Side Story RAD!

[Jeremi]

You’re listening to 106.1 WACK and I’m your host DJ Bigboi Dream. Once again our great Mother Earth has spun us 180 and we’re back to the summer period. Don’t let the sun scorch that valuable skin off your back. All you Eaglevillians better wear your sunscreen…or else. This next song reminded me about the fleeting nations and how we humans are just like grains in the sand. This is the Bangles Walk like an Egyptian.

Sam was biking down the street at full speeds and was almost run over by a car. “Watch where you’re going!” The man shouted but Sam was already long gone. “Sorry!” He managed to shout before drifting down another street to his destination. Eagleville in Maine was a quaint little city with about 50000 inhabitants. It had everything a growing kid would need. A local mall, a theater, small mom-and-pop shops, a local, anything you could imagine there was all at your fingertips. Right now though that was far past Sam’s mind, he was on a mission. A mission only he could solve because he’s the only one who seems to think there’s something wrong. A slew of disappearances had been happening. Everyone else blamed summer vacations…but Sam wasn’t buying it. Granny Smith, who Sam was pretty sure, was about 95 and lived alone was one of the people who had vanished. She had no next of kin or anything and now she was gone. Something wasn’t adding up. His pleads had fallen on deaf ears and so it was up to Sam to try and solve it.

He was so deep in thought Sam didn’t realize he was biking past the hospital. Suddenly realizing where he was he almost fell off his bike before screeching to a halt. Eyes wide and breathing heavily he looked towards the large looming building before he quickly sped off again. Soon the town made way to the forest as Sam biked down a dirt path going next to a small creek. He was making his way to his secret lair. A clubhouse he’d had since he was a kid. Sam’s dad had helped him build what amounted to a small shack in the middle of the woods. He could think there, away from prying eyes. There weren’t too many that knew about this place other than his family and a few…others. Anyway as he stopped a few bits away from the shack Sam felt there was something off. He couldn’t really explain it. When Sam opened the door to the shack his eyes went wide. Who were all these people?! Wait! Was that Animal Man?! WHAT?! They had all been lying prone on the ground, but they seemed to be getting up on their feet. Sam meanwhile did the opposite and fell flat on his butt at the entrance.

Sam’s guests meanwhile found themselves waking up in a run-down shack that barely managed to house everyone. The floor was scattered with a random assortment of comics of both Marvel and the DC variety. In the corner, they could see a whiteboard covered with writing. The writing seemed to be ineligible for everyone that’s not the author themselves.

Cast list

@Ver as Animal Man
@Minerva as Ireena Kolyana
@Sark as John Constantine
@Atomic Knight as Kermit the Frog
@Takumi as Link
@Jackythejack as Pippi Longstocking
@Gummi Bunnies as Satoko Houjou
@Lucky as Scrappy Doo
@Capri as Sophie Walten
​

 

[Capri]

SOPHIE WALTEN
@Jeremi @EveryoneElse

The groggy eyes of Sophie Walten opened and squinted at the light. The girl grunted, placing a hand over her eyes to shield herself from the light.

Sophie’s eyes adjusted to her surroundings, the clubhouse of a kid. Where the hell was she. Certainly not in Brighton, she would certainly remember half of these people if she were in Brighton.

She hadn’t noticed Sam collapse on the ground, but she did notice what her hand was touching. Picking it up, she looked at the comic, an old X-Men comic, and immediately dropped it.

She didn’t like comics.

Sophie got up and tried to move around the side of the room, about to head to the exit, when she noticed the lump body of Sam on the ground.

“Oh, god, is he… dead?” she said. Sophie nudged Sam with her foot to make sure he was alive.​

 

[Minerva]

@Jeremi @Anyone

Ireena stared into her own reflection. She had made it a long way from Barovia on her own, managing to avoid Strahd's agents and monsters that had been hunting her. Now, she stood in front of a lake, staring at her own reflection. She dipped her hands into the water to wash her face somewhat, as she had been running for days. However, as she took her hands awayh from her face, she fell into a sleep...

