Chapter Ten – The Garden

Felix was making his round in Hero's Duty once more, checking up on his wife and repairing various things that the soldiers had. It wasn't a new job that he had been assigned but it was just something he wanted to do to help. He had gotten so used to repairing various things over the years that he just couldn't help himself.

After all, fixing was in his code.

"Hey, babe." Calhoun said, bending down and kissing the repairman on his forehead "How are things goin'?"

"Not….not too well…" the little man said with a sigh "Things just aren't as happy as they were in Niceland."

"What do ya mean?"

"Ralph? Tha guys? They've all been mopin' about like someone has taken their sunshine an' pie away an' no matter what I do ta help, they seem ta push me away."

Calhoun had been a witness to what her husband was detailing her on but even she was a little clueless as to what to do. The little people of the game were just not her type to console given her methods of getting people to snap from their funk. Perhaps if she tried she would go a little bit too far on them but on the other hand if Felix couldn't help them….

"Felix?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do ya need some help with things?" the space-marine asked "Ya always got me, so there's no need ta worry."

Felix smiled brightly as he looked up at his wife "Ya help enough, honey-pie. Just…just keep bein' ya an' things will be alright."

The hero of the game was taking on much more than he needed but Calhoun didn't know where to begin with questioning him. She wondered if he would push her back, call her bluff about things. Felix could be a little flighty at times but he was good at hiding his own weaknesses and grief from time to time; she just wished that of all times, it wasn't this.

"SARGE!"

The woman turned, seeing Mouse running down the halls towards her "Yes, Cadet."

"Don't hit tha ceilin' when I tell ya this but our Number One Guest?"

Calhoun moved forward, her eyes growing wider "Yes?"

"He actually wants ta talk now!"

Both husband and wife looked at each other, but Calhoun stepped forward first with a hand extended to push Felix back.

"On what grounds?"

"His grounds. He didn't say anythin'….other that he could, an' I quote 'overhear Felix's doofy ass hoppin' 'round' an' he wanted ta sit in on both of ya."

"What, me too?" Felix said in shock, pointing to himself "But….but why?"

"As if I have tha answer for that." Mouse said, adjusting her goggles "YOU should be askin' HIM that, not me."

Felix looked up at Calhoun nervously, his hands held together as his heart began to racer; what other reasons would Turbo have to talk to him, the worry flooding his mind. After all, it had been clued in that with Turbo being in the arcade again and of a sound mind at that the man was capable of spilling secrets on EVERYONE he had been in contact with in the past and that included Felix as well.

"O-Oh gracious…." The man said, feeling a bit faint "I-I don't know if I can-!"

"Felix!" Calhoun jolted, catching her husband just in time before he fell "Oh man, you're in no condition ta talk ta ANYONE if this is gonna be tha way ya-!"

"NO!"

The two women were surprised at Felix's yell.

"Sir?"

The Repairman picked himself up, a determined look upon his face "Turbo wants ta talk ta me. Fine….he'll get me alright!"

"Felix, think about this. It could be a trap." Calhoun said, already used to dealing with people like Turbo "Even I'm not too keen on talkin' with him right now an'-!"

"Babe, this is somethin' I gotta do…." Felix said, such fire roaring in his belly "I've sat beside, watchin' my friends suffer for long enough. I gotta take tha monster head on."

"If you're gonna do that, then I'm comin' too." Said Calhoun "After all, he said he wanted ta see both'a us."

And so the two went through the deep halls of the game, going further and further past any points that any outsider had ever seen. The game was so richly detailed that only the most skilled players could hack these unused levels but there they were, perfectly suited and armed for holding the worst criminals in the arcade but given how things were going in the place, only ONE cell was occupied.

And it was occupied by Turbo.

Two large guards stood at attention for the man's cell but there he was, sitting on his cot as if nothing were out of the ordinary, as if what was going on were just normal to him.

"Glad ya showed up…."

The couple said nothing, the guard putting chair beside them. Felix took ahold of Calhoun's hand, the woman looking on as he held on tightly.

This was going to be tough but they were going to make it through together.

"So I heard ya wanted ta talk ta us…" Calhoun began "Nice ta see ya wanna open up now considerin' we have so many questions for ya."

Turbo slowly turned his head and yawned, a finger wagging in the air "Questions? For MOI? Hoho, young lady. I actually had QUESTIONS for YOU."

"What kind?" said Felix, trying his best to appear tough before his former neighbor "I-I mean…what could ya possibly wanna know from us?"

"My request are simple, Fix-It." The man said, a small smile forming on his lips "I just wanna know, how have ya been."

Calhoun could feel Felix's hold growing tighter, his hands shaking.

"I-I've been doin' well."

"So I've heard. This place really has put ya on tha top, hasn't it?"

"I-I don't like tha spotlight that much…." Said Felix "I mean, I like knowin' that I can make people happy. That has always been my priority."

"Heheh, you're just so…so….HUMBLE, Fix-It." Turbo chuckled to himself "I thought ya liked those parties those pork-lanaders held for ya. Tellin' ya how great ya were, all tha while Ralph was bein' left out on tha streets, alone in tha dark while ya got all that praise!"

Felix turned red in shame, his head lowered "Y-Yes, I am well aware of what happened an' what I did but I-!"

"It was so fun watchin' all that heat happenin', whether it was from my own skin or in that skin of Candy." Turbo cut in "Oh? Did ya know? I actually modified an existin' villain in Sugar Rush ta make him? Fernardo Candicus was his name. It was almost as if that place made it so easy for me ta take over, almost as if it were BEGGIN' me ta take over!"

"ENOUGH!" Calhoun shouted "Don't waste our time, Turbo! We could leave ya down here ta rot if you're gonna play!"

"Sarge, I assure ya I didn't call ya down here ta 'PLAY'. Like I said, I wanted ta know if your hubby was doin' alright after all these years. I mean, I BARELY got a chance ta talk ta him back when I was King. It was like ya didn't even wanna speak ta me!"

