Hello, everyone. Sorry this one took so long. RL's been in the way. Anyway, this is the last update for a few weeks, as I'm in the process of outlining this next 20 chapters for this tower of a story. The next chapters after this will be shorter than the first wave, and you'll be seeing a few things revealed. I won't be spoiling. But they WILL leave you on the edge of your seat, so you won't be disappointed.
That being said, I'd like to thank EVERYONE who's read, faved, reviewed, and have been following so far. I really appreciate it and I hope you'll enjoy this next chapter!
Arcade Armageddon
Chapter 20
"Excuse me. Pardon me." Vanellope was shoving her way past residents in Game Central Station in search of King Candy, who was presumed to have escaped.
After seeing the ex-tyrant's panel in Sugar Rush, the president and Crumbs decided to go their separate ways to find the bane of the arcade. The posh racer agreed to search in Sugar Rush, while Vanellope was searching in the arcade hub, hoping to find Candy and put an end to him quickly before he started a crisis on top of the one the arcade was already in. She thought Ralph had defeated the tyrant, for she had watched Candy burn in the Cola Hot Springs, never to regenerate. So how did he come back? Vanellope may not have had all the details, but she knew she could now take him on.
However, she remembered that she didn't have an actual power other than her glitching. Then again, considering the size difference between herself and Candy, that fact wouldn't matter.
He should be around here somewhere, Vanellope thought. Suddenly, beyond a pair of large thug-like characters, the princess noticed two hooded figures in a distant area of Game Central Station. As Vanellope tried to look over the thugs' shoulders, she watched as the figures disappeared into a wall. Unfortunately, she bumped into one of the huge characters.
"Hey, lady! Got a problem with us?" one of the men, a burly character with blond hair, complained, pushing Vanellope back until she ran into another one, who caught the racer before she knocked him over.
"Whoa there, dude," the other thug, a larger, dark-haired man, calmed his friend down, holding Vanellope and setting her upright before she fell.
Vanellope turned around to take a look at him and noticed that he was no larger than Ralph. And if the Bad Guy were with her right now, he would have decked the two men. And it grew creepier when the two thugs started to eye her.
"What are you boneheads looking at?" the princess blurted out, blushing. She was already starting to grow annoyed.
"Nothing," the blonde man shrugged. "We were just wondering if you'd like to hang out with us. What's your name, first of all?"
"Yeah," the dark-haired thug chuckled. "Don't worry, we play nice."
"Get out of my way!" Vanellope glitched out of the man's grip, knowing she had no time for any distractions.
"Okay, maybe next time!" the princess heard one of the men call as she headed off to the wall where the two cloaked creatures vanished.
Who are those two? Are they in league with King Turbutt?
It hadn't taken long for Vanellope to head to the area near the Kirby port, where she had last seen the two figures. She glanced around the game's port, eying its sides up and down, but found nothing that would give her a clue as to where exactly the two unknown characters had vanished. Then she ran her hands against the walls, searching for some sort of secret entrance…until she nearly stumbled through an odd wall on the port's left. Vanellope pulled away quickly, startled by the wall.
"Huh." The princess stuck her hand through the false wall again, knowing it had to be the entrance the two figures were using. And if so, it was probably where King Candy was as well.
When Vanellope stepped through the odd wall, she found herself in a strange, dark room. Code was cascading through the otherwise pitch-black walls and floors.
"Whoa, this place is giving me the creeps." The princess glanced around the gloomy, code-ridden area, a glitch shuddering through her body. "And not like the creeps I get from going into Green Guy's Mansion. This place tops that hands down." Vanellope took a few steps forward, advancing a little further into the unknown territory until she reached the middle of a three-way junction. The princess's eyes wandered between the three choices, wondering which path could lead to King Candy. He could be anywhere in the code-ridden chamber. It reminded her of one of the lava levels in Super Mario Bros., where the player had to choose the right path or start over. Vanellope took one more glance at the three paths.
Looks like I have to guess, she realized, as she closed her eyes and pointed forward. When the president opened her eyes again, she found herself pointing at the left tunnel. Knowing her instinct had spoken, Vanellope started for the corridor, determined to catch and stop the psychotic racer.
Thankfully, the corridor was a long, straight shot leading to what appeared to be a large throne made of the same zeros and ones that made up the walls. Except they were red, as opposed to the blue code of the walls and floor.
Vanellope couldn't help but smirk. "Typical Turbutt." She shook her, knowing how much the ex-racer loved being on top when he had been in charge of Sugar Rush. The throne also made the lead racer certain that Turbo was around somewhere. But where was he hiding?
When the princess checked behind the throne, she noticed that there was a thin split in the wall. Vanellope glitched through it, curious where it might lead. She ended up in a small alcove that seemed detached from the throne room. There, she found herself facing what appeared to be a blue pedestal. As Vanellope neared it, she noticed a familiar, diminutive man lying unconscious on top. The ivory hammer was unmistakable.
"Hammer Time…" Vanellope stood over the motionless Good Guy. He appeared to be sleeping peacefully, as if none of the arcade drama was happening. Uneasiness grew within her chest, making her wonder whether or not she should rouse him into consciousness. What if the virus took over again and forced Felix to attack her upon awakening? Either way, Vanellope couldn't just leave him at Turbo or Red's mercy. Besides, he had a wife who was definitely worried about him, as well a game that needed him. She hoisted the short man on her shoulders, starting back toward the way she came. Vanellope had to get the Good Guy out of this area before anyone found her.
The princess once again glitched out of the chamber but then heard voices. She quickly hid behind the throne, then watched as two blue-clad racers came out of the corridor.
"Man… that glitch sure is taking her sweet time," one said, sighing as if he were bored.
