Infinite: Agh... Darn it...!
Belle: Get up, and you and your wife will be eliminated! It's over.
Tari: Ngh...!
Tari summoned an icicle and threw it at Belle but she simply slapped it away.
Belle: You know, the more you struggle, the more painful this is going to be.
Tari: Argh! What else do you want me to say?! I told you last time I have no idea how I warp into video games!
Belle: Oh, please! I couldn't care less about your freak abilities! What I care about... Is what you did to Lucinia.
Crystal: Lucinia...?
Tari: I didn't do anything! I don't even know who that is!
Belle: LIAR!
Infinite: Belle, enough of this!
Infinite got up and ran towards Belle.
Tari: Infinite, don't!
Belle: Bad move...
Infinite summoned a group of knives and threw them at Belle, she dodged all of them and tackled Infinite.
Infinite: OOF!
Belle grabbed Infinite by the neck and smiled evilly.
Infinite: Rrgh...!
Belle: Do that again, and it's your wife next.
Crystal: Huh?!
Belle threw Infinite off the edge and laughed.
Infinite: WHOA!!!
Crystal: INFINITE!!!
Tari: No!
Belle: Now... Back to what I was doing.
Belle summoned a fireball in her hand and put it close to Tari's face.
Tari: Ugh!
Belle: You feel that, don't you? This is your last chance. What... Did you do... TO LUCINIA?!
Tari: What's the point? You're not gonna believe me no matter what I say. (She has a very valid point there.)
Belle: *Growls*
Belle started to burn Tari's face with the fireball.
Crystal: No!
Tari: AHHH!!!
Lamar: This has gone WAY too far, man! We have to pull her out!
Masa: NO! It's not over yet!
Lamar: Are you crazy?! Look at what she's doing to her!
Tari continued to scream and twitch as Theo looked at her with guilt.
Theo: Tari... I wish I could help you right now... But... I can't... I know it's not fair that we're all counting on you when you're alone and it seems impossible. But I've seen you do the impossible before, so I know you could do this. I believe in you, Tari!
Tari: ...Alright! Stop! I'll tell you what I know!
Belle: There... Was that so hard? Come on, let's hear it.
Tari looked over at Crystal and silently nodded at her.
Crystal: *Nods back*
Belle: Well?
Tari: The truth is... You called game too early.
Belle: What?
Tari: NOW!
Crystal kicked Masa's Spellbook over to Tari, she caught it and absorbed it's power.
Crystal: Yes!
Tari went to stab Belle but she dodged, Tari used two spells at the same time to get her out from underneath the pillar.
Belle: NOOO!
Theo: Yeah! I told you you could do it!
Lamar: That's my girl! That's. My. Girl!
Masa: Tari, here's your chance! Do the glitch now!
Belle: Not on my watch!
Crystal kicked Belle away and looked at Tari.
Crystal: Do it! I've got you covered!
Tari nodded and launched herself into the air with the Windburst spell, then dodged a fireball flying towards her.
Belle: Out of my way!
Belle pushed Crystal out of the way and jumped off the cliff as well.
Crystal: Shit!
Tari: Huh?
Tari threw an icicle at Belle as she suddenly disappeared, then reappeared next to Tari and prepared to throw another fireball.
Crystal: LOOK OUT!
Crystal protected Tari from the attack but both were sent flying.
Tari: AAAHHH!!!
Tari managed to save herself from colliding into a part of the mountain with another Windburst spell.
Belle: Ugh! Annoying wolf! It's time for you to be eliminated!
Crystal: What?!
Belle summoned a massive fireball and hurled it at Crystal.
Crystal: EEP!
The fireball collided into Crystal and exploded, eliminating her from the game.
Crystal: NO!
Masa: You did your best, Crystal! Tari, keep going!
Tari nodded and continued to fall, Belle appeared beside her and the two started to fire more spells at each other.
Lamar: Wait, Infinite! What happened to him?!
Infinite: I'm not out of this game yet!
