Redikai
rät
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- He/Him
I would say this fic is on hiatus. I am unsure when I will get back to it, but I do genuinely want to. I have been thinking about it quite a bit.
There Is No Random Button
- Thread starter Redikai
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Chapter 9: Could've Gone Worse
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Redikai
rät
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Brooke stared at me for a moment longer before stepping away from the radio. "The floor is all yours, Jack," she had said, leaving me standing there with sweaty palms gripping the receiver.
I immediately regretted every choice I'd made that led me to this moment. Did I want to talk with Dragon? Yeah, sure, she was like one of the very few genuinely good people in this world. But I did not want to be the one doing the negotiating for everyone's lives. Then again, Brooke passed it to me, so this is probably fine? I sure hope so.
Clearing my throat, I managed to force out a greeting that sounded as shaky as I felt. "Hi… Dragon. Uhm, I'm Jack."
"The summoner, correct?"
I glanced over at Brooke and she nods. Guess there's no reason to lie about that now. Which is good, because I'm a terrible liar. "Yeah, that's me."
"You mentioned a tower that grants powers. Tell me more."
I nodded, even though she obviously couldn't see that, and started explaining. "Uh, right. My power calls it the Tower of Freddy, and it's apparently a 'Challenge Dungeon'. Basically, you go in, fight these animatronic robots, and if you survive long enough to reach the top, you get a power."
I mean, my power describes it as a skill, but tomayto, tomahto and all that since I don't really think there's much of a practical difference.
Silence followed. It stretched just long enough to make me question if I'd said something wrong. Although, she's probably just talking with who knows how many people that are listening in. Finally, Dragon asks, "Are the robots sapient or otherwise able to communicate?"
I paused. I know in the game the lore was that each animatronic was possessed by the soul of a child, which, now that I think that out loud, I absolutely shouldn't bring up. I don't think saying, 'Oh yeah, they're haunted by murdered kids,' would help my case. Still, they've always been pretty homicidal, haven't they? I was taking too long to answer.
"I'm… not sure," I admitted. "They attacked us the moment we stepped inside. We destroyed them before we could even think of talking. Maybe next time we could try after they respawn?"
Another pause."Respawn?" she finally asked, the word tinged with confusion.
"Yeah," I said, "They come back every time someone enters the tower. The dungeon resets. Infinite robots."
This time, Dragon went silent for longer than I liked. Emerald gave me an encouraging thumbs up and mouthed, 'you got this'. It was… nice. Honestly, it made me feel a little better.
Finally, the radio crackled back to life. "So you're saying you have access to a tower that grants powers… and provides a renewable source of electronics?"
Well, when you put it like that… I winced. "Yup. That's… pretty much it."
Her silence hung heavy over the room. Everyone was on edge, waiting for Dragon's next words like our fate depended on them. Because they literally did.
The radio crackled to life again. "You've put us in a very precarious position. On the one hand, we really do want to get you out of there. Even beyond just basic morality, leaving you in the containment zone would give Nilbog considerable… resources, for creating more goblins. If we had time, we would set up a quarantine for you to land in."
"Time we don't have. Nilbog is planning something. Time you're wasting by not letting us just fly out of here with the airship we have right now." I couldn't contain the frustration in my voice. To have freedom be literally right there but not be able to use it because of freaking bureaucracy of all things pissed me off.
Dragon let me finish before continuing, "On the other hand, the chance of one of Nilbog's creations catching a ride on your airship is far too high. And a breach would be disastrous."
I felt tired. "So that's it?" I ask. "You're just going to leave us to die." It wasn't a question.
"No," Dragon said, her voice firm but calm. "Absolutely not."
I blinked, caught completely off-guard. "Come again?"
"I said before that we cannot let you leave. That does not mean we are abandoning you. The PRT and Protectorate are currently mobilizing in preparation to raid Ellisburg." For the first time in the entire call, Dragon let emotion enter her voice, "We're going to save you. You just need to hold out a little bit longer."
