Sorry about the delay for this chapter. This is second half of my split-up Ch. 30. I had no idea how long this one was, but that's a good thing, for it means that more things are covered. Also, I've been hooked on the new Smash Bros., and I might have some of the characters from that make a few cameo appearances later in these last 15-20 chapters. Yes, I've been outlining the next chapters after this one, and I found that I'm around 15-20 chapters from the end. so look forward to them. Again, thanks to everyone who have been following, faving, and reviewing so far. I'm glad you're enjoying it. In addition, while I'm talking about the planning of the last bevy of chapters, I'm taking a break after this chapter to finish the chapter outlines, along with plans for three upcoming fanfics, with one in-progress right now called "The Magical Encounters of Takeru Takaishi." You're welcome to check that out if you're interested.
Anyway, enjoy the chapter! And I don't own Wreck-It Ralph!
Chapter 31
"Damn...where am I?" Turbo groaned as his eyes slowly opened. "Am I dead?" The ex-racer saw a sliver of light in his vision as he came to. I didn't know putting Felix on a leash would be thisth frustrating!
"Oh, you're not dead," a hard, snarky voice was heard. "At least not yet. Although I'll be more than willing to grant that wish if you'd like."
"What the...?" The ex-racer's eyes snapped open to reveal his surroundings.
Turbo glanced around to realize that he was in Surge's office, with shelves lining the right wall and a desk topped with a computer and scanner.
"Hey, we're over here, asshole," another, younger voice demanded.
Turbo turned to notice seven pairs of eyes focused on him, three of which were burning into the former racer's catlike eyes, three showing fright, and Surge's being unreadable. He couldn't help but let out a chuckle at that, as he knew that the arcade guardian had always been adept at hiding emotion.
The ex-racer then noticed an unconscious Kohut next to him on the floor, courtesy of the Felix malware whom Turbo realized wasn't present in the room. The last time he had seen Felix was when the Good Guy had knocked him out.
"Where the hell isth Felix?" he inquired, trying to move forward but realized that he couldn't. "What the...?" Turbo looked down to realize that he was tied up from the shoulders down to his ankles. The ex-racer made a second attempt to struggle, but failed.
"Don't even bother trying," Calhoun suggested, rising from her place on the floor to approach Turbo until she was inches from him. Her scowl implied that she was in no way screwing around.
"How the hell did I get here?" Turbo demanded, his lisp heavy with anger.
"We're asking the questions here," Dyne stated firmly, a thick amount of authority in his voice as he fixed Turbo with a glare that could freeze a horde of Podoboos. "And you will answer them. My son is dead because of you and your asshole accomplices like Mr. Candy."
"Unless, of course, you are Mr. Candy," added Aika with venom in her tone. Leaning forward in her place on the couch, she asked, "Are you Mr. Candy?"
Turbo snorted at that question. "Who wantsth to know?"
"We would like to know," Surge interjected, regarding the ex-racer in his swivel chair. "And if you don't oblige, we will be forced to take further action."
"Like what? Put me in jail?" the ex-racer continued to mock. "Asth if that would do any good."
Turbo suddenly felt a force whip against his cheek. When he looked up, he found himself face-to-face with Tamora, whose blue eyes narrowed in rage.
"Look, you little parasite..." she growled. "Jail will be nothing compared to what you'll be facing if you don't answer the question, so I suggest you cut the mockery and answer."
"And we know you know it," Aika put in.
"What makesth you think I know anything?" Turbo retorted.
"This." Tamora pulled out her rifle, pointing the business end at Turbo's head. "You've got five seconds to live unless you tell us what we need to know. Hopefully I won't have to pull the trigger."
"Start with what I asked you earlier," Aika demanded. "Are you Mr. Candy?"
Turbo remained silent, yellow eyes narrowing at the female pirate in a "Really?" manner.
"Five..." Tamora moved her finger an inch closer to the trigger.
Turbo still didn't answer. Instead, he glared at Calhoun, as if challenging her.
"Four..." Her finger moved closer, touching the trigger lightly.
"I wish this wasn't necessary." Mary covered her eyes. She refused to see anyone shot, regardless or whether he or she were good or evil. The Nicelander was not a strong advocate for violence, nor did she participate in it. Mary always believed that talking it out was the best way to go. At the same time, she realized that sometimes there was no choice in the matter, and apparently the scene playing out before her was one of them.
"Me too," agreed Deanna. "I'm not too big on fighting and killing, but this is the best bet of saving Felix right now."
"And Sonic," added Tails, watching the interrogation play out. "Besides, Turbo definitely knows something, judging from how he's toying with Sarge, which isn't a good idea."
