Chapter description: The Webspace as they know it is about to change forever. But right before then, a few things are tidied up.
Tags for this chapter:
Lots of Violence, Machine Gore, a metric ton of Zombies, past Silly Moments, Research Goals (but Evil), Wanting to be Better, the Reunion of all time
It was his turn to hide his hand in his hands
21. As A New Era Approaches
When Aldurra could see again, he found himself placed in a dark, vast room, accompanied by an unsettling ambiance. Noises would echo in here akin to an old cathedral. He… He knew where this was. But how in the Hell did Alex do this?!
He wasn't alone. Nearby was Baldi, who was also taking in the area. Dave was settling back upright. And there were multiples of Billy - some awake, others not.
"… Where are we?" Dave brought up the question that most of them were probably asking themselves. Here goes.
"An Alex's Realm," Aldurra explained, "But that shouldn't be possible. Neither of us have our games out there."
Baldi pulled out a bright red clipboard, looked over it, then found something. "Actually, it is. The code's all right here. In an item called, 'Bundle of Notebooks (20)'. From… His copy." The demon's eyes widened.
"You're telling me he could come here as often as he wanted, this WHOLE TIME?!" It was hard to believe. "Then what took him so long?"
"I imagine it's because it wouldn't have freed him," One of the many Billys speculated. "But I agree. Lately, he's always had the chance to, and yet… Judging from your reaction, he's never… 'Disappeared'?"
"Not even once." Regardless, this wasn't good. Aldurra took out his phone, beginning to DM Olivia.
"I see," Billy acknowledged, then questioned, "Is now the time?"
"It's an SOS," Aldurra was undeterred, "Because getting outta here's gonna be a goddamn chore otherwise. Trust me on this."
DerivativeHellion (Â̶͎L̵̗͑D̴̲͒Ū̷Ṛ̵̎R̴̯͠A̸̙̐) [11:39 AM]
Alex just fucking threw us into his world
Apparently he jacked the notebooks from his game and stuffed it in there
But anyway, you and Scrina have got to get us to safety ASAP
.Olivia. (OLIVIASKALD) [11:40 AM]
i'm not surprised. i'm on my way.
what level you on? and who is "us"?
DerivativeHellion (Â̶͎L̵̗͑D̴̲͒Ū̷Ṛ̵̎R̴̯͠A̸̙̐) [11:40 AM]
5.
And uh let's see…
Dave 82, a Baldi (!), and… A bunch of Billys. Can't count them all
.Olivia. (OLIVIASKALD) [11:40 AM]
i need exact numbers, chief.
DerivativeHellion (Â̶͎L̵̗͑D̴̲͒Ū̷Ṛ̵̎R̴̯͠A̸̙̐) [11:41 AM]
Fuck. Hang on
"Hey, Billy," Aldurra grunted, "How many of you are in here?"
Surprisingly, Billy hesitated. "This is… Every vessel I have remaining. One hundred. Or fifty, if you're only counting the ones I can currently use." Wait, what? Didn't he have more than that? From the way the demon saw how Dave took the well-made robot's hand, in a combination of comfort and regret, some shit must've gone down.
"Fuck. I'm sorry." Aldurra mused, slightly quieter. Then, he finished his message.
DerivativeHellion (Â̶͎L̵̗͑D̴̲͒Ū̷Ṛ̵̎R̴̯͠A̸̙̐) [11:42 AM]
100 Billys. Half of them are broken
.Olivia. (OLIVIASKALD) [11:43 AM]
that sounds about right.
while he was fighting for viktor, apparently his house caught on fire.
the rest were destroyed.
Aldurra stared at the text.
DerivativeHellion (Â̶͎L̵̗͑D̴̲͒Ū̷Ṛ̵̎R̴̯͠A̸̙̐) [11:43 AM]
Oh my fucking God
That explains a lot
.Olivia. (OLIVIASKALD) [11:44 AM]
it really does.
heading to erie's. we'll find you soon. sit tight, and don't die.
candice can only make so many potions at a time you know!
DerivativeHellion (Â̶͎L̵̗͑D̴̲͒Ū̷Ṛ̵̎R̴̯͠A̸̙̐) [11:44 AM]
You got it!
"Okay, help is coming," He told the others, "We just need to stay alive until then."
