Sorry about the long wait on this chapter! Hope I didn't lose anyone while I was working on this chapter. I've kept you all waiting a month, but I promise you, I have not disappointed you and the next two chapters will be worth the wait. Believe it.
I don't own Wreck-It Ralph.
Arcade Armageddon
Chapter 19
"What?" Vanellope was exasperated at what the adults were asking of her. "You want me to do what again?" The princess was confused by the job she was given by Tamora. No sooner had she and her friends entered Tapper, she had been assigned to Kenneth patrol, which apparently involved keeping watch over the psychotic angel himself. According to Felix, his wife needed an extra pair of eyes to look for the even the slightest hint of suspicious activity from him. At first, Vanellope had refused, as she was already going to the ball with Rancis and had to keep him company. She couldn't just leave the peanut butter cup racer hanging, especially when she had not told anyone about her going to the ball with Rancis yet. She couldn't, not when Taffyta was with her. Vanellope knew the strawberry racer had a knack for teasing her whenever learned something new about her sister. Taffyta, along with Candlehead, had done it when they had basically forced the secret of the Sugar Rush upgrade out of the lead racer. Why was Vanellope's date with Rancis any different, besides the potential romance aspect? It was nerve-wracking as she was thinking about it, as she knew that her sisters and Snow would find out regardless during the ball, and so would the adults. But Vanellope still felt that she should not tell them, at least not until they returned to Sugar Rush.
"We want you cavities to watch over Mr. Sunshine for any criminal activity," Tamora explained again. She had debriefed the four women once of the plan upon their arrival, but they felt reluctant about it at first, as all they wanted to do at the Mushroom Ball was to enjoy themselves.
Snow, especially, wanted only to have fun and maybe even find Zangief. However, from the job the racers were given a few minutes ago, that plan was wiped out. The arcade was more important, after all. Besides, Snow made a promise that she would always be by Vanellope, Taffyta, and Candlehead's side in the face of danger. And she wasn't breaking that promise.
"Four more root beers?" Tapper approached their side of the table again, this time regarding the Sugar Rush racers. He threw a smile in Vanellope's direction. "Hey there, Vanellope."
"Hey, Tapper," the princess replied, waving. "We'll take four."
"Coming up."
Once the bartender left, Vanellope threw a slightly annoyed glare at Calhoun, knowing the plan suicide waiting to happen. Especially when she knew Kenneth was a tricky character and could have other powers hidden up his sleeve at any time. Taffyta and Candlehead were just as uneasy about the job.
It was the strawberry racer who spoke. "Are you crazy, lady?" she blurted out. "You want us to watch over the Creeper for you? Don't you think that some of us would rather enjoy the Mushroom Ball rather than be a part of it?" Then Taffyta gestured to Ralph. "Why can't Wreck-It watch him?"
"Because I'm already involved in a part of the plan," the wrecker replied, then glanced sheepishly at the sergeant. Then he regarded Felix, who was taking a sip of his root beer as if nothing was wrong, which surprised Ralph. A few minutes ago, the Good Guy had been every bit as worried about this as Ralph was, but then he noticed the red tint in Felix's eyes again. When the handyman turned the larger man's way, the latter looked away, disturbed once again. The wrecker wanted so badly to restore his partner to his sweet, caring self. From Felix's creepy glance, however, that was easier said than done. It also gave the telltale sign that the Good Guy was losing himself faster than anyone expected.
"Wreck-It?" Tamora raised a fine, blond eyebrow at him. She noticed Ralph's attention on the group tables in the corner, where eight Waddle Dees and one Waddle Doo were chortling about something funny. "Are you okay?"
Ralph regarded the "dynamite gal," getting back to the business at hand. He also noticed Felix, his now-blue eyes devoid of any creepy expressions. The Good Guy was concerned like he always had been for his best friend, which made Ralph wonder if the corrupt handyman from a second ago had been an illusion.
"I'm fine, guys," the wrecker lied. "It was just that I heard a joke from those guys from Kirby over there." Ralph jerked a large thumb over at the Dedede minions nearby. "They're always hilarious." He turned his attention to Taffyta. "Anyway, I don't think I can watch over Kenneth, at least not without getting caught. Besides, he's tricky."
"Oh, come on, Wreck-It!" Taffyta continued her complaints. "You're the strongest out of all of us! I'm sure you can knock that Creeper's ass out of the park if you wanted to."
"And that's not what we want," added Felix. "We can't cause a commotion at the ball like that; we'll get kicked out."
"You mean Wreck-It will get kicked out."
"Look, kid, the bottom line is that I already involved in Red patrol," Ralph finally said.
"And I have to be the one who has to dance with her," Felix put in, a glitch shuddering through his body. Then the Good Guy found himself face-to-face with four shocked expressions. Vanellope felt like her jaw was going to drop, while Taffyta, Candlehead, and Snowanna found no words for the situation.
"Okay, Hammer Dude," Snow was the first to speak. "This had better not be a joke, because it sure sounded like you're gonna dance with the black widow."
"That's insane!" Candlehead added, then regarded Calhoun, "And you're encouraging this? Aren't you supposed to be his wife?"
"I am his wife, okay? And I love him," the sergeant confirmed. "And for your information, it's part of the plan. You really thought I was doing this just to torture Fix-It?"
"And the kicker…" Ralph explained, "….is that we have to make it look like Calhoun left Felix because of Red. Which is why I have to go to the ball with Sarge." Before any of the Sugar Rush racers could ask any further questions, the wrecker quickly added, "It's not a real date, don't worry."
"So it's just to keep Red from having any suspicions," Vanellope concluded.
"And we also know that you're the only one who can glitch," added Calhoun. "So once you get some useful information out of Kenneth, you can relay it back to Wreck-It or myself."
"Whoa, let me get this straight. I'm…dancing with this Ken guy?"
"You don't have to dance; you can just take him somewhere near the punch tables and talk."
"And get him drunk while you're at it," added Taffyta. "That should do it, and then he'll be so tipsy that he'll accidentally spill his guts. Yes, it's perfect, Vanellope."
"What?" The princess's eyes widened. "Who said I actually wanted to do it?"
"We just did, Pres.," Candlehead giggled, imagining how hilarious it would be to watch the princess with a creepy psycho. It would have been twice as funny if the angel in question wasn't threatening to destroy everything they cared about. The birthday racer grew serious again, regaining her demeanor toward the situation. "Have fun."
"You guys are so…." Then Vanellope regarded Snowanna. "Tell 'em, Snow. Tell 'em I can't do it."
"I can't either, sorry," the sherbet racer shrugged. "Besides, I doubt my camouflage ability's going to cut the mustard with Ken. I was practicing earlier in GCS on the way here, and I kept running into people. And who knows how many will be at the ball?"
"Good point, Snow." Taffyta smirked. "And you know I sure as hell am not dancing with the Creeper, and Candlehead might screw it up. Soooo….it looks like there isn't much of a choice there, Vanellope."
Blue binary coursed through the princess's body. She couldn't believe her own friends would toss her into the lion's den. It was crazy, and it was sounding just like Sugar Rush from a little over two months ago. But Vanellope understood the reasoning behind the situation, as she knew Taffyta wouldn't do this to her just because she wanted to humiliate her. It was because she loved her and knew that their president could do it, even without upgraded powers. And that alone was enough for Vanellope to understand that this was for the arcade, which was why she was going to squeeze the information out of Kenneth. Also, her friends would still be behind her every step of the way.
"I'm in," the lead racer decided, glancing among her fellow racers, Tamora, Felix, and finally Ralph. She promised she would save her "big brother's" friend, as she couldn't see Game Central Station without a Fix-It Felix, Jr. Then she felt something else as she was staring at the wrecker. Something that caused her face to go red and a glitch shudder through her body as well. She couldn't explain it, but she suddenly had flashbacks of when she had woken up in his room.
However, there was plenty of time to ponder that accident later, as catching Red and Kenneth came first.
