Stars Under Playtime Co

by Gale-Dragon

It's been 16 years since Deathmask was at Playtime Co... And 15 years since everyone there disappeared w/o a trace. Despite his resolve to forget, he never could. Deathmask knew he couldn't. And when The Underworld needs information about that place. Well, Deathmask is going to have to return to Playtime Co. and face his past and find the answers to the secrets Playtime Co. kept.

2. Chapter 2 Part 1

Stars Under Playtime Co. Chapter 2 Part 1: A Step into the Past.

~}I{~

The first thing that came to Aphrodite and Lunés mind was 'lobby' when they saw the front desk to the Playtime co. factory. There was a Gift Shop on the right and a Security Office to the left of the lobby.

Deathmask's lips pressed into a line when he commented as he placed his hands on his hips, "Damn, except for the dust caking everything and the scattered shit, this hasn't changed at all since the last time I was here, "

Luné couldn't help but comment, "That doesn't surprise me." He looked around before he stated, "But, no souls in this section."

Aphrodite took a step towards the front desk when he stated, "Okay, that only means that we need to go further in." He looked around when he asked, "But where do we go from here?"

Deathmask walked over to the front desk when he stated, "There's a hallway behind reception that leads into the factory area." He pointed to one of two doorways in the wall right behind the circular desk as he explained. Deathmask clicked his tongue as he peered past the doorway and saw that the passageway was seated behind a metal door. only a singular panel with a left palm print of a left hand above the door.

Luné looked into that area via the other opening in the wall behind reception while Aphrodite did that with the opening where Deathmask was standing. The Spectre couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Please tell me that the hand panel above the door isn't the only way to open it?"

Deathmask clicked his tongue before he stated, "Unfortunately, it is... And that means that we need a Hand-Pack."

Aphrodite looked at the Cancer Saint when he asked with a raised brow, "A what?"

Deathmask placed a hand on his chin as Luné walked over to them. The Cancer Saint couldn't help but grumble out, "Or was it called a Handy-Pack? Hm... Sling-Pack? Friend-Pack?" He ran a hand through his hair when he added in annoyance, "Damn! I don't remember what that thing was called! I know it had the word 'Pack' in it though!"

Aphrodite folded his arms when he mused, "I'm not surprised you don't remember. It has been 16 years since you were last here, so we can't expect you to remember every little detail about this place." He let out a sigh before he added, "Worst-case scenario, we bust the door down. Not like anyone will care."

Luné folded his arms when he stated, "I hate to agree, but Pisces has a point." That was when he noticed a dust covered VHS tape on the front desk. Luné raised a brow as he picked up the tape when he asked out loud, "What's this doing here?"

The two Gold Saints looked at the object when Aphrodite said, "It must've been left here when the place was still open. Given the rather thick layer of dust on it." He waved a hand to keep the dust away from his person.

Deathmask looked over his shoulder to see the corresponding VHS player and a mounted monitor in the corner next to the first doorway. The Cancer Saint thumbed the player when he stated, "You can play it on that, but don't expect much. It probably has episodes from one of Playtime Co.'s dumb cartoons."

Luné shrugged before he walked over to the VHS player and inserted the tape. The thing started playing immediately.

An image of a hand that looked identical to the hand of the Huggy Wuggy in the mural behind the semi-circular counter appeared and the voice of a man was heard saying, "Hi, my name is Laith Pierre."

The three took a step back from the device at the loud sudden voice.

The voice from the tv monitor continued, "And I'm the Head of Innovation here at the Playtime Co. Toy Factory. If you're seeing this, then you're trespassing."

The trio raised a brow at those words as they wondered what this tape was supposed to be.

The voice, Laith, continued speaking, "Yeah, we play this little tape on a loop whenever we close the factory for the day."

The Gold Saints and the Spectre glanced at each other at this line as Laith Peirre's voice continued from the telly, "So, Trespasser, just to make you aware. While we pride ourselves primarily on our high-quality toys and excellent child care, we also pride ourselves on our security. For example, this facility is full of hidden motion triggers, which once set off will turn on the factory's emergency alarms and directly contact the authorities. And that's one of the more 'Tamed' aspects of our security system."

Deathmask couldn't help but comment sarcastically, "Oh? And where was that shit when I was here?"

The voice of Laith Pierre continued speaking, "No spoilers, so you've got my warning. It's not too late to turn around. I just hope that you're certain whatever you're doing is worth it." The monitor was quiet for a few seconds before it started repeating the same lines from the beginning.

Luné folded his arms as the tape repented and asked, "Why would a toy factory need such security?" He looked at the Cancer Saint when he added, "I know you told us that the Poppy Playtime doll had some secret construction method but I don't think the kind of security method this Laith Pierre is implying is needed to keep it safe."

Deathmask shrugged when he stated, "He could be exaggerating." He nodded his head at the TV monitor when he added, "I remember this guy. He was obsessed with making sure the factory's security was functioning and that he needed to know everything that was going on. Everyone called him Paranoid Pierre behind his back because of that mentality." Deathmask snickered when he said with a smirk, "I lost count of how many times I pissed him off by sneaking past his precious security. Got my bastard uncle in big trouble because of it."

Luné had a flat expression when he commented, "Why am I not surprised."

Aphrodite had a more logical mindset when he asked his lover, "Do you still remember those routes?"

Deathmask folded his arms when he said, "Yeah, but I doubt we can use some of them."

"Why?" Both Aphrodite and Luné asked in confusion.

Deathmask moved his right hand until it was levelled with his waist when he stated, "Those pathways were brat-size, no way any of us are going to fit into them if they're still there."

Both Luné and Aphrodite let out a flat, "Oh." as they blinked at what they heard.

Deathmask looked over at the security office when he stated, "Let's check out that. There must have some way to open the entrance to the factory."

The other two agreed as they all made their way over to the security office. But, of course, the door was locked behind a code pad...

Hang on...

Aphrodite pressed four random colours, of which lit up as soon as they were activated, but got an error sound. The lighted buttons then went dark. The Pisces saint narrowed his eyes at this when he said, "Hm, it looks like this still works too..." He looked at the other two when he folded his arms and added, "Yet another weird fact to a place that has technically been abandoned for 16 years."

Luné was confused when he asked, "How is that weird?"

Deathmask snapped his fingers in realisation when he stated, "Someone has either been paying for the utilities or making their own power somehow." Luné was still confused. The Cancer Saint quickly explained how that aspect of the Living World worked and how it would be weird for their current situation.

Now that Luné understood that, he understood how the utilities still working was weird. He stared at the door when he stated, "Still... We need to get through to get into the factory." Luné glanced at the two Gold Saints when he added, "And if we are going to have to break the door down, you two are going to have to do it..." He couldn't stop himself from shivering as he tried to tap into the power of his star sign, but he couldn't outside his support abilities.

Aphrodite raised a brow as he looked at the Spectre when he asked, "Please tell me that you aren't completely helpless?"

Luné glared at the Pisces Saint when he snapped, "Of course, not!" A shiver pulsed through his body when he added, "But... I don't think I can do much outside collecting the souls, providing some extra storage if needed, and my whip, " He had a hand on his weapon before he realised it.

