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Chapter Text

February 6th 1981

It was a day like any other. The arcade was bustling, quarters were piling up by the minute, and Turbo was getting his daily dose of attention. He just won his yet another race today and felt like he was on top of the world, much to the dismay of his older twin brothers Jet & Set.

Ever since Turbotime became popular, he'd let the fame get to his head, constantly bragging about himself while disregarding others. Not to mention grew jealous easily and threw horrible tantrums whenever he lost.

The entire arcade quietly hoped that this was just a phase, and that with time, he would be knocked down a peg or two.

They're prayers would be answered, but with devasteting consequences.

"Woah! New game!" one of the boys who had previously been occupying Turbotime shouted, leaving the titular racer in the middle of the track to go check out the new game Litwak wheeled in.

It was an odd looking cabinet, plain black with its name written on the top in big green letters.

Polybius.

Though Turbo wasnt worried. Not in the slightest. This was a common occurence for new games. 

The players would enjoy the newcomer for a while then return to his, much better, game.

They will come back. They always did. All he had to do was wait.

5 minutes.

10 minutes.

20!?

30!?!

"What are they still doin' ova' there!?!" He couldn’t believe it.

Why were they wasting they're time with such a boring looking game when his was right there?

WHAT DO THEY THINK THEY'RE DOING?

Oh no, no no no. He'll show them. He was Turbo, the greatest racer ever! 

And he wasnt going to let some blank slate nobody take that away from him.

In a flash of white and red, he headed toward Game central station.

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"YES! I WIN!" Jet exclaimed with excitement. This was the first time in three months that he had won, and he was so ready to rub it in Turbo's face.

But once he and his brother Set reached the podium, they realised,

Turbo was gone.

"Now where could that flat tire have gone off to?" asked Jet with an annoyed huff.

"It aint like em' to just leave." replied Set. "Usually he'd be throwin' a fit by now, ya think he might be in trouble?"

Jet scoffed. "Please! Remember when he nearly beat the Heavyweight Champ to a bloody pulp with his fists alone?  If anythin', he'd the one causin' trouble!"

He went quiet after that, glancing to the side.

Was Turbo an obnoxious glory hog? Absolutley. Did Jet wish to punch him everytime he spoke? Most certainly. But his heart still held love for the young racer. After all, what kind of brother would he be if he didn't?

"But still," he said, breaking the silence. "Hes our little brother, and the game wont be the same without em'."

As they were preparing to head out, a familiar roaring of an engine stopped them. It was Turbo! 

"Im impressed!" proclaimed Jet. "I didn't think you would take yer loss like an adult, i expected some kind of explosion-" He stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed Turbo was unusally quiet, with his head hung low.

"T-bone? You ok?" Asked Set worringly. No response. 

"Ey! We're talkin ta' you!" "GCS ta' flat tire!" Shouted Jet while shaking his fellow racer lightly. At that moment the self-proclaimed speed demon finally lifted his head to look at them. 

While the pair were at first relieved, they soon noticed something off with their baby brother. No longer did he have that same child-like yet smug glint in his eyes. No, it look like he had been to hell and back. Despite that, the young sprite managed to mumble one single sentence.

"We're all gonna die."

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"WHAT!?" The twins shouted unanimously.

"That-that new game Litwak brought in, its gonna be th' death of us ALL!" Turbo raved, clutching onto Jet's arm like his life depended on it.

"Easy there T-bone." Set reassured, "What new game?" 

At that moment, a loud thud was heard, causing the three racers to turn their heads to the cabinet across from them.

They nearly fainted at the sight before them.

One of the boys who had been playing Polybius was violently convulsing on the ground, while the other just stood there, staring off into nothingness. Soon screaming could be heard, and the entire arcade fell into total chaos.

At that moment, Turbo realised that it wasnt a threat to the arcade. 

But to the players. 

-----

Litwaks closed early that day, with the boys being rushed to the hospital.

Meanwhile Turbo told the twins everything, having finally calmed down.

"You went to another game?! During the DAY?!" Jet asked, furiously pacing back & forth. "You got a' screw loose or sum'n?!"

"I know i know, im sorry." The young racer professed solemnly.

The duo was stunned, to say the least. Usually he would make up excuses or double down on everything, but this was the first time Turbo apologized for anything, ever.

They were about to question it when Surge Protector appeared.

"Im sorry to interrupt your little hangout." he stated dryly, "But we're having an intervention in Game central station, we're hoping to get some answers out of the new guy. Its best if everyones there." 

And he left as quickly as he came, dissapearing in a flurry of blue pixels.

Jet sighed before glaring at his younger brother. "Alright flat tire listen up." He began. "Promise me ya wont tell a single sprite 'bout this lil' stunt a' yers, folks are already sick a' ya enough last thing they need is to lock up their doors!"

