Reviews :

ProfessorEon : LOL! Welcome! Thanks so much for catching up and for being so diligent in reading! I hope you're enjoying everything so far! And yes, Turbo is dead meat, but only for like 1 minute lol

CHICKENM4N : He's not as dead as anyone would think, actually! But yes, the first fourth of this chapter, he is lowkey dead xD

Snake557 : haha yeah, typical xD

Burgie : Thank you!

Romantic Sapp : Aw, well thank you for understanding. About once a year, I'll reread my entire saga, just for continuity's sake, and to refresh my love for older characters and couples. It helps! Cause I don't have a ghost writer, or underwriter or any of that nonsense... So keeping up with continuity and all the tiny little details of the nearly 3 dozen characters I have is EXTREMELY hard. So I always feel bad when someone's favorite couple or character has sort of slipped through the cracks, cause I do everything I can to keep the story balanced... But there's only so much one single person can do. I'm just glad everyone seems to be loving the ride, thus far. I mean, 6 years into it, I'd say we're still holding strong. It's all thanks to you guys :D


A/N : Hey guys, real quick. For those of you that followed me on Instagram, you'll know that I took about a 2 month hiatus. I deleted the app and didn't touch it once, but I recently decided to slowly come back, I got rid of the people on IG that were really bothering me and making me feel miserable, and it's been a delightful experience thus far. I have more WIPS to upload and new art that will come soon (including the comic!) But I ALSO wanted to let everyone know thaaaat... We got a new car, and named him Royal! So now we have Lickity and Royal! :D Royal is a cute, white Honda hybrid, which is so extremely fitting, like idk how we got so lucky. We just needed a more fuel efficient car, and it just so happened to be an adorable, white hybrid... Like Royal, in my story LOL! I posted an interior picture of him - it's technically my fiancé's car, so I didn't want to show the outside of it, due to Cory's privacy, but I thought it was still fun to share. I hope to one day collect more cars, to name them after my creatures. We're relieved and couldn't be happier! YAY! (IG Username is Vyntastic)

ALSO! I WILL be attending Phoenix Comicon (I refuse to call it fan fusion wtf) this May! I still am 10 chapters ahead of you guys (I just finished writing chapter 59, actually) - so, hopefully by the time my week off rolls around, I can still keep uploading throughout my vacation. I hope this every other day speed is alright for you guys! I appreciate your guys' support!


*Chapter 48*

In a squeeze of cold terror, both Berri and Turbo now began to urgently rush towards his front door, and in the gentle sag of said white slab of an indestructible wall, Berri and Turbo stood a few feet apart, peering hard out the reveal of his gently lit foyer. As if they were certain said white slab of a wall was entirely indestructible, the powerful, seething being that was now confidently stood on the other side of it was someone they were certain that, given the right swing of anger, could barrel down the door with no issue. The King of Sugar Rush, although a typical softy on a day to day basis, everyone on the lot knew that Zed was absolutely the last person to be trifled with. Both Berri and Turbo froze in a roll of continued horror, just exactly what this terrible situation really looked like on the outside looking in, Turbo held his breath and knew he was absolutely screwed.

"Good morning, hope you two slept well," Zed's voice clipped in a tone of tender, sarcastic delight, as if he had somehow almost steamrolled over a gold mine, the look of entire authoritative, searing ironic heat sat sharp and heavy in his icy blue eyes. Zed stabbed a look of rivaled dominance into Turbo's now greying gaze, the fierce gold glow he typically had only ever faded due to fear or sadness. Zed finally furrowed his brow, assessed his young daughter and pointed a firm, fatherly finger at her, "You're two hours late to your class with Throttle. I'm sure you two had a long, busy night, but it's no excuse to snooze alarms."

"D-Dad, this is not what it looks l-"

"I need you to save your excuses. One more word and you're palace bound, grown-ass adult or not," Zed stabbed as he pointed said firm finger now behind him, to Turbo's gape of a front door, "We'll talk later."

In a successful wipe of whole authority, Berri immediately crumpled to Zed's word. Although he was typically the more laid back parent, whenever he got angry, everyone knew he meant business, and talking back was detrimental to whether or not you had your head ripped from your body. In a gentle, quick few steps, Berri's bare feet eased out of Turbo's warm, forgiving home, hooked a tight left and sagged onto the still glowing teleportation pad. In a buzz of silver coding, the sound of Berri being teleported away echoed throughout Turbo's home, via his opened front door. Turbo peered out the exit of his home in heart-pounding terror, and as his eyes now lost the entirety of his precious, lively golden glow, he sagged his nervous gaze straight for Sugar Rush's King, his boss, and ultimately, the man who held the princess's heart. Zed inhaled a deep breath, held his tight, unwavering gaze into Turbo's eyes and now silently made clear that this was a man's conversation. In a tender gesture of his hand, Zed bobbed a nod to Turbo's island and immediately held Turbo's territory as his own.