Tari: Huh?!
Belle: Wait, what?
Infinite grabbed Belle from behind and threw her into the mountain wall.
Belle: OOF!
Infinite: I've got this, Tari!
Belle: NO!
Belle knocked Infinite to the side with a fireball and summoned a meteor shower.
Tari: Uh oh!
Tari dodged all of the meteors and cut one of them in half with Masa's sword.
Infinite: Yes!
Belle: YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY!!!
Belle summoned another massive fireball in her hands.
Tari: AHHHH!!
Masa/Lamar/Theo: TARI!!!
Infinite: Not on my watch!
Infinite sliced through the fireball with his sword and grabbed Belle again.
Belle: Get off me!
Infinite: No! It's game over for you and Tas Corp!
Infinite began to glow.
Tari: Infinite!
Infinite: Finish the glitch, Tari! Belle, we're both getting eliminated!
Belle: WHAT?!
Infinite glowed brighter and exploded, eliminating both him and Belle.
Belle: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Masa: YES!!!
Tari smiled and clipped through the ground, severely corrupting the game around her. She turned her head and saw Lucinia who was injured.
Tari: ...Huh...?
Lucinia gave a sad smile to Tari as everything turned white, Tari opened her eyes and saw that she was out of the game.
Tari: What's happening?
Lamar looked outside to see people walking to the exit.
Crystal: Oh my god...
Theo: You did the glitch, Tari! You won!
Tari: I... Did it? I did it!
Infinite and Crystal cheered for Tari and hugged her tightly.
Tari: Whoa!
Masa: Tari, in my entire life I have never seen gameplay like that! I couldn't be prouder to call you my teammate.
Tari: I didn't do it alone, though. Infinite and Crystal defended me at the top of the mountain until the very end.
Masa: Amazing work, you two. Especially you, Infinite. What a way to end a game.
Infinite: Heh heh, thanks Masa.
Lamar: Tari, you're a video game genius and we love you a lot, but can we PLEASE run away now?
Tari: Oh, right.
Everyone ran out of the room, Lux watched the servers go down and dropped his earpiece.
Lux: No... NO! She was right there, Belle!
Lux whacked some stuff from his desk and breathed heavily.
Lux: Fine... Plan B, then. You! Reroute this through the backup system!
Tas Corp Scientist: On it!
The scientist plugged something into a socket, which turned out to be a console containing Theo's game cartridge. Lux took a revolver from his desk and held it up.
Lux: Prepare a security team. I'm DONE playing games. And...
Lux turned around and pointed his revolver at two people tied up.
??? 1: Mmm!
??? 2: Grrr! You're not gonna get away with this, Lux!
Lux: Is that so? We'll see if your friends accept what I have to offer...
Back with the group, they were trying to leave the building but some guards noticed them.
Tari: Masa!
Masa: Turn back!
Everyone ran back the other way, but a door opened up revealing Lux and a few guards.
Infinite: Oh, shit!
Crystal: Uh oh...
Masa: Lux!
Everyone ran back but got cornered by multiple guards with stun sticks.
Infinite: Damn it... We're cornered!
Crystal: Don't worry, guys. We'll get out of this one... I hope...
Lux approached the group, revolver in hand.
Lux: Hello again, Masa. Is it just me, or does this whole situation seem somewhat... Familiar?
Masa: You're too late, Lux. The hack is done. Sofia's long gone by now.
Infinite: And the end of Tas Corp approaches.
Lux: Is that so? Well, we'll just have to call her back, won't we?
The guards shocked Lamar, Theo, Tari and Crystal with the stun sticks.
Infinite: DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HER!
Infinite kicked one of the guards in the pingas and suplexed another as Lux shot him in the leg.
Infinite: ARGH, SHIT!
Crystal: INFINITE!!!
Lux: SOFIA! I KNOW YOU'RE STILL HERE! YOU HAVE TO THE COUNT OF THREE TO COME OUT!
Lux pointed the revolver at Masa's head.
