Chapter Text
The light shining down on this phone feels important. Especially with how it's tilted to you. You rang most of the other dial phones leading up to this point but it got boring after a while when nothing happened.
Deputy Duck makes a surprised duck sound as you reach out for the handle, conflicting your theory about it being semi sentient or not.
The starry splattered doorway bursts open to a real life Henry Hotline; "Who keeps ringing this phone?!" He rapidly gestures to his phone shaped head. "I'm sick of it!" He sure sounds like it. He doesn't sound like what you imagined for his cartoon depiction.
"The ringing, the ringing - it won't stop! It never stops!" Henry aggressively points at you. "You, you did this to me! It hurts." He clenches his fists, stepping back into the dark.
"Wait up!" You walk right into a metal gate, trying to keep up with him.
You, and your patience.
You follow a glowing cord on the floor to the exit.
Heavy footsteps echo in the distance.
You had to call six different phones.
Wasn't exactly the best move after Henry complained about it. But it's the only way you can progress!
Feels like a chase... is sneaking up. You take a deep breath, but it's obstructed by your mask. Where even are the aforementioned cameras? Maybe you can take your mask off for a breather.
Something drops. You look over your shoulder.
"Nothing there..." you convince yourself like a horror movie protagonist, and lift yourself up into the colorful, spiderweb-infested tunnel. Reminds you of a certain movie.
A phone rings.
Time to skedaddle!
You army crawl.
You make it a mere arm's length away from the entrance, before Deputy Duck is launched out of your hand by a force on your ankle.
You mistakenly freeze. Hoping your clothes just got caught on something.
Surprise, surprise, it's Henry Hotline! He drags you closer by the ankle.
He's slow, and almost indecisive about it.
Your heart rate increases.
You get the urge to bend your knee, and give a mighty kick to his phone face, but you restrain out of foolish curiosity. It's pretty awkward now.
Henry's face withdraws in case you change your mind.
You relax with your hands under your head like you're lounging by a pool. "I got an idea," you aloud, allowing yourself to be dragged out for whatever reason.
If you read the sign above the tunnel, you'd see it's called a 'fun tube.'
How fun it is to avoid a chase scene!
Surely he can see the way your chest is moving with each muted breath.
"I want to help you." This beats having to do any extra physical movement. You know what? You feel for him. Having terrible headaches sucks. Especially when they're so intense you don't know what to do. "Come on," you walk into a wall corner.
Ouch.
It's the damn mask, not your clumsiness! It obscures your vision too much. How have you made it this far, is the million dollar question.
You retreat your steps to grab the stunned phone-guy's hand. What's more stunning is how he followed you. But not without irritated grumbles of pain.
You escort him around the corner. Where the lighting is more dim, and the stars are less bright.
You remove your mask.
"What are you doing?" Henry groveled.
"Breathing," you accidentally sass. You sit down with Deputy Duck next to you. "Can you do it?"
"Excuse me?" he can't exactly hear you with all the ringing, and rattling in his mind. His twitching makes it obvious. His phone-head hangs over you.
You're next to the gentle-glowing vending machine.
You pat the spot next to you.
He remains standing.
"Are you saying you don't have time for a side-quest?" you cross your legs, your mask on your lap. "Sit, and maybe I can try to quiet the ringing, okay." Your shoulders are less tense, along with your chest.
Henry manages to grimace despite his static, painted face. "I need to capture you-" He awaits the chase.
"I know this sounds terribly convenient, but I used to restore old phones. I'm ninety-seven percent sure I know what I'm doing."
Henry's never met a contestant like you before.
It's silent for a beat.
Then ringing clutters his mind once more.
"Fine." he seethes.
His knees buckle, and he drops in front of you, his abnormally long arms resting at his sides. "In the safe zone - there should be tools... somewhere..."
Henry Hotline let you work on him with the glaring condition that his hand be kept around your neck. Weird, you know. But understandable to an extent. He's ready to kill you over even a hint of harmful intent.
The last thing anyone wants, is more pain than necessary.
You don't think you'd trust anyone to dig around in your head to stop your headaches either. Or maybe you would, if you're desperate enough.
He's brave for this.
You get a direct look inside his head, watching the ringing mechanism chime along with a growl from his speaker. The pressure around your neck warningly tightens. "It's fine," you're able to speak without hindrance.
You wait the ringing out.
When he's finished ringing, you look down at your lap for the tape, causing him to lessen his hold on you. You plan on quieting it. You're not sure if stopping the ringing entirely would hurt him in some way. Better safe than sorry.
You tear some pieces from a dusty roll of tape.
"I'm trying to quiet it." You whispered, aware of your volume. His hand becomes a mere necklace.
You sit up some, he's still tall on his knees. You tape around the part that vibrates, about twenty times, since the tape is thin.
Now for reattaching his face.
"Done!" You accidentally celebrate at normal volume. "How does it feel?"
Henry waits in silence, his hand long gone from your neck. Funny, you almost got used to it. You have zero intention of dwelling on that any longer.
He flinches when another ring comes in, but it's softened tremendously. It's reduced to humming; not a bunch of drums shaking his thoughts into nothing.
"You... you fixed me." Henry's extended neck shakes with a glance at your lap. The things you used.
All it took was tape.
Agony for years, and all it took was tape.
Henry Hotline emits a inhale sound from his speaker, "All it took was tape." he airlessly chuckled. "All the pain... all the years... and all it took was tape for it to stop hurting."
You find yourself smiling, albeit unnerved by the manic laughing.
"Anytime...buddy." You scoot away to stand up fully. You brush off your mask. "Well, I should go. Still got a competition to win."
You stretch your arms, legs, and back muscles.
"I hope I'll see you around though - oh!" You're gathered under the shoulders, pulled directly into a hug. His stiff bowtie hits your collarbone.
It's a bit awkward with his long arms, but you hug back because why not.
"I won't forget your kindness," Henry utters. Then it's like he remembers who he is, and where you both are. He drops you, jaggedly pointing towards the 'fun tube.' "Go." He lifts Deputy Duck, and shoves it in your arms.
"Leave." His voice cracks under the guise of exhaustion.
He's in no position to suddenly warrant any type of feeling for you.
"Are you not gonna chase me?" you put Deputy Duck away for now. "It's going to be boring without you," You brush yourself off again, from the previous hug.
Henry has to chase you anyway, lest he faces Frankie and the higher-up's wrath for not attempting to stop you.
"Five..." he audibly counts. "Four..."
The tension lifts slightly, the air more breathable even with your mask on.
You rush into the cloth tube, with a smile fighting for estate on your face.