Poppy Playtime ~ An Angel's Bleeding Heart

Chapter 22 : Clipped Angel Wings

There wasn't even so much as a single step that Gabriel gave leisure for. Even as he is exiting from under the central statue of Playcare carrying the Master Power cord in his hand, his every thought that seethed in his mind burned with a fierce desire.

While traveling up the slope of fake grass, a single goal is kept dead in his sights. But if he were honest to himself he has no idea what he is doing. All that he knows is that when he plugs this cord in he is literally one more step closer to the object of his mission.

His mind flared with burning rage the very moment the thought about the Prototype came to his head. Ever since he had left the halls of the Councilor's Office, his head has been filled with callused imaginations, smoldering with a passion that darkened his heart. Brimming with emotions, old and familiar, from the same night he had lost the two people close to him.

This seething, dark desire, seemed to give a peculiar strength to his already battered and worn body. Tiredness barely seemed to slow him, his worn lungs heaving with nauseated air, the pain of aching muscles only adding fuel to the fire, and the empty pit in his stomach became but a footnote even as it roared for nourishment.

Reality begins to bend around his agonizing perception, the edges of his vision darkened as he was focused on nothing ahead but the open hallway to the production zone in front of him. He has become to feel everything that there is to feel hatred, and yet he has come to feel nothing at all.

He'll find the Prototype, and kill him.

And God help anyone who stands in his way.

<<<<<<<<<<~>>>>>>>>>>

The Gas Production Zone was just as dark as he had left it, not a single light to be alit in sight. The only sign of any indication of power running through here is the faint, eerie glow of the monitor screen displaying the lack of power in the control's systems.

Gabriel has yet to pass through the threshold of the double-sided door leading into the facility, he merely stood there with cable in hand as he gazed on at the dimly lit monitor screen with a certain uneasiness as it pulled on his very self from taking yet another step inside. He knew, he just knew with absolute certainty that there is something about to happen once he takes the first step within. He can feel it like the dead-cold air on his skin.

His gaze then lowers to the from the monitor to the rest of the control console. He can see the empty outlet for the backup power cord just directly below the restart button, the utter simplicity of completing this task nearly overpowers his sense of self preservation. All he has to do is to just plug a cord in and press a button, just one, simple, singularly annoying button to push, and his time in Playcare will be over.

He weighs his circumstance with thoughtful judgment. He could find another way, maybe even regroup with his friends and then complete his mission here. But what are the chances of Catnap finding him before he does for his friends? After all, for whatever reason, they left him. Perhaps he is going to deal with this alone after all, just like he always did.

There is only one way forward now.

He breathes in, then out. And went inside.

And no more than reaching a few steps inside. A voice calls to him.

"GREETINGS, GABRIEL."

Gabriel froze in place as his blood suddenly ran cold, the distorted voice of Catnap cut through the background noise within Gabe's mind with such intensity that his senses remembered the still, ear-ringing quietness that fill the production zone with silence.