Work Text:
A start of a new session, where things were still quiet. No explosions had started yet, no boogeyman called. Tango carefully swam up the water column. They really should make it more defensible, considering how often they used it to get atop of Skynet.
He poked his head out of the water, swimming full circle to scope his surroundings. Bdubs was peering right down at him, standing against the nether portal frame, smile wide.
It was fine. He was fine. What could Bdubs possibly do? Harmless, like a fly. Or something.
“What are you doing here?” Tango asked, voice squeaker than interrogative.
“Cleo told me to go to Dad’s place,” Bdubs said, a bit mocking of the silly family game they were playing. Tango almost didn’t believe him, mostly because Etho wasn’t up here yet.
“And what are you doing up here?” he asked, a bit more pointedly. Still apprehensive, obviously nervous.
“Waiting on you,” he said, smile clearly in his voice. “Your little codeword isn’t super… codewordy. We all know it.” Bdubs held a sword in his hand. Tango tried swimming backwards, but there wasn’t anywhere to go. Aside from down the water column. “Guess what, Tango…”
He took a deep breath, seething a little already. “Boogeyman hasn’t been called yet.” He hoisted himself up out of the water column.
Bdubs broke character. “But I did scare ya some! You should’ve seen the look on your face!”
Tango frowned, having no interest in pretending to enjoy Bdubs’ presence. Etho swam up, somewhat dissolving the tension. He kept up with Bdubs, which was good, because Tango would rather not deal with him. They made it to Winsor a moment later, where Impulse and Skizz were waiting on them.
Tango’s skin itched.
It wasn’t that long ago that Skizz was planning out the team’s next moves to be heroes of the server! Something really honorable, nice. Showing off their shields and banners, along with the map of the server. Axe crits to the back, and Tango could do nothing but look back at Bdubs, stunned. The respawn was painful, with hardly any wounds properly patched up. Blood still seeping out of the deepest cuts.
Skizz held on tightly to him, keeping Tango from stumbling forward. Etho had shouted at Bdubs to come back, as he dashed out of the hidden base.
He took a deep breath. He wasn’t there. That was another world. Grian had always said, for the sake of fair games, to not hold grudges season after season.
That kill was different.
His hands were drawn instinctively to his hotbar. Tango didn’t bother to listen to the group’s conversation. Only doing anything when Impulse and Skizz persistently suggested to Tango that he give Bdubs some diamonds so he’d have some boots. Since he was under their care.
They started talking about plans to blow up Bread Bridge, when they were abruptly interrupted by the boogeyman countdown.
You are…
The Boogeyman.
A surge of energy pulsed through him. Tingling at his fingers, stealing his breath away momentarily. He felt strong. Powerful. His vision pulsed. “Hey, guys, I’m the boogeyman!” Tango said, voice falsely bright.
“Again?! ” Impulse exclaimed. “No way. That’s not possible. Not two weeks in a row.”
“Really?” Skizz asked.
“Oh— Wait, I wasn’t supposed to say that out loud,” Tango said, making light of it. He was even able to tell the group his role and not be believed. Just act like it was all a joke.
He looked up at Bdubs, grinning. Bdubs didn’t noticed, too engrossed in what was next. They went back on talking about exploding Bread Bridge. And a new team name where they would call themselves BITES, Bdubs replacing Tango’s spot as first letter of the group name. Of course, Bdubs loved that. Thought everything was about him, like always. Thought the world revolved around him. That everyone loved him.
Now would be a fantastic time.
Skizz’s hands gripped Tango’s arms before pulling Tango against him. Like a choke hold. Tango tried to break free, but even in all consuming anger, he wasn’t stronger than Skizz. Unable to get his kill.
Tango blinked away the blend of memory and reality, knowing that if he fought now, there were three here who would take Bdubs’ side in a heartbeat. Like always. Bdubs would scamper off again, whine to Cleo about how mean TIES were. And Tango would become the enemy, broken off from his group and they’d change their name to… actually , there wasn’t a word Tango could find with B, I, E, and S.
Point made, Tango decided to not follow such impulses to action, to satiate the itching that was getting ever more obvious the longer Bdubs stood here. He would suck it up and wait for a better time, when it was just the two of them. Or at least when Skizz and Etho weren’t around. Both of them clearly would side with Bdubs in a heartbeat. Impulse probably would too, if past soulmateship had anything to do with his decision making process.
To satiate the boogeyman inside him, Tango helped thoroughly plan the takedown of Bread Bridge. At one point Bdubs ran off, probably to rat them out, and it was just the four of them gathering materials for tnt.
Tango kept a little bit for himself.
Bread Bridge was blown up without a hitch. Back to Winsor they went to reconvene. Bdubs was there with them. He hadn’t even done anything, and Skizz was busy boosting his ego for doing such a good job. Making him feel important. Tango just hoped that Bdubs didn’t properly join their team. It was bad enough changing their team name. Bad enough to associate him with the Bread Bridge explosion. (Tango soon after realized that Skizz was highly associating Bdubs with it, to get other people on his case. That satiated a very small part of him that ached for revenge.)
