Battle for Triangles Multiversal Travel Machine (and also Dream Island)

Episode 30 - The Disappointing Finale

Triangle would take a deep breath before talking to GD. It took him quite a long time since he got back to base in order to gain enough confidence to say what he was about to say, and even now, he still felt like he should hesitate and rethink his decisions, but no. Triangle was- no, *had to be* certain of his decision. He'd take a deep breath. "I'm going on a solo expedition." GD wouldn't say anything for a moment, wanting to make sure he meant it. He would then look up at him and would raise an eyebrow. "...What?" He'd ask him to repeat, just to make sure he was for certain. He had heard him the last time, but asking people to repeat things always made them reconsider. Triangle gulped. "...I'm going on a solo expedition." He'd sigh. "On my own. Just me." He'd pause. "Well, me and Helium. But that's just following protocol." GD would nod. "And *why* a solo mission?" He'd ask. "Most attempts to stop a CE infiltration event have required teams of experts that have trained their entire lives, and possibly even longer, and *those* have failed." He'd pause. "And that's not even taking into account the time you'd need to locate... "I think we've been getting this whole thing wrong." Triangle would interrupt. "We don't need a large group, or even a small group, to stop the infiltration." "But strength in numbers has always been-" "That's the problem, don't you think?" Triangle would interrupt again. "We're rushing in with all we got instantly. *Of course* a host is going to become suspicious and immediately lash out against us. It might play nice at first to lure us in, but it always gets us in the end. 100% of containment expeditions have been carried out by expertly-trained groups, and 100% of containment expeditions have ended in failure."

Triangle would breathe. That was a *lot* to say. "...And besides, given what we know about CE... I think I'll have no trouble in locating it." GD would stay silent for a moment before sighing. "Can't you consider at least bringing..." He'd think for a moment. "...At least *one* other person with you?" He'd ask. "So that you'll have each others backs?" "I mean..." Triangle would scratch his head. "I have Helium." He would then awkwardly look around, hoping that his response would end the debate, but it ended up not doing that. Much like most things in life, it only brought him disappointment. "...The offer is tempting, yeah." He'd continue. "I would like someone to talk to on those tough times..." He'd sigh. "But I don't think I'll take it. Again, bringing in more members always carries the risk of the host thinking something suspicious is up. It also increases the risk of someone messing it up and spilling the beans before we can complete containment." "But-" "No buts." Triangle would shake his head. "You've trained me for all this time, you've told me everything that I needed to learn." "You don't even know how to do Multiversal travel yet." GD continued to protest. Triangle shook his head again. "I don't need to. This is just one universe... For now, at least." GD sighed. "Again, the plan-" "If we *have* to do the plan, then you'll be the one to do it." He'd sigh. "Just... Stay far away before containment is finished, however."

GD wanted to say something yet again to counter him, but couldn't come up with anything. Awkward silence would then follow, and GD would end up sighing in defeat. "I do suppose I can't stop you." He'd take a deep breath. "You people, you recruits, you're all young, wild, full of ambition. You keep getting bolder and bolder, thinking that old people like me don't know anything. That you people know better." Triangle knew what he meant, but shook his head. "...Maybe I do know better, you know." He had to stay confident, or GD would exploit that to talk him into not going. "You should be a little more tolerant of other peoples opinions." GD sighed. "...Last time I tolerated an opposing opinion to mine, I ended up nearing death." Awkward silence would then follow. Death was a particularly touchy subject, especially to two basically-immortal beings such as themselves. "...But then again, why should I tell you about that?" GD continued. "You seem rather confident with this plan." "I am, yes." Triangle would nod. "But... I'm interested about-" "Oh, come *on*." GD would scoff. "The longer we talk on and on, and the longer *you* don't start with containment, the more likely it'll be that the infiltration will be successful." He'd sigh. "No one wants that, Tri. Honest." More awkward silence would follow. Triangle would then nod. "I'll, uh... I'll go stock up on resources for the mission, and then I'll take my leave, sir." GD would nod. "Right."

GD would pause for a moment. "Just before you go, though." He'd ask one last thing. "What's the mission?" "Successfully contain and maintain low CE levels in the universe by capturing and containing the host through a counter-infiltration program in a civilian group." Triangle answered. GD would nod. "And what exactly is the counter-infiltration program?" He'd ask again. "Uh..." Triangle would scratch his head. He had learned that the C-I Program always varied by universe, and he was taught several examples of C-I Programs in different universes. He'd struggle a bit to remember the one for his universe. "...Hosting a competition, the prize being a developed island with the aim of maximizing civilian happiness to prevent the host from being able to proceed with infiltration." He'd answer, uncertain. "Hahah..." GD would chuckle. "Yeah. I remember why I went with that during the planning stage. This whole thing... Living objects, it reminded me of something that used to be part of this universes culture." He'd sigh. "At least, before the world ended." "Er... Yes, sir." Triangle would nod. GD would then stay silent for a few seconds. "And should the plan fail?" He'd ask one more time. "...Just get the heck out of there." Triangle replied. GD would nod. "Of course. Standard GD Inc protocol. Works every time." He'd roll his eyes. "Most of the time, anyway."

Triangle would nod. "And, one more thing..." He'd just remember something. Asking once more couldn't hurt, can it? "What do you do regarding bystanders caught in the action?" "Don't hurt them, of course." Triangle would respond. "Correct." GD would nod. "We need to minimize collateral damage. You never know when it can come back to bite us." "Of course." Triangle would nod back. "Alright." GD would nod one final time. "You're dismissed. Good luck out there. And *don't die*. GD Incs numbers are dwindling with every casualty, and we can't exactly replace them at the moment." "Of course, sir." Triangle nodded again. "Who would I be as the CEO to *die*?" "...Right." Triangle would get up, and would bow towards GD. It was a formality that wasn't really needed, but Triangle wanted to do it anyway. Although Triangle was the CEO of what was once the most-powerful corporation on the planet, and GD was just a rather irrelevant Multiversal traveler, it couldn't be too hard to show a little respect. And with that, Triangle would take his leave, exiting GDs house, and the GD Inc Remnant Base, for the last time.

