The Ascended Hybrid

3.

It took twenty minutes for them to maneuver through when it should have only taken five. The various bits and bobs were piled higher than Temptation had ever seen it. With the power of the Council behind Provlane, he was probably gaining more material than he could reasonably use. Bean wondered why he didn't just have a special area to dump everything. He certainly had a big enough universe to.

They came to a drop-off. The lab extended in every direction. Metal prongs were meticulously hung on the ceiling, where Provlane would swing using his vines. The pit below them was filled with even more junk, almost creating a walkway. The sound of metal hitting metal was just beyond the chasm.

Temptation sighed, "I wish your illusions could actually move things. Then you could just swing us across."

"I could move myself, but not others." Bean slowly turned to him. Even invisible, he could feel their eyes glaring. "You have wings."

"Oh yeah." His wings fluttered in response.

But a part of him didn't want to. That would mean finally facing Provlane.

When he didn't move, Bean punched his arm. "Come on, grandpa."

Temptation scoffed, now purposefully resisting their pulls, "Grandpa? Really? That's the best you got, brat?"

"We don't have time for this," Bean huffed.

Temptation laughed, "I spent hundreds of years by myself in my own universe. You can wait a few minutes."

They shoved him with all their effort, but the moth God barely budged. "Fine! I'll go talk to Provlane myself."

"Why are you so insistent?"

Bean starts climbing over the edge where the linoleum ends. The floor, walls, and ceiling turn to dirt, so Bean was sure they could just climb around. Or walk over all the stuff.

They turned back as they menuvered. Temptation still stood at the edge of the linoleum floor. They dramatically stuck their tongue out at him to show their anger. He couldn't see them, but they felt good to do it anyway.

With their head turned, they tripped over a large metal coil. They fell over, their leg bending between the coil. Their head made a loud sound as it connected with the metal. Their eyes watered as the impact stung. Seconds after they fell, they cried out, "Oof." A circular pocket mirror fell out of their pocket, but they quickly caught it and put it back.

Other than reverberating metal, the sound of Temptation's wings buzzed through the air. He gently place a hand on their arm to help them up. His voice had gone as equally gentle. "I'm sorry. I know you want to find your parents. But Provlane isn't going to like seeing me, let alone be open to answers about Alias and Vill." Temptation sighed, "and he's working for the Council again."

Bean became invisible again and took a minute to rub their head. When they looked back up, a vine was wrapping diagonally around Tempation's torso. The many red trichomes coming out of it curled as it stuck to his body. He looked confused, then delighted, then frightened, then excited.

He was suddenly jerked upwards, the vine pulling him back to the hole it came out of. It smacked against the ceiling, sending his body full force into it. The vine seemed dazed, as did Tempt, before slowly pulling him into the hole.

Bean stared at the hole, suddenly remembering they were in Council territory. Alone. This sent Bean scrambling upwards with illusioned wings. They followed through the hole, surrounding themselves in the smoothed dirt.

They felt like a worm. The tunnel twisted and turned. All they could do was follow. The air was dry, and if they thought it was hot outside, now, it was sweltering. They heaved, feeling like the walls would close in on them. The tunnel kept splitting in directions, likely leading to other parts of the lab, if not the around the whole universe. They continued forward, hoping they were going the right way.