From the way that Turbo had said those words, it was almost as if Felix KNEW that the racer had wormed his way into another game but the repairman didn't fold, glaring at the former racer.

"Knowin' how things EVENTUALLY turned out, Turbo…." Felix said "I'm glad I took tha warnin' my REAL friends gave me. It was because of that I was spared havin' your ugly mug shoved in my face!"

"Ya say that…but had ya known, don't ya think ya cudda saved dem kids faster? Spared ol' Vanellope tha PAIN of bein' bullied, freed tha others from tha mind hold? Honestly Felix, for a so-called hero ya sure don't do that much effective work! Even Ralph did more than ya an' his only means of game-jumpin' was a stupid hissy fit with those butter-landers!"

"STOP!" Felix cried out, nearly rushing to the glass that separated him and Turbo "I swear ta all things grand an' holy Turbo-!"

The prisoner was enjoying this far too much, seeing both Repairman and Solider squirm as if he had put them in a frying pan, each one trying their best to hold back their fury for him.

Yeah, yeah. Dance puppets, dance.

"But then those viruses came. I can say from that ya did redeem yourself….though with tha whole thing between gettin' your hammer stolen an' those games thatg got roasted. Again Felix, what good are ya? People kiss your ass so much an' yet time after time, ya fail ta be tha HERO ya were programmed ta be."

"An' what does that make YOU?" Calhoun growled "From what I heard, ya were less than a stellar grand-marshal for your game!"

"Baby, I was tha face of Turbo Time, tha face of LITWAK'S….but who tha hell said I had ta be PANSY while doin' it? That's tha thing I don't get 'bout people like ya. Ya get on your moral high-horse about EVERYTHIN' but tha moment ya have a lil slip, what happens? Ya try ta back-peddle an' cover your own asses, pin tha blame on someone else, dig up their old dirt an' spread it around. I heard top-side that's been tha case an' if it's true?"

The man laughed, his eyes looking as if they were starting to glow.

"Man, never change Litwak's. Never change!"

"I can see that we're wastin' out time here…." Calhoun growled as she prepare to leave "Ya don't have anythin' important ta say! Just wanted ta flap your gums off before-!"

"Did ya wanna know….." Turbo began "Some of tha things that your hubby did, sweet thang?"

Calhoun's face reddened in anger at the comment "What was that, soldier?"

"I said….ya love Felix so much….would ya still love him if I told him how he RAN? How he couldn't even decide who was more important ta help?"

"I would love Felix either way!" the woman growled, punching the glass "I know he's NOTHIN' close ta bein' tha spineless TWERP that ya-!"

"Ya call me spineless? HA! I think that is a description better suited for-!"

"Okay, Turbo! I get it!" Felix cried out.

"Honey?"

"I know ya think I'm stupid, that I'd forget all that stuff but ya know what?! I could never forget it! I could never forget it an' that's what drove me ta bein' tha man that I am! All because of what ya did ta us, how ya treated us!"

Turbo sneered; he had gotten Felix's attention.

"But Felix, I was only tryin' ta help. That's all I EVER wanted ta do…."

"Gracious, I'm just not used ta gettin' all this stuff!"

"Consider it a thank you." Said two white mice, their larger police guardian looking over them "We usually have to initiate a reset to get things back together but this saves the wear on the system!"

"Not a prob! I'm just doin' my job!" Felix said, carrying a large basket of goodies in his arms.

This had been going on for a while; Felix would be called upon to fix things outside his game and, being a fixer and all, he would answer the call much to the delight of the other citizens. The thanks they would give him, the gifts and treats, it was all so wonderful but at the end of the day it wasn't the material items that made Felix feel so good.

It was just knowing that he could HELP.

He hadn't told anyone before but there were times when he felt….less than powerful in the arcade.

Sure, he had a wonderful gift, a great talent but he felt….weak. He felt…SHRIMPY. Compared to Ralph, Felix was a beanpole, only coming in at eighty pounds soaking wet. There were bigger, STRONGER Heroes in the arcade and even with his hammer he felt….inadequate. If there were one thing he didn't want to been seen as it, was HOPELESS and USELESS.

"I think it would be best if I shared some of these with tha others…" Felix said "There so much stuff in here. Ralph an' tha guys should like this!"

Speak of the Wrecker.

Ralph came lumbering up to the apartments, the man looking so worried and tired.

"Ralph?"

The big man turned, quickly snapping to once he saw Felix approaching him.

He had to keep appearances of course.

"Ah, Felix! I-I didn't hear ya comin', man."

"Say, is somethin' tha matter? A look like someone told ya they were gonna stop servin' those triple-stack burgers at Burger time!"

Ralph mustered up a fake, laugh digging his feet into the ground "Heh, y-yeah. If only things were that simple."

"Ralph?"

"Um, Felix."

"Yeah?"

"I-I know this sounds like a weird question but…tha Nicelanders?"

"What about 'em?"

"They…they haven't been sayin' thing about me, have they?"

Felix was little stunned by such a question "Have they been-? Why would ya think somethin' like that?"

How could Ralph explain this without offending ANYONE?

"That whole talk ya gave me about Bad Guys? Well…I've seen it with a few other characters around here."

"An' you're worried that tha guys think tha same as that?"

The big man nodded "I know its kinda small'a me ta think like that about 'em but I really can't talk ta 'em as well as ya can. I mean, ya can approach 'em without worryin' that you're gonna crush 'em or hurt 'em! I mean, I tried ta talk ta Meg an' a few others an' they took off!"

"They DID?!"

"Yup." Nodded the big man "An' it wasn't just THEM. It was a few other NPCs as well, a few other GOOD guys too. Frogger? He's been a lil buggy an' that guy from Pitfall? His cougar and niece went RUNNIN' from me! I just wanted ta say hi an'-!"

Felix could see just how upset Ralph was getting but he smiled, certain that things could be fixed.

"Here, big fella."

"What?"

Ralph found himself being given the fruit basket from the other game, the Wrecker not really sure what to do with it.

"Feliiiiiiix?"

"Enjoy." The smaller man said as he made his way to the apartments "I have someone I need ta talk ta!"