…
"I can't believe you, Mario!" Peach snapped. She and the Nintendo Good Guy had been in a heated argument ever since the pair had returned from Fix-It Felix, Jr., where the princess had not believed Calhoun about a trapdoor below her castle. There was just no way that was true, especially when her Toad guards had stepped up security after the Turbo incident. If there had been anything suspicious, the mushroom-capped attendants would have been the first to know right away. And as far as Peach knew, there had not been any suspicious activity in Super Mario Bros.
But Mario continued to insist that Calhoun could be right, which annoyed Peach even more. That was just like the red-clad plumber, as whenever something happened, or if the suspicion of danger arose, Mario was on the case immediately. Not that Peach could blame him, of course. Mario always wanted a little danger. Hell, he faced it everyday when he was saving her, so why was Tamora's suspicions any different? If they were true, of course. She understood that the sergeant wanted her to move the Mushroom Ball as a safety precaution, but Tamora didn't have the proof to prove herself right.
The Nintendo Good Guy, however, was insistent, as he was constantly convincing Peach to reconsider moving the Mushroom Ball. The plumber knew enough about the sergeant to realize that whenever Tamora had a suspicion about something, it was worth checking out. And Mario wanted Peach to consider the worst-case scenario and generate a backup plan accordingly, especially when Mario was starting to think that Calhoun had found something during her volunteer hours in Mushroom Kingdom. Mario may not have seen her in the storage room with Red, but if she had really found something, Mario didn't want to take any chances. However, he was still going to have a hard time breaking his headstrong girlfriend, whose blue eyes were burning into his own with so much intensity even Bowser would cringe in fear.
"Peach-a, listen to me," Mario pleaded, trying to make his point sink into the mushroom princess's head for what felt like the millionth time. He wanted her to understand the situation, even though neither knew for sure there was danger lurking beneath the castle. "No! There's nothing else to talk about! The ball will still be held here, and I don't want to hear any more objections!" Peach made her words completely final. "But if Sergeant Calhoun still insists that there is something down there and can prove it, she knows where to find me!" With that, the mushroom princess stormed up the long, winding stairs to her quarters, leaving Mario stunned and at a loss for further words.
When the princess was gone and a door slam was heard, Mario sighed, for he couldn't believe he wasn't able to convince Peach to at least consider Calhoun's suggestion. Even after he had kept repeating himself multiple times to try to win out the cautious side of his girlfriend, the player-one plumber had no success. He wanted to think that sometimes Peach's stubbornness originated from the many times she had been kidnapped by Bowser on a daily basis after a quarter alert. Therefore, talking to Peach was like talking to a Whomp or a Wind Duppie, especially when the mushroom princess was in no further mood to have any further discussions at the moment.
That was when Mario decided to check the trapdoor in the storage room. If there really was something suspicious down there, the Nintendo Good Guy wanted to see for himself, for it was definitely worth checking out.
Mario slowly crept down the relatively long flight of stairs leading to the princess's storage room, where he noticed the usual stacks of crates and knick-knacks…as well as an odd, wooden panel in the corner of the small room. That had to be the trapdoor Calhoun had been talking about. The plumber cautiously approached the door, fists lighting up with flames to provide light and to prepare himself for whatever lied beneath the harmless-looking installment to the storage room. At this point, he was certain it was definitely not the Toads' doing; they would have notified Peach ahead of time. That trapdoor most certainly had not been there prior to the Mushroom Ball preparations, and whoever had installed it was planning something.
Carefully opening the door, Mario briefly took a glance behind him for any followers. When he stepped inside, the plumber's jaw nearly dropped at the sight before him, knowing what he was facing was impossible. As he was trying to register the nest of the thousand or so Cy-Bugs and larvae, however, Mario realized that this sealed any doubts and denials about the dangers the Mushroom Ball would be in. If Peach didn't relent, of course. It also proved Tamora right, for Mario had to hightail it to Hero's Duty to reveal his findings to the sergeant, and then drag Peach downstairs to make her see reason. The mushroom princess had to believe him this time, for he didn't see a reason why she wouldn't upon seeing the malicious viruses milling about the castle's underside.
Suddenly, a Cy-Bug flew at Mario, growling threateningly and hungrily. The Nintendo Good Guy hurled a red flame at the virus, incinerating it instantly. But then, a few more started after the Nintendo Good Guy, homing in on him with that same ferocity as the first. Mario fired one flame after another at the creatures, trying to get them off him as he tried to make it back upstairs.
Unfortunately for him, each time he destroyed a cluster, two more groups tended to head in his direction. One Cy-Bug knocked him off of his feet, causing him to stumble down the staircase and into a group of eggs that were starting to hatch upon contact. Mario tried to scramble back to his feet and hurry back upstairs, but the Cy-Bugs were relentless as several of the larvae caught hold of his legs, pinning him to the ground and preventing escape. Mario attempted to torch the annoying infants, but the larvae devoured the heat,maturing two sizes and becoming fire-powered viruses. They returned the favor by sending streams of flames coursing through Mario's body, causing him to bellow in Nintendo Good Guy was finding it hard to believe that he was being betrayed by his own attack. Even Bowser wouldn't have been able to compete with almost ten times the fire power. Mario slumped, robbed of his strength and now at the mercy of the surrounding Cy-Bugs, knowing that all he could do was brace himself and hope that Peach would figure it out soon.
…
"Stupid Mario…" Peach sobbed, head buried in her pillows. She was in her large, pink-accented room, where everything was embroidered with mushrooms and crowns. Her bedroom was about twice the size of a normal bedroom, with the queen-sized bed taking up only a portion of her room by the window.
The mushroom princess lay on her back, pillow still covering her face. She was still angry at Mario, who had taken Calhoun's side in the Mushroom Ball move, as well as the trapdoor the sergeant insisted she had seen.
But it still didn't make sense to Peach, as she was certain that if there was a trapdoor or secret room like her Secret Slide minigame, it would have been installed by the Toads. And even then, they would have notified her first.
And that last part alone made her wonder if…Calhoun could be right. Besides, Mario didn't deserve the princess's outbursts while he was only trying to look out for her. Peach knew she owed him an apology, and afterward she would out that trapdoor with him. She wanted to make the Mushroom Ball a success just as much as everyone else did, and Tamora was only trying to help her in ensuring that it would be successful. And if there was really a trapdoor, Peach would take necessary precautions, which she started to list in her head as she wiped the tears from her eyes and climbed out of her pink-and-blue queen-sized bed to rejoin Mario downstairs.
When she made it downstairs, however, Mario was nowhere to be found. Peach glanced around the foyer, then started to search every room in the castle, hoping for any sign of her red-clad hero.
The princess first checked the kitchen, where a group of baker Toads and Zess T. were confused by the urgent look on their princess's face. None of them followed up with any questions, until she asked if they had seen the Nintendo Good Guy.
"Sorry, Your Highness," Zess T. replied. "Haven't seen Clumsy Crush-A-Lot anywhere until you guys came back. And we could hear you all the way from in here, too. What were you guys arguing about, anyway? You breaking up with him or something? Did he break something of yours? 'Cause he smashed my contact lens before."
"No, no, nothing like that, Zess," Peach cut her off before the chef continued to rant. Of course Mario could be clumsy like his brother sometimes, but Zess T. had it entirely wrong. "It was just our usual disagreement, you know? About the ball. He wants to invite some guys from Mortal Kombat out in Outlet Central, and I didn't think it was a good idea because of what had happened last year with Stryker." The mushroom princess wasn't going to tell the nosy chef the real reason she and Mario had been arguing, for she did not want anyone else getting hurt if the storage room turned out to be dangerous. Although the Mortal Kombat incident from last year was true, considering the way Stryker had advanced on Princess Daisy near the punch bowl.
But that was the least of Peach's issues right now, as she had to keep looking for her boyfriend. And neither Zess T. nor the other baker Toads knew where the player-one plumber was.
