Disclaimer: I do not own The Amazing Digital Circus.
Prologue
To say that this day had been a rollercoaster would have been one darn misunderstanding.
Stealing a truck full of maple syrup with his two brothers.
Getting chased by some ragtag group of weirdoes trying to get the syrup back.
Falling through the world.
...finding out that everything you knew and yourself is a lie and without meaning.
...making a friend who seemingly understood that feeling.
And finally, getting blown up.
Yeah, this day sure has been one piece of work.
And now here he was. It was sort of strange to be honest. He knew that he probably shouldn't feel anything after... dying for all intents and purposes, yet somehow he was still concious. Well, his mind was, since his body was gone. If anything, he would compare it to slowly drowning in honey. Slowly sinking to the bottom of the viscous and sticky stuff, unable to hear or see or move. At least his mother had taught him so... Or what memories of his mother had been put in his head.
It was an abrupt end to his tale. One that he certainly would have liked to continue as he had not been able to do a lot aside from stepping through that portal-thingy to that place where his new friend apparently lived. It was quite the shame...
"̸.̴.̴.̵O̷h̵?̸ ̷A̴n̸d̶ ̵w̶h̸a̴t̶ ̸d̸o̶ ̸w̴e̶ ̴h̷a̶v̷e̸ ̸h̵e̸r̴e̷?̴"̷ Immediately, a feeling of unease shot through him. Being alone in the dark with no way to spot any sort of danger, only to suddenly realize that there was indeed something, triggered an immediate flight or fight response, putting him on high alert.
