Power: FINALLY AT LONG LAST, a brand new chapter of Conspiracy. It's been 12 years people. 12 years. It feels so good.

So this is Exposition, the Chapter.

It breaks the rules of Show Don't Tell into tiny little pieces for the purpose of keeping the prose entirely in the present. The challenge then was to keep the chapter moving through character interaction.

And boy I hope you like dialogue, cos you'd better strap in and prepare for a whole lot of it!

I have also made the decision to split this chapter into two parts. Ideally I would've liked to have kept everything in one place but what I have written is getting on for fifteen pages and I'm still going.

Part 2: Chapter 2: The Waiting Game Part 1

The doors to the Bridge whooshed open and Papu Papu stepped in baring a tray with three cups. He had assigned himself the role of distributing chocolate bars, crisps, some fruit and water every now and then as well as coffee or soft drinks to the other residents of the Space Station in order to keep them going. He would appear with mugs or glasses of the caffeinated drinks every couple of hours.

"Coffee, Papu Papu, really?"

Papu Papu had the grace to look abashed. ". . . Apologies, Dr N. Tropy. I forget. Tea, for you, I will bring."

That is, for everyone with the exception of N. Tropy who only drank tea.

He was currently bringing coffees intended for Dr Cortex and N. Brio who were working together on the Bridge, attacking the rewritten computer language, and Koala Kong who, for his interest in languages, was assisting.

Dr N. Gin and N. Tropy were tackling Engineering in a desperate attempt to repair as much as they could before the inevitable arrival of Emperor Oxide. Treezan was on hand to assist by distributing the necessary tools as required.

The rest of Cortex's minions were occupying themselves with general tidying up as a distraction, rather than genuinely being helpful, as they were otherwise unable to aid in the repair effort itself.

And Nitros Oxide was in Docking Bay Four working on his own ship.

Cortex, Brio and Kong all looked up from what they were doing when Papu Papu appeared in their field vision and wordlessly handed them their cups of coffee.

"Ah, excellent. Thank you, Papu Papu," said Cortex.

Papu Papu nodded and left.

"We should probably be careful of over-caffeinating," said N. Brio absently as he carefully sipped the hot drink.

"That's going to be the least of our problems if we don't finish this in time."

Brio sighed and took another sip.

Kong massaged the bridge of his nose. "And I fear I may be in need of short break."

"A short break sounds good," Cortex agreed. He crossed over to his command chair and activated the comm. "N. Gin, N. Tropy. I'm just checking in. How is it going down there?"

There was a short pause before N. Gin responded. "It is. . . proceeding. . ."

"I see. Then I will let you get back to work so it can proceed further." The comm clicked off and he was just about to return to the forward console when Pinstripe's voice came through the speakers.

"Hey Doc, you gotta minute?"

"Pinstripe, what is it?"

"We were just thinking. What do we know about this Emperor Oxide?"

Cortex blinked. "Only what Nitros Oxide has told us."

"Which is what?"

"Next to nothing," said Kong before Cortex could respond. "I am in agreement with you, Pinstripe. I too desire to know more. A confrontation with the Emperor is inevitable. So it would be in our best interest if we knew exactly who we were dealing with."

"That's what we were thinking."

Cortex stroked his beard. "I see." He exchanged a look with Brio. "I can't deny they have a point." He opened a comm line to Oxide's ship directly, but there was no response.

"If he's outside the ship, he won't be able to hear you," said Brio.

Cortex commed down to Docking Bay Four. "Oxide, are you there? If you can hear me, please return to your ship and open a channel. Or alternatively, use the comm on the wall." Then he sat and waited. Eventually the comm beeped. "Put him through."

"What do you want?" Oxide huffed. "I'm busy."

"Oxide, we want you to tell us anything and everything about your father."

"How will that help you?"

"Because it's in our best interest to understand exactly who we're dealing with."

"He wants the crystals and he's coming here to finish you off, what more do you need to know?"

Cortex glared at the comm in frustration. "It was your actions that brought us to his attention, Oxide. And all we want is information, is that really too much to ask?"

Silence. Then. "Fine," he sighed in a defeated tone. "I suppose I could use a break anyway. But do you think you have the time? Sulphurous Oxide could be dropping out of lightspeed at any moment."

"Right now I think we could all use a break, Oxide. I am transferring you over to stationwide communication. That way everyone can hear you and. . . contribute if necessary."

