Welcome to the Webspace
Written by RadRapo

Volume I

Wherein many copies of Baldi fangames have found a way to live together harmoniously, in a web domain of their own.
Viktor is in charge. Alex wants to take over. Billy makes sure that doesn't happen.

. . .

Prologue - This Digital Box We Call Home

01. My Atypical Encounter

02. Another Alex

03. A First For Everything

04. Mad Scientist Jailbreak

05. Settle For Less

06. Out Of Captivity
Extra: Put It All Behind Us

07. A Diamond's Tale

. . .

Chapter description: Alex got out again. Billy puts a stop to that.

Tags for this chapter:

Violence, Concerns, no Hurt but all the Comfort, ANOTHER ONE?

Prologue - This Digital Box We Call Home

Once upon a time, a game was made.

BALDI'S BASICS IN EDUCATION AND LEARNING

A parody horror. For a meta-themed gamejam contest. It won second place. Though, for all intents and purposes, it probably would've been forgotten.

However, let's players with reach and influence played it, and it became popular. So much so in fact, that a full version was funded on Kickstarter. As of 2022, it's still in development.

But, we're getting sidetracked.

During the height of its popularity, more people came forward - other game developers, new and experienced alike. They made mods. Fangames. Those were shared to the world, played, talked about. Some are even remembered fondly to this day.

Then, a few others had an idea. "What if I added more?"

This spun out of control, eventually leading to what could only be described as sentient AI entities. The characters, once shackled to the bare basics of protocols, could now think for themselves and forge relationships with their entourage. Predetermined backstory gave way to authentic experiences in real time.

The natural next step was to forgo the limited, tiny gameworlds they inhabited, moving onto the much larger, wilder frontier known as the Internet.

This sounds absurd. But to explain it best, the Internet to them, is Earth to Humans; the only other place they can exist. They are lines of code, pictures and models. So they are able to fit there as much as those of neurons, flesh and bone, can outside.

One day, in ye olde 2019, a fangame (who's status as such is debatable at best) got his hands on an empty domain. Don't ask him how, he changes the story every time. Since he wasn't good at naming things, he called it:

THE WEBSPACE

Eventually, another fangame arrived. Then another. And another. And another. And on and on it goes. Soon, they were a community, a sanctuary, a haven, for Baldi's Basics fangames.

Of course, the Webspace isn't the only domain where someone would find them, the Internet is vast. But what makes this place special, is that it's been tailored to them - how easily they could come across and relate to one another. They've all grown past their initial programming, and have found harmony in themselves, and in each other.

Humans may visit them, by "playing" it. To them, the Webspace is a social MMO, and it's widely believed that the characters within are being portrayed by actors. Like a Disney World situation. For a select few, or perhaps just one, they know the truth.

Regrettably, two years later, a rogue from one such fangame showed up and ruined it for everybody.

It took a ton of work to put a stop to him, and lock him away for the safety of the populace. But periodically, he escapes, leaving his warden to neutralize and contain him once more, before he has the chance to hurt anyone else.

01: My Atypical Encounter

Billy sped through the air, chasing his target with urgency. He couldn't have gone far, it's only been 52 seconds since he breached the property line. He had a pattern, a destination. Almost like Billy should've stationed himself where he would've gone, to more easily intercept him.

Except, he did. But even then, things weren't going well.

It was shameful to admit, but as soon as the other him ambushed his target from the tree he hid himself in, he was swatted away, crashing to the ground with very little time to prepare. He rolled horizontally several times, unable to regain himself for a solid five seconds.

But once he did, he quickly got up, facing his enemy. In turn, he looked upon him with an expression akin to knowing he was going to win. His brown hair waved softly in the breeze, a misleading observation compared to what he was truly like.

Alex.

Yet, the well-made robot didn't budge, retracting one of his hands and replacing it with a bullet barrel, set to rifle. As long as he had distance, there was still a chance. Jetpack out, he took to the air, aiming at the demon, then firing. Like every time before, Alex used his blades as makeshift shields as he sprinted his way. And it made sense, iron was stronger than silver; but there was a specific reason why the latter was recommended.

Silver burns demons.

Billy kept moving, not allowing his foe any chance of reaching him.

