Battle for Some Actual Peace and Quiet for Once

Episode 33 - Straining to Maintain Composure

The night had been rather hectic for pretty much everybody.

Just as Pencil thought things couldn't get any worse, they immediately got worse. It was bad enough that she had to become the reluctant host of a competition that everyone universally hated, and then she had to deal with a fight breaking out between the two team captains, resulting in their sudden disappearance. They had just barely managed to recover from all that when their population suddenly increased in size. Being forced to deal with a sudden brawl breaking out, then a pseudo-housing crisis, Pencil decided that she had just about enough of it all, and decided that she was going to deal with it all in the morning. She didn't actually have to deal with it whatsoever, given the fact that Pen was the new leader, but she had just gotten all too used to being in charge, and so letting go of that belief was going to be easier said than done. After barely managing to prevent the newcomers from taking charge thanks to Tennis Balls quick thinking (one of few rare cases where being a total nerd actually helped solve one's problems), they managed to escort them to the hangout place, where they'd be held alongside the unruly eliminated contestants for the time being until they managed to figure out what to do with them. Pen would appoint himself, Snowball, and Eraser as guards to watch over everyone inside. Pencil, Tennis Ball, and Leafy would get some rest in Team Sharp Minds' house, while the expedition team members that stayed would rest in Team Not Prawns house. The rest of the night would surprisingly be calm, as the newcomers would actually comply with the orders given.

Morning would eventually arrive. Pencil would wake up and do her morning stretches, and would proceed to wake the others up. "Psst. TB." She'd slightly nudge him. "...Wha?" Tennis Ball opened his eyes. "It's morning. We're gonna need your smarts to figure out what to do now." Tennis Ball frowned, disappointed that he was still alive in this depressing world. "Ugh, alright." Meanwhile, Leafy would yawn. "Morning..." She'd greet the others. "That was the best sleep I've had in, like, ever." Pencil turned to Leafy. "These cabins were essentially our prisons, Leafy." "Trust me." Leafy replied. "If you knew what I've been through, you'd agree with me." Pencil yawned, as everyone knows that yawning is contagious. Tennis Ball would exit the house, making his way over to Team Not Prawns house to talk to the expedition team, while Pencil would make her way over to Pen and the other guards. Pen didn't look all too exhausted, despite his role. If anything, he looked just as refreshed as she was. "Did they give you any trouble?" Pencil asked. "Nope, not at all." Pen replied. "They were actually quite silent. I think I managed to doze off somewhat due to how silent it was." He yawned. "I think." "You *think*?" Snowball shouted. "Your snoring prevented me from sleeping as well!" Pen frowned. "...Sorry." He chuckled. Pencil giggled. "Excellent first day on the job, Pen. You're clearly the best choice for our leader." Pen nodded. "Definitely."

Pencil then turned to Eraser, who was still asleep. She'd nudge him, causing him to immediately wake up. "Hey!" He shouted. "I haven't slept in *days*! Give me a break!" Pencil chucked. "Did you ever give the people you pushed around a break?" She asked. "I don't do that anymore!" Eraser protested. "Come on!" Pencil sighed. "Look. I woke you up because I realized that you probably have some important information." "Information about what?" Eraser asked. "...About the expedition." Pencil replied. "Oh. Right." Eraser got up. "The expedition was mainly boring, for the most part. We mostly did nothing but walk, walk, and *walk*." Eraser groaned as he remembered all the walking they did. His legs still felt a bit sore due to just how much of it they did. "...Anyways, after a whole lot of *walking*..." He shuddered as he continued thinking about it. "...We found this hill base thingy. It was inhabited by those new people you just met." He'd point towards the hangout place. "We hung out with them for a while, visited a few places, did some other stuff. Then Leafy showed up and convinced us to go back, and so here we are." Pencil nodded. "Alright. Thanks for the info." She'd look back at the houses, and would see Tennis Ball quickly running towards them, while the expedition team would be leaving the house as well. "TB?" Pencil raised an eyebrow. "She's done it! She cracked the code!" Tennis Ball shouted as he hurried into the hangout place, completely disregarding the possibility of the newcomers still being soundly asleep. He'd quickly pick up his book from there, immediately waking up everyone inside. The hangout place would fill with groans of frustration as Tennis Ball headed out, making his way back to the house.

