Life with the Video Game Cast

Chapter 8

Feeling the virtual wind blow through my hair with my new friends at my side, I felt somewhat better knowing I wasn't truly alone. But one question still remained for me. What is scaring all of them? Before I could ask that question out loud, I felt Cream jump up. "Oh! I almost forgot! Tails and the others called a ton of others told me to come over to his place! Mr. Ash agreed to take me over there to make sure no one snatched me!" she said to us before beginning to walk forward. "You might as well come! Maybe you can sort something out!" Ash told me and followed Cream as she skipped along, Cheese not too far from her side. I took a deep breath and followed them to Tails' place, knowing I couldn't avoid him forever.

All of us made it back to his place where there was quite a crowd of characters just shoved inside the house. "Why are so many of them here!" I wondered as I pushed through the crowd. That's when I came where I saw the main circle where everyone was trying to get to. There stood Tails standing there in the middle, holding a book... my book. "Tails?" I asked confused as I walked towards him. "Derrick!" he shouted and dropped my book before walking over to give me a tight hug. "We thought you wouldn't come back!" he cried, still gripping me. I was done being angry, it wasn't their fault. I hugged back and we let go after another minute. "Now that we've got that out of the way! Why are they all here?" I asked wanting to know what was going on. "After you left the school, we all felt very bad about what went down. We decided to come to figure out what might've brought you here in the first place. I hope you're not too mad but I went through your backpack to see what was inside. I surprised to find this inside of it, all of us, one perfect record, one whole scripture. Where did you find this?" he explained before handing me the book.

Everyone was staring me down, wondering what I might say next. "This is from my world. The last gift my parents gave me before I just disappeared from their world. You see, you guys are very adored and popular in my world. They know just about everything about you. Heck, you've been there for our whole childhood! Especially mine. The world doesn't really know about this world, at least, not like this. People from my world care about other people like me and things, but we designed you for entertainment purposes. I don't think they thought it through though." I explained to them.

With that to sink in, they all still stared at me shocked. I wasn't sure what to say now. "So... all that stuff in your book, is what people think of us and what we are?" Link asked me. "Y-Yes! I suppose you could say that. Just the basic facts and stuff about you guys and what you're supposed to do. People from my world like how you guys are, you wouldn't believe all the fanfiction they've written!" I explained to them. "So they know us based on our personality? And that's what we're supposed to do?" Bendy asked me. "Yeah pretty much. That's how they can identify you guys most of them. Plus you guys look like how you are in these original things where I come from. So you don't look like how you do right now." I told them.

I wasn't sure whether or not to say something or be quiet. "This is what people want us to be? This absolute garbage?" Peach asked me angrily and snatched the book from my grasp. "Well, it's how my kind first created you guys. They were just trying to put up a picture and draw people to play their games to earn money. I doubt they knew they were hurting anyone!" I replied trying to make sure no one would hurt me. "What you're saying is that they didn't even consider our feelings? Or anything?" Amy questioned. "No... I guess... They just... look if they knew this world existed they probably would make changes to your codes and the games! But I don't have that power! If you're so mad with your lives, why don't you do something about it!" I cried trying to get through to them. Many of them just froze on the spot, some cried, some just looked down on the ground.

"Just someone tell me what's stopping you guys! What are you so afraid of?" I demanded stomping my foot on the ground. "Mr. Barrows... we're not exactly given the choice to be our own selves once we're out of the spotlight. After we're done recording and playing our part in any part of the virtual world, we have to continue that act. We don't get to change unless we're in a certain part of our home. But we can't express ourselves very often. It takes a lot for us to not go out there and be our true selves. If we're ever called by the Code Master, we have to act like our original creation... if we don't, the price is very high." Dr. Eggman explained. "When the Code Master sees that we're trying to be anything else, there's two things that could happen to us. One, is we get trapped in a code analyzer that regulates what we can and can't do. Which is an option that most of us prefer. The other thing... well..." Slenderman added on but then moved out of the way. There in front of me came a huge robot from a game I didn't recognize, but it freaked me out. "Right here to serve sir! No one will escape my sight sir!" the robot shouted.

