~Experimental~ /~A TPOT AU~\

~Part 3~ Sleep It Off

It's been a one and a half days since Tennis Ball harvested Snowball's core, he's still physically researching it, thinking to turn it into freeze juice.

TB then heard small footsteps descending down the stairs of the factory. Panicking, he put the core back in the bag, storing it in the drawer on the table. Trying to look nonchalant as he pulled out his Work in Progress invention.

Golf Ball approached Tennis Ball, looking pretty concerned about TB. "Uh.. TB? You haven't been eating breakfast lately, the only food you've been eating is just grapes and tea. Is there something that I don't know about?" "Uh... W-what are you talking about? I'm fine, I'm just... L-laser focused on finishing this" TB lied, not having the heart to tell her what he done before, only giving him more guilt.

"Okay.. Well.. If you ever need someone to talk to, you have us." GB said, still with concern on her face as she left TB by himself. TB sighed as he took the core out to continue his research.

Puffball and Fries saw GB exit her factory, Puffball noticed the sad look on GB's face. "🎵Is Tennis Ball going to be alright?🎶" "Not sure at this point" GB said, looking down in concern for her best friend. "He's just working on one of his machines" "What a cave dweller.." Fries nonchalantly said, making Puffball headbutt him.

"As long as he doesn't snap, it'll be fine" Golf Ball said with false hope.

After a few hours TB finally exited the factory to eat dinner, all he could see is odd looks from other objects as he entered his team's apartment. He sat down with everyone else to eat his medium rare stake, TB felt odd glances from Pen. 

"So.. Uh.... How are you doing on your machine?" Pen asked with skepticism. "Not done, I still need to work on a couple of kinks." TB responded normally, feeling Pen's skepticism pierce his guilty mind.

Once they're done eating, TB was about to go into his room before Pen pulled him outside, to the back of the apartment. "I don't know what you're doing, but I'm gonna know sooner or later. You're on thin ice, pal." Pen warned TB in a cold, quiet voice, setting more fear and guilt in TB. "I'm not doing anything wrong, I promise you!" TB pleaded in the same quiet voice.

Pen gave him one last skeptical look before heading back inside, TB following suite.

Tennis Ball flopped down on his bed, softly  yawning as he slowly fall asleep.

TB then suddenly woke back up in the factory. "W-why am I back here?" TB asked in confusion.

The room glitched to show blood splotches and bloody hand and foot prints on the floor and walls. A trail of blood lead to the medical room, with pure dread, he opened the door.

Only to see Golf Ball, strapped to the table, dead. Tennis Ball gasped as he looked upon Golf Ball's dead body, tears forming in his eyes. He looked over at the lab table, Golf Ball's core setting on a petri dish. With a sudden realization, he entered the factory's bathroom to look in the mirror. Only to see a maniac, his fuzzy body covered in Pen's inky blood and Puffball's colorful blood.

"N-. . . No.. It. . It can't be. . ." TB said with disbelief. "Oh...but it is..." His reflection called out, TB collapsed to the grimy, bloody floor, tears of pure sadness and disbelief falling down his face. "And it's... So much fun...You'll know soon enough. . . Just wake up. . .

Wake up.

Wake up.

Wake up.

WAKE UP!

TB woke up with a sharp gasp, breathing heavily as he slowly realized.. "O-oh... J-just a nightmare. . ." He said with relief. He got up to the bathroom, to splash his face with water. "It'll be fine...It will  be fine..." TB muttered to himself as he stared at himself in the mirror for a while before going into his room again.

-702 words-