August 30th, 1990
Playcare
17:51
It was a regular day at Playcare for all the children that lived in it. The temperature was perfect for a dive in the pool, or to simply be outside and enjoy yourself with your friends.
At least, that's what it's supposed to be for most people.
On a corner, far away from any child, sat a boy, a small Catnap plush in his lap, looking down on the ground.
He felt sad sitting there, on his own, with only a plush to keep him company, but there was simply nothing else to do.
After all, his best friend had left him, and he wasn't sure if he would ever see him again.
He was happy for him, of course. He had gotten adopted! Of course he would be happy for him. Who wouldn't want their friends to find a family of their own?
And yet, he couldn't feel happy without him by his side. He felt as if a part of him had been taken away, a feeling he'd never ever experienced before.
Was that selfish?
"Theo?"
The boy's head snapped upwards, turning to the source of the voice. It was Nathan, walking towards him with a worried face.
"Geez man, are you okay? I haven't seen you like this ever since before I met you!" He asked.
Theo simply looked down again.
Nathan gave a long sigh, walking and sitting down next to him. "Hey buddy. Look at me." He told Theo, raising his head with his hand.
"Are you still sad about Damian?"
Theo shook his head, but it didn't work as well as he wanted it to. "Come on, Theo. I may not be good when dealing with emotions like Rose was, but even I can see you're lying!"
Theo looked away from him.
Nathan simply sighed yet again. "You miss them too, don't you?"
Theo flinched but couldn't help but nod. "Yeah…" He mumbled.
"I get what you mean." Nathan hummed. "I do too. But I'm happy they at least got to see the outside world and have a family, y'know?"
"I know…" Theo replied. "I just…"
He paused, feeling tears welling in his eyes. "He was my first ever friend… I don't want to lose him…"
It was technically his second friend, but he'd never say that out loud. He had made a promise, after all.
Nathan simply watched Theo's small breakdown with a worried face. He wasn't very good with words, and it was a miracle he hadn't screwed up yet.
Still, he put a hand on his shoulders. "I know. He was the first friend I made here too. It hurts to see him gone, but do you think he'd want you to just go back to the state you were in before he became your friend simply because he's not here?"
Theo looked surprised to hear that looking at the smiling boy with widened and teary eyes. "N-No…"
"Exactly! And hey, even if the rest are gone, you still have me here to cheer you up!" Nathan reassured. "I'm sure you'll find a family soon and you'll be able to meet Damian again."
"You think… a family would want me?"
"What are you saying? Of course! Don't tell me you're judging yourself for being shy again!" Nathan exclaimed. "Rose didn't leave a manual on how to deal with self esteem issues I can use!"
That managed to bring a laugh to Theo as he looked upwards, to the fake sky.
"You think… we'll see the real sky someday?" Theo asked.
"Of course we will! That's like… my dream since I came into Playcare!" Nathan laughed. "And I promise, you will see it too, and along with Damian as well!"
Theo smiled. "I… I hope that's true…"
The two spent some time in silence, looking up at the sky. Theo felt a bit better thanks to Nathan. He really couldn't thank Damian enough times for introducing him to his friends. They were really cool, and he was glad to see they cared about him.
"Thank you, Nathan." Theo said, barely above a whisper.
"No problem, dude." He replied. "Hey, how about we go get ourselves some ice cream? My treat!"
Theo immediately perked up at the mention of ice cream. "I'd… love that!"
Nathan immediately stood up, offering his hand to Theo to help him do the same. "Onwards then! To the ice cream shop!"
Theo chuckled again, following Nathan towards the shop with a smile. He really hoped Damian was living happily with his newfound family, and he silently promised to meet with him again, someday.
??????????????????
??????????????????
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"Pulse?"
"Far from stable. Heart beats and then stops without warning over and over again."
"What about the brain scans?"
"There's spikes that last for a few seconds, but then it's a flat line. I doubt it can even process a thought during that time lapse."
"Adjust the nerves, and other components of the body and try again. We need to get this mutt rolling before we get Pierre breathing on our neck again."
August 31st, 1990,
Home Sweet Home,
00:29
Theo was awoken suddenly when he felt something brushing on his face.
The boy looked around, but couldn't see anything in the darkness. He could still smell something akin to rotting meat and oil, which caused him to pinch his nose with disgust.
He would recognize that stench anywhere.
Making sure not to wake any other kid up, he made his way outside of the dorm rooms, following that smell and managing to hold dinner in his stomach.
He walked in silence for a while before he reached a half opened door. With a quick glance around, Theo pushed the door and entered through it.
It was a small storage room, full of different broken toys and cleaning equipment. Without any lights to brighten the inside of it, half of the room was covered in darkness.
And yet, Theo knew he wasn't alone.
"Hello?" He whispered, hoping he was right and he wasn't just imagining things.
There was silence for some seconds, and then, the sound of a vent opening. Even though Theo could not see the responsible, his doubts were immediately cleared when he spoke.
"Theodore… You… Came…" A choir of distorted voices spoke.
"Y-Yeah…" Even after knowing this friend of his for a while now, he still wasn't used to the way he spoke. "It's been long since we last saw each other. Is there… something wrong?"
Theo's friend stood silent for a while, but that was usual for him. "WE… Heard… The mourning… Of your friend…"
Theo widened his eyes before looking away, cheeks reddened. "I-Is that all?"
"No… There is… Something… You must know… About his… "Adoption"..."
Theo immediately saddened when hearing that. "I've tried to get over it already…" He huffed. "He's gone now, living a new life with his new family. What else is there to know?"
