Just a Generic CYOA

Raising your sword and calling upon powers of the Light Stone you didn’t even known you had, you vanished into a shining beam of light and sped across the room. Upon making it just in front of Leo you re-emerged, already thrusting your sword straight at his chest. The attack landed cleanly, the blade plunging into Leo’s body up to the hilt and knocking him to the floor, errant shadows trailing from the wound.

Leo slammed onto the ground with little more than a dull crackle. His fingertips turned to ash and floated into the sky, and his face cracked like volcanic rock. He stared at the control panel in a daze, finally realizing that his plans too were now nothing more than dust in the breeze.

You approach Leo, sword raised, as he lies on the floor. The demon stared up at your sword, eyes wide with what looked like terror. But when his neck started to slowly jerk back and forth, it came to more closely resemble mania.

“S-So, that’s it, then? My reign... is over...”

The rest of the group walked over to look at Leo’s corpse, which continued to deteriorate. Jeff glared at him and said, “A king who rules by fear is no king at all.”

“Is that what you think?” Leo asked, “Well, y-you’re wrong! Someone will take up my mantle...and finish the task I set out to do...and they’ll make you pay for what you did...”

“Not on my watch they won’t.” Jeff replied.

Leo’s hands and feet were completely gone now, the dissipating edge of his body rapidly receding down his limbs. But Leo didn’t seem to care. A deranged grin covered his face as he heard Jeff’s words.

“No... You don’t intend to...”

Leo trailed off as he saw Jeff’s face, as solid as stone in his determination.

“This is the end, Leo. You’ve reigned for hundreds of years, and now the fruits of your efforts will be laid for all to see: a few scattered traces of ash on the floor of your throne room.”

“This isn’t right...This isn’t right!” Leo suddenly began to trash wildly on the floor. “I am Styv’li:och of the Demon Clan! I’m the most powerful creature to ever live! I single-handedly brought the Ectoscopian culture to the brink of extinction! I’ve never lost a fight! I am immortal! I cannot die!”

Entrepetron winced at the display. He put a hand to his head and mumbled, “Geez, this is just painful. Can someone just finish this?”

“...At first, I wanted to get revenge for what this creature did to my people,” Amythist added, “But now... it just feels depressing.”

You looked over at your teammates sympathetically and then let out a sigh. You slowly kneeled next to Leo’s body and raised your sword.

“No! You can’t do this!” Leo shouted, “I can’t die! I CAN’T DIIIIIEEEEEEEE!”

You brought the sword down hard. Leo let out a final gasp as the silver sword pierced his chest. The fiery rage finally drained from his eyes, giving them the appearance of dull, smoldering coal. Even the embers that had replaced his blazing blue hair were completely faded away.

You gave one last look to Leo’s remains and then yanked the sword out. Streams of dark smoke flowed from the newly opened wound, which rapidly enlarged as Leo’s chest turned to ash. A faint stench drifted through the air as the rest of Leo’s body dissolved and swirled upward, a light breeze slowly carrying the dust through the broken stained-glass window.

Leo had cheated death for centuries, but now the Grim Reaper had finally taken its due.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust...

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Once Leo was gone, the room rested in contemplative silence for a while. Eventually, Entrepetron walked over to Jeff and nudged him lightly on the side of his chest. “Ha! I bet Leo’s rolling in his grave after all that stuff you said! Man...saying you were taking over as Overlord of the demons... I always knew you had a sense of humor!”

“‘Humor’?” Jeff asked, “Don’t be ridiculous. All of that was true.”

Entrepetron chuckled delightfully and then stopped himself. “W-Wait, what?!”

“I meant what I said. I intend to personally take the helm of the demon clan. Is that a problem?”

“B-But...forgive me if I sound crass, but why?” Entrepetron asked, “I’m sick and tired of dealing with these people!”

“No, I think I understand,” Amythist said, “You wish to lead the demons and goblins in line with your principles instead of Leo’s, right?”

“Precisely,” Jeff explained, “The fact that our kind is constantly viewed as the enemy by Ectoscapians and robots alike...that’s the problem I intend to fix.”