If there was one person Felix was going to first, it was the only other person in the game whom he felt had a hold in the arcade; Gene.

"Mr. Mayor?" Felix called as he knocked on the door "Ya in there, Big Gene?"

"H-Hold on a moment!"

Some shuffles, some bumps.

Was something going on inside?

"Yes?" Gene said, looking up at Felix, his suit a little ruffled, his cheeks red and his hair out of place "May I help you?"

"Did….did I come at a bad time?"

"Oh, NO!" the man laughed loudly as he PUSHED Felix out from the door, slamming it shut behind him as he walked into the hall "Y-You caught me at the PERFECT time, young man. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I just wanted ta ask is things were okay between ya guys."

"Between WHO exactly?"

"Ralph."

Felix caught the jolt from the little man "A-Ah, Ralph?"

"Yes, who else?"

"Um. Th-things have been going fine, I suppose."

"You SUPPOSE?" Felix said, arching a brow "Genie, ya know if there is one thing I cannot stand, it's FIBBIN' an' I can tell you're fibbin' through your teeth."

"H-How can you tell? I could be telling the truth and just be nervous!"

"For one thing, you're doin' that thing with your tie. Ya always twist it 'round your fingers when ya try ta hide tha truth. What happened ta bein' a man of your word, Gene?"

"I AM a man of my word!" the Nicelander said sharply "It's just….I just don't want to bother you any more than we already have. You've done so much for us already that it would be near OBSESSIVE if we came to you for every little problem that we had."

"Gene, that's my job!" said Felix "I'm SUPPOSED ta protect ya guys an' I wanna extend that thought even off-game."

"You do?" Gene said "I mean, I mean….most of the time, it would appear that you have other things to do, other more important people to be around."

"Ya know my family comes first, Gene." Felix smiled "So out with it. Ralph's told me that ya guys have been givin' him tha cold shoulder for a while, what's up?"

"WE gave him the cold shoulder?" Gene said, finally looking a little upset "What about him and the way he's been treating US?!"

"What do you mean?"

"The way he and those other Bad Guys have been pushing NPCs around! It's been going on for WEEKS but when I tried to tell Surge about it, I-!"

The Mayor shook his head, appearing that a headache was starting to brew from within.

"I knew I should have come to you first, I knew it!"

"Gene, what's been going on?"

"I have my ideas who the main culprit in all of this could be. The rest of the Nicelanders and myself have been hounded ENDLESSLY by these people and they all seem to be going by HIS beat!"

"Who is this guy, Gene?

"Urgh, I don't know how much more of this I can take, Felix!" Gene said, all a-flustered over the incidents "Do you know how many times I've had to rip and run, back and forth in that station TRYING to gets some help on this? And before you ask, the reason why I didn't come to you first is because I KNOW you're busy! You're so TERRIBLY busy these day that I thought it was better to go to someone else, to SURGE since we were told that he could handle outside affairs but I've been waiting and waiting and WAITING for replies from him and I've gotten NOTHING! Just more headaches and more reports from the others guys when people start bully-!"

"GENE!"

The little man stopped in his tracks, realizing that he had gone a tad overboard. He blushed deeply, clearing his throat as he looked up at Felix once more.

"Ahah….y-you understand."

"I would understand it better if ya just TOLD me who ya think tha ones responsible for this trouble are."

Gene looked about the halls, as if he were fearing that someone else could be listening in.

"A-are you certain you can help us on this?"

"Gene, HONESTLY!" Felix said, putting a hand to his forehead "I'm your FRIEND! Why would ya doubt me about this-!"

"I'm sorry young man but there have been just too many…INCIDENTS!"

"Incidents?"

"Incidents where we've ATTEMPTED to get help but it feels like each turn we go to, there's a dead end. Nothing gets solved and..."

The Mayor looked down, brushing his side.

"I think the results have been OBVIOUS. Look at everyone around here, Felix. They're jumpy, anxious. Some of them are so worried about going out now! I…I don't know what to do! I know I'm the Mayor, I know it's my JOB to watch over them but look! Look at what has happened! I haven't done anything to make ANYONE feel better!"

"Gene, just tell me! Who do you think is doing this."

"Well…." Gene said turning away "You are aware of what I have said about RALPH."

"An' why do ya think he's involved."

"Some of the others have spotted him with those Bad Guys I mentioned, the ones that have been pushing NPCs around. I know I shouldn't think so ill of the young man but if that's the crowd he is CHOOSING to go out with-!"

"An' who else did ya see?" Felix cut in, trying to change the subject and shift the blame AWAY from the Wrecker "From tha way things sounded there were MULTIPLE people givin' ya trouble."

"J-Just some other Bad Guys, BIG ONES. Some of the smaller Bad Anons haven't given us trouble but its those tough ones, those mean ones, the ones that KNOW we can't fight back!"

"Gene, I can assure ya. Ralph has had nothin' ta do with this an' ya know it's not fair ta just lump him in with tha BAD GUYS who have been jerks! There are plenty'a bad guys around here who have treated ya nicely so does that make 'em bad too?"

"Well….no." Gene said, such guilt upon his face "But Felix-!"

"An' I know that Ralph hasn't been a part of this trouble ya guys have been facin'! I trust him an' ya should do tha same."

"I-I know I could, I WISH I could but-!"

"Is this all about how he has ta throw ya at tha start of tha game?"

PARTLY.

"P-Perhaps." Said Gene "I wish he would understand. I dislike being thrown as much as he dislikes being tossed into the mud pit. It's so undignified and people won't stop bothering me about it."

"Gene, it's just a silly animation."

"Tell that to everyone else then!" the little man snapped "They LISTEN to you! They don't put their hands on you and try to toss you clear across the station floor! At least they listen to you when you say STOP!"

"Gene, calm down. You're more than just tha guy who gets thrown out tha window, Gene." Felix said, putting his hand on the Mayor's head "An' Ralph is more than just tha bad guy who wrecks tha buildin'."

