Chapter Text
“I’m the type of my man who would light myself on fire to burn someone else”
That was what he had told Pac but he was unsure if he truly understood the implications.
He would kill Cellbit, or Cell, whatever name he went by now without hesitation. Fit would do almost anything for Pac, would keep him safe at any cost, even if it meant getting in the crossfire. He would do it because it was worth it, he had put more on the line for less.
“I’m the type of my man who would light myself on fire to burn someone else” Fit knew he was that type of person because he had done it before.
It was years ago, on 2b2t. He must have looked like a madman, reaching out to punch the crystal. He was smiling, blood on his teeth, his armor breaking at the seams, about to crumble off his body, his sword chipped and blunted from clashing against Rushers gear and shield. Fit's eyes were wide, pupils large like an animal on the hunt, adrenaline giving him that wonderful high.
He didn’t know why he was like this, he guessed, when you stand for nothing you fall for anything.Die for your faction, die for glory, die so you win by dragging your enemy down with you. Thats what everyone in this fucking wasteland wanted.
Glory.
Fame or infamous, it all sounded the same to them. The idea of it was enough to drive people mad, the word sounding like music. To have people remember your accomplishments or carve your name into their skulls with fear, forces them to remember, cause wounds that would never heal and that way you’ll be known for generations.
Rusher had barely time to react, he saw what Fit was about to do, but he wouldn’t be able to save himself, the blast would hit his back head on, there was no chance to save himself. Fit couldn't see his eyes under the glasses but the way that the minotaur froze said enough.
He was about to die. Both of them knew it. Fit was about to make him pay. And what was Rusher's crime?
He had tried to make something, some sort of control, he and his people had entered the land and started to change things.
Change, the word was spoken like a curse, like it left a bad taste on his tongue.
The people who lived in 2b2t didn’t know peace, didn’t know order, they didn’t know how to be normal people, and none of them wanted to be or learn.They were wild, violent, hateful creatures. 2b2t was the place god forgot, forsaken, this was hell on earth and they wanted to keep it this way. To revel in their misery. To spit at god and crawl around in the dirt like the vermin they were.
Be the worst of the worst, steal, cheat murder, sins were something to pride yourself with here, wear them like medals of honor.
Rusher could have changed that, threatened that, wanted to make something.
But the people here didn’t want peace or a society, because if he could bring order here what would it mean for them? If this place could be better, if a person could give stability, could tame this land what would it mean for them? What would it say about them?
That they could be better? That they chose to be horrible people?
They couldn’t accept that. That wasn’t something they knew, and the unknown was scary.
That’s just how 2b2t works. This is how it is and always will be. They hide behind words, excuses, if some actually had to look inside themselves and confront their inner human, that they weren’t animals and the beast they pretend to be they would snap, break like twigs under someone’s heel.
They didn’t want Rusher because he would force them to think about themselves, about who they were. And that terrified them.
Fit still at times wondered what he would have done, if he would have been a good ruler or everything would turn dictator, if everything would fall and burn in the end, or if something would actually grow. They would never know. Because Rusher might have brought beauty and safety and people here didn’t know the concept of it.
And they didn’t want to learn either.
The island was weird, this whole place having such a strong idea of order. Fit wasn’t used to it, the rules, people acting friendly, people actually leaving your house alone.
That he could see people and they were friendly, he still kept his guard up around some people and he was far from loose lipped but his walls didn't have to be as high as normal, not as paranoid. It was weird, but not...bad he gussed.
Everyone knew he was from 2b2t, and he didn't hide. His past shone through everything he did. Maybe builds were where it was seen the most. He wasn’t used to building, he made a lavacast, something he knew, something familiar, but despite it, old habits won. He didn’t even live in that house, he lived in a secured cave because he was scared he would be stabbed in his sleep otherwise.