-

Triangle spent the rest of his time remaining at the base hauling over the supplies needed for his mission up to Helium. It would be a *tiny* bit difficult, as Helium was still afloat (and was just moored), and therefore he had to use the rope system (as described in previous chapters) to haul the supplies up, with less than stellar results. Triangle would consider just asking him to land so he could easily push them in, but decided that wouldn't look cool. He was the CEO of a (partly-destroyed) company, so he had to look good. Triangle would tie the cargo into the mooring rope, and then Helium would do his magic to bring it up. The cargo was rather light, not out of weight concerns, but just due to the fact that they didn't have much stuff, at least stuff that was still usable, left over from before the Event. Some survival equipment, some food, some furniture, some camera equipment, all that was needed to host a competition, much like in terrible reality TV. Triangle was just about to bring the last of the cargo up to Helium, when he would suddenly hear someone calling for him. "PSST!" The strange, yet familiar voice would yell. "Huh?" Triangle would immediately stop in the middle of tying a random crate to the mooring rope, but would slowly get back to finishing the knots after some time had passed. It would call his attention again, however, but Triangle would finish the tie before getting Helium to bring it up to him.

As the cargo went up to the airship like an extremely boring zip-line (only it went up), Triangle would turn towards the source of the noise to investigate. He would quickly run across the concrete ground, not wanting to let whoever it was get away, just in case it was some 'humorous' heckler. But it seemed as if the unknown person *didn't* want to get away. After all, it did call his attention for a reason, right? "YES! YOU!" The voice would shout as he got closer. "OVER HERE!" Triangle would immediately slow down as soon as it called out to him again, having had time to think about it a bit more, and was no longer sure if he should just confront it immediately. If it *was* calling for him so loudly, it most likely had a plan for him, and it most likely wasn't good. Just to be sure, Triangle would make a knife appear into his hand, and would take the remaining few cautious steps towards the source of the voice (haha, it rhymes), which appeared to be hiding behind a pile of abandoned stuff. Triangle would stop for a moment just before turning the corner to where the person appeared to be hiding in, and would take a deep breath before doing anything dumb, followed by immediately doing said something dumb. Triangle would immediately charge towards the entity, knife at hand, yelling incoherently, but was clearly cursing for the thing to die. In the heat of the moment, Triangle would raise his arm to strike, and would plunge the knife deep into... *Triangles arm*?

As soon as Triangles rage had subsided, and he found himself directly staring at the mysterious person, he was shocked to see that... It was him. A different version of him, of course, as he couldn't *actually* be him, can he? Right? *Right*? Both Triangles would then stare at the bloodied knife, which was now well inside the other ones arm, possibly poking the bone with its tip. Wincing slightly, the new Triangle would pull the knife out, and would watch for a second as blood poured out of it, eventually disappearing into his red body. "Heh. Cool." The new Triangle remarked. "I'm *bleeding*." He'd chuckle. "Been a while since I did that in a place other than my nose." The *actual* Triangle wouldn't be so amused, however. "...What." He'd rub his eyes, just to make sure what he was seeing was real, and was displeased once he saw that it was. "Who- no. *What* are you?" He'd ask. "Before you ask: no." The new Triangle shook his head. "I'm not that evil 'host' guy GD was talking about." He'd sigh. "I was thinking of spending, like, a lot of time to prove to you that I wasn't, but I feel like you'll just believe me soon enough." "WHY WOULD I BELIEVE YOU?" The real Triangle would ask. The new Triangle would scoff. "Because i'm you. Or something." He'd sigh. "Whatever. You'll believe me once you go on that mission of yours."

The real Triangle would be confused. "...How do you know about my mission?" He'd ask. "Wait, hang on. Hold that thought for a second, will you?" The new Triangle would drop the knife (which he had kept in his hand, just in case), allowing it to land with a satisfying thud on the ground. He'd look at the wound for a few more seconds, and would then snap his fingers. Immediately, the wound would begin closing and healing extremely quickly, and the blood alreading dripping down his skin would dry up and disappear. Eventually, within a few moments, it was like he was never stabbed at all. All the remaining evidence was the blood-stained knife, but that could easily be buried. Or destroyed. Whichever, really. The real Triangle would watch in awe as it happened. "How did you do that?" He'd ask. "Uh, right." The future Triangle would nod. "You can do that already. You just have a fear of using your powers on yourself." "OF COURSE I DO!" The real Triangle would shout a bit *too* loud, and would cover his mouth in embarrassment. He'd stop doing that after several seconds. "What if I do the wrong thing and make myself disappear from existence, with no way of reversing it?" The new Triangle would scoff. "Ah, don't worry about it. By the time you get to my time, you'd crave death so much that you won't even mind the risk." The real Triangle would freeze. "Wait... *Your* time?" "Oh, right. Of course." The new Triangle would nod. "I keep forgetting to address the elephant in the room. I mean, I had to address the fact that *you stabbed me* and all, but alright." "It was completely justified, though." The real Triangle would fold his arms. "Of course it was. It always is justified with you." The new Triangle paused for a second. "Alright. To put it bluntly, i'm you from the future."

Both Triangles (with the newer one now being referred to from here on out as 'Future Triangle') would immediately go silent, with the present Triangle (now referred to as such) doing so out of shock. "Um..." Obviously, the present Triangle couldn't believe it. The future Triangle would simply scoff at the concept. "Oh, no big deal." He'd breathe. "AntiTriangle did it before you. Nothing new." He'd roll his eyes. "...Right, yeah. AntiTriangle managed to successfully travel back in time. Congrats to you in cracking time travel." "Er..." The present Triangle would scratch his head. "Thanks." "You're welcome, me." Future Triangle would then give the present Triangle a thumbs-up. "And I'll also have to thank you as well, because it was because of your research into time travel that allowed me to work on this bad boy." Future Triangle would then knock on the metal box behind him, which present Triangle just noticed now. The 'metal box' in question was a large rectangular gray metal box, with one of its sides only attached to the box through hinges, serving as a door. The box smelled of fresh paint, as if it *wasn't* originally grey. Triangle would guess that the original color was light blue, for some reason. On its door were the words "GD INC MULTI-PURPOSE RECOVERY CENTER", although "GD INC MULTI-PURPOSE" appeared to be newer, with the other words having shown clear signs of rusting.

"...What is that?" Present Triangle would ask. "Uh..." Future Triangle would scratch his head. "It's your time machine, but, like, better." He'd pause. "It's not *just* a time machine, is what i'm saying." "What else can it do, then?" "Well... It can travel on land, air, sea, space, pretty much all terrain." Future Triangle continued. "It also travels throughout the Multiverse, and it also serves as an infinitely large mansion to live on while you're travelling in style, *and* it's also a time machine." "Then it's not really *just* a time machine, is it?" "...Yeah. It isn't. That's what I just said." Awkward silence would then follow. "I originally intended it to be called the Multi-Purpose Recovery Center, hence the name on the door." Future Triangle would point to the words in question. "But I think it's rather misleading, don't you think?" He'd ask. "...Yeah." Present Triangle would nod. "How about... Because it's a 'magical' machine that can travel, and it can also travel throughout the Multiverse, what about..." "The Multiversal Travel Machine?" Future Triangles eyes would widen. "Dude, that name's sick! It's just like the title of this story!" "Wait, *story*?"

