A Poppy Flower In Your Hands, A Bloom of Emotion In My Heart

by NaraGal95

Chapter 12: The Clouds of Dissent

Notes:

Have you ever wrote a word down so much that it begins to look weird? “School” is that word for me now. Funky ass word…

Anyways. Please enjoy! The angst and drama is real in this one. :) And another long one! I got tired of breaking up chapters so enjoy this ‘nother BEAST of a chapter!

Chapter Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, intimidation tactics, control trauma, and one valid crash out (IMO). And most of the angst in the world. Maybe not all, but a good, decent amount of it.

Somehow, DogDay retraced his steps back to the elevator with relative ease, despite his earlier wanderings up and down the many side hallways. His body felt heavy and his feet were falling down onto the ground in stomps, tears blurring his vision. He couldn’t believe that he had been such a fool. Why did he ever expect that CatNap would be happy to see him? The cat Critter never really indicated as such. Even when they first reunited, the day after DogDay arrived here, his face was emotionless, he hadn’t spoken a word to him. CatNap had worked so hard in keeping a well-defined distance between them, only speaking to him a handful of times. DogDay had thought, that perhaps, without all the implications of the Prototype’s firm laws, that perhaps they could go back to the way they were before; maybe to not the way they were when they were both humans, but to when Adam had recognized Theodore in this CatNap that entered the Playcare.

Back then, Adam was at first cautious with CatNap, but he soon picked up the way the creature’s eyes always looked for him, like Theodore’s. Or how the large Critter would always try to push himself back into a corner, a mannerism Adam noticed from Theodore who had once said in passing to him that it was his way to “make sure I wasn’t grabbed from behind”. Or how the large and unusually silent CatNap would always alert him that he was there, purring with a deep rumble that almost calmed him. Theodore always moved quietly, too. Perhaps it was his way of trying to stay unnoticed—both when he was at home with his parents or in Playcare. Two unsafe environments for such a small, undernourished child.

After Adam had made that realization, he at first, couldn’t believe it. He had remembered that Theodore told him that he was being visited at night by a strange being, but that it was kind and caring towards him; that it spoke of an escape plan and would get him out of Playcare. Adam thought it was perhaps an imaginary friend, a means to cope with Playcare’s environment while fantasizing about leaving. There were really only a few ways to leave Playcare and most of them were not good. But then, Theodore disappeared, never to be seen again. Adam was worried that perhaps he was taken away, either by the employees of the company or by this mysterious being that visited the younger boy at night. Or perhaps Theodore got lucky and was one of the few actually adopted out. Regardless, Adam feared that the two didn’t get to say their farewells, never to see his friend again.

Then CatNap entered Playcare, and perhaps, a small part of Adam had known from the start. But he couldn’t believe it. He didn’t want to believe it. His dear friend was taken from him and turned into a monster that could barely speak. Already Theodore was quiet, the silencing of his voice more, pained Adam. But he also hadn’t seen first-hand someone he knew personally turn into one of these Bigger Bodies of the company. It was too unreal. It felt like a terrible nightmare; one he couldn’t wake up from.

And when, finally, it sunk in that CatNap was Theodore, Adam couldn’t help but approach the purple Critter. Something in Adam’s eyes must have connected with CatNap, for he had knelt down immediately, turning his towering form into something a bit more eye level, even though CatNap’s head still hung far above young Adam’s head. How his hands shook when he touched CatNap’s face; how his voice trembled when he called the boy’s human name; how CatNap’s eyes squinted in sadness causing Adam to cry. It was unfair. It was cruel. And Adam knew he had to make it better for Theodore who was trapped even more than he was before. It was Adam that had begun helping the younger children of Playcare warm up to the large Critter, proving with how close the two could be to dictate that CatNap was not a threat to them. He continued to do this until he too was pulled away and brought down to the Labs to be turned into DogDay.

And even then, DogDay tried his best to include CatNap. Tried to maintain that relationship that he once had with him when they were Adam and Theodore. It was all fine and good, until it wasn’t.

Until the Hour of Joy.

Things had changed again for the two boys after that. The Smiling Critters did not get their hands dirty during the Hour of Joy, causing them to be a bit more innocent than most, but they still were privy to the countless bodies of employees that sadly lost their lives in one short hour. The same could not be said about CatNap whose whole being shifted away from the Smiling Critters, claws stained red with the blood of his victims.

It was CatNap that pushed away first.

And even as DogDay tried to reel his friend back towards him, for he still thought of CatNap as his friend then, CatNap kept his distance. Perhaps he was guilty about what he had done, or felt remorseful for what he actively participated in, DogDay couldn’t tell. But after a while, as things got bleaker, and their numbers dwindled, DogDay had given up. He kept his own distance with CatNap, giving the purple Critter the space he had set. But DogDay always hoped. And at times, they would sit beside one another and DogDay would talk to him. CatNap may not have been able to converse back, due to the pain he felt, but CatNap always indicated he was listening with little rumbles of sound coming from the chest at key moments.

DogDay, once he had died, and he saw CatNap again, wanted to at least go back to that. To be able to bask in one another’s company and perhaps work on their relationship to go back to before they were steadily being torn from one another due to circumstances beyond their control.

He had perhaps wanted more too.

DogDay had started to notice his feelings for CatNap years after the Hour of Joy. The timing was horrific, he knew, but they hadn’t changed in years. It was also, somewhat, problematic in the dog Critter’s eyes. Not only for the obvious rift between them and the atrocities committed by a certain cat, but because Adam had thought he saw Theodore as a little brother. There was a six-year difference between the two, and Adam had felt a bit protective over the younger boy who was so aloof with everyone. But CatNap didn’t need his protection, that much was very clear. And while DogDay was scared of what CatNap had done, he found he wasn’t afraid of CatNap himself. Because he knew, at least he was sure of back then, that CatNap would never hurt him. They were best friends, after all.

His thoughts of CatNap changed then; no longer seeing him as a sibling to protect but instead of his own person. Once the shade of perceived siblinghood faded, DogDay began to see things differently; the same things he had noticed before had changed meaning. CatNap’s eyes would always look for him, not because he needed a guiding hand, but because he simply sought him out. CatNap would back himself into a corner to cover himself, but would trust DogDay enough to turn his back to him and even, at times, stand before him when other Bigger Bodies came to their floor (at first, when they could move freely between floors and then later when they were called to meet with the Prototype in the Labs, having to pass through Playcare to proceed). And how the alerts the cat Critter would give him, still, even after the Hour of Joy, was his way of greeting the other—something DogDay noticed he never did for anyone else.

Perhaps it was all delusional, in hindsight, but at the time, DogDay couldn’t help but think differently. Watching CatNap became his means of learning more; as he dealt with the minis, aware of his large form over them; his presence around the other Bigger Bodies and the aura he gave off; the respect the Bigger Bodies gave him. His genius, his rule, his plans, his distribution of tasks and supplies—everything had essentially become wrapped in with CatNap in one way or another. DogDay would many times go to sleep thinking of him, and wake up to still be thinking of him. These thoughts would be of how this tiny, quiet child would evolve into a figurehead with such power and command; of how strong he was in able to do the things he did and still move forward from it; of how terrifying he could be, but, ultimately, always be sweet and complacent with him. It must have meant something.

Or so he thought, until he was once again proven wrong.

Perhaps he should have given up entirely when his legs were taken from him.

When the minis took over his body and killed him.

When he woke up again and was once again pushed away from CatNap. Countless times. From the moment they met again.

DogDay should have known better.

Perhaps he really was stupid like CatNap had asked him.

He roughly wiped away at his tears as he found his way back to the elevator, the door still open from when he exited moments ago. He rushed to the panel and clicked the panel back to life, typing in the words to bring the elevator up, finger hovering over the “Enter” key when he was compelled to look back, his eyes landing on the form of CatNap as he walked down the hall, the others trailing behind him like ducklings following their mother. DogDay angrily huffed and turned back to the keyboard, finger still hanging over the key that would close the gate and bring him back up. He could leave them down here, though he was sure CatNap would just figure out a way to bring the elevator back. He really didn’t want to share the ride and his desire to talk to the other had evaporated into the air.

He really didn’t want to be near CatNap right now.

But as his finger hung over the “Enter” key the dog Critter huffed in aggravation and walked away from the panel, putting himself in one of the far corners, back turned towards the open gate as he leaned down over the railing, hands clenched together tightly.

In seconds, the elevator shifted and groaned with the addition of another body, but DogDay maintained his position, shoulders stiffening, thinking for a moment, that perhaps this would be the time. Now CatNap would choose to talk to him, now after he’s been struck, if only to reprimand him for daring to raise a hand against the glorious CatNap. DogDay’s ears perked as steps were taken on the elevator, breathing quickening as he thought that, indeed, CatNap was heading to him.   

Only for the steps to never reach him, going to the opposite end of the elevator, the railing groaning slightly as DogDay could only assume that the other began to lean on them. Perhaps CatNap was looking at him, perhaps not. But DogDay refused to follow through on his curiosity to look back at the other Critter as his irritation increased.

Because of course CatNap wouldn’t talk to him. Even now.

The tense moments ticked on, but nothing happened. DogDay could faintly hear someone ask if they should get on (the elevator), but he didn’t recognize the voice. Bunzo replied with a hushed “Don’t look at me! I don’t know!”

DogDay restrained an eye roll, inhaling deeply to keep himself calm as the seconds ticked by. He hoped something happened and soon, the anticipation was killing him.

“Get on!” Came CatNap’s deep, rumbling voice, making DogDay flinch as he had never heard CatNap sound that angry before. The anger CatNap showed just moments before was nothing compared to this.

DogDay mentally kicked himself. He was really regretting that slap if that’s how angry CatNap was about it but at the same time, he had decided he had enough. Though his hand flew before he could fully form the thought, DogDay was sure he had enough of CatNap’s actions towards him. Otherwise, why else would he have hit him?

The elevator groaned and creaked with the rushed steps of the others coming onto the elevator, CatNap’s voice voicing out a command: “Get us moving and stop wasting time.”

“Yes, boss. Sorry, boss!” Bunzo muttered as more steps went to the panel, the bunny humming to himself as the clicking sound from the key was distinctly heard. “Thanks for queuing up the elevator, DogDay.” Bunzo spoke towards him. DogDay ignored him. “Or, uh, I should say, thanks for waiting. You could’ve just left us down here, you know?”

DogDay shut his eyes as the gate pulled up and the locks unlocked, the elevator beginning its trip back up to the surface as Mommy scolded Bunzo. “Don’t stir the damn pot, idiot!”

“What? I was raised to give thanks when it's deserved.”

