After the duo climbed the stairs, they stood before a large, grand stone building with large pillars and stone models of the Smiling Critters on top of it. "Here we are... the Counselor's Office..." Michelle said in a low voice.
The duo approached the door before Michelle put the key in the lock and twisted it, which unlocked the double doors. After Michelle let go of the key, she grabbed the doorknobs before twisting them and opening them.
As the duo walked forward, Michelle crossed her arms and uncomfortably looked around the room. DogDay turned his head to Michelle and noticed her expression. "I take it you're not a fan of this place?" he asked.
Michelle looked down before nodding. "Whenever Kevin disappeared on Katie and me, the first place we went to was the Counselor's Office," she said. "The people would always say that he was adopted, but..."
Michelle clenched her arms. "It didn't make sense..." she continued. "If he was adopted, why didn't they take Katie with them?"
Tears pricked Michelle's eyes. "And then the same stuff happened when Katie disappeared..." she said. "I tried to get an answer, but it was the same thing... I wish I could've done more..."
DogDay looked down with somber eyes as the duo entered a room with a battery socket. Michelle looked around the room with a hum. "There's a battery in here somewhere..." she said in a low voice.
DogDay looked at the vent and noticed a glowing green light before approaching it. When DogDay was close to the vent, he looked inside and spotted a battery before reaching for it.
Soon after, DogDay grabbed the battery's handle and pulled it out of the vent before holding it out to Michelle. "Here," he said.
Michelle uncrossed her arms before grabbing the battery in her arms before DogDay let go of its handle. "Thank you," she said before approaching the battery socket and putting it inside, which made the door in front of them open.
As the duo entered the room, they saw a battery socket behind the desk, a few TVs hanging above them, and a white VHS player on top of a filing cabinet. Michelle looked around the room. "I'm not seeing another battery..." she said in a low voice.
Michelle grabbed the right arm cannon's handle before facing the battery in the other room. "I guess it's time for me to get resourceful," she said before twisting the knob.
The orange hand switched to the green hand before Michelle aimed the right arm cannon at the battery's handle and pulled the trigger.
The green hand shot forward and grabbed the battery's handle before pulling it into the room, which closed the door. As Michelle approached the battery socket, she noticed a white VHS tape on the desk before approaching it.
After Michelle picked up the tape, she examined it before noticing a label that said 'Emergency Alert' on it. "Emergency alert..." she said in a low voice before looking at the player.
Michelle approached the player before putting the tape inside it, which turned the TV screens on and started making emergency alert noises.
Michelle looked at one of the TV screens as it turned red and saw a text that said, 'Emergency Alert System Effective 8/8/1995 11:00:00 EST Playtime Company Issues a Work Force Danger Alert'.
Soon after, the duo saw words on the screens. "The following message is for all Playtime Company employees," a male voice said. "At 11:01 AM, Eastern Standard Time, an unknown hostile force was declared present within the Playtime Co. Facility."
DogDay looked away and crossed his arms. "Personnel are to begin enacting emergency evacuation protocols immediately," the male voice continued. "Leave all personal belongings; do not engage with any hostile individuals."
The duo heard static coming from the TVs. "If no exit path is available, seek shelter in a hidden location. Use blankets or pillows to cover your body, and remain silent," the male voice said. "Do not look through any windows; do not open doors for any individuals."
The static grew louder. "Do not make eye contact with—" the audio cut off before Michelle saw a text on the screens that said, 'OPEN THE DOORS NOW. THE HOUR OF JOY HAS ARRIVED.'
Michelle uncomfortably stared at the screen as all of the TVs made emergency alert noises before they went dark. "That Hour of Joy again..." she said. "What even is that?"
When Michelle turned to DogDay, she noticed his eyes were closed, trembling, and his arms were clenched. Michelle stared at DogDay, concerned, before she quickly approached and placed her left hand on his back. "DogDay?" she asked.
DogDay stopped trembling and opened his eyes before looking at Michelle; he looked away before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.
After DogDay exhaled, he opened his eyes again and looked at Michelle. "I... I'm alright now..." he said before looking at the door connected to the wire. "We should keep moving."
Michelle stared at DogDay before nodding and pulling her left hand away. "Alright..." she said before approaching the battery socket.
After Michelle put the battery inside the battery socket, the door opened before they approached it.
As the duo entered the hallway, Michelle looked through the door's glass and saw an office room. "Nothing so far..." she said in a low voice before turning her head to DogDay. "Anything on your end?"
DogDay stared at the room with a few large objects blocking the door and the word 'Help' written in dry blood. "Nothing..." he said in a low voice before the duo walked forward.
When the duo reached the end of the hallway, they saw a waiting room with a battery socket next to the door on the left. "We're gonna need a battery for that door," Michelle said.
When Michelle turned her head to the right, she saw a room with a closed door and a hole in the wall filled with Red Smoke.
As Michelle looked through the hole, she saw a small Bunzo Bunny running in the room, coughing before collapsing on the ground, which shocked her. "Oh no," she said before sprinting toward it.
