Reviews :

Nikki Firesong : You hit every nail on the head, there :D There's a TON left for Berri and Turbo. A ton. I'm afraid OOTB will very quickly be as large as RO. I'm almost confident of it. Also, I appreciate it! I don't question my drive for it. I think I just press on for myself, and as much as there have been readers and reviewers over the course of the (almost) decade of this saga, that have tried to steer it in their own direction, I just keep listening to my own voice. It's really benefited me. I appreciate your love and support! Truly! THANK YOU

faloan1230 : YAYAYAYYAY! And, I'm not sure what you mean by that but Lash is not currently present in these chapters xD

Snake557 : It won't be! Bedgy's met Turbo prior, it's explained in this chapter :)

AppleHomeRepairs : thank you so much! I'm honored.

Raven : 1. thank you so much! 2. Yes, you're not wrong. 3. I'm pretty sure that's already happened in this story, as well as RO, but that's okay! 4. I understand, there's only so much plot to dig through. 5. Chepi is not an integral part of the story anymore, nor is Ace and Libby, but rest assured, Chepi is doing just fine.

marinetanker97 : Hey! Thank you so much! Much appreciated.


*Chapter 149*

"Please be Turbo please be Turbo," Theo muttered through the grit of his gap-toothed smile as he crossed his fingers; Bedgy gently eyed him and nervously tucked her head deep into the feathers of her wings and neck.

"I-I've never met Turbo, before," Bedgy started warily.

"I swear if Gunner comes off of this pad," Wren barked in whole irritation as he pulled away from Theo and Bedgy's presence, in their cozy tower's warmly lit kitchen. Wren clenched his fists, held them to his sides and angrily glared down the pad as he came within a few feet of it, though as it chimed the arrival of a certain two individuals, Wren deepened his glower and prepared for Gunner's presence to eke into his hot, seething wall of frustration. He inhaled a deep, readied breath, though the second the coding and small bout of blinding light, from the teleportation pad, gently eased away and revealed Turbo's and Berri's cute, sleepy faces, Wren sagged his shoulders in unadulterated surprise and urgently gestured his hands out towards the two, "Holy USER!"

"I KNEW IT!" Theo barked loudly, and before Turbo and Berri could even say anything, both Theo and Wren hooped and hollered loudly with whole entire glee. Berri blurt a hard, nervous laugh as her and Turbo almost hesitantly and shyly made their way off of the teleportation pad.

"Wowwww shirtless and all," Wren muttered with a wide smile to Turbo, he elbowed Turbo's side a few times as Turbo's much taller, bigger figure slowly pushed past Wren and eased into the well lit kitchen; something the two sleepily squinted at, "Just what were you two up to, on top of the palace world, there?"

"SLEEPING," Berri choked in mad, blushing embarrassment as she eased closer to the kitchen's bend of a counter, into Bedgy's stunned, curious presence.

"Oh, I'm so sure," Wren teased, his eyes were lit up in relieved glee, as were Theo's, and though Turbo knew their excited antics were strictly because they were entirely floored that Turbo and Berri were finally an item, Turbo shot Wren a cheeky look of challenge and was well aware he was now here to protect and preserve Berri's feelings, no matter the cost; he gently slung his larger, masculine arm over Wren's shoulders, and with a yank, he saddled Wren into a skillful headlock, causing Wren's big blue eyes to bulge in surprise.

"Listen, if Berri and I were doing something ELSE, up there, I wouldn't look so exhausted," Turbo sharply whispered through a wide smile down to the top of Wren's head, though clearly loud enough for everyone else to hear. He cocked an eyebrow and met with Wren's gaze, a brotherly show of dominance Turbo was more than willing to deploy all over Wren's hyper, bubbling personality, "Stamina is my secret weapon, 'round here, you know how long I've been at this crazy thing called life?"

"Yeah, yeah, you're an ancient relic, we get it," Wren choked a hard laugh and tried to squirm from Turbo's grip, to which he was finally freed from.

"THE ancient relic," Turbo's deeper voice pressed in mild, smiling irritation for his bumbling little brother figure, though in the end, he and Wren gave each other a firm few loving, quick pats on the back. Turbo finally smiled in Theo's and Bedgy's direction, though she nervously hovered tight to Berri's presence on the counter tops. Only standing about two to three feet tall, her little barn-owl self ruffled into her snowy grey feathers in whole nervousness, to which Turbo almost anticipated. He gently placed his hand on his bare chest and gave Bedgy a soft smile, "Hey, I'm... Turbo. We've met before, but, it was a long time ago."

