Fault Line (Joe Tazuna x GN!Reader)

Nao

“Here’s how our exploration has gone so far,” Joe said. “We went upstairs, we did a couple of puzzles, Gin got a bit stuck but that’s okay because we got him out, huh? Yeah. One of the puzzles opened a new area, but we decided to check on you and Gonbee first.”

You nodded your head. Joe and Sara led you and Gin up to the second floor of the building, which you had yet to explore at all.

Once you reached the top of the stairs, Sara explained each room. “There are two spa rooms, which are labeled ‘Sp,’ then the ‘Ro’ room is where Gin got stuck, and the ‘Mir’ room is where the puzzle was. Joe had to mirror everything perfectly.”

“Yep, and I did it all by myself. Because I’m good at puzzles.”

“You’ve always been such a terrible liar.” Sara said.

Joe gasped, turned around to face the group, then turned back to lead the three of you through the dark hallway they’d opened up. “I am not a liar.” He pouted.

“You are, meow.” Gin said. “Big sis Sara had to help with most of the puzzles. Woof, she even had to carry the doll of you upstairs.”

Joe made a shushing noise. “No. No she didn’t.”

“You’re weak, Joe.” Sara said. “It’s okay. You don’t have to show off to Y/N. Honesty is the best policy. You won’t make any friends being a deceptive little…” Sara paused, “…Guy.”

You chuckled. You could tell from the pause that she wanted to curse, but couldn’t in the presence of a child.

Joe stopped. You were walking in a single file line, and his halt was abrupt, so Sara ran into him, causing you to run into her. Gin was completely fine, though.

“Joe, what are you doing? Why did you stop like that? This is supposed to be a conga line…”

Joe crouched down and picked something up. “A key.” He said. A tag dangled from the top of the key. “It’s for the kitchen.” He said, reading the tag. He turned to face the group. “That’s the only room down stairs we didn’t get to search.”

“What are the chances Nao will be in there though?” Sara asked.

You nodded your head, “I agree. If the key was up here, and was closed off like you implied earlier, then how would she have gotten in there?”

“Well, I guess he’s actually got us there,” Sara said. “It wasn’t necessarily blocked off. There were just metal bars, like how it was for the blue room during Russian Roulette. Someone could’ve thrown the key between the bars.”

“Wait, woof.” Gin said, “That would have to mean that someone helped her then, right, meow?”

You raised your hands in defense. “I don’t know all of the details, I’m afraid, so I don’t know if any of that can be confirmed or denied.”

Joe threw the key in the air and caught it, “There’s only one way to find out.” Joe began leading the way back downstairs.

“He’s trying so hard.” Sara whispered to you. “I wonder why.”

You paused. “I bet I would wonder the same if I were you.”

~ * ~

Joe unlocked the door to the kitchen and pushed it open. The room was pitch black. Sara and Gin slowly followed Joe into the room, and you trailed in the back. When you entered the room, your hand moved against the wall until it hit a switch. You pressed the switch, and the room was filled with a warm yellow light. Nao was standing against a wall with the box Q-Taro had originally introduced to you all, which you’d been told held Mishima’s head.