Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The moment Angel got out of the car, they already knew they were putting themselves in a lot of trouble. Nothing they weren’t used to anyway.

But maybe we should backtrack a little bit, what do y’all think?

Angel was a 19 year old person (they were certain they would commit a murder if anyone else dared to call them a girl again) who generally loved breaking into places where they really didn’t belong. They called it ‘urban exploring’, their father called it ‘a possible future cause of lawsuits’.

So, that summer, they’d come home from college to visit their dad, the only member of their family that was still alive, after their mother’s disappearance more than a year prior.

During one of those many, normal mornings, they’d gone to collect the mail, only to find what looked like a thick package wrapped in brown paper. Before they could even pick it up, however, their father had swiped it from the floor. He’d said something about it being only a prank by some stupid kids, or about it not being any of their business, but Angel saw what was etched on a side of the package: the logo of the Playtime Co factory.

Going even farther back, let me tell you this: Angel had grown up in that place until the incident of ‘95, when they were only 9 years old. All employees had disappeared, except for… well, their dear old dad, who wasn’t at work that day. The memories they had about the factory were vague at best, but they still had a bunch of toys and merch in their room from when they were a kid. Heck, they still wore their DogDay hoodie sometimes (so what if it was a little tight now? They liked feeling like a kid).

They’d waited until that night to sneak into their father’s office, and finally they found what they were looking for: an old VHS tape and a letter. Huh.

Luckily, their father had kept a VHS tape player in his office, for… whatever reason. As they started it, they saw none other than what looked like the Poppy doll. More specifically, an old commercial of it from the 1950s or something.

Everything looked normal, until the screen started glitching, showing what looked like a huge flower painted on the wall.

“What the…” Angel muttered, before looking at the piece of paper.

The handwriting was messy and childish at best, with a few grammatical mistakes. But the message was clear:

everyone thinks that the staff dissappeared 10 years ago

WER’E STILL HERE.

FIND THE FLOWER

And, coincidentally enough, that very same flower in the VHS appeared on the bottom of the page.

~*~

And thus how Angel had considered it wise to sneak out of the house, get in the car (along with their exploring kit) and check out whatever that latter spoke about.

Sure, it could’ve been a prank, but it was still worth checking out? After all, they’d lost family in that accident… if someone was still there and alive, they needed to know.

But why would they still be there? Why not just leave the factory? What was keeping them there?

All those questions and more were running through their head as they reached the door to the factory. Luckily for them, they knew how to pick open a door (necessary skills when you do urban exploring).

The lobby was… weird. Empty, in a way. The paint on the walls had decayed, and the floor was muddy with footprints. Angel had never really spent a lot of time in the lobby as a kid (honestly they didn’t really remember where they’d spent their time), but they were more than certain that it wasn’t supposed to look like this. Then again it’d been ten years, and with no manufactory things tended to get… dirty.

What first caught their eye, however, was the green VHS tape on the desk. It was a little discoloured, but it looked like it was still in good condition.

”This is getting weirder by the minute” Angel muttered with a furrowed brow, but when they looked away they noticed a VHS tape player of the same shade of green, connected to an old TV, similar to the one their father had in his office.

Hesitantly, waiting to hear that it’d all really just been a prank, they inserted the VHS.

The first thing they saw was what looked like a toy’s hand, Huggy Wuggy’s, more specifically. They had little time to wonder about it, though, as the voice they heard next shook them to the core.

”Hi! My name is Leith Pierre, and I’m the head of innovation here at the Playtime Co toy factory”

Angel felt a chill run down their spine. They knew that voice. How could they not? They’d hear it every day of their life for 18 years, and again during their summer visits at their father’s house.

Yes, because another thing I forgot to mention about Angel, is that their father is Leith Pierre.

”If you’re seeing this, then you’re trespassing! Yeah, we play this little tape on loop whenever we close the factory for the day”

”Or for ten years…” Angel muttered. But alas, the recording continued.

”So, trespasser, just to make you aware, while we pride ourselves primarily on our high quality toys and excellent childcare, we also pride ourselves on our security. For example, this facility is filled with hidden motion triggers, which, once set off, will turn on the factory’s emergency alarms, and directly contact the authorities”

”Wh- oh, dude!” Angel complained, stomping their foot. “What the fuck, dad, why??”

They knew it was childish to get mad at a recording of their father that was likely more than a decade old, but they didn’t care.

”And… that’s one of the more tame aspects of our security system. No spoilers!”

”Please spoilers??” Angel murmured as they looked around anxiously. But likely, whatever was being mentioned in the tape, was actively not around anymore. It’d been ten years, there was no security guards or anything.

”So, you got my warning, it’s not too late to turn around. I just hope that you’re certain whatever you’re doing is worth it”

”No, actually, I’m really not… but whatever, I’m not backing out now” Angel said to themselves as they set the VHS back on the desk where they’d found it.

Yeah, that’s something that they did quite often when exploring, speak to themselves. They liked a bit of commentary every once in a while.

They headed towards the door behind the lobby’s desk, likely leading to the atrium and the rest of the factory, but much to their annoyance they found it closed.

”Yeah, no way I can lift this…” they muttered, studying what looked like a blue handprint on the top of the door.

”Ugh, whatever, I’m just gonna look around, and if I can’t find anything to open this I’m going back home.”

They first headed towards the security room, and… yeah, that was also locked by a colour coded password.

”Dude.” they sighed, rubbing their nose. “Okay, whatever, maybe someone left the password somewhere around here?”

They looked through the desk’s drawers, but nothing useful came out. Just an old flashlight, a few pens and papers, and other items that were really just useless and old.

As they were about to give up and call it a night, or look for a window to use to break in, their eyes caught on the room opposite of the security office: the gift shop.

”Oh well, might as well find some cool toy or merch to bring home- half of mine has chipped paint or broken limbs”

Thankfully, that room wasn’t locked, but the contents of the gift shop were a bit disappointing. Only a few boxes of toys like Boogie Bot, Candy Cat and Huggy Wuggy. The boxes were too big to fit in their backpack now, so they decided to instead come back later and put them in their car when they were ready to leave.

That’s when they noticed the annoying nose that had been in their ears the whole time: a little train running around a track on top of their head.

”Jeez, in all of these years this thing has never ran out of batteries? Almost like it’s important” Angel mused. Then, as they noticed the colours of the train’s carriages. “Hold up, don’t you tell me-“

They ran back to the security office’s door. Hadn’t it been for their rush, they would’ve noticed the bloodied Boogie Bot toy next to the register…

”Green… pink… yellow… red…” Angel muttered to themselves as they pressed the coloured keys.

The door opened.

Angel was astonished for a moment, then burst out laughing.

“ ‘Advanced security system’ my butt! This is so stupid, what if a kid tried the combination out of boredom?”

Inside the security room they found… another VHS tape. This time a blue one.

“Alright, what do you have for me?” Angel smiled as they inserted the tape.

The Playtime Co logo flashed on screen, but this time there was no voice, just an old, bad animation of a yellow stick man holding what the video called a ‘GrabPack’, some sort of tool that you put on like a backpack and used to move around the factory and do various tasks, equipped with a blue and a red hand, attached to long, elastic ropes. They grimaced at the picture of the stickman tugging a person’s head off.

”Wow, this is… advanced, for a toy factory”

As they said those words, the tape ended and a glass opened, revealing none other than a GrabPack. Which- was missing the red hand, but it was still something.

As they studied the blue hand, however, Angel got an idea. They ran back to door that led to the atrium and aimed to the blue handprint, shooting the hand cannon.

”Yes!” they exclaimed as the scanner beeped and the door slowly opened, revealing the looming figure of-

“Huggy Wuggy…” Angel muttered in astonishment. Proving once again that their memory was faulty, they didn’t remember that being in the atrium at all. But then again they didn’t even remember what the atrium looked like, so…

The statue was… creepy, like the rest of the place. The eyes almost looked like they were following Angel, and in the bad, unsettling way.

After taking a deep breath, Angel stepped into the factory.

Their steps were mechanical, almost following a pre-assigned path, like repeating an action they’d probably done many times as a child, before… well, before everything went down.

(If only they could remember it…)

In a sprite of boldness, they aimed the hand cannon towards Huggy’s raised hand and highfived him. That made them crack a smile, “not so scary now, huh, big guy?”

They looked around the circular room. There were several doorways named ‘theatre’, ‘cafeteria’, ‘testing’, and more. Own door, however, was similar to the one they’d just entered from, with only one difference: this one also held a red handprint scanner.

”Huh, guess I’m gonna need to find the red hand too if I want to explore the whole place- I don’t think it gets any bigger, honestly”

They turned towards the nearest room, the one title ‘power’. They tried to open the door and, predictably, it was locked.

The next door was closed by a blue handprint scanner, so they tried that, and- the cave blew out.

”Ugh, seriously-“ a jingle made them stop talking.

As they turned around they noticed movement in Huggy’s hand. A key, to be exact.

Angel blinked up at it. Now where had that come from? They were more than certain there had been none of that when they’d looked the first time!

But alas, they didn’t ask too many questions. Maybe it was just a fun feature programmed for those factory tours the Poppy VHS mentioned, a way to make the kids think the toys were real and interacting with the public. Yes, that must’ve been it.

They grabbed the key with the GrabPack and entered the Power room, looking for more clues and… well, a trace of any employee.

~*~

They didn’t find any employee. However, what they did find, was the blood tracks on the wall.

Well, that, and the poster that funnily enough told employees to stop hiding behind doors to scare Leith.

(Well, ‘Laith’, whoever had made that poster had spelled the name wrong)

All they knew was that when they went back to the atrium, the Huggy statue was missing.

Angel froze. That… must’ve been part of the prank that whoever had sent that VHS was playing on them, right? Luckily for those little idiots Angel liked urban exploring, so even if there were no employees left, they might as well explore and find some cool junk to bring home.

But how had they not noticed someone coming in and dragging away the statue? It surely would’ve made some noise.

With their nerves tense, Angel activated the door that had previously failed on them. This time, it opened, revealing a large hallway.

Then they saw the arm.

Huggy’s arm, peaking out from the door to the left, that slid away once they got too close.

Angel was shocked for a moment, before bursting in a small laugh. “Damn, these guys are amateurs. They really don’t know how to scare people”

But they tried the other door anyways. Only it was closed. So… creepy arm door it was.

~*~

After listening to another VHS tape about some unhappy employee named Rich, completing some sort of deranged puzzle and avoiding the gut wrenching sensation of being stalked (haha, very funny, fetish thieves), Angel finally managed to get themselves a red hand to attach to their GrabPack.

”Okay, now… how do I get out of here?” Angel muttered, looking at the now very much locked door. Then their eyes caught on the vents that required a blue and a red hand to open. “I- seriously? Ugh, fine, whatever, I’ve crawled through worse…”

To their huge surprise, those vents were actually big enough to fit them without any problem. They could easily stay on their feet while walking through them and letting the conveyor belt carry them.

(And sure, they might’ve almost peed themselves when the toy parts started falling around them, but they’d make those pranksters pay for all of that later, if they found them)

And now they were in the Make a Friend room. Only problem: there was no way out of there unless you made your own toy and placed it in the scanner.

After looking around a bit (and getting the heebie-jeebies by the recording of an interview to a woman named Stella Greyber- who… they actually kinda remembered?) they finally decided it was time to get out of there. They’d been in the factory for more than thirty minutes now, and nothing really interesting was coming out of it, except a good chunk of nightmare-inducing chills.

”Alright, my CatBee has long lost one of its antlers anyway” they said as they started the machine.

And boom, easier done than said, Angel had their own personal self-made CatBee toy. With a certain giddiness they placed it in the scanner, and the door opened.

”Oh- damn, I think I need to leave this here… fine, whatever, I’ll try to find one in the gift shop”

But as they stepped towards the door, a huge figure emerged instead.

No, not just a figure, a giant Huggy Wuggy toy. Maybe even the same they’d seen in the atrium.

But its mouth was… off. It was wide open, grinning, and showing a good amount of sharp teeth.

”WOAH- OKAY, this is a very elaborate prank, guys!” Angel screamed as they stepped back, backtracking faster than they’d ever had.

”It was fun- you can stop now!”

But Huggy didn’t stop. He stepped even more forward. His long arms wiggling like he was about to grab Angel and turn them into his meal.

”Shit shit shit-“ Angel muttered as they turned around to look for another exit, a place to hide- anything.

Their eyes fell on another vent. Considering the size of the Huggy toy, it was unlikely for it to be able to follow them through that vent.

”Okay, okay, run!” they yelled as they made a run for the vent, while Huggy studied them and kept approaching.

Once inside the thing, Angel expected Huggy to stop following them. Instead, much to their horror, after running for a bit, they saw the giant thing crawling after them at a speed that was way too high for their liking.

”OH CRAP, OH CRAP, OH CRAP!” Angel screamed as they ran through the vents, taking sharp turns and sometimes falling though holes, but never stopping to look back. They could hear the monster following them.

They also saw bright colours on the walls of the vents, and in another moment they would’ve loved to stop and read what the writings said, but now they didn’t have time for that.

After sliding down a shaft, finally, they found themselves out in the open, on a catwalk, suspended on what looked like a really big fall, so high they couldn’t see the bottom of it. They could also hear Huggy’s screams inside the vent as it tried to break the door down.

”Okay, think think think…” Angel muttered, looking around. Then they spotted a crate above them, with several handprints.

”Jesus, this is insane!” they groaned as the GrabPack hands started pulling down the box.

Huggy broke through the door, making Angel scream and scramble back, which also dragged down the box, making it fall on top of Huggy and, consequentially, breaking the catwalk.

Thanks to their reflexes, no doubt, Angel managed to land on the catwalk below without spraining their ankle or breaking a bone, just maybe scraping their knees a little bit. Huggy, however, wasn’t as lucky, as he fell right into the ditch, slamming against pipes and railings, leaving behind a trace of blood, and ultimately disappearing in the darkness.

Angel stood there for quite a while, catching their breath and shaking. Then they said what they considered to be the most reasonable, calm response they could master at the moment, given the situation.

“WHAT THE FUCK.”

~*~

It took them several minutes of breathing exercises, a good drink of water from their water bottle and just some general neural readjustment to fully realise what had happened and where they were now.

A part of them desperately wanted to believe that that had only been some kind of prank. A person wearing a costume, or a robot of some kind… but Huggy had been too tall, agile and realistic to have been a person in a costume, and had had too much meat and blood to have been a robot.

Whatever that thing was… that had been a real, biological being, and most definitely not a costume.

Now, at that point, Angel would’ve loved to take their leave, but from the catwalk they had landed on there was no way to any door. Well, to no door, except one…

There, on a wall in the distance, the flower they’d been looking for had been drawn so that no one could miss it. In the middle of if there was what looked like a door.

Curiosity once again won the best of Angel. If that… monster, had been real, then maybe the employees really were alive and being held prisoner behind that door! And it’s not like they could’ve gone anywhere else anyways.

They started their walk towards the flower, but once they got close enough, they found another VHS tape. This time it was a plain, black one, with no title on it. Nearby stood a VHS player.

”Might as well…” Angel muttered as they pressed play.

The voice that spoke was unfamiliar and practical.

”Final log, in relation: experiment 1-0-0-6, the Prototype”

Angel felt a shiver run down their spine. Not only was the background noise of the tape disturbing (were those people screaming and banging against doors??), but what the voice was saying meant that were had been experiments there. More than a thousand.

Was 1006 Huggy? Was it him the man was talking about?

Looking at the screen, Angel saw what looked like a robotic hand with thin, pointy fingers. That didn’t look like Huggy’s hands at all.

The man said something about events that had happened that day and that were likely related to the Prototype, but Angel was only half listening. Their heart bested loudly in their chest, the blood rushing to their brain and making it hard to hear.

The man’s voice slowly got louder and more frantic, until they were cut off. Angel snapped back to life, and decided to get it all done with. They were going towards the flower, whether they wanted it or not.

That determination was slowly dulled when they approached the flower and saw what was written in coloured crayons around it. ‘Stop’, ‘go back’, ‘run’, ‘danger’, ‘turn around’. Not to mention all the toys that were hanged above them.

The blood on them made Angel shiver violently. Were those toys experiments like Huggy? Was that why they were covered in blood? Who had put them there? Who had written the warnings? Were all of Playtime’s toys secretly experiments? Were the ones they had at home experiments too?

All those questions and more normally would’ve made a person turn back and look for another way out. Maybe attempt to climb a wall. Angel didn’t do that. They instead steeled themselves and pushed through the door, determined to look for answers.

They were greeted by what looked like the hallway of an old house from the 1950s, with wooden floors and wallpaper that reminded them of the one you could find at your grandma’s house. The whole thing really just looked like a house, with even a few pillows, a wardrobe and a doll house. The only unlockable door was to their right.

Without much of a second thought, ready to run away at first sight if danger, Angel pushed the door open. And inside… there was nothing.

Well, not nothing. There was something, but it was weird. A red light filled the room, a creepy music played in the background, and in the middle of it stood what looked like a case, containing a vintage looking doll.

With a startle, Angel realised it was the Poppy doll from the very first VHS tape they’d seen.

People don’t usually open cases that contain a creepy looking doll, but I think we’ve already established that Angel isn’t exactly normal, no?

As if being pulled by something magnetic, Angel grabbed the case’s handle and pulled.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then the music stopped, the lights flickered shut, and the doll opened its eyes.

”You opened my case…”  it murmured in a girl’s voice.

Angel stepped back, feeling dizzy. The smell that had invested their nostrils as soon as they’d opened the case was making them lose their consciousness. And eventually, they dropped to the ground, as the world went dark.

Chapter Text

Angel slowly blinked awake, the cheerful music of whatever dream they’d just had still pounding in their ears.

Yeah, that was something that actually happened a lot. They got dreams of vibrant places and cheerful kids. Most of the time they remembered them being advertisements for the new toys from Playtime Co. But this time it’d been… weird. They remembered weird noises, creepy places, and… a voice that had whispered ‘wake up’.

Angel tried to focus on the details: which toy the ad had been about, what had they seen exactly, why had it been unsettling. Yet all they could recognise was the voice that had awoken them: the same voice that they’d heard come out of the Poppy doll.

Oh, right, the Poppy doll. The creepy little thing whose case they’d just opened.

Standing up on shaky legs, Angel looked around for the toy, but couldn’t find any trace of it. The case was open and still there, but Poppy was just… gone.

Angel took some deep breaths. One, two…

Then they ran towards the stairs, screaming like a mad man.

And… predictably, the door was locked.

”OH, COME ON! WHO IS EVEN LOCKING THESE DOORS??” they yelled as they kept pulling on the handle. But… nothing the door stayed locked.

“Ugh!” with dread they turned back towards the rest of the house. “Fine, whatever, murder hallway it is…”

~*~

Whatever was left of Angel’s survival instinct was telling them to not find the key to Elliot Ludwig’s office (the founder of Playtime Co, from what they remembered), especially because they kept hearing in the background a creepy voice telling them to continue what they were doing, which was just… making them want to not continue.

But sadly when you give a teenager a GrabPack and the opportunity to swing like Spider-Man in a stressful situation, they will do just that.

So now here they were, in Elliot Ludwig’s office.

The place… wasn’t as creepy as it could’ve been, to be honest. Sure, there kids drawings on the walls, which made it both creepy and really cute. Oh, and there was also the tape that talked about Ludwig’s story and how his daughter had died and everything. Oh, and how to forget the creepy note on his desk that talked about an ‘experiment 814’,  some creepy thing called ‘poppy gel’ and the general use of the thing on a rat.

”Huh, guess now I know who was behind all of this… so did I just get chased by a… giant mouse?” Angel mused. Then they got an idea.

They took the piece of paper and pulled out their backpack (they’d had to attach it to the GrabPack to be able to carry it around, but it worked fine). They pulled out a plastic folder and inserted the note in it, being mindful of closing it carefully back inside so it wouldn’t slip out.

”This place needs to be checked out by federal authorities. Once I save the employees that are still trapped here I will make sure that the guilty ones are turned over to the police.”

And yet they couldn’t help the chill down their spine. Just how may employees had been involved in the making of these… creatures? And their father had once been in charge of the company, could those experiments have truly happened without his awareness? Or had he been a part of them too? Did he know something more that Angel didn’t?

Refusing to fall down this rabbit hole now, Angel looked around for anything else that might’ve been useful. Mostly, they were looking for a way out.

Their eyes fell on a vent with different coloured handprints on it, and they suppressed a groan.

”Jeez- seriously? I don’t have the best of luck with those…”

But there was no other way out, so…

~*~

Thankfully, the vent didn’t contain any dangerous monsters. Instead, it lead them to a room filled with the usual electrical puzzle.

”Wow, I could really consider the career of electrician. Now where’s…”

But a loud thump cut Angel off mid sentence, making them jump in the air and shout.

Looking up, they saw the startled face of none other than the Poppy doll. She looked mortified, as much as her porcelain features allowed.

”Oh! Oh, sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you… I was just trying to get the power back on…” she apologised.

Angel took a deep breath, trying to get over the fact that oh, the creepy doll they’d freed could talk.

”Err… well, I doubt you can do that with those little arms and without a GrabPack… I can turn it back on if you want?”

Poppy smiled and moved aside, revealing the electrical outlet. “Here”

Now used to these puzzles, Angel was quick to solve it, earning a short, polite clap from a smiling Poppy.

”Ahem, I wanted to thank you for freeing me. I was stuck in there for SO long. Thank you…”

”No problem, uhm… Poppy?”

The doll nodded politely. “And you are?”

”Angel. But, uh, you can call me Player! Because, you know, this is a toy factory, and you play with toys… it sounded cooler in my head…” Angel muttered. Poppy chuckled.

“Well, ‘Player’, I’d like to pay you back”

The little doll climbed in the nearest vent to her (one way too small to ever fit Angel) with a little effort. “There’s a train station nearby, it needs a code, and I have it! We’re gonna get out of here”

Angel’s eyes widened. That sounded almost too good to be true. “Woah, that’d be awesome, thanks Poppy! But I actually came here to look for- err… where did you go?”

Angel looked around, then they heard Poppy’s voice, accompanied by a giggle. “As soon as you get on up here!”

Turning around, Angel found the doll in another small vent next to the bigger one they’d just came out of.

“Oh, okay, see you there then, I guess” Angel hummed as they used the GrabPack hands to reach the vent again, ending up back in Ludwig’s office.

”Poppy? You here?” Angel called out.

”Over here!” the doll responded, from another small vent nearby. “I see you~”

Angel cringed at how scary that sounded from an old creepy talking porcelain doll, but that same doll held the key to finally leaving this place, so they tried not to show it and offend her.

”I should be able to follow you through the vents, this way!”

~*~

Following Poppy’s creepy humming and after swinging over an impossibly deep hole that would’ve sure killed them if they’d fallen through it (hey Huggy, thinking about you, hope you’re still falling you little shit, XOXO), Angel finally reached what looked like an area filled with a bunch of locked gates, and a huge hole in the pavement.

”Hey, Poppy! I’m here” Angel announced, still grinning from the adrenaline rush that their little spider-move had left them with.

Poppy, however, wasn’t as cheerful. She was standing in front of the hole, looking down at it thoughtfully. Slowly, she turned towards Angel. “Listen, I’m going to need you to trust me- AH!”

Poppy’s scream was provoked by a pink hand that popped out of the hole, grabbed her and dragged her down into it.

”POPPY!” Angel screamed, attempting to reach for the doll, but they were too late.

”Poppy??? You okay?!” Angel yelled into the hole. After getting no response, they stepped back and replayed the scene in their head in silence.

“Nope, I’m out” they announced as they ran back to where they’d came from. Then they remembered: there was no exit.

”Augh, I hate this stupid place!” they yelled, before jumping into the hole.

They expected a harsh landing. Instead, it turned out to be a slide.

”Wh- wohoo! Never mind, this place is great!” they exclaimed.

When the slide finally ended, they found themselves in another huge, dark room. The door in front of them was closed, with a sign on it that read ‘game station’, with the image of a train. “Huh, guess that’s where I have to go, and I’m gonna need some power to open the door, but where is- WOAH!”

Angel stepped back, horrified, as when they turned to their right they found a door that was semi-closed, with a bunch of bloody toys picking from under it.

”Yeah… POPPY, IF WHATEVER GRABBED YOU CAUSED ALL OF THAT, THEN I’M WARNING YOU, I’M LEAVING YOU TO IT!”

Turning back around to where they’d came from, Angel was startled once again. But this time, it was a different type of chill. It was familiar, and uncomfortable.

Five slides connected that room to… well, they weren’t sure to where they connected to, but given that they’d just exited the slide that read ‘ELLIOT LUDWIG’ Angel could guess that those slides connected this room to those people’s offices.

The other names on the slides were both familiar and unfamiliar. The name on the far right had been destroyed, so there was no way of knowing what had been written on it. Next to it there was Stella Greyber’s - Angel remembered her from the creepy interview tape. On the far left there was ‘EDDIE M. N. R.’, a name that didn’t ring any bells to them. And the one between Eddie’s and Ludwig’s was titled ‘LEITH PIERRE’.

Angel felt a churn their stomach. Seeing their dad’s name right next to Ludwig’s, after reading that note in his office, felt… wrong. Their father was a good person, he would’ve never experimented on animals to bring giant people-eating monsters to life!

And yet, in the first tape they’d heard in the factory, Leith had said something about ‘less tame security measures’. What else could’ve he been referring to if not to Huggy?

No. He would’ve never taken a part in any of this. Sure, maybe Leith Pierre wasn’t the warmest person on earth. He was strict, sometimes a bit snappy, extremely reserved, but he was a loving father and had been a good husband overall.

(But then why had he been so quick to accept that his wife had just… died after going missing? Why had he closed the research immediately? Why had he dismissed the envelope with the Playtime Co logo as a joke, but had still kept it in his office, along with its contents?)

No, snap out of it, Angel! You’re in a life or death situation here, you need to get out before whatever grabbed Poppy grabs you too.

With that thought to cauterise the newly opened breach in the idea they’d built of the man they called ‘dad’, Angel headed to the power room, more determined than ever to leave that place.

~*~

Everything was going fine. Sure, the electrical puzzle this time had been a little more complicated because of a stupid grid that came out of nowhere, but other than that, piece of cake!

Until the door to the Game Station opened, revealing the long, creepy, red lit hallway.

Angel sighed. ”Never mind what I denied before, I still hate this place.”

But just as they aimed the red hand towards the red handprint scanner at the end of the hallway, a pink sticky hand - the same one that had taken Poppy - came out of nowhere and grabbed their red GrabPack hand.

“A new playmate!”

”OH! WHAT THE- fuuh…”

A huge pink spider-like toy crawled down the ceiling, holding Poppy in one hand. The doll’s mouth was webbed, but her expression was scared.

The spider lady’s limbs were much longer than they should’ve been, stretching and sticking to the walls. A memory flashed back into Angel’s mind.

Mommy Long Legs. That’s her name! That’s the toy that I saw in my dream!

Angel remembered a couple vague facts about Mommy Long Legs. They remembered that toy had been one of the last that Playtime Co had made, around 1991, and they also vividly remembered not liking the thing in the slightest. Majorly because they hated both spiders and the colour pink. But the toy had always just generally been creepy. Even the concept of limbs that were endlessly stretchable had freaked 4/5-year-old Angel out.

“It’s been so long…” Mommy said with a voice that was nothing short of creepy. Then she raised Poppy so she was speaking to her.

”Isn’t this exciting, Poppy? ‘Very exciting, Mommy!’” Angel cringed when the pink toy spoke for Poppy, like a ventriloquist.

”Mommy heard that Ms Poppy was going to just give you the train code to escape… now how is that fun?”

“For you or for me..?” Angel muttered.

”Instead, why don’t we make a game out of it? The Game Station is still working… it will be just like old times!”

Angel felt multiple emotions hit them at once. Just because they’d joked about being ‘the Player’, because they were playing around with toys in a toy factory, didn’t mean that they wanted to play games with some crazy psycho spider!

And the ‘it will be just like old times’ had also moved something else in their memory, although Angel wasn’t quite sure what that was…

Speaking for Poppy again, Mommy extended and wiggled the doll. “‘And if you win all three games, I’ll give you the train code!’”

Mommy gasped like the words hadn’t been spoken from her own mouth. “Mommy loves that idea, Poppy! Oooh, you’re going to have so much fun!”

”Doubt it.” Angel deadpanned. Mommy’s eye twitched.

”Head to Musical Memory, and Mommy will get things started!”

With a sudden outburst of boldness, Angel squared their shoulder and stepped forward. “And if I don’t?”

Mommy’s eyes darkened, and she slowly got close with her head and extendable neck. “Obey the rules. Or I’ll tear you apart and eat your insides - while you’re still alive.”

Angel was stunned for a moment, and their face was likely green. “Okay, Musical Memory, yes ma’am…”

Mommy giggled maniacally and disappeared back into the shadows, bring Poppy with her.

Angel sagged against the wall for a moment, but decided they didn’t have time to rest around. The door opened without need to scan it, but now they were missing a GrabPack hand!

”Err- Mommy, could you- never mind, actually, keep it, just stay away from me…” they muttered as they grimly headed to their inevitable doom.

~*~

The Game Station was lit, filled with children, no adults in sight. The place vibrated with laughter and chattering, kids running around and playing together.

Well, when I say no adults in sight, I mean that there were no adults that the kids could see.

Above, watching the kids as they ran around, Stella Greyber had her lips set in a thin line, her hand hovering over the button of the intercom. “This… seems to be going fine”

”Of course it’s going fine” Eddie M. N. Ritterman said from where he was sitting next to a small coffee table. A cup of smoking coffee in his hand as he lazily looked to the side. He couldn’t have cared less about being there in that moment, but Sawyer had insisted everyone was to see this.

”The spider lady is integrating just fine with the kiddos, isn’t she?”

Harley Sawyer held back an eye roll. These people had given him the opportunity of a lifetime, but they could also take it from him just as quickly. He needed to be careful, at least for now. “1222 is showing great adaptability to her new body, and the conditioning has worked wonders. Grace had a… fine idea.”

”I’d hope so, with all we’re paying her” Eddie grumbled. Stella gently swatted him.

”It doesn’t work so well, tho, does it?” Leith Pierre, who up until that moment had stayed silent, approached the glass. “Otherwise we wouldn’t be here, we would be in there”

There was a moment of contemplative silence.

It was true: experiment 1222, AKA Mommy Long Legs, had turned out to be quite aggressive with the staff, but was overall protective and gentle with the children.

”Well, that doesn’t-“ Harley narrowed his eyes as they zeroed in on a detail of Leith.

”Leith, in the name of God, do you seriously think that continuously bringing her here is a good idea?”

Leith blinked and then looked down at the child in his arms. The girl was now four years old, almost five, but was still quiet as ever. Her eyes - one brown like her mother’s, one light blue like Leith’s - were set on 1222 with what looked like calculated indifference. She was wrapped in a DogDay hoodie whose hood had been pulled up so it covered her growing blonde hair. With one hand she clutched to Leith’s shirt, but otherwise she looked like a doll: unmoving, silent, barely noticeable.

Leith rolled his eyes as he fixed his grip on his daughter. “Her mother’s at work again and she can’t bring her along, what do ya want me to do?“

”Leave her with the rest of the children.” Harley hissed as he waved towards the crowd below them.

”And risk her getting eaten by one of those creatures? Yeah, right. Her mother would have my head if I did. Plus, y’know how it is, she basically looks like a mini me, who says they wouldn’t mix us up? They’re stupid”

”On the contrary, they’re intelligent, and they keep getting more intelligent and aware as time goes on and I perfect my work” Harley said with gritted teeth.

”And doesn’t she spend her whole time in Playcare anyway? The Critters never had a problem with her” Eddie noted.

Leith just shrugged. “I’d rather her stay under my watch. And anyways, she’s four, it’s not like she’s gonna remember much”

”Not if you keep letting her inhale that much red smoke she’s not…” Stella muttered beneath her breath.

”What was that, Ms Greyber?” Leith asked coldly, turning towards the woman, who jumped and lowered her head.

”Uhh… nothing, Mr Pierre”

Harley narrowed his eyes at the head of Playcare. He didn’t believe Stella Greyber to be the right person for this project. On the contrary, he believed her to be just the wrong person for this.

But alas, it was Leith who made these decisions, and he’d already dismissed all his concerns.

”Whatever. Just stop bringing Angel to the labs, I don’t need her to know more when she starts actually developing self awareness.”

~*~

The Game Station was empty, eerily quiet, and generally the creepiest thing Angel had ever seen.

The place was covered in spider webs, and they would bet that it wasn’t normal spiders that had made those webs.

They quickly made their way to the control panel of the Game Station, where a train and a cutout of Kissy Missy dressed as a train conductor greeted them.

”Hey Kissy! Hope you’re not gonna pop out and try to kill me too…”

Then, turning towards the control panel, Angel saw one of the levers had a red beeping light. They switched the lever on, and the Game Station was filled with the same music from the CHS tape that held the instructions of the GrabPack.

A voice that Angel recognised as Stella Greyber’s spoke:

“Hi kids! Welcome to the Game Station!”

”Thanks, wish I could leave” Angel grumbled.

”I’m Stella, and we got 3 super duper fun games to play. These little tests show us just how crazy strong and smart you are!”

”I excel in both. Unless crazy also counts as a separate category, then I excel in all three.” Angel joked.

”Follow Mommy Long Legs down the stairs, and we’ll start by playing Musical Memory. See you in a bit!”

”I hope not.” Angel deadpanned as the recording ended. They headed towards the tunnel with the title of ‘Musical Memory’, and prayed to whatever God there was that they’d get out of there alive.

Chapter Text

Naturally the tunnel was broken.

(Anyone else shocked? No? Great, because neither is Angel.)

Point is, now Angel was building themselves a new hand, and they had absolutely no idea of how it worked or why there was something like that down there.

But oh well, they weren’t about to start complaining about the sudden turn of luck.

Thanks to another instructive VHS tape, Angel learned that the green hand that they’d just acquired for themselves had the capability of taking an electric charge for little time and move it to another power outlet.

”Wow, and my electrician/engineering career just keeps getting brighter” Angel mused as they left the creepy room to head towards Musical Memory once again.

They found themselves back to where the tunnel had broken, finding a Bunzo Bunny cutout (another toy that, personally, Angel had never liked. They found him creepy).

Out of boredom rather than an actual strategy, they pressed the button and heard his voiceline.

”I know when your birthday is!~ June 28th”

Angel blinked. While the birthday was most definitely not theirs, they were pretty sure the date was relevant to their family… their mother had always been super quiet whenever that day came around.

(Well, at least from what their faulty memory could remember…)

The rest of the lines were all birthday related, so Angel decided to just move on, since the game was-

Oh, right next to that room.

~*~

The room itself was a square, but the platform Angel stood on was circular and provided with railings to avoid falling a few feet down. The walls were covered in screens that lit up when Angel entered the room. The same eery music from the Game Station played out as the screens started showing some kind of introduction video.

”Welcome to Musical Memory!”

”Thanks, so not glad to be here.”

”This advanced memory and cognitive recognition test is designed to stimulate several segments of the brain, allowing us to see how quickly and efficiently your brain works”

”Yeah, what even is the point of that anyway? What did they need to see?” Angel muttered as they looked around.

“A sequence of colours will be shown, and you must recreate the exact sequence using the buttons around you”

”Alright, sound easy enough-“

”Bunzo will slowly lower towards you”

”What.”

”When you complete a colour pattern correctly, Bunzo will raise back up. When you input a pattern incorrectly, Bunzo will lower towards you faster”

”What?!”

”If Bunzo reaches you, your test is over”

”And my head is smashed!” Angel exclaimed, looking up. Sure enough, a Bunzo Bunny toy (one much bigger than the ones you could find in the Gift Shop) was above them in some sort of tunnel, smiling widely.

”The test will become more difficult as it continues, with longer patterns in quicker succession. That’s all, good luck!”

”Yup, I’m gonna need it…” Angel muttered as the Playtime Co logo flashed on screen.

Everything turned off. Then, a voice and the loud *thud* of something slamming against a glass startled Angel.

”Oh! Isn’t it amazing?” Mommy Long Legs herself grinned from a glass window above Angel. “Mommy hasn’t seen the place up and running in years. Mommy can only imagine how excited Bunzo must be. It’s been such a long time since he’s been able to play, to cheer… to eat.”

Angel shouted a curse as Bunzo started slamming his cymbals together. The little freak had lowered himself so that he was right above Angel’s head, and the noise was enough to make someone deaf.

”AGH- okay, I get it! You shouldn’t be able to eat anyway…”

Mommy chucked. “Ah! That’s the dinner bell… good luck!”

Bunzo raised back up, and so did a few buttons around Angel. Then the screens lit up as well as the buttons.

“Blue”

Angel pressed the blue button, ignoring the noise of Bunzo’s cymbals.

The game was easy enough. Soon enough they’d passed the first round. During the second one, however, things got weird…

“Red, green, green, yellow, blue, violet”

”I- what?? Violet?? Where the hell am I supposed to- oh”

Sure enough, when they turned around, a violet button had appeared. “Okay, that’s cheating, you didn’t tell me you were gonna pop other colours out of nowhere!”

But that wasn’t the end of it. On the contrary: soon Angel was looking for a white button, then an orange one, then, for some reason, the letter J, a heart, a question mark, the pi sign…

Yeah, so, things got weird.

Point is, when Angel finally reached round five, a bazillion of weird ass symbols and words joined the party.

”WHAT THE- okay, whatever, bring it on, I can do this” they said, even tho a drop of cold sweat was now running down their neck.

They, in fact, could not do this.

Immediately the screen started flashing, and the robotic voice spoke so quickly it was impossible to understand what it was saying. Meanwhile, Bunzo was getting closer and closer, his clapping growing frantic in the anticipation of a meal.

Angel was about to cal it quits and jump down the circular platform (whatever was down there was surely better than getting your head smashed), but then they spotted a button that went in circles, which showed a sign that could be interpreted as ‘warning’, or ‘panic’. Angel opted for the latter.

They shot at the button with the GrabPack and the whole game started malfunctioning. Even Bunzo stopped in his movements. Then, everything went dark and quiet.

”Oh, it broke. That’s no fun…” Mommy muttered from where she’d been observing, her eyes narrowed. Then she forced a smile, probably just remembering she had an audience.

”For doing such a splendid job, Mommy has decided to give you… part of the code for the train. Look up”

Angel tried to will down the way their eye was aggressively twitching, and just generally the desire they felt to go tear that plasticised little bitch apart. But the hand that Mommy had extended that held the first part of the train code was now wiggling at them, urging them to take the code, so…

“Mommy was hoping the game could last a little longer. It’s okay though… Mommy knows other ways to play with you…”

Angel shivered as a platform connecting them to the exit raised up. “Please, don’t phrase it that way ever again…”

Out of the corner of their eye, Angel spotted a camera that was following their every movement. They barely had time to think about that, though, because right after the platform they were walking on collapsed.

”ACK- oh, I hate this stupid place!”

~*~

Angel had luckily gotten out of the platform accident unscathed, although their elbows and butt hurt a little from taking the bigger part of the fall backwards. From what they could tell, however, their jeans were still intact and so was their grey down jacket.

Since there was no way to climb back, Angel had crawled into the nearest vent. It was a tight fit, since it was more similar to the ones Poppy used in width, but it was better than remaining stuck there.

That thought proved to be right when, about a minute since the start of their little escapade, the noise of something crashing (and other noises Angel couldn’t really tell apart, and frankly didn’t even want to) interrupted the peace and quiet of the vent. That got them to crawl faster.

The vent ended in a slightly wider space, so Angel was able to flip around and land on their feet. The room they were now in was filled with shelves and toys to the brim. Going towards the shelf on the left, Angel found a clipboard that described ‘Owen the Oven’, one of the rejected toys of the factory.

”Jeez, who thought it was a good idea to give fire to kids?? No wonder it was rejected…”

After a bit more exploring Angel was able to determine that this was, in fact, the room where the rejected toys had been stored.

Deeming it as not too bad a place to take a rest, since the only exit there was momentarily blocked and the vent was way too small to fit Mommy, Angel sat on the steps and pulled off their GrabPack, de-attaching their backpack to pull out a snack.

It was just a tuna sandwich that they’d stolen from their dad’s kitchen, but it was better than whatever else was out of there. Even tho the employees were trapped there, Angel doubted they would’ve found food nearby, especially if those experiments also ate.

(Although Angel wasn’t quite sure about what the experiments ate… and they frankly didn’t want to stick around enough to find out. But they’d seen enough to be able to guess…)

After a sip of water, Angel decided to keep looking around for more interesting information. To their surprise they found another VHS tape hidden between the rejected toys, and a tape player near the exit.

The image of the tape was just one of the rejected toys (Sir Poops a Lot of whatever, who had even come up with that idea??), but the vice of the person on the tape was familiar to Angel. They had already heard it in a previous tape, back before Huggy had started chasing them. It was an employee named Rich, who was, apparently, extremely peeved about having been demoted to working in the rejected toys section. Angel didn’t consider it worth much recognition so they left it there (they didn’t want to weight themselves down too much, who knew when the next dangerous chase would be?).

After moving a Bron statue away (and going up an inhuman amount of stairs) Angel finally ended up back in the Game Station.

”Finally! How big is this- place…”

The words died in their throat as they looked up to the ceiling. They weren’t sure if the web had always been there, but they were sure there was a new detail there that there wasn’t before:

A Bunzo Bunny toy, of the same size as the one who had just attempted to kill them, was now wrapped in webs and hanging from the ceiling, lifeless.

Chapter Text

In a state of numbness, Angel went to turn on the second lever, that was now shining in the same way Musical Memory’s had.

Once again they were greeted by the creepy music and the cheerful voice of Stella Greyber:

”Woah… you did fantastic! Who gave you permission to be this smart?”

As the woman giggled, Angel distantly thought that if they’d really been smart, they would’ve left the factory as soon as the first weird thing had happened.

”Mommy is super proud of you! But I’m sure she’s already told you that herself”

Angel cringed. Mommy Long Legs was definitely NOT proud of them. However… they couldn’t help but think that their mom would’ve really been proud of how they handling the situation.

”Our next game is Whack-A-Wuggy! Head downstairs and have fun”

Now that got their attention. ‘Whack-A-Wuggy’? Sounded just like the kind of thing they needed.

They turned towards the tunnel that would lead them to the game. Above the label of the tunnel there was an image of a cartoonish version of Huggy Wuggy hitting a green Huggy on the head.

Yup, just what they needed.

“Alright, in we go, onto Mommy’s next game!”

They grimaced once the phrase registered. “Augh, never mind, that sounded awful, I need to find a better way to call her…”

~*~

This time the tunnel was broken.

(Surprised? Angel definitely was.)

Point is, sooner than they would’ve liked, they found themselves into a big room shaped like a octagon, with more than a dozen dark holes on the walls.

Once they were in, the door closed behind them (because of course allowing them to run away would’ve been too nice), and a tv turned on, with the familiar Playtime Co music.

”Welcome to Whack-A-Wuggy! This advanced test is designed to assess the extent of your reactionary abilities”

Angel snorted, thinking back to their little chase with Huggy in the vents earlier (how long had it been? How long had they been out after they’d freed Poppy from her case?).

”Believe me, my reactionary abilities are immaculate.”

”A dual-palm GrabPack will be provided to you for this test”

”Sure, for the test, not because I’ve had to use it to survive around here or whatever” Angel deadpanned.

”Whatever, this will be a piece of cake”

”Around you are 18 sizable holes. An adorable Huggy Wuggy toy could appear out of any one of these holes”

”What.”

”If one comes out, but it with your GrabPack. That’s all, good luck!”

”Okay, whatever, fine, I can do this. Compared to the other game this will be easy” Angel murmured as the Playtime Co logo flashed on screen once again and the tape ended.

Then Mommy Long Legs spoke up again from yet another observation room high above.

”The toys in this game used to have strings attached to them… so they could be pulled back when they got too close to the children…”

Angel blinked. “Used to? Why, what about now?”

Mommy smiled coldly. “Mh. Have fun…”

”Wh- HEY!! What about now??” Angel exclaimed as the lights turned off.

Once the adrenaline kicked in, and with the first loud clunking noise of something crawling through the halls, Angel forgot everything about jokes. When the first Wuggy (a green one) crawled out of its hole, Angel smacked it in the face, making it crawl back in. Same thing happened with a yellow one, and then a red one, and so on…

And then the Wuggies started coming almost all at once, making Angel spin so fast on the spot to keep them all away that their head ached.

After what felt like an eternity, after pushing in a blue Wuggy, there was a cheerful noise, and the Wuggies all retreated.

”Wha… did I..?” Angel muttered, swaying on their feet as they regained balance.

”Oh…” Mommy muttered with a voice that bordered depressing. “You did it…”

Then, once again, she forced a smile. Only this time it looked more homicidal maniac-like. (Well… more than usual)

”Hooray! Mommy is so… proud of you!” she said with forced cheerfulness. “Here. Mommy has another hint for you.”

Angel heard metal clanking, and turning around they saw that a small vent had opened, revealing Mommy’s outstretched hand and another piece of paper. Angel took it and the hand retreated back to where it’d came from.

”Only one game left to play… hm, saaad…” Mommy murmured with an exaggerated pout. “Mommy was hoping you’d stay here forever! Though it’s never too late to change your mind…” and she retreated back to the darkness with a ominous chuckle.

”Yeah… nope. As soon as I get the full train code I’m outta here!” Angel announced as the exit opened and they crawled out of it.

They went through what looked like some sort of maintenance hallway that led to a rainbow stair. Which… was missing a few steps. What a surprise…

Thankfully there was a handle that hallowed them to climb up the top with the GrabPack. There, on top of the stairs, they found a Candy Cat cutout.

”Oh, hey! There’s a toy that I actually like that doesn’t want to kill me!” Angel exclaimed with a smile. Then they frowned. “Please don’t tell me I jinxed it.”

To attempt to defuse the tension they pressed the button on the cutout to feed the toy candies, only for it to let out an agonising scream.

”…what is wrong with this place.” Angel muttered as they left.

(And if a noise that was awfully similar to the one they’d heard after playing Musical Memory made them run faster, well… that was no one’s business but theirs)

~*~

So, obviously their streak of luck had to end at some point, right? Because now they were stuck, with their only way out being a barricaded tunnel that shined with a red ominous light and a hallway locked by a gate with a lever conveniently placed on its other side

”Well, isn’t this just my usual luck…”

Just as they decided to turn around and leave, an alarm started playing, and the door at the end of the hallway behind the locked gate opened, revealing a tall fur-covered figure hidden in darkness that slowly advanced towards them.

”Wha… no, no, it can’t be! You fell down a ditch, I-“

Bu their nonsense muttering was interrupted when the toy reached the light, and its fur turned out to not be blue, but instead, pink.

”…Kissy Missy?” Angel muttered, bewildered.

Kissy looked back at Angel with curiosity, tilting her head. Then she noticed the lever next to her, and looked back at Angel like waiting for confirmation.

”Uhhh… yeah, if you could open this gate it would be great… unless you want to eat me, which would be… not as great…”

Kissy didn’t say anything, but with goofy movements she pulled the lever, allowing the gate to slowly rise. She turned to leave, gave Angel one last look, and then walked away back to where she’d came from.

”Wait… Kissy, wait, hang on!”

As soon as the grid was high enough Angel ducked under it to go after Kissy, by the toy was just… gone.

”Ugh, why do all the toys that don’t want to kill me not stick around!”

~*~

Angel found the blue tape while solving yet another complicated electrical puzzle. At first they didn’t think too much of it, they didn’t really care to see it. But… they needed to understand what was going on here, even if they didn’t want to.

The tape itself showed an employee that looked rather nervous, the date and time setting the event on March 21st, 1991, at 1:04 pm. The employee’s name tag read ‘Marcas Brickley’. But  he wasn’t the first one to talk…

”You mind if I film this?” asked a voice that was so startlingly and unmistakably their father’s Leith Pierre.

“Oh, not at all sir!” Marcas confirmed in a pitched voice.

”That’s what I like to hear. So, Marcus, what happened?”

Marcas straightened himself, uncaring to correct his boss’ pronunciation of his name. “You see, I was headed home for the day, when my ape arse realised that I left my bloody wallet in the cafeteria. So… I’m running through the lobby, and that’s when I see it: a mop handle lodged under the innovation wing gate!”

”So what’d you do, Marcus?” Leith asked like you’d do with a child.

”Well, I just thought I’d nab the bloody yoke and be on me merry way”

Angel grimaced at the guy’s exaggerated accent and speech. They could barely understand what he was talking about. What the hell is a yoke??

”And..?”

”Well, I’m reaching for the thing, and the mop handle jolts on its own! Had me scared stiff; I-I thought I was the only one there”

Angel blinked. Now the conversation was really starting to get interesting. If it was going in the direction they believed it was headed…

”So…” Marcas continued, “I- I took a peek beneath the gate, and some massive bloody thing was dootering around the bloody hallway!”

Angel’s heart skipped a beat. So, Marcas had seen one of the giant toys. And he’d told Leith Pierre. What they were most curious about, however, was their father’s reaction.

”Thing? You’re sure it wasn’t a person?”

Marcas’ eyes widened. “Ain’t no person that’s 50 feet long with a thousand legs!”

Angel stilled. Sure, they’d only been there for two hours, but they were more than sure that that description didn’t match any of the toys they’d yet spotted. Just what had Marcas seen?? And, most importantly, were they going to see that too?

”Marcus, you’re losing me. Maybe you just saw a bunch of people walking by”

Angel was more than sure that the same look of distress and desperation to be believed that was on Marcas’ face was also painted on their own. But they understood their father’s point of view. If someone had told them the same thing, they would’ve never believed it. It just wasn’t possible for something like what Marcas had described to exist in real life!

But another part of Angel was upset. Upset with their dad. How had he not known sooner that there was a giant program to turn the toys he’d spent a lot of energy in ideating in mad people-eating creatures?! Leith Pierre, who’d always been one of the most controlling men Angel had ever known…

(Unless he did know, and he was trying to cover it all up, an annoying voice said in the back of their head. Angel told it to shut up.)

”Look, it wasn’t people, alright? I haven’t a bloody notion what it was, but it wasn’t human!”

”Hm. Who have you told about this? Besides me, obviously.”

Angel could feel their eyes basically bulging out of their head. What kind of question is that??

Marcas didn’t look fazed one bit, but his eyebrows scrunched up momentarily.

”Just you sir, obviously” he added, almost as a remark, before going back to look like a scared kitten.

”Okay… I’ll have security skin the cameras and take a look”

”What?!” Angel and Marcas said simultaneously.

”There’s a massive bloody… monster! Skimming ain’t gonna get rid of it-“

”You’re out of line, Marcus.” Leith interrupted with a strict tone that Angel was oh-so-familiar with.

”We make toys, not monsters. Now c’mon. Get out of my sight. Actually, uh… grab me a coffee, will ya’? Actually, never mind. Get out of my sight.”

Marcas’ upset look was the last thing that Angel saw on the screen before it faded to black, as the recording ended. With trembling fingers, Angel took it and squeezed it between their fingers.

Leith had known. He must’ve known. There was no way the security cameras hadn’t seen whatever toy Marcas had seen. But the company had still kept up for another four years before everything went to hell.

Angel felt like throwing up the tuna sandwich they’d ate in the rejected toys room.

Their father’s words rang through their head. “We make toys, not monsters.”. But what if the toys were the monsters?

A full body shiver shook them. Trembling with rage, they carefully put Marcas’ tape into their backpack. His story deserved to be heard. And if he was trapped in the factory somewhere? Well, Angel surely would’ve needed a more detailed description of that ‘50 feet long monster with a thousand legs’ he’d seen.

That is, if they didn’t found it first…

~*~

It was with a certain dark satisfaction that Angel let the cart train named ‘Barry’ filled to the brink with toys break down the barrier of the no-entry hallway and allowed it to fall down a pitch. Turns out they liked throng toys into oblivion…

After that getting back to the Game Station was easy enough. Sure, other than the harsh ten feet fall they surely would’ve spared their knees…

This time they didn’t even need to look up to know there was a bunch of mini Wuggies adorning the floor’s web, along with Bunzo.

In a sudden spite of rebellious vein they headed straight for the train. Maybe they could figure out the last part of the train code without having to play the third game! After all, they already had like 66% of the train code, they could surely figure out the rest on their own.

But after taking one look at the train’s controls and putting together the pieces of the puzzle they already had, Angel felt a grimace pull at their mouth. The combinations were simply too many to attempt blindly at them. They would’ve spent there hours. And they were certain that Mommy Long Legs wasn’t too far away from them, and she surely wouldn’t have appreciated their early leave.

And… Angel thought about Poppy. About how scared she’d looked in Mommy’s grip… how could Angel ever leave the doll there in the spider’s hands? That would’ve made them just as awful as whoever had created the monsters in the first place.

With a newfound resilience, they stepped out of the train, and finally pulled the third lever.

Chapter Text

Angel pulled the last lever like it was something they’d spent their whole life doing.

(The music was starting to tire them out. So was Stella Greyber’s voice.)

”Geez! Have you played these before? You’re SO good!”

Angel frowned. They weren’t really sure they’d ever played tag, you’re it with a giant blue furry sour patch kid, but the Game Station and the games themselves were… weirdly familiar. After all, they’d spent a lot of their childhood at the Playtime Co factory, so it wasn’t absurd to think that they’d actually played these games with the other kids… but why couldn’t they remember any of it?

”Seems like you’re ready for the final game: Statues! Follow Mommy down the stairs one last time. I hope you had a fun day at the Game Station, see you next time!”

”How about there is no next time, thank you very much” Angel grumbled as they stared at the frankly creepy face of the last tunnel they were about to descend in. It looked like the blue and purple version of a pug, but it’s big black eyes were frankly unsettling.

Now, of course the door was broken, so they had to manually pull it open with the GrabPack. Why not?

As soon as they entered the hallway, however, Angel felt a gasp break past their lips. Painted on the walls, similarly to how the other games had portrayed Bunzo and the Wuggies, there was the star of the show: PJ Pugapillar.

”Wow, I totally forgot about this guy…” Angel muttered. With an uncomfortably tight stomach they stared at the toy’s long body, with dozens of legs attached to it. “Well, at least now I know what Marcas saw…”

(Sure enough there was also a janitor’s mop along the hallway)

By now Angel was frankly used to solving these electrical puzzles and manually opening stuff everywhere. Once they got home they’d have to go to their father and demand for him to pay the electrical bill for all their hard work…

(Oh, and maybe they’d demand some answers too about just what was going on in this place and if he knew anything about it. After freeing the workers, of course)

Point was, sooner than they would’ve liked it, they were in the room where the next torment game would be played.

Unlike the rooms for Musical Memory and Whack-A-Wuggy, this room was huge and filled with furniture, obstacles and other stuff like that. The first piece of the room was some sort of giant maze, then there was one of those weird monkey bars things that Angel had always hated and… yeah, the room was so big they couldn’t see past that, but they were sure there was something else!

As usual the eerie music started playing, and Angel located an old tv right behind them.

”Welcome to Statues! This advanced obstacle course is designed to test your physical endurance and strength”

”How about you test my psychological endurance instead, because I feel like I’m slowly losing my mind here!” Angel huffed, crossing their arms.

”The rules are simple. The lights will turn off. You can move through the obstacle course at this time. However, when the lights turn on, you can look around but cannot move”

”Okay, that’s eas- wait, what’s that noise?” Angel wondered aloud as they looked around at the sudden pitter-patter of footsteps. Then they screeched.

PJ Pugapillar (a huge, creepy version of it) was approaching them from a hole in the wall next to the tv.

”The lovable PJ Pugapillar will follow you!”

”Lov-“ Angel chocked on their own words as they stepped towards the entrance without turning their back on PJ. “You think that thing is lovable?!”

“If PJ reaches you, your test is over. That’s all. Good luck!”

Angel gulped, waiting for the gate to open and the game to start. But it didn’t happen. Instead, a light flickered from an observation room nearby. Angel spotted the figure of Mommy Long Legs, covered in darkness, observing them.

”It was always so sad to see the kids go. They called me Mommy because I was the closest thing they ever had to one”

Offhandedly, Angel thought “poor kids, imagine having that hell spawn as a mother figure”. But they figured it wasn’t the case to phrase that out loud, especially because PJ was still staring at them like they were a snack.

”But they’d come for games… and never come back. They left Mommy to die alone. Mommy didn’t deserve that!”

Then Mommy’s tone changed. Just slightly, shaking with anger, maybe. “But you… you worked here. So if anyone deserves to die alone… it’s you…”

Angel blinked, stunned. “Worked here”? They were like 1000% sure they’d never worked in this place. Heck, they’d been nine when it had closed up! Unless Playtime Co liked child labour, then they’d certainly never worked there.

But then they thought about what had brought them there in the first place. A letter, addressed to their father, someone who actually had worked there. So… was it possible that the toys had been informed that a letter had been sent to a former employee, who would come back?

But why… why why why…

With a startle Angel realised that the game had started, and so had the music. They ran quickly to make up for lost time, and luckily they managed to get trough the short maze in one go. Then, as they approached the monkey bars, the music stoped and the lights turned on.

(Angel didn’t need to turn back to hear PJ’s many footsteps as he got closer)

The rest of the game went more or less smoothly. Sure, Angel’s heart was beating like crazy, and when they’d fallen off the monkey bars and into the pit of foam rubber cubes they’d been sure they were done for, but thankfully the GrabPack came on handy.

(Ha, got it, handy? Because of the hands- no? Okay, never mind… tough crowd)

They got into the easy tunnel without thinking it over twice- now wasn’t the time for shows of ability. They jumped from one yellow cube to the other, never turning back out of fear of seeing PJ too close to them.

But, as they got into the last cube, they saw it. The exit. Or, well, what should’ve been the exit. A bunch of rocks and other stuff had fallen right on it, and now they were stuck.

”Oh- come on, seriously! You cheated!”

Now, Angel wasn’t sure if that had actually been Mommy’s doing or if, just like the rest of the place had proven, the factory was just falling to pieces. But little did it matter now, because PJ was growing nearer and they’d nowhere to go.