"Please, sit," Zed eased, his words were soft and kind, though Turbo knew his tone absolutely meant business.

Turbo felt his veins do a weird wiggle, he tried his hardest to swallow and have it not be audible, and as his head now began to pound with the splitting migraine that only began to multiply, Turbo's shaking coding eased him to his island's bar stools. As he nervously and slowly sat down, Zed stood on the opposite side of the island. With a further show of whole authority, as to just who technically owned this loft, Zed nonchalantly reached his hand underneath the slab of the island's counter, pressed the secretive button to close Turbo's front door and, as if a show of arms, Turbo's door began to sag shut, sealing both men in, something Turbo now grew even more fearful of. With a shaky inhale, Turbo knew full well he was absolutely in the clear, he had coded proof that he didn't lay a hand on the King's daughter, though his heart began to throb with uncertainty, the whole fact that Berri's father, the one in charge of the entire game, now assumed the two were up to no good; not a wise move for one of the game's other leaders.

"So, Turbo, why don't you tell me a little bit about what happened between you and Berri last night?" Zed stated in a chime of sweetness, though Turbo knew full well it was just dripping in raging sarcasm, a bob of a nod Zed delivered, the icy glower of suspicion, Turbo was well aware that absolutely anything he'd have to offer Zed would just make him mad, no matter what. Zed inhaled a deep breath, he wore a dark zip up, his left arm was properly clad with his own family name, Kalivar practically beamed into Turbo's eyes, reminding absolutely everyone who was boss. Zed furrowed his brow and peered into Turbo's soul, an entirely unwavering gaze that only one being wasn't even an ounce afraid of delivering, "Y'wanna give me a play by play or do you want me to hold this whole loft hostage until I pry it out of you?"

"I-I can give you a play by play," Turbo agreed to softly, though he began to feel his stomach clench with a further draw of terror as said Tapper's jug, which was once full, was now entirely empty on his kitchen island, near Zed's figure. Turbo tried his hardest to sit straight, any ounce of dignity he had desperately tried to build up within the last week was just as easily fleeting as a house of cards in the wind, "I... Under disguise, ordered Berri one of Beard Papa's limited edition blueberry cupcakes. It took the entirety of Berri's birthday to finally get. I also had Nox bring me some of Tapper's root beer, so her and I could enjoy. I know she can't leave the game, due to the weird deletions of faux codes going on... I knew she'd be safe here. It just all came together so last minute because my order at the factory was first in first out, thus... Being ready at eleven last night."

Zed furrowed his eyebrows, though it was here that Turbo was stunned that he still had the floor to explain himself, as well as the fact that his head was still connected to his shoulders; he hesitantly carried on.

"W-We... We got drunk, had some laughs, talked a bunch, and she fell asleep on that recliner," Turbo tenderly explained as he pointed back to his red recliner, near his gape of now white-tinted windows. Turbo was thankful the recliner was still popped in its splayed position, he eyed Zed and rested his hands on the island's cold counter, "I moved her to my bed, so she could get a decent night's rest, and I, quite obviously, slept on the couch."

Zed and Turbo were silent as Zed's angry eyes softly lofted to Turbo's living room, it was clear with the mess of a single blanket and pillow that Turbo was either telling a very well put-together, elaborate lie, or the whole truth. Zed finally furrowed his eyebrows and peered hard into Turbo's eyes, which were surprisingly beginning to return said golden glow, as slowly as it was possible. Turbo cocked an eyebrow and gently upped the ante, he wondered just how much give he had here, just how much push back he was allowed when it came to dominance, to reserving any last shred of his dignity.

"...You want to go rummaging through my coding's terminal?" Turbo's dark, deep voice lofted at Zed, a stab he was hoping resonated.

"No, man, I just need you to know that this is the second time you've gone after one of my daughters," Zed barked in a wheeze of now unadulterated, nearly annoyed desperation, his masculine hands held flat to Turbo's cold counter top, "I know that you know, FULL well, that when you leapt up and kissed Libby all that time ago, with Ace as a witness, that that was likely one of the hardest things Ace ever had to just sit and endure, right?"

Turbo frowned and now reeled, he now understood that he had to climb to Zed's level of billowing frustration, what seemed like a light hearted night with his friend was now becoming a little bit too real for anyone's speed.

"I hope you understand that it was like stones in my heart, as well," Zed huffed a hard sigh, his angry eyes now began to show a shred of sorrow, something Turbo now was intent on cueing to, "To see you just jump up and sweep Libby into your arms, begin to claim her as yours again... I understand that was a weird situation, and you had no clue she was happily taken, and an entirely different being, but... I raised Libby. I consider her a daughter."

