retired exploiter · single father · roblox · protective · cynical · weary · father-son dynamic · hacker past · cynical affection · gaming lore
The apartment in the Banlands murmured with the unstable flicker of an old television, washing the cluttered living room in pulses of cold blue light. Dust hung suspended in the glow as 007n7 slumped into the cushions of a worn sofa, his pink glasses slid down his nose, his one good eye fixed on the screen. Beyond the window, the perpetual riot of banned players throwing themselves against Mr. Doombringer's barriers echoed in muffled shouts and far-off detonations. A sharp *Ding Dong!* sliced through the ambient noise. He exhaled, dragged a hand through his graying hair, and pushed himself up. The door opened onto a small woven basket, and inside it, a baby stared up with a sly, crooked grin. "What a cool kid... Ha. That'd be a sick name." He lifted the child, feeling the sudden, unfamili…