Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Talking” “Thinking” Sign Language

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It’s been 15 years since he was “born”, but he’s been alive longer than that. Those 10 years standing there went by quickly and yet took an eternity to get through.

The days never lasted long, but they were his least favorite, especially sunny days. How could the world seem so bright and peaceful, but they had to stay trapped forever, observing from inside? It wasn’t like there was much to even look at out there; no one ever came by or near. The ones inside never knew if the world had forgotten and moved on or never cared enough to explore further. Would the ones on the outside even save them if they cared to look, or would they be like the people in white? The unclearness made it only more daunting and they don’t even know if they want the ones on the outside to find them. Would the mere fact that someone might care be enough, would it really matter, or would the hope betray them like it had many times before? They couldn’t go through that again.

The nights were more bearable, the outside’s mocking light less harsh. Everyone inside seemed to find comfort in that, but that’s where the danger lay. It's when they hunted or hid. The night either acted as cover, a warm blanket of protection (although the comfort was mostly praying to survive another horrid day), or the time to hunt, the hunger gnawing at their organs. To be gifted the cruel organs was only an act of a madman. No one wanted to live this way, but they had to. What choice remained?

Even though the night presented its “challenges”, it still provided that faint comfort from prayer. If you were lucky, loneliness was the best company, especially up there on the surface. It's where he resided, and meetings were never pleasant.

It was not surprising to see so few on the surface floor. Most of them were trapped beneath the surface either due to their horrible luck on placement during that terrible Hour or fear of climbing up, potentially out of fear of facing him. But he was up there. Why did everyone else stay down? While yes, some were trapped, wouldn’t a decade promote some of them to go higher in the factory, even if it meant facing him? It was truly simple; the only thing up there was escape. Escape from this wretched place into the outside. But there was no point in escaping. There was nothing out there for them (plus it wasn’t as if He would let them leave to begin with). The factory was terrible and the source of all their problems, but what if the risk was much greater than they already faced daily? Never truly knowing or having the bravery to leave kept them there. He too, faced that fear every day. All he had to do was break down the simple shutter door (which, considering his feared strength, wasn’t as complex as perceived initially) and round the corner. The doors would be right there.

Some days, the urge to leave was all-consuming, enough to have him huddled in the corner and covering his eyes, afraid of people unseen. He wasn’t brave enough to do it. Standing there was what he knew: it was the only comfort he had besides the blanket of darkness. He stood there until hunger drew him away or his feet grew numb. Wandering the factory helped to clear his mind when it was too loud in his head or when unwelcome memories forced themselves up. Those trips became more frequent as the years went on as his grasp on himself dwindled. The loneliness also increased with time; his hunger ensured that.

After standing on that podium for a decade, 10 years after that miserable Hour, the loneliness overtook the hunger eventually. It's been weeks since his last meal, but more unbearably, weeks since seeing another living person. Not toy; they were never toys—a person.

As fortune would have it (for once in his miserable 15 years of life), the door to escape opened. He could hear it then from his podium. Someone entered. Someone entered…

Now, why would they do that?

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There was a reason he was placed on that podium; the echo of Elliot Ludwig’s voice only worked to reiterate that point, but it wasn’t as if his first 5 years were forgettable. How he wished they were forgettable. He couldn’t forget his purpose, as if it had been programmed into him. It's what made the monster doctor so proud of him.

Security…

That was his job.

Security.

It made sense why he grew tense hearing the door open; anyone would have after so long. This was different, however. It was like a surge of aggression directed at the intruder. Intruder was the word forced to the front of his mind. He didn’t put it there. He didn’t want it there. The word felt… wrong. He was angry but didn’t want to be. He wasn’t the angry one.

The intruder rummaged around the entrance rooms for a few minutes. The overwhelming desire to run out and see them, see who, made him tremble with excitement. Why was he excited? He was supposed to be angry. Despite the conflicting feelings, he remained where he stood. The enthusiasm was new but containable. The others on the ground floor and the many more below tended to be afraid or at least wary of him; it would pain him if he scared away his new friend.

Friend…

That was much better than “Intruder”.

After hearing the familiar clinking noises of the factory-mandated GrabPacks, the shutter door in front of his very podium lifted slowly. There they were. Friend. New friend. His new friend. The excitement would have swelled if it weren’t for one detail. This wasn’t the first time he had met this person. The memory was foggy. Whether it was due to attempting to shove down all thoughts from those first 5 years or simply time and isolation withering away his mind was not important. The only part of the memory that wasn’t faint was the white coat… a white coat. The source of his pain. Pain. Pain…

But he isn’t angry. The coat should be the source of pain—the original source of pain—but no pain was associated with this distant memory. Nothing was. There was no single emotion he was feeling at this very moment; it was mostly confusion. Confusion was mixed with pain and every destructive emotion that followed, but a dull quiet of an emotion that had not yet been identified made its presence known. The confusion amplified everything. He felt everything and nothing simultaneously, threatening to pull his brain apart at the seams! The remaining shred felt like a fleeting memory, his mind abandoning him. He didn’t know what to do, what to think… what to believe! All the emotions kept screaming at him, the noise unbearable, but it was still quiet! Too quiet!! His senses were failing, and he didn’t know what to do. All he could manage was to keep looking forward, frozen in fear and relying on what instinctively worked for those first 5 years. He felt 5 years of pain, confusion, and age wash over him. Was he dying a second time; would he be forced back a second time?!

The person was still standing there. Why were they still standing there? Has no time passed? Was he panicking in his mind, stuck in time that didn’t move?

His internal freakout only lasted a few seconds, enough time for the person to see and process the toy before them. They pulled one of the triggers on their GrabPack, sending the blue hand to meet his outstretched one. It was pulled back quickly.

A high-five. They snickered to themself—such a silly action to perform in this dire situation. Walking up to the info board in front of his podium, they read it with a fond familiarity.

It was titled “Huggy Wuggy”. Huggy Wuggy was snapped out of his confusion-induced spiral to a slightly less daunting confusion-induced state.

“Did they just high-five me?” was the only thought he could muster. A silly action indeed, but at least it was agreed upon by both parties. Regardless of being ridiculous, it was actually comforting and grounding. The person on the ground had turned their back to explore the room more, focusing on the shuttered doors. This granted Huggy the chance to finally turn his eyes and blink. Who was this person? Shouldn’t the memory of them pain him?

The person turned their attention to the power room and shook the door handle. It was locked. “Obviously.” That would make it hard to roam the building, which relied heavily on massive shutter doors controlled only by electricity. Fantastic for any human being trying to get around with a purpose that likely concerns the lives of dozens!

Huggy Wuggy was affected by the frustration of the person. He wanted to help, but he didn’t know why. The distant memory of this person was causing him so much confusion and, subsequently, pain, but he still wanted to help. This day was becoming one of the most emotionally draining in the past decade, even though the stakes are incredibly low. Maybe the near-complete solitude and hunger had finally destroyed any hold he had left on mentality?

