As Twilight stepped into Vox's office, she didn't know what she expected. Many possibilities had occurred to her mind. Perhaps she was about to enter a new level of arena combat. Perhaps she was going to be reassigned in the leagues now that she was a Liberator. Maybe he was going to gloat about how far she'd come. Given how money oriented everything she'd seen had been, she'd even considered the possibility that Vox was going to try and get her to sign a contract to let him sell merchandise of her.
What she did not expect to see was the shark faced head of Dreadzone looking down at her somberly, a look of obscure pain on his face. "Come in, Twilight," he said softly. He gestured to a seat in front of his desk. "You should sit down for this. I'm afraid I'm the bearer of...bad news."
Confused, Twilight climbed into the chair. Everything she'd seen of Gleeman Vox on the screens screamed at her instincts that something was seriously off here. The gloating, conniving, manipulative, money grubbing maniac did not fit this somber faced gentleman. One of the two had to be a facade, and it felt like this one should be. She did her best to be on her guard, and decided to probe with a question to try and set the pace of the conversation. "How come I didn't fight Ace at the end of the Liberator Tournament?" she asked.
Vox closed his eyes, a pained expression on his face. "Because he fought in the Liberator Tournament of the original league first...and the champion of that league - the new champion of Dreadzone - murdered him in the ring."
Twilight gasped in shock. "But...but Daddy wouldn't do that..."
"It wasn't your father," Vox said quickly. "You're right that he wouldn't do something like that."
"But..." Twilight began, tears in her eyes. "But Daddy was in the other league..."
Vox covered his eyes with his robotic hand. "I wanted to ease you into this..." he murmured. "I'm sorry, but...Team Dark Star has been...eliminated. By the new champ."
Tears began to pour down Twilight's face. "No..." she whispered. "Daddy...Clank...they can't be..."
"I'm afraid it happened early on," Vox said softly. "It...when it happened, Ace decided to take you under his wing. He...hoped that by the time he had to tell you, you'd be close enough to him that he could help you through your grief. And now this..." Vox closed his eyes, tears visibly beading the corners as though he were struggling to hold back tears of his own. "I wish I could help you more...but I've lost one of my own closest friends now, too. Ace...he was more than just the champ..."
Within her own grief, Twilight made the connection. This was why Vox was acting so different from before. She struggled to marshal her grief...and found a flicker of rage beginning to burn inside her. "...if he's the new champ," she whispered, "when do I face him in the arena?"
"He's not, technically," Vox replied. "To be the champ, the winner of the tournament has to sign a contract with Vox Media, so we can properly represent them. He refused to sign the contract. And..." He shuddered a bit. "From what I've picked up in chatter, he intends something rather horrible."
"What?" Twilight asked, the tiny flicker starting to burn a bit brighter inside. "What could be more horrible than what he's already done?"
"There have been several attempts to hack into the Dreadzone network from inside," Vox explained. "I haven't been able to get a trace on the point of origin, but given how much of the Dreadzone related tech has been hacked around him, I have reason to believe it's him. If that's the case, he's been looking at specs for the Dreadzone itself...floor plans, customer density flow charts, the physical location of the central computer...and the protocols to initiate the self destruct program."
Twilight's eyes widened. "Why the heck does this station have a self destruct program?" she demanded, her sense of logic temporarily overriding her emotions. "That doesn't make any sense!"
"It used to be a military outpost before it got decommissioned," Vox explained. "I bought it up cheap, but the self destruct can't be deprogrammed, or the bombs it's connected to disconnected. It's hardwired in."
"Oh..." Twilight replied. She floundered for a bit, her mind reeling between logic and emotion.
"As best I'm able to determine," Vox continued, "he plans to set off the self destruct when the station is most populated, creating a massive massacre."
"Then he needs to be stopped!" Twilight insisted.
"I've been trying!" Vox replied desperately. "But his Deadbolt collar's been rewired so any signal sent to it redirects to a different collar, and nobody I have working for me is tough enough to take him down! He's biding time now - I've even sent him into the hardest course ever designed for Dreadzone...one that calculations prove to be mathematically impossible!"
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Why do you even have a course like that?"
Vox glanced away. "...Ace asked for it to be made...for you." At Twilight's confused grunt, Vox continued. "You've been clearing every challenge we send your way so easily...Ace wanted to give you a real challenge of a course for after you beat him, before you took the mantle of champ." Vox chuckled softly. "Ace was so certain you'd beat him someday...and he told me that he enjoyed being your spotter on your last gauntlet run so much that...starting with that new course, he was going to retire from active combat in the arenas after you took his title...to work permanently as your spotter."