The little man turned an unworldly shade of pink; oh, how he hated being treated like a child but Felix was the hero and he could not object.

"Thank you, young man…." The Mayor breathed out, a large pixel puff coming from his mouth "I don't want to be bothersome to you but…but that's what we've been thinking as of late. I don't want to put all the blame on Ralph but….but he's just been acting so funny around us and with everything else that has been going on?"

"Who was this other person? Tha one ya said could be in on this?"

Dare Gene speak his name? He remembered what had happened the countless times he and the other Nicelanders even so much as ATTEMPTED to say anything and yet….

And yet?

They had all kept it hidden from Felix.

He knew a few things that had happened seeing as they had called for his help over and over again but there were still so many things he was yet to find out, he was YET to discover.

Gene was a man of his word but how far would that stretch in a situation like this? The Mayor sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"Young man?"

"Yes?"

"As busy as you are, as much as you are needed….this is something I think I should continue to handle on my own."

"But Gene-!"

"Listen. You ARE the hero of this game, true, but I am also MAYOR. I have responsibilities of my own to contend with and as such, I should handle them. I HAVE to learn how to handle them otherwise, what good am I in this game? I cannot leave everything up to you not because I don't trust you but rather because that would be RUDE of me."

"Askin' for help when ya need it isn't rude."

"But it would be an abuse of your powers and-!"

CRASH!

The two men cried out as something from outside alerted them so something BIGGER. Felix was the first to move, going to the window to see someone messing around in the garden. There were only shadows but the tin strip of land was being trashed, the Repairman hearing the sound of the squelching pumpkins and other vegetables and fruit being destroyed.

"Oh, NO!"

"What is it, Felix?"

"Stay in here!" The repairman frowned, walking down the stairs. On his way out the door, the hero ran into Ralph, the big man just as confused as Gene.

"Felix, what is goin-?"

"I got this, Ralph!"

Felix dashed of faster than the speed of light but by the time he had arrived, the vandals had taken off, leaving a fresh trail of destroyed vegetation in their wake.

"Oh my land!" Felix gasped as he looked at the garden, everything destroyed "No, not after all that work we put inta this place."

"Dear?"

The Repairman turned, seeing Mary rushing out of the apartment only to stop once she saw the mess "Not again!"

"Yes, I am afraid so…." Felix said sadly, holding a broken garden gnome in his hand. The man turned towards the little woman, looking at her with worry "Was this what Gene was talkin' about?"

Mary brushed a few hairs out of her eyes, Felix catching notice that she too looked a little…FLUFFED.

"W-What Gene was talking about WHAT, dear?"

It was odd how many things were starting to arise in the little game, Felix never expecting such drama to come to his friends but as he looked about, the incident with the garden was but one of many marks that had happened and it wasn't as if it left little effects on everyone. As nice as he was about the situation, the hero did see that the Nicelanders had become more and more skittish with each new occurrence and Ralph and Gene were starting to become more and more bitter towards each other in little ways each and every day.

"Ah well…." Felix sighed, cleaning up the mess as best he could "Mary, just go back inside. I'll clean this up."

"Oh, are you sure?"

"Of course!" the man smiled, pulling out his hammer to repair some of the garden decorations "Just lemme handle this an' soon we can get back ta plantin' those-!"

Felix put his foot down…and felt something odd against his feet.

"Huh?"

A pendant?

Yup, a golden pendent in the mud. Felix inspected it, seeing that it wasn't anything that belong to the game but in the back of his mind he could have sworn he had seen it before.

Somewhere….he had seen it somewhere.

Wait…

It couldn't have been-!

"Hmmmm….."

"DON'T TELL ME WHERE I CAN AN' CAN NOT GO!"

Both Repairman and baker jumped at the loud voice, looking back towards the apartments, the windows clattering a bit.

"Oh, no. RALPH!" Felix called out, Mary slowly going back behind the man but he took off, the woman only coming along a few seconds after.

"Do you THINK I'm kidding with this?!" came the voice of Gene, his voice just as loud and just as angry "You're only bringing in MORE trouble!"

Oh boy, more arguments.

Ralph and Gene were at it again, the two men standing in the middle of the hall as they roared all colors of words towards each other, a few of the other Nicelanders taking a peek at the fight from their doors.

"Guys, GUYS!" Felix called out, stepping between the two "Man, ya two are makin' enough noise ta raise tha dead from their graves! What in tha arcade is goin' on this time?"

"Why don't ya ask Mayor Blubber-Buns?" Ralph growled, scowling at Gene "HE'S tha one who keeps tryin' ta pin all this nonsense on me!"

The Mayor gave a cry of offense from the insult "Deny it all you want, RALPH but don't think I haven't seen you or your buddies sneaking in and WRECKIN' the place!"

"Buddies, what buddies?"

"Those roughians from Turbo Time!" Gene spat out "They have been nothing but TROUBLE for all of us here, you know that!"

Ralph turned towards Felix, looking a might surprised "Ya know WHAT, Felix?"

"Ah-heh….well….."

How could Felix fully explain the entire situation to both men? After the greeting party that had taken place Felix HAD been increasingly called in by Turbo, the man enticing him with so many treats and perks that he had gotten for being the top game in the place but while Felix was very thankful for the kindness that Turbo had given him…..there was a great sense of discomfort.

A discomfort that slowly began to push Felix away.

It had all started AFTER the party, when Turbo began getting a little TOO personal with the man on many issues. The Repairman guessed that Jet and Set had told their main about the power pies and as such, Turbo would talk ENDLESSLY about them, trying his best to get one of the things from the game's hero.

Granted, there were other reasons why Turbo wanted FELIX to get him a pie.

The disaster of a sneak move, how he had found out the hard way just how badly the programmed pies tasted.

Even now, Felix had no idea that the ending catastrophe from that night was only initiated by Turbo but he had a growing feeling that the animosity between his two game mates had something to do with the racer, he just couldn't figure out HOW and WHY.

"Look, fellas…." Felix said "I wanna take both your points on but ya gotta stop fightin' like this. How can ya two even think of livin' together like this for YEARS if you're gonna hate each other?"