Deathmask glanced at the colour pad when he mused, "Meh, can't say I'm that surprised that's all you can do here... Given what had to be done so you can get here without getting a seizure..." He eyed the Spectre when he added, "So it'll be best if you stick with one of us."

Luné reluctantly had to agree to that.

Aphrodite shrugged when he stated, "I don't mind, but don't expect to join in on our relationship." He said that last part with a straight face.

Luné shuttered for a different reason when he vocalised, "EW! No thanks! And Don't suggest that again!"

This earned a good laugh from the Gold Saints while the Spectre's face turned pink as he frowned.

Deathmask stared at the coloured pad for a few seconds before he vocalised, "Wait a second," as a memory surfaced in his mind.

}{ Flashback }{

5-year-old Deathmask kept Night-Light close as his so-called uncle left him with the gaggle of other children so he could start his shift on time. The kids happily watched the cartoon playing on the tv monitor next to the reception desk, but little Deathmask didn't care much for those 'Smiling Critters Cartoons' so he looked around at the grown-ups nearby.

That was when the future Cancer Saint noticed that an employee had been standing in front of the security office door for a really long time. Little Deathmask wondered why the guy wasn't going into the room. Then the guy hustled towards the Main Entrance and walked right by the group of kids. Little Deathmask watched this employee in confusion as the guy walked into the Gift Shop.

Not even ten seconds later, that same Playtime Co. employee walked out of the Gift Shop and made a beeline towards the security office. Little Deathmask watched the guy the entire time. The 5-year-old then watched as the guy stood in front of the Security Office door for about five seconds before the glass door slid open and the guy walked in.

Little Deathmask blinked in confusion as he wondered why that Playtime Co. employee didn't open the door earlier.

"Okay! Who's ready to go to the Game Station?" The female employee asked the group of kids.

Little Deathmask turned to the adult as the other kids exclaimed excitedly, "We Are!"

The female employee clapped her hands together when she said, "Wonderful! Now, let's say hi to Huggy Wuggy on the way~."

}{ End Flashback }{

Aphrodite placed a hand on his perfectly formed chin when he stated after hearing that memory, "I'll admit, that is weird that one employee didn't open this door right away, "

Deathmask scratched his cheek when he admitted the more he thought about it, "It wasn't just one of the Playtime Co.'s employees... It was easily a dozen, or at least... I remember seeing a dozen go to the Gift Shop after standing in front of this door for a while and then coming back after a few seconds and opening the door."

Both Luné and Aphrodite stared at the Cancer Saint when they jinxed. "A dozen?"

That was when the trio slowly looked at the colour-code pad before they turned their attention towards the Gift Shop on the parallel wall.

Aphrodite had a flat look when he asked his lover, "Oi, Mask... How long were they in the Gift Shop before they returned to this door?"

Deathmask had a matching expression when he replied, "No more than 15 seconds, Ten on adverage..."

One of Lunés brows twitched when he stated, "So... It has to be in plain sight..." He pinched the bridge of his nose when he asked in a disbelieving tone, "That is not only a security issue, which is rather ironic, but it's also..." Luné let out a breath when he added, "Do I even need to say it?"

Aphrodite took a few steps towards the Gift Shop when he stated flatly, "If it makes you feel better..."

Deathmask followed when he added with a sigh, "Given how often I've been able to make fools of them when I was a brat... I can't say that I'm surprised..."

Luné let those words sink in as he stood there a few seconds before he hustled to follow the Gold Saints when he stated flatly, "I'm not even going to ask."

They made their way into the Gift Shop and looked around. The goal was clear; find something visible that had some kind of colour pattern. However...

"Hm? A soul?" Luné stated as he and the Gold Saints made their way over to the check-out counter, where the white blob of light hovered...

Deathmask took note of the size when he mused, "A child?" He walked over to the hazy figure of light, which became more human-like the closer the others got. Deathmask knelt to the level of the soul when he asked, "Hey, kiddo, do you know where you are?"

The soul now looked like a 4-year-old girl who stared at the grown-ups in confusion. The young soul then looked around before she asked, "No, But... Where's Boogie?"

Luné looked confused but Aphrodite seemed to understand before he moved to get another Boogie Bot that was out of its packaging. The Pisces Saint came back and held out the toy when he asked, "Is this Boogie?"

The little soul smiled as she reached out to her favourite toy and said with glee, "Boogie!" She happily took the toy and hugged it, the little bot lit up when it said, "Let's B-B-Boogie!" The girl giggled when she replied, "Maybe later." she glanced up at the Gold Saints when she asked innocently, "Are you my new mummy and daddy?"

Luné let out a cough that sounded suspiciously like a laugh as the Saints glanced at each other. Deathmask reached out a hand and ruffled the Soul's hair (?) when he said, "No, but we'll help you get there." The Cancer Saint tilted his head to the side when he asked, "How are you feeling?"

The little soul slowly closed her eyes when she said, "A little sleepy."

That was when Aphrodite jumped in by saying, "How about you take a nap for now. When you wake up, you'll be in your new home with someone to take care of you."

The little Soul slowly nodded when she said, "M'Kay." She then closed her eyes as she curled around the Boogie Bot toy, falling asleep.

The Gold Saints looked at Luné, who nodded in understanding. The Spectre carefully manifested three spheres the size of an adult human head, each a different colour. Blue, yellow, and red. These orbs floated in the air right in front of Luné. The blue one glowed and the soul of the child turned into a whisp before being drawn into the blue orb.

The Boogie Bot fell to the floor with a clunk.

Luné let out a soft breath as he allowed the orbs to fade into his subspace. He leaned against the nearby counter to let a small dizzy spell pass. The next thing Luné knew he saw a granola bar with protein rich nuts, honey, and some grained cereal in front of him. The Balron Spectre looked past the food to see Aphrodite holding it

The Pisces Saint urged the silver-haired man to take the bar when he said, "It's not poisoned if that's what you're thinking. But if this is what's going to happen if you collect one soul, then you're going to need this. And possibly more..."

Luné reluctantly accepted the offered item. He sniffed it first before he nibbled on the granola bar.

Aphrodite rolled his eyes before he noticed Deathmask holding a different Boogie Bot toy. At first, the Pisces Saint wondered if the child's soul had some effect on the Cancer Saint, but then he noticed what the other was really looking at. "Blood?" Aphrodite commented in both confusion and disgust.

Deathmask placed the bloodied toy back on the counter with his lips pressed in a line when he said, "Yeah... Dried blood..." He then stared at the aged blood stain on the counter.

Luné swallowed what he had in his mouth before he stated, "This had to be that toy that child was attached to. Poor thing must've been killed while holding it." He looked around as he mused, "But apparently it was of no importance to whoever took her body away."

Deathmask clicked his tongue when he stated, "Sick, but at least the kid doesn't have to suffer." He glanced around when he reminded, "But back to the task... Either of you see anything that could be a colour code?"

Aphrodite moved until he was standing in the middle of the Gift Shop, in line with the door, before looking around. He didn't see anything with any of the colours on the key-pad or had any type of pattern order.

Luné finished off the bar as he too looked around, getting annoyed by the fact that this was taking too long.