“Deserved? Are you fucking kidding me?”

“That’s what you’re pulling from that?” Came Simon Smoke’s voice. “I would’ve asked who the hell raised him? We’re all orphans!”

“No one asked you, fire hazard.”

“I will have you know,” Bunzo stated, his voice almost sounding proud as he continued to speak. “I did have a family. Actually several! I was in the foster system for a while.”

“That’s not something to be proud of, idiot.” Mommy grumbled.

“No one asked you, bunny.” Simon responded back at the same time.

“Hoo-hoo!” Bunzo sounded out, his voice getting tight. “You know what, Simon? I think you may actually annoy me more than Mommy!”

“That’s a treat! I’m honored for that distinction.”

“You wanna get beat down again, dragon?”

“Try me! I’d like to try some bunny stew, tonight!”

Mommy’s large figure shuffled on the elevator, the metallic groans coming from the whole car as it shifted slightly under her movements. “Not this bull again! Why do boys talk with their fists, huh?”

“You’re one to talk. You jumped into the fight too, remember?”

“I’m about to do it again!”

Maggie’s voice pipped up. “Alright, all of you shut up! Seriously, the hell did I miss this morning? CatNap, wanna do something about this?”

Silence.

“Hello! Earth to CatNap!” Maggie tried again.

Silence once again before CatNap’s now tired sounding voice echoed within the walls of the elevator shaft. “If this is how it’s going to be, it may best for everyone to go down for a deep sleep…”

Silence again followed by some more shuffling around the elevator. DogDay could picture the red smoke drifting out of CatNap’s mouth as he spoke.

“…Effective…” Maggie sounded out.

DogDay’s eyes moved to try to look to the side, to see if he could catch a glimpse of his elevator mates, yet he couldn’t see anything with his current body position. And he certainly didn’t want to risk meeting eyes with CatNap so he pushed down his curiosity again and instead sighed heavily as he closed his eyes, hoping to enjoy the rest of the elevator ride in peace. He would get his wish as the sun’s rays once again slowly landed on the elevator and eventually on himself as they reached the top.

“Look, Simon! Actual sun!” Maggie commented, her voice joyous as she looked up into the sky.

“Is that fucking grass?” Simon pointed out.

Soon the elevator once again docked at the end of its track, the locks clicking in place and the gate next to the panel once again dropping down to open up into the gangway. No one moved however as DogDay shifted to turn away from the now open gate, his back still turned to the other experiments behind him.

Suddenly, steps from the opposite end rang out on the elevator, the railing groaning softly as the weight that was resting upon it moved off. The steps continued towards the gate, DogDay closing his eyes tightly as he listened to the steps pause for a breath of a moment before fully stepping off, the gangway to the elevator sounding as CatNap walked away.

“Get me off this thing…” Maggie mumbled as she was the next to get off, followed by Simon, as the two rushed past CatNap to step into the grass, her mood instantly improving. “Grass! And trees! Holy shit! We’re in Heaven! We actually died and went to Heaven!” She cheered.

Simon went up to a tree, feeling the trunk of the tree in disbelief. “It’s real… it’s actually fucking real…” He sighed out, his head tipping back to look up the tree’s branches.

Mommy and Doey were the next to step off, Doey in silent shock at what he was seeing, but all the same, the three males were in astonishment at what they saw. When was the last time either of them saw grass, trees, mountains, clouds and the sun? “Huh…” Doey sounded out, as he looked around. “So, the surface exists… I almost thought it was another CatNap lie.”

“Why the fuck would we lie about that?” Mommy scoffed. “Seriously. The lack of faith is disturbing.”

Doey, in response, scoffed as well. “Pardon me for not trusting your illustrious leader, Mommy. He did betray and lie to us, you know.”

“Get over it.”

“Get over—you’re seriously deranged.”

“Bite me.”

As the voices faded away, DogDay remained on the elevator, still leaned over the railing with his hands clenched, eyes finally opening as a shaky breath escaped him. Bunzo, behind him, cleared his throat softly, DogDay finally turning around just enough to look at the bunny Bigger Body. The bunny offered the dog Critter a warm, yet somehow understanding, smile. “Are you going to get off?” He asked gently, raising a cymbal clasped hand to the gate.

DogDay’s eyes scanned Bunzo, just now taking a good look at him. He had burn marks and bruises on him. Those weren’t there before when they left yesterday. DogDay straightened and turned to fully face Bunzo. A part of him wanted to ask about the marks, a part of him didn’t care. His eyes turned to look at the hill that masked the hatch from the rest of the valley, seeing that CatNap had long gone over the hill since he was not in view, Doey and Mommy cresting the hill as Maggie and Simon lingered behind, still taking in all the scenes of the tiny part of the Smiling Valley they were introduced to. Reluctantly, DogDay moved to step off the elevator, moving before Bunzo, the bunny following behind him.

DogDay wanted to ask Bunzo about CatNap. To get his insight on what he thinks CatNap is thinking. To see if perhaps one of the followers of CatNap could give some clues on just what he was thinking. If CatNap did indeed hold DogDay dear to him like so many had implied to him over the past couple days. But DogDay couldn’t find the words, and Bunzo never spoke to him, maintaining the silence DogDay was setting as Bunzo practically escorted DogDay back.

The walk back was uneventful, except for Maggie jumping into the lake, so happy to see a large body of water to swim in which caused Mommy to have to stretch her arms out and pull the shark Critter out of the water, the smaller female kicking and struggling in the spider’s hold. As they walked into town, Doey went up to join CatNap, DogDay could see the two having a conversation, but from how far he (and Bunzo) was behind, there was not any way in the world he could hear them.

When they entered town, the rest of the Smiling Critters were in the center at the park, the six of them turning to see the group walking towards them. “Oh,” Bobby sounded, “looks like DogDay found them!”

“Oh, good!” Crafty clapped. “Hey DogDay! CatNap! We were worried something happened to y’all!” She sounded out, hopping up and down as she stretched up a hand.

CatNap’s eyes were dark as he looked at her, causing the unicorn to silence immediately and drop her arm down, sucking in her lips to maintain her silence. Picky and Kickin shared a look, reminded of when CatNap came up from the Prisons but were also equally surprised to see a pair of Nightmare Critters and Doey the Doughman with him.

“What the—wait.” Bubba sounded out as he scanned the group. “I recognize Doey, but who the hell are those two!”

“The Nightmare Critters.” Hoppy grumbled. “Or two of them, at least.”

CatNap turned and glanced back to see Bunzo with DogDay, quickly turning to Mommy. “Go to the School and get the teachers out here.”

“What? Why me?”

“Just go.”

“…Fine…” Mommy sighed as she moved forward past them towards the School.

CatNap, turning to the Smiling Critters nodded towards them. “It’s good you’re already here. We have things to discuss.”

Bubba released a sharp chuckle. “That’s for sure! You disappeared for a day! What the hell did you do?”

“Plenty.”

Doey, at hearing that response, couldn’t help but snicker. “You like to answer with that. Know any other words?”

“…Plenty...”

At that, Doey couldn’t help but laugh, Matthew internally shaking his head. This damn kid’s got jokes, it seems. It was an interesting side of CatNap he’s never seen before. As he was laughing, DogDay and Bunzo finally joined the group, DogDay silently, and without sparing a glance to CatNap, joined the Smiling Critters, moving to stand beside Bobby, who gave him a concerned look as he joined her. Bunzo moved to join CatNap’s side, opposite of Doey, Bunzo giving CatNap a curt nod as he walked by. CatNap inhaled softly, giving a curt nod of his own is some sort of silent code between the two. Doey, sighing after his short laugh session, looked back to CatNap. “So, bringing the teachers out too? That’s quite an angle.”

“We need them too, as much as I’d hate to admit it.”

“Oh, no, I agree. If things are to go as you think they might, then we will need everyone we can get.”

“Thanks for agreeing.”

“Don’t get used to it.” CatNap nodded at that. “But… if they start getting all crazy on us, Kevin may just bust someone’s head open.”

CatNap looked at Doey, eyes suddenly lighting up with a forgotten memory. “Oh, yeah, that’s right… Kevin was a victim of Miss Cheery, wasn’t he?”

Doey shifted, Kevin taking over. “What’s it to ya?”

“Nothing. I forgot about it, is all.” 

“Forgot? Tsk, of course. ‘Cause why the hell would you care about others who didn’t follow you, huh?”

“No. I punished them all after the Hour of Joy pretty early on and just never really thought about it again.” Except for when he briefly brought up their sins to them in the School. But even then, he didn’t think of the specific victims. Their punishment was something he did for all the victims’ behalf; in his eyes the teachers got what was coming to them, one way or another, bringing justice to all that were hurt by them.

“Punished?”

“Locked them in the School and forced them to kill one another as retribution. Miss Delight was the last survivor.”

Kevin, as Doey, blinked a few times before a cruel grin came upon his face. “No, shit? Damn… guess you’re expecting a ‘thanks’ from me, or some shit?”

CatNap shook his head. “No. I didn’t do it just for you.”

“Hmm…” Doey hummed. “Oh, what a selfless hero…” He sounded out sarcastically.

“Hate to interrupt,” Bubba sounded out, causing the other experiments to look at him, “but what is going on?” Bubba, while enjoying the fact that the Bigger Bodies before him were just gleefully info dumping for all to hear, was more concerned with why they were all to be gathered. Bubba had experience picking up the signs of trouble to come, and he didn’t quite appreciate what this gathering was implying.

CatNap moved to sit on the retaining wall of a raised garden bed, plopping down onto it tiredly. “We’ll wait for the teachers first. I’m not repeating myself again.”

Bubba made a face of disgruntlement but otherwise remained silent, his arms crossing before him as he turned to DogDay. “Where’d you find them?” He asked the dog Critter.

DogDay shook his head softly, not really wanting to answer but at the same time they had gone out to get information on where CatNap and his Bigger Bodies had gone to. He felt obligated to answer. “There’s… a way to the Prison at the far end of the valley. They were down there.”

“So, I was right.” Bubba mused. “The Prison and Labs are also here.”

Hoppy, immediately upon hearing that, raised her ears as she pushed through to stand before DogDay. “And you went down there? Alone?” DogDay nodded, his heart sinking as he was getting this sense of dread that perhaps CatNap might have been right on the nose with his lack of self-preservation… based on Hoppy’s tone she used on him. His eyes were casted down to the floor. “Je-sus, DogDay! That place is literally another realm of Hell! It’s dangerous to go alone!”

Kickin stepped up and quietly added, “That was where the Doctor’s lair was too…”

“After he failed to kill CatNap!” Hoppy stated. “If only he succeeded, then we would have been better off!”

