Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Who knew the RB Battles Finale of Season 3 would turn into such a disaster.
Who knows.
Tanqr is knocked out cold on the ground, by what exactly nobody knows.
iBella, Pinkleaf and KreekCraft are fighting for their lives.
Waves of infecteds keep on swarming in, like moths flying towards the light..

Denis is missing, where did that guy even go?

[Location : Lobby]

🍂 – “Are you sure Tanqr is okay..?”

⚔️ – “He’s fine. Well, probably.”

🍉 – “WHAT on earth do you mean probably.”

The three are interrupted by another wave. Just what they definitely needed right now.

⚔️ – “There’s more of them.”

🍉 – “THERE'S MORE?!”

🍂 – “They don't look that bad… and aren't as bad as the previous ones I hope.”

Pinkleaf murmurs.

⚔️ – “Try to make them attack each other. We physically can't defend ourselves forever.”

🍉 – “You know guys, it would be really convenient right now if Tanqr WAKES UP RIGHT ABOUT NOW..!”

⚔️ – “I really don't think miracles are gonna work this time you know!”

🍂 – “A little help here!?”

Pinkleaf yells from across the lobby.

While they're fighting, mostly defending, Tanqr, who was knocked out cold for minutes, finally gains his consciousness. Sitting up to adjust what is happening and most importantly. Is he infected? He starts checking everywhere, no signs. Good.

The first one to notice was Pinkleaf.

🍂 – “You're awake.”

🗡️ – “Is that the RNG god?”

🍂 – “... Sure.”

He helps him get up on his feet, even if the taller man was disoriented.

🗡️ – “Let me help.”

🍂 – “No, you can't, it won’t kill you to rest for a bit.”

🗡️ – “Yes it will now let me help.”

🍂 – “... Just don't over exert yourself.”

Minutes pass. Maybe even 45 minutes passed. The last of the infected have managed to be killed, thanks to someone's.. explosives.

🍂 – “Okay, now that’s done.. What next?”

🍉 – ”Find a place to rest first, I'm tired and my legs feel like jelly..”

⚔️ – “Where should we even head to.. The place is infested..”

🗡️ – “While you’re busy about where we should rest, I'll try to find a way out at least.”

Tanqr leaves them to figure out what to do while he went to find an exit,

It's almost like someone's watching them, they know something they don't. Well that's not their current problem or concern. They have better problems to deal with.

⚔️ – “You know what, we'll just take turns keeping an eye out during the night.”

🍂 – “Better than being defenseless.”

Everybody seems to have agreed, now they just need to get Tanqr back.

⚔️ – “.. Is someone gonna get him back?”

Nobody said anything but Ren and iBella turned to look at him.

⚔️ – “Why me.”

🍂 – “You guys are the same age and everything."

⚔️ – “He's not gonna listen.”

🍂 – “Yes he will if you tell him about it.”

🍉 – “Yeah it's not like he's a stubborn 8 year old!”

Kreek sighed like a guy in an extensional crisis and walked away to find Tanqr, reluctantly.

[Time skip cuz im not writing allat😂 -🎨]

Kreek came back, pulling Tanqr by the arm,

⚔️ – “I got the bloodthirsty maniac.”

🗡️ – “I'm not bloodthirsty, you're just exaggerating.”

⚔️ – “Uh huh uh huh sure..”

🍂 – “Hey iBella found an exit.”

Pinkleaf points towards a gate where iBella had found a lever to operate the gate.
Which iBella pushed the lever down, where the gate has risen up.
KreekCraft gesture Tanqr to follow. But Tanqr walks over to iBella offering help instead.

🗡️ – “Let me hold that.”

⚔️ – “Finally, let’s go..”

As they walked towards the gate, it started to close. It's definitely broken or it's been tampered with. Although it's closing pretty slowly.

⚔️ – “It's definitely broken, can you walk faster.”

🗡️ – “Alright alright, this gate ain’t closing on us anyway.”

⚔️ – “Dude. Go.”

🗡️ – “Jeez, you old man.”

