The Hospital was a large building, multiple hallways and rooms. Diffrent machines that did different medical needs. Supplies that had helped the Rebellion for years came from there, Mono himself being sent on a multitude of the runs.

In fact, he might even say he knew it like the back of his hand!

Which is why, standing outside of an elevator, he felt pretty stupid for forgetting how complicated and how annoying these things were to operate. Two batteries needed, like always, and wouldn't you know it, no batteries weren't kept in the waiting rooms!

Standing on the second level of the waiting room, Mono looked at the tall metal doors, his good eye looking over all of the scratches and dents from its years of wear and tear.

What even happened to make it look so dinky and rusty? Normally, the Nurses would come and tidy and make the place spotless, helping injured and ill adults, assisting doctors and other staff. If Mono knew they won't attack him or try to turn him in, he was sure they would have been great allies that helped them.

But, no Nurse could be seen, or any adult for that matter. Where was everyone? Sure the Hospital was normally eerie at night; but now it looked down run down and was in such a horrible condition.

Litter and dirt covered the floor, grim got on his feet, abandoned wheelchairs and walkers laid around. And he was totally ignoring the dried blood he saw out of the corner of his eye.

"Where do they keep the batteries at?" asked Rain, her voice coming from his blind side.

"Normally they have them scattered about. I think they might have a few extras in some of the rooms around here. It probably be worth it to look around a bit," Seven replied, hands in his jean pockets.

Squeaks gave a small noise of what Mono thought was a sound of agreement. The feral stayed by Seven's side, scratching her face with her curled hands. She's probably infested with fleas, the feral.

Seven took a step forward, coming on Mono's good side. "I'll look in the lower levels to see if they have any. Rain, you and Squeaks stay here in the lobby, Mono, you can-"

"Wait-" Mono began, "Isn't it a bit dangerous to split up?"

"Mono, we have made countless trips here. We'll be fine, plus the girls don't need to get into danger. Rain hasn't been here before, and Squeaks is well... Squeaks."

The feral looked up at her name, giving a confused head tilt.

Mono gave a concerned look to the boy in blue. Yeah, they had been on a countless runs here, but this different. Mono wasn't sure what, but something made his stomach turn.

"Which is why it's safer to take them with us," Mono replied. Rain looked over to him, before looking to her twin. She held her hands close to her chest, rubbing her wrist nervously, an old habit of hers that she did.

"Sev, Mono is right. After all, it's been years since you have been here. We don't know what has happened here, it's been a while since the scouts stop coming all the way out to here. For all we know, the adults here could have turned murderous like the ones in the alley. It doesn't help Mono is now a targeted figure by the Higher Ups."

Seven gave a groan, "And the Higher Ups can eat a bag of dead rats for all I can. No offense, Squeaks. No matter what, we're always goint to be hunted down."

"Which is why Mono has a point. It's safer to go in groups. Please, Sev, it'll help us get out of here faster too," the former Oracle argued.

For a moment, Mono was reminded of a younger Rain, back when they were all scouts together. How determined and strong she was, the voice of reason to Seven's brash and destructive personality. His heart gave a small flutter.

Rain was always perfect in his eyes. Seeing her younger self made him smile. He didn't know why, but it felt like an eternity since he saw her like this.

Seven stayed quiet for a moment, looking at his twin with a stare Mono was unfamiliar with. A knowing look, a pleading look. A look that screamed, 'don't die on this hill'.

But Rain held strong, staring her brother down. After a few heartbeats, Seven looked away.

"Fine. Just come back alive, and preferably, not hurt. Squeaks is coming with me. You be careful, Rai..."

Rain nodded, before coming to her brother and hugging him. Mono gave a small smile to the two, enjoying the moment the pair had together. Seven looked up from Rain's shoulder, glaring into Mono.

"Hurt her, and you're dead, Scar Face," Seven hissed at him as the twins pulled away. Seven reached to his belt loop, pulling out a flashlight and handing it to Rain.

"You got one chance to mess up, if you do, I'll rip your head from your shoulders and leave you for dead. C'mon, Squeaks."