Once the action seemed to die down, the group went back into their cave area to reconvene. Bdubs followed until Etho and Skizz encouraged him to head back home for a little bit. Finally, it was quiet.
“So, what’s our plan?” Tango asked, the itching still deep inside. Still annoying and persistent. He hadn’t yet gotten his kill and he probably wouldn’t, unless he had to spend a fraction of time longer with Bdubs.
“I was planning on getting started with the ghast farm,” Impulse said. Despite it being far from everyone else, a project as such sounded much better than sticking around.
Etho and Skizz weren’t doing anything super interesting, aside from gathering resources and “taking care of Bdubs” if he came back around.
“Need any help?” Tango offered.
Up on the nether roof it was quiet. The only disturbance were Bdubs’ dogs barking. Seriously, why the wolves? Every single season. Unreasonably, Tango wanted to kick one. As if it would do any good to the boogeyman itch. As if it would change anything.
Briefly, he thought about Impulse. He was distracted, mid thought. Planning ghast spawn platforms, while keeping everything else spawn proof.
“We need to get rid of these dogs somehow,” Tango mentioned. “He said if we spotted any, we needed to bring them back.” The words were a bit more mocking than intended. Or maybe the mocking was intended. Either way, Impulse didn’t seem to notice, or at least, not care. He tried scooting the dogs, but they just moved further from the portal, until they were a block too low. No way to get them up now.
They could call Bdubs up here.
Impulse, of course, was blissfully unaware of Tango’s contemplations, just muttering to himself about what to do with the dogs.
“Hey, Impulse.” Tango stood right behind him, practically breathing down his neck. How did he get there?
Impulse spun around rapidly, giving a quiet yelp. “Tango—”
“Can I tell you something?”
He looked scared. About to run for his life.
Tango’s hand found its way to his sword.
“You’re not about to–” Impulse said, almost disbelieving. Tango pulled out his sword. “No! Tango! NO!” He jumped back as Tango jumped up, mock-swinging the sword.
Quickly, Tango realized what he was even toying with in his mind. He didn’t want to kill Impulse. In fact, he’d be frustrated with himself if he did so.
“You weren’t– you weren’t joking about the– the…” Impulse’s breaths came in heaves. He was shaking.
Tango scared him. He thought he was about to die. He thought he was about to be betrayed. Tango was about to betray Impulse. Why would he ever?
But he didn’t. He didn’t because he could control himself. Unlike Bdubs, yelling his boogeyman-ness. Taking Tango to the ground, as Tango could only watch. Tango, never given the opportunity to get him back. Never able to let Bdubs know how it felt.
“I don’t want you though,” he said, tossing the sword aside. “I’m… really bad at kills. But, do you think you could help me set up something with Bdubs?” A trap. A trap would be good. Lure him in to get his dogs.
“Sure– sure. I’ll. I’ll help.” He still sounded scared. Fearful that at any moment, Tango would turn on him. With a bit more reassurance, Impulse slowly trusted Tango a bit more. And after quite a bit of preparation, they had the trap all planned out.
“You’re going to lure Bdubs over, right?” Tango asked, sitting at the button primed to set off the explosion. They hadn’t done any testing — aside from making sure the line of redstone worked before placing the tnt — but it wasn’t anything complicated, so surely it would work.
“Yeah. I’ll wait on the other side, so I don’t…”
“Good idea,” Tango said. Impulse still gave him a hesitant look. “I’m not about to set it off on you. You can go through the portal.”
“Promise?”
Tango put his arms behind his back. “Can’t touch it now,” he said, smiling. “Again, I only want to get Bdubs. Let him know how it feels.”
Impulse gave a questioning look, but didn’t prompt Tango to explain. He just headed through the portal as told, and Tango kept his hands away from the button, making sure he didn’t somehow get overwhelmed by the urge to kill Impulse.
It wouldn’t be entertaining though. Bdubs… he’d be funny. This weight— this frustration constantly in his chest would finally release. They would be even. Bdubs would understand what it was like to trust someone so deeply, only for them to stab you in the back. He’d hung around with TIES all day, even called their member… and Tango was just about to get him. He smiled to himself, humming a happy, almost demented tune. Any moment now.
Any moment became minutes. Many minutes. It took far longer than it should have. Tango waited. Waited and waited to get some sort of message from Impulse saying they were on their way. Waiting for some confirmation that something was happening. Nothing.
Was he even coming back? Impulse probably went to warn Bdubs. Didn’t want him to die, so he told him the wolf situation, but also the situation with Tango. Turning on him, even as Tango had been so willing to share his boogeyman case. Impulse was scared of him, didn’t want to come back. Didn’t trust Tango anymore. Probably was warning the team too. Warning the entire server. As Tango sat up here. Waiting.
He would starve up here and no one would track him down, just letting him run out of time on his own.
Then.
The portal flickered. “Hey, Bdubs!” Tango called.
