The Black Infectious Thingy | Inanimate Insanity AU |

(CH.58) Sneaking Out, Attempt 1

\\\CW: SWEARING, ARGUING\\\
///BALLOON POV///
I was almost done with packing our bags, for the past hours we had been planning on an escape and we were finally ready to act..
Test Tube taught me several different ways to work around machines in this past week, and gave me plenty of books to read, so Nickel's plan is for me to go check the machine out and then try to figure it out. If I'm successful we'll leave tonight, otherwise we uh. We'll figure smth else out-
As I finished packing our bags with food and other resources I looked over to Nickel.
"Are we... Are we really doing this?" I said, letting my bag down onto the bed.
"...You're kidding, right? We've spent hours discussing this. Yes, yes we are."
"What if we get caught..?"
"Dude it's too late, nobody's awake right now."
"OJ was..."
"Eh but OJ's an idiot, plus that was hours ago now! Stop overthinking about it, it's for the best that at least we try. Or would you rather stay here? Surrounded by traitors."
"...true." I said and sighed as I took a quick glance into our bags.
"Will this be enough resources?" I said as I looked right back at Nickel.
"It better be, I've got nothing else in my mini-fridge."
"Uh, remind me why you have that again?"
"I already said, people look at me angrily when I walk by, just thought it would be for the best if I had a mini fridge for my stuff so they'd stop being such freaks around me when I went into the kitchen. Plus, hey, it's way better for our current situation."
"I suppose so...."
I closed the bags and put mine on.
"Okay. We're ready." I said as I held up his bag and handed it to him.
"Great." He said as he grabbed the bag, and with the help of his foot wrapped it around himself.
"Let's get going then, we've got no time to waste." He said as he headed towards the door.
"Nickel wait-"
"Ugh. What now?"
"Umh... thank you for trusting me."
"Huh? Where'd this come from?"
"Nothing, nothing... I'm just grateful for it."
"Alright?"
He tried leaving the room and I continued talking.
"I don't know how to express the gratitude I feel for how quickly you forgave me... I-"
"Hey hey, nobody's forgiven. Just- we gotta stick together in this, no friends, no nothing. We're just working together, 'Kay?"
"Oh. Okay."
Silence. Awkward one too. But broken thanks to Nickel.
"Um.. you were worried about the food, right?"
I nodded my head.
"Well, it's late so we can probably sneak in and get some more stuff. I don't have hands so you can help by doing that."
"Oh! Sure can do!"
He awkwardly smiled at me, I can tell he still dislikes me, maybe even hates me?
But I'm glad he's trying to set our differences aside for this, even if it's for his own benefit.
He walked towards the door and silently pushed it open, I followed him from behind.
We walked past the corridor, careful not to make noise, through the many different rooms.
We reached the kitchen and I gently closed the door from the inside.
"Golly.. Well, this is stressful." I said, as I leaned onto the fridge and took a few breaths.
"Shhh- yeah. No shit." He said, as he sat down on a chair and stared at me.
I stared at him back, and we made eye contact.
Gee, I wished he would forgive me, but I get why he refuses to do so.
Looking at him... getting reminded of how we could've become friends if only I hadn't been such a jerk in season one.
I feel so bad about my past, but I proved myself! didn't I?
Just uh, ugh, I wished he would've seen that and not been blinded by the prejudices he has in regards to me.
"Hey." He said, snapping me back into reality.
"Huh?"
"Are you... Gonna get the stuff, or continue blankly staring at me?" He said, as he frowned.
"Ah! True!" I quickly stood up straight and opened the fridge, carefully inspecting the stuff inside.
"Take stuff that will last us for a while, preferably also water."
I stared at the fridge, half empty by now, oh gosh... the fresh food is already running out.
I took four water bottles and a container with fresh pasta out and closed the fridge again.
Everything inside the fridge will get spoiled quickly, better get the stuff in the cabinets.
I put everything in my backpack and moved to the side as it took a small bench from under the table and placed it to get up to reach the cabinets.
I shuffled through the packages, stared at them all. All we have right now are some chips and instant food, we'll need something else-
I grabbed some energy bars that used to belong to Trophy and some dehydrated fruits that Test Tube had made a while back.
This should do it, at least for a while- at least until we figure out where to go that is far from this hellish game.
I put these other things into Nickel's backpack.
"Okay, I think that should do it?"
"Yeah, they must have more stuff back at the contestant grounds."
"Yyeah... umh, are we sure this'll work out? What if Suitcase doesn't wanna..."
"Balloon, again with this?"
"Sorry! It's just- I'm worried that the plan won't work out is all. What will we do then? Leave them there to die?"
"Okay, chill. First of all, if they refuse to come with us we will just go by ourselves. Second of all, I seriously doubt that'll happen. Do I have to remind you what our plan is again? Because you don't seem to realize how it's genuinely just- so fool proof! We escape the hotel, find Baseball and Suitcase and-"
But as he was talking he suddenly stopped, eyes wide open.
"Why did y-"
"Shhh..."
He said as he quickly stood up and walked towards the kitchen door, leaning onto it.
I approached him and did the same.
"Listen..." He said, whispering.
I gulped, what does he mean?
I tried talking but before any sound could escape my mouth Nickel shushed me with his paw.
And then... I finally noticed. Footsteps.
The footsteps of not one but two people were heard, passing right by us.
Nickel and I were both perfectly still, I could feel myself sweat.
But soon they began walking away.
We looked at one another and when we were certain that they were gone, Nickel took his paw away from my mouth.