“At the very least, you’re certainly more trustworthy of an emperor than anyone else we’ve met,” Amythist added.

You gave Jeff a thumbs-up and an affirmative nod as Amythist spoke.

“However,” she continued, “I am uncertain of how you intend to do this. I wouldn’t imagine it would be easy to get them to accept your rule...”

“Well, that’s where you’re wrong,” Jeff began, “As a matter of fact...”

Before Jeff could finish, the front door of the throne room swung open, slamming loudly against the wall. Two demons in obsidian armor with pointed spears stood on the other side. They were the same demons Jeff had locked outside with his broom earlier (before retrieving the weapon), except one of them now tightly clutched a muffin.

“Aha!” The muffin-less guard shouted, “I told you you couldn’t keep us out for long! And now, we’re going to absolutely destroy you and get that promotion we were promised from...Wait, where’s Steve?”

You raise your hand as if to say, “I’m Steve!”

“NO!” The other goblin shouted, slamming his muffin onto the ground. “Not that Steve, our Steve! Styv’li:och, the Great Overlord of the Demon Clan!”

“Where is he?” Jeff gestured towards the destroyed remains of Leo’s throne. “...You’re breathing him in now.”

The two guards looked around in confusion for a few moments, clearly not getting the picture. But then, aghast looks crossed their face. They began to tremble wildly, aiming the points of their spears at Jeff.

“Y-You defeated Steve?” One of the demons stammered, “H-How?”

Jeff stared threateningly at the demons and pounded his broom on the ground. “...Care to find out?”

This proved itself too much for the two guards. They tossed their spears to the side with a clatter and fell to their knees, shaking their fists pleadingly. The demon who previously wielded the muffin shouted, “N-No! Please don’t kill us, Mr. Janitor sir! I have a really expensive donut waiting at home!”

“Yes, yes! Please, please!” The other demon added unhelpfully.

“Hmm...Perhaps I’ll leave you be...” Jeff continued, “Assuming that you accept my rule as the new Overlord of this clan.”

“O-Of course,” the demon continued, “B-By the law of the clan, that title goes to the strongest demon...a-and you’ve no doubt proven yourself... R-Really, you don’t have to prove yourself any more!”

“Excellent,” Jeff smiled, “Now I think you two’d better show me around. I have a lot of changes in mind for this place.”

Many cries of “Yes” and “Of course, of course” rang out as the two demons escorted Jeff out of the room, still somewhat trembling.

Once they were gone, you turned to look for the others. Entrepetron was still right next to you, but Amythist was gone. Looking behind you, you found her staring out of one of the stained glass windows. You and the robot shared a worried look before slowly approaching her.

When you arrived, Amythist was leaning against the windowsill, looking out at the cavern walls beyond the window. The two of you stood on either side of her, following her gaze. A companionable silence passed until Amythist spoke.

“You know...despite all this...I find it hard to celebrate...”

Entrepetron folded his hands on the windowsill and looked down at them with a small frown. “...Because of your people, right?”

“Exactly,” Amythist said, “Even after all this, there was nothing I could do for them...”

Entrepetron nodded at you and added, “Well, because of us, you prevented Steve’s people from being brought to the same fate. That counts for something, right?”

“Maybe...” Amythist mumbled, “But...even after hundreds of years, Ectoscape is still dead. Once I’m gone, it’ll all be over. All that’s left will be a few scattered buildings...”

Finding that your silver sword was still hanging loosely in your hand, you sighed and sheathed it. Even though you wanted to fight, it didn’t seem there was anything you could fight anymore. Eventually, you just let out a sigh and turned to walk away.

But then, Entrepetron said something that stopped you in your tracks.

“Wait...Maybe there’s another way.”

You turned to see the robot looking towards the ceiling, rubbing his chin. A confident, cunning grin covered his face.

“We may not be able to bring back the dead...but we can create a more hopeful future.”