🍂 – [“Aren't you the same age?..”]

He thought to himself, “I can’t believe I work with these people who argue like old married partners, I wonder if me and Bella are the 3rd and 4th wheels in their dumb affairs.”

As they walked toward the gate, The gate was closing, but too slowly—definitely broken, or worse, tampered with.

⚔️ – “It’s broken. Pick up the pace, now.”
🗡️ – “Relax. It’s crawling. No way this thing shuts before we’re through.”
⚔️ – “Do you want to get crushed? Move!”
🗡️ – “Tch. Fine. Stop nagging me, old man.”
🍂 – “Please just go. Bella is waiting for us..”
🍉 – “Way ahead of you three.”

While Kreekcraft and Tanqr were bickering, Pinkleaf made it to the other side.
iBella and Pinkleaf standing side by side, waiting for them. They seem to take their sweetest time to walk towards the gate, who's lowering slowly like it’s trying to time it perfectly to trap them.

🍂 – “Let’s go, something's not right here..”

🍉 – “I’m trying to contact the nearest safe place where we can sort out thoughts and plans, but the signal is terrible..

🍂 – “Did those things have brains or something?? Did they cut off the signals?

And as if right on cue.
The gate suddenly came to life, now rapidly closing down.
Before Kreekcraft would know what’s going on, Tanqr shoved him before the gate would fully close.

⚔️ – “Wh- Tanqr you-”
🗡️ – “Oops, my hand slipped.”
⚔️ – “You. Fucking shit head.”

🗡️ – “I’d rather die alone than you guys dying, I mean from the looks of it I don't think I'm gonna make it out anyways!”

⚔️ – “Stop talking like this is the end for you!

Tanqr sees another wave of infected hordes is coming his way.
Tanqr clicked his tongue before reaching to grab his firearm, again.
He looked back slightly while reloading his guns, 90% expecting Kreekcraft to yell at him.10% waiting for him to say what he had in mind.

🍂 – “We have to go NOW!”

🍉 – “Quick, go use the vents!”

And the trio reluctantly left Tanqr behind to fight off the infected.
Kreekcraft looked back at him one last time before they went through the vents since the nearby exit is blocked off.

🗡️ – “Just me and you… Disgusting much aren’t you?! Come at me mother fucker!”

[Location : inside the vents]

🍂 – “Ugh, can’t see a damn thing.. Oh wait, I have my phone.”

🍉 – “Okay, plan B. Get out of the vents as fast as possible. I don’t want to imagine an infected freak is in here with us..

🍂 – “Right, and…

⚔️ – “...”

Pinkleaf glanced back at Kreekcraft, who’s staring at the vent floor crouched low, eyes wide and seemingly lost in thought. Tanqr’s words kept on replaying in his head, relentless, “what if” thoughts started to spiral into his head deeper and clouded his logical judgement.

Pinkleaf admits he never saw Kreek acting like this.. I mean— Who wouldn’t if you lost your best friend like that and just declared they won’t make it alive and preferred dying alone than trying to make it out alive? But there wasn’t time to dwell on that now.

They all know crystal clear. They weren’t alone in this cramped place like iBella had said.

🍂 – “Kreek, this is not the good time to grieve now, not when our lives are hanging on a thread. We have to move. Now.

⚔️ – “...Right-”

His voice cracked, quiet, like he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else. He pushed himself up, but his eyes lingered on the floor a second. They have to get going, before whatever that thing in the vents smell or hear them.

🍉 – “Guys… Did anyone hear that?

🍂 – “Oh.. Oh shit, that thing is here?!”

Sounds of scraping metal echo through the vent, and this.. Dragging sounds of something wet, they need to leave fast.

🍉 – “Shit! We gotta go!”

⚔️ – “Where is it even coming from-..?!

🍂 – “Sounds like it’s approaching from the left, head to right!

🍉 – “I swear, if we ended up in a dead end…”

🍂 – “Truly a ‘dead end’ yeah…”

Both iBella and Kreekcraft looked at Ren who attempted to lighten the mood.
I don’t think anyone is laughing.
The echoes of the metal groaned like it’s getting a metaphorical headache at Ren’s joke.

