Following the shot, Vanellope was out of Tamora's arms in a flicker of blue code and materializing once again near Ralph to see if he was alright; perhaps against her better judgment.
The final hit had rendered him completely immobile - just like a tranquilized animal. He laid on the ground, unconscious, while his large form flickered from the stunning beam's static. He could have easily passed for dead with how still he was, were it not for the occasional twitches his blocky fingers and toes succumbed to.
Tamora let the small racer have a moment with her no-longer-dangerous friend as she walked off, heading to where Felix and the Nicelanders stood. Having witnessed the brutal scene that occurred so close to them, it was understandable why the small 8-bit folks shrunk away from her as she stood in front of her husband, looking down at him with the same fierceness she'd embraced when shooting Ralph.
"Wreck-It's not going anywhere," she explained, slipping her gun into its holster. "If we're going through with the mass reset, we need to do it now."
Confused whispers struck up amongst the bunch that hid behind Felix, since it was the first they'd heard of a reset of any kind, let alone a 'mass' one.
"What's she talking about, Felix?" Gene asked, voicing the question that they all collectivelyshared. It wasn't like the fixer to leave them out of the loop, so their curiosity was entirely justifiable.
Taking on a more solemn expression, Felix sighed and turned around to properly address them all while rubbing the back of his neck in discomfort.
"Well," he began delicately, "The fellas over at Hero's Duty have been working to find a cure for the virus, but – it's strange. It'll be different dependin' on who it affects." He attempted to explain, glancing up to Tamora for a moment to see if he was on the right track. When she nodded, he continued: "And it's gotten to the whole arcade, so… the only way we can see to get rid of this thing is to wipe everything clean."
A thick, uncomfortable silence followed Felix's explanation.
No one said anything, but the comprehension of the mass reset was clear in the Nicelander's expressions. Couples slowly turned and hugged one another comfortingly; Don soothed Lucy as she began to cry, and Gene did his best to console an equally distraught Mary. Each of them knew what would happen if the games were reset, and it wasn't so much the thought of losing their memories that bothered them as it was losing the personal growth they'd all achieved together.
Ralph's heroism would be forgotten, as would Felix's wedding. They wouldn't know any better once the deed actually happened, but until then they'd have their sadness and collective disappointment to dwell in.
Without saying anything, Tamora gently reached out and nudged Felix, implying that they needed to start moving. She briefly glanced in Ralph and Vanellope's direction and considered asking if she wanted to come along with them, but the sergeant had a feeling the girl wouldn't want to leave the wrecker's side - even though he was out cold and would be for some time.
Maybe it was better if Vanellope stayed behind anyway.
"Looks like it really did come down to just you and me, Fix-It," Tamora mused, heading towards the tunnel.
The weight of the arcade was literally resting on their shoulders to restore order and sanity to their friends, and while it was important that they maintain focus, that didn't stop Tamora from leaning over and grabbing onto Felix's hand. Even if she would forget, she wanted to remember him now.
The feeling of her hand reaching down to capture his broke Felix out of the saddened stupor he'd fallen into upon seeing the Nicelanders grieve, and he looked up at his wife with a sad smile, squeezing her hand back tightly in response. "Guess so."
The duo exited Niceland together and once again the darkness of the tunnel gave way to the eerily silent area that was Game Central Station. Not a week or so before, it would have been bustling with life at this time. Game characters of all kinds would have been going about their daily lives without a care in the world. Now, their worlds all hung in the balance.
Still holding tightly onto Tamora's hand, the little hero glanced around from game entrance to empty game entrance, and took a deep breath. "So, where to?" He hadn't the foggiest idea how they were actually supposed to perform a mass reset, since as far as he knew, it had never been done before.
Shortly after being plugged in, Tamora and her men had acquainted themselves with Game Central Station and its fundamental assets. It was in their code to know how everything worked and what sort of measures needed to be taken, should there arise an unstoppable force that threatened more than just their game. It was why the sergeant knew exactly where they needed to go in order to set things straight.
This is was the true reason Hero's Duty had been plugged in: To make sure the arcade kept running.
