"There is a reason I wanted the staff," Skelly responded to Norbert.

Norbert looked up at the creature, feeling his fingers starting to come back as he wiggled them in his glove, wanting to make sure the material didn't get stuck within his regrowing digits. "And lose my ability to see down here?" Norbert questioned Skelly, "Never." Norbert said.

"Howev-" Skelly started to rebuttal, as his plan of letting Norbert question himself into doing what he wanted started falling apart.

"Nope, not going to happen, Skelly," Norbert said, threateningly waving the staff in his hand at the creature in the tube. "So don't try to convince me; it won't work." Norbert continued, resting the staff back on the table behind himself.

Stepping forward again, Norbert taps against the glass. Taking a dagger that Norbert received as a scout out, Norbert tapped it against the glass, trying to hear how thick it was. Seeing Skelly's discomfort inside, Norbert smiled and waved his hand while grinning at the creature.

Norbert pulled his arm back and smashed the dagger in as hard as possible.

SCREECH

The sound echoed around the room as Norbert's hand holding the dagger shot out to the side, nearly throwing him off balance and taking him with it. Happy that he previously put the staff down before making this attempt, not knowing if he could have stopped the topper from touching something. Stumbling to the side, Norbert regained himself as he looked down at the dagger, seeing the weapon dented on one side.

Surprised at the damage it did to the weapon, Norbert looked back at the tube, hoping to see at least some mark on the glass.

"Oh, come on!" Norbert exclaimed as he looked at the tube. He was walking forward; Norbert dropped the dagger as he took the glove off his hand, not believing his eyes. Feeling with the tips of his fingers, Norbert closed his eyes as he focused on his touch. Going back and forth over the area that should have at least had a scuff, Norbert

"And that is why I was saying to use the staff," Skelly said.

"And you absorb the energy within it; no way I'm letting that happen", Norbert said to the creature in the tube. Slipping his dagger back into its belt with a struggle seeing the slightly warped blade, Norbert made a mental note he hoped he would remember to have the weapon looked at.

Taking a step to the side, Norbert unsheathed his sword. Instantly, Skelly's eyes drew to the blade as it continued to come out of its sheath. Spinning it around in the air, Norbert confirmed that it was still the same that his skills hadn't rusted over with his lack of using it, and he could not even remember the last time he drew the blade correctly.

Holding it over the point he wanted, Norbert drew the sword back. Holding it above his head like a bat, Norbert did a practice swing, confirming that it would reach his desired point.

Holding the sword back in position, Norbert twisted his feet around, confirming that they were on solid footing. Breathing deeply, Norbert twisted his torso around as far as he comfortably could, turning his back to the creature. Unspinning himself, Norbert let the blade swing forward, pushing all his energy into his hips and arms, allowing the sword to go as fast as possible.

CRACK

Norbert felt the vibrations as the sword hit the glass tube up his arm, asking him to drop the weapon. Feeling the ringing in his bones, Norbert lowered the sword tip to the ground as he breathed heavily, the exhaustion from the task he tried to accomplish depleting him of strength.

Calming his breathing down, Norbert stepped forward, looking to see if anything happened other than a loud sound.

Sheathing the sword again, Norbert leaned on the glass tube; looking at where he had swung at it, Norbert could see the slightest chip in the glass. Breathing out in relief, he rocked back on his heels as he shouted a part of his success into the air.

Walking back to the staff, Norbert sat there, feeling the energy in his body slightly depleted from the swing. With the air around him constantly taking bits out of him, it wasn't quickly recovered as expected. He did not want to be out of juice when he set Skelly free, not knowing what the creature would do with its newfound freedom; Norbert wanted to be prepared as much as he could.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Why aren't you going again?" Skelly asked as Norbert sat beside the staff, tossing it between his hands again.

Norbert looked up at the skeleton as he grabbed hold of the staff, twirling the tip in a circle. "Because somebody here has turned perfectly breathable air into death incarnate." Norbert said, annoyed at the creature as he looked towards the broken box with a corner dented, seeing it was still being produced.

The creature turned around to where Norbert was looking, watching as its jaw slowly dropped, and the vapour coming out slowed down to a trickle before it started to flow back in.

Norbert raised an eyebrow at the creature. "You're kidding me." Norbert said in shock, "You were trying to kill me?" Norbert asked bewildered, clutching his heart, making sure it was still beating in his body.