Twilight remained silent. She wanted to cry, for Ratchet, for Clank, for Ace, for the life she could never go back to now...but she couldn't find the tears. The flames of rage were burning too hot for tears, but they were without direction.
Vox sighed. "But with how he's been progressing, he might just clear that 'unbeatable' challenge...and then there'll be nothing to stop him from destroying everyone..."
"Except me," Twilight said quietly.
"Eh?" Vox asked, seemingly caught off guard.
"You know the path he's going to take to try and set off the self destruct?" Twilight asked. "Put me on it. I'll end him. I'll make him pay."
Vox shook his head. "I can't," he said softly. "The security protocol in there is quite strict. A Liberator can't go in there. He's going to have to disable it before he can go in, and if I disable it sooner, he'll know we're onto him. And I'm all out of Exterminators to send-"
"Then make me an Exterminator!" Twilight snapped, stomping her hoof. The chair buckled from the impact, barely staying intact.
Vox stared at her for a time, then pulled out a contract. "To keep all the protocols intact, we'll have to go by the protocol. Just sign here-"
Before he'd even finished speaking, Twilight had signed the contract. "Now what?"
Vox smiled softly as he pulled the contract back. "A new color scheme," he replied.
Twilight's armor flashed. The Liberator suit had been black and gold. The Exterminator colors were silver and red.
"One of the Exterminator bots will show you where to go," Vox explained. "You won't be able to bring your battle bots with you, though."
Twilight nodded. "I'll handle it," she said firmly.
As she turned to go, Vox rested his flesh and blood arm on her back. "Ace cared deeply for you. He wanted to take care of you, after what happened to your Father. The...least I can do to honor my friend's memory...is to take care of you in his stead."
Nodding without speaking, Twilight closed her helmet tight, marching out to her post.
Vox watched her go, his face still somber. Once she was well out of range of sight or hearing, he grinned widely. "Too easy," he chuckled wickedly, picking up the contract Twilight had just signed, his eyes going happily to the fine print Twilight hadn't even noticed, let alone bothered to examine.
Aaaaand bank to feeling bad... Damm
Yeah, figured something was up when Vox was being melancholic.
I've never played the games, but he doesn't strike me as the type to get down about anything.
Vox, you bastard...
And yet, I just know you're gonna get your just desserts when Twi and Ratchet find each other again and you get hoisted by your own petard because of it. Fine print be DAMNED.
Politics in a nutshell.
Except it's not politics, it's an illegal blood sport hosted on multiple planetoids that gets broadcasted publicly, and the law doesn't try to do anything about. Why the hell don't the proper authorities do anything about this? It's be broadcasted on a public channel for Pete's sakes! How hard is it to find where the very strong, suspicious signal is coming from? Doesn't anyone know geometry?!
Also, first. this story updated, and promptly was featured again.
That son of a bitch! NO! Calling him that is an insult to whoever was unlucky enough to birth such an abomination!
HE'S A FUCKING BASTARD'S BITCH! HE'S A PIECE OF SHIT THAT EVEN THE TOILET DOESN'T WANT!!! THAT CRAPFEST CAN'T DO THIS!!! THAT DIABOLICAL DICK!!!!
Sorry....had to to that....its my time of the month and its late. Still.....I'm gonna kill him. Twili doesn't deserve this. No one does.
6334787
There's always the nuclear option.
"What? I signed a contract? I don't remember signing a contract. Do you have any evidence? Hmmmmm? (unholsters RYNO, aims) Well, do you?"
6334809 *Grins inhumanly**pulls out Master Sword*
No.No I don't.Do you, sir?*Aims the tip at a certain hog-tied little b***h**He squeals as I draw some blood from the pressure on his neck*
See? No harm done. Now, about Twili's.....service months. If I say they never existed, then they don't. CAPICE?!
OHH THATS GOD DAMN CLEVER VOX
Tricking twillihgt in takeing down her dad, WHILST LIEING TO HER FACE
if this isnt manipulation then i dont know
Oh my God, Twilight just signed a contract saying that she's the express property of Deadzone didn't she? Vox now owns her, for X number of years if not until Vox decides to release her from the contract.
Everybody else is commenting on how they want to beat the shit out of Vox and are predicting what happens next, while I'm just sitting here clopping.
6334822
I think the word you were looking for is, "inhumanely".
6334822 'Ello, Miss! Mind if I join you?
*pulls this out*
We'd have a lot of Fun, you and I...
6334847 I mean that the smile was too big for my face. Think Vincent(purple guy from fnaf)'s insanity.
6334866
Yes, that smile is a crime against human sanity, and thus inhumane.