Ireena found herself shoved into a back corner, someone jamming their elbow into her stomach. It was sharp, not like a sword, but kinda like a swift punch to the gut. The sun was also in her eyes. That was definitely new, as the sun rarely shown in Barovia. Her eyes hurt, and now she had the wind knocked out of her.

"Oof." the Barovian woman exhaled as she collapsed to the floor, her hands collapsing onto a Batman comic. and accidentally tearing the cover.​

 

[Ver]

Animal Man - Prologue: Human Zoo

View attachment 10135

"He is literally still conscious," Buddy Baker, known to the world (to put it generously) by his alter ego Animal Man, said flatly to Sophie. The man wasn't normally so callous like that, but with the splitting headache he had that was unfortunately all too common in the days of a superhero, Buddy just needed another moment to compose himself.

He knew he was getting old when he started to relate to those office workers who would say stuff like "don't talk to me unless I've had my coffee!" or something. And in the grand scheme of things, he probably was exactly middle management on the hierarchy of superheroes.

Indeed, if there was only one thing more disconcerting than waking up anywhere other than home, it was the idea that he could imagine it wasn't entirely such a strange thing anymore. Far from the strangest thing that had ever happened to him after all, and with most of the others around him looking rather young (and was that a puppy on its hind legs and a walking puppet?), Buddy instinctually imagined that he'd have to put on a brave face for this.

No different from being a father, in that regard.

Buddy got a cursory look of his surroundings, mostly absorbing that he was in some sort of clubhouse that reminded him of something his own kids would cook up. Not absorbing the comic covers by happenstance, Buddy instead leaned forward toward the ground-bound Sam, speaking gently as he imagined his own child in this kind of scenario.

"Uh... Hey there, kiddo. Don't suppose you have any idea how I got here? Last thing I remember, I..." Buddy began, before his mind drew a sudden blank. A dark void covered his thoughts as though something were deliberately blocking his memory of whatever he was doing just before he'd gotten here, and in no time, he began to move on as though not even his mind felt inclined to dwell on it.

"Well, never mind that. You got a phone I can nab? I probably have a few calls to make. Oh god, I hope Beetle or Ralph doesn't choose to reduce my salary again for this. Seriously can't afford that... Wonder if there's a superhero union I can ask about..."

@Jeremi @Capri @Minerva @Everybody​

 

[Capri]

SOPHIE WALTEN
@Jeremi @Ver

"He is literally still conscious,"

“I can’t see his face,” Sophie responded to the bizarre man.

She has a bad feeling about all of this. What the hell is he wearing.​

 

[Gummi Bunnies]

The sound of finger snaps could be heard from Satoko, who would make a quick glance to her surroundings and then back to her own hand. After a few more seconds, she stopped what she was trying to do, and let out an annoyed sigh. It was only then that she finally took in the fact that she wasn't the only one at this dilapidated shack. She soon got up on her feet, distancing herself from the bunches of people and things that she did not recognize for obvious reasons.

❝ ... I-I... I demand someone take me home... r-right now! I wanna go home! ❞ The girl makes her demands in the style of a childish tantrum.

@Jeremi @Capri @Minerva @Ver @Everybody​

 

[Takumi]

You’re listening to 106.1 WACK and I’m your host DJ Bigboi Dream. Once again our great Mother Earth has spun us 180 and we’re back to the summer period. Don’t let the sun scorch that valuable skin off your back. All you Eaglevillians better wear your sunscreen…or else. This next song reminded me about the fleeting nations and how we humans are just like grains in the sand. This is the Bangles Walk like an Egyptian.

