Chapter 13
The other racers surround me the instant I step out of Taffyta's room.
"How is she? She's okay, right? Right?!" Candlehead shrieks.
When I don't answer, Minty asks, "What happened, Jubi?" and hurries to my side. Then she sees the tears in my eyes, and the truth sets in.
"Is she…"
I nod.
Candlehead sinks to the floor and weeps hysterically. The other racers look on, mourning our lost friend, the only trustworthy leader we've ever known.
I take the opportunity to slip away, only for Citrusella to run up behind me. "Jubi, wait! What did Taffyta tell you before she died?"
I want only to forget everything Taffyta told me before she died, but at the sight of Citrus, I remember everything she said about the Glitch, and my sorrow gives way to rage.
"You were right, Citrus," I tell her. "About Vanellope. She and King Candy caused this whole invasion in the first place. I couldn't have trusted her. Now she might be using me, the same way she used Ralph…" Calming, I turn my back to her. "Citrus… I can't take this pain anymore. I'm going to find Calhoun… I'm done with this Hero's Duty business."
"Jubi, no, you can't!" cries Citrus. "They need you out there! Without you, they'll get lost in Sugar Rush! We have to complete the mission before it's too late! You have to keep fighting, Jubi! Just this once!"
That's when I remember the rest of what Taffyta told me. Like it or not, she's right- there's no way I can give up now. The arcade, and that last glimmer of hope for its salvation, all depend on me. I have to keep fighting… if only for just one more day.
"Okay, Citrus. Just this once," I reassure her. "But promise me you'll keep yourself safe. I've just lost Taffyta, Citrus; I can't lose you now. You're all that I've got."
"Yes, ma'am!" says Citrus, giving me a mock salute before returning to comfort the bawling Candlehead.
…
When I return to the upper levels of the bunkers, the first thing that catches my eye is Felix's body, surrounded by a crowd of mourners. Since most of them are his old friends from the classic, low-resolution games of the 80's, the high-definition figure of Calhoun stands out among them.
"Sergeant Calhoun, ma'am," I say with a salute.
"Oh, it's you again," she says, sounding surprised. "Impressive work, civilian. We lost a lot of rookies in that Bug attack, but it's good to see our navigator made it." She gives me a pat on the head. "My condolences about your little friend."
"Thank you," I tell her. "…And sorry about Felix."
"Don't be," she says firmly. "Fix-It was just doing his job. He died like a good soldier, defending the principles for which he took up arms… The same for which you, Bing-Bing, live on to defend now and forever."
"Sergeant…" I say hesitantly, "It's been an honor to serve with you and all, but… I can't go on doing this forever. I've lost so much these last few days, and all this change…" I tug on my uniform as if to illustrate. "It just doesn't feel right. The more I serve in your troops, the more disconnected I feel from my home... I'll help you stop the invasion, but after that I need to go back to my own game. Okay?"
Calhoun thinks for a moment before addressing me. "Alright, soldier. As soon as this mission's over, you'll be relieved of duty. But don't for a second think about deserting my squad, or you'll pay dearly. Remember, we need you out there for the mission tomorrow- you'll be helping us navigate Sugar Rush. Have I made myself clear?"
"Crystal, ma'am," I say, turning to head back to my room.
"And don't forget, we'll be reporting in the main hub in Game Central tomorrow morning at eight hundred hours!" Calhoun snaps as I leave. "Be ready, rookie!"
I say nothing, but in my head, I think, tomorrow morning can't come soon enough.
…
I sleep for what feels like an eternity before Glass Joe returns to our room to collect us for the mission. Citrus and I strap into our uniforms and hurry after him to the main area within Game Central. The other soldiers are already there, positioned in front of the sealed portal to Sugar Rush.
"Move it or lose it, people! C'mon, get into formation!" orders Calhoun as the soldiers shuffle into position, and the other rookies, Citrus and I act accordingly.
"Alright, listen up!" barks Calhoun. "We're about to enter the most highly infested game in this arcade. When I give the signal, I want blasters at the ready, in case one of those Cy-Bugs decides to try and surprise us!"
"Present… ARMS!" commands Kohut. The rest of the soldiers whip out their blasters, aiming them squarely at the closed portal.
Calhoun nods to a nearby Surge Protector, who salutes and inserts the key to Sugar Rush into the slot on the wall, and the portal opens.
A long silence passes as the soldiers simply stand with their guns pointed at the open door, but no Bugs emerge.
"Well, are we just gonna stand around?" I say impatiently. "No Bugs here!"
"Right… Area secure. At ease, troops," Kohut instructs the soldiers, who put their blasters away and start for the open door to Sugar Rush.
Suddenly, the portal begins to flicker and a Bug comes barreling into the station. "Cy-Bug at twelve o'clock!" yells Calhoun. "Take him, troops!"
