FNF: The Corruption Crisis

Prolouge: The Beginning

This crisis was never what any of the people in Newgrounds City asked for. If you asked anyone, you would likely to get the same slew of responses. People just wanted to live their lives. People just wanted to do whatever it is that they do best. Nobody would have said that they wanted to be living with the constant threat of a dangerous Corruption being at their doorstep at any moment. Yet, it was what life has become. I still can't even begin to believe that things really went this far in the can. However, I do have an inkling of how it all started. I'll tell it to you though I should warn you it probably isn't a story that's for the faint of heart.

December 21st, of some year or another...

It was the beginning of a typical Christmas Season at Newgrounds Mall. Snow was falling outside, the smell of hot cocoa and pine needles filling the air, the balconies glittering with tinsel and a huge Christmas tree on the main floor taking center stage along with the Annual Santa Meet and Greet Event. I was working security in the mall and I remember fondly that I did not want to come into work that day.

It wasn't that I didn't like my job. It was a lot more peaceful than work used to be. At least here, I don't have to worry so much about my life being at risk. There was no longer a war, so people weren't dying every day anymore. The most that ever happened on the job nowadays was some stupid Christmas bungle thanks to the Dearests. They claimed that it was what? "Christmas Tradition"? Since they were demons there was never much that we could do against them other than let them have their fun and leave. After tying up Santa for a while, they always did just that. It was to a point that we all quit responding to these Christmas time shenanigans with those old demons. Why bother? Sure, old Daddy Dearest always had a gun but he never actually fired it. Let the demons be little attention hogs for a day and watch them walk out by closing time. Simple as that. Besides, who wants to do more work than they have to?

When I saw those old demons taking over Santa's chair once again, I didn't bat an eye at it. Instead, I figured it was fine to sit back, relax and enjoy the holiday festivities. I never openly admitted it but something about seeing garland, snowmen, reindeer and a bunch of people throwing money down the tubes for other ungrateful little jerks was entertaining to me. I mean come on! How many people still had their Christmas gifts by next year anyway?

It was at that moment that I saw a familiar cyan haired kid and his girlfriend walking through the mall. How long had those two been together? Three years now? Hard to believe it'd been that long. Sometimes I can swear it was just yesterday that the kid was going everywhere rap battling everyone's ears off. From what I'd heard, not much had changed of him since then. He was still smug, annoying, and known for having the best bars in town. Not that I bothered to listen to his music, of course. I'd just hoped that those two didn't come and bug me again like they do every year. Why are you working security at the mall now? What happened to your 'awesome military base'? Who's the boring person now? I wasn't in the mood to hear my words from the past come back to bite me. Afterall, it had been three years since we had that stupid rap battle. Not much had changed for those two but a whole lot had changed for me. While they got to continue on their love letter rap battling journey, us tankmen were trying to adjust to nonviolent and sometimes boring lines of work. I'll admit, I'm still not fully adjusted.

"So, what am I getting for you now? It's your Christmas treat tonight!"

"You aren't getting me anything yet. This time, I'm treating you. So, you tell me what you want."

Ugh. Their chatter already makes me want to cry. Maybe it's also because there's a certain someone who I'm not allowed to see myself. Another thing about working with the general police department nowadays. Our new boss, Rick Newgrounds, doesn't let us pick our assignments, regardless of what relations we had back in the military. We went where our rank allowed and what the needs of the day required. Sadly, due to the differences in rank between me and that certain friend of mine, we didn't get a lot of the same jobs. I supposed that I may overreact some at seeing old Rio and Pauline again. I mean, aside from the fact that Pauline was still nothing more than an ugly teenager who wears her mother's clothes. Even though she was supposed to be in her twenties, her outfit looked a lot like that Santa outfit her mother was wearing.