The sheer relief that filled me was enough to make me pull by accident.
Nicole randomly said, "Huh..." and looked at her hands in surprise as Brooke took the radio from me and asked, "How long?"
"One hour."
One hour. Just one more hours of being hunted by goblins that would gladly rip us apart if we gave them an opening. I looked around the room again. Everyone else looked far more confident we could do that than I felt. Then again, maybe I should trust the people who have been on the literal front lines to know what we can't and can't handle.
Emerald gave a crooked smile, "Just one hour of goblins? We can do that no problem, right?"
I took a deep breath. Still, it wasn't the best. But… "I think we can do that."
"We'll take to you soon." As the radio went silent, I look back at Shaman and smiled, "I guess that's that."
Shaman stood a little straighter, and smiled in turn. It was kind of a horrific expression, but I appreciated the gesture. He approached before asking, "Should we continue the airship evacuation, Lord Jack?"
Emerald answered before I could. "Absolutely. There's no guarantee we won't get overrun in the next hour, so it's best we get all of the noncombatants out of the way and ready to fly."
"But won't the PRT still shoot us down?" I ask.
"It's plan B for a reason. So hopefully we won't have to cross that bridge."
Brooke clapped and said, "Alright, we know what we have to do! So let's get moving!" She passed by me and said, "I'm going to find someone that can fly this ship."
Nodding, the Council started going their own way. Nicole, specifically, walked towards me. Her fur was bristling. Having an idea of what she was going to ask about, I pulled on her and-
-I explained, "My power gave you an ability called 'The Knight.'"
Nicole grinned. "Well, that explains why I suddenly feel like I could punch through a mountain."
My eyebrows raised. It's been a while since I watched The Amazing World of Gumball, but wasn't she already crazy strong? It feels a little unfair that the strongest of us would be the one to get a buff... then again, I really shouldn't complain that our powerhouse is even stronger now. I chuckled despite myself. "Just… don't punch any mountains right now. We need all the barriers we can get."
Chuckling, she went off to help bolster our defenses. Watching her walk away, I realized just how absurd our little group had become. But if absurd was what it took to survive, then so be it.
Suddenly, Emerald spoke up. "Hey, Jack, you mind me dealing with your Grimm problem."
I turned to see her pointing one of her pistols at the Grimm I had summoned earlier. Oh, right. I was about to tell her to kill it when an idea hit me. Nilbog was our biggest threat, and his goblins were relentless, but… what if we could control Nilbog?
"Actually… can we keep him? I think I have an idea."
Emerald let out a very long sigh before putting her gun away. "Guess it wouldn't be the first time I'm working with Grimm…"
I was about to explain my plan when suddenly screams filled the air. Nilbog was here.
AN: So... it's been a minute since I've posted here... uh, sorry? Not really much I can say, I struggled really hard with this chapter and overtime it just kind of became an insurmountable hurdle. It took me completely forgetting about this fic and rereading it two years later for me to overcome it. That and the desire to know what happens next, which, considering I'm the author, was a desire I could actually fulfill. Honestly, I wish I could promise more chapter after this but, well, they'll come if they come is all I can say. Hope you enjoyed it though!
I immediately regretted every choice I'd made that led me to this moment. Did I want to talk with Dragon? Yeah, sure, she was like one of the very few genuinely good people in this world. But I did not want to be the one doing the negotiating for everyone's lives. Then again, Brooke passed it to me, so this is probably fine? I sure hope so.
Clearing my throat, I managed to force out a greeting that sounded as shaky as I felt. "Hi… Dragon. Uhm, I'm Jack."
"The summoner, correct?"
I glanced over at Brooke and she nods. Guess there's no reason to lie about that now. Which is good, because I'm a terrible liar. "Yeah, that's me."
"You mentioned a tower that grants powers. Tell me more."
I nodded, even though she obviously couldn't see that, and started explaining. "Uh, right. My power calls it the Tower of Freddy, and it's apparently a 'Challenge Dungeon'. Basically, you go in, fight these animatronic robots, and if you survive long enough to reach the top, you get a power."