Sam was biking down the street at full speeds and was almost run over by a car. “Watch where you’re going!” The man shouted but Sam was already long gone. “Sorry!” He managed to shout before drifting down another street to his destination. Eagleville in Maine was a quaint little city with about 50000 inhabitants. It had everything a growing kid would need. A local mall, a theater, small mom-and-pop shops, a local, anything you could imagine there was all at your fingertips. Right now though that was far past Sam’s mind, he was on a mission. A mission only he could solve because he’s the only one who seems to think there’s something wrong. A slew of disappearances had been happening. Everyone else blamed summer vacations…but Sam wasn’t buying it. Granny Smith, who Sam was pretty sure, was about 95 and lived alone was one of the people who had vanished. She had no next of kin or anything and now she was gone. Something wasn’t adding up. His pleads had fallen on deaf ears and so it was up to Sam to try and solve it.

He was so deep in thought Sam didn’t realize he was biking past the hospital. Suddenly realizing where he was he almost fell off his bike before screeching to a halt. Eyes wide and breathing heavily he looked towards the large looming building before he quickly sped off again. Soon the town made way to the forest as Sam biked down a dirt path going next to a small creek. He was making his way to his secret lair. A clubhouse he’d had since he was a kid. Sam’s dad had helped him build what amounted to a small shack in the middle of the woods. He could think there, away from prying eyes. There weren’t too many that knew about this place other than his family and a few…others. Anyway as he stopped a few bits away from the shack Sam felt there was something off. He couldn’t really explain it. When Sam opened the door to the shack his eyes went wide. Who were all these people?! Wait! Was that Animal Man?! WHAT?! They had all been lying prone on the ground, but they seemed to be getting up on their feet. Sam meanwhile did the opposite and fell flat on his butt at the entrance.

Sam’s guests meanwhile found themselves waking up in a run-down shack that barely managed to house everyone. The floor was scattered with a random assortment of comics of both Marvel and the DC variety. In the corner, they could see a whiteboard covered with writing. The writing seemed to be ineligible for everyone that’s not the author themselves.

Cast list

@Ver as Animal Man
@Minerva as Ireena Kolyana
@Sark as John Constantine
@Atomic Knight as Kermit the Frog
@Takumi as Link
@Jackythejack as Pippi Longstocking
@Gummi Bunnies as Satoko Houjou
@Lucky as Scrappy Doo
@Capri as Sophie Walten
​

Link grunted from where he lay face down, pushing himself up to sit and blowing his bangs out of his face, the Hyrulian had heard a few voices as he came to, ones he hadn't recognized.

It didn't take long for him to know that he wasn't in his house at the least, and this bothered him. Ravio hadn't been present for some time, leaving a hasty note and an open box for payment on renting or buying whatever weapons were left on the tables taking up most of the house's space. Ravio's odd bird Sheerow was still there, making sure he actually paid for the weapons with an almost always knowing squint. Sure from time to time Link would rest between trying to rescue the Seven Sages, but he couldn't rest for too long when so much was at stake, so he wasn't home for too long ever since the whole mess called an adventure started.

So that begged the question: where in Hylia's name was he? Also, who were these people?

Getting to his feet, he did a quick inventory check, as well as making sure nothing was missing that he hadn't already had on him. Satisfied to find that nothing was stolen or missing at least he sighed heavily.

The sound of finger snaps could be heard from Satoko, who would make a quick glance to her surroundings and then back to her own hand. After a few more seconds, she stopped what she was trying to do, and let out an annoyed sigh. It was only then that she finally took in the fact that she wasn't the only one at this dilapidated shack. She soon got up on her feet, distancing herself from the bunches of people and things that she did not recognize for obvious reasons.

❝ ... I-I... I demand someone take me home... r-right now! I wanna go home! ❞ The girl makes her demands in the style of a childish tantrum.

@Jeremi @Capri @Minerva @Ver @Everybody​

"We'll find a way to get you home." He reassured, hoping to stop the tantrum before it could possibly escalate. This all seemed like some weird sort of magic, but as far as he could tell there wasn't anything like a map that could possibly tell them where they were, at least, not in what looked like a bit of clutter of thin books.

