Reviews :

Awesome Stories May Occur : LMAO! Lash isn't very clear in that text, is he. He has access to basic things like the fridge, certain tangible objects, though he doesn't have access to doors that gain exit or entry into somewhere. So if the bathroom door was ever closed, he'd have to use some form of a household item to get the door open. That's what he was insinuating with his notion 'pissing has become a chore' LOL. As for Gunner, I'm glad I've been able to hold a facade well. He eventually shows his true colors. Although he's not one of my more redeeming 'bad' guys, his character does have a bit of an arc into this story. Whether it end well, or not, you'll just have to see :) Thank you for your support! I appreciate it!

faolan1230 : LOL yeah he's totally dying xD Poor thing

chuckiboo : Hey! Long time no see, I missed you. Hope you're well! And, I'm SO thrilled you recalled that, because I definitely was calling on such old times. I think that's probably the last time one of my mains fell into a dark romantic funk like such. It's REALLY not fun to write for, honestly. I'm a problem solver, so having to write for mopey characters drives me up a wall. Turbo eventually gets... Thrown around and snapped out of it. Hopefully you guys can guess whose the one to finally knock him off his pedestal.

Nikki Firesong : Thank you SO much! I try to bring a gentler approach to heavier topics, and although I haven't experienced a majority of said experiences, I HAVE experienced homelessness - so writing for Tatum in that way was something I could very easily recall. All the other traumas I wrote for were a bit more difficult and I felt I had to tread lightly. So I really appreciate you saying that cause I try to handle it all with grace and respect. Yes, this chapter gets a bit dodgy, so hold on to your hat!


Song Listened To :

Birds ft. Elisa by Imagine Dragons


*Chapter 174*

With a sparkle of Throttle's and Wren's collective, lovely, blood-orange coding that sprawled the teleport pad in Turbo's foyer, they both softly and hesitantly stepped off the pad, only to be greet by Nox's stiff, nervous figure. Both Wren and Throttle flinched in soft surprise, Nox stood poised and ready in front of the wall that would unfold to welcome them into Turbo's lovely loft. Dressed in a casual, cozy-printed button down and ripped jeans, Nox sagged his grey hands into his jeans, gave Wren and Throttle a quiet look of nervous apprehension and allowed the three to hover for a moment of quiet solitude before they entered the lion's den. Throttle huffed a silent chuckle, looked down to his feet and inhaled a deep, nervous breath as all three men softly gathered in a loose circle, as if to huddle up.

"Hey, guys," Nox's sweet, deep voice eased to the two with a lilt of nervous curiosity, his golden eyes dart between Wren and Throttle with a smile that eventually surfaced, "How was your tour of Castle Run?"

"Oh, wild," Wren blurt quietly; they were well aware both ends of this spectrum were entirely noise cancelling, in terms of Turbo's thick walls, though they still hesitantly kept their voices low, "That game is incredibly beautiful. The sheer amount of gargoyles in that game is insane."

"Pretty sure half your crowd, each show, was gargoyles," Throttle huffed a cute laugh and nodded, "It was really cool."

"I... I feel really bad, you guys, I haven't seen Turbo in a few weeks," Nox pressed sadly, "I mean... We text a lot, but, y'know how it is. He's busy and I got my own things going on, with Koko and whatnot."

"Don't beat yourself up, him and Berri are just... Going through a few issues," Wren mumbled, he glanced into Throttle's eyes with warm question, "I'm not sure if you're aware what went on, are you?"

"Lash was privately messaging me yesterday about it," Nox bobbed a nod and aimlessly glossed his golden gaze to the wall that would eventually slide open and welcome them into Turbo's abode, "I know him and Berri will get through these troubles, but... That's not my worry..."

"What are you worried about?" Wren staggered in frozen anxiety, he pierced his blue eyes into Nox's with tender, scared inquisition as Nox narrowed his gaze and very apprehensively carried on.

"Throttle can assure you... Whenever Turbo gets into these funks, where he falls into deep moods, it's... It's pretty dodgy," Nox stated quietly, "I've only ever seen his eyes change from gold, to something else, enough times to only count on one hand, in my entire life."

"When he feels, he feels deep," Throttle bobbed a nod and looked down in already exhausted nervousness, "He's typically so in control of his emotion, but if blue or red eyes come about, it... Means certain doom."

"Wait, okay, so... Your guys' eyes go blue when you're sad?" Wren questioned innocently, though Nox regretfully shook his head and gave Wren an apologetic look of tender, patient explaining.