6334854 Yes, we will. *eyes have a horrible gleam in them, and are glowing a pale blue*
Hey, Kitsune? Can you help? *a blue dragon appears around my neck, claws unsheathed.*
Yessss~~~
This will be lots of fun
6334871 But I want to have fun!
6334877
Fun, in tangible, 'haveable' form.
shall I start the count down till twilight flips her shit and goes Darkstar again.......
5
6334778 yeah, Vox only cared for the money, it's kinda the reason why he abducts heroes for his show; they're worth alot if they survive
just be glad, good old Voxy is going to get his just desserts when he realizes that he made the biggest booboo in the world by sending Twilight as his Lombax exterminator
Hmm, it seems that you've amassed quite an army behind you tatsurou. Quite bloodthirsty too. At least they're pointed to the right "person", Vox. I wonder what contracts you'll be using to keep them by your side, more feels?
That's not to say that I won't be with them, I'm just trying to decide if I'll take my trusty Nikana or this new Galatine
6334835 or until she kills him by telekinetically creating a void space inside his heart for a split second, causing it to implode on itself and creating a disruption in the hearts rhythm thus giving him a heart attack
6334984 Twilight still has her collar on, and I'm betting that blowing up Ratchet's collar isn't the only feature it has.
The only thing that I can think of is using the Ghost Station's lack of oxygen to keep their faces hidden.
...
But exactly how many beings are sapient quadrupeds that can use magic in the Ratchet universe?
Ratchet's bound to recognise Twilight.
Yeah. Fine print. Vox, for the head of a criminal empire, you sure seem to have a lot of faith in the law's ability to protect you. I mean, good grief, Twilight could probably spark riots across two galaxies if any court dared to convict her for violating your "fine print". And possibly the mutiny of significant military assets. And that's if any court even wants to charge her, which seems unlikely when you are the one on the other side of the case. Aaand, of course, this also ignores the fact that rapidly expanding clouds of atoms in hard vacuum are not usually in good positions to press chargers. I reiterate that you are an idiot. Particularly if you're doing what I think you're doing, given that I'm not sure how Twilight wouldn't notice that.
Really, at this point, I'm wondering if Vox actually got into power on the coattails of someone more intelligent (a relative, perhaps) and then arranged an "accident", with the system having so much inertia that he's not managed to crash it yet.
Well, this wasn't a surprise, especially with the title.
Let's see how this plays out...
I'm more concerned about the nightmare that was more then likely born from this little news flash. now that she thinks her dad and friends are gone what's stopping her from going super nova.
I mean damn I know what it's like losing family and she lost more then that now and the amount of negative energy that's running rampant in her head should be making her magic look like king sombra's on a vary bad day at least. You should be running for the hills right now.
6335020
He doesn't expect a court to uphold it.
He expects her own nature of being a stickler for rules - and the other setting of the collar - to uphold it.
That sneaky little slug!
I really hope Twilight was sharp enough to sneak in some fine print of her own magically. Vox is obviously setting Twilight up to fight Ace or Ratchet, not sure which one. But either way... I think we'll be seeing Rapidash Alicorn Twilight soon.
I think Vox can be called every swear in this video:
I've got three reasons Vox's contract is never going to fly:
i58.tinypic.com/3325dat.jpg i59.tinypic.com/2w32dti.jpg oi57.tinypic.com/pvnrp.jpg wielded by i61.tinypic.com/snmn2g.jpg
6334787 I think we can all work together and figure out many ways to kill him.
6334984 That implies he has a heart to begin with
.
6334900 The answer is to bring both and keep using them on him.
6335108 I admit, that sounds like a good idea... Well, it's not like the rules haven't been broken before.
Right beside you comrade, let's just hope that you are right with your hope for Twi.
6335115 Even if she didn't... I think there are enough rabid fans of hers from readers ready to rip Vox apart and dismantle his empire already... to say nothing of Quark and Sasha probably rallying the galaxy to rescue their friends and all of Twilight's fans ready to lynch Vox after her slips up and makes an on screen confession to how he's been handling Twilight.
6335002 true but it only explodes if she uses magic to tamper with her own collar, but you do have a point he may have a deadmans switch on him where all bomb collars explode in the event of his death,
on a separate note since i do not believe that twilight is technically of age yet so any contract that she signs must be cosigned by her legal guardian
Vox hears a soft ching-click behind him and turns to see an armored humanoid standing about three feet behind him. Jumping out of his seat, Vox leans backwards over his desk. "Who-"
"Void it." Says a rumbling over modulated voice.
"Wha-"
"Twilight's Contract, Make it Null and Void." continues the voice as if Vox had never spoken.
"No." Vox replies instantly.
