I should mention that I've only seen the movie twice, read the transcript, and watched Youtube clips, so if I remember details wrong just pretend that's how it is.

Chapter 2: Out of the Comfort Zone

Until the arcade closed, the Sugar Rush citizens had to wait in Game Central Station, where there was barely enough room for all of them. The chorus of sobs gradually died down as the initial shock of the unplugging passed, which Turbo was thankful for. Nobody else had been there when Turbo Time was unplugged. Nobody mourned with him. At first he thought having so many to sympathize with would make it more bearable; instead it was more depressing. At least everyone had calmed down after a few hours.

Most of the citizens were divided up between the various games that could accommodate so many. The rest were welcome to wait in the Nicelander's penthouse for characters to give them shelter. Out of the goodness of his heart, Ralph personally chose Vanellope and Turbo to stay in Fix-it Felix Jr., assuring him that he wouldn't have to make a home in the walls of the power bar. While he was grateful, Turbo was concerned about the other racers that hadn't been adopted yet, so he waited with them in the penthouse for moral support.

Gene, holding his ever-present martini glass, spoke up next, "I suppose that large green olive will fit in nicely with my décor."

Sour Bill corrected in irritation, "I'm a sour ball."

"Well, beggars can't be choosers, can they?" Gene dismissed, stepping towards the door. "Come along, condiment."

"M'kay…" Sour Bill got down from his chair and reluctantly followed him.

I wonder if that's the last I'll see of him, Turbo mused.

"Marvelous!" Felix gestured to the remaining characters. "That just leaves the racers!"

Taffyta took her lollipop out of her mouth and said with a smirk, "We're, like, adorable."

"You sure are!" Felix agreed sweetly. He turned to the last of the volunteers. "So, any takers?"

And then there was silence. Nicelanders sipped their tea or shifted awkwardly. Chun-Li pretended her spiked bracelet was a watch and Satine tapped his claws against his china cup while inspecting the ceiling. Everybody made sure to look anywhere but at Felix.

Turbo's heart sank, especially when he saw the racers' crestfallen expressions. If only he had a home he would take them all in.

Felix prompted, "Uh, anyone?"

It was no use. Turbo finally stepped forward and snapped, "What's wrong with all of you?! Satine, come on, I thought you were great with kids!"

The demon-like character shrugged uncomfortably. "I would, but I already got into a lot of trouble with parents back in the 80's…"

"Fine, but what about the rest?"

The others looked a bit ashamed and Felix held out his hands comfortingly. "Now, now, Turbo, I'm sure they have good reasons why they can't adopt them."

"I'll give you the one reason: They hate kids." Turbo crossed his arms sourly. "Prove me wrong."

Felix's forced smile faded as he struggled for words.

Calhoun lowered to her husband's eye level and put a hand on his shoulder. "Felix, I know we've never once talked about having a family before, but-"

The handyman turned to her, grinning broadly and finished, "I know, it feels like the kind of thing you just jump into with both feet and nary a plan!"

Calhoun stood up and announced, "Felix and I will give them sanctuary!"

Cheers erupted from the racers and Turbo relaxed. He never thought he'd ever feel appreciative to Calhoun, but that one moment made her seem less scary. Maybe being married to Felix had mellowed her out.

Surge Protector, who Turbo almost forgot was there with them, said to Felix and Calhoun, "Can I get a quick word with you two?" He went into the next room.

Turbo followed the couple inside, and then Surge looked at him disapprovingly.

"When I said 'you two'-"

"Anything you say to them you can say in front of me," Turbo stated, closing the door behind him. "I am practically family, after all."

"It's just that you're still in the process of getting reintroduced to society, and now with you going through an unplugging for the second time…" Surge grimaced uneasily.

"What, you think I'm gonna snap and go psycho on everyone?" Turbo accused. "I'm fine! I'll just talk about this at my next Bad Anon meeting!"

Surge muttered, "Good to see you're still in therapy."