"Oh my God! So you actually surprised me this time!" He heard him laugh. "Took you long enough. I'll have to revise my strategy!"

"Then I'll set up more interception points. You cannot outsmart me." Honestly, he shouldn't have entertained him with a response, but…

"Oh no? Are you sure about that? I can make you do anything I want, did you forget that already?" Billy wanted to. Yet another embarrassing moment, on top of others of the past, where all it took was Alex possessing the selves he used to guard him into sleep mode, after using them to release him.

And it was strange, too - for every attempt Billy made to keep it from happening, Alex found a way to break through. As if the demon was getting stronger, or more adapted.

Anyway, it was always like this. Every month or so, his captive would grow bored, and make an escape attempt. And then, Billy would have to follow him out there, stop him, then drag him back into his containment unit. Or, as his opponent liked to call it, a cage.

Well, he wasn't wrong. It was befitting for such a ruthless menace. In fact, Billy was certain this guy didn't have a soul. It could be argued that no one here did, technically, but this was more… Metaphorical. Even a machine of circuits and wires was more likely to have one, than this wretched thing.

Someone should've told Billy that keeping Alex locked away on his own was a terrible idea. Oh, wait. They did. Everyone he knew did. Especially Dave.

And Billy didn't listen. He had no one to blame but himself.

To add insult to injury, his enemy cackled in triumph as he managed to jab one of his sharp scythes through his torso, rupturing his jetpack. Using the blade as a grip, Billy was forced out of the air and thrown back to the ground, much more roughly than before. The impact left him quite damaged, and it showed the moment he was allowed to try standing again. The soil and grass of the digital earth below him had given way, leaving behind a dent in his silhouette.

His ocular lenses were cracked, and his body struggled to respond to movement commands - this vessel was in critical condition. Already, he couldn't believe it. It was impossible to focus, so all he could do was stall for time, until the next one arrived to wrap this up.

Billy tried his best to assume a defensive stance. His opponent, having gotten a sickening delight out of watching him fumble upright, charged. One of his scythes struck forward once more. Billy tried to block it, but his hands ceased obeying him, allowing the demon to pierce his head

BILLY #17643 HAS BEEN TERMINATED

#25318 sighed. Well, that's a first. If only he'd arrived sooner, but nothing could be done about that now.

Almost immediately after did he catch up to Alex, watching him from in the air. He was looking rather disappointed. "What? That's it?! That's really all it took?! Ugh, what a letdown! For a second there, I thought this was gonna be fun!" As there was no point in further tormenting #17643, the demon merely retrieved his blade and kicked him over, the robot flopping to the grass like a metallic marionette.

Once again Billy replaced his hand with the bullet barrel, but it was clear that he needed to go for something stronger. First, however, he had to lure his opponent away, lest his defunct vessel get caught in the crossfire. He said nothing as he shot at him, mostly to get his attention.

It worked perfectly. "Good! I was hoping for a round two! Do me a favor and don't disappoint me this time, okay?" That's all he thought about it; a mere game of sparring. A fun little activity. A pastime. A bit. Rapport.

Billy kept him prisoner, and yet it was as if Alex was the one in control. That at any time, the demon could take the gloves off, so to speak, and actually free himself for good. But decided not to, because this was more entertaining.

Such notions made Billy want to shudder in disgust. But he couldn't, not in front of him.

Instead, his only reply was to continue shooting, darting back whenever his enemy got close. Alex wasn't impressed. "What, again? Don't you learn anything?!"

Of course Billy did. Wisely, he kept that response to himself. He didn't let up with firing away at him with his silver shells, not until the two were far off enough from where his other self lay.

Then, and only then, did Billy ascend higher, arcing over Alex until he was behind his foe. The well-made robot's bullet barrel increased in size, now large enough for missiles. Vision upside down, he saw Alex follow his movements, then sprinting over to him.

And he was met with the aforementioned artillery right to the face. Billy let the pushback move him, as a few were unleashed. For once, Alex couldn't shield himself from the rounds, yells of pain and fury being emitted. As each smoke cloud cleared, chunks of Alex's disguise were essentially vaporized, but he was still advancing. Slower, but not letting up.

