You tell Jasper to bring Writhe back down immediately, the phantom type doing so without hesitation.
 

MILLER: Voidsy?
MILLER: Is something wrong?
VOIDSY: There’s something up there, something big.

 
Bryce peers up, visibly startling a little.
 

MILLER: Oh.
EASTWOOD: What- oh.
WRETCH: what is it?!
EASTWOOD: Everybody get their TCPs to the wall, now.

 
You pass it on and Jasper pulls Writhe to the corridor entrance, Dad and Dana squishing up against the wall. Bryce tries and fails to pull himself up, locked under his own newfound weight. Jasper asks if he can shoot that thing, but Bryce shakes his head- even if he could get up right now, there’s no way the bolt would reach. 

In a bold move, Jasper darts forward and starts trying to drag Bryce, visibly straining as he scrapes along the ground. It’s enough to get him over, Jasper trying to regain composure. That weight gun really does a number on a person. 




You ask Jasper if they can ask Writhe some questions, and pass on what you want to know. Jasper starts simple- what’s that thing in the sky? Writhe hesitates before mumbling that it doesn’t really know, it’s never really been on the surface before, and the big flying thing’s never really come into the pit… But it scares it a little. Maybe more than a little.

Next, Jasper asks about Spit’s fifth TCP, and Writhe gets even more nervous. It says that it doesn’t know his name, but that he’s kind of mean, and messes with it sometimes. He’s really little and full of green stuff, and doesn’t like being touched, but it’s seen him… It shuffles, really uncomfortable now. It’s seen him feeding animals the green stuff before, and k-killing them. It doesn’t like it when he does that, not at all, even if the animals try to bite it sometimes.

Jasper’s more than rattled at this info, their hands shaking. They ask why he would do these things, why he’d kill something, anything- and Writhe says it doesn’t know. Spit might have told him to, but he never really seemed...upset about it. Not like how Writhe gets.

Jasper thanks Writhe for the new information, and slides against the pit wall. Great. Just great.




Jetter slips over, presumably trying to get a better look for Wretch’s sake. 
 

WRETCH: oh fuck whatever that thing is
WRETCH: what the fucks been going on out here
EASTWOOD: Well, we just found out that the last of Spit’s TCPs kills animals for fun, so that’s going great.
MILLER: Writhe said that he could be ordered by Spit to do these things-
EASTWOOD: I have full faith in Spit’s ability to raise a fucking serial killer.
MILLER: We don’t know that! We need to be optimistic!
WRETCH: yea like. idk
WRETCH: spit’s the fucking worst ever and im sure she’s fucked up these kitties’ brains to hell and back
WRETCH: but we’re tryin to like. make friends and shit
WRETCH: i dont wanna call any cats serial killers unless we meet them and theyre legit off their shit
MILLER: Even then, we need to work together to undo any potential grooming. 
MILLER: The session hasn’t been going on long enough for her to do anything that can’t be undone.
MILLER: ...I hope.
EASTWOOD: Fine. 
EASTWOOD: But if things look unsalvageable, I’m not hesitating.

VOIDSY: Does anybody know what typing it could be from Writhe’s description? 
EASTWOOD: Yeah, I’ve got a good guess- and it’s both good and bad news.
WRETCH: out with it man
EASTWOOD: No way to confirm this without seeing him, but it sounds like a poison type to me.
EASTWOOD: The bad news is that a well used poison type can fuck up pretty much any team.
EASTWOOD: The good news is that we’ve got a few TCPs completely immune to him if it is that-
MILLER: And one that gets buffed!
EASTWOOD: Exactly.
EASTWOOD: It’s not ideal, but it’s not impossible to work with- we’re just going to have to be really, really careful. Poison types are fragile, which makes me think that’s why we haven’t seen him at all yet...Spit’s smart to have him hide.
EASTWOOD: But that also means that he could be anywhere, and he’s probably armed to the teeth with stuff that can work with his ability. 
WRETCH: whos in danger outta the current bunch??
EASTWOOD: Hm.
EASTWOOD: Jetter, Jasper, Dad, and especially Dana and Marvel.
VOIDSY: What about Spit’s TCPs?
EASTWOOD: Raw and Hark, mainly. Writhe’ll be fine. No idea on the one back at Void’s base.

