Hurricane

Petey: Welcome to Skybreakers! My name's Petey! What's your name?

Petey 2: My name's Petey! What's your name?

Petey 1: My name's Petey! What's your name?

Petey 2: My name's Petey! What's your name?

Theo: (Sighs) Would you guys shut up?! I'm trying to focus! (He starts glitching.) Come on Theo, keep it together...

~Skybreakers back door~

(After a few minutes in the void, the gang is busy surveying for the back door. The entire place has been littered with unused stuff, it spans miles)

Lo: Uh guys... are you sure the gateway is around here. It's just way too big.

Tari: (Groans in frustration) I've been tracing us all the way to this beta level! where else would it be?!

...I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just... We can't NOT find that gateway. Sofia needs to scan it to track down Sheridan's location and save our friends. Speaking of which, (Turns to Marco) any change on Lamar?

Sofia: Not yet, he's still unconscious. I'm mostly worried about his Meta Runner arm. Whatever Sheridan's done to him has overloaded it way past its safety thresholds.

(Bo tries poking the arm with a baton, only it's flung to someone's head)

I think this is the same way my sister "died"...

Theo: Lo, Tari, what do you want to do after we beat up that crazy nerd, save Sofia's sister, and all of us go back to the real world together?

Lo: Well... I wish to return to my home, and hopefully bring all of you there.

Theo: I want to go have a big bowl of ramen like we had the first day we met our friends!

Tari: Oh, that'd be nice! Maybe play some video games where our lives aren't at stake!

Theo: Yeah! I can finally beat Lamar's butt in Battle Blaze!

Tari: Well, you can try. (chuckles) I do hope we can all get out and do that stuff together...

(That was when the Blue Jay arrives on a thunderstorm, but Theo starts feeling... off...)

Theo: ...Lo, I've been meaning to tell you about something.

Lo: I know..., but we must brace this storm first.

Maya: (suddenly wakes up at a sudden, then looks around to find an obelisk shaped like a USB) What is this place?

??: I didn't expect you to wake up so soon.

(The man reveals himself as Purple Guy)

Maya: Where am I?

PG: You must've stumbled onto my secret WIFI hub. Found it while I was setting up shop at my former restaurant job.

Maya: Did you... just fix me?

PG: Of course. You must've been lucky there. That must be a temporary electromagnetic pulse. If it's a bit more powerful, you would've been decommissioned.

Maya: (gasps) Mario! I have to go find them!

PG: Hold it there. I've seen those things spiraling back at the castle. If this yellow round thing can supercharge a bunch of out-of-control memes and knock you out, who knows what they might do to you?

Maya: I can at least try. My friend is in danger. (blasts off, only to return a bit) Oh, & there are a few friends that like to visit. (flies off again)

(Purple Guy then sees a station wagon park nearby, with an old-fashioned country wagon attached to it)

Nishaki: Hello, old friend.

~Meanwhile, back at the back door~

(As the Blue Jay navigates through the storm, Lo just could not help but feel something's off)

Tari: The perfect time for Marco to go AFK... We're almost safe in the eye of the storm! Just keep it steady, alright?!

Theo: (Still glitching) Okay! I'll try!

Lo: I don't think you'd still be okay, man.

Tari: What do you mean?! (See him glitching) THEO!

Lo: Stand down soldier. I got this!

Theo: No, I can do it!

Tari: THEO, STOP! TURN AROUND! We can find another way in!

Theo: NO! I'm taking the ship and I'm finding our friends!

(As Lo & Tari bolt through the decks, they pass through the eye)

CRAACKERRRJAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!!

Lo, audibly: Don't worry buddy. You'll be ok.

Tari: Theo? (sees Lo comforting an all-glitched Theo)

Theo: Tari...?

Tari: (Rushes to his side) Theo! Stay with me, Theo! Don't leave! (On the verge of tears) Please don't leave!

(As Lo looks down in unsteadiness as Tari cries on, the glitching had stopped)

Theo: Hey... Did we... make it through the storm...?

Tari: We did, thanks to you...

Lo: Why didn't you tell me you were glitching again?!

Theo: It's... actually been happening for a while... I've just been hiding it from you guys. There's a reason I kept going to the bathroom back in Marco's hideout.

Tari: Theo, if you're having trouble, you have to tell us so we can help you...

Theo: Can you... What options do I have? Go live in my nightmare cartridge, or a cramped pocket server like Lucks put me in? I didn't want to worry anyone... I just wanted to have fun with you guys. And live a real life before...

Lo: I know what that meant...

(The glitching returns.)

Theo: Oh...

Tari: (Tearfully) Please don't... Don't say that! I promised you all the way back then that I would keep you safe, right? Right?

Theo: (smiles, & then nods) ...Right.

(As Marco returned, Lo then looks to their destination, wondering if all this will end)

End of Ch. 42