In Playcare, the cable car circled the area before stopping near the stairs. When the cable car's door opened, some kids started running out of it in joy and went down the stairs.
Soon after, a young Michelle, wearing a lilac dress, stepped out of the cable car while holding her Doey toy close to her chest. The male caretaker crouched to Michelle's level with a smile. "Everything will be alright, Misha," he said.
Michelle glanced at the male caretaker. "If anything bad happens, find a Miss Delight or an employee, and they'll contact us," he continued.
Michelle looked down and nodded. "We'll see you in a few hours," the male caretaker said before entering the cable car.
As the cable car started going up, Michelle went down the stairs and looked around. Why build this place underground? It's so weird... she thought.
Michelle heard crying, which surprised her and made her look around. When Michelle turned her head to the right, she spotted a young Katelynn sitting on a hill, crying in the distance, which made her slowly approach her. When Michelle was close to Katelynn, she looked at her. "Hey... are you alright...?" she asked.
Katelynn looked at Michelle as she sniffled. "N-No... I-I..." she said in a low voice before she started crying again. "I lost my Big Brother!!"
Michelle frowned as Katelynn continued crying and sniffling before kneeling to her level. "I-It'll be OK..." she said in a low voice. "I-I can help you find your Big Brother."
Katelynn stopped crying before glancing at Michelle with tears pricking her eyes and a bit of snot coming out of her nose. "R-Really...?" she asked.
Michelle gently smiled and nodded before Katelynn hugged her tightly, which made her look at her, surprised. "Thank you..." she said in a low voice.
After Katelynn let go and wiped her eyes and nose, Michelle stood up and held her Doey toy under her left arm before holding her right hand out, which made her take it with her left hand.
As the duo started walking, Michelle looked at Katelynn. "What does your brother look like?" she asked.
Katelynn held her free hand above her head. "He's taller than me, and he's got spiky brown hair..." she said before looking at Michelle. "And I think he's the same age as you..."
Michelle hummed a bit and nodded. "Katie!!" a young male voice shouted, which shocked the duo and made them look around. "Where are you?!"
Katelynn looked in the direction of the Counselor's Office and pointed at it. "That's Big Brother!!" she shouted.
Michelle nodded before looking at Katelynn. "Hold onto my hand," she said.
Katelynn nodded before the duo started sprinting toward the Counselor's Office. At the bottom of the stairs, Kevin frantically looked around in panic and worry. "Where are you, Katie?!" he shouted.
Kevin looked down and started hyperventilating a bit. What if... I don't ever get to see her again...? he thought.
"Big Brother!" Katelynn shouted, which made Kevin freeze up and turn his head to the back.
Kevin's eyes widened when he saw the duo approaching him, with Katelynn waving to him. Tears pricked Kevin's eyes. "Katie..." he said in a low voice before sprinting toward the duo.
Michelle let go of Katelynn's hand before she sprinted toward Kevin. "Big Brother!" she shouted.
When the siblings were close, they held onto one another in a tight embrace. Kevin trembled. "I was so worried that something terrible happened to you..." he said in a low voice.
Soon after, Kevin pulled away and held Katelynn's shoulders before kneeling to her eye level. "Never leave my sight again... understand?" he asked.
Katelynn looked down and nodded. "I'm sorry, Big Brother..." she said in a low voice.
Kevin smiled a bit before looking at Michelle; she stared at him before looking away. Kevin stood up and held Katelynn's hand before they approached Michelle. "You're the one who found my sister?" he asked.
Michelle remained silent and nodded. "Thank you for finding her," Kevin said.
Michelle looked at Kevin as he examined her. "I don't think I've seen you before; what's your name?" he asked.
Before Michelle opened her mouth, the trio heard a voice. "Hey, look, it's a new person," a young male voice said.
The trio turned to the back and saw a small group of boys with devious grins. A red-haired boy with freckles approached Michelle. "And it looks like it's a puny little girl," he said.
