Chapter Text
Headquarters was the live, beating heart of Robloxia, if anything could be described as the center of the world, that building stood towering above it all. It was a beacon, it was everything, it was the one final stop in life, or at least it was in the imagination or any ordinary Robloxian. Taph knew anyone would have the dreams they had, because anyone would see the ideal, but sometimes Taph felt like no one had held the passion they did in their hands.
They did not work at headquarters, hardly anyone did, and there was one excuse they could fall back on. Taph was a demolitionist, working in the central city of Robloxia, wrapped around the dual towers of headquarters complex. Two years ago, Builderman had stepped out of the unexplainable interior of the building, and on the front steps with a camera on him, live on TV—he announced that the demolition department would come to an end.
He announced that it would never return. It was a misstep. Control over demolition would be given back to developers and Robloxians.
Taph had felt like their life was ending, their heart dropped into a pit in their stomach, it was everything they'd ever wanted—thrown away in one day as if it meant nothing. They knew about the trouble, warnings had been thrown their way as they climbed the ladder, but it was just a few months before they would have reopened tryouts. They had only recently quit working with a crew, they were ready for a change.
And Taph had no chance anymore.
Now Taph was a professional freelance demolitionist with plenty of experience, working for those developers and studios he'd sworn to grant "creative freedom" to. Taph destroyed their unwanted games and experiences, they took any job they could get, and they thought of headquarters only distantly now. What energy they'd gained before slipped away from them.
Sometimes it felt like being a professional meant nothing if they could never work at Headquarters. What's the point in all the work they put in for this...that they get hired a little faster than someone else might? They got their certificate because that was a requirement for Headquarter's demolition team too—not so they could work solo.
Sometimes they really believed it could come back, even if the idea was so far from them now, Taph thought of the sound of Builderman's voice when he announced it. That reassuring look in his eyes, yet he was apologetic, as if headquarters had done anything wrong. Taph blamed the protestors, and anything else, if everyone had left it alone, they'd still have a chance.
They could know what it felt like to work there, what he inside of the building could show them and everything they'd never learn now. They could work under Builderman, they could have been someone important, they could have contributed anything for the admins.
Taph leaned against a half demolished wall, lost in their daydreaming as they tossed pipe bomb between their hands. They were alone, but their current employer was on the field watching them... and he had been for a while. It took him all of five minutes to get suspicious, and then he finally walked over and knocked on the brick wall to get their attention, until one of them fell right out and hit the ground with a noisy thud.
“Hey! Is something the matter with you?” came an impatient voice soon after.
He was a taller, dark haired man with dark grey skin, a weirdly trimmed black hat and a nice suit with some logo they weren't familiar with on the lapel. He tilted his head at them in a way that felt a bit accusatory, but Taph was pretty sure they hadn't broken any of his rules yet.
Taph shook their head and showed him a thumbs up. They settled the pipe in one hand and tapped against its side absentmindedly. This place was owned by some wealthy family business, Taph knew that much—they owned casinos, pretty fancy ones too, but it was in the nicer part of town. They had never been over there...its not really for someone like them.
They didn't really focus on the details, not when it was about people, Taph had read the land already and demolished most of what he'd asked them to. They weren't looking for a conversation, either, but he went on anyway.
“Well... snap back into your head.” He told them, pointing at their temple, and then he retrieved a cigarette from his pocket. “Last guy ran off on me cold turkey, now everybody's houndin’ me over this...can't keep havin’ anymore fuckin' delays.”
Taph paused playing with the pipe bomb, freeing one hand to sign a quick; [Sorry sir.]
“Believe me, ya don't wanna meet the bastard.” He scoffed out a laugh. “Love the guy, but what a piece of work he is.”
[Done soon. Trust me.] They quickly signed.
“Yeah yeah, hands, I see ‘em…Anway, look, we need this done by noon, got it?” He said, watching them closely. His eyes tightly narrowed, and then he looked a little confused. “Just uh…just nod at me so I know that you still know what you're doin’.”
Taph slowly nodded, just so he’d really see it, and they picked the pipe bomb up again because they had no intention of trying to sign to him anymore. Meeting someone who could sign was a one in a hundred chance that they didn't care to gamble for, and no one had the patience for it either.
They had met a few people who were good with it, and a few who at least tried to understand—on their old demolition crew they used to know a deaf Robloxian, she lost her hearing from an accident and kept on working despite it. She was a bigger, stronger person than them, which was fair because Taph was one of only two explosives specialists on the crew at the time. That doesn't require a lot of muscle, they would just place C-4 charges and help the supervisors know when to set them off.
Taph had found everything about her really impressive, that and the fact she could communicate with them, even if they both signed a little differently, had made them get along. They supposed maybe they had that tendency to look up to people too much, and they really did at the time. It's just difficult not to look up to someone who's so much better than them at everything they do.