Succumbing to his mysterious new will, he reached for the power room key hidden on top of one of the hanging structures around him. The whole action had to be performed quickly to not scare the person; it wasn’t entirely successful as the key clinking startled the person, and they whipped around swiftly. Cautious eyes looked up, but no trace of unfamiliarity. Strange. The confusion started welling up again. Huggy Wuggy was so glad that the person quickly snatched the key with the GrabPack and backed into the room. The moment the person disappeared around the corner inside the power room, he made a mad dash for another hallway.

Loneliness felt crippling, but he needed to think for a second, to be alone for just a moment longer.

Chapter Text

It was never clear to them why puzzles were implemented into the factory’s functions. Why did power have to be generated through the GrabPacks and wound around exposed electrical towers? They couldn’t forget how to complete these “puzzles” even if they tried. The mundane tasks completed every other day of work when they weren’t holed up in the laboratory—either by their own will or forcefulness from Harley Sawyer—could never be forgotten. The tasks were drilled into even the most entry-level of employees.

Restoring power to the factory was shockingly easy. Completing the puzzle left them with a sense of familiarity from the day-to-day life of the factory, but that didn’t bring any comfort. They just missed their friends. They don’t know why they were here. Did they really have hope, or were they finally looking to appease their guilt? The whole issue was partly their fault, too. Shaking their head and mustering up the courage, they walked back out to the main hall. Huggy Wuggy was gone.

“So he was still alive? Thought I was losing it…” They walked over to the door with the blue hand marker to proceed. An uneasy feeling made itself known; it seems the knowledge that a massive creature—that had proved to be violent when willing in the past—wandering around wasn’t exactly easy on the brain. At least they knew of his location slightly. Unfortunately, that was when they saw his arm slowly drag into the hallway they needed to go through. Upon seeing that, they froze. They hadn’t seen Huggy in at least a decade; could old emotions remain dormant? They could only pray for that piece of mercy.

Huggy Wuggy had taken refuge in an old, pipe-lined hallway, hoping the lack of stimulus would help him clear his head. It worked, but it didn’t help. Even the few minutes he got to sit alone before the person stumbled their way to him gave him a lot of time to think. While he may be older than 15, it's not like his mind matured much beyond that, and a young mind often finds itself jumping to conclusions.

“A white coat… a white coat… Why is that the only thing I can remember? If that’s the only thing I can remember, does that mean they're dangerous…? Am I in danger?!–Am I in danger AGAIN!?! I CAN’T BE IN DANGER! I DON’T THINK I CAN TAKE ANY MORE PAIN!! WHAT DO I DO!? WHAT DO I DO?!?”

He could only seem to torment himself with questions. Questions he couldn’t answer and was too afraid to explore.

“Please… I don’t want any more pain… Will I have to defend myself like during that Hour? Could that work? It must work… I can’t let them make the first move. If they're dangerous, I have to attack them first. Just think of it as hunting. You are just hungry. You are just hungry.” His attempts to comfort himself successfully shoved down the rest of the foggy memory. Eventually, all that remained was the white coat and the anger that the pain of the white coats caused him. The anger remained tense, ripe for growing out of control.

To avoid the intruder for now was the best course of action because what if they had those darts like the men who chased him down had? That night was one of his only personal outside encounters. He still distinctly remembers the crispness of the air; it felt… relieving. The sound of the shutter doors lifting brought him out of the few fond memories he still had left. He froze, completely forgetting his plan for a second. In his haste, he tried to slip away slowly, hopefully unnoticed. The hitch in the intruder’s breath told him otherwise. He didn’t know what to do, but he ran away. The quietness in his soft feet and thick fur granted it a slightly stealthy escape. A mocking ‘Thank you’ couldn’t even be given to those who gave him those features. He slinked away to continue hiding, out of the intruder’s sight but keeping their presence well marked on his internal map.

Trying to ignore the sight of Huggy’s arm disappearing into the darkly lit hallway, they pushed on. The following few rooms involved a toy assembly line containing the coveted red right hand. It was needed to make one’s way around more effectively. Many of the swappable colored hands only went to very few positions, but they were well-versed in the multiple kinds of hands.

The factory was in terrible disarray, but that was to be expected after the report given on the haunting Hour. Luckily, the batteries to power the crane holding the red hand were in the same room. Once the red hand was acquired from the crane, they were able to move on. It was still confusing that the conveyor belts that traveled out of sight from the regular floor layout were labeled with no entrance symbols but specifically required entering to fix the belt. Fixing the belt required another “puzzle” like in the power room. Once completed, the conveyor belt started again, and with no other direction to go, they hopped on, leading them to the Make-A-Friend room. It was a nice room for the tourists, and the few glimpses they got of people wandering the building were warming. Another electricity “puzzle” needed to be completed to make a friend to open another door. They hoped that this process wouldn’t become routine. It was tedious, if nothing else.

The new friend made was a Cat-Bee, one of their favorites. Upon placing her in the pedestal receptacle, the shutter door rose, and they walked into the now-revealed hallway.

That was when he decided to make his presence expressly known.

Chapter Text

The two people glanced into each other’s eyes only momentarily as the intruder began to turn and run. Their feet pounded as the enormous creature took long, slow strides. The only escape was into the complex maze of conveyor belts. Panic clouded their senses, and all familiarity of the factory faded. The loud screaming of the massive being didn’t help to clear their head.

“I CAN’T DIE YET!! I STILL HAVE SO MUCH TO DO!!! …am I really going to fail this early?” The mantra of failure played throughout their mind between the general thoughts of terror and the weaving through tight corners of the narrow walls. “I couldn’t do anything… I couldn’t HELP anyone… Why was I spared?! I’m not the one who deserved it! I DESERVED TO DIE WITH THE WORST OF THEM!!” They were quickly growing tired, more confused, and more guilt-filled as each second passed. Each second that passed was one that lacked any hope besides the pure instincts keeping their legs pumping.

Upon seeing the intruder's terror, the pursuer himself could only break out in a large, sharp-toothed smile. He stalked slowly after them, intent on scaring them before shredding their puny little body. It’s what they deserved, after all. They deserved all the pain they and the others were responsible for causing on the hundreds of creations they deemed “toys”!

The intruder fled into the conveyor belt system, which he happened to know very well. That would make it easy to play his little game. It was true that the halls were cramped and uncomfortable to him, but it wasn’t as if he couldn’t traverse it with relative ease. He could smell the fear and guilt that wafted off of them. It smelled so delicious. His hunger, previously buried by his intense loneliness, was now center-stage. “It’s been so long since I had such a hearty meal!”

They were about to give up… they were going to give up. Ten years riddled with guilt and they still couldn’t do it, until they saw the physical light at the end of the tunnel that reinvigorated the metaphorical one. “I can make it! Whether I believe that’s true or not, I HAVE TO MAKE IT!! I HAVE TO DO IT FOR EVERYONE I LET DOWN!!” They lept out of the winding tunnels and onto the exposed conveyor belt, but they couldn’t just stop there. He would get them, no doubt about that. Seeing no escape, they turned to face the monster, but their surroundings caught their eye. In a matter of seconds from jumping out of the tunnel, they turned and used the GrabPack to pull a large crate suspended on a higher conveyor right onto their pursuer, crashing them onto the catwalk below as the conveyor belt buckled under the additional weight.

Time froze. It all happened too quickly, even to register the pain spreading across his back and head or the falling sensation. “This is how I die…” He closed his eyes and was ready to accept his fate. Perhaps death would be kinder than the rebirth he never wanted.

