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Austin: Is it ready?
Oscar: Uh, not yet!
Austin: Oh, c'mon! It's taking forever, goddammit!
I was getting so frustrated with how long the counter was taking.
Oscar was in the middle of the room, listening for any sound that might reveal CatNap's stalking. Maya and I drew lots to see who would do what, and I lost. It was my turn to watch the hallways; according to Oscar, the most dangerous task.
Maya would be in charge of taking the electricity and activating the smoke producers to distract CatNap.
I was trying to look carefully in the hallways, and several times I almost got caught by CatNap. Fortunately I was a little faster than him, and he couldn't catch us.
Oscar: Austin, I have an idea, let's make a change; I watch the hallways now.
Austin: But how are you going to see it?
Oscar: Who said I could see it! I can hear it well. Come on, keep an eye on the timer, and take a break while you're at it.
I went to see the timer.
Five minutes.
Damn, they're going to take forever.
I didn't hear anything strange, but Maya caught our attention.
Maya: Guys...damn it! OSCAR!
Oscar: Huh-
Without a sound to give him away, CatNap climbed onto Oscar after getting out from a ceiling trap door, knocking him to the ground.
Oscar was left with his head held by the paw of that huge cat, slammed on the floor.
I think I saw blood coming from his head. And that ignited in me a spark of rage.
I ran to the huge stuffed animal and grabbed it by the tail. CatNap growled like a beast and with one swipe of his tail he knocked me to the ground.
Maya pointed the gun at CatNap's face and fired. The flare distracted CatNap, like when you show a laser pointer to a real cat, and he let go of Oscar.
I picked up my brother in my arms and took him away from that. He was conscious, but he had a nosebleed and a scratch on his cheek and nose.
He was very agitated, but calmed down soon.
Maya looked at the counter for a moment, and her eyes sparkled in pleasure. She shifted the GrabPack hand to her green hand and reached for the generator.
Her hand filled with electrical energy.
Maya: Take that one, you bastard cat!
She aimed at CatNap, giving him an electric shock that knocked him to the ground. He recovered faster than expected and was about to grab Maya, but he inexplicably caught fire.
He rolled on the ground, screaming in pain by the scorching flames.
Maya ran to us.
Maya: I've got an idea! Quick, once the fire extinguishes, Austin, grab his feet! I'll grab him by the arms!
Austin: What about Oscar?!
Oscar: I'm fine...do whatever you have to do, guys, but be careful! Once you have him down, hold him in place, I also have a plan.
Once the fire extinguished, we ran to CatNap. I held his feet together and Maya grabbed one arm with her body and the other one with both of the GrabPack's hands.
CatNap squirmed, trying to break free from the grip we had pinned him in, but our pressure was much greater and he couldn't escape.
Suddenly, Oscar walked over and stood level with CatNap's face. This seemed to distract the monster.
Oscar: How are you, partner?
CatNap: Hush kid, I'm not your partner! Tell your bastard siblings to let me go!
Oscar: CatNap, please give me a second to explain! If you let me talk, we'll leave you alone!
The cat didn't seem convinced, but he sighed, much to our surprise.
CatNap: ...Okay. Speak, kid.
Oscar: CatNap, I will ask you some things, please be honest.
Why are you on the Prototype's side?
CatNap: ...Why would you care about that?!
Oscar: C'mon, just answer!
CatNap: Well, because He is our savior. He will grant us with the freedom we deserve.
Oscar: What type of freedom?
CatNap: You ignorants...aren't you aware of the torment, the torture us toys were subjected to? The pain we suffered?
Austin: And are you aware of the torment you subjected the others under that monster's command?!
Oscar: Austin, please!
CatNap: What torment?
Austin: Wanna know? WHO had killed a huge number of people, workers, caretakers, adults in general?! WHO locked the kids into PlayCare until they died? WHO tore off DogDay's LEGS and left him to ROT in a goddamn cell?! Are you aware of what you did now?! Are you aware of the torment YOU subjected US? And your friends?! All for what?! For that...thing you adore?!
Open your eyes, CatNap! You are a fucking monster!
There was silence.
I breathed deeply, as I almost suffocated due to the huge loss of breath after saying all that monologue.
My blood boiled with rage. I hated thinking about the Hour of Joy, although I was unable to imagine an exact image of what that might be like.
When I calmed down a bit, I looked at CatNap. He was pale with surprise.
He looked down and audibly sighed.
CatNap: ...Did I...was it that horrible...?
