In a black void, Michelle floated in the middle of it with her eyes closed. Underneath Michelle, two different pairs of arms- a man and a woman reached for her. "Wake up..." they said. "Wake up... wake up..."
The woman's arms wrapped around Michelle's waist while the man's arms placed his hands against her cheeks. "Wake up," they said in unison.
Michelle gasped a bit and opened her eyes before trying to catch her breath. After Michelle calmed down, she realized that her arms and waist were wrapped in braided hair.
Michelle moved a bit and tried to get out of the braided hair with a struggle. "You're awake..." a female voice said, which made her freeze in place and stop struggling.
When Michelle glanced to the right, she saw Poppy with braided hair tied behind her hands, Kissy Missy, Huggy Wuggy, and Yarnaby with braided hair tied against his mouth, tied against the chairs on her right side, along with the Dusky doll at the end.
Michelle glanced to the left and saw Mommy Long Legs and CatNap with their hands and legs tied against braided hair on the left side, with Baby Long Legs and Dolly Grub near the front.
Michelle turned her head to the right and saw Doey tied against the chair, with most of his body covered in braided hair, before turning her head to the left, revealing Katelynn tied against the chair, covered the same way as him, and her tail tied against the chair's legs. "Everyone..." she said in a low voice.
When Michelle looked to the left, she saw Lily Lovebraids sitting at the far chair, drinking from an empty cup. "Listen, Lily, whatever the Prototype promised you, don't—" she stopped midsentence when the braided hair wrapped around her tightened, which made her grit her teeth and made the group flinch.
Lily Lovebraids set her teacup on the saucer as the braided hair around Michelle loosened, which made her try to catch her breath. "Save your breath..." she said. "I don't listen to Lying Lynda's."
Lily Lovebraids sighed. "I tried so hard to be nice to your group," she continued. "Despite all that you've done in the past, I wanted to believe that you were different from the others..."
Lily Lovebraids turned her head to Michelle with stern eyes. "I was even gonna offer a place with food, shelter, and entertainment for all of you to stay after hearing about Safe Haven," she said. "But what did all of you do instead...?"
Lily Lovebraids's eyes turned slightly bloodshot before she slammed her hand against the table. "You all spat on my face and decided to free her instead after everything she's done in this place!" she shouted.
Lily Lovebraids got out of her seat and walked toward the back until she stood next to Michelle before grabbing her under her chin and making her face her. "You're just like the other wretched toys who screamed at the sight of me..." she continued.
Lily Lovebraids squinted at Michelle. "No, maybe even worse than that... you're toys that'll act sweet, then stab them in the back when they're no longer useful," she said. "If it were up to me... you wouldn't see the light of day again..."
Most of the group glared at Lily Lovebraids with slight growls as she let go of Michelle's chin. "But good toys don't hold grudges," she said before walking toward the end of the table. "Good toys are meant to be honest and kind to their friends, no matter the situation."
When Lily Lovebraids stood at the table, she smiled at the group. "But that's enough of my blabber; our Special Guest will be here soon, and he's going to be thrilled at what he sees," she continued before giggling a bit.
The braided hair holding Candy Cat's head got close to Lily Lovebraids. "He's going to kill them all..." she said in a lower-pitch voice.
The group stared at Lily Lovebraids as she gasped at Candy Cat's head before shaking her head. "No, Candy..." she said before pointing at Poppy. "Not Poppy..."
Michelle looked at Poppy while she did the same thing. "She's always been his favorite," Lily Lovebraids continued before slamming her hand against the table with a snarky giggle.
Most of the group glared at Lily Lovebraids. "I think she's a little Asking Annie..." she said in a lower-pitch voice before smiling at Candy Cat's head, laughing a bit. "She IS a little Asking Annie."
The braided hair grabbed Poppy's tied hands before she was lifted in the air. "Ooooh, please take me out of my case," Lily Lovebraids said as it brought her closer to her. "Ooooooh, please rescue the orphans."
Lily Lovebraids glared at Poppy with slightly bloodshot eyes and placed her hands on the table. "Oooh, please blow up the whole factory and BURN. EVERYONE. ALIVE!!" she shouted before slamming her hand against it.
The group heard a loud thud, which surprised them and made them look around. Lily Lovebraids smiled with a gasp as the braided hair holding Poppy set her back in the chair before pointing toward the front. "Our special guest... is here!" she shouted before she started laughing maniacally.
When the group turned their heads to the wall, she saw the Prototype's fingers emerging from the crack in it, which made Michelle's eyes widen. Soon after, the Prototype opened the walls, and Red Smoke was emitted around the area.
When the Prototype stepped forward, they saw a large toy wearing a jester hat and vest on the upper half, and a large spider-like lower half with a ribcage, Huggy Wuggy's arm, and Mommy Long Legs's leg retracted inside a small compartment, and a handmade emitter on its back covered with black wool-like fur.
The Prototype turned his head to the group, revealing a cracked porcelain face with a wide, unnatural grin of square teeth, and a small, glowing, orangish-yellow pupil in his right eye socket, which petrified Michelle. "That's... the Prototype..." she said in a low voice.
The Prototype approached the table as Huggy Wuggy's arm and Mommy Long Legs's leg extended. "...Poppy," he said.
