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“I don’t know, pal. Are you sure you want to go back there? I mean, don’t get me wrong, after you beat all those enemies Krat got waaay safer, but you just got back to Hotel Krat after beating the nameless puppet and… after losing Giepetto. I know, I know, what he's done gives us all every reason to despise him, yet he still… He still is something like your father, no? And I remember: You did shed a tear when he recognised you as a son. Oh, don’t look at me like that! I’m just worried that you’ll overwork yourself again! You may be a puppet, but you are more human than you think! And humans need breaks, they have to sleep, they gotta rest once in a while, you know?”
The shrill, robotic voice of Gemini halls through the empty streets of the Rosa-Isabelle-Street but P doesn’t give off much of a reaction. He just nods and continues on his way, pushing the thoughts of what happened into the furthest corner of his mind to not think about it. His grip around his weapon tightens as he lets his eyes wander.
Human corpses, carcases and broken puppets cover the ground, blood and oil is splattered everywhere and forms puddles on the cobble stone. They need to be taken away some day; everything needs to be cleaned and repaired. Those who survived still need to be evacuated to a safer place like the Hotel but not many stalkers are left, many humans are sick, weakened or still hidden; there is nobody that can take care of all that. But never could he ever take care of all that on his own. At least that’s what Gemini says.
Well… there are things that could help him but since the puppet frenzy, all remaining puppets are feared among all survivors even though they are no longer under the influence of law zero of the covenant.
P can count himself lucky that nobody has discovered his true identity as a puppet, except for his friends in Hotel Krat, otherwise there would have been far more hostility towards him from everyone he has evacuated so far.
If it were up to P he would just start somewhere; try to do it alone until he couldn’t anymore. But Gemini, as the voice of reason, is good at convincing him to keep his feet still. He will not do it alone and first they should take care of all healthy survivors anyway. Cleaning up and repairing can be taken care of another time. Most definitely with Venigni’s help since he is a clever inventor who would come up with something helpful in no time.
“Hey, you hear that? Someone tries to sing some opera. It sounds beautiful, no? Oh, but no one could ever come close to the primadonna herself Adelina Corday! Aaah, such a shame that she succumbed to the petrification disease. That reminds me: We have to remember to get the survivors to Hotel Krat - if they are healthy. But it definitely sounds like that for that singer, ey, pal?”
P nods silently, continuing his way up in the direction of the big Estella Opera House, past the fires, up the stairs into the small park, through the wide open doors. He looks up, taking in the light and how it illuminates the architecture. It looks so magnificent but only now he notices. He cherishes the view, is taken aback by the beauty that it could take away his breath, would he have the need to breathe. When he first entered these halls he didn’t pay this art any mind, he walked past it, solely his mission in mind: to reach and kill the Puppet King who was said to be the root of the puppet frenzy.
“As beautiful as the day we first entered. I am so glad that the fire didn’t engulf the whole building. Would have been a true shame.”, Gemini says while P walks up the stairs. All the puppets have been destroyed. No more little child-like puppets that want to kill him, no more eight-legged singing puppets that control them with golden strings.
“Hey, when we reach the arena, what are you planning to do? You don’t want to take Romeo's puppet body to the Hotel, do you?”
P shakes his head. He didn’t plan to take him anywhere but he learned that humans bury those they cherished. And after he went back in time, learning of the Puppet King’s past, who he was, he felt the need to pay him back. He wants to give the Puppet King, Romeo, something close to a ‘burial’. It’s the least that he deserves.
“It’s really sad that we didn’t know about his true identity sooner. We might have actually taken his hand when he offered it. We might have even worked together. He wouldn't be…"
Gemini is silenced when P flicks against the lantern with his metal fingers, a little more violent than anticipated, but after that, there is only silence because Gemini knows now that he should be silent for the moment. P is already mourning the ‘what ifs’ while running past the swinging chandelier into the arena where he and Romeo have fought each other. His lifeless puppet-form still kneels where he was defeated, where he was left after the battle.
//So this is what true freedom feels like. Thank you, Carlo.//
These are the last words he said before his ergo left his body, leaving his puppet body there, lifeless, unmoving… rotting…
P kneels in front of the Puppet King, bowing his head to show his respect. He puts down his weapon to the ground as to signalise that he is here for peace, even though Romeo isn’t alive to care for such formalities.
