When the lift stopped on the main floor and opened the gate, the group got off it. Michelle looked at her right side before twisting the knob.
Soon after, the mechanism switched from the empty slot to the purple hand. "We'll need to let the others know that it's safe to come here," she said before turning her head to Bubba Bubbaphant. "Bubba, can you do that?"
Bubba Bubbaphant nodded. "You got it," he said before sprinting toward the front. Michelle looked forward and saw the large blue battery on the ground. "Now to get that in the socket," she said before walking forward.
When Michelle was close to the battery, she grabbed the right trigger. Before Michelle could do anything, CatNap grabbed the battery, which made her flinch a bit, before putting it in the socket.
Michelle turned her head to CatNap with a slight chuckle. "Thanks for that..." she said. "But next time, try not to sneak up on me." CatNap lowered his head to Michelle. "SORRY, ANGEL..." he said, lowly. Michelle smiled and petted CatNap's head, which made him purr.
Michelle looked at the button underneath the socket before pressing it. Two cables started lighting up and reached for the machine with three containers. "DogDay," she said. DogDay nodded before pressing the button on the machine.
After the machine booted up, the gas in the center container moved to the left container before going through small pipes. Soon after, the lights turned back on. "It's finally done..." Mommy Long Legs said, lowly. Michelle turned her flashlight off before closing it.
The group heard footsteps, which made them turn to the front. The group saw Bubba Bubbaphant and the others enter. "I brought the group and filled them in on what happened," he said. Michelle nodded. "Thank you, Bubba," she said.
Bunzo Bunny sprinted toward Michelle and tackled her in a hug, which pushed her back. CatNap caught Michelle with his tail. "Thanks for that," she said.
Bunzo Bunny trembled. "When you were gone for so long, I was getting worried..." he said, lowly. Michelle frowned a bit before picking Bunzo Bunny up and wrapping her arms around him. "It's OK, Bunzo... I'm still here..." she said, lowly.
Bobby BearHug eyed CatNap. "Are we certain that he's on our side now?" she asked. Miss Delight looked at CatNap. "I kinda agree with Ms. Bobby..." she said. "What if it's all an act for the Prototype?"
CatNap growled, and his ears pointed back. "FALSE GOD..." he said. Michelle looked at CatNap. "I don't think it's an act," she said. CatNap lowered his head to Michelle. "I can confidently say he's on our side now," she continued before scratching under his chin.
CatNap closed his eyes and purred. "THE ANGEL WILL FREE US..." he said. Michelle smiled. Or die trying... she thought. Michelle looked at the others. "Now then, I think it's time we get the hell out of this place," she said.
DogDay nodded. "There's a way to escape this area," he said, which made the others look at him. "In fact... it's how we got here in the first place." DogDay gestured to the left. "This way," he said before walking forward.
As the other toys followed DogDay, Michelle stared at the opening before placing Bunzo Bunny down. After Michelle took Bunzo Bunny's hand, they walked forward, which made CatNap follow behind them.
As the group entered the room, Michelle looked at the vault-like hatch. "Good, you're here..." the voice surprised them. The group looked around. "Poppy..." Huggy Wuggy said, lowly.
"And you've done it again, Michelle... after everything you've been through, you've done the impossible and befriended CatNap as well," Poppy said. "Just like I knew you would."
The vault-like hatch started opening, which made the group look at it. Soon after, the group saw a lift. "With the Red Smoke diverted, everything is falling into place, thanks to you," Poppy said.
Poppy came out of the vent, which made the others look at her. "But if we're to keep going... there's something you need to know, Michelle..." she continued. "Have you ever wondered what happened to the employees who worked here?"
Michelle let go of Bunzo Bunny's hand before crossing her arms. "I did find it weird that the place was suddenly shut down and not a single person from that company was ever found..." she said.
Poppy held out a VHS tape. "This tape has that answer..." she said before approaching the VHS player. "We called it 'The Hour of Joy'..." After Poppy inserted the tape into the player, the TV beside Michelle lit up, which made her look at it and approach it.
When Michelle was close, she saw a text reading 'The Hour of Joy' on the screen. Soon after, the screen changed to a room with a few employees standing by Huggy Wuggy.