@Jeremi @Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Minerva @Everybody

 

[Lucky]

Scrappy Doo

Unlike everyone else, Scrappy didn't find to be much different from back home. Sure his uncle Scooby and Shaggy weren't here, but that just meant more room for adventure. The kid seemed confused and since nobody was asking the important question, he would hop onto Sam's stomach " So, is there like a mystery in your town that needs solving?" He asked.

@Jeremi @Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Minerva​

 

[Jeremi]

"I'm looking right at you," Sam managed to say from his sitting position to Sophie, but he knew if he tried to get up he'd fall right back down. "I just..whew...okay." Sam looked around trying to figure this out. He knew Animal Man, the guy with the rain coat looked familiar but Sam couldn't really place him. Link, that was obviously Link and. OOF! Suddenly a talking puppy was on his belly. "Scrappy. You're Scrappy Doo." Out of all of the Mystery Inc members...

"I, uh, yeah, no phone," He stammered at Buddy before looking back to Scrappy. "Yeah but, oh no!" Miraculously Sam was quickly on his feet when he saw a woman fall and ripping one of the comics. "That was the first issue of Year One! It came out last month and I was going to save it and oh geez...It was really cool too..." He picked up the comic looking at the ripped cover with a defeated look. Then something caught his attention through the small dusty window in the shack. "...No way." He quickly ran out from the shack to the outside. "It's Grimlock!" He shouted in excitement. "Holy shit! It's Grimlock..." He added in disbelief. Sam's favorite Transformer lying outside his little secret shack and wait- was that Kermit the fucking Frog inside?

Meanwhile inside another of the visitors got up from the floor. Her face looked human but the rest of her body was made of metal.

"I've been listening in but," The woman looked confused at everyone. "I don't really know what's up? Is this...is this Earth?"​

@Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Minerva @Lucky @Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Jackythejack @Takumi

 

[Capri]

SOPHIE WALTEN
@Jeremi @Ver @Lucky @Takumi @Gummi Bunnies @Minerva @Takumi @Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Jackythejack

"I'm looking right at you," Sam managed to say from his sitting position to Sophie, but he knew if he tried to get up he'd fall right back down. "I just..whew...okay." Sam looked around trying to figure this out. He knew Animal Man, the guy with the rain coat looked familiar but Sam couldn't really place him. Link, that was obviously Link and. OOF! Suddenly a talking puppy was on his belly. "Scrappy. You're Scrappy Doo." Out of all of the Mystery Inc members...

"I, uh, yeah, no phone," He stammered at Buddy before looking back to Scrappy. "Yeah but, oh no!" Miraculously Sam was quickly on his feet when he saw a woman fall and ripping one of the comics. "That was the first issue of Year One! It came out last month and I was going to save it and oh geez...It was really cool too..." He picked up the comic looking at the ripped cover with a defeated look. Then something caught his attention through the small dusty window in the shack. "...No way." He quickly ran out from the shack to the outside. "It's Grimlock!" He shouted in excitement. "Holy shit! It's Grimlock..." He added in disbelief. Sam's favorite Transformer lying outside his little secret shack and wait- was that Kermit the fucking Frog inside?

Meanwhile inside another of the visitors got up from the floor. Her face looked human but the rest of her body was made of metal.

"I've been listening in but," The woman looked confused at everyone. "I don't really know what's up? Is this...is this Earth?"

@Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Minerva @Lucky @Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Jackythejack @Takumi

​

Sophie shrunk backwards into the corner. She didn’t really wanna draw attention to herself and she already did.

Well, if she were to be trapped here… best make the best of it.

The metal woman’s comments confused her. “Yeah…?” Sophie said to her, “Heh… w-where else would we be?”

​

❝ ... I-I... I demand someone take me home... r-right now! I wanna go home! ❞ The girl makes her demands in the style of a childish tantrum.
​

“Yeah, me too…” Sophie simply said to Satoko.​

 

[Crow]

A robotic T-Rex stood in stasis, before its blinking red eyes lit up. It cogs began to move as it opened its maws of steel teeth, roaring in dominance.

