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You don't use Google much, do you?

Use Google for fun things and read Oliver Twist for school.

I read Oliver Twist in like third grade. o_o

Chapter Two


In the older days of Armor Games, years before some of its most prominent members even knew of the place, there were serious problems with spam, flaming, and the like. But the moderators were feared, and there was a queen who ruled with an iron fist.
Those days, you didnât bite the hand that fed you because youâd break your teeth on it. Not anymore. The fruits of the city were sweeter. But its residents seemed to be just as sour. Thatâs why the penitentiary was established.
It was rather modest, made from slate-grey stone with thick, arrow-proof glass windows. There was no yard, and no wall, and in reality served as more of a holding cell for those awaiting trial, that is ever since the courts were rebuilt. When they tore down Aristocrat Way, much to the chagrin of the few remaining users who frequented it, the ensuing rubble happened to fall down from the Wayâs lofty perch and onto the courts, caving in courthouseâs roof and completely leveling the adjacent cells. The courthouse was rebuilt, but the cells were not. When the shopping quarter exploded around the end of 2012, it expanded so far that its southernmost point came to rest where the cells used to be, mere feet from the reconstructed courthouse.
There would have been a fair amount of outrage had the administration decided to tear down part of the shopping quarter to reconstruct the cells; after all, the citizens of Armor Games had already seen the community shaken up once (or had they?). So instead, the penitentiary was built. It was finished in a few months, mildly imposing, a silhouette against Armor Castle from the south.
It was there that Storm was heading this morning. A wet mist pervaded in the air, and she could feel it on her skin as she made her way past the amphitheatre and through the arts quarter. Her hands were stuffed inside the pocket of her hoodie and her head was down, but no one was paying her much mind. She was forgettable, when she wanted to be.
As she reached the door of the penitentiary, she cast a quick glance over her shoulder. Nothing. Turning back, she flashed a pass card to the bot standing guard, and walked inside.
The air was even cooler inside the prison than outside, with wooden fans oscillating lazily from the ceiling. Storm couldnât tell if it was electricity or magic; she didnât really care either way. Her shoes made distinct clicking noises on the marbled floors as she made her way through the lobby area, and down the hallway marked âinmates.â Another bot was waiting at the end of the hall to collect her keys and wallet; it then opened the door and let her pass.
Inside, the room was split into two halves by a white brick wall, interrupted at even intervals with windows, each with a phone on either end. Without being told or guided, Storm walked over to the first station and took a seat. She didnât have to wait long. A few moments later, a bot in a blue uniform entered her field of vision from the other side of the wall, escorting a girl with black hair, hair very similar to Stormâs. It was her sister, Aggazaggashoofoo.
Hands cuffed in front of her, she took a seat across from Storm. They picked up their respective phones simultaneously. Aggs smiled.
âHey sis.â She said.
âHey.â Storm said. She wasnât smiling. âHowâs life in the stir?â
âLife in the stir is life without you-know-who, so Iâd say itâs pretty good.â Aggs said, raising her eyebrows and smiling again. Storm just shrugged.
âWhatâs with the handcuffs?â She asked Aggs. âThat seems like a pretty drastic measure.
âOh, I think the bots get confused sometimes. Thereâs a serious offender under lock right now, so security has been relatively tight. I donât mind though; theyâre just bots. They donât know any better.â
âIâm not sure I like you being in with someone considered a serious offender.â Storm said, twirling the phone cord around her index finger. âDo they have separate holding for those cases?â
âHeck if I know.â Aggs said. âI donât see a lot, just my cell and here, when you visit.â Aggs had been in custody for two weeks.
âSo listen. Rip and pang are calling a meeting of the FGA. Iâll be out today to attend, and maybe tomorrow. But Iâll be back as soon as possible.â
Just as Storm was going to speak again, there was a creaking sound from behind her. She registered it as the door to the hall opening, but paid it no heed. A moment later, however, she heard the distinct sounds of metallic breathing, directly behind her.
Spinning around, she nearly bumped into the user behind her. From the top up, it looked like a clothing store mannequin, stark white and sporting a suit, but below the waist, it sat upon a robotic base, eerily similar to that of the Star Wars character, R2D2. And in fact, it was the incorrigible robot himself, R2D21999.
Storm facepalmed. The glass that separated her and her sister was supposed to be soundproof, but she could clearly hear Aggs screaming âNO!!!â from the other side.
âHello, my dear sister-and-law!â R2 said cheerily as he wheeled around Storm. Coming to rest where Storm had been sitting, he reached out with his metallic claws and clamped down on the chair and moved it aside. He then rested his expressionless face against the glass. Aggs recoiled in horror.
âGood news, my love!â R2 said through the phone. âI got your parole hearing moved to tomorrow. We may be together again sooner than we thought!â
âIâm in here in the first place because I attacked you you idiot!â Aggs nearly yelled through the phone. âWhat are you doing here!?â
âI followed Storm, of course. I know you withheld your location from me to save my poor heart, but I just couldnât bear to be away from you. And I know you feel the same way.â R2 then began making kissing noises against the glass. Aggs slid slowly off her chair, and began crying softly on the floor.
âI could have sworn I wasnât followed.â Storm muttered to herself. Pushing past R2, she picked up the phone and motioned Aggs to get hers. âIâll be back tomorrow, hopefully, if I can get rid of this idiot. See you then.â Aggs nodded. Storm then proceeded to grab R2 by the collar of his suit and began dragging him towards the door. He didnât struggle, but instead reached out his arms to Aggs, who was banging her head against the table in front of her.
âIâll wait for you my love! Nothing can keep us apart!â