"Group therapy," he corrected. "We all have each other's backs!"

"I'm sure you do. Now, about the racers." Surge looked at Felix and Calhoun. "Are you sure you can handle taking care of them? Those things are basically feral."

Calhoun declared dramatically, "Pardon me, sir, but those youngsters are lambs! Lost, little lambs in need of two kind, caring shepherds!"

At this Turbo cracked up. "You've got to be kidding me! I mean, don't get me wrong, I appreciate you volunteering, but those kids can be downright savage! Take it from me, I looked after them for fifteen years."

"While trying to delete one of them," Surge reminded.

"The point is," Turbo continued, "I don't think your 'kind, caring shepherd' method is gonna work."

Felix shrugged. "How hard can parenting be? You treat the child like your best friend, you give them everything they want, and you just love their little socks off! Right, Tammy?"

"Darn tootin'."

Turbo facepalmed, but before he could say anything else, everyone heard a scream.

Calhoun readied her gun, then she and Felix opened the door.

And saw all the racers playing in chaos. Rancis pushed Minty in a chair; Gloyd, Jubileena and Snowana threw objects around the room; Crumbelina clung to the curtains, and Adorabeezle ran with scissors like a psycho. Everyone was shrieking delightfully.

Turbo smirked at Felix and Calhoun's open mouthed expressions and commented, "Looks like your honeyglow phase is over."

Taffyta hung over the armchair and clicked on the Cybug scanner aimed at a painting. "Mom, why does your lame TV have only one channel?" she complained to Calhoun.

"That's my girl," said Turbo proudly. "Well, I'm off to have a long chat with Ralph and Vanellope. Someone's got a lot of explaining to do."

Finding those two wasn't so hard. He'd heard them talking on top of the penthouse roof, so after taking the elevator Turbo joined them. Whatever conversation they were having died when they saw him arrive.

"Oh, good to see you're taking this well by making pillow forts," he said sarcastically.

"For your information, we were going to make a pigloo," Ralph corrected.

"…That is literally the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

"Coming from the guy who made a Fungeon."

"Hm. Touché." Turbo dropped his cordial pretence. "Now that you're done gossiping, I was hoping you could both explain… what the heck happened back there?!"

Ralph held up his hands. "It was an accident, all right?"

"You call that an accident? Vanellope's glitching caused the game to be put out of order! Which is exactly what I warned about all those years ago!"

"Hey!" Vanellope retorted, "The gamer was the one who broke the wheel, remember?"

"She blamed it on you! That wouldn't have happened if you hadn't bit the hand that controlled you!" Turbo indicted. "You bit the hand!"

"She was just having fun!" argued Ralph.

"And what made you think it was ok to be in another game during daylight hours, constructing a track while a race was going on?"

"I was being a good friend! Vanellope said her game was too predictable and not exciting enough!"

"Not ex…" Turbo shot Vanellope a wide-eyed look, and caught the guilty expression on her face before she looked away. "Wait a minute," he started, his voice rising in anger as he stepped toward her. "You mean to tell me that the only reason you wanted to make me playable was because you were bored?!"

The little girl faced him and tried to smile innocently. "Well, maybe, but I did think adding you would've made the game more interesting for everyone."

"I don't know if I should be flattered or insulted." Turbo thought for a second. "No, I'm gonna go with insulted."

Ralph stood up quickly and said to Vanellope, "Whoa, hang on! You never told me you were gonna make Turbo playable!"

"I was planning on it tonight after the arcade closed, but then all this happened…"

"You could've told me this morning after you complained about your game! Then I wouldn't have made that track!"

Now it was Vanellope's turn to be angry. "I only thought of it later! And you could've just waited until after hours to make that track!"

Then all three of their voices were arguing over each other about whose fault it was. It only ended when Surge appeared on the roof with them and said, "Sorry, but could you keep it down? Filling out adoption forms isn't easy with so much noise."

