MARIO BOARDS MEGA BRAWL
- Thread starter Roserade
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Part 1
"The burgers near completion. Everyone, collect a paper plate and gather round. We approach the beginning of a party unlike any other. Destiny awaits!"
"I know. Destiny. You give me many names. Destiny. The reaper. Thanatos. You dare not speak my name out of fear. You know to speak my name is to acknowledge the inevitable. Yes. Come. Take from the cattle touched already by my hand. Draw near. Your Destiny awaits."
Across the vast ruins lying under Pipe Plaza, well over forty brawlers gathered from across the world cast wary gazes at the stage in the center of the ruins. A great stone platform carved out of one solid expanse of rock, surrounded by worn stairs and with an image of the sun carved into it, by all reckoning and analysis, the stage should have invited battle and conflict. The brawlers in the ruins ought to have been jostling for this prime piece of elevated real estate, a perfect place from which to take and keep command of the battlefield. And yet, nearly all of them keep their distance, keeping it - and their many opponents likewise salivating over the idea of claiming the central stage for themselves - under close watch while daring not to make a move.
For upon that stage, only two brawlers dwell. The hissing of patties sizzling on a grill breaks the tense silence hanging in the air as Xehanort presses them down with the dull edge of his keyblade. In his peripheral vision, the spectre looms. Death himself.
Making any hasty moves seemed ill-advised with Death around, but not even that would have stopped the more impulsive and more aggressive among the brawlers in the ruins. No, what holds together the fragile, uneasy peace is the message that every brawler had been given before entering. Not a one of them had actually laid eyes upon their mysterious, self-described "host", only hearing a bombastic voice in their heads, warning them against starting the fight until they received the signal, lest they forfeit the treasures they stood to gain.
Was there truly someone who would show up to officiate this inevitable free-for-all? Who knew? Some chafed against the disembodied instructions, doubting their veracity and the power of whatever being had given them to enforce the rule, but, undeniably, they did have mysterious observers. A strangely-modern viewing box, constructed from plastic and metal and tinted glass, looms high over the ruins, perched atop what seems to be the remains of a temple, the only place higher than the central stage. A peek at the great glass windows reveals nothing but seven silhouettes, seven figures shrouded in secrecy keeping watch over the ruins. At best, the brawlers can make vague guesses as to their identities, five resembling businessmen, one in possession of a youthful, girlish figure and a long ponytail, and another in an odd dress and seemingly in possession of talons. The presence of these observers had made even the most belligerent Brawlers second-guess early action - alongside, of course, the threat of the reaper.
But while the reaper amuses himself with cryptic threats and close observation of Xehanort's burgers, an alliance of the reaper's more cautious - and, some might say, more formidable - foes draw up plans in hushed tones atop a toppled pillar wrapped in creeping vines and inscribed with mysterious runes.
"It may be that our best course of action during the early stages of this conflict is the defense of our advantageous encampment," Sherlock Holmes explains, eyeing the central stage from the very edge of the pillar on which his alliance huddles. "Reginald, it will be up to you and I to meet our enemies who make the bold decision to climb to our position. Our equine ally should remain by ENA's side so as to defend her from ranged assaults." They'd be able to defend themselves well so long as they were able to hold this position, but to truly take command of the battlefield, they would need to, at some point, make a move to the central stage, or so Sholmes had insisted. ENA, with her power to access the Astral Plane, would be key to challenging Death. She had to be kept safe through the opening melee. Against most foes, they'd have good chance of claiming victory in defense, but if Death were to bring the battle to them…
"✰~ Senpai! Don't forget about BB-chan! ~✰!" Then down by the pillar's base, it'd be up to BB and Rei to keep the cloaked killer at bay. She had zeroed in on Sholmes immediately, dragging Rei along as she trailed his party all the way over to their toppled pillar. Only Rei grabbing her by the scruff of her neck had kept her from climbing the pillar herself. While she waves and calls out to the Sholmes alliance, Rei jams a stick into the fallen pillar's former base, tightening the knot in the vine tied around it as he continues his uphill battle to construct a makeshift telephone pole.
Elsewhere, across the battlefield, a looser collection of characters, an alliance in only the most generous sense of the word, relax upon the water's edge. "Oh! Thaaaank you!" Gathered around a sizeable crater which pooling water had turned into a luxurious, mineral-rich bath, Beedle and his new associates don't trouble themselves with worrying about Death's presence. "A genuine artifact from the Underwhere," Prince Peach boasts as Beedle turns the bottle, filled with a peculiar orange liquid, over in his hand. "Ha! Ain't as fancy as it sounds! It's so common they fill the fountains with it!" quips the old plush cat Seam, addressing Ernest Fine as he splashes his face with water. Keeping his distance from the water, Ernest Clineborg scans the battlefield for incoming threats. His brother and/or cousin may have been fine settling down with his old salesman friend and the new company he had brought along, but he knew this fragile peace, born of hesitation, couldn't last forever…
And friction elsewhere in the ruins threatens even at this moment to disrupt that peace early and vindicate Clineborg's fear…
"THE MAN! The MAN's trying to box us in! Yeah, yeah! You hear me? He wants to take our land! Eminent Domain! Habeas Corpus! The MAN steals from us without asking! Down with the MAN! Opening salvo!" All that remains of whatever structure once stood here are the foundations, the crumbled walls easily jumpable, and yet, Gamer Cat, joined by Gangsta Mario and Surge the Tenrec, keeps his distance from the structure as he shouts and throws a half-emptied bottle of Baja Blast Gatorade at the team encamped within.
El Presidente's Advisor tracks the arc of the bottle over the wall, listening for the plunk as it lands harmlessly in the dirt, its cap popping off and the concerningly-green liquid pouring out soaking the ground. He shakes his head, dismissing the overly-cautious opening attack as he turns his back on the loud-mouthed cat to review the team El Presidente had gathered. "El Presideeee~eeente," he says in sycophantic sing-song as he walks past the bespectacled little mushroom-headed paper hawker and the woman with the beehive hairdo, currently counting up the cash El Presidente had given them earlier to secure the loyalty. He places a hand upon his boss' shoulder. "Your glorious leadership has secured us a strong position. Currying favor with the press and securing support of traditional housewives, now it will be impossible to say you don't have the support of the people!"
"Come on, let me at 'em already!" Outside, Surge pounds a knuckle into her open palm as she steps up beside Gamer Cat, joining in by throwing some loose pebbles she scoops off the ground. "Fuck waiting. Let's do something," Gangsta Mario likewise suggests.
Gangsta Mario draws a gun. "CORRUPTION! Revolution's the only way to freedom!" Despite the request of his allies, Gamer Cat just keeps on shouting, wrapping a paw around their glock as Surge growls with frustration at the inaction and Gangsta Mario sideyes him. Soon, soon those government pigs would get what was coming to them…
But the cat isn't the only one who keeping an eye on the alliance of El Presidente, another nearby group crouching behind a great rusted Warp Pipe half-embedded in the group, keeping two watches, one on El Presidente's encampment and the other on the central stage. His knees drawn awkwardly in to minimize his profile since he couldn't duck down far enough just by crouching and had to sit down, the man watching the central stage through binoculars grumbles. "Shmaluigi still isn't so sure about this. When Shmaluigi investigates corruption, it usually doesn't end with a political assassination."
"I didn't take you for a man without the stomach to kill, paisano," comes Punished Luigi's reply from the other side of the pipe, poking his head back down after watching an empty Gatorade bottle land amidst the Gamer Cat alliance. Between the two of them, covering the other two angles of attack to keep all four cardinal directions secure, Shmwario chomps through the last bit of his garlic burrito, while the Erudite Goose takes a puff from his pipe, a little more confident in Punished Luigi's assessment than his fellow detective. "Legitimacy is drawn from consent of the governed, a disaffected populace will resort to revolution in time," he says to his old friend. This was the likeliest flashpoint on the battlefield. Chances were, this is where the fighting would kick off in earnest, widening to engulf the rest of the battlefield. A rapid response to whatever transpired between El Presidente's team and Gamer Cat's team could make or break their chances of making it through the chaos of the early fracas.
"DOO HOO HOO! You've persuaded formidable allies to join you since I saw you last." Elsewhere, nearer to Sholmes' alliance, on rocky ground littered with jewels still half-entombed in the earth, Cornelius shares a handshake with Renne as the socialite gestures to the two men following her. Even as they comply, stepping up to greet Cornelius, Brennanman and Scottish Mario size each other up. "Didnae expect tah be fiteen a sea dahg! Less tah be fiteen wit' one!" Though the scotsman offers up his new ally a hearty slap on the back, the jollity of the gesture can't smother the fire stirring in both of their hearts. It couldn't be denied. While they'd work together for now, at Renne's behest, when the moment was right, their battle would be on…
Just as El Presidente's alliance, the alliance united behind Renne is under observation. A short distance away, Glitz Yoshi stands atop Cayde's shoulders, given the boost to peer over the remains of a fountain. "Okay," says the Yoshi to his teammates, flutter jumping off of the blonde and landing himself next to the pig-tailed Toadette. "From what I am able to see, there is not a way that they can beat Death without help. We are the closest to them, so they may come after us."
"We'll need to get away from them quickly," chimes in Rimi, a grim look darkening her face as she overhears the assessment.
"Don't worry, Rimi!" Ever the optimist, Toadette raises her fists high, refusing to let the news get her friend down. "When they start coming after us, we'll go the other way in a big circle around the ruins. Everyone wants to get to the center, so they won't be focused on blocking us."
"Yeah, and if anyone does," Cayde adds, giving the air a couple of jabs for good measure, "we'll show them we can take on anyone!" She sticks a hand out, palm turned down, and the rest of the alliance's members join in, piling their hands on top of Cayde's. "One, two, three," they chant in unison, "goooo team!"
Far nearer to the pool around which Beedle and his associates had gathered, someone else is having a far less pleasant experience with her new teammates…
"Paillassos… A central tenet of the region's magical practice is that of experience over embodiment. In simplified terms, they tended to channeling magic through the motion of their bodies and the range of their emotions over imbuing magic within artifacts. You must be prepared to dance to activate your powers, in that get-up," snarks Dr. Alton Acraman at Isabelle. "That your powers are inherent to your body rather than contained in artifacts means you should be our front-line defense. With my ranged support, you'll have no need to be concerned."
"Of course. I'm sure there's no reason for me to worry about being expected to get close to dangerous fighters while you and your ally stay behind me," Isabelle counters, gesturing at Sirius, currently preoccupied taking in the faint aroma of grilled burgers. "He isn't limited by a reliance on physical artifacts. He will be joining me on the frontlines of battle, won't he?" The sight of Acraman's grimace fills Isabelle with no satisfaction… Exactly as she wants it. The two treasure hunters thought they had earned a powerful ally with virtually no effort, but, contrary to their belief, she was getting something valuable from them. They'd be nuisance enough - shady con artists trying to get one over on her - that they'd keep her from even coming close to experiencing joy.
But even with so many alliances - some more robust than others - accounted for already, numerous other alliances litter the ruins, alliances like the oddball team standing with Nitros Oxide…
"Ah graggly groutin, lad! Yah gonna keep the chunkin' waitin' all year!? Less get out thar and chunk 'em!" O'Chunks stomps a foot upon the ground and flexes his arms, Nitros Oxide responding with a shake of his head.
"You're powerful," the racer explains, "but our competition is so numerous that power alone won't win..."
"Ufhahahaha!" The statement is meant with a raucous laugh from the third member of the strange alliance, Nobu only trailing off awkwardly as she realizes Nitros isn't laughing, but rather staring at her with a disapproving look on his face. "Oh, you weren't leading a pre-battle comedy act," she realizes. "Oh, well. It can't be helped! Don't become a casualty to trepidation now! The greatest strategist, an oddly-proportioned alien creature with a great intellect, and a Scottish man bursting with strength, the alliance of Nobu will crush all who dare to challenge it! Ufhahaha!"
"Peculiar… Have I seen her in another branch of the timeline? Or was it a different plane of timespace continuum altogether?" From a short distance away, Nobu's echoing laugh grabs the attention of The Doctor, earning the Time Lord a thwack on the back of the head from a greasy claw. "Ey! Distractions don't beat roosters! And not beating roosters is what keeps us from getting the big bucks! Get back over here!" The admonishment comes from Honio Pitoki, the promoter of dubious effectiveness pointing his new associate towards Fawful the Great, the only other ally - if this gathering could even be called an alliance - that he had been able to scrounge up. This'd be a piece of cake. He'd send these two chumps off to fight Cornelius, round up some other fighters under his banner in the meantime, and then cruise to victory with the biggest threat out of the way!
"Are you seeing this shit, my liege?" Meanwhile, not far off from El Presidente's abode, another alliance puts the politician in their sights… or, at least, Gamecube does, treating Gamer Cat's shouting like it's a comedy show. TPG2, the radiant king who had convened this alliance, remains silent and motionless in response, even through Gamecube prompting him with an "Eh? Eh? King, you seeing this?". In truth, though, TPG2 was seeing the cat's protest - and many other foes, too. Slinking around the fountain where Cayde's alliance draws up their plans, creeping along the foundations where El Presidente and company have hunkered down, watching the group's rear flank, and even lying in wait underneath Xehanort's grill, the Scribblings, AKA Kingsbournes, crawl about the battlefield to conduct their recon operations for the robotic alliance. Continuing to ignore Gamecube, the king, with his eyes spread throughout the arena, flings open the microwave-oven door in his body, prompting his other ally - Quickbot.
"Collapse the cat's alliance and proceed to the central stage," Quickbot suggests, projecting a little hologram of Gamer Cat fighting with Surge and Gangsta Mario. The electricity-user was a concern for the robots, so if they left her without an ally, fighting both Gamer Cat and El Presidente's alliance, they could distract one of their biggest threats and have a clear shot to ideal ground. Well, a clear shot so long as they didn't run into that other threat, a threat which the Kingsbournes had not yet located…
They hadn't missed the corrupted lagomorph for lack of trying. In fact, before TPG2 had decided to focus on the foes that could be found, the Kingsbournes had come awfully close to catching up to Virovirobun, but it had been just a little too quick for the crawling Scribblings, keeping a step ahead of them. Even now, the infected rabbit hops around the arena without rest, giggling to theirself as they stay - for the moment - out of sight and out of mind.
And they aren't the only brawler in the ruins to forego any kind of an alliance! Dotted throughout the ruins, claiming spaces where they can between the many alliances, a few brawlers stick to themselves.
Down below Sholmes' alliance, Grunt lifts his manager onto his shoulder, the star of the Mushroom Kingdom Smackdown prepared, with the help of his manager's strategizing, to take on any competitor that might come his way. Slinking around the edges of the ruins in silence, Perry watches and waits, gathering intel on his foes as he considers who might be the most useful to him. Unbeknownst to the parasite, however, one brawler keeps tabs on Perry, Candice using her enhanced eyes to track his movements. Secret agents, she didn't care for them…
But while most brawlers who stand alone do so by choice and try to keep a low profile, Franziska von Karma proves herself the exception as she marches right down through the center of the arena, making for the central stage. Rainbow Dash steps up to the pillar's edge to get a better view. Kingsbourne Oumega, the one hiding under Xehanort's grill, scurries out and parks itself on the stairs leading up to the stage to capture the prosecutor in its camera. Cayde lifts Toadette onto her shoulders, with Glitz Yoshi jumping onto her head with a boost from Rimi, using the extra height to get a view of Franziska as she marches up the stairs, grumbling to herself.
The fools! The Maseonic researcher and his partner had told her to meet them at the entrance to the ruins! How long had she waited there? "FOOLS!" She barks as she reaches the top of the stage, her voice echoing through the ruins. "You think a von Karma would allow herself to be stood up?" The crack of her whip splits the air as she shouts. "All of you, forget this foolish posturing! If you intend to fight, then fight!"
"We permit no events out of order," Xehanort chides as he turns around to face her, almost all eyes in the ruins now drawn to the confrontation on stage. "We are not permitted to fight yet. The fireworks will begin later."
"SILENCE!" Franziska underlines her demand with the crack of her whip, stopping just short of Xehanort and settling for giving him a scare. "I believe that you aren't the one who is qualified to make that determination. That would be… him," she says, gesturing towards the entrance of the ruins, drawing all eyes to a figure hurriedly floating to the central stage, a figure she had only been able to meet because she had been kept waiting at the entrance for so long.
"Thank you, Franny!" The strange being holds a microphone in his hand, but hardly seems to have need of it, his booming voice - unmistakably familiar to every brawler - reaching across the whole of the ruins unaided. "Hello brawlers from across the universe, and welcome to a truly monumental event! I'm your host, Corey! And today, we begin the first-ever MEGA BRAWL! Incomparable riches and glory await for the one of you who can outlast all others! Who will last? Who will fall? You've been kept waiting long enough! So, brawlers…"
BEGIN!
"As for your fireworks," the prosecutor replies with a smirk after the opening announcement, sticking her hand out and vaguely gesturing elsewhere in the ruins, towards a stream of gunfire now erupting and echoing through the area. "Here they are."
"Hello, Franziska." Eyes alight at the confrontation between Franziska and Xehanort - or perhaps at the chaotic sounds now filling the ruins as swords clash, feet tromp, blasters fire, and plans spring into motion all around the ruins - Death utters a cold greeting, drawing Franziska's attention away from the grillmaster. "Have you come to greet your destiny?"
"Ha! The only destiny for a von Karma is a trajectory of perfection! You may have the fools waiting around here convinced you pose a threat, but I will not be cowed by a foolish superstition!" Her whip cracks again as she strikes Death. She lashes the hooded figure not once, not twice, but thrice, the crack of leather against bone forcing even Xehanort to take a step back. Upon the third strike, getting no reaction from the reaper, she grits her teeth in frustration and casts her whip sideways, turning it into a makeshift lasso and winding it around her opponent.
All throughout the arena, brawlers and their allies get their battles underway. Gamecube ejects a memory card, sending it flying towards Surge and striking her in the back of her head while she lies flat on the ground to avoid El Presidente's return fire. The Doctor finds himself standing face to face with O'Chunks, looking over his shoulder to find… Honio turning tail and fleeing, a "strategy" which he soon adopts, turning on his heel and breaking into a sprint as O'Chunks' narrowly misses him with an overhead. Grunt's manager calls out to his champion wrestler, urging him away from a potential confrontation with Sholmes and Bushroot.
And yet through all the noise, Franziska hears Death's taunt clearly. "Three strikes and you failed to kill me? Hardly perfection, Franziska." With a sharp tug, she pulls Death in close, drawing back an arm to slug the reaper as he arrives!
Death raises a hand, her fist colliding not even with his bony palm, but just a single outstretched finger, and Franziska gasps. So quickly does the air rush from her lungs that her ribcage visibly contracts, and that the rattling wail that emerges from her limp body forces Xehanort to reconsider his priorities. The man quickly sweeps away the now-burning burgers on his grill and takes off with the device, giving it a shove down the stairs around the stage and electing to stop and re-erect it later as he scrambles to get away. Death, curling in his sole outstretched finger, chuckles as Franziska's limp form falls to the ground, her eyes clouded over and devoid of the spark of life.
"So, who next?" He asks himself as he brushes her body off the stage. With the clashes happening all around the ruins, though, it wouldn't require the intervention of capital-D Death to find the next lowercase-d death…
"The burgers near completion. Everyone, collect a paper plate and gather round. We approach the beginning of a party unlike any other. Destiny awaits!"
"I know. Destiny. You give me many names. Destiny. The reaper. Thanatos. You dare not speak my name out of fear. You know to speak my name is to acknowledge the inevitable. Yes. Come. Take from the cattle touched already by my hand. Draw near. Your Destiny awaits."
Across the vast ruins lying under Pipe Plaza, well over forty brawlers gathered from across the world cast wary gazes at the stage in the center of the ruins. A great stone platform carved out of one solid expanse of rock, surrounded by worn stairs and with an image of the sun carved into it, by all reckoning and analysis, the stage should have invited battle and conflict. The brawlers in the ruins ought to have been jostling for this prime piece of elevated real estate, a perfect place from which to take and keep command of the battlefield. And yet, nearly all of them keep their distance, keeping it - and their many opponents likewise salivating over the idea of claiming the central stage for themselves - under close watch while daring not to make a move.
For upon that stage, only two brawlers dwell. The hissing of patties sizzling on a grill breaks the tense silence hanging in the air as Xehanort presses them down with the dull edge of his keyblade. In his peripheral vision, the spectre looms. Death himself.
Making any hasty moves seemed ill-advised with Death around, but not even that would have stopped the more impulsive and more aggressive among the brawlers in the ruins. No, what holds together the fragile, uneasy peace is the message that every brawler had been given before entering. Not a one of them had actually laid eyes upon their mysterious, self-described "host", only hearing a bombastic voice in their heads, warning them against starting the fight until they received the signal, lest they forfeit the treasures they stood to gain.
Was there truly someone who would show up to officiate this inevitable free-for-all? Who knew? Some chafed against the disembodied instructions, doubting their veracity and the power of whatever being had given them to enforce the rule, but, undeniably, they did have mysterious observers. A strangely-modern viewing box, constructed from plastic and metal and tinted glass, looms high over the ruins, perched atop what seems to be the remains of a temple, the only place higher than the central stage. A peek at the great glass windows reveals nothing but seven silhouettes, seven figures shrouded in secrecy keeping watch over the ruins. At best, the brawlers can make vague guesses as to their identities, five resembling businessmen, one in possession of a youthful, girlish figure and a long ponytail, and another in an odd dress and seemingly in possession of talons. The presence of these observers had made even the most belligerent Brawlers second-guess early action - alongside, of course, the threat of the reaper.
But while the reaper amuses himself with cryptic threats and close observation of Xehanort's burgers, an alliance of the reaper's more cautious - and, some might say, more formidable - foes draw up plans in hushed tones atop a toppled pillar wrapped in creeping vines and inscribed with mysterious runes.
"It may be that our best course of action during the early stages of this conflict is the defense of our advantageous encampment," Sherlock Holmes explains, eyeing the central stage from the very edge of the pillar on which his alliance huddles. "Reginald, it will be up to you and I to meet our enemies who make the bold decision to climb to our position. Our equine ally should remain by ENA's side so as to defend her from ranged assaults." They'd be able to defend themselves well so long as they were able to hold this position, but to truly take command of the battlefield, they would need to, at some point, make a move to the central stage, or so Sholmes had insisted. ENA, with her power to access the Astral Plane, would be key to challenging Death. She had to be kept safe through the opening melee. Against most foes, they'd have good chance of claiming victory in defense, but if Death were to bring the battle to them…
"✰~ Senpai! Don't forget about BB-chan! ~✰!" Then down by the pillar's base, it'd be up to BB and Rei to keep the cloaked killer at bay. She had zeroed in on Sholmes immediately, dragging Rei along as she trailed his party all the way over to their toppled pillar. Only Rei grabbing her by the scruff of her neck had kept her from climbing the pillar herself. While she waves and calls out to the Sholmes alliance, Rei jams a stick into the fallen pillar's former base, tightening the knot in the vine tied around it as he continues his uphill battle to construct a makeshift telephone pole.
Elsewhere, across the battlefield, a looser collection of characters, an alliance in only the most generous sense of the word, relax upon the water's edge. "Oh! Thaaaank you!" Gathered around a sizeable crater which pooling water had turned into a luxurious, mineral-rich bath, Beedle and his new associates don't trouble themselves with worrying about Death's presence. "A genuine artifact from the Underwhere," Prince Peach boasts as Beedle turns the bottle, filled with a peculiar orange liquid, over in his hand. "Ha! Ain't as fancy as it sounds! It's so common they fill the fountains with it!" quips the old plush cat Seam, addressing Ernest Fine as he splashes his face with water. Keeping his distance from the water, Ernest Clineborg scans the battlefield for incoming threats. His brother and/or cousin may have been fine settling down with his old salesman friend and the new company he had brought along, but he knew this fragile peace, born of hesitation, couldn't last forever…
And friction elsewhere in the ruins threatens even at this moment to disrupt that peace early and vindicate Clineborg's fear…
"THE MAN! The MAN's trying to box us in! Yeah, yeah! You hear me? He wants to take our land! Eminent Domain! Habeas Corpus! The MAN steals from us without asking! Down with the MAN! Opening salvo!" All that remains of whatever structure once stood here are the foundations, the crumbled walls easily jumpable, and yet, Gamer Cat, joined by Gangsta Mario and Surge the Tenrec, keeps his distance from the structure as he shouts and throws a half-emptied bottle of Baja Blast Gatorade at the team encamped within.
El Presidente's Advisor tracks the arc of the bottle over the wall, listening for the plunk as it lands harmlessly in the dirt, its cap popping off and the concerningly-green liquid pouring out soaking the ground. He shakes his head, dismissing the overly-cautious opening attack as he turns his back on the loud-mouthed cat to review the team El Presidente had gathered. "El Presideeee~eeente," he says in sycophantic sing-song as he walks past the bespectacled little mushroom-headed paper hawker and the woman with the beehive hairdo, currently counting up the cash El Presidente had given them earlier to secure the loyalty. He places a hand upon his boss' shoulder. "Your glorious leadership has secured us a strong position. Currying favor with the press and securing support of traditional housewives, now it will be impossible to say you don't have the support of the people!"
"Come on, let me at 'em already!" Outside, Surge pounds a knuckle into her open palm as she steps up beside Gamer Cat, joining in by throwing some loose pebbles she scoops off the ground. "Fuck waiting. Let's do something," Gangsta Mario likewise suggests.
Gangsta Mario draws a gun. "CORRUPTION! Revolution's the only way to freedom!" Despite the request of his allies, Gamer Cat just keeps on shouting, wrapping a paw around their glock as Surge growls with frustration at the inaction and Gangsta Mario sideyes him. Soon, soon those government pigs would get what was coming to them…
But the cat isn't the only one who keeping an eye on the alliance of El Presidente, another nearby group crouching behind a great rusted Warp Pipe half-embedded in the group, keeping two watches, one on El Presidente's encampment and the other on the central stage. His knees drawn awkwardly in to minimize his profile since he couldn't duck down far enough just by crouching and had to sit down, the man watching the central stage through binoculars grumbles. "Shmaluigi still isn't so sure about this. When Shmaluigi investigates corruption, it usually doesn't end with a political assassination."
"I didn't take you for a man without the stomach to kill, paisano," comes Punished Luigi's reply from the other side of the pipe, poking his head back down after watching an empty Gatorade bottle land amidst the Gamer Cat alliance. Between the two of them, covering the other two angles of attack to keep all four cardinal directions secure, Shmwario chomps through the last bit of his garlic burrito, while the Erudite Goose takes a puff from his pipe, a little more confident in Punished Luigi's assessment than his fellow detective. "Legitimacy is drawn from consent of the governed, a disaffected populace will resort to revolution in time," he says to his old friend. This was the likeliest flashpoint on the battlefield. Chances were, this is where the fighting would kick off in earnest, widening to engulf the rest of the battlefield. A rapid response to whatever transpired between El Presidente's team and Gamer Cat's team could make or break their chances of making it through the chaos of the early fracas.
"DOO HOO HOO! You've persuaded formidable allies to join you since I saw you last." Elsewhere, nearer to Sholmes' alliance, on rocky ground littered with jewels still half-entombed in the earth, Cornelius shares a handshake with Renne as the socialite gestures to the two men following her. Even as they comply, stepping up to greet Cornelius, Brennanman and Scottish Mario size each other up. "Didnae expect tah be fiteen a sea dahg! Less tah be fiteen wit' one!" Though the scotsman offers up his new ally a hearty slap on the back, the jollity of the gesture can't smother the fire stirring in both of their hearts. It couldn't be denied. While they'd work together for now, at Renne's behest, when the moment was right, their battle would be on…
Just as El Presidente's alliance, the alliance united behind Renne is under observation. A short distance away, Glitz Yoshi stands atop Cayde's shoulders, given the boost to peer over the remains of a fountain. "Okay," says the Yoshi to his teammates, flutter jumping off of the blonde and landing himself next to the pig-tailed Toadette. "From what I am able to see, there is not a way that they can beat Death without help. We are the closest to them, so they may come after us."
"We'll need to get away from them quickly," chimes in Rimi, a grim look darkening her face as she overhears the assessment.
"Don't worry, Rimi!" Ever the optimist, Toadette raises her fists high, refusing to let the news get her friend down. "When they start coming after us, we'll go the other way in a big circle around the ruins. Everyone wants to get to the center, so they won't be focused on blocking us."
"Yeah, and if anyone does," Cayde adds, giving the air a couple of jabs for good measure, "we'll show them we can take on anyone!" She sticks a hand out, palm turned down, and the rest of the alliance's members join in, piling their hands on top of Cayde's. "One, two, three," they chant in unison, "goooo team!"
Far nearer to the pool around which Beedle and his associates had gathered, someone else is having a far less pleasant experience with her new teammates…
"Paillassos… A central tenet of the region's magical practice is that of experience over embodiment. In simplified terms, they tended to channeling magic through the motion of their bodies and the range of their emotions over imbuing magic within artifacts. You must be prepared to dance to activate your powers, in that get-up," snarks Dr. Alton Acraman at Isabelle. "That your powers are inherent to your body rather than contained in artifacts means you should be our front-line defense. With my ranged support, you'll have no need to be concerned."
"Of course. I'm sure there's no reason for me to worry about being expected to get close to dangerous fighters while you and your ally stay behind me," Isabelle counters, gesturing at Sirius, currently preoccupied taking in the faint aroma of grilled burgers. "He isn't limited by a reliance on physical artifacts. He will be joining me on the frontlines of battle, won't he?" The sight of Acraman's grimace fills Isabelle with no satisfaction… Exactly as she wants it. The two treasure hunters thought they had earned a powerful ally with virtually no effort, but, contrary to their belief, she was getting something valuable from them. They'd be nuisance enough - shady con artists trying to get one over on her - that they'd keep her from even coming close to experiencing joy.
But even with so many alliances - some more robust than others - accounted for already, numerous other alliances litter the ruins, alliances like the oddball team standing with Nitros Oxide…
"Ah graggly groutin, lad! Yah gonna keep the chunkin' waitin' all year!? Less get out thar and chunk 'em!" O'Chunks stomps a foot upon the ground and flexes his arms, Nitros Oxide responding with a shake of his head.
"You're powerful," the racer explains, "but our competition is so numerous that power alone won't win..."
"Ufhahahaha!" The statement is meant with a raucous laugh from the third member of the strange alliance, Nobu only trailing off awkwardly as she realizes Nitros isn't laughing, but rather staring at her with a disapproving look on his face. "Oh, you weren't leading a pre-battle comedy act," she realizes. "Oh, well. It can't be helped! Don't become a casualty to trepidation now! The greatest strategist, an oddly-proportioned alien creature with a great intellect, and a Scottish man bursting with strength, the alliance of Nobu will crush all who dare to challenge it! Ufhahaha!"
"Peculiar… Have I seen her in another branch of the timeline? Or was it a different plane of timespace continuum altogether?" From a short distance away, Nobu's echoing laugh grabs the attention of The Doctor, earning the Time Lord a thwack on the back of the head from a greasy claw. "Ey! Distractions don't beat roosters! And not beating roosters is what keeps us from getting the big bucks! Get back over here!" The admonishment comes from Honio Pitoki, the promoter of dubious effectiveness pointing his new associate towards Fawful the Great, the only other ally - if this gathering could even be called an alliance - that he had been able to scrounge up. This'd be a piece of cake. He'd send these two chumps off to fight Cornelius, round up some other fighters under his banner in the meantime, and then cruise to victory with the biggest threat out of the way!
"Are you seeing this shit, my liege?" Meanwhile, not far off from El Presidente's abode, another alliance puts the politician in their sights… or, at least, Gamecube does, treating Gamer Cat's shouting like it's a comedy show. TPG2, the radiant king who had convened this alliance, remains silent and motionless in response, even through Gamecube prompting him with an "Eh? Eh? King, you seeing this?". In truth, though, TPG2 was seeing the cat's protest - and many other foes, too. Slinking around the fountain where Cayde's alliance draws up their plans, creeping along the foundations where El Presidente and company have hunkered down, watching the group's rear flank, and even lying in wait underneath Xehanort's grill, the Scribblings, AKA Kingsbournes, crawl about the battlefield to conduct their recon operations for the robotic alliance. Continuing to ignore Gamecube, the king, with his eyes spread throughout the arena, flings open the microwave-oven door in his body, prompting his other ally - Quickbot.
"Collapse the cat's alliance and proceed to the central stage," Quickbot suggests, projecting a little hologram of Gamer Cat fighting with Surge and Gangsta Mario. The electricity-user was a concern for the robots, so if they left her without an ally, fighting both Gamer Cat and El Presidente's alliance, they could distract one of their biggest threats and have a clear shot to ideal ground. Well, a clear shot so long as they didn't run into that other threat, a threat which the Kingsbournes had not yet located…
They hadn't missed the corrupted lagomorph for lack of trying. In fact, before TPG2 had decided to focus on the foes that could be found, the Kingsbournes had come awfully close to catching up to Virovirobun, but it had been just a little too quick for the crawling Scribblings, keeping a step ahead of them. Even now, the infected rabbit hops around the arena without rest, giggling to theirself as they stay - for the moment - out of sight and out of mind.
And they aren't the only brawler in the ruins to forego any kind of an alliance! Dotted throughout the ruins, claiming spaces where they can between the many alliances, a few brawlers stick to themselves.
Down below Sholmes' alliance, Grunt lifts his manager onto his shoulder, the star of the Mushroom Kingdom Smackdown prepared, with the help of his manager's strategizing, to take on any competitor that might come his way. Slinking around the edges of the ruins in silence, Perry watches and waits, gathering intel on his foes as he considers who might be the most useful to him. Unbeknownst to the parasite, however, one brawler keeps tabs on Perry, Candice using her enhanced eyes to track his movements. Secret agents, she didn't care for them…
But while most brawlers who stand alone do so by choice and try to keep a low profile, Franziska von Karma proves herself the exception as she marches right down through the center of the arena, making for the central stage. Rainbow Dash steps up to the pillar's edge to get a better view. Kingsbourne Oumega, the one hiding under Xehanort's grill, scurries out and parks itself on the stairs leading up to the stage to capture the prosecutor in its camera. Cayde lifts Toadette onto her shoulders, with Glitz Yoshi jumping onto her head with a boost from Rimi, using the extra height to get a view of Franziska as she marches up the stairs, grumbling to herself.
The fools! The Maseonic researcher and his partner had told her to meet them at the entrance to the ruins! How long had she waited there? "FOOLS!" She barks as she reaches the top of the stage, her voice echoing through the ruins. "You think a von Karma would allow herself to be stood up?" The crack of her whip splits the air as she shouts. "All of you, forget this foolish posturing! If you intend to fight, then fight!"
"We permit no events out of order," Xehanort chides as he turns around to face her, almost all eyes in the ruins now drawn to the confrontation on stage. "We are not permitted to fight yet. The fireworks will begin later."
"SILENCE!" Franziska underlines her demand with the crack of her whip, stopping just short of Xehanort and settling for giving him a scare. "I believe that you aren't the one who is qualified to make that determination. That would be… him," she says, gesturing towards the entrance of the ruins, drawing all eyes to a figure hurriedly floating to the central stage, a figure she had only been able to meet because she had been kept waiting at the entrance for so long.
"Thank you, Franny!" The strange being holds a microphone in his hand, but hardly seems to have need of it, his booming voice - unmistakably familiar to every brawler - reaching across the whole of the ruins unaided. "Hello brawlers from across the universe, and welcome to a truly monumental event! I'm your host, Corey! And today, we begin the first-ever MEGA BRAWL! Incomparable riches and glory await for the one of you who can outlast all others! Who will last? Who will fall? You've been kept waiting long enough! So, brawlers…"
BEGIN!
"As for your fireworks," the prosecutor replies with a smirk after the opening announcement, sticking her hand out and vaguely gesturing elsewhere in the ruins, towards a stream of gunfire now erupting and echoing through the area. "Here they are."
"Hello, Franziska." Eyes alight at the confrontation between Franziska and Xehanort - or perhaps at the chaotic sounds now filling the ruins as swords clash, feet tromp, blasters fire, and plans spring into motion all around the ruins - Death utters a cold greeting, drawing Franziska's attention away from the grillmaster. "Have you come to greet your destiny?"
"Ha! The only destiny for a von Karma is a trajectory of perfection! You may have the fools waiting around here convinced you pose a threat, but I will not be cowed by a foolish superstition!" Her whip cracks again as she strikes Death. She lashes the hooded figure not once, not twice, but thrice, the crack of leather against bone forcing even Xehanort to take a step back. Upon the third strike, getting no reaction from the reaper, she grits her teeth in frustration and casts her whip sideways, turning it into a makeshift lasso and winding it around her opponent.
All throughout the arena, brawlers and their allies get their battles underway. Gamecube ejects a memory card, sending it flying towards Surge and striking her in the back of her head while she lies flat on the ground to avoid El Presidente's return fire. The Doctor finds himself standing face to face with O'Chunks, looking over his shoulder to find… Honio turning tail and fleeing, a "strategy" which he soon adopts, turning on his heel and breaking into a sprint as O'Chunks' narrowly misses him with an overhead. Grunt's manager calls out to his champion wrestler, urging him away from a potential confrontation with Sholmes and Bushroot.
And yet through all the noise, Franziska hears Death's taunt clearly. "Three strikes and you failed to kill me? Hardly perfection, Franziska." With a sharp tug, she pulls Death in close, drawing back an arm to slug the reaper as he arrives!
Death raises a hand, her fist colliding not even with his bony palm, but just a single outstretched finger, and Franziska gasps. So quickly does the air rush from her lungs that her ribcage visibly contracts, and that the rattling wail that emerges from her limp body forces Xehanort to reconsider his priorities. The man quickly sweeps away the now-burning burgers on his grill and takes off with the device, giving it a shove down the stairs around the stage and electing to stop and re-erect it later as he scrambles to get away. Death, curling in his sole outstretched finger, chuckles as Franziska's limp form falls to the ground, her eyes clouded over and devoid of the spark of life.
"So, who next?" He asks himself as he brushes her body off the stage. With the clashes happening all around the ruins, though, it wouldn't require the intervention of capital-D Death to find the next lowercase-d death…
- Pronouns
- He/him
- MarioWiki
- Hooded Pitohui
STATS:
41st: Franziska von Karma (Death)
Still Brawling: BB, Beedle, Brennanman, Candice ??? Candice, Cayde, Colonel Shoey O'Dell, Cornelius C. Cornifer, Death, Dr. Alton Acraman, Dr. Reginald Bushroot, El Presidente, El Presidente's Advisor, ENA, Ernest Clineborg, Ernest Fine, Fawful the Great, Gamecube, Gamer Cat, Gangsta Mario, Glitz Yoshi, Grunt, Herlock Sholmes, Honio Pitoki, Isabelle, Kingsbourne Alpha, Kingsbourne Gamma, Kingsbourne Oumega, Kingsbourne Sigma, Marge Simpson, Mr. Xehanort, Nitros Oxide, Nobu, O'Chunks, Perry, Prince Peach, Punished Luigi, Quickbot, Rainbow Dash, Rei, Renne, Rimi, Scottish Mario, Seam, Shmaluigi, Shmwario, Sirius, Surge the Tenrec, The Doctor, The Erudite Goose, Toadette, TPG2, Virovirobun, Wright Forde 'Shroom
41st: Franziska von Karma (Death)
Still Brawling: BB, Beedle, Brennanman, Candice ??? Candice, Cayde, Colonel Shoey O'Dell, Cornelius C. Cornifer, Death, Dr. Alton Acraman, Dr. Reginald Bushroot, El Presidente, El Presidente's Advisor, ENA, Ernest Clineborg, Ernest Fine, Fawful the Great, Gamecube, Gamer Cat, Gangsta Mario, Glitz Yoshi, Grunt, Herlock Sholmes, Honio Pitoki, Isabelle, Kingsbourne Alpha, Kingsbourne Gamma, Kingsbourne Oumega, Kingsbourne Sigma, Marge Simpson, Mr. Xehanort, Nitros Oxide, Nobu, O'Chunks, Perry, Prince Peach, Punished Luigi, Quickbot, Rainbow Dash, Rei, Renne, Rimi, Scottish Mario, Seam, Shmaluigi, Shmwario, Sirius, Surge the Tenrec, The Doctor, The Erudite Goose, Toadette, TPG2, Virovirobun, Wright Forde 'Shroom
- Pronouns
- They
- MarioWiki
- Roserade
- Thread starter
- #104
Part 2
"MOVE MEN, MOVE!" Punished Luigi rises up onto his knee and motions for his team to head to 12:00 as the shootout around El Presidente's encampment escalates. Gangsta Mario and Gamer Cat strafe towards their position by the rusted pipe as they take advantage of their enemy reloading, finally convinced of the utility of finding cover after one close call too many. While they leave a poor, confused Surge behind, finally getting to her feet and searching for any signs of whoever had bonked her in the head as the hail of gunfire moves off of her position, the Erudite Goose takes off while the team of rebels is distracted, Punished Luigi breaking into a sprint behind the avian.
"Hey, guys! Wait up!" Shmwario calls out as his teammates take off, leaving him and a blocked-in Shmaluigi behind, not so quick on his feet and struggling to spring up quickly enough.
"DUCK!"
Shmaluigi's cry only distracts him further! "Bro? That's a goo-WAH!" Just up on his feet, Shmwario topples over as an energy blast hits him square in the back of the head, flinging his hat off and singing his hair. In the distance, Shmaluigi spots the source - Fawful the Great zooming around in the air alongside some dirty Toady, peppering the area with stray blasts from some kind of a ray gun.
Yes, in the chaos of their retreat from O'Chunks, the Honio alliance had somehow ended up confronting the robotic alliance, getting in the way of their dash towards the central stage. Now, Honio and Fawful the Great tangle with Quickbot in the open air, the speedy robot weaving even through the great sprays of fire the Beanish entertainer unleashes. Down below, TPG2, confident that Surge has been neutralized as a threat, has Kingsbourne Sigma scurry from the rear of the group to the front, the Scribbling locking in on the relatively-slow moving Honio. Gamecube launches another memory card, but Honio takes note of the projectile and drops low, TPG2's oven door flinging open at just the right moment to cream him with a pie, sending him careening to the ground!
On the other side of El Presidente's abode, Shmwario gets back on his feet with a little aid from Shmaluigi, the dynamic detective duo making the quick decision to hunker down where they are as Gamer Cat and Gangsta Mario get close and stray blasts from Fawful the Great and stray return fire from El Presidente pins them down. They'd be fine. They'd just wait for the two gunners to duck behind the pipe with them and hit them with a surprise attack! They crouch down behind the pipe, Shmaluigi's forehead just sticking over the top of it, and wait.
It comes awfully quickly, the sound of someone leaping over the pipe! The detectives spring into action, leaping at the first figure to hop over the pipe - and immediately howl with pain, electricity surging into their bodies as they dogpile not Gamer Cat or Gangsta Mario, but Surge the Tenrec! One little memory card hadn't broken up the alliance of rebels, though it had served its purpose in keeping Surge off the trail of the robotic alliance. The first foes she had spotted when she got up earlier were these two goons poking their heads over the pipe before a ray blast toppled one, so they had to be the culprits! Now determined to get some revenge and to free up this cover for her allies, she shoves Shmaluigi off of herself and rolls out from under Shmwario while the detective duo twitches.
But while a round of good ol' fisticuffs ensues between Shmwario and Surge, on the other side of El Presidente's abode, the pressure is starting to pile on Fawful the Great. With Honio creamed and more concerned about licking up the pie filling, he's now on the defensive, juking to avoid Quickbot as the robot wooshes by, threatening to knock his hat off with the wind it's producing. At the same time, TPG2 turns up the heat, spraying fire up at the Beanish entertainer to drive him back as the robotic alliance seeks to break through this obstacle and continue their match towards the stage.
