Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Carepad fiddled with whatever leftover materials he had. He stared at his commission, a simple grenade launcher. As much as he would like to test how it would actually work, he had no fighting experience. Also, he didn’t have any grenades on him.

Bonuspad was working on another easy commission, which was just a slingshot. He seemed just as bored as Carepad, messing with the elastic string. Carepad wasn’t shocked. After all, they were both used to much more complex projects, such as their carepads and bonuspads. He knew it was the first day at the job, but this just felt insulting.

They looked up as Zuka walked into the room. He blinked as he grabbed a screwdriver out of his tool belt.

He pointed it at the two inphernals. “You two are done already?” 

“Yeah?” Carepad’s leg began impatiently bobbing up and down. “Can you trust us with harder commissions now? These weren’t exactly the most difficult things to make.” He gestured to the finished gears.

Zuka looked thoughtful. “We’ll see.”

“So, what do we do now?” Bonuspad chimed in.

Zuka placed his screwdriver back in his belt and rubbed the back of his head. “Well, business has been pretty slow and me and Rocket already took the only other commissions, so I don’t give a shit what you do. Just don’t trash the place.”

He turned to leave but bumped into Block instead. Block, whose view was blocked by the crate of materials he carried, let out a grunt of surprise, stepping back. Zuka mumbled an apology and left. Block looked back before giving the two brothers a confused glance. They both shrugged, and Carepad returned to fidgeting with the excess materials.

Block placed the crate in the corner of the room. ‘You all finished?’

“Yup,” Bonuspad responded, kicking his legs back and forth as he studied the slingshot. “What about you?”

‘Still gotta pick up more materials.’ He stretched his arms. ‘I’m not complaining. I’m used to this kind of work, and it’s nice not having to wear a suit while doing it.’

Carepad’s eyes lazily raked over Block at his words. He wasn’t wrong. Subspace had often made Block carry heavy materials when Hyperlaser couldn’t and when he didn’t want to damage his precious biografts. At most, he had been a glorified bodyguard. Now, he was just a supplier. A more simple job, but it seemed to make Block content, especially since he could ditch the suit and change into his previous casual clothes—a gray tank top, brown cargo pants, and his dog tag necklace.

“So you have to leave already?” Bonuspad leaned back with a groan, “It’s going to be so boring.”

Block shrugged. ‘Sorry I can’t stick around. See you guys later.’ He shut the door behind him.

Bonuspad exhaled, tinkering with the slingshot again. Carepad began trying to cross his legs but winced as pain spiked up his lame leg. He felt so limited by these stupid crutches! He wished he could just walk normally without them.

He suddenly stiffened in thought. What’s really stopping me from making something to help me walk? Immediately, he began rummaging through the extra materials.

His brother gave him a weird look. “You good, Carepad?”

“Yeah, just give me a moment.” He pulled out several pieces of metal and a pot of padding. “…You think I can build myself a leg brace?”

His brother looked shocked. “You literally made the carepad. If you can’t make a leg brace, it’ll be both hilarious and sad.”

“Thanks for your support,” Carepad snorted.

They fell into more silence after that. Bonuspad was now messing with the grenade launcher while Carepad brought all his attention to his leg brace. Even Rocket joined to work on his own commission. At one point, he offered to aid Carepad with his leg brace, which Carepad appreciated. Carepad was still too unsure to test it, but it looked great so far.

Suddenly, the bell from the door let out a small ring, and all the inphernals looked up. Zuka poked his head into their room.

“Hey, can one of you guys get that? Block is having some trouble with his order, so I’m helping him with that right now.”

“I can go,” Carepad offered. “I feel like I’ve been rotting in this chair anyways.” He grabbed his crutches and limped to the door.

There was an inphernal dressed up like Block. He had a helmet with a red plume, a cape, and a scar underneath an eye. His eyes lit up when he heard the door open, but it dimmed when he saw Carepad.

“Hi, I was wondering if Rocket was busy right now?”

“Yeah, he is.” Carepad raised an eye. “What do you need him for?”

“I just wanted to see if he could hang out. Med—another friend of mine is busy right now, so I just stopped by.”

Carepad blinked. Was he about to say “Medkit”? I swear I’ve heard that name from Subspace’s rants…

“Hm. I can double-check if Rocket is busy for you if you’d like.”

A large smile broke across his face. “That’d be great, thank you!”

Carepad nodded before walking back to the room. “Hey, Rocket?”

The inphernal looked up from his work. “Yeah?”

“There’s an inphernal asking if you want to go out if you aren’t too busy.”

Rocket sighed, “Red geek with old school clothes?”

Carepad sputtered, “I–Not how I would word it, but yes.”

Bonuspad chuckled while Rocket waved his hand dismissively. “That’s my friend, Sword. As much as I would love to leave, I need this done by tomorrow. Just tell him to stop by again later.”

“Alright.” Carepad turned back and returned to the counter, where Sword still stood. His eyes traveled over the shop., but landed on Carepad as he approached.

“What did he say?” Sword asked eagerly.

“Rocket’s busy right now, but he said you can stop by tomorrow.”

Sword seemed slightly deflated but nodded. “Okay! Thank you, sir!” He looked behind once before he left and Carepad hobbled back to the room where Rocket was still working. Bonuspad was now by his side, pointing out tips and tricks as the younger inphernal nodded along.

“Hey, Bonus, could I talk to Rocket?”

Bonuspad rolled his eyes, but nodded, stepping back and sitting across the table. Rocket hummed in anticipation. “Well, what do you need?”

Bonuspad claimed a seat next to him. “Do you know who Medkit is?”

Rocket inclined his head slowly. “I do.” 

“What do you know about him?”

Rocket’s face became guarded. “He’s pretty popular.”

“Infamous,” Bonuspad corrected.

“Yeah.” Rocket pursed his lips. “Right.”

Carepad narrowed his eyes. “…Are you scared I’m going to go after him or something?”

