That Violet Disciple - Poppy Playtime

1 - Saving Grace

Yin tiptoed past the grimy cells, ears strained for the little toys that had been hounding him through the Playhouse.

"You..."

Yin inhaled a yelp and turned to the cell on his left. A Smiling Critter—the dog one... DogDay?—hung by his arms from the ceiling. His lower body had been crudely severed at the waist. "You're Poppy's angel. Come to save us." 

DogDay gasped. What remained of his torso curled with pain and his restraints clinked softly as he looked up at Yin. "Listen to me, you need to get out of this place. You need to live. You and Poppy can fix this, end this madness, the torment, the— oh no..."

Yin heard it too, the tiny plastic paws scrabbling through the walls. He backed up a step.

DogDay's voice crackled with panic. "Leave me! They'll come after you! Run!"

Yin stared at the tortured toy. Dare he leave? In a place so devoid of tame beings, this one wants to be left to suffer?

No. Not another one. Not again. Yin set his jaw and stepped into the cell. There were tunnels on either side, both of which were filling with ravenous little toys.

He shot two flares down each hole, sending the toys reeling back like headless roaches. Then he turned to DogDay.

"What are you doing?" DogDay cried. "They'll kill you, devour you alive; you have to get out of here!"

Yin ignored both him and the dark red viscera making the floor slippery. He unhooked the carabiner from DogDay's neck, then set about undoing the belts on his arms.

"I don't understand," said DogDay. He gasped as the restraints came off until only his wrists were tied.

The flares were starting to sputter. The small toys screeched and snarled.

Yin used the extra strength of the GrabPack to grab DogDay's wrist and tear the leather strap away. The toy groaned with pain as his one side flopped to the floor. Yin tugged his other arm free with a clatter of shattered metal.

The flares died.

Yin hissed what might've been a very rude word, then grabbed DogDay by the scruff and hauled him out of the cell just as a tidal wave of toys surged into it.

Yin slammed the cell door shut and fired every flare he had between the bars.

Yin made a break for it, dragging poor DogDay behind him. He went back the way he came and immediately his heart sank when he realized the hall was blocked off.

Some crisscrossed planks formed a weak cover over a large hole in the floor. Yin stamped on them, cracking the dry plywood. He lifted his foot again.

The planks gave out. Yin and DogDay fell into a lower tunnel.

"That way," DogDay said, pointing. Yin let go of him and DogDay crawled on his hands down the tunnels. Yin wondered if crawling like that hurt. If it did, DogDay was too determined to survive to care about it. That or he cared more about keeping Yin alive and that meant leading him.

Nevertheless, Yin followed. He kept wary eyes and ears peeled for tiny toys, often needing to ward them off with flares and an occasional kick.

Finally the tunnels opened up into a colorfully padded room. Three slides were on the far wall.

"This one! Hurry!" DogDay waved Yin toward a slide and Yin dove in. He heard DogDay sliding behind him, the wrist restraints clacking and scraping on the sides.

Yin landed at the bottom and let the momentum carry him into a jog. DogDay yelped as he came down, tumbling a little and struggling to find his bearings.