Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Cold.

That's all Elliot felt while lying on the cold wooden floor.

Wait, wood?

Elliot rose to his feet and held his head as he took in his surroundings. Instead of the permanent night sky he was used to, he was in some kind of children's gift shop. Was this a new place that it was surprising him with? He would've expected somewhere more...open. How the hell was he supposed to outrun any killers here?! He really hoped John Doe wasn't the killer this round.

With a sigh, Elliot trudged forward, wary of his surroundings.  He listened for any footsteps, so he wouldn't get snuck up on by Slasher- or any Pizza Delivery minions. He really didn't want to encounter either C00lkid or Slasher, especially without any teammates around in this enclosed space. As he walked, he scanned the room. Maybe he would find a Bloxy Cola. Or a medkit if he was
lucky. He saw a can of soda on the ground, but it was very small and light red instead of the usual black. Elliot stuffed it in his pocket.

As he walked into the next room, he inspected the racks of merchandise, some headbands and mugs, and there were shelves of spray paint. Now he was suspicious. Is this really the Specter's doing? It did make that carnival, but it wasn't as closed off, and it didn't have a roof either.

Maybe he was hallucinating? But he would've heard Noli teleport, and there aren't any generators around. And if he was hallucinating, he would've been chased by a fake by now,  and he doesn't remember cola causing hallucinations when picked up.

He kept pondering as he walked, seeing a gift bag on a table. It had a rainbow flower-like character on it with the words..

                                                                                         Gardenview Educational Center and Museum

"Gardenview? Is that what this place is called?" Elliot muttered. There was already that carnival, did it really have to make another children's place?

He continued to traverse the gift shop, looking for any generators... Strange. He would've found one by now, unless they're hidden now. Elliot groaned at the thought and kept nervously looking for any of his teammates; maybe they had better luck? He saw a strange machine with a red valve at the bottom and a tube going into the ceiling. There was a red light at the top of it. He brushed it off and continued to look for a generator.

Elliot scanned the room he walked into. He looked up at a picture of a... fishbowl-looking cartoon character? He scanned the description of the character.

                                                           
                                                                                   This Toon knows tons about sea life!
                                                                                   He always loves to use his knowledge of marine biology to not just
                                                                                   educate others but to also laugh and joke with them!

...Seriously, what was it playing at here? Toon? 

"Is this some kind of attempt at comfort or something...?" Elliot whispered. If it was, it wasn't working. He kept advancing through the strange gift shop, finding a shelf of plushies. There were 4 different kinds, one of a crescent moon with a blanket and a night cap, one was a strawberry with a white scarf with pink stripes on it, one was a green television, a rock dog? and a...a shell? The shell plushie's shelf was more full then the others.

Huh. Guess this one isn't as popular. Elliot thought and continued on. He entered the next room and saw a..tissue box? It has black stuff over its tissue, and it was smearing more of that black stuff with a feather duster.

Wait. These "Toons" are real?! These aren't just part of a toy line- or a show?

Elliot stared at the toon, watching it make a mess. Maybe it was friendly? This has to be child-related in some way, and it was quite a bit shorter than he was. What harm could it do?

"Uhm...hello?" Elliot called out to the tissue box, and it immediately whirled around. Its sclera was red, and its large pupils had red dots in them. It started charging at him. It didn't LOOK friendly at all!

Elliot stepped back, but it closed the distance quickly. It swung its feather duster at his torso, and Elliot narrowly dodged. He took that opportunity to run. He took off in a burst of speed, activating Rush Hour.  He turned the corner and saw a.. piñata. Its red irises shrank upon seeing him and started galloping at him with its tails?! It had a vicious smile on its face, but Elliot didn't have time to admire its details- he had to keep running.!He lost the tissue box, but the piñata kept pursuing.

Elliot kept running as the pinata kept chasing him, it was slowly gaining on him. He was starting to get tired- and he couldn't run for much longer. He sprinted into the next room, running past the racks of merchandise while that thing kept chasing him- His lungs were starting to feel like lead, and it was getting closer.

"G-Get away from me! Shedletsky! Guest! Anyone?!" He shouted, hoping- praying someone could help, he was sick of running for his life every day, and now he was going to get killed again and wake up back in that dammed cabin-

...Wait.

He saw something glowing faintly in the distance, something all too familiar.

A subspace tripmine!

Taph was here! He wasn't alone! He dashed over to the mine, and as soon as the piñata got close, it exploded in a light show of purple. The pinata stopped dead in its tracks- it scratched at its eyes to try to get the purple out of its vision.

Elliot took advantage of the opportunity to dash away. He turned the corner and hid behind a rack of clothes to catch his breath, the piñata nowhere in sight.

He was about to relax- until he heard footsteps. He peeked around the corner and saw Taph walking around, trying to see where his mine detonated.

"Taph!" Elliot cried out. The demolitionist turned and perked up, running towards his fellow survivor. 

"You're here! Have you seen the others?" Elliot asked.

"❌ ❓🫵" (No, have you?)

Elliot shook his head. "No, I haven't, I haven't even seen a generator- All I've seen are these weird machines. This is such a weird round.. I'm just glad I haven't seen a killer around. ...You haven't seen one, right...?"

Taph shook his head. "❌ 😁👍" (No, thank goodness.)

Elliot chuckled dryly.  Despite it being strange, he was glad he wasn't running for his life as much.  Though he was a bit concerned for his teammates, if they were even here. "Yeah, I'm glad too.. I'm not sure this is a round anymore... This place is so strange- and I was getting chased by these..walking cartoon-looking things!"

Taph tilted his head, and Elliot continued.

"I was getting chased by a tissue box, and then a piñata! You saw them too, right? They were covered in... a black substance. Elliot questioned; he really hoped he wasn't going crazy.

Taph thought for a moment and perked up. "👀 🚶‍♂️🍵 ⚫" (I saw a walking teacup covered with black stuff.)

A walking teacup? These things keep getting weirder. "Well, do you know how we're gonna get outta here?" He looked around. "There aren't any generators around, and the round should've ended by now.."

Elliot scanned the room and saw an elevator. It had a bunch of warning labels on it, so that was out of the question..

 "Have you seen any elevators like this? Maybe we could take it to get outta this place." Elliot turned to the demolitionist.

Taph pointed to a window, and past all of the clothing and merch, a room was visible in the distance, with an elevator in it.

"Alright, that looks like our way out. Let's-" Elliot was cut off as the elevator opened in the distance.

Elliot and Taph shared a glance, and they walked out of the room to investigate. They saw about 8 Toons walk out of the elevator. One was a ghost toon- a visor similar to his own, One looked to be an assortment of balloons and was talking to the ghost toon. Another seemed to be conjoined twins, looking like theater masks. One was a magnifying glass with a suit on, and another was a mirror with a pink bow, talking to a green television —the same one that had a plushie on one of the shelves. There was also a shrimp-looking toon that seemed to be in a glaring competition with a strawberry- the same one that had a plushie.

Elliot didn't know what to think. They looked different, and more like on the posters he saw, maybe these ones were friendly?

Taph seemed to be thinking the same thing. "❓👉🗣️👋" (Should we go say hi?)

"Hmm, maybe? I don't want to get attacked, so let's hang back for now." Elliot replied.

Stomping noises were approaching them, and Elliot and Taph hid below the counter, poking their head up and The shrimp cartoon went to turn the valve of one of those strange machines he saw earlier, and started banging its forehead against it.

Elliot and Taph shared a confused glance. Was every Toon violent here? He looked to the left and saw those theater masks doing the same, much calmer than the shrimp.  He heard a loud 'DING!" and the white mask happily said something, and the grey mask mumbled something with a depressive look on its face.

They both  watched as the strange machine filled up with that same black substance, and once it was full the shrimp toon growled "I HATE MACHINES!" and stomped off.

"Well, aside from that shrimp guy... they don't seem too dangerous. Maybe we should move forward?"  Elliot asked the demolitionist. Taph nodded. 

They both sneaked around the gift shop, seeing machines with the light at the top green. They saw the balloon toon running in circles with the tissue box, piñata and teacup that Taph mentioned earlier in tow. It seemed mostly unbothered, until the shrimp toon walked by.

The monsters immediately switched targets- running towards the toon. "Shrimpo! Run!" The balloon toon cried out. The shrimp scowled and started to run, but not quickly enough."

Shrimpo got slashed in the back by the piñata and stumbled, the other 2 still pursuing. The ballon started to jump around to get the other two monsters attention. But they didn't let up as the teacup struck the shrimp- taking what seemed to be..tape cartridges?

