Upon stepping out of the gondola, Gabe inspected the area before him. All around are littered corpses of toys, strewn around bloody in pieces. Looking around in the entire dome, while there is depictions of life wherever he went, Gabe can tell without even so much as touching it, that all the plants are just lifeless plastic. The grass, vines, and potted plants are just as dead as the stale air around him. And as for the trees, they were nothing more but cardboard cutouts.
The "clouds" above are but mock imitations of the one from in the outside world. The giant misshapen masses of cotton hanging by cable wire are a stark reminder that he is still stuck underground. The Playcare's background is a crude imitation of a sunny, bright blue sky, now nothing more but faded, peeling wallpaper.
Just by looking at it all, Gabe can only imagine just how lively this place was before Playtime.co went under. He could practically hear the laughter of kids echoing through these withered streets. All in all, Playcare now feels like a hollow shell of the resplendent orphanage that it once was.
No sooner as he finishes the flight of stairs the phone he kept on his side rings. "Pssst. It's me again, Ollie."
"Hey buddy." Gabe replies. "Well, I'm here in Playcare. I've never been down here, and this place is far bigger than I thought it would be."
"Yeah, I can see you in the cameras. Cool place, right?"
Gabe was silent for a second, pondering upon how ominous it was just from entering on his gondola ride down here. "Not gonna lie, buddy. But if I didn't knew that the cable car was taking me into Playcare I would have thought I was being taken into a prison."
"Yeah, you'll think from all the colorful paintings and decorations throughout the factory they would have put more thought into that part. And the kids used to live here, but now look at." Ollie then said. "Anyway, see that statue in the middle of the room?"
Gabe looked and sure enough a large statue of a circular platform covered in plastic vines, and on top of it are the stone figures of the Smiling Critters, all of them standing side by side with each other holding hands. Though there seems to be one of them missing.
"I see it. What about it?"
"There should be some stairs under it. There is a really cool room that powers all of Playcare!"
"So a generator room?" He said scratching his chin intrigued. "Ok, heading down there."
Gabe then does as he is instructed and finds his way into the statue's staircase. Heading down, he finds himself in a rather small room, not as big as he thought a generator room would be. In fact, while there is some components around that could be described as parts of a generator they don't look anything like the generator itself. And given how massive Playcare is it would take literal tons of electrical power, so it has to be big. So which means that the real generator is somewhere out of sight, and that this is just the control room on top of it.
Ollie didn't really tell him what he is to do while down here, so he simply wandered around for a moment, wondering what he should do next. Just then he heard something that sounded like a tink. Looking around for the source he finds a locker, opening it he finds a vent tube and hanging on the very end is a set of keys. How helpful yet inquisitive, it must be Ollie that handed these down. Then after taking them, the phone rings.
"Ok, so you got the keys. Now I bet you are wondering, 'where does it go'? Well head back out, there is a door next to the gondola that took you down."
"Alright, any sign of Catnap though?" He said with a hint of apprehension. He isn't too keen on meeting him if he can avoid it, and he knows Ollie can keep on the look out for him just like he did earlier.
"No, I checked all around your area for any sign of him but he is no where." Ollie replied. "But I wouldn't get comfortable. Catnap, like the other bigger toys, lives for the hunt. But don't worry, I'll do my best to keep watch."
"Thanks Ollie." Gabe replied, slightly relived but yet still tense. "I'll be sure to watch my back as well."
Hanging up the phone he then ascends the stairs and finds, out in the distance, a metal door in the dome's wall just to the left of the gondola. Right where Ollie told him it would be. Up the fake hills of plastic grass and past the small baby chairs, Gabe ascended till he past the threshold and into a hallway.
His thoughts trailed back to the moment he met Ollie, the only ally so far that hasn't either tried to kill him or sell him half-truths. So far… But yet something doesn't add up about this new character. Sure he is eternally grateful that he now has a much more reliable ally there for him, but the thing that confounds him is the fact that Ollie is a kid. Not an adult, not even a teenager, but a kid. Which begs one massively confusing question, what in God's name is a little kid doing down here?! For all he knows he could be talking to a twelve year old.