The princess continued her search, hoping for any telltale signs of Mario throughout the rest of the castle. However, she had no such luck, for he wasn't in the bathrooms, the hallways, the balcony, or outside in the courtyard. The last place she checked was the lounge, which was facing the hedge-decorated yard behind the castle. A trio of Toadettes were arranging flowers on a table near the windowsill. When they noticed Peach and her tired and now-nervous expression, the female Toads knew something was wrong.
"Something wrong, Princess?" the pink one asked.
"Have you seen Mario anywhere in here?" Peach inquired, trying to keep her anxiety contained.
"No, we haven't," the green one replied, confused. "Was he around earlier?" She set a rose on the sill before she approached her princess, worried about her.
"Yeah," the third Toadette, a blue one, added. "'Cause if so, we must've missed him."
"Oh, okay," the princess sighed, then turned to leave.
"But if you want, we can help you find him," the green Toadette offered, grabbing the hem of Peach's dress. The mushroom princess turned to notice the female Toad's concerned look, which screamed the desire to help.
"Yeah." The pink one joined her friend. "This is getting boring, anyway."
"No, it's okay, guys." Peach waved them off. "I was just wondering if you've seen him. I can look for him myself."
"Seriously, it's no problem." The blue Toadette caught up to her friends, her flowering pot raised like a weapon. "We're just as worried about Mario as you, Princess, and we totally don't want anything to happen to him. I mean, after everything he's done for us, we should return the favor."
Peach couldn't help but laugh at the three Toadettes' enthusiasm and courage. But they were right. Mario had been doing so much to keep Mushroom Kingdom safe from danger in-game, as well as outside of their game. Besides, he was the lead character of Super Mario Bros., which meant that if something happened to their hero, their game would be doomed.
However, the mushroom princess was also worried about her subjects' well-being, which was why she could not risk getting them hurt if the storage room was deemed dangerous. Especially when she probably needed to find Tamora before the princess traversed down there. Other than Red, the sergeant was the only one who had been in the storage room. So Peach wouldn't be completely alone. It was merely the matter of heading over to Hero's Duty to warn her right away.
…
It had been a long day in Tapper, and Vanellope wanted nothing more than sleep until the Mushroom Ball the next day. After the president had said her goodnights to Sour Bill, her sisters, Snow, and the donut cops, she went straight to her room, collapsing face down in her bed. Vanellope was tired from the day, despite only having been at Tapper all day discussing surveillance with the others, where she was the unlucky person chosen to look after Kenneth. Did that mean she had to invite him to eat with her? Or dance with her? The princess knew she couldn't just walk up to him and ask "So? How can we save Felix from a virus you installed?"
Yeah, that would definitely go well with Sunshine, Vanellope thought sarcastically. She still couldn't believe Taffyta would throw her into the fire like her sister had. The princess understood that the blonde racer was just as creeped out by Kenneth as anyone, but they were a team, not enemies. And the fact that Vanellope had no upgraded powers added on to the problem. How was she going to defend herself against the healer when all she could do was glitch. She certainly couldn't glitch him to death. However, considering that she was resourceful whenever the situation allowed it, Vanellope was certain to find a way to defend against Kenneth.
"Vanellope? You awake?" Knocking, along with Crumbelina's voice, was heard.
"Hang on." The president glitched over to her door, answering it to reveal the posh racer. Unlike this morning, when she had been drained and pale from the lack of sleep, Crumbs was entirely healthy. But the serious expression crossing her face betrayed that fact, which generated a new wave of anxiety in Vanellope's chest. From this point, the Kenneth dilemma was long-forgotten.
"What's going on, Crumbs?" Vanellope wondered as she was trying to read her fellow racer's expression.
"You might want to come to the code room with me. Sour Bill found something you might want to see."
A glitch suddenly shuddered through the princess's body. She hoped Kenneth or Red hadn't been in Sugar Rush's codes. But she knew she would find out when she made it down there. But she had to ask.
"Is it a virus?" the princess inquired. "Had someone been in our codes earlier?"
"Nope, nothing like that," said Crumbs, which relieved Vanellope a little. "More like an…avatar." There was venom in that last word, which made the lead racer wonder who this avatar was. But from the posh racer's tone, Vanellope wouldn't have to wait long to find out.
…
"What if this plan fails?" Felix asked, pacing back in forth in front of his wife. They were in her hut, thinking back on the plan they were going to execute at the ball. Neither were thrilled about it, but they had to do it if they were going to catch Red off guard.
Calhoun was feeling needles in her stomach just thinking about her husband and the teen together. It was irritating just thinking about it.
The Good Guy's constant ranting and glitching were not helping matters either, not that Tamora blamed him. As far as she knew, Felix had every right to be worried and stressed about this situation. What if Red got the best of him and took control through seduction? Tamora knew she and Felix had to watch the teen's every move at the ball if they wanted to catch her and get the information they needed to restore the Good Guy. That meant Calhoun needed to calm Felix down so they could focus and consider their options. Besides, Felix's worrying was only making the virus worse, and the sergeant didn't want him to lose himself any further.
"Don't worry, Fix-It," she assured him. "You'll be fine. Just calm down. We'll get through this."
"And what if we can't?" The Good Guy stared pleadingly at his wife, fear in his blue eyes. "I mean, this thing inside me is getting stronger every second, and it's only a matter of time before I end up hurting someone else. You should've seen what had happened to Vyse…well, from what Ralph explained to me." Though Felix didn't remember that fiasco, he had Ralph fill him in on it. And with each word, the handyman had not believed it, knowing he would never do such a thing. He was also worried for Vyse, who had been consumed by the dying Skies of Arcadia world. And it had been thanks to him and how he had "fixed" the air pirate's plane. Also, according to the Bad Guy, Felix had completely lost it in the swashbuckler game, which meant it wasn't long before the handyman was past the point of return.
A glitch shuddered through him just thinking about that horrifying possibility that could result in innocents getting hurt or even killed.
Also, his wife could be one of them, for Tamora was the one whose life Felix feared for the most. He loved her and vowed to protect her, even if it meant staying away from her for the rest of his life in order to avoid unknowingly killing her. If the Good Guy did, User forbid, he wouldn't forgive himself. He would also be viewed as a bad guy, which would be a fate worse than a game over.
"Look, Fix-It, we're going to find an anti-virus for you." Tamora knelt down to Felix's level, then pulled him into her arms, which generated a series of honeyglows from the Good Guy. Next to the well-being of the arcade, the sergeant cared about Felix more than anything. She wasn't going to allow anything to happen to the handyman. That included standing by and watching the virus swallow the last ounce of Felix's will. Tamora had already endured one loss, and she refused to suffer another.
When they broke from their embrace, Felix stared up at Tamora's hopeful expression, which made his worries ease a little. He felt his code swell with hope and the urge to press on in search of a way to restore his tainted code. The sergeant wasn't going to give up hope, and neither would he.
But there was still the matter of trying to convince Peach to listen to reason about moving the Mushroom Ball's location. Mario may have believed them, but Peach had been a different story, for she was headstrong and hellbent on getting a feat done without stopping. Both Felix and Calhoun understood that the mushroom princess wanted the ball to be a success, but not when innumerable lives could be at stake. And if Mario couldn't convince her…
"Sergeant Calhoun!" A familiar voice, along with a series of frantic knocks, were heard. Tamora rose from her futon to head over to the door. Felix craned his head to the side to figure out who the guest was going to be as his wife answered the door. Both husband and wife were surprised when they saw the pink-clad woman with tears in her eyes.
"Peach?" Felix was wondering what was going on, hoping it wasn't anything dangerous, but judging from her sobs, that possibility was in the toilet. The Good Guy stood up to check either side of her and saw that Mario wasn't with her. That was when the Good Guy started to worry. Did something happen to the plumber?
