(Jared's POV)
Tempest / Pod…
At the top of the cliff, Tari is trapped under the pillar, and Belle takes her time to extort her. Tari, with all her might, shoots an icicle at Belle.
Belle deflects the icicle spear, "You know, the more you struggle the more painful this is going to be."
"What else do you want me to say?! I told you last time I have no idea how Jared and I warp into video games!" Tari said, worried.
"Oh please! I couldn't care less about your freak abilities and Jared's freak abilities! What I care about is what you did to Lucinia." Belle said, scoffing.
"I didn't do anything! I don't even know who that is!"
"LIAR!" Belle said, spawning some fire as she brings the fire close to Tari's face. "You feel that don't you? This is your last chance. What did you do to Lucinia?!"
"What's the point? You're not gonna believe me, no matter what I say."
Belle sets Tari on fire as she tortures Tari.
"This has gone way too far man! We have to pull her out." Lamar said, sadly.
"NO! It's not over yet!" Masa said, angrily.
"Are you crazy?! Look at what she's doing to her!"
Tari is screaming in pain in game as the glows appears around her eyes and the lines appear more and more.
"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!" Theo cried.
"Tari, don't give up." I said, tossing a macaron into my mouth. "It's too soon for you to do it."
"Alright! Stop! I'll tell you what I know!" Tari said, terrified.
"There…was that so hard? Come on, let's hear it." Belle said.
"The truth is- You called 'game' too early." Tari said, spawning the dark hand as she throws the spell book to her as she quickly spawns a sword to get Belle to move back.
Tari then uses a wind burst spell as she throws the pillar up just enough for the dark hand to drag her as Belle tries to shoot a fireball at her but misses.
"NOOOOO!" Belle yelled.
"Yeah! I told you you could do it!" Theo cheered.
"Tari!" I said, excitedly. "Thank goodness you did it!"
"That's my girl! That's! My! Girl!" Lamar said, looking at a monitor..
"Tari! Here's your chance! Do the glitch now!" Masa said, angrily.
Belle gets furious as she tries to spawn a stone wall pillar, she misses Tari and runs to get a spell book to absorb it. Belle throws a fireball which Tari deflects using a tornado kick. Tari then lands on top of the stone pillar as she then jumps as she takes a deep breath but notices a fireball headed at her. Belle then runs to dive at Tari where Tari spawns an icicle to shoot at Belle. Belle however warps and then reappears at in front as she throws a fireball at Tari which causes her to get blown away as she screams. She then reflexively kicks off the side of a platform with a wind burst where she recalculates on getting the glitch down perfectly as she gets back on track. Belle reappears along side her as Tari starts shooting finger lasers where Belle warps again. Belle throws a fireball as Tari dodges with a Wind Burst as Belle throws another one as Tari goes upright to flash kick it back to her. Belle blocks using a sigil as Tari uses an icicle to throw it at her as Belle warps again. Tari then calculates where she might appear as she takes the chance and shoots the icicle at that direction. Belle gets hit as she tries to compose herself. Belle then does the spell to summon the meteors. Tari calculates the incoming danger as she looks back and sees the meteors. She then calculates the evasive maneuvers as she dodges the meteors one by one. For one of the meteors she slices with a sword as the meteors hits the ground as she is close to impact.
"You're not getting away!" Belle said, about to throw a massive fireball at Tari.
"I just did!" Tari said, wind bursting away as she collides into the 'ground' where she successfully does the glitch and dives into the purple black void.
The game glitches as it turns off as Tari sees to her side Lucinia where it flashes to see her burnt a bit and missing her Meta Runner arm as she smiles at Tari. And then comes a screen of white.
Pod…
Tari wakes up in the real world as she is a bit puzzled right now, "What's happening?"
Lamar checks out the door as everyone is evacuating due to the glitch as emergency buzzers sounds off.
"You did the glitch, Tari. You won!" Theo said, excitedly.
"I did it? I did it!" Tari cheered.
"Tari, in my entire life, I have never seen gameplay like that! I couldn't be prouder to call you my teammate." Masa said, happily.
"Tari you're a video game genius and we love you a lot, but can we PLEASE run away now?!" Lamar exclaimed.
"Lamar's right. We really should go." I said, clutching the strap of my sling bag.
"Oh, right." Tari said, frowning.
Gamma Tech Stadium…
We run out as Lucks is on the screen furious as his earpiece drops.
