Soft Lock

Soft Lock is the 8th episode of Meta Runner Season 2 and the 18th overall. It was released December 4th, 2020.

Summary
Plans are thrown out of the window and Tari is forced to make a decision. Meanwhile, we learn more about Lucinia's mysterious past.

Characters

 * Tari
 * Belle Fontiere
 * Lucinia Porter
 * Sofia Porter
 * Lamar Williams
 * Masa Shimamoto
 * Lucks
 * Evelyn Claythorne
 * TASCorp. Security
 * Fans
 * Theo (cameo in gameplay footage only)
 * HH Minions
 * Archer
 * Spear

Plot
Resuming from Friendly Fire, Tari and Lamar are running around the map, and Tari starts talking to Lamar about how everything is going on, and suddenly the platform they're standing in gets exploded by a Monster Minion, and after falling they are surrounded by a remaining team of minions. Evelyn suddenly appears throwing a smoke bomb, killing the last team of minions. Lamar notices Evelyn is trying to finish everyone else, while Evelyn kills the remaining team. Tari says for her to come out from wherever she are, and she says for them to not worry. The scene cuts quickly to the stage, showing Evelyn killing all the remaining minions. Cutting to Sofia, she says for them to hold just a little longer, with the timer displaying 01:30, and following that scene, the intro.

Evelyn laughs, and says she told Lucks she didn't need a partner. Tari tries to use the Project Blue AI to search for Evelyn, but no succeed. She says she'll kill Tari first, then Lamar, and finally only her will stand. She suddenly appears on Tari's left, hitting her and hiding again, while Lamar misses a arrow. She comes out of the smoke again and hits Tari a second time, saying she figured Tari's plan out. Coming out of the smoke a third time, she appears in front of Lamar, but when he tries to hit her, she destroys the arrow and stun him, and Lamar tries desperately to regain control.

The smoke goes out, and she tells Tari about how her power is so predictable, since she uses the same strategies over and over, and hits Tari's sword, leaving Tari disarmed. Tari's AI displays there's no escape route, but during the warning screen, a some sort of pink being (presumed to be Lucinia), the same that appeared to Theo in the last episode, makes Tari's UI go a fuchsia color, and Tari quickly hits Evelyn's sword, taking it. Evelyn gets Tari's sword and tries to hit her, but Tari avoids the attack, hits Evelyn multiple times and jumps, using the hook to strike with the sword, killing Evelyn.

Lamar commemorates, and Lucks looks shocked at the display. Cutting quickly to Sofia, the server transfer is done, and Sofia executes an Escaping Protocol, which eliminates Tari and Lamar, and also starts an emergency evacuation on the stadium. Sofia takes the microphone after the alert starts and says to everyone they need to evacuate. With a visible disappointment, all TASCorp fans leave the stadium.

Tari leaves her pod and spots the cartridge. While rushing to take it, Evelyn grabs her hand and says this was her special day and Tari ruined everything. Tari says she's just trying to save Theo. Cutting to Masa, he's going to the main area of the stadium, and after spotting so many TASCorp agents, he immediately informs Lamar, saying Lamar will help Tari while he distracts Lucks and the agents. Masa goes to the main stage, and back to Lucks, he says for the security to lockdown the TASCorp HQ, and security seems to say they found someone (Belle) in the labs, and while Lucks ask him who, Masa quickly gets on top of him and punches his face, making the agents use tasers on him. While he's there, Lamar rushes to cover, and says Sofia to quickly use the flashbang. Evelyn gets blind for a brief moment, and Lamar locks her in her pod. He then says for Tari to quickly take the cartridge, but Tari is still worried about Theo. Lamar starts getting desperate, and Tari, with no choice, takes the cartridge and leaves the stadium with Lamar.

In the TASCorp van, Masa wakes up and gets surprised on seeing Belle. Lucks says to someone (probably police) that he wants a complete media blackout, legally delete any content from any journalist that was there on the site and arrest anyone that doesn't comply to his orders. He then goes to the back to see Masa and Belle and says the team is finally back together. Masa then mentions Lucinia is missing and asks ironically if perhaps Lucks know where she is. Lucks pretends not to hear, and then says to Belle he is surprised she betrayed him. Belle explains that she discovered everything about Lucinia, and shows Lucks the video. He notices Theo helped Belle get to that. And tries to explain to both Belle and Masa everything he did was to protect the company, and while he is talking Masa interrupts him, saying they already have the server, and Lucks just says they'll see about that. After a little moment, Belle says sorry for not believing Masa when he told Lucks was responsible for Lucinia disappearing, and adds to it they wouldn't be in this mess if she believed Masa. Masa says he knows Belle gave her best and says there's no need to apologize. He just says that Belle being with the team is all that matters, but he wishes it wasn't on the back of a holding van. Belle says she seriously missed Masa, she also misses the days She, Lucinia, and Masa hung out, and they remember the night before Lucinia disappeared.