VOIDSY: And what about the UFO?
EASTWOOD: No clue-
MILLER: It’s Consumption fauna for sure- that’s Spit’s zone.
WRETCH: yea she tends to use lots of fucked up animals she made for her zone
WRETCH: idk what it is tho
MILLER: Me neither, though I’ll be able to do some digging if we get a moment...which, I don’t think we will.
MILLER: Not for now, anyway. We’re almost there, we can see the entrance to her territory and everything.
MILLER: If you have any ideas on how to get out of here without getting that creature’s attention, now’s the time…
MILLER: Otherwise, we’re just going to have to let the incoming TCPs handle it.
MILLER: ...and potentially risk their lives.

You suggest that Jasper should try raising Bryce up to hit the flier...maybe after he lightens up, though. Bryce is already on it by the time you get to it, zapping a pebble and jumping to his feet, spry as ever. He stretches and flexes, glad to be back to a more manageable weight. He agrees to your idea as soon as Jasper suggests it, and the two of them start discussing logistics as he sets his backpack to the side.

You decide to confer with the other gods while they talk it out.
 

VOIDSY: See if you can look something up-
MILLER: Alright, alright! I’ll take the time to- oh.
MILLER: I found it pretty quickly, actually…
MILLER: Searching “large Consumption flying animal” got something that uh...hm.
MILLER: It’s not great news!
EASTWOOD: Out with it.
MILLER: It looks like it’s a creature called a “bungle”, and it’s rarely ever seen. Most people will never encounter one in their lifetime, but if they do, they’re, well. Screwed.
MILLER: They attack anything that comes into their flight range with aggression, and wait patiently for grounded prey…
 

 
She swallows audibly.
 

MILLER: It says here that they wait on top of houses, perched and waiting for people to leave…
MILLER: They can survive without food and water for a few weeks, so...they starve out their prey and have horrifying, victorious siren calls after they’ve finished a meal.
MILLER: It’s definitely what attacked Seaspray…
WRETCH: well fuck us
MILLER: Yeah...
MILLER: There’s a lot of info here, I can try reading more later if you’re willing to handle things.
VOIDSY: We’ll do our best.

 
You remember another concern, and hope that it’ll lighten the mood at least a little…
  

VOIDSY: Eastwood! We made a mask based on you, remember?
EASTWOOD: Uh...maybe? Refresh me.
VOIDSY: It can help the wearer process poisons, or anything like them! That could come in handy if this TCP really is what you think it is.
WRETCH: didnt it have like
WRETCH: a killer drawback tho
VOIDSY: Well...yes. 
VOIDSY: The wearer risks becoming addicted to the substance in question.
VOIDSY: It’s not ideal, but-
EASTWOOD: Something to keep in mind. Good idea, Void.
 

  

VOIDSY: What drugs have you put in the bag so far?
EASTWOOD: Sleeping powder primarily, made from a combo of bottled smoke- mine, for the record- and heartsea petals. It’s actually pretty good at knocking people out with a soothing nap, but it does run the risk of addiction.
MILLER: We are not getting the enemy TCPs addicted to drugs!
EASTWOOD: We might not have a choice. This could be what keeps us from losing our own.
VOIDSY: Anything else?
EASTWOOD: Some tranq bullets. Turns out you can combo drugs with bullets in this lab of mine, and I intend to make it count.
EASTWOOD: Along those lines, we’ve also got some bullets mixed with my crystals-
WRETCH: mixing...bullets?
EASTWOOD: Eastite is a stimulant, so these will get anything with a heart pumping and losing blood way faster. Theoretically, anyway.
EASTWOOD: Jelly...soda...still coming up with a proper name for it. It’s pretty disgusting, but it heals great.
EASTWOOD: We’ve combined the milk rice nearby and some silk strands to make a sort of sticky spider silk. Kind of a hack job, but it works in a pinch.
EASTWOOD: We have a bunch of mushrooms growing all over our cave base, and I’ve managed to make some fungus-based weapons of mass destruction...or in this case, potential addiction.
EASTWOOD: Combining my smoke and crystals with mushrooms has made some fungal weapons that, when kept in a bottle, can essentially work as a grenade of spores that grows on and infects a target with either depressants or stimulants respectively- but it only works if the target gets hit directly with the bottle.
EASTWOOD: I’ve also made a kind of mushroom that can create healing spores, also bottled to ensure nothing is wasted.
VOIDSY: Wow, that’s! A lot!
EASTWOOD: I’ve been busy.
VOIDSY: And a lot of it is kind of fucked up!
EASTWOOD: That’s the kind of game we’re playing. 
EASTWOOD: I’m going to do what I have to to beat Spit. 
VOIDSY: Just...be careful with that.
VOIDSY: Can’t you just give Marvel the jelly soda, also?
VOIDSY: You were willing to give him Spit’s weird healing fluid, but you had that the whole time.
EASTWOOD: Void.
 