"I could always camp outside." Huffed Ralph "If tha Nicelanders are so sensitive."

"Ralph!" said Felix, shocked.

"I wouldn't mind him making such a move." Snorted Gene "Seems like he's suited more for living in the dump ANYWAY."

"GENE!" gasped Mary, pulling Gene back.

Something had to be done.

Felix tapped his foot on the ground, putting his arms out.

"Ralph, Gene. Both of you, go ta your apartments."

The two men looked down in surprised, not used to having Felix address them in such a manner.

"What?"

"Are ya serious?"

"If you're gonna act like children, I guess I'm gonna hafta TREAT ya like 'em…." The hero scolded "So both of ya. GO TO YOUR ROOMS."

"But that's not FAAAAAAAAAAIR!" Gene mewled, proving Felix's point. Ralph only echoed the reaction, crossing his arms and puffing out his cheeks.

"This wouldn't have happened if ya weren't such a tattle-tale, Gene."

"Guys, just go relax or somethin'….." Felix moaned, taking off for the door "I'LL handle all'a this. Just wait."

"Wait? WAIT?!" Gene fumed "That's all I've been doing and-!"

"Gene, let's go…." Mary said as she pushed the man towards the elevator "Felix is right; YOU do need to rest."

Ralph watched as the Nicelanders went off to their apartments, feeling a sense of unease come over him as he was left alone in the halls.

To be alone.

It felt so terrible.

But after what had transpired, the big man felt that it would be better to be alone, to be away from NPCs in general.

"Turbo was right…" the man growled to himself as he went into his apartment "NPCs cause such'a mess."

Felix made his way towards the station, the place surprisingly empty for a weekend night.

"Guess this means he won't be too busy…." The little man said as he jogged to Turbo Time, hearing a few tires squeal, some of the spectators within gasping in shock.

TURBO WINS!

The crowd went wild but Felix was not sharing their sentiment. He wanted to see the racer but not to congratulate him.

"TURBO!"

But to ask him something important.

Fans gathered around the racer as he pulled into the winner's circle, grinning from ear to ear as he gave them his trade-mark thumbs-up.

"Hehe, Turbo Tastic!"

"TURBOOOOO!"

The grey-skinned racer looked over to see a skinny figure hopping up and down from the swamp of people, a smile creeping on his face.

"Hold back ladies…." The man chuckled as he hopped from his own kart and breezed through the crowd "Seems like I have someone who just can't wait for an autograph."

The man waltzed up to Felix, his hands on his sides.

"Boy, Fix-It. Perhaps it would be best if ya let everyone take their turn?"

"Turbo, we need ta talk."

"Oh, 'bout what?"

The Repairman in blue looked around, feeling it would be best if he took the discussion elsewhere away from the screaming masses around them.

"Is there someplace we can go in private?"

"Ya want some private time?" Turbo said, arching his brow "Heh, sure thing, Felix."

A few moments later, Felix found himself lead into the Turbo's suite, the penthouse situated perfectly above the track, the sight of which quickly took ahold of the hero's attention, his hands placed upon the glass as he looked down.

"Nice, isn't it?"

Felix squeaked, turning back as Felix smiled upon him, two bottles of root beer in his hands.

"Here, ya look like ya could use one." The racer said as he tossed the bottle towards the other man, Felix catching it clumsily "So, what's tha prob, Felix? Hope no one is givin' ya guff."

"Um, no. People haven't been givin' ME any problems."

Turbo took a good swig of the soda, "Mm-hmm?"

"But it seems that people are throwin' a bitta trouble towards Ralph an' tha Nicelanders."

Turbo did not flinch, placing his bottle on a side table "Oh? An' ya came ta me about this WHHHHY?"

"Well, because ya hang out with Ralph so much. He seems ta be a good friend of yours."

The racer nodded "Yeah. He's a good guy from what I heard but I wouldn't say that we 'hang out' as ya say it."

To say that Felix was surprised by the little notion would have been an understatement; THAT wasn't something he had heard from Ralph. From the way Ralph had gone on and on for while, one would have thought that the Wrecker and racer were as thick as thieves. But there Turbo was, not budging an inch, denying that he had anything to do with the Wrecker.

This was the moment Felix knew something was up. He knew that Gene wouldn't lie and it would be a very big stretch that Ralph would tell a tale such as this so SOMEONE was in the wrong.

And that someone was looking right at him.

"What?"

Felix put the bottle down, trying his best to appear authorities before the racer "Oh, don't play games with me Mr. Turbo. I know ya have somethin' ta do with some of these messes that have been happenin' recently/"

The racer snorted at the slip of words, leaning on the sofa next to him "What was that, blue-boy?"

Felix reached into his pocket and tossed the pendent at the racer "Look familiar."

The insignia on the pen matched that of the Turbo Time logo, the title racer admiring the beauty of it as he shined it on his jumpsuit.

"Hehe, looks so fine. But it appears ta have been through some rough spots. Do ya know what happened ta it?"

"Yeah, it ended up in our garden after some of YOUR friends trashed it!"

"Ah-ha WHAT? MYYYYY friends? Felix, I am ASTONISHED that ya could connect me ta people like this! They just WORE tha pin, it doesn't mean I sent them out ta do things like crush Sweetlander gardens!"

"NICELANDERS."

"Really Felix, how can ya pin this on me?" the racer smiled as he flopped on the couch, putting his feet on the table "I'm just your typical racer, enjoyin' drivin' 'bout an snatchin' every prize I see! Do I LOOK like I could POSSIBLE commit somethin' as STUPID as garden smashin'?"

"There have been other things apparently, accordin' ta some of tha NPCs."

"Pfffft, those lil bits are ALWAYS jabberin' on 'bout somethin'!"

"Not with this." Felix said "Not with what I witnessed. I know somethin's up Turbo so stop tryin' ta hide it! Ya've been pullin' Ralph an' tha others along an' I don't at all appreciate it!"