"If we can snatch the bundle," Baldi then noted, "He won't be able to leave."
"Oh FUCK yeah, let's trap him!" He barely knew what this guy was like, and yet, the demon was finding himself warming up to him.
"Just like in the game!" The professor was smirking. Ah. So he knew how it went. That's even better. Lower in volume, he continued, "I think I like that idea more…"
Nearby, all four of them heard something, turning to its source. From the ceiling, a silhouette of Alex had grabbed one of the damaged Billys, taking it away. Even from the dark, sounds of tearing and ripping echoed through the vast room, along with the sight of parts hitting the ground again. Fabric, skin, a hand, torn metal, wires, an eye. And so on.
"You dumbasses," Alex's voice rang out, "This is not my prison, nor yours. No no no. In fact, it's more accurate to say that this wonderful place of mine will be your tomb. One way or another, most of you have proven to be a thorn in my side." A few more shadows proceeded to do the same act as just moments ago. "I may not be able to eat all of you, but I can still take what actually matters." Aldurra caught Dave holding onto Billy's arm with both of his own.
"And you know what?" Their collective foe continued, "It'll be so much fun. Forget being unstoppable in terms of that Webspace of yours. I think I just might become… Perfect. A 'Perfect Alex'. Who cannot be killed." Still more. If nothing is done soon, Billy really will be stuck at fifty. "Do you understand? It's over. You've lost."
"Attacking from the dark now?" Strangely enough, Baldi was unaffected. "If you're so damn sure, then get your ass down here and prove it!"
Alex laughed. "So bold… I love that. To be frank, I've been fighting them for a looong time. I'm tired! So instead, my shadow clones will do it for me. But you, Baldi. I'm saving you for last. Be grateful."
Dozens of them landed from above, each staring upon the group without a shred of mercy in their soulless, lit up eyes. Of course, their first targets were the remaining, helpless robot bodies. It seemed odd that Billy wasn't trying to salvage them. Perhaps it was a liability.
"Plus… Why the fudge did you do that? You just peeved him off!" Dave called it out. Plus? Was that what Baldi called himself as a nickname? Noted. "Now we're all going to…!"
"Huh. Was really counting on him getting even more pissed than that," The professor shrugged it off. His voice rose, directed at Alex. "But he'd rather be a lazy little bitch!" He got no response. Sad, because he was right. That burned harder than pure silver.
"Then… I suppose there's nothing else we can do," Billy tried to keep his cool, as he had his active selves bring out their bullet barrels, using them in order to face every direction. "Other than to make do with what we have. As limited as it may be."
"Hey. You guys," Finally, Aldurra mentioned, "He thinks that we're the idiots, right? Looks like even he forgot something. I'll give you three guesses on what that is, and the first two don't count." Plus tried to reply, but Aldurra briefly slapped a hand over his mouth. "Shush. Not you. Let them give it a shot."
The other two gave him a look. "Uh…" Was all Billy could utter. One could've heard the bit splat onto the ground. That's disappointing. He wasn't expecting Dave to know, but the well-made robot? Such a shame.
"Okay…" The demon sighed, "He's not the only asshole who can do that." Picking it back up, he grinned coyly. "Check this out."
Just as the last of the damaged Billys became scrap, another hoard of clones emerged, but they were distinctly Aldurra-shaped. It was a struggle, but they began to even the odds, tearing into the opposing side.
"Go! They won't hurt you!" He ordered, going into the fight himself. The chaos and sounds of violence resounded all over, as his impromptu team worked together. Thank fuck Alex's shadows weren't even close to as tough as him. One cut was enough to down them, and it could be implied that almost anything else would do the trick.
He could see Billys flying around, firing rounds that reduced them to swiss cheese. Targets that were farther off were hit with missiles and mini rockets, causing semi-frequent explosions. One Billy remained by Dave's side, covering each other as the latter was able to whack the clones hard enough to send them flying. And when he wasn't using his wrench, he substituted with other tools - such as a hammer, a screwdriver, and, uh… Was that a metal sheet? He really did just use anything, didn't he.
Even a drill, which was plugged into Billy's back somehow.
As for Plus, he wasn't just hitting with his yardstick, but when he did, it was as if it were a sword. But the professor had variety: elbowing behind him, low sweep kicking as a stun, and the demon swore he saw him straight up chokeslam one of them.
