Chapter Text
Cosmo stuck close to Vee as everyone walked out of the elevator, observing their surroundings for any twisteds.
Rodger kept silent to himself, silently jotting down notes on a notepad he had brought with him.
Rodger followed Astro around, much to his dismay and the difference between their stealth. Although Rodger did try to be as careful as he could manage, not wanting to accidentally get the man killed.
Astro stopped at a machine, wondering why Rodger had been following him for so long but not speaking up about it.
Rodger, the old man he was, leaned back against a wall near the machine Astro was doing. They had managed to avoid the twisteds together for now.
"So," Rodger began, looking up from his notepad and pushing up the monocle that helped him see with his one eye.
Astro turned his head towards Rodger, continuing to spin the machines wheels with a hint of stardust rushing through the air.
"Is there something you need, Rodger?" Astro asked the older toon, eyeing the notepad Rodger had carried with him.
Rodger placed his pen on top of the notepad, his head swishing around to check for any twisteds or any other toons nearby.
Rodger exhaled, realizing they were completely alone. "I just have a few questions." Rodger was always the type to ask questions for his research, but he seemed to never get answers no matter how much he pushed. He knew the other toons.. Didn't really condone to his questioning, but he *had* to do this. Not just for him, but for every other toon in gardenview.
Astro sighed, syncing with the sound of the machine being finished in front of him. The stardust smell mixed with something.. Darker had faded away once the machine had dinged, showing that he had stopped using his.. 'magic powers', as Toodles would call it on the machine.
"Rodger, I told you I don't want to answer any of your questions." Astro tried to keep himself calm at Rodgers constant bombarding of asking questions. As much as Rodger knew that what he was digging into wouldn't be happy to be found.
Rodger picked up the pen on his notepad, not seeming to care about Astro's disobedience to answer his questions. He jotted something down, and Astro could only guess it was something about his unwillingness to answer his ridiculous interviews.
"Yes, my apologies, but-" Rodger was cut off as a twisted—Twisted Looey entered the room two were cuddled into.
Without missing a beat, the abomination of Looey locked eyes with Rodger and began running towards him. The balloons head was sulking slightly as he struggled to keep himself upright.
Rodger jolted, dropping his notepad as he turned to run from the twisted.
Looey chased after Rodger, completely running past Astro, who was watching this exchange in silence. His eyes landed to the notepad, and he quickly bent over to pick it up.
Before he knew it, the familiar ding of a floor being completed entered his ears, and he quickly ran after Rodger, who he assumed was running to the elevator.
Besides Looey's ability to see well and from far away, he was slower, but at the same time faster than Rodger, and Rodger had a hard time keeping up. The clock ticked above their heads as they ran towards the elevator together.
Looey's stamina seemed to never end as they approached the elevator, and as soon as Rodger entered it, he locked eyes onto Astro, running after him.
Astro swiftly jumped into the elevator, and the doors shut abruptly in front of the twisteds face.
The twisted banged on the elevator door, begging to be let in and not be sent to rot in this damned place.
Rodger gasped for air as he leaned over, putting his hands on his knees as he breathed in and out. His old man bones could NOT take this.
Vee and Cosmo looked over at Rodger, and Cosmo couldn't help but feel a ping of concern for the tired man. But, he knew if he just engaged with him, he'd be making it worse, especially the whole interview part.
Astro's face turned into concern as well, walking over to Rodger and handing him the notepad without saying anything.
Rodger eventually had caught his breath and was standing upright. He dusted off his clothes, clearing his throat to ignore what had just happened and focus on the cards that had been brought up on the TV in the corner of the elevator.
It flickered, a sign of malfunction from the TV screen. Years of use had weared the thing down more and more. It felt like each time it turned on, it was nearing more and more to a staticy death that would rival Vee.
Everyone walked up to it, more quiet than usual, as they all individually clicked onto a card. Stamina, considering what had just happened. It was practically a personal jab at Rodger.
The next few floors were more or less normal, but the clock kept ticking. Over and over, it ticked, and it drove the toons insane the more Dandy seemed to become more and more maddened at their inability (or rather not wanting) to buy his items.
Floor 13.
Pebble spawned, and everyone instantly knew just by the loud growling noises heard across the map that echoed across the walls, shaking the floor around them.
"Good lord.." Rodger mumbled quietly so Pebble couldn't hear. He had dealt with Pebble a multitude of times, but the dog seemed to never stop scaring him.
Before this, Rodger had left his notepad in the elevator to see if items of their own (other than supplies) could be transferred and was waiting for this floor to end to check that theory.
Vee grabbed Cosmos' arm, keeping him close to her despite their differences in stealth. Well Cosmo could blend in the shadows like some kind of ninja, Vee had a worse experience when it came to running into twisteds. Although she was a vital part of the team. Without her common sense and brilliant mind, the team would surely collapse.
The team separated into groups, as suggested as Astro; Astro and Cosmo and Vee and Rodger. Two of the unstealithest and obvious toons together and two of the stealthy toons.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Vee asked, her digital screen flashing and showing a green question mark on it before flashing back to her usual digital face.
Astro looked at Vee, wrapping the blankets that somehow never fell whenever he ran more around himself, a habit of his that shows his insecurity of being brought into the spotlight. That was Dandy's job, not his.
"I'm sure it'll be fine, Vee." Astro reassured Vee before turning his attention towards Rodger.
"Could you.. Please not ask any questions?" Astros voice was low and quiet as another angered growl echoed through the room, bombarding their ears with an unpleasant sound.
Rodger seemed rather offended at the request, but he just nodded in response, not daring to say anything with Pebble so close.
Once more another growl erupted through the area, signaling to the groups to go do the machines.