Chapter 23

                                    

                                          
Rider yanked Goggles to be closer to him as he bolted down the flight of stairs, clearly in a panic. 'This is insane. Was that mopey Goggles about to push mine off the roof??! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!!? Was Goggles right-? ...that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard.'
"WAAAAH—-" Goggles tripped down the stairs, being faster than Rider, face planting to the ground.
"GOGGLES—-" Rider hurried to chase him down, meeting him at the bottom and helping him up. "Careful, dammit—!! We need to warn— er- someone!!"
Goggles shook his head, smiling widely. "Let's go find my team! (What if there are clones of them?!)" He sounded excited.
"Tch!! I hope not—!!" Rider started to sweat at the thought, taking Goggles by the wrist and continuing to run. "C'MON!!!"
"WOAH—" Goggles picked up the pace. 
'We're going fast!' "Rider? Do you need to use the bathroom?!" Goggles asked.
"NO!!! GOGGLES, THAT... THING.... TRIED TO KILL YOU!!" Rider cried. "AREN'T YOU WORRIED IN THE SLIGHTEST??"
"I'm worried about his pickled plums! (He said he lost them!)" Goggles explained. "He's so sad that he's crying!"
"Who cares?! He's evil!! They want to hurt us!! Remember what you said about Grudge being a person? Well- it could be. AND IT WAS RIGHT THERE EXPLAINING ITS PLAN!!" Rider hissed in a panicked tone, peeking around corners before going down another flight of stairs. 
"Even if they're evil, I want to help them! Maybe we can invite them to the party!!" Goggles suggested.
"Goggles, you're sweet and all, but they're not actual people. They're just- hatred in the shape of an inkling..!"
"Hatred in the shape of Specs? GRUDGE?!" Goggles jumped, eyes widening.
"Specs..?" Rider hesitated. 
"Yeah! There's another Specs right there!" Goggles pointed at a suspicious looking figure that exactly resembled Specs... although was drenched in sweat.
"Goggles isn't here. He's late, and it's Rider's fault." the other Specs whispered.
"GYAH—" Specs's eyes popped out of his glasses. 
"GOGGLES!!!!" Specs yelled after noticing he was there, running over to him. "WHAT HAPPENED?! WHERE'D YOU GO?!? WHAT'S GOING ON??!?!?!" He was freaking out.
"SPECS!!!" Goggles jumped. "WATCH OUT! (GRUDGE IS OVER THERE—)"
"GRUDGE?! THAT CLONE??" Specs cautiously looked over his shoulder at the double.
Rider eyed the strange figure, it following Specs slowly.
"THEY'RE LIKE ZOMBIES!!!" Headphones ran over to the group. "OH!! GOGGLES!!!"
Rider humiliated himself in front of everyone, but he tried to stand tall and look imposing as always. 
He crossed his arms, looking to the side a bit. "The disease apparently took form as an inkling just now, and there's no way to physically damage it. (A Goggles, too.)"
"THERE'S A SECOND GOGGLES?!?!?" Specs jumped.
"YEAH! AND I HAVE TO FIND HIS PICKLED PLUMS!!" Goggles looked around frantically. 
Rider jumped in alarm, expression furious. "WHAT?!! YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME—"
"Where's Bobble Hat?" Goggles asked. 
"Here I am!!" Bobble Hat ran over to the team, another sweaty looking Bobble Hat following her. "Look at this! (She's fun to play tag with!!)"
"AAAAGGHHHH—!!!" Rider jumped once more, stumbling back. "ARE YOU STUPID?!?! GET AWAY FROM THAT THING!!!! IT'S TRYING TO KILL US!!" 
'More?? HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO FIGHT THEM IF WE CAN'T LAND A HIT?!?' Rider thought.
"Hm? Rider's with Goggles again." the clone Bobble Hat whispered to Bobble Hat. They weren't attacking them?
"What are you talking about?" Bobble asked the clone.
Rider started to step back, one hand in his pocket while the other reached out to take Goggles with him. These diseased clones looked extremely sick and sweaty, dripping with hatred and the obsession over the grudge they represent. They were broken, completely out of character to whoever they resembled.
"Don't... don't listen to them..!! HEY!! DO YOU GUYS THINK YOU CAN, I DUNNO, FUCK OFF?! GO BOTHER SOMEONE ELSE!!!" Rider yelled.
A diseased Headphones leaned closer to Headphones, whispering, "You don't want them running off again, do you?"
"I- uh..." Headphones hesitated, confused.