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The Gam3: Chapter 8

"Sometimes, the greatest moves a general can make is not what tactics he can enforce upon his troops," the first player said with a devious smirk. "But rather what moves the pieces can make for themselves while still adhering to the general's plans."

Liberty4U shook her head absently as she watched the board closely. "That was clever of you. Creating a 'resistance force' and casting them as the 'bad guys'. In that way, you maintain the Gam3, push more people to become stronger and use more Chaos Drives and fulfil your own diabolical plans."

She leaned back, smirking confidently. "But with this development, you realise that people will avoid the_Gam3_ now? It is out in the open. People will know and there will be..." She cut herself off. A soft laugh escaped her as she slapped her forehead. "Ah... I see what you did..."

"Chaos promotes growth," the first player said, grinning broadly. "Let people conflict and battle. There will be those for the Gam3 and those against. The side that wins will promote and steer the world to its next stage. Whatever the case, this abrupt change will prove my point. Everyone, wants to get what they want the quickest way possible and they will do anything to get that."

Despite the mounting evidence, Liberty4U picked up a piece and moved it directly in the line of fire. "I still remain adamant about my stance. People will enjoy the journey so long as it is right for them. They won't mind taking the long way around."

"Well, we shall see then, won't we?"

"Ahem."

Both players suddenly turned. A third figure stood amongst them.

"I think you two should start thinking about the endgame," Jake said, paws folded behind his back.

"What?" the first player asked. "Why?"

"Because by the very same rules you've both set into place, there must be an end to the Gam3." He nodded towards Liberty4U. "What will you offer them if they choose the journey to the destination? Conversely..." His eyes turned to the first player. "What will you do if they choose to take the shortest route to the finish line?"

The two players exchanged glances then turned back to Jake.

"That's still not for a long while away..."

The wolf frowned at them gravely. "Ten days," he said. "At the rate things are going, it'll take ten days for the_Gam3_ to end. Not only on this server either. Better consider it before it's too late."

*****

Ed was the protective guardian of the group. He had always looked out for the Pete and Tom even if they didn't like his meddling. However, whatever he did always turned out for the better... until the Gam3 of course. Originally, it felt great to get everything he wanted and still make things better for the rest of his extended family. However, as the Pete continued to lock himself in his room and Tom drifted further apart from the group, Ed became desperate.

He wanted to bring them into the Gam3 so that they could make their lives better. Pete was so miserable and Tom was so alone. The Gam3 had the power to change the world. When both of them seemed resistant to the changes, Ed thought he could keep pushing his own changes to make them happy. Maybe lots of cash on his side would let him spend it on his friends...

... but then the fur came in.

He thought he was the only one... but now...

"How long?" asked Liam otherwise known as Tzzird.

"A few weeks now," answered Ed with a faint nod. "Started out just on my back, I think. I didn't really notice it. After spending so much time in the Gam3, the feeling of fur is just so natural that I never really thought it odd until it started spreading to my arms, chest and legs. When the claws started coming in, that's when I started to freak out."

Liam wrung his paws together anxiously. "So no tail yet?"

"Thankfully." Ed locked gazes with the otter. "What about you? How have you been keeping yourself out of the public eye?"

"Ian," came the depressed sigh. "When he found out what I had become, he began making excuses for me not to leave my room. My parents are always asking but I always manage to sneak out before they can see me. Some of my abilities have bled over to this world as well. He gives me food when I need it but as a result... he hates my guts for it. He thinks I'm some sort of overindulgent, cheating monster that got what he deserved..."

"In all fairness..."

Liam gave him a sharp stare which, on his lutrine features, just looked cute. "Look, the Shapeshifters are just trying to find a way to fix this!" His gaze dropped. "Well... originally..." He shook his head sadly. "But because of all the propaganda that's gone around about us, the people who join aren't there to stop the changes but incite it. Of the original members, I'm the only one that still keeps to our original cause. ... Until I learned of Wilbur..."

Ed glanced to where Tom was sitting on the rim of the fountain with Pete and Colin. Tom was talking to someone on his phone, Wilbur most likely.

"These days, the Shapeshifters are all about people who want to cheat at the Gam3 instead of stopping the changes." Liam shook his head sadly.

"Why don't you tell them anything?"

"You think that'll make them stop?" Liam let out a growl of frustration. "If I tell them about the changes in real life, what do you think will happen? They'll just spam Chaos Drives." Liam shook his head sadly. "Right now, cheating at the Gam3 is actually stopping these idiots from over using Chaos Drives! Why would you need to use them when you already have all the power in the world?"

That was a fair point... and Ed could fully sympathise with Liam. What had started as a well-intentioned change turned into something horrible and twisted. The Shapeshifters had begun as a warning... but was now a twisted image of itself...

"Well, what do we do now?" Ed asked. "We know the consequences and we've got reason not to push on with Chaos Drives but..." He shrugged absently. "That's only if we overuse them, right? I mean, I've gone a little too far, yeah, but maybe everyone else's lives could be made a little better...?"

Liam shot to his feet and slammed his foot to the ground. "Are you even listening to yourself!? You could end up like me! Stuck in this form in a world full of people who would dissect me! Why would you want that?"

"That's only because you went overboard," countered Ed calmly. "If we regulate it, we can change the world for the better. That's what I told Pete. He used to have HIV but then he used a few too many Chaos Drives and suddenly he's cured!"

"That's not right!" shouted the otter. "You're using the Gam3 as a shortcut to getting what you want! You have to earn that!"

"This coming from the guy that's gone full otter."

Liam shook his head wildly. "I made a mistake! No one else should make that mistake! I'm a freak because of that! What will happen if your buddy turns into a four-armed dragon or your stag friend stats spouting nipple-dicks in the middle of a walkway!? This isn't a good thing! It's punishment over abuse of mechanics that should have been exposed instead of enjoyed!"

Ed shook his head and stood up, finding himself taller than the otter. "You're just jealous that you got stuck in this form and didn't get to meet the full potential of the Gam3." He crossed his arms. "You know what? Let's put it to a vote." He gripped Liam's arms and pulled the otter towards the rest of the group.

Tom hung up on whoever he was talking to, looking pissed.

"Quick vote, guys," Ed said. "Who thinks the changes to this world are a good thing?"

It came as no surprise that both Pete and Colin lifted their hands. This horrified Liam.

"Look, I'm not saying that I want to go full stag," said Pete. "But there's no denying that I'm no longer infected with HIV and I'm a buff stud."

"And my life is awesome now," chimed in Colin. "I'm eighteen, buff and fucking sexy! I actually wouldn't mind being full lion, personally. But when it comes down to it, I would still prefer this world to the Gam3. This is my home. If could just bring some part of the _Gam3_back with me, that'd be perfect."