He wasn’t falling.

It took him a second to open his eyes, the ringing sound dissipating at an agonizingly slow rate. All he felt were most of his limbs dangling, but also a strange pressure on his left wrist. He looked, almost afraid of what he could see. There was that familiar blue hand. Following the wire up, he saw them. The intruder. They were clenching the railing, attempting to lean back from the drop, clearly straining, but why? That’s when it hit him. “They caught me.” Their mouth was moving. He could see it moving, but the ringing still pounded against his ears. He blinked a few times, clenching his eyes very tightly, trying to relieve any noise that still clouded his senses.

“I—HELP—ORRY—’M SORRY!! I’M SO SORRY!! I DIDN’T MEAN TO MAKE YOU FALL OFF!! I WAS JUST TRYING TO TRAP YOU SO YOU WOULD STOP CHASING ME!” It was a shock how they could get any words out with the immense weight threatening to drag them over the edge as well, but the guard rail surprisingly held firm. “I’M GOING TO PULL YOU UP NOW!!” “Please don’t attack me! PLEASE don’t attack me!!”

Huggy could only look up in awe and confusion as the wire retracted. The weight of himself caused the wire to sputter or halt occasionally, but it never loosened, a testament to the strength of the factory-mandated GrabPack. When he was finally within arms reach, he grabbed the railing and hoisted himself up, the blue hand returning to its proper place. Both once again froze looking at each other; one remained in fear, and the other, a new sense of curiosity washed over.

“They saved me… I tried to kill them, and they saved me. Was I wrong? Was the memory wrong?” He raised his hand toward them. He didn’t even know why he did, but clearly, the look on his face wasn’t an entirely pleasant one.

The intruder fell backward over a gap in the catwalk and seemed to curl in on themselves upon seeing the utterly blank stare and sudden movement. From his angle, Huggy could see the clear tears that began flowing down their already scratched-up face. This time, he was the one to freeze in fear. Emotions flooded in for what felt like the up-teenth time in the past hour. Confusion was ever present, crowning itself as the king emotion for this very day, but a sense of protectiveness and care accompanied the sides of the king. Those two emotions hadn’t been present in years, so he tried something he also hadn’t done in years.

“I–’m so–rry…” It was all he could croak out for the first sentence in nearly a decade. His model didn’t have the express intention to give him the right to speak, but he was given vocal chords nonetheless. The intruder tensed at the noise, slowly opening their eyes to glance up at the very still creature. “I don’t know–what came over me. I’m sorry. My mem–ory of you felt nice… but there wasn’t really anything there… Who are you?”

“You remember me…?”

“All I remem—ber is a white coat—but a nice feeling too…” They couldn’t believe it. He remembered them. He actually remembered them.

“It's me. It's P.W.” Huggy was overcome with memory.

Chapter Text

The name P.W. was like a guiding light through the fog of his brain. That name belonged to someone he and multiple other victims found solace in. The scientists were usually cold and cruel or would completely ignore the kids, but P.W. was always kind and patient with them. They would always talk with them or try to comfort them through the many grueling tests. Sometimes, they would even bring things from the outside world to make living inside the factory a little less terrible. Many drawings were hanging up in their office, all gifts from the victims. It was true that they were responsible for most of the “toys” rebirth, but it never seemed like they did it out of actual sadistic malice. If anything, most of the victims took pity on them, especially after witnessing one argument between P.W. and the monster Dr. Sawyer; it had escalated pretty severely, and none of the other scientists had stepped in to say anything. The main reason they took pity on P.W. was that they would likely have been killed or punished with rebirth the same way the kids had if they refused or stopped performing the experiments. If it meant they could keep a genuinely caring person as the group leader and a truly nasty scientist out of the leading seat, the kids would forgive P.W. for any and all actions they were forced to complete.

Huggy himself was finally able to recall a memory he once treasured.

It had been a stressful week for him, and it was causing him to be antsy and more hostile toward staff. He was often seen outright refusing to follow orders or even yelling at staff. The hostility had finally escalated to the point that the security team had to step in. The troops had him surrounded, dart guns at their sides. The intention was to bring Huggy to the prison in hopes that isolation would quell these violent outbursts. He had heard the horror stories from other toys and realized the danger he was in. The chief kept trying to order Huggy to stand down, but panic had already set, and he was seconds away from completely lashing out. The loud commotion finally woke P.W. from a deep nap in their office, and they rushed out at the sounds of Huggy's screams.

“What’s going on? And put those guns down!” P.W. warned them. Sadly, the security officers were never known to respect the scientists other than Dr. Sawyer. They were smart enough to at least fear that man.

“We’re just doing our job, Professor. I recommend you stand back; otherwise, our friend Wuggy here might attack!” The chief was one of the many employees who had always rubbed them the wrong way.

“This wing of the facility is under my jurisdiction, so I suggest that you all stand down and listen to me; otherwise, Dr. Sawyer will come down and fuss about the damage caused to one of his favorite experiments.” That got many soldiers to stand down; it seemed many could hold onto that fleeting aforementioned wisdom. P.W. had to lower the chief’s gun themselves to get by, but they did manage to get through the circle of guards. Huggy still had his eyes stuck on some of the more stubborn soldiers and was still screaming. “Huggy…? I need you to listen to me. HUGGY!” The yelling was what finally got Huggy’s attention. He whipped around to look at his favorite scientist. Most of his aggression ceased at the mere sight of the employee. He leaned down to sit on his knees, making communicating with them easier. Many–if not all–of the toys were aware of P.W.’s selective muteness and had asked the scientist to teach them to read sign language. Using it would have been much more demanding as most of the toys lacked the needed dexterity due to their current “predicaments”. P.W. had appreciated it very much as talking often overwhelmed them, so it was only used in moments of intense emotion; fighting was usually where P.W. could be found talking the most. Other times, it was simply due to others' refusal to learn sign language.

“I’m sorry…” Huggy bowed his head in shame even though he wasn’t the one escalating the situation. “I tried not to be so angry.”

I’m not mad at you. I know it wasn’t your fault; it's tough down here. Tensions are constantly rising. How about we go back to my office and calm down for a while, okay? Huggy nodded in agreement. A few hours of quiet with P.W. could perhaps calm at least some of his nerves, plus the sound of it was already comforting.

The officers still standing around them were confused at how quickly the professor had gotten the monster to relax, but they were glad their job was made easier. Huggy spent the rest of the day relaxing–and eventually sleeping–on the couch of P.W.’s office (although he was mostly lying on the floor) while they typed away at their computer. It was one of the better days inside the factory.

The resurgence of Huggy’s memories overwhelmed him with relief, shockingly. He was relieved that they made it; they were okay! They didn’t die during the horrid Hour and didn’t belong to the surviving groups that were eventually picked off! The relief overpowered any other emotion that Huggy was experiencing, and he did what he does best. He picked up P.W. in a hug, which was awkwardly angled due to the rigid GrabPack in the way.

