With a pained wince, Gabe pried open the metal door with both hands. While the blue hand scanner worked, the door got stuck halfway, leaving him no choice but to pry it open. Another exhausting endeavor. But it was worth it when he finally got the door open, the ear piercing screech of metal against metal screaming loudly.
Upon heading inside he finds himself in what appears to be a maintenance room. A gloomy atmosphere enveloping the cold, darkened room. It was quiet, strangely enough, there was always at least some sort of sound coming from somewhere. The irritating buzz of fluorescent lights or the deep hum of irrigation systems always filled these dank corridors with some semblance of background noise.
His shoulder still hurts, the wound still a bit fresh from his encounter with Miss Delight. Thankfully though as he lightly brushed his fingers over the puncture wounds he can feel the blood already beginning to clot over. Still though, he should get that cleaned and bandaged, he doesn't want it to get infected. And the last thing he wants is losing an arm to disease.
So far there isn't anything that has caught his eye, but before he can even think about which way to go, he hears something skittering nearby. Gabe looks around to find the source, his sensed on high alert in case he needs to start running again. His eyes then caught movement coming from a hole in the wall. From the appearance of its silhouette behind the umber lighting coming from inside, it was small in stature, and had the same gleaming white eyes just like Catnap's.
Gabe was prepared to run, but once the creature made itself known in the light, he couldn't help but feel remorseful at the sight before him. It is a small living plush creature, and Gabe recognized it well, it is one of the Smiling Critter plushies. A Bobby Bearhug to be specific, and Gabe couldn't stand the and feel any apathy for the poor critter. Her once vibrant red fur had been stained and blackened in splotches, and there are numerous cuts that allow small tufts of cotton to poke through.
The critter was just simply standing there at the hole's mouth, staring at him cautiously with their beady white eyes. It was then that Gabe remembered something that Poppy told him, about the smaller toys. She said that many of the smaller toys rebelled against the Prototype, and that they had now kept themselves hidden to avoid the Bigger Bodies wrath. This little critter must be one of those smaller toys!
He was actually incredibly relived, it had been a bit too long since he'd seen a friendly face.
But the toy critter seemed apprehensive to even approach him, so Gabe bent down on one knee and held out his left hand to it. The critter toy tilted their head for a second as it gazed at the crouching human offering his hand out, it was confused, but curious. The critter slowly crawled over to him, each little inch closer brought a hint of happiness to the young man. Soon enough the small critter was just a mere inch away from his hand, it then lifted an arm nub to Gabe.
And then, it suddenly leapt forward and bit down on one of Gabe's fingers, hard.
"GAAAAAAHH!!" Gabe screamed in agony as the critter plush bite down as hard as it could.
Then, a sickening crack was heard along with the sound of something wet ripping. The living plush bit his left ring finger off.
Gabe fell backwards reeling from the pain as he watch with disgust as the plush gnaw and chew on what was his finger before the swallowing it. The critter then wasted not another second and then leapt towards him with surprising agility and landed on his face. Gabe shot straight up trying to grab the plush, he can feel it trying to bite one of his eyes out. Instincts kicked in as he then grabbed it and threw it across the room. But even then while Gabe still reeled in pain, the plush was persistent enough to crawl back towards him and try again.
He was shocked, and in pain, but thankfully his senses were clear enough for him to pull the trigger of his orange Grabpack hand and fire a flare at the living plush. The critter made a distorted squeal as it then frightfully retreated into the very same hole it crawled out of, disappearing from sight. Gabe guessed that these small toys are afraid of fire, this will be useful later. But now there is an even bigger problem to deal with. Namely the lost finger that is now gushing blood.
He has no bandages on him, so there was no way to cover the wound, if he had he would have used some for his shoulder as well. He has to use something else, and fast before he loses too much blood. He then spots a small metal pole on the floor, it looked clear of any rust. Then an idea came to him.
Taking the metal rod, he then hot out a few flares onto the concrete floor in a tight pile. He then hovered the very tip of the rod close over the burning flares and waited for the tale-tell sign of heated steel. He kept the bleeding wound pressed firmly against his shirt, the copious amounts of blood leaving a considerably sized stain. After about a minute, he pulls the rod back to see the metal glowing red hot, exactly what he needed.
