Hi, everyone! I know my updates have been slow, but I'm trying to do my best on these chapters so they'll flow and keep you guys coming back for more. I'm actually a chapter or two ahead in handwriting this, so they'll come a little bit faster. Also, I'll be taking a break soon after Ch. 20. THIS DOES NOT MEAN I'M ABANDONING THE STORY! I'm enjoying writing this just as much as you guys are enjoying reading it. And rest assured, things are heating up and the Mushroom Ball's right around the corner. Look forward to it.
And most of all...Thank you SO much for sticking with me up to this point! Your reviews/feedback have been helpful and encouraging and I hope you all continue to enjoy the story.
Arcade Armageddon
Chapter 18
"I don't know what you guys are talking about," Kenneth said in his usual, mannerly Southern drawl. He glanced from each of the Sugar Rush racers, Aika, Ralph, and finally to Felix, whose body broke into pixels again. Everyone could have sworn they noticed a smirk on the angel's face at the sight of the ailing Good Guy.
"Don't give us that crap! I know you know what we're talking about," Taffyta demanded as she and the others were on the Super Mario Bros. side of Game Central Station, where they caught Kenneth entering the vacant port of Frogger. Taffyta and Snowanna were pinning him to the wall of the port, with Taffyta pointing her curved blade angrily at Ken's throat and Snow cracking her knuckles, ready to land a KO on him if he dared lied. They were going to wring every bit of information they could out of the healer about Vanellope's condition and hacking Fix-It Felix, Jr., and they were not leaving until they knew what they needed to know.
"I wouldn't mess with these girls, Ken," Aika suggested, gesturing to the two girls and propping her elbow on the wall next to Ken. "Especially when I'm starting to think you're the one who destroyed my game, with Vyse and everyone inside."
"Another one was brought down?" Kenneth asked, smiling. "Oh my, that does sound like a quandary, Miss Aika. I knew Fashion Trendy and this one went down a few days ago, but I haven't heard of Arcadia getting knocked down. So sorry for your loss, Miss Aika." Ken regarded the female pirate, retaining that smile as if nothing was wrong.
Aika, however, was growing agitated. She knew Kenneth was mocking her. That grin was not in any way, shape, or form genuine; it appeared psychotic, almost sadistic. If Ken's smile were the least bit genuine, he would have comforted her with words of sympathy. Also, he would have stopped his annoying smile and felt empathy. Kenneth had none, and it annoyed Aika to no end.
"Okay, Buster!" Vanellope stormed up to the angel, heated with her green and brown eyes stormy as she glared at Kenneth. "What have you done to me? Why can't I remember the hacker in Ralph and Hammer Time's game?" The princess gestured to Ralph and Felix, who, along with Candlehead, approached the angel. Ralph was cracking his knuckles, angry that someone had caused Vanellope harm. The lead racer was like a little sister to him, and the wrecker was not going to let this angel get away with whatever he did to Vanellope.
"Ralph…" Felix tried to grab his friend's arm in an attempt to stop him. The Good Guy knew as well as anyone that violence was not going to solve this situation. "Don't hurt him."
"Let go, Felix." Ralph pulled away from the Good Guy.
"Yeah, guys," Candlehead agreed, nervously glancing at her sisters, Snow, and Aika. She was no fighter, unless of course the situation allowed it. The others, however, had other ideas as Taffyta and Snowanna continued to hold Kenneth to the wall.
"Candlehead," the strawberry racer sighed. "We need this guy to spill everything. We know he has something to do with what's been happening around here." Then she regarded Ken, glaring into his blue-grey eyes. "Now look, you're going to tell us everything you know. Otherwise, your game's going to have one less character." Taffyta moved her lance closer to Kenneth's neck, threatening to slit the healer's throat.
"A bit of a tough one, are we?" the angel smirked, backing as far away as the wall could allow. Kenneth still kept his cool, even when he was in a tight situation. It wasn't a programmed trait of his, but he always kept a smile on his face even in the worst predicaments. No way was he going to tell a bunch of cavities, an overgrown ape, a pirate, and Felix his plans. Especially when Mr. Candy would have Ken's wings for it.
But as the two Sugar Rush racers were threatening him a little further and showing him that they were serious, Kenneth knew he had no choice. It was either spill the beans or lose his head. And no matter which path he took, the latter was going to happen.
"What's going on in here? May I have a reason as to why you're congregating in a vacant port?"
"Shit," Snow swore as she and everyone turned to notice the Surge Protector entering the Frogger port, knowing they had been caught and were not supposed to be in a vacant port, let alone one that was under investigation. And just as they were about to get information out of a possible suspect.
"Forgive us, Surge," Kenneth apologized in respect to the arcade guardian as Snowanna and Taffyta released him reluctantly. "These people dragged me in here and pinned me down." The angel flashed his blinding smile at Surge, making his lie almost believable. The group around him could not believe this one bit.
"With good reason," Taffyta spoke up, approaching Surge.
"Yeah," Aika agreed. "Kenneth's a criminal and a demon behind that sweet angel act."
"Oh, nonsense, Miss Aika." Ken waved them off. "I'm no demon, Surge. Granted, Tracy may be a demon, but not me. I have nothing to hide. I'm as innocent as innocent can be. They're the demons here, pinning me down like a defenseless Noki." Kenneth gestured to Ralph, Vanellope, and the others. Then he glanced at Felix, who could have sworn noticed a slightly dark grin on the healer's face.
Red binary started to course through the Good Guy's body as he stared at Kenneth. He knew there was something…off about the angel. Something…wicked behind the constant optimism. Felix could not place what it was, however.
"Look, Surge, this guy might be a criminal," Ralph stepped in. "And one of the hackers."
"Now you must have me confused with someone else, Mr. Wreck-It," Kenneth continued to deny the characters' accusations. He refused to be found out, especially when he had been saved by Surge from ever giving any information.
"Seriously?" Vanellope threw her arms up. "Surge…"
"This is an off-limits area, and dragging an innocent inside is crossing the line," Surge chastised, narrowing his eyes at the Sugar Rush racers, Ralph, Felix, and Aika, none too pleased at the situation. Especially when there was a crisis going on in the arcade. The hologram didn't believe any of them, but he seemed to believe Kenneth more, which peeved Taffyta.
"Look, this guy…" the strawberry racer started.
