Against Her Programming [SHELLVISION]

Once Tisha and Vee got nearby the area of the elevator, the alarm rang throughout the floor. Corresponding to its alarm, the elevator door swung open, allowing toons inside the space. Close behind Tisha, Vee stuck close to her side once in the elevator, eventually drifting towards the corner once the elevator filled up; that's odd, there were even less toons than before.

Disregarding her turmoil for a moment, Vee deducted who was left to enter the elevator. Poppy, Rodger, and Gigi had yet to show up, where were they? As Vee anxiously looked over, she couldn't spot any addition to the already huge crowd of toons. They had to show up, now.

At least once the timer ticked down, Rodger hurried into the elevator, immediately scooping up a little eight-ball toon in a warm embrace. It was sweet for a moment, but Vee focused back on the door, four seconds left and they still hadn't shown up. In a quick moment of hopelessness, Vee had accepted that they were gone; her components felt heavy, sinking into her abdomen.

With the twisted feeling inside her "gut," Vee could only let out a low hum, quietly processing as the elevator door slammed shut. It wasn't fair; none of them deserved this punishment, yet it seemed like these cartoony little figures angered a god themself, internally damned to this cycle until there'd be the last one standing.

With a heavy silence in the elevator once again, Vee could only let out a buzzed sigh. Taking small glances at the other toons, they were riddled with uncertainty and desperation. In a weird sense, Vee could understand what they were feeling. Although, she'd never comprehend what it would be to feel raw, uncensored emotions.

It didn't sit right with her.

Shaking those thoughts off, she clenched her fists. She shortly overcame that grief she felt over the lost toons, taking a few moments to evaluate what the next step was. Obviously by now, she knew that this would be a cycle, an endless one at the least, but what could she do to end it?

As she thought about it, she knew the elevator would come to a halt soon, giving her little time to brainstorm. And as to prove her prediction, the room slowed itself down before coming to a complete stop. Shifting to the side a bit, the toons regained their balance before whipping their heads to focus on the door in front of them.

With the panel lifting itself, it revealed a larger, more industrial area of the facility, the warehouse. Intimidated by its size, Vee glanced at those closest to her, being Scraps, Boxten, and Shelly. Between the three, Vee opted for Shelly, as she was too petty to talk to Scraps and had too little in common to talk to Boxten.

"..Hey?" Meekly getting out a peep, Vee stared at Shelly, waiting for her response. Slowly creeping forward out the room, Shelly turned her head, "Oh! Vee, you're talking to me?" She pointed at herself, glancing side to side to confirm her doubt. Vee felt her screen grow hot, she shouldn't have been this embarrassed to ask a simple question, honestly, "Yeah, Hi. Shelly, can you help me?"

Who even talks like that? Vee mentally reprimanded herself for her robotic response, she sounds almost lifeless!

"Oh, yeah, what with?" Shelly asked, leaning her head to the side. The two kept their pace out the elevator, reaching the cold, hard, concrete floor as Vee caught up. Walking side by side now, Vee prepared herself to ask, "Just with the machines, is all." With a flash of her screen, she flipped her expression to a small smile.

Shelly, with a small falter in her expression, murmured, "Mhm, yeah!" after a small pause, she turned back towards the open area, "Lead the way?" With a small nod, Vee took the initiative and led the two past the chainlink fence.

She should've known that Gardenview would have a warehouse, it just made sense. Yet, they didn't tell anyone a whole lot did they? Regardless, Vee stared past the fence, noting an area behind it.

"Let's go over there," Vee hummed, beckoning Shelly as she pointed behind the fence. Without waiting for a reaction, Vee had already taken a few steps forward. Recklessly, Vee crushed what seemed to be red thorns underneath her feet.