Gabe prepared himself mentally for what he was about to do. He then brought the smoldering tip towards the stump where his finger was lost and then pressed it down. He winced in terrible pain as the metal seared into his flesh, holding himself back from retching as he smelled a good whiff of boiling blood. He even nearly shed a tear in the process.
When he felt that the wound was firmly sealed, he then tossed the rod away and looked at his handiwork. All the blood where his finger should be has now been clotted and burned over, he knew it will take some time before what is left of his finger would fully heal, but here and now is definitely no place to wait for that to happen. He needs to get out of here.
But it looks like the only way out is forward, into whatever new nightmare awaits him. Ollie warned him not to even think about entering this place, but here it is, the only way out. Then with a deep breath he enters the bowels of the Playhouse.
The Playhouse, as Gabe discovers, is actually a lot more than just a simple playground as he thought it would be. It was actually an indoor maze of colorful foam pads, made into formations of ramps, bridges, tunnels and more. It was just like how he remembered the indoor playground of that fun center he used to play in when he was a kid. But now everywhere he looked, there was not an inch of space anywhere that has not been torn, rotted, or stained with blood.
It saddened Gabe, for this place must have been a wonderful place for the children to play in before the company's collapse
Now, this place is but a shadow of what the Playhouse formerly was.
And as the noise of yet more critters crawling around within the walls have anything to tell, it has become a cess pool filled to the brim with hungry plushies.
As he made his way around the first bend he found three individual living critter plushies crawl their way towards him, now this time without showing any hesitance like the smaller Bobby critter before them. Gabe then tested his theory and fired a flare at them, the critters shrieked and then immediately ran back inside their hole. Gabe was relieved, now he actually has a way to fend off threats that don't involve either running or hiding.
With this in mind, he then continues on in his trek, ever deeper into the maze of foam. With the noise of distorted cackling and glitching groans of dozens of unseen critters coming from every crack and crevice. And every time another critter would rear its ugly face out, he would fire a flare at them, near them, and never on them. It took some time and even a few near chances a few critters would get too close to him, but he manages to find his way about the maze pretty well.
This also brought a big question to mind, he remembered before that Poppy said many of the smaller toys helped rebel against the Prototype, so why are they attacking him? And she had been going all around the factory spreading the word about him, and since Playcare is where she would most likely start first, there is no excuse that these critters haven't heard about him yet. So again, why are they trying to kill him?
Well, it doesn't seem to matter now, there is one thing for sure and it's that these little toys aren't going to listen to reason, especially to him. He'll have make do with them being hostile to him, for now.
This carried on for many minutes onward. Running on throughout the maze of foam passages and hard plastic tunnels, shooting flares at any tiny critter that showed its ugly face. He even had to work out some sort of puzzle that involved two enormous buttons and a spinning platform. But thankfully after that, the critters seemed to have backed down. He couldn't hear their glitching voice boxes anymore.
But now, as he passed by a large poolroom with no trace of water left in the pool, an eerie silence followed him. Like there is something dreadful about to happen, a foreboding anticipation.
Then after descending a rotting, colorful staircase, the atmosphere of the Playhouse changed dramatically. It almost felt like he could feel the darkness itself. Once he reached the bottom he then opened a door, a pungent and sickly sweet stench of decay hitting his senses like he was facing the wind. There was also a faint smell of something burning in there.
He enters inside, the room is dark and dank, however kept lit by the light of small candles, which turned out to be the source of that burning smell. The candles were made out of organic wax of indeterminate origin, however still kept alight well. The air inside was warm and humid as well, Gabe can already feel some sweat building up in his brow. And off to the side there is a large bed shaped like a cat's paw, worn after many years of use. And all around said bed are claw marks everywhere, on the floor, walls and even the ceiling.
Some of these claw mark actually sometimes formed complete sentences. Words and sayings like, "Salvation came from Below", or "In Darkness, one finds Eternal Rest", and "Neath our god's hand is the Crooked Moon". But there is one sentence there that seems to be carved nearly everywhere he went that stuck out to him, "The Hour of Joy".
