Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Parker stood in front of his desk staring at the strange package. He had found it that morning when he took his son to school. He was supposed to go to work after that, but curiosity and anxiety got the better of him, so when he returned, the first thing he did was call work and report sick.

Now he was face to face with that somewhat dirty cardboard envelope, with some strange fluid staining some of its surfaces. And to be honest, Parker didn't want to know what it was, if the stains gave him any idea.

Against his better judgment, he opens the package. He doesn't care about anything, especially now that he can't take his eyes off the Playtime Co. logo printed in the corner of the envelope.

Inside, he finds only two things: a letter stained with the same strange fluid, which, upon closer inspection, he thinks is blood, and an unlabeled, somewhat neglected yellow cassette tape.

Without wasting any more time, he searches the whole house for that VCR tucked away somewhere. He can't help but remember how his son teases him affectionately, saying it's too old-fashioned, reminding him so much. His thoughts dissipate when he finally finds it in a closet where they keep some things. Without further ado, he rushes to the living room, almost tripping as he tries to connect it to the television.

When he finally manages to insert the cassette and the television begins to play it, his anxiety begins submit, of course, it's probably just a cruel joke played by someone, but he still harbors a glimmer of hope.

And before his thoughts can overwhelm him, the video begins with a house he knows well, Elliot Ludwing, founder of Playtime Co.
He simply ignores whatever he is saying, and the next thing that appears is an advertisement for a Poppy doll and factory tours. Something tightens in his chest. He had a small hope that there would be something, a clue, even a small one, but he is disappointed again. Before he can turn off the TV, he notices strong static in the video and then sees something that makes him freeze. Ludwing's office, exactly where that poppy is painted. It may just be an old recording, but what makes Parker dismiss those thoughts is the fact that the place looks too worn and abandoned.
Without further ado, he gets up so quickly that he even stumbles, but none of that matters when he finally reaches the table and picks up the letter.

It only contained a drawing and a text matching what they painted:

Find the Flower

Chapter Text

Parker Sawyer stood still for a long time, unsure how to react to this new and only clue in the ten long years since the factory incident. That glimmer of hope was soon crushed by the following thought: someone had probably found that cassette tape and it was just a cruel joke aimed at him. Of all the workers in that factory, the more important were always the doctors, the few who were working inside, Harley Sawyer was the only one who was married, although he was one of the youngest. A simple search and his name would probably appear as his husband

He shook his head, trying to dispel those thoughts. He had to concentrate on taking care of his son, and besides, he couldn't just go to the police. They would probably dismiss the cassette and an ambiguous note, and in any case, they couldn't enter the factory because even then it was owned by someone anonymous. That person had been a suspect after the events of August 8, but they never found an identity or enough evidence to enter the premises, much to the outrage of the workers' families.

He take the envelope to put away the cassette and the note, but before him can put the cassette away, something inside catches his attention again. Was another piece of paper, with only two different things written on it, and from what he can tell, they were written by different people

Everyone thinks the staff dissapeared ten years ago.
Were still here

He read those lines over and over again, thinking that they would change each time he reread them. He didn't have time to notice that he was clenching the new letter in his fists, causing the paper to crumple.
He knew it was stupid. With the first note, he had already tried to convince himself that it was just a stupid joke, but with this new information, he had ended up catching himself hoping again. Maybe, just maybe... this could be true.

With a plan forming in his head, he decided to dial his sister's home phone number, and as the phone rang, trying to connect the call, he immersed himself in memories

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At that moment, he had no idea that his day would turn out that way. He was at school when he was called to the principal's office. When he opened the door, he was greeted by two officers and the look of pity etched on the faces of the principal and his teacher.

When they pulled him aside and told him what had happened to his parents, it was as if everything around him became blurry. He only remembers standing in the hallway after the officers gave him the news, and moments later he found himself somewhere else, as if in the blink of an eye.
The smell of antiseptics lingered in the air, the white walls were too bright for his liking, and now he felt as if all the sound in the world had been turned off.

When Parker Williams, long before taking his husband's surname, was twelve years old, his parents had been involved in a terrible car accident, which ended with the tragic death of both parents in the operating room after paramedics transported them from the ambulances to the emergency room.

That year he had ended up in state care, jumping from one foster home to another because his parents reported that he was very difficult to deal with, until in his last foster home the social workers said he would be removed and subsequently sent to an orphanage that intended to help him. When they told him the name, he didn't have to ask where it was, he already knew: Playcare, within the Playtime Co. facilities.

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“Parker?” a voice spoke from the other end of the phone. “Shouldn't you be at work?” That snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Sarah, I need to ask you a big favor,” Parker replied without further ado, knowing that if he didn't, he might give up this opportunity.

The line went silent for a few seconds.
“Something's happened, hasn't it? Are you and Matthew okay?” She seemed taken aback by his request, and he felt bad for worrying her.

“We're fine, Sarah. You don't have to worry. I just... need you to take care of Matthew for at least a week... Please.” The last part came out shaky and lower than normal.

“Sure, and that's not worrying at all.” There was a sarcastic tone in Sarah's voice, but concern still seeped through. “You have to tell me what's going on, Parker, so I can help you.”

And now he was the one who was silent. He didn't know what to say, but before he could come up with a credible excuse, Sarah's voice interrupted him.

