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huffle-dork · 19 days

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Swap Across the CrystalVerse Chapter 13: The Facility

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The sun is slowly rising, blue overtaking the orange. J1 is unbothered by their long walk along the side of the road, but H and C seem to be lagging behind a bit. There's nothing around except for fields and poles of telephone and power lines.

Alt isn't fairing much better than H and C, he's so tired. He's not sure how many days they've been jumping through so far but... he's starting to feel the exhaustion in his muscles, especially now that he has to walk. He rubs at his eyes and stumbles a bit as he shakes out his head.

C squints down the road. "Hey... is that... a car?"

The others all look.

"That's our fucking van!" H shouts.

Alt blinks up and then laughs, "Ha... what are the odds?"

"Well... we were heading down here because J3 said they just went straight this way," H says. "So... really high, actually."

"... touche-" Alt grumbles. "Guess I didn't expect them to be driving our way-"

J1 laughs. "I guess we wait here for them to come to us." He glances at the others. "Looks like you guys need it."

The van approaches quickly--and then stops suddenly, perhaps a bit too suddenly.

"Sorry!" M says in the driver's cabin to the rest of the van's occupants.

Bro was closing his eyes just for a second so the sudden stop jolts him up and onto his side with a big 'oof'!

Jackie catches himself on the dashboard before he hits his head on it. "Ooohh my god-" He mumbles then gives M a shaky smile. "Uh! good stop! Just- not so much pressure, you know?"

"Thanks for the encouragement, even if you don't believe it," M says. "Now... that's your friend?" He looks out the window at Alt and the others. "Huh. Not what I expected. Then again, I don't know what I was expecting."

Jackie snickers, "Yeah- he's a bit unassuming isn't he? He's a great lad though."

J3 gets off the floor and walks over to the back of the van, throwing the doors open. He waves at the group.

Bro pushes himself up and then joins J3 at the back of the van. He grins wide, "Alt!"

Alt smiles and waves back, "Hey! Glad you all are okay~"

Nice to see you in person, A-L-T, J3 says, smiling.

Alt nods with a smile, "You too J3. Oh! If you want- my friend has a sign he does for my name." He shows J3 A, then lightning is sign and smiles sheepishly. "Just in case you dont wanna,..spell it out all the time."

M opens up the driver's side door and hops out. He's holding Lia the llama in one hand. He stares at C, J1, and H. They all stare back. "So... hi again."

J1 gives a little wave.

"Ah... nice to... see you," H says awkwardly.

"Yeah." C nods. Then... he looks at Bro. His brows furrow. "Wait a--wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait a--are you guys seeing this?"

"Ah there it is-" Bro grins. He hops out of the car and waves, "Hi you all, I'm Chase!"

"Chase...?" C repeats. "Chase... Chase." He nods slowly, and gives Bro a smile. "Nice to meet you."

Bro smiles more and nods, "Yeah and you're... C, I'm guessing?" Calling his other him by just a letter feels so wrong but... if that's what they wanna be called...

Jackie steps out of the van and looks between all the guys staring at each other. Oof... awkward. He doesn't like the tension in the air. Still, he lightly nudges M with a head tilt. He... must wanna say something to the rest of them, right?

M blinks at Jackie like he doesn't know what he's asking of him.

"Um..." J1 clears his throat. "M, I'm sorry if we... made you think... We didn't want to hurt you. I-I mean... w-we were all... in there, too. We don't want to go back, but... we want to get J out of there. So he... doesn't get hurt anymore, you know?"

"...okay," M says quietly. "I'm sorry I took the van."

H sighs. "It is fine. Just... don't do it again, please?"

"Yeah. I-I'm not a good driver, anyway."

Jackie smiles as the others seem to make up and he claps his hands together, "Yay! Everyone is friends again!"

"Friends? I, um..." M stutters wordlessly for a bit.

J3 laughs silently and nudges him.

"Yeah. I think--yeah."

Alt looks at everyone and then hums in thought. "...did you guys see any signs of Mag around here when you guys fell?" He asks his friends.

Bro shakes his head, "Haven't seen hide or tail of him... i dunno if that's a good or bad thing though."

"Hmm..." H hums. "Well, you all know the most about your universe traveling thing. Is there a pattern for where people will be? A limit to how far they can appear? If not, I suppose J3 could see if we run into him at any point in the next week."

