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Saps was lucky to have stumbled upon Chuck after running away from Ish. Chuck is stable, smart, and maybe a little strange in the head but Saps has seen worse.
When Saps talks to Chuck, he could tell there was a skill gap between them. Chuck is experienced. Saps definitely is not. Chuck had been in Paradise City for as long as he could remember whilst Saps only arrived through a tour bus this morning.
“Just don’t touch anything, okay?” Chuck says, cheerily patting Saps on the shoulder. Something about Chuck warning him made him feel the urge to poke around the place and walk into forbidden territory.
“I’ll be right back, alright?” Chuck flicks at the lever on the wall and a mechanism door slides open, surprising Saps. “Close this,” he adds on swiftly before bolting outside, rain pouring hard from the dull sky.
Saps quickly scrambles to shut the door before he sighs, muscles relaxing. He knows that Chuck told him not to do anything but it was eerily tempting. They exchanged cures, quizzed about biology, and chatted about the city. Saps would've thought they were pretty close by now.
‘.. Chuck even knew Ish.’ Saps chews on his lip nervously. Something in his gut told him there was more to it than meets the eye. Saps’ eyes strayed over the massive bookshelf of notes and the chest that Chuck placed his journal in.
‘I’m sorry, Chuck,’ Saps thinks as he walks over and begins to scan the spines of the notes from the shelf. ‘I’m just a little curious. I promise I won’t do anything, just a quick look..’
When Saps begins to read Chuck’s notes, he feels jittery. He can’t tell if it’s positive or negative, but his thoughts are oddly muted he more he reads.
‘It seems Chuck is really serious about this,’ Saps observes.
Saps frowns as he reads more and more. Some of the notes Chuck writes sound alright but he could tell Chuck was gradually going insane and desperate. Others others make him pause in trepidation.
He gets reminded of Stella and how she's searching for her sister in Note #227 but Saps quickly shakes his head. He’s thinking too much of a fellow scientist he’s just met.
Another note tells him that Chuck was in need of a test subject at some point. A pang of something shoots through Saps at that. His mind flashes to Ish but Saps shakes his head again.
This time, Saps’ heart skips a beat as his hand hovers over another spine of a note. It’s Note #692. He has a feeling he’s about to see something he definitely shouldn’t be gazing at. Saps should stop prying, Chuck has already given enough hospitality.
#692:
I found a test subject. He may not have been the most willing but the results will speak for themselves. I hope in time he will learn to forgive me.
Saps silently stares at the words before snapping the notebook shut. He quietly slid it back to the original position. He paces around the room and decides to just rummage through the rest of the area, allowing himself time to think about what he’s seen.
When Saps goes through the chest where Chuck put his diary in, he chuckles, unease's almost vanishing. It’s okay. Saps was just overthinking it. There is nothing wrong. Chuck has a unique personality but that doesn’t mean he wants to harm innocent people.
NEW FRIENDS!!!
-Met a friend named Saps
-ISH INFECTED
“He just likes taking notes. I guess,” Saps says with a slight smile.
Saps places the book and quill down into the chest before walking into the bedroom. He observes the book podium, the set of clothes, checks the chest— it's more food, —and lets himself admire the inner workings of the room. The ceiling lantern makes the atmosphere warm and the painting above the bed makes the room feel homey. ‘Chuck must’ve salavaged it,’ he thinks. It’s in pretty good condition for an apocalypse.
Saps’ eyes naturally stray back to the warmth of the lantern.
‘Maybe I could stand near it for more warmth? I am a little cold right now.’
Saps climbs onto the bed, careful to not make anything dirty. The lantern slightly swung from the motion and the the mattress was a bit unbalanced. Saps decides he just wants to get a little closer.
He stretches before deciding it would be easier to hover around it if he wanted more warmth. Saps reaches for the glow of the lantern but instead, trips into the hanging painting, and Saps’ eyes widen.
‘I swear my heart rate did a spike,’ Saps shivers, getting up from the floor and dusting himself off. He hurt himself a little from the fall. He rubs the sore spot before he glances back to see what happened.