Elliot felt a pang of panic- he couldn't stand by while someone was at risk of dying! What kind of healer would he be?!

"Taph! Is your mine off cooldown? We need to do something!" Elliot turned to the demolitionist who, in response, pulled out and constructed one of his subspace tripmines."

Elliot and Taph rushed out, Taph chucked the mine. "Hey! Shrimp! Cover your eyes!" Elliot yelled out.

Shrimpo had a look of surprise, and then braced as he put his arms up and shut his eyes. After a few seconds on the ground, it exploded- disorienting all 3 Twisteds.

Elliot picked up the Shrimp from the arms and ran off with Taph in tow. They ran to a secluded corner with a little kiddie table.

Elliot sighed in relief. "That was close.. Hey, are you-"

"PUT ME DOWN!" Shrimpo squirmed in the pizza employee's grasp. Elliot put him down.

Shrimpo glared up at the two. "WHO THE HECK ARE YOU TWO!?" He yelled out.

"I-I'm Elliot and this is-"

"I DON"T CARE!" Shrimpo cut him off.

What was up with this one? Maybe he's mad because he's hurt?. Elliot attempted to de-escalate. "Listen, I know you're hurt, but calm down. I can heal you!"

"NO! I DONT KNOW YOU! WHAT ARE YOU?!" Shrimpo reached under his shirt and pulled out a brick, which caused the survivors to back up a bit.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on a sec-" Elliot cut himself off as he narrowly dodged a brick.

Elliot turned back to the shrimp, shocked. "Hey! You almost hit me with that thing!" Elliot shouted.

"GOOD! I WON'T MISS AGAIN!" Shrimpo crossed his arms.

Ok, so this one was just violent, and he didn't have the patience for this. Not even a customer has done something like this!

Elliot took a deep breath and pulled out a pizza slice. "Listen, just eat this and-"

"SHRIMPO DOESN'T TAKE ORDERS FROM YOU!"

"Just take the-"

"NO!"

Elliot felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to Taph, who had a mine in his hand, and gestured to Shrimpo.

...When did he even begin making that? Elliot thought.

Well, that wasn't the worst option. And it wouldn't hurt him either. 

"...Go ahead. I tried to reason with you, shrimp.."

"HEY! DON'T YOU DARE-" " 

He was cut off as he looked down at the mine thrown at his feet, and after a few seconds, it exploded. Elliot and Taph shielded their eyes.

"AAAAH! WHY IS EVERYTHING SPINNING!? AND WHY CAN I ONLY SEE PURPLE!? I HATE PURPLE!" The shrimp squirmed in place. And Elliot looked at him with a bit of sympathy, before kneeling down to the shrimp.

"It'll pass in a few seconds. Open up!" He shoved the pizza in the shrimp's mouth. Shrimpo chewed and swallowed it. His wounds slowly healed. 

"There. Feel better?" Elliot rose to his feet.

"NO! I HATE YOU! YOU THREW A BOMB AT ME!" Shrimpo stood and glared up at the two.

Elliot was about to retort when a 'DING!" stopped him, and the sound of an elevator opening. He and Taph looked on at the toons scurrying into the elevator.

"MOVE!" He pushed them out of the way. "I COULDN'T CARE LESS IF YOU GET LEFT DOWN HERE!" Shrimpo ran off.

Left down here? Was that elevator the only way up? Elliot panicked.

"That might be our chance out of here! Let's move!" Elliot ran in the direction of the elevator while Taph followed.

They quickly caught up to Shrimpo. "Hurry up Shrimpo! The elevator is about to close!" The strawberry toon yelled out.

No. They couldn't stay down here. Or leave anyone behind.

Elliot picked up the Shrimp toon and sprinted to the elevator to Shrimpo's annoyance, ignoring the surprised looks he got when he and Taph were seen. They both made it in, and the elevator shut.

Elliot quickly put the shrimp down as he noticed the stares he and Taph were getting from the other Toons. The strawberry was at the front, standing protectively in front of the other toons, while the magnifying glass poked out from behind him and the rest of the toons, staring curiously up at them.

Who...are you guys? Are you human?" The strawberry asks.

"Human?" Elliot and Taph shared a confused glance. "No, we're Robloxian."

"Robloxian? I've never heard of that species." The green television inquired.

Well, that made sense. He had never heard of a toon before. 

"THEY'RE JERKS! THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE! ONE OF THEM THREW A BOMB AT ME!" Shrimpo angrily pointed up at them. The other toons shared whispers of concern, and the strawberry stepped back a bit.

Elliot quickly defended Taph. "Hey, he only did that so I could heal you!" Taph crossed his arms and nodded.

"Heal? You can heal as well?" The magnifying glass asked.

"Yeah, I can, but it's-.. How about we start over? I'm Elliot, this is Taph." Taph waved.

"We won't hurt you...  Well, unless you throw bricks at us." Elliot stared down at Shrimpo, and he glared back.

"Sprout, I do not believe these two will harm us in any way. And if they wanted to, they wouldn't heal Shrimpo. Nor help him into the elevator." The magnifying glass inquired. And gestured at Shrimpo's slashed shirt, but no wound was in sight.

Sprout gave conflicted glance to the magnifying glass, but relented. "Alright. You're right, Rodger."

"I'm Sprout. Thanks for helping, Shrimpo."  Sprout introduced himself, and the rest of the Toons followed.

After introductions, Sprout piped up.

"I hope you guys don't mind, but we have to go down a couple more floors. You see, we have to do these machines that power this place."

It wasn't ideal, but he would take running from..Twisteds, Rodger called them- Then running from killers any day.

Elliot was about to agree when a hatch on the back of the elevator floor began to open. A little shop appeared with a rainbow flower as the cashier.

"Hey, everytoon! How's the-...." The rainbow flower froze mid-sentence.



...This was going to be a long day, wasn't it?

Chapter Text

"....Well! I haven't seen anyone like you two before! Are ya gonna introduce me to your new friends?" He glanced towards Sprout and Vee.

"They aren't our friends, Dandy. We just found them on the last floor and we're taking them with us." Vee responded.

"I didn't know you were so trusting, Vee! Are you an imposter or something?" Dandy joked. And Vee rolled her eyes in response.

"Dandy, they aren't bad people. They even saved and healed Shrimpo." Sprout gestured to the survivors.  

Elliot felt a pang of relief. At least his good deeds rewarded him in THIS place, unlike...

...He didn't really want to think about that hell right now.

"...Well, if you all trust them, then I don't see an issue with it!" Dandy turned to Elliot and Taph. "Hiya!  I'm Dandy, Gardenview's star of the show! Nice to meet you!" Dandy beamed and posed. 

So that's why this toons face was on the bags. He's like the main character and mascot of this place. Elliot snapped out of his short recollection and gave the flower an awkward smile.

"Yeah, uh I'm Elliot, This is Taph." Elliot gestured to the demolitionist.

"👍😁🫵" (Nice to meet you!) Taph waved.

Dandy smiled and turned to Sprout. "So, are you gonna show our new friends here the ropes? I'll take it that you told them about the Twisteds right?

"Yeah, they know about them. Just not...all of them. But we can show them how machines work. And Elliot here is a healer, so he'll be great help." Sprout prompted.

"Well, the more the merrier! Oh yeah- I got some goodies for sale!" 

Most the toons gathered at the shop, trading in those cassette tapes he saw earlier. And Shrimpo was angrily facing away from the shop.

Elliot took a glance at the counter, there was a bottle of soda, a button? And jumper cables.

Wait. How was he supposed to pay for this? He didn't see any of those cassette tapes anywhere, or was he just too busy fearing for his life? 

...Yeah, that was probably it.

Dandy noticed his hesitance, and smiled at the two survivors.

"You two can get something for free! Consider it a welcome gift!" Dandy chimed.

"Oh, uh thank you..!" Elliot gave a small smile, unsure what purchase from the selection of items.

"🙏 👏" (Much appreciated!) Taph took the button, and was about to press it before Dandy stopped him.

"Woah there! You should save that for when you're in a pinch!" Dandy gave a nervous smile to the demolitionist.

In response, Taph stared at the button for a bit, and somberly pocketed it.

Elliot decided to buy the soda, maybe it did the same thing as it did back in that...hell.

"Good luck everyone! I'll see you all later!" Dandy pulled a lever next to him, and waved goodbye while his shop descended below the hatch. The hatch closed, and the elevator began to go down to the next floor.

The elevator opened to a large garage, the walls grey and barren compared to the gift shop he was in a short while ago.

Vee pulled out a microphone and started to speak into it. "Testing....Testing! We got Toodles, Scraps, Cosmo, and Connie. Go do your thing, Looey."

