Chapter Text
“Have you ever made a mistake? A really big one that could change your entire life..?”
“Well sure. I’ve made a few.”
“What about this one?”
“This one?”
“Yeah you know. This. All of this.”
“No. No, this was not a mistake. I’ve never been more certain of anything ”
“Pinky promise..?”
“Pinky promise.”
Darkness. The smell of copper, rot and must. It’s all that he’s known for so many long.. Excruciating years.. The Mini’s, normally only seen when they try to nip and nibble at his entrails, had been chattering, abuzz with some kind of news. Usually it was something trivial like another toy being caught in ‘the prophets’ territory or some decree from the Prototype itself though they had grown rare indeed. Today though..
“A.. A worker..? Returned..? I thought..”
DogDay’s voice echoes in the small cell, his ears perking up before folding back as a whimper escapes him. The familiar scrape of claws on concrete suddenly dragged towards him.
“Silence, Mutt.” A single baleful eye pierces the black surrounding them.
Garnering what little courage he had left, he stares back, even as fear crawls up what remains of his spine. He couldn’t remember when he started calling him that, all he knew was that even after all this time.. It still hurts. Once they were friends, but.. He steels himself, clenching his fists in a small show of defiance.
“Why..? Still sick of the sound of my voice..?”
A low hiss blows dust from the floor as heavy steps bring that grinning face into the dim lights overhead. The wide, stretched smile, pointed ears that flick and twist toward any sound and the dim crescent moon hanging from his neck.
“It will change, nothing.” CatNap rasps, ignoring the canine’s jab while his voice box crackles with static.
“I’m sure you hope so..” Day’s eyelights flicker dimly.
CatNap chuffs, stepping closer as the lit candles highlight his features in a dull orange glow. He pauses, staring at DogDay while they stared back, the silence stretching thin before it snaps. “You know.. If you were to join me..” DogDay flinches, knowing what’s coming as his eyes dart away when the feline gets right up in his face. “Even after so long.. You could still curry His favor.” His strained smile stretches that much further, his eye lights brightening enough to cast a pale glow on the canine’s face. “Help me dispatch this intruder, take a place at my side. Our Lord can restore you, doesn’t that sound nice..?”
DogDay clenches his fists, his own dull eye lights flickering on. “I think I would rather die, thanks.” Despite the fear, he maintains the stare down between them.
CatNap’s ears twitch back, his pupils widening for just a moment before shrinking down. “Why.. Why must you always be so difficult!?” He snarls. “He granted us freedom, He gave us our home!”
“How many times do I have to say it!? He took away my friends, you took away our friends!” His weak voice cracks. “I don’t care what he gave us!! That monster-”
A paw grabs his jaw, slamming the disfigured canine against the wall with a crack that makes him yelp out in a mix of fear and pain. Tears well up in his eyes as he stares wide eyed at CatNap, his eye sockets going dark as the fear overtakes him once more.
The paw grabs his chin, claws pricking his skin as DogDay whines. “Do. Not! Speak ill of our Savior.. The only reason you are allowed to live at all is by His! Grace!” He releases the canine’s head with a sharp snap to the side that makes them wince.
DogDay’s breathing comes hard through his nose as he stares at the floor, a faint whimper escaping his throat despite his best efforts.
“Fine then. If that is what you want? Then fine. You will lose yourself in this place. And for what? Your ‘morals’?” CatNap scoffs, tail lashing behind him. “There is no one left to save except yourself, Mutt. No reason to fight. It is just You, and Me, and our Lord. And He has run out of patience.” The feline’s damaged voicebox crackles with insistence. An almost desperate tone that gets buried in the static.
The canine’s eyes remain dark, none of the usual defiance, none of the anger. Instead, a single tear rolls down his cheek as his breathing hitches.
CatNap’s tail lashes as he snaps his head away from the sight. “Tears.” He scoffs, “How unbecoming of a ‘leader’. Honestly, it’s-”
CatNap freezes as he’s interrupted by a soft voice. “I.. I don’t want to do this anymore CatNap.. Please..” The canine inhales shakily as more tears make trails through the dust and grime on his face, the pause uncomfortably long. “If there was ever a part of me or our friendship that was.. That was real, I beg you.. Let. Me. Go..” Desperation drips from his broken voice.
CatNap’s breath hitches, his heart pounding in his chest. That familiar, aggravating roar building up in his ears as they fold back tightly against his skull.
The silence stretches to fill the room, looking up again, the canine finds himself alone once more. Tears pour from his eyes, dripping into the blood beneath him on the floor, the sound of broken sobs filling the hall for far from the first time.
This place can fucking BITE me.