Yeah, *what*?

"Oh, uh..." Future Triangle would scratch his head. "Too much information for you. Sorry." He'd sigh. "Let's just say... I've been writing a new book based on what I did in the past. Or, well, what *you* will do in the future." He'd sigh again. "It gets messy. Trust me."

...*Bruh*.

"Alright, enough talk." Present Triangle continued. "Let's get down to business. Why are you here, exactly?" He'd ask. "RIGHT!" Future Triangle groaned. "That's what I needed to ask you about. Jeez." He'd sigh. "I should've kept to the basics. I can't hang here around for much longer, or the timeline might collapse even further." Present Triangle would raise an eyebrow. "Even further?" "LISTEN!" Future Triangle would yell out. "Listen. I'm from the future, alright?" He'd reiterate. "I'm from the future where you get on Helium and do the mission. It goes horribly! Trust me, trying to fend off an eldritch horror from beyond our plane of existence doesn't go well when all you have is a boom mic." "...Really?" "Of course! I mean, what were you *thinking*?" Future Triangle groaned. "I mean, I learned a lot throughout the whole journey. We did end up managing to contain the host and lower the CE levels in the end, but at the cost of a lot of casualties. Like, *a lot*." He'd pause for emphasis. "Was really ugly. GD didn't want to write about it." "Speaking of GD, how is he in your future?" Present Triangle would ask. "Irrelevant." Future Triangle would stick to the facts. "Anyways. While what's going to happen in the future would be a great learning experience for you, GD- er, Future GD, told me to go back in time to prevent all the casualties. He hopes that eventually, with enough go-arounds, we'll be able to contain the host without anyone dying horribly."

"Uh..." Present Triangle would be overwhelmed by all the information. "And *why* should I believe a single word you say?" He'd ask. "Uh... Because... Well..." Future Triangle would scratch his head. He would then pick up the knife, which was still stained with blood. "...I have a knife." He'd answer. "Cool!" Present Triangle would snap his fingers, and another, less bloody knife would appear in his hands. "So do I." Future Triangle would also snap his fingers, and his bloody knife would turn into a bloody gun. Bloody Heck. "I have a gun." Future Triangle smiled. Present Triangle shrugged. He's taken in far too much fiction to know where this was going to go. "Alright, fair enough." He'd pause. "I'm sure I know how this'll go if I just don't follow along." Future Triangle would smile. "Glad you already had a level head at this time." "So, how do we go about fixing the timeline, huh?" Present Triangle would ask. "Do I get on Helium, or..." "No, you're getting on the Multiversal Travel Machine." Future Triangle answered. "And i'm gonna use the name." "...You mean we, right?" Present Triangle asked. "No, just you." Future Triangle shook his head. "Well, *we'll* use the name. Only *you* get on it, though." He'd pause. "In the future, you and GD finally finish your training. I can get back on my own." "...I don't know how to use... *that*." Present Triangle would point to the Multiversal Travel Machine. Future Triangle would scoff. "Oh, don't worry about it. You see, we have a bond so strong, that you will instantly know how to use it..." He'd trail off. "...There's an instruction manual in the control panel." Present Triangle would nod. "And where-" "It's literally right in front of you when you enter." Present Triangle would nod again. "Right."

Future Triangle would step aside, allowing Present Triangle to enter the Multiversal Travel Machine, which he would do so. Before closing the door, however, present Triangle would look back at him one more time. "...What about you?" He'd ask. "Well, either I return to my own time, or i'll just cease to exist." Future Triangle replied. "Just like in the present, future us still doesn't know how the Multiverse works." He'd shrug. "Oh well." "...What's your- er, *our* life like, in the future?" "Uh..." Future Triangle scratched his head. "Besides the fields being forever stained red with blood of the innocent that cannot be washed away?" He'd nod. "Pretty good, actually. GD Inc is getting back on its feet, with some new guy as the CEO. I- er, *we* end up retiring and live happily for the rest of our life." He'd hesitate saying the last part. "You even have a wife, actually." Present Triangle chuckled. "Okay, *that* part I find hard to believe." He would stay awkwardly silent for a moment. "...Who is it?" He'd ask. "That would spoil the surprise, don't you think?" Future Triangle would ask back. "It was rather surprising the first go around, as well. I feel like you should experience it blindly also." "Now that has me worried." Present Triangle shrugged. "...And excited." Future Triangle would do finger guns at him, because it was apparently hip to do that again in the future. "Don't worry about it. I have a feeling that, if this attempt does fail, we can just start over." Present Triangle scoffed. "...Now i'm *just* worried."

Awkward silence would then follow. "Alright, listen." Future Triangle continued. "The future is scary. It always has been. Things will suck, people will die, and it *will* suck. Believe me. It *sucks*. But even then, you gotta stay strong. Because it's the bad days in life that make the good ones even better." He'd take a deep breath, having said that in a single breath. "That message..." Present Triangle would scoff. "Sounds kinda forced." "It's the best I could come up with." Future Triangle would shrug. "I'm crunched for time, you know." He'd pause. "Speaking of which... Good luck out there. You'll need it." The two Triangles would nod at each other, and the Present Triangle would fully step inside, fully closing the door as he did so. And within moments, a bright flash of light would consume them, and the Multiversal Travel Machine would be gone. With his mission now complete, Future Triangle would smile. "Well, only one way to find out what happens now." He would snap his fingers, and would try to return to his own time.

-

The Multiversal Travel Machine would reappear somewhere else in a flash of light, and was now hovering in the air over... Some place. Present Triangle would take a moment to regain his balance, not really being all that used to teleporting without his location looking like it changed, and would almost throw up in the process. After he regained his composure, he'd make his way back to the door, and would sigh. "Well... Time to step out, and see what this place holds for me." He'd sigh. "Here's to fixing the future. *Again*." Triangle would begin walking towards the door, only to turn back around just before leaving, like one would do if they thought they left the stove on. "Wait, did I correctly type out the Y coordinate values?" He'd think to himself. As if on cue, the Multiversal Travel Machine would quickly realize that it *wasn't* meant to be hovering at the moment, and would begin rapidly falling down to the surface. Triangle would yell out in immense pain, not because he was actually hurt or anything, but because he already messed up at the start of his mission. It was painful on the inside, pretty much.

