Inanimate Downpour

((sorry for the delay on this chapter,,, anyways we have a website now for upcoming character designs and better info on mutants and such! https://inanimatedownpour.straw.page/))

(update 05/04/25 i probably wont update it LOL)

It had been around a week since the purple tint took over the landscape. It was a lot more difficult to go out into the surface, as it had gotten progressively more dangerous. Balloon was still missing, with Yin-Yang going out to find him. Test Tube had managed to make a mask that could temporarily shield a person from the air, which is what she gave them. For the remainder of the day, or night, everyone just stayed inside trying to ration whatever they had, as usual. They were starting to lose track of time ever since Fan's phone died.

Taco was allowed back out from the storage cupboard but only when there wasn't any tension happening. They had figured out that Taco doesn't react very well to any sort of atmospherical pressure in the room, even if it was something minor like Nickel's horror stories.

Lightbulb was laying on the ground, looking up at Paintbrush and having a normal, lighthearted conversation. She sat up and looked through her stash of items.

"Hey Painty! Look! It's a fortune cookie!"

OJ overheard Lightbulb calling out to her friend, curious as to see what's in it. The curiosity spread amongst a few others in the room. Paintbrush sat closer to Lightbulb, interest gleaming in their eyes.

"Maybe it could contain a sign of hope. I couldn't stand to live here forever."

Trophy yawned, getting up from his third nap of the day.

"Why do you guys believe this stuff?"

Ignoring his statement, Lightbulb cracked open the fortune cookie, sharing the two halves with Paintbrush while keeping the paper still folded for extra suspense. Marshmallow went up to the two, wanting to make a statement regarding Paintbrush's reply as well.

"Might as well be. Me and Apple had a discussion about shooting stars and how one day we'll escape like them a while ago."

"...Right. Well, come on Light..y? What does the note say?"

Lightbulb unfolded the note, her warm smile immediately fading into a neutral expression. The people around her shared confused looks. Taco squinted.

The paper read: "You can't do this forever."

"..Oh. That's not what I was expecting. Hm, it's an oddly familiar phrase. Maybe the familiarity is a sign of something?" 

Tissues gave a light cough. "Maybe Trophy's right, guuays."

The topic of the cookie quickly faded into obscurity as everyone went back to doing their own things. Yin-Yang came back a few hours later, only to let everyone know Balloon was still nowhere to be found, but the odd tint is now gone. Test Tube started getting irritated that despite everything, no one could find someone as blatantly obvious as him.

"Hey, Microphone. Since you've got that counter, and you're also really loud, why not do me a favour and go find him?"

"Huh? But T-"

"Take Taco with you. I don't want her, or you, harming anyone else."

Microphone rolled her eyes, before taking her companion in her hands and walking out, knocking down a chess piece from Balloon and Suitcase's unfinished match on the way. The two went over to their little hideout in the forest, realizing all of the plants and shrubbery seem to be on the brink of death. They sat down for a bit, with Microphone speaking up first, still annoyed.

"I just don't understand why she has such a grudge against me. That whole thing with the spaceship was your doing, but no matter how many times I say that to her, she just never believes me."

"She keeps saying I'm harmful! I'm just a little short-tempered from this horrid headache.."

"...Sure."

They continued on walking, with Microphone's geiger counter going off non-stop, getting stronger in certain areas that contained a lot of water, which had gotten incredibly contaminated and dangerous. She would also use her intense volume to call out Balloon's name, which wasn't exactly the best of ideas. The light fog coming through the forest did not affect Microphone, however it was especially reactive to Taco, now that her head was more exposed. The deeper her and Microphone roamed the forest, the more tension she would feel. She eventually fell into another stupor and fled off elsewhere, still with the intent of finding Balloon, as well as finding out which tree in her pathway was real.

Microphone had noticed something move in one of the bushes, which made her point it out to Taco.

Unsurprisingly, Taco was not there.

She turned her gain up to try and hear anything else from the bushes, as well as try to hear any sounds from Taco. It was all silent. Rather than calling out for Balloon, she called out to the missing individual she cared about more.

"..Taco? WHERE ARE YOU!?"

After about 10 minutes of constant running around the now disgustingly colored grass, she stopped in her tracks. She would then shuffle through an array of bushes, only to let out a sigh of relief seeing her dear one again.

"There you are. What's gotten into you to make you scurry off like that? I'm seriously wo.... rried..."

Taco was mounted on a now-motionless beast coated with a familiar salmon-colored rubber. It appeared to have been stabbed with its own teeth. Taco had a vacant look in her eye, tearing apart the uncovered remains of a ribcage. She turned back and looked at the tall, metal figure standing over her.

"It's not safe here, Mic. It's not.. it's.. nnn.. sssssssssssssour cream.."

"Yep, we're getting out of here."

Microphone grabbed Taco, carrying her before making a run to the wreckage of a hotel. She kicked the basement door open, catching her breath. Everyone around her looked in terror, trying to read her expression.

"It was too late for him. He was.. contaminated.. and I think Taco might be too eventually. Soap, take her."

Soap grabbed the half-awake Taco from her before speaking in a worried tone.

"What do you mean "might be"? What even happened to Balloon? Is she oka-"

"I don't know, I just don't know, I'm too panicked for this. Guys, just please do not go outside. Please."

Everyone wanted to ask questions, but chose to stay silent regarding the topic due to Microphone not wanting to talk. She ran to her side of the wall, curled up and not facing anybody, sniffling to herself. Lightbulb glanced back at the note from her fortune cookie.

You can't do this forever.