Did Ollie come here just like he did? Was he curious about what happened here ten years ago, or is he looking for someone down here? Because it couldn't be that Ollie has been hiding here for all those years. He must have came here the same way he did. Gabe wondered if he endured the same hardships he had so far, escaping Huggy, evading Mommy, and now avoiding all the other horrors that lie in Playcare. And the shocking fact is, is that Ollie is just a kid. A little kid, here in a place like this. It looks like he has yet another person to rescue once he manages to fulfill whatever it is that Poppy wants.
Soon enough Gabe reaches the end of the hallway, but before he enters he stops and sees that the door before him has claw marks on it, giant claw marks. He doesn't want to think what could have caused those. Then passing the threshold, he finds himself in a large room, but it was nothing like anything he had ever seen in the factory. The machine in the center of the room doesn't even look like it was made to manufacture anything at all, and past the large control panel and monitor sat three large, cylindrical glass vats. The one to his right appears to be filled with a strange red mist, eerily similar to the fog he crossed over earlier. What is this mist? And why does he feel such unease just looking at it?
Just then the phone rings, picking it up he hears Ollie through it. "Hey, me again. Man, if only you can see your face like I do, you look like a deer in the headlights."
Gabe brings the phone closer and with an astonished tone he asks him. "Ollie, what the hell am I looking at?"
"Welcome to the Gas Production Zone, Gabriel." Ollie answers. "The beating heart of the whole evil Playcare system. All that gas you see coming from the machine is made right here in this factory. The works who made this called it 'The Red Smoke'."
"And just what does this 'Red Smoke' do exactly?" Gabe said leaning in, peering deeper into the smoke behind the glass.
"It is a powerful sleeping agent, capable of knocking anyone out cold and putting them into a deep sleep. As for its side effects, I think it's best you don't find out."
"Ok, so what do I do now?"
"Well right now the smoke is heading off into the pipes on the right. We need to make that smoke go to the left instead. That's how we can get to Him."
Gabe was confused by that last sentence. "I'm sorry, but who's Him?"
"The one responsible for all that has happened here. Why Playtime.co went under. Why your friends disappeared. All of it." Ollie responds with a hint of fear in his voice. "The first successful experiment, The Prototype."
Gabe wondered what Ollie meant by all this, but at the mention of this creature, this Prototype, a memory flashed before his eyes. The VHS tape he found and played moments before he released Poppy from her case. The memory was faded after all the traumatizing experiences he's had so far, but how could he forget those screams?
"Final log. In relation; Experiment 1-0-0-6 The Prototype." The haunting words of the late Leith Pierre ringing in his ears. "Though still missing, today's events are in no doubt in relation to him."
Snapping back to reality, his curiosity piqued. "This, Prototype. Who is he?" Gabe asks.
"I'll try to explain. But first, let's get the gas diverted. And I'll tell you what to know about him."
Gabe exasperatedly sighs. This is what, the fifth time so far that someone doesn't tell him everything immediately? But still, it wouldn't be prudent to be unfeasible, he can bear with it for now.
"Fine, but please tell me everything. I'm tired of everyone being so cryptic."
"Will do!" Ollie replied cheerfully. "Now the machine that produces the gas is de-powered at the moment. But the control room should just be behind you on your right."
He turns around and sees the room in question. Behind a large industrious window pane. Seeing a door off to its side he assumed that it must lead to it. Heading to it, he tries to open it but the door won't budge, no matter how hard he fidgets with the handle or shoulder slams against it the door won't so much as creak an inch.
"Locked." Gabe said out loud.
"They must have locked it from the inside during the event." Ollie said. "Hmmmm. Oh wait a minute!" His voice suddenly shifting to excitement. "There is another way in, and there I found something very special that you can use to get there! See that shutter door to your left, head inside."
Gabe did as instructed, crouching under the iron shutter, he heads into a more or less unremarkable room. With nothing to note other than yet more bodies of dead toys. But just when he was about to give up and call Ollie he by happenstance glance at the end of the room. There is a nook in the wall, and inside it is a hatch for a conveyor belt. Laying there inside is a broken glass pod, and inside it, is a Grabpack.
