Chapter Text
martyn snuck into the library. "okay martyn, let's move-" the door opened behind him. oh no. oh no. OH NO. martyn turned around and came face to face with ren. "hi ren!" he squeaked out. ren laughed. "Martyn, what are you doing? it's past school hours dude!" martyn laughed awkwardly. "yeah it is! but uhh, i gotta do something here." martyn was sweating. oh god martyn had to get him out before the portal opened. "hehe, anyway you should go home!" owen and apo walk in behind ren. "what's going on martyn?" martyn gulped. "Nothing owen, nothing at all-"
"cyberrip open." owen laughed awkwardly as apo blinked. "wait what? martyn what's happening-" martyn awkwardly smiled as apo, him, owen, and ren got sucked into the portal.
"WHAT THE- AHHHHHH!" apo flailed around as she fell. "MARTYN, HOW ARE YOU SO CALM?!?" martyn shrugged. "I've...done this before." apo turned their head to him slowly. "you. what." martyn shrugged awkwardly. "i'll explain when we get to hq-" owen grabbed him by his shoulders and started shaking him for a second before he realised that falling while shaking someone was not a good idea. "WHAT. ARE. YOU. TALKING ABOUT!?!" martyn sighed. "here goes...THOSE COMPUTER GAMES WE PROGRAMMED FOR THAT CONTEST ARE NOW PART OF THIS ALTERNATE WORLD CALLED CYBERSPACE WHICH IS SOMEHOW OLDER THEN HUMANITY, AND ALL THE CHARACTERS WE MADE IN IT ARE SENTIENT, AND ALSO I'VE BEEN PROTECTING THEM AND THEIR GOD-ENTITY-LADY-PERSON THE DATASTREAM FOR THE PAST TWO MONTHS. woo. feels good to finally talk about that." everyone's jaws dropped. "W H A T?!? G E N U I N E L Y W H A T?!?"
martyn frowned. "i'm sorry i didn't tell you guys. i thought i'd sound crazy." owen scoffed and then immediately looked down at his hands. "Okay yeah you definitely would have- woah!-" owen fell away from the group.
owen landed into a chair and so did the others. "good morning marty- oh. you have brought friends." martyn laughed awkwardly. "yep. it was a woopsie though! sorry ma'am. guys this is datastream." datastream beeped. "issue, issue, C.H.E.S.T present in pantheon." ren blinked. "WHO IS C.H.E.S.T?!?" martyn sighed. "evil corporation that wants to control the whole internet and since cyberspace is one of the last bastions they've been trying to take it over or destroy it." ren gasped. "that's horrible. they're sentient, and we've worked so hard on it!" martyn nodded. "yeah. plus they're...tech bros. ai loving, minimalist tech bros." owen gagged. "oh god no."
martyn frowned. "no time to talk. i gotta go-" martyn felt a tug on his arm. "we're coming with you dude! i'm your best friend, and owen and apo made this world. there's no way i'll let you go alone, and there's no way they'll let chest screw this place over." martyn scoffed. "sorry, but this is way too dangerous for you guys. back me up here data." datastream had a calm motherly tone as she said "actually martyn, i belive that having more assistance may help you." martyn's stomach dropped. "WHAT?!?" datastream sighed. "i know it is dangerous, but you were once like them. i know that you worry about them but they are also coders. i am sure they can handle it." the others highfived.
martyn was worried about his friends, he really was. but secretly he was also kinda jealous. come on! this was his thing! it had been his thing for months! so as he piled into the ship with his friends, he couldn't help but be kinda upset. but it would be fine, right?