*Chapter 8*

"I'm getting an awful sense of deja vu, here," Vanellope whimpered, she had her arms crossed in her minty green hoodie, her velvety black hair was down and spilled down her shoulders. In pacing agitation of footsteps that nearly began to circle Tessa's sunny kitchen, she looked off in aimless dread, "I-I want to call him..."

"Mom, he left not thirty minutes ago," Oliver cooed apologetically; him, Koko, Ralph, Tessa, Zed, Ace, Sezeke, Elkuorra, Rancis, Wren, Turbo and Berri were the only ones left of the much larger group that was here previously. Although Litwak's Emporium was a powered-on facility, it had become clear to everyone that the building likely hadn't been opened to the public just yet. However long that'd take, the crew wasn't sure. Oliver lovingly carried on as he pulled a nearby chair out for his mother, half the group sat at Tessa's and Zed's much larger, heftier dining room table chairs and benches, "C'mon, come sit... I promise, he's going to come back, and surely he'll have good news."

"Who knows, maybe they found it, already," Ralph grunted as he made room for Vanellope to sit in between him and Oliver, though this whole entire time, Koko had been stewing on something confusing.

Koko eyed both Turbo and Berri, they stood with each other in silence, and though they were quiet, their aura radiated the screams of ten thousand anxious souls on surround sound, the bass of the best sound system the world had to offer. Berri stood with her arms crossed, wearing the infamous hoodie Turbo had offered her now years prior, his faded name still confidently plastered down her left arm. Her short, shoulder-length, bright blue hair was a little messy, her beautiful blue eyes looked down and off in an aimless gaze of hazed over apprehension and confusion. She had been nibbling her lip for the entirety of this meeting, both with and without Gideon and his small travel crew. Turbo had donned a similar vibe, he wore a soft black t-shirt, a tattered pair of biker jeans and bare feet, though his once-golden eyes were muted in a show of worry that was now marinating into something a little more grand. Koko furrowed her brow in a frown and finally cued for the two, stood tight with each other coupled with aimless gazes to nowhere amidst the murmuring conversation.

"Berri, you don't look too thrilled about all of this..." Koko so tenderly stated, Berri lifted, perked up a little, tried to gather any ounce of stage presence she had perfected and quickly tucked her beautiful blue hair behind her adorable ears.

"O-oh no! I'm stoked!" Berri chimed with an apologetic smile, though as her eyes glanced to her mother and father, glossed her grandfather Ralph and back to Koko's honey-brown gaze, all four individuals had donned a look of mildly annoyed disbelief, they could read Berri like a book. Berri slumped her shoulders, firmly looked off, nodded, rolled her eyes and finally squeezed them shut, "I'm scared shitless, sue me..."

"It's okay," Turbo hummed apologetically, as if he was the only one present that could relate to this degree, though was desperate to remain strong for her.

"Yeah, babe, it's okay to feel totally swallowed, I think all of us are feeling that way, to some degree," Tessa mumbled with a nod, her eyes were red and tired due to the amount of crying she had been doing.

"I just have no clue what we are going to say to the public, w-we've just been gone, for so long," Berri now began to show signs of wanting to come unglued; it was here did Turbo's loving frown broaden, he rested his hand to her lower back as she gestured her arms and hands with a bit more fervor, "Poor Gunner's getting assaulted by the media, as is Bedgy, I-I read at least ten news articles, last night, stating that one of the largest stages, on the internet, has promised to save us a booking date if we ever decided to come out from hiding..."

"The Rubrix," Turbo muttered under his breath in a huff of shocked dread, a massive arena at the more-south end of the Internet, one of the largest entertainment arena's to exist, a whole swathe of research him and Berri had been doing into the wee-hours of this morning.

"How the hell are we supposed to just nonchalantly tour, on the whole internet of all places! How are we supposed to just carry on while having targets on our backs... Uncle Gideon's a wanted criminal, for all the dark web knows. Uncle Callum is just out there," Berri wildly gestured her arm outward and now began to allow her princess crown to straighten. Her beautiful, velvety voice grew in dominance as she stood a little straighter and felt all of her fears and worries come to a head, "Callum knows Archived Chaos is us. He knows that we have access to Gideon, our faces are going to be literally everywhere. Hell, even with our existence returning flying all around the news, I'm positive Callum is chomping at the bit desperate to get to wherever Gideon is!"

