"You don't need that Puppeteer" [OFF]

"Advertisement"

Zacharie kept a steady pace as he skipped past the library possibly for the millionth time recently. He hummed a soft but merry tune that was sort of smothered under his strange frog-like mask. At least The Batter was pretty sure it was meant to be a frog. He wasn't good with animals.
Anyway.
The Batter was being dragged behind him with Zacharie partially holding his hand. He was struggling to keep up finding that Zacharie was much faster than him, which was unexpected. Strangely he didn't seem to mind the physical contact for once.
He sorta enjoyed it.

The whole time The Batter wasn't really paying too much attention to where they were going at all, he'd just been running.

"Hahah, well here we are." Zacharie chuckled, almost out of breath. He let go of The Batters hand. "The Shopping Mall!"
"..."
It was somewhat anticlimactic.
"Zacharie, is this an advertisement?"
"Hmmm, not unless you want it to be, amigo."
So... it was an advertisement.

The only company they had there was an Elsen, who stood safely out of the way. They didn't bother with them, passing them by as the Elsen gave them a worried look.

The inside was the same deep blue colour as the Library. However, unlike the library, it was rather disorderly. There were boxes pretty much everywhere. Before them stood a desk, which Zacharie practically rushed to.
"Why are we here? Ah... You could sell me things outside of here you know?"
"Hm, we are not here for shopping. We're here for something else." Zacharie replied, noticing his friend's lack of interest.

"Stay close to me, this place is kind of like a maze you see? You wouldn't want to get lost in here, no?"
The Batter nodded his head.
"Good, I... believe I know my way around here."

Zacharie wandered off, The Batter trailing close behind him.
Every room felt somewhat the same. Disorderly with that same coat of Blue. Perhaps if he was lucky there would be the occasional sign or mannequin.
After a while he started feeling tired, too. Zacharie practically skipped through the place like it was just a walk in the park, which it kinda was. Not like there was any danger here, surely. Unlike Zacharie, The Batter wasn't finding it as easy. His head was spinning. Really he still wasn't used to the feeling of having control over his actions and for a man wearing sports attire he certainly didn't seem to be all that athletic.
He was starting to zone out a bit.

"Batter?"
Zacharie called out, The Batter's eyes widened as his title was called.
"Yes?"
"Haha. You're not very quick are you? No. Do I have to hold your hand again?"
"No, you don't."
"Alright, hah."

The Batter worried they may be lost. They'd reached a dead end. There was a box, a chest, in front of them. He could recognise that. Zacharie was the one who opened it.
"Ah! A fortune ticket, this could be useful." Zacharie mumbled, smushing it into a pocket... somewhere.
"Yes."
"Batter you didn't need to reply to that."

They wandered around some more, finding an opening. At this point it had seemed like it had been forever since they started the wandering to The Batter. In reality it was about...
Errr...
5 minutes?

The Batter was alerted strange sound. Sounded like slamming. Or squealing.
Two rat-like spectres lumbered into view.
Zacharie noticed his companions worry.
How could The Batter not pull out his trusted bat at the sight? 'Bat' was in his name after all.
The masked man watched in concern.

The Batter swung his bat at them, missing. Of course he missed. He missed the last time, what made him think it would change now? Stupid. He was still weak.
Zacharie looked on in pity from behind. He wondered wether to intervene. The Batter swung his bat some more almost blindly. Nothing had changed. Only when the spectres starting fighting back did he retaliate.

The Batter never really knew Zacharie knew how to fight, let alone fight spectres. Likely a stupid assumption of his, then again these past few days have been the first time he's had free thought. But there he was, sword in hand, Spectres purified within a minute. The Batter pulled a confused and shocked face as if he didn't know what a sword was. Or just didn't expect Zacharie to have one. Or didn't expect Zacharie to jump out of nowhere and slaughtering the odd Spectres. Either of the three.

"I..."
"Mhm? Yeah, I know." Zacharie chuckled a little again as if it were nothing. "What? I need a way to defend myself to, amigo."
The Batter stood stunned... and a little ashamed. He'd been absolutely shown up by Zacharie. He, the so call purifier of this land, was weaker than a mere merchant.
"We're you hurt, Batter?"
"No..."
"Hm... that's good. Are we continuing?"
"..."
"Yeah."

It wasn't that long until they came to a clearing with what they hoped was some kind of exit. It atleast seemed to be, or perhaps it was just another hallway.
There was a small white cat in that hallway.

"Ah, Pablo!" Zacharie caller out to the large, white cat. The Batter didn't know who Pablo was but he knew The Judge. This cat looked like The Judge. The Judge looked up at... a picture of another cat with some cat food beside them. He turned his head to face them, purring a little as he did so.
"Hm? Greetings Zacharie... and a puppet."
"..."
The Batter didn't know how to respond to being called that.
He was more than that now, he was sure.
At least he hoped he was.
"The Batter."
"... Yes."

"..."
It had become silent for a few seconds. Zacharie could clearly sense some tension from within The Batter.

Purring, The Judge turned back to the advertisement on the wall.
"Is not this publicity so effective and efficient whilst defying the basics of consumer marketing?" The Judge pondered to no one in particular. "Haha, isn't it charming, though?" Zacharie joined him.
The Batter didn't know wether to join their little conversation.

"... For silkier hair: The meat fountains of Alma." He mumbled, gaining the attention of the other two.
"Oh, you can read?" The cat half mocked, The Batter looking slightly more irritated. Zacharie hoped this wouldn't end in conflict. The Judge seemed to notice that too.
'Of course I can read, I'm not stupid...'
"Anyway, I am glad to have found you. Maybe you can help me unravel the mystery that fate has placed before me." The Judge piped up again, in attempt to extinguish the flames. The two men nodded, as if to tell the talking cat to continue.

According to The Judge, his brother had been living in Zone 2 for a while, a fact he hadn't known before. However, despite his attempts, he couldn't seem to find the lost cat. The Batter noticed how verbose the cat could be at times, his mind stripping the information down to its basics.
"My request is as follows: If at the bend of a corridor you happen to see Valerie, give him my greetings."
"Okay."

The two left The Judge with his endearing advertisement, however not before Zacharie gave him a few head pats. He was a cat, how could a man resist petting it?

As they left the room, The Batter stopped in his tracks.
"Amigo?"
"..."
Zacharie turned to face his companion.
"Ah, dear Batter, is something wrong."
"You think I'm stupid, don't you?"
Zacharie was caught off guard.
"Of course not."
"The cat does."
Zacharie approached him, patting him on the back as if to give comfort.
"No, no. Don't mind him. He doesn't know."
"Know what?"
"Know you."

"..."

"Ah..."
"He doesn't mean anything by it. Come on now."
"Zacharie I can't even do my job." The Batter stammered a little. "If I can't even do that, what is my purpose?"
"No, no. You're just a little out of practise."
"I'm weak"
"I can help you, dear. Promise you. Just let me do this."
"Do what?"
"You'll see."

Zacharie gently grabbed The Batter by the hand, slowly leading him to his desired destination. It was certainly a lot more relaxed and caring than the drag that forced him into the mall in the first place.
He lead him to a lever which Zacharie swiftly pulled. The Batter could sense a smile behind Zacharie's masked face.
"Ah, finally. Good."
"Hm..?"
"Come on, mon ami. There should be an exit around here. Then today really begins."
"Ahah... okay."

There was a strange feeling in his body.
Batter felt warmth.