Abandoned... or is it?

The kid had heard about Latho, a god who did that curious science thing. She knew nothing about science, certainly less than she knew about magic, except that it appeared to solve many of the mortals' problems. Going to her papa or sister wasn't an option, she thought, pulling the orange beanie cap down a little more to hide her head better. They must not know about her issue, no matter what.

When the child finally entered what at first she thought was a hospital, she realized she must be in the right place. Everything around her was big, and truthfully, as she inspectioned the walls and furniture, Ilyth'la wondered how she was supposed to find that man. She didn't know. But she had hope, that at some point, she would. And then, hopefully everything would be okay-ish again.

@fromcanvastolife 🎃

*The lobby is dark and empty as it usually is... except, today, for Ilyth'la, something is different in the lab. Some of the hallway lights are on, and voices talk quietly in some of the rooms. It's the atmosphere of a building running on night staff and saving on the light bill, not someplace wholly abandoned. A beam of light pours into the lobby as one of the doors opens, and someone in scrubs heads for the reception desk. They stop when they see Ilyth'la though, and smile.*

*They step behind the circular reception desk and sit down at the front computer, grabbing the mouse and clicking a few keys. That smile stays fixed on his face just the same. Never shifting.*

We have plenty of other staff who I'm sure can help you with whateve- Oh! Oh, it looks like you already have an appointment with Dr. Latho, miss Ilyth'la?.. It's in 5 minutes!

*They turn and points down the hallway directly behind him.*

By whom, though?

"Y-yes!" she confirms, though it sounds more like a celebration than a confirmation. "Okay. Door on the right, all the way at the end of the hall. Got it."

[I am collecting (flowers) for dad]

[I like the blue ones]

*The closest there are are the violets that speckle the surrounding area in small bunches*

*something shiny lingers, tucked away behind a rock.*

Hmm?

[I pick it up]

*it's a feather, a decently large one that must have belonged to a bird. Or perhaps one of the Lilliths left it, the wind having blown it up against the building*

S-Soft.

[I run my hands over the softer part of the feather, watching the iridescent colors change as I turn it over in my hands so the light hits it different]

@seventhnoteoftheuniverse

*The feather sparkles and gleams, it's colors seeming to intensify with each turn in the light. Soon they start to bleed into the air, like a drop of paint in water. A rainbow of magenta and purple surrounds Adam, overtaking the scenery of the Waylay...

The soft grass vanishes, replaced with empty air.

You're falling...

Falling..

Fall- no, there's the ground. It was always there. But it's different now. Cold, smooth tile.

*where did he go?*

__________

[I am somewhere (else)]

[I stand up, and look around. It's darker here, colder (lacking the warmth of a home)]

Hello?

[I gravitate towards the singular light, trying to peer over the desk (I am too small)]

[I walk around to the other side]

Hellooo!

[I look up, wide-eyed at the new figure.]

H-Hello! Hi!!

[I walk up to you, waving]

Mmm lost! W-Where?

[my ocean eyes, meet the reflection of your screen.]

From home! Uhh

*He reaches down and scoops you up, and begins to walk down one of the hallways.*

[I have been picked up]

[I nod enthusiastically, I exist to (learn)]

[I look around in awe at the elevator, and cling to you once it's starts moving]

[I point at the buttons]

W-What that?

[I push more buttons! Pressing some multiple times just to hear the click with each press]

Ah!!

Haha, if you enjoy the elevator panel, I'm sure you'll appreciate this.

*He pulls a lever on the wall, and the massive room thrums to life. Floodlights in the high ceiling reveal a plethora of conveyor belts and machinery, all of which start to move. It's some form of automated assembly line.*

N-Nuh uh

S-Spassip?

*He starts to walk along the catwalk again, following the path of the conveyors as they carry metal plates and engine parts to the other end of the massive room. At the end of the room, metal arms that extend from the ceiling are collecting the pieces brought by the conveyor and assembling them. At the moment, the creation is just a skeleton of metal beams.*

A spaceship is an advanced vehicle for travel, maybe you've seen something like it before. Have you ever seen a boat? :)

[but I can recognize (my) ocean]

Boat!

W-Whats it f-for?

[I look back at the construction, the scent of metal tinges the air as things are screwed and welded in place]

Mmm

*Latho steps off the catwalk, stopping just short of the platform where the pieces are being assembled.*

Y-Yeah!!

W-Whats in s-s-space?

*The metal skeleton slowly takes the shape of a cylinder, as internal mechanisms are slotted into place, followed by outer panelling.*

I c-can go i-in?

[I point at the forming structure]

I see! C-Can see!?

[I excitedly squirm in your arms]

*By now, floor panels have been set in place, so Latho starts to walk again, carrying you into the structure as the walls are slowly patched in. It's a small vessel, something that could probably carry 3 or 4 fully grown people semi-comfortably. The main body of the ship is a seated cargo area, with a simple control room in the front. The soft cushioned captain's chair that Latho sets you in is much too big for your tiny frame. He gives the chair a gentle little spin after he sets you down.*

[I set my hands on the metal control panel, looking up at you as I jump up and down in my seated position]

[Joy!]

Wh-Why no one else w-want?

Mmm!!

Some people just don't appreciate the joys of science, unfortunately.

[I flinch as I am suddenly plunged into darkness, reaching out blindly to grip to your lab coat.]

[I have never experienced (true) darkness.]

[I am suddenly cold (there is no hearth)]

Mmm.

HELLO?

[I call out but am met with no answer (only silence greets me)]

L-LATH?

[again, only my voice echoes against the tight space (my voice was once an echo too)]

[though this time I am (real)]

[and there is nobody(nobody) to comfort me through it.]

MAA?

...

DAAAD?

< LAUNCH SEQUENCE INITIATED >

< DESTINATION.... PRE-PROGRAMMED >

DAAD! DAAAAD!

[I don't want to do this (alone).]

[There are no stars here (I was lied to)]

[I have not safe here (I never was)]

[Tears pricked at my eyes, I don't understand what's going on. There are no windows to see where I am]

*There's a loud rumble that reverberates through the whole ship, followed by an even louder and more prolonged noise. It's the engine firing up, and thrusters blasting on the rear of the ship. The vessel begins to move.*

< LAUNCH SUCCESSFUL. BEGINING PRE-PROGRAMMED ROUTE TO P4R4D153. >

[I am (trapped)]

MHH!!

[I reach out, the threads(existences) here are different (they are not my mother). They do not easily let me hold them (unfamiliar)]

[Despite the new (cold and violent nature of this world), there is something I recognize, a thread so thin and far away I nearly miss it]

[familiarity]

[family]

[my eyes glisten and widen, despite the dark, the glow is soft in my mind]

[hope]

[I reach through the layers of existence, compressing them, pulling my soul close enough to feel the shiny existence of my brother. And tug the silver threads of his eyes, to turn their attention to me.]

.

.

*But it's not quite out of sight yet when Lucifer reaches the floor Lillyth pointed to.

Beyond the elevator door's flashing "no oxygen" warning, the bay doors are still wide open, and Adam's ship is a slowly shrinking star, the bright red of the rockets making it stand out amongst the rest.

It's not too late.*

*Luckily, the god can survive without oxygen. The problem is that the lack of air would make it hard to talk, and he had no clue if this Adam kid needed to breathe.*

*Only one way to find out! Lucifer grit his teeth against the wind and carried up onward.*

[I am (stuck) somewhere i do not want to be]

[it's cold in here.]

[after a few moments I make my way back to the chair, needing to hop up and climb onto it. Curling my wings around myself I try to keep myself from shivering]

< PROXIMITY ALERT >

< LIFE FORM RAPIDLY APPROACHING BEHIND >

< TRAJECTORY SUGGESTS OVERTAKING CURRENT FLIGHT PATH >

< ACTIVATE VIEWSCREEN? >

---

*Stars and space debris fly by, while the ship gradually becomes a closer presence. It doesn't look like there's any obvious door or docking section, but it may just be hard to tell without being right on top of it.*

*Got it! Lucifer clung to the bottom most portion of the ship's siding. He felt his human form stripping away under the pressure, but he ducked his head to his chest and willed himself to stay together for just a little bit longer.*

Hang on, Adam! I'm coming!!

[I do not understand what this means. So I start to push buttons on the controls in (hope)s something will work.]

*The darkness inside the ship suddenly abates a little, as the previously pitch-black wall above the control panel lights up with a view of the passing stars, captured by cameras embedded in the front.*

(Ooc: I tried to find a gif of the old windows flying stars screensaver, best I got was a screenshot tho. Pretend this is moving lol)

*The panel beeps loudly again.*

< PROXIMITY ALERT >

< LIFE FORM DETECTED ON UNDERSIDE OF SHIP >

< INITIATE PURGE? >

---

*There's definitely no doors on this thing, not even an emergency hatch. The only way in, is to make one.*

Just a spark... that's all I need. Come on, Lucifer, work!

*He closed his eyes and cleared his mind. The worries about controlling his powers fell away like a rocket ejecting the weight dragging it down.*

*His chest split open. Immense light and heat poured out between the bars of his ribcage. The raw power of a star burned away the panel until a hole formed, big enough for Lucifer to climb through.*

*Eyes flying open again, he clawed into the opening. His muscles screeched under the pressure. Finally, he flopped inside, just clinging for dear life and relieved as it was that he got in. He concentrated on closing his human skin again while Adam struggled against the controls above.*

AAAA!

AH AH!

[noticing the unfamiliar face I am cautious, until I notice the (familiarity)]

[someone I've seen around the Waylay]

[I rush to you once you are within the ship and cling to your leg]

MMMM!!!

< HULL DAMAGE SUSTAINED, CABIN PRESSURE LOST >

< STABILIZING... STAND BY >

*The control console beeps in alarm as Lucifer burns a hole through the ship. The rapid rush of oxygen into the vacuum of space threatens to drag him right back out, and Adam with him, but only for a moment. Tiny metal nodes in the ceiling and floor light up red, and some kind of force field expands inside the ship, covering the walls, ceiling and floor.*

< INTERNAL SHEILDS ACTIVE >

< CABIN PRESSURE STABILIZATING >

< INITIATING REPAIRS >

*By the time Adam is clinging to Lucifer's leg, the hole has already started to close itself. Scorched wires stretch unnaturally to reconnect, while melted metal edges ooze together into one, like scoops of pancake batter poured too close to each other.*

Ah, haha... Hey, kid! I'm here to rescue you!