Impossible. That stopped him previously. Billy hadn't changed the ammunition. How did Alex become more resilient?

"That look on your face… I wish you could see it," The demon coughed while guffawing. Billy hadn't even noticed that he'd expressed his fear. "How precious. Is there anything else you'd like to throw at me? A cannon? A tank? A Goddamn rocket?" The miniature rockets. Yes, that's it! Though, Billy has yet to actually use them…

"Or are you gonna finally come back down to land and fight me without your toys?" His opponent taunted, quickly beginning to regain his strength, "Ah, that's right. You know you'll lose if you do that. For a 'well-made' machine, you're sure fucking weak." The last word was accentuated with a growl.

Billy heard enough. The hatches at his shoulders opened, revealing his last effort to defeat Alex. He wasn't sure how much damage would be caused, but he had nothing left. The pushback was much farther this time as he fired both, hurling him clear out into the nearest road. The inertia bounced and spun him like yet another puppet, and while he was able to detect injuries, it was not nearly as extensive as the previous vessel.

At roughly the same time, he overheard someone's motorcycle skid haphazardly around him, paired with an aggravated "Jesus fucking CHRIST-! Watch where you're going, dipshit!" And the sounds faded too fast for Billy to articulate a reply.

It would've been, "My apologies", anyway.

In any case, he will have to amend this newfound issue, should he need to use these again. As he removed himself from the scene, he had more of his selves look into the results of his attempt. A crater was left at the impact site, and within it lay the demon himself, at long last unconscious. Just to be sure, however, he kicked him hard, and… Nothing.

Finally.

Alex and his downed vessel were taken back to his house, into where they needed to go - his foe in containment, and the body down for repairs. The one that made it out of the scuffle, too, made his way there.

Time to fully return to his original activities, perform these new obligations, and report the incident to Mr. Strobovski.

"It's over. I've apprehended him." #120 said suddenly. Next to him, sitting on the couch, Dave put down his phone, looking over at him.

"Thank goodness…" He looked like he was trying to be happy, but Billy wouldn't blame him if he wasn't. The film they were going to watch remained paused at 00:05:12 - and thus, made for horrendous timing on Billy's part. "How did it go?" Not nearly as well as he'd hoped. He felt Dave reach for him, hands landing on his shoulders. "Oh my…! Are you alright?!"

#1359 passed through the commercial zone, composed of countless well-developed buildings: stores, restaurants, malls, activity centers, and more. Though, it wasn't entirely commercial, for sprinkled here and there were apartment complexes. Infinity School, the only place that really stuck out due to its non-euclidean structure, was the destination.

Once there, Billy waited to be called into the Tarwill's office, and soon began to relay the events. Professionalism was key. The leader of the Webspace listened to every detail, Billy carefully noting his reactions.

At the end, he responded. "He managed to destroy you, even when you ambushed him."

"… Correct." Billy forced himself to admit.

"And this means that he'll anticipate you next time."

"It's a possibility, but it's a mistake that I won't allow to happen again."

"You say that every time."

Billy didn't know how to respond. What he did know, was how each report was worse than the last, making them increasingly more painful to deliver. It was nothing short of appalling. And to think, there was a time where he was so absolutely sure that it would be easy. If Viktor could do it, why couldn't he?

In lieu of his silence, Viktor asked a new question he hadn't before. "How are you, Billy?"

"Oh, the vessels' damages?" This, at least, he could assure. "Nothing to worry about. They will be operational again by the day's end. And besides, I have plenty more, if needed."

"No, not that," Mr. Strobovski shook his head, but appeared as though he saw that reaction coming. "I meant, how are you feeling? As a person."

"Heeey, Billy, funny seein' you here! … Oh, shit," #4046 overheard, no longer seated passively on a bench at the boardwalk. Close by was Denied, dripping wet. He must've just walked out of the ocean. His face quickly shifted away from excitement to concern, albeit mild. "Ya look really down. You good?"

"I'm fine." #120, #1359, and #4046 replied. None of the people he was speaking to believed him, but there was little else he could say. He had to be strong. He had to be fine. It was vital, for their sake.

If he wasn't, what then? Billy pushed the thought away.

