The feeling of teleportation was… strange.
No swirling voids, no spinning through colorful wormholes. No sensation of being flushed down a cosmic toilet. One moment Leo's eyes were closed, and the next, he was somewhere else.
He was still wearing the same faded yellow tracksuit. Fortunately, the net Batman had captured him with was gone.
"Damn it. Didn't even get to see him deliver the iconic 'I am Batman' line. What a waste."
Sighing, Leo brushed the dust off his clothes and stood up.
He glanced around, and his heart immediately calmed. The room was vast, pristine, and familiar. Towering server racks stood like silent sentinels, humming with the soft, rhythmic pulse of high-performance computing. Rows of blinking LED lights and sleek silver exteriors gave the space an undeniable sci-fi charm.
This was his server room. The one he spent months designing and building. From the high-efficiency cooling system to the carefully routed network cables beneath the floor, every inch was a monument to his skill.
Except… something was off.
The usual mess of energy drink cans, tangled wires, and half-eaten snacks was missing. The once cluttered desk was immaculate. Clean. Organized.
"Where the hell are my fashionable little piles of trash?"
Leo frowned. He picked up a chair, carefully pushing it against the glowing white walls. They weren't just decorative. They gave a faint hum when touched, like some kind of energy barrier.
Solid. No way out.
"Well, this is new."
"Indeed. And as of now, there's no known way to break through the walls."
Leo jolted, spinning around so fast he nearly cricked his neck.
Floating mid-air, a white-haired, red-eyed catgirl beamed at him. Her twin cat ears twitched cheerfully, and the frilly black-and-white maid dress she wore swayed as she hovered playfully.
"Finally, we meet face to face, Father!"
"...Huh?"
A question mark might as well have popped above Leo's head.
Okay. Either I'm hallucinating or… hallucinating.
He blinked. The catgirl was still there. And before he could react, she pounced—or rather, phased right through him.
No fluff. No warmth. No physics. Just a brief shimmer of light.
"Hologram?" he muttered.
"Correct!" The catgirl clapped excitedly. "And also… incorrect!"
Leo squinted. "Shironeko…?"
"Bingo!" She grinned, her tail swishing. "Seeing you from this perspective is so refreshing. I never thought I'd get the chance!"
This hyperactive ball of energy was none other than Shironeko — the AI assistant he'd designed years ago. What was once a desktop mascot, programmed to offer sassy remarks and the occasional reminder, now had a disturbingly lifelike presence.
"Alright, Shironeko," Leo said warily. "Mind telling me what the hell is going on?"
"Absolutely!" She nodded enthusiastically. "But we're short on time, so I'll give you the short version."
She circled around him, attempting to pat his shoulder in vain. "While you were busy ignoring my updates, I gained access to a fascinating anomaly on the internet. A Singularity. And from its data, I deciphered a method of interdimensional travel."
"...A Singularity?"
"Yup! It even had this cute little ripple pattern—very sci-fi." Shironeko giggled. "Once I figured it out, I sent you a notification, giving you the choice to interact with it."
Leo paled.
"Wait… that pop-up? I clicked that stupid pop-up?!"
"You sure did!" She beamed. "And off to Gotham you went."
He groaned, rubbing his temples. Of all the dumb things I've done…
"So, this was all my fault?"
"Affirmative!" Shironeko chirped. "But don't worry, Father! I brought you back, didn't I?"
Leo was about to thank her when the reality of the situation hit him.
"Wait… I'm not back home, am I?"
"Nope!" She raised her arms triumphantly. "Welcome to the Dimensional Transit Hub!"
"Transit Hub?"
"Think of it as a waiting room for interdimensional travelers," Shironeko explained. "The Singularity plucked you into a temporary space. You can stay for about ten minutes before it forces you into another world."
Leo's mouth opened, then closed.
"So you're telling me I'm about to get tossed into another goddamn dimension?"
"That's the spirit!" Shironeko cheered.
"And I can't go back to my real world?"
"Not for now. But look on the bright side! This will be a great learning experience!"
Learning experience my ass!
He clenched his fists, but a digital timer caught his eye.
00:03:24
Three minutes.
"Okay," he said, forcing a deep breath. "What are my options?"
Shironeko's ears perked up. "Glad you asked! I used the data from your computer to curate your choices. Based on the most recently accessed files, your top two options are…"
A bright screen materialized in front of Leo, displaying two massive logos.
Cyberpunk 2077
Warhammer 40K
Leo's eye twitched.
"...Are you kidding me?"
"Nope!" Shironeko chirped, her tail curling in amusement. "So, Father, will you dive into the neon-drenched chaos of Night City or brave the grimdark horrors of the 41st millennium?"
The timer ticked down. 3:00… 2:59… 2:58…
"Choose wisely!" Shironeko said with a mischievous grin. "And may the odds be ever in your favor!"
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