Alt knits his eyebrows together, "If... he didn't appear by any of you... then he must be by the... parallel me... or maybe J?" As Alt processes this thought he slowly starts to pale. "Wait... that means-"

"...didn't you guys say that... J was in the Facility?" Bro asks quietly.

The group goes silent. They exchange uneasy glances.

"Y... yeah..." C whispers. "He got... left behind..."

"And A is still there, too," H adds. "So... if your person is appearing by either of them..."

Expressionless, M turns, walks into the back of the van, and closes the doors.

Bro cringes slightly as the door closes. "...so... that's not good."

"I dunno- maybe we can just leave him there!" Jackie announces.

"Jackie!" Bro gasps.

"We can't just leave him there!" Alt emphasizes.

"Why not? He only causes us trouble. Now he can be locked up somewhere. Sounds like a win to me?" Jackie mumbles.

"Jesus christ, dude!" C says, going pale. "I mean--yeah, he took our van, and yeah, we had a fight, but that doesn't mean we can just leave him there!"

"No no no, he's talking about Magnificent, not M," H says.

"Oh."

"I mean--i-it's not so bad in there," J1 says slowly.

J3 shakes his head. I appreciate your optimism, but it wasn't 'not so bad' for all of us.

"I don't think anyone deserves to be stuck in there," H says. "If Magnificent really causes this much trouble, he should be in a prison, but that is not a prison. It is worse."

Jackie pouts but then slowly his expression softens. He sighs, "No... you're right... we... we can't leave him. I... I'm sorry I just-"

Bro comes over and pats his shoulder, "...I know bro... seeing all this must be really hard for you. You only really heard stuff from us before."

"Yeah I... it's... different... seeing it all. He... He's not... not Marvin anymore. But... he also is? I... I dunno it's..." Jackie squeezes his eyes shut.

"... I hate him too Jackie... I hate that he hurts us but... I.. I can't leave anyone in danger like that... not even Mag." Bro says quietly, giving his friend a side hug.

"Not to mention... A is still there," C says. "He... might be running around free. A-and I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

Alt feels his stomach drop, "...A is really bad, isn't he?" He ask quietly.

"A has, um... done some stuff..." C says slowly.

"Personally, I think that it is less good to think about A1010 as a person, and more as a force of nature," H says.

J3 just shudders.

"Guys... you aren't making Alt feel good about maybe being him in another world," J1 says carefully.

Alt does look a lot more pale, hugging himself slightly.

"O-oh shit, um. Right." C shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Alt. I know you're not like A."

Alt nods weakly to C but he doesn't look excited to meet A.

J3 takes a deep breath. Well... if we're heading back there, we need to talk to M about that. I mean... see if he wants to help...

"Judging by his reaction, I don't think he does," H says. But we should still talk to him about it.

Bro gives Jackie a final hug and then looks at the van, "... I could try talking to him? It sounds like we could use all the help we can get..."

H nods. "To be honest... M is quite powerful. J1 told Alt about his abilities, but... just saying it is very different from seeing it. We might really need him."

I'll come with you, J3 says. I've been able to talk with him before.

"Heh... the rest of us should probably stay back," J1 admits. "I mean... we did just get over the fight."

Bro smiles, "Okay J3, I can follow your lead."

J3 nods back at him. He turns and walks over to the van doors, opening it up just enough for him and Bro to walk in.

M is sitting up against the van wall. Lia the llama and Ella the elephant are beside him, and he clutches Seth the seal in his arms. He's breathing heavily, and the white light in his eyes has increased, almost hiding his irises. The space feels a bit warmer than it was before.

M? J3 asks.

"I-I'm not going back," M gasps. "I'm not going back, I'm not going back, I'm not going back—!"

Bro holds up his hands and talks in a gentle voice, "M? Just... try to breathe for us, okay? Focus on breathing..."

M nods. He tries to slow down, inhaling and exhaling shakily.

J3 sits down next to him. We can talk more when you're ready, he says.

M nods again. Inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale. He squeezes Seth tighter, then after a moment, when he seems calmer, he makes a 'go ahead' gesture, asking the other two to talk first.