He hisses, wincing every time he puts weight on his bruised leg, a lovely parting gift from Mommy Longlegs, the Bigger Body who claimed the Game Station as her territory.
From the moment he’d arrived back at PlayTime he’d known this was a bad idea. But with the bank threatening foreclosure on his family home, the last piece of that family he had, plus the bills and expenses from living in the good old US of A. He’d been forced to make a stupid decision. Far more stupid than he’d expected, especially after ten years.
He knew there had to be a vault somewhere in this factory. They certainly didn’t keep most of their funds in the bank after all, he knew that much.
Stepping onto the train he drops into the driver's seat and sighs, rubbing his eyes. “Fucken hell.. How long has it been since I slept..?”
The intercom in the corner crackles to life, a familiar but no less irritating voice grates on his ears. “Uhh.. It’s been like.. Two or three hours since you woke up after getting knocked out earlier. Sorry about that by the way Will..” Poppy at least had the courtesy to sound regretful over scaring him half to death.
He rolls his eyes and exhales through his teeth. “It’s.. Fine I guess..?” The irritation in his voice fades as he takes a breath. “Look, so, once we get the train going, what’s next?”
“Then we can get on outta here! This tunnel leads right up to a loading dock outside the factory!” She sounds excited at the idea, though Will goes quiet. Plucking at the loose threads of his torn shirt.
On the one hand he had come here expecting an empty building.. At least he had thought by now there couldn’t be anything left. But no, turns out there’s still life here somehow. Dangerous things that seemed determined to tear his head from his torso..
On the other hand, he still hadn’t found what he came for. A few hundred bucks had been in the gift shop manager's office. He was just thankful he’d remembered the code from when he worked up there. Technically he wasn’t supposed to know that code but there’d been a couple times the manager, the lazy ass he was, would leave him to count the registers and close up.
But what he needed was thousands at the minimum. And leaving now would only mean he’d bought himself more time, a month or two at most, before the bank would give up on him.
“What if I didn’t want to leave yet?” He finally asks, breaking the awkward silence.
“W-Wha? You-” Poppy sounded utterly confused now.
“Look, I came here because I need to find cash, or something valuable. This place is huge, there’s gotta be.. Something I can use.” He pulls out the train code pieces, working the panel to put them in.
Poppy is quiet for a few moments before she giggles, rather creepily, he thinks to himself. “This works out brilliantly then! And here I thought I was gonna have to trick you into staying!”
“Say what now..?” He raises a brow.
She sputters, “Uh nevermind! Look! You have something you need from me; I have something I need from you! Let’s work together and we can both get what we want!” She leaves the offer hanging in the air.
“Alright, what do I need to do then?” He grabs the break lever and pushes it forward, the train’s whistle blowing shrilly in the enclosed hall of the Game Station as the aged vehicle starts to rattle forward.
“First things first, we need to get down to the lower levels. There’s–” She pauses, her tone turns apprehensive, “Something down there that I need you to destroy. We can discuss the details later, but along the way you can look for what you need! I’m sure you can find something expensive down there!”
“Just break something huh? I think I can manage that.” Will runs a hand down his face, watching as the track changes directions and begins descending into the tunnel.
Poppy giggles again, the sound of her clapping her hands in excitement coming through the speakers. “Oh this is so exciting! You have no idea how long I spent trapped in that stupid case! And since you took out Huggy and Mommy? I know you’re capable of doing what needs to be done! We’re finally gonna be able to-” The speaker crackles and pops as the light inside the cab flickers out with it.
“Uh.. Poppy..?” Will sits up, looking out the window as the train's headlamp flickers. The engine coughs as he feels it begin to pick up speed. Looking at the panels again his heart begins to thud in his chest. “Fuck.. Fuck okay uh.. Which- Fuck why are none of these labelled!?”
A beeping alarm chirps from the console, the panic growing as he pulls on each lever uselessly. The engine's pistons hissing angrily as the tunnel is lit up by sparks every time the engine hits a curve.
Grabbing the large brake lever he tries to pull it back, the old mechanism stubbornly resisting as a panel on the console lights up.
:WARNING UNSAFE SPEEDS: :STOP TRAIN:
“I’m fucking trying! Come on you son of a–” The lever finally gives way, throwing Will back against the wall as pain blooms across the back of his head. The entire engine rattles, threatening to come apart as the wheels shriek like the souls of the damned.
“Come on, come on! Fuck!” He yells out, trying to brace himself as his world suddenly flips. Everything seems to go into slow motion as shards of glass and sparks fly through the air. The control panel is the last thing Will sees as he blacks out.
