Animator vs Animation: The Dark Web

Chapter 10: The Archive

note: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SLIGHT SPOILERS OF THE NEW ANIMATOR VS ANIMATION EPISODE!

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The town was alive with determination, more than the group could ever imagine.

Townspeople have been rebuilding their homes and looking through rubbled buildings to salvage any materials and resources, which are being used to create a barrier around the town. Other groups scavenged around shops for food, water, and medical supplies.

Soaring through the sky, there was The Chosen One, guarding the town and looking out for any monsters that made an attempt to attack the town. Whenever a monster appeared, The Chosen One would dive down and strike them with his cryokinesis powers, bewildering the creatures away. Meanwhile, Valhalla explored with the townspeople, hauling supplies and resources as they scavenged through the rubble of shops and homes. And as for The Second Coming, he's been observing the town. Anyone who needed assistance, he would help in any way he could.

Going to Main Street, the road was cleaner than when they first arrived. Rubble and debris were cleared off, repurposed into making the town's borders and rebuilding some of the homes. The fractured cracks were filled with concrete, giving the street a flatter appearance. And the townspeople—they looked happier. The Second Coming felt a shimmer of hope, reassuring himself that the Dark Web wasn't just a world of despair full of viruses and Internet secrets. It was full of life; it was faint, but vigorous, where communities of stick figures like them thrived in the darkness.

Then, The Second Coming's gaze landed on Valhalla from a distance. Valhalla helped the town in any way he could, and he moved deliberately as he carried a weight of supplies from his arms. He walked with ease, exchanging nods as he passed by other townspeople. When Valhalla caught sight of the orange hollowhead, his expression lit up, lifting up a hand as a greeting.

The Second Coming waved back, jogging towards him and wordlessly taking half of the load from his arms. Valhalla tilted his head at him with mild surprise, but a quiet chuckle escaped from him, before they carried the supplies together to a group that gathered by a campfire.

When the two set down the supplies, they welcomed them warmly, offering them a spot near the fire. They shuffled as they made room, and The Second Coming and Valhalla sat down, surrounded by laughing and chatter. The townspeople told stories of the Dark Web, including how the first stick figures that settled after the Newgrounds Incident were led by a mysterious stick figure with fire powers to safety against the world's abnormal approaches.

The Second Coming tilted his head at the mention of fire powers. The only stick figures he knew of with that power were The Chosen One, who guarded the town's outskirts; The Dark Lord, the right-hand man of the Codeborn's leader; and Queen of Hearts—the leader of the Codeborn herself. The thought of her name sent a chill down The Second Coming's spine.

Even though the air was filled with warmth, Valhalla remained distant. His gaze lingered on the fire, almost lost in his thoughts. The Second Coming noticed the shift in Valhalla's mood, and he reached out a reassuring hand on Valhalla's shoulder. He didn't react, but instead, he slowly rose up to his feet.

The group around them fell into silence, their attention shifting from fellowship to confusion. Valhalla was framed by the firelight, which then his hands drifted to the heart-shaped clips on his head. He unclasped them deliberately, then he removed the cloak worn around his neck. Valhalla held the cloak before him, almost trembling by the sight.

The Second Coming could sense the memories tied to those objects—his time under the Codeborn, the Virabands, his promotion—and Driftwood. He felt regret in his every movement, remaining to be still.