Four x Reader [BFB]

Chapter 9 - Incendiary

You have no idea how you ended up in this situation. Well...almost. You of course recall closing in on the castle while following Bubble, but are at a loss for words for the events that perspired right after. As soon as you had stepped foot onto the pink bubblewrap tile surrounding the castle, the balloon dog guards were surrounding you, beating you into submission with their swords. Of course, these soft swords didn't hurt at all, but the sheer amount of them was overwhelming.

You recall Taco being the only one that really attempted to fight back, whereas X curled up and wailed, unable to understand what was happening. You vaguely remember the fleeting moment of when you looked up to Four, who's gaze was empty and devoid of any conscious thought, whisked away with you and the others as if he wasn't present at all.

Now, you and the others are in a small cell, Taco and Bubble attempting to comfort X, who is rather shook up by the experience. Ruby shuffles around nervously. "I seriously didn't mean to pop that guy...and his scream was so sad- it was like AAAAaaAargH!" Ruby screeched in X's direction, flailing her arms around. X screams as well, Taco moving Ruby to the side. "Maybe you shouldn't do that- ugh. I really want to get back to trying to win the BFB, but we need to figure a way out of here first. Look. The walls are inflatable, too." She said, pressing up against them lightly. "If we just tear a hole in it, we can all escape easily."

"I don't think that's a really good idea." You pipe up. "Tearing a hole in the wall might make the whole place collapse on top of us...and if we're unsuccessful, those guards are going to be on us again." Though you don't think the punishment delivered by a mass of balloon puppies is going to be very troublesome, you never know what to expect in an universe as strange as this. "Maybe...Four will have an idea. When they come back." You say, glancing up to the algebralien with hopeful eyes. Nothing. You sigh, attempting to tug your hand away one last time, finally slipping out of Four's grip.

Just as you start to think you're going to be here for a while, about to brainstorm with the rest of the group, you watch as Four lifts up their hand and stares at their fingers. He curls and extends them a few times, his smile fading as he does. "Four? Where did you go?" You ask with a relieved sigh, happy he was back from inside of his mind.

"Erm- I was- thinking. Nevermind that!" He aggressively motions to offer his hand out to you again with a grimace before pausing. This was not the place you were all in before, he realizes. "Where are we?!" He shouts, instantly agitated with this new, sudden placement.

"I maybe sorta kinda killed a guy and we maybe sorta kinda all be in jail because of that...sorry..." Ruby said, scratching the back of her head. "And we still hoiven't found Balloony." Bubble whines.

"Grr! We've spent too much time searching for him! And we still need to locate the other 9 contestants!" He looks around again, throwing his arms up. "Where's Spongy?!" He shouts, absolutely furious. "Oh...we must have left him behind..." X mutters, pulling out the Contestant Locator-inator from behind them, eyes widening as they see the updated location of Balloony on the device. "Umm...Four? Balloony is pretty close by."

Ruby gasps. "Maybe he's in jail, too. Just like us...poor Balloon Boy. We can't leave him behind!" Bubble and Taco nod, silently agreeing. You glance back to Four, who's becoming more and more irate by the minute. His face is purpled with rage, sharpened teeth grinding and fingers digging into his temples, rubbing in aggressive circular motions. He's trying desperately to swallow the screech he wants to send Ruby's way for her stupidity. It's her fault they ended up in this cell. All of this is stupid. All of this is a waste of time.

You reach up and place a hand against Four's upper back, stroking to try and soothe him. At first, Four arches away from your touch, uncertain about the prickling feeling of gooseflesh that rises. He looks at you, his furrowed brows unknitting as he searches your expression. Throughout all this rage and impatience, you remained a beacon of calm and kindness that eased the constant frustration he struggled with. He slowly relaxed into your touch and slumped against you.