"You're all nuts!" Liam cried. "Can't you see what it's done to me!?"

"Like I said," Ed answered firmly. "You made a mistake. But it doesn't mean that the rest of us will make that same mistake. Besides, if we were to get enough people to change, then the world would be populated by guys like you. You wouldn't have to hide in your room or from your parents anymore."

Liam hesitated. He looked about ready to spout out something. The conflict in his eyes was evident, though and his tail was slapping the wet ground loudly.

"I don't know about that," came Tom's distant reply. "I'm going to meet Wilbur in the Gam3 so he can explain."

Ed's brow furrowed thoughtfully. "Wait... Tom, you're not considering...?"

Tom clutched his phone tightly. "Wilbur was an original Shapeshifter... that means he's probably in the same boat as Liam... The reason why he never wants to meet us in person is because..." Tom chocked softly. "And somehow, he's a wolf now. Plus, remember how when we change, everyone but us maintains our memories? If that's the case, then why aren't more people accepting of the fact that Tzzird is actually an otter and Ed is covered in fur? Why were we shocked? We should've known."

Liam balked. "He's a wolf now... and..." The otter cast his gaze off into the distance, rubbing his furry chin and with his whiskers twitching. "He managed to change... how...?"

"Why don't we ask him?" Ed asked. "Let's hit the Gam3. Talk to Wilbur and find out the truth."

Liam seemed hesitant at first but eventually agreed. Ed was the only one with multiple consoles and they quickly travelled back to his mansion of a home. Liam didn't seem all too pleased when they boarded Ed's limo and sat in relative but comfortable silence. It made Ed feel somewhat... dirty the way that Liam was staring at him. Okay, so maybe he hadn't earned everything in the real world as the 'traditional' way but it's not like he hadn't worked hard in the _Gam3_to earn what he had now...

Liam's gaze made his flesh crawl and he decided to explore Pete and Colin's newfound resolution to make the most of reality.

"Hey Pete, what's your take on all of this?"

Pete lowered his gaze but Ed could not help but notice how his hand was firmly wrapped around Colin's. "The Gam3 is fun and it offers some real neat opportunities. But I think I'd like to know the consequences of those opportunities first before I commit to anything. Though right now, this place is where I throw my chips."

Ed turned his gaze towards Colin. "What about you Colin?"

"I lost nearly half a decade of my life," Colin said, "but in all honesty? If I hadn't, I wouldn't be where I am now. And right now is pretty darn awesome."

Liam growled but no one said anything as they rolled up to Ed's mansion of a home. The otter kept his hood up as they exited the big limo and strode up to the large doors. The butler let them in and offered them snacks. They were informed that he was out on a business meeting.

When they started heading down to the basement where the game systems were set up, Ed couldn't help but sigh, something Liam quickly homed in on.

"What's wrong?" he hissed softly. "Didn't get everything you had hoped for? The lap of luxury not so hot after all?"

"Actually," Ed responded, glanced over his shoulder at the otter. "I was thinking how some things never change." He looked a little sadly towards the massive array of televisions hooked up to the Gam3. "We were poor, you know. Dirt poor. He had nothing. It took me a birthday and a Christmas to get enough money to buy The Gam3. My dad was always working odd jobs, small things that barely paid the rent and got me to school. Now, even though we're filthy rich, he's always working. I still never get to spend time with him."

Liam was silent for the moment. Pete and the others began putting on their headsets and logging on. "That's how it gets you," he said gently but still with a harsh edge. "It teases you with promises of wealth and power but doesn't give you everything. It makes you want to keep playing, keep abusing the system and it'll give you what you truly desire. But you know what? It doesn't."

"It's not about getting what you want. It's about making do with what you have. That's what I've always done. I had The Gam3, I had an understanding of the mechanics and I used it. Now that I know more about it, I know what to do with it. Well... Almost everything."

He grabbed a headset and sat down in a big beanbag chair. "Let's hear what Wilbur has to say. I'm sure he has some insight on how he managed to turn into a wolf."

Liam said nothing as he too took a headset and plunged into the virtual world of The Gam3.

For Ed, returning into his full tiger form was almost... relieving. Everything felt so natural now that he had his tail, whiskers, fangs and feline features back. Leaving this body and returning to reality was almost... like cramming himself into a box. It was constraining and uncomfortable. Probably just another hook of the system to urge him to succumb.

As agreed, the group met back up at the fountain in Terminal. Wilbur was already there when they arrived and the big wolf shuffled over to Tom, looking a little despondent. But the moment they got within arm's reach of one another, Wilbur pulled Tom towards him and pressed their lips together. Tom, despite his anger and confusion, melted into those, big, brawny, scarred arms. Colin snickered and was gently shuffled towards Pete, shifting the lollipop in his muzzle.

When the kiss broke, Wilbur looked deeply into Tom's eyes. "I'm sorry."

"I forgive you," answered Tom gently. "Just... what's the truth, Bur?"

"The truth is," barked Liam, suddenly appearing beside Ed, shocking the feline. "That he was one of the original Shapeshifters!"

Wilbur's eyes widened. "Liam!"

"Yeah me," snapped the otter. "How the fuck did you manage to change into a wolf!? Did you get another FG or something?" Liam made a swiping gesture with his paw.

Wilbur shook his head, waving his own paws in surrender. "No, nothing like that. I -"

"Did you find some hack that lets you change now?"

"No! I -"

"You managed to change your form and haven't told the rest of us!?" Liam charged towards Wilbur before anyone else could stop him. Though smaller in height, the otter's close proximity cause Wilbur to shrink back, ears folded down and tail tucked between his legs. "For fuck's sake, Wilbur, we were trying to save everyone and you just -"

Wilbur suddenly stomped his foot, his armour clanking loudly. His ears snapped up. "Will you fucking listen to me!?" he roared, lips back in a small snarl. "I'm stuck like this!"

Ed blinked... and then frowned. "Did you go crazy with the Chaos Drives again? Were you offered a second chance?"

The heavily armoured wolf shook his head and sat down on the edge of the fountain. Tom sat down beside him. "No... It's not that." Wilbur's ears folded back again, his shame showing in his eyes. "When I left the Shapeshifters, I had all but given up. I just went crazy with the Chaos Drives, changing everything around me in the real world... and then... one time, I logged in and suddenly there was Helios..."

"Helios?" Ed echoed, his surprise mirroring everyone else's. "The NPC who gives you the Form Grids at the start?"

"Yeah." Wilbur nodded slowly. His paw reached for Tom's, his fingers slowly closing around the multi-armed dragon's hand. Tom squeezed back. "He... He gave me an offer. Either go back to being my old self, the bastard that could crack a mirror just by looking at it or... or live in The Gam3 entirely, new form, new shape, new Form Grid... but I can never go back."