"Okay.. Slight problem. People are awake right now." He said as he stood up.
"Y-Yeah! no shit!" I said, as I freaked out.
"SHHH! Fuck Balloon, be quiet for once." He said and began opening the door.
"Let's leave already, pretty sure they went the other way, we better do this already."
"P-Pretty sure...?????? Nuh-uh! Nickel, reality check, horrible idea!"
"Shhh! Ugh, door's open. silence now."
I grumbled under my breath.
"Look, don't come if you don't want to. But I'm going to try and leave now. Come if you want. But don't go around claiming that you truly deserve forgiveness when the second some inconvenience arises you are no longer beside me. Because that is exactly the opposite of how to make someone trust you. Especially after hurting them." He said, and began walking away.
I groaned as I closed my eyes.
I cant beñieve he out of all people is lecturing me about trust and forgiveness, him!
W-Well he hurt me too!
By the time I opened my eyes again, he was already considerably far away.
Grrr, no! I want his forgiveness, but risk my life and the trust of others?
How is that fair!
Ughhhh but he set our differences aside for me, for this once he actually tried-
Damnit Nickel, why did it have to be now that you give me a chance.
Why this situation?
I looked down at the floor.
Ugggghhhhh okay i'll go help him and decide when the time comes.
I ran behind Nickel, and rushed to try and catch up to him.
I got to the FFF recording studio and entered past the tape to find him inside.
"Nickel!" I said, almost out of breath as I rushed to stand in front of him.
"Huh? Oh, you choose the right path. Good."
"Nno... Not yet- But I did uh assume you'd at least need my help to get out of here."
"Whatever." He said and looked around the empty room.
He seemed... lost.
"Nickel.. Do you need me to tell you where the entrance is?"
"Fine." He said, as he stepped aside and let me walk in front of him towards the door off to the side of the room.
He followed me there and I opened the door for us to find the machine.
I held the door open for Nickel to pass and he looked at the machine in awe.
"Fuck, that is big." He said, as he looked back at me.
"Okay, it's your turn now."
"Right, right-" I said as I rushed to the machine.
I looked at the control pad, it seemed complex to manage.
Gee Test Tube, were all of these buttons even necessary?
I clicked a few buttons, but they were unresponsive.
"Maybe it's not plugged in?" Nickel said, as he looked at me.
"Uhhh..." I looked around and spotted a huge cable, not plugged into the current.
"It... isn't."
"Oh."
I grabbed it, it weighed quite a lot to be honest but I somehow managed to plug it back in.
A light shined through the cable, energy being visible as it passed to the machine. Lighting it up with all sorts of funky colors because of the color palette Test Tube gave it.
"Woah.." I said as I backed away to get a good look at it.
"Great! What now? How do we leave?"
"Umh.. lemme see-" I said as I approached the control pad, various different colored keys and buttons now shining bright.
As I started to figure stuff out, Nickel sat onto the floor and seemed to zoom out, gee, okay?
So confusing, yet somehow it seemed to follow a certain pattern?
Test Tube never seems to make sense to others... But maybe... Maybe I can figure this out.
I am observant, right? That's what I've been working on lately. I can use this skill to guess what Test Tube would've done.
Umh...
I pushed a black button, making three others shine bright.
Oh jeez umh......
I clicked a red one, then a purple one- all pink and red buttons now shining.
Uhhhhhhhh
I clicked a bright blue one, and some buttons shined brighter. 
I clicked a yellow one, and suddenly a screen turned on.
'Enter Destination [Within Game Perimeters]'
Golly gee! I figured it out! I uh think.
I pressed the keys and typed 'contestant grounds'.
But before I pressed enter... I paused.
Will this.... Be fair to Suitcase?
Or any of the contestants in general.
Lightbulb... she's one of the ones that came here for this, and she.... She's gone now.
I stared at the enter key, I could feel my paw sweat.
"Hm? What's up Balloon? You got it already?" Nickel said as he stood up and approached me.
"Uh...."
"What?"
"I don't... think we should do this."
"What the fuck Balloon, no. Hell nah. Dude, let me leave. Don't come if you don't wanna, but let me leave. This isn't about you."
"No, it's not because of that- I- I don't think we thought this through enough, I-"
"Not thought this through enough? We spent the past hours convincing you and thinking it through. We sure as fucking hell did!"
"LET ME FINISH! Stop being so inconsiderate about my feelings. We-We didn't account for-"
"Excuse me? Me? Inconsiderate? To your feelings? You're fucking with me, right? I've put up with all of your bullshit and now you pull this? No. I'm not taking it."
"Nickel! It's not about me, or you- Have you given a thought to the fact that we will be directing attention towards our friends? Are you aware of how badly that turned out last time? Y'know, with Lightbulb."
"Yes. This is exactly why we're doing this. She went missing because she came here, so what are we gonna do? Take them as far away as possible. How can you still not get this."
"I- but-"
"Look, don't waste my time now. It might as well be my last chance, turn the machine on before someone shows up. With all of your yelling we're sure as hell gonna get caught now, so let me leave before it's too late."
"Nickel...."
"Balloon, do it for fucks sake, now."
"I- I don't know.."
"We'll figure this out when we're out of here, We need to leave."
I stared at him, conflicted, and was about to press enter when the door burst open, and Soap entered as she pointed something sharp at me.
"EEP!! WHAT THE-" I shrieked as I jumped onto Nickel on accident, and he moved away, making me descend slowly back to the ground.