Pencil raised an eyebrow as she watched him leave. "What's up with him?" She asked Pen. Pen shrugged. "Beats me. No one ever knows what he's thinking about." Pencil nodded. "Yeah." Match would then walk over to her with a wide smile on her face. She probably had a lot of gossip to talk about, Pencil reckoned. "Pencil!" Match exclaimed. Pencil sighed. "...Match." They then hugged. "Like, seriously, it's been, like, so long!" Match exclaimed. Pencil scoffed. "It hasn't been *that* long." She remarked. "It's only, like, a few days." "But it felt like forever!" Match continued. "I have so much to tell you!" Pencil nodded. "Uh... I'm gonna go." Eraser blushed slightly and quickly headed out. "Can it wait, Match?" Pencil asked. "We kinda have to deal with-" "Nope!" Match interrupted. "Like, I can't possibly waste another moment! I can't, like, allow myself to, like, forget it!" Pencil sighed. "But-" "Like, no buts! Don't you wanna, like, talk to your best buddy again?" Pencil reluctantly nodded. "Alright, alright. I suppose I have time." "Yay!" Match squealed. "Like, It's been so long since I've, like, talked to someone other than, like, them." She pointed to the rest of the expedition team. "So, like, we were walking for, like, *forever*. Can you imagine, like, your legs aching, like, everywhere? That's what I felt!" Pencil nodded. "Mhm. Must've been painful." She said in a monotone voice, clearly being disinterested. "And it was, like, so boring as well! Coiny wouldn't stop talking about, like, this strange thing that's about to happen, and, like, what had happened to him. It was, like, super terrible!" Pencil nodded. "Uhuh." "But it wasn't, like, all bad..." Match giggled. A light pink blush filled her cheeks. "Like, one night, Eraser woke me up suddenly, and he, like, like-"

There was a sudden flash of light, and Triangle would reappear, alongside GD. The sudden appearance would cause Match to immediately stop talking, much to Pencils relief. Pencil quickly turned to them. "Host guy!" She exclaimed. "You're back." Triangle nodded. "Yeah, I am." He replied. "Unfortunately." He muttered to himself. He walked over to her. "Who's in there?" He asked, pointing to the hangout place. "Uh..." Pencil would glance at the hangout place for a moment, then back at Triangle. "I think the newcomers are still there." Triangle sighed. "Ah." He nodded. "I'll watch from a distance, then." He'd snap his fingers, and he would teleport to somewhere nearby. GD then walked to Pencil. "Are they *all* there?" He asked. "Uh..." Pencil became rather unnerved by the sight of him. Although she'd seen him before, it was always rather jarring to see such a *different* figure every single time. "...Let me check." She'd then quickly make her way inside the hangout place, wanting to get away from him as soon as possible. She'd do a quick check of everyone inside. All of the eliminated contestants that had been tied up were still there, and so did all the newcomers she could remember. As far as she was concerned, they were all still there. She'd turn back to GD, half-expecting him to be gone, but unfortunately, he was still there. "...They're all there, I think." Pencil remarked. GD nodded. "We should isolate Flower for the time being. Triangle said she's had unusual levels of... Activity lately." Pencil nodded back. "Alright. Feel free to do it." GD shook his head. "No, you have to do it." He replied. "*Why*?" Pencil raised an eyebrow. "It's, uh... Protocol." GD replied.

"Protocol?" Pencil was even further baffled. "There's barely been any protocol in this place!" "There is now." GD replied. "Carry her to the HLR." Pencil groaned. "Fine." She went back to the hangout place, and exited it while struggling to carry Flower. Despite being... Well, a *flower*, she was still somewhat heavy. "LET ME GO!" Flower shouted as she was taken away into the HLR. Pencil would exit it some time later, no longer carrying her. "Done." She said to GD. GD nodded. "Thank you." He then walked into the hangout place and closed the door. After some time had passed, Pencil would stare at the door, confused. "What's he up to *now*?" She thought to herself. Whenever that man appeared to them, it usually meant something bad. It was only a matter of just how bad it was.

-

GD looked around the room, and saw nothing but a mess.

