CHAPTER 7

The sirens in the Adversarium dulled, and eventually ceased.

The door opened behind the viewing room which held Ektroma, and Frouros entered to greet Sheriff Tumbleweed.

"Looks like the crisis has been averted." said Frourus, eyeing Sheriff Tumbleweed. "Are you alright Sheriff? You look a little pale."

Sheriff Tumbleweed stood up, a little bit shaky, but solid nonetheless.

"Yes sir, thank you for this….intriguing experience." said Sheriff Tumbleweed. "In fact, it's lead me to consider the security for my jail, and the entire arcade. I'd better get back to my own game, but I may have to be back for further inspections. Happy trails!"

With that, Sheriff Tumbleweed followed Frouros back out to where Hermes was waiting for him.

"Did you see what you were hoping to see, Sheriff?" asked Hermes.

"I sure did Harold!" said Sheriff Tumbleweed with a slight quiver in his voice. "And then some! Thanks again for the tour. I must say though, that there Adversarium is a bit unstable compared to what the arcade is used to, so I may have to make an occasional inspection or 2 every now and again."

At this, Hermes raised an eyebrow.

"Inspections you say?" asked Hermes. "I've been pretty transparent with what goes on around here, and you yourself were in the Adversarium."

"Indeed you have, but you got some mighty ornery varmits lurkin' in there!" said Sheriff Tumbleweed. "If it's too much trouble, I suppose I could always get a court order from Judge King Hippo."

"That won't be necessary Sheriff." said Hermes nervously. "Please come and inspect whenever you need."

"Much obliged there Harold!" said Sheriff Tumbleweed cheerfully. "Now where's that star player of yours?"

"He's completing his court-ordered treatment in the Bad-Anon Meeting over in Pac-Man." said Hermes, looking at his watch, then panicking. "Which should have ended over an hour ago!"

"I'm Gilius Rockhead, and I'm a good guy!" said Gilius Rockhead.

"HI GILIUS ROCKHEAD!" said the crowd.

"I'm proud to say that Golden Axe is still a well-played game here at Litwak's Arcade." said Gilius. "Even though I'm not the top good guy in my game, I can still come out the hero, and I think that's what matters most in every good guy's career, coming out the hero, no matter how big or small you are!"

The good guys in Good Anon clapped in response to Gilius Rockhead's testimony.

"Thank you for sharing Gilius!" said Rayman, the group facilitator. "I think that's an important piece to take away from all of this. Not every good guy can be the main character, but it's the good in us that matters, and even the character with the tiniest bit of good can come out as the hero!"

"Hi, I'm Toki, and I'm a good guy." said Toki, the protagonist from Toki: Going Ape Spit.

"HI TOKI!" said the crowd.

"I for one am firmly secure in my status as a good guy." said Toki confidently. "You see, my character is a complicated one. I'm a guy, who gets turned into an ape, and as an ape I save the girl in the end. For the longest time, I was weirded out by the message that sent to the gamers, but I now get it; what I lacked as a man, I now have as an ape, and to fully become the man I wish to be, I must first navigate my game world as a lesser evolved being, to realize my true potential. That my friends, is a powerful message, and one that we all can learn from."

The group clapped in response to Toki's testimony. Kratos clapped too, but he didn't let it show that he was suspicious of the sincerity of this good guy's tone; ever since he came in the room, Toki had given Kratos a sidelong, hostile glance, not making Kratos feel very welcome there.

"I think you have an interesting yet powerful point there Toki." said Rayman. "As good guys, we all have a higher purpose when it comes to the objectives of our game, and depending on how we and our games our programmed, that purpose can be higher than originally realized."

"I'm Earthworm Jim, and I'm a good guy." said Earthworm Jim.

"HI EARTHWORM JIM!" said the crowd.

"I feel what Toki says about higher purposes in games." said Earthworm Jim. "As for my game, it's not so much of a sense of a higher overall purpose, but a higher purpose for the nature of my character. As we've all come to understand in most cultures, worms are considered weak, insignificant, fragile. Yet in my game, the worm, myself, is the last hope for a happy ending, and I for one feel honored and humbled to be a part of that."

The crowd clapped once Earthworm Jim began speaking.

"I'm Luigi, I'm a good guy." said Luigi from Super Mario Brothers.

"HI LUIGI!" said the crowd.