“It's about that, isn't it?”. “That” was what he and she had started calling it so many years ago.

“Just... please, maybe... maybe this is closure or something, I just need to check it out for myself.” That was all Parker could say to Sarah.

The line went silent again until Sarah spoke again. “Fine... but if I don't hear from you in a week, I swear, Parker...” Parker knew Sarah wasn't convinced, but she still supported his idea, as stupid as it sounded to her.

“Thanks.” There was sincerity in his tone.
“Anytime, little brother,” Sarah replied affectionately.
The call ended, and silence consumed Parker once again.

Sarah may not be his biological sister, but he had come to love her as such, just as she loved him.

The rest of the day passed like a blur for him. Before he knew it, it was late and he had to pick up Matthew from school.

Matthew had always been a well-behaved child, but he was also very attached to his mother, so for obvious reasons he didn't take it very well to having to spend a week away from him. Although in the end she managed to convince him only if she called him every night before going to sleep, he didn't hesitate to agree, so after lunch he helped his son pack his suitcase.

The trip to Sarah's house was long but very peaceful. Matthew even fell asleep in the car, and as if on autopilot, his thoughts consumed him once again.

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Days before the paperwork to send him to “Playcare” was finalized, Parker was visited again by social workers. Apparently, the paperwork had been put on hold and they had started the adoption process, which shocked and puzzled him in equal measure. Before he could react, they explained the reason for their decision. He would be taken in by a couple with a daughter, but they weren't just anyone. Apparently, they had been good friends with his parents but had drifted apart when they moved away. Parker had never heard of them specifically and didn't know how to feel or what to think about this new turn of events.

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When they finally arrived, their son had already woken up and could see his sister standing outside on the porch.

He helped Matthew get his things out of the car, he and Sarah didn't exchange a word, but over time they had learned to communicate with just a glance. He knew she was worried, so he hugged her, whispering reassuring words, and then said goodbye to his son.

“Be good to Aunt Sarah, sweetheart,” Parker said before kissing him on the forehead and hugging him tightly.
“Yes, Mom, I promise,” Matthew buried his face in his mother's neck, and neither of them knew who was hugging the other tighter.

That night, he couldn't sleep well.

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Nerves were consuming him because now he was standing in front of the factory entrance. He had had to hide his car to prevent anyone from calling the police, although he thought it was unlikely, after all, Playtime Co. was located in an isolated area in the middle of a large forest.

Before he could back out, he entered through the dilapidated doors, worn down by the passage of time.

He knew the factory had been abandoned ten years ago, but seeing the passage of time inside the facility for himself was surprising. The first thing that caught his attention was the drawing of Huggy Wuggy on the wall in front of him. It used to be painted in bright colors, but now there were white patches and the drawing looked faded, just like everything else. After noticing the other walls, he saw that there was debris and dust everywhere.

He approached the damaged desk, the same one that years ago had welcomed visitors to observe the previously painted and clean facilities. He noticed a green cassette on the counter. Before wondering what to do with it, a television of the same color leaning against a corner of the wall caught his attention. He followed his gaze along the cables hanging below until he noticed the VCR. He couldn't say for sure if either object worked, but he approached it anyway and inserted the cassette. Elliot Ludwing's voice echoed in the lonely place. He finally remembered what the cassette was about. Playtime Co. had continued to use it to prevent strangers from entering the premises at inconvenient times and trying to steal something.

He ignored the rest of the tape and walked to the access turnstiles. Before ducking to cross them, he noticed the blue hand-shaped panel above the metal shutter. He realized that in the far corner there were parts of a toy and some strange stains that he couldn't identify due to the darkness of the room. He decided to ignore it and looked around the room until he turned toward a glass door. He looked up and was greeted by a “Security” sign.

Walking across the white tiles with other colors, Parker ignored the poppy sign and the red-covered armchairs. Parker didn't notice the small figures underneath it. He went straight to the transparent door and tried to open it, but it was locked.
His gaze turned toward the colorful panel, and with a sigh, he turned around to look for some clue. He saw the doors to the gift shop and headed there.

The first thing that caught his attention was that there was an image of CandyCat painted on the wall. That room was full of shelves and scattered, damaged merchandise. He walked behind the counter looking for something that would give him the security panel code, when a Boogie Bot entered his field of vision. But that wasn't what made him stop. It was the copper-colored stain on part of the counter and on the toy itself. He knew what it was, but he wanted to believe that something was playing a trick on him.

The sound of a box being dragged away made him look up and see the culprit. In front of him was a small CatBee toy. Before he could force himself to remember that the toy had always been there, the CatBee turned around and ran in the opposite direction at full speed.
“Oh my God! What the hell?!” Parker couldn't believe this was real, but he had seen it with his own eyes. He had never in his life drunk or taken substances that would make him hallucinate like this, nor had he ever heard that Playtime Co. would start manufacturing robots of all its toys.