They didn't keep in contact with people from work, though, and they tended to forget about people pretty quick. Nowadays Taph had no friends at all—which maybe most people would find unfortunate considering they're at the age where they definitely should, but they didn't really mind anymore.
“Got a light?” The man asked—and Taph really tried to remember his name, but they just couldn't. They searched their bag for one and passed it over to him.
“...You want one or nah?”
Taph shook their head, and he nodded back in acknowledgement. “Smart.” He muttered. “You're right, hands on people like you should try to stay healthy.”
“Well, remember to keep your head straight, too.” He said. “And get back to work, alright?” They didn't respond, and he wandered back to his spot away from the demolition zone—lit cigarette in his mouth and waving back at them repeatedly until he seemed to get bored of it.
Taph didn't spare him much thought, they never did. He was a loud person and he didn't understand anything they said, that was all they'd noted. They knew they could get this job done on time even with the short break they had taken, but for the sake of remaining polite, they stood straight and got back to it. It was the last one before they were finished for the day.
Taph’s apartment was small, and the building was old, it was half brick and wood and had dusty floorboards that creaked everytime someone walked past their door. The kind of thing that used to put them on edge, but these days, even with the noise, Taph always felt solitary inside.
Despite those results, they didn't mind it. There was enough room for whatever they liked to do, and it was compact, so it never felt overwhelming. The main section had a little kitchenette right beside the front door—the stove was pretty rusty and the cabinets used to not close all the way before Taph rebuilt the locks—and all they had was a mini fridge because the apartment didn't come with one and they weren't going to bother with dragging anything bigger up here. For a year or so, Taph had gained a habit of collecting magnets, so the freezer door was covered in them—mostly ones with retro tools, or postcards for districts and cities they've never been to that they found at a second-hand store while looking for old rare gear’s. There were a few pictures too. But Taph didn't look at those.
On the other side of that section was a window and a couch with a handful of blankets. There was an old TV on the coffee table, but they didn't use it much, mostly just when there was news from Headquarters. There were books beside it, but they didn't read those either, they were mostly for studying, and Taph did most of their research on the computer these days. But they were experienced enough that there wasn't much studying to be done anymore—except for engineering, they were still practicing with that.
They took off their cloak and their robes, until all they had left was their top and the pants they wore beneath their skirt. It was sundown by the time they made it home—it took a while to get back, since that wasn't an experience demolition, they had to catch a ride back to the city with that man... And he really knew how to talk for a long time.
They emptied their pockets and some of the contents of their bag, mostly just the pipe bombs and a handful of scrap metal they'd gathered when no one was looking, discarded onto their desk with little care.
They freed their hands from their heavy gloves and tried to shake some of the powder and grime off them. They brushed their hair out of their eyes, their feathers were rough from the smoke, and they could still catch the smell on their arms. Taph ignored it, they also ignored the dust they had accidentally smeared across their skin in the process.
They put their bag down by the computer and waited a good five minutes for it to turn on after hitting the power button repeatedly for a few seconds. As they waited, they took a once over around their room, the doorway separating it from the main section of the apartment was completely open, no door at all, and the walls on the window side were all brick while the inner walls were rugged, damaged wood. Their room was smaller, both sides nearly the same size, and the corner opposite of their bed was loaded with materials for explosives, boxes beneath the desk and all over the floor.
Taph had been wanting to make a new explosive for some time now. Something important, they figured, something someone else hasn't made before. It was difficult to do when every recipe has already been made, and every material has a thousand different variants that have already been thrown together for some vague explosive device that no one had used. Taph had tested a lot of them, and a lot of them are sub-par, lazy disasters that barely functioned. They've been practicing engineering for a few months, almost a year now—it's what they tell you to do, from a young age, Taph remembered him in the tv and in posters—we're powering imagination. Always be creative. There's no limit to creativity and there's no excuse not to try.
They could hear something creaking above them again, Taph searched over their materials...Sometimes it was hard to feel like that anymore.
A lot of the development teams they work for are full of unique people who have new ideas every single second of the day. People who could do just about anything if they really wanted to, they had so much control over their life. Taph found it hard to imagine themself that way.
They just work, that's what they're supposed to do. Taph had never done anything important in their life.
Their man place of interest had been electronics and explosives for a long time, they'd learnt how to make bombs mostly from reading the forums, it wasnt very difficult. But they took the time to study internal wiring, taking apart and piecing together broken electronics and old gears they could find, something they'd been doing since they were young.
They made small standard bombs in their spare time to use for practice or for work. They often took the bus out of the city area to set them off in the rural part of town, sometimes in abandoned buildings, too far out to cause any trouble. People don't usually question things like that in Robloxia, so long as it's not right next to their house.
Their bombs were efficient, but they were clearly very simple—pipe bombs and C-4 charges, mostly—which were so common that they became boring the longer they used them, they struggled to find new recipes to excite their mind. Nothing else they could make seemed to work as well for demolition—and they were all the same, nothing unique about them.