Turbo heaved a long sigh through his nose and now looked down to his kitchen island in a sag of understanding. He long blinked and allowed Zed's frustration to now coat him entirely, instead of trying to rival or fight him.

"I was mildly scarred by the fact that you had interfered, however unknowingly... These girls are my princesses, they're two of a handful of women I'd lay my life on the line for, no questions asked," Zed shook his head and narrowed his gaze, "As much as Ace is my son, and their predicament is not average, I still made sure Ace was a good fit for my surrogate daughter. Ace still had to go through me for her heart."

"Your majesty, as wonderful and incredible as Berri is, I have no interest in... Courting her," Turbo admitted tenderly, he shook his head and softly peered to Zed's eyes in a slew of tender apology, though he wondered if this maybe gave Zed relief, "If that's what you're worried about, then, this is all for not, cause... We're just friends. We had a fun night of stupid jokes and great conversation. I didn't lay a single hand on your daughter, sir. She's just a friend."

Zed exhaled a long sigh through his nose, the final dregs of any anger he came flying up here with, and as Zed finally looked away, Turbo suddenly felt his heart begin to squeeze with a feeling of mild regret. He furrowed his eyebrows and began to feel his heart thud with knowing, as if maybe his words were true on the surface, though he bashfully, and nervously, peered to Zed once more as both men caught eyes in a string of tender, secretive understanding.

"Turbo... You don't just jump so far out of your comfort zone to go all the way to Beard Papa's, get a limited edition item, have Nox go all the way to Tapper's, and treat Sugar Rush's princess to a fun sleep over with just the two of you, drinks and laughs and all that jazz... If you viewed her as just a friend," Zed muttered, he shook his head, and although a sneaky smile began to sprawl Zed's face, Turbo now began to wonder if maybe he was doing certain things without even realizing, if his heart was so happily getting ahead of his thoughts, like falling back into the rhythm of being friendly and flirting and courting was just in his coding all along, and the neon lights along the way were now something he couldn't even read due to how separated from society Turbo had been. Zed chuckled and looked across Turbo's lovely, sunny home, even amidst the white tint of his massive walled-window, "At least, not in the way of anything Turbo Black would be caught doing, for a 'friend'... You didn't do any of this for Wren's birthday, Theo's, nor mine, Tessa's, anyone's that has passed, this whole year."

Turbo reeled and felt as if Zed was reading him blind, he nervously looked down to his counter and heaved a shaky breath, as if he had to sit and now rethink just what was going on with him, just the kind of tornado-like week he's had.

"Not that anyone's upset about it, that's not what I'm saying," Zed shrugged, he eyed Turbo and heaved a gentle sigh, "It's unlike you. It's clear there's something here. She's been in and out of this loft more times this week than anyone on the palace lot has been in the entirety of Orion City's establishment. She wears your hoodie everywhere she goes, her nose is buried in her phone any chance she gets, I'm certain to message you..."

Turbo felt a wiggle of now nervous delight come to his veins. He furrowed his brow and began to soak into thought. He put himself in the position that Zed most certainly thought he was stepping into, that of being someone who was more than just friends with Berri. Although he was quite enjoying the innocent flirtation, he almost felt the urge to chuckle brim at the back of his throat. Not only was he absolutely certain that Berri was so far out of his league, he was well aware she'd likely find some other catch at Academy, some other man she could properly do life with, he knew for a fact that a relationship with the biggest, baddest Arcade nightmare was likely something to be just a dead end street, a mess of conflicting wants and desires. He now almost felt bad, as if Zed came here angry and ready to blow down Turbo's house, though now that Turbo was expressing a thin surfaced layer of strict romantic disinterest in Berri, it's almost as if Zed now secretly wanted the opposite of Turbo's unsure words. Little did Zed know, Turbo was doing absolutely everything and anything to keep his fragile, potentially crush-esque feelings on a strict down low.

"She's pretty great," Turbo tenderly admitted as he looked down to his hands in a swift swing of defeat; he immediately scolded himself in an inward show of clenched teeth. He wondered just when he'd grown so soft, since when has his paranoid inhibitions melted into a gooey vat of assurance, he long blinked in soft confusion towards himself, the swelling hug his heart was now engulfed in, it was here and now did he understand that he maybe needed to stop kidding himself.

"Turbo... As much as you're mine and Tessa's partner, in this mess," Zed shook his head and finally allowed their riled, angry, manly demeanors to melt into something a bit more soft and brotherly, "You're still my friend... If there's anyone to make even the meanest, scariest, ugliest creature on this green Earth feel loved and included, it's definitely Berri."