Fight or flight took the best of Angel’s cognitive abilities. They turned to the brightest thing in the room when the lights turned off- a glowing yellow light just next to a handle, right above a window to another observation room. They didn’t think it other twice. They aimed, shot, and broke the glass with a kick just as they were about to slam onto the window.

Luckily avoiding any shards of glass, Angel took a moment to gain their own bearings again.

”Woah… I really just Spider-Maned this shit”

They were about to look for a way out, like a door or something, but then their eyes caught on a paper on a table that looked… different, from the others. This was yellowish, with Playtime Co’s colours on the sides, and a carefully printed, thick text.

Out of curiosity, Angel picked it up and read the first lines.

Game Station Test Subject Assessment Form

Subject Name: Makayla Hyssop

Protector Name: Matteo Lata

Assigned Toy: Candy Cat

Trial 1: Musical Memory

Performance [1-5]: 4

Results:

Makayla is very accurate and fast. Few mistakes were made.

Trial 2: Whack-a-Wuggy

Performance [1-5]: 3

Results:

Her accuracy with the GrabPack is subpar. Special awareness is subpar. Reaction time is fast.

Trial 2: Statues

Performance [1-5]: 4

Results:

Completely Lacks focus. Makayla was very engaged with the previous tests, however something within Statues is daring her attention from the obsta-

Angel stopped reading after that.

They went back to the first lines: test subject, assigned toy…

Oh.

Oh.

God, why hadn’t they figured it out sooner?

They pushed down the taste of vomit that was crawling up their throat now. They slammed the note down onto the table and stepped back until they reached the nearest chair. They rested their elbows on the table, their head in their hands. No no no.

Their eyes fell onto yet another paper similar to the first one, with the same test subject, but with a different ‘protector’: Sarah Abell. This time the results were harsher, but again they talked about something that distracted Makayla during Statues, something that made her point and scream, when there appeared to be nothing.

Angel just slammed the note back down onto the table and gagged. The implication of the notes… no. No.

But it all checked out, didn’t it? Tests for kids that were being monitored and were set in a secluded part of the factory, deep down below-

No no no no no-

Another crash made them almost fall out of the chair. They’d forgotten all about Mommy, about where they were right now, about the dangers they risked encountering soon if they didn’t get a move.

The door was locked, of course. But there was a hole just big enough to fit them.

”This is… it’s going to be really bad for my knees…” they muttered quietly, their mouth still tasting like bile.

With shaking fingers they collected the assessment forms and shoved them into their bag, then they slid into the hole and prayed that there weren’t spikes at the end of it.

~*~

There were no spikes, surprisingly. But there was a huge cliff that probably wouldn’t have been so nice for their- everything.

As they approached it, however, they heard Mommy’s voice- not too close, but still not far.

”Where did you go? The game is over, you won! Come back and Mommy will give you the code.. pinkie promise!”

She sounded… distressed, angry. All the more added to prove that it really had been her to block the exit.

”Nope.” Angel muttered. “You know what, trial and error really sounds good- I’m sure I can figure the code out. And Poppy- well, she probably had a nice doll life”

So they swung over the pit. And then used the GrabPack to get up into another floor, and then went up a flight of stairs- all while listening to Mommy’s voice, that grew more distressed and sickeningly manipulative as she tried to get them to come back.

Like that, until-

“AGH! HOW DARE YOU DISOBEY ME?! I’M GONNA FIND YOU, I’M GONNA FIND YOU! And when I do…” she giggled menacingly.

”Faster, go faster…” Angel muttered to themselves as they crawled through a vent.

They reached a place that was labelled as ‘Water Treatment’, and found another note. “God, I really don’t want to read this…”

But they still did.

- TRANSFER REQUEST -

Experiment 1222 - ‘Mommy Long-Legs’

Subject - Marie Payne

Abilities:

Mommy Long-Legs has the unique ability to stretch any of her limbs for several hundred feet. This includes her fingers, arms, hair, neck, waist, and legs. She’s very hostile towards the staff, but is very motherly and acts warm towards the experiments. She is protective of them.

Problem:

The hostility is quickly becoming problematic, but perhaps there is a solution to put her in her place.

Proposal:

Mommy Long-Legs would be perfect for facilitating everything with the children in the Game Station. She has the warmth that a mother should, and any rowdy child can learn to ‘listen to their mother’. It makes sense that her seeing these children daily would improve her behaviour, and it is very unlikely she will act out in front of children. Have her transferred to High Security Maintenance immediately. Conditioning can begin.

This time Angel did throw up. The tuna sandwich and whatever they’d ate for dinner was now covering the floor, but they couldn’t have cared less.

’Experiment 1222, subject Marie Payne’

Those things weren’t just biological monstrosities. They were people, children.

The more they re-read it the more disgusting it got. They’d used one of those poor kids to control the others they wanted to experiment on… and what the hell was conditioning? They weren’t sure they wanted to know.

This made Angel want to hug Mommy, had she not been on a murderous rage right now, with her running around and looking for them.

Angel just shoved the paper in their bag, unable to stare at the lines of text a little longer. Meanwhile they pushed back the question that now plagued them: how much did Leith Pierre, their dear dad, know about this?

He’d been head of innovation and CEO for the last five years of the company. He couldn’t have been unaware of this…

No. No, maybe it was just- maybe it was some employee, some… other executive, like that ‘Eddie M. N. R.’, or Stella Greyber! If she ran these games and the Game Station, she must’ve known about this. It didn’t necessarily mean… their father would’ve never.

Pushing tears back, Angel started slamming around the buttons until they found a path that led to a place called ‘Bay 2’. They barely registered what they did there, their actions mechanic. 

(Had they been in the right headspace, maybe, they would’ve noticed the traces of blood and blue fur on the tubes)

They slid through a vent, solved more stupid puzzles, all while trying not to think about the terrible revelation of the notes and their implications. They had a task to do, get to the employees, and they were going to accomplish it. But now… now they weren’t even really sure they wanted to save the employees any longer…

It was to their surprise that they realised they’d found another tape and inserted it in a VHS player, almost like a muscle memory. They didn’t want to listen it, especially since it had Mommy’s outstretched hand as the only image, but they figured they owed it to these kids to at least learn about their torture.

”The following is a prerecorded announcement to address the many complaints regarding an alleged… very, very big spider crawling around in the facility. The Playtime Corporation wants me to remind you all that spiders that big do not exist, and that if they did, quote: ‘we would already be dead anyways’, end quote. Regardless, you can all rest assured the company is sending some specialists down here to have a look around and relieve the constant whining. Complaining seems to be everyone’s primary contribution to this company… It’s just a spider, you’re all safe. Please, please… carry on with your jobs”

”Yes, please continue your usual routine while we turn children into giant plastic furries!” Angel mocked, but a part of them felt relieved. If not all the employees knew about the toys, maybe their dad really hadn’t been part of this experimentation program!

Now, if only they could leave…

~*~

They didn’t get to leave.

(*insert surprised gasps*)

Instead, they got a handful of spider lady almost falling on top of them.

”AUGH!” Mommy screamed as she dropped from the ceiling, making Angel almost trip on their feet as they quickly walked backwards.

”I asked you to play fair, and you CHEATED! I HATE cheaters! Now we’re going to play one last game! It’s called Hide… and… SEEK!”

”Okay, wait, Marie, right?? We can just-“

”Ten…”

”OKAY, OR NOT!”

Angel ran down the stairs so quickly they almost tripped.

”Nine…”

They avoided any broken steps by jumping.

”Eight…”

They’d never ran faster in their whole life, not even against Huggy.

”Seven…”

Their lungs hurts. Were they even breathing correctly?

”Six…”

Angel whimpered as they landed on another step, their ankle painfully shifting to the side.

”Five…”

They didn’t have time to stop and check if they’d disclosed it.

”Four…”

Could they even hide from that thing?

”Three…”

Not a thing. That’s not a thing. That’s a child.

”Two…”

Angel waited inevitably for the “one”. For the footsteps that would follow it. For the feeling of.. what had Mommy said when they’d met? Ah, right, ‘get torn apart and get their insides eaten while they were still alive’.

None of that came. And that was possibly even worse.

Cold sweat ran down Angel’s neck, their ankle throbbed, but the message was clear.

The game is on. And I’m trapped. Trapped like a fly in her web.

Chapter Text

As it turned out, Angel’s ankle wasn’t injured or anything, just sore. Still they decided to take a breather for a moment, especially after their hasty run down the stairs.

They couldn’t hear Mommy anymore, and considering she made a lot of noise when moving around Angel doubted she was anywhere near. They could allow a small break.

So of course, in the room they decided to rest in, they found a bunch of bloodied toys and yet another note.

”Oh, come on… can my mental health get a break?” Angel muttered, picking up the paper and hiding behind a crate to read it, just in case.

Warrenbach Construction Company

This is Eddie responding once again on behalf of the Playtime Co toy factory. Yes, it must be in complete secrecy. This project should only be known about by those with the authority at Warrenbach, and those with the authority here at Playtime.

As promised, you will be compensated very well for this secrecy. Upwards of $100000, keeping in mind that this is a ballpark figure. We’re willing to provide the proper equipment needed for excavation; however, the more independently you are able to work, the more compensation can I offer.

We’d still like to see the lab completed in 12 months time, but what’s most important is that it’s done right. Let me know if these terms work for you, I’m happy to negotiate until we find something that both parties can be happy with.

Take care,

Eddie M. N. Ritterman

”Son of a bitch, I knew it. No one can have that many middle names and not be evil!” Angel exclaimed triumphantly.

“And ‘Warrenbach’, huh… great, now I know who else to drag in the dirt for helping create this mess once I get out of here.

(Deep down they pretended not to notice how Eddie kept saying ‘we’, like he was talking about him and other people in power at Playtime. They weren’t ready to stomach that yet.)

Now, obviously the emergency exit door was locked, so they had to look around for something else…

~*~

As Angel pulled themselves up with the GrabPack into the tight electrical compartment, they had to do their best not to let go of the hand cannon and cover their mouth to avoid screaming.

Why scream? Well, because between the cables there were some suspiciously thin, Mommy Long Legs coloured wires that expanded throughout the whole thing. Like, you know, Mommy’s limbs.

Angel had to bite their lip extremely hard, to the point they almost drew blood, to focus on the task at hand (open the gate to the exit, hopefully), and not on the giant pink spider that wanted to eat them.

”Okay, just focus… red, blue, green, yellow…” Angel muttered as they pulled on the levers in order. The gate thankfully opened, and they were quick to run through it. They didn’t like all this quiet, they would’ve preferred to know where Mommy was, especially since she was very likely close, if her limbs were anything to go by.

And, oh… how Angel hated being right.

Mommy popped out of nowhere, from the darkness, with black eyes and releasing inhuman screams that frankly reminded Angel of a dead cat trying to spit out a fur ball.

They would’ve never managed to outrun her, her limbs were way too long. Their best bet was to hide somewhere and wait for her to leave. So they used the GrabPack to pull themselves up to the hatch and they waited for Mommy to go away, all the while seeing her crawl beneath them.

…yeah, Angel was gonna need a therapist after this-

Once Mommy was gone, Angel carefully lowered themselves to the ground and walked into the hallway that Mommy had blocked before.

After entering a literal oven or something (what the hell was wrong with this place) and using a mouldy piece of it to repair another gate, they weren’t expecting Mommy to be there, if the gate had just been opened.

So obviously she was there.

And, obviously, Angel hid in the oven.

Yes, in the fucking oven.

(There was probably a better way to call it, but whatever.

Thank for Mommy didn’t know how to turn the fire on, because otherwise she’d be enjoying a nice, roasted human for dinner (breakfast? They pretty sure it was almost breakfast time by now-).

They waited for Mommy to leave again, and once the noise was gonna they were quick to run towards the gate they couldn’t cross before.

”Oh, my god…” Angel grimaced. The whole room was covered in huge, thick webs. This was NOT helping their arachnophobia at all…

”Fuck it, I’m out of here.” they muttered as they pulled a level that would hopefully get them out of there.

It didn’t, it just made Mommy pop out of the darkness again.

”OH, COME ON! I THOUGHT YOU’D LEFT???” they shouted as they turned around and ran as quickly as their already tired legs allowed.

A massive piled of stone crumbled in front of the doorway Mommy was trying to go through, but if their past experience meant anything then that wasn’t going to stop her.

So Angel did what any reasonable teen who’d read IT would: they ran into the sewers. Because that’s just where you want a giant monster to catch you, no?

Thankfully they were tall enough to allow them to run in there without getting submerged by- whatever that orange/brown liquid was… (they did not want to know). All while avoiding Mommy’s hands, mind you.

Before they knew it they’d left the ruined hallways of the Playtime underground and found themselves into the normal ones with the white tiles. They couldn’t hear Mommy any longer, which was weird, because she’d been right behind them, but they weren’t complaining.

”Fuck ALL of this, I’m going home. I need to have a talk with dad.” Angel grumbled as they glared at the Mommy Long Legs drawing on the wall above the blue hand scanner. They aimed the left cannon and fired. But when they were about 30% done with the scanning, they heard a noise at the end of the hallway they’d just come from. A… very familiar noise.

”Shit… scan faster scan faster SCAN FASTER!” they exclaimed, jumping in place and not taking their finger off the trigger. Meanwhile Mommy was running towards them at a frankly ridiculous speed, laughing like some psychopath.

The door opened, but Angel was stuck once again. “Crap, crap, crap, what do I- oh!”

A lever. A lever that was connected to a grinder. The hopes of Mommy ending up in it were thin, but considering her speed…

If there was one thing Angel prided themselves on it was their ability to think quickly. They’d always been told they were rather smart.

(Those same things were always said to their mom. Then her curiosity had gotten in the way of her brain and she’d disappeared. Angel was starting to wonder if they were really that much alike, and if they were going toward the same fate…)

Without thinking it more than two seconds, they pulled the lever and stepped as far away as possible from the grinder and the door Mommy was coming from.

Everything went exactly as Angel had hoped it would. Mommy came in barrelling, she rested her hand on something to change direction and lunge at them… but she was stuck. Her hand was attached to the grinder’s blade now, and it was slowly getting pulled in.

”HAHA, YES! The itty bitty spider, went into the jaws of life!” Angel sing cheered as the giant toy tried to pull her hand out.

Then, as the hand got crashed, she screamed. It was a raw noise, full of agony, and all the smugness was now gone from Angel’s body, replaced instead with horror. What were they doing? This was a child! They’d just killed a child…

Sure, they’d done the same with Huggy, but that was before finding out he was a kid! And the way he’d died was far less brutal than what they were now doing to Mommy…

But a voice (cold, practical, awfully remind of their father) reminded them that Mommy was trying to kill and eat them. That she was still going to want to do that, even if they stopped the grinder.

Sadly that voice won in Angel’s conscience, especially because the sheer horror of the situation had them stuck in place, unable to move.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Mommy screamed as the bigger part of her left arm was pulled into the grinder. “YOU’LL MAKE ME PART OF HIM!”

Her left arm was pulled completely in by the grinder, making Mommy fall back. But unfortunately her leg got caught in as well, and she was pulled back in.

”YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO ME!”

Those were her last words, before she shouted as the grinder now crushed her lower body. It popped like a tomato would, making a sickening noise and spluttering the floor with blood. Angel almost threw up again.

The grinder stilled, maybe some part of Mommy’s body had gotten tangled with the mechanism. What was left of her (a leg and her upper body, with only one arm now) peeked out of the blade. Then her upper body fell on the floor, revealing Mommy’s face. Black eyes, wide smile that was the same as her toy’s.

Angel recoiled. They stared at the body on the floor for what felt like forever. Mommy’s last words kept playing back in their head. ‘You’ll make me part of him’. What did that mean?

Then something even creepier happened: from the slightly raised gate, opposite of the one Angel stood, a hand creeped out. It had long, thin, sharp metal fingers, and some parts of its arm looked like they were made of… bones, and wires… maybe veins?

It took a moment to realise why the hand looked familiar to Angel. It was the same one they’d seen in the black tape about experiment 1006. So it really wasn’t Huggy, it was… this thing, whatever it was…

The hand grabbed Mommy’s body and slowly dragged it on the floor, before they both disappeared below it.

Angel breathed heavily for a moment, trying to come back to their senses. Then, they did what they felt was most reasonable to do at the moment.

”WHAT THE FUCK.”

~*~

Marie liked to keep to herself, especially after Theo and Jeremy had been chosen. And since that CatNap… thing, had been introduced to Playcare? Yeah, she just wanted to be alone. She already got bullied by those stupid older boys, she didn’t want to do with anyone else.

She just wished that little girl would get the hint.

”Can you just leave me alone?” Marie huffed.

The little girl (around four years old, maybe?) looked up at her from where she was drawing with her mismatched brown-and-blue eyes. As much as Marie would’ve liked to say they were creepy, they actually looked pretty cool.

That day the child was wearing a Candy Cat themed dress, her low pigtails thrown over her shoulders. The kid was always wearing any kind of Poppy Playtime merch.

The little girl blinked up at Marie, then she started writing on the back of the paper.

Right, there was that too…

From what Marie knew from Theodore, the kid wasn’t exactly mute. She just didn’t like to speak, or just wasn’t really good at it, he’d never been much specific about it. So, when she need to talk to someone, she wrote.

Of course, her handwriting was the one of a four year old, so it was painful to read.

The kid raised her paper, and Marie leaned forward to read it.

Do u miss Theo?

”It’s ‘you’. Y-O-U” Marie corrected almost automatically, but when the question registered she felt her heart plummet.

”Yeah, I guess I do… I mean, I’m happy he found a new family, but still…”

The child grimaced and wrote again.

I miss him too

”You do, huh?” Marie mumbled, trying to push back the tears that were welling in her eyes. She was 12, for God’s sake, almost 13. She couldn’t be caught crying in front of a child!

”Is that why you hang out with me? You feel bad for me because now I’m alone?”

The kid blinked, then quickly scribbled more words.

No, becouz we can miss him toogether

Marie was speechless for a moment. Sure, it took her a little to decode the words too, but she was also sincerely touched.

She cleared her throat and tapped the paper. “It’s ‘because’. B-E-C-A-U-S-E. And there’s only one o in together”. This time she tried to be nicer about her corrections, in the same was Ms Harper always did with her.

The child hummed (that was the most noise she’d ever made around Marie so far) and fixed the writing.

because                                     
No, becouz we can miss him toogether

”Yup, that’s it, good job” Marie praised with a small smile. The kid gave her own, slightly wider smile back, then flipped the paper back around and went back to drawing.

Marie felt compelled to continue talking with this kid. She was missing Theodore too, after all, and Marie doubted she even understood what exactly ‘adoption’ was or what it meant for him to have been adopted. Was she aware that she was never going to see her best friend again?

”So… what are you drawing?” she asked.

The kid looked up, then timidly handed her the paper.

It was pretty good, considering it’d been made by a four year old with really old crayons. It was a pink… spider, maybe? But with two legs and two arms instead of the usual eight limbs. Her body was made out of two parts, connected by a very thin string that was a lighter shade of pink. Her mouth had a wide smile and her eyes were green, the same colour as Marie’s.

”Wow, this is… really nice? Who is she?” Marie asked, attempting to keep the smile on her face. The drawing was a little weird, but it looked good.

The child took the drawing back and wrote a few words in the corner.

Mommy Long Legs, she’s a spider lady who can make her arms and legs very long and hug children

Marie blinked. Yeah, the concept was VERY weird, but the idea was so adorable it was impossible to hate it.

”I like her, she seems nice! Is it your idea of a toy?”

The kid shook her head.

Spiders are scary. And I don’t like pink

”Ah. So then why..?”

Before she could even finish the sentence the kid was already writing more words.

But Theo liked spiders. And your more liked colour is pink

”Uhm… it’s ‘favourite’, F-A-V-O-U-R-I-T-E, not ‘more liked’…” Marie muttered off handedly. “So… this is supposed to be me?”

The child shook her head again and the pointed to Marie. Even without words, the message was clear enough. ‘It’s for you’.

Marie felt tears pooling at her eyes again, and she quickly wiped them with her sleeve. “That’s very kind of you, baby…”

The kid smiled widely again. Then, she let out a small, pleased yelp as she was picked up from behind.

”There’s my little genius!” a man exclaimed as he cradled the little girl. Marie felt herself tense. She knew who the guy was, she knew it very well. Everyone in there knew who he was.

Leith Pierre: CEO of Playtime Co and head of innovation, whatever that meant in a toy factory and orphanage. Marie had seen him way more than she would’ve liked, especially because of her recent… night turmoils. The man had spoken a lot with both Ms Harper and the head of Playcare, Stella Greyber.

”And you must be young Miss Payne, right? I’ve heard lots about ya” Mr Pierre said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes and felt forced.

Marie stiffly nodded. She didn’t like the man. Frankly, she didn’t like any of the Playtime Co employees. Except Ms Harper, she was the only one she actually liked. She was almost like a mom to her.

“Well, Miss Payne, I fear it’s bedtime for you, and so it is for this little lady here” Mr Pierre announced as he tickled his daughter’s belly, making her giggle.

”Ms Harper, would you mind?”

”Yes, Mr Pierre, of course…” the woman smiled as she approached them, taking Marie’s hand. “Come on, sweetheart, it’s time to take a nap”

Marie wanted to protest. She hated sleeping, especially because it meant seeing CatNap, and that stupid red smoke he released… and especially the nightmares, those were the worst.

As she left, she heard Mr Pierre’s voice once again, “huh, what’s this?”

He picked up the drawing, and Marie felt the compelling need to pull away from Ms Harper’s hand and go back to take it. That was her drawing. It was for her. She needed Mommy to not feel alone anymore, she needed someone who could always hug her, who would stretch her arms to get to her from wherever they were, even if they were miles away from her, to a brand new home, with a brand new family that didn’t include her.

(And she was totally not talking about Jeremy and Theo, no sir, she wasn’t.)

Mr Pierre’s eyes studied the drawing, and they shined with a light that Marie didn’t like. He turned around and called out: “hey, Sawyer, come take a look at this! Might want to scrap that orange robot project we had going on”

As a man in a grey sweater with glasses came over to where Mr Pierre stood, the latter patted his daughter’s hair.

”You did very good, Angel, very good”

~*~

Angel walked through the corridors like they were in a trance. They didn’t trust themselves to eat another sandwich without throwing it up, despite how much their stomach demanded food, but they did drink a few sips of water to recover from all those chases.

They barely registered what they did as they climbed up flights of stairs, jumped missing steps and just generally avoided falling to their death like Huggy had (hey Huggy, yup, still thinking about you, kinda hoped you stopped falling and are now resting in peace, sorry about earlier).

They only stopped when they almost stepped on another VHS tape. Black, just like the one they’d found earlier about 1006.

With an uncomfortable feeling they picked the tape up and put it in the nearest VHS tape player (how come they were always conveniently placed near each other?).

The image of the screen showed 1006’s arm once again, and the voice that spoke was the same as the first tape.

”Log code 0-8-5-0-2. In relation: Experiment 1006: ‘The Prototype’.”

Angel blinked. Frankly they didn’t remembered if 1006 had been called ‘the Prototype’ in the last tape as well, but now they were wondering what that meant. Maybe he was the prototype for all the living monstrosities they’d seen? If that was true, then all the 1005 experiments before it were likely not functional. They didn’t have to face a thousand of those things!

Although the note about Mommy had said she was experiment 1222, which meant that we’re at least a few hundreds of those things around…

Oh well, still better than more than a thousand.

(Hey, it was still something, small victories are a thing!)

”A close call occurred this week in which he nearly breached containment. The Prototype seemingly disassembled the digital alarm clock within his room, and utilised the battery, along with several other components, to create a laser pointer, which he then fired into the security camera, disabling it”

Angel whistled quietly, before grimacing at the reminder that that thing was likely against them, and so the fact that it was that smart and capable was really not good.

”These actions allowed him 28.3 seconds completely unmonitored. Once function returned to the camera, the room appeared to be empty. One surveillance specialist went in to confirm his absence. However, upon opening the door, she realised that the Prototype had hidden in one of the camera’s blind spots. The Prototype attempted to escape through the open door. However, another surveillance specialist was able to remotely re-lock the door, despite the other specialist still being inside.”

Angel scoffed. “Why am I not surprised…”

”One casualty occurred. The Prototype seems to possess an unprecedented level of intelligence beyond that of all other test subjects, as well as an alarming willingness to commit violence.”

“Oh, goodie. I’m screwed.”

”Further suppression treatments will need to be enacted to ensure no other experiments develop these qualities. Experiment 1170: ‘Huggy Wuggy’, remains the optimal outcome due to his sufficient intelligence paired with maximum obedience. End of log.”

”And especially his ability to fall in a bottomless pit” Angel mused, suppressing a smile.

(What? Just because they knew he was a kid now didn’t mean they were going to stop hating him! They had a general ‘no-likey’ policy for those who tried to eat them.)

They carefully placed the tape into their bag and then continued with their walk, hoping they were going to wind up to the Game Station.

~*~

They didn’t immediately wind up at the Game Station. They bumped into Poppy and the end of the code first.

”Poppy! I was… definitely still looking for you, so glad you’re okay!” Angel exclaimed, hoping the doll hadn’t heard any of what they’d said about wanting to abandon her there.

(Considering the unamused look she gave them Angel feared she had.)

The doll was webbed to the wall, along with the code, but Angel was quick to free her and take the last part of the code.

”Did you kill her?”

The question startled Angel, making them look up at Poppy. Her voice sounded different, but they imagined that could happen when you’ve been kidnapped and webbed up for a couple of hours (how long had it been, seriously? Their watch had broken at some point during the chase with Mommy).

Still, Angel slowly nodded.

”Good…” Poppy murmured with the same eery voice, “I’ll board the train. We need to leave”

”Oh, thank goodness” Angel whispered as Poppy left through a vent. They didn’t need to be told twice.

Just as they were about to leave they noticed another note. “Ugh, whatever, one last traumatising experience before leaving this place for good.”

It was just instructions to handle the children in the Game Station, including the reports about their scores. The last point said to give the reports to ‘Ms Stella Greyber’.

”Yup, knew she was creepy, she obviously had to be part of this thing” Angel said happily. But the doubt was starting to grow bigger in their head. How come every Playtime Co executive was part of the project but their dad, who was Playtime CO’s CEO? It didn’t make sense in the slightest…

No. No point dwelling on it now. They had to leave.

Another note nearby was about an employee, Matthew Wayson, that asked for fake windows to be added to the Game Station. Angel left that note behind, they wouldn’t have needed it, but they took the first one. The second note only showed how stupidly cruel these people were.

Screw the employees. Screw this place. They were leaving. If there really were some employees left here (something they were really starting to doubt), they were getting left there. They deserved to be trapped with the eight of their consequences.

~*~

There was no seat in the train’s control room, but the walls were covered in soft materials, almost like pillows, so they sat and enjoyed the train ride after inserting the code.

(They even let their inner child win and pulled the lever that made the train make a funny noise, multiple times. This was a toy factory after all!)

Angel totally forgot Poppy was also on the train, until they heard her voice over the intercom.

“I was so scared she’d put me back in that case. But you saved me”

”Aw, no problem, even though I did that more for me than for you…” Angel whispered the last part.

”You’re perfect,”

”You’re gonna make me blush”

”Too perfect to lose…”

”Huh?”

”I’m sorry, I can’t let you leave”

”Wh- OH, COME ON, SERIOUSLY??” Angel exclaimed, jumping to their feet as the train took the wrong turn at the last second, “WELL FUCK YOU TOO, POPPY!”

”I’ve never met anyone like you,” she said with a giggle, which made Angel guess that wherever she was, she couldn’t hear them.

”Do you know how long I’ve been stuck in that case? Well… too long.”

”I should’ve kept you in that damn case.” Angel said through greeted teeth, trying to force the train’s door open. Fuck it. If they had to run up the train tracks that led to the exit, so be it. They were getting good at running anyway.

”I had so much time to think and reflect, time to figure out exactly what I would do when free”

”Was kidnapping me one of those things?” Angel exclaimed. “Heck, it was probably you who sent the letter in the first place, wasn’t it? Stupid me for believing any human could be alive down here with monsters like you…”

”We’ll set things right. Terrible things have happened. But I know that whatever I need you to do… you’re capable. We will-“

Poppy was interrupted by a sudden beeping, like an alarm. “What is-”

The intercom was interrupted. “Uh, Poppy? Is this still you??”

There was no answer, but the train quickly started picking up speed as it went far down. The same alarm started ringing again, and now a red light flashed next to a lever. A lever that was labelled ‘STOP TRAIN’.

”Don’t need to tell me twice!”

They pulled it, but the train didn’t stop immediately. Instead, it rolled sideways, making Angel crash against one side of it. Thankfully the walls were padded, or they’d be long gone, but their head had definitely taken a hit…

They blacked out, their vision kept fading and coming back in. In a last spurt of consciousness, they read a sigh that was just outside the window.

”Playcare..?”

Then it all faded to black.

Chapter Text

Playcare was always noisy. Didn’t matter where you decided to go, or if there were any supervisors, it was just noisy.

As long as Theodore knew, it’d always been that way since its opening in ‘76. Not that he’d been there since then, mind you. He was born in ‘82, but still, he knew as much.

He hated the noise. He liked the quiet. He liked to stay in Home Sweet Home and talk to his friend. Especially now that Jeremy had been chosen, he felt lonelier than ever.

Marie tried, of course, to keep him happy, but he could tell she missed Jeremy just as much as he did. Plus she had her own problems, with her nightmares and the bullies and all, she didn’t need to have to deal with him too, it would’ve been unfair. He had his friend to talk to.

Oh, and… her. Although they didn’t really talk, she didn’t like to. They mostly drew stuff.

That day she was sitting on his bed, in the area of Home Sweet Home that was reserved to the little boys, who were under Joel Sinclair’s custody. Normally no one could come there, but rules didn’t really apply to her: her father was in charge, she went everywhere.

She was staring at a drawing Theo had made about his friend, her eyebrows a little furrowed, with a small pout. She was four years old, and while Jeremy and Marie had always insisted for him to try and make friends with people who were around his age, he liked hanging out with her better. At least she didn’t demand for him to listen to her every thought or make dumb small talk.

She tapped the drawing of the hand under Theodore’s bed, then to the real one they were sitting on right now. Theodore now knew how she communicated, even if it wasn’t ASL, it was easy enough.

’Is your friend down there right now?’

Theodore shrugged. “Sometimes he is, sometimes he’s not. But don’t look for him, he doesn’t like everyone”

She hummed, before giving the drawing back to him and taking her portable blackboard to write her thoughts.

I don’t like him, he’s creepy

Theodore frowned. He heard about that ALL the time: from Marie, the counsellors, the specialists… he didn’t want to hear it from her too.

”He’s nice to me, he really cares. He wants me to be happy!”

She grimaced, but shrugged. ‘If you say so’. Then she pulled her legs up on the bed like she feared the hand from the drawing would come out and grab her right there and then.

That day she was wearing an orange hoodie with dog ears, the DogDay themed hoodie that was her favourite. Whenever she wore it she insisted that Theodore wore his CatNap one. Because, according to her, ‘they were a good match’.

She wrote on her blackboard again, then handed it to Theo while she collected her crayons and set them back in her BoxyBoo themed bag.

Have to go, mommy wants me to sleep more

Theodore huffed a small smile. Yeah, she was one of the few people, other than his friend and Marie (and Jeremy, before he got chosen) that managed to make him crack smiles.

”Okay, see you tomorrow. Bye, Angel”

Angel nodded and waved, taking the blackboard back. Then she hugged Theodore and ran out of the room.

He was left with silence for a while, before the noise of metal dragging against wood made him aware that he was never truly alone.

”Theo…” the voice creaked. The voice of a young boy creaked. While it was mostly the same, sometimes it also used words that came from adults Theodore didn’t recognise, or from Jeremy and Marie, or even Theodore’s own. He’d explained to Theo that the reason was that he could only use the words coming from the voice he’d learned them from, which meant that while most of the time he used his own voice, a lot of times he had to borrow other people’s voices to make a full speech, especially if it was a more complex one.

”You’re back!” Theodore exclaimed happily as he got off the bed and kneeled beneath it instead. The usual hand was now peeking out, and he could spot the orange light that came from his friend’s eyes in the darkness.

”Of course, I will always be here for you” he reassured. “But Theo, listen to me carefully, we don’t have much time, they’re looking for me”

”Who is?” Theodore asked, alarmed. “I-I’ll protect you, they won’t be able to get you!”

”You’re so sweet, my friend. But sometimes you mustn’t fight your enemies. You have to observe them, know their weaknesses, and when it’s time, if you can, make a run for it”

Theodore furrowed his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

”Say, Theo,” his friend asked, as the hand slowly crept out more and more to pull the rest of the body out from beneath the bed.

”How would you like to leave Playtime Co?”

~*~

When Angel woke up, the first thing they registered was the feeling of being in a washing machine. The constant slinging back and forth was making them sick all over again.

The second thing they registered was that the oscillating was being caused by something that was carrying them. Something big too, judging by the noise of its footsteps.

The third thing was that they’d had some sort of weird dream- a commercial again. Or maybe a tv show? They were confident it was their favourite tv show from when they were a kid: ‘Smiling Critters’, one of Playtime Co’s little failures, but still their favorite tv program from their childhood. Their favourite character had always been DogDay.

The fourth thing was the general awareness of the events that had led them to that situation: they came back to the factory of Playtime Co, they’d escaped the very much alive statue of Huggy Wuggy, they’d found out about the existence of experiments that were being made by Playtime Co behind the scenes by turning kids into living toys, they’d freed the Poppy doll from her case, she’d been kidnapped by Mommy Long Legs, who’d forced Angel to play her games to get a way out of the factory, they’d won, Mommy hadn’t liked that, they’d killed Mommy, something (experiment 1006, the Prototype) had dragged her body away, they’d saved Poppy again and had boarded the train to leave, Poppy had changed the train’s course, the train had crashed. And they- were alive, despite all of that.

Sure, they felt a certain stickiness to the side of their head where they’d hit it against the train’s wall, and their jeans revealed a few cuts on their right leg that would likely be a pain to deal with later, but it was still better than nothing.

Oh, and the fifth thing they realised: whatever was carrying them was likely another experiment that wanted them dead and was probably dragging them to their nest or whatever right now.

Through their blurry vision they saw what looked like a paw extend towards the handle of a hatch, pull it open, and then Angel was being inserted onto the newfound path, which made them slide down a ramp.

The sixth and last thing was their maybe-saviour-definitely-kidnapper’s face: CatNap’s.

Then the painful tumble that they took down the slide, that made them fall right on their right side, the one that had suffered the most damage because of the train crash, caused them to regain full consciousness.

”Gah- fucking- ugh…” Angel grumbled as they sat up, rubbing their head. Sure enough, it came back sticky with blood.

”Oh, goodie, just what I needed from this place. A goddamn minor concussion.”

They slowly raised to their feet, assessing the damage to their right leg and their head. The leg wasn’t too bad, but those cuts would need some cleaning. Thankfully they’d brought some medical supplies, just in case. As for their head, they went over their mental checklist to figure out if they really did have a concussion.

Headache? …check, but now that they were awake it was slowly subsiding.

Dizziness? Same as headache, but they barely felt dizzy now.

Nausea and/or light/noise sensitivity? Uhhh… maybe and nope, but they were always nauseous since they’d find out about the experiments, sooo-

Memory loss? They ALWAYS had memory loss. But no, nothing more than usual. They still had all the usual memories (unfortunately).

Once they were satisfied with the thought that in some way, for now, they’d spared themselves a concussion, Angel took the time to think of everything else.

Their GrabPack was still with them, as was their bag. A quick rummage through it made them aware that the tapes and notes were still in there and intact, as were their supplies.

”Alright then, what now?” Angel wondered aloud as they looked around, wondering where they’d been taken to now.

Almost immediately, as if the factory had decided to answer them, the walls started pressing closer, dragging along all the scraps of pressed trash that were on the floor.

”Wh- a trash compactor? Seriously? Go to hell, CatNap!” Angel exclaimed, scrabbling to look for a way out. “You were always my least favourite Smiling Critter!”

(No he wasn’t. He’d been their third favourite. Their least favourite Critter was PickyPiggy. They hated eating healthy.)

Luckily there were some conveniently placed boxes that allowed them to climb out from a just-as-conveniently-placed hatch.

And then they were moving around pipes, avoiding massive mechanisms that definitely shouldn’t have been part of a toy factory- to be honest, they had a few memory voids.

(Oh, wait, maybe they did have a minor concussion…)

Ah, and there’s also the piles of dead bloody toys, the creepy writings and marks on the walls and the rain of blood they’d almost stepped into.

”Nope, nu-uh, gross, I’m out, ew.”

They did some parkouring over some giant pistons (again, none of this should be in a toy factory) and then, turning a corner, they spotted CatNap again. Well, his lower half, while he was climbing up a wall.

Angel froze for a moment. Catnap was HUGE. Maybe longer than Huggy’s height, and his claws looked very sharp. Plus, he was silent. Angel hated when they were silent… at least they’d been able to tell when Mommy was getting closer by her frantic breathing, they doubted they would’ve had the same luck with CatNap.

Then back in the vents it was, and they wound up in what looked like some sort of living room. Laying on the floor in front of an old tv there was a tape.

”Ah, joy…” Angel mock-exclaimed, picking the tape up and reading its label. “Claire Harper.. mh, no idea who that was. Let’s inflict ourselves some more psychological scars, shall we?”

They inserted the tape, and the screen’s static changed to the image of what looked like an anti-gas mask with Playtime Co’s colours.

”Alright, Ms Harper, please explain the situation, spare no detail” said a woman who’s voice Angel hadn’t heard yet.

”Well,” started another woman, who Angel assumed was Claire Harper, “like any night, all the children were getting to sleep. It was peaceful, quiet. CatNap had the red smoke in the room”

Angel furrowed their eyebrows. They were… very confused. What did Harper mean by ‘the children were getting to sleep’, and why was CatNap also there with them? And what the hell was the red gas?

”Then, suddenly, there’s this scream” she continued, sounding more distressed now.

”Nightmares happen, I know, but this… I mean, dilated pupils and quivering lips? The way her eyes darted around the room? And I swear, her hand in mine, it felt like her blood was boiling beneath her skin…”

”Did they give the kid crack or something..?” Angel muttered to themselves.

”She saw something too, something horrible! She-“

”Yeah, definitely crack” Angel deadpanned when Harper stopped herself.

”I-I’m sorry. I don’t mean to…”

”Ms Harper,” the other voice interrupted, “we’ll provide the very best care we can offer, you have my word”

”Oh yeah? So the kid’s one of your giant abominations now, got it.”

”But this is important. Did Marie happen to describe what she saw?”

Angel froze. They’d already heard the name ‘Marie’, where had they…

”Oh,” they muttered, “right, Mommy…”

”Yes!” Harper continued. “A monster she said, said that it was… colourless… gosh I could feel her poor little heart pounding. For her, it was right there!”

”Depends on what she saw, it might’ve been…” Angel considered, thinking back to what she’d read on Makayla’s reports about her getting distracted by something while playing Statues. They wondered if it was the same thing that had plagued Marie’s nightmares.

”A-And her movements, they were so wild! Arms flailing, legs kicking…”

”Hmmm…” hummed the other woman. Angel felt like slapping her for being so cold in this situation. They didn’t know if Ms Harper was Marie’s mother or not (probably not, since they had a different last name, but not all women took their husband’s last name), but she was clearly very worried about the poor kid. Then again, Angel had generally started hating all of Playtime Co’s employees.

”I… I wanted to talk to her. See how she’s doing. I-I just… I really need to hear her voice right now-“

”That would not be advised, Ms Harper” the other woman interrupted. “There are… many concerns we must address at this time. But vitals show moral, and we’ll continue to monitor. She’ll be okay-“

”NO!”

Angel cringed at Harper’s scream. It was toe curling. Even if she hadn’t been Marie’s mother, she’d clearly cared for her like she’d been her daughter.

”Well, pardon me if I’m not comforted by that! Just bring my little girl back to me…”

The tape ended, and Angel was left feeling dirty. If Claire Harper had been an employee, and she was still here somewhere, wherever the employees were kept (if that was true), how could’ve Angel looked her in the eye, knowing they’d killed that little girl she’d cared for so much?

But the other details of the conversation had left them much more confused. Why would there be children (plural) sleeping at Playtime Co, and near the toys, no less?

They couldn’t dwell on it now. Who knew where CatNap was…

They debated for a moment whether to take the tape or not. On one hand, it didn’t really reveal much. On the other, not bringing it along would’ve felt like throwing even more dirt in Marie’s face. After how they’d killed her, and all she’d been through… who was Angel to deny her story to the world?

~*~

The Bubba Bubbaphant cutout was a surprise to Angel.

From what little they knew about the story of the Smiling Critters (they’d been like- three, when they’d released. Just because they liked to rewatch the pilot episode didn’t mean they knew about why the toy line had failed), they’d been a massive failure, mainly because of CatNap. People hadn’t really liked the toy in the show, they’d found him creepy. And maybe there’d been something else too regarding the toy itself, but they couldn’t remember what that was…

Anyway, they hadn’t expected to find a cutout of the Smiling Critters, because even though CatNap had been removed from the toy line, the whole group had received backlash. But that had probably been made long before that happened. Maybe that was the reason why it was hidden in this hallway…

Out of curiosity, they pressed the button to hear the voice lines.

”I’m Bubba Bubbaphant! Hey! I remember you!”

”Do you..?” Angel wondered (which- stupid, because it was a cutout, it couldn’t answer, those were just pre-recorded lines).

”An elephant always remembers”

Angel huffed. Yeah, just like they’d imagined. It was just some stupid lines about how good an elephant’s memory was, also because Bubba was always the intelligent Critter.

“Want to know what I remember about you?”

They stilled. That was… oddly too close to be just pre-recorded? What could’ve Bubba said that applied universally to everyone who pressed the button?

They found out when they did. The cutout released another horrifying scream, before glitching and cutting out.

Angel was horrified. Who had even recorded that? What did it mean? Did it really have something to do with them?

They shook the thought away and quickly left the cutout behind. Whatever it was, they didn’t want to know.

Then they stilled in their steps. What the- was that a phone ringing??

Angel had to use the green hand to open a door, but once they got in they found an old toy phone with Playtime Co’s colours and logo hanged to a wall. Hesitantly, they picked it up and pressed the ‘answer’ button.

”Hello..?”

”Hey… Hey, can you hear me?” it was a little boy’s voice that answered the phone.

”Uhh, yeah, who-“

”You look kinda lost. I don’t want you to die- so I’m gonna help you!”

”Uhm, thanks, but… how can you see me-“

”Check this out: look at the tube thing on the back wall. Ready?”

”Tube thing- oh, okay, got it” Angel said after turning around.

”BUH-BOOM!” a large battery dropped from the tube and landed on the table.

”Huh, thanks..?” Angel muttered.

”No problem! You can use that battery to open the door!” the kid excitedly replied.

Angel inserted the battery in a square with a lighting bolt above it, and the door that was connected to it opened. “More puzzles? Seriously? Okay, whatever…”

They left the room they were currently in, and ended up right in front of the train tracks. On their left, the Game Station’s train’s remains were burning.

Angel cringed. Had CatNap really pulled them out of that mess? Considering that he was made of fur, that had been a risk. They would’ve almost thanked him, if he hadn’t thrown them in a trash compactor two seconds later.

But seriously, how had they gotten out of it with only a few cuts on their right leg and a head injury? Sure, their clothes were dirty with ash, but that was it.

”Damn, I’ve got the armour plot of a videogame character…” Angel whispered.

”Woah…” Angel jolted. They’d almost forgotten that the kid was still on the phone, or that they were still holding the phone at all.

”Did you do that?”

”Well, not really me, it probably had something to do with-“ Angel cut themselves off. Right, Poppy…

They hadn’t really thought about the doll yet. Honestly, considering she was made of porcelain and other likely flammable materials, they doubted she’d made it out intact.

”I guess that’s where CatNap found you…” the kid continued. Angel absently hummed.

The boy must’ve noticed their distress, because the next words were more soft spoken and less excited.

”Hey, look, I know you’re probably mad at Poppy for not letting you escape. But she needs you! We need you. You are our mission”

”Kid, I’ve heard a bunch of cryptic bullshit in the last- five hours? I don’t even know. So what are you-“

”Together, we can save a lot of people. Including you”

”Oh” Angel blinked, “well… okay then, I guess”

”Good. Now: Playcare is straight ahead”

”Right… what is Playcare anyway?” Angel muttered as they jumped through the train’s railings to head to another zone.

”It’s the home of CatNap…” phone boy explained, “one of ‘The Smiling Critters’. There used to be… eight of them? I think?”

”Yup, I’m familiar” Angel shivered at the thought of getting chased down by the eight Smiling Critters, all probably as big as CatNap (if not even more… how loyal had they been to Bubba Bubbaphant’s heritage?).

”Well, now, it’s just him” phone boy concluded. Angel relaxed. At least one good thing…

”Playcare is his church, his hunting ground. Whatever he wants it to be”

Ah. Never mind.

”You better get moving quickly… we’ll keep in touch. Oh, and by the way, my name is Ollie”

”Oh! Well, uh, I’m-“

“I know” Ollie interrupted (did this kid always have to interrupt them??), “you’re Poppy’s Angel. Nice to meet you!”

”Actually, my name is- oh, come on, rude.” Angel muttered as Ollie hanged up.

”Fine, whatever. Let’s check out Playcare, I guess…”

~*~

The KickinChicken cutout near the cable car was equally as creepy as the Bubba Bubbaphant one. So were the writings on the wall, to be honest.

Angel sat on the cable car’s seats, without relaxing too much, of course. It would’ve been just their luck to get attacked while enjoying the cable car ride…

Nothing attacked them, tho. Instead, a tv on the top corner that they hadn’t noticed before activated and started playing a recording.

”Hello! My name is Elliot Ludwig”

Angel sat up straighter than before. Now this might’ve held at least 10% of the answers they were looking for right now.

”When you look around at the word today, what one thing do you think it needs more of?”

”I know what it needs less of,” Angel deadpanned, “people-eating, genetically modified toys.”

“I asked around, once. ‘Money, I never have enough’, ‘understanding, I came never get any’, ‘faith, the common man has lost it’.”

”A break, I never seem to catch one” they snorted.

”Each answer was different… and I could perhaps see some little truth in each, but I think each was also missing something. Something simple. You see, not one of them could muster a smile”

”Huh-uh, very interesting, Ellie, now can you please shut- up…”

Their jaw dropped as they looked out of the window. The cable car was heading straight for what looked like a huge… sphere?

”A smile is hope. A smile is love. A smile is understanding. And there is nothing more gratifying to my soul than being the reason for a child’s smile”

In another moment Angel would’ve yelled at the recording that turning said child into a toy that had a smiling face didn’t count as making them smile, but at the moment they were more occupied with the… hell-sphere they were heading towards…

Like, literally, the entrance glowed red like the gates of hell should.

Also, it looked like they were in some kind of cave- how deep down did this damn factory go??

”To be the spark that ignites all hopes and dreams. For it is only through hopes and dreams that we may create a better world. One where our children need not be afraid. One where they are protected. After all, this company and its toys are nothing without them. These children deserve to smile, they deserve to love, and they deserve a safe home”

Angel wasn’t even listening anymore. They were too busy covering their mouth from the cloud of red… mist? (Wait, red smoke, the one Claire Harper had talked about in the tape) surrounded the cable car while they entered the sphere of death.

”That is why it is with enormous pleasure that as the founder of Playtime Co, I announce..”

Angel looked up again was the smoke was gone. What greeted them, was a sight that felt so familiar it was like a slap to the face. At the same time, it was one of the creepiest things they’d ever seen until that moment.

“PLAYCARE!”

”What the SHIT-“

It was absurd. It looked like the classic village you could find in a kid’s show. Only those were usually reserved for, you know, the show’s characters. Also, in the kids’ shows, they weren’t a childish version of ‘The Truman Show’ fake world.

”Our very own onsite orphanage”

”YOU KEPT KIDS HERE, UNDERGROUND, IN THIS THING??” Angel exclaimed, shooting to their feet like they could punch Ludwig in the face.

”But it’s not only that. It’s a school, a playhouse, a place to belong. Our very own ecosystem beneath the surface,-“

”VERY deep beneath the surface!”

”-dedicated in every inch and detail to ensuring a child’s smile. It’s teachers and counsellors, mothers and fathers, until such a time they have all of that in you”

And suddenly Claire Harper’s tape made much more sense…

”May Playcare bring joy, inspiration, and smiles to all who whether these doors. For what gives life its meaning, if not a smile?”

The cable car stopped, and the plastic phone that was still clutched in Angel’s hand started ringing again.

Angel almost dropped it- they kept forgetting they were holding the damn thing. They really needed to put it somewhere safe before they lost it, that would’ve been a real bummer. Despite how annoying Ollie was, he was still probably the only helper they were gonna get down there for a while.

(Even though judging what he’d said earlier, it was possible that Poppy was still alive? Although Angel didn’t really know if they could consider her an ally…)

They answered the phone while stepping out of the cable car, looking around between astonishment, horror and- well, yeah, a little bit of wonder.

What? Even though the place was creepy it looked a little cool. Angel was sure they would’ve had the time of their life there as a child.

(May they’d had the time of their life there as a child… they just couldn’t remember it, like everything else)

“Psssst. It’s me again, Ollie”

”Yeah… yeah I know…”

”Cool place, right?”

Angel grimaced as they slowly walked down the steps. If this was CatNap’s home, they didn’t want to enter it unprepared. But yeah, ‘cool’ wasn’t the first word they would’ve used for that place…

”The kids used to live here, now look at it”

A chill of awareness made Angel still. Kids used to live here. And kids were being used in the experiments… that meant that Playtime Co took the orphans from the orphanage to turn them into…

They didn’t want to barf while on the phone for Ollie and in the den of someone who was ready to kill them, but they were really close to doing it.

”Anyways…” Ollie continued, probably sensing (or seeing? How was he seeing them anyways?) their discomfort, “do you see that statue in the middle of the room? Take the stairs that go under it. There’s a really cool room in there that powers literally ALL of Playcare. I can give you a key down there”

”Oh- oh! That’s great, thanks Ollie- Ollie?” Angel shook the phone. “Ugh, he hanged up again… I’m so glad I’m an only child, I would be awful as an older sibling, I already feel like strangling him.” they grumbled while marching towards the statue.

”Ollie?? You in here, buddy?” Angel called out once they were under the statue. But nope, he wasn’t there.

Instead there was some sort of machinery that, once opened, revealed some sort of slide. A key fell down from it.

Once they picked the key up, the phone rang again, and Angel was quick to answer it.

”So, you got the key… now the question you’re probably asking yourself is: where does it go?”

”Actually it’s more along the lines of ‘what the fuck is wrong with these people?’, but that fine too”

They furrowed their eyebrows. “Wait, you’re a child, I shouldn’t be swearing in front of you”

Ollie made some sort of snorting noise, “c’mon, head back out, and you should find a door just to the left of the cable car you took down here”

”Okay- stay on the line this time” Angel muttered as they sped out of the statue and towards said door, all while being careful of any purple felines.

(Not careful enough, tho, because they didn’t notice the shadow following after them)

~*~

They found another GrabPack in one of the rooms of the gas production zone.

(Oh, yeah, Ollie had explained how they had to divert the smoke from the right to the left to get to ‘him’, whatever that meant, yada yada)

It wasn’t the first time they saw a GrabPack, but this one… this one looked different. More modern, in a way.

Angel found a VHS laying on the floor and they inserted it in the nearest tape player.

It was an instruction video, very similar to the one they’d first seen when getting their current GrabPack.

The video spoke about the working prototype for a GrabPack 2.0. It was really just a better version of the first one, with longer wires, swappable hands and air jets to break long falls.

”Ooookay… come to papa” Angel smirked as they slid off their old GrabPack and took the new one.

They took the green hand and inserted it in the apposite mechanism to swap hands (they weren’t really sure how it worked, but with a click of a button above the trigger their green hand swapped for the new purple one that- well, they weren’t sure what it did, but it was still cool). They attached their bag to the GrabPack 2.0, this time in a much more comfortable way, and they even found a spot to place the phone in without it being uncomfortable.

”Alright, this may be the only good invention Playtime Co has ever made!”

Outside of the small room they found a purple handprint on the floor. To test it out they fired the new hand onto the button.

”What does this- WOAH!”

They shot up in their air and landed on the platform above. “This is- SO COOL! And useful too! Good luck catching me now CatNap”

They grimaced. “Please, don’t try to catch me now just because I said that…”

~*~

Of course the power turned off just as the red smoke was about to move to the left. Of course it did.

Ollie’s phone rang and Angel answered it. “Oh no! Someone killed the power”

”No shit, Sherlock.”

”Rude. Okay, I sent you another key. It’s under the statue. Use that to get into Home Sweet Home”

The name gave Angel chills. That… was awfully familiar. Even more than walking through Playcare just then had been. What did they not remember about this place that connected them to it??

”Then, once your inside, find the building’s backup generator. Good luck”

”Ugh, fine…” Angel grumbled while Ollie ended the phone call.

“Into the beast’s den, I guess”

~*~

If Playcare had looked creepy with the lights on, then it was nothing compared to it with them off.

Angel had basically ran all the way to the statue in the center of the building, not even caring about controlling if CatNap was after them. With all that darkness? They would’ve never spotted him anyways.

Despite the darkness, locating Home Sweet Home was annoyingly easy. Not only because of the map, but because their feet just led them to the right place out of their own accord, like muscle memory.

The whole deja-vu thing is was starting to get on their nerves…

Home Sweet Home looked a bit like the fake one they’d found Poppy in, only greener and creepier. And with more blood, claw marks and dead toys.

”Alright,” Angel sighed, “in we- wow.”

The door they opened revealed a door filled with Red Smoke to the brim. It was basically impossible to see past it, like a mist.

Ollie had warned them that the smoke was very dangerous, but if they wanted to get out of this damned place as soon as possible… well, they didn’t have much of a choice.

So they took a deep breath of fresh air, steeled themselves…

…and stepped into the red smoke.

Chapter Text

“Are you sure about this?”

Theodore was fiddling nervously. He’d packed a bag with his clothes- only the strict necessities he’d need for his new life outside of Playtime Co.

His friend turned towards him with his funny grin. Even though he couldn’t really change expressions, Theo knew he was smiling reassuringly at him.

”Of course, Theo, don’t you trust me?”

”Y-Yes! Yes, obviously I trust you” Theodore quickly replied, scrambling after him. The GrabPack his friend had stolen for him was heavy, but he wanted to prove that he was worthy of the task he’d been given.

”Alright, we’re here” his friend announced, stopping in front of an electrically powered door. “Do you remember what I taught you? Do you know what to do?”

”Uhm… yes, I-I can do it…”

In all honesty, he really didn’t. He barely knew how to work the GrabPack. He was only seven, after all, he was doing his best. But his friend had so much faith in him… he was their only hope to leave the factory, to have a better life.

So he fired at the electrical outlet.

He didn’t know what went wrong.

He only knew it started hurting, and burning. And he fell to his knees and cried. He wanted everything to cease, he wanted Marie to come running and kiss his bruises and wipe his tears, or for Jeremy to come back and hug him tight, to promise him they’d go back to being a family.

But that didn’t happen. The pain didn’t cease.

Between the blurry mess that was now his vision, Theodore saw a pair of eyes looking down at him.

His friend towards the door, then towards Theodore, then back towards the door.

If he’d been a little braver, maybe Theo would’ve mumbled something to him about leaving him behind and getting himself a better life for the both of them, but he wasn’t brave. Also, he couldn’t really speak.

His stared at the door for five seconds, then he seemed to make a decision. He gently lowered his robotic hands on Theodore and pulled him off the ground.

”I will save you, Theo. As long as I’m here, you’ll never be alone”

~*~

Angel’s first reaction at the smoke was to cough. Their head felt light, their body felt wrong. When they’d joked about it being crack, they hadn’t expected for it to really feel like they’d been drugged.

(Don’t ask how they knew what being high felt like- college parties were crazy)

Slowly, Angel rose to their feet and started walking again. They made their way through the smoke to the nearest doorway, that led to a stairway filled with the same red smoke and that seemed to go on forever.

Once they’d finished running, Angel found themselves in a very long hallway. It was creepily monotonous, and in every way exactly what Angel had always imagined orphanages to look like.

They kept running down the hallway, until they reached the end of it and found themselves at a crossroad. Left or right? They looked identical…

On the floor someone had carved a sentence in the wood: ‘happy and fun why was it done’. Angel felt the shivers getting even more intense now.

After taking a deep breath, Angel turned left, ignoring the picture in black and white of a smiling little girl. They stopped again at another crossroad, but this time it was because next to another picture (the one of a little boy, a toddler probably) there was a radio that started speaking.

”Tragic news this morning. As of 9:45 AM, local authorities report that the body of a young boy has been found on the estate of the late Elliot Ludwig, an esteemed toy maker and originator of the Playtime Company”

Angel froze. This Ludwig guy kept getting worse the more they heard of it. Sure, maybe the body had been planted there by someone else, by how high were the chances of that?

Well, unless one of the executives from Playtime Co that worked on the experiments needed a place to hide the bodies of the children they took from Playcare and killed. Like Eddie M. N. Ritterman, or Stella Greyber, or-

Angel sucked in a sharp breath. No. No, they still couldn’t be sure that… they couldn’t believe that he’d…

No. Until they had solid proof, they’d refused to believe that their father had something to do with this.

”At this time, an identity for the child awaits official confirmation. Found in an upstairs bedroom in a large duffle bag, officers on-scene report that the remains appears to have been disturbed. Organs as well as key bones from the skeletal structure were reported missing from the body. It is unknown at this time whether this extraction was, in fact, the cause of death”

The radio died again, and Angel was left gaping at it. So, firstly, how had this radio even done that? Secondly: oh, these people were sick.

They walked left again, because that’s what you do when you’re unsure about what direction to go to- you go in circles.

The floor and walls were covered in claw marks, and once they got close to the end of the hallway, the lights suddenly turned off. “Crap… what is-“

”Following recent events, Playtime Co was asked for any comment regarding the discovery”

Angel startled. It was another radio, in front of them. And it also sounded like a direct continuation of the previous recording too.