“If we would have known sooner…”, Gemini whispers with sorrow in his voice; as much sorrow as P carries in his heart right now. Romeo was the best friend of Carlo; the boy whose likeness he was built after, Gieppeto's son and apprentice of the legendary stalker, Lea. And since he carries Carlo’s ergo inside his heart, it feels like he killed his own friend. He remembers seeing some of Carlo’s childhood memories on the white beach before the Arche Abbey. Romeo was a big part of them. Or the Voice recording - the message that Romeo left him, thinking that he’d reach Carlo, that was encrypted before Venigni deciphered it so he could listen to it. Only then did he feel that something was off; was different. Romeo was the reason that they learned that Giepetto was behind the puppet frenzy. And after he traveled back in time… Romeo had done much more than anybody will ever give him credit for… He was so much more…
P lifts his human hand to gently touch the burned side of the artificial face. What once burned hot with flames now is cool to the touch. He notices: Romeo's still intact eye still stands slightly open, so he softly brushes over the artificial lid with his thumb to close it. His heart skips a beat out of sorrow and he lets his head sink down to look at the ground.
“You couldn’t have known! You were manipulated by that man! He knew the truth but he lied to you so you would do his bidding… And Romeo was the scapegoat for his crimes just so you would eliminate him without a second thought. Don’t blame yourself… You set him free from his pain, that’s all that matters, pal. It’s not your fault…”
P shakes his head violently and lets his hand fall to the ground again. His body feels strange and his heart aches so terribly. It feels like he’s dying but he is probably just overreacting because of the flood of emotions which are still quite new to him. He still has to learn how to manage them and right now it’s really difficult. Strands of his white hair fall into his face, hiding tears that run down P’s cheeks.
“Pal…”
Being human means to be able to suffer…
Then, with a jolt of his head upwards, P forces himself to regain his composure, before he takes Romeo's arm to pull him over his shoulder like nothing ever happened.
“Eh, buddy? Where do you want to take him? You shook your head when I asked if you wanted to take him to Hotel Krat.”
But P doesn’t react. He carries the lifeless body over to the stage, pulls a big chair into the middle and sits the body down onto it. Similar to how Romeo had placed the puppets for the short stage play that was supposed to warn him from what Giepetto might do to him, he positions Romeo as if he would sit on a throne. A simple one, not worthy for a king but even through its simplicity, as P steps back, his old friend has the aura of a powerful ruler. He remembers something: Romeo loved the theatre. He loved to play on the stage when he and Carlo were children. He never stopped carrying out his passion even when they became apprentices to Lea to become stalkers.
It may not be a proper burial but it pays tribute to the person whose life was destroyed by Giuseppe Giepetto. Arlecchino made him suffer but this man used his body and ergo for his own, sick plan.
“Rest in peace, Romeo.”, Gemini says softly and P bows his head, folding his hands for a quick prayer, before he turns and leaves the grand hall of the Estella Opera House the same way where he came from.
“You good, buddy?”
P nods after a short moment of hesitation. He is fine. It’s all fine… What’s done cannot be undone.
“Okay… Where to next?”
P shrugs. He has a feeling where he could go but for that he needs to go back to the Hotel.
Since he freed Sophia and put her ergo into a puppet that looked like her, traveling from one Star Gazer to the other became a thing of the impossible. It’s a nuisance, really, to walk everywhere, but he can’t get tired from walking anyway.
So back all the way to hotel Krat. Luckily the entrance to Rosa Isabelle Street is directly connected to the Hotel. On his way he meets a survivor who dared to go out of their house onto the street, probably to scout since all the noise has disappeared from the streets. A little boy, not older than seven, malnourished and weak but healthy and not touched by the petrification disease. A rare sight to behold since children are usually very susceptible to that illness. But it ignites a spark of hope inside P’s chest, Gemini chimes in on that. They offer to take him back to the hotel with them, ask if there are any other survivors, but the boy shakes his head, indicating that he is alone. Poor child… but it’s not surprising. At least he agrees to come with them.
Luckily, the boy doesn’t notice that P is a puppet but he is very fascinated by his legion arm. First he was pretty silent but after a short while of walking he started to ask so many questions, all of them for Gemini to answer since P doesn’t speak. The two talk the whole way until they enter Hotel Krat. It’s still a little messy, but Venigni and Eugenie have made a lot of progress cleaning up.
