The Black Infectious Thingy | Inanimate Insanity AU |

(CH.55) Plan B

\\\CW: SWEARING, INJURIES\\\
///Fan POV///
I was enjoying some tea with Test Tube, this is because OJ had previously kicked Trophy out of the hotel and everything was getting too tense.
Plus she was about to start asking questions about Paper and I can't have OJ revealing details that might make Test Tube suspicious.
This was almost half an hour ago tho, we've been trying to calm down for a while now.
Well, that was until...
"Do you... Think that OJ is planning something evil with Paper?"
I almost choked when she mentioned Paper but played it off as chill as I could, damn it Test Tube, and damn your curious nature.
I looked over to her with a strange look.
"What do you mean?"
"Y'know, OJ hiding Paper from everyone? I trust him but that doesn't make it any less suspicious... Do you think he's planning to team up with the TEO?"
I thought of a way to pull this off as calmly as possible, because of course Paper had to mess up his cover, and of course I'm the one supposed to fix his mistake now.
Not only that, but I have to defend him using my current distrustful persona, ugh.
"OJ? Why would he? Plus, I'm guessing you already saw how sad Paper looked on the floor when we found them. I think maybe they're okay to trust. Or at least extremely sensitive."
"That's also what I was thinking.... But if we're wrong we'll endanger everyone in this hotel."
"Test Tube. That's not our responsibility to deal with, don't put so much pressure on yourself. I really think they're okay to trust, otherwise they would've absolutely hurt us when we found out, right?"
"Hm.. Good point, they would've tried shutting us up, like the last time.." She said, as she looked away.
"Exactly. Like the last time"
...
"I'm- I'm sorry about what happened. Well, I'm specifically sorry at how little empathetic I've been towards what you went through, Fan. I understand why you changed, it's a reasonable reaction to whatever happened..." She said, I could hear a few tears running down her glass.
"Oh. It's fine. It's understandable" I said, as I patted her back and she hugged me real tight.
"No, it's not- Fan, I'm truly sorry, I've been so insensitive towards you.."
This shocked me, I didn't know how to react to such a tender apology.
She's really so depressing to be with.
Sometimes I actually feel bad for her, I don't know how she does it.
She's such a sweetheart.
I held her in my arms as I sighed.
She makes me wish we could avoid hurting her, I don't think I want to lose this side of her.
The BIT-D... It would fuck her mind so horribly.
I don't even know why I care so much, I feel as pathetic as Paper when thinking like this.
I patted her head but noticed my TEO-watch faintly shining.
This device was programmed by Taco for me, Mic and Paper to know when we're wanted in the base without making anyone else suspicious.
She gave them to Mic during her last visit there.
Mic is the only one of us isolated from everyone else enough where she can sneakily leave at almost any time and not raise suspicions.
"Umh.. I have to leave already, Test Tube."
"Oh.. Was it something I said or?-"
"No. Nothing to do with you. But it is late and I wanna rest in my own room, at least for a few hours. Busy night" I said as I stood up from my chair.
"Oh... sure- Sure. Can you see if you can find Balloon for me on your way to your room then? I gotta wait here just in case Soap comes and.. I- I haven't seen him since dinner time."
"I'll try to." I answered unsure as I walked to the door.
"Thank you then. And- See ya tomorrow for lunch?"
"We'll see." I said as I held the door open for myself and left the room.
I took a deep breath and walked towards me and Mic's room.
I wonder what they want from us right now.
It's late at night, what could possibly have happened?
Good thing me and Mic are considerably close from Test Tube's room.
When I reached my room, I knocked on the door and waited for a while.
I looked around and noticed Paper trying to be as sneaky as possible.
You gotta be fucking kiddding me, I thought as I stared at him.
"There's nobody awake right now, what the hell are you doing?" I said and he froze.
"U-Umh..." He said as he looked up at me.
"Ugh, so pathetic. C'mon, wait here with me." I said and he quickly skipped to stand right next to me.
We waited for a while, an amazing silence filled the hallways.
Oh sweet silence, oh how I have missed you.
But of course this was ruined by Paper.
"Did you knock on the door?" He said as he turned his head around to face me.
"Of course I did, do you think I'm an idiot?"
"No, No. Just, umh- I don't know, maybe she didn't hear you?"
"You knock on the door then, smart-ass."
Paper gulped and knocked on the door.
Soon after, Mic opened the door for us.
"Finally, get in al-ready you two, we're go-nna be la-te." She said, glitching a bit as she pulled Paper from his arm and pulled him in and I just entered right behind, closing the door.
"Eep! Mic, what's up with you?" Paper said, worryingly.
"So-rryyyyyyy. I feel kin-da wa-cky."
"Didn't ask, teleport us already. We're far too late." I said angrily.
