Chapter Fourteen

The Iron Wolves

Ralph's eyes snapped open at the moment he felt a weight descending upon his shoulder. "Hey, wake up lazybones!" he heard Vanellope cry. Grunting, Ralph shifted, allowing Vanellope to slide off of him.

"Come on, up you get," she said. "Come on Stinkbrain, upsidaisy."

Ralph sat up abruptly and turned to face his friend. "That fast enough for you?" he asked her.

"Two minutes," he heard Gene say. "A new record." Standing up, Ralph turned to see the mayor sliding his watch back into his pocket.

"You timed it?"

Gene shrugged. "Don't look at me. It was Vanellope's idea."

Ralph looked from Gene to Vanellope, and back again. He burst out laughing. "That's- that's actually pretty funny," he admitted, wiping tears of merriment from his eyes.

For a split second, he saw a smile flit across Gene's face. Then the mayor became as poker-faced as he had been before.

"I saw that," said Ralph. "Don't think I didn't."

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Gene.

Beside him, Ralph heard Vanellope trying, and failing, to hold back her own chuckles.

"Hate to be a killjoy," said Gale, walking towards them, "but you guys have got to keep quieter. We don't want the iron wolves coming down on us all of a sudden."

"Right," said Ralph, his laughter subsiding at once. "I forgot. Just got a little carried away."

"Sergeant Calhoun is out in the passage checking for life forms," Gale continued. "If you all will follow me out there, she should be done soon."

"You sleep okay?" Ralph asked Vanellope as they both headed for the door.

"Not at first," she replied. "But then…well, I went back to sleep and no more nightmares."

"That's something, then," said Ralph. "Hopefully, they'll go away entirely."

He spared the picture of Portia and Darien one last glance. The eyes of the two siblings seemed to be watching him, marking his every move. He shook his head.

Don't be an idiot he told himself. It's just an image. It's not alive. And Portia's dead. She's not coming back.

Ralph watched as Sergeant Calhoun tucked the scanner back into her belt. "Nothing?" he asked her. "You sure?"

"I already said I'm not picking up anything," she replied. Then the scanner beeped. "Hold a sec- that might be something."

There was loud clanking in front of them. An iron wolf emerged from around a bend in the passage ahead. Its teeth were bared in a snarl, its yellow eyes narrowed. The wolf stopped a few paces away.

"It stopped," said Ralph. "Why did it stop?"

Suddenly, Ralph heard loud growling behind him. Sharp iron claws sank into his shoulders, forcing him to the ground.

"It's a trap!" Gene cried.

Gale laughed at this remark, even as he seized the tail of the wolf that was attacking Ralph. He gave it a sharp tug. The iron wolf gave a howl of pain and spun about, sending Gale crashing into the wall of the passage. Ralph climbed upright and grasped the wolf in both hands. He dug his fingers deeply into the creature's body and pulled his arms apart, ripping it in half.

"Ralph!" Calhoun called. "A little help here?"

Ralph turned to see the sergeant emptying shot after shot into the other wolf. The blasts were keeping it at bay, but they didn't seem to be doing much damage.

"No problem," said Ralph. He hurried towards the last wolf, seized it in his grip, and smashed it down onto the floor.

"I've no weapon," Gene remarked. "I feel so useless."

Gale, who had risen to his feet once again, offered him a brief grin.

"Look on the bright side," he said. "You got to use a meme."

"A what?"

There was more clanking and a flash of gleaming metal as another iron wolf hurried forward from behind them and leaped into the air. Sailing over Calhoun's head, it landed next to Vanellope, pinning her to the wall with its forepaws. Two more followed after it, both leaping directly at Ralph.

"They're learning too well!" Calhoun cried. "Where do I shoot without killing you?"

Beside her, Ralph had managed to shake off one of the wolves. It lay stunned on the ground, while the other still clung to his back.

"Gene- grab its tail!" he managed to gasp out. Gene did so at once, and gave a sharp tug. The wolf's grip relaxed, allowing Ralph to send it smashing into the other, which was in the process of standing up. Both creatures were smashed by the impact.

"Vanellope!" Gene exclaimed. "Where is she?"

At the sound of frantic, metallic movements, Gene, Ralph and Calhoun turned. Astride the back of the remaining iron wolf, Gale had both of his arms wrapped firmly about the creature's neck, desperately holding its snapping jaws away from a stunned Vanellope. Gale squeezed his arms hard against the wolf's neck; the metal bent, and then cracked. The wolf screamed and hurled Gale from its back onto the ground. It whirled about, preparing to seize Gale's head in its jaws. Before it could strike, a blow from Ralph's fist sent it smashing into the wall, to rise no more.

Gale climbed to his feet. Vanellope had already done the same and was tottering towards Ralph, her balance shaky.

"You hurt?" Ralph asked her.

"Just...just rattled," she replied. "Nothing broken…" She dropped to her knees. "Carry me?" she said. "Please? I can't walk yet."

Ralph picked her gently up in his arms. He turned to face Gale. "And you?"

"Bruised, but alive," said Gale. "You'd better look to your shoulders though- they're bleeding."

"Just scratches," said Ralph. "I'll be fine."

"Better cleanse them at least," said Calhoun.

"Really sergeant-"

"Sit down!" Calhoun ordered.

Ralph set Vanellope onto the ground and then sat down himself. Calhoun briefly checked her scanners. Upon confirming that there were no other life-forms in the immediate vicinity, she selected the requisite supplies from her tool belt and set about cleaning Ralph's wounds.

"You've got an impressive array of stuff on that belt," said Gale.

"And you've got a fair bit of strength," Calhoun replied. "You cracked that thing's neck."

"And almost broke my own arms in the process," said Gale. "They hurt like crazy. Got any painkiller in that belt of yours?"

Calhoun tossed him a packet. "Swallow that," she said.

"Futuristic stuff," said Gale. "Cool." He opened the packet and swallowed the pill inside. "Goes down easily," he added.

Vanellope stood up. Slowly, carefully, she walked towards Gale. "Thanks," she said. "You saved my life."

"I did what any decent person would have done," Gale replied, averting his eyes from her face. "Nothing unusual in that."

"Don't be so modest," said Vanellope.

"On the contrary," said Gale, "I'm not nearly modest enough- at least sometimes I'm not." He turned towards the path once more.

"We'd better keep going," he said. "If there are any more iron wolves on the prowl, we can't afford to wait around for them."

Ralph picked Vanellope up in his arms once more and followed Gale, Gene, and Calhoun down the passage.