FNF: The Corruption Crisis

Chapter Twelve: Stalemate

There, accompanied by his elite captain, stood Skittles...

"Glad you're finally seeing to reason, Boss!"

Elite Captain Joe's excited voice sounded as he and his commander walked down the dimly lit subway tracks leading away from Swappin' City and towards Newgrounds. Already there was such a vast contrast between the skies of the cities and they were only a few miles apart. There was hardly any light at all in Swappin thanks to most of the buildings having lost power and the sun was almost always blocked by the constant magenta hue in the air. On top of that, just breathing in the air in Swappin was enough to make one feel as if they were being smothered. Newgrounds was hardly any better but at least the sky was a little brighter and the air was just a bit easier to breathe. Skittles put a hand on his hip as he looked ahead.

"So, this city's about to fall too..."

Joe huffed in annoyance at the pessimism from Skittles, kicking a can across the ground before crossing his arms.

"Gee, thanks for the vote of positivity. At least Newgrounds isn't COMPLETELY lost like what happened to Swappin.' I mean, for the longest time you weren't wanting to get that. Kept thinking you could do something to save a city in which all the survivors are already dead or fled the place by now." Joe said. "At least things still seem to be running here. We'll have more a chance at doing something here than trying to survive in a fallen city."

"I suppose you're right. I really wasn't wanting to think that things were that bad in Swappin' but after I saw that entire biker gang, that one we've been chasing for years, get corrupted, I realized that town is as good as gone." Skittles sighed.

It hadn't been easy to admit that defeat. He and his fellow soldiers had been transferred to Swappin as police officers after it was deemed that all of Bolt's officers were simply following the crazed orders of their boss. Up until the point Bolt was cleared to go back on duty, Skittles had been appointed the commander. Why it wasn't Tim was a mystery to the young officer. He figured that it was because Tim could be, well, a bit weird at times to say the least. While the sudden promotion was a lot for him to take in, Skittles thought he was doing well. Crime in Swappin had gone down since he took lead of the police department. Citizens saw him as a hero, the one who kept their streets safer, made people more comfortable doing their daily errands, and just gave them a better quality of life. Honestly, that praise made Skittles feel good – gave him a sense of purpose. Something he had been lacking back in the military. He never understood what it was that he was fighting for back there. Not to mention how Bolt refused to let him help on anything actually cool. What was so wrong with helping torture a prisoner? Why did he always have to sit at his post all the time and pretend to shoot at that other sniper? Why did he always miss him? Well...except for that one time.

Skittles was supposed to be taken out of the force after the shot to his arm. However, he refused. He wasn't just going to sit on the sidelines due to an arm injury and even now when a disability might be what gets him corrupted, he refused to leave the force. Sure, he needed Joe to help him with some things but that didn't mean he was useless. When Bolt came back to resume command in Swappin, he saw just how much Skittles had helped do around the city. For once, Bolt was proud of him, saying positive things instead of nagging and insulting him.

Yet, now Swappin was a lost cause. Everyone there, dead, fled, or corrupted. All in the span of a few short months. There had been nothing he or Bolt could have done. The city's chances had been even less when Bolt was sent out to assist the Tankmen because they couldn't handle the situation here in Newgrounds. A few short months, those years of hard work gone. Gone with the wind. All because of one stupid, persistent parasite. Now, Skittles had to tell Bolt how he'd failed.