"Yeah, you said it, Burn," the other agreed. "I know Turbs wants her and everything, but… we want to get a piece of Wreck-It. Screw the glitch."
"Turbo?" the princess whispered to herself, but then realized who the two racers were talking about. A glitch shuddered through her, which in turn sent red binary through Felix as well. The Good Guy stirred a little on her shoulders, nearly slipping off until Vanellope caught him again. The president didn't want to attract any attention and get caught. Upon hearing Burn and his brother, she could now confirm her suspicions. This was definitely Turbo's hideout.
"Hey, you go deliver Turbs the bad news," Burn told his twin. "I'm gonna go check on Fix-It."
"Sure thing, twin." The other racer nodded as he headed back through the corridor. Burn, on the other hand, was headed toward the split in the wall.
Sweet mother of monkey milk. Vanellope watched as the twin was heading her way, which meant that she had to glitch out of the area. Otherwise, Burn would definitely find her and the unconscious Good Guy. The princess closed her eyes as the blue-clad character was approaching and blinked away in a cluster of blue code.
"What in the hell was that?" Burn wondered as he stopped to check behind the throne. Nothing was present, though he thought he had heard a zap of code. Shrugging it off, the Turbo Twin peeked through the split in the wall, where he caught a glimpse of the pedestal. Although he couldn't glitch like his master, Burn could still see whether or not Felix was still unconscious or awake. However, he was beside himself as he noticed the vacant pedestal.
"Damn, we've been robbed!" he cursed, knowing that if he didn't find Felix soon, heads would roll. Someone had clearly been in the chamber, not to mention knew how to glitch. That was when he realized it, but neither he nor Whiplash had noticed. "So she has followed us."
…
Vanellope opened her eyes to notice she was back in the same area she had started. Or so she thought. The princess glanced around, seeing one large corridor instead of three. This was not the same place, for she had glitched without thinking of where she wanted to go. Now she was in another unfamiliar portion of the lair, at a loss as to where she should go and how she could get out. However, with only one path to follow, Vanellope hardly had any choice.
Just as she was going deeper into unknown territory, she felt movement behind her. Turning around, Vanellope noticed that Felix was starting to regain consciousness. She placed him on the floor, knowing that she could probably get a clear explanation as to what Turbo was planning. Felix had been in this dark area long enough to know at least a few details.
"Hammer Time?" The princess watched as red binary once again cascaded through Felix's body. She couldn't wait to find Turbo or Red, and beat the antivirus out of either of them. And she would have the Good Guy at her side in case she were to suffer an injury in the process.
But that hope was dashed when Felix's eyes opened. They were not the blue eyes Vanellope was expecting; they were red, glancing the princess's way with no trace of emotion. However, Vanellope could sense a little menace in those eyes. This was what everyone had been talking about, but she hadn't been face-to-face with the Good Guy's corrupt form…until now. And Vanellope was starting to grow uneasy as Felix slowly rose to his feet.
"Fix-It… what's up?" The princess took a few steps back, trying to keep her distance from the shorter man, who pulled out his hammer in attack.
"Glitches…must…die," Felix said blankly, advancing toward her. His head was cocked to the side, which was freaking the lead racer out. "Or they can be fixed."
Vanellope found no words for this, as Felix clearly lost it, which was making him more and more a threat. And if the princess wanted to survive, she had to fight. But she wasn't going to kill him.
…
"Watch it, buddy!" Daisy snapped at one of the soldiers dragging her along to a cell. She, Luigi, Calhoun, and Peach were being forced down the cell block of the Hero's Duty fortress, having been subdued when they had tried to escape to Game Central Station. The flower princess glared at him, who merely pushed her along. Cells lined either side of the cell block, all of them the size of living rooms. Almost all of them were empty, except for one.
"Move it along!" Markowski commanded as he, along with three other soldiers, shoved the crew along. They suddenly stopped at one of the cells, where the once-incompetent soldier opened the lock. "Get them in here before they try anything."
"Screw that!" Daisy stomped on her soldier's foot, causing him to grunt and lose his hold on her.
"Silverman, you butterfingered…" Luigi's soldier scolded as the flower princess broke off into a run.
"Maroney, I didn't…" Silverman started to say.
"Go after her!" Markowski ordered as he shoved Tamora in the cell, following Maroney and the fourth soldier, who threw Luigi and Peach in.
Silverman, however, was having a hard time catching up to the surprisingly speedy Daisy, who nearly made it to the end of the cell block until she tripped over her skirt. The flower princess stumbled to the ground, now at the mercy of her captor and eventually the other two soldiers.
"Got ya now, ya sly dog." Silverman caught up to Daisy, grabbed her by the arms, and dragged her back toward the cell. The other two soldiers grabbed her legs, tossing her through the open cell.
"Bunch'a bastards!"
But the soldiers disregarded Daisy's insult as Markowski locked the cell.
"Alright, men, back to work!" he ordered. "And if any intruders dare come in this game, you know what to do."
"Yes sir," the other three men saluted.
"Hey, why don't Silverman stay here and watch these idiots?" Maroney suggested.
"Maroney, we got cameras around this fortress," the other soldier named Johnson suggested. "We got Rodgers and Kowaltski up there watching everything. They wouldn't dare break outta here." Then he took a quick glance at the Mario crew and Tamora. "Unless they're asking to get killed."
"Good point." With that, the four soldiers headed off, leaving their prisoners alone as they continued to joke and chortle.
The sergeant scowled at how her own men had been making fun of their commanding officer. It wasn't just disrespectful, it was also grounds for severe consequences. And her list of possible punishments for her men was endless, for Calhoun had dealt with insubordination before, and this was no exception.