"Three..." Tamora's finger pressed further on the trigger, causing it to click.
"She's not playing around, Turbo," Aika warned. "I suggest you start talking. For all I know, you're probably Mr. Candy." Her blue eyes narrowed into Turbo, who was trying to keep his calm.
There's no way I'm spilling the beansth on any of my operationsth, the ex-racer thought; however, the cold metal of Calhoun's rifle wasn't making that feat easy.
"Two..." The sergeant slowly pulled the trigger back. "You'd best make your decision, asshole."
Turbo chuckled at that, his voice shaking in a few areas. "Do it...if you can, hoo hoo hoo, but I musth warn you: if you kill me, you'll never get the information you're looking for."
"Are you going to give it to us, then?" Tamora asked, an inch closer to putting an end to the ex-racer's life.
"I never sthaid that." Turbo's voice cracked a little, then he regarded Aika. "Why do you think I'm Mr. Candy, little girl?"
"'Little girl?'" The female pirate was offended. "How dare you! I'm effing seventeen, so you'd better watch it, dude! As for why I think you're Mr. Candy, well, that's kinda obvious."
"Stho you think that my pasth disguisthe as King Candy automatically makesth me Mr. Candy?" Turbo asked.
"If the shoe fits," the female pirate retorted.
The evil racer let out another laugh. "Well, I guessth you're shit out of luck, becausthe I'm not him."
Silence filled the room. Nobody said a word to Turbo's recent statement.
"What?" Tails blurted out after a few moments.
"You're lying," Dyne chimed in. "You've got to be the one responsible for my son's death. Who else is good at viruses?"
"Tonsth of people," Turbo replied, shrugging. "At leasth, in thisth day and age. Charactersth have been learning to hack left and right, up and down to get their way in gamesth. But I had nothing to do with what happened to your sthon. Hell, I don't even know who he isth. That could be Mr. Candy'sth doing, who'sth not me."
"You're not Mr. Candy?" Tamora lowered her rifle, finally starting to get the much-needed info. "If you're not Mr. Candy, then who the hell is he?"
"That isth an excellent questhion, witch," the psychotic racer retorted. "Becausthe I don't know who he isth, either. I justh work for him...or shall I say, worked."
"'Worked?'" Tamora repeated, dumbfounded and taken aback by what the evil racer had just said. The sergeant hoped she hadn't heard him correctly, for she couldn't imagine Turbo as the type to work for anyone, let alone Mr. Candy.
"Yeah, I didn't sthutter," Turbo confirmed, a snarky edge to his tone. "I've been 'working' for the mystery fool for almost two weeks, but I'm planning on using histh own weapon againsth him. Or planned, consthidering that the weapon planted in Felix hasth gone haywire and isth making him run rampant around the arcade."
"So you planned to double-cross Mr. Candy," Dyne guessed.
"Sthomething like that." Turbo smirked slightly, but then it disappeared when he felt Calhoun's rifle return to its place next to his head. Regaining a straight face, the racer continued. "Ever sthince I've been brought back from digital hell with a backup file I've planted in Sthugar Rush during my time asth King Candy, I've been plotting my revenge on the arcade that hasth done me wrong, namely a big oaf and a glitch." The ex-racer regarded his audience. "And I bet you all know who I'm talking about."
"Oh, we know who you're talking about," assured Aika with venom in her voice. "I kinda got you on 'big oaf and glitch,' there."
"How did you plant a backup file in Sugar Rush?" Tails interjected, curious to know how Turbo pulled off such a feat. "How'd you even get one of those?"
Turbo scoffed. "Asth if it wasth that hard."
"Watch it," Tamora warned, removing the safety from her weapon.
That did it for Turbo, as he froze to notice the gun jabbed into his head, which gave him realization about what he had been doing...and how they had made him do it. The ex-racer regarded the group incredulously. "You...tricked me?"
"See how starting a 'casual' conversation can make people spill their guts?" Aika smiled victoriously, making air quotes.
"You little brat!" Turbo growled, wishing that he could jump across the office and teach her a lesson.
"And we're going to continue our little conversation, too," added Dyne, folding his arms and giving Turbo a "Don't fuck with me" glare.
"Ha, yeah right," the racer laughed cynically. "Especially when I've already told you that you could kill me. And sthince I'm not giving away anymore info than I've already spilled, what are you waiting for?"
"That can be arranged, then," Aika pulled out her daggers, kneeling down to Turbo and holding them against either side of his neck. "And Vyse wouldn't mind having some company to bully around. And this time, there won't be a backup file to save you."
A knock cut the interrogation short.