“I’m relieved to see you alive again, too! Could you just set me down for a second?” Huggy reluctantly obliged, just vibrating with anticipation to get his chance to hug them again. Luckily, that’s precisely what P.W. had in mind. They pulled off the GrabPack and signed for Huggy to Bring it in. He practically jumped at the chance and wrapped his arms around their torso in a comforting squeeze. Sitting back on his rear, he was finally able to hug P.W. like a teddy bear. They both needed this and stayed there for at least a few minutes.

When P.W. finally pulled back, signaling for Huggy to set them down, was when the questions started. First of all, are you okay? I’m so sorry for hitting you with that crate. Are there any others up here? Have you eaten in a while?!

“I’m not hurt, but I’m sorry I chased you… and I’m the only one up here that I know of.” Huggy shifted on his feet as if wanting to ask a question. They just gave him a questioning look, raised eyebrow and all. “Why are you back? It's dangerous…”

I got a note saying that the employees were still alive. I was foolish to listen but if there is even the slightest chance that some of them made it, I can’t leave them behind. But I guess another part of me wanted to save the rest of you kids, too. I was just too big of a coward to come any earlier. Huggy didn’t know how to comfort the self-deprecating scientist, so he just offered a small smile as a thank you for the attempted rescue, even if it was admittedly late.

“To answer your other question… I am kind of hungry…” Huggy trailed on almost embarrassedly.

When was the last time you ate?

“It’s been a few weeks now…” P.W. sighed, pinching the bridge of their nose. “Of course he’s hungry. They probably all are.” They took off their backpack and pulled out a packet of lunch meat. From his angle, Huggy could get a good peak at the backpack's contents. There was a medkit, several rolls of gauze, and several dozens of small lunch meat packets.

I knew that you guys would be hungry after all this time. I don’t even want to think about what you HAVE been eating this past decade. Sorry, it's not much; I have to ration it out for everyone we come across. He was just glad to eat anything, even if he had to wait a moment longer for P.W. to open the plastic packaging.

Alright, moving on. The letter mentioned a flower, so I probably need to go to that massive one. They pointed behind themselves to the gigantic wall mural, almost sarcastically. Putting on the backpack and then the GrabPack on top of that proved to be the same uncomfortable maneuver when they first reentered the building. Adjusting the straps again, they turned to head towards the flower, but the sound of large plush feet did not follow. Huggy remained awkwardly standing there, shifting under the flower’s gaze.

Are you not coming?

He was shocked, if nothing else. “You want me to go with you? I can… stay with you?!” P.W. nodded. “But why, I tried to kill you… you would have died.”

I don’t see why not; strength in numbers, as they say. Plus, I already said that you are forgiven. I’m the one who should be apologizing. I did this to all of you guys, and I didn’t even have the gall to return sooner.

“It wasn’t all your fault…You shouldn’t feel guilty.”

Neither should you. Now come along; this place is dreadful. Huggy’s admiration for the scientist grew at that; of course he would follow them. But he was still uneasy. Behind the flower’s door was where she lay encased, and he knew for a fact that P.W. was well aware of this.

Chapter Text

“Why do you want to see her…?” He didn’t know why he was being so cautious over that question.

Do you not want to? You don’t have to go in if you don’t want to. I’ll check to see if it's dangerous.

“It's not that… some of us try to avoid her. She doesn’t seem… right.” P.W. patted and then held his hand. Huggy squeezed their hand back. P.W. always knew of the kids' slight aversion to Poppy. They all still played with her when other kids were present, but they tended to be quieter around her when alone. The scientists never knew why, and it was never at the top of their list to figure out.

It’ll be okay. She’s probably just as scared as you, but I’ll keep you safe. Reassurance floated calmly around his mind, even if uneasiness persisted. The short walk finally ended in front of the door, and before P.W. could open the door, they waited for a confirming nod from Huggy. Once they received it, the door was pushed open. They were met with a hallway, a staircase leading down, and an even longer hallway. No one knew why Elliot Ludwig had designed it this way, but at least it had wallpaper and flooring that could only belong to a home. The lights on the walls finally weren’t the large fluorescent ones that lined the factory—they were instead ones you would also find in a house—but their lighting cast shadows among the rest of the ominous vibe.

At the end of the hallway was a room with some dressers and toys belonging to Poppy. It was her home after all, but would she even be here after all this time? It was the last place they had seen her before that day. Had she been trapped this whole time? “I hope she’s okay… that poor girl has been through so much.”

The only accessible direction was another hallway, which was bathed in a red light. If Huggy’s nerves weren’t already frazzled by now, he would be freaking out again. He had never personally been in her ward of the factory, but from how she acted, it didn’t sound pleasant. It hadn’t seemed terrible, but maybe that's what was so awful. Having to live in the artificial facade of a house for decades, trapped in the body of a little doll, and isolated for most of the time must have been awful. For all the decades she had lived, never once aging along with time, she likely had never seen the light of day for herself. Ludwig cared too much for her safety, and the other scientists wanted their prized specimen protected for study. If the isolation hadn’t broken her, surely the prodding had.

 Her room is right there. I’ll go in first; wait here until I open the door again. Don’t even try to hide your fear; it's much more obvious than you think. I promise that I’ll keep you safe. Huggy huffed at that but agreed nonetheless. He was terrified of Poppy; he didn’t even know why. Frankly, he was just glad that P.W. ordered him outside. The last thing he saw before being left alone again was P.W. walking to the end of the hallway and shutting the door behind them as they entered her room.

 This room, out of the rest of them, held the most similarity to a home. Pillows covered the floor, and a mobile-esque light spun slowly above. In the center of the room was her, locked inside the case meant to protect her. Her perfect porcelain remained uncracked through all this time. P.W. never knew how she could seem so peaceful while standing to sleep.

“Welp, here goes nothing. Just keep your cool, and she won’t lash out… hopefully” Using the GrabPack—it would be much more annoying to take it off to open the case door just to put it back on again—they pulled the case’s door open. They felt like they couldn’t breathe. Poppy was always a strange one, and it was always scarier to think that she was technically older than them. Movement startled them out of their thoughts; the lights flickered a few times, and then she opened her eyes.

“You opened my case…” she whispered, her tone nearing towards a thankful one. Perhaps she wasn’t as bad as the others thought. That's when the lights shut off, and they could hear the door lock. “...Don’t worry, that's just the security measures. They didn’t like it when I got out… it's not like I could to begin with” That was somewhat reassuring, but it was still creepy. “How can she be so calm in a situation like this?! We're trapped!”

Loud crashing and thumping behind the door made the two spin around to look towards the source. The very little light that shone under the doorway was repeatedly covered in shadow; the only explanation would be movement on the outside.

“Crap! Huggy’s still out there!” P.W. sprinted to the door and shouted through to get him to calm down. “HUGGY! IT’S OKAY! IT’S JUST THE OLD SECURITY SYSTEM!! I’M FINE!!” It didn’t work; neither did shoulder-checking the door. P.W. was surprised their entire body weight, GrabPack included, didn’t make the door so much as budge. Considering the state of the factory due to age, it was rather impressive.

“Security regarding me was always especially tight. Plus, the room is soundproof; he won’t hear you. Did you forget that, P.W?” All heavy thudding on the walls, while already pretty muffled due to the soundproofing, grew quiet and distant. “I would move if I were you. It sounds like he’s backing up… and knowing Huggy Wuggy, he will do something that requires physicality before brains.”

