Calhoun flew over to the racetrack and in her haste, landed much more roughly than her training should have allowed. She paid no attention to this and leaped out of the cockpit and rushed toward the starting line, though it looked like the racers had already scattered across the track. That would make things a little more difficult. There were however two figures on the sidelines that she recognized; one was Felix, there was a mixture of relief, joy, and a pang in her chest that she didn't want to think about at the sight of him. The feelings that welled up at the sight of the other figure, the big oaf that had started this all, were much less confusing so she focused on those.

He was saying something about the race but Calhoun wasn't paying attention, she was aiming. WHAM one good smack to the jaw, "hope you're happy, Junk-pile. This game is going down, and it's all your fault."

Felix stepped forward, hope ghosting across his features, "my lady? You came back."

There was that pang in her chest again, she smothered it with a shout. "Can it Fix-it!" she turned back to the oaf, "that cybug you brought with you, multiplied."

Ralph defensively held up his hands, "no, it died in the taffy swamp"

As these words left his mouth, the ground began to shake, then it split open and cybugs began to pour out onto the track.

"Bull. Roar," she barked into Ralph's shocked face. She jumped on her cruiser and hovered up above the swarming citizenry. She then hollered out to the crowd in the stands, trying to make herself heard over the cacophony of the cybugs path of destruction. "Listen up! Head to Game Central station, NOW. Let's go, let's go, go, go!" Sgt. Calhoun covered their screaming retreat, blasting every cybug that came too close with her rifle.

The battle raged on as they made their way to the exit, there were just so many people to get out. The sea of sugary citizens flowed on and on, but so did the cybugs. Calhoun felt her rifle heating up through her gloves. Every time she shot a cybug down more just flew in to fill the gap. The good sergeant grinned. Cybugs, she knew how to deal with. There was nothing confusing to her about the chaos that swarmed around her. Pull the trigger, watch her enemy fall, simple.

There was the briefest of lulls in the cybug's assault, just long enough for Calhoun to scan the area and get her bearings. The first line of civilians had almost reached the archway that preceded to exit. Good there may just be some hope for this retreat yet. She searched the crowd again, looking for a certain short repairman... He wasn't there. Panic threatened to rise up in her once more but she forced it down as the next wave of cybugs descended upon her. This time she didn't find it so comforting.

Progress down the path was incredibly slow, but the rear of the pack finally approached the exit, even most of the racers had joined the evacuation by this point but still Felix had not shown up. She would just have to go back in for him once the civilians were free and clear. "Everybody out! Now, now, now!"

Then she saw him. Felix was running up the rainbow hued path with Wreck-it and one of the racers. They must have stayed behind to ensure that little girl got out safe too. There was another break in the cybug's advance just when most of the citizens had gotten out. Ralph and the racer rushed forward through the exit. Or that's what it had looked like at first, but something was clearly wrong, though Calhoun couldn't tell what.

By that time all of the candied subjects of Sugar Rush had made it though, now was the time to act. "That's everyone. Now we've got to blow up this exit," she jumped down from her cruiser.

The girl looked up at Ralph, "just go without me."

"No, I'm not leaving you here alone!"

Wait. What?... Why couldn't the girl leave?

Felix looked up at Calhoun, concerned, "but what about this game?"

The sergeant shook her head, "there's nothing we can do. Without a beacon, there's no way to stop these monsters." Calhoun pulled a landmine from her belt and began setting the charge.

"A beacon?" Ralph looked down at his small friend, "stay with Felix." The big stumblebum surged forward and leaped on her cruiser and began pushing himself forward with just his foot, then he started to get the hang of it. "Let me borrow that, lady."

What in the whirlpool did he think he was doing?

Apparently Felix had a similar thought, "Ralph! Where are you going?"

Ralph kept going. "I've got some wrecking to do!" and then he was gone.

Calhoun didn't have long to indulge in her confusion, another wave of cybugs began to speeding towards them. She'd give Wreck-it as much time as her last clip of ammo would buy to do whatever he was planning. The sergeant purposefully stepped forward to put herself between the cybugs and Felix as well as the small racer. But the cybugs were coming in fast, "Fix-it, get behind me!" after all this she was not going to let him get hurt.

She had faced these deplorable bags of filth everyday of her life, fought them thousands of times, but it had never been like this. She had never been this desperate in her life; this determined to not fail. Calhoun had always fought for only her own safety and the safety of her comrades but this was somehow different. There was so much more on the line here.

That's when her clip ran out.

She shifted her grip and began beating the cybugs away with the butt of her rifle. This earned her some measure of success, until one grabbed it in it's mandibles and yanked it from her fingers. Backing up, Calhoun pulled out her side arm and continued her assault. The cybugs were forcing them ever backward though, they could not do this forever. Soon even that ammunition ran dry and she was out of options. Something deep in her code told her to hold out just a little while longer. Besides, she had to respect that big warthog for running off like that and facing the cybugs head on. She didn't want to have to blow up the exit and leave him to his fate.

"Fall back!" she yelled after fruitlessly chucking her pistol at an advancing cybug. She grabbed the small child's hand and tried to look reassuring. Felix had her other hand, it looked like he had been able to guard the young racer while Calhoun was otherwise occupied. Together they backed up towards the exit but as they passed through the barrier, the sergeant felt the little girls hand slip out of her grip.

Alarmed, Calhoun unsheathed her bayonet and readied herself to spring forward at the monsters raining down on them. Beside her, Felix hefted his hammer and prepared to do the same.

The racer suddenly looked up over the heads of her attackers, "Ralph!" And then just as suddenly, she was standing on top of one cybug's head. Then the next and she continued down the swarm until she was out of sight.

"Vanellope!" Felix called, panic in his voice.

It's really hard to protect people when they keep running away from you, Calhoun thought. Her grip tightened on the smooth handle of her bayonet. There was still one person here she wanted to keep safe. She scowled in the face of the cybug horde descending upon them. The decision was made. Standing next to her was the one person she'd most wanted to protect... and she'd give her life to do it.

Sergeant Tamora Jean Calhoun of Hero's Duty charged forward with a scream of fury; bayonet raised high in the air, poised to strike down her enemy. The blade found nothing but air, however. The cybugs had turned from their assault, mesmerized by something in the distance. Further inspection revealed that something to be volcanic cola spewing from a bottle shaped mountain. The cybugs all sped toward this lethal illumination without reluctance and where quickly consumed by it.

"You did it, Ralph!" Felix laughed and slapped his knee, "way to go, brother!" There was the now familiar BLING sound and of all things Felix kissed Calhoun on the cheek.

Surprised, Calhoun looked down at the short handyman. There was that pang in her chest again, this time she did not try to bury it behind her emotional barriers, she found all those walls had been torn down. Broken... by a man who was usually so good at fixing things. He looked terribly nervous and started to say something, she didn't give him the chance. She lifted him by his shirt collar, up to her level. Mischievously, the sergeant had the idea to glare him down, make him sweat a little, before firmly slamming her lips against his own. She could feel him smile, then he cupped her cheek in one gloved hand and they leaned in to the kiss.

In that kiss Tamora Calhoun felt a weight that she hadn't even realized was there lift from her shoulders. The sweet relief of finally letting go of all those repressed emotions that she had once thought weak and dangerous. Funny thing though, the good sergeant had never felt stronger.

Author's Note: Aaaaaand that's the second half! hope you guys enjoyed it. And don't ask my why, but in my head cannon for some reason Calhoun has a mischievous streak in her.