"Mario," Peach replied. "Have you seen Mario? He wasn't in the kingdom, so I was wondering if he was with you before I assumed he was…somewhere else."
"Sorry, we haven't seen him since he left with you," Tamora replied.
"Oh.
"Did something happen, Peach?" Felix inquired.
"Mario and I were having an argument about the ball, and then I went upstairs to calm down. But when I went back down to make amends and apologize to him, Mario was gone. And I was guessing he went down to the storage room to check for your trapdoor suspicions. Now I can't find him. I'm starting to think you guys are right. I didn't want to go down there myself, so…"
"We tried to tell you, 'Shroom Princess," Tamora shrugged, noticing the regretful look on Peach's face. The mushroom princess was sorry for not taking Calhoun's word into consideration, for if she had, then Mario would still be with her. Also, Peach and the plumber would have taken the necessary precautions and moved the Mushroom Ball. But a silly function was the last thing on anyone's mind, for Peach needed Tamora's help.
The sergeant grabbed her weapon belt from the arm of a small chair, then noticed Felix on his feet. "You should stay here, soldier," the Hero's Duty's lead suggested.
"Look, Tammy, I may be turning into a virus, but I can't risk you two ladies going out there and getting killed, or ending up like Mario. Assuming something's happened to him."
"You're safer here, though, Fix-It," Peach countered, wiping away tears. "I mean, what if you lose control while we're down there?"
"I know I'll be safe here, but I'm not sitting out on the sidelines like a coward. I'm coming with you." The Good Guy glitched over to the two women, causing Peach's heart to jump out of her chest.
The damsel was still not used to the handyman's constant glitching. But this one seemed a little more…controlled, unlike before. Peach was starting to grow worried as well, for she was certain that it wasn't going to be long before the malware within Felix would consume him.
"Can you get your glitches under control, Pint Size?" Tamora asked.
"I can't help it, Tammy. It just seems to have a mind of its…" Suddenly the Good Guy felt a surge of pain shoot through his head again, this one stronger than the previous bouts. Felix grabbed his head, red binary coursing through his body. Then as quickly as it came, the pain subsided. This time, however, he merely stood there, glancing down at the floor.
Peach and Calhoun took a step back from him, wondering if the virus had already done its damage.
"Fun Size?" Tamora slowly approached her husband. "Are you okay?"
"I-I'm fine," Felix glanced up, another glitch running through him. He grinned up at the two women, which disturbed Peach especially because she had never seen the handyman laugh off pain. The mushroom princess was certain this was definitely not the fixer talking.
"But you were having some sort of headache," she reminded.
"It was just a headache, don't worry," assured Felix, waving Peach off. He then added, "I was thinking about getting Ralph; we might need him in case that trapdoor is indeed dangerous. I mean, we never know."
"Good idea, Fix-It," Peach agreed, though she couldn't place the sudden optimistic behavior. "We might need more muscle."
"Are you sure you're okay, Fix-It?" Calhoun asked, eyebrow raised at her husband's sudden change in behavior. A few minutes ago, he had been scared. Now he was disturbingly calm.
"Stop worrying, okay? Just go and find Mario, and I'll get Ralph."
The sergeant sighed, knowing she wasn't going to get any answers other than that from her husband. Plus, she trusted her husband, especially when he was just going to get Ralph and then catch up to Calhoun and Peach in Super Mario Bros.. Besides, they did need the extra muscle, especially when nobody knew exactly what was in the trapdoor. And they were going to find out as the sergeant, Peach, and Felix headed out of the hut. Little did the two women know, however, Felix's once-optimistic expression grew into a wicked smirk.
…
"Red…" Gretel mumbled, squirming around in her sleep. She was in her tiny bedroom in Fairytale Speedway, worried about her best friend and what had been going on with her. It was making it difficult to sleep, that was for sure, as she had been opening her eyes every few hours out of fear that her infected "big sister" would be at the window watching her with those golden eyes. But it hadn't stopped her from getting nightmare after nightmare of Red killing an innocent person, and sometimes even Ralph, Calhoun, or Vanellope, all of whom she considered friends. Some of them, however, had featured Red herself, unconscious in a dark void, tied in red chains and barely breathing. What had creeped Gretel out was the creature standing near Red, with pale grayish skin and the same golden eyes as the infected Red. He had been clad in a white-and-red jumpsuit, with a T embroidered on the helmet. Gretel knew she had never seen such a character before, and the horror hadn't stopped there, as the pale creature's fist was crackling with red energy, driving itself into Red, who unleashed a scream as the energy coursed through the teen's body.
At this moment, Gretel had that exact same dream. She sat upright in her bed, taking a quick glance at her trophies and poster-embroidered walls out of fear. Sweat rolled down her face, causing her brown hair to frizz up at the ends. She tried to recover from the nightmare for what felt like the millionth time. Watching Red die like that had been terrifying, even though she hadn't seen it in reality. But even in a dream, it was enough to disturb even the bravest person. One question was swimming through her mind as well: who was that creature who had killed her? She knew he had the same face as those icons in Red's code, but who was he exactly? One thing was certain: he wasn't a character in Fairytale Speedway. Gretel was feeling anxiety in her chest just thinking about it. Maybe if she headed over to Hero's Duty or Fix-It Felix, Jr. to get one of the adults, she would feel safer. Tears started to roll down her eyes, still mourning over Red. The tween buried her face in her pillow, still shaken.
Suddenly, the young racer felt a conk on the back of her head, causing her vision to go black.
On a nearby branch at Gretel's window, stood Kenneth, who was tossing a stone in one hand and flashing that overly-optimistic smile. He flew in her bedroom, scooping her up in his arms.
"Such a sweet girl you are," the angel said, chuckling. "You don't mind if Mr. Candy can borrow you for a while. You see, I need to get back on his good side."
…
"I still can't believe I'm getting pulled into this," Ralph grumbled, trying to fall asleep in his shack but couldn't. His mind had been restless all night, as he kept thinking back on the plan Calhoun had formulated for the upcoming day, still unable to process himself dancing with his partner's wife. But the wrecker had to remember that it was only for the sake of exposing Red and saving the arcade.
Then there was Vanellope and her upgrade, not to mention upon having found her asleep in his bed this morning, which, under normal circumstances was wrong. At least, he knew it was wrong, considering that he was still used to Vanellope being a kid. But seeing her now, Ralph still didn't know how to process the aged-up princess. Especially when there was still the matter of saving the arcade from a wicked teenage girl first. And who knew what Red was going to plan at the Mushroom Ball? Which meant she had to be stopped above all else, and Kenneth along with her.
Overall, Ralph was worried about Felix and his affliction, as well as what it could mean for Fix-It Felix, Jr.. If he didn't save the Good Guy, the '80s game was sure to get unplugged.
Suddenly, a knock was heard at the door.
"Wonder who that could be?" The wrecker struggled out of bed, then headed over to answer the door. When he opened it, he noticed Felix standing there. But just as the Bad Guy was ready to breathe a sigh of relief, he noticed the Good Guy's crimson eyes, which wasn't a good thing.
"Ralph…" the handyman said flatly.
Ralph quickly tried to slam the door on the shorter man, but Felix threw the door back, causing it to slam back open.
"Hello to you too, Ralph," Felix smirked, slowly approaching the wrecker and backing him until he stumbled back on his bed. The Good Guy displayed that maniacal smirk, hammer in hand and his body crackling with electricity. He chuckled darkly, head cocked to the side and, again, disturbing Ralph.
The wrecker knew the virus was worsening now, as the handyman was now losing himself. It was definitely looking more and more like Felix was going to kill him, and the "villain" knew he needed to get Calhoun as soon as possible.
"Felix, come on!" Ralph made another attempt to reach out to his "brother." "Pull yourself together! This isn't you!"
But the Good Guy proceeded with his attack, raising his ivory hammer to Ralph and preparing to strike. His crimson eyes still bore that hollow gaze, despite the smirk plastered on his face.
