Friendly Monsters

Shock

"Paintbrush what do I do?!" The giant Microphone screamed in terror.

    "I-I don't know!" Paintbrush yelled back, viewing the scene in front of them. There had to be hundreds of guns and explosives pointed directly at Mic. There was nothing else in the room, just black walls, ceiling, and floor. "Try backing up!" They called.

Slowly, Mic lifted a paw up off the ground, stepping back. Once she did this, she waited for a moment, looking at the weapons, before taking another step. She repeated this process while Paintbrush watch anxiously from the doorway. The weapons hadn't moved, or alerted they noticed Mic was moving, so PB relaxed a little.

    Finally, after what felt like a long time, Mic make it to the doorway. "Phew, that could've been bad," she said as she stepped back out into the hallway.

"Self-destructing in 20, 19..." The automated voice began. Paintbrush and Mic jumped at the sudden voice, turning back to the room. After realizing what they said, it took only a glance at each other for Mic to pick PB up in her hand and begin dashing towards what she hoped was the direction of the exit of the lab.

"10,9,8..." the electronic voice continued. It was getting too close to the end of the countdown, and Mic knew they weren't going to make it. She had to find some room in Test Tube's lab that would offer safety from the explosion.

"Paintbrush!" Mic shouted, not looking down at them as she continued scanning the hallways for a safe spot.

    "What?!" They yelled back, holding tight to some of Mic's fur. Mic was exactly trying to be careful with the Paintbrush in her paws. She was trying to find an escape so they didn't get blown up of course.

    Actually, Paintbrush was questioning why the whole place would self destruct for just one room being broken in to. What had been so important in that small space that the whole lab had to be destroyed? Well, they knew it was too late to wonder now that it was happening.

    "We won't make it out! We need to find another safe room to get into! And quick!" Mic looked scared as the timer was reaching its final 5...4...

    "There!" Paintbrush yelled, pointing at a green door. Mic almost passed it. How had she not seen the bright door?

"Where? It's just more gray wall!" Mic said, looking towards where Paintbrush was pointing. What? How couldn't Mic see the door? It was all very bright green, even the door handle. However confused Paintbrush was, they brushed it aside. There wasn't time at the moment for contemplating things.

    "Let me down! I'll show you!" They said, letting go of Mic as she lowered them to the ground. They ran to the door and opened it. Apparently, although she couldn't see the door, Mic could see the inside of the room. It appeared to be a bedroom type room. Unlike the other rooms, it seemed cozy and meant for people to sleep inside.

    "2...1..."

    "Get in!" Screamed Paintbrush. Mic just barely fit through the door, and as it closed the two heard the sound of a massive explosion beyond the steel door. It seemed that the two had chosen the right room, as there was no explosion in there. It must've been Test Tube's safe room.

    As they waited out the destruction happening, Paintbrush wondered about Mic's inability to see the door, or perhaps PB's ability to see it.

    "Why couldn't you see the door?" They asked the giant. She looked down at them and shrugged. She was sitting down, her head barely below the ceiling. She had to lower her ears, which she barely had spent any time thinking about. She was also still very shocked about what could've happened to the two if Paintbrush hadn't spotted the door. She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't hear Paintbrush.

    Well, of course she heard Paintbrush. She could hear quite a bit now. More than she could ever before, including when she used her gain. It was very irritating when there was a giant explosion happening right outside the door.

"Mic? Mic are you even listening? Microphone!" Paintbrush yelled, getting angry.

    "Huh? Oh, sorry just thinking," Microphone said. Paintbrush waved it off then asked their question again. "I'm not sure why I couldn't see the door, but it's probably got something to do with how your one of her closest friends, and I'm....not," she finished.

    Paintbrush nodded, "You're probably right."

    They continued to chat about other, more random and unimportant these like the competition as they waited for it to be safe to exit. Although, they probably should've been considering how they were even going to exit the lab when they couldn't even find the exit when it wasn't in ruins.

-

    "What was that?!" Fan yelled, putting his hands on his head, freaking out. Taco shushed him, looking over to the wreck of a vending machine, and what was beneath it.

    "And Paintbrush was down there!! And Mic too I guess. They could be really hurt! Plus now Test Tube's lab and all her hard work is ruined!" Fan continued.

    The Test Tube he was talking about had stopped her rampage towards the forest to stare at the explosion. Even in her state, she seemed to realize something bad just happened. Slowly she started to walk back to the area, taking Fan and Taco with her.

    "Good," Taco started, "She's taking us back. We can make sure Mic and Paintbrush are okay." She said. Fan nodded.

    It didn't take long for the group to get there, as Test Tube now had very big strides. She stopped at the entrance to the wreck of a lab, reaching a giant clawed hand down to grab a piece of metal out of the way of entering. She continued to dig out the entrance, as if she wanted something down there.

Taco lifted Fan off of Test Tube by using her wings, which she was getting a hang of quickly. She was very smart after all.

    "It seems as if Test Tube is doing the work for us," Taco said, looking at all the metal scraps Test Tube had taken out of the entrance. The hole was now empty, and Test Tube jumped through it.

    "Do we follow her?" Fan asked, peaking down at where Test Tube landed.

    "As interested as I am in where that monster is going, we need to find our friends," Taco spoke, hopping in as well. She used her wings to safely glide down. Fan used the same tactic, spreading himself out.

    "Any ideas on where they might be?" Taco asked Fan. She assumed he would have better knowledge on the lab's layout, as he had been there more times than she.

    "It's all destroyed, so I don't know," he responded looking around at the different paths. "We're just going to have to choose a way to go and hope we get lucky." He shrugged and started walking down a random path.

Taco didn't move. She wanted to have a strategy. Not just do everything randomly. "You do that, but I'm going to think of a real plan," Taco stated, watching Fan walk away.

    "Are you sure you don't wanna come? It's kinda scary down here and I don't really feel like walking around by myself with a monster running wild in here. Even if it is Test Tube," Fan turned around to face Taco.

    "Yes yes I'm sure," Taco said waving him off. Not only did she want to think of a better plan, she also wanted Fan away from her. His voice is really annoying and loud. "But I insist you go, in case you do really stumble upon anyone in there," she continued.

    "...Alright," he murmured, giving in. He turned back around, and didn't say another word as he walked on.