🍂 – “Okay okay- just move will you?!”

⚔️ – “Ren what is that joke……”

Said Pinkleaf who snapped them out of their momentary distraction.
A metallic ‘CLANG’ echoed behind them, and the trio heard whatever that thing was snarling…
🍉 – “RUN- I MEAN- CRAWL FASTER!!”

The echo of their voice bouncing through the vent.
Something was moving. Something heavy.
The trio wasted no time in shoving forward as fast as their elbows and knees would carry them. Crawling as fast as possible to get away from whatever freak had ended up in the vents with them.

Chapter 0.5
End.

Chapter Text

The vent rattled again.
The metal groaned beneath the weight of whoever is chasing the trio, most likely an infected, no doubt.
None of the trio dared to look back, only focusing on iBella’s guidance to their way out.
Only ragged breathing from the trio, the snarling and growling noises can be heard inside the vents, as the creature chased them down relentlessly.

Their arms ached, knees slowly hurting against the vent’s harsh steel, but finally the sound faded out.

🍂 – “Did it stopped chasing us?..”

🍉 – “I don’t know, but I’m not sticking around to find out..”

Said iBella who continued crawling towards the long, narrowed hallway of the vent.

⚔️ – “I just want out of this damn vent already..” (sigh)

As if fate is mocking and tormenting them, the growling noise in the vents returned.
Violent banging against the steel, dragging its body and letting out a monstrous scream.
The trio turned their heads towards the direction of the scream, eyes widened, heart rate started to race.

⚔️ – “TIME TO GO NOW!!”

🍉 – “I’M TRYING, I’M TRYING TO PRY THIS VENT COVER OPEN!!”

🍂 – “DO WE HAVE ANYTHING- ANYTHING TO STALL THAT THING?!”

⚔️ – “WE HAVE SWORDS, BUT WE AIN’T SWINGING IT IN THIS CRAMPED PLACE!!”

🍉 – “GOOD SPAWN, OPEN IT ALREADY!! YOU DAMN VENT, OPEN UP!!! WE’RE TRYNA LIVE HERE!!!”

iBella went from trying to pry the vent open to kicking it, desperation clear on her face.
The infected in the vent crawled even nearer, every second counts.

I do hope a miracle happens right now.

Then iBella successfully kicked open the vent cover, she slid out of the vent, followed by both Kreekcraft and Ren.
Which they landed in… one of the RB Battles Hosts’ personal rooms.
However-
The infected chased after the trio out of the vent, revealing itself as one of the infected contestants of the RB Battles.

🍂 – “RUN!!”

🍉 – “NO NEED TO TELL ME TWICE!!”

All 3 of them ran outside of what seemed to be Russo’s room. On their right is Sarbina’s room.
Kreekcraft slammed the door with a shocking amount of force that temporarily stunned the infected.

Well, it’s not unwelcomed. Hey, it brought us some time.

The trio ran down and made a turn to the left, where they discovered DJ’s room. The once peaceful hallway is now decorated with blood and bones everywhere.

⚔️ – “What now..? Where should we even run off to?? That vent led us to the RB Battles Hosts’ rooms… Are they trapped here or did something to them.."

🍉 – “I don’t want to think about it… But from the look of Russo’s room I think..”

I guess… The Hosts fell victim to this infection..

🍂 – “Look guys, the question I’m about to ask is gonna bring us extra… helplessness to this but- Where even is Denis? He was eliminated from the Championship as far as we know and the last time we saw him–When one of the contestants was acting strangely.. Then suddenly attacked the others, starting this whole pandemic.”

⚔️ – “Hold on, since this whole chaos started because one of the contestant is infected and it made them attack the others therefore spreading it you say… How did they even.. Get infected in the first place..”

🍉 – “Black goo… bright glitches surrounding the bodies… And it’s entirely dependent on the host.. Some of them emit loud screeching like that one in the vents, really hurts our eardrums seriously.. Some of the black goo produced extra limbs for the victims too.”

