(AN: Picture isn't mine)

Together, we continued walking through the lab, hearing the sounds of a piano being played from down the halls. There were no kids in this section, so that was good. However, One seemed slightly more nervous than before, like he was more afraid of losing me again.

He was really upset with himself for losing me the first time. It didn't matter how many times I told him that it was okay and that I was fine, (even though it was rather traumatizing,) he still never forgave himself. He held my hand tightly as if he was afraid of me getting taken away again.

He had led us to the adult quarters now, which was the last section of the lab before we could finally escape this horrible nightmare.

There were a number of adults in the lab that One explained to me and told me to watch out for, but the only one we came across on our little visit was the teacher. The teacher was not in charge of testing or researching, but molding the children. She taught them how the world worked, trying to brainwash them to the adults' likings. She was the one who locked up bad kids. One described her as someone you couldn't hide from. Someone with eyes on the back of her head. She saw everything. He said that he wouldn't be surprised if she was already watching us.

He said that all the children were so horrible and mean because of everything she had taught them. It wasn't their fault, but hers. And that wasn't her fault, but the world's.

She made them act that way, treating them like brainwashed zombies. He said she was a very tall, skinny woman. Her features were very sharp. She had short grey hair and glasses, wearing a long skirt and a dress shirt, clearly trying to look the part of a teacher. Her skin seemed to lack color because it was a pasty pale instead of the normal peach tone most humans had, which made sense because she was NOT human.

Her number was 28, and her powers included the ability to stretch her neck long distances to see any and everything going on. That was probably why she chose to work with children. Because she was super good at always keeping an eye trained on them.

I didn't like how we were heading towards the sounds of the piano playing, but One said it was the only way out he knew of. I partially wished that we just stayed outside, avoiding the lab altogether, but when I brought that up to him he assured me that it was much safer to go through here than to be risk being caught outside. So, we snuck through the halls, coming up to a door that was partially opened. 

Taking caution and doing our best to stay silent, we slowly squeezed through the cracked open door, careful not to move it and make any noise, right into her room. The teacher was even scarier looking in person than how One had described her to me, but I didn't have time to sit and look at her. We had to get out of here.

She continued playing the piano, her back turned to us. Her fingers looked almost too long for her hands. She continued playing the loud, yet eerie tune, occasionally pausing to write notes in on the piece of music she was reading from, then continuing again.

One paused, seeing that the door on the other side was shut, knowing and being fully aware that if we were to just open it we would surely grab her attention, just as we had grabbed the hunter's attention in the woods when escaping his home. So that didn't seem a good option. He silently scanned the room, when he saw a small vent.

He silently pointed at it, and I nodded in response, understanding what he was saying. I quickly tip-toed over and slid it open, only for the metal to make a loud screeching noise, completely defeating the purpose and grabbing her attention anyway, causing her to look at me, snapping her head 90 degrees to the side, which was unnatural and horrifying.

Her eyes were just as empty and emotionless as the rest of her. I could feel them scan me, like spotlights. I was so terrified, I couldn't even move.

"HEY!" One suddenly shouted, running over to the other side of the room and waving his arms, giving me the chance to get inside and shut the vent, giving me a brief moment of safety. I tried regaining my breath while I watched One through the cracks of the vent, trying to figure out what his plan for escape was.

He probably hadn't thought that through yet. He just knew he needed to give me a chance to escape. 

The teacher paused and looked over at One, seeming to raise an eyebrow as if curious. 

"You..." She muttered, her voice sweet and almost too lovely. 

Through the cracks in the vent, I could see her stretch her neck so her head was right in front of him as if she was staring him down. It was even more horrifying than when she turned her head to the side to glare at me. I didn't know what to do. Should I have crawled through the events and escaped, or wait for him?

"Well... look who came back," She teased, placing a finger under his paper bag and onto his chin, forcing him to look up at her. "I never did expect to see YOU here again..."

One just clenched his fists, glaring up at her and hardening his usually soft brown eyes, not replying with a verbal response.