"Fix-It!" Turbo gasped "How could ya accuse me of such things?! I mean, what PROOF da ya have that I have committed a single crime here, other than that pin of course?"

The repairman knew he had hit a corner, Turbo's statement proving to be one of truth as he didn't have any other proof but Felix knew that deep in his code that something was wrong.

"I mean, HONESTLY Felix. Goin' at me with such BASELESS accusations! I thought someone of YOUR status would know better than ta do somethin' like that! I mean, judgin' a character based on their looks an' their role!"

"I didn't base this on who ya are or what ya look like…." Felix cut in "Ya have a REP, Turbo an' as much as I tried ta look past it, all for tha sake'a bein' NICE, I can't ignore this anymore!"

"So ya find ONE clue an' try ta paint me as tha Bad Guy in all'a this?" smiled the racer "I hand those things out all tha time, Fix-It. ANYONE cudda dropped it, like your own BAD GUY! He cudda found it in tha garbage an' hung onta it like tha massive fan he seems ta be."

"How could Ralph find a pin an' then DROP it when tha crime is bein' committed, Turbo?"

"Hey, he could have GLITCHED between places. Its possible."

"Ralph hasn't done a THING an' yet people are startin' ta run away from him. Tha Nicelanders just wanna live in peace an' yet people keep harrassin' 'em! Tha more info I get from both parties, tha more I see that it leads back ta YA! THAT cannot be a coincidence!"

"Hah, shows how much THEY know." Turbo laughed "I wouldn't want anythin' ta DO with those guys! After all, I have a reputation ta keep up."

"A really bleak one if ya ask me…." Felix said as he crossed his arms against his chest. Turbo lounged back even further on his couch, enjoying the spoils around him.

"Ya know what I mean, Felix. Tha reputation of a HERO."

"Its great that ya like bein' a main, Turbo but that doesn't mean ya can BULLY people!"

"Bully?"

The glance that Turbo gave Felix was unlike that of a snake ready to inject a mouse with its toxin. The racer got up and walked over to the man in blue, slithering around him and pressing his skinny fingers hard into his shoulders.

"Ho, ho, ho….Felix. I don't….BULLY. Ya can't bully what doesn't matter."

Whether the comment was aimed at Ralph or the Nicelanders didn't matter, Felix quickly moved away from the man.

"How could ya say such a thing, sir?! Don't ya have ANY respect for your fellow game-ma-?!"

"Don't pretend that ya haven't enjoyed it, HERO. Don't pretend that ya haven't craved MORE of it."

"M-More of WHAT?" Felix blinked, moving back further.

"All this love, all this praise an' not just from people in your game….but from games THROUGHOUT tha arcade. I only bring this up because if we're gonna start airin' out MY so-called crimes…"

"A-are ya insinuatin' that I'm only doin' this for tha FAME?!" Felix said, aghast "I would never been in it just for th-!"

"I can see it in your eyes, Felix. I can see it right there. Ya know ya want more'a this, more of this fame an' glory an' ya can get it!"

"How exactly?"

"By just keepin' your mouth shut 'bout certain things of course. Certain things like tryin' ta pin crimes on me just because your crew are too STUPID ta handle a lil tough-love from tha rest of us in this place."

"No, no deal!" Felix said, growing increasingly angry at the racer "I see what you're tryin' ta do. You're tryin' ta bribe me, aren't ya?!"

"Bribes? What BRIBES?" Turbo said as he shrugged his shoulders "I'm just givin' ya some HELPFUL ADVICE, is all!"

"Turbo, stop these games! I know-! SOMEHOW ya've been messin' with my friends an' everyone else in this arcade an' when I find out-!"

"When ya find out-" Turbo cut in, turning his back on the racer "WHAT you're gonna find is NOTHIN'. Heh, ya can get mad at me all ya want but I have no hands in this, I have no ties in whatever stuff is worryin' your team. Ya won't find my fingerprints ANYWHERE."

"I can smell tha lie burnin' , Turbo…."

"Should be easy ta do, considerin' how big your NOSE is."

"TURBO!"

"Listen here, Fix-It." Turbo said, leading the man over towards the windows "I have my reputation ta uphold an' I am NOT gonna have some busy-body goodie-goodie like YA ruin it. I don't know how many times I gotta ram it into that thick, pixelated skull of yours but I HAD NOTHIN' ta do with whatever stupidity is happenin' in your game."

"But Turbo-!"

"Maybe, just MAYBE, those FRIENDS of yours aren't as good as ya think. Have ya ever considered THAT? Maybe RALPH isn't as much as a big softy as he is, maybe tha Nicelanders aren't as NICE as they are. Maybe they just needed someone ta pin tha crime on an, lookie here! A popular hero! Of COURSE I would be prime target!"

"P-Prime target for WHAT?!"

"Guess ya still need a bit of an education on how things go in this arcade…." Turbo said as he lead Felix to the couch, forcing the man down in such a manner that Felix nearly fell "It's great ta be a main, a hero, a GOOD GUY….but do ya know what comes with being on? A WHOLE lotta responsibility. A WHOLE lotta jealousy. Sure, my stay here is so fresh but I have been in tha company of a LOTTA rancid people. Why do ya think I was bein' so selective with my friends an' tha whole group who WANT ta keep this arcade in order? Ta hold a popularity contest? Oh, no, no, no, no!"

Felix felt his head lowering; why did he suddenly feel so guilty?

"I can tell ya only want tha best for everyone Felix but trust me, tha higher up ya are, tha more power ya have, tha more chances people are gonna ABUSE that fact. An' if ya ask me, it sounds like tha people in your team are already doin' that."

"H-How can ya say-?!"

"Ya said that Ralph has been actin' funny?"

"Y-Yes?"

"That tha your NPCs have been actin' funny?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"I can see it. I can see it from tha way they're tryin' ta get ya ta play one side against tha other."

"But…."

Felix felt a sense of weakness against Turbo even though they were the only two in the room.

"But why would they do that? I mean….I TRUST those guys! They know I would never play favorites with any of them so-?!"