Lux: ONE!
Masa growled and attempted to disarm Lux, but the CEO overpowered him and grabbed him by the arm and pointed the revolver at his head again.
Lux: I'M NOT BLUFFING, SOFIA!
Masa: SOFIA, DON'T! OR ELSE EVERYTHING WE'VE WORKED FOR WILL-
Lux shot Masa's Meta Runner arm off.
Masa: AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!
Tari: MASA!
Lamar: LUX, YOU FRICKING PSYCHOPATH!
Infinite: No...!
Crystal: Lux, you're crazy!
Lux growled and pointed the gun at Masa.
Lux: Very well.
Infinite: NO, DON'T!
Sofia: WAIT!!!
Sofia walked out of a door as tears fell from her eyes.
Lux: Ah, there we are.
Masa: Sofia... No...
Sofia: Please, just don't hurt him anymore...
Lux: I won't. As long as I have no reason to.
Sofia started to go through the servers.
Lux: Wipe everything on it. Run a worm program too in case she made backups.
The Tas Corp scientist nodded and wiped everything out and gave a thumbs up.
Lux: Such a waste of talent. If only you'd have to come to Tas Corp instead of joining up with this one.
Sofia: It's just- I just wanted to know what you did to my sister.
Tari: Sister?
Lamar: Lucinia.
Infinite/Crystal: Wait... What...?
Belle: Lux didn't do anything, Sofia.
Lux: Stay out of this, Belle. You have pushed my patience tonight as is!
Belle: No, Lux! She deserves to know. Lucinia is dead, Sofia... I saw the footage myself.
Sofia: Show me.
Belle: Sofia-
Sofia: Show it to me, Belle!
Belle sighed and showed Sofia the footage, Sofia began to cry more as she fell to the ground.
Lux: ...Well, Masa. You finally got the answers you are so desperate for.
Infinite: Grrr...
Lux: But as you can see, it's Sheridan who's to blame for Lucinia's death, not I.
Sofia: I don't understand... Why did this happen...? What was she doing there...?
Belle: Ask... Her. *Points at Tari*
Everyone looked at Tari.
Theo: What, Tari? Tari would never hurt anyone!
Belle: Oh, so it's just a coincidence she has the same logo as the one right HERE?
Belle showed what she was talking about, in the footage in the background, Tari's logo was on the wall.
Masa: Tari... What is this...?
Crystal: Have you been... Hiding something from us...?
Lamar: Masa, Crystal, chill. There's gotta be an explanation for this! A frame job, a doctored video. This is Tas Corp we're talking about!
Infinite: I agree with Lamar, something seems off here! I may come from a different universe, but the Tari back home would not hide any secrets, especially the one here!
Lamar: Sofia... Back us up here!
Sofia: ...I-I-I-I don't...
Tari: Sofia, I honestly have no idea about any of this. Please believe me... I'm your friend... I would never lie to you.
Lux: Oh, don't worry. You'll all have plenty of time to talk things through in a Tas Corp holding cell... With your friends.
Infinite: Huh...? What do you mean?
Lux: ...Bring them in.
Two guards walked into the room with Son and Clauds who were tied up.
Tari: CUZ!
Infinite: Oh, shit! You captured them?!
Lux: Yes!
Infinite: Grrr...!!!
Lux: Uh-uh! Make any moves, and the next bullet will go into your wife's stomach.
Crystal: *Gasp*
Lux: Prepare the van, we're done here.
Infinite: Fuck...! FUCK...!!!
Crystal helped Infinite get up, and Tari began to speak.
Tari: Wait!
Lux: ...?
Tari: You're a businessman, right Lux? Well, I have a deal for you.
Belle: Really? In case you haven't noticed, you're in no position to bargain.
Lux: Quiet, Belle.
Belle: Lux, you can't be serious. She's involved in Lucinia's death! What could she possibly offer tha-
Lux: I said QUIET! You have made enough mistakes tonight, Belle! Do you really want to make another?