Despite this, they were only 53 out of countless shadows, and Aldurra could only do so much with his reinforcements. They simply weren't able to lower their numbers fast enough. From afar, he could tell - the others were starting to falter. Noticing this, Plus erupted from the crowd and into the air. "That's enough! If you're not going to show yourself, I'll have to find you instead!"
Baldis could fly? Just… Just like that? What couldn't they do?
The growing sea of clones was getting overwhelming. Aldurra wasn't sure how much longer he and the rest of them could last. In fact
"DAVE…!" Billy yelled, desperately, "Dave, hold on, I'll-!"
Dave had been split horizontally. But wasn't able to emit anything. It was too painful. The lower half of his body was missing, as the well-made robot was only able to carry the upper part to safety and out of reach, a few more of himself disposing of the shadows that attacked them both.
"B… Billy," Dave rasped, "I…"
"No, don't speak. Save your strength. You're going to be okay." He was trying to assure him with a soft smile. But they knew that it wasn't true. Every one of them could hear it.
From the distractions, Aldurra was hit by one of the clones' scythes, thrown to the ground, and stabbed relentlessly. Fuck, it hurt, to the point where he couldn't fight back.
Was this… How he was going to go out? All this time, he thought for sure that with a little help, his entourage could be avenged. But, for once, as much as the demon didn't want to admit… Maybe Alex was right.
This is their tomb. After everything, it was hopeless. They were all going to
A crash reverberated through the already loud room. Aldurra couldn't decipher what or who it belonged to.
"HOW THE FUCK DID YOU-?! THAT DOES IT. I'LL RIP YOU TO PIECES!" The screech was Alex, but what it meant was lost on Aldurra.
"Just try it!" Plus taunted, sounding unharmed. He may as well be the only one. Flying away helped him greatly, and he… Wait.
He pulled Alex out of hiding. His focus has shifted! This was their chance! Make a comeback!
Aldurra pooled his CPU into dulling the pain, finally managing to reach up and slice his assailant apart. He forced himself to his feet, but not without clutching his abused torso (and not to mention, his tattered vest). It was more clones than allies, that hasn't changed. But from not far away, he saw Plus and Alex fighting again, though this time was keeping their enemy on his toes.
This was just the low point! They can't give up now! They've all come too far to lose like this! So, Aldurra took a breath, and roared in defiance.
And at that moment, a portal opened from the ceiling, a spotlight of brightness casting into the otherwise dreary surroundings. Carried by Scrina, Olivia held her reaper scythe. "Thanks for waiting!" She called, everyone glancing up at her.
"Oh, thank FUCK. Finally!" Aldurra's relief couldn't have been more obvious.
"There's… So many of them!" Scrina spoke her concern. "I think you may have to, well…"
"Then, let's get to it!" The protagonist smirked, gesturing to the ground. Scrina flew her down, just above the floor. With her weapon, Olivia tore the blade into it. "Come on out! He's right here! Go make that sonna bitch pay!"
She was a reaper now, after all. It was her "character arc". But rather than claim souls, she would allow them passage to the living - for revenge's sake.
Such a tactic would've sent the Webspace in a frenzy. Better to be used here than there.
"You know, it's actually kinda funny," She added once over, both ascending back up. "Viktor wanted me to do this back at his school. Had to go over all the reasons why I couldn't. It only works on those with a kill count, I said. They'll only target their killer, I said. Useless against a bunch of Daves, but perfect for someone like Alex."
As if on cue, the new rift in the floor widened. Climbing out of it were tons of characters, all with gray eyes, dulled color schemes, injuries, the whole bit. People Aldurra could recognize, from various fangames. Protagonists, faculty, staff, sides, secrets. Humanoid, supernatural, even robotic.
Such a visualization of just how many folks he hurt and destroyed was almost incomprehensible. They charged into battle, ripping apart every Alex shadow clone they came across, but as expected, ignored Aldurra and his group.
And in that growing mass of zombies, he was able to spot those from his copy. Dolly, Asmodena, Ms. Immortal. A copy of Candice, Olivia, and Scrina. It didn't seem to matter if Alex stole their code; if they died at his hands, it was enough.