With things looking grim, Fawful the Great grabs the brim of his cap, considering breaking that power out early. It wasn't ideal, but…
"ALLONS-Y!" A shout from below puts a sudden stop to Fawful the Great's plans, the Beanish entertainer's hesitating leaving them square in the path of a coming stream of fire - until someone intervenes! Circling the robotic alliance from behind, taking advantage of Sigma's repositioning leaving TPG2 blind in the back, The Doctor takes a great flying leap over TPG2, splaying his limbs wide and using his body as a shield to block the flames, letting out a pained warcry as he drops to the ground and breaks into a roll, rolling right over top of Kingsbourne Sigma as he extinguishes the flame on his coat. Seeing an opening, Fawful the Great takes his raygun in hand and fires a series of blasts at TPG2 before dropping to the ground, sending the radiant king flat on his back and dodging Quickbot's next swoop in one swift maneuver.
Gamecube gasps, preparing to eject a disc in defense of the king, but Fawful the Great proves swifter, firing off another blast that forces the console to hop back. Lured in by the changing tide of battle - and having polished off everything except the crust now littering the ground in pieces - Honio swoops in, brandishing his spray bottle at the robots, forcing Gamecube to back off entirely. Sigma, tangled up in The Doctor's burning clothes, tries to make a break for it in support of the toppled royal, only to find itself grabbed and brought in front of The Doctor's face for a close inspection.
"Ah, ah, ah, not on - ow! This will sting," The Doctor says through gritted teeth, seared from the flames but determined to deal with Sigma nonetheless. The Scribbling jabs its pencil arm into the Time Lord's palm as he draws his Sonic Screwdriver, but with the pain of the jab squat compared to that of his burns, he merely winces and shakes it off as he bashes Sigma with the multi-purpose tool, striking the little robot again and again and again until its tempered glass finally begins to buckle. The rest of the robot alliance beats a hasty retreat as Quickbot swoops down to help re-erect TPG2, the trio forced to run off while under threat from Fawful the Great and Honio, leaving Kingsbourne Sigma to its fate.
And a dreadful fate it is, The Doctor winding up one final power-packed blow and shattering the tempered glass of Sigma's bulb with a furious strike.
"Huh, hoo, huff…" He struggles to catch his breath through his injuries as he drops the remains of Sigma to the ground, turning his Sonic Screwdriver on himself and putting his magical healing prowess to work treating his burns. Honio makes a motion for Fawful the Great to come with him to chase down the retreating robots, only to get a glare from the entertainer in response. The promoter relents reluctantly, joining Fawful the Great in whisking The Doctor to a less active region of the battlefield to lick his wounds…
…but while the clash between the robotic alliance and Honio's fragile team unfolds, greater fissures threaten another alliance as Gamer Cat and Gangsta Mario finally hop behind the rusted pipe where Surge is battling the Shmw- Bros.
"Fucking shitwad! You can't hit the broadside of a shit-stained barn!"
"Ya gotta spend ammo to make ammo! Like you've been aiming any better! Oooh, I'm a gangsta XD Rawr FU FU FU!"
The bickering grabs Surge's attention, the Tenrec abandoning any hope her allies might intervene on her behalf as she takes an uppercut square in the jaw from Shmwario, staggering back and tripping over Shmaluigi's extended leg and landing on her back. She'd started with the upper hand, but once these two had gotten some fire under them, they had seized the advantage. A quick roll onto her belly followed by grabbing Shmwario's ankle and sending a fresh surge into the detective keeps him from landing an elbow drop on her and gives her the space to get to her feet as her allies reload, but it's not enough to keep Shmaluigi from thwacking her back with a tennis racket.
"A LITTLE HELP, GUYS!?" She finally unleashes a scream, grabbing the attention of her allies.
"No! You know what?! Fuck you! I'm out!" Gangsta Mario leaps to his feet in response to the call for assistance - firing a shot into the air as he storms out, a shot which startles Shmaluigi enough to get the detective to back off of the Tenrec, giving her an opening to at least stand up again.
"So cool! So edgy! LMAO FML Welcome to my twisted mind amirite," is all Gamer Cat says, fuming at Gangsta Mario's walkout and turning his attention back to trading shots with El Presidente.
Left to fend for herself, Surge puts up her dukes in defiance of the detectives again closing in on her, slipping past Shmwario as he comes charging in and carrying her momentum forward to deck Shmaluigi with an electrified punch, sending the taller detective reeling. Shmwario skids to a stop and looks over to his bro as Surge bears down upon him, pummeling Shmaluigi with unbridled fury as she finally gains an advantage. Seeing his brother in danger, Shmwario comes in from the side, not charging directly at Surge, but making a straight-line charge right behind her, sticking an arm out as he approaches and catching her in it like a linebacker catching a runner on the gridiron. He manages to throw her to the ground, regrouping with Shmaluigi while she struggles to get up.
"She's pretty tough, bro," Shmwario concedes as Shmaluigi recovers from her flurry of punches.
"You're right. She's too tough for us to keep fighting this way. I think it's time we-"
"You don't mean that, do ya!?"
"Shmaluigi means it. It's time for a Bros. Move".
Surge manages to push herself up, slapping her own cheeks to pump herself up and clearing up her double vision in time to spot Shmwario lifting Shmaluigi into the air and spinning around with him like they're in some kind of hammer throw competition. Had they… turned on each other? What was this? Huh? What? Well, er, no matter what it was, she'd be ready for it! She claps her hands together, her fur standing on end as sparks fly from her fingertips and she digs her heels into the dirt, bracing for an impact.
She's bright. Too bright. The sparks flying off of her are making the very air crackle, and even with the world spinning past his view in a blur, Shmaluigi realizes that something is off. "Bro! Stop! Hold off! WAAAAAAAAAAAAIT!"
Too late. Already committed, Shmwario releases his grip on Shmaluigi's legs, and the lanky detective goes flying free, hurtling at Surge as Shmwario's eyes widen in shock. But it's not he who gets the biggest shock! No, despite the sunlight overhead, the area around the rusted pipe flickers and flashes as Shmaluigi slams into Surge, knocking her over… but frying for it, letting out one final anguished "WAAAAAAAH!" as his body chars and smokes from the volts running through it.
Shmaluigi goes limp, wisps of smoke and steam still rising off his body as Surge weakly pushes him off of herself, panting from utter exhaustion. She gets back to her feet, wobbling as she locks eyes with Shmwario, stomping a foot down and raking it across the ground like an angered bull. She casts a quick glance at Gamer Cat, still too preoccupied with his shootout to even notice she had killed a man, and scans the area for any signs of Gangsta Mario, finding he's already long-gone. With no help forthcoming, she's got but one choice.
She charges directly for Shmwario as he breaks into shoulder bash, looking to avenge his brother. Closer and closer they get until boom, there it is - Surge's foot bounding off of Shmwario's head, the Tenrec using him as a boost as she leaps over him and flees. Realizing he's been duped, he quickly skids to a stop once again, turning around to give chase…
But it's not only around El Presidente's place of dwelling that battles unfold and alliances are tested. In fact, elsewhere on the battlefield, a few alliances have already begun to clash, shrouded in a veil of steam and mist. So let us turn our attention to the mineral pool, where ice, gunfire, energy blasts, and flame meet as the mist swirls.
"Graaaah! Come out ahn' fite like a man, lad!" O'Chunks cries out as he takes another energy blast to the chest, the beefy warrior hardly able to put his strength to use with all of his foes obscured! While he tromps through the area, searching for his assailant, Ernest Fine grabs Ernest Clineborg's shoulder and follows his robot cousin(?) through the cloud, shirt in his hand rather than on his chest. They set up in a new position, Fine wiping down his cousin to keep too much of the mist from condensing on him while he scans the mists. "Enemy Detected," Clineborg reports, locking on to O'Chunks yet again and launching another blast from his arm at the confused Scotsman.
Deeper yet into the swirling mists, Beedle lies flat as he pours a strange concoction into the mineral pool, bubbling and boiling as Prince Peach, handed another Shadow Crystal by Seam, warms the water with swirling purple and black flames crackling with the screeching of the damned. It's from this bubbling pool that the mists cloaking this part of the battlefield arise, hiding the alliance of investors from the hail of gunfire bearing down upon them.
From somewhere in the steam, Nobu shoots wildly, left to take a quantity over quality approach with her foes obscured. Now and again, a chunk of ice flies at her from… somewhere… deeper in the mists, but the weak, token attack doesn't deter her.
"Nobu, this attack is ineffective," Nitros Oxide protests by her side, occasionally blindly firing his ray blaster into the mists. "With your firepower and O'Chunks' strength, we could have already defeated our opponents by engaging them in a different environment. Let's retr-" A blast to the side of his face interrupts his words, Nitros shaking off the shock of it and collecting the strange ammunition on his digit, giving it a lick and realizing that it's ketchup.
Sure enough, seconds later, the condiment splatters against Nobu's face. "So a third party thinks themselves capable of interrupting our battle? Ufhahaha! Let as many challengers step up to fight against the banner of Nobunaga as wish to battle! They'll all fall in defeat and surrender their markets!" Much to Nitros' chagrin, rather than take the cheap shot from outside the mists as an indication that they they're too vulnerable here, unable to see their enemies but giving away their own positions with the sound of their weapons, Nobu turns around and turns her firepower on their new unseen assailants.
What Nobu doesn't see through the mists is Isabelle, standing alongside Sirius as Acraman retreats behind the two of them. The juggling-expert listens for Nobu's gunshots, reacting with reflexes unbeknownst to a world unfamiliar with Paillassos to catch the bullets, toss them into the air and pass them between her paws, and to chuck them back at their sender.
"Almost ready!" Beedle says to his allies, even more at ease now that the bullets whizzing by overhead have come to a stop, blissfully unaware that Nitros and Nobu are now hitting the ground as Nobu's shots come back around to her and her increasingly-concerned ally. But as the gunfire loses steam, a new source of noise becomes apparent, Prince Peach the first to turn around in acknowledgement of unsteady footsteps. "We may soon have company to greet, gentleman and you old furball," he says, cupping a hand to her ear and letting her infernal flames die down.
As Beedle and Seam listen in, they pick up on it too, the not-so-distant sounds of a burner rockets, a propellor, and footsteps…
Already wary thanks to the gunfire and The Doctor's injuries, not to mention the sounds of O'Chunks pounding the ground in frustration as the Ernest cousins continue to snipe him, the Honio alliance moves cautiously through the mists. They had been drawn to this portion of the ruins because of those mists, thinking it a good refuge where they could lick their wounds, but it had turned out to be filled with dangers. Now, in a tight formation, they approach the center of the mists, freezing as they spot three silhouettes before them.
WOOSH! As they stop, a great wall of infernal flames flares to life all around them, boxing them in and leaving them with only one direction to go… if, at least, they all intend to stay together.
"One opponent at a time, please!" While Nobu rises up to her feet and sends more gunfire at her unidentified opponents, dropping back down seconds later as Isabelle again returns it, Nitros continues to beg her to rethink their strategy. In an unfortunate turn of events for the alien racer, he's not so quick to ground himself, a boomeranged bullet tearing through his torso, forcibly dropping him down. "You see what's happened!?" He hisses as he asks the question, smacking the ground in fury. If his supposed ally had only listened to him, this wouldn't have happened!
But his fury seems to find no purchase with Nobu, who dusts herself off and rises to her feet once again, turning her weapon back on her original unseen foes, firing a series of bullets towards the center of the mists as she addresses Nitros. "Casualties are a natural outcome of battle! The weakest will fall to steel and iron, and the strongest will burn in flames - as soon as I'm able to find enough flammable material to get started!"
"Are you saying you won't help me? But we're allies!"
"Alliances are short-lived on ever-shifting battlefields! This was never to be a lasting peace! Did you not hear our host? Only one can claim the riches of these ruins! If we aren't to battle early, we'd battle late inevitably!"
Crackling interrupts the tense conversation just as Nitros begins to consider Nobu's position, some kind of uncomfortably gooey and warm black substance with a red outline hurtling through the air in a big glob and slamming into Nobu. More globs come, pulsing with some unpleasant spiritual energy and driving Nobu back, leaving Oxide to try and push himself up as he gets covered. The two of them fall further and further back, driven back by whatever strange conjuration that Sirius Shinkai had brought forth onto the mortal plane. Making matters worse, now energy blasts fly through the mists at them, O'Chunks having wandered off somewhere on his own and Ernest Clineborg switching targets.
Nitros hesitates, his blaster shaking in his grip as the spiritual finally hits him dead-on, leaving him coated in the stuff, feeling it sapping his energy - not a great thing to feel as an energy blast strikes him in the side, nearly toppling him again. Shot, scorched, coated in goo, and overwhelmed by too many foes, he whirls around and trains his blaster on his most dangerous foe.
Nobu.
She had said it herself. They were bound to battle eventually, so if their alliance was to unravel, why not let it unravel now? She regards Nitros' gesture with a grin, raising her weapon towards him in response.
Her trigger finger proves quick. Nitros' proves quicker. An energy blast strikes her dead-on in the knee and one leg falters beneath her weight, sending her to ground.
As she hits the ground, her bullet tears through Nitros, the alien toppling over, vision fading as he falls, but one thought giving him some peace. Though he had fallen early, he could proudly say he had fought a clean fight.
Nitros falls, down for the count, and some distance away, Acraman's alliance scurries off, ready to find another crew to engage at a distance. Nobu gets to her feet, takes Nitros' blaster for herself, and limps away through the mists, likewise ready to find another foe even as her knee throbs.
But while one unusual alliance collapses in the depth of the mists, another proves shockingly resilient nearer to the mineral bath! Prince Peach's flames can't fully box in the flight-capable Honio and Fawful the Great, but, surprisingly, the pair is sticking by The Doctor, caught between the fire and the Investor Alliance! Honio nods at Fawful the Great, tilting his glasses in the vague direction of Seam. He may not have known what in the world a "Shadow Crystal" was, but the cat kept passing them over to the royal, so they had to be valuable! The Bean exchanges cover fire with the old plush cat, raygun blasts meeting the handful of lightning bolts the cat can conjure, and Honio swoops on down right towards the prince, suddenly appearing right before Prince Peach's face and sending the prince staggering back with a spritz of reeking sweat from his spray bottle.
The infernal flame wall keeping The Doctor pinned down dies down somewhat as Prince Peach rages over her ruined outfit, now stained with grease, and tries to catch Honio with a backhand, but the shady promoter jukes the slap, slamming into Seam and causing the cat and their collection of crystals to take a spill. A quick flick of the wrist from Beedle, suddenly popping up from his place beside the pool of water, sends a playing card flying right into Honio's propeller, forcing him off-course before he can scoop up the crystals for himself. But as he finds himself tumbling through the air, he tilts himself into a distant crash landing, crashing into the ground elsewhere in the mist and rolling away.
That's all that Fawful the Great needs. His ally cleared out from the edge of the pool, the lid of his hat rises to reveal a lit bomb, one which the bean quickly grabs and hurls into the boiling mineral bath! Seam sees it before the others, shouting out a warning and pulling Prince Peach away from gathering up the scattered crystals, scrambling alongside Beedle to get out of dodge. The Investor Alliance scatters into the mists. And the bomb?
Well, a great gushing geyser rising up above the mist cloud is a pretty good indication to the rest of the battlefield that something has happened at the mineral pool! The water and steam rise nearly high enough to splash Fawful the Great, and spreads far enough to drench both The Doctor and the flames which had been keeping him penned in, immediately extinguishing them.
Having boiling water splashed all over him doesn't do any good for The Doctor's burns, the Time Lord hissing even as his allies regroup around him. With the pool's water splashed all around and the Investor Alliance no longer heating it, it wouldn't be long before the steam and mist all dissipated and left the area exposed again. In fact, that's probably why the Investor Alliance had seemingly abandoned the area so quickly…
Well, it was their loss. The mists would take some time to clear up, and they could have free rein to regroup in them until they did, or so Honio figures as he goes after the couple drenched Shadow Crystals still scattered around the ground.
"D-Don't!" Before he can take the crystals in his claws, The Doctor calls out, his words distorted by a deep, painful cough. He sticks a hand out to wave away Fawful the Great's gesture of assistance, keeping his ally from touching him. "Th-ackurff! Thurf! The water… poisoned…" He scrambles to retrieve his Sonic Screwdriver, his arm twitching and convulsing as he drops to his knees. He had felt its effects immediately, his burns and earlier wounds, only mostly healed, allowing it to seep in. That had to have been the real reason that the Investor Alliance had booked it from the scene.
It probably wouldn't affect the others unless they ingested it, but better safe than sorry until he knew more. He could survive, he just had to- just had to hur- just had to-
His attempts to hold it steady falter, his grip on his Sonic Screwdriver coming loose and the device falling to the ground with a mushy, wet phmmph. Beedle's brew in his veins, the physician can't heal thyself, and with his allies watching on, spared from their own potential fatal poisonings by his warnings, The Doctor keels over, Corey's influence holding off - for now - the beginning of his Regeneration.
Down an ally but with battles still ahead of them, Honio and Fawful the Great take to the air once again, giving the poisoned earth as wide a berth as they can while flying out of the mist, the realization beginning to dawn on both of them that they may need to approach this brawl a little more strategically…
"MOVE MEN, MOVE!" Punished Luigi rises up onto his knee and motions for his team to head to 12:00 as the shootout around El Presidente's encampment escalates. Gangsta Mario and Gamer Cat strafe towards their position by the rusted pipe as they take advantage of their enemy reloading, finally convinced of the utility of finding cover after one close call too many. While they leave a poor, confused Surge behind, finally getting to her feet and searching for any signs of whoever had bonked her in the head as the hail of gunfire moves off of her position, the Erudite Goose takes off while the team of rebels is distracted, Punished Luigi breaking into a sprint behind the avian.
"Hey, guys! Wait up!" Shmwario calls out as his teammates take off, leaving him and a blocked-in Shmaluigi behind, not so quick on his feet and struggling to spring up quickly enough.
"DUCK!"
Shmaluigi's cry only distracts him further! "Bro? That's a goo-WAH!" Just up on his feet, Shmwario topples over as an energy blast hits him square in the back of the head, flinging his hat off and singing his hair. In the distance, Shmaluigi spots the source - Fawful the Great zooming around in the air alongside some dirty Toady, peppering the area with stray blasts from some kind of a ray gun.
Yes, in the chaos of their retreat from O'Chunks, the Honio alliance had somehow ended up confronting the robotic alliance, getting in the way of their dash towards the central stage. Now, Honio and Fawful the Great tangle with Quickbot in the open air, the speedy robot weaving even through the great sprays of fire the Beanish entertainer unleashes. Down below, TPG2, confident that Surge has been neutralized as a threat, has Kingsbourne Sigma scurry from the rear of the group to the front, the Scribbling locking in on the relatively-slow moving Honio. Gamecube launches another memory card, but Honio takes note of the projectile and drops low, TPG2's oven door flinging open at just the right moment to cream him with a pie, sending him careening to the ground!
On the other side of El Presidente's abode, Shmwario gets back on his feet with a little aid from Shmaluigi, the dynamic detective duo making the quick decision to hunker down where they are as Gamer Cat and Gangsta Mario get close and stray blasts from Fawful the Great and stray return fire from El Presidente pins them down. They'd be fine. They'd just wait for the two gunners to duck behind the pipe with them and hit them with a surprise attack! They crouch down behind the pipe, Shmaluigi's forehead just sticking over the top of it, and wait.
It comes awfully quickly, the sound of someone leaping over the pipe! The detectives spring into action, leaping at the first figure to hop over the pipe - and immediately howl with pain, electricity surging into their bodies as they dogpile not Gamer Cat or Gangsta Mario, but Surge the Tenrec! One little memory card hadn't broken up the alliance of rebels, though it had served its purpose in keeping Surge off the trail of the robotic alliance. The first foes she had spotted when she got up earlier were these two goons poking their heads over the pipe before a ray blast toppled one, so they had to be the culprits! Now determined to get some revenge and to free up this cover for her allies, she shoves Shmaluigi off of herself and rolls out from under Shmwario while the detective duo twitches.
But while a round of good ol' fisticuffs ensues between Shmwario and Surge, on the other side of El Presidente's abode, the pressure is starting to pile on Fawful the Great. With Honio creamed and more concerned about licking up the pie filling, he's now on the defensive, juking to avoid Quickbot as the robot wooshes by, threatening to knock his hat off with the wind it's producing. At the same time, TPG2 turns up the heat, spraying fire up at the Beanish entertainer to drive him back as the robotic alliance seeks to break through this obstacle and continue their match towards the stage.
With things looking grim, Fawful the Great grabs the brim of his cap, considering breaking that power out early. It wasn't ideal, but…
"ALLONS-Y!" A shout from below puts a sudden stop to Fawful the Great's plans, the Beanish entertainer's hesitating leaving them square in the path of a coming stream of fire - until someone intervenes! Circling the robotic alliance from behind, taking advantage of Sigma's repositioning leaving TPG2 blind in the back, The Doctor takes a great flying leap over TPG2, splaying his limbs wide and using his body as a shield to block the flames, letting out a pained warcry as he drops to the ground and breaks into a roll, rolling right over top of Kingsbourne Sigma as he extinguishes the flame on his coat. Seeing an opening, Fawful the Great takes his raygun in hand and fires a series of blasts at TPG2 before dropping to the ground, sending the radiant king flat on his back and dodging Quickbot's next swoop in one swift maneuver.
Gamecube gasps, preparing to eject a disc in defense of the king, but Fawful the Great proves swifter, firing off another blast that forces the console to hop back. Lured in by the changing tide of battle - and having polished off everything except the crust now littering the ground in pieces - Honio swoops in, brandishing his spray bottle at the robots, forcing Gamecube to back off entirely. Sigma, tangled up in The Doctor's burning clothes, tries to make a break for it in support of the toppled royal, only to find itself grabbed and brought in front of The Doctor's face for a close inspection.
"Ah, ah, ah, not on - ow! This will sting," The Doctor says through gritted teeth, seared from the flames but determined to deal with Sigma nonetheless. The Scribbling jabs its pencil arm into the Time Lord's palm as he draws his Sonic Screwdriver, but with the pain of the jab squat compared to that of his burns, he merely winces and shakes it off as he bashes Sigma with the multi-purpose tool, striking the little robot again and again and again until its tempered glass finally begins to buckle. The rest of the robot alliance beats a hasty retreat as Quickbot swoops down to help re-erect TPG2, the trio forced to run off while under threat from Fawful the Great and Honio, leaving Kingsbourne Sigma to its fate.
And a dreadful fate it is, The Doctor winding up one final power-packed blow and shattering the tempered glass of Sigma's bulb with a furious strike.
"Huh, hoo, huff…" He struggles to catch his breath through his injuries as he drops the remains of Sigma to the ground, turning his Sonic Screwdriver on himself and putting his magical healing prowess to work treating his burns. Honio makes a motion for Fawful the Great to come with him to chase down the retreating robots, only to get a glare from the entertainer in response. The promoter relents reluctantly, joining Fawful the Great in whisking The Doctor to a less active region of the battlefield to lick his wounds…
…but while the clash between the robotic alliance and Honio's fragile team unfolds, greater fissures threaten another alliance as Gamer Cat and Gangsta Mario finally hop behind the rusted pipe where Surge is battling the Shmw- Bros.
"Fucking shitwad! You can't hit the broadside of a shit-stained barn!"
"Ya gotta spend ammo to make ammo! Like you've been aiming any better! Oooh, I'm a gangsta XD Rawr FU FU FU!"
The bickering grabs Surge's attention, the Tenrec abandoning any hope her allies might intervene on her behalf as she takes an uppercut square in the jaw from Shmwario, staggering back and tripping over Shmaluigi's extended leg and landing on her back. She'd started with the upper hand, but once these two had gotten some fire under them, they had seized the advantage. A quick roll onto her belly followed by grabbing Shmwario's ankle and sending a fresh surge into the detective keeps him from landing an elbow drop on her and gives her the space to get to her feet as her allies reload, but it's not enough to keep Shmaluigi from thwacking her back with a tennis racket.
"A LITTLE HELP, GUYS!?" She finally unleashes a scream, grabbing the attention of her allies.
"No! You know what?! Fuck you! I'm out!" Gangsta Mario leaps to his feet in response to the call for assistance - firing a shot into the air as he storms out, a shot which startles Shmaluigi enough to get the detective to back off of the Tenrec, giving her an opening to at least stand up again.
"So cool! So edgy! LMAO FML Welcome to my twisted mind amirite," is all Gamer Cat says, fuming at Gangsta Mario's walkout and turning his attention back to trading shots with El Presidente.
Left to fend for herself, Surge puts up her dukes in defiance of the detectives again closing in on her, slipping past Shmwario as he comes charging in and carrying her momentum forward to deck Shmaluigi with an electrified punch, sending the taller detective reeling. Shmwario skids to a stop and looks over to his bro as Surge bears down upon him, pummeling Shmaluigi with unbridled fury as she finally gains an advantage. Seeing his brother in danger, Shmwario comes in from the side, not charging directly at Surge, but making a straight-line charge right behind her, sticking an arm out as he approaches and catching her in it like a linebacker catching a runner on the gridiron. He manages to throw her to the ground, regrouping with Shmaluigi while she struggles to get up.
"She's pretty tough, bro," Shmwario concedes as Shmaluigi recovers from her flurry of punches.
"You're right. She's too tough for us to keep fighting this way. I think it's time we-"
"You don't mean that, do ya!?"
"Shmaluigi means it. It's time for a Bros. Move".
Surge manages to push herself up, slapping her own cheeks to pump herself up and clearing up her double vision in time to spot Shmwario lifting Shmaluigi into the air and spinning around with him like they're in some kind of hammer throw competition. Had they… turned on each other? What was this? Huh? What? Well, er, no matter what it was, she'd be ready for it! She claps her hands together, her fur standing on end as sparks fly from her fingertips and she digs her heels into the dirt, bracing for an impact.
She's bright. Too bright. The sparks flying off of her are making the very air crackle, and even with the world spinning past his view in a blur, Shmaluigi realizes that something is off. "Bro! Stop! Hold off! WAAAAAAAAAAAAIT!"
Too late. Already committed, Shmwario releases his grip on Shmaluigi's legs, and the lanky detective goes flying free, hurtling at Surge as Shmwario's eyes widen in shock. But it's not he who gets the biggest shock! No, despite the sunlight overhead, the area around the rusted pipe flickers and flashes as Shmaluigi slams into Surge, knocking her over… but frying for it, letting out one final anguished "WAAAAAAAH!" as his body chars and smokes from the volts running through it.
Shmaluigi goes limp, wisps of smoke and steam still rising off his body as Surge weakly pushes him off of herself, panting from utter exhaustion. She gets back to her feet, wobbling as she locks eyes with Shmwario, stomping a foot down and raking it across the ground like an angered bull. She casts a quick glance at Gamer Cat, still too preoccupied with his shootout to even notice she had killed a man, and scans the area for any signs of Gangsta Mario, finding he's already long-gone. With no help forthcoming, she's got but one choice.
She charges directly for Shmwario as he breaks into shoulder bash, looking to avenge his brother. Closer and closer they get until boom, there it is - Surge's foot bounding off of Shmwario's head, the Tenrec using him as a boost as she leaps over him and flees. Realizing he's been duped, he quickly skids to a stop once again, turning around to give chase…
But it's not only around El Presidente's place of dwelling that battles unfold and alliances are tested. In fact, elsewhere on the battlefield, a few alliances have already begun to clash, shrouded in a veil of steam and mist. So let us turn our attention to the mineral pool, where ice, gunfire, energy blasts, and flame meet as the mist swirls.
"Graaaah! Come out ahn' fite like a man, lad!" O'Chunks cries out as he takes another energy blast to the chest, the beefy warrior hardly able to put his strength to use with all of his foes obscured! While he tromps through the area, searching for his assailant, Ernest Fine grabs Ernest Clineborg's shoulder and follows his robot cousin(?) through the cloud, shirt in his hand rather than on his chest. They set up in a new position, Fine wiping down his cousin to keep too much of the mist from condensing on him while he scans the mists. "Enemy Detected," Clineborg reports, locking on to O'Chunks yet again and launching another blast from his arm at the confused Scotsman.
Deeper yet into the swirling mists, Beedle lies flat as he pours a strange concoction into the mineral pool, bubbling and boiling as Prince Peach, handed another Shadow Crystal by Seam, warms the water with swirling purple and black flames crackling with the screeching of the damned. It's from this bubbling pool that the mists cloaking this part of the battlefield arise, hiding the alliance of investors from the hail of gunfire bearing down upon them.
From somewhere in the steam, Nobu shoots wildly, left to take a quantity over quality approach with her foes obscured. Now and again, a chunk of ice flies at her from… somewhere… deeper in the mists, but the weak, token attack doesn't deter her.
"Nobu, this attack is ineffective," Nitros Oxide protests by her side, occasionally blindly firing his ray blaster into the mists. "With your firepower and O'Chunks' strength, we could have already defeated our opponents by engaging them in a different environment. Let's retr-" A blast to the side of his face interrupts his words, Nitros shaking off the shock of it and collecting the strange ammunition on his digit, giving it a lick and realizing that it's ketchup.
Sure enough, seconds later, the condiment splatters against Nobu's face. "So a third party thinks themselves capable of interrupting our battle? Ufhahaha! Let as many challengers step up to fight against the banner of Nobunaga as wish to battle! They'll all fall in defeat and surrender their markets!" Much to Nitros' chagrin, rather than take the cheap shot from outside the mists as an indication that they they're too vulnerable here, unable to see their enemies but giving away their own positions with the sound of their weapons, Nobu turns around and turns her firepower on their new unseen assailants.
What Nobu doesn't see through the mists is Isabelle, standing alongside Sirius as Acraman retreats behind the two of them. The juggling-expert listens for Nobu's gunshots, reacting with reflexes unbeknownst to a world unfamiliar with Paillassos to catch the bullets, toss them into the air and pass them between her paws, and to chuck them back at their sender.
"Almost ready!" Beedle says to his allies, even more at ease now that the bullets whizzing by overhead have come to a stop, blissfully unaware that Nitros and Nobu are now hitting the ground as Nobu's shots come back around to her and her increasingly-concerned ally. But as the gunfire loses steam, a new source of noise becomes apparent, Prince Peach the first to turn around in acknowledgement of unsteady footsteps. "We may soon have company to greet, gentleman and you old furball," he says, cupping a hand to her ear and letting her infernal flames die down.
As Beedle and Seam listen in, they pick up on it too, the not-so-distant sounds of a burner rockets, a propellor, and footsteps…
Already wary thanks to the gunfire and The Doctor's injuries, not to mention the sounds of O'Chunks pounding the ground in frustration as the Ernest cousins continue to snipe him, the Honio alliance moves cautiously through the mists. They had been drawn to this portion of the ruins because of those mists, thinking it a good refuge where they could lick their wounds, but it had turned out to be filled with dangers. Now, in a tight formation, they approach the center of the mists, freezing as they spot three silhouettes before them.
WOOSH! As they stop, a great wall of infernal flames flares to life all around them, boxing them in and leaving them with only one direction to go… if, at least, they all intend to stay together.
"One opponent at a time, please!" While Nobu rises up to her feet and sends more gunfire at her unidentified opponents, dropping back down seconds later as Isabelle again returns it, Nitros continues to beg her to rethink their strategy. In an unfortunate turn of events for the alien racer, he's not so quick to ground himself, a boomeranged bullet tearing through his torso, forcibly dropping him down. "You see what's happened!?" He hisses as he asks the question, smacking the ground in fury. If his supposed ally had only listened to him, this wouldn't have happened!
But his fury seems to find no purchase with Nobu, who dusts herself off and rises to her feet once again, turning her weapon back on her original unseen foes, firing a series of bullets towards the center of the mists as she addresses Nitros. "Casualties are a natural outcome of battle! The weakest will fall to steel and iron, and the strongest will burn in flames - as soon as I'm able to find enough flammable material to get started!"
"Are you saying you won't help me? But we're allies!"
"Alliances are short-lived on ever-shifting battlefields! This was never to be a lasting peace! Did you not hear our host? Only one can claim the riches of these ruins! If we aren't to battle early, we'd battle late inevitably!"
Crackling interrupts the tense conversation just as Nitros begins to consider Nobu's position, some kind of uncomfortably gooey and warm black substance with a red outline hurtling through the air in a big glob and slamming into Nobu. More globs come, pulsing with some unpleasant spiritual energy and driving Nobu back, leaving Oxide to try and push himself up as he gets covered. The two of them fall further and further back, driven back by whatever strange conjuration that Sirius Shinkai had brought forth onto the mortal plane. Making matters worse, now energy blasts fly through the mists at them, O'Chunks having wandered off somewhere on his own and Ernest Clineborg switching targets.
Nitros hesitates, his blaster shaking in his grip as the spiritual finally hits him dead-on, leaving him coated in the stuff, feeling it sapping his energy - not a great thing to feel as an energy blast strikes him in the side, nearly toppling him again. Shot, scorched, coated in goo, and overwhelmed by too many foes, he whirls around and trains his blaster on his most dangerous foe.
Nobu.
She had said it herself. They were bound to battle eventually, so if their alliance was to unravel, why not let it unravel now? She regards Nitros' gesture with a grin, raising her weapon towards him in response.
Her trigger finger proves quick. Nitros' proves quicker. An energy blast strikes her dead-on in the knee and one leg falters beneath her weight, sending her to ground.
As she hits the ground, her bullet tears through Nitros, the alien toppling over, vision fading as he falls, but one thought giving him some peace. Though he had fallen early, he could proudly say he had fought a clean fight.
Nitros falls, down for the count, and some distance away, Acraman's alliance scurries off, ready to find another crew to engage at a distance. Nobu gets to her feet, takes Nitros' blaster for herself, and limps away through the mists, likewise ready to find another foe even as her knee throbs.
But while one unusual alliance collapses in the depth of the mists, another proves shockingly resilient nearer to the mineral bath! Prince Peach's flames can't fully box in the flight-capable Honio and Fawful the Great, but, surprisingly, the pair is sticking by The Doctor, caught between the fire and the Investor Alliance! Honio nods at Fawful the Great, tilting his glasses in the vague direction of Seam. He may not have known what in the world a "Shadow Crystal" was, but the cat kept passing them over to the royal, so they had to be valuable! The Bean exchanges cover fire with the old plush cat, raygun blasts meeting the handful of lightning bolts the cat can conjure, and Honio swoops on down right towards the prince, suddenly appearing right before Prince Peach's face and sending the prince staggering back with a spritz of reeking sweat from his spray bottle.
The infernal flame wall keeping The Doctor pinned down dies down somewhat as Prince Peach rages over her ruined outfit, now stained with grease, and tries to catch Honio with a backhand, but the shady promoter jukes the slap, slamming into Seam and causing the cat and their collection of crystals to take a spill. A quick flick of the wrist from Beedle, suddenly popping up from his place beside the pool of water, sends a playing card flying right into Honio's propeller, forcing him off-course before he can scoop up the crystals for himself. But as he finds himself tumbling through the air, he tilts himself into a distant crash landing, crashing into the ground elsewhere in the mist and rolling away.
That's all that Fawful the Great needs. His ally cleared out from the edge of the pool, the lid of his hat rises to reveal a lit bomb, one which the bean quickly grabs and hurls into the boiling mineral bath! Seam sees it before the others, shouting out a warning and pulling Prince Peach away from gathering up the scattered crystals, scrambling alongside Beedle to get out of dodge. The Investor Alliance scatters into the mists. And the bomb?
Well, a great gushing geyser rising up above the mist cloud is a pretty good indication to the rest of the battlefield that something has happened at the mineral pool! The water and steam rise nearly high enough to splash Fawful the Great, and spreads far enough to drench both The Doctor and the flames which had been keeping him penned in, immediately extinguishing them.
Having boiling water splashed all over him doesn't do any good for The Doctor's burns, the Time Lord hissing even as his allies regroup around him. With the pool's water splashed all around and the Investor Alliance no longer heating it, it wouldn't be long before the steam and mist all dissipated and left the area exposed again. In fact, that's probably why the Investor Alliance had seemingly abandoned the area so quickly…
Well, it was their loss. The mists would take some time to clear up, and they could have free rein to regroup in them until they did, or so Honio figures as he goes after the couple drenched Shadow Crystals still scattered around the ground.
"D-Don't!" Before he can take the crystals in his claws, The Doctor calls out, his words distorted by a deep, painful cough. He sticks a hand out to wave away Fawful the Great's gesture of assistance, keeping his ally from touching him. "Th-ackurff! Thurf! The water… poisoned…" He scrambles to retrieve his Sonic Screwdriver, his arm twitching and convulsing as he drops to his knees. He had felt its effects immediately, his burns and earlier wounds, only mostly healed, allowing it to seep in. That had to have been the real reason that the Investor Alliance had booked it from the scene.
It probably wouldn't affect the others unless they ingested it, but better safe than sorry until he knew more. He could survive, he just had to- just had to hur- just had to-
His attempts to hold it steady falter, his grip on his Sonic Screwdriver coming loose and the device falling to the ground with a mushy, wet phmmph. Beedle's brew in his veins, the physician can't heal thyself, and with his allies watching on, spared from their own potential fatal poisonings by his warnings, The Doctor keels over, Corey's influence holding off - for now - the beginning of his Regeneration.
Down an ally but with battles still ahead of them, Honio and Fawful the Great take to the air once again, giving the poisoned earth as wide a berth as they can while flying out of the mist, the realization beginning to dawn on both of them that they may need to approach this brawl a little more strategically…
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Part 3
But while those two fly off, let's join Corey in getting a metaphorical bird's eye view of the battlefield, shall we? As the mist around what was formerly the mineral pool drifts away, the Investor Alliance - including Clineborg and Fine - regroup at its edges, foregoing a confrontation with Cayde's alliance and the Scribbling trailing them as they pass by, choosing for the moment to keep weaving around the battlefield while only engaging in minor skirmishes to conserve their energy. Speaking of minor skirmishes, up near El Presidente's abode (where Gamer Cat has finally abandoned his position at the old rusted pipe), Punished Luigi and the Erudite Goose find themselves trading limited fire with Nobu and with Candice, unaware she's still pursuing a dangerous parasite trying to get close to the defeated - and strangely familiar - Shmaluigi…
Not far off from this minor skirmish, the Robotic Alliance finds themselves up against a new set of formidable foes, their hopes of making a push towards the central stage again thwarted, this time time by Acraman and his associates, Isabelle in her element as she tosses up the pie TPG2 sends at her and throws it back at the bots, leaving Gamecube covered in delicious key lime. Renne's alliance focuses their efforts on retreating and holding back the dual advance of Death and Grunt on their position, Scottish Mario grappling with the Smackdown star while Grunt's manager keeps an eye on the approaching reaper. Xehanort, having seen Death depart to pursue others, has re-erected his grill and stands alone on the central stage… or so he thinks, Kingsbourne Oumega still crawling about beneath his feet, TPG2 never having taken his eye off the prize.
And Sholmes' alliance? Well, they're doing very well for themselves, still playing defense on the pillar they've claimed, leaving most of their foes hesitant to challenge them. At the pillar's base, a slash of Sholmes' sword scares off Virovirobun, scurrying away with a digitized yelp, while Bushroot's command of the vines wrapped around the pillar make it all too easy to toss away Gangsta Mario before he can line up a shot.
But a new challenger approaches…
The fleeing Virovirobun hops right between her legs on its way out, in fact, Surge the Tenrec grumbling to herself, having finally lost Shmwario when O'Chunks had appeared out of nowhere, trying to grab the portly detective. While those two battled it out, she had wandered over here, grumbling and stretching her aching limbs. Some alliance it had turned out she joined…
Nearing Sholmes' pillar, she looks up to see two faces peering down at her, one equine and the other angular and colored in blue and yellow. Who did they think they were? Literally looking down upon her like this!? Growling, she kicks a loose rock at the duo… and misses them by a country mile, the rock doing nothing but alerting the rest of the alliance to her presence. Bushroot and Sholmes assess the threat she poses, sharpened minds making note of her injuries and her limping form. She hadn't even crossed the BB-barrier. She couldn't be that much of a threat. It didn't appear she was a distraction sent by anyone else, given the lack of anyone around… They look up at ENA and Rainbow Dash, who meet their gazes with a nod. The detectives could remain focused on protecting the encampment - they'd deal with this newcomer.
As ENA hops aboard Dash's back and the horse leaps down, ready to fulfill her duty of protecting ENA at all - at any - cost, Surge pounds her fist into her palm and spits blood upon the ground, determined to show them she can stand against anyone.
BOOM! "Ha ha! Gottem! No scope!" As a battle looms with Sholmes's alliance, Gamer Cat finally scores a hit - but it's not on El Presidente or his allies! "Down with the panopticon!" He offers an impassioned cheer as he watches the pieces of Kingsbourne Alpha scatter, blasted apart by his shot. As he finally started to tire of harassing the politician and his alliance, Gamer Cat had noticed the Scribbling that had been assigned to patrol the area. It had taken some pursuit, though, most of his shots missing the fleeing Scribbling, and only now does he look around, realizing he's not exactly sure where the mini-robot brought him…
…until he whips around, overhearing the crackling of electricity to find his former ally, Surge, whiffing her swings as ENA twirls and dances around her. Frustration growing with every missed punch, she eventually swings a leg out to trip ENA up, but the geometric dancer hops right over her leg with ease, leaving Surge unprepared for Rainbow Dash to come charging in from behind with a headbutt! Down goes Surge, forced into a faceplant as Dash runs to her side, lifting a hoof and slamming it down upon the Tenrec! A sickening crack accompanies Surge's cry. Dash lifts her hoof again, and once again down it goes - but not on the Tenrec's spine this time! The horse sets her hoof down prematurely and nearly stumbles as a gunshot goes off, her head whirling around in ENA's direction. But there's no need to be concerned for ENA, the bullet passing by and striking the pillar, a mere distraction. ENA casts a wary glance at the shooter, catching just a glimpse of Gamer Cat running off. He had given his former ally a fighting chance, and that was, for him, enough.
And as it turns out, it's enough for Surge, too! She takes advantage of the distraction, mustering what energy she still has and leaping at Rainbow Dash, grabbing her neck and pumping electricity into the horse - to ENA's horror! Dash writhes like Shmaluigi before her, twitching as her colorful mane stands on end, beginning to char. The horse's back hindlegs even go limp as Surge keeps her locked in a chokehold!
And just as quickly as it had began, it ends. Rainbow Dash falls to the ground - and so too does Surge's arm, sliced clean through by a grass sword. With Sholmes staying in place to guard the encampment, Bushroot rushes over to defend his allies, his sword already slithering back to him. Surge's face scrunches, but she stays silent through the pain, still ready to stand against the panting and gasping horse, the weird woman in suspenders, even the plant coming at her, ready to show all of them what she's made of!
Quickly, they all discover that, whatever she's made of, it's not enough to survive a horse kicking her in the face, Rainbow Dash exacting her revenge with a swift kick of her hindlegs that knocks Surge to the ground, down and out for the count.
With Surge defeated, the alliance takes a moment to catch their collective breath and regroup, Rainbow Dash leaning on ENA as they climb back up the pillar, guarded by Bushroot.