The two of them are standing on the big staircase, talking, before they notice that P has arrived.
Both turn their heads to their saviour, greeting him with the brightest smiles.
“Aaah, great to see you again, companion. And with company no less! Greetings, boy! I bet you know me already! Lorenzini Venigni, at your service!”
Venigni is as pompous at his introductions as ever but instead of showing some joy, the boy only seems wary of the man. The inventor clears his throat. They all know where this waryness may come from, since Venigni is one of the key figures who are responsible for the production of puppets. When the puppet frenzy started, a lot of Krat’s inhabitants blamed him, probably so did the boy. He hides behind P who feels a little guilt rise up in his chest since he is the very thing that the little boy fears.
“And I am Eugenie! Nice to meet you, little one. What is your name?”, the young woman chimes in with a cheerful tone to shift the mood a bit.
Reluctantly and only after P encourages him to step forward, the little boy does so and mutters: “Elliot.”
“Hello, Elliot. It’s very nice to meet you. Wait for me here, I will be right back.”
Then she leaves. She hastens down the stairs towards the reception. At first, P, Gemini and Venigni are a little confused why Eugenie left them there to wait when it clicks for all of them, that they probably should not let the little boy see a puppet inside the hotel, since it’s supposed to be a puppet-free zone. The problem would be Polendina right now; once Antonia’s puppet companion with an awakened ego, now a simple puppet again since her death, bound to the three rules of the covenant - minus law zero. But how did she know that the boy would be scared of puppets when he only had the chance to tell P and Gemini? She must have figured since so far all survivors have been scared and wary.
After a few moments she returns with a key in hand and steps towards the child with a wide smile, reaching out her hand for the boy to take.
“Well then, follow me, Elliot. I will bring you to your room.” She lifts her eyes to P who meets her gaze. “I hope you don’t mind if I take him off your hands.”
P shakes his head.
“Oh, no, it’s better this way since P seems to have a destination in mind and something tells me it will be dangerous.”, Gemini replies, a hint of an accusatory tone in his voice. Eugenie lifts one eyebrow and eyes P with a suspicious look.
“O-kay… Well, don’t get yourself killed. It would be a shame if Krat's saviour were to die after everything that has already happened.”
Elliot's eyes light up and he looks up at P with wonder.
“So you are the puppet killer that I saw from my window! So awesome! I- I knew I recognized that arm somewhere! But- but your hair is so different.”, the boy says excitedly.
P looks down at him and puts on a soft smile, before reaching down to brush through the boy's messy hair.
“Well, P went through a lot of changes throughout his journey. A lot of enemies fought, a lot of things witnessed. Not all of them were good things. But that’s the snow of yesterday! We can tell you all about it another time- or you can go to Eugenie or Venigni for some storytellings, but we have to go. Our tip: Venigni is very good at storytelling.”, Gemini chirps, before cutting this situation short. As a good bye, the little boy hugs P’s legs before he follows Eugenie up towards the higher floors. That leaves only P, Gemini and Venigni who sighs heavily, massaging his forehead.
“You good?” Gemini asks the man who pulls his shoulders up.
“Yeah, I am just in thought. Krat may be safe but we will find many more like Elliot. And we need more help but puppets are out of the picture for now because of public fear.”
“We could try and reach out to the black cat and red fox to ask for some help. Or the atoned - the stalker with the dog mask who we met at the Cable Railway. Maybe they are still there - or at least close.”, Gemini suggests but the inventor only sighs again.
“These are still not enough people but for the start… It is better than only you two - well, only one since you don’t really count, Gemini. Anyway, I won’t hold you up any longer. Good luck to you two and get back safe. The Hotel and the City still need you.”
P nods, waves and leaves immediately after the good byes have been exchanged. He feels like he shouldn’t lose any more time so he hurries to the secret door that was hidden behind the wall where Antonia’s portrait hangs. It’s still smeared with blood. Will they ever be able to clean it? Hopefully so. This portrait depicts Antonia when she was still young and healthy, it would be a true shame and a dishonour to her memory if it were to stay like this.
“So, where do you want to go? We are on our way to the Relic of the Trismegistus but what do you want from there?”
P stays silent.
“Do you want to go to the isle of the alchemists? Well, hate to break it to you but the only possibility to get there is no longer available. There is no other submarine.”