”This is what they had to say, quote: ‘it’s sickening. Elliot Ludwig was a great man, and those who knew him understood that he was not capable of violence, let alone what others now claim. He had a deep love in his heart for children like this one, making the actions of whoever planted this body all the more sick. We look forward to clear his good name, both in the public eye and in the eyes of the law’.”

”Yeah, right, good man my-“

”STAY TUNED FOR MORE.”

The voice made Angel jump. It had been louder, sharper, and it had shook them down to the core for some reason.

They gulped, but they continued their exploration. They turned left again, and this time the noise they heard was the one of Ollie’s phone. Only it didn’t come from the one attached to their GrabPack.

(Come to think it… where was their GrabPack? They couldn’t feel it…)

They followed the ringing to a slightly more lit room. The noise came from an old telephone, like the ones they used until the ‘80s. Next to it there was the picture of another toddler: Angel wasn’t real sure if it was the same little boy as the other picture.

They picked up the phone quickly. “Hello? Ollie?”

”YOU NEED TO RUN”

The call ended like that.

”Wow, Ollie, that’s great advice, I would’ve never though of-“

The words died in their throat when they turned around. Peeking out from behind the doorway, Angel saw CatNap staring at them, observing them. He quickly disappeared behind the doorway again, but Angel had still seen him.

They would’ve loved to scream or something, but their throat just wouldn’t work right. Nothing was working right at the moment…

After a moment of pure terror, something pushed them to go after the giant toy. Because what’s better than a quick death by feline claws, right?

They heard the radio again in the middle of a hallway.

”Despite Playtime’s proclamation of Ludwig’s innocence, many believe his reclusive and mysterious nature displayed over the previous decades lends suspicion to the claim”

Angel stilled in place, listening intently. As creepy as they were, the radio’s words were pretty interesting.

”When questioned, Ludwig’s neighbours indicated that he would often return to his home in strange hours of the night, and depart again before sunrise. Some believe he was sick, others that-“

Angel started walking again, they could easily listening to this while they looked for-

“DON’T MOVE. DON’T MOVE AN INCH.”

They stilled immediately. They couldn’t scream. Why couldn’t they scream…

”-Playtime Co, it seems, intends to keep Elliot’s name within its brand regardless. What is sure to be a long legal battle will follow”

They couldn’t stop shaking. This was awful. They hated this place. Why had Ollie sent them here? Why hadn’t Poppy let them leave?

Why did I come here in the first place??

Whatever reasoning they’d had clearly wasn’t good enough. No reason was worth all of this…

They started walking again after a moment. CatNap was still around, after all. They didn’t want him to catch them.

Another radio in front of them started playing some old, creepy music, but they didn’t listen to it. They didn’t care. They just wanted out.

When passing through a hallway the doors started banging. When they turned a corner, they swore they’d seen CatNap’s eyes at the end of it, staring at them in the darkness. On the ground, they found another writing: ‘GUILT HAUNTS YOU’.

There was also another radio speaking, but it was just gibberish, and Angel couldn’t figure it out.

They ran again. This place sucked. They hated it. They wanted to leave. Why, why why why.

They ended up in some kind of office, the same writing as earlier, ‘GUILT HAUNTS YOU’, was carved on a board. What did that mean??

They turned back and went into another hallway. Another voice started speaking, not the same as the radio’s one… although without the static it was hard to tell. It kept repeating ‘get up’.

Angel felt like they were going insane, like the whole building was just toying with their mind. Which was insane, because the whole factory had been playing with their mind since they’d first stepped foot into it.

There was another radio, but they couldn’t figure out what it said. Then they heard the crying. Crying that came from babies.

Why is this hallways so long…

They ended up in what looked like a hospital room. It was different. It was familiar. It was uncomfortable in all the wrong ways.

On a wall, the writing ‘happy and fun why was it done’ was carved once again. In a corner, next to a Huggy Wuggy cutout, there was a tv that showed static. On a bed rested a red tape.

Their body moved automatically. They picked up the tape and inserted it into the tv.

They almost tripped over their own feet when the smiling face of Huggy Wuggy filled the screen. Something about it was startlingly off… the smile looked to wide. The eyes looked too big.

Or maybe it was just the fact that the bloody thing had chased them down the vents, who knows.

A man started speaking, a voice Angel was unfamiliar with.

”Greeting, employees, and welcome to your first day here in Playtime!”

”A training video, huh…” Angel murmured. Maybe this would give them some more answers.

”We’re certain that in the days to come you’ll find your new family here every bit as loving and supportive as your own”

”Yeah, right.” Angel deadpanned. “Just ignore the murder-creatures that roam the halls, and it’ll be just like home.”

”Feel free to wander the halls! Sit in the mess for lunch! Or watch our children play and learn to their little heart’s content”

”From an observation room, perhaps?”

“Join the Innovationists, where the bounds of science are continuously pushed”

Angel cringed. Their dad had been Head of Innovation there. If that was the department where they pushed the limits of science, did that mean…

No. No. Snap out of it, Angel!

“Or join the Counselors of Playcare, whose diligence and care for our children will help shape a brighter future, just you see”

”Oh, believe me, I saw.” Angel murmured, nervously glancing back over their shoulder to make sure CatNap wasn’t there.

”Now, every one of you has your part in that future, so should you come back tomorrow feeling unhappy for where you are, or what you’ve done…”

”Huh?” Angel turned back around, blinking. What?

”Worry not, for your supervisor is here and happy to listen! And…”

Huggy’s face starts fading from the screen. Angel slowly stepped back.

”should you come back… years later… your conscience finally getting the better of you”

Angel let out a choked sort of noise. Huggy’s face came back on screen. Only it wasn’t Huggy.

His ears were pulled up like a demon’s horns. His eyes were voids of blackness. His mouth was wide open and filled with much teeth that were much bigger and sharper than normal Huggy’s had had.

No please make it stop I want to go home please please please I didn’t do anything wrong please let me go what is this I want to leave-

“May you descend into the dark and the dust, finding all that awaits you are incomprehensible horrors… each hungry for your return, each eager that they might find you. Perhaps they’d smile at you from a shadow, their smiling mouths full of teeth and meat and plastic, watching and waiting patiently for their turn at a warm welcome. Or perhaps thy wont allow you such time to figure out your place in the word you’d left. A world that’s theirs now. Welcome home.”

The screen started glowing, and the Huggy Wuggy from the image started crawling out of the tv.

Angel couldn’t move, they couldn’t scream. They couldn’t do anything but watch, petrified, as the monster crawled out of the tv, its arms and hands just as uncannily huge. They couldn’t help but feel their heart pounding in their chest when the thing grabbed them, pulled them up in the air, and bit into their head.

They dousing do anything as they died.

~*~

They woke up screaming.

They… woke up..?

Angel sat up straight, their throat sore (how long had they been screaming for?). The room they were in was… the exact same as the one filled with the red smoke that they’d entered. Only there was no smoke now.

And suddenly the pieces started coming together: that’s why the smoke was in the room when the kids at Playcare slept, that’s why Marie had these terribly real and awful nightmares, that’s why Ollie considered the smoke to be that dangerous. Everything that they’d seen and heard - the radios, the pictures of children, the writings, CatNap lurking in the shadows, the hospital room, the tape and the chase with Huggy - they’d all been fake. Products of their consciousness.

(But was it all really fake? Some things they couldn’t have known. Was all that story about Ludwig really fake? Why did guilt ‘haunt them’? What was the hospital room all about?)

Now that they thought about it, they’d already seen the red smoke somewhere else… in the pilot episode of the Smiling Critters series, CatNap used to release something like that to make his friends sleep. The other kids at school had always thought that was weird, but Angel actually found it a bit… familiar, in a way. Also, if they remembered correctly, a cloud of that same smoke had been filling Poppy’s case when they’d opened it. Maybe that was what had made them fall asleep so suddenly…

Angel stood on shaky legs. Facing whatever was in Home Sweet Home now felt way more terrifying than it had before. How were they sure that this wasn’t another nightmare?

No, they could sense their body and their surroundings perfectly now. No more bad dreams, just them, the creepy house and maybe a giant purple feline. They even pinched themselves just to be sure. But nope, real life.

This version of Home Sweet Home was much different than the one from the nightmare. Sure, it was still filled with claw marks, but in their nightmare it’d been much tidier. This room was a complete mess, and they doubted the rest of it was different.

They left that room- the same philosophy from earlier was still on their mind: get what they had to do over with and then get the hell out.

In the next room Angel found Daddy and Mommy Long Legs’ cutouts, but they didn’t work (not like they minded). But also, more interestingly, they found a gas mask (always with Playtime Co’s colours, of course).

”Huh, guess they had one of these in case CatNap became a problem…” Angel muttered, pulling it over their head to test it out.

From what they could tell, it worked. Although it was a bit hard to figure out why.

Turns out they’d actually need it, because the whole place was just filled with red smoke. Yay…

~*~

After what had happened with the nightmarish version of Huggy, Angel was reluctant to watch any more tapes. But a doubt still haunted them: did their dad truly have something to do with this place?

So that’s why they were hovering in front of a tv, a brown tape in their hands.

With a huff that felt more like a repressed sob, Angel shoved the tape into the VHS reader. The image on the screen only showed a bed, which creeped Angel out even more.

”Subject is stable, designated #1322”

Angel held back a gasp. They knew that voice. If their memory wasn’t tricking them, then it was the same voice as the one of the scientist that had spoken during the logs about 1006, the Prototype.

”Clear neural abnormalities were detected in his recent check-up. Though highly irregular, we’ve pulled him from the Home Sweet Home just before lights out to perform-“

”What are you doing with my friend?”

Angel jolted. There was another voice. A kid, from the sound of it. A little boy.

”I- what are you doing out of bed? How did you get in here?”

The scientist sounded panicked, nervous.

Good. A part of Angel’s brain thought.

“Is Kevin sick? Why did you take him away?”

Angel’s heart clenched in their chest. This poor kid…

From what they could guess, Kevin was likely this ‘subject 1322’ that the scientist had been talking about.

”I-I… yes… Kevin is very sick. Very, very sick. But we want to make him better. But he can only get better if we take him to where we can provide proper care, and give him proper rest”

Angel resisted the urge to punch a hole in the tv. How dare he. How dare that man lie to a child so shamelessly??

”Will… d-do you really think he will be okay?”

”I should think si. We’re good at what we do, son. We paid attention in school, learned, and got our proper rest when we needed it. Just like you need it now, I should think. Come now, let’s get you on back to bed”

They almost gagged. So first he kidnapped and experimented on his friend and then he gave him a talk about a proper lifestyle? Angel was really starting to hope that the letter was a lie and that all the employees were dead.

”O-Okay”

”It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Joseph. And I promise you, your friend will be alright. When you see him again, he’ll have never been better”

Since they couldn’t punch the tv, Angel punched table instead. Their knuckles throbbed, their hand protested for the impact. After all, they’d used their injured arm. But they couldn’t help it.

“Don’t worry, Joseph. I’ll set things right. For you, for Kevin, for all of the children these monsters hurt…” they said through greeted teeth, while pocketing the tape.

“I’ll make every. single. one of them. pay.”

~*~

They almost bumped into CatNap straight after that. That alone had almost been enough to make them piss themselves…

The rooms were definitely much worse off than the ones in their nightmare had been. But then how had they been able to imagine the place like it used to be..? That didn’t make sense…

Unless they’d been there before.

When they ended up in the room with the cribs, they really felt like breaking stuff. They would’ve, hadn’t they known CatNap was in there too. They didn’t want to risk alerting him…

The creepiest thing though was the mattress where someone had decided to write with what looked like blood the writing ‘the hour of joy’. Jeez, when Ollie called again, they would’ve definitely ask for explanations…

Oh, and how to forge the Picky Piggy cutout that promised cannibalism of your own friends! So fun!

(What the hell even is this place…)

But they weren’t too surprised. One of their old high school classmates had once explained how some pigs would definitely eat humans if they could. They’d almost thrown out their Picky Piggy plush after that.

And obviously, there had to be another traumatising VHS tape. Because their life just wasn’t complete without one of those every square meter…

The image on the screen showed the black and white face of a child, and that alone was enough to make Angel mad all over again. The tape itself was short, and the only person who really talked was a woman named ‘Mrs Brooks’, who announced to a crowd of kids that a boy, Samuel Lee, had been ‘chosen’ by ‘Dr. White’. Angel’s stomach churned. Those kids probably thought that getting chosen meant being adopted… they didn’t know the half of it.

But now they had one more name to throw on top of the mass of assholes to blame for this: Doctor White. This just couldn’t get better…

~*~

After having a fight with a Bobby Bearhug statue, getting frightened by a falling CatNap plush, punching a Huggy Wuggy cutout and avoiding breathing in a lot more red smoke, Angel finally managed to get the power back on in Home Sweet Home. Now they were ready to leave this place!

…if a giant Huggy Wuggy like toy hadn’t jumped on them as soon as they’d left Home Sweet Home…

Angel screamed, but it was cut short when their head hit back on the floor. As soft as it was, considering it was made for children, it still hurt.

They couldn’t really move. This was most definitely not a dream, they’d heard the pain loud and clear. But then how come Huggy was there? He’d fallen through a bottomless pit, for Christ’s sake!

The monster slowly opened its mouth, and Angel was just about to give in to their destiny of getting eaten by the stupid blue sour patch kid furry wannabe. Then, a small girly voice interrupted their death.

”NO, NO! LET GO!”

A small figure jumped on Angel’s right arm, her hands extended to stop the giant toy. Angel immediately recognised her- how couldn’t they? Her red hair was quite literally in her face at the moment, and even though poppies didn’t really smell a lot, what they could smell was unexchangeable.

Poppy.

”They didn’t do anything wrong!” the doll continued while the toy that attacked them reared back, its mouth closing again.

Once the light hit it differently, Angel realised that was most definitely not Huggy. The toy’s fur was pink, not blue, and it had girly eyelashes.

Kissy Missy.

”We’re actually here to help” Poppy smiled gently, turning towards Angel with a torch in hand, while Kissy stood up and let go of them.

”Oh, are you?” Angel gritted out. They were referring to Poppy’s earlier betrayal, but the doll must’ve understood they were talking about Kissy’s attack.

”This place makes her tense… I’m glad that Ollie could help you get this far, he’s the reason we found you at all”

Angel made a mental note to destroy the stupid phone later.

Poppy climbed on top of Kissy’s shoulder, and she studied Angel with a worried look. “Looks like the train crash hurt us both…”

”Did it, tho? Because you look pretty fine to me.” Angel scowled, looking away.

Poppy frowned. She looked like a kicked puppy. It almost made Angel feel sorry. Almost.

”You’ve been through so much…” the doll exchanged a look with Kissy, and the latter nodded, “you deserve an explanation”

”Wha- really?”

“Yes, come on” Poppy mumbled, while Kissy started walking away.

”Finally someone who explains stuff…” Angel muttered, following after the two. As they walked, they could hear Poppy comforting Kissy. The scene was actually kinda sweet. The two clearly had a close bond.

Poppy activated some sort of elevator, and Angel settled on the corner opposite Poppy’s and Kissy’s, with a frown on their face and their legs crossed.

Poppy looked sincerely distressed. “Listen… I’m not your enemy”

”Ah, really? You know, could’ve fooled me, considering you almost killed me in a train crash.”

Poppy frowned. “The train crashing wasn’t my doing. Someone must’ve… anyway, the point is, I can’t just let you leave! What’s happening down here is bigger than all of us. And I need you… so we can get revenge on those monsters who’ve tortured you, who’ve tortured us!”

”You mean Huggy, Mommy, CatNap..?”

Poppy nodded, then shook her head with a sigh. “They didn’t act alone. They’re disciples of the original: the Protoype”

”Ah, yeah, I’ve heard about that guy… not good things”

The elevator came to a stop, and Poppy smiled encouragingly towards a big red button. “Do the honours?”

Angel sighed and nodded, getting off of the elevator and hesitatingly pushing the red button. Slowly, the electricity came back to all of Playcare. Or, at least, the lights did.

Angel climbed back in the elevator, sorta relieved. Kissy was now sitting in a corner, looking like a shy child in kindergarten.

(With a shiver Angel realised she might’ve actually been a shy child in the age range of a kindergartener)

“The Prototype knows we’re coming by now. You try to escape, he’ll kill you before you ever reach that front door” Poppy continued.

Angel felt a drop of cold sweat running down their neck. On a second thought, they were kinda glad Poppy had stopped them from leaving…

”So, I’m gonna take a wild guess here, but… I assume you and this ‘Prototype’ guy have already crossed paths before?”

Poppy almost flinched. “Yes, he’s… he’s the reason I was trapped in that… god-awful case for so long! You have… no idea the things he’s done!”

Angel grimaced. Given the recordings they’d heard, they actually had a pretty good idea.

”Let me help you kill him. Let me help you save everyone”

”Why…” Angel cut themselves off and sighed, trying to ignore Kissy’s and Poppy’s looks, “why do you think that I could do it? You said it yourself, if this is bigger than me…”

”We’ve ALL seen you,” Poppy interrupted them with a reassuring smile, “how capable you are. You killed Huggy, you killed Mommy, you freed me! You are perfect for this…”

Angel blinked. Well, when she put it like that…

The elevator came to a stop, and Poppy looked around nervously. “CatNap is coming. He’s the final obstacle the Prototype has placed against us. We can’t stay here. Keep yourself safe… Ollie will call you. Good luck”

”Alright, same to you” Angel murmured, giving Kissy’s shoulder a quick squeeze before getting off the elevator.

To be honest, a part of them had hoped Kissy and Poppy (or at least the former) would follow them around, instead of leaving them alone to take care of everything. But Kissy was clearly distressed, and Angel wasn’t about to put more psychological pressure on a kid who was already traumatised enough.

Almost as soon as they approached the statue, Ollie’s phone rang. With a sigh, Angel answered it, looking around.

”Hi, Ollie. What’s next on the list?”

Chapter Text

Theodore had lost count of the time he’d spent in that hospital.

From what he’d been told, after his friend had picked him up, he’d been brought to the office of a paediatrician, Thomas Clarke, who’d kept him alive for as long as it’d taken for him to be moved to a hospital nearby.

Now he’d been staying there for a while. Maybe a bit over a week? Marie had wrote him a letter, complaining about how the staff of Playtime Co refused to let her out of Playcare to and visit him. She’d asked about his current state and when he’d come back to Playcare, but Theodore hadn’t been able to answer.

Not because he didn’t know- well, yeah, that too, kinda. But it was mainly because it hurt too much to move his limbs. He wouldn’t have been able to write even if he’d wanted to.

It was on day eight that she came to visit him.

She barrelled into the room, followed by a nurse that was muttering some sort of lecture, but Angel clearly couldn’t have cared less.

She immediately went to wrap her arms around Theodore’s torso, or at least she did her best, considering she was quite short, while the bed definitely wasn’t.

”Hey, Angel…” Theodore muttered, his voice raw. The doctors had told him that whatever he’d done it had messed with his whole body, including his vocal cords.

The little girl sniffed, then she wiped at her eyes. Only then did Theodore noticed she was wearing his CatNap hoodie - she must’ve taken it from his room in Home Sweet Home.

”Are you gonna be okay..?”

The voice startled Theodore at first. It wasn’t often that Angel spoke, and when she did it was mostly just yelps of surprise or giggles. That was probably one of the only times he’d ever heard her pronounce a sentence, if not the only one.

Her voice was a little raw, almost as bad as Theodore’s, probably from the lack of usage.

”Uhm, yeah… the doctors said I’ll be fine…”

Angel nodded, toying with the hoodie’s sleeve.

”Okay… Marie misses you, by the way, she cries a lot”

Theodore felt his heart clench. “Did she get my letters?”

Angel furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head. “What letters?”

He blinked back. “The… the letters I wrote to her? She didn’t..?”

”Are you sure you sent them?”

”I-I gave them to Mr Sinclair-“

Someone knocked on the already opened door. Theodore recognised him a little bit, but this was probably the closest he’d ever seen him.

Angel’s dad, Leith Pierre.

”Hey, Angel, ready to go? Daddy has a meeting in a few minutes, we have to leave”

While the man’s tone was light and he had a polite smile on his face, his behaviour was stern. He clearly wasn’t going to take a no for an answer.

Angel almost replied with her words, then she hesitated. She gave Theodore one last, apologetic look, then got off the bed and nodded to her father, walking up to him with her head bent low.

For some reason, Theodore was actually pretty glad that Angel had only spoken when it was the two of them, alone. He liked to think that this was their little secret.

Mr Pierre’s smile got a little more sincere. He took his daughter’s hand… and then his eyes momentarily stilled on Theodore, with a look that made something in the kid’s stomach churn.

Then the two disappeared back in the hallway, but he still heard what they (well, Mr Pierre) said next.

“That hoodie- CatNap, right? It’s not yours, no? Is it Theo’s?”

~*~

Ollie explained to Angel how the buildings in Playcare all held a backup generator that they were gonna need to power up the gas production zone. Partially to Poppy’s help they’d already activated the dome’s backup generator, as well as Home Sweet Home’s one.

They still needed half of the energy required to power up the gas production zone. Ollie had immediately ruled out the Playhouse, whatever it was, because he deemed it too dangerous.

Okay, maybe Angel was actually starting to like this kid.

”So… your best bet is probably the School”

Never mind, forget what they’d just thought.

~*~

Angel clearly remembered their school years as the worst of their life. Which didn’t mean a lot, considering they’d just finished their first year of college and they didn’t remember almost anything about their childhood, but still.

The first bad memory they had dated all the way back to first grade, when one of their classmates had tragically passed in an accident. After that it’d all just been a constant mess of mocking, teasing and even just straight up bullying.

Tests weren’t as difficult - Angel had always considered themselves as a pretty smart kid, and they’d never really struggled in school. Most things came naturally to them, really.

But yeah, when it came to their time at school? Not a fan.

So reasonably they hesitated in front of the entrance of Playcare’s School.

While Ollie had told them that CatNap usually left this place alone, they couldn’t help but think that maybe something else would be there instead. Maybe a Bubba Bubbapahnt giant abomination? After all, he was the smart Critter. If Angel had been creating those giant toys, they would’ve definitely put him in the school.

The School was just as bad as the rest of Playcare: a bunch of abandoned classrooms, dead toys laying around, some notebooks and other school supplies scattered across the floor.

Oh, and the creepy writings on the wall that looked like they’d been written with blood. But honestly, at that point? It would’ve been weirder if those hadn’t been there.

Ollie was still on call with them, but he only spoke up then.

”Okay, make this quick. Turn on the generator, leave, and plug the school’s power cord into the center. Be careful in there, I don’t think I can connect to you on that side of the dome”

”Wh- wait, I thought you were the phone?”

”…why would you think that?”

”Uhm…” Angel mumbled, a little embarrassed, “because… every toy here seems to be a child… and this is a toy phone… so…”

Ollie sighed on the other end of the line. “This rule applies to the actual toys, not to the objects. Believe me, you won’t find a single object here that holds a child’s soul!”

”Huh…”

”Anyways, you won’t be alone. There’s someone else in there too. They’re not your-“

”Wha- Ollie? Ollie??” Angel called out, giving the phone some lights pats. “Oh, come on, dude! You were silent for like- five whole minutes when there was connection and now you decide to warn me about possible danger?”

Angel groaned and looked around anxiously. “Well, who knows, maybe you were saying… they’re not your enemy..?”

The only answer to their inner thought was the quiet cracking of a door.

”Right, okay, never mind. Be quick.”

~*~

They found a note in the nearest room. It had been written by a teacher, from what Angel could tell. And again it spoke about the ‘Hour of Joy’. They really needed to ask some questions to Ollie when they got out of there. Or, even better, to Poppy. They’d totally forgot about all their questions during their last meeting, because they’d been so startled by it. That wouldn’t have happened next time, tho. Now, they were determined.

Angel hated how this place made them feel. It wasn’t only like they were back at elementary school… it felt like they were in their elementary school. Which was insane, because they knew what elementary school they’d gone too, and it most definitely wasn’t here, in an underground facility beneath the Playtime Co factory.

When they entered the next door, the intercom went off, startling Angel.

”This is Miss Delight speaking. Please excuse the interruption. Students- remain in your seat until the bell has rung. And no going in the halls without a hall pass!”

The intercom turned off, and Angel huffed, kicking a nearby notebook to release their tension. “Just a stupid pre-recorded message, of course…”

They proceeded cautiously, but it seriously looked like no one was there anymore. They found another note - given the similar calligraphy it had probably been made by the same teacher as the one who’d wrote the first note. It spoke about how something had haunted her while she was stuck in the school, and how she’d made a weapon made of pencils and rulers and other stuff and had decided to call it Barb. The small drop of blood on the bottom of the note was a clear indication of how that had went…

(Well, not really clear. The blood may have been the teacher’s OR the toy’s, depending on how carefully she’d followed her self defence lessons! …C’mon, please, someone laugh.)

Of course, the peace wasn’t bound to last. Especially when they spotted a humanoid figure of sorts walking around and dragging her leg.

Luckily the thing hadn’t spotted them back, but the close encounter had almost been enough to make Angel piss themselves.

(Which was very likely to happen, considering they hadn’t peed in a long time… there must’ve been a bathroom somewhere in the School, right? Unless Playtime Co had a whole separate building for that…)

When they were sure enough that the thing hadn’t spotted left, Angel decided to keep walking… only to get startled one more time by the intercom.

”Wait- I recognise you…”

Okay. So- that didn’t sound like it was pre-recorded at all…

”Yes, I remember. You used to go here!”

Angel blinked. Huh??

”How are you… alive..?”

So, maybe they were getting repetitive now, but… HUH????

”Hm? Barb?”

Hold up. Barb? Like the weapon that the teacher had… oh. Oh.

Angel gave a quick look at another blood-stained letter on a box. Same writing. This time it was about how the other teachers had singled her out to die and had refused her food.

But it wasn’t about a real teacher they were talking about there, weren’t they?

”Oh. Barb says you’re looking for the workers. CatNap wouldn’t like that you’re here…”

”Hey- hey hey hey! No! Snitches get stitches!” Angel protested. Maybe it was a bit childish, but they were in a school after all. The voice at the intercom momentarily quieted.

”You should leave… for your own safety”

”Nah.” Angel announced as the intercom buzzed off.

”Sorry, Miss D, but I’ve never been a good rule follower anyways. Ask Mommy.”

~*~

The yellow tape made Angel’s blood chill.

The image on the screen was what they could guess was Barb, the weapon that every child had once dreamed of hitting their teacher with (come on, it couldn’t have been just Angel??), while the conversation was between Miss Delight and someone who, from what they could guess, Angel thought was either CatNap or the Prototype.

The voice was very familiar nonetheless…

“Where are the kids?” asked Miss Delight, only to be met with silence.

”Please, where are the children? Are they… in the same place as the employees?”

This time a voice answered. It was childish, but also raspy. “No.”

”Are the children safe?”

”Yes.”

Miss Delight sighed, seemingly relieved. “Can I see them?”

After a moment, the voice answered again: “no.”

Then the recording seemed to cut to another place in time.

”And that was it. That’s all he’d tell me… probably because he knew I’d kill them all!” Miss Delight explained, and then she started laughing like a maniac.

Angel’s blood was ice in their veins. If that was Miss Delight, and she was really a toy and not a person… then they were very likely stuck in there with her at the moment.

”Oh, yes, Ollie, this is SOOO totally safe.”

~*~

Angel figured out what had happened to the other teachers soon enough.

I’m sure you could too- come on, people-eating monstrosities? All the dead bodies of children around? While Angel wasn’t really sure if the other teachers had been actual people or toys as well, it was clear by now that Miss Delight had ate them all. Although, judging, by the cutout that they’d found, the other teachers were very likely her ‘sisters’, all designed to teach a different subject.

Oh, and they also got a threat. They were SOOO not looking forward to meeting her now…

But at least they found the generator! Yippee!

They also found Miss Delight. Not so yippee.

It took one look at her for Angel to feel creeped out. The toy’s face was disfigured in the worst ways- the lower part of her face was completely gone, replaced by some sort of muscle tissue and teeth that looked awfully human.

When she turned towards them, Miss Delight stopped moving. Angel thought back to what they’d read in one of the letters, how she would keep still in order for her sisters to think she was dead and lower their guard, so she could eat them. Angel guessed she was trying to do something similar with them now.

And so their absurd little game of red light green light began- a game that they’d never particularly enjoyed in the first place. Angel had to solve electrical puzzles and other stuff, all while trying to avoid getting Barb stuck in their head. They weren’t sure ibuprofen would’ve been able to fix that…

At some point, apparently, Miss Delight decided that the opossum strategy didn’t work anymore, so she just started chasing them down a really long hallway.

”OH, COME ON! I KNOW I MENTIONED MOMMY EARLIER, BUT NOW I’M GETTING SOME ABSURD FLASHBACKS!”

Thankfully they were quicker than the toy, and they got to the room sooner. Not that it helped much, considering they were stuck.

Then Angel spotted the lever.

At that point of their stay at the Playtime Co factory, they’d figured one thing: levers are a good thing.

”HEY, MISS D! I got an equation for you!” Angel shouted in a burst of boldness as their hand found the lever that connected to the door they’d just crossed.

”Mess plus with plus me, equals instant death.”

They pulled the lever just as Miss Delight stepped underneath the door. The metal plate basically dropped on top of her, crushing her like an egg once stepped on.

”Mh, guess you’ll get to ask Mommy how good I am at following rules really soon.”

~*~

The gun hand was the only good thing they got out of their little trip to the School.

“Okay, I don’t know who in their very-likely-insane mind designed this, but I wanna send them a thank you basket!” Angel exclaimed as they tried it. It was really just a hand that had a gun instead of its pointer and middle fingers, with five bullets made of fire that recharged in a relatively small amount of time. Not only were those good for lighting up dark places, but maybe they could also use it against CatNap! Sure, cats despised water, but maybe giant toy cats despised fire instead.

They also got an update on the Richard Lovitz story, or Richie, as they’d started to call him in their mind. Yes, maybe they’d grown affectionate, so what? The guy seemed to share their hatred for this stupid place and the way the children were treated.

And sure, maybe the conversation between Richie and ‘Stu’ was a little more homosexual than Angel would’ve liked - not like they were homophobic of anything, that would’ve been hypocritical, considering they were non-binary themselves, but they were also kinda in the middle of surviving the horrors of this place… - but it was still nice to find something that resembled a telenovela and relax for a little.

(And yes, yes, Richie did mention his wife, but Angel was like 99% sure that when they were a kid they’d spotted their uncle talking with a man with an unholy amount of homoerotic tension, despite having a wife, so it’s not like Angel was new to men from the 90s cheating on their wives with other men)

Anyways, it looked like Richie was getting a promotion to the head of some department. From context clues only, Angel guessed he maybe had become head of shipping. But again, they didn’t have much to go off of.

Honestly Angel just hoped that Richie wasn’t involved in all that experimentation mess. Otherwise they would’ve had to stop liking him.

(And once again, they pushed the thought of their father possibly being involved very deep down into their mind.)

The only downside about their brand new trip into the caves (because of course the chase with Miss Delight had forced them away from the way out of the School, so now they had to take the back door) was the discovery of CatNap’s shrine.

They’d been happily walking around the caves when a suspicious burst of light to their left had made them stop and crouch, just in time to see CatNap approaching a pile of… toys?

That’s what it looked like, at least. Angel could spot a few familiar faces from there, like a slightly smaller version of PJ Pugapillar and a bunch of Critters, as well as some mechanical parts and- was that a skeleton in the center there??

CatNap stood in front of the pile of dead toys, then he raised his arms in a way that startlingly resembled to Angel a prayer. Like CatNap was… worshipping the pile of toys?

They tried to cautiously keep going on without all ensuring that the toy felt their presence, but after losing eye contact of him for a moment, CatNap disappeared.

With a grim feeling, Angel approached the door in front of them, a door that read…

”’Playhouse’? Wait… isn’t this the place that Ollie wanted me to avoid??” Angel whispered panicked.

But it’s not like they had much of a choice. It was either go in or wait for CatNap to come out of his hiding spot and add them to his little collection.

Angel reluctantly scanned the blue hand to open the door, and then, with one last intake of air, they stepped into the Playhouse.

Chapter Text

When Theodore woke up, everything felt off.

His body ached, and his body… was… purple..?

”Very well, he’s awaking”

Theodore startled and looked towards the direction of the voice.

There was a man, behind a glass. A man with black hair and glasses, who was observing him carefully. Around him there seemed to be a few more figures, but he wasn’t sure. It was hard to see at the moment.

”Subject 1188 is awake - take note of it, Doctor Willard”

A man at the right of the person that was speaking jolted and started scribbling on a notebook, the person next to him (a woman, probably, much shorter than this Willard guy) elbowed him.

”The procedure took four hours longer than we’d expected, sir, because of the subject’s previous… incident, but he seems to be okay now-“

”I don’t remember asking you to speak, Doctor Newman.” the man coldly interrupted the woman - Doctor Newman.

”Now, the two of you, out.”

Doctor Willard and Doctor Newman were quick to hurry out of the room - whoever this guy was, he clearly scared them. To be honest, he kind of scared Theodore too.

He looked back down to his body, and he felt like he was choking… that… that wasn’t his body… who…

”See, Leith? I told you he was a suitable subject for this.” the man said, speaking to the last person remaining with him in the room.

Slowly, the man who’d been standing in the shadows - Leith - approached the glass.

”That you did, Sawyer, that you did… and you’re sure there won’t be any, uh, complications, because of the incident?”

”None” said Sawyer. “I guarantee you, as long as 1006 is kept in his cage. Properly, this time, maybe.”

”Yeah, yeah” Leith muttered, something that Sawyer clearly didn’t enjoy. Then, his attention turned to another presence in the room that Theodore hadn’t been able to focus on clearly yet.

”For the love of- Leith, you have to stop bringing her into the labs, especially with the subjects!”

Leith rolled his eyes, fixing the weight in his arms. “One of the reasons we’ve created 1188 is exactly that, no? She won’t remember anything about this in the long run”

Theodore wanted to protest that his name wasn’t 1188- because they were referring to him, weren’t they? But that wasn’t his name. It was Theo. Theodore Grambell. And… and…

And he didn’t remember anything else.

He… he remembered he had a friend, a companion… he’d saved him… and there was also someone else, his name started with a J… Jerry? John?

There had also been two girls, no? One of them had a name that sounded vaguely French, and the other… the other…

Why couldn’t he remember?

Sawyer and Leith both turned their backs to the glass to keep talking, or rather arguing, and Theodore found himself face to face with the ‘thing’ that Leith had been carrying that had oh-so-bothered Sawyer.

A little girl with low blond pigtails, and two big round eyes that stared right back at him, wide and emotionless, but seemingly a bit horrified.

Two eyes of different colours: one honey brown and one icy blue.

~*~

The first sign of something being extremely off in the Playhouse was the small Bobby Bearhug that crawled out of a hole and advanced towards them.

Angel first tried to stomp towards it, like you would to scare a pidgeon away, but it didn’t work. Then they tried with the gun hand, which instead actually did work. “So these guys are afraid of fire, huh? Good to know”

They didn’t even bother with the Bobby Bearhug cutout right next to the entrance. Honestly, ethyl heard enough traumatising bullshit for a whole lifetime…

They proceeded down the hallway, until they found a tape a little further ahead, between what looked like the camping tent for a ripoff Barbie. Since they’d seen a tape player at the entrance, they decided to give it a shot.

When the tape started, the first thing they saw on the screen was CatNap’s face, and they involuntarily flinched. God, this was SO too alike the Huggy tape they’d seen in their nightmare at Home Sweet Home…

Then they flinched for an entirely different reason.

”Okay… this is… CatNap. Uhhh… experiment #1188…”

Angel chocked on a whimper. They knew that voice. How couldn’t have they? They’d heard it almost every day of their life for nineteen years.

Leith Pierre, their own father.

They paused the tape, and their breath quickly got louder and more laboured. No, no… this was wrong. Their father had always cared so much about them, about their happiness! Sure, maybe he hadn’t always been there, sometime he was neglectful, and he’d dismissed the disappearance of Angel’s mother so quickly that Angel had immediately decided to look for a college that was as far away as possible from their father. But he wasn’t… he wasn’t a monster…

The words they’d heard in the tape of his interview with Marcas kept playing in their head. “We make toys, not monsters”. But what if the toys are the monsters?

Their head hurt like hell, and their knees were weak. They kneeled to the ground, pressing their forehead against the tv, quietly shaking. No, no no no. This was wrong. This was all so wrong…

Then rage replaced the shock. How dare he. How dare he come home every night after work and smile like the actions of his day didn’t haunt him in the slightest. How dare he make money off of the atrocities he’d made some poor kids go through. How dare he smile at Angel like they were the most precious thing in his life when he’d ruined the lives of so many children like them. How dare he even just look them (and formerly, his wife) in the face after what he’d done.

A part of Angel wanted to destroy the tape. The other part wanted to bring it to the outside world and slam it in his face, make him pay. Neither parts wanted to hear the rest of it.

Whatever inner child there was left in Angel wanted them to take the tape out immediately and secure it, but not listen to it. They couldn’t bear it, to get the image of their father they’d created in their mind completely wrecked.

But the angry seventeen year old who’d just found out about their mother’s disappearance and had seen their father be totally uncaring about it replied that that image was already long gone for them. And they deserved to know the truth, especially if it connected them to this mess.

So with a trembling finger they pressed play, remaining on their knees in front of the screen.

“What’s his real name again? […] Ah! Okay”

He cleared his throat, and Angel wanted to punch the screen all over again. He hated everything that had once felt so familiar, that until a few minutes ago they’d longed for, along with the way out.

“Heya Theo! How ya doin’ bud?”

Angel blinked. ‘Theo’… why was that name familiar? They didn’t remember ever meeting anyone named Theo, nor Theodore, for that matter.

”Normally I’d have Dr Sawyer do this but he’s uhhh… out, let’s say”

They didn’t even care about what had happened to this ‘Dr Sawyer’. He could rot in hell with all of the Playtime Co employees for all he cared.

(Well… those who were aware of the experiments, at least. Their mind went to Marcas and Rich)

”So you got me until they find his replacement. First off: congrats! This is officially your fourth year in your new body. And you’ve made some real progress pal”

How dare he be so friendly to the child he’d helped torture. HOW. DARE. HE.

“I was told that when you and other Smiling Critters - y’know, DogDay, PickyPiggy, yadda yadda yadda - were added into Playcare, that you weren’t really getting along too well with the kids like everybody else was”

Angel froze. So there really were bigger versions of the Smiling Critters, one for each… but if they’d only met CatNap so far, then where were the others?

They also felt a pang of… something, when Leith mentioned DogDay first between the Smiling Critters, immediately followed by PickyPiggy. They couldn’t help but think that it wasn’t a case - those were their and their mom’s favourite Critters respectively.

“But look at you now! The kids love ya, and that red smoke. I mean- that’s fantastic, isn’t it?”

Angel scoffed, tears filling their eyes. Their stomach was still empty, but they still felt like they were about to throw up. HOW. DARE. HE.

CatNap - Theo - didn’t answer, and Leith let out a huff, seemingly turning to speak with another doctor.

”Is his uh, voice thingy still broken-“

”The Prototype will save us”

Angel startled. That voice was very likely CatNap’s, and… well, he sounded like he’d downed a whole pack of cigarettes for fourth years. But that was probably a side effect of being turned into a giant toy with some sort of gas dispenser that probably obstructed your airways!

But his words were much more interesting to Angel… both CatNap’s and their father’s.

Leith had mentioned a voice box being broken, and (until now) the experiments they’d seen (1170 being Huggy, 1222 being Mommy, 1006 being the Prototype and now 1188 being CatNap) seemed to not be able to speak. Mommy had been the only one so far, as well as Poppy and Miss Delight. CatNap seemed to have trouble speaking. They didn’t know Kissy’s experiment number, but it was likely very close to Huggy’s. It seems that every experiment in the blocks 1000 and 1100 either couldn’t speak or struggled to, while Mommy, who belonged to block 1200, and Miss Delight probably belonged to that batch.

But Poppy had seemed… rather ancient, compared to the other experiments. Why then was she able to speak?

But also CatNap’s words replied in their mind… he really did seem to have blind faith in the Prototype. They put two and two together, thinking about the context clues they’d gotten until now. Ollie’s words about this place being CatNap’s church, the pile of toys that looked like a shrine, that sentence just now… it all really looked like the Prototype was a god, and CatNap - Theo, was his most loyal follower. For… whatever reason.

“Theo. Nobody’s gonna save you. This prison is where you belong. We’ll let you out here and there to go see the kids in Playcare, but your home is here. And as for ‘the Prototype’, his home is in the labs. THIS is your life now. Get used to it.”

Angel punched the screen.

Oh, don’t worry, they’d save some of that for when they got to see their father again, face to face…

Unfortunately for them they had underestimated their strength, or the tv’s manufactory, and the glass actually broke and injured their hand.

”Gah- fucking- ah…”

With a bunch of muttered swears and curses and grunts, they pulled out from their bag the emergency kit again. They poured a bit of hydrogen peroxide on their hand and carefully bandaged it. During everything their fingers shook like crazy.

They gripped tightly the tape while inserting it with all the others inside the bag, before putting the GrabPack back on.

Their mind was still buzzing from all the revelations, and they were still mulling the name ‘Theo’ around in their head, over and over again. It did sound a little bit familiar, but… no, nothing, they couldn’t remember anything.

Whoever this Theo kid was that had been turned into CatNap, it’s most definitely didn’t have anything to do with them.

~*~

Angel officially hated the Playhouse.

It’d been only a little creepy at first, when they got chased down by a couple mini Critters here and there, but now they were getting invasive and even more aggressive. They also started attacking in groups too, which was… yeah, not nice.

Angel tried to ignore how the mini Critters would whimper and cry every time they got hit by a projectile. Apparently, they didn’t catch fire when hit, which was a shame, but it at least seemed to hurt them enough to make them step back.

(No, stop that, they’re kids, if you treat them this way then you’re just as bad as those employees were!)

They had to crawl around a lot, since the place had obviously been made for children, and Angel was relatively tall. But the worst thing was that the action felt awfully familiar and they did it almost automatically, just like when they’d had to look for Home Sweet Home.

Obviously there were still come creepy carvings on the walls, like one that said something along the lines of ‘why did you come here’ (something that Angel was wondering themselves).

The whole place was huge. At some point Angel took a staircase that seemed to never end and brought them even deeper down the hellhole they were currently trapped in. Other than the playgrounds they’d been moving around in there was also what looked like an abandoned swimming pool. Angel would’ve said they felt like they were in a horror movie, hadn’t they seen worse already.

But things got way creepier when they ended up in a zone of the Playhouse that was filled… with prison bars. And obviously the usual dead and hanged toys. But still… why the cells..?

Angel remembered their father referring to a ‘prison’ while interrogating Theodore. Maybe this was what he was referring to?

(And once again Angel sent all the Playtime Co employees that were involved in this thing to shove a bunch of sticks up their-)

They were walking around the cells, using the gun hand to make light, when they heard the voice.

”You…”

Angel screeched and turned around, ready to fire at whatever was talking-

Only to drop the hand cannons in shock.

It was DogDay. Or, at least, a bigger version of him, like CatNap. Not as big as CatNap though, he looked a little smaller. Although it was hard to tell, since he was very thin, like he’d been starved.

But that wasn’t the terrifying part. DogDay had been hanged to the wall of his cell by his wrists and neck. His eyes were empty, unlike the glowing white dots that were present in CatNap. And his legs…

Well, his legs weren’t there.

Someone had cut - no, more like ripped them off. Behind him on the wall there was a stain of a dark red/black liquid. Someone had used a belt to stop the- uhhh… whatever those guys had inside them from getting out.

The scene alone was about to make Angel sob. Or barf. Or both.

DogDay had always been their favourite Critter- heck, their favourite toy in the whole world. They had a bunch of DogDay themed merch at home, their favourite piece being the hoodie from when they were a kid that they sometimes managed to still slip into. Seeing him like this… it hurt more than any physical wound they’d gotten there. Heck, it hurt more than the train crash.

(For a moment, although maybe it was just their tired imagination, they saw a vision of DogDay, when Angel was much younger and he was… well… not as injured… but it must’ve been fake, right? They couldn’t have been at Playcare before…)

”You’re Poppy’s Angel… come to save us…”

The way his voice cracked made Angel’s heart tighten.

”Yes, I’m-“ their voice died down before coming back, awfully raw, “my name’s Angel, Poppy sent me- I’m here to save you, you’ll be-“

DogDay shook his head, lowering it to his chest. “Nothing left to save, not here…”

”B-But-“

”You’re in CatNap’s home, Angel,” the toy pressed on, “their home. A million pairs of eyes are on you now. Watching, waiting, hungry… they want nothing more than to crawl beneath your skin and eat away at you bit by little bit- fill what feels empty inside themselves”

Angel shivered and looked around nervously, but resolute. “I can push them away with the gun hand, I can carry you out of here, I-I can-“

”No, Angel. If you take me they will get even more aggressive- they will swarm you… they follow His orders…”

”His..?” Angel gulped. “You mean… is He the one who…”

DogDay nodded. “That… thing… CatNap. The Prototype is his god, and this is what he does to heretics…”

Whatever empathy Angel had felt for Theo - CatNap, was long gone.

”These little toys follow CatNap to avoid that very fate- and in return, they are fed…”

”What… what happened to you, how did you..?”

DogDay hissed painfully. ”We tried to fight it, the Prototype’s control. I’m… the last of the Smiling Critters”

Angel pursued their lips. That wasn’t fair. Just because the employees had been awful to CatNap didn’t mean that now he could take their place in torturing poor terrified children…

And that Prototype guy? Oh, he was so gonna regret the moment he hadn’t killed them when he’d collected Mommy’s body.

DogDay’s behaviour suddenly changed, and he got more anxious. “Listen to me: you need to get out of this place. You need to live. You and Poppy can fix this, end this madness, the torment, the- oh no… OH NO!”

Angel stepped back horrified. A bunch of mini Critters crawled out of a couple holes in the walls of the cell, crawling inside of the hole on DogDay’s lower half…

Shit, they were seriously going to barf.

“Leave me! Please! Just go! …RUN!”

DogDay let out some terrifying screams, and Angel…

They were a coward.

They stepped back as quickly as they could, getting away from the toy(s?) as it started freeing itself from its restraints. They fell through a hole in the floor that had been messily covered with some pieces of wood.

After that everything was a blur.

They crawled through tunnels, without looking back - they didn’t need to to hear the noises of what was following them. They didn’t even want to look at it.

(Yes, it was easier to call it an it, because otherwise they would’ve seriously stopped to throw up whatever was left of their previous meals, and now wasn’t the time)

Finally they reached an elevator. They used the purple hand to jump across the gap and, almost immediately, a door closed on the thing’s face. While it didn’t crash it, Angel could hear the screams - both DogDay’s and the mini Critters crawled- as the body was disposed off in the way that was fit for a heretic.

Slowly, Angel collapsed to the ground. They hugged their knees to their chest and buried their head between them, trying not to scream. Every time they closed their eyes they could see the horrifying scene they’d just stumbled upon. It was… it was too much. Their father, DogDay…

They threw up on the elevator’s floor, and they stayed kneeling there, sobbing and breathing heavily for what felt like an eternity, even after it’d stopped moving.

Hopefully they would suffocate in their own vomit and end this horrors.

It felt like a lifetime had passed before they found enough courage to get up and leave the Playhouse.

They didn’t, they threw up again once spotting the DogDay cutout in the corner.

Against their own better judgement, they decided to press the button. Why? Dunno. Maybe because they wanted to die and this wasn’t fair and why why why WHY WHY WHY-

As usual, the lines were normal at first, until something else caught Angel’s attention.

”Go! Go! As far as you can!”

That was… familiar..? Had they heard this line before..?

(And once again, the image of a still intact version of DogDay flashed through their mind. This time the background wasn’t Playcare though…)

”Why are you… just standing there?”

(It was a lab, maybe? It looked like a lab. Or an asylum of sorts…)

”You can’t be here. You can’t stay…”

(A few men approached DogDay from behind with something that looked like… a long stick with electricity at the end..?)

They were startled by the screams, almost as horrifying as the ones they’d heard earlier.

(The sticks were tasers. And they were shoved in DogDay’s sides once the employees were close enough, once someone had grabbed Angel’s shoulder and pulled them back…)

(A man with black hair and glasses… and a face with rage.)

(Sawyer.)

Angel kept breathing heavily after the flashback ended. They were basically on their back on the stained floor, their hands gripping tightly at the soft material.

What… what..?

They couldn’t dwell on it, though. Soon they heard the noise of what felt like a thousand small insects crawling around the walls. The cutout had been right. They couldn’t be there, they couldn’t stay.

They turned to the only way out - a red and yellow slide - and left the hell that was Playhouse.

Chapter Text

Theodore hated the scientists.

The two that followed after him were the same ones as when he’d first woken up: Dr Willard and Dr Newman. They’d been trying to get him to talk for a few days now.

While Newman was absolutely insufferable and evil, Willard almost looked… guilty, about his sins. Not that that made him a saint. On the contrary.

He hasn’t seen Dr Sawyer nor Leith Pierre again after that, and neither had he seen the kid. While he was certain he knew her, he struggled to recognise her.

But none of that mattered. He’d been alone for almost two weeks now, with little to no interaction with other people or toys. Just ‘his’ scientists.

On day ten they introduced him to experiment 1181, AKA ‘DogDay’. The sight had made Theodore ache - the little girl he was so (un)familiar with most definitely had something to do with that pain.

DogDay was a relatively calm guy. He’d introduced himself as his given experiment name, but once the scientists had distracted themselves long enough he leaned a little closer and whispered in CatNap’s ear “I’m Sam”.

Theodore would’ve blinked, if he’d had eyelids. “Theo”

His voice was another thing that bothered him… it sounded really off. Like some of those older adults who would aways cough. Theodore felt like always coughing too - his throat constantly ached - but he never did, because every time that happened some weird red stuff would come out of his mouth, and he hated it.

On day thirteen she came back.

He was in a cell of the labs with Sam. The scientists had momentarily left them alone to go speak with Dr Sawyer about something that regarded them both, about a treatment that a woman named ‘Grace’ would soon have them go through, to help them settle in.

”Do you know what the treatment is?” Theodore asked, struggling a bit.

Sam shook his head. “But I know that they sent the others like us there in the past weeks… it can’t be anything good”

Theodore was about to ask more questions, when the door to their cell beeped. Both Theodore and Sam tensed, expecting some employees to come in and sedate them, so they could be brought back to their rooms.

Instead, the kid appears.

She’s just standing there, CatNap hoodie on, DogDay plush in hand (a fake one, this time around). In the other hand she has a keycard that Theodore was pretty sure belonged to Dr Willard.

The girl didn’t say anything at first, only blinked, like she was surprised the cell had opened despite that obviously being her intention. Then she motioned for them to get out of the cell. “Quick”

Theodore looked at Sam, suspiciousness rising in his mind, but the other looked totally comfortable around the kid, like the two of them had been planning this for a while.

”Thank you, you’re our saving angel”

The little girl’s eyes lit up and she smiled, and the sight was familiar to Theodore once again.

”We have to go, Theo, we can trust her” Sam assured.

Theodore hesitated only for a moment, before following the two out of there.

Almost immediately after they stepped out of the cell, an alarm started ringing. Guards bursted out of a door from a side of the hallway.

Sam tensed, then he turned towards Theodore and the kid. She was frozen, gripping tightly onto Theodore’s- well, CatNap’s tail.

”Go! Go! As far as you can!” Sam yelled.

But Theodore couldn’t move. The scene was all too familiar- last time, his Friend had sacrificed himself and his freedom to save him. Was he really about to do the same with Sam?

”Why are you… just standing there?” Sam asked hesitantly. Meanwhile, the guards behind him were getting too close, and they had weapons.

”We can’t leave you here” Theodore protested.

Sam looked desperate. “You can’t be here. You can’t stay…”

Then a couple guards stepped forward, using some sort of sticks to electrify Sam. He screamed and fainted, and Theodore lunged.

That was his first kill, to save his friends.

He killed more than one person. He couldn’t remember how many it was, but it was a lot.

He only stopped when he heard the scream behind him.

He’d completely forgotten about the kid…

When he turned around, he saw Sam, still fainted on the ground, but being dragged back into the cell by a couple guards he’d missed, or that had maybe joined in from the other side. Dr Sawyer was a bit farther behind. He’d grabbed the little girl from under her armpits and he was dragging her away. She was trashing against his hold, kicking at the air and scratching at his lab coat, but it was no use. There was only so much that a four year old could do against a grown man.

(Yes, somehow Theodore knew the child was four years old, but he wasn’t quite sure how he knew)

”That’s enough, 1188. Go back to your cell immediately, or your friends will be the ones to pay for your behaviour.” Sawyer growled, tightening his grip on the kid.

Theodore crouched, ready to lunge at Sawyer too.

”I’m sure the Prototype will enjoy what we have in store for him.”

He froze. They were gonna hurt his friend. He couldn’t allow that. And he couldn’t allow Sam or the kid to get injured either. But then what could he do, what could he-

The two seconds of hesitancy were his doom.

Behind him, multiple guards electrified him. He let out a scream, and he accidentally released some gas. Unfortunately, the guards were wearing an anti-gas mask, and Dr Sawyer was quick to slip one on. The only one who suffered the gas’ effects was Angel, who slowly lost her grit. Her trashing slowed, but she didn’t fall asleep just yet.

Another man, wearing a gas mask, stepped into the room. It was Dr Willard. He quickly walked towards Sawyer, looking quite panicked. “Is she- oh no…”

He started horrified at the bodies being Theodore.

”I believe this belongs to you, Dr Willard.” Sawyer almost growled, handing back to the other scientist the key card that the kid had stolen.

”Uhm, yes, sir… what are we gonna do with the..?”

”1181 and 1188 will undergo conditioning no sooner than Thursday 22nd, we can’t allow to postpone this anymore. Feed the bodies to 1160.” Sawyer instructed to the remaining guards and Dr Willard.

The latter looked absolutely scandalised by the last request. “But, Doctor-“

”You will personally monitor 1188’s treatment, Willard. And if something else happens, it’ll be your responsibility!” Sawyer snapped tightening his grip on the kid.

Theodore wanted to get up, to fight, but he could only stand there and watch as the guards started to drag him back into the cell.

”…yes, Doctor.” Willard gritted out. “And about her?” He asked, motioning to the little girl that was still kicking around, only now she looked like she was playing ball by herself after a bad day rather than fighting against a psychopath.

Sawyer thought it over for a moment. “She needs to start treatment. The only reason this happened is because of 1188’s identity, we can’t allow her to remember anything else about this. Bring her to the secondary lab, I’ll take care of it personally.”

He handed the little girl over to Dr Willard, who cradled her like something precious. He looked like he wanted to protest, but couldn’t.

As he started walking away, Sawyer yelled after him “and if Leith complains, explain to him about the mess that his daughter provoked today!”

Everything came back to Theodore all at once. Days spent in Home Sweet Home, drawing and writing on blackboards and playing. Quick visits at the hospital, rushed words and hugs. A family, or the closest thing he’d ever had to one.

So as he saw the last fragment of that life being pulled away from him to undergo who-knows-what kind of procedure, he found the strength to fight back one last time.

”ANGEL!”

~*~

”Hey, are you alright? No ouches or lost body parts?”

Ollie’s voice came to Angel’s mind like something very far away.

They were standing right outside the entrance to the Playhouse in a numb sort of state. They were physically and mentally exhausted, and possibly going through one or two mental breakdowns at the same time, but…

”Yeah, Ollie, I’m, uh… I’m okay…”

The kid sighed in relief on the other line. “I’m really glad you’re okay… I don’t wanna lose any more friends to this place”

Angel’s heart clenched, and they leaned back against the wall. Did Ollie know about what had just happened to DogDay? Did they used to be friends? Could they even tell him about anything they’d just seen in there?

As much as they hated to admit it, they’d grown affectionate to this kid. He’d been the only constant since entering Playcare - and to be honest the only one who’d really cared about their health. Because no, Poppy, what you did earlier was not care for me in the slightest! Caring about my well being means that you don’t let me walk around this place while you and your best friend chill somewhere??

”Hey… did you see the shrine?” Ollie said after a minute of silence.

Angel blinked, then they understood what Ollie was referring to. “Oh, uhh- yeah, I… actually wanted to ask you about it?”

”Of course, I’ll tell you what I know!”

Angel almost felt like crying. Someone explaining stuff to them? Felt like heaven.

”CatNap made it for the Prototype. See, before CatNap turned into… CatNap, I guess there was some pretty serious accident. He almost died, but… they say that the Prototype saved his life, giving up his own freedom in the process” Ollie explained.

The story felt… vaguely familiar, to Angel…

”In CatNap’s eyes, the Prototype is a superhero, and has saved this place. So CatNap treats him like a god, killing everyone that opposes him”

Angel nodded. They’d guessed as much. ”Us included?”

”If we’re not careful” Ollie agreed. Then, hesitantly, he added “that shrine… did it scare you?”

Angel hesitated for a moment. What kind of question was that??

”Uhm… yeah, it was kind of terrifying, I guess, if it’s supposed to resemble what the Prototype looks like…”

Ollie scoffed. “If you thought that was terrifying, just wait until you see the real thing”

Angel shivered, they were really hoping they’d get to leave before seeing ‘the real thing’, although at this point it felt impossible.

”Anyways,” Ollie continued, more cheery, “we’re really close to the end! I sent you a new key, you’re going to the Counselor’s Office instead. It’s not ideal… but it should have enough juice. If you can get that generator going and plug it in… I think we’ll be done”

”Wh- wait, what about the School’s generator?” Angel questioned, turning towards said building.

”Ah, I’m afraid Miss Delight broke it before she started chasing you…”

Angel felt their heart plummet. “Ah.”

”Yeah… and keep your eyes open for CatNap, every shadow and every flickering light is a hiding spot. He always stalks his prey first. He’ll take away anything you have to defend yourself, and when you’re at your most vulnerable, he’ll kill you. CatNap lives for the hunt.”