The red-haired boy eyed the Doey toy under Michelle's left arm. "And look at this, she's got a dolly," he continued before grabbing its head and snatching it from her. "Yoink!"
Michelle's eyes widened. "Hey! Give that back!!" she shouted before reaching for her Doey toy.
However, the red-haired kid tossed the Doey toy to a black-haired kid, who caught it. "Aw, is the little girl gonna cry?" he asked in a mocking tone as he moved his hands near his eyes before making a crying face and moving them up and down. "Wah, wah, wah..."
The other two kids laughed as tears pricked Michelle's eyes before reaching for her Doey toy again. However, the black-haired kid tossed the Doey toy to the blonde-haired kid, who caught it and laughed.
The blonde-haired kid thought of something and stared at the Doey toy with a devious grin. "Hey guys... how do you think she'll react if we smash the thing?" he asked, which made Michelle's eyes widen.
Unbeknownst to the group, Kevin punched the blonde-haired kid in the face, which made him release the Doey toy and shocked the others.
Soon after, Kevin grabbed the Doey toy before menacingly glaring at the trio. "You assholes better leave her alone before I knock your teeth in; got it?!" he shouted.
Michelle stared at Kevin in awe. "So cool..." she said in a low voice.
The other two approached the blonde-haired kid in panic before they looked at Kevin. "Whatever, she can keep the stupid doll," the red-haired kid said before they ran away.
After the trio was out of sight, Kevin huffed a bit. "Stupid jerks..." he said in a low voice before looking at Michelle.
Kevin approached Michelle and held her Doey toy out to her. "Here," he said.
Michelle quickly grabbed her Doey toy and wrapped it around her arms. "Thank you..." she said.
Kevin rubbed the back of his neck and looked away with a slight blush. "It was nothing... those jerks always do that to the new people; it really pisses me off," he said.
Katelynn approached Michelle. "Are you OK, Big Sister?" she asked.
The duo looked at Katelynn, surprised. "Big Sister?" they asked.
Katelynn smiled and nodded. "She's super kind and caring to me, hence Big Sister," she said.
Michelle stared at Katelynn before looking away with a blush and a slight smile. "I... was never called that before..." she said in a low voice.
Kevin sighed a bit. "Well, if Katie's already calling you that, I guess you're not as bad as the kids from that other orphanage," he said.
Kevin looked at Michelle and held his hand out, which made her look at it. "The name's Kevin... Kevin Barnes," he continued. "And the little girl beside you is my younger sister, Katelynn Barnes."
Michelle looked at Kevin's hand before wrapping her left arm around her Doey toy and placing her hand in his. "Michelle Mercia... but... the people in my orphanage call me Misha," she said.
Kevin hummed a bit. "Misha... I like the nickname," he said as they shook hands. "If you stick with my sister and me, no jerk is gonna bother you or your doll again."
Michelle stared at Kevin with sparkles in her eyes before smiling. "Thank you..." she said.
...
...
...
On the lift, most of the group stared at the vault-like hatch, concerned or scared. Michelle stared at the vault-like hatch, distraught, with tears pricking her eyes. "Mommy... Huggy... Kissy..." she said in a low voice.
DogDay looked down with somber eyes. "There's... nothing we can do..." he said in a low voice before approaching the console and pressing the large button.
Soon after, the lift started going down. "For now... let's hope those three took your advice to heart, Misha..." DogDay continued.
Michelle looked down before nodding. "Yeah... let's hope so..." she said in a low voice.
Poppy looked down and gritted her teeth. "I can't..." she said, which made the group look at her. "I can't leave them like this."
Poppy turned to Michelle. "Listen, Michelle, you and your group go on ahead; don't wait for me," she continued.
Michelle looked at Poppy, shocked. "Are you nuts? You're gonna go up there by yourself?" she asked.
Poppy was determined. "I'm not going to leave them behind, and I won't sacrifice my plan," she said. "Not because of..."
Poppy closed her eyes a bit and placed her hand against her chest. "Because of me," she continued.
