Chapter 26: Through Tinted Glass[]
A robot led a Bear into a room, chuckling all the way through. “Harold~ I have something to show you.. Oh, I promise it’s worth your visit..” Harold continued walking through the manor as they soon reached a room containing all three group members, sleeping soundly in three separate small, soft beds. “What is it, Comb? I told you I was bu..” He paused as his eyes swiftly drifted onto the contents of the room.
Before he could speak, Comb-Bot interrupted him, grinning confidently. “Harold, oh, my dear Harold.. It’s wonderful, is it not? A Gifted Bee.. All ours for the taking.. Oh, and the best part, I haven’t even mentioned it.. He’s naturally gifted. Oh, what a rarity.. Do you know how rare that is, Harold? It’s one in a million. Or more. It takes tremendous dedication. You’d be better off dying than enduring the daily torment of whatever he had to do to get his gifted form..” Harold looked at Comb-Bot, then back at the three Bees.
“Y-You.. Comb-Bot, you..Why did you bring them here? I.. I thought we agreed on no more workers..” Harold looked over Pouchy and the others who were lying peacefully in beds. To his side, a small, Honeycomb-shaped robot stood, holding itself up through a wire which came from the wall as it wagged its silvery fingers dismissively. “Oh, don’t act so surprised, Harold! I wanted to get them for you. You know you do, too. You want to make him proud, don’t you? What better way than by continuing the family business! We can never have enough workers.. Especially not when we have.. Such a fine specimen! Now tell me you aren’t intrigued..” He gestured towards Brad.
Harold rubbed his fur, turning his gaze to Comb-Bot then to the three unconscious bees. “It.. It seems wrong, Comb.. Don’t you think? We’re.. We’re taking innocent bees from their homes and..” Comb-Bot raised a metallic hand, shushing Harold as he spoke smugly. “Now, now Harold. You know as well as I do that every bee we take in has no home. How else would we get away with this? And besides.. Nobody ever said business came without sacrifices. Your father would be ashamed to see you hesitating this much, you know!” He chuckled slyly, releasing Harold’s mouth from his grip as Harold stumbled to his feet, adjusting his tie and feeling around on his mouth.
“I’m not doubting him, I’m just.. I’m not sure if this is the way..” Comb-Bot shook his head, sighing robotically. “Please, Harold. I know what’s best for the company. Why golly, I was MADE for that very purpose! So if I say something? You’d better believe it. In which case.. There’s nothing wrong with what we’re doing.. Your father would be smiling upon you at the prospect of catching such a Rarity!”
“No, but.. But really, Comb! I don’t agree with this.. Not one bit! I.. I don’t care if my father did it all his life.. I call the shots for this company now, and.. I think what we’re doing.. Is really wrong.. Not to mention shady business practices!” Comb-Bot sputtered, turning towards Harold as he grabbed him by the coat. “Harold. Friend. Buddy. Pal. ACCOMPLICE. I’ve had about enough of your little smart-chat. You don’t know what’s best for business. I do. This is what we focus on here. Business. Not morality. If we focused on morality, then, by golly, we’d have no business!” He paused, keeping his grip on Harold’s suit. “You don’t want to be a failure, do you, Harold? Because that’s where morality gets you. Nowhere. So you can either.. Go along with your father—and my —vision, or, well, gosh.. I’m going to have to let you go.”
“..I own this company! You can’t fire me!” Comb-Bot shook his head smugly, extending one of his metallic hands and holding a purple serum up against the side of Harold’s face as he smiled sinisterly on his metallic screen. “Oh, hah.. I wasn’t meaning firing, Harold.. Why, I care about you like a son, but.. If you’re interfering with the company, well.. I might just have to.. Reset you. Now golly, wouldn’t that be a shame?” Harold eyed the serum, remembering countless Bees before nodding in agreement, sighing lightly as Comb-Bot placed him down on the ground, tucking the serum away while grinning complacently. “Great to have you back on board, buddy! Now.. Why don’t we use this on somebody who.. Truly needs it..” He turned towards the Bees, his arm extending as he gripped the serum tightly in his metal hands.
Harold reluctantly hopped in front of the three Bees, blocking Comb-Bot from them. “Listen, why don’t we just.. Do this later? Why don’t we see how they adjust to their new life? Or, better yet,” He grabbed the serum out of Comb-Bot’s hand, smiling nervously. “Let me do it..? I promise, I.. I got the memo, alright!”
Comb-Bot looked at Harold for a moment, intricately eyeing him as he ducked into the corner of one of the walls, springing out again at Harold’s side. “Hm.. Deal. Now that you know the consequences of failure.. I suppose it’s only fair if I give you an opportunity to prove your trust. Now remember. If you fail to do so..” He paused, gesturing to the Serum before he tossed it to Harold, speaking from within the walls. “There will be a punishment. And I’m certain that you won’t like it. But oh, you won’t even remember what happened.. To say the least of it.. Well, toodaloo, Harold!” He chuckled darkly as he left the room, going to survey a different part of the manor.
Harold turned towards the Bees, sighing in relief. “(Better just.. Keep things to myself. Here’s the plan, Harold. You take them to the Sphere, then.. Then tell them about what’s going to happen on a note so he doesn’t hear. Okay. Then.. Leave them to find the escape. Then.. Lie to Comb!)” He paused, making sure he was still thinking rather than speaking out loud. “(Okay, perfect. That’s a good plan, yes..)”
He rushed over to the Bees, poking them with his paws to check if they were still asleep. “(Man.. Comb must’ve given him the extra strength tranquilizers. No matter, I.. I guess it’ll be better if they’re not asking me questions on the way down..)” He swiftly reached onto all three Bees, managing to pluck them up out of the small beds as he turned around, walking out of the room and into the rest of the Manor.
The Manor was a very large building; covered in brilliant shining beige wallpaper and floors, and adorned with magnificent wall and ceiling decorations resembling both the texture and coloring of none other than the finest Honey imaginable. There were various pictures upon the glistening walls. Some of Harold as a child. Others of a large, intimidating Bear who possessed both a beard and mustache, seeming indifferent and cold in each picture. “(Father wouldn’t be pleased, would he? Cut it out, Harold.. That doesn’t matter. What matters is doing what’s right.)” He spoke in his own head, still keeping a tight grip on all three Bees.
He suddenly turned down a hallway; the room standing in front of him bathed in a ghoulish light, with a staircase leading so far down it would make you dizzy even attempting to grasp its contents. Harold started down the trek of the stairs. They were old, wooden, and very much creaky. Candles adorned the side of the hallway, as if time capsules of a generation long since past. Harold looked at the various candles, smiling awkwardly to himself. “(That really is a fire hazard, isn’t it? You’d think Comb would see that as a bigger threat to the company than.. What I’m doing.. Hah, you’d think..)”
He continued down the stairs, the candle light growing more dim.
“(No, no.. Light.. please..)” He looked down the stairs, as if hoping that the mere thought would place more candles upon the walls. “(Oh, lovely.. Of course it wouldn’t work out well for you, Harold.. of course it wouldn’t..)” He trekked down the stairs, sweat beading off his fur as he descended further into absolute darkness.
Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him. A familiar one. “Son, what are you doing? Those Bees.. They don’t seem to be injected with the Serum. What are you doing, son?” Harold froze at the words, not daring to listen to the words emanating from the top of the stairs. He was petrified. “(What is that..? Why is he..? H-He.. No, it..)” HIs pace grew panic as he began running down the stairs quicker, his heart rate following suit as he continued to hear the voice behind him. Growing louder. Closer.
“Son, why are you running? You seem to be scared. Are you scared of failure? Oh, Harold.. You mustn’t worry. For you are already a failure. Always have been. Always will be. You had one simple job, son. Take care of my business. And oh, it seems you couldn’t follow directions well, now could you?” Harold attempted to plug his ears, being careful with the Bees in his paws. “(No.. Shut up, Dad..)”
