Title: Memento of Humanity
Summary: Turbo's downfall had always weighed heavily on Felix, but he had always felt more anger towards the racer than grief, and eventually, he felt absolutely nothing at all for his former friend. However, he soon comes to realize that underneath all the cruelty, the narcissism, and the lies…he still cared.
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: The film "Wreck-It Ralph" and its characters are property of Disney. I do not make any profit from these writings.
The arcade had closed just a short time ago. After having returned inside the penthouse, Felix quickly scurried to his room, where he hung his latest medal on the wall with his many others, smiling proudly. Sure, the medals were nice, and he always accepted them with gratitude, but he saw them as more of a reminder as to how far his game had come, not really as a reminder of how many games he had actually won. Thirty years was such a long time, and not too many games made it that far.
"A lot of history," the handyman said quietly as he marveled at the vast collection of medals. A knock at the door pulled Felix out of his thoughts and he quickly turned to see Ralph sticking his head through the doorway. It would have been too much of a hassle for the wrecker to try and fit his large body through the door.
"Are you up for going to Tapper's?" his colleague asked. The shorter man perked up slightly.
"Oh! I haven't been there in ages!" he commented as he started to make his way toward the door to join his co-worker. He greeted the Nicelanders as they made their way down to the ground level, informing them of where he was going.
"You should probably take Calhoun sometime. I don't think she's ever been to Tapper's," Ralph suggested, and Felix instantly cringed. He was well-aware that his wife could be quite vicious even when she was sober. The thought of her possibly getting drunk nearly made him wet himself. He didn't even want to think.
Walking out the front door, the characters stepped out into the game's permanent nighttime setting, their surroundings illuminated by the lighting of the console screen. As the two made their way towards the game's exit, they immediately saw the little train creep out of the shadows and park itself at the station, a beaming, raven-haired child nestled in the first cart and waving enthusiastically. It wasn't a surprise to see her, as she visited quite often after closing.
"Well, Miss Vanellope, what brings you around these parts?" Felix asked politely as he tipped his cap to the child, who eagerly hopped out of the cart.
"I found something you might be interested in," she said as she reached into her pocket and pulled from it a gold medal. "This is yours, isn't it?" she asked, holding it up. "It looks just like the medals from your game. I found it in the castle!" Felix stepped forward in stunned silence, slowly reaching out a hand to take the item.
"Y-Yes," he said softly, resting the medal in his palm and running a thumb over its still quite shiny surface. "It's…It's the very first medal I ever earned."
Vanellope blinked, clearly baffled. "What was it doing in my game?" she asked, cocking her head slightly. Felix didn't seem to hear her, as he slowly turned and started making his way back to the apartment building, leaving behind a very confused Vanellope and a somewhat sympathetic Ralph.
"What's up with him?"
The wrecker sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I'll let him explain," he said, nodding for the girl to follow after him. He continued on his way to Tapper's, while Vanellope scampered into the building, having to stop and greet the Nicelanders as they crossed her path. When she finally made it into the penthouse, she quickly found Felix's room, where she found the repairman staring out the window, his back turned to her. The medal was still clutched in his hand, though it now hung by his side.
"What am I missing here?" the child asked as she slowly approached. "Why was your medal in my castle?"
Heaving a sigh, Felix lifted the medal to fondle it again, his thoughts clearly drifting. "Turbo had it," he answered softly.
"Why'd he steal your medal?"
"He didn't steal it. I gave it to him."
0ooooooo0
Thirty years earlier…
The repairman was clearly outside of his element as he stepped into the hustle and bustle of Game Central Station. "Oh my land," he squeaked as he gazed across the station, observing the dozens of characters as they walked about. Being new to the arcade was a somewhat scary feeling, but the handyman kept reminding himself that everyone here had been new at some point and getting out there and making friends would only ease the discomfort.