"All right. Where should I begin?"

"At the beginning? It's a very good place to start." Kong chuckled despite the situation.

"Hmm. The beginning then. Let's see. Once upon a time-. . . No, wait. A long time ago, Gasmoxia used to be an Empire lead by a line of Emperors."

"Which you yourself are descended from, yes?"

"Yes, yes," he replied irritably. "My royal bloodline." A sigh. "But then times changed, government change, politics changed, and the ruling family were. . . removed from power. It was a very dramatic moment. You might even say, historical."

"How did your family survive this?" Cortex asked with a confused frown.

"The Emperor was killed but his wife made a deal to spare the lives of her children. They could keep their royalty, but their authority, most of it anyway, would be transferred to an official elected by the people. That was our first uh. . . oh. How should I translate this?"

"Prime Minister?" N. Tropy offered over the comm.

"Or President," N. Gin added.

"Whichever one of those works. Anyway it remained that way for centuries."

"Until your father took the throne of course," Cortex interjected.

"Of course. Are you going to let me explain or what?"

"Oh. Uh. . . Yes. . . Apologies. . ."

"You would be forgiven for assuming that Sulphurous inherited the throne from his father but you'd be mistaken. The Emperor was his uncle. His father was the Emperor's younger brother. And he was third in line to inherit after his cousins; the Emperor's sons."

Kong frowned in confusion. "So what happened to them?"

"Apparently. They suffered an unfortunate accident, if you catch my drift."

Kong's frown deepened. "That is. . . troubling. Did he tell you this himself?"

"Of course not. What kind of fool do you take him for? This is mostly what I suspect because of the type of person he is and as it was far too convenient in my opinion. Also popular consensus, at least among the. . . Rebellion. . . is that he did it. But popular consensus is not proof. And no one could find anything to connect him to the incident."

"What happened exactly?" asked Cortex.

"A shuttle accident. It was absolutely totalled. The only way to identify the bodies was through DNA testing. Many suspect that it was sabotage. But Sulphurous is no mechanic by any stretch of the imagination. He had friends who were, however."

"Ah, so," said Kong. "Even if the sabotage and the one responsible for it was discovered, by the law, only they would be the one prosecuted. Unless of course they were to confess his involvement."

"Except it would be their word against a prince of Gasmoxia. The Crown Prince, even."

"Man, Oxide," said Pinstripe over the comm. "Your old man sounds like a real piece of work so far."

"Yes. . . He does. . . And that's just the beginning."

"I presume the next step in this cunning plan was to remove the current Emperor from the throne?" asked Tropy.

"Not at all. The Crown Prince or Princess becomes the next Emperor or Empress when they reach the Age of Ascension. And the former ruler becomes their advisor. All he had to do then was wait."

"Oh. . . I see. . ."

"What happens if the Emperor or Empress dies before this?" Kong asked out of curiosity.

"Depending on their age, they either ascend early, or the eldest sibling of the current ruler, if they have any, temporarily takes the throne until the rightful heir becomes eligible. If none are available, that falls to their wife or husband, assuming they're still alive. And then failing that, they just follow the Line of Ascension."

"Interesting. And this Line of Ascension also comes into play if the current ruler is unable to provide an heir, yes?"

"Yes, if no nieces or nephews are available. But we're getting off track. Where was I? Ah yes. That gave Sulphurous a lot of time to plan for his coronation. Because when that happened, he transferred authority from the current, uh. . . Prime Minister, back to him."

"Which would've been difficult to pull off without considerable support," Cortex commented.

"It would. Which is why he used that time to build a following. He gained allegiance from a number of military leaders, wealthy aristocrats and industrialists and anyone who's services would be useful to him, or anyone who could be persuaded. He ensured their loyalty through the usual methods. Deals. Bribery. Threats. Intimidation. That sort of thing."

"How do you know all thiss?" asked Joe.

"What do you mean?"

"About the bribery and sso on."

"One of his many lessons. "If someone can be useful to you, give them what they want. If they can't, make them do what you want. That is how you gain allies." Can't really argue with that one."

"I ssee."

"The whole thing sounds like it was carefully orchestrated," Cortex remarked.

"It was. I wasn't there to see it, of course, but there are videos of the coronation. After he was crowned, Sulphurous made the announcement that leadership of Gasmoxia would be returned to him in full. There was an uproar but the military appeared in force and the people were quickly subdued."