Ed's heart froze and he spun around to face Liam. Even the otter's eyes were wide and the Shapeshifter took a stumbling step back.

"That's right..." Wilbur murmured softly. "I... I live here. Literally. The Wilbur in the real world? Doesn't exist anymore. As far as anyone is concerned, he's missing."

There was a moment of silence. With the majority of the populace working for the next Event and with the night coming to a close, the fountain area was empty. That left the small group in almost deafening silence. The few people that did pass by didn't give them another glance most likely thinking they were just another party preparing for the Event.

"But I can call you!" Tom pleaded desperately.

"Yeah." Wilbur's response was defeated and his voice grew quieter with every word. "We have access to call others on the outside but... how do you really explain to people that you're calling from inside a videogame? Most of the others just don't bother... but..." His big paws seized Tom's. "You're special, Tom... I... I just didn't know how to tell you that... That this is the real me..."

Ed lifted his own furry paws, watching the wind gently caress the orange striped fur. "So... You're telling me that all those people who 'disappeared'...?"

"Live in The Gam3."

"Wait," Pete said. "Are you telling me that people actually live in here? As in they never have to eat, they never age and they can change their shape at will?"

Wilbur nodded. "As long as you have the Form Crystals, yeah. I had my FG reset but at the price of never being able to leave the Gam3."

"Have you ever tried to leave?" asked Ed.

"Can't. No logoff button."

Ed felt a shiver run down his spine and he instinctively hugged himself. His eyes drifting towards Liam. There was an 'I told you so' gaze in the otter's eyes but there was also a look of sympathy.

"I was given a choice," Wilbur concluded. "Live as an outsider in the real world or live in the Gam3. I made my decision." His fingers slowly uncurled from around Tom's hand. "I'm sorry I didn't tell any of you this before... It's just..." He shook his head. "I'm just sorry..."

Ed uncurled his arms from around himself, his eyes still fixed on Liam. "Looks like the Gam3 isn't so evil, is it? You're given a choice."

"A choice that you're backed into!" Liam snapped. "You're already too far gone at that point! Either you go back to what you once were or live in the _Gam3_away from everyone!"

"But it's your choices that led to that turning point," Ed argued back. "How many times do I have to repeat myself, it's your fault that you're in this situation. It sounds like the _Gam3_has a way out."

"A way out!? You're forced to live in this damn virtual world!"

Ed opened his muzzle to shoot Liam down... but then he had a moment of understanding, of clarity, and shut it with a snap. "I get it... You're just mad, aren't you?"

"Mad!? Of course I'm mad!"

Ed shook his head. "No. You're mad because you overindulged. You're not mad at the Gam3. You're mad at yourself for going crazy and being 'cornered'. You have no other place to go and you're just afraid of what's coming. You can see where you're going and you're scared because it's not what you wanted."

He growled at Liam. "It's just like what you said. The Gam3 keeps you wanting and you're just not satisfied. You can't deal with the fact that this is where your choices have taken you and that in the end you have to make a choice. You don't want to accept the fact that you can't have everything."

Liam's ears folded back in anger. "What are you, my mother?"

"He is to us!" laughed Pete. "Just listen to him, bud. He's almost always right."

The otter stepped back away from Ed, his tail thrashing against the ground. "How is any of this good? Or natural! Don't you just want everything to go back to the way things were?"

"Life doesn't have an undo button," Ed said, quickly seizing Liam's shoulder. The slim otter tried to pull away but Ed held onto him tightly. "Look, you've just got to deal with the choices you've made."

"And what?" Liam demanded. "We're just supposed to go along with this and let it happen? We're just supposed to let people continuously abuse Chaos Drives, change the world and themselves and then get trapped in the Gam3!?" The otter's eyes widened. "O shit... That's what they're doing, isn't it? They're trying to enslave mankind in a virtual world! It's like the fucking Matrix!"

Wilbur laughed softly. "You were always a nerd, Liam." He got up, armour clanking. He looked like he was straining his smile.

"Stop laughing!" Liam shouted. "We're being manipulated! I bet those headsets are sucking out our 'bioelectric' energy or something! We have to stop this!"

"How?" Wilbur challenged.

"Be telling everyone the truth! Tell them what you've gone through! Tell them what I've gone through!"

"I'd love to but you know what? Let me ask all of you this." Wilbur's eyes roved the party. "If you were given the choice right now on whether or not you wanted to stay in the Gam3 or not, what would you choose?"

Ed was the first to speak. "Honestly? I'd stay here. I'd take my dad with me. He's worked so hard to keep us afloat and it was only through this _Gam3_that I finally gave him everything he deserved."

Admist Liam's incredulous cries, Pete raised his hand. "Me? I think I'd like to stay here too."

"Wait..." Colin said, his brow furrowed. "What? What happened to the whole idea of finding a happy medium, getting everything we want and then going back home?"

"Well... You heard what Wilbur said. Here, you get everything you need and you can even build your own place. If you wanted, we could make the fucking Grand Canyon in your own backyard."

"That's crazy!"

Ed winced as an argument broke out between the two. His ears flicked when he heard Tom take a breath. Wilbur's attention turned towards the four-armed dragon.

"Me?" Tom began. "I... I honestly just want to be wherever you are, Bur."

Wilbur's eyes widened and Ed could just hear his heartbreaking. The burly blacksmith opened and shut his muzzle multiple times before he suddenly spun around and stormed away. Tom hastily followed him, crying out his name.

"Colin! Wait up!" Pete shouted. Ed turned and watched the stag chasing the lion, a strange twist on the predator and prey relationship.

"I think Wilbur's point was that if we told everyone the truth, we'd divide the world," Ed said with a sigh. "Half of people would want to go back and abandon the Gam3 and the other half will want to stay."

"Bullshit," snarled Liam. "You know what? If you like being all furry and stripy, I'll cut you a deal."

Ed looked straight into the otter's fierce, fiery eyes. "What?"

"Go full tiger. Go as far as me. You'll get your powers in the real world just like me. But, when you have everything you want, you and me will go straight into the Reaper Studios building and bring them down."

He frowned deeply. "You mean...?"

"Destroy the group! Destroy everything about them! Fire, brimstone, lightning and thunder! I don't fucking care! We destroy the Gam3!"

Ed flicked his ears, tail slowly curling around his leg. "You want to destroy the Gam3."

"That's the only way we'll stop people from being forced to make the decision on whether or not they stay or go!"

"Okay... so what about the people already stuck here?"

Liam's eyes widened... and his jaw dropped. "Oh... Oh right..."