"Me Grimlock not know what happened, but at least me no have to deal with that-"

The one who called himself Grimlock looked around.

"Me Grimlock and me big mouth. Me Grimlock have to deal with something even worse."

Grimlock then turned to Sam.

"How tiny human know Grimlock name? Me Grimlock no meet you in entire life!"

@Jeremi​

 

[Minerva]

Yeah but, oh no!" Miraculously Sam was quickly on his feet when he saw a woman fall and ripping one of the comics. "That was the first issue of Year One! It came out last month and I was going to save it and oh geez...It was really cool too..." He picked up the comic looking at the ripped cover with a defeated look.

Ireena frowned and dusted off her tabard. She gave a small bow. “I’m sorry, I can reimburse you for the damage.” She said, offering a small smile. She reached down towards a small pouch at her belt containing coins of various values, and poured several gold coins into her hand.

@anyone

 

[Takumi]

"I'm looking right at you," Sam managed to say from his sitting position to Sophie, but he knew if he tried to get up he'd fall right back down. "I just..whew...okay." Sam looked around trying to figure this out. He knew Animal Man, the guy with the rain coat looked familiar but Sam couldn't really place him. Link, that was obviously Link and. OOF! Suddenly a talking puppy was on his belly. "Scrappy. You're Scrappy Doo." Out of all of the Mystery Inc members...

"I, uh, yeah, no phone," He stammered at Buddy before looking back to Scrappy. "Yeah but, oh no!" Miraculously Sam was quickly on his feet when he saw a woman fall and ripping one of the comics. "That was the first issue of Year One! It came out last month and I was going to save it and oh geez...It was really cool too..." He picked up the comic looking at the ripped cover with a defeated look. Then something caught his attention through the small dusty window in the shack. "...No way." He quickly ran out from the shack to the outside. "It's Grimlock!" He shouted in excitement. "Holy shit! It's Grimlock..." He added in disbelief. Sam's favorite Transformer lying outside his little secret shack and wait- was that Kermit the fucking Frog inside?

Meanwhile inside another of the visitors got up from the floor. Her face looked human but the rest of her body was made of metal.

"I've been listening in but," The woman looked confused at everyone. "I don't really know what's up? Is this...is this Earth?"​

@Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Minerva @Lucky @Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Jackythejack @Takumi

A robotic T-Rex stood in stasis, before its blinking red eyes lit up. It cogs began to move as it opened its maws of steel teeth, roaring in dominance.

"Me Grimlock not know what happened, but at least me no have to deal with that-"

The one who called himself Grimlock looked around.

"Me Grimlock and me big mouth. Me Grimlock have to deal with something even worse."

Grimlock then turned to Sam.

"How tiny human know Grimlock name? Me Grimlock no meet you in entire life!"

@Jeremi​

Link had been trying to follow the conversations going on, and most of it went over his head. This was the kid's shack at least, given his reaction. There was a lot of confusion, which only made sense since it seemed like nobody knew what was going on.

Watching as Sam grew excited over a 'Grimlock' and ran out, Link frowned in confusion. Then came the roar, and his hand found it's way to his sword hilt, but from one quick glance outside and the fact that the one who made the roar wasn't on the offensive and was...talking, made Link remove his hand from his sword and cautiously approach Sam.

"Do you know where we are, or do you have a map of the area?" He asked the boy, warily eyeing Grimlock from the corner of his eye a moment before focusing back on Sam. He figured if it was Sam's shack, then they'd be near a town of some sort, and it wouldn't do to just wander right now.

@Jeremi @Crow @Ver @Lucky @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Everyone

 

[Capri]

SOPHIE WALTEN
@Jeremi @Crow

The roar filled Sophie with an unimaginable fear. She finally recognized some of the people here. Kermit the Frog? What?

But her bewilderment at Kermit was overtaken by her fear of Grimlock.

“Shit!”

