The duo looked around the small room with a metal makeshift ramp on their left side before walking forward.
When the duo was close to the railings, Katelynn stepped forward and held it before looking down. "Whoa, it's the barracks..." she said, lowly. "I've never been here before..."
When Michelle was close to Katelynn, she saw multiple small houses at the top of the cavern.
Michelle looked down and saw a large machine in the center and multiple pieces of mining equipment. "There's some sort of mining pit down below," she said. "Just what was this company doing?"
Michelle walked away from the railing before looking at the ramp. "We'll take that ramp," she continued.
Katelynn nodded as she let go of the railing before picking Michelle up and placing her on the ramp. Michelle looked at the jump pad before twisting the knob, switching from the red hand to the purple hand.
When Michelle was close to the jump pad, she aimed and pulled the right trigger, launching herself in the air before landing on another jump pad. Katelynn followed Michelle as she launched herself onto a rocky platform with the purple hand.
Michelle looked at the handle above the gap before aiming at it and pulling the left trigger, launching the blue hand and grabbing it. Michelle swung herself to the other side before making the blue hand let go and landing on the ground.
Katelynn stretched her arm and grabbed the handle before swinging herself to the other side. After Katelynn let go of the handle and landed on the ground, the duo walked forward before going through the opening on the left.
After the duo climbed the ramp and turned left, they saw a jump pad with electrified water before it, which made Michelle grit her teeth. "Well, that's just great..." she said, lowly.
Katelynn was concerned. "What now?" she asked.
Michelle took a deep breath and exhaled. "We don't have a choice," she said before sprinting toward the jump pad and pulling the right trigger.
As Michelle launched herself over the electrified water, the purple hand started malfunctioning. The Doctor started chuckling as Michelle landed on the ground, which made her growl with angry eyes. "He's so dead..." she said.
Katelynn shot her hand on the roof and swung over the electrified water before letting go and landing on the ground. Katelynn stood properly and approached Michelle before looking at the malfunctioning purple hand, worried. "Oh no..." she said.
Michelle closed her eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling. "It's fine..." she said before looking at Katelynn with a slight smile. "I got you by my side in case some enemies get close by."
Katelynn looked at Michelle before smiling and nodding. "You can count on me, Big Sister," she said.
Michelle smiled at Katelynn before looking forward with serious eyes. "Now then, let's find a way to get into the Doctor's lair," she said before walking forward.
Katelynn nodded and followed behind Michelle; soon after, they entered a large, dark room. Michelle looked around the area. "I'm not seeing anything so far..." she said, lowly.
Michelle looked at the roof and spotted a handle between a large gap before aiming at it and pulling the left trigger, launching the blue hand and grabbing it.
Soon after, the gate before the large gap opened, which made Michelle look at it before looking down, revealing a large room with multiple cages. "Katie... I need you to get to the lower floor," she said.
Katelynn looked at Michelle, concerned. "Big Sister?" she asked.
Michelle turned her head to Katelynn. "Something tells me we're getting out of the frying pan and into the fire," she said.
Katelynn stared at Michelle before approaching the ledge and jumping down. Katelynn landed on the ground and stood properly before approaching the center of the room.
Michelle looked forward before stepping back; when she was far back, she sprinted forward and jumped.
Halfway through the swing, the handle electrocuted Michelle, which made her scream and retract the blue hand before falling. "Just like them; a blind, scurrying little rat," the Doctor said.
Katelynn held her arms out before she caught Michelle; the door on their left side closed, and the gate to the lift closed, which made them look around. "You think 1166 and poor Cat-Bee were my only pets?" the Doctor asked.
Michelle turned her head to the back and saw a shutter open. Soon after, Michelle saw a big Baba Chops come out of the opening, which made her eyes widen. "You know far less than you believe," the Doctor said.
Baba Chops bleated and charged toward the duo before leaping forward; Katelynn quickly moved out of the way, which made them bite a part of a metal pole before letting go and landing on the ground.
When the duo looked at Baba Chops, they noticed the bite mark on the pole was melting a bit. "That Baba Chops has some kind of acid bite," Michelle said.
Katelynn placed Michelle on the ground, which made her look at her, before she glared at Baba Chops. "You find the way out of this place for us," she said as her fingertips turned into claws, and her blue teeth extended. "Baba is mine."
Michelle looked at Katelynn, shocked. "Hang on, isn't acid and slime—" she was interrupted when she sprinted toward Baba Chops. "Don't worry; I'll make sure it doesn't bite me!"