"Please clear this area now," Surge cut her off. "And no more interrogating innocents. Have a nice day." With that, the arcade guardian vanished, leaving the group and Kenneth alone again.
"Wellll…." The angel was headed out of the port, smirking at Ralph and the others. "Nice try." He chuckled somewhat maniacally, heading into Game Central Station and leaving the group shell-shocked.
"Can you believe that guy?" Candlehead asked, frustrated.
"No kidding," Taffyta agreed, angry at how they had been taken for liars. "That Kenneth guy just lied his ass off to Surge!"
"And that annoying ass smile?" Snowanna added. "Creepy."
"Not to mention that Kenneth made a big joke out of my situation," Aika put in, tears threatening to flow. "I mean, Vyse may have died back there, and…and…" The pirate buried her face in Vanellope's chest, not bearing to remember it. "It's just cruel."
"It's okay." The princess patted her on the back, pulling her closer. She couldn't believe that someone would take something as serious as what Aika was going through so lightly like Kenneth had. It was almost sadistic, as Vanellope thought about it.
Suddenly, in the corner of her eye, she noticed Felix, crackling with red energy.
"Hey, what's with Fix-It?" Aika wondered, fighting off tears to slowly glance up at the Good Guy, whose eyes possessed that crimson tint again. She shook her head, knowing this was the last thing they needed right now.
Ralph was getting twice as worried as he approached the Good Guy. Fear crept up in the wrecker's chest at the sight of his partner. It was Arcadia all over again.
"Hammer Time?" Vanellope waved her hand in front of Felix, confused. "What's up?"
But the Good Guy didn't pay the princess any mind, instead turning to Ralph, head cocked to the side. Then he glanced at the long-retreating Kenneth.
"Felix…" the Bad Guy started, approaching him.
"I'll be right back, everyone," the handyman promised, a maniacal smirk crossing his face as he glitched away.
"Felix!"
…
"Looks like Short Stack's not here right now," Calhoun realized as she was knocking at the door of her husband's penthouse, hoping to see Felix. She, Mario, Peach, and Toadsworth had just entered Fix-It Felix, Jr. after getting stopped by Surge to discuss the Mushroom Ball location situation.
"Wherever could he be, I wonder?" The aged Toad was glancing around the hallway in search of the Good Guy. Mario was doing the same, hoping to seek out a glint of Felix's golden hammer. Ever since 1997 when the arcade version of Mario Bros. was first plugged in, the plumber always considered Felix just as much of a brother as Luigi. Especially when the Good Guy and the player-two younger Mario had so much in common, with no-nonsense women as an example.
"So we'll just have to wait here, then?" Peach asked, a little annoyed but otherwise unfazed. "Ralph's not even here, either. He wasn't even in his shack." The mushroom princess sighed. "Oh well. While we're waiting, what happened with Surge back there, Sergeant Calhoun?"
"Aside from Master Mario tripping the alarm, of course," added Toadsworth.
"It-a was-a random," the Nintendo Good Guy retorted, "Wreck-It a-sets it off-a all the time-a. Anyway, what-a were you and-a Surge talking about?"
Calhoun regarded the three Nintendo characters, shocked that they would ask that question. What she and Surge had been discussing back in the port had rocked her world just as much as it would do theirs if Tamora told them. Not that she would, of course, especially when the information included the possibility of Game Central Station's Most Wanted returning from his burning grave in Sugar Rush. If Tamora told the trio of Turbo's possible return, it would raise fear in them. Or they probably would not believe her at all, if she was lucky. Besides, it was still impossible for the evil racer to come back from such a deadly demise.
"Mrs. Calhoun?" Toadsworth snapped the sergeant from her thoughts.
"What?" She regarded the elderly Toad.
"Did Surge discuss anything important with you?" Peach inquired. "Whatever it was, it sounded serious."
"Nothing for you to worry about, civilian," said Tamora. "It was only about heightened security in the arcade, since we apparently have hackers around who can take down a game faster than that blue hedgehog."
"Jolly good idea there," Toadsworth agreed, nodding at the sound of heightened security. "That Surge is a fine bloke to set up precautions such as that. Is he asking for your soldiers, I wonder?"
"Sarge!"
Tamora and the Mario Bros. crew turned around to notice Kohut coming out of the elevator, retaining that serious expression about him, but Calhoun noticed panic mixed in that expression as he hurried over to the group.
"What is it, Kohut? Where's my husband?" the sergeant demanded, wondering where Felix was. "He'd better not be playing around with that bimbo." If Tamora saw Red trying to make move on the Good Guy one more time, the sergeant was going to make sure the teen wouldn't regenerate. Especially when she could be the very virus the arcade despised the most. The evidence all pointed to Turbo, after all.
"Bimbo?" Mario repeated, confused, "Fix-It a-wouldn't…"
"He's not with her, don't worry," Kohut cut the plumber off while still regarding his commanding officer. "Fix-It's…lost it again."
No sooner had the words come out of the second-in-command's lips, Tamora felt her blood run cold, dreading the fact that the virus was taking over the Good Guy again. And that it was growing worse by the second. Those fingerprints on the Good Guy's file may not have been much evidence to prove that Turbo was alive again, but it was enough to put the sergeant on the correct trail. All she needed to do was find more. Of course, she wasn't going to mention the ex-racer to the Mario crew, at least not yet.
…
"What could be wrong with you, Mr. Fix-It?" Kenneth asked, retaining that calm in his voice as he stared up into Felix's crimson eyes, not in the least bit frightened. The angel and the Good Guy were near the port of Sonic the Hedgehog, where the handyman had him pinned to the wall, anger obviously displayed in his bloodshot glare. Everyone in the arcade was watching the scene before them, awestruck at the Good Guy. Nobody had seen anything like it. Kenneth knew his plan was going into motion just by looking at the angered Felix.
Felix himself was enraged, body crackling with scarlet energy as he was glaring down at Kenneth, who didn't show fear at all as they locked eyes. Instead, he was calm. Too calm. But did the Good Guy care? All he cared about was putting the potentially-psychotic angel in his place. And Felix was going to enjoy every minute of it as he raised his hammer over Kenneth, preparing to strike.
Gasps and murmurs were heard throughout the surrounding crowd, not a person among them knowing what was going on.
"What the hell's with Fix-It?" someone wondered.