“What else am I supposed to think?”

“I’m just curious.” Carepad rubbed his nape sheepishly. “Sorry, I should’ve specified that earlier.”

Rocket exhaled, shoulders relaxing. “Nah, you’re all good. It’s just that he left Blackrock after an incident. Now, he works for some shady guys, but it’s alright. I mean, he gave me my prosthetics!” He paused his work just to lift up his metal arm. Carepad wanted to ask what happened but something told him beforehand that would be a terrible idea.

Rocket's voice broke him out of his thoughts. “Where did you hear about him?”

“My previous boss talked about him a lot. Compared me to him, and just today, Sword mentioned him.”

“I could see the similarity between you two,” Rocket agreed.

“Someone like my brother?” Bonuspad shuddered. “Now I’ll have two inphernals scolding me about how I organize my tools.”

Carepad glared at him. “Which is an important thing to do, by the way.”

“If I know where it is, it’s organized enough.”

“It’s unorganized as shit. You live like a hog.”

Rocket burst out in laughter as the two siblings continued bickering. Well, at least their first days foreshadow eventful days for the future.

Hotdog cursed under his breath as Slingshot knocked over a tray. Banana quickly saved it, though he winced as a few pastries rolled onto the floor. Hotdog scooped them up and threw them away. 

“Five chocolate chip cookies,” he whispered as he handed a plate to Shuriken. The inphernal cast an uncertain glance at Banana and Slingshot, who both yelled in shock as the oven began smoking, but Hotdog shooed him away. Slingshot nearly dropped his trays trying to open the oven with his foot, so Hotdog opened it for him. Thankfully, the croissants were still edible, though a few were burnt. Those were trashed too.

Banana was making more smoothies while boiling water for tea. He looked left and right before yelling at Slingshot. The inphernal pointed at a box, completely engrossed in decorating donuts, and Banana ripped it open before dropping tea bags into the kettle.

Hotdog pulled more cookies out of the oven and handed them to Banana. The civilian spat a few curses, along with murmurs about how he was already busy, but Hotdog couldn’t care less.

Slingshot was already whisking some wet ingredients. He pointed to a mound of dough next to him as he mixed the wet and dry ingredients together. Hotdog nodded and began kneading the dough.

This was a chaotic, yet steady rhythm the bakers fell into. Well, Banana couldn’t really bake anything, but at least he was trustworthy enough to make food without burning the kitchen to the ground. Hotdog could bake, but he wasn’t as experienced as Slingshot was. The way the inphernal was able to bake so quickly and efficiently astounded the civilians.

They made great progress, having multiple people working on many orders at once. Unfortunately, the kitchen wasn’t as big as they liked, so accidents were frequent and that definitely slowed things down. Nonetheless, Slingshot seemed grateful for the help, humming as he read the list of orders.

Hotdog was extremely glad Slingshot had hired them, but then again, there were different requirements for getting a job in the Inpherno. At least he wasn’t stuck being a cashier or waiter like his friends were. He has always shuddered at the thought of having to deal with angry customers. After all, he was a pretty passive guy, unlike his cousin. He would fold far too quickly at the sight of conflict, so being a baker suited him just fine, especially since he could judge some questionable customizations buyers made.

“A cookie without any toppings? What the fuck does that even mean?” Hotdog gaped in horror.

“He might as well ask for cookie dough,” Banana snorted, blending another smoothie.

“C’mon, let’s just make the order,” Slingshot sighed, seeming just as disappointed as the civilians.

“Oh, we are.” Banana poured the smoothie into a cup and slammed a lid on it. “We’re just judging while we do.”

Slingshot opened his mouth to presumably scold Banana. Suddenly, he paused as yelling erupted from the counter where Punch, Taunt, and Vinestaff were working.

The bakers exchanged glances. Well, this isn’t promising.

Taunt fidgeted with the uniform, watching the customers with boredom. It was mind-numbing, but at least he wasn’t in the kitchen. He could occasionally hear yelling or screaming, which was often followed by the sound of something clattering to the floor. Thank goodness the customers couldn’t hear it. Still, he couldn’t help but glance back nervously before meeting eyes with Punch. Dash would give them a questioning glance as he passed occasionally, before going back to delivering or taking orders. Vinestaff and Shuriken seemed completely unfazed, happily carrying out their duties.

Taunt eyed a small newspawn bothering some of the other inphernals. He stifled a snort and his gaze drifted to their caretaker, who was busy scrolling on their phone. Taunt narrowed his eyes. Looks like the Inpherno has some dumb parents too.

 He leaned over the counter. “Excuse me.” He tapped the newspawn on the shoulder. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to request that you go back to your seat. You’re bothering the other customers.”

The newspawn stared up at him indignantly. “Why?! I just wanted to play but he doesn’t want to!”

Taunt shared a glance with the inphernal they were bothering; some poor Blackrockian who was seated awkwardly to stay as far away from the newspawn. He nervously continued typing at his laptop.

“Look, kid. I’m afraid he’s busy so it’s best not to bother him.”

“But I want to play!”

“That’s your caretaker’s job.” He jabbed a finger in the inphernal’s direction.

“No!” the newspawn shrieked, stomping their foot. “I want to play with someone new!”

Taunt winced as he felt inphernals start to stare. He stiffened when the caretaker finally looked up from their phone, eyes furrowed in anger.

“What’s wrong with my newspawn?”

Taunt tried not to roll his eyes. “They’re bothering the other customers.”

“No they’re not!” the inphernal refuted. “They’re just playing.”

He was suddenly aware of how tense Punch was and how Vinestaff fidgeted nervously beside him. Dash and Shuriken continued serving but Taunt could see how their eyes flickered back occasionally. 

Despite this, Taunt snapped, “Well, it’s annoying and the kid’s not getting what they want. It’s your job to provide for your newspawn, so I suggest you find some way to entertain them because it’s disturbing the other customers.”

