Act 1: Groundskeeper: Chapter 7

I tried to keep my footing as the colors and shapes around me changed, pulsed, shifted, backflipped, and barrel rolled. It was very different from the other times I had teleported. Somehow, I managed to keep my breakfast down. When everything stopped doing… Whatever that hell it was doing, (Very descriptive, Twin. *Sound of slap* Okay, fair. I deserved that.) I noticed that my surroundings were extremely different. I was now in a lush, dense jungle with trees stretching high and the air so moist that I was already sweating and sticky. There was then the crackle of a loudspeaker, and Lucifer’s voice echoed loudly, coming from all directions.

“Hello and welcome to The Hexagone!” She paused for a second, seemingly waiting for applause, and way off in the distance, I heard what sounded like faint clapping. “The Hexagone is a giant hexagon split into six different biomes, one for each of you to start in. Those biomes are the forest, the ocean, the jungle, the desert, the mountains, and the arctic. This game has two rules: fight to survive, and the last one standing wins! You will find that all of your belongings, other than your clothes, have been taken from you, but you can find weapons and supplies scattered around The Hexagone! Oh, and the use of Parabilities is allowed! With that being said, let the Lucy games begin!”

My brain immediately kicked into survival mode. Based on my surroundings, I was starting in the jungle biome. I took a look around, and my eyes landed on a large metal claymore lying against the trunk of a tree. I ran over to it and picked it up, balancing it in my hands. It was perfect. I was going to need every advantage possible, because I didn't have a Parability. A Parability is basically a superpower. Most people have them, including people who know nothing about The Treeverse. (And yes, that includes you, Mio. So they’re like quirks from MHA. The Murder History Association? No. Just no.) I just happen to be one of the few unlucky people who don’t have one. I then thought about what else she said. ‘Last one standing wins.” Did she what us to kill each other? She individually handpicked each of us. I knew Gardeners could be extreme, but this? I didn’t want to kill…

I shoved the thought out of my head, telling myself that I’d cross that bridge when I got to it. First things first, I needed to get my bearings and a lay of the land. I put my new claymore in the hilt on my belt and looked around for a good tree to climb so I could get to a vantage point. After looking for a bit, I found a tall tree with good footholds and branches. I scrambled up to the top and took a look around. From where I was, I could see the entire Hexagone. Going clockwise, starting at the jungle biome, it went: jungle, ocean, forest, arctic, mountains, and desert. In the smack middle, where all the biomes met, there was a giant metal hexagram inlaid into the ground with each point directed at the center of a different biome. Looking at the edge of the biomes, they didn’t go on forever. They all abruptly stopped at a grey wall that towered high and curved to form a dome-like shape around us. I had a couple of options for where I could go next. I could either go to the desert, go to the ocean, stay in the jungle, or head to the hexagram in the center and then go to any of the biomes after that. I eventually climbed back down, dusting myself off as I hit the ground. I was going to head to the ocean biome, but I heard a twig snap. The noise had come from heavy foliage near me. I grabbed my claymore from my belt and readied myself.

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“Come out and show yourself!” I said to whoever was hiding in the bushes.

The orange-haired boy from earlier stepped out of the bushes with his hands up in the air and a longsword strapped to his back. “I come in peace.” He said, stopping his approach from about six feet away. “I wish to ally with you, not fight you.”

“And how do I know that I can trust you?” I said, pointing my claymore at him, not letting my stance waver.

“You can’t. You just have to take my word for it.”

I stared at him, unmoving, as I considered his offer. Eventually, I lowered my claymore. “Fine, but if you try anything-”

“I’m dead. You got it, boss.” He lowered his hands and put out his hand for a handshake. “I’m Agent 8000, but you can call me Den.”

I reached out, took his hand, and shook it. “Agent 2222, call me Twin.”

“Nice to meet you, Twin.” he said, taking his hand back.

“Likewise.” I said, nodding.

My gut had a good feeling about Den, and my gut had never been wrong before, so I decided to trust him. But that’s when we heard a gunshot echo from off in the distance.