"On it!" Looey ran off, going to distract the Twisteds. Elliot thought it was a bit..risky at first. But Looey assured him that he was 'light on his feet' so he would be fine.

Sprout turned to the two survivors. "Alright you two, I'll teach you how machines-"

"No need, Berry boy. I can show them the ropes." Vee smugly cut in.

"Vee, I can show them just fine. You don't need to-"

"Did you forget I extract faster then you do?"

"No, but if you get spotted, You'll be in danger. If I show them, I could get out of danger, AND heal either of them if they get hurt."

"I'll be fine, Sprout."

"You aren't that  fast, Vee."

"I said I'll be-"

"No need darlings! I can show them the ropes flawlessly!" Glisten walked in between them.

"Glisten-" Vee started.

"Ah, ah ah! I'll be just fine, Vee. I could just teleport if I'm in any danger!"

Glisten didn't wait for a reply. "Come along darlings, I'll show you how to do a machine perfectly!"

Elliot, after awkwardly looking between the arguing mains, followed with Taph trailing behind.

They all walked through the garage, Elliot noticed Looey, running in circles, with an...8 ball, a chocolate cake roll, and a...origami cat? 

"Here we are!" Glisten chimed, and begun to turn the wheel of the machine.

"Oh, and every once and a while it-" The machine wheel jammed. "Stops. You just have to apply the right amount of...FORCE!" Glisten gritted his teeth and turned the wheel with a jerk of his hand, and it kept turning.

Huh, that doesn't seem that hard, though generators were a bit easier. Familiar chimes filled his ears as he watched.

After a while of watching the machine fill up, it finished with a 'DING!"

"And THAT'S how you do a machine perfectly!" Glisten announced.

Perfectly? He kind of struggled a bit whenever the wheel jammed. But Elliot kept that to himself.

"Alright, thanks Glisten. Did you get that Taph?" Elliot looked to the side and Taph was gone.

Where could he have wandered off to?! Was he even listening? Elliot looked around, and Taph was placing a tripwire.

Taph inched forward and placed the wire between the fences, and then rose to his feet and prepared a mine.

"What on earth are you doing!? You'll trip Looey!" Glisten shouted up at Taph, and the demolitionist looked down and tilted his head at the mirror. Elliot quickly moved to defend Taph.

"It's ok! Taph's tripwires don't trip allies." Elliot went over to the wire and kicked at it, and his foot went right through. Glisten's eyes widened and he moved closer to the wire. Glisten moved his foot through it.

"...How exactly does that work?" Glisten looked up at Elliot.

"It's a special material, apparently. He puts the same in his mines." Elliot replied. Taph dropped the mine.

Glisten hummed, and went back to his charismatic demeanor. "Anyway, I taught you what I know! I'll go find some more machines, see you darlings at the elevator!" Glisten walked off.

"Well, I guess we should split up then... That feels weird to say..." Elliot muttered. Taph nodded.

" ❓🫵 (Will you be ok?)" Taph questioned.

"Yeah, we've dealt with worse. See you later, Taph." Elliot walked off, and wandered in the garage finding what seemed to be a small pack of bandages., finding a machine. It looked to be filled, but the light at the top was still red. Maybe it just needed to be extracted a little more?

He kneeled down and began to turn the wheel, and a Twisted popped out of it. Elliot reeled back, but he was too late.

He was scratched across his cheek, and he put his arms up out of reflex, and she struck them with another blow. Elliot stumbled back and prepared to bolt. He couldn't get hit by the chainsaw, He had to run and look for Guest- or Shedletsky! But he stopped as the Twisted version of Connie floated off, and went transparent with a somber look on it's face.

He sat to catch his breath as his wounds burned, he looked to see the machine light went back to green. Was that a trick?! Elliot shakily stood to his feet, and heard rapid footsteps.  He turned to find Sprout running towards him with a worried look.

"Elliot! Are you alright?" Sprout ran up to him with a cupcake in hand.

"I-I'm a bit shaken up, but I'll live." Elliot stammered.

"Here, eat this. It'll get rid of the pain." Sprout offered the cupcake. But Elliot shook his head.

"No, you should save it for someone else. I'll be fine."

"I can make another! And those cuts are deep! Take it!" Sprout insisted.

"I'll be fine Sprout. I've had-... I can still move, and the pain is starting to fade. I promise I'll be ok." Elliot reassured the berry, and rose to his feet.

"...If you say so. But if the pain comes back, come see me alright?"

"Yeah, I will, thanks." Elliot gave the berry a  small smile.

"Of course." Sprout replied. 

"We're on the last machine! (Get to the elevator..)  Razzle and Dazzle called out, and the toons began to scurry to the elevator, one by one.

"We should hurry, c'mon." Sprout gestured for Elliot to follow.

"Right." Elliot walked with the berry, and walked through the corridor to the elevator. 

"Sheesh dude. What happened to you? Connie floated up to the Builder Brother's employee, scanning his wounds.

"You, actually." Elliot quipped, and Connie looked surprised, and Elliot quickly went to clarify.

"I wasn't informed that Twisted's could hide in machines!" Elliot cried. Connie quickly calmed down.

"Oh, uh yeah. My Twisted can do that.."

"I would've informed you if a certain mirror wouldn't have run off." Vee gave Glisten an unamused look. Glisten nervously laughed and looked away.

"It's fine, just try to let me know as soon as you check next time." 

"Right." Vee nodded.

 After a bit, the elevator opened, and the toons gathered inside. Elliot stayed out and waited for Taph and applied the bandage he found on his cheek. The demolitionist walked over with Razzle and Dazzle in tow.

"Hey Taph, How are you holding up? Did you find any machines?"

"❌😁 (No, I was setting up.)"

Setting up? What did he..

Oh.

Oh no.

"Taph. How many mines did you put down this time?" Elliot asked with a hint of exasperation in his tone, and Taph just pointed.

There was a light show of purple in the distance, and all the Twisteds auras were shown, and they were all disoriented while a panicked Looey ran into the elevator.

The elevator closed behind him, and he along with the other toons wordlessly stared up at Taph with shock.

"❓(What is it?)" Taph tilted his head.

" That was scary, that's what! There were purple explosions everywhere!!"  Looey cried out.

"THEY WERE SO LOUD! I HATE YOU AND YOUR BOMBS!" Shrimpo scowled.

"It was kinda pretty! (More like terrifying...)" The twin masks inputted.

"What were those outlines we all saw? They were a bit like Vee's, but red." Rodger asked with a hint of curiosity.

"Oh, those are caused by Taph's tripwires. And they also slow down anyone who trips them." Elliot answered.

"Interesting... Would you mind if I asked you some questions after this, Taph?" 

"😁👍👌 (Yes, that's ok)." Taph replied.

"Maybe give a balloon a warning next time, haha..." Looey pulled at their turtle neck. "Still, thanks for the help! I was getting a little tired.."

Taph gave a thumbs up in response.

The elevator stopped descending, and opened to a large room. Suddenly, every toon in the elevator groaned. They all complained about dizziness. That's strange, he felt fine. 

Vee checked her mic.

She looked up at Elliot. "Hey, keep your guard up. We've got a fast Twisted on the floor. And the dizziness will pass after we head back up."

"Dizziness? I feel fine." Elliot scratched his head.

"You do? Interesting. I guess somehow Shelly's presence doesn't effect you." 

"Lucky..." Connie groaned.

The toon's scattered, and Elliot wandered and admired the space themed floor. Everything was painted in different shades of blue and a little bit of purple. The walls were decorated with a pattern of stars. Elliot walked into a small room and there were mini space ships hanging from the ceiling, with a miniature copy of the solar system. Elliot admired the place. He would've loved this as a kid, and wished he had this over where he lived.

Heck, he would've came here as an adult.

As he kept walking, he found 2 machines in the room and kneeled to extract them. He turned the wheel, and it was fairly simple. When it jammed, he just turned it a little harder. Was Glisten just weaker then he was? He assumed so, since most of  the toons were child sized. A sharp 'DING" snapped him out of his thoughts. He moved to the next machine when he saw an aura in his vision.

Someone was hurt. He quickly dashed to the source, running as fast as he can. He halted to a stop as he saw Connie cornered and wounded by what looked to be that shell plush he saw at the gift shop, This must be what Vee was talking about. Shelly looked grotesque, under her brown dress was an exposed rib cage which looked like a dinosaur's, with the tips of each rib sharpened. It's entire skeletal torso was covered in that black substance.