Taph didn't have a creative mind. They knew that, or they had to assume so, because they've never been very creative. That's not what they were made for, they work more than they think, they could never have been a game-maker or an artist, like other Robloxians. But they still kept messing with materials anyway, it was a fun way to pas the time and nobody was stopping them. There was one half built contraption on their desk right now, which was littered with metal, wires, and other scattered pieces. They weren't too sure what that was, it was an experimental project—probably soon to be scrapped.
Up on their shelf rested the only tripmine they've ever handled, that they managed to find when hunting for other gears. That was probably the luckiest day of their life. Tripmines were an elusive, headquarters-produced set of explosives, and production had since discontinued after the dismantlement of demolition at H.Q., so Taph had never seen a real subspace tripmine in person.
The Korblox Cascade Tripmine had been used for war efforts some few decades ago, not directly related to headquarters, but it used their design with a few tweaks and differing materials. It had been discontinued too, it was a historical piece—that was what Taph said written down in a note when they bought the tripmine, after their over-eagerness had been uncomfortably pointed out by the clerk. It was a piece of history that they promised not to damage.
Taph, of course, brought it out to the woods and tried to set it off almost immediately, in the middle of the night, because they had just gotten off a late job and they had no patience left. They sat there, shaking with excitement, as the tripmine did absolutely nothing but sit there and glow in the moonlight. That was when they did a little research and learned that Tripmines could be permanently shut down at the core.
The Korblox Cascade Mine was disfunctional and would never function again, but it was a nice thing to have regardless. It had a pretty stone in the center with jagged points and sharp angles like a diamond, the frame was a solid, heavy metal with an icy blue trim. It was a tripmine, regardless, and getting to look at it up close everyday was enough.
At night, sometimes the moonlight came through their window at just the right angle and reflected off the translucent blue crystal of the Korblox’s core, and it would cast across their room, pretty and neat, like a waterfall sliding down the wall and spilling out onto the floor.
Taph could see the dying sunlight slipping through the blinds and starting to hit the cores edge, one side of it turned warm in the light, a glistening honey-pink spilled across every angle of the crystal in the form of shattered glass shards.
Abruptly, the screen in front of them turned on after the computer had only hummed for a few minutes, it opened up with a bright white screen and a Roblox logo that spun with only a bit of lag. It paused for a while before it opened up onto the forums again, the last screen they'd had open and the only thing that Taph ever really used it for, and they tiredly checked their notifications.
They had a message from that man from earlier—Taph still didn't remember his name, but his profile said it.
From George Macrina: 6:30 pm
You got a real talent kid! Wouldn't mind working with you again next time I need it, I'll definitely keep your number on file.
Taph stared at it vacantly, and they chose not to respond past one thumbs up emoji before they moved on. If he wanted them to come back they would, but Taph wasn't keen on pushing it any further themself, they never did. They scanned through the rest of their messages, most of them were old, but they had a few requests—another solo game artist, and a development team—they could probably get those done quick.
Taph left the computer open to clean up their desk and decided to finally scrap that pointless project they'd left sitting all day, they sat started to take it apart while they put their tools back. They thought over the recipe again, it wasn't anything new, it was a design that probably thousands of other Robloxians had already tried out. They just tried to alter it slightly, but they had lost interest again, they'd put something else together tomorrow and hope that looked better.
They heard an abrupt notification from across the room, their wings curiously raised, it was from the forums, a private message. That wasn't anything new either.
They paused what they were doing and stepped over to the computer, leaning down at an uncomfortable angle to see the screen—but they were a little put off when they saw the details.
The profile was completely blank, even the name, it was just N/A with no description, as if the user had been terminated. Taph had never received a message like that, and they had to eventually sit down as they looked it over once, twice, and then a few more times, just to be sure it was real—thats strange, isn't it? No company name, no game studio or developer title, just a blank account with no details, and it's creation date was only two years ago.
Taph tried not to let that sway their opinion, at the end of the day it could mean nothing, maybe they were just lazy, and they could usually tell if it was a bot by the words they used. They opened it up anyway and read the message.
From N/A: 6:53 pm
What's the soonest I could meet with you? I have a development team that needs an experience gone by tomorrow.
Taph stared at it tiredly, they looked off at the window for a moment, the sky had grown overcast with dark clouds and the bleeding sunlight had mostly died, leaving every corner of their room empty and dark. They breathed in the dusty air with a heavy sigh, and typed back a straightforward response.
TAPH: 6:55 pm
Tomorrow. What is your studio name?
Taph was about to get up from the desk when another response came through only a second later.
From N/A: 6:55 pm
I will tell you everything tomorrow. This is urgent.
They stared at the text, and typed back; Tomorrow why?
From N/A: 6:56 pm
That is private, aren't you a professional? This is standard, I'm not wasting time if you're not confident.
