Flashback

Chapter 2: Liquidator

Four Years Ago

Gosalyn, age twelve.

They never crashed. Or maybe they did, it isn't easy to remember. But one moment the air is rushing past, the next she's held up by something strong, stable, and... Wet?

Some cliched slogan is started, but quickly cut off as the owner of a familiar burbling voice gets a good look at the unlikely pair. Gosalyn groans, and he stutters — Liquidator stutters? She'd always be unsure of that bit, later on, "B-B-Bushroot? W-what, what happened? We've got, got, g– have to get y-you to a hos–"

"No!" The duck shakes his head, and she would laugh at the way his purple head feathers-hair-foliage-whatever shook, except she is mostly sure it would hurt to do so. "The hospital's too far, I don't think she can make it. The warehouse is closer. Hurry, Bud!"

Hurry he does. With mutters like 'Hold on, little consumer' and 'Reggie, you're lucky your brand has survived this long.'

She's not sure how long they traveled, or if she's stayed awake the entire time, but she doesn't care.

At some point, the liquid holding her begins to heat up, more like a warm bath than a true boil. She knows it's more for 'Reggie' than for her, but she's still thankful, nearly dozing off in the comfortable warmth.

Cold water splashes onto her face, and suddenly Liquidator's head is twisted around to glare at her. She can't tell if he's angry or worried, and his tone doesn't help to clarify.

"Little consumer, I wouldn't recommend sleep's natural benefits at this time." He half-growls. "Ask your doctor, but side effects may include drowsiness, headaches, and death!"

His head twists back, just as they come to a new manhole. First they went down, now they're going up. She can't stay awake much longer, she's already losing consciousness again, when she's snapped awake by a bombardment of noise.

Whistles and bangs and kling-kling-klangs, it's like every toy store she's ever visited mixed with a gun range. And drowning the rest of it out, making her headache so much worse, is a shout of "It's PLAAAAAYTIME!"