Elsewhere in the arena, though…
"El Presidente's brilliant leadership has kept you safe and secure through that cat's terrorism! Now, for the spirit of our great alliance, you will go out and gather supplies and bring them back to our bas-! No, on second thought, I should inspect what you gather before even we trouble El Presidente. Bring your finds to me for inspection first," El Presidente's advisor had told Marge and Wright Forde as they crept outside of their foundations-only shelter for the first time since the battle had begun. With Gamer Cat having finally given up, and the Robotic Alliance preoccupied with their skirmishes in the distance, they had a prime opportunity to go and do a little scavenging.
Listening to the distant sounds of battle to ensure they aren't getting closer, Marge bends down and dusts off a hat - Shmwario's lost hat, in fact, taking it in her hands to carry back with her, alongside a tennis racket she had taken from Shmaluigi's corpse. Having headed in the other direction, daring to risk getting close to the ongoing skirmish, Wright Forde, on the other hand, has little luck, scanning the ground for anything usable and finding nothing but fired bullets lodged into the earth.
What a shame… He couldn't find anything useful, and there wasn't even anyone around to shill The 'Shroom too! What a tragedy! At least it had been safe so far. Head hanging low, he idly kicks some gravel aside, sighing with disappointment as, unsurprisingly, he finds nothing underneath it.
And then he hears it.
He perks up immediately, snapping to attention, all too aware that the approaching footsteps could be competitors deadset on taking him out. Quick action and a well-timed duck leave the egg flying at him soaring over his head, his gaze settling on its source - Glitz Yoshi, with Toadette riding on his saddle and chucking the eggs on his behalf. Yep, he works out quickly, recognizing the blonde running beside the Yoshi from Palette Swap stories, that's Cayde and her alliance, with Rimi-rin acting as rear guard. He watches as they go by, tossing another egg at Marge, the defensive potshots meant to keep any potential pursuers at bay. Yolk drips down the tennis racket now claimed by Marge, and she, too, watches as Cayde's alliance runs off into the distance…
…of into the distance… where they couldn't be told about the newspaper, or how El Presidente's leadership had kept the group safe, where they couldn't be persuaded to combine their alliances, where they couldn't swap supplies…
Wright Forde takes off in pursuit, breaking into a sprint, breath barely keeping pace with his lungs' demands for more. The world wooshes by in a blur, Marge devolving into a smear of yellow and blue as he passes even her behind! His eyes focus on Rimi, the bassist the only thing clear in his sight, growing, growing, growing as he closes the gap…
Closer! CLOSER! CLOSER! Finally, he draws near enough to know he must be seen, throwing a hand up in a wave and calling out. "WOULD YOU LIKE TO DISCUSS AN ALLIANCE, PERHA-AAAAAH-!" The blurred world begins to revolve. He stumbles, tossed into a whirling, tumbling fall, Rimi and her allies shrinking in the distance…
With a deep, wistful sigh, he shakes his head and pulls himself up, looking behind him for the source of whatever he may have tripped over… and spotting a little snake-like toy with a sponge? Kingsbourne Gamma sits there overturned and disoriented from Wright Forde stepping on it as they converged in their pursuit of Cayde's alliance. Through its eye, TPG2 sees Wright Ford's puzzled face, the Toad tilting his head in confusion before seeming to spark up with utter delight.
From there? Blackness. For what the king cannot see, now blinded in a third eye, is Wright Forde wresting free the sponge from Kingsbourne Gamma, elated to finally have found a useful supply! Leaving the other half of Gamma on the ground as trash, Wright Forde cheerfully tucks the sponge under his cap and whistles a jaunty tune as he heads back to El Presidente's abode.
Elsewhere, as Nobu reaches a vantage point on the central stage, she clutches her knee as she looks over the brawl. On the one hand, she could try to form a new alliance, to carry her through the next part of the battle... but it would be a temporary alliance, and she knows it would be one. On the other hand, she could skip to the fun part. Take them ALL on. What would be the point of a victory if she only obtained it through minor skirmishes, through the occasional encounter?
So, with a laugh, as Nobu mounts the stage, her connection to hell lets her cast a summoning spell, and several high-caliber guns appear behind her. "HELLO, WORLD!" Nobu screams, as she begins to take aim... everywhere. The real reason she had gone for the center stage was to claim the advantage of sheer range, and with that, she begins to fire on anyone in range. The first bullets and blasts begin to rain down upon Punished Luigi and the Erudite Goose, the Goose looking moderately perturbed at the way that they ruffle and singe his feathers. At the distance she's at, Nobu can barely even come within a country mile of them, but a stray shot is always a danger, and Punished Luigi sighs. "Can't believe I'm taking this risk again..." he says, before he drops into an army crawl, beginning to approach the Center Stage. The Goose looks on, before following him in the same way.
Others are finding it much more difficult to move past Nobu's omnidirectional fire, the girlboss of hell blasting anything and everything that moves within her range. Even as El Presidente and his advisor watch on, Marge tinkering with the remains of Kingsbourne Gamma and fitting it together with the tennis racket, Wright Forde Shroom tries to get a closer look. "Sir, the bullets are absurd! We can't just run out there!" "He speaks truth, my Presidente. We must find a safer way."
"Hmmm." Before the Presidente can formulate a plan, though, one of the raygun blasts catches Wright on his head, searing a vicious-looking line along the poor Toad's cap. He stumbles, Marge wincing and the advisor shaking his head at Wright's injury. The group pulls back, Presidente taking notice as Renne uses her magnet power to bring up a shield of metal, some scrap metal lying around united together into a defensive barrier behind which Renne and her alliance hunker down. A couple others take advantage of the relative safe space caused by this, both Mr. Xehanort and Virovirobun staying far away but close enough to avoid the bullets. Elsewhere in the arena, Candice is currently running, jumping behind a chunk of rubble and watching as Prince Peach and Seam use the Shadow Crystals again, this time to avoid the bullets by letting the shadows consume them entirely. Banishing the bullets is keeping their group safe, but the shadow crystals are beginning to run concerningly low...
TPG2 cares not for bullets, the glorious golden mech standing proudly as Nobu's bullets clatter off its body, bouncing to the ground uselessly. Quickbot and Gamecube would be in much worse shape if they were trying to absorb the impacts in the same way, but with their current position hunkered down inside TPG2, they're pretty safe at the moment! Similarly, Bushroot has taken the lead to protect his group, the vines he's grown with his green thumb thick enough that Nobu can't just mow them down. Her occasional laser shots would be a threat, but she's busy trying to use those to shoot down TPG2, and he's powering through them as well. They leave more of a mark, slight scorch marks covering his shining face, but TPG2 refuses to back down.
However, where Nobu is finding the most success is with Cayde and her team. Bullets have hemmed them in, the small area they found shelter in barely enough to prevent her from getting a direct line of sight on the group. Toadette is able to easily avoid even the slightest peeking out from behind the rocks they're hunkering down in, but the bullets have creased Rimi's scalp and Cayde's shoulder, leaving both of them singed as Glitz Yoshi tries to figure out a safe way past Nobu. Before they can do anything, though, Nobu's bullets blast chunks of rock loose, leaving them exposed. Nobu smirks, and takes aim-
And behind her, Punished Luigi jumps to his feet, having spent the whole time slowly approaching under fire. The old soldier knows there's no time for banter, and a fair warning is only a young fool's errand, as he grabs Nobu's head and snaps her neck before she can react. The guns vanish as Nobu collapses, Punished Luigi sighing deeply. "I knew I'd never escape the battlefield." The Goose can only shake his head. "Alas, my friend, I wish it could be different for you. The horrors of war shall always follow us home."
With Nobu down and out, people slowly begin to pick themselves up from where they had been pinned down by her attacks, and start spreading out across the map again. Cayde's team starts to approach the east of the arena, noticing that TPG2 is releasing Quickbot and Gamecube again now that it's safe. Mr. Xehanort and Virovirobun quickly head their own directions, neither one fancying their chances against Renne and her team. However, as the metal hovers in the air around Renne and she uses her magnet power to crunch it into a ball, she has a different target in mind.
"Presidente! The idea of having Punished Luigi do all the work for you... absolutely genius!" Presidente's Advisor says, Wright Forde 'Shroom looking a little perturbed by his declaration but Presidente happy to soak up all the praise and glory that the Advisor consistently gives him. "Now, I do believe it is time that we unleash our masterstroke upon the rest. Where should we begin?" "Well, I think we should deal with the young lady heading our way." Marge says, taking a practice swing of the racket. Just in time, as Renne launches the crunched metal ball at the group, Marge hitting it away and successfully lobbing it nearby. Instead of hitting the group, it lands near Mr. Xehanort's BBQ, making the griller jump.
However, the tennis racket looks pretty damaged, and Marge tosses it aside as she watches Cornelius come in. "Hoho! Don't take this personally. It's just your bad luck you happened to be near our group!" the massive rooster declares, picking up a large rock and preparing to hurl it at the alliance. Quickly, El Presidente dramatically sounds retreat, the dictator and his allies running back as Cornelius lobs the rock. It slams into Wright Forde 'Shroom's back, sending him flying. "Presidente! I believe we will have to stand our ground!" the Advisor declares. "Especially you! Lead from the front, my Presidente!"
Even though he knows this might be one of the Advisor's usual tricks, Presidente realizes he's right - Cornelius is already gearing up for another throw. So, as they turn around, Presidente charges forward. This is enough of a surprise to give Cornelius pause, and by the time he puts his foot down, a broken tennis racket is lying there, Marge having tossed the item underneath his foot. Thanks to that, Cornelius gets his foot tangled and his throw goes completely wild, the rock slamming back towards Renne and knocking her scythe out of her hands. She yelps and runs to retrieve it, unable to safely magnet power it back, while Cornelius is still trying to recover from his awkward spill. Scottish Mario jumps over Cornelius, heading for Marge and shoulder-checking her with a powerful impact, while Brennanman shoves Renne aside as he aims for the group.
To his surprise, Brennanman is met by Wright Forde 'Shroom, bravely leaping forward to take him on. Though Brennanman has the size and strength advantage, Wright is a lot faster, able to move in and occasionally punch him without getting hit by those massive punches in return. As Brennanman tries to move in closer, Wright grabs onto his arms, holding them in place and keeping him from swinging, even as he viciously kicks at the Toad. "Alright, Mr. Presidente, sir! I have him held down! We can take him out!"
"Yes." El Presidente says, nodding to his advisor. The two of them both draw guns and aim at Brennanman's wildly moving head. "We can."
Then they lower their aim and start firing, the bullets ripping through Wright Forde 'Shroom first.
They still strike Brennanman's arm, leaving him retreating with only one good arm left, but Wright is clearly down and out. Marge hurls Scottish Mario away, and as Cornelius and Renne recover, the group breaks off to find an easier target, while Marge glares at Presidente. "You shot our ally!"
"So? He had to fall eventually."
"You backstabbed him! I'm not going to work with someone like that. Hmph." Marge begins to walk away from Presidente and his advisor... backwards, keeping an eye on their guns. However, they don't make a move to shoot her, largely out of respect for their previous alliance. "Oh well, Presidente. What do we need of her? We shall recreate the Presidente Alliance ourselves! Let us be off to find a new ally!"
As Presidente and his advisor begin to move around the arena, the last of the four Kingsbournes is scouring the battlefield. Omega has been tasked to keep an eye on the arena, now that most of TPG2's minions have already fallen and Quickbot and Gamecube need to provide some extra power to their glorious king's cause. Looking around at the arena, Oumega decides the best option is to recover material with which his king might be able to craft a successful offense. There! A huge chunk of metal, lying around. How useful!
Oumega scurries towards the material, beginning to pull pieces off of it... only for a blade to suddenly stab into it. Spinning around as it gets skewered, Oumega identifies the assilant: Mr. Xehanort. The robot hadn't realized that it had gotten dangerously close to the master of all grilling, and in order to protect his wonderful party preparations, he needs to overcome all interlopers! Oumega realizes quickly that the grill is the weak link here, the little robot charging at it and knocking it over in an effort to keep the target busy long enough to collect the metal.
However, as the grill topples, rage fills Mr. Xehanort's face. All he entered this match to do was to create the ultimate party, and this creature DARES to interrupt him? Before the Kingsborne can finish a retreat, Xehanort is upon it, stabbing and chopping away with the Key Blade. Oumega falls before his rage, and TPG2 begins to feel concern as its last pair of eyes falls away. Mr. Xehanort returns to his grill, and his rage subsides, as he begins to set it back up. Unaware that two pairs of eyes remain upon him…
But while those two fly off, let's join Corey in getting a metaphorical bird's eye view of the battlefield, shall we? As the mist around what was formerly the mineral pool drifts away, the Investor Alliance - including Clineborg and Fine - regroup at its edges, foregoing a confrontation with Cayde's alliance and the Scribbling trailing them as they pass by, choosing for the moment to keep weaving around the battlefield while only engaging in minor skirmishes to conserve their energy. Speaking of minor skirmishes, up near El Presidente's abode (where Gamer Cat has finally abandoned his position at the old rusted pipe), Punished Luigi and the Erudite Goose find themselves trading limited fire with Nobu and with Candice, unaware she's still pursuing a dangerous parasite trying to get close to the defeated - and strangely familiar - Shmaluigi…
Not far off from this minor skirmish, the Robotic Alliance finds themselves up against a new set of formidable foes, their hopes of making a push towards the central stage again thwarted, this time time by Acraman and his associates, Isabelle in her element as she tosses up the pie TPG2 sends at her and throws it back at the bots, leaving Gamecube covered in delicious key lime. Renne's alliance focuses their efforts on retreating and holding back the dual advance of Death and Grunt on their position, Scottish Mario grappling with the Smackdown star while Grunt's manager keeps an eye on the approaching reaper. Xehanort, having seen Death depart to pursue others, has re-erected his grill and stands alone on the central stage… or so he thinks, Kingsbourne Oumega still crawling about beneath his feet, TPG2 never having taken his eye off the prize.
And Sholmes' alliance? Well, they're doing very well for themselves, still playing defense on the pillar they've claimed, leaving most of their foes hesitant to challenge them. At the pillar's base, a slash of Sholmes' sword scares off Virovirobun, scurrying away with a digitized yelp, while Bushroot's command of the vines wrapped around the pillar make it all too easy to toss away Gangsta Mario before he can line up a shot.
But a new challenger approaches…
The fleeing Virovirobun hops right between her legs on its way out, in fact, Surge the Tenrec grumbling to herself, having finally lost Shmwario when O'Chunks had appeared out of nowhere, trying to grab the portly detective. While those two battled it out, she had wandered over here, grumbling and stretching her aching limbs. Some alliance it had turned out she joined…
Nearing Sholmes' pillar, she looks up to see two faces peering down at her, one equine and the other angular and colored in blue and yellow. Who did they think they were? Literally looking down upon her like this!? Growling, she kicks a loose rock at the duo… and misses them by a country mile, the rock doing nothing but alerting the rest of the alliance to her presence. Bushroot and Sholmes assess the threat she poses, sharpened minds making note of her injuries and her limping form. She hadn't even crossed the BB-barrier. She couldn't be that much of a threat. It didn't appear she was a distraction sent by anyone else, given the lack of anyone around… They look up at ENA and Rainbow Dash, who meet their gazes with a nod. The detectives could remain focused on protecting the encampment - they'd deal with this newcomer.
As ENA hops aboard Dash's back and the horse leaps down, ready to fulfill her duty of protecting ENA at all - at any - cost, Surge pounds her fist into her palm and spits blood upon the ground, determined to show them she can stand against anyone.
BOOM! "Ha ha! Gottem! No scope!" As a battle looms with Sholmes's alliance, Gamer Cat finally scores a hit - but it's not on El Presidente or his allies! "Down with the panopticon!" He offers an impassioned cheer as he watches the pieces of Kingsbourne Alpha scatter, blasted apart by his shot. As he finally started to tire of harassing the politician and his alliance, Gamer Cat had noticed the Scribbling that had been assigned to patrol the area. It had taken some pursuit, though, most of his shots missing the fleeing Scribbling, and only now does he look around, realizing he's not exactly sure where the mini-robot brought him…
…until he whips around, overhearing the crackling of electricity to find his former ally, Surge, whiffing her swings as ENA twirls and dances around her. Frustration growing with every missed punch, she eventually swings a leg out to trip ENA up, but the geometric dancer hops right over her leg with ease, leaving Surge unprepared for Rainbow Dash to come charging in from behind with a headbutt! Down goes Surge, forced into a faceplant as Dash runs to her side, lifting a hoof and slamming it down upon the Tenrec! A sickening crack accompanies Surge's cry. Dash lifts her hoof again, and once again down it goes - but not on the Tenrec's spine this time! The horse sets her hoof down prematurely and nearly stumbles as a gunshot goes off, her head whirling around in ENA's direction. But there's no need to be concerned for ENA, the bullet passing by and striking the pillar, a mere distraction. ENA casts a wary glance at the shooter, catching just a glimpse of Gamer Cat running off. He had given his former ally a fighting chance, and that was, for him, enough.
And as it turns out, it's enough for Surge, too! She takes advantage of the distraction, mustering what energy she still has and leaping at Rainbow Dash, grabbing her neck and pumping electricity into the horse - to ENA's horror! Dash writhes like Shmaluigi before her, twitching as her colorful mane stands on end, beginning to char. The horse's back hindlegs even go limp as Surge keeps her locked in a chokehold!
And just as quickly as it had began, it ends. Rainbow Dash falls to the ground - and so too does Surge's arm, sliced clean through by a grass sword. With Sholmes staying in place to guard the encampment, Bushroot rushes over to defend his allies, his sword already slithering back to him. Surge's face scrunches, but she stays silent through the pain, still ready to stand against the panting and gasping horse, the weird woman in suspenders, even the plant coming at her, ready to show all of them what she's made of!
Quickly, they all discover that, whatever she's made of, it's not enough to survive a horse kicking her in the face, Rainbow Dash exacting her revenge with a swift kick of her hindlegs that knocks Surge to the ground, down and out for the count.
With Surge defeated, the alliance takes a moment to catch their collective breath and regroup, Rainbow Dash leaning on ENA as they climb back up the pillar, guarded by Bushroot.
Elsewhere in the arena, though…
"El Presidente's brilliant leadership has kept you safe and secure through that cat's terrorism! Now, for the spirit of our great alliance, you will go out and gather supplies and bring them back to our bas-! No, on second thought, I should inspect what you gather before even we trouble El Presidente. Bring your finds to me for inspection first," El Presidente's advisor had told Marge and Wright Forde as they crept outside of their foundations-only shelter for the first time since the battle had begun. With Gamer Cat having finally given up, and the Robotic Alliance preoccupied with their skirmishes in the distance, they had a prime opportunity to go and do a little scavenging.
Listening to the distant sounds of battle to ensure they aren't getting closer, Marge bends down and dusts off a hat - Shmwario's lost hat, in fact, taking it in her hands to carry back with her, alongside a tennis racket she had taken from Shmaluigi's corpse. Having headed in the other direction, daring to risk getting close to the ongoing skirmish, Wright Forde, on the other hand, has little luck, scanning the ground for anything usable and finding nothing but fired bullets lodged into the earth.
What a shame… He couldn't find anything useful, and there wasn't even anyone around to shill The 'Shroom too! What a tragedy! At least it had been safe so far. Head hanging low, he idly kicks some gravel aside, sighing with disappointment as, unsurprisingly, he finds nothing underneath it.
And then he hears it.
He perks up immediately, snapping to attention, all too aware that the approaching footsteps could be competitors deadset on taking him out. Quick action and a well-timed duck leave the egg flying at him soaring over his head, his gaze settling on its source - Glitz Yoshi, with Toadette riding on his saddle and chucking the eggs on his behalf. Yep, he works out quickly, recognizing the blonde running beside the Yoshi from Palette Swap stories, that's Cayde and her alliance, with Rimi-rin acting as rear guard. He watches as they go by, tossing another egg at Marge, the defensive potshots meant to keep any potential pursuers at bay. Yolk drips down the tennis racket now claimed by Marge, and she, too, watches as Cayde's alliance runs off into the distance…
…of into the distance… where they couldn't be told about the newspaper, or how El Presidente's leadership had kept the group safe, where they couldn't be persuaded to combine their alliances, where they couldn't swap supplies…
Wright Forde takes off in pursuit, breaking into a sprint, breath barely keeping pace with his lungs' demands for more. The world wooshes by in a blur, Marge devolving into a smear of yellow and blue as he passes even her behind! His eyes focus on Rimi, the bassist the only thing clear in his sight, growing, growing, growing as he closes the gap…
Closer! CLOSER! CLOSER! Finally, he draws near enough to know he must be seen, throwing a hand up in a wave and calling out. "WOULD YOU LIKE TO DISCUSS AN ALLIANCE, PERHA-AAAAAH-!" The blurred world begins to revolve. He stumbles, tossed into a whirling, tumbling fall, Rimi and her allies shrinking in the distance…
With a deep, wistful sigh, he shakes his head and pulls himself up, looking behind him for the source of whatever he may have tripped over… and spotting a little snake-like toy with a sponge? Kingsbourne Gamma sits there overturned and disoriented from Wright Forde stepping on it as they converged in their pursuit of Cayde's alliance. Through its eye, TPG2 sees Wright Ford's puzzled face, the Toad tilting his head in confusion before seeming to spark up with utter delight.
From there? Blackness. For what the king cannot see, now blinded in a third eye, is Wright Forde wresting free the sponge from Kingsbourne Gamma, elated to finally have found a useful supply! Leaving the other half of Gamma on the ground as trash, Wright Forde cheerfully tucks the sponge under his cap and whistles a jaunty tune as he heads back to El Presidente's abode.
Elsewhere, as Nobu reaches a vantage point on the central stage, she clutches her knee as she looks over the brawl. On the one hand, she could try to form a new alliance, to carry her through the next part of the battle... but it would be a temporary alliance, and she knows it would be one. On the other hand, she could skip to the fun part. Take them ALL on. What would be the point of a victory if she only obtained it through minor skirmishes, through the occasional encounter?
So, with a laugh, as Nobu mounts the stage, her connection to hell lets her cast a summoning spell, and several high-caliber guns appear behind her. "HELLO, WORLD!" Nobu screams, as she begins to take aim... everywhere. The real reason she had gone for the center stage was to claim the advantage of sheer range, and with that, she begins to fire on anyone in range. The first bullets and blasts begin to rain down upon Punished Luigi and the Erudite Goose, the Goose looking moderately perturbed at the way that they ruffle and singe his feathers. At the distance she's at, Nobu can barely even come within a country mile of them, but a stray shot is always a danger, and Punished Luigi sighs. "Can't believe I'm taking this risk again..." he says, before he drops into an army crawl, beginning to approach the Center Stage. The Goose looks on, before following him in the same way.
Others are finding it much more difficult to move past Nobu's omnidirectional fire, the girlboss of hell blasting anything and everything that moves within her range. Even as El Presidente and his advisor watch on, Marge tinkering with the remains of Kingsbourne Gamma and fitting it together with the tennis racket, Wright Forde Shroom tries to get a closer look. "Sir, the bullets are absurd! We can't just run out there!" "He speaks truth, my Presidente. We must find a safer way."
"Hmmm." Before the Presidente can formulate a plan, though, one of the raygun blasts catches Wright on his head, searing a vicious-looking line along the poor Toad's cap. He stumbles, Marge wincing and the advisor shaking his head at Wright's injury. The group pulls back, Presidente taking notice as Renne uses her magnet power to bring up a shield of metal, some scrap metal lying around united together into a defensive barrier behind which Renne and her alliance hunker down. A couple others take advantage of the relative safe space caused by this, both Mr. Xehanort and Virovirobun staying far away but close enough to avoid the bullets. Elsewhere in the arena, Candice is currently running, jumping behind a chunk of rubble and watching as Prince Peach and Seam use the Shadow Crystals again, this time to avoid the bullets by letting the shadows consume them entirely. Banishing the bullets is keeping their group safe, but the shadow crystals are beginning to run concerningly low...
TPG2 cares not for bullets, the glorious golden mech standing proudly as Nobu's bullets clatter off its body, bouncing to the ground uselessly. Quickbot and Gamecube would be in much worse shape if they were trying to absorb the impacts in the same way, but with their current position hunkered down inside TPG2, they're pretty safe at the moment! Similarly, Bushroot has taken the lead to protect his group, the vines he's grown with his green thumb thick enough that Nobu can't just mow them down. Her occasional laser shots would be a threat, but she's busy trying to use those to shoot down TPG2, and he's powering through them as well. They leave more of a mark, slight scorch marks covering his shining face, but TPG2 refuses to back down.
However, where Nobu is finding the most success is with Cayde and her team. Bullets have hemmed them in, the small area they found shelter in barely enough to prevent her from getting a direct line of sight on the group. Toadette is able to easily avoid even the slightest peeking out from behind the rocks they're hunkering down in, but the bullets have creased Rimi's scalp and Cayde's shoulder, leaving both of them singed as Glitz Yoshi tries to figure out a safe way past Nobu. Before they can do anything, though, Nobu's bullets blast chunks of rock loose, leaving them exposed. Nobu smirks, and takes aim-
And behind her, Punished Luigi jumps to his feet, having spent the whole time slowly approaching under fire. The old soldier knows there's no time for banter, and a fair warning is only a young fool's errand, as he grabs Nobu's head and snaps her neck before she can react. The guns vanish as Nobu collapses, Punished Luigi sighing deeply. "I knew I'd never escape the battlefield." The Goose can only shake his head. "Alas, my friend, I wish it could be different for you. The horrors of war shall always follow us home."
With Nobu down and out, people slowly begin to pick themselves up from where they had been pinned down by her attacks, and start spreading out across the map again. Cayde's team starts to approach the east of the arena, noticing that TPG2 is releasing Quickbot and Gamecube again now that it's safe. Mr. Xehanort and Virovirobun quickly head their own directions, neither one fancying their chances against Renne and her team. However, as the metal hovers in the air around Renne and she uses her magnet power to crunch it into a ball, she has a different target in mind.
"Presidente! The idea of having Punished Luigi do all the work for you... absolutely genius!" Presidente's Advisor says, Wright Forde 'Shroom looking a little perturbed by his declaration but Presidente happy to soak up all the praise and glory that the Advisor consistently gives him. "Now, I do believe it is time that we unleash our masterstroke upon the rest. Where should we begin?" "Well, I think we should deal with the young lady heading our way." Marge says, taking a practice swing of the racket. Just in time, as Renne launches the crunched metal ball at the group, Marge hitting it away and successfully lobbing it nearby. Instead of hitting the group, it lands near Mr. Xehanort's BBQ, making the griller jump.
However, the tennis racket looks pretty damaged, and Marge tosses it aside as she watches Cornelius come in. "Hoho! Don't take this personally. It's just your bad luck you happened to be near our group!" the massive rooster declares, picking up a large rock and preparing to hurl it at the alliance. Quickly, El Presidente dramatically sounds retreat, the dictator and his allies running back as Cornelius lobs the rock. It slams into Wright Forde 'Shroom's back, sending him flying. "Presidente! I believe we will have to stand our ground!" the Advisor declares. "Especially you! Lead from the front, my Presidente!"
Even though he knows this might be one of the Advisor's usual tricks, Presidente realizes he's right - Cornelius is already gearing up for another throw. So, as they turn around, Presidente charges forward. This is enough of a surprise to give Cornelius pause, and by the time he puts his foot down, a broken tennis racket is lying there, Marge having tossed the item underneath his foot. Thanks to that, Cornelius gets his foot tangled and his throw goes completely wild, the rock slamming back towards Renne and knocking her scythe out of her hands. She yelps and runs to retrieve it, unable to safely magnet power it back, while Cornelius is still trying to recover from his awkward spill. Scottish Mario jumps over Cornelius, heading for Marge and shoulder-checking her with a powerful impact, while Brennanman shoves Renne aside as he aims for the group.
To his surprise, Brennanman is met by Wright Forde 'Shroom, bravely leaping forward to take him on. Though Brennanman has the size and strength advantage, Wright is a lot faster, able to move in and occasionally punch him without getting hit by those massive punches in return. As Brennanman tries to move in closer, Wright grabs onto his arms, holding them in place and keeping him from swinging, even as he viciously kicks at the Toad. "Alright, Mr. Presidente, sir! I have him held down! We can take him out!"
"Yes." El Presidente says, nodding to his advisor. The two of them both draw guns and aim at Brennanman's wildly moving head. "We can."
Then they lower their aim and start firing, the bullets ripping through Wright Forde 'Shroom first.
They still strike Brennanman's arm, leaving him retreating with only one good arm left, but Wright is clearly down and out. Marge hurls Scottish Mario away, and as Cornelius and Renne recover, the group breaks off to find an easier target, while Marge glares at Presidente. "You shot our ally!"
"So? He had to fall eventually."
"You backstabbed him! I'm not going to work with someone like that. Hmph." Marge begins to walk away from Presidente and his advisor... backwards, keeping an eye on their guns. However, they don't make a move to shoot her, largely out of respect for their previous alliance. "Oh well, Presidente. What do we need of her? We shall recreate the Presidente Alliance ourselves! Let us be off to find a new ally!"
As Presidente and his advisor begin to move around the arena, the last of the four Kingsbournes is scouring the battlefield. Omega has been tasked to keep an eye on the arena, now that most of TPG2's minions have already fallen and Quickbot and Gamecube need to provide some extra power to their glorious king's cause. Looking around at the arena, Oumega decides the best option is to recover material with which his king might be able to craft a successful offense. There! A huge chunk of metal, lying around. How useful!
Oumega scurries towards the material, beginning to pull pieces off of it... only for a blade to suddenly stab into it. Spinning around as it gets skewered, Oumega identifies the assilant: Mr. Xehanort. The robot hadn't realized that it had gotten dangerously close to the master of all grilling, and in order to protect his wonderful party preparations, he needs to overcome all interlopers! Oumega realizes quickly that the grill is the weak link here, the little robot charging at it and knocking it over in an effort to keep the target busy long enough to collect the metal.
However, as the grill topples, rage fills Mr. Xehanort's face. All he entered this match to do was to create the ultimate party, and this creature DARES to interrupt him? Before the Kingsborne can finish a retreat, Xehanort is upon it, stabbing and chopping away with the Key Blade. Oumega falls before his rage, and TPG2 begins to feel concern as its last pair of eyes falls away. Mr. Xehanort returns to his grill, and his rage subsides, as he begins to set it back up. Unaware that two pairs of eyes remain upon him…
- Pronouns
- They
- MarioWiki
- Roserade
- Thread starter
- #106
Part 4
Elsewhere, as the shifting locations of the alliances bring people together, one alliance is still trying to shake a couple members. "Senpaaaai!" BB says, continuing to cling onto Sholmes' arm. "You HAVE to let me help with the next fight! Come on, we'll make this the greatest battle yet together!" "While I appreciate the offer of help, our group is already rather large." Sholmes says, gesturing to Bushroot, ENA, and Rainbow Dash. "If we run into a major enemy, we could simply get in each others way. Perhaps you should continue to protect our back?" "Awwww. But that's boring..."
Though BB whines, Sholmes' suggestion may have some value, for, even now, enemies approach…
"A splendid acquisition, if I do say so as the one who made it possible," Prince Peach not-so-humbly boasts, holding aloft and inspecting a vial of Beedle's poison as he makes his way towards Sholmes' pillar, Beedle himself hanging back with the Ernest Bros. to serve as the second wave attack. Sholmes and his crew were well-entrenched, and it wasn't difficult in the slightest to work out that BB and Rei, standing around and keeping watch, were just the first line of defense. They'd let their allies serve as the distraction for the guards, and then they'd slip past to engage with Sholmes and Bushroot.
But yes, that's allies in the plural, for Prince Peach isn't marching on the alliance solo, the old plush cat Seam trundling along behind him. "Should've asked for his cards," mutters the ragged cat, flashing a grin and letting loose a laugh. "We'll need entertainment for the trip back down!"
"Your ears must be filled with cotton to think the plan I draw up for our alliance won't succeed," the Prince retorts as she reaches back and holds an expectant hand out, forcing the cat to dig for one of the few remaining Shadow Crystals in their robe.
But as they advance, they're kept under observation, Bushroot having ascended the toppled pillar at Rainbow Dash's behest, spotting not only the approaching duo, but their allies in the rear, as well. "We have company approaching us," he calls down to Sholmes. "There are more behind them! I've seen this used before! It's a feint! They'll use their opening attack as a diversion!"
"A feint, is it?" Sholmes ponders the report for a moment, "Reginald, follow behind me," he says, motioning for his partner to come along.
Meanwhile, down in the defensive perimeter around the pillar… "Ah… Miss BB," Rei mutters, pointing to the approaching Prince of the Underwhere, "it seems we have company…"
"Alright! Seeeeeenpaaaaaai! I hope you're watching! It's time for BB-chan to show her dazzling fighting prowess! Matcha! Turn on the pole!" BB jumps excitedly as she gives her order to Rei, her beleaguered partner concentrating his energy to activate his makeshift telephone pole. A clink-clink-clink rings out as the pole's aura pulses outward, an invisible attraction causing Prince Peach's crystal to spill from his hands, rolling across the ground towards the pole, where Rei quickly steps on it, its powers suppressed to the point where the dark energies within emerge only as wisps of escaping vapor.
"Now! Do it now!" Prince Peach shouts out a command, and Rei and BB brace themselves for a magical assault, trusting in Rei's pole to redirect and blunt whatever the old mage throws at them. Their eyes settle on Seam, watching as the cat flings his paws open wide in a grand theatrical gesture, throwing out… thread?
It rapidly unspools as Seam feeds more of it out, threads wrapping around Rei, catching the former Communications Offer by surprise and leaving his arms pinned tightly to his sides. Magic, he was equipped to deal with, but not sewing equipment! "Matcha, leave it to BB!" His partner calls out, bringing out her knife and making a break for Rei – only to get pelted by an inert Shadow Crystal, Seam holding their spool with one paw and chucking the crystal with their other.
As BB rubs her cheek, Prince Peach makes his move, no longer resisting the attraction of Rei's pole, but embracing it, letting it carry him forward as he dashes towards his enemy, magic off the table, but physical attacks certainly not! His hand brushes against his hair as he swipes the crown from his own head, jamming into Rei as he draws near, tearing through some of his bindings in the process but still embedding those pointed tips into Rei and leaving the ex-Communications Officer stumbling backwards.
Meanwhile, BB finds herself facing Seam, the old cat likewise unable to access their magic, and sliding across the ground in fits and starts as they struggle against Rei's pole, but still able to handily wield their seam ripper to menace BB. A sweeping strike forces BB back, fending off her attempt to swipe at the plush with her knife. Though having dressed the field to their advantage, BB and Rei find themselves on the backfoot against the duo risen from the depths, Prince Peach grabbing Rei and pulling him in close to deliver a cheek-reddening backhanded slap and Seam managing to pierce BB with their tool!
And that's what prompts Beedle to speak up! "We should get moving," he tells Clineborg and Fine, the three of them taking off, intent on running directly through the skirmish – until a voice calls out behind them.
"Gentlemen! If it's an engagement you want, nothing precludes our having it here!" They whirl around to see Sholmes behind them, brandishing the Danteleon! Was this risky? Yes, as it did leave Dash and ENA open if any part of the plan went awry. But was it worth the theatrics? Oh, yes, absolutely! And if all went according to plan, it would work spectacularly! Metal rattles as he shoots forth Danteleon from his gauntlet, Beedle narrowly avoiding the projectile as he leaps to the side – right into one of Bushroot's vines, its accelerated growth letting it snake all the way from being wrapped around the toppled pillar to grabbing Beedle by the ankle. Sholmes, with complete confidence, turns to the Ernest cousins and bows his head to them. "I should warn you, however. My weapon conceals multiple hidden functions, one of which," he half-lies through an omission of truth, "can disable in an instant all manners of beings depending on circuitry."
"THIS REMINDS CLINEBORG OF THE DAY AFTER."
"We should leave," Ernest Fine tells his cousin, not ready to take that kind of risk, the Fine Cousins retreating and leaving Beedle to face off against the duo on his lonesome.
"Ohhh…." Beedle says, dejectedly, realizing that he's in a pretty bad position. He hucks one of his playing cards through the vine restraining his ankle, letting the card split in half and turn into a poisoned sponge, its leaking toxins seeping into the damaged vine. Against the backdrop of Bushroot's horrified gasp, Beedle makes a run for it, fleeing from the confrontation in hopes of living and fighting another day.
Which seems to be something that Rei and BB will not be doing, both of them tied up in Seam's thread now, Rei badly battered by Prince Peach. "Disable your pole," the Prince commands, pressing the points of her now-stained crown into Rei's cheek. He complies, if reluctantly, and, now free of worry, Seam waltzes over and places the last Shadow Crystal on their person in Prince Peach's open palm. BB watches the whole thing with a creeping sense of dread, her pupils shaking as her mind races.
She had, at most, seconds to do something – anything! What could she do? What could she do?
"Waaaaaait!" In a panic, she lets instinct take over, calling out just as Prince Peach begins to draw power from the crystal. "Hold on! You haven't made a statement yet! You can't just get on BB-Channel without telling all the listeners how you came up with this strategy!"
"What?" Prince Peach seems more annoyed than taken aback. "I assure you, I can amass a following without your little broadcast," he says, ready to get on with ending the battle. "I already have prominent connections and favors at my disposal. What would compel me to divulge my successful strategies and surrender an advantage to my opponents?"
"Don't seem to recall that stoppin' you in that factory," Seam jumps in with a chuckle. "Didn't know until that day that one clown could be the entire circus!"
"Ha! As if you found any more success amidst those fumes! If you could be said to have any success there, it was confirming the adage about curiosity killing the cat!"
BB's mind runs in overdrive, steam practically pouring from her ears as she focuses in on one fact, more important than any other. She had just delayed her defeat. She quickly chimes in again. "What's that? Was this prince a member of the circus? What else is hiding in his history? Come on, you've gooooot to tell everyone's favorite host!"
"Ha ha ha! If killin' Texas ain't story enough, perhaps hearing how she had to go on the run from the Underchomp will!"
"Oh please, you old thrift-store find! The intrigue of that story pales in comparison to your loss during our betting on the chariot races!"
"Hmm, guess you're right. Can't leave the details out of that one, though," the cat says with a grin. "The Prince here had Skellobits pulling the chariots! Wouldn't think skeletons could do it, but get a team of 'em, and it's possible."
"Oh, don't go starting that far back! Lead with the collision!"
"Oh, but I want to hear everything from the start!" BB jumps in, faux-whining her way into getting the two to keep going with the story as she notices, in the periphery of her vision, Rei beginning to slip his arm out of his bindings. BB keeps the two of them distracted, caught up in their typical bickering, and Rei, pulling his land loose of the threads and cutting the rest with his nails, unnoticed by his enemies, grabs his hammer.
He finally garners Prince Peach's attention when his hammer crashes into the Prince's chest, shattering his brooch and sending him staggering backwards. Brought back into the battle, Prince Peach slams her hand into a fist, crushing the Shadow Crystal within and releasing its magic all at once, a great burst of infernal flame rising up around the four combatants at her behest, whipping itself into a fiery vortex, a tornado from the depths unleashed upon the land off the living!
But only for a moment, BB and Rei only having to bear the swirling flames for seconds as Rei, now free, reactive his pole, siphoning power from the vortex, leaving the funnel convulsing and undulating, Prince Peach stepping back in shock and Seam looking on, equal parts surprised and curious. BB bows her head and takes a chomp out of her bindings, using her self-described devilish teeth (actually only of average sharpness) to cut through the thread and rushing at Seam with her knife. She plunges it into the cat and tears stitches from their fabric. Simultaneously, as her damning flames sputter and blaze out, Rei rushes Prince Peach, rattling her head with a blow from his hammer.
After just a few moments and a few more blows, the Prince falls, his ally crumbling into fabric and fluff as BB finishes slicing into them.
As Sholmes and Bushroot return and BB and Rei begin to catch their breath, the duo from the depths begin the long trip back to the Underwhere… Or, well, rather, actually find themselves stuck in a sort of metaphysical waiting room, held in stasis by Corey's power, but, details, details.
Over in the west side of the arena, a different group of alliances have run into each other. Or ex-alliance members in one case. Shmwario is currently talking with Sirius, trying to get in on the team that he's formed with Acraman and Isabelle. "Hohohoho." Sirius says, laughing. "More is not better! We need to be careful. Our team is blessed by the stars, but someone who lost his partner so early... how could we support that?"
"Hey, hey! Don't be like that! You know that I can carry you far! Come on, we've gotta investigate this together!"
"I hate to say it, but I agree with Sirius here." Acraman says. "I can't see what you add to us."
While Shmwario tries to get back on the alliance, El Presidente and his advisor sneak up behind the group, and then call out. "Hellooooo!" the Advisor says. "Hola! I believe I heard you need a compadre or two? Well, who better than El Presidente?" The man himself waves, as the two of them approach with open arms. Isabelle nudges Acraman, who nods to her, before shooing off Shmwario. "Yes, I think we've got a better chance with you. Please, walk and talk." The new group of five walks off, leaving behind Shmwario to be alone and dejected.
As they walk, the Advisor takes the lead in talking, gesticulating repeatedly while he speaks. "It is your lucky day, my friends! El Presidente is a true tactical genius! We will all find a victory, when El Presidente does the impossible and shows how more than one person can win this deathmatch!"
"Didn't you have a different group?" Isabelle comments. "I saw you running around with the blue-haired woman and the Toad. Where are they?"
"Ahhh, the glorious revolution is unforgiving, I am afraid." The Advisor comments, while shaking his head. "They could not stand against the slings and arrows of our enemies. They fell bravely, but we must carry on for them!"
"Fell bravely... hoho. I do notice you are unharmed, sir?" Sirius asks, but the Advisor only says "They gave their lives for us! But you will not need to do the same. Together, we are one!"
"Hmmmmm. ...Alright. You've sold us." Acraman says, getting questioning looks from Isabelle and Sirius, but simply nodding to them as they continue along. "Now, we should discuss strategy and location." "Ah yes! Location!" says the Advisor. "Yes, let us proceed to this vantage point we discovered."
The group begins to walk towards the vantage point. As they do, the Advisor slowly drops behind the rest, to walk alongside his Presidente. The two of them smirk at each other, another group of fools in their trap. Slowly, Presidente draws his gun. Slowly, his advisor does likewise. Together, they begin to raise their weapons, pointing them at Sirius and Acraman. They prepare to fire.
That's when in a swift move, Sirius and Acraman turn around, unleashing the full power of two Masonic relics! A paralyzing force locks the Advisor in place, and as he panics, a blinding flash of energy slams right into his front. The Advisor collapses, down and out, while Presidente looks at them, looks at his defeated ally, and runs for the hills. The relics need to charge, or they'd take out the Presidente too, but this is still progress.
"Hmmm." Acraman says, allowing himself a rare smile. "Not bad. Thank you for playing along."
"Hohoho. Of course I knew you had a trick up your sleeve the whole time!" "...I thought he was going to betray us but that you hadn't noticed. I'm glad you're not that oblivious."
While Presidente runs, he sees Shmwario, now being confronted by Ernest Fine and Ernest Clineborg. The two of them are both trying to grab him, Clineborg raining down cannon blasts upon Shmwario while Fine tries to grab him, finding Shmwario to be a lot more difficult to keep up with than you'd think. With the Investor Alliance torn apart by BB and Rei, the Ernest cousins knew there was only one pair they could count on - each other. Thus they didn't even try to recruit Shmwario, just to fight him!
As the Ernests collide with Shmwario, Mr. Xehanort's own plans are reaching their grand conclusion. That of... finally getting his burgers grilling! While he begins to tend to the meat, cooking it to perfection, the Goose watches it in awe, clenching his pipe more and more. "I... I feel a primal need, my good man." "A what?" asks Punished Luigi. "I have long resisted the urge innate in all of my kind, the urge to ruin someone else's lovely day for no reason. I have suppressed it for far too long.