Ralph knew he had to do something to break free, but at the same time, he didn't want to harm Felix. However, if the Bad Guy didn't do something fast, the handyman was going to end his game. And being in their own game wouldn't matter, as Ralph was certain Felix could drag or glitch him out of the game to do the deed. Not that the wrecker would let that happen, as he successfully threw a pillow at the Good Guy, disorienting the latter's vision long enough for Ralph to make a break for the door.
But Felix made a quick recovery as he glitched in front of the door, slamming it and still retaining that insane smile. He knew he had Ralph right where he wanted him.
"Stop it, Felix! You're freaking me out right now!" The Bad Guy pleaded, still refusing to fight him, but if he had to, he would.
And Ralph feared that this was one of those times as he threw a punch at the Good Guy, who glitched out of the way.
"Wait, where did he…" The wrecker glanced around quickly to search for his partner.
"Behind you, Ralph."
The wrecker turned to notice the Good Guy on the bed. The latter then tackled Ralph, who was amazed at the incredible increase in Felix's strength. Ralph had never seen the Good Guy able to pin him down before. It was…impossible, under normal circumstances, as Felix definitely didn't have the size for such strength.
But he did, and was doing it well as he grabbed Ralph by the throat, cutting off his air supply and rendering the larger man powerless. However, that wasn't the only thing, as Ralph suddenly felt his strength slipping away from him, his vision starting to blur as Felix strengthened his grip on him.
"F…F…" the Bad Guy was trying to make one last attempt to reason with the handyman, but couldn't as Felix was starting to become a blur as well. He didn't know what was happening to him, but it was far from a good thing as Felix released his grip on Ralph. The wrecker had no strength left as he completely lost consciousness.
Felix grinned in success at his handiwork, and even though he didn't know why he had to do this to Ralph, he felt that he actually had to. For someone. And luckily, he knew who it was, as the Good Guy placed his hands on Ralph and glitched away.
...
"It's down here," Calhoun said, directing Peach down another flight of stairs. She and the mushroom princess returned to Super Mario Bros., where the two women headed directly for the staircase leading below the main sections and wings of the castle. And as they were heading deeper and deeper into the underside, Peach noticed it was getting darker, which generated a sense of fear in her. The princess was also starting to believe that Mario had gotten himself in trouble.
When they reached the bottom, Peach stayed behind the sergeant as they slowly entered the small, crate-packed room, where Calhoun quickly made a beeline for the trapdoor in the corner. When the mushroom princess caught up to Tamora, she noticed the odd floor fixture as well. Did Mario go down there? If so, why hadn't he come out? Anxiety bubbled in her code at the thought of what she would be facing down there.
I hope Mario hasn't gotten killed, the damsel thought as Calhoun slowly opened the door and stepped in. Peach took a deep breath, as she followed suit.
The women were beside themselves at the sight when they entered the murky underside. Even worse, they couldn't believe it. Millions of Cy-Bugs were skittering all over the soft, Poison Mushroom-infested ground, jawing and growling. Eggs dotted the pit as well, along with Bob-ombs, which made Calhoun and Peach wonder where the viruses came from and how they managed to break out of Hero's Duty and into Super Mario Bros.. It didn't make sense, as Peach knew that Cy-Bugs had simplified codes and no intelligence. That meant someone had to have been behind it. When the princess glanced at Calhoun and her displeased expression, however, she could tell that the sergeant knew who the suspect was.
But that still didn't answer where Mario was in the Cy-Bug nest. At this point, Peach was certain Mario was in there. She knew it. It was only a matter of finding him. She just hoped that the plumber hadn't been consumed by one of the malicious viruses.
"Stay behind me," Tamora commanded, pulling out her rifle and ready to put an end to any Cy-Bug that dared threaten the two.
As instructed, Peach stayed behind the sergeant, readying her parasol. Once the princess saved Mario, she would apologize for not listening earlier. Then she would move the ball, provided that they survived.
The two women continued deeper into the Cy-Bug lair, being careful not to disturb any eggs or Bob-ombs that threatened to hatch or explode. However, they still had swarming viruses to deal with as a cluster of six was headed toward them. Tamora was ready, firing at the jawing creatures, while Peach raised her parasol to repel their attacks. Each time they had a clear path, Tamora and Peach charged forward, sidestepping the eggs and larvae as they were navigating deeper into the nest.
Suddenly, there was an ear-splitting growl, which caused both women to jump.
"What in the world was that?" Peach wondered as she glanced around the Cy-Bug pit in search of the bellow. It was hard to tell, as there were millions of Cy-Bugs to choose from; it could have been from any one of them.
But then Peach and Tamora heard and felt stomping and loud buzzing from behind. Both turned to see an enormous, red-and-blue striped Cy-Bug storming toward them and letting loose another roar. The mushroom princess knew she had never seen an insect such as what she was facing. What really left her at a loss for words was the familiar, M-monogrammed cap. Peach couldn't believe it. She just couldn't. But there it was, the red-and-blue stripes and cap were a dead giveaway. The Cy-Bug before them was indeed Mario, and it was her fault. If only the mushroom princess had listened to her boyfriend earlier….
"Don't tell me that's…" Tamora froze mid-sentence upon staring up at Mario. But just like any other virus, this one couldn't be ignored simply because he used to be the princess's boyfriend. It wasn't like she didn't understand Peach's hopes for getting Mario back, but the sergeant had to protect the arcade. And if Mario were to break out of his game into Game Central Station, it could spell more trouble. She charged forward, prepared to fire at the Nintendo Good Guy.
However, Peach insisted there was hope for Mario, for he hadn't been a Cy-Bug long enough to embrace its beastly instincts. She refused to allow Calhoun to kill the plumber as she stepped between him and Tamora. The mushroom princess refused to let Mario die, knowing they could save him if they tried. If Mario died, who knew what Peach would do? What would she tell Luigi and the other Mario Bros. residents? Especially Bowser, who was known to rage at the sound of bad news. User only knew how the Koopa King would take Mario's death, which could also mean the loss of Super Mario Bros.
She jumped between Tamora and Mario, not allowing Calhoun to take another step.
"What in the hell are you doing?" the sergeant barked angrily. "That monster is not your boyfriend anymore! He'll kill you!"
"Not if he remembers me first!" Peach countered. She then regarded the Nintendo Good Guy, ready to reach out to him. She was going to save Mario from the virus that was controlling him, even if it killed her. "Mario! It's me, Peach! Don't you remember me?"
The Nintendo Good Guy, however, ignored Peach's plea as he swung at her, sending the princess flying into a group of Bob-ombs and eggs, which, thankfully for the damsel, didn't activate.
Peach quickly collected herself, watching as her boyfriend lunged for Calhoun with a hungry look in his eye. "Mario, stop!" the princess called out as she ran over to intervene again. She couldn't let him do this. Mario was a Good Guy, and Good Guys did not wreak havoc. They swore themselves to protect their games.
But the Cy-Bug hybrid was relentless, as he continued to attack Calhoun, who started to fire at him upon seeing him as a threat.
"Run!" Tamora urged, but Peach didn't move an inch.
"I'm not going anywhere!" Peach countered. She refused to run like a coward, as she knew Mario was still in there trying to break free.
"Look, your boyfriend's gone now, okay?" Tamora continued to fire at Mario, until he knocked the weapon out of the Hero's Duty's lead's hands. "Damn!" She tried to pull out her pistol but Mario was quicker as he slammed his claw down on Tamora, caging her and leaving her immobile.
"Sarge!" Peach ran over to the monster. "Let her go, Mario!" She headed over to the caged sergeant. As much as she didn't want to hurt Mario, she had no choice here but to use her Peach Bomber on the plumber's claw. The mushroom princess knew she was going to regret this later.
Mario unleashed a pained roar as he was forced to release his hold on Calhoun. The princess helped her rise to her feet. "Are you okay?" Peach asked.