DogDay felt his heart drop, his eyes glancing towards CatNap whose own eyes were staring down at the ground. Why did no one tell him about this? He looked around the others, seeing that, of course, Picky, Crafty and Kickin knew about this attempt, and apparently so did Hoppy. Bobby on the other hand, gasped, her eyes also swinging towards CatNap, who never looked up once. At least, DogDay mused to himself, he wasn’t the only one in the dark. He took some respite in that fact. But still, a small part of him inside was kicking himself for not knowing that CatNap had an assassination attempt on him. When did it happen? And how did affect their way of life after?

Bobby turned back to Hoppy, her face twisted with multiple emotions, as she too was under the impression that CatNap was invincible in Playtime. The fact that someone tried to kill him made her heart clench. He was still a Smiling Critter and she worried equally for all of them. It was her main reason for remaining neutral with DogDay. “You shouldn’t say things like that, Hoppy.”

“Why not? CatNap caused so many problems! If he was dead by then, we wouldn’t have been in nearly in as much shit as we were!”

“Or perhaps more!” Picky had to argue. “Imagine what would have happened without CatNap protecting Playcare!”

“God!” Hoppy groaned. “Protecting what? He couldn’t even protect Safe Haven!”

At the mention of Safe Haven, Doey turned his head over to the Smiling Critters, eyes narrowing as they landed on Hoppy’s back. “We don’t know that… sure we were ordered to stop helping them but—”

“Oh, but I know! It was totally his fault!” Hoppy pointed a finger at CatNap, who, at the mention of the accusation, no matter how true it was, finally looked up with unimpressed eyes. “Look at him! He’s got no remorse even now!” Doey glanced back at CatNap, seeing the cat Critter sigh heavily before his eyes went down to the floor again. “And Doey knows, for sure!” Hoppy said, Doey’s head snapping back to her. “He was the one who set up Safe Haven! CatNap betrayed him and Safe Haven! Betrayed us!”

Doey felt his eye twitch. Inside the mind of the trio, Kevin pushed up his imaginary sleeves, the imagery clear to the three males. “The fuck is she on?” He sounded, his voice in disbelief. “After what she did she dares lump herself with us?”

“N-now, Kevin…” Jack said, his voice trying to come out soothing. “She did help us for a while…”

“Until she didn’t! She’s not as bad as CatNap, but she ain’t a saint either!”

Matthew had heard enough, his thoughts instantly shushing the other two as Doey physically stepped forward towards the Smiling Critters. “You shouldn't be casting stones, Hoppy. Not when you played a hand in Safe Haven’s downfall, too.”

Hoppy, upon hearing that, shuddered, her eyes jumping around to the Bigger Bodies before her before she shook her head aggressively. Kickin, who stood behind her, began to scratch at his wing nervously, his face twisting with anxiety. “Wh-what do you mean? I helped! I smuggled supplies in from Playcare to you guys! I did it for years!”

CatNap, not wanting to get involved, casually flipped himself down onto the wall so that he was lying down on it, his arms tucked under his head as he looked up to the sky, his right leg remaining outstretched along the wall, heel on the ground. Doey scoffed at that statement, but took note of CatNap's totally lack of interest in this conversation. A part of him was actually thankful that CatNap was letting him handle this on his own. “Helped? Yeah, sure, you brought in supplies, but as time went on the amount we were receiving was smaller and smaller!”

“That’s…” Hoppy shuddered. “That’s ‘cause the supplies to us in Playcare were dwindling too! Obviously, there’d be less we could share with you… even if CatNap was on our floor!” It was well known that out of the supplies being brought up from the Labs, the Playcare received the most. Due in part because, logistically, they did have the greatest number of Bigger Bodies, and thus needed more, but mostly because the Prototype favored CatNap and always added more on the top especially for him to use at his own discretion.

“That’s bull and you know it!” Doey argued back, a little bit of Kevin coming in as both he and Matthew struggled for control over Doey. “You think you were being sly, Hoppy, but you were stealing from us!”

“No, I wasn’t!”

“And you lied to our faces when we gave you so many chances to tell us yourself!” The number of times Doey pressed the rabbit Critter to tell the truth. One of their own, Scout, a robot toy, had taken the liberty himself to watch Hoppy when the supplies kept dwindling. He had seen the Critter bring down the supplies she was smuggling from Playcare down into the Prison level, stopping off to the side to hide some food, or water, or whatever in a hole before going to Safe Haven to drop off the smuggled goods, only to come back on the way up and take back the hidden away essentials. Once Doey was informed, he tried talking to Hoppy, alluding to what he had discovered to see if perhaps she would come clean herself. She never did. And while Kevin wanted to force it out of her, Matthew wouldn’t allow him. She was, after all, the main smuggler for Safe Haven and they couldn’t afford to lose her.

It led him to try to reach out to CatNap, one of the few times he did even way after Safe Haven was cut off. He wanted to see if CatNap knew or if he could do something about it. But CatNap never came and with the knowledge Doey just learned this morning, it was because CatNap was told not to make contact any more when Doey had thought it was the purple Critter ignoring them.

“I-I…” Hoppy stuttered, looking back to the Smiling Critters behind her. “I didn’t steal!”

Picky rolled her eyes. “How else would you call it? I mean, technically, based on CatNap’s order, you were stealing from us to smuggle to Safe Haven to begin with.”

“That ban meant nothing to me!” Hoppy argued. “I’m not one of CatNap’s followers!” She twisted on her heels and looked to CatNap, who was still laying down on the garden wall, eyes to the sky. “A-and either way! He found out somehow and killed me!”

CatNap, to his credit, tried to stay out of this. The whole smuggling situation, while it was an order from the Prototype to prevent, had little to nothing to do with him up until the moment he was informed that smuggling was indeed occurring. It went unknown to him for a few years before he became privy to that knowledge. As for Hoppy stealing supplies off the top from Safe Haven, well, again, that had nothing to do with him. That was something for Doey, the leader of Safe Haven, to deal with.

But then Hoppy just had to accuse him and bring him directly into it.

CatNap turned his head indifferently towards her, his eyes displaying how bored he was of all this. DogDay watched as CatNap sighed heavily, heaving himself back up to a sitting position, leaning forward as his arms rested upon his knees, hands clasped together between his knees, his eyes cold as ice towards Hoppy. “I didn’t cause your death, nor did I directly kill you. I’d like to make that perfectly clear.”

“It doesn’t matter! You had that blockade up! Pianosaurus and Yarnaby—”

“Were following orders directly from the Prototype.” CatNap addressed. “I had nothing to do with the blockade except make sure they maintained it.”

“Liar! You passed down the orders, you told them to look out for me…!” Hoppy’s voice began to waver under CatNap’s eyes, who remained unblinkingly on her, judging her as she knew Doey judged her, and Picky and Crafty who already didn’t like her that much. She turned to look to Bubba and Bobby. Bubba looked indifferent as he was mentally lost as he was dead long before all this occurred, but Bobby looked disappointed; her eyes were also judging her. She looked to Kickin who was looking down at the floor, scratching at his wing still, nails digging red lines on his skin under his feathers. “They… Pianosaurus was on me so quickly…” She spoke softly as she turned back to Doey and CatNap. “You… the order was from you…”

“It was from the Prototype.” CatNap repeated, now rolling his eyes in annoyance. “And Piano didn’t even kill you. You slipped. You fell. You died. As you were heading back to Playcare, with stolen supplies on you, no less.”

Doey glanced back at CatNap, eying the purple Critter as he remained eyes affixed to the green Critter. This CatNap before him now reminded him of the one from before. The one that terrorized the toys in Safe Haven. Doey marveled at the change the other male could go through so quickly. Just an hour before he was expressive and, dare he say it, tranquil. Even after their fight, he had spoken so much in explaining what happened. He had been so civil and calm. Now, the walls were up and they were towering with an arsenal of weapons at his disposal. He could feel the air around CatNap get thick with a menacing aura. Doey could tell CatNap was over it. It wouldn't surprise the Doughman if CatNap must have gotten antagonist responses everywhere he went. In that regard, Doey would be over it too if he were in CatNap's shoes. Especially if there was more pressing and important business to attend to. 

They were supposed to be working together to formulate a plan against the Prototype’s potential arrival and here they were again, going though yet another struggle amongst Bigger Bodies and toys. Doey glanced at DogDay, whose eyes were finally back on CatNap once more. Jack internally stated to the others that the slap earlier must not have done wonders to CatNap’s mood either. The cat Critter’s mood did indeed shift quite significantly when he first saw DogDay in the Prison level; only to nose dive further when he was slapped. Kevin, while agreeing, couldn’t help but laugh as they remembered the moment, Matthew mentally shooting the other male a glare. “What?” Kevin snickered. “You have to admit; he’s had that slap comin’ for a long time. Shame it wasn’t a punch.”

“We already punched him, though.” Jack said.

Kevin mentally shrugged. “Could have done more…”

“We’re not going to talk about that now.” Matthew lightly scolded. “We’re kinda in the middle of something.”

“True.” Kevin agreed. “Hoppy needs a punch to the face, too.”

“A punch is too much.” Jack commented. “She died while stealing. It’s poetic enough.”

Matthew incredulously said, “We’re not doing anything to her! And Jack, what happened to being a pacifist?”

Now it was Jack’s turn to mentally shrug. “She stole from us. That’s not a very nice thing to do.”

“I…” Matthew responded, at a loss for words.

“And stealing is very bad.” Kevin added, his voice playfully admonishing.

Hoppy’s voice brought Doey back to the present. “I was only doing it so that I could try to escape!” She yelled as her façade broke, no longer trying to deny what she had done as the facts were thrown back to her. “I was… I was trying to get enough supplies for all of us to leave!” Hoppy tried as she looked back to the Smiling Critters. “I just wanted to get us out!”

“By stealing from innocent toys?” Bobby asked. “It was bad enough they were cut off… you had to steal from their pile specifically?”

“I couldn’t take things from us! CatNap guarded it too well with the minis!”

“Ah, yes!” CatNap sounded, voice level and calm. The absurdity of it all was making CatNap's head hurt, even despite the doses of pain medication in him. “The surveillance of our supplies to ensure no one took too much at one time must have made things quite difficult for you. It is my fault that you had to steal!”

“Yes, I—”Hoppy began before realizing CatNap was being sarcastic. She didn’t even know he could be sarcastic.

“And you weren't very good at it, either.” CatNap added. “I found your stockpile after you died. It was severely laughable for someone taking a bit off the top for a good while. I think you couldn’t help yourself and dipped into it whenever you wanted. Shame you couldn’t share with the others… considering it was theirs to begin with.”

