Work Text:
You hesitate and shiver. You decide to hold onto Poppy and look away.
The gun fires and hits the Prototype.
He screams in pain.
You see his arms moving around, and you realize that one of them is about to slam into the platform you were on. You see a hook on the ceiling and reel yourself on it just as the platform is hit.
Whatever that gun had, it was seeping into the Prototype’s body. He was moving like he was on fire, panicked and quick.
The thing fired again and this time, you can see his body melting.
Guilt haunts you.
‘’No… No, wait…’’ you gasp and let yourself fall. You rush to the Prototype, but Butcher rushes to stop you.
They hold onto you and force you to stay still as the Prototype continues to melt.
‘’Prototype!’’ you call to him.
The Prototype lets out a mess of voices and falls on his side.
‘’I… I can’t believe it… Anti formula actually worked. It broke the Poppy Gel like it was nothing.’’ Giblet says in amazement as he runs to Butcher. He sees you holding Poppy. ‘’Oh! And you found Poppy! What a relief…’’
He says it like it was in the plans all along.
It makes you feel even more guilty.
The thing that was holding the gun was walking behind Giblet. You see its eye looking around and then it spots you.
You have a bad feeling.
Poppy jumps out of your hands and goes to Giblet. ‘’What did you do? How did you…?’’
‘’It’s all this guy’s doing. He knew what to do.’’ Giblet points at the thing.
‘’The… Doctor? You… You did this?’’ Poppy blinks.
‘’And I am itching to do more.’’ the thing, Doctor, says and point the gun at Poppy. ‘’Step away from the key.’’
Everyone turns to the Doctor in shock.
‘’What?’’ Giblet blinks.
‘’That brat knew how to open the door to the other orphans. The second they left the room, the door locked behind them. I finally have access into that room.’’ Doctor says and looks at Butcher. ‘’I promised to help you defeat the Prototype. Now that it’s done, there is no need to work with a pest like you.’’
‘’Hey!’’ Butcher takes a step forward, but the Doctor points the gun at them.
‘’I am the one with weapon that can turn your bodies into a melted mess. You really think you can fight me?’’
You turn to Butcher. ‘’You… You let that thing in here?’’
Butcher looks over at you and hesitates.
‘’It… seemed like a good idea at the time…’’ Giblet says.
You don’t know what you wanted to say.
The Prototype was gone, Butcher had brought in the monster and now you realize that you have put all of the orphans in danger by simply opening a door.
It really was out of the frying pan and into the fire.
You feel guilt and sadness fill your insides.
‘’Doctor…’’ Poppy tries to negotiate.
‘’Now then… If you want to keep your pathetic bodies as they are now, I suggest you to…’’
You don’t hear the rest.
Your ears are ringing again and your vision turns blurry. Your breaths come out loud and your whole body shakes.
It’s hard to focus.
Your head lifts up and you focus on the Doctor, who was still holding the gun and looking at Butcher.
The same gun that killed the Prototype…
Your friend, your protector… The one who loved you so much.
How could you let him die? Why did you just stand there and let it happen?
The Doctor… The killer, the monster…
You cannot forgive this.
You want to snap.
Break him.
Scream your anger out.
Break him.
Destroy him.
Kill him.
And that was when your vision changed again from a blurry mess thanks to the tears to sharp. You can focus on the Doctor’s chest where his power seems to originate.
Destroy that, and that thing will fall.
You breathe out and Giblet sees Red Smoke seeping out of your mask’s mouth.
The Doctor blinks when he sees it too.
‘’What…?’’
You dash towards the Doctor and slam your hand into his chest. You see your hand sink into the metal like it was made of butter and you pull out everything that your fingers can reach. You force the Doctor to his knees and hit his screen.
The gun flies out of its hands and you use the GrabPack to catch it and slam it against the nearest wall. It breaks in half and liquid spills all over the floor.
Another robotic monster comes from an open door, and you used the GrabPack to capture it. It’s pulled towards you and you sink your hand into its screen.
Glass breaks and cuts deep into your muscles, but you don’t care. As you pull your hand out, you let that thing fall.
You stand there amongst the two unfunctional robots. You breathe in and out, Red Smoke exhales your mouth and you’re aware of your hands that have lost some of their skin as you hit into the metal.