At least, that was what she thought, as she had noticed the crimson tint in her soldiers' eyes, knowing it had been just like when she had faced Markowski earlier. What was going on? What was happening to her men? Or her game, for that matter?
"This is getting bizarre," Peach realized.
"I think-a it-a went-a past a-bizarre," Luigi added, his fear settling in. The player-two plumber was resisting the urge to run to the nearest corner and cower. First, he lost Mario, now he was imprisoned in one of the most dangerous games in the arcade. What if he became a Cy-Bug too? What if he lost himself and killed everyone in his path? It was too horrifying for him to imagine, and all he wanted to do was to crawl in a corner and wait the danger out. Luigi regarded the two princesses and Calhoun.
"Calm down, Luigi." Daisy grabbed her boyfriend's shoulders in an attempt to calm him down.
"Why should I? You a-know what they're a-gonna do to us."
"If you're talking about being fed to the Cy-Bugs, they're not going to do that," Peach assured the green-clad plumber. "Just calm down, and we'll think of a plan to get out of here. Surely these bars can't be that strong." The mushroom princess tapped on the metal bars, certain that there was a way to break them.
"Hopefully." Tamora approached the bars, tapping on them. Her soldiers may have been corrupt pod freaks, but not all of them were that smart, Markowski included. The bars were made of metal, that much the sergeant knew, but they were not strong enough to resist a little heat. That was when she regarded the player-two Nintendo Good Guy. "'Stache Number Two, you think you can melt these bars?"
Luigi stared up at Calhoun with anxiety, wondering if she was insane. He knew that even if he was able to get everyone out, there was the danger of the soldiers again, as well as the Cy-Bugs.
"I-I can…" he stammered. "But…what-a if those-a…soldiers a-catch us? What-a if we get-a eaten by…?"
"We won't, trust me," Tamora assured the plumber. "This is my game, remember? I know this fortress, so we'll be fine." Then her expression shifted to commander mode. "That is, of course, if you follow my lead."
"Yeah, Luigi," Daisy agreed, holding the green-clad plumber tightly. Whenever Luigi went into his cowardly moments, the flower princess was his stress reliever. "We got Sarge to protect us."
"So don't worry," added Peach.
"And you have me as well." A husky, deep voice was heard somewhere in the cell, causing Luigi to jump under Daisy's embrace.
Tamora quickly recognized the voice. "Kohut?" She, the two princesses, and Luigi turned their attention to a darker corner of the cell, where they watched a large, armored man slowly crawl toward the group. His armor was damaged, with cracks and dents along the arms and breast plates. The soldier himself appeared to be brutally injured, with bruises covering every inch of his flesh, which made Calhoun wonder what Kohut had done to earn them.
"What in the world?" Peach wondered.
"Brutal…" Daisy said.
"Mamma mia…" Luigi gasped at the second-in-command's condition.
"What happened to you, soldier?" Tamora asked.
"Maroney, Silverman, Markowski… all of them ambushed me when I returned to this game. Then I saw some sort of angel who looked like he was pulling the strings."
"Kenneth." Tamora realized, images of the optimistic angel flashing through her mind. Was he the one who had hacked into Hero's Duty? How did he even get into the game? The sergeant was sitting on that second question, knowing there was always someone on guard duty at the game's entrance, so there was no way that Ken had been able to get past. "How was he able…"
"I don't know," Kohut replied. "Everyone else was already corrupt when I entered the game."
"We're thinking Kenneth corrupted this game," Peach interjected. "Plus, the Cy-Bugs were acting a little more…behaved."
"Yeah," Daisy agreed. "They were obeying the guys."
"And-a on-a top of that, Markowski said-a something about a boss-a," added Luigi. "And-a Sarge isn't it-a."
"Actually, I've heard of a 'Mr. Candy,'" said Kohut. "And from what I've been hearing about this mystery leader, I do not believe that he is anyone positive."
"'Mr. Candy?'" Peach repeated.
"That angel mentioned him when I was found out. Then he accused me of disobeying this person's orders. I do not understand, Sarge."
"We're trying to figure out what's going on too," Tamora assured her second-in command. She was going to find out who this "Mr. Candy" was. He was obviously Kenneth and Red's boss, and probably the one who was pulling the strings. But to know for sure, Calhoun needed to break out of prison and first check the code room. She needed to check her soldiers' codes and find the answer behind their bizarre behavior. Were they really corrupt?
"We have to get out of here first, though," Daisy reminded, then turned to Luigi, whose cowardice was returning.
"W-What?" The player-two plumber asked, a little shaky.
"You think you can melt the bars?" Peach inquired.
"What if we get-a caught?"
"We're not going to get caught, soldier," Calhoun assured Luigi. "Besides, you do want to save your brother, right?" The sergeant stared at the younger Mario intently with her commanding look just as she did to her soldiers. She knew Luigi wanted to save Mario more than anything; however, the player-two Nintendo Good Guy needed to endure his fears first.
"I do…" Luigi started to say, "but…"
"Come on, Luigi!" Daisy attempted to motivate her boyfriend. "The arcade's counting on us!"
"And so is Mario," added Peach.
Luigi sighed, knowing he was outnumbered. He knew that once he and the others stepped out of their cell, they would be at risk. But he knew that sometimes one needed to take risks. And this was one of them. Besides, he had to remind himself that this was for Mario.
…
"Hungry…" Taffyta placed a hand over her stomach as she headed downstairs to the kitchen to grab a midnight snack. She had trouble sleeping, for she couldn't get her mind off of the upcoming danger that would befall the Mushroom Ball, especially with Vanellope involved. Thinking back on how the strawberry racer had thrown her under the bus was making Taffyta regret that decision. She didn't know how dangerous Kenneth could actually be. He may have been just smiling a lot at them earlier, but the angel could very well be a demon behind that innocent behavior, which meant that Vanellope would probably need some backup while watching over Kenneth. Taffyta refused to let anything happen to her sister. However, she needed something to eat first in order to think. She wasn't going to be able to get any sleep, anyway.