Below him, in a random field out in the middle of nowhere, a pink eraser would attempt to restart a conversation by explaining what he meant. "...I'd do *anything* to get away from her. Or Flower, or Woody, or Spongy!" The eraser would immediately be interrupted when a speaker box would fall out of the sky. "Well-" That too would also be interrupted when the Multiversal Travel Machine would finally hit the ground, and... Well, you know what happens next. Assuming you actually read the other 29 chapters of this terrible fanfic, anyway.

-

A sudden large and loud explosion would suddenly occur, which would be heard throughout the entire complex. Everyone would temporarily go deaf, and would momentarily be dizzy as well. "WHAT IN THE GOSHDARN?..." Triangle would yell out, almost beating the explosion in volume. Several moments after that, and while the effects of the blast began to subside, a group of soldiers would appear after going around a corner, and would run towards Triangle, clearly in a state of panic and confusion. "SIR!" One of them would shout. "What... What is it?" He'd ask, still dazed from what just happened. "ENEMY FORCES HAVE ATTACKED THE BASE!" the soldier continued. "Tell me..." Triangle sighed. "Tell me something I don't know." "Uh... They looked much like them, sir." the soldier would then point to the crowd of contestants. "Only being different kinds of objects instead." GD, which seemed to have made a miraculous recovery immediately after hearing this, would do the rest of the questioning. "Can you determine who their leader is?" He'd ask. "Uh..." the soldier would scratch his head. "I'd say the one in front, sir. Big, red, had a pointy end at the top." "...Pin?" Triangle would scratch his head. "So it has finally happened, then." GD remarked. Triangle would turn to him. "The host has finally found this base, and is launching an attack on the only forces that are desperately attempting to stop them." He'd continue. "Given their dramatic entrance, they probably have an army with them." "Why do you keep referring to her as 'them'?" Triangle would ask. "We know that it's Pin! We know that she's a she!" "Wait... Pin is the host?" Needle would be confused. "I thought it was the Announcer?" GD sighed. "No. Not *that* kind of host..."

GD would then turn to look at the contestants. "...Say." He'd breathe. "You guys don't know how to fight a war for the fate of the universe, do you?"

Awkward silence would immediately follow. There was really only a single answer the contestants could say to that. "Uh... No?" Needle would weakly answer, not really sure if they'd like it if she answered that. "*OF COURSE NOT*!" Snowball would be more defiant. "Why would you even ask?" "Great!" GD would nod. "I suppose that now's a good time for you to learn that, I suppose." He'd then look up, watching as the column of smoke from the explosion continued to rise ever higher. "Come with me if you'd like to live, please!" He would then immediately begin running towards the site of the explosion, and Triangle and the contestants would immediately follow, not really seeing any other choice. Several seconds after they began running, they would begin hearing gunshots and smaller explosions go off, followed by yelling as the first people got injured. A battle was clearly going on, they thought. An *actual* battle. As they continued running towards the site of the ongoing attack, several groups of more soldiers would begin running with them, also wanting to launch a counter-attack as well. While all of them were running in the same direction, one of the other soldiers, now somehow already drenched in blood after only several minutes of fighting, would be struggling to make his way towards Triangle. As soon as he finally got to them, everyone would stop running for a moment, mildly disgusted by the sight.

"SIR!" The Soldier would seem to exert almost all of his energy in yelling. "SIR!" "We're right here, you know." Triangle would sigh. "Our ears have been harassed enough as it is. So what is it, now?" He'd ask. "DON'T GO THERE!" The soldier would continue yelling regardless. "Why not?" Triangle would ask. "IT'S LITERALLY SUICIDE!" Another explosion would go off, and the soldier would take a moment to look at it, making sure that the 'enemy' wasn't chasing him. "THE ENEMY'S KILLING EVERYONE!" Triangle would sigh again. "When they have they ever *not* do that?" "SIR, PLEASE!" The Soldier would become even more afraid of the situation as the commotion got louder. "DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND THE SEVERITY OF THE SITUATION? WE NEED TO EVACUATE!" Triangle scoffed. "Oh, come on! What are we, *weak*? This war has only just begun, and you're already suggesting we run away like *cowards*?" "Triangle's right." GD would nod. "No point in fleeing like the French. If the enemy is daring enough to launch an attack on one of the most secure bases..." He'd stop for a moment to think. "Probably on the entire planet, then they'll have no trouble hunting us down. We'll face them right here, right now." The soldiers eyes would widen, clearly in shock. "Sir!" He'd look at Triangle. "You can't possibly be following this man... *Right*?" "Oh, I *am*." Triangle would nod. "I've been itching to fight! The post-apocalypse has been so *boring*, and I almost feel like I want to die. And if i'm going to die, i'm going to die trying to save the universe!"

Triangle would then turn to the contestants, and would stare at them, puzzled. "WHY AREN'T YOU RUNNING?" He'd ask. "LET'S GO!" He'd then order. He would then continue running again, and everyone else would quickly follow. It didn't take long after to finally get to the scene of the crime. The gates to the base, once pristine and without a scratch just mere minutes ago, were now blown open, with almost none of it remaining. The entrance to the base was now littered with bullets, debris, and dying soldiers. The buildings in the vicinity had also withstood heavy damage, as that was what they were built to handle (being in a military base and all), and some already had large, gaping holes in them. The crowd of contestants and soldiers would immediately stop as soon as they reached the start of the trail of destruction, and the noises of war would grow quieter and quieter the longer they lingered there. "The enemy must be moving in..." Triangle would fake being deep in thought for a moment. "That direction." He'd point to the continuing trail of destruction. GD would raise an eyebrow. "You *think*?" "...Haha." Triangle chuckled. "Alright, shall we go see just how many enemy forces we're dealing with, here?" He'd then ask. GD would nod. "Of course. Recon is the first part of any good military operation." Triangle would nod back. "Alright. You guys stay put. Hide in the rubble, or something. We'll check if we can launch an assault, given their numbers." They'd comply, of course, knowing what would happen to them if they try to escape. Triangle and GD would snap their fingers, disappearing from the crowd.

