. He kept his eyes glued to the screens, arms crossed over his stomach.

Something in his gut was telling him R.J. wasn’t actually the witch and that it was just Cdot’s intuition. Bundun knew Cdot was smart, but sometimes…he wasn’t sure if Cdot was just assuming shit or not. Right now, Bundun worried Cdot was just throwing around accusations. If he had anything on Bam, he’d probably say Bam was the witch. Maybe even Jonny. Bundun wondered if Cdot just wanted to stir chaos throughout Utopia. Did losing his number five role seriously get him this pissed off?

Bundun reached for his walkie-talkie, about to speak to Pear, but was instead interrupted. Bundun heard the door swing open and he spun around. Bundun didn’t have shit to defend himself with, so he was hoping to god it was someone who would give him some god damn mercy. And apparently god was feeling generous tonight, because it was Joe.

He began rummaging through the boxes in the back corners of the security room while holding a kitchen knife, which had a cloth wrapped around its blade. He held the cloth, not the handle, which confused Bundun.

“Joe, what the fuck?!” Bundun exclaimed, shutting the door. “You could at least knock! What’re you even doing?!” He asked. Although Bundun worried his question came off as more demanding than intended.

“No time,” Joe countered, facing Bundun. “Is there any superglue in this room?” He asked.

Bundun panicked. “Shit, dude, I don’t know!” He exclaimed. “I’ve never been in this room before! What’re you doing?!”

Joe inhaled, turning back around and rummaging through the boxes some more. “I need superglue and cocoa powder. I already have cocoa powder, I just need superglue.” He said, reaching deep into one box. “I have a theory about the witch, I just need to test it.”

Bundun’s words were stuck in his throat, and he was confident he was unable to form words. He gulped, inhaling quietly. “Yeah? Who is it, Joe?” He enquired.

“I think it’s Dee. Emphasis on I think .” Joe said. Before Bundun could ask how he was supposed to test this theory, Joe began speaking again. “I can see the fingerprints of the witch if I can run my test. My only problem is convincing everyone who the witch is, since the militants are killing everyone they can on Jonny’s order.”

Bundun swallowed. “Cdot said it was R.J.” Bundun’s fingernails dug into the palms of his hands, creating a crescent-like shape in his skin. “He said Dee didn’t show any signs of being suicidal, so it couldn’t be them.” Bundun explained.

Joe stood up straight, holding a small tube of superglue in his hand. “Well, let’s put our theories to the test.”

“Joe, do you even know what you’re doing?” Bundun asked.

“Of course, I do.” Joe confirmed. “I was part of the forensics unit in the Swedish police department before I moved to America. I have experience.” He said, beginning his…experiment on the security room table. “What’d you do before all of this?” He asked, his hands at work with the kitchen knife.

Bundun wasn’t sure if this would out him, so he hesitated. “My parents threw me into a bunch of beauty pageants.” He said simply.

Joe paused, briefly turning to face Bundun. “Don’t females do beauty pageants?” He asked, adjusting his yellow-tinted sunglasses.

He inhaled. Bundun wanted to tell Joe, but he was still scared to. He trusted him, but…not today. Bundun promised himself he’d tell Joe another day. “There are also male beauty pageants.” He excused himself simply.

Joe nodded, but Bundun could read the knowing look on his face. Neither of them spoke. Bundun held onto his walkie-talkie tightly. He kept his eyes glued to the security screens. Bundun watched people being shot to death by the militants. He could see Net running in and out of view from the cameras, leaving major and minor injuries on everyone he saw. Bundun was almost glad he wasn’t out there as he’s had his fair share of cuts and scars from blades.

Eventually, Bundun averted his gaze from the screens, seeing the after-image of the blue screens he had been staring at for so long. Bundun wasn’t sure how, but Joe had an aromatherapy diffuser and he was holding the handle of the kitchen knife over it. When the after-image dissolved, Bundun looked back at the screens, keeping his eyes on the screen. The sight of blood began to disturb him.

Joe turned the diffuser off, bringing the kitchen knife up so he could see the fingerprints better, his brows knitting together. Bundun glanced over.

“Are the fingerprints reversed?” Bundun asked, his heart racing.

Joe inhaled, glancing over at Bundun. He shook his head. “No, they aren’t.”

Bundun’s heart sank into his stomach, eyes widening slightly. “So, it’s R.J.?” He asked.

Joe nodded. “I’m afraid so.”

“The goal of the game is to find the witch and burn them in the fire of judgement.” Pear told Danno, swallowing. “It’s not strictly women. It can be a man, too. Dee’s the one who died.”

Danno sat forward. He was still a bit jittery, just coming down from the high of his panic attack. He rested his elbows on his knees, thinking as deliberately as possible. If he were the witch…

“I would kill myself.” Danno clocked, looking up at the three in front of them. According to Pear, they’d lost Melon. When he saw confusion on the trio’s faces, he began explaining. “I couldn’t kill anyone, my girlfriend would kill me. If I had to do something for a game that involved killing someone…I would kill myself before I had to do anything.” Danno explained, his voice dead serious.

“Dee wasn’t suicidal or anything. Unless they were a dealer, they’d never kill themself.” Mells countered, clearly not pleased with the idea that Dee had killed themself. “If it were a situation where me, R.J., and Dee were in a game where only one of us could make it out alive, Dee would probably prioritize themself.” Mells said, firm in their decision. R.J. only nodded in confirmation.

Danno toyed with his fingers, inhaling softly. “We should try to burn Dee, it might work.” Danno decided, standing. “Pear, come on,” He ordered, beelining for the door. Unfortunately, nobody stopped him. Danno swung the door open, storming out of the room. There was a slight hop in his step, but he wasn’t sure why. He wasn’t proud of it, either.

He searched for Dee’s body as he rushed into the lobby.  He felt fucking blind, because they were right there in the center of the room. Danno began rapidly approaching Dee’s body, scooping them up into his arms. Danno could admit that they were somewhat heavy- and he was not that strong. That’s particularly why Danno tried his best to avoid spade games. They weren’t the best for him.