"Whoever could that be?" Deanna wondered, grateful that the intimidating atmosphere was broken. Personally, I didn't think I could handle another moment of this. But I was hoping that we would get at least a few pieces of information about Mr. Candy and Turbo's part in everything.
"It musth be Ken," assumed Turbo with a smirk as Surge went to the door to answer it. "I'm pretty sthure he'sth here to get me out of here and tell me what the hell isth up with the virusth he bought from that bitch Sthora."
"'Sora?'" Dyne repeated, eyebrow raised.
"Isn't she one of the characters from Red Moon Racing?" Mary interjected. "She's still alive and involved in this?"
"I've no idea who you're talking about," Tamora regarded the Nicelander. "I don't know a Sora or Sara or whatever." She glanced down at Turbo for an answer.
Their pondering of that topic was cut off when Surge answered the door, revealing a large, muscular man around eight feet-shorter than Ralph.
"Zangief?" Tails studied the character, namely his panicked expression coupled with short, shallow breaths.
"Sweet mercy!" Deanna gasped. "Whatever happened to you?"
"It's horrible!" The Street Fighter's Russian accent thickened with distress. "Our game is under attack!" Then his eyes fell on Turbo, generating a scowl. "And what is he doing here?"
"No 'hello?'" Turbo feigned hurt feelings.
"Not from me," Zangief spat. "After what you've done to Sugar Rush? Hell, you could be the one who's causing all of the unrest in my game. You and that virus is making everyone go crazy in Street Fighter II."
"I've never been in that game, musclesth for brainsth!" Turbo snapped.
"Then what games have you been fucking with?" Aika asked.
"I told you before, you'll never get it from me, hoo hoo hoo."
"If it wasn't you, then who?" Zangief demanded, cracking his knuckles in preparation to deck the psychotic racer if he needed to.
"Why don't you check it out yoursthelf?" Turbo suggested snidely. "And then you'll know I'm probably not the only one who'sth good at hacking."
Zangief scoffed. "Ha! I know you're behind it, so I don't have to prove it to you. I shall show Surge that you are indeed behind this crime in my game. It's bad enough that you're back."
"Go ahead. You'll sthoon find out that I'm not resthponsthible for that one," the ex-racer provoked.
"I'll go with you, big guy," Aika offered, with Dyne rising from his seat to join her. Then she regarded the Nicelanders, Tails and Surge. "You guys should stay here."
"But I should go as well, Ms. Aika," Surge rebutted, standing up. "I must check into this as well."
"Not this time." Tamora shook her head, joining the pirates and Zangief. "We definitely don't want you getting killed if whatever shit's happening in Street Fighter II is more dangerous than we think. If you're dead..."
"Then this arcade is, too," finished Surge. The arcade guardian sighed, then sat back down. "Okay, I understand, but you must bring what you find back to me."
"Noted." The sergeant nodded. "And in the meantime, go see if you can wring any more information out of Turbo. And Kohut should be waking up soon, but he'll still be weak. Threaten Turbo, I don't care. Anything to get that info. And if he gives you any trouble, there's the pistol in Kohut's holster." The sergeant nodded to her second-in-command, who was still unconscious. "He will talk," Tamora assured them. "Trust me."
"Fat chancthe," Turbo snorted. "You were lucky enough to get detailsth out of me when you were pointing your gun at me, and that wasth becausthe I wasth carelessth. Stho how do you think Sthurge, a fox, and the two runtsth can do any better?"
Ignoring that remark, the sergeant turned to her companions heading for Street Fighter II, filing out of the arcade guardian's office.
"Oh, and don't let him escape," Aika threw over her shoulder as she, Dyne, Zangief, and Tamora exited. "We'll be sure to tell you what we find when we get back here."
When the four characters left, Tails, Surge, and the Nicelanders stared at Turbo, who sent them another mocking glance.
"How does this interrogation stuff work?" Mary wondered. "We're not fans of violence, and I am not touching a gun."
"Something tells me that we'd better learn fast," Tails sighed.
"Hoo hoo hoo, no matter which method you usthe, my lipsth are sthill sthealed." The former racer continued his taunts.
"Admittedly, I'm not too adept at forcing information out, either," Surge said, adjusting his glasses. Though he was like an officer in the arcade, he didn't quite excel in interrogations. But considering the situation they were in, that was as ideal a chance as any to start.
...
"So you guys didn't get picked that often?" Taffyta cocked her head in interest.
"No, we didn't," Sora confirmed with a shake of her head.