"No, no, it's... Not just plain 'ol sadness, this is... True, genuine despair," Nox worried, "Usually, if we're feeling a quick bout of sadness, or uncertainty, or even halted frustration, or any other greyer area of emotion, our eyes just glow a little less or lose the golden glow entirely... Or, in Throttle's case, a white glow."

"It's only really in the lastingly huge, dire emotions where color really sticks and... Well... Emotion can get away from us," Throttle warned tenderly, he gave Wren an honest smile, peered down to him in genuine apprehension and pressed on, "I mean, Wren, how many times can you say you've seen my eyes do anything other than just dim to grey or glow a brighter white?"

"I... Don't think I've ever," Wren mumbled, he now peered his becoming-terrified eyes to Nox's, who pressed on with cold caution.

"If Lash is calling this 'code blue' as he puts it, this... Isn't going to be pretty," Nox warned, though Wren anxiously shifted on his feet and felt as if he was right up against the giant of it all, easily swallowed by fear.

"O-Okay, so, what am I to expect?" Wren faltered, Throttle shrugged and curiously peered to Nox.

"Let's... Just be thankful this is a code blue, and... Not a code red," Throttle muttered through his teeth, "You'd rather have a depressed version of Turbo before you than a... Rage filled one."

"Yeah red means get the hell outta there cause you're screwed no matter WHAT you say," Nox staggered through his teeth, as well, though Wren exhaled a shaky breath and gestured to himself in a wide, sarcastic smile of sour glee.

"Great, this is great. I signed my sorry ass up to be Turbo's right hand man before truly understanding just what kind of a warpath Turbo could go on, great," Wren quipped, all three men softly laughed.

"Yeah, it's... Not pretty, what he'd leave in his wake," Nox huffed shakily, though he smiled nonetheless, "I just wanted to warn you. I'm glad Lash did this, actually. He lives with Turbo every day, and... It makes me feel good that Lash has the heart to reach out to all his brothers, to rally us around and get Turbo back on his feet."

"I'm honored," Wren mumbled honestly, though he raised his eyebrows, inhaled a deep, trembling breath and broadened his swooping glance to Throttle and Nox, who hovered in soft uncertainty, "And... Terrified."

"Yeah, keep your wits about you," Nox tenderly warned, though as he cued his and Koko's lovely, crimson-berry coding on his palm, he tenderly laid said live-wired glitching abilities to the wall of Turbo's front door, and with ease, it shifted and began to grumble as it slide down into the hard grout underneath.

Wren inhaled a shaky breath and peered into Turbo's comfortable, homey, familiar loft. Although nothing immediately seemed amiss, he was well aware all three boys were now stepping into a land mine of discovery. With Turbo's kitchen light on, that being the only light source, Turbo's incredible wall of glass, that overlooked the city, was tinted in a dark black out. Still being able to see out, his home was very dim, almost as if it were dusk and no house lights had been turned on yet. As Nox, Throttle and Wren softly stepped inside and Turbo's large front door sagged shut, all three boys were cued to Lash and Chester at Turbo's kitchen island. Lash looked as if he had his wits about him, as if he had survived this long in Turbo's blue, moody presence, though he glossed his muted, grey eyes to the three boys in a show of becoming, tender humility, as if this was the thing to finally have him breaking his strict opinions, the severity of Turbo's heart break, this go around, Lash looked beyond exhausted. Nonetheless, he perked up, causing the tender glow in his eyes to faintly come back, though he sharply grit his teeth and shakily pointed to Turbo's much darker living room, cueing to the three that Turbo was on the couch.

Wren glossed his eyes deeper into the details of the living room and inhaled a readied shaky breath. Although the four now began to slowly approach the crest of the few, broad steps down into the living room, Wren ultimately was the one paving the way. With the way all three of Turbo's hovered behind Wren, he wondered if he maybe was naively wandering into a very dangerous situation, one of which all three TurboTime boys were very well versed in, the sacrificial lamb they were glad to put up as their wave of a white flag. With the round of Wren's soft feet into Turbo's carpet, and the gentle splay of a visual Wren had, he held his breath and felt his heart drop in dire concern. As if he maybe hadn't moved in days, Turbo sat sagged in the nook of his lovely red swoop of a couch. With the large, red, matching ottoman lazily tucked under his bare grey feet, Wren looked about and took note that daintily and secretly splayed all about Turbo were empty beer bottles. Dozens of them just tidily strewn about the coffee table before him, the long, display table behind his couch, even some on the ground in a toppled over mess, Wren heaved a shaky breath and peered to Turbo's haunting figure, the prominent glow of his blue eyes was a rare, heart breaking sight to see.