"Why would you come back here?" She asked in a cold yet sweet tone, almost sounding amused. "After all the testing... after all the lessons... after all the time you spent locked away in solitary, why would you come back? Did you finally change your mind?"

"No," One stated, sounding confident and final in his words. "No matter what you guys try, you can't brainwash me like you've brainwashed all those other kids. No matter where you lock me, no matter what you inject me with, I'll never stop believing." He stated. 

I'm sorry, what did he just say? 

Was he from here? 

I knew he had been here before, but I assumed he had just passed through like we were now. I didn't think he was actually one of the kids being tested on!

Why wasn't he broken like the rest of them? I could only wonder how horrible that must have been for him.

"I'm just trying to help someone." He added. "That's all."

"Help someone?" She questioned, talking to him in a slightly high-pitched voice, like how adults talk to children. It was a little insulting. "Now, child, we've told you time and time again that you can't change anything. Not even you have the power. You're powerless..."

"My powers will come eventually, and then you'll see!" He exclaimed. "I can bring the sun back! I know it!"

"Not if you're dead. You shouldn't exist. We made a mistake keeping you and testing you instead of killing you on sight. I won't be making that mistake again..." She cooed, suddenly grabbing his neck and holding him up. I visibly winced, not sure what to do. I knew with the cuts on his neck and the already hurt arm, that must have only been another item on the list of injuries on him.

One didn't say anything while she lifted him up, squeezing tighter. I couldn't really see because she was blocking my view, but I could hear him trying to gasp for air. I could hear him grunting and trying to thrash free of her grip.

I didn't know what to do! Should I have just ran like he wanted me to, or should I have thrown his sacrifice away and placed myself into danger with no plan in an attempt to save him?!

Me, being the idiot child I was, chose the second option because truth to be told, I had no idea how to get home. I needed him! So, I kicked the vent open and brought my hands to my mouth, raising my voice to a shout.

"HEY, LADY!" I shouted, causing her to snap her neck all the way around, which was super unsettling and made me jump. Her eyes were grey and empty, devoid of all emotion and personality.

I immediately regretted my choices.

"Six...." One whispered, voice soft and strained, his brown eyes softening. "Wh..t...are....y....doing...?" He squeaked. "...Run..."

"P-put him down!" I cried, trembling. It was definitely a lot harder to act bravely in person like this. I had no idea how One did it so often. I was drop-dead terrified.

"Well, well, well," The teacher giggled, dropping One, causing him to land on a heap on the floor, making a small noise that sounded like what a hurt animal would make. Then he sort of just lied there, his breathing uneven. I could only hope he wasn't hurt too bad. 

She then stretched her neck over to me, cocking her unusually large head to the side, right in front of my face. 

"Aren't you interesting..." She beamed, looking me over. "Blue skin, blue eyes, blue hair. Classic traits of lower numbers. Are you lost, my boy? Must I... return you to where you belong?" She asked in a tone that was so sweet that it was scary. "Who are you?"

"I-I'm Blumiere," I muttered, trying and failing not to let my voice shake. "A-And I don't need your help. M-me and my friend were just leaving."

One slowly raised his head from the floor. I remember making brief eye contact with him, seeing his brown eyes soften.

Because I had called him a friend.

"Your friend?!" She asked, lightly laughing, then pointing at One while still maintaining eye contact with me. "Sweetie, this isn't a friend. It's a monster. Why don't you come with me, and I can get you a room-"

"NO!" I shouted, clenching my fists, squeezing my eyes shut, and looking down, not moving. "H-He's not a monster. J-Just let him go and we'll be out of your way. And then I-I promise to never bother you again! Honest!"

She smiled a horrifying grin that nearly stretched to each of her ears, revealing long, crooked teeth which had most likely not been properly brushed in many many weeks. "Oh, brave child... you have NO idea what you're associating yourself with..." She trailed off. "You have no idea what that thing could do to our world."

"No, YOU have no idea what he can do to the world," I spat in return. "H-he can bring back the sun."

"He can lie," She stated, her voice seeming to echo now. "He can kill us all... he can destroy everything..."