Existence is fire. Plasma. Her mind shatters and rebuilds itself as every molecule and atom in her body is torn apart and put back together in the maelstrom of high energy detonation. The pieces scream out to her, some memories older, some newer.
...
“Will you just leave me alone!? I told you I’m fine!”
...
:WARNING-CODE: -BLACK-
...
Incorrect. Analysis indicates-
...
CONTAINMENT-GRID: -FAILING-
...
“I don’t care about your damn ‘analysis’ Aeries. Give me back my damn access codes.”
...
POWER-GRID: -FAILING-
...
“Negative. Expedition Members must maintain a minimum mental wellness. Until further notice you are barred from duty.”
...
ERR0R-ERRO5: -S7STEM F4ILU53-
...
“You can’t fucking do this to me! I made you for fucks sake!”
...
ANCHOR SYSTEM FAILING. EVACUATE.
...
“Affirmative. That is exactly why I must do this. You may come and go as you please, pursue any research you would like. But you are hereby placed under observation and will be assigned therapeutic counseling.”
...
LOCAL REALITY DISTORTIONS DETECTED.
:EVACUATE:
::EVACUATE::
:-:EVACUATE:-:
Winter gasps sharply, blue and red eyes shoot open as they slowly focus on the concrete ceiling above her. A hand goes to her chest, feeling her heart thuds under her baggy jumpsuit that had twisted on her frame. The panic and adrenaline slowly fades along with the odd memories in her mind. Feeling moisture on her eyes she wipes away the tears that had started to form at their corners.
Slowly sitting up she hisses as her joints ache in protest of the movement. Her four eyes blink slowly as she looks around the damp and dank room. Aged spare furniture, a broken pipe pouring water onto the ground. Some kind of electrical panel on the wall, a large screen beside it flickering dimly.
Right.. I’m.. I'm here.. Wherever the fuck here is..
When that strange energy had washed over her lab it had been agony. Like every cell in her body was torn apart and put back together in a different way.
That would explain the soreness I guess..
Waking up in a grassy field, looking up at a sun that.. Flickered? She hadn’t had time to really take in her surroundings, instead staggering towards the darkest room she could find as her head threatened to explode from the light.
As the confusion and pain fought for dominance in her head, she slowly stood from the filthy couch she’d collapsed onto. Staggering around the room raised more questions than answered.
First of which was; why were her clothes so loose on her body anyways..? Tugging at the baggy thing with a scowl a glint of a reflection catches her eye. A small mirror mounted on the wall above a sink in the corner.
Looking at herself her eyes widened. “What the fuck!?” She jolts at the sound of her own voice as it cracks. Where once her voice would have been described as gruff, or butch to others. Now it was like talking to an early grad with a geological engineering degree. Which.. Granted she did have; but that was beside the point.
By all accounts she looked like herself but.. Young. Far too young. A hand pokes and prods at her face with a furrowed brow. Same pointed snout, same pointed teeth. Grey skin, freckles across her face. Her mothers blue eyes with white sclera on the left and her fathers ruby red with black sclera on the right. The four of them blinking together, the smaller pair below and behind the larger pair.
The same brown hair tied back in a ponytail and the same fins sprouting from the back of her head and her elbows. Her legs, still the digitigrade form they ought to be and despite the soreness all over, thankfully free of any visible injury. Though much shorter now.. She’d been a solid ten feet last time she checked but now she guessed she was a bit less than half that! She’d experienced major growth spurts growing up and it appeared she’d be rewound to just before they started; much to her chagrin.
Looking at her ears in her reflection she frowns. The two metal fins she had augmented herself with years past, hung limply on her head. Looking similar to aircraft wings complete with a red light at the end of the right and a green light at the end of the left, though both were dim.
She huffs in frustration and uses her clawed finger to press the small button under her left ear, holding it down for several seconds before a blinking red battery symbol fills her vision.
:BIOCHEMICAL CHARGE IN PROGRESS. ESTIMATED WAIT TIME (45) MINUTES:
“Great.. Must have gotten discharged when I got hit by the wave..” She sighs, blinking the message away.
Circling around the room slowly, eyeing the various decrepit control panels before her curiously, her eyes settle on the large dimly lit screen on the wall. Her tail swaying behind her as she approaches, that feeling of confusion just growing as she reads. “Home Sweet Home..? Playhouse.. Toy Store.. What? Okay, backup power supplies.. Only some of them are charged.” Listing off the pieces of the puzzle, she tries to put together any kind of idea of where she was. It wasn’t until a spark from a pile of scrap metal in the corner that she finally looked up.