Just as she was proceeding to open the refrigerator, Taffyta noticed something moving along the window in the corner of her eye, along with a rustling sound. The strawberry racer turned her attention to the window near the refrigerator, wondering who or what it could be? Was it Kenneth, Red, or both? When she stuck her head out of the window, however, Taffyta realized that it was neither of them. Instead, she noticed Crumbelina wandering around the perimeter of Sugar Castle, apparently looking for something. But at this hour? The blonde racer was pretty sure it had to have been quite important for Crumbs to be outside late. Still, Taffyta was curious what the posh racer was looking for, as she decided to go outside to find out, with the snack long-forgotten.
…
Taffyta arrived at the courtyard, where she found Crumbelina rustling around the bushes. The posh racer had to have been looking for something important for her to be searching in the middle of the night.
"Crumbs? What'cha looking for?" the strawberry racer inquired, trying to get her fellow racer's attention.
"Wh-who's there?" Crumbs jumped to her feet in alarm, quickly turning around to notice Taffyta. "Oh, Taff…." She breathed a sigh of relief. "It's just you. You scared me."
"Sorry about that." Then the blonde racer glanced over the posh racer's shoulder to see what Crumbelina was looking for. "So? What are you looking for in the middle of the night?"
"Um…" The posh racer froze, glancing down at her shoes and fumbling for an answer. "Well…" She looked up again to notice Taffyta's slightly impatient posture. The strawberry racer's arms were folded, waiting for an answer. "I was…looking for my gold coin. It fell out of my window." She pointed up at one of the upper windows.
Taffyta, however, was now confused. She knew this wasn't like the posh racer, for the Crumbs she knew was all about getting a decent amount of sleep before the next day. It may not have shown when the posh racer had been working on something as important as their dresses, but Taffyta could recognize something suspicious when she sensed it. "You're looking for a gold coin at this time of night, Crumbs? You do know that the arcade's closed for the next few weeks."
"I know that, Taff. It's just…"
"It's just what? Is a silly coin that important right now? You know you need sleep for later, right?" Taffyta reminded the posh racer, not wanting Crumbs to end up like she had when she'd been working on everyone's dresses.
"Look, Taff, I want to find that coin, okay? Just go back to bed or whatever you were doing." With that, the posh racer continued her search, hoping the strawberry racer would leave.
But Taffyta didn't budge an inch. Instead, she scanned the cotton candy bushes and pixie stick shrubbery but saw no glint of a coin. That was when Taffyta realized the search was indeed important, but it wasn't for Sugar Rush's currency. "What are you really looking for, Crumbs?"
"I thought I told you, Taffyta. Now go, please." But when Crumbs turned around to regard her again, she noticed Taffyta's impatient expression, which gave the telltale sign that the strawberry racer was at the end of her rope.
"Not until you tell me why you're really out here. And I don't see a gold coin around, either."
Crumbelina felt a little uneasy under Taffyta's impatient glare, knowing she was going to get found out. Whatever the posh racer was obviously hiding, the blonde racer wanted to know. And Taffyta wasn't going anywhere until she got the truth.
"That is an excellent question," responded Crumbs, trying to sidestep the minefield a little bit longer. "And I can tell you that it's going to be very hard to explain, so promise me you won't get mad at me, okay?"
"It depends on what you're going to tell me, so no promises."
Just as Crumbs was ready to explain, however, a sudden scream was heard from one of the upper rooms of the castle, causing both girls to jump.
"That sounded like Candlehead," the posh racer guessed. "She's in trouble."
"Please, her candle probably went out again," Taffyta scoffed. "Or she probably had another nightmare."
"Or the hacker could have broken into this game without us noticing."
The strawberry racer sighed, realizing that Crumbs could be right about that last part being a possibility. Though Taffyta knew Candlehead and her habit of freaking out at every little thing, this one could be serious. And if serious meant Kenneth, she would clip his wings before he could even get a word in.
Taffyta and Crumbelina bolted up the long flights of stairs and up to the hallway of bedrooms, where they turned a corner toward one of the bathrooms, where Candlehead was in a panic at the sight of something inside.
"What's up, Candlehead?" Taffyta inquired, tapping her trembling friend's shoulder.
"I-In the… bathroom…" the birthday racer stammered, pointing shakily in the john.
"Who screamed?" Snow charged from her end of the hall, panting as she regarded the three racers. Then she noticed the frightened Candlehead. "What's up with you, Candles? Did a Boo frighten you in the shower again? 'Cause I'll go straight to Green Guy's pad and show them a thing or two." When Snow noticed the silhouette in the shower curtain, however, she realized that it did not belong to any of the foes in Super Mario Bros.
Taffyta and Crumbs noticed this too as the four slowly entered the bathroom, approaching the shower as carefully as they could. As they got closer, the silhouette appeared a little…shorter, almost diminutive. Snow reached for the taffy shower curtain, nodding to the others as she yanked it aside.
"What in the hell?" the sherbet racer cursed at the sight before her. Taffyta, Crumbs, and Candlehead were beside themselves as well, taking in the nude, diminutive man who was now glaring up at them in embarrassment. The bulbous nose and head were unmistakable. Now they understood why Candlehead had refused to take a look inside.
"Do you mind, Thnow?" the familiar character snapped, pulling the shower curtain to him in an attempt to cover himself.
"No. Fucking. Way." Taffyta swore as she didn't know whether to be shocked, disgusted, or both. Either way she looked at it, it was unbelievable, if not impossible. Vanellope and Wreck-It Ralph had dethroned and vaporized King Candy's sorry hide.