Minoâs lengthy conversation with the unicorn stable boy didnât yield much; just that the legends werenât true and there definitely wasnât a man with a pie for a head that hung out there. Of course, that stable boy was actually named Wflag10, and they both knew the rumors were very much true, but they had a façade to upkeep; you never knew who was listening.
Inside, the musty smell of unicorn pies permeated the air, but of course it smelled rather nice to him. Not so much, however, to his companion. Gandalf covered his nose with his cloak, coughing as a tear ran down his cheek. âI bet you feel right at home, donât you Mino?â He asked. Mino just snorted.
Near the back of the stable, which actually sat right against the wall of the city, Pieguy stood brushing a particularly large unicorn. Its mane and tail were golden, and it seemed to give off an almost rainbow sheen. Pie rubbed its horn affectionately before turning to the two.
âMino, Gandalf, what brings you to the stables? I donât often get visitors, even from the FGA.â He dropped the brush into a bucket and walked over to them. He was very thin, and wore a tuxedo that somehow fit him perfectly. His head, which was a pie, bobbed up and down ever so slightly.
Mino proceeded to tell Pie about the events of the previous night, of what heâd seen and what heâd heard. âI ran into Gandalf on my way out of the library, and we decided itâd be best to come talk to you and ask if youâd seen any particularly shady characters lately. You do, after all, see everything that comes in and out of this city.
âAlmost everything.â Pie corrected him. âI see everyone who enters legally. And that seems to become a more even ratio every day.â
âSo, have you seen anyone?â Gandalf asked. âThat is what we came by to ask, after all.â
âI may have. But then again, I see a lot of strange things these days.â Pie said casually. âIâll tell you what I can, on our way to the meeting. Youâll walk with me, wonât you?â
Mino and Gandalf looked at each other. âMeeting?â
âYou havenât heard? Rip and pang have called an FGA meeting. Flag and I were just about to leave for Chatango. Figured we could make it by mid afternoon, if we hurried.â
âWhat did they say this meeting was about?â Gandalf asked.
âI donât know. I heard from Flag, who heard from Chloe, who heard from god knows who.â Pie said. â You never know with Rip though. It has to be pretty important though, for him to expect everyone to come.â
âDo you think everyone will?â
âIâd think everyone who heard will. After all, the four of us heard. And weâre going. Unless you two..?â
Mino grunted. âI canât really pick up and leave for a dayâs holiday at Chatango.â
âYou said it yourself, what you heard last night was concerning.â Pie said. âIn my opinion, itâd be your knightly duty to find out everything you can from me as soon as possible. And the only way to do that is to make the trip with me.â
Mino thought on it for a moment, before shrugging his beefy shoulders. âFine. The city can do without me for a day. You two wait with Flag at the gate. Iâm going to the castle to find Xeano. It would probably be in his best interest to join me, both to hear from you Pie as well as to attend this meeting. Like I said, the city can do without a few knights for a while.â And with that, he gave the unicorn a pat before turning and leaving the stables.