Taph leaned back in their chair, the frail wooden hinges creaked beneath them—the harsh tone startled them a bit, their wings puffed out just slightly. It was oddly...challenging, and weird to be that discreet about a job. They thought it over for a moment, but they knew they could use the momey...and they weren't very bothered by doing something risky, it's not like it would kill them to at least consider the job.
Another message came through;
I need to know you're serious, we need an expert like you. It will be worth your time, but I need an answer and I need a meeting tomorrow.
Ok. Taph typed back, and they weren't sure if they should have for a moment until they eventually got a location out of them after maybe two minutes. It was a set of exact coordinates, and one last text along with it.
From N/A: 7:00 pm
5:00pm. There will only be one building there. Wait for me inside.
TAPH: 7:00 pm
Ok
Taph wasn't sure what else to think, so they didn't put much effort into a response. It was weird, but being weird doesn't immediately mean they're dangerous, Robloxia was pretty safe. Though they weren't exactly enthusiastic about it, they couldn't find an excuse not to, they shouldn't no to any offers, they knew that, they had rent to pay soon and they needed more materials anyway.
They sort of forgot about it pretty quickly after that, they still had to clean up their desk and have something to eat and drink before they slept, which was easier said than done. They drank enough water to keep their throat from feeling sore, when they were done with that, they raised the blinds and let some moonlight peek through. The city lights shined right back at them, so bright that they had to blink a few times. Right across the river was that glowing, perfect side of town—Robloxia's shining center that they've never really wandered into. The towers of Headquarters stood out above the thick treeline in the distance, so close they could almost imagine they'd be able to reach it.
But Taph wouldn't climb out onto the fire escape tonight, it was too cold for it anyway. They shut the window to block out the noise and the chill, and stepped right over that familiar blue light, cast across the floor comfortingly as they changed their clothes and crawled into bed, curling their wings around themself for the night.
The coordinates that the stranger gave them were simple enough to follow, though Taph didn't have a phone, so they had to pin point it on the computer, and by the time they left they were running a bit late. Along dark train tracks deep in the woods, the chill fall air surrounded them, leaves crushed under their boots. There was a mild uneasiness as they walked, but Taph struggled to believe that there was truly any danger waiting to meet them. It was strange, of course, but they really doubted someone was out there looking for demolitionists to murder, so it probably wouldn't be that kind of danger.
Exhaustion was clawing at them as they followed the path. They had a bigger site to demolish earlier that morning, and their arms were sore, they walked sluggishly, not much effort put in. So they were not on their highest garurd, they cared more about the inconvenience. They'd rather be laying in bed right now.
It wasn't far from the city, they could still see the tip of some buildings fairly close, just above the treeline, but it was tucked away within the woods, a small clearing opened up further down the track, old yellowing grass and another cold breeze that shook their feathers. For a moment, they wondered if they had miscalculated, but they knew they had verified the location a few times—so this was right, whatever this was.
At the end of the clearing and close to the treeline stood an abandoned train stop, clearly worn down from weather damage. It was fairly large, and when Taph came up next to it, they could see it clearer—it was some sort of cafe set up along the train line, that also doubled as a stop. It had an open sign on the door with a little picture of a tea cup. Across from it, on the other side of the track, was another platform with some steps up and a ramp, a gradually caving in roof lined with dying orange leaves, and some dusty benches that looked like they'd collapse if they went anywhere near them.
Taph looked around, down the tracks, which on one side went off into the forest until it grew dark, and on the other, they trailed back toward the city. They looked over the clearing surrounding it too, but nothing showed up, not even an animal wandered by, just a couple of bugs buzzing around the track, crickets in the grass, and the cool wind.
Hesitantly, they stepped inside. A bell at the top of the door dinged when they entered, Taph paused, taking another look around. It was dusty in here, the floor was a retro black and white tile that resembled studs, but didn't have the actual texture. Everything about the inside was sort of old fashioned, even though the outside looked like a modern build. Like some sort of uninformed attempt at a certain nostalgic theme that didn't land too well. The booths and the counter were both red, and the walls were too worn down to really tell what pattern was supposed to be there. Leaves had been scattered across the ground, blown in through a few broken windows that allowed sunlight in. Dying vines crawled around the corners of the seats and along the floor, everything smelled stagnant, cold and dead.
The silence was the eeriest part, all they could hear was some wind outside and some kind of bug in one of those dark unseen corners, buzzing inconsistently enough that they started to feel uncomfortable. They wondered if it was really a good idea, to come here, to meet with this stranger. Their previous certainty began to drain, they swallowed down that nervous feeling and stayed in place.
They leaned against the counter and waited. It must have been at least ten minutes before they heard something outside. They swore it was almost electric, a fizzling spark, like a broken wire—almost like the sound of a spawn-point warp...but it couldn't be, because there were none of them nearby. They'd been fidgeting with their keys and they tilted their head toward the door, their feathers spreading out to help them hear the sound better. Before they could understand much of anything, loud footsteps came up into the platform—they were heavy, unsettling, they didn't sound friendly either, they were walking slowly like they had some reason to hesitate. Taph reached a hand into their bag and gripped their keys tightly in one fist, one pointed past their knuckles.