“Dude! What the hell?!” Mells shouted, clearly aggravated. “I already told you, Dee wasn’t suicidal or anything! They wouldn’t have killed themselves for a game!” They argued, voice breaking. Mells certainly wasn’t the strongest, either, but they tried their best to pry Danno off from Dee’s body.

Mells’ shouting had definitely caught attention quickly. Out of the corner of Danno’s eyes, he could see other members of Utopia begin to file in. Militants or players, Danno wasn’t sure. He assumed it was a mix of them.

“Mells,” R.J. called softly. “Danno’s theory is…honestly valid. Maybe Dee was a dealer, maybe they killed themselves to save us. ” R.J. suggested, seeming to calm them somewhat.

Mells’ grip loosened on Danno, but still kept their hold on him. Danno didn’t feel Mells’ nails digging into his skin. He inhaled softly and lifted Dee just enough so that Danno had enough freedom to begin walking. Dee’s body was, unsurprisingly, fully limp. Danno held Dee up by their armpit with his hands locked around Dee’s chest. He continued to drag Dee’s body through the lobby, but was slowly stopped by Jonny.

“Hey,” Jonny called, being followed by Net. “What’s going on here?” He asked, his voice booming throughout the lobby.

Danno was about to speak, but he was interrupted by Pear. “Dee’s the witch!” He shouted, his voice equally as booming as Jonny’s. “Dee wouldn’t kill themself; R.J. and Mells can confirm that!” He yelled. He was left with small whispers from whatever remained of Utopia. Pear turned to face Danno, his eyes begging him to continue with Dee’s body.

Danno inhaled sharply, grunting as he walked backwards. R.J. rushed forward, grabbing the calves of Dee’s legs and lifting them. Danno could’ve sworn he saw Cdot out of the corner of his eye, on the higher balcony of the lobby, observing the situation from below.

“God, when the fuck did they get so heavy?” R.J. murmured when they both made it outside.

The air smelt of burning flesh and fire, and Danno had to resist his urge to throw up. He noticed it smelt more like fire and smoke inside the lobby, and that sure as fuck concerned him. His surroundings seemed somewhat orange in the lobby, but they were clearer outside. He worried there was a fire in the hotel, but didn’t trust his gut instincts.

“Where are we supposed to put Dee?” Danno asked, briefly glancing up at R.J.

R.J. gestured with their head, somewhere behind Danno. “Fire of judgement. Pear told you when you came down from your panic attack.” He said, seemingly out of breath.

“TEN MINUTES are left.”

Danno’s heart pounded in his chest, rapidly growing quicker and quicker. He nodded, turning just enough to throw Dee in the growing fire. Danno relaxed, finally being able to relax his arms. He rolled his shoulders back, getting ready to hear the game clear announcement.

…but it never came.

If it was even possible, Danno’s heartbeat picked up speed. Danno glanced over at R.J. They both had the same exact realization. It was someone else. R.J. swallowed, quickly rushing back into the lobby. Danno was dumbfounded. If not Dee- who could it be? Danno didn’t know, but they had ten fucking minutes left. Danno was not dying here. Not when he had to find Layah.

Jonny’s head cocked to the side, watching R.J. and Danno dash into the lobby. “Dee wasn’t the witch.” It wasn’t a question. Jonny knew it, and everyone else knew as well.

Panicked, worried, and sad expressions were painted onto everyone’s faces. Nobody knew who the witch was, more than half of Utopia was dead, and they had ten minutes to figure out who the witch was. Chills ran down Danno’s back, painting every inch of his exposed skin with goosebumps. His fingers trembled. He could’ve sworn Dee was the witch. That was the most logical answer, wasn’t it? R.J. and Mells said it themselves; Dee wouldn’t kill themself.

“It’s R.J.” A voice called. Everyone either lifted their heads or turned, seeing Cdot himself.

An angry expression began to evolve on R.J.’s face, his eyes widening. “You can’t be fucking accusing me of being the witch!” He shouted.

“I am.” Cdot countered, inhaling. “On June 26, 6:13 PM, you and Dee were alone in the annex basement. Mells left to fetch another book, as they had finished their most recent one.” He began. “You two were talking about some plan. What the plan is, I’m not sure.” Cdot sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. “I would, personally, assume one of you is to die in the ten of hearts game- the game we’re in right now.”

R.J. stumbled back, his hands shaking. “I’m not the witch, Cdot. I couldn't have killed Dee, they’re my best friend!” He defended. “It’d hurt Mells, too! I wouldn’t hurt either of them! ” He shrieked, his voice getting louder and louder by the mere seconds that passed.

The players of Utopia broke out into confused and panicked whispers, unable to differentiate who the witch was. Cdot held his hand up, hushing the whispers of the players. The only sound that now existed was a distant crackling of fire. “Joe can even confirm for me, you are the witch, R.J.” Cdot said, firm in his theory.

“I can.” Joe replied, holding the kitchen knife that once plummeted Dee’s skin in the air. The fingerprints were visible.They were a light shade of brown that Danno could just barely see. “The fingerprints aren’t reversed- which is the conclusion I was hoping for. I don’t understand why anyone else would kill Dee besides you, R.J. Your conversation in the annex basement says enough.”

R.J.’s heartbeat sped up. He gripped the sides of his swim trunks and he looked around the lobby, feeling like he was surrounded. All eyes were on him. Everyone knew what he had done. He lost.

He shook his head. “No, I’m not the witch.” He pleaded innocence the best he could, his voice breaking and cracking. R.J.’s head lifted to meet Mells’ eyes. “Mells, please. You know I wouldn’t kill Dee! Especially not for a game. Please, Mells!” He begged.