Deathmask placed a hand on his chin as he leaned against the closest wall. He knew that those employees were never in here for long, meaning that what they had to look for was easy to find. Yet, they couldn't find it whatever form it took... Why?

Deathmask happened to glance up, and saw a cute, little toy train chugging away on the circular track above. At first, the Cancer Saint wondered how that thing was still working after all this time but then the colours of the four train pieces.

The engine was green, the second section was pink, the third was yellow, and the caboose was red.

'Hang on... Green, pink, yellow, red...' Deathmask thought before remembering the colours on the code pad. "Found the pattern!" The Cancer Saint stated as his eyes kept on the chugging little train.

"You did? Where?" Both Aphrodite and Luné question as they turn to look at the Cancer Saint.

Without removing his hand on his chin. Deathmask pointed his index finger on that hand towards the toy train above everyone. The Pisces Saint and the Balron Spectre looked up and saw the train still chugging away as if nothing else matters.

Everyone stared at the moving toy when Aphrodite commented dryly, "Well... Not completely obvious but still..."

Luné retorted in a dry tone, "It is still in plain sight... Somewhat..."

Deathmask shrugged his shoulders when he stated, "Come on, let's get into the Security Office so we can continue our mission." He pushed himself off of the wall and walked out of the Gift Shop. Aphrodite smoothly followed his lover.

Luné folded his arms as he trailed behind the Gold Saints when he stated, "This still feels poorly planned out..."

Deathmask typed in the train colour pattern on the code pad when he replied, "You're not wrong, but I don't think we shouldn't complain too much."

The code pad made a high pitched beep, all the colours glowed, and the door opened.

The three walked into the security office without any other issue. Much to their dismay, the main security system was down but it didn't surprise them THAT much given the age of the factory.

Also...

"Oh! It's a Hand-Pack!" Deathmask said when he noticed a storage section with a glass door, recognising the device inside.

There was a TV propped next to the storage with a blue VHS Player. On the other side of the storage section was a desk with a thick computer monitor, keyboard, a Cat-Bee toy, and a blue VHS tape.

Aphrodite picked up the VHS tape and glanced at the TV monitor when he stated sarcastically, "Do you think someone wanted to make sure the employees played a certain tape to a certain monitor?"

Luné moved over to the Gold Saints as he folded his arms when he asked, "Were the Playtime Co. employees that idiotic?"

Deathmask scratched his cheek when he replied, "A few, but not enough to warrant colour-coding these items..." He glanced at the hand pack behind the glass when he mused, "But not our priority."

That was true, but...

Aphrodite inserted the tape into the VHS when he said, "Well, can't hurt to see what's on this. And it might tell us something useful."

The monitor played the video immediately.

After reading the headline of the video, Deathmask commented, "Oh, it's called a Grab-Pack."

( Poppy Playtime: Grab-Pack instructions video (FOUND IN GAME FILES) )

Deathmask and Aphrodite glanced at each other with a 'You saw that, right?' look as Luné commented in an unsure tone, "I know that the many customs of the Living World can be strange and confusing, but... The part about aiming the hands at a co-worker... Feels... Out of place... Somehow..."

The Pisces Saint frowned when he stated as the glass storage opened, "It's oddly violent for a tutorial for a tool of a toy factory."

Deathmask's lips pressed in a line when he stated, "And they let the kids use those? With just the bare minimum 'how-to'?"

Luné and Aphrodite looked at the Cancer Saint when they got out at the same time in shock, "They did? Why?"

Deathmask glanced to the side when he replied, "Just to play the Whack-A-Wuggy game, but I know a few of the kids managed to lift some when the Watchers weren't looking."

Aphrodite raised a brow when he commented, "Why would they use something like a Grab-Pack for a Whack-A-Mole rip-off?"

Deathmask clicked his tongue before he replied, "Just like I told you, it was all along the wall of the room it was in..." He folded his arms in aggravation when he grumbled, "I don't know who designed it, but 'fun' wasn't in mind..."

Aphrodite wrapped an arm around his lover's lower back when he asked with concern, "That bad?"

Deathmask reluctantly nodded when he grumbled, "None of those games we were forced to play in the Game Station were fun..."

Luné placed a hand on his chin as he hunted the Grab-Pack out of the storage. The Spectre looked over the device only to discover that it only had the blue left hand. 'Strange, why would they store a defective one here?' Luné thought as he examined the control system for the Grab-Pack and the size of the thing. The Spectre frowned before he turned to the Cancer Saint when he asked, "Is this supposed to be this big?"

Deathmask looked at the Grab-Pack when he said, "For the adults, yeah. They made brat-sized ones for the Whack-A-Wuggy game." He raised a brow when he commented, "But it's supposed to have two hands..."

Luné figured as much as he stored the Grab-Pack into his subspace. Aphrodite raised a brow when he asked the Spectre why he was doing that. Luné kept still when he stated, "It's bulky and will get in the way, It would be best if we use the parts when needed, "

Deathmask hauled the Spectre to his feet when he stated, "Practical, but if you pass out it'll be pointless." He shoved a bottle full of an energy drink into the silver-haired man's hands when he snapped, "It's not poisoned, so drink what you need."

Luné was unsure about this as he took a small sip of the energy drink, and cringed at the rather strong taste. He explained how he can use the Grab-Pack without having to worry about the weight or the pushback. Luné then added, "It doesn't use as much energy, but if we don't need the Grab-Pack it would be best to keep it in my subspace." He then grumbled, "Hopefully, we won't need it as much," and then took another sip of the energy drink, trying to ignore the taste.

Deathmask's lips pressed in a line when he commented, "I think we might need to 'head out' to restock our supplies sooner than we planned..."

Aphrodite folded his arms and stated sarcastically in a flat tone, "That's reassuring..."

Deathmask folded his arms as they left the Security Office when he stated, "Not for us." He nodded his head towards the Spectre when headed, "With him being cut off from the Underworld, he's wearing out too quickly. Even with the bare minimum use of his abilities."

Luné froze mid-sip at those words. He would've made some kind of retorted comment, but he realised the Cancer Saint was right... Luné collected one soul and he got dizzy right after, then shoving the Grab-Pack into his subspace made him a little woozy... True, he can still use these abilities, but he was using more energy on them than he normally uses...

Aphrodite let out a hum before he stated, "Let's see how many of our supplies we use in the next section and how much we get done before we 'head back'." They then came to the area behind the reception desk.

Luné opened his subspace to access the blue hand and the control section for it. He got a little woozy and knew he couldn't aim properly.

Deathmask offered to shoot the hand, since he has some experience using it. The Spectre was more than willing to let the other do it but not to go overboard. The Cancer Saint tested the Grab-Pack's movements within the subspace before he launched the blue hand at the corresponding panel.

The loading line went from one side of the panel to the other before the door opened.

There was a sign on the second support arch that read 'Welcome to'.

When they came to the end of the hallway and walked into this new area, the only light that came into the area came in through the glass windows on the ceiling. The first thing the men's eyes were drawn to was a towering, fuzzy blue statue of a plush toy.

