Bec is dead. We defeated him. Still not sure how that happened and I was fucking there. But hey, I'm not complaining. There is a burnt mark on the ground from where he burnt up in a rush of green demon fire. His trophies are left. And that thought just made me sick. John is over there picking them up. His dad's hat, Rose's mom's scarf, and Bro's... glasses.
I cradle the shitty anime glasses in my hands. They are a bit heavier than I expected for a bit of tinted plastic. This sounds really fucking sentimental and sappy, but right now I am too tired to give a fuck, I just... I just want to look through them like my brother did. I slip mine off and put the angles on. They are almost the same darkness as mine but a little bluer in-
Dave.
HOLY FUCK! I fling the glasses off my face and then dive after them so they don't get hurt by the fall. I think I might have shouted out loud too because now everyone is looking at me. I look over at Dirk and he has an odd expression as I put Bro's glasses back on.
Dave.
Dave?
Sorry.
Probably wasn't expecting that.
Guess he/I didn't tell you.
The text just scrolls across and up the lenses to make room for the next line.
Sorry about that.
I'm sorry about a lot of things.
I'm sorry about how it went down.
He wasn't expecting that.
He didn't mean to die.
"Bro?"
Oh good.
My audio feature didn't get broken.
The glasses took a hit during the fight and then you weren't saying anything.
Yea, I'm a version of him.
Obviously of the digital kind instead of the physical bodily kind.
But still him.
"Like Dirk's?"
I thought he/I didn't tell you about this.
You're frowning.
I'm missing something.
I glance over at Dirk who is slowly coming to the same realization as I am. Of course Bro would have had a digital self. His post scratch self had the exact hobbies that he had so why wouldn't Bro have dabbled in cloning his own brain into his glasses. It seems so obvious in retrospection.
Who's the good looking fellow over there?
He looks like me.
"That's Dirk."
Huh.
He has my name.
"He's Bro's- your post scratch self. He had me for his Bro."
Really?
And he's still alive.
A miracle.
"It's a miracle I survived childhood."
Ouch.
Harsh.
Didn't I teach you to respect your elders.
"Nope. You taught me to respect the ones who could beat your ass into the rooftop with shitty swords and a fucking evil puppet. And as a pair of glasses, you can't do that."
Touche`.
And Cal wasn't evil.
"Bullshit."
Not when I had him.
He helped raise your ass.
"Exactly why I'm surprised I even got to see age five."
"Dave?" I look beyond the screen on the lens and see John's worried face peering at me. "Are you okay?" I'll give him credit. I suppose I do look like I am talking to myself. Only Dirk would understand on his own.
"Yea, I'm okay. Peachy keen. Totally not talking to myself. I'm talking with Bro."
John's face scrunches down even farther into a frown. "Your Bro is dead, Dave," he tries to explain gently. Oh jegus, I really do sound as if I lost it.
"Dude, you know AR? Lives in Dirk's glasses?" John nods. "It was built by Dirk. Dirk is my Bro reincarnate. Is it that much of a jump to assume that Bro did the same thing?"
I give him a moment to process and then understanding swamps John's face. "Oh, oh, OH!"
"Yea, so... I'm going to catch up with him. Do me a favor and explain my bout of insanity to the rest of the group. Dirk will help you with the technical jargon."
There is a soft chime and I refocus on the screen.
He's cute.
"Pervert."
"What?"
"Not you, John. Just... Just go."
John complies with my request with a strange expression on his face. I sigh and shake my head. Sinking down against a nearby wall I refocus on the one sided digital conversation floating in front of my eyes.
He's cute.
I don't deny it.
Took you forever to catch onto the smuppets.
I thought you were nonsexual for a long time.
Turns out you were just stupid.
"I like to think naive."
Don't sugar coat it.
"Or I was just turning a blind eye to stuff that would have had CPS knocking at our door if I breathed a word of it to anyone. I mean, you ran a fucking porn site from our living room, had cherry bombs in the ice machine, fireworks in the sink, and fought me on a roof without railings."
It wasn't that bad.
"In the Houston summers. Fuck you it wasn't that bad."
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
You used the skills I gave you in the game.
"You weren't there. You didn't see what I did."
I saw.
I was watching.
And Dave told me.
"Davesprite?"
Dave.
He's just as much Dave as you are.
"Yea. Yea, I guess he was."
Was.
What the fuck do you mean was?
"The sprites did something to help us win the fight. They glitched or something. They are gone. He's gone."
Fuck.
Poor kid.
He fought with me.
"I know. He told me." I lean my head back against the wall in silent contemplation. I used that three year hiatus to get over Bro's death but here I am talking with him again. I can almost feel the old wounds opening again.
I really didn't mean to die.
"I know. Bec prototyped with Jade's kernel sprite because of troll interference and Jack Noir got turned into demon dog Bec Noir."
Troll?
"Aliens. Our gods actually. Their session created our universe."
Those gray skinned candy horned kids are our gods?
"Yea, ironic, isn't it?"
I think the multiverse just topped my irony.
"You know, I am imagining you standing there with your mouth hanging open in disbelief, smuppet dangling from one hand and unbreakable katana in the other." Something starts blurring my vision. I do my best to blink it away, and I get it just enough to read the next few lines.
I'm sorry Dave.
I really am.
I wish I was there.
I wish I could fist bump you.
Tell you that you make me proud.
And that does it. My faces starts leaking. I knew he was proud of me from the way he looked at me, tilting his head a certain way, or the way he offered his hand after owning my ass in a rooftop strife. But it was always in subtle ways, small ways, just enough that made me want more. He never said it out loud to me.
"I-I-I miss y-you," I sobbed.
I know.
But you did so well.
You were so strong little man.
I saw your fight with Bec Noir.
It was incredible.
All you kids fought so well.
I'm proud of you all.
Especially you Dave.
You had it rough.
Doing the time thing.
Using Doomed Daves like that.
Shit.
I don't know if I could have done that.
You are such a hero little bro.
"I'm not a hero."
Why do you say that?
"I couldn't save you. What sort of hero let's someone they love die?"
Plenty.
"Yea right," I scoffed.
Dude.
Think back to all of those spandex superheroes in comics.
Especially if you go Marvel.
But even DC.
Even Superman let some people die.
It's stupid to save everyone.
Then there is no good angst for the story to chew on.
You are as much of a hero as anyone.
The four of you more so.
Because you fucking saved the multiverse.
For real.
That's beyond heroic in my book.
"We aren't done though."
What.
"Yea."
But Bec Noir was the end boss.
He even did the cliche multiple form thing final bosses do.
"He is the end boss. For our session. We still have to beat the Alpha session and then we have to beat the game. The real game."
Fuck.
God damn.
Just god damn.
"Yea. One demon hell spawn dog down. Two more bitch nasties next. Starting with Betty Crocker."
The fuck.
"Otherwise known as the Batterwitch or the Condesce or Empress of the Trolls."
Okay.
Doesn't sound that bad.
"She took out Rose's and my Alpha versions, took over the world, and killed off all humans except Dirk and Roxy who lived only because of being delivered on meteors instead of in hospitals. Oh, and she has an entire army."
Fuck.
"Yep."
You'll win eventually.
I know you guys can do it.
Right now though.
You need to go to your friends and celebrate this win.
Well.
Rest first then celebrate.
I'll be right here.
We'll talk later okay?