*****

The smithy suddenly took on a different meaning when Tom returned with Wilbur. It felt so alien now that this place was genuinely Wilbur's home and not just some virtual place that was conveniently decorated to look like someone could actually live in it. Now that Tom thought about it, it was far more furnished than many of the MMO houses he had seen in his young life. There were bookshelves filled with novels, a working refrigerator, cleaning supplies and all a variety of items that just did not fit the description of some place a player could rest.

In fact, why would players even need to rest when they could just wait a minute or two and they'd feel so refreshed afterwards?

He couldn't believe he hadn't seen it before...

"Are you mad?"

The question brought him back from his musings. Wilbur was regarding him with ears folded back, head slightly lowered and peering up at him from the corner of his eyes, unable to look directly at him.

"I don't know," Tom confessed, giving Wilbur an honest shrug. "Honestly... I'm not entirely sure what to believe... I mean, this videogame is changing people in real life and it's NPCs are giving people the choice to stay_in The Gam3_ or to go back to the way things were..." He folded his arms guardedly, unsure if he wanted Wilbur's touch. "What would've been the problem if you had just gone back to normal?"

"I wouldn't have been allowed in The Gam3 again," Wilbur responded with a shake of his head. "It was all or nothing, Tom."

"What would've stopped you from telling everyone else what had happened?"

Wilbur moved towards his forge, starting to pull out several pieces of metal to start to forging process. "It's because every trace of Wilbur the Smith will have disappeared. It will be like I had never been in The Gam3_at all. No console. No payment records. _Nothing. If I went out and told someone, no one would believe me. The hard evidence wouldn't be there." Wilbur shook his head. "I'm sure there would be others but... I didn't want to risk it."

Tom rolled the thought in his head. "So it's either way one part of you dies." He shook his head. "How can this a videogame even do this!? I mean, how can it change people's lives and alter the memories of others without actually them being in The Gam3!?"

"I asked those questions too." Wilbur began heating the metal sheets, his eyes cast down. "You wanna know what Helios told me?"

"What?"

Wilbur stripped off his armour, letting them fall to the ground and leaving him only in the white shirt he wore beneath. "He said, 'the big guy grew tired of everyone thinking his world wasn't good enough. So we decided to help.'"

"Help?" Tom asked. "How is this helping?"

Shaking his head, Wilbur turned back towards his forge, watching the metal heat up slowly. "I don't know. Maybe it's like what Liam said. Maybe Helios and his bunch are removing us from the world because we don't deserve to be in it. Maybe it's a process of teaching us to appreciate what we've lost when we went crazy with the Chaos Drives."

"A test?" Tom began to slowly unfold his arms. "Either you appreciate the world you have... or leave it forever."

"And I failed," Wilbur murmured darkly. He pulled the fiery-red sheet of metal from where it rested in his forge and set it down on his anvil. Plucking a hammer from his collection, he stared at metal for a long moment. "I was too fucking greedy."

WHAM!

Tom flinched, the sound of ringing metal in his ears.

"I went overboard and fucking chickened out!"

WHAM!

"All I've been doing is hiding!"

WHAM!

Tom quickly moved to Wilbur's side just as the blacksmith lifted his hammer one more time.

"I chose this life and all I've been doing with it is -"

Tom seized Wilbur's wrist with one hand while his two lower arms snaked around the big wolf's waist, forearms curling around Wilbur's chiselled abdominals and holding onto them tightly. With his last, spare hand, he took hold of Wilbur's cheek and turned their heads towards one another.

"Met me."

Wilbur winced and pulled away from Tom, his arm with his hammer falling by his side. "Thanks... but..."

Tom placed a finger against the burly wolf's lips. He took a moment to consider what he was doing and then replaced his finger with his own lips. Wilbur moaned softly. They spent a good ten seconds embracing the raging inferno of their affection for one another before Wilbur broke the contact.

"I'm sorry," Wilbur murmured.

Tom shook his head, offering Wilbur a faint smile. "Life is shitty. We do what we can to make it better. Honestly? I don't think Helios is even really doing some sort of 'divine culling'. You wanna know what I think?"

"What?"

He took Wilbur's paw and guided him over to the steps leading up to his home. They sat down, on the third step, his hands gripping Wilbur's paw tightly. "I think that if Helios really wanted to get rid of us, he would've just killed us. But he didn't. He just kept you here."

A growl came from his boyfriend's muzzle. "Trapped in hell, you mean. Everything around me is a constant reminder that I failed."

"Are you sure?" Tom asked, pulling Wilbur back to his feet. "Are you sure this isn't a second chance?"

"Some of the others think that," Wilbur snapped, yanking his paw away from Tom. "They think this is paradise or that this is exactly what they wanted! But you know what? Every moment_is a _fucking reminder that when offered the real second chance, I made the stupid choice to keep what I had and was too much of a fucking chicken to make the right choice!"

A ferocious roar ripped from Wilbur's throat as he turned and stormed back towards his anvil. "Fuck!"

Tom pursed his lips and slowly approached his boyfriend. He had to keep his distance as Wilbur began pounding the heated piece of metal rapidly, his eyes flashing with every shower of sparks that exploded from the movement.

"So... you want to go back?"

Wilbur banged his hammer a good five times before he spoke. "You don't know what you have until you've lost it. I miss my home. I miss my mom and dad. I miss my life. I miss Earth."

"I thought you didn't like that place?" Tom had to fight not to say 'the real world'.

"I hate how I looked. Not how I lived. Not the people there."

"But... you met me here."

Wilbur turned to him, a wince emerging from his muzzle. "Don't you think I want to meet you out there? I want to hold you like you really are. I want to be with you for real. But... but this... I'm stuck here!" He turned back to the metal and growled as it had already begun to cool. He began beating it to a pulp just for the sake of hitting something. "No matter what anyone else says... This is not real. None of it is!"

"So... if given the choice...?"

"I'd go back. I want to go back home."

Tom lifted his hands and quickly opened his menu. Wilbur regarded him curiously as he quickly found Jake's contact. The Admin appeared on screen.

"You know the truth about the Gam3, don't you?" Tom accused.

The wolf on screen smiled softly."Yes."

Unsure whether or not he should be angry, Tom went for a middle ground and just said, "I'm not going to ask why you'd allow or even go along with this."

"A wise choice."

"Is there a way to get Wilbur back to the real world?"

"You'll have to ask the creators."

"The who?"

"The gods."

Wilbur growled. "So what? You expect us to pray or something?"

"That could work. Though I'm sure there are other ways to obtain an audience with the gods. I mean, Tom or one of the others could go crazy with Chaos Drives. One of them is bound to appear to make you the offer, right?"

Tom shook his head, unwilling to take that risk... though if it meant that he could save Wilbur...

"No," said Wilbur, shaking his head. "There has to be another way."

An audience with the gods...