‘’Kid…?’’ Butcher’s voice was quiet and hesitant.
You turn to look at them and groan.
You can literally feel it when your body starts to change.
Your legs become longer, your fingers stretch into something long and sharp, and your face… You feel something leaking from your eyes, coating your eyeballs as you blink and traveling all over your cheeks. You can taste the Red Smoke and feel how it dances around your lips.
These three people… Butcher, Giblet and Poppy…
They weren’t good people.
The Prototype would have been happy if Poppy wasn’t here.
Giblet was clearly so cowardly that he hid behind better men.
Butcher was the one who killed everyone around them.
You had to get rid of them.
They worked with the evil Doctor.
They had the formula that killed the Prototype. They could have more somewhere.
If that formula really interacts with the Poppy Gel, it would be deadly to you too. And the other orphans too.
The other orphans…
Those orphans were Prototype’s legacy. You cannot let any of them get hurt.
You have to get rid of the danger before that can happen.
‘’Child…’’ Poppy gasps.
You let out a roar as you rush at them with your arms swinging.
They ran away from you.
You’re still not used to the speed your body can get to, and you almost slammed into a wall as they were able to dodge you. You recover quickly and rush at them again.
They managed to get to the door and rush to the hallway that led them to an elevator.
You ran after them with your body still changing. It was a bit painful, so when you slam into a wall again, you stop to let your body change in peace.
You feel your muscles forming into something tense and powerful, giving you the strength to go faster.
Butcher turns to look at you, and you must have been a monstrous sight if their expression was anything to go by.
But you don’t care as you rush after them.
You’re faster now, but the doors to the elevator shut before you reach them.
But you don’t give up just yet as you pry your fingers between the doors and force them apart.
Whatever flesh you had on your fingers was peeling back and you can see your bones sticking out, but you’re too angry to care.
The doors open and you see the elevator’s floor going up and away from you, but you don’t give up.
You jump at the wall and start to climb.
Your hands and legs stick to the walls, and you climb up like you’ve never climbed before.
You’re fast. You catch the elevator in seconds and hold onto it as it goes up. You make the GrabPack’s hands to grab onto the walls and stop the elevator from moving.
The GrabPack struggles, but the elevator is stopped.
You hear them panicking.
Apparently, you had stopped the elevator in a spot where it was hard for them get the doors open.
‘’YOU’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!’’ you roar.
You release the blue hand and aim it at the elevator’s edge. Your fingers release something to the handles and you’re able to have your hands free.
Perfect.
You hit your hand on the elevator floor and feel the metal bend. You keep hitting until your hand is through and then you force the metal to bend so you can squeeze through.
You see Butcher helping Poppy out while Giblet is panicking in the corner.
They had gotten the doors open, but they were between the floors.
Giblet and Poppy, being the shortest, couldn’t get out of the lift on their own, so Butcher was helping them.
‘’Come on!’’ Butcher yells at Giblet and he rushes to them.
You keep squeezing and groaning. Red Smoke comes from your mouth, and you see Butcher covering their mouth and nose as they push Giblet out.
Now Butcher needed to get themselves out.
You managed to get your hand up and grab Butcher’s ankle.
‘’Where are you going?!’’ you scream. Your voice was changing little by little. Whether it was another change you were experiencing or your voice box was getting tired of screaming, you didn’t know. ‘’Didn’t you come here for me?! To save us poor little orphans?!’’
Butcher kicks your hand away and climbs out as fast as they can.
You get your body through and follow them. The GrabPack’s hands retrieve after you and snap onto their place.
Your body has changed again. It feels more natural to rush on all four as you go after Butcher.
You use your hands to push your body forward and your legs to kick yourself closer to Butcher.
You are not letting them get away.
You use the GrabPack to capture the back of Butcher’s head.
You see the hand grabbing Butcher, see them fall backward onto the floor, and you’re on them.
You slam your arms down on their chest, breaking their ribcage and crushing everything you can reach.
Your arms go up and down, raining nothing but pain and suffering onto Butcher’s body. Your forearms are like hammers as they sink into the flesh and crush the bones.
Blood flies on the walls and floor.
You might have been screaming, but you can’t hear it.
You stop only when you see Butcher as a bloody meat mess and then you stare down at them.
Butcher’s face and chest had caved in, and you can’t hear them breathing.