P nods. He knows. But the docks are not his destination anyway. As if Gemini were able to read his mind - more accurate his ergo, the little puppet in the lamp chirps accusatory.
“P… What are you planning? P! I don’t know if that is a good idea!
P thinks to himself.
How long has it been since his last fight against the Black Rabbit Brotherhood? Maybe a little longer than a day? Everything went so fast after he reached the isle of the alchemists. Time flies by when you are saving a whole city and as a puppet who doesn’t need to sleep or rest. He was on his feet nonstop; night and day. It took him maybe three whole days and nights without sleeping to save the city after his awakening and he fought the rabbits on the third day. If that’s the case then it may have been even two days since the encounter, because he had a small break after he awoke from a deep slumber on the isle of Alchemists when he returned Sophia's ergo into her puppet body. And then, after returning to the hotel he had to manage some things, already helped survivors get back to Hotel Krat, went to Romeo after that, then back to the Hotel and now he’s here. He completely lost sense of time.
“Earth to P! Earth to P! Are you receiving? Why are we going back down there?! You have killed these four bastards! Do you want to bury them? What? Do you feel bad for them now? They ransacked Hotel Krat, destroyed the interior, almost hurt our friends, were working together with the alchemists AND let’s not even start with what they did in the Malum District! HOW can you feel compassion for them now when they are already DEAD? Let’s go back, buddy! They - HEY!”
Once again, Gemini is silenced with a strong flick against the exterior of the lamp. His light flickers for a moment before he huffs offended but stays silent afterwards so P can have his peace. The puppet knows and feels something that Gemini doesn’t: three of the rabbits should still be alive. When he fought them he refrained from killing the Maniac, the Eccentric and the Youngest. He doesn’t know why, maybe it was indeed compassion. They are all victims of the circumstances and if something was not forgiving these past view years, it was exactly that. Maybe they can be redeemed. And they could prove to be of great help - if they survived their injuries. And if they did, they probably left the Combat Field. Well, he will see but in the end, they’ll have to have left any kind of trace. Then the search would begin.
When he reaches a broken bridge from where he can oversee the stairs where he has to go, he notices three figures that limp down the big steps, supporting each other.
“Oh, don’t tell me-! P! You should have told me! Whyyyy?? What do you think they’ll do when they see you?”
P looks down to the lamp on his belt, leaving the three out of his sight just for a moment.
“Yer should shut’up that damn tinbox o’yours, filthy puppet!”, the Eccentric calls over to P and Gemini. His voice is weakened but not with any less hostility. He seems to be the sibling with the most strength still left since he supports both; the Maniac and the Youngest. “It gave ya ‘way instantly!”
“And you should watch your mouth!”, Gemini calls back angrily. “He is the only reason why you’re still kickin’! For some reason unbeknownst to me he decided to show mercy and let you live! You should be thankful!”
“We’d rather die than owe our lives to a lowly puppet!”, the Maniac scoffs in spite, breaking away from his brother but almost stumbling down the stairs. All the while P only watches in silence with his ever so stoic gaze, unmoving, unfazed. “You killed our brother! You tried to kill us!”
“Well, maybe you should think about the why’s!”
“There is no other ‘why’s’ but the reason that your ol’ man told you to! You are a fucking mashine, made to kill an’ that’s the truth! That’s all there is to that thing!”
“Don’t you dare call my friend a ‘thing’, you bastard! You came at us first! We were just defending ourselves!”
But while Gemini bickers with the two brothers, P’s usual stoic demeanor shifts. He lets his head and eyes sink, shaking his head softly, before finally moving again. He jumps down the bridge to shorten the way, feeling the impact in his gears and joints. The siblings jolt from the loud thud and seem to be in fear of an attack on them. For protection, both brothers put themselves in front of the youngest who seems to be the one most weakened by her injuries. But P has no intent to attack or give them the same hostility back that they show him. He even puts away his weapon and lifts his arms to show that he doesn’t want to pose a threat as he comes closer to them.
“Don’t come closer, you fuck! We won’t fall for that fake mercy-bullshit. That old geezer must have picked up on you failing to kill us so he sent you back.”, the Battlemaniac spits and lifts his rapier.
“Giepetto is dead.”, Gemini replies dryly. “Killed by his own creation.”
The man seems to be in shock for a moment.
“W-wait- you killed that bastard?” The Maniac asks but P shakes his head.
“Not by P but by the one who was supposed to replace him.”