The hangout place had been filled with a whole lot of people, and not enough places to accommodate them. Some of them had ended up sleeping on the floor, as people would obviously immediately occupy all the comfortable areas. He dreaded thinking about what was going on there at night. The cacophony of snoring must've been horrendous. Most of the people there had been deep in conversation, but over the span of a minute or so, everyone's eyes would be drawn to GD, the strange self-insert with a fixed smile and an implied criminal record. The place would quiet down as everyone only dared to speak of him in hushed whispers, mostly about how strange he looked, and speculation about what he did in order to look like that. GD made his way over to the eliminated contestants, who remained tied up in their little corner of the room. They were all very much displeased to see him, each one having a unique look of fear on their face as they stared at him. "Alright." GD began. "I heard that you bunch got rather....Unruly in the past few days." "What are you talking about?" Spongy tried his best to shout, but we all know how he talks. Woody would understandably go into another panic attack, while Rocky would just sit there, completely unfazed by what was going on. GD stared at Spongy for a few seconds, unnerving him. "I can see the guilt in your eyes, boy." "W-What?" Spongy was understandably confused. "I'll interrogate you first. You seem to be the most likely one to spill anything." GD then walked towards him, causing Spongy to become even more afraid for his life. After taking the last step, GD would look at everyone in the room, and would nod. "Nobody interrupt us. You won't like what happens when you do." He looked at Spongy again, and would touch him with a single finger, causing them to fall unconscious and freeze in place.

-

Spongy woke up in a room.

The room was quite plain looking, being perfect for interrogation: the walls and ceiling were a dull gray, and the floor an even more dull grey. A single ceiling light broke apart the gray surfaces, flickering slightly. There was nothing in the room but a table and a chair, where GD now sat in. There was presumably also a chair for Spongy, but one could probably guess what would happen if he tried sitting in it. There were no doors, no windows, and no conceivable way out. That was mostly because there was indeed no way out: GD had taken Spongy (or his mind) to a realm in which he had sole command over, and if he didn't want Spongy to leave... Then he wouldn't. Well, he wouldn't, unless someone stronger than GD managed to overpower him.

GD stared at him ominously, his fixed smile now more threatening as it was the only thing he could look at. "Hello, Spongy." GD chuckled. "Sorry, I couldn't help it. I just want to look terrifying sometimes." "What do you want from me?" Spongy asked. "Oh, don't worry." GD replied. "I don't want all that much from you, as long as you comply." "Okay! Okay!" Spongy replied. "I'll do what you say! Just let me go!" "Me letting you go is *exactly* your reward for complying." GD pointed out. "Now, let's get down to business." He'd snap his fingers, and a folder would appear in his hand. "I'll be asking you a few questions, and you're just going to answer them honestly. Simple enough, isn't it?" "Yeah!" Spongy exclaimed. GD chuckled as he nodded. "Glad you understand." He'd open up the folder and begin reading it, not letting Spongy see whatever was in it. "So, what are your opinions on Flower?" He asked. "Uh..." Spongy began to sweat, the liquids he had absorbed escaping him out of sheer anxiety. "She's always been mean to me because I was stinky." GD nodded. "Mhm?" "But recently, after she got eliminated..." Spongy sighed. "...I don't know what happened, but she suddenly became nice." "Suddenly?" GD interjected. "How sudden?" "Like, out of the blue." Spongy replied. "One moment, we were doing nothing in the HLR, then she suddenly apologized to us for what she did." GD nodded. "Fascinating." He closed the folder, put it down on the table, and looked at Spongy.

"Have you determined any possible cause as to why she apologized?" GD asked. "Uh..." Spongy thought about it for a moment. "Like, she probably just wanted us to help her out with her plan." GD raised an eyebrow. "What plan?" He asked. "She talked about how we had been neglected while being eliminated, and that she planned on putting a stop to it, or something." GD nodded. "That certainly lines up with what happened afterwards." He remarked. "You participated in a fight between the rest of the eliminated contestants and everyone else, right?" Spongy froze. He remained silent for the better part of a minute, and then he'd frown. "...What're you talking about?" He asked. GD raised an eyebrow once again. "...Excuse me?" He asked. "I don't know what you're talking about." Spongy replied. "I definitely don't remember fighting anybody." GD seemed to frown, but as always, his smile actually remained fixed. "...Interesting." He remarked. "Can you tell me what you *do* know, then?" He asked. "What do you mean?" Spongy asked. "What do you remember happening after Flower apologized to you?" GD asked. "Uh..." Spongy thought about it. "...After that, we were all gathered for the final challenge, I think. We were all gathered into the hangout place, and as soon as the contest began, Snowball immediately tackled me, and I passed out." GD nodded. "And then I woke up with my legs tied together, and that brings us to the present." GD nodded. "...Definitely interesting." He remarked. He snapped his fingers, and a pencil would appear in his hands. He'd grab the folder, open it, and write something in it. "So you say you can't remember what happened during the exact time you acted out of the ordinary." GD remarked. Spongy continued to sweat. "I... I didn't know-" "It's fine." GD remarked. "I got all the info I needed, anyway."