Bro gives him a sympathetic smile. Then, he lets it fall as he say quietly, "I know... its a lot to ask.. to go back there for a stranger. But, forget about Mag for a second. Don't you want to help get J back? Isn't he your friend?"

I didn't know him that well, actually, M says, signing instead of speaking. We were on different floors. And I wasn't allowed to interact with anyone. I only knew J3 because they couldn't stop him from walking through time.

J3 sighs. That's true. But you know that J is a good person, right? C and H love him. And he's innocent. He doesn't deserve to stay there.

M shakes his head. I know. I know. But when I think of going back, I feel all shaky inside.

"That's a natural reaction..." Bro comments gently, "It's okay to be scared. Especially of a place like this... but... here's what I'm thinking. The others say you're powerful and I can believe it. Wouldn't it feel so good to go back to the place that hurt you and tear it down?"

M's eyes widen. He stares at Bro like he hadn't considered that. They said that about me? he asks.

Well, you are, J3 says. The first time I met you, you destroyed a room full of filing cabinets.

M laughs a little. "I-I did do that, you're right." He tilts his head. "They... they'll have ways to take care of us, you know that, right?"

But we'll be taking them by surprise, J3 says. Instead of the other way around. He pauses. And I won't let anyone get hurt.

"Don't put that all on you," M whispers. He nods slowly. "Alright. Alright. I-I think... I think if we can prepare... I can... do it."

Bro smiles wide, "And hey! I doubt they have ways of stopping me and Alt! We're pretty powerful too~! We'll catch them all off guard! And we'll keep you safe, promise." He holds out his pinky finger for Marvin, grinning. "We can pinky swear it, even."

M gives him a small smile. “You don’t need to do that. I-I’m not a kid. But I, uh, appreciate the gesture. I… hope they won’t have a way to get you. Maybe having extra people will help. So… alright. Let’s go.”

J3 sighs. Thank you, M.

Bro blinks and looks embarrassed as he puts his hand back. "Ah... right- sorry. But, yeah, thank you M."

“You’re welcome, I guess.” M smiles a bit. “Let’s go tell the others. W-we should come up with a plan.”

J3 nods. Let’s do that. He gets up. M does too, still holding Seth, and they leave the van.

Bro hops back out and smiles at the group. “We got M on board!”

Alt smiles slightly. “Hey… that’s great. Glad to have ya, M.”

M nods, squeezing Seth a little bit.

“So… what now- how do we get to this facility place?” Jackie asks.

C sighs. "We drive. I-I think we're all very aware of where the facility is. It's, uh, kind of in the middle of nowhere. So we'll have to do some off-roading."

"If we can scrape the paint off the van, we can blend in," H says. "The company's logo is beneath that. We could drive right up."

"Assuming they, uh... forgot we stole a van of theirs," J1 says delicately.

Alt thinks and then sheepishly raises his hand. “…I could glitch us there- since you guys know where it is.”

“Mmmm maybe- but if we leave from there they’ll need a way back out. So… we should probably make sure they have their van.” Jackie says.

“…oh. Yeah I can’t… glitch a van.” Alt says, hiding a bit in his mask.

M's eyes widen. "Glitch?"

"He can teleport around!" J1 says excitedly. "It's really cool!"

Alt looks to M and then glitches back and forth to show him before smiling shyly. “Glitch- it’s… pretty handy.”

M inhales. Then he grins. "That's so cool! I can do something like that." He holds out Seth, and the plushie abruptly disappears. It's then replaced by Elly. "Not with things that are alive, though."

Alt’s eyes widen and then he grins too. “Oh!! That’s really cool!”

"Uh… Well... if we drive there, then Alt can, uh, glitch us inside once it comes in view." M says.

"Of course!" H gasps. "I mean--we should not speak for you capabilities, Alt, but it would help."

"We'd still have to drive a while to get there," C says. "So... you can rest during that time period, gather your energy."

Alt nods to H and C, “I can do it with all of us. …resting will help I think. We’ve been going kinda non-stop for a bit.”

“Yeah.. a nap sounds kinda good right now.” Jackie laughs.

“On the way there then, we can think of a strategy… and you guys can fill us in on what we’re dealing with.” Bro says.

C nods. "It's going to take a couple hours... if not the whole day. So that's a perfect amount of time for you to nap. I can drive."

"He's much better than me, I promise," M says to Jackie.