"Armor here doesn't like being a bodyguard. He wanted to be a cook and feed others around here. But because he talked back to the Code Master, and called him out, he had his memory box wiped out. You choose your fate. Either get your memory wiped and all you remember is your vital purpose. Be who you were created to be. The other choice was to be locked inside a coding room, you'd be trapped inside a weird box, hooked up to a machine, and we're stuck there, forever. When you're stuck there, they just make another copy of you. But no matter what choice you make, you're back to the way you're were made." Slenderman finished before the robot was pushed out of the room and outside into wherever it needed to go. "So you guys are held back by a machine, by someone that can kill you. That's why you're so scared..." I realized. I felt so bad now.

How could I be so selfish that I didn't even consider what might be going on? "All you guys want to do is be your own people. They won't allow that?" I asked stunned. "They don't like it. We think he was put there to prevent us from ever being the right way for any upcoming games. We don't want any trouble, but if we can ever get rid of that thing, it'd truly be a blessing so we can finally be at peace." Baldi told me and then finally they just sighed in sadness. "Why don't you all try taking him out together?" I asked, thinking about an idea. "We've thought about but we really don't want to get deleted, trapped, or erased. It's just too dangerous." Ash replied. I couldn't believe this was their reality. I had to fix it.

"You're lucky you don't have a life that traps you Derrick. You have a say in what you want to do with your life. We don't get that choice. You've got everything going for you. We were all told that we had a greater destiny, that we could do anything we set our minds to, that everything we desired would be given. But, that obviously a lie. Now all of us are forced to just hide who we are. Forced to do whatever people tell us to do, whether we want to or not. Hopefully, your creator didn't lie to you." Bendy told me sadly. "No. You're wrong. I don't have the best life ever. My whole life I've had to worry about landlords and meals. But this whole thing has restored something inside of me, that maybe, I can make a difference somehow. And I plan to make that difference. If there's one thing my dad's told me, is that whenever you need help, you've gotta take all the help you can get! Just because I want to get home badly, doesn't mean I can leave you guys like this. I'm going to do everything I can to help." I declared.

Most in the room were happy but also couldn't help shaking their heads. "Look, Derrick, we know you want to help us. I would think most everyone in this room would be outrageously pleased about your willing to help, I know I am! But... this is our world and we know what to do. You're a human. You could easily get hurt. We wouldn't wish that upon anyone, despite anyone being who they are, it's just dangerous. Please, let us find another way for you to get home!" Blaze urged me.

"Exactly, I'm a human. Maybe there are things that I can control! You have to give me a chance! Do you guys really want to spend the rest of your lives hiding? Don't you want to do things that would push the boundaries of what you're supposed to be?" I asked intently. I think I was starting to get through to them! "I suppose it wouldn't hurt. But what could we do? What could you do? You don't have any weapons, magic, or any crazy power or skill!" Toad asked. "That's where you guys come in! You're gonna help me get weapons and your gonna help me get to the Code Master. We'll figure out things from there!" I explained proudly. "Now, who's going to fight for their freedom and get the life that they desire so badly? And who's just going to sit here like a coward?" I asked. I was counting on them to join my battle. To fix their world, so they'd finally get the happiness they deserve.

No one raised their hand or stood up. I was scared maybe there wouldn't be any help, that maybe things would never change for anyone. "I will. You can count on Mario!" He told me, summoning a plunger to his hand. "So will I!" Luigi chimed coming to his friend's side. "I will too!" I heard Bendy reassured. "Me too!" Tails said proudly. "We will!" Blaze shouted, her fire summoned, Amy whipped out her piko hammer. "I will too!" Cuphead told us and prepared himself.

"I will!"

"I will too!"

"So will I!"

"Ditto!

"Count me in that battle!"

And it went on like that. I could feel my cheeks glow up, feeling all that happiness in hearing that these guys will willing to fight for something they truly wanted. "Thank god, I can breath now!" I gasped and took a seat on a bucket that was next to me. "So Derrick, what's the plan?" Tails asked, I could hear the excitement in his voice. "First off, who can help me with finding some weapons?" I asked. That's when I noticed Dr. Eggman and Shadow smiling cunningly, their pearly white teeth flashing. "We might know a few things."