Tom slowly turned his head, eyes fixed on Wilbur. "There is... We go to God's Studio. We finish the Gam3."

*****

"Colin! Colin, come on!"

Pete was faster with his four legs but Colin was still much faster and more agile. One limitation he realised was that having four legs in a quadruped stance meant that he couldn't leap up onto building roofs or climb very effectively.

Just a little ways ahead of him, Colin was leaping from roof to roof, clearly avoiding him while he was forced to charge through the light crowds of Terminal, using his bulk to push people aside.

"Colin! For fuck's sake! Will you just come down here and talk!?"

"Make me!"

"You're acting like a kid!"

Colin whirled around, eyes flashing. "I am a kid, remember!?"

That was a poor choice of words but at least the surprisingly nimble lion had stopped running. "I know, I know. I'm sorry but can we just please talk?"

"I have nothing to say to you!"

Colin made to turn. Desperate to keep the lion in one place, Pete said, "Why not?"

Thankfully, that did make Colin freeze. Slowly, he turned back around and regarded Pete. There wasn't confusion in his eyes... just... pain. "Because... None of this is real... and you want to stay here... forever?"

Pete got a few strange looks from the people around him. He offered them a meek smile and gestured towards the nearby alleyway. Colin took his meaning and moved towards the location. Pete walked into the dark and relative quiet of the space. When he didn't spot Colin, he feared he had lost his boyfriend. A short whistle filled him with both relief and a degree of annoyance. Colin remained on the rooftops.

It was like trying to get a kid down from a treehouse.

"Look," Pete began. "You know what my life was like before the Gam3. I was sick, my parents were practically divorced and my friends were treating me like if they so much as sneezed in my direction, I'd die. But here, I'm this big, buff strong alpha male that can do anything and be anything I want! It's an opportunity! Don't you think that if you were given an opportunity, you'd take it?"

"Not when that opportunity will take your very identity from you," Colin said. He sat down on the edge of the roof, arms folded with a snarl on his features.

"Who says it will? Look, I'm still the same Pete as before. You met me in the Gam3. We met out of the Gam3. Can you honestly tell me that one version is different from the other?"

Colin looked pensively off into the distance. Pete took that moment to slam his shoulder hard against the building wall. The entire structure shook and Colin let out a yelp. Though nimble, the lion toppled off the edge of the roof. Pete was there to catch him in his big, strong arms.

"Look into my eyes, Col," Pete said, their noses just an inch apart. "Who do you think I am?"

Pete stared deep into Colin's eyes, saw the conflict there, the lost childhood and the thought of losing everything else. On some level, he was the opposite of Colin. Where Colin had lost something precious to him to the _Gam3_in exchange for something wonderful, he had lost something he would've gladly gotten rid of for something even better.

Colin pushed away from him, leaping to his feet dexterously. "You'd willingly leave your family and friends just for a chance to start over?"

"No! Never!" Pete exclaimed. "I'd want to bring them here. People are struggling out there in the real world. But here, things are so much easier! Why wouldn't you want that?"

"Because I took the easy way before, remember!?" shouted Colin, swiping a paw through the air. "And look where it got me!?"

Scowling, Pete crossed his arms and said, "Yeah, look where it got you. You got a lollipop that you can't take out of your mouth for more than a minute and a guy that finds you super sexy. Me? I suffered, lost years of my life to a mistake I made and just want things to be easy for once."

Colin's looked annoyed and he stepped forward, paws raised. "I know, okay? I get it. I honestly thought that we'd be comfortable with what's happened to us, cut our losses and just go back to the real world. But now you're talking about staying here forever? Taking the easy way has to come at a price."

"Yeah." He rolled his eyes and his voice began dripping with cynicism. "We 'disappear' to the rest of the world and get to live happily ever after here in the Gam3. Oh and I suppose we could all suddenly die if someone decided to pull the plug on the server but how is that not like if the god of the real world just decided to delete the entire universe from his PC and hit 'Empty Recycling Bin'?"

Colin's expression changed suddenly. The agitation faded, replaced with surprise... and then... Pete couldn't pin the emotion behind that soft smile and the glimmer in his eyes with those soft eyebrows raised.

Then the nimble lion said just one word. "We."

"Huh?" he replied, puzzled.

"We. You said we. _We_disappear. You're thinking about us."

Pete hadn't even consciously made that decision. The implications were monumental and he absently turned away, a hot blush touching his cheeks. "Oh... yeah... Um... Well... I thought we were sort of... an item. I mean, we went through all that bullshit and then Tom gave us his blessing and... I didn't want this to break us apart. I kinda... I kinda thought we'd..."

"Live happily ever after together?"

He turned back to Colin, trying to look angry at being made fun off but his cheeks were still burning. "What? Is that so hard to believe?"

Colin leaned back, arms folded against his chest. "You want us to be together. You came chasing after me to change my mind..." The feline glance away, shaking his head in disbelief. "Wow..."

"What?" Pete demanded, fear rushing up his gut.

"I've never had anyone fight so hard for my future before. I mean, my mom was there but it only seemed kind of like out of obligation and Tom... Well, Tom is my big bro and he looked out for me, he may be little overprotective, but no one has gone to such lengths to convince me to go with them. They force things on me but this..." He turned to Pete, shaking his head with a grin on his face. "Just... wow..."

Pete stamped his foot. "Okay, we're getting off topic -"

"No we're not." Colin stepped forward and pressed his lips against Pete's, the gesture surprising the burly stag. When they parted, Colin said, "I'm still not sure about staying here in the Gam3 but... If you're fighting so hard to keep me here and to change my opinion, then I figure it's something worth trying..."

Fighting the grin on his muzzle was quickly becoming a losing battle. "Are you sure? You don't get a second chance."

"Then I've got the time until Helios pops up and asks us to make our decision before I decide, don't I? And until then..." Colin trailed his fingers across Pete's strong, muscular chest. "I've got time to convince you to choose the real world over the Gam3."

Pete grinned and wrapped his strong arms around Colin. "You'll have to work hard! I've been known to be really stubborn!"

"Oh yeah?" Colin laughed as he was lifted off the ground.

"Yup! And I'm not letting go of you!"

There was suddenly an evil glint in Colin's feline eyes. Before Pete could protest, warm paws had worked their way towards his nipples which remained exposed to the air thanks to his scant armour. Just a tiny brush against them and a hot wave of pleasure rippled through Pete's entire body, making his knees go weak.

"N-n-not fair..." Pete whimpered.

"You're the one that made these such big targets," laughed Colin, rolling his paws over Pete's enormous pectorals. He was licking his lips. When he gave Pete's nipples a hard twist, the arms restraining him dropped limply and Pete collapsed to the ground, quivering in pleasure.

"Oooh fuck..." Pete moaned.