"And what became of the Prime Minister? Was he one of the Emperor's allies?" Kong asked.

"Oh no. Definitely not. This was in the Coronation video too. The Prime Minister had no idea what was going on, so naturally he objected and demanded Sulphurous "stop this madness immediately". And for that he was well, executed. Literally beheaded on the spot. It was quite a sight."

Several reactions to this occurred all at once, layered one over the other; Pinstripe's "Geeeez," Dingodile's "Struth, mate," the Komodo Brothers' hissing and Brio's muttered, "Good grief."

"Just like that?" Treezan asked, her tone coloured by a mixture of disbelief and horror. "He didn't try to talk to him or anything? Persuade him to join him? Just killed him?"

"You poor, naïve child," Oxide responded. "You don't have a clue, do you?"

"It was a message, Treezan," Brio told her gently. "He was sending a message to the people of Gasmoxia about the price of disobedience."

"Ooh. So. You mean like. My way or the highway?"

"My way or the highway," Oxide repeated. "Good one, I'll remember that. Although in this case it'd probably be more like, my way or I'll drive you off the highway."

"That's awful."

"Yes, well. I did say he wasn't the nicest person in the world, didn't I?"

"That's an understatement, geez," said Pinstripe.

"But what happen to Emperor? To Uncle?" Papu Papu asked. "Would not that he would do something?"

"Do what exactly? Before Sulphurous' coronation, the royal family had no power anyway. So what could he do? But I neglected to mention earlier that his wife was also a casualty of Sulphurous' machinations. After losing his family all at once, he became consumed by grief. Something which worked out very well for Sulphurous since it prevented his interference."

"Then what of the parents of Emperor Sulphurous? Would not they say something?"

"My grandparents? Grandfather contracted a terminal illness when Sulphurous was in his sixties. He literally wasted away. Grandmother. . . ran. . . She couldn't deal with it."

"That sucks," Pinstripe offered. "Understandable. But it still sucks."

"Indeed. Sulphurous then cut off all communication with her in retaliation. So Grandfather couldn't speak, he was dead and Grandmother could speak but he wouldn't've listened. It probably didn't help that she also one of the common people."

"There must've been some controversy surrounding their wedding," Kong observed.

"There was."

"[And the people? How did they react?]" Ripper Roo asked in his laughter-speak.

Oxide replied with some confusion. "Uh. . . what? Did someone cackle down the comm just now, or am I getting static on the line?"

"That was Ripper Roo, Oxide," Cortex explained. "He was asking about the people's reaction."

"Oh. Well. Keep your head down and stay out of trouble has been the general consensus."

"You mentioned a rebellion, earlier," Kong observed.

"Yes. A small minority rebelled. They have been trying to kill him for centuries but to no avail. You wouldn't expect it but Sulphurous can defend himself very well. Keeps himself in top shape. Usually likes to appear unharmed so that people will think him harmless, or defenceless, only for them to find out that he isn't the hard way. I've seen him deal with his would be assassins and it's quite, um, chilling."

"Please elaborate, Oxide," said Cortex.

"The way he acts. Cold, impartial, disgusted. As though the very idea of someone attempting to kill him is a personal affront. It offends him. He tortures them first. Makes them suffer. Draws it out as long as he can, until he's satisfied that he has suitably punished them for their transgression before ending their pitiful lives. And he does it all without a smile. As if he's so angry that he's looped all the way back round to calm."

"[Yikes!]"

There was a shrill tone to Treezan's voice as she demanded, "And this is who's coming after us?!"

"Yes, and now you understand why I'm in such a hurry to leave."

"Geez, man," Pinstripe breathed down the comm, more to himself then anyone else.

"And with that, I think I've had a long enough break. I've got an engine to fix, so if you'll excuse me, I-"

"Hold on a moment," Cortex interrupted. "You haven't finished, yet."

"What do you mean? I've told you everything you need to know."

"But this is only half the story, Oxide. You haven't told us where you come in."

"And why would I do that? You wanted to know about Sulphurous Oxide, and so I've told you."

"Except anything involving yourself."

"You want me to diverge to you my entire life story, or most of it, just like that? I don't know you. I don't even like you."

"Then don't tell us all of it, just tell us enough. Give us the abridged version if you will."

