RES University

"... Guys, I heard something." Blue said quietly. "Like, scruffling. Under the bed." 

Paula stared at him, grinning. "Did you? Oh, gosh, what could it be?" She practically jumped off the bed, staring underneath it. "Too dark to see anything..."

Voltaire threw a small flame under the bed, hoping to either illuminate the space beneath it or set the scuffling thing aflame.

There was a scream, and whatever-it-was scrambled out from under the bed. In the dim lighting, only a silhouette could be seen, but it was enough for Paula to lunge at and tackle. 

"A-HA! I got 'em!" Pula laughed in that semi-maniacal way, pinning the writhing stranger to the floor.

"P-Please let me go... gah..." The stranger managed to say, Paula's hands wrapped around what was likely their throat. 

"Eek! Sorry!" Voltaire squeaked, jumping back in surprise. "W-Who are you?!"

"I suppose we should let him say that, at least." Paula muttered. loosening her grip on his neck.

After a few moments of coughing and gasping for air, the stranger managed to compose himself enough to talk. "I... if I say who I am, I'll die... y-you'll kill me..."

Skarner growled. "I know you."

"What? Why would I kill you?" Voltaire asked suddenly, taken aback by his words.

"Because... I've done bad things." The stranger mumbled. And at least one person here, from what he could tell, was aware of it.

Paula glared at him. "Well, either you can tell us who you are and risk being killed, or I can kill you now."

"...M-My name's Augustus, okay? Please... please don't hurt me."

"Augustus?" Amethyst echoed. "You're... alive?"

Skarner slammed his claw on the ground in anger, roaring.

Augustus flnched. "I-I ... please don't kill me... I was hiding here... because I knew that if you found me..."

"Why shouldn't we kill you?" Amethyst growled.

"Well, I-I... I'm useful. I know everything there is to know about this place." Augustus replied shakily. 

"We should keep him." Paula declared instantly.

Skarner let his anger get the better of him, roaring and slamming the ground. Then, he charged at Augustus. He missed however, a few centimetres away from him. He hit the wall, breaking it down and slamming into...metal floor? He looked up. Before him was a...lab. Abandoned, of course, but there was dried blood, broken glass...and bones.

Augustus squeaked, but Paula grabbed him before he could make any movements.

"Whoaaaa, a hole in the wall!" She murmured. "C-Can we check it out?"

"What else is there to do?" Blue replied. She hesitantly made her way towards the hole in the wall. "Hey, Skarner, you okay...?"

Voltaire flinched from the loud crashes and bangs, shielding her eyes as a force of habit. Suddenly, there was a gaping hole in the ground... A hole that lead to the pinnacle of curiosity. "PAULA!!! IS THAT THE LAB?!?!"

Skarner responded with a punch to a nearby metal wall, denting it. He just grunted.

"The lab?" Amethyst echoed. "Oh, great. I never liked that creepy place..." 

"The LAB?!" Paula practically shrieked. "Oh, gosh, can we check it out? Pleeeaaase? We gotta check it out! Let's do that!" 

"Considering we literally found Augustus in the living area alone, I say we be careful."

Augustus managed to wriggle free from Paula's vicegrip. "I don't know about what King could've done here."

"Let's gogogogogo!!" Voltaire squealed in sheer joy, jumping down to the lower level. 

"Wait for meeeeee!" Paula shouted, sprinting after her.

"... I'm allowed to come, right?" Augustus asked quietly. 

Amethyst shrugged. "Whatever. Nothing to gain from killing you..."

"O-Okay." Augustus mumbled. 

The group hesitantly made their way to the lab.

There were faint whispers in the lab. It was dark, and lights randomly flickered from time to time.

"Ooooh, this is getting interesting." Paula murmured, looking around. "What could that be?"

"Not like anything I've heard before." Amethyst replied, suddenly much more wary. She glanced at Augustus and Hazel, who both shook their heads, just as confused as she was.

The lights randomly sparked, and there were multiple doorways leading into darkness.

One of them had a silhouette of..something. It had pointy ears.