Soon after, the scene showed Huggy Wuggy pouncing on an employee and biting his head off, which made Michelle's eyes widen, before he swatted another guy away and started attacking others.
The TV went static before it showed Mommy Long Legs grabbing employees and lifting them in the air. Soon after, the people hit the ground hard, which made Michelle cover her mouth.
The scene changed to a man falling down the stairs before Mini Smiling Critters and Mini Huggies attacked him. Another scene showed a man entering a room before multiple Miss Delights entered the room.
Soon after, the screen showed Kissy Missy strapped to a table before swatting employees and running away. Soon after, the scene showed a large jack-in-the-box toy eating a man before running away. "A Boxy Boo..." Michelle said, lowly.
Soon after, the scene changed to CatNap throwing an employee at the bottom of the stairs, which killed him instantly. Soon after, the TV showed corpses in different areas, which left Michelle mortified.
When the screen turned off, Michelle trembled and crossed her arms before looking down. "I remember hearing every moment of it..." Poppy said, which made her glance at her. "It went on for so long... so agonizingly long..."
Poppy looked down. "They tried to hide, to run, anything to stay alive..." she continued. "I remember their cries: 'What's going on?' 'Why is this happening?' 'What are those things?'"
Poppy closed her eyes and sniffled a bit. "Senseless slaughter, that's all it really was," she said. "They killed everyone..."
When Michelle turned her head to the group, most of them looked down in guilt. "The guilty, the innocent, didn't matter..." Poppy continued. "All that death... it didn't fix anything." Michelle approached the group. "Is what she said true?" she asked. "Did you really...?"
Tears pricked Mommy Long Legs's eyes. "It's all true..." she said, lowly. "We killed those people..." Tears fell from the smaller toys. "There were a few that refused to participate, but..." Mommy Long Legs continued. "Some of the larger toys blindly followed the Prototype."
Mommy Long Legs covered her face with her hands. "I know, after seeing that... there's no way you could forgive us, my little Misha..." she said, lowly, before crying.
Some of the group was crying while Huggy Wuggy and CatNap looked away in shame, which broke Michelle's heart. Michelle approached Mommy Long Legs and gently rubbed her hand against her arm. "Hey, it's alright..." she said, lowly.
Mommy Long Legs uncovered her face and glanced at Michelle. "You remember what I said back at the catwalk, right?" she asked rhetorically. "Not everyone is perfect; everyone has their flaws... including me."
The other toys looked at Michelle as she turned to them. "Most, if not all of you, were young when this happened, and you believed what you did was the right thing," she continued.
Michelle looked down. "While I feel bad about those that didn't know about the Bigger Bodies Initiative or the children being turned into smaller toys, this company is guilty of your pain and suffering," she said.
Michelle looked at her hands as tears pricked her eyes. "Plus... I've already had my fair share of killing someone in this cursed place..." she said, lowly.
Michelle shook her head and looked at the group. "But you were quick to give me a second chance. So I don't care about the stuff you did back then," she continued. "You had every right to be angry at this company; I sure as hell would be, too."
Michelle held her hands out. "I'm not gonna define you by your past mistakes... I'll define you for who you are now..." she said. The group stared at Michelle before Huggy Wuggy picked her up, which surprised her.
Huggy Wuggy hugged Michelle as tears fell down his face. "Huggy sorry..." he said, lowly. Tears fell from Mommy Long Legs's eyes before she wrapped her arms around the duo. "I'm so sorry..." she said, lowly.
PJ Pug-A-Pillar climbed up on Mommy Long Legs with the Mini Huggies and Bunzo Bunny on him before rubbing his head against Michelle's cheek with a whine. "We're sorry too..." Bunzo Bunny said, lowly, as the Mini Huggies cried.
Miss Delight approached the group and laid her head against Huggy Wuggy's leg. "Sorry..." she said, lowly. Michelle smiled a bit as the toys around her cried.
CatNap stared at the group before looking away, which made Michelle look at him. After Huggy Wuggy placed Michelle on the ground, she approached CatNap. "And I don't blame your actions, too, CatNap," she said.