"What's he doing to that angel dude?" another chimed in.
"Yeah, let him go!"
"No! This demon's gonna realize how it feels, and I'll show him!" Felix growled, hammer still raised over Kenneth menacingly.
That's it, Fix-It Felix, Jr.. Embrace the virus. Let the power flow. Mr. Candy will be so proud of me, I can smell my own game coming right 'round the corner. The healer could see it now. Kenneth, the star of his own game, or at least a portion of Celestial Wars, where he would not only earn the attention and recognition that he had been craving his entire life, but he would probably even leave Liz in the dark. And it all started with showing the corrupt Felix to his boss.
"Felix, stop!"
Kenneth swore, noticing Ralph and Vanellope cutting through the crowd, the wrecker grabbing Felix by the arm and trying to pull the Good Guy away from the angel.
Those guys again? They just never learn, do they?
"No, Ralph!" The handyman growled, pulling away from the Bad Guy and the lead racer. "He needs to be taught a lesson!"
"What the…?" Vanellope was at a loss for words. "Come on, Hammer Time, this is ridiculous. I know this guy's a suspect, but he doesn't deserve to die for it."
"Exactly, Ms. Von Schweetz," Kenneth agreed, rising to feet and brushing himself off. He bowed in respect to Vanellope and Ralph. "So sorry for the misunderstanding."
The crowd of characters around them groaned, disappointed with the degeneration of the potential fight. Everybody dispersed, leaving the four characters alone.
"Oh, I'll make you sorry," Felix threatened, raising his hammer.
"That's enough, Felix!" Ralph warned, stepping between the two men.
"You know what, Ralph? I'm tired of you and your glitchy friend treating me as if I need to be saved! And standing in my way at that! Now get out of my way…or you'll be next!"
Those last few words stunned Ralph. The wrecker knew he'd never heard his friend threaten him like that. Or call Vanellope a glitch. It was unlike Felix, definitely not something the Good Guy would say. But as Ralph locked eyes with him, the Bad Guy didn't see any shreds of the Good Guy standing before him. It was as if the Felix in front of him wasn't Felix at all, but an entirely different person.
Kenneth, however, saw this as an opportunity to escape. He had to relay this to Mr. Candy, for the plan was on the brink of coming to fruition. The angel flashed away in a flare of bright light, blinding the trio.
"Now look what you did, Ralph!" Felix snapped, red eyes burning into the wrecker's brown ones. "I was getting ready to get him to talk before you two idiots showed up!"
"Before or after you would have killed him?" Vanellope retorted, folding her arms to get her point across.
"Short Stack, there you are!"
"T-Tammy…?" Felix slowly came to his senses at the sound of the familiar voice, turning around to see his wife, hurrying toward them, along with Kohut and the Mario Bros. crew. The Good Guy noticed the urgent look on Tamora's face, knowing that whatever it was was not a good thing. Then he glanced around Game Central Station, wondering where he was. The last thing he remembered was being in the vacant port, where the Sugar Rush racers, Aika, and Ralph had been interrogating Kenneth. But what happened after that?
"Fix-It." Mario was just as worried, just as curious about Felix's behavior as Calhoun. "What-a happened?"
"Yeah, I heard you lost it again, Pint Size," Tamora added, kneeling down to Felix's level so she could get a look at him. He was fine, thankfully, but she had to make sure.
"He did," Ralph interjected. "And nearly killed someone."
"And the best part is that 'someone' can be a potential suspect," Vanellope added, smirking with mock optimism.
Calhoun and the three Nintendo characters lit up at the sound of that. Especially the sergeant, because it proved that Turbo had minions this time around. But glancing from character to character, she knew she couldn't tell him about the return of the ex-racer yet. At least not out in the open.
Then her eyes fell on the matured Vanellope, wondering what had happened to her. Did Sugar Rush get an upgrade today? Or had the hacker been in their game too?
"Felix lost it again?" Peach asked, staring at the Good Guy intently.
"Wait, I lost it?" Felix repeated, confused. His body broke into pixels again, causing the Mario characters to jump.
"Eh, wot?" Toadsworth's heart almost burst out of his chest.
"What-a happened?" Mario asked, backing away from the handyman.
"We should head back to Fix-It's game first," Tamora suggested. "Then we'll discuss it." And maybe warn everyone that asshole's back too.
Everyone returned to Fix-It Felix, Jr., heading straight for the penthouse and locking the door, ensuring that nobody would overhear or step in on their conversation.
Tamora realized now that she had to explain everything she had just learned from Surge, especially when it involved Felix, who was in more danger than anyone else sitting in the vast room. She loved him, and would do everything she could to protect him just as she had with the arcade throughout the two months she'd been in Game Central Station. No way was the sergeant going to keep the Good Guy in the dark about any of this. Especially when she loved him.
She and the others were sitting around one of the semicircle couches of the Good Guy's penthouse, trying to recover from the drama between Felix and Kenneth back in Game Central Station. Nobody had an answer as to what had happened out there, save for Ralph and Calhoun, who both knew Felix had lost it big time due to the worsening of the virus within his code.
"What was going on with Fix-It out there?" Peach asked, knowing she'd never seen the Good Guy act the way he had back there.
"Yeah," Mario agreed, "I've a-never seen-a him get-a like a-that."
"Didn't your brother tell you all about it?" Ralph asked, staring at the Nintendo Good Guy in confusion. "Luigi was inspecting Felix's code and found a patch in his code."
"He did-a say a-something about a patch-a," the red-clad plumber remembered. "But he didn't-a say that it-a made a-Fix-It a-crazy."
"And definitely not to the point of Master Fix-It threatening to kill a poor innocent," added Toadsworth. "That's…just not like him." He regarded Felix. "Is it, Master Fix-It?"
"It's not," the Good Guy confirmed. "And the fact that I can't remember it makes it worse. The last thing I remember is being in the Frogger port with Ralph and everyone else interrogating Kenneth. Then of course Kenneth lying to Surge. After that, everything was just…black. Like I lost control of myself again." Felix noticed six bewildered expressions on him, then he stopped at Ralph. "Did I lose myself again, Ralph?"
"You did," the wrecker replied.
"And where's Taffyta and the other two? Don't tell me I…" Anxiety filled Felix's chest, a glitch shuddering through his body. "I killed them, didn't I?"