The statue was probably (and most likely) twice the height of the two men with the bulk of that height being the legs with arms nearly as long as its whole body. Big red lips that were propped in a big smile. Glass eyes that had a white base and the 'eyes' being black. Yellow velcro-like palms with the left arm dangling at its side while the right arm was posed in a friendly wave. Yellow feet that seemed to match the statue's hands. This statue was standing in the middle of a platform which was positioned precisely in the centre of this new circular area. There were huge building blocks behind the massive statue that spelt out 'HUGGY', and packaged toys that looked like the statue were scattered around the platform. A decent-sized sign board was mounted in front of the statue. Hanging over the statue was a sign that read 'Playtime Co.', the apparent name of this toy factory. And the area was spacious with a high ceiling.

There were five locked metal doors, with two being locked behind the Grab-Pack hand panels. However, one had just the blue hand panel while the other had a blue and a red hand panel. The other three had no indicators as to how they could be opened. Those three were marked with signs that read from left to right; Testing, Innovation, and Theater. The door with the two hand panels had no sign, same with the door with just one hand panned. There was a door with yellow glass on the left of the one hand panned door that had the sign that read 'Power' over it.

Luné's eyes narrowed at a few sections when he stated seriously, "There are five souls here."

There were five spots that had a hazy glow before they became more human-like. All three were adults this time and they all appeared to be shivering with fright. But none of them were Aciano...

Luné summoned the three orbs again. Much like before, the souls turned into wisps of light, but unlike last time, they were drawn into the yellow orb. Once that was done, Luné returned the orbs to his subspace. He almost collapsed, just managing to catch himself on the closest wall.

Aphrodite stared at the Spectre when he said, "Yeah, we're going to need to 'head back' to get another of those charms for you..." The Pisces Saint watched as Luné downed the rest of the energy drink, before he coughed due to the taste. The Gold Saints glanced at each other at this but said nothing about it.

"Wow, nothing here has changed..." Deathmask commented dryly as he and the others finally took a look around the immediate area now that they didn't have to focus on the lingering Souls. The Cancer Saint crossed his arms when he added with a bit of an unnerved tone, "It's like Cronos never touched this place..."

Luné managed to settle himself when he commented dryly, "You can't be serious." But he couldn't help but note how the Cancer Saint didn't seem to notice his words.

"Mask?" Aphrodite vocalised to get the other Gold Saint's attention.

}{ Flashback }{

The female employee told the group of children to make three neat rows before they could start on their way to the Game Station.

5-year-old Deathmask hated this part of the routine as he unwillingly moved to one of the three lines. In all honesty, the future Cancer Saint wished they wouldn't do this thing on the way to the Game Station.

As soon as all the children were in the neat lines the female employee led them into the room with the huge Huggy Wuggy statue. "Alright! You know the rule~," the woman told the children with a smile, and then added, "When you step on the blue stars, you send Huggy Wuggy a hi-five!"

Little Deathmask rolled his eyes as they walked around the Huggy Wuggy statue to follow the route towards the Game Station. He kept watch as the other kids happily raised their dominant hand into the air as they happily said, "Hi-five! Huggy!" the moment they stepped on one of the blue stars, smiles decorated their faces.

When little Deathmask's turn was closing in, he shifted Night-Light to his left arm as he got ready to do the dumb action. He looked up at the giant, blue fuzzy statue who was posed in a permanent wave. The moment little Deathmask stepped on the blue star, he raised his right hand into the air at the statue and said in a forced happy tone, "Hi-five. Huggy."

}{ End Flashback }{

Deathmask had his arm outstretched in that same hi-five pose that he hasn't done since he was in his horrible uncle's care. When he realised what he was doing, he clicked his tongue and ran his right hand through his hair when he grumbled, "Why did I do that?"

Aphrodite placed a hand on his lover's shoulder when he suggested, "Maybe it was one of the few good memories of this place?"

Deathmask looked at the Pisces Saint when he replied in an unusual tone of uneasiness and annoyance, "I don't know how. I never liked that they made all of us do that stupid ritual every day to and from the Game Station." He let out a sigh as he glanced down at his left foot that was still on one of the blue stars. Deathmask tapped the design with that foot when he stated with a sigh, "The other kids didn't seem to mind, even if they didn't understand why they were doing it..."

Luné tossed the bottle back to the Gold Saints when he stated dryly, "Your nostalgia isn't going to cause problems for us during this mission, is it?" He waited a few seconds before he tried moving again.

Aphrodite caught the now empty bottle when Deathmask retorted mockingly, "My nostalgia can't be any worse than you nearly passing out just from collecting three souls." The Pisces Saint slipped the bottle into the pocket of his camping pack.

Luné turned pink as he looked away from the Gold Saints. The Spectre couldn't believe how weak he was within this toy factory. Normally, Luné could've collected 30 mortal souls without breaking a sweat, but here... He wholeheartedly agreed that Athena's Saints calling Playtime Co. an 'Underworld Deadzone' was accurate...

Aphrodite looked at the sealed doors when he commented, "Think we can bust through those without an issue?"

Deathmasked glanced at the labels over each door that had one before commenting, "The door with just one of the Grab-Pack hands leads to the Make-A-Friend room, but I remember passing a few other doors on the way but I don't know where those lead." He glanced at the doors with the 'Innovation', 'Theatre', and 'Testing' Signs when he added, "Those should be self-explanatory. And before you ask, no, I haven't been in either of these."

Luné walked over to the two Gold Saints when he asked, "What about the one with two of the Grab-Pack hands panels?"

Deathmask stared at the door with the two Grab-Pack hand panels when he said, "Hmm… Ah! That was the door we used to go through for the trains (1)." The Cancer Saint placed a hand on his chin when he added, "But I do remember passing a lot of doors along the way, but I don't know what was behind those. Although, I could've gotten into those areas via the secret pathways I've found without knowing it." Deathmask looked at his lover when he admitted, "Even I was surprised by how strangely complex those pathways were despite the employees and Watchers not knowing about them..."

Aphrodite raised a brow when he asked the Cancer Saint, "You sure?"

Deathmask nodded when he said, "Yeah, I mean, given how upset Paranoid Pierre was every time I got caught outside the Game Station and Playcare, even worse when I wouldn't tell'em how I got there... I'm sure he and others didn't know about them."

Luné glanced at the door with the single blue hand panel when he commented, "I know I still don't understand a lot of the 'Norms' of the Living World, but isn't it strange that someone in a security position does not know about every part of their workplace?" He then walked over to that sealed door.

Deathmask nodded when he said, "It is, and I sure as hell didn't complain about it at the time." He glanced up at the Huggy Wuggy statue, wondering how the thing was still standing after all this time.

Aphrodite wrapped an arm around his lover as he moved him along to the door with the single blue hand panel where the Spectre was standing. The Cancer Saint didn't fight this, but he did somewhat scowl slightly. Aphrodite glanced over his other shoulder to get a look at the Huggy Wuggy statue. For some reason, the Pisces Saint felt something off about the statue but couldn't put his finger on what.

Luné already opened his subspace to use the Grab-Pack. The moment the blue hand hit the panel with the corresponding colour, a static orb of light travelled along the wire connecting said hand panel to the Power Room as it cackled with every movement. The three watched the orb, somewhat expecting one of the two doors to open, but the only thing to happen was the sound of a lightbulb breaking filled the air from the Power Room.