"No NO! She was right there, BELLE!" Lucks said, slamming the desk as he then furiously swipes the binders and notes. He takes a few deep breaths as he slicks his hair back a bit. "Fine, Plan B then." He then turns to the TAScientists. "You! Reroute this through the backup system."
The TAScientist then reroutes the power of the console with the blue crest UJM cartridge as they do some inputs into the games. Lucks then opens the drawer as he pulls out his pistol.
"Prepare a security team. I'm done playing games." Lucks said.
We try to navigate our way amidst the crowd and amount of TASCorp Guards. We get spotted by some Guards who are on their way to capture us.
"Jared?" Tari asked.
"We have to go the other way!" I said, worried.
We then run another way down the hall but the door opens on the other side as Lucks shows up with his team of TASGuards. This causes us to stop.
"Lucks?!" Masa exclaimed.
We then turn back as we run as the TASGuards go to capture us. Tari, Lamar, Masa, Theo, and I then end up in a place where it is circular and the TASGuards surround them heavily with electro-batons.
Lucks slowly walks into the circular arena, "Hello again, Masa. Is it just me, or does this whole situation seem somewhat… familiar?"
"You're too late, Lucks. The hack is done. Sofia's long gone by now." Masa said, smirking.
"Is that so? Well, we'll just have to call her back then won't we?" Lucks asked.
The TASGuards shocks Lamar, Theo, and I with their batons.
"Theo! Jared!" Tari said, while the TASGuard then shocks her. "ACK!"
The four of us are on the ground as we are still recovering from the shock.
"Sofia! I know you're still here! You have to the count of THREE to come out!" Lucks said, pointing his gun at Masa's head. "ONE!"
After a brief moment of hesitation, Masa grabs Lucks's gun, but the latter hits his hand, and socks him in the face. Masa throws a haymaker, but Lucks quickly blocks it, and hits him twice before kicking him in the back of his left knee, bringing Masa to his knees.
"I'm NOT BLUFFING, SOFIA! TWO!" Lucks said, pointing his gun at Masa's head again.
"SOFIA, DON'T! OR ELSE EVERYTHING WE'VE WORKED FOR WILL…" Masa said, as Lucks twists his Meta Runner arm, and shoots it. "AAAAAAAAAAAAaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Lucks then discard's Masa's arm with a furious look. "AAAAAGH!"
"MASA!" Tari said, worried.
"Damn it. Damn it." I said, letting out a lot of tears. "This sucks. This fucking sucks."
"LUCKS, YOU FREAKING PSYCHOPATH!" Lamar said, angrily.
Lucks turns away, waiting impatiently for Sofia to come out...but, seeing that she wasn't...he sighs.
"Very well." Lucks said, turning back to Masa, and aim the gun at his head, readying it to execute his former Meta Runner.
"WAIT!" Sofia cried.
Masa opens his eyes, and sees a tearful Sofia heading to the center of the stage.
"Ah...there we are." Lucks said, happily.
"Sofia...no…" Masa said, sadly.
"Please...just don't hurt him anymore." Sofia said, frowning.
"I won't― as long as I have no reason to." Lucks said, and the TAScientist brings out a desk for Sofia to place her laptop on it. "Wipe everything on it. Run a worm program too in case she made backups."
The TAScientist does as he's told, and gives his boss a thumbs up...before taking the desk and Sofia's laptop away.
"Such a waste of talent...." Lucks said, looking at Sofia. "...if only you'd have come to TASCorp instead of joining up with...this one."
"It's just...I just wanted to know what you did to my sister." Sofia said, while Tari's eyes widened.
"Sister...?" Tari asked.
"Lucinia is Sofia's sister." I said, still looking down at the floor, guiltily.
"Lucks didn't do anything, Sofia." Belle said, entering the room.
"Stay out of this, Belle...you have pushed my patience tonight as is!" Lucks said, angrily.
"No, Lucks...she deserves to know!" Belle said, turning to Sofia. "Lucinia's dead, Sofia...i saw the footage myself."
"My friend Yui, she sent me a copy of the footage." I said, letting out a lot of tears. "I saw it, but I didn't know how to tell you."
"…show me." Sofia said, looking between Belle and I.
"Sofia…" Belle said, sadly.
"Show it to me, Belle, Jared!" Sofia said, worried.
Belle turns on the footage with her Meta Runner arm as she replays the moments right before the explosion.
"DOCTOR! WHAT'S HAPPENING?!" Lucinia exclaimed, on screen.
"JUST HANG IN THERE, I'M TRYING TO…" Sheridan said, on screen.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
The footage ends...and Sofia is reduced to a sobbing mess.