Forgetting everything, he returned to the entrance in order to simply escape from this bizarre moment, but some small voices made him stop.
“You said it would be easy, he saw me!” frantic whispers from one of the voices were the first thing Parker heard.
“Of course he didn't see you, he heard you! You're too clumsy!” replied the second voice with a touch of sarcasm. It would be funny if he weren't on the verge of collapse.
“Don't try to blame me! In that case, you should have gone! I'm so hungry!” There was a hint of desperation and disappointment in the first voice.
And against his better judgment, Parker decided to approach the red armchairs where the voices were coming from instead of walking away like a sensible person.
“A-Are you hungry?” His voice was barely audible, but both voices stopped when he spoke.
He got no response, but Parker unhooked one of the straps on the backpack he was carrying and took out two small cereal bars. He slowly placed them on the floor before taking a few steps back.

Everything remained in an eerie silence, and before he could convince himself that he had indeed hallucinated everything, two small figures emerged from under the armchair. He recognized Catbee, and when he saw the second one, he recognized it as a CandyCat, like the one painted on the gift shop. He didn't know how to react. He could only watch as both... beings, he didn't know what to call them, pounced on a cereal bar each, opened them with their little claws, and ate them with a desperation that made his heart ache.

Parker stood still as he listened to the two little creatures devouring both cereal bars. which allowed him to collect his thoughts and finally notice that smell. It wasn't unpleasant, nor did it come from the old place; it came from both toys. He didn't know what to call them, but the scent of milk, so common in infants, hit him all at once. It made him stagger and finally release the omega scent he had been suppressing. He didn't know what was happening, but it was nothing new. He tried with all his might not to freeze again, but that scent became a little stronger than it was, and when his gaze focused again on CatBee and CandyCat, he noticed their fixed stares. Their little bodies were tense, and as if that weren't strange enough, their eyes seemed to be teary.

He crouched down very carefully, and before he could find anything to say, both toys approached Parker at that moment, but cautiously nonetheless.
“You're a mom, right?” CatBee's question took him by surprise.
“Y-Yes, you are, I can smell it!” CandyCat cut off any possible response from his mouth. The desperation and hope in their voices stirred something inside him.
“I-I...Yes, I am,” was all he could say, his whole body a jumble of emotions.
“Is that why you came? Are you looking for your children?!” CatBee asked again, while CandyCat nodded excitedly. Of the two, the former seemed to be the more talkative, but there was hope in her voice and in her eyes that almost made one want to lie to her.
“My...my son is-is with my sister right now...” Parker's voice came out in a whisper.
“O-Oh...” That disappointed sound came from both CatBee and CandyCat, who, without thinking, and regardless of getting their clothes even more dusty, moved a little closer to them and took them in their arms. Instead of being met with scratches, screams, or shoves, CatBee and CandyCat joined in their embrace.

He still had to figure out what was going on and what kind of mess he felt he was getting himself into.

Chapter Text

When he finally calmed down, Parker unwrapped his arms from CatBee and CandyCat, tried to stand up again, but they continued to cling to him.
“D-Don't go, don't leave us” CatBee spoke first again, this time CandyCat didn't say anything and could only nod frantically again as her claws clung tighter to his shirt.
“It's okay, it's okay, I'm not going anywhere. In fact, I was planning on coming in,” Parker said in a soft voice, the same voice he always used with his son. And he surprised himself when he spoke without stuttering; it seemed that his initial surprise had passed.
“You can come with me... only if you want to,” his voice came out a little shyly after getting no response.
“Really, we can?” CatBee's extroverted personality returned. “Can we?” very much in contrast to CandyCat's shyness.
“Sure, you can cling to my back,” Parker replied with a smile, and his answers made them smile.

Both smelled like infants without designation, and to make matters worse, after seeing that Boogie Bot destroyed on the table, he could remember seeing a bone sticking out of the severed arm, but CatBee's fright had prevented him from thinking about it enough. He had many questions, but for now, he would keep them to himself.

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After asking his new companions if either of them knew the access code to the security room, they both told him about the train.
Finally, he entered the code on the colored panel, although he was a little confused.
Parker walked through the room and found a GrabPack behind a glass panel at the back of the room.
He turned to see another cassette, only this one was blue. This time he didn't have to look around the entire room to find the TV, so he simply reached out, took it, and put it into the VCR. Instructions on how to use the GrabPack and how it worked, including warnings, were displayed on the screen.

The glass lowered until he could take the object and help CatBee and CandyCat get off his back so he could put the GrabPack next to his backpack. “Wow, I've always wanted to use one of these when I worked here,” and after saying those words, Parker didn't notice how both of them tensed up and their little claws scraped the floor.
“You worked here?” CandyCat asked, her voice tense and expectant, while CatBee remained silent.
“Yes, several years ago....I..worked at Playcare as a caregiver.” All these years he had refused to think about the orphans, those he had cared for, those he saw as his children, and those who, when nothing more was known about their whereabouts, he felt he had lost as such.
There was never any clarification about their location and never any clarification about their whereabouts. Some said they had been moved to another location, but that remained an unresolved mystery. They were simply forgotten, like the workers.

Deep down, Parker had also returned to Playtime Co. not only to find out about his husband's whereabouts, but also about those children too.
“Did you love them?” CatBee's voice pulled him out of his thoughts, her voice soft and hopeful.
“Yes, I loved them, like my own children,” Parker felt his eyes fill with tears.

Both approached him, the tension that had previously flooded their small bodies now gone. Something in his response and his scent had calmed them down. Parker suppressed the feelings he had been holding back a little longer and, without another word, helped the two girls back onto his back.