No one said anything at this before they heard the soft sound of something metal jangling. They eyed each other before they turned around to see a swaying yellow key with a triangle bow (the part of the key you hold) in the statue's waving hand. Something that was NOT there a few seconds ago.

Luné looked at the Cancer Saint, somewhat expecting an answer from the guy. But all Deathmask did was shrug as he shook his head. Aphrodite placed a hand on his chin at this oddity.

A whip was launched and wrapped around the key without a hitch before it retracted. The key landed smoothly in Deathmask's hand as the whip returned to its owner skillfully.

Aphrodite let out an amused hum when he said to Luné with a rather sly, sadistic smirk on his lips, "My, my, my, you would be popular at an S&M Club with how well you can use that~."

Luné was confused as he docked his whip at those words, but when he realised what the Pisces Saint was saying, he turned pink. The Spectre glared at Aphrodite when he snapped angrily, "Will you stop with those annoying comments!"

Deathmask was too busy looking at the key in his hand to notice the conversation. He ran a finger over the teeth of the item and felt the weight of it. Deathmask narrowed his eyes at the key, wondering why it seemed so familiar to him despite being sure he had never seen this.

A hand on the Cancer Saint's arm snapped him out of his thoughts. Deathmask's attention snapped towards the Pisces Saint when he heard him ask, "Mask, are you okay?"

Deathmask nodded as he clenched the key as he moved towards the Power Room door and said, "Yeah, I guess Playtime Co. made their keys look similar or something." He unlocked the door without a hitch. Which again, is very strange considering the lack of use for over a decade and a half. Deathmask narrowed his eyes as he cautiously opened the door and commented in suspicion, "I think we're going to have to call the others to do some double-checking on the employee list..."

Aphrodite agreed as he glanced at the smiling Huggy Wuggy statue before he and the others walked into the narrow passage leading into the Power Room.

The Power Room wasn't well lit. There was enough to see where one was going, but outside the areas that had a direct light source it was pretty dark. There was a light over a poster with a pink Huggy Wuggy, so the words written on it. There was one electrical pillar from the Grab-Pack training video, a wall that had some sort of generator behind a cage. There was a red Bron toy in the corner near the wall that was missing it's legs, neck, and was covered in blood and there was one more thing in here...

"Another Soul," Luné commented coldly as the three stared at the dinosaur toy, which had a hazy mist over it.

Unlike the three souls in the round room, this soul felt older, like it lived longer than the other Souls they came across. Perhaps this soul lived around 50 or 60 years before dying.

As the Gold Saints and Spector got closer the soul became more human-like, and as expected, this soul took the shape of an older man. Oddly, he looked older than his Soul felt.

Deathmask recognised the Soul's human appearance immediately when he got out in shock, "Mr Tom?!"

That got the Soul's attention as he looked at the three, but more focused on the Cancer Saint. The Soul tilted his head to the side as he stared at Deathmask, unsure about who he was yet finding him familiar in some way.

Luné looked at the Cancer Saint when he asked, "You know this Soul?"

Deathmask nodded when he explained, "Yeah, Thomas Clarke, but he told us kids to call him Mr Tom. He was one of the paediatricians for Playcare." He looked at the soul when he said, trying to get through to him, "Remember, Mr Tom? You made sure all the kids in Playcare were healthy and happy..." Deathmask paused when he realised something odd when he added in an unsure tone, "But, you retired roughly two month after I was placed in Playcare... For health reasons..."

Aphrodite raised a brow when he asked in confusion and suspicion, "If that's the case, then why is his soul still here?"

Luné rolled his eyes when he commented dryly, "Obviously, he died here."

Deathmask glared at the Spectre when he snapped, "How could Mr Tom die here when he retired? That means that he wasn't at Playtime Co.!"

Aphrodite explained to Luné how retirement worked in the Living World and what one does when they fall ill.

Something seemed to spark in Thomas Clarke's memories when he finally said, "Oh! I remember you." to the Cancer Saint. The soul smiled when he said softly, "I can't believe that you're all grown-up now, you little trouble-maker."

Deathmask had a small smile when he stated, "Not so little anymore, Mr Tom." He folded his arms as the smile faded when he asked, "But, seriously, why are you still at Playtime Co.?"

"Still at Playtime Co.?" Thomas Clarke questioned in confusion. The soul shook his head when he said, "I can't be... I had to retire because I got diagnosed with lung cancer and needed to take care of that." Thomas Clarke looked around at his surroundings before he said in confusion, "But... This doesn't look like a hospital... Or any type of medical facility "

Luné was rather confused about this soul's memories.

Aphrodite had a suspicion when he asked the soul, "Mr Clarke, what's the last thing you remember?"

The soul of Thomas Clarke took some time to think about that question before giving his answer. He remembers having turned in the paperwork for his retirement, then a nice little farewell party by the kids, Laith Peirre telling him that Playtime Co. would like to help pay for his hospital treatment for all he did, him signing the papers giving his consent for his workplace to pay for his treatment, and lastly, falling asleep on the train back to the main building of the Playtime Co. factory. That was it. Thomas doesn't know how he got here or where 'here' was.

Now Luné was suspicious about how this soul died. After all, the souls of the dead linger on the spot where they died before they are collected. By that logic, this soul had to have died here yet does not remember coming to this location. However, there are Souls that aren't aware that they are dead or deny that they are dead. Given the conversation that just happened, Luné had to conclude that Thomas Clarke didn't realise he was dead, but it still felt off to the Spectre for some reason and couldn't understand why.

Deathmask took a step closer to the soul when he said, "Mr Tom, we're going to take yah to a place where you're going to get the care you need." He looked over his shoulder at the Spectre when he added, "It's a little weird, but you're going to be safe during transport."

Thomas Clarke couldn't help but smile when he said, "I'll accept that." He winked at the Cancer Saint when he added, "Try to keep out of trouble."

Deathmask scoffed when he playfully retorted back, "Not my fault if trouble finds me."

Thomas Clarke foundly rolled his eyes at those words.

Luné summoned the three orbs from his subspace. He took a deep breath to concentrate his energy into his task.

The soul of Thomas Clarke turned into a whisp before being drawn into the yellow orb.

When the task was complete, Luné let out a breath as he returned the orbs into his subspace. The Spectre rubbed his temples as he swayed slightly. Not as bad as last time, but still inconvenient and not to his standards. Luné opened his eyes to see the Cancer Saint staring at the spot the soul lingered.

Aphrodite wrapped his arms around his lover from behind when he asked softly, "He was one of the good ones, wasn't he?" He rested his chin on the Cancer Saint's right shoulder.

"Yeah…" Deathmask mumbled softly before he said, "I only knew Mr Tom for two months, but... He was nice to us... Even if we caused a lot of trouble..." His eyes were drawn to the bloodied mutilated Bron toy on the ground and wondered if that was there when the paediatrician died.

Aphrodite pressed his lips against his lover's neck before he said, "He must've had a lot of patience to put up with you after your so-called uncle dumped you at Playcare..."