Lucinia is playing Ultra Jump Mania, teaching Belle a speedrun glitch, and Belle starts telling them she's getting bored. Lucinia says for her to calm down, calling her little Miss Patience, and the scene cuts back to the monitor, showing Lucinia doing impressive tricks through what seems to be a lava stage. When the glitch part comes, she asks Belle to watch carefully, and Belle agrees, calling Lucinia sensei. Lucinia does some tricks, and on the glitch part she seems to jump on a bird, getting stuck in a wooden barrier and after some jumps and button presses she gets to the other side of the stage. Belle gets very impressed, saying that's not a bad trick, and Lucinia tells she discovered the glitch yesterday, and thought if she can't have the speedrun world record she could at least share it. She asks if Belle wants to try it, and Belle says obviously. But when she was going to take the controller, the door opens and Masa enters the room, while the girls give him a hello. Lucinia asks what he's doing down here, and Masa says he's here to get Belle, since they're late for a press conference. Belle then starts complaining, saying she hates conferences, and Masa adds to it everyone does. He says he'll hide and pretend he couldn't find Belle, and then asks what they are up to. Lucinia says it's just a old dog teaching new tricks, and Belle just says Lucinia is only 6 years older than her, but Lucinia says that is a lifetime in meta runmer years, and that she can feel herself growing more tired everyday. Masa says that anyone can get tired raising Sofia by themselves, calling her a living ball of chaos. Lucinia says she loves Sofia a lot, but she can't sleep better since the day Sofia moved out. Suddenly, Masa gets a call from Lucks, and afer accepting, Lucks yells to Masa extremely furious if he found Belle yet, saying she is a lineup meta runner and she has responsibilities, all of that while Masa mocks Lucks and the girls laugh silently. Belle pretends to be sorry and say she's going, and asks if Lucinia can go too. Lucks say he don't need her. Masa says whatever he say, and hungs up the phone. After Belle goes to the conference room, Masa tells Lucinia he's sure Lucks didn't mean it like that, and Lucinia says it's all fine, that Belle is the young hotshot and Masa is the star captain, and adds they all hate conferences anyway, even if she didn't had one in several months. Masa tells her sje's one of the best runners he ever knew, that she's part of the team, even if she can't hang put in conferences, that doesn't mean she needs to improve her performance in science labs. Lucinia says she just wanted to give a hand to a scientist (Dr. Sheridan). Masa asks if Lucks know about it, and Lucinia says she doesn't know. Masa gets called again, he complains, and say he really needs to go, and he'll see Lucinia tomorrow. Lucinia answers back, and the scene cuts back to the van. Belle asks if Masa thinks Lucks knew what was going to happen, and Masa says it's just like Lucinia said. Lucks is the head of the company, either he killed her intentionally, or he killed her through negligence. But in either way Lucinia's blood is in Lucks's hand. Lucks seems to make a worried expression, and the scene cuts to Lamar's car, rushing to pick up Sofia.

Lamar asks if Sofia had any problems, and Sofia says no. She also asks back if they were followed, and Lamar says no, also telling what happened at the arena. When Tari comes out, both are very happy on seeing each other, giving a very strong hug. Sofia says she's glad Tari's safe, and asks Tari for the server cartridge. Tari says they still need to save Theo, and Lamar explains they've must have caught Belle when Lucks went on high alert, so Theo is still trapped, the private cartridge is the only thing keeping their friends safe, and also adds Masa was captured too. Sofia gets sad, and says they were so close. She asks if they can't do another thing, like trade the cartridge for their friends, and Lamar remembers Sofia about what happened at the Arena. Then Sofia asks if they're stuck on this limbo forever. Tari takes a good look at the cartridge, thinking of a way of finishing all of this once and for all, and says everything will end tonight. She says she's not Masa, but she's got a plan. And says it's an all or nothing play, they either win big or they lose everything. Lamar and Sofia says they're in, and before Tari can say anything, Sofia starts opening a box, and surprises Tari with another version of the old Season 1 hoodie. Tari then says they'll finish this. The credits start.

Trivia

 * Same as most episodes of Season 2, this episode's name is also based on a game term.
 * This is the fourth Season 2 episode and fifth overall which doesn't have Tari on the thumbnail, the others being Firewall, Unreal Engines, Friendly Fire and Bad Split.
 * The episode reveals a little bit of backstory about Lucinia.
 * It also reveals Lucks stopped bringing Lucinia to conferences, and that's why she got involved in Project Blue.
 * Also, it seems all the tricks Belle used in her failed Ultra Jump Mania Speedrun were taught to her by Lucinia.
 * This is the third episode where Theo is absent, the first two being Unreal Engines and Heart to Heart.
 * While Theo does appear in this episode, being played by Lucinia in Belle's flashback, the one that has been affiliated with Tari does not appear in this episode.
 * It is revealed that Lucks' first name is Derek, as shown in Belle's flashback when he calls Masa.
 * In the credits, Tari can now be seen wearing her iconic blue hoodie.