“What?” he mutters. He sees the bedroom of where he just was.
The painting..
He reaches out to grab onto the painting but his hand goes through. He glances away from the bedroom and towards the hallway leading into the dark.
It’s a secret passage.
Saps could turn back now and act like nothing happened.
‘Chuck could also come back any moment now,’ Saps thinks, arms huddled close from the coldness radiating from the walls. Chuck might take a while which would give him enough exploring time.. If Saps backed out now and Chuck came later, it might pose more of a risk.
.. Saps has a feeling he won’t be back in this hideout anytime soon once he leaves so he decides to go down.
Saps tiptoes down the stairs quietly and steadily. It’s so dark, he can barely see a thing. By the time Saps reaches the last step, walking onto what he could assume is finally the room of the secret, he focuses his eyes to see better in the dark.
It’s a prison cell.
Saps blanches.
Saps is slightly delayed as he takes in everything, his mouth hanging open before he looks away.
“How.. interesting.” Saps rubs his arms uncomfortably and feels the need to get out. It seems there was more to it than he thought. There is stuff on the floor of the cell that he can’t make out and it makes him feel weird. There’s even a chest nearby.
He hears a thud outside and Saps tenses. There are rapid footsteps nd thumping outside from the direction of the painting entrance. Saps doesn’t dare turn around as he whips around towards the painting entrance. He should leave but based on the noises, there’s a chance Chuck already knows. Saps instead moves over to the chest and fumbles over the latch to open it. He needs to find materials or something to help him. There’s a pit in his stomach that’s telling him things will come out really differently.
When Saps opens it, he freezes. There’s weakening potions. Lots of them. How many did Chuck brew?
Was Ish—?
He needs to get out of here. Should he grab a potion? But Chuck—? Saps’ breathing becomes labored. He thinks he hears someone call out to him before a hand harshly grips on his shoulder, making him wince from the pain of rough fingers digging into him. The hand on Saps’ shoulder feels like a chain ready to put him into execution. Chuck is here. Chuck is going to kill him. He needs to run, runrun—
“Saps.”
Saps could recognize Chuck’s unique voice from a mile away. He always sounded freakishly high but there was an underlying tone of darkness in his voice this time.
“..Yes?” Saps croaks out. His hands are clenched as he attempts to level his voice. He’s usually cool-headed and calm. Saps doen’t remember being this clammy and terrified. Chuck was someone he looked up to, Chuck was dedicated to saving the world but Saps..
‘So dedicated to the point of using a jail cell,’ Saps thinks bitterly. He definitely can’t match the other in terms of craziness, Saps is alright with not being the most dedicated if it meant not messing with nonconsensual human experimentation.
“What are you doing here?” Chuck’s voice is a little restrained. Saps’ eyes stay glued to the wall in front of him as the burning gaze digs deeper into his neck.
“It’s not what it looks like-” Saps immediately shuts up and regrets his own words because Chuck’s head goes over his shoulder, turning his face to lean closer to his own. The heavy hand has been taken off his body but Saps still doesn’t move, his feet planted on the ground like a statue. He can see the green glow of the other’s goggles.
Chuck glances over at the jail cell disinterestedly before staring at him even more intensely. Chuck grins, razor sharp. “Haha, crazy people, am I right?” he says. For extra measure, Chuck lets his head drop to settle firmly on Saps’ shoulder.
“Y-yeah,” Saps stutters over himself, laughing awkwardly as his eyes stay glued to the same spot in the wall. “Crazy people.”
Saps knows he’s screwed when Chuck is still continuing. “You know..,” he begins. “You weren’t supposed to find this.” Chuck’s hands begin to encircle Saps’ torso. Saps is so fucking scared.
Chuck continues, voice slowly going hysterical, “It’s a shame because we’re both scientists. We both could’ve worked together and exchanged more on cures together. We could’ve saved humanity together.”
If Saps wanted to get out of this with his life, he had to choose his next words wisely.
