Siggy Completely Trusts The Doctor That's Suddenly Turned Up - SCP Foundation

”Very powerful guests, indeed.” Uhlda said, his eyes practically boring into the sleeping Siggy.

Seth looked at him, then to Robo, then to Siggy, then back to Uhlda. He bit his lip, unsure of what to do.

“You’ve delivered them to me with no error, 138. Very good job. I’ll make sure to take word of your performance to the Foundation when we make the translation.” His face was sullen, betraying none of his intentions.

“The t-translation?” Robo said. “What do you mean, the translation?”

Uhlda looked at him, smiling warmly. Whatever he’d gained by the gesture froze over immediately when he looked at him with those cold, blue eyes. His voice remained calm, collected, determined. “Our exit from this God-forsaken place.” He closed his eyes for half a second at the word ‘God’. “Don’t you want to get out?”

“What about Siggy?”

“Two-three-nine will be essential to us getting out. Foundation wants a tab on all of the… interesting anomalies in Site 118, and 239 is one of the most interesting.”

He regarded him with a grin, slightly amused in its expression. “Strange. Do you not scare people anymore?”

Robo took a step back. “Scare people?”

He chuckled. “Nevermind. It seems that you don’t.” He turned to Seth. “You think they are ready? We must be quick, the group won’t hold out forever against the infestation.”

“Wait-“ Robo interrupted, holding out his hand. “What do ya mean the Foundation wants all the interesting anomalies? Are they here?”

Uhlda turned his gaze back to him. It seemed annoyed almost, though not a trace of it seeped into his face. “Haven’t you heard? The Foundation is at Floor 0, at the top. Reclamation efforts are going slowly, but all the other anomalies that they’ve secured are being taken to Sites 19, 17, and 51.”

Seth stood as still as a stone, unmoving as Uhlda spoke.

Robo started. “But-“

The doctor held a hand out. “Wait, for a moment, 2006.” He turned his head towards Seth. “Wake the girl up first, 138. Your suggestion to put her to sleep is useful, but they aren’t needed. I want her to hear this.”

Seth obeyed immediately, moving slowly and respectfully towards the wall where Siggy leaned on, sleeping. He stretched a hand out to rouse her. “Siggy,” he said, before pausing and nearly imperceptibly turning his head towards Uhlda. “239, someone wants to talk to you.”

Siggy groaned, cracking her eyes open as her eyes found Uhlda. “Lana? Is that you?”

Uhlda kneeled. “The coat can be deceiving, but I’m not Doctor Trondeheim, sweet girl.” His voice had turned caring and loving, like a parent who was careful not to rouse their child too quickly. “I’m her friend, Doctor Uhlda. You probably don’t remember me- I was usually behind the glass- but I’m here to talk to you.”

“Of… of course,” Siggy said, wiping the sleepy from her eyes. “Why do you wanna talk to me, Doctor Aldho?”

Uhlda smiled. It was warm now, comfortably warm. It was as if his demeanor had instantly switched between cold and loving in the space of moments. “Doctor Uhlda, sweetheart.” He continued. “It’s just that I would like to take you on an adventure outside of the Site. The Foundation, the doctors that love you very much, want you outside so that they can take you to a new home. A home outside of this abandoned, creepy place, where they can take care of you.”

Siggy’s eyes lit up. “And will Lana be there, Doctor Uhlda? I miss her very much.”

“Yes, of course she will. She’s a very important part of the Foundation. She was actually the reason why I came this far down to get you. She wanted me to tell you that she loves you very very much, and wants to continue being your Doctor-Aunt.”

“My Doctor-Aunt? Forever and ever?”

He paused, then smiled. He held her hands and met her eyes with his. “Yes, of course. Forever and ever, little Siggy. Forever and ever.”

Siggy jumped with joy, wrapping her arms around Doctor Uhlda. “Yaaaay! I love you Doctor Uhlda! Thank you so so so so so much!”

Robo felt his chest flare as he watched, though no pain accompanied it. He bit his lip, though he didn’t know why.

Uhlda looked taken aback by her response, then moved to hug her back. “Of course, of course. I’m just doing my job, little girl. I’m always happy to help good little girls like you. Did Mister Seth already teach you spells?”