"Hey, man," Wren tenderly inquired, he now took note that Nox, Throttle and Lash continued to hesitate to move closer, though Wren was now well aware this was likely his own battle to spearhead. In an action that was as nonjudgmental as he possibly could afford, he gingerly collected a few of the empty beer bottles, set them aside and made room for himself on the couch. He cautiously plopped down one couch cushion's length away from Turbo, though even this has Throttle, Nox and Lash frozen in a spike of unmitigated worry. Wren tilted his head and was glad to collect warm eye contact with Turbo, though in such a haunting show of vulnerability and sorrow, Turbo also eked a very scary amount of mildly drunken unpredictability. Turbo long blinked his sharp gaze to Wren's and inhaled a deep breath, as if his dusty rib cage hadn't done so in awhile. Wren dared to huff an incredulous little laugh and desperately tried to splay his sunny disposition to Turbo's in warmth, "You, uh... Y'hanging in there?"

"I guess," Turbo mumbled, though he softly glossed his hazy blue eyes to the television that mumbled on in a quiet volume, cueing to everyone that Turbo likely wasn't even watching said program, more so just sitting in the soft sound and getting lost in his own spiraling thoughts. Turbo gave Wren soft, understanding eye contact and looked as if he wanted to give Wren a smile, "How was Castle Run?"

"Amazing," Wren huffed warmly, he took note of Turbo's features; a scraggly, dark scruff of a beard had formed on Turbo's chin and jaw in an unkept mess, two weeks worth of length looked as if it were now a few days past needing a clean trim, though still held in messy disarray. Wren inhaled a shaky breath and was at least thrilled Nox, Throttle and Lash made their presences a little more known as they gathered around, "We had our biggest show yet. It was terrifying."

"Damn," Turbo's groggy, tired voice huffed. He finally peaked a small smile and gave Wren a bit more direct eye contact, as if his brain now fully realized just who was before him; someone so incredibly close to the woman he temporarily lost, "You guys... Back? Is, well... Berri..."

"Berri's home," Wren cooed warmly, as if to maybe egg the idea of praying they'd at least try and speak to each other, even though Turbo demanded sulking space, "We have a house guest, so Berri's busy making sure they're all set up."

"Who is it?" Turbo pressed nervously, though Wren shook his head and huffed a chuckle.

"You'll never believe," Wren mumbled cutely, "Remember Sama?"

"... No way," Turbo huffed an incredulous chuckle and sagged into the couch where he was comfortable, marinating in his own sorrow, he long-blinked in groggy, exhausted sadness and desperately tried to carry normal conversation with his best friend, though Nox, Throttle and Lash all froze in terror the second Turbo's cranky, authoritative, sharp blue gaze glossed his brothers, as if to meanly suggest they keep their distance, for he was well aware just why they were here, "That's great. She could use a girl friend."

"... Yeah, she could," Wren muttered, he rolled his eyes and looked off in playful irritation at said notion, though he quickly dropped it and understood just why he was here, "Bo, I... I just want to make sure you're okay. What's going on, here?"

"I just... Always screw everything up," Turbo mumbled, he shook his head and shrugged in nonchalance, "There's really nothing to know. Berri made her opinion clear, and that's that."

"That's that," Wren mumbled, he cocked an eyebrow and peered to Turbo in a very steadily rising boil of authority, his heart began to race at the sheer idea of shaking Turbo up a little, "You... You REALLY want to think that about the woman you wanted to make your bride, Bo, REALLY."

"I can't change her mind, I can't... Do this," Turbo sagged, "I thought all that time stewing on just what went wrong, between Libby and I, and how quickly I lost her... I was sure I had gotten good, and this time around would be a breeze. But look at me. It requires something I absolutely cannot handle, right now, I just can't."

"What, leave Sugar Rush?" Wren darkly wondered, he could feel Nox, Throttle and Lash tense, as if they were ready to haul ass out of here.

"Yeah, what else?" Turbo staggered, his sinister blue gaze tightly caught with Wren's in great, sarcastic cheek, "It ain't experience I lack, here, I know THAT'S certainly not driving her away."

"Nox, how often do you get recognized when you leave Sugar Rush," Wren suddenly and loudly pressed; Nox's terrified, golden gaze quickly muted as all eyes firmly peered to him in curiosity.

"A handful of times," Nox pressed softly, though he urgently shook his head and tried to remember what this was all about, "B-But, it's more so just curiosity, not anger or hate. More often than not, people are just interested in what I LOOK like, like my eyes. I guess we're among the stranger gamers, out there? Not something I'd expect."