Turbo replied bitterly, more to Ralph and Vanellope, "That's ok. I was just leaving." He stomped over to the door and slammed it shut behind him.

"Keep 'em coming," mumbled Turbo after downing another mug of root beer. He pushed his empty glass toward Tapper and rested his head in his hand.

The bartender took the glass silently and gave Turbo a pitying look before going to fill more mugs.

Turbo kept his gloomy gaze lowered as he joylessly spun his napkin on the counter, trying to ignore the unfitting jolly piano music playing on loop in the background. He couldn't believe that all this happened because of simple miscommunication. And right before his second chance too. "First stupid Vanellope, then stupid Ralph, and then," he grumbled and let his head fall on the table, "stupid wheel." The only consolation he had was that none of this was his fault.

He heard the door swing open but he didn't look up. Someone sat beside him, and judging by the heavy thud in the chair and the smell, it had to be Ralph.

"Hey, listen," the wrecker began gently. "I'm sorry about what happened. I know you must've been pretty excited about being an official part of Sugar Rush again."

Turbo sighed and responded cynically, "That's ok. I'm used to disappointment. After all I did I suppose I deserve it."

Ralph's voice became concerned. "Turbo, we talked about this at Bad Anon. You can't keep beating yourself up over your mistakes after you agreed to move on from them."

"You don't get it, do you?" Turbo looked up at him. "How many times have you been happy, only for it to be taken away from you? I didn't even do anything wrong this time, but it's like the universe still hates me."

Ralph frowned and stayed silent for a moment. Then he said, "I do know what that's like. And maybe this whole mess is somehow partially my fault. But I do remember what Zangief once told me. He said 'happiness is a choice'."

Turbo scoffed. "He should write fortune cookies."

"Actually I think he said he got it off a bumper sticker. But the point is, you can choose to be happy no matter what your situation is."

"Hmph." Turbo said nothing more.

Tapper returned with a full mug of root beer for each of them, and the two drank together in silence. Ralph ordered a glass for Vanellope, saying she was supposed to meet him there. Turbo couldn't care less if she showed up or not. He was not in the mood to see her, much less talk to her.

Eventually Ralph seemed to grow impatient and he asked, "Hey Tapper, have you seen-"

"No, Ralph, I have not seen Vanellope," Tapper interjected without looking up from wiping the counter, "not since the last time you asked me 30 seconds ago."

"Sorry, I'm just worried about her. She's glitching like crazy and acting super insecure and—oh, get this. She said being friends with me wasn't enough for her." He waved his hands in astonishment. "Not enough? I'm a great friend! Right?"

Turbo moved Ralph's hand out of his face and remarked, "Now who's acting insecure?" But if that was actually what Vanellope said, he couldn't blame him for worrying.

Tapper filled a few mugs. "Ralph, come on. The kid just lost her game. Give her a break." He then moved on to his other customers.

Someone entered the tavern and Ralph looked up expectantly. "There you-"

But it was Felix who slumped into the seat reserved for Vanellope. It must've been only 20 minutes since Turbo had seen him last, and already the man looked worn out. Those racers were doing a good job.

"Hey, guys," Felix dully greeted.

"Hey, Felix," Ralph acknowledged. "Since when do you drink root beer?"

"Since tonight."

"Yeah, I hear you buddy." He slid a mug to his friend. "Hey, this one was supposed to be for Vanellope, but I guess you can have it. Doesn't look like she's coming."

Felix took it in both hands and stared at it sullenly. "Thanks."

"We were just talking about how everything went south just when our lives were perfect," Turbo filled in.

Felix obviously tried to control his temper. "Mine was too! But hey! Now I'm a father of 15!" He gripped his glass and said through clenched teeth, "Isn't that just a blessing?" Then he rapidly chugged the whole drink. He slammed the mug down and made an incomprehensible sound, "Eeuw-o-boy."

Ralph suddenly lit up. "Wait a minute. What did you just say, Felix?"