An eerie silence filled the room before Theo's friend spoke again. "Your friend… Damian… Did not… Get adopted…"
That managed to surprise Theo, before he narrowed his eyes in confusion. "What? What do you mean?"
Before there was an answer, some footsteps were heard outside the room.
"There's… No time… YOU WILL UNDERSTAND… Soon…"
"No, wait!"
But he was already gone, judging by the sound of the vent shutting again.
Theo groaned. Really, Prot could be really fun to hang around sometimes, but other times it was a real pain to get him to answer any questions, especially when he was always so keen on keeping himself as hidden as possible. Something about not wanting to scare Theo, even after he'd told him countless times it wouldn't be a problem.
His thoughts were interrupted when the steps became louder and louder, before he could also hear a woman's voice coming his way.
"...I'm almost done, I swear! I just need to clean something in here before I finish work for tonight."
There was a pause. "Yeah, yeah, I know you're tired and about to fall asleep in your car, but I swear I won't take too much longer!"
She seemed to be on the phone.
Not even seconds after the last sentence, the door swung open, revealing one of the caretakers from Playcare, Miss Taylor.
The moment her eyes landed on Theo, she let out a loud yelp as her phone almost fell to the ground.
The one on the other end of the line seemed worried about the sudden shout. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. There's just a kid standing in the closet and I got scared."
More talking from the other side.
"I know, I'm gonna ask about it right now. May take five extra minutes."
A groan.
"Stop whining already! You were the one that volunteered to come and pick me up! Just hold on a second!"
More talking and what sounded like a goodbye. "Yeah, see you later, Alex."
Miss Taylor hung the phone and sighed, her eyes narrowing on Theo. "Mind explaining what you're doing here at this time of the night?" She asked him.
Luckily, it wasn't the first time he had been caught outside of his bed at night, and so, he knew how to come up with credible excuses.
"I… was looking for the bathroom, but I'm too tired and got lost!" Theo told her, before looking down. "I'm sorry, Miss Taylor…"
She stood a few more seconds looking at him with a frown before she finally sighed and shook her head. "No need to apologize."
Miss Taylor then offered her hand to Theo with a smile. "Come on, I'll take you back there."
"But what about the thing you had to clean?" Theo exclaimed.
The woman chuckled before smiling. "I'll just say it happened after my shift ended. You having proper rest is more important!"
Theo took Miss Taylor's hand as she guided him towards the bathroom. All the while, he couldn't stop thinking about what his friend had just said.
Damian didn't get adopted? What did that mean? After all, he was certainly not in Playcare , so if he hadn't left it to be with his new family…
What happened to him?
Wh?r? a? I?
W?y d?s it ?rt?
Wh?t h?app?d t? ?e?
"Pulse?"
"Managed to get its heart beating for a full minute now. We're definitely going somewhere."
"Great. What about the brain scans?"
"They show that it is actually thinking during the minute its heart beats. There doesn't seem to be any motor function yet."
"I think that's good enough for today. Unplug everything and let's go back home already."
August 31st, 1990,
School's cafeteria,
13:45
"Theo!"
Fingers snapping got Theo back to reality.
"Dude, you've been out of it for the whole day. What are you thinking so hard about?" Nathan asked him.
"Stuff…" He simply replied.
"Stuff? What stuff?"
"It's… complicated."
Theo's head fell down again in thought. What actually happened with Damian? He hadn't been adopted according to his friend, so what then? Did he run away from Playcare? If so, why? Did he get injured so hard he was in the hospital and the adults had made up the excuse of him getting adopted to cover it up? Possible, but unlikely.
If only Jeremy was still here… He'd probably have a hypothesis ready the moment Damian went away.
Alas, it was only Nathan and him, and only Theo knew that fact.
Had his friend simply lied to him? What would be the point of that? To confuse and hurt Theo even more? He knew that Prot could be a bit… weird sometimes, but he had never done something to hurt him, so he believed he was telling the truth. And in which way would he 'find out soon'?"
He really wished Miss Taylor hadn't interrupted that night.
Nathan simply sighed, shaking his head. "You do you, I guess…" He told him, going back to eating his lunch.
The two ate as Theo kept mulling over the words from last night, or at least until someone entered the cafeteria and interrupted everything.
"Attention, everyone!"
A booming voice echoed through the room, hushing all the children inside the cafeteria. When Theo looked at who just spoke, he found a woman standing on the entrance of the cafeteria, a wide smile plastered on her face. It was Miss Brooks, and everyone knew that she only appeared on one specific occasion.
Someone had been adopted.
"You already know what I'm going to say, don't you?" The woman smiled even more.
"We do!" Someone exclaimed.
"Who's the one, who's the one?" Another one yelled.
"Who is it, Miss Brooks?"
Nathan smirked, looking at Theo. "Who do you think it is, Theo?"
Theo looked around the school cafeteria, seeing dozens of children of various ages. It was impossible to guess who had been the lucky one.
"I don't know…" He mumbled. "It's definitely not me, though…"
"You never know! You may be lucky this time!" Nathan smiled.
Miss Brooks then began shushing the crowd, and slowly, everyone stopped muttering among themselves and attentively looked at the adult.
Miss Brooks cleared her throat. "This time, Dr White has selected our very own…"
Me, please. Me, please. Me, please. Me, please. Me, please-
Theo shook with anticipation. He really wished he could be the lucky one and get adopted. Maybe this was what his friend meant by 'finding out soon'? Was he finally getting adopted?
What he heard next immediately wiped the smile off his face.
"...Nathan Adams!"
He didn't know what to think.
Theo slowly turned his head to look at the one sitting next to him, finding he was just as surprised as he was.
