This chapter is a long POV flashback. I put it here because I realized the full theory Vanellope and Dorian have worked out makes a lot less sense without the proceeding information. Bonus, we see the adorable but disturbing Voland again n_n.
First:
Recap time! Scroll down to **Got it? Good.** to skip over.
Turbo did something more than locking away memories and trying to delete Vanellope but nobody is sure just what he did. So far, we know there's several racers locked away...inside the code of other racers. There's also actually one theme track for each racer; Sugar Rush Raceway is the first in the game so King Kooky couldn't do much to it. It also explains why Vanny is the only one with a power right up until the reset. Enter Travis, a strange gamer who unlocks several of the alters. But what he did causes game changes even when he isn't playing.
Each racer has a unique ability that up until now were only available as power ups during a race. All their powers have limits during a race (5 times before a 15 sec recharge as PC, 5 times then must pass a power up as NPC to recharge)) but are almost unlimited any other time. Also, the power ups are really forms of their powers King Candy took advantage of so he could use them in races while the kids were basically sitting ducks.
There's also something really wrong with Gloyd's powers that's made Vanellope seek the help of a character most of the arcade isn't too sweet on. Dorian Twillight is the good guy of Fallen Angel's Requiem but there are doubts that he's not secretly his game's villain. The fact that the RPG style game is massive, full of plot twists and no one seems to know how his game ends isn't helping that rumor. His in game girlfriend Heather Lightheart has a relationship with another character on off hours; the two are just friends. It's also full of other strangeness that creeps out the rest of the arcade mainly because it doesn't follow the general good vs evil motif (no one is too sure who's who). There's an entire level where everyone and everything is controlled by (and worships) one character, an odd child named Voland.
Other Sugar Rush Racers are hiding something too: Both Gloyd and Applejack have a bizarre urge to drink Rocher's blood and have another connection beyond the body they share. Apparently Rancis and Rocher are both psychic (despite Rocher's ability seemingly just terrain manipulation). And of course the ever changing game atmosphere is grating on some of their nerves.
Now Turbo's back and making trouble but this time he has his sights set on the whole arcade. Something happened around the time he took over Sugar Rush that's given him an idea to get his ultimate revenge.
Vanellope vonSchweetz- The Candy Kart
Power: Teleporting (glitching)- Vanellope needs to see her destination (by visualizing it or actually seeing it) or she could end up in a worse position; her power up is called SUGAR RUSH
Track: Sugar Rush Speedway
Alter: ?
Power: ?
Track: ?
Candlehead- The Ice Screamer
Power: Fire abilities- she becomes too hot for other racers to get near her; SWEET SEEKERS are the power up that contains her power as a weapon rather than defense
Track: Candlecane Lane
Alter: Cherriebomma- The Licorice Whip (a motorcycle)
Power: Creates explosions- they spring from kisses she blows; CHERRY BOMBS are her power up
Track: Twizzler Town Motor Speedway
Gloyd Orangeboar- The Kernel
Power: Chance (jinxes)- Gloyd's powers are very strange. The damage they cause is hard to fix; it may take several attempts to reset. He's terrified of his abilities but it's made worse by being activated by his emotions; JUST DESERTS is his power up
Track: ?
Alter: Applejack O'Lantern- Hershula
Power: Can swap places with anyone (or thing...)- Applejack can do this anywhere with in a game but it is limited to three racers behind or ahead of him while racing; TRICKY TREAT is his power up
Track: ?
Snowanna Rainbeau- FroCone
Power: Can phase through things; SUGAR SLIDE
Track: Rainbow Maze
Alter: Chailata Marmamocha
Power: Flight; LIGHTLY WHIPPED
Track:?
Swizzle Malarkey- The Tongue Twister
Power: Sonic Scream; LOLLI-BOOM is his power up
Track: ?
Alter: Astrotwinkle Starglazer- The Shooting Starburst
Power: Blinding flashes of light called Starbursters; He's the only one who's power up is the same as what he calls his power STARBURSTERS
Track: ?