Angel jolted, looking around nervously. “Uhm, actually, Ollie… do you mind telling me where I can take a break without worrying about the big kitty? I feel like I’m at my most vulnerable right now…”

Ollie was silent on the other end of the line for a moment. “Of course! You’re our only hope of stopping everything, you deserve some rest. You’ve been so brave already!”

”Aw, kid, you’re making me blush”

”You can rest under the statue, CatNap can’t go there. I will send Poppy and Kissy there too, in case you want to take a nap. Good luck, talk soon!”

When Angel found this kid, they needed to hug him.

They quickly headed to the statue at the center, while still keeping an eye out for CatNap. Luckily, Playcare was pretty lit right now, and he was probably looking for them back at the Playhouse-

Nope, scratch that line of thought - they didn’t want to even think about that place anymore.

Angel let themselves crumble into the nearest chair, huffing with relief. They just stayed there for a few minutes, with their head tilted back and their eyes closed. They couldn’t sleep, not after their last nightmare, but it was still somewhat resting.

About five minutes after they’d gotten there, they were reached by Kissy and Poppy.

”Player! Are you alright?” Poppy asked, worried.

Angel blinked back the tears. No, they were most definitely not, and they kinda wished people would stop asking. Sure, it was nice to know that her and Ollie (and Kissy, probably) cared, but they felt like they couldn’t keep lying to their allies any longer.

”Yeah, I’m uh… I’m just as peachy,” they said with a forced smile, “I just needed a bit of a rest, the Playhouse… it was tough…”

Poppy nodded, and she had Kissy settle her on the console in front of Angel’s chair. The bigger toy sat on the ground next to Angel - a fluffy and gentle cloud of cotton candy.

“We can’t thank you enough for what you’re doing for us all, Player” Poppy said gently, taking their hand in hers. It was a weird feeling, considering that her hands were much more smaller, colder, and- well, made of porcelain. But it was still a little comforting.

”It’s okay, what those people did to you… it’s not fair” Angel mumbled with a small smile.

Poppy smiled back, then she looked down to Angel’s hand and gasped. It was their injured hand, Angel realised.

”Player-“

”It’s okay, Poppy” Angel assured. “It was just a couple of cuts, I took care of it”

Poppy nodded, and Kissy rubbed their arm in a comforting way.

Angel couldn’t help but wonder why. Why were they being so nice to him after all they’d seen? How could there be kindness in such an awful place?

”Uhm… look, I was thinking of having a small snack before moving onto the next challenge… are any of you hungry?”

Poppy shook her head, but Kissy perked up. “I don’t have to eat anything, but Kissy has been starving, if you could give her some food-“

”Of course, I brought even too many sandwiches, considering I only thought I was gonna explore for a hour or two at max” Angel smiled, taking off their GrabPack and opening their bag.

They’d brought a total of ten sandwiches, one of which they’d already ate back in the rejected toys room. They handed one to Kissy, then took another one and broke it in half, keeping half of it for themselves while giving the other to Kissy as well.

The pink toy looked extremely thankful, and she was quick to devour the tuna sandwiches.

Angel gaped at her speed. ”Damn- I was about to ask if you like tuna or not, but I guess I don’t need to”

They were slower while eating their food, mostly to avoid upsetting their digestive tract farther. They also took a few sips of water. They wanted to offer some to their new friends, but Kissy shook her head, and Poppy explained how, while the other toys absolutely needed to eat, they didn’t need to drink, for some reason.

”Alright, I think I’m gonna put an end to this - the sooner we leave Playcare and get rid of CatNap the better” Angel said, reluctantly standing up. They cringed at the way they’d spoken about ‘getting’ rid of CatNap - he was only a child after all. A misguided child, at the most.

”Alright… uhm, Angel?” Poppy called back.

”Yes?”

“Ollie mentioned you having a few questions,” Poppy said, “I would be glad to answer some of them, if you want to”

Angel blinked, and quickly sat back down. “Yes, please- yes”

Poppy smiled. “Go ahead then”

Angel took a deep breath, but hesitated. They’d been waiting so long for the chance to get answers, and now they didn’t know where to start.

”So, first of all, uh, why are you different from everyone else? Like, you explained that you don’t have to eat anything, but the other toys all seem to need to eat?”

Poppy grimaced a little. “Well, you see, I was made far before the others, and by a different person too. All the others were made in the attempt to replicate the same process I’d followed… they came close, but nothing worked, as you can see”

”I… see” Angel murmured, their eyebrows furrowed. “So, uhm… the letter that I received, were you the one who sent it? Like, either of you?”

Poppy blinked, and she turned towards Kissy, who looked just as confused. “Uh, no… we didn’t send any letter. I was stuck in that case, and Kissy was on the other side of my prison, avoiding Mommy. Neither of us could ever get to the surface. We thought you’d come out of your own will?”

”Yeah, trust me, no.” Angel rolled this eyes. “Maybe it was Ollie?”

”I… I don’t know, I don’t think so. He’s even farther down into the factory that me and Kissy were” Poppy murmured. “Where exactly did you find that letter?”

”In my dad’s mail” Angel replied. He could see the scene like it was a movie playing right before them.

”I’d just come home from my first year of college, and I picked up the mail because I saw that the mailbox was basically imploding - dad barely ever checks it. So I take the mail and put it on the table and notice a package with the Playtime Co logo on it. And at first I think ‘well that’s weird’, but then dad comes in and he basically rips it out of my hands and says that it’s a prank that someone’s been throwing on him for a while now, and to just ignore the package. But he didn’t throw it away, he locked it in his office, so I sneaked in that night before coming to the factory and I found the letter that told me that the employees were still alive and to find the poppy flower, and a VHS tape that showed an old advertisement for the Poppy doll back in the 1950s”

Kissy’s eyes looked wider than usual, and she seemed agitated. Poppy turned towards Kissy and caressed her shoulder, before giving Angel a sad look. “That confirms exactly what I feared… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you anything yet, Kissy”

”Wh- wait, what are you talking about?” Angel questioned, shifting uneasily in their seat.

Poppy sighed and she turned back towards Angel. “I fear that this letter was sent by one of the Prototype’s minions, and that that letter wasn’t destined for you at all. It was an invitation for your father”

Angel was quiet for a moment. Yeah, that… that checked out. Mommy had mixed them up with an employee, after all. Ever since then they’d suspected that this was a trap for their father. But getting a confirmation from Poppy felt different.

”But, you said you knew something about this..?”

Poppy nodded. “I knew you weren’t an employee. I wasn’t always stuck in the case, you know? I lived in the house you found me in freely, and I used to travel around through the vents to see what the factory was like. I would see you a lot, walking around, mostly though Playcare”

Angel blinked. “Wait, so I- I used to come here in Playcare? Like, a lot?”

”Ah, yes,” Poppy replied, “to be honest you would spend most of your time here. Or at the Game Station, but rarely between the kids. You would be up in the observation area with your father and the other executives. Sometimes even down in the labs, but very rarely”

The idea of having observed the kids next to those monsters made Angel sick. “And do you know why I can’t remember any of that? About my childhood?”

Poppy shook her head with a grimace. “I know that there was an accident on November 20th 1990. It involved CatNap and DogDay. I saw you getting dragged out of the main labs into the secondary ones, but I don’t know what happened next. I just know that after that you acted differently, like you were always numb”

”So… what, they gave me a lobotomy?” Angel deadpanned, then grimaced. “Actually, never mind that last question, I don’t want to know”

They stayed there with Poppy and Kissy for a little more, before quickly leaving for the Counselor’s Office. They took the key that Ollie had left them and pocketed it, then they made a quick decision.

”Girls, do you mind keeping these safe? They slow me down while I’m running around” Angel said, handing to Kissy and Poppy a few of the contents of their bag: the food and the tapes and letters. They kept the water bottle and the medkit though, they likely would’ve needed those. “I’ll collect those when I’m done”

Kissy looked like she was struggling to not eat all the seven sandwiches that were left. Poppy smiled reassuringly and promised they’d guard those.

”And also, I didn’t get to ask earlier, but what is exactly the Hour of Joy? I keep seeing it everywhere”

The two toys tensed and exchanged nervous looks. “I… we don’t have much time, I’ll tell you later, I promise”

Angel sighed. “Alright. See you later, girls”

~*~

The Counselor’s Office was a yellow building that actually looked pretty okay at first. There were barely any dead toys around, although the place still looked like a mess.

The first tape they found was an emergency alert that dated August 8th 1995, 11:00 AM.

Angel felt their throat go dry. That was their birthday. Their ninth birthday, to be exact.

”The following message is for all Playtime Co employees. At 11:01 AM, Eastern Standard Time, an unknown hostile force was declared present within the Playtime Co facility. Personnel are to begin enacting emergency evacuation protocols immediately. Leave all personal belongings. Do not engage with any hostile individuals. If no exit path is available, seek shelter in a hidden location. Use blankets or pillows to cover your body, and remain silent. Do not look through any windows. Do not open doors for any individuals. Do not make eye contact with-“

The screen glitched out, and a new writing appeared.

OPEN THE DOORS NOW.

THE HOUR OF JOY HAS ARRIVED.

Angel blinked. Whatever they’d just seen… that was the Hour of Joy. And it had happened on their ninth birthday?

They decided not to dwell on it. Poppy had promised she’d explain what the Hour of Joy had been later, and they trusted her.

Of course the absence of dead toys didn’t last for long. Soon enough Angel started seeing a bunch of small toys that had been killed and gutted, all scattered across the floor. They found out CatNap was in there with them when they saw him take an unfortunate Bunzo Bunny toy.

The walls were covered in blood, with various ominous sentences, and Angel had to use their anti-gas mask more than once to move around.

Eventually they ended up in Stella Greyber’s office, where they found another tape on what had formerly been her desk. It was labelled as ‘Hartmann Incident’. Curious, Angel decided to listen to the tape.

The image on the screen showed the black and white picture of a child with deep eyebags. The first to speak was Stella herself.

”Oh! Mr and Mrs Hartmann? Come on in! Please, have a seat! How was your ride down?”

”It was… nothing like we were expecting”

It was an unfamiliar male voice. Angel guessed that was Mr Hartmann.

”Mr Ludwig’s speech was…”

”Psychotic?”

“Well, it just confirms for us that you’re the orphanage we want to go through”

”Yeah, because as soon as you listen to that video your first instinct is to adopt all those kids to get them out of that hell.” Angel deadpanned, settling comfortably in Stella’s chair. They vaguely wondered if that was where that conversation had happened, if Stella had sat there while speaking to Mr and Mrs Hartmann.

”It’s a truly magical place. I felt right at home from the second I entered”

”Wh- were you raised in Area 51??” Angel sputtered at Stella’s words, almost falling off the chair. “I know you said you wanted to be a toy and be young forever, but that’s just insane! Someone check on that lady! If she’s still alive…”

”You open that door the first time and you just know, you’re never going to leave…”

”Woman, you need more psychological help than all the other people that worked here.”

“Kind of like finding a home as a child, and always thinking of it when you want to feel comforted. I understand you want to give Jeremy that home?”

”Yes, and we would like to adopt”

Angel blinked at Mrs Hartmann’s words. So some kids really did get adopted… that was good.

“Amazing, you’ll be perfect for… oh…”

”Wh- w-what?”

”Well… it appears there’s been some complications…”

”Complications? What kinds of complications?”

”The kinds were Jeremy got turned into some sort of fluffy beast” Angel said to themselves, setting their feet up into Stella’s desk.

”I… I don’t know, uhm, the form says ‘testing’…”

”Yup, knew it” Angel muttered, then they frowned. Did Stella really now know what ‘testing’ meant or was she just keeping up appearances in front of outsiders? Maybe this was before she’s been let into the secrets of what was truly going on there.

”Wh- What does that mean? Tell us, what does that mean.”

”Ms Greyber, we deserve a better explanation than that, don’t you think?”

”You’re in charge of all this! How could you not know?”

”And why are we only finding out about this now?!”

”Christ!” Angel explained, leaning their head back into their seat. “This job sounds worse than being a class representative! If I didn’t hate her this much I’d almost feel bad for Stella”

”I… I don’t. I’m sorry.”

The tape ended there, and Angel debated for a moment, before taking the tape with them. Jeremy’s story also deserved to be told, along with Marie’s, Theo’s, Samuel’s, Kevin’s, Joseph’s and god knows how many else’s.

And who knows? Maybe, if they ever managed to find Mr and Mrs Hartmann, they could tell them what had truly happened to the boy they’d wanted to adopt from that oh-so-nice toy factory.

~*~

After finding the key in Stella’s office, moving around became much easier. They used vents and unlocked doors, all the while finding ominous messages that told them to leave. Something that was extremely unfair, because it was exactly what they’d wanted to do, but they couldn’t.

They had to use the mask almost constantly, because that side of the Counselor’s Office building was filled with red smoke. Which meant that CatNap was near…

But that didn’t matter. They managed to activate the backup generator of the Counselor’s Office. They just had to go back to the dome now and then to the gas production zone!

“Alright, lemme just put this battery in- AGH!”

CatNap appeared out of nowhere, clawing at their face. Angel fell to the ground. The mask was abandoned somewhere on the floor next to them. They could feel the blood from the scratches tickle down their face.

Angel had never owned a cat. They’d always been a dog person. Maybe their choice of dog had been a bit different in the past - they’d always wanted a Doberman or some other kind of defence dog, then as a teen they’d been more inclined to a friendly family dog, and now they just wanted a dog that would sleep all day in all tranquility. Them and their college roommate were saving up to adopt a dog from the shelter. But the point is, they had zero to no experience with cat scratches. They knew, however, that they were always very likely to leave you with infections, especially if not medicated and if they’d been inflicted by stray cats. Did that logic also work with giant toy cats?

But soon enough those thoughts disappeared from their mind. The red smoke that they were breathing in filled it instead…

And Angel blacked out.

~*~

The Playtime Co factory was right in front of them.

”Find the flower, find the flower”

That was… Poppy’s voice..?

”This isn’t a place you come back from”

No… no, they had to come back home… their father…

Their? No, hers. Angel was just a four year old girl. Why was she saying ‘they’ to refer to herself?

She was in the lobby now.

”Do you have any idea what you’re doing?”

Yes! Yes, of course she did! She was… she was…

What was she doing there..?

Home Sweet Home.

”Do you know what’s happened here?”

There were kids running… Angel’s friends! Surely Theo must’ve been around there somewhere, no?

Oh, there he is, to her left, sitting on his bed like usual- wait, what are those glowing white dots at the end of that hallway?

The School.

”Do you know who we once were?”

She was in her usual seat, in the back of the class. Miss Delight was also there teaching.

Oh, right, the question! Uhm… what did the question mean? What was Poppy talking about?

Angel was just spending another day at the factory, with all the orphans she’d befriended!

The Playhouse.

”Do you see why we have to end this?”

Poppy was getting angry…

So was Angel.

Why did her friends keep disappearing? Where did they go to?

She remembered seeing CatNap wake up for the first time with her daddy. The scientist that dad hated a lot had called him ‘1188’. What did that mean?

Theo’s friend had explained everything when she’d sneaked into the lab cell where he was being held. He’d told Angel just what had happened. He’d told her how to free Theo and even this other boy named Sam.

He’d asked Angel the same exact questions Poppy was asking her now.

The Counselor’s Office.

”Do you even know what’s real?”

Theodore was CatNap. Catnap was Theodore. Her daddy had ordered for him to get turned into the toy she once loved, as he’d had with all the other kids who had disappeared from Playcare.

As he’d had with Jeremy, Theo and Marie’s best friend. He’d never been adopted by the Hartmann’s.

No, Angel only found out what was truly real when Theo’s friend - the had that hid under the bed, he was real - explained to them how to take the keycard that belonged to any of the scientists and free Theo and Sam, so that they could all be free, and then free all the other toys as well.

She was surrounded by the darkness now. Huggy was right in front of her, but his mouth was wide open and filled with teeth.

Theo’s friend’s plan didn’t work. Angel had thought just that as uncle Preston and the scientist daddy hated settled her into a funny looking machine, attaching some wires to her head. His plan didn’t work and now Theo is forever gonna be trapped, as will everyone else. As will I.

She didn’t know what was real.

”No, you don’t.”

A phone rang - Ollie’s phone. People were screaming. The spot where Huggy’s statue stood was empty, and the room was filled with red smoke.

Then, a hand reached out towards her from the ceiling.

A hand that belonged to Theo’s friend.

Chapter Text

”What is your name?”

Theodore just wished that the scientists would shut up.

”What is your experiment number?”

Especially Dr Newman. She was awful.

”Can you tell me who you are-“

He threw himself against the glass, right in front of her face. It cracked, and she flinched.

”Come here… and find out.”

He blacked out after that, and gained consciousness again while he was being carried away.

”It feels weird seeing them like this…” Dr Willard was saying.

”Like what?” answered Dr Newman.

”Like… feral? I-I don’t know, I… I hardly recognise him”

He sounded full of remorse. Good.

”Preston, if I didn’t know you, I’d say you sound like a new guy” Dr Newman said with a tone that made it clear she was holding back a laugh.

Theodore hated her.

He woke up again in front of the screen, watching yet another one of Ms Gracie’s videos on loop.

”Does it… Does it ever bother you, the way they act after we-“

TOO MUCH TOO MUCH TOO MUCH TOO MUCH MAKE IT STOP I WANT TO GO HOME PLEASE WHAT DID I DO WRONG I’M SORRY PLEASE GOD HELP ME PLEASE I WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN I DON’T WANT TO BE HERE PLEASE SEND ME AN ANGEL HELP-

“Nah, not really. The work’s important”

He hated her.

”Theodore…” he repeated, lulling himself back and forth, “my name… is Theodore…”

He blacked out again.

That went on for 49 days.

”I know it’s important, Newman, but you can’t deny the cost is… ugh… well, there is a cost.”

”You just can’t dwell on it. The trick is to stay focused. Besides, if Grace’s treatment plan here works, 1188 won’t be… ‘feral’ for long”

He would still be feral. He will make them all pay. THE PROTOTYPE WILL SAVE HIM-

“What is your name?”

His… huh..?

”What is-“

”Name?”

”Uhh, yes, your name, please.”

”Name…”

He had a name, didn’t he?

”The… th-the name…”

It was Theo-

NO MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOP I’M A GOOD TOY I’M A GOOD TOY I’M A GOOD TOY DON’T PUT ME IN THE BOX-

“Is CatNap.”

~*~

Angel woke up groaning. Their head ached like hell, and the phone ringing in their ears wasn’t helping.

Wait… phone?

The rushed to answer the phone. “Ollie!-“

”LEAVE PLAYCARE, OR I’M COMING FOR YOU.” It wasn’t Ollie, it was CatNap’s voice. He ended the call immediately after.

Angel stared into the void of the hallways of the Counselor’s Office, then…

They screamed as loudly as they could and ran to the exit like a madman.

(What? They were a reasonable person. If a big purple kitty with sharp claws told them to leave, then they did!)

But Playcare was off now. The lights were out again, which meant plenty of great hiding spots for their least favourite kitty.

The phone started ringing again, and Angel prayed that this time it was Ollie.

The prayer worked.

”Something’s gone wrong…”

”Oh, no way, you think so?” Angel whispered, carefully looking around Playcare.

“Grab the cord from the Counselor’s Office and plug it in underneath the statue! We need to reach 100%! Good luck”

”Yeah, yeah… I’m happy to know you weren’t eaten by CatNap too, by the way” Angel grumbled, using the gun hand to light up a path to the cord. They took it and quickly moved over to the statue.

Poppy and Kissy were gone, which Angel didn’t like. That probably meant that the only safe place they had there was… well, probably not safe anymore.

When they plugged in the cord and looked at the display, however, it still wasn’t at 100%. It had only reached 94%.

”It looks like we’re a tiny bit short!” Ollie exclaimed. “I’m sending one last key. Poppy used it when you met up with her earlier to activate the sky lights! Go back over and find the cord, then we’ll have enough power!”

”Yeah… Ollie, about Poppy… are her and Kissy..?”

”They’re okay, don’t worry about it!” Ollie reassured. “But this place isn’t safe anymore, so they had to find another one. I have to go now, talk to you later”

”Yeah, bye kiddo” Angel murmured, their grip tight around the keys as they went out into the dome again.

Everything else went normally enough. They found the cord and plugged it in next to the Counselor’s Office one, successfully avoiding CatNap’s attention. Once plugged in, the power hit 100%.

”Okay, that should be enough power” Ollie muttered.

“Alright, what now?” Angel inquired pushing the strands of blonde hair that were starting to fall out of their bun out of their eyes.

”Now take that huge battery to the Gas Production Zone, so we can get out of here! It’s the door by the cable car you arrived on”

”Yeah, I know, I know” Angel muttered, grabbing the battery with the GrabPack hands.

”Good luck” Ollie finished.

”Thanks, I’ll need it” Angel half joked.

~*~

Ollie really needed to stop wishing them good luck. Every time he did, it seemed to just make Angel even more unlucky.

They were just about to insert the big battery into the machine that powered the red smoke’s movements when CatNap emerged from the door right next to them.

”OH, FUCK!” Angel screamed, dropping the battery and quickly backtracking. “HEY, YOU TOLD ME TO LEAVE PLAYCARE, THAT’S WHAT I’M TRYING TO DO! YOU NEVER SPECIFIED WHICH WAY I HAD TO LEAVE TO??”

The toy released a breath of red smoke, and the thing was so thick Angel could barely see. They didn’t stop to think. Instead, they ran.

Luckily they found an elevator platform, and they managed to activate it just in time, before CatNap-

…

What the FUCK WAS THAT-

It wasn’t CatNap, not anymore. He was grey, with longer limbs and a wider mouth. Angel thought back to the first tape they’d found here in Playcare, about Ms Harper and little Marie. In the tape the former had described some sort of colourless monster that had scared her - Angel wondered if they were seeing the same thing.

Luckily they got rid of CatNap quickly enough, but the whole place was still filled with red smoke. They hadn’t fainted yet, but they were starting to grow dizzy.

In their dizziness, they spotted another tape on the ground. Black again, like the ones about the Prototype had been until now.

Angel quickly picked it up and played it on the nearest tv.

It was still a picture of 1006’s hand, but this time the voice that spoke was a different one. It was British, deep, and Angel had a feeling they’d already heard it somewhere else.

”Log-code 24459. In relation, experiment 1006, the Prototype. Stubborn as he is, and always silent with each passing session, I’m still uncovering fresh data nonetheless. Today’s discovery-“

There was some sort of glitching noise in the background, like a machine activating.

”Hmph. End of log. Mh… ready to talk now, are you?”

“I… possess… a question”

Angel gasped. That was… the Prototype’s voice? Or, well, voices. He spoke with a mixture of words that seemed to come from different people, but all with a robotic sound effect in the background. Maybe he possessed multiple voice boxes? If he stole body parts from the other dead toys, then maybe he also used them for himself. That would explain why Mommy had said ‘you’ll make me part of him’…

”Go ahead…”

”Do you… feel… anything?”

“This question referring to what, exactly?”

“He’s asking if you’re a complete psychopath.” Angel deadpanned.

”Don’t answer- we already know.”

”You stick us. Beat us. Tear at flesh. Do you feel it?”

”There is a secret inside you, 1006. Valuable beyond all measure. I cut and prod and burn at it, and I get closer with each session… so speak, or don’t. Fight, or give in. Regardless, I learn something new about you everyday… it excites me!”

”Oh wow,” Angel muttered, “you’re even MORE mental than Stella, holy crap.”

”Thank you”

”You… thank me?”

”I’m just as lost as you are…”

”Absolutely! I learn something new about you everyday”

Angel gaped. The Prototype didn’t steal voice boxes or anything. He literally mimicked the voices! That was why the words he spoke came from different people and sounded like they’d been stitched together, because that was exactly what had happened.

They would’ve gladly stayed there longer, but some suspicious possibly CatNap related noises reminded them to keep moving. They pocketed the tape and made a mental note to add it to the others later.

They reached some sort of electrical room, and the machines there activated. Poppy’s voice spoke to them.

“I hope this is coming through… there’s no time to waste. CatNap is on his way. The room you’re in used to be a sort of panic room. It’s… not what it used to be, but it can protect you. Learn how it works. Try putting the batteries in the different glowing spots”

Angel did just that. They grabbed the nearest battery and inserted it in a random spot.

“Good! Okay… now, in between the hallways, there’s those two side rooms on both the left and the right”

”Uhhh… yup, saw them” Angel answered as they used the purple hand to go over a wall and get to the side room.

“There’ll be green power receivers in these little rooms. They can block off the hallways before CatNap gets to you. Try them!”

Angel did. When activated, the defence mechanism allowed a cloud of smoke of some kind (not the red one) to block the hallway. Angel hoped that’d be enough to stop him.

“Good! If you see CatNap, use those. You’re probably gonna hallucinate a bit. It’ll be hard to tell what’s real and what’s fake”

“That’s been happening since the key to the electrical room magically appeared in Huggy’s hand. So how do I know what’s real?”

”Try using your flares on CatNap to make sure he’s real”

”Oh, shoot the kitty?” Angel mused. “I like this game!”

Stop, he’s literally just a kid, what is wrong with me??

No, what is wrong with him. How dare he hurt DogDay and who knows how many others like that??

”He’s almost there! There might be a way to kill him, if you can hold out”

”That’s a big if.”

”Do you see that computer terminal?”

”Yup!”

”Progressively use the batteries to fill the surrounding slots. Please, don’t die”

”Well, it’s not like I’m trying to!” Angel exclaimed, then they stilled. There were some suspiciously CatNap sounding footsteps to their right.

And so their little game of cat and mouse began. Angel constantly had to shoot at fakes, close the above hatch, block the kitty with gas, anything to make sure that computer terminal reached 100%.  But it just kept getting harder and harder.

Their vision was starting to blur, the hallucinations were growing in multitude, and the progressive loss of batteries made everything so much more unfair.

It wasn’t easy, but Angel had gotten through worse. After hide and seek with Mommy, and tag with DogDay and the Critters? Yeah, they could easily play a round of FNaF 6 with CatNap.

(What’s that? FNaF wasn’t even a thing in 2005? Whoops, my bad. But you get what I mean)

Finally the computer terminal finally finished its job. Angel used the green hand to grab electricity from it, and-

Got electrocuted. Like- ouch.

It wasn’t really that basic but it was enough to send them backwards onto the ground. Luckily though, because otherwise they’d be dead, since CatNap came out of the above hatch just a moment later.

“Augh… sorry Tom, this Jerry’s getting out of here…” Angel muttered, shooting the green hand at CatNap.

The effect was almost immediate: the green hand shot out and broke, electrocuting CatNap much harder than it had done with Angel. The toy collapsed and tried to reach towards them, releasing red smoke, but for some reason that worsened everything, because he caught on fire.

He screamed and rolled around, like you normally would to put out a fire. But Angel doubted this would’ve been as easy as that. Normally people didn’t have fur instead on skin.

Just as the burning had seemingly stopped, the above hatch opened once again, revealing… the Prototype’s hand. It was extended towards CatNap, and surrounded by light. Angel could almost see why CatNap saw him as a god.

The toy stopped moving around. He slowly settled in front of the Prototype, kneeled before him and raised his hands as if praying.

Angel already knew where this was going.

Before they could even think of moving, the Prototype stabbed his long pointy fingers through CatNap’s mouth, effectively killing him. Angel tried not to vomit at the sight of the pool of blood that sprouted out of the wound, or the squelching noise when the Prototype dog his fingers in deeper into CatNap’s mouth.

Then, the Prototype dragged his hand back up, disappearing into the hatch with CatNap’s body. Angel half expected him to come back and kill them too, but he didn’t.

So Angel took a deep breath and mastered the best response they could.

”What the fuck…”

~*~

With CatNap now gone, the red smoke also soon disappeared. Angel was able to reactivate the Gas Production Zone and move the red smoke all the way to the left, after checking in with Ollie. Now they just had to find Poppy and learn what was awaiting them.

”Good, you’re here…” said Poppy’s voice from somewhere above - maybe a vent? She seemed to like those, unlike Angel.

”And you’ve done it again. The impossible. Just like I knew you would. CatNap’s gone… the red smoke is diverted… everything is falling into place, thanks to you”

Angel was well aware that all the praise was mostly a manipulation tactic, but they couldn’t help but allow it to soften them. Hey, if they had to survive indicibile horrors, at least they could allow themselves to be praised by their few allies.

”But if we’re to keep going, then…” Poppy’s voice became clearer, closer. Soon enough, she popped out of a vent nearby, holding a VHS. “Then you deserve to have the truth”

The doll looked absolutely grim, and she wouldn’t meet Angel’s eyes. “You came back because of the workers. You want to know what happened, and why. This… this is your answer. We called it ‘the Hour of Joy’”

Angel tensed. So, they were finally going to see what this ‘Hour of Joy’ had been, huh…

Poppy inserted the VHS, and down below a tv turned on. Angel quickly rushed over to it.

It showed a normal day at the factory, at first, back in the atrium. Then Huggy started moving. He attacked the nearest person, before moving onto everyone else. The people ran away, but Angel knew damn well that none of them were really getting to the exit.

The scene changed. This time it was the Game Station, and Mommy. Same thing as Huggy.

Another change. This time it was the train station down in Playcare. The mini Critters attacked and devoured a man.

Another change. Eight Miss Delight(s) followed a man, who locked himself in a room. It was no use, they entered anyway.

Another change. Tied to a train, Kissy freed herself and started attacking the workers that were binding her. Then escaped.

Another change. A toy that Angel recognised as Boxy Boo ate the dead bodies that had been scattered in the hallway.

Another change. Catnap happily walked around Playcare, dozens of bodies on the ground.

Scenes of rooms filled with piles and piles of dead bodies followed, and they made Angel sick. Everyone had died during the Hour of Joy. Not just the scientists and those who were guilty, but also the visitors and the lower level employees that had no idea this was even happening. Everyone had died.

Well, everyone but Angel’s father, Leith Pierre.

But how? How had he managed to save himself when so many hadn’t? How-

The answer hit Angel like a slap to the face.

August 8th, 1995. Their ninth birthday. Their family had celebrated it at home, and their father… he’d taken a day off that day.

Angel clenched their fists tightly. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that the only reason Leith was still alive was because of them. He should’ve died along with all those assholes, eaten by the toys.

How can I say? He’s my dad! He cares about me!

Would he still care if I wasn’t his daughter? Or would I have just been turned into yet another experiment?

By the time the tape ended, Angel’s head ached even more than it had all those times they’d inhaled the red smoke.

“I remember hearing every moment of it…” Poppy murmured, staring at the ground with a sad look. “It went on so long… so agonisingly long. They tried to hide, to run, anything to stay alive… I remember their cries: ‘what’s going on?’ ‘Why is this happening?’ ‘What are those things?’…”

Poppy sniffed, and wiped at her eyes. Her tone grew angrier. “Senseless slaughter, that’s all it really was. They killed everyone. The guilty, the innocent, didn’t matter. All that death… it didn’t fix anything. And then, once it was all over, they dragged those corpses down below where’d they’d never be found. And they… ate the bodies… to stay alive…”

Angel really should’ve brought a pill or something to keep their nausea in check.

A door opened, and Kissy came out, holding Angel’s supplies.

”The Prototype has to die. For this. For everything.”

Kissy handed Angel back their stuff, then she helped Poppy down from her platform. Angel quickly fixed their stuff back into their bag. Kissy positioned Poppy onto an elevator platform, and Poppy spoke to her.

”As soon as we reach the bottom, we’ll send the lift back up. Just hold tight okay?” Poppy spoke softly to Kissy.

Kissy nodded and went to some sort of control panel. Poppy turned to Angel and smiled. “After you!”

Angel got on the elevator platform, and Kissy pulled a lever. The elevator started going down.

”Alright,” started Poppy, “once we hit the ground, we need to be cautious, there’s something-“

Poppy was interrupted by a loud scream above. Angel flinched. It was awfully reminding of Huggy’s scream.

”What..?” Poppy muttered, confused. “What’s she doing?.. this isn’t-“

Only then did Angel realise what that scream was. It was Kissy. Not Huggy.

”No, no no… NO!” Poppy screamed.

Angel felt their heart plummet. The Prototype. They’d forgot to tell Poppy and Kissy about the Prototype. Just because for some reason he was sparing their life, it didn’t mean he was going to do the same for their allies!

”Poppy, what do we do?!” Angel exclaimed, trying to look for a way to revert the elevator. But nothing.

Poppy looked just as desperate. ”We’re coming! Just hold on! Come on, come on, go faster!”

Kissy let out a scream that sounded more agonising than the others. Angel and Poppy screamed at the same time.

”KISSY!”

Chapter Text

All Jack had been thinking of since he’d received the tickets to visit the Playtime Co factory for Christmas was- well, visiting the Playtime Co factory.

So there he was, January 22nd, buzzing with excitement as he basically dragged him mother and father across the atrium.

Between the mess of people, Jack spotted a familiar head of blonde hair.

”Angel!”

The little girl turned towards Jack, startled. He wasn’t used to seeing her outside of the school’s uniform, but she was wearing mostly Playtime Co merch. A Mommy Long Legs shirt, to be exact.

Angel let go of the hand of the man she’d been holding until now - it wasn’t her father, Jack was sure of that, but he wasn’t sure who it was - and waved to him.

Jack’s mother gave him a gentle push on the back, and he hopped over to his classmate. Angel met him halfway there.

Him and Angel didn’t talk much at school. Not only because Angel didn’t talk at all and resorted to using the American Sign Language (Jack was trying really hard to learn it, but he’d only grasped the alphabet and a few words), but also because they were just generally different people. Angel was the quiet kid who stayed in the back of the class, taking notes and minding her own business. Jack was the overhyped kid who the teachers constantly told to keep quiet.

That being said, they still got along just fine. Jack had even invited her to his birthday party when he’d turned six. She’d joined first grade about a month or two after everyone else, and he’d been more than glad to learn some ASL to help her fit in.

”Are you also here for the tour??” Jack asked excitedly. Angel nodded with a small smile. Pointing towards the man she was with, then she raised the index and middle finger of her right hand and made some sort of circular motion near her head. Jack blinked. Angel sighed and spelled the word letter by letter.

U-N-C-L-E

”Oh! He’s your uncle, Preston?” Jack asked. Angel nodded with a smile.

After that the tour guide started leading them throughout the factory, showing them everything, from the Make a Friend machine to the machines they used to assemble the toys.

At some point of the tour, they ended up in the room where some huge containers mixed the dough that was used to make the Doey the Doughman toys, Jack’s favourite Playtime toy.

”Jack! Don’t wander off! Stay right here with us” his mom called out when he’d stepped away from the group, staring down at one of the dough tanks. His Doey statuette held tightly in his hands.

He was vaguely aware that Angel wasn’t paying attention to the tour guide, and instead had her unblinking eyes set on Jack. He always had a feeling whenever that happened, back in class.

He wasn’t quite sure what happened next. He shifted his position to look better at the dough, and the Doey statuette slipped from his hands. He reached forward to grab it, but the railing of the catwalk broke, and he fell forward.

He tried to hold onto the edge of the railing, while people screamed and his parents cried out. But he wasn’t athletic, he was just a six year old. His hand slipped and he fell into the tank.

After that everything was a confused blur. He could hear his mother wailing, his father yelling, the tour guide screaming at the workers to turn the machines off, and the crowd running around, panicked.

But the last thing he saw before getting devoured by the dough was Angel’s face.

She was peeking out from behind Jack’s mom’s shoulder, her unblinking brown-and-blue eyes still stuck on Jack. She didn’t look surprised, she looked numb, like this was an everyday occurrence for her, like she spent every day watching little kids that she knew and cared for die tragically.

With his last thoughts, Jack wondered if that was true, before it all went dark.

~*~

”No no no no NO!” Poppy screamed, walking back and forth on the console. Angel, in front of her, nervously toyed with the GrabPack’s hands.

”Hold on, Kissy! I’m coming!”

”Wait, you’re coming??” Angel questioned, their attention snapping to the doll. “Poppy, no offence, but I don’t think you could help Kissy a lot if it’s something big!”

Poppy gave Angel a slightly offended look, but sighed. “Listen, go on ahead. Don’t wait for us. I won’t leave Kissy behind, and I won’t sacrifice our plan. Not because of… because of me…”

Angel deflated. Right, the plan, the mission, stop the Prototype, save the children, yada yada yada.

(Holy hell… their father always said ‘yada yada yada’, why had they started using it now??)

”Okay, I will, be safe”

Poppy nodded, her lips set in a worried line. “Just… be careful. Down here, it’s… it’s not like anything you’ve seen above. It’s not trying to hide what it is. It’s hell, and Playtime wanted it to be…”

Angel scoffed. “Yeah, because upstairs it was all sunshine and rainbows.” Inside, they were fuming. Yet another reminder that their dad was the shittiest person in the universe…

”But there’s an upside, we have allies down here! Get to them” Poppy reassured them, while the elevator stopped.

”Oh! Okay then, I will. See you soon, hopefully” Angel said with a small smile as they got off the elevator.

”There’s still time to save the orphans” Poppy started while the elevator went back up. “Follow the red smoke! And look out for-“

She was too far away to Angel to hear her next words.

”LOOK OUT FOR WHAT???” Angel called after her. “Oh, come on! Couldn’t you wait before riding back up!”

Angel sighed and turned back around. Given the text on the wall that read ‘loading bay 1E’, they were… well, in a loading bay, duh.

So, all they had to do now was find these ‘allies’ Poppy had mentioned… easy enough, considering that everyone in here wanted to kill them!

”Okay… it’s play-time”

…

”That’s genuinely one of the worst dad jokes I’ve made since I got in here, let’s just-“

~*~

The first slightly off thing Angel noticed was the drawing of the eyeball on the wall, a drawing that had been made by blood. And that was before even leaving the loading bay…

Then they entered the next room, and (again, with blood) someone had written on the wall, above a desk ‘their cruel kingdom’. On the desk sat a note.

”Alright, let’s see if this place is really that much worse…”

Caution: Red Smoke

Subject: Red Smoke

Re: Warrenbach Employees

”Oh! I remember that name - it’s those assholes that Eddie Ritterman paid to build stuff for them!”

Date: 03/18/1984

”Guess they go WAY back…” Angel muttered.

CAUTION:

For those involved with our construction processes, we caution your use of combustion or heat-based elements within environments containing red smoke. Due to the nature of its composition, when exposed to the right pressure conditions, the gas has been tested to react to high temperatures. While its use above can be regulated by environmental sensors and the correct filter equipment, the environments below are not yet afforded such luxuries (which is why the advanced piping leading from our production center above is first on your docket). With higher natural pressure below, the matter is all the more urgent.

We caution against the use of lighters, lanterns, and other smaller objects that produce heat. For necessary machinery, we require the use of nitrous cooling equipment to stabilise vehicle temperatures.

As always, we wish for quick and efficient work. However we might help in this matter, simply let us know.

Our thanks,

The Science Staff

“Okay… so guess I’m gonna find a lot of ‘nitrous cooling equipment’ or whatever down here… wait a minute” Angel muttered to themselves, going up to the first paragraph.

”’The gas has been tested to react to high temperatures’… wait, is that why CatNap caught on fire all of a sudden when he tried to use the red smoke after I electrified him?” Angel blinked. Then they tilted their head back and laughed, almost hysterically.

”Dude, I- dude- dude.” they wheezed, leaning against the table.

After a while, they wiped the tears that were forming at the corners of their eyes. “Alright, alright… I think I’m gonna leave this here, it’s not too relevant… although maybe it would be useful in court, but whatever”

(As they walked through the caves, Angel vaguely wondered how deep down they were at the moment. They were vaguely certain they were closer to the core of the earth than to the surface, by now.)

By then they’d learned that the most unsettling writings were the ones that were carved in the stone, or written with blood. And yet the one that unsettled them the most was the ones written in clear white paint.

’To prison’

”Uhhh…” Angel gaped, blinking as hard as they could, hoping that the text would change. Maybe they’d just… inhaled too much red smoke during the fight with CatNap?

But no, that was really what was written there…

In a rapid flashback they remembered their father, Leith Pierre, mentioning something about a ‘prison’ where CatNap had been kept. At the time they’d thought that was the Playhouse, because of those cells where they’d found DogDay. But clearly that wasn’t it…

They had to squeeze through an inhuman amount of stones (Angel had thought the Prototype was pretty big, but then how was he capable of moving around there?? Maybe he had his own private elevator or something), but eventually they found their first VHS tape. A training video for… the hand they already owned, gosh damnit.

”Ah. So you’re not ‘gun hand’, you’re ’flare hand’…” Angel grumbled, staring at said GrabPack hand with a small pout and a crease on their forehead. Then they shrugged. “Eh, whatever, gun hand sounds cooler.”

The video didn’t tell them a lot more than what they knew, but it turned out that they could easily burn on contact rope, oil and other resources. “But not those stupid toys, noooo. They just had to make those non-flammable!”

They used the flares to open the rope that was holding the doors to the prison’s entrance closed, but when they opened Angel immediately regretted it.

It was piles and piles of bodies that greeted them. Toys, from what they could see. But still, children. Piles of children’s bodies.

”…I can’t do this” Angel murmured, stepping behind a door so they didn’t have to see all of that.

Those were all kids that Playtime Co had experimented on. Angel felt sick. How had no one noticed this many kids going missing??

But unfortunately there was only one direction they could go to, and that was forward, so they reluctantly crossed the piles of bodies. Sometimes they would see a few alive ones moving around, observing them, but they used the flares to keep them away.

On top of a barrel they found a note. This was different from the usual ones - it looked like it’d been handwritten and ripped out of a notebook rather than the usual printed documents.

Riley’s Journal: Entry #1

Two weeks since the fire

August 8th, 1994

Angel flinched. Why was it always their birthday? Anyways, this seemed to be an orphan’s diary.

Riley, age 12

First week at Playcare. I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know what I wanted it to be. There are a lot of people here, and they’ve given a lot to me. A room, a roof, a big pink bed, girly toys (I’m a little too old for that), and a journal.

”And the possibility of being brutally slaughtered” Angel added with fake cheerfulness.

The adults encourage me to talk to the other kids, but I’m not sure what to say to them. Most of them have been here almost their whole lives, or at least, they were young enough that they can’t remember what they lost. My parents loved, protected, and taught me, and I’m not sure the others even remember what that’s like.

Angel’s heart clenched painfully at the poor girl’s words. They’d lost their mom when they were seventeen, after all. They knew what losing a parent was like. But they’d never had to go through the hell Riley had…

They don’t know what they don’t have, but I do. I remember a lot.

”Wow. I don’t know what that’s like.”

I try to be kind to them though, even if there’s very little I can say. Right now I think I prefer it like that.

The nice counselor who said I was quiet told me that I could say whatever I wanted in my journal, and it would only be for me.

”…whoops”

Make two lists, she said, one with what’s important to me right now, in this moment, and the other being why. She said it might help me. I’m going to try it.

What’s important to me:

• That the nice counselor cares enough about me to try and make me feel at home.
• Trying to get comfortable here. Even if it’s not home, it’s all I have now.
• That my life matters, since it can be lost so quickly.
• That my parents’ lives mattered too.

Why:

Because I’m scared. Anything can happen in an instant and leave you with nothing, and because of that, I’m scared that nothing matters. But I want to feel happy again (really, I do) and it’s important to me right now, in this moment, that someone here cares that I feel at home, even if I’m not.

When they’d finished to read the letter, Angel’s eyes were watering. God, they hoped this kid was still alive, either with the orphans or as a toy, because they really wanted to hug her.

A little farther up they found a second entry from her journal, and Angel read it with a churn in their stomach.

January 14th, 1995

’Being chosen’. The other kids talk about it a lot. I still don’t know what that’s exactly about. If it means being adopted, I’m not sure I even want that.

”It doesn’t mean that, and trust me, you don’t want that AT ALL.”

What’s important to me:

• Figuring out if I even want to be adopted.
• Trying to feel what the other kids seem to feel day in and day out.

Why:

If I was happy like them and could feel like that, maybe I’d appreciate everything more. Maybe I’d want to be chosen to.

February 10th, 1995

I’ve been chosen. Dr White chose me.

”No… no no no no!” Angel stressed, their fingers clenching the paper tightly like they could pull away Riley from the scientists’ grip. But they couldn’t, it was too later for that.

For a while, I didn’t know I wanted to be, or how I’d feel if I was. But, really, I think I’m happy! There were interviews, of course, but I didn’t think any of those couples actually liked me. Too anxious. Too quiet. Doesn’t get along with the other kids. And good test scores don’t always make a good kid, they’d often say. But I guess somebody liked me.

”The test scores sure made them like you, kiddo. Just not any of those couples…”

I asked if I could take my journal. They said yes, but I wanted to write this out before I leave.

Angel felt desperation creep inside them. They’d hoped that this process would take a long time, maybe even a few months, enough to make sure that the Hour of Joy happened before Riley got turned into one of those toys…

What if her body was between the piles that surrounded them? Ow what if she was someone they’d met? Maybe one of the Critters that had tried to attack them?

I haven’t felt like this since before the accident. Sine my parents. The lists Ms Harper told me about have helped me a lot in recent months, and now, I think I have more for the first list than ever.

Angel gasped quietly when reading Ms Harper’s name. They silently wondered if the counselor was now aware of what happened to the orphans, and that she was going to lose yet another little girl in the same way she’d lost Marie.

What’s important to me:

• That I still try to be the girl my parents raised. Live by their values so that a part of them is still here, so that their lives mattered.

Okay, so- that’s just mean to Angel’s poor heart.

• Being good to myself, and to whoever takes me in.

Really mean.

• Staying happy.
• Finding more friends.
• Getting used to a new home - Growing up to help kids that were like me.

Dude. Please stop.

• Start an orphanage like Elliot Ludwig and fill it with toys and also good people.

”That’s it, I need a break” Angel murmured, rubbing the bridge of their nose.

Unfortunately this place wasn’t too inclined on giving breaks, because they could hear the noise of small toys moving around.

”Alright, alright! I got it…” Angel grumbled, carefully folding Riley’s entries and putting the papers in the pocket of their jacket.

They found the third entry on a truck nearby, and they really weren’t looking forward to reading this one…

????

This wasn’t what I thought. What ANYONE thought. They took me somewhere. Not pitch but under. Deep beneath EVERYTHING. They gave me a shot, and I went to sleep. Maybe that was days ago. Maybe it was weeks. I remember images. My skin opened up like flower petals, a man who looked like a doctor digging around inside me, taking things out. I remember feeling his touch through my ribs and into the back of my spine. I remember hearing a snap. Everywhere was red.

Angel was seriously regretting the half of tuna sandwich they’d ate back under the statue with Kissy and Poppy. Especially when they threw up said half.

They REALLY should’ve brought something to prevent nausea…

When I woke up, everything hurt, so I screamed. Hours and hours of screaming. I stopped once I knew no one was listening.

I’m not me anymore. My body is not my body. My hands are not my hands. I try to brush the hair I still feel at my shoulders, and touch nothing. I can’t separate my fingers, even though I can almost feel them move. It’s like nothing of what I feel actually is. Maybe that’s been true for a while now.

Angel had to sit on the back of the truck now, both to keep an eye on the small toys that were still observing them and to joy crumble on the floor.

I’m in a room that isn’t so different from the one I had in the orphanage. Everything’s nailed down. I’ve been here for a long time.

I’m trying to write the lists that helped before, but I’ve dropped the pen three times. I don’t know what else to do.

Why did I survive if this was all I’d get? What did it all mean if this is where it put me? This can’t be all there is.

What’s important to me:

• Waking up from this nightmare.
• Getting out.
• Getting back to being me.

Why:

Because I’d started to like life again before, and none of this should be real.

Angel shed a few tears. Way less than they should’ve for this poor girl. But they were so angry that they just couldn’t bring themselves to cry more than that.

Poppy had been right, this place really was hell. And Playtime wasn’t trying to hide it in the slightest.

That was all Playtime Co’s fault. They were at fault for this. Now Angel could really understand why the experiments - these poor kids - had decided to follow the Prototype and kill everyone during the Hour of Joy. Had Angel been in their place? They would’ve done the same.

But there were also other employees during the Hour of Joy! Employees that had no idea about this even going on! Think about Marcas!

What does it matter? They’re all at blame. They’re getting paid and making money off of those kids’ sufferings.

And what about the visitors at the factory? Those who were on tour and just wanted to have fun?

How can they have fun at the expanse of those-

Jack.

That single name, thought by the part of Angel that sounded like their younger self, hit them like a slap to the face.

They hadn’t thought about that boy in a really long time. Well, no actually, they’d had, just briefly, while entering the School.

They’d arrived in first grade a couple months later than the other kids, but Jake had immediately done his all to become their friend. He’d even attempted to learn a bit of ASL, when they were still going through their ‘no-talkie’ phase, as their mom used to call it.

They didn’t quite remember what had happened to him, like most stuff from their childhood. They only knew that an accident had happened and that they’d been there and had seen it. Their father had always told them that it was due to the trauma, that now they couldn’t remember a few things from their childhood because the experience had shocked them too much, and now they had partial amnesia.

But that didn’t make sense, not entirely. Angel didn’t remember events that had happened even AFTER the accident…

Wait, hold up.

Their father had told them this. The same father who experimented on children behind his family’s back. What if he had something to do with Angel’s faulty memory? What if they’d seen something that had made him modify their memories? And what if Jack had something to do with Playtime Co and the experiments?

Angel had to block that thought before they started spiralling in despair and their psyche ultimately broke. They still had to fully stomach the idea of their father being a psychopath that experimented on children - one thing at a time.

They folded that entry and placed it with the other two in their pocket, then they advanced towards the prison’s entrance. Unfortunately for them, a fourth entry was awaiting them nearby.

”Ah, crap…”

The room started moving. I’m not sure what that means, or where I might be going. I’m scared, but I’m trying t-

Something happened, everything is upside down. There’s a hole in the room, but everything outside is so loud. There’s screaming everywhere. I’m better off in here, for now. I’ll cover the hole with something.

Angel briefly wondered if what Riley was describing was the Hour of Joy.

It sounds like everything is quiet now. Don’t think it’s even been an hour since it all started. No one’s tried to get in here. I think I’m going to head outside.

THERE ARE BODIES EVERYWHERE PILES AND PILES THEY LOOK LIKE ME OH GOD OH GOD WHAT’S HAPPENING

They grimaced. God, they wished they could go back in time and hug that kid. She was too young and innocent for what she was going through…

So are you.

Annoyingly, Angel couldn’t tell if that thought had come from child them or angsty teen them.

Finally calmed down. Have to be calm. Have to think clearly. Have to get out. I’m going to see if anyone is around.

There’s a man inside the construction vehicle. I tried banging on the glass. I don’t think he can hear me, and he isn’t moving.

Have to get back to my room where it’s safe. Figure out what happens now.

”Alright, that’s enough trauma, no more postponing…” Angel muttered as they put the entry with the others and walked towards the prison’s entrance.

But just as they were about to reach it, the lights suddenly turned on, blinding and disorienting them. An alarm also went off. When they’d figured out what was happening, it was already too late.

“No… NO!” Angel exclaimed running towards the entrance, but it was too late. The doors had already closed by the time they arrived.

When they turned around, they found a crowd of small toys - mini Wuggies, mini Smiling Critters, and… were those- mini Nightmare Critters? - ready to jump at them and turn them into their meal.

”OH CRAP!” Angel screamed, speeding away, looking for an exit, all while using the flares to keep the toys away as much as possible.

Regrettably, they found their exit up a pile of toys. Someone had dug into the metal wall, and they managed to use it to escape the assault.

And back into the caves it was…

~*~

When Ollie phoned, Angel almost cried.

They sincerely hadn’t hoped to find any allies, at this point of their little journey, and they especially hadn’t expected for the phone to have signal down there. Although from what they’d understood Ollie was even further down in the factory that they were…

(Wait. This place went further down than this? Oh, for God’s sake…)

They answered the phone with trembling hands. “Ollie!”

”Hey…” Angel hated how sad his voice sounded. Damn, this kid had really grown on them, hadn’t he?

”I wanted to… I wanted to talk to you. Before you go inside, I mean.”

”Yeah, okay, shoot”

”Everything you’ve seen out here. The piles. The dead. They ALL came from inside. Believe me, everything Poppy says about this place is true. It’s hell… but she also hasn’t seen it like I have. It’s worse now. Worse than ever…”

Angel tried not to let that bum them, but it was hard. If that was true, then maybe those allies Poppy had spoken about were long gone…

“Just… try to stay safe. Please. Don’t let your guard down for even a second… I’ll try to help you when I can”

”You be safe too, Ollie. Don’t endanger yourself to help me. I’m a big one, I can handle myself” Angel reassured. They could almost hear Ollie’s smile before he hang up.

“Alright, now let’s- WOAH!”

It was stupid, really, how it had startled them, but up until then they’d only seen toy bodies… this was the first human one that they’d seen in the factory. Scratch that, in their whole life.

It was a worker, considering the clothes. It was sitting propped up against the wall, surrounded by a pool of blood. Next to it there was a note. Angel could already tell from the writing that it was Riley’s again.

”Yeah, sorry, I’ll just…” Angel murmured as they approached the note, while also trying to keep away from the body.

Predictably, it was another entry from Riley’s journal.

This place is a prison. I don’t know what I thought it’d be, but it wasn’t this. I mean, what did I do wrong? They made me into this, and put me in a cell. There must be hundreds, maybe even thousands of others here. How could this happen?

Oh, the Hour of Joy had been SO deserved…

There’s no food here, only the bodies, and I refuse to eat them.

Angel blinked. Right. So that’s what they’d eaten all these years…

All this time they’d been saying that the experiments were ‘people-eating monsters’ as a joke, but they’d clearly been right…

The train, that’s what takes everyone here. The conductor’s dead,

”Oof, I guess that’s you?” Angel joked, looking at the body next to them.

”Nothing? Not even a laugh out of kindness? …Jeez, no need to act so dead.”

but he has a key, a key that makes the train move. I don’t know if there are people elsewhere, or if they intend to come back here with more like me. I’ll take the key, make sure no one else can come here. I’ll put it where no one can find it.

”Smart girl” Angel praised.

”But uhh… I sorta need that key? So if ya could tell me where exactly ya hid it-“

Angel froze. Jesus Christ, they’d started to use ‘ya’ too, unironically, just like their dad did. This place wasn’t just hell, it was Tartarus.

I don’t know how little or how much my life mattered, but I can do this. This one thing. Maybe it’ll save someone. Anyone. Even just one person. That would be enough. Nobody should know hell like this, or the demons that live there.

What’s important:

• That I helped someone the way I wanted to someday when I thought I was adopted.
• That my life mattered to someone.

Angel blinked the tears away once again. “To me,” they whispered, “your life matters to me. All of these lives matter…”

Why:

So that’s I’ll know, wherever I go now (hopefully to my parents) that I fulfilled a little of what I said I would, and made life just a little better for someone else, even if this place took everything else.

With a wet sigh, Angel put the last entry with the other four. They’d put them in their bag later, hopefully after finding those allies.

They used some boxes to climb up the train into a nearby container, hoping to find something useful - like maybe a map that showed the way out? Or a way to kill the Prototype?

What they found was much worse.

There was a toy, a small toy with lavender fur and the bones of a child peeking through. It looked like someone had tore the fur away to eat all the skin, organs and whatever those toys also had. Inside their ribs there was a set of keys. On the wall to the right, someone had used the toy’s blood to write the word ‘Key’.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out who the guy was, nor what had happened.

Riley.

She must’ve hid there in the attempt to hide the keys, probably eating them as well. Then some hungry toy must’ve found her and…

Anyways, there Riley was now. With the key.

Angel couldn’t stop the tears this time. They kneeled in front of Riley’s body and kissed her forehead. They didn’t care how antigenic that was - she deserved that affection and much more.

“I won’t forget you, baby…” they whispered against that tiny skull, then they took the keys and hurried out of the room before throwing up.

(Too many dead bodies for just ten minutes of walking…)

They used the key to open a door that led to some of control module. There, they found their second least favourite trauma inducer: a tape.

“Whatever, I just- I don’t care, really. Just tell me.” Angel grumbled, inserting the tape in the nearby VHS player.

It was two guards, Angel couldn’t quite tell who they were for. This was the first time they head their voices.

”Hey Cole”

”Hey Norm”

”Two o’clock, huh? Best time of the day”

”Yeah…”

”So, uh, what block are you again?”

“Dude.” Angel deadpanned. “He clearly doesn’t want to talk. Take the hint.”

”North”

”Can’t say I hear much about that one”

”You wouldn’t”

”High security?”

”Highest security”

”Wow. You’re pretty cocky for a deadman, Cole.”

”Tt. Cushy… Know what we get in the East? Toys banging on the walls, crying for their parents, their Counselors, whatever”

Angel released a guttural growl. Oh those motherfuckers.

“It goes ALL day and night… and it just wears on ya, ya know?”

”Clearly not enough!” Angel almost shouted.

”I’d KILL for a little security. And quiet.”

Angel didn’t even have the words. They just hoped Norm had gotten the most painful death possible.

”Right. Know what we get in the North? Things. Whatever they are, they aren’t people anymore. Their cells might as well be cages. They’re animals. Sick. Twisted. Just instincts and anger. That’s all that’s left of them”

They couldn’t help it, they punched the table hard enough to leave a dent. With their injured hand, nonetheless. They didn’t care. The anger surpassed the pain by a mile.

Sure, they’d also called the toys and experiments ‘things’ sometimes, but they’d always acknowledged that behind the toy, there was still a confused and tormented human. Plus they had a reason for acting the way they’d had, those guys had been haunting them down! Cole and Norm had no fucking right to speak about those kids that way. Not when they were the ones causing the children pain, no the other way around…

”Sure, but at least it’s not like yelling at your own kids for them ti be quiet though, ya know? I mean, if you had to listen to them-“

Norm was interrupted by some sort of scream or alarm, like a bunch of children yelling.

“Oh, great…”

”So much for our two o’clock”

”Yeah, we really do have it rough, don’t we?”

”YOU-“ the words chocked in Angel’s throat, leaving them gaping at the tv even after the tape had ended.

”OH, YOU HAVE IT ROUGH! OF COURSE! NOT THISE CHILDREN YOU TORTURE, YOU STUPID, BLOODY- AUGH!”

They kicked the table for good measure, wincing. Once again, they’d used their left ankle. The one that hurt.