Cdot spoke before Mells got a word in. “Dunbun, Coe, are you two still alive?” He called. Within seconds, Dunbun and Coe rushed up to Cdot’s side, awaiting orders. Cdot seemed to hesitate, but inhaled. He removed a hand from his pocket, pointing his index finger directly at R.J. “He’s the witch.” Cdot said, stating the obvious. There was an expression of confusion on Dunbun and Coe’s faces, looking at each other and wordlessly asking ‘ what the hell is this guy talking about?’

Cdot eventually spoke again. “Dispose of him, now.” He ordered. Dunbun and Coe hesitated, watching R.J. begin to stumble back and away from anyone staring at him. “Are you both deaf?” Cdot asked, his voice sharp. “Burn him, now. I’ll do it myself if neither of you do it.”

“Cdot…” Dunbun tried to speak, but was quickly hushed with Coe’s hand on Dunbun’s shoulder. Dunbun looked up at Coe, his gaze softening. He nodded slowly, inhaling.

The duo walked past Cdot, who dropped his hand and pocketed it. Dunbun softly spoke to R.J., carefully rubbing their arms as he shoved R.J. backwards. R.J. shrieked and yelled like a child throwing a tantrum, tears pouring out of his eyes. Every minute that passed felt like hours. A small beep sounded, and Danno’s phone turned on.

“GAME…CLEAR.” The voice announced. “Congratulations PLAYERS.”

Danno looked around, noting the small number of players that remained. It was maybe 10% of Utopia. If Danno took the time to, he could probably count the amount of players that were left. He wouldn’t be surprised if there were only…maybe 30 left. That was only a rough estimate for him, though.

The lobby was fully silent, only broken apart with the small sobs that Mells gave.

…

Danno never wanted to play another game. Never again. Not if he could help it.

Chapter Text

Several days had passed since the ten of hearts game. Danno had nightmares from that damn game. He’d wake up in a cold sweat with his heart racing, his hair in a separate direction, and his shirt half off. Every once in a while, he found himself awake with his shirt fully off. Danno still wasn’t sure how that was possible, but whatever.

So there he was, sitting on the living room floor and venting his feelings to Cdot. He didn’t expect it, but Cdot was a pretty damn good listener. He could easily get someone through a rough time, and he treated it like nothing. Danno considered asking Cdot if he was a therapist before the Borderlands, but he could recall watching Bundun and Cdot having quite a vulnerable conversation after the ten of hearts game. Something in Danno’s gut told him he shouldn’t talk to Cdot about something that could hurt him mentally.

“We’ve gone over this hundreds of times already.” Danno said, watching Cdot open the black school notebook he’s been writing in. Cdot’s written down every session they had, constantly marking every little detail he could get his fingers on.

“We should go over it again. I have a good notion that you’re suffering from something, but I want to figure out if I’m correct.” Cdot said with a smile, sitting down opposite of Danno. “So, recount the story for me. I’m ready whenever you are.”

Danno inhaled softly, knowing there was no way out of this. He hesitated, taking a moment to examine Cdot’s outfit. He still wore the black hoodie he had at Utopia, but now he wore it tied around his waist. He managed to find a gray Cuphead tee; from where? Danno wasn’t even sure, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know. Cdot probably found it in the craziest place possible, or maybe he just spawned it somehow. He had a pair of black jeans and a pair of black shoes to match. He was basic, but Danno couldn’t stop him. He understood that Cdot preferred comfort over style. Unlike Bundun.

Danno recounted his story in the Borderlands the best he could. His first game, tag, meeting Datchia, Mello, and Redjet, finding Utopia…everything he was able to. Every little detail. He tried to recount the friendships he made in Utopia, but he did so just barely. He knew he definitely had a drink or two… But, he hated alcohol, which begged the question why the hell would he drink? Danno wasn’t even sure himself.

Cdot tilted his head carefully, humming as he wrote something down. “Have you had any nightmares about your seven of hearts game?” He asked.

Danno nodded.

“And… before your first panic attack, before you joined Utopia, what did you look at? It triggered your first panic attack, that’s for sure.” 

Danno blinked, his brows knitting together. “The heart cards, I think. The makeshift ones that the executives made.” He replied, crossing his arms.

Cdot sat in thought, looking over the notes he’d taken over the past few days. His eyes continued to scan the words he’d written, cocking his head to the side. He carefully shut his notebook, which excited Danno somewhat. He really wanted to be done with these godforsaken therapy sessions. Cdot always said he was just trying to figure out if Danno had what he thinks Danno has , but they felt like therapy sessions.

“You probably have PTSD.” Cdot deadpanned, which left Danno confused. 

“Post traumatic stress disorder.” Cdot continued. “Obviously, seeing as how you have panic attacks and nightmares about that specific scenario, I wouldn’t be surprised if it were PTSD.” He trailed off. “I’m not a doctor, though, so don’t take my word for granted.”

Danno slumped back in his seat. “I don’t give a fuck. I’m just glad we figured out what’s wrong with me.” He huffed.

“Nothing’s wrong with you, Danno.” Cdot said. Danno thought Cdot was speaking to him like a patient, but he wouldn’t outright tell Cdot that. “It’s just an obstacle. Plus there haven’t been any games that popped up in the last few days, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re over.” He stopped, but didn’t go back to finish his sentence.

Danno wanted to say something, to speak up to Cdot and get him to talk about what was very clearly messing with him. Unfortunately, Danno knew that wouldn’t be possible. When Cdot refused to talk about something, he was firm in his decision. He wouldn’t let anyone in. Not if he could help it, at least. He knew Bundun could break through Cdot’s tough exterior, but he also knew Cdot was practically cracking with each vulnerable word he said. He only let out so much at a time. He was vague, too vague for Danno’s liking

Hearing the door click open, Danno and Cdot shifted their attention. Cdot stood, carefully trailing over towards the door.

“Did you two find any food?” Cdot asked Bundun and Joe.

“Yeah, Joe seriously knows his way around here.” Bundun mused, entering the living room and placing a plastic bag on the coffee table in the center of the room. “No sight of Pear, though. There haven't been any games, so he’s probably alright.” He smiled.

