Days at the Arcade

Chapter 10: To Simulate a Nightmare (Bibi)

"Bi- Bibi. Glad to finally meet yo- ou- ou in person."

I heard the venom from his voice dripping to the floor like a leaking faucet before I even opened my eyes. Without a look I could tell who he was, partially because I didn't know many other sentient arcade machines.

I didn't know how or why I was here, forget about where. Just seconds ago I was outnumbered a literal million to one. Tanks huffing out steam, an entire farm's worth of bee-like robots, and the masses of military that came marching out the doors to face me...

It was beyond indescribable.

The important thing now was that I was here, and I'll be the judge of whether it's any better then what I was facing before.

My eyes reluctantly opened, finding myself locked to a cushioned seat, cuffed by my wrists to the arms of a mahogany oak chair. Quick relief ran across my face as I found Mr. Bat resting at my feet, staring at me with a frown as always.

Sitting across me was 8-bit, a green glitched outlook about him. An entire subway map was imprinted on his skin with a dented frame to match. One arm was nearly falling out of its socket and a ripped leg out of the new spider-like four he had sprawled across his seat.

He leaned back relaxing nonetheless. The light from the ceiling reflected off his smile on his cracked screen and a crooked V he wore at the top of his head. He gently snapped his fingers, a second later, a vinyl machine with a green outlined disk already inserted played a glitched, scratchy variation of 'Put on your Sunday Clothes'. He snapped again and a green mug of black slushy liquid appeared in his hand. From the smell, it was oil, despite him being an arcade cabinet and not a car.

I wasn't interested in his beverage selection anyway, or his taste in music either. I scowled at him, putting as much contempt as I could into my glare. "Where am I? What the hell are you doing to him? What are you supposed to be?" I snapped all three questions with no hesitation between each.

His grin widened unnervingly as he drank, tipping his entire body back to take a sip. "Ha a- a-, ha!" His laughing was broken, sounded as if he was wheezing every time he spoke. "You're everything I- I- I expected! Rude and straight to business, just h- how I like it! Got that from your father- sibling- guardian- didn't you?"

I didn't respond.

He sneered. "Oh right, you don't even know who he- he is, or the status he holds in your life. I- I could tell you of course, but what fun would th- that be?

I snorted. "You don't know me anymore than you can speak properly, illiterate fuck."

He huffed, summoning a green spoon to stir his cup. "Now, n- n- now, keep your profanity in check Bibi. Didn't you have a mother to wash that dirty tongue of yours?"

My nostrils flared. I clenched my own fists as they vibrated in place. "You-"

He cut me off with a guffaw. "Oh, that's right! Nearly for- forgot that part of the story. I c- c- can imagine you were teased for having a single parent in second grade, w- were- eren't you, bastard child?"

I was nearly speechless. Emphasis on nearly. I seethed, steaming through gritted teeth. "I- I will-"

He suddenly snapped his fingers and green tape appeared and wrapped across my mouth and the back of my neck. I let out a muffled snarl, enraged.

He sighed. "'I will sp- sp- out a series of curses that's approximately 72% obscenities?" He mocked. "Lis- lis- listen. I didn't bring you here to have my speech fall on de- deaf- ignorant eaARs." He hiccupped, thumping his chest. "With those morons having escaped due to that insufferable scrap of a hero, I need to throw my forces at them before they regroup with others."