He snapped back to reality, but only when he was pulled off the ground by Olivia. It was then he realized he'd shed a few tears, blinking the rest away and drying his face. Still, even like this, it was nice to see them again. One last time.
"Everyone! This way!" The two girls ordered. Soon to appear was Plus, a handful of Billys, with one still holding Dave in his arms.
"No! Get back here! I will not be-!" They heard Alex refute with a guttural tone, beginning to sink under the new wave of adversaries. They weren't revived or real, but were no less capable of brutality. Alex was going to suffer everything he put them through, tenfold… If he survived, that is.
And that made it feel cathartic.
Scrina reached the portal, the other side revealing the Webspace, and Aldurra found it a welcoming reprieve. Though, maybe he wasn't the only one to think so.
Together, they managed to breach through, the abrupt change of carnal direction causing them to land in the grass, with the grace of a pile of ragdolls. As soon as she was able to (and everyone was accounted for), Scrina closed the waypoint.
The silence that greeted them was deafening. Then, it was broken by Plus, who laughed as he got up again. The demon couldn't articulate more at this moment than an unsettled gaze. In response, the professor took out an item. The Bundle of Notebooks.
"Surprise!" He said, as if he was about to give out a present. The absolute madman.
"Holy SHIT!" Aldurra blurted, rising instantly and approaching. "You actually got it!"
"I sure did!" Plus smugly replied. "He was so caught up in swinging at me, that I don't think he even noticed! He was all, 'Oh, I'm gonna kill you!', and I just thought, 'Yoink!'. Ha ha!"
"Damn, that's sick," Olivia noted, not at all affected by the presence of motherfucking Professor "Plus" Baldimore. "I'll be happy if he stays in there for good."
"Should we… Destroy it? Will it erase him, too?" Scrina asked, cautiously.
"Either that, or he'll immediately be released," Towards the little robot, Plus was surprisingly gentle with his refusal. It must come naturally, with how much knowledge he had about his fans' various creations. "I think it'd be best to study this thing better before doing something so hasty."
"Oh! Good point!"
"Any chance I could hold onto it, then?" Aldurra offered. "Don't worry, I won't do anything stupid. If nothing else, I'd seal this thing up and throw away the key."
"Hand over an Alex to another Alex?" He couldn't blame Plus' skepticism.
"That Alex invaded our game, forced us to abandon it, made us lose Aldurra, and just when we could be okay again, showed up and finished the job." Olivia's summary was blunt, to the point, and scarily accurate. Plus glanced at her. "We literally have nothing to gain by breaking him out."
"Hm… Yeah, I thought I saw an Olivia that looked just like you, when the victims came out. Alright, I'm convinced!" He promptly tossed it at Aldurra. "But like I said, just don't destroy it until you know for sure it's safe to."
"Oh, you bet. Maybe we could get Laura to-… Shit, wait. Goddammit." The demon nearly forgot.
"Laura? From Viktor's game? Isn't his school 'under siege' or something like that?"
"Eeyup." Olivia confirmed. Plus tabbed to his clipboard, as if checking something.
"I see. Say, not trying to be insensitive, but I better get going. There's somebody I've been trying to find, and he's over there. But I'll admit, it was nice meeting you guys!" Before he could leave, Billy spoke up at last, making him pause.
"Are you alright?" His voice was soft, and not directed at anyone other than Dave. One of his few selves (Five, Aldurra was able to count) was holding him closely, the rest unable to do anything else.
"I'll. I'll be fine. Just. I just…" It was difficult for Dave to respond. If Aldurra looked closely, he could see pixels at the injury, very slowly rebuilding the lost part of his body. Wait. Was he… Healing?!
"Right, don't worry," Billy didn't notice it. "I'll get you some help. Maybe Candice could-"
"No, I don't think that'll… Be of any use. Billy… I've been meaning to tell you something. It's important, but…" A grunt of pain. "Now's… Not a good time, ha ha… Just…"
Billy was growing worried. "Just. Wait for me, okay? I need to go for a bit and… Rest. But when you see me again… I'll be back to normal."
"I will. I will, Dave. I will…" As Billy brought him closer, Dave's hand held his cheek.
"It's as you said… I'm going to be okay." Whatever kept him from falling to grains of sand let go, and Dave dissipated into a mist. But interestingly, it took off somewhere. The well-made robot turned silent, unmoving, staring at his now empty arms.
