Warning for auditory/visual Hallucinations, and mentions of child abuse.
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"I didn't think he would just run off like that!" Paintbrush paced the lobby, practically making scorch marks in the carpet. Lightbulb stood to the side, unsure how to calm the anxious brush. Test Tube sat on the couch with an upset Fan. He stared at his destroyed phone, dejected at his gift being ruined. "It's alright fan, it looks like the screen is just damaged, I'm sure I can fix it." Test Tube patted his back but Fan just sighed. Suitcase anxiously tapped her foot on the ground, Paintbrush's panic influencing her own. A door slam made Paintbrush pause.
"Alright, what the hell is going on down here?!" Knife stomped down the stairs, Baseball on his heels. "Dude- slow down!" Pickle jumped down the last 2 steps, he leaned on the wall, breathing heavily. Knife crossed his arms and glared at Test Tube accusingly. He held up his phone, "I got the message from Lightbulb, what's going on?" Pickle looked at everyone confused. Knife told him a little bit about what happened at Meeple, but this was new.
Test Tube sighed and stood up. "Paintbrush and Mephone got in an argument. He freaked out and ran off. OJ and Paper are looking around for him in the hotel, but I doubt he's even here anymore..." Test Tube looked worriedly out the front window. It was pouring outside, puddles littered the ground. The group looked to the staircase as OJ descended down them. He looked to the group and shrugged. "I checked all of the second floor, he isn't there, Paper's checking the last of the 3rd floor, but..." OJ didn't need to finish his sentence.
Test Tube's worries only grew. Mephone wouldn't be able to survive in rain like this. Pickle looked especially confused. "A fight? A fight about what?" They all stared at Test Tube and Paintbrush, awaiting an answer. Paintbrush rubbed their temple. Test Tube hesitated. She looked to OJ, glancing at Pickle, he nodded. "Knife has filled you in on what happened at MeCloud, correct?" Pickle stood stunned. "Well yes- bits and pieces mostly, but I know about...what Mephone did, if that's what you're wondering..." Test Tube nodded.
"We questioned Mephone about why he was so calm about suddenly having these strange abilities out of nowhere. He told us he had them before, when we asked why we had never seen them until now, he lied, and said they vanished out of nowhere, only to appear again, but stronger now." Knife, Baseball, OJ and Pickle all listened intently. "Paintbrush said some..." Test Tube thought back to the comments Paintbrush made about Cobs. "... unsavory.. things in the heat of the moment." Paintbrush grimaced, guilt flashing in their face. "Mephone freaked out, broke Fan's phone with his powers, and ran off somewhere."
Silence stretched out between the group before a voice interrupted it. "Oh! Are you lookin for mistah phone?" They all turned towards the voice. Toilet sat on a stool in the kitchen, cracks still prominent in his porcelain. OJ stared wide eyed at him. "How long have you been there???" Toilet laughed, "Oh Orangie, I've been here the whole time!" Toilet replied cheerily. OJ face palmed but Suitcase stood up. "Wait, do you know where he went?"
"Pshh, of course I do! I'm his co-host after all, it's my job to know these things." Toilet explained. Test Tube perked up. "Where did he go?" Her voice was solid and stern. For a small moment, Toilet dropped his aloof attitude. He nodded outside, right of the hotel. "Mistah phone went outside and ran that a way, towards the contestant grounds. Why, I have no clue....but he definitely didn't look alright..." Toilet trailed off, the air around them becoming somber and concerned. Paintbrush sped walked over to the door, grabbing a jacket from the coat rack as they went.
"I'm going after him." Baseball shot up. "What?!" Paintbrush paid him no mind as they slipped the jacket on and reached for the door. Test Tube was quick to grab their arm, preventing them from leaving. "Test Tube let me go!" Paintbrush's bristles sparked but Test Tube didn't move. "Paintbrush, no." Test Tube pulled them away from the door. "I'll go find him, you stay here." Paintbrush's hair smoked, their frustration rising. "But- I made him run off in the first place I should be th one out in the rain-" Test Tube held up a hand, shushing them.