*Lucifer got to his feet with a groan, holding Adam under the arms.*

C'mon, let's see if we can't figure out these controls, yeah?

*He sat in the pilot's seat, Adam in his lap, and tried to make sense of what all the various screens and buttons do.*

Mhmm!!!

[I look up to see your intense expression and then look back at the buttons trying to copy it (I am thinking)]

[I press the first button closest to me (I am helping!)]

*4 hours and 38 minutes to find a way to turn this thing around- but then Adam presses a button.*

< CALCULATING... EMERGENCY WARP POSSIBLE >

< INITIATING IN 10, 9, 8.. >

*Lucifer pressed the button Adam pushed again, pulled back a lever, frantically tapped at a keypad to punch in a command. He was way out of his depth and had no idea what he was doing. The boy looked at Adam remorsefully.*

I'm sorry, little guy. You're going to want to hold on tight.

*He brought his legs up so his feet were resting on the chair, pulling Adam towards him. His arms and wings wrapped around his little body. It was funny, he thought, how similar they looked with their wings, like they could be cousins. Lucifer was ready to protect him at all costs. His power began to thrum inside his ribs.*

Waaah?

[I'm worried, but at least I am not alone. You are (warm) safety]

[I cling to you as the ship seems to thrum louder with the sound of electronics.]

W-What-ts n-name?

[I whisper to you, curling up]

*The ship thrums with energy, and then suddenly it feels like plummeting down to the earth on one of those insanely tall roller coasters. The G-Force pins the two feathered boys into the back of the seat. Then just as abruptly as it started, it stops, and ship slows into a complete standstill.

The viewscreen is black now, inactive, and the hole Lucifer made has fully repaired itself. There's no way to see what's making the loud metal whir, followed by two rhythmic THUNKS on the outside hull of the ship. It sounds a bit like something clamping down, but it's hard to tell. The control panel beeps one final message before seeming to shut off.*

WELCOME TO P4RAD153.

No, no, no no no no...

*He knew a Nyarlathotep who tried to build paradise once before. He refused to believe he had been caught up in the schemes of another one to send him back.*

Adam, whatever you do, we are not getting off this ship until we find a way out of this para... place. Do not run away on me.

[you're just as scared as me]

[two small lights in a sea of darkness]

[we cling to each other]

[(I//you) cling to (you//me)]

W-w-what?

[what (now)?]

Hold on a second...

*He closed his eyes and concentrated. The power burst like a lightbulb surging with electricity, making him gasp.*

Ahh, that's not it! I've just... gotta...

*Cool breaths coursed through his lungs. Adam became his anchor as he tried to stay calm. All they needed right now was a way to see, and if he could help with that for even one minute...*

*Slowly, a light inside him glowed. It was bright and dazzling, like a miniature star. It expanded outward, dimmed only by his clothes and the shadows of his ribcage. The light illuminated the cabin. Lucifer laughed triumphantly.*

Haha, I did it! Now we can see what's going on here. How do you like that, Adam?

Wwooaah!!

[I sit up, looking around at the ship with the new light. Squirming to get off the chair]

Mmm!!

[I run across the short space]

[i run back]

[it's too quiet]

[I reach out, looking for strings of life and sound outside of our own ripples of breathing and beating hearts. Is there anything (here)?]

Outside of the ship... there is life. It isn't close, but it is loud. A great thrum of hearts beat in perfect sync high above, like thunder in the heavens. Joyous, rapturous thunder.

There are hints of another sound though.

Something deep below is trying to reach out, too.

The faint and fragile notes

of a song drift up

In

fragments

fighting to not

be drowned

out by

the thunder above.*

*Lucifer looks around, wide eyed, with an awestruck, terrified whisper. He's too stricken to get out of his seat, beckoning Adam to him with a hand instead.*

Psst, Adam, come back! I told you to stay with me, remember?

[the sounds I've pulled from afar dissipate back into silence again]

Mmm!! Mmm!!

[I reach to grab Lucifer's hand, pulling him from the seat.]

Ah!

[(you) stay with me]

[I dig through the thick bright cords of drumming heartbeats and pluck once again at the thin faraway strings of the quiet sound]

[hello? I tug gently at the will of (you)]

*will (you) Answer?*

-yes? -no?

[....can... you...]

[..hear me..? ]

*The weak song answers Adam. The rest of the ship isn't quiet for Lucifer though. Something metal, and very tangible, is now faintly clicking around outside.*

Hello?? If someone is there, then... let it be known, I'm not afraid of you!!

[I (can) hear you]

[Where are (we//you)?]

[How odd it is to speak so directly without words, my will tentatively reaching towards yours with effort. You can feel my fear and hope.]

[..your fear..]

[...calls to me...]

[My will is weak and hungry]

*The mechanical clicking grows closer, until it travels up onto the top of the ship, then down the other side, where it grows distant, eventually ceasing. The cadence almost sounds like the limbs of a crab or a spider climbing over and going on it's merry way.

The darkness is quiet again.*

*she was about to go find The Manager or aunt Candy when something caught her attention in the corner of her eye.*

-🎤🎵 ( @rp-sideblog-incorporated )

Oh! Oh!

*she dashed over to pick up the feather, she hadn't seen Lillyth in SOOO LOONG!! AND she never got to play with the funny gadgets Mister dr. Latho had promised! Heck yeah!*

Hmm how do i...

*she grins when she sees Latho though, waving excitedly at him*

HI MISTER DR. LATHO!!

*she bounds over to him in hops, her claws clicking against the ground*

IM BACK IM BACK!! Do you remember me? I'm Lillith! What's out there? It looked prettyyyy!!!

:D Well now, don't be silly, of course I remember you, little one! We had to cut things so tragically short last time...

*He kneels down and boops her on the nose.*

Hehe, I collected myself! Because I'm a BIIG girl!

*she stretches her wings REEAAL wide to show off how big she is*

Lillyth will be joining us later I'm afraid, she had some very important errands to run today.

*He scoops Lillith up, and stands.*

*she squeals and is very excitedly squirmy in his arms. She doesn't mind being carried, but it's clear she has far too much energy to sit still in his arms, nearly hanging upside down in his grasp before sitting back up to poke at his screen-face thingy*

But I wanna seeeeee!!!

You gotta have SOME sort of real face!!!

[I am collecting (flowers) for dad]

[I like the blue ones]

*The closest there are are the violets that speckle the surrounding area in small bunches*

*something shiny lingers, tucked away behind a rock.*

Hmm?

[I pick it up]

*it's a feather, a decently large one that must have belonged to a bird. Or perhaps one of the Lilliths left it, the wind having blown it up against the building*

S-Soft.

[I run my hands over the softer part of the feather, watching the iridescent colors change as I turn it over in my hands so the light hits it different]

@seventhnoteoftheuniverse

*The feather sparkles and gleams, it's colors seeming to intensify with each turn in the light. Soon they start to bleed into the air, like a drop of paint in water. A rainbow of magenta and purple surrounds Adam, overtaking the scenery of the Waylay...

The soft grass vanishes, replaced with empty air.

You're falling...

Falling..

Fall- no, there's the ground. It was always there. But it's different now. Cold, smooth tile.

*where did he go?*

__________

[I am somewhere (else)]

[I stand up, and look around. It's darker here, colder (lacking the warmth of a home)]

Hello?

[I gravitate towards the singular light, trying to peer over the desk (I am too small)]

[I walk around to the other side]

Hellooo!

[I look up, wide-eyed at the new figure.]

H-Hello! Hi!!

[I walk up to you, waving]

Mmm lost! W-Where?

[my ocean eyes, meet the reflection of your screen.]

From home! Uhh

*He reaches down and scoops you up, and begins to walk down one of the hallways.*

[I have been picked up]

[I nod enthusiastically, I exist to (learn)]

[I look around in awe at the elevator, and cling to you once it's starts moving]

[I point at the buttons]

W-What that?

[I push more buttons! Pressing some multiple times just to hear the click with each press]

Ah!!

Haha, if you enjoy the elevator panel, I'm sure you'll appreciate this.

*He pulls a lever on the wall, and the massive room thrums to life. Floodlights in the high ceiling reveal a plethora of conveyor belts and machinery, all of which start to move. It's some form of automated assembly line.*

N-Nuh uh

S-Spassip?

*He starts to walk along the catwalk again, following the path of the conveyors as they carry metal plates and engine parts to the other end of the massive room. At the end of the room, metal arms that extend from the ceiling are collecting the pieces brought by the conveyor and assembling them. At the moment, the creation is just a skeleton of metal beams.*

A spaceship is an advanced vehicle for travel, maybe you've seen something like it before. Have you ever seen a boat? :)

[but I can recognize (my) ocean]

Boat!

W-Whats it f-for?

[I look back at the construction, the scent of metal tinges the air as things are screwed and welded in place]

Mmm

*Latho steps off the catwalk, stopping just short of the platform where the pieces are being assembled.*

Y-Yeah!!

W-Whats in s-s-space?

*The metal skeleton slowly takes the shape of a cylinder, as internal mechanisms are slotted into place, followed by outer panelling.*

I c-can go i-in?

[I point at the forming structure]

I see! C-Can see!?

[I excitedly squirm in your arms]

*By now, floor panels have been set in place, so Latho starts to walk again, carrying you into the structure as the walls are slowly patched in. It's a small vessel, something that could probably carry 3 or 4 fully grown people semi-comfortably. The main body of the ship is a seated cargo area, with a simple control room in the front. The soft cushioned captain's chair that Latho sets you in is much too big for your tiny frame. He gives the chair a gentle little spin after he sets you down.*

[I set my hands on the metal control panel, looking up at you as I jump up and down in my seated position]

[Joy!]

Wh-Why no one else w-want?

Mmm!!

Some people just don't appreciate the joys of science, unfortunately.