Thankfully, #1359 wasn't asked any further questions, and was dismissed. Strangely enough, Viktor said more, low in volume, but still audible to Billy. "I don't know how much longer I can keep letting him do this. One day, he might show up in pieces."

From down in his basement laboratory, yet another Billy paused on #17643's repairs. Similar to this, but… Worse? Absolutely not. He won't let such a disgraceful thing come to pass.

"Yeah well… If you need help, all you gotta do is ask," Denied was shrugging, "I think we'd make a great team!" It was like he already knew, and the earlier question was a formality. But how, #4046 wondered. He never mentioned Alex, let alone him escaping. Has he become that obvious?

"But I use long range weaponry. You do not."

"Lure him to the beach, duh!" As if to demonstrate a point, the water on Denied's body lifted off of him, concentrating into a baseball-sized mass. The process left him completely dried off. He began to fiddle it around with his hand. "I mean… Motherfucker's too dense to escape, right?"

"Too many people would notice. Also, he could possess you into releasing him. Anyway, I would prefer it if no one else was involved." While the thought was tempting, it would've never worked, for those reasons, and more.

"Not gonna happen!" Denied promptly threw the water ball at him, but Billy nimbly dodged. "What, do ya think I'm stupid or something?!"

"No. In my opinion, you wouldn't be able to keep a low profile. And, you lack the mindset for this kind of task." The conversation was starting to wear on him, but he tried to not show it.

"Damn. Ya wound me with your purple prose," The sarcasm was thick, "What a really long-winded way of sayin', 'Yes Denied. You are stupid.'" Oh, he was mocking him now. It only proved Billy's points. What was he trying to accomplish?

"That is not what I mean."

"No? Then you're just tryin' too hard to be a hero, aren't you?"

"I am not." Wherever he was going with this, Billy didn't like it.

"Whatever ya say, bro," Finally, Denied seemed to be relenting, as he shrugged again and turned away. Then, out of nowhere, he looked back at him with a face he'd never seen before. Melancholic. Tone serious, he added, "But, like… Doesn't it suck, having to do this by yourself?"

Billy was speechless. A dozen thoughts appeared, none of which he wanted to ponder. Just as suddenly, a new urge overcame him, and he took off into the sky as quickly as possible. Still, he heard Denied continue, "Hey Dave. Yeah, it didn't work. He bailed. Just like I told ya he would."

Wait, Dave? Dave put him up to this? #120 abruptly focused on him again, only to see confirmation. Dave was on his phone, hesitating on his next move as he looked right at him, with an awkward sort of guilty expression.

Of course. Everything lined up. Denied probably would've never done anything like this on his own. Not that he didn't care, of course, but the full extent of the situation… Billy never talked about it with him, and it was for the best. But that new tone he used, it was… Interesting.

Was there a layer to him that he never noticed before? Maybe this could be touched upon someday.

"… I wish you hadn't called. He's caught on. I got to go; thanks for trying anyway." Right after this was said, Dave hung up. Silence. He sighed. "Billy, I just…"

What if Billy hadn't said anything? No, that wouldn't have worked. Even though the two were in Dave's home, residing directly on the other side of the domain from Billy's, it would've been difficult to maintain concentration on both this and reigning in Alex. Anything else, sure, but not when it comes to the demon.

"I know why you're doing this, and I've tried to talk to you about it multiple times, and it's… It's like I can't get through to you. So, I thought, maybe…" Dave was explaining, then trailed off.

"I can't quit, Dave. I have to do this."

"To keep me safe."

"Not just you; everyone."

"'Everyone', for the love of…" Dave muttered that under his breath, sounding like he was trying his best to keep it together. "Look, Billy. This all started because 'everyone' hurt that day. And I got scared. I appreciate that you would go this far for me, and them," While not impressed, he humored it, "But Alex shouldn't have to be your responsibility. Especially when it means you'll get hurt, again and again. It's not… It's not good for you."

The memory surfaced, of the day known unequivocally as the Incident. They were just doing their work as call-in repair technicians, long after Billy's recommendation to bring Dave on board. The two had only seen Alex once at the hangar, a passing glance, since he was one amongst the newcomers of the day.