It was common opinion among pang and Rip that Chatango was the perfect mix of the accessible and inaccessible. It wasnât hard to enter the steel monolith, sitting alone amid the dusty plains of eastern FGFG0001, and the citadelâs notoriety for anonymity allowed them to pass in and out unnoticed. From where they stood outside the drawbridge, which was useless due to the utter lack of anything even resembling water, one couldnât even see the outline of Armor Games; only the far off shade of the forests that surrounded it. The two had arrived early, with Sal hanging back to spread the news of the meeting. It wasnât easy to get a hold of the FGA, but Rip figured word spread pretty fast around the city these days. His only fear was that thereâd be as many outsiders as members.
Sal was only a speck against the blue sky for a while, and got bigger and bigger (but not much bigger) as he approached the two, leaping high into the air as opposed to running. With one last gargantuan bound, he alighted gracefully on Ripâs helm. The knight groaned under the sudden weight.
âYouâre small Sal, but not that small.â He said. The mininja hopped off Ripâs head, opting instead for the dry cracked ground at his feet. He craned his neck and looked up at his two friends.
âI got a hold of Storm and Chloe. I figured Chloe would take care of the day crew: Iâm not necessarily sure how many people Storm would care to tell, but she was my only option. I couldnât find Pick anywhere.
âThat should be enough.â Rip said. âWe donât need everyone here anyway. Those who do show up should be able to reach the members that donât.â He glanced at Sal. âAlthough, Iâm concerned you managed to arrive third despite being the one to inform the others. Makes me think we wonât get much of a turnout.â
âWeâll get a turnout.â pang said firmly. âUsers love intrigue. Besides, itâs not much of a walk. Come on, letâs go get a room.â
pang pushed a small red button on a panel beside them, and was greeted with a metallic, detached voice.
âChatango. Room, board, or both?â
âRoom please.â pang said.
With that, the drawbridge began descending slowly, ropes and wooden planks creaking as it made its way down and across the dry canal surrounding Chatango. It settled down in front of pang with a loud crash, sending dust billowing into the threeâs faces. Sal coughed.
âThank you.â pang said into the intercom, before stepping onto the drawbridge and entering the city. Rip and Sal followed.

Spanner was dragging R2 by the metallic arm through the campus of Armor University in order to potentially dump him in the plaza when she saw Pick walking towards her. He waved, and she stopped, taking a moment to give R2 a warning glare before facing Pick.
âPock, where have you been?â Storm asked. R2 sighed.
âIâve been busy with class. In fact, thatâs about all Iâve been doing since we last saw each other.â
âLifeâs no fun unless you live a little picky-poo.â Storm reminded him with a smile. âSal was looking for you earlier. Thereâs an FGA meeting at Chatango tonight. Are you coming?â
Pick looked momentarily over Stormâs shoulder, chewing his lip pensively. âI donât really think I can spare a whole day. Whatever itâs about, Iâm sure I can just find out when you all get back.â
âPleeaaase?â Storm begged. I was just about to leave, once I got rid of this idiot.â R2 gasped. âYou can walk with me?â
Pick took another moment to think. âWell, alright. I guess so. One day couldnât hurt, and youâre right; Iâve been spending too much time on my studies lately.â Storm squeed and clapped in excitement. From the open door of a nearby classroom, an instructor could be heard almost yelling.
âWhen you write literature, remember the most important aspect is FORMATTING! Not content, not style, FORMATTING. Say it with me!â Everyone in the class yelled âFORMATTINGâ, although it didnât sound like many students were present.
Pick nodded in R2âs direction. So, youâre not going to bring him? R2 looked at Storm with his best faceless puppy dog eyes. Storm hissed.
âNo. No way.â And with that, she grabbed the robotâs arm and started dragging him towards the plaza again. âCome on Pick.â She called over his shoulder. âWe should leave as soon as possible.â The next moment, there was no trace either of them had been present on campus, save the wail of a lonely robot fading slowly in the distance.