But... I must. I must embrace it now, for I cannot withstand it forever. Do not forget the goose I was, Punished Luigi. Carry my memory." With that, the Goose removes his pipe from his mouth, and hands it to Punished Luigi. He stands silently for a minute.
Then, in a burst of frenzied honking, he charges towards the BBQ. Mr. Xehanort turns around at the sound in confusion, only to be met with a flurry of feathers as the Goose slams into his face, flailing its wings and pecking at the old man as he struggles and swings around. His knife comes down and slices off some of the feathers, the Goose falling away from Mr. Xehanort even as it pecks at his blade, the Key Blade getting pulled out of Mr. Xehanort's hands and checking off one of the tasks. Even as the old man tries to go for the Goose, the foul fowl lunges for the legs of the BBQ, pulling it over a second time and causing it to fall on his foot. It's like the Kingsbourne all over again, but worse!
This time, though, the Goose is not satisfied with merely knocking it over. The phrase is "fire up the gas" for a reason, after all, and the Goose can see the propane tank powering the grill. Quickly, the Goose yanks it out of the grill, and begins to beat it against the ground to make it useless. As it does so, Mr. Xehanort stomps over and grabs the Goose by the neck. "Vile little beast! This barbeque has been the process of ages of work! Centuries! To disrupt it, now, at the moment of completion..." He begins to choke it, not even noticing as the propane tank, leaking gas, rolls over to the burning coals.
It doesn't take long for the heat to ignite it, and the only warning Mr. Xehanort gets is the explosion right behind him.
The explosion is enough to rattle the entire area, blowing the Goose over in the process - though Mr. Xehanort's body protected him from the main impact. Without his pipe, all he can do is honk plantively, until Punished Luigi stomps over to him, reaching down to pull him up. "I won't let another soldier fall if I can help it. Not again." Together, the two of them begin to walk off, watching as others regroup from the blast. One person who's still unsure of where to go is O'Chunks, though. Ever since he'd split from Nobu, he'd been rumbling on his own, occasionally striking up arms against others. Most recently, he'd been approached by Death, the menacing figure enough to interrupt a battle between O'Chunks and Cayde's alliance. Running away and with Death following, the blast had knocked him for a loop, but Death was nowhere to be seen now. That's when he hears the voice.
"OHHHH! THANK YOU!" comes the voice of Beedle, now on his own after Prince Peach and Seam's team had crumbled and the Ernests had disinvented him. "Thank you for this grand opportunity!" "Grand... wha'now? Wha're yah sayin'?" "Well, as you can see, I am but a humble merchant! A man here to sell my wares! I could use a great ally like yourself!" "Hmm. Yah'll have tah tell me, what's in it for me?" "OHHHH! Well, you see, I could sell you all sorts of items you would love! Perhaps a wonderful Instant Haggis, to remind you of home? Or maybe I could give you plane tickets? There are many choices for you!"
While Beedle tries to win O'Chunks over to his side, who should appear but another remnant of a crumbled alliance? Marge Simpson shows up, and as Beedle sees the experienced housewife, he starts to size her up. "OHHHH, HELLO!" he says, waving his hands eagerly as he plots an opportunity here. "Hello, hello! Please, come over here!" Beedle says, bringing out another series of products. "Look at all these wonderful cleaning solutions! The perfect solution for a tired housewife! Why bother with an inferior brand when these glass cleaner removes stains 50% faster than our leading rival! Mr. Chunks, can you hold this for me?"
"Eh? Aye, sure." O'Chunks scratches his head as he holds a piece of dirty glass, Beedle spraying it with the cleaner and rubbing it dry. "You see? This is incredible!" Beedle says, Marge watching in awe. "Wow, you weren't kidding. This is some good stuff! How much?" "Ohhhh, for you? It will be bargain prices! But we should toast, first!" Setting down three glasses, Beedle pours some wine into each of them. "We'll carry each other to the top! It's a true team!" Beedle says, O'Chunks laughing. "Ah like his style! Yah got spirit, lad!" "Ohhh, another alliance. Well, my last one didn't end so well. But this one..."
As Beedle pours the wine, though, Marge's experienced housewife senses twig to something with her glass. Those look like... dregs of chemicals! Exactly what she had to be on the watch for, to prevent any eager children from getting into them - the amount of times she had to pull unfamiliar substances away from Bart, Lisa, and Maggie had embedded these into her mind. Concerned at the implication, Marge waits for Beedle to start pouring the wine, soon filling up all three glasses. O'Chunks is already looking over at other battles, distracted by nature, and once Beedle has poured the wine, Marge quickly raises her hand. "Oh! Can you show me if you have anything to handle carpet stains? Trust me, those are the worst!"
"OHHHH! Of course I do, ma'am! One second!" Beedle ducks into his bag, and as he does so, Marge swaps her glass with Beedle's. O'Chunks and Beedle see nothing of this, and Marge sits there, the picture of innocence, as Beedle begins to explain his wonderful carpet cleaner. She quickly accepts his deal, and Beedle once again offers his toast, ready for the three of them to seal their alliance, each drinking their glass of wine!
Beedle sits there for a second, before suddenly coughing and dropping his glass, collapsing as his own trick backfires on him and takes him out of the Mega Brawl.
"Wow, I thought he was just going to try and give me cramps or something. I didn't think he was going to go that far." Marge says, looking on Beedle with surprise. O'Chunks looks from the dead merchant to the living housewife. "So, didnae got an alliance for ahselves, eh?" "I guess not." "Well, if that be the case..."
O'Chunks springs up, and grabs the table. "Guess thar's nothin' tah stop ah good chunking!" Marge quickly makes a run for it, pursued by O'Chunks!
Elsewhere, as the shifting locations of the alliances bring people together, one alliance is still trying to shake a couple members. "Senpaaaai!" BB says, continuing to cling onto Sholmes' arm. "You HAVE to let me help with the next fight! Come on, we'll make this the greatest battle yet together!" "While I appreciate the offer of help, our group is already rather large." Sholmes says, gesturing to Bushroot, ENA, and Rainbow Dash. "If we run into a major enemy, we could simply get in each others way. Perhaps you should continue to protect our back?" "Awwww. But that's boring..."
Though BB whines, Sholmes' suggestion may have some value, for, even now, enemies approach…
"A splendid acquisition, if I do say so as the one who made it possible," Prince Peach not-so-humbly boasts, holding aloft and inspecting a vial of Beedle's poison as he makes his way towards Sholmes' pillar, Beedle himself hanging back with the Ernest Bros. to serve as the second wave attack. Sholmes and his crew were well-entrenched, and it wasn't difficult in the slightest to work out that BB and Rei, standing around and keeping watch, were just the first line of defense. They'd let their allies serve as the distraction for the guards, and then they'd slip past to engage with Sholmes and Bushroot.
But yes, that's allies in the plural, for Prince Peach isn't marching on the alliance solo, the old plush cat Seam trundling along behind him. "Should've asked for his cards," mutters the ragged cat, flashing a grin and letting loose a laugh. "We'll need entertainment for the trip back down!"
"Your ears must be filled with cotton to think the plan I draw up for our alliance won't succeed," the Prince retorts as she reaches back and holds an expectant hand out, forcing the cat to dig for one of the few remaining Shadow Crystals in their robe.
But as they advance, they're kept under observation, Bushroot having ascended the toppled pillar at Rainbow Dash's behest, spotting not only the approaching duo, but their allies in the rear, as well. "We have company approaching us," he calls down to Sholmes. "There are more behind them! I've seen this used before! It's a feint! They'll use their opening attack as a diversion!"
"A feint, is it?" Sholmes ponders the report for a moment, "Reginald, follow behind me," he says, motioning for his partner to come along.
Meanwhile, down in the defensive perimeter around the pillar… "Ah… Miss BB," Rei mutters, pointing to the approaching Prince of the Underwhere, "it seems we have company…"
"Alright! Seeeeeenpaaaaaai! I hope you're watching! It's time for BB-chan to show her dazzling fighting prowess! Matcha! Turn on the pole!" BB jumps excitedly as she gives her order to Rei, her beleaguered partner concentrating his energy to activate his makeshift telephone pole. A clink-clink-clink rings out as the pole's aura pulses outward, an invisible attraction causing Prince Peach's crystal to spill from his hands, rolling across the ground towards the pole, where Rei quickly steps on it, its powers suppressed to the point where the dark energies within emerge only as wisps of escaping vapor.
"Now! Do it now!" Prince Peach shouts out a command, and Rei and BB brace themselves for a magical assault, trusting in Rei's pole to redirect and blunt whatever the old mage throws at them. Their eyes settle on Seam, watching as the cat flings his paws open wide in a grand theatrical gesture, throwing out… thread?
It rapidly unspools as Seam feeds more of it out, threads wrapping around Rei, catching the former Communications Offer by surprise and leaving his arms pinned tightly to his sides. Magic, he was equipped to deal with, but not sewing equipment! "Matcha, leave it to BB!" His partner calls out, bringing out her knife and making a break for Rei – only to get pelted by an inert Shadow Crystal, Seam holding their spool with one paw and chucking the crystal with their other.
As BB rubs her cheek, Prince Peach makes his move, no longer resisting the attraction of Rei's pole, but embracing it, letting it carry him forward as he dashes towards his enemy, magic off the table, but physical attacks certainly not! His hand brushes against his hair as he swipes the crown from his own head, jamming into Rei as he draws near, tearing through some of his bindings in the process but still embedding those pointed tips into Rei and leaving the ex-Communications Officer stumbling backwards.
Meanwhile, BB finds herself facing Seam, the old cat likewise unable to access their magic, and sliding across the ground in fits and starts as they struggle against Rei's pole, but still able to handily wield their seam ripper to menace BB. A sweeping strike forces BB back, fending off her attempt to swipe at the plush with her knife. Though having dressed the field to their advantage, BB and Rei find themselves on the backfoot against the duo risen from the depths, Prince Peach grabbing Rei and pulling him in close to deliver a cheek-reddening backhanded slap and Seam managing to pierce BB with their tool!
And that's what prompts Beedle to speak up! "We should get moving," he tells Clineborg and Fine, the three of them taking off, intent on running directly through the skirmish – until a voice calls out behind them.
"Gentlemen! If it's an engagement you want, nothing precludes our having it here!" They whirl around to see Sholmes behind them, brandishing the Danteleon! Was this risky? Yes, as it did leave Dash and ENA open if any part of the plan went awry. But was it worth the theatrics? Oh, yes, absolutely! And if all went according to plan, it would work spectacularly! Metal rattles as he shoots forth Danteleon from his gauntlet, Beedle narrowly avoiding the projectile as he leaps to the side – right into one of Bushroot's vines, its accelerated growth letting it snake all the way from being wrapped around the toppled pillar to grabbing Beedle by the ankle. Sholmes, with complete confidence, turns to the Ernest cousins and bows his head to them. "I should warn you, however. My weapon conceals multiple hidden functions, one of which," he half-lies through an omission of truth, "can disable in an instant all manners of beings depending on circuitry."
"THIS REMINDS CLINEBORG OF THE DAY AFTER."
"We should leave," Ernest Fine tells his cousin, not ready to take that kind of risk, the Fine Cousins retreating and leaving Beedle to face off against the duo on his lonesome.
"Ohhh…." Beedle says, dejectedly, realizing that he's in a pretty bad position. He hucks one of his playing cards through the vine restraining his ankle, letting the card split in half and turn into a poisoned sponge, its leaking toxins seeping into the damaged vine. Against the backdrop of Bushroot's horrified gasp, Beedle makes a run for it, fleeing from the confrontation in hopes of living and fighting another day.
Which seems to be something that Rei and BB will not be doing, both of them tied up in Seam's thread now, Rei badly battered by Prince Peach. "Disable your pole," the Prince commands, pressing the points of her now-stained crown into Rei's cheek. He complies, if reluctantly, and, now free of worry, Seam waltzes over and places the last Shadow Crystal on their person in Prince Peach's open palm. BB watches the whole thing with a creeping sense of dread, her pupils shaking as her mind races.
She had, at most, seconds to do something – anything! What could she do? What could she do?
"Waaaaaait!" In a panic, she lets instinct take over, calling out just as Prince Peach begins to draw power from the crystal. "Hold on! You haven't made a statement yet! You can't just get on BB-Channel without telling all the listeners how you came up with this strategy!"
"What?" Prince Peach seems more annoyed than taken aback. "I assure you, I can amass a following without your little broadcast," he says, ready to get on with ending the battle. "I already have prominent connections and favors at my disposal. What would compel me to divulge my successful strategies and surrender an advantage to my opponents?"
"Don't seem to recall that stoppin' you in that factory," Seam jumps in with a chuckle. "Didn't know until that day that one clown could be the entire circus!"
"Ha! As if you found any more success amidst those fumes! If you could be said to have any success there, it was confirming the adage about curiosity killing the cat!"
BB's mind runs in overdrive, steam practically pouring from her ears as she focuses in on one fact, more important than any other. She had just delayed her defeat. She quickly chimes in again. "What's that? Was this prince a member of the circus? What else is hiding in his history? Come on, you've gooooot to tell everyone's favorite host!"
"Ha ha ha! If killin' Texas ain't story enough, perhaps hearing how she had to go on the run from the Underchomp will!"
"Oh please, you old thrift-store find! The intrigue of that story pales in comparison to your loss during our betting on the chariot races!"
"Hmm, guess you're right. Can't leave the details out of that one, though," the cat says with a grin. "The Prince here had Skellobits pulling the chariots! Wouldn't think skeletons could do it, but get a team of 'em, and it's possible."
"Oh, don't go starting that far back! Lead with the collision!"
"Oh, but I want to hear everything from the start!" BB jumps in, faux-whining her way into getting the two to keep going with the story as she notices, in the periphery of her vision, Rei beginning to slip his arm out of his bindings. BB keeps the two of them distracted, caught up in their typical bickering, and Rei, pulling his land loose of the threads and cutting the rest with his nails, unnoticed by his enemies, grabs his hammer.
He finally garners Prince Peach's attention when his hammer crashes into the Prince's chest, shattering his brooch and sending him staggering backwards. Brought back into the battle, Prince Peach slams her hand into a fist, crushing the Shadow Crystal within and releasing its magic all at once, a great burst of infernal flame rising up around the four combatants at her behest, whipping itself into a fiery vortex, a tornado from the depths unleashed upon the land off the living!
But only for a moment, BB and Rei only having to bear the swirling flames for seconds as Rei, now free, reactive his pole, siphoning power from the vortex, leaving the funnel convulsing and undulating, Prince Peach stepping back in shock and Seam looking on, equal parts surprised and curious. BB bows her head and takes a chomp out of her bindings, using her self-described devilish teeth (actually only of average sharpness) to cut through the thread and rushing at Seam with her knife. She plunges it into the cat and tears stitches from their fabric. Simultaneously, as her damning flames sputter and blaze out, Rei rushes Prince Peach, rattling her head with a blow from his hammer.
After just a few moments and a few more blows, the Prince falls, his ally crumbling into fabric and fluff as BB finishes slicing into them.
As Sholmes and Bushroot return and BB and Rei begin to catch their breath, the duo from the depths begin the long trip back to the Underwhere… Or, well, rather, actually find themselves stuck in a sort of metaphysical waiting room, held in stasis by Corey's power, but, details, details.
Over in the west side of the arena, a different group of alliances have run into each other. Or ex-alliance members in one case. Shmwario is currently talking with Sirius, trying to get in on the team that he's formed with Acraman and Isabelle. "Hohohoho." Sirius says, laughing. "More is not better! We need to be careful. Our team is blessed by the stars, but someone who lost his partner so early... how could we support that?"
"Hey, hey! Don't be like that! You know that I can carry you far! Come on, we've gotta investigate this together!"
"I hate to say it, but I agree with Sirius here." Acraman says. "I can't see what you add to us."
While Shmwario tries to get back on the alliance, El Presidente and his advisor sneak up behind the group, and then call out. "Hellooooo!" the Advisor says. "Hola! I believe I heard you need a compadre or two? Well, who better than El Presidente?" The man himself waves, as the two of them approach with open arms. Isabelle nudges Acraman, who nods to her, before shooing off Shmwario. "Yes, I think we've got a better chance with you. Please, walk and talk." The new group of five walks off, leaving behind Shmwario to be alone and dejected.
As they walk, the Advisor takes the lead in talking, gesticulating repeatedly while he speaks. "It is your lucky day, my friends! El Presidente is a true tactical genius! We will all find a victory, when El Presidente does the impossible and shows how more than one person can win this deathmatch!"
"Didn't you have a different group?" Isabelle comments. "I saw you running around with the blue-haired woman and the Toad. Where are they?"
"Ahhh, the glorious revolution is unforgiving, I am afraid." The Advisor comments, while shaking his head. "They could not stand against the slings and arrows of our enemies. They fell bravely, but we must carry on for them!"
"Fell bravely... hoho. I do notice you are unharmed, sir?" Sirius asks, but the Advisor only says "They gave their lives for us! But you will not need to do the same. Together, we are one!"
"Hmmmmm. ...Alright. You've sold us." Acraman says, getting questioning looks from Isabelle and Sirius, but simply nodding to them as they continue along. "Now, we should discuss strategy and location." "Ah yes! Location!" says the Advisor. "Yes, let us proceed to this vantage point we discovered."
The group begins to walk towards the vantage point. As they do, the Advisor slowly drops behind the rest, to walk alongside his Presidente. The two of them smirk at each other, another group of fools in their trap. Slowly, Presidente draws his gun. Slowly, his advisor does likewise. Together, they begin to raise their weapons, pointing them at Sirius and Acraman. They prepare to fire.
That's when in a swift move, Sirius and Acraman turn around, unleashing the full power of two Masonic relics! A paralyzing force locks the Advisor in place, and as he panics, a blinding flash of energy slams right into his front. The Advisor collapses, down and out, while Presidente looks at them, looks at his defeated ally, and runs for the hills. The relics need to charge, or they'd take out the Presidente too, but this is still progress.
"Hmmm." Acraman says, allowing himself a rare smile. "Not bad. Thank you for playing along."
"Hohoho. Of course I knew you had a trick up your sleeve the whole time!" "...I thought he was going to betray us but that you hadn't noticed. I'm glad you're not that oblivious."
While Presidente runs, he sees Shmwario, now being confronted by Ernest Fine and Ernest Clineborg. The two of them are both trying to grab him, Clineborg raining down cannon blasts upon Shmwario while Fine tries to grab him, finding Shmwario to be a lot more difficult to keep up with than you'd think. With the Investor Alliance torn apart by BB and Rei, the Ernest cousins knew there was only one pair they could count on - each other. Thus they didn't even try to recruit Shmwario, just to fight him!
As the Ernests collide with Shmwario, Mr. Xehanort's own plans are reaching their grand conclusion. That of... finally getting his burgers grilling! While he begins to tend to the meat, cooking it to perfection, the Goose watches it in awe, clenching his pipe more and more. "I... I feel a primal need, my good man." "A what?" asks Punished Luigi. "I have long resisted the urge innate in all of my kind, the urge to ruin someone else's lovely day for no reason. I have suppressed it for far too long.
But... I must. I must embrace it now, for I cannot withstand it forever. Do not forget the goose I was, Punished Luigi. Carry my memory." With that, the Goose removes his pipe from his mouth, and hands it to Punished Luigi. He stands silently for a minute.
Then, in a burst of frenzied honking, he charges towards the BBQ. Mr. Xehanort turns around at the sound in confusion, only to be met with a flurry of feathers as the Goose slams into his face, flailing its wings and pecking at the old man as he struggles and swings around. His knife comes down and slices off some of the feathers, the Goose falling away from Mr. Xehanort even as it pecks at his blade, the Key Blade getting pulled out of Mr. Xehanort's hands and checking off one of the tasks. Even as the old man tries to go for the Goose, the foul fowl lunges for the legs of the BBQ, pulling it over a second time and causing it to fall on his foot. It's like the Kingsbourne all over again, but worse!
This time, though, the Goose is not satisfied with merely knocking it over. The phrase is "fire up the gas" for a reason, after all, and the Goose can see the propane tank powering the grill. Quickly, the Goose yanks it out of the grill, and begins to beat it against the ground to make it useless. As it does so, Mr. Xehanort stomps over and grabs the Goose by the neck. "Vile little beast! This barbeque has been the process of ages of work! Centuries! To disrupt it, now, at the moment of completion..." He begins to choke it, not even noticing as the propane tank, leaking gas, rolls over to the burning coals.
It doesn't take long for the heat to ignite it, and the only warning Mr. Xehanort gets is the explosion right behind him.
The explosion is enough to rattle the entire area, blowing the Goose over in the process - though Mr. Xehanort's body protected him from the main impact. Without his pipe, all he can do is honk plantively, until Punished Luigi stomps over to him, reaching down to pull him up. "I won't let another soldier fall if I can help it. Not again." Together, the two of them begin to walk off, watching as others regroup from the blast. One person who's still unsure of where to go is O'Chunks, though. Ever since he'd split from Nobu, he'd been rumbling on his own, occasionally striking up arms against others. Most recently, he'd been approached by Death, the menacing figure enough to interrupt a battle between O'Chunks and Cayde's alliance. Running away and with Death following, the blast had knocked him for a loop, but Death was nowhere to be seen now. That's when he hears the voice.
"OHHHH! THANK YOU!" comes the voice of Beedle, now on his own after Prince Peach and Seam's team had crumbled and the Ernests had disinvented him. "Thank you for this grand opportunity!" "Grand... wha'now? Wha're yah sayin'?" "Well, as you can see, I am but a humble merchant! A man here to sell my wares! I could use a great ally like yourself!" "Hmm. Yah'll have tah tell me, what's in it for me?" "OHHHH! Well, you see, I could sell you all sorts of items you would love! Perhaps a wonderful Instant Haggis, to remind you of home? Or maybe I could give you plane tickets? There are many choices for you!"
While Beedle tries to win O'Chunks over to his side, who should appear but another remnant of a crumbled alliance? Marge Simpson shows up, and as Beedle sees the experienced housewife, he starts to size her up. "OHHHH, HELLO!" he says, waving his hands eagerly as he plots an opportunity here. "Hello, hello! Please, come over here!" Beedle says, bringing out another series of products. "Look at all these wonderful cleaning solutions! The perfect solution for a tired housewife! Why bother with an inferior brand when these glass cleaner removes stains 50% faster than our leading rival! Mr. Chunks, can you hold this for me?"
"Eh? Aye, sure." O'Chunks scratches his head as he holds a piece of dirty glass, Beedle spraying it with the cleaner and rubbing it dry. "You see? This is incredible!" Beedle says, Marge watching in awe. "Wow, you weren't kidding. This is some good stuff! How much?" "Ohhhh, for you? It will be bargain prices! But we should toast, first!" Setting down three glasses, Beedle pours some wine into each of them. "We'll carry each other to the top! It's a true team!" Beedle says, O'Chunks laughing. "Ah like his style! Yah got spirit, lad!" "Ohhh, another alliance. Well, my last one didn't end so well. But this one..."
As Beedle pours the wine, though, Marge's experienced housewife senses twig to something with her glass. Those look like... dregs of chemicals! Exactly what she had to be on the watch for, to prevent any eager children from getting into them - the amount of times she had to pull unfamiliar substances away from Bart, Lisa, and Maggie had embedded these into her mind. Concerned at the implication, Marge waits for Beedle to start pouring the wine, soon filling up all three glasses. O'Chunks is already looking over at other battles, distracted by nature, and once Beedle has poured the wine, Marge quickly raises her hand. "Oh! Can you show me if you have anything to handle carpet stains? Trust me, those are the worst!"
"OHHHH! Of course I do, ma'am! One second!" Beedle ducks into his bag, and as he does so, Marge swaps her glass with Beedle's. O'Chunks and Beedle see nothing of this, and Marge sits there, the picture of innocence, as Beedle begins to explain his wonderful carpet cleaner. She quickly accepts his deal, and Beedle once again offers his toast, ready for the three of them to seal their alliance, each drinking their glass of wine!
Beedle sits there for a second, before suddenly coughing and dropping his glass, collapsing as his own trick backfires on him and takes him out of the Mega Brawl.
"Wow, I thought he was just going to try and give me cramps or something. I didn't think he was going to go that far." Marge says, looking on Beedle with surprise. O'Chunks looks from the dead merchant to the living housewife. "So, didnae got an alliance for ahselves, eh?" "I guess not." "Well, if that be the case..."
O'Chunks springs up, and grabs the table. "Guess thar's nothin' tah stop ah good chunking!" Marge quickly makes a run for it, pursued by O'Chunks!
- Pronouns
- He/him
- MarioWiki
- Hooded Pitohui
STATS:
41st: Franziska von Karma (Death)
Kingsbourne Sigma (The Doctor)
Shmaluigi (Surge the Tenrec)
40th: Nitros Oxide (Nobu)
39th: The Doctor (Beedle)
Kingsbourne Alpha (Gamer Cat)
38th: Surge the Tenrec (Rainbow Dash)
Kingsbourne Gamma (Wright Forde 'Shroom)
37th: Nobu (Punished Luigi)
36th: Wright Forde 'Shroom (El Presidente and El Presidente's Advisor)
Kingsbourne Oumega (Mr. Xehanort)
35th: Prince Peach and Seam (BB and Rei)
El Presidente's Advisor (Sirius and Acraman)
34th: Mister Xenahort (The Erudite Goose)
33rd: Beedle (Marge Simpson)
Still Brawling: BB, Brennanman, Candice ??? Candice, Cayde, Colonel Shoey O'Dell, Cornelius C. Cornifer, Death, Dr. Alton Acraman, Dr. Reginald Bushroot, El Presidente, ENA, Ernest Clineborg, Ernest Fine, Fawful the Great, Gamecube, Gamer Cat, Gangsta Mario, Glitz Yoshi, Grunt, Herlock Sholmes, Honio Pitoki, Isabelle, Marge Simpson, O'Chunks, Perry, Punished Luigi, Quickbot, Rainbow Dash, Rei, Renne, Rimi, Scottish Mario, Shmwario, Sirius, The Erudite Goose, Toadette, TPG2, Virovirobun
41st: Franziska von Karma (Death)
Kingsbourne Sigma (The Doctor)
Shmaluigi (Surge the Tenrec)
40th: Nitros Oxide (Nobu)
39th: The Doctor (Beedle)
Kingsbourne Alpha (Gamer Cat)
38th: Surge the Tenrec (Rainbow Dash)
Kingsbourne Gamma (Wright Forde 'Shroom)
37th: Nobu (Punished Luigi)
36th: Wright Forde 'Shroom (El Presidente and El Presidente's Advisor)
Kingsbourne Oumega (Mr. Xehanort)
35th: Prince Peach and Seam (BB and Rei)
El Presidente's Advisor (Sirius and Acraman)
34th: Mister Xenahort (The Erudite Goose)
33rd: Beedle (Marge Simpson)
Still Brawling: BB, Brennanman, Candice ??? Candice, Cayde, Colonel Shoey O'Dell, Cornelius C. Cornifer, Death, Dr. Alton Acraman, Dr. Reginald Bushroot, El Presidente, ENA, Ernest Clineborg, Ernest Fine, Fawful the Great, Gamecube, Gamer Cat, Gangsta Mario, Glitz Yoshi, Grunt, Herlock Sholmes, Honio Pitoki, Isabelle, Marge Simpson, O'Chunks, Perry, Punished Luigi, Quickbot, Rainbow Dash, Rei, Renne, Rimi, Scottish Mario, Shmwario, Sirius, The Erudite Goose, Toadette, TPG2, Virovirobun
- Pronouns
- They
- MarioWiki
- Roserade
- Thread starter
- #108
Part 5
Across the ruins, alliances had been tested, fracturing and splintering, losing members as the deaths began to pile up. Even El Presidente's alliance had all but vanished. Once seemingly impregnable in their encampment, two of them had fallen, and Marge had run off. Now on the run, the exiled politician finds himself on the run, running past Sholmes' pillar towards the only undefended landmark in sight - a dried up old fountain. Fingers curl around a metal barrel, the man preemptively drawing his gun. Nobody was in sight around the fountain now, but if they came around, he'd be ready.
And he'd have to be, for not far off, Cayde's alliance, so effective at avoiding battle for so long, find themselves under fire. Bullets whizz over Toadette as her body collapses into a pile of slime, Punished Luigi grunting with irritation, but holstering his weapon so he can whip around and block catch Cayde's arm as she rushes in to sock him. His form practiced, he doesn't so much as wobble as he turns her momentum against her and judo tosses her over his shoulder, leaving the blonde on the ground in a heap. Nearby, Rimi whiffs a whack on the Erudite Goose with her club of confusion before the avian forces her to make a twisting, twirling leap back to avoid a fierce slap from its wings. Stage training pays off as she sticks the landing, splaying her arms out awkwardly but managing to turn her momentum into dancing steps, a well-timed lashing from Glitz Yoshi's tongue knocking the pipe out of The Erudite Goose's beak and keeping the avian from following up with a counterattack.
A slimeified Toadette creeps across the battlefield towards Punished Luigi as Cayde gets to her feet and ducks beneath a machete swipe, but the projectiles don't stop flying just because the agent's gun sits in its holsters, energy blasts again meeting thrown pies far over Toadette's head as Honio's alliance and the Robotic Alliance clash in the midst of the fight. With the Kingsbournes all left in ruin, TPG2 now depends on Quickbot to serve as his eyes, the stock-picking robot putting those boosters and those analytical abilities to great use, zooming around the ongoing battle and running hundreds of calculations a second to keep the king out of harm's way. Gamecube sits behind TPG2, turned to keep watch over the rear. And some distance away from the sight, atop their toppled pillar, ENA and Rainbow Dash keep vigil not only the chaotic three-way clash of alliances, but the robed figure slowly making his way over to join in. Death was coming.
But right now, Death is not the first to try and deliver his namesake! "Graaaaaaar! Government pig left me all alone! Viva la revolution! Graaar!" Over by the fountain, an all-too-familiar shout and a series of gunshots make El Presidente jump, shades falling from his face as he turns and fires a couple potshots at the rapidly approaching Gamer Cat! The two seemingly-sworn enemies miss each other handily, missing even more shots as El Presidente takes off with Gamer Cat pursuing, the two of them discovering how difficult it is to hit a moving target while moving theirselves.
But with every missed shot, Gamer Cat seems to be getting closer and closer to the mark, or so goes El Presidente's assessment as a few bullets whoosh by uncomfortably near to his head. He quickly scans the area, knowing he needs to find somewhere he can finally shake this persistent feline - and he finds in it the form of fire rising up into the sky, spotting the ongoing triple alliance clash and veering hard to run straight into it. Sure, it'd be dangerous for him, but it'd be dangerous for that cat, too!
"Incoming!" Gamecube's shout is hardly warning enough for TPG2, stray bullets from Gamer Cat ricocheting off his backside, leaving dents in his microwave oven, already weakened from taking so many bullets earlier, as El Presidente runs past, immediately thrown onto his rear as stray energy blasts from Fawful the Great pummel him. To make matters worse, a dinosaur and the bassist riding him get a literal jump on him, using the politician as a springboard to aid their flight from the angry, honking goose chasing after them. Over above Cayde's head, Quickbot flees from Honio's spray bottle, the promoter spritzing his limited supply a little too freely as he pursues the robot - but the greasy, slimy spray does benefit somebody! Down below, Cayde and Punished Luigi sure take note of the stuff raining down upon them, Punished Luigi even feeling some large splash of slime on his leg but too preoccupied with catching Cayde's leg mid-kick to deal with such a little nuisance.
Again, he puts her on the ground, shoving her away. "Wahoo," he mutters as she lands, already drawing his gun and putting her in his sights before she can so much as attempt to get up. "Say your prayers." Boom, there it is! "GAAAH!" Cayde's eyes, clenched shut as she prepared for the worst, fling open as Punished Luigi screams in pain, his gun jamming and bursting into shrapnel as slime shoots - no, leaps out of it - the slimy form of Toadette landing next to Cayde and reforming into the pink mushroom girl. With Punished Luigi recoiling, Cayde scrambles to her feet, her and Toadette exchanging a nod as they both charge at the agent, toppling him and pummeling with a flurry of punches from fists and pigtails.
In an instant, the whole tide of the battles in the area changes, Punished Luigi forced onto his back and onto the defensive, Glitz Yoshi and Rimi leading the not-so-Erudite-at-the-moment Goose on a wild chase, TPG2 and Gamecube keeping Gamer Cat at bay with pulsed streams of fire, and El Presidente in the midst of it all, reloading his gun and looking bewildered. His trademark confidence seems to have cracked - or maybe it's just the loss of his shades revealing his eyes, darting around wildly, that gives that impression. But with TPG2 distracted and with Quickbot playing defense instead of on the offense, up in the air above the battle, Fawful the Great spots an opportunity.
His eyes snap to Honio, hovering but panting from chasing Quickbot, eyes looking even redder than usual. It's time, he tells himself. His greasy ally won't be useful here anyways. Retracting his rocket boosters, he begins to plummet out of the air, grabbing the brim of his hat and giving the whole thing a whirl, sending it spinning through the air at Honio! Before the Bean can hit the dirt, the hat settles square atop the reptilian promoter's head, and Fawful the Great's body twists and contorts, swirling as his hat whisks his very spirit into Honio's being.
"Eeeeesh," he says through the possessed Honio's mouth as he's flooded with less-than-pleasant memories, shivering as he tries to put them out of his mind and flies down to the confused El Presidente. Though the politician trains a gun on him, he's quick to make a gesture of peace, digging a stained napkin from Honio's pockets and waving it as a makeshift white flag. El Presidente may not lower his weapon, but he does let the hat-adorned Honio draw near.
"Hey, you! Prez," Fawful the Great says in a false smoker's baritone, trying to mimic Honio's usual voice. "Ey, looks like you and I are both friendless now! But I got, er, uh, big bucks on you to win this thing! So howsabouts you come with me and I'll lead you to safety."
As Rimi whacks the Goose with her Club of Confusion behind him, El Presidente strokes his beard and considers the offer. This was that shady promoter, wasn't he? So perfect, then. Easy to blackmail and easy to betray. He never takes his hand off his firearm, but he does lower the weapon, nodding as, nearby, Punished Luigi finally manages to roll out from underneath Cayde and kick Toadette away. The possessed Honio sticks a claw out, El Presidente extends a hand to shake on it.
And immediately, Fawful the Great drops the napkin in Honio's other claw and rakes the politician across the face, sending him staggering back. His mind races with fears of infection, and he immediately retaliates, firing wildly, missing his mark as the possessed Honio charges at him, biting and clawing and leaving gashes across his body until, finally, El Presidente falls onto his back, groaning and shaking.
Fawful the Great pops out of Honio all at once, grabbing his hat off his dazed ally and stepping up to the downed politician, taking out his raygun and pointing it point-blank in El Presidente's face to keep him from making any moves. "You're not just fried. You're toasted!" The lid of his hat flips up, and a spring-loaded mechanism tosses a toaster out, the lobbed appliance slamming down onto El Presidente's head, putting him down for good.
Honio shakes himself back into awareness, glancing over at Fawful the Great with incredulity, only for the bean to flash him a thumbs-up. He hops and twirls around, giving his hat another whirl, this time throwing it atop Rimi's head, taking over the bassist in the middle of her battle against the Goose.
A battle which, it must be said, is going swimmingly for Team Cayde. Though Fawful the Great quickly pulls Rimi out of the fight, having her stagger away, feigning a hit from the Goose's wings as he guides his new host in the direction of Cayde and Toadette, her departure doesn't actually change the tide of battle as Glitz Yoshi flutters through the air. With the Goose's pipe still in his jaws, the dino kicks his feet until he's right over top of the Goose, then drops down like a rock with not one ground-pound, but a series of them that keep the already-disoriented and staggering Goose from fleeing anywhere fast.
Kicking off the bird after delivering the last ground-pound, he leaps to the other side of the dizzy avian and finally spits up the pilfered pipe. The, shall-we-say, moist pipe lands right at the bird's feet, but thanks to Rimi's clubbing, it doesn't even notice, Glitz Yoshi getting the bird right where he wants it.
YOIMP!
That long tongue lashes out, and within seconds, the Goose is gone, a suspiciously-Goose-sized egg popping out behind Glitz Yoshi. The dino turns around, picks up the egg, and chucks it, sending it and the defeated Goose inside flying off into the distance to become somebody else's problem.
With the bird sent packing, Glitz Yoshi turns his attention back to Rimi, sporting an odd white hat and swinging her club at Punished Luigi awfully ineffectively, nearly hitting Toadette and Cayde as often as she's hitting the grizzled plumber. With Honio swooping in and harassing his allies too, the dinosaur hurries to join in the fray, leaping at the flying foe pestering his alliance!
But it's over with the robotic alliance that things are really starting to heat up. Things like Gamer Cat's glock, fired one too many times while facing TPG2's scorching fire! His paw starting to burn, the cat fires off one more desperate shot with the weapon, watching with satisfaction as the his bullet severs the nozzle of TPG2's flamethrower from its canister, flammable fluids squirting all around the battlefield as the canister clunks against the ground.
"Ha ha! Gottem! No kings no gods!" Gamer Cat boasts, ignoring the throbbing of his paws as he throws his overheating gun away. But TPG2 stands defiant despite the loss, the king not so easily dismayed… or maybe just equipped with an unchanging expression by virtue of having a metal mask for a face. Regardless, the robotic overlord confers with Quickbot, swooping down to deliver a status report.
"Death is approaching. At the rate he is traveling, he will arrive before the cat can be eliminated." So that was the way it was, then? In that case…
The mighty king lowers his royal scepter, pointing it towards the smug cat approaching their position, unaware of the reaper coming up behind him. Gamecube gets the message loud and clear. "Finally!" The console chirps with joy… and the cube begins to unfold.
Even Gamer Cat stops to tremble before the hulking form rising in front of him, casting a shadow that swallows him up entirely. The ground quakes as Gamecube's mecha form takes its first steps, the junior member of the robotic alliance setting out to prove its worth. As Gamecube, towering over him, unveils a massive arm-gun and trains it upon the cat, Gamer Cat whips around to turn tail… and stops in his tracks as he sees Death creeping up behind him. One gulp later, and he turns himself around again, making a desperate charge at the Gamecube mech and letting loose a warrior's scream as a giant duck slams into the earth behind him.
The cat leaps at the mecha, grabbing onto its leg as Gamecube switches gears to its deadly laser light show, lasers carving into the ground, kicking up heated rocks and dirt as Gamer Cat's bold attack disrupts Gamecube's arm. The giant mech flails about as Gamer Cat defiantly climbs up it, resorting even to hanging from one paw at times as he listens for the whzzzzing sounds of charging lasers and tries to avoid the blast, Amidst the chaos, TPG2 is forced to retreat to avoid getting stepped on by his ally, Quickbot guiding him out of immediate danger…
…but only the immediate danger. Through the clouds of dust kicked up by Gamecube's battle with the stubborn cat, Death steps out. "Hello, brawlers," he says as he waltzes right by the ongoing fight between mech and cat, earning the attention of Honio, the possessed Rimi, Cayde, Glitz Yoshi, Toadette, TPG2, Quickbot, and even Punished Luigi all at once.
"Pttt." Punished Luigi spits before the reaper, wiping some dirt from his mustache. His gun was destroyed, and his resupply hadn't made it, but he still had a weapon with which he could take on this robed psychopomp. He braces himself for the fight to come and grabs… the stunned Toadette, hurling her at Death!
The spectre raises a hand, extending one bony finger just as he had against Franziska, just waiting for Toadette to arrive, but a blast of concentrated yellow strikes the side of the pig-tailed-girl-turned projectile, blowing her off course and sparing her Death's touch! TPG2 taps the base of his royal scepter against the ground twice, earning himself Death's attention while Cayde and Glitz Yoshi rush to Toadette's side.
"Very well," says the reaper to the king. "Your challenge is accepted."
But TPG2 isn't the only one looking to challenge the reaper! They had witnessed it all from above, El Presidente's death to Gamecube's unfolding, and with Death finally entering the scene, ENA and Rainbow Dash had positioned themselves to put their plan in motion. Now, ENA's body rests against her loyal friend and guardian, a vacant expression behind her half-lidded eyes. And down below the pillar, a phantasmal ENA dances across a landscape unimaginable to most of the brawlers clashing at this hotspot.
Colors swirl and normally invisible currents of spiritual energy mix, mingle, and coalesce all in her vision, the world distorting and blurring as if ENA had sunk to the depths of some metaphysical sea. Shelled puppets striped with red and green look down upon the battlefield, held aloft by strings descending from some unknown point in the sky and speaking in tongues she can't understand. A procession of giant shrimp decked out in tye-dye t-shirts ride golf carts through the battlefield, weaving between fighters like Punished Luigi, who seems to flicker in and out existence, ENA's view switching between his corporeal body and his spirit within. All around her, in fact, the brawlers in her line of sight flicker like this, save for… two?
When she focuses her eyes on Death, she can see him there clearly, an unrobed skeleton surrounded by a dark, flaring aura, the very essence of the reaper assuming a raw form in the Astral Plane. But try as she might to focus on the threat that she entered the Astral Plane to deal with, the shining light in the periphery of her vision keeps drawing her attention away, ENA finally turning her head to see… a bean? No, a Beanish fellow with swirling glasses, puppeting Rimi's body! More concerningly still for ENA, Fawful the Great's head rises up suddenly, Fawful the Great taking a startled step back as he catches sight of her, apparently able to see her clearly on the Astral Plane too!
Rimi runs around wildly in the real world, veering and crashing into Honio, Toadette, Cayde, basically everyone around her as a hatless Fawful the Great breaks into a tackling charge in the spiritual realm, ENA twirling out of the way to sidestep the attack.
Now, three battles rage at once. Death swiftly glides round and round TPG2 as the king sends out bursts of yellow from his scepter, trying in vain to hit his skeletal foe. On the Astral Plane, Fawful the Great changes tactics and smacks ENA with an uppercut as her projection tries to grab him and throw him to the ground. And Gamer Cat…
"Uh oh…" Gamecube says as Gamer Cat comes face to face with it, staring into the giant screen atop the mech, claw marks in the exterior of Gamecube's form a symbol of the cat's triumph over the giant robot. The feline snickers as he dangles from the top of Gamecube, hanging on with his damaged paw and winding up a punch with his other. Gamecube closes its eyes and braces for impact, and it certainly feels one as the punch collides, putting a hole in the screen! So unfortunate it is, though, that putting a comparatively miniscule hole in the mech's screen is all the punch does, Gamecube's eyes flinging open as it realizes that the one attack is all that Gamer Cat has. Realizing it has the upper hand, Gamecube shifts its weight, its legs creaking under the strain as it tilts forward… leaning over further… further… further…
The mighty mech looks all but set to topple, and Gamer Cat, still clinging to its screen, looks set to go with it. The cat desperately searches for an opening to jump off and get back on terra firm - and he finds it, flipping the bird at the mech as he kicks off its screen, propelling himself to the ground… where he remains under the shadow of the falling mech…
Gravity wins, Gamecube falls, the mech landing face-down on the earth, a squelch barely audible underneath its massive frame.
For Gamer Cat, Game Over had finally arrived, and it had arrived via that perennial enemy of gamers - crushing damage. But what of Gamecube? The rumbling that follows Gamer Cat's death answers that question, Gamecube's fist leaving a divot in the earth and scattering stone shards which pelt Death and TPG2 alike as the mech springs back up, turning its trademarked Powerful Punching Power against the ground to rise back onto its feet like a doll with sand in its base.