Clearing his throat, he took a step forward to greet the closest character. "Evening, neighbor!" he greeted cheerfully, but the character he addressed continued on his way without so much as a nod of acknowledgment. Smile fading, Felix scratched his temple. "Ugh…hello there!" he greeted the next character, who also failed to return his greeting.
"Watch it, newbie!" one character snapped rudely as he brushed past the handyman, knocking him to the ground.
"O-Oh, my fault," the small Good Guy stuttered nervously, struggling to get to his feet again.
"Step aside, I'm walking here!" another passerby scoffed as he nearly stomped on Felix's hand.
Face reddening slightly, Felix started to rise to his feet and attempt to make a dash back into his own game, but the abuse continued before he could so much as take two steps. A wave of taunts and jabs were thrown his way by various characters as they passed by, as well as physical abuse. Terms like 'newbie' and 'small fry' were heavily used, and he was constantly pushed back and forth between the abusers. In the end, the tiny character ended up shoved to the ground on his hands and knees while the bullies sauntered off, laughing as they went. For a split second, the repairman thought it over, but when he saw a shadow suddenly fall over him, he squeezed his eyes shut in preparation for more abuse.
"Hey," a voice greeted kindly. Felix managed to crack one eye open and look up, noticing a gray hand had been extended his way. He reluctantly accepted it and he was promptly helped to his feet. The character, dressed in a white jumpsuit and helmet, crouched down to pick up the handyman's blue cap, which had been knocked from his head during the assault. "Don't sweat it so much. This is what every new guy goes through," the gray-skinned character reassured, holding the cap out to the Good Guy.
"Really?" Felix asked meekly, blinking away tears of humiliation as he took his cap.
"Trust me," the character said as he placed his hands on his hips. "You should have seen me on my first day. People kept snatching my helmet off my head and playing keep away with it."
"That's horrible," the repairman said with a frown, his brows furrowing in anger, but the other character simply waved him off.
"It'll pass. It's sort of like a right of passage. Every new guy gets pushed around until the next game gets plugged in, and then the cycle continues."
"But why? That's just wrong. How does being new warrant being abused and pushed around?"
The white-clad character chuckled softly. "I guess it doesn't. But that's just how people are around here. They think they're so special and awesome because they've been here since the day the arcade opened. Trust me, it won't last forever. It might not even last a week. But if it bothers you that much, then I'd just stay in your own game until the next one gets plugged in. Say…have they dunked your head in the toilet yet?"
Felix took a step back, his eyes widening. "Goodness, no!"
"Hmm…well, give it a few minutes."
The poor protagonist looked like he might just faint. Turbo chortled as he punched him in the arm playfully. "Relax, I'm just yanking your chain! But still…watch your back." Smirking, the character waved as he proceeded past the repairman. "See ya, newbie," he teased.
"Wait!" Felix called to him and he instantly came to a halt, looking back over his shoulder. "What's your name, brother?"
The character smirked as he turned to face Felix directly. "Turbo. That's my game right over there," he said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder to the outlet just a short distance behind him.
"Hey…you're right next door to mine."
Blinking, Turbo glanced over his shoulder and settled his gaze on the outlet next door to his own. "Fix-It Felix Jr, huh? What happens in that game?"
"Well, the villain of the game, Ralph, seeks to destroy the home of a group of N.P.C.s called the Nicelanders, and my job is to fix the damage he causes." At this, Felix snatched the golden hammer from his belt and gave it a twirl. "This little beauty can fix anything. Just a few taps and bing! Good as new!"
"Hmm…a fix-it game, huh? Don't think I've ever seen anything like that. Do you get anything if you win?"
Felix smiled as he reached inside his shirt and pulled out a medal. "I won this on our first quarter of the day. I've won several others since then, but…I just couldn't bring myself to take this one off. It's kind of special."
"Winning feels pretty good, doesn't it?"
"Oh, it's fun, I suppose," Felix replied modestly as he tucked the medal back inside his shirt. "But honestly, I don't mind losing, either. It makes you appreciate when you do win even more."