He walked back to the security turnstiles and finally noticed one that didn't have the tube that prevented you from entering. Relieved that he didn't have to maneuver around it, he simply walked straight through and used the blue hand on the scanner.

The first thing that greeted him was the life-size Huggy Wuggy in the middle, waving under the giant sign with the factory's name written on it. Around him were several cubes with letters like those baby toys Matthew had also played with once, spelling out the name of the blue giant.

“Th-Th-That's Huggy, we have to get out of here!” CandyCat said quickly, her voice trembling noticeably after spotting him.
“What? What's wrong?” Parker asked, sounding puzzled.
“Huggy is with him... We have to hurry!” CatBee echoed her friend with the same desperation and tone. Both of them began to tremble like their voices.
“Over there!” CandyCat pointed to the panel with a single blue hand.

Parker moved quickly at their command. They knew the factory and whatever was inside, so he saw no reason not to obey. He reached out his hand toward the panel, but when he was halfway there, it emitted a loud crackling sound that made them jump. CandyCat and CatBee let out frightened screams, and Parker had to take a few steps back.
All this made him increasingly nervous. He glanced around the room quickly until he noticed a key hanging from Huggy Wuggy's raised hand. He knew that thing hadn't been there at first.

“B-Be very careful,” CatBee said as she tried to hide even more behind him.
“Please, be careful,” CandyCat also said, and the smell of milk from the children without designation became a little stronger in both of them.
He let out a shaky sigh and finally used the GrabPack's only hand to take the key. When he did, his body and theirs tensed in contained anticipation, but nothing happened, so the three of them sighed with relief but were still tense.

He noticed that the key was yellow and had a triangle shape at the top. Logically, he used it first to try to open the door with “Security” written above it with a yellow triangle painted on it.

When the door gave way, he quickly walked down the short hallway, almost running, opened the metal door, and closed it behind him. Inside, he could see an electrical panel with some poles.

Parker approached the Kissy Missy sign when it caught his attention and began to read it. He sighed amusedly when he read the rule: “Do not hide behind doors to scare Leth Pierre,” so he had to imagine that it had happened several times to make it a rule. He remembered how Harley complained about how annoying that guy was. Parker just found him strange, saying things that only he seemed to understand, like that weird comment when he had just started working for PlaytimeCo.

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When he first arrived to work at Playcare, even without Harley's approval, Parker quickly adapted and the orphans adapted to him, even letting some of the children call him “Mom.”
Most of the children who called him that had arrived at Playcare too young to remember their parents or had been separated from them due to other circumstances. On the contrary, those who had arrived older, after the death of their parents, avoided calling him that. He didn't mind; he knew there would never be a replacement for their real parents, nor did he intend to take their place.

Of all the caregivers at Playcare, it seemed that something about Parker Williams made the orphans feel more comfortable and secure with him. It could be the fact that he was probably the only one of the caregivers who really liked his job. The others were distant and strict or simply did not know how to deal with the orphans. Parker, on the other hand, really enjoyed taking care of the children, perhaps because he had always wanted to have children of his own.

On that occasion Leith Pierre had gone down to Playcare to check that everything was okay with the care of the orphans.

Parker didn't even notice the stare until he heard him approaching and the scent of Lemon and Poppies reached his nose.
For a moment, him thought would be scolded for being too close to the children; he had heard what happened with Claire Harper.

“You're really good with kids. It's a shame you didn't join Playtime Co. sooner,” was all Leith Pierre said to him before turning around and going back to where he had come from.
Leaving Parker with a strange feeling

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It didn't take long to connect the security system with the help of the GrabPack, and by that time everyone had calmed down. Parker returned to the area where Huggy was, in order to finally open the door with the scanner and get away from him.

Huggy Wuggy was nowhere to be found, and that made everyone freeze.
“W-We'd better get out of here,” Parker said before they both started talking in a panic. CatBee and CandyCat nodded hastily.

He scanned the blue hand and walked quickly down the hallway again. Everyone turned to make sure Huggy wasn't around, but that prevented them from seeing the blue-furred arm disappear into one of the doors.

That hallway was blocked, so they had to choose one of the two blue metal doors. Parker saw the sign that said “stairs” on one of them, with “to hell” painted in red, macabrely completing the first word. He didn't trust it much, but he tried to open it anyway. Again, it was sealed. The other door opened easily, and he crossed the hallway at high speed.

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The room was probably a loading dock, if the boxes were any indication. They looked around, and Parker's eyes fell on a headless CandyCat. He prayed that it was just a toy. CatBee and CandyCat were looking up, so Parker kept walking so they wouldn't have to see it. He climbed the stairs, passing another turned-off Boogie Bot and a yellow VCR.

“Hold on tight,” Parker told them, then jumped from above onto some stacked boxes because the door opened inward. Both followed his orders. This time, he had to pick up several objects to make the claw work so he could grab the other hand of the GrabPack, only this time it was red.

While searching for the objects to move the claw, he found the missing tape. It was yellow and was from one of the workers, someone named Rich, complaining to someone else about having to move boxes and things that had been moved out of place.

