Chapter Text
Caine’s recent adventure had been horrible. An underwater expedition where they spent what felt like hours drowning over and over again. They hadn’t actually drowned, of course, Caine had ensured that, but their bodies hadn’t gotten the memo.
The living area was unusually quiet when everyone finally stumbled back into it, and Pomni practically collapsed onto one of the couches, pressing both hands over her face. “Oh my god…” she muttered into her palms. “That was horrible.”
Even Jax looked more irritated than smug as he dusted imaginary water off his overalls. It lasted all of three seconds.
“Aw, come on,” he said, flashing a crooked grin. “It’s not like we actually drowned. Little simulation got you down?” He snorted. “What’s next? You gonna cry about it?”
“Oh, shut up,” Pomni muttered.
“No, seriously,” Jax continued. “You all looked hilarious flailing around down there.”
“Jax.” Zooble’s voice was flat. “Give it a rest.”
They dropped onto another couch with an exhausted groan, slouching so far down they almost disappeared into the cushions. Gangle sat quietly beside them, still clutching her comedy mask a little tighter than usual.
Ragatha walked over slower than everyone else. She looked just as exhausted as everyone else, though she still managed a gentle smile as she sat beside Pomni, “You okay?”
Pomni let out a dry laugh. “I don’t know.”
Ragatha rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “It’ll be alright.“
Pomni nodded slowly, “Yeah.”
Jax rolled his eyes so dramatically that it was almost impressive. “Pfft, whatever.”
Silence settled over the room again.
“…I’m getting really sick of these adventures,” Zooble finally muttered, staring up at the ceiling.
Jax folded his arms, “I mean… they could at least stop making us drown.”
Another silence.
“Did somebody say…” A familiar voice echoed through the room.
“…Adventure?”
Several groans erupted at once.
A burst of confetti exploded overhead as Caine appeared seemingly out of nowhere, hovering upside down above the group with an impossibly wide grin.
“There you all are!” he beamed, spinning upright. “Excellent timing! I have an AAAAMAZING new adventure planned!”
“Caine…” Pomni groaned, rubbing her temples. “We literally just got back.”
“Oh, I know!” Caine said cheerfully. “Which means you’re all warmed up!”
“No,” Zooble deadpanned. “We’re exhausted.”
“Same thing!”
“It is absolutely not the same thing!” Ragatha exclaimed.
Caine floated lower, paying none of them any mind. “This one’s different! Brand new! Fresh! Exciting!”
He threw his arms dramatically into the air. “You’ll all be working together as one big happy team while journeying through all sorts of wonderful locations!”
Images flickered into existence around him: a bank vault bursting with cash, speeding getaway cars, police sirens, disguises, and stacks of glittering gold.
“You’ll rob banks! Pull off daring heists! Outsmart the law! Live your DREAM lives of crime! Or.. Just walk around the city aimlessly. I don’t know.” The holograms exploded into fireworks. “I took your suggestions and created this wonderful reality-esque adventure for you all, so please enjoy!”
“…Really?” Zooble asked.
Jax raised an eyebrow.
“So… you’re encouraging felonies now?”
“They’re simulated felonies!” Caine corrected proudly. “Totally different!”
Pomni slowly stood from the couch.
“Caine.”
“Yes, Pomni?”
“We don’t want another adventure right now.”
“We need a break,” Ragatha added.
“Five minutes,” Zooble said. “Just… five minutes of calm, please.”
Caine blinked.
His grin unchanging.
“Hmm…"
He tapped the side of his head dramatically.
“Nope!”
Everyone groaned.
“Scheduling says it’s Adventre Time!”
“Caine—”
“Too late!”
With a snap of his fingers, a swirling, brightly colored portal tore open in the middle of the room, stretching from floor to ceiling.
Wind rushed outward, tugging at everyone’s clothes.
“Oh, come on,” Pomni protested, “I’m serious!”
“So am I!” Caine laughed.
Invisible force seized the group all at once.
“What—”
Pomni grabbed the arm of the couch as she was suddenly yanked backward.
“HEY!”
Zooble caught the edge of a table for all of half a second before they were pulled free.
Jax slid across the floor with a laugh that was only slightly forced. “Welp. Guess we’re doing this now.”
“CAINE!” Ragatha shouted as she reached for Pomni.
It was already too late, though. One by one, they were dragged screaming into the glowing portal.
The room fell silent as the portal snapped shut.
Caine dusted off his hands with a satisfied smile.
“Ah.”
He clasped them together.
“They’re going to have so much fun. Now where was I...”
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
Pomni groaned as she landed face-first in the dirt, slowly pushing herself back onto her feet.
The first thing she noticed was her outfit. Gone were her usual clothes, replaced with an oversized T-shirt, sweatpants, and a pair of runners. Even her jster hat had disappeared, swapped out for a plain baseball cap.
Huh.
The others were already standing, brushing themselves off. They’d all been given casual clothes too, even Gangle and Zooble.
Only then did Pomni realise everyone had gone completely still.
Following their awestruck stares, she finally saw it.
Towering skyscrapers stretched into the sky. NPCs wandered crowded sidewalks, cars flowed through intersections, and even the lighting looked almost realistic. It was nothing like the artificial environments they were used to.
“Holy [BOING]…” Zooble muttered, taking in the view.
“This feels weirdly… normal.” Gangle smiled, looking around.
“Yeah, yeah.” Jax shrugged. “I kinda like it.”
He started walking backwards, muttering something about stealing as much money as possible, that nobody was paying attention to, when he suddenly toppled onto the ground.
