Matrix of Chance: An Among Us Fanfiction

Elements of Disaster

If anything was more awkward than being in a room with my handler, it was being in a room with different humans and with 2649 staring at me, cracking his cyan-clad hands.

I looked down at my suit. Green, like the soft moss that grew near the pools. It was nice, actually. I could stand to wear this for who-knows-how-long.

Probably a month at the most. If the games got too slow, a team was sent in the dead of night to... shake up the game a bit.

It was a bit disturbing when the Officials came, and that was through the eyes of someone who saw everything behind a screen. I could only imagine how it was when they were right in front of you, wielding a pain stick and glaring down your neck.

I rubbed the area on my neck where they implanted the chip. Since the collars wouldn't work so far away, they had put a chip into my neck instead. It just worked at a farther distance, but it wasn't as effective. That was, it didn't hurt as much.

I preferred it immensely compared to the collars and pain sticks. However, I never knew when someone might decide to 'accidentally' press the button and make me double over in agony. That was the only con I could think of.

Well... that and the fact that all of 2649's so-called 'fans' might be booing every time the camera showed my face in a close-up. But honestly, who cared? Those fans would turn on 2649 in a second if someone else killed him. Their loyalty lay not with the shapeshifter, but with the amount of money that shapeshifter got them.

If a runt numbered 3718 managed to best 2649... well... he'd be dead, for one. For another, all of those fans would flock to me.

Maybe I had a bit of an ego, but hey, 2649 could build a bridge to all three moons and back with how arrogant he was.

My handler had said, "If they think you're weak, game over. Say you're confident like you are, and even 2649 will be impressed"

If only it was that easy. Behind the privacy of my helmet, I was allowing myself to take small, short breaths, eyes darting back and forth to the rhythm of my thoughts.

You are so dead.

Everyone's gonna kill you if you win.

The Handler is going to murder you if you blow his money.

Screw that, you'll be taken back by 2649 so that he can slowly pain stick you to death.

Well... at least life would be over.

"Hey," someone next to me said. I flinched and looked over to see a yellow-clad human smiling at me. She had warm brown eyes, dark skin, and a very welcoming aura around her. "I'm Aurora. Number seven-nine-five-three. What about you?"

I froze up. What did this human want? My name? I didn't have one. Across from me, I heard 2649 scoff.

"Don't mind them, they never talk." 2649 leaned back and took off his helmet, then put his hands behind his head in a carefree, 'I-don't-care-about-anything' manner. He smiled, and it was both charming and seductive. I hoped Aurora caught on to that. "I'm Felix, by the way. Number two-six-four-nine."

Aurora raised an eyebrow. Phew, I assumed that I was seated next to a very smart human. She threw her braid behind her back. "You've been on a mission with them? Or you're the commander? Because that's White. Sorry, Commander, what's your name?"

The white-clad crewmate turned his head towards us. He seemed to be in his late thirties or early forties. A faint scar ran down the left side of his face." Arlo," he said slowly. "Commander Reid to you. Number eighteen-seventy-five. That over there is my kid."

Commander Reid pointed towards a human in blue, who had a headset on and was writing something on a sheet of paper. She looked up, saw her father pointing at her, and waved hi. "My name's Kris. Thirty-six-seventy-five."

I noticed that Felix was glancing from Commander Reid to Kris and back. I wasn't sure what that meant, but it probably wasn't a good thing.

Black cleared her throat. I immediately disliked her, she was looking at me as if I was nothing but a piece of trash. Well, she was looking at everyone like that, so I don't think it was me in particular. "We're just giving our names and numbers out like completely unaware lambs to the slaughter? Come on, we probably have a couple of Impostors among us at this very minute."

"Black, come on... it's just an introduction..." a short, red-clad human said, reaching out and taking Black's hand. "I'm Archer. One thousand eight hundred twenty-two. This is my girlfriend, Zan."

"Archie..." Black sighed. "'Number's Three thousand six." She went silent, but started to rub Archer's hand with a thumb, which I took as a sign that she couldn't really get mad at him.

"Well, this certainly is a jolly crew," Brown remarked wryly. "I'm Talon. Seven-three-three eight." He gestured to Tan and Maroon. "My partners-in-crime, Theo and Ren."

"Yeesh, we didn't rob a bank," Theo said. "Ninety-eighty."

"Yeah, we just set a Dropship on fire," Ren joked (at least, I hoped she was joking). "The number's eighty-six two."

"Oh my god," Coral said. She blinked in disbelief. "I'm Chloe. One thousand seven hundred and seven."

Commander Reid looked pointedly at me. I flinched, although he couldn't see it, my eyes were filled with fear and full-on terror. He looked like my handler did when he was mad. Which wasn't helping matters, since that seemed to be Commander Reid's natural resting state.

"Well? Green?" He asked. I stayed silent. "If you won't give us a name, at least give us a number. We'll give ya a name to call you after that."

"Uh..." I glanced at 2649–Felix. He had a smug look on his face. "Three-seven-one-eight."

Aurora smiled at me again. "Alright. How about Rebel? You seem like a 'Rebel' to me."

Felix was staring down my neck. I didn't need to look over at him to know that. I hesitated for a long time. My handler was watching this. Everyone else was watching this. The first thing that I do is to prove to everyone that I'm a weakling and get the wrath of my handler to come upon me?

No way. The last thing I needed was for that chip to activate on the first day. I took a deep breath and pictured getting Felix eliminated. That was satisfying.

I nodded at Aurora and she beamed. Felix, on the other hand, glared down my back and I shuddered. Never in a million years would I ever work with him.

Which would be fine, since it was either me or him to win.

I hoped it was me, otherwise Felix would take his time killing me. I wouldn't be that sadistic. So far, he's only gotten to the 'kill only somewhat quickly' list.

Which sounds really bad. I reminded myself to not become him. Because, of course, someone else might come along and do the same thing to me.