Lucks turns away sadly...before approaching Masa.
"Well Masa...you finally got the answers you were so desperate for." Lucks said, looking at Masa. "But as you can see, it's Sheridan who's to blame for Lucinia's death― not I."
"...I don't understand...why did this happen?" Sofia asked, still crying. "What was she doing there!?"
"Ask her." Belle said, pointing at Tari.
"...what, Tari? Tari would never hurt anyone!" Theo said, angrily.
"Oh, so it's just a coincidence that she has the same logo as the one right...here?" Belle asked, pulling up a screenshot of the footage depicting the crest...that is also in Tari's Meta Runner arm.
"Tari...what is this?" Masa asked.
"Masa, chill. There's gotta be an explanation for this― a frame job, a doctored video...this is TASCorp we're talking about!" Lamar said, looking at Sofia. "Sofia, back me up here!"
"I-I-...I-I don't…" Sofia said, sadly.
"Jared, back me up here." Lamar said, now looking over at me.
"I don't know if I should." I said, letting out a lot of tears. "After what happened to a friend of mine in the Ever After. It's becoming harder to open up."
"Sofia, I honestly have no idea about any of this...please believe me― I'm your friend!" Tari cried. "I would never lie to you."
"Oh, don't worry― you'll all have plenty of time to talk things through in a TASCorp holding cell." Lucks said, happily. "Prepare the van...we're done here."
The guards make us stand up. But just before we're cuffed...Tari speaks up.
"Wait!" Tari said, worried. "You're a businessman― right, Lucks? Well...i have a deal for you."
"Really?" Belle asked. "In case you haven't noticed, you're in no position to bargain."
"Quiet, Belle." Lucks said.
In disbelief, Belle tries to talk Lucks out of hearing Tari's offer.
"Lucks, you can't be serious― she is involved in Lucinia's death! WHAT COULD SHE POSSIBLY OFFER THA…" Belle said, scoffing.
"I SAID, QUIET! You have made enough mistakes, Belle!" Lucks said, furiously threatening Belle by gripping his gun tightly. "Do you really want to make another?" Belle submits almost immediately. "...my apologies, Tari. Do go on."
"I want you to let my friends go. They just― walk away...and they never trouble you again." Tari said. "Jared's not even from this time. He's from the early 21st century."
"And what do I get in return?" Lucks asked.
"You get me." Tari said, smiling. "Let them go, and I'll join TASCorp as one of your Meta Runners― forever."
"Tari, no! Don't leave! We can get through this!" Theo said, terrified. "We just have to stick togeth- AH!"
Theo gets shocked, and stumbles into the floor.
"I don't appreciate being interrupted." Lucks said, shocking Theo again...and reveals what he did with Theo's game cartridge: Get the feed from Theo's perspective...to deduce MD-5's plans.
"I-...I-Is that...Theo's game cartridge?!" Tari exclaimed.
"Oh, yes. It did take me a while to figure out exactly how it worked― but as it turns out...video games can be extremely educational." Lucks said.
"That's how you knew our plan...? You turned Theo into a SPY?!" Lamar exclaimed. "THAT IS MESSED UP!"
"Guys, I swear I didn't know! I'm sorry!" Theo said, furiously turning to Lucks. "You're the most evil boss ever!"
"Damn it." I said, looking down at Theo. "Ugh. I hate this. I really do."
Theo runs towards Lucks...but the latter simply takes his cartridge out of the console, shocking him once again...and stopping him in his tracks.
"THEO!" Tari yelled.
"Tari, I am intrigued by your offer, but― you'll understand if I don't exactly trust your little band of friends." Lucks said, looking at Tari. "Tell me...do you know what...collateral is?" He shows Tari Theo's cartridge. "This...is collateral."
Lucks crushes Theo's game cartridge.
Theo glitches out heavily, and drops to the ground.
"NO!" Tari said, running over to Theo to make sure he is okay.
"T̴̬̄̚ä̵͍̦̈́r̶̫̲̄̔i̷̝͌̿…...w̸͉̃h̵̼̃͝a̷̼͂͒ť̶̻̜'̷̼͌s̸̜͝ͅ ̷̹̐h̷̗͒̓ǎ̵̩̚p̷̪̓͒ͅp̴̪̏͗e̵̞͌͒n̴̜̏͗i̴̬͑̀ń̶͙͙̇g̸̼͌?̷̯͈̋̐" Theo asked, bitcrushed.