While the train crash had injured their right side, including their leg, their left ankle hadn’t really stopped aching ever since they’d first tried to escape from Mommy down the stairs.

Angrily, they staffed the tape in their bag. They did the same with Riley’s journal, although being a bit more careful there. Then they used the GrabPack’s wires to reactivate the train’s power.

”Alright, now how do we- hey!” As they entered one of the train’s compartments, it immediately closed on them. “Ugh, fine… I wanted to go down anyway.”

Angel sat cross legged on the padded floor on the train. They hated trains, even more than they hated vents, but that was maybe due to them almost dying in a train wreck no too long ago… (hi Poppy, still haven’t totally forgiven you for that, but I hope you and Kissy are doing okay right now, XOXO. Also yes, Huggy, the vents comment was referring to you.)

This time it felt even worse, because they weren’t in the driver’s seat. It felt more like they were in the trunk. Still, they allowed themselves to relax. It’s not like they could get two train rides out of two ruined, right-

The static and the pitched noise that followed that like of thought made Angel curse out loud. Both themselves and the factory.

Why can’t I just shut up for two minutes??

Slowly, the static on the screen disappeared, replaced instead by an eye.

”Mmmm, now what’s this? Do I feel something squirming its way beneath my skin?”

Angel gaped at the tv. Three things came to their mind.

1. Fuck, their only weakness, men with a sexy sounding British accent…
2. Wait, where had they already heard this voice before? Not just from a tape somewhere, but also in their past…
3. Why. Just why.

”An invasive, foreign little germ? After all this time?”

Wait.

…Yeah, the nickname was definitely familiar. So was the voice that pronounced it. If Angel focused hard enough they could almost see the silhouette of a man staring down at them, with black hair and glasses.

”…Ah, but I see… you.” the tv man continued with a sourer tone.

”Me?” Angel squeaked, their voice much higher than they would’ve liked it to be. Then they yelled as the train started twitching.

No no no, not again!

”Well, little germ. Let’s make a game of you.”

”Uh, nope! I’m the Player: I play the game, I’m not the game.” Angel corrected while trying to hold onto anything.

”You’ve blundered along the shadows above, and only managed to squirm the way down here but by the barely skin of you teeth”

Okay. So… the voice had been kind of hot at first, but the words were just absolute nonsense.

”But… teeth don’t have skin?-“

”There are no shadows here that would be of use to you. Not even the ground beneath your feet is yours.”

”AGH!”

The train jolted much harder than the other times, and Angel fell to the ground, eating their head against the wall.

”There are no places you can hide. Not from me.”

As they blacked out, the last thing Angel heard was the tv man’s laugh. A laugh that was awfully familiar from a tape they’d heard just before facing CatNap. A name popped to their mind, a name they hadn’t been quite able to place yet.

Doctor Sawyer.

Chapter Text

Angel officially hated trains more than they hated vents.

Which was saying a lot, because they hated vents more than anything else.

Point is, now they were trying to find a way out of the prison, possibly without dying in a painful way thanks to tiny Critters that were following after them. Angel felt awful for using the flares against them, but it was a matter of survival. Either them or those guys.

(Inside they wondered if that had been the logic that the guards had used to sleep at night after what they did to keep the kids ‘in check’)

They’d even managed to find a red hand with a built in flashlight to attack to the GrabPack, so they no longer had to use the flares to make light.

Basically, things were actually going pretty fine, before the Doctor decided to speak again…

”The subjects scrambles for an advantage” Sawyer mused. Angel guessed he was talking about… well, them.

”They appear lost and disoriented. Heavy breathing is indicative of fear, and rightly so. Let’s test the response to said fear when pushed into action…”

”Wh- shit!” Angel exclaimed as all the cells collectively opened. Now they could definitely understand what Sawyer had been saying… their heart felt like it was bursting out of their chest.

Dozens of Critters stormed out of the cells, each advancing towards them, each eager to take a bite. They pushed away as many as they could thanks to the flares, but sometime one or two sneaked past them. Their legs received many bites, their jeans now torn and a little bloody.

They managed to close most of the cells and to push the toys back in, but it was barely any use. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Sawyer spoke again.

”I have seen enough. Thank you. You may proceed”

The toys remaining all escaped through a small hall in the wall, and Angel sent glares to the ceiling. “Oh, I’m SO glad I was entertaining to you…”

They stomped up a flight of stairs, and encountered a Yarnaby cutout.

”Huh. Oh well. I’m only gonna do this because dad hates him, for some reason” Angel mumbled, pressing the button.

”The name’s Yarnaby! Would you warn-a-be my friend?”

Angel blinked. “Crap, it’s awful yarn puns… but if this is your way of subtly telling me that you’re my ally then sure!”

The rest of the lines were similarly bad puns and, at the end, the Yarnaby theme song. In a sprout of insanity, no doubt, Angel started humming it.

”Yeah, I don’t know why dad hated him this much”

~*~

In one of the cells, Angel found another note. A weekly checkup for experiment 1172, from the 23rd of December 1994. Huh, two experiments away from Huggy…

Angel quickly read through it. It was a lady, and 1172 suffered from severe anxiety. She’d been transferred to Storage B, which was probably where she’d been kept until the Hour of Joy. They wondered if that document about 1172 was about Kissy, since from what Angel had seen so far, she seemed to have severe anxiety problems.

(They didn’t even want to know why she wasn’t 1171. The best possible answer for that was that they’d simply decided to make a giant Kissy Missy after they’d done 1171, the worst one was the idea that they’d tried to make Kissy 1171…)

When Ollie called again, the line was disturbed, just like Angel feared it would’ve been all the way down here.

”[…] -you hear- […] Too much interfer- […] Make your way to- […] There’s something- […] -octor is […]” and then he hang up.

”…Well that was useful, Ollie, thanks” Angel mumbled while dragging a hand down their face.

They continued with their tasks, and encountered a yellow tape. “Might as well…”

The image showed a GrabPack hand that Angel hadn’t seen yet. To be honest, it kind of looked like Iron Man’s glove. The alarm that played in the background, along with the screams, immediately helped Angel determine just when that tape was taking place: the Hour of Joy.

Someone seemed to burst into the room and lock the door, breathing heavily. Then a man spoke.

”Oh God, no no no no no…”

”Warden?”

Angel scowled at Sawyer’s voice. They hadn’t really stopped to think about it sooner, but it was weird that he was in a computer, wasn’t it?

”Doctor! Doctor, what’s going on?! What’s happening, it’s-“

”Yes. Yes, I can hear it. Mh, they’ve staged quite the rebellion”

Sawyer chuckled, and Angel grimaced.

”Remarkable, 1006.”

”How could this happen? There’s fallsafes. Security measures. They… it’s impossible!”

”Personal agendas have long been the downfall of this company. Is it unreasonable to believe there were conspirators? Playtime is filled with vipers and backstabbers.”

Sawyer sounded seriously salty when he said that. Angel wondered if that had something to do with him being tv man. But they’d also never considered the idea that some employees had helped with the Hour of Joy.

“But… But without executive access… how could anyone even get through? Leith, Stella, Eddie. Only the four of us have that kind of clearance”

Angel thought it over for a moment. If what those two were saying was right, then one of those four were clearly responsible for the Hour of Joy, along with the Prototype.

This Warden guy? Nah, he was clearly unaware about it.

Eddie? Meh, they hadn’t really heard or seen a lot about the guy yet, only a document back during the chase with Mommy, but to them he didn’t sound like the person who felt guilty about kids and helped a rebellion.

Their father? No, they’d already stated he hadn’t been there. Although… maybe it was because he hadn’t been there that that proved he was behind it? The Prototype might’ve instructed him to stay home that day in exchange for his help, so that he’d save himself. Maybe the loving family man hadn’t all been a facade, maybe he’d actually really had a turn of mind!

(They hated how it was only the child-like part of their brain to speak. They wished it would also come from the angsty teen one.)

But Stella, on the other hand? From what they’d seen so far, Stella seemed to genuinely feel bad for these experiments. Maybe with a bit of manipulation, the Prototype could’ve managed to get her to help them.

”Does any of that matter now? It’s your life you have to protect”

Angel jolted. For a moment, they’d thought that voice was only in their head. It really sounded like something they would say to themselves, especially in this situation.

“You have executive access”

Oh, right. Guess now they knew who the slide with the scattered letters belonged to.

”For all the good it does me. Opening a door at a time won’t get me to the exit, not with THOSE things everywhere. You didn’t see what I saw. You didn’t see the trail of limbs down the hall, didn’t hear the things eating. The… The wet crunches of bones… God, I…”

”Sounds like skill issues.” Angel deadpanned. “I didn’t have executive access and the place is literally crumbling apart, and yet I survived all of that.”

If their hair had been a bit longer and not tied up, they would’ve flicked it dramatically.

”There is something you can do, Warden. I can help you”

”How? You’re stuck in there. You can’t-“

”My body’s here, sure. But my mind…”

”What..?”

”Yeah, what??”

”The Omni-Hand. If you give it to me I can get you anywhere. I’ll have control over everything. I can shut some doors, open others. I can make you a pathway that leads right to the exit”

”I don’t… I don’t know…”

“If you want to wait to get torn to pieces, that’s your prerogative, but look at your immediate options, Warden. What choice over than this gets you out of here alive?”

”Excellent argument” Angel agreed. “Although it’s very likely that he will just take this Omni-Hand thing ur and then leave you to die”

“I’m giving you that tool. Just get me out of here. Please”

”Of course. You’ve made a smart decision, Warden. I promise I’ll get you out of here safe and sound”

”Right, yeah… and then Warden died.” Angel joked as the tape ended. They left it there, not like it added much. But one interesting thing they’d learned from it was the Omni-Hand and its ability to open some special doors. Maybe they could use it to get to the exit? After the Prototype was defeated of course.

And it looked like Sawyer… well, Doctor, that was how Warden had called him? It looked like he owned one. Angel wondered if they could maybe find one somewhere around the factory, maybe in the offices of the other executives?

But they’d already been in Stella’s office, they hadn’t seen it. Although if she’d helped in the Hour of Joy, it was likely that the Prototype now had that hand. They hadn’t seen Eddie’s office yet, they weren’t even sure what his department was. And they’d skipped their father’s office completely, which had been on the upper level of the factory, in the Innovation wing. So, unless they found Eddie’s office somewhere down here, they were gonna have to take the Omni-Hand from the Doctor.

Whatever, no point dwelling on it now.

In another room they found another journal entry. Only this wasn’t Riley’s, but Cole’s, the guard of the North block they’d heard from in a previous tape.

It was actually pretty unsettling. Apparently, before coming a ‘Shelf Keeper’ (or as Cole himself had said, basically a prison guard), he was a ‘Resource Extraction Specialist’. Apparently some big accident had happened before he got reassigned, and that accident had killed the other Specialists, Cole’s friends. Angel wasn’t sure they wanted to know what that was about. The only thing they could really understand was that it was Playtime Co’s fault.

(Quick, everyone, act surprised!)

~*~

If Angel had still been able to joke around when they’d seen the body of the train conductor, they surely couldn’t anymore after they had to squeeze through an indicibile amount of bodies. They felt like crying, and their clothes were covered in dry blood that wasn’t theirs, but rather belonged to the former employees.

Then, as if that wasn’t enough trauma, the Doctor decided to release some red smoke in the room they currently were in, so they had to run around the whole place while fighting off hallucinations and dizziness, all to find a way to turn the gas off and leave the room.

Eventually they managed to escape after breaking a window (oops). In the next room, they found a document that spoke about experiment 1166. It’d been written by Sawyer himself, possibly when he was still human (unless he’d always been tv man? Angel doubted it). It said that he would isolate him so that he would only be loyal to him, sort of like a pet. On the top right corner there was a picture of what Angel could guess was Yarnaby, although his mouth was… a tiny bit off.

”Okay, so… you’re not the ally I’m supposed to find” Angel whispered with a small voice as they stared at Yarnaby’s very sharp and numerous teeth.

”I’m starting to think Poppy needs to work on her intel”

~*~

Angel figured Sawyer had gotten tired of following their every movement after a while.

Instead, they were caught off guard when they entered some sort of observation room and they heard his voice.

”You know, I never thought I’d see another like you. A human. Certainly not Leith Pierre’s perfect baby.”

Angel flinched. Oh, how they fucking hated this guy.

Yeah, their father had always praised their brains and creativity, and the used to be proud of that once. Now, being put in the same sentence as him felt like an insult.

”But he was right, something makes you different, I can tell that much. Though I can’t say what exactly that something is. Not yet…”

”I dunno, maybe it’s the fact that I’ve killed all your little pawns, and you’re next” Angel considered, trying to keep their tone light, but ultimately failing on the last words.

”Mh” Sawyer hummed, seemingly not fazed by their threat. “The others you’ve faced - 1170, 1188, 1222 - been there, done that. Let’s try our hand at something a little… different.”

Angel tensed, ready to run at first sign of danger.

”Oh, Yarnaby~”

”Oh, fuck-“

They yelped and stepped back when the giant yarn ball came out of the door on the other side of the glass. He scratched at the wall, leaving claw marks, and then roared. When he did his mouth opened vertically rather than horizontally, splitting his face in half.

”Please, do keep making this enjoyable for me. I’ll be taking notes.”

A panel to their left opened, and Yarnaby left the room he was in at the moment. Angel didn’t doubt they would cross paths again very soon…

Angel really would’ve loved to just- faint and wait for someone to come and collect their body. Sawyer could take it, they didn’t give a shit. They were not about to face that giant furball??

But, after all, they’d already faced Huggy, Mommy, CatNap and so many others. Yarnaby wasn’t gonna be too much of an issue, right?

(Ugh, why did they have to keep jinxing it…)

~*~

The giant dough arm that had popped out of nowhere and had continuously helped them had been an unexpected, although pleasing, surprise.

But what they considered to be their most important discovery yet was the tape they were currently watching.

”This recklessness has to stop.” While couldn’t really be sure, they were confident that this man that was speaking was Eddie M. N. Ritterman.

(Also, what’s up with everyone having British accents??)

“The Doctor has no regard for the safety of this facility, or its staff.”

”Or the children in Playcare!” that was Stella Greyber. ”I’ve tried to set boundaries with him. He doesn’t listen to me.”

”He doesn’t listen to any of us.” and.. their father, of course: Leith Pierre. “Not really. Not anymore. And he’s behind schedule. Playtime may have turned a corner financially, but that doesn’t change the fact that his ‘Bigger Bodies Initiative’ is still a money hole.”

”Yeah, dad. That’s definitely the issue! Not the child experimentation you have going on?!” Angel yelled, but immediately regretted it after hearing Yarnaby somewhere around roaring and scratching harder in the ground and walls. “Right, forgot he was still around…”

”The guy’s gotta go, Leith.” Eddie stated coldly, and Angel felt a startle. Why did that conversation sound so… familiar?

They checked the date of the recording. While the month hadn’t been specified, the conversation dated to the year of 1993. They would’ve been around 6 or 7 years old. Was it possible that their dad had brought them to such an important meeting?

(Heya, author here, if I get even one comment about 67 I will bomb you <33)

“And how do you suggest we do that?” Angel closed their eyes, and the image appeared in front of them clear as light.

She was sitting on her father’s lap, doodling something in a way that was much more nicer than her usual drawings from when she was little. In front of her, a man and a woman. She couldn’t conjure their appearance to mind, she didn’t really care, and she was really focused on the drawing.

”This wouldn’t be the first time we’ve made someone disappear.” Out of the corner of her eye, Angel could almost see Eddie shrugging.

”We can’t kill him, Eddie.” Angel didn’t like that tone. It meant daddy was upset. She hated when he was upset.

”…Why not?”

Leith sighed and slightly bounced Angel on his thigh, shifting her position. “Because like it or not, we need him.”

”Eddie’s right though,” that was Stella. Angel liked her, she always gave her crayons of the most wonderful colours for Christmas and her birthdays. “Sawyer can’t keep leading this project”

Dad chuckled, and he sounded seriously amused. “So we just ask him to step down? Take a demotion?”

”No, but-“

”I’m not disagreeing.” dad interrupted with a reassuring tone. “Huggy loose in the woods, that business with CatNap,” his grip on Angel momentarily tightened, and she blinked. Wait, that sounded familiar… “the whole Stoll thing-“

”And half a dozen other incidents.” Eddie added.

”Right, and all of that pales in comparison to the Theatre Incident.”

Now, Angel had literally no idea what that meant. But it made daddy upset, so it was clearly not a good thing.

Stella shuddered. “I don’t even want to talk about that…”

Eddie huffed and leaned back into his chair. “So… we can’t kill the sonofabitch-“

”Eddie!” Stella protested, and dad’s hands flew to Angel’s hears, muffling the words she said next. Still, Angel had gotten pretty good at reading people’s lips, so she looked up and understood what Stella was saying anyways. “You can’t curse like that in front of a child!”

Eddie rolled his eyes, and his gaze momentarily flicked towards Angel. “That wouldn’t be a problem if Leith stopped taking her to the meetings.”

”It’s fine, Stella. Her mother curses like a pirate when she thinks no one’s hearing her” dad said. Stella still didn’t look convinced, but she let it go.

”As I was saying,” Eddie continued with a glare in Stella’s direction, “we can’t kill him, but we need to knock him out of the equation. What do we do?”

Angel looked back down at her drawing. The conversation didn’t interest her anymore. Over their shoulder, however, she could feel her father’s gaze on what she’d been drawing.

She’d wanted to make a robot at first, like the Boogie Bot that Playtime planned to release that Christmas, but she’d decided to fuse it with a tv instead. It was a little funny, but she liked it.

”Can I, sweetie?” her dad whispered in her ear, a hand already on a corner of the drawing. Angel nodded and he fully took it.

”…There is one thing I can think of”

The tape ended, and Angel was brought back to reality with a gasp.

What the hell had that been?? Some sort of repressed childhood memory?? It’d been so weird…

Never mind, they had to keep moving. They could hear Yarnaby getting more frantic in his search. They had little time before he came to look for them.

Briefly though, Angel wondered what that ‘Theatre Incident’ that their father had mentioned was. Knowing this place, they’d found out soon enough.

~*~

After running from Yarnaby once again (thank you, mysterious dough arm and possible ally) and getting their suspicions checked with a tape that had featured a talk between Stella Greyber and their father (she must’ve definitely helped during the Hour of Joy, no doubt) and hearing some awfully dark jokes about dinosaurs and asteroids, Angel was about read to just lay down and wait for this supposed ally to come and find them instead. Why did they have to do all the work??

The dough arm had disappeared, and Angel hadn’t seen it again yet.

So now they were trying not to fall into the pit of death, especially because Pianosaurus was right there-

And they fell into the pit, of course…

Angel had always rather liked Pianosaurus. He was probably one of the characters with the most merch, along with Poppy and Huggy, for some reason. But that didn’t mean they would’ve liked to be eaten by him…

Pianosaurus looked at them for a moment, tilting his head. The piano keys that he had for teeth momentarily lit up, before he started charging at them.

So… that was it. They’d survived Huggy Wuggy, Mommy Long Legs and her games, CatNap, his red smoke and his minions, a few of the Doctor’s twisted experiments, and even a few other almost deadly incidents that were (for the most part) not toy related, but what was about to kill them was a green dinosaur that had a piano for a mouth.

You know what? That actually tracked.

Only Pianosaurus never reached them, because all of a sudden a bunch of hands grabbed him and dragged him back.

Angel was stunned for a moment, but the surprise quickly turned to shock and slight fear as whatever had grabbed Pianosaurus started smashing him around the room, until he was lifeless. Then, he dragged him back into the darkness.

The rest of the scene happened in the shadows, but the sound of someone devouring meat was a clear enough proof of what was happening. Piece of the toy flew towards them in any direction, and finally Pianosaurus’ head slid towards them.

”Now that hit the spot!” exclaimed a funny, bubbly voice. “I haven’t eaten in weeks!”

At the end of the hallway, from the darkness, a figure emerged. It was mostly made of blue dough, but there were also some parts that were red, orange and yellow. He had a funny grin and a silly little hat. Angel was all too familiar with that toy, and they knew exactly who it was.

They knew even better as the toy approached them with a wider smile.

”Hiya there, pal!”

Doey the Doughman.

Chapter Text

“Hiya there, pal!”

Angel was absolutely stunned while staring at Doey. Sure, they should’ve been expecting thy ever since they’d first seen the helpful dough arm, but to be honest the idea of that particular toy being an experiment had felt extremely absurd to them until now.

He was literally made out of dough! How could they even take the organs and put them in there??

Doey must’ve taken their shocked expression as fear for what they’d just seen with Pianosaurus.

“Don’t worry, I won’t eat YOU!” He said while giggling, holding his belly.

Okay, now that was just adorable.

”I’m Doey” the loving toy said while taking off his hat and giving a small bow. Okay, so- he was officially Angel’s favourite (sorry DogDay, I know you didn’t mean to, but you ALSO tried to eat me).

”Yeah, I… I’m Angel! Or the Player. Nice to meet you” Angel said with a small smile.

Doey nodded with his goofy grin. “I was told to expect you”

He picked Angel up and set them on their feet. “This way! Follow me”

He started walking away, but his head stayed back thanks to his dough neck. Then the hand comically snapped back towards the body. Angel couldn’t help but giggle as they followed after him.

Only… Doey entered a crack in the wall. And Angel was definitely not that flexible…

”Uhm, buddy? Where do I- oh!” they said as they noticed a handle above their head, leading to some sort of corridor up where the floor had gave in.

When they entered the next room, they saw Doey’s head at the end of the hallway. “Psst!”

”Hey! Coming, just- gimme a minute”

Angel tried with a door to their right, since the main hallway was blocked, but they were stunned by what they saw. It looked like they were in a police station, rather than a toy factory (and considering the prison nearby, this wasn’t all too off).

“Uhm, Doey?” Angel called out. “What exactly is this place?”

”Interrogation Rooms.” Doey sounded really mad now, which Angel didn’t like. “They’d question us here after watching us. Those of us who could speak. I always answered… but I never gave em’ an answer they liked!” He giggled again from wherever he was.

”Okay… not sure I want to know what that means…” Angel whispered under their breath as they finally reached the hallway they seen Doey in. Only he wasn’t there.

However, they found something way more interesting. A tape labelled ‘Theatre Incident’. “Huh, guess now I can figure out what that was all about…”

They kept walking until they found a VHS player.

”Hey!” Doey called out. “You’re still following me?”

”Yeah! I’m coming, I just need to take a look at this, then I’ll be right there with ya”

Doey hummed, and Angel inserted the tape in the tv.

The image frankly reminded them of one of those hazmat suit guys, only this one had a poppy flower on their chest as a logo of sorts.

”Got another one over here!”

“Jeez… hard to imagine how the company will tuck all this under the rug”

”Not our problem”

”Three here!”

“How many is that now?”

”58, so far”

Angel blinked. What the hell were they talking about??

Given that this was likely placed after the Theatre Incident, Angel guessed that the uniform on screen and the guys talking were meant to imply that they were hearing a conversation between those ‘Specialists’ Cole had mentioned.

”Another one over here!”

“…59”

”Where is that investigator? Campbell, Lockehart- whatever his name is”

Angel’s eyebrows almost skyrocketed. Investigator?

”Poking around somewhere. Don’t know. You ask me, the culprit’s pretty obvious. Just needs to be spelled out plain and clear for the bigwigs.”

“You think?”

”Yeah. Rotten eggs come from rotten chickens, ya know? Can’t more rotten a chicken than him.”

Ah, so this is about Sawyer. And this investigator guy must’ve come to the same conclusion and had told the executives, which lead to the meeting they’d heard (and remembered, somehow) earlier.

”I don’t know. It just seems so careless that a guy so smart wouldn’t cover his ass. I mean, if the investigator finds evidence of this being his fault…”

”Hope Boxy’s still hungry”

Angel reared back. Woah. No one said anything about a hangry Boxy Boo roaming around the factory??

”Got another!”

”60”

“Right, and now we’re just stuffing the experiments back where they came from? Acting like all of this didn’t happen? Wool over the eyes? Because I guarantee it won’t be so easy to toss a new coat of paint over sixty visitors dead. Or the dozen Resource Extraction Specialists we’ve got swimming in the bellies of those things.”

“Shit…” Angel had been so horrified that they hadn’t been able to keep it in. What the hell?? Sawyer had caused that? Maybe they’d severely underestimated him… not like they’d thought he was innocent and harmless before, they just hadn’t thought he was this bad.

”I’m sure that’s taken care of already… but I hear there’s plans. Something big. Somewhere to put them. With any luck that means that stuff like this, and people like him, will be a thing of the past”

And thus the prison, got it.

”Six more over here!”

”Christ…” Angel murmured as they took the tape back after the recording was over and they settled it in their bag.

”Coming, Doey!”

~*~

”So… have you seen Poppy anywhere? Ollie said she was around… somewhere”

Since Doey said this while Angel was quite literally stepping on him to avoid falling into a ditch, they were pretty startled at first.

”Uhm, yeah. She had to go back to help Kissy because she encountered… something, I don’t even know what”

Doey hummed thoughtfully. “He also said we can trust you. I REALLY hope that’s true…”

Angel shivered. The ‘or else’ was clearly implied there, and they didn’t like that one bit.

They understood how it may might look like in his eyes: some person (did Doey or most of the toys there on Poppy’s side know that they weren’t an employee?) popped back to the factory out of nowhere and decimated them. Doesn’t matter if those toys had been on the Prototype’s side, they were still technically all one in the same. And now this person came down to his territory, but without Poppy and Kissy, who were probably Doey’s friends and were also supposed to be there with them… it was reasonable for Doey to believe that maybe Angel hadn’t come there to only kill the toys on the Prototype’s side, but all of them. For all he knew, that might’ve been a coverup story and Poppy and Kissy could both be long dead.

Well, they were determined to prove him wrong. Especially because they didn’t want to be Doey’s second meal of the day…

They met Doey again in some sort of prison courtyard. He waved, his friendly smile back in place, and he squeezed through a crack in the wall.

”There’s a safe place up ahead, it’s not too far from here”

Angel blinked. “Uhm… Doey?”

The Doughman was silent for a moment, then he chucked. “Right… you can’t fit through here! Hmm… hey, pal, let’s see if we can’t get these doors open! You check out there, I’ll look back here!”

”Right, and I’ll be doing 98% of the work, like always…” Angel whispered, hopefully not loud enough for Doey to hear.

They managed to find some levers and other stuff to help open the door. (Btw: no, Doey, the dead DogDay mini Critter you threw at me did, in fact, not help.)

They had to walk around a lot before catching up with Doey again, finally.

The big guy waved at them, but turned serious when they got closer. “Our generator’s in a… pretty bad state, so… we try to keep the power off in here. I’ll turn it on for you though! It’ll open a door downstairs”

”Alright, see you later, bud” Angel replied, before carefully sliding down a tunnel into the next floor.

With Doey’s help, they managed to reactivate a door and open some part of gate.

”Should be a straight line from here, bud!” Doey exclaimed from wherever he was at the moment.

”I, uh… should probably go turn off our defences for you, huh… guess I’ll see you inside?” he giggled.

”Wait, inside where- anddd he’s gone, of course.” Angel deadpanned, looking around.

”Alright, let’s do this. Just a straight line…”

~*~

It was not a straight line at all.

Firstly they had to pass through the dead bodies that someone had put into bags and hanged like you usually would with meat at a butcher’s shop.

Then they’d been dragged into a crack in the wall by a fuzzy arm.

At first, their first instinct had been to scream. That was surely Huggy that was coming to take his revenge on them, right?

But no, the arm belonged to a pink toy. Kissy, to be exact.

She looked pretty bad, to be honest. The right side of her body looked like it had received some pretty bad burns, and her arm was tied around her neck with a makeshift blue bandage.

Poppy was standing on the living toy’s left shoulder. She looked okay, but her eyes were pretty red, like she’d been crying.

Angel was about to do something really stupid, like yell their names or curse out loud, but Poppy brought a finger to her lips. “Shhhhhh…”

The reason of this action soon revealed itself.

All Angel could see from there was a shadow, but it was enough. Long and sharp metal legs that reminded them of spiders cluttered along the ground, stopped in front of their hiding spot and then rushed forward. Angel didn’t need someone to tell them who it was to know:

The Prototype.

He was huge, bigger than they’d expected him to be, and he was definitely on their toes.

Kissy and Poppy waited a moment before moving again. Kissy was still holding them tightly, and Angel felt like a kid in their mom’s arms (well, arm. How strong was Kissy??).

”Through the showers” Poppy whispered. “We should be able to make it into the Safe Haven from there”

Angel refrained from asking what the hell ‘Safe Haven’ even was. They guessed it probably was that place Doey had been talking about.

Poppy peeked out of the crack that was currently connecting them to the showers, then she turned back to her two companions. “When I say so, we go”

Angel hysterically thought that that sentence pretty much summarised their experience here at Playtime Co so far.

”Go!”

Kissy let go of Angel, then she started walking towards the showers. Angel was about to follow, but then noticed a tape laying on the ground. They quickly picked it up, then sprinted after their friends.

At first, Angel was startled. A DogDay Critter was peacefully standing in a corner, and mini Kissy Missy was hiding in a locked. As they continued, a small Hoppy Hopscotch asked “w-who are you?”.

”I’m Angel, I’m a friend” they smiled, even though a little wobbly. The bloody thing’s clones had spent a few fun minutes biting into their skin not too long ago.

The small one, however, seemed relieved by that. “Poppy’s Angel…”

Angel grimaced. They really wished people would stop defining them as Poppy’s.

They quickly followed after Kissy, who was now banging against some metal doors. Slowly, they opened, and Angel followed after them.

Kissy let Poppy down, and she ran towards a Boogie Bot that was holding a remote. “Hurry! Close it!”

From the other side of the room, Doey came running. “What’s going on? What’s- Kissy!” He stared at the other in shock and ran towards her, hesitating to touch her.

”Goodness… what happened?”

”We need to get her help. Now!” Poppy exclaimed. She sounded seriously worried about Kissy. Angel could tell that the two were very close.

Doey looked even more shocked by Poppy’s presence than he’d had at Kissy’s injuries. “Poppy? Is that really..?”

Poppy nervously nodded towards Kissy, and Doey seemed to snap back to his serious mode. That guy’s mood switches should be studied…

“Right” he turned towards the Boogie Bot. “Take her to one of the beds. I’ll check the defenders, see if something’s still outside”

”Not just something…” Angel muttered. They immediately regretted it when the attention of the two plus Poppy snapped in their direction.

The doll exhaled deeply. “It’s him. He’s out there.”

”You brought him down?!-“ Doey yelled, turning towards Poppy. Angel and Kissy both stepped forward, out of protectiveness.

Yes, maybe Angel had grown a little protective of the doll, so what? As cryptic she’d been, she was still a kid, and she clearly cared about them.

Doey seemingly calmed down, but he sighed with a hand to his face. Honestly? Relatable.

”We’ll talk about this later. For now, I’ll make sure ‘out there’ is where he stays.”

Doey ran away, but Angel could tell he was really mad. Selfishly, they hoped he was only mad at Poppy.

The small Boogie Bot spoke up. “Locking down Safe Haven. Reactivating the defences…”

”Thanks Scout” Poppy said with a small smile. The Boogie Bot - Scout - nodded.

”Over here” the doll said to Kissy, and Angel, moving them towards a small makeshift tent with a lot of pillows inside. That was truly the comfiest Angel had seen yet in the factory. Screw those stupid padded walls and floors!

Kissy sat in a corner, and Poppy squeezed her hand. “Get some rest, okay?”

”You earned it, you did good” Angel reassured. Kissy nodded at both of them.

Poppy got our of the tent and nervously looked around. Now that the situation was calmer, Angel decided to do the same.

The place looked a lot like a kindergarten playroom, only with mini toys instead of kids (although technically those mini toys were kids…). It looked like they’d taken all the resources of the factory and had gathered them there. Angel could understand why Poppy, Doey and the others saw it as a ‘Safe Haven’.

”I didn’t know it had gotten this bad… I… I need to make this right…” Poppy murmured.

She looked so defeated, so lost… Angel couldn’t handle giving her the cold shoulder any longer.

”You mean we?” they said gently, kneeling down in front of her. Poppy looked pleasantly surprised, and she wrapped a porcelain hand around their index.

”What I said on the elevator, it’s true. The orphans weren’t killed during the Hour of Joy, they were taken. They’re below, in the Labs, the Prototype’s home”

”Oh, so this place really does reach the core of the earth” Angel joked. That earned a small, strained chuckle out of Poppy. “Are the orphans alive or like… toys?”

”They are alive, but sleeping. They’re with HIM. And HE knows we’re HERE. So if we’re going to free them AND stop the Prototype, we need to plan both at the same time”

”Alright boss. I’m assuming you have a plan?”

Poppy looked a little ashamed when Angel called her ‘boss’, but she nodded. “The red smoke you re-directed from Playcare… it’s an accelerant. All it needs is high pressure and a little spark, and it ignites!”

Poppy let go of Angel’s finger to start walking back and forth. The latter blinked confused. “I’m not really getting the plan..?”

The doll rolled her eyes playfully. “The plan is this: we’ll fill the foundation with the smoke, and line it with old mining charges. Then once you, me, and Kissy have freed the orphans, our friends here will blow the place sky high. THAT’s our revenge.”

Uhhh… what.

”What.” Angel said out loud, a little dumbfounded.

Poppy didn’t seem to acknowledge their last comment. “Go to Doey, see what he needs. I’ll be here” and she went back to Kissy, quietly chatting with her, as Scout came back with what looked like the toy version of medical supplies (thread and needle).

Angel knelt there for another few minutes, before standing up and deciding to just let it go and do as Poppy had said.

Because that’s all that they seemed to be doing around here, follow Poppy’s orders…

Before going back to Doey, they explored the Safe Haven a bit. The drawings were filled with drawings, most of which were pretty depressing. Someone had wrote ‘I miss my mommy’ on the wall, and Angel sort of wanted to track that kid down and hug them.

(Why would Poppy ever want to blow up this place?? It was awesome!)

But what was most impressing was the amount of doodles about Poppy, and not the positive kind of doodles. All the drawings that represented her had been crossed out with aggressive red crayon strokes, and there was a repeated mantra about how she’d left them and she was not to be trusted.

Sooo… those toys were clearly not fans of Poppy. Got it. And they also very likely wouldn’t have been fan of them, given that they were considered by everyone as Poppy’s loyal helper. Just great…

That suspicion got confirmed to them when, while starting at one of those drawings, they overheard a conversation between two Critters.

”What’s POPPY doing here?” a tiny Bubba Bubbaphant whispered to the Hoppy Hopscotch mini Critter he was talking to. It wasn’t the same Hoppy as the one they’d seen at the entrance, this one had a male voice.

”I don’t know. They just let her in!”

”Why? That’s inviting a whole lot of trouble we don’t need! I mean, how do we even know if we can trust her this time?”

Ah. So they weren’t the only ones that had trust issues with Poppy. Great.

”We don’t know. So let’s just be careful. Especially around her… new friend.”

”The employee… can’t forget that.”

Oh, double great. Apparently not only did those guys also believe that Angel was an employee, but they trusted them even less than Poppy.

Angel dramatically turned in their direction and glared.

”Shhh! I think they might be listening!” the tiny Hoppy Hopscotch said.

Angel blinked, then huffed. Whatever, no point in getting mad over this. Doey was waiting for them!

~*~

From what Angel could tell, even before Doey started speaking, Safe Haven’s generator was in pretty bad shape.

What told them that? Well, those hours they’d spent studying mechanical engineering for fun and doing all those puzzles around the factory, of course!

Just kidding, the generator simply emitted so much heat that Angel almost got a sunburn.

”Hi, buddy”

Doey smiled and gave a small wave, but he looked distraught.

“I heard what you did above - what you survived.” Doey said, cutting straight to the point. He gave Angel a strange look, something akin to… respect, maybe.

These guys seriously needed to stop with all the praising before Angel started letting it actually manipulate them.

”If it’s all true, then we need your help”

”I’m here to. Tell me what you need” Angel said, leaning with a shoulder against the wall next to the generator, their arms crossed.

(What? Everyone kept saying how awesome and strong they were, they wanted to act like they actually felt that way!)

”The voice out there - the one in the prison… they called him ‘the Doctor’,” Doey made with his hands the kind of motion that teens use to mock scary things. Angel momentarily wondered how old he’d been when he’d been turned into… this. “Doctor Harley Sawyer. He was the scientist, in charge of creating… us”

”We’ve met,” Angel nodded, with a grimace. Their legs twitched, “not a fan”

”We don’t know what he is, how he’s still alive, but he works with the Prototype” Doey grumbled. Once again, the mood switch…

”Of course, why would he not…”

”Haunting us.” Doey continued, growing angrier. “Starving us. Making us sick and- gah!”

He doubled over, holding his head, and Angel let go of their pose to approach the big guy. “Uhm, buddy?”

After a moment, Doey stood up straight again, his expression much calmer. “He controls it all with an Omni-Hand, we think. The executives used them”

”Yeah, I heard about it in a tape” Angel explained. “But what is it exactly?”

”It’s a battery, a key, the master of control to anything in the entire factory, and with it he commands everything down here… everything but this…”

Doey patted the generator. “Runs completely on its own grid. Away from the prison. For a time, it kept us safe. But now…”

”It needs fixing?” Angel inquired. Doey nodded, giving them a resolute look.

”I need you to stop the Doctor - to take his Omni-Hand. We’ll need it for the generator. And, if you want the red smoke in the Foundation, you’ll need it too”

Angel quietly gasped. So Doey had heard their conversation with Poppy, and he knew about her plan. That could explain why he was being so moody.

”Doey, man, look…” Angel started, but he interrupted them with a look.

“The toys out there, in Safe Haven, they’re my family… I understand what Poppy wants, what she believes is right. Destroy the factory, destroy Him. But I ask you to consider: if we throw everything away. Everyone. Just to kill the Prototype… how much do we waste?”

Angel not their inner cheek. Doey was right. About everything. He was right because the kids at Safe Haven deserved so much better. But also they understood that Poppy was also right. What future could these guys ever have outside of the factory? Chances were that as soon as they stepped out of the factory the FBI or the CIA would take them all to study and replicate their procedures. This place had to be buried for good, with all its evidence, but the toys had to go with it.

”I know the others might believe it’s right” Doey continued, almost like he’d read Angel’s thoughts. “That we should bury everything. But…” he sighed and took off his hat, nervously fiddling with it. “Let’s just think about it”

Angel felt their heart soften. What was with all the sudden gentleness after the horrors and torments they’d been put through and experienced? “Yeah, of course man”

Doey nodded. “Head for the Infirmary whenever you’re ready to leave. There’s sewer access inside. That’s your safest path to the No Man’s Land… and to him. But if you need to catch your breath, our Safe Haven is also yours”

Wow. These guys just really wanted them to cry.

”Okay, thanks big guy, I won’t let you down”

Doey smiled a little, then turned back towards the generator.

~*~

As they walked out of the room, Angel couldn’t help but dwell other the differences between Poppy and Doey.

There was no denying it, Doey clearly cared more. Ever since all of this had started, Poppy had showed to them the same amount of kindness in ten hours or so that Doey had in twenty minutes.

Angel reached the Infirmary, and by pure coincidence, their eyes met some sort of mirror. With a small startle, they realised that the scratches that CatNap had given them back at the Counselor’s Office were still there, and they didn’t look good. They hadn’t had time to fix them up yet… That and the scratches and bite marks left by the minis’ attack earlier.

They sat on a chair next to a Picky Piggy mini Crotter that was looking at them suspiciously, and took out their medical supplies. Timidly, the same Hoppy Hopscotch mini Critter that had spoken to them outside approached them again. It must’ve followed them in.

”Oh, hey, little one” Angel said as gently as possible, while the Critter fiddled around, embarrassed.

”Hi…”

”I never got your name? Or do you want me to call you Hoppy?”

The little one looked up. If it had eyelids, Angel was positive it would’ve blinked. “I’m… I’m Maya…”

Angel smiled at her, and gently motioned her closer. “Come here, I don’t bite”

She slowly walked closer, hesitating before sitting on the chair next to Angel. Her interest perked up when Angel pulled out one of the seven tuna sandwiches they had left, same as the tiny Picky Piggy.

”You want some? You must be really hungry” Angel said gently, extending the meal to her. All around them, they could feel that the attention of most of the toys was now on the two of them.

Maya hesitated for a moment, before taking the sandwich and giving it a small bite. She perked up, and immediately devoured half of it.

”Hey, easy, you’re gonna be sick” Angel chuckled, but the sight made their heart churn.

Now they hadn’t a small crowd of tiny toys surrounding them, all looking rather hungry. Maya handed the half of the sandwich to Picky, who also quickly devoured the half of sandwich that was left.

”I’ve got six more, don’t worry” Angel said, reassuring the other Critters, who were growing agitated.

Maybe it was reckless to just give up their whole food supply to those tiny creatures, but they’d deserved it. Plus, they still had the bar of chocolate and all the other bags of snacks they’d brought.

Oh- right, they hadn’t mentioned those yet, had they? But what can I, your humble narrator, say about Angel if not that they LOVE to eat?

The mini Critters now looked a little more relaxed around them than they’d had earlier in Safe Haven’s main room. Once the meal was over they all left, leaving Angel and Maya alone.

”Hey, little one, you mind helping me out with these scratches?” Maya nodded.

The little Hoppy turned out to be a really good nurse. Angel mostly instructed her on what to do, but she was great at it. She helped pour the hydrogen peroxide in the scratches on their face and the back of their legs, where Angel couldn’t reach, and also helped carefully applying the burn cream on the injuries that the electric shock from the green hand had left them with. Then she helped place small scraps of bandages on their face, their right hand and right leg.

Eventually, after visiting Kissy, Scout, who was apparently some sort of medic of the group, came to take a look at Angel’s left ankle, and also checked if their numerous ‘accidents’ had left them with a concussion.

”The ankle’s okay, but it’d be better to not force it too much, or you’ll risk a sprain. As of concussions…” she tilted her head to the side. “I can’t really be sure like this, since the effects of the red smoke and the symptoms of a concussion  are very similar”

Angel sighed. “It’s okay. Not like there’s a hospital nearby where you can cure that or whatever”

Maya still looked a little worried, but Angel patted her between the ears and she seemed to relax. “It’s okay, little one. I’m good at toughing things out”

”Still, no overdoing it” Scout scolded them.

”Yes, yes! I’ll be careful, you have my word”

Why did everyone seem to care so much, while Poppy only seemed to see them as a tool?

”Alright then, if there’s nothing more-“

”Wait, no, actually, there is!” Angel quickly said.

Both Maya and Scout raised their heads, surprised. “Yes?” the latter asked.

”Is there anywhere I can, y’know… pee?”

~*~

Okay, so, in their defence, Angel dared anyone to spend all this time in a factory while running from scary monsters without peeing once.

Fortunately there was a bathroom in Safe Haven, despite the toys not really needing it.

But after that, Angel was ready to go!

Well, that, and also after finding some sort of document that spoke about Safe Haven.

Project Overview: ‘Safe Haven’

Project Name: Safe Haven

Project Manager: Darwin Silva

Project Lead: Cyril Warrenbach

Ugh, those Warrenbach asshole again…

Project Goals:

Create a reinforced, easily defendable central location for Security staff, equipped with blast doors, defences, and multiple emergency entrances/exits.

Angel blinked, then doubled over and laughed, startling many of the toys nearby.

How ironic. A place that had originally been built for the Security staff to protect them from the toys was now being used by those very same toys, and the staff was long dead. How fitting!

The rest of paper just spoke about he many defences that the place had been equipped with, as well as a note at the end that said that they needed clarification about the project for the Prison. Maybe someone was finally using their brains and realising that a toy factory did not, in fact, need a prison.

Anyways, time to leave now!

…after listening to that VHS they’d found earlier.

Hey, they would’ve definitely listened to that later, hadn’t the label on it be ‘Ollie’. That was obviously relevant information.

The screen showed the foggy image of a dollhouse. Angel recognised it as the same that had been present in the hallways of the bigger ‘house’ they’d found Poppy in.

Sure enough, the first sound they heard was Poppy herself, but she was crying. In the background, there was also a phone ringing. Ollie’s phone.

“Poppy? …Are you there?”

”…yes. Yes, I’m here”

”When you didn’t answer, I… I mean… a-are you feeling okay?”

”Buddy, she’s literally crying.” Angel deadpanned, ignoring the weird looks that the nearby Crotters sent them.

”I’m okay… really”

Angel facepalmed.

”Did the bad men hurt you?”

That got their attention. Angel had assumed this tape belonged to the period of time where Poppy was stuck in her case, but if they were talking about ‘bad men’, then maybe this was set long before the Hour of Joy.

”There’s nothing more they can do to hurt me. Nothing more than what they’ve already done…”

Angel cringed. It was so easy to forget that Poppy was also a child, with the way she acted…

”Something’s bothering you, Poppy. Something you… need to talk about?”

”I don’t need anything tonight. Ollie, I just want to sleep”

”I think there’s more to this. More that you’re not telling me.”

”There’s not.”

”I know what you’re doing Poppy. Talking like that. Don’t think for a second that I believe it. Just tell me what you’re feeling. Please, just talk to me honestly”

”Dude.” Angel murmured. Next time they spoke to Ollie, they really needed to talk over his conversation skills…

”Talk? Talk?! You want me to talk!?”

”Yes, yes I-“

”And what will talking do, huh?! Will talking to you make them stop?!”

”N-No, it…”

”I’m scared, Ollie. Is that what you want to hear? I’m scared, and I’m angry, and… and I really don’t know what to do… the bad men don’t say what they want. They don’t listen. They don’t care how much anything hurts… it’s been weeks and weeks of taking things out and putting them back in and taking things out and putting them back in! Over and over and over! Nothing’s EVER gotten better! And it’ll never GET better!”

Poppy stopped to catch her breath, and Angel let go of theirs. That conversation was so… startlingly alike what Riley had described her surgery to be… it was sickening. And it made them mad all over again.

“But you know what scares me more than anything, Ollie? It scared me that every time they do it… every time they peel me open… I feel it less. LESS!.. I hate them. And I hate HIM. And I hate… I’m nothing now, Ollie. No one. I’m a thing… and nothing they can do to me hurts more than that…”

Angel only realised they were crying when they tasted their own salty tears.

“You’re not nothing to me. You’re Poppy. And taking with you, like this… I know it doesn’t make any of what they do right. It can’t… but it makes me feel like a piece of me is still here. No matter how small they try to make it. Next to all that, next to whatever they do… it means everything”

Oh. So Ollie was an experiment too.

For some reason, after debunking the ‘not the phone’ theory, Angel had always believed Ollie to be an orphan. But it definitely made more sense for him to be a toy too. The orphans were all asleep, according to Poppy, and he sounded like he was still a kid even now. If this tape dated back to the 90s, then Ollie should’ve been a kid for like- 15 years. But if he was a toy, then it made sense for his voice to have stayed the same.

Poppy kept crying, but Ollie gently spoke again.

”I’m here, Poppy. For you, I’ll always be here”

”Woah, they really sound like siblings” Angel whispered, taking the tape and gently resting it on top of the tv. They wouldn’t need this later, but maybe they could give it to Poppy to remind her that not only was Ollie always gonna be there for her, but so were Kissy and… okay, yeah, Angel too.

But now, that’s it! Ready to leave! And-

Never mind, they found another tape. God damn it…

The image itself didn’t show much, it looked something that you could find in a site that was under construction. This probably belonged to when the Prison was being built. A man that Angel couldn’t recognise whistled and then spoke.

“Long way down. So, this is what we have to work with?”

Was he… Australian, or something? Angel had never been good with accents.

“Do you believe it’s doable?”

Ah. That was Eddie Ritterman.

”Sure. Yeah. It’s doable…”

”Good. Remember, our timetable here is tight. If there’s anything you need from me, do not hesitate to-“

”A-Actually… I’ve got something I want to talk to you about. It’s important”

”…I’m listening.”

“You said you wanted him to ask questions if he had any, buddy” Angel murmured with a slight smirk. “You should’ve expected a question or two”

”My company, we’ve built a lot for you over the years, and believe me, we’ve always been accommodating. We just did the work you paid us to do…”

Ohhh… so this guy is someone from Warrenbach.

”And your point here is..?”

”…I don’t like what I’m supposed to be building here.”

”FINALLY!” Angel exclaimed, slamming a hand against the table. “Someone with brain cells!”

”Look, the Game Station? Whatever. It’ll be fun for the kids!”

”It was not.”

”Underground production plants?”

What now?

”Sure. Maximise production. Makes a… kind of sense? As much as any of this, I suppose…”

“So no sense.”

”But THIS… what in the world would a toy company need with a prison? When my people were building Playcare, all Mr Ludwig could talk about what how much good it could do. And all you needed was a look at the man to know he believe every word of it…”

Huh. Maybe Angel had villainised Elliot for no reason? Sure, they’d found a document about the experiments in his office, but that didn’t necessarily mean that it’d been him to write it. And also they’d misjudged him for Playcare… sure, it was weird to have it be underground, but the concept itself was… nice. Especially if you consider that it used to lack the bunch of murderous experiments laying around. As much as they’d heard so far, Elliot seemed to really care for the company and the kids.

And the body at his house? Well, if it’d been discovered after Elliot’s death, then it was probably true that someone had really placed the body there to get rid of it, not thinking that the police would con look.

”I need to hear that this is still the same company. If we’re going to make this thing for you, then I need that assurance. I-I-It’s… a game! Something for the kids! Anything! …Mr Ritterman?”

”Let me give you a bit of history, friend”

It sounded like Eddie was walking closer to the Warrenbach guy, but it was hard to tell.

”In 1972, you signed a contract. A legally binding piece of paper that says whatever is asked of you, you do it. We asked, you did. In 1990, you signed another. A renewal. In it, had you bothered to read it, you’d have found a small clause. ‘Any and all directives will be accomplished in the appropriate time, and with appropriate compensation should the project be completed to satisfaction’.”

And that’s why you always read the terms and conditions before accepting anything, kids.

”Your name rests at the bottom of that document, and I remember because it was the ugliest bit of cursive I’ve ever seen.”

Angel snorted despite themselves. Icon.

”So now you do the work, because we’ve given you a directive.”

”M-Mr Ritterman, w-we’re near the-“

”Yes. Yes we are. ALL our us are. On a ledge.”

”Oh shit!” Angel exclaimed out loud, surprised. Despite hearing Eddie talk about killing Sawyer earlier in the same way someone would speak about the weather, they’d only considered him the person who let others do the dirty work. Apparently, they’d gotten that image all wrong…

“Great things are coming. Great things that will someday make a lot of people very happy. But to do so, to make that dream real, we need this. Otherwise, there’s a place we’ll all fall. Together.”

It sounded like Eddie had pulled back.

”I’m a businessman, Mr Silva. And I don’t like to get angry. I get paid to see that things gets done. And this, like everything else, will get done.”

”…could’ve just said that the kids would use it to role play…” Angel murmured astonished, putting the tape in their bag. This thing was starting to weight on them…

Okay, now they could seriously get a move on. Into the Sewers and-

And Doey and Poppy are speaking, hold up, let them eavesdrop…

”I think you might be wrong, Poppy. What you want…”

”It’s the best for everyone, Doey. That no trace of this place is left. We agreed to that.”

”I know… but us, everyone in there, we’re not just things gone wrong. Were people… can’t you see that?”

”I can… and I’m sorry…”

”They look up to me, Poppy. And I’ve looked after them the best I could. You disappeared. You left us…”

Ah, this story again…

”We looked and we looked. And there was just nothing. No sign of you… can you even tell me why?”

”…I had to leave. I had no choice!”

”That’s not good enough! We’ve starved down here. We’ve been hunted. And now you’re asking us to burn everything? ALL of us? We’ve made our life protecting these toys, and they’ve… saved us, in more ways than one. We-“

”Poppy,” it was a new voice, one that Angel couldn’t place, “she needs you. Done what I could”

”I… wish there were another way, Doey. But I just don’t see it… we’ll talk about this later”

Okay, now, FOR REAL. Time to get a move on.

They had a doctor’s appointment, and they’d hate to miss it…

Chapter Text

After the huge factory lore drop they’d gotten in the last thirty minutes or so, Angel would’ve gladly avoided more notes. Unluckily for them, this one caught their attention.

It was labelled ‘experiment 1322C’. Since when did Playtime Co go by letters??

Also, wasn’t 1322 another kid? They’d heard it in a tape back at Home Sweet Home, what was the name again… oh, right! Kevin. Wasn’t 1322 Kevin? Unless he was another letter… but why give the same number to multiple people, just with different letters?

Whatever, no point in dwelling on things in this place. The report would probably help clear things up.

Counselor’s Report

For all intent and purposes, Matthew Hallard is a DREAM child.

He’s thoughtful, kind, considerate, understanding. And while maybe not as intelligent as some of the other children (averaging only B to C level work in School), nor as physically gifted, he MORE than makes up for it in his charm and charisma.

There’s NOBODY down here who isn’t fond of the boy. It’s just a shame that he came to us already a boy of fifteen, well into his puberty. Most parents look for a child a lot younger. He understands.

Though he rarely speaks on it, I know Matthew suffers from DEEP insecurities. I’ve read the reports on the accident that put him here. He blames himself for the family he couldn’t save. I believe he’s on the road to healing but the way is long. And nobody mourns the same.

He’s become something of a leader to the younger children though, even reading them books LATE into the afternoon (we allow it, sorry). ‘The Adventures of the Word Wizard’ is his favourite. They listen to him when he breaks up fights in the Playhouse, and hang on almost every word he says. And seeing him like this, assuming this role, I think it’s what he needs. Should he age out, I might even request bringing him onto staff.

Signature:

Claire Harper

Angel flinched when reading the name. “Why is it always her…”

But that at least meant that Claire wasn’t aware of what was going on beneath the surface, if she didn’t know what was bound to happen to Matthew. Since he’d been labeled as experiment 1322, the highest number Angel remembered seeing yet, it was safe to say that he’d been made around 1993 or 1994, the last couple years of the company. Or, at least, she was not aware of it before Riley arrived at Playcare. Who knew if she’d found out by then…

Angel briefly wondered how much blood had Ms Harper felt on her hands. Surely she must’ve realised what had happened to the kids at some point, or at least must’ve started suspecting it. Marie, Matthew, Riley… and only God knows how many others she took care of and watched disappear.

But the most interesting part of the document was the last section, which held a different, familiar handwriting.

Stella Greyber’s handwriting, to be exact.

(He IS a good candidate for 1322C, should his personality mesh with the other two. But please, be gentle if you pick him. He’s a fine young man. The future we’re fighting for would be a waste if we sacrifice too many like him. -Stella)

Angel barely held back a scoff. The ‘future they were fighting for’ was already a waste by itself. The moment they first killed a child for this it became a waste. Hadn’t Stella gotten the hint of it by just looking at the numbers that the experiment had reached?

Sure, despite it reaching the 1300s from what they’d read and heard so far, they knew that the Prototype and before him Poppy were the only experiments where a child had been used, but that still meant that around three hundred children had died for this insanity, possibly more. How hadn’t Stella, who seemed to care so much about this children, realised that this whole thing was a waste after even just the first one had died?

But there was also another line about that note that bothered Angel. ‘Should his personality mesh with the other two’. What was that supposed to mean?? Did Matthew have some of DID that hadn’t been mentioned in the report? Unless…

1322C. That implied that were also two subjects before him, 1322A and 1322B, and one of them possibly being Kevin. Was it possible that Playtime had tried to… mesh these three kids together..?

Angel shivered. It was such a crude concept, they didn’t even want to entertain the idea. They took the note and shoved it in their bag, along with the others. Later, I’ll think about this later.

But unfortunate the factory seemed to have decided that after hours of gate keeping answers, it was now time to hand them all out like candies during Halloween.

They found a tape nearby, and a tv not too far away. The tape was labelled ‘1322B’.

”Fine, here goes nothing…”

The picture showed a bed, a bed that was familiar to Angel from another tape. And the void of the man who spoke was just as familiar…

Oh, right! They’d seen that in the tape about Kevin!

Oh.

Oh…

”After a brief… interruption,”

”Read: a child catching you red handed while kidnapping his friend.”

”we’ve successfully extracted Subject 1322. Specifically 1322B, from Home Sweet Home.”

Okay… so Kevin was 1322B.

”Before said interruption, I attempted to detail the subject’s condition, and overview the suitability for one ‘Kevin Barnes’ in relation to ‘Project: Doey’.”

Angel’s jaw dropped. Oh.

Well… that explained the mood swings, at least. It was literally different people talking and trying to come up instead of the others.

(They hated how little this revelation had surprised them, but after all they’d seen already, really, what could’ve shocked them?)

”The ‘neural abnormalities’ noted in Dr Newman’s report are detailed in connection to behavioural issues demonstrated within Playcare. Trouble getting along with others, aggressive and often confrontational social tendencies, and an otherwise combative nature clearly relay that Kevin is, put simply, a problem child.”

”And that’s why they needed Matthew to be in there to keep him calm” Angel reasoned. Then they almost slapped themselves.

No. This shouldn’t make sense. It’s inhumane!

”What friends he DOES have, he’s reported to have attacked in moments of… intense play.”

Angel felt their heart tug. And yet Joseph had cared for him, he’d wanted to know if he was okay. Joseph had been Kevin’s friend, and they ripped those two apart from each other. It was awful, it was unfair, it was wrong.

But also, that explained why Doey had been so… brutal, with Pianosaurus. Not that they minded it, he’d saved their life, but still.

”These tendencies raise concerns. The subject excels in all physical tests. Reflexes, reaction time, and mental fortitude all tested well above average in Game Station examinations. So, in spite of said concerns, in Dr Sawyer’s eyes, Kevin is ideal for the Project. However, if his use in this particular experiment is to move forward, we need to ensure we’re not creating a time bomb just as we’ve begun stabilising the entire Project. If we're to create an experiment that can fulfil multiple assigned roles, we can't allow any single consciousness to throw the others off…”

Wow. So Angel had been right. They hated being right.

”Even a simple misregulation of emotions means we have nine-hundred pounds of dough that san shift however it pleases, and can turn on even those it trusts, simply because it was overwhelmed by a stray feeling!”