"Now I-I remember, but," Bedgy started nervously, she glanced in Berri's direction, for assurance. Berri bobbed Bedgy a small nod, alongside a cute, affirming smile, as if to promise Bedgy that Turbo wouldn't bite, "If I do recall, you didn't... SAY you were Turbo."

"I introduced myself as Bo, probably," Turbo mumbled in smiling knowing, he shrugged and glanced to Wren and Theo, he still desperately tried to further wake up, "That was when Archived Chaos played in Sugar Rush."

"We never played in Sugar Rush," Berri stated with a confused, furrowed expression, though Bedgy shook her head and gestured her wing out, a little.

"Before you, Wren and Theo were a thing," Bedgy eased quietly, though she eyed Turbo in gentle curiosity, as well as Berri, "So, you two are..."

"Together?" Theo wondered in a cute, hopeful nature as he leaned his upper body and elbows to the counter's bend, he sat hovered on the opposite side of Turbo, Berri and Wren, in smiling, anticipatory wait, "Like TOGETHER-together?"

"Yes," Berri affirmed gently, though with a lilt of sweet confidence, something Turbo softly hovered in grateful hesitation, he smiled into her eyes, once they met his, and felt his coding settle in such a way that really only Berri could bring about.

"Well, maybe ACT like it?" Theo urgently gestured to the two, "Hug, or something, this is AWESOME!"

"Am I MISSING something?" Bedgy stabbed nervously, and though Berri and Turbo had taken a step towards each other, they froze in unadulterated, cold confusion as everyone dropped their joyous demeanors and now nervously peered in Bedgy's direction, uncertain of what to do or say now. She gestured her wings to Berri and Turbo, in a rile of whole bewilderment and shook her head, "I-I mean... You JUST got out of a relationship with Gunner, and now you're... Diving into another one? With someone you don't maybe know too well?"

"Oh, she doesn't know," Turbo mumbled cutely as Berri softly peered up into his eyes in dewy concern.

"No, she REALLY doesn't know," Wren muttered as he placed his hands on his hips and gave Turbo and Berri a stern look of cute authority, "Theo and I have kept our mouths SHUT on your guys' CONSTANT goo-goo eyes."

"Turbo and Berri go wayyy back," Theo assured to Bedgy, who still hovered in prickly irritation, she began to soften with everyone's assurance.

"They've been to and from for this whole year, thus far," Wren mumbled, he continued to eye the two in only playful irritation.

"I've known Turbo my entire life," Berri assured to Bedgy's warm, nervous, motherly demeanor. Her soft grey eyes glued to Berri's in thawing concern, "He's... He's my BEST friend. We've, well..."

"Been wanting this for longer than I think either of us would've lead on," Turbo mumbled bashfully as he looked down to his feet and inhaled a deep breath, "Gunner swept you away, and I just... Tried not to give up."

"I guess... I can see how that would be disheartening," Bedgy finally eased, her thorns finally faded away, "A huge celebrity comes along and suddenly Berri's just whisked about the whole of Arcade."

"Not the easiest thing to endure," Turbo sighed, he caught eyes with Berri in a rise of heart, though she peered to him in collected, sorrowful nervousness, as if she was now eager to get to the root of the many things weighing Turbo down; troubles and struggle that he likely would need some tender loving care to push through, once and for all, something she was adamant to help him through.

"Well... All I want is for you to be happy, Berri," Bedgy stated in warm nervousness as she peered into Berri's eyes, "Gunner's, just... Really hit a weird season of life. I think it's probably best that he has his alone time. He's been in a weird, angry head space, and... I-I've seen the way he treats you."

"... How does he treat her?" Turbo's deep, authoritative voice popped like a rumble of thunder over the land, something everyone suddenly sat frozen in, Turbo's golden eyes hooked tight into Bedgy's with purpose, as if he was entirely ready to go to war for Berri's fragile feelings, her tender heart underneath all that raging fire, a precious gem he was now due to diligently defend at all costs.

"Take it easy," Berri cooed to him as she finally closed the gap and gently grabbed Turbo hand, he softened and peered down to her in sorrowful question.

"No, this is a real thing, I keep getting these little snippets of conversation proving to me that that guy treated you like crap, all this time," Turbo pressed with now riling fervor, something to which Wren and Theo grit their teeth to and stole apprehensive glances towards each other, "I need you to promise me that he will leave you alone, from here on out, cause you know exactly who he'd be dealing with."

