Escape Into My Heart
Chapter 2: Her New Motivation
Cybugs, Cybugs and more Cybugs. Not many gamers had gotten past the first two or three levels today, and the repetition was oddly grating on Calhoun's nerves. Was it just a slow day today, or had it always been this way?
At least these glowing, buzzing nightmares aren't rampaging in that sugary, candy coated cart game anymore, Calhoun mused. She shot at a couple of Cybugs that were off screen, keeping the strays away from the first player. She reloaded, thankful for the automatic ammunition which could only be accessed while physically in Hero's Duty, remembering when she had run out of ammunition in Sugar Rush. She let out a jagged breath at the memory.
Just then, the first player forgot to reload and was immediately doomed to become a Cybug's snack. When it was "Game Over" again, Calhoun turned to the tower, allowing her eyes to settle on the beacon for a brief moment. Another memory of the night before caught her attention and she let her mind wonder for a split second.
She would probably never admit it, but when she and Felix were alone on that rainbow sour gummy bridge surrounded by candy-armored Cybugs, she had been afraid for his life. She'd shielded him, one arm protectively pushing him back towards the entrance to Game Central Station, ready for any sacrifice.
She almost couldn't believe how in one night, so much had happened. First of all, Ralph had somehow managed to sneak into her game, steal not only a medal, but an escape pod and one of the most deadly viruses to ever be created. And if that weren't enough, the Cybug was released into Sugar Rush of all games, multiplying into the biggest disaster she'd ever seen.
Not only had Sugar Rush nearly been wiped out, but they had discovered that Turbo—the thought-to-be-dead attention-seeker she'd learned about not more than a few hours ago—had taken over the candy go-cart game and tampered with the very code of it to ensure his superiority.
But most importantly, out of everything that'd happened, she'd met Felix.
She couldn't believe how sappy it sounded, but she had been a romantic once. Maybe that side of her never really left. Maybe it was just hidden away in the dark confines of her broken heart. Ironic that it took a miniature man with a magic hammer named "Fix-it Felix" to mend the whole in her heart that Brad had left.
But Brad hadn't ever left. He hadn't ever been killed. He was nothing more than part of a backstory written into her memory. She knew that…and yet was still not ready to admit it, especially when she was here, fighting as "humanities last hope." Brad had been her motivation before, to kill Cybugs, to avenge humanity, but now…now that she knew what real love felt like…
She pushed her thoughts away as another quarter alert sounded.
Cybugs, Cybugs, and more Cybugs. Never before had she wanted the day to be over so badly. Never before had she needed someone like she needed Felix.
Maybe he would be her new motivation.
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