'What? Who is there? Right, I can't move. Or see...' He thought as he could feel whatever was down there with him closing in, moving around him as if to inspect him.
"H̵̹̹̒͑͛o̵̮̝͉͋̄w̶̜̯͇̏͐̍ ̸̞͋̈́̎c̵̜̘̀̚u̵̞͋͝r̸̟̤͐̆̈́i̸̫̓̊ơ̴̡͇̑̒u̶̗̼̻̅̑̀s̶̡̥͌.̴̯͙̌̑͗.̷̧̘̫̃̃͋.̶̬̆͛͂ ̶̤̓͑̅I̷̖̙͙̐ṱ̷̠̂ ̶̧͕̃͋͆ͅǎ̵͕p̸̬̊̕p̵̪̕ë̶̛̦̘́͠a̶̤̤͐r̵̭̘̓̈́s̵̜̑͘ ̸̘̉̇y̸̨̗̆̎̉o̸̡̙̱̿̈u̶̜͊͋͝ȓ̴̫͎͔͗͝ ̸͇̳̖̑̐͂c̶̼͗ö̴̡̞́̎ṟ̵̌̿ē̶̺̣͒͂ ̸̛̻̟͈̾̚c̵͍͎̬̅̏͛ơ̶̛̹͉͙͊d̷̟̉i̴̯̠̿͑͒͜n̴̨͖̳͑g̶͙̉ ̶͕̔̈́͗i̷̧͇̖͛s̷͍̻͇̈̓ ̴̯̠͐̍̅s̴͎̘̈ͅt̴͍̫̆i̶̗̽̃l̵̳̮͂l̷̩̖̱̍ ̴̦̖͐̚ṡ̵̺͇̯o̸̜̓̔m̵̭̳̋͊̅ẽ̶̦̐w̴̳̠̃̓̌h̷̨̟̥͛ä̶̯͜ẗ̴͖͈̤́̓̌ ̶͈̽ȋ̸͍͖̋n̴͉̊̉̈t̸̩͍̖̓̎ǎ̶͉̣͔c̵͓̱͍͐̚t̴̘̕ ̴̥͂d̴̠̘̗̋̆͝e̵͓̾̆s̸̤͑̚p̵̜̜̀̈́̚i̴͙̳̠͛͆t̴̺̎̾̂e̵̹̼̮͛̓ ̵̛͇̇y̶͈̺̤͂o̵̖͙͂̽̈́ͅụ̴̠̞̒̽̚r̶̲̪̦͠ ̸̢̪̈̉͜p̶̜͐h̴̢͌̉̄y̷̢̨̓̓̏š̶͖̜͜ḭ̸̦̘̂̕c̷̞̭͖̏a̷̮̎l̷̮̝̤̓͗ ̵̘͙̚f̷̯̥̅̎õ̷̧̢͘r̶͙̟͒m̴̻̥̤͗͝ ̵̬̉͠ͅh̸̠̾͠a̶̗̝̟͠v̵̀̋͜͜į̴̹̣̃̒̚n̸̛̞͠g̴̫͊͝ ̶̜̮̍̍a̶̪̝͝l̸̹̓r̶̙͊̀̈́e̴̗̎͜a̷̜̳̳̾̚͝d̵͙̳̟̽͊y̶͍͎̐͠ ̷̖̿͂é̷̗̪͊͜x̴̛̛̱͖̞p̸̮͉͗͜i̸͖̞͋̚r̴̤̝̯̉͝è̸̯ḑ̶͖͋͘.̴̛̘͓͗͝ ̵̣͕̅̋T̴̯̗̆͋̂h̸̜̯̖̉͝o̷̮͇͉̕u̵͍̹̓͘g̶̠̈́h̸͖͂͆,̵̡̮̝̌ ̸͖̟͍̆I̸̙͙̔̚'̶͍̘̘̏m̶̝͌̀ ̶̯͉͛͊̌ͅȁ̶̼̯͠f̸͓̗̠̿̈́r̴̘͝a̷̹̽i̴͕͐́d̸̦͚͝ ̸̞̓̚͜͝ḯ̴̻̙͈̈́̚t̵͍̄̚ ̶͕̗͕̇̀͛w̶̡̖͔̄̿i̷͕̎̚l̶͓̑ḷ̷͔͚̃͠ ̸̨̮̉͌ņ̷̰̮͋͝ọ̴̦̖̃t̸͕̟̯͗ ̸̯̈́͂l̴̟͖̾͆ͅa̴̱̦̐s̶̼̣͊̈́͝t̵͈̍͝ ̵̨̺̱́͝͠f̴̧͇̌o̴̹͝r̶͙̎̂̕ ̴̛͎̈́a̶̳̠̬͋̑ ̵̟̈́́́l̷̻͔̉̔̐ó̵̧̠ņ̷̌g̴͓͕̟͛̇̃ ̴̬̈́͗ẗ̷̯́͋i̷̲̰̤̓m̴͎͒͑e̸̻͝.̷̡͓͍͂.̶̮̞̪͋̚.̸̹͆"
He felt hands brush against him, though he no longer had a physical body or shape. It was hard to put into words. Maybe it was as if one was little more than smoke and something moved deliberately through one. It was not a gentle touch either. It was akin to the feeling of someone taking a sharp knife and slowly gliding over the skin with its edge. Even if it was not biting into one's flesh, it was still a cool and sharp feeling that made one stiffen up in discomfort.
