Shutdown

Shutdown is the tenth episode of Meta Runner, as well as the Season 1 finale. It was released on YouTube October 10, 2019.

Synopsis
The final battle with Tari and Belle in Tempest has now begun!

Plot
Picking up from the last episode, Belle is interrogating Tari about her ability to warp into video games and crushing her arm every time she struggles. Tari then tries to explain that she has no idea how or why she has that ability but out of nowhere, Belle starts accusing Tari of being responsible for Lucinia's death, Tari tells her she has no memory of the events but Belle doesn't believe her and threatens Tari with a fireball near her face, demanding to know what Tari did to Lucinia. Tari gives up, seeing how Belle wouldn't believe her anyway. Belle begins to torture Tari with her fireball attack.

In the gaming pod, a horrified Lamar tells Masa it's going to far and that they need to pull her out, but Masa, not wanting to put the mission to waste, tells him it's not over yet. Theo gives Tari a small speech on how he believes in her. Meanwhile in the game, Tari agrees to tell Belle everything she knows, causing Belle to stop her attack, but it was a trick to get Tari free so she could execute the glitch. Belle tries to use her earth spell to block Tari's path but Tari jumps over the rock and jumps off the cliff. During the fall, Tari dodges Belle's attacks and finally crashes through the game's floor. While in the void, she comes across Lucinia. As she turns to face Tari, her arm is missing and her face is covered in scars, smiling at Tari. Tari wakes up from her trance and sees that the glitch has worked as many of the gamers are being evacuated. Theo tells Tari that she has done the glitch successfully as Masa congratulates Tari for doing the glitch and is proud to call her his teammate. Lamar quickly compliments her before telling the gang they need to leave now. Meanwhile, Lucks, throwing down his earpiece in anger is furious at Belle for not stopping Tari and knocks a binder over. Referring to Plan B He commands a TAS Corp. scientist to re-route Theo's destroyed game cartridge. Lucks grabbing the game controller, pulls open a desk draw, revealing the gun from episode 7 commands a security team and states "I am done playing games"

As contestants are evacuating the area, Tari, Masa, Lamar, and Theo enter the room. They discover there are TAS Corp. scientists all around, and when one of them spots the group, they are forced to turn back. Lucks then appears with several minions, so the group is forced to run again, but this time, they end up in a room full of gaming pods. The scientists surrounding the area, with multiple on the decks above. Lucks enters the scene, asking if the situation seems somewhat familiar. Masa tells Lucks that the hack has already been completed, and Sofia is long gone. Lucks then says that they'll have to call her back. Two TAS Corp. scientists electrocute Lamar and Theo, with Theo glitching from the shock. Tari is hit as well. As Theo is sat on the floor he glitches twice more, as Tari tries to get her breath back. Lucks knows Sofia is still in the building and threatens Masa by putting his gun close to his head, saying that she has until the count of three. Masa and Lucks get into an altercation and Masa trying to restrain the gun from Lucks hand, but Lucks overpowers him, sending him to his knees, holding Masa by his Meta arm. Lucks warns Sofia that he isn't bluffing and counts down to two, as Masa tells Sofia not to come forth. As he is speaking, Lucks shoots him close to his Meta Runner arm, and rips the lower half of it off. As Masa is screaming in pain, Lucks throws the arm to the floor. Tari screams out as Lamar shouts that Lucks is a Psychopath. Sofia does not come forth, Lucks walks away and sighs, quoting "Very well" and puts the gun to the back of Masa's head preparing to shoot him as the scene fades to black.

As the scene fades to black, Sofia speaks up. She approaches Lucks with her tablet and tears rolling down her face. She tells him not to hurt Masa anymore. Lucks tells Sofia he won't if he has no reason to. Sofia places the tablet on the table, with Lucks commanding a scientist to wipe everything on it, also saying to run a worm program to delete any backups. Lucks tells Sofia that this was such a waste of talent, adding that she should have joined TAS Corp. instead of joining Masa. She says, while sobbing, that she just wanted to know what happened to her sister. Tari had no knowledge of this, with Lamar telling her that Lucinia was her sister. Just then, Belle appears in the doorway, saying that Lucks did not do anything. Angered, Lucks tells her to stay out of it, including that she has pushed his patience over earlier's incident. Belle tells Lucks that Sofia has the right to know. Belle tells Sofia that Lucinia is dead and that she saw the footage of her death. Sofia asks to see it, but Belle doesn't want to. Sofia demands Belle to show her the footage. Saddened, Belle agrees and shows Sofia the footage. She watches the footage of the accident, with Lucinia screaming in the background and Dr. Sheridan trying to stop it. Sofia shocked by the footage starts to sob, falling to her knees finally knowing her sister is gone. Lucks asks if Masa is satisfied, saying that he got the answers he wanted. He says that he is not to blame for her death, but Dr. Sheridan was the cause of the accident. Sofia doesn't understand why Lucinia would be with Dr. Sheridan, inquires why this happened, with Belle pointing at Tari and saying "ask her".