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The doors of the capitol building swung open. Everyone hurried through the small antechamber, entering the main hall of the building. The EctoVote machine cast its dull light across the barren and broken room. As you rushed inside, you were surprised to discover a familiar figure emerging from the right hallway. He adjusted his glasses and leered skeptically at you, a book tucked against his short frame. It was the Literary Goblin.

“Hmm... I didn’t expect to see you lot again,” the goblin muttered, “What brings you here?”

“The EctoVote Collector!” Entrepetron quickly replied, “The Ectoscapins who’ve been uploaded there. Is there a way to get them back?”

The Literary Goblin seemed taken aback by the question. He adjusted his glasses and replied, “Err... Well, I haven’t looked into it much myself, but I believe it’s possible. Still, it’d be dangerous to do so with the Overlord of the demons still on the loose.”

“Well, believe it or not...” Amythist explained, “He’s dead.”

The goblin’s eyes widened in surprise. “...What?”

“She’s correct.” Jeff said, “We’ve defeated Styv’li:och and put an end to his evil machinations once and for all. I don’t think the demons and goblins will be an issue any longer... not while I’m in command.”

“W-Well, then...” the Literary Goblin continued, clearly quite taken aback by this news. “Something must be done at once! Follow me!”

The Literary Goblin rushed into the left hallway, and the rest of your group followed him. The goblin stopped at one of the doors and pulled it open, and everyone entered.

The group found themselves within the EctoVote Collector room for the second time. The large blue machine still sat firmly in the corner of the room, it’s small screen glowing faintly. A solemn mood took on the group as they stared at the body of Cilikon, the Ectoscapian who had died ensuring the safety of many others, just another victim of Leo’s ambitions.

Entrepetron shook his head and walked to the EctoVote Collector, carefully stepping around Cilikon’s remains. He tapped the screen, causing it to blaze to life. A familiar menu appeared, with options reading “Assign Candidate”, “Check Ballot”, “End Election”, and “Files.”

Before Entrepetron had a chance to add himself to the ballot, the Literary Goblin appeared at his side. He pointed at the screen and explained, “Obviously, what you’re looking for should be in the ‘Files’ section.”

As Entrepetron opened the Files menu, the rest of the group gathered around him. A large array of folders and programs spread out before Entrepetron, including the “au.exe” program they had previously used. Of course, that wasn’t the file the group had in mind. Entrepetron found himself staring vacantly at the terminal, overwhelmed by the sheer number of programs.

“Uhh...” Entrepetron said.

“Allow me,” the Literary Goblin interjected, leaning closer to the terminal. He tapped through the menus with surprising dexterity, searching for the all-important file.

“I know it’s around here somewhere... Ah, this looks promising.”

He opened one of the files, which turned out to be completely empty except for a single program.

“That should be the correct one.” He backed away from the terminal, gesturing towards it. “I’ll let one of you do the honors.”

Your group looked at each other expectantly for a few moments, until Amythist nudged herself to the front. She reached out for the program, but stopped with her finger hovering just before the screen.

She stared at the screen, taking deep breaths.

“A long time ago, when the disease first broke out... I chose to trap myself indefinitely in a treatment pod. My aim was to preserve my knowledge and expertise, so that those in the far future could benefit from it... in the case of a miracle happening.”

“Well, that seemed like it was a good call to me.” Entrepetron mumbled.

“But deep down... that’s not why I did it,” Amythist said, “The truth is, I was just selfish. All I wanted to do was live.”

After a short pause, Entrepetron replied, “Well, look at you now! No matter your motivations, it’s because you put yourself in that treatment pod that the world was made safe enough for us to do this!”

“Not to mention that your expertise would have done zilch in the face of that disease,” Jeff said bluntly. “But now, you’ll be essential to helping the Ectoscapians trapped in the machine return to some sense of normalcy... After the program is activated, that is.”

Amythist’s hand wavered. “But... I didn’t deserve this more than the rest of the doctors in that hospital... The ones that are-”

“Stop right there. If there was ever a point where you were selfish, it’s now.” Jeff said, “Don’t let your guilt prevent you from doing what needs to be done... If you must redeem yourself, do it by ensuring the survival of Ectoscape.”