"Yeah," Deathmask vocalised as he placed a hand on the Pisces Saint's.

Luné walked further into the Power Room, keeping an eye out for more souls and anything they could use to get the door working. He glanced at the Gold Saints before he continued. Luné wanted to tell them to snap out of it, but he chose not to out of the need to avoid any unwanted fighting and comments.

The Spectre read the poster with the pink Huggy Wuggy with a raised brow.

"Remember:

Do: Be kind to others, Show up on time, NOT hide behind doors to scare Laith Pierre.

Don't: Stay past 8:00 PM, Misuse company time, Tamper with machinery, Enter the 'Innovation' wing without authorisation."

Luné placed a hand on his chin as he re-read the poster in an unsure manner. He couldn't help but note how the 'Do' and the 'Don't' sections... Didn't feel like they lined up... The 'Do' section seemed more minor and humorous while the 'Don't' section felt more serious and mandatory. This didn't make sense to Luné as he thought, 'It's not consistent.' The Spectre then tapped on the 'Not hide behind doors to scare Laith Peirre' part as he remembered what the Cancer Saint said about this guy. Luné folded his arms as he wondered, 'Is that 'Do' out of humour or malice?'

Luné heard the Gold Saints coming toward him and glanced at them as they drew closer. The two looked at the poster and were as confused as the Spectre. Aphrodite made an unsure scowl when he asked as he tapped on the Laith Peirre line when he asked, "It seems like the other Playtime Co. employees didn't just call him Paranoid Peirre, they might've had a hand in reinforcing that behaviour and mentality."

Deathmask couldn't help but say as he scratched his cheek, "But how did Paranoid Peirre miss what's on this poster when he was always 'in the know'? Plus, it is where everyone can see it."

Luné had a flat expression when he mused, "I'm pretty sure you know my theory."

Deathmask let out a 'meh' before he said, "Fair point."

They then continued down the rest of the path, passing another Electrical Pillar and a panel with hand prints of different colours decorating the blue surface. The three glanced at one another as they thought that it couldn't possibly be that easy.

But it was that easy.

Deathmask ripped the panel off without any issue and there was the electrical power point they needed to connect with the Electrical Pillars. Luné launched the blue hand of the Grab-Pack at the electrical button, once it was anchored he led the metal cord unwined as he connected it to the two electrical pillars.

The moment the metal cable touched the second Electrical Pillar, the power came back on. Luné was glad that he could see again.

Aphrodite looked at the continued path to see if it continued, but it didn't. However, the Pisces Saint noticed blood on the brick wall at the dead end and went to investigate. Deathmask noticed and was quick to follow. Luné noticed that the Gold Saints weren't coming back and went to figure out why.

Aphrodite traced his fingers over a word carved into the stone. "Wonderful?" The Pisces Saint muttered as he wondered why anyone would carve that word specifically into a dead end wall Aphrodite then glanced at his lover for his reaction.

Deathmask ran his fingers over the other carving on the wall. To the Cancer Saint, it looked like some kind of elongated claw. Deathmask pulled his hand away from the carving as if it burnt him. When he released what he did, he was confused as to why he recoiled.

Luné studied the bloodstains before he noticed the Cancer Saint's strange reaction.

Aphrodite studied the carving of the elongated claw before looking at his lover and asking, "Mask? What is this supposed to represent?"

Deathmask shook his head as he shrugged and said, "I don't know," He looked at the claw carving when he added in an unsure tone, "I... Don't even know why I-I recoiled from it..." The Cancer Saint felt something wrong about that carving, but didn't know what.

Aphrodite moved to his lover to comfort him while Luné moved to inspect the carvings. The Spectre didn't understand what these etchings were about. The bloodstained wall told Luné that someone or multiple people were injured here but didn't die… Not right away at least…

The Spectre looked over at the Gold Saints, wondering why the Cancer Saint reacted that way despite not knowing. Luné glanced at the bloodstain on the wall before he walked towards the Gold Saints when he stated, "There aren't any more souls here. Let us open the door to the next area."

Deathmask and Aphrodite looked at each other for a few seconds before they silently agreed. The Cancer Saint wrapped an arm around the Pisces Saint's shoulders while Aphrodite wrapped an arm around Deathmask's waist as they walked out of this area and followed the Spectre.

The Gold Saints then collided with the Spectre, who had suddenly stopped a few paces away from the door leading into the circular room.

This, of course, aggravated the Gold Saints when they snapped, "Oi! What's the hell?!" But the Spectre didn't move from his spot.

As Deathmask let out a growl, Aphrodite moved to get a look at Luné's face. The Pisces Saint was caught off guard when he saw that the Spectre was paler, shaking slightly, and his eyes were wide. Aphrodite raised a brow before he looked at Deathmask, who now had a confused expression, before he asked the Spectre, "Oi, Balron, do you need food or water?"

With a shaky hand, Luné quietly pointed his right index finger towards the round room as his lips trembled slightly.

Both Deathmask and Aphrodite peered past the Spectre to see what he was pointing at, but there was nothing there. Only the giant building blocks, the scattered toys, and the podium were there.

"Deathmask," Aphrodite finally vocalised after a few seconds.

"Yeah," was the Cancer Saint's response.

Aphrodite pointed at where the giant statue was supposed to be when he asked, "Is that Huggy Wuggy on a section that could lower it under the podium?"

Deathmask pressed his lips in a line when he replied in an uneased tone, "Not that I'm aware of..."

Luné slowly got his voice back when he got out in a hoarse voice, "Th-there... There has to... To be an explanation..."

The Cancer Saint moved so he could get a better look in the round area without leaving the power room when he suggested weakly, "Maybe he got tired and decided to take a break..."

Aphrodite gave his lover a whack on the shoulder when he stated sternly, "Not funny, Mask." The Cancer Saint turned to the Pisces Saint and gave a sheepish shrug.

Luné took a deep breath to settle himself and tried to think about a logical reason as to why the centrepiece of the round room had disappeared.

The sound of the Funeral March suddenly pierced the air, causing the three to jump out of their skin. When they realised that it was Deathmask's cell phone, they calmed down rather quickly. Of course, there was a mutual agreement among the three that no one needed to know about them getting spooked by a ringtone before Deathmask pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and answered the incoming call.

"Hello?" The Cancer Saint stated as he put the caller on speaker.

Aphrodite and Luné moved closer to the Cancer Saint when the caller said, "Is this thing working?" The voice sounded a little far away. Then there was some kind of metallic sound.

Suddenly, the sounds of the phone being more came through the speaker before another voice was heard saying angrily, "Let me use this before you break it!"

Deathmask, Aphrodite, and Luné glanced at each other with raised brows at this.

Shura's voice came through the speaker when he said, "Listen, Minos needs you three back for a bit. Apparently, he and Thanos made a soul checklist for you to use."

The Gold Saints glanced at each other when Luné asked into the phone, "Is that it?"

Shura's voice came through the speaker when he stated, "Nope, a few of us managed to get some information on Playtime Co. that raised some questions that, hopefully, Deathmask can answer."

Deathmask let out a low growl when he got out, "Please tell me that the Twin Gods aren't going to do the questioning."

