PARASITIC (Among Us)

Twelve: Cons of Teams More than Ten, so Find Us in Morbidly Mint Condition

        I grunt and push up on the vent, seeing Mundy peer her head over. "Hey, Mundy, baby. Can you open this?" She and Scout grunt and fall to the floor when they pop the vent open. Ten gives me a shove, and I claw my way out of the vent. I look down and pivot my hips. "Okay, now I know what Cole goes through when she tries to pull herself out."

"There you are!" Con whispers as he extends his arms. I grab onto him and grunt as he pulls me out, then helping Ten when I grab her bloodied hedge clippers. I help Triple-A out and hold him in my arms, getting some blood on my suit. "What did you guys see?"

"Old friends," I huff. "We've gotta get out of here."

"Everything's pretty much set up. We just need to lure Cole into the Cafeteria."

"I can do that," Ten volunteers.

"Ten, no, let me do it," I try to argue with her, but she interrupts me.

"Morbid, go get your oxygen tank," she sighs. "I know it won't do us any good, but go get it." She furrows her brows and walks over to the bed where Jimothy sits and sits next to him, bringing him into a tight hug. Con takes Scout and hugs him, too, giving him a kiss on the forehead. I hug Triple-A closer to me and beckon Mundy as she hugs my leg. Ten presses her lips and eyelids shut, burying her blood-speckled face into the crook of Jimothy's shoulder. Con takes off his hat and puts it on Scout's head, not saying much but letting Scout knows that he loves him. Ten sets Jimothy down on his feet. "Go, Morbid."

I hold Mundy's hand as I still have Triple-A on my hip, Scout and Jimothy following after me. I stand on the lift and wait for the purple and blue kids to get on with me before going down. The shaft feels cold and desolate. This'll be my last time going down, I know it for sure. Once we're at the bottom, I take the four of them to one of the pods and set Triple-A down as I grab undergarments from Battery's locker and find a new suit for him. After I shove him into the bathroom, I lift the three of them up to Crow's bed. Mundy frowns as she looks at me. "Mama, what's going on?"

"Ah, well," I shrug as I look up at her. "I'm not too sure myself."

"Why was Mommy sad?" Jimothy asks.

"She just loves you a lot, Jimothy. Like how your papa loves you, Scout, and how I love you so much, Mundy," I chime in as joyous of a tone I can muster.

"What are we doing down here? It's not bedtime, Ms. Morbid," Scout runs his hands down his cheeks. "It's boring down here, I don't like it."

"I know, Scout. We just need you guys to wait here while we go and take care of some things. I'll be back soon to come get you," I lie, knowing that this is the last time I'll see Mundy. I bend my hands to motion for Mundy to lean over to me, and I kiss her on the cheek as she gives me a kiss on the forehead before I hug her. Triple-A comes out of the bathroom, and I pull him aside to talk in private in a whisper. "Triple-A, you know what's going to happen to you, right?"

He nods. "I'll be okay."

I take a deep breath and hug him, and he hugs me back. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Can you protect your friends if Cole or It comes?"

"Yeah," he agrees. "I can do that."

"Okay, thank you, Triple-A," I smile at him as I pat his shoulders. "Just know that your mama loved you lots."

"I know," he says. "Mommy said it all the time, so I know."