You put a hand on Amythist’s shoulder reassuringly and nodded at her. Amythist let out one last sigh and said, “Fine... You’re right. No point in dwelling on the past. Not anymore...”

Amythist reached forward and started the program.

>Running program “hello-world.exe”

A low hum emerged from the EctoVote Collector, every screen on its surface igniting with blue light. The group waited in anticipation as the progress bar on-screen slowly approached 100%.

As the minutes filtered by, the group couldn’t shake the feeling that something had changed. The very air around them felt more natural and full of life. By the time the program had nearly finished, they noticed an unquestionable difference in the atmosphere of the capitol: a faint cacophony of voices was coming from somewhere nearby.

You didn’t even wait for the bar to finish filling before you charged out of the room, everyone else rushing to follow you. The voices became louder as you turned and scurried down the hallway. Upon approaching the lobby, you were met with an amazing sight.

They were Ectoscapians. Real, living Ectoscapians.

They filtered throughout the main hall in various states of confusion, looking around the room or gazing at their hands in awe. Your group lingered in the doorway, staring at this new and completely unexpected sight.

“I can’t believe it...” Amythist muttered, on the verge of tears. “I’m...I’m not the only one anymore...”

This scene, though it was certainly heartwarming, was short lived. For the moment the Ectoscapians noticed your group lingering by the entrance, they broke out into a clamorous panic.

As the Ectoscapians scampered violently about the room various horrified screams filled the air, including “Aaugh, it’s a demon!”, “Aaugh, it’s a goblin!”, “Aaugh, I don’t even know what that is!”, and the all-encompassing “AAUUUGHH!”

You and the others shouted desperately, attempting to reassure the Ectoscapians that there was nothing to be worried about, but your efforts only added to the overwhelming clamor. Just when it seemed like there was no quieting the mob, DoomBOTy, who still exists, calmly rolled into the crowd, aiming his satellite dish toward the ceiling. He suddenly shot a ball of lightning into the air, which proceeded to explode like a firework, making a noise loud enough to stop all of the Ectoscapians in their tracks.

The room immediately went from complete madness to deafening silence. After a few moments, Entrepetron stepped forward, taking the opportunity to speak.

“Please, everyone, remain calm. You have nothing to worry about anymore!”

The Ectoscapians shared nervous glances until one of them shouted, “What are you talking about? S-Someone’s taken us out of the machine that was supposed to protect us from the demons and th-that disease. And you do realize that there’s a d-demon and some weird disfigured person right behind you, right?”

Entrepetron gestured at the demon and weird disfigured person and said, “This is Jeff and Steve Johnson. Steve comes from the land above. There’s no reason to fear them - it’s because of them that Ectoscape is once again safe for you all to live in!”

“Th-The World Above?” The Ectoscapian continued, “I thought that was just a myth?”

“And Ectoscape is safe now? How is that even possible?” Another Ectoscapian asked, “How long were we even in that program...”

“All excellent questions,” Entrepetron replied, “But it wouldn’t feel right to tell you all of that now. How about this? We have another Gracegivings feast, using whatever we can scrounge up, and weave the tale over that? What do you say?”

The Ectoscapians exchanged skeptical glances. Eventually, one who looked a little older than the others stepped forward. He walked right up to your group and extended a hand.

“Well, it seems like a fine idea to me...mostly on account of me being totally famished, that is.” Turning halfway, he added, “I’d recommend the rest of you join. Frankly, I have no clue what’s going on, so why don’t we all find out together?”

Slowly, the general confusion and uncertainty gave way to a few nods and affirmatory words. Though the Ectoscapians were still confused and somewhat nervous, they seemed to cheer up at the idea of hosting a grand feast.

“Excellent. Now, let’s get to it then, eh?” The aged Ectoscapians said as he turned back around, stretching out his arm for Entrepetron.

Entrepetron smiled and shook it, with more force than was perhaps necessary.

The Ectoscapian gave Entrepetron a knowing look and added, “This better be worth the wait.”