Theo says that Tari wouldn't hurt anyone. Belle says "it's just a coincidence" that she had the same crest logo as the one in the video. Masa intervenes and asks Tari what is happening. Lamar says that there has to be an explanation for this, adding that there could be multiple reasons for this, saying that this is TAS Corp., implying that they could be lying to them. He wants Sofia to back him up, but she cannot speak, as she is still in shock. Tari says that she has no knowledge of this, also saying that she is Sofia's friend and would never lie to her. Lucks says that they will have lots of time to talk in a holding cell, with the scientists making them stand. Tari stops Lucks, saying that he's a businessman. She makes a deal, but Belle interrupts her, saying that she is in no position to bargain. Lucks tells her to stand down, so Belle asks him what she could possibly offer that would make up for Lucinia's death. He then yells at Belle, reminding her that she has made enough mistakes tonight, then holding the gun at his side, asking if she really wants to make another. She stops talking, due to being scared of losing her arm too, Lucks allows Tari to resume. Tari wants him to let her friends go, saying that they will never trouble you again. He wants to know what he gets in return, with Tari saying he will get her. If they are let go, she will join TAS Corp. as one of his Meta Runners forever. Theo tells Tari not to, saying that if they stick together they can get through this. Lucks taps a screen, shocking Theo twice. Theo looks up at a big screen, where it shows Lucks and a scientist. He then looks down at his fingers, then at Lamar, who looks back at him. Tari, Masa, and Sofia figure out that Lucks has Theo's game cartridge. Lucks says that it took him a while to figure out how it worked. Lamar says that he's messed up for turning Theo into a spy to find out their plan. Theo apologizes to the group, saying he did not know. He runs toward Lucks, but when he picks up the cartridge, Theo gets electrocuted again. Lucks says he is intrigued by her offer but does not exactly trust her group of friends. He asks if she knows what collateral means. when she shakes her head, he explains that Theo's cartridge is collateral and crushes it. Theo then fully glitches and Tari runs toward him. He says that he'll just respawn, then disappears. Tari, Lamar, Sofia, and even Belle looks shocked that Lucks did that. Tari cries out Theo's name as Lucks crushes the last few bits of the cartridge, revealing the computer chip. He gives it to the scientist who places it inside the computer base, and after typing a few things, it analyzes the chip. Theo then appears on-screen, his lifeless body floating in the void. Lucks informs Tari about his counteroffer, exchanging their freedom for her undivided loyalty to his company, but if he would get anything less or they do anything to make him regret his decision, then they'll lose Theo forever. Tari reluctantly agrees. Lucks tries to convince Tari that TAS Corp. is not that bad. He tells the scientists to sweep the information from the place, then let the MD-5 go back to their hideout. Lamar yells to Tari that they will never forget her, with Sofia chiming in, saying that it will be okay, and to trust them. Tari tells them that she'll be fine, with a few tears falling down her cheeks. Lucks and her walk forward and the doors close.

After the credits roll, a scene appears of Belle walking through the lab. She hears a device beeping from a trash can. She walks to it and grabs the device. It has a local backup from Sofia's tablet. Belle hears footsteps, where we see a teary-faced Sofia being walked by a scientist. Belle wants to give her the tablet, but she cannot find the words. Sofia tries to talk, but she starts to cry again because Belle did not tell her about Lucinia. Lucks appears and asks if she's done. She walks to the van, and Lucks requests a subject update. Multiple health statistics are stated by a robotic voice on a tablet, with the scene moving upwards toward a cryogenic freezer that appears to have a woman in it. The robotic voice gives the overall condition: Stable.

Characters

 * Tari
 * Theo
 * Lamar Williams
 * Masa Shimamoto
 * Sofia Porter
 * Lucks
 * Belle Fontiere
 * Dr. Sheridan (footage only)
 * Lucinia (voice only)

Trivia

 * This episode reveals that Lucinia is Sofia's sister.
 * Tari didn't appear in the end credits.
 * As from Season 2 Episode 5 - Heart to Heart, it's possible the subject in the freezer at the post-credits is Lucinia. Since she was found by Lucks in the destroyed Project Blue laboratory. This was later confirmed in Fatal Error.

Errors

 * When Masa's arm is shot off and Lucks throws it to the floor, his arm vanishes.
 * Lucks is holding the gun when he zaps Theo with his pad, yet Lucks isn't holding his gun when Theo is looking at him.

Running Gags
This episode, like the rest of season one, is named after a video game term. In this case, it is named after the process for fully turning off a computer or gaming system.