Experiment 21

35: Escapism

[Lightbulb's POV]

My pulse was throbbing in my ears as I tried to think of a plan. Thinking in this heat was miserable. With each spark causing another roar of flames, I knew we only had mere minutes before all of us were consumed. Sure, I could survive a few minutes in the flames but.. Fan would be a goner.

He was still shaking in my arms, obviously trying nothing to choke on the smoke that continuously tried to suffocate us. He looked horrified. I was horrified. There's.. nothing either of us could do about it. But if I kept waiting, there was certainly no future for either of us. Think, Lightbulb, think. I looked down at Fan, who hesitantly looked up at me. I forced a smile on my face as I gave a small nod, and then snapped him shut.

I hated doing that. It felt like a physical violation. He barely snapped himself shut, let alone have anything else close him. But.. this would give him the best chance of survival. His edges were laminated. Protecting the most flammable parts was vital to making sure he didn't burn to a crisp.

As much as I wanted to take a breath, try to at least attempt to call myself, I knew if I did I would collapse to the ground. I.. don't know if I'd be able to get back up. Falling would.. likely shatter me. Even if it didn't.. I would asphyxiate on that smoke. Neither of us had anything to breathe through, to filter it. It was likely much harder for Fan himself to breathe, considering he was folded in on himself. How did that even work..? He's paper thin enough.. no wonder he made so many jokes about asthma.

"W-wait! L..light, lightbulb please-"

I froze. All my limbs tensed as I glared over my shoulder. The one who dared to croak a begging plea was exactly who I thought it was. That damn witch. She certainly looked worse for wear. It was so much more obvious now that I could see her up close. You couldn't even call it close, she was a good distance away. She looked like a gust of wind would've knocked her out. She could see the amount of rage in my eyes. She was scared of me. Hah! That's almost funny. She was scared of me.

"I.. I know, I know you're a-angry but please-
You, you can't.. you can't, leave, me down here. To, to-"
"To die? You're kidding. You, the great and horrible experimenter, are begging ME, for mercy. You want solace? You want forgiveness? You expect me to SAVE you? After what you've done to ALL OF US?!"

I snarled, causing Fan to whimper and shake in my arms. He never liked conflict. I didn't either, but the fact she's begging me for her life here is pathetic. If she wanted mercy, she should've kept to herself. If she wanted mercy, she should've left Fan alone. If she wanted mercy, she should've Paintbrush alone. Let us go home. Let it be some stupid sleepover and that be the end of it. But she just HAD to keep pushing. Look where that got us all.

She was pathetic.

"You're smart, Test Tube. Figure it out yourself."

I'm not wasting any more time on her. As I finally dashed into the flames, holding my breath, I took one last look backward. Just enough to see her face contort into a scream as the flames swallowed where she was standing. She didn't have the strength to get up. Considering how weak and fucked up her body was, she wouldn't last long.

Good.

Though.. I wasn't doing so good myself. Running head first into a fire with a flammable object wasnt a good idea. It was so.. hard to navigate. The heat seared at my arms, singeing off whatever it could get it's sparks on. I bit the inside of my cheek and gave Fan a squeeze, trying not to scream myself. Fan had pulled all his limbs as close to himself as he could. Waiting for it to be over.

Every now and again I'd find my footing. A spot of the lab that hadn't been consumed yet, or something I could climb on top of to get above the flames. Everytime I did, I felt that.. nagging feeling, to look back. Watch her body burn. Get the solace, the satisfaction out of her suffering. She was likely dead by now. Dead and charred. But.. something in me made me realize doing that would put me on too much of a similar level to her. Just like she had said.