The lucky one had been him, not Theo. Because of course he wouldn't.
The room suddenly erupted into cheers, as everyone gathered around their table, shouting incomprehensible words at Nathan, who was torn between being happy, and feeling really sad.
"Come on, come on, everyone!" Miss Brooks' voice could be heard even above the yells. "You'll have time for questions later after class. No badgering him during lunch! As for you Nathan, once classes are over, get your things from your bedroom and wait outside of the Counselor's Office. And make sure to say goodbye to everyone!"
And with that, the group around them dispersed and went back to their respective seats, though the whispers and mumbled didn't stop.
The only friend he had left in Playcare was about to be gone in a few hours. He'd be alone again. He'd never get adopted. He was such a fool for getting his hopes up in the first place.
He felt tears form in his eyes.
Nathan didn't miss a beat. "Theo…? I'm… I'm so sorry, I didn't…"
"Why would you be s-sorry?" The boy sniffed. "You got adopted. You'll be happy. What's there to be sorry about?"
"Maybe I'll be happy, but you won't." He simply stated. "Theo, I-"
"No." Theo simply stopped him. "I'm fine. I'll be fine."
He pushed his lunch away. "I'm… not hungry anymore."
And with that, trying to hold back his tears, he ran away from the cafeteria and towards one of the bathrooms, leaving Nathan sitting there, worried about him.
Why did it have to be me and not him… He grimly thought. It's almost as if they are doing it on purpose, or something…
IT B?RNS
MY SK?N IS ?ELTING
MAKE IT STOP
"3, 2, 1, clear!"
An electric shock was applied. At once, the occupant of the operating table began struggling and screaming in pain as his eyes snapped open.
"Heart rate seems accelerated."
"Brain scans are flaring. Looks like it's in pain."
"Good thing this thing is tied up and with some cloth on its mouth, huh? Who knows the volume at which it can scream…"
The operating table rattled under the sheer force its occupant was applying. And yet, no matter how much he tried, there wasn't anything he could do to free himself.
He didn't know what was happening or where he was. He didn't know any of the voices he was hearing. All he knew was that his skin was melting, and it burnedburnedburned-
"Geez, this thing is gonna break the straps if it keeps up with this…"
"Apply sedatives. Quick."
Suddenly, he felt something pierce his skin, before his struggling began to slow and his eyes grew heavier. And yet, his skin was still on fire.
MAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOP-
"Heart rate returned to normal. Doesn't seem like any organs are failing because of the sedatives. Brain scans seem normal too."
"Great. Let's see if it can actually hear, see and understand us."
The blurred silhouettes seemed to turn in his direction. "Experiment 1180, can you hear me? Nod for a yes, shake your head for a no."
Experiment? He wasn't an experiment! He was…
Who was he?
What had happened to him?
Why did everything burn?!
"Experiment 1180, can you hear me? "
He didn't know who that voice belonged to. He didn't know why he was called 'experiment'. He didn't know why he was in pain nor why he was tied.
All he knew was that the voice's patience was running short.
He tried to nod, fighting the pain on his skin and the ache of simply moving his neck. Why did that hurt too?
"Was that a nod?"
"I believe so."
"This is PERFECT! It's alive and it can move and understand us perfectly! Dr. Sawyer will be delighted to hear this!"
"Yeah. Now, let's go eat. I'm hungry from all the cutting and joining."
"Sure. We'll come back here later."
He heard the two voices step away from the room before leaving and closing the door behind them.
Did they just leave him there, tied up, in pain, and drugged?
He struggled and shouted as hard as he could, trying his best to be heard, trying to ignore the pain, the burning of his skin, the sleepiness.
He shouted. He pleaded for help. He struggled and struggled. He tried to call his friends, or anyone else.
And yet, nobody came.
And nobody would for hours.
Hours he would spend in agony, wishing for nothing less than everything to finally end.
September 4th,
Playhouse,
16:15
Four days had passed ever since Nathan was adopted.
Theo had spent the day after he was gone in his bedroom without getting out of bed, and he tried to do the same the next day, but one of the caretakers of Playcare found out about what he was doing, and forced him to go outside to 'get better' by 'making new friends'.
As if the friends he had hadn't come to him .
He was currently sitting inside one of the many tubes inside the Playhouse's play area, a dimly lit one that almost no one ever went through, as he had noticed in the many times he had been there.
Theo was all too happy with it, though. Especially considering he was venting his frustrations to his Catnap plushie.
"I wish you could talk back to me…" He sighed, realizing how pathetic he was acting.
He had been really sad these last few days, and no matter what Theo tried, nothing cheered him up, not even the really scarce talks with Miss Greyber and her happy demeanor.
Theo's pitiful sobs were interrupted when he heard the sound of someone making their way through the tubes in his direction.
The last thing he expected was another person's head to peek from the entrance to that little tube.
And judging by the other person's reaction, they didn't either.
"What the- Hey this is my secret spot!" The other… boy? Girl? (Theo wasn't very sure) said.
"H-Huh?" Theo exclaimed. "No, it's my secret spot!"
The other kid huffed. "Ugh, it doesn't matter anymore, does it? Have fun, I'll find another spot to be alone in." They said, turning to leave.
"W-Wait! We can share, if you want…" Theo stammered.
"Listen, buddy. The point of it being 'secret' is so I can be alone and in my own little world without dealing with others." The kid replied before they narrowed their eyes, looking thoroughly at him. "Wait, aren't you that one shy kid who was friends with that Damian guy?"
Theo squirmed at the mention of Damian, but nodded.
"Man, I didn't like him too much. He was far too optimistic and talkative for me." The other kid shivered. "But I know you two were really good friends. After all, I doubt he'd fight Connor just for anyone. That's quite a story."
