Chapter Text
Toga woke up with a gasp, pain radiating through her body as if she’d been struck by a bus. She blinked several times, trying to shake off the lingering haze of sleep.
As her vision cleared, she noticed the unfamiliar surroundings. The room was adorned in shades of red and pink, with clothes and trinkets strewn across the floor. Polaroid photos of her with strangers were pinned to the wall. Confusion washed over her; she didn’t recognize any of the faces in the photos. This wasn’t where she had fallen asleep, nor was it one of her safe houses. Another oddity: she was dressed in actual pajamas. The bed beneath her was not a makeshift, dingy mattress but a real, comfortable bed.
Her brow furrowed. If she wasn’t where she had fallen asleep, someone must have moved her, or something significant had happened. She needed to get out quietly, without alerting anyone.
She gently opened the door, relieved when it didn’t squeak.
Tiptoeing down the stairs, she spotted three men huddled around a table, their faces etched with worry and stress. The exit lay at the end of the hallway, and slipping past them seemed doable. Just as she was about to clear the kitchen, a sudden wave of nausea hit her, and dizziness set in within seconds.
The men looked up sharply and rushed towards her. One supported her head while the others fired off questions she couldn’t discern. Blood pounded in her ears. She heard her name from the man with burn scars, and another voice called for help—probably a medic or someone in charge. Through the haze, she caught snippets of reassurance, urging her to stay awake. Despite their pleas, she couldn’t comply and slipped into unconsciousness moments later.