"H-he's... I don't think Gunner would dream of it," Bedgy blurt a soft, surprised laugh.

"You'd leave the game, Bo?" Wren pressed gently, his humble eyes peered to Turbo in hot question, to which Berri urgently peered up into Turbo's eyes in girly, curious plea.

"I-I... I would," Turbo staggered on his verbal promise, though he nervously peered into Berri's eyes as if to beg her to continue to be patient, "I-It'd be REALLY difficult for me, but..."

"Thank you," Berri eased in humble warmth, and though she wanted to delve deeper into said notion, something that was due to come bubbling over, she held her thoughts on the matter, for now, and softly lofted her eyes to Bedgy in mild plea, "Gunner's, well... Aside from the crap he's done and the drama we've dealt with on tour, he IS a good guy. He just... Is in a bad headspace, as of late."

"He's really shattered," Bedgy stated cautiously, she eyed Turbo in continued caution and knew to tread lightly, "I think breaking up with him, right in the middle of tour like this, was really terrible for his drive, but I understand you needing to defend and protect yourself. Like I said, I saw how tumultuous your guys' relationship was becoming. The same things happened between him and Sama. I keep telling him not to date his band members, and this is the second time he didn't listen to me."

"Sama," Theo's deep voice trailed in dreamy delight as he sagged on the counter tops, to which everyone peered to him with wide, curious smiles and small laughs of inquiry.

"Ah yeah, Teddy?" Wren prod as he crossed his arms, Theo eagerly nodded and beamed a wide smile.

"She's beautiful. I've had a crush on that woman for as long as I can even remember," Theo stated in star-struck cuteness, though everyone eased into and out of said notions due to how disconnected Sama was from Archived Chaos; let alone the fact that no one, but Bedgy, knew her.

"She was a gem," Bedgy stated in gentle sorrow as she looked down and to the side, to which Berri furrowed her brow and felt a weird switch up come about.

"... She cheated on Gunner, didn't she?" Berri wondered tenderly, though with the way Bedgy's gorgeous owl eyes hovered into the windows of Berri's soul, Berri felt her skin grow cold with realization.

"Bear, I'm not sure I should really be disclosing anything, of that nature," Bedgy stated in a soft sigh of defeated regret as she looked down and shook her head, she repositioned her taloned feet on the counter and ruffled her feathers a little as her chest expanded with a deep inhale, "It takes two to tango. Sama was fiery and fun, but... You know, first hand, just how insecure and anxious Gunner is."

"He questioned everything," Berri stated in understanding, she furrowed her brow and softly peered up to Turbo in warm inquiry as he inhaled an audible breath to chime in.

"Sounds like he hasn't had an easy go," Turbo mumbled warmly, somehow now feeling the need to somehow level with Gunner; it was here did everyone understand that Gunner likely had been given the short end of the stick, and emotional trauma was probably something that shroud him daily.

"He's been through it... I think his saving grace, here, is that you're still around," Bedgy shrugged, "Him and Sama broke up, and... I guess she just bailed out immediately. You, at least, have the integrity to finish out the tour, like a unit."

"He was pretty devastated to lose you, Bear, but," Wren shrugged and glanced in Turbo's direction, "I mean, come on. This poor guy's been wanting your hand for User knows how long now."

"It sucked to watch, we almost didn't want to hang out with you two, anymore," Theo blurt a laugh, to which Turbo bashfully smiled and peered in Berri's direction.

"I just... Have been battling with just what I need and want," Berri stated clearly as she heaved a refreshed sigh and looked down, "The beginning of mine and Gunner's relationship was fun and exciting, but... It just so quickly turned into a battle, as if I was there to steal his lime light. Turbo and I have a much deeper friendship, at the root. I think... That's something Gunner and I lacked."

"How quickly you and Gunner sort of grew apart was what shocked me," Bedgy stated with a look of humility and a bob of a nod, "I mean, him and Sama ran in circles for at least two years. They were constantly off and on until, one day..."

"It was too much, ho I know," Berri bugged her eyes and bobbed a nod, to which Turbo gently peered to her in learning, tender curiosity, he mentally took notes.

"He's very sensitive to being booted out of the band, which... Is the reason I wanted to hold this meeting," Bedgy started cautiously, to which everyone furrowed their brows in a spike of tender confusion and peered to Bedgy in anticipation.