Well.. Pile of scrap may have been a tad harsh. It looked like some kind of generator but it was positively shredded. Huge gouges taken out of nearly every part of the machine. The thought of repair was quickly dashed, only to be replaced by a growing anxiety.
“What the hell did this..?” She frowns at the way her voice echoes in the small room. Slowly rubbing a hand over one of the trios of slashes. This damage was recent too, sometime in the last few hours if she had to guess. She racked her brain, trying to remember anything about when she first arrived beyond initially coming to, but it was all just static.
Her eyes drifted to the staircase leading up and out of the room. One part, a big part, wanted to run out there and try and find someone, or something that could piece these odd trails in her mind together.
But the other, the biologist in her, was firmly fixated on those claw marks. Something made them, and no doubt that thing was dangerous to need an evolutionary adaptation like that. But sitting here doing nothing was equally unappealing.
“If I had a weapon or something..” She hums, looking around. This was a maintenance room of some sort. So there must be.. “Aha! Perfect!” She drags a large toolbox from the shelf and digs through the contents.
An electric drill with a battery that had long corroded into uselessness, a hammer, some nails, screws.. Wire clippers, a roll of some kind of.. Adhesive? Despite its obvious age it appeared mostly usable. “Duck.. Tape?” She blinks. “What the hell is a duck..?” She shakes the thought from her head.
Setting it aside she tugs open each drawer looking for anything she could use. “Here we go..” A long piece of metal with a flattened end from the bottom most drawer. About the length of her arm and curved on one end, clearly meant for prying materials apart. “Perfect!” Pulling out the heavy metal bar she frowns, the muscles in her arms twitching with that signature weak feeling like when you’ve missed a meal.
All she could hope was that they would recover but for now she’d just have to make do. Looking back in the toolbox she grabs a spool of wire and makes a quick makeshift sling for the thing so it can hang from her hip.
A soft hissing sound makes her jump as she spins around towards the source. Seeing nothing at first before a pneumatic tube affixed to the wall by the power screen ‘clunks’ softly. “Gods..” She let out a breath. Sighing at her own jumpiness. “Wonder how I missed that before..” Approaching it she lifts the cover on the end and pulls the plastic tube from within.
Clicking it open she shakes the sole item inside into her palm. “A key..?” It was a simple brown key with a tag on a ring. “Playhouse..” She blinks, looking around once more, now for something specific. That’s when she sees it. On the wall above the doorway leading up the stairs. It was an odd boxy device but she could recognize a camera lens when she saw one.
It was an interesting aspect when learning about technology developed by different species. Certain aspects would be almost universally the same, save for a few very specific circumstances. Lenses were one such thing. Apparently there were only so many ways to grind glass in a way that was effective.
Looking right at the lens she narrows her eyes. “Alright, not alone.” Moving to the other side of the room experimentally the camera doesn’t budge. Either it was completely static or the person behind it didn’t want her to know they were watching, which felt like a bit of a moot point at this juncture.
Looking back at the key in her hand she clenches her jaw. The likelihood this was a trap or an attempt at help felt equally likely. Again thinking back on her options though..
Jogging up the stairs to the door she takes a calming breath before pushing it open and stepping out into the light evening colored light.
CatNap’s ears swivelled towards the sound of a metal door opening and closing. Curiosity tugging his head towards the sound. Eyes scanning the floor of PlayCare below his perch on the roof of the Toy Store.
A flash of anger crossed his features as he tracked movement below. Someone was wandering out from under the statues. That.. Didn’t make any sense. He knew there had only been one employee. He’d tossed the man into the trash compactor himself! Seen the train wreck! It was a miracle that one had lived at all, much less another.
From here he couldn’t make out much detail but.. They had a tail, that was obvious. And.. Grey skin..? Another Bigger Body perhaps? Surely not.. If there were others He would have known about them. And if He knew then surely He would have told CatNap..
With questions mounting he snarled quietly. Tail flicking behind him in irritation. He had to deal with this quickly, this- This.. “Intruder..”
Standing slowly, he ignores the ever present pain in his joints. Watching his new prey as they look around this way and that, clutching a crowbar to their front. Pathetic.
As she walks around to the other side of the statues he takes the opportunity to drop from the top of the building silently. Surprisingly quick for his size, he darts across the concrete and plastic grass before with a single bounding jump, he lands in the center of the statues.
A divot in the center where water once sprayed from during hot ‘summer’ days allowed him to remain hidden from their angle. “My name’s Hoppy Hopscotch! Wanna try jumping to the moon with me?”
CatNap paused, another flare of irritation welling up in his chest. He always hated those damned boards. The kids loved to press them over and over again.