Shura let out a low hum before he said through the phone, "Sorry man."

Deathmask let out an annoyed grunt at these words as Aphrodite asked into the phone, "Do they need us back now?"

There was a sigh before Shura said, "Yeah... They do... And you might as well restock your supplies while you're out of that place and bring in any Souls you found."

The three vocalised their 'okays' before Deathmask used his Sekishiki Meikai Ha and they all went through the portal to the Underworld.

}{

Milo let out a relieved sigh as he sat on one of the beds of the sleeping compartments on an overnight train. The Scorpio took his pack off when he said in exhaustion, "I can't believe how long it took for this train to get here." He let the pack plop onto the floor by his feet.

Camus sat next to the other Gold Saint when he stated, "It can't be helped. This area has a lot of unpredictable weather during Winter." He placed his pack on the floor by his own feet when he added, "Be advised, the train might have to stop a lot due to heavy snow and snow storms."

Garuda Aiakos clicked his tongue as he tossed his bag onto the couch parallel to the beds in the compartment and stated, "Let's hope that this train gets to Asgard within a reasonable time." He glanced at the two beds in the high-class sleeping compartment when he asked, "Weren't there supposed to be three beds in here?"

Milo rolled his eyes when he stated dryly, "This is more convenient and I can share a bed with Camus." He glanced out the window to see snow.

Aiakos stared at the Gold Saints longer than he wanted before he finally got out in an unsure tone, "Oh... Right... Radamanthys mentioned that the two of you were..."

Milo scoffed as he folded his arms and stated in annoyance, "Gee, I wonder how he found out." He didn't bother to hide a glare at the Underworld Judge as Camus laid on the lower bed in their temporary lodgings.

Aiakos suddenly found the falling snow on the other side of the train's window fascinating when he said, "We only wanted answers..."

"From a toy that one of you attempted to steal?" both Milo and Camus retorted flatly.

Snow was oddly beautiful to Aiakos when he asked, "I take it you two don't mind me taking the upper bed?"

Milo rolled his eyes as he got comfortable next to Camus as he closed the privacy curtain. They decided to rest before the train leaves the station.

Aiakos noticed this and was quick to snap, "Don't even think about having sex here! Especially when I'm around!"

Things were quiet for exactly five seconds before Camus said flatly through the curtain, "We weren't planning on doing that during this trip, at all, hentai."

Aiakos's face turned bright red when he heard Milo asking him if the other the Underworld Judges were just as perverted.

}{

Aldebaran turned the page of the book he brought with him as he and the Spectre he was with waited for the information they needed from this place. The Taurus was clearly prepared for this situation, the Spectre not so much.

}{

Kanon checked their location on the GPS and then looked at the directions they needed to follow. The younger Gemini Twin made a 'follow me' motion when he said, "Okay, we're not far from our destination."

Radamanthys nodded as he took a step closer to Kanon, but Saga got between them when he said to his twin brother, "Alright, lead the way."

Kanon nodded as he walked ahead, following the GPS. Radamanthys let out a low growl as he glared at Saga. The older Gemini Saint felt the Spectre's anger on him and turned to return the glare as he started on walking. Saga let out a 'humph' as he picked up the pace to catch up to his brother. Radamanthys narrowed his eyes at the older Gemini Saint before he followed.

}I{

Deathmask growled when he snapped, "Okay. Now I know you're trying to piss me off!" He knew he was a thread width away from giving Death a punch in the face.

Thanos tossed the blueprints of Playtime Co. onto the table between him and the angry Cancer Saint when he stated sternly, "These are all the blueprints of every location owned by Playtime Co. that were on file with those mortals involved in keeping building structures archives. And there isn't anything with the name 'Playcare' in them." Death folded his arms when he stated, tone unchanging, "So either some idiotic mortal neglected to update these to include Playcare or you were lying." Thanos frowned when he added, "And lying to a God has consequences."

Deathmask glared at the God as he snatched the blueprints off the table and snapped back, "How about you stop being a hypocrite and ask your stupid questions directly for once!" He growled as he unrolled the blueprints and stated, "I LIVED in Playcare for two and a half years, so it has to be in the blueprints."

Thanos narrowed his eyes at the Cancer Saint, already expecting the worst, but what he saw wasn't anywhere close to that. The God of Death watched the expression on the Gold Saint's face go from angry before looking at the blueprints, to confused while looking through the blueprints, and then to shock as he went through the blueprints a second. Deathmask then asked where the rest of the Playtime Co. blueprints were, bewildered confusion was plastered all over his face.

Thanos has seen many expressions that have crossed the faces of mortals he has collected when they die, all genuine. So he would know when someone would try to fool him with a mask, but the ones on this Cancer Saint's face... Thanos placed a hand on his chin when he stated, "That is all the blueprints for Playtime Co.. The ones assigned to this task made completely sure of that," He tilted his head to the side as he kept his attention on the Cancer Saint when he said in an unsure tone, "You're genuinely surprised that there isn't a section for the Playcare in these..."

Deathmask growled before he snapped back in anger, "Of course, I am! How could the section for Playcare not be in here!"

Thanos narrowed his eyes at those words when he motioned for a Spectre to come over and ordered them to send the pair who retreated the blueprints back to that mortal archive to check if the people there missed a section. The Spectre bowed before they scurried off to follow through on that order.

Deathmask looked over the blueprints yet again, wondering why there were so many missing parts to them, not just the Playcare sections.

Aphrodite took a look at the top section and noticed something odd about it. The Pisces Saint slid that section out of place when he commented, "How come there are six doors in that area where the Huggy Wuggy statue is supposed to be?"

Luné folded his arms as he walked over to the two Gold Saints when he stated dryly, "In case you forgot, there were six doors in that area."

Deathmask looked at what his lover was staring at when he realised, "Ah, I see what you mean, Dite. There should be seven doors. The three metal doors with the signs, the two metal doors that need a Grab-Pack, the door to the Power Room, and the door connecting the entrance to that area." He tapped on one of the spots on that blueprint section when he added, "Judging by the positions... It looks like this is missing the door to the Theatre."

Thanos raised a brow when Luné went over to see if what was said was true, and it was. That was when the Spectre noticed the date printed on the blueprint and asked, "When was the last time the Playtime Co. buildings were inspected for safety and structural integrity?"

Deathmask scoffed when he stated sourly, "There were hardly any safety protocols there." He clicked his tongue when he added bitterly, "All us kids were told to stay calm and obey the people in charge so they can make sure we were always safe."

Luné and some of the nearby Spectres stared at the Cancer Saint with an expression that was a mixture of unsure and 'really?' Thanos only raised another brow at this.

Aphrodite couldn't help but ask his lover, "Uh, Mask, are you exaggerating or is that really what they told you and the other children?"

Deathmask dropped the blueprints he was holding on the table with a scoff when he stated bitterly, "Trust me, I wish I was exaggerating, but that was what they told us." He folded his arms when he added, tone unchanging, "If there's a fire, stay calm and obey the people in charge. If there's an earthquake, stay calm and obey the person in charge. If there's a power outage, stay calm and obey the people in charge. If there's a cave in, stay calm and obey the people in charge." He rolled his eyes when he grumbled out, "It was ridiculous..."

