Chapter Twenty
The Invasion
Sergeant Calhoun was one of the few characters who were still awake when the energy blasts hit Game Central Station. She knew something was wrong when the lights flickered several times, before steadying once again. But it wasn't until the ninjas burst out of the wire that led to the wall-mounted power socket that she knew exactly what. In an instant, she had whipped out a blaster and was firing bolts at the ninjas. She managed to fell several, but they were quickly replaced by more. And then came the kids with snowballs, and the birds, and the soldiers, and many more, and Calhoun had to make a hasty withdrawal towards the entrance to Hero's Duty. Pinned down at the wire entrance, she activated the distress signal in her armor. And then she was pushed back still further, deep into the wire.
"Kohut," she cried. "Where are you?"
The reply came in the form of several laser blasts that streaked past her, striking the foremost ninjas full in the chest.
"What in the coding?" Kohut exclaimed, running forward.
"Some sort of invasion from…somewhere," Calhoun grunted as she kept firing. "No time to-"
Her gun gave an empty clicking sound, and she realized she'd run out of ammunition.
"Blast!" she exclaimed. "Kohut, get back to the troops, tell them-"
Several ninjas leapt forward, tackling both her and Kohut. The corporal's gun went spinning out of his grasp as he stumbled against the wall, the ninjas clinging to him with vise-like grips and pummeling him with heavy blows. Calhoun managed to shake off her assailants and moved to help Kohut, who was struggling near the open entrance to the game. Before she could reach him, she was overwhelmed by more ninjas, who battered her with nunchuks until she collapsed onto the floor, the breath knocked out of her. Quickly and deftly, the ninjas bound her hands behind her and dragged her to her feet. She saw Kohut, his hands also bound, being prodded towards the wall as many more ninjas hurried forward through the entrance.
"You are Sergeant Calhoun, yes?" said one of the ninjas. "You are our prisoner now."
"Drop dead," Calhoun replied. The ninja gave her another whack with his nunchuks.
"Show respect to an agent of SANG, arcade scum," he snarled.
"I can sing too," said Calhoun. "My country tis of thee-"
She was silenced by yet another blow.
"Maybe you'd better cut the bravado, huh sarge?" Kohut said out of the corner of his mouth. "I think these boys mean business."
"We do," said a large snowman, sliding towards them over the floor of the wire.
"Hey frosty," said Calhoun. "Go melt your head."
The snowman gestured sharply towards the game entrance, and the ninjas dragged the two marines into the game.
Fix-It Felix Jr. would have been taken almost instantaneously but for Wreck-It Ralph. The wrecker had been jolted awake by the sound of the voltage spikes and had left his house to investigate, only to see Bruce's troops entering his game. By the time the blue-armored soldiers had managed to trap him within an energy field, a good two dozen of them lay groaning on the ground, nursing cracked sternums and broken limbs. By Bruce's estimate, the battle had taken a solid thirty minutes at least. Now, with Ralph immobilized, his troops were herding the rest of the game's characters out onto the lawn. Most of the Nicelanders were still in their nightclothes, and the stupefied looks on their faces owed as much to their surprise as to the fact that they were still somewhat tired. Felix was only half-dressed; from the waist down, he wore his usual clothing, but otherwise, a sleeveless undershirt was all he had on. One of the soldiers clutched his tool belt, with its magic hammer, in his hands. The soldier handed this to Bruce, who inspected it curiously.
"Why yes, the president'll certainly want to keep this by her side," he said. "No point in letting these degenerates keep it so they can cause trouble."
"Who are you calling degenerate?" Gene cried. "Just who do you think you are?"
"A member of the Ruling Council of SANG," said Bruce. "We're here to set all at rights."
"Everything's fine here," said Felix, confused.
"No it's not," said Bruce, "because 'here' exists."
"You have some problem with that?" Ralph snarled from behind the energy field.
"Of course," said Bruce. "But we'll let the president explain that, when she's ready. Meantime, I suggest you shut up."
Ralph was about to speak again, but Felix raised a hand to stop him. "Please, not right now," he said. "I don't want anyone hurt."
Reluctantly, Ralph nodded.
Dr. Despair was a light sleeper. By the time the first shouts rang out from the town center close to the entrance, he was already awake. Minutes later, he was fully dressed and equipped. With an outward composure that masked his alarm, he entered the throne room. Accessing the keypad on the throne rest, he sent a query to Lady Claudia. When he received no answer, he closed off the keypad and strode towards the stairs that would take him down to the entrance hall. A girl in a purple and scarlet suit awaited him there, a black kepi over her straw-colored hair. The girl stared confidently at him, her arms folded across her chest.
"Hello, my dear," said Dr. Despair. "And who might you be?"
"The President of SANG," said the girl. "My name is Portia. And you, I take it, are the villain of this game?"
"Indeed," said Dr. Despair. "And I'm most curious as to why you've chosen to enter my tower without an invitation."
"Surrender," said Portia. "Your fellow characters have all been captured, your game is ours."
"I can't imagine what you'd want with it," said Dr. Despair.
"The Society for the Advancement of New Games promotes technological progress," said Portia. "Your arcade is a blot on our record."
"And where are you fellows from?"
"The wonderful world of the internet, if you must know."
"Ah yes, the internet," said Dr. Despair. "I've heard of it from Surge. A most curious concept."
"It's the future of gaming," said Portia, gesturing with her hand. Dr. Despair's cane flew out of his grip and into hers. "And I'm not going to let you, or anyone else, stain it with your wretched arcade's existence."
Dr. Despair grabbed at Portia with his mechanical arm, wrapping its fingers around her arm. As he prepared to fire an energy pulse into her body, Portia raised her other arm. Dr. Despair felt his windpipe constrict. He let go of Portia's arm as he was raised into the air by an invisible force.
"Are you…Darth Vader?" he gasped.
"No!" Portia shouted. "I'm sick to death of being asked that!" She hurled the doctor against the wall. Dr. Despair, badly shaken, climbed to his feet.
"Surrender, now!"
"Since you ask so nicely," said Dr. Despair, "I'll come along with you for now."
"To the town center then," said Portia. "And no tricks or I will kill you."
Not yet, you won't Dr. Despair told himself as he allowed Portia to prod him out of the tower with his own cane. All it takes is a little waiting, a little assessment, and then I'll know more about whom you are and why you're here. And when you finally let your guard down…I can stop whatever you have planned.
As he neared the town, he saw several giant spiders guarding his fellow characters.
Then again, I expect I'll have some difficulty along the way.