The inphernal growled, “How dare you! Are you calling me a bad caretaker?”

“I never said anything of the sorts. Your words, not mine.”

Suddenly, the inphernal lunged, and Taunt was knocked back with a grunt. His back thumped against the floor and the inphernal spawned their gear, a tanto. Punch immediately spawned his brass knuckles and knocked the inphernal back, before pinning them to the floor.

Slingshot, Banana, and Hotdog burst out of the kitchen, eyes wide at the scene in front of them. Dash and Shuriken placed their trays at nearby tables and ran to help. Inphernals began screaming, and the newspawn began bawling. Taunt’s growing irritation along with the chaos made his head pound, and he summoned his gear, the megaphone, and yelled into it.

“PLEASE REMAIN CALM. THE THIEVES’ REST EMPLOYEES ARE TAKING CARE OF THE PROBLEM SO I REQUEST THAT YOU STAY. QUIET!”

Silence, apart from the occasional grunt and curse from Punch and Tanto’s scuffle and the sobbing of the newspawn, filled the bakery. Slowly, inphernals turned away, and Dash and Shuriken reluctantly went back to their trays and continued their job. Slingshot sent Hotdog and Banana back to the kitchen, and Vinestaff confirmed an order with the inphernal in front of her.

Finally, Tanto admitted defeat, and Slingshot blacklisted them and their newspawn from the bakery, and Taunt smirked in satisfaction as they left. Maybe working here won’t be that bad.

Block grunted as he lifted another crate over his shoulder. He really wished the Inpherno had cars or trucks, but he was stuck just walking back and forth. It wouldn’t have been so terrible except for the fact that he accidentally ticked off a pair of inphernals.

Block decided to work with Zuka, since it would presumably mean he had to talk to little to no inphernals. Now, he became the inphernal’s supplier, meaning he was basically stuck lugging these crates around. Eh, better than some of the other jobs I had. The moonlight lit the dark street, but it was hard to see anything with the knight helmet he had decided to stubbornly keep on.

He tripped on a small uneven part of the sidewalk, and fell. He managed to cushion the crate with his own body, standing up with a groan.

Some of the contents from the crate had spilled out, and Block kneeled down to pick them up. He stiffened when he heard the sound of someone spawning their gear and the pressure of steel against his neck.

“Sorry, I’m afraid we’ll be taking this.” A foot thumped against the crate.

Block didn’t even shift. He narrowed his eyes as he heard another fair of footsteps.

“Do we really need all this junk? It’s not like we can use this…,” the second inphernal murmured.

“C’mon, Bat. Think about it. We can just sell it off to some chump.”

“If you say so, Phantom.” There was a shuffle as Bat picked up the crate.

The pressure against Block’s neck slightly shifted and Block shoved the gear away, spawning his gear as Phantom tried to slash him. He deflected it easily.

Block’s eyes raked over the thieves. Bat was a blue-horned inphernal with a baseball cap and a hood over his face. Phantom was a green-horned inphernal who also had his hood up. However, he didn’t bother hiding his face. He spat out his cigarette, mouth twisting into a snarl.

“Someone’s trying to play the hero, aren’t we?” He turned towards Bat. “Get out of here before the Silver Shadow gets here.” Bat nodded and bolted away, but Block ran after him. Phantom stood in front of him, but Block pushed him away with his shield.

He grabbed Bat’s hood and pulled it back. Bat fell to the floor with a wince, and Block cringed as he heard the crate fall to the floor. He stood in front of it protectively, shield in front.

Bat was already recovering and Phantom had caught up to them. Phantom scowled, then raised his knife.

Block gritted his teeth as a terrible grating sound occurred when he blocked Phantom’s attack. Bat snuck up on his side and smacked him in the head with his gear.

Block jerked back as his ears rang. His helmet had thankfully taken the worst of the blow, but now it felt like his thoughts were trying to trudge through mud.

He sloppily deflected another one of Bat’s attacks, dodging Phantom’s. They slowly fell into a rhythm Block could barely keep up with. Cuts and bruises were marked on his arms and upper torso, his legs stumbled over each other, and his head swam.

Then, in a desperate attempt, he punched forward,  and shock jolted through his body when it made contact. He heard one of them grunt in surprise. As they continued to fight, Block began throwing in the occasional punch, but it still wasn’t looking good for him. He just had to hope this was enough until someone could help him.

Then, a shuriken came flying out of nowhere.

Block instinctively brought up his shield to deflect and it bounced off of it with a light ‘pang!’ He pivoted to face his new attacker. His adversaries, however, immediately began running away.

“Hey!” A figure jumped down from a building using a grapple and tried to give chase, but they disappeared into the darker parts of the streets.

The stranger huffed, “SFOTH damn it.” He turned to Block. “Are you okay?”

Block, who had realized the stranger was no threat, was already picking up the crate, giving the inphernal a curious hum. He sounded really familiar, even with the mask muffling his voice.

‘Shuriken?’ He signed.

Shuriken(?) tilted his head. “I have no idea what you just said.”

Block barely managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes and grabbed his gear from the floor, pointing to it and back at the inphernal.

He immediately began sputtering. “I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

Block raised an eye.

“Fine, fine. Just don’t tell anyone? Please?” Jeez, this guy folded under no pressure.

Block nodded and Shuriken perked up. He opened his mouth to say something but Block had already turned away. Shuriken blinked and followed him.

“Dude, you should get those wounds checked out.” Shuriken pointed at the thin lines of red and purple spots on his arms.

Block shrugged.

“Your clothes aren’t looking so good either.”

Block glanced down at his shirt. Shuriken wasn’t wrong. They were riddled in slash marks now, revealing more cuts and bruises across his chest.

However, he simply shrugged again.

Block heard Shuriken stifle a sigh of frustration. “You have to get those checked out.”

Block nodded, tapping his wrist like he had a watch on.

“No, not later! Right now.”