"We really should get Wilbur to make you more protective armour," Colin snickered. He was starting to undo his heavy leather pants. Pete's lips began to water as the enormous balls and sheath were exposed to the air looking like two cantaloupes hanging beneath a thick branch. Colin's furry sheath was starting to plump out and the scent emanating from the lion was starting to get to Pete.

Pete was falling into a daze and quietly cursed the transformation he had effectively forced on Colin. His hands had moved towards his own nipples, massaging them and bringing wave after wave of sizzling pleasure shooting through his body. Those furry balls were suddenly pressed against Pete's muzzle, a concentrated blast of pheromones shooting into Pete's muzzle and diluting any sensible thoughts he made have had.

Pure instinct kicked in has he began lapping at the heavy sack. He could _hear_them gurgling and copious amounts of semen sitting within their confines. The first brush of his tongue against the fur left him feeling a little dry but every pass of his tongue made the golden fur smoother and slick. He worked tirelessly to cover the furry sack with his drool, eliciting moans from Colin.

The dexterous Colin lifted his right leg and brushed it lightly against Pete's pec. Taking the signal and completely under Colin's pheromone-driven control, Pete eagerly removed Colin's boot, tossing it aside so that the lion's foot was free and bare. When that big toe pressed against his nipple, Pete was forced to lie on his side as his cock began rising out from his own furry sheath. The movement pulled him away from Colin for a brief moment, giving them a moment of clarity.

"Fuck you're sexy..." Pete mumbled.

"And we're wearing too many clothes."

Both of them eagerly threw aside their clothing, discarding their weaponry and even their Form Grids. Naked and filled with lust, Pete dove for Colin's rising cock before the limber feline had tossed aside his clothes. They crashed against the building, their moans rising. Colin tossed aside his leather jerkin and was lifted off the ground as Pete came to a full stand. He angled his bare feet straight towards Pete's nipples, pressing his toes against the hot discs.

In response, Pete's nipples began to harden and droplets of precum began pouring out of their tips. There was already a venerable pool of his fluids beneath him as main cock had become fully erect. His muzzle was wrapped securely around Colin's rising cock, drawing long breaths that urged the rising monster more and more out of its hiding spot.

In a few short seconds, Pete's muzzle was full of Colin's gargantuan cock, the pulsating flesh pouring salty precum down his throat. The flood was too great for him to drink at once and much of it was pouring out of the sides of his muzzle, the heady scent filling his nostrils and sinking him and Colin further and further into lustful depravity. His cock nipples had already emerged fully from their hiding spots, giving Colin a secure foothold which he ran his big, warm feet over, catching the throbbing rods between his big toe and the adjacent digit and rubbing them over. The wall became slick with Pete's precum just as the floor became soaked.

"Well what do we have here?"

Both boys barely registered the voice of the Shapeshifter, Cleopatra as she stood at the entrance of the alleyway. It took an entire minute before the thought cut through the thick haze of lust but by that time, Cleopatra and her gryphon bodyguard, Dandelion, had already plucked their Form Grids from the ground along with their own equipment.

Pete mumbled a soft 'no' but with his muzzle full of Colin's still growing cock, it was barely audible. It was made worse when the movement of his muzzle caused Colin to buck and moan, squirting more of the aphrodisiac down Pete's throat.

"I bet all of this will fetch a decent price on the Black Market," chuckled Dandelion. "This crystal sword is definitely worth something."

Cleopatra laughed as he regarded Colin's Form Grid. "Oh that juicy cock is almost too good to take away... but such a high class FC will _definitely_sell well especially when just being erect can get men and women to drop their pants." She hugged herself and shivered. "I'm already half-tempted to join in."

"Yeah..." muttered Dandelion, his eyes half-glazed.

A third voice cut through their conversation and the moans of Colin and Pete. "Stop it, both of you."

They turned. Pete mumbled 'Helios', only causing Colin's cock to shoot fully out of its resting place, the massive member forcing both lovers to the ground on their side. Colin was bucking wildly while Pete could barely contain his own arousal as he gripped one of his nipple cocks with a hand and the other milked his boyfriend's glorious member.

"Don't take anything form them," ordered Helios. "In fact, give them these FCs."

"What?" protested Cleopatra. "But -"

"If you want what I promised, you will do as I say."

She let out a snarl. Pete couldn't see what was happening but he heard the distinctive clink of an FC being placed into a Grid. Pete let out a muffle cry. Molten fire erupted all over his body like every major muscle in his entire body had spontaneously been injected with blood. The fibres greedily consumed every drop of the raw power, soaking them up and growing bigger and bigger despite his desperate, mental pleas for them to stop. It didn't help that Colin's paws seized his biceps and he could feel his muscles pushing apart the lion's fingers with each inch that they grew.

"No... Oh god no!" Colin cried.

Pete couldn't see what was happening as his entire vision was occupied by Colin's enormous cock and crotch fur. However, when Colin's cries turned into lusty moans and the soft click of an FC being inserted into a Grid rang in his ears, he could only guess that Colin too was subjected to an invasive Crystal being jammed into his Grid. While holding Colin up on his shoulders, he felt the lion's thighs shift and twist, growing bigger and bigger right before his eyes. The weight on his shoulders grew as the lion put on more and more mass. At the same time, his own growing strength compensated, allowing him to keep them both propped up against the wall.

His hands, working against his own will, roved Colin's growing chest. The athletic, lean body began to press up against his palms with firm, rounded muscles. In fact, that rounded edges began to obtain, sharp edges like armour. He could feel the sharp cuts and valleys Colin's abdominals made and the way his body tapered to his slim waist from a broad V shape only caused all his cocks to spurt excitedly, filling the alleyway with his scent.

His own change worked down his spine, the muscle piling on against his back and as they did so, they began adding more and more mass to his spine. He felt himself rising further and further off the ground, dragging Colin up the wall. The change rippled down his legs. He felt them go weak for the briefest of moments as bone stretched but then the muscles hardened into solid pillars of steel, keeping him firmly rooted in position.

"Damn they're resilient," laughed Cleopatra. "Still at it despite all that."

"Why don't we make it interesting?" asked Helios. "Here."

Pete mentally screamed as he heard the click-click of FCs being inserted into his and Colin's FGs. His mind fought against the ravenous beast that was his body, shaking the cages around his brain and begging to pull away from Colin's luscious, thick, throbbing cock that was feeding him salty precum but Colin's own charismatic powers were keeping him rooted in position. He could see Colin trying to struggle as well but the beast that Pete had become wouldn't let him go until both of them had orgasmed. It was a terrible loop, one too strong of body to let the other free and the other too strong in charm that it overpowered the first' will.