DogDay quickly followed behind Michelle. "Hey, wait! Don't—" he was interrupted when she saw CatNap grab the unconscious Bunzo Bunny with his mouth, which made her stop near the hole before running away.
Michelle stared at the hole, distraught, before looking down and letting go of the right arm cannon's handle. Soon after, Michelle clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, which made DogDay look at her, concerned. "Misha?" he asked.
Michelle glanced at a lamp on a small table before grabbing it and pulling the cord out of the plug. When Michelle was close to the door, she slammed the base of the lamp against the door window, which shocked DogDay. "Damn it!" she shouted.
Michelle kept hitting the door window with the lamp. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!" she shouted before hitting it hard, which shattered the glass.
DogDay quickly approached Michelle. "Hey, that's enough," he said as he carefully grabbed the arm holding the lamp and wrapped his other arm around her waist before pulling her away from the door.
Michelle tried to catch her breath and looked down before gripping the lamp. "Why am I so pathetic?" she asked.
DogDay looked at Michelle as she trembled. "It's like all those years ago again..." she said. "I couldn't save Kevin... I couldn't save Katelynn..."
Tears pricked Michelle's eyes as she threw the lamp near the door. "I can't even save a fucking Bunzo Bunny for the life of me!!" she shouted before covering her eyes with her free hand. "I'm a failure..."
DogDay looked at Michelle with somber eyes before sitting down and placing her in his lap. "You're anything but a failure, Misha," he said. "You've done everything you could do."
Michelle pulled her hand away from her eyes and looked at DogDay before laying her head against his chest. "How do you do it?" she asked, which made him look at her. "How did you become a great leader?"
DogDay stared at Michelle before looking down. "There's no such thing as a great leader..." he said, which made her look at him. "However, good leaders are real."
DogDay looked at Michelle. "Since I was the eldest of my group... I was deemed a leader in their eyes... therefore, they made me into this," he continued. "From my experience, there were key factors that made good leaders."
Michelle looked down. "Good leaders are resilient people who envision strategies and can communicate with their teammates," DogDay said. "However... they also have integrity and empathy for those who follow them and are fully aware of their weaknesses."
DogDay looked at Michelle with gentle eyes. "And through their experiences, they grow from them and take accountability for their failure," he continued. "And if their plan from before fails, they encourage their teammates with the task at hand and motivate them to accomplish their goal."
DogDay petted Michelle's head. "And what I saw from you, you've been a very good leader," he said. "Far better than me..."
Michelle looked away with a huff. "You're only saying that just to make me feel better..." she said in a low voice.
DogDay shook his head. "It's true," he said. "Your allies follow you more than my Smiling Critters followed me back in the day... CatNap included..."
Michelle glanced at DogDay. "I'm not sure if it was because he was the youngest out of all of us or if it was because of the Prototype's influence... he never listened to me," he continued.
DogDay looked at Michelle. "But you, they see you as someone they can trust... someone they put their faith in..." he said. "Not every leader is going to be perfect... they learn from their mistakes and overcome their torment..."
Michelle remained silent and looked down. "Never doubt your leadership skills," DogDay continued.
Michelle took a deep breath and exhaled before looking at DogDay with a slight smile. "Thank you, DogDay..." she said. "I needed to hear that."
DogDay nodded with happy eyes. "If you ever feel the world on your shoulders again, I'll lend an ear to you," he said before letting Michelle go.
After Michelle stood up properly, she saw a battery next to a socket in the room filled with Red Smoke. "There's my battery," she said as she approached the hole and grabbed the right arm cannon's handle before aiming at its handle and pulling the trigger.
The green hand shot forward and grabbed the battery's handle before retracting back to Michelle. When the duo was close to the door with the battery socket, Michelle put the battery inside it, which opened the door. "Let's keep going," she said.
DogDay nodded as the duo entered the hallway before walking forward. As Michelle looked around the hallway, she noticed a TV inside an office and stopped. "Hey, DogDay," she said, which made DogDay stop and turn to her. "There's a TV in this room; it might hold something important."
DogDay nodded as Michelle grabbed the doorknob before twisting it. After Michelle opened the door, the duo entered the office; she saw a light pink VHS player next to the TV. Michelle looked at the top of a filing cabinet and spotted a light pink VHS tape before approaching it.
When Michelle was near the filing cabinet, she grabbed the tape before looking at it. "What do you hold?" she asked herself before approaching the TV and inserting it into the player, which booted it up.
As the duo looked at the TV, they heard paper shuffling and a person make an annoyed hum until they heard knocking in the background. "Come in," a female voice said.
The duo heard the door open in the background. "Mrs. Garcia, I have today's documents from the other orphanage," a male voice said.
"Thank you, Scott; set them to the side," Mrs. Garcia said.
The duo heard papers being placed in the background. "Is something on your mind?" Scott asked. "You seem tense..."