The racer looked at the handyman as though he had just spoken a foreign language, but he didn't debate the statement and instead just shrugged it off.
Taking in the character's white jumpsuit and helmet, Felix smiled knowingly. "So I take it your game is all about racing?"
"Yep," Turbo replied proudly as he crossed his arms. "And I'm the best there is."
"How long have you been plugged in?"
"It'll be one year next week."
"Wow, congratulations!"
"I'm planning on having an anniversary party. Come if you'd like."
"Oh, ugh…sure, I'd love to."
"Great. The party's next Tuesday. Just come by after the arcade closes."
0ooooooo0
It would take several years for Felix to overcome his shyness at parties, but he felt obligated to attend the celebration for the only person who had showed him any kindness on his first day at the arcade. Perhaps he'd just stay long enough to say hi and then slip out. He was certain Turbo would have dozens of guests, and his attention would likely be scattered, so Felix knew he'd likely be spending most of his time by the snack table, looking awkward and out of place. After all, he didn't know anyone, so it wasn't like he could mingle with the other guests, and he was just far too shy around strangers to try and start up a conversation with anyone, especially after the events just four days prior. God, he hated being the new guy.
Felix knocked on the door to the racer's home and swallowed nervously, his anniversary gift clutched tightly in both hands. He could hear quite a bit of chatter on the other side of the door, which told him a good number of people had already arrived. He rocked back and forth on his heels anxiously, listening as footsteps approached.
The door swung open and Felix was promptly flashed a toothy, yellow grin. "I was beginning to wonder about you," Turbo greeted, holding the door open for the protagonist, who stepped inside nervously, visibly stiffening at the sight of all the guests. "Umm…listen, I'm never one to be rude, but…I don't think I'll stay long. I just wanted to stop by and give my congratulations-"
"What's the rush?"
Felix continued to whip his head from side to side, as though he were afraid someone was going to attack him. "It's just that…"
Seeing the Good Guy's discomfort, the racer's face softened. "Not comfortable with crowds?"
"Well…after what happened the other day…I don't know. Plus, I just don't know anyone here. I kind of feel like a fish out of water."
"Don't worry, I've been there. You'll make friends." The racer quickly grabbed Felix's wrist and led him through the crowd.
"Where're we going?"
"To introduce you to my co-workers."
Felix swallowed nervously as he was led to a pair of racers relaxing comfortably on the couch. They were both identical physically, with the same gray skin tone as Turbo, though they were clearly taller than the star racer. They also wore identical, blue racing jumpsuits, though one of them had chosen to remove his helmet. "Say hello to the newest addition to the arcade," Turbo said to the twins as he clapped the handyman on the back. One of the racers smirked.
"Sucks being the new guy, doesn't it?"
"Well…a little."
"This is Felix. He's the protagonist of his game. Felix, this is Piston," Turbo said as he gestured to the twin without a helmet. "And this is Throttle. They're my Challengers."
"Pleased to meet you both," Felix said politely, tipping his hat. Throttle eyed the rectangular box tightly clutched in the repairman's hand and raised a brow.
"What's that there?" he asked, nodding to the box.
"Oh, ugh…just an anniversary gift."
"What? Nothing for us?" Piston teased.
"Oh, I ugh…I'm sorry, I didn't-"
"Relax, he's just teasing. Aren't you, Piston?"
"Heck no! I like getting gifts, too!" the Challenger continued, grinning childishly. Smirking, Turbo wrapped an arm around the racer's neck and rubbed his knuckles against his scalp roughly, ruffling his dark brown hair. "Hey, hands off the hair, shorty!"
"You need a good fluff up, helmet hair!" Turbo shot back with a grin.
Piston managed to pry himself from the protagonist's grip and shoved him away. "Go drink punch or something," he quipped, though there was notable playfulness in his eyes. Smiling, Turbo nodded for Felix to follow him.
