Chapter 7

From the moment I'm thrown into my detention cell amongst the war-torn corridors of Hero's Duty, I lose the ability to make sense of anything- not the past, not the present, and certainly not the future. Now that my body is constrained, my mind is free to wander; free to torture me with the sickening possibilities of what could have happened the day the arcade fell into ruin.

I thought I had had my heart in the right place from the beginning; I thought I didn't need to rely on others to discern the truth for myself. And the idea that Ralph started the invasion was far from believable. But here's the amazing thing: the longer I'm isolated from anyone to tell me otherwise, the more I actually begin to consider the craziest idea I've ever had.

What if Vanellope was right?

I wish I hadn't called her a glitch. I know our confrontation should never have gone so horribly wrong. Even in these dark times, it would be easiest to make friends, even if your new friend could have destroyed your home.

It doesn't matter, I think to myself, just as I had done during my last brush with the Bugs. Pull your head out of the past and look to your imminent death. If the Cy-Bugs don't find you, you may as well rot here in this cell.

I'm exactly right. The past doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore. I used to have everything I could ever have wanted- friends, a home, a chance to show off my racing skills. And now I've been robbed of everything right up to being able to move two feet without bumping into a wall. I'm never going home again. I'm never going to get to see my friends, not my fellow racers, not even…

"Jubi!"

I bolt up as the door to the detention facility slides open and Citrusella enters the room, escorted by Kohut.

"Citrus!" I yell back excitedly, pressing my face against the glass wall of my cell.

"Oh, Jubi…"

Kohut enters a series of numbers against the wall near my cell, and suddenly the glass wall dissipates, allowing Citrus to rush to my arms. "You have five minutes," he warns her as he returns to his post.

Citrus's purple eyes stare me down lovingly. "I'm so glad you're alive," she says.

"Me too," I answer. In hindsight I've been extraordinarily lucky to have survived three Cy-Bug attacks in the span of two days. At least, I think it's been two days. "Citrus, how long have I been down here?"

"A day," she says. "Time Crisis was just shut down from a Bug Attack, but other than that, everyone's okay."

We're only gonna be okay for as long as Litwak doesn't find his arcade in shambles. I don't say it out loud, but we both realize it's true.

"Jubi…" Citrus says urgently. "You could have been killed! Why did you go back?!"

I take a deep breath. "Well, Citrus… you remember how I told you how I thought Vanellope saved my life three days ago?" She nods. "Well, it turns out… I was right. Because… Because she did it again." Citrus gasps. "And that's why I went back- I wanted her to tell me why, after everything she did to me… and everything I did to her…" I don't tell her about how our confrontation ended, but just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes- tears I'm sure haven't gone unnoticed by Citrusella. She keeps the same worried look in her eyes as I bury my face in her jacket.

"Don't leave me again, Jubi," she says tearfully, as if she might cry. "Y-you said you wouldn't leave me behind again… You said you'd be there for me. Please… please be there for me when I need you…"

"I'm here," I tell her. "I got you. I'll always be here for you. I promise."

"Oh, Jubi," she says again as we embrace each other for the longest time.

After a long while, Kohut breaks the silence. "Alright, let's go," he tells me, grabbing me firmly by the wrist again.

"Hey! Wh-what are you doing with me?!"

"Sergeant Calhoun would like to speak to you. We're taking you to her quarters now for interrogation," Kohut says gruffly, before gesturing towards the now-empty cell. "Unless you'd rather stay here, of course. Flugpucker!" he says to Citrus. "Please return to the bunkers at this time."

"No," says Citrus, crossing her arms. "I'm going with my sister."

Kohut just shrugs. "I'm afraid I can't authorize that. Until further notice you will be returned to the bunkers-"

"No, please!" she yells. "Let me go!"

"Civilians are forbidden from accompanying a prisoner to an interrogation, you do not have the authority to-"

"Then let her go," says another voice, "on my authority."

Kohut glances over as Felix enters the room. "Miss Bing-Bing, my apologies for the trouble. You and your sister can follow me. At ease, brother," he says, addressing Kohut, who responds with a salute.

The winding halls within Hero's Duty aren't too dissimilar from those within the bunkers, but with the look of corroded metal and the smells of machine oil, these are clearly less hospitable. It must be a nightmare to have to live in a place like this, but I guess that those who do are programmed not to mind it.