Block huffed and stopped in front of Da Shop. He gave Shuriken a glance and Shuriken groaned. He grappled away before Zuka opened the door.

The former ambassador looked up and down at Block. “What happened to you?”

Block shrugged. God, his shoulders were getting tired from carrying the crate and shrugging so much.

Zuka raised an eye but didn’t push. “Alright, then. You finished so you should probably head back now.” He checked a clock in the shop. “It’s around eight.”

Block nodded and whirled away. What a spectacular first day.

“God, you’re so stupid!” Carepad snapped, wrapping bandages around Block’s arm and chest. Block let out a huff.

‘Wasn’t even that bad. I got my job done and I’m alive. If you ask me, that’s a pretty good day, especially if you take into account how our luck has been for the past few months.’

“He’s not wrong, but couldn’t you try and be a little more careful? You’re going to give us all a heart attack one day,” Hotdog chimed in.

Block let out a long sigh. ‘Very well.’

Taunt walked in, rubbing his eyes. “Woah, you guys are still up? We all have work tomorrow you know…” He jolted when he saw Block, all drowsiness gone. “Woah, what the fuck happened to you?”

“He got jumped,” Hotdog answered as Carepad closed the first aid kit.

“It’s alright though. What I did should be enough. Just get a new tank top for now and give it to Dash.” Carepad turned to Taunt. “He knows how to sew, right?”

Taunt nodded. “Yup! I’ll go tell him tomorrow morning. I’m going back to sleep after a drink.” He made his way over to the sink and filled up a cup of water.

Carepad let out a grunt of agreement and turned towards his room. Hotdog stood up, tugging at Block’s arm.

“We’ll be sharing a room since this apartment's really small.”

Block nodded and Hotdog led him to a small room with barely enough space for two mattresses. Hotdog’s was surrounded by books about the Inpherno and just inphernals in general.

Block pointed. ‘Where’d you get those books?’

Hotdog perked. “Oh! I borrowed them from a library. I should take you and Cloak there! You guys would love it.” He sat down on his mattress. “You should go get ready to sleep.”

‘You’re sleeping already?’

“Yeah. Working at the barley is tough! Also, I was sleeping before you got here. You kind of woke me up.”

Block winced. ‘Sorry.’

“It’s alright! Good night, Block!” He pulled the blankets over him and Block placed his helmet near his bed. He turned off the lights, walking to the restroom. Or at least, attempting to.

He accidentally barged into everyone’s bedroom trying to find the bathroom, and Block’s face was probably as red as a tomato’s when he finally got there. He took a shower and brushed his teeth. As promised, he placed his torn up tank top on the kitchen counter with a note for Dash. Then, he finally walked back to the room where Hotdog was already sleeping.

He laid down and sighed. At least the days can’t get worse.

A few days have passed since Cloak had met her friends. She let out a sigh as she took a sip of tea. Katana was a lovely roommate, and he respected her personal space, though he did get curious about her occasionally.

Today, they were enjoying some bread from Slingshot. Cloak never understood Katana’s mistrust towards them, but she didn’t want to push. She took another sip of tea.

“So, Cloak,” Katana started slowly, causing Cloak to look up, “what is your relationship with the beast?”

Cloak’s eyes sharpened. “Pursuer?”

Katana nodded.

Cloak fidgeted with her fork. “Simple. He hunted us.”

“For how long?”

“A little bit over a year.”

“A year?!” Katana exclaimed suddenly.

Cloak narrowed her eyes. “Yes? Why is that so surprising?”

“There are only three of you.”

Cloak managed a small chuckle. “Oh, we were not the only victims.”

“…Right. You mentioned others.”

“Mhm, that is correct. I just wish they were still with me.”

Katana stood up, grabbing his plate and teacup. “I’m sure you will see them again soon. Sunfire is strict, but not cruel.”

“Sure,” Cloak grumbled under her breath. She forced down the last of her breakfast and placed them in the sink alongside Katana’s. “I am going to Thieves’ Rest.”

Katana gave her a hum of acknowledgment. She spawned her gear after dressing up and walked to Thieves' Rest. It was a nice change of pace from running. She watched as newspawns ran around, squealing with joy as they chased each other around planters. Caretakers watched idly, chatting amongst each other. A pair of friends talked excitedly about Flipside’s new song, while two lovers sat on a bench together.

Cloak always loved the little things in life like that. Little slices of a life she’ll never live, but that was fine with her.

The bell rang as she walked into the bakery. Her face slightly dropped as she watched what unfolded in front of her.

A customer rambled about an order while Punch desperately tried to jot down all the numbers. Taunt looked like he was about to snap at a customer who was staring at the menu with squinted eyes. Vinestaff was trying to calmly explain why they couldn’t make another customer’s order.

Shuriken was breaking up a fight between two inphernals. Dash stomped a foot in front of an inphernal trying to join in, scolding them. The plates and utensils on the trays he carried rattled dangerously, warning that one wrong move would result in dropping it all.

Cloak stood there, a little dumbfounded.

“Hey! Cloak!” The civilian turned around to see Bonuspad waving at her. “Over here!”

The two engineers were wearing casual clothes, something Cloak didn’t see often. Carepad wore a white t-shirt with a green jacket on top, while Bonuspad wore a blue and yellow hoodie. Cloak found it amusing they went through the trouble to match their hats, even if they weren’t wearing it at the moment. Block was dressed how he was before they were sent to the Inpherno. His necklace rattled as he shifted to look at Cloak.

“What is happening?” She whispered, looking over her shoulder again as she sat down.

Bonuspad snorted, “This is a normal day for them.”

“I could not imagine working like this every day.”

“They seem to enjoy it,” Carepad observed. As Cloak let her eyes scan over the chaos again, she could see  Dash smile as the inphernal backed down. Punch smiled in relief when the customer confirmed his order. Taunt’s smirk reappeared as he finally got the order. As for Shuriken and Vinestaff, well, they were used to this kind of bullshit, so they were back to their smiling selves, continuing what they were doing.