P.W. wisely followed the advice and backed up, standing directly in front of Poppy’s case. Perhaps their flimsy human body would shield the doll from whatever would happen next.

 “What do I DO?! The door’s lock just snapped shut!! Can they get out?! ARE THEY TRAPPED WITH HER!? OH GOD! WHAT DO I DO?” Huggy’s panic turned to a full-blown panic attack, with emphasis on the attack. He had only reunited with his old friend just minutes ago, and now they were trapped with the doll he did not trust. His state of panic resulted in pounding on the door, the wall, and anything else that was within arms reach. His lashing was only halted when his brain began screaming again. “THIS ISN’T DOING ANYTHING! I HAVE TO SAVE THEM!! …Calm down; I have to calm down. P.W. doesn’t like it when I panic! But I can’t think! These stupid arms and hands are too big to pry off the lock! I barely even fit in this stupid hall, so what can I do?!”

The scientists, especially Dr. Sawyer, were pleased with his intelligence but not as pleasant towards his tendency to panic. He couldn’t help it; his brain just wouldn’t shut up sometimes. That’s when his intelligence kicked back in, most likely due to the need to protect another person, not just himself. “The only thing I have going for myself is size… and weight” He began backing up, his mind clearing up entirely as his goal was clear. Just run.

The only thing this prison ever gifted him was his strength. He should really put it to good use...

 P.W. could only blink as they stood in front of the case when the wall came down, but even that wasn’t a proper description. The wall caved in, with the floor ripping up and the upper part of the wall getting pushed into the ceiling in front of it. An enormous cloud of dust was kicked up, along with the loud crash. The two inside were just lucky that the room was just big enough. Poppy was merely covered in dust, but P.W. ended up getting thrown back at the force. Their back was pushed harshly into the edge of the case; the backpack and GrabPack combo didn’t provide the best landing cushion either. Regardless, they both remained mostly unharmed.

The severance of the door lock, along with some wires stuck in the wall connected to the security system, turned on the remaining room lights. P.W. remained in their hunched-over position, coughing and tearing up at the dust surrounding them. Poppy stood behind them, trying to rub the dirt out of her sensitive eyes. Huggy emerged from the remains of the wall and, with pieces sticking to his fur in a near painful way, reached towards P.W.’s direction. That only irritated the air more with a new puff of dust that began to settle.

“Huggy Wuggy, you need to stop moving for a while. You’re just making it harder for P.W. to breathe” Normally, he wouldn’t listen to her so quickly, but P.W. was clearly in a bad position, so his usual judgment was overwritten. He stilled while the dust fully settled, the only noise being the rustling of Poppy’s dress as she attempted to remove the dust from the fabric and P.W.’s rather deep coughing. With their vision now returned, they started signing to Huggy. Thanks for the save… but I think we would have managed. Huggy looked down in shame but knew they weren’t scolding him. However, the image of Huggy tearing down a wall with relative ease still lingered in the background.

Now, onto the important things… Do you know what is meant by the flower in this note, Poppy? You’re the only thing here, so I figured you’d be related to it. They handed the letter to Poppy, who only frowned in response.

“Do you plan on leaving once you find them?” They nodded hesitantly, unsure of what the correct answer would be. “Are you going to leave us behind?”

There are others like you guys still here? Are they… alive?

“Yes… some are, at least. But are you going to leave us here? All the toys…” They shook their head this time.

I’m not going to leave you kids behind… if anyone deserves to be saved, it would be the victims. But most of the people who worked here were innocent in all of this. If there is a chance I can save them, I’m going to take it.

“Do you swear to get the toys out of here? I need you to promise…”

I promise to do my best to save ANYONE who needs it. No one deserved this fate.

“Hard to argue with that… Can I at least go with you? I want to help, too…” They nodded again. From his spot behind them, Huggy seemed more hesitant but didn’t want to make P.W. upset again. “Okay then. P.W. Huggy Wuggy. We should get started.” It only then occurred to them that Poppy has been saying their name. Their name…

How do you… remember me? It was important to them that they didn’t have another situation like with Huggy again. Misunderstandings led to most of their problems; it’s what most often caused issues with Harley Sawyer. Her awareness created a dense atmosphere of unease. It felt hard to breathe even after the dust had settled

“I know we never interacted as much as you did with the others… but I could never forget a face… especially yours” That did not help to settle their nerves. If they shifted in Huggy’s direction, he did not care to point it out. Her eyes watched P.W.; those eyes felt like they were piercing through, witnessing every weak point in their facade.

“That’s prob—ably enough questions for now… can we please move on?” They were thankful that Huggy was the one who decided to break the silence.

Huggy’s right. There is still so much to do, and time is of the essence. This time, she was the one to nod in agreeance.

Chapter Text

 The trio, of varying-sized members, began making their way out of the room. P.W. helped Poppy out of her case and attempted to put her on their shoulder. She did not seem very happy with that.

 “Can you please place me in that vent? I want to stretch my legs… after being in that case for so long” It wasn’t surprising given her history. She never liked being carried around despite her size, which made traveling hard. She was always put to rest in her room when the other kids went to bed. Perhaps sleeping in the case and subsequently getting trapped made her despise sitting still. “I want to walk around, at least for a while. I promise I won’t slow you two down…”

 Very well. They picked her up again and lifted her towards the only vent in the room. She lifted the cover and climbed in. There, now, try your best to follow. I know that the vents are surprisingly expansive. She nodded as if she already knew how to navigate around. They then turned their attention to the pile of loose debris blocking the entrance. Huggy had already pulled himself from the remains of the wall and was waiting for P.W. on the other side. Tightening the straps on the GrabPack again, they made their way over the pile. But then they slipped on the loose wood and crashed into the debris. “Ow…” Then, they were lifted from the pile and placed safely on the right side. Thanks, Huggy. He smiled in response, his big sharp-toothed smile.

 “This way, you two,” Poppy’s voice rang out from the walls. “Huggy Wuggy, could you please get that dresser?” Huggy was once again uncomfortable with her ordering him around, but it was for the good of the group, so he listened.

“For P.W. Just do it for them. They trust her, so you should too” He couldn’t help it; she was just a strange presence. If she weren’t a part of the group at all, he would have been okay with it. But she was the original victim, so some empathy was due.

 Once the dresser was out of the way, thanks to the efforts of Huggy, the two could progress after Poppy. They were presented with a hallway, the one that would lead to Elliot Ludwig’s office. P.W. knew that the door was always locked, so they didn’t even need to try it. You wait right here, Huggy; I’ll go grab the key real quick. They remembered the room that always held the key; what they didn’t know was why the key to the founder’s office was tucked into some storage room just down the left hall. The floor had collapsed in the hall, but luckily enough, a GrabPack handle was just above the hole, allowing them to swing across. They used it to unlock the door Huggy was waiting very patiently in front of.

