Chapter Text
The night is dark and stormy, rain pouring down the cobblestone streets as a shadow glides across the ground, barely visible due to the moon hidden beyond the clouds.
As it traveled, the rain grew heavier, as if the world feared the mere presence of the figure.
The figure lands before a set of large imposing gates. Surprisingly well kept even though rain is quite common in this little village.
The doors open slowly, the chains rattling and the hinges creaking, a lone figure stands inside.
“So, it’s finally time you took her off my hands.” Cosmo said in exasperation.
“Good. She has been nothing but a pain to me. Come in.”
He gestured for the mysterious visitor to follow. As they do, a large stitched together strawberry monster closes the doors and quickly strides back next to Cosmo.
“Thank you Sprout, now, could you accompany us in case the difficult one remains difficult?”
Sprout nodded slowly, muttering some strangled words, “Yes… Cos… mo…”
The trio walked down the halls, past lab tables with questionable vials, past the experimental lab where these monsters were brought to life.
This thunderstorm would be perfect to make another one, but after this last one, Cosmo had decided against it.
They stopped before a large steel door, light dents originating from the other side are seen in a couple spots.
“Sprout, if you could.” Cosmo said, slightly softer than usual.
Sprout obliged nonetheless and began spinning a wheel off to the side of the door.
The door rises slowly, its weight evident by the groaning of the gears, and the slow clacking of the chains as they pull.
Scratches were etched into multiple spots on the floor, it looked as if a dinosaur had tried to claw its way through the steel door and the floor beneath it.
As the trio went into the room, Cosmo grabbed a lantern, leading the way through the shadow filled room.
“There is where her first escape attempt is.”
Cosmo gestured to a vent with more scratches around it, the vent cover securely bolted into it with high quality reinforced steel.
“How many escape attempts were there?”
“We’d be here forever if I answered that question.” Cosmo said in annoyance.
So, they pressed on. Past ichor puddles and more scratches in the concrete.
As they round the corner, Sprout tenses protectively, taking a subtle step towards Cosmo.
There, against the wall, sits a monster with a grimy green body, a tattered yellow green cloth hangs around their neck like a poncho, frayed wires stick out in some spots before meeting the black jeans that are torn more than the normal amount for a fashion statement, the monster’s hands shackled to the wall above them.
The machine monster boots up, its screen lighting to show a green face, already glaring at the trio.
Cosmo sighed. “This is Vee. But I’m sure you knew that already.”
The stranger approaches Vee, even as Vee shoots to her feet and makes an attempt to scare the stranger off, but the chains clack together as she moves, still restraining her.
Vee is significantly smaller than Sprout is, but still not the same size as a normal toon, towering over the stranger.
The stranger doesn’t look phased though as they reach up to grip the monster’s chin.
“Vee huh?” They said with a smirk.
“Oh you’ll do quite nicely, even with your… temper.”
Then, the stranger turned back to Cosmo.
“So, I believe you requested an ichor crystal for this specimen?”
Cosmo scoffed. “Yeah, as payment for even having to make her in the first place.”
The stranger chuckled and pulled out three whole ichor crystals.
“Consider this as a little overtime pay.”
Cosmo took them quickly, looking at the stranger the whole time as they did.
“You’re one crazy witch, Shelly.”
“I can’t help that this one creature fascinated me more than all your others.”
Shelly giggled mischievously, like she couldn’t care less about what people think of her.
“Now, in one of our earlier meetings, you said that this one spoke. Is she being stubborn or did you do something?”
Cosmo nodded, pulling out a green box.
“I took her voice box out ages ago. Her constant threats were getting annoying.”
Shelly took the box and approached Vee, who in turn tried to lunge at Shelly again.
Shelly chuckled, “it’s cute how you think you can hurt me.”
Shelly then did a flourish with her finger and a glowing purple chain appeared around Vee’s neck, stopping all movement from the monster.
Shelly slides the voice box in as Vee is restrained. “There you go.”
Upon putting the voice box in, a loud static noise emanated before stopping abruptly.
Vee scoffed and looked away.
“You get your voice back and the first thing you do is scoff? I must say, I’m quite hurt.”
Shelly said with a sharp grin, her teeth making a jagged line, a slight lavender glow in her eyes.
“Shove off.” Vee spat, still glaring at Shelly.
Cosmo just pinched the bridge of his nonexistent nose.
“Just take her and go already.”
“You’re no fun Cos.”
“I’ve told you not to call me that.”
“And I’ve told you, that you can’t stop me.”
Cosmo groaned and turned to leave.
“Just make sure that none of my experiments are destroyed or tampered with.”
Shelly smirked and brought her attention back to Vee.
“So, this is how our arrangement is going to work. You are going to be my servant.”
“Hell no.”
Shelly giggled. “Awww, it’s cute how you think you have a say in this.”
Shelly crouches down and draws a symbol below Vee.
“What are you doing?” Vee asked in annoyance.
“Just a simple spell circle. You’ll hardly feel a thing.” Shelly said, adding details to the symbol.
Vee rolled her eyes, still unable to move due to the chains.
“There, that should be it.” Shelly grinned.
“3, 2, 1, Here we go!”
Shelly slams her hand down on the spell circle and…
Nothing happens.
“Wow, you’re a terrible magician. Where are we? Egypt?” Vee mocks.
Shelly huffs and looks around, seeing Vee’s microphone tail had smudged up one part of the circle.
“Whoops~” Vee said with a smug grin.
Shelly chuckled, a twitch in her grin gave away her irritation.
“Alright then.” Shelly grabbed Vee’s tail roughly, pulling it to the side and roughly grabbing Vee’s chin once more.
“You listen here and listen well. You may think you’re strong but I can assure you, I’m nothing you’ve ever seen before. I could just blast you into a pile of ash without breaking a sweat.”
She yanks Vee closer, the shackles biting into Vee’s wrists as she stretched too far away.
“Do not mistake me for weak.”
Shelly then released Vee, who recoiled back to where she was originally.
Shelly took a deep breath and her calmer, happier side returned.
“Now, let’s get you to your forever home!”
Shelly said with a smile, fixing up the spell circle.
Vee grimaced as she realized, she might be going somewhere even worse than where she begun.
Before Vee could think anymore, Shelly slapped the spell and the two vanished in a flash of purple light, leaving empty shackles and a slightly smoldering floor.