[I flinch as I am suddenly plunged into darkness, reaching out blindly to grip to your lab coat.]

[I have never experienced (true) darkness.]

[I am suddenly cold (there is no hearth)]

Mmm.

HELLO?

[I call out but am met with no answer (only silence greets me)]

L-LATH?

[again, only my voice echoes against the tight space (my voice was once an echo too)]

[though this time I am (real)]

[and there is nobody(nobody) to comfort me through it.]

MAA?

...

DAAAD?

< LAUNCH SEQUENCE INITIATED >

< DESTINATION.... PRE-PROGRAMMED >

DAAD! DAAAAD!

[I don't want to do this (alone).]

[There are no stars here (I was lied to)]

[I have not safe here (I never was)]

[Tears pricked at my eyes, I don't understand what's going on. There are no windows to see where I am]

*There's a loud rumble that reverberates through the whole ship, followed by an even louder and more prolonged noise. It's the engine firing up, and thrusters blasting on the rear of the ship. The vessel begins to move.*

< LAUNCH SUCCESSFUL. BEGINING PRE-PROGRAMMED ROUTE TO P4R4D153. >

[I am (trapped)]

MHH!!

[I reach out, the threads(existences) here are different (they are not my mother). They do not easily let me hold them (unfamiliar)]

[Despite the new (cold and violent nature of this world), there is something I recognize, a thread so thin and far away I nearly miss it]

[familiarity]

[family]

[my eyes glisten and widen, despite the dark, the glow is soft in my mind]

[hope]

[I reach through the layers of existence, compressing them, pulling my soul close enough to feel the shiny existence of my brother. And tug the silver threads of his eyes, to turn their attention to me.]

.

.

*But it's not quite out of sight yet when Lucifer reaches the floor Lillyth pointed to.

Beyond the elevator door's flashing "no oxygen" warning, the bay doors are still wide open, and Adam's ship is a slowly shrinking star, the bright red of the rockets making it stand out amongst the rest.

It's not too late.*

*Luckily, the god can survive without oxygen. The problem is that the lack of air would make it hard to talk, and he had no clue if this Adam kid needed to breathe.*

*Only one way to find out! Lucifer grit his teeth against the wind and carried up onward.*

[I am (stuck) somewhere i do not want to be]

[it's cold in here.]

[after a few moments I make my way back to the chair, needing to hop up and climb onto it. Curling my wings around myself I try to keep myself from shivering]

< PROXIMITY ALERT >

< LIFE FORM RAPIDLY APPROACHING BEHIND >

< TRAJECTORY SUGGESTS OVERTAKING CURRENT FLIGHT PATH >

< ACTIVATE VIEWSCREEN? >

---

*Stars and space debris fly by, while the ship gradually becomes a closer presence. It doesn't look like there's any obvious door or docking section, but it may just be hard to tell without being right on top of it.*

*Got it! Lucifer clung to the bottom most portion of the ship's siding. He felt his human form stripping away under the pressure, but he ducked his head to his chest and willed himself to stay together for just a little bit longer.*

Hang on, Adam! I'm coming!!

[I do not understand what this means. So I start to push buttons on the controls in (hope)s something will work.]

*The darkness inside the ship suddenly abates a little, as the previously pitch-black wall above the control panel lights up with a view of the passing stars, captured by cameras embedded in the front.*

(Ooc: I tried to find a gif of the old windows flying stars screensaver, best I got was a screenshot tho. Pretend this is moving lol)

*The panel beeps loudly again.*

< PROXIMITY ALERT >

< LIFE FORM DETECTED ON UNDERSIDE OF SHIP >

< INITIATE PURGE? >

---

*There's definitely no doors on this thing, not even an emergency hatch. The only way in, is to make one.*

Just a spark... that's all I need. Come on, Lucifer, work!

*He closed his eyes and cleared his mind. The worries about controlling his powers fell away like a rocket ejecting the weight dragging it down.*

*His chest split open. Immense light and heat poured out between the bars of his ribcage. The raw power of a star burned away the panel until a hole formed, big enough for Lucifer to climb through.*

*Eyes flying open again, he clawed into the opening. His muscles screeched under the pressure. Finally, he flopped inside, just clinging for dear life and relieved as it was that he got in. He concentrated on closing his human skin again while Adam struggled against the controls above.*

AAAA!

AH AH!

[noticing the unfamiliar face I am cautious, until I notice the (familiarity)]

[someone I've seen around the Waylay]

[I rush to you once you are within the ship and cling to your leg]

MMMM!!!

< HULL DAMAGE SUSTAINED, CABIN PRESSURE LOST >

< STABILIZING... STAND BY >

*The control console beeps in alarm as Lucifer burns a hole through the ship. The rapid rush of oxygen into the vacuum of space threatens to drag him right back out, and Adam with him, but only for a moment. Tiny metal nodes in the ceiling and floor light up red, and some kind of force field expands inside the ship, covering the walls, ceiling and floor.*

< INTERNAL SHEILDS ACTIVE >

< CABIN PRESSURE STABILIZATING >

< INITIATING REPAIRS >

*By the time Adam is clinging to Lucifer's leg, the hole has already started to close itself. Scorched wires stretch unnaturally to reconnect, while melted metal edges ooze together into one, like scoops of pancake batter poured too close to each other.*

Ah, haha... Hey, kid! I'm here to rescue you!

*Lucifer got to his feet with a groan, holding Adam under the arms.*

C'mon, let's see if we can't figure out these controls, yeah?

*He sat in the pilot's seat, Adam in his lap, and tried to make sense of what all the various screens and buttons do.*

Mhmm!!!

[I look up to see your intense expression and then look back at the buttons trying to copy it (I am thinking)]

[I press the first button closest to me (I am helping!)]

*4 hours and 38 minutes to find a way to turn this thing around- but then Adam presses a button.*

< CALCULATING... EMERGENCY WARP POSSIBLE >

< INITIATING IN 10, 9, 8.. >

*Lucifer pressed the button Adam pushed again, pulled back a lever, frantically tapped at a keypad to punch in a command. He was way out of his depth and had no idea what he was doing. The boy looked at Adam remorsefully.*

I'm sorry, little guy. You're going to want to hold on tight.

*He brought his legs up so his feet were resting on the chair, pulling Adam towards him. His arms and wings wrapped around his little body. It was funny, he thought, how similar they looked with their wings, like they could be cousins. Lucifer was ready to protect him at all costs. His power began to thrum inside his ribs.*

Waaah?

[I'm worried, but at least I am not alone. You are (warm) safety]

[I cling to you as the ship seems to thrum louder with the sound of electronics.]

W-What-ts n-name?

[I whisper to you, curling up]

*The ship thrums with energy, and then suddenly it feels like plummeting down to the earth on one of those insanely tall roller coasters. The G-Force pins the two feathered boys into the back of the seat. Then just as abruptly as it started, it stops, and ship slows into a complete standstill.

The viewscreen is black now, inactive, and the hole Lucifer made has fully repaired itself. There's no way to see what's making the loud metal whir, followed by two rhythmic THUNKS on the outside hull of the ship. It sounds a bit like something clamping down, but it's hard to tell. The control panel beeps one final message before seeming to shut off.*

WELCOME TO P4RAD153.

No, no, no no no no...

*He knew a Nyarlathotep who tried to build paradise once before. He refused to believe he had been caught up in the schemes of another one to send him back.*

Adam, whatever you do, we are not getting off this ship until we find a way out of this para... place. Do not run away on me.

[you're just as scared as me]

[two small lights in a sea of darkness]

[we cling to each other]

[(I//you) cling to (you//me)]

W-w-what?

[what (now)?]

Hold on a second...

*He closed his eyes and concentrated. The power burst like a lightbulb surging with electricity, making him gasp.*

Ahh, that's not it! I've just... gotta...

*Cool breaths coursed through his lungs. Adam became his anchor as he tried to stay calm. All they needed right now was a way to see, and if he could help with that for even one minute...*

*Slowly, a light inside him glowed. It was bright and dazzling, like a miniature star. It expanded outward, dimmed only by his clothes and the shadows of his ribcage. The light illuminated the cabin. Lucifer laughed triumphantly.*

Haha, I did it! Now we can see what's going on here. How do you like that, Adam?

Wwooaah!!

[I sit up, looking around at the ship with the new light. Squirming to get off the chair]

Mmm!!

[I run across the short space]

[i run back]

[it's too quiet]

[I reach out, looking for strings of life and sound outside of our own ripples of breathing and beating hearts. Is there anything (here)?]

Outside of the ship... there is life. It isn't close, but it is loud. A great thrum of hearts beat in perfect sync high above, like thunder in the heavens. Joyous, rapturous thunder.

There are hints of another sound though.

Something deep below is trying to reach out, too.

The faint and fragile notes

of a song drift up

In

fragments

fighting to not

be drowned

out by

the thunder above.*

*Lucifer looks around, wide eyed, with an awestruck, terrified whisper. He's too stricken to get out of his seat, beckoning Adam to him with a hand instead.*

Psst, Adam, come back! I told you to stay with me, remember?

[the sounds I've pulled from afar dissipate back into silence again]

Mmm!! Mmm!!

[I reach to grab Lucifer's hand, pulling him from the seat.]

Ah!

[(you) stay with me]

[I dig through the thick bright cords of drumming heartbeats and pluck once again at the thin faraway strings of the quiet sound]

[hello? I tug gently at the will of (you)]

*will (you) Answer?*

-yes? -no?

[....can... you...]

[..hear me..? ]

*The weak song answers Adam. The rest of the ship isn't quiet for Lucifer though. Something metal, and very tangible, is now faintly clicking around outside.*

*she was about to go find The Manager or aunt Candy when something caught her attention in the corner of her eye.*

-🎤🎵 ( @rp-sideblog-incorporated )

Oh! Oh!

*she dashed over to pick up the feather, she hadn't seen Lillyth in SOOO LOONG!! AND she never got to play with the funny gadgets Mister dr. Latho had promised! Heck yeah!*

Hmm how do i...

*she grins when she sees Latho though, waving excitedly at him*

HI MISTER DR. LATHO!!