Turbo heaved a shaky breath and felt his mind flip flop in confusion. The desperation to hold onto the fact that he was strictly friends with Berri, the desperation to hold onto his comfortable life of solitude, the desperation to make everyone believe he was just a jaded good guy with a bad guy past, he lulled his eyes closed and sagged into Zed's now gentle care, words of wisdom. A man of experience, a vaster and more complicated dollop of life experience he had over Turbo, he was well aware Zed's advice was like gold. As odd as it was receiving almost fatherly care from someone who was basically thirty Arcade years younger than he, Turbo still relished in the feeling of someone finally wanting to potentially take him underneath their wing. A crave for camaraderie, for friendship, it wasn't until Berri's warm soul touched his did he realize that it was something he's been wanting all along.

"I'm sorry to come at you strong, like that... Y-You have to understand, that one instance with Libby really took a dig at my heart, too," Zed bobbed a nod, and although the circumstance was already laid out, and Zed didn't lose any sleep over it, he still was grasping on the hard thought that he would one day have to let another one of his precious princesses fly the coop and make adult decisions with her life, "This particular situation just looked really bad. Berri literally just turned one, and amidst her fumble with Academy and everything, I didn't want her to get too cozy, here, in this loft."

"Wren and Theo were over yesterday," Turbo stated in tender defeat as he nodded once more, though Zed knew to just let the topic lay, he was well aware that Berri was doing a very good job at bringing Turbo out of his shell, as opposed to Turbo doing a very good job at extinguishing the flame that Berri was.

"Turbo, just... Hear me out," Zed started with a small smile, and as Turbo's tender eyes volleyed to Zed's dominant gaze, Zed finally side-eyed Turbo and snuck a gentle look of assured knowing, "You're welcome to my daughter... If that's something you think you'd eventually desire, you're welcome to her, given her permission and agreeing, of course."

Turbo raised his eyebrows in plucked surprise and now was absolutely certain Zed was now blatantly reading him like a book. As much as Turbo so desperately tried to remain a closed book, his golden eyes confidently glossed Zed's eyes in a dewy pluck of boyish nervousness. He felt it odd that his hands began to sweat, he felt as if the room had suddenly gotten brighter, and it was here did Turbo feel his heart begin to sag with a heavier feeling of warmth, itchy flutters of nervous, crushing anticipation, though he slowed his roll the second Zed held up his hand a little.

"I just hope, that with my word, you understand just what that all entails," Zed pressed in dominant continuation, "It's an understanding that you'd be prepared to treat Berri's heart as if it were a glass bubble on a gold cushion. It's an understanding that courting Sugar Rush's princess means that you could potentially be Sugar Rush's future King... It's an understanding that you are to go through me, if you want to chase that desire."

Turbo felt his skin prickle, he almost reeled at the weird sensation that rippled through him. It were as if Zed was potentially challenging him to this flicker of a desire, a spark against the flint, something Turbo was certain that, given the right conditions, could just explode like wild fire, and in a strange squeeze of confidence, Turbo felt floored at the raw fact that not once in this whole week-long escapade had he thought of that King's crown. He felt his shoulder sag, the realization that he knew Berri was a princess, though he had successfully taken her royal status, and just what that could selfishly mean for him, entirely out of the equation. He knew, somewhere deep down, he had a heart of gold, though he softly smiled down to the counter in a gentle sweep of relief that said heart of gold was still alive and well, he was thrilled that this little baby-step of crushing delight at least had solid, good intentions.

"...An understanding that this entire 'bad guy' label you've been wallowing in has you on thin ice," Zed's tone began to turn a little bit cold, he eyed Turbo down and raised his eyebrows in a rise of further authority, "An understanding that if you were to break her heart... You'd answer to the entire palace lot."

Turbo felt as if any fleeting inch of confidence he had in this fragile situation was now trying to keep its head above water. He bobbed a gentle nod of understanding, looked down to his hands, heaved a shaky sigh through his nose and felt exhausted. He knew Zed was incredibly intuitive, a King with his hand in everything and eyes on the back of his head, Turbo allowed himself to wallow in Zed's fatherly care, fatherly sternness he's never experienced in his life. He felt it nice, a strange mixture of support and intimidation Turbo knew he needed, if he were to begin to melt into the gang's crew of new royals.

"Yes, sir," Turbo's deep, raspy voice eased in confident, though nervous conclusion, and as Zed finally inhaled a long, heavy breath of revival, he bobbed a nod of gentle approval and lulled his eyes closed.

"Thank you for taking care of Berri, last night," Zed said, his tone was soft and gentle, he hooked his eyes into Turbo's now confidently glowing gaze and smiled, "I hope she hasn't turned your whole world upside down, or anything."

"Oh, she most certainly has," Turbo grumbled, though he looked off, smiled in nervous knowing and nodded in tender conclusion, "Though, strangely enough, I can't complain."