Cdot inhaled shakily, nodding. “Alright, okay. Thanks, Bundun.” He smiled, turning his attention to Joe. “You too. What did you two find food-wise?”

“Only cup noodles.” Joe ran a hand through his hair. “Not the best, but it’s better than nothing. We have a gas stove, which I think we can probably just light with a match.” He explained simply, and he carefully placed his own plastic bag on the table. “We haven’t seen Jonny, either, and there’s no sight of anyone else from Utopia. Not even Reina and Rex.”

Cdot nodded. “Let’s cook up some food now. I wanted to look at something before it got dark.”

Bundun’s brows narrowed. “And what is that?” He asked, crossing his arms over his chest. He wasn’t being rude or anything, just curious.

Cdot smirked. “Where’s the fun in telling you?”

“Reina, please. You can make an exception, right? I-I won’t tell anyone about anything. Not you, not the dealers, nothing!” They cried out to her, desperately holding Reina’s skirts as they pulled themself closer to her. “Please, Reina, I’m begging you.”

Quite frankly, Reina found the view hilarious. They were literally on their knees, pleading for mercy. She almost felt sorry for the dealer. They were whining, whimpering, crying. She wanted to give them mercy, truly. If all slots weren’t filled in, she’d probably make them something useless. Like, a jack. She couldn’t see their expression due to the headset they wore, but with the way they were crying? It was enough for her to know they were desperate.

Reina cocked her head to the side, kicking them off her skirts. “Get your dirty hands off of me.” She ordered, her voice stinging them like a queen bee. “I almost feel sorry for you.” She scoffed, throwing her hair over her left shoulder. She watched them carefully, beginning to circle the room as slow as possible. “If only I hadn’t filled in that Jack of Hearts slot as soon as that ten of hearts game was over…” She trailed off, sighing.

Reina could’ve sworn she’d seen a hint of hopefulness in their expression, but it was quickly wiped away when they noticed that the Jack of Hearts was indeed filled in already. She stopped, staring down at the dealer.

“However, I make no exceptions.” Reina said firmly. A laser charged up, hitting the dealer straight through the head. The dealer collapsed, smoke beginning to steam through the cylinder-shaped hole that had been forced through their head.

Bundun briefly removed his light pink cap, combing his fingers through his blonde hair before fitting his cap back on his head. “Cdot, are you sure this is the correct way?” He asked, crossing an arm over his stomach. “We’re going through a godforsaken subway tunnel.”

“Yeah, I’m confident it’s this way.” Cdot replied, adjusting his grip on his flashlight.

Danno watched Bundun and Joe give each other a knowing glance. Joe sped up to Cdot’s side, and Bundun slowed down to Danno’s. Danno glanced up at Bundun, carefully bowing his head in a simple greeting.

“You doin’ good, Danno?” Bundun asked, gently brushing off Danno’s light blue Hawaiian tee and straightening it out. Danno didn’t stop him. It was honestly quite nice.

Danno slowly nodded. “This whole thing Cdot wants to see is sorta confusing, but… I’m cool with it. I don’t want him going alone, either.” Danno paused, watching Bundun mess with the flashlight in his hand a bit. “If he got hurt, I’d feel bad.” Danno finished.

Bundun nodded in response. “I understand that,” He sympathised. “Cdot knows my deepest secrets- and I know his. If either of us got hurt, I’d feel horrible.” He swung an arm around Danno’s shoulders and squeezed him just long enough so it reminded Danno that the two of them were in this together.

Danno lightly pushed Bundun’s arm off him. He never liked touch. He always preferred spending time with others. He wasn’t verbal about it, but his girlfriend said it was somewhat obvious. She also said emphasis on somewhat, but Danno tried to ignore that part. His point was that it was obvious. He just hoped people would avoid touching him from now on.

Cdot stopped walking, which nearly toppled them all over like dominoes. Bundun let out a silent yelp when Danno almost fell onto him.

“We’re here.” Cdot said, opening a small keypad which hung next to a door.

“Are you sure that won’t electrocute you?” Joe asked, voice full of concern.

“I mean… I’m not covered in water, and I don’t see any water nearby, so I’ll be fine!” He confirmed, punching in a code that Danno didn’t see. “. . . I think.”

“You think?! ” Joe exclaimed, his eyes growing wide.

The door clicked, and Cdot opened it. The lights were dim, and the room was tinted in a bluish-green colour? Maybe teal? Danno wasn’t sure. The hallway they walked down led into a larger room. There was a large pillar in the middle, with four computers on each side of the pillar. On every wall of the room was a long desk, with computers lining the walls. Each screen in the room was off. Papers were littered about the room, and Danno’s eyes fell to the ground, seeing- you guessed it- a dead body. Danno has seen tons of them at this point, but they still got on his nerves.

Almost immediately, Joe kneeled down to the body, carefully tilting its head to each side to examine it. “They died from a laser, that’s for certain.” He noted, “It was recent. They’re still somewhat warm.” Joe hummed, his eyes narrowing slightly as he leaned closer. “I don’t see any steam, though. Either it’s too dark in here, or… I’m not sure.” He explained, carefully resting the body’s head back onto the ground.

Joe stood, turning to Cdot. “Cdot, why did you want to come here anyway? It doesn’t seem to be useful at-”

A loud trumpet sounded, causing everyone to flinch. Danno rapidly glanced around, watching the room grow brighter and brighter with each passing second. Each screen in the room lit up with a snow white color. Several screens lit up with the words SPECIAL EMERGENCY BROADCAST with a heart, diamond, club, and a spade underneath the text. Danno felt his heartbeat accelerate upon seeing the heart on the screen. He dug his fingernails into his palms, creating a crescent-like shape in his skin.

“Congratulations to all players!” The voice exclaimed happily, her voice giddy as if she’d just won the lottery.