When CatNap turned his head to Michelle, she held her hand out with a gentle smile. "At the time, the Prototype saved your life when you were human. Whether it was genuine or if he had an ulterior motive to it, I don't care," she continued. "I'm just glad that you're still here with us."
CatNap stared at Michelle's hand before he started trembling, and tears pricked his eyes, which shocked the Smiling Critters and Poppy. CatNap laid his chin in Michelle's hand. "THANK YOU, ANGEL..." he said, lowly.
Michelle smiled before turning her head to Poppy. "If I may ask... what happened to the corpses in that video?" she asked. "Last I checked, I didn't find a single one since I've been in here."
Poppy looked down. "They dragged the corpses down below where they'd never be found," she said. "And they... ate the bodies... to stay alive." Michelle looked down. So that's what Bubba meant on 'cling onto humanity'... she thought.
The gate opened, which made the toys turn to it; soon after, Kissy Missy came out of it. "The Prototype has to die... for this... for everything..." Poppy said.
Kissy Missy held her hand next to Poppy, which made her get on it. "We should get going," she continued. Michelle remained silent and clenched her free fist. "Michelle?" Poppy asked.
Soon after, Michelle undid her fists before removing her hand from CatNap's chin and facing Poppy, Kissy Missy, and the Smiling Critters. "If I'm going with you, I need questions answered; I don't care who says it," she said. "If you lie to me or dodge the question..."
Michelle sternly looked at the small group. "I'm taking my group with me, including CatNap, and leaving the rest of you behind," she continued. The small group was shocked. "But the Prototype—" Michelle glared at the small group. "Prototype be damned!"
The room went silent. "I'm sick of people hiding stuff from me as an act of protecting me!" Michelle shouted. "I've been lied to and let down by so many people, and I'm sick of it?! I'm not the same child you once knew!"
As Michelle tried catching her breath, CatNap looked at her. "ANGEL..." he said, lowly. Michelle glanced at CatNap and petted his cheek, which made him close his eyes with a low purr.
Michelle softly smiled at CatNap before sternly looking at the small group. "I want the truth, and if you don't provide it... my group and I are gone..." she said. Kissy Missy tilted her head. "What Misha's question?" she asked.
Michelle took a deep breath and exhaled before looking at the small group. "Kevin and Katelynn Barnes... they were turned into toys, weren't they?" she asked.
Most of the small group froze and looked away. Now I'll know if they're a group I can trust or not, Michelle thought. DogDay stared at Michelle before stepping forward. "Yes, they were," he said, which made the small group look at him, shocked.
Bobby BearHug held her arm out. "DogDay—" DogDay turned his head to her. "She's involved in this just as much as we are... she deserves to know the truth,"
Bobby BearHug lowered her arm a bit before holding her other arm and looking away. Michelle stared at DogDay. "What kind of toys were they turned into?" she asked.
DogDay looked at Michelle. "Kevin became part of Experiment 1322, also known as Doey the Doughman," he said. "As for Katelynn... she became Experiment 1332, also known as Suzy the Slimewoman."
Michelle looked at DogDay. "And both of them are at Safe Haven?" she asked. DogDay nodded. "As far as I'm aware, they should be at Safe Haven," he said.
Michelle stared at DogDay before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. After exhaling, Michelle looked at the small group. "Well then, it's time for us to head to Safe Haven," she said.
DogDay nodded before turning his head to the other Smiling Critters. "Bobby, you go on ahead to Safe Haven with Bubba and Kickin'," he said.
The trio was shocked. "But what about you?" Bobby BearHug asked. DogDay looked at Michelle. "I'll accompany Misha and her group," he said before glancing at CatNap, which made him sternly look at him.
KickinChicken looked at DogDay. "You can't be serious, Boss Dog," he said. Bubba Bubbaphant looked at DogDay. "At least let one of us accompany you," he said.
DogDay sternly looked at the trio, which shocked them. "That's a direct order; don't make me repeat myself," he said. The trio was silent before nodding. "Just be careful..." Bobby BearHug said.
DogDay nodded before the trio got on the lift. DogDay approached a lever near the CatNap cutout. "We'll see you back at Safe Haven," he said before pulling it down.
The gate closed before the lift started going down. "Once the lift is back up, the rest of us will get on," Poppy said. Michelle realized something before looking at Poppy. "Hang on, if all of us are gonna get on that lift, who's gonna pull the lever?" she asked.