“Yeah, yeah! They’re ancient majipshun spells, and they’re all really cool and-“ She paused. “Doctor Uhlda? Why are you looking at Mister Seth like that?”

Uhlda turned his head to look at Seth. His eyes froze only on him, his glare boring into the corpse-man’s face.

Then he turned back, the glare gone, his face back to the expression of a loving parent. “It’s nothing, of course. I just wanted to get a look at Mister Seth before we left.”

He stood up, making sure to keep holding on to Siggy’s hand. “You wanna go now, Siggy? Lana’s waiting to meet you up on Floor 0.”

Siggy jumped again. “Let’s goooo!”

Robo looked on, his mind blank. Then, a single thought came to the forefront of his mind.

Wait.

Is she leaving me?

“Siggy.” Robo said, his voice no more than a whimper. “Are you t-taking me with you?”

Siggy stopped, and looked at Robo. Her expression was a mask, but just behind it, Robo felt he could discern hints of emotion. Sadness. Broken trust. Fear?

Then her face retreated from him, and she looked up to Uhlda, as if asking him for his permission.

Uhlda shook his head.

Siggy looked back at Robo. “We aren’t, Robo. I’m really really sorry.”

Just half a foot away, Uhlda’s face remained stony, listening closely.

Robo stared at her for a moment. And another. And another.

Then he remembered that he could speak.

“What?”

“I-“ She looked down at her broken arm, then back at Seth, then to Robo. “You can’t protect me, can you?”

“Siggy-“ Robo started, but he couldn’t find any of the words that he wanted to say. “I-“

“I said not to scare the beast, but you did, and I got hurt, and you didn’t recognize me.“ Her voice turned low. “You said you’d protect me, Robo.”

“Of course I’d protect you, it’s just that-“

Uhlda took Siggy by the hand, and started walking. “Let’s go, Siggy.”

Siggy followed.

Robo looked on.

“S-Siggy? Siggy? Siggy!” He made a move to rush forward, but Seth stopped him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Let her go. She is better-off with him.”

Robo shook him off his shoulder violently, causing him to fall to the ground. “SIGGY! SIGGY! STOP IT!”

Seth made to hold him back, whispering something into his ear.

As he did, Robo fell, crumpling to the floor in defeat.

She didn’t look back.

They had been walking for ten minutes.

Siggy continued down the dark, dark corridors, her lighty-finger shining the way in front of her. Her hand was clasped with Uhlda’s. Every so often, when they heard a crack in the dark, she’d squeeze it, and Uhlda would squeeze back, just to show that he was there.

“You’d protect me, right?” Siggy asked for the third time, her steps hollow against the tiled floor. “Not like…”

“Not like Robo? Of course not. I’ll be with you here, always.”

“Where are we going, Doctor Uhlda? How are we going to Floor 0?”

“There will be a portal, and it’ll take us up and up and up to my other doctor friends, and then they’ll help you and me get out.”

“A portal? Is it dangerous?

“Of course not. You will be fine, forever and ever. I promise.”

Another silence continued.

“Will there be kids where we’re going? Big kids and small kids and kids that are witches like me?”

“Of course there will be.” His voice seemed to lighten more, as if he were reminiscing about something. “I have a daughter where you’re going. She’s seventeen, and she’s a very very kind girl. Like you.”

“Does she have the same powers like me?”

“No, but- nothing.” Uhlda bit his lip, but his smile continued. Siggy thought that he seemed sad. “She takes after her mother, I think.”

“Where is she now?”

“Oh, you know, her home.”

“Does she live with your wife?”

Uhlda laughed, though it seemed sad, like his smile. “Her mother is not my wife.”

“Is she your… girlfriend?”

“Girlfriend? Where did you learn that?”

“From Lana. She said that I’d meet a boyfriend or a girlfriend one day and we might have little kids together and have a big family if I wanted.”

He laughed. “Doctor Trondeheim certainly knew how to spin a story, for sure.” He looked at Siggy, then shook his head. “She was my girlfriend, once. Not anymore, though.”

“How does that happen? I thought you had to be married before you could have a family.”

Uhlda didn’t speak after that.

“How is Lana? Is she alright? Did she say that she was fine?”

Uhlda’s voice trembled. “Y-yes. Of course. She’s waiting for us on the surface, with the Foundation. Everyone else on the higher levels are very… safe, because the Foundation came and took them back to the other sites.”