The feral got up from her spot, following after Seven as he decedented down the stairs case. Rain waved them off, whispering under her breath something, before turning to Mono.

"Guess that means I'm with you, Mono. I'll let you lead," Rain said, a small smile coming to her face. Not a happy smile, he could see the small fear she still had deep inside her.

"Right, the ward is this way if I remember right. Could I borrow the flashlight?" He asked, but Rain seemed hesitant.

It clicked in him quickly. Seven didn't just give Rain the flashlight for her to have, it seemed like it was also intended to let her have it as a weapon. A weapon in case he... well, whatever he did the last few years. "They don't trust me still," he thought sadly.

Of course they didn't. Why would they trust him again in the first place? He'll just have to prove he's safe to her, maybe they will make Rain feel better...

Mono pointed over his shoulder, down towards a darker hallway. "This way, just stay behind me and be my light, okay?"

Rain seemed to untense, nodding her head in agreement. She clicked the flashlight on, looking up to Mono as the boy started to lead the way.

They exited through the left side of the lobby, darkness swallowing them beside their ring of light, Mono's shadow stretched long and thin across the tiled floor.

His coattail glided behind him, giving the shadow a cape like look. His even footfalls seemed guided by past memory, his eyes looking downward at the shadow in front of him. His mind stirred with thoughts as they walked.

Would he be that big one day? He almost looked like the Broadcaster, just more filled out. He just didn't have the hat like him. A shiver ran up his spine.

Why did the thought suddenly seem so... chilling. It wasn't a scared chill, like... for some reason, it was a familiar chill. Nothing seemed familiar, but he felt like... a phantom feeling? Like, he asked himself before?

Man, if felt like such a weird thing to feel-

"Mono, where do we turn next?" Rain's voice cut Mono from his thoughts, making him jump slightly. He finally looked up from his shadow, looking around at where they were.

A dilapidated and grim filled hospital room, more like an auditorium. He looked over to his left, seeing a barred section of the room. A chair sat in the middle of it, a weird helmet with a sponge connected to it, a wire running down from it as well. His eyes followed the wire, tracing it all the way to a...

"Well, there's our battery."

Rain flashed the light on the wall, seeing the battery socket on the wall, currently occupied by one, brand new, shiny battery.

"How do we get in there?" Rain asked.

"That's what I'm asking myself too," Mono answered, looking around. His eyes caught the side of the room, seeing a boarded up hole they could easily break into.

Mono walked over to it, Rain right behind him. The hole was wide enough for them to get into, just had to get one or two boards off. Rain set the flashlight down, grabbing on end while Mono grabbed the other.

The two teens pulled with all their might, which was a lot stronger then what Mono remember it being, falling backwards from the force as the plank gave way.

Rain turned, offering a hand to help the other up. Mono gave a small smile, reaching and taking it, and got to his feet with the little bit of extra help.

Rain quickly dropped his hand though, but Mono didn't let himself get disappointed. They were on a mission on getting into the caged room with the battery. They had to get it to get out of here.

Wait... where were they heading to again? The Tower? Why were they heading to the Tower again?

Mono put a pause to the thought, figuring he'd ask later. Hopefully when they make it out of here in one peice.

Rain was already working on the next board, Mono swiftly coming to her aid and giving it one last big pull. Bracing from his strength this time, Mono only stumbled a tiny bit rather then sent flying. Rain reached down for the flashlight, a happy smile on her soft face.

"Alright! Now, let's try and get that battery," Rain said, stepping forward and into the dark room. Once she made it inside, Mono followed, crawling through to get in.

The room was in total darkness, except for a beacon of light in the middle of the floor. Another flashlight?

Mono walked over, taking the handle and holding the flashlight in his hands. A dried paint like substance was on it, like some sort of goo. He grimaced at the feeling, it left like puddy...

"Looks like I have a light now too," he said in a cheerful manner, hoping it would help Rain. He shined the light at her, seeing her standing still, staring at something.