"The abridged version-?" He stopped and took a long deep breath and then exhaled. "The abridged version. If it'll stop your questions and let me get back to fixing my ship, then I suppose I can live with telling you that. All right then. So you're probably wondering, how does such a person possibly find love? Well the answer is. . . He didn't. . . Not exactly. My mother was the daughter of one of his wealthy allies and she agreed to marry him."

"Ah, a marriage of convenience," said Kong. "And who's suggestion was that? I dare not assume it was your father's."

"No indeed. I believe, or at least assume it was her father's, my other grandfather. Although she could've been the one to suggest it, I don't know. She's the second child in her family, after an elder sister who stands to inherit the family's company, so for her it was a good move. As well as for the company itself. Her family gives Sulphurous their allegiance and he gives her family prestige. It certainly helps against the competition."

"Indubitably."

"And then, some years later, you come into the picture," said Cortex.

"Yes, that's one way to put it. Because of all of the attempts on Sulphurous' life, it was decided that for my own safety I would be kept out of the public eye entirely."

"I also imagine that you would've been kept under constant supervision at all times," said Kong.

". . . Yes. . ."

"And forbidden to leave the palace?"

"Of course."

"Hmm. That sounds like a recipe for a not particularly enjoyable childhood."

"Yes. . . But I suppose I could've had worse."

"Did you have friends?"

"I had a few. But not so much these days. I have found that there aren't many I can really trust."

"That is unfortunate."

"What can you do?" he replied with a dismissive shrug that no one could see.

"I suppose this all explains your rather grating personality," Cortex observed.

". . . Thanks," Oxide replied flatly.

"And your relationship with your father?" asked Kong. "He doesn't exactly sound like the kind and caring type."

Oxide chortled at the very idea. "Yes, the words kind and caring do not belong in the same sentence as Sulphurous Oxide. But he wasn't cruel, just. . . distant. Like he was shut off emotionally, even from himself."

"Not a very cheerful fellow, then."

Oxide snickered. "Not at all."

"And your mother really agreed to marry this person?" N. Brio asked dubiously.

"Her family has been loyal allies since even before the shuttle accident. I believe they may even be called, friends. So yes. Mother knew very well who she was marrying and it was entirely her decision."

Brio frowned and folded his arms. "I see."

"Anyway, it all changed on my fiftieth birthday. It's a-"

"Fifty!?" Cortex and company, with the exception of N. Tropy, responded in unison.

"How old are you?" Cortex continued.

"Older than all of you put together," Oxide retorted. He could not see N. Tropy frowning to himself. "Gasmoxians are very long lived. Your Earthling lifespans are so fleeting in comparison. How do you cope knowing you have only a mere hundred years on this miserable rock?"

"What is the importance of your Fiftieth birthday, Oxide?" Kong asked before anyone could respond to that. "You were about to explain."

"It has a special term that I don't think I can translate. As for why it's important, it is the first milestone in a Gasmoxian's life."

"The equivalent of a human's eighteenth perhaps?"

"Depends. What's so special about an Earthling's eighteenth birthday?"

"In some cultures this is when a human is legally considered an adult."

"Ah. Then no. That doesn't happen until we reach seventy five."

"Seventy five?" Cortex repeated.

Kong frowned. "Then judging by the way you are talking, you must be hundreds of years old, yes?"

"Positively ancient by Earthling standards," he chuckled.

"How long are your Gasmoxian years compared to our Earth years?" N. Gin asked.

"I believe they are much the same."

"And your father? How old is he?" Cortex asked.

"Uhhhh. . . Hmmm. . . He must be in his seven hundreds by now."

"Seven hundred?!" Treezan repeated as Cortex asked. "Is that old for a Gasmoxian?"

"Well it's not young for a Gasmoxian," he retorted.

"This is all beside the point," N. Tropy cut in unexpectedly.

Then the forward console beeped. Cortex sat up sharply as he gripped the arms of the command chair, eyes going wide as saucers. Brio swore he nearly snapped his neck whipping around so fast and Kong cursed loudly. Brio examined the forward console. "False alarm," he squeaked. "That was-" he cleared his throat. "That was just a passing asteroid."

This was met with a collective sigh of relief. Treezan gave what sounded like a muffled scream and Ripper Roo whined down the comm.

"Someone check my pulse," said Pinstripe, weakly. "I think I just had a heart attack."

"Tiny think that Tiny see life before eyes just now."