"Gideon almost had Callum changing teams," Zed muttered in a knowing swing of impress.

"That was two years ago!" Berri cried, the group flinched with her outburst, and with such, everyone fell silent as she firmly carried on, "I-I would LOVE to have this even grander opportunity at getting our work out there, and really having a fulfilling run of a career out of all of this, but... I don't want it to put the people I love at tremendous risk."

"Berri, that's very noble of you, but you have to understand," Zed cooed to his lovely daughter, the two firmly held eyes as Berri's shoulders began to sag, "We are going to be at tremendous risk, no matter what... If you stay here, it's a risk. If you go, it's a risk..."

"I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to us because we wanted a bigger crack at fame and opportunity," Berri's voice now staggered with the incoming of tears and emotion that finally caught up to her, though Sezeke bravely cleared his throat and gestured his clawed finger a little; he sat towards the end of the table and listened, though now somehow felt as if he had ample footing here to hold his own in the conversation.

"If I may interject here..." Sezeke's deep voice glossed the group with the prickle of encouraged addition, though as he nervously tossed his golden eyes across the table and saddled said masculine gaze deep into Zed's, for permission to potentially help father Zed's daughter in this teachable moment, Sezeke gently brightened with gratitude as Zed bobbed a single nod and welcomed Sezeke's wisdom, here, "Berri, this is not to put you down, or make you feel as if you don't play a role in this predicament, but... What about this situation makes you think that you are the only one in charge of the safety of the group?"

Berri huffed a falter of the beginning of a sentence and sighed the rest out. She shook her head, glossed the group in a swing of tepid confusion and finally revisited Sezeke's haunting, wise, grandfatherly gaze.

"Because I'm the Queen's daughter," Berri cooly laid in endearing humility as tears rolled down her cheeks. Sezeke lulled his eyes closed, tilted his head down with the hit of full understanding for Berri, a proverbial bow of respect for Berri's high, incredible title. Berri sucked in a trembling, teary breath, her lip quivered as she carried on woefully, "A Queen protects... Nurtures, inspires, defends."

"Yes, ma'am," Sezeke's deep, crackly voice so stoically agreed, though he rested his hand to his broad chest and kurta in respectful opposition, "You are Queen of your pack, with Turbo as your King... You have Wren and Theo as Princes, throw Nox and Throttle in the mix, you have Gunner. Further branching from that are their own swap mates and significant others to protect, correct?"

Berri nodded and wiped her tears as everyone eagerly listened to Sezeke's wise, insightful continuation of respect and love for the royalty he was surrounded by.

"When that night gets cold and you and Turbo turn to each other and worry about where you two are going to rest your heads, well..." Sezeke choked a small, grateful laugh, looked down to his bigger clawed hands, cheekily tossed a glance to Elkuorra, who equally sat poised in intuitive knowing of just where Sezeke was taking this notion. Sezeke's haunting, though eternally warm and loving gaze firmly revisited Berri for tender emphasis, "I know a guy."

Berri firmly furrowed her eyebrows with the loving hit, she looked off, grimaced a silent cry into the back of her hand and shook her head in guffawing disbelief. Sezeke choked a knowing chuckle as the group hummed warm notions of agreeing for the punch of Sezeke's tale, and with such a hit of warmth, Sezeke nearly beamed, deep-set fangs and all, a sight not seen often.

"He just so happens to be my future son-in-law, your own Uncle Gideon," Sezeke proudly broadened his happy, crackly voice, the group roused into louder hums and chuckles of knowing as Berri bobbed a knowing nod, glanced to Turbo and now looked down to the ground in the hit of further humility she was glossed in, "I know you guys are his family, but I knew Gideon when he went to Pre-A. I saw how Gideon interacted with his peers on the daily, I got to know Gideon very well, as an adolescent, and if there's any one singular thing I can take away from having the honor of knowing Gideon is..."

The group fell silent as Sezeke sucked in a slow breath and bobbed a nod to warmly continue.

"That kid will stop at nothing to serve the people he loves, even through all the bullshit, he has nothing but love and the urge to protect deep inside of his heart," Sezeke croaked in a narrow of his golden eyes for near-whispering emphasis. Although Sezeke looked as if he was due to continuing to comfort Berri in this vein, the group was surprised to see Sezeke swing away from Sugar Rush's blue haired princess and straight to the one User that started this all. With a contemplative, lazy point of his clawed finger, Sezeke eyed Ace in brightening, scheming confusion, "I will say, though... It's been a hot minute since I've heard a shred of an opinion out of you, Ace... This whole ordeal, upgrading to a User with fully unlocked powers, surely this has moved you, in some way, no?"