"No, you didn't kill them, Hammer Time!" Vanellope assured the Good Guy. "Thank goodness. Besides, I doubt you would even get a punch in with Taffyta or Snow before they took you down. Anyway, we split up to look for you. Luckily, Ralph and I found the crowd surrounding you and that Ken creep. You looked like you were really going to kill him."
"Then Kohut found you and I came over," added Tamora. "But why were you trying to kill Mr. Sunshine?"
"We would like to know too," Toadsworth stepped in, shifting his cane. "From what I've heard about Kenneth, he's a well-mannered bloke. I mean, he's healed my bad hip a few times."
"Yeah, he's always happy and never loses that smile," Peach put in, just as confused. "So why?"
"The virus took over him again," said Ralph. "After Kenneth lied to Surge about his involvement in all this."
"Kenneth a-lied to Surge?" Mario repeated. "He wouldn't."
"Mario's right," nodded Peach. "He's too nice a guy. And how would he be involved in everything going on with the hacker?"
"The girl from another game that just went down seemed to know Ken very well," answered Vanellope, remembering Aika giving away every bit of knowledge she possessed about the angel. "But anyway, Kenneth could be a criminal too, either working for the hackers or being one himself."
"We think he's the one who broke into this game and installed that virus into Felix," Ralph added, motioning to the Good Guy.
"And it could explain how Fix-It's getting worse and worse," Tamora guessed, glancing over at her husband, who was still trying to piece everything together, despite not being able to remember what he had done after the fact. It had to have been difficult for her husband right now. And soon everyone in Game Central Station would fear him. Had Calhoun gotten there any earlier, she would have threatened to clip the wings off of Kenneth.
"The creepy part was that he was calm when Taffyta and Snow had him pinned down in Frogger and when Hammer Time almost killed him," Vanellope explained. "And if that's not suspicious, then I don't know what is."
"It sounds suspicious enough to know Sunshine's up to something, be it having corrupted Fix-It's code or having been responsible for those games going down." Calhoun paced back and forth, pondering this for a second. She had only met Kenneth once throughout the week, which was when she had been looking for her husband. However, she had not sensed any suspicious activity or scheming going on with the healer. Outside of his game, Kenneth could be a strange character who was hard to read by normal means due to his constant smiling. Everyone knew that, and Tamora could now assume that fact alone could be dangerous if ignored.
"Especially when he could be working for somebody," the sergeant said after a few moments.
"Like Red?" Felix inquired, a glitch rippling through him, which caused the three Nintendo characters next to him to nearly fall off the couch.
"Luigi was a-right," Mario realized as he noticed it. Peach and Toadsworth did too, and their eyes widened. The latter was clutching his chest from the surprise.
"You're…glitching," Peach realized, then was slowly scooting back in fear when she noticed the white hammer in the Good Guy's belt.
"Control yourself, man," Toadsworth blurted out, hand still on his chest.
"I'm trying to, okay?" the handyman snapped, a slightly crimson tint in his eyes. "It's not easy. Especially when it usually comes up whenever someone mentions Red or Kenneth. Come to think of it, maybe Kenneth lying to Surge caused it to take over me a little more than usual. And then those times when I was defending Red. I'm sure of it. And I'm thinking if we find one of them again, maybe we might know how to fix me."
"They might not be so easy to find this time, though," Peach said. "If everything you're saying is true, that is. I'm still a little lost here. First, you're saying that Kenneth is a criminal, now it sounds like you're thinking he may be in league with that Red girl from earlier. And as sweet as she had been today, I just don't see her as a threat."
Now these guys are starting to act like Fix-It, Calhoun thought, taking a hard look at the trio intently and wondering if they were corrupted as well. But when she noticed their eyes were still normal, the sergeant realized that the Mario trio were clean and being truthful.
"I mean, she doesn't seem like the kind to cause trouble," Peach continued, still confused about the entire situation. The mushroom princess always had a tendency to see the good in people and the outer nature of them. It was a good trait to have, but it could be the worst. And the next words from Calhoun was proof of that.
"That was why I wanted to discuss moving the Mushroom Ball to Game Central Station," the sergeant finally explained. "Because of what I had seen in your cellar when I went to find Red."
"And that is…?" Peach raised an eyebrow at the sergeant, interested.
"Has there always been a trapdoor in your cellar?"
…
"So, you've been found out?" Mr. Candy asked, golden eyes glowing from his hood and regarding Kenneth with an air of slight anger. The angel had just returned to his boss's code-ridden lair, intimidated as always by the zeros and ones scrolling along the walls and toward Mr. Candy's throne. Kenneth always thought it made the cloaked creature more powerful than he thought, almost malevolent, which was why Kenneth always made a commitment to be at his best when he was carrying out Mr. Candy's orders.
But today that was over, judging from the raged glint in the hooded figure's catlike eyes. Mr. Candy clearly was not pleased when Kenneth had told him about his encounter with Wreck-It Ralph and the Sugar Rush racers, the latter having received upgrades. That last part was news to Mr. Candy, and the angel could feel a smirk forming along his unseen face. That was almost enough to put Kenneth back in Mr. Candy's good graces, but the latter was still plenty angry at how the healer's plans were in danger of being discovered, which in turn would expose Mr. Candy's plans. Now there was no doubt about it; they were being investigated and it was only a matter of time before Wreck-It Ralph and friends would screw up his plans. All because of Kenneth's blunder.
But the Sugar Rush upgrade earned by Vanellope and the other cavities intrigued him. Mr. Candy decided that maybe he could check it out himself. Besides, his main tactic was already going into motion, and a certain Good Guy was already stepping closer and closer to the point of no return. It was giving Mr. Candy joy just thinking about it. Soon, he would not have a need for such incompetent henchmen, not to mention creepy ones like Kenneth.
"About Wreck-It Ralph and those cavities finding me out…" Ken started.
"Don't bother," the hooded figure cut him off. "Leave. Do whatever you want before the ball. And tell Burn and Whiplash to do the same."
"So…does that mean you forgive me for…"
"I said go!" Mr. Candy jabbed a finger behind Kenneth, leading to the corridor behind him. "I thank you for the information regarding the upgrade, but I am still displeased at how you let those fools find you out! Now we're in danger of being found out!"
"But…"
"Leave me!"