On our way down we pass several other soldiers, who all stop to salute Felix as we walk by. From the looks of things, Felix must have some sort of high status amongst the game's soldiers. I wonder what he had to do to achieve it- fall in love with his superior officer, perhaps? The thought of that was just as ridiculous as that of Ralph starting the entire invasion.

Felix stops before a metal door on which the words "Sgt. T. J. Calhoun" are printed. The sight was too intimidating for Citrus. "Jubi, I'm scared," she whispered.

"Oh, don't worry, dear," says Felix, the thought of his boss seeming to make him blush. "I'm sure you and Tammy will get along just fine. She's such a dynamite gal!"

Without warning, the doors slide open, and a caustic female voice rings out from within. "And don't came back until I see progress, chucklenuts! Just because Markowski is gone doesn't mean I don't expect the same amount of work out of you maggots! Now get back into formation!"

"Yes, ma'am!" says a soldier who emerges from Calhoun's quarters, seeming to be in a hurry to get out of her sight.

"Wait here," Felix says before walking into the room. "Tammy? Miss Bing-Bing and her sister are here to see you."

"Bing-Bing, eh?" the female voice says with a chuckle. "Bring them in."

…

Before either of us know it, Citrusella and I are sitting at a large interrogation table, face-to-face with the Sergeant herself.

"I'm not the first one to say it to your precious little face," Calhoun says snidely, "and I sure won't be the last, but you, young lady, are lucky you're still in one piece. I've never seen anyone do something so stupid in my life. Well, I can't say that… there was always that brainless, big-fisted sack of barley…"

Brainless? Big-fisted? "Wait…" I say. "Are you talking about…"

"Wreck-It Ralph?" she answers. "That's right. Now that fella had thick arms and an even thicker skull."

This was unbelievable- Calhoun met Ralph too?! "You met him? How?!" I blurt out.

Calhoun stares me down coldly. "That's not important right now. What's important is you, because stupid as your actions were, from the sound of the report Kohut's given me, it looks like you may be able to help us finally put a stop to this blasted invasion."

My mind has been blown for the second time today. First, this woman had actually known the former Bad Guy from Fix-It Felix, Jr. And now she's telling me that I can help bring the Cy-Bug invasion to an end?! "Me? H-how?"

"Cy-Bugs are highly obedient little pests," explains Calhoun. "But this reliance on their superiors is also their big weakness."

Now I'm confused. "Meaning…"

"Meaning," jeered Calhoun, now in my face, "They don't fight without the leader. What that means for us is we have to find their leader, and once he's gone the rest will follow. And being from Sugar Rush, I imagine you know all too well who their leader is?"

I do remember… the game-jumper who took over our game and played us all for fools, the madman who used Vanellope to bring about the Cy-Bug invasion, the murderer who killed Ralph as he tried to prevent it… that traitor, King Candy… no, that wasn't even his name anymore. My lips form his name, my teeth clenched at the sound. "Turbo."

Calhoun smiles. "Sounds like you've got a bone to pick, civilian," she says. "Good thing, too, 'cause if this plan's gonna work, we need you with us to get us to him. You know him better than any of us, so it's up to you to sniff him out." She extends a hand. "This is your big chance to help save the arcade… so whaddaya say, kiddo?"

This is it… my chance to be a hero, to put an end to Turbo, to finally finish what Ralph had started. "Count me in!" I exclaim, grasping her hand.

Citrus jumps up suddenly, with a vivid look in her eyes. "I'm coming too!"

"Citrus, no!" I tell her. "You could die out there… are you crazy?"

"For you, Jubi," she says, in a reassuring yet strong voice, "I just might be."

"Then it's settled," says Calhoun. "You two will help us find that game-jumping little sneak, but you're neither of you prepared to engage in combat. You and the other rookies in the arcade will be training with Lieutenant Joe for the next three days."

"Lieutenant Joe?" Citrus and I ask each other, when suddenly a tall, armor-clad figure enters the interrogation room and a jaunty French voice sounds out, "Aha! Ce doit être Madame Bing-Bing et sa soeur! (Aha! This must be Miss Bing-Bing and her sister)!"

I know that voice, I think as I turn around. At the first sight of the man standing behind me, my jaw drops to the floor.