He was lamenting about his missing cast, and Dave empathized with that, being a rogue himself: a character who arrives at the Webspace alone, and without their gamemap.

Then, Billy and Dave were relieved to find that the new guy would be able to finally reunite with them. But the reality of what really happened hit harder than anyone possibly expected. They were lucky that they were never on the demon's hitlist, because just speaking to him could've sealed their fates.

When Billy was able to think clearly again, he found he couldn't remember what he was doing, several hours having passed with no awareness whatsoever. It turned out that Dave, and many other employees directly under Viktor, were placed in safe rooms at Infinity School. By the time the two reunited, Alex was already captured.

He had never seen Dave so petrified. Both held each other tight, and neither could let go, in fear of separating again. All the while, Billy could only apologize. Repeatedly. Endlessly. Desperately. To salvage what was left of the situation.

And something changed in the well-made robot that day. Of course, he was far from the only one, but in this case, he'd already decided. "I'll make sure he never hurts you."

Back to today, he wasn't exactly sure what Dave meant by this not being good for him. Why did that matter? Billy put himself into this position, so there was no point in forfeiting now.

But once again, he felt the urge to go. Quickly, he made a mad dash off the couch and through the front door, barely registering Dave's cry of "Billy! Wait! Come back!" as he took to the air.

He was several meters high when he noticed that the voice hadn't lowered in volume. Looking down, he saw Dave hanging onto one of his legs, scared out of his mind, but still trying to call out to him. How he accomplished this, Billy had no idea. But he slowed to a stop, trying to pull him up into his arms. "I'm- Dave, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize you were-"

"Okay! Fine! I get it!" Dave interrupted, babbling almost, but let Billy support him. "If I- If I just… Let it go, and we watch our movie, will you stay? Or whatever you want, it's not important, but… I don't want to scare you off, you know?"

Dave shivered and panted in his hold, clinging to him. And yet…

"We're not trying to fight you, we're not against you," He was continuing, as he slowly calmed, "And we can't make you do anything that you don't want to. So… If you decide you want to talk about it, we'll listen. We'll be here, Billy. We'll be here. Okay?"

Was it possible that he did have a problem? And if he did… No, it's best to not think about it now. Not today.

But when?

"Okay," He echoed after a short while. "Yes, we can go back. I'm sorry. I'm sorry…" He did as he promised, and upon Dave's front lawn, saw his overturned wheelchair. He must've used all he had to catch up to him.

"It's fine, but please don't do that again," Dave's voice softened, as Billy helped him resettle into it. "Tell me if you're uncomfortable, alright? I won't press you for it."

"Of course." Billy was saying, as if he knew that, but it actually never occurred to him. He followed Dave inside, who went to another room, before returning with a blanket.

Now, the dwellers of the Webspace typically didn't experience temperature changes - optional, really - but that aside, Summer had already begun roughly a month ago.

But none of that meant anything. The feeling of being cozied up together, in a shared blanket on the couch, did. That, and after what Billy had to go through… Perhaps Dave wanted to make his day a little better.

It was nice.

"There now," Once the two were set up, Dave grabbed the remote from the coffee table. "And don't worry. We didn't get that far. We can just start over!" His smile was kind.

"That's fine by me." Billy nodded, managing his own grin, and Dave rewound the film to the beginning.

Two weeks and four days passed. #19570 remained in his hiding spot, stationed within the great tree near the Webspace's entrance tunnel. This vessel, Billy designated with lookout duty, in case someone new appeared who might be suspicious. Unfortunately, Alex proved it to be inevitable. And so, more safety measures were deemed necessary.

Usually, he only refocused upon #19570 if he heard a new voice, or saw an unusual appearance. Otherwise, he was kept awake, but moreso in the background, while Billy carried out various other tasks and activities.

A newcomer was spotted. A tall, dark red

An Alex in his true form. With one minor alteration (the chest cavity was completely closed up, as though it didn't exist), but that didn't change the fact that there was now another one. And like the first, he was alone - no other relevant characters were nearby. A second rogue? The more Billy inspected, the more he was filled with questions.