“Tango! Impulse said you got my—”
He pressed the button and the tnt detonated before Bdubs could register anything.
<BdoubleO100> blew up.
In front of him, bright words read You’re Cured! Impulse stepped through the portal hesitantly. “Tango?”
“Took you long enough to bring Bdubs here.” The itch for a kill was gone. But it didn’t– For some reason it didn’t do what he was hoping.
“Yeah, sorry. We got sidetracked, you know. I couldn’t convince him it was super urgent.”
Tango nodded, still frowning. Tension in his shoulders.
“Tango?”
He looked up at Impulse. “What’s up?” He faked a smile.
“Are you feeling better after all that?”
“Yeah. Feeling great. I’m going to check up on Bdubs, see how he’s doing.” He ran off, leaving the nether quickly.
He hoped to see Bdubs stewing over it. Angry and frustrated. Yelling at Tango. He hoped that really unleashed him. Made him realize how awful it was when your best friend kills you and he blames it on a curse.
“Tango! Why’d you do that for?!” Bdubs called, frustrated at the sight of Tango.
“Oh, you know. Curses. I had to. It wasn’t me, Bdubs. It was the boogeyman!” He was mocking. He knew that.
Bdubs wasn’t as angry as he hoped. “Jerk! Hope you’re happy with yourself!” Well, he was angry, but he didn’t sound hurt. He wasn’t broken. He didn’t mind. Not truly. It didn’t hurt enough.
It wasn’t the same. Bdubs didn’t trust Tango the same way Tango trusted him. It didn’t hurt. Bdubs couldn’t feel the same way. He wouldn’t. The kill didn’t do anything for Tango because he knew, even without checking up on Bdubs. It was too quick. Too thoughtless. Bdubs didn’t really trust Tango because Tango didn’t try to be nice to Bdubs in the first place.
Tango headed back to the base, those thoughts running through his head. It wasn’t enough. It wouldn’t ever be enough.
Anger seized at his insides, bitterness poisoning every part of him.
“Top! You got your kill!” Skizz was quick to say when he saw Tango again, back at their base.
“That I did,” he said, trying to sound more excited than disinterested.
“How’s it feel?”
“Feels good, Skizz. Feels good.”
He headed off by himself to the nether roof. It was quiet. The murder plotting didn’t do anything for him. Thinking about taking away Bdubs’ last hours. Contemplating on all of it. He just felt… empty.
He looked back over at the place of detonation. The ground had a few charred marks, but the bedrock was relatively untouched. Blood on the ground in some places, telling of where Bdubs had stood. The dogs were dead too, thank goodness.
It didn’t do anything. He stared. Nothing changed. Nothing felt better. It wasn’t the same. He thought this would be it. The release of anger. Maybe physical combat would have been better. A button press didn’t do much for him. Didn’t feel legitimate.
The portal made some sounds again. Impulse.
Then Skizz. Then Etho.
Tango sighed to himself. Of course. He looked over at them, rolling his eyes. “Finally got Bdubs back, you know. Two season late, but! Still did it!”
Skizz was the first to give an expression of concern and disapproval with that attitude. He was about to say something, but Tango cut him off. “I don’t want to hear it, Skizz. He didn’t kill you. You didn’t trust him. This is what the ‘dubs does. He makes alliances and then he goes traitor on them!”
“He’s right,” Impulse said softly. “I don’t know that… killing him didn’t make much of a difference though. You’ve just gotta. Somehow move past it.”
“It’s fine. Boogey kill was good enough,” Tango said in a way that was clearly unconvincing by the way the rest of his team looked at him. “Any words to back up your buddy there, Etho?” Tango asked, again, mockingly. “Don’t worry. He loves you. Bdubs won’t betray you. Not on purpose.”
He didn’t say anything at that, either not having a good comeback or having the sense to hold his tongue.
“Tango, that’s enough,” Skizz said. And ooooh! Wouldn’t he know? Wouldn’t he, who hadn’t been hurt like that.
Tango stood up, straight and tall. He was still shorter than Skizz, but his stance was enough to appear towering. “Have you ever been betrayed, Skizz? Has someone ever killed you? Someone you thought was your teammate, your ally, your best friend? What if Impulse killed you, huh? After years and years and years of friendship, he just. Took you out. For his benefit. What would you say then, when would you feel like you did enough to make it right?” He laughed darkly. “I. Don’t. Want. To. Hear It. Got it?”
He pushed Skizz back. Skizz allowed him to. Tango didn’t have the strength to overpower him. In fact, Skizz could kill him right now, beat him to death if he so wanted.
“If my attitude bothers you too much, I can head out. You guys can team up with Bdubs, come up with a new name for yourselves. I don’t care anymore.”
When he walked out of the portal, the others didn’t follow him. He heard them leave later, heading back to the cave-base. Tango stayed at the mob farm, keeping it running, at least doing something productive with his time as he sulked.
No matter how many kills he got on Bdubs, it would never be enough. Things would never be the same.