“What the fuck?” Bundun exclaimed, brows knitting together.

Getting a good look at the screens, Danno stared, his eyes growing wider and wider. He wanted to speak, but his voice was lodged in his throat.

“Goddamnit, I hate her…” Joe inhaled, rubbing the back of his neck.

She sat down in a chair, her back straight as she stared directly into the camera. The camera slowly zoomed in, catching her every feature. Her dark brown eyes were studying each part of the camera in front of her. Her ponytail was hung up high, and her black outfit was as neat as possible.

Cdot let out a breathy laugh, seemingly trying to shove his hands deeper into his pockets. “Reina,” He deadpanned. “Damn it, I should’ve seen that.” He tsked, almost disappointed with himself. Danno didn’t understand why, but the whole situation was crazy to him.

“With the exception of the face cards, you’ve all cleared each number card game at least once!” She exclaimed happily, standing from her chair. “Before I get into that, I’d like to thank some of our dealers for making it so far!” She smiled wickedly.

Danno watched a number of faces begin to pop up on the screens. Danno didn’t catch many names, but he did catch a few. Forever, Dee, Traveller, D. Schlorpo… R.J. It was a small clip of one of their games- maybe one of their first games, but Danno wasn’t sure.

She sighed, beginning to circle the room. “I wonder how many of those you’ve lost…” She trailed off, deep in thought. An expression of realization hit her, and she faced the camera. “Oh, I know!” Reina exclaimed joyfully. “1,581.” Reina said with pure amusement. The number popped up on screen like nothing, and Danno swore he could feel his heart sink into his stomach. “And that doesn’t even include the amount of dealers we had.” She giggled. The number eventually dissolved into nothing.

“Hm.. How about you? Can you recall how many have died?” She asked, various videos beginning to pop up on the screen. “Those that have been shot, those that have drowned, those that have burned alive…” She paused, the stride in her steps stopping as well. “Those that had their heads blown off.”

With each method she listed, a new video popped up. It was crappy security camera footage. The first video was footage from the ten of hearts game. In the second, Danno could’ve sworn he saw Cdot drenched with water from head to toe in a pool, fighting off who knows what. In the third, Danno saw Datchia, Mello, and Redjet. In the fourth, Danno saw…himself, crying his heart out while he was trying his best to pry off that godforsaken headset.

“With each game you’ve played…more and more people have died.” Reina said with faux pity. “Honestly, I think the ten of hearts game might be the most players we’ve lost so far!” She laughed. “I’m touched with what I’ve seen!” Her words made her laughter only grow- she was unable to contain it now.

“What a fuckin’ sicko.” Bundun whispered, his knuckles whitening.

“We would like to give you players a present.” Reina continued once she contained herself, facing the camera. She clasped her gloved hands together, standing up straight. “There will be more games!”

Danno inhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair and tugging at it. “I’d rather go back to the real world, but sure thing. More games.” He scoffed, displeased with their new problem.

“She’s fucking with us, right?” Joe questioned, adjusting his yellow-tinted sunglasses. “She has to be. I’m not playing another game.”

Cdot hummed, cocking his head to the side. “I don’t fully dislike the idea.” He admitted, gaining an are you crazy? look from Bundun.

“Is she the game master?” Danno finally asked.

“Hm.. No, I don’t think so.” He shook his head. “She’s probably nothing more than a face card.” 

“The next stage starts tomorrow at noon.” She informed, smiling. “The center of the city. Don’t be late!”

They arrived at noon just like she asked, standing in what they assumed was the center of the city. Joe surprisingly knew his way around. They were grateful for his guidance. Danno wasn’t sure how he knew, but he didn’t comment on it.

“Joe, are you sure this is the center?” Bundun questioned, looking around. “No one’s here besides us.” He said blankly.

“I worked in forensics- I have Houston memorized like the back of my hand. I’m sure this is the center of the town.” Joe reassured them confidently. “If it isn’t, I’ll have to redo my homework on Houston.”

Cdot turned to face Joe, a look of excitement on his face. “You worked in forensics?” He questioned. “God, I should’ve talked to you more in Utopia…” He said in pure awe, smiling as he turned back around.

The group went silent. Then, their eyes glued to the sky. A shadow began to overtake the city. If Danno was correct, it was a blimp. Maybe 100 posters hung beneath it, showing the King of Spades card. Danno wasn’t good at spade games, and the blimp was hanging right over them.

Looks like this was their next game.

Chapter Text

“When the hell is this gonna start?” Bundun asked, his voice impatient.

Danno shot a glare at Bundun. He couldn’t blame him for being impatient. They’ve been standing there for hours for what felt like hours. The blimp hung high in the sky, the King of Spades poster stared the group down as if it was trying to explode them using telekinesis. With how amused it looked, part of Danno was worrying it’d happen any second now. A large majority of him was convinced he’d be shot down or his head would blow off with the snap of the game master's fingers.

“It’s almost noon, don’t worry.” Cdot promised, his voice gliding through the air like a spirit finding its way home. “Well…it should be. I never learned how to read time using the sun.” His admission was almost sheepish. To Cdot, it was like reading time using the sun was a common act everyone knew how to do.

Joe sighed. He felt like his head was spinning. He carefully adjusted his canary-tinted sunglasses, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re right, it’s almost noon.” He confirmed, kneeling down and tying his shoelaces tighter than intended. Once finished, he stood and carefully stretched.

It grew quiet. The only sound that remained was the quiet footsteps of Danno’s pacing. Each minute that passed felt like another excruciating hour. If it remained silent for much longer, Danno worried he’d go insane. The rhythmic patting of his feet hitting the ground was beginning to drive him insane, even if he knew he could stop at any moment.

Danno was trying his best to keep his mind level, but he couldn’t. His mind kept stumbling back to Layah. He still hadn’t found her. Danno spent hours upon hours walking the streets looking for Layah. Every once in a while, Cdot, Bundun, or Joe would join him, but he never told them why he was doing it. Danno loved his girlfriend, but part of him worried he’d sound vulnerable if his friends knew why he was leaving so often.