The witch had been telling the girls about T.K.'s history, back when Red Moon Racing still existed in Litwak's Arcade. Unfortunately, they hadn't gone too far into the story, for Candlehead kept asking about the poor reception the game had received, namely the teenagers and adult-only audience. Her silly, if not rude, comparisons between that game and Sugar Rush hadn't sped things along, either. Sora had just started on the part when she and T.K. had not been chosen often, which peaked the others' curiosity.
"You guys must not have appealed well to the younger players," guessed Vanellope.
"I don't think it was that, per se," Sora rebutted. "Sometimes that was just the way things were. There doesn't have to be a reason. Besides, I was happy enough to be chosen a handful of times, unlike T.K."
"Wait." Taffyta stopped the witch for a second, at first regretting it when she noticed the witch's seemingly displeased eyes at being cut off. The strawberry racer froze before she continued, fearing another scold from Sora, but when one didn't head Taffyta's way, the blonde continued. "You said that you guys weren't picked at all."
"Sorry about that." The white-haired woman shook her head briefly, then shot an accusing glare at Tapper, who raised his hands in a defensive manner. "I should've rephrased that. I was chosen a few times, but T.K. never got picked the entire time our game was in Litwak's."
"Now we're getting you." Candlehead smiled, nodding. "And I'm guessing T.K. didn't take that too well?"
"You guess correctly," Sora confirmed. "She was pissed."
"Kinda like Turbo when he was jealous of that Roadblasters game," Vanellope added.
"Only T.K. was ten times worse," Tapper interjected. "More so when Kari was involved."
"Kari?" repeated the princess.
"Kari Lightblossom," Sora said. "The main character of Red Moon Racing. She's a witch. Or rather, was a witch. She was picked the most in our game next to Taichi and Masaru. That pissed T.K. off like you wouldn't believe it, making her hate Kari."
"Damn," Taffyta swore.
"Yes, exactly." The witch concurred. "And there's more, too."
"We'd love to hear this," the strawberry racer said with an eager smile.
"Kari won many a person over with her sweet personality. She was kind and willing to do anything to help others if she could. That made her popular in-game and out, and T.K. was jealous of that." Sora explained. "She wanted that popularity, too, but...it just didn't swing that way for her."
"And I'm assuming she wasn't letting this go," Vanellope guessed.
"You catch on pretty quickly for little girls." The witch's lips curved into a slight grin. "T.K. did indeed make every attempt to make Kari's life a living hell, and it showed during races."
"Dirty racer, huh?" Candlehead asked.
"Oh yes. T.K. did all sorts of things to fuck up Kari's game, even with players playing during arcade hours. She would set all kinds of traps for her that were not part of the game. To name some, T.K. cut down trees, started fires in Kari's path, and would even seduce other racers in doing her dirty work. Takeru was vindictive with a capital V."
"Did any of them succeed?" asked Vanellope.
Sora nodded. "But it didn't get T.K. first place, they only slowed Kari down, for she would find a way out of the predicament every time. She was a witch, after all, and one of the most experienced racers in the game. Kari may not have gotten first place, but she still came out on top of T.K., and that only pissed Takeru off even more."
"I can imagine," Taffyta said. "It's kinda like how King Jerkass used to punish us if we ever got in...no... tried to get in first place. We'd spend a whole month or two in the Fungeon."
Sora chuckled at the blonde's comparison. "Except that your King Candy threatened everyone in your game, I'm guessing?"
"Yeah."
"Then no, it isn't the same. T.K. only went for one person, not the whole roster."
"Oh, sorry."
"Time and time again, she went after Kari in-game, with no change in regard to her ranking. Takeru was fed up with Kari having 'everything.' She even bitched at me about her constant losses over vodka here. That was when she met Wreck-It Ralph, who was sitting at the bar alone at the time. And right away, T.K. was... taken by the big guy."
"Stinkbrain dating a crazy lady like that?" Vanellope was still stuck on that detail, considering that she couldn't imagine Ralph in a relationship; however, a sudden feeling in her chest objected to that, as Vanellope felt a glitch run through her, along with warmth in her cheeks and a slight tinge of anger. She remembered having this feeling before when she had been at the Bad Guy's shack and in Tapper, now the sheer mention of Ralph was generating those same feelings, mixed with another emotion.
Anger.
Though it was slight, the rage still burned within Vanellope.
Why am I feeling this way all of a sudden? wondered Vanellope. The princess wanted to ponder this more in order to find out the truth.
"Vanellope?"
Taffyta's voice snapped the president out of her reverie, the strange emotions forgotten as she regarded her sister.
"You back with us?" Candlehead asked.
"What happened to you?"