But there is one depiction that really caught his eye and it is neither a saying or a prayer, but a picture made of claw marks on the wall above the cat bed. It was large, nearly encompassing over the entire wall.
It depicts a massive figure that looked strangely familiar to him. The being's left arm is long and skeletal arm, nearly robotic like, and the fingers on its hands end in long needle-like appendages. The creature's right arm however looks much different, fleshy and highly muscular, it looked strong enough to crush a volts wagon in a single stroke, and its hand ends in six-fingered claws. The face of the creature is that of a human-esq skull, its left leg is fleshy and aligned like a calf's leg while the right side are instead two large scythe-like appendages, all to keep up its enormously bulbous frame.
There are many other details within this picture, he knew Catnap has drawn it, but this one seemed to have such careful attention to detail that it is obvious that this picture is very special to him. Gabe honestly lost some track of time the longer he stared at it. However reality set back in again once he remembers he is still within the critter infested Playhouse. Shaking himself free from his daze, he then continues on down the nearest hallway he can see.
However there was something,…strange about this hall. In fact, calling it a hallway exclusively would be a bit of a mistake, because lining each side of this hall are bars, prison bars. The doors that lead inside the cells are locked tight, and within each of them, he can make out what looks like bodies, looking like giant versions of the smiling critters. They simply laid flat on the floor or leaning against the wall, their forms utterly still and silent with eyes empty of life.
They appear to be dead.
And as Gabe neared the end of the hallway he finds a door off to the right, he grabs the nob and fidgets with it, locked. He figured he'll have to find another way around. Little did Gabe know, that the sound of him jiggling the handle has awoken someone behind him.
"You…" Gabe immediately turned straight around to confront the person behind him, his finger on the flare gun's trigger. But when he finally took a good look at the one who is before him, his heart sank as the every hostile thought vaporized to nothing. "You are Poppy's Angel. Come to save us…"
There, hanging by multiple leather straps painfully tied tight on his arms and around his throat, is a large, orange, plush creature who has been the face of the Smiling Critters. Dogday. His eyes alit in a white gleam like Catnap's, except their glow has no been reduced to mere flicker as it seemed the very life is drained from them. The enormous smile that is etched in his face could not hide the terrible sadness that laid behind the seams as they even bent to show complete despair.
But it all pales in comparison to when Gabe's gaze trailed downward to where his legs should be, but instead he nearly retched as he realizes that he has no legs anymore. Instead there is now a massive gaping hole across his waist with his intestines hanging out for all world to see, trickles of blood still dripping from the mortal wound.
Gabe could barely feel his legs, he felt like he could fall back at any second. But then another voice called weakly out to them.
"The Angel, he's here?" Said a soft, feminine voice. Her tone exhausted and tired.
Turning to where the voice came from, Gabe soon discovers that he and Dogday aren't alone. Within the cell just off to the left of Dogday's there appeared another member of the Smiling Critters, her fur white and curly hair colored cyan, and on top of her head is a unicorn's horn. Craftycorn.
Soon more pained groans are heard from each of the seven cells, and from each another member of the Bigger Body Critters went closer to their cell bars, their eternally etched smiling faces becoming visible in the candle light. Gabe nearly retches at the sight of them, for Dogday wasn't the only one to suffer such gruesome abuse, and each one seemed unique in their own way.
Crafty's eyes appear to have been gouged out, long dried blood remained stained in her sockets. But Gabe didn't know if the stains that trials down her cheeks are her tears or her blood.
Hoppy' limbs have been torn off, leaving the only way for her to see him is to lean her whole torso against the bars. There was a determined fire behind those white eyes, but Gabe can see the glimmer of defeat as well.
Kicken's body looked to have suffered from multiple beatings, bruises and plucked feathers were all over him. Gabe can tell his trauma is on high given how much he is shaking.
Picky's mouth is covered by a restraining muzzle, and through the breathing holes he can see that most of her mouth was torn apart. The mask barely prevented her from fully breathing, let alone eating.