Taffeyta Muttonfudge- Pink Lightening
Power: Elasticity: her power up is TAFFY PULL
Track: Shortcake Bluffs
Alter: Poproxie Cola- The Coke Bottlerocket
Power: Can alter the track to create liquid traps; her power up is SYRUP TRAP
Track: Old Fizziful
Crumbelina DiCaramello- The Tira Missle
Power: ?
Track: ?
Alter: ?
Power?
Track: ?
Rancis Fluggerbutter- The Kit Kart
Power: Telekinesis
Track: ?
Alter: Rocher du Reese- The Rocky Roadster
Power: Can alter the track to create obstacles- COOKIE CLUSTER is his power up
Track: ?
We also know that the racers with copies don't have alters because these so called recolors are partially locked racers with unnamed copy karts. Unlocking them restores their karts, powers and cheering section.
Minty Zaki- Veloci-Wrapper
Power-?
Track: ?
Torvald Batterbutter- Marzipanzer
Power: Forcefield; CANDY SHELL
Track: Jawbreaker Canyon
Sticky Wipplesnit- Blue Sundae Special
Power: ?
Track: ?
Adorabeezle Winterpop- The Ice Rocket
Power: creates snow; ICE CREAM CANNON is her power up
Track: Iceerod Trail
Nougesta Brumblestain- Revberry Creamer (restored)
Power: Instant Ice; her power up is COOL WHIPPED
Track: ?
Jubileena Bing-Bing- The Cherriot
Power: ?
Track: ?
Citrusella Flugpucker- ?
Power: ?
Track: ?
**Got it? Good. Let's go.**
16 years ago...
Alt C
The digital underground of Game Central Station. A crowded sub city where the unplugged congregated. If they knew of it before their game's demise. It's citizens weren't keen on letting others know of their home simply because space was at a premium. This is where Turbo ended up sometime, a long time, after Turbo Time and Roadblasters got unplugged. Once he got tired of dodging the Surge Protector and really anyone else. He happened upon the safe haven by sheer dumb luck. Getting stuck between the entrance of GCS and a new game as it was plugged into his old socket. As he fell, only the letters DAYTON caught his eye. Then he found himself in the depths of Alt C.
But he was far from welcome here.
From the instant he claimed his little piece of limbo, Turbo found himself an outcast. The act of game jumping was no longer a harmless activity done after arcade hours. Interactions between consoles were now strictly regulated by unspoken taboos. You had to have a valid reason like a Bad Anon meeting, a new game welcoming committee or something. Getting stuck outside your game became more than an accidental slip. Now you were "Going Turbo" and threatening the safety of two games. Messing with the program.
The beatings stopped but he endured the shunning there for nearly a year.
It was because of him that Alt C had become so crowded. Forced to live in what would later be described as Silent Hill meets Resident Evil and colliding full on with anything made by Cyberdreams Interactive Entertainment. Dark and eerie, a far cry from the atmospheres of most places residents had originated from. One small mercy granted to them was the part of their coding requiring such things as rest and nourishment of any kind severed the instant they became an Alt C resident. A fact little Jane pointed out to her protector Jack 2 when she remembered Qbert and his crew were starving in GCS. There was now, however, the ever present danger of permanent deletion without a way to regenerate one's code. The main reason most never left their sanctuary; why Jack 2 refused her pleas to help those who had yet to find Alt C for themselves. The possibility of being mistaken for another "Turbo" too likely for an attempt. His programming told him her safety came first.
Damage took weeks to heal instead of the instant refresh. If it healed at all. This was a fact some refugees from the Tekken 2 and Virtua Fighter 1 and 2 games beat into rhe wayward racer repeatedly his first week there. Stomping him into the ground just short of total code failure then leaving him to suffer, licking his wounds.
Self deletion happened when sprites couldn't take it anymore.
Before, it wasn't uncommon for orphaned characters to take up residence in other games so long as they remained unseen during work. Now fear of ending up like Roadblasters had made such hospitality a thing of the past. That all changed when several characters began to vanish in late 1996. While the new breathing room was nothing to sneeze at, the circumstances were unsettling.