He prepared a pizza in his left hand. "Connie, catch!" He threw the pizza as Connie as her head snapped in his direction. She caught it, and Elliot felt a pang of relief- Which was replaced with fear as he saw Shelly snarling and running after him. He turned and bolted, sprinting through the large floor. He felt guilt as he had to ignore the other auras he saw in the corners of his vison.  

Shelly was gaining on him. What could he do? He didn't want to put anyone in danger, and he was getting exhausted. Shelly almost caught him, and he quickly activated Rush Hour and dashed around a corner. He remembered his bottle of soda, and quickly drank it. He drank it quicker then he expected, and instead of a burst of energy, He felt his energy come back. It was better then nothing!

Shelly snarled in anger, and stomped off. Elliot sighed in relief. That was close. He looked around for any other Twisted's. He didn't have to as most of their auras were revealed by Taph's tripwires. He couldn't tell from so far away, but the sound of Subspace Tripmines filled his ears. Looks like Taph's mines are a big help, considering no toon has been highlighted for a bit.

The sound of the elevator filled he ears. He was so far away! Would he make it in time? He didn't have time to consider- He booked it, running as fast as he can. He couldn't die. What if he woke up back in that hell?! His paranoia powered his rapid steps, and the elevator was in sight. He made it and Taph and most of the toons were there, but there was a toon missing, Or a pair of toons.

"Hurry up! The elevator is about to close!" Glisten yelled out to the twins. Razzle and Dazzle struggled over to the elevator. They were wounded.  Shelly saw them from a distance, and started to charge at them.

Elliot and Taph shared a glance, and they both ran out of the elevator. Taph prepared and threw a mine, and Elliot grabbed and carried the conjoined twins by their arms. He ran as Shelly quickly caught up, but the tripmine exploded, and stopped her in her tracks. He bolted as quick as he could. Could he make it?  He shut his eyes and leapt into the elevator.

Elliot opened his eyes and was surrounded by almost everyone in the elevator, so many worried questions and Sprout was nearby with a cupcake. He stood and released the conjoined twins, mumbling an apology. Sprout went to quickly give the cupcake to the twins.

The hatch at the back of the elevator began to open, and Dandy's shop appeared once more.

"Hey everyone! How was the...oh." Dandy went below his counter and pulled out med kits and bandages.

The injured toons took them immediately wrapping themselves. Elliot took a bandage and placed it on his arm.

Elliot sighed. That was close, he almost died. He didn't want to wake back up in that hell and-

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked over to Taph. He must of noticed the look of panic on his face.

"❓🫵👌(Are you ok?)" Taph asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Could be better, but I'm just tired of running for my life." Elliot groaned, and Taph nodded sympathetically.

He felt a tug on his sleeve, and  looked down to Razzle and Dazzle.

"Oh, hey you two. Sorry about the sudden leap and...contact. You two alright?"

"We're better! Thanks for saving us! (And your tripwires really saved us...) Dazzle gave Taph a small smile.

"Oh, of course! I'm just glad you two are safe." Elliot gave them an unsure smile.

"Those tripwires are really effective. They saved my circuits numerous times." Vee went up to Taph and gave him a smirk.


"Yeah! The bombs are kinda scary... but they helped me catch my breath when I needed it!" Looey chimed.


"And that pizza you threw me was gooood. The healing was nice too." Connie quipped.


Elliot had a warm feeling in his chest a feeling he hasn't felt in a while, and he rubbed the back of his head and chuckled. What was he supposed to say to all of that?

"Thanks everyone...! It's the least I can do, since you pretty much saved us." Elliot smiled."

"🙏🫵😁 (Thank you all!)" Taph kneeled down and thanked the toons.


Dandy was watching the heartwarming interaction with a smile, and piped up.


"Alright everyone! That's all the machines we need to extract for today, so I'll send you all back up!" Dandy announced. 


Dandy pulled the lever next to him and his shop descended below the hatch, and it closed. The elevator began to ascend.

"I wonder how everyone's gonna react to you two." Sprout questioned.

"They're all gonna be surprised, that's for sure." Vee deadpanned.

Wait, everyone?

"How many more of you guys are there?" Elliot raised an eyebrow.

"About..25 more of us. That aren't stored away." Rodger replied.

25?! There are 34 of these guys?

Rodger noticed Elliot's surprise, and reassured him.

"I assure you, most of them are kind. Well except...you know..." 

Shrimpo. Well that's a relief, at least all of them aren't like that shrimp. Though he would probably get swarmed though.

After a bit the elevator stopped, and conversations were halted.

It opened to a colorful lobby and a large tree. Everyone walked out of the elevator, and Elliot scanned the lobby, and read the large sign. The same words that were on the bag he saw in the gift shop.

A group of toons ran up  to them. "Sprout!" A cake roll shouted out.

"Hey Cosmo!" Sprout responded, and the cake roll  stared up at the two survivors.

...This was going to be a running theme, wasn't it?

Elliot awkwardly waved, and Taph waved with some more enthusiasm.




                                                                      

Chapter Text

"....Sprout? Who are these people...?" Cosmo hesitantly asked his best friend.

"We found them while we were on the run. They seem like nice people, and they even helped us get through a tough floor."

Sprout gave a grateful glance towards them.

"Oh..! Well then, if Sprout trusts you, I can trust you too..!" Cosmo nervously smiled up at them.

"Hey guys! How did the..." An origami cat-like toon walked over and froze, with a...plush? Box? Behind it.

Vee sighed and quickly cut in. "No, they are not humans, no, they aren't dangerous. We found them on one of the floors, and these two helped us get through a rough floor. Does that answer all of your questions?"

Vee gave the craft siblings an unamused look.

"Uh, kinda?" The origami cat toon raised an eyebrow.

"So these are our new friends!?" The...plush, walked up to him and Taph, and pulled them down into a sudden embrace. Elliot flinched at being pulled down into a kneeling position. How was something so little so strong?! But the hug was warm, and the toon's fur was fluffy. Elliot slowly relaxed into it, and Taph seemed content. The moment was short-lived since the toon pulled away with an excited expression.

"Hi, new friends! My name is Goob! Do you wanna make crafts with my sister? Oooh- You should meet everyone! I'm sure everyone is gonna be so happy that we have a new friend and-" Goob excitedly rambled on.

"Goob, don't overwhelm him, he just got here!" Sprout lightly scolded the craft.

"Oh, sorry! I'm just really excited to have new friends!" Goob said.

"It's fine! It was just a little...sudden. The hug made up for it, though." Elliot gave the fluffy craft a small smile.

"😁👍(Many thanks!) Taph added.

 Goob seemed surprised for a bit, and he gave them a wide smile.  "Hehe, thank you! Wait, I gotta go let everyone know about our new friends!"

"Uh, you don't have to do-" Elliot stopped as Goob bolted off.

"Goob, wait! You know I can't run as fast as you!" The paper cat-like toon chased after her brother.

"...Well, I guess you don't have to go down to meet everyone anymore." Sprout turned to the Builder Brother's employee.

"Yeah...are we gonna get exiled or something? I mean, we did just randomly pop up in your home." Elliot questioned.

"No, everyone is just going to be surprised at most. Besides, I doubt that Goob would get everyone up here." Vee stated casually.

"Right..." Elliot sighed.

"I'm sure everyone will accept you guys! (Everyone will be happy to see someone new...)" The twin masks piped up.

"They have a point.  I am sure that everyone will get used to you in due time." Rodger added.

Well, that made him feel a little better.

Elliot heard the elevator door open behind him and looked over his shoulder to see a large group of toons come out. As soon as the group saw the survivors, there were mixed reactions. Some froze in mild disbelief, and some had looks of awe on their faces.
 

Soon enough, he and Taph were swarmed by nearly every toon in Gardenview. They were bombarded with questions.

"Are you guys humans?"

"Where did you guys come from?"

"Who are you guys...?"

"?ereh nwod teg neve uoy did kceh eht woH" (How the heck did you even get down here?)

"!!!"

He was surrounded by toons of different shapes and sizes. Taph looked around frantically and looked to Elliot for help. Elliot shrugged. What could he POSSIBLY say in this situation? Introducing yourself to eight of these guys wasn't that bad, but there are at least twenty of them here!

"BARK BARK!"

Everyone's gaze snapped to the tree in the middle of the lobby, and there stood Dandy and that pet rock toon he saw a plush of in the gift shop.

"Thank you, Pebble! Everyone! I know you all are surprised at our new guests, and everything will be explained soon! But how about we give our new friends a tour, hm? They just got here, after all!"

There were murmurs amongst the toons, and thankfully, most of them were of agreement.