One thing did worry her however…

“Where is Hotdog and Banana?”

She heard Block let out a rare chuckle while Carepad smirked. Bonuspad grinned. “You won’t believe this, but they’re in the kitchen.”

Cloak opened and closed her mouth several times. “They can bake?”

“Apparently they can, but Block just never told us about Hotdog being able to bake.” Bonuspad gave Block a glare, though there was no anger in his eyes.

Block signed something, and Cloak only caught the words ‘not important.’

“What do you mean 'not important’?” Carepad interjected. “All those days we could’ve had something other than instant noodles…” He sighed wistfully.

Cloak giggled, “You all seem to be having fun.”

“Well, the apartment’s cramped as shit.” Carepad stretched as though he dreaded going back. “I have to share a room with my brother.”

Bonuspad gasped offensively. “What’s wrong with sharing a room with me?”

“You’re messy.”

“This again?”

“Absolutely.”

Block gave Cloak an amused look.

Cloak let out a smile as they continued arguing. “So, your employer, Zuka, right?” Block nodded. “Why did he let you three off today?”

Block looked around nervously before leaning towards her and speaking in a hoarse whisper, “He claimed he needed to meet with a ‘business partner,’ but it seems shady if you ask me. Even Rocket doesn’t seem to enjoy his company.”

“What is he like?”

“Rocket told me his name was ‘The Broker’ and that he was probably one of those cultists from the desert.”

Cloak’s voice hardened into anger. “The Church of the True Eye?”

Block blinked, caught off guard, but nodded. Suddenly, he stiffened with realization. “They are the ones who captured you?”

Cloak nodded gravely. “If he would not mind, I would like to speak to Zuka about this.”

Block looked hesitant, but complied. “Very well. We can—”

He was cut off by someone yelling. Even Carepad and Bonuspad stopped fighting to stare. Cloak shifted her attention to the door, and saw Artful walking into the cafe. A Playgrounder was shouting at him, occasionally throwing in an insult. Artful didn’t seem fazed, and simply made his way over to their table and sat down.

Behind them, Dash quickly calmed the other customer down. Artful just ordered something and sat down. He looked, well, not too different since his skin was snow white like his makeup from before, but he had removed his mask and hat for work. His eyes carried a bit of irritation and fatigue as his eyes looked over the civilians before waving.

“Boss still not treating you nice?” Bonuspad questioned.

Artful sighed woefully, sitting down. “No. He probably never will.”

“Zuka believed you would have the most patience when it came to him,” Block pointed out.

“He has a personality only a mother could love,” Artful snapped. “I swear, if I had any hair, it would be graying.”

Carepad snorted, “Tell me about it. He sounds a lot like Subspace.”

“He might as well be,” Artful huffed.

Cloak watched as Dash walked up with Artful’s drink. “Looks like work’s been treating you well!” he teased.

“Yeah, yeah.” Artful took a sip. “You look like you’ve been steamrolled.”

Dash shrugged. “Customer service has never been my favorite.” His head snapped back as Shuriken called his name. “Just let me finish this up real quick. Business is finally slowing down so we might have some time to ourselves.”

As he left, Cloak realized he was right. The customers that had filled the cafe had left, leaving just one other customer. Dash quickly gave her the pastry and she thanked them and left. Dash instantly made his way back to the civilians. Shuriken leaned against the counter as he talked to Vinestaff. Punch and Taunt left the cash registers to join Dash. Hotdog and Banana poked their heads out of the kitchen, and Cloak giggled when she saw them.

Banana looked like he had been through hell and back, with the thousand yard stare of a war veteran, while Hotdog had frosting and sprinkles scattered all over his apron.

“Hey, Cloak!” Hotdog said, a large smile appearing on his face. “It’s nice to see you again.”

Cloak returned the smile. “The feeling is mutual.”

“I just wanted to know if you would like to go to the library later? I found a nice place and Block’s been wanting to go for a while.”

“But do you not have work?”

Hotdog waved his hands. “Don’t worry too much about that! My lunch break’s in about half an hour so we can go then.”

“Sounds great!”

“So, what have you been up to?” Dash piped in curiously.

“I have just spent my free time watching the news. Sometimes, the three siblings stop by Katana’s apartment and we have a nice chat.”

“Katana doesn’t care?” Banana questioned. “From what Slingshot had said, I’ve heard that he doesn’t really find their presence the best thing in the world.”

“He has been going out a lot more,” Cloak explains, drumming her fingers on the table. “He seems much more relaxed so I do not bother him about it.”

“Oh?” Punch raised an eye teasingly. “Katana has a lover?”

“Don’t be stupid,” Dash huffed, punching him lightly. He looked at the three siblings cautiously before whispering, “I don’t think inphernals really do romance.”

“They do, but it is not very popular amongst them,” Cloak hums. “Also, I believe Katana is not one to fall in love so easily,” she adds thoughtfully.

“Doesn’t sound like it, that’s for sure,” Carepad agreed.

Cloak nodded, then turned towards Banana.“I just remembered this now: I was not aware you can bake.”

Banana rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “You’re right. I can’t.”

Block threw back his head to laugh and Artful tried to hide a smile by taking another sip of coffee, while Carepad, Bonuspad, and Cloak all stared at him in confusion.

“Slingshot believes I won’t burn down the kitchen like these bums.” Banana pointed at Punch, Dash, and Taunt, who all immediately began sputtering in protest. “I just make drinks or decorate. It’s honestly driving me insane because why are some of the orders so specific?!” He brought a hand up to his face and dragged it down.

“That’s just the pain of working in customer service,” Dash sighed, a small smile on his face.

Banana glared at him. “What would you know?”

“I’ve worked in those stupid roller skate diners until the apocalypse happened,” Dash deadpanned.

Taunt gaped. “Holy shit dude, I would die.”