Sophie immediately moved towards the door.

“Kid! Kid!” Sophie said to Sam, placing her hands on his shoulder, “I don’t know who you are but can you let me out of this room? I need to get away from whatever the hell that thing is,”

She gestured towards Grimlock.​

 

[Jackythejack]

Pippi has, seemingly, just zoned out for a moment. Perhaps universal travel did that to you? She eventually phased back into the conversation, and shook her head rapidly. She glanced around the room, only to notice that her monkey friend wasn’t here!

“Mr. Nilsson!” Pippi called out. She put her hands on her hips and frowned. “Now where could that monkey have gone? It’s not like him to just run off like that…”

She looked to the there in the room, and smiled. “Well, hello! You are look like fun! Especially the…frog, over there?” Granted Pippi has never seen a frog that looked quite like that but she could roll with the punches.

“Is this the place where you all live?” She asked. She put her arms over her chest as she glanced over the secret shack. “I mean, it’s no Villa Villekulla, but it sure seems nice! Though, I am wondering how I got here. Maybe I sleepwalked? That’s a very real possibility.” She giggled.

@everyone

 

[Crow]

Grimlock, offended, zoomed his snout towards Sophie. Light puffs of smoke emerged from his 'nostrils'.

"Me Grimlock no thing, me king!"

@Capri @Jeremi​

 

[Jeremi]

"Well I'm stationed in Limbo. Travel like this isn't just something you do," The woman replied. "I'm Silverheart of the Silverhawks, and you are?"

Sam was still giddy outside when Grimlock spoke to him. "Duh, cause you're like my favorite Transformers ever! You're a robot that changes into a T-Rex like, that's so cool."

As the others spoke up Sam turned back and opened the window to the shack. "You're in Eagleville, Link. It's Link right? It's weird that your game's called Legend of Zelda but you play as a guy called Link. You'd think that it would be Legend of Link or something." Ireena's pouch was met with wide eyes as Sam took in the contents. "I could buy the the entire rack with this..."

At Sophie's concerns Sam just waved her off. "Oh don't worry! Grimlock's a good guy! He'd never hurt another good guy!" Sam's eyes narrowed as he looked Sophie over. "You're a good guy right? I don't really get what you are since I've clearly gone crazy and imagined all of you so it's weird that there's just like...a girl. Maybe I saw you in a commercial or something?"

@Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Minerva @Lucky @Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Jackythejack @Takumi

 

[Capri]

SOPHIE WALTEN
@Jeremi @Ver @Gummi Bunnies @Minerva @Lucky @Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Jackythejack @Takumi​

Grimlock, offended, zoomed his snout towards Sophie. Light puffs of smoke emerged from his 'nostrils'.

"Me Grimlock no thing, me king!"

@Capri @Jeremi​

“Sh-shit! I…”

Sophie almost backed herself into Sam before the young boy spoke.

At Sophie's concerns Sam just waved her off. "Oh don't worry! Grimlock's a good guy! He'd never hurt another good guy!" Sam's eyes narrowed as he looked Sophie over. "You're a good guy right? I don't really get what you are since I've clearly gone crazy and imagined all of you so it's weird that there's just like...a girl. Maybe I saw you in a commercial or something?"

“I-I don’t really…”

Sophie was very clearly stressed out about this entire scenario. Is she real? Is she not? Is she good or is she bad? She doesn’t know.

“I can’t… remember…” Sophie said, “I don’t know if I was in a commercial or not,”

She slumped herself against the side of the wall. She ran her hands through her hair and exhaled dramatically.

"Well I'm stationed in Limbo. Travel like this isn't just something you do," The woman replied. "I'm Silverheart of the Silverhawks, and you are?"

“L-Limbo?” she stammered, “Like the dance?”

Sophie was very clearly trying to lighten up her own mood. Silverheart is a dumb name. She wouldn’t say that aloud.

When Silverheart asked her name, she felt like she was obliged to answer.

