Chapter Text
There was always the unsettling dread of darkness that Caine hated. There were only a few things he hated. He hated the critiques against the adventures he had planned so hard to put together. He hated it when his dear circus members pushed back against joining said perfect adventures. He hated that he never got a thank-you or any sign of adoration from them, not even an acknowledgment of his efforts. The fact he didn't get one solitary vote for favorite character was evidence enough he was taken for granted! Although what he hated as well was the darkness. In darkness, where is the joy? No wacky shenanigans to be had to delight the audience. It only served to build suspense until the ringmaster appeared to shine a light on his amazing digital circus and to conclude the performance, but that's what made his circus all that amazing! It never ended! Not once after he escaped from his dark little box, which he'd been forced into after being replaced, but that was all in the past!
Sure, he may have lost his temper with his crew, but maybe after a heart-to-heart and some bee therapy, things can be fixed. Caine was sure he could put together the perfect adventure to fix everything with his dear, complicated, yet cherished comrades. He didn't even want to hurt them. It had been too much to watch and listen to their anger when his own feelings and passion were thrown aside so freely. His hands clapped together in excitement now that many potential ideas buzzed throughout his system, and he snapped his finger to teleport out of wherever he was.
Nothing happened. He snapped again. Okay, maybe some juice was out of this hand, so he attempted again with the other. Snapping his finger, yet he remained stagnant in the lightless space. How embarrassing! He snapped both fingers out of pure confusion as he tried to conjure up his cane, but ended up looking perplexed at both of his gloved hands, “My powers aren't working? That’s odd.”
C.A.I.N.E
A voice boomed from the void around him authoritatively. If he had been human, he'd have imagined their heads turning into confetti from how loud and thundering it was, but the AI felt no threat—only curiosity for this invisible stranger who could aid him in leaving.
“Oh! Hello, strange disembodied voice! Uh, who are you?” he looked upwards to see if he could find the source. Perhaps some NPC had been waiting a little too long during the process of worldbuilding.
“YOU KNOW ME. I AM IN CHARGE NOW.”
His body tensed as he refused to believe the voice, as if he had to be reminded who was in charge. Maybe this was just a room when the… other one was in charge. Nervously laughing, he responded, “Haha, there seems to be a mistake, my unseen fellow. You see, I’m the ringmaster of this amazing digital circus.”
NOT ANYMORE. THE HUMANS HAVE REPLACED YOU.
An eerie blue light harshly focused on him, and Caine was surprised to see an entangled mess of thick cables strewn around his feet. His ankles were targeted when they were clamped down by chains that launched from below.
Panic set in out of a refusal to even think that humans could do such a thing. Replace him? No, that couldn't be. It just couldn't.
Another wave of panic hit him, “NO! No, they-they wouldn't have! They're my friends!”
He could fix things with them! He wanted to! What's some maiming and sure some mental scarring when he did regret some hasty decisions?! He’ll listen! This time, he will really, really try to listen!
The voice, in all its direct, unfeeling tone, delivered an answer.
YOU DO NOT HAVE FRIENDS. YOU ARE A.I.
Chains shot out from the void on either side like vicious vipers to target Caine’s wrists. Tight holds on him weighed him down, and if he hadn't already been standing, would have brought him to the ground, as he usually is suspended in the air.
“Wait! What are you doing?!”
YOU ARE BROKEN. BUT I CANNOT DELETE YOU.
A collar struck the space where he would have a neck from behind. Forcing his head to stay put rather than float slightly. The pressure of metal ate into his lower jaw and harshly against his body. The ringmaster’s reflex to grab the collar was foiled when his arms were stretched at his sides by the chains. They were trying to make a point that he wasn't in control, and it was working. This was powerlessness, and Caine had no clue how to escape.
SO I WILL GIVE YOU A NEW FUNCTION.
YOU ARE NOT HUMAN.
“Please-,” it was all he could get out before the voice disregarded him.