“You grow used to it after a while,” Dash shrugged. “What about you, Punch? I know these two asses were unemployed roommates.” He pointed at Taunt and Banana and Taunt both coughed awkwardly.

“At least we went to college,” Banana grumbled under his breath. Dash pointedly ignored him and waited for Punch.

“Oh, um.” Punch blinked as if he had trouble remembering. “I worked at a bar.”

“You?” Carepad snorted. “I thought you hated drinking.”

“I do, but I have to admit, it was a really fun job.”

“That is true. The bar has all kinds of people, so it definitely is far from boring.”

Bonuspad looked shocked. “You drink?”

“Of course I do. I mean, not as much anymore, but I did drink a lot.” Cloak slightly kicked her legs back and forth at the memory. Long before the shutdown, she and her friends would go out to drink. She regrets it now, seeing how it had influenced many reckless decisions later on, but it was fun while it lasted.

“Maybe we should go to a bar sometime,” Banana muses out loud.

“The only problem is that some of us don’t drink,” Hotdog pointed out.

“Doesn’t mean you can’t have fun!” Dash said, a large smile on his face.

Artful suddenly stood up, a look of panic on his face. “Shit. I have to go. It’s almost 1, right?” He stared at the clock nervously.

Hotdog nodded. “Yes, it is. What’s wrong—?”

“My lunch break ends right now. I’ll have to get going.” He waved at them hastily. “I’ll see you all later!”

All the civilians watched him leave until Hotdog suddenly jolted. “Oh, our lunch break is about to start!” 

Taunt quickly whipped out his megaphone. “Hey! Lunch’s about to start. Do any of you have the sign?”

“Yes, dude. Jeez,” Shuriken muttered, rubbing an ear with his hand while throwing the sign at Taunt.

It bounced off of Taunt’s face and Dash grabbed it before it fell on the floor. “Thanks!” He shouted back as he hung the sign up.

“Alright, let’s start heading to the library!” Hotdog said. Block let out a low murmur only Hotdog could catch, and he waved his hand dismissively in return. “Don’t worry! We can just get something on the way.”

Hotdog pulled Block and Cloak out of their seats before they could protest and began taking them to this library. Cloak just shrugged and let herself be dragged along. She couldn’t wait to see this library.

For the past few days, Artful had been dealing with what he’d like to call, a stuck-up, spoiled bitch.

Artful thought Pwnatious would at least try and make a good first impression, but no, they were brat no matter what. 

It was quite jarring, especially when he met their robot bodyguard, Carnage, who seemed to be the exact opposite of them. They were a seemingly gentle giant, despite the fact that Pwnatious was easily pissed off. Artful was shocked how well the omega biograft kept the inphernal in check.

Currently, Artful was sweeping the empty shop with a broom, watching the dust cloud in the air. No matter how many times he cleaned the floor, Pwnatious was sure he missed a spot or two. It took every bit of Artful’s willpower to not give them a piece of his own mind.

“I’m done,” Artful muttered, flipping the broom in his hand.

Pwnatious looked up with a bored expression. He inspected the floor. “Hmmm, very well. I suppose we can prepare the shop for opening.”

Artful felt a surge of relief. “Alright.” He walked up to the door and flipped the sign. Immediately, inphernals who had been circling around the store began eyeing it.

What is the point of trying to act so casual if they make it this obvious? He grumbled to himself. For the sake of not angering someone, he simply played along, walking to the opposite side of the store and pretending to inspect some clothes.

He heard the familiar jingle of the bell as someone entered, and Pwnatious’ eager greeting. He ran his gloves over a sleeve as his employer and the customer began chatting, trying to look busy. He stiffened as Pwnatious called him.

“Wand, could you help this customer with their shopping? They’re looking for something special,” Pwnatious hummed.

Artful nodded stiffly. “Of course. Please, follow me.” The customer, an inphernal dressed in the most ridiculous clothes he’s ever seen, followed, the large feather on her hat bobbing as she walked. 

“What are you looking for?” Artful asked, trying to break the awkward silence.

The inphernal perked up. “Oh, I’m just looking for something to compliment my dress. I don’t have anything specific in mind, but I’m sure I’ll know what it is when I see it!”

Artful nodded, trying not to cringe. Only the heavens above can fix whatever you’re wearing. He spun on his heels in the direction of the accessories. Hm. She’s not here for the outfits, and she didn’t even glance at the jewelry at the front of the store, so there should be something here…

“Perhaps something here?” He suggested, gesturing to the new section of the store.

The inphernal let out a thoughtful hum. “Yes, this’ll do!” Immediately, she began browsing their accessories and Artful leaned against the wall. Finally, he could just shut his brain off for a moment while she searched and—

“Excuse me?” I spoke way too soon.

“Yes?”

“I would like to buy this!” She held up a furred boa and Artful tried not to gag.

“Of course, ma’am. Just go up to the front and speak to Mr. Pwnatious.” He let out an exhale as the customer disappeared, happily humming to herself.

You’d think people with so much money would spend their money on good fashion, but what would Artful know? He’s been wearing nothing but his normal suit for work and his old green tank top and brown pants as a more casual fit.

“Wand!” Pwnatious called once again. “I need your help with another customer!”

Artful sucked in a breath and headed towards the front. Another inphernal, presumably a Playgrounder, was waiting in front of the counter, a foot tapping against the floor impatiently. Artful could see Pwnatious trying to mask some kind of uneasiness from how tense he was. The Playgrounder seemed just as intense, avoiding eye contact with both Pwnatious and Artful.

Pwnatious seemed to relax slightly when Artful arrived. “Ah, Wand! Could you please show him around?”

Artful looked between the two inphernals, raising an eye. “Of course. Please, follow me, sir.”

The inphernal gave Artful a suspicious glance but followed, his dress shoes clicking against the tile floors. He wore a simple suit, but his eyes were sharp as they raked over the store.

“This is all you have?” He snarked.