The prettiest building he had ever seen before this was the Wrath outpost, that giant obsidian building, stretching out towards the sky, made of beautiful architecture. That had been another nice building on 2b2t but none compared to that in Fit’s eyes, it had heart and grandeur. In his heart it would always be the prettiest thing he had seen.
It was gone now, ruined like everything else. Everything built on 2b2t would get torn down to the last block, ruined, broken, destroyed. You had to accept that, it would make it easier to lose later. Never hold on too tight to things, because all becomes ruin in the end. Everything is easier to destroy than make.
Sometimes Fit almost waited for it. He looked at Foolish pretty dragon statue and it was like his mind couldn’t fully understand the concept. Foolish had just built it, so close to spawn no less and there was no fear, no worries he had just built it, moved in with a bed everyone could reach and was not scared. Fit didn’t know how many times he had looked at it and just thought ‘It will be sad when it gets destroyed’ and then was forced to remind himself that this was not 2b2t. It would stay.
Maybe that was what had made Pac and Mike catch his attention. They built all these amazing things, games, pink barbie houses.The longing, seeking, wanting to experience something new, to build instead of tearing something down. He felt at ease around those two, maybe it was because he saw parts of himself in them. They…understood him in some ways.
It was unusual, and he knew a lot of people were stressed out on this island but in comparison to 2b2t so did Fit feel way calmer, more at ease. Sure, this island was mean, dangerous, but it was different from 2b2t, another type of worrying but it didn’t stress Fit out the way 2b2t did.
He felt like an old dog, lying on the porch just watching the world. He had never felt something like this, this peace. It made him unease at times. And he at times felt so strongly he didn't fit in. He was pretty good at acting friendly, hide the worst parts of him, hide his mean bite under his lips. Hide what he was truly capable of. Put his hand in his pocket hiding how they were drenched in blood.
He acted like he knew what was going on, like this wasn't so strange to him. Like he wasn't a stranger in this paradise.
Fit was sitting outside of Star Bobby, his chair turned so he could look at Ramon, Dapper and Richas play with Bad. On the other side of the table sat Pac watching as well with a coffee in his hand.
The sun was warming Fit’s skin and seeing Pac so close to him warmed his heart. Their knees were touching under the table and Fit was trying to ignore how it made his heart beat weirdly.
It had been a calm day, no Cucurucho bothering them, no code or any of the hundred of other things that always decided to ruin nice days like this.
Bad and Dapper were showing things they had, Dapper having brought out at least 3 weird animals already, while Bad was showing new enchantments and items he had found or made.
Fit raised his cup of tea to his lips and tasted it, feeling the taste of citrus and ginger. With his other hand he lifted the fork that looked comically small in his big rough hand and he took a piece of his strawberry cake.
He hadn't had much cake in his life, on 2b2t you ate what you had, and you ate quickly. Fit had counted, he could eat a whole grilled chicken in less than 5 minutes. It wasn’t a pretty sight to behold but he could. Especially with sharp teeth like his.
Those fangs had confused people a lot in the beginning, people had kept asking what type of hybrid he was and he had to keep explaining that he was just human.
He hadn’t been born with sharp teeth. They were made by him, his own design.
A file, a mirror, and health potions.
That rough metal getting dragged against his teeth, back and forth, back and forth. Blood on his tongue, pain in his bones. Wash your mouth with a health potion and go back.
Back and forth. Back and forth.
Blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, blood in his spit. When he was done he had four fangs. Pain lasted for days.
He had smiled in the mirror, he looked like a damn monster. He could tear throats out with those teeth, another weapon and tool at his disposal, another thing he could use to survive.
He gained fangs but lost a bit more of his humanity.
The world kept taking it. Kept taking. Take. Take. Take tills there was nothing left.
He picked up another piece of cake on his fork and lifted just to see that Pac was watching him, eyeing the little bit of heaven. Fit stopped mid motion, Pac reacted and looked up meeting his eyes and a slight blush appeared on his face.