The voice began getting louder as Harold grew more panicked. “SON!” The voice said angrily. “YOU CANNOT RUN FOREVER. WHATEVER YOU DO.. YOU KNOW YOUR TRUE DESTINY. So why not make it more simple? All I ask is for your obedience. I’ve given you the tools. Now it is your choice to quit being a disgrace and use them.” Harold ran faster, barely able to breathe due to both exhaustion and panic. With one misplaced step, he tumbled down the flight of stairs, taking both himself and the three Bees alongside him.
He pushed himself up off the ground, looking at the three Bees who were still sleeping soundly. “(Oh gosh, I’m sorry..)” He picked the Bees up, cradling them against himself. “(He’s right, I.. I am a failure, oh.. Why can I not ever do anything right?)” He heard them breathing as he stopped. “(Oh, thank Honey..)”
He dusted off his suit and tie as he began walking forward. The environment of the basement was different to anything experienced within the Manor. The walls were covered with various painted clouds and bright blue skies on each and every corner. The paint on this particular portion of the basement seemed to be peeling; the walls looked as tattered as the clothes a rockstar wears. There were various crates marked with certain supplies, sitting against the painted walls like eye sores. “(Well, we’re closer to the Sphere, I suppose..)”
He continued down a separate hallway, his paws pitter pattering against the cold concrete ground. The paint slowly began getting more taken care of, the scratches subsiding as he continued on through the ominous hallway.
Eventually, he reached his destination. It contained similar patterns of blue skies and clouds. However, one portion of the room was a very large window. Harold stood in front of it for a moment, his gaze growing sympathetic as he watched various Bees go about their daily lives, completely unaware of his saddened gaze. Inside of it was a very large dome, decorated with similar cloud paintings, as well as a very large strobe light which was impossible to look at directly. Through the glass, a small town could be seen. A very large patch of green grass stretched on at the bottom, looking uncannily real despite its artificial composition. “(What I would give to be free from these.. Shackles.. What I would do to let everybody free from these shackles. Heroes make sacrifices, yes.. They do.. Am I a hero? I hope so..)”
He paused, continuing to look out the window as he noticed the Bees stirring. “(Oh, I must hurry!)” He swiftly snapped out of his trance, sprinting over to a mysterious elevator. He sighed, stepping inside as he pressed the only button available. As the elevator began whirring downwards, Comb-Bot popped out of the control panel, grinning as he eyed both Harold and the three Bees. “How’s it going, bud?” Harold smiled awkwardly. “O-Oh, uh.. Great, actually! They’re just beginning to stir now..”
Comb-Bot grinned. “Great to hear! Now, while you have a minute.. I just wanted to tell you something. I apologize for coming off as.. Short-tempered earlier. But you must know, we have nothing if we do not have this business. I fail to think of any other purpose for my existence. Why, we’d be living on the streets, much like these Bees we capture! Now what a silly thought.. A Bear and a Robot, living together on the streets..”
He moved out of the way of the control panel, turning Harold’s head towards it as he flipped the screen to a camera in the money vault. “You see this, Harold? This is all ours. All yours. This is what we work for. This is my purpose.” He paused. “Money doesn’t ever grow on trees, you know. And you’re lucky that we’ve been given such a.. Gracious opportunity to make it. Not everybody can say they have a private manor and robot butler, you know!”
Harold looked at Comb-Bot sympathetically. “Y-You know, you.. You don’t.. Have to make this your whole existence. Sure, it’s.. Hard-wired into your code, but.. That doesn’t mean you can’t break it. I know you’d enjoy something else far more.. Have you ever thought of a hobby?” Harold continued, shrugging slightly. “There’s.. Always something more we can do with our lives, y’know? We.. aren’t just this business. I’m not just my father, and you’re not just an.. Order-following robot.. We can be different, Comb. We can always be better. We can stop all this.”
Comb-Bot continued grinning complacently, his gaze alone giving off his digital nature. He laughed heartily, taking the statement as a joke. “Oh, Harold! That’s a lovely joke.” He patted Harold on the head with his metallic hand, grinning still, yet, beneath it there was something else. Something.. Human-like. As if, in another time, he might have understood biological likings. “We both have our places in the world. It would be silly to think we could, or would ever want to, break free from them. Anywho, see ya’ later, alligator!” He disappeared into the control board, appearing at another portion of the Manor.
Harold stood in the elevator silently, looking down at the floor as he thought about Comb’s words. “(Is he right? A-Am I just.. Just these decisions..? Oh, maybe he is.. Maybe I’m not a hero.. Maybe I am just.. Him..” He paused, looking at the three Bees nestled comfortably in his paws as he coughed silently. “(No, don’t say that, Harold. You’re not your father. You can choose to be better. There’s.. Always a possibility for change, isn’t there?)” Before he was able to answer his own question, the elevator doors opened, pushing Harold and the Bees out as he stood against the wall; it was covered in bright blue paint, adorned with various detailed cloud textures. He looked upwards at the top of the dome, the strobe lights illumination was nearly blinding.
The grass crinkled against his paws, feeling eerily real. He held onto the Bees tighter, beginning to walk around through the fake field, picking up a plastic flower and keeping it close to himself as he approached the town. There were various Bees flying around; all dressed in robes of extraordinarily clean cream-colored fabric.
He walked towards the center of the town, noticing the styrofoam structure of Comb-Bot nestled into the fountain, waving welcomingly. Suddenly, Pouchy woke up, smacking his lips in drowsiness. “(Huh.. Guys, why does it feel like we’re..)” He paused for a moment as Harold continued to walk, in too much of a trance to hear. “(..Moving? Guys, wake up!)” He gently nestled Spectacles and Brad who quickly woke up.
As soon as they woke up, Harold placed them on the ground in the center of the town, looking down at them as the Town’s fountain and styrofoam comb bot continued to run. “Oh, you’re.. Awake..” Pouchy looked at Harold, grinning happily as he looked around at the town. Spectacles looked anything but. “This place is so cool! It’s like.. A fake tow-” Harold silenced him, sweating. After a moment, he placed him down next to Spectacles and Brad. Spectacles looked deathly scared and frantically looked around. Brad furrowed his brows confusedly.
Harold gestured towards them as he pulled out a small notebook from the pocket of his suit, beginning to write on it. Pouchy looked over at Spectacles and Brad with a confused expression. The both of them shrugged. Eventually, Harold grinned nervously and handed the note to Pouchy. He began reading it out loud. “You three were captured by my ‘Frien-” Harold swiftly and repeatedly shook his head, sweating.
Pouchy began reading it in his head. “You three were captured by my.. ‘Friend’ Comb-Bot. Basically, he wants you to make Honey for.. My business. Well, however.. I do not want that for you three. But, sadly, I am constantly being monitored by him, and as such, I cannot assist you. I want you three to try to find some sort of exit. This place is rather unkempt. There has to be some sort of escape somewhere. However, I’m just going to need you to help me with something. I’ll pull out a purple serum, and I’m going to need you three to act like you’re injected with it. It’ll keep him off my--and your--tail.” Harold looked awkward, repeatedly stretching his tie and lifting himself up and down with his paws.
Pouchy grinned, nodding in agreement. Brad looked at Harold skeptically. Eventually, Harold slowly walked over to the three, standing in front of Pouchy first. He raised up the serum, holding it close to Pouchy but not injecting it. Pouchy acted woozy, falling on the ground dramatically. “Oh, oh I’ve been injected! Oh gosh no!!” He rolled across the ground, giggling wildly. He walked up to Brad who was still staring at him with furrowed brows. Harold pressed the needle against Brad ever so slightly as he soon turned to Spectacles who was sweating intensely, still entirely confused. Soon enough, he finished up with the ‘injections’. “Hahah!” He paused, making sure that the cameras could see him. “I’ve injected the Bees!”
He laughed fakely, turning away from the three and giving a subtle wave as he made his way across the town. Pouchy spun around to the others, the Fountain’s water still running in the background. “Well, team, we’ve got our mission, don’t we?” Spectacles looked a bit nervous, holding his wing as his eyes continued to flick back between Pouchy and the faux environment. "What's wrong, Specks?”