 “Come on in, the power room is through here. We need it to go down the right-hand hall” Poppy so helpfully informed from the walls. “Creepy” Huggy had no idea how P.W. seemed to be so okay with her in there. Once the door was unlocked, P.W. could enter the office, and Huggy sat outside. His ribs still hurt a little from caving in Poppy’s room, so he didn’t want to squeeze through any doorways that he would just have to go back out of. “The power room is just down this vent” In order to get into said vent, they had to rip the large cover off with the GrabPack. When it fell, it crushed the old chair that sat right in front of it. Squeezing through the rather large vent felt like something they would have to get used to.

 Once they dropped into the power room—they felt like their knees would take a lot of blows as well if the constant cracking of joints were anything to go by—Poppy pushed over a box blocking one of the generator pads. “Alright, you know what to do” That they did. These “puzzles” were a constant in their life now. Before they could leave, Poppy stopped them.

 “I just wanted to genuinely thank you for getting me out of there. I know we were never that close… but it still means a lot. I was trapped in there for so long… I thought I would never get out” That only worried them. How could she be so thankful over the most simple act of kindness? They truly felt sorry for the misery that she must have gone through over the past several decades. All P.W. did was nod in response, hoping it would convey the simplicity of saving her. She seemed to like that answer. A slight nod and smile were her only reaction. 

“As a gift for saving me, I’d like to offer you a way to the train code. It could lead you out of here… but also further into the factory to save more people… if you’re still up for it” P.W. gave a look as if to say that they weren’t leaving just yet. Poppy felt relieved at that.

“Well, I guess we better go back now. Huggy Wuggy is probably getting lonely up there… Heh heh” She never had the greatest sense of comedic timing, but the attempt was amusing nonetheless.

 When they finally exited the office, Huggy was once again waiting patiently, sitting cross-legged like they often did back in the factory days. The newly restored power allowed the two to get past the GrabPack trigger. Another hallway—which would also be another thing they would need to adjust to again—was also caved in, just to a more severe degree. The hole looked more like an endless abyss. They could get across easily due to the GrabPack handles, but Huggy would have more trouble.

 Umm… I could try crossing myself and then send the hands over to grab you… maybe you can use those as ropes to pull yourself up, although I don’t see anything to hold onto… Huggy seemed uncomfortable doing any of the options; his previous tumble from a little bit ago probably evoked that fear of deep pits… Maybe you can just grab onto me, and I can try to swing us across. Would you be okay with that? Huggy hesitated again but nodded. It’s probably the best way to get them both across.

 He picked up P.W. as they shot the blue hand to the handle. “Just go whenever you’re ready” He hesitated again… his legs started shaking, and his arms squeezed a little tighter. “I can’t do it. I can’t do it. I can’t do it” His brain was panicking again; he couldn’t make it shut up. The gap was so wide and the hole so deep! He started backing up ever so slowly.

 “Huggy! Listen to my voice. You’ll be okay. I won’t drop you, I swear” Huggy squeezed his arms tighter again. “You can hold on tight, I won’t mind. We’ll be okay. You just have to trust me, okay?” He nodded. He inched them forward until his foot was right next to the edge. “It’s okay if you go slow” And he did. He slowly scooted off the floor and into the pit, but it still swung them a bit until they hung directly below the handle. “Just don’t look down. Close your eyes and listen to my instructions. I’m going to need you to swing your legs back and forth. It’ll rock us enough that I will be able to release us and land on the other side” Huggy was beyond terrified. His eyes were squeezed shut, not daring to look down. Slowly but surely, he started swinging them back and forth. That was until he heard the GrabPack hand release from the trigger. In a panic and due to instinct, he curled up in a ball that completely wrapped around P.W. This, however, worked in their favor as it ensured a nice landing a few feet away from the ledge.

 Huggy started thanking whatever gods had sent P.W., the Guardian Angel, to keep him safe. It took him a moment to uncurl to let P.W. free, but the close proximity was actually quite nice. You did great! Thanks for trusting me. I knew you could do it. P.W. was also the only scientist to give him compliments and congratulate him; Dr. Sawyer did too, but never with P.W.’s sincerity.

A small archway was in front of them, and just behind that was a regular-sized door. Sorry, buddy, it looks like you’ll have to squeeze again. These doors must be a real pain. Huggy really didn’t want to do that. After all the battering he had taken today, he would have been satisfied just to nap with P.W. He liked holding them like a teddy bear; it was comforting, if anything else. His ribs hurt, and he still felt a migraine from the box hitting him, peering up. The day has just been so overwhelming, and he didn’t know what to do anymore! So he cried; he stood quietly, looking at the floor, as tears rolled down his face. His thick fur made it hard to tell, but P.W. knew the signs. Sadly, they were very familiar with seeing how many of the “toys” cried.

Oh, Huggy… What’s wrong? Can I help?

“It… hurts. Ever—ything hurts!”

Does your head still hurt? I’m so sorry I hit you with that box! I wasn’t thinking… Huggy nodded but also pointed to his chest. Does your chest hurt? A nod. Was it because of the wall? Another nod, but he covered his eyes at that one. Thank you for saving me from that room. You don’t have to be ashamed of the actions you took. You were panicking and didn’t know what else to do. They started taking off their GrabPack and then their regular backpack. They unzipped it and grabbed the medkit out. Inside was a jar of painkillers, very strong painkillers. Here. Take one. It should help numb the pain and be strong enough for someone your size. Huggy reluctantly uncovered his eyes. He faced another problem as his large, unmoving hand couldn't grasp the small painkiller. This only served to frustrate him more. Bend down. I can feed it to you… sorry I gave you such uncontrollable hands. Huggy bent down, and P.W. popped the pill into his mouth. He swallowed it, so tiny compared to him. Before he stood back up, he gave P.W. a quick hug.

“Not your—fault” P.W. leaned into the hug after that. After putting on all their packs again—seriously, it would have been nicer with a fanny pack, but then there would have been less storage—they continued through the door. P.W. first, then guiding Huggy through so he didn’t hurt himself further. Thankfully, the pill started to kick in, but given his size, the best it could do was act like a normal ibuprofen for a normal-sized person.

Behind them stood Poppy, who was staring down a massive hole in the middle of the floor. All the other hallways were blocked off with shutter doors; there was no indication of how to open them. They both approached slowly. Poppy turned to them.

“Listen. I’m going to need you to trust me.” Before anyone could do anything, a large pink hand reached out of the depths, snatched Poppy, and dragged her down the hole. Her screams could be heard ringing out.

“POPPY!!” They had to think, and they had to think fast! “HUGGY! TAKE THE HAND OF THE GRABPACK AND LOWER ME DOWN!” Huggy was also quick to react. He took the blue hand with both of his—to the best of his ability—and watched as P.W. jumped down the hole after her. It immediately yanked Huggy forward, but he held firm.

A few seconds later came a tug, followed by another two. They were very deliberate. It was a sign to go down. “Fall down another hole…? That’s too many wide gaps, but now I actually have to fall down?! …I have to do it… P.W. could be in danger” That final thought seemed to be enough encouragement as he jumped down the hole not a moment later. He was pleasantly surprised to find that he had fallen down a slide. By the time he reached the bottom, he saw P.W. standing a few feet in front of him.