“Oh! Hey, Jax!” Kinger said cheerfully, having accidentally tripped him while stepping out of a portal.
“…Kinger?!” Pomni exclaimed. “Where were you?”
“Oh, sorry. I took the scenic route and got lost.”
Nobody questioned it. There wasn’t much point.
Kinger looked around, confused.
“So… where are we?”
“We don’t really, uh… know,” Ragatha admitted.
“We’re in a city, clearly, Rags.” Jax somehow appeared beside Pomni without anyone noticing. “Where we’re gonna live our lives of crime!”
“Weren’t you just—"
Pomni was interrupted by the appearance of a strange hologram resembling Caine.
“Hello, my red-pilled chilli peppers! This adventure will be much longer than your usual ones! As I said before, you’ll be completing objectives, earning money, committing crimes, and making the most of your limited time in the city! Estimated completion time: several weeks! Good luck!”
The hologram vanished in a burst of confetti.
Silence.
“…What?” Pomni finally said. “Did that just say weeks?”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me!” Jax shouted.
The hologram reappeared.
“Whoops! Forgot to give you these!”
With a snap, bags materialised on everyone’s shoulders. Handbags for some, backpacks for others. Then, once again, it disappeared in another shower of confetti.
Almost in sync, everyone opened their bags. Inside were fake IDs, apartment keys, wallets, and phones.
“…What the..?” Pomni mumbled, pulling out hers.
Every phone buzzed at the same time.
A group chat.
With everyone in it.
…And Bubble.
Bubble: Welcome, new recruits!
Everyone groaned simultaneously. This was not what they wanted.
Then Jax’s face lit up.
“Hey! My phone has Snake!”
Another notification chimed.
Bubble: Your apartments are located just ahead of you! Apartments 05 and 06!
“How convenient,” Zooble muttered, already starting to walk.
“Let’s go, losers!” Jax called, following after them.
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
After several minutes…
They were completely lost.
“Where is it?” Jax mumbled.
“Uhhh…” Pomni pointed toward a building with a sign reading Definitely Not an Evil Criminal Hideout.
“Eh. Close enough.” Jax walked inside without another thought.
The place even had receptionists and employees.
The group made their way upstairs, comparing apartment keys.
Gangle, Kinger, and Ragatha had Apartment 05, whilst Jax, Pomni, and Zooble had Apartment 06.
“Well, that’s great,” Jax muttered as he unlocked the door.
“Huh,” Pomni accidentally said aloud.
It was… surprisingly nice.
The apartment opened into a cozy living area centred around a plush couch, an old television, and a small bookshelf. Off to one side sat a rectangular kitchen with wooden cabinets, an oven, a refrigerator, and a small dining table tucked against the wall. Sliding doors led out onto a balcony overlooking the city.
“This is what I’m talking about!” Jax exclaimed, immediately sprinting toward the bedrooms like an excited kid.
“Hey!” his voice echoed from down the hall. “Why are the rooms already labelled? I wanted the bigger one!”
Pomni and Zooble exchanged a glance before wandering over. Sure enough, every bedroom door already had a name attached.
Jax frowned for a second, then, without hesitation, he ripped his own label off, slapped it onto Zooble’s door, tore Zooble’s label off, and stuck it onto his old room.
“What the [BOING], Jax!” Zooble shouted.
He only smirked before disappearing into his newly claimed bedroom.
Pomni had to bite back a laugh as she wandered away.
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
Kinger, Ragatha, and Gangle stepped into Apartment 05.
It looked almost identical to Apartment 06.
The same cozy lounge, the same kitchen, the same old television… Except for one very noticeable difference.
A pillow fort sat proudly in the middle of the living room, built from blankets, couch cushions, and dining chairs.
“Huh! Look at that!” Kinger grinned. “Just like home!”
Without another word, he happily crawled inside.
Ragatha watched him disappear beneath the blankets before letting out a small laugh. “I guess Caine really knows us a little too well.”
Gangle smiled, setting her bag down by the couch. “It’s… actually kind of nice.”
The apartment was oddly comforting. Sunlight poured through the balcony doors, the furniture looked lived in, and for a moment, it almost felt like an ordinary home.
Kinger poked his head out from the fort. “So… does this mean we’re roommates now?”
“I think so,” Ragatha replied.
“…Neat.”
He ducked back inside.
Ragatha and Gangle exchanged amused looks before quietly exploring the apartment, eventually returning to the lounge to sit together while the occasional rustle came from inside Kinger’s blanket fortress.
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
Meanwhile, in room 06, Zooble sat peacefully on the couch, Pomni stood out on the balcony, and Jax, of course, was loudly opening every single cabinet in the apartment.
“There’s nothing in here!” he complained.
“You’ve opened that cabinet twelve times already, Jax!” Zooble groaned.
Pomni stared out over the bustling city below. She knew it wasn’t real. Still… It was almost calming. She’d never really recovered from the ocean adventure earlier. The phantom sting of drowning still lingered in her chest.
She didn’t even notice Jax had wandered onto the balcony until he spoke.
“Hey, Pom.”
He rested his arms on the railing, looking out over the city.
“It kinda looks real, huh?”
“Uh… I guess.”
She glanced over at him, confused. Why the hell did he come out here?
“I really don’t wanna do this adventure,” Jax admitted with a sigh.
“Really? I thought you’d be into, like… robbing banks and stuff.”
“I mean—” He paused. “…No, yeah. You’re right. I am.”
Pomni looked up at him. After a moment, Jax pushed himself off the railing and headed back inside.
“G'Night, Pomni.”
“Night, Jax…”