Jackie exhales. “Okay good- if you need a break at all I can help too!”

No time to waste, then, J3 says. Let's go. The others nod and start filing into the van.

"Who gets the passenger seat?" J1 asks.

Bro looks around and then shrugs. “Whoever wants to hang out with C the most, I guess! Or doesn’t want to join the nap pile.”

"I'll sit up with him, then!" J1 says, laughing.

"What? Oh, bro." C looks touched.

"C'mon, I'll keep you in high spirits."

Alt glitches into the van and hunches down in a corner. Bro snorts out a quiet laugh then goes to join him. Alt hesitates for a second before shifting to lean up against him. Jackie grins and pushes over to sit next to Bro and then makes a big show of stretching and laying on his leg. Bro shoves him slightly with a laugh.

H settles down at the back near the doors, facing forward as he mumbling something about how he can't stand going backwards. M sits down where he'd been before, holding his plushies nearby. J3 takes up a spot in the corner.

Feel free to use any of our sleep supplies if you need it, J3 says.

Jackie grins and grabs a pillow, putting it under his head and taking up Bro’s lap. “Ahhh! Cozy!”

“You’re such a little bitch.” Bro laughs.

Alt reaches over to grab a blanket and huddles closer to Bro, already closing his eyes. He dreads going to this place but… it’s coming either way. Might as well rest and get prepared.

"Alright, here we go," C says. The van starts up and drives away.

-----------

It becomes increasingly clear that this facility is not a safe space. There are no windows or doors out, only stairs and elevators (all of which are inoperable.) And there are creatures wandering the halls. Some of them are harmless, like the gecko with a third eye, but some of them look more dangerous, like the bird made entirely of metal with a razor-sharp beak. All the red lighting gives this space a hellish look. And... there are cameras everywhere.

Magnificent warily walks down the hall- trying to find some indication of a way out. He warily eyes the creatures- wondering if it’d be worth it to drain their power. But- he’s still pretty full despite the last world. Plus… he’s wary of the effects after dealing with that cat.

As he turns a corner, he finally notices a door that's open, not sealed shut by A's control over the facility. It's a regular door that... looks like an office of some kind? And inside is... a voice.

Magnificent is almost too desperate to not proceed with caution- wanting to run straight into the room. But he tries to breathe and slowly and quietly approaches the door to listen.

There's a slight violet light coming from the inside, too, a faint glow that shifts in hue. The muttering is a female voice, repeating the same thing over and over. "Can't let go... can't let go... can't let go..."

And... there's a power signature coming from the room. Something that's similar to his own black magic, but slightly off.

Magnificent’s curiosity is hard to ignore again, especially as he feels a power so similar to his own. He carefully makes his way inside.

There's a woman lying on the ground inside, staring up at the ceiling. She's wearing a gray jumpsuit. In her hand is clutched a crystal ball with purple light swirling around the inside. Her eyes are also slightly glowing purple. And she keeps muttering that over and over.

Magnificent tilts his head curiously. Then he teleports so he’s next to her and kneels down to her level. “…what power is this?” He mutters, trying to get a better look.

There's a sticker on the side of the crystal ball, with writing on it. "C3010 L-Agressive."

Maybe... maybe he should touch it...

For a second, Mag hesitates. But then he scoffs. Maybe this orb is aggressive to a mortal- but he’s a higher being. He can probably best whatever this is. And he’s… just so curious. The power this thing could hold… he reaches out to grab it.

The moment he touches it, he understands. This--this orb is a well of power! Everything he ever wanted could be his with this crystal sphere in his hand. He should take it with him. He should take it with him and never let go--but this woman is holding onto it tightly. How dare she. This is his, he can't let it go!

Magnificent feels the power overwhelming him- yes… yes! He could use this to escape- to beat that creature! To best everyone in his way! But- this woman…! He growls ferally and tries to yank the orb out of the woman’s grasp.

She tightens her grip, dazed violet eyes briefly focusing on him.

Magnificent growls and digs his claws into her hands, trying to pry her off. “Let go!”

Even though his claws draw blood, she just keeps holding onto it. Maybe--he just needs--some more force!

Mag tugs more, and then lashes out, grabbing her wrist- trying to see if he can snap this woman’s hand off the orb. He needs it! It’s his! He attempts to break her wrist.

