// TW \\

KIDNAPPING

———

Taco's feet sunk deep into the snow, her shell filled with snow, and her face freckles with it. She stumbled further past trees which bent and some branches snapped due to the weight of the snow. She stumbled and let out a raspy whine as the girl struggled forwards. Her voice had nothing to spill, she collapsed once more.

She felt so hopeless and dull. She couldn't die, she didn't deserve the release it would bring.

Taco clawed at the snow, and pushed herself further. Her eyes spilling frozen tears as she continued despite her lungs getting a stabbing pain every breath she took. Taco wanted to give up so badly, but she just couldn't. She couldn't because she didn't DESERVE to.

"Taco?" A voice all too familiar called from before her, looking over top of he pathetic form.

Taco's breath hitched, there's no way... This can't be, can it? Taco looked up, her body ready to give in, but the card she was blessed with didn't allow it. Her eyes fell upon the kind face of her mother. She couldn't let out a word, nothing escaped.

"Is this really how we raised you?" She questioned, raising a brow. Her face distorted. "A failure?" Shadow's projection.

Taco shook her head, snow falling from her face faster than her tears could. She couldn't believe what she was seeing... Bodies... Blood... She saw it all to clearly before.

"M....mu..m...?" Her raspy low voice sputtered, tears flowing and breaking through her tear ducts like a dam broke. She reached up, to touch her face.

Chip pouted bittersweetly, and backed away. "Get up." She beckoned.

Taco cried out, forcing her way forwards. Her body shifting between object and shadow as she trudged after her mother. Chip lead Taco through the thick blizzard, towards her father. Lettuce and chip watched Taco struggle as they beckon her.

"You cant even catch up? We're not even walking fast." Projection. Shadow encroached in on Taco from the inside out.

Taco reached out. "M-m-mu..m! D-d-..ad! P-p—please!" She screamed through her broken voice and dry frozen throat. She stumbled closer, only to collapse and crawl her way forward.

'Failure...'

'They hate you...'

'You couldn't protect them then, you can't now.'

'How could Microphone bare to look at a woman who let her own parents die?'

'Pathetic...'

Taco cried, the thoughts... A little voice. Her distorted parents before her. She pushed forwards and called out again. She knew it had to be too good to be true...
They were dead...

But she so badly wanted this to be real...

If she could just touch them... Feel the warmth of their hand in hers as she remembered it. She cried harder stumbling forwards, the forest finally ending... She stepped now onto deeper snow, clawing her way through every bit of stabbing pain.

Her mother and father simply walking ahead.

The darkness approached further.

"We're almost there little sunshine. Don't give up on us." Her mother sang in a soft voice towards the sixteen year old girl following in tears.

Lettuce chimed in after, "you wouldn't do that to us, right?"

Taco shook her head, barely able to stumble forwards. She was in agony at this point. But she had to keep moving. Her foot sunk in step after step the snow got deeper, she had to push more of it out of the way with her frost bitten limbs.

She froze as she saw her parents turn to her, and what came from behind. A massive creature like that of the ones under Cobs's commandment, it raised it claws and attempted to slash at them. Taco screamed, and shoved herself at it.

Her body shifting into a massive creature, she slashed at it, her hands shifting to talons. Red splattered across her body. She breathed heavily and pained as more creatures appeared. She looked confused as they distorted.

Some ran.

Some fought back... The slashed at her. But they were tiny in comparison to her. She screamed out again, blood spilling from her mouth and eyes. She slashed and attacked every last damn thing she saw. The world disoriented and disfigured. She couldn't see... She couldn't think. She just wanted to protect her mom and dad. She slashed.

Darkness projected.

Blood splashed her hands and face. Spikes came from the shadows I've large shadows that came from structures that littered the area.

The voice inside her told her this was how she'd save them.

That this was what she had to do...

She saw some running in the distance.

The voice in her mind beckoned her to follow.

———

Balloon groaned, his throat hurt and his head was pounding. His face covered, he rested against something metal beneath him... he tried to speak, but nothing came out. Only muffled cries.

Fries inside the wagon, horses trotting outside. He grumbled to himself until he noticed something coming from beside him. The kid was waking up, great... He nervously glanced at him a few times. He was coming to quickly, and seemed panicked. The boy was bound by his wrists, ankles, and Wings. He also had a rags around his eyes and mouth.

Balloon began to attempt to use his powers, his hands glowing, and his markings began to flicker... the metal of the cage he was in—as he was locked up like an animal—began to decrease rapidly in temperature.

Fries finally went over to the small cage and sat nearby. "Hey... Hey it's okay... We're not going to—... I'm not going to hurt you." Fries soothed.