"Well, are you two are you ready to start the tour~? Dandy chimed and looked between Elliot and Taph with that signature grin of his.

"Yeah. I might as well get it over with." Elliot gave the flower an unsure smile.   Taph just gave Dandy a nod.

"Alrighty! Follow me! You all can tag along if you want!" Dandy walked over to the elevator, Elliot and Taph followed, and the group followed behind.

"I'll pass Dandy. Me and Cosmo have to start making lunch, See you all later!" Sprout walked to a different elevator."

"It was nice to meet you two..! See you at lunch!" Cosmo waved and followed behind his best friend.

"I'll pass as well. See you all later!" Vee followed behind Cosmo.

The group entered the elevator, and it began to descend. It was a little cramped.

"Hey, shady guy! Is it true that you make bombs? I'm Gigi, by the way. " A gachapon asked the demolitionist.

Taph nodded in response. Gigi's eyes brightened with mischief.

"Cool! Can I see?" Gigi asked. Connie quickly cut in.

"Girl, if he shows you, you won't be able to see. Besides, I do not wanna be at the receiving end of one of those things." Connie winced at the memory.

"Excuse me, Elliot, was it?" A familiar teacup toon walked up to him.

"Yeah, that's me. And you are...?" Elliot raised an eyebrow at the teacup.

"My name is Teagan, and I was wondering if you would want to come to my tea party after this." They calmly asked.

"Oh, uh, I'm not much of a tea drinker..." He looked away. He just made coffee most of the time. It gave him more of a boost than tea did.

"I'm sure I could find something you like! Please do consider the invite." Teagan gave him a patient smile.

...Well, he hasn't had anything to drink other than water in a while. And the colas were always bland.

"...I'll think about it." Elliot replied.

Teagan nodded and walked up to Taph to offer the same thing.

After a bit, the elevator opened, and the tour began.

007n7 sat up as he took in his surroundings.  This was...new. It had never put him in a place like this before. He got up and wandered around what seemed to be an arcade. The walls were green, and there were arcade games everywhere. He took a good look at one of them.

                                                                                                   Gardenview
                                                                                                       Bake-off!

Strange. He'd never seen these...what seemed to be cartoon characters before. He had never seen it on any show that C00l....

...

He shook off the memory and continued to survey the surroundings. He walked into a small office, and suddenly, a small television flared to life. There was a... television? And a woman with black hair and a green uniform. This seemed to be an old recording.

                                                                               Did you hear the news from Delilah and Arthur?
                                                                                      There are plans for a Vee Version 2!

Vee Version 2? Is that what that television is called? 007n7 continued to listen.


                                                                                   Do I really need an 'upgrade'?
                                                         I'm almost as recognisable as Dandy! Kids love trivia games! The prizes!
                                                          No other toons deal with this. What will I change? I'm more than my code...

"...This round keeps getting stranger by the second.." 007n7 mumbled to himself.

                                                               Ugh. Veronica, are you even listening? You're always so silent and I-

The television stopped mid-sentence as the woman patted its head. A question mark appeared on its screen.
                   
                                                                We can try to change their mind. I'll help, Vee, the best I can.
                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                      Thanks.

The television shut off. He stared at it for a moment, lost in a memory. He snapped back into reality, walked out of the room, and continued to advance. Strange things have been happening lately. First, Elliot and Taph disappear, and then he's taken to this strange place without any teammates or generators in sight. At least he hasn't seen any killers yet.

He turned the corner, and his ears picked up growling. Was he wrong? Was John Doe here?! He peeked to see a strange sight. Instead of the corrupted robloxian, he saw what looked to be a grey canine. But it's no dog he's ever seen. It had long black legs, and it's neck was the same color. Its mouth was wide open, with a row of sharp teeth at full display- and its middle looked rock-like.
Its eyes have red sclerae, black irises, and red pupils in the middle.

Was this a new killer? Or was this something else entirely? Whatever it was, N7 knew he would be in grave danger if he were caught by it. There was an elevator across from it, but he wasn't sure how to get it open. The large grey canine growled as it looked around and sniffed the ground. It sniffed the ground in 007n7's direction, and he quickly hid behind the wall. He heard heavy footsteps coming towards him- and he needed to act quickly. He sent out a clone, and the monster let out two sharp barks and bolted after the clone as N7 hid. It was catching up to the clone quickly, and he didn't want to stick around to see the clone's fate.

He dashed in the opposite direction and ran as quickly as he could. He ran into a small auditorium, it looked like a game show was hosted in this place. He ran up to the stage and stumbled backstage, catching his breath. Relief washed over him, but the feeling was short-lived as he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder.

He whirled around to see Guest. The soldier had his same focused look, but it softened a bit at seeing N7's panic.

"Calm down, it's just me." He reassured the retired hacker and released his shoulder. "Nice to see I'm not alone in this strange place."

"Yeah, I could say the same. I'm not sure this is even a round anymore... But I don't want to die again to find out." 007n7 let out a shaky breath.

"I'll try my hardest not to let that happen. But for now, let's figure out how to leave this strange place." Guest scanned the room.

"Right..." N7 nodded and turned to see another elevator, but this one had caution tape over it, so it looked like they weren't using that.

"I saw another elevator at the other side of this place, but there's... a monster over there."

"The giant rock dog? I saw it. It was tearing up one of your clones. There were also some strange... cartoon-looking things with a black substance on them. There was a music box, a lamp, and a butterfly as well." Guest stated.

How many of these monsters were there?  Nevertheless, they couldn't stay here, or that giant canine would sniff them out and find them eventually. 007n7 groaned out of stress.

"Can you use that device of yours?" Guest asked the retired hacker. 

"The c00lgui? I can try, but I'm not sure I can do much.." He pulled up the small screen. Maybe he could teleport? But he doesn't know where he'll end up. And he can't see the nearest spawn anymore, so teleporting could be risky. He typed a /teleport command. He was mildly surprised that he could add one other command. Maybe they both could get out of here?

"I could teleport us, but I'm not sure where we're gonna end up." He gave an unsure look to the soldier.

"Hm. Well, we'll have to take that chance then. I'm not sure how long I can hold off that giant dog." Guest looked through the open doorway-  and growling echoed across the large arcade.

The retired hacker nodded and ran the command.

                                                                                              h4xxing in pr0gr3ess...!!1!

"There. I put in a command that'll teleport both of us. I'm just not sure where..." N7 turned to the soldier

"Alright, I'll stay on guard to keep you safe." Guest nodded.       

                                                                                                   HAXXED!!1!!

The two survivors were teleported to a nature-like floor. It looked like the outside was brought to the inside, with lots of flowers and grass, and there were even trees. N7 scanned the room, looking at the plushies and easter eggs littered around the place. 

"This place seems easter related." Guest kneeled and picked up one of the eggs.

"Yeah..." 007n7 replied, looking at one of the plushies. It was a plush of a brown rabbit.  He put the plush down and continued to advance while Guest followed. He looked at the racks of headbands in the small gift shop. And saw a gift bag. He walked into the shop and picked up the bag. The two survivors read the words on it.

"Gardenview Education Center and Museum..." N7 mumbled to himself.

"Education center? That last floor didn't seem child-friendly at all." Guest raised an eyebrow.

N7 hummed in response. Maybe this place was abandoned?  He set the bag down and continued to move forward. They walked into a room that had flowers littered across the floor. And there looked to be...something with a brown basket for a head that was filled to the brim with flowers, a purple tank-top with a bell-shaped skirt that appeared to be made out of pink flower petals. 
It seemed to be pressing flowers with a calm look on its face.

So these things aren't all monsters? How would you even begin to make something like this? Guest seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"Do you think we should show ourselves?" N7 asked the soldier. Guest stared at the basket for a bit.

"It doesn't seem as hostile or grotesque as the other monsters I saw. And I don't see it having any way to hurt us either. And it's too small to be an actual threat. So I'm sure we'll be fine." 

"Alright." 007n7 nodded and walked towards the basket. It seemed to hear his footsteps, and it whirled around. Its eyes shrank to pinpricks as it saw the two. It dropped the flowers and rose to its feet.

Guest quickly moved to calm it down. "Easy there, we're not going to harm you in any way. My name is Guest. This is N7. May I have your name?" Guest kneeled to the basket's level, even though he was still taller.

"....Bassie.." She said softly, messing with her flower dress.

"Thank you. Do you know the way out of this place, Bassie?" He gently asked her.

"...C-Can I ask you something, first?" She nervously looked up at the two survivors. Guest nodded.

"...How did you get down here? And are you two human..?"


"Human? No, we aren't. And as for how we got here.." He glanced at 007n7.