"Um..." That's a good question. Vanellope thought. And one we can save for a later time. "It's nothing." The princess quickly turned her attention back to Sora. "What're you waiting for, Witchy Woman? Keep going. Upgrade in 1997-the same year we were plugged in. So? What does that have to do with what happened between Stinkbrain and T.K.?"
"Upgrades are supposed to improve games, right?" Taffyta said. "Like us. So it probably gave you guys new karts and tracks, so why not appearances?"
"Yes to the appearance part, but no to the other stuff you listed," Sora replied. "As you can see." She motioned to her entire form.
"What were you like before?" Candlehead asked.
That sudden question struck a nerve in Sora, as she gritted her teeth in what seemed to be annoyance.
"What's wrong?" the birthday racer wondered, staring at the witch in confusion.
"Funny you should ask that," the white-haired woman said stiffly as she made every attempt possible to calm down.
"Is it that bad?" Taffyta inquired.
"It is, actually," Tapper interjected. "Worse than you know."
"So what were you like?" Vanellope pried, a mischievous smile crossing her face. Although she and her fellow racers were adults, the president's curiosity remained unaffected.
"You wanted to know about T.K., right?" Sora reminded, attempting to steer the girls away from the topic regarding the witch's past appearance.
"Yeah, but your appearance sounds kinda interesting, too." The Sugar Rush lead moved closer to Sora, who appeared ready to explode on her at any moment.
"Spill it, lady," Taffyta joined in with equal interest.
"Okay, fine!" Sora blurted out, causing the trio to jump. "I'll tell you about my appearance, but only briefly, and you'd better swear not to mention it to anyone else. Understand?"
"Hmm... maybe," Taffyta replied in a sing song voice but then noticed the dangerous glint in the witch's crimson eyes, which suggested the racer to rethink her decision.
"Do you understand?" the white-haired woman's voice dropped a few octaves in anger. "Do not fuck with me, little brat."
"O-Okay, okay..." the pink-clad racer promised quickly, waving her hands in defense. "I was just joking with you." God, she's worse than Surge. I bet she can kick him around the block with that glare.
"Good." Regaining her composure from her rage, Sora cleared her throat. Then she noticed Tapper closing in on his door. "Don't worry, I wasn't going to kill her, Tapper, I don't kill children."
"'Children?'" Candlehead repeated, offended.
"Oh, save it. You're still technically little girls, upgrade or no, so don't you dare rebut me. You should be glad you're going to hear what I'm about to tell you, so I doubt you're in any position to complain."
Bitch, Taffyta thought, but wouldn't dare utter it aloud.
"Anyway..." Sora began, "what you see before you isn't the form I had pre-upgrade. T.K., however, was a beauty in every way possible with that perfect body, especially her boobs that were C-cup at the time, and that glossy blond hair. And her dress was to fucking die for. A simple Chinese dress, but Takeru made it work when she was reeling in guys in-game and out."
"Wow," Vanellope nodded. "Must've been a looker, considering that Ralph fell for her, too."
"You, on the other hand..." Taffyta supplied.
"I had none of what T.K. had before the upgrade," Sora finished. "I was plain, flat as a board, and just...stocky. No curves, no charm, nothing. I wasn't what anyone would call sexy." The witch's tone raised to dramatic levels. "It was fucking unbearable to watch T.K. snag all of the men while I end up with the leftovers. Thank User for the upgrade; it helped me in more ways than you know." She motioned to her current form.
"Made you vain, probably?" Candlehead guessed.
Sora decided to disregard that conjecture. "It gave me a chance to find 'the one,' although I've yet to find him."
"Yeah." Taffyta snorted. "If he overlooks your wrinkles." She eyed the witch's pale face. "And they're there, trust me."
"Are you implying that I'm old?" The white-haired woman's voice lowered to a growl again.
"Here we go." Tapper slowly reached for the doorknob to prepare for his escape at a moment's notice as he watched Sora inch her face closer to the strawberry racer's.
"Y-You're not old!" Vanellope jumped between the two women, waving her hands in defense for her sister. "You're a true goddess for your age! You may even stand out more than Sergeant Smiles or Princess 'Shrooms or even that elf princess." Then she turned a warning gaze to Taffyta. "Don't say anything to piss her off anymore, Taffyta."
"Yes, you'd be wise to listen to her," Sora suggested, backing off once more and returning to her calm posture. "Considering that she understands who's the pearl of brokers and Game Central Station. Even more than Takeru despite the upgrade, making her more..." Sora trailed off, trying to find the right word.
"Sexual?" Tapper supplied. "To put it in less...dirtier terms." He considered the trio.