Then there's Bubba, his scalp on top of his head was ripped open to reveal his brain, with multiple needles injected inside it, messing with his motor functions and senses. As such he was forced to sit in a wheelchair, just to keep himself sitting upright.
And lastly, Bobby's heart looked like it was ripped out of her chest and placed in a clear box on a nearby table, rubber tubes connected her heart to herself as to keep her blood flowing whilst preventing her from dying.
Gabe remembered Ollie telling him that he wouldn't want to know what happened to the Smiling Critters cast, but yet here they are, staring at him with their tired distraught eyes. All he can do was just simply stand there, and let a single question slip from his lips.
"What…What happened to you all?"
Hoppy answered first, her voice indignant and bitter. "Catnap. That's what."
At the mention of Catnap, Kicken suddenly reacted violently terrified. "CATNAP!?" He shrieked as he hastily ran and pressed himself against the far end of the cell wall as much as he can. "But Catnap has already had his time with me! It's too soon!!"
Gabe then went for Kicken's cell and tried to comfort him. "Don't worry, don't worry! The last time I saw him he's at that freaky statue of his. He's not here now."
"No." Dogday responds, his tone ebbed with despair. "He'll come back. You're in Catnap's home, Angel. Their home. And when he does, there will be nothing left to save."
"Don't be like that Dogday!" Bobby exasperatedly cried, as if she was desperate to not push annyone's anxiety any further. "Catnap isn't here now, and he won't be here for awhile."
Craftycorn then spoke up and asked timidly. "I,…I can't see you, Angel. Can you come closer?"
Gabe felt hesitant at first, it was just mere moments ago that another critter just bit a finger off when he held a hand out to it. But this one however isn't like the other smaller ones. So he got closer to Crafty's cell and held out a hand, the same one with the lost finger. Crafty did the same and held out her hoofed hands through the bars and held Gabe's own. She was soft, both in her fuzzy hooves and the way she used them, moving carefully over his palm.
She then gasped when she noticed something missing. "I can't feel one of your fingers! You lost one?"
"Oh you poor thing!" Bobby cooed despite being held back by the tubes connecting her to her heart. "How did it happen?"
"One of the little critters." Gabe bluntly replied. "I was just trying to be nice."
"Y-You shou-shouldn't have-ve done thhhat." Bubba replied, his words spliced and breaking with each syllable. Struggling to even pronounce a single word right. "T-T-These little crit-critters, theeey Fol-lo-low Cat-nap. D-d-do his biddinnng, and-d in retuuurn they a-are fed-fed."
"A million pairs of eyes are on you, Angel." Picky said, her tone foreboding. "Watching. Waiting. Hungry. They want nothing more than to crawl beneath your skin and eat away at you bit, by bit, by little bit. All to fill what feels empty inside. Believe me, I know that feeling well."
"But, why though?" Gabe asked with sincere concern. "Why would they?"
"That…thing…Catnap." Dogday said with tired yet subtle fury behind the words. "The Prototype is his god, and this is what he does to heretics. These little toys follow him to avoid this very fate."
Hoppy then spoke up. "We tried to fight it, the Prototype's control. We thought we had a chance against him, but of course that f**king cat showed up."
"And this wasn't even the end of it." Dogday continued. "The things he did, Angel. He locked all the Delights inside the Schoolhouse for years, just so the Prototype can be entertained watching them all starve and kill each other. How he trapped, subjugated, and gassed hundreds of heretic toys inside Home Sweet Home, driving them to maddening nightmares."
"And how even when all the scientists are gone-" Dogday shuddered before even bringing himself to say what happened, but rising in such bitter, furious intensity. "-he took all the orphans that were still surviving down deep below the factory, and let the Prototype eat them. All because he told him to!"
Gabe, he couldn't describe at the moment what he is feeling. At mere notion of how much more suffering is happening here, a fraction of which is right before his eyes, a tumultuous wellspring of emotions churned and frothed in his heart and gut. Sadness, fear, pain, regret, guilt, rage, and a whole slew of other emotions welled up with such intensity that it all faded together into a background noise. Leaving him still and silent, but yet still listening to Dogday.