"No doubt the first thing you think of when you hear Super Mario Brothers, is my big brother Mario." said Luigi. "For years, I'd struggled with the idea that I could never measure up to my brother, thinking that I was only a glimpse within my brother's shadow, but as it turns out, I was wrong. I learned the value of teamwork in my game, because when 2 players are needed, I'm the one that they come running to; not any Koopa Troopas, not Toad, but me. I only learned this in one heated moment where I almost refused to play any further games, and Mario came up to me and said 'Brother, you're my only hope when the chips are down, and if you quit, there's no game.' That's when I realized my own worth, and if it weren't for my brother, who I'd been jealous of for so many years prior, I may never have come to this realization."

The group set another round of clapping.

"Well it seems all of us have shared something here today." said Rayman. "Except, that, we have a newcomer, joining us for the first time."

All eyes in the room fell upon Kratos, who looked around awkwardly. Kratos was not used to this many "heroes" in one place at one time, especially when they are all staring at him.

"Why don't you introduce yourself to the group friend." said Rayman. "I speak for myself, and many in here, when I say I've not seen you around here before."

Kratos cleared his throat, and began to speak.

"My name….is Kratos…" started Kratos. "I'm…I'm a good guy?"

"HI KRATOS!" said the crowd.

"That sounded more like a question than a statement." said Toki. "Are you really a good guy?"

"Well…" started Kratos.

There was dead silence in the room.

"Factory Direct are you?" asked Rayman. "We totally get it, all of us once faced that predicament ourselves. Here, maybe I can help you. Are you the main character in your game?"

"Well, yes." said Kratos.

"Do you have a princess that you need to rescue?" asked Link from Legend of Zelda.

"Not a princess, but I rescue certain characters who help me." said Kratos.

"Interesting." said Rayman. "I take it you get these characters to safety as quickly as possible?"

"Some of them, yes." said Kratos. "The rest, I kill when they've outlived their usefulness."

The crowd of good guys gasped at Kratos' response.

"What kind of power-ups to you get?" asked Zitz from Battletoads.

"It depends on the power ups that I find." said Kratos. "Or how many blood orbs I earn from the people I kill."

The characters gathered in the circle had leery looks upon their faces, and began to whisper and talk amongst each other.

"I guess what we're all trying to find out is, what is your ultimate objective?" asked The Flash from Justice League Task Force. "What is your mission, as a good guy, in your game."

After a moment of thinking, Kratos came up with an answer.

"To lay waste to all those who stand in my way of vengeance and power, taking the bloodiest revenge upon the Gods of Olympus for all the torture they have brought forth upon me, and to release chaos upon mankind!" bellowed Kratos.

Loud gasps and knee-jerk game effect reactions ensued from the characters gathered in the circle.

"You're not a good guy, you're a bad guy!" said Toki. "You belong in Bad-Anon, not here!"

"Now wait just a minute Toki!" said Optimus Prime, from the newest Transformers game. "He may fit the profile of a bad guy, but let's not forget, we have a bad guy as President, and just because he may be a villain in his game, doesn't mean he's a villain outside his game."

"Good point Optimus." said Rayman. "Toki, may I remind you, this is not a place of judgment, but a place to open up."

Toki grumbled and sat back down in his seat.

"So Kratos, now that you've shared with us, what brings you to Good Anon today?" asked Rayman. "Surely, you didn't just come here on a whim."

"No, not exactly." said Kratos. "I guess…I guess I'm trying to figure everything out."

"You know something, I heard about you hombre!" said King from Tekken. "You were the one that stood up to that creep True Ogre in that courtroom case! Kratos, now I remember hearing about it! Man, got to admire you for that, True Ogre is a total jerk both in his game and outside his game!"

"Is that how you ended up here Kratos, because of the courts?" asked Rayman.

"It's true." said Kratos. "Once I discovered the arcade, I completely freaked out, and thought the young character known as Tails was an enemy from my game, and I tried to cut him to pieces. That's when I got arrested, put on trial, and have since undergone education on my game, and the arcade. Judge King Hippo ordered me to complete so many hours of Bad-Anon, where my sponsor Zombie has been looking out for me."

"I know Zombie very well!" said Thomas Rogan from House of the Dead. "I've killed him many times, and we hang out at Tapper's after almost every game! He's really a nice villain, really funny too!"

"I heard about your adventure too." said Knuckles the echidna from Sonic the Hedgehog. "Generally, I'm not a big fan of villains, but the thought of Tails flying away screaming like a little girl, I can't help but laugh. He's a good buddy, and I think he's a great supporting character, but as my roommate, he gets annoying after a time. Nice of you to add some spice to the arcade Kratos!"