And-- Snap.

The woman flinches slightly, and lets go. But she keeps staring blankly at the ceiling.

Magnificent grins triumphantly and grabs the orb, holding it protectively in his hands. His eyes flare purple. He giggles dazedly, so glad that he’s won. It’s his! He can do so much with it…!

…right?

And then, out of nowhere, the sound of static. A1010 fizzles into view right in front of Mag, once again wearing J0702's appearance, grinning with a smile too wide.

Magnificent startles back and holds the orb to his chest and curls up around it, hissing at A. “Y-You! Get away!”

A laughs. "Oh, I really didn't expect you to fall for it. I mean, you're at least smart about magic." He leans closer. "So... what's that crystal ball so important?"

Magnificent bares his teeth, “What’s that supposed to mean?!” He backs up a bit more and holds the orb tighter. “It has power- power I can use to defeat you! A-And to get me out of this dreadful place!” He teleports to his feet and holds the orb in his hands, trying to see if he can siphon any power from it to use. “Here- I’ll show you!”

...

......

"You look ridiculous," A says, and lunges forward, swiping with his knife. The blade slices through the crystal, dividing it into two parts that are roughly one-quarter and three-quarters in size.

Magnificent tries to scramble back but the orb is cut- and… what?

As the smaller part falls to the ground, the violet light from the orb disappears, and Mag hears a faint scream in the back of his mind.

...wait, why is he holding onto this?

Mag blinks in sudden confusion and looks down at the orb. He quickly drops it and tries to back up some more, dread settling thick in his stomach. He… he got controlled by that thing! Him! That- shouldn’t be possible. He has a stronger will power than that.

"Oh, did someone just have their confidence shaken?" A says teasingly, tossing the knife back and forth between his hands. There's a tag on it, actually, reading K1010.

“Shut up.” Magnificent tries to spit but it comes out hollow. “…what do you want me with anyways? You want to just mess with me?”

"I like seeing how people work," A states plainly, grin widening further. "I liked chaos once. But after they brought me here, they taught me how to examine things. Though they don't know they did that." He giggles. "So, yes, I just want to mess with you."

“I refuse to be just some- plaything for your amusement!” Mag snarls, building up black magic fire in his hand and then lashing out to try to burn him.

A glitches out of the way, reappearing behind him. "Fine, then!" he laughs. "Try to escape! Try to reach the surface! I'd love to see if you can break through that barrier they've set up."

Magnificent whips around and tries to lash out again. But he stops himself and just glares at A. He bares his teeth. “Fine. I will! This place can’t hold me!” He quickly teleports away- focusing on just getting away from A.

It's not too hard to teleport around the facility. Magnificent goes up to the next floor, and then the one above that. The higher he gets, the less destroyed the facility looks, with intact walls that don't have cables and wires everywhere. And the more creatures there are wandering around. How are they all surviving here?

Magnificent appears in a hallway that ends in an upwards staircase. Right by the stairs are a couple of creatures. A bright blue snake, unusually long and thin, and some sort of combination between a stingray and a cat, with the head and front legs of a cat but the lower half of a stingray.

Magnificent stops to catch his breath and shake off some of the static from so many jumps. He then sees the creatures and makes a face. “…they have… the most peculiar creatures here…” He tries to approach the stairs and the creatures.

The catray seems to be making biscuits on a discarded bit of cloth--a white coat?--but the snake responds to Mag. It raises its head, hisses, and slithers towards the stairs. It starts floating a couple inches over the ground, using this ability to climb the steps--until, suddenly, it stops, suddenly jerking back as though it hit a wall.

Magnificent watches this with fascination. He gingerly tries to step around the snake and catray… thing- and see if he can find this barrier…

It's about five steps up the staircase. Just, suddenly, a completely invisible wall. There's no sign that it exists... though, farther up the staircase, there are small round disks pasted onto the wall, metallic and with three blue lights in the center forming a triangle.

Magnificent narrows his eyes in determination and places his hands on the wall- and tries to pump it full of his magic. Surely a world like this wouldn’t be prepared for that?

Purple light ripples across its surface, revealing its shape. For a moment, it seems like the wall softens--and then the disks on the wall start letting out an annoying high-pitched beeping. The blue lights turn red, and a force pushes Magnificent back.