He soon turned his attention towards Set. "This includes you too, motormouth." He said with such disdain.

"Oh c'mon i aint THAT much of a gossip!" The other twin was quick to defend himself. "But I get whatch'ya mean."

The entire train ride was silent, with Turbo only thinking about what Jet said.

Had he been really that bad?

Well, he has been a sorer winner as of late, and he has taken to bullying & bothering to get his way. Hell, just today he tried to take over another game in a fit of jealousy and anger-

Oh my mods he really was that bad.

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Once there, they saw a slew of characters crowding around the entrance to Polybius, with Surge Protector doing attendance. 

Turbo wanted to scream. Just the sight of that dreadful game alone was enough to make the floor seemingly sway beneth his feet and every hair to stand on its end. 

Jet must have noticed his discomfort because he leaned in to whisper "Ey, we don't have to be part of th' crowd if you don't wanna. "

"Yeah! We can go sit ova' there if you'd like. " Set chimed in, pointing to a bench far from the crowd. 

That was another thing Turbo remembered. Just how awful he'd been to his brothers. Name-calling, gloating, getting them into trouble. And yet they still cared about his sorry caboose. He really didn't deserve them.

"Uh yeah, i think i'd like that." 

"And lastly Turbotime..." Surge Protector mumbled as his eyes scanned the room for the titular racers.

Jet waved to him and he checked off the last box before turning to the crowd. 

"Alright everyone, i know we're all still shaken up about the whole thing but lets try to keep this civil." 

He then pulled out a megaphone and yelled "Whoever's in Polybius please report to Game Central station immediantly!"

Silence. 

"I said, whoever's in Polybius please report to Game Central station!"

Nothing. The crowd was starting to get antsy, some even wanting to go in there themselves.

Turbo's heart dropped like a rock. No please. Not again.

Suddenly a giant purple and blue spaceship emerged from the darkness, nearly knocking Surge over.

It floated for a few seconds before descending, doors opened to reveal a singular green eye.

"Greetings new neighbors!" it chirped. "It seems you have organized a welcome party for me. How lovely! But ah, where are the decorations?"

Surge readjusted himself before speaking "Hate to break it to ya..."

"Poly."

"Right, hate to break it to ya Poly, but this is actually an interrogation." Surge corrected,  "We wanna know what you did to those boys back there."

Poly's eyes lit up with excitement  "Ah yes! My first catch! I did a pretty good job out there if i do say so myself!" it boasted, "Isn't it amusing how such higher beings can drop like flies with just a simple flash of light?"

"Good job!?" one of the crowd members shouted, "They looked like they were dying!"

"Thats because they were! Honestly, why are you all acting so surprised? Don't you do this with your players too?"

A chorus of gasps echoed around the atrium, with many fainting.

Even the jaded Surge Protector couldn’t help give a look of shock "I dont know where you got THAT from, but we definetly dont allow that here! And neither does Mr Litwak!"

"Oh, is that so?" it chided, lifting itself off the ground "Well, looks like i'll have to make my home elsewhere."

"And what makes you think we're gonna let you in our games?" one of the troops from Space Invaders sneered as everyone braced themselves for battle.

The spaceship let out a foreboding chuckle, its eye twisting into a green spiral.

"You can't do anything, so dont even try."

Soon everyone fell into its trance, weapons lowering.

Turbo knew he had to act fast.

In a flash, he scurried off to his game.

-----

"So your saying this game is dangerous?" Litwak asked worridly.

"Yes, we believe that it was purpesfully made to induce seizures." The detective said, "Tell me, where did you get it?"

"I bought it from some young man over at the flea market. He was a little strange, kept insisting i should get it. Said it was revolutionary." he answered.

"Oh it was revolutionary all right." the chief murmered as he pulled out his pen & little notepad, "What did he look like?"

"He was of average height, had curly brown hair, bushy eyebrows and lots of freckles."

The chief nodded "I see, thank you sir, you've been a tremendous help."

----

Poly watched in mild annoyance as its world was starting to get snuffed out.

"What a shame." it drawled, "And i was beginning to like that place."

It barely had time to register what was going on before a red & white car sent it flying back to its game just before it was fully unplugged. 

One by one all the characters awoke from their trance, looking in horror.

Turbo's car laid there with its front severely damaged & driver nowhere to be seen.

"TURBO!" The twins called out as they made their way through the crowd.

They stopped when they saw the damage, fearing the worst.

"TURBOTASTIC!" Turbo exclaimed while he jumped out of his car.

A wave of relief washed over the pair as they ran over to him.

Jet punched him in the shoulder & scolded "That was real stupid of ya. Neva' do it again." Before hugging him tightly.

A grand celebration was held in Game Central station that day. To honor the arcade's grand hero,

Turbo.