I mean, my power describes it as a skill, but tomayto, tomahto and all that since I don't really think there's much of a practical difference.
Silence followed. It stretched just long enough to make me question if I'd said something wrong. Although, she's probably just talking with who knows how many people that are listening in. Finally, Dragon asks, "Are the robots sapient or otherwise able to communicate?"
I paused. I know in the game the lore was that each animatronic was possessed by the soul of a child, which, now that I think that out loud, I absolutely shouldn't bring up. I don't think saying, 'Oh yeah, they're haunted by murdered kids,' would help my case. Still, they've always been pretty homicidal, haven't they? I was taking too long to answer.
"I'm… not sure," I admitted. "They attacked us the moment we stepped inside. We destroyed them before we could even think of talking. Maybe next time we could try after they respawn?"
Another pause."Respawn?" she finally asked, the word tinged with confusion.
"Yeah," I said, "They come back every time someone enters the tower. The dungeon resets. Infinite robots."
This time, Dragon went silent for longer than I liked. Emerald gave me an encouraging thumbs up and mouthed, 'you got this'. It was… nice. Honestly, it made me feel a little better.
Finally, the radio crackled back to life. "So you're saying you have access to a tower that grants powers… and provides a renewable source of electronics?"
Well, when you put it like that… I winced. "Yup. That's… pretty much it."
Her silence hung heavy over the room. Everyone was on edge, waiting for Dragon's next words like our fate depended on them. Because they literally did.
The radio crackled to life again. "You've put us in a very precarious position. On the one hand, we really do want to get you out of there. Even beyond just basic morality, leaving you in the containment zone would give Nilbog considerable… resources, for creating more goblins. If we had time, we would set up a quarantine for you to land in."
"Time we don't have. Nilbog is planning something. Time you're wasting by not letting us just fly out of here with the airship we have right now." I couldn't contain the frustration in my voice. To have freedom be literally right there but not be able to use it because of freaking bureaucracy of all things pissed me off.
Dragon let me finish before continuing, "On the other hand, the chance of one of Nilbog's creations catching a ride on your airship is far too high. And a breach would be disastrous."
I felt tired. "So that's it?" I ask. "You're just going to leave us to die." It wasn't a question.
"No," Dragon said, her voice firm but calm. "Absolutely not."
I blinked, caught completely off-guard. "Come again?"
"I said before that we cannot let you leave. That does not mean we are abandoning you. The PRT and Protectorate are currently mobilizing in preparation to raid Ellisburg." For the first time in the entire call, Dragon let emotion enter her voice, "We're going to save you. You just need to hold out a little bit longer."
The sheer relief that filled me was enough to make me pull by accident.
Trace: Deltarune
Summon: Knight
Result: 19
Description: The Knight is a mysterious character referenced often in Deltarune. While not making a physical appearance, the current major bosses of King and Queen seem subordinate to the Knight, making it a primary antagonist.
According to its followers, the Knight boasts tremendous power, and has the ability to open Dark Fountains and create Dark Worlds, a power seemingly only held by Lighteners.
Effect: Nicole Watterson is given the title of The Knight. As The Knight, Nicole gets a massive boost to all of her combat abilities. As it is a 19, Nicole now also counts as a Lightner as well, specifically a Monster, granting her Magic.
Summon: Knight
Result: 19
Description: The Knight is a mysterious character referenced often in Deltarune. While not making a physical appearance, the current major bosses of King and Queen seem subordinate to the Knight, making it a primary antagonist.
According to its followers, the Knight boasts tremendous power, and has the ability to open Dark Fountains and create Dark Worlds, a power seemingly only held by Lighteners.
Effect: Nicole Watterson is given the title of The Knight. As The Knight, Nicole gets a massive boost to all of her combat abilities. As it is a 19, Nicole now also counts as a Lightner as well, specifically a Monster, granting her Magic.