The good guys and Kratos chuckled amongst each other, and after a time of chatter, with Kratos finding he was the center of attention just as he was in his game, it was hard to tell that Kratos was even a bad guy.

"Well Kratos, we're about to close, and you tell us that you're trying to figure everything out." said Rayman. "The courts ordered you to complete a certain amount of time in Bad-Anon, with a sponsor, yet you find yourself here, with us, at Good-Anon. In your quest for trying to figure things out, what brought you to us?"

Kratos paused, with a hardened look on his face, as this question cut to his core like a knife. Why was he here, what force drew him?

"Well, I suppose…" began Kratos. "I'm trying to find my place, both in my game, and in the arcade. I feel conflicted; I'm the main character, yet I'm also supposed to be evil, and I don't always feel evil. The arcade is a world entirely new to me, and I feel like I haven't found my purpose. This probably makes no sense whatsoever."

"No Kratos." said Rayman. "You're wrong, it makes perfect sense. Despite the roles in our game, we sometimes struggle as characters with who we are. Bad guys go through it, good guys go through it, and everyone goes through it. Our coding deeply roots our role in the games we live in, and fortunately for us, there is life outside our game. You are always welcome here at Good-Anon, no matter what you are."

"And if you need a sponsor for Good-Anon, I'm happy to volunteer!" said Earthworm Jim.

"Thank you Jim, I graciously accept." said Kratos. "Whatever it takes to figure things out."

"Please, call me EJ." said Earthworm Jim.

Kratos smiled inwardly; first he has an undead zombie looking after him, and now an earthworm in a man's body suit. How much more interesting could this day get?

"Everyone, let's close with the Good Guy Affirmation." said Rayman, as everyone joined hands in the circle.

"I am good, and good is great." they chanted. "I will never be bad, and that's good. I will always strive to be the hero my game destines me to be."

Kratos awkwardly spoke the words, following the lip movements from the good guys for the most part. As he spoke the words, he wondered to himself, how much of this creed applied to him, and if given the chance, could he live up to being a good guy?

Was he even a good guy? Was he even a bad guy? Did it even matter, and if it does matter, where does it matter? So many questions left unanswered.

"Great meeting everyone, hope to see you all next week!" said Rayman.

The group filed out, except for one of the participants, who tapped Kratos on the shoulder.

Kratos turned around, and saw a female character, about his height, with blue hair, in a revealing, white-colored cat outfit. He remembered seeing her walk in at the beginning of the Good-Anon meeting, and his head turning twice as a result.

"Hello there Kratos." said a female voice. "I didn't speak up today at the meeting, but I was quite impressed with your testimony."

"Why…thank you." said Kratos, captivated. "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met."

"I'm Felicia." said Felicia with a mischievous smile. "My game is Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors. Like you, I enjoy beating down a lot of enemies quite frequently. It's quite fun, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, yes of course." said Kratos with a smile. "Are you the main character in your game?"

"One of them." said Felicia. "You see, I'm in an arcade fighter game, and there's really not a 'main' character, but there are several original characters, and each of us are unique in our own respects. You should stop by sometime and spar with us, I think you'd fit in well there."

"Thank you." said Kratos. "I think I'll do that sometime."

"Fantastic." said Felicia, batting her eyes. "Nevermind what that idiot Toki had to say; he's just upset because the ladies of the arcade never seem to take a liking to him, and the fact that no matter how many times he wins his game, he always reverts back to his ape form outside his game. Thinks he's a big hunk, but I think he's more of a big hunk of hair."

Both Kratos and Felicia laughed at Felicia's joke, and in the distance, the train warnings began to sound.

"Well, I'd love to stick around, BELIEVE me I would." said Felicia with a sly, seductive smile. "But I'm afraid I have to catch the next train to my game. I wish I didn't have to, in case my ex-boyfriend is milling about. Take my advice: never date someone in your game, because you have to see them over and over again. I swear, John Talbain needs to move on, and I can't seem to get that through to him when I kick his rear over and over again in battle."

"Don't worry Felicia." said Kratos, grinning wryly. "Dating someone from MY game, is the last thing I have on my mind."

"Well then…" said Felicia with a smile. "It was nice meeting you, I'll see you soon!"

"Yes, see you soon!" said Kratos.

Felicia waved as she exited Pac Man, and Kratos remained in his seat. Not long after Felicia left, Kratos found himself unexpectedly interrupted.