"Oh, I telported us here." 007n7 looked down at the flower basket.

"Teleported...? Like just going from one place to the next? " She asked with a look of nervous curiosity on her face.

"Yeah, I can teleport. But we ended up here by chance.." He rubbed the back of his head.

"Right... Oh- right, um, there isn't a way out... the elevators don't open until easter..." She looked down with a somber look on her face.

"Until easter?" Guest asked.

"Hey, Bassie, do you want some company-" A cyan butterfly walked in and froze upon seeing them.

"F-Flyte! Uhm.." Bassie stuttered.

"Uh, Bassie? Who are these guys?" He turned toward his fellow easter toon.

007n7 answered for her. "I'm 007n7, but you can call me N7 for short. This is Guest." He gestured to the soldier.

"Hello. Excuse us for the intrusion, but we'll be out of your hair in a bit. Though, may I ask why you can't leave this place until easter?" He turned back towards Bassie.

"..." Bassie went silent.

"...That's fine. You don't have to answer if you don't want to." Guest assured her, and she visibly relaxed a bit.

"Is that device of yours up and running yet? I think we've overstayed our welcome." Guest asked the retired hacker, and N7 pulled up the small black screen in response.

"Yes, it's ready." 007n7 nodded.

"Wait! C-Could you take us with you..? We have friends on the upper floors.." Bassie hesitantly asked with a flicker of hope in her eyes.

007n7 sighed. "I'm sorry, but I can only teleport myself and one other person."

"Oh..." Her eyes dulled. Flyte used his wings to rub her back.

Guest walked closer and kneeled in front of them.  "I'm sorry I can't do more. It's cruel how you all are being treated. As soon as we find your friends, we'll try to come back for you two."

"Really..?" Bassie looked up at the soldier, her eyes regained a bit of light. Flyte seemed just as surprised as she was.

"Of course. Just stay strong until we can, alright?" He put a large hand on both of their smaller shoulders.

"Yeah. Thanks, guys." Flyte thanked the two survivors.

"You're very welcome. Now, let's go N7." He turned to the retired hacker.

"Right." He began to type the command.

"Wait! Hold on a sec- I'll be right back!" Flyte dashed off.

After a few minutes, he ran back over holding a letter with his wings.

"Here, can you give this to my sister? Her name is Flutter. She kinda looks like me, but she has a purple dress on, and she has hearts on her wings! And can you also tell her that I really love her and I'll see her soon?" Flyte feverently explained.

"Uh, yeah sure, I'll make sure to remember to tell her that." 007n7 took the letter.

Flyte sighed. "Thank you so much..."

N7 nodded and began to type in the /teleport command. He tapped the small screen, and the process began.

"It was nice to meet you two..!" Bassie gave them both a small smile. Flyte nodded.

"Yeah, thanks for everything." Flyte's expression brightened.

"Of course. We'll be back as soon as we can." Guest replied with a smirk.

"It was nice meeting you two!" N7 said.  The survivors both gave a wave to the easter toons, and they waved back. And then, they warped off the floor.

Chapter Text

The survivors sat at that same familiar table after a grueling round against Noli. They all rose quickly from their seats to look for their missing friends.

They all searched tirelessly, asking around, looking throughout the small island, even trying to get into the forest. But just like last time, they found nothing. They all regrouped back at the diner and sat in silence for a while before Builderman broke it.

"...Did ya'll find anything?" Builderman questioned the group. Noob silently shook his head. Shedletsky barely reacted.

"Through fields and forests, we called their names, yet silence answered, just echoes and games." Dusekkar replied.

"The divine pumpkin is correct. We searched the forest and found nothing once again." Two Time's smile faltered.

"Do ya think they found a way to escape somehow?" Chance gave a glance towards the admin.

"Without us? I doubt it. Even N7 wouldn't pull that." Shedletsky answered. 

Everyone went silent for a bit. They all were terrified that their friends were killed off, or taken somewhere to be tortured. It always disliked Guest specifically, so it wasn't out of the question.

Dusekkar put a hand on Builderman's shoulder. "For though they are lost, they have not slipped away, In memories cherished, they'll forever stay." He looked to the rest of the group, reminding them as well.

"....Yeah, Thanks, Matt."  He smiled at the wizard. 

"Alright, we all should probably eat something. I don't think running for our lives on an empty stomach is a good idea." Shedletsky quipped. That lightened the mood a bit.

"Yeah, how about we get some grub, eh? I'll cook up something nice." Chance got out his coin.

"Like hell ya are! You ain't gamblin' with my food!" Builderman walked in the gamblers' way with a smile. Chance kept that same smirk on their face.


Finally. I was beginning to wonder if you all would ever stop your constant blabbering.


Everyone stopped, and the room was filled with a dreadful presence. The rest of the diner remained unaffected.

It was just their group.

How amusing. Is my voice that surprising?

It’s voice was horrid. A bunch of whispers stitched together. Some high, some low, some young, some old. They were grating and desperate—the kind of voices that clawed and ripped out the very essence of fear. Noob was trembling,  Shedletsky had his sword unsheathed, clenching it to the point his knuckles were white, Two Time took out their dagger and looked around, as if they were expecting an ambush..

"What do you want?" Builderman said with a cool and annoyed tone.  "If ya' got nothin' else to say, then leave."

Tsk tsk. Always so RUDE, Builderman. I thought enough games would have taught you some MANNERS. 

There was a solid punch to his stomach, effectively knocking all the air out of his lungs as he crashed into a nearby wall. Hard. 

Dusekkar immediately went for his wand, but it was ripped from his grasp, along with Shedletsky’s sword, Chance’s gun, and Two Time's dagger. Noob ran to check on Builderman.

"What did you do with the others?! Shedletsky demanded.

I did NOTHING. 

It responded with a terrible chorus of whispers.

"Yeah? So where are our friends then?! Did you suddenly gain some compassion and let them go?! Shedletsky yelled at the ceiling. Noob was helping Buildeman stand after the impact he received.

HAH! As if I would ever CONSIDER such a concept.

I would never get rid of my favorite toys. And you all are no exception.

...I am unsure of where your fellow survivors went, but rest assured, they will be DAMNMED once again. 

...But until then, you all will have to SUFFER in their place. And Builderman? I have something special planned.

Just.


For.


YOU.


You will have to be the soldier's substitute for now.


There will be no games until tomorrow.


Farewell, Builderman and friends.


And then, Builderman lost consciousness.

Chapter Text

Noob

Noob: "Boxten, I-I was wondering something..."

Boxten: "Huh? What is it?"

Noob: "Can you change the music you play...?"

Boxten: "Oh, no, I can't. I wish I could, though.."

Noob: "O-Oh, If you could, then what would you play?"

Boxten: "...I don't know.. I think I'll just stick to the music I have.."


Boxten: So, you struggle with nightmares, too?

Noob: O-Oh, um yeah...

Boxten: Well, do you wanna talk about it later?

Noob: ...

Boxten: Noob?

Noob: Huh? Oh- S-Sorry, I'd rather not...


Brightney: Hey, Noob! I've been wondering something about that sandwich of yours.

Noob: My Ghostburger? W-What about it..?

Brightney: Do you think I could borrow a piece? I think I could get around without being spotted!

Noob: Oh, It doesn't work like that... You'd have to eat the whole thing for you to go invisible. And it might just disappear in your hand....

Brightney: Interesting... You and your friends have such unique abilities!

Noob: Haha, yeah... 


Noob: S-so is that book club invite still open..?

Brightney: It is! Did you want to join?

Noob: M-Maybe..? I wanna show up though. When is it?

Brightney: Later today! I'm sure everyone will be have to have you!

Noob: I hope so....



Connie: Sooo... You don't eat ghosts, right..?

Noob: W-What..? No?

Connie: Then why do you have that burger?! Does your world cook ghosts or something?

Noob: N-No! T-This was given to me!

Connie: Yeah? By who?

Noob: ...I-I... L-Let's talk about this later...



Noob: Connie, how come you've been avoiding me...?

Connie: No reason.

Noob: I-Is it because of the ghostburger-

Connie: NOPE, nope! Girl, you worry too much.

Noob: I'm not gonna eat you, Connie..

Connie: ...Sure.


Cosmo: Noob, would you like to taste test some cookies later?

Noob: Oh, uhm alright..! What kind of cookies?

Cosmo: I was thinking peanut butter! Is that ok?

Noob: That sounds really delicious actually... Do you need any help?

Cosmo: Well, I can't really reach the high shelves... Could you help with that?

Noob: O-Of course! It's the least I could do...