He then closed the folder once again. "One last question." GD continued. "How do you feel right now?" Spongy frowned. "I feel... Fine. Relatively speaking." GD raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?" He asked. "I feel okay, except for the fact that I'm afraid due to what's going on." GD nodded. "It's fine to be afraid of the current situation. People are changing all of a sudden, and-" "No, I'm afraid of *you*." Spongy clarified. Awkward silence followed. GD nodded. "Good to hear that." He chuckled. "You won't have to suffer much longer, that wraps it up." He snapped his fingers, and the folder would disappear. "Have a good day." He snapped his fingers again, and Spongy would go unconscious once again.

-

Spongy woke up once again in the hangout place, exactly how it was when he first passed out. Approximately half a minute had passed since when he'd passed out. People barely had enough time to comment on how strange GD was, and on what he was doing. GD took a deep breath. "Thank you." He said to Spongy. "Uh..." Spongy frowned. "You're welcome?" GD nodded at him. "Who's next?" He asked. He turned to Woody and Rocky. Woody would go into yet another panic attack, while Rocky remained perfectly still. GD looked at Woody in particular. "You seem like you got vital info." He remarked. Woody's panic attack increased in intensity as GD would crouch down to be level with him. He'd grab him by the arm, and they'd both go unconscious.

-

Woody would wake up in the interrogation room, and what he saw would cause him to almost literally *die*. After a few seconds of unrestrained screaming, GD would look around and realize where he went wrong. He sighed. "Right. Let's change it to a more friendly color." He snapped his fingers, and the walls would change to a brown color, similar in shade to Woody. After he calmed down, GD would continue. "Alright. You're going to answer the questions." Woody would immediately enter yet another panic attack afterwards. GD sighed. "Don't you ever give up on this charade?" He asked. "That's bound to wear out your vocal cords." Woody continued screaming. GD sighed yet again. "Seriously. I've had to deal with people far more crazy than you. My patience is far more thick than you'd like. Just do as you're told, and you'll be back before you know it." Woody continued to scream, but there'd be a glimpse of hope as he began to quiet down minutes later, going from screaming to panicking, until eventually just breathing heavily. GD nodded. "Thank you." He continued. "So, how do you feel about Flower?" He asked. Woody would immediately go into yet *another* panic attack, although this was somewhat less intense. In-between bouts of screaming, Woody would manage to actually speak. It'd be just as incoherent as his usual dialog to the untrained ear, but GD would manage to understand. "Quite a big bully, isn't she?" He asked. His panic attack intensified. GD nodded again. "*Very* much so, yes."

GD let Woody take a moment to calm down before continuing. "You ever wondered why she apologized?" Woody would continue to 'talk' incoherently, but this time with much, *much* less shouting and screaming. GD nodded. "You don't know why either. Of course." He sighed. "Of course you would. You'd obviously be more worried about yourself than her." He let Woody calm down before continuing. "Do you remember fighting against the rest of the contestants?" Woody would then go into another panic attack. "No?" GD asked. Woody continued panicking and shouting. GD nodded. "Yep. Of course." He remarked. "You remember nothing about that stuff? *Nothing*?" Woody continued to panic. GD nodded. "Alright. I'd ask you how you feel, but it's rather obvious." He sighed. "Off you go, then." He snapped his fingers, and Woody would go unconscious.

-

Woody woke up at the hangout place, where he'd obviously go into another panic attack, much to the dismay of literally everyone inside. About a minute had passed since they began, as it took longer due to having to wait for Woody to calm down. "...Thanks?" GD raised an eyebrow in concern as Woody continued to panic. "Alright, next one." GDs attention turned to Rocky, who, once again, was doing a whole lot of nothing. GD would grab him by the leg, and they'd both go unconscious.

-

Rocky woke up in the interrogation room, with the walls having returned to the usual grey, matching his colors. GD sighed. "I don't even know if you'll say anything. Can you understand me?" He asked. Rocky would nod. "Perhaps you could just answer through interpretive dance, or something." GD would chuckle. "Alright. What do you think of Flower?" He would ask. Rocky would once again remain silent and unmoving, much to GDs dismay. He sighed. He went a bit closer to him. "What do you think of Flower?" He'd repeat the question. Once again, Rocky would remain silent. GD groaned. "Why do the incompetent ones always get booted off first?" He sighed. He made his way back to his seat. "Ready when you are." GD said to him, unsure if he even understood him. Over the next few minutes, Rocky would just sit there, doing a whole load of nothing. In fact, it was so much nothing that GD would grow rather concerned. He had been expecting *something* from the literal rock, perhaps a drop of vomit, or perhaps something else. But there was just... Nothing. It was so boring that GD almost fell asleep due to sheer boredom. Just before he closed his eyes, however, he'd notice the slightest bit of vomit trickling out of Rocky's mouth. GD would quickly get up to investigate, only... It wasn't vomit. Much like any generic horror movie, it was *blood*. Or at least what looked like blood. GDs eyes shot wide open. "...He's here." He muttered to himself. He concentrated on Rocky, waiting for the moment he'd strike. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Rocky would *speak*.

