Overdue Check-Up (Poppy Playtime)

(Chapter 2) Part 3: Musical Mess

Walking into the arena, the screens on all sides of the room immediately turned on, showing a person standing on the same platform they were, four different colors ahead of them and the text below the scene spelling 'Musical Memory.'

A voice then sounds, "Welcome to Musical Memory." The scene switches to a close up of the cartoon person's head as a diagram of a person's brain overlayed onto the image, the voice continues, "This advanced memory and cognitive recognition test is designed to stimulate several segments of the brain." Arrows start pointing at different parts of said diagram and light it up to showcase their point, "Allowing us to see how quickly and efficiently, your brain works."

The scene fades out, being replaced by the first scene as the voice continues, "A sequence of colors will be shown, and you must recreate the exact sequence using the buttons around you." The scene playing out as explained.

Dan shrugs, "Alright, easy enough."

The scene the switches to a side view of the person, also showing the toy Bunzo, descend from above on a cable as the voice continues, "Bunzo will slowly lower towards you. When you complete a color pattern correctly, Bunzo will rise back up. If you input a pattern incorrectly, Bunzo will lower towards you faster." The scene playing out as described.

Dan pales, "Wait what?"

Looking up, Dan then sees Bunzo in a tunnel leading towards where the brothers are standing, slightly swaying side to side with its mouth open, and he can see the hunger in its eyes, the voice finalising, "If Bunzo reaches you, your test, is over." Gulping down some of his rising dread, he looks back to the screens to pay attention, he might need to help of things go wrong.

The scene fades out and switches to pure text as the voice adds, "The test will become more difficult as it continues. With longer patterns in quicker succession. That's all, good luck!"

Dan sweatdrops as he mutters, "Thanks automated voice, we may need it."

Nearic sighs and shakes his head, "We'll be fine, calm down."

The screens all finally turn off, and the observation room lights turn on, revealing Mommy Long Legs inside, "Oh, isn't it amazing? Mommy hasn't seen the place up and running in years! Mommy can only imagine how excited Bunzo must be, it's been such a long time since he's been able to play, to cheer... to eat."

The clanging of cymbals right above them startles the brothers as they crouch down and look up, seeing Bunzon right above them, only a foot or two away, Nearic says, "Uh, yeah, that's great Mommy, but he's a bit too close for the game to start, shouldn't he be at the top, it is the rules... last I checked."

Mommy gasps in fake realization, "Oh right, of course. Bunzo deary, you have too much of HeadStart, rise up to the top why don't you, you need to play fair. ~"

Bunzo rises back up to his proper position and waits, watching them closely. Dan sighs in relief before glaring at Nearic with a, 'Believe me now?' look, Nearic waves him off and looks at Mommy Long Legs.

He makes a small nervous smile, "Thanks Mommy, is it okay of Dan here watches over me, making sure Bunzo plays fair, he is my brother, and Bunzo seems more eager than usual... y-you know?"

Mommy hums in thought, holding her chin as she looks off to the side, "Well, I suppose that makes sense, very well, he may watch, gotta make sure everyone's having fun, right?"

Nearic nods, "Yeah, alright I'm ready!"

Mommy giggles excitedly, "Okay, good luck. ~"

Dan whispers in Neric's ear, "I don't like this."

Nearic nods, "I know, but we have to, as long as we play by the rules, we'll be fine."

Dan grumbles uncertainly, but obliges, stepping back to give his brother some room as four buttons rise up from their right, Nearic turns to them and walks closer. As soon as he does, the screen ahead of him and the buttons all light up, the button having four different colors, the one on the far left being red, then moving the tight are, blue, yellow, then green. The screen ahead lighting up at the same time the buttons do with the color and spelling of red, a voice calling out the same color, Nearic acts and presses the red button.