"I corrupted Fix-It's code…"
"NOW!" Mr. Candy's booming order caused Kenneth to flinch, and for the first time, sent a twinge of fear coursing through his code as he glanced up at his boss, whose piercing gold eyes were intimidating him to the core. The healer scrambled off as fast as he could, disappearing into the darkness.
When he was left alone again, Mr. Candy stared up at the walls of code surrounding him, knowing it wouldn't be long before he would get his revenge on the Bad Guy and the glitch he despised the most. And what better place to exact it than at the Mushroom Ball?
Mr. Candy glitched in a mess of red pixels, then halted his gaze to a wall to glance at his reflection, where half of his face was encased in shadow and the other half showed a more feminine face with part of a dark, red-streaked bang hanging over his face. Mr. Candy smiled darkly, yellow eyes glowing wickedly.
Fix-It Felix, Jr., the ultimate Good Guy, would be his. And the entire arcade would soon obey him without question.
…
The discussion had run for almost four hours, and Calhoun and Felix were the only ones in the latter's penthouse, spending some alone time together. It had taken almost an eternity to try to convince Mario and the gang to move the Mushroom Ball to Game Central Station. In the end, however, only Mario had believed her. Princess Peach and Toadsworth hadn't believed Calhoun about the suspicious trapdoor, claiming that one of the Toads had probably installed it in the cellar without the princess noticing. But the Nintendo Good Guy was certain that Tamora was on to something, and promised that he would convince the mushroom princess about moving the ball to Game Central Station.
And that would allow her to sneak into Super Mario Bros. to see what that trapdoor contained. She had to. Red was definitely hiding something, with a little help from Kenneth. But she had to do it during the ball while Peach wasn't in her game, assuming that Mario was successful in convincing his girlfriend. But in case he wasn't, Calhoun had Surge to help. She knew the arcade guardian wanted to protect the arcade just as much as she did, especially when he was always watchful of everything happening throughout Game Central Station.
It was times like this when Tamora was glad she hadn't mentioned the possible return of Turbo to them. Not that Peach would believe that, either. Instead the princess would think she was crazy, with too much arcade protecting on the brain.
But she knew Felix would immediately; he loved her, and he would rather die than let anything such as a demented racer's return happen to her.
Besides, Tamora doubted he would let her leave tonight, as Felix snuggled up to her, arms wrapped around her. It just showed how much the Good Guy cared about Calhoun despite everything that was going on in the arcade. His glitching, his uncontrollable rage, among other things, were of less importance to him right now. All that mattered was that they were together like this for another day. And Tamora enjoyed it, as well as that trait about Felix.
"I'm sorry," the handyman said faintly.
The sergeant glanced down at her husband, not believing what she had just heard.
"What was that, Pint Size?" she asked, wanting him to repeat himself.
"I'm sorry," the Good Guy repeated. "You know, for what happened with Red and everything. You know I wouldn't go against you on purpose, Tammy. I love you too much."
"Don't worry about it, Short Stack. It was the virus talking. I'm just relieved that bimbo didn't do too much damage to you. And with Mr. Sunshine at that."
"And we didn't even know Kenneth was behind it too. I… I can't believe I didn't listen to you. I…"
"As I said before, don't worry about it!" Tamora shoved Felix on his back on the couch, then hovered over him. She was not going to allow any form of escape. "I'll take care of everything, Fix-It. Just trust me."
"But…" Red binary flashed through the Good Guy's body as honeyglows generated in his cheeks with embarrassment. "I feel like I'm helpless. I haven't helped anyone at all in this situation throughout the past few days. I mean, I kinda feel like Peach right now. You know, how she always has to get saved by Mar…" But then Felix was silenced by his wife's finger.
"Relax, Fix-It. It's not good if you keep ranting like that. Plus, it's not helping. You glitch more when you do that."
"But…I'm scared, Tammy," Felix whimpered. "Not just for me, but for you too. And everyone else who's trying to keep this arcade safe."
"Short Stack…" Tamora's voice took on a more stern tone, as if she were chastising a young child. "Do you know how many times I risk my life during game play every day?"
"But you come back in Hero's Duty, remember? There's no restart if you're dead outside your game. I mean, what if Red or Kenneth finds and kills you? Though I'm not so sure about Kenneth, but still…what if…"
"Your little girlfriend's not going to get the chance, trust me," Tamora assured her husband. "And you can forget about Sunshine even making an attempt. The point is, Fix-It, I'll protect you just like I do the arcade. Wreck-It's not going to let anything happen to you and neither will the runt."
"And speaking of Vanellope…" Felix charged the subject. "She's grown up a bit, hasn't she? I mean, we've been caught up in everything going on that we haven't had a chance to notice her upgrade or gotten the chance to ask."
Tamora noticed Vanellope's growth spurt as well, but had put it off as second nature in favor of everything going on in the arcade and with Felix. A lot had happened over the past few days, such as, but not limited to, Felix's behavior and finding out that Red could possibly be the very scourge of the arcade. And she had neglected to tell the Good Guy or anyone else that detail, which would confirm their suspicion.
But asking the runt all about her and the other racers' upgrade was tomorrow's issue. Right now, she wanted to enjoy the moment she and Felix had together, because User only knew when they would have such a moment again.
…
"I still can't wrap my head around what happened to you, kid," Ralph said, scratching his head in confusion as he took in Vanellope's newly-upgraded appearance. The Bad Guy and the princess were in the former's small shack, which appeared compact on the outside but was actually pretty roomy on the inside. It had a tiny den, a kitchenette, and a bathroom residing in the corner of the den. The wrecker's bedroom took over the other side of the shack's interior, almost near the foyer. To Vanellope's surprise, it was fairly tidy for such a small house. And Ralph enjoyed it (he built it, after all).
Perhaps the problem was Vanellope, whose improved height did make the shack feel a little more difficult than usual to move around in, but the Bad Guy wasn't going to admit that. She was his friend and "sister," who was always welcome. Besides, they loved hanging out together, spending some friendly time alone. Especially with everything going on in the arcade, which meant they had to take every chance they took.
"And plus with all the stuff going on," Vanellope replied. "It wasn't too important." Then she glanced up at Ralph, thankful that she no longer had to crane her head to the point of a neck injury in order to see him. The princess smiled her usually mischievous smile. "Okay, Major Bodyodor, you can ask away."
