CHAPTER 3

As the Bad-Anon meeting broke up, the leader called out, "Okay, gang, see you next Thursday."

"Hang in there," Satine said, giving Ralph a supportive pat on the back. Ralph nodded and left.

As he headed toward the game's exit, Ralph grabbed a few snacks. The game where Bad-Anon meetings were held always had plenty of fruit, and Ralph didn't want to waste it.

Then Ralph hurried to join the other Bad Guys on a small train that carried them into a tunnel. The train zipped through the game's electrical cord, finally stopping at Game Central Station. This was the power hub of the video arcade. Every game was plugged into Game Central, and it was a stopover for anyone traveling from one game to another.

Everyone hopped off the train and headed up another tunnel that led into Game Central's soaring interior. As Ralph passed into the station, a buzzer sounded.

Surge Protector, a stiff-looking fellow in full uniform, stepped up to Ralph. "Random security check, sir," he said.

Ralph grimaced. "You always stop me."

"I'm just a Surge Protector doing his job, sir. Name?" "You know my name," Ralph grumbled.

"NAME?" Surge Protector demanded. "Wreck-It Ralph." Ralph rolled his eyes. "Did you bring any fruit with you?"

Ralph quickly hid the fruit treats behind his back. Surge Protector continued. "Where are you headed?" Ralph sighed. " Fix-It Felix Jr ."

"Anything to declare?" Surge Protector asked.

"Yes," Ralph muttered. "I hate you."

"I get that a lot," Surge Protector replied, with no expression. "Proceed."

Ralph walked into the crowd, pulling out the hidden fruit once he was out of Surge Protector's sight. Other game characters gave him a wide berth. Ralph could hear their whispers. "That's Wreck-It Ralph. Bad Guy. Better get out of his way."

As Ralph continued through the station, he passed several public-service signs—reminders to be careful when traveling between games. Everyone enjoyed being able to visit friends or sightsee when off-duty, but there were dangers.

The big thing to remember was that you could only regenerate in your own game. If you had an accident or were defeated by someone else while inside another game, that was the end. There was no "bouncing back."

Ralph sighed as he passed a group of homeless characters clustered against a wall. They had been forced to abandon their games long before. Most had fled broken game consoles on the verge of being unplugged. They'd had no choice! If they'd stayed when the games' electrical cords were pulled, they'd have been destroyed along with the game consoles themselves.

Ralph looked down at a cute little orange character. The poor guy held a sign that read GAME UNPLUGGED: PLEASE HELP!

Ralph offered him the fruit and smiled warmly. "Hang in there, dude."

Finally, Ralph reached the Fix-It Felix Jr . portal. Suddenly, a buzzer sounded. Ralph rolled his eyes as Surge Protector appeared... Again.

"Name?" he said to Ralph. This guy clearly needed more memory.

From there, Ralph jumped onto a small train that carried him through the electrical cord back to Fix-It Felix Jr . After stepping into his own game, Ralph headed for his pile of bricks. Then he stopped short.

He heard the very loud and distinct sounds of party horns and music. Ralph gazed upward at the penthouse of the Nicelander building. It was a huge party, in full swing!

"I am Bad. And that's good," Ralph told himself, hoping the affirmation would make him feel better. "There's no one I'd rather be than me."

But the affirmation didn't seem to help. Ralph plunked down onto his stump and sighed.

A crack and a sizzle overhead forced him to look up. WE LOVE YOU, FELIX! blazed across the sky in colorful fireworks.

"Ah, great," Ralph muttered.

He grabbed two empty bottles from the junk heap and held them up to his eyes as binoculars. Now he could see into the top apartment, where Felix and the Nicelanders were dancing and laughing. A huge buffet was set out for everyone to enjoy—everyone except Ralph.

" Happy thirtieth anniversary? " Ralph exclaimed, spotting a colorful sign. "They're having a party without me?"

Determined, Ralph stood up and began walking toward the building. This was an event that everyone in the game deserved to celebrate—including the Bad Guy!