#oops panic attack :)

[eight-means-infinity]

Ohhhh, poor thing. Another mistake in a long line of them.

[The nearest screen lights up. It's a wonder it still works...]

Wanna talk about it, bud? Oh, who am I kidding, of course you don't! Why would you wanna talk about hurting the one person you actually cared about? Man, what a screwup!

[It's The Soul, just as annoying and with a grin almost twice as wide]

-🌟

[Eight almost jumped up at the sudden voice being blasted into their ears right from behind. They turned around and scrambled back, away from the visitor until they were on the other side of the room. Only at that point did Eight recognise the yellow blob that they could somewhat see out of the corner of the camera to be The Soul.]

What the fuck are you doing here? Came to mock me, huh? Kick me while I'm down? Well you miscalculated, bud.

[The ex-drone got up, leaning onto the shelves for support and balance. Their legs were still shaky, voice raspy, but still some sort of a determination, anger, remained.]

I am not yet low enough to take your bullshit.

[And, in just a moment, their leg was already heading towards the screen of the TV, about to bash Soul's infuriatingly wide grin in. Except they hesitated at the last moment, pulled the breaks, however you want to call it. Their shoe stopped about a centimeter from the screen. Eight groaned and stepped back.]

[It's not worth it, I'm just being an asshole who always assumes the worst. I don't want a repeat of what I did to Otto.]

Leave. I'm not in the mood for banter. Just leave, I don't want to hurt you or anybody else right now, okay? So just.. fuck off.

[They slid down the wall, hugging their knees and looking down, away from it's gaze.]

[eight-means-infinity]

[A little voice waits for Eight to listen before it speaks.]

You’d make a good HETCH, you know. You act like him already; why not trade one mask for another? You’d certainly be more useful to the company than HENCH.

[Eight ran and ran until they were in a storage room again, one of many, unnoticeable, untraceable. And just when they thought they were finally alone, a little voice sneaked into their head.]

I- I don't. It was an accident. I'm nothing like him. I'd rather eat my own arm than be useful to this company for even one minute. I'm nothing like a HETCH.

[Their words had barely even a half of the energy and determination that were usually everpresent in Eight's speech. They were vulnerable. I'm sure someone would gladly take up an opportunity like this.]

[eight-means-infinity]

If you succeed in your mission and Mayday kills herself we’ll make sure you die right along with her.

We stopped HETCH’s heart once. He only survived because the Drones knew CPR. Who do you have? Who will save you?

[Eight felt like they couldn't move.]

[Their heart was beating in their chest. Still beating. Tick-tock.]

My only mission is survival.

Sorry-not-sorry about what I've said to her.

I'm just trying to have some fun.

Don't lose your head.

I will back off of her if things get out of hand.

[eight-means-infinity]

This could be a bit harder.

[A jolt of slight electricity goes through you every time you open or close a door.]

[As Eight goes to open another door for Charlie, the last one, in fact, they tense. Not willingly, but instead from what feels like fire spreading through their muscles momentarily.]

[Their mask- is something wrong with their mask? No, please no. Please don't do this, please not again- They hear a scream. Their head hits the wall. It hurts.]

[Is it them? Are they screaming? They can't- they need to shut the fuck up. They have to, they must, they-]

[Eight covers their mouth with a hand, muffling the sound that they barely even register themselves making. Their head hurts, more than usual. Everything is blurry, even their own thoughts.]

[eight-means-infinity]

I don't know, I haven't tried. but laughter is contagious, you know? The least deadly of them all- hey hey, do you want to see if it can spread to you?

[you feel giddy! No logic, no rationality, only this. the world is terrible, see. It never forgives and it kills love and life, so easy, like snap. isn't it wonderful? Isn't it great?]

-🎭

What do you-

[Eight gets cut off by their own burst of sudden laughter. At first they're surprised. They try to suppress it, now is not the time for laughter, but they soon find that they simply can't.]

What are you- hah- what are you doing?- hahAhAHAH-

[They try to hold onto some semblance of rationality, but their mind starts giving out. They're happy. Theyrehappytheyrehappytheurehappytheyrehappytheyrehappytheyrehappytheyrehappytheyrehappythey. cantbreathe.]

stop

please

[eight-means-infinity]

(Your mouth becomes filled with cotton balls. Not enough to choke, but enough to be uncomfortable.)

[Eight feels their mouth get filled with a suffocatingly dry mass of cotton balls. They stick to the sides of their mouth, like a thick spiderweb. Eight doesn't have time to think about their decisions. It suddenly feels like there's not enough air in the room, probably more die to their panic than anything. They try to inhale through their mouth.]

[The cotton goes further back into their throat. They only realise they've made the situation worse as they find themselves clawing at their mask, trying to tear the mass out. Soon enough, they manage to get their hand under the mask and grab onto the cotton balls, rapidly pulling them out.]

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU ALL?!

[Their words are interrupted by a coughing fit. It feels like they're coughing their lungs out.]

I HAVEN'T DONE A FUCKING THING TO YOU. YOU ALL CAME HERE FOR ENTERTAINMENT, I KNOW THAT, BUT I AM NOT. YOUR. TOY! AND YET YOU DECIDED THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO "TEACH ME A LESSON" JUST BECAUSE I DARED TO NOT BLINDLY ACCEPT THE SITUATION.

IF YOU DON'T LIKE ME JUST LEAVE ME BE!

LEAVE ME ALONE!

[Eight continues coughing and wheezing for a couple of minutes afterwards.]