He looked confused but repeated, "Uh, isn't that just a blessing?"

"No, that weird sound thing."

"Uh… Eeuw-o-boy?"

Ralph furrowed his brows in concentration and echoed, "Eeuw-o-boy?"

"Eee-o-boy?"

"Eeee-boy?"

Turbo snapped, "It's eBay! You're thinking of eBay!"

"Yeah, that's it!" Ralph smiled at them. "That kid out in the arcade said there was a steering wheel part in the Internet in something called eBay!"

Turbo's resentment started to ebb. "Ralph, are you thinking about going to the Internet and finding that part?"

"Getting that part's the only thing that's gonna fix the game and that's the only thing that's gonna make Vanellope happy again."

The racer finished his drink and stood up with renewed hope. "I'm coming too. Even though it wasn't my fault, I should go to make sure Vanellope keeps her promise to add me to the roster."

Felix added, "And if Sugar Rush is fixed, those lovable scamps living in my house and destroying my sanity will have homes of their own again!"

Then Turbo spotted a problem. "Hang on, Ralph can't leave during work days. Remember what happened the last time he did that?"

Felix gripped his shoulders, perhaps a little too forcefully. "Turbo, this is an important mission. A noble mission! I will cover for him," he decided.

Turbo waited for an explanation, but Felix just grinned without giving them one. He shrugged. "Ok, whatever."

Ralph announced jovially to everyone in the bar, "Drinks on the house, everybody! Felix is paying!"

The customers cheered, and Turbo couldn't help but smile in amusement at Felix's regretful expression as he followed Ralph out the door.

"You're really going to the Internet?" Taffyta asked, her blue eyes round in awe.

"That's right," Turbo answered. "I'm not gonna give up on our game without a fight!"

She clasped her hands. "Can I go too? The others will be so jealous."

Turbo chuckled and patted her shoulder. "Now what kind of responsible friend would I be if I let any one of you come?"

Crossing her arms, she turned her face away dejectedly. "You said Vanellope is going."

"Yeah, but that's 'cause she needs to learn her lesson, and I don't care if she gets hurt along the way." In response to her pout he added, "Surge might be right about the Internet being a dangerous place. I couldn't live with myself if something were to happen to you."

"But what if something happens to you?" she said all of a sudden, whipping her anxious face back to him. "What if you never come back?"

The thought had crossed his mind, but Turbo refused to dwell on it. He smiled reassuringly. "I came back when everyone thought I was dead, didn't I? I'll always come back."

That seemed to put her at ease, and Taffyta allowed a little smile.

"Besides, I need someone to look after my Turbomobile while I'm gone…"

She gasped in delight and squealed, "Yes! Thank you, Turbo! I'll take good care of her!"

"I know you will."

A disheveled Felix stumbled into the room with Candlehead on his back and paint splotches on his face. "Turbo! Do they ever slow down?" he asked desperately.

"They're just breaking you in," he replied with a subtle wink to Taffyta.

Minty ran in with a loaded paintbrush and said, "Felix, come back! I haven't finished your makeup!"

The handyman cried out and escaped to another room.

"Faster!" Candlehead laughed, gleefully kicking his sides.

Turbo rose from the couch and cracked his back. "Well, it looks like you've got everything under control here, so I'm gonna get going. You can count on me to save Sugar Rush!" After giving Taffyta a parting hug, he walked away with a wave. "Stay sweet, Taff!"

"Good luck, Turbo!" Then she went to join the others in their mischief.

Turbo met up with Ralph outside the apartment building and together they went to inform Vanellope, who now settled in Ralph's brick dump, and Turbo couldn't say he exactly pitied her. He scoffed at seeing her attempt to build a kart out of bricks, which collapsed into the pile. "At least I had the sense to bring my kart with me," he said wryly.

Ralph smacked his forehead in realization. "Your kart! Oh, Vanellope, I'm so sorry, I didn't notice you left your kart in your game!"