"Yes, it enhanced her drastically," the witch agreed, nodding. "It made her curvier and pretty buxom." Sora indicated her chest. "And her dress became just as provocative, too, turning into evening attire. That scored some men's gazes, for sure. Of course, it didn't help her lack of popularity any; she was still ignored by the players. I earned more, however."
"Nobody went for T.K.'s new looks, huh?" Candlehead said. "But they all went for Kari, I'm sure."
"Most definitely. Kari blossomed tremendously through the upgrade, having a larger male fan base and many an admirer in GCS," Sora complained, then sighed. "T.K. didn't take that well, either. And after that, she had enough."
"This ought to be good." Taffyta braced herself.
"T.K. decided to go full force against Kari," Sora continued. "Jostling her to try to run her off the track, using her whip to slash her tires, along with the other activities of a dirty racer. She wasn't giving up until she got rid of Kari. T.K. would set all the traps she could to do the job."
"And she never succeeded," supplied Vanellope.
"Not at all, especially on one day a few days after the upgrade."
"What happened then?" the princess inquired.
"A virus suddenly hit our game during a race in the middle of arcade hours. I didn't know where it came from at first...until Takato, our resident hacker and dryad extraordinaire, informed everyone that the upgrade had a virus, which told me that it was probably illegal and incompatible with a game as old as Red Moon Racing."
"And Litwak wasn't aware of a virus in the upgrade," Tapper piped in. "All he cared about was not losing the game and getting it up to par with Sugar Rush, which had better graphics. He wanted to bring more players into Red Moon Racing, but it didn't pay the bills as much as before the upgrade."
"Aw, man." Vanellope's eyes widened.
"No sooner had we found out about the virus, which was taking over our game quicker than gremlins rushing to a half-price loincloth sale, we hauled tail the fuck out, pushing, shoving, jumping across each other. Oh yeah, it was every man for himself."
"Nothing like what we went through a couple months ago," Candlehead said. "Sarge worked the crowd when we escaped."
"We didn't have a Sarge to regulate things for us," Sora reminded, "Which led to the majority of us dying with the game. Only a handful of us survived. Myself, Takato, and Yamato, to name a few. And of course, T.K. and Kari as well. There were others, but I can't remember them; I was too obsessed with saving my own ass. However, I can tell you that the Takeru-Kari conflict did not end afterward. And it all had to do with Wreck-It Ralph. You asked what the upgrade had to do with his and T.K.'s relationship, correct?"
The Sugar Rush racers nodded in unison. They wanted all the details they could siphon from the witch. Plus, they found themselves stuck on the topic of the Bad Guy having a girlfriend.
"It happened one day here," Tapper started. "Probably a few days to a week after the fall of Red Moon Racing. I was busy with the evening rush of after hours, lining up root beers and other drinks. T.K. and Sora were sitting at the bar with vodka and socializing with me. You know, we were just catching up on the day and stuff. They still weren't used to life without a game."
"But we'd adjust," Sora added. "Especially when T.K., who had been dumped by Ralph a couple of days prior."
"Because of her appearance?" Taffyta inquired.
Sora nodded. "She was pissed at first, but then said that she'd get over it." The witch's expression and tone turned grim. "At least, that's what I thought...until a few moments later, we saw Ralph enter with the last person T.K. wanted to see. And they were holding hands."
"Kari?" Candlehead guessed, despite knowing the answer.
"How right you are, little girl. Kari was with Takeru's ex, and all hell broke loose like you wouldn't believe it, even more so when Ralph didn't even acknowledge her. T.K. Was so outraged, even I couldn't comfort her. Trust me, I've tried several times and even used herbal spells to soothe the beast within my friend, but nothing worked."
"What is she, a bull?" Vanellope threw her hands up in confusion.
"I wouldn't say a bull," Sora said. "But I can tell you that when she's pissed, she stays that way until the problem is resolved."
"And she would make sure of it, too."
"That was when Kari broke down, too," Tapper added. "Now, I didn't know what made her cry; it happened in the bathroom."
"Neither did I," Sora agreed. "And something told me I should have." Regret filled her voice. "I've never seen Kari that upset, which meant T.K. did or said something hurtful. I didn't catch the tail end of it when T.K. shoved Kari out of the bathroom and threatened her with her whip, which I know she had used on her because of the gashes and welts all over Kari. It was cruel, and worse than the T.K. I knew."
"Talk about your insane bitch." Taffyta whistled.
"Ralph intervened and he was pissed," Sora continued. "He jumped between them and did the last thing anyone would have imagined T.K. to do. But she did it."
"Did she kill Ralph in front of everyone?" Vanellope inquired.