“Sorry, It just looked tasty” he explained, making Fit laugh and holding out the fork for him to take.
“You can have a bit if you want,” Pac shook his head.
“I can get my own”
“You know this place is overpriced. I don't mind” Fit replied, remembering the bill from his and Pac’s first time going here where Mike and Richas had pretty much charged them criminal high prices. But they should have expected it to be honest.
Pac laughed at that and nodded in agreement.
“So I can take a bit?” Fit held the fork a bit closer.
“Yeah, go ahead” Fit thought Pac was going to grab the fork but instead he just leaned forward and bit the piece right of the fork Fit was holding. Fit felt his brain blue screen for a second at it, but Pac seemed unbothered and was just chewing happily on the cake before giving two thumbs up.
“It’s good!” he reviewed it with a smile. Fit cleared his throat and looked away, hiding his red cheeks.
“That’s good” he replied, his brain not really able to form any better of a reply at the moment as it was kicking back to life.
He looked towards Bad who suddenly stood up and took out a block of obsidian and placed it down on the ground, the other kids watching him with curiosity. Fit watched him to, waiting to see what he was going to pull out now.
And sure enough Bad brought something out, and placed it on top of the block and Fit felt his whole body go cold.
It was like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over his head. His heart stopped dead for a second and his blood froze inside his veins. His eyes went wide and the fingers on his flesh hand tingled and phantom pains in his missing arm burned like it was on fire, like thousands of needles was digging into a limb that no longer was there.
He couldn’t pull air into his lung as he watched it. Watched the end crystal float over the obsidian block, moving up and down in a slow and gentle bounces while the glass was spinning around the glowing purple core. It was pretty to look at, a thing literally out of this world. You could just sense the magic energy of it in the air, sense the power.
Fit didn’t know how the fuck Bad had gotten his clawed little hands on a ghast tear, he shouldn’t be surprised he got one and could make a end crystal but for some reason this had fucking blind sided him. Maybe this place was making his soft, making him slow.
Fit felt the world go fuzzy at the edges as his vision tunneled in on the crystal.
The kids looked at it with wide eyes and all smiles, curious about it, having never seen anything like this before and if Fit got to decided he would never let any of them to ever see one.
There was this wonder and amazement in their eyes that was such a harsh contrast to Fit’s feelings about. The mug started to crack in his hand.
"Fit?" Pac asked but Fit ignored him, his voice turning into white noise in his screaming mind,
Bad was saying something but Fit couldn’t make out what he was saying as he saw Ramon look at it and raise his hand out to touch it.
People flashed inside Fit’s mind, newspawns people who barely got to see the sunlight before a end crystal was hit burning them up in an instant. He remembered them all, every face, everyone he killed. For justice for pity revenge for being and the wrong place at the wrong time. Historian for life, he remembered the names he had been given, if they didn’t have time to give it he remembered their face. The face of every persons story he ended prematurely, people who failed to respawn.
He saw them all, flash in a second across Ramon, he was about to see death again, and his own child was about to join them.
The mug broke, shards fell to the floor.
Bad reached out his own hand to gently stop him but Fit reacted first.
Fit moved out of survival instinct. Of pure panic. He flew up to his feet and just screamed.
“Don’t fucking touche that!” Fit didn’t get angry often which was probably surprising. Frustrated, sure, mad? Sometimes. But this was a new type of rage and panic.
He didn’t scream a lot either, usually he had this cold rage, not this loud booming yell that had just left his throat. Cold anger was, prettier, if there was something that could be called that. It sounded like you were more in control, control of the situation and yourself. But it slipped, as pure animalistic fear filled him.
Ramon pulled his hands back at once and held them close to his chest as he turned to look at Fit with wide eyes. He took a few quick steps back, looking between Fit and Bad. He was surprised at his dad racing his voice like this, and knew by this simple thing that this was serious.
The other kids had jumped away from the crystal as well.
