✰ REMIX ✰ Jax x Reader ⋮ TADC (GN! Reader)

11✮The Fudge

                                 ᴄʜᴀʀʟɪᴇ'ꜱ ɪɴꜰᴇʀɴᴏ - ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴀɴᴅꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴅᴇᴠɪʟ
                                                               ↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺                                               
                                                 0:00 ───|────── 0:00

                                                  ~✮ Y/N Perspective ✮~

I sit up, my back aching from the intense impact with the river, the lingering scent of chocolate assaulting my nose before I even open my eyes.

Slowly, I look around to check on the others.

Ragatha groans, breaking the uneasy silence. "Is everybody okay?" she asks, her concern evident in her voice.

Gangle's response is subdued. "No..." she mutters, her head hanging low with exhaustion and worry.

Ragatha sighs sympathetically. "Oh, man. Poor Pomni. I hope she's all right," she murmurs, her thoughts drifting to our missing companion.

Jax's sarcastic retort cuts through the tension. "Poor Pomni"? How about "poor us"? We're one tanker away from being Augustus Glooped!"

As if on cue, a brown wave emerges from the chocolate river, its massive form towering over us.

The brown waves part to reveal a mouth with candy eyes, and I can't help but feel a shiver of fear run down my spine.

"What. Is. That," I manage to say, my voice barely above a whisper as Gangle clings to me in terror.

The Fudge groans, its voice echoing ominously.

"Oh, what's that? Do my eyes deceive me? A delicious gift from within the kingdom gates? Don't mind if I do," it rumbles, reaching out to grab our truck with a menacing grip.

Ragatha's voice quivers with fear as she speaks. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, buddy! We're not food! We're not candy! We're none of that! You don't want to eat us!" she pleads desperately, her hands raised in a gesture of surrender.

The Fudge recoils slightly, its expression morphing into one of confusion and sadness.

"Wh- You're not candy? How am I expected to eat something that's not made of candy? I'm sorry," it mumbles sorrowfully, gently placing us back down on the ground.

Kinger adds a somber note to the conversation.

"Pomni always seems to miss the big, gloopy monsters," he remarks, his tone tinged with regret.

Jax and I exchange a puzzled glance, both of us simultaneously blurting out, "Who are you, anyway?" before sharing an amused look at our synchrony.

The Fudge introduces itself with a mix of nostalgia and hunger evident in its voice.

"I am the Fudge. I used to live within the kingdom walls, but I was banished by that rotten princess after I ate too many of the delicious townfolk. Oh, they were so delicious. Sometimes I can hear them... calling to me," it confesses, the echoes of distant screams adding a chilling undertone to its words.

Ragatha's horror is palpable as she reacts to the Fudge's admission.

"Oh, God. That just sounds like murder," she whispers, her voice filled with revulsion.

The Fudge challenges her moral qualms with a philosophical question.

"Is it really murder if it's delicious? Answer me that," it demands, its tone laced with a disturbing mix of innocence and hunger.

Despite the grimness of the situation, I can't help but let out a slight chuckle at the Fudge's response.

I walk to the front of the truck and sit down next to Jax, who's lounging on the hood, and remark, "You make a great point," with a hint of amusement in my voice.

Ragatha's worry is evident in her voice as she interjects, "Uh, no, bad point!"

Jax brushes off Ragatha's concern with a teasing remark. "Why don't you leave this to me before I start thinking your hair looks like licorice?" he quips, earning an exasperated reaction from Ragatha.

"Oh, wow, it kind of does," Kinger muses, eliciting a protest from Ragatha.

I roll my eyes at the playful banter unfolding before me, then speak up loudly to regain control of the conversation.

"Well, Mr. Fudge, you seem like an upstanding guy with real noble goals," I declare, trying to steer the discussion back on track.

The Fudge responds with a self-deprecating remark, revealing a darker side to its character.

"Oh, I'm not. If you knew what I did in my free time- Oh, you'd be SICKENED!" it confesses, its tone tinged with remorse.

I furrow my brows in confusion at the cryptic statement.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I begin, but then shake my head, deciding to focus on the task at hand.

"Anyway, as I was saying, I happen to know a way into the kingdom walls if you'd be willing to help us out in return," I offer, pulling out the key that Ragatha had originally that was then stolen by Jax, then stolen by me.

Both Ragatha and Jax turn to me in surprise, but before they can say anything, I shoot Jax a smug glance and whisper, "Not so smart now, huh?"