*she bounds over to him in hops, her claws clicking against the ground*

IM BACK IM BACK!! Do you remember me? I'm Lillith! What's out there? It looked prettyyyy!!!

:D Well now, don't be silly, of course I remember you, little one! We had to cut things so tragically short last time...

*He kneels down and boops her on the nose.*

Hehe, I collected myself! Because I'm a BIIG girl!

*she stretches her wings REEAAL wide to show off how big she is*

Lillyth will be joining us later I'm afraid, she had some very important errands to run today.

*He scoops Lillith up, and stands.*

*she squeals and is very excitedly squirmy in his arms. She doesn't mind being carried, but it's clear she has far too much energy to sit still in his arms, nearly hanging upside down in his grasp before sitting back up to poke at his screen-face thingy*

The force of the impact pops the cover loose, dropping him even further down, into the room below.

It's dark, and humid, and loud. Pipes on the walls hiss as they release steam into the room, and the sounds of distant machinery emanates from several foggy hallways. It looks and sounds like some kind of boiler room maze.*

Cleo desperately tries to slow his descent my pressing his hands and arms against the sides but with his sweater, there were little skin to create friction. All he did was gather dust and grime on the fabric as his wide eyes watched his speed grow quicker and quicker. He did not sign up for this.

“OMF-“

He lands on his feet initially by the amount of force causes him to fall to his knees before skittering back up…ow…

Cleo took a second to catch his breath, frantically looking around for the rat. He may have conflicted emotions on the critter but he needed it for survival. As a result, he was also looking at the finer details of the room.

*Even if my nose is bleeding a bit.*

.

*After a moment, the Rat drops out of the vent and lands on Cleo's shoulder. It starts to climb down his arm, but pauses, straining to listen over the sounds of the boiler room. After a second, it squeaks loudly and jumps onto the floor, then scuttles off down one of the hallways.*

“Hey! Wait for me!”

The rat didn’t even wait! Cleo takes off, trusting their instincts. This land was one with a survival guide that he had yet to learn, he couldn’t rely on himself, even if that’d be his preference.

Each loud hiss and clank of machinery makes him flinch and if he wasn’t running, he’d take off his sweater as the humidity closed in on him.

Alright... Way down that won't give me a new degree of burns on my hands... or melt my boots.

*I take off down the halls. They dirtier here, maitnence of some sort compared to the upper floors white walls and sterile smell. It's mechanical down here, I smell oil and grease.*

The rat takes the left turn, deeper into the loud noise and humidity.*

.

*There's a third smell occasionaly mixed in with the oil and grease, something oddly earthy and sweet. It's coming from the olive-green substance that occasionally oozes from a loose pipe or two, slowly beading and folding on itself, like half-melted wax poured from it's candle.

As Jackson gets deeper into the halls, 3 scents becomes 4, 4 becomes 5, 5 becomes an indiscernible mess of who knows how many, as more and more pipes start to cover the walls, different ones leaking different substances. The pipes are all heading in the same direction.*

As they ran, he did his best to avoid the mystery goo, not liking the idea of it potentially being some odd acid. Unfortunately, he did step in a puddle of it once and part of it splattered onto his sock, soaking onto his ankle.

*The mystery goop is... shockingly cold, a stark contrast to the oppressive heat saturating the rest of the floor. It thankfully doesn't seem to do anything else.

The rat keeps going straight, eventually, finally reaching a doorway to a massive room, with a ceiling that stretches at least 3 stories. Two huge platforms overlook the room from the very top, the "3rd" floor. At the very center of the far wall, sits a massive boiler sourrounded by complicated looking machinery. The source of the horrid heat.

And there are pipes coming from every direction. The ceiling, the walls, other doorways across the room. The ones Cleo and the Rat have been following alongside turn down at the doorway, running along the floor, joining the rest as they all feed into the machinery, like veins connecting to a heart.

The room isn't all that strange. Not until you look at the conveyor system.

Metal wires extend from dark openings in the walls, with sharp hooks being pulled up and down them by thin chains, like some deadly ski lift. Impaled on each hook... is some twisted, failed experiment. Bodies that may have once been human, with too many arms growing from their ribcages, animals with eyes and limbs in all the wrong places, and other jumbles of anatomy too mangled to discern.

Some of them are still twitching. Some of them hiss or sob as they're carried into the maw of the furnace, or down into a chute in the floor, to some unknown fate.

_

*The leaking pipes lead Jackson out onto one of the high platforms in this same room, overlooking the horrors below. Overlooking Cleo. He's right there.

But there's no ladders to climb down, or up. Just the conveyor line of horrors.*

But he couldn’t lose sight of the rat so he let it splish and splosh with every step. When the rat paused, so did he, and he nearly passed out from what he saw.

Bodies. Too many mangled and odd bodies. They weren’t far from some that he saw during his time with Avarick but unlike that, he never was going to be a target. Currently, he felt cornered. The next on the chopping block.

He had to shake his head to snap his eyes away, “Where do we go next? Towards where the pipes go or away?”

He just wanted to go home and eat Mac and cheese, please.

*I jump from the catwalk to the ground, rolling with the motion as I hit the floor. Ow. That didn't feel... great. But better than being shot!*

*I kneel in front of Cleo, holding out a bandaged hand* "Just don't look kiddo. You don't gotta look, I'm here, and I'm gonna get you home, okay?"

*I pick him up, pressing his face into my neck so he doesn't have to look at the bodies. The rat... the rat can come too. I pick him up and put him on my shoulder. JJ peeks out from under my hat, just to look at our new passengers, and too frown at another rodent.*

OI I've 'ad enough 'f gettin' fookin' MAN'ANDLED!

*He wiggles around until his paws land on Jackson's shoulder, at which point he hops straight off onto the floor, still actively complaining. He doesn't know Jackson can understand him.*

First th' wee fookin' gobshite now this fookin' horse-boy droppin' in like-

*The rat abruptly pauses his grumbling to squeak loudly yell while running back and forth. As he does, Jackson can see this... Is not just a rat, but also a man. But also sometimes it is just a rat. Like a switch being flicked on and off, his human(?) form fades in and out of existence.*

OI WE DINNAE 'AVE TH' LUXURY T'BE WORRYIN' ABOOT TH'WEE LIL SHITE SEEIN' A'FEW MORE SINS 'O SCIENCE! THE FOOKIN' WIGGLER'S NEARLY 'ERE!

The way I came closed after me, do you know how to get out?

Don’thurthimdonthurthimdont—

Jackson?

The dam collapsed and Cleo broke into a fit of snotty tears with hics and wheezing. He white-knuckle gripped the cowboy’s shirt, squeezing his eyes shut while struggling to catch any air in his lungs.

“I wanna go home,” he sobbed with a quivering lip.

He didn’t want to be here. He didn’t want to end up like those people. He didn’t even know where here was here. He missed Stripes and O’Dare and Lili and The Manager and Penelope and his warm bed.

He couldn’t pay attention to the rat now that he had a familiar lifeline he could cling to…atleast not until Jackson started squeaking.

He just sorta…paused for a minute. So, maybe that weird goop in his sock is making him hear stuff now.

*The rat freezes, staring up at Jackson for a second*

I didnae think ye cuid hear me! Th' wee shite sure cannae, s' don' go tellin' me "language!" Oi nevermind, like ah said, th' fookin' wiggler is comin'.

*He turns to stare at the doorway he and Cleo just came from.*

S'gon' come out o'there and ye need t' burn tha thing in th'boiler! Afore it starts t' pupate. We dinnae want it t'spread it's wings, we'd ne'er git out o'here.

*There's is... definitely something moving in the shadows of that hallway now.*

Cleo, just keep your eyes closed, and hold onto JJ, alright? *I move JJ to my shoulder, letting him snuggle up to Cleo. I just need to keep holding onto him and get all of us behind one of the support pillars before the broiler explodes.*

*I start turning knobs, watching the creature in the hall*

Cleo nudges his shoulder hard, trying to get his attention. He looks back at the rat who had leapt onto the floor. They had survived this long together and they knew what they were doing so it would be wrong to suddenly abandon them or stop listening.

*The rat follows Jackson as he starts turning knobs, then looks up at Cleo in surprise. He bobs his head in an attempt at a reassuring gesture.*

So th'wee bugger is nae fully lackin' fer sense... Ye cannae hear me lad, but s'all fine n'dandy.

*The creature in the hall squirms into the light. It's the Caterpillar, only it's grown much bigger since they left it in the vents, and is moving a whole lot faster. It's already through the doorway, and the pressure in the boiler is only just starting to build.*

*I stand up, facing the creature* C'mon! You don't want some scrawny thing like that kid! I'm big, full of muscle! A great big snack! Take me down and Latho will be plenty happy too, won't he? Cleo's just a plain ol' human! I'm something he'd love to disect! *I slice down my arm with my folding knife, drawing blood with my back to the broiler*

Cleo pets the rat’s head in an attempt to calm himself.

*The rat flails around when passed to Cleo, and continues to wiggle, to no avail.*

ARE YE DAFT, HORSE BOY?! AH CHRIST LADDIE QUIT GRISPIN' ME SO TIGHT-

*The creature freezes, it's single eye now fixated on Jackson. On the blood.

On [Sustenance for the next stage]

It's body tenses, bunching up until it launches forwards like a spring, it's open maw and many legs reaching for him.

Behind, the boiler is hissing and the metal is groaning. It's going to explode any second now.*

*I slam both of us against the boiler. Hopefully it's thin enough to be eviceratdd by the blast, but thick enough that I'm not too mangled. I don't want Cleo to see my corpse.*

*I don't care if it's many claws scratch at my face, my back, my limbs. Adrenaline keeps me from feeling fear.*

Does he run? Should he help out somehow? What the fuck does he do?

Through glassy eyes, he once again glanced to the squeaking rat for guidance.

*The rat gives up trying to wiggle, instead flailing his legs and leaning his head in the direction of one of the holes in the floor, where some of the horrors are still being dropped down.*

Lad if ye can glean any meanin' from me, yer boy's already dead! We need ta go soon as tha' thing blows!