"O-kay." She said and grabbed onto Paper, meanwhile I leaned onto her.
She clicked her bowtie, and then, a flash covered us entirely.
Once it faded away, we were in the TEO base entrance room.
"C'mon, let's go see what Taco needs so desperately from us." I said as I walked all alone into the base, leaving them behind.
First thing I saw was Tissues and Cheesy drinking some juice in the kitchen bar and The Cherries on the floor drawing.
"Can someone tell us why we were called?" I said, as I stared at them.
"SHIT- Jeez Fan, a lil warning would be nice???" Cheesy said as he fell of his chair.
Tissues sighed and immediately began talking.
"We fucked up, dunno why you guyz got involved though."
Paper entered helping Mic walk and confusedly stared around.
"Wait, wait- Where's Taco, Salt, and Box?"
"Salt's with Taco in the meeting room, and Box was feeling sick today." Right said as he stopped drawing and looked up at us.
"And, what's up with Mic?" He asked, intrigued.
Mic almost fell to the ground as Paper was trying his best to keep her up.
"I don't... know? She's glitching an awful lot though, she might be sick too."
Cheesy quickly stood up and approached Mic.
"Oh yikes. You good, Micheal?"
"I don't kno-ow..? I feel rea-lly we-ird and I keep glitch-ing." Mic tried saying in between glitches as Paper accompanied her to the couch.
"This reminds me of when MePhone got sick, did you get any viruses?"
"Maybe..."
"Hmmm..." Cheesy began thinking as he sat next to her and inspected her.
I stared at them as I looked around the base, noticing some black goop on the floor as well as some glass.
Ugh. What did these dimwits do now?
"I re-ally don't know what could be cau-sing this." Mic continued on saying.
"I've never zeen any viruz manifezt itzelf like thiz, I don't think it'z that."
They all stared at each other as I quietly bent down to further inspect the goop on the floor, touching the black goop ever so slightly with my finger, sensing a sort of zappy feeling go through my hand before it quickly became a headache.
That's when I realized what might've happened, and as I sighed, Paper broke the silence that had once again filled the room.
I sometimes despise him so much.
"Well, you did uh come in contact with water recently, right? Umh. Maybe it's that? You're an electronic after all. It's possible that you got a wacky electronic specific water virus." Paper said as he looked around at the others for approval.
"Woah, that's smart thinking, Paper!" Cheesy said as he smiled with his eyes.
"Yeah, and way smarter than whatever you guys did." I said, as I stood up, a broken piece of the flask in hand and approaching the group.
"Uhhhhhh." Cheesy, Tissues and The Cherries said before Taco unexpectedly entered the room.
"Everyone, meeting room, now." She said as she stared us down, seemingly counting that we all were here before going back to the meeting room herself.
I saw Cheesy gulp before looking at Paper and getting off the couch.
"I'll uh, help you out with Mic." He said as he helped Mic stand up alongside Paper.
Meanwhile, The Cherries stood up and packed their drawings in a folder, and Tissues just stood up from the chair and went over to the room.
All of them entered the room, and I went right after.
Everyone sat down in their bean bags, as per usual, but Paper moved Mic's closer to him for her to lean onto him throughout the meeting.
The only one missing being Box, who was excused for being sick.
But as I analyzed the room, I realized something else out of the ordinary, two new bean bags.
Taco was in front of everyone, in her place, looking at all of us and taking a deep breath before beginning to explain.
"So... a few of you are confused as to what is going on, others might know what's about to happen already, the point is that because some of you ignored my orders we are now forced to update our plans. Let's start the meeting with your fellow team members explaining themselves, Salt, you start with your brief explanation on what exactly happened." She said as she sat down on her bean bag and Salt stood up, I quickly noticed the sheer fear on her face, a new crack having formed on her cheek.
"Uh.. Me and The Cherries didn't feel valued by our abilities and decided to take matters into our own hands and kidnapped two people in the process- Then, we sneaked into Taco's office and stole the goop-flask. I dropped it onto someone and wasted most of the goop that way." Salt said and once she finished she looked over to Taco.
"Good enough, sit back down." Taco said and Salt quickly sat back on her bean bag.
"Now, I've also been told that not only did Salt and The Cherries were involved in this, but Tissues and Cheesy have also helped them achieve this. I want you three to stand up now."
When she finished talking they all stood up, visible fear in everyone's eyes.
They were confused.
Taco first approached The Cherries, who were both shaking in fear.
She slowly caressed their leaf, before ripping it out mercilessly and smiling, silent yet obviously painful moans letting out from Right's mouth.
She moved onto Cheesy, with his face all blank from fear.
Without saying anything, she ripped a chunk out of him and dropped it to the floor.
A tear escaped Cheesy's eyes, and Taco just moved onto Tissues with no comment.