The duo heard a sigh. "The scientists are getting on my case for choosing a few candidates for designation #1332," Mrs. Garcia said.
"Well, what about that one girl with the black hair in a braid... what was her name again? Mary? Millie?" Scott asked.
"Michelle," Mrs. Garcia said, which made Michelle's blood run cold. "Unfortunately, she's not part of Playcare, but I've heard that Leith wants to transfer her to our care."
Michelle let go of the right arm cannon's handle before crossing her arms. "Really? Did he say what day he'll talk to the orphanage?" Scott asked.
"Well, if there aren't any more incidents, he plans on talking to the owner of her orphanage in mid-August," Mrs. Garcia said.
The duo heard a loud sigh from the TV. "For now, though, she's off the table," Mrs. Garcia continued.
"What about the young girl always with her? If I remember correctly, one of the experiments used to be their sister," Scott said.
The duo heard a hum from the TV. "That could be a possible candidate..." Mrs. Garcia said.
When the TV turned off, Michelle trembled a bit and looked down, horrified; DogDay looked at her, concerned. "Misha?" he asked.
Michelle closed her eyes and clenched her arms before she stopped trembling, and her grip loosened. "I'm... I'm fine..." she said before turning away from the TV and uncrossing her arms. "Let's just leave this room."
DogDay nodded before the duo left the office; at the end of the hallway, they looked around. "I'm not seeing anything so far..." he said in a low voice.
Michelle looked up and noticed a large hole in the roof with a large handle at the top before pointing at it. "Up there," she said.
DogDay looked at the handle on the roof before nodding. "I see..." he said in a low voice.
DogDay picked Michelle up, which surprised her, before laying her on his right shoulder. "Hang on to me tight," he said.
Michelle nodded as she held DogDay's shoulder tight while he looked forward and stepped back a bit before stopping; he sprinted forward before jumping toward the wall.
DogDay placed his foot on the wall before pushing himself toward the other wall; he kept wall jumping until he grabbed the handle. DogDay turned his head to the right and saw a large vent with a large opening on the other side. "That's where we'll need to go," he said.
DogDay grabbed Michelle off his shoulder before placing her inside the vent. "Go on ahead, I'll be right behind you," he said.
Michelle nodded before crawling forward; when she poked her head out, she saw two catwalks: one with a jump pad on it, and the other with a large opening.
Michelle got out of the vent and landed on the ground before grabbing the right arm cannon's handle and twisting a knob.
After the green hand switched to the purple hand, Michelle sprinted toward the jump pad while aiming the right arm cannon at it before pulling the trigger. The purple hand launched Michelle to the other side before landing on the catwalk.
DogDay got out of the vent and landed on the ground while Michelle approached the opening. After DogDay jumped to the other side, the duo entered a cave area.
As the duo climbed the ramp, Michelle noticed a deactivated jump pad. "It's been a while since I did a puzzle," she said as she grabbed the left arm cannon's handle before looking around. "Where's the power source?"
Michelle looked at the wall and noticed a power socket near the ladder. "There it is," she said.
Michelle looked up and spotted a handle before aiming the left arm cannon at it and pulling the trigger. The blue hand shot forward and grabbed the handle before Michelle pulled herself up.
When Michelle reached the top, she swung forward and pulled the trigger, which made the blue hand retract back to her before landing on a platform with a pole in front of her.
After Michelle stood up properly, she turned her head to the left and spotted the input socket. "This one looks complicated, but I think I get the gist," she said.
Michelle turned toward the power socket before aiming the left arm cannon at it and pulling the trigger; the blue hand shot forward and touched it, which lit the cable.
Michelle wrapped the cable around the pole, which raised the platform with an activated jump pad. After Michelle stood on the jump pad, she aimed the right arm cannon at it before pulling the trigger, launching herself to the other side.
When Michelle landed on the lower platform, she pulled the trigger, which retracted the blue hand and made the platform on the other side drop.
Michelle faced the power socket and aimed the left arm cannon at it before pulling the trigger; the blue hand shot forward and touched it, which lit the cable.
Michelle wrapped the cable around the pole, which activated the jump pad. "Now, to get back to the other side," she said before approaching it.
When Michelle stood on the jump pad, she aimed the right arm cannon at it and pulled the trigger, launching herself to the other side. When Michelle landed on the platform, she aimed the right arm cannon at the handle before pulling the trigger.
The purple hand shot forward and grabbed the handle before Michelle pulled herself up; she swung forward and pulled the right trigger, which made the purple hand retract back to her before she landed on the ground.
After Michelle stood up properly, she wrapped the cable around the pole before aiming the right arm cannon at the input socket and pulling the trigger. The purple hand shot forward and touched the input socket, which lowered the platforms between them.
Michelle smiled as the GrabPack's hands retracted back to her before letting go of the arm cannons' handles. "I still got it..." she said in a low voice before dropping down.
After Michelle landed on the lower platform, she turned her head to DogDay. "Let's go," she said, which made him nod before they jumped from one platform to another.