Chapter 1 (present-time): A "boring" day
Jax yawned. Another boring day in the amazing digital circus. Wooo. Can't get it better than that, people.
"I wonder what Caine has in store for us today." He mumbled, getting out of bed. "Oh yeah, probably a game of sorts to prevent us from going insane and turning into a hideous monster that might kill everyone and everything in sight. Greeeaaaat."
It had been a long time after Queenie abstracted. More people came to the digital circus. Jax recovered from his trauma mostly by being the jokester around. He liked funny stuff.
And since the digital circus wasn't filled with people who could laugh with him, or be unfamiliar with his pranks and jokes, he ended up giving them to the same people, every darn day. It was working pretty fine and got more enjoyable when new people came but after a week or so, it started to get boring. Not to mention getting a new person would mean resetting the digital circus "theme song" because Cain insisted they have one.
Kinger had become distant, and didn't really interact with Jax the way he did before Queenie turned abstract. It didn't bother Jax too much, but some nights, he wished it was less boring and lonely in the circus.
Kaufmo showed up, but he hated Jax's jokes most of the time. Then Zooble. She really hated him and his jokes. Jax thought she must've been some emo girl in the past life because she was the one who tried to curse the most, even when Caine made it clear this was a family-friendly place, and that she couldn't even put all the words out there because of the swear sign and funny noises that happened whenever people tried to. Jax didn't swear that much so it didn't affect him. Plus, he wasn't going to be the person joked on-he was the one making the jokes around here.
After that, Ragatha came along. She was pretty sweet, and kind after getting over the fact that no one could leave this place. It was fun to tease her, especially when he found out her greatest fear was centipedes.
Then Gangle came along-Jax named her-but Kinger was with her most of the time, and it kind of angered Jax, so she was the butt of his jokes for a good long while, even though she really didn't seem too bad.
And then, recently, Pomni popped in. She might've had one of the worst freak-outs on her first day than anyone else's. It was also the same day that Kaufmo abstracted. Jax was terrified, but was able to cover it up with his pretend humor. And thanks to him, Gangle and Kinger-Jax also nicknamed them Cry Baby and Hoo-Ha-were never touched by the abstract. Kinger definitely didn't need that hurt a second time. Jax suspected Pomni would abstract after a while, especially after witnessing Kaufmo's bad turn of events, but Ragatha was constantly calming her down, so maybe she wouldn't be next after all.
Even after never finding the exit door, Jax sometimes looked in secret, plotting when he found certain loopholes that were a possibility to be his ticket out of here. And when he was to find it, he most certainly was not going to bring any of the others with him. He was the one who did all the work, he probably cared the most. Nobody seemed to understand, or even like him, so would it matter?! No, no it would not.
At least when he was on Earth, he could have someone he could talk to if something got too much on him and he couldn't hide it any longer. On Earth he had friends who cared! But…did they? Jax shook away the doubt in his mind, the problems he was having in here were affecting the ones he'd had on Earth.
He couldn't let his misery get that far. He couldn't show it to anyone. He would never appear vulnerable and weak like that. Never. Never again.