Ace raised his dark blue eyebrows and remained in his gentle slump in his chair. He sat with Vanellope, Wren, Koko and Rancis, though as the whole group slowly and curiously peered to Ace, they realized that Sezeke's words hit home pretty hard. Ace had been quiet this whole time, a look of brooding, stewing contemplation that always hung tight to his lovely hazel eyes. Although this was clearly an isolated incident, the perfect storm Gideon and Kepa had somehow managed to wrangle and conquer, Ace looked a very strange mixture of defeated and elated. He sucked in a readied breath, the big, bold tattoos all across his broad chest, collar bones and shoulders stretched with said big inhale, he wore a lazy grey tank top, his hair was a delightful mess. It was clear that him, Libby and their two children, as well as Lash, had likely been up at all hours really discussing the mess of this whole upgraded-User nonsense. Ace looked as if he had a whole world of insight about this situation, though was reserving himself due to his quiet and timid nature.

"I spent all of ten minutes feeling incredibly hateful and jealous about Gideon's situation, if I'm being entirely honest with you all, and with myself," Ace mumbled in warm regret as he sat up, shrugged and was thrilled to keep everyone's surprised gazes tight to his in unwavering, patient listening. He sighed, rubbed his arm with his bigger wrecking hands and looked down to his mother's lovely, large dining room table everyone sat around, "I'm the User that started this nonsense... Why couldn't I upgrade myself to have unfathomable power, like that?"

"It's... Isn't it something Gideon can teach?" Berri wondered to her big brother, Ace smiled and bobbed a nod as he lulled his eyes closed.

"I realized really quick... My jealousy is rooted in want and desire," Ace mumbled warmly, "I want that... I want what Gideon has. I'm sure the lot of us do, we'd be kidding ourselves, I mean, right?"

"I'd kill for powers, let alone being a User," Rancis grumbled darkly; he looked far more exhausted and heartbroken than anyone here, having to continue to grieve Callum's poor choices, the way it nearly tore his family unit apart, he nervously tossed his eyes to Wren and narrowed his gaze in curiosity, "Wren swapped codes with Throttle and gained telekinesis powers... Gideon overcomes trauma and somehow upgrades himself. I've overcome trauma before, I've swapped codes with another powerless gamer, why can't I just give myself these abilities?"

"I think it's way more convoluted than just overcoming trauma and appointing yourself," Ace murmured as he rubbed his stubbly chin, "There's some sort of perfect formula, here, that Gideon has uncovered... Who knows if there are more gamers, like him, out there."

"Surely not, having that much power? To just run away with?" Vanellope plead curiously.

"He could do literally anything," Oliver muttered in agreeing, "We don't see anyone else running away with those kinds of powers and ruling the whole of the internet, like Gideon genuinely now could..."

"I don't think it's about being able to," Wren smartly chimed as he waggled his hand, "I think it has everything to do with desire. Gideon healed... It's because of this perfected formula of coded chemicals that he was able to overcome everything and shoot to the moon, like this. He has everything he could want, ruling the land wouldn't aid him in that good-intentioned venture. Callum wants what Gideon has, but... Not in the way Gideon has, Callum wants it all for self gain. He's going about it the wrong way."

"You're saying, that once you obtain Gideon's incredible User powers, you won't want to cause harm or take over or be selfish with it?" Vanellope cued, Wren nodded, as did a handful of other people at the table nearest him.

"Seems like it... You upgrade yourself and now devious, horrible ideas and thoughts aren't something you can melt back into," Wren shrugged, "I'm not positive how all of that works, but... Something tells me that Gideon will surely have more answers for us, once he has a few good night's of sleep."

"You think it'll be something he'll teach to us?" Koko wondered about the table, everyone shrugged and nodded in rising excitement, though Tessa furrowed her brow and spoke up.

"But... What does that mean for the lot of us that maybe fall behind or have larger demons to battle?" Tessa blurt, she almost began to grow defensive, "What if someone's issues are heavier than another person, and upgrading is thus harder?"