But there was something different about this one. It looked more newer, less dirty and with a few more modifications installed. It even included a different hand, purple and covered with what Gabe can only describe as a bunch of techno bits. Once he inspected it he finds out why Ollie was excited to show him this, for inscribed with paint on the side of its arm is the label, Grabpack 2.0.
"Ok, now we're talking!" Taking his old tool off and strapping in the new one, he takes note on the pack's new mechanics, as he can now switch between different hands for whenever the need arrives. A very useful trick to use later.
After dawning the new Grabpack he then left the room along with the old pack behind. Gabe wondered what the purple hand is used for, but he supposed that need will present itself eventually. And by eventually, it actually meant just turning to his left and seeing a pad on the ground with a glowing purple handprint imprinted on it. Gabe knew that this is where the purple hand comes into play but he doesn't know exactly how it works. But there is an open ledge above where the pad is, so maybe it'll help get him up there.
Testing his theory, he stands on top of the pad, aims the purple hand down, and pulls the trigger. Immediately once the purple hand hits against the pad he is then launched straight up and then lands on the ledge. Recovering himself to prevent falling over, His expression was one of sheer shock yet enjoyment.
"Leith Pierre, I know you're weird, but this is just about the dumbest yet funnest thing I ever used." Gabe remarked to seemingly nobody.
He soon found himself crossing through plenty of hallways and passages, many of them having steep ledges or deep holes he couldn't cross over on foot. But thanks to his new gadget he made short work of them.
He thought that if only he were just a little more athletic he could use this for some sick parkour tricks. Not that he is pudgy, but he is leaning close to the hefty weight kind of side. In all honesty, Gabe didn't know how he managed to out run all these monstrous terrors for so long, it was really a God given miracle. He makes a mental note to himself to cut out the sugar.
After a few more minutes he finally makes his way into the control room, and again another electrical puzzle. Gabe loudly groans at the sight of the metal poles, he's starting to understand why there weren't so many specialists back in the day. Too many puzzles, too little time. Oh well, instead of sitting and whining he mind as well get to work.
Switching to the green hand, he begins work wrapping around the metal shafts with the conductive Grabpack wire. It was then his phone rang, Ollie must've wanted to talk more.
"Hey again, I see you working in there." Gabe glances up to a corner in the ceiling and sees a camera there, the red recording light blinking. No doubt Ollie watching through its lens. "You wanted to know about the Prototype, right?"
"Yeah, what can you tell me about him? What is he?" He said as he connects the Grabpack hands.
"Well to start, he is the first of his kind, Playtime.co's first successful experiment. I don't really know too much about him, but from what I learned he is the, what's a good word? A template, yes! A template for all the other experiments after him. But make no mistake, he is not at all like the toys. Far from it."
Ollie further explained. "They say that he is ferociously violent, and very smart, like really smart. Smart enough to come up with crazy gadgets and stuff. But strangely, they also say that he's always hungry, like no matter how much food they fed him he'll always be starving for more. As for how they made him, nobody knows. In fact, I heard in a tape once that not even the big guys like Harley or Leith don't know what the Prototype was before they made him. But the CEO, Eliot Ludwig, he seemed to know though. And what's even more mysterious is that the two would sometimes talk to each other for a very long time, up until his death."
"So the Prototype's both a success and yet a mystery to the company." Gabe remarked.
"Right! And he is also the very reason why Playtime.co went under, and why all the toys are still trapped here with him. That's why we called you here, to end it all, to get rid of the Prototype and set us free!"
Gabe paused for a second letting it sink in. That is the reason why he had been brought back here? And if so, then that means…
"Wait, you mean. You mean you want me to-"
"Yes Gabriel, we need you to kill the Prototype."
Gabe was stunned speechless, this isn't what he signed up for. He shakes his head in dismay, he can already feel the familiarity of blood roaring in his ears. He didn't come all the way down here just to fight, let alone kill someone. No, this isn't what he wanted, this isn't what he's supposed to do. He doesn't want to set foot down that path, not like last time, not again! Not again! Not again!