"Angel, listen to me." Dogday said with his voice shifting to a serious tone. "You need to get out of here! You need to live! You and Poppy can fix this. End the madness, the torment, the…wait."
Just then something is heard within the walls of the prison, the other Smiling Critters hear it too, the sound of a thousand tiny little feet skittering all around them. Gabe heard it too, but he is still just standing there. Blankly.
Dogday looked into the holes in the walls on each side of his cell, and to his horror, he sees them. Dozens upon dozens of white eyes piercing through the dark, and are heading straight towards him.
"No, OH NO!" Dogday panicked as he hopelessly hanged there like bait for prey. The other Critters knew what is happening and they couldn't believe it, Catnap, he's finally feeding their closest friend to the monsters. They all watched, petrified, some even turning away unbearable to watch.
Dogday turned to Gabe, begging him to leave. "Please! Leave me!" But Gabe barely moved. There was, something else churning within him, something dark and buried deep, an emotion so foreign yet so disgustingly familiar.
"Just go!"
And as a tiny critter started to crawl its way up Dogday's body and up to his face, he finally figured out what it is.
"RUN!!"
…Violence.
The critter that was crawling on Dogday's face was then forcefully ripped away, the critter shrieked and squirmed as Gabe's grip in it tightened till his very knuckles turned white. He then grabbed both sides of the tiny critter's head with both hands, and squeezed the critter's skull. A sickening crack was heard and some blood leaked out. But then he gripped the tiny monster's skull even harder, his nails digging into the polyester fur, and with one violent pull he ripped the critter in half from top to bottom in an explosion of blood and gore.
The other tiny critters, who were just now crawling out from the hole, all stopped in their tracks as they watched one of their own die violently in front of them. Even the main Smiling Critters were stunned at what they just witnessed.
Gabe wasn't done though, he then took the Flarehand and then emptied the cartridge of flares at the groups of tiny critters that were watching from the holes. They all then ran back in, stumbling over each other to avoid the human's wrath.
Dogday was at a loss for words. "A-Angel?"
Gabe then wasted no time and immediately ran into the canine's cell and then began pulling on the straps. "Wait, what are you doing!?" Dogday cried confused, but Gabe didn't answer, he is not willing to waste a single second saving him. He then with all his might then snapped each leather strap from the ceiling one by one by one, till he finally tore the last one down, freeing him.
Dogday plopped to the ceramic tile floor with a thud, a pained wince escaping his mouth, but he couldn't believe it, his Angel is saving him! He then watched as his savior then ran to Crafty's cell next to them. But unlike Dogday's cell, Crafty's is closed, along with all the other Critters. Gabe pushed and pulled on the cell door with every fiber of his being but it wouldn't budge, they are locked.
"Angel, forget about me!" Crafty yelled. "Forget about us! You can't get the doors open! Just take Dogday and run!"
"What? NO!" Dogday yelled back as he crawled his way to Crafty, grabbing onto her hoofed hands desperately, a mere embrace so sweet it was almost surreal between both Critters. "I will not leave you! I'm not leaving any of you!" All the while the other Critters are begging them both to leave.
Gabe did the best he could but still the door wouldn't move, there really is no way to open it. But Gabe at the moment didn't care, even as the sound of many more tiny monsters skittering around in the walls, he kept on pushing and pulling with desperate fervor. He was practically throwing his weight around just to get it to creak.
But once he stopped however, he noticed that Dogday isn't looking at him or at Crafty, but down the corridor behind him. His eyes riddled with terror. Gabe then heard it, as if the world fell silent, the hairs on the back of his head standing up on end, was distinct sound of baritone deep purring. Slowly, Gabe turned himself around and looked down the prison corridor.
And his eyes met the piercing glare of Catnap.
The giant feline stood there, silently and unmoving. His gaze locked onto Gabe's in a standoff. He just watched him, waited, and for what Gabe had yet to find out, until he then saw the hundreds of pairs of eyes in the darkness behind Catnap.
The Critters knew what this means, and in a final desperate attempt, they screamed.
"RUN!!!"
