Unplugged

Chapter Nine

Now, in this chapter things get a little out of hand for Felix and Tamora. I hope you like it.

After the insident in Game Central Station, Tamora took Felix to Hero's Duty. The two are in Tamora's bedroom now. They're in the place she use to live before the couple tied the knot.

"Felix, it's not your fault," Tamora tells him. "Litwak was suppose to pull the plug Tuesday and instead did it two days early. No one was prepared."

"I know..." Felix moans. He lets himself fall backwards onto the bed and he sighs the most depressing sigh he can make. Tamora rolls her eyes and Felix continues, "Ralph's gone. Gene's gone. Mary, Deana, Lucy, Don, Roy, Jane, Norwood--mph!"

Tamora leans over and smushes a hand over Felix's mouth to get him to shut up.

"I get it. You're upset, and I miss Ralph and them, too. But can you at least try to take your mind off of it? You're gonna die of depression if you keep this up," Tamora explains with her hand still over his mouth.

"Okay," Felix manages to mumble through his closed mouth. Tamora slowly retracts her hand. There's silence. She sits down beside Felix and she rests her head on the nearby wall.

"And all my stuff's gone, too--"

"Felix!"

"Well it's true!" Felix sits up and gestures to his outfit and hammer strapped to his tool belt. "All this is all I have left. And some of your things were in my game 'cause ya moved in, so you're missing a bunch of stuff, too-- mph!"

This time Tamora yanks off Felix's left glove and she stuffs it in his mouth. Felix gags before sticking two fingers in his mouth to pull out the glove. He makes a discusted face as he holds the glove away from him. It's covered in spit. He pulls out his hammer from his tool belt, taps the glove, and it looks as good as new now.

"What was that for?!" Felix says while sliding the hammer back in his belt.

"Nothing's gonna change, Felix!" Tamora snaps. "You can blab on and on about how bummed out you are all you want, but nothing's gonna change."

"Why are you upset now?"

"I don't know!" Tamora runs her hand through her short blonde hair. "You're just so positive all the time but now you're different. I mean, where's the Felix I know who finds a bright side?"

"There is no bright side! My friends are dead! Don't you get it?! And you know what?! This is a situation you should understand because you have those dumb memories of your dead ex-husband that never even existed! So stop being such a jerk to me right now! Okay?!"

Tamora gasps and her eyes widen. Felix slaps his hands over his mouth. He's never suppose to mention her programmed memories.

"I have no idea where that came from," Felix says while putting his hands up in defense.

"You're bringing up my backstory now?!" Tamora exclaims in disbelief.

"It just spilled out! I swear!"

Tamora grabs Felix by the shirt collar and slams him up against the wall so he's trapped and looking right into her death stare.

"You listen to me, Fix-It, and you listen closely. I know the Niclanders are dead. I know Ralph's dead. I KNOW you lost all your possessions and you're upset, but you don't need to take your rage out on me! And what's worse is you just had to compare all this with my memories! And you know not to bring them up! So you tell me, Felix, out of this whole mess, who's the real jerk?"

Felix doesn't answer. He just stares at his wife who has him up against a wall. Tamora pulls Felix towards her and then she hits him against the wall again, which causes him to wince at the pain from the collision with the wall.

"Who's the jerk, Fix-It?!" Tamora asks again, raising her voice. There's no way she's losing this battle.

Felix forces himself to get out the one word she's looking for. "Me," he says almost in a whisper. Now Tamora gets close enough to Felix's face that their noses are just inches away from touching.

"Now man-up and get over it. That's an order," Tamora says behind grinding teeth.

"Yes ma'am," Felix replies softly.

After glaring at Felix for a few more seconds, she immediately drops him and she storms out of the room.

Tamora swings open the bedroom door, steps out, and slams it behind her. Felix cringes when the door slams shut. He really messed up. Felix throws himself back down on the bed again. He looks at his left hand that's still bare. A golden ring has been on his ring finger for about five years now. Felix turns his hand slowly back and forth in the light and the ring shimmers. He then picks up his disguarded glove and slides it back on his hand. Out of sight: out of mind.

After that, he unfastens the buckle of his tool belt and he neatly hangs the belt on the side of the bed post. Then, he tosses his hat to the floor, unbuttons his work shirt and folds it before placing it on the floor, and he finally rests his head on a soft pillow.

He decides to sleep the day away.