"First, what happened to you?" Ralph asked, staring up and down at Vanellope's upgraded form. She was now around five foot seven, just below Ralph's shoulders, and her hair was now longer but still littered with candy. She also possessed a slimmer, supermodel figure, though not the same as Calhoun. Aside from those changes, Vanellope was still the same President von Schweetz from Sugar Rush, glitch and all. Maybe this was why Surge didn't allow me in yesterday.
"Looks like I don't have to answer your question, huh?" Vanellope smirked. "You seem to be able to guess."
"Um, well… you're older. And a little…" The Bad Guy found his eyes accidentally on the princess's exposed neckline and quickly turned away, blushing. "Different."
"That's all you have to say, Stinkbrain?" Vanellope huffed, hands on her hips in mock impatience. "I'm…different?"
"Taller?"
"Seriously, that's the best you got? Well, there's no helping it then." Vanellope plopped on Ralph's king-sized bed, sighing. "Hey, I'm just glad to be out of my game after a whole day. User, that upgrade felt like it took forever, but it was way worth it."
"How so?" Ralph inquired.
"For starters, we got improved karts and a couple additions to our tracks." The princess smiled cheekily.
"Hm." Ralph nodded, somewhat impressed.
"The Black Licorice Forest was the harder area, though. Had too many thorn bushes to count and everything. I think Swizz got caught in a sticky patch once and fell behind today, but Citrusella was going through it like a pro. And speaking of Cit, her attitude got an upgrade too. Now she's a total…witch. Seriously, she and Taffyta were going at it after the race. And her appearance creeped me out big time."
"I thought your friend was always like that."
"Not to the point of being catty. Cit really pressed Taffyta's buttons that time."
"Then that is a little strange," said Ralph, remembering the few times he had seen Citrusella, which had been in Sugar Rush. Citrusella had been anything but nice then, even behind her Gothic exterior. Was the upgrade so powerful to the point that it could change or heighten a character's personality?
"I know, right. But hey, she's still my friend, and it's just a friendly competition. I'm sure Taffyta and Citrusella'll work it out faster than Il Piantissimo."
"I sure hope so," Ralph said. "But knowing your sister, she can get too proud."
"Yeah, well, that's Taffyta," Vanellope shrugged. "Anyway, this is so cool. And on top of that, we got new powers!"
"Really?" Ralph folded his arms, interested.
"Yeah, Stinkbrain." Vanellope rolled out of the wrecker's bed, landing squarely on her feet and regarded him cheekily. "You saw it today. Taffyta's got some sort of sword that looks like her lollipop, Candlehead can throw flames, Snow can camouflage…"
"What about you?" Ralph cut her off, more interested in what the princess earned with the growth spurt.
"Well…" Vanellope's eyes scanned the tight walls lazily, then stopped at the floor. She sighed in disappointment at the fact that she was the only one without a special ability other than her glitching, which was only because King Candy, or rather, Turbo, had screwed up her code. But Ralph seemed eager to know and was hopeful that she had to have a power as well.
"Come on, kid, you have to have a power too," Ralph said. "I mean, you are the main character."
"I don't actually," Vanellope finally replied, disappointment evident in her voice.
"What? That's ridiculous. I thought upgrades were supposed to affect everybody in the game."
"Well, not all the way, apparently. Even though…" The president glitched a little toward the Bad Guy, nearly knocking him off his feet. But Ralph quickly steadied himself afterward. "I still have my glitch ability. But to not have an actual ability like everyone else, well… it sorta bugs me now, you know?"
"Maybe because you're the princess and princesses aren't meant to save themselves?" Ralph joked.
"I'm not Princess Peach, Stinkbrain," Vanellope countered, the mushroom princess coming to mind the second the Bad Guy mentioned her. Vanellope couldn't help but wonder how Peach could tolerate being kidnapped everyday by Bowser. Or Bowser Jr., also known as "Shadow Mario," in some cases. "I'm not the one who's always being kidnapped by Flame Breath everyday. And, geez, does that guy ever brush his teeth? Or have a mint?"
"Well, Bowser is programmed that way, so we can't do anything about that. Outside the game, they're friends, so really there are no problems between them. Even Mario's friends with him, going to Tapper and having drinking contests, with Mario passing out in the end. But I kinda understand what you mean by you lacking an actual power."
"Hey, I'm, just glad they didn't take away my glitching. I love that power too much to lose it now. I can still win races with it, can't I?"
"I'm just glad nothing happened to you while you were in there," Ralph said, patting her shoulder and causing her to stumble a little. She had forgotten how strong he was for a moment. "Who knew what would've happened to you? Especially if Red or that Kenneth guy had sneaked into your game?"
"Good thing they didn't, huh?"
"Yeah." Ralph took a seat on the bed, with Vanellope following suit. He smiled over at her gratefully. He did not know what he would do if Red or Kenneth had attacked Vanellope during their upgrade. But she was safe and sound, and that was all that mattered to him.
Now they had the ball ahead of them, and Ralph knew there was no doubt that Red or possibly Kenneth would be there to crash it. He knew they were working together, and it was no question they were plotting something to foil the Mushroom Ball. And Ralph and friends would be ready.
Vanellope returned to Sugar Rush the next morning, quickly disembarking the trolley back to the dessert racing game. She was hauling tail trying to get to the track before opening time.
The princess could not believe that she had stayed the entire night with Ralph. Although nothing beyond friendly conversation had happened in Fix-It Felix, Jr., Vanellope had still felt embarrassed when she had woken up in the Bad Guy's bed after she had apparently fallen asleep. Luckily, the wrecker had been on the floor, so it had felt less wrong. Though she felt a little guilt about that detail, considering that it was Ralph's home. Now that she was remembering last night, she didn't see anything wrong. But Ralph had apparently seen something wrong, judging from his embarrassed and flustered face when he had noticed her in his bed last night. Still, the princess had no idea why. Especially when she had accidentally fallen asleep.
Right now, Vanellope had a race to head today before Litwak opened, and she had to focus.
But when the princess arrived at the track to get ready (she had no time to get cleaned up and get prepared back home), the track was deserted. Not a kart was at the finish line. Vanellope glanced around, realizing there weren't any crowd members around, either.
Where is everybody? the president wondered. "Taffyta? Candlehead?" She glanced around. Nobody. Blue binary coursed through her. What was going on? Were the other racers sleeping in today? Or worse, was the hacker in her game? Vanellope knew there was only one way to find out, and that meant heading home to Sugar Castle.