“The other sites? How many sites are there?”

“Well, think of it like this. What number does this site have?”

Siggy paused for a moment to think. Then it struck her, and she shouted the answer out loud. “Site 118!”

At the sudden increase in volume, Uhlda immediately looked around, scanning the dark halls for any sign of movement.

“HeeeEellp…” A distant voice seemed to moan, but it made no indication that it had heard them.

A few moments passed, then he looked at Siggy with a disapproving look and put a finger to his mouth.

“Don’t shout, Siggy. We need to be quiet. You don’t know what monsters are there in the darkness.”

Siggy nodded, then whispered. “I’m sorry.”

Uhlda removed his hand from hers, patting her the top of her head where her hat sat. “I see your appeal now. She had a point.” He said idly, without thinking.

“What?” Siggy said, innocently.

Uhlda withdrew his hand from her head and returned to holding her hand. “Nothing.” He cleared his throat. “To answer your question, the number of the site provides a clue to how many sites there actually are. If this is Site 118, then how many sites could there be, at least?”

Siggy counted on her fingers. When that failed, she tried again. When that failed, she sighed. “A bajillion.”

Uhlda chuckled. “118, at least.”

“Woahh. Those are a lot of numbers.”

“Lots indeed. I forgot exactly how many there are, and some below 118 are certainly gone, but-“

“HeeeeEEeElp…” A different voice said in the distance.

Uhlda’s head perked up, and he started to quicken his walking.

“Why?” Siggy asked. “Are they getting closer?”

“Most probably. We have many of those right up against the two of us, and we’d have a problem. Quicken your pace, Siggy.”

Siggy followed, going as fast as her short legs can allow her.

“HeeeeEEEElp!” Another shouted. Louder this time.

Ahead of them, 200 feet away, there stood a doorway. It was dark, and seemingly led to nowhere, but just within it was a small hint of light, spinning and spinning.

Uhlda pointed to it. “There’s our exit. Go, quickly. We don’t have that much time.”

Then, all around them, she could hear the chorus of voices increasing in volume and number.

“HeeeeeEEEElp meeee…” One pleaded. It sounded like a woman, choking on her own blood.

“ThaaaaAAAve uttth!” Another begged. It was a man, this time, speaking without much of his tongue. “I’m dyiIIIiiiing!”

As they kept walking by, Siggy looked at all the rooms they were passing, and was offered fleeting glimpses of what lay inside.

Others had hints of red. Some the outlines of spines. Others even had the outlines of long, mismatched teeth, sticking out this way and that.

Drrrrooom, She heard to her left, and saw that Uhlda now had a sword with a crimson blade held tightly in his other hand. Sweat beaded his forehead, and his teeth were gritted tightly with concentration.

They were just a hundred feet from the room now. They’d make it soon. They’d make it soon.

Then, Siggy heard it.

A familiar voice.

“Siggy!” Robo shouted, though she knew not from where. “Siggy, I’m here! Stop!”

Siggy turned, stopping in her tracks. “Robo?” She muttered.

All around them, the creatures hidden within the rooms took up the call. “SsIIIiiigggyyyy…” They moaned. “StttoooooOOOoop…”

Uhlda looked around quickly, his face hardened and concentrated. “We don’t have time for this, Siggy. We have to get there, now.”

“SSSiiiiiIgGYyyyy,” The monsters continued. “SSSSiiiIIIGGgyyyy!”

“Siggy!” Shouted the real Robo. “Don’t trust him! Don’t!”

“Don’t listen to him, damnit.” Uhlda said through gritted teeth. “Make your decision, Siggy. Make it now.”

“SSSSSSIiiiigGGGGYyyyy!” The monsters were shouting, now. “DoooOOOOOn’t TRUSSSssttt HIIIiiim!”

She froze, unable to decide.

Then she saw two figures coming out from the nearest hall and out into the corridor. She could barely discern their outlines. One was large, the other lanky, both seeming to be out of breath.

It was Robo and Seth.

Uhlda looked back. “Fine.” He said, his voice serious. “Let’s do it this way, 2006.”

Suddenly, Siggy felt herself being swept off her feet, as Ulhda grabbed her by the waist and began to run.

She screamed.