"Now do you believe me?" Tamora slightly nodded to Mario, who charged at the two women again. Tamora pulled out her pistol, turning around to fire at the Nintendo Good Guy. However, the bullets made no scratch on him. She swore again, knowing they had no choice but to escape.
"Fall back!" the sergeant commanded as she grabbed Peach by the arm and started for the staircase heading back upstairs.
When they reached the storage room, Peach and Tamora quickly closed the trapdoor, reaching for the locks surrounding it. But they were not fast enough as a large, blue-and red claw broke its way through the trapdoor, threatening to yank one of the women back inside.
"Mario!" Peach screamed as she was sent flying into a stack of crates. When she recovered, the princess noticed the claw snatching up Tamora in an attempt to pull her back into the nest. "No!" She sprinted for Mario's claw, preparing her parasol to save Calhoun, who was struggling to break free of the Nintendo Good Guy's strong grip. The mushroom princess twirled her closed parasol like a drill, charging for the enormous claw and scoring a direct hit in its palm.
However, it had no effect as the parasol's tip snapped upon contact.
"Put her down!" Peach demanded, but it was no use as Mario proceeded to pull Calhoun back through the trapdoor, where Cy-Bugs were milling around the massive red-and-blue one, awaiting their meal. The mushroom princess couldn't bear to watch, but there was no way she could fight off an entire score of the viruses, at least not by herself. She needed to get help, and fast.
"'Shroom Princess…" Tamora was being pulled back down into the Cy-Bug nest, face-to-face with the Cy-Bug hybrid that was formerly Mario. He pinned her down, preventing any chances of escape. Cy-Bugs started to hover around the two as Tamora couldn't believe the position she was in. With no weapons to protect herself or get her out of danger, she had never felt more helpless.
…
"Wake up, ya big ape!"
Ralph's eyes slowly started to flutter open as he tried to make out the blurry images before him.
"Vanellope?" he mumbled, confused, but then realized the voice was too masculine to belong to the president. Besides, it was a little more…demanding. He was still out of it from his little tussle with Felix, who had been just on the edge of his sanity back in Fix-It Felix, Jr.. Considering how the Good Guy had subdued him, it was official. When Ralph fully came to, an unfamiliar area came into focus. The Bad Guy knew he was no longer in the '80s game. He wasn't even in Game Central Station, judging from the walls of cascading code surrounding him. Upon glancing around the unfamiliar area, he heard footsteps growing louder by the second.
"About time you're awake," the voice was heard again. It was definitely not Vanellope's, or anyone he recognized, for that matter.
Ralph noticed two blue-clad characters entering the room, both smirking at the wrecker. As the wrecker sized them up, he realized they were oddly familiar.
"I remember you two…" he said, then noticed that his voice sounded a bit hoarse. He cleared his throat, trying to figure out what had happened. He didn't catch a virus upon being captured and dragged to some unknown place, so where did the sudden cold come from? What garnered his attention right now were the two twins before him. He knew he remembered the two characters from the 80s, when Turbo Time had been still popular. Ralph was certain that they had died when the racing game was unplugged. Hell, the wrecker thought Turbo had also died before the Sugar Rush peril. When the Bad Guy glanced up at the twins, he couldn't help but wonder how they survived. And what was their plan in everything that was happening in the arcade? Were they aiming to avenge Turbo's death? Or did they have their own vendetta?
"Not looking too good, are you?" one of the twins mocked.
"Wait, don't answer that. You look horrible," the other taunted. "You don't look like the Wreck-It Ralph you always are, huh?"
"You're the Turbo Twins," Ralph said. "But you guys…"
"Died? Yeah, we get that a lot." The second twin regarded his brother. "Don't you think, Whiplash?"
"Yep," Whiplash replied, grinning. "Good thing we were able to get out of Turbo Time right after Turbo." He then regarded Ralph. "And yes, Burn and I have heard of how you humiliated him in that cavity-coated dump called Sugar Rush. And that 'glitch' he keeps ranting on and on about adds on to that, you know?"
"Wait, keeps?" Ralph repeated, letting out a dry cough. He still had no idea where the sudden cold came from, but what really interested him was how Whiplash had just used present tense for Turbo. The Bad Guy knew there was no way the evil racer could be alive again, especially not after Ralph had witnessed him burn to death in the Diet Cola Hot Springs. Before he could pursue the question of the racer's possible return, however…
"Let's get back to you." Burn strolled nonchalantly up to the weakened wrecker, avoiding the question. He looked Ralph up and down. "Looks like Fix-It's done a serious number on you. That virus is eating away at him pretty quickly, huh?"
"Yeah, the way he dragged your ass in here not too long ago?" Whiplash shook his head in shame. "Makes you wonder if you ever put up a fight at all."
"Hiya, Twins!" An optimistic voice was heard, which caused Ralph to groan in annoyance. The Bad Guy knew it was the last voice he wanted to hear. He craned his neck to see Kenneth descend from the pitch-black ceiling of the code-ridden chamber, carrying a petite, brown-haired girl under his arm. As the angel landed, light filled the room, blinding Ralph and the Turbo Twins.
"Dammit, Ken!" Whiplash shielded his eyes. "Can't you enter a room without doing that?"
"Sorry, ya'll." The healer grinned. "Sometimes I can't help it. But look what I brought with me." When Ken tossed the girl at the twins' feet, Ralph recognized the familiar tween as Gretel. What did they want with her?
"You came back just to bring us…that?" Burn shifted the unconscious girl with his foot as if she were a mere object.
"Yeah. Not seeing your logic here, Ken," added Whiplash. He was just as confused as his brother.
"She works with Mr. Wreck-It," Ken explained, gesturing to the Bad Guy, who looked like he was trying to break free.
"What do you want with her?" Ralph asked hoarsely, angry because the twins and Kenneth were treating Gretel like a piece of trash. He refused to imagine Vanellope being in the tween's position. The Bad Guy would have been twice as enraged.
"Never you mind," Burn spat. "Just keep hanging around and worry about your own ass."
"Especially when Mr. Candy may have a lot in store for you," added Kenneth, still retaining that grin.
"'Mr. Candy?'" Ralph repeated.
"Hope you've been treating our guesth well, Burn and Whiplash." A lisping voice was heard.
"Yep, we have, Boss," Whiplash replied, glancing around for the owner of the voice. "We were just chatting with Wreck-It."
"Asth long asth you didn't kill him, everything'sth fine."
The Bad Guy recognized that lisp from anywhere. And he couldn't believe it. But the wrecker heard his voice, which was unmistakable. However, Ralph was confused when he noticed a hooded figure appearing from one of the corridors. It smirked up at the Bad Guy, yellow, catlike eyes glowing eerily. Ralph's entire code started to freeze at the sight of the figure, knowing it could not have been Turbo. It just couldn't, for he was dead. When the figure finally removed its cloak, the wrecker didn't have to wait long to find out.
"It's just you, Red," Burn sighed, chuckling and regarding Ralph and Kenneth.
Calhoun was right… Ralph realized as he took in the familiar dark hair and golden eyes. There was no doubt about it. Red was standing before the large man, smiling wickedly. But one detail still puzzled him: why was she talking like the psychotic racer? The wrecker knew that only Turbo possessed a lisp…unless Red was an excellent imitator. Ralph doubted that possibility, though. Also, Burn's anxiety appeared suspicious a few seconds ago. Not to mention Whiplash's regarding Red as "Boss." It was making the Bad Guy wonder more and more who the mysterious "Mr. Candy" was.
Kenneth was also confused, as he too noticed the sudden lisp from Red. The angel remembered the strange accent from earlier, knowing it was unlike the teen. It also made him wonder if Red was really her name. He glanced at Ralph, as if looking for an explanation.
"Hello, Ralph," Red greeted the Bad Guy in the slight Turbo accent. She smirked up at him, pleased at the sight before her. Then she noticed the unconscious Gretel. Regarding the Turbo Twins and Kenneth, she asked, "What isth she doing here?"