Dapper looked confused at Fit’s tone as he kept looking up at Bad and then back to Fit. Richarlyson also looked confused, turning towards both Pac and Fit, like he was trying to find an explanation somewhere.
Fit’s brain was screaming in panic, as he looked at the crystal, still just out there in the open. All systems were firing, and it was all so loud, old instincts slipped in, a hound was waking up, baring it’s teeth.
“Ramon! To me! Now !” no room for arguments, no room for rebelion. This was not a request, this was an order .
Ramon ran over to his dads side, going to his side without hesitation, the broken mug shard crunching under Ramon's shoes.
“Richas, come here” Pac suddenly called out as well, his voice not nearly as panicked or angry. He sounded confused, maybe he didn’t know what an end crystal was, but was just following after Fit’s example, trusting that Fit knew best.
“What the fuck are you thinking Bad!” Fit roared, baring his teeth.
Bad looked back at him, his brow slightly furrowed.
“I was just showing it off-”
“Ramon, warp home” Fit said harshly cutting Bad off, and even if his words were directed at Ramon so did his eyes never leave Bad.
Ramon just warped. Ramon would have questioned things a bit more in any other situation but sensing this aura of panic from his dad so did he just do what he was told and warped. As soon as he was gone Fit marched up to then demon and leaned in closer staring right into each others eyes. Fit's shoulders were squared and his eyes narrowed.
Bad grimaced, lifting his lip slightly, his fangs barely peeking out.
“If you want to risk your own child's life, go right ahead. But don’t put Ramon on the line. Do this shit again and I’ll kill you” Fit snapped right at Bad’s face, his voice turning low and deadly. His baritone voice is even lower with rage.
“I was just showing it off, none would touch it-”
“And what if they did?” Fit snapped “You could have fucking killed them. They have only two lives Bad, they don’t respawn like we” his hands were shaking by his side and he turned them into tight fists.
“They have blast protection on their armor” he snapped back “And Ramon has a tnt cannon, that-”
“That’s not the same. That’s safe, I make sure it is. End crystals are merciless Bad. They make tnt look like firecrackers .” Fit snarled “Do this shit again around my son and I’ll make your head roll. And get rid of that thing" he said motioning towards the crystal.
His hand were in so tight fists his hand hurt.
He was breathing heavy and he realized something with horror. ‘You’re losing your composure’
Fit pulled out his warp gem at once and ended up going to his gym.
He needed to get rid of this pent up energy. It was all burning inside him now, adrenaline, pumping hot in his body, under his skin, rage drowning out thoughts in his mind.
Fit reached into the box by the punching bag and tied a bandage around his flesh hand and then started to punch the bag over and over again.
He didn’t know for how long he did that, he did it until his hand hurt, until he was wet with sweat, until he was breathing so hard his lungs stung, until the rage had simmered down.
He stopped punching for a second, and just breathed.
He leaned forward, his forehead touching the leather of the bag. He just stayed like that, breathing, trying to collect his thoughts, trying to make his brain get back on the rails and return to his regular schedule.
The danger was over . Everything was okay .
He was exhausted, both emotionally and physically. He wanted to go home and sleep.
He heard the door to the gym open and close, behind him.
He pulled away from the bag and turned towards the person, thinking he was going to see Ramon just to instead come eye to eye with Pac.
Fit was so tired but he still forced his expression to change,, forced a smile back on his lips, but he was pretty sure it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Hey” he called out, trying his best to hide the exhaustion.
“Hey, are you okay?” Pac asked, concern clear in his voice. He seemed more worried than anxious which was good. He walked closer until he was standing right infront of him.
Fit was relieved that his outburst hadn’t scared Pac away, that his slip up hadn’t hurt their, umm, friendship .
“Yeah just…Just a bit tired” he admitted. Pac gave him a nod, showing he understood.