Maya: CatNap, uh... I can't say I understand you, because I can't understand what motivated you to do those atrocities... but were the children, DogDay and the other Smiling Critters to blame for all your problems? Did they also have to pay for the sins of the guilty?
CatNap: I...listen, in other type of circumstances, I would have never tortured DogDay or locked the kids, but...the conditions imposed were adverse to me.
Oscar: What type of conditions?
CatNap: The Prototype doesn't want any heretics to see another day. He ordered me to exterminate any heretics. The task was harder than expected, so I decided to attack the core of the group; DogDay. If I attacked him, the whole group would go down, but the others managed to stay alive despite the horrible circumstances.
And DogDay...well, if I'm honest, I only wanted to keep him locked away and torture him, until he begged for mercy, or until he accepted the offer. When I had the idea of tearing his legs off, I was way angrier than other days. I took the pleasure of making him suffer.
Austin: Wait...what type of offer?
CatNap: The Prototype finds huge potential in DogDay. After all, he is a charismatic, sensible, gentle and intelligent Critter. He would have become a great part of the Prototype's side if he wasn't a heretic.
Oscar: So you were planning to make DogDay join your side?
CatNap: Indeed. But, as expected, he was way too strong willed. More than...
Maya: More than PickyPiggy, right? We know that you're making her into one of yours.
CatNap: Yes. She...was way more weak than I expected her to be. She was more...empowered around the others. And now...she's halfway done.
Austin: Just halfway?! You mean...we can fix her before it's too late?
CatNap: I think it's late already. I know BullyBull will do something to her.
Oscar: I still can't understand what are the intentions of that...what was the Rejected Critter's name?
CatNap: BullyBull. I met him some years ago, and knew he could be useful, despite being alone...until now.
Maya: Until now?
Austin: ...CatNap, what have you done?
CatNap: I asked the Prototype to...revive the other four Rejected Critters. And He accepted. Now they are on the loose, probably tracking the Smiling Critters down.
Oscar: Four? They should be three, because the Rejected Critters were four in total according to Poppy!
CatNap: It is possible that Poppy is unaware of the existence of the fifth. It wasn't exactly rejected by the founder, but the final mascot, despite being created, was never shown to the public, possibly because it matched with the Hour of Joy. It's possible that that one survived and went into hiding...or possibly died too. It is not safe. Even I do not know the fate of that fifth one. But I know that Critter is also getting resurrected if they ever died.
Austin: What the- We gotta get DogDay and the rest of the Critters now! Or look for those Rejected Critters and stop them.
CatNap: How will you mortals do it? It's hard to look for those. The Rejected Critters have developed a skilled way of hiding.
Oscar: We'll do it, because now YOU are helping us!
CatNap: Me?! Are you crazy, kiddo?
Oscar: Nope, I'm pretty stable now, and you are coming with us! Or do you want something bad to happen?
CatNap: Are you threatening me, child?
Oscar looked at him straight in the eyes, with a very scary gaze. He reminded me of our father anytime he got angry. Genetics are acting up, I guess.
Oscar: ...I dunno. What do you think?
CatNap stayed quiet for a bit, before scoffing.
CatNap: Fine, you win. I'll help you. But only this time! If the Prototype finds out I'm on your side, I'll be in trouble. And you'll also be.
Austin: 'Aight, CatNap, I'm gonna give you a chance, but you gotta know something. Any violent action towards my siblings or the rest of the Smiling Critters, and I will turn you into a rug. Do I explain myself clearly?
CatNap: Yes. Now, if you kindly release me.
My sister and I got off of him. CatNap stood up and showed us a path, possibly the one we should take to go back.
As we walked down the hallway, I couldn't help but notice that CatNap was staring at my little brother. That had me a bit uncomfortable, but I guess Oscar wasn't sharing that feeling with me.
He was also staring at the cat.
Maya also noticed their odd behavior.
Maya: What the heck are you two doing?
CatNap: ...Oscar, right?
Oscar: Uh, yeah.
CatNap: He has grown a lot, hasn't he?
I was surprised. I didn't expect CatNap to remember Oscar.
But yeah, he has changed a lot.
I keep a photo of the three of us the first time we took Oscar to PlayTime Co., and the Oscar from before has nothing to do with the Oscar from now.
Oscar used to be a thin, short, somewhat pale boy with thinner and shorter hair, but still curly. His eyes were huge, but they never seemed to stare at you, instead they seemed to fixate on a dead point.