However, there he was, right in front of the racers and had been taking a shower as if nothing was wrong. But Taffyta was going to take care of it before Candy gained an inch.
"Candlehead, get Wynnchel and Duncan!" she ordered the birthday racer, who nodded and then ran off to get the two donut cops.
"Wh-What'th going on here?" the ex-tyrant demanded, glaring from Taffyta to Crumbs and then to Snow. None of them were pleased at the sight before them. "What are you three doing in here? I can't get privathy after I've been brought back?"
"Oh, you're getting some privacy alright, Turbo-drastic," Snow retorted.
"Yeah, in the Fungeon," added Crumbelina.
"Where'th Vanellope?" King Candy asked. "I'm thure she knowth what'th going on here and clear thith up."
"Right," Taffyta remarked sarcastically. "If she doesn't kill your game-jacking ass first."
"What's the trouble, Miss Muttonfudge?" Wynnchel, along with Duncan, burst in, followed by Candlehead. The two pastry cops froze at the sight of Candy. "What in the…"
"That was my line," said Duncan. "Didn't Wreck-It kill you?"
"Look, I can explain everything," the ex-tyrant pleaded.
"You can explain it all to Pres. in the Fungeon," Snow assured him sarcastically. "Now get this eyesore down there until Vanellope comes back!"
"Yes, ma'am." Wynnchel and Duncan saluted, then hauled King Candy out of the shower, with the former tyrant hanging on to his towel all the way out of the bathroom.
"How did he come back?" Crumbs was still trying to wrap her head around that confusing detail, as were the other girls.
"No idea." Candlehead was just as confused. "But it looked like he wanted to explain something."
"Yeah, well, we're not listening," Snow said. "After everything he put us through? Yeah, I can't wait to see what Vanellope has in store for him when she comes back."
"You and me both, Snow," agreed Taffyta.
…
"Hammer Time, come on! Stop this!" Vanellope pleaded, recovering from a nasty blow by Felix, who was slowly approaching the president. The Good Guy's fists were crackling with red energy, ready to unleash another wave.
Vanellope wasn't faring well so far against the Fix-It malware, as Felix had been kicking and throwing her around like a ragdoll. It made the lead racer wonder where Red or Kenneth had gotten such a powerful virus. When she finally rose to her feet, she regarded the Good Guy, who was smirking maniacally. How was she going to put him out of commission? And with only her glitching powers at that? A glitch shuddered through her, both out of confusion and slight fear.
"It's game over for you, glitch," threatened Felix as he released the stored stream of energy.
Vanellope quickly glitched out of the way, almost stumbling. Then she hurled a swift kick at the handyman, knocking him off of his feet and into a wall.
"This isn't you, Hammer Time! Snap out of it so we can help you. And that means finding Red and Kenneth." Vanellope glitched toward him, then reached out to help him to his feet.
Felix just cocked his head to one side, insane grin still plastered on his face. The princess's chest tightened at the sight of it.
"Sweet mother of monkey milk!" she gasped. "That virus turned you into a monster."
"Monster?" The Good Guy cocked his to the other side, as if the spoken word was a new concept. "I didn't know I was the monster. If anyone deserves to be called the monster…it's you. Along with all the glitches like you. They are such filthy creatures. It's no wonder why they can't leave their games. But don't worry, I'll have them all erased soon enough, starting with you."
That was when Vanellope started to grow frightened. She slowly backed away from the corrupt Felix, blue binary coursing through her body. "You're starting to sound a lot like…"
"Looks like the glitch came a lot sooner than we thought. And she's stealing our property too."
"What the…?" The lead racer spun around to notice Kenneth and one of the two blue-clad racers. The racer smirked triumphantly, knowing Mr. Candy was going to receive his prize.
"And it looks like Mr. Fix-It's got her on the ropes," Kenneth pointed out. "Don't mind us then. Finish off Ms. von Schweetz."
"I don't believe I take orders from you two," Felix countered, directing his insane expression on the blue racer and Kenneth.
Both characters backed away, freaked out by the Good Guy.
"Okay..." the blue-clad twin trembled. "That wasn't what the virus entailed. Right, Ken?" He regarded the angel.
Kenneth, however, was just as frightened as he stared fearfully at the disturbing Good Guy. It was definitely not cheap Trojan software they were facing, but it wasn't the type of virus Ken had been anticipating, either. The virus was definitely taking over and overwhelming Felix, but to the point of where it could ignore orders? That was not what Ken had agreed to when he had first acquired it.
"The virus…" Ken trailed off, "it's becoming more powerful than I thought. This one… this one's getting powerful by the second."
"And it's apparently overwhelming the hell outta Fix-It," added the twin. "Exactly where did you get this virus from?"
"I'd like to know the answer to that," Vanellope interjected, confused on what the two criminals were talking about.
"Never you mind, glitch. Besides, you wouldn't even believe it if we wanted to tell you."
"Also, this guy moves around a lot," added Kenneth. "So you'll be lucky enough to run into him. Like I was."
"Who is this guy?" Vanellope continued to pry, hoping that if she can keep Ken talking she could get some answers. Maybe some of them could help save Felix.
"He's a broker of some sorts," the angel continued. "He does a lot of things, like give out add-ons to needy characters. You know, to give the repeat losers a boost in games. I just happened to have lucked up on him, and he gave me what was inside Mr. Fix-It. But I didn't think it'd be this powerful."
"Ken!" the twin scolded. "Do you even realize what you just did?"