“That…That thing Bad pulled out. That um, end crystal Bad called it, did it scare you?” he asked. Fit had seen Pac scared a lot of times, Pac hadn’t seen him afraid even once so his outburst must have come like a bolt of lightning from clear skies.
Fit couldn’t help but laugh. Scared him? It had been like staring death in the eye.
“I have… Bad experiences” he said and lifted his prosthetic up.
Pac’s eyes went wide as he realized what that meant.
They were made in similar ways. PTSD was one hell of a thing. They were not the same, far from it, but they knew a trigger when they saw it.
“An end crystal took your arm?” he asked slowly, like he was worried he would overstep by asking. Fit nodded.
“Yeah, dangerous stuff, way stronger than TNT.” Fit let out a deep breath and started to unbandage his hand “With the nether closed I didn’t think I would ever see one here, it took me by surprise. 2b2t loved crystal pvp. It's a young people thing, no one appreciates old and close combat anymore, it’s all about crystals” Fit said, trying to exaggerate that he sounded like an old man.
“Why?”
“Explodes faster than normal tnt, easier to set up than tnt minecart, way stronger. Easy, fast and strong as hell. Will kill you in seconds. Bit more expensive but if you steal they’re free” Pac seemed to just absorbed this information for a while before thinking of some kind of response.
“I’m sorry you had to…See it again” Fit shook his head.
“It’s fine." he then smiled “If the nether ever opens I’ll teach you crystal pvp” Pac’s eyes went wide at that response.
“I-I wouldn’t want to put you through something-”
“Pac. It’s fine” Fit said, shaking his head. “I was surprised today and I didn’t like that it was that close to my son. Next time I’ll be ready” He wanted to teach Pac crystal pvp. He wanted Pac to know how to use them, Ramon also really. He would teach them anything to help them survive, make sure they could protect themselves.
Pac heistated.
"Okay…Sure. As long as it doesn't freak you out” Fit just smiled.
“I will be fine” he replied. And he would. He couldn’t grow soft now. “I’m a tough guy, I can handle it” he said with a smile, in response Pac sent him one back.
"Okay. I’m glad you’re alright”
“And I’m glad you're alright. I’m sorry if I scared you” Pac shook his head.
“You didn’t scare me at all! I know you’re safe, I was just a bit surprised and worried”
‘I know you’re safe’ Fit felt his heart beat so hard in his chest. That he trusted him, it made him feel joy in a way he couldn't describe.
Trust. The rarest and the most precious thing you could give someone in Fit’s eyes and Pac just handed him it like it was nothing.
Fit’s cheeks were burning red.
“I’ll have to talk to Ramon.” Fit suddenly said, trying to escape.
“Oh! Yeah of course! See you later Fit” Pac replied with ease and slight disappointment.
“Yeah, see you later” they said their goodbyes and Fit warped back to Ramons house.
Fit landed by Ramons house and knocked at the door.
“Ramon, I’m coming in” he warned before he opened the door.
What he saw was Ramon sitting on the floor tinkering with the potato gun, cleaning it. He looked up at Fit as he opened the door. He at once put down the gun and lifted his hands.
“I’m sorry” he signed. Fit let out a deep breath and shook his head.
“No, I’m sorry.” Fit responded sitting down next to him. “I just got a bit… frightened , that thing you were about to touch it’s really dangerous.”
“I haven’t heard you like that before” Fit tensed slightly, but tried to hide it.
“Did I scare you?”
“No” but it was clear he had lied by the way his shoulders were raised.
“I’m sorry, I’ll try to not shout like that again” Fit then smiled. “Those crystals are very dangerous, but I’ll teach you how to use them one day, okay? But until then stay away” A big smile went up Ramon’s lips showing off his sharp teeth.
Fit smiled back, baring his own. They matched.
Ramon got up and threw his arms around him, hugging him tightly. Fit hugged him back.