"Huh… He did that thing again," Oddly, Plus spoke as though he understood what was going on. "Turn to pixels, resolidify. Pretty fascinating, if you ask me. Look…" His tone changed, more sympathetic. "He was most likely being literal. After all, his model can repair itself. Though, damage this severe will take a while."
"And uh, how do you know that?" Aldurra questioned, unsure if he'd drawn a similar conclusion, or…
"His code details it," The professor was quick to say. Then he added, in exasperation, "… God, don't make me go through this again." Code, like AI? Their files? But how in the world was he able to read theirs?
"I hope you're correct." Billy finally uttered, grief in his tone.
When 1 entered the bunker, he was hit with a wave of nostalgia. It was almost like coming home after a long vacation. Except, it wasn't like that whatsoever. He sighed, wistfully, as memories passed by him. "My old workspace. I wonder what you've done with it in my absence. I do hope it hasn't fallen into disarray."
"Hello? Who's there?" Hm? The first Dave wasn't expecting company. Let alone… Oh dear. Had Strobovski been so cruel as to keep a Professor Baldimore prisoner? The selfish Tarwill bore no limits to his depravity, truly.
"Ah, hey there! Sorry, I didn't realize I wasn't alone. Just a moment, then we can talk face to face." 1 zipped around the halls, until he came across a room, changed into a cell. A prison. And it contained the professor in question. Except… Was he modified? Intriguing.
"… Oh! There you are!" He greeted, the worry prominent as he tried to smile. "My name's Baldi! Though, it seems like everyone here already knows that. But between you and me, I'm getting a little tired of the formalities, ba ha… Anyway, what's yours?"
He has been here nearly two months, as indicated by his Webspace data's creation date. Did Viktor see him as some kind of zoo animal? Disgusting! Thank heavens 1 struck when he did!
"Greetings, Baldi. Technically speaking, my name is Dave. However, since there are many copies of my games, '1' is preferred."
"Dave… Dave?" The professor sounded like he recognized him. "Do you know Dia?"
"No, you're mistaken. Dia belongs to Dave #82," He tried to ignore the disappointment in Baldi's face. "Anyway, while I go unlock the doors, why don't you tell me what brings someone of your stature here? I must say, I am very curious."
As Baldi explained, 1 busied himself in doing just that. Alex possessed him to come here, and was even forced to release him. Granted, this was one of the many questions that the first Dave had held. Regardless, that thoughtless demon was next on his chopping block.
After having Baldi's testimony, the Tarwill decided that keeping him at Infinity School was best. Until Alex was reigned in, and better anti-possession measures were made.
Which was, in 1's opinion, impossible without him.
Another wonder he had was concerning Baldi's AI file. It took up an unusual amount of space. And when he opened it up, he saw a staggering 9,999 lines of code. It was double his own, and he thought he was well-rounded!
The first two lines caught his attention. Both were comments.
PROFESSOR BALDI BALDIMORE
THIS IS AN INTRODUCTORY COMMENT THAT EXPLAINS THE CHARACTER OVERALL. EVERYTHING WILL BE MORE IN-DEPTH FURTHER DOWN. FOR NOW, HERE'S THE BASICS.
(OH HE WOULD LOVE THAT ONE)
VERSION: 1.3.2C
ROLE: EDUTAINMENT GUIDE
GENDER: MALE
BIRTHDAY: JUNE 3RD
FAV SUBJECT: MATH
SPECIAL SKILLS:
- ACUTE HEARING
- SUPER SPEED
- CALCULATION
That was line 1. The very next one below it was the following:
CURRENT VERSION: 1.4.3C
(AS OF 06/18/2019)
(11/21/2018) Hi Baldi! Haha, remember when we thought the 1.3 set was gonna be the last? Good times, man. Good times. Anyway, other than that, I THINK everything else still holds up? If not, lemme know and I'll add to this bit. -Friend
(01/04/2019) Buuuuuuugs. Yeah, nothing to see here. -Friend
(01/05/2019) Oh mah gawd, again? C'mon man I JUST patched the last one! -Friend
(03/20/2019) Did. Did you know. That it's on Android? But we don't get that one! -Friend
(06/18/2019) Player guess what! Big Ol' Boots are real! Confirmed by Basically, Games! Check 'em OUUUT! -Friend
I can't believe I like rubber boots more than candy bars… -Player
I'll keep that in mind for Christmas! -Baldi
Please don't have convos in his code. That's kinda pushing it. -M
Okay, I understand. Just this once! -Baldi
Dude seriously. Just use the thinkgizmo or something. This is gonna hurt as soon as I save this. -M
Only a little; I can take it! Also, it's called the "Think Pad"! -Baldi
Yeah okay I'm cutting you off. Right now. No more code changing shenanigans. Nope. -M
… M, I can see you typing it in. If you want to stop, then stop! Just cancel the whole thing and
WOW! You weren't kidding! That stung! -Baldi
STOP -M
(06/25/2019) Are y'all okay? -Friend
A new idea began to form, as he skimmed the rest. No. This Baldi wasn't merely a modified Tutor from Classic. He was something else entirely. Something… Unique. And 1 wanted to study every last byte. The future of the Webspace rested on him now, and the possibilities were endless!