"Um, Gabe?" Ollie said softly over the phone. "Are you ok?"
Gabe had been so fixated on his disturbed thoughts that he hadn't noticed that he had been staring off into space with eyes as big as saucers. He steadies his breathing back to a normal pace. He then confesses blatantly.
"I'm not killing him."
"Wait, what?"
"No! I mean, there has to be a different way, right? We, we don't have to resort to that."
Ollie was silent at first, as if contemplating whether or not Gabe was being apprehensive or cowardly. "Gabe, I know you don't want to, but there is no choice. You can't talk to the Prototype. There is no reasoning with him."
"But why?" Gabe almost sounded like he was begging.
"Do you know what he has done? The things that he did us? To your coworkers?"
"Then tell me right now." He said gritting through his teeth.
Ollie pauses, but the answer wasn't something Gabe wanted. "I can't say, not right now anyway."
"I thought I said no more being cryptic." He practically growled at Ollie through the phone.
"It's not like that!" Ollie immediately responded defensively. "It's just, well, Miss Poppy wanted to show you it herself. She wanted to show you what he did when the time is right."
"But she's not here isn't she?" Gabe refuted bitterly
"Still hung up about the train crash huh?" Ollie sighed. "You know, when Poppy called me to let me know you were coming she was worried sick that you might've gotten hurt. I never heard her so sad before. You may not think it, but she does care a lot about you. She actually almost thought she was the one responsible for what he did to you."
"He?" The pieces within his mind then came into place. "Wait, you mean it was the Prototype that wrecked the train?"
"Yup." Ollie confirmed. "Poppy wanted to simply take you to a safe spot for you to go deeper, but the Prototype caused the train's accelerator to be stuck on forward. Causing the crash, just where Catnap was waiting for you."
Despite the lingering feelings of doubt left in his heart, Gabe felt that even if he couldn't trust Poppy in the moment then he can at least trust Ollie. And if Ollie says that it wasn't Poppy that tried to hurt him, then it's good enough for him. "You're right, I'm sorry for being so jumpy by the way. Just after everything happening I was, well, you know.."
"It's ok, I get it." Ollie reassured. "And I'll be sure to tell Poppy that you've forgiven her too."
"Thank you. But, can I just say, that if there is still a chance that we don't have to resort to killing, can we at least talk about it?"
"I honestly doubt that, but sure, that is if Poppy is willing to listen. I'll see you when you get the machine ready."
The phone then hangs up. With that sorted out of the way, Gabe finishes working the electricity back into full capacity. Which means the machine can now begin pumping the Red Smoke away. Leaving the room by the way which he came, Gabe approaches the machine's console, its large screen displaying appropriate power levels and is ready to begin the shift of the gas. And it didn't take too much time to figure out how to start since right there, sitting front and center on the control panel, is an oversized red button.
"Gee, I wonder who designed this?" Gabe once again mockingly remarked.
The without further delay, he pressed the button and the monitor comes to life. All the power levels from the generator online and checking out. Then by automatic, the gas begins its diversion. The Red Smoke fading from the right canister and then begins getting sucked into the middle one. The readings showed the gas levels in the middle are at a hundred percent, now all he needs to do is get the gas to flow through the left canister and he can then proceed with the mission.
But then, the screen blared and showed that there is no power coming from the generator. The lights in the production zone flickered on and off, and then suddenly, darkness. The machine has been forcibly shut down.
Gabe looked around frantically, wondering what could have happened. But while thankfully he still has his flashlight on, he can't seem to find what could have caused the blackout. No loose circuitry or faulty wiring to be found. Perhaps Ollie could help with this problem. And sure as the thought left his mind the phone rings, he didn't even need to say what the problem was.
"Oh no! Someone cut the power." Ollie cried.
"I can see that." Gabe said rhetorically speaking. "What do think caused that? I don't think I messed up any of the electric stuff."
"I'm taking a look at the generator now." Ollie replied. "Aw man, it's messed up bad. It must be Catnap. He must have destroyed the generator"
"Seriously?!" Gabe nearly shouted frustrated. "Well what do we do now?"