Then quick as lightning Gabe yanked Dogday off the ground and hauled him onto his shoulders, just as a literal river of tiny critters rushed by Catnap's feet, charging towards them. Gabe then ran down the opposite way from the horde as fast his feet would let him, till he then stepped onto some old wooden planks and fell through a hole in the floor. He didn't give himself a moment to dust off, he then pulled the panicking Dogday back on and then run through the tunnels.
The Critters back in their cells whimpered and pulled themselves away as the stream of tiny toys ran along, backing away in fear of being nipped by a stray toy. Catnap slowly walked with the horde, they moved past his feet like rushing water in a stream. He let his presence linger just longer so he watch his "old friends" shriek and cry as they press themselves against the wall, cowering in fear of further torment.
Good, he thought. Because he want them to know that neither Dogday, nor their precious "Angel", will ever leave this place alive.
Down inside the tunnels, Dogday held onto Gabe for dear life as the tiny critters gave chase behind them.
"Run faster!" Dogday yelled.
"I'm trying!" Gabe yelled back. "God help us!"
On and on did he run, up the ramps, through the tunnels, and down the corridors, all the while tiny critters came in from every crack and hole in the wall they could crawl through. They even began raining from the ceiling down onto them. It was maddening just how many of these things are, and they are slowly gaining on them. Nearly biting at his heels.
The canine plush on the human's back painfully groaned as all the jerking movements brought pain to his open wound, his consciousness beginning to slip by each passing second. But he still persevered and held on, he refused to die here in this horrific pit.
Gabe then sees a slide up ahead, he doesn't know where it leads but he is sure as hell not refusing. With Dogday in tow, Gabe leapt head first into the tube and then slide down into a freakishly messy playground area. He then sees a shutter door off to his right. Perfect!! That must be the way out! But there is one problem.
The blue hand scanner above it is taking its sweet time scanning.
"DAMN IT!" Gabe furiously yelled.
They both can hear the tiny critters coming, and it won't be long until they find them. He then has an idea. Gabe then let the giant dog plush down and then begins taking off his Grabpack.
"Angel! What are you doing?!" Dogday asked frightened.
"Giving you time!" Gabe replied as he hastily then handed the Grabpack's trigger for the blue hand to him. "Aim and hold it on the scanner! I'll hold them off!"
"Against all of them!?" The plushie incredulously said. "Are you crazy!?"
"Just get it open, we don't have much time!" Was all Gabe could say as trickles of the impending flood of critters began coming in.
And so, while Dogday laid there on his sternum keeping the blue hand pressed firmly on the scanner, Gabe begins his defense against the horde. Two critters already jumped onto to him, but Gabe was quick to react and the grabbed them both in midair and then smashed them against each other, while stomping on another one to a pulp beneath his feet.
Once the two critters in his hands are dead, he then threw them at an incoming swarm of a dozen more monsters coming through. "Come here you little zits!" Gabe yelled out as he readied his fists.
The tiny critters then began their assault on them, leaping towards Gabe like a swarm of locusts. But he was not deterred as he'd punch or grab some midair throwing them across the room or slamming it back down and stomped it to death. And and small critter that manages to get past Gabe they would head for Dogday thinking he is vulnerable, only to then be shot in the mouth by the Flarehand from Dogday's other paw.
The smell of blood and burning flesh begins to permeate the air as Gabe's fists begin to glisten scarlet. Blood splatters starting to build up on his clothes and body. A few of the critters even got lucky and managed to get a nip on the fighting human, before they were then ripped apart in his hands. Punching, kicking, ripping and tearing.
This continued on and on, piles and piles of dead critters building up in the room. Dogday desperately watching as the ticks went by on the scanner, feeling even more ashamed that he couldn't do more. But then, as if by a miracle, the scan was then complete and the shutter doors begin to open up.
"I did it Angel!" Dogday yelled, Gabe then turned to look at him relieved it is over. "Now let's get out of…!"
But Dogday fell silent, staring out behind him with horrific terror. Gabe then turned around to face the next critter that might have startled the dog plush. Only to stare eye to eye with Catnap.