As Theo's voxel explosions get worse, he doesn't know how else to respond...and tries his best to console her…
"...d̸̛͈̜̮̋̇õ̶̟̆n̴͕̞̈́̈́͗͐'̶̮̻͓͂̐͛̄t̶̢͖̦̮̾̌ ̴̨̭̗̜̍̔́͛͝w̴͚̎ǫ̶̙̭̣̍͛̆̅͝r̴͖̺̙̗͉̈́r̴͕͑ẙ̶̼͕͐̄,̴͎͈̯̬̏͗̍͊ ̸̢̞̻͙̘͛T̴͚̮͇̿̒̚̕͜͝a̸̫͔̝͒̋͌̔͂ͅr̴̡͍̤̀ï̴̠̑̂͘͜͝!̴̩̘͖̾̕͜ I̸͖̙̩̦̱̓͊͐̑̓͊͝ͅͅ'̴̱͙̇͊͌̊̏̈͛͗͊̑l̷̡͚̠̠̑̑̋̓̀̀̓l̸̳̝̤̂̑̆̓̔͘͘͝ ̵̹̮͇͔̿̀́͘̕̚j̵̹̞̣̆̊͠ư̸͇̖̖̳̥̈́̅̐̉͐͋̃͠s̵̖͕̞̣͚͎̬̪͊͊̋͐̈͝ͅẗ̷̡̡̯̹̰̤̞̝́͊̓̓͒̂̽̈́͗͜͝ ̶̢͙̯̜̥̘̉̈́͆̐̀̃͝r̵̡̼͈̤̼̹̮̜̝̟̿͛́̍͒͊̃̎ȩ̵͔͓̗̳̺͎͉̅̀̐́̈̕s̸̡̟̪͙̰͍̩͂ṕ̸̞͍̜̑͆̃̊̆a̵̳̤̙͂̍̃̾̆͝͝͠w̸̡̢̯͖̬̰͕̻̖̤̿̾̂͛̔͘" Theo said, bitcrushed.
"I need Team RWBY." I said, when Theo disappears. "I wish they were here. I just…I don't know what to do."
Nearly everyone is shocked as to what happened.
"THEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Tari cried, sobbing.
"Theo…" I said, letting out a lot of tears.
Lucks then brings out the cartridge's main chip as he gives it to his scientist. The latter then inserts the chip into the desk, and types in a few commands...to show Theo in a comatose state.
"Here is my counteroffer, Tari." Lucks said, looking at Tari. "Their freedom, in exchange for your undivided loyalty to TASCorp― to me. But if I get anything less, or if they give me any reason to regret my generosity...then your collateral is forfeit." He turns off the desk. "…understand?"
After looking at everyone, including me, Tari faintly nods.
"Wonderful!" Lucks said, excitedly. "Oh, don't look so sad― TASCorp isn't that bad." He puts his arm around Tari's shoulder. "I'm sure in time you'll learn to love it." Then, Lucks turns to his staff. "Do one final sweep of this place― then let them scurry back to that rat's nest they call a hideout."
Lucks puts his hands over Tari as he exits the stage with her. The TAScientist makes his way out as the guards surrounding us keep an eye on us.
"TARI!" Lamar yelled. "We're not gonna forget you, understand?!"
"...it's going to be okay, Tari...trust us." Sofia said, sadly.
"Tari, I'm sorry." I said, still crying.
"Don't worry guys...I'll be fine." Tari said, looking at us.
Both Lucks and Tari then make their way out...as the door closes behind her. As Belle wanders around, she hears strange beeping. She heads over to the nearby trashcan...and sees a phone that she picks up, and observes as it displays a completed worm removal process...as well as a secured local backup.
Sofia and I, meanwhile...are being escorted out by a TASGuard at the hallway in front of the one Belle is in. Sofia and I eye Belle, and then the phone. The two of us briefly smile...before the TASGuard gently pushes us onward.
(Open POV)
Gamma Tech Stadium / Outside Gamma Tech Stadium…
"Belle? The van's waiting on you!" Lucks said, angrily. "Are you done yet?"
"Yeah...I'm done here." Belle said, putting the phone away.
Belle then heads over to the van...leaving Lucks alone. Lucks sighs.
"Subject update." Lucks said, activating his earpiece.
Cryopod…
At the display of a patient monitor device...from a cryopod.
"Brain activity― unchanged." CP-5131054 said. Heart rate― unchanged. Body temperature― unchanged. Blood pressure― unchanged. Overall condition: stable."