She placed her hand on his head and held onto one of the tissues before ripping a piece of it from his head.
He had the most calm of reactions, but the pain was still as clear.
She slowly walked back to her place while everyone affected cried, and stared at all of us.
"This is just a small example of what will happen the next time anyone disobeys my direct orders. I hope this makes it clear for everyone that I do not appreciate disobedience, and don't mind stepping up to punish anyone who tries to pull anything like this off. I have accepted little amounts of ignorance, but this is the end of it. You have misused my trust." Taco said as she looked back at Salt.
"Go get them." She said towards Salt as Salt nodded back and stood up, leaving the room.
"And back onto the main priority of today's meeting, as I've said before we've been forced to update our plan now, and this involves the addition of two new members. They will join the team, and I want you guys to fully take care of them. If they do anything stupid, you will all be held responsible."
And just as she finished saying that, Salt entered the room again, holding the hands of two objects.
"Welcome your new teammates, Lightbulb and Apple." Taco said as Salt lead them to their assigned bean bags.
Apple had a simple bit of goop on her cheek, but Lightbulb...
She had half of her face covered in goop, her eye forcefully shut for the huge amounts of goop near it, the goop also seemingly having dripped down onto her cap.
As she walked by, I got a small glimpse of her back, also half covered in goop.
She sat down next to Paper, and Apple sat next to her.
"Now, as for the actual new plan... I want to divide you guys even more, as it seems apparent that some of you get too bored with your assigned missions. There'll be three teams now; Paper, Fan, and Mic will remain the only ones in the hotel, you're Team A, and your mission is to make this all talked about party happen in any way possible while gathering information from the members of the hotel. Box, Apple, and Tissues will remain in the base, you will be Team B. I expect you guys to defend the base while I'm busy. I also expect you all to take the best care of the base, it's the easiest job so I want it to be constantly perfect. And lastly, Salt, Cherries, Cheesy, and Lightbulb. You have been upset about not getting to do anything so now you will be Team C and will be sent to outer missions, such as going to Spooky Mansion and maybe even the contestant grounds. Your goal is to kidnap more members without being spotted, defenseless objects found shall be kidnapped and taken to my base immediately. You will be given a teletransportation bow tie in addition. No more hanging around aimlessly, is everything clear enough for everyone?" Taco finished saying and we all nodded.
"Good, you are all dismissed now, all except Team A. Team B and C, stay in the living room while I have a brief chat with Team A." She added.
Everyone but me and my team stood up and silently exited the room, Salt being the last one to leave and shutting the door close behind her.
"I want a status update, Mic?" She said as she looked over to Mic, who had a defeated expression in her face and was leaning onto Paper who was trying to keep her up.
"She's uh- Not feeling well." Paper said as he worriedly looked at Mic.
"What happened to her?"
"We believe that water had a big effect on her, so I was thinking of going to ask Test Tube for help... She trusts me."
"She barely does. The only reason she didn't kill you yet is because I convinced her not to." I added.
"Stop straying away from the conversation. Fan, your status?"
"Everything's in order. I have full trust from both Test Tube and OJ, whom I've been slowly befriending. I took care of a few possible people who are suspicious of me, that includes Soap, Balloon, and Trophy. Nobody suspects me." I stated.
"Great to hear. Paper, what about you?"
"I'm uh... doing good. I-I uh convinced OJ to plan a second birthday party for me, supposedly it will be almost as big as the last one. Only other person aware of my existence in the hotel is Test Tube, who both me and Fan have convinced that I'm okay to trust." He said.
What a sneaky little liar he is.
"M'kay, what's Mic's status?"
"She's got a full cover, nobody suspects about her." I answered.
"Amazing job then, Team A, you're all dismissed. Go back to your positions."
We all nodded and Paper helped Mic stand up.
I approached Mic and Paper and leaned onto Mic once again as I clicked her bow tie and got the three of us zapped out of there.
New plan, eh? Interesting.
I began leaving but heard Paper take a deep breath and Mic let out a small chuckle.
"What's so funny?" I asked her, as I looked back at them.
"I didn't wa-nna talk to Ta–co so me and Pa-per deci-ded to con-vince her that I was too sick." She said in between laughs.
"What? When?"
"You know when you left us a-lone to en-ter the base? Yeah, then."
"...I'm too tired to deal with this shit. Night." I said as I began leaving.
"Wait for me!!" Paper said almost yelling as he ran towards me.
"Shhh! That's exactly how we almost got caught last time. Be silent."
"Oop- Sorry... I just- I gotta go back and uh. I- I think I need help."
Fuck. I'd love to let him get caught but we do need him.
Especially after today, we can't risk getting caught.
I sighed and held his hand.
"Let's get going then." I said as we left the room and I closed the door behind us very silently.
I can't believe I have to once again help this pathetic idiot.