"You don't know what you're getting into."

GD would be rather unfazed by this. "*You*." He squinted at Rocky, intent on seeing the puppet-master controlling him. "I knew you'd show up. I just didn't know when." Rocky's smile grew wider. "Try as you might to get rid of me, you just can't do it. You never can." "I wasn't intending on it." GD replied. "I was hoping that by hiding in some remote corner of the Multiverse, you wouldn't be able to find me. And yet, here we are." Rocky chuckled. "Of course. No matter where you hide, I'll always find you. That's just the way things are. We're meant to forever fight each other." He paused. "Although... I'd have to admit that I didn't find you on your own." GD seemed to frown, but again, his smile was fixed. "Who helped you?" He asked. "Was it them? *Her*, even?" Rocky chuckled. "No. I had *your* help." GD felt the soul draining from his body due to such an outrageous statement, but that wouldn't be the first time they had happened to him. "...My help?" "You just couldn't go one day without using your powers, could you?" Rocky continued. "Your reckless activities acted like a beacon in the Multiverse, pulling darn near everybody in. It was your incompetence at hiding your tracks that helped me find you." GD groaned. "Whatever. It doesn't matter now. What does is what's going to happen now." Rocky's smile grew even wider. "What's going to happen is your demise. I know I've threatened it before, but this time, I really have it now." GD sighed. "You always say that." He remarked. "This time, however, I *mean it*."

GD sighed again. "How do you plan on doing it this time?" "I'm already in the midst of doing it, silly." Rocky replied. "After so many foiled attempts to finally destroy you, I've managed to figure out how you've always managed to persevere in the end: morale." He paused for a moment. "Somehow, regardless of what I do: destroying your home, your country, your *planet*, even... You still somehow have the hope that you're going to make it in the end. That..." Rocky sighed. "That has been my biggest hurdle." GD scoffed. "Well, yeah. I've beaten you so much that it's not even funny. It's mostly just become a matter of waiting for you to strike." "But now I've figured out how to destroy you." Rocky continued. "Have you, now?" GD chuckled. "SILENCE!" Rocky shouted. "Can't you see that you're almost done for?" "You're in my mind right now." GD remarked. "ARE YOU?" Rocky shouted. GD looked around. "...Yes." He looked back at Rocky and folded his arms. "Just get to it, old man." "FINE!" Rocky shouted. "I've come to realize that what hurts your morale the most is being taken by surprise. Failing by unforeseen circumstances." GD nodded. "...You got me there. But the question is: can you pull it off again?" Rocky smirked. "You have no idea. I will ensure your demise." GD snickered. "You know, it's hard to take you seriously when you take the form of a literal rock." "Wait, what?" Rocky paused for a moment to look at himself. "*UGH*!" GD snickered again. "Hah." "You know what? I'll just show you. Showing is better than telling, after all." Rocky continued. "I'll show you, I'll show you *all*!" Rocky was then suddenly seized by terror for a few seconds, causing him to fully stiffen, then he would return back to normal. Well, about as normal as he could get, anyway.

GD stared at Rocky. "Rocky? You alright now, buddy?" Rocky remained still for a moment, and then he'd vomit on him.

-

Rocky would wake up back at the hangout place, a minute having passed since he went unconscious. GD looked at him. "You alright?" He asked him. Rocky nodded. GDs smile seemed to widen, but again... "Thank you." He'd then turn to the newcomers. "Alright. You're all up next."

-

Pencil was trying her best to listen in to what GD was doing in the hangout place, but all she could hear was mostly conversation by the newcomers about tyrants, or something. After a few minutes of trying and failing to listen in, she decided to just do what she did for most things in life, and just give up. She berated herself for having wasted her time in such dumb activities. Why did she even bother? It's not like she'd even understand what GD was doing. And it wasn't her responsibility, anyway. It was probably going to be Pens responsibility. Speaking of Pen... Pencil would walk to the back lawn, wanting to relax and take in the fresh air. You never know when you could breathe it in for the last time in such an insane world, after all. She sat down on the grass and enjoyed the sunshine, instinctively looking around for Pen. As she did so. Her eyes would naturally wander to the houses, where she'd spot something red poking out of one of the roofs. Her eyes would naturally fixate on it, watching as it moved about. After a while, it'd eventually fully come into view, revealing it to just be Triangle watching from afar. He'd quickly notice Pencil looking at him, and would wave at her. Pencil reluctantly waved back, as it was a formality. Being weirded out by that whole encounter, Pencil would get up and actually go looking for Pen. Within a minute or so, she'd find him staring into the fence, out into the great flat plains beyond.