"Go home… To be fair, I can see why," He finally responded, as he returned to him, "I too sometimes miss the olden days of having a game and a player. But it gets, how do I put this… Cramped, after a while. But here? I know you'll be able to serve a much greater purpose. And worry not about the likes of Alex, he will be taken care of."
"Thank you, and that's a nice thought. But… I'm serious when I say that I'm needed there."
"Oh, you poor, sweet Summer child," 1's grin only widened, noticing that he was. "You do not understand your relevance. As an expert on machine languages, I have the authority to say that knowing how you tick will help bring about great advancements like never before."
Baldi was distancing himself, expression growing unsettled. "No, that's… No, I refuse. The world's not ready yet. I'm not ready yet. I need to leave."
"With all due respect, Professor, I wasn't asking." 1 reached out to take him by the arm, and Baldi managed to free himself, selecting his ruler.
"And I said no!" Was he really going to do this? Very well. In return, 1 tabbed to his screwdriver.
"We are at an impasse. How about a duel? If you win, you're free to go. But when you lose, you will obey me." From the offer, Baldi gave him a look that resembled indignation. He swapped the weapon for a Batch Of Bananas (3), eating them one by one. Looking into their functionality, it increased the size of the stamina meter by ten pixels each.
Next, he tabbed to another consumable, an Energy-Flavored Zesty Bar, which was also used. Oh, surely, he was going to use every edge he had.
Baldi then sprinted off. A chase it is, then. 1 promptly followed, switching to THRIVE mode.
"Enjoy this moment while you can, Professor! Your inventory is finite! It's only a matter of time!" Keeping up with him was a challenge, unexpectedly enough. But for every single resident here, he will keep pressing on.
He found him again, after looping around a corridor. A BSODA appeared in Baldi's hand, pushing 1 back with its spray. In return, he summoned and telekinetically threw rapiers at Baldi's legs, barely missing by a few pixels. He watched carefully for where the professor was going, continuing on the hunt.
Down another hall, 1 brought his hands together, which turned it into a dead-end. Nowhere left to run. "What a valiant effort! But, all in vain."
When he got too close, Baldi brought out yet another item - a pair of Big Ol' Boots. And immediately after deploying it, he was able to pass through him. So long as it was active, he couldn't be grabbed. No matter, for 1 only had to wait. And besides, that was the last thing Baldi could use. Everything else he had was worthless. Once more, he zoomed behind the professor, and caught up.
The Boots wore off. Now was his chance. With a laugh, he brought out more rapiers, aiming. Then, saw something. A bright red clipboard. What in the heck could that possibly
From nowhere, 1 heard the event bell sound. Then suddenly, he flopped to the floor, like gravity had increased. Wait. Gravity Chaos. But that was a BB+ thing! Why would someone add that kind of functionality to a Classic?!
Any attempts to rise to the air again failed. And away his target went, slowed, but unhindered. He shot his swords at him again, but they too clattered onto the ground just meters in front of him. Even if 1 were to start crawling, he would never catch up.
The professor has won this round. But not the game.
"Hmph…" He spoke, "I would say that a deal is a deal, but we never agreed to it. So, my advice is to watch your back! I will always know where you are, Baldimore!"
"… Nanites." Billy had echoed.
"That's right…" Dave had confirmed.