Noob: Cosmo, h-how's Elliot doing with you in the kitchen..?

Cosmo: Oh, he's doing great! He's been a big help!

Noob: That's good..! He's told me he likes helping, but he doesn't know how you and Sprout haven't destroyed the kitchen...

Cosmo: Hah...we do forget about the oven sometimes...

Noob: I'm not sure about sometimes.. Maybe you guys should stick to the kid ovens, hehe!

Cosmo: Hehe- Nooob!


Finn: Noob! Ever heard of a loach?

Noob: N-No, I haven't why...?

Finn: They're good at escaping, like you!

Noob: O-Oh..?

Finn: Yup! I'll tell you more after this.


Noob: Finn, is that fish in your head real?

Finn: Barnaby Willikers? He's a toy, but he means so much more to me!

Noob: Right... Maybe it could be alive.

Finn: ...Haha, look, the elevators are opening!



Flutter: ...!

Noob: Y-yes?

Flutter: ...?

Noob: My cola? It's really bland...

Flutter: ...??

Noob: Mhm, the rest of my snacks are bland too...


Noob: Flutter, am I in your diary..?

Flutter: ..?!?!

Noob: You and Gigi talk kinda loud...

Flutter: ....!!

Noob: Oh, I-I don't think I'm THAT intresting, Flutter...

Flutter: !!!


Gigi: Heey, Noob! Can I borrow that ghostburger?

Noob: ...F-For what..?

Gigi: Nothing! Just wondering how it feels to be invisible!

Noob: ...I-I think I'll keep this for now...

Gigi: Aw come on! I'm just BORROWING it!

Noob: S-Sure, Gigi...


Noob: Gigi, I really think you should stop trying to steal from the others...

Gigi: I'm not trying to steal from them! I would neever!

Noob: Oh, so when you tried to steal from Taph-

Gigi: DON'T REMIND ME OF THOSE HORRIBLE THINGS!!!

Noob: D-Didn't Elliot warn you-

Gigi: I never want to see those things again! Never!


Glisten: Noob, darling, could you do me a favor?

Noob: Uhm, sure? W-What is it...?

Glisten: Could you PLEASE tell that strange friend of yours to quit praying for me? 

Noob: Y-You mean Two Time..?

Glisten: Yes! They keep praying to whatever the 'spawn' is for me to "accept my flaws"! I don't need any of that nonsense- I'm perfect!

Noob: O-Oh, I'll let them know... D-Don't take it personally; they want the best for you...


Noob: Glisten, could I borrow some makeup...?

Glisten: Of course, darling! Any colors in mind?

Noob: Pink, Blue, and Green.

Glisten: I have to say, those are some interesting choices.

Noob: O-Oh, yeah... T-There's just a style I want to try out again..

Glisten: A new style? Well, you'll have to tell me all about it!


Goob: Noob! Did you notice we have similar names?

Noob: Oh, I-I guess we do..

Goob:  Yeah! Yours feels kinda mean to say though... Can I give you a nickname?

Noob: I- uh, sure..!

Goob: Hmm... Oooh! I'm gonna call you Noobie!

Noob: Pfft, that's such a s-silly nickname..! I guess you can call me that..


Noob: You know, Guest still feels bad for falling on you that one time..

Goob: He does? That was a while ago!

Noob: Y-Yeah, he still talks to Builderman about it sometimes.

Goob: I'll have to give him a big hug to let him know I forgive him!

Noob: I-I'm sure he'll appreciate it..! Just do it up close this time, ok?

Goob: Yup, I know, don't worry!


Looey: Hey, Noob! Could I maybe borrow that stone drink of yours?

Noob: M-My slateskin potion..? What do you need it for-?

Looey: There's a trick I wanna try out! And I kind of need some protection to do it, haha...

Noob: ...I-I'll give it to you after this.. J-Just...be careful, ok..? It has a time limit.

Looey: Yup! Can do! Thanks, buddy!

Noob: ...You're welcome..!


Poppy: Noob! Can I try that pop you always have?

Noob: My bloxy cola..? I don't know, I-it tastes really bland..

Poppy: Wait, you guys drink BLAND pop in your world?!

Noob: No, no! It's just this specific can..!

Poppy: Oh! Phew! Whoever gave that can to you must be evil or something, haha!

Noob: H-Ha....yeah....


Noob: Poppy, could I borrow some pop?

Poppy: Of course! I got plenty! How many do you want? 2 bottles? 4?

Noob: Uh, just one?

Poppy: Pop is too good to have just one! Cmon, you can gain more hours in the day, too!

Noob: ....I-I'll think about it.

Poppy: Alrighty then!


Razzle & Dazzle: Noob! (It's nice to see you..)

Noob: Oh, hey, you two... d-did you need something..?

Razzle & Dazzle: Mhm! Could you hang out with us later? (We want to hear more about your world..)

Noob: O-Oh! Sure! I'll visit after this..

Chapter Text

Elliot and Taph followed behind Dandy, since the flower wanted to continue the tour, since he and Taph were too busy getting crowded to get a good look at the lobby.

The rest of the toons went off to do their own things (thank goodness).

Though if there was one thing Elliot learned from this place... 

It was huge.

According to  Dandy, there could be more than 100 floors in this place! He doesn't even know how big this place truly is. Which is saying something considering he's the mascot of this place.

This place must've cost a fortune to make. Heck, this place is probably quadruple the cost of the pizza place! It probably cost even more than that! He'd have to ask his dad if he-

...

....He really hopes his family is doing well.



"Hey, uh, pal? Are you paying attention?" Dandy asked Elliot with a raised eyebrow.

 Elliot snapped out of his reverie. "Huh? Oh, uh- Not really, sorry. I just spaced out a bit thinking about how big this place is." 

 Dandy nodded, wearing his signature grin. "Oh, haha! Yeah, this place IS pretty big, huh? Speaking of, what do you two think of our happy little home?"

"😁👍✨🧸 (I like it! Very cozy!)" Taph signed. 

"Yeah, it's pretty nice. Besides the whole abandoned thing." Elliot admitted with a nod.

Dandy's smile twitched at that last part. "That's great! I'm glad this place hasn't lost its charm!"

They continued to walk down the rainbow carpet when Dandy suddenly stopped.

"Dyleee! You up here?" Dandy called out.


The sound of a clinking chain was heard from the right side of the hallway.  It sent a shiver down Elliot's spine.

 A gold pocket watch with a suit walked out.  "Dandicus, you really must let me know when you-..." 

 His eyes widened as soon as he saw them.  "...Dandicus. May I have a word with you?" The pocket watch jerked his hand towards the room he had just walked out of.

Dandy gave him a half smile. "Sure! You two just..hang tight for a bit! We'll be riiight back!" Dandy waved and followed Dyle.

He shook off that chilling feeling; he really didn't want to think back on how much a mass infection hurt.

...Were they getting kicked out? I mean, Elliot couldn't blame them if they were. If some random people twice your size randomly appeared in your home, he would be suspicious too.

"...We made a good enough impression, right?" Elliot turned to Taph.

"🤔✨✅ 🧍‍♂️👈❤️‍🩹👍 (I think we did! You healed one of them.) Taph replied.

"That's true..I hope that's enough to convince them not to kick us out.."  Elliot rubbed the back of his head.




The two lethal toons entered the back room. Dyle shut the door behind him.


"So, how in the world did humans even get down here? The trains aren't for human transportation- and I would've known if someone was on them." Dyle sighed and rubbed his temple.


"It...It just doesn't make any sense! The others found them on today's expedition, and no one knows a thing about them! No human should even be able to get down here from underground! UGH!" Dandy pulled at his petals in irritation.

"Dandicus, stop doing that, you'll tear a petal. Do you want Sprout to interrogate you again?" Dyle raised an eyebrow.

Dandy sighed and took a deep, shaky breath in an attempt to relax.

Dyle observed Dandy for a moment before clearing his throat.

"What do you plan on doing with our new...guests anyhow?" Dyle gave the rainbow flower a questioning glance.

"...I don't trust them. But..the others do."  Dandy's eyes narrowed.

"Oh?  And how did the Mains get to that conclusion? I wouldn't expect Sprout or Vee to be so trusting.." Dyle queried.

"Well... apparently, they actually helped out a lot on the expedition. The guy in the red outfit actually healed Connie....I still have my doubts, though." Dandy replied.

Dyle walked over to Dandy. "Well, I'm sure we will get some answers. Rodger should get something out of them. And they seem like reasonable enough fellows." Dyle reassured the flower.


"...I hope so." Dandy muttered.