"Sign of tha times, kid." Turbo said, a little smirk creeping on his face "Once ya start hittin' it big, ya get TONS of people tryin' ta leech off ya. Granted, I'm not surprised that RALPH tried ta say he was with me. I mean, with as much stuff as BAD GUYS get here, I'm not at all surprised that he felt tha need ta go ta someone he could trust."

"But he has ME!" Felix said, pointing to himself "I-I've ALWAYS been there for-!"

"An' what about those NPCs? What would THEY do if ya turned on 'em? I mean, if ya dedicated so much time away from 'em? They would be left ta tha sharks, wouldn't they? I really don't know what it feels like but I can imagine that it's no picnic out there for an NPC, especially for ones that were programmed from tha START ta be so WEAK, DEFENSELESS, an' overall USELESS!"

"U-Useless? Tha guys aren't USELESS! None of 'em are!"

"YA don't think that, an' that good of ya…." Said Turbo "But everyone else outside your game DOES so of course they would be so bitter, lookin' for anyone ta blame in order ta feel SAFE!"

Turbo's words were starting to twist and turn inside Felix's mind. It hadn't been too long ago that he had come to the racer to talk about an issue of people rough-housing but now Felix was starting to feel plagued with guilt over what was actually happening around him.

Who should he believe; Turbo, Ralph, the Nicelanders? Each one had a story to tell and with Felix's heart, he couldn't reject all of them. He might have been suspicious of Turbo from the get go but he didn't want to label the man as a monster. If he had done that, he was aware of the backlash that would come, the backlash that could DESTROY tha man from the inside out and that was something he just could not handle. He only wanted the TRUTH, to tell Turbo to stop and leave people alone but was all of this true? Was Turbo being blamed for crimes for no other reason other because he was in the spotlight, because he was a well-seen target?

What should Felix do?

The simple answer would of course had been to report the incident straight away but what if it turned out RALPH did have something to do with it? Then he would get in trouble and Felix didn't want to see that. But what if the Nicelanders were over-thinking things and going paranoid over nothing? Then that would mean they were abusing Felix's powers for the ease of their own lives and then everyone else would view them as even less and-!

Turbo had laid so many thoughts in his mind that Felix could no longer think straight!

"Ya okay there buddy?"

"Um, y-yeah!" Felix grimaced, getting up and walking back towards the door "Um, I just need ta get goin'!"

"How 'bout we make a deal, Felix?" the racer smiled "Since ya got so much on your hands right now, why don't I take care'a few things FOR ya?"

"No, please don't." Felix meeped from the door "I-I assure ya, I can handle what's goin' on MYSELF."

"Sure 'bout that? I mean, I do have some FRIENDS that can make things a LOT easier for ya."

"I-I'm sure…." Felix said, slowly slipping out from the door "I'm sure…."

The repairman rushed back home, finding the Nicelanders cleaning up the mess from earlier that night.

"Guys?"

"What happened, Felix?" Gene asked hopefully "Did you find out who was the cause of all this mess?"

The hero blushed deeply, not a good sign in the Mayor's eyes.

"Felix?"

"Um, I found SOMETHIN' out, Gene." Felix said sheepishly "B-But as I said, I-I can fix it. I can fix ANYTHIN' that comes our way."

"O-Oh. Okay." Gene said, adjusting his tie "If that's the case then can you make certain to keep RALPH under watch?"

"Why?"

"He's been showing off much more anger than needed lately." The blue Nicelander scowled "And that attitude has been reflected off the rest of us. I've never seen the group so jumpy before."

Felix rubbed his aching brow "Got it, Genie. Got it."

The repairman turned and headed over towards the apple trees, Ralph sitting under one of them. He knew things were getting heated between the groups but he didn't think he' find Ralph so far away from the others, let alone the apartment.

"Ralph? Don't tell me YOU'RE still-!"

"Felix?"

Ralph's voice was so gruff, so angry sounding.

"Y-Yeah?"

"Keep those STUPID NPCs outta my hair! I don't want 'em near me!"

The halls of Hero's Duty were echoing with laughter, Turbo clutching his sides as the husband and wife looked on.

"An' ya gotta ask it Junior. Ya HAVE to."

Felix's shoulders bunched as he glared grimly at the former racer.

"Maybe it was a good thing ya were so busy back then. It made for tha PERFECT opportunity for me an' mah boys ta go about tha arcade! It had never been so fun!"

"Beady-eye SNAKE!" Calhoun cursed at the man "Toyin' with people like that! HOW COULD YA?!"

"How could I?" Turbo chuckled again "Because people are EASY, toots. Because people wanna hang onta tha strongest person in tha arcade an', heh, was it MY fault that it happened ta be ME?"

Felix was feeling sick to his stomach as he relived the story, remaining silent as his wife confronted th former race but it was true, all so PAINFULLY true.

"Ya didn't wanna come between everyone…." Turbo hissed "Ya didn't wanna play favorites but look at what happened! WHOOOO ended up in tha dump? WHOOOOO eneded up bein' labeled as tha weakest NPCs in tha arcade?"

Keep your temper, Felix. Keep your temper.

"Oh Felix, ya are SUCH a simple creature. So simple that I didn't HAFTA use muscle ta get what I wanted from ya but ah well. I don't like ta get my fingers dirty 'less I hafta."

"I think we've heard enough…." Calhoun said as she stood up, staring Turbo down "Enjoy this comfort while ya can, grey-face. It ain't gonna last."

"Ta here that top-side people are still eatin' each other alive in order ta cover their own tracks? Heh, that brings me more than enough joy now, blondie!"

Eating each other alive?

Of course.

As the couple made their way up to the main portion of the game, Felix could not stop thinking about it, how everyone seemed to be behaving so differently once the former racer had returned. He had hoped that once the man was in jail that people would be much happier, that people would be at ease but the sense of calm and peace was not to be felt, at least not yet and both he and Calhoun knew why.