"...Pen?" Pencil would grab his attention. Pen quickly turned to face her. "...Pencil." He tried his best to smile, though he'd only manage a weak one at best. "What's up?" Pencil asked. Pen sighed. "...Nothing." He couldn't help but glance away due to how awkward it was. "I was just... Taking in the fresh air, that's all." Pencil raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" She asked. "You're being awfully close to the fence, however. Are you sure you're not just planning to escape once again?" Pen frowned. "Uh..." Pencil sighed. "...It's fine, if you want to. It's not like I can stop you." Pen slowly turned to Pencil. "...To be honest..." He sighed. "I can't help but consider it." Pencil nodded. "It's because of the whole leadership thing, isn't it?" She asked. Pen turned to Pencil and nodded. "Yep. Spot-on." He sighed again. "I was fine with it at first, but now that the initial excitement has worn off..." He scratched his head. "I've come to realize just how stressful it'll be." Pencil frowned and nodded as well. "...Yeah. I think I only managed to lead everyone because of the connotations that the title of 'host' carried. Everyone knows just how powerful the last host is..." She sighed. "But you're just... A leader. Who has even used that title?" She asked. "Uh..." Pen frowned. "I think I know a person or two they do." He replied. Pencil frowned again. "...Right." She sighed again.

"I mean, I still think the idea of being a leader is cool, but actually doing it?" Pen groaned in frustration. "Especially at a time like this? It sounds like a chore, more than anything." He took a moment to breathe. "Everyone before me had something they could wield to influence the others. Triangle had his powers, and you had his legacy. But me..." He sighed. "What do I even have?" He looked out towards the fence again. "For the longest time, I've just been someone who... Bullied people. That's all I have to my name. I don't have any skills whatsoever to lead people, especially those who already hated me before." He sighed one more time, just to really hammer the point home. "...What could I even do? What could I even say? What do I even have?" Tears formed in his eyes as he began to imagine all the possible ways his already-fragile could crumble. He could lose what little support he had from the others, or be overthrown by the newcomers, or Triangle could just wish him out of existence, or something else entirely could knock him out in a single decisive stroke. It seemed like everything was working against him in this battle: an uphill climb that only got steeper. "Pen..." Pencil took a step closer to him. "...You have me." She replied. Pen turned to her. "...I know." He breathed. "...But-" "And you still have your friends. The ones that remain, anyway." Pencil continued. "You have plenty of people that can help you out." She smiled. "You shouldn't feel alone in this situation. That just isn't true."

Pen smiled as well. "...Yeah. That's true, I guess." He chuckled. "But, no offense..." He sighed. Pencil raised an eyebrow. "What?" She asked. "...But you guys aren't exactly the most capable people here." Pen continued. Pencil frowned. Although she didn't want to admit it, that *was* sort of true. She took more ideas from Triangle and Golf Ball during her stint as host than she could count on her fingers *and* toes. She nodded. "...Yeah. I suppose you're right." She sighed. "...But that doesn't matter." Pen raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What do you mean?" He asked. "I mean, were you even paying attention during the competition?" Pencil asked. "I mean, I managed to take the reins from two very... *Competitive* people, and successfully managed to get them to battle in an entire competition with nothing but a notebook and a mini-me." Pencil chuckled as she remembered it, she could barely believe it herself. "If I managed to lead them through a competition that none of them wanted, then one could only imagine how much power *we* could wield. We could *actually* ensure that no one ever hurts us again." Pen thought about it, and his smile widened. "...Yeah, I can only imagine." They both chuckled. "See?" Pencil smiled. "It's not so bad. Just remember that things could *definitely* be worse off. Be happy with what you've got, and you'll be fine." They stared at each other for a few moments, and then they'd hug. In moments such as these, all people really needed was comfort. "Thanks, Pencil." Pen would let a single tear out. A single tear of joy.