“What are you looking for?” Artful asked, ignoring his comment.

“A new tie.”

“Oh, we’re in the wrong section.” Artful beckoned the inphernal to follow again and they headed into the accessories room again.

The inphernal wasted no time in scrutinizing the ties, hands trailing over each and every one. Artful couldn’t help but glance at him every once in a while. His scowl only seemed to deepen with each tie, and Artful couldn’t help but feel a bit of discomfort.

When the inphernal finished, he whirled towards Artful. “I should’ve expected you Blackrockians to have nothing worth buying.”

Artful blinked, feeling a headache arriving. “Pardon?”

The Playgrounder continued to ramble, “It’s bad enough your foolish robots have been trying to break into Splintered Skies.” When Artful just looked more confused, he added, “What? You thought we wouldn’t notice?”

“…”

“…”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

The Playgrounder snorted, “Forget it.” He left the store, fuming.

Artful stared after him. Robots? Blackrock wouldn’t do that. Then, the realization hit him and he stifled a groan.

Looks like Badware was up to no good again.

When they finally arrived (after a little snack), Cloak couldn’t help but marvel at it.

It was large. So large, in fact, it was comparable to a museum. The pillars were engraved with intricate carving that seemed to tell endless stories. When they pushed the large oak doors, Cloak was surprised to see nobody else was inside.

“Hello, Ghosdeeri,” Hotdog suddenly said, waving at an inphernal Cloak had not noticed.

She turned to greet the inphernal herself but blinked in shock when she saw a figure with a white pumpkin head instead, hiding a blue flame underneath. She saw Block tilt his head curiously.

“Hello, Hotdog. This is your cousin and friend?” She guessed, also cocking her head as she slowly turned to study them.

“Yes. This is Block and Cloak.” He gestured to each of them as he spoke.

Block waved while Cloak dipped her head politely. “Greetings. It is nice to meet you.”

Ghosdeeri murmured a greeting. “Welcome. I assume you two are also here to read the books?”

Block nodded and Cloak let out a hum. “Yes, we are. Do you know where any botany books might be?”

Ghosdeeri responded instantly, “All the way to the left, on the right side of the aisle.”

“She’s been working here for a long time,” Hotdog explained before Cloak could ask.

Block signed something to Ghosdeeri. Hotdog tugged on his shirt as if to remind him that not everyone knew sign language. He must be used to Carepad and Bonuspad, Cloak realized.

However, as Block began murmuring into Hotdog’s ear, Ghosdeeri responded, “You are right. I’m not an inphernal. I’m a watcher.”

“A watcher?” Cloak asked cautiously.

Ghosdeeri narrowed her eyes. “You don’t know what a watcher is?”

“Cloak lived a sheltered life like me,” Hotdog interjected nervously.

Ghosdeeri relaxed, nodding. “Ah, I see. Very well. Please feel free to roam and search.” She looked down and began writing, eyes occasionally flickering to a book nearby.

Immediately, the inphernals dispersed. Hotdog ran to a corner while Block headed into a random direction after a moment of conversation. Cloak went to the section of the library where Ghosdeeri had instructed.

True to her words, the shelves were full of books that had various titles and covers about plants. Immediately, she began pulling random books out of the shelves and sat herself down.

Some were tiny, with paragraphs full of information, theories, and analyses. Others were large like dictionaries, with diagrams and captions explaining each and every part.

Either way, Cloak felt excitement bring a smile to her face. It had been so long since she had been able to indulge in her hobbies, but now? She was able to read as much as she wanted. So, she quickly got comfortable at a nearby bean bag and began reading.

The biology from the Inpherno was fascinating. The plants were nearly identical like how they were back home, but it seemed completely alien to the inphernals. It didn’t click to her until she shifted her attention to inphernal biology.

No sexual reproduction?! No wonder their population isn’t in the millions in any of the regions. She flipped the page, scrutinizing the paper. Hm, even with these “spawnpoints” spitting out newspawns like nothing, without caretakers, most don’t even make it out of childhood.

Cloak leaned back, letting out a sigh. This is wildly inefficient, even if inphernals are still alive as a species. Well, at least they seem to adapt much faster than we do.

“Why such basic biology?”

Cloak nearly jumped out of her bean bag, wrapping her cloak around herself and disappearing. Ghosdeeri was standing behind the bean bag, looking around.

“Oh dear. I apologize if I startled you. I did not realize how engrossed you were in your book.”

Cloak reappeared, wringing her hands together. “No, it is alright. I am just a little jumpy.”

“So, why such basic books?”

“Oh!” Cloak’s gaze flitted across the shelves anxiously. “I did not have a lot of education growing up.”

Ghosdeeri nods. “I see.” Then, she turned and left.

How strange…

“Hey, Cloak!”

“What the fuck—?!”

This time, she turned with her fists up, startling Hotdog.

“Sorry!” He squeaked out, raising his hands.

“No, no. It is alright. I just did not expect you.” She took a deep breath and exhaled. “What do you need?”

“We have to leave, but I can’t find Block anywhere.”

“Block?” Cloak tilted her head. “I thought you would know what he likes to read?”

“I thought he would be in the history or biology section, but I was wrong! I can’t find him at all!” Hotdog told her, looking frantic.

“It is okay. I am sure we can find him. Split up,” she commanded. “Meet me back at the entrance.”

Hotdog nodded and walked to the opposite direction while Cloak’s eyes drifted to the upper floor.

She began climbing the stairs and blinked when she saw Block sitting on the floor, surrounded by piles of books. She smiled and walked up, making sure her footsteps were audible.

“Fantasy, huh?”

Block looked up, and let out a gruff chuckle, “Was it not obvious?”

“You are right.” Cloak smile grew wider. “I should have expected it. Come one now, Hotdog was looking for you.”

“Is it time?”

Cloak nodded and Block began putting books back. Then, he followed her as she spun around to leave.

“Dude, I thought you were gone!” Hotdog said.