Mono silently moved his flashlight to what she was looking at, jumping a bit in surprise as he saw what had captured Rain's attention. A mannequin stood there, it's hooked head turned to them, one of his hands reaching out to them, it's leg frozen mid-step.

"Jeez, that's pretty creepy," Mono muttered. Rain slowly moved her flashlight along the room, Mono's eyes following it as she shined the light into the darkest parts of the room. Boxes upon boxes of mannequin parts; hooks, hands, sharp stabby things. Mono didn't remember anything about these things.

Mono turned his light off of the mannequin as well, having hoped to get a moment and look around as well, before jumping back, the sound of a single footstep surprising him.

"It moved!" He shouted, seeing that the mannequin's foot had finished its step. Rain looked just as horrified.

"That... that's no possible, right?" Rain asked, her voice shaking a bit as she too stared at the humanoid esk object in front of them.

One of the boxes shuffled, making the two shoot their attention to it. Another mannequin stood there, now facing towards them, it's arm out, stretching towards them. The first mannequin moved quickly, taking another footstep, Rain hurriedly shined her flashlight, see the mannequin freeze in its tracks.

"Lights, turns the lights on!" Rain said quickly. Mono looked around, hoping to find a switch on the wall. His good eye darted around, before he found a lever a bit of a ways up. He looked to Rain, his flashlight still on the second mannequin.

"Rain, it's too high. I won't be able to reach it," he answered. No boxes or anything laid near by for him to try and climb. How was he supposed to reach it?

An light bulb turned on in his head. He looked over to Rain, who still held her light against the first mannequin in front of them.

"Rain, I can boost you up to it," he said. Rain turned her head to him, a look of surprise on her face.

"What?"

"I can boost you up to the lever and you can pull it down," he said. Rain shook her head.

"If we take the flashlights off, they'll get closer," she argued. Mono nodded his head.

"Yeah, but if we're quick enough, they won't have time to catch us," he answered back, "trust me, Rain."

Thr creaking of a third mannequin coming to light made them jump, Mono could see the outline of it. It had no head, just a stump. It crawled over a stack of boxes, not legs being seen.

Mono shined his flashlight at it, but found himself stuck between flashing the second and third one, who slowly crept closer. Rain walked closer to him, helping him fend off the strange plastic humanoid objects.

"Okay, count of three, boost me up there," Rain said, her and Mono both slowly backed up to the wall where the lever was, cycling between which mannequin each would try and fend off for the time being.

Mono got down on one knee, ready to throw down his flashlight to boost Rain up. Rain placed her heel on his head.

"One, two," Rain said, before she quickly turned off her flashlight, Mono tossing his to the side. "Three!"

Mono brought his other hand under Rain's foot, bracing his arms as he quickly stood up. The sound of plastic tapping and metal gears grinding was all he could focus on, the mannequins work fast to try and get to them.

Mono threw Rain up into thr air, a bit surprised by his strength once again. Rain steadied herself, and was able to catch ahold of the lever, but the both quickly realized she was too light to pull it down.

From the dark, Mono could see the crawling mannequin nearly upon them. He quickly turned around, jumping and grabbing onto Rain's leg. They were heavy enough to pull the lever down, and instantly, the light was flooded with lights.

The tapping and grinding stopped, Mono looked over his shoulder, shivering as he realized how close the mannequins had gotten. All of them.

Mono let go, falling onto the floor, Rain dropping down beside him. Rain turned around, just as taken aback.

The room was full of them, countless of them. "There's got to be at least thirty of them in here..." Rain muttered.

Mono didn't speak, staring at the hook that reach out to him, frozen. He could see his reflection in the metal. If he hadn't made the jump, he would have been the hook go straight through him...

"Let's keep going. I don't think I can stand being here much longer..."

Sept. 20th, 2023

I'mma alive bish

Well, long enought to get this out. Sorry for such a long hiatus! My spark foe writing died a while ago, but I thought it would be nice to try it again!

You can definitely see where I picked this back up at, sorry if my writing isn't what it used to be.

But, I hope you all enjoyed!

Take care!