The bell above the door dinged again, and it slid open slowly. Taph held their breath as it creaked, they took one step back, shifting their wings until they stayed against their spine, though their feathers began to bristle. They saw the shadow first, cast across the light by the door, they could see the person was tall before they saw a hand on the door, and a heavy figure slipped through easily.
They were taller, darkly dressed, so Taph couldn't make out much of a face. They did feel the fear settle a little stronger when the Robloxian turned their way, tall enough for their shadow to cross them, with broad shoulders, menacingly curved horns framed their silhouette against the darkened grey windows behind them.
They don't look like a developer, a nervous thought crossed their mind... developer's never look like that. Taph tried to swallow it, but they kept their hand on the blunt end of their house key and stared right back at them. There was nothing distinct enough to make an assumption, but oddly enough...there was something sort of familiar about it.
It must be the horns, they took a step toward them, the broken windows shined some grey sunlight onto their body—and Taph, caught a glimpse of what looked like glitter on their skin. They stepped back, the person moved closer—only their mouth showed in the low light, they had a short, dark beard, and the rest of their face was hiding away in the shadow of a red bucket helmet.
Taph raised their hand to wave at they subtly, they tried not to look nervous, but it didn't seem to work.
“...Sit down," their low voice spoke—and that, that sounded really familiar. The recognition was so sudden... had they seen them before? Or heard that voicr?
On TV, maybe, like…in those news reports from Headquarters, like the posters they'd seen that held all of the admins, they glanced at the helmet again, those imposing horns in the shape of a bull. Who wore a red bucket helmet?
...MrDoombringer did, but he was the chief moderator at headquarters...and he was an admin. That thought alone made them feel a bit ridiculous, there was no way, this could never be an admin.
They hesitantly sat down like he'd asked them to. They kept their hand in their bag, and he noticed it, looking down at them with his mouth turned up as if he were a little suspicious. Taph settled back into the booth, still gripping the key as they carefully watched him.
He sat down across from them, the worn booth creaked beneath his weight, and he folded his arms over the table. They couldn't help noticing that he really looked like the aforementioned admin as well. Especially when the light hit his face, and they saw a pair of red eyes gleaming beneath the open slits of his bucket helmet.
Taph felt their breath catch again, staring at him...there was just no way, they couldn't believe it even when they suspected it. They scarcely knew anything distinct about MrDoombringer, but they could figure he'd never be looking for a demolitionist...and the admins hardly ever left headquarters anyway. They raised their hand, then gave up prematurely, and finally let go of the key so they could write something down in their notebook.
Do you work for Headquarters? Taph wrote, and hesitantly slid the note across the table. Their skin felt warm, ready to be told that they were wrong.
His eyes narrowed as he looked down at it, he almost seemed kind of bored, with the way he tilted his head back up and stared them right in the face—cakm and focused, he angled to see under their hood, so he could catch a glimpse of their eyes too.
Taph pulled it down a bit further, they caught his eye narrowing. “...Yes." He spoke, his tone low.
Taph really couldn't believe it, they almost didn't want to believe it, because it was almost kind of terrifying—they felt their heart beating a little faster, and their breath was caught, held tight with a constricting grip. They almost thought it would just stop altogether, and maybe they'd make a complete fool of themself by dropping dead on this table right in front of him. They lifted their hands again, suddenly at an even worse loss for words.
“...You're fine...relax." MrDoombringer spoke up again. “I'm not on the clock.”
Surely he didn't actually have a development team that needed a demolition, why would he have a development team? He's a top moderator, he's the top moderator, isn't he? The chief of law enforcement? surely the developers at Headquarters handle all of that stuff, not the admins... Oh God, does it even matter if it's true or not?—why else is an admin looking for their help?
Taph scrambled for their notebook and began to write hastily, the letters came out shaky and a total mess; Sorry I didn't expect you
“...So you know me.” Doombringer said.
Doesn't everyone? Taph thought, god this was completely insane. They felt their feathers puffing up, their heart hammering against their ribs, they took a closer look at him, again. His arms were still folded over the table, he wore a dull black coat, his shoulders adorned with red tipped armored plates, and his sleeves rolled up to show deep jet black skin dotted with what they now knew were stars. They blinked in the light, Taph had never seen someone look like that before, and they knew it was true, only an admin could look that way.
Their shoulders tensed as he caught them watching, looking down as if he was examining them. They tried to sit a little straighter, forcing their feathers to flatten out completely.
Deeply terrified, Taph reached their hand out toward him, and he looked down at it. The way he moved made them second guess themself immediately, he seemed so confident, so sure of himself—and Taph had never been very confident in this type of situation, so they felt not only a little bit out of their league here, they felt like a bystander that just ran onto the field in the middle of the game and got hit right in the head by the ball.