Hoppy shook her head. “No, I… I didn’t… I…”

“Give it up, Hoppy.” Doey interjected, heaving a heavy sigh. “You stole, taking supplies from two places and we know about it. So, stop trying to paint yourself as the sole victim. We were all victims down there but you taking from impoverished toys, who had far less than you, is diabolical.”

“I’m-I’m not trying to! But it’s all CatNap’s fault, he—”

“Oh God, you’re so annoying...” Doey whined, as he placed a hand on his head, the hand dragging down his face dramatically. “If CatNap said he had nothing to do with your slip up or how you died, then he means it. I seriously doubt he’d lie about something like that here where it’s so inconsequential to what’s happening now.” CatNap quizzingly looked at Doey, his brow turned up in interest. He couldn’t believe that Doey just defended him, and quite frankly, Kevin and Matthew were surprised too as they were both thrown to the back seat as Jack took full control of Doey for the first time in a long time. “Oh, and look,” Jack as Doey said as he noticed Mommy coming back with the teachers, “we can get to the things that really do matter and stop trying to place blame on a sole scapegoat.” Doey turned his gaze back to Hoppy, pointing an accusatory finger towards her. “You are responsible for your own actions. Just as he is. Just as I am. And you’re less of a person in my eyes if you blame others for your actions. You need to grow up and take responsibility and even apologize to those you’ve hurt with what you've done! Otherwise, I don’t want to hear any more about this until then!” Doey huffed then as he crossed his arms.

Matthew and Kevin, stunned, sat back for a moment. Kevin eventually snickering as he did a slow clap. “Our little Jack’s grown some balls! Oh, thank God, I’d thought they’d never drop!”

Matthew mentally chocked on air and sent daggers towards Kevin before addressing Jack. “I respect you taking a stand, but did we have to defend CatNap?”

“Oh, come on!” Jack sounded, still annoyed as he willingly gave the control to Doey back to Matthew. “I know you two were getting annoyed with her, too. I just wanted to be done with this, and frankly, CatNap really has no reason to lie here. She just going on and on was irritating me.”

Kevin slow clap continued. “I’m just so proud. You could be more aggressive, but I’m proud of ya, Jack! Let’s see that backbone!”

Jack giggled, also proud of himself. Matthew let them be as he refocused on the present. Mommy moved to stand on CatNap’s other side, next to Doey, the two Bigger Bodies on CatNap’s side now flanking him like dedicated knights protecting their sovereign. CatNap straightened as the teachers joined the oblong shape, they were forming standing across from Doey, Maggie and Simon and next to the group of Smiling Critters across from CatNap. CatNap offered the eight teachers a coy smile. He hadn’t seen them since he had entered the School days ago. “Welcome. So glad that you could join us this morning.” He voiced, the tone sickly sweet yet eyes pointedly threatening. It was a warning; no funny business while you’re out and about with the others.

Miss Awe could barely contain the eye roll but regardless, threat heard. “CatNap, put away that fake visage of yours. It won’t work a second time with us.”

“Shame. And here I was pleased you actually showed your faces.”

Again, it was a wonder to those present that CatNap could be so sarcastic. But the animosity between him and the teachers were deathly apparent. Doey especially thought that he hated CatNap the most; he might actually be undone by the teachers. “As if we had a choice, CatNap.” Miss Awe stated. “It’s always been you call a meeting you show up or sleep for days. And Mommy made it quite clear we couldn’t refuse.”

“Well. I didn’t tell her to be rough with you all but as long as the results are the same, I don’t really care.” Mommy snickered at that, a hand daintily covering over her smile.

DogDay watched in amazement how quickly the switch up between CatNap’s faction was. While CatNap had retained an air of calm and collected, even while having his discussion with Hoppy, the aura around him shifted as soon as the teachers approached. Now there was an air of foreboding danger as if one wrong step could spell ruin. But, DogDay also noted, that he didn’t feel threatened. The air was tense, sure, but CatNap kept his gaze on the teachers, clearly showcasing where he was truly directing his warnings to. And Mommy, who had just come back, immediately fell into line. She was always one with a pretty nasty personality, but she melded into her role as second-in-command so easily, matching CatNap’s energy and almost utilizing a femme fatale persona to add to CatNap’s presence, not take away from it. And Bunzo, who had been polite to DogDay had instantly shifted as well; his eyes sharp and pointed, arms crossed as he stood between CatNap and the teachers while not blocking CatNap’s line of sight. DogDay wasn’t so sure what the tiny bunny could do to protect CatNap, but he also couldn’t deny that he felt Bunzo could as the bunny stood confidently, shoulders back and cymbals held at his side, engaged yet not fully primed, but all the while ready to go at any moment.

Doey saw this as well. He had always wondered how CatNap could command so easily. Was it something inherently natural in the young male, or something the Prototype taught him? Perhaps it was both. But he could see how easily one move or word from CatNap would alert his direct followers. There was no denying that it was this hold he had over them that is part of the reason the Hour of Joy was so successful. They trusted in CatNap and in return, CatNap trusted them as well. CatNap was cool and calm as he sat between his two bodyguards who were ready to snap at any moment; even if they already were in a fight that same morning. Even though Mommy and CatNap were still feeling the pain from their injuries.

Even surrounded by beings that all disliked CatNap. They were severely outnumbered and yet the three Bigger Bodies didn’t even seem to care.

Miss Awe sighed heavily, she understanding very clearly the same things both DogDay and Doey were picking up on. “I am surprised, CatNap, to hear that you’ve called a meeting. My sisters and I haven’t had one of these in a long while.”

“You missed out on the one I called over at the other station.”

“Ah, yes. I did hear through the grapevine that your exploration was successful. Congratulations.”

“Thank you. I couldn’t have gotten anywhere, though, without you and your sisters’ helpful instruction.” Another sickly sweet, yet so obviously fake, smile grew on CatNap’s face.

It made Miss Awe shudder visibly. “Stop with the niceties and get to it, then. We’re not here to play games with you, CatNap.”

“Nor am I.” CatNap stated, his eyes finally pulling from Miss Awe and the teachers as he began to address the whole group. “I won’t beat around the bush. There’s a very good chance the Prototype may end up coming here to this world.”

At that, both groups of the teachers and Smiling Critters begin to sound out their mixtures of horror, surprise, and disbelief. DogDay remained silent as he cautiously looked to CatNap, noting how far CatNap was going to avoid his direct gaze; blinking as he turned his head towards DogDay, looking at the ground or above to the sky. It was childish. But then again, DogDay refused to look at him earlier, too. It was Miss Delight, who voiced up first, attracting CatNap’s attention back to the teachers. “You seriously think that human can kill the Prototype? Killing you? Sure. Difficult but not impossible. Going up against the Prototype? That’s just laughable, CatNap.”

“See, I disagree.” CatNap responded. “That human is tenacious to a fault. They’re moving too quickly through these floors that it’s almost astonishing. I understand we’re not at the force as we were during the Hour of Joy, but even Mommy, Huggy and Boxy handled those Extraction Specialists Leith Pierre sent.”

“Who?” A couple voices rang out, too many for either DogDay or CatNap to point out.

“Not important now.” CatNap simply said, for it was true. Those human groups coming in to retrieve whatever they were looking for were thwarted by CatNap’s faction. Most of them didn’t even get far enough to even mention. And for whatever they were doing, it was in their past life, not here, and they were humans, not experiments, so following the rules of this world, those humans would never appear here anyway. “But what is important is that the Prototype is an experiment like us, so, should the human succeed, no matter how improbable, he’ll show up here.”

“No, I don’t believe you.” Bubba said as he shook his head, CatNap’s eyes landing on the elephant Critter. “So, what if he’s an experiment, too? He wouldn’t come here, no way.”

“And who are you to say who comes here and who doesn’t?” Bunzo questioned, raising a brow towards Bubba. “Just because you’ve been one of the longest ones here, doesn’t mean you know everything. In fact, you don’t nearly know as much as we do.” Bunzo gestured to himself, CatNap and Mommy, flicking his hand at the last second to include Doey and the Nightmare Critters as well.

“It’s because I’ve been here the longest that I think I know what I’m talking about.” Bubba insisted. “It’s clear to me that this world is a second chance for those who suffered. The Prototype hasn’t suffered.”

“Wrong.” CatNap said immediately, his eyes blinking a few times as he seemingly shocked himself. With a sigh, he rolled his neck around a couple times, small audible cracks being heard as he did so. “He’s… suffered enough. And even if he hadn't, for the sake of argument: if this world is meant to be solely for those who suffered, then those who created that suffering shouldn’t be here. That would include the mass majority of us, especially myself."

“There, I'd have to agree with you.”

“But this world doesn’t discriminate against those who caused harm and were harmed. Even the Doctor showed up here and he’s arguably worse than I am.”

“The Doctor?” Miss Awe echoed. “He’s here?”

“Not anymore!” Mommy sung, a proud smile on her face. “CatNap killed him!”

DogDay watched as CatNap blinked uncomfortably but stayed silent. “Killed him!” Miss Delight exclaimed. “He’s was basically a computer, yes? That’s not impressive.”

“That’s what I said too.” Doey chimed in. “But apparently he showed up as his Sentinel form.”

“Apparently? So, you didn’t see his corpse for yourself? It could all be a lie.”

“Except it isn’t.” Maggie Mako stated. “I was there when the Doctor arrived. And Simon here saw him on cameras. Not to mention Bunzo and Mommy directly engaged him. We all saw him. And quite frankly, the Bigger Bodies under CatNap fought him quite bravely despite the odds and won.”

“It was CatNap that won.” Bunzo cleared up. “The Doctor had nearly killed Mommy and Maggie, and even CatNap himself, before the killing blow was made.”

Before the others could react to the reveal that CatNap nearly lost his life fight the Doctor, Simon Smoke added his own bit to the retelling of the story. “But he didn’t, because CatNap is a fucking monster.”

“Not this shit again, Simon!” Bunzo breathed out, rolling his eyes as his whole body shifted.

“Oh, no, this is important, bunny! Everyone here deserves to know exactly what he is!”

“That’s not fair, Simon. Without him we’d be goners!”

“Okay, fine! I won’t deny that. But it’s highly favorable for y’all to not tell the whole truth while also honestly thinking they’d,” his hand gesturing towards the Smiling Critters and teachers, “just unquestionably decide to be trustful in CatNap and just do whatever the fuck he says. We,” now he gestured towards everyone save the three Bigger Bodies before him, “are not you! We haven’t been the loyal, willing-to-die-no-questions-asked, disciples you all have been since practically Day 1.”

