It All Started with an OSHA Violation

Eyes

The Spookeez had snuck past the monster & into another secret compartment, which seemed to be a potato farm with emergency supplies. Skid was bandaging up Pump's arm, or at least trying to the best of his ability. He wasn't very coordinated but ultimately covered the wound. They don't know how much longer they were gonna be undetected, or if they'll live to see the sunlight once more. But at least they have each other. Though if they're not coming home, shouldn't there at least be some closure about something that came with them? Skid thinks so.

"Hey Pump," he started, "I've been meaning to ask. Ever since we met the Eyes of the Universe, your eyes sometimes glowed cyan, & they've been glowing ever since we went down that elevator. Do you know why?" Pump shook his head & shrugged.

"Beats me," Pump replied. "Though I don't think they just glow."

"What do you mean?" Skid questioned, his own eyes fixed on his friend's glowing orbs. The longer he stared into them, the harder it became to disagree with him or look away.

"I think they have powers. Like maybe they could shoot lasers or something- Ooh! Or maybe I could move stuff with my mind! Just picture this: The cookie jar is too high off the shelf, but with the power of the mind, you can get it down & eat all the cookies you want! Or maybe X-ray vision. Like you could look into a box of cereal to see which toy is at the bottom! Or maybe the glowing eyes are just a side effect of another power. Maybe I could teleport, or fly, or phase through walls, or... Skid?"

Skid seemed to be in a trance, his unblinking gaze fixed on Pump as he tried to figure out what was wrong with him. He waved his hand in front of him. No response. He gently shook him. No response.

"Skid? Skid please snap out of it!" begged Pump as he desperately tried to wake him up. Pinching him didn't work. Cold water didn't work. Not even slapping him worked. Pump was starting to worry that he had lost Skid, his glowing eyes tearing up as he pulled him into a desperate hug & cried into his shoulder.

"P-please... please wake up..."

The broken eye contact & Pump's cries echoing in his skull snapped Skid back to reality, where he took a moment to realize what happened & gently reciprocated the hug.

"That was weird," Skid says. "It was like I was looking at the Eyes again." Pump hugged him tighter after hearing his voice.

"I don't want to lose you again!" he shouts, likely accidentally alerting the lemon of their whereabouts. Skid gently pats his back.

"& you're right about the power thing," Skid verified "I think you might've gotten hypnosis from him."