"You all seem like one big family of brothers," Felix remarked with a smile. Turbo gave a light snort.
"Well, Piston and Throttle are brothers. Well, sorta. I mean, they're not programmed as actual siblings. The people who programmed the game just didn't feel like coming up with another design for the second Challenger and so they just reused the one they already had. But you couldn't tell them that. They consider each other to be brothers. They never do anything apart, and if one is upset or hurt, the other can feel it."
"Really? Is it…like a sixth sense type of thing…or is it more to do with coding?"
"No, it's the coding. Their coding is identical, so…they're close in every sense of the word."
"Wow. So…if one of them were to die outside their game…would the other as well?"
"I honestly don't know and I try not to think about that, but they've already taken it into consideration. Which is why neither one of them ever leaves the game."
"But what if this game was ever under threat of being unplugged?"
Turbo suddenly looked very solemn. "They still wouldn't leave. They both said it would be too stressful for them to endure. Plus, this game is all they've ever known. They've never left it…so they'd rather die with it."
The Good Guy was stunned into silence, which made the racer uncomfortable. "Okay, happy time now," he said cheerfully as he brought the protagonist to the snack table. "Try the finger sandwiches."
0ooooooo0
Turbo opened the door to his trophy room and quickly urged the repairman inside. "I thought you could use a break from all the crazyness. I don't dare let those party animals in this room. They might break something important," he said with a somewhat cocky grin as his eyes scanned the vast collection of trophies. Felix also took a moment to marvel at the collection.
"But shouldn't you be out there entertaining guests?" he finally asked. "I mean, it is your party."
"Oh please," the racer scoffed, rolling his eyes. "They're not going to notice I'm gone! Do you really think people go to an anniversary party to celebrate your success? No! They just go for the food!" Turbo suddenly glanced down at the box still clutched in the Good Guy's hand. "Though you might be the exception. You're the only one who brought a gift."
Felix held the box out to the racer, smiling sheepishly. Like an excited little child, Turbo snatched the box with a grin and bounced over to the closest chair. Popping the lid off, his smile quickly faded and in its place was a look of intense curiosity. He pulled the medal from the box and held it up high, completely at a loss for words. He turned to the protagonist, who was looking back at him with bated breath, nervous of his response. "This is…this is your medal."
"My first one, yes," Felix confirmed with a quick nod.
"Why would you give me this? Your first medal?" Turbo asked softly.
Felix folded his arms behind his back and looked to the floor. "Well…you could have been like everyone else. You could have made my life miserable and bullied me like all the others, but you didn't. You reached out and made me feel like I belonged. Such kindness deserves a medal, I think."
"But…you said this medal was special to you."
"It is. But if there's anyone who deserves it more than I do, it's you."
Felix could have sworn he saw the racer's cheeks redden slightly.
"I figure that…you know…you could wear it for good luck."
Turbo made a face. "I don't need luck," he said smugly. Looking back at the handyman, he grinned. He slipped the medal over his head and tucked it inside the collar of his jumpsuit. "But I'll take it."
0ooooooo0
Felix had hardly realized it, but at some point during his retelling of his and Turbo's history, he had slipped to the floor, his back against the wall. He slowly looked up at the child before him, who he noticed was fighting back tears.
"Turbo was always a competitive guy…and a little cocky, too. But…he was never over the top about it, and I never thought much of it. His game was incredibly popular, but so were a lot of other games, including my own, but he never seemed jealous, and I guess it was because they weren't racing games. His was the only race-themed game in the arcade…until RoadBlasters was plugged in, and then it all changed. Racing was his talent, and he felt like someone was trespassing on his turf."
Felix drew his knees up and rested his head against them. "I should have done more! It was driving him up the wall and I didn't do enough! He was like a ticking time bomb! I could have reached out to him!"