Angel shivered when the scientist finished his rant. That sounded terryfing. And after what they’d seen Doey do with Pianosaurus?

…Yeah, they were just glad they were allies. As long as they didn’t piss Doey off they should’ve been okay.

This also explained why Kissy and Scout had tensed so much when Doey had snapped at Poppy. They probably knew what he was like when mad…

The scientist took a deep breath before continuing, clearly frustrated.

”Regardless, Sawyer’s word is law, and Subjects 1322A and C are to be gathered for processing first thing tomorrow morning… thus, all we can do is plan our safeguards accordingly… yes, that’s ALL we can do…”

”…Well thanks for the info, Playtime factory” Angel murmured, putting the tape away in their bag.

”Now please, enough lore drops. I’m actually starting to miss getting chased by giant toys.”

~*~

So, Angel would like to clarify that they hadn’t missed getting chased that much.

But apparently the building hadn’t understood their sarcasm, because they were currently running away by a very hungry Yarnaby.

They’d been doing this for about forty minutes now, but it had mostly been hiding and then waiting for Yarnaby to leave. He was attracted to noise, so every time Angel had to scan the hands of the GrabPack, they had to be sure that a hiding spot was nearby, just in case the yarn ball was in ear reach.

Unfortunately, just as they were about to leave No Man’s Land, Yarnaby found them again.

”GO TO HELL YOU BIG ASSHOLE!” Angel yelled, unsure of who exactly they were yelling it to. Yarnaby? Sawyer? The Prototype? Any of them were fine, really.

Then, they noticed the lava.

Yes, lava. Or magma, whatever you’d prefer to call it. Looks like they really were close to the core of the earth…

Luckily there was a conveniently placed chain attached to a hook right above the pit. Angel had used those to swing before, they could do it!

They shot the blue hand at it and used it to swing, but the hook dislodged itself. Angel was still able to swing with the chain, but they had to be mindful of the hook, or they would’ve hurt themselves in a way that no toy doctor would be able to fix…

They turned back to stare at the hook, trying to figure out how to dodge it, only to be met with a face full of yarn monster.

Angel was lucky, they managed to dodge the hook. But Yarnaby caught it right in his throat…

He got stuck onto the chain, choking and writhing, while Angel landed to the ground, safe and sound. Unfortunately their ankle wasn’t too happy about this. It creaked dangerously, and Angel hissed.

”Still, no overdoing it” Scout had said.

”Yes, yes! I’ll be careful, you have my word” Angel had so smartly answered.

Oops…

However, any microfracture they might’ve obtained was nothing compared to what happened to Yarnaby next.

His writhing eventually became too much for the chain, which broke, allowing Yarnaby to fall into the pit of lava. The toy caught on fire and tried to scramble back on top of the platform, but he wasn’t strong enough.

Yarnaby fell into the magma, and all Angel could hope was that yarn was really as flammable as it was made said to be. For the poor kid’s sake.

Angel took a moment to regain their bearings. Had it really been a whole hour since they’d left Safe Haven? It felt like much less had passed…

But they couldn’t stay there. Who knew how long it’d take before the Doctor sent another one of his pets after them? He surely wouldn’t be taking his favourite toy’s death very nicely…

While exiting No Man’s Land, Angel found another tape. Two of the voices were very familiar, Doey’s and Safe Haven’s medic’s. There was also another one that Angel was sure enough belonged to one of the mini Critters they’d seen down there. The fourth one was unknown, but given the image shown on the screen, Angel could only guess it came from the ‘Bigger Body’ version of Hoppy Hopscotch.

They thought back to DogDay’s words up in the Playhouse, something they’d preferred not to think about until then. ‘I’m the last one of the Smiling Critters’. Angel had assumed, at first, that all the bigger Smiling Critters had been kept down into the Playhouse with him, and one by one had been killed off. But clearly that wasn’t the case, at least not for Hoppy…

Was it possible that all the Smiling Critters (but CatNap) had once been apart of Safe Haven? Had some of them gotten caught before getting to see it be turned into something for the kids’ to be safe in? Had some of the bigger Critters been on the Prototype’s side too?

From a couple papers that Angel had found, they’d been able to tell that, at some point, there’d been a battle between the Prototype’s army and the rebels in Safe Haven. Was that where most of the Smiling Critters had died?

But, like always, no time to dwell on this stuff. Especially because Doey was right up ahead.

”Doey!” Angel exclaimed.

Said guy turned around, a little tense, maybe expecting an attack, but immediately relaxed when he saw Angel.

(They? Should Angel start using they to refer to Doey, since there were multiple kids in there? But everyone seemed to be referring to the big guy as ‘him’, so…)

”Oh, it’s you!” Doey exclaimed, pleased. Then, a little more hesitant, “is the Doctor..?”

Angel grimaced. “No, he’s still alive… but I managed to kill Yarnaby”

Doey frowned a little, but still kept upbeat. “Well, that’s still good, you did great”

Angel cracked a smile. They could probably get used to the constant praising…

They walked over to where Doey was, careful not to put too much weight on the sore ankle. Doey noticed.

”How’s your ankle? Scout told me, earlier” he asked, bending down a little to study it.

”Ah- this old thing?” Angel joked, bending their leg up to tease at their shoe, ignoring the hiss of pain the action caused them. “As good as new, don’t worry about it”

Doey looked doubtful about it. He had a big pout that Angel found absolutely adorable.

That personality didn’t seem to match neither Matthew nor Kevin. That must’ve been the third kid in control. Angel really wished they knew who it was…

”Soooo, what are you even doing here? I figured I’d find you at Safe Haven” Angel asked, eager to stir the conversation away from their potential injuries.

(Honestly? If someone worried about them again, they could start crying and screaming about how they just want to go home, which would be unfair to these poor babies)

Doey visibly switched, but at least Angel was now able to tell what had happened exactly. “I’ve been here gathering parts for the generator. LOTS of-“

He didn’t get to finish his sentence. From the pipe behind him, a cloud of something that looked like smoke or some kind of gas fully enveloped Doey, making him freeze, his face twisted in pain.

Angel panicked for a moment, before realising what had happened.

Right, nitrous cooling equipment or whatever, because of the red smoke. And dough froze and broke if subjected to low temperatures. Angel had to find a way to unfreeze Doey, quickly, before things got worse.

They looked up and found a conveniently placed lever. They used it to turn off the pipes.

Slowly, Doey unfroze, breathing heavily. His arm was deformed, and he dragged himself away from the pipe.

”Hurts hurts hurts hurts hurts…”

He groaned in pain, and his whole body looked extremely off.

Angel got scared. Yes, the tape about Kevin had left them a little wary. They didn’t want nine-hundred pounds of angry dough to attack them either. And Doey seemed unaware of their presence in the room at the moment. Angel didn’t want to stick around and wait for him to notice them, in case he ‘turned on the even those it trusts’.

They sneaked past Doey, through the open door, carefully listening to his words.

”He’s made it impossible for me to get around here! Traps like this are everywhere!”

Angel flinched away. They didn’t like what Doey’s voice had just done, not even one bit.

”It’s the cold that hurts… the big mean Doctor knows that… it’s okay. You’re okay. It’s all okay…”

As much as they hated the idea of leaving Doey there alone, they had to get moving. The sinner they defeated the Doctor, the sooner Doey would be able to move around again without worrying of what seemed to be his only weakness.

Of course, the newly found silence didn’t last long.

”Ah, and here you are. Just as I expected.”

Angel gritted their teeth and flipped off the air while moving a few boxes around, to create a path for them to climb up.

”It appears you are every bit what the Prototype fears…” Sawyer mused.

”You know, the praise doesn’t sound as good when it comes from you.” Angel grumbled.

”And to think Playtime had someone of such rare quality, but never bothered to use that,” Sawyer continued, uncaring of what they were saying. “If only Leith hadn’t gotten in the way… you would’ve made a wonderful test subject”

Angel froze. The understanding of what the Doctor meant crashing down on them like a pile of bricks.

If only Leith hadn’t gotten in the way…

Their parents, their teachers, the few friends they had in the outside world, even almost everyone here in the factory. Everyone kept repeating how capable and intelligent they were. And isn’t that just what the scientists at Playtime looked for in the children they’d later on use as test subjects?

If Sawyer really did control the whole place’s technology, then he must’ve been observing them since the start. He must’ve seen all they were capable of. And since Angel had grown up in the factory, and, from what their damaged memory could tell, had even interacted with Sawyer before he became a piece of technological junk, then he must’ve observed their skills even as a kid. Maybe Angel had even played the same games of the Game Station as the other kids had.

And if that was all true, then was it so hard to imagine that maybe they’d also been selected for the experiments? Is that what Sawyer meant when he said ‘if only Leith hadn’t gotten in the way’? Was Sawyer gonna turn Angel in an experiment too?

The thought made them sick. But that was probably what the Doctor wanted in the first place. Weaken them.

Angel continued their climb. They had to ignore what Sawyer was saying, for the sake of all the kids who were counting on them.

I could’ve been one of those kids-

NO. STOP IT.

”You were always rather affectionate to this place and the children, but I’m curious… why come back? It can’t be that a vague letter was your only reason… especially given what I did to your memory.”

That made Angel seriously stop. “Wait- YOU?! You’re the reason I can’t remember anything from my past??” they shouted.

The Doctor chuckled, and Angel cringed. “Why yes, that was me. The only procedure which I was allowed to submit you to. We do that with most of the experiments, naturally, to help them… adjust, to their new bodies, their new identities, without the problem of their incessant whining.”

Their head throbbed. They had to lean against a wall not to keel over.

The way he’d phrased the sentence… ‘the only procedure I was allowed to submit you to’. That implied that he’d received permission to mess with Angel’s memory. Permission from the very same person who’d stopped Sawyer from turning Angel into a toy.

Their own father, Leith Pierre.

”But really, now I want to see what exactly could jog your memory. I am to imagine you’ve already started remembering something, no?”

Angel flinched. They thought back about the tape of the meeting between the executives, the one discussing Sawyer’s case. Was it possible that he’d listened to that, that he’d watched Angel as they slowly remembered what had happened, knowing what would come without having to hear the tape?

They thought about the names that had felt familiar, the way they’d walked through Playcare like it was their own, what Poppy had said about often seeing them roam the halls as a child.

Yes, he was right, Angel’s memory was, ever so slowly, starting to come back. But they weren’t about to give in.

”So, as I asked earlier, why come back? Besides the letter, of course. What pushed your inner consciousness to come back here?” Sawyer continued after a moment of silence.

”Was there someone you loved here? Someone you’d lost? Was it the pain of not knowing for sure that brought you here?”

Angel’s eyes snapped open. It was like a bucket of cold water had been thrown on their face.

Theodore. Jack. Mom.

They blinked the thought away. What??

Theodore… Theodore was Theo, right? The child that became CatNap? But that was absurd.

Sure, the name had sounded familiar, but that didn’t necessarily mean they’d met him before.

But if their memory had been messed with…

Oh…

And Jack? They knew what had happened to Jack. He’d died in that tragic accident, the one that… that…

That they couldn’t remember… and that they’d witnessed, but couldn’t remember due to their memory…

Oh

And their mom. What did she have to do with all of this? She was a journalist, she’d never worked for Playtime.

But she was always looking for the truth. Was it so far off to imagine that maybe she’d realised what was really going on, that she’d went there to look for answers, as to what had happened to the kids, and the employees? As to what had happened to Angel’s-

Oh.

Sawyer had done it. He’d successfully managed to toy with Angel’s mind, to the point where they weren’t even sure what was going on anymore.

If their memory had been messed with, did that mean that all they knew was a lie?

In the dream they’d had in the Counselor’s Office… they didn’t remember much about it, but what they did remember was a sentence that Poppy had said: ‘do you even know what’s real?’.

But what if that hadn’t been Poppy’s voice? Those images they’d seen… they were something that they’d seen as a kid, while roaming the factory. But every face had been blurred out, turned into a shadow, like their memory was being forced to forget those kids, to not grow attached to them. Was it possible then that the voice they’d heard had been a manifestation of Poppy’s, but had actually belonged to someone else? Someone who knew what was going on with Angel? Someone who’d tried to warn them about Playtime’s lies, to get them on their side?

With skating fingers, they pulled out a crumpled piece of paper they’d found while running from Yarnaby. They hadn’t looked at it until now, but they already knew what or who had written it.

POPPY LEADS YOU TO THE GRAVE

YOU FIGHT NOT TO SURVIVE

BUT TO DIE

SEE WHERE THIS HAS GOTTEN TO YOU

IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO CHANGE YOUR MIND

JOIN US

AND WE WILL SPARE YOUR LIVES

YOU HAVE 24 HOURS

WE WILL NOT MAKE THIS OFFER AGAIN

The Prototype didn’t seem interested in killing them, so far. Sure, he’d sent his minions after them, but the Prototype himself? He’d had plenty of opportunities to kill them already.

When collecting Mommy’s body, he could’ve easily extended his arm a little more to kill them as well. When collecting CatNap’s body, he could’ve done the same. When he’d attacked Kissy, he could’ve easily arrived sooner to attack Angel and Poppy too before they descended into Playcare. When chasing them down in the prison, he could’ve easily run a little faster. He was clearly, stealthy, otherwise Angel would’ve heard him.

The Prototype had had multiple opportunities to kill Angel. And yet the only direct threat to them that had come from him personally had been if Angel had attempted to leave the factory.

But he’d let them live. He’d let them go deeper into the factory and in their father’s secrets. He’d let Angel discover what was truly behind the happy face of Playtime Co. He’d let them slowly turn on all the employees and humans, instead showing them that the toys were the real victims there. And handy Angel said multiple times how the Hour of Joy had somewhat been fair?

Rather than trying to kill them, it looked more like the Prototype was slowly trying to push them to join him.

So was it possible that the voice they’d heard in their dream actually belonged to him, and not to Poppy? Was it possible that the Prototype had always seen them as one of the toys he was trying to rule over, because they’d also been an experiment? Had he always trued to recruit them, even as a kid?

No. No, that was absurd. They were running too much with their thoughts-

But what if Sawyer had really jogged their memory like he’d just said he wanted to do? What if he was helping the Prototype to recruit Angel?

STOP. IT.

They had to keep moving. That was the only thing that was keeping them sane, move and do stupid puzzles and then hopefully go back to Safe Haven and rest.

Staying there and allowing their thoughts to consume them? That was just what Sawyer wanted.

~*~

Angel had reasoned that if the nitrous cooling equipment was bad for Doey, then it was probably bad for them too. They got the confirm when Sawyer unleashed the damn thing on the blue hand of their GrabPack while they were scanning a door opened, freezing it in place and making Angel feel an atrocious amount of cold.

”AUGH-“ Angel tried to pull back, but it was no use. The cold somehow spread through the GrabPack. They wouldn’t have been able to take it off even if they’d wanted to.

”The experiments killed everyone, including whoever you came back for. You know that by now, yes?”

Angel felt another wave of panic, separate from the once caused by their possible near death via hypothermia. Mom.

”Poppy’s sold you her story, of course. Innocence is bliss, and she is oh-so-innocent.”

Fuck that. They had to find a way to free themselves.

There was another blue hand in the room. Maybe if they managed to get it with that circular saw they could use it to deactivate the gas with the scan…

”Did she tell you her part in the Hour of Joy? That she knew it was coming? Or did she leave out that crucial detail?

As they looked for a better for the saw all around the room, their teeth clattering, Angel honestly thought of Sawyer’s voice as background noise.

Yes, actually. Poppy herself hadn’t said that, but Angel had guessed she’d been aware it was coming, considering that ALL the toys in the factory seemed to have known as well. So what Sawyer was saying? Not all that shocking.

(And once again, Angel wondered if the Prototype had chosen that specific day knowing that they wouldn’t be here, so that they could survive it, so they could come back years later.)

”That wouldn’t surprise me. Has she not stung you along, betrayed you, and told you only what you needed to know to do exactly as you asked?”

Ouch. That hurt a little too close to home.

Yes, she had… but it wasn’t fair to blame her for it, right? She only wanted what was best for everyone.

(And yet everyone else had advised them against going back into the factory immediately, they’d all wanted Angel to rest, everyone except Poppy…)

”You’ve seen what they do to each other. All they want is violence. Look, around, evidence for it is everywhere.”

The bodies. They’d had to squeeze through so many bodies… both toys and humans.

They found the battery, and their vision was starting to become white. Their limbs felt numb. They started pulling the saw across.

“Once they had choir, once they were ‘free’, THIS was their creation. They’ve made hell real, and trapped us BOTH there.”

The way Sawyer had said ‘both’, like the two of them were in the same boat, both victims, made Angel recoil. But they didn’t have time for a smart reply. They had to stop the gas now, before they literally froze to death.

They freed the second blue hand from its wire and then scanned it. The gas stop.

Angel shivered for what felt like hours. They slowly moved their limbs, but they seemed to be relatively okay.

What they found in the room they entered in next, though, was truly shocking.

It was some sort of machine, but inside a glass tank filled with some sort of liquid there was a pair of lungs.

They clearly belonged to an adult, because they were big. There was also some sort of mold in some spots.

Somehow, Angel knew what they had to do.

They grabbed some sort of plug in the other room, and dragged it all the way to the machine, before positioning it right below the lungs.

”Hey, Sawyer! You stopped talking, are you out of breath?”

They plugged it in, and the lungs started freezing, before snapping into bits. Sawyer made some sort of grunt.

Good. I want him to hurt.

”Oh, and by the way, the next time you try to manipulate me? Don’t copy Poppy.”

Chapter Text

“You realise the futility of this, don’t you?”

Angel groaned, throwing their head back. “Do you? Because I feel like I’ve made my opinions clear, yet you’re still trying to brainwash me.”

”Why stop if it has worked before?” Sawyer mocked. And- ouch.

“Meat rots and loses its function, it’s as replaceable as anything else. You’re accomplishing nothing.”

Angel tensed. “Fuck off and go bother someone else, Sawyer.”

Surprisingly, the Doctor actually stopped talking. Yes, apparently he knew how to do that. But somehow Angel found his silence even more unsettling…

They ended up in some sort of lab, and they stuck their tongue out in disgust at the rotting body of an employee laid on the operating table.

”Bleah- couldn’t they just stuck them in trash cans or something?”

The note attached to the body was extremely confusing and not really helpful, but what was REALLY helpful was the familiar anti-gas mask on the dead employee’s face.

”Hey, old friend! Sorry buddy, I think I need this more than you do”

They delicately pried it off of the dead employee’s face and put it on.

”Ew- this smells like dead bodies…”

To be honest, at this point, after squeezing between all those corpses, they probably smelled the same…

The mask was broken. From what Angel could tell, their oxygen supply would only last them thirty seconds - sixty, counting the additional oxygen they found.

”Alright, in we go…”

~*~

The first clue that something was about to go wrong was the tape.

Black, labelled experiment 1354, polished writing.

But listening to it was nothing like just looking at the tape itself.

”Oh, it looks like he’s waking up”

That voice was… familiar…

Oh, right. Dr White. They’d heard his voice in that one tape about Samuel Lee, hadn’t they?

”Where… am I?”

And that was Sawyer.

…

Wait-

“What… What is this? …Oh no…”

Sawyer seemed to came to the same realisation as Angel in the exact same moment.

“They didn’t. Those backstabbing traitors.”

Sawyer was 1354. He’d been turned into an experiment himself…

Fitting, really. But some inner defect in Angel, probably an excess of compassion or empathy, made them feel bad for him.

They made hell real and trapped us BOTH there.

”Dr Sawyer? Can you hear me?”

”White?! White is that YOU?!”

Angel cringed at that voice tone. He sounded so angry, so… betrayed.

Angel’s voice had cracked in the same way when Poppy had redirected the train.

”Who else in there with you? You enjoying watching me writhe like one of them- GAH! Agh…”

The Doctor groaned in pain, and Angel’s eyes started flickering shut.

Oh no, not again…

Had they seriously witnessed THIS too??

“My head, feels like it’s splitting in two… this is wrong, you must have done something wrong.”

Angel allowed their eyes to slip shut, and the scene materialised in front of them like it was happening right there and then.

They were standing in the shadow, away from the observation glass. To be exact, they weren’t really standing, but more like sitting on a high counter, or something that kept them high off the ground.

Next to the glass, a chubby man with small round glasses and a lab coat spoke to some weird rendition of the drawing Angel had made not too long ago. But it looked off, not as toy-ish as the drawing had.

A tall endoskeleton with a tv on top of it, showing one big eye, and a lab coat wrapped around it in a way that felt almost mocking.

”Some disorientation is to be expected, it’ll-“

”Who gave you the order?” the robot (was that the mean scientist daddy disliked?) gritted out.

”You spineless cowards, after all I’ve done for this project, for this company-“

”I gave the order, Sawyer.”

In the memory, Angel moved forward, because they weren’t sitting on a counter at all, they were in their father’s arms.

In the present, Angel’s eyes snapped open, forcefully tearing themselves away from the memory, their jaw dropping despite the anti-gas mask.

”Leith Pierre, of course it’d be you… you have no idea what kind of mistake you’ve just made.”

“Really?”

The note of sarcasm was so similar to Angel’s that it made them grimace. Why had they never noticed just how alike their father they were?

”From where I’m sitting, you’re the one who keeps making mistakes that need fixing. We gave you SO many opportunities to clean up your own messes, but you just couldn’t do it, could you?”

”What? You think you can do better?”

”Even an opossum could run this whole thing better than any of you.” Angel grumbled.

”NOBODY ELSE can do what I do! You need my knowledge - my intellect!”

”Why do you think you’re sitting in there right now, and not in Boxy’s stomach?”

So, Boxy really had been Playtime Co’s body dumpster… ew.

Angel was pretty sure that at that point their dad had set them down on the floor and had approached the glass, especially because they heard shuffling and footsteps in the tape.

”Let me tell you how this is gonna go, Sawyer. From now on, you’re here to give the lab boys answers when they need them, and carry out procedures when and how we tell you to, that’s it. You’ll be an open book to us whenever we want. So fight, or give in, or whatever, because either way we own the infrastructure you’re wired into.”

Angel hated the proud little smirk that forcefully made its way onto their face. Their dad was awful, sure, but he was still their dad, and they’d taken after him a lot more than they would’ve liked to admit.

And what he’d done to Sawyer? Perfect punishment, really.

So yeah, maybe they were a little smug.

”You’ll die for this, Leith.”

Any hint of smugness left them immediately. A sense of uneasiness filled them instead.

”When I get my hands on you, YOU’RE A DEAD MAN!”

Sawyer banged against the glass, and Angel clenched their fists tightly.

They hated how that made them mad. But Leith Pierre was still their dad. The only family they really had left. Feeling someone threaten him? That was really all they needed to make them hate Sawyer even more.

But also…

The Doctor wanted their father dead. Almost everyone in the building seemed to believe that a former employee had come back to the factory. The letter had been addressed to their father, because someone wanted him back there…

Originally they’d thought it was the Prototype, to complete his revenge against the employees. But what if it hadn’t been him? What if it’d been Sawyer all along instead?

The Pierre’s were still living in the same house as they’d had for Angel’s whole life. Being one of Leith’s closest coworkers, Sawyer must’ve known where he lived. Was it really that absurd to think that he’d been the one to orchestrate Leith’s return to the factory, only for Angel to get in the way of his plans?

Or had the plan always been to lure Angel in instead? After all, from what they could gather, they were the inspiration of the prison that the Doctor was currently trapped into. Maybe, just maybe, he wanted revenge. Or maybe he wanted to finally turn them into his little experiment, maybe as a way to get back to the man who’d turned him into an experiment twelve years ago…

Whatever the version was, it was enough to send Angel’s blood boiling. Whatever empathy they’d felt for the Doctor was long gone, replaced by anger and protectiveness.

”This temper is a bad look for you, Harley!”

That tease. Just how many times had their dad used that with them whenever they’d thrown a tantrum? Had he thought about Sawyer and those words whenever he’d used that? Or had they all been as indifferent to him as the lives of the children he’d authorised the experimentation of?

They didn’t want to keep that tape, not for all the money in the world. They’d long since stopped caring about collecting evidence.

They took another oxygen supply and kept walking.

~*~

As if it wasn’t all bad enough, the voices started happening too.

Angel wasn’t even sure what exactly they were saying. It switched between two scientists to a woman and a child named Timmy.

They didn’t even stop to try and understand what the voices said, they honestly didn’t care. Maybe they were really just going insane.

”Why do you submit to their whims?”

“Oh, great, you’re back.” Angel deadpanned, closing their eyes in exasperation.

”Playtime hurt us. My experiments hurt us.”

”Stop comparing us!” Angel exclaimed, stumping their foot. “You hurt me! I know what you did, you’re behind that letter! You’re the reason I’m here in the first place!”

”But who refused to let you leave, germ?” Sawyer said sharply. Angel couldn’t answer.

”Do you think Poppy cares about you, that she sees you as a friend?”

”I-I…” Angel murmured, staring at the ground. No, no, she probably didn’t.

”She’d sacrifice you in an INSTANT if she believed it meant getting what she wants.” Sawyer said, and his tone was strict but somewhat not unkind.

”S-Shut up! You’re lying! You don’t know Poppy like I do.” Angel retorted.

Sawyer scoffed. “I’ve done all kinds of observations on her, germ. If anything, you don’t know her like I do. The only difference between her AND I…”

Angel flinched at the louder sound. Just like it’d happened with those radios in their nightmare in Home Sweet Home…

”The ONLY difference, is that what I fight for actually gains humanity SOMETHING. Otherwise, what was ANY of this worth? Would you simply make all that sacrifice meaningless?”

Angel straightened. “See, that’s what you don’t understand. The moment you destroyed that first kid’s life it ALL became meaningless.”

They dusted off their shoulder, more out of the need to be dramatic than for anything. “So nice speech, real convincing, but you ruined it towards the end.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to find more of your body parts.”

~*~

It soon registered to them what the voices were. Snippets of procedures that had happened to several children. They only caught a few names: Cassie, Danny… but they were all so young and sounded so small…

But Angel succeeded in finding the next of Sawyer’s organs. It was maybe his liver? Or something like that? Doesn’t matter, they fried that too, and enjoyed every single second of his pained groans.

So everything was going fine, until the rat jumped on their face.

”AHH!” Angel screamed, their hands almost immediately shooting up to grab the mini Touille and throw him across the room.

They were pretty sure their expression once realising what they’d done was highly comical. Wide eyes, pursued lips, the classic ‘crap, mom’s gonna be so pissed’ look.

Unfortunately, the stupid rat made the mask fall onto the ground and break completely. No point in using that now…

Another sign of stuff going wrong should’ve probably been Sawyer’s little chuckle when they used the purple hand to jump over a small pool of water which looked like it’d been electrified.

But really, how could’ve they predicted the thing to randomly electrify them mid swing?

They fell to the ground with a pained groan, somehow not breaking anything, while clutching their right hand. The burns now looked worse than they’d had after the green hand incident…

”Just like them. A blind scurrying little rat.”

Angel made a noise similar to a growl, and looked up to retort, but they spotted something else crawling around.

Definitely not as big as CatNap, so probably not a Bigger Body, but still bigger than the average mini Nightmare Critter.

”Wh… What’s that..?” Angel stammered, getting to their feet.

”You think poor Yarnaby was my only pet?” Sawyer mused. “You know far less than you believe”

It was Baba Chops. Angel had spent enough time looking at promo art for the Smiling Critters’ tv show to know that much.

Angel didn’t stop to look at her(?) and instead ran off, attempting to hide.

They tried out their GrabPack hands. The blue one still worked, but the purple one on the right refused to both shoot and switch. Looks like they were gonna do this with one hand…

They got distracted. Baba popped out of nowhere and bit into their left arm. Because of course there was no part of them that could remain unscathed after what they’d gone through already…

Angel screamed and ran away, but their movements were getting slower, and their vision was getting greener at the edges… damn it, had that stupid thing poisoned them??

They had to keep running. Baba was hot on their tail, and they needed to figure out a way to either kill her (as inhumane as it probably was) or get rid of her in a non lethal way.

Baba got them multiple times. In their shoulder, legs, even on their back a couple of times. One time it got dangerously close to Angel’s face.

”Please see that he doesn’t eat ALL of you.” Sawyer said in amusement. “I’d like there to be SOMETHING I can still use.”

Angel didn’t even humor him with a response. Just grabbed the key card next to the weird corpse and ran away from Baba.

They managed to activate the whole place and finally got away from the sheep, but they were far from done yet.

”Do you believe you’re taking the moral high road? Is that what you believe?” Sawyer wondered, wounding genuinely curious.

”I believe you should SHUT UP!” Angel screamed, forcing their eyes to blink their vision back to normal. Did it make sense? No. But nothing in this stupid place made sense.

Sawyer chuckled. “My my, what a temper. Dear friend, let me illuminate for you an obvious truth.”

”We’re not-“

”Survival necessities choices. Difficult choices… This one is yours.”

Angel blinked one last time and looked back up at the room they were in right now.

There was one of those machines, but this time it didn’t contain a part of the Doctor’s human body. Instead, there was a small Nightmare Critter plush, Simon Smoke.

“If you want to leave this room, it’ll come at a cost. It’s this little life, or yours. You know what you have to do, you’ve done it time and time before since you stepped foot into this factory.”

Angel felt a lump form in their throat. Oh, Sawyer knew exactly what he was doing…

Simon Smoke had always been their dad’s favourite Critter. Not like he actually liked any of them, he just found it the funniest looking. Or probably he just liked the fact that his symbol was the dollar sign, who knows?

“Just the slightest pull, and you snuff whatever minuscule bit of light still flickers behind those far away eyes. That brutish blob of clay would do it. Poppy would do it. It’s YOUR mission. The door will open. Or, is maintaining the veil of your ‘morality’ more important? Act quickly.”

Angel stared at the machine, tense. Behind them, something slammed against the door, making them shriek and step away.

They’d earned themselves quite a crowd, while they were listening to Sawyer’s words. A bunch of mini Critters had shown up, including the ever insistent Baba Chops.

Angel stared at the plug resting on one side of the room, then back to the machine.

They didn’t have time to dwell over their options. As much as they hated to admit it, Sawyer was right, they had done this before.

They’s made Huggy fall into a bottomless pit, they’d destroyed Mommy with a grinder, they’d crushed Miss Delight with a door, they’d electrified CatNap to near death, they’d allowed Yarnaby to fall into a pit of lava. Heck, they’d even thrown a small Critter that was once a kid clean across the room like a baseball! This was no different, really…

Once again, they could only choose whether to save themselves or someone who should’ve died more than a decade ago. This particular Critter didn’t even look like he was doing all too well.

Would killing him still be considered cruel, in that case? Or was it mercy?

Another thud against the wall cleared out their choice. It wasn’t really about picking their life or the kid’s one, was it? It was a symbolic way to see if Angel was still clinging to their father’s leg, or if the horrors that he’d put the children through were truly stronger than any love they’d ever felt for him.

The choice was easy, really. Sawyer himself had said it: ‘just the slightest pull’.

When had taking this sort of choices started to become simple?

Angel acted quickly. They grabbed the plug and dragged it across the room. Then with their heart heavy, they plugged the machine.

The Critter let out some sort of horrified scream, and immediately fried up. Angel felt dread and self disgust fill them. God, what have I done?

I had no choice.

Didn’t I?

”So, you DO understand!” Sawyer sounded disgustingly pleased. The toys at the door stopped banging.

”Good, good. Come now, let’s see which of us beasts of burden destiny favours, hm?”

Angel scoffed. “With all destiny has put me through since I got here? It hates me. But I’m still here, so I’d say the odds are in my favour.”

But just before leaving, just before stepping out, their eyes caught a string of light, up in the ceiling. They froze.

There was an exit. There had been another way out this whole time, they’d just never noticed. They’d been too deep into the ‘kill or be killed’ philosophy this place had taught them that they’d forgotten to even look for a solution that didn’t shed any blood.

With a newly renovated sense of hatred for the Doctor, Angel stepped out.

Baba was staring at them sheepishly (hah! Sheepish) from a corner, growling, but unmoving. Angel waved it off roughly.

”Not now, Baba. I’ve got a doctor’s appointment, and I’d hate to miss it.”

~*~

Getting to Sawyer’s main base was actually easier now, like he was purposely clearing the path out for them. Sure, they could still hear the angry chirps of the toys hiding in the darkness, but no one was attacking them.

They got onto an elevator platform, and they leaned back against the railing, their relaxed posture only a facade that easily crumbled when staring at the white knuckled grip they had on the metal bars.

”Do you hear it, like I do? Off somewhere.” Sawyer spoke out.

Angel rolled their eyes. “Oh, you just love to hear yourself talk, dontcha?”

”Somewhere… far.” Sawyer continued unperturbed. “Beyond this place. Beyond any place.”

”…Fine, I’ll humor you, what do you hear?”

”A bell.”

”A- what?”

“For whom does it toll, you think?”

Angel blinked. That… sounded like a scrap of poetry they knew.

”A wounded little pup lifts its head beneath-“

”-the shadow of the master’s raised foot.” Angel recited, and the Doctor actually shut up, intrigued. “For whom does that bell now toll?”

The Doctor chuckled after a moment, a pleased sound. “Impressive, little germ. Studying you is truly fascinating…”

He shut off the intercom, and the elevator stopped in front of a long hallway.

The walls were filled with tv screens that showed the Doctor’s eye, all observing them. Angel ignored the shivers that the sight gave them and continued walking instead.

The doors opened automatically. In the center, there was a huge machine, connected to a bunch of machinery, holding a human brain.

This was too easy, what…

”Not even the ground beneath your feet…”

Angel stilled. That sentence… Sawyer had already said it before, while crashing the train they’d used to get to this level of the factory.

But this time it didn’t come from above, like from a speaker. But instead from… behind them?

Angel realised what was happening far too late.

Something grabbed them from behind. A metallic hand. They were face to face now with the distorted, red version of Sawyer’s eye.

The Doctor looked almost identical to how he’d been in Angel’s memory, but the lab coat he was wearing was torn and he wore it as a hood.

The robot threw them across the room, and Angel couldn’t even bring themselves to groan in pain. Seriously, they were used to this kind of treatment by now.

A trap door opened below them, and they fell into some sort of basement.

Angel straightened with a groan, dusting their clothes. “Yeah, sure, why not…”

The room they were in now was dark, but luckily Angel could still use the flashlight, despite the GrabPack’s right hand still being out of service.

”Okay, looks like I’m gonna need four batteries” Angel mumbled, looking around. They saw one laying in the ground not too far away. “Oh, never mind that, three batteries”

As soon as they inserted the first one, a gate opened.

”Alright, seems easy enough- whoa!”

Angel almost bumped straight into a robotic body much like the one that had thrown them downstairs. And that wasn’t the only one, there were multiple, scattered around. Apparently the Doctor had too much time on his hands…

And apparently, those motherfuckers activated when something passed by them, because soon enough they were getting chased down.

”Elliot’s machines are nothing to me.” The Doctor said after Angel had recovered the first (second?) battery.

”The childish fantasy of a naive, broken man.”

”Sounds to me like you have some unresolved daddy issues- OH SHIT!” they ducked just in time to avoid a robotic arm.

”They won’t serve you here. NOTHING can.”

”CAN WE CONTINUE THIS THERAPY SESSION LATER?? I’M A LITTLE BUSY!” Angel yelled while rushing down a hall, second/third battery shoved under their arm. Then they stopped and did an abrupt 180° turn when a robotic body descended from the sky like some low budget version of Iron Man. “OH COME ON, THAT’S JUST PETTY, GLINDA!”

Luckily, the bots were slow enough, at least compared to what Angel had already outrun. And so they managed to put the second/third battery in its slot safely.

”I’ll bury myself so far down that no one will ever find me! Not you. Not the Prototype. Not anyone!”

”That’s nice, sweetie!” Angel replied distractedly while looking for the last battery.

“Ah, there!”

So yeah, that’s how it went, pretty much.

Once they’d inserted the last battery, Sawyer got angrier. “It was going to be mine! It was ALL going to be MINE! MY discovery! MY recognition! I was the one who paved the golden path!”

”Uh-huh… sorry, could you repeat that? I wasn’t really paying attention, you know, I’m just trying NOT TO DIE HERE?!?” Angel hysterically screamed while following the blue wire that they’d lit up thanks to the batteries, all while trying to avoid Sawyer’s robots.

Finally, they found their way back up to the surface. In the center of the room, there was that machine with the brain attached to it. No plug, but a computer instead, which read ‘LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM STATUS, SYSTEM OVERLOADED’.

”Oof, sorry doc, I don’t think you’re gonna make it.” Angel said while putting that small amount of coding they knew to use. They typed in a small string of code, and a keycard appeared from a hole.

The display changed to the image of a loading bar, with text above it that read ‘PRESSURE CRITICAL’. Sawyer screamed, and his robots started running towards Angel like in slow motion.

“Oh shit.”

Angel backtracked, a skill they’d by now sharpened accurately.

The brain froze and rose to the surface of the liquid, almost like a dying fish. Some sort of electrical shock exploded from the machinery it was attached to, sending the whole room into a blackout.

Dramatic as ever, however, Sawyer still had his last words to say.

”You’ve… saved… no one…”

Angel scoffed, looking around the room. “Yeah right. Now, where do you keep the Omni-Hand?”

~*~

Angel first went upstairs, in a room accessible thanks to a keycard.

And… nothing there.

Well, not nothing, they actually found a tape. More specifically, a conversation between two familiar voices.

Although one of them could technically be considered as multiple voices.

”Your suggestions have failed to produce the results I’m after. Have I made an error in allowing your survival?”

”Yes.” Angel deadpanned.

”Of course not. We just need more time to-“

”Time?! Time is precisely what we do not have.”

”Then I suggest you find some more.”

”Jesus, they’re worse than third graders…”

”That, or give me labs access. At least with the two of us-“

”That is out of the question. You will stay put.”

”Fine…”

Angel snorted. Sawyer sounded like a kid getting grounded.

”But you have no staff, virtually no test subjects; it’s hardly ideal conditions. Even when this place was fully operational we were beating our heads against this. You can’t expect to do it on your own so quickly.”

Angel rolled their eyes. Why couldn’t anyone ever use a subject in a sentence??

”The situation necessitates it be done quickly.”

”I’m just giving you the facts, and the fact is we need more time, or this isn’t going to work! I can only be reactive up here.”

”Then of what use are you?”

”[…] You know I’m still your best shit at cracking that secret.”

”WHAT SECRET?!” Angel screamed, exasperated, shaking the tv like it could give them the answers.

Damn, they were really sleep deprived…

”If I weren’t, you would’ve already killed me.”

”A sound observation. Yes, you have made yourself useful. Provide me… more option, I will try again.”

”Of course.”

”But… if you are stalling, or worse… remember, your usefulness is the only reason you were not stripped for meat and spare parts.”

”I don’t know about meat, but he sure does have a lot of spare parts” Angel mused as the tape ended.

Next to them, on a table, there was a note. More specifically, a letter, and one from Elliot Ludwig himself, given the writing.

Harley,

Let me begin this with a bit of bluntness, as I know you appreciate not dancing around what needs to be said.

”Doesn’t he? I think we knew two different Harley Sawyers, Ellie”

Despite how much it pains me, I’ve decided to remove you from the Young Geniuses Program.

”Okay, first of all, what the hell is that? Secondly, ouch. That explains the daddy issues.” Angel murmured. But the name wasn’t… all too unfamiliar.

No, in all honesty, Angel was pretty sure they’d seen something about it before. Maybe at their aunt’s house? They barely ever saw her, since she seemed to have some sort of beef with Angel’s dad.

Angel’s aunt was actually their mother’s brother’s wife, but she was a widow now, because uncle Preston had tragically died. (Or had he gone missing? Angel had never really asked. They didn’t even remember uncle Preston all that much, to be honest)

I didn’t want it to turn out this way, Harley. I didn’t want to hurt or discourage you. Yours is truly a brilliant mind, probably the most brilliant of anyone I’ve ever known. Every day I’ve seen your drive, your determination, and your incessant need for progress. Working with you, it’s been one of the most rewarding experiences of my entire life. But even so, I have to be honest with myself, and with you. Because despite all that I see in you, despite all you could be, there’s one glaring flaw in you I can no longer make myself ignore.

Your lack of humility.

”Ellie, you should’ve sent a dictionary along with the letter, he has no idea what that even is” Angel blinked innocently.

Scientific progress should ALWAYS be to the benefit of humanity.

The only difference between her AND I… The ONLY difference, is that what I fight for actually gains humanity SOMETHING.

Progress made simply for the sake of progress often winds up hurting us more than it helps.

They made hell real and trapped us BOTH there.

Playtime hurt us. My experiments hurt us.

I’ve tried to temper that in you as I once had to temper it in myself, but it became clear to me that such intrusions on my part only incited your anger.

It was going to be mine! It was ALL going to be MINE! MY discovery! MY recognition! I was the one who paved the golden path!

You finally lashed out at me one evening and stroked out of the lab. “Don’t be soft, Elliot.” you said, “Progress doesn’t care for how anyone feels about it.”

Elliot’s machines are nothing to me. The childish fantasy of a naive, broken man.

I knew immediately that you were wrong, but I wasn’t sure what to do - what could shift your thinking.

I’m agonising over it, I was reminded of what ultimately changed me. Of what gave me the perspective I needed. It was seeing the world and people again, bouncing back from rejection and hardship through reconnection.

In thinking about those days, I’m reminded that rejection can sometimes be the best thing for us. It can remind us why our actions matter, who they’re for. Ultimately I believe it made me a better person, and I have to believe that doing this now will make you better too. So I challenge you to hear for home, Harley, and to look at the people around you. To try for a new perspective. To better know why progress matters.

One day, I hope you will understand. Maybe you’ll even thank me. But even still, I’m sorry.

Your Friend,

Elliot

Angel blinked. So, clearly, Ludwig hadn’t wanted Sawyer around. So that meant that he’d been brought back to Playtime Co after its founder’s death. By Angel’s own father.

They felt a fit of sadness at the thought of Elliot Ludwig, a man who’d given all of himself to the factory, to make children happy. What would he say now, looking down at what these greedy humans had done of his work?

~*~

They found the Omni-Hand downstairs.

Well, really, it was just their red hand, only with a few more electrical parts that made it look like Iron Man’s glove, but it was still the zombie-Hand.

Angel was finally able to switch out this hand for the purple one, which seemed to finally be working again after the Doctor’s death.

As Angel soon discovered, this hand seemed to have four charges to open exclusive doors or work specific machinery. They had to use one to leave the Doctor’s warehouse, which was pretty annoying, but after that? Getting back to Safe Haven was a piece of cake. Especially with no more evil British doctors trying to kill them!

The first sign of being back to Safe Haven was Maya, who was waiting for Angel in front of the elevator.

”Angel!” the little toy squeaked happily, running with their short legs in such a goofy way that Angel couldn’t hold back a smile. “You’re hurt…”

Angel blinked. Right… they’d forgot all about their latest injuries.

They were slightly hopping on their left ankle, the bites that Baba had left them were greenish and had stained their clothes with blood, the burn marks on their hand were peeking out from the bandages, and, judging by the way the bandage on their head felt wet, at some point the wound on their must’ve reopened.

”Uhm… yeah… please don’t tell Scout?”

Maya gave them a look that must’ve been disapproving, but it was hard to tell. She shrugged it off, however.

”I found something… I noticed you collecting these before leaving Safe Haven” she extended a note and a purple VHS tape.

”Oh!” Angel exclaimed, taking the items. “Thanks, little one. Do you know where I can play this?” they asked, raising the VHS. Maya pointed towards a tv not too far away.

Angel looked at the note first. A bunch of crap, really. Judging by the awful poetry, it was probably Sawyer who’d written it. Something about death anyways.

Next, the played the VHS tape. Much to their delight, the first sound they heard was Rich’s humming.

Richie! Their favourite employee of all time! Finally, their telenovela could continue.

Apparently he’d really gotten that promotion to Head of Shipping. The tape was just showing how much his anger issues had improved, while he talked to this teenage employee about how awful Playtime Co was to the employees.

But what Angel really liked best of this tape was that apparently Rich had learned from his mistakes. No more publicly complaining about the company. Now he used his new position to take matters in his own hands, and to defend his subordinates. Heck, it wouldn’t have surprised Angel if he’d become some sort of employee’s favourite in the company.

Maya listened from behind Angel, swinging her little arms back and forth, only half listening to the conversation.

Angel sighed and stood up, cracking their back a little. “Alright, little one. It’s not safe for you to be out here. Let’s get back inside”

Maya nodded and led them through a series of vents, and they popped into a tent of Safe Haven, right in the heart of it all.

The immediate surge of relief that Angel felt once they heard Poppy’s voice was indescribable.

“Player! You’re back! And… you… you have it! The Omni-Hand!” she was grinning so loudly Angel feared the porcelain she was made of would crack.

”Then… we can do this. It’s… you have no idea what this means! It’s… it’s everything! You’ve done what none of us ever could, given us hope. And believe me, down here, that’s worth something”

Angel smiled and kneeled down to Poppy’s height, but they were interrupted by a series of groans caused from their various injuries.

Poppy worriedly reached forward. “Player! Are you-“

”I’m okay, really, I’m…” Angel blinked blearily at the doll. “Since when are there two of you..?”

Poppy exchanged a worried look with Maya, who was standing beside Angel, attempting to hold them up. “Uhm… how about you take a minute to catch your breath? Those injuries look pretty bad…”

“Mmh… that sounds nice…” Angel hummed, before collapsing to the side, while Poppy screamed for the Medic.

Chapter Text

When Angel woke up, it was to a face full of Doughman.

”Pal!” Doey exclaimed excitedly, extending his hands like he wanted to squeeze Angel in a hug, but thought better of it.

”Ughhh… oh, hey buddy…” Angel murmured, blinking the blurriness away from their vision. They were aware that they didn’t have their jacket on anymore, just the formerly-white T-shirt they’d been wearing under it.

Slowly, they allowed Doey to set them straight.

Apparently they’d been resting in Kissy’s lap, while Scout and Safe Haven’s Medic had patched them up, with the help of Maya and Poppy. Doey had just stayed out of the tent and watched, since he was far too big to fully fit in. It was really just his head and arms in right now.

Angel’s little friend group, if it could even be called that, backed away to give them some space, while the Medic reported their injuries: a minor concussion, an ankle microfracture and a bunch of brand new scars because of the bites and burns.

Luckily they’d been able to clean out the poison in Baba’s spit before it’d done any serious damage, and they’d used what was left of Angel’s bandages from their med kit to patch them up and make them some sort of protective gear for their injured ankle. They could still move it, but it was a little swelled and hurt like a bitch. Not broken nor sprained though, just a bone chip. Yes, dangerous if left untreated for a long time, but nothing Angel couldn’t handle.

Scout had just shook her head all throughout the Medic’s report, while Kissy, who had her uninjured arm wrapped around Angel comfortingly, gently squeezed her and kept her close. Maya, Poppy and Doey all had apprehensive looks on their faces.

”You should take it easy” the Medic advised. “Rest for a bit, get some sleep, even eat if you can. I’d recommend a day or two of-“

”No!”

The sudden exclamation startled everyone, even the toys around Safe Haven.

”No, I…” Angel mumbled, trying to get away from Kissy’s gentle grip. “I-I have to keep moving… I can’t stop, they’ll get me…”

Their breath was getting laboured, they were aware of it, but they couldn’t help it.

’Safe Haven’? There was no Safe Haven in that place. Every single thing in that factory was trying to kill them, to eat them, to destroy them both physically and mentally. They had no time to rest, they had to keep moving, before something got them, before-

“Hey, pal, can you look at me?”

The voice was gentle. A breech in the surge of panic that had clouded their mind.

In the darkness, a round blue face appeared, with a funny hat.

Oh, right, Doey.

“Yes, like that. Hi, Angie. Can you tell me five things you can see?”

Angel tried to speak, but it felt like their throat was slowly imploding. All the air was stuck in there.

Two big clay hands rubbed their arms comfortingly. “It’s okay, take it easy. Nothing’s chasing you here, mh? It’s our Safe Haven, you’re okay”

Angel gulped and nodded. “I-I see… your face… my knees… uhm, the Critters..?”

A familiar face poked out from behind Doey’s shoulder, although it was really hard to. Her face was twisted in worry. Around Angel’s torso, a pink blur squeezed them gently.

”Poppy… and Kissy’s arm…”

The doll smiled reassuringly, and Doey nodded. “Good. Four things you can hear?”

They continued like that (three things they could feel, two they could smell, one they could taste) until Angel had completely calmed down. The human wiped at their nose and eyes, a little embarrassed. “Sorry, I don’t know why that happened…”

”You’ve been through so much…” Poppy murmured, climbing down from Doey’s shoulder to instead stand near Angel’s thigh. “It’s only natural for you to react this badly… oh, P, I’m so sorry…”

Angel blinked. ‘P’. That was a new one. Supposedly taken after their silly nickname, ‘the Player’. They were pretty sure they’d even called Poppy that at some point, but their concussion didn’t allow them to remember when it’d been.

”Hey… it’s okay, princess… ‘s not your fault…” Angel whispered, gently picking up Poppy and hugging her to their chest. The doll settle comfortably against them.

Scout and Maya both fidgeted at the sides, and Angel snorted, extending an arm to welcome them in the embrace. The Medic must’ve left while they were panicking, because he wasn’t there any longer. He’d probably decided to give Angel their privacy.

Kissy wrapped her arm more comfortably around all of them, and Doey enveloped them all with his long arms, giggling happily. That must’ve been 1322A, because the giggles sounded very child like.

They stayed like that for a good while. Angel probably even fell asleep at some point. But it was comfortable, the most comfortable they’d been in a while.

Eventually Doey pulled away, and everyone else did as well. “Pal, I think you should rest for a bit before we continue this”

Poppy pursued her lips, and she gave Doey a slight glare. “Uhm, Doey… that wouldn’t be wise…”

Doey’s mood completely switched, and he gave the doll a quite impressive glare back. “They deserve to rest, Poppy. You can’t always send people scurrying around in your place!”

Wow. Hadn’t they been hugging like, ten seconds ago?

Poppy flinched and frowned. “The Prototype must know by now that the Doctor is dead, he’ll be angry! We at least need to fix the generator before things get bad for us, this isn’t the time to-“

”Poppy’s right” Angel quickly interrupted before the argument could escalate.

The looks that they received from the others in the tent were… all very different.

Maya and Kissy looked worried, Doey and Scout looked disapproving, and Poppy looked relieved.

”I’ve heard a conversation from a few years ago, between the Doctor and the Prototype. I don’t know why, or for what, but He needed Sawyer for something. I don’t know if they’ve already achieved whatever that something is, but if they haven’t then 1006 will likely be very pissed, and this place will be his first stop.” Angel explained, staring straight at Doey.

”I know I need rest, and I’ll get it. But I won’t be able to until this threat has been dealt with and we’re all safe.”

Doey stared at them, unsure. Angel didn’t flinch under his gaze.

The Doughman sighed and carefully stood up, giving Poppy one last regretful look. Then he left.

Poppy stared back in the same way, even after Doey had left. Then she turned towards Angel with a grateful smile. “Thank you, Player. I’m so grateful for all you’ve done, for all you’re doing!”

Angel rolled their eyes. “Yes yes, I’m awesome, you’ve said that before. Now go, princess, I’ll reach you in a minute”

Poppy looked a little embarrassed at the nickname, but she nodded. “Doey and I will be in the generator room whenever you’re ready”

The doll left and Angel sighed, slumping against Kissy.

Maya and Scout exchanged nervous looks from where they were still sitting on Angel’s thighs.

”Hey, I told you, I’m a tough nut to crack” Angel joked, but the two didn’t look very convinced.

The human sighed. “Alright, lemme do just this last thing, and then we’ll all be free to leave this place, alright? I’m sure my aunt wouldn’t mind hosting you kids, once she finds out what this place has done to you, and my grandparents left me quite a good amount of money. I will find you a Home, a real home, I promise.”

Kissy nuzzled her head against Angel’s, and Maya clinched tightly to their arm. Scout fidgeted in the spot, but eventually nodded towards the generator room. “Better keep that promise, Player” she advised.

”Will do, ms bosswoman” Angel joked, patting her head, before detangling themselves from the toy cuddle pile and heading towards the generator room.

And this time, as they walked, despite it maybe being a little painful to their left side, they could swear they felt the looks of the Critters in Safe Haven switch from suspiciousness to respect.

~*~

When Angel arrived in the generator room, the situation looked a little tense.

Poppy and Doey were very carefully avoiding to look at each other, their arms crossed, with similar pouts on their faces.

As soon as Angel entered the room, the doll lit up. “Oh good, you’re here! Let’s get started”

Angel kneeled in front of her, and Poppy got closer to explain what she probably already had to Doey. “Without the Doctor, the Prototype’ll be scared. He knows he’s loosing now, and the orphans are all he has.”

Poppy stopped for a moment to give Angel a meaningful look, as if to say ‘thanks to you’.

They were SERIOUSLY gonna develop a high ego if these guys didn’t stop.

”Now’s the time to head to the foundation. Make everything ready.”

Oh, right. Poppy’s plan. They still had to discuss that…

Poppy wanted to blow up the factory and kill everyone, but Angel had just promised to Scout, Maya and Kissy that they’d bring them all out of there, that they’d give them a better life. How could they help destroy everything now?

Angel was about to say that much, but Doey spoke sooner.

”Look, we need to talk about this. We shouldn’t-“

There was some sort of click, as if Safe Haven’s power had deactivated. Doey pulled away from Poppy and sighed, not looking fazed, if anything just annoyed. “Just give it a second…”

But nothing happened. Instead, Ollie’s phone began to ring.

Angel jolted. They hadn’t really spoken to Ollie since before their first meeting with the Doctor. Sure, he’d tried to contact them a couple times between that, but those could barely be called conversations, given the fact that Angel had barely been able to make out a word.

They took out the phone from its holder in their GrabPack and answered. “Ollie, you there? What’s-“

”He’s outside!!”

Angel froze, rearing back from the phone. They exchanged a look with Doey, unsure of what the kid was even talking about. Poppy looked just as confused, but nervous. “Ollie?”

“He’s OUTSIDE!!”

”Who?! Who’s-“ Poppy sagged like a rag doll at the same time as Angel’s hands twitched against the phone.

The Prototype. The Prototype was right outside Safe Haven. He must’ve been the one to deactivate the generator, somehow.

And Angel must’ve somehow led him there. Maybe he’d been following them since they’d defeated the Doctor, maybe even sooner. The Prototype seemed to have been stalking them for a while…

Gosh. If the Prototype entered Safe Haven and killed everyone, then it would’ve been Angel’s fault.

”Oh no…” Poppy murmured, fidgeting with her dress’ skirt. Then she turned towards the Doughman. “Y-You need to distract him, Doey! Please! Keep him away from here!”

Angel hated the relief they felt. After seeing and hearing what the Prototype could do? …Yeah, they were just glad they weren’t being thrown on the front lines this time around.

But also, poor Doey…

”But- without the generator-“ Doey protested, looking panicked.

”I know. But he can’t get in here. Not now. Just but us some time!”

Whatever sick relief Angel had felt when they hadn’t been tasked to go face the Prototype immediately faded when Poppy turned in their direction. “Player, you have to fix the generator. Work quickly, you won’t have a lot of time. I’ll gather the others, keep them safe.”

Angel gaped, about to debate with the doll, but once again Doey was quicker. “But I-“

”Trust us, Doey! Trust me.” Poppy begged, grabbing one of his giant dough fingers.

Doey looked nervously from Poppy to Angel, then sighed. “Just get the generator working… please… “

”I will, don’t worry. Stay safe!” Angel replied, and Doey nodded and ran out of the room. Then Angel turned back towards Poppy with a blank expression. “Poppy, I have no goddamn idea of what I’m supposed to do to fix a generator.”

Poppy snorted, holding back a smile. She raised the phone and shook it a little. “Ollie, if you can hear me, work with our friend here”

”Aye aye, cap’n!” the kid replied.

Then Poppy did something weird. She turned around the phone and opened a small hatch. She pulled out an object that was almost bigger than her palm: something that vaguely resembled an ear bud. “Here, use this. I’ll keep the phone”

”Yeah, okay” Angel agreed, putting the ear bud in. “Man, had I known this was a thing sooner then I would’ve done this right away, instead of talking on speaker while hiding from mon- uhh, I mean… the Prototype’s minions”

Poppy rolled her eyes, but she looked worried. She hurried out of the room, but gave Angel one last reassuring look. “You can do this”

Once Poppy was gone, Ollie started talking again, and this time the sound was right in Angel’s ear. “You heard her! Now let’s get to it.”

Angel followed Ollie’s instructions, using the Omni-Hand and the spare parts Doey had collected. Soon enough, the kid sighed in relief through the phone. “It’s done… we did it… good…”

Angel blinked. Was it just them, or had that last ‘good’ sounded a bit more ominous than usual?

No time to ask, though, because Ollie immediately hanged up the phone. “Oh wow, the kid grew an attitude in the last… wait, how long has it been since the second train?”

The door’s to the generator room opened again, and Poppy came in. “You… did it! I… ‘thank you’ isn’t nearly enough”

Angel felt a smile pull at their lips, immediately forgetting about Ollie’s weird behaviour. “Thanks, princess. Uhm, is Doey..?”

Poppy’s lips pursued into a thin line, and she looked back to Safe Haven. “No word from Doey. Whatever happened out there… No… No, he’s fine. I’m sure of it…”

The doll turned back around, a fierce look in her eyes. “We shouldn’t wait anyway. Head for the Foundation. Plant the explosives… meet back here after, we’ll go over what comes next.”

Angel wanted to debate. They wanted to reply that maybe that wasn’t the wisest decision, that Doey was right, that blowing everything and everyone up wouldn’t have solved anything. But really, not even they fully believed all of that. A wrt of them sided with Doey, another with Poppy.

So they just nodded, leaning down slightly to ruffle the doll’s hair, before giving Scout, Maya and Kissy one last wave and leaving Safe Haven.

~*~

Collecting explosives in a structure at high collapsing risk shouldn’t have been as easy as it was turning out to be.

But after collecting a couple of those bad boys, Angel found something much more interesting.

It was a tape, a cerulean tape, with a very familiar name written on it in black marker.