"Okay, don't panic. I have an idea. Each building in Playcare has its own backup generator. If we connect enough of those generators we can replace the one Catnap ruined." Ollie then further instructed. "Head back to the statue. I'll send key down to you. That will take you to Home Sweet Home, the orphans old bedrooms. Once inside, just activate the building's generator."
Gabe felt uneasy about this plan, since it involves possibly more monsters to deal with. But with no other option there really is no choice. "Thanks. I'll call back once I'm done."
"Alright then. Good luck!" The phone then cuts to silence.
Once again that creeping feeling of loneliness trails up his spine like ice cold water dripping down his back. A terrible realization to think about right now, but he has to keep moving forward with the plan. Sure more nightmares may be waiting for him, but that is what courage is for isn't it?
Venturing back into the central hub of Playcare, Gabe sees that it wasn't just the Gas Production Zone that was affected by the blackout. The entirety of Playcare is without power. If it weren't for the few remaining lamps and the light from his flashlight he would've been left in utter darkness. Which would have been an even worse situation to deal with considering a certain giant feline monster is roaming about these streets.
As he passes through the empty paths littered with just and toy corpses, he looks in every possible direction. Not even caring that he nearly tripped on a discarded toy's head. He knows that every shadow, every fleeting flicker of light is just a hiding spot for Catnap to hide in. And given what Ollie has said about him, then Catnap isn't just simply hiding and waiting, he is hunting for him, playing him. That creature wants to kill him, but Gabe knows that he is going to take his sweet time doing so. As he nears the entrance to the statue, he can only hope however that Catnap is busy with something else. That he is just not anywhere near him.
He couldn't have been more wrong.
<<<<<<<<<<~>>>>>>>>>>
Up above in one of the highest vantage points in all of Playcare, the unblinking, piercing white irises of Catnap gazed down over the human as he made his way inside the statue. Standing crouched down with his razor sharp claws gripping the roof of the Councilor's Office.
For as long as he can remember, or at least as long as his permanently altered mind has allowed him to, Catnap has always been meant to be the Playcare's rightful guardian. It was his purpose, his design, but for such a time a long time ago he would consider this purpose a curse. A binding chain that held him prisoner in the hands of his oppressors, the vile and eternally damned persecutors of Playtime.co.
But those days of torment are no more, his god, their god, has freed them. With a single swipe of his hand he executed divine justice upon those wretched infidels. The Playcare, The Game Station, all the way to the front doors, all of the factory has been liberated. The toys are free to do whatever they want whenever they wanted. But this freedom came with a price.
When their primary food supply ran out, and there was nothing else to scavenge for, there was only one other food source left for them. Each other.
For it was by the Prototype's decree that no living toy is allowed to leave these halls, for the to do so means to forfeit their life by the hands of the Gaurdians of Playtime. Huggy Wuggy, Mommy Long Legs, and finally himself, the most loyal servant to the one true god the Prototype, Catnap. But now, after all these wonderful years of paradise, the peace has been disturbed.
And it's all him to blame. That human. The Interloper.
A former employee that has somehow slipped through his lord's punishment. And now, after all these years he dares to set foot in the Prototype's domain, in his own church?! This audacity sickens him such that he did not notice how deeply his claws are imbedding the metal shingles. Earning the roof an another set of claw marks.
The Interloper has already thus far managed to escape the grasp of the first two gaurdians. Snaking past Huggy's tunnels, weaseling out of Mommy's games, and now because of their incompetence this wretched defiler has set his filthy footsteps on his sacred grounds. And worse yet, he has already gained a following of heretics. Bunzo, the Mini-Huggies, even PJ Pug-a-Piller has fallen for the Interloper's subduction. He even freed the Chief of Heretics, Poppy.
And what did the Guardians do about it? Nothing. Absolutely nothing!
In fact, they could have dealt the decisive blow, they could have finished him. Either one of them would have gored themselves on his insides and shall have heard the Prototype sing praises in their ears. But no. Instead they have left the Interloper alone. Alive.
