Are We Cool Yet? [Complete!]

Foxtrap

Peanut's POV

——————

The Larry has gathered us all. He wants to make a plan.

He says we will try to escape. This makes me happy. Shy smiles also. But the Doc bows his head. He does not seem so sure this will be good.

That is stupid. Of course escape is good. Out is good.

So we will come out of the pocket dimension, in a new place. Then we stay safe until the Larry can open it again and bring us somewhere else. We keep going until we get out. And then we will look for somewhere.

There will have to be a somewhere for us. We need one.

Everyone agrees to try. The Larry puts a hand on the wall and makes another doorway. I can now see a double-locked doorway. Instead of leading into light or heavy containment, it says entrance zone. Entrance means exit. This is good.

Behind, the door to heavy is open. Someone has been here.

Shy is next, he stays close to me and to Larry.

The Doc is looking back at the door into heavy. "I'm going to stay," he says, suddenly. 

"Why?" I ask. At the same time, Mask yells, "No!"

"I told you last night," Doc said. He keeps his voice calm. "There isn't anywhere for us. If we're found out there, they'll kill us for sure. At least the Foundation keeps us alive."

"How could you want this? Look what they did to you!"

Doc looks down at his hands. He reaches out, but the Mask steps back. 

"I've been here for centuries. What's a few more? I don't know how the world might have changed."

"It might have changed for the better!"

"I know the Foundation. I've been happy enough here..."

The lights flicker. "I know what I said last night, but you are not staying here! I told you to think about it, and you still can't think clearly. I will NOT let you stay here, because sooner or later they WILL kill you. Half the skips in our little crew are slated for termination, and why would they keep a monster like you when they could give your space to someone who helps them?"

"I'm not a monster," Doc says quietly.

"You are. We all are. That's why we're here!"

There is something black like blood on the floor, but I know it is not from me. It seems to be coming from Mask. Tentacles push up from the puddle and wrap around Doc, pinning his arms to his sides. "I'm not going to let you get hurt again."

"What's that shouting?"

"Sounds like 035!"

"Dammit, dammit, dammit," Larry's eyes are tightly closed and he's biting his lip in concentration, trying to weave a tunnel through the walls.

Heavy footsteps approach from heavy containment. I wait by the door. While the others are busy, I will crunch.

They see me. I am frozen, but I am also in the middle of the doorway. They cannot get through. They cannot hurt my family.

"Stop! It's the statue!"

"Okay, okay, back up, lure it out..."

"A little farther back..."

"Blink!"

They all blink. I feel a rush of warmth, and I know they are not far enough. In this moment, in this second, in this instant I crunch. There were nine, now there are seven. Soon there will be none.

Some back up further, some run past— no no no not behind me that is where my family is. They are going to hurt my family. I hate I hate I HATE.

I try to do thing about it, but the door closes in my face. There are still men looking. They are taking turns blinking. I want them to be dead now, I want many things but I can have none of them.

I hear the Larry. "Hurry, everyone in!"

Gunshots. Screams. I recognize the voices.

"Where's Peanut?" Shy asks. No no no, Shy should be in by now, he should be gone.

"We'll find him later, there's no time!"

There is no more sound, except the clanking of boots on metal and unintelligible words into a radio. The men move me away, into a room with no vents and a locked door.

They say words I hate. "SCP-173 is recontained."

What I hate more is I do not know who else is recontained. 

The men will die, I swear it and promise it. They will all die if I do not get my family back.