"Get it! Get the fucking Gem!!" Nixon shouted, firing at the Keystone Leeches swarming toward them.
"I'm almost there! Keep holding them back!!" Knox yelled back as he crawled desperately toward the end of the bridge, knocking leeches off the side.
Finally, Knox reached out and latched onto the Gem. It pulsed violently, cracking the ground and shattering the bridge beneath them. The Keystone Leeches shrieked in agony as they began to incinerate, their bodies disintegrating from the disruption of the Gem of Stability.
Nixon plummeted as the bridge collapsed. "AAAH!!" he screamed, falling toward the ground far below.
Then—
"Congratulations! You've done it!" the floating robot head appeared in front of them, beaming. "Thanks to you, the universe is now stable, and those evil Keystone Leeches have been completely eradicated!"
The jungle vanished. Both brothers removed their VR headsets.
Knox blinked, still processing. "That was..."
"What? Fun?" Nixon grinned. "Did you enjoy it?"
Knox stayed silent for a moment, then let out a chuckle. "Yes… Yes, I did enjoy that."
They continued exploring the theme park — flying through obstacle courses, playing arcade games, and shooting holographic creatures.
"Let's get some ice cream!" Nixon suggested.
"No. I appreciate you bringing me here, but I still haven't felt real happiness. Let's go back," Knox declined.
Nixon dragged him there anyway.
"I haven't had ice cream since I was ten…" Knox said quietly, staring at the vanilla-strawberry cone. "Father said a boy like me wasn't suitable for such childish, sweet desserts."
"Well, that was all bullshit," Nixon replied. "Eat up. Taste it."
Knox hesitated. "Are you sure? I don't think I should…"
"You're not a muscle monster anymore, Knox. You're a human," Nixon said gently.
Knox opened his mouth and took a big bite.
At first, there was no reaction.
Then his eyes rolled back as a deep, involuntary moan escaped him. "Mmh… this is what I've been missing?"
He devoured the entire cone in just a few bites, including the wafer. "I need more," he demanded.
"Nope. I don't want you getting full yet," Nixon said with a smirk.
Knox looked confused. "What do you mean?"
"Ice cream isn't the only dessert, you know? There's so much more you're missing out on." The waiter arrived and placed a plate in front of Knox before hovering away.
"This is cake. I'm sure you've heard of it," Nixon said.
Knox's eyes widened in awe. "Yes… I've seen people eat it on their birthdays thousands of times."
Then came cupcakes, tiramisu, and finally cheesecake.
"Eat up. I'm already full," Nixon insisted.
Knox scoffed. "I'll get full after a few bites! Have some too — I can't finish all this."
Nixon chuckled. "Trust me. It'll taste so good your stomach will feel like it expanded. You'll finish it all."
Knox took a bite of the cake and had the same reaction as before. "Holy fuck…"
His pace quickened. He devoured the slice of cake, then the cupcake in one bite, then moved on to the rest.
"This… this is fucking amazing!" Knox exclaimed as he finished every last dessert.
When he was done, Knox let out a long, loud burp that slightly deflated his stomach.
"I'm so full… and I wish I wasn't, so I could keep eating more," he said, picking his teeth.
"Thank you, man," Knox looked at Nixon, eyes sincere. "I've never tasted anything like this. Thank you."
"You're welcome, brother," Nixon smiled. "I have one more thing to show you. Come with me."
Nixon didn't lead him to another ride.
That was the first thing Knox noticed.
They passed glowing signs, laughing crowds, and gravity-defying attractions, but Nixon ignored them all. The noise faded. The spectacle dimmed. Soon, they were walking down a quiet path that curved away from the heart of the park.
"Where are we going?" Knox asked.
"You'll see." Nixon said, grinning
That answer would've irritated him before. Now, it just made him curious.
They kept walking until the lights thinned out and the artificial sky softened into something gentler. The air grew cooler, calmer.
Eventually, they reached a quiet, empty beach.
No rides. No machines. Just the ocean gently lapping at the shore.
Knox frowned. "This is it?"
"Look at the water, Knox," Nixon said.
"What about it?" Knox asked, not understanding what Nixon meant.
Nixon flew up into the sky and dove into the ocean with a splash. "Come on, bro. Let's have some fun. I'll show you what this is for."
Knox dove in after him. "Now what?"
"What do you feel?" Nixon asked.
"I don't see the point in this," Knox replied. "But… if I had to answer, I feel… at peace."
Suddenly, Nixon splashed him with a massive wave of water.
Knox was caught off guard and threw his arms up. "What the hell was that for?!"
He splashed back angrily. Nixon laughed and splashed again. Soon they were having a full water fight, creating massive waves they surfed on.
Then, a group of kids suddenly popped out of the water and attacked Knox with water guns and balloons.
"Didn't see that coming, did you, mister?" a little girl laughed, spraying him.
"Play with us, mister!" a boy shouted, throwing a water balloon.
Knox froze at first, surprised and instinctively threatened. But when he saw their joyful faces, a wide smile slowly spread across his own.
"You're… you're not scared of me…?" he whispered to himself.
Knox decided to play along. He splashed them back and gently tossed them into the air, making them squeal with laughter.
For a moment, he saw himself as a child again — except this time, the kids didn't run away. They played with him. They wanted him there.
Finally, Knox let out a loud, genuine laugh as he continued playing with them.
"This… this is what true happiness feels like…"
After a few minutes, the parents arrived and called their children back. Knox watched them go, a small frown forming as old memories resurfaced — parents urgently dragging their kids away from him when he was young.
Then one of the parents turned to him. "Thanks for keeping my kid safe, sir! We thought he was lost!"
"And thank you for playing with them," another added. "I wish I could've joined!"
They waved goodbye as they walked away. The kids waved back at Knox enthusiastically. Tears slowly rolled down Knox's cheeks.
"I'm… so happy and grateful, brother," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose as happy tears continued to fall.
"You've finally reached the main meal," Nixon said softly, "and you've finished it, Knox."
Nixon pulled him into a tight hug. "How'd it taste?"