Spectacles looked at Pouchy with a stunned expression, gesturing to the various fake accessories riddled around the town. “Oh, the town.. Right! Well, not to worry, Specks! We’re all good!” Spectacles raised an eyebrow. “A-All good..? Pouchy, we’ve.. We’ve b-been dumped in some town in who knows where inside of w-who knows what, and.. That’s fine to you..?”
Pouchy rubbed the side of his head, ruffling the fur as he grinned. “Well, I for one find something cool about it! See, look at all this stuff!” He gestured down to the fake grass, his eyes sparkling with intrigue. He sighed disappointedly as both Brad and Spectacles stared at him. “Okay.. I guess we’ll go find the exit.. But we should at least take a peek around while we do so!”
He turned around, lifting up his wings to fly before he was caught by his Pouch. “Exit? What’re ya’ meanin’, exit?” a voice said, heavily laced with a country accent. “Well, Brad-” He spun around, finding a larger, fuzzy furred Bee standing in front of him with a confused expression. They were wearing a brilliant very light orange robe, outfitted with a small pin resembling a drop of Honey. Pouchy stared at them for a moment, the mere glimpse filling his mind with nostalgia of somebody long lost.
“There’s no exit here, buddy! This is our home! Why’d ya’ ever want to ‘escape’ anyway? What’re ya’ gonna do, fly off into the sunset? Buddy, this is what the world is! It’s this town right here!” Pouchy was very confused by their statement, coughing slightly. Spectacles spoke up, pushing up his glasses slightly. “U-Um, well.. There’s more to the world than t-this, you know.. This place is f-” Pouchy swiftly and gently placed his wing over Spectacles’ mouth. Brad sighed, placing his wing upon his face.
“He meant to say, full of adventure! Which is.. Actually what we’re gonna do right now!” He spun around, lifting up his wings before he was grabbed by the Pouch and spun around once more. “Y’all three hungry? My friends’re makin’ a wonderful feast tonight! ‘Course, ya’ don’t have to, but.. You’re more than welcome!” She paused. “Oh, I s’pose I should introduce myself.. My name’s Frizz. What’re y’alls’?” Pouchy introduced the group. Frizz smiled, before looking at the group members more intricately, noting their distinct lack of robes. “Hm, well.. We’re gonna do a little.. Wardrobe extension to y’all three!” She reached around in the massive backpack attached to her robe, and swiftly pulled out three robes.
“Y’all three’ve had to’ve lived here your whole lives.. How’ve I never seen any of ya’? Better question, how did ya’ get around with lookin’ like THAT for so long?” Pouchy coughed, the serum from earlier beginning to make sense. “Well, we’ve been living under there!” He pointed over to a large styrofoam boulder.
Frizz laughed slightly. “..Okay.. Well, you guys hungry? We’re gonna be makin’ somethin’ here soon.” Spectacles attempted to shake his head but was stopped by Pouchy as he grinned. “You bet! Super hungry!”
Frizz smiled, straightening the flower crown on her head. “Wonderful! Well, come along then, child.” Pouchy grinned, following behind Frizz excitedly. The tone in her voice reminded him of somebody. Spectacles looked at Brad. “W-What is he doing..?!” Brad shrugged, keeping his eyes on the two sternly.
“We’d better follow them.” Spectacles sighed. “W-We’re getting so off from our mission.. See, Brad? He’s.. getting distracted again.” Brad chuckled lightly. “Uh. And you’re sayin’ ya’ ain’t hungry, either? We got time. ..’Sides, the place seems.. Safe. Relatively speakin’, of course.”
Spectacles sighed, pushing up his glasses as he glanced up at the painted sky. “I m-mean I guess, but.. We’re trapped in who knows where.. W-With some ‘Robot’ after us..” Brad coughed. “I really ain’t wanna be the one’t say this, but.. It ain’t nothin’ we ain’t used to. So let’s just.. Let loose for once, ‘kay? Both of us.” Spectacles looked down. “F-Fine, but.. We need to leave right after..” Brad smirked. “Was plannin’ on it.”
Eventually, the two made it to where Pouchy and Frizz were standing. It was a large, fancy wooden building made out of birch wood, adorned with various shiny honey-colored decorations on the walls and roof. They both flew inside, seeing a very large, well decorated table filled up with a very large variety of foods. Some were strawberries with Honey sprinkled on them, within them, and beside them. Others were various large cakes, adorned with beautiful colored frosting. Pouchy was eating hungrily, sitting next to Frizz.
Spectacles and Brad sat next to Pouchy, noticing a large handful of other Bees at the table, all dressed in similar robes to what Frizz was clothed in. “Gosh, this stuff is super good! How did you make all of this??” Frizz looked at Pouchy, smiling. “Oh, dear, it’s quite simple really. You’ve probably seen ‘em, but.. There’s various flowers around here. Various flowers that all have their unique tastes ‘n smells.” Pouchy sat, his eyes sparkling. “Seems like you know a lot about Flowers!”
Spectacles grumbled slightly, beginning to eat portions of Strawberries increasingly fast. A Bee looked at Frizz, staring at Pouchy. “Who’s that?” Frizz laughed, ruffling Pouchy’s fur. “Oh, this is Pouchy. He’s a sweet little thing, really. New t’all the stuff we’ve got goin’ around here, though. Him ‘n his friends were livin’ under a rock. Literally.” She chuckled, taking a bite out of the cake.
“What kinds of flowers are your favorite?” Pouchy asked, gritting excitedly. Frizz’s fuzzy face furrowed in contemplation as she placed a wing upon her face. “Oh, I’ll have to say Red. I’ve always been about the spice. See, it depends on the age’f the flower, but they can get pretty hot. Not as hot to burn you, though. ..So long as ya’ don’t eat too many, heh..”
Pouchy looked down. “(She always liked the Red Mushrooms, didn’t she..? Yes! Yes she did! She said they were smoky, right? Yes, I’m certain she loved them!)” He paused. “(Why is it hard to remember?)” He spoke to himself, getting lost in his thoughts as Frizz placed a wing upon his Pouch, her freckles showing as she eyed him. “You okay, Pouch? Did ya’ eat too much?”
Pouchy jumped slightly, grinning. “Oh, not at all! Say, what do you usually do after you eat?” Frizz paused, looking at the other robed Bees who sat at the table. “Oh, well.. Occasionally we head to bed, sometimes we read stories.. It depends, really.” Pouchy smiled warmly. “I’d like a story!” Frizz clapped her wings together happily.
Spectacles’ eyes widened as he sat up at the table. “P-Pouchy,” He gestured, lifting up his wings. “We have ‘things’ to a-accomplish, right?” Pouchy looked at Frizz, his gaze questioning for a moment. He turned back to Spectacles, grinning as wrinkles under his eyes began to show, straining. “Well, I was thinking.. Just after this story!”
Spectacles slightly furrowed his brows, lifting up his wing in protest before noticing the vast crowd sitting at the table. He looked at Pouchy sternly underneath the cyan tinted glass of his glasses. “W-Well, okay.. Me and Brad will be at ‘Home’ if you need us.” Pouchy waved towards them. “Okay! I’ll catch up later, guys!” Spectacles stood up from the table, flying away. Brad looked at Pouchy for a moment. “Ya’ sure ya’ don’t wanna go with us?” Pouchy shook his head immediately. Brad stared at Pouchy confusedly before turning to follow Spectacles. “Ya’ okay, Specks?”
Spectacles looked at Brad, his brows furrowed. “N-No. I’m not. Don’t you see, Brad? Pouchy.. Doesn’t c-care about getting out of here. I just can’t understand it.” He looked around angrily, punching the fake grass with his wing. “I-It’s all fake! None of this is real! Why does he care about it so much? Why, Brad?!”
Spectacles looked down, his glasses growing foggy as his eyes started to tear up. “I j-just can’t understand. He.. He doesn’t even k-know this bee! A-And yet.. He’s.. talking to her as if he’s known her his whole life.. W-What is it about her? What am I not getting?! I’m sorry, I..” Brad looked down, placing his wing on Spectacles’ back as he started to cry. “I.. I don’t know either, Specks. I think you’re just not understandin’ somethin’. Pouchy wouldn’t ditch us.”