The moment would be immediately ruined, however, by GD walking in on them. Pen would immediately notice him appear, and he'd quickly pull away from Pencil, pretending as if nothing had happened. "Uh... Hey." Pen would wave at him as a formality. "No need to be so embarrassed." GD remarked. "I've done my fair share of embarrassing stuff. One thing I've learned about embarrassing stuff is that there's truly nothing to be embarrassed about." Pen was puzzled by what he just said. He raised an eyebrow. "...What?" Pencil turned to him. "What're you doing here, anyway?" She asked. "I've interrogated all the people in the hangout place." GD replied. "Did you learn anything?" Pencil asked. GD nodded. "What they said during their interrogations certainly lines up with all the evidence we've gathered." He replied. "Given what we know, there's certainly another attack being planned. Similar to that flash of white you experienced way back." Pen groaned. "Are you *kidding* me?" He asked. Pencil raised an eyebrow. "*We*?" She asked. "Me and the man on the roof." GD replied, pointing towards Triangle. Triangle would notice, and would quickly teleport over to them. "Someone mentioned my name?" He asked. GD turned to him. "As a matter of fact, yes." He replied. "The hard part's now done with. Let's move on to the next step." Triangle groaned. "We're moving on *now*? I was just getting used to being on the roof." GD chuckled. "You can hang out on the roof later. Now's the time for serious business."

The two of them would begin walking over to the HLR, and Pen and Pencil would follow them, having nothing better to do. It was a rather uneventful walk. The living quarters were surprisingly devoid of much activity that day, save for the hangout place. Tennis Ball and the expedition team were enjoying the sunny and cloudless morning. As they got close to the HLR, however, anxiety would build up in Triangle. "...I swear." He said to GD. "If something comes out of there and beats me up, I'll lose it. I've had enough of being injured as is." GD looked at him. "I assure you that that won't happen. There's literally not a chance that that could happen." As they talked, Pen and Pencil would try their best to listen in. "What're they saying?" Pen asked. "I can't tell." Pencil replied. "Probably nothing important, though." She'd take a deep breath. "...Hopefully." They eventually stopped in front of the door. Triangle and GD would simply stare at the door for a moment, as Triangle appeared to still hesitate on it. "Seriously, though. Nobody's been keeping an eye out on this thing." Triangle continued. "Because there's nothing to keep an eye on." GD replied. "There's only, like, one person in it." He'd then gently open the door. "There's not a chance that anything in there can hurt-" Surprise surprise, what was in there could hurt them. They opened the door, only to see Flower being untied by... Pin. "Thanks again." Flower said to her. "I owe you one." "Don't mention it." Pin chuckled. "You must have to-" She'd then immediately notice the door opening, and she'd immediately look at the two of them. A sick grin would quickly appear on her face as she undid the last of the knots, promptly before waving at them and disappearing.

Triangle and GD stared at the freed Flower, and then looked at each other. Triangle frowned. "GD, I swear to-" Flower let out a deafening scream as she got up and charged towards Triangle, tackling him onto the ground and taking him by surprise. He'd try his best to shove her out of the way, having forgotten that he had all-powerful powers at that very moment, to no avail. Flower would attempt to strangle him, though that would go about as well as one would expect. "GET OFF!" Triangle shouted. "YOU SMELL *AWFUL*!" Flower would then scream at him, almost rupturing his ear drums. Triangle would take a single breath, and he'd start coughing. "THAT'S SOMEHOW *WORSE*!" Meanwhile, Pen and Pencil would be panicking, not knowing whatsoever what to do, while GD would remain at a distance, waiting for the right time to strike. The shouting match would get the attention of everyone else, who would start exiting whatever buildings they were in to see what was going on. The expedition team and Tennis Ball would be the first to see it, and they'd be just as confused as Pen and Pencil were. The newcomers would arrive next, and their attention would immediately be drawn to Triangle, who was once again at a moment of weakness. "THERE HE IS!" One of them would point at him. "*GET HIM*!" A second one shouted. They'd then all proceed to charge towards him. GD would notice their rapid approach, and would sigh. "Now's as good a time as any..." He muttered to himself. He snapped his fingers, and a baseball bat would appear in his hands. He'd then charge towards Flower and hit her hard with a good swing, sending her flying a few feet and crashing into the grass.