"Kratos! Where HAVE you been?!" asked a familiar voice that popped in the room.

Kratos looked up, and saw Hermes standing in the doorway.

"Are you TRYING to get our entire game unplugged for good?!" asked Hermes. "It won't be long before you need to get back, get rested, and report to your post! Now let's get out of here before we really get into a legal bind."

"Not so fast Hermes." said an authoritative voice from behind Hermes.

Hermes looked around, and saw Judge King Hippo standing right behind him, barely fitting within the corridors.

Judge King Hippo looked into the room, and saw Kratos, who immediately stood up to greet him.

"Hello Your Honor." said Kratos. "I'm happy to explain."

"Not to worry, not to worry Kratos!" said Judge King Hippo. "My good friend Aran Ryan stopped by my chambers, and told me that you completed your Bad-Anon hours for the day, and then stayed for Good-Anon! I had to come and see it for myself!"

"If I did anything wrong…" said Kratos apologetically.

"No sir, you are in no trouble." said Judge King Hippo. "In fact, I'm impressed. I've never seen this kind of open-mindedness in a video game villain very often. What brings you to Good-Anon anyway?"

"Well Your Honor, it seems like the right place to be." said Kratos. "In addition to Bad-Anon. My sponsor Zombie has been very good to me, and Earthworm Jim offered to be my sponsor here if I continue to come back."

"Very interesting Kratos." said Judge King Hippo. "I tell you what; as long as you do not cause any trouble like you did that landed you in my court in the first place, and as long as you keep to your court requirements, you may do so as you please like the rest of the residents in the arcade here, under supervision of course. If you're not in a meeting here, I expect you to be with one of Sheriff Tumbleweed's officers when roaming the public, until I see fit that an escort is no longer necessary. I love the progress you've made in such a short time, but I need to look out for the welfare of the arcade. Is this understood?"

"Yes, fully understood Your Honor." said Kratos.

"Excellent, then we'll be just fine." said Judge King Hippo. "So tell me Kratos, what do you intend to do next?"

Kratos paused for a moment, then came up with an answer.

"Well, I was going to go back to my game…" said Kratos. "As I didn't have any permission or anyone to vouch for me to stay longer than that. However…do they have any other type of meetings in here?"

"There is one more meeting for today, that should be starting anytime soon." said Judge King Hippo. "It's NPC-Anon, for those characters that don't quite fit into the full-on "hero" or "villain" category, but help move the game along for better or for worse."

Characters that don't quite fit in….that's how Kratos felt sometimes in his own game; torn between being a hero, and being a villain. Bad-Anon helped him to make sense of things, and oddly enough, so did Good-Anon. Perhaps NPC-Anon would help him to further understand where Kratos fit into the arcade, and his game.

"I think I will stay, Your Honor, if that is OK with you." said Kratos.

"Of course Kratos." said Judge King Hippo. "Just remember to be back to your game in plenty enough time so that you can get right back to gameplay when the arcade opens. I'll have someone from Sheriff Tumbleweed's office come to fetch you straightaway after the conclusion of this meeting. Other than those conditions, you are good to go Kratos."

"Thank you Your Honor." said Kratos. "I will learn what I can from this meeting."

"See that you do." said King Hippo, turning to Hermes. "As for you, Game Guide, perhaps you'd like to join me for a mug at Tapper's while our friend enjoys his meeting?"

"Certainly Your Honor." said Hermes, relieved that the judge was cutting Kratos, and the game, a break. "I'd be delighted!"

"Well let's not waste any time then!" said Judge King Hippo. "I'm buying."

The judge and Hermes bade Kratos goodbye as they exited the meeting area. Not long thereafter, several characters began to file in, and take their seats. Among them, was a familiar face to Kratos.

"Kratos! How are ya friend?!" said Dog. "Whatcha doin here? I thought you were a bad guy!"

"I thought I was too." said Kratos. "But I've stayed for every meeting so far, I might as well attend this one. Learning a lot today in a short period of time."

As everyone settled in their seats, the group facilitator began the meeting, who instead of taking a chair, wheeled towards the center of the group in a wheelchair. The facilitator was an ape of some sort, with a long gray beard, and a walking stick used as a pushing device for his wheelchair.

"Welcome to NPC-Anon." said the facilitator in an aged voice. "For those who are new, my name is Cranky Kong, and I'll be facilitating the group today. Now who wants to begin? Be quick about it now, we haven't got all day!"