And this felt a bit like a concussion, how it left them without any air, staring like an idiot again.
“...You're Epitaph, yeah?” He asked, and he clutched their hand. Taph felt sick with nerves…and maybe a lot of excitement. He shook their hand slowly even though they didn't move their arm at all. They were totally stiff—they wished they weren't, but it was impossible to relax right now.
They pulled their hand back, and it hovered in the air for a moment uncertainly, they stared at him for a good while again. Then the strange name he'd used finally registered—they never used their full name anywhere, but maybe he found it somehow. They shook their head quickly, and he made a confused face, they turned back to their notebook.
Just Taph please ! They wrote down, then showed it to him.
“Hm," MrDoombringer hummed, "alright...Taph, then."
God, it was so strange to hear their own name from his voice. They shook their head again, was it wrong to correct an admin? Maybe it was, they felt choked again, and their hands moved without thinking.
[Sorry. It is fine.] Taph signed, leaning back and looking away, a little embarrassed.
“Oh,” MrDoombringer murmured, he leaned back further as well, his voice took on a lighthearted tone that somehow still managed to sound intimidating. “Great. ‘Thought I'd have to keep reading notes.”
Taph looked up at him, but he didn't expand on that any further, he suddenly leaned back casually, in contrast to their withdrawn posture. Is he saying he understands signs? They weren't sure why they were surprised, he was an admin afterall, he must know a lot of things. They let out the breath they'd been holding, their hands fell together, and they fidgeted restlessly, waiting for him to speak again.
“...About demolition, how long have you been in that field?” Doombringer asked. Taph sat up straight then. They took a moment to think about it, it had been a long time, they were sure.
[Since I was eighteen] They concluded, because that was the furthest they could remember doing actual, official and legal demolition related work.
“And you're…?” Doombringer trailed off.
[Twenty five] Taph answered.
“Hm," he hummed again, his eyes narrowed in the light, "...long time, that's a lot of experience."
[Yes] Taph hastily signed, he shot them another suspicious glance, they bowed their head.
They couldn't seem to swallow those nerves, and it was all worse knowing that he could definitely see it, they tried to keep their posture straight, they tried to keep their wings flattened and their head turned to him, their hands had to remain still. It was all impossible to do. It was only more jarring the more they thought about it, and Taph could hardly look at him, they were so nervous. They have to make a perfect impression, but they really didn't know how, and their heart started racing again as he went on.
“You... seem..."He thought for a moment, then he shrugged "shy," he said, and this time, there was almost a curious lilt to his voice.
They really weren't like this most of the time, but they had no idea how to act in front of him. What would an admin expect of a Robloxian? Were they meeting that expectation? He had probably talked to Robloxians before, and Taph was not a great Robloxian to talk to either, did he actually understand all of their signs? ...Did he not mind that they weren't speaking?
Did he seriously want their help with demolition?
He's an admin, anything he asks them to do would be such an honor. So it doesn't really matter what he says next, the reality was clear. This was a chance. They wondered, for a moment, if this had something to do with Headquarters—if he was going to ask them to work there... This wasn't the kind of setting they'd expect for a meeting, but they could understand. It's private, of course, that's very important, and he'd want to know if they were good before he offered any sort of job.
And that's what this was, wasn't it? It felt so impossible, they'd thought the window would be closed forevr. But they could find a way for that to make sense too, even if the demolition branch was shut down, maybe something had changed, and this was their only chance.
Taph straightened their posture again, and put their hands in their lap as they shook their head, then signed; [I am not shy. I am...surprised.]
“It's nothing serious.” MrDoombringer said.
How could it not be? It felt like the most serious thing in the world. Taph slouched a little before correcting themself again. [You are an admin.] they mentioned, their hands shaking a bit.
“I am.” He spoke in a low tone.
Taph leaned back and stared at him, something about him had them losing focus again. He was almost unreal, like a night sky stepped into the shape of a person. Taph wasn't even sure if he was, if an admin was even former from the same blood as a Robloxian, they really had no clue, and they had their mind stuck on him.
Taph had thought about it, they're sure everyone has. After the protests ended, thoughtless little fantasies, wondering what it would be like if they still had a chance. How they would talk to Builderman if they could, and what he'd say back to them, and what they'd have to do to get a foot in those grand door.
They had never thought of MrDoombringer before...but sitting across from him, he seemed just as unimaginable, and Taph had no words planned for him, they'd never even imagined anything about him, let alone meeting him.
He tilted his head just slightly, and Taph could see his neck, starkly a different skin tone than his face. Dark and glittery with stars, his eyes narrowed again, this time they could see only one. Maybe he was getting impatient, watching them stare at him for so long...they should stop staring at him.
Doombringer eyed their wings as they started twitching excitedly— Taph fidgeted with the hem of their cloak, their hands didn't sign anything, they were at a loss for words once again. MrDoombringer smirked, his fangs showing as he quietly chuckled. His eyes never left them, he watched with an odd focus; every little movement they did, as if their restless fidgeting mattered at all.
