Level 69: Hilbert's Motel
Karl had fallen asleep some time after his and Quackity's game of war, waking to Sapnap picking him up and carrying him onto a bus. The rest of the group was already on and Sapnap sat down, still holding Karl. "Mmmm Sap?" Karl mumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "We are on our way to Level 69, Karl." Sapnap chuckled, holding Karl close. The group sat amongst some facelings who did nothing but sit there. Sam, despite the lack of current danger, seemed highly on edge. He held his trident in plain sight of everyone around, his machete was a bit more hidden but still very much out.
Ant hadn't looked away from his phone since it turned on, worry ebbing off of him as he texted someone. Red, Karl surmised. Quackity half mindedly shuffled his playing cards. Callahan played a game on their phone. Foolish and Sapnap dozed off. And Karl pulled a journal from his bag, writing in it. He wrote about the past 3 months since he'd entered the Backrooms, how he felt about everyone, and everything else. Sapnap still had his arms around Karl's body and Karl couldn't help but put his journal back into his bag and cuddle closer into his arms.
Warm and Safe. He felt warm and safe. Karl felt warm and safe in Sapnap's hold. He felt warm and safe for the first time in a long time. Karl wrapped his arms around Sapnap and placed his head on the raven's chest, listening to his heart beating in his chest. Karl smiled warmly, his own heart fluttering in sync with Sapnap's.
The bus stopped and a man walked in, drunkenly stumbling to the back of the bus where the group was. The man dropped to the ground, his messy black hair was tangled in various places. He sat up, holding his head and laying there, groaning. "S-Sir? Are you alright?" Ant asked cautiously. "I'm alright! I'm not gonna fuckin die!" The man seethed. "Do you have any painkillers? Oh my god."
Ant blinked at the man and against all of his reasoning, pulled a bottle of pain relievers out of his bag and handed three pills to the strange man. Ant highly doubted that the man should be taking painkillers when drunk but he wasn't going to tell the man off. Ant, quite frankly, was worried that if he did try to talk the man out of the painkillers, the man wouldn't react well. Ant seemed off put by the drunkard. Karl pulled himself up from Sapnap and looked at the drunk man who still sat on the floor. "What's your name sir?". At first Karl assumed his question fell on deaf ears but soon the man looked up at him, dazed and answered. "Schlatt." the man huffed. "Well... Hi Mr.Schlatt." Karl chuckled awkwardly. After a while, Schlatt had convinced the group to let him tag along, much to Sam and Ant's disdain for the drunkard and soon the bus stopped at Level 69.
Out of the group Schlatt was the first to get off the bus, groaning about 'needing to find some alcohol'. Callahan burst out following, silently giggling to themself. Karl dragging a tired Sapnap. Sam seemed uncomfortable around so many Facelings. Ant finally put his phone in his pocket, cautiously looking around the level. Foolish looked around amazed, running a hand on the walls of the building with a partially unreadable expression. They seemed shocked, amazed, and scared all at the same time. Quackity seemed indifferent about this whole place. Sapnap finally pulled away from Karl's grip and walked into the motel. The rest followed as Sam took the lead.
No one had seen Sam this on edge. If you took a shot every time he tightened his grip on his weapons, every time he looked around uncomfortably, or every time he jumped slightly from a noise, you'd have died from alcohol poisoning a hundred times over. Karl wanted to ask but he didn't want to risk evoking possible hell from the gas mask wearing man.
Sam led the group, retaining that confidence until Quackity made a snide remark. "Why are you so scared Sam? It's just a bunch of Facelings. They haven't done anything to you.. Not yet anyways." Quackity's laughter was cut to an abrupt end when Sam lashed his trident towards Quackity's throat, missing by mere centimeters. "Holy shi-" Quackity was cut off by Sam who seemed enraged. "Do not talk about that Quackity! I'd rather not relive that hell!" Sam pressed the sharp prongs of the trident against Quackity's neck, blood gathering at the barely pierced skin. The words that left Sam's mouth next were nothing short of bone chilling.
"Do I make myself clear?".