Gandalf, Pie, and Flag had been waiting by the gate for an hour before Mino reappeared. Just in time too, as the stares had started to make Pie uncomfortable. No doubt thereâd be more rumors tomorrow, about the pie man whoâd been loitering around the main gate. And yet no one who stared had the courage to approach Pie, nor even make eye contact. Well, at least if Pie had eyes to make contact with in the first place.
The Minotaur was not alone. By his side, dwarfed in comparison, a very posh fox was strolling beside him, tapping a silver-tipped cane on the cobblestones of Main Street. They came to a stop before the three, with the fox taking a moment to adjust his monocle.
âLuckily, Xeano wasnât busy.â Mino said, putting harsh emphasis on busy. The fox seemed to pay no heed. âIâve left word to the administration, and the two of us should be free to go for the day. Shall we?â
âThatâs it?â Gandalf asked. âThereâs no further protocol?â
âItâll take them a little while to process it.â Mino said off-handedly. Besides, there are plenty of knights in this city already. Whenâs the meeting scheduled?â
âTen oâ clock.â Flag said.
âAnd what time is it?â Pie glanced up at the sun.
âIâd say, oh, eleven.â
âAlright. Then letâs get going.â
The main gate was not a portal oft opened to those not entering the city for the first time, so the five had a faceless user let them out through a small wicker door in the gatehouse. As the sun reached its zenith, they were off, headed east towards Chatango.
A few hours later, the group was found on a wide, dusty path running straight through FGFC0010, with nothing but dry grass and the outlines of mountains to be seen. Gandalf was at the head, hat held in hand, using his staff as a walking stick. Behind him, Flag was trying to put up with Xeanoâs constant complaints of the heat.
âI say, this sun is being dreadful today.â The fox said, pulling at the collar of his jabot and grimacing. âI just canât bear the heat.â
âThen why didnât you wear something different?â Flag said through gritted teeth.
âWhat, and look like an unwashed tramp?â Xeano was genuinely taken aback. âI think not.â
âWell, Mino back there isnât even wearing a shirt.â Flag pointed out. He looked behind him, but the Minotaur was too far back to have heard him.
Mino and Pie were bringing up there rear, and seemed to be in deep conversation. Since their departure, Mino had told Pie of what heâd heard in the library the previous night, and how he found it odd that before he could tell Rip, the knight had called a meeting.
âPerhaps they are coinciding events.â Pie said. âEither way, after the meeting is over, youâll be able to tell Rip about what you heard. Heâll know what to do.
âI hope so.â
They arrived an hour before the meeting started. Entering the citadel, they took a right from the main plaza, which sported a dry fountain and naked clotheslines stretched over their heads. Inside, Chatango was little more than bare gray walls, penetrated by doors wrought with various locks and peepholes. Passing by, hundreds of people were milling about the streets, looking this way and that, entering and leaving rooms. They all had the same face, and the five knew they were sporting the same face as well. They were all anons.
At the door marked âFGAâ in small black letters, Mino stepped forward and knocked twice. There was a pause, before a small slat in the door opened up and a voice came from within.
âPassword?â It said in a slightly ****eyed accent.
âSilver, do we really have time for this?â Pie asked.
âPassword.â The voice insisted.
Pie sighed. âStyle.â
âStyle.â And with that, the door opened.