But while Gamecube invents a new self-righting mechanism, on the Astral Plane, Fawful the Great struggles to land a blow on ENA, unused to fighting without his signature hat. ENA, herself not a hotshot when it comes to physical confrontation, leaps at him, knocking him to the ground but failing to keep him pinned down as he rolls out from underneath her and kicks her away. She flips herself onto her stomach, rising up on her hands and knees and beginning to crawl away to get to a better position to clamber up to her feet, but the Beanish entertainer proves quicker on the draw, springing back up and jumping towards her, landing on her back with an elbow drop!
"PAH!" She gasps as the attack lands, trying to regain her lost breath as Fawful the Great fails to follow up, rolling off of her and fleeing, running off in the vague general direction of the fountain in the real world - and dragging a meandering Rimi along with him, the rest of Cayde's alliance abandoning the robot alliance and Honio to chase after their ally and find out what has gotten into her. ENA finally pushes herself to her feet, woozy but far from down and out, and searches for her retreating opponent, spotting his green head shrinking in the distance. He was too far to pursue effectively now, but she couldn't just let him escape, or he might come back for round two if she tried to grapple with Death… She needed an idea, and she needed it fast…
"I'd say that hurt, but I'm incapable of feeling pain." Meanwhile, in the real world, TPG2 finally lands a hit on Death, only a glancing blow, but an effective one, the yellow energy searing away a chunk of Death's robe, revealing charred bone, still sizzling and smoking from where the bright magic had grazed it.
"Analysis updated," Quickbot exclaims, swooping in low to quietly confer with TPG2 as Death examines his new wounds. It had taken some time to improve its read on Death, the reaper not having been presented in its outdated database, but now it finally had a strategy to share, reducing its volume output to 10% to "whisper" to its ally.
Quickbot flies off, and TPG2… begins to shuffle backwards? His piston feet and lack of vision make it awkward and slow, but he inches his way away from his foe, Death raising his gaze and looking upon the royal with both amusement and bemusement in equal measure.
Then the lasers rain down upon the reaper. Lasers slice through his robe and sear his bones, an entire light show's worth projected by Gamecube as the mech finally turns its attention back to helping out the rest of the robotic alliance. Finally, Death takes matters seriously, gliding across the ground in a swift flight from the mech and the shower of lasers right on his tail.
But in the Astral Plane, his flight goes unnoticed. "Full speed ahead, my segmented compatriot! What a beautiful world you must inhabit, a palette beyond comprehension coloring your vision!" ENA raises her arms high in celebration and shouts over the hum of the engine, sticking her head out of a golf cart she had managed to flag down. In the driver's seat, the shrimp that had agreed to give her a lift offers her only a quizzical look and some words muttered in an unfamiliar language. <Ugh, why do I always get stuck picking up the whackos? She better pay the fare if she knows what's good for her…>
Just ahead of the golf cart, Fawful the Great runs for his life, looking back over his shoulder with desperation apparent even through his toothy mouth. He takes a sharp turn to the right - and so too does the pursuing golf cart, the screeching of its tires frightening Fawful the Great into booking it double-time despite the cramps in his legs. If he hopped out of Rimi now, with the rest of the Cayde alliance in full pursuit of her, he'd be done for! At least this way he had a chance!
"Forgive me of my forsaking you, but haste I must make," ENA shouts, ducking back inside the golf cart as the gap between it and her opponent narrows. The shrimp inside raises a limb and shouts in some sort of protest, but she simply shoves him out of the vehicle and slides into the driver's seat, flooring the gas. The engine's hum turns into a roar, and the tires on the vehicle screech in protest, but ENA persists in pushing the vehicle to its limits, not even making a token attempt at grabbing the steering wheel as it the cart spins out, careening out of control. The spiritual plane, already a swirling mess of color, becomes a spiraling blur, the green of Fawful the Great's head becoming just another splotch of color in the whirling mixture - but the thud tells her all she needs to know. Though she doesn't get to witness it herself, too busy leaping from an out-of-control golf cart, Fawful the Great's "body" is sent flying when the cart sideswipes him, rocketing the Beanish entertainer into the distance with so strong a blow that the shock to his system defeats him in an instant.
In the real world, Rimi collapses, the white hat upon her head falling off as she hits the ground. Her allies rush to her side, gathering round her as Cayde lifts her up, Rimi looking around bewildered and confused.
On the Astral Plane, ENA picks herself up scanning her surroundings to try and locate the faint aura of the now-distant Death, leaving behind the overturned golf cart as she staggers off in the direction of her other target.
Across the ruins, alliances had been tested, fracturing and splintering, losing members as the deaths began to pile up. Even El Presidente's alliance had all but vanished. Once seemingly impregnable in their encampment, two of them had fallen, and Marge had run off. Now on the run, the exiled politician finds himself on the run, running past Sholmes' pillar towards the only undefended landmark in sight - a dried up old fountain. Fingers curl around a metal barrel, the man preemptively drawing his gun. Nobody was in sight around the fountain now, but if they came around, he'd be ready.
And he'd have to be, for not far off, Cayde's alliance, so effective at avoiding battle for so long, find themselves under fire. Bullets whizz over Toadette as her body collapses into a pile of slime, Punished Luigi grunting with irritation, but holstering his weapon so he can whip around and block catch Cayde's arm as she rushes in to sock him. His form practiced, he doesn't so much as wobble as he turns her momentum against her and judo tosses her over his shoulder, leaving the blonde on the ground in a heap. Nearby, Rimi whiffs a whack on the Erudite Goose with her club of confusion before the avian forces her to make a twisting, twirling leap back to avoid a fierce slap from its wings. Stage training pays off as she sticks the landing, splaying her arms out awkwardly but managing to turn her momentum into dancing steps, a well-timed lashing from Glitz Yoshi's tongue knocking the pipe out of The Erudite Goose's beak and keeping the avian from following up with a counterattack.
A slimeified Toadette creeps across the battlefield towards Punished Luigi as Cayde gets to her feet and ducks beneath a machete swipe, but the projectiles don't stop flying just because the agent's gun sits in its holsters, energy blasts again meeting thrown pies far over Toadette's head as Honio's alliance and the Robotic Alliance clash in the midst of the fight. With the Kingsbournes all left in ruin, TPG2 now depends on Quickbot to serve as his eyes, the stock-picking robot putting those boosters and those analytical abilities to great use, zooming around the ongoing battle and running hundreds of calculations a second to keep the king out of harm's way. Gamecube sits behind TPG2, turned to keep watch over the rear. And some distance away from the sight, atop their toppled pillar, ENA and Rainbow Dash keep vigil not only the chaotic three-way clash of alliances, but the robed figure slowly making his way over to join in. Death was coming.
But right now, Death is not the first to try and deliver his namesake! "Graaaaaaar! Government pig left me all alone! Viva la revolution! Graaar!" Over by the fountain, an all-too-familiar shout and a series of gunshots make El Presidente jump, shades falling from his face as he turns and fires a couple potshots at the rapidly approaching Gamer Cat! The two seemingly-sworn enemies miss each other handily, missing even more shots as El Presidente takes off with Gamer Cat pursuing, the two of them discovering how difficult it is to hit a moving target while moving theirselves.
But with every missed shot, Gamer Cat seems to be getting closer and closer to the mark, or so goes El Presidente's assessment as a few bullets whoosh by uncomfortably near to his head. He quickly scans the area, knowing he needs to find somewhere he can finally shake this persistent feline - and he finds in it the form of fire rising up into the sky, spotting the ongoing triple alliance clash and veering hard to run straight into it. Sure, it'd be dangerous for him, but it'd be dangerous for that cat, too!
"Incoming!" Gamecube's shout is hardly warning enough for TPG2, stray bullets from Gamer Cat ricocheting off his backside, leaving dents in his microwave oven, already weakened from taking so many bullets earlier, as El Presidente runs past, immediately thrown onto his rear as stray energy blasts from Fawful the Great pummel him. To make matters worse, a dinosaur and the bassist riding him get a literal jump on him, using the politician as a springboard to aid their flight from the angry, honking goose chasing after them. Over above Cayde's head, Quickbot flees from Honio's spray bottle, the promoter spritzing his limited supply a little too freely as he pursues the robot - but the greasy, slimy spray does benefit somebody! Down below, Cayde and Punished Luigi sure take note of the stuff raining down upon them, Punished Luigi even feeling some large splash of slime on his leg but too preoccupied with catching Cayde's leg mid-kick to deal with such a little nuisance.
Again, he puts her on the ground, shoving her away. "Wahoo," he mutters as she lands, already drawing his gun and putting her in his sights before she can so much as attempt to get up. "Say your prayers." Boom, there it is! "GAAAH!" Cayde's eyes, clenched shut as she prepared for the worst, fling open as Punished Luigi screams in pain, his gun jamming and bursting into shrapnel as slime shoots - no, leaps out of it - the slimy form of Toadette landing next to Cayde and reforming into the pink mushroom girl. With Punished Luigi recoiling, Cayde scrambles to her feet, her and Toadette exchanging a nod as they both charge at the agent, toppling him and pummeling with a flurry of punches from fists and pigtails.
In an instant, the whole tide of the battles in the area changes, Punished Luigi forced onto his back and onto the defensive, Glitz Yoshi and Rimi leading the not-so-Erudite-at-the-moment Goose on a wild chase, TPG2 and Gamecube keeping Gamer Cat at bay with pulsed streams of fire, and El Presidente in the midst of it all, reloading his gun and looking bewildered. His trademark confidence seems to have cracked - or maybe it's just the loss of his shades revealing his eyes, darting around wildly, that gives that impression. But with TPG2 distracted and with Quickbot playing defense instead of on the offense, up in the air above the battle, Fawful the Great spots an opportunity.
His eyes snap to Honio, hovering but panting from chasing Quickbot, eyes looking even redder than usual. It's time, he tells himself. His greasy ally won't be useful here anyways. Retracting his rocket boosters, he begins to plummet out of the air, grabbing the brim of his hat and giving the whole thing a whirl, sending it spinning through the air at Honio! Before the Bean can hit the dirt, the hat settles square atop the reptilian promoter's head, and Fawful the Great's body twists and contorts, swirling as his hat whisks his very spirit into Honio's being.
"Eeeeesh," he says through the possessed Honio's mouth as he's flooded with less-than-pleasant memories, shivering as he tries to put them out of his mind and flies down to the confused El Presidente. Though the politician trains a gun on him, he's quick to make a gesture of peace, digging a stained napkin from Honio's pockets and waving it as a makeshift white flag. El Presidente may not lower his weapon, but he does let the hat-adorned Honio draw near.
"Hey, you! Prez," Fawful the Great says in a false smoker's baritone, trying to mimic Honio's usual voice. "Ey, looks like you and I are both friendless now! But I got, er, uh, big bucks on you to win this thing! So howsabouts you come with me and I'll lead you to safety."
As Rimi whacks the Goose with her Club of Confusion behind him, El Presidente strokes his beard and considers the offer. This was that shady promoter, wasn't he? So perfect, then. Easy to blackmail and easy to betray. He never takes his hand off his firearm, but he does lower the weapon, nodding as, nearby, Punished Luigi finally manages to roll out from underneath Cayde and kick Toadette away. The possessed Honio sticks a claw out, El Presidente extends a hand to shake on it.
And immediately, Fawful the Great drops the napkin in Honio's other claw and rakes the politician across the face, sending him staggering back. His mind races with fears of infection, and he immediately retaliates, firing wildly, missing his mark as the possessed Honio charges at him, biting and clawing and leaving gashes across his body until, finally, El Presidente falls onto his back, groaning and shaking.
Fawful the Great pops out of Honio all at once, grabbing his hat off his dazed ally and stepping up to the downed politician, taking out his raygun and pointing it point-blank in El Presidente's face to keep him from making any moves. "You're not just fried. You're toasted!" The lid of his hat flips up, and a spring-loaded mechanism tosses a toaster out, the lobbed appliance slamming down onto El Presidente's head, putting him down for good.
Honio shakes himself back into awareness, glancing over at Fawful the Great with incredulity, only for the bean to flash him a thumbs-up. He hops and twirls around, giving his hat another whirl, this time throwing it atop Rimi's head, taking over the bassist in the middle of her battle against the Goose.
A battle which, it must be said, is going swimmingly for Team Cayde. Though Fawful the Great quickly pulls Rimi out of the fight, having her stagger away, feigning a hit from the Goose's wings as he guides his new host in the direction of Cayde and Toadette, her departure doesn't actually change the tide of battle as Glitz Yoshi flutters through the air. With the Goose's pipe still in his jaws, the dino kicks his feet until he's right over top of the Goose, then drops down like a rock with not one ground-pound, but a series of them that keep the already-disoriented and staggering Goose from fleeing anywhere fast.
Kicking off the bird after delivering the last ground-pound, he leaps to the other side of the dizzy avian and finally spits up the pilfered pipe. The, shall-we-say, moist pipe lands right at the bird's feet, but thanks to Rimi's clubbing, it doesn't even notice, Glitz Yoshi getting the bird right where he wants it.
YOIMP!
That long tongue lashes out, and within seconds, the Goose is gone, a suspiciously-Goose-sized egg popping out behind Glitz Yoshi. The dino turns around, picks up the egg, and chucks it, sending it and the defeated Goose inside flying off into the distance to become somebody else's problem.
With the bird sent packing, Glitz Yoshi turns his attention back to Rimi, sporting an odd white hat and swinging her club at Punished Luigi awfully ineffectively, nearly hitting Toadette and Cayde as often as she's hitting the grizzled plumber. With Honio swooping in and harassing his allies too, the dinosaur hurries to join in the fray, leaping at the flying foe pestering his alliance!
But it's over with the robotic alliance that things are really starting to heat up. Things like Gamer Cat's glock, fired one too many times while facing TPG2's scorching fire! His paw starting to burn, the cat fires off one more desperate shot with the weapon, watching with satisfaction as the his bullet severs the nozzle of TPG2's flamethrower from its canister, flammable fluids squirting all around the battlefield as the canister clunks against the ground.
"Ha ha! Gottem! No kings no gods!" Gamer Cat boasts, ignoring the throbbing of his paws as he throws his overheating gun away. But TPG2 stands defiant despite the loss, the king not so easily dismayed… or maybe just equipped with an unchanging expression by virtue of having a metal mask for a face. Regardless, the robotic overlord confers with Quickbot, swooping down to deliver a status report.
"Death is approaching. At the rate he is traveling, he will arrive before the cat can be eliminated." So that was the way it was, then? In that case…
The mighty king lowers his royal scepter, pointing it towards the smug cat approaching their position, unaware of the reaper coming up behind him. Gamecube gets the message loud and clear. "Finally!" The console chirps with joy… and the cube begins to unfold.
Even Gamer Cat stops to tremble before the hulking form rising in front of him, casting a shadow that swallows him up entirely. The ground quakes as Gamecube's mecha form takes its first steps, the junior member of the robotic alliance setting out to prove its worth. As Gamecube, towering over him, unveils a massive arm-gun and trains it upon the cat, Gamer Cat whips around to turn tail… and stops in his tracks as he sees Death creeping up behind him. One gulp later, and he turns himself around again, making a desperate charge at the Gamecube mech and letting loose a warrior's scream as a giant duck slams into the earth behind him.
The cat leaps at the mecha, grabbing onto its leg as Gamecube switches gears to its deadly laser light show, lasers carving into the ground, kicking up heated rocks and dirt as Gamer Cat's bold attack disrupts Gamecube's arm. The giant mech flails about as Gamer Cat defiantly climbs up it, resorting even to hanging from one paw at times as he listens for the whzzzzing sounds of charging lasers and tries to avoid the blast, Amidst the chaos, TPG2 is forced to retreat to avoid getting stepped on by his ally, Quickbot guiding him out of immediate danger…
…but only the immediate danger. Through the clouds of dust kicked up by Gamecube's battle with the stubborn cat, Death steps out. "Hello, brawlers," he says as he waltzes right by the ongoing fight between mech and cat, earning the attention of Honio, the possessed Rimi, Cayde, Glitz Yoshi, Toadette, TPG2, Quickbot, and even Punished Luigi all at once.
"Pttt." Punished Luigi spits before the reaper, wiping some dirt from his mustache. His gun was destroyed, and his resupply hadn't made it, but he still had a weapon with which he could take on this robed psychopomp. He braces himself for the fight to come and grabs… the stunned Toadette, hurling her at Death!
The spectre raises a hand, extending one bony finger just as he had against Franziska, just waiting for Toadette to arrive, but a blast of concentrated yellow strikes the side of the pig-tailed-girl-turned projectile, blowing her off course and sparing her Death's touch! TPG2 taps the base of his royal scepter against the ground twice, earning himself Death's attention while Cayde and Glitz Yoshi rush to Toadette's side.
"Very well," says the reaper to the king. "Your challenge is accepted."
But TPG2 isn't the only one looking to challenge the reaper! They had witnessed it all from above, El Presidente's death to Gamecube's unfolding, and with Death finally entering the scene, ENA and Rainbow Dash had positioned themselves to put their plan in motion. Now, ENA's body rests against her loyal friend and guardian, a vacant expression behind her half-lidded eyes. And down below the pillar, a phantasmal ENA dances across a landscape unimaginable to most of the brawlers clashing at this hotspot.
Colors swirl and normally invisible currents of spiritual energy mix, mingle, and coalesce all in her vision, the world distorting and blurring as if ENA had sunk to the depths of some metaphysical sea. Shelled puppets striped with red and green look down upon the battlefield, held aloft by strings descending from some unknown point in the sky and speaking in tongues she can't understand. A procession of giant shrimp decked out in tye-dye t-shirts ride golf carts through the battlefield, weaving between fighters like Punished Luigi, who seems to flicker in and out existence, ENA's view switching between his corporeal body and his spirit within. All around her, in fact, the brawlers in her line of sight flicker like this, save for… two?
When she focuses her eyes on Death, she can see him there clearly, an unrobed skeleton surrounded by a dark, flaring aura, the very essence of the reaper assuming a raw form in the Astral Plane. But try as she might to focus on the threat that she entered the Astral Plane to deal with, the shining light in the periphery of her vision keeps drawing her attention away, ENA finally turning her head to see… a bean? No, a Beanish fellow with swirling glasses, puppeting Rimi's body! More concerningly still for ENA, Fawful the Great's head rises up suddenly, Fawful the Great taking a startled step back as he catches sight of her, apparently able to see her clearly on the Astral Plane too!
Rimi runs around wildly in the real world, veering and crashing into Honio, Toadette, Cayde, basically everyone around her as a hatless Fawful the Great breaks into a tackling charge in the spiritual realm, ENA twirling out of the way to sidestep the attack.
Now, three battles rage at once. Death swiftly glides round and round TPG2 as the king sends out bursts of yellow from his scepter, trying in vain to hit his skeletal foe. On the Astral Plane, Fawful the Great changes tactics and smacks ENA with an uppercut as her projection tries to grab him and throw him to the ground. And Gamer Cat…
"Uh oh…" Gamecube says as Gamer Cat comes face to face with it, staring into the giant screen atop the mech, claw marks in the exterior of Gamecube's form a symbol of the cat's triumph over the giant robot. The feline snickers as he dangles from the top of Gamecube, hanging on with his damaged paw and winding up a punch with his other. Gamecube closes its eyes and braces for impact, and it certainly feels one as the punch collides, putting a hole in the screen! So unfortunate it is, though, that putting a comparatively miniscule hole in the mech's screen is all the punch does, Gamecube's eyes flinging open as it realizes that the one attack is all that Gamer Cat has. Realizing it has the upper hand, Gamecube shifts its weight, its legs creaking under the strain as it tilts forward… leaning over further… further… further…
The mighty mech looks all but set to topple, and Gamer Cat, still clinging to its screen, looks set to go with it. The cat desperately searches for an opening to jump off and get back on terra firm - and he finds it, flipping the bird at the mech as he kicks off its screen, propelling himself to the ground… where he remains under the shadow of the falling mech…
Gravity wins, Gamecube falls, the mech landing face-down on the earth, a squelch barely audible underneath its massive frame.
For Gamer Cat, Game Over had finally arrived, and it had arrived via that perennial enemy of gamers - crushing damage. But what of Gamecube? The rumbling that follows Gamer Cat's death answers that question, Gamecube's fist leaving a divot in the earth and scattering stone shards which pelt Death and TPG2 alike as the mech springs back up, turning its trademarked Powerful Punching Power against the ground to rise back onto its feet like a doll with sand in its base.
But while Gamecube invents a new self-righting mechanism, on the Astral Plane, Fawful the Great struggles to land a blow on ENA, unused to fighting without his signature hat. ENA, herself not a hotshot when it comes to physical confrontation, leaps at him, knocking him to the ground but failing to keep him pinned down as he rolls out from underneath her and kicks her away. She flips herself onto her stomach, rising up on her hands and knees and beginning to crawl away to get to a better position to clamber up to her feet, but the Beanish entertainer proves quicker on the draw, springing back up and jumping towards her, landing on her back with an elbow drop!
"PAH!" She gasps as the attack lands, trying to regain her lost breath as Fawful the Great fails to follow up, rolling off of her and fleeing, running off in the vague general direction of the fountain in the real world - and dragging a meandering Rimi along with him, the rest of Cayde's alliance abandoning the robot alliance and Honio to chase after their ally and find out what has gotten into her. ENA finally pushes herself to her feet, woozy but far from down and out, and searches for her retreating opponent, spotting his green head shrinking in the distance. He was too far to pursue effectively now, but she couldn't just let him escape, or he might come back for round two if she tried to grapple with Death… She needed an idea, and she needed it fast…
"I'd say that hurt, but I'm incapable of feeling pain." Meanwhile, in the real world, TPG2 finally lands a hit on Death, only a glancing blow, but an effective one, the yellow energy searing away a chunk of Death's robe, revealing charred bone, still sizzling and smoking from where the bright magic had grazed it.
"Analysis updated," Quickbot exclaims, swooping in low to quietly confer with TPG2 as Death examines his new wounds. It had taken some time to improve its read on Death, the reaper not having been presented in its outdated database, but now it finally had a strategy to share, reducing its volume output to 10% to "whisper" to its ally.
Quickbot flies off, and TPG2… begins to shuffle backwards? His piston feet and lack of vision make it awkward and slow, but he inches his way away from his foe, Death raising his gaze and looking upon the royal with both amusement and bemusement in equal measure.
Then the lasers rain down upon the reaper. Lasers slice through his robe and sear his bones, an entire light show's worth projected by Gamecube as the mech finally turns its attention back to helping out the rest of the robotic alliance. Finally, Death takes matters seriously, gliding across the ground in a swift flight from the mech and the shower of lasers right on his tail.
But in the Astral Plane, his flight goes unnoticed. "Full speed ahead, my segmented compatriot! What a beautiful world you must inhabit, a palette beyond comprehension coloring your vision!" ENA raises her arms high in celebration and shouts over the hum of the engine, sticking her head out of a golf cart she had managed to flag down. In the driver's seat, the shrimp that had agreed to give her a lift offers her only a quizzical look and some words muttered in an unfamiliar language. <Ugh, why do I always get stuck picking up the whackos? She better pay the fare if she knows what's good for her…>
Just ahead of the golf cart, Fawful the Great runs for his life, looking back over his shoulder with desperation apparent even through his toothy mouth. He takes a sharp turn to the right - and so too does the pursuing golf cart, the screeching of its tires frightening Fawful the Great into booking it double-time despite the cramps in his legs. If he hopped out of Rimi now, with the rest of the Cayde alliance in full pursuit of her, he'd be done for! At least this way he had a chance!
"Forgive me of my forsaking you, but haste I must make," ENA shouts, ducking back inside the golf cart as the gap between it and her opponent narrows. The shrimp inside raises a limb and shouts in some sort of protest, but she simply shoves him out of the vehicle and slides into the driver's seat, flooring the gas. The engine's hum turns into a roar, and the tires on the vehicle screech in protest, but ENA persists in pushing the vehicle to its limits, not even making a token attempt at grabbing the steering wheel as it the cart spins out, careening out of control. The spiritual plane, already a swirling mess of color, becomes a spiraling blur, the green of Fawful the Great's head becoming just another splotch of color in the whirling mixture - but the thud tells her all she needs to know. Though she doesn't get to witness it herself, too busy leaping from an out-of-control golf cart, Fawful the Great's "body" is sent flying when the cart sideswipes him, rocketing the Beanish entertainer into the distance with so strong a blow that the shock to his system defeats him in an instant.
In the real world, Rimi collapses, the white hat upon her head falling off as she hits the ground. Her allies rush to her side, gathering round her as Cayde lifts her up, Rimi looking around bewildered and confused.
On the Astral Plane, ENA picks herself up scanning her surroundings to try and locate the faint aura of the now-distant Death, leaving behind the overturned golf cart as she staggers off in the direction of her other target.
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Part 6
But we've spent far too long now in that chaotic plane, and for some time now, we've lingered around the robotic alliance, so as Gamecube's pursuit of Death continues, let us turn our attention to another part of the battlefield. To an escapee who we haven't seen for a spell…
"So, brother, this is how it all ends. Heh. I should have known. It's the only way it could have ended when you turned to a life of crime." Against a backdrop of a distant Colonel O'Dell boasting of Grunt's strength as Candice retreats from an engagement with the Smackdown star, Punished Luigi and Gangsta Mario stand face-to-face, nobody around to interfere with their meeting.
"I ain't got a fucking brother, shit-for-brains," the gangster retorts, raising a gun and taking a shot.
Punished Luigi leaps out of the bullet's path, already anticipating the sloppy move. His knees buckle as he lands, his body still sore from the beating he had taken fighting Cayde and Toadette. "...you're right. We haven't been bros since the day you walked out. Your blood must run colder than the marinara on ma's pasta after two nights in the fridge. How many lives have you taken? You even keep count anymore?"
"Could say the same about you, fucker," Gangsta Mario scoffs, anger flashing in his eyes as he takes note of Punished Luigi's weakness. The force of his next shot pounds against his eardrums, leaving his ears ringing. This time, he doesn't miss, watching with satisfaction as Punished Luigi drops to his hands, blood dripping down from his stomach.
"You know…" He wheezes, grabbing at his abdomen even as he forces himself to look up at his shooter. "...once, I still held onto hope…" His voice, raspy and weak, trails off, the ex-plumber only able to eke out whispers. The way he shakes and tries so hard to speak, it prompts Gangsta Mario to draw nearer. It's not to hear his ex-brother's dying words, he tells himself, but because he needs to be close enough to guarantee the next shot kills. Step by hesitant step, Gangsta Mario approaches, until finally Punished Luigi's whispered words reach his ears.
"...that you'd get smart enough not to fall for tricks like this," he finishes, suddenly shouting and leaping at Gangsta Mario, brandishing his machete and throwing away the used blood squib he had been holding against his stomach. Gangsta's shot hadn't hit - he'd just detonated the squib to splash himself with blood and pretended to crumple! Of course the idiot fell for it!
Now on top of Gangsta Mario, Punished Luigi knocks a gun from one of his hands and wraps his arm in an armbar, easily resisting Gangsta's feeble defense. Though still equipped with one of his weapons, Gangsta can't get the angle he needs with the weapon, not with Punished Luigi positioned on top of him like this. The ex-plumber raises his machete up and swings, tearing through Gangsta's overalls with the blade. Gangsta winces in pain, but keeps his mouth shut and maintains his composure, defiantly glaring daggers at Punished Luigi.
"This is it, Mario," he says as he brings his machete up, satisfied with the test strike and ready to finish the Gangsta off. "Unlike you, I'm a man of principle. Got any last words, paisano?"
Sweat drips from Gangsta Mario's face, the gleam of the machete above him reflecting in his eyes. He gulps, opens his palm and lets his remaining gun roll out of his hand. "Just two," he says as his hand slips into his pocket. "FUCKING WEED!" Punished Luigi goes to bring down his blade as soon as he hears Gangsta Mario's shout, but the blunt and scattered marijuana leaves thrown into his eyes cause his swing to miss, Gangsta Mario taking advantage of the distraction and bucking wildly, eventually throwing a stunned Punished Luigi off of him. As Punished Luigi springs to his feet and looks for his thrown blade, Gangsta Mario grabs his dropped gun, not even grabbing his spare in his haste to train it on Punished Luigi and fire.
This time, there's no trick. The bullet rips through Punished Luigi, and the ex-plumber slumps to the ground, Gangsta Mario acknowledging his defeat with only a dismissive shake of his head as he gets his second gun and scrambles to his feet, fleeing as the shouts from Colonel O'Dell get louder.
"Well, it's been fun. But it's time for this to end," Death pronounces, failing to hide the fear in his voice as Gamecube presses him to the edge of the ruins. Far from where they had started, TPG2 and Quickbot now have their backs pressed against the edge of the arena, each on one side of Death, boxing him in with Gamecube's aid. Even Gamecube stops firing its lasers as the chill of Death washes over the robotic alliance, all three of them holding their breath - metaphorically - as Death approaches TPG2.
The reaper raises a hand, stretches out a finger, and places it upon the head of the radiant king, cold specter touching cold metal, the reaper asserting its authority over even monarchs with his fearsome touch of death.
There's a flash, a pillar of light rising up and piercing the sky, emanating from the royal scepter. Death retracts his hand in shock, flapping it about as he feels it burn, bone itself bubbling and melting as the radiant pillar of Sunset Gold expands and surrounds Death and TPG2 both. "NOOOOOOOOO!" Death screams and writhes as the yellow from the staff pierces his dark aura, his bones smoldering as the powerful radiance scalds and boils him.
It had flared up quickly, and it dissipates quickly, the great pillar flickering before fading out of existence, leaving nothing behind but an unharmed TPG2, ash, and a dark grey essence being drawn into the royal Scribble scepter.
"Ha! YES! The touch of death can't kill a robot! LET'S GO TEAM!" Gamecube vocalizes the team's collective relief, all three robots taking a rest. They hadn't been sure until Quickbot had finished its analysis, and even then, there was still doubt running through their circuits, but their analytical ally had gotten it right, and they had taken down the scourge that had been the bane of the whole field since even before the start of the battle!
"Get back here!" The victory celebrations, however, prove short lived. The three robots turn to see Shmwario coming their way, in pursuit of a… platypus? The platypus dodges the hatless detective's diving tackle, leaping into the midst of the robotic alliance before taking off. At Quickbot's urging, TPG2 turns his scepter on Shmwario as the detective gets up, looking to pin down this potential threat and neutralize him early. "Yeah, yeah, I see you over there," Shmwario asserts, dusting himself off and raising his hands in surrender. All the same, Gamecube turns its guns on the detective, Quickbot rising high into the air on its boosters to prepare for battle.
"Don't need to get so defensive," Shmwario mutters, trying to look past the robots. Tsk, that platypus was long gone… "It's not like I can sneak by you!" The robots begin to close in on him. Their recent battles had been draining. They needed time to recharge. Now wasn't the time for wasting energy. If they could take Shmwario as a prisoner for now, that'd be enough.
Robots closing in around him, his already-slim hopes of escaping rapidly shrinking, Shmwario's mind races. What would his bro do in a situation like this? Ah, he'd probably have already worked out some fancy shmancy way of disabling them! If only he were still here! And he hadn't even got the chance to take out that electricity-user who killed Shmaluigi! Wait, no time to dwell on that! Come, think Shmwario, think! If your bro couldn't disable the robots, what would he be doing right now? Maybe he'd… Like with that Koopa shell that one time… Yeah, yeah, that'd be the ticket, but how to…
Shmwario's hands stay in the air as his stomach rumbles, the lightbulb dinging above his head almost visible, so bad is his poker face. "Wait! I do got somewhere I can go!" TPG2 doesn't take kindly to the sudden exclamation, shooting out a chilled blast of deathly grey, but the launch of the projectile gets subsumed by something much, much louder, gas billowing out of Shmwario as he rockets at the robots.
"EAT A SHMWARIO WAFT! WAHAHAHAH!" Gamecube switches tactics, trying to punch Shmwario out of the air but whiffing and punching the air above the gas-propelled-rocketeer as TPG2's blast sails harmlessly beneath him. Shmwario rockets towards Quickbot, the analysis robot already kicking on its boosters in an attempt to flee, but Shmwario grabs on, and Quickbot has no chance to reverse course, taking off and leaving its allies behind as it soars away on its pre-calculated flight path.
Holograms flash as Quickbot tries to project aerial obstacles, putting illusory floating mines in their path in hopes of convincing Shmwario to hop off, but what might have worked for Shmaluigi does no good against the bolder Shmwario! He throws his weight around, leaning from side to side to force Quickbot to veer in one direction or the other, the analysis robot never having been built to carry passengers of this size. He even looks back over his shoulder, so unconcerned with the fake obstacles is he! He laughs a hearty laugh as he realizes he's put considerable distance between himself and the other two robots, and raises his fists, bringing them down hard on Quickbot's head, smashing into the robot's head and leaving it with a gaping hole in the side of its face.
But even as the Shmwario's fists tear through delicate circuitry, Quickbot puts an emergency backup plan into action, shutting off its rockets altogether, Shmwario so focused on pulling his hands free from a tangle of severed wires he doesn't notice the bot plummeting towards the ground. The crash landing scatters the two of them, Quickbot suffering some dents and segfaults as the collision roughs up its frame and rocks its delicate chips. Shmwario doesn't get off much better, earning additional bruises as he tumbles. But in the battle of man and machine, machine has the decisive speed advantage. While a groggy Shmwario staggers to his feet, Quickbot kicks those boosters back into gear, zipping around Shmwario to get behind him, turn around…
…and flare those rocket boosters, searing Shmwario in fire!
The detective drops to the ground, charred as his brother, though thanks to fire rather than electricity, and Quickbot sets off to regroup with its allies…
In the midst of laborious alliance struggles, two brawlers find themselves without their trustful, or perhaps distrustful, allies. Marge Simpson trudges her way towards the center stage of the arena, grumbling to herself. Wright Forde 'Shroom and El Presidente, her two temporary allies, had all but failed in maintaining composure or winning their fights, and now lay on the ruined floors. That Beedle boy was a bust, and O'Chunks had given her quite the chase. Thankfully, with as much kerfuffle as was happening everywhere else, she had managed to slink away. With little activity happening at the very center of the realm, now was the time to ground herself, find some resources, fasten together some-
THWUMP!
Marge quickly darts her head around in confusion, her mile-high hair swinging around. Out of her periphery, she notices a dirty figure fly off of her hair and collide into one of the nearby rock faces. It was so tall, somebody flying by must have smacked into it! With a start, she calls over, "oh, I'm so sorry!"
The figure lifts his head from the stone, revealing it to be Honio Pitoki, his glasses cracked from the collision. "Ey! Watch where you're whipping that mop around! Can't you see a fella's flying here?"
Immediately, Marge feels a flair of anger rise through her face. "Sweetie, I spent years growing out this 'mop'!" She takes a few steps towards Honio, who continues to pry himself from the rock wall, his already haphazard robe snagging against the sharp outcoves. Marge lowers her head, gives Honio a heavy glare, and then lets a smirk break out across her face. "And this ain't just for show!" In the next moment, her hair extends forward with megaton force! Gasping, Honio slips away from her attempt in just enough time, leaving the hair to collide with where he had just planted. He staggers through the air, his propeller just functional enough to keep him upright. Beside him, the rock begins to crumble and break further, the force of the hair-punch causing further fracturing to its surface.
As Marge's hair retracts back, the shady salesman pauses, a devious thought occurring to him. Towards the top of the rock wall he flies, where the cracks continue their ascent, and where boulders are beginning to form from the fractured sediment. "You want to give a real performance?" he shouts over his shoulder. "Then take some of this!" With strained effort, his breaths raspy from the exertion and overwork, Honio nevertheless manages to take a rock in his claws – and tosses it straight towards Marge.
Marge, already in a readied stance with one leg back, lets her hair extend and whip through the air. When it collides with the incoming rock, it shatters it completely, debris flying across the air. But that single rock was not enough! Honio continues the onslaught of incoming stones, and Marge, as if wielding some masterclass weapon, continues to throw her hair around and break any incoming stones. The clashes in the air can be heard across the battlefield, a distant show of unbridled combat potential.
Eventually, Honio runs out of stones to toss, and lowers towards the floor, huffing and puffing. In front of him, Marge struggles to find breath too, though not as winded from her years in physical training. With a shout, she launches her hair forward for one final, conclusive blow. Honio, though, a little more clever than he's let on so far, rolls to his right – causing the force of the blow to land directly at the base of the rock wall. A huge crack echoes through the stone, and Honio drags himself out of the path as the entire wall comes collapsing down.
Marge realizes too late what's incoming. Her tired body won't be able to sustain this much force, regardless of her training. In her last moments on this battlefield, she simply turns her head to Honio, gives him a full-body glance, and then says, "Boy, you need to take a shower."
The rock wall lands and crushes Marge, leaving her down for the count.
Now with a busted propeller, broken glasses, and a ridiculous heart rate, Honio slumps back onto his rear, letting himself take a momentary breather.
Meanwhile, not too far away, Sholmes's pillar remains ever-fortified by the alliance of survivors inhabiting it. Rei has since finished the construction of his makeshift telephone pole, one with enough energetic dissonance to interrupt nearby spirits as necessary. ENA's projection has returned to her body, currently resting against Rainbow Dash's side as she recovers her energy. Sholmes and Bushroot banter and chat beside each other, BB attempting a quip any moment she can interject. Hopes are high for this group, as few seem willing to challenge them head-on.
That is, until now.
The alliance between Isabelle, Acraman, and Sirius remain situated in the nearby foliage, watching the group closely. "Quite the different Sholmes and Bushroot, I've observed…" Acraman quips, knowing the tragic fate and separation which befell these two in their other reality.
"And what powerful metaphysical forces they're sporting!" Sirius allows his eyes to glimmer as he rests a finger against his mouth, just enough concentration placed on his magic to observe the auras of the others. "The multi-colored one can fully utilize the Astral Plane now! Ohohoho, what ability!"
Isabelle huffs as she's caught in the middle of this exchange, twirling a pebble atop her fingertip. "Okay, so what's the plan? There's six of them, and three of us."
"My dear pup," Acraman responds (to which Isabelle immediately recoils), "we know these irresponsible ne'er-do-wells. All we must do is engage with them and allow them to participate in our little game." And without any further fanfare, Acraman rises from the foliage, dons his most conniving smile, and begins walking towards the open area in front of the pillar. Sirius follows close behind, an inviting smile on his face.
"Greetings, you-"
"NOPE."
The shout rings out from atop the pillar as Rainbow Dash, in reactive denial, flings a rock directly towards Acraman's forehead. The rock is intercepted mere moments before it lands by a padded paw, Isabelle having used her Paillassos powers to slip in front and catch it. She launches it right back towards Rainbow Dash, who manages to snag it from the air with nearly the same degree of authority. Sholmes and Bushroot take their own stances, swords in hand as they stare down the motley alliance before them. The two detectives give each other a brief glance, Sholmes's imbued with confidence – they had taken down these two before, how challenging could a second time be?
A moment of stillness fills the air… And then, the fight begins! Sholmes and Bushroot both swing forward with their blades, lengthening them to their extended forms. Isabelle, still taking the front, allows the clown magic to course through her arms. When the blades reach towards her, she threads her limbs through their length, causing them to powerlessly wrap around her arms. She grips at their ends with her paws, giving a fierce tug. Sholmes, unprepared for this sneaky show, feels his blade leave his grip. The Danteleon goes scattering off to the side, landing by the feet of Acraman, who picks it up triumphantly. The grass blade, however, remains connected at Bushroot's wrist, meaning the tug causes him to stumble forward but maintain possession of his blade.
Sensing the immediate surprise turn in the conflict, Rainbow Dash throws another projectile towards the trio. This time, it manages to knock Sirius on the arm, and he grunts through the pain as he puts his palm to his mouth. In his other hand, an otherworldly sludge festers in his fingertips, a form that he slings directly towards the top of the pillar. Rainbow Dash pulls ENA down to avoid the dark energy, watching it course through the sky above. While Sirius works as needed to take down the duo at the top of the pillar, and Isabelle knocks Bushroot into Sholmes with a swish of Bushroot's sword, Acraman approaches the remaining two alliance members, BB and Rei, Danteleon in hand. Acraman had seen technology like this in his other reality, of course, so utilizing it would only be so unwieldy.
BB and Rei retreat back towards the constructed telephone pole, and Rei gives a glance towards Sirius and his glowing eyes. If they could just eliminate the potent spellcaster… "ENA, COVER YOUR EARS!" he hollers up the pillar as he rests a hand back on the telephone pole. At his command, power begins coursing through the pole, charging up to release a pulse of dispelling energy. Realizing that the pole is building towards something, Acraman releases a quick "No!" before swinging forward the Danteleon with uncertain footing. The powerful edge cuts across the legs of BB and Rei, before striking at the base of the pole, splintering it and causing it to crumple forward. Unable to move away from its incoming crush, BB and Rei only brace for impact, Rei begging the energy to burst from it before it's too late.
At the exact moment of contact with the ground, the energy rockets outwards from the pole, a booming bass that only the spiritually-inclined could hear.
Acraman stumbles away from the wreckage, peering through the dirt to determine if BB and Rei are truly down. Sure enough, they lay beneath the collapsed pole, rendered defeated by the impact. With a triumphant smirk, he looks back towards his teammates – his smile dropping quickly as he notices his closest companion, Sirius, on the ground. His body is nothing more than a husk now, the spiritual energy of Shinkai dispelled from him by the pole's eminence. Acraman has little time to consider this as he feels a shoe in his side, Sholmes kicking him away and causing him to drop the Danteleon.
Isabelle and Bushroot remain engaged in their own conflict, Bushroot having shifted his sword's form to bite into Isabelle's shoulder. Isabelle grimaces as she feels the grass cut against her fur, but she manages to kick up a stick with her foot, angling it in such a way to hit Bushroot square in the beak. Bushroot gasps and stumbles backwards, allowing Isabelle enough distraction to slip away from his plants. She takes a cursory glance towards her other alliance member, Acraman. He was a foolish man. And that was saying something, because she was a clown. Taking a spit on a nearby plant, Isabelle bounds away from the conflict with Bushroot, leaving him feeling oddly offended.
On top of the pillar, which has become slightly unstable from the force blow, Rainbow Dash cradles ENA close. ENA holds her hands to her ears and rocks back and forth, her eyes wide. Though she thankfully was not projecting her spirit at the time of the pole launch, her resonance with the Astral Plane is still strong enough to leave her deeply rattled from the power. She breathes weakly and shakily, doing her best to recompose and still the deep, deep ringing that only she can feel in her soul.
Meanwhile, the Robotic Alliance of TPG2, Quickbot, and Gamecube find themselves regrouping in the far reaches of the arena, taking these precious moments to recharge what battery reserves need tending to. Unfortunately, Gamecube's extreme stature would mean that any opponents from a fair distance away would spot them. And spot them they did.
A team of beefcakes descends upon the robotic group, Renne taking a confident stride up to them. Behind her, Brennanman, Cornelius, and Scottish Mario all exude their physical might through their posing, as though awaiting the big moment they could demonstrate how hard they hit. GameCube gives the four of them a narrow digital eye, gesturing downwards with his robotic body. "We're uh, kinda busy here, y'know, resting up? And also, none of you are even close to my weight class."
"Oh please, as if I can't take down someone bigger than me," Renne retorts. Rather than engaging GameCube further, however, she gestures up towards the king resting beside Quickbot. "I'm here for him, though. He has something I want. So, he can hand it over for me, orrrr we can do things the hard way." Silence falls across the three robots at that, and Renne merely shrugs and shakes her head. "Suit yourself."