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When he got his other hand scanned, Parker returned to the conveyor belt, climbing on with his two companions in tow to have both hands scanned. The sliding door only opened halfway, and before he could think about how he was going to crawl through, he was interrupted.
“We can walk now,” CandyCat assured him.
“Yes! You have to save your strength,” CatBee agreed.
Parker breathed a sigh of relief and smiled sweetly at them. “Okay, thank you,” he replied with the same smile and let them both go in first.

After passing through the conveyor belt and having to reconnect things to open something, they arrived at what appeared to be a toy assembly line due to the large machinery there. He could even see some toys still inside.

He realized he needed a toy to open that door.

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When they finally got the machine working, Parker found a pink tapr. Stella Grayber was one of the top executives at the factory and could practically be called his boss. She ran Playcare but hardly ever spent time there like any of the other top executives. He never met her personally, but everyone around him referred to her as eccentric or, in some cases, strange. Most likely, that tape was about her interview before joining Playtime Co.

“Do they have names?” Parker asked, breaking the silence. He still had many questions.
“No, this is who we are now, what they made us,” said CandyCat, her voice tired and resigned. CatBee was strangely quiet, just bowing her head to the floor.
“T-They?” He sought answers but couldn't help thinking he didn't want them because of what they might imply.
“You really don't know?” CatBee finally spoke, her voice barely a whisper.
Parker remained silent, but that silence answered his question.
“Playtime Co. wasn't always just a toy factory... something happened to Elliot Ludwing, he became obsessed. He found a twisted way to achieve eternal life, from what I remember the doctors saying.” That made him stagger with anticipation.
“D-Doctors?” Parker asked, unable to believe it, or could he?
Catbee remained silent, letting her friend speak.
“They started to...” Her voice broke. “Experiment on us... the children at Playcare.” Hearing those words was like a bucket of cold water for him. He was simply speechless.
“Only the higher-ups and a few authorized people knew about it,” CandyCat finished.
“N-No,” Parker sighed, not believing it. Higher-ups? Could Harley have known? Was he part of this? But there was no way. They had a child. The thought of Harley hurting a child or allowing someone else to do so made him nauseous.
Before he could continue dwelling on those thoughts, the machinery alarm interrupted them.

Parker took the toy and stared at it intently. There was a moment of silence, which he couldn't stand.
“H-How about... Bee and Candy? They're not the best nicknames, but they'll do until we find the right ones, right?” It was all he could say. His voice trembled before he could take it back. Both nodded enthusiastically, their eyes teary with joy.
“Yes! I like it. It's my first nickname!” CatBee replied immediately with her bright personality.
“Candy, it sounds... cute,” CandyCat replied with shy enthusiasm.
Parker wiped his tears, smiled at them, and finally placed the toy where indicated when the machine finished. The metal curtain opened, and Parker began to walk with Bee and Candy behind him.

As they were about to cross that dark hallway, the alarms began to sound aggressively. Before they could do anything, Huggy Wuggy came out and headed toward them. Parker froze when he saw that giant thing moving.
“Quick! This way!” Candy's voice distracted him, and Parker turned to look at her. Candy was at the entrance to the conveyor belt, the door now open, with Bee by her side.
Without thinking twice, he ran towards her, letting them both go first. Huggy Wuggy was following behind them. He could hear his own rapid breathing along with theirs as they tried not to take the wrong path.

When they reached the end, they noticed that the conveyor belt had been broken, blocking the way to the other side. Parker took Bee and Candy in his arms and looked around, searching for something to keep them safe, listening as the rattling sounds grew closer and closer. His gaze quickly fell on a large box. With no other option, Parker used both hands of the GrabPack to pull it over.

The box fell heavily just as Huggy knocked down the door, and the three of them felt themselves falling.
Parker got up a little, still with Candy and Bee in his arms. Huggy hadn't been so lucky; he had fallen onto the railing and was starting to slide.
Huggy screamed, and that smell of milk flooded Parker's nostrils again.
“NO!” Parker shouted, and before thinking twice, he used both hands on the GrabPack to stop Huggy from falling. He grabbed the railing tightly as he tried to pull him up.
“You'll be fine, you'll be fine, sweetheart, wait,” was all he could say, repeating it with all his strength.
When Parker finally managed to pull Huggy up, he fell heavily onto the grating.

Huggy got up and looked at him, making those sounds that gave him the chills. Just when Parker thought Huggy was going to attack him, two voices shouted at him.
“Mom!” Bee was the first.
“Leave him alone!” Candy followed.
They both approached, and Parker turned to hug them, wanting to prevent them from getting hurt.
When they were no longer there, he turned his gaze back to the front, Huggy Wuggy was gone.

Parker stood still for a moment in silent, and finally he collapsed, crying, apologizing to anyone who would listen. He felt Candy and Bee was approaching, and he hugged them, trying to give them some comfort, or perhaps to give it to himself. They both let him vent until he calmed down. Finally he asked.
“W-We have to get there,” was all he could say, and Parker pointed to the poppy flower painted on the other side. They nodded and followed him.

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Parker had already listened to another tape, this time it was gray, he had found it along the way, that tape had been more disturbing than the previous ones, imagining how they dehumanized those children while calling it science disgusted him greatly, so he had to calm himself down.
But now he was standing next to Candy and Bee in front of that painted poppy, the same one that had brought Parker here. The wall was covered with warnings, but Parker decided to ignore them all and pushed open the door.

