We Don't Wear Tights #JustWriteIt #Wattys2015

Even Eight Is Even

"Shift!" Wire was shouting. I was being shaken violently. I opened my eyes at the sudden movement, alarmed and confused.

Happy...

Dopey...

Scissors...

Death.

Simulation.

I groaned. "Wire, what happened?" I asked, my vice slightly muffled through my hands. Wire was sifting through some stuff in a cabinet. I looked around. I was in a medical area. The MedRoom. Of course. It was plain and sterile, just like a doctor's room. Wire sat in front of me, a white cardigan and navy blue tee contrasting with the plain room. "The simulation...I think something was wrong." I squeezed my eyes shut at the blood rush. "What do you mean?"

My head hurt, and my legs did too. I opened my eyes a slit to look down at them. It wasn't a bruise kind of ache. It was...deeper. I looked down to see a bandaged right leg.

The bandage was bloodstained.

"I don't know. As soon as you and Sin stepped into those doors, we were ushered out. Hunter up up a fuss, and he's in the Office now." I felt a chill. He was in the Office? That wasn't good. The Office, well...people came back after a long time. They were different afterwards. Always.

Some creepy stuff over there.

"Then they were rushing you in here, with a bloody gash on your leg and bruises all over you." She finished, toying with the end of a stethoscope. I was surprised that such a classic utensil was needed when other higher-tech things were available. "That's all you know?" I questioned.
I was disappointed. Things were confusing, and I had no idea what happened after meeting Happy and Dopey. Or what had been .isupposed to happen either. "You're going to die. Just not here. This is just a Simulation." Happy's cackles, red lips, and Siren-like appearance flashed through my mind, her voice becoming robotic as she fell apart.
But what happened afterwards? I remembered a conversation with Sin. And that was it.

Sin.

"Where's Sin?" I asked, looking around. Wire frowned. "I don't know. He didn't come here. Just you."
Sin wasn't here. This day was weirder than I'd expected. All I'd wanted was a relaxing Saturday with my friends, and then a simple training workout with my Squad. Hopefully, an intervention and happy Squad 1 again. Instead...well, the day had been pretty horrifying.

Plus the bleeding leg wound didn't help.

"Oh! I should get going. I just need to check your blood pressure..." She muttered. "Pull up your sleeve and hold out your hand? Oh wait, tank top, right. Just hold out your arm then." I complied, and she pulled out the sleeve pump, wrapping it around my arm, straightening the meter and then she began to pump air into the sleeves wrap thingy.

It was wrapped tightly and squeezed my arm, but I ignored the discomfort. Sin wasn't here, Hunter was stuck in the ominous Office, and who knew where Mask was? There was still the plan.

How was I going to get the Squad together when we were all so far apart?

"It's normal, lucky for you. Um, the Principal's been waiting in the living room for a while. She said she wanted to talk to you...I made an excuse about checking up on you to see how you were." She said quickly, getting up and dusting off her cardigan. I watched as she turned back for a second. "Shift?" I looked up. "Yeah?" She turned and opened the door. "Be careful."

The Principal entered the room as soon as Wire left it. She looked me over, and I tried to look dignified through my injuries. She had a tight brown bun, wrapped and braided around itself, and it looked stern but intricate. Her features were sharp, cheekbones high, sharp nose, equally sharp chin, thin eyebrows, and hawk-like gold eyes. Her lips were small, and looked like they were always pursed.