Cherry and Jack in The Boss

chapter 12: Cherry and Jack vs The Boss

"I knew you'd come..." A voice said as all Cherry and Jack could see so far was just darkness.

The lights soon came on to show someone who looked like Jack, but with brown hair and a dull hoodie.

"What?" Jack asked. "Who are you...?"

"You seriously didn't miss me?" The stranger glared coldly. "I'm disappointed in you. I'd have thought it would have been obvious. After all this time, running around and trying to undo my work."

"You mean...?" Cherry spoke up.

"I'm The BOSS." The stranger grinned.

"You're The BOSS?" Cherry asked. "Okay, who are you really? We're both anxious to go back home, especially me, I need to see my Katie after seeing all these alternates and where's Teller?"

"Wow... I guess it's true that no one really cares about me..." The stranger huffed. "They only ever tune in to see you. The 'BOSS' is nothing after all."

"Jack, who is that...?" Cherry asked. "It's not Anti, right...?"

"No..." Jack frowned before looking to the stranger. "It's Seán, isn't it?"

"Ah... You've caught on at last..." The stranger grinned chillingly. "About time. I wonder if you would figure it out or blunder around like an idiot with no idea what was really going on."

"Isn't Seán your real name?" Cherry asked Jack.

"No... Seán is his real name..." Jack told her.

"I'm still confused." Cherry frowned.

"Don't you get it? That's Jack... The goofball..." Seán replied. "The yelling idiot who never knows when to quit. He's not me, not anymore.... Of course, you'd know all about that, wouldn't you, Cherry, or should I say--"

"Wait, that's not true." Jack interrupted.

"Don't give me that. Don't try to turn against me," Seán glared. "I made you. I'm the reason you even exist."

"No, you don't give any of us that, Seán!" Jack argued. "You trapped millions of people on my hard drive and took an innocent bystander along with you! And for what? What was the purpose? It just doesn't make any sense!"

"Of course it doesn't; I didn't trap them here!" Seán retorted.

"Then who did?" Cherry asked.

"Don't you understand?" Seán grinned wickedly. "It was Billy and Katie who orchestrated this whole thing. They trapped the subscribers. They called us here!"

"No, that's crazy, I don't know Katie as well as Cherry does, but Billy wouldn't do that to us," Jack replied. "He cares about the channel and the subscribers. They're what made him who he is."

"And Katie loves and supports me like she is my own sister even if she isn't," Cherry added. "Whether for our friendship or about my career as an artist."

"Oh, they didn't know what they were doing~" Seán replied. "They actually thought they were doing us a favor."

"No, that makes no--" Jack was about to defend.

"Haven't you wondered how Billy knew you needed power regulators and just so happened to have them on him?" Seán smirked. "Or how about Katie suddenly respawning in the worlds you travel into Wireland? How they both always seemed to know just the right things to say at just the right moment? They trapped everyone, but they didn't do it to hurt you or anyone at all. They knew that I was in conflict, so they decided to set this whole adventure thing up so that I would be the hero. I would see how much my subscribers love me and need me."