“I don’t blame Bundun, when the hell-”

BANG!

Danno’s words were stopped, his left ear beginning to ring. Danno froze up, his eyes widening as he felt his left ear begin to sting and grow numb. His breath was caught in his throat, his whole body as stiff as a statue. His heart pounded in his chest. He slowly brought a hand up to his ear. Danno was ashamed to know he recognized the feeling of the slick sensation. He shakily brought his hand down, staring at the crimson on his hand with wide eyes.

What the fuck were the first words Danno wanted to say. His eyes quickly met Cdot, who was just as confused as Danno was. Cdot ran to Danno’s side, examining the injury on his ear. Cdot gently caressed Danno’s head, tilting it slightly to get a better look at his injury.

“You should be fine, but we-”

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The group jumped at the gunshots. Instinctively, Cdot brought Danno much closer than necessary, a hand on Danno’s head and the other wrapped around him protectively.

“Joe, do we run?” Bundun called. His voice was clear and level, but he was trembling like a goddamn leaf. He started stumbling into the opposite direction from where the gunshots came from.

Danno turned his head to Joe, who began nodding rapidly. “Yeah, definitely.” Joe confirmed. With a fourth BANG , he began running in the opposite direction. Bundun followed quickly after him.

Within seconds, Danno found himself gripping Cdot, who began sprinting like his life depended on it. It did, but that wasn’t the point. Within the several days they had without games, Danno learned that Cdot was in a shit ton of sports when he was in school, what Danno didn’t expect was how fast Cdot was. Danno thought he was fast, but he found himself stumbling over his feet and trying to stay behind Cdot. His hand rushed up to the ear that had been shot at, keeping a decent amount of pressure on it. Another thing Cdot taught him.

As they ran, the gunshots got louder and he saw more and more people. Danno was surprised, he didn’t think many people remained. Especially considering how Reina announced that 1,581 people were dead. Danno wouldn’t say it aloud, but he wished he were one of those  people. At least he wouldn’t be running from god knows who. Cdot dove behind a car, making sure they were both low.

“Are you alright?” Cdot asked, pulling Danno’s hand from his ear. He began examining Danno’s ear like a worried mother, holding it and turning Danno’s head this way and that.

“You’re worrying about me like you’re my mom. I’m fine.” Danno assured, lightly pushing Cdot off.

Cdot nodded slowly, caressing the side of Danno’s face a moment longer than necessary before releasing him and sitting back on his heels, glancing around. His eyes landed on a duo and he let out a scuff of relief, a smile tugging at his lips. He turned to Danno, elbowing him softly. “Joe and Bundun are alive.” He confirmed with a soft laugh, pointing to his right side.

Danno glanced over. Just as Cdot said, there they were. Both kneeling behind a car with active gunshots firing. Danno wondered where the gunshots came from, they hadn’t even been registered for this game. They didn’t know the rules. They didn’t even know the game's difficulty. They knew it was the King of Spades, but… still. They could’ve at least been given the rules or even registered properly.

“Danno, how’s your ear?” Joe asked once he noticed Danno and Cdot.

Before Danno got to answer, Cdot answered instead. “His ear is fine. It was only grazed.” Danno found it weird how Cdot was so firm on doing stuff for him, but Danno didn’t completely hate it.

Joe nodded, standing just enough to see where the King was. He squatted back down, leaning in close to Bundun. “The King doesn’t look very close. I’m not sure where he is.” He said, looking around to see where they could possibly go from there. The sound of gunshots and screams were still apparent in the distance.

As if some god was listening in on their thoughts, a car drove up to the four of them. Joe began standing back up, trying to get a good view on whoever was driving up to them. It was a black Mercedes-Benz car. The door on the driver’s side swung open, the thing that stuck out about his appearance the most was the dull green Hawaiian tee and the yellow cap he wore. A smile spread on his lips, his smile full of excitement and gratitude.

“I thought I saw you guys!” Pear exclaimed, a gunshot whizzing past him. The smile from his face completely dissolved, glancing in the direction where the gunshot came from. He turned back to the four of them. “Get in.” He ordered, turning around and hurrying back into the car.

Danno shot a glance at Cdot, who was already urging Danno to stand. Danno stood, feeling Cdot’s hand on his back as he rushed to get in the car. Bundun followed in next to Danno, seeing Joe get in the passenger seat. Danno leaned forward somewhat, waiting for Cdot to get in. There was conflict in Cdot’s face and he was beginning to back up. One of his hands rested on the car door, slamming it shut.

“Pear, drive!” He yelled, backing up before he turned around and ran. Pear’s hands gripped the steering wheel, stomping on the gas and driving.

“Charlie!” Bundun called, watching as something that looked like a large smokebomb filled the air where Cdot once was. He blinked slowly, turning and facing Pear. “Pear, go back.” He demanded sharply.

Joe’s head snapped to the side, looking at Pear. “Pear, keep driving.”

“Pear, go back.”

“Pear, keep driving.”

“Would you two quit treating him like a puppet?!” Danno exclaimed, looking between Joe and Bundun. He sighed. “Pear, keep driving. There should be a thingy up here.”

“Oh, wow, very specific!” Pear yelled over the sound of gunshots and yelling. “What thingy are you even talking about?” He asked, gripping the steering wheel like his life depended on it.

Danno sat forward. “It’s over there.” He pointed

“I- Danno, I can’t fucking look over there!” Pear yelled, panic rising in his voice. Another gunshot flew past him, his eyes widening as he looked behind him for barely a second. “Ah, shit. We’re being fucking trailed at the same time.” He grumbled, looking forward. Pear swallowed hard, eyes sharpening as his concentration grew stronger.