From on his attic's worktable, Dave sat next to Billy, only able to stare at his half-reformed legs. The nanites of his home were filling in the gaps, where his own bodily ones could not at the same pace. Each of them altered its colors to match his own, lest he looked like his lower half was entirely red. A hole in the wall was forming, but it too will fix itself with time.
He'd decided that he had to clear the air; he'd owed Billy that for far too long. So, after enduring the realization that he had DMed him earlier (a twist of the knife, really), Dave got back to him.
Dave_Oddity! (DAVE_82) [12:27 PM]
I'm sorry, Billy, I only just now saw this. Um…
Right now, I'm home. I'm okay. It doesn't hurt anymore, but I'm… Not back to normal yet.
I know what I said, but you can come over if you want.
And Billy had responded at near light speed.
Well-Made_Account (BILLYLĖ) [12:27 PM]
I'm on my way.
Dave_Oddity! (DAVE_82) [12:27 PM]
Okay! I'm in the attic.
And… Nevermind the hole in the wall.
I swear, I can explain everything.
Well-Made_Account (BILLYLĖ) [12:28 PM]
Good timing or not, you better.
The cold statement wasn't unwarranted. Dave already suspected that he was testing Billy's patience as of late. Honestly, if he had known from the start, things would've gone so much better. Dave could imagine it, vividly.
Most infuriatingly of all, 1 was right. Dave was certain he meant it in a different way, but his words rang true. He should've swallowed his pride, and asked for a second opinion. Billy's opinion.
But he didn't tell him. Leading to all that worry, fear, and grief. And Billy's patience had worn thin.
Dave could hear him sighing deeply, into his hands. "Your house, too. And your brain."
"Yes."
"And it never occurred to you that perhaps it would've been important to mention? At literally any point in time?" The sincerity was absent. This was actual questioning of logic.
"No, I've… I really have been meaning to…"
"And I've been meaning to ask," Billy lowered his hands, looking at the ceiling. "But I suppose neither of us could." Silence hung in the air so heavily, that Dave was being crushed by it.
"I'm sorry." He uttered at last, and frankly there ought to have been more to it. Except he couldn't find the words.
"I know you are," The well-made robot replied, "But I'm not sure what to do. Could I trust you to not do this to me again? Should I?"
It was hard to say. The answer was obvious, sure, but would Billy be happier if… Oh, lord. A knot formed in Dave's throat at the thought.
"I've crossed your line. You're allowed to go… Um. To retaliate."
"That's just the thing; I don't want to do that. I don't want to lose you. I don't want to separate. But I fear this'll happen again."
"I don't either, you know?" Dave struggled to keep his voice steady. "You deserve better, Billy. And I want to prove that I can be that for you. But me having that chance… That's your call to make, not mine. So if you, say… Need time to think it over, I understand."
A part of him wished he hadn't just suggested that. The selfish part of him, that wanted to keep fighting to work this out now. Today. Bring it back to the status quo. But, he reminded himself, that's not how it works - Billy has to decide what's best for himself. Even if it means… That.
They've always said that if you love someone, you'll let them go, his inner voice noted. But what they don't tell them is how painful it'll be.
"Are you… Suggesting we take a break?" He could hear the reluctance in his words.
"Yes. If you're willing. We don't have to, but it might help."
"I-… I don't know if I can handle that…" He made it sound like the world was ending. "On top of everything else today…" Oh, wait. Dave remembered.
"Okay, then let's put a pin on the 'break' part. Please, tell me." He let Billy explain. Denied was able to wake him up again, but was currently "in limbo". Billy's house was basically destroyed. The five vessels he last saw him with are all he has left. And now he had to find out about Dave's secret in the worst way possible?
Well. Now Dave just felt stupid. Moreso than he already had. It was his turn to hide his head in his hands, in order to process the absolute bombshell that was Billy's terrible, terrible morning. "I… I see. Did you, um… At least get those memories back?"
"I think that's the one thing that went right. We were finished in an hour," Was his answer, before adding, "I know it's a lot. But… If you feel that this direction is best, then… I'll try to figure things out."
When he's already hit rock bottom? In spite of what Dave had done, he couldn't push him away, no matter how good for him it might've been. What he needed was support, and darn it, Dave was going to give him that and more.
