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Chapter 62 - Hide and Seek

When the trio passed the yellow gate, they slid down a hill before reaching the end. Michelle spotted a button on the ground. "We'll need to power that button up," she said. When Doey walked to the left, he saw a lever, which made him stretch his arm toward it.

Doey grabbed the lever and pulled it down, which powered the button, before retracting his arm. "It's done," he said. Michelle pulled both triggers, launching both hands and pressing the button; soon after, the shutter beside them opened, which made them enter.

As Michelle looked around, she saw an orange keycard on the ground. As Michelle picked the keycard up, they heard roaring, which made them turn their heads to the back. "We have to hide," Katelynn said.

Michelle looked forward and saw a large hiding spot. "In here," she said before squeezing herself in. When the duo entered the hiding spot, they saw Cat-Bee near the button before sniffing around.

Cat-Bee growled a bit before walking away; Doey stretched his head out of the opening and toward the button before looking around. Doey turned his head to the right and saw Cat-Bee rummaging around the corner before retracting his head.

After Doey's head was back in the hiding spot, he looked at the duo. "She's still out there, and I don't think she's gonna leave for a while..." he said. Katelynn was worried. "But we can't stay here like this," she said.

Michelle approached the opening and looked around before spotting a locked door with a machine that holds a keycard near it. Michelle took a deep breath and exhaled. "It sounds like we don't have a choice," she said before leaving the hiding spot.

Doey looked at Michelle. "Wait, are you gonna—" she sprinted toward the door, which shocked the toys. When Michelle was close, she placed the key card into the machine, which opened the door; Cat-Bee turned to her and roared before charging toward her.

Before Michelle could do anything, a dough arm grabbed her, and she was quickly pulled away. When Michelle was inside the hiding spot, Doey held her close as Cat-Bee looked around the button, sniffing the air; she growled before walking to the back.

When Cat-Bee was out of sight, Doey held Michelle out with stern eyes. "You really need to stop doing stuff like that," he said.

Michelle chuckled a bit. "Sorry..." she said. "But on the plus side, the keycard door is now open." Doey looked at the opened door before sighing. "As much as I hate to admit it, that's true..." he said.

After Doey placed Michelle on the ground, he looked out the opening. "There's probably a mechanism on the other side that's powered up by that button on the ground, but we'll need confirmation," he said.

Katelynn lit up. "Leave it to me," she said before forming a puddle-like form. The duo looked at Katelynn as she slid out of the hiding spot and slithered toward the door. Katelynn hid in the corner before Cat-Bee turned her head to the back.

Katelynn reformed herself and poked her head out as Cat-Bee looked away. Katelynn looked forward and saw a conveyor belt with a locked gate and large rocks inside, a red-lit cable, and a hiding spot on the left side.

Katelynn kneeled and laid her right arm on the ground before stretching it to the outside; when the duo saw her arm, she pointed at the button before retracting it.

Doey nodded. "That confirms that the button is in play again," he said; Michelle nodded. "Then let's go," she said. Doey nodded as they left the hiding spot.

When the duo was close to the button, Michelle aimed and pulled the right trigger, launching the red hand and pressing the button. As the cable turned blue and the gate opened, Cat-Bee turned to the duo and roared.

Doey quickly picked Michelle up before sprinting to the opening. Katelynn looked at the duo. "On the left, there's a hiding spot!" she shouted before entering it.

The duo quickly entered the hiding spot as Cat-Bee entered the small room. Cat-Bee sniffed around the area before growling and walking away.

Doey stretched his head out and looked at Cat-Bee before he stepped out of the hiding spot. "Move," he said. The duo got out of the hiding spot and got on a conveyor belt before Doey followed behind; soon after, the conveyor started moving, which made them crouch.

Michelle heard a vent open, which made her turn her head to the back. "Sounds like she's moving to a different area," she said. When Katelynn looked forward, she was terrified. "Guys..." she said.

When the duo looked forward, they saw a spinning machine destroying the rocks before them. "What now?!" Katelynn shouted. Michelle looked up and spotted a handle before pointing at it. "Up there!" she shouted.

Doey looked up before stretching his arm and grabbing the handle. "Katie, climb on my back," he said as he carried Michelle in his other arm. Katelynn nodded before climbing on Doey's back, and he stood up and stepped back.

When the rocks fell into the machine, Doey looked forward. "Hold on," he continued before sprinting forward. Soon after, Doey swung over the machine before letting go of the handle and landing on the ground.

Katelynn got off Doey as he placed Michelle on the ground. "Cat-Bee may not be here right now, but we shouldn't let our guard down," he said. "We need to leave this area."

Michelle looked forward and saw a computer with three deactivated cables and two red-lit cables near a gate. "There's a computer up ahead," she said. "Let's check it out."

The toys nodded as the trio approached the computer; when they were close, they saw a red button in a case. "Looks like we'll need to power this thing up," Katelynn said.