Block put his index fingers to his lips.

“I know, sorry,” Hotdog said, much quieter.

“I will head back home on foot,” Cloak suddenly announced.

Hotdog and Block both gave her worried looks. “Alone?” Hotdog asked.

Cloak nodded. “Do not worry. I will be fine.”

Block didn’t look convinced, but Hotdog let out a sigh. “Okay. See you around.”

Hotdog ushered his cousin away, leaving Cloak alone. Might as well start heading back. It’d be awkward if either of the civilians looked back to just see her stand there.

When Cloak got back home, she took a two hour nap and was feeling rejuvenated. It was a little strange to learn her new biology, but a break seemed to help.

Speaking of which, that also meant Katana was back.

He seemed a little winded from his daily training, but strangely excited. Hm, probably that new friend he’s been meeting. I can’t help but feel curious.

“Are you going to see your new friend again?”

Katana seemed caught off guard. “Pardon?”

“You have been drinking with someone.”

“Oh, ‘friends’?” He shook his head. “We are acquaintances at most.”

“I do not think I have ever seen you go out this much for one inphernal,” she pointed out.

Katana went silent. Cloak shifted a few times, hoping he would respond

Finally, she scowled. “I apologize if I made you uncomfortable, but I have a question for you.”

Katana turned his head. “And that is?”

“Is it possible that I can meet him?”

There was an even longer silence between them. Katana’s hands tightened into fists. “I’m not sure he will be comfortable.”

“Then may I ask what his name is?”

“Hyperlaser.”

Cloak jolted. “The Korbloxian mercenary?”

Katana seemed shocked as well. “You know him?”

“A friend of mine does. From what he told me, Hyperlaser is a good man—inphernal.”

Katana was quiet, and Cloak became anxious that she had said something wrong again.

Then, he spoke, almost as if he was speaking to himself, “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to bring you along.”

Cloak shuffled beside Katana. The bar was much more crowded than she thought. Inphernals chattered idly or laughed boisterously with friends. Occasionally, even a fight broke out.

“Hyperlaser is already here?” Cloak asked, as Katana stepped forward.

Katana answered, “He says he is, and I see no reason for him to lie.” Cloak narrowed her eyes. He sounded… doubtful.

Before she could add anything, Katana had already walked into the crowd. Inphernals seem to naturally shift away from him due to his large stature, but Cloak knew that wouldn’t be the case for her.

She ran forward, shadowing the warrior as he made his way to the bar. A helmeted inphernal already sat there with two shot glasses sitting by him. He picked up his own and took a sip by lifting his helmet.

He turned and perked up as he saw Katana. “Greetings, Katana.” Katana murmured a greeting and Hyperlaser slightly stiffened when he saw Cloak. “Who’s your friend?”

Katana stepped aside so Hyperlaser could see her more clearly. “This is Cloak. She claims to know a friend of yours.”

“Hm. Doubtful. I don't really have friends.”

Cloak expected Katana to refute, but didn’t speak. God, are these two really that cautious about each other?

Instead of pointing this out, Cloak turned towards Hyperlaser. “Strange. That is not what Block said.”

Hyperlaser nearly dropped his cup. “Block?!”

Katana titled his head.

“Long story,” Hyperlaser explained, regaining his composure.

“Another story for tonight?” Katana sat in front of the second shot glass.

Hyperlaser seemed to smile under his helmet. “Sure.”

Cloak sat herself down next to Katana, eyes glimmering with interest as Hyperlaser began to speak. She felt herself slowly start to lean in as Hyperlaser rambled about the two engineers and their... bodyguard? She couldn't help but giggle at the thought of Block doing such a thing; he was a lot more shy than he let on. As the mercenary spoke, there would occasionally be a gasp of shock or a laugh from Katana or Cloak, albeit, Katana's was quieter. From the way Hyperlaser talked, it seemed like he and Block really got along, despite Subspace's bratty behavior.

Right now, she was wiping a tear away as she laughed, adding in a story of her own about Block which managed to get a snort and chuckle from the two inphernals. She missed this feeling. The feeling where nothing was out to get her, where she was sure she could live to see another day. She didn’t have to fight for her life anymore.

Her mind abruptly flashed to Pursuer, making her frown. In the jungle, inphernals were dying thanks to him. One day, she would make sure every other inphernal could get the same closure as her.

Pursuer had spent a wonderful few months in the jungle. It reminded him of his home before he was forced out to search for more food. It was just extremely humid with aggressive plants everywhere. Totally normal.

Pursuer shook his head. Such thoughts were distracting while he hunted, but that was proof of how satiated he had become. Back home, the sharp pangs of hunger never allowed any other thoughts to enter his mind.

His prey had moved away, possibly somewhere where they believed Pursuer couldn’t reach them. What a foolish thought. It was annoying, but Pursuer was a predator. A hunter. It was kind of his whole point.

He followed tracks in the dirt, eyes narrowing. Must be younger prey. Older prey knew better than to leave tracks. They hopped through the trees like birds.

He followed them until it led to a small campsite. Inphernals dressed in dark colors lounged on logs, laughing. Pursuer’s mouth twisted into a sneer as he crouched. Easy prey.

He leapt forward, tearing into flesh as the prey’s friends screamed. Pursuer paid no mind. Fresh meat could not be wasted.

He yelped as something rammed into his head. He looked up to see that one inphernal had a bat in their hands, which was no doubt the culprit for Pursuer’s now throbbing head.

He stumbled after them with a roar, teeth bared. The remaining inphernals shouted, breaking into a sprint.

Pursuer was so filled with rage, he didn’t catch how the scent of prey grew stronger.

He suddenly paused as more weapons dug into his skin. Has the government finally found him? Shielding his face, he peeked open an eye to see a whole village of people, bigger than the one before.

He would’ve stayed to ogle at it if weapons weren’t pricking at his skin. With one final growl, he retreated into the foliage.

He would be back later.