"What?" Kenneth was confused for a second, then he remembered that he had been talking to Vanellope. The angel swore, knowing he had practically spilled information on how he had gotten the virus. "You… You…"
"I…what?" Vanellope smirked. "Kept you going on and on? Oops, looks like I need to learn to stop being so no…" Suddenly she felt a current of energy course through her, causing her entire body to go numb before she collapsed to the code-ridden floor.
"Unfortunately for you, glitch…" The twin stood over the now-unconscious princess. "You won't get any more details. Besides, I don't think you'll be remembering everything you've heard so far." He regarded Kenneth. "Ken?"
"Certainly, Whiplash." The healer knelt down to Vanellope, ready to erase the princess's memories of everything she had heard. But as soon as he moved closer to her, he received a nasty shock from above. Ken stumbled backward to the floor, trying to recover from the sudden jolt. He then glanced up to see Felix scowling down at him.
"She's mine," the Good Guy stated flatly, scooping her up in his arms and hoisting her over his shoulder.
"Now wait a minute, Fix-It!" Whiplash demanded.
"Are you questioning me?" Felix countered, heated glare on the twin.
"Um…well…"
Before Whiplash could get another word out, the Good Guy fired an energy orb at the Turbo Twin, killing him instantly. Then he turned on Kenneth, who was also fearing for his life.
"Mr. Fix-It…it seems that we're at a misunderstanding here, so…"
"I have no interest in talking," Felix cut him off, frying the angel with a deadly stream of energy, causing him to burst into white code.
When both characters were gone, Felix regarded the unconscious Vanellope.
"I would kill you right now, glitch," he said. "But this 'Mr. Candy' wants you so badly, so I have to turn you in. In the end, however, you're still my kill."
"What the hell?"
"Not another one…" Felix sighed, turning around to notice the other blue-clad twin coming from the other corridor and at a loss at why the Good Guy was standing in the center of the hall.
"You were supposed to be asleep," the twin reminded, then noticed Whiplash motionless on the floor. "Um, what happened to Whiplash?" Then he noticed Vanellope on the Good Guy's shoulder. "And I see you got the glitch."
"Yes, but she's not yours. I have credit for the capture and I will turn her in to your 'Mr. Candy.' Unless, of course, you disagree and want to join Whiplash. Now, I want you to tell Mr. Candy that Fix-It Felix, Jr. has the glitch…and don't even think of lying, either. Otherwise…it won't end well for you." The handyman's free hand crackled with energy, itching to unleash hell on the blue-clad racer.
"Whoa, that virus must be a little…too strong." The twin took a few steps back out of fear that his game over was right around the corner. "Wherever Ken got that virus from, it made you…"
"Crazy? Hardly." Felix smiled a little too optimistically, which disturbed Burn. "Now, will you do as I…" Suddenly the Good Guy collapsed, dropping Vanellope.
The racer was confused, then smirked. "Looks like you woke a little too soon, Fix-It. Apparently you can't control the power yet. But don't worry, you won't have to. Because Mr. Candy will be controlling it. But for now, I'll have to lock you up like the glitch." He glanced at the still-unconscious Vanellope, snickering. They finally had both prizes for Mr. Candy, and even better, the blue twin was going to have all the credit.
"Turbo's going to love me for this." He threw Felix over his shoulder, then started to drag Vanellope by the legs. Damn, these guys are heavy.
…
"Are you sure it's all the way down-a here?" Luigi asked as he, the two princess, Kohut, and Calhoun carefully and slowly crept down the long flights of stairs leading to Hero's Duty's code room, hoping to find the source of the soldiers' bizarre behavior and the tame demeanor of the Cy-Bugs. Along the way, they glanced in all directions, watching out for any of Tamora's men or Cy-Bugs that were hiding among the rafters of the metallic hall.
"Hey, we keep this place secure, okay?" Tamora retorted. "So stop complaining and keep quiet, soldier."
"You sure keep this well hidden," Peach pointed out as she was trying to stay strong. She had to keep her courage, for it was what Mario would want.
"Yeah," Daisy agreed. "I'm wondering how Ken doll or Red made it down here."
"We've been wondering the same thing." Kohut said. "With increased security, it should be impossible for anyone to infiltrate this area."
The group arrived at the bottom of the code chamber, where they went down a long corridor and made a turn down a corner.
"You guys hide this room too well," Daisy realized as they turned another corner, where they ended up face-to-face with a large vault with the universal NES controller.
"Everyone get back," Tamora ordered as she punched in the code for entrance into the code room. The door slowly opened, revealing the information that formed Hero's Duty.
"Kohut, look after them," the sergeant commanded her second-in command as she dove inside the code room, swimming through the cluster of panels.
"Yep, we'll stay here…and just wait at the sidelines like common Shy Guys," Daisy said sarcastically.
As she floated through the clusters, Tamora glanced from panel to panel but found nothing unusual. The sergeant knew there had to be something out of place in the code room.
"I know you were here, brat," she murmured, floating past her panel, then stopped at the group of soldiers. "We should find something here." Calhoun approached Markowski's panel, touching it to reveal the incompetent soldier's information and stats. But there was something strange about Markowski's data, as Tamora found out that all of the small panels that made up his code were red. This intrigued the sergeant, as opened another soldier's code to find that his entire code was also red. Red and Kenneth had definitely been in Hero's Duty and had enslaved her men and the Cy-Bugs. And it could be dangerous if she allowed them to break out of the game, which meant she had to get a Surge Protector to block off the first-person shooter game. She refused to let a single virus out into Game Central Station let alone another game.
Suddenly, a shriek was heard, causing Tamora to spin around and notice that the others were under attack by a group of corrupt soldiers. She quickly swam toward the exit to head to their aid.
"Sarge!" Peach screamed as she was struggling against her captor's hold.
"Peach!" Daisy elbowed hers in the gut…only to get grabbed again.