’1322 Report: Jack’

Now, of course, this could’ve been about an my Jack, really. It didn’t necessarily have to mean that the Jack referred to there was Angel’s Jack. But seeing the tape didn’t take anything from them.

So they found the closest office, which luckily held a tv, and they played the tape.

”Sir, ma’am, I ask that you remain calm whenever you interact with the… patient. He’s only been awake a few days now. In many respects, he’s… still adjusting.”

There were slow footsteps, then-

“Is that… Is that him? Is that my boy?”

It was like a punch to the gut to Angel. Oh, how could they ever forget the sweet voice of Susan Ayers, a woman that had basically welcomed them in her house without ever judging them for their selective mutism? A woman so sweet and so caring of her son…

A son that had been forever ruined by Playtime Co.

”Yes, ma’am, it is.”

”Oh, George. That’s our boy! Jackie…”

”Why does he look like that… What did you do to him!?”

And, of course, George Ayers.

Angel had never really liked George as much as he’d liked Susan, but that didn’t mean he was a bad father. He was just too strict, too reminding of Angel’s own dad for them to ever feel comfortable around him. But he’d always cared deeply for Jack, and he’d been rather kind to Angel.

“Stop it, George! Just stop! That’s our son in there. Our SON.”

”Dead, look at it! That’s not even human!”

”Let’s just talk to him. Y-You’ll see. Let’s just go in there and talk to him. Can we? Can we talk to him?”

”Yes, ma’am, you certainly can”

“Are you insane?!” Angel screamed.

”You’re just letting them go in there?! Do you want them to die?? Scratch that, that’s probably what he wants. Fucking Playtime…”

”Go on in, whenever you’re ready”

[…]

”Jack..? Jack, I… I want you to know… I’m so, SO sorry… I’ve never forgiven myself for what happened… I’ve played it all back a million times in my head, and I know, I KNOW there had to be… SOMETHING I could have done. I could’ve reached just a little farther. I could’ve noticed a little sooner. I could’ve-… But we have you back now. That’s what’s important.”

Angel grimaced, and their nose twitched. Oh, this conversation was just a punch to the gut after the other.

And if Jack Ayers was really the one that had been turned into 1322A, then-

“We can-“

”Who. Are. You.”

That hurt. Despite knowing it was coming, it still hurt.

Angel had to sit down on the desk, their knees pulled up to their chest and their face buried in the space between.

It was Jack. It was their Jack. The one who’d gone out of his way to befriend Angel and learn sign language just so they wouldn’t be alone. The one who’d shared his snacks with them on bad days. The one who’d always used to call them ‘Angie’ unironically-

…The same thing that Doey had called them earlier, while they were panicking.

…Oh.

Jack had recognised them. Although Angel hadn’t been able to do the same, Jack had still recognised them. And he’d tried to comfort them all this time.

Doey’s personalities had different intonations of the same voice. Jack’s had always been the one to offer them rest, to reassure them, to calm them down - that’d always been their Jack.

“J-Jack? …Honey, it’s me. It’s mommy!”

”M…Mommy?”

Angel squeezed their eyes shut.

God, make it stop, make it stop, make it stop make it stop MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOP MAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOP-

“Yes. Yes! It’s mommy and daddy! You remember, don’t you?”

”Leave. Me. Alone.”

”Hey, you’ll be okay, I promise. Mommy’s only here to talk-“

”No… No I don’t WANT to talk! Get out’”

That distortion… that wasn’t Jack anymore. That was Kevin.

”Susan, I think we should leave-“

”Jackie, I’m staying right here.”

Angel felt dread settle in their stomach, and they looked up. No no no no no NO NO NO NO NO NONONONONONONONO-

“I’m not leaving you. Not ever again, do you hear me?”

”The gentle voices lie! I know what they do! They lie… and they poke… and they hurt!”

Angel squeezed their knees, their nails digging into their jeans. What did Kevin mean by ‘gentle voices’? Was he referring to the scientists? Their voices were most definitely not gentle. Or maybe Matthew and Jack, who were supposed to keep him calm? But they surely didn’t hurt him.

”Susan, Susan get away from it!”

“J-Jack..? Mommy won’t lie to you Jackie. Mommy won’t hurt you. I’d NEVER hurt you!”

”Hey… Hey! Open this door!”

At the loud bang, Angel flinched. They screen only showed a static picture of a Doey the Doughman toy, but even if it’d shown what was happening in that room, Angel wouldn’t have needed to see it to know what had just happened. They’d seen first handed what Doey could do…

“Oh god, Susan! Please! OPEN THE DOOR!! PLEASE!”

Another bang, this time accompanied by a scream. Followed by utter silence. Then, Doey started sobbing.

When the tape ended, Angel realised they were sobbing too.

~*~

It took several minutes of self inflicted therapy for Angel to be able to detangle themselves from the detail position they’d found themselves in and leave the office.

After that, gathering and positioning the explosives was easy enough. They redirected and started the gas, all in some sort of numbness, then they used the Omni-Hand to start the overflow procedure. And their bomb was ready to explode.

Safe to say that the Nightmare Critters that populated the Foundation weren’t happy about that…

So, after yet another chase, where Angel had been careful to not overwhelm their ankle, Angel was free to go.

…Until someone grabbed them from behind.

”AGHHHH- oh, hi Doey!”

The Doughman looked quite panicked. “The Prototype… I lost track of him in the tunnels. Have you seen him? Was he at the Foundation?”

Angel blinked, overwhelmed and startled by the rush of question, as Doey held them up with only one arm. “I-I… no, I don’t think so… I mean, I didn’t notice him! …Doey, you don’t think..?”

Their eyes darted towards Safe Haven, and Doey’s followed. If it was even possible, the dough that made up his face seemed to pale. “No… no, that’s not possible… I led him away, didn’t I? The… the generator??”

”Me and Ollie fixed it” Angel assured.

”Then… the generator’s fine, everything’s fine, it’s-“

The explosion made them both flinch. Doey almost dropped Angel.

”Oh no…” he murmured, setting Angel down and disappearing in a tube.

Angel was frozen for a few moments. In their mind, over and over, a single word kept repeating: ‘what?’.

That… that didn’t make any sense. What had just exploded? That wasn’t the foundation, it was further down, they’d just left it, it-

No… no no no no NO NO NO NO! FUCK!

They started running. They didn’t even care about the pain in their ankle, or just the general soreness they were feeling.

No. Safe Haven had to be okay. The kids had to be okay. Maya, Scout, Kissy and Poppy had to be okay!

Faster, go faster, you have to be quick, you have to keep moving.

The pool of blood right in front of the first entrance almost made them crumble.

They kept moving, ignoring the destruction around them. Doey’s agonising scream only made them run faster.

They found Maya when entering the Infirmary.

Her tiny body was sprawled on the floor, unmoving. There was no blood, but Angel didn’t need it to be able to tell that she was dead.

They choked back a sob, and looked forward. In a similar stance, but with her arms and legs detached from the explosion, there was Scout.

Countless of other toys were in the same conditions.

Angel found Doey kneeling in front of a dead mini Bobby Bearhug, in the center of Safe Haven. The whole place was crumbling and on fire.

”I’m sorry…” Doey cried, kneeling in front of the kid. “I’m so, SO sorry… I failed you… I was never what any of you needed… I was only made to hurt things… my fault, my fault…”

Angel felt their heart churn. They took a few hesitant steps to the right. “Doey…”

The Doughman seemed to only then realise they were there. He turned towards Angel, slowly standing up, but… now he looked mad.

”Hurt… everything hurts. Hurt back, ALWAYS hurt back! Parents. Scientists. Everyone. Have to-“ Doey retreated, bringing his hands to his face. He started crying again. “My friends! He killed my friends!”

Angel had to bite their lip to hold back a whimper. That was Jack. Jackie. Their old best friend. And he was scared, desperate, hurting. They had to comfort him, they could trust him, he-

“You.”

Before they could take another step forward, Doey turned towards them once again. And now… now he wasn’t Jack anymore. Now he was Kevin.

Wh- What..?

”It all started with you. You and her. IT WAS YOU WHO RUINED EVERYTHING!”

Pure horror filled Angel, and they retreated. When Doey had spoken about ‘hurting people back’, Angel had thought he’d meant the Prototype. This was clearly his doing.

But in Doey’s eyes? No, that was them and Poppy. Who’d wanted to burn everything down, including Safe Haven? Who’d wanted to blow everything up with the explosives in the first place? Poppy. And who was Angel if not their loyal executor? ‘Poppy’s Angel’. That’s what everyone kept calling them.

So, for all Doey knew, Poppy had probably told Angel to take the explosives to Safe Haven while he’d left. And considering that neither them nor Poppy had a great reputation in this place? Yeah, not hard to believe.

Doey switched again. This time it was… Matthew? Or Jake? They couldn’t tell anymore. “No. No, that’s not true. They jumpstarted the generator. They… DESTROYED EVERYTHING! I’LL KILL YOU!”

Doey’s teeth were a sharp garble of blood red spikes. He punched a column, making it fall over.

Above the two of them, everything started crumbling. Angel stepped back just in time, but Doey wasn’t as lucky. He was completely submerged by the debris. “DOEY! NO!”

Angel sat there gasping, unable to fully comprehend what had just happened. But before the grief or the panic could get to them, something in the scraps shifted.

Two long thin arms appeared, and they pulled up a long body, shaped like a…

Well, Angel couldn’t really tell what it was. It vaguely resembled a lizard, with four arms and a long body. In its mouth, though, three human heads popped out, as well as an amalgamation of arms. Two of the faces looked sad, but the third one looked pissed. The mouth was surrounded by blood red spikes. A funny hat was perched on the top of its head.

It didn’t take a genius to know what it was.

It was Doey.

Chapter Text

Anyone else, in Angel’s spot, would’ve had some sort of shocking, life changing revelation.

In all honesty, all Angel could think of in that moment was ‘FUCKKKKKKK!!!’. Especially when Doey roared at them and tried to grasp them.

Luckily, muscle memory won over their panic. They were quick to locate a way out and take it.

But Doey didn’t stop chasing them after that.

In a way, it was like getting chased by Mommy all over again. Only this time Angel was much more tired, both emotionally and physically.

They took elevators, zip lines, squeezed through debris, for some insane reason they even collected a tape that was just laying around! They didn’t stop running.

At some point, Doey tried to grasp their leg (fortunately the right one, not the already almost broken one), but a bunch of legs crumbled on his arm, allowing them a moment of peace.

(A moment that didn’t last long, mind you.)

Soon they were in some sort of ditch, filled with pipes of what looked like the nitrous cooling equipment and a bunch of circular saws.

Oh. Oh that was mean. Awful, really. Probably worse than whatever Playtime Co had ever done.

In that moment, the ever annoying voice of the Doctor played in Angel’s mind.

It’s this little life or yours.

And Angel had fought so hard to stay alive already. They’d lost so much of themselves… could they really allow all that sacrifice to go in vain, just because of a few kids who couldn’t handle a tantrum.

Gosh, they sounded just like Sawyer…

Whatever choice they’d wanted to take was immediately ripped from them when Doey fell down from the ceiling, roaring angrily.

”Crap- DOEY, PLEASE! I’M NOT YOUR ENEMY!” Angel yelled, but they immediately had to start running.

Fine, the hard way it was then.

Angel took a can of nitrogen (was that what it was?) and, once Doey was under one of the saws, they threw it on him. Then, with the flare hand, they shot at the can, destroying it and freezing Doey. Finally, they used the saw to attempt to destroy the Doughman, as much as it pained them.

All the while they had to run around the crumbling ditch, trying to avoid the thing that was chasing them and to ignore Doey’s voice, that kept switching between Matthew’s, Kevin’s and, worst of all, Jack’s.

It went on for what felt like hours. Running, pleading, hurting. Whenever Doey managed to grab them, Angel would use the flare hand to get him to let them go.

Eventually, Doey reached his breaking point.

After the last saw had finished its job, Doey screamed and basically melted on the ground.

Angel was left standing there. Their whole body twitched, and they had to continuously shift their weight from one foot to the other. Could they ever manage to stay still again after all they’d been through?

They could barely move, their eyes stuck on what used to be their ally. Their friend. The one they’d let down.

With their eyes clouded by tears, Angel decided to do the only thing they seemed to be good at. Keep moving.

They climbed their way back up to the top of the ditch, unable to look back at what was now Doey’s corpse.

They finally reached a door, activated by a scanner that required a blue and a red hand. But just as they were about to scan the door open-

“YOU!”

Angel shrieked as two enormous hands made of clay grabbed them from behind. “DOEY, NO!”

“YOU AND POPPY! IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT!!”

Apparently, Doey wasn’t dead yet. To be expected, considering he seemed to be the only toy in the factory that was capable of challenging the Prototype 1VS1 and surviving. But that wasn’t really good news to Angel…

Then, they noticed their current surroundings. All around Doey there were about a dozen of those cans of nitrous cooling equipment, and on top of him there was something that vaguely resembled a hydraulic press.

Angel didn’t want to do it. They screamed again, they called out for Jack, and for Matthew. They tried to reason with Kevin. Nothing. And the Doughman was slowly starting to tighten his grip on them, to the point Angel feared for their ribs.

Sawyer had once said that survival necessities choices, but this time, Angel didn’t see any.

So with all the strength and energy they had left they freed their right arm from Doey’s grip, gripped the right cannon of the GrabPack and aimed at the nearest can of nitrous gas.

It exploded. Not enough to completely freeze Doey, but enough to momentarily destabilise him.

Out of reflexes, and nothing more, Angel used the blue hand to pull down the hydraulic press, which slowly crumbled onto Doey.

He used two of his hands to hold the press up, while the others were used to keep himself away from the floor. “CAN’T TRUST ANYONE!!! THE GENTLE VOICES LIE!! YOU LIE!!”

Kevin.

Doey made a pained noise, and his behaviour switched. “I tried to be better, to be who they needed. Not smart enough, not good enough…”

Matthew.

”NOT- AGHH!!” The hydraulic press finally crumbled on top of Doey, crashing him, and Angel scrambled back in horror.

Doey writhed in pain, trying to get out of there, but it was no use.

Eventually the press stopped, and he was left sobbing quietly. “I-I’m sorry…”

…Jack.

“I’m… sorry…”

And Doey stilled.

Angel stood up on shaking legs. Hesitantly, they took a few steps forward in his direction. Their eyes fell on the funny little hat that was resting next to him.

It was like a dam broke.

Angel crumbled to their knees, one hand tightly gripping Doey’s hat and the other reaching for one of the human hands that poked out of Doey’s mouth. They let out a garbled mess of sobs and horrified screams.

What have I done. WHAT HAVE I DONE?!

They’d just killed a child. Three, to be exact. And one of them used be their best friend.

And this wasn’t even the first time they committed such an atrocity, was it? Mommy, Miss Delight, CatNap, Yarnaby- who knows how many Critters they’d probably burnt to death with the flare hand. Was DogDay’s fate also their fault? Would he have been left alone hadn’t they entered the Playhouse? And what about Maya, Scout, and all the toys in Safe Haven? Were their deaths also their fault? Were Poppy and Kissy even still alive, or did they also have that blood on their hands?

Wait… Poppy and Kissy.

While the doll would’ve definitely been harder to spot between the wreckage, Kissy would’ve definitely been easy to notice. And the two of them were always together. So was it possible then that they’d escaped?

With an effort that felt inhumane, after all they’d done, they slowly raised to their feet. Not before pressing a kiss to Doey’s head, of course.

”Rest well, friends… I hope you can forgive me…”

Then, with one last gulp, they turned around and finished the scanning. They had a job to do.

They were gonna get their goddamn answers from the doll, whether she liked it or not.

~*~

Angel had almost forgotten about the VHS tape they’d picked up while getting chased by Doey. Until they accidentally bumped their hand on it while looking for their water bottle.

They blinked down at it. It was a red tape, but no one had labelled it, not even a date.

They looked around for the nearest tv and, luckily enough, they found one in a loading bay not too far away.

The picture that filled the screen was Poppy’s face, and her voice immediately followed.

”It was awful. So so awful… I didn’t want… This w-wasn’t what I…”

Ah. So this was after the Hour of Joy.

Annoyingly enough, it seemed that the Doctor had somehow found a way to place himself in Angel’s consciousness, acting like some sort of talking cricket. His words about how Poppy had known what was coming and had constantly lied to Angel about what she really knew kept drilling into their head while listening to her voice.

”I thought we were gonna leave. Lever the factory. Not this…A-All those people…”

But… Poppy sounded genuinely horrified about what had happened. She’d had even when she’d shown Angel the tape about the Hour of Joy. Poppy really cared. Were they seriously gonna let the Doctor make them doubt her now? What did he even know!

”Prototype says we can’t leave. Not now. Not ever… I hate him. I hate him, and I hate this place, and I hate that he’s… right… He explained everything, and he’s right. We can’t leave. It’s too risky. What they did to us… We can’t ever let it happen to us or anyone ever again.”

With a deep exhale, Angel sat down with their back to the tv, their scalp resting against the screen. They closed their eyes, letting exhaustion settle in, trying to shove away the feeling of dread knowing that their former best friend was in the other room and they’d just killed him along with two other kids.

”Doesn’t make me feel better about the bodies, though. What he was saying about them. I know there’s not really another option. The toys will starve otherwise, they’ll die… But it’s still disgusting.”

Angel let out a shaky exhale. This was all so wrong. None of this should’ve happened. It was all because of the people who used to run this place, because of-

…because of their own father.

Hadn’t it been for him, Angel wouldn’t be in this situation, nor would any of the kids he’d turned into monsters. Jack would’ve been at college now, and his parents would’ve been home. Matthew would’ve grown up to become a teacher, maybe, or a loving father. Kevin might’ve learned how to control his anger, and he and Joseph would’ve been best friends. Marie would’ve grown up to become a fierce young woman, and Theo would’ve put his faith in an actual God, instead of his cheap copy. Riley would’ve learned to love life again, and she would’ve made her parents proud. And who knows just how many others…

And yet, despite all the hate they felt for Leith Pierre, a part of them missed their father.

”I wish you were here, Dad…”

Angel’s eyes flickered open, and they tilted their head back.

Wait… what?

At first they’d thought that it’d only been in their head. But no, Poppy had seriously just said exactly what Angel was thinking.

Well, maybe not exactly the same, but the meaning was the same…

”I could really use one of your talks right about now. You’d know what to say…”

What would Angel’s father say? Probably that they didn’t understand how important what he’d been doing was. Or would he have been proud of the little murderer his perfect golden child had become?

“When you were running this place, you always knew what to say… I miss you”

Angel gasped, and their head snapped back towards the tv, so quickly that they almost broke their neck.

Wait… what???

They were more than certain that they didn’t have any secret sibling that they didn’t know anything about. (Then again, at this point, would it have really been surprising?)

Poppy had said ‘when you were running this place’, past tense. Now, obviously, after the Hour of Joy, no one had really been running the place, except maybe the Prototype. But who had been running the place before the Hour of Joy?

Only two people had ever really covered that role. Angel’s own father, Leith Pierre, and…

Elliot Ludwig.

A man whose office directly led to the 1950s house-like rooms in which Angel had found Poppy.

A man who’d tragically lost a family member in the 1960s, after his divorce with his wife in the 1930s.

A man who’s always wanted kids to be happy, who’d even opened his own orphanage. Would it have been so insane to consider that before that, he’d adopted a daughter of his own?

So, there Angel and Poppy stood. Both of them children of bright businessmen who’d handled Playtime Co. Both of them scared and lonely, but never really alone. Both of them pried away from a life that should rightfully be theirs, from a part of them that used to belong to a happy child.

But there was a key difference between them:

Poppy loved her father. He’d created an empire dedicated to making kids happy, he’d given her a happy life, he’d even gone past the edge of known science just to bring her back to life. The thing Elliot Ludwig cared for the most was his daughter.

Angel hated their father. He’d made a fortune out of the suffering and torment of hundreds of children he’d been tasked to care for, he’d hidden everything from his family, he’d even went as far as to experiment on his own child to make sure they wouldn’t tell anyone about anything. The thing Leith Pierre cared for the most was his money.

Poppy longed for her dad. Angel knew that, no matter what they found in there, they could never go back to loving their father in the same way.

~*~

They wouldn’t have even listened to that last tape, hadn’t it been for the handwriting on it.

They’d seen it a few times already, around Safe Haven. But mostly, really, they’d seen it back at school, as a kid, or on the old drawings they’d kept from first grade.

”I uh… I-I-I’m not sure if this thingy is on. But I… I need to talk. And… I can’t talk about this with anyone else…”

Angel leaned their forehead against the screen, their shoulders shaking quietly. They had no more tears left to cry, really. They’d already given it all. But hearing that voice again? It was like someone was picking up every single bit of Angel’s shattered heart to just break it in smaller bits.

“For the past few months, the fighting’s been bad… real bad… I’ve uh… seen a lot of stuff I probably shouldn’t.”

Angel chocked on a gasp. No, he shouldn’t have seen any of this. None of them should’ve seen a hell like this.

”It’s been hard to… keep my head straight. The others, they look at me to know what to do, to know where to go… For a long while, we had Poppy to tell us. Go here. Go there. Do this. And it all made sense too. Poppy was nice… I can’t find Poppy anywhere. I don’t know what happened, or where she went… But it’s scary here without her…”

Their fingers curled against the desk’s edge. Oh, so it was just a habit of Poppy’s to send others parading around and then disappear and leave her pawns to clean up the mess. Where had Poppy been when Safe Haven had exploded? Or when CatNap had kidnapped them after the train crash? Or just generally where had she been the whole time.

While Angel felt like they had some sort of common ground because of who their fathers were, they were also getting sick of all this bullshit, of being Poppy’s little puppet. It was no surprise Doey had been so fed up with her: she’d disappeared for years and had then come back all of a sudden, bossing the others around and ordering them to kill themselves in an explosion.

And why? Because the Prototype thought there was nothing for them out there. And Poppy had believed him.

“Maybe she ran… just like I have…”

Angel looked up, finding themselves with their nose an inch away from the screen, a crease on their forehead. What?

”I’m here, outside the Prison, in front of… I’d almost forgotten it was all here… And seeing this again, it’s given me reason to think… I could make for the exit. It’s all I’d wanted for the longest time. But there are others inside. Others… that aren’t like me. They’re hungry and scared like I am, but they’re not me. They can’t go where I can. But… they mean a lot to me, a lot more than I thought they did. And having seen what I have, knowing how they see me, how much they need me… I’m going back.”

Angel blinked. Somehow, tears found their way to their eyes once again. Maybe it was the water they’d just drank.

Doey could’ve left. He’d been able to hold out again the Prototype on his own, there was no way he would’ve failed against CatNap, Mommy and Huggy. He could’ve easily left the factory and started a new life. But he hadn’t, all because of the children in Safe Haven who’d put their trust in him. And he’d payed the price of that choice with his life.

”I wanted to make this in case I ever doubt or forget that. Just play this and remember. Yeah… yeah, that’s all. See ya.”

They sniffled and wiped at their eyes. The message had come to their mind like an arrow pierced straight through it.

Doey hadn’t wanted to abandon those kids, even if it could’ve meant freedom and happiness and living. Could Angel do the same? Could they decide now whether to leave the factory or keep looking for Poppy and Kissy, stay behind and help the orphans, even if it meant dying?

Once again, Sawyer’s voice.

Survival necessities choices. Difficult choices… This one is yours.

They had a choice to make. They could probably easily find their way back up to the surface now. Getting back to Playcare probably wouldn’t have been an issue, now that the Doctor and all his pets were dead. Playcare had now been abandoned, so even there the only threat would’ve been the mini Critters, easy to dispose of. They could probably climb their way back up the train tracks, back to the Game Station, the only obstacle on that floor probably being PJ Pugapillar. And from there, through the many catwalks, there must’ve been one that led back up to the surface. Now they had the Omni-Hand, even if the only had once charge left. Getting out would’ve been way easier than getting in had been.

But could they leave this place with their conscience intact, knowing what - who - they’d left behind?

That choice immediately became senseless when they heard what sounded like a small female voice come from some sort of slide to their left. A voice that sounded just like Poppy.

They’d found her! She was probably down there with Kissy, looking for a way to salvage their plan to destroy the factory and the Prototype and free the orphans!

Angel slid into the tunnel, giving the Huggy Wuggy cutout a slight push, just because.

Their choice had been made. They were staying.

~*~

It was some sort of ventilation block, filled with trash.

Kissy was sitting in a corner, her right arm now out of its sling but still looking burnt. Poppy was in her lap, shaking Ollie’s phone and yelling for him.

Apparently the kid didn’t have a phone number, he just called whenever.

”Ollie!… Ollie!… Can you hear me?!… Ollie?!” But the phone only answered with static.

(Only then did Angel realise that they must’ve lost their earbud, at some point, while getting chased by Doey, or while planting the explosives.)

“Poppy! Kissy!” Angel exclaimed, feeling like they could cry all over again out of relief. Kissy looked glad to see they were alive too.

Poppy clearly didn’t share the feeling.

”You. What did you do?!” she demanded, jumping off of Kissy’s lap, still holding the phone. She stomped towards Angel, furious.

”Wh- what are you talking about?? I-I did what you told me to do!” Angel sputtered, stepping back, shocked.

”Oh, yeah? Then why did you kill Doey?!”

Angel stumbled back, almost hitting the wall.

Oh, what the fuck.

Had Poppy missed the part where he’d tried to kill them and almost succeeded multiple times, getting much closer than Huggy, Mommy and even CatNap had? Had she missed him completely losing his mind over a plan gone wrong that she’d crafted, a plan that had always involved killing everyone in the end, including Doey?

Poppy kept screaming at them (“do you even understand what happened?! The Prototype, he… did you even plant the explosives??”), but all Angel could hear was static. “I-I… I didn’t… I didn’t mean t-to…”

Poppy ignored them, turning back towards the phone. “Ollie! Ollie, answer me!…”

Angel looked towards Kissy, feeling their mods fall into total despair. The giant pink toy gave them back a tired, resigned look. She wasn’t angry at them, just so done with everything, including Poppy.

“Please…” the doll begged, resting her forehead against the phone. After a few seconds, the phone started ringing.

Angel and Kissy perked up, and Poppy gasped quietly, reading her head back and not hesitating before the pressing the ‘answer’ button.

”Ollie! Something’s gone terribly wrong. The Safe Haven’s-“

”Shelf Ventilation block B6.” interrupted Ollie’s voice, in the same tone as when he’d said ‘good’ after Angel had fixed the generator. “Is this where you are Poppy?”

It was like a cold shiver ran down Angel’s spine, making them jolt. They took a step closer to the phone, exchanging an astonished look with Poppy.

The doll’s fingers twitched around the plastic toy phone. “…What?”

”Stay where you are- and listen closely.”

Angel reared back. Kissy pressed herself against the wall. Poppy’s hands slowly lowered where they were holding the phone, her body tilted back like she was staring at a box holding a dead animal.

Angel had heard that voice before. Or, well, those voices.

”You’re not going to run. You’re not going to fight. The charade is over.”

”Who… Who is this..?” Poppy asked, her voice shaking just as much as Kissy was. But Angel knew she knew who it was.

”An obvious question with an obvious answer.”

The Prototype.

“You… What did you do with Ollie?” Poppy asked, trying to sound enraged, but she was too devastated for that.

”I’m right here, Poppy! For you, I’ll ALWAYS be here.” the Prototype answered, his voice doing a weird mix between Ollie’s voice and a deeper, distorted version of it.

”The Doctor. CatNap. Mommy and Huggy. They’re all dead! You… You have nothing now! No one. And soon, you’ll have less than THAT!”

”Stop that.”

Kissy brought her knees up to her body and buried her head in her thighs, shaking uncontrollably. Angel would’ve loved to go up to her and hug her, comfort her, but the maximum movement their legs allowed them at the moment was to fall to their knees, all while never taking their eyes off of the phone.

All this time, Ollie had been the Prototype. Did that mean he was the reason behind Safe Haven exploding? Had he purposely given Angel the wrong directions while they’d been fixing the generator? Had he done something that had forced the explosion into Safe Haven instead?

Angel had spent the last hours, maybe even days, thinking they’d been Poppy’s pawn. Now, they could see things more clearly: they were all the Prototype’s pawns, they’d always had been.

”You don’t need to pretend anymore, Poppy~. You don’t need to play at being stronger than you are. You can come home.”

”How… How much do you know…” Poppy asked, now no longer staring at the phone, but into the void, with a blank expression.

”Everything.”

She dropped the phone, defeated, letting it fall to the ground, and slowly stepped back. “This… This   right… all those years… was there ever an Ollie?”

”Yes, there was” the Prototype answered sweetly, using Ollie’s voice once again. “But that was a very long time ago.”

Steps. Steps that came from very sharp, metal spider legs. Steps that didn’t come from the phone at all.

Angel’s blood started boiling in their ears. The first thing 1006 had said when starting this conversation had been their current location.

He’s coming to get us.

”Let me tell you what comes next. I’m going to come up there, and I’m going to find you.”

Due to the ventilation’s acoustic, it was impossible to tell which way the Prototype’s steps were coming from.

”Your collaborators, the few you have left, they will be dealt with.”

Poppy looked horrified at Angel, and then at Kissy. Angel was pretty sure they’d gone fully pale, sagged on their own body.

They’d made the wrong choice. Had they decided to leave, probably, the Prototype wouldn’t have gotten to them. If they’d left, they would probably now already be at the elevator that leads to Playcare.

Instead, they were there like sitting ducks, waiting for the Prototype to come and kill them.

“W-What are you going to do with me??”

Angel gave Poppy a sideways glance, hopefully conveying all their annoyance. Seriously? She’d just been told her best friend (and yeah, Angel too, y’know) was about to get murdered, and her main focus was herself?

Okay, reasonable, Angel would’ve probably done the same, but still.

”I’ve got something special in mind. I prepared it, just for you.” the Prototype assured her. “And this one, you’ll NEVER want to leave.”

”N-No… No no no…” she murmured, her voice pitched, like she was about to cry. “This entire time…”

Kissy leaned forward towards Poppy. Angel could barely tear their eyes away from Ollie’s phone.

Poppy’s voice changed from desperate to frustrated. “This entire time, you’ve LIED TO ME!”

”Only because you’ve kept missing the point.”

The steps were closer.

”I’ve taken the liberty of retrieving those explosives from the foundation - thanks to you, ‘Player’, for collecting those, by the way.”

Kissy’s and Poppy’s eyes snapped towards Angel, and the latter felt the rage fill them once again. “I should’ve left that stupid phone up in Playcare, you- you asshole!” they spat out. It was definitely weak and childish, but they couldn’t really master anything better.

The Prototype made a grating noise that Angel realised must’ve been a laugh.

”You’ve been useful. You were always a rather useful tool, even back then.”

Angel reared back, their jaw dropping. “Wh… The fuck does THAT mean?!-“

The Prototype ignored them, and he went back to speaking to Poppy. “I admit though, Poppy, I’m disappointed. After all that time in your case, I’d hoped you’d see things differently. Don’t you understand? It’s always been about you and me, Poppy. What we are. That’s not a truth that can be burnt away. No, not when it can mean so much more.”

Wow. This guy was really fucking obsessed.

”Prototype… p-please…” Poppy begged.

”It’s time to come home, Poppy. It’s time to come home.”

”Yeah, like hell we’d- Poppy?” Angel stopped in their tracks, noticing that the doll was hyperventilating. Kissy was also leaning towards her, looking worried.

”I can’t go back in the case… I can’t…” she met Angel’s eyes with her own, and she looked absolutely desperate and terrified. “I’m sorry..!”

Then, between gasps and tears, she ran away through a vent, way too small to ever fit Angel or Kissy.

Kissy tried to go after her, but she was met with a handful of metal. She looked back at Angel, and they were sharing similar expressions of shock.

Now that Poppy was gone, however, Angel could hear a different noise. Was that… beeping? And was it getting faster? Where did it come from?

”Some friend, huh? Don’t worry, I’ll find her.”

”Kissy..?” Angel whispered, their eyes stuck on the phone. The beeping was coming from there. And the noise sounded awfully close to…

”As for you two… try to land on your feet.”

Kissy turned towards Angel.

Everything happened in a blink.

The phone exploded, making the floor beneath them crumble. Kissy kept towards Angel, grabbing them by the hand. Angel screamed and slipped down the ditch, dragging Kissy with her. The toy managed to grab onto the edge of the ditch.

Kissy attempted to pull them both up, but there was a noise like fabric stretching. Angel stared in horror at the arm that was holding them up: Kissy’s right arm, the injured one.

”Kissy- Kissy, let me go!” Angel yelled. “Save yourself, just- j-just let go of me!”

Wow. Were those words really coming out of their mouth?

Kissy turned back towards them with a fierce look. One that said ‘I’m not leaving you here’. But it was too late.

Her arm gave out, its stitchings broke, and Angel fell down the ditch while holding an arm that was no longer attached to its owner’s body.

”KISSY!!”

~*~

If they survived, really, it was all thanks to the built in air jets.

At some point while falling, Angel must’ve fainted, but when those kicked in, at a mere twenty feet from the ground, they awoke and managed to protect their face from the impact just in time.

They weren’t a cat, so they didn’t ’land on their feet’ like the Prototype had wished them too. But they managed to twist mid air so that it was their bag and the GrabPack to take the most of the damage. However, Angel still hit their head pretty hard.

They heard a cracking noise inside of their bag. Well, gone were the VHS tapes they’d so meticulously collected… and probably their water bottle and whatever else they’d had left too.

They laid there for a few minutes, mostly wondering how the hell they’d just survived a fall that must’ve brought them miles deep underground. And also, once again, they wondered how fucking big this factory was.

Then, they finally decided to stop laying there like a roach waiting to be squashed. There were better ways to die. Maybe they could find a really sharp rock and impale themselves with it!

As they stood up, they groaned. Yup, their infamous ankle hadn’t been spared…

A small, sharp rock had found it, leaving a pretty long gash, although maybe not too deep, it was hard to tell.

Since they were all out of bandaged, Angel had to find other ways to fix their new scratches up.

Firstly they drank a long sip of water. This would’ve probably been their last one until they finally found a way out of the factory…

They used what was left of the water to clean out the wound, trying not to hiss at the pain. Then, they used the same sharp stone that had inured them to tear a piece of their shirt off, and they used it as a make shift bandage, over the one that the Medic back at Safe Haven had previously done.

Angel had to blink back tears. They were trying to stop themselves from thinking about the events that had happened in the last hour.

Doey was also Jack. Safe Haven had exploded. Maya, Scout, and so many others were dead. Doey had tried to kill them. They’d killed Doey instead. They’d killed Matthew, Kevin and their best friend Jack. Angel had decided not to leave Playtime Co, which had probably doomed them. Poppy had gotten mad at them for what had happened. Ollie had revealed himself as the Prototype. Poppy had abandoned them and Kissy. Kissy had tried to save them from falling to their death, but she’d lost an arm in the process - an arm that was laying just inches away from Angel at the moment. Angel had somehow survived a fall that had brought them miles underground. They were alone.

They were alone.

Angel huffed and got rid of the bag that had been attached to their GrabPack. No use in keeping that now, there were tears in it because of the plastic from the crashed VHS tapes and the rocks they’d fallen on. All the food in there was squashed and ruined by the dirt, plastic and paper. It was just deadweight, now.

They stood up on shaky legs, testing out the bandage on their leg. Maybe not perfect, Scout or the Medic could’ve done a better job, but it was still something.

Hands tightly wrapped around the GrabPack’s cannon’s triggers, they decided to head in the first direction they saw.

They were deep underground, in a bunch of caves with barely any construction. A door somehow automatically opened for them, revealing what looked like a field of poppies.

The flowers made Angel think about the doll that was named after them, and they got mad once again. Why had Poppy abandoned them like?! She’d dared to get mad at Angel for doing exactly as she’d asked and getting tricked and then she’d just- left?!

Ugh, curse the moment Angel had opened her case. Actually, curse the moment they’d decided not to listen to their father and look through his mail in the first place!

Angel didn’t even care about what the field of poppies meant. There was some sort of lab at the end of the catwalk they were on, that was enough for them. Sadly, they had to use their last Omni-Hand charge to open it. Hopefully they could find something to recharge it…

The lab opened, revealing a messy lab with a bunch of pots of poppy flowers that had long since died. To their right, there was a tv, and a VHS tape was on a table at the end of the lab.

Angel genuinely wouldn’t have cared about it, but then they noticed the writing on the label.

It was the same as the one they’d seen on the very first tape they’d watched after entering the factory, back before even getting their first GrabPack. It was a handwriting they’d grown familiar with over the years, one that had written them letters all throughout their first year of college.

It was their dad’s.

When first entering the factory, maybe, Angel would’ve been eager to hear this, especially because it was labelled ‘top secret’. Now, they weren’t all too eager to hear their father’s voice anytime soon.

But the way out was locked anyways, so- not like they had much of a choice.

So they took the tape, and played it.

”Hi. My name is Leith Pierre, and I’m the Head of Innovation here at Playtime Co. If you’re seeing this, you must be very, very lost.”

Angel giggled hysterically at the comment. “Yeah, kinda.”

”Well, rest assured friend, our state-of-the-art laboratory is just up ahead.”

Oh, so that’s where they’d ended up. Playtime Co’s labs.

”Why dontcha just go on inside and tap one of our scientists on the shoulder? Tell ‘em you’re lost, they’ll be glad to help”

Angel snorted, but just as they were about to make a sarcastic quip, their father started laughing.

Like- really laughing. Movie-antagonist kind of laughing, but still laughing.

And that’s the thing- their father didn’t laugh. He hummed, he snorted, he teased, he made sarcastic comments, he chuckled, but he didn’t laugh.

It honestly made Angel wonder if that was even their father in the recording.

“Alright, alright. […] Let’s be honest: you’re not supposed to be here.”

An alarm started playing in the background. Angel stepped away from the tv. This was all awfully reminding of the VHS tape they’d seen in their dream, and they were not looking forward to getting chased down by that nightmarish version of Huggy once again.

”This is the single most high security, high clearance section of the whole factory. When someone finds you down here, you will be shot. And before you get any ideas, don’t think you can just sneak away either.”

There was movement outside of the door they’d just entered from. Angel looked out of the window. What was that shadow between the poppy flowers..?

”No, the second you put this tape in, it set off an alarm! So if anyone’s home, they know exactly where you are.”

That shadow had a familiar shape… wait, Kissy! That was Kissy! It was her… right..?

”Pretty nifty, huh? Security is very important to us here.”

In another moment, Angel would’ve made a quip about how their cameras barely knew what a frame was, but they were too focused on something else.

Dread filled them, and they pressed their nose to the window’s glass. That was not Kissy. Kissy was missing her right arm now, wasn’t she? This toy had its right arm, but was missing its left hand.

But then who was it? Someone shaped like Kissy, of her same height, but not her-

Oh.

Angel reared away from the glass, panic flooding them, but they couldn’t get their legs to move away from the door.

”If I were you, I’d start running.”

The toy ran towards the door at full speed, in one sort of crouch. Then he started banging against the door, roaring at them, his spit covering the window.

Just like the fall hadn’t killed Angel, it apparently also hadn’t killed their oldest nemesis.

Huggy was alive, and he was most definitely not happy to see Angel was too.

”…What the fu-“

Chapter Text

Angel had felt fear many times before, especially since entering the Playtime Co factory. But for some reason, standing now in front of a feral Huggy Wuggy, with only a metal door that was quickly giving in to separate them, Angel was more than certain they’d never been more terrified before.

They weren’t really sure as to why exactly Huggy scared them that much. Compared to how creepy CatNap, DogDay, Mommy, Miss Delight, Doey - heck, even Yarnaby - had been, Huggy was basically nothing. But there was just something about him that made him creepier to Angel…

Maybe it was because of the nightmare, but that must’ve been caused by something else, no? Or maybe it was simply because Huggy had been the first living toy Angel had encountered in the factory.

But yeah, where were we again?

Oh, yes. Huggy was about to eat them.

Angel was confident that the first time Huggy had tried to kill them just because they were the closest and bigger snack in reach. But now, after they’d almost killed him? …Definitely personal.

So they backed away from the door he was trying to shoulder open (was he bending the metal?? What the hell…) and basically pressed their back against the other one. Which was still locked… yay…

Maybe it was destiny. After all the lives they’d taken, it made sense for the only one they’d tried to take without feeling any guilt afterwards was now gonna be the one to kill them. Funny how karma works in this factory, huh?

Huggy managed to bend a corner of the door enough to slid himself in the room. At the same time, Angel fell back, because the door behind them suddenly opened.

They stared up at the now green sensor in shock. What??

Like- not that they were complaining, it’d saved their life, but this door needed some sort of authorisation or something to open, and Angel had sure as hell not done anything.

They got so absorbed in the door mystery that they completely forgot about the imminent threat that was two miles away, until it roared at them.

”OH, FUCK!”

Angel started running down the hall, Huggy got on their tail. They couldn’t even really acknowledge what was around them, their vision zooming on just the important stuff.

They took a left turn, avoided flames, ran on an old metal grate that barely looked like it could hold them, and-

*CRASH*

Well… now that was a very familiar ‘Huggy-falling’ sound.

Apparently the grate hadn’t been enough to handle both their weight and Huggy’s.

They slid into a really tight space between concrete and another grate. All the while they were very aware of Huggy just below them, looking for them like it was his life mission.

But maybe, just maybe, if they were quiet enough they could slip past him? There was tunnel over there, they could-

Nope, the grate decided it was their turn now to fall.

(Since when had Huggy and Angel started taking turns on falling? Angel was pretty sure they’d actually surpassed the toy by a lot.)

They ended up in some sort of conveyor belt, luckily separated from where Huggy was, but only by glass. The toy roared again and started banging against the very thin glass.

If Huggy hadn’t been so insistent on keeping his eyes on Angel the whole time, they probably would have died.

But then Huggy broke the glass, just as Angel was finally getting away.

The scene was familiar, really. Getting chased down by this rip-off blue sour patch kid in a conveyor belt that also served as some sort of vent? Ahhh, just like old times.

Except this time Huggy was faster and angrier, and Angel was slower and infinitely more tired, but also more experienced.

They’d mastered the art of taking sharp turns and quickly assessing their surroundings. And, most importantly, they knew where they could fit without the bigger toys being able to follow them.

While Huggy had turned out to be good at fitting through tight vents, there was no way he could ever enter a Poppy sized one.

So, with a bit of luck, they found one and slipped in.

Safe for now, but they doubted it would last long.

They slipped into some sort of tunnel/slide, and kept their relatively uninjured leg forward. They couldn’t risk really breaking their left ankle, they would’ve been done for.

Their right foot hit some sort of vent, and Angel slipped through it, ending up in- well, they weren’t really sure what this place was.

The first thing they’d really learnt from this place was look everywhere around you and then decide which way to go. So the first thing they did was look behind them, and- oh, a note.

It was a bunch of really cryptic stuff between two unknown people, but what was really interesting is that they seemed to have a ‘deal’ with 1006. Angel wondered what that was all about…

Angel left the note where they found it. They didn’t have their bag anymore anyway, so there was no point in putting this junk in their pockets.

But yeah, no way out there, so they turned towards the windows, and-

Wait.

What the…

“Is that a city??” Angel whispered, pressing their face against the glass.

And… yeah, it looked like you would expect the suburbs to look like. But maybe, if the scientists had to stay there to work without getting spotted so that the lesser employees wouldn’t be wondering why there were scientists at a toy factory, they also had to live down there, in some way. It wasn’t that hard to imagine for Playtime Co to have built some sort of human-like neighbourhood for their most high secret workers.

Now, however, the place looked abandoned. Or, well, abandoned by humans…

There was also no way out on their left, because there was only void, and they weren’t really feeling like falling again just yet. So forward they went.

The factory had other plans about their falling.

”AGH- okay, seriously?!” Angel exclaimed as the floor they were walking on crumbled, and they fell on the next floor. “I get it, this place hates me!”

But then they saw the really concerning thing.

It was some sort of blob, purple and orange, like a bunch of pimples. “Uhm… factory, are you going through puberty..?”

The building didn’t answer, because there probably wasn’t a way to say ‘yes, I am’ via near death experiences.

Or, well, maybe the crate falling from the ceiling that almost crashed them was their answer…

While looking for more blocks to build themselves a way over the tones of wood crates, they found another note. A shipping manifest.

And- yeah, bunch of bullshit here too. Also, why was part of this written in Japanese??

And Richie was mentioned! Well, the note only said how they didn’t want Rich to find out about the shipments… which was weird, because he was - well, had been, probably, unless he’d somehow saved himself - the Head of Shipping. So this was probably below-the-surface matter.

But what was really weird was the content of the shipment: it was all stuff that you’d need to build a garden, rather than a toy. But then again hadn’t they just passed a field of poppies? Maybe the flowers had something to do with the whole alive toys thing.

They actually decided to take that note with them. It was interesting, somehow. The whole Japan thing didn’t sit right with them.

They squeezed through more crates, until finally they were back in a vent. And… Huggy’s arm popped out of nowhere and tried to grab them.

”SH- FUCK YOU TOO, BUDDY!” Angel shouted, sneaking past him.

Yeah, if there was a toy they had personal beef with, it was Huggy. So- at least the hatred wasn’t one sided?

They had to run through a backwards conveyor belt while scanning their now useless Omni-Hand, which only really worked as a regular red hand now. Meanwhile Huggy was trashing everything in the other side of the room to get to them.

The emotional connection between them was stronger than the one they’d had with Poppy, and that was all they were gonna say. Hate is truly stronger than love…

They used their GrabPack to swing over a ditch, and just as they landed, the handle they’d used to swing broke and fell. Huggy almost jumped after them, but seemed to reconsider when realising that he would’ve only fallen into yet another bottomless pit. So he only snarled at Angel.

”YES!! Hah! See how ya like that, Hugs!” they improvised a little victory dance on the spot, while the toy looked at them more murderously than ever. He backed away, probably looking for another way after them.

”Oh, shoot-“

They looked at the door behind them. It read ‘engineering’. Without even checking the other doors, Angel slid into that one.

It was some sort of decontamination chamber. That sort of rain was actually- nice? Closest thing to a shower they’d had in… days, maybe.

Once the decontamination was over, Angel ended up in a room with-

“Why is there fire coming out of these pipes- never mind, you know what? I don’t care anymore, really.” Angel deadpanned, using the GrabPack to close the valves of the pipes from far away without accidentally burning themselves.

It was just as thy were closing one of these valves that Huggy decided it would’ve been a good idea to break through a solid wall and almost cause the explosion Poppy had oh-so-wanted.

”DUDE, GET A LIFE!” Angel screamed while running away from Huggy once again.

They avoided a bunch of debris, until they ended up in some sort of room filled with elevators, and- was there some sort of pear shaped toy trying to use one of those elevators?- You know what? They REALLY didn’t give a crap anymore.

They slid into the other on, aggressively pressing the ‘close doors’ button. The elevator closed just in time, and Huggy was met with a face full of metal.

However, it didn’t sound like they’d gotten rid of their furry blue pal just yet. Especially when he started breaking the elevator apart to fit his hand in and look for Angel, kinda like they did when they woke up in the middle of the night and blindly stuck a hand in the snacks pantry.

(That simile was not helping at all…)

Eventually, Huggy either fell off or got bored, because he stopped trying to kill them, and the elevator stopped. The doors opened, although not fully, revealing a red hand scanner.

”Oh well, might as well…”

But as they shot their right hand at the thing, a blue arm with a yellow hand shout out of nowhere and grabbed their hand cannon.

Angel yelped and tried to pull back. That scene was so awfully reminding of when Mommy Long Legs had stolen their red hand… they didn’t want to lose another one in the same way! Especially given how important the Omni-Hand was made out to be!

But soon it became clear to them that what Huggy was looking for wasn’t their hand. Oh no, it was their whole GrabPack.

“AH- HUGGY, LET ME GO!”

As soon as Huggy disappeared with the GrabPack, the elevator started falling.

”Wait- NOT LIKE THAT, NOT LIKE THAT-“

Too late, the elevator crashed, and they blacked out.

~*~

One would think that after they’d already been through, an elevator crashing with them inside it would’ve been enough to finally stop this hell and kill them once and for all.

And yet, Angel woke up. Sore, with their limbs sticky from blood caused by minor injuries, but alive.

Apparently Playtime Co’s elevators had been projected to be just like the trains to move around had: padded, and somehow extremely resistant.

But any injury paled compared to the feeling of being GrabPack-less.

Ever since entering this stupid factory, they’d had one constant: the GrabPack. Huggy was alive? Well, at least they had their GrabPack. Mommy wanted to make them play some scary death games? Well, at least they had their GrabPack. CatNap wanted to hunt them down? Well, at least they had their GrabPack. And so on.

They hadn’t realised how much their life had depended on the item until they’d lost it. They’d used it to solve puzzles, to swing away from monsters, to drop a crate on Huggy’s head, to survive Mommy’s games, to scare the mini Critters away, to electrify CatNap. As much as they’d hated it, they’d also used it to kill Doey. The GrabPack was also the reason they’d survived the fall from the Shelf to the labs: hadn’t it been for the air jets, they would’ve been toast.

But now, they were just a scrawny nineteen year old with too many injuries, no food nor water, and absolutely zero idea of how to get out this place alive.

It made them feel naked, harmless, easy to kill…

Huggy had truly gotten rid of their best and only weapon.

But laying there and letting whatever was down there find them was not an option. Angel didn’t doubt that Huggy must’ve survived the elevator fall, and he was probably around looking for them. Plus, who knew what else was down there.

They also didn’t doubt that the Prototype knew by now that they’d survived the elevator fall. He must’ve been pissed that his little phone bomb hadn’t worked-

Wait.

…

Oh, that son of a bitch..!

Angel had been carrying around a fucking bomb THE WHOLE TIME. It could’ve exploded at any time! While walking through the factory they’d always thought that death was hanging just over their head, but apparently it was hanging just over their back instead!

The realisation made them feel dizzy, like those characters in cops shows that were kidnapped and forced to wear a bomb. Because that was pretty much what had happened to them, wasn’t it?

They stumbled out of the elevator, and almost face bumped into a cutout conveniently placed in front of them.

On first sight, Angel didn’t recognise the character. To be honest, they weren’t even sure it’d ever been released to the public, or if it was just another Playtime Co failure from the time before Huggy’s creation.

Purely to try to figure out who it was, Angel pressed the button on the cutout.

”My name is […], and I’m here to protect kids like you from all the scary things that go bump in the night!”

Angel blinked. “Okay, bzzzttttt. Nice to meet you.” they deadpanned, before abruptly turning around and leaving the cutout behind.

The walls were completely covered in that weird gel substance, and the hallways seemed to be hosting a bunch of small tents holding refugees to the mini toys, although Angel couldn’t see any of them…

The second thing they’d learned from Playtime Co was to touch everything. A lever, a button, an electrical outlet, everything. So when they saw a lever on a side of the wall, of course, they instinctively pulled it.

The lever turned on a light, that didn’t serve too much if not to blind them, but still…

Angel sneaked back into the tunnels, but froze when they saw something run in front of them.

It was some sort of Critter, but from what little Angel had seen, it looked… wrong. Like… it didn’t seem to have the usual fur? They weren’t sure, it’d been too fast for them to have checked it out properly.

They got the chance to really see one of those things just a few moments later, though.

The… toy of unknown origin(?) was crouched in a dark corner, staring and growling at Angel.

The third thing Angel had learnt from this stupid place was to stay the hell away from things that growl at you. Or snarl. Or mock. Or literally just anything.

They kept a distance from the toy, while also making sure to not bump in any others by accident, and went to pull another lever. It turned on a light that seemed to chase the toy away, and for a moment they managed to see it.

It looked… well, funny wasn’t the correct word for this. It looked weird, really. Its fur was reddish, like rust, and he had some sort of orange/yellow mane, like a weird rejected version of Yarnaby. But it looked… wrong? Like, really wrong.

Nonetheless, Angel continued their little walk.

There were a bunch more of those things, but Angel never managed to get a good look. They didn’t want to risk getting bitten, or worse, so they tried to stay away.

At some point, they heard a conversation between two of those things.

”Who is that?”

”Someone… from above”

Considering that at the moment Angel was quite literally walking above them, they got momentarily freaked out. Then they realised the toys meant above as in surface.

”There is no above. The Judge said.”

Angel rolled their eyes. Was this yet another one of the Prototype’s nicknames? Didn’t he already have enough? Prototype, 1006, Ollie, God, Angel of salvation, and now Judge too? That man had more nicknames than Vecna!

(What’s that? Vecna didn’t exist back in 2005? …shhhh-)

”Can’t trust the Judge. Can’t trust any of em’ not like us.”

Angel blinked. So they weren’t exactly loyal to the Prototype, but they were also not on Angel’s side. Sort of like Mommy, in a way. She was scared of the Prototype and didn’t want to help him, but she was not on the resistance’s side either.

They kept moving, and actually managed to get a good look (more or less) at one of those weird toys.

They really didn’t have any fur, except on what looked like the traits where they’d been sewn. Their eyes were also weird, Angel couldn’t really tell what they were, and their mouths were strangely shaped.

Unable to figure out just what they were looking at, Angel kept going.

They found another note, on the ground. They carefully picked it up, trying not to make too much noise that could attract those weird toys.

Leith has asked us to remove the Wrongside Outimals branding from our workspace (murals, cutouts, etc).

Angel blinked. ‘Wrongside Outimals’… they didn’t remember this name at all.

No, wait, actually- yes, they did remember it! That was supposed to be one of Playtime Co’s latest toys, but it’d been scrapped for some reason.

Apparently, they focus-tested very poorly,

Ah, there’s the reason.

and it’s been decided they won’t be going into production; the whole toy line is getting scrapped.

Angel briefly wondered if that toy they’d seen earlier in the cutout was one of these Wrongside Outimals, but if they remembered correctly then these toys were supposed to be flippable, and ‘bzzzttttt’ surely didn’t look like he could be flipped around.

I wouldn’t rush it, though. Remember, Leith made the same request about Daisy, and she’s still plastered all over the place.

Angel grimaced both at the mention of their father and Daisy. They’d never liked that toy, it was so creepy looking…

They kept walking, and they found an office which held something named ‘master keys’. If Angel had learnt a four thing here, it was that something with a name like that was surely important for moving around.

So, now they just had to find a way to get in there! Great…

Angel seriously debated trying to should the glass open, but it probably wouldn’t have been a good idea. They had to navigate a path out instead.

So they did that, while also avoiding all the sharp hooks and the toys laying around…

(Angel decided to just call them Critters until they could find a better name for them.)

They even bumped into an old Wrongside Outimal plushie: Bindle Boogie, if they remembered correctly. The inverted version of it.

So, these were the Wrongside Outimals… they actually looked pretty cute though? Why had they focus-tested this badly?

Angel left it there, especially because they weren’t sure if it was alive or not, but it was still cute to have seen it.

Things got creepier when they spotted the body.

At first, Angel had thought of it as some weird life-size rendition of Jesus’ crucifixion. Then, they realised it was the body of a Playtime Co employee, rotten and left there. “Eww…”

They did what they always did with dead bodies: carefully walk past it and into the next room.

~*~

Immediately, they could hear the chirping sound. Locating it was a bit harder.

It came from some sort of grinder, like the one that had killed Mommy Long Legs. It was a little star-shaped computer of sorts.

Ever since encountering the Doctor, Angel had become wary of AIs, computers or souls trapped in them, but the little thing was making such cute chirps that ignoring it was impossible.

They courting just pull it out, it would’ve only hurt it, so instead they attempted to reactivate the machine in the hopes that it would spit it out.

It worked, luckily. The little star got out of it unscathed, and Angel gently picked it up, while avoiding the weird pink gel. “Hey there, buddy. You okay?”

The little star smiled widely and made some sort of chirping noise. A happy one, this time.

”Great, I’m glad to hear… listen, I need to get out of here and take these master keys I saw out there, can you help me out in any way?”

The star chirped again, and a small arrow appeared on the screen. It pointed at the buttons on its top right corner.

”Oh, you want me to press these?” Angel asked. The star chirped in agreement. “Alrighty then, let’s see what you do”, and they pressed the first button.

It was a flashlight, apparently. Or more likely some sort of nightlight/baby monitor? Angel wasn’t sure. There seemed to also be some space to insert small VHS taped in it, which would definitely come in handier than looking for a tv every time they found a VHS tape. And there were A LOT of those around…

The funny thing was that the star’s face turned into a sun with a smile whenever the flashlight was on.

Well, this surely would’ve been more useful than looking around for those levers! Maybe it wasn’t much, but it was still something.

All the toys seemed to be afraid of Angel now. Which was kind of a nice change of pace, as awful as it was because, you know, those are kids.

But yeah, back up in the upper floors of the factory they’d had to threaten the mini toys to literally set them on fire to get them to leave them alone. Now they just had to shine a light for them to leave.

(That actually made Angel wonder just what had these kids gone through that a simple ray of light was enough for them to run and hide. But after all, this was the Prototype’s reign)

They found another note on the ground, one that looked printed, and the star made a funny celebrating face.

Angel snorted, before realising that this meant that the star was either a really aware AI or a kid that had been turned in an item, and that took some of the amusement away.

They took a look at the note while rubbing one of the star’s points.

ATTENTION NEW EMPLOYEES

Managerial Note: All first-time employees, please follow these procedures absolutely to the letter. Our work is both sensitive and vital to the success of the operation. Please, follow these instructions to the letter.

STEP #1: Ensure cleanliness from decontamination (Specimens mustn’t be infected with outside contaminants.)

STEP #2: Wear ALL required hazmat hardware

STEP #3: Acquire specimens

STEP #4: Clean specimens (Ensure blood, stains, debris, teeth, etc, are all removed from the specimen.)

Angel’s jaw dropped. Their eyes were basically bulging out of their head. Oh, this was by far the grossest note they’d read yet.

But they should’ve been expecting this, no? They were down in the labs, the very core of Playtime Co. Things didn’t need to be hidden here, they could be as open as they wanted to be down here. No one would ever venture this far down.

No one but Angel, that is. Not like they’d wanted to go this deep down…

STEP #5: Using proper tools, carefully remove the specimen’s skin, being cautious not to damage valuable tissue beneath. (When necessary, use the de-threader)

Oh, so they weren’t talking about the kids. They were talking about the toys that used to be kids! Well, that was just so much better.