The figure raises it's left fist and Vox can clearly see the detonator the figure is holding, it's 'Fire' Button depressed, as well as the neutron fusion explosives strapped to it's chest. Forty kiloton yield, even if he escaped the radiation, the pressure wave would atomize him. "The signal stops: You die. My vitals stop: You die. You annoy me: You die. Void the Contract, Release Her, and tell her the truth."
"Do you expect me to negotiate with a... a terrorist?!" Vox yells at the figure.
"No Mr. Vox, I expect you to Die... Slowly."
Fade to Black
6335069
Oh, sure. Except that that only works as long as she cares. If she's pushed too far...
VVVVOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOXXX
I'm still confused as to why Vox needs permission in the form of a contract to do anything. He almost literally has every hero on an explosive leash, it's not like they can do shit (or would even know, in some cases) if he starts selling merchandise in their image. And what they would be willing to do (and I say that to mean anything they would be "willing" to do under explicit lethal threat) would not change based on them signing a piece of paper, especially if they were tricked into it. Contracts only hold power if there is someone above both parties to enforce the terms. Or magic, but I don't think Vox has access to that kinda stuff.
Awesome story.
So they made an "impossible" course, then put Twilight, the magical tech genius that does the impossible on a regular basis as another obstacle in the course. Sorry Ratchet, unless you can somehow convince her that you are you under that armor, you're shit outta luck, man.
Er... Lombax.
Whatever.
6335214
First, the contract thing...can't explain. Vox was bound and determined to try and get Ratchet on a contract in the original, so...
As for the second, no. Ratchet is on the impossible course. Twilight is in the station interior, waiting for 'the killer' to complete the impossible course and seek out the station controls (which Ratchet intends to use to shut down the Battle Dome and all the explosive collars.)
6335241
Fair enough.
And that makes this even more exciting.
from active combat in the arena's after you took his title
1. Arenas.
Vox, you son of a bitch! You'd better be glad you can hide behind the fourth wall, because if I could get my hands on you, so help me-
Bastard in the game, bastard here.
... And here is the chapter title, working out well as ever.
Wonder if Ace really did die, or he's just hiding...
For now, the future is going to be a very messy ordeal... good luck Ratchet, hope you don't die too quickly...
Taking bets on which one destroys Vox! Taking all bets! Hell, Twilight doesn't need to be aware to do it by accident. Mainly because I don't think the Nightmare is contractually obligated to leave the station in one piece.
6334984
Nah. Just crush it like a grape and rip it out of his chest cavity. ...and then promptly start going around causing Supernovas because she has clearly gone Darkstar, Destroyer of Galaxies at that point. It would make for an interesting non-canon "Bad End" What If chapter.
6335069
One wonders how useful that "Other Setting" will be once Twilight isn't in control of her own body anymore, and could shrug off the explosion. I mean, the big leverage with the collar is that tampering with it will set of the one on Ratchet. But if Ratchet is already dead by Twilight's hooves anyway... Unless the Other Setting is something that hasn't been mentioned yet, I don't see how that is going to help Vox.
"FFFSSSSSHH Come to the dark side Twilight.... and before you know, the one you killed was your father"
"NOOOOOO"
Tigger! Open my arsenal and let's take stock!
Master Sword?
"Check!"
Krogan Claymore shotgun?
"Check!"
RYNO V and VII?
"Double check!"
Venomous Tentacula seed pods?
"Check...where did we even--"
Battle droids?
"In regular, super, and destroyer varieties!'
Remote controlled clone of Optimus Prime?
"Check!"
Lightsabers?
"Two regular, one shoto, one double-bladed."
Katana?
"Check!"
Diluted basilisk venom?
"Enough to cause pain but not kill...yet."
Mini-Smaug?
"Angry and ready!"
Mini-Godzilla?
"Go go Godzilla!"
Dragon Dagger?
"Morphin' time!"
Mini-black hole generator?
"Set to activate."
Giant rusty anchor?
"Giant rusty anchor? We have a--oh wait, there it is."
Batarangs?
"Five hundred count."
Mjolnir replica?
"With lightning shooting action!"
Nemean Cestus?
"On loan from that really angry Spartan guy."
Cyberman gauntlet?
"Hostiles will be deleted!"
Chozo arm cannon?
"Ready."
I think that's everything needed to DESTROY Vox for DARING to make Twilight cry!
"Ordinarily, I'm against violence...but not this time."
6335540
Count me in, Got most of the Kamen Rider arsenals and some work from the Final Fantasy universe...let's make him regret living at all.
6334874 We'Re GoNnA hAvE sO mUcH fUn ToGeThEr...
It'S gOnNa Be A rEaL pArTy...
6334883 *Grins hugely*
6335948 Just like a PaRTy
We can have fun with him.....FoREver
6335108 But of course~
Everyone is invited to ourParTY