"No," He finally turned to him, gently taking his hand into both his own. "I know what you mean. But forget what I said. Whatever you're going through, and whatever happens next, I want to face it all, together. I realize that it might get rough, but I will prove myself to you. No more secrets. I promise." He paused. "But… What do you think?"
He felt so tense and uncertain. Billy had options. But when Dave was put into an embrace, the choice was evident. Pulling back, Billy looked him right in the eyes, his voice trying to be stern, but it mixed with other emotions. "No more secrets."
"No more secrets." Dave nodded in absolution, returning his partner's affection deftly.
The entrance tunnel. Oh, at long last. Baldi was heaving; he hadn't stopped or slowed his pace since making it out of the bunker. He took a minute to gather his bearings, listening for anything resembling 1. However, there was nothing of the sort.
When finished, he approached, ready to get out of here for good. Truth be told, he wasn't going to miss this place. And, as he decided for himself, that was nothing to be ashamed of.
Then, he felt himself hit a wall. He staggered back, reaching forward. It was invisible, but it was there. He pressed, knocked, but nothing changed.
What in the world…? The tunnel wasn't one-way, was it? He looked into its programming, and noticed a peculiar string. It mentioned his C-sharp name, and the intent was to not let him pass. He was trapped here.
1 claimed that he was a coding expert. He certainly wasn't a liar.
Frustrated, Baldi's hands balled into fists, before trying to calm down with another breath. Okay, a set back. He was going to need help. But who could he trust in this crazy domain?
"Holy fucking shit! There you are!" He heard his own voice yell, quickly facing it. Another Baldi, but he looked familiar. He opened his counterpart's file and
Plus. It was Plus. Somehow, someway, he'd followed after him. In his hand was an item that looked like a map of some kind. Probably for the Webspace itself.
While this circumstance wasn't exactly ideal, at this point? Baldi would take what he could get.
- VOLUME III END -
More info:
- While Aldurra wanted to kill Alex for good, he isn't against what actually happened
- Olivia's username, "OLIVIASKALD", uses a fanmade surname that I made up. "Skald", or rather "Scald", refers to intense heat, so I thought it'd be metal as Hell to give her that
- What would I give Angell? Uhhhhhhh I don't know, sorry
- Maybe she and Aldurra love spicy foods and would challenge themselves regularly. Despite being skeletal, she can still absorb foods because why not
- Scrina's portals! Where exactly she learned to do that, I am not sure
- Plus really did just spawn a map and use that to get around more easily. It's more of a players' item, though
- Just after finding C Baldi, he too found out that he can't leave. "Oh, son of a bitch. Some dickhead knows we're here." Leading to a lot of catch-up…
- When Dave was at his rock bottom, he had no one; but to be fair, he was a much worse person back then. And now that Billy's at his rock bottom, Dave knows he deserves every last ounce of support
- Sidenote, his lost bottom half won't regenerate. It's similar to what Candice mentioned in chapter 8 - no brain, no healing. So it just turned into a mound of pixel dust, similar to what 1 saw in ch 16.5
- Only five Billy vessels remain. The rest are gone forever. A terrible whiplash
- Very slight reference to ch 3, with the plugged-in drill
- Whether or not Alex survives this is (currently) up to interpretation. "Currently" because at this time of writing, I have no plans on bringing him back
- Alex could bring out a lot more clones, because of how many counterparts he took in the past. And being hidden kept him out of immediate danger, so he could keep focused. But once Plus found him, it became much more difficult to retain the upperhand
- 1's AI file houses somewhere in the high 4,800 lines of code, and in the grand scheme of things, is the highest among other Webspace dwellers. Seeing someone with far more than that is a marvel to him - it's like he just witnessed a god
- More referencing to C Baldi's friendships with Player, Friend, and M! All of whom, and others, are very important to him
- Something I realized long after writing Time For Plus was, "Why didn't Baldi just start using his items on Plus?!". I think I thought of it as "Those aren't meant to be his items, but rather rewards for the player". But honestly, I'm going to chalk it up as a story flaw, because in situations where it might save his life, he should absolutely use them!
- But on the flipside, it does make the moment where he dumps them more comical… Maybe that balances it out
- He also now knows which Dave to look for, where Dia is concerned. Since he's stuck here, he may as well try to check up on him, right?