“I.. I know he w-wouldn’t.. Gosh, I.. I’m so selfish..” Brad shook his head. “No. Ya’ ain’t Specks. Don’t even go down that route. You’re just worried about ‘im. I am too. But, y’know.. You can’t force people into things. It’s his choice.” Spectacles looked down, drying his tears somewhat bitterly. “B-But it’s not just his choice, is it? It’s a-all of ours. He’s our leader.”
“Maybe he just.. Needs some time to himself. ‘Sides, we’ll go.. Find an exit, then we’ll come back ‘n get him.” Spectacles looked at Brad, then back at the Town standing ominously in the distance, bathed in a now orangish strobe light. “A-And what if he doesn’t want to? What i-if he’s.. Content here..?”
Brad looked down. “Look. Specks. Yall’ve talked people outta crazy things. Gettin’ Pouch to come back with us oughtta be a cakewalk. So just.. Don’t sweat it, ‘kay?” Spectacles adjusted his glasses, turning away from the town as the two began their search for an exit against the painted blue walls.
Meanwhile, Pouchy was in a different portion of the building. It was decorated with various bean bags and beds, and had small, styrofoam plants along with fake wood shelves containing a variety of books. He looked at Frizz as he simultaneously tried to pick out a book to read. “You don’t think they’re mad at me, do you?” Frizz stared at Pouchy with a confused expression. “What’s that? I ain’t never heard’f it.”
Pouchy turned to her fully. “You know, when you.. When you aren’t pleased with somebody or something? Mad? Angry? Spiteful?” Frizz stared at him with a puzzled expression, adjusting her cloak embarrassedly. “Who taught you these concepts? I.. Haven’t heard ‘em before.”
“You’ve never been displeased?” Frizz shook her head. “Sad? Scared? Anxious?” Frizz shook her head once more, lifting up her wing to keep the flower crown nestled on the top of her fur steady as she prepared for more head-shaking. “What about happiness?” She nodded. “Why yes, we’re happy here! Always!”
Pouchy looked down, the statements reminding him of himself. “It’s.. alright to show other emotions, you know..” He paused, sounding like somebody. Frizz looked at him, lifting up an eyebrow. “Why? We have no need for them. Why, everything’s perfect here! Now, about your friends? No, I don’t think they’re.. What was the word?” She paused. “..’Mad’--at you. Probably just busy! What do you three have’t do, ‘nyway?”
“Well, we’re trying to.. Find a new house!” Frizz smiled, leading Pouchy over to the small bean bag and gesturing towards him to lay down. “Find a new house? Why, you don’t have to go anywhere! We’ve got everything you three could ever want right here!”
She laughed slightly, pulling out the book as Pouchy began to move himself comfortably into the bean bag. “So please.” She paused, opening the book. “Hush now, will you? Relax. It’s not nice to be so uptight all the time! Relax a little! Relax a lot! Who cares? There’s nothin’ to worry about, you know.”
“You’re.. Right, Ros..” His eyes suddenly widened as he corrected himself. “Frizz..” Frizz looked at him with a confused expression. “What were you goin’ to say, dear?” Pouchy looked a bit short for words, looking down as he spoke quietly. “Rose. She was.. Somebody dear to me.”
“..Was? What happened to her?” Frizz answered, puzzled. Pouchy stared at her. “..She’s.. Gone, but.. It’s alright! I’ve got you now, haven’t I?” Frizz began laughing heartily, reading out a few verses from the book.
“Long ago, Comb created the world. He sought t’make creations, and that ended up, luckily, bein’ us. He told us that this town--this world--was all ours! And he helped us build the town. Together, with his immense strength and our determination, we built a place where we could be happy. Permanently. You know, Pouchy.. I recall whenever I was a child, just like you. I ain’t remember my Ma’, nor my Pa’, but.. Comb said they were always here with me, in some fashion or another. I’ve always loved flowers, you know.. Well, I love all things, but.. Flowers especially. Especially the red ones. Beautiful velvet petals.” The conversation began to turn into white noise for Pouchy. He smiled to himself, lost in his own nostalgia.
“(Relax, Pouchy. It’s alright, isn’t it? She’s here. She’s reading you a story. Just like how things used to be. She’s back. You’re here. You’re happy. Everything is as it should be. Why would you want to change? Change is harmful.)” Pouchy drifted off further, the words blending seamlessly in with Frizz’s in his drowsy state. Until, suddenly.. He heard an opposing voice. “(Why are you listening to her, Pouchy? Your friends need you! You’re their leader! Stop relaxing and go help them!)”
“(Leaders can take a break every once in a while. Stop trying to demand of him!)” He heard the other voice speak up, retorting. “(I’m not demanding of him. He has to go help his friends. And help others. That is who you are, Pouchy. Your destiny is to help people. That is who you are. So stop relaxing and go help them!)”
“(Oh shut up with the sentimentals! You’re demanding too much of him! This is why he needs relaxation in the first place. It’s ridiculous. Don’t listen to them, Pouchy. You’re fine right where you are. Take a rest. Take two. Who cares? She’s finally here with you again. That’s all that matters.)” The other voice sounded angrier. “(Stop using her as a shield! Pouchy. Everybody needs you. Stop relaxing and wake up. You have to always be there for them. What kind of friend could take a break? You don’t want to be a bad friend, do you? Be useful for once, will you?)”
“(Let him rest! You’re always demanding too much of him. Everybody will be fine, Pouchy. Everything will be okay. You’re comfortable now. Stay comfortable. You deserve it. The world moves so fast, we need something that stays.)” The other voice shouted. “(STOP! Pouchy needs to get up so that he can help everybody! You aren’t anything without that, Pouchy. You’re here so you can be useful to them. Not to rest or take breaks. Don’t listen to them. They’re feeding you lie-)”
Abruptly, a feminine voice spoke up above both of the others, shutting up their arguing instantly. “(Bri. Don’t listen to either of them. You can’t keep living in the past. You have to move on. One does have a point. There is no growth in stagnation. But there is also no growth in constantly pleasing. Don’t just do it for them, Bri! Do it for yourself, too! Being kind isn’t just being nice to others. It’s also being kind to yourself. So make the right decision, will you?)” Pouchy stared at her for a moment. She was a Basic Bee; not too short, not too tall. She wore a pink outfit, outfitted with a hat adorned with mushrooms, and a small apron with a heart stitched into it. The fur on her head was kept in two tight buns, held together by a strange rubber-band-like contraption. Pouchy couldn’t find any words to say. She flew over to him, cupping his face slightly. “(You truly mustn’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. Why, I’ve already found my place, haven’t I? So why don’t you find yours, son?)”
Suddenly, the pure darkness Pouchy was surrounded with gave way to light; and with it, the familiar area around him. Pouchy sprung up out of the bean bag chair, attempting to rush out the door before being caught by Frizz. “Where are you going? It’s time for bed, you know. You’d be lucky if you’re able to fly during the night. Why not stay here? It’s far more comfortable. Are you hungry? I’m certain I could whip ya’ up a midnight snack!” Pouchy grinned. “I.. I have to move on.. I can’t stay here!”
“You don’t like it here? Why, I could see if I could get a few more decorations.. I’ll.. I’ll make you some cakes, Pouchy! Wouldn’t that be nice? I’ll read you a dozen more stories. Just please.. Stay here. We’re all happy here! And you can be too!” Pouchy looked back at her. “I have to move on.” Pouchy said with finality; his tone not giving that of his typical optimism.
Frizz was shocked. “Take me with you, why don’t you? Show me what it is that is worth leaving this all behind.. What could be better than this? You have everything you could ever want here! Comfort, food, laughs..” She paused, looking at him deeply. “So why must you move on?”
“Because.. There’s more to life than.. Happiness.” He looked at her, smiling sympathetically. “We don’t all have to smile all the time! Sometimes, as ironic as it sounds.. You need to let your other emotions flourish if you want to be truly happy.” Frizz looked at him, utterly stunned. Pouchy grinned, taking her by the wing as he swiftly led her out of the house, away from the warm comfort of nostalgia.