Magnificent shouts out and skids back against the floor. He growls and narrows his eyes at the disks. He has to get rid of those… he most likely can’t teleport past this wall. That’s why he stopped here… maybe… he can find someone on the other side? He does not want A to gloat though so he tries to see if he can get an even bigger concentration of magic and then rushes at the wall.

The wall bends slightly with the force. The beeping increases, becoming louder in volume. And then small bolts of lightning zap out from the disks towards the wall, hitting Magnificent.

Magnificent screeches and flies back, curling up as he’s shocked. Fucking- damnit! He bites back a frustrated angry yell and just tries to let the pain pass. There… has to be some way…! Maybe… if lightning could pass through the wall then… he gets back up and tries to shoot a bolt of purple lighting at one of the disks.

The lightning bounces back at him.

Mag cries out and tries to duck. Okay… not his greatest idea. Fucking! He yells in rage and frustration and starts stomping around, spitting out curses in Gaelic.

The catray gets up and flies away as he starts stomping around, but the snake hisses again, baring its fangs.

"I'm almost disappointed that you didn't make it through." A appears leaning against the wall nearby. The blood from his slit throat is spilling out over his chest, absolutely covering it. "I thought surely someone from another world would make it. But I guess not. We're stuck with each other, Marvin." He grins. "Or you're stuck with me."

And then he disappears again.

Magnificent freezes and flinches back as A appears. He yells in rage as he says his name but then he just… disappears. Mag staggers back and then ends up sliding down to the floor. He… can’t be trapped here… he can’t be. …no one was going to free him from this. For all he knows- the others from his world were more than happy to let him rot in here. He leans back and stares at the door, trying to think of something… anything.

-----------

"Hey. Hey." They'd been driving for a few hours when J1 knocks on the half-open window connecting the cabin to the rest of the van. "Anyone who's taking a nap, wake up."

"We're getting McDonald's," Chase says. "Tell us what you want if you want anything. Also pass me the cash."

Alt and Jackie had been dozing off pretty much the whole time. Bro tried to stay awake for a while but soon found himself falling asleep too.

The swaps stir at the knock, Alt and Bro blinking up at the sound of food while Jackie grumbles and curls up towards Chase’s stomach.

Bro chuckles. He digs into his bag and finds his wallet, handing over some money. “Fucking sick- uhhh I want two Big Macs and some fries- Jackie what do you want?” Jackie mumbles something against Chase. “…okay two mcchickens forJackie and a Coke.”

“I want a 20 piece- and fries, and a sprite please.” Alt says quietly, blinking sleep out of his eyes.

“Oh! And a coffee for me! please!” Bro adds.

"Oh thanks!" C says, taking Bro's money.

"I want what Alt's getting," M says.

"You got that last time, do you not want to try something new?" H asks.

"Why? I know I like this."

H chuckles. "I want to try the crispy one this time. And also a coffee."

The fish one and fries with a coke, J3 says.

"Fish fillet and fries with a coke for J3," J1 repeats. "I'll get the quarter pounder with cheese and a coffee. Unless they have shakes available, then I want a strawberry one. What're you getting, C?"

"Big Mac and fries and drink, I'll keep it simple," C says.

H sighs. "You know, I know, in my brain, that fast food is not healthy, I have read that so much. But it tastes so good."

"Oh yeah, totally," J1 agrees. "So much better than back there."

Bro chuckles, “Sometimes you just need some unhealthy food! It’s like- good for the soul… or something.”

Alt snorts out a laugh and rolls his eyes.

"You heard that guys, we all have to heal our souls by getting McDonald's," C says.

They pull through the drive thru and C starts ordering.

"We do need to consider buying food stores, though," H muses. "We cannot live off fast places forever."

"Yeah, especially since you and M are so picky," J1 says.

"I am not picky, I just... feel like I can't eat some foods."

"I will admit I'm picky," M says quietly. "It took them a while to find something I would like."

Bro snickers, “Alt was really picky when we were growing up. Not so much now.”

“Yeahhh living on the streets will change that for ya.” Alt snorts. “…fast food is good sometimes- I think I prefer good cooked meals though. ..or pizza.”

“We eat so much fucking pizza,” Bro laughs.