They'd reappear on top of a building that was closer to the action, which would be rather obvious by the fact that noises got louder once they were at the rooftop. They'd look down below and see the continuing fight go on, but they'd rather be confused by the sight. All they could see was their soldiers fighting... Each other. The same black cubes were fighting one another, as if a cloud of rage had overtaken them. They were punching each other, firing guns, throwing grenades, the usual stuff. The sight baffled them. Triangle then looked away from the crowd of barely-coherent infighting, and everything seemed to make sense. Several meters away from the crowd of fighting soldiers was a more familiar group, which was simply hanging around in the debris and waiting for them to tire themselves out, or die trying. Triangle could instantly recognize everyone in this group, as he had grown to know them pretty well, despite his near-observer role: Flower, Spongy, Coiny, and... *Pin*. He'd nod. It all made sense now. The initial enemy force seemed to be just the four of them, or perhaps it was *just* Pin, given what he knew about her... Abilities. It was just them, however many they were, that launched the initial attack, and have most likely persuaded some of their soldiers to fight the others, probably through the sheer power of Chaotic Energy that Pin now had. The entire base was going to fight itself in a bloody civil war until none remained but those who were *only* bruised and weakened, and then Pin was going to fight them directly.

Triangle gulped. "...Oh dear." GD would nod. "Yeah. That's a civil war." He'd remark. "A massacre. A bloodbath. A rebellion. A..." He'd shrug. As the fighting continued, however, a tank would drive into the scene, and would immediately aim its cannon at the soldiers, assuming that they were all enemy forces (given all the fighting, best to be safe than sorry), and would immediately fire, causing everyone fighting, good or bad, to be consumed in a devastating explosion. As soon as the soldiers came flying out while on fire, and the few remaining soldiers would flee in terror, Pin would immediately get up from her state of rest, displeased. "Oh, *come on*!" She'd yell and groan. "*REALLY*?" She'd stare directly at the tank. "YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHEN TO QUIT, DO YOU?" The tanks crew would notice the resuming commotion, and would immediately aim the cannon at Pin. Noticing the immediate threat this posed, she would reach out towards it, and would clearly use her powers on it. The tank would rumble and shake for a moment or so before exploding due to one of its stored shells suddenly blowing up, quickly followed by the rest of them as they got set off in a chain reaction. Triangles eyes would widen in watching the spectacle. A tank. A literal *tank*, one of the most technologically-advanced fighting vehicles of the time (well, before their time, or something) had just been defeated by what was basically someone casting magic on it.

"Yeah... Alright." Triangle continued, the fear in his voice clearly audible. "Let's get out of here before she notices us, yeah?" Triangle and GD would snap their fingers and disappear once more, teleporting back to the remaining contestants, while Pin and the others would proceed to make their way further into the base, continuing their 'tour' of the place. As soon as they got back, Triangle would spend no time at all to tell the contestants what was up. "Alright, so..." He'd struggle to turn his thoughts into words. It wasn't like he couldn't say it to himself, it was more of a struggle to word it properly so that the contestants wouldn't be overwhelmed. "I don't know how to put this, but..." He'd sigh. "Pin's evil, and she wants to kill us all. Probably." That didn't do the trick *at all*. "Wait, like, WHAT?" Match, being the most talkative of them all, would be the first to voice her concerns. "*WHAT*?" Needles protests would be even louder. "T-That can't be!" Firey, having grown under Pins 'leadership', couldn't believe it, despite his experience with the Theorists. It's like when you keep telling yourself you'll do something bold, but immediately begin doubting yourself as soon as you're about to do it. "Who you saw was probably just someone who looks like her, right? *Right*?" Triangle scoffed. "Tell me, how many people have you saw that look *just* like Pin?" He'd sarcastically ask. He very well knew the answer to that question. "Uh..." Firey, of course, wouldn't be able to answer.

"Pin has obtained some sort of unholy power beyond anything we know about." GD continued for Triangle, being a better liar as he had more experienced. "She has gained the ability to control the minds of our soldiers, and is using it to her advantage to easily kill everyone who resists." He and Triangle knew *exactly* what they were dealing with. They had spent the better part of a thousand years teaching themselves about it. But they knew that the contestants knew about none of that, and would be completely bewildered if they told them the truth. It was probably best to keep it that way. For now. "Seriously?" Needle groaned, the anger everyone knew her for building up inside her by the second. "She must have lost her *mind*!" She'd almost yell in anger, but would stop herself, fearing that Pin was nearby to hear her. GD would nod. "Good observation, Captain Obvious." "We need to go talk to her." Needle continued. She'll listen to us since we're her friends, right?" She'd ask. Triangle would think for a moment. "...I don't think that's a good idea." He'd shake his head. "She's quite possibly one of the strongest beings in the universe now." GD would nod in agreement. "Yeah. I said something to you before about diplomacy being the best solution, but given how she's immediately resorted to violence..." He'd sigh. "We should probably..." Triangle would think about it further. He'd then shrug. "On second thought? That's probably a good idea."

"Besides the mind controlled soldiers, there's probably only like, what, four of them? We can easily fend them off so we can focus on Pin." Triangle would continue. "And if we try to negotiate with them, she'll be too focused on us, and in trying to come up with some witty comeback, and she won't be able to control them." GD would nod in approval. "Excellent strategy. I mean, she *has* to be focusing on them to do it, right?" He'd pause. "You saw what she was doing. She was just... Sitting there." Triangle would go silent for a moment. As everyone else also stayed silent, the battle continued all around them. Much the same explosions, gunshots, and screams of those in pain and agony. Even though it may be *slightly* quieter than before, it still felt deafening. "So what's the plan?" Eraser would ask. "We just *talk* to her?" "Uh..." Triangle would nod. "Yeah. That's about it, really." Blocky would fold his arms. "Yeah, *great* idea." He'd scoff. "Oh, hush. Like you can come up with a better idea." Triangle chuckled before continuing. "We'll attack everyone else, and then someone talks to Pin. Any takers?" Absolutely no one wanted to raise their hand. If Pin was as evil as Triangle and GD made it seem, then they'd probably die before they could say their first word. "Ah, who am I kidding." Triangle would scoff. "There's only one of you that has the skills to do it." His eyes would immediately turn to Needle. "Needle, you'll talk to her."

