Playtime with Percy; Before Playtime

Sunday; Soon to Be

June 2, 1:27, 2002

" Hey, Johns back guys," Felix called out from the start of the hallway. Percy turned to see Felix with his plushie in his hands. He was leaning on the wall, looking directly into Percy's eyes. Marylin glanced from where she was, under the table checking for anything odd.

" He is?" Marylin asked. She stood up swiftly and glanced at the cases for a second. Felix nodded.

" W-where are the poodles?" Percy demanded, walking towards Felix. The feeling and memories from last night when he was in the hallway crept back. He glanced over his shoulder to see if there was a never-ending hallway like last night, but it was the same. He felt a sense of relief course through him and held his plush tighter.

" Charlie's entertaining them with his tricks." Felix stopped leaning on the wall and stood up straight, looking at Marylin who was trotting towards him. Percy walked past the gap between him and Felix and saw the poodles.

They were huddled in a circle, with Charlie the center of attention being in between Tot and Tim. They all had bright smiles on their faces, looking at Charlie with joy and waiting for him to do the next trick. They didn't mind Tat's new eye color at all. The four were in front of the stage, the shadow of the raised platform looming over them.

Percy watching them made him grin. He took a few steps closer until Charlie performed his next trick.

Charlie leaned forward to Tot, whispering into her ear. She giggled and nodded eagerly once Charlie went back to his seat. Charlie smiled, put both hands behind his back for a few seconds, and scooted back a foot before revealing his left arm with a ladle tucked under his sleeve. From Percy's view, the bottom half on the other side of the ladle wasn't tucked in and exposed, but from the poodle's view was the rounded side of the ladle. Tim was immediately in awe and sat up straighter, while Tat made a cautious face but slowly turned into amazement. Tot's smile was so large that it could fit her entire face.

Wait, where did Charlie get that ladle? Percy questioned. He raised an eyebrow to himself and opened his mouth to speak, but Felix said something first.

" Um, sorry to interrupt the moment, but John just arrived," Felix said gently and quietly. Charlie turned his head to Felix with a smug face on it. Tat didn't look too happy about him being there too.

" He apologized," Percy spoke up. Charlie kept the same face while Tot, standing up made a forgiving face. Tat had a dark glimmer in his eyes with a hint of forgiveness, but everything else on his face was just irritation.

Tim started to whimper and his face was nothing but fear. Tot turned to the hallway leading to the Ratcade, guessing that John was in the Ratcade or the hallway.

" That doesn't mean-" Charlie started but stopped before he could continue, looking at the poodles. Tim started curling into a ball with Tot trotting up to him and holding his hand lightly to comfort him. Felix made a nervous face too when Charlie started, begging him to leave whatever he was about to say and say it later. Percy knew what Charlie was gonna say.

" Um, hi guys," John called out from a distance.

Everyone looked at him immediately. Charlie scoffed as he swiftly took out the ladle and hid it behind his back before John could see it. Percy tightened his grip on the plush while looking at John. A different sense and feeling was coming from him.

It wasn't anger or flabbergasted, but instead betrayal. From those papers that Pal showed them, Percy kind of went a bit blind on joining him when laying eyes on the papers. Three parts of him believed in different things- the first part, his heart, wanted to believe that Pal made those papers up and was just trying to get him and his friends on his side, but his head thought the opposite - those papers were deactivation papers and John was deactivating them without them knowing. The last part -his gut- wanted to forget.