Gumball kept falling until he eventually hit a platform. Well, he didn't get knocked out this time around— that was good. He looked around for the crowd of people he entered with and found them on a platform that was behind and above him. Crud, it was too high up to jump. He found Rob separated from the group on a platform that was a few feet to the right of him. Maybe he could get there? It was a bit below him, so if he missed the jump he'd fall. Should he chance it? He was thinking about all of this when he heard a voice say, "You really didn't think it would be that easy, did you?" Gumball's ears pricked up. He didn't recognize the voice. It sounded strangely ethereal, kind of high pitched, but not really in a feminine way. The voice didn't sound masculine or feminine, now that he thought about it, kind of a weird mixture of both. He couldn't figure out where it was coming from, it seemed like it was coming from all around him, like surround sound at a movie theater.
"Who are you?" Gumball shouted into the air. His voice was shaking a little, he couldn't explain why, but something about that voice unnerved him. It just seemed wrong somehow. "Where are you coming from?"
"You really don't get it? You're thicker than I thought you were, Gumball Watterson." The voice gave a little laugh that sent shivers down Gumball's spine, and come to think of it, how did it know his name? "It's not who I am, it's what I am. As for where I'm coming from, you're looking at it, kid." Gumball's eyes widened as it clicked, as he figured out who, or rather, what he was talking to.
"You're…." Gumball started. He couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence. He wanted to exclaim that this wasn't possible, but he had seen so many impossible things today. Heck, he was in the real world not even an hour ago, so he shouldn't have been surprised. Yet, he was. Just when he thought that he had seen it all, the universe threw him another curveball.
"I have many names." The voice continued. "I've been called The Wasteland, Limbo, The Static Dimension, but I believe your name for me was The Void." Gumball paled— yup,that's what he was afraid they'd say. Rob paled too, in all the time he had spent in The Void, he had never heard it talk. But he knew The Void well, he knew that it could get inside your head. Now that it had a way to do that more directly this could be a disaster. Just looking at The Void again caused fear to strike his heart, now he had to listen to it too? Everyone else just looked confused, what the heck was The Void? And why did Gumball and Rob look so terrified of it?
"You...You can talk." Gumball stuttered. The Void gave another laugh.
"I contain all of the knowledge of the universe Gumball, of course I can talk." Okay, this was definitely new and surprising information, but maybe this could be good. If The Void could talk to him, then he could talk to it. He didn't think it could be reasoned with— it had long passed the point of no return— but maybe he could outsmart it somehow. Keep it distracted so he could stealthily use the notebook before it noticed. It wasn't much of a plan, as he wasn't entirely sure how he could distract it and use the notebook at the same time, but it was all he had.
"Really? I thought you just got the rejects." Gumball responded, slowly getting his confidence back. Rob looked a little dejected at that statement. Crud, he didn't mean it like that, he was just trying to get under The Void's skin, or static, as it were. The Void didn't seem that offended though, as it just gave another condescending laugh. He was getting real sick of that laugh.
"Silly child, how do you think I decide what stays and what goes?"
"What or who?" Gumball retorted. "With all the knowledge of the universe you would think the word kidnapping would enter your vocabulary." He started reaching towards his back pocket where the notebook was kept. Rob noticed his arm moving and quickly figured out what his plan was. Ah, so he was picking a fight on purpose, he had wondered what he was hoping to gain by back talking to The Void, but he thought that Gumball was just being his usual sarcastic self. Rob started reaching for the remote in response. Gumball couldn't do this alone, he would have to distract it when Gumball started writing, make The Void think the remote was the real weapon, and turn its attention towards him. The idea terrified him, he didn't want to be in the clutches of The Void again, but what other choice did he have? Gumball noticed Rob staring and met his eyes, giving him a small nod. Good, he understood the plan. With him on his side this could actually work.
"Please, it's not kidnapping if they don't even exist." The Void responded. "It's not like anyone even noticed."
"Because you wiped our memories! That's a dirty trick and you know it."
"I'm not talking about you. I'm talking about the audience." The Void replied. Everyone other than Gumball, Rob and Darwin looked confused. What was it talking about? What audience? "Do you really think they would have noticed that Molly and Rob were missing if you didn't go in and rescue them? Do you think they would have cared? Of course not, because they're not real. They're just props, to be moved around and used as needed. They simply were no longer useful."
"No, you're wrong about them, about us. We're not just objects to be used as you see fit! We have thoughts, we have feelings!"
"Of course you would think that, as you're just the same as them. A hollow vessel made for entertainment. You're not real, You don't even know what real is. You're a simulation of a real person. Those 'feelings' are just written for you." Gumball didn't react. He'd heard those words before, heck he'd even told himself all of this, but he knew better now. Yes he was just a creation, but if he could accomplish everything he did, even after they pulled the plug on his show, some part of him, somewhere, had to be real. Even if it wasn't in the traditional sense. The Void was a bit surprised that it wasn't getting a reaction, but it kept going regardless.
"Don't you get it? You're nothing, Gumball. Just a character without a show. Speaking of which." All of sudden Gumball's arm was yanked away from his pocket, almost as if it was pulled back by an invisible force. "You didn't think you could get away with that, did you?"
Gumball's face fell. Crap, it noticed. No point in being sneaky anymore. He'd have to make his move now and hope he could dodge what The Void threw at him. He tried to reach back and grab the notebook, but found that he suddenly couldn't. He couldn't move his arm. He tried the other one but he couldn't move that one either. He couldn't move at all, it was like he was frozen. His eyes widened in panic, what was going on? The others noticed Gumball struggling and rushed to try and help him, but they were pushed back by an unseen force. They tried to go forward again but it was like some invisible wall was stopping them from going any further. Rob was watching all of this, wide eyed. Oh no, this was bad. He had to help Gumball somehow. He tried reaching for the remote but found that he was frozen too. It seemed The Void had caught on to his part in their little scheme.