"Exactly. There is still the possibility of Mephone being frightened of you, especially so soon after your argument." Paintbrush looked down guiltily. Test Tube grabbed an umbrella from next to the door. "I've spoken to him the most these past few days, he'll listen to me, I know it. I know you're worried and want to help, but it's best if I talk to him." Paintbrush reluctantly nodded, their bristles fizzling out. Test Tube looked to the rest of the group. "I need you all to stay here incase he comes back..." Test Tube mumbled under her breath. "I should be back in a few hours."
"Wait- you're just going alone?" Pickle spoke up. "Shouldn't someone go with you? It's awful outside." Knife nodded, but Test Tube shook her head. "No, I need to go alone, more people might cause him to panic. Even just a second person might make him to bolt again, it's best not to risk it." Test Tube opened the door, cold air and rain hit her face immediately, making her shiver. She immediately opened the umbrella and stepped outside. She looked into the hotel one last time. "Are you sure you're gonna be alright?" Suitcase asked, a nervous yet hopeful tone in her voice. Test Tube smiled, "Trust me, I'll be ok."
She shut the door, leaving the 8 objects in a suffocating silence. Lightbulb gently helped Paintbrush take off their jacket. "C'mon Painty, let's go wait for them in the kitchen, I'll make us some hot chocolate and we can relax." Paintbrush loosely nodded, the ghost of a smile on their face. "Yaaaay! Hot chocolate for us!" Toilet's mood rose, they jumped off the stool and hopped deeper into the kitchen. "Can I come?" Fan weakly raised his hand, Lightbulb beamed. "Yes! Bright Lights hot chocolate party!" Lightbulb hopped up and down in excitement. She made her way to the kitchen the other 2 following behind her. A small "oof" could be heard as they entered, followed by Paintbrush reminding her that she was still half blind.
Suitcase bumped Baseball in the side. "So what do we do now?" Baseball thought for a moment before smiling. "Actually, Nickel wanted to talk to you." Suitcase looked surprised but smiled. "Really now?" Baseball chuckled. Suitcase mumbled a "see you later" to Pickle and Knife before the going up the stairs after Baseball. Knife stood for a few seconds, unmoving. If he was being honest, he had been bottling up his emotions regarding Mephone and MeCloud for a while now, and this whole situation was certainly not helping.
He had told Pickle a few necessary things, how he got hurt, what Mephone did, and how they got to MeCloud, but nothing more. If anything he would rather forget about it than talk about it. Knife shifted in his spot, suddenly hyper aware of how long he had been standing for. Pickle gently held his wrist, breaking Knife out of his daze. "Hey, I know you're still a bit freaked out about what happened at MeCloud, Mephone being missing and all that but-" Pickle grabbed a gaming controller off the ground, handing it to Knife.
"-I think Lightbulb's right dude, there's not much we can do right now, so let's just relax for a bit while we wait yeah?" Knife sighed heavily. He stared at the controller before taking it in his hands. "Ya..you're right.." Knife sat on the couch as Pickle started up the console. Pickle jumped on the couch, making Knife laugh. Pickle started up the game, the soft sounds of laughter and mugs clinking against each other filtered through the kitchen and into the lobby. The familiar start screen music played as they both got settled in. "Thanks Pickle." Knife gave him a genuine smile. Pickle smiled back. "Of course bro, Test Tube will be fine on her own, let's just hang out for a while."
"You ready to have your butt kicked?" Pickle smirked, a competitive glean in his eyes. Knife matched his expression. "As I'll ever be." Knife chuckled.
Pickle pressed start.
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Test Tube immediately regretted not grabbing a jacket before leaving. The umbrella provided shelter, but not enough to shield her legs from the pouring rain, or her arms from the cold. The air was violent and frigid, effectively turning the droplets into razors. The sky was practically black with clouds, making her surroundings look as if it were night time. She checked the time on her phone, it was almost 2 now. Her legs were killing her, but the many challenges she faced during Inanimate Insanity had strengthened her enough to keep her going.
She leaned against a tree, her stamina running low, she let herself breathe for a moment before realizing how strange the tree felt. Covering her phone with her hand she turned on it's flashlight. Test Tube gasped. She ran her thumb along the deep gash in the tree, the crack almost splitting the tree in half. Even in this lighting Test Tube could tell how burnt and black the wood was. She was close.