“S-Sophie…” she hesitantly said, “I’m Sophie W-Walten,”​

 

[Takumi]

"Well I'm stationed in Limbo. Travel like this isn't just something you do," The woman replied. "I'm Silverheart of the Silverhawks, and you are?"

Sam was still giddy outside when Grimlock spoke to him. "Duh, cause you're like my favorite Transformers ever! You're a robot that changes into a T-Rex like, that's so cool."

As the others spoke up Sam turned back and opened the window to the shack. "You're in Eagleville, Link. It's Link right? It's weird that your game's called Legend of Zelda but you play as a guy called Link. You'd think that it would be Legend of Link or something." Ireena's pouch was met with wide eyes as Sam took in the contents. "I could buy the the entire rack with this..."

At Sophie's concerns Sam just waved her off. "Oh don't worry! Grimlock's a good guy! He'd never hurt another good guy!" Sam's eyes narrowed as he looked Sophie over. "You're a good guy right? I don't really get what you are since I've clearly gone crazy and imagined all of you so it's weird that there's just like...a girl. Maybe I saw you in a commercial or something?"

@Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Minerva @Lucky @Crow @Sark @Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Jackythejack @Takumi

"Yeah, my name is Link," the blonde blinked as Sam kept talking, staring at him for a moment. So they were in a town called Eagleville, then. That was a start, even if he never heard of the place.

"My...game?" He questioned, confused. What was Sam talking about? He tilted his head a moment. He was quiet a moment.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, growing more confused by the second.

@Jeremi

 

[Ver]

"Come to think of it, you do look pretty familiar," Buddy said toward Link with a nod, affirming Sam's recognition of him. Putting a hand to his chin, the blonde man appraised Link a bit more. "Probably from some game my kid made me buy for 'em. Legend of Zelda, the kid called it? I dunno, didn't look all that impressive to me. Uh, I guess I shouldn't say that if you're like, a big fan though..."

The hero's train of thought was interrupted however, not by the appearance of Grimlock, that part was completely normal, but rather by the blue-clad woman namedropping a station she worked at called _ _ _ _ _ . Suddenly, Buddy felt a splitting headache assault him, and once he actually took notice of the Batman comic that Ireena had accidentally torn up, everything came rushing back to him.

View attachment 10144

"Nrrragh... Oh god, oh shit. Oh no no no no no. It was just a dream. It wasn't real. But why is it all coming back? It doesn't make any sense. That's not how it's supposed to...!" Buddy suddenly began to ramble madly, before looking pointedly at the woman who called herself Silverheart. "WHY DID YOU SAY THAT NAME?!"

Time is a flat circle, as they say.

"No one's supposed to know about it, that's the whole point. Limbo, limbo, limbo, limbo..."

A place between life and death. Between existence and non-existence. A deeper meaning that he could only barely recall, like a fleeting dream he had awakened from. Something terrible had happened, yet he couldn't even remember it. He wasn't allowed to remember it. And yet, the fact he could recall that much meant... something. But what? What did it all mean? Between this boy recognizing the robot dinosaur and the swordsman in green, it all meant... Dammit, think! Think! Batman would be able to solve this. Hell, Buddy would take even the goddamn Blue Beetle at this rate. Or... wait, Batman. Batman. It was right there. He had just spoken Batman's words, yet they were not words that had been uttered yet. But Buddy knew of them. Or did he? How could he even be conscious of his own decisions if it was all in the hands of--

PLAP!

Buddy suddenly smacked each side of his face with his palms, before moving his attention toward Sam next. "Okay. Okay, okay, okay. Let's start over. Kid, lemme ask you something... What's your favorite thing about Batman?" He suddenly asked, his pupils shaking madly, try as he did to hide his mad gaze underneath his goggles. He had to be sure, even if he didn't even know what he was supposed to be sure of.

To put it in a term everyone here ought to understand, something was terribly wrong here.

@Jeremi @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Crow @Takumi @Jackythejack @Minerva @Everybody​