  

EASTWOOD: I really cannot convey just how nasty this beverage is.
EASTWOOD: It’s a last resort.
MILLER: I agree with Voidsy, those mushrooms sound especially messed up…
MILLER: Please, only use those if we really, really need to. No exceptions.
MILLER: If I find any TCPs with fungus growing out of them, I’m going to have more than a few stern words with you!

VOIDSY: Oh, Miller, we’ve got something else in mind!
MILLER: Oh?
VOIDSY: Well, we figure we can probably hit the flier...bungle, you said?
MILLER: Yes, bungle.
VOIDSY: We think we can hit it if we have Jasper lift Bryce up high-
MILLER: What?!
MILLER: Voidsy, that’s- the height! The weight!!!!
VOIDSY: What do you mean the-
VOIDSY: Oh.
VOIDSY: Oh.
MILLER: He’d hit the ground way too hard-!
VOIDSY: Relax, it’s a dumb idea, we’ll just tell the TCPs to chill out-
MILLER: VOID!!!

 
You get a sudden chill down your nonexistent spine as you turn back to your TCPs-
 

 
But you’re too late.

Bryce’s weight is transferred into the bungle, the wind picking it up and sending it careening uncontrollably. 

The bungle’s weight is transferred into Bryce and Jasper struggles to hold on, straining and doing everything they can to keep their grip on the driftwood type as they start to plummet.
 

 
But they pick up speed, and your phantom type can’t prevent their passive ability from kicking in.
 

 
He falls.

Eastwood’s yelling, not even caring that his comms are still on.
  

EASTWOOD: Marvel, get over there, NOW! Catch him!

 
His brain type scrambles to his feet, swaying from side to side before tripping, still in a complete daze.
 

MILLER: BRYCE!!
EASTWOOD: God DAMNIT
 

 
 
The sound of wood hitting the ground and splintering is deafening, but it’s nowhere near as painful as the sound of Bryce’s screams as soon as he processes what’s happened to him.

Dad and Dana rush forward as Jasper floats down, stammering choked apologies and saying that they didn’t think he’d be so heavy, and they couldn’t hold on, and they’re so, so sorry-

They try to help pick Bryce up, straining-

 
You tell Jasper that it’s not their fault at all- it’s yours, all of yours, the void’s, and you don’t want them blaming themself for this. You didn’t do the math, and that’s not on anyone else but you. 

VOIDSY: Jesus, Miller, we’re so sorry-
MILLER: …
VOIDSY: We fucked up, this is our fault, we should have told Bryce to carry a pebble or something to balance the weight-
MILLER: …
VOIDSY: Fuck, fuck, fucking fuck goddamnit-
EASTWOOD: Void.
VOIDSY: I made a bad call, and it could have killed Bryce-

WRETCH: voidsy, hey…
VOIDSY: I could have killed Bryce, you deserve so much better than me-
MILLER: Void. Stop.
MILLER: Just...stop it. 
MILLER: I don’t want to hear you beat yourself up, I really don’t…
MILLER: It doesn’t help! It doesn’t help any of this!
MILLER: You are not helping!

 
 
 
She chokes a little, anger sneaking into her voice for the first time since you’ve met her. 

MILLER: Yes! You f-fucked up!! You absolutely fucked up!!!
MILLER: We all know you fucked up!!!!
MILLER: No one is questioning that! You don’t need to say it over, and over, and over!
MILLER: It! Does! Not! Help!
MILLER: I know you mean the best for this team, I don’t think anyone would question that either, but…
MILLER: I don’t know if I can trust you to give direction to my TCPs, not after this. 
MILLER: And I hate that! I want to trust you!
MILLER: We all do!
MILLER: But you need to think, and you need to talk to us before you make any broad sweeping decisions that involve other people’s TCPs, especially high risk ones…
MILLER: You’re...you’re not even a day old, not in our time, and you’re having to learn so much, all at once. And I get that!
MILLER: I get that it’s hard! I get that you’re new to all this, and that you have to deal with being a ton of voices all at once, and that not all of those voices are able to agree!
MILLER: But you need to acknowledge that you’re with two other newbies-
EASTWOOD: Hey-
MILLER: I am talking.

  
Eastwood shuts up immediately.
 

 

MILLER: And someone who hasn’t had a lot of success in this game- Sorry, Wretch.