Oxide gave a laugh that was shrill with anxiety. "I think that was a reminder to keep on track, wouldn't you agree? So where was I then? Ah yes, my fiftieth birthday. That was when everything changed. First, I was officially announced as Crown Prince to the rest of the world and that was a nerve-racking day, let me tell you. And second, this is when he began to teach me to follow in his footsteps. Or at least, he tried."

"What went wrong?" asked Cortex.

"What can I say? I could never connect with my heritage the way Sulphurous could. Or better yet, I could not share in his obsession with it. So what if our royal bloodline used to be great and was then ruined? So what if he returned it to greatness again? Everything was fine the way it was and now it's all a big mess. I just don't understand why he did it."

"Your father must've been most disappointed," said Kong.

"And frustrated. "Don't you understand that you are part of a great bloodline?"" he quoted. ""We were born to rule. The throne is your destiny, Nitros and your birthright. You cannot refuse it." And so on and so forth."

"What a delightful individual," Kong remarked with a heavy dose of sarcasm. Oxide snickered again. "So where does your love of racing come in? It doesn't sound like you got that from your father."

"You can blame Mother for that. Empress Sodia Oxide is the daughter of a wealthy industrialist who is a hovercraft manufacturer. She taught me everything I know about how to build, fix and maintain hovercrafts-"

"Interesting!" Kong exclaimed suddenly. "Oxide, is it then possible that she was the saboteur?"

"I never asked and she probably wouldn't confess even if I did. But at the very least I'm pretty sure someone in the Chloride family was."

"I'm surprised your father allowed you to indulge in this interest, Oxide," said N. Tropy. "I cannot imagine he would've considered racing and hovercraft maintenance as princely activities."

"He has hobbies himself. It may surprise you to know this but Sulphurous is an artist; a sculptor."

"That does surprise me."

"Although you are partially right but not for the reason you suggested. Building hovercrafts? Fine. Watching the races? Fine. Actually participating? Not so much. Out on the racetrack I would be vulnerable to an assassination attempt, or failing that, I could wind up in a fatal accident, and so I was forbidden from entering or participating. Of course I wasn't going to let that stop me."

"So what did you do?" asked Cortex.

"Well, Mother had given me use of the company test track. That's where they test out the functionality of their prototypes. They also liked to use it for racing in private, as a hobby."

"Because if you're a professional hovercraft manufacturer, naturally that comes hand in hand with a need for speed," Kong remarked with amusement.

"The Chlorides were certainly guilty as charged," he agreed. "I used their racing programs to indulge myself, and to practice. Completely without Sulphurous' awareness, or permission."

"At least until he found out?"

"I entered myself into a professional racing event under a pseudonym, and a disguise and I won. And was subsequently unmasked on the winner's podium. That would've been bad enough. Unfortunately, there was a rebel presence in the audience. So. . . they saw an opportunity and even though this would expose their identities, they went for it. They relieved one of the security guards of their weapons and then tried to shoot me from over fifty feet away before they were overwhelmed. It was an impressive shot. Didn't kill me, of course, but it got me right in the shoulder. Maybe a little more marksmanship training would've done the job but I suppose we'll never know."

"A surprising attitude towards the ones who tried to kill you, Oxide," said N. Tropy.

"It's not as if they are the ones who are truly at fault. That would be Sulphurous. His actions are the cause of their reactions. Besides, I probably would've done the same in their position, and I if was a more noble sort."

"I see."

"So what happened next? He must've been furious," said Kong.

"Oh absolutely. It was the first and only time I have heard him raise his voice. And since this was the second time I-oh. Oops."

"Second time, Oxide? What do you mean?" asked Cortex.

"Second time I've been shot at. The first time was many years before. A failed assassination attempt. They tried for Sulphurous but found me instead. And so the fact that I put myself in harm's way on purpose after being expressly forbidden not to. . . Yes, furious is the right word. So now I'm banned from racing altogether. Watching, participating? All gone. Building my hovercraft? Only under supervision."

"And this must be the straw that breaks the camel's back, yes?" asked Kong.

"The. . . what? How. . . how does a straw break anyone's back?"

"The final insult?"

