Chapter Text
SecurityAngel
Chapter 1 — The New Assignment
The first thing Player noticed about Playtime Co. was the silence.
It wasn’t the peaceful kind.
It was the kind that pressed against your ears when a building was too big and too empty. The hallways stretched endlessly, polished floors reflecting harsh white lights from the ceiling. The building smelled faintly of plastic and chemicals.
And sugar.
Always sugar.
Player adjusted the strap of his bag as he walked deeper into the research wing. The factory was far larger than he had expected. Even after a week of orientation, he still found himself checking the signs above every hallway.
Research Sector C.
That was where he had been told to go.
His stomach twisted slightly.
He needed this job. Desperately.
The debt collectors had made that very clear.
Player tried not to think about the phone calls, the letters, the threats that came in polite envelopes. Working here meant stability. A paycheck. A chance to finally crawl out of the hole his family had left him in.
Still… something about this place felt wrong.
A group of researchers passed him in the hallway. They spoke in hushed voices.
“…Sawyer’s lab again?”
“Poor guy.”
“Hope he survives.”
Player slowed slightly.
Sawyer?
One of the researchers noticed him lingering and gave a small, sympathetic smile.
“You must be the new guy.”
Player nodded.
“Yeah. Just transferred to this sector.”
The researcher’s smile faded.
“Ah.”
That was not a reassuring reaction.
Player frowned slightly. “Is that bad?”
The researcher hesitated before leaning closer.
“You’re working under Dr. Sawyer, right?”
Player checked the folder in his hands.
Lead Scientist: Dr. Harley Sawyer
“Yeah,” Player said carefully.
The researcher winced.
“…Good luck.”
Before Player could ask anything else, they walked away.
That didn’t make him feel better.
---
Dr. Harley Sawyer’s lab was at the end of the hallway.
Unlike the rest of the research wing, the door was closed.
Locked.
Player knocked once.
Nothing.
He knocked again.
Still nothing.
Player was about to turn around when the door suddenly opened.
He nearly stepped into the person standing on the other side.
The man was taller than him.
Sharp posture. Dark circles under his eyes. His lab coat sleeves were rolled up slightly, revealing faint ink stains on his hands. He looked like someone who hadn’t slept properly in weeks.
Cold blue eyes examined Player for a moment.
“…You’re standing in my doorway.”
His voice was calm.
Flat.
Player blinked.
“Oh—sorry. I was told to report here.”
The man didn’t move.
“Name.”
“Player.”
Another moment of silence.
Then the man stepped aside.
“Come in.”
Player entered the lab cautiously.
The room was a controlled mess. Papers stacked across desks, research notes pinned to boards, diagrams covering entire walls. Monitors displayed security feeds from different sections of the factory.
Player noticed something strange.
Many of the camera feeds were focused on Playcare areas.
Children’s playrooms.
Observation halls.
Dr. Sawyer walked past him and dropped a stack of papers onto the desk.
“So,” he said without looking up, “you’re the replacement.”
Replacement?
Player tried not to think too hard about that wording.
“I guess so.”
Sawyer flipped through the papers.
His expression didn’t change.
“You graduated top of your program,” he said. “Developmental psychology, child behavior studies.”
Player nodded slowly.
Sawyer finally looked at him again.
“…Why did you apply here?”
The question caught Player off guard.
“Because it’s a toy company?”
Sawyer stared at him for a few seconds.
Then he laughed.
It wasn’t a warm laugh.
“Is that what they told you?”
Player felt a chill run down his spine.
Sawyer pushed a clipboard toward him.
“Sit.”
Player obeyed.
Sawyer leaned against the desk, crossing his arms.
“You’ll assist with documentation and observation reports,” he said. “You’ll follow my instructions. You’ll stay out of restricted files.”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“And you will not ask unnecessary questions.”
Player raised an eyebrow.
“That sounds suspicious.”
Sawyer studied him again.
Most new employees reacted differently.
Fear.
Nervousness.
Obedience.
Player just looked curious.
Interesting.
Sawyer turned away before the thought lingered too long.
“You start tomorrow,” he said.
Player stood.
“Okay.”
He hesitated before leaving.
“…Can I ask one thing?”
Sawyer sighed.
“What.”
Player gestured vaguely toward one of the monitors showing a Playcare room where children were drawing with crayons.
“…Do you ever go down there?”
Sawyer followed his gaze.
The screen showed a small child holding up a drawing to one of the toy mascots.
Silence filled the room for a moment.
“No,” Sawyer said.
Player frowned slightly.
“That’s a shame.”
Sawyer looked back at him.
“Why.”
Player shrugged.
“Kids are nice.”
Another pause.
“…They’re honest.”
Sawyer didn’t respond.
Player grabbed his bag.
“See you tomorrow, Dr. Sawyer.”
He left the room.
The door closed.
The lab was quiet again.
Sawyer stood there for a long moment before slowly looking back at the monitors.
One of the security feeds still showed the hallway outside.
Player walking away.
Sawyer leaned closer to the screen.
He watched until Player turned the corner and disappeared.
Then he turned back to his desk.
“…Kids are nice,” he muttered quietly.
Strange man.
Still…
Sawyer opened Player’s file again.
He skimmed through the pages more carefully this time.
Debt records.
Psychological evaluations.
Academic reports.
His eyes stopped on one note.
Volunteer work: children’s support centers.
Sawyer tapped the paper thoughtfully.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
He leaned back in his chair.
For the first time that day, he smiled slightly.