Katelynn tried slashing Baba Chops, but they moved out of the way. Michelle looked at Katelynn, concerned, as she continuously slashed at Baba Chops while they dodged. "Katie..." she said, lowly.
Michelle quickly shook her head and slapped her cheeks. "She's counting on me to get us out of here," she continued before looking forward, determined. "So, I should count on her to take care of Baba."
As Michelle sprinted around the room, she spotted batteries inside the cages. "There are cables all around this area, so there's more than likely buttons like in No Man's Land... so let's find the one with the blue lit cables," she said before sprinting toward the right side.
Baba Chops bleated before charging toward Katelynn and leaping toward her; she slid out of the way before they got close.
Baba Chops continuously leaped toward Katelynn, but she dodged them with a grin. "I may not be as strong as my Big Brother or Doey, but when it comes to speed, I'm much faster since I can slide on the ground," she said before jumping.
Katelynn stretched her arm and slashed Baba Chops's back, which made them bleat in pain. "I'm also just as agile as he is!" she shouted before landing on the ground.
Baba Chops glared at Katelynn with a menacing growl, which made her grin and make a 'come hither' motion with her right hand. "That's it, focus on me," she said.
Baba Chops angrily bleated before charging toward Katelynn and leaping toward her, which made her dodge. As Katelynn dodged Baba Chops, she was determined. I'll do whatever it takes to keep Big Sister safe, she thought.
When Michelle was close to the button with three cables: one red and two blue, she aimed at it and pulled the left trigger. The blue hand shot forward and pressed the button, which rerouted the cable's power and opened the red hatch.
When Michelle was close to the red hatch, she crouched and saw a large Poe leaping around inside the cage with a battery next to it.
Michelle aimed at the battery and pulled the left trigger, launching the blue hand and grabbing it before retracting. "I remember seeing battery sockets on the right side and the left side; the left side is where I'll go first," she said as she stood up and sprinted toward the back before turning left.
When Michelle was close to the socket, she aimed at it with the battery before pulling the left trigger, launching the blue hand and placing it inside, which powered the button and opened a green hatch.
Michelle turned her head to Katelynn as she swiftly dodged Baba Chops. Please be careful, Katie, she thought before sprinting toward the back.
When Michelle was close to the open green hatch, she crouched and saw a battery inside before aiming and pulling the left trigger.
The blue hand shot forward and grabbed the battery before retracting. "There's my second one," Michelle said before standing up and sprinting to the right.
At the center of the room, Katelynn tried to catch her breath as Baba Chops panted; soon after, they bleated and leaped toward her. Katelynn growled with her blue teeth showing. "I've had just about enough of you!" she shouted as she swung her tail.
Katelynn's tail hit Baba Chops hard, which made it yell before it hit the cage hard. After Michelle plugged the battery into the socket with the blue hand, she aimed at the button before pulling the left trigger again, launching it, and pressing the button, which rerouted the cables.
Baba Chops angrily bleated before biting Katelynn's tail, which made her flinch. After Michelle retracted the blue hand, she heard Katelynn's scream, which made her eyes widen and turn her head to the back in a panic. "Katie?!" she shouted before sprinting forward.
As Baba Chops kept biting Katelynn's tail, she grinned a bit. "You think you won just because you bit my tail?" she asked rhetorically. "Once I knew you had an acidic bite, I had the advantage even if you bit me..."
Katelynn remembered looking at vials on a counter in the infirmary as Suzy. "Back when I was Suzy, someone from Safe Haven found different kinds of vials filled with acid," she said.
Katelynn remembered Kevin looking at Suzy with angry eyes, and his arms crossed, which made her look down with a sweatdrop. "After messing with one of the bottles, I got scolded by Big Brother," she continued.
Katelynn remembered Bobby BearHug and Medic looking at the vial stuck on the wall with pink slime on it. "But we also discovered that a strong acid makes my slime extra sticky," she said.
The slime on Katelynn's tail started sticking onto Baba Chops. "Therefore..." she continued before lifting it.
Katelynn threw Baba Chops, along with the slime on them, toward a different cage, which made them hit it hard and bleat in pain. Baba Chops tried to move, but the slime on their body kept them in place.
Katelynn smiled as Baba Chops angrily bleated. "It might not be a permanent solution, but that should hold you in place," she said.
Michelle sprinted toward Katelynn. "Katie!" she shouted.
When Katelynn turned to Michelle, she hugged her, which shocked her. When Katelynn looked at Michelle, she noticed she was trembling. "When you screamed, I thought something horrible had happened to you," she said, lowly, as she clenched onto her. "I..."
Katelynn frowned a bit before wrapping her arms around Michelle and petting her head. "Sorry if I scared you, Big Sister," she said. "But don't worry, I'm fine."