She turned the phone light in front of her, she squinted, a familiar clearing in the distance. She gripped her umbrella tightly, and entered the contestant grounds. It was the same as she remembered it, albeit more dark and abandoned. A small part of her expected to hear the Bright Lights bickering amongst themselves, like back when things were simpler and Marshmallow was still around. She and Fan would look at stars through a telescope, there was no Cobs, no Prime Shimmers, no dangerous robots trying to kill her friends. Just them and a telescope.
Test Tube sighed, there was too many memories here, too many missed opportunities. But she had to admit, she had grown fond of the place. She lived here, she loved here, she cried here. Even after staying at the hotel, she couldn't help but feel homesick after leaving this place. She pushed her feelings aside this wasn't the time for reminiscing, she needed to find Mephone. The gazed around the empty clearing until her eyes landed on a cave.
He was there, he had to be. She jogged towards the entrance, happy to finally get out of the rain. She closed the umbrella, shaking the water off it as she entered the luminescent cave. She suddenly staggered back, her brain being flooded with memories that weren't hers.
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"Hello, my name is Steve, Steve Cobs."
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"Your name, is Mephone4."
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"Do not worry, I have the means to protect you-"
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Test Tube shook her head, her brain fuzzy. She breathed deeply as a realization hit her like a train. Those were Mephone's memories...she was so shocked at first she thought it was just a weird dream, but that really happened. Mephone experienced everything she saw in that vision, he must have. She remembered her competition during that challenge. Knife, Baseball, Suitcase, Lightbulb, and Microphone had all touched the gems. She would have to get info from them later about what they saw. She shelved the topic in her mind for another time as she walked deeper into the cave.
The cave was dusty allowing her to easily see the footsteps he left behind. She followed them, her anxiety rising. Test Tube had no idea if he made it inside before the rain started. He could be dead for all she knew. She slowed her pace to a stop as she entered a larger part of the cave. In one corner was the shattered remains of what Test Tube assumed to be a screen protector. The screen protector from her vision... She thought.
She found him in the corner of the cave. He was hunched over, his screen black. He was in sleep mode. She propped the umbrella against the nearest wall as she hesitantly approached Mephone. She crouched down in front of him, and reached out a shaky hand. She touched his shoulder. As if on instinct Mephone jumped, his screen immediately lighting up. Test Tube retracted backwards as Mephone analyzed his surroundings. "Mephone...are you on?"
His glowing eyes snapped to her, as if those words meant something. He blinked at her, snapping himself out of his thoughts. "Test Tube? What- how did you..?" He trailed off, his voice groggy. He couldn't remember falling asleep, he felt emotionally and physically exhausted. His screen was dull, he could feel a headache coming on. It felt like he hadn't slept at all. "I walked here, you had the people at the hotel worried sick. It's practically a deluge outside!"
Test Tube slid down the cave wall and sat next to him. Mephone was quiet, Test Tube wasn't surprised. "We should really get back to the hotel, if we leave now it'll be 4 when we get there..." Mephone didn't respond he just stared off into space, deep in his thoughts. "Mephone....are you alright.?" He nodded a bit too quick. "Yes- yes I'm fine I'm just zoning out-"
"No." Test Tube cut him off. He looked confused. "Are you alright. We can't just not talk about what happened at the hotel Mephone..." He shrinks into himself, pulling his knees to his chest. "What happened back there? Why did you lie?" Mephone just held himself tighter. He wouldn't meet her eyes. That familiar pressure was building again, the want to explain everything yet not having the strength to do so.
"Go ahead tell her."
Mephone's eyes shot up. He expected to see him standing there, but he wasn't. His voice was only a ghost in the wind, just loud enough for him to hear. "Wha- what..." Mephone said, just below a whisper.
"Tell her, I know you want to. And let's be honest with ourselves...." Test Tube was saying something, but it was all white noise to the frightened Phone. "Telling her won't matter, because who would believe you?.." A cold chill flooded through him. The voice vanished, as if it where never there in the first place. His brain finally begun to tune back in on what Test Tube was saying, but his limbs still felt numb. Like Cobs(?) placed a weight on his shoulders that wouldn't go away.