"WHAT?" Needle would immediately protest, of course. "Why *me*?" She'd ask. Triangle would simply knowingly nod. "You know *exactly* why." Even though there was nothing special about the words he just said, Needle would immediately remember why, as clear as day. She could remember Pins speeches at Cake at Stake as if it just happened yesterday, with all her scathing words directly targeting *her*. And *only* her. Needle would gulp, and would then nod. "...Right." She'd sigh. "I'll do it." "See?" Triangle would nod in approval. "I knew you had it in you. Just talk. *Talk*. Don't slap unless needed. That'll just make things worse." "Really?" Needles eyes would widen. "Even when she calls me..." Triangle would nod again. "*Especially* when she calls you that. She probably just wants to distract you if she does that. It *probably* does take a lot of effort to slap someone *that* hard." Needle would doubt her capabilities to pull it off, but would eventually sigh. "Alright, alright..." As soon as silence dominated the immediate landscape (although the horrors of war continued around them) Everyone would then look at the piles and piles of rubble ahead of them. Triangle took a moment to map out a route that consists of the least amount of climbing through it. "Who's in for running through that?" He'd ask. "Uh... Absolutely no one?" Blocky would reply, his arms still folded. "Too bad!" Triangle would smile. "You want to live? Then *CHARGE*!"

Triangle would immediately begin running into the debris, not caring if his feet would land on a shard of glass or something (he could just heal it later), and would be followed by GD and the still-reluctant contestants. They'd continue on their way until they could finally see Pin and the others through the light smog that had developed as a result of all the fighting and explosions. "QUICK! YELL LIKE YOU WANT TO DISTRACT SOMEONE!" Triangle would pause. "I DON'T HAVE A BETTER ANALOGUE! JUST DO IT!" As if on cue, everyone, even GD and Triangle themselves, would begin yelling out whatever was on their minds. It would mostly just be the usual yelling, the whole "AAAAAAAA" shtick, but an exceptional few would use the cacophony of noise to yell out a few embarrassing confessions. As soon as the great war cry of the """good guys""" rang out, Pin would immediately turn to face the source of the noise. "WHAT ON *EARTH*?" Pin would see the horde, Triangle and the semi-loyal contestants, who were indeed charging straight towards her. She'd lose her grip on the mind-controlled soldiers, now worrying for her own life instead, and would begin ordering her only true allies. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" They'd look at her allies, who were still lazily looking around. "ATTACK THEM!" Pin would point to the crowd, and Spongy would look. "But there's a lot of them!" He'd remark. "DOES IT LOOK LIKE I CARE?" She'd groan. "NOW *GO*!"

Coiny, Flower, and Spongy would immediately begin running towards the crowd of angry contestants. As the two groups finally made contact, both sides appeared to show reluctance to fight, given that even though they knew what was at stake, and how they were supposed to be enemies, they still knew they were former friends. ...Except for Spongy, anyway. That guy was *always* hated. "GOLF BALL WAS RIGHT!" Eraser would yell. "YOU ARE STINKY!" He would then kick Spongy, causing him to fall down, pretty much incapacitating him permanently, at least until someone gets him up. "SORRY!" Spongy would try to apologize. That seemed to be the equivalent of someone firing the starting pistol, and they'd be a little more keen in fighting each other. The rest of the 'loyal' contestants would split into two groups naturally, as if they were given orders and were now executing them. Perhaps Triangle ordered them telepathically, or something. Rocky, Snowball, Pen, Eraser, Firey, and Blocky would immediately begin fighting Flower and Coiny, as the two of them were rather strong. Meanwhile, the others, including Triangle and GD, would immediately charge towards Pin. "*NO*!" Pin was obviously displeased. "WHY ARE THEY *FAILING*?" She'd groan. "CURSES! WHY DID I ONLY TAKE THREE PEOPLE WITH ME?" "STRENGTH IN NUMBERS, BABY!" Triangle would yell out. He would then pick up (what was left of) a wooden plank and would hit Pin in the head, temporarily incapacitating her. As she fell to the ground, the others would prevent her from getting up, pinning down (hah) her arms and legs, while Needle would confront her directly.

"PIN!" Needle would yell out, as if she was going to continue with 'I'VE COME TO BARGAIN', or something stupid like that. Pin would regain consciousness not long after, the influence allowing her to recover far quicker. As she did, the sounds of war seemed to die down instantly, as the soldiers no longer felt like fighting each other, as the influence over them exerted by Pin was now gone. All of her attention was now focused on her sworn enemy. "...Needle." She'd scoff. "Hah. I knew you would come here to stop me." Needle would take the few anxious steps towards her. As soon as Pin saw her, she'd immediately begin to try freeing herself. "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?" Needle would ask. "WE DID *NOTHING* TO YOU!" Pin would stop struggling. "Nothing?" She'd chuckle. "*Nothing*? You took *EVERYTHING* from me!" Needles eyes would widen. "...What?" "Yeah, what?" Triangle would ask. "Did I miss some drama, or something?" "I MEAN, FIRST YOU STOP ME FROM BEING A TEAM LEADER, AND THEN YOU TRY TO TAKE COINY FROM ME? UNACCEPTABLE!" Pin continued. Needle would squint at her. "I never-" "AND THEN YOU BEGAN CREATING THESE MYTHS ABOUT ME THAT I WAS EVIL!" Pin continued. "HOW *DARE* YOU?" Triangle would chuckle. "I ain't gonna lie, those don't sound *just* like myths now." Needle would sigh, containing her anger. "Okay, I *NEVER* DID THAT!" She began. "YES YOU DID!" Pin continued. "IT'S ALWAYS BEEN YOU! YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN JEALOUS OF ME!" "...WHAT ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOUT?"

As the shouting match continued on in the background, the soldiers were regaining their balance (mental balance, anyway), and some of them would be running to Triangle to see what was going on. "YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" Pin continued. "DON'T PLAY DUMB!" "WHY IS EVERYONE YELLING?" GD would yell out to stop all the yelling. Though that would end up being a mistake. Pin would stop yelling right then and there. "Oh..." She'd turn her head to look at GD. "It's *you*." Triangles eyes would widen, and he would look at GD. "Wait, *you* know *her*?" He'd ask in a thinly-veiled reference. Pin would smile. "How are you doing?" She'd ask. GD scoffed. "Oh, terrible." He'd breathe. "I mean, you attacked my base and dared to break me and my associates. Of *course* I feel terrible." He'd sigh. "How about you?" He'd ask. Perhaps diplomacy wasn't so bad after all. "Oh... Me?" She'd reply. "Oh." She'd chuckle. "You see..." Pin would start to giggle like a little girl, and I would cringe as I typed that. Her gigging would then grow into full-blown laughter. "I'M DOING FANTASTIC!" "...What." GD would say, not being all that amused. "Did you seriously think you could stop me as easily as this?" Pin continued. "Have you ever stopped to think..." The soldiers now surrounded them, with the original intent being to attack Pin should she strike again. But in an instant, they'd all fall back into her command.

"That this was all just a ruse?"