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The dining hall was filled with Ectoscapians, talking dynamically to each other at a considerable volume. They didn’t seem to be talking about anything in particular; they just seemed to be talking for the sake of talking, finally having the opportunity to speak naturally and fully.

Still, an apprehensive tension underlay the delighted discussion. Everyone understood that the only Ectoscapians left alive were gathered in this very room. But no one thought about that yet. Now was the time to give thanks for their life. Reflecting on their dead would come later.

Somehow, everyone had managed to scrounge up enough leftover, unspoiled food and drink to cover several tables. It wasn’t as much as food as in the previous artificial feast you’d had here, and it didn’t look quite as appetizing, but after everything you’d been through, you were willing to eat just about anything. And the more bits of unidentifiable meat you shoved into your mouth, the less it really seemed to matter.

You sat at one end of a dining table, opposite from Jeff and Amythist, who sat side by side. Amythist was talking to a large group of Ectoscapians nearby, clearly overjoyed to speak with anyone of her species again. Meanwhile, Jeff calmly ate his meal, clearly feeling like a bit of a third wheel in the whole situation, but not quite willing to join the Literary Goblin in reading vast tomes in the corner of the room. DoomBOTy was also present, and it seemed to be a bit of a hit among the Ectoscapians. It rolled across the top of the table, raking in the attention.

Jeff turned and glared at it. “Show-off...” He mumbled, though the traces of a grin were clear on his face.

However, the main act attracting the attention of the Ectoscapians was Entrepetron. He stood at the wall directly to your left, dramatically recounting your group’s adventure. Going from your initial meeting in the abandoned minecart station to the final defeat of Leo in his own throne room, he discussed the entire tale in vivid detail. The Ectoscapians cheered at every victory, gasped at every twist, and discussed excitedly in every break Entrepetron took.

Of course, you and the rest of your group weren’t paying attention to it, beyond ensuring that he didn’t take any creative liberties. Around the point when he began discussing the fight with Ectoscape’s insane electric president, you asked the others what they planned to do next.

“What, me?” Amythist asked, “Well, I’m not really sure yet... Like the rest of you said, I think my medical expertise will be necessary in returning the Ectoscapians to their normal lives. As much as I hate to say it, every life counts now...”

“It may be impossible to return them to their normal lives,” Jeff observed, “Their civilization was nearly wiped out, which isn’t something you can just get over easily... You’ll have to be ready to counsel them mentally as well.”

“Of course, that’s true,” Amythist said, “I suppose moving forward, it may be better to forge a new Ectoscape than to try to rebuild the old one. What happened was a tragedy, but it’s history now. We can’t just ignore it.”

“Indeed. Perhaps it would be good to bring up these ideas yourself,” Jeff said, “Have you considered leading the new Ectoscape?”

“No, certainly not,” Amythist replied, looking taken aback by the idea. “I couldn’t command all of these people on my own and act as their doctor. I’m not even sure how the new president is going to be determined. We can’t run an election without any candidates...”

Hearing this dilemma, you proposed the idea of an assembly, rather than a single leader.

“Hmm...Perhaps...” Amythist mumbled, “In any case, I’ll certainly join the assembly to figure out what we’ll even do next. But for now, I’d rather not think about it. I think everyone could use at least a short moment of respite.”

“Fair enough,” Jeff said, smiling. “My apologies, I’ve never been one to just relax.”

You asked Jeff what he planned to do next.

“Ah...See, I’ve already been planning ahead while Entrepetron’s been talking.” Jeff said, smiling. “As the new Overlord of the demons, my first business will be trashing the Overlord title. I’d rather be called something less brutish, like a ‘president’ or... ‘king.’”

“Really, now?” Amythist said, “I’d have thought you’d be inclined to the opposite. Something like ‘Jeff the Heartless Executioner’”

“Hey, we're still legally at war. Don’t push your luck,” Jeff said, trying and failing to sound intimidating. “Anyway, second of all, I want to improve relations between demons and Ectoscapians. I don’t believe goblins have natural hatred of those different from them...It seems as if Styv’li:och programmed that in himself. So, I think it’s possible that they could maintain good relations with you...and perhaps even robots as well.”