Mephone waged a mental battle with himself. Cobs was right, Mephone had no idea if she would even believe him. Cobs was a good liar, he sure convinced everyone working at MeCloud Mephone was either disobedient to some degree or blowing things out of proportion. Mephone didn't even have any evidence towards what happened. Sure it could be possible, given what Cobs did to the other contestants, but that wouldn't be enough to prove it.
Mephone grit his teeth. Cobs was right, he was always right about everything. As Mephone slowly began to reside himself to silence once again, a small voice in the back of his head spoke. "But what if he isn't?" It was a gruff voice, but one Mephone could recognize anywhere. "What if, even just this once, the Corn man isn't correct?" His accent was heavy, but didn't hold the same urgency or anger it used to. He sounded desperate and pleading, a tone he never would have expected to hear from him. The photos flashed in his head, a crimson flame reducing them to ash.
"Tell her..." Mephone looked to Test Tube. She stared at him, concern filling her eyes. "You can't take much more of this..... please.." he pondered his words. "I just don't understand.." Test Tube spoke. "I can't think of anything that would make you lie like that, I know you haven't been feeling the best the past few days and Paintbrush shouldn't have yelled at you like that but they were right. What are you trying to hide-"
"He hurt me...." Test Tube froze, the new information processing in her mind. "What- wait who? Who's he? Who hurt you?.." her eyes were wide, Mephone took a shaky breath, he felt like he was going to collapse in on himself. "Cobs- he said things to me- did things to me- I didn't meet his standards, that's why he wanted me gone-" once Mephone started talking he couldn't stop himself. Words flooded from his mouth, the pressure valve finally released.
"-The powers didn't vanish out of nowhere, I forgot them, I forgot all of it. He wanted me dead Test Tube- you don't know what I saw him do to the others- It was too much- I couldn't handle remembering all of it I couldn't take it- I.....just....." Mephone clamped his hands over his mouth, he was trembling. The confession causing memory after memory to resurface. The tests, the training, the punishments, the others....all of those Mephones- his siblings- all of them loosing their lives because of Cobs and his greed. A cold sweat built on his screen, the cave suddenly feeling even more suffocating than it has before.
Test Tube grabbed his hands, moving them away from his mouth. His breathe caught in his throat, he felt tears in his eyes, but he held them back, he couldn't cry in front of Test Tube. She pulled him closer and wrapped her arms around him. He froze, before completely coming undone. He silently sobbed into her shoulder. She held him gently, the unfamiliar feeling of someone touching him without it hurting only made him cry harder.
His shoulders shook as the weight of his secrets washed off him. It wasn't all of it, no where close, but this was a start. Test Tube rubbed his back, she couldn't stop herself from getting choked up too. "It's alright...I understand now...I'm sorry...I'm so, so sorry...." She whispered to him. They sat there with each other for what felt like eternity. Eventually, Mephone's cries fell into small hiccups as Test Tube slowly pulled away. She held his hands in hers, his hands shaking. "You don't have to tell me everything right now...." Test Tube spoke with a gentle, almost motherly tone in her voice.
"But let's just go home... alright?" Mephone nodded, gripping her hands like a life line. Test Tube grabbed her umbrella and led him back towards the entrance, leaving the broken screen protector behind. Home, Mephone mused, he never really had one of those. Sure he lived at MeCloud almost his entire life, but it was never really home.. As Test Tube held his hand and he saw the sun peak out from behind the clouds, Mephone found himself agreeing with her.
"Thank you.." Mephone whispered to him. 4S didn't respond, he probably couldn't. But Mephone couldn't hide his small smile as he felt a buzz between his fingers. Mephone felt him watching them as they left, his eyes burning into his back. But he didn't flinch. He was going home, his real home, and there was nothing he could do to stop him.
-End Of Act 1-
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3219 words, 😈 IT ENDED UP 3000 WORDS ANYWAY ARE U KIDDING- yes I wrote this like a season finale and none of you can stop me. I'm definitely gonna ba taking a tiny break, nothing too crazy I just have an online class that starts Monday and I'ma have to adjust to that. Anyway- I rly hope there is no spelling mistakes in this cause this took forever- see y'all when I come back! ✌️