Rip was respected for his taste, especially in Chatango décor, however the members of the FGA had not made the trip for pleasure. The room heâd selected, the one Pie and company had just entered, was nothing more than a square box with white walls, dominated by the rows of elementary school-like plastic chairs arranged in rows facing the front. To the left of the door, a podium sat in front of a dirt whiteboard. Behind it stood Rip, surveying the crowd that had gathered.
pang and Sal sat in the front row, conversing. The mininja was situated on a stack of phonebooks, as usual, and pang was making a point to push them slightly, making Sal wobble precariously on his perch. Behind them, the group of Mino, Pie, Flag, Gandalf, and Xeano were sitting side by side, having some sort of argument. Xeano was waving his paws in the air in distress, while Mino gestured violently towards this fox, then himself. Pie had his pie head in his pie hands.
Rip heard a commotion to his right, and turned to see the door to the room fly open, causing Silver to fall flat on his back. Storm stormed through, glaring evil hate lasers through the teenager before taking a seat by herself behind Mino. Pick was next, helping Silver up, then R2, who rolled in whistling happily. Despite Storm's best efforts, no one in the plaza was willing to babysit the robot, and after R2 had started wailing at the top of his robot lungs, she had grudgingly caved and let him join them.
The back of the room was slightly quieter. Pick took a seat next to two girls, who had been there for a while but were only talking amongst themselves. In the corner, Jeol the buny rabit was sitting back on his hind legs, nose twitching. Kenty was also present, taking small sips from a can of Robertâs Direct Characterization. Dotted around the room were several of the generic anons, looking this way and that with the same fixed expression. One wore a nametag that read, ârayâ in simple black lettering.
Rip was just about to clear his throat and start the meeting when there was a dull thud, followed by another, and another, until the ground itself was shaking with each new noise. The knight nodded to Silver, who opened the door and backed away.
A Tyrannosaurusâ massive head poked through the door, teeth bared, and surveyed the room. After a moment, it looked poignantly at Rip. âGlad to see you saved me a seat.â
âOh, Daleks.â Rip said, surprised. âI didnât think youâd show.
âWell I did. What am I supposed to do?â Rip shrugged meekly.
âJust⦠stay there I suppose? I hope youâre not in anyoneâs way.â Of course, the dinosaur was very much in peopleâs way. A passerby in the street pushed roughly past Daleksâ leg, only to be knocked down with an annoyed swat of the Tyrannosaurusâ tail. âWell, I suppose now is as best a time to begin as any." Rip said, clearing his throat. âThank you all for coming. Iâm sure youâre wondering why weâve met here today. Well, if you look around, youâll see one of us is missing.â
âClancy?â Flag asked.
âGamer?â Pick added.
âManly?â R2 added from the back of the room.
âNO!â Rip yelled. âItâs Nilo! Nilo isnât here!â
âWell I could have told you that.â
âShut up R2.â Rip turned his attention back to the members of the FGA. âI understand this has happened before, but heâs been gone for months now. And Iâve begun to worry. He left no notice this time; he just disappeared, without a trace.â
âAnd what exactly do you plan to do about it?â Pie asked.
âpang?â Rip called. pang rose from his seat, leaving his hat behind as he took his place behind the podium.
âRip, Sal and I have discussed this at length since my return, and the three of us agree we should send out a search party.â There were a few muffled gasps from the audience; that or groans pang couldnât tell. âI know, I know, but isnât this what the FGA is about? We take care of our own. And we think Nilo may be in some real danger.â pang returned to his seat, and Sal leapt up and walked as quickly as he could to the podium. He made it to the top in one jump, reaching eye level with the rest of the FGA.
âI was the last one to speak with Nilo. It was the day before heâd disappeared, and I had happened to bump into him on the streets. We did little more than exchange pleasantries, however he did mention something about Kongregate.â
âWhat was the context?â Ray asked. The other members turned to look at him.
âIt was something about⦠Kong implementing some new community features.â
âSo what if Nilo is into Kong now?â Xeano piped up. âThatâs not rare to see in the city nowadays. If he prefers it there, whatâs to bother?â
âSee but he just didnât say it like that.â Sal retorted. âHe seemed troubled. I believe he went to Kong, but not just for new âfeaturesâ. I think it was something more.â
âSo you want the FGA to just drop everything and look for him?â Daleks growled from the doorway.
âNot everyone.â Rip answered. âThatâs the second part of why you were all called today. We need volunteers for the search party. Just three or four, enough to search Kong thoroughly and not attract unwanted attention.â
Storm turned around to address Pick. âHereâs your chance Pick.â She whispered. âYou did say that you wanted to go looking for him.â
âIâm sorry Storm.â He whispered back. âBut Iâm just too busy with school. I told you, it was hassle enough to travel all the way out here.â
âTF dude!â She said, a little louder than intended. âIf you donât go I donât go!â
âStorm, theyâre all going to want you to go.â
âNot true!â Storm said. She then noticed Pick was looking slightly behind her, and turned to find every member present staring at her.
âWell Storm?â Rip asked. âWould you like to lead the expedition?â
âPsh, expedition.â Storm mumbled under her breath. âAlright, fine. Iâll do it. Whoâs coming with me?â
The next to speak was pang. âI wish I could Storm, but Iâll be busy with the cult. Sal as well. Weâve been planning it out for while.
âThe what?â Storm asked.
âDonât worry about it.â Rip said. âNow, Iâll assume Kenty and ray are out. Iâm sure the two of you canât be bothered. What about you, Jeol?â The buny took a moment to think before answering.
âAlright. Iâm inconspicuous enough. Might be able to do some good as well.â
âExcellent. What about you Mino?â
The manbull frowned. âYou know I have work, Rip. Xeano does too, although I canât speak for the rest of us.
âIâll go.â Gandalf said confidently. âIâm sure I can be an asset to the party; and Iâve never been to Kong. The wizard looked over at Pie imploringly.
âMe too.â The pieman said. âFresh air should do me good.â Gandalf smiled.
âOh, oh, me too!â R2 said excitedly. Storm perked up.
âEr, yes Rip, that sounds like a good idea.â She said loudly.
âI donât think so. R2, youâll be fine in the city.â Both Storm and the robot slumped back into their seats.
After flag and Daleks had declined, one on account of disinterest and one on account of size, Rip clapped his hands together resolutely. âWell then itâs settled. Storm, Jeol, Gandalf, and Pie will be heading to Kong to find word of Nilo. Storm; please talk to Sal before you leave. Sal, try to tell her everything you recall from your last conversation with him.â The mininja nodded. âThanks again for coming guys. You can return to the city now.â As everyone rose, Pie elbowed Mino gently in the ribs.

