Worst Case Scenario

Black Box (Empty Inside)

Ranboo woke to pitch black, a searing pain coursing through his body. They could feel cold and damp surfaces against their back and legs. The air was still.

The enderman hybrid blinked a couple of times, then began rubbing his eyes, trying to get his vision to adjust quicker. When they pulled their hand away, his black hand was covered in a glowing green substance. He had either just rubbed it onto their face or off of it. Their eyes trailed up the arm, more neon green stuff laying underneath his shredded clothes. They glowed brilliantly, even providing a light source.

Ranboo glanced around, sensing the familiarity of this room. The purple from the crying obsidian was another faint light, guiding his eyes as they adjusted. A juke box laid flush in the ground. There was writing on the walls, something he couldn't make out just yet. They knew where they were, but normally there's an entrance to the panic room. Normally, light pours in through the water into the obsidian. Not this time. They were trapped in here.

The enderman hybrid looked down again. Three things lay in front of him. A music disc with purple and white in the center, the record's signature markings. It was placed between two books. Ones that Ranboo recognized from the covers. His first and second memory book.

They leaned forward on his knees, reaching out to grab the first memory book. Right in front of them were black boots. The hybrid flicked his eyes upwards to see the white mask and smiley face staring down at him, a green hood covering the rest of his head. Ranboo's breath hitched, and then he was gone. He left as quickly as he came.

The enderman hybrid held their breath for a few moments, expecting him to come back, but only silence followed. They snatched the first memory book and then the Mellohi music disc. He slid it into the jukebox, which began playing after skipping a few beats. Ranboo rolled his sleeves up as music filled the empty space. Setting the book in his lap, they held their black arm over the pages, using the bioluminescent markings as a light.

Ranboo did the same with the other book after the first book's pages were dotted with tear stains and neon green spots. Their face burned from the salty water. Why were they crying? He didn't know these people. Was it because he had forgotten them? They didn't mean to, they can't help it. He could swear they kept seeing that person appear in the corners of the room, but they were gone as soon as the hybrid looked at him. It was almost like they were checking up on the hybrid.

Ranboo didn't know how much time had passed. They had already finished the memory books and read the signs on the walls, the ones that told him that it was Dream's fault and to trust Techno and Philza. With nothing else to do, he kept playing the record over and over again. Eventually, the hybrid stopped leaning forward to reset it, silence hanging heavy in the air.

Dream, who had been staying for only a second or two, began staying longer, saying nothing, just watching Ranboo. The enderman hybrid felt his mind buckle and bend under the masked stare everytime. They wouldn't dare stare back.

And eventually, as well, the masked man just stopped coming. Ranboo was all alone, suffocating on their thoughts. He could hear voices if he tried hard enough, but they were ones they couldn't assign a face to. They could see faces if he closed their eyelids for long enough, but they couldn't match a name to them.

At some point, the two obsidian blocking the entrance broke out of nowhere. They both just disappeared at the same time. Ranboo got to his feet shakily, the books and Mellohi in his back pocket as they swam through the water. There was no hesitation. It burned, but they were free now.

As soon as the hybrid's feet found dry land, a swarm of particles rushed them, making various noises. They crowded his face, his hands, anything they could while mumbling phrases of concern and worry. Ranboo recognized them as his group of ender particles that followed them around.

"Help me. Where do I go?" The hybrid croaked, finding it hard to speak after who knows how long. The particles acted like they didn't hear them, still rushing at him. Ranboo started walking into the dead night, letting his feet guide them in the direction that felt right.

Coming to a halt, Ranboo stared up at the massive mansion before them. It sprawled out, intimidating, as the hybrid stood just beyond the gates. It was unfamiliar, but comforting. He pushed open the gate, stepping carefully down the stone path.

There was a circular rock stuck in the ground right next to the path. It caught Ranboo's attention as he veered away from the mansion. Crouching down to the ground, it became obvious that it was a gravestone. He read the name of the deceased out loud. "Michael_Beloved." They blinked a couple of times before reading the rest. "A kind son and friend to the few he knew."

Ranboo paused for a second before standing upright again. "Who's Michael?" He asked to no one in particular after stalking off again, getting closer to the mansion.

The enderman hybrid gently pushed open the door to the mansion, assumed to be the back of the big place. Peeking his head in, they looked around. It led right into a kitchen and dining area. His eyes landed on the refrigerator and wooden cabinet just as their stomach growled loudly. How long had it been since they had food?

Stepping lightly to avoid any creaking floorboards, he made their way into the kitchen. Their hands grabbed just about anything, suddenly desperate to eat. He stuffed a loaf of bread into their mouth, turning around as he did so.

Their eyes landed on two figures laying against the wooden dining table. They sat in two chairs across from each other, resting their heads against the flat surface. One was a brunette with goat horns sticking out of his mop of hair, his face hidden in his folded arms. The other was a blonde, his arms sprawled out on the table. His mouth hung open as he drooled. Ranboo thought they were dead for a second before a loud snore cut through the air.

He breathed a sigh of relief before their gaze landed on the other items on the table. Papers and pencils and markers littered the space between the two boys. Wrapped items lay on the edge of the table, bands securing the cloth. Ranboo approached slowly, holding his breath.

He stood at the edge of the table, staring at the scene before them. The cloth has a name and a title written into each one of them. It was his name. "Ranboo's Axe" "Ranboo's Sword" "Ranboo's Fortune Pickaxe" They were weapons that belonged to him, even though they didn't know it before.

The enderman hybrid pushed the last piece of bread into their mouth and chewed as his gaze went up. The papers were scribbled with words and letters, phrases and sentences crossed out multiple times. From what Ranboo could make out, they said things like "Co- home" or "misse-uo" He didn't dare touch them to read more.

Ranboo brought their hand up, hovering over the brunette's shoulder, wondering if they should wake him up. The boy stirred, making the hybrid's heart skip a beat. They yanked their hand back and scooped the wrapped weapons into his arms. He didn't even know if they were supposed to be here, and he wasn't about to find out.

Tommy stirred from his sleep, awakening to the sound of panicked footsteps. His eyes cracked open, and in the corner of his vision, he could see a black and white being. The blonde rubbed his eyes quickly as he sat up, still slightly groggy. "Ranboo? Is that you?" He called out.

But he was already gone. They left as quickly as they had come.