"Ask him." Burn pointed in the angel's direction.
Despite Red's heated glare, Ken kept his cool, putting on his usual smile. "First of all, why do you sound like that? And second, Ms. Riding Hood, I just wanted to get back on Mr. Candy's good list. Seriously, why do you sound like someone I'd rather not name?"
"Funny, I was wondering the same thing," Ralph agreed, another series of coughs escaping him as he eyed Red carefully. The wrecker knew she definitely had everything to do with the drama around the arcade, and with the Turbo Twins at that. However, the shift in her voice gave him pause. It did indeed sound like Turbo, but his death eliminated the possibility that she was the evil racer. Did the teen have a lisp as well but had been covering it up this whole time? The situation was growing more and more disturbing, not to mention dangerous. First, Felix was losing to the malware inside him, and now Red was sounding less and less like her usual self. Even Kenneth was growing confused by the shift in the racer's accent. Also, the wrecker loved to know who the mysterious "Mr. Candy" was.
"Oh, shut up, both of you!" Red snapped, trying hard to retain her normal accent. "My cold's just getting the best of me, okay? Now, last I checked, Mr. Candy didn't ask for Gretel. Besides, I doubt kidnapping her is enough to get back in his good graces, Kenneth."
"Well, I had to try." Ken grinned.
"Yeah, Wings. Whatever you say." Whiplash waved him off. "I guess you can just hang her up right next to Wreck-It."
"My pleasure." The angel proceeded to hang Gretel on the code-ridden wall next to Ralph.
"So, anyone want to tell me who this Mr. Candy is?" the Bad Guy inquired. "And where Felix is?"
"Those are good questions, Mr. Wreck-It," Ken replied as he fastened the chains on Gretel.
"And I'll be getting a good answer once I break free and beat the feathers out of you!" the wrecker threatened, trying futilely to break free of the links in the wall. The last thing he remembered was Felix beating him into submission. Everything else that had followed was a blur. Was it possible that his partner had dragged him into this gloomy hideout? If so, how did Felix know about this place? Or had he been captured by the Red, Kenneth, and the Twins as well?
"I don't believe you're in any position to do anything, Ralphie boy." Red smirked. "Considering the state Fix-It put you in. Doesn't he look horrible?" The teen regarded the three men.
"We noticed already," Burn said, then regarded Ken. "I don't know what kind of virus you put in Fix-It, Ken, but it's doing its work."
"Hey, it took days to get it," Kenneth bragged. "It was either that or the cheap Trojan software. But Fix-It's affliction is supposed to be one of the most powerful viruses around. Can't wait to see what else it can do."
"Again, where's Felix?" Ralph demanded again, bursting into more heaves.
"If I were you, I wouldn't be worried about your so-called 'Good Guy' anymore," Red suggested. "Especially when it's only a matter of time before little Fix-It's not going to be Fix-It anymore."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Now Ralph was starting to understand how much Red pissed off Calhoun. The teen was toying with the wrecker, avoiding his questions.
"Exactly what it means, Ralph," Burn replied. "Felix did a good job bringing your ass here. So, yeah, I'm with Red. Give up on him."
"And as for Mr. Candy…" Whiplash joined in, "let's just say you'll find out about him soon enough, especially when you and that glitch are the ones he wants."
"And speaking of the glitch…." Kenneth added, "I'll make things go by faster and lure Ms. von Schweetz here."
"No!" Ralph shouted. He did not want Vanellope getting hurt or even killed by a group of vandals. The wrecker couldn't let that happen, nor did he want her to risk her life for him. It had already happened once when she was a child, and the Bad Guy did not want it to happen again. Ralph cared about her, which was when he felt his cheeks warm up despite feeling pale. Was he starting to have…feelings for the princess? Feelings beyond friendship?
"Hey, it's what Mr. Candy wants," the angel shrugged. "I want my own game, so I have to do this. Anyway, just hang around for a while, why don't you?"
"Hey, we'll come with ya, Ken," Burn offered, following the angel through a corridor in the chamber. Whiplash was on his heels, smirking. He can hardly wait to snatch up the glitch so the real fun could begin. Then they regarded Red. "You comin,' Tur-… I mean, Red?"
"No," the teen replied, smiling sweetly at the twins, who knew what the smile actually meant. Burn and Whiplash froze at the sight of it, knowing they dodged a bullet. "I'm gonna have some fun with Ralphie. You know, to make sure he doesn't even think of escaping. Not that he can escape." The racer flashed a saccharine smile at the Bad Guy, who was nearing the end of his rope.
He wanted so badly to teach her a lesson, but he couldn't, considering that he couldn't move.
When the three men left, and it was just Red, Ralph, and the unconscious Gretel, the teen moved up to the wrecker, caressing his chin. He pulled back, not wanting to fall victim to her charms.
"Don't be like that, Ralph," Red chastised seductively, turning the Bad Guy's head so they were facing each other. She wanted to enjoy every minute with him.
Ralph knew that part immediately as he squirmed helplessly against Red's every touch. The racer's wiles may have worked on Felix, but the wrecker wasn't going to be the second victim.
However, resisting Red wasn't going to be easy. Ralph glanced over at the still-motionless Gretel, glad that she wasn't awake to see his position.
"You should worry about yourself, you know?" Red suggested. "The glitch will be here shortly, so don't worry. And she will come…unless she doesn't care what happens to you." Red grabbed the wrecker's chin again, proving her point.
"Vanellope's not that stupid," Ralph countered. He knew the princess well enough to know that she wouldn't easily fall for dirty tricks.
"Well, she'll be smart enough to know that if she wants to see you again, I have you waiting. And she can bring Tammy with her too; I'm sure Felix will be happy to see her…if he can remember." Red chuckled darkly.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You'll see, Wreck-It Ralph. You'll definitely see." Then the teenage racer regarded Gretel. "And so will you, Gretel."
…
Vanellope followed Crumbs into the code room lobby, where Sour Bill was waiting at the vault. The princess gave the posh racer a confused glance. She wanted to know who the "new avatar" was. Vanellope wasted no time punching in the code that allowed her entrance into Sugar Rush's codes, taking a double take at all of the clusters of code panels. She didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, but Crumbs and Sour Bill were certain that they noticed something unusual. Vanellope dove into the void of game information, swimming past the clusters of codes and glancing between each panel. Crumbs and Bill followed, keeping watch in case anyone were to attack from behind.
The lead racer scanned every panel cluster of the room, from the racers' codes to the citizens' codes. She didn't see any sign of a new avatar in either group.
"I don't see it," she said, turning to Crumbelina and Bill.
"Over there, Vanellope," Crumbs pointed past Vanellope, who glanced in the signified direction to notice a completely pitch-black area of the void. As the president squinted her eyes, she realized what the posh racer was talking about.
In the distance, Vanellope could make out something glowing red. She knew she had never seen anything like that before.
"Now I see," she said as she, Sour Bill, and Crumbs floated closer to the strange panel. As they neared it, Vanellope noticed it was indeed a new avatar. But when they finally approached it, the president's mouth dropped open at the name written across the panel. "No…way…." But it was there, labeled "King Candy," which meant their worst nightmare was back. And most likely for revenge. Chances were also that he was the one behind everything happening in the arcade.
"Vanellope…" Crumbs moved up to her. "How… how are we gonna tell Taffyta and the others?"
"I don't know," Vanellope sighed. "But I know one thing: we're gonna find him and catch him before he causes anymore trouble to the arcade. More than likely, he's the one behind all of this. And he's got Red and Kenneth doing his dirty work this time."
"And corrupted Fix-It?"
"Yep." The lead racer nodded. "Hopefully he's hiding somewhere in Game Central Station, so it should be easy. But you should take a look around Sugar Rush, just in case King Turbutt came back. I'll check Game Central Station."
"Gotcha." Crumbs hurried off toward the exit to begin her search.
