WorldWide Wreck-It

The Internet Is Fuelled By Hate

Ralph sighed as he walked out onto the main floor of BuzzTube's towering structure, all the noise sounding somewhat muffled, like it was being screamed through water. There was also this thick static like sound over-top of it all, and Ralph had no idea why. Maybe the actual, true fatigue finally caught up to him. Or maybe it was homesickness? Maybe it was even both combining together into a painful combo.

Whatever the reason, Ralph found himself slowly making his way forward, looking around at all of the screens and users like any day in GCS. It only made him worse, solidifying it truly was just homesickness. He stopped in the middle of the crowd, and looked around. Even though he hasn't been here a full day, it felt like he's been trapped in BuzzTube for a few weeks.

All the purples and magentas were making his head hurt, and he longed to feel Niceland's soft grass beneath his feet. To hear Surge zipping about to keep things in order. To hear the Sugar karts revving their engines. To smile at Felix and Calhoun adorable flirting. To just... feel at home again.

He missed it all, and knew he would not go into the internet for this long ever again. He needed a reprieve.

Maybe he could go to the Capital and rest up for a week...

As he stood there, his thoughts stirring about, he jumped when he heard someone shouting his name. Looking over, he smiled lightly as the three racers ran up to him, smiles bright.

"Yesss gave us the good news", Rancis said as he slowed down, trying to steady his somewhat messy breathing. "Vanellope is coming back soon?"

"That's the hope", Ralph said. "Depends if she doesn't get any other ideas, like checking out this game or what."

"She wouldn't do that... Right?" Candlehead with a smile. Though it did look a bit forced.

"We're all fed up with this internet crap", Taffyta said bluntly, twirling her lollipop as her two friends gasped. "Oh shush, we hear Bill and the cops say that all the time. It's fine."

"Still, don't say that around Calhoun", Ralph said sternly. "She'd lose it if she heard any of you use that sort of dirty language."

"Noted..." Rancis winced at the potential of the sergeant, then shook his head. "Anyway, we came here because we wanted to check up on you! It's been a while, so we wanted to know if you were okay."

The wrecker hummed with zero infliction in his eyes. "I'm fine. Just homesick, that's it."

"So you are too?" Candlehead said sadly as she walked up and hugged Ralph's leg. "It's not just me?"

"We're all homesick, Candle", Taffyta said with a minor tone of sadness in her voice. "I've been missing the others, and they keep calling me to make that all the worse." She looked up at the wrecker. "Are we almost ready to head home?"

"Just need to wait for Yesss to give me the good news", the wrecker said, leading the group away from the middle of the crowded centre. "So yeah, we still have a little bit. But trust me, as soon as we get the money, we'll know."

The three racers nodded, then looked back out into the crowd, seemingly plotting something. "Should we do something to make this go by faster?" Rancis asked quietly.

"I say we 'suggest' some of these weirdos to watch our videos", Taffyta said sternly. "Because I have a massive feeling we are really close."

"Should we use our usual tactic?" Candlehead asked.

"I don't think that would be necessary. C'mon." The three racers disappeared into the crowd, and the wrecker absently shrugged as if someone asked him something. He just let the kids do their stuff, their progress on getting money was so good that even if it took most of Sunday, they'd be okay.