In an instant, she heard the sounds of victory echoing down the corridor, as the monsters within the rooms began to emerge, their crimson skin glowing in the dark.

“Let go of me!” Siggy shouted, banging her fists on to Uhlda’s back. “Let go of me!”

A monster emerged from the nearest doorway, its jaw unhinging as it began to growl. It was low, guttural, and as it moved forward, it began to speak.

”STTTTOOOOoooOOOOOOooooooPPPpP!”

Then suddenly, a small red blur went right through its neck, severing its head from its body in an instant.

Uhlda brought his sword down with a flourish, blood dripping from the blade.

Another one brought its head forward from the room it was inhabiting, but as it began to scream, Uhlda brought it down with a well-timed slash to the throat, causing it to fall down with a squelch.

“Stop struggling, goddamnit!” Uhlda shouted. “I’m trying to save you!”

Ahead of him, the light was tantalizingly closer than ever. It was only a few feet away, if only he could-

Then he heard heavy footfalls, plodding along the tiled floor and making the ground quake with each step.

He looked behind him, and there, amidst the rapidly emerging monsters, was Robo, with Seth held in between his right arm and his shoulder. He was gaining, fast, his legs reinforcing with more muscle to spur him ever forward.

“Fuck!” Uhlda exclaimed.

The portal was right there, if only he could-

From either side of the door came two separate monsters, both on their hind legs, each larger than any of the others.

They now blocked the way in between him and the door, and he couldn’t risk running through them- not with 239 in his arms.

He gritted his teeth in irritation. So fucking close.

The one on the right lurched forward, screaming as it made a slash at Uhlda. With unnatural speed, he dodged, then making a strike right at its abdomen, causing it to scream in pain.

”IiitTTTt HURRRrrrTTsss!” The monster said, releasing another puff of its amnestic breath with the scream.

Uhlda shook off the effects of the gas, turning to the other as it lunged forward to bite him.

He saw it a split-second too late.

Too fucking slow.

He jerked 239 away from it, and as it moved, Uhlda presented his sword-arm instead.

The monster’s jaws closed on his forearm, eliciting a loud scream of pain from him as he tried to kick it away.

His strength lapsed, and Siggy found her opening.

She freed herself away from her abductor’s arm with a concentrated push, hitting the ground just as Uhlda jerked himself away from the monster’s jaws.

She landed on her broken right arm with a sickening crack, breaking through the bone completely as she fell on the floor.

The world turned to black for half a second. Her entire body felt like it had shattered, and it was nowhere near the pain that she felt when she first broke it.

In that moment, Siggy opened her mouth to scream.

"AAAAAAAAAHH!"

The earth around them quaked. Dust fell from the ceiling, and as Siggy lay there on the ground in agony, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye- the other monster had recovered from the wound to its belly, pushing itself forward to attack her as it screamed ”HEEEEEEEEeeeEEEEEEELlllPPP!”

In that split-second, summoning the strength to cast a spell, Siggy let loose a fireball with a loud “A’MAX!”, throwing the ball into the creature’s throat.

With a loud scream of pain, it jerked away, unable to attack any further as Siggy let loose another fireball, causing its belly to rupture from the explosive heat.

The creature dead, she fell back, exhausted from the additional strain.

A few feet away, Uhlda made a weak slash against the monster in front of him, bringing the sword up against the bottom of its mouth as he let out a frenzied battlecry. The blade came into contact with its mouth, shearing away flesh and cutting its snout clean off.

The voice of a woman came clean from its mouth, nearly deafening him as it made its last scream. “AAAAaaaAAAAAAaaah!”

The way clear, Uhlda made to grab the child beside him, but was interrupted as a large gorilla barreled into him.

He was thrown three feet away from where he was, his back hitting the ground with a resounding thump! Then, he looked up, and his eyes came to meet those of the corpse-man who he’d subjugated for so long.

It held a long, long blade to his throat- curved and deadly, the implement of an ancient warrior.

“Stay down, Kaleph Uhlda.” Seth said. “Or should I say…”

“Doctor Alto Clef?”

More and more monsters flooded the hall, drowning out everything else in the cacophony.

“STaaaaaAAAAyyy, PLLEeaaaAAAsseEEE!”

”IiiiiI’m InJUuuuRRREeeed!”