Triangle would simply blink, frozen. GD would roll his eyes, unfazed. "Oh, come *on*." He'd groan. "You're *pinned down*. Quite literally." He'd scoff. "You expect me to think someone as dumb as you could-" "OPEN FIRE!" She'd immediately yell. In an instant, the soldiers would pull out their guns, and would begin firing at them. Everyone would be shot at, and they'd all begin screaming in various degrees of pain. Triangle and GD, on the other hand, would remain rather unfazed, even as several bullets went straight through them. They'd both watch as Pin began rising back up from the ground, as everyone holding her down continued getting shot at. Needle in particular would attempt to stop her, her metal skin being able to reflect the bullets slightly, but would struggle as they still inflicted *some* degree of pain. "...As I was saying." GD would sigh and roll his eyes, watching as the 43rd bullet passed through him. "You are *terrible* at strategizing." Triangle nodded. "Yeah, did you forget, or were you always *this* dumb?" He'd sarcastically ask. "Alright, let's finish this nonsense." He would then raise his arm to snap his fingers, aiming to completely wipe out all the soldiers with his powers. But as soon as he did snap his fingers, all that happened was... A tiny spark. Complete, utter, and miserable failure.

Pin broke out into laughter once more. "HAH!" She'd continue laughing. "YOU SERIOUSLY THOUGHT THAT WAS IT? OF COURSE I KNEW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN!" As Pin continued talking, Flower and Coiny would suddenly appear behind them, hitting them in the heads with identical wooden planks. GD would fall face-first into the ground, immediately falling unconscious (with a little help from Pins powers), while Triangle would manage to spin a bit before collapsing, preventing his face from being full of dust and shards of glass. The two of them would immediately drop their planks as soon as the deed was done, and the soldiers stopped firing shortly after, although whether it was because they ran out of bullets or because Pin felt bad would be unclear. With little energy remaining in him, as most of it would suddenly be drained in mere seconds, Triangle would struggle to face GD, and would watch as Pin spat on him. Disgusting. She would then walk to him. "...You." Pin clearly didn't feel even the slightest bit of sympathy for the host that had allegedly put her under so much torture. "You *poor thing*." "Hah..." Triangle could chuckle. "Funny of you to say that." "You thought you could force us to fight for your entertainment? And then *get away with it*?" Pin continued. Triangle thought about it for a moment. "Well, hypocrisy aside... Pretty much." He'd smile, and for the first time in a long time, it seemed genuine. "Didn't really go my way though, did it?"

Pin clearly didn't like the way he was acting in the face of his defeat. "*STOP BEING SO NONCHALANT*!" She'd groan. She couldn't control him to beg for her mercy, for even though she was now all-powerful, so was Triangle. Even with Triangle being near death, it would still be a mental battle of equals. Pin, in a desperate attempt to break him, would then stomp on his leg, intent on breaking it. Triangle wanted to cry out in pain, but didn't. That would be admitting defeat. "Hah! No... Of course not." He'd wince slightly as she stomped on it again. "That... That would be what you want. Right?" He'd ask. "*SERIOUSLY*?" Pin groaned. "YOU'VE LOST! IT'S *OVER*!" Triangle would slightly nod. "...Sure. We may have lost. But it's not like everyone's gonna stop fighting as soon as we die. It is *not*, in absolutely *any way*, over." Pin would go red (even more than she already was) in frustration. "*SHUT IT*!" "You know it to be true. Ahah..." Triangle would chuckle. "I like you, Pin. You're a feisty one. I've always liked people like that." Pin couldn't help but blush slightly. A compliment *is* a compliment, after all. But she'd immediately brush that aside. "*STOP THAT*!" She'd yell out. "Hah." Triangle would chuckle again. "Just messing with you, of course." "*WHY*?" Pin was very much frustrated, just as what Triangle wanted. "AGAIN! YOU'VE *LOST*!" Triangle would smile again. "...I don't think so."

Immediately at that moment, Pin would realize that she had lost her focus on the soldiers, and they were now preparing to fire another round of bullets, having reloaded just now. All Pin could do before her reckoning was upon her was simply whimper out "Uh oh." And Triangle would smile once more. "...I'll see you around, Pin." The soldiers would begin firing at Pin, and then everything went black for Triangle.

-

Leafy rested on the thin stretch of grass, with her back on the metal wall, while everyone else in her group was silently hanging out as well, being anxious. Sitting next to her, although a few feet away, was Bubble. She would keep her distance from her, for obvious reasons. She probably didn't want to be right next to her when she went red. Meanwhile, Golf Ball and Tennis Ball were busy working on a bomb to blow up the wall that they were resting on. The plan was agreed upon mere hours before the battle, when they were making their way to the base. Pin would lead what would seem like an all-out attack on the base on the front, but it would merely be a diversion for what was the *real* attack: which was to be led by Leafy, and would be a surprise attack on the rear. While the bases forces would be busy dealing with the front attack, Leafy and the others would look through the emptied buildings in search of the Multiversal Travel Machine. Once they got there, it was pretty much game over for their opposition. Woody had most likely disappeared into the few meters of forest still remaining on the island, but that was an acceptable casualty.

At that moment, Golf Ball would be tinkering with the bomb, making sure that all the components were functioning correctly, while Tennis Ball would be reading a book about constructing bombs, which he had picked up during an earlier raid elsewhere. Golf Ball would be struggling with her work, of course, having only legs. As soon as a series of beeps would go off, indicating that the bomb would've gone off (had it been connected) right then and there, she'd groan in frustration. Tennis Ball would immediately put the book down, closing it with his foot, and would sigh. "Golf Ball-" "QUIET, WILL YOU?" She'd immediately interrupt. "I'M FINE ON MY OWN!" She would then begin working on the bomb once again, although this time she was more angry about it. Tennis Ball would sigh again. "...You clearly aren't fine." Golf Ball would simply ignore him, continuing to work on the bomb. "Don't you want to talk to me, even for a moment?" He'd ask. "Just so we can work things out? I know you're mad at me..." Golf Ball would continue to ignore him. He'd sigh, not wanting to deal with this any longer. His voice would become more stern. "Golf Ball, seriously. I-" The beeping would go off again. Another failed test. Golf Ball would groan once again. "WHAT?" She'd look at him. "CAN'T YOU SEE I'M BUSY? I ALREADY HAVE TOO MUCH TO DEAL WITH ON MY PLATE! FIRST YOU, AND NOW THIS!" She'd consider stomping on the bomb in frustration, but would realize where that would get her.