Doey turned to the back and saw a button on the ground. "We got another button as well," he said. "However, it doesn't look like we'll be using it for a while..." Michelle looked at the red-lit cables. "Let's start with wherever these red cables lead," she said.

The toys nodded as the trio followed the red-lit cables. As the trio turned to the right, they saw a partially opened gate, which made them crouch before entering.

When the trio stood properly, they saw a button on the wall. "There's our other button," Katelynn said. Michelle turned her head to the right and saw a lever before approaching it. "And this thing will power it up," she said.

Michelle grabbed the lever before pulling it, which activated the button; the trio heard roaring, which shocked them. "Damn, she's persistent..." she said, lowly.

Katelynn quickly approached the button and pressed it twice, which opened the left side. "In there!" she shouted. The trio quickly entered the room and saw a hiding spot and a blue hand scanner.

Michelle aimed and pulled the left trigger, launching the blue hand and touching the scanner; she heard steps in the back. "Come on, come on..." she said, lowly. After the scanner finished, Michelle retracted the blue hand. "Hide," she said.

The trio quickly entered the hiding spot before Cat-Bee entered the small room, roaring. Katelynn looked at Cat-Bee as she sniffed the ground. "Is there any way that we can get her to our side?" she asked.

Michelle frowned a bit. "As much as I hate to say it, I think she's beyond saving..." she said, lowly. "While she may act like Yarnaby, she seems more feral than he is and doesn't follow reasoning... just instincts..."

Cat-Bee growled before walking away. Doey poked his head out and looked around. "The coast is clear," he said before leaving the hiding spot.

After the duo got out of the hiding spot, they looked at the opened gate. "Let's see where this leads us," Michelle said before they went down the steps.

When the trio turned to the right, they saw a machine with a lever on it before approaching it. Michelle grabbed the lever before pulling on it, which turned a few of the cables blue. "With that pulled down, what did it do?" she asked.

Doey looked down the steps and saw a machine with a blue hand scanner. "There's a blue hand scanner down the steps; possibly two more around the area," he said.

Michelle turned to the stairs. "Then let's get them powered up," she said before walking forward, which made the duo follow behind her. When Michelle faced the hand scanner, she pulled the left trigger, launching the blue hand and touching the scanner.

Halfway through the scan, the trio heard a vent open and roaring, which made them look up. "That's not good..." Katelynn said, lowly. When the steps grew closer, Michelle gritted her teeth and pulled the left trigger, retracting the blue hand. "Hide," she said.

The trio quickly entered the hiding spot before Cat-Bee entered the area, growling and sniffing the ground. Cat-Bee roared in the air before she walked away. Doey poked his head out before leaving the hiding spot. "The coast is clear," he said.

After the duo left the hiding spot, Michelle aimed at the hand scanner and pulled the left trigger, launching the blue hand and continuing the scan.

When the scanner finished, the trio heard roaring; Michelle looked forward and saw a gap. "Through there," she said before sprinting forward and going through the gap.

After the toys went through the gap, they hid in the shadows as Cat-Bee entered the area and sniffed around; soon after, she growled and walked away.

The trio turned to the back and saw the stairs. "Time to go up," Michelle said before the trio climbed the stairs. When the trio reached the top of the stairs, they saw another machine with a blue hand scanner. "Here's the second one," Doey said.

Michelle aimed and pulled the left trigger, launching the blue hand and touching the scanner. Halfway through the scan, the trio heard steps and caught a glance at Cat-Bee. Michelle gritted her teeth. "C'mon, c'mon..." she said, lowly.

When the hand scanner finished, Michelle retracted the blue hand before dropping to the lower steps. "Let's move," she said. After the toys dropped down, they quickly went through the gap before entering the hiding spot.

Cat-Bee landed on the lower steps before sniffing at them; she growled before walking away. Doey poked his head out and looked around before leaving the hiding spot. "You're good to come out," he said.

After the duo came out, they went through the gap and approached the steps. Katelynn turned to the left and spotted a machine with a blue hand scanner. "There's the last one," she said.

The trio approached the scanner before Michelle aimed and pulled the left trigger, launching the blue hand and touching the scanner.

As the scanner was halfway done, the trio heard roaring and steps getting closer. "Damn it," Michelle said. When Doey turned his head to the back, he saw Cat-Bee approaching them. "Katie, grab Misha and get on the roof," he said.

Katelynn nodded as she carried Michelle before stretching her right arm to the top and pulling herself up while Doey grabbed the roof with both hands. As the duo pulled themselves up, Cat-Bee reached the area and sniffed around.

When the scanner finished, Michelle retracted the blue hand before Cat-Bee looked at the machine. "That was the last one..." she whispered. The trio heard an alarm, and the cable turned green; Cat-Bee looked around, growling, before walking away and entering the vent.

The trio sighed in relief. "Time to leave this place," Doey said. When the duo got on the upper floor, Katelynn placed Michelle on the ground before they followed the green cable.

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