'Who are you? What are you doing?' He wanted to push away, but he couldn't. He was completely at the mercy of this thing... whatever it was. For all he knew could understand the words it spoke, even if the language itself was a gibberish mess.
"̴͙͋̓͜M̴̅͝ͅy̶̗̆̈́̕,̵͉̗̀̌ ̵̹̽͐m̸͙͖̀y̴̯͐̑͗.̵̩̭̆ ̷͓̈H̴̨̽o̷͉̺̊ẁ̴̧̧̲̓ ̷̙͚̀͌f̷̠̹̈́̈́̚a̸͔̘̐͠ş̵̅c̵̝͓̺̈́͗͌ḯ̵͆̂ͅn̸̬̥͝a̶͈̹͐t̶̝̥͔̐̿ḯ̷̺̳̲͌̀n̶̦̜͈͊̚͝g̶̟̾.̷̤̩͒̚͝ ̶͎̾Ī̴̢̛̠͍t̷̬͂̀͝ ̶͔͔͌̽͂w̸̥̣͖̃͋o̴̫̖͇͊͗͝ụ̴̊͛l̵̢̮͖̈́͋d̴̹̺̄͆͑ ̶̡͙̪́a̶̫͉͎͑̒̎p̷͔͋p̴̣͆͝é̷̠̺͚̔ḁ̶̪͙̈͝͝ṙ̷͇̳͍ ̶̢̞̓̈́̉a̷̻̒̈́̆s̶̳̆́ ̸͖͖͌̃ĭ̴͎̬͜f̶̻̌̉̋ ̶̛͚̇̕y̷̪̓͝ö̷́͗͜u̸̞̳̒̕ ̴̦̰͛ͅŝ̵̤̲͌t̵̢͋͐ǐ̸͓̗̜ḷ̸̒̍͠l̵̟̖̳̾ ̸̧̘̏͠ḥ̶̹̓̍ä̷̧͕́v̷̜̟͙̏͘ê̵͔̳̒ ̸̯̻̳͒̍s̷̮̤̱̿͋͠o̷̠̩̒ṃ̴̧̧̐ę̶̛̞͇ ̴̗̫̀͠f̶̻͆̃̈ĩ̷̳̝̪̓̓g̵͎̀́h̷̲͒͊͑t̵̗͉̆͒ ̴̲̕l̸̪̰͒́̀e̷̖̩͂̔f̷̱̹̹̽͐ț̶̫͚̍ ̶̡̛̝̼͐͒ī̸͉̓̉n̸̢̰͕͂́̆ ̶̜̑͒y̵̫͌ỏ̸̹u̶͍̗̓͜.̶͇̮̈̒̌.̴̝̏͊.̶̱͉̯̐͆ ̵̧̮́͗͠T̶̫͑e̵̲̼̽̀͆l̴̼̒͜l̷̻͙͇̍̃ ̴̮͝ṁ̶̗e̴̘̤͊̑͝,̴̥̃̿ ̵̢̨̆̀̕ͅw̷̙̱̎h̵̢̳̍͜a̷͖͎͛͝ͅt̴̹́͠ ̷͈̤͗͠w̴̮͙̔̈́ȯ̴̬͕ṳ̸͇͐̃̈́͜ḽ̸͎̘̋̅͝d̸̟̏͝ ̶̖̀̿̔y̵͈̜̥͑͆̌o̸̡̼͗͐͘ǘ̸̟̒ ̶̫͂͑̋ḓ̷̳͑͛̕͜ȍ̴̪̙̘ ̸͈̖͐i̸̮̎̈̿f̸̲͇͝ ̷̬͇̃y̴̲͉̅̎̈ȏ̶̝̥̼̕u̷̼̽ ̴̜̟̹͐̽c̶͕̖̈́ô̶̭ǔ̷͕̩̦̊l̵̝̈́͐d̵͕͛ ̷̢̠͌g̴̨̫̯͆e̸̬̱̺͌͂̐t̵̛̝͇̤̑̆ ̶̩̮̆o̸̗͍̙͛̈́u̶̡̹̓͝t̶̪̭̔̄͝ ̵̠̰̺̔̾o̵̞̓̇͂f̷͍̼̘̚ ̸͉̯̓̓̆t̶̙̮͂̚͝ḩ̶̭̯͗̈́ị̵̈́ṡ̷͇̟̀ ̷͇́͗͌l̴̢͙̰̈̈́́ị̴͕͎̀̀͆t̴̩͇͚̎̀ṭ̷̢̛̦̈́̃l̴͈̈́ě̶͚͛̒ ̴̧͕̒͠p̸̡̻͠ͅr̷̦̐̿̔è̶̼̥d̸̖͑̃î̷̘͔c̵̢͇͆ä̶̧͍̾̌m̵̞̥͗͋̈e̶͓͌n̶͕̄͊t̷̪̺̐͗?̷̧̨̩̀̾́"̶̝͝ ̸̤̩̍̕
That made him pause for a second. There were a lot of things he would do if he could get out of this. Though, one jumped to mind almost immediately.
'I'd like to see my friend again.' He thought and his company reacted to it as if he had spoken out loud.