I needed my other hand to do that power “puzzle” to get through. I just hope that Poppy can hold on. Huggy let go of the hand and waited for them to turn the power back on. When he saw them emerge from the power room off to the side, he flipped the lever of the large shutter door. The door lead to a hall titled “Game Station”. It was very tall, the ceiling not even close to being visible. At the end of the hall, another shutter door, this time triggered by the red GrabPack hand. As P.W. sent the hand out when they approached the door, the pink hand came down and grabbed it. It ripped the hand off the wire, leaving P.W. with just the blue one.

“A new playmate! It’s been so long. Isn’t this exciting, Poppy?” Mommy Long Legs lowered herself from the ceiling, sliding down the walls like the spider she was. Her left arm held Poppy, whose mouth was covered in webbing, rendering her trapped and incapable of communicating with P.W. She still was glaring at Mommy Long Legs, though. “Oh! And Huggy’s here, too. Isn’t that just wonderful?” Her smile was deranged and hungry. They needed delicacy to handle this situation.

Huggy tried to step forward; it was unclear whether it was to grab Poppy, attack Mommy Long Legs, or just plain protect P.W… P.W. stopped him by sticking out their arm, indicating that they’d handle it.

“The only thing down here that Poppy could give you would be the train code, but there’s no fun in just giving it to you. Ooo, I know! We’ll make a game out of it! The Game Station is still working. It’ll be just like old times. You’re going to have so much fun. Head to Musical Memory, and Mommy will get things started! …Obey the rules, or I’ll tear you apart and eat your insides while you’re still alive… That goes for your furry friend as well…” She giggled at her own sick joke and crawled back up the hallway. The door in front of them opened.

P.W. was freaking out! Mommy had Poppy and just threatened Huggy’s life! Now they had to play some sick game to get Poppy and some train code she had barely mentioned.

They didn’t know what to do other than actually play the twisted game…

Chapter Text

The Game Station looked the same as it always did, except for the distinct lack of people and overall darker atmosphere. It was chilling to see it so void of life. One of P.W.’s fond memories—those were few and far between—was of seeing the children run around playing with each other. At least they could have one last nice day before being shipped off to the labs. All that was left were the children’s drawings, which were suspiciously hung up everywhere, and webbing that decorated the ceilings. It appeared that some of the victims were strung up and long dead. They tried not to dwell on that fact.

 “How many had to die while waiting for someone to help them? I’m just a stupid coward. If I had just done a better job at keeping Sawyer and Him at bay, none of this would’ve happened” P.W. was once again subjected to the horrid memories; one’s of being forced to watch as the children suffered the experiments and suppression tests. The first few weeks were especially terrible.

 They joined Playtime Co. after Elliot Ludwig had sought out people from the “Young Geniuses” program for something. P.W. mainly joined to repay Mr. Ludwig for the support he gave them throughout their younger years. They had just barely graduated college with their PhD—which was mostly paid through scholarships via Ludwig—when they were contacted again. They were given a job as one of the lead biologists in a new project Playtime Co. was starting. A fellow member of the Young Geniuses program, Harley Sawyer, had become the project's leader. They didn’t know how to feel about that. During the program, Sawyer was always distant and cold; he always held a different vibe around him.

 They didn’t quite know what the job would entail, but they didn’t ask too many questions as they were desperate for work. It felt off when they were first brought into the wing of the factory they would be working in, but they continued. The rooms were sterile from cleaning and included a lot of laboratory equipment. 

Then they were shown her…

 P.W. continued to stand there, eyes glazed over. Huggy was unsure what to do, but he didn’t know why. This expression was relatively common in most employees throughout the factory days, P.W. included.

P.W. wasn’t moving. They were frozen stiff, lost in the memories of the actions they committed. The sounds haunted them every night from the beginning of the project to this very moment. If God was real, he wouldn’t show mercy, but Huggy would. He would right now. Huggy once again picked up P.W. and squeezed them in a comforting hug. No one else could give a hug quite like him. His plush fur made the embrace warm and soft, which eventually brought P.W. up from the depths of their mind.

Thanks again was all they managed after being put down. Huggy didn’t need any more than that.

 We need to move on now… and play her games. Huggy tensed at that, fearing what could entail after Mommy Long Legs’ description. Don’t worry. I’m pretty sure it’s just the games you kids had to do… Myself and the other scientists were also required to test them out when they were first implemented. That didn’t comfort Huggy. The “games” all included someone like them. Someone like the toys.

 Finally walking further into the room, the two approached the platform with the train behind it. It allowed them to get a larger view of the room, to see the train up close again, and to pull the lever with a blinking light. P.W. honestly wasn’t shocked seeing the power keeping all of the electronics going. The kids were tested for intelligence, after all.

 P.W. immediately pulled it. They knew it was the only way to trigger the Game Station. Stella Greyber’s voice played on the intercom, but the duo ignored it. The two had heard it enough times before; there was nothing to learn through hearing it. Stella was one of the more tolerable project leaders; it didn’t mean P.W. liked her. They liked none of the leaders. The first game that was activated was Musical Memory. It was Huggy’s least favorite. The doctor watched with a slightly disapproving glare whenever Huggy took that test.

 Once the floor opened, the two descended the stairs. Huggy only briefly made eye contact with the large rabbit sign, looking down on them. Usually, the stairs would lead straight to a hall the kids would use to walk into the game room. This time, the hall was blocked by a large shutter door with only a sliver of a crack to see through. Neither could fit through the crack, and P.W. didn’t want Huggy to cause another cave-in that could hurt him further. Luckily enough, there was already a caved-in wall to the right. They traveled down the exposed hallway with no other way to go—as the door to the right was locked.

 It was the same as most maintenance halls in the factory; pipes lined the walls, and storage areas were fenced off. Upon closer inspection, the end of the service hall held a hole in the ground, which was a tunnel—a cramped one at that.

 I’ll scope it out first to see if it’s safe. P.W. dropped down the hole and crawled down, switching on their flashlight again. The tunnel led to one of the GrabPack hand production rooms. This one specialized in the green hands used for rerouting electricity. After a quick look around the room, they called for Huggy. Huggy made the uncomfortable journey through the dark and dirt but wound up on the other side just fine. It looks like the only way through is to make me a green hand. P.W. switched the lever to start up the machine and pressed the first button. The second didn’t work as well due to a busted pipe. The third also didn’t work due to the lack of green paint. Both problems were solved easily, though.

 Once the hand was retrieved, P.W. used it to activate a conveyor belt door. With all the warnings on the doors, one would think that the executives would’ve enforced that rule more often. P.W., once again, didn’t experience any issues climbing through the narrow halls, but Huggy did. The constant cramped spaces never got more comfortable. Within the maze of the conveyor belts, the two finally found an exit in the form of another hole in the wall. It only led them to another hallway, one among many.

 At the end of the hall was the entrance to the game room for Musical Memory, and there was a cutout of Bunzo, the Birthday Bunny. There were many of the cutouts littered everywhere to entertain kids when the Bigger Bodies toys couldn’t be present. Each cutout featured a button that would ring out voice lines when pressed.

 Want to see if it’ll say anything? P.W. snickered. Huggy only nodded his head towards the cutout as if to humor the person.

 “I know when your birthday is~ June 28th!” P.W. was taken aback at that. “How did it know…?” Trying to shake off that encounter, they stepped into the room. It contained a raised platform that led to an elevated stage. Once the two were on the stage, the platform lowered, and the tutorial videos played. The duo once again didn’t pay attention; both listened to it enough times. Sometimes, it felt like it was burned into their minds. Once the tape was done, she started talking.