Nicole randomly said, "Huh..." and looked at her hands in surprise as Brooke took the radio from me and asked, "How long?"
"One hour."
One hour. Just one more hours of being hunted by goblins that would gladly rip us apart if we gave them an opening. I looked around the room again. Everyone else looked far more confident we could do that than I felt. Then again, maybe I should trust the people who have been on the literal front lines to know what we can't and can't handle.
Emerald gave a crooked smile, "Just one hour of goblins? We can do that no problem, right?"
I took a deep breath. Still, it wasn't the best. But… "I think we can do that."
"We'll take to you soon." As the radio went silent, I look back at Shaman and smiled, "I guess that's that."
Shaman stood a little straighter, and smiled in turn. It was kind of a horrific expression, but I appreciated the gesture. He approached before asking, "Should we continue the airship evacuation, Lord Jack?"
Emerald answered before I could. "Absolutely. There's no guarantee we won't get overrun in the next hour, so it's best we get all of the noncombatants out of the way and ready to fly."
"But won't the PRT still shoot us down?" I ask.
"It's plan B for a reason. So hopefully we won't have to cross that bridge."
Brooke clapped and said, "Alright, we know what we have to do! So let's get moving!" She passed by me and said, "I'm going to find someone that can fly this ship."
Nodding, the Council started going their own way. Nicole, specifically, walked towards me. Her fur was bristling. Having an idea of what she was going to ask about, I pulled on her and-
-I explained, "My power gave you an ability called 'The Knight.'"
Nicole grinned. "Well, that explains why I suddenly feel like I could punch through a mountain."
My eyebrows raised. It's been a while since I watched The Amazing World of Gumball, but wasn't she already crazy strong? It feels a little unfair that the strongest of us would be the one to get a buff... then again, I really shouldn't complain that our powerhouse is even stronger now. I chuckled despite myself. "Just… don't punch any mountains right now. We need all the barriers we can get."
Chuckling, she went off to help bolster our defenses. Watching her walk away, I realized just how absurd our little group had become. But if absurd was what it took to survive, then so be it.
Suddenly, Emerald spoke up. "Hey, Jack, you mind me dealing with your Grimm problem."
I turned to see her pointing one of her pistols at the Grimm I had summoned earlier. Oh, right. I was about to tell her to kill it when an idea hit me. Nilbog was our biggest threat, and his goblins were relentless, but… what if we could control Nilbog?
"Actually… can we keep him? I think I have an idea."
Emerald let out a very long sigh before putting her gun away. "Guess it wouldn't be the first time I'm working with Grimm…"
I was about to explain my plan when suddenly screams filled the air. Nilbog was here.
AN: So... it's been a minute since I've posted here... uh, sorry? Not really much I can say, I struggled really hard with this chapter and overtime it just kind of became an insurmountable hurdle. It took me completely forgetting about this fic and rereading it two years later for me to overcome it. That and the desire to know what happens next, which, considering I'm the author, was a desire I could actually fulfill. Honestly, I wish I could promise more chapter after this but, well, they'll come if they come is all I can say. Hope you enjoyed it though!
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Lopezelpesado
Space worm best worm.
- Pronouns
- Something
Wow thats.... Wow.
Lots of theories on who the knight is, idk if this power up can do justice but I think i should work fine.....
- Location
- United States
Well, maybe they'll actually send in the triumvirate this time. Especially since that tower is a Tinker's dream...
rafuki22
Anti-nihilist(maybe).
- Location
- Earth/Spain
- Pronouns
- He/Him
NECROMAN-
...GOOD NECROMANCY!
Wow, how long has it been?
*Checks it out*
Almost 2 years, wow.
...oh.
...GOOD NECROMANCY!
Wow, how long has it been?
*Checks it out*
Almost 2 years, wow.
Now, this could be interesting.
Jack is going to be sad when Emerald disappears. I feel he's become a bit attached to her and if I remember correctly he's not aware that she's one of the temporary summons on a time limit. Hopefully before she leaves Emerald will be able to unlock Jack's Aura.
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