CatNap nodded to himself, having to agree with what Simon said. He was about to speak when Doey beat him to it. “I agree. And honestly, that refers to me, too, since I also changed down there when I fought CatNap earlier.”

DogDay’s eyes shot towards Doey. The two had fought? With the way they seemed civil DogDay would have never guessed. But what did he mean by changed? “Explain changed.” DogDay asked simply, his voice making CatNap tense up, though it seemed no one noticed.

“Simply that.” Doey began. “CatNap and I seem to be able to change into our monstrous forms from before. Or, I guess I should say, he can change into how he used to look like.”

That caused another eruption of reactions as eyes jumped between CatNap and Doey. “The hell does that even mean?” Miss Delight questioned. “And how is that fair, at all? Let’s face it—CatNap here already has us all under his clutches just with his fearmongering! Now you’re saying he can change into a bigger, probably stronger version of himself on top of still having his red smoke? Are you fucking kidding me?”

“And we’re here just standing in near vicinity of him.” Miss Cheery commented.

Kevin, from inside Doey’s shared mind, steamed. “The fuck is she on? As if she didn’t do the same shit to the kids in her class! She literally fucking beat us!”

“Are you actually defending CatNap, too?” Matthew questioned honestly, mentally eying the other male.

“No! But damn it, Jack is right! The fuck are these people on? Yeah, he’s a massive pile of shit, but none of us here are truly innocent either!”

“It’s the pot calling the kettle black, Matthew.” Jack added. “Doesn’t that just… I don’t know… rub you the wrong way?”

“We have no love for CatNap.” Matthew commented.

“No,” Kevin agreed, “but fuck, it could be us that they target!”

And just as Kevin thought that to their shared mind, Miss Awe’s tactical eyes landed on Doey. “But sisters, Doey can change, too, apparently. We always did think that CatNap, Huggy and Doey were the Bigger Bodies to watch out for. How could we seriously trust either of them?”

Miss Cheery sadistically chuckled, her eyes also landing on Doey, making Kevin internally recoil, Matthew instinctively becoming more defensive of their shared form. “And I think dear Kevin Barnes is part of Doey, no? The boy’s temperament is surely not one to underestimate.”

Kevin shuddered under those eyes, both his anger and anxiety rising. “T-that damn…”

Jack mentally reached out to Kevin, grasping him by the shoulders. “Matthew!”

“I know.” Matthew acknowledged.

Physically, Doey’s hands clenched at his sides. “You want to talk about potential dangers? Neither of you are safe to be around either! All of us here know of what you did to us kids. How you targeted your special children and had your way with them.”

“Honestly, Doey. Like you think we’d do that here?” Miss Awe sweetly asked.

“Yes! You’re doing it now! You’re trying to pit everyone against us when that’s not what we need right now!”

CatNap spoke up before Miss Awe could once more. “You are right, Miss Awe, Miss Delight, Miss Cheery.” His voice even yet distinctly deep, his cold eyes moving back to the teachers. “We are probably some of the most dangerous Bigger Bodies around. But don’t forget that it was I that locked you up in your School. I thought that I had gotten through to you, but it appears I haven’t. We will need all the help we can get, but it might be best to just eliminate the more unstable threats.”

“The greatest bluff I've ever seen!” Miss Awe growled. “We control the School here, not you CatNap. You don't have the power to force your way into our lives here. You won’t be able to pull that stunt again—”

“Who said anything about locking you in again?” CatNap asked as he rose gracefully to his feet. “I don’t need all of you. And I’m sure Kevin would like the opportunity to get his own chance at revenge.” Kevin, internally stood beside Matthew, getting ready for another fight should the need arise.

CatNap spared a glance back to Doey, the two sharing a nod as he looked back to the teachers. “It’s your choice. I’d rather we keep things civil. Most of us are all rotten apples, but the Prototype is a disease. I’d rather not focus my energy on you, but I wouldn’t object to doing some weeding.”

Beside him, Bunzo and Mommy shifted, ready to launch themselves towards the teachers should CatNap give the order. Behind them Doey growled softly, eyes locked on the teachers and even the Nightmare Critters beside Doey glared at the teachers. While CatNap was arguably the most dangerous out of the bunch, it can be agreed that basically no one liked the teachers. A common ground between the experiments was once proven to be a powerful motivator for violence, a fact that was not lost on the teachers as suddenly the tables turned on them. Miss Awe stepped back, almost tempted to run back to the School and retreat. She knew that going to this meeting would have been a bad idea, but she would have never suspected learning what they learned and being threatened as they are. She scoffed dismissively, crossing her arms before her. “You’ve made your point.” She conceded, for now at least. “But now that we know of this little ability of yours, we should know how you do it. It’s only fair.”

“As if you lot are the picture of fair.” Mommy sneered.

CatNap on the other hand, conceded in return, returning to sit back on the garden wall. “It’s best we get it all on the table, if only to build some semblance of trust. No matter how unstable it'll be.” He said before elaborating. “All I can really say, at least on my behalf, that in that last moment when the Doctor was going to kill me, I didn’t want to die. I wanted to be stronger and defeat him and I wanted my previous form. I remembered how it felt to be in that body and, honestly, just… willed it to be.”

“Willed it to be…” Miss Delight echoed. “How dumb do you think we are? That’s fantastical ramblings!”

“It works similar to me.” Doey added. “Though, typically we have to agree to change before we can do so. It was just that easy before we died too.” Doey paused, remembering how they used to change back and forth from their monstrous form before when they needed it, though Matthew tried not to rely on that form too much. “The only thing we couldn’t do was separate since we were literally tied into one another internally…”

CatNap hummed in thought, his eyes moving back to Doey. “Side bar; I’m curious if you could separate here.”

“What?”

“Try it. This world seems to grant us certain liberties. Before you were locked together with how those scientists built your body, but here we're living in a world of seemingly magic. Food replenishes every night, I still have my smoke, Simon can breathe fire, Rabie flies… you might be able to separate.”

Doey stayed quiet as internally the trio discussed what CatNap had planted. “Could we?” Matthew questioned.

“We couldn’t before.” Jack said. “It hurt too much and nearly killed us when we tried.”

“And it’ll hurt here… it hurt when we changed before.” Though they barely noticed their first shift into their monstrous form due to the anger and adrenaline. Kevin was to thank for that.

“What if we do it and die?” Kevin questioned. “We don’t fully understand this world and we haven’t been here long. What if CatNap is a saying that to risk our lives? Get rid of us?”

“Don’t.” Jack scolded. “We’re not villainizing him now. Not when he seems sincere about this.”

“And what does he gain with our death?” Matthew added. “He needs us to protect the toys like he said earlier. And help set things up, probably.”

“So, what? We give it a shot? Right here, right now and give these teachers a demonstration?” Kevin snapped back. “I’d rather just turn into a monster and rip their heads off.”

“We’re not doing that.” Matthew said.

“C’mon! I know you want to!”

“…” Matthew couldn’t lie and say he didn’t want to. But he also didn’t want to give the teachers the continued gratification of their anger towards them.

“Let’s just try.” Jack redirected. “We have to believe we can do it.” Both older boys remained silent as there was the crux of the problem. For so long they couldn’t. To just suddenly believe that they can separate and be their own beings again after so long? That was the true hurdle to overcome. “Let’s try to do it how CatNap said.” Jack offered. “Let’s think about how we used to be! How it felt when we were human.”

“Dude, that was like thirteen years ago...” Kevin said.

“Okay? And over these thirteen years we’ve worked together to keep Safe Haven safe. We lead, and killed, and we’ve seen into each other’s minds and hearts. We basically became one, but we’re still also us.” Jack spoke, his voice hopeful. “Let’s try! We’ll never know if we don’t…”

Doey sighed, giving CatNap an acknowledging nod before closing his eyes. The trio of males within himself tried to remember their truest selves, before they were one, before they became Doey the Doughman. Back when they had families of their own, stories of their own, and bodies of their own. They were one, but they were themselves too. For years they argued, compromised, and molded around one another; but they still had their own names.

And they were Matthew, Kevin and Jack.

Gasps and sounds of astonishment reached the ears of the trio as they opened their eyes, the three of them noticing how now they weren’t as tall as before. Matthew looked down at his hands, noticing that his body was mostly orange now, with his left arm remaining blue, the hat still upon his head. He looked to his sides, feeling the presence of two others beside him. To his left was Kevin, his body being mostly red save for the blue pattern down around his legs, the boy having no hat upon his head. Kevin met his eyes, recognition shining in both sets of eyes despite never seeing each other in these forms before. Then they both turned to look to the being on Matthew’s other side, the mostly yellow Doey form, with his right arm blue and the hand shaped patter on his right side. Jack was looking back at them already, a happy and proud smile on the younger boy’s face as he brought a hand up to wave at the two older boys, a hat also missing on top of his head. “H-Hi… Matt, Kevin…!” Tears of happiness slipped from the yellow Doey’s eyes as he spoke.

Kevin laughed disbelievingly, but a smile was on his face regardless. “Holy shit! We did it!”

Matthew, at Jack’s tears, felt tears of his own, pulling the younger boy into his arms. “Hi Jack… oh, God…”

 Jack sobbed in Matthew’s arms, returning the eldest boy’s hug with fervor, arms wrapping tightly around the orange Doey’s frame. Kevin moved to stand before the two of them, lifting his hands onto their shoulders, giving them a reassuring squeeze. “Hey to you, too, assholes.” He grumbled playfully as he sniffed in deeply, trying with all his might to not cry like the two before him.

Even though that’s what he also felt like doing.

Kevin was instantly wrapped into a shared hug between the three Doey’s, the boy sounding out a weak protest as he slowly put his arms around them, sharing in the embrace. CatNap watched them, not helping the soft smile that grew onto his face, unaware that DogDay’s eyes were on him, seeing that warm smile on the cat Critter’s face, making the dog’s heart clench. Bunzo chuckled joyfully as he watched the three smaller Doey’s pull apart from each other. “Aww… that’s so wholesome, I love it.”

“Ugh… gross.” Mommy stated, though it didn’t match her expression as she too smiled at the three Doey’s.

CatNap, then instantly recovered, his smile dropping and his eyes hardening, DogDay watching the shift as CatNap once again became serious. “Good. I’m glad you figured it out.” CatNap truthfully said, bringing the three Doey’s to look at him, two of the three wiping away at tears as CatNap continued. “The fact that you can separate is only helpful for us. More hands to be able to do multiple tasks at once.” CatNap addressed the whole group, turning his gaze away from the Doey trio. “Based on the Doctor’s arrival to this world, if the Prototype is destroyed then he’ll be here. If he does die, it’ll most likely be in the Labs where his temple is. Facing him down there would be too tight and difficult. Mommy and Bunzo can attest to that since they’ve been down there before.”