Wretch just nods, not saying much.

MILLER: We are all on the same footing here, we’re all struggling to figure this out, and people are going to make mistakes. 
MILLER: I’m going to make mistakes too, I feel like I already have, with this whole weight gun thing…
MILLER: But right now, we can’t afford to make any more.
MILLER: TCPs’ lives are on the line- your life is on the line!
MILLER: I get that this is scary for you!
MILLER: You will literally die if you don’t win this game!
MILLER: But that doesn’t mean that you can - or should - manage everything. 
MILLER: We are a team.
MILLER: Now let’s start acting like one.
MILLER: If anybody has anything that involves any other team’s TCPs, you ask first- all of us. 

  

MILLER: Heck, any big decisions at all… we can’t mess this up. Not like this, not again. 
MILLER: And if I’m being honest, I’m either going to have to sleep soon or take some kind of caffeine, and I bet Wretch and Eastwood are in the same boat.
EASTWOOD: I mean, I’m good-
WRETCH: dude don’t just take drugs or whatever i know that’s what yr plannin and we dont need you high as balls
MILLER: Seconding that!
EASTWOOD: Fine. We have coffee.
MILLER: The point is...I don’t know if you need to rest or anything, because you’re a whole lot of people all in one head…
MILLER: But we’re going to have to start resting, maybe in shifts.
MILLER: And I’d rather have plans in mind before then. 
MILLER: Can we just, can we do that?
VOIDSY: ...we’ll definitely try.
MILLER: We’re going to need more than that to get through this, but that’s a start.
MILLER: Now- let’s get moving.

 
Dana is rushing around the room, her goal unknown- until she picks up the weight gun, somehow unbroken. Even with her tiny legs, she’s able to get back to Bryce and snatch a pebble off the ground, handing both the gun and the pebble over and allowing him to lighten his own weight before taking the gun back. Jasper holds him a lot easier now, cradling the cracked driftwood type in their arms. He says that he wants to go home. Please, let him go home. He’s not much use here- Dana interrupts and says that of course he has value no matter where he is, but they’d definitely get him home. 

WRETCH: is there any way to put the leg back on?
EASTWOOD: Well, it’s theoretically possible with something like a bolt through the leg or wood putty, but with it that splintered...I don’t know. Your best shot is a full prosthetic. 
MILLER: We can’t make one of those, not for a long time…we’d need at least one team fully back at their base, and everybody’s all spread out.
VOIDSY: We’re in the same boat with Buddy.
WRETCH: well we gotta figure out somethin
WRETCH: ill dig around the warehouse when we get home n see what we can do...no idea how to do any of that shit but its something
VOIDSY: What about non-addictive painkillers, can you whip anything up? 
EASTWOOD: All I’ve got for ingredients that could pull that off is my smoke, which is an addictive depressant. 
EASTWOOD: If I had create powers, I could probably do something, but like Miller says, I’m shit outta luck on that front. 
MILLER: I can at the very least do this…

   

 
Dana comes close to Bryce and grows a flower, and then another, tying them expertly into a crown before placing it on his head. He seems to calm immediately, his grating whimpers quieting down. Jetter approaches slowly, holding the vial of healing fluid. He says that Wretch says it’s worth a shot, and that Eastwood says it’s okay...Jasper nods and tips the driftwood type closer, allowing Jetter to hold the vial up to his face. 

MILLER: Okay...good news, his health is...not zero now.
MILLER: SUFFERING is still terrible, but he’s not in danger of a kill command or anything...it’ll have to do until he gets home. 
MILLER: It doesn’t seem to have any side effects, just like Eastwood said. 
MILLER: Strange for Spit, but right now, I’m grateful.
MILLER: Voidsy, can you have Jasper help Bryce through the bag? 
VOIDSY: On it. 

  
Jasper’s careful with Bryce, not wobbling even a little as they take them to the other room. Dad follows suit, patting Jasper’s tail as best as she could reach. It’s going to be okay-
  

 
Hark’s gone, the ropes are left in a pile, and the mask, hook, and what was left of her bat are nowhere to be found. Thankfully the bag is still there, untouched. Jasper panics, but Dad tries to get them under control- it’s okay, right now they have to focus on Bryce. Now is not the time to freak out. 
 

 
Meanwhile, Marnet and the others have reached Spit’s base.

Marnet comments that there sure is a weird animal careening out of control through the sky, and that she’s relieved it seems to be going in the exact opposite direction. Wouldn’t want to deal with whatever that is!