"̵̰̽̏O̷̻͊̓h̸͎̀?̵̗̀ ̸̠̮̓̉A̴̺̘͋̍ ̶̞͠f̶̱̀͜r̵͎͇̓͝i̶̳͌ę̷̒͝ṇ̷͝d̸̺̀,̷͎́ ̸̠̄̏ỳ̶͓o̶͉͆ú̶̳̦ ̴̘͍̓̆s̶̙̹͠a̴͇̾͘y̷̝̟̽̇?̷̞͂̚ ̸̪̎H̸̩̺͝m̵̢͓̏̾.̷͓̮̀̿.̴͍͆̀.̴̗͋̾ ̵̗͑í̴͉͇t̶͇̄ͅ ̴̳̟̒͒h̴͈͆͘ā̸̲͊ṣ̷̞̎̚ ̷̄͜b̸͎̔͜e̴̼͆͆e̵̼̿̕ņ̷̫͑̈ ̴̖͍̅͘ẳ̵͖ ̵͖̾̕w̴͈̓͝h̴̨̳͊̓i̶̹̻͠l̸̥͚̋e̵̠͗.̶̢̪̔̀.̷͈̦͠.̸̟̂ ̸̱̋ͅĪ̶̗̘̉ ̶̥̇w̴̳͠ǒ̸͕͒n̴̡̓d̵̙̂̉ë̶̳̮r̴̜̭̓̚ ̸̭͇͝i̵̧̢̔f̶̱̀̾.̵͙͕͗.̴̘̪̑̽.̴͚̗͑"̶̡̲́͑ The presence withdrew a bit from his code. It didn't leave fully, merely moving some distance as if to just check for something. He had no idea what was going on, but he had an idea that it was nothing good. So he struggled again, yet couldn't. A chuckle rang through the space around him and he knew immediately that the distorted sound of amusement came from the other occupant of this place.
"̸̭̕W̵̥̽e̵͕̋l̷̜̆l̵̫͝,̷̛̹ ̶̥͑y̷̜͝ó̵̗ǘ̶̪ ̷͍̿à̷̲r̷̢̈́e̷̟͘ ̴̯̄į̸̽n̸͙̓ ̵̨̄l̸̝̈u̷̳̽c̵̛̻k̶͍̽ ̶̡̀m̶̧̆ŷ̸̘ ̷̥̈́g̴̰̀e̶̖̍ĺ̶̥ã̶̜t̶͎͊i̷̝̕n̴̦͆ọ̸͊u̶̜͠s̶͒͜ ̸̻̉f̵̧͌ṙ̵̥í̸̠ë̴̯́n̶̹͝ď̷͖.̴͓̆ ̶͕͒Ĩ̸̹ ̷̯̓w̵͉̃i̸̼͘l̶̰̃l̸̟͌ ̴̨͊g̷̭͠ỉ̸̤v̴͉͘è̵̯ ̶͚̿y̷̼̆o̵͘͜ù̵͜ ̷͔̈a̸͈͘ ̸͕̐c̶̱͋h̵̳͂ã̸̗n̶̤͝c̴̬͋ē̶̹.̵̻̒ ̷̪̎T̴̲̏h̵͕̕o̵̼͆ū̸̼ğ̴̬h̸͚̐ ̴͍͑i̴̢͝t̸̡̄ ̸̦̔i̴̹͋s̵̡̔n̶̛̩'̶̞͗t̷̼͂ ̴̧̂o̶̜̎n̴͗͜ć̶̖è̷̗ ̴̜̍f̷̿͜o̵̦̔r̴̬̐ ̶̜͘f̵̝͠r̷̫̍e̴͙̎ë̴̤ ̴̱͋n̴͎͠ô̶̡r̵͍̀ ̶͓͌ȋ̷̼s̴͉͘ ̴̢͠i̸̕ͅt̷̠͂ ̸̱͗c̸̼̿ḧ̸̦e̷͙͝a̷̞͗p̷͔͠.̵̜̒.̸͉̊.̵̪͗"̵̰̐ ̷͕͌ ̵͈͙̰͑
Suddenly he felt as if he was being seized by countless invisible hands, holding him down. Instinctively he tried to wriggle out, but found the hold on him like a vice. Then the being spoke for the first time with clarity that shook him to the very core of his being.
"Believe me when I say this, but this is going to hurt you a lot more than me."
The voice said before unimaginable pain spread through his being, consuming his mind. It felt as if his insides were torn apart, piece by piece only to be remade and put back inside and then the process repeated itself. Pain tore through any coherent thought his mind could have conjured as he completely lost his mind.
He did not notice as his code was given form once more. He did not notice how it was changing as the process continued. He did not even notice when his screams turned from the incoherent sounds of a person into a bestial roar as his mind became a whirlpool of pain and anger, wishing not to simply end whatver was causing it but to destroy it and everything else.