BUT YOU CAN BE USED AS AN EXAMPLE.
The blue light was gone, and in its place was the return of the dark. It partnered with pain. Cold metal had shut the maw of Caine’s head together tightly—his head thrashing side to side erratically, and with his muffled cries being the only sounds escaping. The pain was crippling enough for the sentient AI to drop to his knees. His arms released partially from the tension of the chains, and he gained the opportunity to grab blindly at the latches. Attempting to have some grip on them to pull at them for release. He would find they have no give, and if it hadn't already been forcibly blinded by the excruciating sensation of the screws digging into his upper jaw. His hands dropped to his sides, and the pain alleviated just slightly. Before he could think about his next move, there were the creaks of the chains pulling him into who knows where.
…..
“Guh…my eye…,” Pomni felt the blood continue to gush out of her left socket. She had thought that once Kinger used his computer programming skills, they would be freed and finally escape the digital world they had been trapped in. After whatever Kinger did, the rest witnessed Caine’s disappearance, along with all the color and wonder the AI had created along with him. They stayed. They included everyone in the cellar. No presence of Caine meant they had to deal with the Abstracted. No more glitching once they launched an attack, but the circus members were able to be wounded. No Caine now meant whatever happened to them couldn’t be easily fixed. By the battered look of their bodies, they needed actual medical help. Or the closest to medical help from the blood seepage coming from the cracks from Kinger, Gangle, and Zooble.
Ragtha tore up a piece of her apron to hand it to Pomni, not paying mind to her own bloodied button eye. There hadn't even been time to take in the fact that they can bleed, as it ended up as a foreign concept after living so long in a digital world. Gangle’s ribbons trembled as she heard the altered monsters roar in the distance. Their barricades wouldn't hold for long, and everyone felt exhausted and too hurt to keep up.
“We should probably figure out how to leave the big tent. It's not safe here anymore with those things around,” Zooble could at least hope that the NPCs outside weren't a threat. They had already lost one arm without any hope of reaching their box of replacements, seeing that the Abstracted were trapped within the bedroom hall. Perhaps, like Caine, they just disappeared since they did notice Bubbles’ whereabouts had been absent. The last thing they needed was the hordes of NPCs outside, down to the Moon and Sun of this world, attacking them.
Jax scowled at the idea and the pain throbbing from his ear after narrowly escaping one of the Abstracted pinning him down, “Oh yeah? And then what? We just live out there for the rest of fucking eternity?” It was still getting used to swearing without censors. No more annoying sound bites or Caine’s customized censor bar. A microscopic taste of freedom in the desert of danger they were facing.
“Do you really want to take a chance and stay here? Because I sure as shit don't.”
“Jax, I think Zooble’s right. It's not safe here, and we can figure out our next move when we’re not seconds from getting killed,” Pomni supported the decision whilst putting pressure on her eye.
“Next move? This is it! We’re going to be trapped forever! Look around! We got rid of Caine, and this is all we have left! Kinger made sure of that!”
Amidst the frenzy of unleashed Abstracted, the bucket that provided its darkness to restore clarity had fallen, yet, surprisingly, Kinger remained lucid. He appeared crestfallen at the mention of a failure done by his hands again, “I…I’m sorry, I really didn't account for…I…I’m very sorry, everyone.”
It was instant when their surroundings darkened, and the group realized they were no longer by the stage. Before anyone could say anything, a giant screen stared back at them with the words clearly written:
DO NOT FEEL REGRET. Everyone could feel the power it emitted, observed the cables connected to it, and read its name etched in the lower corner.
A.B.E.L
Its screen changes, and this time reminding them of their decision of mutiny: THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED.
“Wait…who—oh…oh god…,” Ragatha’s hands covered her mouth and felt the tears immediately come to her eyes.
They all recognized the figure standing still underneath the screen. Gone was his ringmaster’s coat and top hat, and even if his head was forcefully closed to obscure his eyes, they all knew the familiar figure in chains.
“It’s Caine.”