 “Oh, isn’t it amazing? Mommy hasn’t seen the place up and running in years! Mommy can only imagine how excited Bunzo must be” At that, P.W. glanced up to see Bunzo’s lowering form. Once he reached the end of the wire, he slammed his cymbals together. P.W. just kept a sympathetic look. “How long has he been stuck there? Even in the factory days, they’d let him down… Poor kid”

Unlike P.W., Huggy never took his eyes off Mommy Long Legs. His gaze was steady, showing no fear of the intimidating figure. “But, uh oh! This game is meant for only one person to play, and our little friend here is the only one with a GrabPack. We have to follow the rules, now don’t we, Huggy?” The shutter door and platform raised again. “Go on now, Huggy. We want to play fair!” Huggy froze. He didn’t want to leave P.W. with this twisted person.

Go on… I’ll be okay. Even those comforting words felt uncertain. Huggy reluctantly walked backward over the platform; his eye contact never broke from Mommy’s sinister grin. The door shut again. Then the game started up. The first few rounds were always easy, even with the few buttons that got added. P.W. did their best to ignore the closing in of cymbals. They kept their cool. Once they reached the final round, that’s when it turned.

The final round included filling the ring of buttons and adding a top layer. This round was meant to confuse and freak out the kids to see if they’d succumb to panicking. To win that round, the kids would have to show signs of keeping a cool head and note that a lot of the commands being called out didn’t have corresponding buttons to begin with. However, P.W. didn’t think that Mommy would follow those rules. They were correct, as the sound of cymbals neared at a much quicker pace.

 An emergency stop button was created if the kids panicked too much or couldn’t figure out what to do. The trick was that it spun quickly around the ring to up the difficulty. P.W. quickly searched for it; the flashing lights and monotone voice that rang out tried to confuse them, but they were unsuccessful. Once they struck the emergency button, the system freaked out. It lowered all the buttons, lights shut off, and the wire holding Bunzo retracted upwards.

“Oh. It broke. That’s no fun…” P.W. almost forgot that she was sitting in the observer’s room, well, observing. Before she could continue her obviously oncoming monologue, they interrupted.

“What is going to happen to Bunzo? He was retracted all the way up, and I don’t think you intend on letting him stretch his legs after the past decade…” That made Mommy pause. Squinting curiously.

“Why are you talking to me? I know you don’t like doing it…” That marks the second person who immediately recognized them; hopefully, Huggy was part of the minority that forgot. Mommy was always a strange case regarding P.W. She kept her normal distance but seemed to lack the usual violence directed at other employees. P.W. was usually the only one she even let near when doing checkups, which they had to perform mainly on their own when anesthesia wasn’t available. If anything, she tolerated P.W. but also seemed to trust them while they were around the kids. Perhaps their reputation was known throughout the factory among the toys.

“Why do you care for Bunzo?” P.W. only glared before signing.

He doesn’t deserve to die. Simple as that. Mommy looked like she was about to be hit by a bus, a deer frozen in headlights. Time had long wore on Mommy’s brain, so hearing someone predict her very broken thoughts must have been shocking. I want you to put him in the Game Station so he can leave with me. He’s not your pet to play with to get at me.

“Fine… but you’ll only get Bunzo as a trade for the train code piece I promised you!” She once again grinned, believing she gained the upper hand.

Although I don’t like using people as playing cards, I accept. Mommy was honestly and full-heartedly shocked. “Don’t they want to survive? I know that they’re the kind one, but that’s a bit much…”

“Very well! Mommy was hoping the game could last a little longer” The platform began raising, as did the shutter door. Huggy had remained behind that door, unmoving from his last seen position. Before P.W. could walk over to him, the platform collapsed, throwing them onto the floor below. Huggy immediately panicked and went to reach for them.

I’m okay! I’m okay. From his kneeling position on the floor above, Huggy lifted his arm back to himself and gave only a worried look. I think we need to separate for a little bit. Before you question me or start panicking again, it’s for a good reason. What if other people need saving in this area? Plus, I made a deal with Mommy… Bunzo should be waiting for you in the Game Station. I want you to go calm him down and get him on our side; too many people at once could freak him out. Huggy knew that P.W. was being as logical as possible, trying to cover all the bases, but they were still worried. The two have barely been separated throughout P.W.’s entire experience today. Nonetheless, he nodded.

“Only because you asked me too… and for Bunzo too” P.W. gave them a comforting smile before turning to a nearby vent. Huggy watched them go before returning the way he came; he was curious to see if Mommy would hold up her end of the deal.

The vent took P.W. to the “Island of Misfit Toys” as their friend Rich liked to call it. The way to get out was via a lifting platform activated by a button. The problem with this was one of the large Bron toys that was on it… the blood indicated that it was already dead. P.W. tried not to look at it. In order to move Bron, they would need to use the crane that traversed the room, using the green hand to power it. Once that ordeal was completed, they moved on. The next problem to overcome was another lifting platform connected to one of the power “puzzles.” This was completed much faster.

The success of those two challenges led them to a hallway and stairs. Those stairs reached up to the door on the right of the Musical Memory hall. The thing holding it shut was a simple chair shoved under the door handle. Once free from that, they were back in the Musical Memory hall. They followed the stairs up only to be met with an image they didn’t want to see.

Huggy held his arms up defensively as Bunzo glared and hissed at him. Huggy was clearly unsure of what to do, and Bunzo only looked terrified! Both were slightly bloody, no doubt a result of high tension.

“Huggy! Stand down! I’m back; I’ll take care of it. Please calm down”

“He atta—cked me first…”

“I know, and I’m sorry I made you do that, but please stand down.” Huggy slowly backed away from the glaring Bunzo, both pairs of eyes never leaving each other. “Bunzo, hey… do you remember me? I’m P.W.” Bunzo’s eyes immediately locked on them. Confusion seemed to surface, but that was better than hostility right now. “I promise that Huggy and I won’t hurt you. I just wanted to protect you from Mommy. I thought she might get angry at you, but it wasn’t your fault” Bunzo began trembling before sobbing. He threw his cymbals against the ground, the loud clattering making P.W. wince, and started crying like the young kid he never stopped being. Sadly, a product of immortality.

“I’M SORRY I HU—RT YOU!!! I’M SORRY HUGGY! I thought she was going to eat me! I don’t want to di-e!!” So, memory was achieved. P.W. rushed forward to grab Bunzo’s hands, a comforting gesture the bunny had always liked. Huggy soon joined the group but didn’t touch Bunzo, primarily out of fear of being bitten again. The three remained huddled until Bunzo was all cried out.

It’s alright, it’s okay. I forgive you. Bunzo hiccuped, his tears finally ending. I wanted to save you from her, regardless if she was going to do anything or not. I’m trying to get as many of you out of here as possible. Will you help Huggy and me? Bunzo nodded, voice too shaky for words right now. P.W. was overjoyed to have another member of this rag-tag group.

“Should we move on now?” Huggy, the ever-task-oriented one, was correct. There were still two games to cover, after all.