"Well... Wouldn't the payout be more rewarding?" Ace gently volleyed to his mother, to which Tessa snapped her jaw shut and was immediately thwarted, "I think Uncle Gideon was gifted such a huge hit of a reward because... I mean, come on. The dude endured Game Over, he's been to literal hell and back."

"So this is just one giant comparison game?" Rancis muttered, it was clear he was becoming mildly bitter about all of this, it was something Ace was now sharply cued to.

"Now, hold on," Ace gestured his hand, a few other people about him began to mumble their own chiming notions, "I don't think it's a comparison game... I think it's a game of self healing. We ALL have our struggles and insecurities. Maybe we can achieve upgrading like Gideon, maybe we can't, who knows. All I know is... If Gideon decides to hold classes on this sort of stuff, if he starts willingly guiding us through steps of being able to achieve everything he has, we'd be stupid to not listen."

"But he had powers to begin with," Rancis uttered, once more, he darkly side-eyed Ace and showed signs of now bowing out due to becoming mildly frustrated, "So, what, am I just doomed to my own issues? Am I just a pile of flesh with no coding that can't achieve greatness? To be a User, you have to have User powers..."

"Uncle Rancis, I think there's way more to the coding and binary than even Gideon is aware of, at this moment," Tessa now snapped, causing Rancis to sag out of his bitey demeanor, "I've been teaching Grid Physics and Interior Coding Sciences for years... To this day, I'm discovering new things. If there's anyone who would be able to guide you to just where you'd want to be, Uncle Rancis, it'd be Gideon."

"So, what is this, then, a rat race?" Rancis's determination now grew, he sat up a bit and pointed down to the table, "We all just going to dive on Gideon and claw for his knowledge? We all going to do whatever we can to achieve his upgrade first? What would that apprenticeship even look like?"

"It would look like Gideon taking you into a big hug and leaving space for everyone, dad," Wren stabbed in frustration, causing Rancis to sag, once more, "There is no rat race, there is no hurry. We're all here, we're all alive, dad it's literally day two of this bullshit. They're looking for a safe place for us to stay, right now, and after that... Surely Gideon will contemplate how he's going to take us all under his wings. Literally."

"He loves us, I don't think he'd leave any of us behind," Tessa firmly assured, "This cannot be a situation where we all now turn on each other."

"Dad, it's clear Callum's insecurities for lack of powers comes from you, and maybe even mom, but you're telling on yourself, here," Wren braved; although Wren and Rancis had a good relationship with one another, due to Callum's split, their relationship was waning and becoming strained. This was clear in the way Rancis now glowered down his second born, "Whether you're like Ace Kalivar and you're the first User and have a solid amount of incredible powers built in, or... You're Rancis Fluggerbutter, a normal, happy gamer that can build in powers to your own coding as you go."

"Plug'n'play," Ralph grunted with a cute smile sent in Rancis's direction, though this only got a huge of a tepid, half-hearted chuckle of a nasally sigh through Rancis's nose as he darkly looked off.

"Y'think that's possible?" Tessa pressed in the upswing of shock, she fingered her lip in contemplation, "Like... DLC."

"Surely Gideon will know all about it," Rancis muttered, Wren stiffened.

"Look what you did, Sezeke," Oliver mumbled dryly, Turbo, Berri and a few others roused into understanding laughter.

"Uncle Rancis, this isn't about whose better than the other, we're all here working together to be the best versions of ourselves," Berri shrugged, "Sure, if... Uncle Gideon has the knowledge to get us where we want to be, we'd be silly to not lean into him."

"Powers aren't what make you great, Ranc, you know this," Ralph murmured cutely, "Hell, before Vanellope, all I had was wrecking. That's not something incredibly useful. Some gamers are born with wildly unusable powers, in every day life..."

"This is a scope Gideon is sure to broadening, but... Hopefully he starts with all of us, first," Vanellope chimed with a small nod, "It's clearly not something you just have to get from your parents... Ralph and I only have glitching and wrecking, yet Gideon came out this wild anomaly."

"And Callum came out wanting to destroy the lot of us," Rancis stabbed in frustration, to which Vanellope softened with an apologetic frown, "Congratulations, your son upgraded all to hell and mine is a lost cause."