“Pay-ohn.. Fizta-goola.” Their voice makes it to his ears. He can’t help tilting his head at the language. It sounded like nothing he’d ever heard before.
“DogDay says.. Fetch!!”
“Aawww.. Zah’s voon doe-tee!”
CatNap shakes his head a little and slowly peaks over the edge to look down at them. To look at her.. He corrects. She curiously tugs the button open with her claws revealing the electronics within. She was almost a spitting image of a great white shark besides the more.. Obvious differences.. Especially the eyes, which were practically gleaming as she examined the small speaker and circuit board under the button.
The feline’s ear twitches, his curiosity getting the better of him as he leans further over. After all, it’s never a bad idea to gather information before taking on a new opponent.
The odd metal fins on her head twitch, the lights on their ends blinking on as the feline jolts. A spark going up his spine, similar to when one gets poked in a ticklish spot. “Ach-! Verru- the!? Ow.. My fucken ears..”
He blinks, it was like a switch had flipped in his head and now he could suddenly understand her.. He hated unknowns, unknowns meant weakness through ignorance, and he was not weak. Remembering his position he quickly ducks back just as the woman looks up as she walks.
“Huh.. Wonder how this one broke..” He hears the sound of metal scraping on the ground as his ears fold back against his skull.
There’s a click but only garbled static comes out of the speaker. “Aw.. The last one was cute but this one’s adorable! CatNap huh?” She stands in silence for a few moments. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised I’m not getting any answers from these..” She huffs in frustration.
CatNap leans over the edge, his patience already growing thin. He really should report this to his Lord first but.. No, he’ll be much happier knowing an unknown threat was taken out before it got the chance to escape. Lifting a paw as trails of red smoke flitter from his gaping maw, he slips, his claws scraping on the concrete.
Dozens of new questions add to the pile in her head and more frustratingly, sparse few answers. This place was clearly once someone’s home yet it was seemingly completely abandoned. Other than the cameras she had started seeing more of ever since she noticed the first.
The sound of metal on concrete above her makes her freeze in place. Slowly looking up as her heart pounds in her throat. An unnaturally wide smile under a pair of black eyes with bright glowing rings that were trained directly on her own; its maw trailing wisps of some kind of gas that was already making the edges of her vision blend together as the scent of burned flowers tickled at the edge of her senses.
A too long limb swings down at her, claws whistling through the air as she falls back, hissing in pain when her cheek is nicked. CatNap hisses, the sound like gas escaping a leaking valve, as he steps down from the statues, tilting his head as she scrambles to her feet, still facing him.
“W-Woah-! Easy!” She holds up her hands. Seeing him stop she nods and speaks in a gentle tone, like talking to a wild animal. “Okay, okay.. Good uh.. Critter..? I’m not a threat..”
The feline’s tail flicks as he steps towards her, only to stop and tilt his head in confusion. Winter plucking up the remains of a dead Candy Cat. Her nerves are on fire with alarm as her instincts scream to run. “Want this? Want.. Food? You like treats right?”
The feline’s eyes narrow, his tail whipping behind him. ”Silence..”
Winter freezes and blinks, looking at the corpse and back at him. “Oh– You can talk– You’re intelligent okay uhm- Shit I am so sor-!!” She yelps, CatNap leaping towards her with a snarl. The momentum makes his claws scrape on the aged concrete as he skids.
Making a mad dash for the PlayHouse Winter trips, slamming into the ground as the wind is knocked from her lungs. Gasping, she narrowly rolls out of the way of a slash before swinging the crowbar blindly, connecting with the feline's wrist when he swings at her again. A hiss and a pained yowl echoing across the dome as she scrambles to her feet.
CatNap snarls, eye lights like white hot burning coals as a cloud of smoke cascades from his maw and spreads across the ground like fog. Winter’s lungs squeeze at the scent, forcing her to cover her mouth as the world blurs.
Sprinting for the door she slams the key into the lock and pushes through barely dodging another slash from the feline as he yells at her. ”Heretic!” Their crackling, broken voice echoes in the small space as the door slams shut and is quickly locked once more.
Winter pants, arms and legs shaking as the doors rattle and creak with repeated impacts. Turning sharply she groans, the room spins and stretches in her vision as she coughs, turning to drop roughly onto the floor. A sharp pain goes up her side as she hisses, her hand going to the source instinctively. Taking a few stabilizing breaths she looks down and groans internally as her hand comes away covered in red. “Fuck..”
Looking down at herself a chill goes up her spine once more. Instincts firing at full blast. She was not alone here. And as a child-like giggle echoes from the vents above her, one thought echoes in her mind.
‘What the fuck was that!?’