The skeleton, shrugging Norbert, "Was worth a shot, thought you would have carked it in. But seeing as you are regaining your strength, there isn't a point to keep the charade up." The creature said.

Norbert nodded his head, almost feeling his nose grow with pride as he received compliments from the creature. As he stood up again, Norbert, unsheathing his sword, stood in the same position. He looked at the glass and the chip he made in it, knowing it wouldn't go at this one, giving him enough time.

He was tapping his finger in thought, wondering if there was a way of communicating with someone outside if he could get any help. Norbert stood there as he breathed in, trying to see if there was some way of getting out of there in one piece.

He was getting into the same position as before; Norbert swung with all his might at the test tube.

CRACK

Norbert could now easily see the damage that he did to the tube. Sheathing the sword again, Norbert walked towards the staff before sitting on the table it was leaning on. Raising the scarf on his face to cover his mouth, Norbert closed his eyes.

How could he contact someone to tell him what to do? Thinking of options, Norbert opened an eye, seeing Skelly wagging a single finger at him.

"Tch, tch, tch", Norbert heard in his head, the creature's mouth not moving.

Norbert stayed still as he looked at the creature, thinking towards Skelly. Norbert asked, "So, you could see everything I was thinking?" Norbert asked the creature.

There was no response, and Skelly just nodded in response. Norbert said a quick curse before getting off the table, now genuinely feeling like the sheep he was talking about when he first saw the creature in person.

Picking up the bestiary, Norbert flicked to the page Skelly identified as he was before. Looking between the picture and the creature in the tube, Norbert doubted it was the same thing.

"It is, or more precisely, what I was before," Skelly responded to Norbert's question out loud.

"And why should I believe you?" Norbert asked back.

"What do I have to lie to you about it? And it also makes this more fun." Skelly responded. When he said the word fun, sending a shiver up Norbert's spine, the creature seemed a bit too excited about the fun part; Norbert worried that it wouldn't be so fun for himself if he continued interacting with Skelly.

"We're in a stalemate," Norbert told Skelly.

Skelly smiled in response with a shake of his head. "No, not really. I've waited here for … honestly, I don't know how long. I lost track after the banging and the crying for a long time. And a lot longer yet." Skelly said, leaning back on the other side of the tube, arms folded in front of him. "And how long can you wait, several days?" The creature asked Norbert.

Norbert opened his mouth to respond but saw no point. No matter how long he could last, he couldn't outlast Skelly, needing food before then and not even mentioning what the creature could do to him if he slept.

"So, want to make a deal?" Norbert asked Skelly.

He was pushing himself off the back of the tube, standing in the centre, the creature's mouth spreading wide as Norbert stared into its black irises.

"Thought you would never ask," Skelly responded.

Norbert looked back at him, "Well, I'd like it if you could not kill me when you're released from your chamber." Norbert said. Watching Skelly open his mouth, Norbert interrupted, "And those that I care about, if you couldn't kill those as well." Norbert added at the end.

Skelly just nodded in response to the request. "Use the staff to break the barrier for my side." Skelly responded before adding, after several seconds, "Agreed?" He asked Norbert.

Norbert just nodded in return. "Now that that's out of the way," Norbert said before taking the staff, holding it in one hand.

Exclaimed as loudly as he could, "GRANNY!" Norbert shouted, hearing his voice echo above and out of the prison cells he was in. Hearing no response but feeling like Granny was watching over him, Norbert continued, "Last time you asked to call out before I found myself waking up to your ceiling, so here I am calling out?" Norbert asked the air.

For several seconds, all was quiet.

Tap

Tap

Tap

Norbert looked up, out of the opening, seeing a shadow looming over. Walking forward with the staff, Norbert saw Granny up there. "Kids these days, tch" she said, speaking to herself.

Norbert smiled as he waved up at her. "Granny, I think I've gotten myself in quite a predicament again," Norbert told her.

Granny, leaning down and looking at the research lab before nodding, "I quite agree with your assessment. Now be a dear and help me down." Granny said to Norbert.

Stepping forward, Norbert walked towards the opening, walking on the rubble beneath his feet. Norbert held a hand out for Granny to hold onto. Using his hand as support, the older woman seemed to flutter down before landing beside Norbert.

Leaning on him slightly, she descended the rubble towards the tube. Standing in front, where Norbert made the crack in the tube, she looked up and smiled at the creature.

"Now, what do we have here?" Granny asked the creature within the tube before her.