Saps swallows, nerves going haywire. He’s still facing the dark cold cell with Chuck behind him. “We can still save the world together,” Saps says with a little more desperation in his shaky voice. “I won’t look at anything anymore. I..”
Chuck promptly lifts his head off his shoulder but the arms around him squeeze tighter, hugging him flush. “You searched the chest, right?”
Hesitantly, Saps nods.
“You can’t really unsee something like that, Saps. What if you tell someone?” Chuck moves to turn Saps’ body, still hugged tight, to fully face and process the monstrosity of the prison cell. Skulls were layered everywhere and moss was hanging off, but Saps only stays frozen, taking in almost everything with hyper-awareness.
“If you’re really willing to save humanity with me— not tell anyone anything,” Chuck explains. The other’s hand stays planted around Saps’ side but the right one goes down to curl around his own. Chuck raises it up to press Saps’ sweaty palms against the freezing metal bars.“Would you like to prove it?”
“Prove what?” Saps questions, thoughts bitter. ‘That I’m going to die?’ Saps hasn't moved this whole time. He can barely feel his legs yet he wants to jump and bolt out of this suffocating room before something— what something?— happens to him.
“You can take a step inside and observe personally into the cell,” Chuck says as if he wasn’t telling Saps to basically jail himself. This was obviously a trap! “We can continue working together if you can handle it.” Chuck’s hand intertwines with Saps’ own for extra effect. “Like a true pair, we can see if we click.”
‘Is this a test? Is Chuck gauging how good I am at handling these types of.. experiments?’ Saps’ mind is running a million miles per hour and he doesn’t notice Chuck’s planted hand on his stomach slightly goes forward to click the jail. He doesn’t notice that Chuck’s eyes gain a crazed glint to it.
“Ahm…” Saps says, unable to find words. He doesn’t like lying. This was a disaster, he should’ve just stayed put. Chuck steps back from his spine and Saps feels his world lighten by two degrees, allowing Saps to finally turn away from the cell to stare at Chuck’s eager look.
“So, what did you choose?” Chuck says, get visibly becoming more excited. He even pushes Saps slightly towards the cell as if it would make him more persuaded. Chuck’s eagle eyes feel more intense this time.
“..” Chuck leans closer into his personal space at his silence. He subtly pushes Saps towards the open door.
Saps inhales—taking a deep breath before he shouts and shoves Chuck towards the iron bars. He immediately pivots clumsily towards the staircase leading back to the painting entrance as the brief grasp of Chuck’s hand grabs onto his coat. Chuck’s free hand swaps to a dark reddish-black splash potion and Saps’ eyes widen in recognition.
It's a weakening potion. Oh shit.
Saps jabs Chuck with his elbow in panic before scrambling up the staircase. The burning smell of Weakening III barely grazes his back and Saps already feels bits of strength decrease. Chuck calls after him in hysterics and Saps sprints out of the bedroom and into the foyer. Chuck is definitely more athletic than him, Saps never goes out and he definitely doesn’t normally exercise against zombies.
Chuck tosses another potion at him as Saps pulls the lever, this time actually catching him. Saps coughs as his body burns up, eyes blurry as Chuck goes towards him with a devious stare.
Chuck lifts him off the ground and over his shoulder as he pats his limp body. Chuck laughs, lighthearted as if Saps wasn’t weakened and practically paralyzed.
“Can’t have you spreading misinformation around!” Chuck switches back to the tone and personality Saps is used to but it feels so wrong.
Before Chuck could go flip the switch back off to close the door, a loud slam sounds behind him. Saps forces his head to lift off of Chuck and focuses his gaze onto the blurry light purple figure in his vision.
“Hold it!” the figure yells and Saps can tell Chuck is irritated based on how the hold on him tightens painfully around his waist. Too bad he can’t thrash around or anything, Saps wants to punch the other and flee off into the distance. He wants to go back to earlier when he was still in the comfort of everyone else, or the seat of the bus he was in.
“Hey! Who are you to barge in a person’s property?! Get out of here!” Chuck shouts at the other and Saps can barely figure out the features of the other person when his vision feels like it’s going through high speed turbo winds with no cover from how blurry his eyesight is. What the fuck.