Theo squirmed even more at that name.
"Please, don't mention him."
"Yeah, too much of a jerk, isn't he? Glad he's gone, and sorry for whoever adopted him."
Then, everything fell silent as the other kid still stood turned away from Theo. There was a sigh heard from the kid before they turned around and entered into the tunnel fully.
Theo could finally see them. The kid was wearing a fully black outfit, added to long hair that covered one of their eyes. They also wore a pair of headphones on their neck, and had a really serious expression.
"You know, maybe sharing this won't be that bad. As long as you stay quiet and don't bother me too much." They said.
"Oh! Uh… I can leave if you want…"
The kid shrugged. "Your choice. I don't care." They replied, pulling a device from their pocket. It seemed like a portable music player, and the kid switched it on before putting their headphones over their ears. "Name's Avery, by the way."
"T-Theodore."
Avery hummed with a nod before he pressed a button in his device and then leaned on the wall, their gaze becoming distant as they listened to whatever song they were listening to.
Theo looked away from Avery and to his plushie, its unchanged smile still as big as ever, even after hearing all the words Theo had told it before.
I really, really wished you could talk back to me… At least I'd have a friend that would never leave me.
The tube then fell silent again, the barely audible vibrations of the music coming from Avery's headphones being the only thing that broke it.
Eventually, Theo was starting to grow uncomfortable, and so, he decided to leave.
"Well, ummm…" He began, not thinking that Avery would hear. "It was nice meeting you, Avery."
Despite what he thought Avery looked at him and gestured with his head, signaling he had indeed heard him. "I haven't talked this much to someone in ages. You're not as bad as I thought, Theo."
He then frowned. "But we are not 'friends' or anything like that. Friends are for people that want them."
Theo expected something like that, if he was being honest. Still, he couldn't help but smile just a little bit.
With that, he left Avery to do whatever he wanted to do before leaving the tubes. He felt a little bit better than before.
IT HURTS
I CAN'T FEEL MY FACE
HELP
When he opened his eyes, he wasn't at that operating table anymore. He was sitting now, still bound to the metal chair he was on by leather straps as a bright light shone on him and the loud humming of the light filled the room.
He didn't know how long it had been since he had fallen unconscious or what those people had done to him while he couldn't feel it, but his skin didn't feel like it was melting anymore, so he supposed it was a good thing.
If anything could be 'good' in that situation.
"Experiment 1180, can you hear me?"
There was a voice speaking to him over the speakers, and he could distinguish blurry figures on the other side of a glass.
"I will repeat again. Experiment 1180, can you hear me?"
He didn't want that voice to be more upset than it already sounded, so he played along with it, nodding once again.
"Very well, but you must answer with your voice instead." The voice clarified. "One last time, experiment 1180, can you hear me?"
The voice wanted him to speak? But his throat hurt, and felt like water didn't pass through there for ages.
And yet, he had to answer.
"Y-... Yes…" He spoke with a weak and groaning voice before he recoiled slightly.
That wasn't his voice.
With what little freedom he had in that chair, he turned his head to look down, and widened his eyes at what he saw. Instead of a pair of regular human legs, there were two, far longer legs covered in dark orange fur, full of stitches and patches of the same material, and the little of his body he could see, it was the same.
And the same for his arms. And hands.
"Seems like the voice box works perfectly. " The voice cheered. " Experiment 1180, now I need you to-"
The voice was interrupted when he began screaming and struggling in his binds.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?" He screamed at the top of his lungs.
"What the-"
"Christ, who forgot the belt on its neck?!"
"Just shock it!"
Suddenly, he felt a jolt of really painful electricity going through his body, making him screech in pain before it stopped, with him following suit, painting.
"Experiment 1180, your cooperation is required. Failure to do as I say will bring more shocks, understand?"
He felt himself start to cry, but nodded nonetheless.
He had to, or they would hurt him.
What had happened to him?
This wasn't him. He wasn't some orange furred… monster!
He was just a child, and he wanted to wake up from this horrible nightmare. But something told him it wouldn't be that easy.
He wanted to cry, but he couldn't. He had to answer the questions of the voices, or they would hurt him.
He just wanted to be with his best friend again… He never had the chance to say goodbye… He couldn't even remember who that best friend was…
Literal hours of torture went by before the voices finally stopped talking and stayed silent for a long while.
And then, there was a single sentence spoken, one that he knew he wasn't supposed to have heard. "Sir, experiment 1180, "Dogday" is ready. Conditioning can begin."
September 7th,
Playcare's center plaza,
18:31
The indistinct whispers from all the children in Playcare filled the air as everyone circled the 'grand reveal' they had been told about that morning.
The adults seemed really excited (some more than others) to show everyone this 'surprise', and Theo himself grew curious to know.
However, his friend wasn't.
He had managed to speak to him last night, this time without interruptions, and Theo had asked what he had said last time meant.
He had simply replied that Damian hadn't left the factory at all, and that he would return to Playcare the next day.
Was that the surprise? But why make such a big show of a child's return if he was supposed to be adopted?
Theo really hated when his friend spoke so mysteriously. And he had told him just that. His exact response was that 'he was doing it to protect him'. What did that mean?
He really wished he could speak to someone, but alas, he was still without any trustable friends.
"Attention, children!"
That voice stopped all chattering immediately, and everyone's head turned to look at the one who spoke.
Miss Greyber was standing in front of an improvised curtain, concealing what was supposedly the surprise. "I'm sure you all have been wondering what the surprise we've told you all about was, right?"
Everyone shouted a 'yes'.