Keeping she and Felix's hands locked, she began heading for the far corner of the station (past the numerous portals). It was there that they arrived at a large staircase that fed into a lower level - a level that was marked as 'Off Limits' to any and all characters. Clearly, no one was allowed to enter.
A fragile, flickering source of blue light suddenly appeared in front of them. The Surge Protector had finally shown up after an extended absence, looking weak and weary. He could barely keep himself standing as he regarded the two, trying even then to uphold his authority.
"This area is restricted to all personnel," he managed to say in between labored, wheezing breaths.
Tamora's voice was calm and steady as she replied with practiced ease. "Override code: 5Y5T3M-R35T0R3."
The Surge Protector gasped softly and then pushed himself aside, offering them both entry to the staircase without further hesitation. "Access granted," he said, speaking more out of program rather than free will. He disappeared shortly after.
With the approval gained, Tamora pressed on and began down the long, seemingly endless descent. The lower they walked, the colder and quieter it became. The pair was quickly approaching the nervous system of the station, which rested far beneath the surface level, hidden from sight and mind.
A chill ran through Felix as they continued to descend the long staircase, and he could hear a low hum coming from somewhere below them. They must have been getting close now. His shaking hand closed tighter still around Tammy's as they neared the bottom of the stairs. He had no idea what to expect, but he knew that he sure-as-heck was not looking forward to it.
When they finally arrived, they were greeted with what looked like an enormous wall. The surface itself was comprised of several circuits; little sparks flashed across the board, transporting data and supporting life.
"This is it," Tamora announced, releasing her fingers from the gloved ones they gripped. She stepped forward and examined the console before looking for some sort of control panel. Her eyes scanned the display as though it were a map, and when she found what she was searching for, she touched a highlighted square.
Instantly, a screen appeared. It asked in a fizzy, static-tinged voice: "Password?"
She didn't hesitate to reply. "Litwack."
Silence followed as the underground machinery processed the request. Then, having gained what it desired, the lights and patterns stopped. A sole red switch came into existence, flashing before them. Beneath it, the word 'RESET' appeared. Knowingness settled within Tamora's code as she looked down at her husband.
This was what they needed to do. This was what had to be done.
And yet, Felix was hardly ready for any of it. Maybe they didn't have to do this. Maybe there was still some other way they could fix it…but in the back of his mind, he knew that wasn't true. They had come down here for one reason, and one reason alone; and as much as he didn't want to, it was now or never.
Before she settled her hand on the reset switch, Tamora crouched down to be at face-level with Felix. Her eyes were uncharacteristically soft as she looked at him, her expression illuminated by the flashing red light in front of them.
"If this is it, Fix-It, then I need you to know this was the best year of my life."
Felix felt his heart constrict. Together they'd been through so much. He'd seen things that he hadn't even dreamed could exist prior to meeting Tamora; he'd done things he didn't think he could because of her. And he'd met people he would never in his life think about leaving.
It had indeed been a great year, but before he could even find himself nodding in agreement, Felix was pulled forward by a pair of strong hands into a kiss. A kiss which he gladly returned with the same amount of enthusiasm. His hands found themselves on the back of Tamora's head, and he gladly pushed himself on tiptoes to get closer to her.
This was it. This was truly it.
He pulled away only because of his eventual need for breath, but his hands moved to rest on her shoulders and intertwine behind her neck. "I sure do love you, Tammy Jean," he told her with an adoring smile, and rested his head on her shoulder for a moment to look back at the ominous red flashing of the reset button.
Maybe they'd all find a way back together somehow. Heck, maybe they had done it a dozen times already, and just couldn't remember. He could always hope.
Tamora held onto him a beat more and then severed the embrace by standing back up to her full height. "Alright. Let's get rid of this disgusting virus once and for all," she declared, looking back at the control panel. There was really only one thing left to do.
Cautiously, she extended her gloved hand and rested it upon the switch. She waited for Felix to do the same and, together, they gave forth a generous push.
The switch clicked and the world around them grew still.