"Where the hell is Tony?" Clint Barton aka Hawkeye (From Captain America and the Avengers) said out of the blue. When their game was replaced by Xmen back in 92, he and Iron Man had been leaving Tapper's. No one knew the console was about to be swapped out until the delivery guy was loading the star spangled unit onto the truck. "Yo, Miahima, you seen that idiot?"
"No. I ain't seen Jack or Jane since yesterday either. Come to think of it that Icarus kid is missing too." The former boss from Tekken 2 shook his head. "I don't like this."
"That little freak's gone too. He better not have something to do with this..." Cyberdemon snarled.
Curiosity got the better of our turbotastic little friend. Employing all his years of stealth being a necessity, he snuck out to the level above a few hours before Litwak's was set to open one day. Unfortunately, he may have been seen by Paperboy. Panicking, he dove into a socket. Instead of slipping through the crack as he intended, he ended up in a monorail car that shot off the instant he face planted on the floor. The gap happened to exist on a area that required him to press against a space on the nose of the rail car that no one in their right mind would even consider to be a hidden door.
Once he stopped, he found himself in another station. Full of NPCs going about their lives. Each paying him no mind at all. Hold on...
A pale hulking form dressed in a green tank top, camo pants and combat boots walked by. Same blonde Mohawk. Same tiny sailor suited figure seated on his shoulder. Jack and Jane both looked way more high res than he remembered but there was no mistaking who they were. She chatted away, about what Turbo couldn't hear. He could see it made the android smile and occasionally reply.
The pair had never been antagonistic to him. In fact, the girl had pitied him. Her pleas and puppy dog eyes kept the welcoming mob from tearing him apart that first day. Though he occasionally wished she'd just let them kill him, he was grateful for her help and she was his only friend. Jack pretty much just tolerated him for her sake but is was clear the warmachine DID NOT LIKE HIM. Mainly because violence erupted sporadically around white and red jumpsuits and his charge could be hurt. Still, them vanishing had prompted his excursion.
How were they here, acting like they belonged in this game?
"Turbo! Hi!" she cheered seeing him. Jack let her down and she ran to hug him. "You found it!"
"Jane? What's going on? Found what?"
"Our new home silly. Follow the arrows to the Sanctum and we can be together again."
"Yes. She has been hoping you would come here soon. It was all she talked about since we arrived." Her guardian nodded, lifting her up once more and continuing onward to the city above.
Um...okay...
Seeing as no one seemed interested in wailing on him, he decided to follow her instruction. The path of blinking white arrows led him to a large ornate church building. Seeing the guard made him reconsider his choice but to his amazement the scary figure stepped aside and he double doors opened. Following the long hallway, he came upon a wide open room. The royal purple carpeting making a path over the white marble to a throne. The windows were so big and numerous, there wasn't any need for candles or lamps yet gothic multi tiered floor length candle stands were present. An intricate chandelier adorned with gold and crystals suspended over the very center of the space.
" 'Ello lost one." A young voice greeted from behind him. "I see you 'ave found you way to zee light. Welcome Monsieur Turbo."
So caught up in the sheer majesty of it all, he failed to notice he wasn't alone. Startled, he whiped around.
The being before him was...odd. Beautiful but odd. His (her?) color scheme all wrong for the character to be human. An alien or something? That was currently popular right? They were floating too. Then again grey skin with yellow eyes and teeth and no hair didn't exactly scream healthy so who was he to judge?
Wait. This sprite knew who he was. This game, Something Angel, was new. It showed up around the time people started to disappear! He'd only run in here to avoid getting caught. Were they hunting down orphaned characters? Did this strange sprite want to delete him for his crimes?! Was that the price of sanctuary here? Getting a sweet girl to rat him out?
"Are you all right? I said, my name ees Voland. Welcome to zhe Sanctum, my base. Would you like to belong? 'Ear and embrace zhe word?" It took a while to realize this boy (pretty sure they were male by now) had been speaking during his little internal meltdown. Voland looked down at him with warm, concerned white eyes.
