liminal space - smg34

when i can't even read my own feelings

ORIGINALLY POSTED TO AO3 ON 4-6-23

(pls suspend ur disbelief that the usbs aren't completely demolished i needed it for plot relevance 😭)
(also there's bits that four isn't supposed to be able to read, so those r strikethrough'd. 👍)

bro i'm so proud of how this turned out????? this was the longest smg34 fic i had written at the time AND THERE WASNT EVEN ANY SMG34 IN IT????

theoretically u could say its pre slash but like,,,,

ALSO sorry abt my headcanons being the forefront of the dream sequence lol??? tbh that section was from a whole other one shot i was writing but i just decided to repurpose it for this so 3 and 4 have lil devil horns + tails and no one can change my mind

—

SMG4 stepped into the USB, finding it completely demolished on the inside, as expected. After it was used to contain Zero and then take control of the castle, everyone, himself included, had thought that the USB was destroyed for good. However, he'd recently discovered it after some kids made a dark web mini series that went viral, showing off SMG3's USB, somehow still intact. It was permanently broken open, though thankfully the kids hadn't been stupid enough to go inside. Four made it his own personal mission to see what was inside, and although he knew Zero was gone, there was still that ever present paranoia at the back of his head. SMG1 and SMG2 had approved of his investigation, deeming it as an important look at history, and had quickly urged him to check it out as soon as he could.

So now, here he was, standing inside of a broken USB at 3am, its interior completely demolished thanks to Zero. Everything was coated in soot and/or ash, books scattered across the floor, pages ripped and bookshelves clawed and destroyed on the floor. The carpet itself had been dyed black, the color splattered everywhere throughout the lounge area. Four stepped carefully, not wanting to disturb the haunting aura that had taken over the place. It seemed right up any ghost's alley (or maybe it was the witching hour that made him this jumpy), and though he knew they'd probably steer clear of the place, he didn't want to take his chances. One and Two had advised that he check the computer room to see if there was perhaps any footage of Zero in the moments that he'd been stuck in Three's USB, so he figured he'd check there first.

He avoided the black stains, stepping over books and hopping over bookshelves as he approached the control room, a stark difference to his own USB's, in that the room was all black. He exhaled as he finally got through the almost suppressive air of the lounge, looking around the room for a moment before approaching the main panel. The keyboard attached to the computer was glowing with red lights, and if that didn't scream edgelord, Four didn't know what did. He poised his hand over the keyboard, ready to tap at one of the keys when he heard a noise. He jumped, whirling around and peeking out of the room. One of the books that had been precariously balanced on one of the broken shelves had fallen off, and he sighed in relief before turning back around and back to the keyboard.

Recalling what he had learned from his experience with his own USB, he tapped at a key, seeing the screen light up above him. He still couldn't decipher any of the text that had appeared on his screen, so he tapped at another key, watching as a different line of text popped up. Feeling unsure, he began spamming the keys until he felt himself being zapped by the machine. He gasped, vision going dark before he could do anything else.

—

The first thing he noticed upon waking up was the vast white nothingness he was in. He looked around for a moment, seeing nothing visible before starting to walk forward. It was almost lonely here, and there was an almost ominous ambience in the air. It vaguely sounded like music, but Four couldn't decipher exactly what it was, or if it was any specific song.