He was taller now, almost reaching my chin, with longer, wilder, fluffier hair. He had developed a slight toning, but he was still just as thin. Adolescence had been wonderful for him, since he didn't get a single pimple. The only thing he had was an out of tune voice because his voice is still developing.
He didn't change his way of look either. He seemed to always have a lost gaze, but since his eyes were more slanted now, he did not give that sensation of such pronounced myopia. He just looked distracted.
Maya: Yeah, he's grown too much.
CatNap: You've also changed.
Maya: I'm surprised you still remember us!
CatNap: I guess I sometimes do remember the workers...but I didn't remember Austin.
Maya: No wonder. He worked in launching toys and designs, so he was in upper levels.
CatNap: ...Maya?
Maya: Hm?
CatNap: What's with your eye?
Maya started curling a strand of hair with her finger, and sighed.
Maya: Just an accident with Huggy Wuggy. He...scratched my eye, and now I don't have any vision in that eye. I don't want to imagine how will it look now.
CatNap: ...Mind taking off the eyepatch?
She stopped and stayed quiet, but she sighed a bit later, letting us know that she agreed to CatNap's request.
She got the patch off her eye and opened it.
She never took off the eyepatch due to the shame that her eye was badly damaged, but she was our sister and we were not going to tolerate her being ashamed of us.
So we were surprised to see that it wasn't as damaged as we thought; she only had a scar that crossed her entire eyelid, her pupil had been deformed, and the hazel color of the iris had faded to a dull shade of brown.
Austin: It doesn't look that bad!
Maya: Are you sure, or are you just trying to reassure me?
CatNap: Could look worse.
Oscar: CatNap, that isn't the best way to reassure someone down.
CatNap: I won't sugarcoat the truth.
Austin: Nah, Maya, all bullshit aside, that eye is looking rad. Don't put that patch back on.
Maya: Okay...I'll trust you guys, and take the patch off. Just for a little while, okay?
Austin: Okay, guys, let's keep going.
We continued down the hallway and reached the elevator we had taken before.
Back at the Gas Production Zone, the red smoke had cleared. Kissy and Poppy were waiting for us, but they probably didn't expect CatNap to be with us.
When we arrived, I noticed that Poppy kept looking at CatNap with a serious expression, while Kissy seemed to be very disturbed with the cat's presence.
He wasn't pleased either of seeing them.
Maya: Poppy, Kissy, this has an explanation.
Poppy: Sure, go ahead.
Oscar: Well, we are now going to look for the Smiling Critters. They surely need help up there.
Poppy: Surely. BullyBull is out of control.
Oscar: Not just BullyBull. The Prototype resurrected the other Rejected Critters...
Poppy's gaze stopped being solemn, and took on a glow of anger, something incongruous with her inhuman appearance. She looked at CatNap visibly angry.
Poppy: Are you aware of what you've done?!
CatNap: I am. And it's something difficult to solve.
Poppy: Well, they aren't going to risk themselves! YOU are gonna tell those Critters to stop before they do something stupid that puts the Smiling Critters in danger!
CatNap: I doubt they didn't do anything weird already.
Poppy: You and I are going there, right now!
Kissy looked at Poppy confused.
I was also a bit confused. Despite Poppy's high intelligence, she was weaker than a thread. Just one blow and she would shatter into pieces.
Maya: Poppy? Are you sure about that?
Poppy: Of course I am.
Austin: Poppy, don't wanna offend, but...have you seen them...and then you?
Poppy: I am aware that strength is not my strong point. But CatNap will take care of those matters, after all, he was the one that messed up. You three, please stay with Kissy Missy until I get back.
Kissy didn't look convinced, and if she had voice, she would have argued.
Poppy: Kissy, put me on CatNap's head.
The tone suggested that it was not a plea, but rather an order.
Kissy looked at Poppy, as if she understood her decision, and gently put her hand at Poppy's level. Poppy got on Kissy's hand, and as if she was in an elevator, Kissy gently carried her to CatNap's head.
The doll held to CatNap's left ear in order to balance, and both of them left the Gas Production Zone.
We stayed with Kissy, who looked a bit discouraged despite her permanent smile.
Oscar held her hand.
Oscar: Don't worry, Kissy; maybe, if they work together, they'll do a really good job. They'll be fine!
Kissy looked down, and nodded.
I was kinda worried about those two just, going together.
But maybe Oscar's right, and they can work great together. We just gotta hope for the best...