“My name is none of your concern.” Snowbird says gruffly, then points his weapon, questioning, towards the pale limp body hung over the other peeson’s shoulder. Weren’t they friends? Yeah, there’s no way he wasn’t imagining the sounds of breaking glass potions. “Who are you and what are you doing to your friend?” he asks intimidatingly. Honestly, Snowbird already has an idea because they were both loud enough for him to hear when he was above the pipes.
“Why would I tell a stranger my name?! And I’m just helping my friend, he’s tired!” the scientist quickly explains. “I could’ve let him rest earlier but you kinda just intruded in. That’s a little rude, you know?”
Snowbird’s eyes narrow in suspicion.
“Give him to me,” Snowbird says, tapping the blade threateningly on the floor. The scientist sputters indignantly. The carried person groans as his body is shuffled against the other, and Snowbird’s grip on his weapon tightens.
“Hey! Didn’t anyone tell you manners?!” the other shouts angrily, stomping his foot. “I’m a lot more experienced around these parts than you.”
But Snowbird isn’t observing this madman right now, he’s scrutinizing the visibly injured person. The other is wincing and he seems like he can barely move. Snowbird and him make brief eye contact and Snowbird watches as the man blinks rapidly at an attempt to communicate with him. Snowbird glances back at his bounty.
“You’re hurting him,” Snowbird points out and the other laughs.
“What do you mean?”
Snowbird raises his sharp iron katana and points it threateningly at the other. The mad scientist in front of him pauses, lighthearted expression falling.
“Give him to me. Now.” Snowbird’s voice has more of an edge to it now that he can tell something is definitely wrong.
“You don’t know this place as much as I do,” Chuck says. “I know how to fight. I know the parts around here.”
Before the other has a chance to react, Snowbird quickly swaps to a pickaxe and flings it straight at Chuck. The other's eyes widen as he backs out of the way, surprised to see Snowbird using a pickaxe as a weapon. The researcher friend winces from getting roughly manhandled and Snowbird forces his gaze to tear away before he gets distracted.
“Oh, you’re bringing it!” Chuck shouts before he quickly descends upon Snowbird with his own blade. Snowbird quickly parries and his mind is running miles on what to do.
‘It’s clear he can defeat me. This is common ground for him and he’s been here longer. Did this mad scientist forget this is his hideout? There’s a chance they might destroy important stuff.’
If he was smarter, the other shouldve pushed Snowbird out and brought this fight out in at least the sewer pipes where there’s more room. Snowbird’s eyes widen in realization. The other was restraining himself by carrying the other scientist ‘friend’.
Snowbird’s eyes laser focus on the limp body getting carried. He recognizes the man from the tour bus. Snowbird glances back up again. They’re slowly slipping from this madman’s grip the more his bounty moves.
Snowbird decides, he needs to sneak in more strikes before he changes to defense. Snowbird swings a few times, and the other loosens the hold just enough for Snowbird to reach—
Chuck suddenly launches off, using his legs as a boost. Snowbird freezes as Chuck aims his blade straight for his eye. Immediately, Snowbird flops to the left, dropping his heavy weapon, and the sharpness stabs right into the stone wall brick, where his own head was positioned previously.
‘Holy shit.’
The scientist swings down fast and Snowbird reflexively punches into the other’s noggin. He feels something hard collide with his fist and Snowbird viscously kicks up at the thought of the other crazy person still being up and running.
He hears a scream of pain and Snowbird fully processes the scene as the familiar person from the tour bus with him rolls out of the madman’s grasp. Snowbird takes a grab at them and pushes them to the side as the scientist ‘friend’ bites their lip in pain.
“Chu..ck..” the injured man whispers and Snowbird whips his head around to add in another punch before—
“Ow-ow—OW, Wait!” Chuck shouts in pain quickly raising his hands in surrender. Snowbird glares.
“You’re suspicious,” Snowbird spits out, scrutinizing the features of the person infront of him.
“Listen!” Chuck says, desperate as he stuffs himself with food to heal. “You don’t understand, this is a matter of saving the world!”