At that que, Mommy and Bunzo nodded, Mommy speaking first. “The cell he was kept in down there was large but not massive. It was combination lab, cell, and observation. Once his and CatNap’s failed escape plan fell through, his central being was permanently locked in the observation cell. After the Hour of Joy, everything came down and it became one space for him to work on building himself up more, becoming stronger and stronger with every addition he made.”

Bunzo spoke up next. “The rules of this place tend to pick a more mobile form, I’ve noticed. The Doctor wasn’t a computer, and you as the Smiling Critters look more like cartoon versions of your Bigger Bodies. The Nightmare Critters and all other toys retained their sizes for the most part as well as their shapes. Only us as the Bigger Bodies have slight differences, like I used to be much bigger and so was Mommy.”

Matthew, joined in, seeing what the Bigger Bodies were getting at. “Oh, I see. So, there’s a chance the Prototype shows up in his last form.”

“Maybe.” CatNap voiced, but he didn't sound entirely convinced. “His true form is part of his old human self with machinery built upon it. Leith Pierre’s plan for him was the same as what he had with Harley Sawyer; to keep him pliable to get information out of while also useful enough to justify them being kept alive and not straight up killed.”

“If he shows up in his mobile crab-like shape, and if the space is as tight as you say, then, yes, I would have to agree with what we discussed down in the mess hall.” Doey stated. “We’d have to get him up here.”

“Up here?” Bubba voiced in shock. “You want to hypothetically bring the Prototype here to where everyone is at?”

“Not everyone.” Maggie said. “There’s so many of us in the Prison level that we’d have to get out of the way, too.”

“That’s insane.” Bubba said to Maggie. “Why even bring them up here? Just keep them safe somewhere down there.”

“We can’t!” Maggie argued. “You want to leave toys as fodder down there for the Prototype to potentially add onto himself? We already know he took the bodies of the dead Bigger Bodies to add to himself directly?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what?” Bubba sounded.

“Oh, well…” Maggie snickered. “Most of us know.”

Mommy shuddered at the thought, remembering how she died and was most definitely taken by the Prototype after. “We can’t fight him down there; that’s just the fact of things. We have to bring him up here and we can’t leave anything to chance.”

"And hope he appears in his base form and not the amalgamation form." Bunzo added. "At least without the power of his gathered corpses he'd be weaker than in his current state back in the previous world."

“So, all toys in the Prison will need to be moved.” Matthew restated. “CatNap, you mentioned another station?”

“Yes.” CatNap exhaled. “The Playtime Station on the other side of those mountains.” CatNap pointed towards the direction of the station. “There would be a lot of moving pieces with moving toys out while also making a plan for the Prototype. There’s gonna have to be a team to facilitate evac of everyone who’s not fighting, both on this level and the Prison, as well as I, don’t know… a distraction team to try to funnel him into a trap and a team to build the trap itself.”

“A trap?” Miss Awe questioned.

“Yes. Somewhere here in the Valley where we can keep him long enough to kill him. Bound him somewhere and keep him there until we figure out how to kill him. Or, simply, tear him apart.”

Miss Awe laughed incredulously. “Oh, wow. That’s your plan? Trap the Prototype like you did us and just hope you can kill him?”

CatNap, hearing it back like that, was, for once, at a loss for words, giving a dismissive shrug. “That’s… all I got…”

“Wow. And this from the genius who planned the School’s takeover so easily.”

CatNap shook his head and groaned, leaning forward as he rubbed at his head. “Does anyone else have a plan they’d like to share?” He asked, voice tight.

A few tense moments of silence hung between the group before Bubba sighed exasperatedly. “I know, just… close off access to the lower levels and call it good.” This caused some hard looks be to tossed in his direction, CatNap lifting his eyes up in disbelief.

Maggie challenged that. “You want to abandon all the toys down there? Are you insane?”

“I mean bring up who you can, but then just close it off, or whatever. Shouldn’t be too hard, right?”

“Now that sounds like a plan.” Miss Delight wagged a finger towards Bubba. “Quick, simple, easy. Leave it and be done with it.”

“That’s not a viable option!” Matthew argued. “It’s the Prototype. You don’t think that if we just shut the door and leave it, that he won’t be able to hack into it, open it and come crawling out like a bat outta hell?”

Jack shifted nervously. “And… what about anyone else who may appear after the Prototype? Are we just… going to leave them down there?”

“No.” CatNap responded, voice thick and deep, eyes tuned specifically on Bubba. “We’re not leaving anyone with him.”

Bubba shakes his head as his own patience wanes. “What you’re proposing is impossible, CatNap! You can’t save everyone! And there are some who don’t want to be saved by you.”

“I just don’t think—”

“No, CatNap. Here’s the thing you don’t seem to understand. You don't get to make plans and command things here. Not of us. Before, we had no choice but to conform with your rules, your laws, your word. You don’t get to come here and scare us into thinking the Prototype’s going to come back and put yourself of this pedestal that you’re going to save us!” A low growl came from CatNap’s throat as he glared at Bubba, but otherwise remained silent as Bubba had more to say. “And you expect us to believe the word of these other Bigger Bodies, and these two Nightmare Critters that the Doctor did show up and that you killed him. This is some elaborate, rehearsed play that you’re putting on to get us under your thumb again, and you can’t deny that!”

“So you're just going to say this is all a ruse and ignore everything we've been saying?” Mommy asked in disbelief. “That’s not what we’re doing! We’re trying to save your asses!”

“Oh, because all of you saved us so well before!” Bubba challenged. “Look at the Hell you all brought onto the levels. Sure, I was killed basically right after the Hour of Joy, but don’t think I didn’t see, or notice, or hear about how things were as people were dying. You didn’t make things better, you didn’t save our lives with the Hour of Joy, you changed one oppressor to another!” CatNap exhaled deeply, another low growl rumbling from him as he dropped his head and rubbed the back of his neck, closing his eyes in an effort to keep calm. His plan was to just allow Bubba to let it all out; say his piece and then answer back in a way that gets the elephant Critter to finally shut up, even if that meant suggesting the Critters go down to see the Doctor’s corpse for themselves. “And even if the Prototype were to show up, who’s to say you don’t go back to your old ways and drop to your knees before him again?” At that, CatNap’s eyes snapped back up to Bubba, his face flat and expressionless as his eyes widened at the statement.

“CatNap wouldn’t be saying to kill the Prototype if he was just going to submit to him again.” Bunzo stated, defending his leader.

“Until he changes his mind! CatNap’s notorious for going back on what he says! How many times has he broken his own rules or just did whatever the hell he wanted? His word means nothing to me, as it should mean nothing to any of us here!”

Kevin had to nod to that. “The elephant’s got a point. He’s a notorious liar and manipulator. He’s a chip off the ole Prototype block!”

“He kept his promise to us.” Maggie said, also trying to defend CatNap. “I mean, he stopped the Doctor and brought us up here. And he’s still talking about bringing the others up…”

“Again. Until he decides it no longer suits him.” Simon stated. “When all of us start getting in his way, he’ll just toss us aside like he abandoned Safe Haven.”

“It was the Prototype’s orders!” Mommy argued.

“Exactly!” Simon doubled down. “Picture this: the Prototype shows up, gets inside CatNap’s head again and draws CatNap to his side again. Then now, we’ll not only have the Prototype to face, but also CatNap. And even you two as well!” Simon pointed to Mommy and Bunzo. “There’s no way in hell you two would leave his side if he goes slinking back to the Prototype.”

“Well, we… no…” Bunzo stuttered and he and Mommy shared a look. They didn’t want to help the Prototype, not at all. But should CatNap go back to his side? What then? Would they be strong enough to fight against the leader they love? Or would they do as Simon predicts and join CatNap as they had once before?

“See! You can’t even deny it!”

“This is ridiculous.” Miss Awe huffed. “This is all based on hypotheticals and what ifs. I’m not going to keep standing here for this! Let’s go.”

CatNap hopped back onto his feet, head snapping towards them. “You can’t leave!” He commanded, voice wavering slightly as his mind reeled.

“I already told you, CatNap. You can’t control us here.” Miss Awe reiterated. “And no matter what you threaten, I will stand by that!”

The teachers were turning to leave, Bunzo rushing forward and standing in their path. “Wait! Don’t leave! W-we—”

“Move bunny!” Miss Cheery commanded, reaching for the bunny and grabbing him, lifting him up and tossing him out of their way. He landed roughly onto a bench, folding over one of the arm rests with a pained groaned.

“Bunzo!” Mommy yelled as she reached over CatNap and headed to the downed bunny. “H-hey, stop!” She yelled at them, watching as some of the teachers, led by Miss Cheery, approached them.

“What are you going to do about it, Marie?” Miss Cheery leered.

“There’s no need for that!” Jack called out, grabbing at Matthew’s arm. “We have to do something!”

“Do we?” Kevin asked. “Our main priority is Safe Haven. We don’t need CatNap or them for it. We know how to get up here now.”

“I…” Matthew sputtered. “Yes, but…” He sighed then, rubbing a hand over his face. “I just don’t think all this infighting among us is necessary…”

CatNap moved to go to Mommy and Bunzo, freezing as he heard Bubba address him again. “You don’t have the same power here, CatNap. Just face it.” CatNap turned back to look at Bubba, hands tightening to fists at his side. “We’re not going to believe you, or listen to you when you’ve proven nothing to us. We’re onto you and we’re not falling for it.”

CatNap inhaled sharply as a snarl formed on his face. “I’m not trying to control you!” CatNap yelled back. “I honestly believe the Prototype is coming and I’m trying—”

“Trying to do what? Help us? We. Don’t. Want. It. And we don’t want you!” Bubba enunciated.

DogDay couldn’t help the sharp intake of air into his body as he heard Bubba said that. Though DogDay was angry with CatNap, he didn’t want that to come across to the other Critter. He wanted CatNap to feel welcomed, even now. He didn’t want CatNap to leave him, even now.

But the words wouldn’t come out, and his eyes remained glued to the floor, even as Bobby pulled at Bubba’s arm roughly. “Stop! Bubba, you can’t say that for all of us!” She looked to DogDay desperately. “DogDay! Say something!” She pleaded with him.

DogDay couldn’t speak though. He felt a panic attack coming on. His breath was shortening, his mind sputtering. He could barely use his energy to stand up right now as one hand came to clutch as his chest.

“Oh, yes, because how can I forget?” Bubba snapped back, yanking his arm from Bobby. “Picky and Crafty want to probably welcome him back with open arms, huh?”