It was a long hallway, the walls were covered with a floral pattern and it was full of lamps. The decor looked like something you would find in an old house. Before he could go any further, Parker picked up Candy and Bee. Neither of them objected and they clung to him.

When he reached the end, Parker threw open the wooden and glass doors. In the room was a box made of the same material as the doors, but inside it was a Poppy doll.

“Poppy?!” Candy shouted. “We all thought he had taken her!” Bee also said something. Again, Parker didn't know who they were referring to, but they seemed to be afraid of him.

He used his GrabPack hands and opened the door. Red smoke shot out from inside toward his face. Before he could react, Parker fell to the ground and felt his world fade away. He could barely hear something:

You opened my box.

Chapter Text

The image of part of the factory in complete darkness appeared in his dreams—Wake up—he heard from afar but didn't know for sure where.

And the first image changed, Parker for a some reason dreamed of the advertisement for one of the popular toys that Playtime Co. had released, “Mommy Long Legs.” He remembered that advertisement; it had first appeared in 1991, a year before Parker joined the factory.
Then the dream began to become more disturbing. Flashes of parts of the factory in complete darkness came to him, even places outside looked similar, while he constantly heard someone trying to wake him up.

“Wake up!” With that last shout, Parker finally woke up in the same room. As he tried to get up, he felt dizzy and his body felt heavy.
“Great! You're awake,” Bee said with Candy beside her, both watching him.
“W-What was that?” he asked them, still able to smell traces of poppy from the red gas.
He saw both of them tense up.
“Th-That was the red smoke, it makes you hallucinate,” Candy told him.
“Y-Yes! And it also makes you s-sleep and have lots of bad dreams,” Bee followed, somewhat nervously.

With those words, he couldn't help but remember that slide; it was the only one he recognized one hundred percent. Parker had taken Matthew there when he was six years old. His son had hurt himself trying to jump off the slide. And Parker was sure he had seen a scrape on his knee, but when he checked, there was only a small bump. That afternoon, remembering it, he checked again, but all that remained was a barely noticeable red mark. That always seemed strange to him, but Parker never had any explanation for it.
“Mom?” Bee's voice interrupted his thoughts.
“Do you know where Poppy went?” Parker asked her.

“Poppy said she was going to do something, that you'd be fine, that we just had to wait for you to wake up,” Candy replied, more calmly.
“Yes! She said we should go with her. Why? I don't know,” Bee interrupted her friend. That made him sigh softly.
Candy glanced at Bee and continued talking. “Yes, she also said to meet at Elliot Ludwing's office. We know where it is and how to get the key,” Candy assured her and Bee nodded frantically.
“Well, let's go then,” he smiled at them both, and they smiled back. Parker was glad to have a little peace and quiet for now. It was all too much for innocent childs to have to drown in.

Candy and Bee followed him closely as they left the room.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

Holding the key in his hand, Parker examined it, and when he saw the shape and color of the back, he sighed. A red poppy adorned the key.

That red door creaked as soon as he opened it, and the three of them went inside. Parker rushed towards the desk in the middle of the room, which was full of books and objects scattered around. There he found a gray cassette tape and a piece of paper.

"Experiment 814"
Notes:
•This experiment utilized a live rat.
•The rat was fed 3 portions daily for 2 weeks.
•At the end of the two weeks, the rat was killed and submerged into a poppy flower and preservative gel mixture, or as we began to call it, poppy gel.
•1 week later, an electric shock was applied to the rat (still in the gel) in an attempt to revive it.
•The rat remmained unresponsive.
Analysis:
I still believe in the potential of the poppy flower.
Its innusual properties lend me to belive that the propper mixture and procedure could have life altering properties. The poppy flower has for a long time carried heavy symbolism, and I don't belive thats for no reason. Perhaps something larger than a rat would yield different results.

“Poppy gel?” he whispered to himself.
It seemed that Elliot Ludwing had some kind of obsession with poppies. The smoke, the experiments, and now this.
And when parker thinks about it, he remembers a gel like liquid, this one was reddish and orange in color.
He would recognize it if he saw it again, because that accident inside the Playtime Co. facility when he was four months pregnant, thats was the reason when Parker finally gave in to Harley's insistence that he leave the factory.
Parker knew at the time that something was going on because there had been a series of accidents, and then a month later, on August 8, 1995, everyone inside Playtime Co. disappeared.

Without thinking twice, he went to the VCR and noticed that the tape had “Biography of Elliot Ludwing” written on the front. Parker really didn't feel like listening to the tape. Maybe Ludwing had nothing to do with all this after all; he died in 1989 but those negative feelings were still there.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

Parker used the vent cover as a bridge to reach him, helped Candy and Bee climb up, and then followed him. During the journey, he couldn't help thinking about what the recording said, or rather, the lack of it.
Parker decided to put his doubts aside when he reached another room, which seemed to be another power source that he needed to get working.
When he tried to find the other energy source, the sound of a box falling made Parker jump and caused Candy and Bee to scream and rush toward him.
“O-Oh, s-sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I was just trying to activate the power...here.” Poppy moved aside, revealing what he was looking for. Parker turned to look at Candy and Bee, making sure they were no longer scared, then walked over to the poles and began using the GrabPack to restore power.
When it came back on, Poppy clapped her hands happily. That really moved Parker. As small as the gesture was, he couldn't help but think of how Matthew used to do the same thing when he was younger, and that made it worse. Probably none of these children grew up properly because of cruel people.
“Ahem, I wanted to thank you for freeing me. I was stuck there for a long time. Thank you,” Poppy's words snapped him out of his thoughts.
“Were you there the whole time, Poppy?” Candy asked her.
“He caught you?!” Bee also asked her.
Poppy looked away.
“Yes,” she said in a barely audible voice, “I'd like to reward you. There's a train station nearby, you need a code, and I have it. Let's get out of here,"
Poppy said as she walked toward the vent.
“P-Poppy, wait, I don't...” He couldn't finish his sentence because she was already gone.