With a snap of Renne's finger, Brennanman suddenly lunges forward towards TPG2, with Quickbot hitting the thrusters with just enough time for his large hands to miss. With one of his arms still damaged, Brennanman stumbles and exhales through his teeth. TPG2 keeps his scepter close, with direction from Quickbot on how to angle it as they ascend upwards into the sky. GameCube takes his own aim with his arm blasters, launching a shot straight towards the opposing alliance – which are knocked away in a quick flurry by something purple streaking through the air. When the bombardment slows, the reflecting weapon reveals itself: Renne's scythe, charged with the energy of her Shadow Crystal, its lengthy blade arching towards the ground. She gives a tsk, tsk in Gamecube's direction, before beginning to deflect another round of armory. The scythe practically dances around her body, a blur of movement and finesse, as shots ricochet away from the group.
While this goes on, with Brennanman sulking on the ground, Cornelius takes a turn leaping towards TPG2 and Quickbot. The Cereal Killer comes much closer to catching his target, but it ultimately results in no dice as he plummets back towards the ground. Now further up in the sky, TPG2 charges the Sunset Gold energy through his scepter, aiming it directly at where Cornelius has landed. He launches a shot from the scepter, managing to strike Cornelius in the back and causing him to squawk out. Brennanman moves to yank Cornelius away from the energy attack, while TPG2 gears up to charge another round of Sunset Gold. Quickbot angles the shot again, and then–
"I'VE HAD AENOUGH O' YAE, YAE BUCKE' O' BOLTS!"
From behind, Scottish Mario snags onto TPG2, jumping with an unprecedented degree of height from the sheer Scottish power running through him. Before either robot can adequately react, Scottish Mario sails past Quickbot towards the ground, gripping TPG2 in his arms. His muscles flex around the robotic body, not letting it move an inch as he prepares a perfect piledriver. He wraps his legs against the torso, holds onto the head, and with practically explosive power, smashes into the earth.
Scottish Mario holds for a second, before letting go and stepping away, allowing TPG2 to crumple into the dirt. The king's body has not been entirely destroyed… but there's certainly no consciousness left in it.
Gamecube freezes his shots, looking in distress towards his downed ally. Quickbot, too, falls still, watching as Renne slaps Scottish Mario on the back and walks up to the body. She takes up the king's scepter in her hand – and cleanly slices the top piece, the talisman of Sunset Gold, away from the rest of the metal. She connects the crownlike shape to her necklace, instantaneously feeling the effects as the power mixes with the power of her Shadow Crystal. An odd combination of energies to be harnessed in one body, but an invigorating one. With a new golden glow in her eye, she gives Gamecube a knowing stare from the corner of her eye.
Gamecube merely holds up his hulking arms, allowing the group to continue on in peace. Renne leads the wrestlers away from the location, their prey subdued and treasure gained. Renne had her eyes set on a different alliance to dethrone, after all, and if she succeeded in that, there was no question who would be regarded as the strongest presence in the Brawl.
Quickbot witnesses them leave, then floats back down to the ground, prodding at the still frame of TPG2, analyzing it closely. No amount of recharging could fix the damage done to this circuitry.
But we've spent far too long now in that chaotic plane, and for some time now, we've lingered around the robotic alliance, so as Gamecube's pursuit of Death continues, let us turn our attention to another part of the battlefield. To an escapee who we haven't seen for a spell…
"So, brother, this is how it all ends. Heh. I should have known. It's the only way it could have ended when you turned to a life of crime." Against a backdrop of a distant Colonel O'Dell boasting of Grunt's strength as Candice retreats from an engagement with the Smackdown star, Punished Luigi and Gangsta Mario stand face-to-face, nobody around to interfere with their meeting.
"I ain't got a fucking brother, shit-for-brains," the gangster retorts, raising a gun and taking a shot.
Punished Luigi leaps out of the bullet's path, already anticipating the sloppy move. His knees buckle as he lands, his body still sore from the beating he had taken fighting Cayde and Toadette. "...you're right. We haven't been bros since the day you walked out. Your blood must run colder than the marinara on ma's pasta after two nights in the fridge. How many lives have you taken? You even keep count anymore?"
"Could say the same about you, fucker," Gangsta Mario scoffs, anger flashing in his eyes as he takes note of Punished Luigi's weakness. The force of his next shot pounds against his eardrums, leaving his ears ringing. This time, he doesn't miss, watching with satisfaction as Punished Luigi drops to his hands, blood dripping down from his stomach.
"You know…" He wheezes, grabbing at his abdomen even as he forces himself to look up at his shooter. "...once, I still held onto hope…" His voice, raspy and weak, trails off, the ex-plumber only able to eke out whispers. The way he shakes and tries so hard to speak, it prompts Gangsta Mario to draw nearer. It's not to hear his ex-brother's dying words, he tells himself, but because he needs to be close enough to guarantee the next shot kills. Step by hesitant step, Gangsta Mario approaches, until finally Punished Luigi's whispered words reach his ears.
"...that you'd get smart enough not to fall for tricks like this," he finishes, suddenly shouting and leaping at Gangsta Mario, brandishing his machete and throwing away the used blood squib he had been holding against his stomach. Gangsta's shot hadn't hit - he'd just detonated the squib to splash himself with blood and pretended to crumple! Of course the idiot fell for it!
Now on top of Gangsta Mario, Punished Luigi knocks a gun from one of his hands and wraps his arm in an armbar, easily resisting Gangsta's feeble defense. Though still equipped with one of his weapons, Gangsta can't get the angle he needs with the weapon, not with Punished Luigi positioned on top of him like this. The ex-plumber raises his machete up and swings, tearing through Gangsta's overalls with the blade. Gangsta winces in pain, but keeps his mouth shut and maintains his composure, defiantly glaring daggers at Punished Luigi.
"This is it, Mario," he says as he brings his machete up, satisfied with the test strike and ready to finish the Gangsta off. "Unlike you, I'm a man of principle. Got any last words, paisano?"
Sweat drips from Gangsta Mario's face, the gleam of the machete above him reflecting in his eyes. He gulps, opens his palm and lets his remaining gun roll out of his hand. "Just two," he says as his hand slips into his pocket. "FUCKING WEED!" Punished Luigi goes to bring down his blade as soon as he hears Gangsta Mario's shout, but the blunt and scattered marijuana leaves thrown into his eyes cause his swing to miss, Gangsta Mario taking advantage of the distraction and bucking wildly, eventually throwing a stunned Punished Luigi off of him. As Punished Luigi springs to his feet and looks for his thrown blade, Gangsta Mario grabs his dropped gun, not even grabbing his spare in his haste to train it on Punished Luigi and fire.
This time, there's no trick. The bullet rips through Punished Luigi, and the ex-plumber slumps to the ground, Gangsta Mario acknowledging his defeat with only a dismissive shake of his head as he gets his second gun and scrambles to his feet, fleeing as the shouts from Colonel O'Dell get louder.
"Well, it's been fun. But it's time for this to end," Death pronounces, failing to hide the fear in his voice as Gamecube presses him to the edge of the ruins. Far from where they had started, TPG2 and Quickbot now have their backs pressed against the edge of the arena, each on one side of Death, boxing him in with Gamecube's aid. Even Gamecube stops firing its lasers as the chill of Death washes over the robotic alliance, all three of them holding their breath - metaphorically - as Death approaches TPG2.
The reaper raises a hand, stretches out a finger, and places it upon the head of the radiant king, cold specter touching cold metal, the reaper asserting its authority over even monarchs with his fearsome touch of death.
There's a flash, a pillar of light rising up and piercing the sky, emanating from the royal scepter. Death retracts his hand in shock, flapping it about as he feels it burn, bone itself bubbling and melting as the radiant pillar of Sunset Gold expands and surrounds Death and TPG2 both. "NOOOOOOOOO!" Death screams and writhes as the yellow from the staff pierces his dark aura, his bones smoldering as the powerful radiance scalds and boils him.
It had flared up quickly, and it dissipates quickly, the great pillar flickering before fading out of existence, leaving nothing behind but an unharmed TPG2, ash, and a dark grey essence being drawn into the royal Scribble scepter.
"Ha! YES! The touch of death can't kill a robot! LET'S GO TEAM!" Gamecube vocalizes the team's collective relief, all three robots taking a rest. They hadn't been sure until Quickbot had finished its analysis, and even then, there was still doubt running through their circuits, but their analytical ally had gotten it right, and they had taken down the scourge that had been the bane of the whole field since even before the start of the battle!
"Get back here!" The victory celebrations, however, prove short lived. The three robots turn to see Shmwario coming their way, in pursuit of a… platypus? The platypus dodges the hatless detective's diving tackle, leaping into the midst of the robotic alliance before taking off. At Quickbot's urging, TPG2 turns his scepter on Shmwario as the detective gets up, looking to pin down this potential threat and neutralize him early. "Yeah, yeah, I see you over there," Shmwario asserts, dusting himself off and raising his hands in surrender. All the same, Gamecube turns its guns on the detective, Quickbot rising high into the air on its boosters to prepare for battle.
"Don't need to get so defensive," Shmwario mutters, trying to look past the robots. Tsk, that platypus was long gone… "It's not like I can sneak by you!" The robots begin to close in on him. Their recent battles had been draining. They needed time to recharge. Now wasn't the time for wasting energy. If they could take Shmwario as a prisoner for now, that'd be enough.
Robots closing in around him, his already-slim hopes of escaping rapidly shrinking, Shmwario's mind races. What would his bro do in a situation like this? Ah, he'd probably have already worked out some fancy shmancy way of disabling them! If only he were still here! And he hadn't even got the chance to take out that electricity-user who killed Shmaluigi! Wait, no time to dwell on that! Come, think Shmwario, think! If your bro couldn't disable the robots, what would he be doing right now? Maybe he'd… Like with that Koopa shell that one time… Yeah, yeah, that'd be the ticket, but how to…
Shmwario's hands stay in the air as his stomach rumbles, the lightbulb dinging above his head almost visible, so bad is his poker face. "Wait! I do got somewhere I can go!" TPG2 doesn't take kindly to the sudden exclamation, shooting out a chilled blast of deathly grey, but the launch of the projectile gets subsumed by something much, much louder, gas billowing out of Shmwario as he rockets at the robots.
"EAT A SHMWARIO WAFT! WAHAHAHAH!" Gamecube switches tactics, trying to punch Shmwario out of the air but whiffing and punching the air above the gas-propelled-rocketeer as TPG2's blast sails harmlessly beneath him. Shmwario rockets towards Quickbot, the analysis robot already kicking on its boosters in an attempt to flee, but Shmwario grabs on, and Quickbot has no chance to reverse course, taking off and leaving its allies behind as it soars away on its pre-calculated flight path.
Holograms flash as Quickbot tries to project aerial obstacles, putting illusory floating mines in their path in hopes of convincing Shmwario to hop off, but what might have worked for Shmaluigi does no good against the bolder Shmwario! He throws his weight around, leaning from side to side to force Quickbot to veer in one direction or the other, the analysis robot never having been built to carry passengers of this size. He even looks back over his shoulder, so unconcerned with the fake obstacles is he! He laughs a hearty laugh as he realizes he's put considerable distance between himself and the other two robots, and raises his fists, bringing them down hard on Quickbot's head, smashing into the robot's head and leaving it with a gaping hole in the side of its face.
But even as the Shmwario's fists tear through delicate circuitry, Quickbot puts an emergency backup plan into action, shutting off its rockets altogether, Shmwario so focused on pulling his hands free from a tangle of severed wires he doesn't notice the bot plummeting towards the ground. The crash landing scatters the two of them, Quickbot suffering some dents and segfaults as the collision roughs up its frame and rocks its delicate chips. Shmwario doesn't get off much better, earning additional bruises as he tumbles. But in the battle of man and machine, machine has the decisive speed advantage. While a groggy Shmwario staggers to his feet, Quickbot kicks those boosters back into gear, zipping around Shmwario to get behind him, turn around…
…and flare those rocket boosters, searing Shmwario in fire!
The detective drops to the ground, charred as his brother, though thanks to fire rather than electricity, and Quickbot sets off to regroup with its allies…
In the midst of laborious alliance struggles, two brawlers find themselves without their trustful, or perhaps distrustful, allies. Marge Simpson trudges her way towards the center stage of the arena, grumbling to herself. Wright Forde 'Shroom and El Presidente, her two temporary allies, had all but failed in maintaining composure or winning their fights, and now lay on the ruined floors. That Beedle boy was a bust, and O'Chunks had given her quite the chase. Thankfully, with as much kerfuffle as was happening everywhere else, she had managed to slink away. With little activity happening at the very center of the realm, now was the time to ground herself, find some resources, fasten together some-
THWUMP!
Marge quickly darts her head around in confusion, her mile-high hair swinging around. Out of her periphery, she notices a dirty figure fly off of her hair and collide into one of the nearby rock faces. It was so tall, somebody flying by must have smacked into it! With a start, she calls over, "oh, I'm so sorry!"
The figure lifts his head from the stone, revealing it to be Honio Pitoki, his glasses cracked from the collision. "Ey! Watch where you're whipping that mop around! Can't you see a fella's flying here?"
Immediately, Marge feels a flair of anger rise through her face. "Sweetie, I spent years growing out this 'mop'!" She takes a few steps towards Honio, who continues to pry himself from the rock wall, his already haphazard robe snagging against the sharp outcoves. Marge lowers her head, gives Honio a heavy glare, and then lets a smirk break out across her face. "And this ain't just for show!" In the next moment, her hair extends forward with megaton force! Gasping, Honio slips away from her attempt in just enough time, leaving the hair to collide with where he had just planted. He staggers through the air, his propeller just functional enough to keep him upright. Beside him, the rock begins to crumble and break further, the force of the hair-punch causing further fracturing to its surface.
As Marge's hair retracts back, the shady salesman pauses, a devious thought occurring to him. Towards the top of the rock wall he flies, where the cracks continue their ascent, and where boulders are beginning to form from the fractured sediment. "You want to give a real performance?" he shouts over his shoulder. "Then take some of this!" With strained effort, his breaths raspy from the exertion and overwork, Honio nevertheless manages to take a rock in his claws – and tosses it straight towards Marge.
Marge, already in a readied stance with one leg back, lets her hair extend and whip through the air. When it collides with the incoming rock, it shatters it completely, debris flying across the air. But that single rock was not enough! Honio continues the onslaught of incoming stones, and Marge, as if wielding some masterclass weapon, continues to throw her hair around and break any incoming stones. The clashes in the air can be heard across the battlefield, a distant show of unbridled combat potential.
Eventually, Honio runs out of stones to toss, and lowers towards the floor, huffing and puffing. In front of him, Marge struggles to find breath too, though not as winded from her years in physical training. With a shout, she launches her hair forward for one final, conclusive blow. Honio, though, a little more clever than he's let on so far, rolls to his right – causing the force of the blow to land directly at the base of the rock wall. A huge crack echoes through the stone, and Honio drags himself out of the path as the entire wall comes collapsing down.
Marge realizes too late what's incoming. Her tired body won't be able to sustain this much force, regardless of her training. In her last moments on this battlefield, she simply turns her head to Honio, gives him a full-body glance, and then says, "Boy, you need to take a shower."
The rock wall lands and crushes Marge, leaving her down for the count.
Now with a busted propeller, broken glasses, and a ridiculous heart rate, Honio slumps back onto his rear, letting himself take a momentary breather.
Meanwhile, not too far away, Sholmes's pillar remains ever-fortified by the alliance of survivors inhabiting it. Rei has since finished the construction of his makeshift telephone pole, one with enough energetic dissonance to interrupt nearby spirits as necessary. ENA's projection has returned to her body, currently resting against Rainbow Dash's side as she recovers her energy. Sholmes and Bushroot banter and chat beside each other, BB attempting a quip any moment she can interject. Hopes are high for this group, as few seem willing to challenge them head-on.
That is, until now.
The alliance between Isabelle, Acraman, and Sirius remain situated in the nearby foliage, watching the group closely. "Quite the different Sholmes and Bushroot, I've observed…" Acraman quips, knowing the tragic fate and separation which befell these two in their other reality.
"And what powerful metaphysical forces they're sporting!" Sirius allows his eyes to glimmer as he rests a finger against his mouth, just enough concentration placed on his magic to observe the auras of the others. "The multi-colored one can fully utilize the Astral Plane now! Ohohoho, what ability!"
Isabelle huffs as she's caught in the middle of this exchange, twirling a pebble atop her fingertip. "Okay, so what's the plan? There's six of them, and three of us."
"My dear pup," Acraman responds (to which Isabelle immediately recoils), "we know these irresponsible ne'er-do-wells. All we must do is engage with them and allow them to participate in our little game." And without any further fanfare, Acraman rises from the foliage, dons his most conniving smile, and begins walking towards the open area in front of the pillar. Sirius follows close behind, an inviting smile on his face.
"Greetings, you-"
"NOPE."
The shout rings out from atop the pillar as Rainbow Dash, in reactive denial, flings a rock directly towards Acraman's forehead. The rock is intercepted mere moments before it lands by a padded paw, Isabelle having used her Paillassos powers to slip in front and catch it. She launches it right back towards Rainbow Dash, who manages to snag it from the air with nearly the same degree of authority. Sholmes and Bushroot take their own stances, swords in hand as they stare down the motley alliance before them. The two detectives give each other a brief glance, Sholmes's imbued with confidence – they had taken down these two before, how challenging could a second time be?
A moment of stillness fills the air… And then, the fight begins! Sholmes and Bushroot both swing forward with their blades, lengthening them to their extended forms. Isabelle, still taking the front, allows the clown magic to course through her arms. When the blades reach towards her, she threads her limbs through their length, causing them to powerlessly wrap around her arms. She grips at their ends with her paws, giving a fierce tug. Sholmes, unprepared for this sneaky show, feels his blade leave his grip. The Danteleon goes scattering off to the side, landing by the feet of Acraman, who picks it up triumphantly. The grass blade, however, remains connected at Bushroot's wrist, meaning the tug causes him to stumble forward but maintain possession of his blade.
Sensing the immediate surprise turn in the conflict, Rainbow Dash throws another projectile towards the trio. This time, it manages to knock Sirius on the arm, and he grunts through the pain as he puts his palm to his mouth. In his other hand, an otherworldly sludge festers in his fingertips, a form that he slings directly towards the top of the pillar. Rainbow Dash pulls ENA down to avoid the dark energy, watching it course through the sky above. While Sirius works as needed to take down the duo at the top of the pillar, and Isabelle knocks Bushroot into Sholmes with a swish of Bushroot's sword, Acraman approaches the remaining two alliance members, BB and Rei, Danteleon in hand. Acraman had seen technology like this in his other reality, of course, so utilizing it would only be so unwieldy.
BB and Rei retreat back towards the constructed telephone pole, and Rei gives a glance towards Sirius and his glowing eyes. If they could just eliminate the potent spellcaster… "ENA, COVER YOUR EARS!" he hollers up the pillar as he rests a hand back on the telephone pole. At his command, power begins coursing through the pole, charging up to release a pulse of dispelling energy. Realizing that the pole is building towards something, Acraman releases a quick "No!" before swinging forward the Danteleon with uncertain footing. The powerful edge cuts across the legs of BB and Rei, before striking at the base of the pole, splintering it and causing it to crumple forward. Unable to move away from its incoming crush, BB and Rei only brace for impact, Rei begging the energy to burst from it before it's too late.
At the exact moment of contact with the ground, the energy rockets outwards from the pole, a booming bass that only the spiritually-inclined could hear.
Acraman stumbles away from the wreckage, peering through the dirt to determine if BB and Rei are truly down. Sure enough, they lay beneath the collapsed pole, rendered defeated by the impact. With a triumphant smirk, he looks back towards his teammates – his smile dropping quickly as he notices his closest companion, Sirius, on the ground. His body is nothing more than a husk now, the spiritual energy of Shinkai dispelled from him by the pole's eminence. Acraman has little time to consider this as he feels a shoe in his side, Sholmes kicking him away and causing him to drop the Danteleon.
Isabelle and Bushroot remain engaged in their own conflict, Bushroot having shifted his sword's form to bite into Isabelle's shoulder. Isabelle grimaces as she feels the grass cut against her fur, but she manages to kick up a stick with her foot, angling it in such a way to hit Bushroot square in the beak. Bushroot gasps and stumbles backwards, allowing Isabelle enough distraction to slip away from his plants. She takes a cursory glance towards her other alliance member, Acraman. He was a foolish man. And that was saying something, because she was a clown. Taking a spit on a nearby plant, Isabelle bounds away from the conflict with Bushroot, leaving him feeling oddly offended.
On top of the pillar, which has become slightly unstable from the force blow, Rainbow Dash cradles ENA close. ENA holds her hands to her ears and rocks back and forth, her eyes wide. Though she thankfully was not projecting her spirit at the time of the pole launch, her resonance with the Astral Plane is still strong enough to leave her deeply rattled from the power. She breathes weakly and shakily, doing her best to recompose and still the deep, deep ringing that only she can feel in her soul.
Meanwhile, the Robotic Alliance of TPG2, Quickbot, and Gamecube find themselves regrouping in the far reaches of the arena, taking these precious moments to recharge what battery reserves need tending to. Unfortunately, Gamecube's extreme stature would mean that any opponents from a fair distance away would spot them. And spot them they did.
A team of beefcakes descends upon the robotic group, Renne taking a confident stride up to them. Behind her, Brennanman, Cornelius, and Scottish Mario all exude their physical might through their posing, as though awaiting the big moment they could demonstrate how hard they hit. GameCube gives the four of them a narrow digital eye, gesturing downwards with his robotic body. "We're uh, kinda busy here, y'know, resting up? And also, none of you are even close to my weight class."
"Oh please, as if I can't take down someone bigger than me," Renne retorts. Rather than engaging GameCube further, however, she gestures up towards the king resting beside Quickbot. "I'm here for him, though. He has something I want. So, he can hand it over for me, orrrr we can do things the hard way." Silence falls across the three robots at that, and Renne merely shrugs and shakes her head. "Suit yourself."
With a snap of Renne's finger, Brennanman suddenly lunges forward towards TPG2, with Quickbot hitting the thrusters with just enough time for his large hands to miss. With one of his arms still damaged, Brennanman stumbles and exhales through his teeth. TPG2 keeps his scepter close, with direction from Quickbot on how to angle it as they ascend upwards into the sky. GameCube takes his own aim with his arm blasters, launching a shot straight towards the opposing alliance – which are knocked away in a quick flurry by something purple streaking through the air. When the bombardment slows, the reflecting weapon reveals itself: Renne's scythe, charged with the energy of her Shadow Crystal, its lengthy blade arching towards the ground. She gives a tsk, tsk in Gamecube's direction, before beginning to deflect another round of armory. The scythe practically dances around her body, a blur of movement and finesse, as shots ricochet away from the group.
While this goes on, with Brennanman sulking on the ground, Cornelius takes a turn leaping towards TPG2 and Quickbot. The Cereal Killer comes much closer to catching his target, but it ultimately results in no dice as he plummets back towards the ground. Now further up in the sky, TPG2 charges the Sunset Gold energy through his scepter, aiming it directly at where Cornelius has landed. He launches a shot from the scepter, managing to strike Cornelius in the back and causing him to squawk out. Brennanman moves to yank Cornelius away from the energy attack, while TPG2 gears up to charge another round of Sunset Gold. Quickbot angles the shot again, and then–
"I'VE HAD AENOUGH O' YAE, YAE BUCKE' O' BOLTS!"
From behind, Scottish Mario snags onto TPG2, jumping with an unprecedented degree of height from the sheer Scottish power running through him. Before either robot can adequately react, Scottish Mario sails past Quickbot towards the ground, gripping TPG2 in his arms. His muscles flex around the robotic body, not letting it move an inch as he prepares a perfect piledriver. He wraps his legs against the torso, holds onto the head, and with practically explosive power, smashes into the earth.
Scottish Mario holds for a second, before letting go and stepping away, allowing TPG2 to crumple into the dirt. The king's body has not been entirely destroyed… but there's certainly no consciousness left in it.
Gamecube freezes his shots, looking in distress towards his downed ally. Quickbot, too, falls still, watching as Renne slaps Scottish Mario on the back and walks up to the body. She takes up the king's scepter in her hand – and cleanly slices the top piece, the talisman of Sunset Gold, away from the rest of the metal. She connects the crownlike shape to her necklace, instantaneously feeling the effects as the power mixes with the power of her Shadow Crystal. An odd combination of energies to be harnessed in one body, but an invigorating one. With a new golden glow in her eye, she gives Gamecube a knowing stare from the corner of her eye.
Gamecube merely holds up his hulking arms, allowing the group to continue on in peace. Renne leads the wrestlers away from the location, their prey subdued and treasure gained. Renne had her eyes set on a different alliance to dethrone, after all, and if she succeeded in that, there was no question who would be regarded as the strongest presence in the Brawl.
Quickbot witnesses them leave, then floats back down to the ground, prodding at the still frame of TPG2, analyzing it closely. No amount of recharging could fix the damage done to this circuitry.
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Part 7
Back to a battered and bruised Honio Pitoki we go, who has since gotten back to his feet. To use his propeller would be too much effort, and at this point in the fight, it seems better to keep a low profile. So on he trudges, sweeping up his tattered fabric around his feet. Low profile. Low profile. Low pro…
… Yep, that's another alliance.
Honio swears under his breath as Cayde's alliance nears where he's at, the group currently well composed, if not a little scuffed-up. Rimi sports a new accessory on her head: a white top hat, much larger than the decorative one pinned to her hair. That belonged to the Beanish guy, didn't it? He peers forward from behind the nearby foliage, closer to see if- a snap of a twig.
All eyes dart in Honio's direction as he ducks behind the bush. He lets out a brief exhale. Wew. There's no way they saw him.
The group of four look towards the bush and the obvious propeller peeking out the top, then at each other in quiet constitution. They definitely saw him.
Rimi lifts her hand up to the hat, taking hold of its specialized laser blaster. As Honio takes another cautious peek over the top of the green, he's met face-to-face with the glowing end of a destructive weapon. Rimi gives him a tired expression.
"Son of a-"
The shot fires. Honio slumps backwards, taking the fierce force of a laser shot directly to the forehead. Rimi steps back in line with the group, before they all continue on. A downplayed ending for a dingy businessman.
All the way back at Sholmes's pillar, another conflict nears its conclusion. After retrieving his beloved Danteleon blade, the conflict became Sholmes against Acraman. Bushroot had thought to step into the fight, but Sholmes held him back, requesting that the duck conserve his energy for "more significant foes". This had elevated the heat in Acraman's face, a man who had become used to comfortable success, and motivated him to pull forth one of his collapsible resonance poles. The Danteleon strikes against the pole with clang after clang as Sholmes keeps with his blows, occasionally hitting the lightest of Acraman's skin but otherwise failing in landing a satisfying blow. Acraman, with shocking dexterity, matches the pace, not letting Sholmes gain the upper hand. Finally, Sholmes manages to coil the extended Danteleon around the pole, and before Acraman can emit a blast with it, Sholmes yanks the pole from his grasp. In a complete turn of events, it's Acraman that's unarmed, and Sholmes approaching with his blade. Acraman scrunches up his eyes as…
"YES GRUNT, I KNOW, YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO PUNCH ANYBODY IN TEN MINUTES! WE'LL FIND YOU THE PERFECT PUNCHING BAG IN JUST A MINUTE, TO KEEP YOUR TRAINING UP!"
Acraman opens his eyelids tentatively, arms still instinctively raised in defense. Sholmes has stopped his attack, though, and his attention is given towards the towering Grunt and the Colonel O'Dell resting on his shoulder. The two of them seem to be attempting to sneak by some distance away, but O'Dell seems not to have the voice to make a sneaky passing feasible. Sholmes glances over his shoulder towards the weakened Acraman, then back to the Smackdown champ and his manager. "Excuse me, gentlemen! I believe I have a prime candidate for you right here!"
O'Dell and Grunt turn their own gazes to Sholmes, who gestures broadly at the Acraman cowering before him. Grunt stomps up to the comparatively short man, staring down towards him with fierce eyes and a snarky grin. O'Dell, though, leers at Sholmes. "YOU'RE REALLY GONNA LET GRUNT HERE TAKE YOUR VICTIM?"
"Oh please, I insist," Sholmes implores with a short bow of the head. "It would be an honor for your champion to accept my offer. Besides…" His eyes narrow as they find Acraman again. "This fellow is hardly worth the effort."
O'Dell shrugs as best he can without arms. "WELL, ALRIGHT! YOU HEARD HIM, GRUNT! LET'S MAKE THIS CHUMP CRUMBLE!"
Before Acraman can even hope to barter his way out of this situation, Grunt winds back– and unleashes a sickening side blow to Acraman's jaw. A deafening crack sounds out as Acraman flies backwards, smashing into the base of the pillar. There he slumps, a true OHKO from Grunt, the KO King.
Sholmes gives a final nod towards O'Dell, before returning to Bushroot's side, inspecting his partner for any injuries he might have missed. At the top of the pillar, Rainbow Dash ducks her head over the side, spotting the sight of Acraman against its base and Grunt charging off towards the distance. She makes eye contact with Sholmes, who purses his lips, looks to the pillar, then to the rest of the arena that stretches out in front of them. As more time passes, this position becomes less advantageous, and with two teammates gone and the foundations of the pillar threatened, now is as good a time as any to get a move-in. After another moment of consideration, Sholmes ushers for Rainbow Dash to come down, and Rainbow Dash does just that, ENA at her side as she finally begins returning from her spiritual stupor.
With the remaining four of the Sholmes alliance now on the move and Renne making pursuit, there was hardly anyone who remained static in the arena now. Independent agents and groups alike, all moving around the uncovered ruins of this ancient arena, all on the lookout for which competitors might cross their paths next. Remaining stagnant had become a surefire way of discovering defeat – which is what one alliance was soon to discover.
Quickbot lets out the closest approximation to a sigh its systems can produce, remaining close in proximity to the fallen TPG2. With the Kingsbourne eliminated as well, the influence of the legendary king was lost to this forsaken battlefield. Gamecube keeps his mech head lowered in honor of the fallen king as well, though admittedly, the lack of movement from either robot was due to a need to recharge, especially as their session had been interrupted by Renne's posse. Quiet falls across the duo as they keep their attention to TPG2.
"Well, at least there's still two of us," Gamecube eventually offers. Quickbot looks up to his face quizzically, to which Gamecube continues, "two of us robots, I mean."
"Negative." Quickbot responds curtly. "There are four robots remaining."
"Four?" Gamecube's projective face displays an expression of confusion. "Who might be–"
"Candice, and Virovirobun," Quickbot says. "There is a 73% probability neither have been eliminated yet."
"Oh, right." Another beat of quiet. "So, uh, where do you think they are?"
"Right here! Right here! C'mon, I'm right here!"
Out of nowhere springs Virovirobun, having worked its way through the rubble nearby! With the nearby robots in sight, its programming had led it towards its natural inclination: spread, spread, SPREAD! With recharge mode still activated, Quickbot cannot move with enough reaction time to avoid Virovirobun's outstretched paw. The moment the two make contact, Quickbot's eyes begin to flicker and short-circuit, its heads and limbs twitching about uncontrollably, smoke pouring from the poor robot's console. A few moments more, and Quickbot collapses forward, much to the horror of Gamecube.
The mech takes a timid step backwards, Virovirobun's enthusiastic laughter filling the air. And then… Quickbot lifts its head again, except its eyes are not blue, oh no.
They're pink. Bright pink.
The newly-awakened Quickro peers up at the mech, an electronic smile arching across Quickro's mouth display. Gamecube produces a sound like a gulp, while the original Virovirobun nears the metallic corpse of the late TPG2…
"Doo hoo hoo!" Elsewhere on the battlefield, Cayde's alliance has found themselves in the midst of another scrap, marched across the battlefield by Renne's alliance, sans only Renne herself, tending to other business over with Sholmes' alliance. Brennanman rushes Toadette, who collapses into slime, leaving the implacable sailor carrying on right past her and slamming into Cayde's dropkick. The sailor staggers back a few steps, but quickly regains his footing, responding by slamming his fist into the woman's face and leaving her with a smarting bruise on her cheek. Scottish Mario slugs Rimi in the gut, crumpling her. And Cornelius? He laughs even with egg on his face, Glitz Yoshi's Mini-Eggs smashing into his beak but taking no effect!
"But what is this? The Mini-Eggs are not shrinking you? Strange," the dinosaur says, leaping back as Cornelius rushes in, slamming a fist down on his position while yolks run down his face.
"Research your enemies more thoroughly," Cornelius retorts. "If you think I suffer ailments from the negative attributes of breakfast foods, you've not made yourself familiar with the events in that cereal factory!"
Not one to be deterred, Glitz Yoshi whips out his tongue, letting it fly out towards Cornelius! But a confused goose, Cornelius is not! The rooster catches the end of the dinosaur's tongue, crushing it in his grip and giving it a sharp tug, pulling Glitz Yoshi off his feet. Round and round the Yoshi flies as his tongue stretches, Cornelius twirling that long, sticky tongue like a rope, dizzying the dino before slamming him into the earth with ground-shaking force. Glitz Yoshi doesn't so much as twitch in reaction, his defeat a swift one and his tongue left hanging out of his mouth.
The rooster rubs his hands against his feathers to wipe away some saliva, and lifts his gaze towards the rest of Cayde's alliance, now with their backs to each other, boxed in by Brennanman and Scottish Mario. Rimi, holding Fawful the Great's hat tightly on her head, chucks her Club of Confusion at the Scotsman, but misses entirely. As Cornelius begins to step up to the endangered alliance, things look grim…
…until the ground begins to shake again.
Heads turn, and friend and foe alike all bear witness to an extraordinary, terrifying sight - Gamecube fleeing from something and screaming. The giant mech's footsteps make the ground tremble, the mech running from its pursuers with all the speed it can muster.
And as the assembled group hears the voices of its pursuers, they quickly realize what has the mech so frightened.
"Awwww, c'mon, c'mon! Don't you wanna play!? It's me, your king! Your king! TVV2! I wasn't dead! Only dead tired! It was sleep mode! But now I've had my Java! And I'm moving fast! So fast! I'd give my body a C++!"
TPG2 and Quickbot - no, their assimilated hulls, now TVV2 and Quickro - join the hopping Virovirobun in pursuit of Gamecube, Quickro leading the way with its rocket boosters while TVV2 fires corrupted blasts of clashing yellow-and-pink at the fleeing mecha! A distorted voice crackles as it comes out of TVV2's alleged mouth, Gamecube barely staying a step ahead of the false king's attacks as the virus inside of Quickro tries to work out how to use the robot's analysis tools.
Apparently achieving some kind of breakthrough, Quickro rockets ahead of Gamecube, leaving the mech in its dust as Cornelius' alliance and Cayde's alliance exchange glances.
"If that thing takes control of the mech, we've got big trouble!" Cayde's the first one to vocalize what's on everyone's mind.
"Can't catch the flyer," Brennanman admits. "Maybe the others."
"Nae tah be tha bear' o' bad news, bah ain' tha whar Renne is tha tha're headed?"
Cornelius ponders the situation. If that computer virus were to get the mecha, suddenly the second half of this battle royale could become quite the uphill climb. And while it wouldn't be the worst thing if Renne happened to get taken out now, she still had some use left in her… Still, though, this wasn't really their battle to wage…
"A truce," Cornelius offers as he turns around and addresses Cayde's alliance. "You three can stop the rabbit and the toaster oven. We'll support you from behind, and Brennaman will run ahead to alert Renne of the threat," he says. The girls confer amongst themselves for a moment, huddling up and whispering to one another. Cayde raises her head and nods.
"We'll take it," she says. Cornelius nods in return, casting a glance at Brennanman, who takes off. The girls run off just seconds later, and Scottish Mario prepares to take off after them…
Until Cornelius thrusts an arm out, blocking him.
"Now, now, what reason do we have to rush? I only said we'll support them from behind! I didn't say how far behind we'd be!"
"YAAAAAAH!" Still hot on Gamecube's trail, Virovirbun whips around as they hear a warcry, turning to find Rimi flying at them, tossed by Toadette and Cayde. The rabbit hops over the human projectile, Rimi clutching the brim of her hat tight as she slides across the dirt. Knowing that Quickro is up ahead, Virovirobun and TVV2 give up the chase for now, turning their attention to the trio pursuing them.
Though the robot's arm creaks as it lowers its scepter, seemingly threatening to snap off thanks to its accumulated damage, TVV2 has no trouble at all firing a corrupted blast at Cayde, Scribble power striking her square in the shoulder, leaving her reeling. Toadette gets jabbed in the mushroom as Viroviroburn leaps at her, lowering its head to hit horns-first, cackling all the while, but Cayde gets an assist from Rimi, scrambling to her feet and swinging her Club of Confusion down upon TPG2's head from behind.
The weapon fails to actually confuse the already-befuddled-and-corrupted but, but it does cause its aim to falter, its next shot soaring past Cayde as she forces herself up, legs wobbling underneath her. Virovirobun takes another leap at Toadette, flying at her feet-first this time and bouncing off her mushroom cap to rebound towards Rimi. But the bassist proves prepared, hopping onto TVV2 and leaping off of the tarnished king, a girl in flight!
No, literally as a girl in flight! When she kicks her feet off of TVV2's head, thrusters unfold from within the hat on her head, and she proves adept at using the rocketry, quickly tilting her swaying body to veer the right and make a tight turn. Now equipped with a means of outspeeding even the agile Virovirobun, she flies right over their head, kicking a foot out and smashing through the solar panels powering it!
Very quickly, the rabbit grows sluggish, pitching a fit as they find their hops aren't as high. In the meantime, Cayde and Toadette, dazed but not downed, rush TVV2 together, individually too small to topple them, but able to put them onto their back with their combination full-bodied tackle. Turning to her allies, Rimi smacks her hat, and its ray gun pops out. She slams down the metaphorical trigger, firing a blast of energy at the downed TVV2 which quickly overwhelms their circuits, surging them and frying the virus inside!
With one virus copy defeated, the girls turn their attention to the staggering rabbit trying desperately to hop away, but whatever had become of Brennanman in the meantime?
Well, while Cayde's alliance battles TVV2, Brennanman arrives at a clash between Renne and Sholmes' alliance, chunks pilfered from around the battlefield raining down on Sholmes and Bushroot. But despite the looks of things, Brennanman quickly cottons onto the reality that Renne is on the defensive, spotting the gash cut into her dress and watching as her magnet power wavers as a slithering grass sword wraps around her ankle. She manages to kick it away, but nearly falls backwards in doing so, just barely catching sight of Brennanman in her peripheral vision.
She shoots him a demanding look. He points first to the infected analysis bot waiting some distance away, then back over his shoulder, at the mech approaching their location. Without a word, Renne understands. She certainly doesn't look happy about it, but she relents, retreating from her battle and taking off with Brennanman.
The infected robot doesn't so much as get a chance to react. As soon as the duo of sailor and socialite get in range, Renne lifts a hand and snaps her fingers shut in a crushing motion, her magnet powers reaching out to the metallic Quickro and causing the corrupted robot to implode just as it notices the two of them.
Scrap rains down as the scream of the virus inside fades into nothingness, and Renne and Brennanman? Well, they hunker down where they are, Brennanman's arm injury flaring up and Renne needing to lick her wounds. But that'd suit them just fine. After all, there was a reason that the corrupted analysis robot had zoomed over here and hunkered down…
But while they wait, Virovirobun bounces off the husk of TPG2, just managing to avoid a raygun blast from Rimi, the shot only grazing its tail. "Uh-oh! Woah! Am I too fast for you? Ya got too slow a clock speed! Too slow!" The rabbit taunts the three girls, each taking a point on a triangle to keep it boxed in, but unable to get a hit in. Even with its solar panels destroyed and much of its speed lost, the rabbit is proving awfully nimble. Another one of Rimi's blasts soars right over it, the rabbit bending back Matrix-style, keeping an eye on Cayde and Toadette. As soon as one of them made a move, it'd slip past them and get back to hunting down that big mech! Or maybe it'd even go after that robot lady with the crimson eye…
"Now Toadette!" Cayde shouts, and the virus detects movement out of the corner of its optical sensor, the blonde charging in after it. Right over her head the rabbit hops as she dives to try and grab it in her hands, scurrying across her back and making a break for freedom!
Wide open, it hops away in a hurry, a clear battlefield in its view, and then something slaps against its side, Virovirobun suddenly finding its little body coated in slime. But it's not just any slime, something the rabbit catches onto as it begins actively infiltrating its seams, sinking into its systems and short-circuiting them! What!? Who could have come at it from the side!? WHO!?
The answer? Of course, it had been Toadette. The trio had known the rabbit would make a break in the direction of whichever one of its tormentors moved first, so they had coordinated their moves. Cayde leapt at the rabbit, and Toadette leapt where Cayde had been standing, turning herself into slime mid-flight to splatter against Virovirobun.
The virus inside screams, and its host body writhes and sparks. Toadette seeps out from inside, reforming into her usual self as the rabbit falls over, inert and deactivated.
But were their troubles over? "We should go see if they need help with the other one!" Rimi is the first to make the suggestion, Cayde and Toadette too busy catching their breath. Unfortunately, they didn't know that Renne had handily dispatched Quickro, and, a little more honest in their dealings than the foes watching them from a distance, the girls set out in Brennanman's direction, aiming to assist the sailor…
Unfortunately, it isn't long before they encounter an alliance heading in the opposite direction, Cayde's alliance, worn-down and ragged, pausing their march towards Brennanman as they find themselves standing face-to-face with Sholmes' alliance.
Sholmes stands at the head of the group, with Rainbow Dash and ENA each on one side of Bushroot, in the center of the formation as a rear-guard and emergency-response backup. Cayde takes stock of the group's status, noticing some wounds on them, the charred mane of Rainbow Dash, even some scuffing from Renne's attack not long ago, but, for the most part, they look to be in good health.
After Renne's attack, the group had decided it was high time to set out for the center of the arena. With Death long gone and the field beginning to thin, they'd march on the central stage in a tight formation, sweeping up any foes blocking their path to ensure they faced minimal opposition in the brawl's final stages. This particular group, though, seemed to be a respectable sort, a hard-working bunch who had made it this far on the strength of their teamwork.
"If you would prefer to flee and delay our confrontation," Sholmes says, finally breaking the tense silence hanging over the two alliances, "we will let you pass us in peace." He tips his hat-and-goggles down to pass the decision along to the girls, Toadette looking to Rimi, who in turn looks to Cayde.
This would be a tough fight, and it was going to keep them from getting to Brennanman, but… surely this fight would be even tougher later, right?
"We'll take you on," Cayde confirms, not sounding too confident of herself, but putting her dukes up all the same.
"Very well," comes Sholmes reply, the detective breaking into a sprint and taking a mighty leap! The trio scatters in anticipation of Sholmes landing and taking a swing with his sword, but they aren't his target, the detective actually leaping to the side, not at them! With Bushroot having a clear shot, he flaps the petals atop his head, launching a cloud of pollen at Rimi-rin as she soars into the air. Her eyes water and her chest burns, Rimi zigging and zagging as she tries to fly away, unable to see clearly.
With what's clearly the group's biggest threat out of the way, Bushroot then uses the opening in his alliance's formation to charge, drawing his sword and bearing down upon Cayde. The blonde, thinking back to her battle with Punished Luigi, plants her feet and digs her heels in, readying herself to try and grab Bushroot's arm when he comes in to strike, but just as she reaches out to grab him, he leaps back! The strike had been a feint! Unable to stop her momentum, Cayde falls onto her stomach, Bushroot coming in and slashing her across the back while she's down.
And Toadette? With her two allies unable to come to her aid, all she can do as Sholmes rushes at her is melt into slime, letting the detective step over her, unable to stop his charge. His boots make an unpleasant squeaking sound as he slides to a stop, whipping around just in time to see Toadette reforming, seemingly caught off-guard by her trick.