*The Caterpillar bites down greedily, insect mandibles and human teeth sinking in to the bone. It writhes and flails it's body around when slammed into the boiler, many wriggling legs hooking into your limbs and body like thorns. The boiler shudders from the impact, it's going to-

-From behind you, a sharp black boot is forcefully planted against the creature's exposed stomach, pinning it to the metal. In the same instance, a pair of arms reach under yours and wrap tightly around your chest. Whoever it is yanks you free of the abomination's mouth and legs, hoisting you straight up off the ground with ease. They make their own 180° turn in the same motion, placing themselves between you and the boiler just as it explodes in a deafening roar.

You can feel the searing heat all around you as the shockwave of scalding steam blasts across the room, tearing other dead horrors free from the assembly line. Some of them wail as they're either boiled by steam or torn by metal shrapnel. Torn and scalded pieces of white fabric fly past your vision in the wake of the destruction.

The thick metal pillar is thankfully enough to shield Cleo and the two rodents, though the heat is just as horribly uncomfortable over there.

As the room quiets again, the tall figure still holding onto you speaks.*

Goodness, that was a very foolish thing.

*Even if he already knows, I won't play the kid and rat into his hands. Presumably, Latho also doesn't know what or who I actually am yet.*

"Apologies, Dr.Latho. I'm a bit late for our appointment it seems. Dealing with some wild animals that got loose."

He balled in tight, shaking and refusing to move. Cleo was hoping to hide, having zero clue who the new voice was. If he wasn’t seen, he could be safe. Thats how it typically went.

Ohh, so that's what you're doing ripping open my floors to reach the quarantine levels, hmm? I do have staff for that sort of thing, you know.

*He sets Jackson down and steps around into view. It's not Latho, not the real one. To a human eye there's no difference, but for Jackson it's easy to see that this isn't the Nyar himself, just a complicated android. The same spectral tendrils hidden in all the Lab's walls and floors are present in it's body like a nervous system. This Latho's labcoat appears to be the only thing that sustained damage, the back of it completely scorched and torn to shreds.*

You can come out now, Cleo. It's quite safe now. :)

*The Caterpillar... there's barely anything left of it. Just a melted pile of goop. It definitely couldn't have shielded Jackson from the blast.*

"I doubt yer staff would've been as fast as my own bare hands. 'sides, it ain't like I did much real harm, now is it? 'Xcept for the boiler. I am sorry for that ruckus."

"My little brother is a bit of an eloper, so I can get him outta yer hair now. Our dad is worried sick for sure."

*If this fake Latho wasn't in front of me I'd use my powers to find the real Latho.*

New spot. He needed a new spot. Fuck, fuck, fuck, he wouldn’t have long. There was the garbage chute but— no, no, he wasn’t going down the dark ass chute. It wasn’t like there was any other options though.

He peeked his head out from the pillar, eyes wide. Cleo only spared the pair a glance before examining everything else once more. Why would he have to examine the words and actions of a lying man after all? He wasn’t stupid. He didn’t dare risk being used as bait.

The ski lift contraption.

It was a dangerous bet but at the very least it went up. Up was typically closer to an exit at least. He assumed he was on a basement level at the very least.

His eyes locked onto one amalgamation that looked close enough to human before he took off into a sprint. Cleo shoved the rat into his hair to hold on then he jumped. He was in the air for an uncomfortable amount of time and his mind raced with the idea of splatting on the floor or being skewered.

He nearly slipped on the blood covering the being and narrowly avoided slicing his arm open but he was able to wrap himself around the unnaturally long leg. Cleo stared as he went higher and higher, heart and mind never stopped. Please, let this lead to somewhere relatively safe.

Latho just... stares, watching Cleo's antics and slow accession with a blank screen and no outward reaction.*

Are all the Manager's children this... unruly?

“GET THE FUCK AWAY! YOU WERE GONNA GIVE ME TO IT AS BAIT, YOU SICK BASTARD!”

Oi, we're never gettin' outta here now...

The volume wasn’t kind on his vocal cords but for a situation like this, emphasis was needed. If he saw Jackson teleport people in the pas faith his own eyes, this may have been a different story, but he had no evidence and too much panic.

Should he try to climb higher? Fuck, Jackson was really close. He didn’t like this. He didn’t like this one bit. Once he got popped out, he had to hit the ground sprinting.

In this same moment... the senses that have been telling Jackson where everyone is, let him know that something fundamental has changed in an instant.

Adam and Lucifer are gone. Light years away from the lab, at least. And yet.... At the same time, they're so close. Impossibly, they're right near this level of the lab.

They're lost out in space.

They're somewhere close to you. Close to Latho.

Both of these things are somehow true.*

*All three of us fall onto the wooden floor of the waylay, the familiar music and sounds enough to almost make me cry for relief. If I had the time? I would for sure. Instead I crawl over on my knees to check on Cleo and the rat, ensuring that they are both okay. I do this like it's nothing, but I doubt Cleo has ever jumped between universes.*

"Cleo, kiddo, hey, we're back, we're here in the Waylay!"

"Dad! Dad Cleo needs help over here!"

“Jackson James-De La Rosa!

“To go into a world you know nothing about without telling me, leaving a note on my desk as if it’s nothing to worry about— to not ask for help— and to not even tell me where you’re going!”

*they pulled him into a hug.*

He skittered backwards, still sitting, until he hit a wall. His breathing was frantic and only once he hit the wall did he jump to his feet. Run. Had to run. Get away.

At the very least, he was physically healthy.

OI LAD CAN YE LEMME GO ALREADY?! WE'RE NAE IN THA GODS-FORSAKEN PLACE NOW YE CAN STOP HOLDIN' ME LIKE A FOOKIN' STRESS BALL

Cleo! Cleo, you're out, we're out! We're back in the waylay, and trust me our friend wants to be put down. He ain't too happy with none of us.

Dad! We have to go back, Luci and Adam are still there! me and Luci had to split up to get both kids... all I could see was Adam being taken further from us by the second! We have to go back!

*they stood as Daisy began to run out of the infirmary.*

“Stay.”

Away. Get away. They’re gonna get away.

*The rat goes limp, accepting his fate at this point. Out of the horror lab and into the grip of a traumatized child.

....At least until a more clear opportunity of escape presents itself.*

Cleo! Kiddo! you gotta stop! You'll hurt yerself!

“Kid. Calm down. You’re okay.”

*The Manager cause Cleo and brought him into their arms, holding him like a child and bringing him back to Daisy.*

“Cleo.”

“LET. ME. GO!”

His horror only worsened when being brought to Daisy. Cleo’s blood ran cold.

No.

Fuck no.

It bites Cleo's hand, hard. It's gonna bite as many times as it takes to get dropped, flung, whatever, it doesn't care at this point so long as it's free.*

“I have to go back. You have to stay.

“I am not letting you get hurt.”

*and all at once, they were through a portal and gone to Latho.

They landed in the lab, heat already radiating off them.*

*Latho materializes from the dark of one of the hallways, shoes clicking sharply on the tile.*

Especially seeing as I didn't take your children, they saw fit to come here and go running amok in the quarantine levels, stealing lab rats and causing destruction.

*no warning. No wind up. Not even a push of the ground. They were just pinning Latho to the wall with their elbow ready to smash in Latho’s face covering.*

*Latho's face screen just continues to display a smiling face. Then the emoticon starts to... wiggle. One of the eyes peels away from the screen and falls onto the Manager's arm, where it writhes around on it's back.

A freshly molted roach, carapace still white, legs flailing to find purchase in the air.

More of the small white shapes begin to fall, each landing with a faint plop.

What was once Latho's mask is now a churning mass of larger roaches. Sharp little legs scratch over oily wings, producing a sound like wet chunks of styrofoam being rubbed together. The Manager can feel smooth bodies twitching and crawling under the pressure from their elbow, as the rest of Latho(?) disolves into a swarm.

Then the bugs start eating each other. The crunching is abominable as the mass of insects quickly destroys itself. Mandibles dig and tear into soft underbellies, and torn off limbs, antennae, internal goop and shredded bodies quickly pour onto and around the Manager's shoes like rain.

The force of the impact pops the cover loose, dropping him even further down, into the room below.

It's dark, and humid, and loud. Pipes on the walls hiss as they release steam into the room, and the sounds of distant machinery emanates from several foggy hallways. It looks and sounds like some kind of boiler room maze.*

Cleo desperately tries to slow his descent my pressing his hands and arms against the sides but with his sweater, there were little skin to create friction. All he did was gather dust and grime on the fabric as his wide eyes watched his speed grow quicker and quicker. He did not sign up for this.

“OMF-“

He lands on his feet initially by the amount of force causes him to fall to his knees before skittering back up…ow…

Cleo took a second to catch his breath, frantically looking around for the rat. He may have conflicted emotions on the critter but he needed it for survival. As a result, he was also looking at the finer details of the room.

*Even if my nose is bleeding a bit.*

.

*After a moment, the Rat drops out of the vent and lands on Cleo's shoulder. It starts to climb down his arm, but pauses, straining to listen over the sounds of the boiler room. After a second, it squeaks loudly and jumps onto the floor, then scuttles off down one of the hallways.*

“Hey! Wait for me!”

The rat didn’t even wait! Cleo takes off, trusting their instincts. This land was one with a survival guide that he had yet to learn, he couldn’t rely on himself, even if that’d be his preference.

Each loud hiss and clank of machinery makes him flinch and if he wasn’t running, he’d take off his sweater as the humidity closed in on him.

Alright... Way down that won't give me a new degree of burns on my hands... or melt my boots.

*I take off down the halls. They dirtier here, maitnence of some sort compared to the upper floors white walls and sterile smell. It's mechanical down here, I smell oil and grease.*

The rat takes the left turn, deeper into the loud noise and humidity.*

.

*There's a third smell occasionaly mixed in with the oil and grease, something oddly earthy and sweet. It's coming from the olive-green substance that occasionally oozes from a loose pipe or two, slowly beading and folding on itself, like half-melted wax poured from it's candle.

As Jackson gets deeper into the halls, 3 scents becomes 4, 4 becomes 5, 5 becomes an indiscernible mess of who knows how many, as more and more pipes start to cover the walls, different ones leaking different substances. The pipes are all heading in the same direction.*

As they ran, he did his best to avoid the mystery goo, not liking the idea of it potentially being some odd acid. Unfortunately, he did step in a puddle of it once and part of it splattered onto his sock, soaking onto his ankle.