"Wait, what... What are you getting at?" Berri wondered in prickled, scared softness, and it was in Bedgy's silence did Turbo sharply gather just the booming conversation currently pending; he raised his eyebrows, looked down to his feet and, it was here, did Turbo now begin to feel a shred of pity for Gunner.

"Y'caught yourself a sharp one, Bear," Bedgy mumbled only to Berri, though obviously loud enough for everyone to hear; she unfurled her wing and gestured to Turbo as everyone softly peered to him in curious smiles. He looked up from his feet in cute, pinpointed concern and dart his eyes between Berri and Bedgy as the wisest owl, of the group, carried on, "He's not even apart of this equation and he knows what's going on."

"From what I can gather, from what you just said..." Turbo trailed nervously, he eyed Berri in mild, almost smiling regret and shrugged, "I-I mean, Bear, that concert inside Dig Dug... You stole the audience away and took them on a wild, one minute ride they clearly never forgot."

"It's... ALL the press can talk about. I've shielded you four from the FLOOD of inquiry, from so many different media platforms," Bedgy rushed with a nervous chuckle, Berri peered to her in humble curiosity, shrugged and shook her head as Bedgy pressed on kindly, "Berri... Those people want you at the center stage, your voice sparked a fire."

"I-I can't possibly boot Gunner out of there, Bedgy," Berri rushed softly as she shook her head, "As desperately as I would want that microphone, I just... Can't do that to Gunner. I already broke the poor guy's heart, I can't just shoo him away."

"No one's asking you to do that, I just needed to come here to at least ask you to consider what the integrity of your stronghold looks like after our tour," Bedgy mumbled, she almost began to feel nervous even bringing these ideas to the table, "Berri, if you decide to abandon Archived Chaos and pursue your own situation, the team is willing to follow you to it and support you where you need it."

"What?" Berri hissed in whole joy, sorrow, confusion, she shook her head as she glossed her gaze to Wren and Theo, who eagerly peered back to her in hot surprise, as well, "Bedgy, I couldn't... Possibly..."

"You were going to anyways, Berri, this has been our issue for the last three years," Bedgy muttered, "The band has gone through more drummers and guitarists and pianists than we can even really keep up with to properly uphold the band's name..."

"It does look messy to have so many different musicians filtered in and out," Theo muttered nervously, to which Berri glossed her humbled gaze to Bedgy's in rising excitement, though it was very easily mixed with defeat.

"What... About Gunner?" Berri prod, she was glad Turbo wasn't getting up in arms, here; once someone she was committed to, once someone she felt on the same page with, she shook her head and was positive that she at least still cared about his wellbeing, "What will he do? Where will he go?"

"Berri, that boy has enough money for three of his own life times... He will be just fine," Bedgy pressed, "We have the right not to sign him back, he's the common denominator in these issues. Our ratings were tanking until you came along, we were losing sales in tickets for touring, Berri... The second you took that mic and lit the world on fire, we had venues calling US. Arcadia Station even wondered if we could add four more shows to the end of our tour, because of this."

"Did you?" Turbo pressed in smiling excitement, to which Bedgy smiled back and shook her head.

"No way, I want that fresh beginning to be reserved for Berri," Bedgy stated in a lilt of rising hope, burning excitement that came rushing back to the group, and with Wren's and Theo's grins that met with fervor that was palpable, though Berri still looked as if she was having a hard time climbing over the walls everyone easily began to burst through.

"Bedgy, I just... Really feel terrible about ditching Gunner like this," Berri worried, to which the lit fire, in the conversation, gently fizzled, once more as everyone sagged their shoulders in warm defeat.

"Babe, he's... He's been getting into a lot of hot water, lately, he's really struggling with a lot," Bedgy worried, "Honestly, I know he's amazing at singing, and getting his talent out there has benefitted him. He's lately been pretty rude to fans, and is not himself. I don't want you to take ownership of this, but dumping him has only added to it. The guy needs a hiatus, while you guys carry on."

"Who knows, maybe one day, he can circle back once he's in a better headspace," Wren encouraged gently, he almost nervously peered to Turbo in questioning, to see if he'd potentially object, though he was delightfully surprised to see Turbo bob a small nod of hesitant agreeing.

"And you two can SHARE the mic," Turbo muttered as he sternly eyed Bedgy, simply as if to make clear, to the one being in this group that didn't know him well enough, that Turbo meant business, here.

"I think that's fair," Berri nodded with a shrug, she shook her head and lulled her eyes closed, "I can't believe I'd be able to finally sing... What a dream."