You see your hands for the first time. The muscle has peeled away from your fingers, leaving nothing but bone and veins that clung onto the bones. Your bones look like they were made of plastic, and the fingertips were sharp like knives.
Like a mini version of the Prototype’s hands.
Your savior’s… Your playmate’s…
It takes a moment for you to look up and see Giblet and Poppy just ten meters away. They had stopped to watch you kill Butcher, apparently too shocked to move.
You stare back at them, unmoving and unblinking. Then you suddenly stand up on your feet. You must have looked unnerving, because all Giblet and Poppy did was gasp audibly. You stand there for maybe two seconds and then rush at them.
Giblet and Poppy scream as they run away.
Gilbet’s foot slips and he falls over.
Poppy doesn’t notice or she doesn’t care.
Doesn’t make a difference to you.
You use the GrabPack to grab Giblet and pull him towards you.
Poppy gets to the end of the hallway and then she turns around to see you slamming Giblet’s body against the wall.
‘’No!’’ Poppy cries out.
You start to give the hand some slack and start to swing your arms around.
Giblet’s little body is thrown around. His body hits the wall, the ceiling, the broken glass, the hanging lamps, Butcher’s body…
Then you hear a sickening tear and look to see the hand coming back at you with a bloody skin still in its grip.
You turn to see Giblet on the floor maybe twenty meters away from you with the back of his skin completely ripped off. His insides were exposed.
He wasn’t moving and you didn’t hear him breathing.
You let the skin go and turn to Poppy.
Poppy is gasping and shaking. She looks around for anything to help her, and in those two seconds she looks away, you’re already right next to her and holding your body up with your hands.
Poppy screams and falls on her back as she backs away from you.
You’re on your hands and knees like a beast ready to attack, and oh… Do you want to.
To break her.
To destroy her.
To rip her apart, limb from limb.
But…
‘’Please… Child…’’ Poppy sobs out as her back hits the wall and she’s trapped under your gaze. ‘’Please, I… I’m sorry. I… I…’’
‘’You, you, you.’’ you hiss out and slowly move your body to get closer to her. ‘’Do you think about anyone else besides yourself?’’
Poppy is shaking.
‘’You know… I think I finally understand the Prototype and his weird obsession of you.’’ you say and narrow your eyes. ‘’He was trapped with you. You were like him, and he knew getting rid of you would make him alone. He didn’t want that, so he imprisoned you. Selfishly kept you to himself. It seems you and him have that in common. You were both selfish.’’
‘’Please… Don’t… Don’t kill me.’’
‘’Kill you? D’aw, Poppy… I’m not going to kill you.’’
Poppy cries out in horror as your hand slams right beside her head.
‘’I am on the same boat as the Prototype now. If I kill you, it means I will be left alone for eternity. I don’t deserve that, do I?’’
Poppy is staring at you in shock.
‘’I am an orphan, with no family of my own. Do you think I want to be like that? An orphan, alone in the world? No, I don’t.’’
Poppy screams in pain as you grab her by the leg and twist it.
‘’So, even if it’s with a selfish brat like you… I guess I can go on. But don’t misunderstand. I hate you. I’m not letting you live out of love, like the Prototype. Which means… I won’t be so nice to you.’’
Poppy is being pulled towards you, and she tries to stop it by pressing her fingertips on the floor.
‘’And if you thought the Prototype was cruel…’’ you say as you stand up and press Poppy tightly against your chest. ‘’Oh, I cannot wait to see what you feel about the ideas I have.’’
You start to walk away while Poppy is screaming and begging for you to stop.
As you walk pass Butcher’s body, you kick their arm out of the way. And when you get to Giblet’s body, you stomp your foot down hard on his exposed back.
The Prototype might have let them live, but you will not make the same mistake.
-----------------------------------------------------------
One year later…
You stand by the doorframe and hold your position.
You can hear toys coming towards you.
‘’Are you sure this is a good idea?’’ one of them asks.
‘’Yes. I saw a corpse we can eat. It was right around here.’’ the other says.
You count their footsteps as they walk past you.
‘’I don’t know about this. You know what’s walking around here.’’
‘’Relax. I don’t think they’re around. Heard from a reliable source that they’re in the labs making more kids into toys.’’
‘’Okay, but we should be quick about this.’’
You walk out of the room you were hiding in and walk after the two toys.