Dyle adjusted the hold on his chain. "Well, we should head back; it would be quite rude to keep our guests waiting."

 Dandy went back to his cheerful demeanor. "Hehe, yeah!  I don't want their first day to get worse! Oh yeah, could you get some mattresses of their size down here? I don't think any of the beds here could fit them.." Dandy chuckled awkwardly.

"Mattresses? Well, that isn't completely out of the question, I suppose. I'll have to check if any supply trains have them.." Dyle murmured.

"Great! Now c'mon! We shouldn't keep our guests waiting!" Dandy skipped out of the room, and Dyle followed.

There's been something in the back of Elliot's mind during that expedition. When he got attacked, it didn't really hurt as much as it should've. Those twisteds seemed decently strong, especially the shell-looking one, considering it was a dinosaur. But normally, a hit like that would hurt like hell. He pulled up his ever-so-familiar stat window.




Wait, 100 health? Wasn't it usually 80?  Though he wasn't complaining, at least he wouldn't be the weakest survivor on his team anymore. Things are much more... fair here then back in hell. Which is a bit of a relief, considering the things that lurk around here. "Hey, Taph?" Elliot asked the demolitionist. Which he perked up at. "My...  stats are different. I have 100 health, like everyone else. Or- well, except Guest. Are your stats any different?" Taph seemed to pull up his stats. He stared at them for a bit and shook his head.

"No change, huh?" Elliot asked dryly. He should've expected that. The door they were waiting nearby opened, and out walked Dandy and Dyle. 

"Hey, you two! Sorry for the wait, we were talking about where you guys are gonna stay!" Dandy skipped up to them with his classic grin. "I can attempt to get some mattresses of your size here for both of you, though it will take a bit," Dyle added. Elliot nodded. "Ok, that's good, but where are we gonna stay until then? I'm gonna assume you don't have any beds that fit us."  "You'd be right!" The rainbow flower nodded in agreement. But I'm sure I can put something together for you two!" 

Well, as long as it wasn't the floor, Elliot would be fine with it...though he would really like a bed.  Dandy averted his gaze to the clock on his shop counter. "Oh!" Dandy suddenly chimed. "It's lunch time! You two should head down to the cafeteria; you must be hungry!"  Hmm. Well, he hasn't felt hungry...for a while now. He usually cooked for the other survivors if they just wanted to taste something after a grueling round. After a while in that terrible place, none of them had felt hungry or thirsty.. well, except Shedletsky. His love for chicken never died. It has been a while since he's had anything unique to eat besides pizza.. And cake occasionally, and pie whenever his apple tree had ripe fruit. So it wouldn't hurt to go eat something new for once.


"Yeah, I could eat. Could you um, lead the way...?" Elliot asked hesitantly. Dandy chuckled in response and whirled around. "Yup! Follow me! See you later, Dyle!"  

"Goodbye, enjoy your stay, you two." Dyle gave a polite smile and walked off to return to his shop. The two survivors followed the rainbow flower into the elevator. Dandy clicked a button, and the elevator began to descend. After a bit, the elevator stopped and opened.

....This place did not look like a cafeteria; in fact, it looked more like a diner than a cafeteria. The place mainly had red wallpaper that had a green diamond pattern horizontally placed in the middle, separated by white lines. It's a wide room with white dining tables alongside red restaurant booth seats strewn about. The floor consisted of brown wooden planks with a long yellow rug under the pairs of dining tables. Then they seemed to have those basic self-serve food counters that people formed lines picking their food at, like it was a buffet.   The smell of food wafted through the air, but it mainly smelled like baked goods…Elliot hadn't smelled anything like this in a long time. Taph seemed to be mesmerized by the scent.

A bunch of toons sat around the place. Elliot saw some familiar faces, and several others He hadn’t seen yet. Chattering and more were strewn about the place. Elliot was slightly overwhelmed by the noise, in all honesty. He and Taph were far enough away to not be noticed, thankfully. 

"Well, here we are! I hope you enjoy your lunch!" Dandy waved goodbye at the two survivors as he wandered off.  "...Well, I hope whatever these guys eat is better than what we ate before." Elliot turned to Taph.


"👃😁✨ (It smells better already!)" Taph signed. Elliot gave a huff of amusement. "Well, I can agree with you there. Cmon, let's go."  The two survivors walked to the self-serve counter, and...the tray and utensils were child-sized. He probably should've expected this.

Elliot scanned over the food choices. There were 3 different kinds of soup.  One seemed chicken-y with vegetables, the other was nondescript, which was a bit concerning, especially considering that there wasn't much soup left. And the last seemed to be an onion soup, since his eyes were stinging a bit. He's somewhat accustomed to the feeling, having had to cut onions frequently. (He still doesn't know why people ordered onions on their pizza sometimes, but he didn't work there to judge.)  There was spaghetti that looked pretty good, classic grated cheese, and tomato sauce covering it. Along with mashed potatoes and salad options too...though it just seemed like it was mostly lettuce. 

Taph went over to the utensil counter and grabbed 2 small bowls. Elliot took one and decided to take the chicken and vegetable soup. Taph did the same. He took some lettuce as well, but it took a bit, considering how small the tongs were. ...He kinda wished there were some condiments. There was some salt and pepper, so that would have to do. He shook a bit of each onto his lettuce.

The survivors walked through the cafeteria, and they weren't noticed somehow. Elliot decided to sit in a secluded corner of the diner and lowered himself into the seat. Taph sat across from him.

Elliot began to eat. It was a bit slow since the spoon was so small. The soup was really good- better than anything he's tasted in a long time. Taph lowered his mask, but his mouth was still hidden under the hood. "Is it good?" Elliot asked. Taph gave a thumbs up in response, since he was probably still chewing. Elliot munched on the lettuce (he still wished he had some ranch or something), and it tasted great. He never knew lettuce could taste so good; he'd have to ask Sprout about it.

Elliot suddenly perked up as he heard a large number of footsteps. So he wasn't safe in the corner after all. Most of the toons in the lunch room were crowding his and Taph's table.

"...Um, hey everyone, did you want something..?" Elliot hesitantly asked. 

"YEEES, we do!" Suddenly, a familiar piñata toon fell from the ceiling and landed right next to him. Elliot flinched in response. "We have lots, and LOOOTS of questions!" It got up in his face for emphasis.

""!oga ruoh na ekil ereh tog yllaretil eh ,ecaf s'yug eht ni gnitteg tiuQ !attaY" (Yatta! Quit getting in the guy's face, he literally got here like an hour ago!) What seemed to be a toon covered in ink scolded Yatta. "Aww, cmon, Blot! I just wanna greet our NEW FRIENDS!" Yatta loudly replied.

"I must say, you have quite the unique appearance for a human!" A lamp toon added. Elliot didn't know what a human was, but he was too tired to argue at this point. "I'm Brightney, it's nice to meet you!"

"Oh, uh, yeah, I'm Elliot, and this is my friend Taph. Nice to meet you guys..!" Elliot gave the group a sheepish smile. 

The rest of the toons introduced themselves. "Oh-! I've been meaning to ask you something, darling. Are you an employee of some sort?" Glisten questioned.


"Oh, yeah, I'm a pizza place employee," Elliot responded.  "So is that why you just had pizza in your pocket?" Connie floated closer. "Oh- uh.." Elliot averted his gaze from the group. How would he explain his ability that he kept from that horrible place?! They would find out eventually, so he had to just wing it. "Well, I can just summon them if I've made them recently." He summoned a slice in his hand. There was a lot of awed gasps from the crowd. 

"How do you do that? Is that like a complicated magic trick?" Looey piped up. "Uhh, kinda?" Elliot rubbed the back of his head. It's just an... ability. I've had it for a while now."

"Could you do that with CANDY???" Yatta grasped onto Elliot's shoulder.  "Don't listen to her! She leaves candy wrappers everywhere!"  Tisha added. "YOU'LL NEVER TAKE MY CANDY MAKER!!" Yatta yelled.

"Hey, hey, calm down, guys! I can only summon pizza." Yatta groaned, and Tisha seemed to relax. 

"So, Taph! Can you summon stuff, too?" Goob asked. Everyone turned their attention to the demolitionist. Taph pulled out the materials and assembled a subspace tripmine.

"Whoa! What's that? It looks pretty!" Poppy stared at the mine in awe. "It's scary, that's what it is!" Looey stepped back. Taph noticed and dismantled the mine.

"Interesting..." Brightney muttered. 


"Are you guys magicians?" Toodles peeked over the table. "Uh...I guess? If you see it that way, then sure, kiddo." Toodles' face lit up.



After a lot of questioning, lunch was over.