”STTooOOOoooOOOOOpPPP!”

”SAAAAAAAAAAAaaAAAAVEEeeE MMEEEEEEeEeEEEEE!”

Robo felt dizzy already, but as he came to his feet, his eyes met the green of Siggy’s, wide-eyed and afraid.

“You… you came back,” Siggy said weakly. “I… I’m so…”

Robo smiled from behind his helmet, and leaned forward. “Save it. Please.”

He heard something behind him.

A dozen of them at least- maybe more.

“I came to protect you,” Robo responded. As he spoke, he began to grow and grow. “I promised, didn’t I?”

“Listen, please, Robo-“

He stood up, the sounds of several monsters already making their way towards them.

“Don’t.” He said simply, looking down at her. “We can talk later.”

He turned around.

A wall of writhing flesh, screaming in pain and begging for help, moved like an unstoppable wave of red towards him. He saw teeth. Claws. Endless maws all looking to tear him apart.

Robo was the most terrified he’d ever been in his life. Chills ran down his spine, his fur stood on end, and in that instant, his legs froze solid.

But he had to do it- for her.

He’d never leave Siggy behind ever again.

With a resounding and echoing roar, he tripled his size until he nearly filled the corridor. Throwing his arms above his head, he pounded the ground, making it crack beneath him as he faced them all down.

Then he thrust his chest forward and beat it with the same force, roaring again as the sound of fist pounding on bone reverberated all around.

The creatures hissed back, roaring their response through the pleas of their victims.

"STTTttaAaaYYy BAAAaaaCCkK!"

"SsssSTTTtttttTTTeEp AWaayyYYYyyyYY!"

"RuUUuuUUUunnNNNn!"

Robo smiled.

“Boo.” He said.

He ran down the corridor, arms in front, charging through the monsters as a wall of flesh, muscle, and bone.

They tore at him with outstretched claws, breaking through the skin and flesh of his arms, his torso, his legs.

He was dizzy- the world spun around him. The creatures’ breaths were taking effect far faster than last time, fraying his mind and his memory.

But still, he pressed on, fighting through the pain as he powered through with a will stronger than anything he ever had in his life, carrying the rest of the beasts with him as they tore at his body with relentless endurance.

Siggy could only watch as he disappeared down the hall, away from the light and into the darkness.

A few feet away, Seth stood over Clef, pinning the doctor to the ground with a sword to his throat. Seth was fresh, at least for a corpse-man, though he had not fought hand-to-hand since the days when the Middle Kingdom stood strong. Clef was skilled, experienced, strong- but his sword-arm was a mangled ruin, chewed to bits by the 939, and he wasn’t sure if he could bring the sword in his hand to bear.

So he resorted to the one thing he knew he was always good at- talking.

“So I’m shit outta luck, huh?” Clef said, gritting his teeth. “Fucking traitor. How long were you planning this, hmm?”

Seth glared at him. “A long, long time. I only got my chance when you so graciously left 2006 in my care.”

“And here I’d come to trust you.” Clef said. “I really thought you were loyal. My fault, I imagine- I should have gotten the clue when you taught the girl spells when I should've. She didn’t use it on me, though.”

“We are all the worse for it.” Seth brought the sword closer to Clef’s throat. “Do you think you would get by on lies?”

“I did, actually. Until you so interrupted me.”

Seth scoffed. “The monkey was easy to turn over to my side. One word about what you did to Siggy and he was sufficiently persuaded.”

Clef held the blade in his hand tightly.

Seth brought his closer to the doctor’s throat- just enough to draw blood. “I would not do that if I were you.”

“I’m faster, you son of a bitch. Try me.”

“Not with that ruined sword-hand, you are not.”

“Try me, corpse-man. What use is being a former god of destruction when you can’t even bring yourself to kill me?”

Seth gritted his teeth harder. “You godsdamned murderer.”

He gripped the sword harder than he ever could before, fighting through the agony in his hand.

“It’s what I do best, Seth. You can’t die, but watch-“

He brought the crimson Scrantonum blade into Seth’s belly, hurting the corpse-man in a way that no other wound could.

“And you will.”

Seth’s eyes went wide.

Then he fell to the ground, the khopesh in his hand clattering to the floor.

A few feet away, Siggy could only helplessly look on as Clef climbed on top of Seth.