Poppy reappeared on the other side of the duct, next to a larger one.
“You just have to climb up there,” she pointed to the handrail, and turned around again. Parker couldn't speak properly like that, so he waited until they were somewhere they could both talk.
Parker, Candy, and Bee returned to Ludwing's office.
“Hey, I'm up here! I see youuuu...hehe.” Seeing her act like a little girl made his heart ache, so he laughed sweetly with her, which made Poppy smile broadly.
“I should be able to follow you through the ducts. This way!” As she left, Parker turned to his companions.
“You should follow Poppy through the vents. It's a shorter route.”
He picked them up and helped them climb in.
“Okay! But don't be long, Mom!” Bee replied, while Candy nodded obediently.

He used both hands to open the doors with the scanners. When he finally finished the journey and reached Poppy, Parker was grateful that Candy and Bee had gone through the ducts with Poppy. He tried with all his might not to think about that broken CatBee near the door.

The three of them were waiting for him in that giant hole, or whatever it was. It really got on his nerves that they were all so close to him.
“Listen, I need you to trust me.” As she said this, Candy and Bee were approaching him until something shot toward him.
A large pink hand grabbed Poppy, while what looked like a paler colored arm wrapped around Candy and Bee like a snake. He heard them scream.
Poppy screamed sharply, and the other two did the same, frightened.
“MOM!” Now it wasn't just Bee but also Candy who had called him that.
“NO!” Parker screamed back, soon realizing that it wasn't a hole but a giant slide, so without hesitation, he threw himself onto it so as not to lose any of his children.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

When he reached the end, the entrance to the playground was right in front of him. Looking around, he saw other slides, each with a name written on it: Eddie M.N.R, Leith Pierre, Elliot Ludwing, and Stella Greyber. The last one had no name because all the letters had scattered across the floor.

Parker had to reconnect the power to open the metal door.
He walked quickly to the other end where there was another sliding metal door at the back, but when he tried to place his red hand on the panel, something, or rather someone, stopped him.
"Oh, a new playmate!" The same arm that had taken his daughters ended up ripping his red hand off the GrabPack.
"It's been so long..." As if it were a spider, Parker saw what appeared to be a giant version of "Mommy Long Legs" descend from the ceiling. This made him involuntarily take two steps back.
"Isn't this exciting, Poppy?" Mommy Long Legs lowered the arm she had been raising, holding Poppy in her hand while Candy and Bee were wrapped in her long arm, both trying to free themselves.
"Very exciting, Mommy," Mommy Long Legs spoke again, imitating Poppy.
"Leave them alone!" Parker didn't know what to do; he was very worried.
"Mommy heard that Miss Poppy was going to just give you the train code to scape..." His request fell on deaf ears.
"Now how is that fun?" Parker shuddered as Mommy Long Legs contorted herself every time she said a sentence.
"Instead, why don't we make a game out of it? The game station is still work...It will be just like old times!" Mommy stretched out her arm to put Poppy in front of him while moving her like a little girl moving her doll to imitate talking.
"And if you win all 3 games, i'll give you the train code!" Mommy imitated her voice again.
"Oh, Mommy loves that idea, Poppy" this time Mommy addressed only Poppy.
"You're going to have so much fun, hear to musical memory, and Mommy will get things started!" Parker was speechless.
"Obey the rules, or i'll tear you apart and eat your insides while you're still alive" Mommy stared at him before laughing loudly and sliding back up.

Apparently, Parker would have to play with the giant version of Mommy Long Legs, and he didn't hesitate to curse his luck.
He wouldn't trust her even if he managed to beat her. While playing, Parker would have to find a way to rescue Poppy, Candy and Bee, and get as far away from Mommy Long Legs as possible.

The sound of the door opening snapped him out of his thoughts. With a sigh, Parker entered the game station and climbed up to the control panel to pull down the lever. When he did, a voice he recognised instantly came over the loudspeakers.

"Hi kids!, welcome to the Game Station!, i'm Stella and we've got 3 super, dupper fun games to play!.
These little tests show us just how crazy, strong and smart you are!. Follow Mommy Long Legs down the stairs and we'll start by playing Musical Memory, see you in a bit!."

This was something he remembered. Sometimes he and the other carers had to take a certain number of children from Playcare to the play station so that the children could spend time with the families who came to visit. but the mention of Mommy Long Legs surprised him. Parker had never seen her, so he thought that only the children saw Mommy because after taking them there, they had to return to Playcare to continue looking the other children before they were told to bring the other children back.