Michelle pulled her head away and looked at Katelynn's damaged tail, concerned. "But your tail..." she said.
Katelynn smiled. "It's all good," she said as her tail quickly repaired on its own, which shocked Michelle. "My body repairs itself like an actual axolotl."
Michelle sighed and let go of Katelynn before looking at her. "While I'm glad about that, it would've been nice to know about it in the first place," she said.
Katelynn giggled and gently placed her fist against her head. "Sorry," she said.
Michelle looked at the battery near the shutter. "I managed to place one of the batteries toward the back," she said. "If I can grab the other battery and rewrite the power to make that shutter open again, I should be able to get whatever is inside it."
Katelynn nodded before looking at Baba Chops as it kept biting at the slime. "If Baba frees itself from my slime, I'll keep them in place," she said. "Get that shutter open."
Michelle nodded before sprinting toward the other battery. When Michelle was close to the battery, she aimed at it and pulled the left trigger, launching the blue hand and grabbing it.
After the blue hand retracted with the battery in hand, Michelle sprinted toward the other battery socket.
When Michelle was close to the battery socket, she aimed at it and pulled the left trigger, launching the blue hand and plugging the battery inside. The shutter to the small room opened, which made Michelle sprint toward it.
After Michelle entered the small room, she spotted a dark blue keycard hanging above a corpse before approaching it and grabbing it. "Please see that he doesn't eat ALL of you," the Doctor said. "I'd like there to be SOMETHING I can still use."
Michelle glared at the intercoms. "You fucker..." she said, lowly, before leaving the room.
Soon after, Baba Chops freed himself and landed on the ground before angrily bleating at Michelle and leaping toward her. Katelynn shot her hand toward Baba and grabbed his neck tightly before pulling him back and raising him in the air.
Before Baba Chops could do anything, Katelynn roared before slamming him to the ground hard, which made him bleat in pain. Michelle looked at Katelynn, shocked, as she kept slamming Baba Chops into the ground until the ground under him formed a crater.
As Baba Chops twitched in the crater, Katelynn tried to catch her breath as she let go of him, and her blue teeth retracted. "I don't think he'll be getting up for a while..." she said.
Michelle stared at Katelynn as she looked at her with a nervous smile and a sweatdrop. "Hey... think you can keep this between us and not tell Big Brother?" she asked.
Michelle chuckled a bit. "He'll probably find out eventually, but yeah... I'll keep it between us," she said before walking forward. "Now I need to rewrite the power cables and put the keycard into the machine."
Katelynn nodded before the duo walked forward; when they were close to the other side, they looked at the buttons.
Michelle aimed at the button on the right before pulling the left trigger, launching the blue hand and pressing it, while Katelynn stretched her arm toward the button on the left and pressed it, which rerouted the cables to the door next to a machine with a dark blue keycard slot.
Michelle approached the machine before putting the dark blue keycard inside the slot, which opened the door, before the duo approached it.
When the duo entered the room, they saw a vital chamber with Simon Smoke inside it, which shocked them, before the door closed behind them. "Do you believe you're taking the moral high ground? Is that what you believe?" the Doctor asked.
Michelle glared at the intercom. "Dear child, let me illuminate for you an obvious truth: survival necessitates choices. Difficult choices..." the Doctor said.
When the duo turned their heads to the back, they saw multiple Nightmare Critters approaching the door and punching the glass, which caused it to crack a bit.
Katelynn stood before Michelle while she gritted her teeth. "This one is yours," the Doctor said. "If you want to leave this room, it'll come at a cost; it's this little life, or yours. You know what you have to do."
Michelle growled a bit and looked at the vital chamber. "Just the slightest pull, and you snuff whatever minuscule bit of light still flickers behind those faraway eyes," the Doctor continued.
When Michelle looked at Simon Smoke, she noticed he was terrified, which surprised her. "That brutish glob of clay would do it. Poppy would do it; it's YOUR mission," the Doctor said. "The door will open. Or... is maintaining the veil of your 'morality' more important? Act quickly."
The Nightmare Critters near the door were banging on it while the others kept hitting the glass, which caused more cracks. Katelynn glared at the door with a slight growl. "Damn those things..." she said, lowly.
Michelle stared at Simon Smoke before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. After Michelle exhaled, she opened her eyes, determined, before cracking her knuckles. "Katie," she said.
Katelynn looked at Michelle as she pulled her right hand into her jacket sleeve and made a fist while holding onto it. "This also stays between us; no telling Kevin about this," she continued.
