Chapter Text
Shrimpo leaned against the wall of the elevator, arms crossed as he glanced around at his team, Sprout, Astro, Looey, and Gigi. The hum of the elevator filled the silence between them, steady and almost comforting.
Floor fifteen.
That was… far for him. Further than most runs he was in made it, especially with only five of them.
A faint smirk tugged at Shrimpo’s face. Aside from accidentally getting clipped twice—once thanks to Looey dragging a twisted straight into him—the run had gone surprisingly smooth.
Too smooth.
His eyes drifted down to his hands, flexing them slowly. Then the elevator doors slid open with a soft chime.
Looey bolted out first, as expected, already scanning for trouble. Sprout followed, then Astro. Gigi stepped out quietly, and Shrimpo trailed last, dragging his feet just a little.
The moment he stepped onto the floor, something in him shifted.
“…Oh.”
His expression soured.
It was this floor.
Bright colors, faded decorations, the distant sound of something that almost resembled waves, it was unmistakable. His and Finn’s fishy, aquatic-themed floor.
For a second, Shrimpo froze.
His eyes landed on a familiar poster. Finn’s wide, cheerful grin beamed back at him, frozen in time. It made something in his chest twist—sharp and unwelcome.
He stared a moment too long.
Then he clicked his tongue sharply.
“Tsk- I hate this floor.”
Shrimpo tore his gaze away, crossing his arms tighter as if that alone could shove the feeling down. He turned and stalked off toward the nearest machine.
“I hate these stupid machines too…” he muttered under his breath.
Still, he grabbed the valve and started turning it, focusing on the rhythm. The clicks. The timing. The skill checks.
Anything but the memories of this floor that used to be sweet now turned bitter.
He didn’t hear Looey at first.
Didn’t hear the panic.
Didn’t hear the warning.
“SHRIMPO!”
The shout cut through everything—high pitched and strained.
Shrimpo barely had time to turn his head.
He caught a glimpse of Looey sprinting toward him, air horn in hand, eyes wide with panic.
“WATCH OUT-!”
Something slammed into him.
Sharp teeth sank deep into his shoulder before he could react, lifting him clean off the ground. A strangled cry tore from his throat as pain exploded through him, hot and blinding. Black ichor spilled down his arm, thick and sticky.
Twisted Pebble.
There was no mistaking it.
The massive, warped dog growled low in its throat, jaws clamped tight around him as it shook him violently, like he weighed nothing. Shrimpo’s vision blurred with each snap of its head, his body flung side to side like a rag doll.
“CRUD-! CRUD, CRUD-!” Looey’s voice cracked as he skidded to a stop nearby, fumbling with his air horn.
The deafening blast echoed across the floor.
Pebble didn’t even flinch.
Its attention stayed locked on Shrimpo.
Another violent shake ripped a cry from him. His vision flickered, dark at the edges now. One heart. That’s all he had left. And Sprout- where was Sprout?
Looey made a split-second decision.
He charged.
With a grunt, he slammed himself into Pebble’s ichor-slick leg. It was reckless—dangerous—but it worked.
Pebble snarled, its grip loosening just enough before it dropped Shrimpo to the floor with a sickening thud.
Air rushed out of Shrimpo’s lungs as he hit the ground, his body refusing to respond.
Pebble turned.
Now it saw Looey.
Looey stumbled back, eyes wide, but it was too late. The twisted lunged, jaws snapping down onto his arm.
He yelped—but didn’t stop.
Didn’t freeze.
Didn’t hesitate.
Instead, he ran.
Dragging Pebble with him.
“C’MON-!” he shouted, voice shaking as he forced himself forward, every step a struggle.
He risked one glance back.
Shrimpo lay motionless on the ground.
“…Please,” Looey whispered under his breath, barely audible over the chaos. “Please still be alive…”
Shrimpo groaned softly.
Everything hurt.
No... that wasn’t right.
He couldn’t feel most of his body anymore.
With a shaky breath, he forced his head up just enough to lift it off the floor. Thick ichor blurred his vision, dripping down past his eyes.
“Ugh…”
He coughed weakly, the taste of iron and something bitter coating his tongue.
The world around him felt distant.
Muted.
Like he was sinking underwater.
Somewhere far off, there was growling. Shouting. Running footsteps.
He thought he heard his name.
“-Shrimpo!”
Sprout?
Maybe.
He couldn’t tell.
His body trembled uncontrollably, a deep chill creeping into his bones. It felt like ice was spreading through him, slow and unstoppable.
He was so… tired.
Too tired.
His arms gave out, and his head dipped lower.
Everything was fading now. The noise. The pain. The light.
It would be easier to just...
…stop.
Shrimpo let himself fall.
His body hit the floor fully this time, limp and heavy.
His eyes fluttered.
The shouting grew quieter.
Further away.
“…hey…!”
Darkness pressed in at the edges of his vision.
“…stay…!”
He exhaled slowly.
And let his eyes close.