For this transgression he would have gladly seek each one of them out and watch as life faded from their eyes as their blood spills through his claws. Then deliver their torn corpses to his god and witness the splendor of watching him weave their bodies into his own. But his soul has been put to ease knowing that his god has told him that he'll deal with these heretics himself.
It is unfortunate though that now he himself is the last remaining Guardian before the Interloper finds his way to the Prototype's personal domain. It honestly saddens him that there is such a loss of faith amongst his god's followers. While he knows there are more than just him and the other two Guardians now in the Prototype's servitude, there were more, much more. The quiet yet strong Bron, the clever Boogie Bot, the tireless Catbee, then the gluttonous Candycat.
And how can he forget the quote-unquote 'failed experiment' that those wretched doctors named. Boxy Boo, violent yet always a joy to be around with. He along with the other four disappeared without a trace, just a day after that glorious hour they have all earned their freedom and enacted justice upon the Playtime.co staff. The Prototype told him that they tragically perished during the hour. But strangely, no matter where he looked he couldn't find their remains anywhere. They aren't even woven to the Prototype. But who is he, a mere priest, to question his god?
And that's nothing compared to the moment the rebellion happened. The moment when…. No. He will not ponder on such things now. What is done is done, those heretics, those 'friends', they earned their rightful punishment.
It doesn't matter now anyway. What does matter however, is dealing with the Interloper, who right now is leaving the statue with a set of keys in his hand. It would be so easy, he won't even need to use the Red Smoke, a mere swift cut to the throat is all it would take to end him. But why stop there? This beguiling false savior has caused more than enough disruption. He would instead pin him down, claw his way through his flesh slowly, then in a single move rip his black heart from his body, then show the last beats of his dark soul die before his eyes.
But. He can't.
Because his god prohibited it.
It brought such confounding confusion to him when the Prototype told him to leave the human be as he managed to escape the trash compactor. Catnap knew that the cowardly Interloper was hiding in that wrecked train's cabin. But his lordship made sure he with held his paw from touching him. Why though? Why would he want to let the human prolong his blasphemous crusade? It made no sense.
He was so caught up in his thoughts however that Catnap nearly ignored the approaching presence of his master. That same uncomfortable but reverential feeling of his god's influence reigning in on his mind. So pervasive is his hunger that Catnap nearly thought it would consume him whole, such is the divine presence of the Prototype.
"You have been eager, Catnap." The Prototype's cold, robotic voice reverberating through his very being.
"ONLY TO FULFILL MY DUTY." Catnap said slowly, his voice so hollow and eerie that one would mistaken his voice for a ghoul.
"I can feel your readiness already, my dear priest. But yet, I also feel some hesitance underlying beneath your resolve." The Prototype inquired. "Tell me, what is it that concerns you?"
Catnap bowed his head as if his very god is in front of him. "THE INTERLOPER, LIVES."
"Yes, and I feel your anger and frustration the longer you yet stare at him." Catnap agreed, even now he gazes down at the human with bloodthirsty intent. "Yes, you want nothing more than to sink your teeth into his flesh. Tear his body to ribbons. Good. Let your hatred feed on your anger, for your patience will be rewarded in due time."
"BUT WHY NOT HERE? WHY NOT NOW?"
"Because, my friend, I have a much better idea than just simply killing him, and you will play your part in it." The Prototype explained. "His next destination is Home Sweet Home, there Catnap, the Interloper shall understand the world that he left behind, the world who's people he left like sheep for the slaughter."
Catnap listens throughly to every word like they were instructions to life itself. His god then continues saying. "And then once he understands this, you Catnap, shall torment him. Both his mind and body. Slowly, intimately. You shall fill every crevice of his soul with such fear and shame that it will numb his mind. Make him suffer, Catnap. Break him. And when his agony reaches its zenith, then you shall kill him in such a way that those that hear of it will surely mistaken to hear his screams."
Catnap couldn't help but feel awestruck by his god's words. It is magnificent, immaculate. Perfect.
"So what do you think?"
"PERFECTION."
"Very good." Catnap then begins to descend from the roof top. The Red Smoke already leaking heavily from his mouth in copious amounts.
"Let us begin…"