"It's alluring," Throttle mumbled with a shrug, "Bright, colorful eyes through colorless skin."

"But, you come home, unscathed," Wren gestured, Nox bobbed a nod and huffed a small chuckle.

"Ho yeah, I'm in and out of Sugar Rush all the time, with Koko. I mean, shit, I lived in EZ Living for an eternity," Nox encouraged, he was thrilled that Turbo was silently listening with intent eye contact, "Even Tee, here, you were in End of Line Academy for all those years."

"Yeah, I'm not a very good example," Throttle warmly mumbled, though he gave Nox and Turbo an encouraging smile, "I mean, I had small classes and students and staff ALL knew who I was, and where I was from, but I wasn't ever in the general public. They gave me room in End of Line Academy, so I hardly ever was out in public."

"But even still, the students surely loved you," Wren encouraged softly, Throttle bobbed a nod.

"Tessa was my student, for a little while, there," Throttle beamed, "She even brought little Ace along with her. They had fun, I would assume. As did everyone else."

"Lash, would you leave Sugar Rush?" Wren dared, his voice had begun to become a bit more stern, cueing to everyone that he was starting to lose his marbles over this twisted situation; Lash raised his eyebrows in staggering nervousness and almost seemed wary of Turbo's whole presence.

"I-I... Well... I-I think I'd be more willing to leave, than Turbo, but it wouldn't be something I'd be happy about," Lash nervously pressed, he shrugged and gave Wren a soft look of humility, "I'm just being honest, man, it's scary. It's a little different for Turbo and I, in my opinion. We caused this whole mess of unplugs."

"So, this weird placebo effect you've just SPIRALED into is the thing keeping you from being with the woman you love most, yeah?" Wren now sassily asked, though as Wren's eyes drew to Turbo's, he could see purpose come back to Turbo's skin, though not in the way he'd like. Still drowning in yesterday's alcohol, Turbo looked as if he was beginning to become unhinged entirely, though Wren knew he needed to shake things up, to be the one to hopefully kick Turbo in the pants and get him back on his feet as seamlessly as he could, "You could LEAVE the game, unscathed, with the security of ALL of us to protect you and support you... AND you'd get your dick wet. How does that sound?"

"I don't want your help," Turbo's deep, scary voice suddenly snapped; words Wren knew that, deep down, weren't true.

"I don't care if you DON'T want OUR help," Wren stated sternly, "SOMETHING has to give, Turbo, this is SO stupid and childish. You have to bend somewhere, dude you CAN'T just let Berri get away from you, like this. You can't just sit here and waste away when you have an entire support system here to help you get to where you need and WANT to be."

"I said," Turbo's voice began to seemingly melt the room, with ease, he slowly pushed himself to a full, upright sitting position, he dared to get in Wren's face. With such movement, Wren huffed a shaky breath of nervousness and began to stand, though much to his whole dismay, this cued Turbo to begin to stand, as well; a slow drag of just who would win in this proverbial and literal height of dominance, "I don't WANT... YOUR... HELP."

"So you're REALLY going to let this all go? Everything you worked so hard for?" Wren barked, as both men finally came to a stand, though Wren grit his teeth in rising terror at the sheer foot of height Turbo had over him; Turbo hovered over him like the grim reaper himself, and though he was grateful the color in his eyes never wavered from blue, he was well aware this was a slippery slope right into red rage territory.

"What do you think I'm sitting here for?" Turbo now growled down into Wren's face, a challenge Wren was well aware he'd lose, though with the rile of testosterone now drowning the room, Wren felt a pop of his own shred of TurboTime coding urgently course through his veins.

Although Nox, Throttle and Lash now quietly began to coo nervous notions of plea, their desperate, scared footwork quickly worked about the furniture and pressed across the carpet in a rush to separate both boys before a fist fight broke out, Wren inhaled a sharp breath, delivered Turbo a harder glower than what was received, popped open his own palms and allowed his own coding to grapple Turbo's much stronger, scarier being in a grip of telekinetic fervor. Turbo huffed a shaky breath as Wren very smoothly began to sit Turbo back down with nothing but the power in his own will, this brave act halted Nox, Throttle and Lash dead in their warpath, and with a firm shove, Turbo jolted back down to the couch with a boggled look of frustrated uncertainty. Wren inhaled a deep, raspy breath, and although he unhanded Turbo's coding and was well aware Turbo could now get in his face, in return, Wren sharply bent down and knew Turbo wouldn't dare.