Pouchy raced across the artificial grass, the glimmer of a lightly shaded strobe light reflecting against the styrofoam flowers. Eventually, two Bees caught his eye and he raced over to them as fast as he could, nearly tumbling over. “(I.. I g-guess he really.. isn’t..)” Spectacles muttered to himself, turning around hopelessly as he saw both a light brown, and familiar, dark gray and yellow blur flying at him speedily. His eyes widened. “P-Pouchy..?!” He said, his voice lighting up with joy.
Pouchy swiftly and stylishly landed, leaving Frizz dizzy. “In the flesh!” He gazed upon Brad and Spectacles. “Listen, I.. I’m sorry that..” Spectacles and Brad both hugged him, silencing his apologies. Pouchy hugged them back. “Don’t be s-sorry. I’m sorry I s-stormed off like that. E-Everybody needs a little break once in a while..”
Pouchy pulled back from the hug, nervously rubbing the side of his head. “Yeah, but.. Not as much as I planned on staying, to say the least.. Well, enough of the sad stuff! How’s the..” He paused, making a confidential gesture with his wings. “--Project--coming along?”
Brad pulled out his revolver. “Pretty good, actually. Sadly, these bullets ain’t strong ‘nough t’pierce the walls.” He coughed, continuing. “But.. There’s a few weak walls ‘ere. And I think we’ve found just that one behind us.” He gestured behind himself to an ever-so-slightly cracked wall, the painted clouds upon its surface appeared to be slightly faded. Frizz stared at the wall for a moment, whispering silently to herself. “(..Wall?)”
Brad swiftly reached onto his revolver, smirking at the wall as he fired a silent shot. Pouchy, Spectacles, and himself quickly hopped through. “Better be quick, y’all. Ain’t want that ‘Robot’ t’find us.” Pouchy turned to Frizz as Spectacles and Brad flew into the wall. “You gonna come in?” Frizz stared at Pouchy for a moment, shaking her head slowly. “Okay, well.. Have a safe trip back home! And, really.. Thanks for the food and everything! It really meant a lot!” Pouchy swiftly flew into the wall. Frizz looked down at the artificial grass for a moment as she heard their voices slowly fade out.
Brad looked at the others. “Well, guess we can finally get these dumb things off.” He scratched his fur, pulling off the robe as Pouchy and Spectacles did the same. “I.. Actually didn’t mind them too much! They were comfortable! Maybe a bit too much, haha..”
Frizz stared at the broken wall, a million thoughts swirling through her mind all at once. She began breathing heavily, quickly composing herself. “(What is this feeling..? Why is my heart pounding? Why am I breathing so fast?)” She looked back at the town as she swiftly flew into the gaping wall.
She stepped inside, a dingy dusty smell filling her senses, unlike anything she’d ever felt before. She began looking around, her eyes darting around faster with each passing second. Crates littered the messy ground. Some marked “Cake ingredients”. Some marked "Styrofoam Supplies (Incase of emergency)”. She stopped in front of one of the crates, running her wing on the foreign authentic wooden surface. “(What’s all this? Why is this all here? Shouldn’t it be back at the town? In the kitchen? Why is it hidden here? What is this smell? What is this feeling? What’s going on?)”
She looked upwards, noticing the styrofoam trees; just like the ones she had grown to love, all leaned against the wall in eerie fashion. The styrofoam was broken, showing the internal artificial nature of the decorations. “(They’re.. Here.. W-With everything else.. Why aren’t they in the town? Or in the fields with the flowers? How did they end up here? Comb.. He said everything was in the town, ain’t he? He said they need light t’grow, ain’t he? So why’s it all.. here..)” She paused, looking at the broken styrofoam flowers as realization began to dawn on her like a creeping snake.
She couldn’t hear Pouchy or the others anymore. All semblance of dialogue was drowned out, except for her racing thoughts. She looked around; each glimpse gave her a flash of a past life. Flowers, she remembered. She loved flowers. The vast gardens of the city. People often disagreed with others smelling flowers on their own property. They were angry. Anger, what a foreign emotion to her now. “(Who.. Am I..? Am I not supposed to be here?)” Her breathing got heavier as she started to laugh stressfully. “(No, no.. It ain’t true, it mustn’t be true.. Yes, yes it's a dream.. My mind is playin’ tricks on me.. I’m.. I’m makin’ it all up.. I’d never feel like this, no, no I couldn’t.. Everything is perfect for me, yes..)” She paused, more decorations filling her eyes within the dusty wooden parameters of the in between. Everything was here. The facts, the lies, all staring her directly in the face, begging her to realize; to wake up. She pinched herself with her wing sharply, expecting to wake up; to see the light of the moon once more. To be back in the house, sitting next to Pouchy, reading stories. But she didn’t. When her wings came off, everything was just as she had left it. Still staring.
She started laughing hysterically, her breathing getting faster. Her stomach in knots, she felt like she could throw up everything she’d ever eaten. “(It’s.. It’s not a dream.. This.. This is all real, isn’t it? It’s a lie.. I’ve been living in a lie..)” She continued. “(I-I.. I remember.. The flowers.. Yes, the flowers.. T-They were on gardens, weren’t they? Yes.. Yes they were.. And everybody, when I sniffed them..)” She paused for a moment, her heart rate quickening. “(They were.. ‘Mad’..)” She said the word strangely, an unknown concept. “(Why can’t I remember..? It’s.. it’s all a blur, ain’t it.. Who was I? What was my name? Where did I live?)”
She could barely think straight. The world began to spin rapidly around her as her heartbeat quickened to a degree she couldn’t even sense how fast it was beating. She felt not in control of her body. Tears began rapidly falling from her eyes. “(W-What’s that..?)” She looked at the tears with deafening confusion, losing her balance and falling onto the ground. She was dizzy. Oh, so terribly dizzy. Suddenly, she heard a concerned voice. “Frizz! Oh, oh gosh Frizz..! Are you okay??” Pouchy said. His voice was muffled. Through her quick breathing, she grabbed onto her chest tightly, the tears still pouring from her eyes uncontrollably. “G-Get away from me..” She said, the tone in which she spoke shocked even her.
Pouchy looked down at her. “Frizz, really.. You-” Frizz cut him off, her fur drenched with tears as she shouted. “I said GET AWAY!” She paused, looking at Pouchy with a rage filled expression, almost snapping back for a moment before shaking her head in denial. “You ain’t real either, are ya’? Just ano’er trick, just ano’er lie.. AIN’T YA?” She pointed at Pouchy with furrowed brows.
She sat on the ground, her heart still pounding. “The silence.. ‘Cause you know I’m right.. None o’this is real, ain’t it? All just some sick joke.. This whole time, I.. I’ve just been livin’ in some sick joke.. Just.. Just somebody else’s amusement.. Oh, but you ain’t laughin’.. You ain’t doin’ nothin’ at all, are ya’? ‘Cause there’s nothin’ behind that smile of yours. Nothin’ but lies.” Pouchy shook his head. “N-No, really.. I.. I’m real. You’re not going to doubt all that time we spent together, are you..? I can prove it to you..”
“I ain’t doubt any second of the time I spent trapped in this.. This.. PRISON. An’ look where it got me.. Haha.. It ain’t matter now, ain’t it? ‘Cause I know the truth now.. Your mind games ain’t workin’ anymore..” Pouchy shook his head once more. “Frizz! Listen to me. Really. I’m your friend. I’m real. You’re real. Just.. Calm down, okay..?”
“An’ why should I? I ain’t.. I ain’t never felt what I’m feelin’ right now.. It feels horrible, but.. It’s.. It’s new, it’s.. It’s wonderful..” Pouchy flew closer to her as she slowly began to calm down. “Well, you.. You shouldn’t breathe so much.. You’re going to pass out..” She paused, a bit confused by the statement.