"Silly Gumball, thinking you could fight me." The Void taunted. "Don't you know what you are? You're a loser, a cheap joke, only good for getting into wacky hijinks. Your shctik might've been fun for a while, but it's gotten old, as stale as your dumb little show."
"Gumball, what is it talking about?" Penny asked from the crowd.
"He hasn't told you?" The Void replied smugly. "You're not real. Nothing here is. Your lives are nothing more than a TV show."
"That's not true, you're lying!" Another voice shouted out, Anais this time.
"Oh really?" The Void said. Suddenly the static was playing a montage of clips from the show. "Answer me this then, how is it that it's been over six years and no one has aged, hmm? How come when you start singing music starts playing in the background? How can you get brutally injured one minute, and the next you're perfectly fine?" Not a peep was heard from the crowd, they couldn't think of a good answer for any of those questions. "Haven't you ever felt like something was strange about this world? That things kept happening around you that shouldn't? Didn't you ever wonder why wacky situations kept popping up?"
"I….I thought Gumball…" Anais started.
"You thought it was all Gumball? Please. He's trouble but his antics aren't good enough for an episode a week." Anais, as well as several other members of the crowd looked down in shame. So when Gumball had said that things weren't his fault, that the universe was against him, he was right. They blamed Gumball for every little problem in Elmore, when half of them weren't his fault at all. Someone or something else was pulling the strings the whole time. They all owed Gumball an apology after this was all over. If this would ever be over. "It's time to face the facts." The Void continued. "You're on a TV show, and your episodes have just run out." The Elmore citizens felt sick, sick to their stomachs. What they were saying, it couldn't be true, could it? But it did make sense, it made way too much sense.
"Gumball?" Anais asked with tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, it's true." Gumball admitted. A few gasps were heard after this statement. "I just found out today, or I guess technically yesterday. I was going to tell you after all this was over." Anais fully gave into her tears after that, putting a pang in Gumball's heart. Some other Elmore citizens started crying as well, while others were panicking and some just gave a thousand yard stare. "But trust me, no matter what The Void tells you, that doesn't mean we aren't, in some way, real."
"Oh aren't you?" The Void taunted. "If you're so real, then how are you so easy to manipulate? The Void moved Gumball's arm in order to prove a point. A surge of fear ran through him as it moved without his consent. "Face it, Gumball." He heard the voice around him say, "You're nothing but a puppet on a string." Oh no, this was bad. This was really bad. The Void could do more than just stop him, it could control him, it could control his every action. Gumball watched as his arm moved again, this time taking out the notebook, and stretching outwards as if he was going to drop it. No! Without that notebook, he was powerless to save Elmore. He couldn't let The Void have it, he just couldn't! His resolve managed to break through and he tightened his grip on the notebook, but The Void loosened it again seconds later. It went back and forth like that for a bit. Whenever he managed to get a tighter grip on the notebook, it was loosened again almost immediately. He was slowing it down, but that wasn't enough.
"Come on Gumball! You can do th-" Darwin started to say, but he was cut off. He couldn't move his mouth anymore, he couldn't say anything. The Void had taken control of him too.
"Darwin!" Gumball shouted. He looked at his struggling brother, and the terrified faces of the townsfolk around them. His friends, his family, he couldn't save them. They were wrong to believe in him. He'd let them down. All he ever did was let them down. Elmore was going to crumble once more and it was all his fault. Suddenly The Void let out a high pitched scream, and the entire area seemed to shake. Gumball covered his ears in pain, before realizing what he just did and doing a double take. He could move again! He was free! But how? Gumball looked up and saw Rob, remote in hand, with a determined look on his face. Gumball gave a relieved smile. Rob must have used the remote to hurt The Void somehow. He saved him. He must have broken free from The Void's control and saved him. He knew giving him that remote was a good idea. "Yes!" Gumball cheered. "Thanks Rob!" Rob looked back at him and smiled. He couldn't believe he actually did that. That he actually broke free. He didn't think The Void could be defied like that, he didn't think it was possible. Gumball was right all along, they did have free will. They could change their destinies. They were more than just pawns to be used.
Their good feeling didn't last very long as Rob was suddenly flung into the air. He started hanging there, almost as if he had been grabbed. The static in The Void darkened and a low rumbling was heard, almost like thunder. Gumball and Rob's smiles immediately fell away. The Void was angry, and they could tell that it meant business.
"You." It said. "You have been a thorn in my side for way too long. Every time I try to get rid of you, you come crawling back, like a filthy cockroach. But no more. This time you're going somewhere you can never come back from." At this Rob started to fall. Gumball reached for the notebook in an attempt to try and use it to save him. He had gotten the notebook out of his pocket but before he could write anything down Rob started to crumble. Gumball started to panic. No, he couldn't be too late, he just couldn't be! He tried to write something down, but Rob was falling too fast. No matter what he tried it wasn't going to be quick enough. Rob's body started turning to ash and crumbling away as he fell. The last thing Gumball saw was Rob's terrified face as he hit the ground. His scream traveled through The Void, and then suddenly, silence. Gumball's breath caught in his throat as he looked over the scene. Rob was now nothing more than a pile of ash, with the remote lying next to him in broken pieces on the floor.