Clef inspected the blade, looking at the fresh blood now dripping from it.

Then, he raised it.

"I didn't think it would actually work. Who knew the death you so craved would be brought upon you by such a simple material, hmm?”

He brought it down on the corpse-man, caving in his chest with one blow and shattering his sternum with a sickening crraaaak!

He withdrew it, raised it, and made it fall again, this time through Seth’s throat and out the other end, causing the man to choke as what was left of the blood flowing through his veins constricted his damaged airways.

Then, finally, Clef withdrew it one final time.

Seth looked up at him with wide eyes, seeing the death that he had craved for millennia coming towards him at such an inopportune time.

He tried to speak. The translator, though soaked with blood, roared to life.

“Clef. No-“

“Shut up, you son of a bitch.”

And with a final motion, he brought it down on Seth’s forehead, instantly killing what was left of his mind.

Then, slowly, he took it out- the sound it made a sickening crackle, like the sound of tires on gravel.

Blood all over him, Clef stood up slowly, his right arm a mangled ruin and bleeding profusely. From his right hand, the crimson Scrantonum blade disappeared, leaving no trace that it had ever been there.

He looked at Siggy, and could only bring himself to smile as his cold blue eyes met hers.

“I confess…” Clef said. “I liked you, Siggy. You reminded me of my daughter more than I liked to think.”

He staggered towards her on unsteady legs, let himself fall in front of her as he came to a stop.

Siggy was pale, but she brought herself to speak still.

“C-clef… Were you the one who told me to sleep?”

“Yes, I did. You were too much of a risk, 239. I…” He breathed in. His arm was starting to hurt now. “I had to. Trondeheim objected of course, but… well, in one aspect she was right.”

Siggy’s lips quivered. “In what a… aspect?”

“You’re a sweet girl.”

He put both his arms out, mangled and not, and took her within his arms.

Clef continued. “But I got a job to do, and if we have any chance of getting through the blockade upstairs…”

He lifted her up. Agonizing pain ran up Siggy’s shattered arm, but she could only grunt in response.

He staggered forward. “Then I…” He took a step. “I will need to get you up there first.” He took another step.

The light at the end was so close now. Just two more steps.

Just one more step.

With his mangled hand, he opened the door, revealing the platform that was the prototype teleporter. It glowed with a blue light, and was constantly spinning, and spinning, forming a disk with which one person could translate through.

Clef took a weak step.

Then, from behind, his ears picked something up.

The khopesh that Siggy summoned earlier flew through the air, striking Clef in the back and going through the other side.

He fell to the ground, Siggy still in his arms.

He breathed through gritted teeth.

“Son…” He tried to breathe again. “…of a bitch.” He tried to turn his head around, but the pain in his back and where the blade emerged on his chest prevented him from doing so.

“Endlessly dedicated as always, huh, 2006?”

Siggy stirred, and from behind she could hear the footfalls of the monkey that she loved.

Wounds, countless gaping wounds adorned Robo’s body. He bled from every single one of them- cuts, bruises, slashes, bites, scratches- but still he pushed on, moving impetuously forward down the corridor.

“I don’t remember… much…” Robo panted. “But I… made… a promise.”

He walked past the countless dead bodies of the 939s, the lifeless corpse of Seth, and finally up to the kneeling and panting form of Clef, holding Siggy in his arms.

He placed his hands on the girl. “Let her… go.” He said to Clef.

Clef laughed weakly. “Or what?”

“Or I won’t let you live.” Robo’s voice had turned hard. The kindness that always accompanied it had gone.

Clef tried to breathe, wheeze taking the place of a deep breath. “Under normal circumstances, I’d say no, but…”

He looked down at the half-unconscious from of Siggy, passing in and out between the realm of the living and the dead.

“But this girl has changed my mind.”

At that, his grip on her slackened.

Robo took her gently into his arms, cradling her to his chest as he stepped away from Clef.

Clef could only smile as Siggy slipped from his grasp.

Then, he let himself fall to the ground, blood flowing from the wound in his back.

He crawled over to the teleporter in front of him, a blood trail being left in his wake. He was weak- weaker than he’d ever felt.

But still, like Robo, he pushed himself forward, managing to place himself squarely on the teleporter as it began to whir and circle faster and faster.

