Hello! It's been awhile since the last Drabble so I'm guessing that requests are open. So I'm requesting a Drabble with Quack and Kartos with Quack asking Kartos how to get I.N.E.P.T to forgive him.
This drabble is a sequel to the ‘I.N.E.P.T Gets Repaired and Freed’ storyline. You can find the beginning of said storyline here. It is also related to the ‘Dr. Quack gets Fired’ storyline.
Quack wandered down into the dark mineshafts where he knew many of the minecarts called home. Many carts rushed by him, not seeming to pay him any mind, but Quack was paying close attention. He was desperately trying to find Kartos, but many of the carts looked almost identical to him. Quack was hoping that Kartos would end up spotting him instead.
After nearly an hour of searching, Quack nearly chickened out and turned around to return to the surface. The caves harshly triggered his claustrophobia and his mind kept imagining cave-ins in front of and behind him. It was terrifying.
Quack stopped and rested himself against the nearby wall, waiting for a few short moments. He was catching his breath and was trying to clear his mind of any negative thoughts. In those moments, he considered going home and trying again another day... but then he heard something.
“Quack?”
Dr. Quack immediately shot his head over to the voice. He was scared at first, but then he saw the cart that had just spoke to him. Again, he looked like most of the other minecarts, but Dr. Quack assumed he must’ve been the right one. “Kartos?”
“That’s right.” He paused. “I reckon that you don’t belong ‘round here. Aren’t ya supposed to be with that bee guy?”
Quack rubbed the back of his head. “I was, uh... fired, actually. I don’t work for Capital B anymore.”
Kartos’ expression remained stoic. “Well, ain’t that a shame. What brings ya down here? I hope you don’t plan on botherin’ mah friend.”
Quack nodded his head. “I-i’m not going to bother him. You’re talking about I.N.E.P.T, right? I just want to talk to him. For a little bit. You know... apologize?”
Kartos grimaced. “Well, I can’t see that he’s interested in talkin’ to you, Quack. After what he’s said, I reckon you don’t deserve his company. Even to apologize.”
Quack sighed. “Is there anything I could do to make it up to him? I just spent the past hour going through this maze looking for you! That should mean something.”
Kartos paused again. “I s’pose it does, but you’ll need to do a little better than that. You put ‘im in a world of hurt, ya see? That robot don’t trust nobody no more. Just me and some of mah friends.”
“I know! I know!” Quack paced in a quick circle, then faced Kartos again. “Look... I’m a changed duck. I made friends with Yooka and Laylee. They let me hang out with them. They let me stay with them on their ship.” He frowned. “I just... I want to right my wrongs. Now that I don’t work for Hivory Towers, I got to see where I went wrong.” Quack looked down to the ground. “Can I please see I.N.E.P.T.?”
Kartos rolled a bit closer to Dr. Quack and looked him up and down, trying to determine how genuine he was being. “I’mma go talk to him. Tell him what you said. If he wants to see you, then I’ll come get ya, but for now... you’d best be on yer way. You won’t be seein’ him today.”
Quack paused for a moment, then nodded his head. “Alright, thank you Kartos.”
Kartos started moving ahead. “Ya got it, buddy. Thanks for stoppin’ by.”