“Well, that’s quite a lofty goal,” Amythist replied, “I imagine many of the Ectoscapians would be against that.”

“I never said it would be easy,” Jeff added, “But I think it’s necessary. Imagine all the cultural development that would take place if everyone living here could just get along and share our knowledge? Even if it takes years, months, decades...it would be worth the effort.”

You ask if Jeff has decided on any more steps in his plan.

“Oh, yes, of course. The third and final step: improve our dental plan. Those goblins have some smelly teeth...” There wasn’t a trace of humor in his tone or expression.

“Well...it’s good to have a concrete plan, I suppose,” Amythist mumbled, “Speaking of which, what about you, Steve? What are your plans?”

Admittedly, you hadn’t really thought about it. But upon being prompted, you immediately glanced up towards the roof...toward home

Anythist smiled and nodded slowly. “Well, I’m not surprised. The Ectoscapian people owe you a great debt, which we will likely never repay. And yet, I imagine there must be a lot more for you up there than down here...”

You nodded despondently, slowly sticking your fork into the mysterious meat before you.

“Hey, there’s no need to be down,” Jeff said, “We all understand. And it’s not as if you can’t come visit if you're ever interested.”

“Exactly. We’d offer to do the same, of course, if not for the fact that it’d lead to widespread panic.” Amythist added with a wry smile.

You and Jeff chuckled at the thought, and the conversation shifted to new topics. Meanwhile, Entrepetron continued his tale, moving on to your struggles with the TORCH Squad at the abandoned fire station. And the joyful mood, fine food, and delightful conversation continued for many hours to come.

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Slowly, the store of food laid across the table depleted. The jovial mood of the beginning of the feast was replaced with exhausted contentedness. Even the torches in the wall sconces seemed to be glowing more dimly. Most of the Ectoscapians would have probably left at this point if not for the fact that they had nowhere to go. They simply stuck together, likely waiting to see who would drift off to sleep first.

Entrepetron had long since finished his story. Though he had hung around for a short while, he left soon afterwards without informing anyone. He was always somewhat of a spontaneous fellow, but you were somewhat disappointed that you wouldn’t get to ask him what he planned to do next.

Indeed, you were likely not to see him again, at least not for some time. Those regretful thoughts passed through your head as you pushed open the front doors of the capitol building. You hadn’t wanted to disturb the others with a dramatic goodbye, so you had simply slipped out when the others weren’t watching. You’d already come close enough to saying your goodbyes earlier anyway, so there wasn’t really much more to add. And after everything, you weren’t sure you were truly ready to bid the others farewell.

So, feeling somewhat convinced in your choices, you walked out to where the minecart was waiting on the track. You climbed inside and looked over the list of places. The school... the gym... the city complex... the travel organization and the fire station... the hospital... and the tower. You had been to a lot of places on your journey, and despite their initial familiarity, they all contained things you never once suspected you’d see.

But for every hello, there must always be a goodbye. In order to set anything in front of you, you must first put something behind you.

You pressed a button on the console.

A high-pitched whirring noise filled the air as the minecart revved up its engine and launched into the tunnel. No matter how many times you had taken this cart, you had never gotten used to the speed. You slammed your eyes shut, hands clawing tightly on the rim of the minecart, until you felt it roll to a stop with a painful jerk.

When you opened your eyes, you found yourself in front of the only minecart station you’d visited, in which a single ladder led from Ectoscape to the abandoned metro stations under your city. That ladder was the only thing separating the unbelievable time you’d had down here from your generic, familiar life above the surface.

You slowly climbed out of the cart and shuffled across the minecart station, past the dilapidated, collapsed ticket booth where you had first met Entrepetron. Approaching the ladder tucked away in a remote corner of the station, you took a deep breath and placed your hand on the closest rung.

“Oi, mate, where do you think you’re going?”

You turned towards the sound of the voice. Entrepetron had suddenly appeared behind you, sitting on the old ticket booth. Despite everything, you weren’t particularly surprised to see him there.