Thanos was confused when he vocalised, "Cave in? In a toy factory?" The God of Death wasn't just confused by what the Cancer Saint had just said, but also by the fact that he could not sense any aura of deception of any kind. This made Thanos conclude that the Cancer Saint was telling the truth, as strange as it was.

Deathmask scratched his cheek when he thought about that cave in part when he suggested, "Uh, well, the train did go through a tunnel to the Game Station and the Elliot Express. And tunnels are technically cares, so I guess that's what the 'cave in' part is for..."

Aphrodite seemed concerned when he asked, "Uh... What about train safety? Or what to do when the train suddenly stops? And God forbids what to do if the train derails!"

Thanos scoffed when he stated in annoyance, "That last one would be an error on the mortals' end then on the divine side."

Hypnos suddenly appeared when he told his twin, "Brother, that is one of those strange mortal sayings rather than one of our doing." He had a grey bag in hand as walked over to the God of Death, who glanced over with a broad look at those words.

Deathmask actually had to think about what Aphrodite had said before he replied honestly, "I honestly don't recall any of the employees ever going over any type of 'what to do in an emergency' talk at any time... Just the obey the people in charge lectures,"

The Spectres seemed rather confused by what the Cancer Saint had said. To them, it sounded too... Counterproductive...

Hypnos placed a hand on his chin when he stated honestly, "I'm aware that we value the loyalty of our Spectres, but we do expect them to use their individual skills and personal knowledge to do what's needed on their own. However, what this Playtime Co. was doing to the children in their care seems to be conditioning them into blind obedience."

Deathmask scratched his cheek as he thought back on a few things before he said, "Not just the kids, I've seen a few instances with the higher-ups doing that to their employees… I didn't know what all that meant at the time other than being super bizarre."

Luné couldn't help but comment, "How... Odd for a toy company to do..." He then glared at the nearby Spectres when he caught them staring at him. The Balron Spectre wanted so badly to wear the clothing he preferred, but even he knew that those wouldn't bode well from what he has seen so far. That and the Gold Saints he was grouped with would counter any reason not to wear the borrowed clothes.

Hypnos handed Deathmask the pack he was holding and another Underworld charm when he said, "Here, these should help in your mission." As the Cancer Saint looked over the charm when the Sleep God stated, "It's counterproductive for a Spectre to wear more than one under normal circumstances, but a second one should help with Balron Luné's energy within Playtime Co."

Aphrodite eyed the extra pack when he asked as he pointed at it, "And this?"

Hypnos walked away when he stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "A couple of things that may be of use in that place. So please open it when you're there." Thanos raised a brow at his brother's actions and words.

Deathmask and Aphrodite seemed suspicious of this while Luné was fine with it.

After they got everything else they needed, the Playtime Co. Factory team used Deathmask's Sekishiki Meikai Ha to continue their mission.

}{

And the three found themselves right outside the front doors of the Playtime Co. Factory, again.

Luné looked over at the Cancer Saint in confusion. Both Aphrodite and Deathmask had to admit that this distance difference was greater than the last time, but it was still within the range of the deviation that can happen with the Sekishiki Mei kai Ha. Although it WAS weird that it happened twice in a row.

Aphrodite was already holding a sweater as Deathmask held the 2nd Underworld charm as they re-entered the building. And just like the prior time they closed the door behind them, the unpleasant wave washed over them and Luné felt the sudden temperature drop. Aphrodite gave the sweater to the Spectre. After Luné slid the sweater back on, Deathmask handed him the charm. The Balron Spectre felt a lot better than before, but he still needed the sweater to keep warm though.

They walked back into the circular room. As they expected, the Huggy Wuggy statue was still missing. Not important, but the now vacant spot left an eerie feeling in the air.

The blue Grab-Pack hand landed on the single panel of the corresponding colour. The loading bar went from left to right at a steady rate until it was filled. The metal door slid open with a minor shriek.

Luné returned the Grab-Pack parts into his subspace, feeling relieved that he didn't have the dizziness, wooziness, or fatigue this time.

The now open passage wasn't as narrow as the last hallway they trekked through, at least twice the width and height. There was a round sign over the first support structure of the hall that read 'Make-A-Friend'. They could see that the doorway at the opposite end looked blocked.

"Hm," Deathmask vocalised in a low, unsurprised tone before he stated, "Debatable on if the obstruction is expected or not." He let out a sigh before he added, "But the doors don't look like they're blocked."

Aphrodite frowned as he folded his arms and stated, "Not as comforting as you think, Mask.'

Luné pulled the copies of the blueprints for the area out of his subspace and looked it over carefully before he finally stated. thoughtfully, "Hmm... According to this, the door on the left leads to a storage warehouse while the right appears to be an alternative route to a factory train stop..."

Deathmask took a step into the new path when he stated dryly, "I suggest looking at those blueprints with a huge grain of salt, considering how much of this place is conspicuously missing from them."

Aphrodite followed when he added flatly, "Fair point."

The Spectre did have to admit that the Gold Saints were right. Luné glanced at the date of approval stamped in one of the corners before he squirrelled them away into his subspace. He walked to catch up to the two when he asked, "Wasn't the soul you were lo-."

All three froze when they noticed a familiar lanky, fuzzy blue arm with a yellow velcro hand slinking into the open door on the left wall.

None of them moved for exactly ten seconds before they looked at each other with expressions that asked, 'You saw that too, right?' and when they saw that the others had the same look, they knew they couldn't have imagined it. Luné immediately got his whip ready to use, Aphrodite manifested a red rose in full bloom, and Deathmask cracked his knuckles.

They carefully made their way to the door on the left, ready to attack if needed. Deathmask, being the closest, pushed open the door as the others got into fighting stances.

The only thing on the other side of the door was a dark, narrow pathway with a door with a light over it at the end with an image of a smiling Huggy Wuggy with a hard hat and a hammer in hand. Deathmask had a puzzled expression as he looked over at Aphrodite and Luné to see their reactions. The Pisces Saint tucked the rose behind his right ear with an unsure expression and the Balron Spectre wrapped his whip but didn't dock it.

Deathmask looked back into the dark pathway with narrowed eyes before turning his attention on the closed door on the right wall. Aphrodite took note of this and went to test the door behind him. It was locked, of course.

Aphrodite narrowed his eyes at this as he looked over at Deathmask and shook his head. The Cancer Saint frowned as his eyes narrowed further.

This was a little too convenient.

Luné didn't know what this silent exchange meant, but he knew it had to be serious. He tightened his grip on his whip.

The three stared into the dark pathway once more as they wondered what lies beyond the door at the end.

~}I{~

To be continued.

~}I{~

1… While we have no idea what is canonically behind the door with the two Grab-Pack panels at the beginning of Chapter 1 (as of before the release of Chapter 4 of Poppy Playtime, in this story, it leads to the main stop for the train Playtime Co. uses to transport the children to and from the Game Station. I'm going on the logic of 'If the Make-A-Friend Machine is the "End" of the Factory Tours, then the other door has to be the "Start" and should contain the places that correspond'.

~}I{~