“2006…” he said, as he began to disappear. “Keep her safe.”

His eyes lingered on him, still as focused and single-minded as the moment they met.

“I’ll be looking for her again.”

Then he was gone, what was him turning into nothing but atoms to be transported somewhere else, far far above them, on some far-away floor.

Siggy woke up with a start.

“Robo?” She said first, jumping awake. “Lana?”

No one responded.

She looked around, confused.

A fire still smoldered in the lantern at the center of the room. Two cots still rested undisturbed beside it. To her right, she could see the remains of the corpse of a monster, now most definitely rotting, with only its head and tail intact. To her left, she found a giant half-burnt teddy bear with its lower half still within the room.

She turned to move, and found that pain still shot up from her right arm.

But it was a different pain. A burning pain, rather than the agony she felt… yesterday?

How long had it been?

She brought up her right arm.

Everything below the elbow was gone- the stump clumsily bandaged with strips taken from clean clothes.

“I’m sorry about the arm.” Robo said, coming in to the room from the door. “It was turning purple, and… I couldn’t just leave it there. You were running a fever too. Really damn hot. It had to have been shattered or somethin’. That invulnerability you have to your skin breaking seemed to get weaker when you did, so I…”

Siggy bit her lip. “It’s… it’s fine.” Her voice quivered.

Robo sat on the cot opposite her. It was obvious that his form had gotten thinner- he probably wasn’t eating as much anymore.

Robo stretched out his hand to touch her. "Hey, if you need time-"

"Why'd you do that?!"

Robo was taken aback. "Do what?"

There were tears in her eyes. She raised the stump of her arm, showing her where her elbow now ended on nothing but exposed bone.

"Why did you cut my arm off?" Tears were racing down her face, leaving long trails in her wake. "I can't be a witch now! I can never be a witch! Witches have two arms and they cackle and-"

Robo held her close, letting her nuzzle into his shoulder.

"Shh. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Siggy sniffled. She stayed there for a long time.

Then she spoke. “What happened-“

“To Clef? He teleported away. The teleporter broke a few seconds after that. I reckon they broke it from the other side.”

Siggy hunched forward. “I mean to Seth. How is he?”

He sighed. “Dead.”

“But he can’t die, right? All those wounds and-“

“That’s what I thought too,” Robo said. “But there must have been something in that red sword of Clef’s. He died instantly.”

Siggy crumpled. “Oh.” She said despondently.

He drew his hand around her shoulder, holding her close.

“You okay, Sigg?”

Siggy sniffled. “It’s- It’s just that-“

In an instant, tears flowed down Siggy’s face as she buried her face into Robo’s chest.

“It’s that you got hurt and Seth died and I lost my arm and-“ She screamed. “It’s just all for nothing!”

Robo patted her back. “It’s alright, Sigg. It’ll be alright. Trust me.”

She kept crying. “If I hadn’t trusted Clef or if I hadn’t gone with him or if I trusted you or if I-“

Robo stroked her hair. “Shhh. Shhh. It’s all in the past now. It’s all in the past now. Don’t you worry, Sigg. Don’t you worry.”

They stayed there for an hour, on the cot, both saying nothing to each other as Siggy kept on sobbing.

Eventually, she stopped, and for a long time the room was silent.

"Hey," Robo said. "I have a surprise for you."

He bent down, taking something from below the cot.

He dropped it on her lap.

It was a bag of cheese balls- the ones she made when Seth taught her.

"I saved them for you." Robo said, his voice kind.

Siggy hugged it to her chest with her good hand, and pointed at the rotting corpse of the 939 with her chin. "Is that why you've been eating the monsters the entire time?"

Robo lowered his head, a blush on his face beneath the helmet. "N-no!" He exclaimed. “W-we’re still findin' Lana, right?”

“Lana?” Siggy sniffled.

“Yeah, like I promised.”

Siggy used her arm to wipe her tears. “Yes, of course.”

Robo smiled. “Attagirl.” He held her tighter. “Wanna go on an adventure again?”

Siggy nodded. “Of course. Just promise not to get hurt again, okay?”

Robo chuckled. “You know me…”

“I always keep my promises.”

END OF ARC 1: A RUDE AWAKENING

TO BE CONTINUED IN ARC 2: FINDING LANA