"You ain't going nowhere this time, honey," the soldier chuckled as he kept a tight hold on the flower princess.
Kohut and Luigi weren't having much luck, either, as they were pinned to the ground by Markowski.
"We're taking these runaways in, men!" he commanded as he forced the green-clad plumber and the second-in command to their feet, ready to drag them upstairs.
"Hey, wait a minute!" The soldier holding Peach glanced around to notice that they were one prisoner short. "Where's the other one?"
Suddenly, a barrage of bullets made their mark on Daisy's captor, making a few dents in the back of his armor.
"What the hell?" Markowski wondered as he noticed Calhoun coming out of the code room. She was none too pleased at what she was seeing.
"Let them go, Markowski!" she ordered as she aimed her rifle at the once-cowardly soldier, who didn't flinch an inch under the sergeant's heated glare.
"I can't do that," he countered, tightening his grasp on both Kohut and Luigi, who nearly pulled away but was caught again.
"Excellent, Markowski. But not soon enough, I'm afraid."
Calhoun recognized that familiar voice, which turned out to be a bit more serpentine than usual. When she noticed the golden eyes, Tamora knew exactly who it was.
"You…" she growled as Red revealed herself. The sergeant was starting to tire of the beautiful but conniving vixen.
"Yes, it's me, Tammy." Red smiled her wicked grin. "And may I just say, you are in so deep for intruding down here. You haven't touched anything, have you?"
"And what if I have?" Calhoun shifted her aim from Markowski to Red. She was ready to put an end to the fairytale figure. Especially when she had a guess as to who she really was.
"I see you're ready to shoot me down like an animal. Okay, then." Red turned her back on the sergeant, then glanced back at her, retaining that dark smile. "I'll make it easy for you. Do it…but consider whose lives are at risk around you." Red nodded to the two princesses, Kohut, and Luigi, with their captors strengthening their grips on them. Markowski pointed his rifle up to the player-two Nintendo Good Guy, causing him to sweat in fear. Luigi's code was doing backflips as he felt the cold metal of the weapon on his head.
"Luigi!" Daisy shrieked, but was pulled back again by her soldier.
"You'd better worry about yourself, girlie," he suggested with a sneer. "And enjoy the show."
"Yeah," Peach's soldier agreed, gripping the mushroom princess's throat. "Especially when this could be the last show you'll see."
"And I'll bet she won't shoot, Johnson," Daisy's soldier chuckled. "Not when there are innocents here at risk."
"So? What are waiting for, Tammy?" Red taunted. "You want to take revenge for your soon-to-be lost husband, right?" The teen jerked her thumb at her back. "Even more than a bunch of Mario rejects and your soldier?" She regarded the captured group. "Go ahead, shoot me."
Tamora held her rifle steady toward Red, but then regarded her captured companions. If she fired, the soldiers would have the clear to kill them, but if she didn't, then the arcade would still be in danger. At the same time, she would also have the chance to find out how to cure Felix. However, Red was starting to piss her off, which was all the more reason to shoot the teen right there, but that would put four more lives in danger, three of which who weren't from Hero's Duty.
"Do you care about your husband more than fools?" the fairytale figure continued to provoke her.
"How do I save my husband?" Tamora demanded, rifle still pointed at Red.
"Now we all know that you'll never get it out of me if you decide to kill me. But then you'll be killing more innocents."
"Don't worry about us!" Peach squirmed against Johnson's strong hold. "Do it!"
"Wow, someone's eager to die." Red regarded the mushroom princess with a smirk. "In that case, you'll be the first to die once Tammy's done killing me." But then she heard a sudden clang. Shocked, Red turned to notice that Calhoun had dropped her rifle in surrender. The teen chuckled darkly at this, knowing she now had the sergeant right where she wanted her. Red knew Tamora wouldn't kill her without putting lives at risk. If the teen had her husband held in front of her, Calhoun would definitely hesitate.
"Couldn't do it, huh?" Daisy's soldier shook his head.
"Lock them back up," Red commanded. "In the meantime, I have a wrecker to check up on." With that, she left the code chamber, leaving the soldiers, Kohut, Calhoun, and the Mario crew.
"You heard her," Johnson said.
"Drag 'em back to their cells!" Markowski ordered. "And separate them this time."
"And I'll be taking your weapon." Daisy's soldier picked up Tamora's rifle, then noticed the pistol around her belt. "And that one, too."
"Leave her alone, Silverman. Mr. Candy has something special for her, anyway."
"Just like Wreck-It and the glitch," added Johnson.
"What are you guys gonna do to us?" Daisy demanded.
"Y-Yeah…" Luigi's cowardice was rising from the surface again.
Tamora glanced among her corrupt soldiers, dying to see what they had planned for her. And who this "Mr. Candy" was, which was still unanswered. He was clearly the one calling all the shots, but who was he? And where was Felix? Was this Mr. Candy torturing him? Or worse, had the virus eaten completely away at his will?
"What are you guys waiting for?" Markowski started out. "Get these runaways to their cells! If that were Mr. Candy just then, he'd have our heads!"
"Who is this 'Mr. Candy?'" Peach wondered.
"Never you mind, blondie," Johnson spat. "Worry about your own ass. Hell, you probably won't have any left when he's done with you. Or all of you, for that matter."
Anxiety rose in Peach's chest, dreading the sound of Johnson's dirty talk. First Mario, and now her life was at risk. And it was worse than Bowser kidnapping her on a daily basis. The mushroom princess, along with everyone else, feared that it was only going to get worse from here.
…
"Ugh…" Vanellope groaned as her eyes slowly fluttered open. Her head was throbbing like a jackhammer as she tried to get her bearings. When she fully opened her eyes, she found herself still in the unknown code void, except she was suspended a few inches off the ground. Then she tried to move her arms, but realized she couldn't. What the…? Vanellope glanced over to notice that her arms were bound to the wall.