*The mystery goop is... shockingly cold, a stark contrast to the oppressive heat saturating the rest of the floor. It thankfully doesn't seem to do anything else.

The rat keeps going straight, eventually, finally reaching a doorway to a massive room, with a ceiling that stretches at least 3 stories. Two huge platforms overlook the room from the very top, the "3rd" floor. At the very center of the far wall, sits a massive boiler sourrounded by complicated looking machinery. The source of the horrid heat.

And there are pipes coming from every direction. The ceiling, the walls, other doorways across the room. The ones Cleo and the Rat have been following alongside turn down at the doorway, running along the floor, joining the rest as they all feed into the machinery, like veins connecting to a heart.

The room isn't all that strange. Not until you look at the conveyor system.

Metal wires extend from dark openings in the walls, with sharp hooks being pulled up and down them by thin chains, like some deadly ski lift. Impaled on each hook... is some twisted, failed experiment. Bodies that may have once been human, with too many arms growing from their ribcages, animals with eyes and limbs in all the wrong places, and other jumbles of anatomy too mangled to discern.

Some of them are still twitching. Some of them hiss or sob as they're carried into the maw of the furnace, or down into a chute in the floor, to some unknown fate.

_

*The leaking pipes lead Jackson out onto one of the high platforms in this same room, overlooking the horrors below. Overlooking Cleo. He's right there.

But there's no ladders to climb down, or up. Just the conveyor line of horrors.*

But he couldn’t lose sight of the rat so he let it splish and splosh with every step. When the rat paused, so did he, and he nearly passed out from what he saw.

Bodies. Too many mangled and odd bodies. They weren’t far from some that he saw during his time with Avarick but unlike that, he never was going to be a target. Currently, he felt cornered. The next on the chopping block.

He had to shake his head to snap his eyes away, “Where do we go next? Towards where the pipes go or away?”

He just wanted to go home and eat Mac and cheese, please.

*I jump from the catwalk to the ground, rolling with the motion as I hit the floor. Ow. That didn't feel... great. But better than being shot!*

*I kneel in front of Cleo, holding out a bandaged hand* "Just don't look kiddo. You don't gotta look, I'm here, and I'm gonna get you home, okay?"

*I pick him up, pressing his face into my neck so he doesn't have to look at the bodies. The rat... the rat can come too. I pick him up and put him on my shoulder. JJ peeks out from under my hat, just to look at our new passengers, and too frown at another rodent.*

OI I've 'ad enough 'f gettin' fookin' MAN'ANDLED!

*He wiggles around until his paws land on Jackson's shoulder, at which point he hops straight off onto the floor, still actively complaining. He doesn't know Jackson can understand him.*

First th' wee fookin' gobshite now this fookin' horse-boy droppin' in like-

*The rat abruptly pauses his grumbling to squeak loudly yell while running back and forth. As he does, Jackson can see this... Is not just a rat, but also a man. But also sometimes it is just a rat. Like a switch being flicked on and off, his human(?) form fades in and out of existence.*

OI WE DINNAE 'AVE TH' LUXURY T'BE WORRYIN' ABOOT TH'WEE LIL SHITE SEEIN' A'FEW MORE SINS 'O SCIENCE! THE FOOKIN' WIGGLER'S NEARLY 'ERE!

The way I came closed after me, do you know how to get out?

Don’thurthimdonthurthimdont—

Jackson?

The dam collapsed and Cleo broke into a fit of snotty tears with hics and wheezing. He white-knuckle gripped the cowboy’s shirt, squeezing his eyes shut while struggling to catch any air in his lungs.

“I wanna go home,” he sobbed with a quivering lip.

He didn’t want to be here. He didn’t want to end up like those people. He didn’t even know where here was here. He missed Stripes and O’Dare and Lili and The Manager and Penelope and his warm bed.

He couldn’t pay attention to the rat now that he had a familiar lifeline he could cling to…atleast not until Jackson started squeaking.

He just sorta…paused for a minute. So, maybe that weird goop in his sock is making him hear stuff now.

*The rat freezes, staring up at Jackson for a second*

I didnae think ye cuid hear me! Th' wee shite sure cannae, s' don' go tellin' me "language!" Oi nevermind, like ah said, th' fookin' wiggler is comin'.

*He turns to stare at the doorway he and Cleo just came from.*

S'gon' come out o'there and ye need t' burn tha thing in th'boiler! Afore it starts t' pupate. We dinnae want it t'spread it's wings, we'd ne'er git out o'here.

*There's is... definitely something moving in the shadows of that hallway now.*

Cleo, just keep your eyes closed, and hold onto JJ, alright? *I move JJ to my shoulder, letting him snuggle up to Cleo. I just need to keep holding onto him and get all of us behind one of the support pillars before the broiler explodes.*

*I start turning knobs, watching the creature in the hall*

Cleo nudges his shoulder hard, trying to get his attention. He looks back at the rat who had leapt onto the floor. They had survived this long together and they knew what they were doing so it would be wrong to suddenly abandon them or stop listening.

*The rat follows Jackson as he starts turning knobs, then looks up at Cleo in surprise. He bobs his head in an attempt at a reassuring gesture.*

So th'wee bugger is nae fully lackin' fer sense... Ye cannae hear me lad, but s'all fine n'dandy.

*The creature in the hall squirms into the light. It's the Caterpillar, only it's grown much bigger since they left it in the vents, and is moving a whole lot faster. It's already through the doorway, and the pressure in the boiler is only just starting to build.*

*I stand up, facing the creature* C'mon! You don't want some scrawny thing like that kid! I'm big, full of muscle! A great big snack! Take me down and Latho will be plenty happy too, won't he? Cleo's just a plain ol' human! I'm something he'd love to disect! *I slice down my arm with my folding knife, drawing blood with my back to the broiler*

Cleo pets the rat’s head in an attempt to calm himself.

*The rat flails around when passed to Cleo, and continues to wiggle, to no avail.*

ARE YE DAFT, HORSE BOY?! AH CHRIST LADDIE QUIT GRISPIN' ME SO TIGHT-

*The creature freezes, it's single eye now fixated on Jackson. On the blood.

On [Sustenance for the next stage]

It's body tenses, bunching up until it launches forwards like a spring, it's open maw and many legs reaching for him.

Behind, the boiler is hissing and the metal is groaning. It's going to explode any second now.*

*I slam both of us against the boiler. Hopefully it's thin enough to be eviceratdd by the blast, but thick enough that I'm not too mangled. I don't want Cleo to see my corpse.*

*I don't care if it's many claws scratch at my face, my back, my limbs. Adrenaline keeps me from feeling fear.*

Does he run? Should he help out somehow? What the fuck does he do?

Through glassy eyes, he once again glanced to the squeaking rat for guidance.

*The rat gives up trying to wiggle, instead flailing his legs and leaning his head in the direction of one of the holes in the floor, where some of the horrors are still being dropped down.*

Lad if ye can glean any meanin' from me, yer boy's already dead! We need ta go soon as tha' thing blows!

*The Caterpillar bites down greedily, insect mandibles and human teeth sinking in to the bone. It writhes and flails it's body around when slammed into the boiler, many wriggling legs hooking into your limbs and body like thorns. The boiler shudders from the impact, it's going to-

-From behind you, a sharp black boot is forcefully planted against the creature's exposed stomach, pinning it to the metal. In the same instance, a pair of arms reach under yours and wrap tightly around your chest. Whoever it is yanks you free of the abomination's mouth and legs, hoisting you straight up off the ground with ease. They make their own 180° turn in the same motion, placing themselves between you and the boiler just as it explodes in a deafening roar.

You can feel the searing heat all around you as the shockwave of scalding steam blasts across the room, tearing other dead horrors free from the assembly line. Some of them wail as they're either boiled by steam or torn by metal shrapnel. Torn and scalded pieces of white fabric fly past your vision in the wake of the destruction.

The thick metal pillar is thankfully enough to shield Cleo and the two rodents, though the heat is just as horribly uncomfortable over there.

As the room quiets again, the tall figure still holding onto you speaks.*

Goodness, that was a very foolish thing.

*Even if he already knows, I won't play the kid and rat into his hands. Presumably, Latho also doesn't know what or who I actually am yet.*

"Apologies, Dr.Latho. I'm a bit late for our appointment it seems. Dealing with some wild animals that got loose."

He balled in tight, shaking and refusing to move. Cleo was hoping to hide, having zero clue who the new voice was. If he wasn’t seen, he could be safe. Thats how it typically went.

Ohh, so that's what you're doing ripping open my floors to reach the quarantine levels, hmm? I do have staff for that sort of thing, you know.

*He sets Jackson down and steps around into view. It's not Latho, not the real one. To a human eye there's no difference, but for Jackson it's easy to see that this isn't the Nyar himself, just a complicated android. The same spectral tendrils hidden in all the Lab's walls and floors are present in it's body like a nervous system. This Latho's labcoat appears to be the only thing that sustained damage, the back of it completely scorched and torn to shreds.*

You can come out now, Cleo. It's quite safe now. :)

*The Caterpillar... there's barely anything left of it. Just a melted pile of goop. It definitely couldn't have shielded Jackson from the blast.*

"I doubt yer staff would've been as fast as my own bare hands. 'sides, it ain't like I did much real harm, now is it? 'Xcept for the boiler. I am sorry for that ruckus."

"My little brother is a bit of an eloper, so I can get him outta yer hair now. Our dad is worried sick for sure."

*If this fake Latho wasn't in front of me I'd use my powers to find the real Latho.*

New spot. He needed a new spot. Fuck, fuck, fuck, he wouldn’t have long. There was the garbage chute but— no, no, he wasn’t going down the dark ass chute. It wasn’t like there was any other options though.

He peeked his head out from the pillar, eyes wide. Cleo only spared the pair a glance before examining everything else once more. Why would he have to examine the words and actions of a lying man after all? He wasn’t stupid. He didn’t dare risk being used as bait.

The ski lift contraption.