It grew worse when all the heat in Pete's body magnified against his crotch between his two legs. His vision blurred as it became consumed by a haze of pleasure. He vaguely registered the sound of rustling grass but was all too focused at his own crotch. The heat there became too intense like there was a volcano bubbling just beneath his flesh. He was bucking wildly, perhaps in a vain attempt to cool himself or as a precursor on what was about to happen.

There was a sudden weight between his front two legs, dangling between this tree trunk thighs. He didn't need to look to know that he had just grown an extra pair of huge, balls. The heat of the transformation was eased somewhat but replaced by a different kind of need, one for release that came from another source. It focused against the flesh just above his newly formed balls. He whimpered and with the last ounce of his willpower, tried to pull away from Colin's cock.

He yanked his muzzle to the side, finally breaking free of the enormous member -

Only to find a second, thick, throbbing piece of meat shoved right into his muzzle, that glorious juice spilling into his throat. His eyes snapped open for the briefest of moments but it was enough to see the hunk that Colin was becoming.

The lion's thick mane had scrawled all the way down his chest, forming a thick fuzz any man would be proud of. It covered his huge, square pectorals perfectly, never consuming the hard-cut lines of the muscles before tapering down into taunting treasure trail down his abdominals. From there, it met the forest with was Colin's crotch fur where most of his musk emanated and where _three_enormous cocks jutted out of, squiring gloriously all over Pete and the alleyway.

Pete could no longer hold on and with the last bit of his willpower spent, he collapsed to the ground in a wild, rutting mess. Every buck caused the flesh against his front two legs to bulge and grow, forming a large, fleshy nub just above his two new balls. The bulb quickly split open, letting the tapering point of his dick come springing out in all its glory.

"OH FUCK!" Colin roared.

Pete could never have braced himself for what happened. Colin's three cocks exploded straight at him. The first blast filled his muzzle to the brim, never giving him a moment to swallow and he was knocked back across the floor. The other two hit his chest like a cannonball and he was slammed right against the opposite wall, covered in head to toe in cum. The next blasts was like being hit by a firing squad.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

For what seemed like an eternity, Pete was almost knocked into unconsciousness by a flood of powerful blasts from Colin's cocks. He was held upright for an entire minute by the sheer force of the strikes. His own orgasms seemed so pathetic in comparison but his body shivered and finally let out the blasts of heat that had been accumulating all over his body, leaving the rest feeling oddly cold on the inside as fear began to settle in.

He slumped to the ground, barely able to turn his head to spy the three figures standing at the entrance of the alleyway.

Cleopatra threw their FGs down at them, the metal plates practically sinking into the pool of Colin's cum and disappearing.

"When you want those darn, inhibiting transformations removed," Helios said with a dry chuckle, "come find me. I'm sure you'll know where."

******

Liam and Ed sat quietly on the edge of the fountain, avoiding one another's gaze and just staring absently into space. Neither of them spoke. It must have been at least a two hours since Ed asked Liam the crippling question concerning the fates of those stuck in The Gam3.

Neither of them spoke but the questions swirling around their heads were evident enough.

What would happen to people like Wilbur if they destroyed Reaper Studios?

Could they truly make the judgement to destroy this world?

Liam growled loudly and ruffled his short, brown hair roughly. "This was a _whole_lot simpler before you started moralising everything!" he accused. "Why can't you just shut up and let me blow the whole goddamn place up?"

Ed gave Liam a wry smile without looking at him. "Maybe because that'd be exactly how you came to this situation in the first place. You charged headstrong into something without considering the consequences. I mean, will destroying Reaper Studios even turn you back?"

"See!?" bellowed Liam, throwing an accusing paw at the tiger. "That is exactly what I'm talking about! Stop that!" He rested his head between his paws. "I want everything to go back to the way things were... but now you're asking me if this is even the answer..."

Ed gave him a soft hum of understanding. He was only partially listening as he typed a quick message on his console. "Well... Tom seems to think that destroying Reaper Studios is a bad idea not only because he doesn't want to hurt the people working there who have no idea what is happening around them and also because he doesn't know what will happen to Wilbur. I can't seem to grab a hold of Colin or Pete."

"Great," rumbled Liam. "So you're saying I should just give up? That I'm stuck like this?"

"No," answered Ed, closing his console. "I think you're on the right track. Tom might actually have the solution." He smiled at the otter. "He's suggesting we got to the endgame. We go to God's Studio."

Liam straightened, a small frown crossing his features. "No one has ever made it there before."

"Maybe there's a reason for that. Who knows? Maybe the people that make it there get to go back or live here permanently and are just forgotten?"

"Why would I want that?" Liam bellowed, throwing his arms wide, almost knocking Ed into the fountain. "I don't want to be forgotten. I want to live happily with my brother. I want my family back!"

"And?" prompted Ed.

With a snarl, Liam added, "And I want to keep playing The Gam3 without all these damn consequences."

Ed smiled and flicked his ears. "Did you hear that Ian?"

Liam instantly went rigid and turned to where Ed was looking behind him. Not too far away, his brother stood, features stone cold and emotionless. He turned back to Ed quickly, a flash of anger in his eyes. The tiger merely shrugged and shooed him towards his brother.

Leaping off the fountain, Liam tentatively approached his brother. "Ian, I -"

"So that's it, huh?" interrupted the leather-clad panther. "You want to end The Gam3 so you can go back to the way things were."

"And stop others from making the same mistakes I did." Liam gripped his brother's shoulders tightly. "More than anything, I want to keep you safe. You can understand that, right?"

Ed saw a twinkle in Ian's eyes. Was that a tear? His heart began to soar... but then he noticed Ian's clenched fists and it plummeted to the ground.

Whack!

Liam doubled over and staggered back. Ian drew back for another punch and his knuckles made contact with his brother's cheek. Liam hit the ground, hard. With Terminal being a non-combat area, Liam didn't actually suffer and pain but the force was another thing and he was still pushed back and knocked down.

"You just don't get it, do you!?" Ian shouted. "You're just the same coward that you've always been! This isn't some sort of curse you can just wish away! This is a fucking lesson!" He lashed out viciously with his leg. Despite knowing it wouldn't hurt Liam, Ed still winced as the kick hit. "All this has done is revealed who you really are! A selfish, cowardly asshole that wants to ruin the rest of the world for his own fucking goals!"

Ed immediately leapt to his feet. Before Ian could make another kick, he placed himself between the two brothers. "Hey! You mean you want to keep _The Gam3_going?"

"If that's what other people want," Ian growled, fangs bared. "People like him made the choice to go as far as they did." He pointed accusingly at Liam. "But there are thousands, hell, millions of people who have more sense and he wants to end it? End the fun for them? There are people that are more responsible than that! Ending The Gam3 just so you get your wish is just selfish!" He spat at his downed brother. "He hasn't changed."