But only seemingly. His coattails whooshing up behind him as he turns, he unleashes the full might of Danteleon, the gauntlet around his hand launching the sword at Toadette, a clean strike on the newly-reformed Toad finally bringing her down.
Toadette falls, and Sholmes retrieves his weapon, Bushroot rejoining him. As Sholmes had finished off Toadette, Cayde had scrambled to her feet and made a break for it, realizing a retreat was her only option of survival. Rimi had already fled the scene, still feeling the effects of Bushroot's pollen. Bushroot and Sholmes, steadfast allies, need no words to communicate their thoughts. They had done their job, ridding themselves of an opponent swiftly and efficiently. This alliance hadn't attempted to deceive them, and seemed to be of upstanding character. They would not pursue. Cayde and Rimi would have their chance to regroup.
Satisfied with their work, the duo fall back into formation with Rainbow Dash and ENA, carrying on with their march, a certain duplicitous rooster and his Scottish partner giving the alliance a wide berth as they continue their journey to meet back up with Renne and Brennanman.
Back to a battered and bruised Honio Pitoki we go, who has since gotten back to his feet. To use his propeller would be too much effort, and at this point in the fight, it seems better to keep a low profile. So on he trudges, sweeping up his tattered fabric around his feet. Low profile. Low profile. Low pro…
… Yep, that's another alliance.
Honio swears under his breath as Cayde's alliance nears where he's at, the group currently well composed, if not a little scuffed-up. Rimi sports a new accessory on her head: a white top hat, much larger than the decorative one pinned to her hair. That belonged to the Beanish guy, didn't it? He peers forward from behind the nearby foliage, closer to see if- a snap of a twig.
All eyes dart in Honio's direction as he ducks behind the bush. He lets out a brief exhale. Wew. There's no way they saw him.
The group of four look towards the bush and the obvious propeller peeking out the top, then at each other in quiet constitution. They definitely saw him.
Rimi lifts her hand up to the hat, taking hold of its specialized laser blaster. As Honio takes another cautious peek over the top of the green, he's met face-to-face with the glowing end of a destructive weapon. Rimi gives him a tired expression.
"Son of a-"
The shot fires. Honio slumps backwards, taking the fierce force of a laser shot directly to the forehead. Rimi steps back in line with the group, before they all continue on. A downplayed ending for a dingy businessman.
All the way back at Sholmes's pillar, another conflict nears its conclusion. After retrieving his beloved Danteleon blade, the conflict became Sholmes against Acraman. Bushroot had thought to step into the fight, but Sholmes held him back, requesting that the duck conserve his energy for "more significant foes". This had elevated the heat in Acraman's face, a man who had become used to comfortable success, and motivated him to pull forth one of his collapsible resonance poles. The Danteleon strikes against the pole with clang after clang as Sholmes keeps with his blows, occasionally hitting the lightest of Acraman's skin but otherwise failing in landing a satisfying blow. Acraman, with shocking dexterity, matches the pace, not letting Sholmes gain the upper hand. Finally, Sholmes manages to coil the extended Danteleon around the pole, and before Acraman can emit a blast with it, Sholmes yanks the pole from his grasp. In a complete turn of events, it's Acraman that's unarmed, and Sholmes approaching with his blade. Acraman scrunches up his eyes as…
"YES GRUNT, I KNOW, YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO PUNCH ANYBODY IN TEN MINUTES! WE'LL FIND YOU THE PERFECT PUNCHING BAG IN JUST A MINUTE, TO KEEP YOUR TRAINING UP!"
Acraman opens his eyelids tentatively, arms still instinctively raised in defense. Sholmes has stopped his attack, though, and his attention is given towards the towering Grunt and the Colonel O'Dell resting on his shoulder. The two of them seem to be attempting to sneak by some distance away, but O'Dell seems not to have the voice to make a sneaky passing feasible. Sholmes glances over his shoulder towards the weakened Acraman, then back to the Smackdown champ and his manager. "Excuse me, gentlemen! I believe I have a prime candidate for you right here!"
O'Dell and Grunt turn their own gazes to Sholmes, who gestures broadly at the Acraman cowering before him. Grunt stomps up to the comparatively short man, staring down towards him with fierce eyes and a snarky grin. O'Dell, though, leers at Sholmes. "YOU'RE REALLY GONNA LET GRUNT HERE TAKE YOUR VICTIM?"
"Oh please, I insist," Sholmes implores with a short bow of the head. "It would be an honor for your champion to accept my offer. Besides…" His eyes narrow as they find Acraman again. "This fellow is hardly worth the effort."
O'Dell shrugs as best he can without arms. "WELL, ALRIGHT! YOU HEARD HIM, GRUNT! LET'S MAKE THIS CHUMP CRUMBLE!"
Before Acraman can even hope to barter his way out of this situation, Grunt winds back– and unleashes a sickening side blow to Acraman's jaw. A deafening crack sounds out as Acraman flies backwards, smashing into the base of the pillar. There he slumps, a true OHKO from Grunt, the KO King.
Sholmes gives a final nod towards O'Dell, before returning to Bushroot's side, inspecting his partner for any injuries he might have missed. At the top of the pillar, Rainbow Dash ducks her head over the side, spotting the sight of Acraman against its base and Grunt charging off towards the distance. She makes eye contact with Sholmes, who purses his lips, looks to the pillar, then to the rest of the arena that stretches out in front of them. As more time passes, this position becomes less advantageous, and with two teammates gone and the foundations of the pillar threatened, now is as good a time as any to get a move-in. After another moment of consideration, Sholmes ushers for Rainbow Dash to come down, and Rainbow Dash does just that, ENA at her side as she finally begins returning from her spiritual stupor.
With the remaining four of the Sholmes alliance now on the move and Renne making pursuit, there was hardly anyone who remained static in the arena now. Independent agents and groups alike, all moving around the uncovered ruins of this ancient arena, all on the lookout for which competitors might cross their paths next. Remaining stagnant had become a surefire way of discovering defeat – which is what one alliance was soon to discover.
Quickbot lets out the closest approximation to a sigh its systems can produce, remaining close in proximity to the fallen TPG2. With the Kingsbourne eliminated as well, the influence of the legendary king was lost to this forsaken battlefield. Gamecube keeps his mech head lowered in honor of the fallen king as well, though admittedly, the lack of movement from either robot was due to a need to recharge, especially as their session had been interrupted by Renne's posse. Quiet falls across the duo as they keep their attention to TPG2.
"Well, at least there's still two of us," Gamecube eventually offers. Quickbot looks up to his face quizzically, to which Gamecube continues, "two of us robots, I mean."
"Negative." Quickbot responds curtly. "There are four robots remaining."
"Four?" Gamecube's projective face displays an expression of confusion. "Who might be–"
"Candice, and Virovirobun," Quickbot says. "There is a 73% probability neither have been eliminated yet."
"Oh, right." Another beat of quiet. "So, uh, where do you think they are?"
"Right here! Right here! C'mon, I'm right here!"
Out of nowhere springs Virovirobun, having worked its way through the rubble nearby! With the nearby robots in sight, its programming had led it towards its natural inclination: spread, spread, SPREAD! With recharge mode still activated, Quickbot cannot move with enough reaction time to avoid Virovirobun's outstretched paw. The moment the two make contact, Quickbot's eyes begin to flicker and short-circuit, its heads and limbs twitching about uncontrollably, smoke pouring from the poor robot's console. A few moments more, and Quickbot collapses forward, much to the horror of Gamecube.
The mech takes a timid step backwards, Virovirobun's enthusiastic laughter filling the air. And then… Quickbot lifts its head again, except its eyes are not blue, oh no.
They're pink. Bright pink.
The newly-awakened Quickro peers up at the mech, an electronic smile arching across Quickro's mouth display. Gamecube produces a sound like a gulp, while the original Virovirobun nears the metallic corpse of the late TPG2…
"Doo hoo hoo!" Elsewhere on the battlefield, Cayde's alliance has found themselves in the midst of another scrap, marched across the battlefield by Renne's alliance, sans only Renne herself, tending to other business over with Sholmes' alliance. Brennanman rushes Toadette, who collapses into slime, leaving the implacable sailor carrying on right past her and slamming into Cayde's dropkick. The sailor staggers back a few steps, but quickly regains his footing, responding by slamming his fist into the woman's face and leaving her with a smarting bruise on her cheek. Scottish Mario slugs Rimi in the gut, crumpling her. And Cornelius? He laughs even with egg on his face, Glitz Yoshi's Mini-Eggs smashing into his beak but taking no effect!
"But what is this? The Mini-Eggs are not shrinking you? Strange," the dinosaur says, leaping back as Cornelius rushes in, slamming a fist down on his position while yolks run down his face.
"Research your enemies more thoroughly," Cornelius retorts. "If you think I suffer ailments from the negative attributes of breakfast foods, you've not made yourself familiar with the events in that cereal factory!"
Not one to be deterred, Glitz Yoshi whips out his tongue, letting it fly out towards Cornelius! But a confused goose, Cornelius is not! The rooster catches the end of the dinosaur's tongue, crushing it in his grip and giving it a sharp tug, pulling Glitz Yoshi off his feet. Round and round the Yoshi flies as his tongue stretches, Cornelius twirling that long, sticky tongue like a rope, dizzying the dino before slamming him into the earth with ground-shaking force. Glitz Yoshi doesn't so much as twitch in reaction, his defeat a swift one and his tongue left hanging out of his mouth.
The rooster rubs his hands against his feathers to wipe away some saliva, and lifts his gaze towards the rest of Cayde's alliance, now with their backs to each other, boxed in by Brennanman and Scottish Mario. Rimi, holding Fawful the Great's hat tightly on her head, chucks her Club of Confusion at the Scotsman, but misses entirely. As Cornelius begins to step up to the endangered alliance, things look grim…
…until the ground begins to shake again.
Heads turn, and friend and foe alike all bear witness to an extraordinary, terrifying sight - Gamecube fleeing from something and screaming. The giant mech's footsteps make the ground tremble, the mech running from its pursuers with all the speed it can muster.
And as the assembled group hears the voices of its pursuers, they quickly realize what has the mech so frightened.
"Awwww, c'mon, c'mon! Don't you wanna play!? It's me, your king! Your king! TVV2! I wasn't dead! Only dead tired! It was sleep mode! But now I've had my Java! And I'm moving fast! So fast! I'd give my body a C++!"
TPG2 and Quickbot - no, their assimilated hulls, now TVV2 and Quickro - join the hopping Virovirobun in pursuit of Gamecube, Quickro leading the way with its rocket boosters while TVV2 fires corrupted blasts of clashing yellow-and-pink at the fleeing mecha! A distorted voice crackles as it comes out of TVV2's alleged mouth, Gamecube barely staying a step ahead of the false king's attacks as the virus inside of Quickro tries to work out how to use the robot's analysis tools.
Apparently achieving some kind of breakthrough, Quickro rockets ahead of Gamecube, leaving the mech in its dust as Cornelius' alliance and Cayde's alliance exchange glances.
"If that thing takes control of the mech, we've got big trouble!" Cayde's the first one to vocalize what's on everyone's mind.
"Can't catch the flyer," Brennanman admits. "Maybe the others."
"Nae tah be tha bear' o' bad news, bah ain' tha whar Renne is tha tha're headed?"
Cornelius ponders the situation. If that computer virus were to get the mecha, suddenly the second half of this battle royale could become quite the uphill climb. And while it wouldn't be the worst thing if Renne happened to get taken out now, she still had some use left in her… Still, though, this wasn't really their battle to wage…
"A truce," Cornelius offers as he turns around and addresses Cayde's alliance. "You three can stop the rabbit and the toaster oven. We'll support you from behind, and Brennaman will run ahead to alert Renne of the threat," he says. The girls confer amongst themselves for a moment, huddling up and whispering to one another. Cayde raises her head and nods.
"We'll take it," she says. Cornelius nods in return, casting a glance at Brennanman, who takes off. The girls run off just seconds later, and Scottish Mario prepares to take off after them…
Until Cornelius thrusts an arm out, blocking him.
"Now, now, what reason do we have to rush? I only said we'll support them from behind! I didn't say how far behind we'd be!"
"YAAAAAAH!" Still hot on Gamecube's trail, Virovirbun whips around as they hear a warcry, turning to find Rimi flying at them, tossed by Toadette and Cayde. The rabbit hops over the human projectile, Rimi clutching the brim of her hat tight as she slides across the dirt. Knowing that Quickro is up ahead, Virovirobun and TVV2 give up the chase for now, turning their attention to the trio pursuing them.
Though the robot's arm creaks as it lowers its scepter, seemingly threatening to snap off thanks to its accumulated damage, TVV2 has no trouble at all firing a corrupted blast at Cayde, Scribble power striking her square in the shoulder, leaving her reeling. Toadette gets jabbed in the mushroom as Viroviroburn leaps at her, lowering its head to hit horns-first, cackling all the while, but Cayde gets an assist from Rimi, scrambling to her feet and swinging her Club of Confusion down upon TPG2's head from behind.
The weapon fails to actually confuse the already-befuddled-and-corrupted but, but it does cause its aim to falter, its next shot soaring past Cayde as she forces herself up, legs wobbling underneath her. Virovirobun takes another leap at Toadette, flying at her feet-first this time and bouncing off her mushroom cap to rebound towards Rimi. But the bassist proves prepared, hopping onto TVV2 and leaping off of the tarnished king, a girl in flight!
No, literally as a girl in flight! When she kicks her feet off of TVV2's head, thrusters unfold from within the hat on her head, and she proves adept at using the rocketry, quickly tilting her swaying body to veer the right and make a tight turn. Now equipped with a means of outspeeding even the agile Virovirobun, she flies right over their head, kicking a foot out and smashing through the solar panels powering it!
Very quickly, the rabbit grows sluggish, pitching a fit as they find their hops aren't as high. In the meantime, Cayde and Toadette, dazed but not downed, rush TVV2 together, individually too small to topple them, but able to put them onto their back with their combination full-bodied tackle. Turning to her allies, Rimi smacks her hat, and its ray gun pops out. She slams down the metaphorical trigger, firing a blast of energy at the downed TVV2 which quickly overwhelms their circuits, surging them and frying the virus inside!
With one virus copy defeated, the girls turn their attention to the staggering rabbit trying desperately to hop away, but whatever had become of Brennanman in the meantime?
Well, while Cayde's alliance battles TVV2, Brennanman arrives at a clash between Renne and Sholmes' alliance, chunks pilfered from around the battlefield raining down on Sholmes and Bushroot. But despite the looks of things, Brennanman quickly cottons onto the reality that Renne is on the defensive, spotting the gash cut into her dress and watching as her magnet power wavers as a slithering grass sword wraps around her ankle. She manages to kick it away, but nearly falls backwards in doing so, just barely catching sight of Brennanman in her peripheral vision.
She shoots him a demanding look. He points first to the infected analysis bot waiting some distance away, then back over his shoulder, at the mech approaching their location. Without a word, Renne understands. She certainly doesn't look happy about it, but she relents, retreating from her battle and taking off with Brennanman.
The infected robot doesn't so much as get a chance to react. As soon as the duo of sailor and socialite get in range, Renne lifts a hand and snaps her fingers shut in a crushing motion, her magnet powers reaching out to the metallic Quickro and causing the corrupted robot to implode just as it notices the two of them.
Scrap rains down as the scream of the virus inside fades into nothingness, and Renne and Brennanman? Well, they hunker down where they are, Brennanman's arm injury flaring up and Renne needing to lick her wounds. But that'd suit them just fine. After all, there was a reason that the corrupted analysis robot had zoomed over here and hunkered down…
But while they wait, Virovirobun bounces off the husk of TPG2, just managing to avoid a raygun blast from Rimi, the shot only grazing its tail. "Uh-oh! Woah! Am I too fast for you? Ya got too slow a clock speed! Too slow!" The rabbit taunts the three girls, each taking a point on a triangle to keep it boxed in, but unable to get a hit in. Even with its solar panels destroyed and much of its speed lost, the rabbit is proving awfully nimble. Another one of Rimi's blasts soars right over it, the rabbit bending back Matrix-style, keeping an eye on Cayde and Toadette. As soon as one of them made a move, it'd slip past them and get back to hunting down that big mech! Or maybe it'd even go after that robot lady with the crimson eye…
"Now Toadette!" Cayde shouts, and the virus detects movement out of the corner of its optical sensor, the blonde charging in after it. Right over her head the rabbit hops as she dives to try and grab it in her hands, scurrying across her back and making a break for freedom!
Wide open, it hops away in a hurry, a clear battlefield in its view, and then something slaps against its side, Virovirobun suddenly finding its little body coated in slime. But it's not just any slime, something the rabbit catches onto as it begins actively infiltrating its seams, sinking into its systems and short-circuiting them! What!? Who could have come at it from the side!? WHO!?
The answer? Of course, it had been Toadette. The trio had known the rabbit would make a break in the direction of whichever one of its tormentors moved first, so they had coordinated their moves. Cayde leapt at the rabbit, and Toadette leapt where Cayde had been standing, turning herself into slime mid-flight to splatter against Virovirobun.
The virus inside screams, and its host body writhes and sparks. Toadette seeps out from inside, reforming into her usual self as the rabbit falls over, inert and deactivated.
But were their troubles over? "We should go see if they need help with the other one!" Rimi is the first to make the suggestion, Cayde and Toadette too busy catching their breath. Unfortunately, they didn't know that Renne had handily dispatched Quickro, and, a little more honest in their dealings than the foes watching them from a distance, the girls set out in Brennanman's direction, aiming to assist the sailor…
Unfortunately, it isn't long before they encounter an alliance heading in the opposite direction, Cayde's alliance, worn-down and ragged, pausing their march towards Brennanman as they find themselves standing face-to-face with Sholmes' alliance.
Sholmes stands at the head of the group, with Rainbow Dash and ENA each on one side of Bushroot, in the center of the formation as a rear-guard and emergency-response backup. Cayde takes stock of the group's status, noticing some wounds on them, the charred mane of Rainbow Dash, even some scuffing from Renne's attack not long ago, but, for the most part, they look to be in good health.
After Renne's attack, the group had decided it was high time to set out for the center of the arena. With Death long gone and the field beginning to thin, they'd march on the central stage in a tight formation, sweeping up any foes blocking their path to ensure they faced minimal opposition in the brawl's final stages. This particular group, though, seemed to be a respectable sort, a hard-working bunch who had made it this far on the strength of their teamwork.
"If you would prefer to flee and delay our confrontation," Sholmes says, finally breaking the tense silence hanging over the two alliances, "we will let you pass us in peace." He tips his hat-and-goggles down to pass the decision along to the girls, Toadette looking to Rimi, who in turn looks to Cayde.
This would be a tough fight, and it was going to keep them from getting to Brennanman, but… surely this fight would be even tougher later, right?
"We'll take you on," Cayde confirms, not sounding too confident of herself, but putting her dukes up all the same.
"Very well," comes Sholmes reply, the detective breaking into a sprint and taking a mighty leap! The trio scatters in anticipation of Sholmes landing and taking a swing with his sword, but they aren't his target, the detective actually leaping to the side, not at them! With Bushroot having a clear shot, he flaps the petals atop his head, launching a cloud of pollen at Rimi-rin as she soars into the air. Her eyes water and her chest burns, Rimi zigging and zagging as she tries to fly away, unable to see clearly.
With what's clearly the group's biggest threat out of the way, Bushroot then uses the opening in his alliance's formation to charge, drawing his sword and bearing down upon Cayde. The blonde, thinking back to her battle with Punished Luigi, plants her feet and digs her heels in, readying herself to try and grab Bushroot's arm when he comes in to strike, but just as she reaches out to grab him, he leaps back! The strike had been a feint! Unable to stop her momentum, Cayde falls onto her stomach, Bushroot coming in and slashing her across the back while she's down.
And Toadette? With her two allies unable to come to her aid, all she can do as Sholmes rushes at her is melt into slime, letting the detective step over her, unable to stop his charge. His boots make an unpleasant squeaking sound as he slides to a stop, whipping around just in time to see Toadette reforming, seemingly caught off-guard by her trick.
But only seemingly. His coattails whooshing up behind him as he turns, he unleashes the full might of Danteleon, the gauntlet around his hand launching the sword at Toadette, a clean strike on the newly-reformed Toad finally bringing her down.
Toadette falls, and Sholmes retrieves his weapon, Bushroot rejoining him. As Sholmes had finished off Toadette, Cayde had scrambled to her feet and made a break for it, realizing a retreat was her only option of survival. Rimi had already fled the scene, still feeling the effects of Bushroot's pollen. Bushroot and Sholmes, steadfast allies, need no words to communicate their thoughts. They had done their job, ridding themselves of an opponent swiftly and efficiently. This alliance hadn't attempted to deceive them, and seemed to be of upstanding character. They would not pursue. Cayde and Rimi would have their chance to regroup.
Satisfied with their work, the duo fall back into formation with Rainbow Dash and ENA, carrying on with their march, a certain duplicitous rooster and his Scottish partner giving the alliance a wide berth as they continue their journey to meet back up with Renne and Brennanman.
- Pronouns
- He/him
- MarioWiki
- Hooded Pitohui
STATS:
41st: Franziska von Karma (Death)
Kingsbourne Sigma (The Doctor)
Shmaluigi (Surge the Tenrec)
40th: Nitros Oxide (Nobu)
39th: The Doctor (Beedle)
Kingsbourne Alpha (Gamer Cat)
38th: Surge the Tenrec (Rainbow Dash)
Kingsbourne Gamma (Wright Forde 'Shroom)
37th: Nobu (Punished Luigi)
36th: Wright Forde 'Shroom (El Presidente and El Presidente's Advisor)
Kingsbourne Oumega (Mr. Xehanort)
35th: Prince Peach and Seam (BB and Rei)
El Presidente's Advisor (Sirius and Acraman)
34th: Mister Xenahort (The Erudite Goose)
33rd: Beedle (Marge Simpson)
32nd: El Presidente (Fawful the Great)
31st: The Erudite Goose (Glitz Yoshi)
30th: Gamer Cat (Gamecube)
29th: Fawful the Great (ENA)
28th: Punished Luigi (Gangsta Mario)
27th: Death (TPG2)
26th: Shmwario (Quickbot)
25th: Marge Simpson (Honio Pitoki)
24th: BB and Rei (Sirius and Dr. Alton Acraman)
Sirius (BB)
23rd: TPG2 (Scottish Mario)
22nd: Honio Pitoki (Rimi)
21st: Dr. Alton Acraman (Grunt and Colonel Shoey O'Dell)
20th: Quickbot (Virovirobun)
19th: Glitz Yoshi (Cornelius C. Cornifer)
TVV2 (Rimi)
Quickro (Renne)
18th: Virovirobun (Toadette)
17th: Toadette (Herlock Sholmes and Dr. Reginald Bushroot)
Still Brawling: Brennanman, Candice ??? Candice, Cayde, Colonel Shoey O'Dell, Cornelius C. Cornifer, Dr. Reginald Bushroot, ENA, Ernest Clineborg, Ernest Fine, Gamecube, Gangsta Mario, Grunt, Herlock Sholmes, Isabelle, O'Chunks, Perry, Rainbow Dash, Renne, Rimi, Scottish Mario
41st: Franziska von Karma (Death)
Kingsbourne Sigma (The Doctor)
Shmaluigi (Surge the Tenrec)
40th: Nitros Oxide (Nobu)
39th: The Doctor (Beedle)
Kingsbourne Alpha (Gamer Cat)
38th: Surge the Tenrec (Rainbow Dash)
Kingsbourne Gamma (Wright Forde 'Shroom)
37th: Nobu (Punished Luigi)
36th: Wright Forde 'Shroom (El Presidente and El Presidente's Advisor)
Kingsbourne Oumega (Mr. Xehanort)
35th: Prince Peach and Seam (BB and Rei)
El Presidente's Advisor (Sirius and Acraman)
34th: Mister Xenahort (The Erudite Goose)
33rd: Beedle (Marge Simpson)
32nd: El Presidente (Fawful the Great)
31st: The Erudite Goose (Glitz Yoshi)
30th: Gamer Cat (Gamecube)
29th: Fawful the Great (ENA)
28th: Punished Luigi (Gangsta Mario)
27th: Death (TPG2)
26th: Shmwario (Quickbot)
25th: Marge Simpson (Honio Pitoki)
24th: BB and Rei (Sirius and Dr. Alton Acraman)
Sirius (BB)
23rd: TPG2 (Scottish Mario)
22nd: Honio Pitoki (Rimi)
21st: Dr. Alton Acraman (Grunt and Colonel Shoey O'Dell)
20th: Quickbot (Virovirobun)
19th: Glitz Yoshi (Cornelius C. Cornifer)
TVV2 (Rimi)
Quickro (Renne)
18th: Virovirobun (Toadette)
17th: Toadette (Herlock Sholmes and Dr. Reginald Bushroot)
Still Brawling: Brennanman, Candice ??? Candice, Cayde, Colonel Shoey O'Dell, Cornelius C. Cornifer, Dr. Reginald Bushroot, ENA, Ernest Clineborg, Ernest Fine, Gamecube, Gangsta Mario, Grunt, Herlock Sholmes, Isabelle, O'Chunks, Perry, Rainbow Dash, Renne, Rimi, Scottish Mario
- Pronouns
- They
- MarioWiki
- Roserade
- Thread starter
- #112
Part 8
Rimi's location? Unknown. Her destination? Also unknown. Cayde's head runs empty of plans as she runs, her quickened pulse pounding in her ears, the world behind her a blur as she flees from Sholmes' alliance. She couldn't stop. She couldn't rest. If she stopped, she might not start again. Or at least she tells herself as much to ignore the pain in her back, the burning of her legs.
Everything had been going so well up until they encountered Renne's group. First there was Cornelius. Then there was that computer virus. And just now things had gone sideways against Sholmes. But things had to get better from here, right? Bad things came in threes, or so superstition held.
"AND I'M TELLING ANYONE WITH EARS, NOBODY - I SAID NOBODY BEATS UNDEFEATED SMACKDOWN CHAMPION, GRUNT! HAVE YOU SEEN THAT ROOSTER TRY AND TAKE HIM ON? NO, YOU HAVEN'T, AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY! IT'S BECAUSE HE, AND O'CHUNKS, AND RENNE, AND EVERY OTHER COWARD QUAKING IN THEIR BOOTS AT THE THE THOUGHT OF FACING OFF AGAINST GRUNT KNOWS HE'D POUND THEM INTO THE DIRT BEFORE THE BELL RINGS!"
Although… Maybe they actually came in sets of four.
Cayde's pace slows as she overhears Colonel Shoey O'Dell's shouting, soon setting her eyes upon the Smackdown champion, his manager up on his shoulder, scanning the area for challengers. O'Dell's eyes settle on Cayde in short order, and the woman gulps. She doesn't have it in her to run, and she knows it. She had boasted before that she had it in her to take on foes far larger than herself. Now, she'd have to prove it.
"She's a lightweight, Grunt! She'll try and duck your blows, so go for a stomp!" Colonel O'Dell offers Grunt some choice advice for his confrontation as the hulking figure stomps towards Cayde, drawing back his arm and, sure enough, leading with a punch packing enough force that it could shatter small stones. His fist passes right over Cayde's head as she drops down low, anticipating the opening move, but her swift move comes with a cost, Grunt's foot slamming down on her own, Grunt knocking her away as she grits her teeth and grunts, instinctively grabbing her foot.
On the ground, it's all she can do to roll out of the way as Grunt rushes in and raises his foot again, pounding it down and widening the cracks in the stony floor. Cayde even bounces up a miniscule amount as Grunt stomps the ground. "YA GOT HER, CHAMP!" O'Dell encourages, Cayde just barely escaping the next stomp, reduced to crawling through the gap beneath Grunt's legs to escape. One hit, and she'd be done for. Oh, where was Rimi? Why couldn't she be here helping out?
She half-coughs, half-sputters as a hand wraps around her, Grunt wrapping an arm around her and outright picking her up off the ground, squeezing the breath right out of her. Struggle as she might to escape Grunt's grasp, not one of her kicks so much as fazes the sturdy fighter, desperate blow after desperate blow striking the same point on his plastron and not so much as leaving a mark or earning a reaction. Try as she might, she just can't summon the power to defeat Grunt! She's not strong enough!
But she might just be smarter! She banks on the possibility as she puts everything she has into wrestling one arm free, grabbing Colonel O'Dell as Grunt throws her to the ground, bringing the wrestler's manager with her as she slams into the rock and holding him tight, tucked in the crook of her elbow.
"LET GO OF ME!" The Colonel shouts in protest and squirms, but Cayde, wracked with pain and completely unable to get up or get away, keeps her hold on him, turning slightly to put him directly above her as Grunt raises his foot, its shadow falling over Cayde as he prepares to stomp her out of the competition.
"STOMP ME AND YOUR MANAGER GETS IT," Cayde shouts, Grunt's sole completely obscuring her view of the sky. That's enough to get the slow-witted fighter's attention, Grunt teetering on one foot as his brain processes the stakes here. If he brings his foot down, his manager goes squoosh with this puny challenger. Left without guidance, Grunt hesitates, unsure of what to do, and Cayde seizes the opening, grabbing onto the Colonel with her other hand and chucking him at Grunt!
Already in an unbalanced stance, when Colonel O'Dell strikes him in the face, Grunt topples backwards, falling onto his shell. Cayde might be stuck on the ground, but she's close enough to roll onto her side and strike Grunt as she kicks out her legs - and like all Koopa flipped onto their shell and kicked, Grunt goes careening away, spinning and spinning and spinning with Colonel O'Dell clutched against his chest.
On and on and on Grunt goes, all the way into the distance, to the edge of the ruins. She had only pulled it off because O'Dell was here to get in Grunt's way, and it wasn't exactly a fair defeat that would stand in the wrestling leagues, but she had survived, and Grunt was gone!
Basking in victory and relief, Cayde rolls onto her back, lets her limbs spread out across the ground like she's making the world's most joyless snow angels, and takes a long, deep breath.
Maybe… Just maybe, everything would work out after all, she thinks to herself.
Then comes the pain. She feels it for only a split-second, the elbow pressing down on her stomach as O'Chunks bears down upon her.
Cayde, already exhausted, goes down in defeat as O'Chunks stands over her and beats his chest.
"Get chunked, lassie!"
O'Chunk's cry of victory perks up the ears of someone surprisingly nearby, but let's dwell not on this story for a moment, but instead turn our attention to a duo that we left behind earlier.
"You see," Renne says, a smirk on her face, "I told you that I can take someone bigger than me down." Scorched earth surrounds the site of the battle, lasers scarring the ruins. Ducks litter the ground, mixed amongst the metal strewn all around. Renne and Brennanman wear burns and bruises, but their opponent stands in far worse shape.
"I WON'T LOSE TO SOMEONE WHO APPEARED ON THE PLAYSTATION PORTABLE," Gamecube shouts, defiant in spite of the smoke pouring out of its form. The scratches that Gamer Cat had earlier inflicted? They aren't even visible anymore, most of Gamecube's body crumpled, resembling aluminum foil unfolded after being balled up. The mech's arm lays upon the ground, its powerful punching mechanism wrested from its body, leaving a gaping hole in the robot.
Its cannon wrecked, its arm gone, its leaks creaking and straining, chunks ripped from them, it's all that Gamecube can do to fire off another round of lasers, the lights flickering and fizzling out as Renne sidesteps another round of blasts, the mech succeeding only in searing Brennanman's legs.
Alright, this battle had gone on long enough. It was time to finish it, Renne decides, snapping her fingers to signal her intentions to Brennanman. The duo surges with magnet power once again, but this time, they make no effort to rip pieces away from Gamecube. No, as Gamecube's final laser sputters out and fades away, Brennanman circles the mech, heading to its rear as Renne keeps it distracted, throwing metal chunks from the ground at it and drawing all of its ire onto herself.
When Brennanman is in position, he claps his hands together to signal to Renne, and the two of them take off near-simultaneously, charging at Gamecube! They each stick an arm out as they run, Renne shouting out with "MAGNET POWER PLUS" and even the normally terse Brennanman shouting out "MAGNET POWER MINUS"!
Gamecube's lasers begin to charge up with their characteristic whrrrr, but the sound quickly flattens into a zhhhhhhhhhuuuun, the mech too drained of power to mount an effective defense. Renne and Brennanman clothesline the mech, outstretched arms colliding with its legs, their magnet power allowing them to tear through with ease. "CROSS BOMBER!" The joint shout can barely be heard over the explosions that rock the mech, the duo simply cutting through too much, too fast, leaving Gamecube's legs to buckle as its body falls upon their base.
Renne and Brennanman each stick a hand upon the ground and kneel as they emerge from Gamecube, the hair on their heads rustling as the explosions' shockwaves wash over them. In the midst of the posing brawlers, Gamecube's screen shuts down, and the exploding mech goes out with one final, massive boom!
"Well, that's over," Renne says, chuckling to herself as she stands up and sweeps the soot from her outfit. "Where are the others? Perished already?"
"Don't know," Bennanmen answers in his usual style.
Where had Cornelius and Scottish Mario gone? What had kept them from reuniting with their allies? Let's return to the site of Cayde's defeat, where some bickering not far off may reveal answers to these questions…
"You can do as you wish, but I'll be continuing on without picking unnecessary fights! Let that oaf take himself out fighting that alliance of Sholmes!" Cornelius dismisses Scottish Mario with an irritated wave of his hand, turning around and stomping off, tired of the man's insistence that they delay their meet-up with Renne and Brennanman in favor of watching Cayde.
"Ah, ya fookin gren caw', who needs ya tah wrastle 'n'way? Leme handle this one mahself!" The Scotsman likewise stomps off, heading in the to other direction. How could that rich feller not see what was at stake here? That was a low-down, dirty rat's move that O'Chunks had made on Cayde, striking her so soon after her valiant battle against Grunt, and someone needed to teach him a lesson! Frankly, he should have parted ways with the rooster earlier. He didn't feel all that much better about having himself pledged to support Cayde's alliance against the computer virus but being forced to sit out and betray their truce.
"Ay yah, laddie!" Scottish Mario calls out as he approaches O'Chunks, making himself known. "What dae yah think yer doin'? Have yah no honor? Nae a lick o' it inside tharse muscles yah got?!"
"Honor!? Wha' are yah tahkin' ahbout honor, lad? Runnin' around wit' tha wee li'l scythe lassie!? Yah should be 'shamed o' yerself for tha'! A good chunking should set yah back in place!"
"A chunkin'? Lad! Yah got tah have taken one blow tah the noggin too many! Only explanation for wha'ould make a Scotsman do wha' yer doin' an' grow ah scraggly excuse o' ah beard like you've got!"
"And now yer goin' an insultin' mah chunking beard!? Who're'yah to hurl tha kind'f'nah insult with yer sissy's mustache!? Yer no true Scotsman!"
"Yah shou'n't have gone an' insulted mah stache! Yah can insult a man's mother! Yah can insult a man's strength! But yah never go insultin' ah man's kilt or 'is stache!"
A raw nerve hit, Scottish Mario flexes his muscles and begins to march on O'Chunks, the bearded Scot sticking an arm out and striking a pose, assuming a battle stance of his own.
"Oh, so yer approachin' me lad, are yah!?"
"I cannae beat tha shite out o' yah wit'out gettin' closeeeeeee-aaaaaaaaAAHHHH!"
Scottish Mario's legs propel him forward, his muscular form on full display as he leaps at O'Chunks, leading with a fist and screaming out a battlecry! O'Chunks may not have been the brightest bulb in the box, but he had known what was coming, and now he braces himself against the ground as Scottish Mario slams into his chest, threatening to send him tumbling head over heels. As big and powerful as Scottish Mario might be though, O'Chunks can match him pound for pound. The bearded Scotsman holds his ground against the mustachioed Scotsman, and takes advantage of his proximity to wrap his arms around him. Scottish Mario secure in his grip, O'Chunks bends his legs and coils his muscles, springing into the air with a massive jump, spinning round and round and hurling Scottish Mario down to the ground.
The mustachioed Scotsman lands on his back, eyes bulging out as the impact reverberates through his body, but he grits his teeth and fights through the pain, raising his arms up to block the plummeting O'Chunk's devastatingly effective elbow drop. It takes every mite of might in his bulging arms to stop O'Chunk's descent and hold the bearded menace at bay, but with a pride-powered heave-ho he tosses O'Chunks aside, leaving the man sliding across the ground.
Scottish Mario springs to his feet, trying to stick out an arm to stop O'Chunks charge as the bearded menace comes back for more! O'Chunks' teeth clatter as his jaw collides with Scottish Mario's fist, but the bearded brute sweeps his leg under the mustachioed menace, knocking Scottish Mario's feet out from underneath him and allowing O'Chunks to grab him as he falls. Locking Scottish Mario into a strange variation on a bridal hold, O'Chunks takes a slugging from as he tries to rework his grip, Scottish Mario managing an escape by sending O'Chunks staggering back with a black eye.
The bearded brute strikes back as Scottish Mario tries to knock him down with a follow-up shoulder check, putting the coppery taste of blood on Scottish Mario's tongue and leaving him with a fat lip! It's Scottish Mario's turn to stagger back, O'Chunks following up with a punch whirling dervish that pummels Scottish Mario with a rapid-fire series of punches, driving him back one step at a time.
Scottish Mario buckles under the assault, struggling to find either an opening or an escape route, but he does not break. His hand shoots into his pocket - a pocket on a kilt? Yes, a pocket on a kilt - and draws out a stone put stone, chucking the rock right into O'Chunks' face, finally creating an opening for himself as O'Chunks drops onto his back.
O'Chunks shakes his head and clears his blurring vision, looking for his foe, locking eyes with Scottish Mario's hands, clasped by the fingers at his chest. He lifts his gaze higher. No, higher still. No. Higher STILL. It eventually settles on the end of the massive wooden pole - a caber - towering above him, held in Scottish Mario's hands.
O'Chunks rises to his feet. "Yah fought a faihre and square fight, laddie. Ah take back wha' ah said abo't yer stache. Yah got tha hair o' a champion Scotsman!"
For his part, Scottish Mario acknowledges the gesture with a nod and a hearty laugh. "An' yah got ah beard as big as yer hear' an' as untamed as yer Scotch spirit, lad. Yah fought good wit' me. Ah 'ope yah'll nae resor' tah tha cheap kills next time around," he says as he tosses the caber, watching it fly towards O'Chunks with satisfaction, the shadow of the pole growing as it descends upon the bearded brute…
…and then with disbelief, as O'Chunks catches it, straining under its weight, a knee buckling and forcing him down on one knee, but not stopping him from burling it right back at Scottish Mario.
The mustachioed menace has no time to escape, and he knows it, but still a smile he wears as it slams into him, knowing in his defeat that he had at least gone down to a fellow Scotsman who, while not perfect, had pride and heart in equal measure to his strength.
"'Twas ah good fight, laddie," O'Chunks affirms once more over his vanquished foe, offering him a salute before leaping away to find his next fight.
Cayde's alliance had taken a beating, but, somewhere far away, one wisp of hope remains.
Over near the ruined mineral pool, the ground still soaked with Beedle's wicked brew, Rimi flits through the air, looking desperately for any source of clean water. Mostly, Bushroot's choking pollen had worked its way out of her system, but still her eyes sting, putting her at a disadvantage. As she persists in her search, thoughts of Cayde run through her mind. What had happened to her? Was she okay out there? Where-?
"Hello Rimi." A chill runs up her spine as she hears the oddly monotone voice, rubbing her weary eyes and surveying the area, finding… an odd woman dressed in green, standing beneath her? But wasn't being here around the poisoned earth dangerous? Even a little bit?
"I've been watching you fly around here for minutes now, bestie. Do you want to tell me what it is you're searching for? You wouldn't be without the allies you've been running around with, would you?" Candice looks up at her with an unnerving grin, almost… excessively friendly, at least in Rimi's eyes. "Alliances have been breaking up faster than the fandom after the Draco Malfoy shifting murder accusations. You wouldn't have happened to have seen an alliance of robots around, have you? Take it from me sister, robots are the kind of fighters who underestimate their weaknesses in a brawl like this. Water, slime, concentrated streams of dust, electrical tasers, robots joining together into an alliance was an act that left them with too great a shared weakness. So nice that you and I don't have to worry about weaknesses like those, huh?"
"Uhm, actually, I-" the bassist begins, not daring to land, in case any of the lingering toxins might actually affect her, but not entirely wanting to forgo conversation. After all, maybe this girl could join her and Cayde to re-strengthen the alliance. "Actually, they're supposed to meet me here soon," she half-lies, still holding onto hope that Cayde might show up, and not wanting this new figure to walk away thinking her alliance had shattered.
"Meeting soon? Around here? The number of fighters who have been coming here since the incident has been small. We could regroup together here with your allies and have time enough to gossip. You were in a tight-knit group. You know best of all out of anyone remaining how important it is to have a talk and spill the tea to keep morale up," Candice says, slowly drawing out a stool leg, her so-called magic wand.
Hope begins to flutter anew in Rimi's chest, the bassist still not-so-keen on landing in the area, but taking enough of a shine to her new potential ally to open up a bit. "Oh, that's true! Joking with each other and learning about each other was getting us through the recovery time between battles! I think you'll like Cayde a lot. We… We're supposed to meet here, but I don't know where she's gotten off to."
"Oh well that won't do at all." Candice's response is quick and decisive, accompanied by a flick of her wand and a little spark. "Do you want me to find what direction we'd need to travel in to find your allies?"
"Could you!? That's amazing! Is it something about your strange eye that lets you do that?"
"Girlie I have literally no idea what you're talking about. There's nothing strange about my eye."
"Oh, uuuuhm, sorry, I shouldn't have said strange! I mean… extraordinary!"
"Oh that's what you meant? Well it's true that I have extraordinary vision. At Nadare they had to invent numbers better than 20/20 to describe it. But this isn't about eyesight so let's not dwell on that. What I'm talking about is using magic."
Intrigued, Rimi cocks her head, eyes shining bright. An ally that could use magic? Real magic? That! That could be a game-changer! "Oh, please show me!" The rockets on her hat retract, Rimi slowly lowering herself to the ground.
"Okay, here's a demonstration," Candice says, the robot twirling her magic wand and sending a blast of electricity off into the distance, the crackling ball of light drawing Rimi's attention as it flies in the vague direction of the ruin's entrance. Rimi claps her hands with delight, breaking out into an excited exclamation!
"Oh, they must be over theeeeeeee-zzzrre!"
But in the midst of her pointing in the direction of the light, something goes awry, electricity suddenly surging through her body, even zipping up into her hat, frying its electronics!
She drops to the ground, twitching, as Candice speaks. "Oh whoops the thing must have misfired," she lies, knowing full well she had meant to distract Rimi so she could strike her from behind. "Sorry about that but now that it's happened I guess it's best to move on. Maybe an alliance next time."
"Sweet nightmares, bestie," Candice appends as she approaches Rimi, moving in on the girl with her wand held high. One more twirl of it and an arc of electricity jumping out, and Rimi's defeat is sealed.
The hat that had helped Rimi support her team and that had, along with her tenacity, carried her all the way to 12th place rolls across the ground, kicked away carelessly. Loose pebbles join it in slipping out of view, rolling down past the lip of the now emptied mineral pool.
Candice, meanwhile, walks away, her job here done and her batteries still quite fresh thanks to her early avoidance of extensive conflict.
Rimi's location? Unknown. Her destination? Also unknown. Cayde's head runs empty of plans as she runs, her quickened pulse pounding in her ears, the world behind her a blur as she flees from Sholmes' alliance. She couldn't stop. She couldn't rest. If she stopped, she might not start again. Or at least she tells herself as much to ignore the pain in her back, the burning of her legs.
