Jesus Christmas why is this finale taking so long-
Apollyon had asked Felicia, "What shall I explain next?" but in her ears, it sounded like he asked, "What will you do next?" which is why she hadn't spoken. She didn't have an answer. Regardless, Apollyon seemed content with detailing his plan even further.
"Instilled with fear of the Pluses, the people will seek new protection, you see. That's when I'll introduce my new government to them: Hardwire," he explained, "They'll rely on us like an abandoned orphan to a capable guardian."
Felicia clenched her fists, knowing the analogy was purposeful.
"Do you want to know why I'm so sure that everyone will comply?" the man didn't wait for an answer, "I'll tell you. My morphic resonance devices will make sure that everyone is swayed."
"Brainwashing?!" spat Felicia.
Apollyon grimaced. "Oh Felicia, you shouldn't feed into the dumb blonde stereotype," he mocked, "What I'm doing is so much more sophisticated. Gentle persuasion isn't as barbaric. Besides, morphic resonance can keep the solidarity of the community. There would be no disagreements, no conflict."
Felicia's face paled, "You're saying you'd make us all have the same mindset?" she asked, "Like mindless slaves?"
Apollyon tutted, "There's that shameful ignorance again."
"That's dictatorship!" scolded Felicia as if the man hadn't spoken, "You plan on taking away people's humanity!"
Apollyon sighed, looking visibly annoyed.
"Perhaps you'd understand if I made you a proposal…" he closed the distance between himself and the blonde and loomed over her as he spoke, "I can remove those memories of your adoptive father."
Felicia's desire to step away and reclaim the distance vanished. A weak gasp locked in her throat and she stared into the gray eyes above her.
"All of the abuse, all of the trauma…" Apollyon placed his hands on the woman's head and made an expanding "pop" motion. "Gone," he said before bringing his hands down to the blonde's shoulders, "But only if you assist me."
A sigh escaped Monty's lips as he patrolled the area, his hands in his pockets. He murmured under his breath to caste away the annoyingly sterile silence.
"I sent her somewhere here, right? Everything looks the same in these servers," he said, "I hope they don't expect me to clean up the bodies she leaves behind."
Just then, clicking footsteps reached the man's ears. He curiously lifted up his head only to be tackled to the ground.
His face met with the cold, smooth surface of the digital floor. One arm was twisted around his back while the other with pinned against the floor. Whoever was on top of him wasn't heavy, but their attack was purposeful and practiced like that of a soldier.
"Ah dammit, don't tell me…" he groaned.
Tabetha eyed the gauntlet over the hand she had pinned to the floor. "So this is what you used to corrupt Crystal," she observed, "I trust that whoever is orchestrating this act gave it to you."
Monty snorted, "Your voice is even more annoying than I thought. At this rate, talking my ear off would be more threatening than whatever military skills you've got."
Tabetha reached her hand up higher and took the man's fingers. She began to twist them in a horrifically unnatural angle, dragging a surprised, pained cry out from Monty.
"Who is your leader?" Tabetha ordered.
"Apollyon Kratz, you goddamn psycho!" cursed Monty.
"You will take me to him."
"I-I don't know where he is."
Another twist, followed by a crack.
"Ah! I-I-I'm serious! I don't know!" Monty's voice began to shake. "He, he said he was gonna confront another female soldier-a-a descendent like you."
Tabetha perked up, "Another female descendent?" she mused.
"That could be any one of us," she then thought to herself.
"You will take me to her," the brunette commanded.
"Y-Yes, okay…"
Ariana wiped away the sweat that made her bangs stick to her brow. Even though she hadn't moved from her cross-legged position in over an hour, her body was still pushing itself.
Her lithe fingers tapped on the small keyboard as her eyes burned from the light emitted by the holographic screen in front of her. So many times she had run into dead ends and narrowly evaded firewalls. For every time she had to stop and think, she felt the weight of time passing on her shoulders. Tears pushed to her eyelids when her head pounded from failing to find the answers she looked for, but she couldn't stop. Ariana remembered what Tabetha had told her.
She was a lieutenant, and ultimately a soldier. She was allowed to get discouraged, but she wasn't allowed to give up.
The receiver in Ariana's headset buzzed, "Ariana, I think I've found something…!" with Marceline's voice.
"Is it the source of the morphic resonance?" the Brit asked.
"I don't think so, no," denied Marceline, "It seems to be a no-clipped space."
"Wait, did you say no-clipped?"
"That's the best way I can describe it," said Marceline, "Sometimes when a video game glitches, your character can phase through a solid object or wall--"
"I know what it means. I'm just surprised!" Ariana laughed, "So you can phase through a wall?"
"Yes, I'm actually still in the wall," replied Marceline, "I wanted to know if I could still transfer calls while I'm inside. It seems to be a set path that will only let me go one way."
"It might not be a glitch!" Ariana suddenly said, "That might be how people transfer through servers!"
Marceline gave a soft "Ohh," before saying, "You may be right."
Ariana readjusted her headset so that it would be more secure. "Stay on the line," she said, "I might even be able to pull up a map and locate where you are."
The soldier swung his legs lazily off of his bed with a groan. He, like the others, had returned to his dorm after the scene that took place earlier.
"What else is there to do?" he thought, running his hands across his dark face, "No one's dense enough to stay out there with those freaks, but...how long can we hide?"
He stared at the closed door with his hand resting over his lips and his brows knit worriedly.
He then let out a cry and leaped from his bed when a sharp knock resonated from that location.