Miss Greyber looked at the curtain, her expression… nervous and uncertain, before she then turned back at the children, her smile returning.
"I'm sure you have all heard about the Smiling Critters show, haven't you?"
Most children began muttering among themselves.
"What does that mean?"
"What does the show have to do with the surprise?"
"Is it a movie night, maybe?"
Miss Greyber hushed the audience again.
"Well, I'm sure you have! And I'm also sure you have wondered what the critters do when the show is over!"
More confused murmurs.
"Yesterday, we received a special visit from a certain sunny canine, and he asked to come and visit you!" Miss Greyber yelled excitedly, her voice half-quivering mid sentence.
The room fell silent as Theo's eyes widened.
"Give a warm welcome to…"
Miss Greyber pulled a string, drawing the curtains and revealing what stood behind them. Theo could see what looked like a really tall anthropomorphic canine, with orange fur and white glowing pupils for eyes on top of a big and wide smile. He also had a sun pendant, along with a weird and metallic collar on his neck and a leather belt on each leg and arm.
Theo couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing.
"...Dogday!" Miss Greyber finished, signaling to him.
"Hello!" Dogday waved.
The room was immediately met with eerie silence.
"What is that?"
"That doesn't look like Dogday…"
"He looks so cool!"
"Woah!"
"Maybe that's just a poorly made costume?"
"That robot is amazing! It looks so real!"
The reactions were mixed, as Theo heard.
Yet, something about this 'Dogday' bothered him. For some reason, he felt really familiar.
Is this the surprise? He thought. Prot said Damian would come back to Playcare today, but it's already really late and there isn't a single indication of that to happen…
The only possible explanation was that… But that was impossible! Damian couldn't have turned into a giant dog from a cartoon…
Right?
Theo narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on Dogday, scanning him thoroughly as he looked around, glancing at each and every one of them as he waved…
Until his eyes fell on Theo.
At once, his cheerful smile disappeared, a frown forming in the dog's face as he narrowed his eyes too. That only lasted a few seconds, before Miss Greyber gave Dogday a small nudge and his previous expression returned.
Theo recoiled slightly, not expecting to apparently be recognized out of all the faces in Playcare.
Why did he…?
"Dogday here is going to stay to help take care of you all, so expect to see him around Playcare starting from tomorrow!" Miss Greyber cheered. "And he won't be alone! His friends are also coming, they just encountered a few setbacks on their way here!"
Dogday nodded, but Theo swore he looked uncomfortable.
What is that thing he's wearing on his neck?
"For now, Dogday needs some rest, so we will take him to his new bedroom, which is forbidden to enter! You'll be able to see him tomorrow. For now, this has been all! Have a nice afternoon!"
And with those final words, Dogday waved at the crowd one last time and casted another quick look in Theo's direction before Dogday and Miss Greyber walked away from Playcare, off towards the Playhouse.
Was Dogday's bedroom there? And why was it forbidden to enter?
Slowly but surely, the crowd began dispersing, muttering to themselves about the new members of Playcare, some being happy he was there, others unnerved by his presence.
And Theo was simply left there, standing, his eyes never leaving the spot where Dogday and Miss Greyber had disappeared off to.
Theo was really confused, and his friend's words made it even worse. He really had to hope he'd manage to find him that night, or else, he would go crazy under all the overthinking.
"Earth calling Theo?"
The sudden voice made Theo flinch back in shock as his head whipped to look behind him.
It turned out it was just Avery, wearing the same dark outfit and headphones, their hands stuffed inside their hoodie's pockets.
He sighed. "Don't… do that." He groaned.
"You looked spaced out." Avery simply replied.
Theo rubbed his forehead. "I'm just thinking…"
"Is it about Dogday looking at you with that face?" Avery asked, to which he nodded.
"Honestly, there's something really wrong about that… thing." They shuddered. "I may hate Dogday as a character, but I at least know that's not how he looks in the show."
"I know…" Theo whispered. "It's weird… And the way he looked at me…"
"It's almost as if he knew you from somewhere."
Theo immediately perked up. "You're right…"
Avery raised an eyebrow. "Uhhh, okay, I guess. I'm gonna go now. See you later, Theo."
Theo gave a simple shake of his hand as he then began thinking hard. Almost as if he knew me…
The rest of the day was a blur for Theo. He didn't remember exactly what he had done to pass the time, but he knew what he had to do that night.
And so, once nighttime arrived, he swiftly sneaked out of his bed and bedroom, making sure he carried his plush with him, before heading towards the same closet from last time.
However, there didn't seem to be even a soul inside.
Theo knew he had to be somewhere close.
"Psssst! Prot, are you there?" He whispered, hoping not to be heard.
He was only met with silence.
"Please, I need you!"
He stood there for what felt like hours, and there was still no response. Theo sighed, ready to turn back and go to bed, before there was a shuffling sound coming from a vent.
"Theodore…" The mechanical voice spoke. "You… sound… worried."
A pause. "Is it… about… 'THE SURPRISE'?"
Theo nodded. "Yeah. And also about what you said about Damian. You said he'd be back today, but the only thing that's happened is…" He stopped, cringing when he realized how stupid it sounded. "...Dogday coming to Playcare!"
He then hugged his plush a bit tighter. "And that's not all! He looked at me like he recognized me! What's going on? How did Dogday come to Playcare?"
Theo's friend stood silent for a long while. Whether he was thinking about what to say or whether Theo was crazy or not, he didn't know.
"Dogday… Came to… Playcare?" Prot asked. "And… Recognized… You?"
Theo only nodded. "I know you know why. Why do you not tell me?"