"Vanellope? You're awake."
The princess turned to notice Gretel hanging right next to her, along with a beaten-up Ralph and unconscious Felix. What had happened to the Bad Guy? From his pale, sickly expression, it was anything but pretty. Hopefully Red or Kenneth hadn't gotten to him. Her full gaze was then shifted on Felix, and as much as Vanellope hated to admit it, she was relieved that the Good Guy was motionless, for User knew what would happen if Felix were awake. He would probably lose it again like he had back in the corridors, where the Good Guy had taken her by surprise and subdued her. But what really took her by surprise was how Felix seemed to detest glitches all of a sudden. Where had that come from? It sounded like something…
Something Turbo would say. She couldn't put her finger on the confusing situation, just like the mysterious broker Kenneth had mentioned. If this person had given Ken the virus for Felix, then maybe he could be the one who could cure the Good Guy. But as Kenneth had explained, the broker was hard to find. Besides, she had to find a way out of the dark void first. Also, looking over at Ralph, she knew she had to get him to safety.
"What happened to Ralph?" the lead racer wondered, craning her head to get a look at the wrecker, who was pale and covered in bruises, with his clothes ripped to shreds.
"Don't know. I was out," Gretel replied. "But I'm pretty sure it wasn't anything positive."
"Red happened to us," the Bad Guy interjected hoarsely as he tried to crane his head to regard Vanellope. "How did you get here, kid?"
"I was following some strange guys in Game Central Station, thinking they were the cause of something back in Sugar Rush," the princess explained. She did not want to tell Ralph what she really found in her game, at least not now. Besides, she wasn't sure herself that the racer from hell truly came back. "Then I found Hammer Time, but he started going crazy again…and took me down. That's the last thing I remember, actually."
"Wait, Felix…lost it again."
"You'd better believe it, and I'm telling you, that thing's getting worse."
"Really?" Gretel's eyes widened, then she glanced over at Felix. She still couldn't believe her possessed friend would do such a thing to a sweet person like Felix.
"Yeah, but I've got some juicy info that I got from Ken doll and some guy named Whiplash. It might help Fix-It, and I'll explain everything once we get outta here."
"Yeah, keep thinking that, glitch." Burn strolled into the room, a cheeky smirk crossing his face as he scanned the prisoners with amusement, namely Felix, whom he was worried the most about. He couldn't afford to let the Good Guy lose himself unannounced again. The Turbo Twin would die before Mr. Candy got a chance to reprimand him for his blunder. Which was why he was relieved that the handyman was unconscious. "I see the brat's awake, and…damn, Wreck-It, your luck hasn't been good today, has it?"
"Yeah, and I wonder whose fault that is?" the wrecker countered.
"Oh, no need for that. Besides, the nightmare's just started." Burn glanced down at his wrist, looking at an imaginary watch. "Red should be here right…about…"
"Burn, I trust Ralph's been behaving while I was gone."
"Sooner than I thought. And the brat's awake, too."
The teen entered the room, throwing her red-streaked hair behind her shoulders. Her golden eyes were fixed on Burn.
"Where'd you run off to? Didn't see you when I was dragging the glitch and Wreck-It."
"Just taking care of things in Hero's Duty," the racer replied casually. "That witch and those Mario rejects were getting on my last nerves.
Vanellope gasped, looking at Red in shock. "What did you do? What happened to Sarge?"
"Let's just say she's locked up nice and tight with those fools. But what about you, glitch? You were snooping around here hoping to save your precious Ralph, weren't you? Well, wake up, you're joining him. Now Mr. Candy can finally deal with you all."
"Who is this 'Mr. Candy?'" Gretel asked. "Nobody's explained. And why did you just call Vanellope a glitch? That's so not like you, Red. Are you even still my best friend?"
Red was taken aback by the tween's questions. Gretel was a curious character, Red gave her that, but sometimes the tween could become too nosy if given an inch. A slight glitch ran through her, her hands becoming white gloves for a second. Luckily for her, it came too quickly for her prisoners to notice. "Why do you want to know, brat? You know what? It doesn't really matter. 'Cause you'll all be dead in a few." Then Red noticed Felix. "And Fix-It will help further those plans and take over this arcade."
"Not if we stop you first," Vanellope threatened as she tried to glitch out of the bounds, but no blue binary was coursing through her.
"Oh, I didn't tell you," Burn snickered. "Those links are glitch-proof. Yeah, I'm making sure you can't get out."
"You…won't…get away…with this," Ralph said, hacking.
"Please," Red scoffed. "You're in no position to do anything in the state you're in. I'm starting to think that I've done too much damage to you, hoo hoo hoo."
"Okay, who in the hell are you really?" the Bad Guy demanded, recognizing that annoying laugh.
"I'm Red, duh!" the teen spat, another glitch shuddering through her, this time showing a hint of white and red around portions of her body. This alarmed the prisoners, as well as Burn, who looked just as worried as they were. Did the Turbo Twin know something they didn't? Red was at the end of her rope, wanting so badly to kill them right now. And she would, once Felix was awake again.
However, Ralph and Vanellope would find a way to fight back. They've always had, and this situation wasn't any different. They had taken care of Turbo, so one of his fellow racers and a slightly disturbed teen should be nothing for them. But judging from Red's glitch behavior that was easier said than done. Especially when there was obviously another creature lurking behind the vixen before them. It was also familiar, which raised a pit of dread in Ralph and Vanellope's code and sent their minds back to when they had been in Fairytale Speedway's code room. But it didn't mean that Red was the very criminal they knew and hated. The racer's constant glitching, however, threatened to prove otherwise.