Chapter 39

Calhoun followed the mystery group down the hallway to the corridor of doors leading to the main code room. The sergeant caught up to the characters to find that one of them was Turbo carrying a crimson energy-driven net. Tamora pulled a pair of binoculars to zoom in on the net. The sergeant gasped upon identifying the characters.

"The midgets and some of that turtle's squad. But how the hell did Turbo manage to imprison them as weak as he is?" The Hero's Duty lead hugged the wall and continued to watch. She also noticed that Turbo looked a little stronger than when he had been held hostage in Surge's office, implying how he'd subdued the group.

"Which way?" the psychotic racer asked.

"Left," one of the Nicelanders responded, presumably Deanna.

Turbo grinned, yellow teeth showing. It made Tamora want to smack it off of his face even more once she managed to lay her hands on him. But what was to the left of the main code room?

Calhoun promised herself she'd find out, as Turbo proceeded, bearing left as instructed by Deanna. Tamora followed, knowing whatever lied at Turbo's destination could spell more hell breaking loose in the arcade.

…

"Tails..."

"Hm..." the fox groaned.

"Wake up..." the voice grew a little clearer. Tails determined it as Surge's.

"What happened?" The fox fully opened his eyes to see that he was floating. He wiggled his limbs to realize he couldn't. He glanced at both sides of him to find handcuffs around them.

"Mr. Erholtz knocked us out with a rose," Surge explained.

"Flamboyant asshole," Kohut growled, looking down as if disappointed in his slow reaction time. "If and when Sarge comes, how am I going to explain this? She'll demote me for this. For falling to a flower and an angel. Markowski might be in line for my position if this gets out."

"That is the least of your problems," a booming, demonic voice said.

The trio noticed a hooded figure enter the chamber, its face shrouded in the hood's darkness.

"My guards did not roughen you up too much, did they?" he continued.

"If you count being knocked out by a rose, it depends," Kohut retorted.

"And you're not fooling anyone anymore, T.K.," Surge added. "We know you're Takeru Nightrose under that hood."

"You must be mistaken," the figure said. "I am Mr. Candy."

"Drop it, T.K.," Tails demanded. "We know your plan now. It's all about Ralph, isn't it?"

"And how you want revenge against him and the entire arcade for the way you've been treated by both parties. You want to use your virus to take over and have Ralph on your side to do it."

"Well, I guess you have found me out." Mr. Candy's voice took on a feminine and seductive tone, possessing a little of Red's sinister tone and Turbo's arrogance, implying to the arcade guardian further that Mr. Candy had not been the only form Takeru had assumed.

"So just show yourself already," Kohut demanded. "And release us!"

"I'm afraid that won't happen." Takeru chuckled maniacally. "Because I can't have you three revealing me to the entire arcade. All of my plans will turn to shreds then. No, you'll hang around awhile. I may even kill you, in that case. I've always wanted to see what killing a Surge Protector does to the arcade he or she is protecting.

T.K. didn't get to take even one step, however, as she felt crimson code course through her. She noticed that she lost around two feet in height. She looked down at her hands and clothes to realize they were similar to King Candy's.

"What the fuck?" The the code rippled through her again, causing her to regain the lost height but this time found she was in her true form. "I'm myself!"

"That's her true form?" Kohut asked, trying not to look too long at the significantly large breasts, bat wings, highly sexual figure, and the waist-length blonde hair.

"Yes," Surge confirmed, scowling at the witch before the group.

"But how's she able to take on all those forms?" Tails inquired.

"She must have latched one of her viruses to somebody's code and many others, modifying that patch to add many forms to it," explained Surge. "And considering how it's unraveling, someone must be removing it from the victim's code, which are King Candy's, Turbo's, and Red Riding Hood's."

"Those saccharine bitches!" Takeru shrieked. "I should've killed them when I had the chance, but I'll take care of it now. Erholtz, look after these fools while I run an errand!" She made a call to him in her demonic voice to avoid exposure, glitching away afterward.

"Vanellope's in danger," Tails realized. "If what T.K. means is true. Vanellope and her friends are doing something that's causing T.K. to lose that Mr. Candy persona."

"Wait, does that mean she and her pals are negating T.K.'s virus?" Kohut asked.

"There's a huge possibility for that," responded Surge. "Either way, she needs to prepare herself."

…

It'sth done, King Candy said, feeling the last of Vanellope's sapphire energy enter T.K.'s virus, which shattered into bits of code. The monarch's hologram separated itself from his panel, filling itself in until it became whole and solid. Candy touched Vanellope's shoulder lightly, but the princess pulled away, still refusing to touch him.

"If you touch me again, I'll have you thrown in the Hot Springs," Vanellope threatened. "And that won't be fun. You're solid, too."

"I am," the monarch confirmed. "And now I can explain everything to you, my vanilla bean. Asth you've probably been told by your friendsth, I am a real character in Sthugar Rush. I've been one sthince the game hasth been plugged into Litwak'sth. I'm programmed to be your father, Vanellope."

"And here it comes." The president rolled her eyes.

"Turbo, however, hacked into the game'sth code shortly after and took over my code," King Candy continued.

"And we know the rest of that," Taffyta added. "He took our memories and made Vanellope a glitch. But I still don't think I buy you being Vanellope's dad."

"Maybe because when the game was reset, some memories and information and taking a long time to reload," Sora guessed. "And King Candy being the unlucky party, which may why he hasn't returned after Vanellope crossed the finish line. And the upgrade expedited Candy's return but now your memories of him."

"Still, we're not buying it." Minty shook her head. "He's been wicked for the past fifteen years as Turbo. That's a wound that just won't go away for me."

"Then buy thisth," King Candy continued. "During the upgrade, if that was what happened, that woman Takeru came in and took over my code."

"Fusing into yours?" Sora asked.

"It'sth been a blur, but that isth possthible," Candy responded. "But I know I couldn't sthay her name and that she wasth driving my code and disthguisthing hersthelf asth me with her horrible virusth."

"What if you're tricking us?" Vanellope wondered, her glare skewering into King Candy like the Skewers from Super Mario Bros. She didn't trust him one bit, nor did she believe anything the monarch said aside from the information about T.K.'s virus. She refused to believe that Candy was her father and wasn't the least bit surprised to see that the other racers didn't believe the monarch, either.

"I'm not, Vanellope. I'm telling the truth," Candy pleaded.

"Right, and I'm Dr. Eggman." Citrusella's voice took on the usual snarky tone.

"Come out, little brats! I know you're in there!" T.K.'s shriek was heard, putting an end to their discussion. "Fucking with my plans!"

"Damn, she caught us!" Citrusella swore. "We need to leave." She started for the exit.

"Right behind you." Minty nodded.

"The bitch is coming!" Snow warned, entering the room. Gretel was by her side.

The racers, Sora, and King Candy turned to notice Takeru at the doorway, Ralph by her side. Her emerald glare burning into everyone's code.

"She is pissed," Adorabeezle said.

"Duh." Minty scoffed.

"Ralph..." Vanellope could only focus on those empty brown eyes of the wrecker, wondering if she could truly free him from the beautiful, destructive woman beside him.