Crystal: *Thoughts: Jesus... He's surprisingly intimidating, for just a normal human being...*
Lux: My apologies, Tari. Do go on.
Tari: I want you to let my friends go. They just walk away, and they never trouble you again.
Lux: And what do I get in return?
Tari: You get me.
Son: WHAT?! CUZ, NO!
Clauds: Tari, don't do this!
Tari: Let them go, and I'll join Tas Corp as one of your Meta Runners. Forever.
Theo: Tari, no, don't leave. We can get through this. We just have to stick togeth- GAH!
Lux: I don't appreciate being interrupted...
Theo got another shock, and it was revealed that Theo was apparently a spy for Tas Corp.
Tari: Is that... Theo's game cartridge?
Lux: Oh, yes. It did take a while for me to figure out how exactly it worked. But as it turns out, video games can be extremely educational.
Infinite: You sneaky son of a bitch...!
Crystal: M-motherfucker...!
Lamar: That's how you knew our plan?! You turned Theo into a spy?! That is messed up!
Theo: Guys, I swear... I didn't know... I'm sorry... YOU'RE THE MOST EVIL BOSS EVER!
Lux took Theo's game cartridge out of the console as Theo glitched a bit again.
Tari: Theo!
Lux: Tari, I am intrigued by your offer, but you'll understand if I don't exactly trust your little band of friends. Tell me, do you know what collateral is?
Infinite: ...What are you saying...?
Tari: ...?
Lux: THIS is collateral.
Lux crushed the game cartridge in his hand, and Theo started to glitch out.
Tari: NO!
Infinite: Theo!
Theo: ...Tari, what's happening?
Tari: *Sniff*
Theo: Don't worry, Tari. I'll just respaw-
Theo disappeared as Tari fell onto her knees.
Crystal: O-oh my god...
Belle: ...
Lamar: ...
Sofia: ...
Tari: THEOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Lux gave one of the scientists a small chip, which they then put into a machine. Theo was then displayed on the screen floating around in a pitch black void.
Lux: Here is my counteroffer, Tari. Their freedom in exchange for your undivided loyalty to Tas Corp, to me, but if I get anything less, or if they have any reason to regret my generosity, then your collateral is forfeit... Understand...?
Tari looked at her friends and nodded slowly.
Lux: Wonderful! Oh, don't look so sad. Tas Corp isn't that bad. I'm sure in time you'll learn to love it.
Infinite: ...
Crystal: Lux... You're a monster...
Lux: Do one final sweep of this place. Then let them scurry back to that rat's nest they call hideout.
The guards untied Son and Clauds as they ran towards Infinite and the others.
Infinite: Son... Clauds... I'm so sorry...
Son: *Sniff*
Lamar: Tari! We're not gonna forget you, understand?
Sofia: It's going to be okay, Tari... Trust us.
Infinite: Stay strong, Tari...
Tari: Don't worry, guys. I'll be fine.
Tari and Lux walked out of the room as Son burst into tears.
Infinite: ...*Thoughts: I couldn't do anything to stop this, but Tari sacrificed herself at the last second... That should of been me... I am nothing but a clone of Infinite... This guilt is going to haunt me... Forever...*
Later...
Belle noticed something flashing in a trash bin, she picked it up and saw that it was a device which had finished downloading something. Sofia walked by with a guard and took a look at Belle before walking away.
Lux: Belle! The van's waiting on you. Are you done yet?
Belle: Yeah... I'm done here.
Belle walked off as Lux sighed and tapped his earpiece.
Lux: Subject update.
Machine: Brain activity... Unchanged. Heart rate... Unchanged. Body temperature... Unchanged. Blood pressure... Unchanged. Overall condition... Stable.
A tube in the background contained someone sleeping inside of it.
(Wow... Well, that's the end of Meta Runner Season One...)
(BUT this story is not over yet. Lari is still out there, and we have yet to defeat her.)
(#MetaRunnerSeason2Hype! )
Anyways, lata!