Katelynn stared at Michelle before nodding. "Alright..." she said, lowly.
Michelle pulled her right arm back and yelled before punching the glass part of the chamber, which shattered it.
Simon Smoke stared at Michelle, shocked as she pulled her hand out of her sleeve before grabbing him and holding him in her right arm. "That's my answer to all of your bullshit," she said before stepping away from the vital chamber.
When Michelle looked up, she spotted a hole with a handle on the roof before looking at Katelynn. "Katie, the roof!" she shouted.
Katelynn looked at Michelle. "Right!" she shouted before sprinting toward her.
Katelynn wrapped her right arm around Michelle before looking at the roof and stretching her other arm to the handle. When Katelynn grabbed the handle, she pulled herself up with Michelle and Simon Smoke before the Nightmare Critters entered the room.
When the trio was at the top, they saw a vent grille; Michelle looked at Katelynn, which made her nod and hold her out to it. Michelle placed her left hand on the vent grille before pushing it open.
Katelynn placed Michelle on the ground on the other side of the opening before she got out. "Fine... have it your way," the Doctor said. "Come on in; the doctor will see you."
The duo looked at the large yellow door with a blue hand scanner next to it before approaching it.
When the duo was close to the door, Michelle aimed at the scanner before pulling the left trigger, launching the blue hand and touching the scanner. As the scanner was activated, Simon Smoke looked at Michelle. "Why'd you do it?" he asked.
The duo looked at Simon Smoke, surprised. "You can talk?" Katelynn asked.
Simon Smoke looked at the duo. "Why'd you save me?" he asked. "You don't even know me..."
Michelle stared at Simon Smoke. "Why did I save you?" she asked rhetorically before looking forward. "Because I felt like saving you."
Simon Smoke looked at Michelle, shocked. "The Doctor can say whatever the hell he wants about my morals," she continued. "I'd rather save someone than spill pointless bloodshed..."
Simon Smoke stared at Michelle with awe. "So cool..." he said, lowly.
The duo heard a stomach growling, which made Simon Smoke flinch; Michelle turned her head to him. "You hungry?" she asked.
Simon Smoke quickly looked away. "Me? Hungry? Nah, not in the slightest; I can go days without being hungry," he said.
After the scanner finished, the door opened while the blue hand retracted before Michelle dug her hand into her left jacket pocket. "Is that so?" she asked.
Soon after, Michelle pulled out a tied cookie bag from her jacket pocket. "Then I guess you aren't hungry for a peanut butter cookie," she said, which made Simon Smoke flinch. "I know I am after all that running; heck, I might even finish this entire bag."
Simon Smoke looked to Michelle in a slight panic. "Now hang on, let's not be rash; if you're offerin', I don't mind at least one," he said.
Michelle grinned a bit while Katelynn covered her mouth, giggling. "What about all that talk about going without food for days?" she asked.
Simon Smoke looked away. "I... may have exaggerated a little..." he said, lowly.
Michelle chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll give you one," she said before looking at Katelynn and holding the bag out to her. "Katie."
Katelynn nodded. "Right," she said before grabbing the bag out of Michelle's hand.
After untying the bag, Katelynn dug her fingers inside the bag until she pulled a cookie out of it before holding it out to Michelle. "Here you go, Big Sister," she said.
Michelle grabbed the cookie. "Thank you," she said before holding it out to Simon Smoke. "Here..."
Simon Smoke stared at the cookie before holding it with both hands, which made Michelle let go. "Thanks, I guess..." he said, lowly, before eating it.
Michelle smiled as Katelynn held another cookie out to her. "Here's one for you, Big Sister," she said.
Michelle smiled at Katelynn and grabbed the cookie. "Thank you, Katie," she said before taking a bite out of it.
Katelynn dug her fingers in the bag until she grabbed a cookie out of it before biting into it. After the trio finished eating, Katelynn tied the bag on itself before putting it back in Michelle's left jacket pocket.
Michelle took a deep breath and exhaled before looking forward. "This is it... this room will take us to the Doctor," she said before looking at Simon Smoke. "If you want to bail on us, that's fine; this isn't your fight to begin with..."
Simon Smoke remained silent and looked down. She's right; this isn't my fight, he thought before glancing at Michelle. But... something tells me I should stick with her... she's been a better boss than that bastard.
Soon after, Simon Smoke looked at Michelle. "Nah... I'm gonna stay with you; you're a lot cooler than the geezer," he said.
Michelle smiled a bit. "Well, alright then," she said before looking forward. "Let's go."
The duo nodded before Michelle and Katelynn walked forward, which made the large yellow door close behind them.