Most of the FGA were gone half an hour later. Storm, with Pick waiting behind her, was talking quietly with Sal by the door. Everyone else was gone, save Rip and Mino. The Minotaur approached the knight cautiously, before speaking.
âRip, before you leave, thereâs probably something you should know.â
âWhat is it Mino?â Mino proceeded to recount the tale of what had transpired in the library between him and the two strangers. Rip was intrigued. âAnd youâre sure they said Niloâs name?â He asked.
âYes.â Mino answered.
âThatâs not good.â Rip said. âWe may have more trouble at Armor Games than Iâd originally thought. Those who elected not to leave may still have work to do. Thank you for telling me.â Mino nodded.
Another ten minutes and the room was empty.

Storm squeed and clapped in excitement.

âSilver, do we really have time for this?â Pie asked.
âPassword.â The voice insisted.
Pie sighed. âStyle.â
âStyle.â And with that, the door opened.

I read all of this, and I am not any of it. True luv.

Spanner was dragging R2 by the metallic arm

âOh, oh, me too!â R2 said excitedly. Storm perked up.

He didnât struggle, but instead reached out his arms to Aggs, who was banging her head against the table in front of her.
âIâll wait for you my love! Nothing can keep us apart!â

At the door marked âFGAâ in small black letters, Mino stepped forward and knocked twice. There was a pause, before a small slat in the door opened up and a voice came from within.
âPassword?â It said in a slightly ****eyed accent.
âSilver, do we really have time for this?â Pie asked.
âPassword.â The voice insisted.
Pie sighed. âStyle.â
âStyle.â And with that, the door opened.

Would you say that part had "Style?" Or maybe, It's just me....

not enough pang/10

also perfect job on the R2-Aggs love story

Hey all, just wanted to drop by and say that work on chapter three has begun. The malaise of spring break has worn off as far as I can tell, so hopefully I can have this updated by the end of the month. Stay tuned!

I'm going to be featured in it, right? Riiiiiiight? And I'll get to maim things, riiiiiight?

hopefully I can have this updated by the end of the month