The van pulls up to the window and C starts taking stuff from the window. "Pass those out to everyone," he says to J1.

"Yep. Come up here, guys." J1 hands some of the bags through the interior window to the back of the van.

Bro reaches out to grab the bags, much to Jackie’s displeasure as he’s moved and forced to sit up.

Bro chuckles and hands him his stuff and starts handing out everyone else’s food.

"We should get pizza some time," J1 says. "It always looks so good in pictures."

Pictures don't always live up to expectations, J3 says.

“You’ve never had pizza?!” Bro gasps. “We should buy you all a pizza!!”

Alt laughs, “…I’d be inclined to agree with J3 but- pizza is that good. Even just plain pepperoni.”

"I'd still want to try it," M says. "Even if it doesn't meet expectations."

"Oh, but you will not get a hamburger?" H says teasingly.

"No, I don't like beef stuff, they tried that."

“I mean… we’ve probably had pizza before, we just don’t remember,” C says. “Hang on, lemme find somewhere to park do I can eat too.”

The van parks in the lot of a strip mall and everyone digs in.

“After this, we’re not gonna see other buildings for a while,” H says. “We will be going off road. It will be bumpy.”

“At least we got some decent sleep before that then,” Alt laughs between bites.

Jackie grumbles and Bro pats his head.

“Back on pizza though- maybe getting some would help your memory! I mean- I think Dr. j told us that smell sometimes really helps with memory.” Bro says between bites.

Alt nods, “Or music- music helps too.”

“Yes but I’d like to think a decent pineapple and ham pizza would just bring everything back.” Bro laughs.

“Music, huh?” M mutters. “I wish I managed to get my music player when leaving but I had to prioritize.”

“Maybe you can get it once we reach there,” J1 says.

“I don’t think we should go any deeper in there than necessary,” M says in between bites of nuggets.

We should tell you guys about the layout, J3 says. Most of it is underground. The top is just stuff for the staff.

“How many floors is it again?” C wonders. “Below ground… seven?”

“That sounds right,” M says.

“Damn- that’s a big facility.” Jackie comments, digging into his second sandwhich.

Bro hums, “Maybe if we’re lucky- mag will be on one of the top floors.”

“He’s probably desperate to get out of there…” Alt speaks up quietly, “…he talked to me once like he… he was a victim of Sclera. Like I was… if this is a place like there then… he probably wants out.”

“Also cuz of that- A guy probably.” Jackie adds.

"I wonder if they got A back into containment," C muses.

"Wait... SCLERA?" J1 asks. "What's that?"

"It is the white part of your eye," H says. "Or, green, for J. The tissue that protects your eye and maintains shape."

"How the hell do you know that?" M asks.

"Not sure."

“It’s also that… but Well for us- it’s a company that studies magic and then uses it to make… invasive machines. They… study abnormal people like.. like lab rats.” Alt mumbles quietly, gripping at his wrist.

The group goes quiet.

"Oh. Okay, so it's just like this company," C says. "I mean... I don't think you could call us magic. That sort of implies... that it's more... mystical? But we are different. And... they did study us."

"Light way of putting it," H mutters. "Every time I met C it was because I needed to heal him."

Ambrel, J3 spells out. That's what the company is called here.

Alt shudders and goes to hold his arms, curling up his legs to his chest- his food forgotten. “Studying is also a mild way of putting it. They… they tortured me… d-didn’t see me as human. I was only there for a few days I think but… it felt so familiar and I don’t know why and n-now we’re going to a place just like it-“ Alt breathes heavily- starting to panic.

Bro is quick to scoop Alt up and try to calm him down. “It’s okay Alt… it’s okay…! It’s not Sclera- nothing is gonna happen to you here… you’re gonna be okay…”

C stares at Alt. "I... I get it." He absentmindedly traces a long scar on his arm. "It was... the same for me. For all of us. Just... in different ways."

J1 turns around, staring through the window, wanting to go back there but not sure if his support would be welcome. "We're all feeling that," he says quietly. "We don't want to go back there. But we have to. We can't leave anyone else there."

Alt looks back towards C and J1 with red-rimmed eyes. “…I guess… we all got to be… brave together.”

Bro smiles gently, “That’s the spirit. None of you have to do this alone.”

"Remember to breathe," M says quietly. "We're not going to stay there long." He hesitates. "Do you... want something to hold? Lia's a bit delicate, but..."

