shinyheartbeats - HOTEL LEX - FLOOR 5 (31/?)

If you can get their attention and slow down their pursuit...

You drift your aim over at the largest cogwheel on the line shaft and fire. The die blasts out of the gun with a force that sends the pistol out of your hand. The hunk of metal rips through the cogwheel and lodges in the wood. The impact creates a dull hum that vibrates through the entire space.

"NO!" The Timekeeper turns to see the cogwheel jamming. The connecting cogwheel builds tension attempting to turn and snaps off. And then the roller stops and more and more pieces of the clock tower begin to break. What happens next feels like a scene out of an apocalypse. Bridges are ripped apart by falling gears and cogs that hit the floor and crack the ground. The tower shakes and rumbles, each turning piece locking up and shooting every which way.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" The Timekeeper turns his head to face you and lunges. You cover your head, waiting for those mechanical arms to tear you apart but you hear a loud crunch. A pendulum swings off course and hits the Timekeeper, causing pieces of him to fly through the air as the bottom portion of him is ripped apart.

You don't wait any longer. Clutching your right arm, you jump toward the exit and run up the stairs. You reach the top of the building where sunlight streams in from the clock face. In the center of the room, another giant pendulum still swings among turning cogs. This must be a different system than the line shaft below. The minute hand turns and the shadow cuts across your figure. You watch steam spout out of pipes with dials hovering in the danger zone as you desperately look around for Emmett. You look over a railing past some pipes and levers to see the destruction you have caused below and wonder if he is caught up in it. You panic, unsure if you should wait or continue moving.

And then the mice, those damned mice. You hear squeaking coming from a corner as they huddle together. This time, instead of staying back, they advance as a giant hoard. You step backward while clutching your limp arm. There's nowhere left to run.

"You..." The Timekeeper's damaged voicebox creates a spine-chilling effect.

"How. Dare. You. HOW DARE YOU! You enter my workshop, wreak havoc on my studies, destroy what little body I have left!" The remaining half of the Timekeeper is now supported by mice that propel him forward. His jaw is barely hanging on revealing wheels turning in a jittery manner. His movements are much more robotic than fluid. He lurches forward and lifts you up by your neck.

"I want that body, I NEED that body. You can be upgraded, can withstand a change of exterior." He claws at your chest, ripping your seams and tearing off your buttons.

"I have been searching for a toy that can become more than just a toy, and I have found it. I will occupy your body; your soul will become my fuel source, and you will repay the damage you have caused."

You kick and swing at the horde but to no avail. You feel your body giving up and each movement feels sluggish, as if underwater. You slump backward, reaching for anything to grab hold of.

> Reach for a lever.> Reach for a valve.> Reach for a nearby chain.

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