They don’t hear you, and they don’t look behind.
One of them was a huge Bunzo Bunny and the other was a decent sized Simon Smoke.
Perfect.
You don’t let out a sound as you walk, but you breathe out the Red Smoke. You watch the two toys see the smoke before they realize that they were in trouble.
They turn to see you standing there.
You hadn’t gotten longer since the day the Prototype died, but you had changed your body to be more efficient. You had ripped Butcher’s arms and added them to your side to control the GrabPack, so that your own hands could be free to do whatever you needed. You had collected every hand model possible, even the famous Omni Hand. You had made clothes from the furs of every toy you could find and you were still wearing the mask of the Prototype.
No one in Playtime Co. factory knew your face, but everyone in there knew you as the Prototype’s Judgement.
His continuation… His most deadliest creation.
You were the one who controlled this place with fear now.
You attack Bunzo first, stabbing your hand through his chest and slamming his body on the floor. Then you turn to Simon.
Simon manages to run for a moment, but the Red Smoke affects him and he falls over. He looks around in fear before he sees you looming over him.
‘’Good evening, Simon Smoke.’’ your voice was booming in the silent halls.
‘’No… Please… I’m sorry… Ple-please… Sorry…’’ Simon tries to crawl away.
‘’Now, now… You need to calm down, Simon.’’
‘’Please… I’m… I-I’m sorry…’’
‘’I just have a few questions for you. If you would just calm down and hear them, I might… consider leaving you alone.’’
Simon coughs and tries to crawl away again.
‘’Question one… What reason do I have to keep you alive?’’ you ask softly.
Simon coughs. ‘’Ple-please… Please…’’
‘’Answer me, Simon.’’
You could almost see excuses and lies form in Simon’s head.
‘’Were you aware how close you are to my home?’’ you ask silkily.
‘’No… No, we… We were hungry.’’
‘’And so are my people. You and that Bunzo would make a great meal.’’
‘’Please… We… We didn’t know. I…’’
‘’Didn’t know? But wasn’t it your voice that I heard? The one who told Bunzo to relax and that you didn’t think ‘they’ were around.’’
Simon coughs and shivers.
‘’Was it me you were talking about? Did you think I was in the labs? What was this ‘reliable source’ you told Bunzo about?’’ you lean over with a sinister smile. ‘’It couldn’t be the Doctor. No, no. I made sure that thing couldn’t harm anyone. You do know the story, don’t you? So… What source did you use, Simon?’’
‘’I… I made it up. I-I… didn’t want to come here alone. Please… We were hungry, and… and in here, there’s food. Please…’’
‘’That’s not food. Those are the remains that I’m planning on using. So… What you’re saying is…’’ you lean close to him so he could see your mask to its fullest. ‘’You were going to steal from me.’’
Simon’s eyes follow your hand as you pressed their tips together to make a spear. He was too weak to fight.
‘’I ask you again… What reason do I have to keep you around?’’
Simon tries to stand up and run, but you’re faster.
You stab him through the back and watch him die.
You grab Simon and Bunzo and start to make your way back home.
The Better Place was your home, and all the orphans that you had managed to revive were there.
You had managed to follow the Prototype’s instructions on how to make those orphans into something like you.
None of the orphans look like humans, but rather misshapen toys with human features. But that didn’t matter to anyone.
They were immortals. Normal insides, stomachs but they didn’t need to eat. Reanimated children… in toy bodies.
The Prototype’s legacy… You had saved them.
You use the GrabPack to get to the middle of the Better Place and set the corpses down.
A happy sound could be heard, and misshapen toys started to come closer to you. They came from all around you.
‘’It’s them! Oh, and they’re bringing some food!’’
They didn’t need to eat, you know that. But you never told them. You want them to feel at least a little human by allowing them to think that they still had basic needs.
‘’Yes! Please, eat your fill!’’ you declare as you toss the two corpses on the streets.
And they didn’t need to hear more.
Most of them dove in and started to eat.
Those who didn’t start to eat, were on their knees before you as you walked past them.
‘’The Prototype’s Judgment! Our savior! Our protector!’’
You smile as you walk amongst them. You let them worship you, allow them to touch you and you feast on their praises.
A tall Cat-Bee with blue eyes rushes excitedly towards the food, but she trips and falls onto you.