Balloon's breath was rapid as he remembered similar experiences that were the equivalent to hell on earth, he thrashed and panicked his thoughts violently spiralling out of control. He knew he shouldn't have trusted them. He knew trust was bad. ALL OF THEM WERE BAD.

BAD

BAD

BAD—

Something touched him.

He let out a terrified muffled scream, and kicked at the cage. But at and tried to escape with everything he had. His face burning once again and his eyes glowing in a holographic light.

Fries pulled his hand back away from Balloon's shoulder... "Fuck...!" Why did he touch the kid?! Why?! WHY?! DAMN IT. "Kid! Please— Please... Oh for the love of all gods..." He didn't know what to do. "Yellow? The kid— uh... he's panicking..." Fries hollered.

Yellow Face scoffed. "Well, knock him out again... We won't have the two long." Yellow Face grumbled, sitting next to Bottle who was swaying her legs as she piloted the cart. Watching horses trot along the path.

Fries growled to himself, of course no help as usual.

Balloon was having an intense panic attack, the energy that radiated through the air was overwhelming... it almost hurt to be around.

Fries groaned loudly to himself, and grabbed the sides of Balloon's bound arms suddenly through the bars. Hoping to shock him into silence, he didn't want to be forced to hurt the kid.

Balloon froze, stiff and terrified. One wrong move... That's all it was going to take.

Fries finally had an opportunity to speak. He sighed shakily. And spoke slowly and softly. "Listen... I'm not going to hurt you, okay? But you can't do this or they'll force me to knock you out again." Fries whispered. "Just relax, okay? Relax..."

Balloon let our a muffled cry, followed by an angry one. His nerves eased, but not by much. He tried to elbow Fries off of him, to escape.

Fries fell back, and grunted. "URGH... ow..."

"Everything alright back there?" Bottle chimed, looking back with a concerned bug have uninterested glare.

Fries grumbled to himself, and dusted his bandana off. "Just peachy..." He grunted, getting off the ground and kneeling next to the cage again as Bottle turned her attention away. "Kid... PLEASE. I'm trying to do you a solid here..."

Balloon had thrashed to the opposite side of the cage. His wings which had been bound twitching with discomfort. His markings dimly illuminated.

"I know you're scared." Fries soothed softly, "and that's okay..." He explained. "But I need you to at least try and calm yourself... Or my buddies may... Not be nice like me."

A muffled, 'what about this is nice?!' Came from Balloon in a muffled whisper of betrayal and anger. His fear more than evident.

Fries gave a sigh and tugged at his eyelids. "I know... I know! Okay?! But there's nothing I can do...! I... I need the money—we need the money... They—They aren't going to hurt you! They... They need you in tact cuz if your... Magical properties. The people who may want ya won't do anything as long as you use your magic-y stuff for them. Okay?" He shrugged, but it soon wavered and he gave a whiny sigh. "Listen I don't want to do this... But I got to... I'm sorry." He frowned.

Balloon could only sit there and look away with bitter betrayal...

And...

Cry.

Paper came to much more suddenly, he sprung to life, hitting his head against the top of the cage. He yelped in muffled panic and groaned. His legs and arms bound... He couldn't see. DAMN IT. He was stupid.

Paper thrashed and pulled with whatever he could. The metal bars behind him scraped against his own copper skin. He flinched, and lined up the binds on his wrists. He rubbed the rope against the rough metal.

Soon enough the rope came off with a loud snap, and he freed his wrists. He then wriggled out of the other ones keeping his forearms against his sides, and wrapped off the blindfold and gag.

Tree hit the metal cage he was in, making Paper yelp and fall back.

"HEY! Don't fuckin' do that!" Tree hissed. "Now I have to re-do your bloody ropes you fucking animal..." He grumbled, looking for something stronger.

Paper breathed heavily, but didn't pay any mind at this point. Paper looked around rapidly, he was desperately searching for Balloon, he kicked the rope off of his ankles and growled over to the side of the cage. He gripped the bars. "Where..."

Tree turned back to Paper, and Paper jumped at him, stopped by the metal rods.

Paper rattled the bars and screamed with anger and anxiety, "WHERE IS HE?! What did you do to him— are you... hurting him?! Did someone touch him?! DID SOMEONE FORC—?!"

"RELAX! No! He's in the other wagon." Tree spat, gripping onto the new binds tighter as he approached the cage.

Paper fell away as Tree prepared to unlock the cage and enter to tie him down again. Paper glanced behind him, he then saw opportunity and scrambled over and tried to slip through the bars. Now crawling out sideways.