Michelle was worried. "Poppy..." she said in a low voice.
Poppy opened her eyes and looked at Michelle. "Just... be careful; down here, it's... " she said. "It's not like anything you've seen above."
Michelle was concerned. "It's not trying to hide what it is," Poppy continued. "It's Hell... and Playtime wanted it to be..."
Soon after, the lift reached the bottom. "But there are allies down here... Ollie, the larger Smiling Critters, and even... your friends..." Poppy said. "You have to get to them."
When the gate opened, most of the group got off the lift; before Michelle got off, she turned her head to Poppy. "Be careful up there," she said.
Poppy nodded as Michelle got off the lift before approaching the console and pressing the large button.
As the lift's gate closed and it started going up, Poppy approached the side of it and looked at the group. "There's still time to save the orphans. Follow the Red Smoke! And look out for—" she was cut off when steam came out of a pipe before it went higher.
Michelle was shocked. "Orphans," she said before looking at CatNap. "They're still alive?"
CatNap nodded. "THE FALSE GOD HAS THEM IN THE LABS WITH HIM..." he said.
Michelle covered her mouth a bit. "This changes everything..." she said in a low voice. "She also mentioned a plan; is it a way to free them?"
DogDay looked forward. "We can figure that out later; for now, we should head to Safe Haven," he said.
Most of the group nodded before they walked forward; Michelle shivered a bit and rubbed her arms, which made Bunzo Bunny look at her. "Are you OK, Big Sis?" he asked.
Michelle looked around. "I-I'm fine..." she said. "It's just a lot colder than I expected."
Miss Delight looked at Michelle. "Did you bring a jacket or a long-sleeved shirt with you?" she asked.
Michelle quickly nodded. "I-In my bag... I should have a jacket in there..." she said before undoing the GrabPack's straps and taking it off.
After Michelle placed the GrabPack on the ground, she approached her backpack and grabbed the zipper tab before unzipping it and digging her hand inside it.
Soon after, Michelle pulled a black jacket out of her backpack and quickly put it on before grabbing the zipper tab and partially zipping it, which made her sigh a bit. "That's much better..." she said in a low voice.
As Michelle grabbed the backpack's zipper tab and zipped it back up, CatNap carefully grabbed the GrabPack before holding it out to her. "HERE..." he said.
Michelle smiled at CatNap. "Thanks, bud," she said before getting her arms through the straps.
After CatNap let go of the GrabPack, Michelle adjusted the straps. "Now then, let's see what we're working with in this room," she continued before looking at the stairs and approaching them.
After Michelle climbed the stairs, she approached the door and spotted a battery socket next to it and a deactivated scanner on the other side. "There's a battery around here somewhere..." she said in a low voice before looking around.
Soon after, Michelle spotted a handle on the roof, which made her grab the left arm cannon's handle before aiming at it and pulling the trigger. The blue hand shot forward and grabbed the handle. "Now to sprint forward," Michelle said before sprinting forward.
Soon after, Michelle jumped and swung herself to the other side; she pulled the trigger, which made the blue hand retract back to her before she landed on the box.
After Michelle stood up properly, she turned her head to the right and spotted the battery behind a busted fence. "There you are," she said as she grabbed the right arm cannon's handle before aiming at its handle and pulling the trigger.
The purple hand shot forward and grabbed the battery's handle; after it retracted back to Michelle, she got off the box and sprinted toward the stairs.
When Michelle was close to the battery socket, she placed the battery inside it, which powered the blue hand scanner. Michelle aimed the left arm cannon at the scanner and pulled the trigger, launching the blue hand and touching it.
While the scanner was activated and the group climbed the stairs, Michelle looked at the wall and saw an eye painted in dried blood, which concerned her. "Who is that...?" she asked in a low voice.
Soon after, the scanner finished, and the door opened before Michelle let go of the arm cannons' handles. "C'mon, let's move," she said, which made the group nod.