"Callum can be saved!" Wren suddenly shouted in firm strain of the tendons in his jugular. The whole group snapped in silence as both Rancis and Wren tightly held eyes, they sat next to each other and stewed in the clip of their tight proximity, "Gideon told us that he had a moment with Callum out in Arcadia... Gideon told me that Callum looked wildly conflicted. Even through all the turmoil, I know there is hope for my baby brother. Now will you knock off this weird inferiority complex you have going on? No one here is saying they're better than you or Callum. We all still have demons to face, even Gideon!"

Rancis frowned and fell silent, he looked down to his hands, in his lap, and heaved a long, hot sigh of regret through his nose. Sezeke cleared his throat and bravely spoke up, once more.

"We have two options here... To lay back and allow Gideon to whisk away Berri and crew about the internet, to just carry on like normal, or..." Sezeke glanced to Elkuorra, swung his gaze to Turbo and Berri and wrinkled the group a smile, "... We grab Gideon's outstretched hand, dig in deep and obtain an equal amount of greatness that he has obtained. It's not strictly for one person only... We all can seek greatness, in varying levels, in our own way."

"Whose to say Uncle Gideon would even be ready to instruct on all of this, he's only just finding his footing," Berri urged with a shrug, "We can't expect anything from him, but... You're right, Sezeke. He's the one we'll be needing to lean on."

"...Well, who will Gideon lean on, then? Besides Kepa," Vanellope prod sadly, Tessa huffed a small little laugh and lulled her eyes closed.

"Us," Tessa huffed lovingly, "We all can individually lean on him, but... At the end of the day, he'll lean on all of us in return. We all have to promise each other that this tight-knit circle of unity doesn't waver. We've seen what happens when we don't listen to people's needs, Gideon has shown us what will happen if someone falls through the cracks."

"Callum," Rancis croaked, it was clear all of this was now becoming too much and he was en-route to becoming emotional.

"Can be saved," Wren firmly reassured in Rancis's direction, and though Wren was losing patience for his own father, the two caught eyes in the downswing of tender understanding that neither wanted to fully verbalize, right now.

"Gideon would agree, Uncle Rancis," Tessa mused lovingly towards her uncle, she crossed her arms and bobbed a nod, "We need to keep our heads. No matter what becomes of all of this, we need to keep ourselves and each other in check."

"Whether feelings are hurt in the process or not," Wren stabbed in frustration, "We still have a family member dangling in the balance. I'll hurt every single last one of your guys' feelings if it means not losing anyone else, in the end."

"Hurt feelings, or lost forever," Tessa grimaced and held her hands out to pantomime a scale, though Rancis finally sighed in released frustration and bobbed a nod of defeat.

"Ma'am," Rancis mumbled sadly as he blinked back tears.

"I promise Gideon is going to put finding Callum at the top of his list, alongside Vye and the other winners," Tessa firmly assured to her uncle in a loving swing of smiling, apologetic warmth, "Gideon has family out there... One of them being Callum Reese."

"He keeps his word," Elkuorra gently chimed, the group roused into murmurs of full agreeing, to which Rancis wiped his cheek and looked off with another few nods of acceptance.

"Thank you," Rancis's deep voice crackled.

Wren heaved a short sigh through his nose and was growing impatient. He cocked a blonde eyebrow and eyed Berri, and as the two caught gazes, Berri gave Wren an almost stern, sorrowful look, as if to make clear that Wren had every right to get frustrated with Rancis, though isolating Rancis's sadness and shutting it all out was only going to make matters worse. It was here did Berri really soak in all of Sezeke's wise words, from previously. She wondered just how much she could lean into Gideon, for this issue. How much insight him and Kepa would have in this instance, and whether or not Wren would likely seek Gideon's guidance as well. Just thinking of the dwelling place Gideon could possibly find had Berri sagging in relief. She was eager to watch her team migrate to Gideon's new wisdom and knowledge, to right wrongs and to bring family home, no matter the cost, all while protecting and securing their grand, exciting fame on the internet's stages. She knew it all started at deep, dark roots, said roots that Wren and Rancis were clearly doing what they could to equally unearth and swiftly rebury in a swipe of dirty, messy confusion. Berri tossed her gaze to Turbo's and almost smiled, she was relieved the group would be in such able hands, such as Gideon and Kepa. Eager to have proper therapist-like beings on board, she knew this is just what her crew, and everyone underneath that umbrella, desperately needed.