"Look, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry! Alright?" Tennis Ball would be blunt. Golf Ball would freeze in surprise. Tennis Ball would sigh. "...I... I didn't mean for us to disagree." He'd continue. "I said what I said out of anger, and I didn't really mean it." He'd breathe. "I don't want to ever disagree with you Golf Ball. I just wanted you to know that." They'd stay silent. Golf Ball would consider just working on the bomb again, in a show of defiance, but she would end up sighing in defeat. "It's just... Thinking in terms of hard logic makes more sense." She'd explain. "I mean, if you take a look at a science question in a quiz, all it tells you are the *important* facts. It doesn't take into account peoples emotions, or stuff like that. Just... Just the immediate effects." She'd sigh again. "Well, the world *isn't* like the world described in exams and hypothetical questions, GB." Tennis Ball would reply. "In this world, the best solution isn't always so clear. And it almost definitely isn't the 'hard logic' answer." He'd sigh. Golf Ball would look at the bomb again. "But... Constructing this bomb doesn't *exactly* take into account peoples emotions, right?" Tennis Ball sighed and shook his head. "There you go again, with you ignoring what evidence there is against your hypothesis." He'd sigh again.

Tennis Ball decided to be blunt with her again. He had been spending the past several hours, or even the past several days, even, coming up with his response in order to make her see things from his point of view. Golf Ball would already be working on the bomb again by the time he had gained enough confidence to tell her what was in his mind, and by that time, another round of beeping had gone off, causing Golf Ball to be frustrated again. "Look, GB..." Golf Ball would turn to face him. "Here's an exam-level question for you." He'd nod. "You are given the opportunity to gain everything you've ever wanted, whatever it is: an even larger intellect than you already have, all the devices you can play, whatever. And all you had to do to get is to press a button." He'd pause. "Would you press it?" He'd ask. "Well, of course!" She'd immediately reply. "That one's a no-brainer!" "Of course it is." Tennis Ball would nod. "Now, let's say you were presented with this choice, and it is the exact same thing as before: press a button, and all you've ever wanted in the world will be yours." He'd breathe. "Only thing is... Once you press the button, a trapdoor would open, which would cause me to fall to my death." He'd sigh. "There's no way to prevent it once you press the button, as it is an intended 'cost' to pay for what you want." He'd gulp. He didn't really like talking about his hypothetical death, but he needed to. "...Do you still press it?" He'd then ask.

Golf Ball froze. It no longer had such a clear answer to her anymore. She'd think about it for the better part of several minutes, staying silent, and not messing around with the bomb. After much deliberation, she'd shake her head. "...No. I wouldn't." Tennis Ball would nod, seemingly pleased with her answer. "And why not?" "Well, because you're my friend!" Golf Ball would explain. "It would be completely foolish to forsake you in exchange for anything, even if it was for everything I ever wanted. It just..." She'd trail off. "...It just makes sense." Tennis Ball would nod again. "Try as much as you want, but as long as you're still capable of thinking, you'll never be able to get rid of the human element." He'd smile. "I know you simply want to do what's best for your team, but again: the best solution isn't always the one that you get out of 'hard logic'." He'd pause. "You'll always be flawed, yes. As much as I hate to admit it, you'll never be 100% correct on *every* problem." He'd pause for a moment, making sure that Golf Ball wasn't angered too much by that. "...But I'll always be by your side in order to help you out with that. Always." He'd smile again. Golf Ball would stare at him for a moment, and would smile back as well. "...I suppose... You're right." She'd sigh. "A true genius will admit whenever they were wrong, and... Well." She'd chuckle. "I could *never* stay mad at you, TB." They'd both laugh, and would 'hug', although it would be more of them wrapping their legs around each other.

As time went on, the tension would clearly get to Bubble. "Loify..." She'd begin to panic. "Whoi are we doing this?" Leafy would sigh. "Didn't I already tell you? We're..." She would breathe in. She wasn't exactly fully supportive of the idea that Pin had, either. But if she had voiced her concern, it most likely wouldn't have ended well for her. "We're doing this to ensure peace, alright?" She continued. "This is for the greater good, and all that." "But... We used to be just foine during the competition!" Bubble would protest. "Whoi are we attacking this... This ploice!" Leafy would sigh. "They were the ones that split us apart. They... They can't get away with it." She'd shake her head. "But... But the host promised that we could all hang out in Dream Oisland in the end." Bubble would argue. "...He never said that." Leafy pointed out. Bubble would sigh. "...Bubbles don't have brains, so-" "I know. I know." Leafy would sigh. She wanted to get out of this as soon as possible. She wanted to escape as soon as she was allowed to. But she knew that Pin was going to literally kill her if she tried. To get her mind off it, she'd walk to the two balls to see what they were up to. They were now working with each other, and with two sets of legs instead of one, progress was speeding up. "Is it ready?" She'd ask. "Uh... Not yet." Golf Ball replied. "Yeah." Tennis Ball would nod in agreement. "We would be working quicker if we had someone with arms with us!" Leafy sighed "...Like I said, none of us know anything about... That. Just the two of you." "I could've taught you, you know." Golf Ball replied. "Like you said. I'm the brains." Leafy would scoff. "...Right."

"Anyways, we're just checking to see all the components are in place and are working properly." Golf Ball continued. "It should only take us a few minutes or so!" Awkward silence would then follow. "You know, GB..." Tennis Ball began. "What?" Golf Ball would ask. "I just want to know, why do you know so much about bombs?" Tennis Ball would ask. "I know you're smart and all, but this sounds a little... I don't know." He'd sigh. "I have this book about bombs, and yet you didn't even want to take a look at it." Golf Ball would begin to sweat. "...I've read... A *lot* of books. Like, a lot a lot, back in my day." "Books are rare, though." Tennis Ball remarked. "Where do you get them?" He'd ask. "...I found a library once." Golf Ball answered. "Read everything there in one sitting." "But libraries aren't real, are they?" Tennis Ball would ask. "They're, like, in Atlantis or something. No one I know believes in those fairy tale places!" "WELL, FINLAND DOESN'T EXIST EITHER!" Golf Ball would suddenly snap, surprising Tennis Ball and Leafy. "BUT THAT DOESN'T STOP YOU FROM GUSHING ABOUT IT, DOES IT, TB?" "GUYS, STOP ARGUING!" Leafy would intervene. "It took a lot of effort to get you guys to stop arguing *once*, and Pin won't be happy if we have to do it again!" Everyone would then go silent. Tennis Ball and Golf Ball would then look at each other. Despite them having made up, they were still easily irritable. It was rather clear that the Chaotic Energy had begun to take its hold on everyone, and it was strengthening by the second.