"Did she torture him with her whip?" Candlehead asked.
"Those are both good guesses, but T.K. did neither of those things," Sora rebutted. "Oh no, T.K. took...sexual measures. I told you her activity was unimaginable, didn't I?"
"Then what did she do?" Taffyta asked. "You're killing us here."
"She took her clothes off and threw herself at Ralph," the witch said finally. "A bold move...as well as a desperate one. T.K. begged for Ralph to fuck her, and if he did she'd give him another chance. Some thought it disgusting."
"It is disgusting," Taffyta confirmed, proving Sora's point. "At least, that's what we've heard from hanging around adults in the arcade as children. How the hell desperate is she?"
"Desperate enough to get what she lost. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible because of course Ralph didn't accept her offer. Who would, and why would they? Especially considering the situation."
"Ralph pinned her to the wall," Tapper continued. "Which was a first for him, and even more so when it was a woman. He made his point clear that he didn't want anything to do with her."
"Did T.K. try to force it on him again?" Taffyta asked.
"Surprisingly, T.K. left it at that," Sora responded. "Then she left...but not before threatening him. T.K. said something about making Ralph hers. Of course, nobody believed that, with some calling her a whore, psycho, and any other insults they could think of."
"It drove her to make a threat to everyone else in Tapper, too," added the bartender. "Said that this arcade would eventually 'go to hell' and that Ralph would beg for her back."
"Well, that first one is in the process of happening," Taffyta put in. "Unless we do something about it, that is. But I don't know about that second one. I mean, who'd want to go back to a psycho bitch like that?"
"Probably the Warios," Candlehead supplied.
"It was a rhetorical question, Candlehead." The lollipop racer smacked her forehead. "Sometimes I wonder how you dress."
"Getting back to the arcade going to H-E-double hockey sticks..." Vanellope interjected, then regarded Sora. "Do you think that T.K. or T-whatever could have something to do with this?"
"From her being the possible owner of that virus I saw, yeah, she's backing up her threat," Sora replied. "However, that's all we have to start, especially when we don't know where she is or about an antivirus to negate the effects of your Fix-It's..." The witch noticed Taffyta and Candlehead's infected forms. "...and you guys' afflictions."
"Not to mention the games out there that are Zingers in an epidemic in Donkey Kong Country," added Tapper.
"Great," Taffyta groaned, folding her arms. "We're stuck like this. It's bad enough that we don't know where this bitch is, though we know she's alive."
"Calm down, Taffyta," Vanellope patted her on the shoulder. "Geez, you can be as big a diaper baby as Ralph, and he's not even with us right now."
"Man, where's Mr. Candy getting his minions from?" Candlehead wondered.
"Your guess is as good as everyone else's here," Sora said. "I've heard of that name several times in Tapper these past few weeks. Apparently he's the asshole behind everything."
"You bet your ass there," Taffyta agreed, then noticed a scowl across the witch's face. "Something wrong?" she asked with sympathy for the first time toward the white-haired woman.
"I just can't forgive how T.K. did that to Kari," Sora growled. "And her little show just makes me happier that we severed ties." She sighed, tears welling in her eyes. "I should've stood up for Kari that time and stopped Takeru. I should've went in that bathroom with them. I knew T.K. wasn't entirely over it and how obsessed and crazy she would be. She was, or is, a succubus, after all."
"Calm down." Tapper grabbed her shoulders gently. "You would've been on the business end of that whip, then."
"But Kari would've been safe. Witches have to protect each other, and I failed."
Wow, I never thought a frightening-ass lady would have a regretful side, Taffyta thought. It was almost ironic, considering the many times Sora's bad side had emerged due to the strawberry racer's comebacks and wisecracks. She must've really cared for this Kari. I take back everything I said to her earlier.
"You can't change that, Sora," said Tapper, rubbing her shoulders. "Besides, you two never knew each other personally or were close."
"Still, we could have started growing close if I had..." The witch clenched her fists in rage, her voice dropping a few octaves.
"Again, you didn't know what T.K. was going to do to her. Plus, we can't focus on Kari right now." Tapper regarded the Sugar Rush racers. "T.K.'s harrassing Kari struck a nerve in Sora that day. The one thing she hates the most is when weak-willed and sensitive people get abused, and Kari was definitely one of those."
"And Kari hadn't done anything to T.K.?" Candlehead asked.
"Not a thing." The bartender shook his head. "Takeru was just cruel and vain."
"Which is why I said I was going to help you take Mr. Candy or whoever down and T.K. with him," added Sora, wiping away tears and blinked continuously to keep fresh ones from falling. "And that's what I plan to do. But one detail puzzles me..." The witch's gaze fell on Vanellope.