"No," I hissed. "You can't.... you can't judge him solely on his number."

"That's what the numbers are for, sweetie" She stated. 

"No... Our... our numbers don't define us." I said.

With that, I suddenly summoned what looked like a small black blob, lined with red. A dark projectile, if you will.  I have no idea how I did it, but I made it appear, flicking my wrist and hitting her right in her face, causing her to hiss and rush backward, screeching like a monster. It was loud, high-pitched, and it hurt my head.

I took that opportunity to rush over and grab ahold of One, helping him up and slinging his arm over my shoulder, causing him to wince and hiss in pain, squeezing his eyes shut. I rushed over to the vent while she was stunned, quickly getting inside and crawling through while holding him over my back, essentially carrying him.

"H-Hang in there," I whispered, sweating slightly. It was hard carrying another person, and even though I was stronger and faster than One, I still wasn't super strong. "W-We're gonna make it."

It felt weird for those words to be coming out of my mouth instead of his. Usually, he was the one saying things like that, but I guess it was my turn to be brave.

But sadly, that bravery didn't last long, as I suddenly heard a loud banging noise. I quickly turned and looked back at the vent, seeing the teacher having stuck her head in, stretching her neck so she could follow us.

That was the image of nightmares. I gasped and started crawling faster as she chased after us, feeling my heart accelerate. 

I continued running, when I saw the vent end, leading to another gap I would have to jump. The gap was out of the vents and onto a small wooden platform outside, leading to our freedom. We would finally be out of the lab! There were stairs on the other side of it, leading to the ground, but if we were to miss and fall, we would surely die.

"Oh no...." I trailed off, knowing I couldn't make that jump with One on my back. But the teacher was hot on my heels, so I couldn't just stop.

"One?! C-Can you move?!" I asked him frantically, earning a soft nod from him.

"Okay, then here's what we're gonna do," I breathed, still holding him up and supporting him. "I'm gonna let you go and jump across. Then, you're gonna jump and I'm gonna catch you. I know you're hurt, but it's what we have to do!"

He didn't verbally respond, but I could feel him nod into my back, so I continued crawling forward until the vent ended, leading to the gap we would need to jump. I set him down and gave myself two steps to run and jump, easily making it across. Then, I quickly turned around and kneeled down, holding out my hand.

One slowly stood up, his legs shaking. I could see the teacher just a few feet behind him.

"ONE!" I cried, "HURRY!"

He slowly looked up at me, almost looking drowsy. 

Why wasn't he panicking?!

"ONE! PLEASE!" I shouted, trembling. "I NEED YOU!"

He seemed to take a deep breath, then stood up on his tiptoes, like he was preparing himself. Then, with the teacher inches behind him, he gathered all his strength, took two long strides, and jumped.

The teacher's teeth barely missed his trenchcoat as he leaped, grabbing ahold of my hand.

She tried reaching towards us, only to stop as if her neck just quit stretching. Looked like it would only go so far. Thank Grambi. She screamed in a frustrated manner, her neck retreating and bringing her backward, away from us.

I quickly hoisted him up and pulled him forward, causing him to trip forward and land on his face.

I was worried he passed out since he seemed unresponsive, but when I asked, "One, a-are you okay?" He replied with a weak thumbs-up, showing me that he was at least alive.

I lightly smiled, then sat down next to him, utterly exhausted. "Y-You're hurt pretty bad..." I pointed out.

"'m srry...." He mumbled with his face into the ground, sounding so tired and defeated.

Why was he apologizing for that? It wasn't his fault. 

"It's okay..." I assured him, looking forward. There was no one in the streets. It looked like we were safe for now. "It's okay.  W-we'll stay here until you feel good enough to keep moving. Okay?"

"...We?" He asked, softly raising his head and looking up at me. I could see the cuts and bruises around his neck. It looked so painful. I couldn't even imagine the fear and pain he must have been feeling.

And for the first time ever, I actually smiled back. A full, real smile.

"Yes," I replied. "We."