"The Arcade wants it, desperately," Bedgy blurt a small laugh, "You guys see what happens when you guys jump on stage."

"Berri, Berri, Berri," Wren mocked in a hiss of pretending to yell in chant, though he gave Berri a kind smile and bobbed her a nod as everyone warmly laughed in her direction, "Bedgy's telling the truth... You really carried that mishap, you carried the rest of the song beautifully."

"You were amazing," Turbo encouraged, "That role was meant for you, I always told you."

"Thank you," Berri sighed with a small smile, though Bedgy gave her a nervous look of a grimace and shrugged.

"Unfortunately... We have to break this news, to Gunner, tomorrow morning," Bedgy finally revealed, to which the whole group went quiet; after ten seconds, Turbo finally was the one to blow a soft raspberry and trail it with a nervous chuckle of stifled terror.

"Wow," Turbo huffed with a sheepish look of continued apprehension, to which Berri went bug-eyed and shook her head.

"H-How the HELL are we supposed to do that?" Berri worried sadly, "Sorry, Gun, y'gotta go, the press is starting to not really agree with you being at the center."

"Berri, he's going to be relieved," Bedgy assured tenderly, "He told me, earlier today, that he wished he could eventually take time for himself, to make his own music and shell away from touring or creating with other bandmates. If we give him this hiatus, this mental health break, I don't think he's going to argue."

"You really don't think?" Berri worried tenderly, to which Bedgy shrugged a little.

"I'm sure it might sting if he figures that we're sort of moving on without him, for the time being, but..." Bedgy sighed and looked off in clarity, "He's going to benefit from some alone time, and I think he's realizing that. You've realized you deserve better, you've found it, you're on your way to powering on to better, bigger things."

"You've already trail-blazed your way to what you feel you deserve, anyways," Theo shrugged, he smiled and gently gestured in Turbo's direction, "I think we just need to be straight forward and honest with Gunner, close the book on this season of life. We can all relax after tour, and us three can quickly pick back up afterwards while he takes time to figure himself out."

"Who knows what the future holds, but for now," Bedgy gingerly rested her wing to Berri's little shoulder and was able to garner her whole attention, "The Arcade wants Berri Schweetz Kalivar on that mic. We can't ignore them any longer. We'll finish this tour holding fast to each other, and break peacefully afterwards. Gunner deserves a break, he's been doing this for so many years straight, without a break, he's beyond the stages of a full burn-out."

"Welp... Tomorrow's going to be fun," Wren muttered, to which everyone eased into nervous chuckling.

"Yeah, considering I slept the day away, I'm not going to be able to go to sleep tonight," Berri rushed in anxiousness, "I'll pull an all-nighter and, by the time the meeting with Gunner comes, I'll be falling asleep on all you guys. Great."

"You'll be okay," Turbo assured to her warmly, to which he finally held onto her upper arm and pulled her closer to his body, slowly. Following his lead, she finally sagged into his embrace and bashfully tucked her face into the broad of his bare chest, in front of everyone, to which they loudly cooed obnoxiously little lovely comments towards the two.

"Ugh, finally, we've been wanting this for forever now," Theo rushed as he urgently gestured to the two, in which Wren bobbed a nod; Bedgy curiously looked on, though she smiled and finally observed just how excited everyone was for Turbo and Berri to be an item, she eased up a bit and lovingly peered in Turbo's and Berri's direction.

"Don't you two break up, now," Wren shuttered at the thought, "I-I don't think the Arcade could handle all the sad songs that followed."

"Ohhh you're dating a musician, now, dude," Theo muttered with a wide, cheeky grin, "She's gunna write secret songs about you."

"Well, two can play at that game, cause I'm ALSO a musician," Turbo retort proudly as he lovingly wrapped his arms about Berri's head and shoulders, though as he went to press a few kisses into the top of Berri's soft forehead, Bedgy double-took on Turbo and gave him an excited, bewildered look.

"W-wait, you play?" Bedgy pressed in now rising fervor, to which Turbo almost bashful regret revealing.

"Y-Yeah, guitar," Turbo staggered with a sheepish smile as everyone now eagerly laid eyes to him in shock, "I also... Sing."

"SINCE WHEN?" Wren shrieked, everyone howled with laughter, though Berri only sneakily giggled into Turbo's chest and hugged him tighter.

"You just opened a can of worms, babe," Berri muttered with a grin, "You know they won't leave you alone, now."