Vanellope returned to Sugar Castle, where she found that its foyer was empty. Not one character was around in the pink/salmon-colored interior.
"Princess?"
The lead racer noticed the two donut officers Wynnchel and Duncan coming out of a nearby hallway, bowing and removing their hats in respect.
"You know you don't have to do that, guys," Vanellope reminded. She didn't care too much for formalities or proper greetings, knowing she was just like any other racer in Sugar Rush. But her subjects, like Sour Bill and the donut cops, preferred to show respect.
"We're just used to it, that's all," said Wynnchel, chuckling and shrugging.
The princess knew they were right, considering that they had been working under King Candy for fifteen years, so most of the time it had been required for them, as Candy had always been a stickler for respect and formalities from his henchmen. Vanellope didn't blame them, either.
"Are Taffyta and Candlehead awake?" she asked. "'Cause I didn't see them at the track when I went over there, so…"
"I'm not sure, Miss President," replied Wynnchel. "But I don't know what the rush is."
"What are you guys talking about?" Vanellope glanced from Wynnchel to Duncan in confusion, wondering what was going on here. "I always have a Random Roster Race before the arcade opens."
"Not today you don't, apparently," said Duncan.
"She must not have gotten the message, Duncan," Wynnchel whispered to his partner.
Vanellope scoffed, throwing her hands up in impatience. "What message?"
"The arcade's closed for three weeks. Litwak's on vacation."
Vanellope raised an eyebrow in confusion, knowing she had never heard anything about the arcade owner going on vacation. Unless it had just come up and everyone was just learning about it, but it was still a little too good to be true, judging from how sudden it came up. Or maybe it was just the two pastry officers joking.
"You guys are yanking my chain, right? Because you guys are known to be a little funny." Vanellope stifled a giggle, but still trying to remain serious.
"He's not joking, Vanellope. It's true," a faint and tired-sounding voice was heard.
The president noticed Crumbelina coming down the main stairs of the foyer. She was also upgraded, as Vanellope noticed the posh racer's appearance. Crumbelina had a petite figure, with a fairly flat chest. Two buns were curled up on either side of her dark brown hair, though they were disheveled from sleep. Or the lack there of, considering that her cute, perky face was losing its fair color and growing a little haggard. Her chocolate-coated eyes had a tint of red in them. Vanellope could tell Crumbs hadn't had any sleep last night, or the past couple of days. And who could blame her? The posh racer had been hard at work on everyone's dresses for the ball.
"Crumbs?" Vanellope slowly moved closer to her fellow racer, worry growing in her chest at the sight of Crumbelina. "What's up with you? What happened?"
The posh racer yawned. "I've been working on your dresses for two whole nights. And because of the upgrade, I had to work twice as hard to alter them so they can fit our...womanly forms."
"And no sleep?" The princess sounded panicked.
"Nope. Sour Bill gave me three cups of hot chocolate and a cup of expresso to keep me up. And you know what? It paid off."
"And that means…?" Vanellope inquired, interested in Crumbs's two-night all-nighters.
"They're done. They're all done. I've finished your dresses, Vanellope. Get Taffyta and Candlehead up right now so I can show you." Crumbelina attempted a smile, but nearly fainted from tiredness and lack of sleep.
"Crumbs, you should get some rest," the princess suggested, holding the posh racer steady. "You're pretty exhausted there." Vanellope hadn't seen her during the race the past few days because they hadn't been near each other, so she didn't know how well Crumbelina had performed. But the president was certain the results hadn't been good. She wanted Crumbs to rest before she showed off the dresses, but glancing down at her insistent behavior, Vanellope could tell that Crumbelina really wanted to show them her work.
"Taffyta, wake up." Vanellope was knocking on her sister's door when she and Crumbs arrived upstairs to the upper hallway, hoping the strawberry racer was awake. Crumbelina was knocking on Candlehead's door. The posh racer was starting to faint again, and the princess dove underneath to catch her just as the doorknobs started to turn.
"Mmm…what gives?" Taffyta mumbled, opening her door to see Vanellope holding Crumbelina upright. The princess waved to her, putting on the best smile she could.
"Morning," she greeted.
"Vanellope…" the blonde racer rubbed her eyes, trying to get a clear view of what was going on. "What's up with Crumbs? She looks a little…worn out."
"She's been up all night working on our dresses, Taffyta," Vanellope explained, trying her hardest to keep Crumbs upright. The princess forgot how heavy she was when she became tired. If Candlehead was heavy, Crumbs was dead weight, making it harder and harder to support her.
"What's going on?" Candlehead's voice was heard as the birthday racer opened the door, stepping out to see her sisters and Crumbelina in the hallway, barely able to keep her eyes open. "Are you okay, Crumbs?"
"I'm fine," she replied, reeling back and forth, barely able to stay on her feet. "Just…tired." And that was the end, as Crumbelina collapsed in Vanellope's arms, starting to snooze away. All three girls could tell she was in no position to show off anything, considering that she had been up for two whole nights and more working on six dresses. And that could take a lot out of any one person.
"She's been losing sleep getting our dresses done," said Taffyta, lifting up Crumbs's drooping head. The posh racer was out, and she knew that more than anyone. "They're done, apparently."
"Crumbs was gonna show them to us," added Vanellope. "But for now, we should just let her sleep."
"Must've been a long haul for her, huh?" Candlehead guessed, scratching her head.
"Yep, and knowing Crumbs, she needs a break. Litwak's on vacation too, so that gives her plenty of time to rest."
"Oh, so you know about that now," Taffyta realized.
"I just found out, actually. But that gives us a whole three weeks together."
"After we take care of the hacker," Candlehead added.
"But for now, we should just hang out and, you know, have some sisterly bonding," Taffyta decided. She wanted to spend every minute as possible with her sisters until they had to find and face the hacker, who was possibly Kenneth.
"Besides, where were you last night?" the birthday racer asked Vanellope.
"That's a good question, Candlehead," agreed Taffyta, then regarded the princess with interest. "Where have you been last night, Vanellope?"
The princess's face started to burn red as she gulped, knowing it was going to be a long morning. And Taffyta and Candlehead were both dying to know where she'd been last night.