Gemini replies.
Confusion washes over the three siblings as they look at each other.
“It’s all rather complicated. For now you have two options: either you come with us and behave yourselves or you die either from your injuries or by our hand. Your choice!”
P is not very comfortable with Gemini's words and threats but since he doesn’t talk his friend is bound to be doing all the talking and since the small little puppet inside the Monad-Lamp can’t read his thoughts he has his own mind while speaking with others.
At least it aligns sometimes… but not so much right now.
“Brothers…”, the Youngest whispers, speaking now for once. “I-I don’t want to die… Big Brother wouldn't have wanted us to die as well. All he ever did was to protect us!”
“So you want to go with this damned puppet, is that it?”, the Maniac responds in disbelief, turning to his little sister. She sobs, about to cry because of the raised tone in her brother's voice.
“We offer you safety in Hotel Krat - yes, the very hotel you broke into to ransacked! Feel honoured that we’d let you stay there even after the shit you pulled! But it is undoubtedly the safest spot to stay at. And now hurry up with a decision! We haven’t got all day- or at least you all don’t seem to.
P watches their demeanor shift. The Youngest sobs even more and babbles, that they should just follow them to finally have some peace. But her brothers are obviously very hesitant. They hate P for what he is - for what he did. And they have every right to do so because they’re right; he fought them because he was told to do so. He killed their big brother; but not just him.
He was told to take care of so many places in Krat so he did, getting his hands dirty with the oily blood of puppets, the fouled blood of carcasses and the bright red blood of humans alike. All to save Krat… All to save Sophia. They were just simply in his way.
“I can’t believe that we have to choose between death or a stupid killer puppet and its annoying side kick.”, the Maniac spits.
“Hey!”
P lets his head sink a bit and imitates a sigh. Gemini was right to question his decision because the three rabbits - or at least the brothers - prove to be quite stubborn and difficult to talk to. Maybe he was wrong thinking that letting them live would be a good idea…
“Fine… We’ll come with ya.”, the Eccentric brother mutters under his breath, past the sobbing of his sister. The Maniac spins around in disbelief. Even P is surprised as well as Gemini.
“What? So you’d go with the puppet that killed our brother? What the actual fuck?!”
“We don’t have much of a choice, ey? We’re pretty roughed up and I am not in the mood to die just yet.”
It’s a surprise to see the Eccentric and the Youngest as the voice of reason between the three for once. When P has fought them, it was the Maniac who seemed collected, who made tactical decisions. Now he seems to have lost all that for the sheer hatred against P.
“We don’t need this puppet to leave for a safer place! We could go back to the Malum District, back to the Town Hall!”
“An’ continue like before? It’ll be fucking dangerous! We’re in no condition t’ fight!”
“Your brother is right.”, Gemini comments with a mocking undertone. “Of course you can take the short route through the hotel but once you’re back in the Malum District, your survival can not be guaranteed. P may have killed a lot of carcasses and other mutated monsters but it’s by far not safe enough for you. Besides: the petrification disease is still an ongoing problem but you know that we have the key ingredient for a cure. You were stealing a lot of the gold coin fruits to give to the alchemists after all.”
The three siblings seem to feel caught and lower their heads for a moment. They are im thought for a moment which makes Gemini sigh impatiently.
Then the Battlemaniac growls disapprovingly and crosses his arms over his chest.
“Tche! Fine. But don’t you dare think we owe you anything, puppet! We’ll stay at that stupid hotel and keep our feet still until we’re back on our feet. I can’t promise anything for what comes after.”
Despite the clear threat, P only nods and turns on his heels to lead the way. “Yeah, sure.”, is the only thing that comes from Gemini.
P walks a bit until he halts to turn his head back to the three siblings who still seem a little hesitant to follow. It’s the Eccentric and the Youngest who start moving again, both clearly in pain. The one with the bucket over his head carries his sister but seems to struggle a lot himself. Even as the Maniac tries to help too, it becomes very clear that none of them are in the physical state to get very far, let alone climb up some steeper passages.
So P walks up to them again, offering his help by gesturing that he should carry the youngest so the two brothers can concentrate on themselves, without additional weight. But the Maniac puts himself in front of his sister to shield her from him.
“Don’t you dare touch her, Puppet!”, he hisses with a scowl.
“He just wants to help! Jeez!” Gemini argues back.