Joe glanced around, eyeing the controls of the car. He momentarily turned around, looking at Bundun and Danno before shifting his attention to whoever was trailing them. His eyes squinted, brows knitting together in response. Bundun looked at Joe like he was crazy, even turning around to look at what Joe was staring at. When a gunshot whizzed past their heads, Joe turned back around and looked at Pear. His mouth hung open for a moment, hesitating.

“Pear, give me the wheel.” Joe ordered.

Momentarily, just long enough to steal a glance at Joe, Pear looked. “ What? Joe, are you fucking insane? I’m not-”

“Move, now!” Joe exclaimed urgently. Pear let out a sound that almost sounded like a small scream.

For a second, Pear let go of the wheel. Joe’s legs reached over Pears and Pear sat up. Danno wasn’t even sure what was going on, the simplest way he could explain it was Joe and Pear having traded spots. Pear was now in the passenger seat, Joe was now in the driver’s seat. Joe pushed his yellow-tinted sunglasses up, gripping the steering wheel.

Danno knew Joe could drive, but this was another fucking level. He swerved between cars and spaces that seemed too tight for comfort. Despite Danno’s judgment, Joe was much better at driving than he assumed. Honestly, it amazed Danno that Joe could drive so fast. And so well at that. He was almost jealous. Danno would do a lot if he could drive like Joe did. Maybe he could get away with something.

As Joe continued to drive, Danno kept knocking into Bundun. Skin hit skin, clothes hit clothes, bruises even began forming. If Danno hit his head on something, he would probably get a concussion. He kept driving, eventually slowing down as the gunshots grew more and more distant. He remained tense, almost on edge if he needed to speed again.

He looked through the rearview mirror, looking at Bundun and Danno in the backseat. “Are you two safe?” Joe asked them.

Bundun was practically crushed against the left door, his hand against the window and one of his legs thrown over the seats. Danno was practically sprawled over Bundun, his head against the window and his hands clinging to Bundun’s shoulders. Bundun sighed, throwing his head back and gently pushing Danno off of him. Danno was slightly offended, but he didn’t necessarily care. He hated being touched anyway. Danno sat up, rubbing the back of his neck and adjusting in his seat.

“Where should we go?” Pear asked once his heart slowed down, looking over at Joe in the driver’s seat. “I mean, which game are we going to first?”

Danno looked up. “Seriously? We nearly died, you’re already thinking about what game we’re going to?” With the tone he said it in, it was almost an insult.

“I’m only saying! We had, like…a grace period for nine-ish days? It’s very possible our visas expire tonight. ” Pear argued.

“Let’s go to a King game.” Joe decided.

“ What? A King game as our first game?” Bundun asked with astonishment. “Why? That’ll be difficult! We should build up. Jack, then Queen, then King.” Bundun pushed.

Joe looked at Bundun through the rearview mirror. “A King will get us more answers. Remember what Reina said? About the dealers?” He reminded. “We should ask what the dealers are, why they existed.” He explained, his grip on the steering wheel loosening. “Let’s go to the King of Clubs. Clubs are teamwork, we know how club games work.”

“Do you even know where the King of Clubs is?” Bundun asked, sitting forward enough to look at Joe. Joe only nodded.

Danno wouldn’t complain, the car ride was definitely something he needed. It was rather calming, Danno almost felt like he was on a road trip or something. Admittedly, he almost felt himself drifting to sleep.

The car came to a stop, and the four of them got out of the car. Danno stretched, running a hand through his hair. He examined the game venue. It was a container yard, a large spot of colorful shipping containers. Danno knew he'd been in this area before. Of course, he was never inside. He never got the chance, but he was well aware of the place.

Nearing the entrance of the container yard, there was a circular white table with three futuristic bracelets on it along with a sign that read NO FIREARMS. Danno’s eyes shifted, seeing Bam-fucking-Baeyoh. He looked like shit. His body was burned, his pink hair was toasted and there were visible bald spots in his hair. It was completely uneven, he’d go as far to say charred. His shirt was just barely hanging on. His black jeans were destroyed and the rubber on his shoes were melted. His skin looked even worse. It looked almost mutated. Danno was surprised he was still alive.

“I’m not playing with that asshole.” Pear stated. At Pear’s voice, Bam lifted his head, a wide grin beginning to form on his face.

Joe’s eyes scanned the arena, looking at the table before returning his eyes to his group. “There’s only three bracelets. I’ll sit this game out and go to another one.” He decided.

Pear’s eyes darted between Bam and Joe, finally landing on Joe and nodding slowly.

Bundun, Danno and Pear moved and took a bracelet, clicking it on their wrists. It was odd. The bracelet clicked onto their wrists with many wires connecting automatically. There weren't any tools that were needed to connect it. Bundun and Pear began working their way into the venue. Danno glanced over at Bam, waiting for him to enter the venue before he followed. While Bam limped into the game venue, Danno tried resting his hand on Bam’s lower back to help him. Despite Danno’s attempt, Bam hissed, violently shoving Danno off of him. Danno’s hand fell to his side, sighing. At least he tried.

Danno entered the game venue, trailing behind Bam. He glanced around at the large space, the sun beaming over his face and skin. In the center of the area, there was a large, thick metal rod, almost like a lightning rod. There was a ball on the top and a ring nearing the top. At the bottom, there were a dozen small metal rings with a larger ring atop. In what looked like the center of the arena, it was almost an antenna tower. It looked like there were four TVs, one for each side. It was just a white screen. Considering how most games played out, Danno assumed it wouldn’t remain the same for long. It’d have the whole rule system on it, the regular game ritual would go on.

Four players entered the arena at the other end of the area. They were all male. They spaced themselves out along the field, getting comfortable as if they’d be there long. One of them was dressed in mainly white and had long black hair, tied in a low but tight ponytail. He had a pair of wire glasses on. There was a monotone, maybe dead look in his eyes. The second one had tan skin and hazel, almost orange hair. There wasn’t anything noticeable about him other than how he looked like the personification of Apollo. The third one had sharp facial features, but generally looked like a nice guy. He didn’t seem violent, but he definitely seemed rough. His black hair was half-up, half-down. Unlike the first two, he wore a black hoodie.