"Hey! Where did you-" turning to Ragatha, I add with a mischievous grin, "Hush, licorice hair," deciding to have a bit of fun at her expense.

Kinger, ever the peacemaker, intervenes by offering a solution.

"Here, hide it with this," he suggests, placing a bucket over Ragatha's head, much to her dismay

The Fudge's response elicits a smirk from me. "That's me. All we need you to do is help us bring some dirty bandits to justice," I reply confidently, feeling a sense of determination wash over me.
Before I can continue, another truck careens into the river next to us, causing chocolate waves to crash over our truck.

I'm knocked off balance and nearly fall, but a swift hand grabs mine, pulling me back onto the truck. I look up to see Jax, his expression serious despite the chaos around us.

One of the bandits cryptic words catch me off guard. "I saw the reaper wink at me..." he mutters, leaving me puzzled.

Ragatha voices her confusion, her words trembling with uncertainty. "Wait, w-w-what just happened?" she stammers, trying to make sense of the sudden turn of events.

Jax, ever the one for dramatics, expresses his disappointment. "Gotta say, this is a lot more anti-climactic than I was hoping it'd be," he remarks, his tone tinged with frustration.

Gangle, always practical, questions Jax's expectations. "What were you hoping for?" she asks, her gaze shifting between Jax and me.

Jax responds with enthusiasm, painting a vivid picture of his desires. "You know, like, one big, final battle. Bloodshed. Death. Chaos! Ect," he elaborates, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Meanwhile, The Fudge assists us in securing the captured bandits onto our truck.

Gangle and I work together to tie them up with some sort of candy rope, ensuring they won't escape.

As the truck moves forward, I find myself sitting at the back, gazing out at the river behind us.

Ragatha is engrossed in trying to unravel the mystery of Pomni's disappearance, her determination evident in her every sentance.

Ragatha's concern about Pomni's disappearance is palpable as she questions Chad, one of the bandits, about the situation. "Are you sure they disappeared? It wasn't that they fell off, or something?" she asks, her voice tinged with worry.

Chad stammers in response, clearly unsure. "I can't say for sure, but, uh- yes, definitely," he finally manages to say, his uncertainty evident.

Max, the other, adds his thoughts to the conversation, his expression serious. "It's not like the boss to vanish with a clown. Very unusual," he remarks.

Ragatha's concern deepens at Max's observation. "Well, that's... concerning," she murmurs, her brows furrowing in worry.

Meanwhile, Kinger offers a potential solution, albeit muffled due to the bucket hes wearing. "Well, if worst comes to worst, we could always ask Caine to find her," he suggests, his voice slightly distorted by the bucket.

Max and Chad, however, seem preoccupied with their own troubles, as they repeatedly try to escape but only end up falling over each other.

Ragatha expresses her worry about Pomni's well-being, her voice tinged with guilt.

"I'm more worried she's having another horrible experience. She still seems really upset about what happened yesterday. I don't think she really likes me that much," she confesses, her voice laden with concern.

I rise from my seat and walk over to Ragatha, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"It's a lot for anybody to go through. Don't take it too personally. She'll come around eventually," I reassure her, offering some potential comfort.

As we talk, an explosion suddenly lights up the distance, drawing our attention and adding a new layer of tension to our already fraught situation.

Jax's offhand remark about a flying truck catches my attention, "Do you guys have a second truck that flies?"

What nonsense is he spouting now.

My eyes widen in shock as I realize he's not joking—there's actually a truck hurtling through the air towards us.

Chad's panicked response only confirms the impending disaster.

"Yeah. Oh, wait- No, we don't. No, not at all," he stammers, his words punctuated by the imminent collision.

With a sickening crash, the airborne truck collides with The Fudge, causing a loud groan to echo through the air.

We're all violently thrown off the truck and onto the ground, the impact jarring my already aching back once again.

I hobble behind the truck, feeling each step resonate through my aching back, a dull ache that refuses to fade. 

As I catch up to Jax, I notice the way his silhouette is outlined against the backdrop of the setting sun, casting long shadows that stretch across the uneven ground.

His posture is tense, shoulders slightly hunched.

Despite the fading light, I can make out the faint lines of exhaustion etched into the contours of his back.

The sky above us is awash with hues of orange and pink, the last remnants of daylight painting the clouds in a soft, ethereal glow.

The warmth of the sunset bathes us in a golden light, casting a serene ambiance over the chaotic scene unfolding before us.

Without a word, I settle beside him, our silent companionship speaking volumes as we both process the chaos that just unfolded.

~✮ Jax Perspective ✮~