…
"What were you and your wife talking about last night?" Ralph asked, interested in what Felix had been doing with Calhoun in Fix-It Felix, Jr. last night.
The two men were enjoying root beers in Tapper, the usual after the arcade closed for the day. And now that Litwak closed the arcade for three weeks for a vacation, it was more crowded than usual. Patrons were coming in and going out, some were at the bar area enjoying their drinks and conversing with one another, and others were just taking in the ambience of the bar game. Ralph and Felix knew Tapper had been busy all day. And was still busy as more characters were entering.
"Was she talking about the...you know, virus? Did she find a way to fix it?"
"Well, you know…" Felix took a gulp of his root beer, face red. Setting his mug down, he continued, "We were…just talking."
"Hm, talking, right," Ralph nodded, taking a huge gulp out of his drink, letting loose a loud belch afterward, which attracted the attention from some of the patrons. Once they returned to what they were doing after a few seconds, he asked, "What about?"
"Hey, I don't have to tell you everything about Tammy and I, Ralph." The Good Guy folded his arms in annoyance. "We were just spending some alone time together. I know you're my brother and all, but whatever we do alone in the penthouse stays in the penthouse."
"Okay, I get it now, Felix. You're married, so sure you don't have to discuss everything with me about what you two do behind the curtain. But I was just curious." Ralph turned to his drink, knowing there was still a little bit he still couldn't wrap his head around about marriage. Not that he was going to reach that level himself. He didn't even have a girlfriend or was interested in love. Besides, the Bad Guy didn't consider himself the romantic type.
"And curiosity will kill the cat someday."
"And where have you been, dear?" Felix asked playfully as he turned to notice that Tamora had just entered the bar. The handyman planted the usual greeting kiss on his wife's cheek as she took her booth next to him, pulling him closer.
"You alright today, Short Stack?" she asked, ruffling Felix's hair and nearly knocking over his cap.
"I'm fine now, Tammy, now that you're here," the handyman replied, going into Calhoun-induced honeyglows.
"I had to get some security for the Mushroom Ball," the sergeant explained, recalling Princess Peach's request for heightened security for the ball. Calhoun had been reluctant about it at first, considering some of her soldiers (like Markowski) were a bit incompetent. But after the sergeant had attempted to explain to the princess what she had found, which had led to Peach not believing her, Tamora decided to assign all of her men to guard duty for the ball in the hopes of extra security. Calhoun knew it was for the sake of the ball's success and the future of the arcade.
"Looks like Peach wants to make sure the ball goes smoothly, huh?" Ralph asked.
"Apparently. And I have all of my men to guard it. So if anything suspicious comes up, we'll be ready."
"Good idea," Felix agreed, smiling and nodding. Then he latched himself around his wife's arm, red binary coursing through him. "So? We're going together, right, Tammy?"
"That's what I wanted to discuss," the sergeant pushed Felix off of her a little, glancing in all directions as if looking around for someone.
"What?" The Good Guy's body broke into pixels again, confused by what Tamora meant. He was also curious about what she wanted to discuss. "You're not coming with me? Don't tell me you've found someone else."
"I haven't, Fix-It, relax." The sergeant assured her husband. "It's just that I have a plan that involves us being separated."
Ralph and Felix both raised eyebrows at Calhoun, lost on what the sergeant was talking about. It was confusing enough that she didn't want to go to the ball with Felix, but it sounded like there was a plan behind it. Did it involve exposing Red and Kenneth?
"So what is it?" the Good Guy inquired. "If we're not going to the Mushroom Ball together, then…"
"You're going to ask Red to the ball when you see her, Fix-It," Calhoun explained, and Felix could tell by her stiff expression that the sergeant was serious and hoping she wouldn't regret it later. "Then you'll gather information from her while you're dancing with her. She doesn't know that we know what she's planning, so this is the time we make that final push and expose her to everyone."
"Wait, why me?"
"Because you're the one she's attracted to the most and already knows you well enough to guess that you're naïve. But you have to act like you're interested in her now instead of me. That way, she won't have a reason to suspect anything."
"Okay, it sounds easy enough." The reality was that Felix doubted it was a good plan and that it was going to fool Red. What if the teen suspected that something was amiss? Then that would put the Good Guy in danger and on the verge of a permanent game over. But he had to do it for the arcade, his wife, and his friends. Besides, Tamora had faith that the plan was going to succeed and would expose Red for who she really was, allowing them to put a stop to her plans before they went any further.
"But what about you?" Felix asked after a few moments, regarding his wife. "Where are you going to be? You're still going too, right?"
"Of course I am, Pint Size," Calhoun replied as if it were a stupid question. "With Wreck-It." She motioned to Ralph, who almost choked on his root beer in shock.
He couldn't believe what he had just heard, especially when it was dragging him into the plan. While he didn't want any part of it, part of him wanted in on the plan as well. Considering that he wanted to save the arcade just as much as they did. The wrecker knew it was going to be dangerous, but hey, he had been in worse situations before. Such as the Sugar Rush incident from two months ago, so how was this any different?
But it still felt weird going to the ball with a date, let alone his friend's wife. It just felt…wrong to the Bad Guy. But it was for a cause, and he would go on with it if he had to. Especially when it didn't look like he had a choice.
"Me? With you?" the wrecker asked for clarity. "But… that's crazy. And just wrong."
"We're just going as friends, Wreck-It." Calhoun cleared up the confusion. "At least that's what it will look like to the brat. We need Red to think we're interested in each other." Then she glanced at Felix. "And you have to tell her that when you ask her."
"Okay," Felix nodded, still just as uneasy about the plan as Ralph was.
"So, we just go in together and dance?" Ralph asked Calhoun. "And listen in on Felix and Red while they're dancing?"
"Exactly," Tamora confirmed, knowing this plan had to work.
"That's Red, though," Felix reminded. "But what about Kenneth?"
"Hey, Stinkbrain, Sergeant Smiles, Hammer Time! What are you guys talking about?"
The three adults turned to notice Vanellope entering the bar game, noticing them immediately. She glitched over to their table to join them. Taffyta, Candlehead, and Snowanna were catching up to her. No sooner had Ralph, Tamora, and Felix turned their attention to the princess and her friends, the adults had just the plan to expose the devious, psychotic angel as well. The Sugar Rush racers noticed their serious expressions, knowing they apparently came at a bad time.