The Mysteries of the Q Files #2: Screens are Cursed Windows

Chapter Six - Playing the Hard Game

Trick's mother pulled him away from the computer screen and slapped him, saying, "Son, get a grip on yourself! If you want to get Naomi out, then actually think of a way and don't scream at the computer! Think!"

Trick huffed and fumed, but he knew his mother was right. It took him some moments to calm down, during which Kyle and Tiffany sat down at the keyboard.

"Woah there now! We might know what will happen if we press any keys," Agent Miles warned.

"But look, they aren't moving," Kyle pointed out.

"They might not be moving from shock," Mr. Jackson said weakly. "What is going on here?"

"I am not sure," Conturbatio said, striding up to the kids. "You say that this a computer game, right?" If so, then we might just have to play to get them out."

Kyle got closer up to the screen and observed a little before saying, "This looks like the very first Legend of Zelda game, and if I'm not much mistaken, this should be world seven. I think I should get them a fairy." He quickly checked their inventories. "Crap, there's nothing for them to use! I have to avoid all enemies or they are going to get killed! This is going to be hard!"

"You can do it son! Do it for Brandon," Kyle's mother said, almost sobbing.

Actually, him we can leave, Trick thought with great annoyance and anger.

Kyle started punching in keys, but only one person started moving. It was Brandon. There was a little bubble, indicating that he was saying something, but they couldn't read it. Naomi followed after him.

"I wonder if they really are pixelated in that world, or if it looks real to them," Conturbatio mused out loud.

Agents Miles punched him hard in the arm.

Moblins! Moblins everywhere!

Naomi wasn't sure if she was now living every nerd's favorite fantasy, or the world's worst meme. It didn't matter at the moment, because pixelated monsters were throwing 8 bit spears at her and Brandon. Brandon kept screaming that he wasn't able to move of his own volition. Now if only he couldn't speak unless he was told to...

She kept looking around for her pointy eared savior, the all around good guy, Link of Hyrule. However, Link was very much MIA at the moment. Naomi was happy that at least she could easily dodge the spears by ducking. They only got thrown at chest level anyway. This 8 bit world had all the restrictions for its characters that one could expect. At least she wasn't stuck in the original Doom game.

Being sucked through a computer screen had been momentarily traumatizing, but then realizing she was in Legend of Zelda, she quickly got over that. Until Brandon started getting dragged around that was. The guy looked helpless, get dragged by some overlord this way and that, precariously avoiding enemies. She quickly guessed that the people back on earth were controlling him via the keyboard. She was thankful it wasn't her was was being taken for a test drive.

She wished at first that it had been Breath of the Wild or Windwaker that she had gotten sucked into. But then again, the enemies in those games were definitely less forgiving, so she guessed she should count her lucky stars. Not that getting sucked into a video game unprepared was lucky! Her thoughts brought her to the multitudinous shows, books, and movies that existed on the premise of getting stuck in a game. If she was lucky, this was going to be like Log Horizon, and not something that Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash or Sword Art Online; if she died, she would come back to life painlessly, and not suffer a terrible death. For crying out loud! Her life wasn't edgy enough for this! Well, she supposed if she were living Re: Zero she would at least come back....