“It’s fine, brother. He can carry me. I- I am just a burden for you two.”, the Youngest mumbles cautiously but her brother seems all but pleased with her compliance towards P. Yet he doesn’t fight his sister’s wishes. Instead he steps back again so that P can lift her up and carry her on his back. The Eccentric is very cautious as well but not as hesitant, because he knows that the three of them depend on the puppet’s help.
“See? Was that so difficult? Really, get your shit together, man.” Gemini remarks, only earning a disgruntled growl from the other man.
At least now they’re making faster progress. Sure, the Eccentric and the Maniac need some time and are slower than the never-tiring Puppet P but without them having to worry about carrying their sister, they can all in all maneuver much quicker.
It takes them some time until they reach the elevator that would lead them to hotel Krat. The Maniacs' strength leaves him as soon as they step onto the platform, which makes him fall to his knees. He huffs and grunts in pain and his brother is quick to try and take care of him.
If P could he would apologize. He would want Gemini to do that for him, but he knows that the little cricket-puppet in the Monad Lamp would never do that.
“Please don't die, brother.” The Youngest whines in worry and fear for her sibling. P can feel her grip tighten on his shoulders but there’s not much of a reaction from his side. He would comfort her if he knew how to.
“It - It’s fine. I’m not gonna die yet.” The Maniac hisses past his teeth, pressing down against his side. It’s obvious that the pain is overwhelming his nervous system, especially after this distance they had to cover. “I’m gonna be fine. It's not far anymore anyway.”
“True, we’re basically there already. You know, P could carry you too if you can’t walk anymore.”
Even through his mask it’s clearly visible that the Maniac is glaring up at Gemini and P. “Haha, very funny. I won’t let myself be carried by a fucking puppet. I can walk on my own.”, he snarls back and gives it his best shot to come back to his feet. It’s difficult, but he manages, not least because of his brother who helps him up again.
“Whatever.”
P sighs and shakes his head. He doesn’t like the fighting between Gemini and the Maniac, but he gets it. He isn't delusional. These three have every right in the world to hate him just as much as Gemini has every right to hate them. They are not good people. What they did to the Malum district was malicious, especially in a time of crisis. But P can’t just ignore that they too have just been victims of a society that wasn’t built for their kind. After all, all humans only want one thing: they want to survive; under any circumstances.
When the elevator reaches the top, he walks out of the opening, the two brothers following close behind. In the hotel it’s warm, bright, warm light shining from the lamps and the giant Stargazer. And since a lot has been cleaned up again, it looks quite beautiful too. P halts for a moment as he thinks of a place where he can take these three. He could bring them to Gieppetto’s old office where they can rest on the sofa while he gets a room for them. Or he could park them somewhere where they can be watched - where Venigni or Eugenie could have an eye on them. But there’s no place for them to take a rest…
He decides to bring them into Gieppetto’s former office where he kneels down in front of the sofa so that the Youngest can easily climb off his back. She lets herself fall into the soft cushioning, exhaling deeply as she can finally relax again.
“Aah~ this feels good.”, she chimes as her brothers fall onto the sofa as well, grunting in exhaustion and pain.
“Well, P, congratulations on doing a good deed. What now? Are you going to get a room for them?”
P nods, before turning on his heels and running back out the open double doors and towards the reception where Polendina still stands.
“Welcome to Hotel Krat.”, he greets P formally, his robotic voice echoing through the grand hall. “How can I be of service?”
“We need a room for three people.”, Gemini blurts out but with a tone that feels like it is supposed to subconsciously criticize P. He might not react to it but it does make him feel a little uncomfortable.
“A room for three people? Have you found some more survivors?”, Venigni asks from the other side of the hall. It seems that he was busy talking with Pulcinella, when he overheard what Gemini was saying.
“Oh yes, he did. But you wouldn’t believe who he decided to rescue.”, the little puppet in the Monad-Lamp answered but before he can reveal too much, P shuts off the light and flicks the metal housing with his finger.