"You're sitting here like a pathetic FOOL while the world carries on," Wren's deep, gentle voice laid Turbo into a dark grave, and although Turbo peered to Wren in a fit of further frustration, his pupils pierced Wren's in unadulterated surprise as Wren darkly carried on, "You four boys are NO LONGER the only beings with this coding. You CHOSE to help Tessa and Zed, all that time ago, because a SHRED of you desired normality."

"Wren," Turbo mumbled in now deflated, exhausted sorrow.

"And NOW, it's ON YOUR DOORSTEP, it's WALTZED itself into your arms and into your love in the form of blue hair and a twinkling smile and WHAT DO YOU DO?" Wren now loudly shouted in Turbo's face, Wren grit his teeth and hissed him a sharp, whispering conclusion, "You do NOTHING."

Turbo exhaled a trembling breath and watched as Wren continued to hover tight to Turbo's gravity, though everyone largely flinched the second Wren ripped himself from Turbo's presence and began to storm across the living room.

"That poor girl has done SO MUCH for you," Wren pressed angrily as Nox, Throttle and Lash now did what they could to keep cautious tabs on Wren's feverous, fiery energy, "The LEAST you could do is show up to a GOD DAMN SHOW!"

Turbo remained silent and knew he was beat, he softly sat up, to normality, and kept his sorrowful, pitiful blue eyes tight to Wren's as he carried on with his tirade.

"You're out here making disguises for people, you're helping EVERYONE be the best version of themselves that they can be, and ALL we want is to GIVE BACK," Wren desperately gestured to his own broad chest in a firm few shoves and grapples of his own shirt, he writhed and grit his teeth with fervor, the whole room was hot with it, "We can't give back to a WALL!"

"Wren, I'm..." Turbo huffed a shaky, further defeated breath, lulled his eyes closed and shook his head, and though he opened his mouth to press on, Wren glowered him a hateful look and began to peel out of the living room.

"Oh, right, you're SORRY," Wren sharply stabbed as he eased up the steps and head directly for the front door, "Don't tell it to me, Black. Tell it to the girl who came back to Castle Run, after your night of sexual indulgence, CRYING in my arms because she just LOVES you SO MUCH!"

Turbo looked down to his shaking hands and knew he had to bring himself to so many things, though his center of gravity kept him haltingly planted. He inhaled a trembling breath and began to whimper the start of a few words, though Wren was too far away to hear, too much louder to care to listen any longer.

"Our last show is this Friday in Arcadia, it's our LAST show until WHO KNOWS when," Wren barked as he whirled around and peered into the living room; although Turbo's blue eyes were nervously hooked tight to Wren's, across the way, Nox, Throttle and Lash all looked off and down in humble, sorrowful agreeing to Wren's words, "After Gunner's gone, we're not PROMISED a tour, or shows. It's something we have to build upon. That poor girl has been holding her breath! She tells security EVERY TIME to make sure to let a Mr. Turbo Black inside, granted he shows up!"

Turbo long-blinked tears down his cheeks and knew he needed to climb out of this and keep Wren in his gravity, though like last time, he knew he was failing.

"But he doesn't," Wren angrily grunted through the grit of his teeth, "He never does."

Turbo shut his eyes tight and listened as Wren angrily left. With the gape of Turbo's front door wide open, the teleport pad in Turbo's foyer could be heard whizzing Wren's riled, angry coding away for good. Turbo heaved a shaky, nasally sigh and peered up to his three brothers in a dreadful show of embarrassment. He furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head as all three boys peered down to him in soft silence, making clear just what side of this argument they stood on.

"I... May not be a love guru or anything of that matter, but..." Lash nervously rubbed the back of his head and softly peered to Throttle and Nox, "A woman like that doesn't just come about all the time, right?"

"She's a rarity," Throttle's deep voice disappointedly showered upon Turbo, "But so are we. She knows that."

"Birds of a feather," Nox trailed gently, to which Turbo shook his head and sagged.

"I thought getting over this would be easier," Turbo mumbled, "I... Can't. I can't bring myself to it. I just can't."

"Don't tell us that, Bo," Throttle mumbled sorrowfully, he shrugged and softly glanced to Nox, "Y'gotta make that entirely clear to Berri... You both owe it to each other so you can eventually move on."

"Piss, or get off the pot," Lash muttered as he crossed his arms, and though everyone hovered in softness, they held on to the electric air Wren had set upon the place, a much needed shock to Turbo's system; just what Turbo would do with this bolt of lightning now had everyone waiting with baited breath.