Kreekcraft clicked his tongue.
Annoyance clear on his face.

⚔️ – “We can’t blast our way out of this building.. We don’t have those explosions he carried…”

🍉 – “...”

🍂 – “...”

⚔️ – “...”

The atmosphere became gloomy..
As if their conversations are merely an attempt to distract themselves from this global pandemic happening right now.

After a solid 5 minutes of uncomfortable silence.. Kreekcraft exhaled, gripped both his fist and finally said-

⚔️ – “You know what, let's just brute force it.”

🍂 – “You're serious?”

⚔️ – “I don't think plans will work in this case when these infecteds are unpredictable.”

🍉 – “He kinda has a point..”

🍂 – “I see.. If it comes to that, then we'll make this quick. Don't wanna waste a lot of energy dealing with them.”
(Pinkleaf exhaled before stretching his arms)

(iBella cracked her fingers)
🍉 – “At least I can get to warm up before one of the heavy hitters shows up here.. Annddddd… Here they come.”

Then, from the corner came waves of infecteds, bodies tangled and wrong: mouths too wide, some were missing their lower jaw, some were missing an eye, some of their arms were torn off.. More importantly, they're hungry for blood.
Kreekcraft charged first with his sword, the infected didn't even have time to process before getting cut in half by Kreekcraft. Swift cut through the rotten cloth and something that used to be bone.

iBella darted between two infected ones, whipped out her RBB Archer Bow, nocked an arrow and with a single fluid motion, fired a glowing arrow that struck the nearest infected in the head, staggering the infected.

Pinkleaf, after glancing at both his friends already on the move, exhaled and unsheathed his Sibat. An infected charged at him but Ren is faster. Piercing the infected right in the skull, and the infected let out a shriek before collapsing, motionless.

The infecteds are relentless, attacking with everything they can, just like Kreek had said before, they’re unpredictable. The trio continue to cut down every infected that dared to approach them, with the combined effort of the three, they are able to take down most of the infecteds that are crowding their path.
After what it seems like eternity where the last infected finally dropped...

🍉 – “Is that the last one..”

🍂 – “Yes.. We’re safe for now...”
(Ren dragged his sleeve across his face to wipe the sweat running down his temples)

The air hung thick — every breath like swallowing iron and rot. iBella glanced around the bloodied area, as if expecting another to show itself, she’s always on guard even if exhaustion is clear. Pinkleaf drove his weapon onto the ground to stay upright, trying to control his breathing. Kreekcraft is slumped against a wall, catching his breath after such an intense and ruthless fight between them and the infecteds. The smell of the rotten is unbearable.. But better than being face-to-face with those things.

⚔️ – “Jeez.. If they’re getting this aggressive, the next wave would be way worse… We have to save our energy, guys.”

🍂 – “Yeah.. you’re right.”

🍉 – “Do we… Hey isn’t that a portal? Should we enter? Or…”

Ahead of the trio, a portal seemingly opened, sitting conveniently among the apocalypse as if nothing nor anyone can destroy it. The trio looked for the banner that tells what game the portal would lead to, but unfortunately it was destroyed beyond recognition.

⚔️ – “But we don’t know which game it would bring us to if we have no other choices.”

🍂 – “Will it bring us to Jailbreak? We would really use some weapons if they’re not hoarded just yet.”

🍉 – “We gotta be cautious… If any of the prisoners are infected and broken out, it would waste more of our energy and if we DO find any firearms, we would just be wasting them.”

🍉 – “Let’s hope it’s Jailbreak…”

The trio looked at each other, and the sudden loud stomping came from behind.
They looked behind just to see a few infected heading their way..
One, two, three… Shit.

⚔️ – “God! Time to go!”

🍉 – “What if they follow us through this portal?!”

🍂 – “Hold on!”

Pinkleaf seeing a piano nearby, he grabbed the handle and shoved it with an amount of strength against the infected.
Knocking the infected off balance and away from the trio while iBella and Kreek have entered the portal.