Chapter Twenty-One

Facing Mr. Morton

As Gene, Felix, Ralph, and Calhoun entered the main page of Pickles, they saw Mr. Morton emerging from the door in the room's rear wall.

"Oh," said Mr. Morton. "That's convenient. I was going to try to find you guys, but you're already back here."

"Have you seen Vanellope?" Felix asked. "We think she ran back this way."

"I have seen her," said Mr. Morton. "As a matter of fact, if you all will wait here for a few moments, I'll bring her out to you."

While Mr. Morton re-entered the room from which he had emerged, Felix looked at each of his companions in turn. "Bring her out?" he asked. Nobody else spoke.

After about a minute, the door swung open again. Vanellope emerged, followed by Mr. Morton. "Now, don't go scaring your friends like that again," he said to Vanellope. "Go on, back to your arcade. And stay safe."

Vanellope spat in his face.

"Vanellope!" Ralph cried.

"He's torturing Gale!"

Ralph started. "What?"

Mr. Morton sighed. "Oh, not you too," he said. "I've had just about enough of this already. You fellows are safe now. Go home, and we'll all part on good terms…" Mr. Morton's voice trailed off as he saw the five pairs of eyes fixed on him.

"Cruel and unusual punishment," said Calhoun. "Now what's all this about?"

"Getting information," Mr. Morton snapped. "You're military, you should know about doing whatever it takes."

"Let me see your captive," said Calhoun. She began to head for the door, but Mr. Morton blocked her path.

"Let me through, civilian," Calhoun snapped.

"No can do," Mr. Morton replied.

"What are you doing in there?"

"Ripping him apart!" Vanellope exclaimed. "You gotta stop him."

"You're…what?" Calhoun's expression was deadly serious.

"Okay, yes, I've raked his body with iron wolf claws," said Mr. Morton. "But what's it to you?"

"That's excess cruelty," said Calhoun. "You'll need to show more restraint."

"I think you forget your place," said Mr. Morton. "I'm in charge here. Now please leave, you and your friends, before I'm forced to take drastic measures."

Calhoun whipped out her rifle. "Back away," she snarled. "I'm going in there."

Mr. Morton sighed once more. "I didn't want to have to do this," he said, "but you leave me no choice."

Swiftly, he seized the barrel of Calhoun's gun and gave it a hard shove, knocking the point away from his face. While Calhoun steadied herself, Mr. Morton dodged a blow from Ralph's fists and threw a switch on the wall. The doors in the side walls opened, and a dozen iron wolves emerged from each. The wolves moved in quickly. One of them seized Vanellope by the end of her hoodie, dragging her backwards as she prepared to leap onto Mr. Morton's back. Six tackled Ralph, pinning him to the floor. Felix, Calhoun, and Gene were backed against the wall by the others.

"Hold," said Mr. Morton. "No more blows yet."

The wolves paused.

"I'm not your enemy," said Mr. Morton. "Please, I don't want to have to do this. I can still let you leave, even now."

"Shut up," Calhoun replied.

"I can forgive even that comment," said Mr. Morton. "I lost my temper, but I can hold back now. I need to give you an explanation."

"What explanation?" Ralph snarled. "We're not interested in excuses."

"I need to know where the last two high council members of SANG fled to," said Mr. Morton. "Gale knows, but he's not telling me."

"Gale doesn't know," said Vanellope. From her spot in the wolf's grasp, she glared at him.

"Don't you take that villain's part," Mr. Morton snapped. "You're lucky he didn't carve you into a million pieces."

Felix's eyes narrowed "If you're torturing him…"

"Oh developers preserve us!" Mr. Morton exclaimed. "Are all of you so unreasonable? Why don't you just go home?"

At that moment, Ralph summoned all of his strength to send the six wolves flying off of his back. They crashed into seven of the ones facing Felix, Gene, and Calhoun, knocking them to the ground. Calhoun whipped up her rifle again, aiming shots at the remaining eleven wolves to hold them at bay, while Ralph reduced the thirteen on the ground to scrap metal.

"Even stronger than I could have guessed," Mr. Morton muttered. "I should have sent all two dozen at him."

While her friends settled with the remaining iron wolves, Vanellope glanced about the room. Mr. Morton, she saw, was heading for the rear room where Gale was being kept. She raced for the door, glitching forward in order to arrive in time. She was still too late, however; she arrived in time for the door to slam closed in her face.

"Ralph!" Vanellope cried. "He's in there."

She turned to see Ralph striding away from the twisted piles of scrap that had been the iron wolves. Her friend arrived beside her in moments.

"No problem," he said. He raised a fist and with one blow, smashed the doorway to splinters.

Vanellope hurried into the room, the others following her. Mr. Morton was standing in front of the wall of energy, arms folded across his chest, facing them. Behind the force field, Gale was standing on shaky legs, leaning against the wall for support, his eyes fixed on the scene beyond his prison.

"You fellows don't take hints when they're given to you, do you?" said Mr. Morton. "You have no further business here: begone."

"Let Gale go," said Vanellope.

"I weary of those words," Mr. Morton replied. "I've already told you that the answer is no. I will have my information out of him, and then I will execute full justice upon him for his crimes." He smirked. "I will kill him."

"You'll what?"

"I said I'll kill him," said Mr. Morton. "Slowly. I'll rip every fibre of his code out of him, strand by strand, make him feel every ounce of pain and misery he caused to others fourfold. And it'll still be too merciful an end."

Gale started, which Vanellope instantly noticed. He didn't know.

Calhoun raised her rifle. "I ought to shoot you right now," she said to Mr. Morton. "You're not talking about justice. You're talking about brutal revenge."

"Broaden your ethical horizons, sergeant," said Mr. Morton. "When one has done deeds like Gale's, the only proper fate is-"

He stopped speaking as Vanellope descended upon his shoulders and wrapped her arms around his neck.