“And what’s it to ya’? Who cares? If I pass out right now, then.. Then maybe that’ll mean somethin’. Maybe it’ll be somethin’ new. Somethin’ different.” Brad and Spectacles showed up behind Pouchy. Brad looked at Frizz sympathetically. “I can’t imagine what yer goin’ through right now. But lashin’ out ain’t helpin’. Pouchy wants t’help you. We all do. But we can’t when.. When you’re lashin’ out.”
She paused. “N-No you don’t.. You just want to drag me right back there.. You showed me this just to ruin the rest of my life, didn’t you? To show me I ain’t got nothin’ to live for, right? Just.. the same thing, day in and day out.. Nothin’ but happiness.. Nothin’ but makin’ cakes, makin’ fruits.. Friends that I thought I had..” Spectacles shook his head. “F-Frizz.. If we wanted to hurt you, well.. Don’t you t-think we’d have already done it? We.. W-We really don’t want to hurt you..”
She lowered her fists, nodding along slightly. Pouchy swiftly flew over to her, hugging her despite Brad and Spectacles’ shocked expressions. Frizz stood in place, completely shocked; the tears continued to stream uncontrollably from her eyes. “I know you’re going through a lot right now.. I.. I can only imagine what it feels like, what.. What you must feel like..” He paused. “But.. You know.. Just like it’s not good to be happy all the time.. That doesn’t mean that life stops whenever you feel something different. I.. I used to be like you, I’ll.. I’ll admit it. I smiled all the time. Constantly. No matter what. But my friends showed me that there’s more to life than just a singular emotion.”
“It’s okay to smile, it’s okay to laugh, it’s okay to cry.. That’s what makes you alive. That’s what makes you real. There’s.. Nothing wrong with feeling something different, and.. I can only imagine what it’s like to show emotion for the first time.. Haha.. I remember what it was like for me.. But you know, despite it all.. It never aids us to push people away.” Frizz continued to stand in place, her eyes widening. Her wings were shaking as she gradually reached up to wrap them around Pouchy. “This place might not be real, but.. You are. We are. And.. There’s more to your story than what you’re feeling right now. I.. Whenever I lost her, it.. It felt like I had nothing else. Like.. Like somebody had just.. Stomped my heart out like a broken puzzle. But, over time.. You learn how to move on. You learn how to grow. We’re more than just our emotions. You’re more than just somebody who was lied to. Emotions are temporary. But.. The kind of person you choose to be when confronted with them, well.. That’s permanent.”
Spectacles and Brad both stared at Pouchy with stunned expressions. Spectacles smiled at Pouchy. “(I-I.. I guess he really did listen, didn’t he..?)” They both turned to each other, sharing the same stunned yet amazed glance.
She fully wrapped her wings around Pouchy, tears streaming off of her face as she laughed slightly. “O-Oh, you ain’t know how long I’ve been waitin’ to hear that.. All this time, I.. I thought every time I was feelin’ somethin’ different.. It was bad. That I needed to change. H-Haha.. How could somebody fake say something so real?” She looked at Pouchy, pulling out of the hug as she dried her tears. “Y-You’re right.. I’m.. I’m not j-just what happened to me.. And, I.. I can become somebody new..”
Suddenly, from behind the four, a metallic clanking could be heard. It sounded like clanking. Pretty soon, a complacent voice spoke up. “Now wasn’t that a moving speech, Harold? My, my.. Somebody without their memories could NEVER speak like that..” The four turned around to see Comb-Bot, grinning wildly, sticking out through a wire within the wall, holding onto Harold with an unmatched grip. “Isn’t that right, HAROLD?!” He shook him around as he used his other hand to mock speak. “”Yes! Yes that’s right Comb-Bot! They were able to sneak out because I didn’t give them the serum! Because I’m obsessed with ‘morality’ and ‘ethics’!”
Brad lifted up an eyebrow, pulling out his revolver. “An’ who’re you?” Comb-Bot laughed manically. “Oh, who am I? I’m sure he’s told you all about me, hasn’t he? Oh, and little Frizz.. I’m certain you know who I am.. Oh, little Frizz.. You always did make excellent Honey. Sold thousands. Everybody loved it. It’s.. truly a shame that you’ve come to such a revelation. Heck, we could’ve been business partners like my buddy HAROLD here! You and me, Frizz. We could’ve had it all. We could’ve taken it all. Old Harold here is too busy with being a good person. But you, oh YOU.. I could’ve melded you into whatever I wanted you to be.. Oh, it’s just so simple.. They’re so easily impressionable without their memories. They listen to whatever the first thing they see says. Without doubt.”
Frizz arched an eyebrow. “YOU.. You did this.. Ain’t ya’?” Comb-Bot appeared next to her unexpectedly. “Why.. yes! Yes I did. I’ve done it all. I’ve always done it all. Harold here could’ve had all the power. His dreams could’ve come true as swiftly as he had them. But, oh.. I suppose some people are too ignorant--or too stupid--to take the power they should have. You know what they say, after all! Strong enough to have it all, too stupid to take i-” A bullet nearly slammed into his screen as he quickly grabbed it, crushing it to pieces with his metallic hands. “Oh, I’ve talked too much.. Haven’t I? What you want is action.. Yes, action..”
Frizz suddenly lunged at Comb-Bot, lifting up her fists and creating a weak fuzz ball that clouded up his screen. He, blinded, reached around aimlessly, smacking Frizz into the ground. Brad quickly flew over to her, grabbing hold of her wing. “We gotta beat this guy here and now. I ain’t havin’ him on our tail in the city. I ain’t know how, but.. We’ve gotta.” He swiftly took off, Pouchy and Spectacles following suit behind him.
They swiftly slid behind a corner, covering their mouths to silence their breathing. “Oh, where are you..? Why, we’ve just met face to face.. Don’t you know we’re supposed to make small talk?” They heard the slithering of wires behind them. Brad swiftly reached onto his revolver. “Hey. Frizz. If there’s one thing me ‘n my friends’ve learned.. It’s that teamwork is the best strategy. Try usin’ one’a those little.. Fuzz thingies and I’ll use my-” Brad swiftly dodged a jab from the purple serum as it punctured through the wooden scaffolding of the inner walls, dripping purple liquid.
Frizz nodded, lifting up her wings as she managed to summon three fuzz bombs towards Comb-Bot who was approaching rapidly. “HAHAH- UGH- What EVEN-” He said as Brad quickly launched a bullet into his screen, sending him backwards slightly. Comb-Bot went into the walls, dashing out at Brad and punching him into the wall. “Oh, you’re a little trickster, ain’t ya’? EAT THIS, BRAT!” He swiftly launched the needle at Brad. Spectacles quickly reached for the pencil, creating a wall in front of Brad as it shattered upon impact.
Brad brushed the ink particles off of his fur, firing a shot at Harold as it threw him into the wall. He dropped Harold, looking back at him. “Oh, who cares? I HAVE BIGGER FISH TO FRY! Enjoy your sleep, Harold! Not like there’ll be much left after..” He charged after the group as Harold stumbled to his feet, picking up the nearly shattered needle that Comb-Bot had left behind. “(..He.. He should have injected me, right..? Did he? Yes, he did.. Then why can I still remember?)” Harold muttered to himself.
Harold stuck his hands into the frames of the wall. Brad sighed to himself, hearing Comb-Bot cackling very distantly. “Think we lost h-” Suddenly multiple hands crashed out of the wall, punching Brad unexpectedly. Spectacles slid over to him, gripping the pencil and swiping around himself as he blocked a few impacts from the multiple hands. Frizz slid over, lifting up her wings as she blasted back the hands. However, by this time, Harold approached the three. Brad quickly through himself up, grabbing one of the hands with his fists and using all of his strength to dent the metal. The star on his chest pulsed flames as he did so. Comb-Bot laughed bitterly. “UGH!- You entitled BRAT!-” He lunged at Brad as Brad swiftly slid out of the way, firing a bullet at the incoming hands and knocking them back.