"Oh. Yes. I suppose. This incident made me arrive at two conclusions. That racing is what I definitely want, and ruling is what I definitely do not. And so I began making plans to run away. First, I started acting like the model son that Sulphurous desired so that he wouldn't suspect anything. Second, I began researching the means to build a small spacecraft, which is the much smaller prototype of the one I fly today, and then built it and tested it in secret. Third, I researched my next move after leaving the planet by getting in contact with an off world sponsor to help me begin my racing career. He was impressed by the footage I sent him and thought I had promise and so he agreed. And finally, I made plans for a dramatic exit. Because if there's one thing the Oxide family is good at, it's drama. That day arrived when I completed work on my spacecraft. I got in contact with press and news outlets around the planet informing them that I had a big announcement to make. And then I waited. So the press conference arrives, I call my spaceship, and my announcement is simply thus; "I am Nitros Oxide, Crown Prince of Gasmoxia and I renounce my claim to the throne!" Cue my spaceship flying in, which I had all packed and ready to go, as I finish talking. And as they're going wild, I climb in and shoot off into space, leaving Gasmoxia far behind. Oh! But not before bidding my dear father farewell. You see he'd been drawn out onto one of the balconies by the noise, and I course I wasn't going to let that opportunity pass by. What I did I say to him again? Oh yes. "I'm leaving, Father. Don't follow me." And then off I went." He cackled at the memory. "The expression on his face must've been priceless! Such a pity I never got to see it."

Kong applauded. "Magnificent, Oxide. A suitably dramatic exit."

"Thank you, thank you!" Oxide replied gleefuly.

Kong stopped. "It's a shame then that you seem to have turned out much like him."

"What do you mean?"

"Surely you're not unaware? You appear to a planet in order to challenge the inhabitants to a race in a game that you call Survival of the Fastest. And then you destroy their home and enslave the populace when they lose. Those are the exploits of a conquerer, Oxide. Are you trying to carve out a small kingdom of your own in the galaxy?"

"Not a kingdom," he objected. "A company. All inhabitants of defeated worlds become workers of my company and remain on their home planet. They get wages, some benefits-"

"But they don't have a choice. In some respects kingdoms and companies are much the same. So how then do you rationalise they way you treat your "employees" against the way your father treats his subjects?"

"Look, I've never claimed to be the nicest person in the galaxy you know. Nor do I claim to be better than him, just. . . different. But at least I give you all a fighting chance-"

"You cheat," Kong objected.

"I've never said anything about racing by the rules either."

"So if someone were to cheat their way to first place, you would accept the loss?"

"Of course. Cheating, is fair game in my opinion. So long as you cross the finish line before I do, that's a win. It doesn't matter how you do it."

"Truly, Oxide?"

"Did I say I would leave your planet alone if you won?"

". . . Yes?"

"And did I?"

". . . You did."

"I'm a man of my word."

"I don't-. . . How can you-. . . Your logic is so-" Kong sighed in frustration and pinched his nose. "I have nothing to say to that."

"Listen. . . Kong was it? I could be a better person if I wanted to be, but I choose not to. I have my reasons. You'll just have to accept that."

Kong sighed again. "As you say, though I do not respect that."

There was a pause. "Oxide?" Cortex asked calmly. "Is that everything?"

"Well uh. . . apparently I ended up saying a bit more than I intended to. But yes, that is finally everything."

"And this is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"

"Of course, did you I think I just made this all up?"

"Then thank you, Oxide, that will be all. You may return to fixing your ship."

"It's about time."

The comm clicked off and a deathly silence fell over the Space Station. Cortex clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them as he frowned at the floor, looking deeply concerned.

Brio was chewing on a fingernail. He exchanged a troubled look with Kong. ". . . Dr Cortex-"

"So I think I speak for everyone when I say this," Pinstripe cut in. "What the hell are we gonna do now?"

Power: I was super tempted to cut this chapter off at the "passing asteroid" part because of the cliffhanger in that, except doing so would've also cut off Oxide's explanation in a weird place.

There were a few parts here and there where I discovered holes in the backstory, went "Oh crap!" and had to hastily write in an explanation. Maybe you'll be able to tell where they are. :p

So what's changed for Chapter 6/Part 2: Chapter 2? Well it didn't really have much of a plot, beyond "there's a whole lot of waiting for Sulphurous Oxide to show up". But as for what that entailed, it wasn't really anything. The decision to include some fancharacters appearing in the next half (more on them in the next chapter) prompted the start of 1st rewrite that didn't really go anywhere. This second rewrite sees Sulphurous Oxide getting a proper backstory and a more informed personality and where better to talk about it than right here, courtesy of son, Nitros Oxide?