"What?" The princess cocked her head, not understanding why she was important.
"Why aren't you infected by the virus like your little girlfriends?" Sora glanced over the president's shoulder at the infected Taffyta and Candlehead.
"That's a good question, White Hair," Vanellope replied. "And there's no good answer to it yet."
"Well, then..." The witch smirked at the trio. "I guess we should look into that first. It's a start in the right direction as to finding some sort of antivirus for this bug if not look for T.K. or Mr. Candy."
"What are you planning?" Candlehead inquired, her tone shaking in anxiety.
However, the girls only received more grinning in return, which suggested that they should prepare themselves.
...
"So, this guy's name is Cody?" Rancis asked. "That's a...different name for a wizard."
"Please, it's not like we picked it," Agnes retorted.
The peanut butter cup racer was following the sirens through yet another corridor of their home, with Wendee filling Rancis in about Cody along the way. He had learned that Cody was also from Red Moon Racing as one of the racers and one of the lucky survivors of the virus and the unplugging. Rancis was still stuck on the name, which was unusual for a wizard in his opinion.
"Seriously, when you said you were keeping a wizard here, I would've thought his name was...I don't know...something that wasn't so plain like that."
"You just can't think about anything else but his name, can you?" Mignogna shook her head in disdain. "Besides, you've got a lot of nerve dissing someone else's name while yours can be a target, too. What kind of name is Rancis?"
"The kind that can be a badass wizard name," the racer answered in a macho-esque tone.
"Whatever." The middle sister rolled her eyes.
"What the fuck?" Wendee gasped as she and the others arrived in Cody's room containing a king-sized bed with semi-neat sheets that beat Mignogna's hands down, a wardrobe as tall as Ralph, a podium holding a thick, charcoal-colored tome, and shelves decorated with other books and potions.
However, everyone's attention focused on the young man on the floor. He had shoulder-length brown hair, a pale complexion, an average build, and wore a black leather jacket and pants, with a shirt that bore a pentagram. It opposed all assumptions Rancis initially had about the mysterious Cody.
"That's Cody?" Rancis raised an eyebrow at the body on the floor. "And here I thought I was expecting an old man."
"Yep, that's Cody," confirmed Agnes uneasily as she knelt to the wizard's side.
"What happened to him?" Mignogna wondered as she and Wendee joined their sister to try to check for any sign of life in the motionless character.
"The same thing I'm going to do to you girlies," a Southern-accented voice rang from somewhere in the room. "And a cavity is with you, too. Haven't I met you before?"
"Was that...?" Wendee looked up from Cody's body to search for the voice's owner, then heard the sound of crackling energy, causing her to glance in all directions to find the source of it.
"Get down!" Agnes' voice pierced through Wendee's ears as the pink-haired girl felt the oldest sister shove her to the ground.
"Agnes!" Mignogna's shriek was heard.
"Agnes?" the pink-haired siren repeated as she turned around to recover from the blow she received from her sister. Why would she... She stopped mid-thought when she noticed the oldest siren's body lying motionlessly on top of Cody's, with Mignogna and Rancis kneeling over them. The middle sister's face screamed fear as well as confusion as she tried to make sense of what was going on and who could have done such a thing.
Rancis, however, knew exactly who was camping out in the room, and the creature's job wasn't done.
"You'd better come the fuck out right now!" Mignogna demanded. "Whoever you are."
"I guess I should," the voice chortled. "Besides, you won't live much longer."
"Fix-It..." The peanut butter cup racer growled as the handyman made himself visible, stepping out of a secluded, shadowed corner of the room with a twisted, demented smile defining his expression like a homicidal person.
"Never thought I'd see you again, cavity," Felix taunted, then surveyed the two sirens. "Now I wonder which of you will go next?" The Good Guy's gaze moved from Rancis to Mignogna to Wendee. "Decisions, decisions."
"You weren't kidding when you said Fix-It was insane," Wendee relayed to the young man. "If that's what a virus can do to Fix-It, I don't think I want to see what it can do to Wreck-It or Bowser." The pink-haired girl rose to a fighting position, raising a bubble of water in her left palm.
"I don't know what this virus is..." Mignogna said, following suit with fire igniting in her palms. "...it still doesn't change the fact that it killed our sister. Plus, Fix-It doesn't seem to be giving us much choice."
"Trust me, you girls have no idea." Rancis rose to his feet, joining them. And I must be losing it here, fighting at only chopped strength. But I gotta do what I have to, especially when there's a chance that I might check out here.