GD would then pick up the still-dazed Triangle, saving him from yet another round of being trampled on. He'd then begin wildly swinging his baseball bat around, fending the mob who was thirsty for his blood. "BACK OFF!" GD shouted. "WHAT DO YOU EVEN HAVE AGAINST HIM?" The mob would then erupt into a discordant choir listing their reasons why Triangle was, quite possibly, the worst person to ever exist. GD seemed to frown, but again... "Okay, fair point." He conceded. "BUT STILL!" Triangle would finally manage to snap out of his confusion, and would then proceed to snap his fingers and teleport to the roof. The mob would momentarily be puzzled by his sudden disappearance, but one of them would eventually notice that he had reappeared on the roof, causing them to immediately begin charging towards him again. As Triangle watched them desperately trying to climb up the house to get him, he'd take a deep breath. "*WON'T YOU GUYS SHUT UP FOR A MINUTE*?" The sudden shout would cause them to actually go quiet for a moment, having been startled by the sudden volume. "THANK YOU!" Triangle shouted again. The mob would continue their angry fist shaking at him, however, demanding him to come down so that he could die. Meanwhile, GD and the others would be watching the incident from afar, still stumped by what was happening. Here were these newcomers, people they had no idea about, all shouting at Triangle for reasons beyond their understanding. They wanted to figure it out before they started jumping to conclusions.

"Look..." Triangle continued, but the mob continued shouting and arguing. "*LOOK*!" Triangle shouted. The mob would then remain silent long enough for him to actually continue. "Look. I understand why you'd be mad at me. I know that me and my company have done terrible things during its long... Long..." He'd nervously sweat. "*Long* history, but that doesn't matter now!" The mob then erupted into shouting once again due to his statement. Triangle sighed. "IT DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE IT'S ALL OVER!" He shouted again, leaving the mob stunned once again. "My company is now in ruins, being nothing more than a few dozen people scattered throughout the world, cowering in their fortresses! They can't hurt you any longer, because they're no longer focused on that!" The mob erupted into chaos once again. "I'M NOT FINISHED!" Triangle shouted, and the mob fell silent again. "They can no longer hurt you because there's a new evil, a far greater evil! An evil that threatens to wipe out *both* of us!" A round of gasps then emerged from the mob, which started to look more like a crowd at this point. "If we continue bickering, arguing, and fighting over the events of the past, then it all won't really matter! Because we'll all be *DEAD*!" Another round of gasps followed. "I know that I'm probably the last person you want to cooperate with, but if you do, I will gather what remains of GD Inc in order to fight this battle against the ultimate evil! We must no longer fight each other, for we are worse off divided, and better off UNITED!" Much to Triangles dismay, however, the crowd wouldn't erupt into cheering, as he had expected. Instead, awkward silence would fall upon the living quarters, speaking volumes.

Triangle stared at the crowd, unsure of what to say next. He frowned. "Well..." He sighed. "It was worth a shot." He looked at GD, who was staring at him in the distance, unamused. "Little help, here?" A single voice would then emerge from the crowd, immediately shattering the fragile peace into pieces. "Well, what're you going to do once we're done battling, and we're all weakened?" Nickel asked. "HOW CAN WE BE ASSURED THAT YOU WON'T JUST KILL US THEN?" "YEAH!" Another voice would shout as well, and the crowd would turn right back into a mob. Triangle groaned in frustration. "UGH! I GIVE UP!" He shouted. "I'm dealing with the enemy myself. You all did this to yourselves!" He snapped his fingers, and he would disappear. All eyes then turned to GD, who remained standing there, doing nothing. He shrugged. "Well. We tried." He said. "Time to do things our way. Take care, and good luck."

And with a snap of his fingers, he was gone too.

-

Pin was anxiously pacing around the room.

She was berating herself constantly for how recklessly she was acting at that moment. That one *crucial* moment. How could she have been so careless? She knew that they would make no attempt to be sneaky, since they didn't think she'd ever have the nerve to appear. She reminded herself to listen to their loud and obvious footsteps. And yet, despite constant reminders, logic, and common sense, she disregarded all that and exposed herself for all to see at that one moment. And she *waved at them*.

The man would notice her nervous fit and would walk up to her, concerned. "What's wrong?" He asked. "Were you hit with hesitation yet again?" Pin shook her head. "No, it's not that." She replied. "I got caught. They saw me." She looked at him and frowned. "And I got caught at the worst possible time." She sniffled. "Can I truly call myself devoted if I've been so careless?" The man would seemingly frown, but his smile remained as fixed as it always had been. He crouched down to be more level with her. "...It's fine." He replied. "H-How could it possibly be fine?" Pin asked. "They saw me-" "It doesn't matter if they saw you." The man interrupted. "What does is if they'll be able to react to it quickly enough." He got back up. Pin raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" She asked. "The time to strike nears. We're almost ready to truly hit them where it hurts." The man turned to Pin again. "There's no need for apologies. You've done nothing wrong. If anything, you've done something good. Far beyond my expectations." Pin sniffled. "What did I do?" The man chuckled.

"You gave them false hope."