“Bubba, you need to shut up!” Picky scolded. “You aren’t thinking, man! We need to listen—”

“No, you listen!” Bubba interrupted. “You two are murders like he is, so you should go off and just stick with him!”

“You can’t kick us out of here! We live here!”

“There’s the other side! Make new homes there!”

“You’re bein’ mean!” Crafty cried. “We apologized; we’re tryin’ to fix your trust in us!”

“Well, you can blame CatNap for that too! Bobby said he convinced you to tell us the truth? He probably said that purposely to drive you away and sink his claws into you again!”

“No, he didn’t!”

“Stop attacking him!” Picky screamed. “You’re not giving any of us a chance!”

CatNap blood rushed up to his head, he could hear the pounding of the blood vessels in his ears as his breathing increased. He glanced back over to Mommy and Bunzo who were still being surrounded by the teachers, hands pushing the spider and bunny roughly. “CatNap!” Mommy screeched. “Fuck! Back off!” She shouted shoving back on Miss Cheery and some of the other teachers who kept placing their hands on Mommy, her body set before Bunzo who was struggling to lift his tired and partially burned body off from the bench.

“CatNap.” Matthew called out to him. “What are we even doing now?”

“CatNap,” Maggie began, “do something! You're standin' around again?”

“I think he’s lost it.” Simon snickered faintly.

“CatNap!”

“CatNap.”

“CatNap!”

“DogDay!” Bobby’s voice screeched as the dog Critter collapsed onto his knees as he hyperventilated, the bear Critter sinking down to the floor, her arms wrapping around him.  

CatNap’s being shook as his eyes landed on DogDay; the mixtures of different conversations, arguments, and his name being constantly called flooding into his head all at once. His own breathing seemed to stop as he watched DogDay try to control his. A memory flashed back into CatNap’s mind; a memory of a time he was not proud of, of a time he wished he could have stopped, but failed to do so. All his failures flooded back, one, by painstakingly one. His mind reeled with what he could have done differently—what he should have done differently. If only he was stronger against the Prototype. If only he wasn’t so easily manipulated by him. If only he had stood his ground more.

Doey was right. He didn’t even try. He could have done more.

He was trying to do more now.

CatNap’s head snapped to Bubba, who was still arguing with Picky and Crafty (mostly Picky). He stomped forward, Hoppy and Kickin, who have been silent this whole time, yelping as CatNap approached them; but he wasn’t heading towards them. His hand reached out and grabbed at Bubba’s shoulder, quickly pulling him around to face him before a fist slammed into the elephant’s face, the Critter collapsing to the floor with the force behind the punch.

The violent display froze all else and heads snapped over to CatNap as he leaned down and picked up Bubba again, one large hand wrapped around the elephant Critter’s neck as he squeezed, just tight enough to restrict some airflow and leave some bruising, but not strong enough to break the bones in Bubba’s neck. Bubba’s hands grasped at CatNap’s arm in a desperate bid to pull CatNap off him.

It was futile.

“Listen here, you damned, arrogant, bastard!” CatNap cursed, tightening his grip around Bubba’s neck for just a moment to emphasize how serious the cat Critter was. “You can think you are the proud savior of everyone here. You can think you’re a great leader and you’re making the hard decisions out of a sworn duty. And you can think that anything you say will sway me; but I don’t care! I will not stand here and take you sowing the seeds of dissension amongst all of us when now, more than ever, we need to work together. I killed you once for this shit, don’t make me do it again!”

CatNap roughly pushed the elephant Critter back and away from him, the other once again collapsing back onto the ground, his hands going up to grab at his throat. CatNap glared pure murder at Bubba as he turned and walked back to the center of the collective group, once again turning his back to the garden as he addressed them all for the final time. “You can think that the Prototype won’t come here. You can think that perhaps he’ll be changed like we are, and he’ll be of sound mind, and that we’ll be safe. You can think locking him down in the lower levels to rot is a good idea. None of that will keep you alive. I know him best. And he’s not going to be different. He’s going to come here and make sure he’s in control just like he was then. He’s going to make this… Heaven, an absolute Hell again and by all means, pretend you’re safe. Pretend that once you close your eyes at night, and you have these sweet dreams of living the rest of your afterlife in peace, and quiet, and safety, and that everything will be fine—so be it! That’s fine with me! But don’t you fucking dare, stand in my way when I’m trying to save your pathetic lives!” CatNap roared, the red smoke falling out of his mouth as he spoke.

He continued. “Whatever you may think of me, I think of far worse, I assure you! And here I am, trying, to do better. Trying to get it into your thick skulls that I. Don’t. Give. A. Shit, about me being leader, or having control, or whatever the fuck you think I want! What I want, is to kill the Prototype and finally free myself from the fear, yes, fear, I feel at the thought of him coming here.” CatNap’s eyes rested on Bubba, who flinched under his gaze. “Because you’re right, Bubba. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to resist him. Even now, occasionally, I get this itch at the back of my mind to defend him; to continue my mindless worship of a creature who, yes, brought a different Hellscape into our already fucked up lives. You don’t think I don’t recognize that or recognize the role I played in it? I know damn well my role in it!" His eyes tore free from Bubba and were now quickly scanning the entire group surrounding him once more. "I won’t be able to rest, or, hell, even die peacefully, until I know he’s gone for good. Whether it takes days, or weeks, or another fucking fifteen years! I will wait for him to appear, so I can rip myself free from him for good and finally get the peace I never got once in my, damn, fucking life no matter what the hell any of you fucking do!”

CatNap’s heavy breathing was the only sounds as he stared down the group before him, avoiding DogDay’s gaze as the dog Critter was able to stop hyperventilating due to the shock of CatNap’s release of emotions. DogDay’s mind was trying to compute all of what CatNap had said; but his mind was so far behind as it lingered on the words "die peacefully…"

“Doey.” CatNap said suddenly, causing the Doey trio to straighten instantly. “You’ll be in charge of watching me closely once the Prototype arrives. With Jack’s attention to detail, Matthew’s comprehension skills, and Kevin’s ability to react instantly, I trust that if you see me slip back to what I was before, you take whatever chance you need to and you kill me first before that happens.”

A shuddering gasp sounded from DogDay, his eyes glistening from unshed tears as the words bounced around in his head.

...You kill me first…

“I… CatNap…?” Matthew questioned.

“Well?”

“I… yes… alright, CatNap. We’ll… we’ll watch you.”

Kevin swallowed thickly, his mind stunned that CatNap would even ask that of them. “I’ll definitely kill you. Not to worry.”

CatNap nodded as Mommy pushed aside the teachers. “No, CatNap!” She pleaded. “You won’t! I trust you! You won’t slip back!”

“Enough.” CatNap looked at her, watching as Bunzo also walked up to stand next to her, both of their faces twisted with the distraught feelings of hearing their leader set in place a plan for his murder. “And you’re not to stop him.” He added, the order ringing thickly in the air. “He goes for the kill, you stand aside.”

“No…” Bunzo whimpered. “We… we can’t…”

“Theodore...!” Mommy cried out, the human name making DogDay flinch.

“Enough.” CatNap repeated, his voice softening before he sighed heavily. “Just… enough…” He repeated again, his voice now suddenly sounding very tired. “This… this is how things are going to go now. The teachers, Mommy and I will go to the Toy Store to make some sort of plan. I’ve been through that building and I know it’s practically empty, so, we can use that to set a trap for him. Bunzo, you’ll leave with the Doey’s and the Nightmare Critters. Get with Daddy on the other side and make the evac and settlement plans. Also, grab any phones you can find. We’ll need to reprogram them to make sure the Prototype can’t tap into them and then give them to leaders and teams for communication. We’ll send another team down to the lower levels tomorrow to gather those phones down there and take them away from the Prototype, as well.” He paused, wondering if there was anything else they could do at the moment to help push things forward. But CatNap shook his head, his shoulders drooping forward as he just mentally gave up as he added, his eyes glued to the ground as he spoke. “Smiling Critters, you decide for yourselves what you want to do. I guess, that goes for anyone, really, but if you choose to not to help, then fine by me, but don’t you dare get in my way or slow me down. I mean it…”

With that, the cat Critter began walking, heading to Bunzo as he grabbed a branch on the floor and drew symbols on the floor. “This code is to move the train over to Playtime; this code is the return.” He stated, throwing the branch into the garden bed once he drew the symbols on the ground. Bunzo scanned over the symbols, memorizing the patterns with ease. After all, that was his game he was in charge of at the Game Station.

“…Got it…” Bunzo stated, taking the liberty to wipe the patterns away with a foot after he memorized them. CatNap nodded to him, patting his shoulder gently before be began moving towards the Toy Store, the teachers parting like the Red Sea in biblical tales as he walked by. Mommy’s head hung low as she rose to go behind him, the spider uncharacteristically quiet. Bunzo released a shuddering breath as soon the teachers wordlessly followed as well, not wanting incur CatNap’s wrath any further than they all already have. They would make their decisions about whether or not to help after hearing him out some more at the Toy Store. “Let’s go.” Bunzo said as he moved towards the station, purposely walking between the Doey’s and Nightmare Critters to make sure they followed him.

Simon tsked as he rubbed at his arm. “Damn.” He grumbled. It would seem they were all stunned into submission regardless. For a being who could barely speak before, having the freedom to do so now meant they all had to hear things they were perhaps not ready to hear, or were not willing to hear.

There would not be the liberty to make the decision to choose not to do anything. The fact of the matter was they had no other choice. They already saw the damage the Doctor could do. To do nothing was akin to choosing to die once more. And what’s more, the Doctor’s death proved to them all that they could indeed die again. They were not invincible. They were not impervious. And whether your trusted him or not, CatNap knew the most about the Prototype. He was a treasure trove of knowledge in regards to experiment 1006. No one else would know him better. No one else would be able to stop him.

Ultimately, they would need CatNap.

And CatNap needed them. He can’t defeat the Prototype on his own. He could barely defeat the Doctor on his own. But the implications of CatNap, once again following the Prototype? Would they be able to win without him, should Doey kill him as he asked?

With the Smiling Critters now left alone, Bobby helped DogDay onto his feet, the dog Critter still trying to take in air into his lungs. “Are you okay, DogDay?” She asked him. DogDay only nodded in response. “What happened? Did something happen between you and CatNap?”

