Scarlet Lab (Eddsworld Lab AU)

Caught

The next day, I walked out of my cell to do my daily ritual. I grabbed some food from the kitchen and started off towards the hall. At least, I was going to start off towards the hall if my arm wasn't grabbed.
"Huh-?!" I exclaimed.
"Edd." Tom was staring down at me, he didn't look too happy. Matt and a very nervous Tord were behind him.
"Oh- Hey Tom... what's up?"
"Where the hell have you been?! For the past week you've been gone!"
I went cold. I can't believe I hadn't even realized I was totally ignoring them...
"I-I was..." I couldn't find a good lie, and if I couldn't find a good lie then that meant I'd have to tell them the truth. But I didn't want to do that either...
I just stayed silent.
Tom noticed the food I had taken out and looked back up at me.
"What's with that?"
"Huh?"
"The food. You never eat."
"Oh... I... just got a little hungry," I put the food behind my back.
Tord was looking back and forth from me to the hall I was going towards. I could almost see the gears grinding in his mind. Then, it clicked. He looked at me. His face went white. He knew where I was going.
"I need to leave," I said, trying to get myself out of the situation. Tord just reached out and grabbed my arm. I tried to twist away, but his claws were wrapped tightly around me.
"Why..." he wasn't looking at me. "Why are you going to see him..."
"See who?" Matt asked. Tom looked from me to Tord.
"What's down that hall?"
"He's not..." Tord continued, ignoring Matt and Tom's questions. "He's a liar Edd."
"I- I was just..."
"Tord, who is it?" Matt reached out until his hand rested on Tord's shoulder.
"T..." Tord couldn't seem to get his name out. But that was enough. There were only so many people here who's names started with T. Tom glared at me, shifting from pissed to worried.
"Edd," he reached out for me. I jerked away from both him and Tord and started backing up towards the hall unknowingly. It felt like they were... angry at me. I needed to go. I wanted to turn and run down the hall, but something kept me rooted to where I was.
"Edd, you... you know he's not good for you," Matt said cautiously.
"What?" I immediately got defensive. "Don't say that...!" I backed up more.
"Why are you defending him?!" Tord stepped up to me. This was the most emotion he'd shown in weeks. "You know what he did to you!"
"W-Well I can trust him again!"
"You don't know that," Matt said.
"That's the same thing you said when Tord-" Tom paused. "Er... CT came back."
Tord grabbed hold of my arm again, firmly digging his claws into it.
"You can't trust him Edd."
"Yes I can!"
"He's just going to hurt you again!"
"No he won't!!!"
I wrenched my arm away from Tord, slicing it in the process. He immediately stepped back, staring at the gash on my arm. It poured blood but I didn't care. I didn't feel a thing. He looked up at me. I knew I hurt him, and some subconscious part of me felt bad about it. I wanted to to run to him, to all three of them. I wanted to apologize and promise to never see Todd again...

But I couldn't.

Instead, I turned my back on them and stepped towards the hall.

"I should've clawed you instead."

I swiveled around on my heel, looking right at Tord.
"W... What?"
"I scratched his face to try and save your goddamn life. I guess..." Tord choked back tears. "I guess I can see now that was my mistake. I should've hurt you instead..."
He made a small noise before breaking down.
"I WISH THEY NEVER BROUGHT YOU BACK!"
I was frozen. All three of them were next to each other, and on the opposite side...
There was only me.
I was the outnumbered one.

I was the bad guy.