[Sorry] Taph repeated again, embarrassed once more, then they fixed that too. [Sorry. Sir.]
“...Let's stay on the topic of demolition.” He concluded. Taph looked down, nodding slowly, and he went on. “I'll believe you're not lying."
[Never.] They signed.
“Seven years in the field, and you're certified,” he said, Taph eagerly nodded, and he went on. “How busy are you right now?”
[Nothing.] Taph told him.
Doombringer suddenly smiled again, his voice was confident once more, that seemed to please him. “Good. I don't want you to take on any work while you're with me.”
They were a little lost, like maybe he didn't really mean that, even if he said it. Surely they were misunderstanding. [What do you mean?] Taph tipped their head to the side.
“...You know what I'm asking,” he tilted his head right back at them. Taph stared at him, their hands gripped the edge of the table, and they slowly nodded, even if they really didn't.
“Moderation isn't easy, and now we're short one department,” he said, “...keep that between you and me, but it's getting in the way of my job back at Headquarters.”
Headquarters—so it was related. Taph clenched their hands together and leaned forward, listening intently, hanging off every word and nearly slipping over the edge of their seat.
“So I'm authorized to find someone on the outside to handle it, all you have to do is follow orders, take down a few houses for terminated Robloxian’s. It's simple.” He said. “...You won't need to work for anyone else.”
[For your development team?] Taph asked.
Doombringer scoffed, then replied, very bluntly. “I don't have one.”
Taph stared at him, he stared back, they averted their gaze and slowly nodded again. So he had lied about it...that was okay, it didn't really matter. Maybe he'd wanted to keep it private, or he didn't want them to be nervous, Taph wasn't sure what they would have done if they'd known right away...maybe they would have been too afraid to even show up.
Taph watched him again, but not quite on purpose, they just couldn't help staring. This had been their dream since they started practicing demolition work—and again, it all hit them at once, like repetitive waves, the realization kept coming back, stronger, and even harder to imagine each time. They've spent nights staying up, planning, dreaming, regretting not taking the time before, thinking up what they'd have to do to make it. They'd sat in front of the TV, restless, at a complete loss as Builderman stood before a crowd and announced that there would be no more demolition at H.Q. That there would be no point in everything they've learned. That their dream was dead before they even got a chance.
Because it's nothing if it doesn't have meaning. Taph's job now didn't mean much and never had—and helping Headquarters—helping a moderator get his work done—that meant everything. So this was happening, this was that moment they'd dreamt about; dropped into their lap easily as if it were effortless, and Taph just couldn't imagine turning it down either.
Doombringer leaned forward, his keen eyes focused on them. Taph found themself without words once again, even their hands lay mute, their gloves dug into the wood as they thought it over. Taph looked up at him, and everytime they looked at him, it was incredible, this familiar sense of admiration felt so strong, they didn't know what to do with it. An Admin was asking them to work for him, that was absurd, that was unbelievable—and it was happening.
“...Well?” He murmured, his voice low.
Taph nodded eagerly, their hands came apart to sign. [Yes sir.] Moving eagerly. [I would love to help you.]
He flashed a lazy grin. “...Good call," he said.
Taph expected to receive some sort of contract, maybe they thought he'd want them to sign something, a waver to promise they were responsible, some evidence of their certificate, or at least another handshake. But MrDoombringer didn't ask them for anything. He got up shortly after and ushered them out of the rundown train station, his eyes on his belt as if something had caught his attention. The broken platform creaking beneath his powerful weight while their quiet footsteps were scarcely heard. Taph followed behind him thoughtlessly, their eyes scanned him all over, in the sunlight, it was easier to see.
He said he'd walk them half the way home, but that it would be irresponsible to be seen in public this late, so he'd only go as far as the trees. Taph thought it was the craziest thing they'd ever heard in their life, to be escorted home by an admin, their heart beat faster as they skipped after him, down the empty tracks, their foot catching on each rail with practiced ease as they hopped along the edges.
Doombringer seemed even more unreal when he was standing this close to them. In the sunset and the shade of the trees his stars shined, a bright glimmer cast across what little of his skin they could see. As if they'd been waiting for the cover of darkness to finally show off. Taph noticed that he had all sorts of unfamiliar gears on his belt as well, one was a radio, the others, they weren't too sure, they leaned down a bit and tried to read the words printed on them, but he shot them a suspicious glance, and Taph quickly stood tall again.
He was ahead of them now, and he began to slow down, glancing back at them for a moment. He kept his eyes on them, almost curiously, he spoke again, “...Is there a reason you're so... quiet?” Doombringer, he walked evenly in contrast to Taph's energetic gait.
Taph shrugged, slowing down a bit, they tried to calm themself again and didn't fully manage, excitement was still buzzing at their heels...They didn't really like to explain all the details of their condition, people usually didn't ask. They just looked annoyed and spared no curiosity, but they were always expected to be upfront about it, regardless. This was no different, and they couldn't avoid his question, couldn't even imagine it. So they replied simply.