DogDay whimpered in response, the tears that hadn’t fallen from his eyes now slipping past his cheeks. It was the second time that day he had cried. And it wasn’t even the afternoon yet. Bobby hummed sadly, bringing in the dog Critter into a strong hug. Hoppy moved to help Bubba off the floor, offering a hand to him, which he took, the rabbit pulling him up onto his feet. He rubbed his neck as he watches Bobby ignore him. Again. He let out a defeated sigh, moving over to sit in a nearby bench away from the others. Picky and Crafty shared a look, the two girls nodding. “We’re gonna help CatNap.” Crafty spoke up, the two girls holding hands.

“I believe him." Picky said. “He wouldn't react like that if he knew the Prototype could never come here. We want to help him, as his friends. And, well, I don’t want to lay down and do nothing. Not if I can help it.” She glanced over at Bubba’ who was staring intently at the ground by his feet. “Whatever you may say about us; this is our home. And we’re not going to lose it to the Prototype again.” With that, the two walked away from the others, heading back to Picky’s barn to wait for further instruction.

Bobby sighed shakily, nodding her head in agreement. “I don’t think we have much of a choice, anyway. CatNap was... I don’t think it’s solely his responsibility to fight on our behalf. We have to do something too, whatever it might be.”

“Do we even have a chance?” Hoppy asked quietly, her ears folded back behind her head. “What can we do? None of us have real fighting experience… and I’m only good at stealing…”

“I don’t know.” Bobby answered truthfully. “But… I want to increase our odds. And if that means helping CatNap, then so be it. After all is said and done, and if we’re successful, we can talk then about how things are going to go moving forward. Until then…” She sighed again, walking hesitantly to Bubba, standing before him. “You okay, Bubba?”

“Fine.” He replied back thickly.

“… I think… we need a break, Bubba. I don’t think I can be with you while you’re… while you’re like this.”

Bubba, without looking up, nodded slowly. “…Okay…”

Bobby sniffled softly, holding back her tears. “I’m… going home. DogDay? Do you, uh, wanna come over?” DogDay nodded again silently, his tears continuing to fall. “Okay. We’ll see you… later, I guess…” Bobby muttered as she went back to loop her arm around DogDay’s gently pulling him back towards her home.

As Bubba, Hoppy and Kickin remained behind, the silence stretched on, eventually Hoppy taking this moment to leave as well. “I’m… going home too.”

Kickin hummed softly. “I’ll go with you—”

“No.” She stopped him with a raised hand. “I… just want to be alone for a bit, Kickin. Sorry…”

“Oh. Yeah, s-sure.”

The green Critter walked back towards her own home, Kickin soon joining Bubba at the bench he sat on. Bubba released another, soft, sigh, his head turning to Kickin. “You’re gonna help him?”

Kickin jumped slightly, not expecting the elephant Critter to speak to him. “I… I don’t know. You know me… I’ve always been a bit of a coward, no matter how much my, uh, role was supposed to be outgoing and adventurous. I could fake it with the kids, but… I don’t think I’m up for it, though.”

“But you’re not saying no because of CatNap.”

“…No… CatNap… never hurt me.”

“I see… so it was just me, then.”

Kickin glanced back down at the blue Critter, who now was looking back at the ground again. Kickin debating on what to say, but eventually deciding, to just go with what he felt was right. “You never really gave him a chance. You fought each other using your grades at the School, you contested him and everything he did when we were in Playcare, fought him verbally after the Hour of Joy…”

“Now I’m standing in his way again.”

“I’d… say more like causing problems again.”

“He hates me.”

“Hmm… hate might be too strong a word.”

At that Bubba scoffed. “Too strong a word? You’re going to have to explain that one.”

“Well, heh,” Kickin chuckled softly, “you wouldn’t know this, since you died, but he personally buried you, afterwords. Even made you a headstone from a rock he grabbed from the mines below.” Bubba glanced back to Kickin, eyes displaying how skeptical he was. “It’s true! Even carved a little Bubba-head on it.”

“You’re joking.”

“He used to draw before, when he was Theodore, remember? The counselors said that drawing was a good method for us to cope. His drawings were really dark at the beginning, remember?” Bubba did remember. A few times he had seen the child drawing his dead parents with a gun and a knife in their hands, or dark circles around a crying Theodore, or his parents beating him. It was only after he and Adam became friends did the drawings begin to shift a bit, getting more color and a lot less violent. “I don’t think he hates you.” Kickin reiterated. “But I know he finds you very annoying.”

“Tsk! The feeling’s mutual…” Bubba grumbled.

Kickin, at that, smiled, nodding a bit. “Yeah… I bet.”

The two male Critters remained there in that park, on that bench for a long while in silence after that. Both relishing in the fact that they were not alone while they stewed on their thoughts about the past, their present, and the state of their collective futures.

The walk to the Toy Store was in total silence, and was uneventful. CatNap lead the way, pausing just outside the building for a moment as he scanned the brick façade, with the yellow French doors as the entrance, the yellow and orange awnings over the two bottom floor windows on either side of the entrance, and the yellow Toy Store sign above the door, multi colored stars and their trails coming from behind the sign. CatNap, with a sigh, walked in, pulling the doors open for the teachers and Mommy behind him. “Let’s take in the building and decide some logistics. I didn’t look at the basement before so I’ll go down there and get eyes on it.” CatNap started, his voice echoing in the nearly empty building.

The teachers hesitantly walked in, Mommy roughly pushing Miss Giddy aside. “You didn’t want to consider the Councilor’s Office?” She asked him quietly, curving around one of the round tables in the center of the first floor.

“No. Too many small rooms, it’d be the same as facing him down in the Labs.” CatNap commented, turning to look at the teachers behind him. “Let’s also analyze a pathing to lead the Prototype here. Probably right up the center through town would be best but I’m open to suggestions.”

Miss Awe groaned softly. “Whatever you say, CatNap…”

“Miss Delight.” CatNap called to the teacher.

“What?” She grunted in response.

“Join me in the basement, will you?”

“Absolutely not.” Came the immediate response.

“Oh… but Miss Delight, you do owe me a favor, don't you?”

“… What?”

“I’ll call for that favor now. Follow me.” CatNap smirked at her turning to head towards the basement door in the back right corner of the building.

Miss Delight, frozen for a moment, then groaned loudly, hating her past self for agreeing to give CatNap a favor. Miss Awe raised a brow at her. “A favor?”

“Just…” Miss Delight began. “Just something we made a deal on…”

“Ah, well, I can go—”

“Alone. Miss Delight.” Came CatNap’s voice. “Sensitive matters. You understand.”

Miss Delight saw the coy smile the cat Critter flashed her way and felt her anger bubble up, quickly exhaling heavily to dissipate some of that anger. They were already on thin ice with CatNap, no need to poke the bear, or in this case, cat. “You sure you want to be alone, CatNap?” Mommy asked.

“Yes. It won’t take too long. Mommy, why don’t you check and see if there’s an attic or roof access. Just so we know all our options.”

Mommy gave pointed looks to the teachers before nodding. “Heard…” She said as she went back outside, presuming the easiest way to check the roof would be to go outside first.

Miss Delight broke away from the teachers then, as the other seven looked around the Toy Store, eventually getting into CatNap’s requests to them. She turned down the stairs into the dimly lit basement, CatNap already down there waiting for her as he walked between rows of metal shelves, devoid of any toys. She eyed the generator to the far right of the room, which would be the back side of the building underneath the cash register on the first floor, a shelf of supplies like paint, batteries and tools beside the generator. “So, then, what’s this favor I owe you? Must be something you want to keep hush hush since you told me to come alone.”

CatNap, who walked back towards the stairs to where Miss Delight stood, going more towards a water main control panel on the wall to the left of the staircase landing, seeing a wheel to turn the water to the building on and off, as well as some of the water pipes just next to it before they went into the floor above them. He wondered, briefly, for the function of the pipes in this building until he looked up, spotting the faint, equally distant fire sprinklers that spotted the basement ceiling. It intrigued him, to say the least. “Hmm… what I have planned for you won’t be as secretive as you think, but it will require discretion.”

“And you trust me with that discretion?”

“No. But I have no one else I can entrust this to.” He said honestly, his eyes scanning over her as he headed to the generator.

She sighed and walked behind him, moving to stand next to him next to the generator. “You must be really desperate to have to rely on little old me, CatNap!” Miss Delight cooed.

“At least we have a working relationship with one another. It’s an improvement as compared to the rest of your sisters.”

“Let’s agree to disagree on that stance.” She said in return, finally turning to face CatNap. “You said you’d give us the option to not work with you. I’m assuming I don’t get that chance?”

“No, not at all.” He responded, turning to face her as well. “This is, after all, part of the favor you owe me.”

“I curse that favor.”

“And I curse having to trust you with this, so we’re both unhappy, Miss Delight.” He told her.

“Fine, then.” She relented with a defeated sigh. “What would you have me do, then?”

CatNap nodded, more to himself than anything else, but all the same, he did feel the tiniest bit of relief for Miss Delight accepting his call to redeem her favor she owes him. “I do think this place will be the best laid trap for the Prototype. And I will have a plan ‘B’ in place for those at the other station should we fail…”

“Which, I seriously hope we don’t, CatNap…”

“You and I both, Miss Delight.” CatNap concurred. “However, I want to also ensure a fail-safe. A last-ditch effort to end things here before it gets that far… and that will be where you’ll come in.”

“Okay…?”

“Miss Delight, I’m going to entrust you with a way to make sure he can’t escape here. You can grab a couple of your sisters to help you, but absolutely no one is to know what you’re doing. If the others catch on and figure it out... there might be attempts to stop it...”

“Okay…” Miss Delight repeated, CatNap’s seriousness in the moment making her more and more nervous.

CatNap sighed as he looked around the basement once more. “And hopefully, if all succeeds, this world will finally be free. Forever.”

Notes:

EDIT 08/25/2025: Hiatus will probably need to extend a bit more since my convention is coming up. I'm trying to see if I can push out one more chapter before this weekend but I'm like struggling here with con crunch and whatnot. BUT... I was listening to music, as one does, and I think "Loyal Brave True" from live action Mulan (but Jason Chen ver.) fits PERFECTLY for CatNap in this chapter! Just wanted to add that tidbit too! :)

Previous Note:
I'm so excited to get into the next chapters BUT I will be away from the computer starting this weekend for about a week so there might be a TINY hiatus until I can get back to it.

As mentioned in chapter warning at start of chapter, I think CatNap's crash out is valid, personally. I probably would have reacted the same way, TBH. Tweaked out is an understatement.

Not as many wholesome/funny moments in this chapter… it was quite dense and sadly, it will be like this for a bit so prepare to trek through angst Hell for the next several chapters! But don’t worry! It’ll brighten up (eventually)! But finally, that favor from chapter 2 comes back! Been waiting to mention that again! :3