As soon as Comb dusted himself off, Frizz launched a flurry of Fuzz Bombs at him. “Oh, not this time..” He whispered complacently, grabbing the bombs midair and launching them at Frizz. Brad swiftly threw himself into the air, firing a bullet which went through all of them consecutively. He lunged at Comb-Bot, smacking him with a large punch that nearly shattered his glass. Comb lifted up his hands, managing to pick up Brad as he held him in place with all of his hands combined. Brad attempted to break out of Comb’s grip, his eyes flashing sparks. “I must say.. You are REALLY testing my patience.. I suppose it’s to be expected, after all. I see all that training is coming to light?”
Frizz went for an impact but was swiftly struck down by a fist before the hand resumed its position on Brad. Pouchy flew onto Comb-Bots hands as he readied the needle, sticking his tongue out in a rude gesture. “HAHA! And what do YOU have?!” Poucy grinned as Spectacles lifted up the pencil, charging it up as Pouchy continued to pester Comb. “This!” Suddenly, Comb’s hands, just as Brad was about to be injected, were slammed into by a large ink hammer, sending the both of them spiraling backwards through the wall. Comb tore himself out of the wall, styrofoam grass covering his face and tinting it slightly green, his screen flashing various errors. He smacked himself in the head repeatedly as the errors seemed to shut off. “Oh that DOES IT. I wasn’t BUILT for this, y-y-you know!”
He punched Brad through the wall, launching another hand at him. Brad swiftly caught himself as he flew backwards, reaching onto his revolver and launching a bullet at the hand. He swiftly lunged forward, grabbing hold of the hand with intent grip as he slammed it into another incoming. Brad grabbed hold of another hand as Comb yanked it back, using it to catch up with him. Comb-Bot swiftly slid into the wall, emerging from behind Brad and grabbing him by the scruff of his neck as he threw him down. Comb-Bot looked down at Brad with an exasperated expression, his machinery whirring as though he was breathing heavily. “Y-Y-Y-You’ll be better off just staying here.. Oh, good luck trying to get into the outside.. That wall is made from six inch steel. You didn’t really think I’d let you get away that easy, did you?” Brad coughed to himself. “(Well, guess I was right ‘bout not just goin’ outside from the get go.)”
Frizz caught up to the two, launching Fuzz Bombs. Comb glanced up at them slightly, instantly crushing them with his dozens of hands, turning his gaze back to Brad. Spectacles flew over, launching a couple walls at Comb. He swiftly spun his hands around through them, shattering them to pieces. He reached onto Spectacles with one of his hands, suddenly wrapping the others around Brad. Brad winced under the intense pressure. He through a jab of the serum at Brad as it was swiftly blocked by a wall from Spectacles. He threw another; it was reflected by a Fuzz Bomb. Brad managed to regain his grip, his eyes pulsing with teal sparks. “As exhausted’s I am.. As confused’s I am.. There’s this feeling I just can’t escape. Y’know, we’ve gotten past Bandits before. Canniballistic ants. An’ my friends.. They’ve even gotten past myself. And if you think that we’re just gonna cower down and let ya’ keep lettin’ these Bees live in a world of denial? Then.. well.. ya’ ain’t met the Star Trio.” Brad used all of his strength as he forced the hands off of him, lunging at Comb immediately. He grabbed onto the top of his screen as he began punching him repeatedly, travelling through the walls and eventually slamming him into the ground of the Sphere.
Comb-Bot tore himself out of the ground as Brad swiftly punched right through it, grabbing hold of the hand and smacking it into Comb. Comb launched another holding the serum, attempting to stab Brad. He swiftly spun around, launching a bullet as he shattered the serum, turning back to Comb and dodging the incoming hands as he threw him across the field of fake flowers, punching him repeatedly. His eyes were pulsing; not just with sparks, but with pure fury. Comb slammed into the ground as he attempted to hold Brad in place. Brad swiftly tore the hand open, ripping it in half as he fired another uppercut at Comb-Bot. Brad breathed heavily, holding his chest. His vision was getting ever so slightly hazy, but he didn’t care. Comb-Bot cackled, his voice glitching. “Y-Y-You’re overexerting yourself, Bee..” Brad pounced onto Comb, punching him repeatedly; each hit sending him further into the artificial dirt. Brad’s vision was clouded, but he could tell he was winning. With one final impact, he flew into the air; the glimmer of rising sunlight emanating from the strobe light illuminating his teal fur as he crashed into the ground.
Brad threw himself out of the crater, holding his chest tightly as Spectacles, Pouchy, and Frizz soon rushed towards him. “Gosh, Brad.. Are you okay?” Brad nodded. “D-Don’t.. Worry ‘bout me.. I’m fine. Just.. happens when I push myself too hard.”
Everybody stared at the crater. A loud cackling began emanating from it as a hand through itself out, grabbing onto the dirt as its fingers tore against the fake grass. “H-HAHA..! WHAT A BOLD ATTEMPT.. BUT ALAS.. IT WAS FUTILE. AND SO YOURS ARE AS WELL. GO ON. LOOK AT HIM. LOOK AT HIS BREATHING. HE’S DONE FIGHTING. AND YOU THREE..? YOU’RE ALL ALONE. SO HOPELESS AND ALONE.” Spectacles furrowed an eyebrow, sweat beading down his face as he held up the pencil. “IF YOU THREE FIGHT ME.. YOU’LL HAVE TO LEAVE HIS SIDE. AND WHEN YOU DO.. I’LL INJECT HIM. SEE? I WIN. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TRY TO DEFY FATE.” Comb pulled himself up weakly, his twisted grin stretching across cracked glass as he spoke, his tone eerily life-like.
“SO PLEASE. STOP FIGHTING. FRIZZ. YOU ESPECIALLY. JUST GO BACK TO BEING HAPPY. THESE.. NEW EMOTIONS AREN’T A GOOD LOOK ON YOU.” Everybody lifted up their fists and got into a fighting stance. Pouchy looked at Spectacles. Error screens repeatedly went off on Comb’s screen. He hit himself weakly, trying to turn them off. “(You don’t think I could put him in the Pouch?)” Spectacles shook his head. “(I t-think it’s too risky.. He might get him midair..)” Comb heard the whispering, his grin stretching wider. “NO SOLUTIONS NOW. NOBODY TO HELP YOU NOW. YOU’RE ALL-”
Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded. “They’re not done. They have me. And it’s about time.. That your control over me.. And everybody else.. ENDS!” Harold said as he swiftly jumped onto Comb-Bot, holding the remaining serum in his hand as he was in the air. Everything seemed to slow down.
“(Am I wrong for doing this? Yes, yes you are.. You freak. You have to continue his business. You’re NOTHING without his legacy. You’re NOTHING if you don't follow his plans! Once he’s gone, you won’t have anythi-)” A voice spoke. “(Maybe my dad wasn’t the best person. Maybe I’m not defined by his legacy. Maybe I’m not him. Maybe they’ll all be okay in the end. Maybe.. The key all along.. Was to choose my own path.)”
As Comb spun around, his metallic screen was swiftly impaled by the serum. The purple liquid swiftly ran through the cracks of his screen. He weakly lifted up his hand, picking up Harold and throwing him onto the ground. He weakly lifted up all of his hands, all torn and battered, others cracked and shattered. “Y-Y-YOU.. YOU DID THIS.. I INJECTED YOU.. Y-YOU.. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE..?!” Harold stood up, clearing his suit. “I.. I don’t know how, but.. I know why.”
Comb cackled, pointing his hands at Harold. “HAHA! OH THAT’S JUST RICH, HAROLD.. YOU KNOW YOU’RE NOTHING WITHOUT ME. WITHOUT HIM. OH, I’VE ALWAYS KNOWN IT. YOU WERE BUT A WORTHLESS SPECK TO ME. A SHALLOW IMITATION OF YOUR PREDECESSOR. YOU THINK THEY’LL UNDERSTAND? YOU THINK THIS STOPS ANYTHING? YOU CAN TRY TO MOVE ON..” HIs voice crackled immensely. “BUT DEEP DOWN.. YOU’LL ALWAYS KNOW YOUR TRUE DESTIN-” Frizz lunged onto Comb-Bot, punching him into the ground one final time as both electricity and fuzz bomb particles flared.
