What's It Like Outside? [An II Fanfiction]

Chapter 19: Welcome Back

Trigger Warnings: kidnapping, (almost) sensory torture (its built up a lot but doesnt actually happen), death threats, psychological distress, manipulation

uhm i fucking hate this chapter JDHSJSH i regret writing this one and i dont recommend reading more than half way cuz i made some very weird and uncomfortable writing choices 😃 this should not be required reading for the fic so i'll summarize the important stuff that happens and you can skip if you want

basically all you need to know is that test tube brings lightbulb back to her office in the lab, says that she wont kill lightbulb BUT she says she's gonna kill baseball and balloon instead and immediately leaves. and then lightbulb has a breakdown lol (its like 1am she just leaves her there overnight)

Lightbulb groaned as she slowly and groggily woke up. She noticed she was sitting up, but she figured she'd just been moving weirdly in her sleep again. She stretched her good leg and turned her head to the side a bit. "Painty-"

Her eye shot open as she realized she couldn't move her arms.

She frantically glanced around her, suddenly aware she wasn't in Paintbrush and Fan's hotel room anymore. The room was fairly small, the walls and floor made of concrete. There were several bookshelves filled with documents and such. Near the door parallel to her there was a metal desk. Lightbulb had to squint to see what was on it- a laptop, several pens and sheets of paper, a framed photo of Fan and-

Test Tube!

Lightbulb's blood ran cold as she realized where she was. This was Test Tube's office. She was back in the lab. Test Tube had caught her again.

She tried to move around, but there were ropes tied tightly around her body, preventing her from using her arms. She couldn't get up either due to her injured leg. She was breathing heavily, trying her absolute best to keep her composure, but the more she thought about the situation, the more scared she became. Knowing what Test Tube had promised the day before, she was probably going to die in here.

The door opened, the last person Lightbulb wanted to see tonight entering the room. Test Tube looked at her, a little surprised.

"Oh- you're awake already, huh?" She calmly asked. "That's fine. I was planning on going back up soon, but it's only 1. I can wait a little longer." She walked over to her desk and sat down in the spinning chair, turning it to face Lightbulb on the other side of the office.

Lightbulb started tearing up and she looked at Test Tube. "Please.. l-let me go..." She pleaded in a shaky voice.

Test Tube grabbed a Rubik's Cube from her desk and started randomly flipping it around, not trying to actually solve it. "Why? I already dragged you out here." She responded blandly, not looking at her. "That'd be a waste of effort."

"...I-I'm sorry, okay? ...I don't wanna die.." Lightbulb answered weakly, tears rolling down her cheeks. "It was a mistake.."

"...Hm. Y'know what? I'll think about it." Test Tube reassured her. "I'm not planning on doing it tonight, so you got time to prove you don't deserve it, I guess. I still think you do though."