There was a long silence that fell over the room for a while before Prot spoke again.
"We… Already… Have…"
Theo was about to reply, but he closed his mouth as realization hit him. Prot had told him Damian would come back to Playcare that day, and the only one that came was Dogday.
The dots were not hard to connect. His initial theory was right all along.
"Damian… Became Dogday… somehow?"
A tense silence fell over the room once again.
"That's… not possible. R-Right?"
No reply for a while. Theo could feel himself start sweating.
Suddenly, a key fell from the darkness, landing in front of Theo's feet. He looked at it confused before he looked back at Prot.
"What is this?"
"A key… For the… RECORD ROOM… of… Home Sweet Home." Came the slow reply. "You… Wish… To know… What happened… Everything… is there…"
The record room? That was a strictly forbidden area of Home Sweet Home! Theo couldn't simply walk in there like that! If anyone found out he'd be in deep trouble, and no excuse he made up would save him.
And yet… curiosity got the best of him. That, and his worry for Damian too. And after thinking for a long while, he sighed and picked the key up.
"What should I look for?"
"The number… 1… 1… 8… 0…"
Theo nodded, immediately turning to go there. "WAIT."
Theo stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face Prot again. "What?"
"Do not… Go there… Tonight. There is… a lot of… EMPLOYEES… Organizing the files…" He explained. "Wait… For tomorrow. Should not… Be anyone…"
Theo saddened at the thought of him having to wait to find out the truth, but he was better safe than sorry. For now, it was time to go to bed.
"Okay. I'll go tomorrow then and look for… the number 1-1-8-0?"
"YES. Until then… Do not… Let anyone… Find that key…"
The boy nodded again and disappeared back into his bedroom, getting back on his bed and hugging his plush tight.
"You heard that, Nap?" He whispered. "We'll find the truth about Damian tomorrow!"
"..."
The plush, of course, said nothing back.
Theo closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, eager for the next night to arrive, and also to see and truly meet this 'Dogday'.
September 8th,
Cell room,
1:30
As much as he tried, Dogday couldn't find a comfortable position to sleep in. Whatever he did, he didn't manage to drift off to sleep.
He wasn't confused as to why that was happening. His 'bedroom' consisted of a cell that was barely big and wide enough for him. He also wasn't used to his… new body , and didn't know where to put his long limbs and his… tail.
He was seconds away from crying.
He just wanted to wake up. Wake up from that horrifying nightmare. And yet, he knew he wouldn't. It wasn't a nightmare.
It was real.
He wasn't a kid anymore. He was a monster . A monster that barely remembered who he had been before.
And that woman from before… she had said the other Smiling Critters would come to Playcare too. Did that mean more children would be turned into things like him?
He didn't want to think about it.
Now that he was alone, truly alone, he tried to recall anything he could from his past, but everytime he tried, his heart started hurting.
And then, he remembered that boy.
He didn't know why, but he felt he knew him. He really felt that he somehow knew him before, and by the face he was making when glancing at him, he had to think something similar too, right? But he also had the sensation that seeing him alone was… weird. As if more people should have been with him.
His name was just on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't remember it clearly. And he wouldn't be able to ask anything like 'hey, do you by any chance find me familiar?' either, or those… men would hurt him again.
He'd have to think of a way of finding his name, maybe tomorrow. But he'd have to find an opening.
For now, he tried to fall unconscious, and he actually managed to do that.
His only dream was him being on that operating table again, and the voices speaking and hurting him too.
September 8th,
Playcare,
12:47
Theo was really hoping to go and speak with Dogday after everyone got back from the Game Station that day, but it seemed he was the talk of the place (he wasn't surprised) and he wouldn't be able to get even remotely close to him for a while.
And so, he watched him distantly, seeing the huge crowd of children surrounding him and hoping it would magically vanish.
Spoiler alert, that didn't happen.
"You're spacing out again."
Theo jumped on his feet in shock, finding Avery standing next to him, still with the same outfit as last time. He hoped they just had a lot of the same clothes.
"Stop doing that!" He shouted.
"You were literally seeing me as I approached you. Not noticing me is another thing." They rolled their eyes with an unamused look. "I'm surprised you're not in that crowd wanting to talk to Dogday."
"I want to wait until he's not surrounded by tenths of other kids…" Theo sighed.
"I feel you. Not like I'd want to talk to him at all." Avery sighed. "Now, would you mind telling me why you were looking at him like that?"
The boy gave a quick glance at the giant dog before sighing. "He looks familiar to me, that's all."
" Familiar ?" Avery asked, incredulous. "A giant dog that 'came from a cartoon' is familiar to you?"
"That's why I want to talk with him."
Avery looked at Theo like he was crazy, but otherwise didn't comment. "Okay… Well, I'll leave you to it, or something. Whatever."
"Bye."
And with that, the two went their separate ways. Theo didn't know how much he spent looking at Dogday and the crowd, waiting for the perfect moment.
At least an hour later, Theo began noticing that the amount of children circling Dogday was diminishing, and so, he made his way towards him, hoping nothing weird would come out of it.
As he approached, he heard the various questions of all the children.
"And how is Critter Valley? Is it big?" Someone asked.
"Of course! Me and the rest of the Smiling Critters love to go hiking and explore it!" Dogday replied.
"Woah!"
"And why are you so big? You look a lot smaller in the show!"
"Well, that's because I eat my veggies and get good rest, just like you should!"
And the questions were mostly like that. He had to admit, he really sounded like the Dogday from the cartoon.
And if his theory was right, that was really bad.
He stood at the back of the crowd, watching and waiting for his turn, and just as he thought, the children slowly and slowly walked away.