It was a dangerous bet but at the very least it went up. Up was typically closer to an exit at least. He assumed he was on a basement level at the very least.

His eyes locked onto one amalgamation that looked close enough to human before he took off into a sprint. Cleo shoved the rat into his hair to hold on then he jumped. He was in the air for an uncomfortable amount of time and his mind raced with the idea of splatting on the floor or being skewered.

He nearly slipped on the blood covering the being and narrowly avoided slicing his arm open but he was able to wrap himself around the unnaturally long leg. Cleo stared as he went higher and higher, heart and mind never stopped. Please, let this lead to somewhere relatively safe.

Latho just... stares, watching Cleo's antics and slow accession with a blank screen and no outward reaction.*

Are all the Manager's children this... unruly?

“GET THE FUCK AWAY! YOU WERE GONNA GIVE ME TO IT AS BAIT, YOU SICK BASTARD!”

Oi, we're never gettin' outta here now...

The volume wasn’t kind on his vocal cords but for a situation like this, emphasis was needed. If he saw Jackson teleport people in the pas faith his own eyes, this may have been a different story, but he had no evidence and too much panic.

Should he try to climb higher? Fuck, Jackson was really close. He didn’t like this. He didn’t like this one bit. Once he got popped out, he had to hit the ground sprinting.

In this same moment... the senses that have been telling Jackson where everyone is, let him know that something fundamental has changed in an instant.

Adam and Lucifer are gone. Light years away from the lab, at least. And yet.... At the same time, they're so close. Impossibly, they're right near this level of the lab.

They're lost out in space.

They're somewhere close to you. Close to Latho.

Both of these things are somehow true.*

*All three of us fall onto the wooden floor of the waylay, the familiar music and sounds enough to almost make me cry for relief. If I had the time? I would for sure. Instead I crawl over on my knees to check on Cleo and the rat, ensuring that they are both okay. I do this like it's nothing, but I doubt Cleo has ever jumped between universes.*

"Cleo, kiddo, hey, we're back, we're here in the Waylay!"

"Dad! Dad Cleo needs help over here!"

“Jackson James-De La Rosa!

“To go into a world you know nothing about without telling me, leaving a note on my desk as if it’s nothing to worry about— to not ask for help— and to not even tell me where you’re going!”

*they pulled him into a hug.*

He skittered backwards, still sitting, until he hit a wall. His breathing was frantic and only once he hit the wall did he jump to his feet. Run. Had to run. Get away.

At the very least, he was physically healthy.

OI LAD CAN YE LEMME GO ALREADY?! WE'RE NAE IN THA GODS-FORSAKEN PLACE NOW YE CAN STOP HOLDIN' ME LIKE A FOOKIN' STRESS BALL

Cleo! Cleo, you're out, we're out! We're back in the waylay, and trust me our friend wants to be put down. He ain't too happy with none of us.

Dad! We have to go back, Luci and Adam are still there! me and Luci had to split up to get both kids... all I could see was Adam being taken further from us by the second! We have to go back!

*they stood as Daisy began to run out of the infirmary.*

“Stay.”

Away. Get away. They’re gonna get away.

*The rat goes limp, accepting his fate at this point. Out of the horror lab and into the grip of a traumatized child.

....At least until a more clear opportunity of escape presents itself.*

Cleo! Kiddo! you gotta stop! You'll hurt yerself!

“Kid. Calm down. You’re okay.”

*The Manager cause Cleo and brought him into their arms, holding him like a child and bringing him back to Daisy.*

“Cleo.”

“LET. ME. GO!”

His horror only worsened when being brought to Daisy. Cleo’s blood ran cold.

No.

Fuck no.

It bites Cleo's hand, hard. It's gonna bite as many times as it takes to get dropped, flung, whatever, it doesn't care at this point so long as it's free.*

“I have to go back. You have to stay.

“I am not letting you get hurt.”

*and all at once, they were through a portal and gone to Latho.

They landed in the lab, heat already radiating off them.*

*Latho materializes from the dark of one of the hallways, shoes clicking sharply on the tile.*

Especially seeing as I didn't take your children, they saw fit to come here and go running amok in the quarantine levels, stealing lab rats and causing destruction.

The kid had heard about Latho, a god who did that curious science thing. She knew nothing about science, certainly less than she knew about magic, except that it appeared to solve many of the mortals' problems. Going to her papa or sister wasn't an option, she thought, pulling the orange beanie cap down a little more to hide her head better. They must not know about her issue, no matter what.

When the child finally entered what at first she thought was a hospital, she realized she must be in the right place. Everything around her was big, and truthfully, as she inspectioned the walls and furniture, Ilyth'la wondered how she was supposed to find that man. She didn't know. But she had hope, that at some point, she would. And then, hopefully everything would be okay-ish again.

@fromcanvastolife 🎃

*The lobby is dark and empty as it usually is... except, today, for Ilyth'la, something is different in the lab. Some of the hallway lights are on, and voices talk quietly in some of the rooms. It's the atmosphere of a building running on night staff and saving on the light bill, not someplace wholly abandoned. A beam of light pours into the lobby as one of the doors opens, and someone in scrubs heads for the reception desk. They stop when they see Ilyth'la though, and smile.*

*They step behind the circular reception desk and sit down at the front computer, grabbing the mouse and clicking a few keys. That smile stays fixed on his face just the same. Never shifting.*

We have plenty of other staff who I'm sure can help you with whateve- Oh! Oh, it looks like you already have an appointment with Dr. Latho, miss Ilyth'la?.. It's in 5 minutes!

*They turn and points down the hallway directly behind him.*

The force of the impact pops the cover loose, dropping him even further down, into the room below.

It's dark, and humid, and loud. Pipes on the walls hiss as they release steam into the room, and the sounds of distant machinery emanates from several foggy hallways. It looks and sounds like some kind of boiler room maze.*

Cleo desperately tries to slow his descent my pressing his hands and arms against the sides but with his sweater, there were little skin to create friction. All he did was gather dust and grime on the fabric as his wide eyes watched his speed grow quicker and quicker. He did not sign up for this.

“OMF-“

He lands on his feet initially by the amount of force causes him to fall to his knees before skittering back up…ow…

Cleo took a second to catch his breath, frantically looking around for the rat. He may have conflicted emotions on the critter but he needed it for survival. As a result, he was also looking at the finer details of the room.

*Even if my nose is bleeding a bit.*

.

*After a moment, the Rat drops out of the vent and lands on Cleo's shoulder. It starts to climb down his arm, but pauses, straining to listen over the sounds of the boiler room. After a second, it squeaks loudly and jumps onto the floor, then scuttles off down one of the hallways.*

“Hey! Wait for me!”

The rat didn’t even wait! Cleo takes off, trusting their instincts. This land was one with a survival guide that he had yet to learn, he couldn’t rely on himself, even if that’d be his preference.

Each loud hiss and clank of machinery makes him flinch and if he wasn’t running, he’d take off his sweater as the humidity closed in on him.

Alright... Way down that won't give me a new degree of burns on my hands... or melt my boots.

*I take off down the halls. They dirtier here, maitnence of some sort compared to the upper floors white walls and sterile smell. It's mechanical down here, I smell oil and grease.*

The rat takes the left turn, deeper into the loud noise and humidity.*

.

*There's a third smell occasionaly mixed in with the oil and grease, something oddly earthy and sweet. It's coming from the olive-green substance that occasionally oozes from a loose pipe or two, slowly beading and folding on itself, like half-melted wax poured from it's candle.

As Jackson gets deeper into the halls, 3 scents becomes 4, 4 becomes 5, 5 becomes an indiscernible mess of who knows how many, as more and more pipes start to cover the walls, different ones leaking different substances. The pipes are all heading in the same direction.*

As they ran, he did his best to avoid the mystery goo, not liking the idea of it potentially being some odd acid. Unfortunately, he did step in a puddle of it once and part of it splattered onto his sock, soaking onto his ankle.

*The mystery goop is... shockingly cold, a stark contrast to the oppressive heat saturating the rest of the floor. It thankfully doesn't seem to do anything else.

The rat keeps going straight, eventually, finally reaching a doorway to a massive room, with a ceiling that stretches at least 3 stories. Two huge platforms overlook the room from the very top, the "3rd" floor. At the very center of the far wall, sits a massive boiler sourrounded by complicated looking machinery. The source of the horrid heat.

And there are pipes coming from every direction. The ceiling, the walls, other doorways across the room. The ones Cleo and the Rat have been following alongside turn down at the doorway, running along the floor, joining the rest as they all feed into the machinery, like veins connecting to a heart.

The room isn't all that strange. Not until you look at the conveyor system.

Metal wires extend from dark openings in the walls, with sharp hooks being pulled up and down them by thin chains, like some deadly ski lift. Impaled on each hook... is some twisted, failed experiment. Bodies that may have once been human, with too many arms growing from their ribcages, animals with eyes and limbs in all the wrong places, and other jumbles of anatomy too mangled to discern.

Some of them are still twitching. Some of them hiss or sob as they're carried into the maw of the furnace, or down into a chute in the floor, to some unknown fate.

_

*The leaking pipes lead Jackson out onto one of the high platforms in this same room, overlooking the horrors below. Overlooking Cleo. He's right there.

But there's no ladders to climb down, or up. Just the conveyor line of horrors.*

But he couldn’t lose sight of the rat so he let it splish and splosh with every step. When the rat paused, so did he, and he nearly passed out from what he saw.

Bodies. Too many mangled and odd bodies. They weren’t far from some that he saw during his time with Avarick but unlike that, he never was going to be a target. Currently, he felt cornered. The next on the chopping block.

He had to shake his head to snap his eyes away, “Where do we go next? Towards where the pipes go or away?”

He just wanted to go home and eat Mac and cheese, please.

*I jump from the catwalk to the ground, rolling with the motion as I hit the floor. Ow. That didn't feel... great. But better than being shot!*

*I kneel in front of Cleo, holding out a bandaged hand* "Just don't look kiddo. You don't gotta look, I'm here, and I'm gonna get you home, okay?"