Angel had to put both the star and the note down, otherwise they would’ve barfed on both of them. Instead, they only got it to go all over the floor.

The star (Angel REALLY needed to find it a name) chirped worriedly, but Angel just vaguely waved it off. “No, I’m fine- I’m fine, kiddo… it’s actually a new record, I used to vomit much more frequently at the start…”

They used the corner of their jacket to wipe away what was left of their vomit (it was really just spit, they barely had had any food to barf anymore) and went back to reading.

STEP #6: Distill the specimen (Warning: This is the messiest stage of the process.)

”So what? They squeezed them after opening them up? Oh, shit, now I’m imagining it, God- ew-“

STEP #7: Collect the poppy gel in specialised containers. (If we’re out of containers, please let me know.)

”Poppy gel?” Angel murmured. Then their eyes fell onto a blob of orange/pink stuff in a corner. “Oh, I’m guessing that’s you. Hey, dude, we’re out of containers!”

STEP #8: Dispose of the remnants in the Boilers.

There was a handwritten note at the end too.

My Advice - Use the term ‘specimen’ when referring to your work. Believe me, you’ll sleep a lot easier if you do.

Sincerely,

North Geisler

Lead Mortician

Angel scoffed. “Yeah, I hope you died painfully, dude. If you’re worried about sleeping bad at night after doing your job then maybe the job is wrong in the first place??”

They teared the note to little bits and dumped those on the ground. They were so angry that they almost stomped away without the star, hadn’t it been for its agitated chirps at being left behind. “Sorry, sorry! My head’s elsewhere, I don’t usually forget my allies behind…”

The star chirped again, maybe a little offended but forgiving. Angel walked out of the room and back to where they’d came from.

”So… what’s your name anyway? Can you tell me?”

The face in the screen disappeared, and a word flashed on the screen instead. ‘GLOWBY’.

”Oh, okay!” Angel exclaimed. Then, a definitely less gentle being spoke instead.

”I think someone is lost…”

Angel froze. They looked around, but they couldn’t see any of those weird Critters nearby.

”Okay… uhm, Glowby, do you know what these guys are?”

Another word flashed on the screen. ‘OUTIMALS’.

”Ah. But not the Wrongside Outimals, right?”

Glowby chirped in confirmation.

”Alright then” Angel shrugged, still a little confused. “Uhm, but that fella was sort of right, I’m a little lost. Can you help me with that?”

The arrow that pointed towards the button lit up once again. Angel tried to press the second button.

It was a blacklight, and apparently someone liked to draw a lot, because there were a bunch of drawings made with invisible ink. Glowby actually got a funny face with sunglasses when Angel turned the blacklight on.

Most of the drawings were just silly things that a child could make, but some of them were arrows that helped Angel find a way out. They had to alternate between the blacklight and the normal one, though, because the Outimals apparently dint mind the former.

They actually managed to walk pretty easily that way, even without the GrabPack. They even bumped into a bathroom at some point, and… well, obviously they covered Glowby’s eyes, but when someone needs to go, they have to go!

(Oh what? They were stuck in a stressful situation with no food nor water, at least allow them to pee??)

Anyways, back to the factory. Apparently the Outimals disliked Poppy as well, because someone had drawn her in a cage with a cross over it, and they’d also written ‘STAY AWAY’ right next to it.

(And it’s not like Angel could blame them either. Seriously, if they’d never opened Poppy’s case, they would’ve been back home already now, and with less trauma and scars.)

But what they also found was a cassette tape that held a recording. Glowby chirped when Angel picked it up. “Oh, right. I can play this on you, yeah?”

They inserted the cassette in a little opening on Glowby’s body. Immediately, the screen switched to a selection menu of sorts.

There were only two options, go back or play tape, and there was only one tape they could listen to: it was named ‘Sisters’.

Immediately as they pressed play, a familiar noise startled Angel. It was Poppy, and she was shushing someone, just like she had when the two of them and Kissy were hiding from the Prototype.

There was heavy breathing for a moment, and then a bunch of snarling.

”Keep looking. The last of them can’t have gotten far.”

Ah. So apparently Glowby also had subtitles. That was… very kind. But about who was speaking…

Glowby hadn’t put a name before the words, and Angel had no idea who that was, but they didn’t sound nice.

”I think they’re gone”

Poppy. Angel’s mouth pulled into a frown.

They hadn’t yet forgiven the doll for abandoning them like that. Sure, she’d had her reasons, but it still hadn’t been fair.

”Kissy, our friends… they’re gone too. I’m so sorry…”

Angel blinked. Kissy. That’s who the other person in the tape was.

Of course, she couldn’t speak, so it was just Poppy talking.

But then the ‘sisters’ in the tape were Poppy and Kissy. Of course not biologically, it wouldn’t have made sense timeline wise. Angel knew Poppy (the little girl) had died in the early 1960s, while Kissy had been an orphan that had been turned into an experiment in November 1990. But that did prove that the two had a strong bond, something that Angel had already suspected.

Kissy made some sort of chirping noises.

”It was an ambush. I… Somehow Prototype’s hunters knew we’d be here.”

Angel grimaced. They wondered when that conversation had taken place. It couldn’t have been recently, given how worn the tape looked, but the situation sounded so familiar…

”We need to call Ollie and-“

”No. No you really fucking don’t, Poppy!” Angel snarled, stomping angrily.

Thinking about Ollie- about the Prototype made them extremely angry. They’d grown affectionate to the kid on the phone so easily that they’d never stopped to wonder if maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t to be trusted. And Safe Haven had paid the price for it, as well as Poppy, Angel themselves, Kissy…

God. Was Kissy even alive? Or had the Prototype gotten to her before she’d managed to escape?

There were some muffled noises in the back of the tape, and Angel guessed that was Kissy. She sounded like she was crying.

”It wasn’t supposed to be like this… I’m supposed to be…”

Angel grimaced. Okay, maybe they pitied Poppy a little. She was still a child, at least mentally, but everyone looked up to her to know what to do, Angel included. Just because she’d taken over that role it didn’t mean she enjoyed it. Meanwhile, the Prototype seemed to be extremely fixated on her.

”Hey, I… I’m here for you… I feel it too. Let’s be scared together. You and me. I hold onto you, and you hold onto me. Just like always.”

Whoa. This place REALLY wanted Angel to cry, huh…

”Let’s… Let’s just wait it out a few more minutes. Until we know it’s safe”

The recording ended, and Angel took the tape back and left it where they’d found it. Apparently Glowby had some sort of ability to memorise the tapes, though, because it was still playable.

”Thanks kid, but I think I need a break from the tear jerking. Now, let’s go get those keys”

~*~

Getting the master keys was easier than expected, and after that? Moving around was a total breeze!

They had a powerful nightlight and a set of keys that could open basically every door, what was there to fear?

Well, the Outimal that jumped right on their face despite the light was an example.

It appeared out of nowhere, jumping on top of Angel and scratching them on the neck. Luckily, most of the scratch was caught by their jacket, but they still got some surface level scratches that would definitely hurt like a bitch. And don’t even get them started on the kind of infections these toys could give them…

But really, the worst thing was getting smacked to the ground. They didn’t know why, but it seems like the toys (and Sawyer) liked to make that happen a lot…

This up close, Angel managed to see more details of the Outimals. It looked… well, they wouldn’t really know how else to say it if not that it looked wrongside out.

Actually, the orange fur where the stitching had been made was of the same colour as DogDay’s…

Oh. Oh.

That’s why they were called ‘Outimals’. The whole thing of the Wrongside Outimals was that they were toys that could be turned wrongside out and you’d get two new funny toys in one. These Outimals, however… they’d been flipped wrongside out. This one that had grabbed them, if they were to guess, was probably once a DogDay mini Critter.

Angel asked themselves with disgust who was to blame for this, Playtime Co or the Prototype, but the latter was more likely.

The Outimal momentarily looked around, as if checking if anyone was in sight. Then, he started dragging Angel in a hidden corner. It was a surprisingly strong little thing…

Angel was vaguely aware of Glowby’s panicked chirping, but they didn’t even try to push the Outimal away. It only would’ve cause more pain.

Yes, they were about to die, and in an extremely gross way too, miles beneath the surface. No one would ever know what had happened to them. But at least they’d get to be with their mom, and Jack, and maybe Riley too. Maybe they’d get to apologise to all the kids they’d killed. Unless they were going to hell, which would’ve been fair, given what they’d done…

Annoyingly, Angel’s mind did what it seemed to be doing ever since killing Sawyer: remind them of his words.

To be exact, this time around it was a poem that he’d likely written and left somewhere around Safe Haven:

On felted feet and with bated breath

Sleep draws ever near

Over paths turning clear

But I am not afraid of death

For we have already met

It was a stupid thing, really, and it’d made no sense to Angel at the time. When Maya (God, how they missed Maya…) had handed them the note she’d found, Angel had immediately ruled it off as trash. But secretly, they’d memorised it, just like they’d done with all of Sawyer’s words. It was annoying, really, how much he’d managed to sneak into their mind…

But Angel now understood the meaning behind these words. And really, it fit almost perfectly the situation they were currently in: the Outimal had sneaked on them without making a sound, and he was now going to kill them. ‘Sleep’ was just a more delicate way of saying death. And Angel had already met death so many times… they’d met it ever since first entering the factory, probably even sooner if they’d grown up around the experiments.

So how could they be afraid of someone who looked so friendly, compared to the horrors they’d been put through? Whatever awaited them after death was surely less terrible than whatever was awaiting them in the labs.

They were about to die, and they were okay with it. Heck, they kind of wanted it.

That’s what they were thinking, when the Outimal raised his claws once again, ready to feast on their organs. And that was still what they were thinking when the voice appeared.

”Get off- HEY, GET OFF!”

Something slightly bigger than the Outimal appeared from a point outside of Angel’s current viewpoint, holding some sort of taser. The newcomer shocked the Outimal, making it run away, and then turned towards Angel.

The latter was certain that the only reason this new guy had saved them was because he wanted a meal instead. That’s how it worked with predators, no? The bigger ones got the most meals.

Instead, the toy turned towards them, his left purple iris shaped like a poppy flower, while the other was covered by the eyepatch of a pirate. His whole attire really just reminded Angel of what a pirate would wear. His taser was also funny looking, it had a baseball on top.

This toy had also been turned wrongside out, but instead of giving Angel the evil eye, he smiled.

”You alright?”

Chapter Text

Admittedly, Angel had seen some really weird stuff since they’d entered the Playtime Co factory. Somehow, the sight of their saviour was by far the weirdest thing though.

Maybe they just had trust issues after Poppy and Ollie, but they didn’t like this new guy at all. They had a hard time believing someone would save them just because.

(And also they’d kind of just accepted the idea of dying, they hadn’t appreciated the interruption.)

The new guy (still no name for him, but they were pretty sure they were gonna get one soon) kneeled down in front of them and then squinted, before leaning back with a marvelled look. “You’re not…”

”A people eating thing? No, I’m not. No offence.” Angel murmured, sitting up with a groan, subbing at their sore head.

The newcomer didn’t look deterred from the blunt response. Instead, he looked enthusiastic. He chuckled and shook his head, smiling widely.

”You’re the one they’ve been talking about!”

Angel’s eyes widened. “Wh- you’re telling me there’s factory rumours about me?”

New Guy (this was gonne be his name for now) nodded, with an amused smirk. “Mostly fragments: the one who put Mommy in the grinder, who gave the cat a nap…”

Angel should’ve probably be pleased, but honestly? The praising had stopped working after the seventh time. And getting reminded of their crimes wasn’t really the best way to cheer them up.

”Down here,” New Guy continued with a glint in his eye, “they’re calling you ‘The Playtime Butcher’.”

The human perked up at that. “‘The Playtime Butcher’?” That sounded like- a thousand times better than ‘Poppy’s Angel’. At least it gave them their own identity, AND it made them look badass. “Sounds dope”

NG chuckled, then he gave them a teasing look. “I figured you’d have a bit more fight in you, from what I’ve heard. That guy was about to slit your throat!” He actually sounded worried about them.

Ollie had sounded worried when they’d left the Playhouse too, and when he’d warned them about the Prison.

”Yeah, I’ve… I’ve had a rough couple- actually, I don’t even know how long it’s been since I got here” they mumbled.

”36 hours, more or less” NG provided, looking a bit sheepish. “At least- that’s when the rumours started, which I suppose was when you killed the spider lad, or when word about Huggy having fallen to the labs started spreading”

Angel blinked. 36 hours. 36 hours was the minimum time that they’d spent since they’d entered Playtime Co. What was even happening outside of the factory? Was someone worried for them? Had their dad started research?

No. No, he probably was acting the same way as when Angel’s mom had gone missing: act like nothing happened.

Angel at least hoped that their friends from college would get worried after not receiving any texts for a couple of days, although there wasn’t much they could even do if that happened…

”Ah.”

”Yeah…” NG murmured, then he cleared his throat. “So, uh… what are you doing all the way down here?”

”Fell” Angel answered, still a little numb from the bombshell NG had dropped.

”Oh!” he exclaimed, nodding, staring at Angel like he was expecting them to start laughing and announce that they actually weren’t the one he’d heard so much about, but another guy who’d somehow gotten to the depths of the factory alive.

”Oh… well, uhm, is Poppy… I mean, you were with her, right?”

Angel gave NG a sideways glance that told him all he needed to know, but they answered anyway. “I was. But if you’re asking if I know where she is, then the answer is no. I lost her up in the Shelf.”

NG nodded with a frown. “A-And… the rest of them? Up at Safe Haven?”

Angel flinched, and NG looked pained. He’d understood.

”Oh man… I wasn’t sure if that was also true. I mean, I heard things-“

NG was interrupted by the noise of a bunch of hungry Outimals moving towards the nearest noise source. Angel’s new friend looked worried and motioned for them to stand up. “We can’t stay here! I got a place, just follow me!”

Angel wanted to warn him about what had happened the last time someone had invited them to stay in their safe spot, but they also had gone back to the whole ‘don’t get eaten’ ideology. They didn’t exactly want to die, they just souring have minded if it happened.

”So, uhm, who are you anyway?” Angel asked as they followed after NG.

“My name’s Giblet” he helpfully supplied. “I knew Poppy back before… well, uh… before everything.”

”Ah” Angel mumbled, taking just a couple of steps away from Giblet (you never know, with Poppy’s allies).

Giblet didn’t pay any attention to that, probably because Angel wasn’t in his view at the moment.

”Was she really gonna blow this place up?” he asked. He sounded annoyed, mad, maybe even a little hurt.

Doey had sounded the same. Thinking about it the way that Giblet had slipped in and saved their life was very similar to what Doey had done…

”Yeah, that’s uhm… that’s what she wanted me to do, at least…” Angel murmured, using Glowby’s light to scare the Outimals away.

Giblet shook his head and made a noise similar to a growl. “That girl’s heart’s always been in the right place, but she’s been behind glass too long.”

Angel frowned. Only they could get mad at Poppy! They’d earned the right.

”How did you find me anyway?” Angel inquired, slipping in a vent after Giblet.

”I mean, if you didn’t even know I’d gotten down here…”

”Who do you think?” he asked with a crooked grin, then he nodded towards Glowby. “It acts as some sort’a radio signal, sometimes it intercepts conversations. And I heard a bunch of swears worth of a sailor!”

Glowby chirped delighted, and Angel blushed. “Yeah, sorry, I tend to curse when I’m in a stressful situation…”

Giblet chuckled. “This way, c’mon”

He was surprisingly fast, but after all he didn’t have to crouch and crawl in vents with painful unmediated injuries and an occupied hand.

Giblet led them to a seemingly abandoned area, but a noise of metallic steps that Angel was now all too familiar with made him flinch. “No, no no no… He wouldn’t come down here, just-“

Red smoke started filling the room, and Angel brought their free hand to their mouth. “Ugh, I hate this shit- what do we do??” they hissed.

”Find a place to hide!” Giblet hissed back, and then ran to find his own hiding spot.

Yes, he was just like Poppy… no wonder they’d been friends.

Angel found comfort in a small abandoned crate (luckily empty of Outimals) covered by an old blanket. They could even see Giblet from there.

They took Glowby and, seeing its panicked face, decided to just close it in their pocket so it wouldn’t have to see what was to come.

The cloud of red smoke thickened, and from Angel’s right the Prototype’s spider legs appeared.

This time they could see them clearly, and not just a shadow of them. They looked like parts of a machine, with long wires connected to them. If the width that the legs spread across was anything to go off of, then the Prototype was unfairly big…

The cloud of red smoke became so thick that Angel could barely even see the legs of 1006, despite them being right in their face. They didn’t even dare to try and get a glimpse of the rest of his body, it wouldn’t have been of any use, especially when the Prototype’s had started reaching for Angel’s hiding spot.

They slowly pulled away, hoping that the Prototype wouldn’t hear them, and they almost screamed when he suddenly moved. However, it was due to an unfortunate Outimal who had been trying to sneak away. Quicker than Angel could register, the Prototype pierced the toy with one of his sharp legs, the he picked up the body and left. The cloud of red smoke also dissipated.

Angel could now see Giblet again, and he was still laying low. But Angel had learned a fourth and extremely important lesson in the factory: keep moving.

They immediately regretted it when one of the Prototype’s legs slammed onto the ground right in front of their hiding spot, leaving a hole in the concrete.

This up close and with less red smoke around, Angel was actually able to tell that his legs actually also held a bunch of muscles. Cute…

They stayed there for a few tense seconds, waiting for the Prototype’s hand to shoot out of nowhere and impale them in the same way he’d had with CatNap, buy that didn’t happen. Instead, he left after there was no reaction.

This time they waited until the cloud of red smoke had completely cleared and Giblet had dared to leave his hiding spot first.

”He doesn’t usually come down here… You must’a got Him real worked up.”

Angel didn’t answer. They were still frozen, although their legs and arms trembled. Their eyes were stuck on the hole in the ground right in front of them. Had they been just a little faster and they would’ve died…

”Hey, Butcher? You okay?”

They snapped back to reality, and met the eyes of an extremely concerned Giblet. “Wha..? Oh, uhm… yeah, sorry, it’s just… this is the closest I ever got to Him”

Giblet gives them a sympathetic look, then he nods towards the direction opposite of the one the Prototype had left to. “This way”

Angel crawled out of their hiding spot, and they pulled Glowby back out of their pocket. “You okay, kiddo?”

Glowby gave a bright smile, and Angel gently squeezed it.

Yeah, maybe their current allies weren’t all that bad.

~*~

”Whoa! This is…”

Angel was out of words as they stared at Giblet’s hiding spot.

”Yeah, I know it’s not much, but uh…” he murmured with an awkward smile, “who needs fancy murals on the wall and string lights or a barber shop or whatever?”

”Giblet,” Angel interrupted with a smile, “I was about to say that it looks great. I like the view”

”Oh!” he murmured, surprised. “Oh, well, uhm… thanks, Butcher”

”Okay, stop calling me that” Angel deadpanned, but their tone was more teasing than anything.

Giblet’s place was really not half bad. There was a generator, a bunch of furniture and what looked like supplies. But what Angel liked the best truly was the view: sure, it shows the poppy gel, but the way the artificial light hit it made it shine in a way that, in a cave like this, it looked truly aesthetic.

”Was gathers really a barber shop up in Safe Haven?” Angel asked after a moment. Giblet shrugged.

”I don’t know, I never went there, I only heard rumours. Was there?”

Angel snorted. “I didn’t see one, no”

Giblet chuckled back, but he seemed a little sad. “But yeah, I’m not gonna be down here forever. I got plans anyway…”

He went to mess around with the generator, and the motion was so resembling to what Doey used to do that it made Angel ache.

(Why did Giblet have to own a Doey the Doughman rug??)

”Look, I’m not the kinda guy who spends time feeling sorry for himself. I mean, the way I see it, everything’s a tragedy until it’s meant to be” Giblet said excitedly.

Angel scoffed, and that seemed to upset the toy. “Yeah, right. Look, buddy, the only reason I’m down here in the first place is because your friend Poppy crashed the train that was supposed to get me out of the factory-“

”You mean the Doctor crashed the train” Giblet corrected. Angel’s eyes must’ve widened comedically, because he muffled a chuckle. “Don’t tell me you actually thought Poppy would want to crash the train! I’ve heard rumours, you know. The Doctor has been trying to kill you ever since you got past Huggy”

”He… he what?” Angel murmured, leaning back against a wall to stop their head from spinning. Sure, they’d suspected that Sawyer had been observing them since the start, but they’d never considered the idea of him actually crashing the train to Playcare…

“Yeah. So, you still think that this is an accident? You ending up down here, like this? Both of us wanting to kill the Prototype… I mean, that’s where this train is headed, right?-”

”Giblet, let me stop you right there.” Angel interrupted roughly, making the other jolt. Even Glowby vibrated with shock at their outburst.

”First of all, don’t make train metaphors. I think we just went over why the subject is a little sensitive to me. And if you’re gonna be like Poppy and think that I can just go up against that huge monstrosity - I mean, I hadn’t seen him fully yet, but what I have seen is not promising at all!” Angel ranted. “Up until now, the way I killed those other toys? I was lucky. I was goddamn lucky, that’s what it is. I wasn’t even the one to kill CatNap, that was Him! And Mommy and Miss Delight? Right place right time. Yarnaby was pure luck too, I don’t even know how I managed to find a pit of lava! Doey was the one to kill Pianosaurus- God, Doey-“ their voice broke, and they crouched down on the floor.

”A-And I couldn’t even finish the job properly with Huggy! And I’m just- I’m so. tired. Giblet. I just want to go home to my dad, even if he’s an awful piece of shit and he’s the reason why all of this even-“ they took a sharp intake of breath, and they buried their head in their hands.

”Look, I’m not a hero. I’m not some saviour! And if you expect me to be one, then- t-then you’re just as delusional as Poppy was! I’m the reason Safe Haven exploded, I’m the reason Doey is dead, I’m the reason Kissy and Poppy are missing, I’m the reason the Prototype is down here!

”I’ve done nothing truly good, for none of you. And if you expect this to change now, then you’re wrong. I will never be what you guys need, I’m just not capable of it…”

They stayed there for a moment, in silence, with their hands buried in their hair while shaking quietly.

They half expected Giblet to just go ‘oh well then’ and attack them. Instead, he quietly but confidently spoke up.

”What about us Doctor?”

Angel’s eyes fluttered open and they looked up at him. “What..?”

”The Doctor.” Giblet insisted. “Did someone help you to kill him too? Was it also just the right place at the right time?”

”W-Well… no, I guess not, but-“

”You did what no one before ever managed to do” Giblet insisted. “Who cares if you needed help for it? It was still you who did most of the work, and you’re still alive despite that. And what if ya just got lucky? Do you know how rare luck is down here? Ya gave us hope back! The Prototype is afraid of you for a reason.”

Angel blinked the tears away from their eyes. “Giblet…”

”The Prototype barely has any of his minions left” he continued, stepping closer to Angel now. “And it’s all thanks to you, Butcher.”

”And… I’m not some hero either, but… I can help you” he added more hesitantly. “But only if you agree to keep going”

He extended a hand to help Angel up, which wouldn’t really help much, considering his height, but still.

Angel stared down at it for a few moments.

There they were again: choices. It was ALWAYS choice.

Survival necessities choices. Difficult choices… This one is yours.

SAWYER GET OUT OF MY FUCKING HEAD I SWEAR TO GOD-

Angel grasped Giblet’s hand and used it to pull themselves up.

Glowby, who’d been resting on the floor during Angel’s outburst, chirped happily, and Angel delicately picked it back up.

Giblet smiled, pleased. “Alright then. But, before we do this, we gotta get you patched up and outfitted. You’re not gonna last down here with just a cheap night light.”

Glowby chirped, and this time it sounded upset. Giblet rolled his eyes. “Yeah, chirp all you want, I’m the one who scared off all those Outimals!”

Angel tried not to burst out laughing at the argument. Instead, they followed after Giblet.

Maybe, just maybe, this guy wasn’t so bad after all.

~*~

Giblet was also not half bad as a nurse, as it turned out.

He had Angel sit on his bed while he went to recover something to clean up their wounds. “I don’t get injured that often anymore, so I have a bunch of useful medical stuff I don’t even use that’s just left there rotting”

While he was away, Angel’s eyes fell on a note next to the bed. Giblet was anywhere on sight, and Angel’s curiosity got the best of them.

It was a checklist of sorts.

Who I Owe - Give it ALL back

Chum - 26 32 cans of food (Dang it, Chum. I keep telling ya to stop. I DON’T need charity.)

Boggy - broken tv + notepad + pencils (Dead)

Meech - tarp + scaring off the gutter plush (Dead. Stupid slurp.)

Dizz - (that gnawed-on textbook about connecting light fixtures (Dead. Another one dead…)

Ziggy - 2x favours (For new slips)

Gabby - 3x favours (For the updates)

TibbTibb - a jug of water

Roach - a bottle of wound cream

All these names were unfamiliar to Angel, except maybe the first one, but it still hurt to see that so many of Giblet’s ‘friends’ had died.

The last name of the list, however, was what really made Angel tear up.

Doey - for that thing he did that one time (Rest easy, big guy)

God, why did Doey’s presence have to haunt them even now? All they could think about was Matthew, and Kevin, and… Jack…

And what they’d one to Safe Haven… Maya and Scout, along with more than a dozen other children…

Was Kissy even okay? Had Poppy managed to escape from the Prototype?

”Hey! Don’t mess with that!”

Angel jolted and immediately set the note down where they’d found it, hastily wiping at their eyes. “Err- sorry, I didn’t mean to snoop around…”

Giblet gave Angel a sheepish look, like he was afraid of Angel catching him in a vulnerable spot. (Crazy, considering that Angel had just finished pouring their frustrations out to him.)

”It’s okay, it’s just, uhm… that’s personal…” he mumbled, slightly glaring at the letter on the floor like he was mad at himself for even leaving it there in the first place.

”Okay” Angel nodded. They were silent for a moment, then they spoke up again. “Were you and Doey..? Uhm…”

”Did we know each other?” Angel nodded. “Yeah, uh… a bit. Mostly from before the Hour of Joy… after that it became nearly impossible for any of us to move floors in the factory, especially with the Prototype and the Doctor around”

Angel nodded, rubbing their index and middle fingers together. Giblet had a distant look in his eyes for a moment, but then he shook it off. “Alright, you want my help for this or do ya wanna do it?”

Angel had learned to be quite self sufficient, even before the factory, but they asked for Giblet’s help for a few things. For example, their whole ankle ordeal.

”Mhh… well, I’m not a doctor, but it’s pretty swollen. Although I can’t tell if it’s because of the cut or anything else…” Giblet murmured while staring at the main reason of Angel’s pain and suffering.

They only scoffed while applying some of the wound cream the toy had given them. “Still think of me as some sort of cool superhero?”

”Oh, definitely” Giblet answered with no hesitation. “The whole injuries-and-scars ordeal just makes you look more intimidating, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Outimals started staying clear of you just because of that!”

Angel blinked. “Ah. Do I… look that bad?”

”I don’t know, go take a look at yourself, the bathroom’s there” Giblet said distractedly while putting some stuff away. Then, when Angel was almost there, he seemed to come back to his senses. “Wait!-“

”Why do you have a poster in front of your mirror?” Angel asked staring at the drawing. The character drawn on it seemed to be the same as the one from the cutout they’d found earlier.

“Th-That’s not- that’s just… that’s nothing. That’s-“ he stammered out, staring at the floor as he fiddled with his hands, “just a piece of trash I found…”

”…Right”

Angel narrowed their eyes at Giblet, then they stared at the drawing carefully. In all honesty, they actually looked alike…

“Just- if you want to look at yourself, just put it back after…” Giblet grumbled.

The human gently pried the poster away from the mirror and leaned down a bit to take a look at themselves.

…Wow.

They looked like they’d gone through hell and back. Literally.

Their face was barely recognisable, not only because of the scratched caused by CatNap that covered a good chunk of their face, but also because of the dirt and dried blood that covered it. And they just really looked the most tired Angel had ever seen themselves…

They put the poster back almost immediately, and Angel understood why Giblet would want to keep it there. What point was there in looking at yourself if the sight is only going to make you feel worse?

(Angel wondered if Giblet’s choice also had something to do with some sort of body dysphoria, due to his current wrongside out look. But who were they to go and psychoanalyse other people?)

They were about to go back to bed, when their eyes fell on another piece of paper laying on some sort of workbench nearby.

It was different from ones Angel usually saw: it looked a child’s version of a newspaper, handmade too.

”Hey, can I..?” Angel asked, pointing to the paper. Giblet looked up at what they were talking about and just shrugged.

”Yeah, but it’s like- really old, and it’s only that page”

Angel hummed, shrugging back, and they picked up the paper.

There were two columns, and the picture on the right showed a toy that Angel was now painfully familiar with, and who seemed to have decided to haunt them during their stay in the labs: Doey the Doughman.

THE BETTER PRESS

Issue #14, Oct 2003

Oh, so- two years earlier, more or less. That’s why Giblet had said it was old.

BURNT ENDS

Missing Toy Mystery solved

For years, we toys speculated about what happened to Gentle John - some daring to spread the lie that he and his Joyless had fled the factory during the Hour of Joy. The rumours were put to rest, Tuesday, when the burnt up bodies of twenty three toys were found in the Innovation wing and confirmed to be the presumed defector.

Angel blinked. Maybe it was their many concussions, or the way the paper was worded, but some things about it just didn’t make sense to Angel. And also, who the hell was Gentle John?? They dint remember a toy named that… although they barely remembered anything at all. And who are the Joyless??

”John refused to fight for us during the Hour of Joy. Spare no tears for him and the Joyless. There is no hope for us above.” said our liberator, the Prototype.

Ah. So this was Prototype propaganda… now it all made sense.

A vigil will be held in town square this upcoming Joy Day. All are ENCOURAGED to attend. The first 10 attendees will be given special mourning stickers. (Continued on page 2…)

Angel almost started cackling. ‘Special mourning stickers’? And what was this Joy Day? It couldn’t be the anniversary of the Hour of Joy, considering the newspaper had been made in October. Unless the toys had lost track of time, but at least Giblet seemed to be pretty well informed about what was happening.

Apparently Giblet considered this to be a bunch of bullshit, though, because he’d written in black crayon over it ‘HOW CONVENIENT!’, with a frowning face.

Since there was no page 2 for Angel to continue reading the article, they moved into the second, more dread column.

CANNIBAL DOLL-OCAUST

”Who the hell even comes up with these names…” Angel murmured under their breath.

”What was that?” Giblet asked from wherever he was fidgeting.

”Uh- nothing, sorry. I tend to talk to myself when I’m reading something”

As good supplied run low, rebel toys in Safe Haven have been reportedly eating each other!

”WHAT?!” Angel exclaimed. “Uh, sorry Giblet-“

“It’s fine” he answered, approaching Angel and reading the paper over their shoulder, probably guessing what point they’d reached. “I’m guessing they don’t actually do that?”

”No.” Angel firmly confirmed. “But you know who I’ve seen doing it? Literally everyone else on the Prototype’s side.”

”It’s way beyond salvaging from the charnel pit,” said a former rebel who didn’t want to be named.

”The place stinks so bad of soggy plush and blood. It’s so bad.”

“Okay, so- this guy has clearly never set a foot into Safe Haven” Angel deadpanned.

Giblet chuckled and left them alone to finish the paper.

Though others deny the claims, it’s widely known that rebel toy, Doey the Doughman, has a big appetite and previously ate at least one of his parents. (Continued on page 4…)

Angel felt dizzy. Their mind flew back to the little office in the foundation, where they’d heard a still unstable Doey switch from their old best friend Jack to Kevin, who’d brutally murdered Jack’s parents, Susan and George Ayers.

The blood rang in their ears, they could barely even feel their limbs.

”Butcher?”

Angel blinked the thoughts away. They’d gotten good at that: feel and then put it away.

”Yeah?”

”You okay?” he asked. He sounded worried.

Why would he sound worried??

”Yeah, I’m just, uhh…” Angel murmured, setting the note back down.

”I guess I’m just really tired”

Giblet hummed, then nodded towards his bed. “Sleep then”

Angel’s mouth almost started watering.

’Sleep then’. Did Giblet even know that he’d just built himself a comfortable place in the center of Angel’s heart?

Oh, how weak they’d become since entering this factory…

They didn’t even wait for Giblet to repeat himself, they crossed the room and let themselves fall onto the bed.

It was a kid’s size, obviously, so they had to get into fetal position, but they didn’t mind.

”How about I sing you to sleep!” Giblet asked excitedly, although it felt more like a demand. “You definitely wanna hear my singing, right?

”Err…” Angel murmured. They were basically already asleep, but might as well humor their new ally. “Yeah, sure”

“Okay, here it goes…” he took a deep breath, then-

“He’s stretchy, he’s gummy, he’s squishy, he’s funny! D-O-E-Y!”

Angel blinked. That the worst cover of Doey’s theme song that they’d ever heard.

”He’s silly, he’s… gooey, he’s- I dunno, he’s- something! D-O-E-Y!”

Angel had to press their lips together tightly to not start laughing.

Giblet kept going, first with Huggy’s theme song, then with the Smiling Critters’ one. Eventually, he ran out of songs.

”Ahem… please sleep…”

”Yes sir” Angel cackled.

Immediately after closing their eyes, they fell asleep.

~*~

”Here. The Boilers”

After a good eight hours of sleep (Angel hadn’t even bothered to ask what Giblet had done in the meanwhile) the two of them (plus Glowby) were back on track. And now they were standing in front of Giblet’s self made map of the floor.

”Lots of gear got tossed down there after the uh… after it all went down” Giblet explained. “Pretty sure I saw an old grabber. I’ll point ya there”

”Sounds good to me” Angel agreed.

Giblet smiled, then pointed towards an opening on the wall on his left. “Through there. The Pipes will get you down. Meet me up in R&D once you’ve got what you need. I’ll get things cooking.”

Angel nodded and gave him a mock salute, before entering the entrance.

”Alright, kiddo” they said while turning on its flashlight.

”Ley’s go get my GrabPack back.”

Chapter Text

When Angel found the cassette tape, they weren’t all that sure they wanted to listen to yet another one of those.

Like the first one with Poppy had been enough of an emotional wreck. They doubted this one would’ve been much better.

It was named ‘SECURITY LOG - 08081995 - 16’, which meant it’d been made during the Hour of Joy, which just made Angel want to listen to it even less. Butttt they also wanted to know something more about the depths of the factory, and about the events that surrounded the Hour, so… maybe this could help?

So they did the same thing they’d done with the other cassette and then started playing it.

Just like the first time, the screen displayed the subtitles and name of the speaker. After some pitiful whimpering, a voice that Glowby connected to Bobby Bearhug (presumably the Bigger Body version of her) spoke in a bored tone.

”This is ridiculous! Trying them up, leaving them here… Just kill them and be done with it.”

Angel’s jaw dropped a bit. From the short encounter they’d had with DogDay and that tape they’d heard back at Safe Haven with Hoppy Hopscotch, they’d automatically assumed that all the Bigger Smiling Critters (except CatNap) had been on the resistance’s side. But, after all, Kissy had taken part in the Hour of Joy too. So it wasn’t that difficult to imagine Bobby potentially passing to the resistance later on.

”It wasn’t supposed to be like this…”

There was no need for subtitles to recognise that voice: Giblet’s.

“Don’t be a coward! You know what they did to us!”

”Okay, what did these people do, huh? They work in the warehouse, they’ve never even been down to Playcare!”

”Oooh, clock her, buddy” Angel murmured with an amused smile.

”You don’t know them any more than I do. Let’s just leave before-“

The familiar noise of footsteps clicking on concrete made Angel’s hair stand up straight. The Prototype.

In the tape, that is, not anywhere near them… hopefully. For such a big guy, he seemed to be really good at moving around quietly.

”Survivors?”

”In there. He tied them up…”

”Little snitch.” Angel scoffed. “I never liked Bobby anyway.”

”Why?”

”Because he’s soft.”

”Bitch, aren’t you supposed to be the Critter of affection??” they exclaimed. “Act like it!”

”But… this isn’t… I-I can’t I… I just can’t…”

”You can. You have to.”

”No… No, I-I…”

”They can’t leave. And they can’t stay.”

”But I… I… I never wanted this…”

”Want is inconsequential. We agreed. We do this, together.”

Angel wasn’t sure what happened next, but from the noises it sounded like someone was stabbing through the employee. The cassette ended.

”I really need to give Giblet a hug when I see him again…” Angel murmured, staring at Glowby’s display for a moment.

”Alright, enough getting distracted, let’s find the GrabPack.”

~*~

This was by far the most disgusting things Angel had yet seen there at Playtime Co. And they’d thrown up over a note that described the process of extracting poppy gel from children turned into toys just less than ten hours earlier.

Because as they stared at the Bigger Body version of Bron the Dinosaur, his insides scattered on the ground, while a few animals fed off of those, Angel seriously felt like fainting.

But they had to get their GrabPack, if they wanted to be able to defend themselves in there. And wouldn’t you know it, the GrabPack was sitting comfortably just in Bron’s mouth… yay..!

So they had to climb Bron’s body and do a bit of parkour to recover the item from his mouth. The dinosaur turned to stare at them with his expressionless eyes, and Angel motioned for him to stay quiet, because either the Critters were too busy eating him to notice them, or they simply didn’t care about their presence, and they didn’t want to change. Luckily Bron didn’t alarm anyone, just continued staring.

Angel almost considered helping him, but they weren’t sure there was much they could even do for him… it barely even felt like he knew he was in the room at the moment. So they just focused on the GrabPack they’d obtained.

It was somewhat in between an old and a new model, with the new features of the GrabPack 2.0 to swap hands, and it also kept the same air jets. It had the standard blue and red hands, and Angel managed to attach Glowby to the left cannon so that they could always keep the little guy with them without having to worry too much. There was also some sort of feature to connect it to the GrabPack so that Angel could now turn on the flashlight and blacklight without having to let go of the cannon’s triggers.

Once they had the GrabPack, they started looking for a way out. Bron kept following their every movement with his head, which was really creepy, but Angel was by now used to the feeling of being watched, so they didn’t care much.

Eventually they found some sort of office where a new tipe of right hand was kept. According to the instruction manual, it was called a ‘pressure hand’. It could build up a limited amount of pressure and release it once the trigger was let go. That could come in handy to break some stuff…

(Hah. Handy.)

They tried the pressure hand a bit with a few containers that were hanging in the air, and once they understood just how to dose the amount of pressure they used, it all became extremely easy.

Now, of course the happiness of having rebounded with their old friend GrabPack eventually had to end. And it did once Angel found the third cassette tape.

This one was title ‘The Case’, which already didn’t sound good by itself. The audio only seemed to further confirm it…

Poppy was crying, and the Prototype was walking up to her. Two noises that Angel genuinely wished they weren’t so familiar with…

”Ah, here you are… hiding in your room. Running away… from the… rebellion you started.”

The more Angel listened to his voice, the more they wanted to punch the guy to death. Who cares if it was a kid?

”I can’t… I can’t be who they need! I’m not… I didn’t ask for them to look to me…”

Angel grimaced. God. They were still mad at Poppy for abandoning them, but this was making them feel terrible for her…

”But I-“

”Failed. It scared you. And so, you ran. Like a child.”

”Okay, picture me this: what if - and I’m just throwing blind words here - SHE IS A CHILD, YOU DUMB MOTHERFU-“

”Prototyoe… Stop this. Please. You wanted something better, but- but if you don’t let the orphans go, you won’t get it. Don’t you see that?”

Angel blinked. Oh, right. They’d completely forgot what the point of this whole thing was: rescue the orphans.

”Even if you kill me-“

”HELL NO! He needs to get in line, I already got my ticket.”

”-you’ll be fighting the others for years… Please, just- let them go and NO one else needs to die for either of us… Please…”

Angel frowned at the display. What was there that made Poppy and the Prototype so different and important from all the others?

Sure, Poppy was the first successful toy, probably made by Elliot Ludwig himself in the 60s to bring back a child to life, and the Prototype was the first successful attempt at a Bigger Body, likely made by Sawyer, in the attempt of copying Ludwig’s work. But then what made them so similar?

”Everything dies, Poppy… everything except us.”

Eh?

There was a weird noise, like the Prototype was grabbing Poppy. She started whimpering and panicking.

”W-What are you-“

”You refuse truth. You refuse reality: your orphans can never go free. The work must continue. Otherwise, we’ll be left with nothing, and infinity will be lonely. I know only one way to make you see this…”

”No, no no no! Prototype, please- STOP! PLEASE!!”

Angel stood there horrified as the recording went on for what felt like forever, only filled with Poppy’s agonising screen.

This must’ve been when 1006 had locked her in the case…

In a way, Angel could understand Poppy’s despair. They’d realised after a while that standing still while in the factory was basically impossible to them. Their mind kept screaming at them to keep moving, because otherwise whatever was after them would catch up and kill them. Even while listening to cassettes or VHS tapes, or even just while reading the notes, they always had to be swinging back and forth on the spot, just so they were aware that they weren’t standing still. Being locked in something so small… it would’ve made Angel scream just like Poppy had.

The way she’d ran away from them and Kissy felt much more justified now…

”Glowby” Angel whispered, their voice rough. “Please, let’s avoid the recordings for a bit, ‘kay?”

~*~

They didn’t avoid the recordings.

But the one they found next was actually not traumatic at all! To be honest, it even made them laugh.

”Okay so again, uhm, thank you for all coming in a-and being a part of this… f-focus group”

This guy was labelled as ‘marketing junior’, which- duh. He sounded so nervous when speaking to this focus group.

“Now what you just saw was a promo for our newest line of toys, the Wrongside Outimals! We’d love to get your honest reaction to-“

”I think they’re disgusting.”

”Oh!”

Angel almost doubled over in laughter. That was even funnier than Giblet’s signing…

”Uh… okay, okay. Uhm… Well hey, no wrong answers. Uhm, can you tell me a little-“

”And satanic.”

”Mh-hmmm.”

Angel had to lean against a wall and clutch at their stomach to avoid falling on the ground. This sounded just like those class group chats between parents…

”They do sort of look a bit… demonic, ugh…”

”Is that what you’re trying to teach kids? How to turn animals inside out?”

”Well, Ms mom isn’t wrong there” Angel conceded, between giggles.

”Is the octopus… is he turning into a fish skeleton? I-I don’t get it”

”Octopuses don’t have bones.”

And then there’s the dads, y’know.

”Ah- okay. Okay everyone, let’s- let’s stay on track here. So I have… uhm… disgusting! Yup, okay-“

”In a bad way.”

”What other ways are there..?” Angel murmured in a high pitched tone, barely able to breath now from how hard they were wheezing.

”Great. Yes, uhm… disgusting-in-a-bad-way… I wrote it down twice, okay. Anyone else-“

”And satanic!”

”Yeah! I-I- I wrote that one down, yeah… w-we’re good on satanic.”

Angel snorted. That kid was actually doing a pretty good job at not snapping at the parents. Had they been in his place, they wouldn’t have been as polite.

”What if they had a skateboard?”

”…I’m sorry?”

The kid’s high pitched tone made Angel laugh even harder.

“What if one of these outside-imals, you know, what if he had a skateboard?”

”Okay! Uhm, you’d like one of them-“

”I mean, I wouldn’t like it. But, y’know, the kids.”

Could they die out of laughter? Because then they were about to.

”I just really think it’s in bad taste. It’s all very… Jeffrey Dahmer.”

”Whoa!” Angel exclaimed, their laughter ceasing. “This turned dark REALLY fast!”

”Okay, uhm, how about… positive, feedback? Is there anything that we like?”

”…I like the one with the doobie”

”Oh, that’s uh… th-that’s a paintbrush”

”Oh… then I don’t like it”

And Angel had officially expired from laughing too hard.

~*~

The cherry on top of the weirdness they were currently going through ended up not being a cherry at all. It was actually a lemon. A lemon with eyes made by those googly items and a mouth drawn in black sharpie, that yelled ‘limon!’ whenever Angel accidentally dropped it.

The lemon started making more sense when they entered the biodiversity lab. It was a huge lab that looked like an indoor greenhouse, filled with the weirdest plans Angel had ever seen.

They ended up inside some sort of office, where a small case with three other lemons on a plate rested. On a whiteboard next to it there was a note that had been taped to the thing and a message written in black sharpie.

Found Limon in the sink again. Someone PLZ figure out what’s happening here.

With an incredulous smile, Angel took the note to see what had been written there.

Reminder

Friendly reminder that the genetically modified vegetation in this workplace is NOT to be removed without authorisation. We know one of you has been taking citrus from this lab and leaving them around the factory as some kind of ‘joke’. Let it be known, there will be repercussions if this behaviour continues.

-Management

Someone, unperturbed by the threat, had added a handwritten message, along with a drawing of Limon.

His name is Limon. He has a family!

”I’m guessing this is your family?” Angel asked the lemon with a chuckle, looking at the three other lemons on the plate. Angel set Limon on top of his family, and they all happily exclaimed “LIMON!”.

Once the amusement because of the scene had faded, a realisation fell onto Angel. Playtime Co had also been experimenting on vegetation. Did that mean that Limon and his family were kids? Or just the conscience of the lemons? Technically plants were also living beings, no? While the whole toys matter was just transferring a human being’s consciousness in an inanimate object.

They left Limon to bond with his family and instead walked back out in the biodiversity lab.

They found another note, this one more on the ‘scientific’ side of the things, rather than the funny stuff.

Abstract:

In testing the interactions between Growth Medium and various biological materials, we observed that plantlife exposure exhibits traits both intriguingly similar to, and disturbingly different from, that of flesh.

Angel had no idea what a ‘Growth Medium’ was, but they guessed it had something to do with the whole ‘bring kids back to life’ ordeal.

Materials:

Pure Growth Medium Concentrate

Various flora, fruits and vegetables

Observations:

Plant roots appeared to take on the quality of weeds over several weeks, tangling as though to choke neighbouring growth. Closer inspection revealed a coalescing structure: a shared system rather than competition. Enlarged stems, leaves, and fruits soon followed. During an unprotected interaction, one specimen appeared to latch onto my assistant. Further contact is strongly discouraged.

When the resulting fruits and vegetables were tested on both mice and rats, internal consumption began writhing hours following ingestion - similar to fungal degradation of organic tissue.

”…Ew.”

Conclusion:

All produced seeds, fruits, and vegetables are to be considered toxic and parasitic. Until a more stable strain can be developed, direct interaction with any plant matter is prohibited.

We need to develop a means of counteracting the growth medium if we’re to continue this line of research; otherwise, the flora will spread completely out of our control. If the proposed ‘Negation Formula’ we’re developing is everything we intend, then this should more than suffice.

”…Yeah, what a bunch of junk.” Angel murmured, dropping the note back where they’d found it.

”Now, how do I get out of here?”

~*~

They began to appreciate the decontamination zones more when the tree-pimple the had to pop almost covered them in its… whatever it was.

“This is… so incredibly disgusting.” Angel grumbled as they left the decontamination chamber. Luckily they’d managed to get rid of all the waste, they just hoped it wasn’t toxic and would somehow enter their skin in some way.

They winded up in an office, and their eyes fell on a yellow piece of paper that had been handwritten. A letter, presumably.

Pumpkin (and I guess you too, David, haha)

Hey you! Sending my love from a particular toy factory out West! (Still INSANELY weird to say that out loud).

”Well, you’re not saying it out loud, you’re writing it…”

Missing you both like crazy right now. And I know, I know, it’s only been a couple of weeks, but still. Anyways, I told you I’d give you an update on the kind of people I’m meeting here in the lab…

”Sorry, but the update probably didn’t go through, considering this letter is still here” Angel murmured, taking place on one of the comfortable swivel chairs.

Some of the scientists here are super quiet, keeping mostly to themselves. They live the work - just not the people.

”Who could blame them.”

Some are kind, but they almost feel a little sad when you talk to them. I can’t exactly say why.

”Yeah, I mean, they’re working on child experimentation! What’s there to be sad about?”

And others are… well, let’s say they’re not the type I wanted to see here.

”Psychos?”

There’s this initial group of scientists that everyone else is built around. The ‘Brain Trust’. I’m told these people were from some relic program in the 60s called ‘the Young Geniuses Program’. The head of THEM is a guy named Harley Sawyer. You guys would hate him. He’s the type to let others break their backs lifting hay and then congratulate himself on the good work he did.

Angel snorted. “Yeah, I met him.”

I know the offer was a strange one.

”Why would you say that? Biologists get offered jobs in toy factories all the time!”

And David, I know you’re worried about me (you don’t even need to say it, you’ve just ALWAYS been like that). But I really believe in this. Playtime sold me a vision that means something. Maybe even everything.

”So they brainwashed you, ‘kay.”

It’s not enough for me to just patent a thing and make a bit of money off it, then retire somewhere to teach it in a class where nobody really cares about what you’ve dedicated your life to. I need what I do to be more than that.

Julie,

Angel blinked. ‘Julie’. They did know a Julie, but… yeah, no. This definitely couldn’t be the same Julie. It sounded like these people lived on the east coast!

I want you to be proud to have a Mommy like me. And I swear, I’m going to do just that. Promise to be home for your 9th birthday!

”Yeah. As someone whose father is apparently responsible for all this child experimentation, allow me to tell you, she would NOT be proud of who her mom is.” Angel deadpanned, then they read the signature.

Love,

Dr Chloe Arkins

…

One,

Two,

Three-

“WHAT THE FUCK?!”

Angel dropped the note and shot out of the swivel chair. Their eyes were bigger than two watermelons.

Doctor Chloe Arkins.

Chloe Arkins.

Chloe Arkins.

And her daughter, Julie… Julie Arkins.

And David, David Arkins… Angel’s Julie had a dad named David Arkins.

Angel walked back and forth the small room, unable to comprehend what was fully happening.

But they should also probably explain who Julie was to them, right?

Julie was… well, the easiest thing to say was that she was an upperclassman of Angel’s. A couple years older, she’d tutored them in a few subjects.

(Not like Angel needed the tutoring, mind you. But when you’re 15 and a hot, broke college student gives some of your buddies tutoring, what do you do? You purposely fail as many subjects as possible to get tutored.)

Of course, when the two of them had first met, Angel had been a minor, so nothing really happened between them. But now that Angel was nineteen and about to become a sophomore in college, while Julie was now taking her Master Degree, their relationship had become much more intimate.

So… yeah, maybe they weren’t exactly dating, but they were close to it. Or, at least, they’d been, before Angel had decided to go and die inside the stupid Playtime Co factory.

From what they could remember, Julie had mentioned moving to the west coast sometime when she was twelve, because of something that had happened regarding her mother’s disappearance. She’d never liked to go into detail, and Angel had always thought it was because of it being a sensitive topic, but now they could understand.

Julie’s mom had gone missing while working for Playtime Co, the company that had once belonged to Angel’s father. It was even just surprising that she’d been able to look Angel in the eyes, or talk normally with their dad, without her screaming at him to tell her where her mother was.

Angel a pang of despair hit them. If they ever got out of there, then they’d eventually end up telling Julie about it all, there was no way they wouldn’t. That girl could get any information out of them with a look. And how could Angel ever deny her the truth about her mother? But that would wreck her, just like it’d wrecked Angel…

Those were the thoughts that plagued Angel’s mind as they carefully folded Dr Arkins’ letter and put it in their jacket’s pocket. (They at least had to bring this back to the surface, Julie deserved to read it.) And those thoughts kept plaguing them as they solved a bunch of different electrical puzzles thanks to the GrabPack and their newfound skills of electrician.

Those thoughts, however, completely disappeared when something grabbed them by the collar and lifted them up in the air.

Angel shrieked and looked at what had grabbed them.

It was a red toy with a shape that vaguely resembled the one of a pear. He had thick fur, just like Huggy’s and Kissy’s, but his eyes were slightly more expressive and a little mismatched: one was placed higher than the other. His belly was covered in yellow fur, and-

…

Jesus Christ.

His mouth was his belly. Angel could see the rows of very long and sharp teeth…

Before they could even elaborate an escape plan (and before the newcomer could eat them), a familiar head popped out from behind the toy.

”Heeeey, that grabber looks good on you!”

”Giblet!” Angel exclaimed, relieved. “Uhm… who’s your… friend..?”

”Ah, right. This is Chum Chompkins,” him and Chum exchanged a quick fist bump, “my guy on the inside. We uh… sorta look out for each other”

Right. Angel remembered reading Chum’s name on Giblet’s list of favours he owed. Apparently Chum REALLY loved to help Giblet out.

And, now that they thought about it, they actually knew Chum too! Well, not this version of him, but the toy one. Not only had they met a cutout of him earlier, but they’d also owed his plushie.

In all honesty, the creation of the character of Chum had been purely because of Angel’s sake. While they were going through their phase of selective mutism, they’d started to learn sign language. No one basically knew sign language, and that was something that had highly bummed Angel. So, in a moment of creative thinking, they’d drawn a funny pear shaped red guy with a yellow belly and no mouth, who only spoke in sign language. Their father had actually liked the idea, and he’d made sure it became an official Playtime Co toy, shown as a friend of Huggy and Kissy. He’d never particularly kicked off as much as the others had, but Angel had never been happier than when they’d first seen him on screen. Since then, the kids at school had seemed to know sign language a little more.

(But considering how they’d forgotten most of their childhood, the same thing had probably happened in Playcare.)

Chum, however, didn’t seem to like Angel as much as Angel liked him, because he grunted at them menacingly, while wiggling in the air.

”Giblet!” Angel exclaimed. “You mind introducing us??”

”Chum,” the small toy said with a chuckle, “this is who everyone’s been talking about! Poppy’s Angel!” he chuckled. “The Playtime Butcher!”

”You know, I’m seriously starting to dislike that name…” Angel grumbled, then they gave Chum a side eye. “You gonna let me down or what?”

After a moment of hesitation, Chum slowly lowered Angel to the ground.

”C’mon, I was just…” Giblet continued, staring nervously between the two of them, “filling in Chum on our plan”

Giblet left the room first, and, before following him, Chum gave Angel one last grunt.

Angel scoffed and followed after the two. “So, Giblet, my dear friend,” they said through greeted teeth, glaring a hole into the back of Chum’s head. “What exactly is the plan? Because you didn’t tell me either”

Giblet turned back to give the both of them an unamused look, but he just shrugged it off. “Look, we’re not the first to try and take out the Prototype. Everyone who tries, they fail…”

Angel gulped. The memory of a leg slamming in the floor a foot away from their hand reappeared in their head momentarily.

”I mean- you’ve seen the guy” Giblet continued. “He’s so juiced up on that pink stuff you cook cut him in half and he’d just put himself back together”

”Ah.” Angel murmured, their steps faltering for a moment. Chum noticed and turned to give them a curious look. The human started walking faster again.

”But everyone has a weakness!” Giblet added, encouraging. “And Playtime, they did ALL kinds of studies. Poking him with needles and uh… uh… making spreadsheets!”

Chum walked up to som sort of panel on the wall and pulled out a-

…

A drill.

From his mouth.

He had a drill in his mouth.

…

You know what? They’d seen weirder shit.

”And all that science, it’s here” Giblet finished.

Chum made some sort of grumble that Angel couldn’t figure out, but apparently Giblet was fluent in Chum-nese.

“C’mon! How many years have we talked about taking this guy out?!”

Angel giggled, probably in a fit of insanity caused by too many near death experiences. “Talked?”

Chum and Giblet turned back to give Angel an unamused look. Chum made a vague gesture in Angel’s direction which didn’t meant anything in sign language, but clearly meant ‘this one? Really? They’re the Butcher?’.

(Believe me, buddy, they were wondering the same thing.)

“I talked, Chum signed- whatever” Giblet murmured. “This is our chance”

Chum hummed, like Giblet’s talking had convinced him. The smaller toy turned to give Angel a crooked grin. “See, what’d I say? Everything happens for a reason”

Angel grimaced. “Yeah, right…” they looked around the rest of the room, but when they turned back, Giblet and Chum were gone.

“Uhm… guys..?”

…

”Got it, I need to find another way to get there, okay-“

~*~

After solving an interminable puzzle that required them to move up and down the room (yes, by the way, Giblet. They HAD hit their head. Several times.), Angel finally managed to find a way to… NOT get back to their companions.

Turns out the tunnel they’d taken didn’t lead to the lab Giblet and Chum had been in at all, but instead it’d brought them to the Engineering Workshop.

Well, maybe they’d find something useful there?

”Oh! A note” Angel exclaimed, looking at the offending piece of paper.

”Let’s see… ‘GrabPack hands rejection’? Mh…”

Engineering Team,

Team, I just wanted to say, for a bunch of socially maldeveloped super geniuses who can miraculously pull together miracles JUST ahead of deadline…

You are all absolute morons.

Angel snorted rather loudly. “Now here’s a boss who loves his employees!”

Let me break down the ‘concepts’ (I say derogatorily) you’ve sent me:

’Gravity’ Hand - Really? THIS is the fantasy the company innovation dime is going forward?

”Hey, that could actually come in handy” Angel joked.

”Jesus Christ, I need to drop the dad jokes.”

Gun Hand ‘Gunny Wunny’ - First, a pox on whoever came up with this travesty of a name. Second are you seriously about to give a bunch of overworked and severely underpaid 9-to-9ers a GUN HAND? Let’s think about this…

Angel giggled at the name, but then thought back longingly to the Flare Hand they’d lost when that damn Huggy had stolen their GrabPack. “Guess they recycled that idea…”

’Big Breaking Fist’ - What employee under Playtime’s payroll needs a fist? Please, enlighten me. I would to hear your reasoning, and then promptly hand you a straitjacket.

”Damn!” Angel whistled. “This guy has no mercy”

Please, the LAST thing I need in lead reviews is to show THESE travesties off like they’re serious projects. Promptly toss these down into Recycling & Reclamation, and let’s forget ALL about them. I know I intend to.

Adam Worthy

Head of Engineering

“Alright, as funny as this was, I really need to get a move on” Angel hummed to themselves, looking around the room.

”C’mon Glowby, let’s see if we can find a way to take out that bitch.”

”Wait, you’re a child, I shouldn’t swear-“