Fourth, and finally, he stood confidently. Back straight, head high, and a smug smirk on his face. He seemed like the leader of the four of them. He had a brown mullet, his hair was sort of wavy. His skin wasn’t tan, but he wasn’t necessarily pale either. He wore a shark tooth necklace, the tooth was right in the center of his collarbones. It was almost perfect. He wore a pair of white swim trunks and no shoes. Danno wondered what the hell was wrong with him. His eyes were sharp, almost fox eyes. His smile was mischievous, as if he just found his prey. On his chest, two large scars were on his torso. Almost like top surgery scars. If they weren’t, Danno wouldn’t be sure what they were.

“Good afternoon, ladies,” the one with the shark tooth necklace announced. He was met with silence. Danno visibly saw his confidence crack slightly. “What? What’s wrong with you four?” He asked.

“Dude, put a fucking shirt on.” The teammate in orange piped up.

“Yeah, seriously.” The teammate in black agreed.

The shirtless one looked at his teammates. “What? Why should I? I’m showing off what I’m proud of.” He smiled.

“Benjiro, they don’t care if you were rich or not. They care about whatever sanity they have left.” The teammate in orange argued. The shirtless one, apparently named Benjiro, rolled his eyes and turned to face Danno and his team.

“Welcome to Conflict. Let’s start with rules!” Benjiro announced, beginning to pace the field. “There are two teams; the Player team and the King team. Both teams will start out with 10,000 points. When the game starts, you’ll decide among your team how you’ll divide points. They can be divided however you’d like, but the smallest amount of points a player can have is 100. The team with the most points at the end clears the game.” Benjiro stopped pacing, watching Danno’s team.

Bundun raised his hand.

Benjiro pointed at Bundun. “Yes, Bundun?” He prompted.

Bundun froze, narrowing his brows. “How the hell do you know my name?” He asked, freaked out.

“All face cards are very aware of players. Some we recognize more.” Benjiro explained.

“We don’t even know your names.” Bam mentioned sourly.

Benjiro pointed at his teammate with glasses. “That’s Matsumoto Seiji, our singer.” He pointed at his teammate in orange. “Thats Mori Arati, our bassist.” He pointed at his teammate in black. “That's Sasaki Kenji, our guitarist.” He pointed at himself. “I’m Takeru Benjiro, our drummer.” He finished.

“Wait a second,” Danno looked at Arati. “Arati is a girl’s Hindu name.” He deadpanned. “Last I knew, you were a boy. Not to mention, considering the name’s you four have to be Japanese.”

Benjiro opened his mouth to speak, but Arati had other plans. “Yo, is something wrong with that? My mom is Hindu and my dad is Japanese. Why does this even matter so much?” He asked.

Sensing tension, Benjiro spoke up again. “Now, Bundun, your question?”

Bundun’s hand lowered. “How do we gain points?” He asked.

Benjiro cleared his throat, beginning to pace again. “There are several ways. Battles, items and touching the other team’s base.” He held up a finger for each option. “We’ll start with battles. If you check your bracelet, you’ll see you currently have 1,000 points.” Benjiro said. Danno checked. Low and behold, there were 1,000 points on his bracelet. “To battle someone on the opposing team, you simply make contact with them. Like this.” He approached Bam, resting his hand on Bam’s shoulder.

Bam almost yelped, shoving Benjiro’s hand off of his shoulder. “Get off!” He yelled, his voice sharp and full of danger.

“There has been a change in points for both teams.” A loud, robotic voice said. Danno looked up at one of the large screens. On one half of the screen, it read PLAYER TEAM . The other half read KING TEAM . Underneath the Player team, there were 10,000 points. A small, red -500 popped up beneath it. Underneath the King team, there were also 10,000 points. A small, green +500 popped up beneath it. The original 10,000 points of the Player team had become 9,500 points. The King team’s points grew to 10,500. “The King team is in the lead.”

“Don’t worry, points will be returned once I’m done.” Benjiro assured. Danno let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding. “The player with more points wins the battle. Since I had more points than Bam, I won. Bam lost 500 points, I gained 500 points. You’ll only know your opponents points when you battle.” He smirked. “If you and a teammate make contact, your points will combine. You can still battle an opponent. Once you battle someone, your bracelet inactivates. If you try to battle someone else while inactivated, you’ll be shocked.”

“How do we reactivate our bracelet? And how strong is the shock?” Pear asked.

“To reactivate your bracelet,” Benjiro pointed at the metal rod in the center of the field. “Touch your base.” He said simply. “The shock is strong enough to knock you out. Not kill you, but your vision will definitely go black for a second.”

Danno felt a shiver go down his back. He swallowed hard.

“Secondly, items.” Benjiro started. “Items can be found throughout the arena.” On the TV, a large map popped up. It could be mistaken for static, because holy shit. The container yard was insanely large. Danno was worried he’d get lost. “There are six items in total. Each contains a different amount of points.”

“Hold.” Danno stopped him. “This yard is fucking huge.” He said. “How will we even find our base? We won’t even find all six items in this zone.” He complained.

“That’s the thing.” Benjiro paused, crossing his arms. “We don’t know where the items are ourselves. We had another face card put the items in here.” He cleared his throat. “The third way to gain points is straightforward. Touch the other team’s base. If you do, you get the most points, 10,000.”

“What happens if a player reaches zero points?” Pear asked.

Bam glanced at Pear. “Are you stupid? We fucking die. ” He said sharply.

A laser shot down next to Bam, making him look up.

“Who gives you any right to talk to him like that?” Seiji asked, pushing his glasses up.

Benjiro stopped pacing, watching the Player team. He didn’t even tell Seiji to knock it off. “The time limit is two hours. Once both teams have decided how many points each player will get, the game will start.” He smirked, turning around and walking off with his team, presumably to their base. Wherever the hell that was.