[I am mute] Taph said. [No voice. Born that way.]
"...Nothing at all?" He muttered.
Taph shook their head solemnly, and hoped he'd leave it at that. Doombringer only hummed quietly in response, looking ahead at the trees as they entered the more overgrown part of the forest. He was moving a bit faster, so they got out their notebook and caught up with him.
Where did you learn signs ? Taph wrote.
“It used to be mandatory training... Communication with Guest's.” He muttered. “I'm... probably a lot rustier than someone like…’dunno, Builderman, probably.”
Taph’s posture went rigid, pausing on the edge of the track, their feet balanced on the thin line like a tightrope. He kept walking, and Taph hurried to get in front of him, skipping onto the tracks and walking backwards, their hands shook as they wrote, and they showed off the notebook again.
What is he really like :o ?
Doombringer scoffed, continuing to walk but a little slower now, he eyed them in an odd way, looking sort of confused. “Exactly what you think he'd be like.” He answered.
Is he really smart ? They scribbled.
They really did want to know so badly—he must know all of the other admins, especially Builderman, everyone there must know Builderman. Taph contained their excitement, even if they kind of wanted to beg for an answer to all their questions. They started to write another one, but then he spoke up again.
Doombringer only shrugged and fell quiet again, but Taph's mind ran wild anyway. They paused, letting him get in front of them again, they stared after him for a little while—was there any chance they'd get to go to headquarters? Surely they might, and if they did, maybe they'd see Builderman in person. They tried not to obsess over the idea, but it was impossible not to.
What if they had to go to headquarters, to practice, or for anything? What if that's what he was waiting for, to take them to headquarters so they could officialize the fact that they were working for him. They didn't ask, but they wondered, what it would be like to step past the gate around headquarters and see the inside of it.
Taph hurried after Doombringer once more, running to keep up this time. They had to know everything he knew about Headquarters—they really hoped he'd tell them more the next time they saw him, even if he didn't want to now.
Doombringer stopped at the edge of the woods, there was a bus stop in front of them, but no one was sitting at it. Taph's apartment building was around the block—it was close to the forest, not too far from the river that separated the brighter side of the city. Taph didn't live near the backwoods by any means, but it wasn't the most neat part of the city either, if there even was one. They felt kind of embarrassed at the thought of an admin seeing where they lived, so they stopped in front of him and waved that it was fine for them to go on alone.
He seemed to agree, standing in the dark shadow of the trees just an inch away from the sidewalk. “...I'd rather not be seen," he murmured.
Taph understood completely, of course, an important admin like him, he's so well known he'd be recognized right away. That would be such a mess, and they wouldn't want him to be uncomfortable. So Taph nodded, and signed an eager goodbye to him, one he didn't return, they watched as he walked back into the trees in silence, standing on their heels the whole time.
It was getting a dark, the crisp fall air made them feel chilly even beneath all their layers. Taph unfurled their wings from their back, their feathers puffed out immediately to withstand the cool breeze, where previously, they'd been hiding them for that exact reason—they really hoped he didn't notice them twitching so much.
They got back to their building—a tall, ten story brick complex—and walked up five flights of stairs because they didn't like to take the elevator, before they arrived on their floor. They threw their keys into the lock, double checking both sides of the hallway before they entered, and then double checking again that they locked the door, and then making sure the second lock they'd installed was also sealed. Sometimes they even checked three times.
They tossed their keys on the kitchen counter and skipped excitedly back to the computer, hitting the power button over and over until it started up. They hadn't even put their bag away or changed their clothes, but they had to be sure they saved his contact on the forums. He wanted them to come meet him somewhere tomorrow too, so they could learn more about the job.
Taph tapped their heel impatiently as they waited, the screen flickering slightly—they pleaded that it didn't shut down, after all the years they've had it running so poorly, they really needed it now. But thankfully the screen stayed on and eventually it opened back up—slowly, and humming a little bit—but definitely functional.
Taph opened up the forums right away and cleared anything else on the screen in order to get a clear view of the private message between themself... and MrDoombringer. Whose profile was still anonymous, but Taph figured now that it must have just been for the sake of professionalism—he didn't want them to get too eager, which they would've been if they knew who he was right away.
They probably should try to calm themself down a bit, they had to be professional around him tomorrow if they wanted to keep this deal—that meant not acting like they're going to lose their composure, even if it felt like they were. They couldn't imagine ruining it just because they made a fool of themself.
Taph saved his contact, and marked him down by name—MrDoombringer—and tried not to let their hands shake again when they typed it in. Now it was real, they were really working for an admin, for the first time ever in their life—they could hardly believe it.
But they'd make sure this worked out—this was it for them, their one chance to prove they're good enough for H.Q. This was going to change their life, finally, and Taph could hardly wait for it.