Your four hands move to protect you, and you hold the toy up.
It makes everyone around you gasp.
‘’Ah! I-I’m sorry! I…!’’ she’s so scared. She stands up in a hurry and almost falls backwards, but you catch her hand and hold her up.
‘’No need, Camila. I know you didn’t mean to. Are you alright?’’ your voice is gentle as you help her to stay on her feet.
‘’I… Yes. I’m sorry.’’ Camila says again.
‘’Don’t worry about it. Accidents happen. Go eat. I want you to be full and happy.’’ you smile under your mask.
Camila bows to you and rushes away.
You walk to the elevator only you can use.
You’ve told them that it was for their protection, but it was also about control.
Only you can ride this elevator, only you can go to the labs. Only you can go there and see Poppy.
You walk into the lab where some of the orphans were still in the tanks and floating in the gels.
More and more tanks were empty as most of the orphans had been released into Better Place. They had really made that place their home.
With more people around, the Better Place had been built into something huge and strong. It really had become such a happy place.
Sure, there was dry blood everywhere and whatever couldn’t be eaten was used to decorate the place, but everyone was happy.
Well… Almost everyone.
‘’Poppy…’’ you say gently as you walk over to her case.
You had made her a bedroom in a huge case. She had a comfortable pillow as a bed and few books to keep her company. The case could be opened from above, but you had placed locks on it so she couldn’t leave.
You walk over to the case and smile at her. ‘’How are you today?’’
Poppy was sobbing on her pillow and shivering.
You narrow your eyes and take off your mask.
You had kept the mask that the Prototype had given you. You wear it every time you go outside. The only one who was allowed to see your real face was Poppy.
‘’Don’t be so sad. You’re living in a paradise.’’ you say slowly.
Poppy sniffles and shakes her head. ‘’This is no paradise.’’
‘’You are been looked after, and you’re safe. I could be so cruel to you, but I’m not. How nice of me, don’t you think?’’
Poppy rolls over to sit up. The leg you had twisted a year ago had been completely ripped off, making it impossible for Poppy to walk.
‘’Child…’’ Poppy’s voice was sad but determent.
‘’I am the Prototype’s Judgement. I am the one who holds your fate in my hands. You have no right to use such a name on me.’’
Poppy was shaking again and sobbing.
‘’It seems to me that you have forgotten your place. And where you are now. Allow me to help.’’ you lean closer. ‘’It’s been a year, and you’re still in your case. Do you know why?’’
Poppy sniffles. ‘’Because you don’t trust me enough to let me out.’’
‘’That’s right. And why don’t I trust you?’’
‘’Because you are wrong. You’re wrong about everything.’’
‘’What am I wrong about?’’ you smile.
‘’I know this isn’t what you’re really like. You… You’re only acting this because you think this is what Prototype made you. Please… I don’t want you to continue this.’’
‘’I’m building us a family and making us a home. I’ve been working for so hard and so long. How is that wrong?’’
Poppy sobs. ‘’I don’t… I don’t want this.’’
‘’I don’t care about what you want.’’
Poppy shakes her head.
‘’The Prototype might have cared, but I don’t. He tried so hard to make you see, to help you understand. He locked you in a case, like I have. But unlike back then… You’re not in a case to learn something you should already know. You’re in there, because I will not allow you to see reality in any other way.’’
Poppy finally looks at you. ‘’If I had known… I would have never tried to save you. I would have just blow this whole place…’’
You narrow your eyes and reach to open the case for a small bit. You breathe the Red Smoke in and Poppy panics.
‘’No! No! Please…!’’ Poppy begs as she covers her mouth. She can’t fight the Red Smoke any more than the others could and she fell asleep.
You shut the case and look inside it. And as you lean over, you can see a reflection of your own face.
You still looked a little human, but your features were ruined by the Poppy Gel that your body seems to naturally produce. It had leaked from your eyes and created dark lines that looked like tears on your cheeks. Your eyes were glassy and peach colored, perfectly protected so you didn’t need to blink so much.
You look at yourself in the reflection for a moment.
You smile to yourself and turn away to awake someone new.
Despite everything, you made the right choice. You know you did.
Sure, you are sad that the Prototype is gone, but you’re sure he would be so proud of you for everything you had done.
Ending 2: The Prototype’s Judgement