Michelle stared at the Prototype, mortified. "Surprise!" Lily Lovebraids shouted before stepping to the side.
When the Prototype was near the table, he knocked over the chairs with Dolly Grub and Baby Long Legs in them. "My, my... I didn't expect to see so many other faces in this place..." he said.
The Prototype looked at Huggy Wuggy and Kissy Missy. "One one seven zero and one one seven two..." he continued, which made him snarl at him while she was terrified, before turning his head to Yarnaby. "The Doctor's former pet, one one six six..."
The Prototype turned his head to Mommy Long Legs, which horrified her. "One two two two..." he said before turning his head to CatNap, which made him glare at him with his ears pointed back. "My former friend, one one eight eight..."
The Prototype looked at Doey, which made him glare at him with a growl. "The former Safe Haven's leader, one three two two A, B, and C..." he continued before turning his head to Katelynn, which terrified her. "And one three three two..."
The Prototype glanced at Michelle. "And that must make you 'Playtime's Hero', Misha," he said.
Michelle glared at the Prototype. "Only close friends can call me that," she said.
The Prototype chuckled. "How harsh, but also fair..." he said.
The Prototype lowered his head to Michelle's level. "Tell me... how do you feel now after meeting the real deal?" he asked in Ollie's voice.
Michelle hummed aloud. "Well... compared to that statue CatNap made and seeing the real deal in person... you look a lot uglier than I thought..." she said.
Lily Lovebraids angrily looked at Michelle. "CatNap tried his very best to make the statue look exactly like you, but somehow his image of you looked a lot better than in person," she continued.
Lily Lovebraids growled, and the braided hair wrapped around Michelle tightened, which made her grit her teeth. "How dare you say that to the Special Guest?!" she shouted. "That's quite rude!!"
The Prototype stared at Michelle before leaning up. "Lily..." he said, which made Lily Lovebraids flinch before he turned his head to her with angry eyes. "What did I say about your behavior? You shouldn't take petty words like that to heart..."
Lily Lovebraids looked down before the braided hair around Michelle loosened, which made her try to catch her breath. "Sorry..." she said in a low voice.
The Prototype glanced at the table and noticed the plate of peanut butter cookies next to the plate of soggy hardtack 'sandwiches'. "Their group was even kind enough to bring something to this tea party; how thoughtful of them..." he said with a condescending tone, which worried some of them.
Poppy glared at the Prototype. "What did you do with them?" she asked, which made him look at her. "Where are the orphans?"
Lily Lovebraids smiled. "Uh-oh..." she said, which made the group look at her as she moved around a bit. "She doesn't know..."
As Lily Lovebraids giggled, the Prototype made his left fingers into a point before stabbing Candy Cat's head, which surprised her and made her let go, while some of the group grinned at the action.
Lily Lovebraids pouted and crossed her arms as the Prototype pulled his fingers away, which made Candy Cat's head drop to the ground, before looking at Poppy. "I did... what I had to," he said. "They're in... a Better Place now."
Most of the group stared at the Prototype, horrified. "What does that mean...?" Mommy Long Legs said in a low voice, with tears pricking her eyes, before she glared at him. "What did you do to the children?! WHERE ARE THEY?!"
The Prototype ignored Mommy Long Legs as Poppy looked away in horror. "No... no..." she said, in a low voice, before glaring at him. "You're a monster!"
The Prototype placed one of his legs on the table before leaning close to Poppy. "I built us a home and kept you safe," he said before turning his head to Michelle. "And you repaid me by keeping her in this place..."
Michelle glared at the Prototype with a slight growl. "And even though she had plans of her own, she made her choice when she started 'saving' the toys," he continued.
The Prototype looked at Poppy. "And you... attempting to destroy the only heaven you and I will ever get," he said.
As the Prototype held his hand out, Poppy turned her head away. "I had hoped your time in the case would help you see reason," he continued as he grabbed her head with the tips of his fingers, which made her flinch. "I see now this was my fault."
The Prototype lifted Poppy in the air before making her face him. "You act like a child because... a child is what they made you," he said.
Poppy grunted and closed her eyes while trying to move away. "You're hurting me," she said.
The Prototype brought Poppy closer to his face. "Don't be afraid; I can fix you, Poppy," he said as his grip on her head tightened. "I can make you better..."
Poppy was in pain as the crack on her cheek grew larger. "Stop!" she shouted.
The Prototype's fingers cracked Poppy's head, which made him flinch, while the group's eyes widened. "NO!!" they shouted.
As the Prototype dropped the unconscious Poppy onto the table and looked at his fingers, Huggy Wuggy and Kissy Missy screeched at him while the others struggled to move in anger.
Michelle gritted her teeth before glaring at the Prototype. "You bastard!!" she shouted. "How dare you do that to your own sister?!"
The Prototype remained silent before lowering his hand and turning his head to Michelle. "Bold words coming from the daughter of two former Playtime employees," he said.
The room froze while Michelle stared at the Prototype, shocked. "You knew them too?" she asked.
The Prototype tilted his head and glanced at the unconscious Poppy. "Oh? Did Poppy not tell you about them?" he asked before looking at Michelle. "I could've sworn she would tell you after she heard your last name for the first time... that's OK, I'll tell you about them in her stead..."