At the sound of our blasters, the Bug crouches into a ball and rolls away from our attacks. I follow it closely, but it's moving too fast- so fast, in fact, that it's behind me before I know it. Calhoun cries out, "Watch it, rookie!" as I find myself hoisted into the air.
"JUBI!" Citrus cries out from below.
Just then, a loud, raspy voice chortles in Turkish, "Ha, ha, ha! Bak, Turbo benim tatlı! (Ha, ha, ha! Oh look, Turbo brought me dessert!)"
Turkish?! Who in this arcade speaks Turkish? I think to myself. That's when I notice the face of the "Cy-Bug" that's holding me- it was the face of a man! An ugly, bald man at that, but nonetheless very plainly human. For a second, I think it's King Candy, but not even that traitor's face looks this swollen and grotesque. "Who are you?!" I cry out, bewildered.
The soldiers all look equally confused- all but one. A look of realization sweeps across Glass Joe's face as he cries out, "Il était un ancien rival de mine… le téméraire Bald Bull! (He was an old rival of mine… the reckless Bald Bull!)"
The bald Bug dangles me by the leg, inches away from his big, open mouth. "Bakın size oldukça ekmekli, kırmızı olanı, (You look quite appetizing, red one,)" he cackles in his heavy Turkish accent. "Siz çocukların bir başka biri bu Sugar Rush? (Are you another one of those brats from Sugar Rush?)"
But before the creature can make a meal out of me, Glass Joe fires his blaster at its arm. The Cybrid monstrosity howls in pain and drops me to the ground.
"Vous pourrez manger sur mon corps mort! (You'll eat her over my dead body!)"
Bald Bull merely chuckles at the sight of his former rival. "Için bana sahip olduğunuzu şaka yapıyorsun… (You have got to be kidding me…)" he says with a laugh. "Gerçekten Fransa dan kum torbası Küçük Devre? (Is it really that French punching bag from the Minor Circuit?)"
"Je suis peut-être un sac de frappe… (I may be a punching bag…)" Glass Joe says angrily, weapon in hand, "…Mais je suis un avec un fusil! (…But I'm one with a gun!)"
Bald Bull laughs again. "Ne kadar eğlenceli. Bu sadece birkaç saniye içinde. (Oh, how amusing. This should take just a few seconds.)" With that, he drops to the ground and stands up to reveal three pairs of menacing, claw-like appendages.
"Pense que vous pouvez me prendre? Venir sur, alors! Allons-y! (Think you can take me? Come on, then! Let's go!)" Glass Joe taunts him.
"Şimdi gücünü biliyor Bald Bull! (Now you will know the power of Bald Bull!)" the Turkish Cybrid roars as he takes a swipe at Joe's head.
Kohut and the other soldiers run in to his aid, but Joe pushes them away. "Non! Ne vous déplacez pas! Il est à moi de finir! (No! Don't move! He's mine to finish!)" he orders them. The soldiers exchange looks and fall back, looking on as the two old enemies from the W.V.B.A. begin to encircle each other.
"Si vous travaillez pour Turbo maintenant, honh? (So you're working for Turbo now, eh?)" Glass Joe says sardonically, staring down his former rival. "Les récompenses sont fantastique, j'en suis sûr. (The pay's fantastic, I'm sure.)"
"Ağızdan olduğunu size sadece sizi kırmakta veya daha da kötüsü, sizi yanıltmasın! (That mouth of yours will only get you hurt or worse, fool!)" Bald Bull roars, enraged. "Ödülüm dönüştürün giriyor rahatsız edici gövde parçaları! (My reward is getting to rip your meddlesome body to pieces!)" With that, he throws Glass Joe a powerful body blow.
Joe is sent crashing into the wall, and Bald Bull readies for another attack. But the French boxer not only dodges the punch, but counterattacks with a shot to his chest.
Bald Bull clutches his midsection in pain. "Bu eziyet, kahretsin! (That hurt, damn you!)" he roars as he takes another swipe at Glass Joe, hitting him hard. He flies into the wall on the other side of Game Central again, and gets himself back up with some effort.
The bald Bug, panting from the effort, stares down his enemy, and steam begins floating out his nostrils. "Hâlâ canlı, oğlan mı? Bakalım bu! (Still alive, boy? Let's see you take this!)" he growls as he backs up against the wall, his face as red as my hair.
"Joe, LOOK OUT!" I call out to him.
In one swift motion, Bald Bull rolls towards him with the force of a charging rhino, his arm outstretched to deliver a devastating uppercut. The second before his talon pierces Glass Joe's body, Joe fires his blaster three times, clean through the Turkish Cybrid's chest.
"Ah… be… (Darn… it…)" he moans in agony before dropping down dead.
"Enfin… J'ai gagné… (Finally… I won…)" Glass Joe says weakly, seemingly unaware of the bloody hole Bald Bull had left in his stomach. He raises his arm in ecstasy, exclaims triumphantly, "Vive la France! (Long live France!)", and collapses to the ground, his face frozen in the glory of his first and final victory.