“Hm? And who are they?” The inventor asks curiously but P hesitates, unsure if anybody should know so soon that he brought the remaining siblings of the Black Rabbit Brotherhood to the Hotel. After all, nobody would trust them - for good reasons. So he only shakes his head, takes the key from Polendina and runs straight back to the office where he finds the three siblings lying exactly the way they were when he left. He urges them by gesturing to get up again, giving the Youngest the opportunity to climb on his back again. She grunts, not wanting to get up, but in the end she can bring herself to do it. Her brothers are far more reluctant but when the Eccentric pulls the Maniac up to his feet again, they can follow P - without one word of defiance. The Puppet hopes that the men finally recognize that they have to comply with P’s plans, otherwise things might end badly for them. Fearing that they might be seen, he looks down into the grand hall to see where Venigni is but the man is out of his sight so they can’t be spotted. He also doesn’t spot Eugenie anywhere, meaning that she either retreated into her own chambers by now or she is still with the little boy, Elliot.
“Where are we going?” The Maniac asks, a little out of breath. P reaches for his pocked, pulling out the room key he got. He shows it to the other man who eyes the key and the metal plaque dangling from a metal chain that connects it to the key’s head. Not being able to talk really has its downsides and he put Gemini into a short silence so he can’t speak for him, making it even more difficult for him, but as long as he can reach his goals, he will push through it. The number on the plaque reads 431, so they have to reach the fourth floor and see where the number 31 is. He has no idea but those who search will find it. Luckily enough this hotel has another elevator that can bring them easily to the fourth floor.
“It’s fucking unnerving that you don’t speak.”, the Maniac hisses as he leans against one of the elevator’s walls. “And I still don’t trust you.”
P turns his head towards him, eyeing him for a moment, before shrugging his shoulders, before turning away again.
“I am thankful that you’re helping us.” The Youngest mumbles. “Although I don’t forgive you for what you did to our big brother.”
P nods. He understands but what he did was purely out of necessity. If not them, it would have been him.
After that, nobody speaks again as if it were a crime to break the silence, even though it’s getting really uncomfortable. It stretches even after they leave the elevator, continuing their way through the big hallways, following plaque after plaque that leads them towards their destination. It takes them quite a while, especially since the other two, who have to walk, are growing increasingly more tired from the journey. For a moment P thinks that he’ll have to carry them too, until they finally stand in front of the door with the golden number 31.
He takes out the key once again and unlocks the door, before pushing it open. A luxurious room comes into view with tall, soft looking beds, wall decorings, expensive carpets and a tea-table with three chairs, as well as a fireplace, surrounded by three armchairs.
“Weel, fuck me. This actually looks comfortable.”, the Eccentric says after a soft whistle. It makes P smile slightly at the thought that they might like it enough to stay. Come to think of it, he has never been in a hotel room at Hotel Krat either. This is his first time.
“Is there a bathroom nearby?” The Youngest asks, before she climbs off P’s back by herself. The three men look around, the Maniac spotting another door first. He stumbles there and opens it, revealing a rather big separate bathroom.
“This is answer enough.”, he says, turning back towards P. “What about food?”
The puppet thinks for a moment, before nodding. He will take care of it and to make this clear to the other three, he tries to gesture out what he means, but is stopped by the Maniac. “Fine, fine, we got it. You’re looking like a clown when you do all that waving around with your arms.”, he mocks. It hurts P a little but he doesn’t react. He just bows slightly, gesturing a quick goodbye, before he leaves, leaving the key on the cabinet next to the door inside the room.
As he closes the door behind him, he takes a deep breath in. He saw humans do it to calm themselves, so it might work on him too? Only then does he switch on the lantern again, after all, he likes Gemini - he’s his friend! He feels sorry for just… shutting him up like that.
“Aah, finally ready to let me talk again, are you?”, the little cricket chimes while sounding a little mad. P pouts but Gemini knows that he’s sorry.
“It’s okay, Pal. I would have just complained the whole time, so I get it. But are we rid of them for now?”
P nods, before making his way back down. No other visitors cross his path. Sometimes he only hears the occupants of the rooms talking, coughing or doing something else. Instead of the elevator, he takes the stairs, looking around to have a look at the art that is displayed along the hallways and stairway. Everything is so grand and noble - he sees this part of the hotel for the first time if he’s correct. Not even when he traveled to the past did he see all of this. Back then, the hotel was unfinished, but in the present - it’s beautiful. P can’t help but admire all the thought that went into the decorations.
“So, P, where to next?”
P thinks for a moment. It's still bright outside, maybe only past lunchtime. He could head for the city of Krat to find more survivors and execute more carcasses or left over alchemists. Yes, that sounds like an idea!
“Off into the city then! Let’s save some people.”