“Thought you could just clear out without bidding adieu to your favorite robot, eh? Well, you’ll have no such luck, I’m afraid.” He looked up at you and flashed a grin, but somehow not even his metallic exterior could hide the melancholy he was feeling inside.

You slowly turned and walked over to Entrepetron, just as he slowly got up and walked over to you. When the two of you met somewhere in the middle, neither of you seemed certain what to say. You hardly needed to speak to know what the other person was thinking.

Eventually, you decided to just ask the question that had been weighing on your mind. What did Entrepetron intend to do next?

“Me? Honestly...I don’t know myself. I don’t think there’s anywhere I really belong.” Entrepetron said, “So perhaps I’ll just go everywhere. You know, a little of Robopolis, a little of the new Ectoscape, maybe a few trips to visit the demons and goblins if it ever becomes safe... I think...I think I’d like to tell stories.”

You asked him what he intended to tell stories about.

“Oh...I’m not sure... I sorta already milked the tale of our adventures to the ground, huh?” Entrepetron said, laughing. “I guess I’m not like Jeff or Amythist. They’ve got their life planned out to the last detail, but me...I’d rather just go with the flow. I’m sure I’ll find inspiration somewhere.”

As Entrepetron explained himself, you smiled and nodded encouragingly. Then, you pulled out your Silver Sword, with all the Spell Stones still slotted inside, and held it out to him.

“You want me to have this, huh?” Entrepetron said, “Well, I suppose you couldn’t really get much use out of it up there... In which case, how could I not accept?”

Entrepetron reached out and took the sword from your hands. He swung it lazily, trying to get a feel for its weight, and then calmly aimed it behind him, blasting a ball of fire at the toppled ticket booth, which subsequently exploded. A giddy grin broke through Entrepetron’s face as burning shards of wood landed all around him. “Yeah, I think I’ll get a lot of fun outta this!”

You briefly laughed at Entrepetron’s display of pyromania, but then found a solemn mood overtake you as you finally considered what you were about to do. You looked from your empty hand up to the ceiling far above, to the place where you’d come from.

Sensing the shift in the mood, Entrepetron’s face fell. He looked at you contemplatively for a moment and eventually said, “Hmm...You’re thinking ‘bout how hard it will be to just be a normal guy up there after everything you’ve gone through, right?”

Your eyes widened in surprise for a moment at the robot’s quick deduction, but you still nodded affirmatively. Entrepetron sighed and then looked away for a moment, thinking. Eventually, he began to speak.

“You know, I wonder... Why does the time you spend up there have to be any different from the time you spent down here?”

You gave Entrepetron a confused look. Smiling, he continued.

“I mean, it’s all based on your perspective, really. Just because you’re not picking up a sword or fighting monsters doesn’t mean you can’t have adventures. You just need to know where to look for them, right?”

Entrepetron looked up at the ceiling. “I don’t know much about how things operate up there. I know Leo thought of you as something of a generic dude, but it really doesn’t seem that way to me. So, why couldn’t anyone up there see it...? Why did they try to lump you in with all the others?” He tilted his head contemplatively. “Hmm... Maybe...”

Entrepetron walked up to you and put a hand on your shoulder. The two of you stared at the ladder leading aboveground as he talked earnestly into your ear.

“I think I’ve figured it out now. They say you’re generic and average, but that’s only because humanity is exceptional. Everyone fits in because they all stand out in their own individual way.”

“So, what are you waiting for?” Entrepetron said, giving you a quick shove forward. “Go be exceptional.”

You stumbled ahead, putting a hand forward to stop yourself. Once you had grabbed hold of the closest rung of the ladder, you turned and looked behind you. Entrepetron gave one last grin and waved farewell, and then he was gone, teleporting away in a bolt of electricity.

Now that there was no reason to stay at the train station, you looked up towards the top of the ladder, thinking of what lay ahead. You put your foot on the first rung, then the next. And on and on like that, up you went.

Each successive rung brought you closer to the faint light that filtered down from the world above. Each successive rung brought you closer to new, unimaginable adventures.

Each successive rung brought you closer to the future.


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