Alt looks to M and starts to slow down his breathing but he blinks at him and then smiles, “um… I-if you don’t… mind? I… I think that would h-help…”

M nods. “Sure. Here, I think Seth is good to squeeze. And sometimes you need to squeeze something.” He passes the seal to Alt.

If it gets too much, you can wait outside, J3 offers. Do you have a phone? We don’t, but if two of you do, we can communicate.

Alt takes Seth and holds him tight in his arms, closing his eyes for a second to breathe. He looks up to J3 in time to see his signs and he shakes his head. “No… I… I need to be there to glitch you all. I… I’ve handled scarier things before… I.. I didn’t have it as bad as I’m sure you guys did.” He says with a sad smile. He squeezes Seth a bit more.

Bro frowns and hugs him a bit closer to him.

J3 nods slowly. Alright. If you’re sure. But remember, just because others might have had it worse doesn’t mean it wasn’t bad for you.

Alt hesitates at J3's words then nods, burrowing more against Bro's side.

“It’s gonna be okay…” Bro reassures everyone, “We’re a fierce team! I’m sure it’ll be a quick mission! Get in- fuck some shit up! Find mag and j and then get the hell out of there!”

J1 quickly shoves the last of his burger into his mouth. “Alright… we should tell these guys what to expect.”

“I mean, it depends on if the facility stayed how it was after the escape, or if the company fixed it back to how it was before,” C reasons.

“Before, it was very cold and there were cameras everywhere,” M says. “And groups of guards. And alarms. There’s only one elevator from the surface to the lower levels.”

“After, a lot of the subjects broke free,” H says. “Animal subjects, I mean. Us and J and A were the only ones like humans. Many of them destroyed parts of the levels. And if things have continued, I do not think there are many people down there anymore. And then there is A1010. I found its file once. It can shapeshift, cause hallucinations, hypnotize people, and control electronics.”

“And there’s his knife,” C adds. “That can cut through anything. Literally. Except for J’s optic cord, for some reason.”

The swaps listen with wide eyes. Until- "Wait IT TRIED TO CUT OUT HIS EYE???" Jackie screeches.

Alt looks paler and squeezes Seth more as he hears what A can do.

“It’s not as bad as it sounds!” C says quickly. “J’s eye can pop out of his head on its own! And it’s also, uh, alive? Has a mind of its own? Look, it’s one of the weirdest things in that place, but you can get used to it. J calls the eye Sam. He used to call it A, because they called it J0702-A, but we all decided that would get confusing.”

Jackie does not look comforted by this. "What the fuckkkk?"

"Okay so uh- avoid the knife A has- got it." Bro says quickly. "Anything else we should know?"

“Not off the top of my head,” H says slowly.

“What about your guy?” M asks. “What can he do?”

“Hypnotism usually-“ Bro says, squeezing Alt’s shoulder. “He also has like black magic and uses a lot of fire. But usually he tries to make people listen to him and do whatever he says. Mess with your mind.”

M blinks. “And… that guy’s me?” he whispers sadly.

“In another universe, it doesn’t count,” J1 says stubbornly.

“Right…” M still looks a bit unsettled.

Bro nods to J1’s words, “It doesn’t count. Just like how A isn’t Alt, Mag isn’t you, M.”

“Okay, so basically don’t touch anything, don’t go near any animals, watch out for guards, and always be on your guard mentally,” C sums up. “That’s fine. We can do that. We’ll have numbers on our side.” His optimism is somehow both forced and genuine.

Jackie snorts out a laugh, “Is that all? …yeah- we can do that. Sure we can. I’m not gonna let some- creepy fucking building get the best of us!”

Alt hugs Seth a bit more- wanting to give him back to Marvin but… having something to hold right now is nice. Like… he can almost imagine its Glitches.

“Alright!” C takes a sip from his drink. “Let’s just maintain this confidence for the next couple hours until we get there, then!”

He puts the van into gear again and starts driving.

#SATCV #SATCV Facility #love this part #especially rping them getting mcdonalds XD #its surprisingly fun to write the boys doing mudane things we do everyday XD #also i just love all the boys interactions this chapter its so good <3 #alt anti #swap magnificent #bro fantastic #jackie mann

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