"What does that mean?" Turbo ventured, not fully trusting this new person.
" 'Ere, all are welcome. Ville de l'Étoile du Matin ees a city of second chances. I know of you and your...shall we say, faux pas? Oui, faux pas." He looked thoughtful before nodding his head as if deciding something final. "But everyone makes mistakes, non? My domain ees open to all who are willing to embrace zhe word. You will be reborn in zhis format to live in 'armony."
Reprogrammed.
That's what he meant. And Voland's pretty words didn't even try to disguise his intentions. Turbo plainly saw several characters that had gone MIA on his trek here. All looking happy and serene. All matching the graphics design of this world. If he had not known them in Alt C he would have mistaken them for natives. That fact had spurred his interest as he moved. But as he did, he began to feel uneasy. Why were they all so happy? Why didn't they bother to let anyone know they had found paradise?
Now he knew. Simply put, they couldn't. This 'word' had to be code for 'his will'.
Fuck that. He was done being controlled. Being hurt. Done with paying for his only mistake over and over. This purple freak was mistaken in thinking he'd be his puppet. He refused to lose the one thing he still owned. His freedom.
"Nuts to that kid. I'm a champion racer. Not some no name NPC." He snapped.
"You could race again. You are not the only racer to discover our city. Just as zhere are fighterss, explorers, other ordinary characters doing what zhey love." That gentle smile didn't falter one bit from the rude refusal.
"I ain't stupid. I'd never be picked by a gamer! I'd just be a face in the crowd. You want me to cower in the background of this kooky place and obey you. Turbo don't take orders from no one. Especially some snot nosed brat."
"Then where will you go? Back to zhat dungeon where you are 'ated and reviled?" Voland circled around the racer. Daintily hovering above the ground. His words still soft but slowly taking on a sharp mocking edge. "You would refuse a chance at redemption?"
"Why not? Why should you be the only one to rule a game without question? All the shit I've taken for the last decade, I deserve to be on top not someone's lap dog."
"Very well." The boy shrugged. "I prefer my children to join me willingly. None who 'ave stayed were forced. Zhose who wish to leave may. But to allow you to pose such a clear threat goes against my programing. Zhereore, you must be deleted."
"WHAT?!"
THOOM!
A sphere of white hot energy struck the area Turbo had been standing, leaving a scorched crater of melted tile. Having the sense to move saved him but not without taking some damage. His right boot had caught on fire. Stop drop and rolle wasn't an option at this point. A rapid succession of these death balls put to use all those years of dodging bullies. All the while Voland just watched him scramble for his life. He didn't seem to be firing or summoning them. Where the heck were they coming from then?!
"You will not escape." Voland called as the fallen racer ran like his bitmap was on fire (it totally was) from the cathedral and onto the street. Ever docile, the tone did nothing to disguise the threat in those words. NPCs regarded him warily, parting as he weaved through the crowd. Refusing to come in contact with him.
"Ha! Looks like your pets ain't as loyal as you'd like, huh?" he cackled in response.
Still within his Sanctum, Level 18's boss frowned. His guard came rushing in having heard the noise. Holding up a tiny hand he silenced the questions on the tip of their tongues. His eyes narrowing caused a few to tremble in fear.
"Hm. Do not worry. All ees well." Slowly, the devil child descended toward the ground. Stopping when only the toe of his left boot came in contact the the floor. A wave of green energy spidering along, radiating outwards from the point the purple footwear touched. It swept out over the entire city. Each spirit it came in contact with had their eyes flash green. Slowly everything came to a stop.
/This can't be good./ Turbo noted that no one moved even if he was coming right at them. They all stood stock still looking towards the bright blue sky.
"My children, there is a dangerous element among you. A blasphemer who 'as rejected zhe word and threatens out 'ome. 'E must be eliminated. Civilians, do not endanger yourselves. Warriors, delete 'im on sight!" Angry words reverberated throughout the level.
"Yes my lord." They all acknowledged. And dozens of heads swerved to his position.
"Crud. Me and my big mouth-" WHAM! "WHOA!"
