apathetic [wec]

[7 - it's the final countdown *synthesizer noises*]

"You're not fast enough to catch me!" Aniki yelled out from the middle of the staircase, gaining [Name]'s attention and distracting them from the previous events. They clicked their tongue, watching him head up the stairs. Turning back, they looked at Reycho, who finally caught up to them.

"What took you so long...?" He merely responded by averting his gaze, choosing not to answer.

[Name] blankly stared at him. "...Fine, let's just go. We don't have much time left, so—"

"Okay, I'm taking bets! Who's gonna win? Will it be Aniki, or Reycho and [Name]?" Pielope interrupted, the announcement echoing across the theme park. "Reycho will win if he catches Aniki and hugs him with at least 10 minutes left! But if Aniki can keep his distance, then he wins! Or will [Name] end up switching sides and outsmart the both of them?!"

The robot's words suddenly gave [Name] an idea, as if a lightbulb switched on in their brain.

"The winner is going to get the Magic Key! A mysterious key that can open anything with a keyhole! That means you can open the exit from this theme park! So, who will be victorious and get back to the surface?!"

The microphone clicked off, signaling the start of the race against time. The two continued to chase after Aniki, until they reached the dolphin bicycles. [Name] suddenly stopped in their tracks, making Reycho glance back at them in confusion.

"You go on ahead," They spoke, staring at him with a determined look in their eyes.

The rare moment of clear-cut emotion they showed made the boy take their words seriously, giving them a thumbs-up before running off once more.

[Name] took in a deep breath, then exhaled, clearing their mind.

"Phew...okay. Now..." They turned to face the blue button, glowing brightly, signaling that it was powered on. "...This is what I'm supposed to do, then. Once the two of them circle around the theme park..."

[Name] glanced at the timer, showing 15 minutes left on the clock.

"That much time has passed already...? Hopefully they'll get here in time."

"Do I really want to do this?" They mumbled, still staring at the button. Its glow was almost enticing, drawing them in. "They don't know my Task. I could just wait until time runs out...then they would both be disqualified."

"But...I don't want to be the one that wins, either."

"Geez, not how I wanted to go out, but well..." They let out a heavy sigh, scratching the back of their head. "...sucks that I have to be eliminated to do it."

~~~~~

With about 11 minutes left on the clock, [Name] waited in the middle of the pathway until they heard the echoing of footsteps from where they previously were. Aniki was still far ahead of Reycho, being the first to get to the bottom of the staircase. They met eye contact once he came closer, nearing the Ferris wheel.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

"[Name]..." His lips curled up into a snarl, revealing his canines. "So, you think you can stop me?"

The clock continued to count down.

"Nope," They boredly responded, lifting their arms in surrender. "You can go right past me. I'll try my best to stop Reycho for you, but don't expect too much of me."

Aniki's eyebrows furrowed, still unmoving from his spot. "Why?"

Tick. Tock.

[Name] took a moment to yawn, before shrugging nonchalantly.

"You would just stay far ahead of us if we both bothered to chase you. Time would run out. So, I gave up."

Tick. Tock.

"Giving up, huh?" Aniki's eyes narrowed, taking a step forward. "You'd betray Reycho, just like that?"

Tick.

"Yeah." They agreed, moving to the side as if to let him pass. "Besides, it's not like I, of all people, can stop you."

Tock.

"...Psyche." [Name] uttered, before slamming a hand down on the button. Amusement danced in their eyes as they watched Aniki's expression shift to realization, watching the drawbridge lift up.

"Serves you right, you jerk."

"Ohoho~ what's this?!" Pielope announced once more, her laugh echoing through the theme park. "What a turn of events! Poor, poor Aniki was thoroughly deceived by [Name]'s false claim of betrayal! Well, unlucky them, since they doomed themselves! Ooh, so close!"

Resigning themselves to their fate, [Name] silently stood in place, waiting to hear the familiar whirring sound. Taking a step backwards, they looked upwards, spotting the robotic hand hovering above them.

It grabbed them off the ground just as abruptly as the rest of the group, causing them to inhale sharply as it clasped around their body.

"Hrrk—!"

[Name] did their best to hold in the yell of pain that would have erupted from their throat, unlike most of the others. They flew through the air, being taken away in a blur as colors started to flash by. Their wristband unlocked as well, falling on the ground as they were whisked away. If they focused, they would've seen Reycho advancing slowly towards Aniki, his back against the drawbridge they lifted.

Soon enough, they came into view of the dreaded Sludgebot.

Eyes started to droop as the top opened slowly, puffs of green clouds emerging from the entryway of it. All they could hear was the mess of bubbling from the stomach area, and the mechanical clacking of the contraption.

"This is what everyone else saw...?" They muttered, coughing at the smoke. "I...didn't even get to apologize..."

A faint exhale of laughter sounded from their throat, feeling their body become weightless.

"This seems to be the end of the line for me, so..."

They closed their eyes, letting their limbs fall freely.

"...Please...don't let my sacrifice be in vain, Reycho."

And with that last thought, [Name] fell into the machine.