"Princess?" Bill tugged on Vanellope's hoodie for her attention. Once she regarded him, he continued. "Should I make sure this room is secure? Have Wynnchel and Duncan to guard it?"
"Good idea, Bill," the princess agreed, giving the sour drop a thumbs-up. "Though I wonder what I'm going to tell Taffyta and everyone else. But if I can take care of Turbo quickly, I may not have to worry about her knowing." With that, Vanellope floated out of the code room, hoping to find the scourge of the arcade as soon as possible.
…
"Sergeant Calhoun…"
"Fix-It?" the sergeant mumbled, eyes slowly fluttering open to see blurs hovering above her. Tamora was hoping to find her husband among them, but as she came to, she noticed that none of them was Felix. Instead, she was staring into the faces of Peach, Luigi, and Daisy. Then she glanced at her surroundings to notice she was back in Hero's Duty. The last thing she remembered was being in the Cy-Bug nest beneath Mushroom Castle, where she had been surrounded by the mutated Mario and a score of other Cy-Bugs. The sergeant knew that the Nintendo Good Guy was beyond all hope at this point. But how did she end up back in her game? Tamora regarded the trio for an explanation.
"You're awake," Peach sighed in relief. She seemed worried that Hero's Duty would be in danger as well. "Finally. I almost thought we weren't going to make it back here in time."
"And-a you've-a healed pretty quickly," added Luigi, eyeing the sergeant's recovered state.
"Even though you had to die first in order for you to heal up," Daisy chimed in, regret filling her voice. She still had flashbacks of using one of the spare guns in the sergeant's closet on the latter upon returning Calhoun to Hero's Duty. However, the important thing was that Tamora had regenerated immediately afterward.
Tamora slowly sat up, stretching. Then she regarded Luigi, knowing that losing Mario had to be hard for him. "Sorry about Mustachio, Lime Green."
The player-two plumber had no response for this as he sighed mournfully and sat on the side of Tamora's bed. He could hardly believe it had happened, and Tamora understood how heartbreaking it had to be for him. Luigi had just lost his only brother, and to a Cy-Bug, of all things. That was a fate worse than a game over, and User only knew what the mutated Mario was going to do.
"Yeah…" was all Luigi said as he was staring down at the floor. The three women could see a hint of tears starting to flow from his eyes.
"Luigi…" Daisy took a seat next to her boyfriend to comfort him, then regarded Calhoun. "Look, we'll help you deal with this Red bitch, okay? Nobody uses our game as a virus hangout and gets away with it. And she's gonna pay for what she did to Mario too."
"I'm still worried about the ones who stayed to hold off the creatures," Peach clutched her chest with worry. Bowser and several Birdos, Piantas were among those who had decided to risk their lives and buy time for those who had escaped. However, the Cy-Bugs had increased in numbers, and they had started to dominate Mushroom Kingdom, and soon the entire game. Peach feared for the characters' sacrifices, hoping their best efforts weren't going to be in vain. And they wouldn't be, for they were going to find and stop Red. Which meant there was no Mushroom Ball; Surge had to close off the port of the Nintendo game, denying entry and exit. But a silly social was the least of their concerns now.
Now the Mario trio and Tamora needed to find Red, Kenneth, and any other allies they had. With the sergeant at full health, they were raring to go. However, they had to hurry, for there was no telling how long Surge's barrier could hold the Cy-Bugs in Super Mario Bros.. The arcade guardian's technique was effective, but it wasn't permanent. And the second the barrier failed, it was going to be chaos.
"Looks like the ball's canceled this year," Daisy guessed.
"No shit, Flowers." Tamora rose to her feet, cracking her neck and knuckles.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Peach asked, still concerned for the sergeant. "Are you sure you should be up?"
"Look, 'Shrooms, I need to save my husband and deal with that bitch. And that means heading back to Game Central Station, not lying around playing hospital. So you can stay here where you're safe, or you can come with me."
"I'll come with you." Daisy regarded the sergeant, fist pumped. "No way am I sitting here quietly and watch." She turned to Peach and Luigi. "What about you two?"
"I-I…guess-a…." The green-clad plumber looked up at the flower princess, sadness and slight fear evident. But he remembered he had to be strong, for it was time to avenge his more famous brother.
"In that case, I'll come too." Peach wasn't too far behind in making her decision. She, of all the Mario characters, wanted to ensure Red was stopped. And if there was a cure to restore Mario, the mushroom princess had a feeling Daisy was going to wring it out of the fairytale figure. And if she had to face her boyfriend to get to Red, Peach would fight.
"Looks like it's settled," Daisy said with pure optimism.
Calhoun sighed, knowing it was going to difficult now that she had three companions who were willing to put themselves at risk. If they were to encounter Red and Kenneth anywhere in Game Central Station, the sergeant hoped the Mario trio would do well to keep its guard up. And if it was Felix, who was probably a virus by now, it was going to be just as dangerous.
Just as everyone was prepared to leave, however, a knock was heard.
"Must-a be-a Fix-It," Luigi guessed as Tamora answered the door. The green-clad plumber noticed a large, armored man before the sergeant.
"Markowski, what's going on?" Calhoun inquired, then noticed that one of her most incompetent and cowardly soldiers had a serious expression on his face. Though it usually meant the situation was serious, it gave her pause. She knew him as one of the several jokesters who loved picking on her husband, so Tamora found this unusual.
"The whole game is on lockdown," the incompetent soldier responded in a flat tone.
"What?" Peach was at a loss for words, joining the two Hero's Duty residents. She loved to know what the sudden lockdown was about. Had Mario broken out of Super Mario Bros. already? Were they too late? "How so? Did something happen in Game Central Station already?"
"Even if there is something happening out there, I still need to get out there to check it out," Calhoun insisted, trying to get around Markowski, but was denied access. "Move aside, soldier!"
"Negatory." He stood his ground, not budging an inch.
"I'm your commanding officer, and I will not stand for insubordination. If I must, I can go through you." Tamora pulled out her rifle, now starting to become annoyed. She had to get Game Central Station; she had already wasted enough time.
"Sorry, but it's for your own good." Markowski insisted.
"Yeah, who said?" Daisy countered, approaching the soldier. Then she noticed a crimson tint in his eye, and, for the first time felt uneasy. It also made the flower princess wonder if Red had already been in Hero's Duty. If so, then Markowski was probably not himself.
Luigi and Peach noticed it too, and were now fearing for Tamora's safety. If Hero's Duty was hacked, then Markowski could be dangerous. Especially when they heard the soldier's next response.
"The boss said," he replied, which confused Tamora and the others.
"I am your boss, Markowski," the sergeant countered. "And it seems I'm going to have to get through you." She readied her rifle, knocking her soldier out cold and allowing herself, and the Mario crew the chance to escape.
"I hope that's not going to come back to haunt you." Peach nodded to the unconscious Markowski.
"Not at all, 'Shrooms. Now come on."
However, Calhoun and the others didn't even make it as far as the exit of the camp, as several Cy-Bugs were blocking the gate and their path to salvation, along with a trio of soldiers.
"Mamma mia!" Luigi jumped at the sight of the danger before them.
"Damn…" Daisy swore.
"I wonder what's with them?" Peach readied her parasol to fight, then regarded Tamora. "Do you? Since you're from the game? And those eyes aren't normal."
"Your guess is as good as mine, 'Shrooms." The sergeant didn't know the mystery behind her soldiers' bizarre behaviors or why they were leading Hero's Duty's worst enemies. She hoped Red hadn't hacked the first-person shooting game. But considering the position they were in, that possibility was eliminated. Especially when Tamora noticed the scarlet glow in the soldiers' eyes, which was bizarre. She had noticed the same feature in Markowski as well. It was just another reason to track down Red or Kenneth.
Again, sorry about the long wait on this chapter. But at the same time, I'm not rushing this story, either. Anyway, the next chapter's in the works right now. Read and REVIEW!