He was surprisingly not terrible at this parent thing, and somehow he was not the worst parent on this island. It came surprisingly natural to him, but he was also, so, so scared. Maybe he wasn’t the worst parent beacause he was so scared about fucking up. To accidentally give some weird trauma habit to him. Teach him the wrong thing.
This island itself wasn’t making it much easier. As it kept hurting the children, scaring them. They taught the kids how to fight, to hide, to run, Fit really hoped they would make it out okay. That they would come out as functional people.
Fit didn’t know if it was possible. But he will do his best. And he would love Ramon as best he could, the first person he 100% trusted. He would do his best and hope he didn’t end up like himself.
There is blood everywhere. In his eyes, in his mouth up his nose. All he can taste is his mouth is blood, that iron taste on his tongue as the warm liquid runs down his throat everytime he tries to swallow down spit. He can only smell it, that copper, everything else was drowned out with it.
Something was on his chest. It was heavy, making it hard to breathe. He pushed it off and with a lot of effort sat up, putting his right arm behind him and pushed himself up into a sitting position. He had to move quickly. He was an easy target while laying like this on the ground. He had to get back into the fray.
He looked around, but there was too much blood in his eyes, making his vision blurry. He tried to drag his hand down his face, it helped a little but also smeared it out a lot.
He saw the floor and walls seared black with soot, and blood was stained all over the floor surrounding him like a circle. As he looked he saw what he had pushed off and felt his heart skip a beat.
It was Rusher's body. The minotaur's back burnt down to the bone, red flesh bared to the world. Blood was flowing from it, having turned Fit’s clothes wet with red blood. He was barely recognizable, he looked like nothing more than burnt meat.
That was when the pain caught up with Fit’s mind.
Pain. So much pain. It felt like his left arm was burning.
He reached up to grab it just to have pain explode and a shrill scream escaped his throat.
He looked down at it to see what was wrong and his eyes went wide. Shards of glass were sticking out of it, or what was left of it, as his arm stopped right before his shoulder. Big shards were stuck into his side, having surly cut into his ribs.
Flesh was hanging from what was left, like fabric, it was hanging in parts, dripping with blood. His bone was visible, burnt and broken, Fit could see how it was cracked, see his own bone marrow.
He just stared at it in some kind of disturbing awe.
He just watched it before he was forced to turn to his side as he puked on the stone floor as the pain became too much to beare. It burnt his throat but it was nothing compared to the pain of his arm.
Black spots were dancing around his vision, and his ears were ringing, if it was from the explosion or the blood loss and pain he wasn’t sure.
But beyond the ringing he heard voices.
Friend or enemy? He wasn’t sure, he couldn’t make much out except the searing pain in his arm.
He tried to get up but moving made it feel like every bone in his body was shattering, like shards in the thousands were digging deeper into his skin, he fell down landing on his stomach with a scream of agony.
Make it stop! He wanted to scream.
Make it stop! Just make it stop! But no words made it out.
He was crying. He hadn’t done that since he was a little kid, but the pain was too much. He couldn’t stop it from flowing down his cheeks and he was in too much pain to be self conscious about it.
He heard footsteps.
Stop the pain.I don’t care what you do as long as it stops.
He opened his mouth just to throw up again, blood clearly visible.
Had his stomach gotten cut? Was the acid melting his inner organs at this very moment? Or had too much blood run down his throat that his belly was trying to purge it, stopping him from getting iron poisoning.
People were screaming his name. He couldn’t make out if their yells were of joy or rage. It all was so fuzzy, like his head was filled with cotton, like he was drifting away. The black spots had almost completely covered his vision making it hard to see. He crawled, his fingers clawing at the smooth floor as he tried to push himself forward.
Pain. That was his world. Everything was pain, everything revolved around it, every second, every breath, every muscle in his body moving a millimeter sent out a new wave of pain. Pain. All was pain. Pain. Pain. Pain.
That was the last thing he remembered before passing out. That was the last thing he remembered from the time he was bathed in blood