It was because Turbo had things on EVERYONE in the arcade. Whether he was in his true form or his form of King Candy, Turbo had been EVERYTHING for the past thirty years and he had been around collecting info on everyone he came into contact with. It seemed that only the newest games in the arcade, the ones who had arrived just after his first fall as a Cybrid, were safe but even those games were being used as rumor-mills, taking in the words they heard from the lips of others in the station and pumping them out in twisted forms of themselves.

Felix considered himself lucky; while he was still very much ashamed of how he ha been scared and manipulated by Turbo people WERE going easy on him. They were going easy on him, on Ralph, on Vanellope….but anyone else? Anyone who COULDN'T fight back? They were getting the worst of it and it was having an effect and all around, his home most of all.

He and Calhoun stepped back into the game, seeing how dingy and depressed it look as the usual brightness had all but been removed. Felix scowled deeply, his hands clenched into fist.

"Babe, what happened here? REALLY?" Calhoun asked "Why did ya guys take down all your stuff? I mean, it was tha stuff that made this place feel like home."

"Ya wanna know why?" Felix responded, his voice sounding surprisingly gruff. Calhoun only nodded in response, putting her hands in her pocket.

"They guys got tired of havin' their stuff broken." the repairman said "After Turbo came back, after he put the blame of the break-in on THEM, people started retaliatin' again. It was bad enough when they were being 'pranked' because of tha rumor 'bout Ralph gettin' kicked out again but it got WORSE this time. They just won't leave 'em alone, even if Ralph an' I say somethin' against it. So they took up tha birdhouses, their birdbaths, tha lawn ornaments, everythin'. They took 'em up because they felt it was tha only way ta get people ta stop comin' at 'em, ta leave 'em alone."

It had happened once.

It had happened twice.

This was the third time.

And Felix was tired of it.

Turbo's grip of control and fear had already ruined so many years for many people in the arcade and as Felix looked at his home, looked at his FAMILY….

He wasn't going to allow it anymore.

The man marched into Niceland and began knocking on every door.

"Guys! Guys, come out!"

"W-What do you want?" said Meg.

"What's all this about?" asked Don.

Felix said nothing as he took hands and led them down stairs to the front lawn, a few of the residence from East Niceland watching. The repairman led the group to the tool shed and after undoing the lock, threw the doors open. Inside were pots and bags of fresh soil, parts of birdhouses and various other things that the residence had made over the years.

"Hey, what's goin' on?" Ralph asked, he and Vanellope seeing the motions from the Wrecker's home. Calhoun looked at the two, just as in the dark as everyone else.

"Ya three."

The three looked over at the little repairman, such a look of determination on his face.

"C'mere."

"What's going on, Felix?" asked Mary but before she could go on any further, a spade was put in her hands.

"We're gonna garden."

"What?"

"I said….we're puttin' tha garden back up." Felix said as he picked up a bag of potting soil and dragged it towards the side of the apartments.

"Are ya sure this is a such a good idea?" asked Lucy, not too keen on the idea "We tried keepin' tha garden up but people stomped on it, remember?"

"If they do that, we'll grow again." Said Felix "We can't let people stomp us out like this, keep us back."

The Nicelander looked over toward their eastern neighbors, seeing a few of them waiting or some sort of movement. Some looked friendly enough but there were others, others who didn't seem too happy towards the group. Ralph took notice of this, feeling that if anyone were going to do something…it would have to be HIM.

He joined Felix, taking a bag of soiling and using his huge hands to till the once neglected soil.

"Thanks, Ralph." Felix smiled.

"Not a problem."

"Here, lemme help." Vanellope said as she joined in with the two, Calhoun close by. The four heroes began to dig and till…

And then Mary came over.

"Do you need some help?"

"All tha help we can get, ma'am." Calhoun smiled, moving out of the way to allow Mary to join in with the others. The other Nicelanders stood by, looking so nervous and unsure of themselves on what to do….

But then…

They all began to come over.

Slowly but surely the rest of the Nicelanders began to help out in the garden, restoring it to the state it had once been, each of the little people adding their own touches to the place but three more added their own touch.

Vanellope made little signs indicating what vegetables were planted.

Calhoun helped Felix restore the chicken coops.

Ralph of course did the dirty work that he loved.

Little by little, Niceland was being restored and it began to reflect on every citizen within. More so, a few people from East Niceland began to migrate towards the garden but not to destroy it as some people had, rather to help it grow.

Um, I have some tips on how to keep those tomatoes healthy.

How about we plant some sunflowers over there! They would look so pretty!

Maybe we can make some wind chimes to put on this tree?

What was once destroyed had been rebuilt and it had been rebuilt by people whom had at one time being torn apart from each other, torn apart based on fear and anger. If only the person who had started all that anger had known what was going on, had known that despite his efforts people were starting to move forward without him.

There were still some words being said, still some bitter attitudes floating about but Felix could see it, Ralph could see it; Niceland was getting better and as it got better, they felt better as well. If someone dare tried to stomp on a plant, swipe a garden gnome, pinch a birdhouse the resulting reaction was not one of fear but rather someone would rebuild, someone would replace.

They would just keep on going.

But there was still one who had yet to contribute something.

One day, Mary went out to tend her strawberries, so happy to see just how bright and plump they were.

"This should make for a wonderful pie." The woman tittered to herself as she continued to inspect them, picking out only the best for the job but as she looked further into the little patch, something caught her eye.

There was a new lawn decoration in the garden, one that had not been placed during her watch. The little thing looked so funny but as she looked closer upon it….

"….Gene?"

It was a little matryoshka, Mary knowing that the Mayor's apartment was full of them. But when did he place the little thing out into the garden? The Mayor had been avoiding the others, he had been avoiding HER for so long.

He must have been watching, looking upon the others as they enjoyed themselves help revitalize the garden but for whatever reason he was still not ready to rejoin them. For whatever reason he still kept to himself, still kept silent about something but whatever it was, no one in the apartments knew. Mary looked, hoping to see that the lights in the Mayor's apartment were on but once more it was dark. Her face dropped, sadness coming upon her face as she went back to her berry picking, hoping that someday he would come out to her again.

Maybe.

One day.

Hopefully.