Embedded in the wall to his right, a very large short handled hammer. The metal portion bound to the wood by a sinewy twine. Idly, Turbo thought, if he survived all this, he could at least tell the Boomerang Brothers their hammer wielding brethren hadn't decided to go through with their suicide pact.
Instead he was more concerned with getting away from the duo. Looking nothing like the basic Super Mario villain design, the two squat reptiles were now six feet tall and more humanoid in shape with longer legs, arms and muscular bodies. Their shells less bulbous and bulky. Their boots, helmets and shell fronts looking like something out of Mad Max.
Squeezing his smaller body through a wrought iron fence he managed to give them the slip. Only to step in the path of an ARC reactor blast. He could recognize the sound of those thrusters anywhere. After he stopped rolling, the glimmer of red and gold got his attention.
Oh look. He found Tony.
He was so fragged.
"End of the line you little glitch." Iron Man fired again. Turbo was thrown into a storm drain too small for the hero to follow. Hooray again for being vertically challenged, he thought sourly. Reduced to hiding in a fragging sewer. Drawning himself up, he noticed he's fallen onto some freaky teardrop shaped black gem. It pulsed weakly before shattering and dousing him in dark sparkles. Great! Now what?
Pondering this took a back seat to the vibrations coming his way. Something big was headed for him. Then there was that mind warping roar...
Taking up the entire (relatively large) pipe, a massive green monster. Looking like a dragon got it on with an octopus then raped some poor humanoid. There was no where to go. His last thought of pure terror as his vision when red.
Satisfied his master's will had been carried out, the beast lumbered deeper into it's lair.
Not noticing the black jewel that appeared over the spot it's prey had perished in. The monster was too far away to hear it shatter and release a traumatized but respawned racer from within.
Voland had just unwittingly given Turbo the idea and part of the means to once again be a beloved arcade favorite.
*GITC*
Okay, first the characters inhabiting Alt C/ Games referenced:
Alt C it self is just shortening the words Alternating Current. It's also a reference to the keyboard copy command.
DAYTON: the partial name of Daytona, USA. A dual cabinet racing game. In my head cannon this is the game that eventually ends up in Turbotime's spot.
Kazuya Mishima: Asshole character from the Tekken games. Seriously, fighting him in any version sucks ass.
Jack 2 : A robotic soldier programmed to react to emotionally trying scenarios be developing a conscience and mind of his own in the Tekken series.
Jane: A sickly girl who lost her mother in the uprising the Jack 2 units were sent to quell. Finding her activates his hidden programming. Protecting her is all that matters to him.
Silent Hill: A survival horror game that had not yet come out (it debuts in 99, this chapter takes place in 95-96); hence the phrase "would come to be described as".
Resident Evil: Survival horror game from 96.
Cyberdreams: A game company known for making disturbing horror games, only one of which had been made into a console game by the time this takes place. And went out of business in 97.
Virtua Fighter: Initially horrible series I swear is only worth playing around the third or fourth installation.
Clint "Hawkeye" Barton and Tony "Iron Man" Stark: two of the three playable characters from the misleadingly named Captain America and the Avengers Game which debuted in 92. Three characters do not an Avengers team make Capcom...
Kid Icarus: A cult classic from Nintendo. The winged kid is actually named Pit. Random fact no one asked about- His Japanese name Pitto (ピット) is from Kyūpitto (キューピット), the roman god Cupid written in katakana.
Cyberdemon: A boss from DOOM.
Hammer Bros/Boomerang Bros: Types of bipedal Koopa Troopas that throw their namesakes at players in various versions of Super Mario.
Alone in the Dark: Yeah, that's Cthulhu who kills Turbo in the sewer. Not too different from the subterranean maze where you find him in this game.
The Black Jewels are extra lives hidden in the game Fallen Angel's Requiem. Because of how the game was designed, they work for ANYONE who finds one while inside FAR.
So, whatcha think? How am I doin' with giving depth to the Disney characters as well as my OCs? Reviews are like hugs! Sirensoundwave out!