..~| An Uneasy Feeling |~.. [Regretevator]

|^|_.. The Pictures .._|^|

Do I bring the others to tell?

Do I keep them from panicking?

Do I handle this on my own?

Mach's head sang with worry, trying to figure out the best solution in this time. She so badly wanted to tell the rest of the NPCs in the Regretevator, she wanted to unite them all together to help team up against MR.. But they'd never agree. The truth was, not everyone got along. While most NPCs had many friends, that didn't mean some hated each other too, and with their lives. Not to mention, everyone else was deathly scared to stand up to MR. Mach was even feeling herself grow anxious, but as one of the only NPCs who could stand a chance against MR, she had to keep herself together.

Mark's sobs could be heard from a distance. Mach sat at her desk, tapping her finger agitatedly against the surface. She looked up to stare at the crying mannequin on her floor. "Mark, you're getting my floor wet." Mach said, fairly monotonously compared to how she really felt. Mark lifted his head, wiping the tears from his eyes. "What do ya expect me t' do?" Mark said miserably "My family was taken. TAKEN!" He went back to crying.

Mach sighed, going back to thinking. It wasn't easy to focus on her thoughts when Mark was currently having a mental breakdown, all she could do was try to block him out.

"Mark." She finally spoke after a while "Why don't you go home and distract yourself. You're not helping me by staining my floorboards with tears." Mark stood up, nodding slowly as he turned to the elevator to leave. He entered the elevator and disappeared behind the elevator doors, still weeping.

Mach turned back to her desk. She slid a folder out from a compartment in her desk and opened it. Inside were many photographs and notes that were lended to her just for this occasion. Mach's eyes darted through the pictures until her eyes caught on one. Enphoso's store. That was where that nasty rock was transported to the elevator, it must've been hiding out there. Her eyes shifted to another picture taken. The subway. That was where Split and Gnarpy were found yesterday. Mach used her hands to move other pictures out of the way and to reveal an old blueprint, one with a series of corridors and storage rooms connecting the subway and the Shop Space.

Mach's eyes lit up as she had finally put the pieces together. She snatched the pictures and the blueprint of her desk, grabbing her hammer lying next to her. Mach lifted the hammer into the air and slammed it down, creating a portal and swiftly jumping through.

The room trembled as a newly formed portal was opened in the wall. Mach had suddenly appeared in one of DrRETRO's patients' rooms. "MACH WHAT THE- WHA-" DrRETRO was cut off by Mach shouting "DrRETRO I figured it out!"

Spud stared at her in confusion and fear. "I -I don't like.. Spud.. Loud noises.." He said. DrRETRO frowned at Mach.
"Sorry." Mach said, resting her hammer on her back.
DrRETRO guided her out of the room, letting Spud rest.

The two sat down at a table. Mach cleared her throat, calming down. "I know where Wallter and Lampert are." She said, setting the two pictures and the blueprint on the table. She went on explaining how the Subway and Shop Space were connected and how Mach suspected the two were in the storage rooms in between. Once Mach was done with her rambling, DrRETRO lifted her head to stare at Mach.

"Listen, Mach." DrRETRO began "You might be onto something, but that's not a good reason to continue causing havoc."
"W-what do you mean?" Mach asked, confused.
"You shattered Gnarpy's skull and gave me a grouchy patient, you're reckless and irresponsible, and now you come crashing through my walls when you could've just used the elevator." DrRETRO frowned.
"I know I know. I'm not-"
"This is about the only helpful thing you've done for me so far." DrRETRO pointed to the pictures spread on her table, her tone growing colder.
"Please DrRETRO-"
"No. That's it." DrRETRO said harshly "Your gonna stop trying to help and stop making things worse. Go home, Mach."
Mach stared in disbelief, heartbroken. She didn't say another thing, standing up and entering the elevator. She didn't want to make DrRETRO madder by opening another portal.

The elevator was quiet, nobody else was in it. Mach stood in the corner of the elevator, contemplating her life. After all she's done? After all her efforts? In the end, DrRETRO just pushed her away because of all the trouble Mach caused. The elevator's soft jazz music rung through her ears, although how calming it was, Mach would rather everything be silent.

Ding!

The doors opened to the Krumble Cube floor, nothing of interest to Mach. She turned her head away, trying to tune into her own thoughts. A metal scraping sound made her wince. Mach turned back to the elevator doors to see a very tired and sorrowful looking Prototype climbing into the elevator. "Prototype?" Mach asked, confused. "I don't want to talk." Prototype said, wiping a drop of black oil off his face. Mach left him alone, but she was still concerned. Prototype was one of the happiest NPCs in the Regretevator including Poob. What happened?

Meanwhile, Prototype felt like his head was going to explode from all the emotions he was feeling, which was not a good thing considering he could quite literally explode. Sadness, fear, irritation, and more all mixed together. He sighed, trying to adjust his code in order to regulate his temperature. Could he delete the memory of Miché leaving? That would be a grea- Wait.. No. Then Prototype could potentially forget Miché and relive his current sadness when he learns again!

Ding!

Prototype stared at the doors of the elevator. He saw a new floor he hadn't seen before. A well-lit shop with multiple shelves full of disks and other items. Prototype was hesitant to enter, but maybe he could spend some alone time and work out his feelings.

He stepped out onto the smooth waxed wooden floors, taking in the sight of the cozy little store. Prototype was caught off guard by a loud buzz. He quickly turned and faced the front desk where the buzz came from, seeing a computer with a blue screen and a face at the counter. "Hello!" The computer cheerily greeted "Come on over! I don't bite :]"

Prototype walked over looking over the computer curiously. "My name's Scag, what's yours?" She asked, holding out her claw hand to shake hands with the new visitor. "Prototype" He said with a soft smile, shaking hands with the computer. This felt amazing! Prototype couldn't recall a time when he was able to shake hands and formally talk with another mechanical being. Reddy was always an option to talk to, but he was creepy and broken, not to mention the murders he's committed...

"What brings you here? Looking for something?" Scag asked, looking up at Prototype. Something about Scag's soothing and neutral eyes calmed him down. "Um.. No. I'm just trying to spend time away from that elevator." Prototype said. As he's about to walk away, Scag called out to him "Hey wait! You seem sad?" Prototype turned around and looked at her curiously. "Would you like to talk about it? Maybe.. spend some time with me? It gets really lonely here." Scag said.

After a short moment of hesitation, Prototype smiled, nodding his head and walking back over. They sat together and began talking, sharing their troubles. As time went by, Prototype began feeling more and more connected with Scag.
A new friendship.

——————————————————————————————————————

An hour had passed, an hour that felt a lot longer than it should've been.
Mach impatiently waited for the elevator doors to open again, choosing not to risk destroying DrRETRO's hospital with another portal.

Ding!

The elevator came to halt, allowing Mach to get off. She entered DrRETRO's hospital. "Hello?" She called out "DrRETRO?" Mach continued walking around the lobby, calling DrRETRO's name. "I wanted to say I'm sorry.." Mach sighed, giving up. She sat down in one of the waiting chairs, crossing her legs. Her eyes suddenly caught on a bright yellow sticky note on the edge of the reception desk. Mach quickly stood up, walking over to examine it.
The note read:

Im not here right now.
I'm gonna go fix this situation once and for all.
If anything happens to me, if I don't come back,
Please take care of my patients

-DrRETRO