Harold stared at Comb-Bot’s metallic corpse, electricity buzzing off of it repeatedly. His paws shook gravely. He spoke, still staring at Comb as his voice ever so slightly wavered. “Y-You four.. I’ll let you out of here. I’ll give you some coins. Please. Leave here as soon as possible. One can only hope that your lives will be better than.. Those before you.” Frizz shook her head. “Harold, was it? I dunno ‘bout them, but.. I’ll stay. The others.. I don’t wish for them t’wanna leave the same.. Way I found out. I’ll help ya’ out..”
Harold continued staring at Comb. “Y-You don’t have to.” She spoke, smiling lightly. “I want to. You’ve.. Been through a lot. I.. ain’t know the specifics, but.. We both ain’t int’best o’shape. So yes. I’ll stay.” Harold clenched his paws, feeling his legs grow weaker from sadness. “..Thank you.”
He turned towards Pouchy and the group, his movements rigid and stiff. He dug around in his pockets for a moment, sweating nervously. He gestured towards Pouchy’s Pouch. “That thing isn’t too full now, is it?” Pouchy shook his head, grinning. “Noperoo! Got infinite space!” Brad chuckled weakly.
Harold laughed, though in a more confused manner than genuine merriment. “Haha.. Well, take these.. I don’t know.. How you three ended up in the City, but.. These’ll surely help you. I’ve got more than enough to go around. Besides, it.. It’s the least I can do to apologize for everything. I.. I’m so terribly sorry that you three were roped into this mess..” Pouchy looked at the large sum of coins in his hands. “Yes, I know. But they are worth far more than your average cent. Easier to keep track of coins, for me at least.” Pouchy grinned. “No, it’s fine! They just.. Look super cool!”
Harold rubbed the side of his fur. “Oh, well thanks.. That Bee on there, well.. He’s actually our Mayor. Mayor Hive, is his name.. I think.. Perhaps you’ll meet him someday. I know I never have. MaybeI will, too. Well, anyway. I’m going to lead these three out. Frizz. Go.. try and alert the other residents of your town. No pressure, of course. I.. I can only imagine.. What a revelation it was for you.” Frizz nodded. “I will, Harold. Y’all guys take care! ‘Specially the cowboy. That was.. Really quite impressive.. I’ll admit, I’ve never seen somebody.. What’s the word?” Harold whispered to her. “‘Fight’.. Like that..”
Brad took off his hat in a gentlemanly manner, speaking weakly as he held onto his chest. “Well, now ya’ have, miss. Y’all guys take care too.” Pouchy grinned as they began following Harold to the elevator hidden in the wall, and eventually reached it, stepping inside. The jingling ran through the elevator, filling the group's ears with comforting music, and a sense of finality. Harold spoke up above the silence. Pouchy was smiling, bouncing around the elevator joyously. “I’m so terribly sorry for him. For what he did to you, I mean. And everybody else. I.. I should’ve done that sooner, I just..”
Brad put a wing on his side. Harold looked down. “Don’t sweat it. I understand how scared ya’ were. Heck, my heart’s still beatin’ like crazy.. Though, that’s prolly a combination’a things. But really. None’a this is your fault.” Pouchy nodded. “Yeah! You’re the reason we were even able to get out of here in the first place!”
“..I sure hope so.” Harold spoke quietly to himself as the elevator suddenly stopped. “It’s not too much farther after this. We have some stairs to go over, but.. I’m certain it won’t be a problem for you three.” He paused. “Actually, you.. You three just go on up those stairs. You’ll be in the Manor. From there, you’ll be able to see the big door. That’ll take ya’ out of here. Out of this mess. I.. I’m so sorry once again..”
All three Bees flew over to him, wrapping their wings around him. Harold stood in place for a second, shocked by the gesture. His paws shook, his ears twitched. He hadn’t felt this before. “I..” Pouchy spoke. “Thanks for everything, Mr. Harold! We really mean it!” Harold hugged them back awkwardly, smiling lightly. “You’re..” He paused, the words unfamiliar. “You’re welcome..” He then adjusted his suit, turning his head towards them. “Be careful out there, will you? There’s a lot of Comb-Bots out there. Be a Frizz.” He then walked away, the footsteps of his boots fading out through the basement.
The group quickly made their way out of the Manor, talking along the way as the Map pointed the way back to the city. “Man, today was a lot, wasn’t it?” Spectacles nodded. “Y-Yes.. Yes it was.. H-Haha..” Soon enough, they reached the city again.
“Man, I’m tired.. How about we find somewhere to eat? And maybe stay?” Brad was now residing within Pouchy’s Pouch. He poked his head out weakly, gesturing over to a building that had a large spinning orange cat atop its roof. “OOOOH! Yeah, there!”
Meanwhile, as the sun was rising, Frizz sat next to Harold on the fake grass. They both stared up at the fake ceiling; the styrofoam clouds hanging just the same as they always had. Yet, there was a tinge in something new in the monotonous air. Something beautiful. “Listen, I.. I just want to apologize. For everything. For not stopping him sooner. For not helping you earlier. For not telling you. He.. He threatened me everyday. I was so scared.” Frizz looked at him. “We’ve all acted on emotions, ain’t we?”
“Yes, but.. I.. I allowed this to go on for so long.. I could have stopped him..” Frizz looked at him, seriously looked at him. “I want ya’t think back to that Robot. And then I want ya’ t’think back to yourself. You know, those Bees back there.. They taught me somethin’. We can’t push people away when we’re scared, or frightened.. ‘Cause often.. Those’re the times when we need ‘em the most. And you’re no different. By ourselves, we.. We can do a lot, but.. When we’re with others.. We can do so much more.”
“As.. As monotonous as my life’s been.. The one thing that it’s taught me. We need friends. And friends need us.” Harold looked down, his shoulders slumping. “I’ve just felt.. I’ve felt trapped for so long.. I’ve felt like I’ve had to be my father and all of his terrible actions, and.. And accept them. Or, I.. I’ve felt like I’m disappointing him. Not living up to my potential. Not living up to who he wanted me to be. I feel like I’m drowning in a sea of my mistakes, and-”
Frizz grabbed Harold’s paw as he began breathing heavily. “And it’s alright. I.. I can tell that you really do care. Which’s more than could be said for that fake robot. Harold.. You’re not like him. Otherwise you’da never helped us. That’s how I knew.” Harold slumped to the ground, tears beginning to fall from his eyes. “Oh, oh Frizz.. I’ve been so terrified of it for so long.. I couldn’t handle the thought of hurting people.. And Comb-Bot, he.. He was there from when I was little. We used to play catch when he wasn’t working on things. If you’d of told me.. If you’d of told me back then what would be happening now, I.. I would’ve laughed in your face.. Oh, I’m not supposed to lose my composure like this..”
She smiled sympathetically. “You know, a friend once told me.. It’s okay to smile, it’s okay to laugh, it’s okay to cry. And you ain’t doin’ nothin’ wrong by cryin’ right now. I’m sure you’ve made your share of mistakes, but.. Who hasn’t? You did it. You got over your fear, ‘nd.. Well, the rest is history, ain’t it?” Harold coughed slightly, his nose running.
“So whatever you do.. Whatever you think.. Whatever happens.. Don’t ever think that you’re alone. We’re always here’t help ya’. No matter what. And that’s not based on how much you seem like your Dad. Or whether you think you’re a failure or not. Or from how many coins you have. No matter what.. You’re never alone.” Harold laughed, wrapping his arms around her. “You’re a great friend, Frizz.”
“‘Nd you’re a great Bear, Harold. Don’t let some stupid destiny tell ya’ otherwise. Sure, we’ve all got our paths set out for us. But just because of that.. It doesn’t mean we’re defined by them. We can become different. We can become better. We can become ourselves. ‘Nd don’t let anyone tell ya’ otherwise.”
She looked down at the artificial grass, smiling despite the uneasy feelings it gave her. “Y’know, as confusing as this whole thing is for both of us.. I just can’t help but think.. That as long as we stick together, still smilin’, still laughin’.. That everything’ll end up all right.”