“Saving the world with your scientist friend doesn’t look like— that,” Snowbird tilts his head towards him like it's obvious— which it is. Their scientist friend is all roughened up and Snowbird has noticed the weird state he’s been in ever since Snowbird heard splash potions.
Chuck crosses his arms. “Of course you wouldn’t understand. This is a matter between fellow scientists.” Chuck’s eyes dart to the man on the ground with a feeling Snowbird can’t decipher before quickly returning back to Snowbird’s gaze.
Snowbird grits his teeth. How annoying.
Saps has the urge to vomit from the potion effects now that he isn’t constantly getting moved around from their fight and from the adrenaline rush retreating. Saps’ eyes blur again as the other two interact tensely for a bit before a purple clothed figure picks him up with ease and plops him over his shoulder.
Saps blinks. He was inside the hideout, now he’s out and suddenly at the sewers, cool air brushing up against his face. Saps tries to focus but his vision distorts itself more, giving him a migraine.
“Stupid potions,” Saps mutters under his breath and the other pauses before continuing to walk again.
What happened to Chuck? What about the intruder? Were they really an intruder if they helped him get out? But Chuck gave him food and a warm area to rest in, was it Saps’ fault?
It’s a little humid and Saps loses his train of thoughts as another gust of wind blows on him from the entrance of the whole sewer system.
“Thank you, sir,” Saps whispers, face burying into the other’s body to muffle his own weakened voice. Ah, he doesn’t even have his glasses. He must’ve lost it in that scuffle.
Snowbird grunts, and it's rough but Saps finds it comforting after the whole fiasco.
“I’m Snowbird,” the other says and Saps blinks before introducing himself too, still perched over the other’s shoulders.
“Saps.”
“Don’t expect me to always do this,” Snowbird suddenly says. He takes out a book to write something that Saps can’t exactly see before he puts it away just as he’s about to ask.
Snowbird continues, “That man you were with is suspicious. Don’t mistake this as kindness, he’s just— dangerous.”
Saps raises an eyebrow and giggles incoherently at Snowbird’s tone shifting in the middle from rough to subdued when he says kindness. It seems the world decided Saps had too much joy at that moment because he soon begins to cough and choke from a stray water droplet dropping straight into his mouth.
Snowbird lifts him off his shoulder to hold him in front as he pats the other’s back somewhat roughly. Saps coughs and coughs until it seems whatever is in his system finally calms down.
‘It seems the remnants of the weakening potion is still affecting me,’ Saps thinks, upset. ‘Just how strong is that brew?’
“Really, I mean it.’ Snowbird pauses. ‘Thank you for helping,” Saps says with a weak grin and a bad attempt at a thumbs-up. His fingers still aren’t properly working, courtesy of that stupid splash potion.
Snowbird stares at him blankly before he places Saps back onto his shoulder again and continues walking. They pass over moss and trash before they're finally out of the sewer system. There was really too much today and Saps felt a little tired. He decides, if Snowbird is going to carry him, he can’t complain about Saps sleeping. Saps closes his eyes.
“…”
Saps can hear a distant and rough ‘you’re welcome’ but he feels like he’s underwater as he slowly drifts off into slumber, body becoming limp.
“You're welcome..” Snowbird finally responds with reluctance after he realizes Saps has fallen asleep.
‘I’ll interrogate him tomorrow,’ Snowbird thinks. There’s definitely more hazardous information of that dangerous scientist than what he heard from eavesdropping into their conversations and Saps reading aloud the notes. Saps has an unnaturally hot temperature and Snowbird admits, maybe he was a little worried about the other.
Snowbird quietly adjusts his hold on the sleepy Saps so he’s carried more securely in the safety of his arms.
Snowbird sighs. He still has a lot of work to do. There’s a lot more stuff going on in the background than he thought and Snowbird doesn’t like it one bit.
‘This sure is a Paradise City,’ Snowbird grumbles as he begins to wander around. First, he should find a place to settle down temporarily if he’s holding an injured person.