A soft cough interrupted Ian's rant. Ed was suddenly aware of Liberty4U standing a short distance away, the elegant Quest Maker watching them both with impassive features.

"What do you want?" Ian growled. "Having a private moment here."

"I just wanted to offer you an opportunity," she answered with a gentle incline of her head.

"I'm not in the mood for a quest."

"Not even if the quest will answer all your questions and offer you the chance at redemption?"

Ed didn't like where this was going and his tail thrashed with agitation. His eyes firmly settled on the Quest Maker. Something about her just told him she was more than just a normal player...

"I'm listening," Ian muttered.

"No one has ever made it to endgame. No one has ever reached God's Studio. Why not make the journey? If you want answers, if you want a solution, that is where you'll find it."

Ian's fists clenched into fists. "So... If I wanted to end The Gam3...?"

Ed flicked his eyes back to Ian. "What? I thought you didn't want to end The Gam3?"

Ian growled back at him. "I didn't want to end this just so that I could undo my mistakes. That's selfish." He hiked a chin at Liam who still lay on the ground, looking dejected. "That asshole is claiming he's doing this for everyone but really, it's just so that he can get a second chance. There are_no second chances. If I were to end _The Gam3, it's because it's the right thing." His eyes flicked back towards Liberty4U. "If I go there, can I end this fucked up simulation?"

The elegant Quest Maker shrugged. "Perhaps. The Gods might make that concession."

"Then it's settled." Ian turned around sharply.

"Wait!" Liam pleaded desperately. He jumped to his feet and lashed out at Ian. His superior speed and strength instantly pulled Ian back. "You can't go there as you are now! Let me help you. I've got dozens of FCs that-"

"That are all stolen," answered Ian with a snarl. He tried to pull away but Liam, with all his enhanced abilities, was no match. "You've done nothing but taken the easy way out. And when it bites you in the ass, you just chicken out!"

Ed pursed his lips, a thought entering his mind. He quietly made his way to Liberty4U, staring her directly in the eyes. "You're not just a normal Quest Maker, are you?"

"I'm the best," she answered but it was more of a statement than a boast.

"Yeah... but you're more than that." He glanced over his shoulder at where Liam and Ian were constantly struggling. "Wilbur told us that when given the choice, people who have gone too far can either live in _The Gam3_or return to the real world human again." His eyes returned to her. "Is there any possibility that you can find a middle ground?"

"I'm not going to turn Liam back into a human."

"No, I don't want that either," Ed said, shaking his head. "Ian is right. Liam is taking the easy way out and is being a little selfish. I get that. I just want to ask... if you can remove all of the FCs that he's placed into himself and normalise his stats."

Liberty4U inclined her head curiously. "Shouldn't this be something you're asking him?"

"He needs to walk the road of a thousand miles not teleport to the end."

The Quest Maker smiled. "I'll see what I can do."

Then she vanished in a flurry of dazzling lights.

"Hey!" came Liam's cry.

Ed spun around as Ian broke free of his brother. He saw the otter try to lunge for Ian again but the panther was able to get away.

"Slowing down?" laughed Ian.

Liam instantly reached into the pocket of his leather armour and flicked out his Form Grid. "What the hell!? What happened to all my stats!? Where are my FCs?"

Feeling a swell of pride in himself, Ed strode forward with a grin. "I had a hunch. I'm guessing Liberty4U is actually one of the developers or something. I asked her to standardise your stats and get rid of all the FCs you stole."

"What!?" screamed Liam, his eyes flashing. "Why would you do that!?"

"Because your brother is right." Ed nodded at Ian. "You can just cheat your way to the end. You're never going to learn or grow as a person if you do that." He lifted a finger before Liam could protest. "And don't bother spouting that bullshit about using all this power to protect people because we both know that if that was really what you wanted, you would've just gone straight to the end and gotten your own answers. Hell, you could've just stopped playing The Gam3 all together and raided Reaper Studios yourself or with the other Shapeshifters that had gone too far."

Ed folded his arms sternly. "No, you just liked having all that power and justified your own 'cause' with some fake sense of nobility."

Liam growled and stamped his foot. "Who gave you the right to meddle with other people's lives? You think you and I are any different!? You've been using The Gam3 to make people's lives better, yours more than anything else. You think I'm selfish?" He jabbed a finger at his own chest. "Well, you went from dirt poor to living in a _fucking_mansion! Then you were using the power of this place to manipulate everyone else's lives! You get off on manipulating others!"

He then jabbed a finger against Ed's chest. "You're just like me!"

"At least my noble cause is real," Ed answered without remorse.

Liam threw his head back and let out a cry of frustration. Lightning fast, he brought up his menu and logged off. When his form vanished, Ed realised Ian was also gone.

With a heavy sigh, Ed shook his head and made quick contact with the others. Pete and Colin were still not answering so he asked Tom and Wilbur to look out for them. He logged off himself and the world was plunged into the darkness of the headset.

When he pulled it off, he was met with the light of the real world, temporarily blinding him. He heard the door to the basement shut and guessed that Liam had just left in a huff. The others were still playing and from the looks of the erection and distinct wet spots in Pete and Colin's pants, those two were certainly having their fun.

He smiled and found justification in his actions. Liam used _The Gam3_poorly but he had done the right thing and made people's lives better. He didn't need any further reassurance.

CRASH!

Ed spun towards the door. Something else smashed and it sounded like a rhino was rampaging through his house. Panicked, he jumped to his feet and bolted up the stairs, throwing the door open. The sight that met him was one of utter horror.

Pots lay smashed, paintings torn off the walls and ripped, holes punched into the walls and even the ceiling lamps torn from their sockets.

"What the hell!?"

The cry was not his own.

It was his father's.

Edward Shin Snr gave his son a furious stare. The elder Edward stormed towards his son, eyes flaring. "Ed, what the hell is this!?" he demanded.

"Uh..." Ed began, unsure how to tell his father that a mutant otter had devastated their home. "I was having a few friends come over to play _The Gam3_and one of them sort of got pissed and -"

"The Gam3 again?" snarled his father. "You've been spending too much time on that damn console. And now it's turning your friends violent! I knew videogames are bad news!"

"Now dad," Ed began calmly. "There is no solid research to suggest that videogames cause violent tendencies in people. In fact, it actually helps develop hand-eye coordination, promotes social interaction and -"

"I don't want to hear it!" snapped Edward Snr. "I slave away day and night to provide for you and here you are, spending it playing videogames! I've given you everything, Ed!"

The irony was not missed on him and it took everything in Ed not to counter with the truth. Not that his father would believe him anyway.

"You know what?" snapped his father. "I'm laying down the law.

"You are banned from playing The Gam3."