The giant, purple feline then struck the human down to the floor, hard. Gabe's head was left in a daze, the whole world seemed to spin and blur. The before he can regain his senses his then hoisted up by the neck, up a few feet in the air by Catnap's paw. He can feel the steely, razor sharp claw start to dig into his skin, nearly choking him.
"Angel!" Dogday cried out, hopeless to do anything but watch.
As the pair of human and monster were locked in a staring contest, dozens more tiny critters then rushed underneath them. Gabe knew who they are heading for. He watched to his utter horror, as the critters then began to climb on top of his friend and dive into every open orifice they can crawl into. He can do nothing but watch as Dogday screamed and thrashed around. He then hears something coming from Catnap, he turns his head slowly to face him, and sure enough he hears the giant cat make a deep, guttural noise.
Catnap was laughing.
Gabe saw this, and something snapped.
Catnap however was having the time of his life, once his little minions feasted on the little heretic's insides he'll then drag the human back to the others he'd left and let him watch as the critters feast on them as well. All the while he'll watch as the Interloper's hope fades from his eyes as he then takes him down to his lord and-
But when he looked back at the human, his laughter suddenly stopped. The human,…the way he was looking at him. The Interloper was just staring back at him with a face he had never seen on another human before. No one has ever dared to look at him like that. But that wasn't what made his world go silent.
There is something behind the Interloper.
No, someone.
But it didn't look like anything like a somebody. Catnap only knew because he felt it. It was cloaked in something, colorless yet pure, darkening where its face should be. Are those, feathers? But within that cloaked aperture, a small, singular point of piercing light is seen. And he can feel that this being is looking dead at him. Catnap didn't dare speak or move. The entirety of everything around him felt still and silent.
Like the only thing that matters is it, himself, and the human in between.
The being then placed a small wing on the Interloper's shoulder. But the human didn't seem to feel it. The way the human glared at him, his face contorted into something dreadful. Catnap can literally feel the wrath pouring forth from his gaze. There was something within those eyes. Something that felt like…
The human roared, and then punched Catnap.
With such force in fact, that Catnap was forced to let go as he was then sent flying across the room, a full twenty feet away. Crashing into the playground equipment into a tangled mess of metal and plastic. The noise so loud that it reverberated throughout the entire Playhouse.
Catnap tried to get up, but was unable to. Then with a few more stumbling steps he then fell down, and slipped into unconsciousness.
Gabe then brought himself off the ground and then turned to Dogday. His eyes wide and full of confusion and awe. Did his angel just,…just knock out Catnap? And what on earth was that, that thing behind him?
The tiny critters saw this as well, they were so filled with awe and fear at the sight of the being behind the human that they all stopped just as they were about to run inside Dogday just to watch. And the sight of their leader struck down like that was more than enough to make them flee in terror once Gabe made his way toward them.
The tiny critters did everything to get away, crawling out of Dogday like fleeing cockroaches. Dogday even had to gag and retch one of the tiny monsters out of his mouth as it and every other one of them ran into whatever hole they can crawl into.
Dogday gazed back up to his savior. "A-Angel?" His voice weak and afraid, even though the strange being is still behind him.
Gabe however said nothing. He didn't want to talk, didn't want to think, he hardly even noticed what he just did. The only thought on his mind is getting Dogday out of here. The human then hoisted up the giant dog plush and carried him in his arms.
"Angel, what. What was that-?" Dogday asked trying to point at the thing behind him. But when he looked again, the stranger was not there anymore. It just simply, disappeared.
And as the Angel steps inside the elevator with him, Dogday took one last look at his tormentor. The giant cat's form splayed out and laying amidst the destruction. He couldn't believe this was actually happening, and he never thought in a thousand years it would happen in such a way.
He then gazed back up at the human, he looked tired, so so tired. He knows that his friends are still locked within that monster's torture chambers, but he at least knows he won't kill them, they had been his playthings for the past few years, he won't let them go so easily. They'll come back for them, he knows it, he swears it.
And as the elevator ascends, there was still but one burning question within Dogday's mind.
What was that thing behind his Angel?
And what is it doing helping him?