Poppy looked at Kissy Missy. "Well... I could leave Kissy behind so—" Michelle sternly looked at her. "Are you an idiot?!" Poppy looked at Michelle, surprised. "You were gonna leave Kissy up here all by herself?! To hell with that bullshit!" she shouted.
Michelle flinched a bit and sighed before rubbing the back of her neck. "Sorry... I lost my cool..." she said before sternly looking at Poppy. "But still, I don't think it's wise to leave her up here all alone. Especially if a psychopath like the Prototype comes by."
Poppy froze a bit and looked down. "You... do make a valid point..." she said, lowly. Michelle crossed her arms. "I think our best bet would be if a large toy sticks with Kissy," she said. Huggy Wuggy lit up and raised his hand. "Huggy stay with Kissy," he said.
Michelle looked at Huggy Wuggy, surprised. "You want to stay up here?" she asked. Huggy Wuggy nodded. "Huggy protect Kissy," he said. Kissy Missy blushed and glanced away. "Huggy..." she said, lowly.
Michelle looked at Huggy Wuggy. "Well, if you insist, I won't force you to change your mind," she said before looking down and crossing her arms. "But still... two of the same kind of toy being up here..."
Mommy Long Legs placed her finger on Michelle's shoulder, which made her turn her head to her. "No need to worry, my little Misha; I'll be accompanying them as well," she said. Michelle smiled a bit. "Well... that does put me at ease a little..." she said.
Huggy Wuggy knelt and took off Michelle's bag before holding it out. "Misha's bag..." he said. Michelle grabbed her bag. "Thanks, bud," she said. Miss Delight looked at Michelle. "I can carry it in Huggy's stead, Miss Misha," she said.
Michelle nodded and helped Miss Delight put the bag on before looking at the duo. "There's something else I'd like to say," she said. "I know it's not in your nature, but if you encounter another dangerous toy or the Prototype himself... run away immediately."
Michelle crossed her arms and looked down. "I'd rather you come back to me and the others alive than die in a fight," she continued.
Huggy Wuggy looked at Michelle before placing his hand on her head. "Huggy promise..." he said; Mommy Long Legs nodded. "I promise, too," she said. Michelle smiled and turned her head to Kissy Missy. "Make sure you keep these two in check, OK?" she asked.
Kissy Missy nodded before hearing a metal noise; Michelle turned to the back and saw the lift. Michelle took a deep breath and exhaled before approaching the lift. "I think that's our cue to get going," she said, which made some of the toys follow her.
Kissy Missy held the arm holding Poppy out to the lift, which made her get on it. Poppy turned to Kissy Missy. "As soon as we reach the bottom, we'll send the lift back up," she said.
Kissy Missy nodded before approaching the lever; Poppy smiled at Michelle. "After you!" she said. Michelle nodded before she and the other toys got on the lift.
Mommy Long Legs looked at Michelle. "Be careful down there..." she said, lowly, which made her nod. DogDay looked at Kissy Missy as she approached him. "Stay safe out here..." he said, lowly.
Kissy Missy nodded as DogDay approached the lift. When DogDay got on the lift, Kissy Missy placed her hand on the lever before pulling it down.
Soon after, the lift started going down, which made Poppy sigh and walk forward. "Alright... once we hit the ground, we need to be cautious, there's something—" before she could continue, they heard screeching, which shocked them and made them look up.
Michelle's face went pale. "Based on the sound, that's Kissy!" she shouted. Poppy was worried as the screeches continued. "What's she doing; this isn't..." she said, lowly. Soon after, the group heard a different screech. "Get away from her!" Mommy Long Legs shouted.
Michelle's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth. "Mommy... Huggy..." she said, lowly. Poppy was mortified. "No, no, no... NO!" she shouted before pressing a button on the console. Soon after, the lift started going up. "We're coming; just hold on!" Poppy shouted.
The vault-like hatch started closing. "We won't make it on time!" DogDay shouted. Poppy panicked. "C'mon, c'mon! Go faster!" she shouted. Michelle stared up in horror as the area went darker. "You guys!" Poppy shouted before the hatch closed.