"Ralph, it's ok!" But her smile was weak. "It's… It's fine. I'll just… make another one."

"Or… you don't have to!" Ralph gestured energetically as he announced, "Start churning butter and put on your church shoes, little sister, 'cause we're about to blast off!"

Turbo wondered if that was supposed to be some kind of code they came up with, until Vanellope asked in confusion, "What are you even talking about?"

The pale racer stated bluntly, "We're going to the Internet."

Vanellope's eyes shone and she jumped up. "What? No way!"

"Yeah, I guess I could've just said that," added Ralph.

The little girl started to bound for the train. "What are we waiting for? Let's go, guys!"

Just as expected, the Surge Protector stood guard in front of the blocked off entrance to the Internet. His attention was focused on his clipboard, but that wouldn't be enough to get past him unnoticed.

Ralph and Vanellope ran up to him and Ralph started, "Surge! Are we glad to see you! We want to report some malfeasance over by the Whack-a-Mole."

Vanellope added, "Yeah, we saw some undesirables causing a real donnybrook over there!"

Surge adjusted his glasses in determination. "Oh heck no, not on my watch!" He ran off, leaving them to chuckle.

Turbo stopped clinging to Ralph's back and said, "What did I tell ya? I'm an expert at getting past this guy."

"Yeah, yeah, congrats on your plan that anyone could come up with," Vanellope dismissed as she ducked under the caution tape.

As they traversed the tunnel, Turbo wondered what the Internet would be like. Judging by Sonic's description, he imagined it to be massive, larger than any video game map he'd known. Perhaps it looked like a giant Game Central Station, filled with characters from all over the world. Turbo grinned, anticipating the awe he was sure to feel.

Which is why it was incredibly disappointing when they just ended up in a dark, empty room.

Vanellope glanced around. "I gotta admit, I'm underwhelmed."

Aside from them, the only other things in the room were a bunch of odd equipment that looked like they would fit in with Hero's Duty. Turbo kicked at some of it and grumbled, "What a rip-off."

Ralph called out, "Hello? Anybody here?" The only response was his own voice bouncing off the walls. "You hear that? Sweet echo!" He yelled louder, intensifying the echoes. Vanellope gleefully joined in.

Turbo was the only one not amused. "Will you two stop it?! We're in the wrong place!"

Vanellope frowned. "What do you mean?"

"This isn't the Internet. Sonic made a mistake." Turbo sighed glumly. "We're not getting that part."

Silence hung over them as realization set in. Then a sudden noise and burst of light made them jump out of their skins as one of the machines came to life. A glowing portal now appeared above a platform.

As they stared, a short character with a square-ish head materialized in front of them and started walking towards the portal.

Ralph jumped back in fear. "That's a gremlin! Stay away, it's a gremlin!"

"How much did you drink?" asked Turbo warily. "That looks nothing like a gremlin at all."

Vanellope squinted and observed, "It looks like a tiny Mr. Litwak."

Indeed, he had the same shirt and glasses as the arcade owner. The diminutive man walked stiltedly up the platform, where a capsule formed around him and he disappeared into the portal.

Vanellope started to follow him. "Come on, I think we have to go this way!"

"Hey, wait for me! Kid, come back!" Ralph tried to catch up, but the girl vanished into the portal before he could reach her. "Wait! Vanellope!" Proximity to the strange passageway caused him to be encapsulated and sucked in as well.

Turbo stared, his shallow breathing the only sound in the room besides the hum from the portal. Should I go? What if it leads somewhere else? What if I really do never get back? But turning around would do him no good either. After all, he promised the racers he'd bring the part. There was no way he could let them down without even trying. And if this did lead to the Internet, there was NO WAY he'd let Ralph and Vanellope get all the credit.

So after taking a deep breath, Turbo ran up the platform, got in a capsule, and shot through the portal.

How IS Felix exactly covering for Ralph? The movie does a great job of glossing over important plot points.