Tree noticed this, and reached through the bars and grabbed him by his ankles. Paper yelped as he was dragged back in. Paper then caught one of the stray ropes used previously and kicked tree over, then reaching through the bars and tussling with the Man until choking him by wrapping his neck with the rope through the bar. Tree let out a strained yell as he attempted to get away, and claw at the wooden flooring of the wagon.

"Let me out NOW." Paper snarled, tugging the rope back with all the force he could muster. His eyes sparking purple as he gritted his teeth.

Tree's wooden neck crackled and splintered. He reached for something, anything, pulling a knife out of his cloak and stabbing Paper's eye.

Paper screamed and fell onto his back hard, clutching his eye. His hands had blood pour out onto his fist as it clinched his face. He gave a whine and small cry. His copper arms streaming with blood like a damn waterfall.

Tree fell down in the opposite way, and the knife clattered to the ground. Tree then grabbed the binds and lunged.

He slammed the cage open and Pinned Paper down, he then tied Paper to the bars of the cage, and stuffed the rag in his mouth, and around his eyes again. Tree sighed, and shut the door to the cage.

His harsh mean demeanour immediately fading as he hugged himself. He felt bad— he really did. He wasn't kidding when he said he was starting to like them. They were people after all. Or at least similar to. Paper seemed so friendly... And Balloon seemed like a nice kid. He did t want to take their lives away... But...

His group needed the money. And so did he... So he bit the bullet anyway. Maybe... Maybe this was a mistake. He sighed shakily, and stood. He walked over to the front of the wagon and plopped down next to Eraser. "Eugh... I feel bad..." He muttered.

Eraser bit his lip upon hearing Tree's pity. "I know but... This ain't the kind of job you can just... Change your mind about dude." Eraser kept his hands on the horse's reigns.

"I know, I know..."Tree crossed his arms and leaned back against the wooden backing of the seat. "Perhaps when we get back— We at least feed them before we send em off to god knows where?" Tree shrugged.

Eraser sighed and gave a slight nod. "Dunno why you're asking me, you're the boss." He informed with a slight side eye.

Tree nodded and turned his head back to the road. Guilt ate away at him. "He seemed pretty protective of the kid..." Tree informed, which made Eraser, let go with one hand and pat Tree's shoulder.

"Listen, don't think about it too much. Tree just gotta keep them under control for the time being and... Then when we get paid, they aren't our problem anymore! Simple as that." Eraser soothed.

Tree took a deep breath, and nodded slightly. "Yeah... I guess." The man replied unsurely, letting beats of silence take over as unease set in.

Fries gripped his forearms and felt anxiety eat away at him, watching the kid's face within the cage grow even more panicked and fear ridden by the second. He didn't know what to say or do... But he hated this deafening silence.

"We will be back to camp soon. Just do what they tell you, and you'll be fine." Fries informed, nervously tapping his fingers against his side as he pondered what the kid was thinking about.

His face was unreadable. Fear? Anger? Sadness? Betrayal? Terror? All of the above? He bit his lip and looked around, anything to get his mind off of what was going on. He should've warned them... He should've mentioned something at least to Balloon.

Pillow hopped into the back of the Wagon.

Fries flinched and narrowed his eyes upon sight of Pillow, "What do you want, eh?" He asked, keeping his arms firmly crossed.

"Just checking on you two." Pillow shrugged, and sat down next to Fries. The man turned and Saw Balloon was much more fearful at this voice. Understandable, since she was the one to put Paper out.

Fries nodded dismissively. "Right..." He said through his teeth, not wanting this interaction to occur. If anyone was good at giving humanity, Pillow was definitely on the dead bottom of that list.

"Did you see the look on Tree's face when the cloak came off? He was so surprised on the wingspan! How much do you think he will go for?" She questioned excitedly.

Fries looked to the side and pondered the thought, "not sure..." He shrugged, not really wanting to answer. Though the price he was thinking off was desirable.

"We have a few minutes before we get back...!" Pillow chimed with a smile, she then looked over and opened her mouth.—

"—I don't want to race you..." Fries grumbled angrily, shooting a glare at Pillow.

She frowned, and scowled. "Party Pooper... What happened to being fun?" She spat, glaring up at Fries.

"Can you go away?!" Fries hissed. He then glanced at Balloon who seemed to be spiralling again. "Shit..." He muttered, before ripping his gaze back to Pillow. "Pillow PLEASE go away, alright?!"

Pillow cursed Fries under her breath and stood, turning back to the back of the wagon. She jumped off with a huff and talked to Purple face. Not caring much for Fries any longer.

Fries groaned and hugged his knees close, then hurrying his face in them. God he already regretted all of this.

Such a nightmare...

———