However, risks couldn't be taken. For the time being, he had a job to do. With a few other vessels, they hastily went to work in his laboratory, constructing a new containment unit for this other Alex. But here, his hand became a bullet barrel, the circumference much smaller than usual. If he was lucky, all he'd need would be the tranquilizer darts.

Taking aim at the new demon, the well-made robot fired. Four darts. And, most relieving of all, it worked perfectly.

Welcome to the Webspace! A social MMO tailored to various Baldi's Basics fangames! Explore the city, speak to its residents, and take in the sights of this wondrous, polygonal land! No need to fear or run away, everyone is friendly, and there are no maths to do here! (I mean if you wanted that, just pull up a calculator, lmao.)

So what're you waiting for? Tell your friends, your pets, your grandma, and hop on in for a world you've never seen before! (Or maybe you have, do we have competition? First I've heard of it.)

What's that? Pricing? Subscriptions? THROW THAT SHIT IN THE FUCKING GARBAGE AND FORGET ABOUT IT. Now stop delaying and play already!

- Viktor Strobovski, Leader of the Webspace

PS: I have been told that there are some folks out there who would like to, and I quote, "Learn More". Okay fine, I'll have our dedicated writer whip that up for you. I'm a busy guy, I don't have time for that. So yeah goodbye, and remember to PLAY THE FUCKING GAME.

Author's note: This is a joke. What's actually going to happen is that I'll dedicate the end of chapter notes with a more info section. So let's get started.

More info:

- HELLO FRIENDS this was originally posted on AO3, but due to issues, I'm trying to make this story backwards compatible! Hooray

- The Webspace is a fictional digital domain that takes the form of a social MMO. It's quite large, and houses many varieties of Baldi fangames (multiples of the same, even). This depends on various factors, and they themselves can differ from each other
- Some don't have 3D models, some do but they're simplistic, and others are intricate, and so on
- Some fangames merge copies together in order to remain as a single type, while others co-exist
- Certain fangame appearances are more common than others. For example, Daves are the most common, at 133 copies total (accounting for all of his games, combined) as of this chapter. They remain separate
- Billy has had 39 others of himself arrive, but has always merged. Denied has had less, but he's done the same
- Viktors are generally uncommon, but aside from a few characters (including Viktor himself), they don't merge, producing an ever-growing staff list
- As of now, there are only two Alexes, both rogues. Due to growing unease about them, they are currently considered dangerous
- No Baldi has ever crossed over. It is said that it would be a time of celebration if one does

- Billy is a hivemind, with a vessel count of 28,000. All of which, he built himself
- He had long ago decided to become fully robotic
- When he gained sentience, he knew next to nothing about his own lore, as well as had zero motor skills. So, he accidentally taught himself to walk before realizing that he wasn't supposed to be able to. It wasn't worth forgetting again in the end
- In his opinion though, flying beats all

- Alex is either: What all Alexes dream to be, or what all Alexes fear. There is no in-between. Maybe some would want to be as ruthless as him, while others might think he's gone too far…
- He wants to overthrow Viktor and take over. He is incredibly hard to kill due to what he was doing before he arrived. There is far more to him than a typical Alex would have

- This Dave is #82
- He is far from the usual Dave, in fact he has a bit of a checkered past. He is also the only Dave to be a rogue, every other copy is considered a "complete set"
- He and Billy have known each other for a long time. He is also very much aware of Billy's current line of work. Too aware
- It would be funny if the movie they were going to watch was 2001: A Space Odyssey. Why? Well… If you know, you know

- Viktor Strobovski, as mentioned before, is the leader of the Webspace. He was elected into the position (somehow, I legitimately don't know how), and has remained ever since. No one really wants to challenge him for it
- Lots of folks work for him, whether from his game originally or not. The positions are very numerous

- If Billy is stoic and quiet, then Denied is loud and obnoxious. If Billy likes to keep to himself, then Denied is a people person. They are opposites in many ways, but surprisingly get along most of the time
- And deep down, he does care. A lot
- Dave didn't tell him everything, but he learned enough to know that Billy's pretty much screwed himself over
- Also he has a bunch of abilities thanks to his various merges

- Who the heck is that second Alex, and why does he look like that? Find out next time!