As the group went through the opening, they saw a hallway; Michelle looked to the left and saw a door slightly open, which made her approach it.
As Michelle opened the door, she spotted a note on the desk before approaching it and picking it up. As Michelle read the note, the group looked at her through the opening. "Did you find anything?" Miss Delight asked.
Michelle crumpled the paper into a ball. "Oh, just a note saying that the right pressure conditions make the Red Smoke combustible," she said before tossing it to the ground. "That would've been really nice to know."
After Michelle left the room, the group approached the door before she placed her hand on the doorknob and twisted it. After Michelle opened the door, the group entered a rocky pathway before walking forward.
Bunzo Bunny looked at Michelle. "Hey, Big Sis," he said, which made her look at him. "About Kevin and Katelynn... what were they like when they were human?"
Michelle smiled. "Katie is a real sweetheart..." she said. "A pure and innocent little girl who has a bit of her brother's temper."
Michelle held her hands a bit. "Speaking of her brother... Kevin may come off as hot-tempered and rude, but he's a good guy once you get to know him," she continued.
Bunzo Bunny tilted his head. "How old are they?" he asked.
Michelle placed her finger against her chin while humming. "Well... Kevin and I are about the same age, so he should be seventeen too," she said. "As for Katie..."
Michelle smiled and petted Bunzo Bunny's head. "She would be about the same age as you," she continued. "And knowing her for so long, she'll like you."
Bunzo Bunny smiled as they reached the end of the pathway; Michelle spotted a crate and grabbed the arm cannons' handle before aiming at it and pulling the triggers.
Both hands shot forward and grabbed the crate before they pulled it away, which revealed a hole in the corner.
After the GrabPack's hands released the crate and retracted back to Michelle, she crouched and examined the hole with a hum. "It seems like the smaller toys and I, along with PJ and Miss Delight, can fit through this," she said.
Michelle looked at DogDay and CatNap. "You two, however..." she said in a low voice.
DogDay looked at the large hole on the right side. "We'll take an alternate path; this should hopefully lead us back to you," he said.
Michelle nodded as she let go of the arm cannons' handles. "Stay safe out there, you two," she said.
The duo nodded as Michelle and the smaller toys started crawling through the small hole before they entered the large hole. While the duo was walking, CatNap turned his head to DogDay. "YOU DON'T TRUST ME, DO YOU...?" he asked.
DogDay glanced at CatNap before looking forward. "If I'm frank, I don't," he said. "You followed the Prototype like a loyal shepherd, and now you follow Misha just like that; I find it hard to buy... especially if you keep calling him a 'False God'..."
CatNap looked forward. "HE SAVED MY LIFE WHEN I WAS HUMAN..." he said. "IF I CALL HIM ANY LOWER, IT WOULD MAKE ME ARROGANT..."
DogDay remained silent. "THE ANGEL SAVED MY LIFE EVEN THOUGH I WAS HER ENEMY..." CatNap continued. "NO HARM WILL COME TO HER... I SWEAR..."
DogDay sternly looked at CatNap. "And if you do harm her, what then?" he asked.
CatNap looked at DogDay. "THEN YOU MAY TAKE MY HEAD AS PENANCE..." he said.
DogDay looked at CatNap with shocked eyes. "DOES THAT SOUND FAIR...?" he asked.
DogDay remained silent before looking away. "There's no need to go that far..." he said, which made CatNap tilt his head. "I'll take your word that you won't hurt Misha, Theo..."
CatNap chuckled. "I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT NAME IN A LONG TIME..." he said. "THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING, ARTHUR..."
DogDay remained silent and crossed his arms; soon after, they saw the group in the distance. Michelle spotted the duo as they approached the group and turned her head to them. "Hey, you two," she said. "Did something happen?"
CatNap looked at Michelle. "NOTHING FOR YOU TO WORRY ABOUT, ANGEL..." he said.
DogDay nodded in agreement. "We should keep going," he said, which made Michelle nod before the group walked forward.