Asked a question, got an answer, left.
And that cycle repeated itself over and over again, until the last child ran off.
Now, it was only Theo and Dogday.
As the dog waved goodbye to the last girl that ran away somewhere, his gaze slowly fell to look at Theo, his eyes immediately widening when he saw him.
"It's you…" Theo heard Dogday whisper those words quiet enough that he almost missed them.
"It's me." He said, trying to look genuinely happy. "Hello, Mr. Dogday!"
He seemed taken aback by his cheery response, but it didn't take long for him to smile back. "Yes, hello! And please, just call me Dogday, little angel!"
"Okay, Dogday!"
It hurt to fake being that cheery. Was that how Avey felt like?
"Well, what do you need, little angel? Be aware though, I'm too tired to carry anyone anymore if that's what you wanted! Hehe…" Dogday half chuckled.
"No, I actually just wanted to ask a few questions!"
"Oh! Then go ahead, I'm all ears!"
Theo took a deep breath. How to get answers without being blunt…? Surely I can't just ask 'are you Damian?'.
His eyes fell to the weird metallic collar on Dogday's neck. That could be a good starting point. "What's that?" Theo asked, pointing at the collar
Dogday looked down at it himself before his eyes went back to Theo, albeit a bit more… saddened?
"That's just… my entry card to Playcare! That way, I can open some doors by myself without needing anyone else!" He explained.
Theo wasn't too convinced, but he didn't press further. "Okay…" He mumbled. "Then…"
'Where's your bedroom?' was what he wanted to ask, but he had to be cautious. He couldn't raise any alarms this soon. "How was the trip to Playcare? You know, from Critter Valley?"
"Quite long, if I'm honest… And had to do it all alone… Hopefully the rest of the critters will arrive soon. They'll make speaking with all of you much less tiring, that's for sure…" Dogday answered.
Too quickly.
Was it because he had been asked that question many times before? Or was there another reason?
"I guess… I'm excited to meet them."
Okay, now he could ask about Dogday's bedroom.
"Do you mind if I ask you a question now?"
Dogday spoke before Theo could. "O-Oh, sure."
Dogday looked at Theo in his eyes, the same look as when he was being introduced in his face. "What's your name?"
"My… name?"
He doesn't… know me? Then, he can't be Damian! He'd never forget me…! I think…
"T-Theodore. Theodore Grambell."
"Theodore…" Dogday mumbled.
"Is… something wrong?"
"No, no. I'm just thinking." Dogday replied.
It wasn't too long before he raised one of his hands to his head, frowning slightly. "Is there anything else you'd like to ask me? If you don't, I'll leave. My head… hurts."
Theo wanted to ask him about his bedroom, but looking at his expression, he could see Dogday seemed really pained. He didn't want to ask such a question and bother him anymore.
"N-No, it's okay. You can go, Dogday." Theo said. "It was nice meeting you!"
"Yeah… Nice meeting you too… Theo." And with that, the two waved goodbye at each other before the giant dog began walking away from him, his head still clutched.
Theo wondered what could have happened for such a sudden pain, but he wasn't going to ask now. Maybe another day.
Unbeknownst to the young boy, Dogday wasn't actually suffering from a headache (and even if he did, he would never dare to say it out loud, or the scientists would… do things to him), but instead, something else had come to him.
"Theo. Theo. Theo… Why is that name so familiar?!" He groaned. Why can't I remember?! What did they do to me?
September 8th,
Home Sweet Home's record room,
0:51
After impatiently waiting for the perfect time to carry out his entrance, Theo took a deep breath and inserted the key in the lock before opening the door.
He was nervous, but even then, he kept his cool. For Damian, he'd do anything.
He carefully peeked behind the door, only to find no one inside. With careful steps, he entered and closed the door again, now ready to look for what Prot had told him to.
What was it… The number 1180?
He began carefully looking around the huge amount of files, finding that there was a folder for each and every single member of Playcare, himself included. He resisted the urge to take it and read it.
However, he didn't have time for that. He had to find a file with the number 1180.
It turned out there was nothing of that sort where he'd looked, making him really disappointed. Was he risking it for nothing?
It turned out he wasn't. Deep within the room, there was a small grated door, and Theo could see even more files behind it. And just barely visible, there it was.
1180.
He tried to open the door to that small area, but it wouldn't budge. He tried using the key from before, but still nothing.
With a groan, he tried looking for a way in, finding a small section of the fence torn and broken. He could probably fit through there.
After almost getting his shirt torn from the pointy fence, he made his way to the folder. He could read it properly now. Experiment 1180? What… What does that mean?
Anticipation filled him as he opened the folder, finding… a document and two photos. A photo of Dogday and…
…
The folder fell from Theo's hands.
The other photo was Damian.
Theo could feel his breath quicken, but he didn't want to jump into conclusions. Slowly, he picked the first document, and read it.
"
Bigger Bodies Initiative
Experiment 1180 - "Dogday"
Subject: Damian Davis
"
September 19th, 1990,
Playcare,
15:30
A few days had passed ever since Theo had sneaked inside the record room. In those days, most of the Smiling Critters had arrived in Playcare, just as Miss Greyber had said last time. The only one that didn't was Catnap.
Everyone seemed happy to see them, and they didn't look afraid or uncomfortable with them anymore.
Except for Theo.
He was always an exception to everything.
Ever since he had learned about what Dogday was, who he really was, his behavior had taken a radical turn.
He didn't speak with anyone anymore. He didn't even get close to anyone anymore. In fact, he hadn't opened his mouth to speak ever since that day, and that shift hadn't gone unnoticed.