"You didn't know what was going to happen," Vanellope reasoned gently. Felix looked back up at her, despair etched deeply into his features.
"Where did you find this?" he whispered, holding up the medal.
"I found it in a box under the bed. It was tucked inside a velvet cloth."
Felix slowly glanced down at the memento, his eyes welling with tears. "He still cared," he managed to squeak as his voice cracked. "All these years…there was still some sliver of humanity left. He was wearing it the day his game was unplugged." The repairman suddenly felt himself enveloped by an enormous wave of shame. "He never forgot…but I did. All I ever felt towards him was anger! I was furious over what he did! And after that…I just…forgot about him. I felt like he was never really a friend, and so I had no reason to keep his memory alive. He became nothing more than just an example of what can happen as a result of game jumping. I never wanted to think about him." Felix covered his face with his hand. "But he remembered. He never forgot. In spite of everything…he was still a better friend than I was."
As the Good Guy's shoulders began to shake with his sobs, Vanellope knelt down and wrapped her arms around his neck. He removed his gloved hand from his face, revealing tear-streaked cheeks. "He didn't mean for it to happen. I don't even think he meant for RoadBlasters to be unplugged. He just wanted the attention so badly. And the twins…he loved the twins. I can't…I can't even imagine what went through his mind when they were killed. Having to live with that? And then living a life in hiding as the only survivor of his game for years? All alone? It's no wonder he lost his mind."
"It doesn't excuse his actions," Vanellope replied as she pulled away, her hand still squeezing her friend's shoulder while tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I know it doesn't. I just…If I could just go back in time…I'd change everything. I'd shake him, slap him even! I'd get him to understand!" Felix screamed through another wave of tears. "I'd make him understand that he wasn't worthless and that the outside world didn't matter! I would tell him…that he was a winner to me," he finished, his voice dropping to a whisper.
Vanellope glanced down at the medal clutched tightly in the Good Guy's hand and sighed. "I wish I hadn't found that thing."
Felix's eyes widened, and he quickly clutched the item to his chest as though it might suddenly leap out of his hands. "No! I'm glad you did. No matter how much it hurts, I'm glad I know now." Looking down at the item, he managed a faint smile. "Thank you for bringing it." He slipped the medal over his head and pressed it to his chest. He didn't think he'd ever take it off again. "Thank you for your concern, Miss Vanellope…but I believe I'd like to be alone for a while." He offered the child an apologetic smile, and the girl nodded.
"Sure," she said, shoving her hands in her pockets. She cast the repairman one last sympathetic glance before finally turning to exit the room, dragging her feet as she went.
How much time passed after that, Felix wasn't sure. He didn't budge from his spot on the floor, feeling little desire to do much of anything except finally relive the lost memories of himself and the racer. Happy memories. History would always remember him as a lunatic, a Good Guy gone bad, a selfish bastard who put himself before everyone else. Felix knew he could no longer perpetuate that. Turbo had once gone against the crowd and made him feel like he was worth something. He had to do the same for his late friend, even if he could only do it in his memory. He couldn't let what little bit of decency the racer had left die amongst all the slander.
"I'm sorry I couldn't save you," he said softly as he let his head roll back into the wall, clutching the medal in a vice grip as the tears came once again.
On the first page of our story
The future seemed so bright
Then this thing turned out so evil
I don't know why I'm still surprised
Even angels have their wicked schemes
And you take that to new extremes
But you'll always be my hero
Even though you've lost your mind
"I Love the Way You Lie" - Rihanna
Author's Note: So…I know a lot of people are coming up with all kinds of names for the Turbo Twins. Ted and Teddy have become quite popular and I've also seen Tic and Tas. I'm afraid I'm more of a sucker for the pun-styled names, and I HAVE seen Throttle used already, but I was kind of fond of Piston, which I have yet to see used, although I'm sure there's someone out there who's already thought of it. So yeah…I think those will be my headcanon names for them from now on, if I ever write anything else.