The door to "Musical Memory" opened and Parker went down the stairs with only one idea in mind.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

When he got another hand, only this time it was green, Parker found himself in front of the door to "Musical Memory," nervous as hell.

When he entered the room, the lights came on along with the televisions.

"Welcome to Musica Memory, this advanced memory and cognitive recognition test is designed to stimulate several segments of the brain, allowing us to see how quickly and efficiently your brain works.
A sequence of colors will be shown, and you most recreate the exact sequence using the buttons around you.
Bunzo will slowly lower towards you. When yoy complete a color pattern correctly, Bunzo will rise back up. When you input a pattern incorrectly, Bunzo will lower towards faster. If Bunzo reaches you, your test is over.
The test will become more difficult as continues with longer patterns, and quicker succession.
That's all. Good luck!."

A loud noise behind him made him jump. When he turned around, he saw what looked like a glass window, probably where they watched the children take the tests and where Mommy Long Legs was now standing.
"Oh, isn't it amazing?, Mommy hasn't seen the place up and running in years, Mommy can only imagine how excited Bunzo must be!" Parker looked up. If he had to guess, Bunzo was probably an experiment too.
""It's been such a long time, since he's been able to play....to cheer....to eat." Bunzo came closer and closer, and then Parker noticed it, the same smell that covered the others, but it wasn't just the smell of milk anymore. He could also smell fear and hunger. He had to get him out of there too.
"Are you hungry?" Parker asked quietly and let his scent waft over. That made Bunzo stop ringing the cymbals and look at him. Just when he thought he wouldn't get an answer, he noticed that Bunzo's eyes began to tear up as he nodded very slowly.
"I'll get you out of here, I promise," Parker promised, and received another nod but that was more frenetic from Bunzo. So as not to anger Mommy any further, Bunzo rang his cymbals this time.
"Oh!, thats the dinner bell!, Good luck!" Mommy called out from where she was standing. "Bunzo really took his time!" Her falsely sweet voice sounded a little angry, which made Bunzo's fear more noticeable. Parker just wanted this to be over and to find a way to get him out of there.

Several panels popped up and the screen turned red. The test had begun. Parker couldn't lose, even if Bunzo was probably on his side because Mommy was still there.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

When he announced the next round, new panels came down. This was becoming too tiring for Parker, and he needed to concentrate. Then the colours began to appear faster on the screen. Not understanding anything, he didn't know what to do, but then another new panel appeared, only this one was moving. Without thinking twice, Parker reached for the GrabPack and pressed it.
Everything began to fail. When he looked up, he saw Bunzo climbing higher and higher, and Parker knew he had to do something, so he decided to do the first thing that came to mind at that moment. Parker prayed that Mommy would play along.
"Oh, it broke, thats no fun..." her bored voice sent shivers down his spine. He had the feeling that Mommy didn't want him to win any of these games.
"For doing such a splendid job, Mommy has decided to give you....part of the code for the train" but before she could do anything, Parker stopped her with a shout.
"W-Wait!, I'll make you a new deal," Parker tried to keep his voice from trembling.
"A new deal?" That caught Mommy's attention.
"Y-Yes, how about you give me the complete code when I finish all the games, and for now, you just give me something else." It was the only thing he could negotiate; Parker had no other options.
"Oh, all right! What do you want?" Mommy couldn't help her voice sounding excited.
"I want Bunzo." This time his voice came out clearer.
"Bunzo?" Mommy asked, too confused, and before Parker could think she was going to refuse, Mommy spoke again.
"Fine! It's your prize!" Mommy agreed without hesitation, and Parker thought it was so him wouldn't regret it.

The exit platform began to rise until it stopped, and when it was about to reach the other side, the platform descended, causing Parker to stagger. Seeing the duct, he sighed heavily.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

Inside that warehouse, Parker took his time eating some cookies and drinking water. Falling off the platform and ending up there wasn't really as bad as he had initially thought. Parker was able to obtain important information for himself. Inside the warehouse, he found several documents, and thanks to the information, he believes he has finally found the names of Candy and Bee.

There was still time before he could call his son.

Leaving the warehouse and climbing the stairs, Parker finally arrived back at the game station. In the middle of it was Bunzo. As soon as he saw him, he ran towards him. Parker did not sense any hostility from him, so he let him approach.
Without stopping, when he was close, Bunzo put his arms around his waist and hugged him. This surprised Parker and filled him with emotion, and without waiting any longer, he hugged him back and offered him sweet words of comfort. That's what Parker felt when Matthew did the same thing. No matter what his feelings were, his son never missed an opportunity to be close to his mother.

They both stayed that way for a while until Parker gently unwrapped his arms. That action made Bunzo cling even tighter, but Parker reassured him and letting him stay close while he took out some bars and cookies. Parker held them out until Bunzo snatched them and began to eat them hungrily. He realised that the yellow rabbit was barely a head taller than him. Parker stayed close until Bunzo finished eating.

The Omega walked back to the panel to pull the next lever.

"Wow!, you did fantastic!, who gave you permission to be this smart?, Mommy is super proud of you!, but i'm sure she's already told you herself.
Our next game is Wack-A-Huggy!, head downstairs and have fun!."

When the recording ended, the entrance to the next station opened, and Parker began to descend the stairs with Bunzo following close behind.