"Wh-Who is it?" he stuttered in a failed attempt to sound intimidating.
"Relax, it's Mario."
"Mario?" "The guy who never really talks?"
The soldier opened the door with a curious hand. As expected, his eyes met those of the reserved brunet. However, other soldiers flocked around him as well.
"We're walking out," stated Mario.
"Forreal?" responded the other.
One of the female soldiers hopped up behind Mario, "Yeah, c'mon Zeke! Let's ditch this place."
"But what about…" the dark-skinned soldier hesitated, "...those guys?"
"We'll walk out casually so we don't make so much noise," said Mario, "They'll think we're going to the cafeteria since it's nearly dinner time. Once they realize what we're doing, almost all of us will be out, anyway."
"That…" once again, Zeke hesitated.
As if he had read his mind, Mario blurted out, "I know it's not a very solid plan, but it's what we have to resist somehow."
Zeke looked at the sea of soldiers, then at Mario, then repeated the pattern. He could either walk out with them or retreat back into his dorm.
Neither choices presented before him were good, he thought, and they both just relied on hoping for the best in the end.
"But at least one way has the intention of freedom."
"Alright," he murmured as he joined the crowd.
Mario breathed through a smile, "Thank you."
"Ya made the right choice, Zeke!" cheered the female soldier with a clap on his back.
A similar grin began to form on the male's face, "I feel like I did," he said.
"Huh?"
Both Monty and Tabetha's eyes widened when the former opened the door. Monty had obeyed Tabetha's orders and lead her to where he knew a female soldier like herself was being held. Subsequently, he would also succeed in leading her to Apollyon, which would not only save any more of his bones from being broken, but also get Tabetha put in her place by his boss. At least, that was what he had anticipated.
"Tabetha!" cried out Kendall from her prison in the center of the small room.
The more slender girl nearly leapt from her position, but she swallowed her emotions.
"Kendall…" she sighed before pushing Monty forward and commanding, "Get her out of the chair."
Monty obliged, his process bringing tears to his eyes whenever his broken finger made contact with his work.
The moment Kendall was free, she jumped from her seat, itching to reach out and hug Tabetha, but her soldier instinct knew better. Rather, both exchanged a knowing glance that said "We'll celebrate later."
"I'll tell you everything I found out while I was here," Kendall stated, "We might not have much time."
"Before what?" asked Tabetha.
Kendall frowned tiredly. "I don't know, but it has to do with Felicia and this guy named Kratz."
Tabetha turned to Monty, who straightened to attention.
"I don't know anything about that, I swear!"
Both female soldiers leaned forward to the man, who shielded himself and stuttered, "We-e-e'll ch-check the entire base! He's gotta be here somewhere!"
His head swam with the pain present in his finger and the idea of that pain anywhere else in his body. He suddenly felt seasick, and wondered if the water pressure was responsible.
Tabetha and Kendall flanked him like police officers holding a prisoner.
"Let's go then," said Kendall.
Apollyon retracted his hands from Felicia's shoulders.
"I see," he said, "Interesting choice."
A loud electric zap sounded across the room behind Felicia, and the form of Marceline stepped from the solid wall.
The pink-clad female gasped, "Felicia, step ba-" her throat caught in a more shocked gasp as she halted in her tracks.
Her eyes locked onto the sight of Antonia and India, or, as she knew them, the Rose Pluses. However, at that point, they were horrifically torn apart with gaping wounds spilling pixels like blood. It was visceral enough to make the woman swallow a thin coat of bile that teased her throat.
"It's okay, Marceline," said Felicia, who lifted her head to look at Apollyon, "I've made my decision."
Clueless, the lieutenant analyzed the scene before her in search of context, but found nothing coherent.
"What are you talking about?" she asked.
The blonde turned her head to the side, only giving Marceline a glimpse of her cheek bone.
"We've been thinking backwards this whole time," Felicia said, "Apollyon, the Youtube Heroes, even the Pluses...they were all working to save us."
Marceline's gaze darkened as she stared daggers into the taller woman's back.
"I know you don't really get it, considering all we've been through. It's like when your parents are strict. You think it's unfair, but they tell you it's for your own good." Felicia raised her hand up to Apollyon's, which Marceline hadn't noticed was posed face-up. The blonde took the man's hand like a woman accepting a dance at a ball. "So don't fight it," Felicia finished.
"Wait, what are you-"
"I thank you for seeing me off, Ms. Kjellberg," Apollyon interrupted Marceline's panicked question with his refined regard, "And I promise that you will all thank me in the future."
The lieutenant, not receiving the answers she desired, prepared to rush at the man, but as soon as she made her first footfall, Felicia's thumb swiped across the silver band poking out from Apollyon's sleeve. A small red lever was pushed with a click, and soon, the man's figure became engulfed in red circuits and flashing binary code.
Marceline stumbled, as the man seemingly became eaten away with a calm expression on his face. By the time she reached Felicia, he was completely gone.
She stared critically at the empty space, struggling to keep her shock subdued and her mind ready to respond to any action.
"You…" The shorter woman tightly snatched Felicia's arm. "What did you just do…!?"
The blonde's smile faltered under the vice grip of Marceline's hand; she could even feel the fingernails digging in through her blue catsuit.
"That wristband he had," she started, "It was a router that would transport his body into P.L.A.Y."
Marceline's expression dropped in horror as she stared up at the soldier she put so much trust in.
Felicia's eerily icy eyes leered at her lieutenant. "I just did what he asked and turned on the switch.