*I pick him up, pressing his face into my neck so he doesn't have to look at the bodies. The rat... the rat can come too. I pick him up and put him on my shoulder. JJ peeks out from under my hat, just to look at our new passengers, and too frown at another rodent.*

OI I've 'ad enough 'f gettin' fookin' MAN'ANDLED!

*He wiggles around until his paws land on Jackson's shoulder, at which point he hops straight off onto the floor, still actively complaining. He doesn't know Jackson can understand him.*

First th' wee fookin' gobshite now this fookin' horse-boy droppin' in like-

*The rat abruptly pauses his grumbling to squeak loudly yell while running back and forth. As he does, Jackson can see this... Is not just a rat, but also a man. But also sometimes it is just a rat. Like a switch being flicked on and off, his human(?) form fades in and out of existence.*

OI WE DINNAE 'AVE TH' LUXURY T'BE WORRYIN' ABOOT TH'WEE LIL SHITE SEEIN' A'FEW MORE SINS 'O SCIENCE! THE FOOKIN' WIGGLER'S NEARLY 'ERE!

The way I came closed after me, do you know how to get out?

Don’thurthimdonthurthimdont—

Jackson?

The dam collapsed and Cleo broke into a fit of snotty tears with hics and wheezing. He white-knuckle gripped the cowboy’s shirt, squeezing his eyes shut while struggling to catch any air in his lungs.

“I wanna go home,” he sobbed with a quivering lip.

He didn’t want to be here. He didn’t want to end up like those people. He didn’t even know where here was here. He missed Stripes and O’Dare and Lili and The Manager and Penelope and his warm bed.

He couldn’t pay attention to the rat now that he had a familiar lifeline he could cling to…atleast not until Jackson started squeaking.

He just sorta…paused for a minute. So, maybe that weird goop in his sock is making him hear stuff now.

*The rat freezes, staring up at Jackson for a second*

I didnae think ye cuid hear me! Th' wee shite sure cannae, s' don' go tellin' me "language!" Oi nevermind, like ah said, th' fookin' wiggler is comin'.

*He turns to stare at the doorway he and Cleo just came from.*

S'gon' come out o'there and ye need t' burn tha thing in th'boiler! Afore it starts t' pupate. We dinnae want it t'spread it's wings, we'd ne'er git out o'here.

*There's is... definitely something moving in the shadows of that hallway now.*

Cleo, just keep your eyes closed, and hold onto JJ, alright? *I move JJ to my shoulder, letting him snuggle up to Cleo. I just need to keep holding onto him and get all of us behind one of the support pillars before the broiler explodes.*

*I start turning knobs, watching the creature in the hall*

Cleo nudges his shoulder hard, trying to get his attention. He looks back at the rat who had leapt onto the floor. They had survived this long together and they knew what they were doing so it would be wrong to suddenly abandon them or stop listening.

*The rat follows Jackson as he starts turning knobs, then looks up at Cleo in surprise. He bobs his head in an attempt at a reassuring gesture.*

So th'wee bugger is nae fully lackin' fer sense... Ye cannae hear me lad, but s'all fine n'dandy.

*The creature in the hall squirms into the light. It's the Caterpillar, only it's grown much bigger since they left it in the vents, and is moving a whole lot faster. It's already through the doorway, and the pressure in the boiler is only just starting to build.*

*I stand up, facing the creature* C'mon! You don't want some scrawny thing like that kid! I'm big, full of muscle! A great big snack! Take me down and Latho will be plenty happy too, won't he? Cleo's just a plain ol' human! I'm something he'd love to disect! *I slice down my arm with my folding knife, drawing blood with my back to the broiler*

Cleo pets the rat’s head in an attempt to calm himself.

*The rat flails around when passed to Cleo, and continues to wiggle, to no avail.*

ARE YE DAFT, HORSE BOY?! AH CHRIST LADDIE QUIT GRISPIN' ME SO TIGHT-

*The creature freezes, it's single eye now fixated on Jackson. On the blood.

On [Sustenance for the next stage]

It's body tenses, bunching up until it launches forwards like a spring, it's open maw and many legs reaching for him.

Behind, the boiler is hissing and the metal is groaning. It's going to explode any second now.*

*I slam both of us against the boiler. Hopefully it's thin enough to be eviceratdd by the blast, but thick enough that I'm not too mangled. I don't want Cleo to see my corpse.*

*I don't care if it's many claws scratch at my face, my back, my limbs. Adrenaline keeps me from feeling fear.*

Does he run? Should he help out somehow? What the fuck does he do?

Through glassy eyes, he once again glanced to the squeaking rat for guidance.

*The rat gives up trying to wiggle, instead flailing his legs and leaning his head in the direction of one of the holes in the floor, where some of the horrors are still being dropped down.*

Lad if ye can glean any meanin' from me, yer boy's already dead! We need ta go soon as tha' thing blows!

*The Caterpillar bites down greedily, insect mandibles and human teeth sinking in to the bone. It writhes and flails it's body around when slammed into the boiler, many wriggling legs hooking into your limbs and body like thorns. The boiler shudders from the impact, it's going to-

-From behind you, a sharp black boot is forcefully planted against the creature's exposed stomach, pinning it to the metal. In the same instance, a pair of arms reach under yours and wrap tightly around your chest. Whoever it is yanks you free of the abomination's mouth and legs, hoisting you straight up off the ground with ease. They make their own 180° turn in the same motion, placing themselves between you and the boiler just as it explodes in a deafening roar.

You can feel the searing heat all around you as the shockwave of scalding steam blasts across the room, tearing other dead horrors free from the assembly line. Some of them wail as they're either boiled by steam or torn by metal shrapnel. Torn and scalded pieces of white fabric fly past your vision in the wake of the destruction.

The thick metal pillar is thankfully enough to shield Cleo and the two rodents, though the heat is just as horribly uncomfortable over there.

As the room quiets again, the tall figure still holding onto you speaks.*

Goodness, that was a very foolish thing.

*Even if he already knows, I won't play the kid and rat into his hands. Presumably, Latho also doesn't know what or who I actually am yet.*

"Apologies, Dr.Latho. I'm a bit late for our appointment it seems. Dealing with some wild animals that got loose."

He balled in tight, shaking and refusing to move. Cleo was hoping to hide, having zero clue who the new voice was. If he wasn’t seen, he could be safe. Thats how it typically went.

Ohh, so that's what you're doing ripping open my floors to reach the quarantine levels, hmm? I do have staff for that sort of thing, you know.

*He sets Jackson down and steps around into view. It's not Latho, not the real one. To a human eye there's no difference, but for Jackson it's easy to see that this isn't the Nyar himself, just a complicated android. The same spectral tendrils hidden in all the Lab's walls and floors are present in it's body like a nervous system. This Latho's labcoat appears to be the only thing that sustained damage, the back of it completely scorched and torn to shreds.*

You can come out now, Cleo. It's quite safe now. :)

*The Caterpillar... there's barely anything left of it. Just a melted pile of goop. It definitely couldn't have shielded Jackson from the blast.*

"I doubt yer staff would've been as fast as my own bare hands. 'sides, it ain't like I did much real harm, now is it? 'Xcept for the boiler. I am sorry for that ruckus."

"My little brother is a bit of an eloper, so I can get him outta yer hair now. Our dad is worried sick for sure."

*If this fake Latho wasn't in front of me I'd use my powers to find the real Latho.*

New spot. He needed a new spot. Fuck, fuck, fuck, he wouldn’t have long. There was the garbage chute but— no, no, he wasn’t going down the dark ass chute. It wasn’t like there was any other options though.

He peeked his head out from the pillar, eyes wide. Cleo only spared the pair a glance before examining everything else once more. Why would he have to examine the words and actions of a lying man after all? He wasn’t stupid. He didn’t dare risk being used as bait.

The ski lift contraption.

It was a dangerous bet but at the very least it went up. Up was typically closer to an exit at least. He assumed he was on a basement level at the very least.

His eyes locked onto one amalgamation that looked close enough to human before he took off into a sprint. Cleo shoved the rat into his hair to hold on then he jumped. He was in the air for an uncomfortable amount of time and his mind raced with the idea of splatting on the floor or being skewered.

He nearly slipped on the blood covering the being and narrowly avoided slicing his arm open but he was able to wrap himself around the unnaturally long leg. Cleo stared as he went higher and higher, heart and mind never stopped. Please, let this lead to somewhere relatively safe.

Latho just... stares, watching Cleo's antics and slow accession with a blank screen and no outward reaction.*

Are all the Manager's children this... unruly?

“GET THE FUCK AWAY! YOU WERE GONNA GIVE ME TO IT AS BAIT, YOU SICK BASTARD!”

Oi, we're never gettin' outta here now...

The volume wasn’t kind on his vocal cords but for a situation like this, emphasis was needed. If he saw Jackson teleport people in the pas faith his own eyes, this may have been a different story, but he had no evidence and too much panic.

Should he try to climb higher? Fuck, Jackson was really close. He didn’t like this. He didn’t like this one bit. Once he got popped out, he had to hit the ground sprinting.

In this same moment... the senses that have been telling Jackson where everyone is, let him know that something fundamental has changed in an instant.

Adam and Lucifer are gone. Light years away from the lab, at least. And yet.... At the same time, they're so close. Impossibly, they're right near this level of the lab.

They're lost out in space.

They're somewhere close to you. Close to Latho.

Both of these things are somehow true.*

*All three of us fall onto the wooden floor of the waylay, the familiar music and sounds enough to almost make me cry for relief. If I had the time? I would for sure. Instead I crawl over on my knees to check on Cleo and the rat, ensuring that they are both okay. I do this like it's nothing, but I doubt Cleo has ever jumped between universes.*

"Cleo, kiddo, hey, we're back, we're here in the Waylay!"

"Dad! Dad Cleo needs help over here!"

“Jackson James-De La Rosa!

“To go into a world you know nothing about without telling me, leaving a note on my desk as if it’s nothing to worry about— to not ask for help— and to not even tell me where you’re going!”

*they pulled him into a hug.*

He skittered backwards, still sitting, until he hit a wall. His breathing was frantic and only once he hit the wall did he jump to his feet. Run. Had to run. Get away.

At the very least, he was physically healthy.