Miss Greyber had noticed, and tried to ask him questions as to why he was like that. She got no answers and eventually gave up.
Miss Taylor had tried too, and she too got nothing and gave up.
Heck, even freaking Bobby Bearhug had tried, and she too gave up.
Theo was devastated. They had done… horrible things to Damian. He didn't understand half the words inside that document, but he didn't like them at all. And those other Smiling Critters… they had to suffer through the same stuff, hadn't they? Who even were they?
Had Theo known them before?
He understood what the metal collar they wore was. It was to prevent them from escaping or from trying to rebel. They were prisoners.
And when he had gone to demand an answer from Prot, what did he say? That he already knew. He knew exactly who each critter was, but he wasn't telling Theo for his mental health's sake.
He had also said they weren't the first of those 'experiments', and that they wouldn't be the last either.
Theo wanted to stop them from doing that to more people. He didn't even want to imagine what they had to go through, let alone suffer through it! Suddenly, he was glad he was never 'adopted'.
He didn't want to believe he'd lost his best friend to those he thought he could trust, and yet, there he was.
However, Prot had proposed a plan to Theo. He wanted to stop it as much as he did, and he had a way to help all the orphans avoid that fate. Theo had asked him why he hadn't done it before then, but he said it required two people, and that he couldn't do it alone.
He had told him that if he wanted to help and put an end to the experiments, he'd have to meet him on their usual spot on the 20th, at 12 AM sharp, where he'd explain the plan to him.
He was scared. He didn't want to lose the little he had, and yet, he knew that if he didn't do it, everyone would end up becoming…
He didn't even want to know.
He had less than a day to make up his mind, and even though his rational part told him to give it up, he knew he'd just be making a mistake.
He was so immersed in his thoughts he didn't notice someone arrive.
"Hey, little angel."
The last person he wanted to see.
Dogday.
Theo didn't even look at him. He didn't even move. He simply stood still, looking at the ground and hugging his plush.
"I've heard you've been sad these past few days." He spoke. "What's the matter?"
Theo didn't reply. He couldn't muster the courage to say anything, and he was barely forcing himself to stay sitting on the ground and not go and beg Dogday to stop acting like that and go back to being his friend.
After a while of silence, Dogday sighed, sitting next to Theo. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me. After all, if Bobby couldn't get you to talk, what can I do?" He chuckled.
"But listen, bottling up your problems will only make things worse. I know it may be hard to speak up your mind, but trust me, it will help you." Dogday smiled before looking at Theo. "And hey, if you ever want to talk about something, you have me here!"
Theo couldn't hold his tears anymore. He felt his vision blur as the words sunk in. He sounds just like him…
"I-I know who you are." Theo whispered.
Dogday tilted his head in confusion. "What?"
Theo didn't turn to look at him. "I know who you are. What they did to you. From where you truly come from."
From the corner of his vision, he saw Dogday squint before a faint gasp escaped his mouth as he began hastily looking around.
That managed to make Theo turn his head. "D-Don't you remember me? D-Da-"
"Shhhhhh!" Dogday immediately stopped him giving a final look around. He crouched even lower, reaching Theo's height. "Listen, Theodore. I don't know how you found out, but if you're talking about what I think you're talking about, listen to me closely ."
Theo was shocked. The exchange had changed tone dramatically. "If anyone does as much as suspect you know anything about how we were made, they'll take you and do the same to you, or worse. Do you understand ?"
The boy found the energy to nod. "Y-Yes."
Dogday then sighed and backed away, standing up. "Don't tell this to anyone else." The dog spoke before he turned to leave.
"W-Wait!" Theo exclaimed. "Do you… Do you at least r-remember me?"
Dogday stopped and gave a simple answer. "I don't know who I am supposed to be, let alone other people." He replied. "I'm sorry."
"You're Damian Davis ! The best person to ever exist! And… my best friend…" Theo told him, tears falling from his eyes. "Please… Don't go…"
Dogday widened his eyes in shock, looking away suddenly. Had he done something? Did he remember now?
The only thing he got was Dogday walking towards him again and giving him a long hug, which Theo quickly returned.
He didn't want to let go. If he closed his eyes real hard, he could imagine Damian was there. He could imagine the rest were there with him too.
But yet, the embrace came to an end before Dogday stood up and simply turned around again.
"Goodbye, Theo." He said, walking away from there, leaving Theo standing with reddened eyes.
The boy hung his head low and went back to sitting and hugging his plushie, crying as if his life depended on it.
He was snapped back to reality by a groan of pain coming from a small distance ahead.
Theo knew who that was.
He immediately stopped and stood up, running forward when seeing the commotion. It turned out it was caused by none other than Dogday himself, squirming on the ground as he clutched his head.
Some of the Smiling Critters were keeping the children away from him as Bubba and Hoppy tried to stop Dogday from accidentally hurting anyone before a few adults arrived, putting something on Dogday's arms before taking him somewhere.
Theo watched horrified. What the hell had just happened?! Dogday was talking to him just seconds ago, and now he was squirming in pain?
Theo thought… Maybe telling him his real name had done something? He had to hope that was it and that he didn't simply just suffer from other sudden problems.
What he knew was that he had made up his mind. The exchange with Dogday and his palpable fear of anyone getting 'adopted' was enough for Theo.
He would go along with Prot's plan.
And what about Dogday?
As it turned out, Theo had actually managed to do something to jog his memory, and something had clicked inside his brain. However, that click might have just caused him a slight case of intense pain.
So, as he was restrained once again on that operating table and applied more of those 'sedatives', he could only think of one person.
Theo…
You…
I failed you, Theo…
I broke our promise...