Everything had been going so well up until they encountered Renne's group. First there was Cornelius. Then there was that computer virus. And just now things had gone sideways against Sholmes. But things had to get better from here, right? Bad things came in threes, or so superstition held.
"AND I'M TELLING ANYONE WITH EARS, NOBODY - I SAID NOBODY BEATS UNDEFEATED SMACKDOWN CHAMPION, GRUNT! HAVE YOU SEEN THAT ROOSTER TRY AND TAKE HIM ON? NO, YOU HAVEN'T, AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY! IT'S BECAUSE HE, AND O'CHUNKS, AND RENNE, AND EVERY OTHER COWARD QUAKING IN THEIR BOOTS AT THE THE THOUGHT OF FACING OFF AGAINST GRUNT KNOWS HE'D POUND THEM INTO THE DIRT BEFORE THE BELL RINGS!"
Although… Maybe they actually came in sets of four.
Cayde's pace slows as she overhears Colonel Shoey O'Dell's shouting, soon setting her eyes upon the Smackdown champion, his manager up on his shoulder, scanning the area for challengers. O'Dell's eyes settle on Cayde in short order, and the woman gulps. She doesn't have it in her to run, and she knows it. She had boasted before that she had it in her to take on foes far larger than herself. Now, she'd have to prove it.
"She's a lightweight, Grunt! She'll try and duck your blows, so go for a stomp!" Colonel O'Dell offers Grunt some choice advice for his confrontation as the hulking figure stomps towards Cayde, drawing back his arm and, sure enough, leading with a punch packing enough force that it could shatter small stones. His fist passes right over Cayde's head as she drops down low, anticipating the opening move, but her swift move comes with a cost, Grunt's foot slamming down on her own, Grunt knocking her away as she grits her teeth and grunts, instinctively grabbing her foot.
On the ground, it's all she can do to roll out of the way as Grunt rushes in and raises his foot again, pounding it down and widening the cracks in the stony floor. Cayde even bounces up a miniscule amount as Grunt stomps the ground. "YA GOT HER, CHAMP!" O'Dell encourages, Cayde just barely escaping the next stomp, reduced to crawling through the gap beneath Grunt's legs to escape. One hit, and she'd be done for. Oh, where was Rimi? Why couldn't she be here helping out?
She half-coughs, half-sputters as a hand wraps around her, Grunt wrapping an arm around her and outright picking her up off the ground, squeezing the breath right out of her. Struggle as she might to escape Grunt's grasp, not one of her kicks so much as fazes the sturdy fighter, desperate blow after desperate blow striking the same point on his plastron and not so much as leaving a mark or earning a reaction. Try as she might, she just can't summon the power to defeat Grunt! She's not strong enough!
But she might just be smarter! She banks on the possibility as she puts everything she has into wrestling one arm free, grabbing Colonel O'Dell as Grunt throws her to the ground, bringing the wrestler's manager with her as she slams into the rock and holding him tight, tucked in the crook of her elbow.
"LET GO OF ME!" The Colonel shouts in protest and squirms, but Cayde, wracked with pain and completely unable to get up or get away, keeps her hold on him, turning slightly to put him directly above her as Grunt raises his foot, its shadow falling over Cayde as he prepares to stomp her out of the competition.
"STOMP ME AND YOUR MANAGER GETS IT," Cayde shouts, Grunt's sole completely obscuring her view of the sky. That's enough to get the slow-witted fighter's attention, Grunt teetering on one foot as his brain processes the stakes here. If he brings his foot down, his manager goes squoosh with this puny challenger. Left without guidance, Grunt hesitates, unsure of what to do, and Cayde seizes the opening, grabbing onto the Colonel with her other hand and chucking him at Grunt!
Already in an unbalanced stance, when Colonel O'Dell strikes him in the face, Grunt topples backwards, falling onto his shell. Cayde might be stuck on the ground, but she's close enough to roll onto her side and strike Grunt as she kicks out her legs - and like all Koopa flipped onto their shell and kicked, Grunt goes careening away, spinning and spinning and spinning with Colonel O'Dell clutched against his chest.
On and on and on Grunt goes, all the way into the distance, to the edge of the ruins. She had only pulled it off because O'Dell was here to get in Grunt's way, and it wasn't exactly a fair defeat that would stand in the wrestling leagues, but she had survived, and Grunt was gone!
Basking in victory and relief, Cayde rolls onto her back, lets her limbs spread out across the ground like she's making the world's most joyless snow angels, and takes a long, deep breath.
Maybe… Just maybe, everything would work out after all, she thinks to herself.
Then comes the pain. She feels it for only a split-second, the elbow pressing down on her stomach as O'Chunks bears down upon her.
Cayde, already exhausted, goes down in defeat as O'Chunks stands over her and beats his chest.
"Get chunked, lassie!"
O'Chunk's cry of victory perks up the ears of someone surprisingly nearby, but let's dwell not on this story for a moment, but instead turn our attention to a duo that we left behind earlier.
"You see," Renne says, a smirk on her face, "I told you that I can take someone bigger than me down." Scorched earth surrounds the site of the battle, lasers scarring the ruins. Ducks litter the ground, mixed amongst the metal strewn all around. Renne and Brennanman wear burns and bruises, but their opponent stands in far worse shape.
"I WON'T LOSE TO SOMEONE WHO APPEARED ON THE PLAYSTATION PORTABLE," Gamecube shouts, defiant in spite of the smoke pouring out of its form. The scratches that Gamer Cat had earlier inflicted? They aren't even visible anymore, most of Gamecube's body crumpled, resembling aluminum foil unfolded after being balled up. The mech's arm lays upon the ground, its powerful punching mechanism wrested from its body, leaving a gaping hole in the robot.
Its cannon wrecked, its arm gone, its leaks creaking and straining, chunks ripped from them, it's all that Gamecube can do to fire off another round of lasers, the lights flickering and fizzling out as Renne sidesteps another round of blasts, the mech succeeding only in searing Brennanman's legs.
Alright, this battle had gone on long enough. It was time to finish it, Renne decides, snapping her fingers to signal her intentions to Brennanman. The duo surges with magnet power once again, but this time, they make no effort to rip pieces away from Gamecube. No, as Gamecube's final laser sputters out and fades away, Brennanman circles the mech, heading to its rear as Renne keeps it distracted, throwing metal chunks from the ground at it and drawing all of its ire onto herself.
When Brennanman is in position, he claps his hands together to signal to Renne, and the two of them take off near-simultaneously, charging at Gamecube! They each stick an arm out as they run, Renne shouting out with "MAGNET POWER PLUS" and even the normally terse Brennanman shouting out "MAGNET POWER MINUS"!
Gamecube's lasers begin to charge up with their characteristic whrrrr, but the sound quickly flattens into a zhhhhhhhhhuuuun, the mech too drained of power to mount an effective defense. Renne and Brennanman clothesline the mech, outstretched arms colliding with its legs, their magnet power allowing them to tear through with ease. "CROSS BOMBER!" The joint shout can barely be heard over the explosions that rock the mech, the duo simply cutting through too much, too fast, leaving Gamecube's legs to buckle as its body falls upon their base.
Renne and Brennanman each stick a hand upon the ground and kneel as they emerge from Gamecube, the hair on their heads rustling as the explosions' shockwaves wash over them. In the midst of the posing brawlers, Gamecube's screen shuts down, and the exploding mech goes out with one final, massive boom!
"Well, that's over," Renne says, chuckling to herself as she stands up and sweeps the soot from her outfit. "Where are the others? Perished already?"
"Don't know," Bennanmen answers in his usual style.
Where had Cornelius and Scottish Mario gone? What had kept them from reuniting with their allies? Let's return to the site of Cayde's defeat, where some bickering not far off may reveal answers to these questions…
"You can do as you wish, but I'll be continuing on without picking unnecessary fights! Let that oaf take himself out fighting that alliance of Sholmes!" Cornelius dismisses Scottish Mario with an irritated wave of his hand, turning around and stomping off, tired of the man's insistence that they delay their meet-up with Renne and Brennanman in favor of watching Cayde.
"Ah, ya fookin gren caw', who needs ya tah wrastle 'n'way? Leme handle this one mahself!" The Scotsman likewise stomps off, heading in the to other direction. How could that rich feller not see what was at stake here? That was a low-down, dirty rat's move that O'Chunks had made on Cayde, striking her so soon after her valiant battle against Grunt, and someone needed to teach him a lesson! Frankly, he should have parted ways with the rooster earlier. He didn't feel all that much better about having himself pledged to support Cayde's alliance against the computer virus but being forced to sit out and betray their truce.
"Ay yah, laddie!" Scottish Mario calls out as he approaches O'Chunks, making himself known. "What dae yah think yer doin'? Have yah no honor? Nae a lick o' it inside tharse muscles yah got?!"
"Honor!? Wha' are yah tahkin' ahbout honor, lad? Runnin' around wit' tha wee li'l scythe lassie!? Yah should be 'shamed o' yerself for tha'! A good chunking should set yah back in place!"
"A chunkin'? Lad! Yah got tah have taken one blow tah the noggin too many! Only explanation for wha'ould make a Scotsman do wha' yer doin' an' grow ah scraggly excuse o' ah beard like you've got!"
"And now yer goin' an insultin' mah chunking beard!? Who're'yah to hurl tha kind'f'nah insult with yer sissy's mustache!? Yer no true Scotsman!"
"Yah shou'n't have gone an' insulted mah stache! Yah can insult a man's mother! Yah can insult a man's strength! But yah never go insultin' ah man's kilt or 'is stache!"
A raw nerve hit, Scottish Mario flexes his muscles and begins to march on O'Chunks, the bearded Scot sticking an arm out and striking a pose, assuming a battle stance of his own.
"Oh, so yer approachin' me lad, are yah!?"
"I cannae beat tha shite out o' yah wit'out gettin' closeeeeeee-aaaaaaaaAAHHHH!"
Scottish Mario's legs propel him forward, his muscular form on full display as he leaps at O'Chunks, leading with a fist and screaming out a battlecry! O'Chunks may not have been the brightest bulb in the box, but he had known what was coming, and now he braces himself against the ground as Scottish Mario slams into his chest, threatening to send him tumbling head over heels. As big and powerful as Scottish Mario might be though, O'Chunks can match him pound for pound. The bearded Scotsman holds his ground against the mustachioed Scotsman, and takes advantage of his proximity to wrap his arms around him. Scottish Mario secure in his grip, O'Chunks bends his legs and coils his muscles, springing into the air with a massive jump, spinning round and round and hurling Scottish Mario down to the ground.
The mustachioed Scotsman lands on his back, eyes bulging out as the impact reverberates through his body, but he grits his teeth and fights through the pain, raising his arms up to block the plummeting O'Chunk's devastatingly effective elbow drop. It takes every mite of might in his bulging arms to stop O'Chunk's descent and hold the bearded menace at bay, but with a pride-powered heave-ho he tosses O'Chunks aside, leaving the man sliding across the ground.
Scottish Mario springs to his feet, trying to stick out an arm to stop O'Chunks charge as the bearded menace comes back for more! O'Chunks' teeth clatter as his jaw collides with Scottish Mario's fist, but the bearded brute sweeps his leg under the mustachioed menace, knocking Scottish Mario's feet out from underneath him and allowing O'Chunks to grab him as he falls. Locking Scottish Mario into a strange variation on a bridal hold, O'Chunks takes a slugging from as he tries to rework his grip, Scottish Mario managing an escape by sending O'Chunks staggering back with a black eye.
The bearded brute strikes back as Scottish Mario tries to knock him down with a follow-up shoulder check, putting the coppery taste of blood on Scottish Mario's tongue and leaving him with a fat lip! It's Scottish Mario's turn to stagger back, O'Chunks following up with a punch whirling dervish that pummels Scottish Mario with a rapid-fire series of punches, driving him back one step at a time.
Scottish Mario buckles under the assault, struggling to find either an opening or an escape route, but he does not break. His hand shoots into his pocket - a pocket on a kilt? Yes, a pocket on a kilt - and draws out a stone put stone, chucking the rock right into O'Chunks' face, finally creating an opening for himself as O'Chunks drops onto his back.
O'Chunks shakes his head and clears his blurring vision, looking for his foe, locking eyes with Scottish Mario's hands, clasped by the fingers at his chest. He lifts his gaze higher. No, higher still. No. Higher STILL. It eventually settles on the end of the massive wooden pole - a caber - towering above him, held in Scottish Mario's hands.
O'Chunks rises to his feet. "Yah fought a faihre and square fight, laddie. Ah take back wha' ah said abo't yer stache. Yah got tha hair o' a champion Scotsman!"
For his part, Scottish Mario acknowledges the gesture with a nod and a hearty laugh. "An' yah got ah beard as big as yer hear' an' as untamed as yer Scotch spirit, lad. Yah fought good wit' me. Ah 'ope yah'll nae resor' tah tha cheap kills next time around," he says as he tosses the caber, watching it fly towards O'Chunks with satisfaction, the shadow of the pole growing as it descends upon the bearded brute…
…and then with disbelief, as O'Chunks catches it, straining under its weight, a knee buckling and forcing him down on one knee, but not stopping him from burling it right back at Scottish Mario.
The mustachioed menace has no time to escape, and he knows it, but still a smile he wears as it slams into him, knowing in his defeat that he had at least gone down to a fellow Scotsman who, while not perfect, had pride and heart in equal measure to his strength.
"'Twas ah good fight, laddie," O'Chunks affirms once more over his vanquished foe, offering him a salute before leaping away to find his next fight.
Cayde's alliance had taken a beating, but, somewhere far away, one wisp of hope remains.
Over near the ruined mineral pool, the ground still soaked with Beedle's wicked brew, Rimi flits through the air, looking desperately for any source of clean water. Mostly, Bushroot's choking pollen had worked its way out of her system, but still her eyes sting, putting her at a disadvantage. As she persists in her search, thoughts of Cayde run through her mind. What had happened to her? Was she okay out there? Where-?
"Hello Rimi." A chill runs up her spine as she hears the oddly monotone voice, rubbing her weary eyes and surveying the area, finding… an odd woman dressed in green, standing beneath her? But wasn't being here around the poisoned earth dangerous? Even a little bit?
"I've been watching you fly around here for minutes now, bestie. Do you want to tell me what it is you're searching for? You wouldn't be without the allies you've been running around with, would you?" Candice looks up at her with an unnerving grin, almost… excessively friendly, at least in Rimi's eyes. "Alliances have been breaking up faster than the fandom after the Draco Malfoy shifting murder accusations. You wouldn't have happened to have seen an alliance of robots around, have you? Take it from me sister, robots are the kind of fighters who underestimate their weaknesses in a brawl like this. Water, slime, concentrated streams of dust, electrical tasers, robots joining together into an alliance was an act that left them with too great a shared weakness. So nice that you and I don't have to worry about weaknesses like those, huh?"
"Uhm, actually, I-" the bassist begins, not daring to land, in case any of the lingering toxins might actually affect her, but not entirely wanting to forgo conversation. After all, maybe this girl could join her and Cayde to re-strengthen the alliance. "Actually, they're supposed to meet me here soon," she half-lies, still holding onto hope that Cayde might show up, and not wanting this new figure to walk away thinking her alliance had shattered.
"Meeting soon? Around here? The number of fighters who have been coming here since the incident has been small. We could regroup together here with your allies and have time enough to gossip. You were in a tight-knit group. You know best of all out of anyone remaining how important it is to have a talk and spill the tea to keep morale up," Candice says, slowly drawing out a stool leg, her so-called magic wand.
Hope begins to flutter anew in Rimi's chest, the bassist still not-so-keen on landing in the area, but taking enough of a shine to her new potential ally to open up a bit. "Oh, that's true! Joking with each other and learning about each other was getting us through the recovery time between battles! I think you'll like Cayde a lot. We… We're supposed to meet here, but I don't know where she's gotten off to."
"Oh well that won't do at all." Candice's response is quick and decisive, accompanied by a flick of her wand and a little spark. "Do you want me to find what direction we'd need to travel in to find your allies?"
"Could you!? That's amazing! Is it something about your strange eye that lets you do that?"
"Girlie I have literally no idea what you're talking about. There's nothing strange about my eye."
"Oh, uuuuhm, sorry, I shouldn't have said strange! I mean… extraordinary!"
"Oh that's what you meant? Well it's true that I have extraordinary vision. At Nadare they had to invent numbers better than 20/20 to describe it. But this isn't about eyesight so let's not dwell on that. What I'm talking about is using magic."
Intrigued, Rimi cocks her head, eyes shining bright. An ally that could use magic? Real magic? That! That could be a game-changer! "Oh, please show me!" The rockets on her hat retract, Rimi slowly lowering herself to the ground.
"Okay, here's a demonstration," Candice says, the robot twirling her magic wand and sending a blast of electricity off into the distance, the crackling ball of light drawing Rimi's attention as it flies in the vague direction of the ruin's entrance. Rimi claps her hands with delight, breaking out into an excited exclamation!
"Oh, they must be over theeeeeeee-zzzrre!"
But in the midst of her pointing in the direction of the light, something goes awry, electricity suddenly surging through her body, even zipping up into her hat, frying its electronics!
She drops to the ground, twitching, as Candice speaks. "Oh whoops the thing must have misfired," she lies, knowing full well she had meant to distract Rimi so she could strike her from behind. "Sorry about that but now that it's happened I guess it's best to move on. Maybe an alliance next time."
"Sweet nightmares, bestie," Candice appends as she approaches Rimi, moving in on the girl with her wand held high. One more twirl of it and an arc of electricity jumping out, and Rimi's defeat is sealed.
The hat that had helped Rimi support her team and that had, along with her tenacity, carried her all the way to 12th place rolls across the ground, kicked away carelessly. Loose pebbles join it in slipping out of view, rolling down past the lip of the now emptied mineral pool.
Candice, meanwhile, walks away, her job here done and her batteries still quite fresh thanks to her early avoidance of extensive conflict.
- Pronouns
- He/him
@Roserade
That was probably the best anyone has written Cayde. She fought very bravely and even got some good moments, before conceding defeat. I was totally expecting her to get floored in the beginning, but 15th? 15th! That was amazing, I was happy to see her get that far! I look forward to the rest of the brawl!
That was probably the best anyone has written Cayde. She fought very bravely and even got some good moments, before conceding defeat. I was totally expecting her to get floored in the beginning, but 15th? 15th! That was amazing, I was happy to see her get that far! I look forward to the rest of the brawl!
- Pronouns
- They
- MarioWiki
- Roserade
- Thread starter
- #114
Part 9
With only eleven people left in the arena, any remaining alliance is sure to have a lot of strength behind it... and also to be a major target. Sholmes knows that, and he, Bushroot, ENA, and Rainbow Dash are moving carefully as they circle the arena, trying to find anyone remaining in the battlefield and take them on. O'Chunks runs towards a chosen target, the man on a roll and ready to chunk someone else. Elsewhere, Renne watches the alliance from a distance, trying to figure out her best move as Brennanman stretches his arms. Gangsta Mario begins to approach Perry, his guns at the ready as Perry's bodiless form wavers in the area, while Candice C. Candice sizes up a potential battle with them.
But one duo believes they can interrupt this existing alliance. As Sholmes, Bushroot, and Rainbow Dash move ahead, ENA follows behind... only for a car to fly out of nowhere and scoop her up. She's barely even scratched by the impact, but the car flies off, the three allies trying to follow behind her but finding themselves far too slow to catch up as the car lands, tossing ENA. "Wow! Moony, I went for a ride!" ENA says, her head spinning literally as she stands up. The Ernests are there, facing off against her.
"CLINEBORG IS IMPRESSED THAT IT WORKED, COUSIN."
"Oh, well, my connections are good! When you can send a car back in time, you can send a car anywhere!" Ernest Fine says, as ENA stands up and takes stock of the situation. "Oh dear. I do believe this is the opposite of a splendiferous situation..." she says, even as Clineborg starts to fire on her. The Ernests work in tandem, as Ernest Fine grabs some hammers out of the car and begins to hurl them at her. His throwing arm is pretty good, and the first couple bonk her in the chest, disorientating ENA.
However, as she rolls behind the car, ENA isn't going to just let it go that easily! While Ernest Fine and Ernest Clineborg begin to move around the car, ENA uses the dirt to scrawl a couple runes on his auto. Before Ernest can think of the best way to use his car again, ENA's runes kick in, the tires freezing to the ground as a chilly frost spreads beneath them. Ernest Fine leaps back, but Clineborg marches forward, only for the ice to begin to lock his feet to the ground. He fires a couple light shots at his legs, but this has given ENA the chance to run towards him and grab his cannon arm. She starts waving it around, getting Clineborg to fire off in a couple bizarre directions, and one of the blasts even knocks a hammer right into his cousin's chest!
While Ernest Fine staggers, Clineborg is finally able to hurl ENA away from himself, and she hits the car again, now having a splitting headache thanks to all these impacts. Still, she has the energy to draw another couple of runes, and she scrawls her next couple in the dirt itself, even as Clineborg finally frees his feet and prepares to attack. He's not prepared for when the rune goes off, a bright light overloading his optic sensors. Standing tall, ENA runs forward and bodychecks Clineborg, knocking him over!
She starts to draw one more run, this one setting on his chest. She'll even anchor it once it's done, to ensure that it goes off. Preparing, ENA mutters an apology out of politeness-
And suddenly, two hammers SLAM down on her head, ENA rolling over and Clineborg desperately rubbing the runes off to ensure nothing accidentally completes them.
Looking over at the defeated ENA, Clineborg looks up at Ernest Fine, the gratitude deeply apparent on his face as Ernest Fine drops the two hammers and embraces his cousin. They look at the car, now undrivable, and at ENA, and begin to retreat - especially when they notice another figure approaching. Right as they run out, O'Chunks' chosen target finally arrives... none other than Isabelle.
"Oi! Ah've been chasin' yah around tha entire arena! Are yah finally gonna stop and give a man a proper fight?"
"I would, but I only see two clowns here." Isabelle says, as she reaches into the car and begins to juggle a couple of the hammers. "Maybe you could help me with my act?"
"AY! You bes' nae have gone callin' O'Chunks a clown!" O'Chunks says, lunging right at her. She immediately ducks under his grip, but he wasn't actually going for her - O'Chunks uses his mighty strength to pick up the car, the ice shattering, and promptly swings it around, nearly knocking Isabelle flat with his mighty spin. She drops the hammers, and as the car comes down, the super-strong clown puts her hands up. Even with her enhanced abilities, there's a huge crunch, O'Chunks leaving the car there for a second as he thinks he's flattened Isabelle.
Then it goes flying, Isabelle hurling it off. "Good warmup act. Let's make the crowd happy," she says, as the car crashes in the distance, smashed to pieces. Hammers are everywhere, and she tosses a couple more at O'Chunks, only for him to swing around and knock them away. He's not so lucky with the next hammer, which nails him right in the gut, letting Isabelle wallop him as a followup. Kicking him away, Isabelle leaps towards him, but as she does, she gets grabbed by the legendary arms of O'Chunks! He winds up and spins, spins, spins! Then lets go, sending Isabelle bouncing around, watching as she hits every rock within the area, pingponging left and right until she comes back to his feet! He promptly strikes a few ridiculous poses to celebrate.
Then Isabelle gets up, and his mouth drops open. "How'd yah do that, lassie!?"
"Don't you know? Clowns can survive anything. ...Well, maybe not a clown like you." With that, Isabelle grabs up O'Chunks, and begins to toss him around, juggling him up, up, up, sending him high into the sky with her tosses!
Then she just steps aside, and O'Chunks very much does not stick the landing.
"...Whew." Isabelle takes a deep breath - O'Chunks' big move had taken a lot more out of her than she'd let him see, and as three more approach, she looks pretty concerned... only to realize it's Sholmes, Bushroot, and Rainbow Dash. Though she didn't know them personally, she knew of them, and she waves them down to discuss a temporary alliance. The sight of ENA's body is enough to convince them to recruit a replacement, and the newly-replenished team move towards a nearby lake, ready to use that as a vantage point, unaware that a certain suit is slithering after them after disengaging with Gangsta Mario when Candice ambushed him...
Meanwhile, as the Ernests finally catch their breath, a sudden bolt of magnet power grabs onto Clineborg. "Hello," says Renne with a huge smirk, as she tries to use her magnet power to rip the cyborg parts straight out of Clineborg! Her magnet powers strain against his well-built body, but before she can actually yank, Ernest Fine comes in and tries to give her a superkick to the chest. His beautiful looks are enough to be a distraction, at least, and thanks to that and the attempt Renne is forced to break off her magnet.
However, that's when Brennanman appears from before her! The powerful wrestling sailor slams into Ernest Fine, lifting him up easily and hurling him into Clineborg. Renne leaps up and divekicks, aiming to squash them, but she realizes as she comes in that Clineborg's cannon is charging. It's only by planting her scythe in the ground and spinning that she avoids getting a beam through the chest, the socialite unable to hide her smirk. As much as this contest was guaranteed to be hers, it wouldn't be any fun without a proper battle!
As she spins, she manages to clip Fine's chin with her feet, preventing him from standing up as she lands and pulls her scythe back out of the ground. Brennanman runs in, but the blast fires at the arm that got shot much earlier, and it's enough of an impact to leave it completely useless. Thanks to that, Clineborg runs in and grabs him by the useful arm, making it impossible for him to retaliate as he gets swung to the ground, Clineborg stomping him in the chest. Brennanman looks around, but he can't see Renne. What's she setting up?
Before he can answer that, Ernest Fine and Clineborg both pull him up, and charge at him from opposite ends. With dramatic leaps and action move yells, they kick Brennanman in the head from each side, powerfully slamming into his face and the back of his head. As they drop to the ground and get back up, Brennanman teeters a bit, before falling over flat on his face, taken out of the MBMB.
The Ernests look around, but there's no sign of Renne. She apparently got out of dodge as soon as Brennanman started to go down, having no loyalty to him. Near the lake, though, there's currently a major fight going on! Sholmes brings up his sword as another powerful strike from Cornelius nearly takes his head off, the two of them dueling as Bushroot works to support Sholmes. They'd been ambushed by the rooster after getting separated from Isabelle and ENA, and they're currently trying to suppress his mighty power. Bushroom slams his arm down, and several vines burst up, wrapping themselves around one of Cornelius's arms!
The other arm is more than enough to fight with, though, and with a mighty swing, Cornelius slams his fist right into Bushroot's chest. Vines snap and crack as the impact flings Bushroot away, but with his unique biology, the botanist isn't anywhere near down and out just yet. He springs to his feet, running forward as Cornelius's side chop cracks Sholmes' side, leaving him groaning. Before he can go for a finishing blow, though, a sharpened branch stabs from Bushroot's arm and into his chest, leaving Cornelius with an obvious wound. Cornelius staggers back, but his sheer mass means he can easily break it off and toss it away.
However, it's given Sholmes an opportunity. With the vines creating a reach issue for Cornelius, the daring detective dashes under the next mighty punch that Cornelius tries to deliver, avoiding the bone-shattering blow as Cornelius overbalances thanks to the force he put behind that. Sholmes swings in, his blade cutting into Cornelius, and Bushroot summons up another burst of vines. They start going for the other arm, ready to lock down the mighty rooster and allow for Sholmes to take care of him.
There's a mad cackle, and right as Cornelius finally gets his other arm bound, Bushroot looks around to see Renne. Scythe glowing with power, Renne comes in with a swing even as he notices her, both the shadow crystal and the scepter piece glowing. Her scythe burns through the plants, and slices into Bushroot. Though even being chopped in half wouldn't normally be enough to defeat the doctor, the magical fire of the scythe lights his body up, Bushroot burning up. His roots latch into the ground and a seed locks into the arena, but with how long it'll take to grow, he's not regrowing before the end of the MBMB at this point. Sholmes lets out an anguished cry, watching his closest companion fall away.
Even with Bushroot defeated, though, the vines remain grabbing Cornelius with their mighty effort. Sholmes, turning away from the rooster, decides to go for the more active threat, quickly bringing Danteleon to bear. He brings down his blade upon her scythe, Renne deflecting his first couple hits but being pushed backwards. She starts to sweat a bit at Sholmes' upper hand, the vengeful detective driven to destroy her in return. Her grip slips as Sholmes forces her back, and she loses her footing, the scythe's power disappearing as Sholmes raises Danteleon.
Before he can finish the job, though, there's a loud stomp behind him. Breaking free of the vines, Cornelius still has a battle to win, and he grabs Sholmes by the back of the head, taking advantage of his focus on Renne. Cornelius slams him with the force of a train into the ground, and it's blatantly clear Sholmes is not getting up after that.
Slamming his fists together, Cornelius salutes Renne. "DOO HOO HOO! Well, that was impressive! Even without the sailor, we make a good team!"
"I'd say so. Too bad there can only be one winner, though." With a grin that belies her relief at being saved from a near-loss, Renne magnetizes her scythe back to her... and begins to walk off. "We'll settle this later. I'd rather see you succeed a little more before I have to get rid of you!" she says, waving to Cornelius. Though he could easily pursue her, he notices a much more interesting possibility out of the corner of his eye...
But one might ask, what happened to Rainbow Dash and Isabelle? The answer can be found on the other side of the mineral pool. At around the same time as Cornelius first confronted Sholmes and Bushroot, Isabelle had noticed a strange figure moving over there. In order to avoid a potential threat, she and Rainbow Dash had gone to this side of the pool, and here they came face to face with who this was. Namely... Perry, currently riding the body of the long-defeated Franziska von Karma! Making a silent come-on gesture to Isabelle, Perry leaps into the air and brings down the crowbar... only to get grabbed by Isabelle and juggled, hurled away. Isabelle prepares to leave the pool, but she hears something shuffling behind her.
"Really? That's all you've got for yourself?" Isabelle asks, as she sees Perry again, this time riding along with The Doctor instead. Moving in, she starts to juggle him again, though she gets zapped by the Sonic Screwdriver in the process. Tossing him into the air, this time Rainbow Dash bucks him hard, sending him slamming into the ground at an awkward angle. The two of them prepare to depart, only to suddenly hear a charge behind them as Perry comes running at them, using Brennanman this time! Slamming right into Isabelle, he flings her up into the air, and she lands painfully. It didn't hurt that much, and a tornado sends Perry flying, Dash coming down to help Isabelle once again.
However, Perry soon appears again, this time controlling Scottish Mario. Jumping into the air, he leaps towards Dash, and stomps her with enough force to knock her for a loop. While she's dizzy, he hurls her away, before turning to Isabelle and getting met with a powerful punch driven by sheer mirth. The costume rattles once again as Isabelle launches Perry into the distance, but she doubts he's done yet... and she's proven right as Perry shows up, this time controlling Sirius. There's a wide grin on the damaged costume's face, Isabelle not sure what he's planning.
That's when he begins to juggle. Specifically, all the artifacts he could salvage from Sirius and Acraman. Though he doesn't even know what they do, the sheer amount of Maseonic energy in one place is enough to create a disruption to other systems of magic. There's a bright flash of light, and Isabelle finds herself temporarily brought down to normal, the power of Paillassos still there, but her connection to it interrupted. Perry drops the artifacts, and Isabelle feels herself regaining her abilities.
But not fast enough to stop Perry striking her with the crowbar to take her out before her clown powers can return to her.
Meanwhile, as Ernest Fine and Ernest Clineborg high five, having driven away Cornelius, neither one of them is looking as something begins to slither towards them. Still severely damaged from successfully taking out Isabelle, Perry quickly tries to find another host, and grabs up the defeated El Presidente to shore him up. It's not the first choice he'd make, by far, but he needs to ensure that he stays in the game. Walking over to the Ernests, Perry watches them from behind a rock. If he can just make a grand first strike...
Leaping in, Perry comes in with a powerful blow! His crowbar slams into the back of Ernest Fine, and the cousin is launched forward, the world's most handsome man not looking so handsome as he slams into the ground and slides for a bit. Groaning as he stands up, between this and his other recent fights, Ernest Fine turns around to see Perry shambling forward, the ex-dictator's body a useful one here. Ernest Clineborg immediately starts to fire away, his upgrades powerful as he lays down some covering fire. Even with Perry's high agility, he's not prepared for the actual rate of fire Clineborg is capable of, and he gets his crowbar blasted right out of his hand. Another shot punches through his leg, and he stumbles. Pushing himself up, Perry aims for the cyborg, slamming him and knocking him over, but as he does so, Fine runs over and kicks him, sending him flying away.
As he gets back up, Perry can see Clineborg aiming right at him, and he quickly hurls down some smoke bombs. Even as he does so, there's a yelp when one more of those energy blasts catches him, and Clineborg begins to charge up. Scanning with his eye is enough to keep track, but Perry hadn't done the smoke bombs to catch Clineborg.
He'd done it to catch Ernest Fine. Leaping away from the body of the Presidente, Perry leaps onto Ernest Fine, trying to subvert his will so that he can use the power of a living host instead! Ernest immediately begins to grab at the hoodie, trying to keep it from taking his body, but Perry is a costume possessed and refusing to let go of this opportunity. He clings and wraps, Clineborg taking aim but unable to fire, even with his cannon overcharged. That's when he hears it. Ernest Fine's voice.
"Shoot us! Do it!"
"COUSIN. HOW CAN CLINEBORG DO THAT? THE ERNESTS ARE SUPPOSED TO REACH THE TOP TOGETHER. THERE MUST BE ANOTHER WAY."
"There's no time! He's nearly got me - but I'm not letting him win! SHOOT!"
"...CLINEBORG UNDERSTANDS. FORGIVE ME, ERNEST."
With a sorrowful look, Clineborg fires. Seeing the blast come, Perry attempts to retreat, only for Ernest Fine to grab him and hold him in place. The blast bursts through Ernest Fine and Perry both, Fine collapsing... and Perry falling limp next to him, the costume no longer having enough power to move. Clineborg finishes the job with a blast to the costume's head, before looking at Ernest Fine.
"Win this. I know you can..."
Clineborg sighs. Though this had been a victory over Perry, and though his cousin had entrusted him to carry this to a win... it still didn't feel like a win. Not with the cost it took. But he had to keep going forward, he knows it. So he turns to the arena, to face the other five still out there.
There he spots them, far off in the distance. His robot eye zooms in, watching as they all individually approach the middle of the arena. He sets forward after them, knowing that the finale is incoming.
With only eleven people left in the arena, any remaining alliance is sure to have a lot of strength behind it... and also to be a major target. Sholmes knows that, and he, Bushroot, ENA, and Rainbow Dash are moving carefully as they circle the arena, trying to find anyone remaining in the battlefield and take them on. O'Chunks runs towards a chosen target, the man on a roll and ready to chunk someone else. Elsewhere, Renne watches the alliance from a distance, trying to figure out her best move as Brennanman stretches his arms. Gangsta Mario begins to approach Perry, his guns at the ready as Perry's bodiless form wavers in the area, while Candice C. Candice sizes up a potential battle with them.
But one duo believes they can interrupt this existing alliance. As Sholmes, Bushroot, and Rainbow Dash move ahead, ENA follows behind... only for a car to fly out of nowhere and scoop her up. She's barely even scratched by the impact, but the car flies off, the three allies trying to follow behind her but finding themselves far too slow to catch up as the car lands, tossing ENA. "Wow! Moony, I went for a ride!" ENA says, her head spinning literally as she stands up. The Ernests are there, facing off against her.
"CLINEBORG IS IMPRESSED THAT IT WORKED, COUSIN."
"Oh, well, my connections are good! When you can send a car back in time, you can send a car anywhere!" Ernest Fine says, as ENA stands up and takes stock of the situation. "Oh dear. I do believe this is the opposite of a splendiferous situation..." she says, even as Clineborg starts to fire on her. The Ernests work in tandem, as Ernest Fine grabs some hammers out of the car and begins to hurl them at her. His throwing arm is pretty good, and the first couple bonk her in the chest, disorientating ENA.
However, as she rolls behind the car, ENA isn't going to just let it go that easily! While Ernest Fine and Ernest Clineborg begin to move around the car, ENA uses the dirt to scrawl a couple runes on his auto. Before Ernest can think of the best way to use his car again, ENA's runes kick in, the tires freezing to the ground as a chilly frost spreads beneath them. Ernest Fine leaps back, but Clineborg marches forward, only for the ice to begin to lock his feet to the ground. He fires a couple light shots at his legs, but this has given ENA the chance to run towards him and grab his cannon arm. She starts waving it around, getting Clineborg to fire off in a couple bizarre directions, and one of the blasts even knocks a hammer right into his cousin's chest!
While Ernest Fine staggers, Clineborg is finally able to hurl ENA away from himself, and she hits the car again, now having a splitting headache thanks to all these impacts. Still, she has the energy to draw another couple of runes, and she scrawls her next couple in the dirt itself, even as Clineborg finally frees his feet and prepares to attack. He's not prepared for when the rune goes off, a bright light overloading his optic sensors. Standing tall, ENA runs forward and bodychecks Clineborg, knocking him over!
She starts to draw one more run, this one setting on his chest. She'll even anchor it once it's done, to ensure that it goes off. Preparing, ENA mutters an apology out of politeness-
And suddenly, two hammers SLAM down on her head, ENA rolling over and Clineborg desperately rubbing the runes off to ensure nothing accidentally completes them.
Looking over at the defeated ENA, Clineborg looks up at Ernest Fine, the gratitude deeply apparent on his face as Ernest Fine drops the two hammers and embraces his cousin. They look at the car, now undrivable, and at ENA, and begin to retreat - especially when they notice another figure approaching. Right as they run out, O'Chunks' chosen target finally arrives... none other than Isabelle.
"Oi! Ah've been chasin' yah around tha entire arena! Are yah finally gonna stop and give a man a proper fight?"
"I would, but I only see two clowns here." Isabelle says, as she reaches into the car and begins to juggle a couple of the hammers. "Maybe you could help me with my act?"
"AY! You bes' nae have gone callin' O'Chunks a clown!" O'Chunks says, lunging right at her. She immediately ducks under his grip, but he wasn't actually going for her - O'Chunks uses his mighty strength to pick up the car, the ice shattering, and promptly swings it around, nearly knocking Isabelle flat with his mighty spin. She drops the hammers, and as the car comes down, the super-strong clown puts her hands up. Even with her enhanced abilities, there's a huge crunch, O'Chunks leaving the car there for a second as he thinks he's flattened Isabelle.
Then it goes flying, Isabelle hurling it off. "Good warmup act. Let's make the crowd happy," she says, as the car crashes in the distance, smashed to pieces. Hammers are everywhere, and she tosses a couple more at O'Chunks, only for him to swing around and knock them away. He's not so lucky with the next hammer, which nails him right in the gut, letting Isabelle wallop him as a followup. Kicking him away, Isabelle leaps towards him, but as she does, she gets grabbed by the legendary arms of O'Chunks! He winds up and spins, spins, spins! Then lets go, sending Isabelle bouncing around, watching as she hits every rock within the area, pingponging left and right until she comes back to his feet! He promptly strikes a few ridiculous poses to celebrate.
Then Isabelle gets up, and his mouth drops open. "How'd yah do that, lassie!?"
"Don't you know? Clowns can survive anything. ...Well, maybe not a clown like you." With that, Isabelle grabs up O'Chunks, and begins to toss him around, juggling him up, up, up, sending him high into the sky with her tosses!
Then she just steps aside, and O'Chunks very much does not stick the landing.
"...Whew." Isabelle takes a deep breath - O'Chunks' big move had taken a lot more out of her than she'd let him see, and as three more approach, she looks pretty concerned... only to realize it's Sholmes, Bushroot, and Rainbow Dash. Though she didn't know them personally, she knew of them, and she waves them down to discuss a temporary alliance. The sight of ENA's body is enough to convince them to recruit a replacement, and the newly-replenished team move towards a nearby lake, ready to use that as a vantage point, unaware that a certain suit is slithering after them after disengaging with Gangsta Mario when Candice ambushed him...
Meanwhile, as the Ernests finally catch their breath, a sudden bolt of magnet power grabs onto Clineborg. "Hello," says Renne with a huge smirk, as she tries to use her magnet power to rip the cyborg parts straight out of Clineborg! Her magnet powers strain against his well-built body, but before she can actually yank, Ernest Fine comes in and tries to give her a superkick to the chest. His beautiful looks are enough to be a distraction, at least, and thanks to that and the attempt Renne is forced to break off her magnet.
However, that's when Brennanman appears from before her! The powerful wrestling sailor slams into Ernest Fine, lifting him up easily and hurling him into Clineborg. Renne leaps up and divekicks, aiming to squash them, but she realizes as she comes in that Clineborg's cannon is charging. It's only by planting her scythe in the ground and spinning that she avoids getting a beam through the chest, the socialite unable to hide her smirk. As much as this contest was guaranteed to be hers, it wouldn't be any fun without a proper battle!
As she spins, she manages to clip Fine's chin with her feet, preventing him from standing up as she lands and pulls her scythe back out of the ground. Brennanman runs in, but the blast fires at the arm that got shot much earlier, and it's enough of an impact to leave it completely useless. Thanks to that, Clineborg runs in and grabs him by the useful arm, making it impossible for him to retaliate as he gets swung to the ground, Clineborg stomping him in the chest. Brennanman looks around, but he can't see Renne. What's she setting up?
Before he can answer that, Ernest Fine and Clineborg both pull him up, and charge at him from opposite ends. With dramatic leaps and action move yells, they kick Brennanman in the head from each side, powerfully slamming into his face and the back of his head. As they drop to the ground and get back up, Brennanman teeters a bit, before falling over flat on his face, taken out of the MBMB.
The Ernests look around, but there's no sign of Renne. She apparently got out of dodge as soon as Brennanman started to go down, having no loyalty to him. Near the lake, though, there's currently a major fight going on! Sholmes brings up his sword as another powerful strike from Cornelius nearly takes his head off, the two of them dueling as Bushroot works to support Sholmes. They'd been ambushed by the rooster after getting separated from Isabelle and ENA, and they're currently trying to suppress his mighty power. Bushroom slams his arm down, and several vines burst up, wrapping themselves around one of Cornelius's arms!
The other arm is more than enough to fight with, though, and with a mighty swing, Cornelius slams his fist right into Bushroot's chest. Vines snap and crack as the impact flings Bushroot away, but with his unique biology, the botanist isn't anywhere near down and out just yet. He springs to his feet, running forward as Cornelius's side chop cracks Sholmes' side, leaving him groaning. Before he can go for a finishing blow, though, a sharpened branch stabs from Bushroot's arm and into his chest, leaving Cornelius with an obvious wound. Cornelius staggers back, but his sheer mass means he can easily break it off and toss it away.
However, it's given Sholmes an opportunity. With the vines creating a reach issue for Cornelius, the daring detective dashes under the next mighty punch that Cornelius tries to deliver, avoiding the bone-shattering blow as Cornelius overbalances thanks to the force he put behind that. Sholmes swings in, his blade cutting into Cornelius, and Bushroot summons up another burst of vines. They start going for the other arm, ready to lock down the mighty rooster and allow for Sholmes to take care of him.
There's a mad cackle, and right as Cornelius finally gets his other arm bound, Bushroot looks around to see Renne. Scythe glowing with power, Renne comes in with a swing even as he notices her, both the shadow crystal and the scepter piece glowing. Her scythe burns through the plants, and slices into Bushroot. Though even being chopped in half wouldn't normally be enough to defeat the doctor, the magical fire of the scythe lights his body up, Bushroot burning up. His roots latch into the ground and a seed locks into the arena, but with how long it'll take to grow, he's not regrowing before the end of the MBMB at this point. Sholmes lets out an anguished cry, watching his closest companion fall away.
Even with Bushroot defeated, though, the vines remain grabbing Cornelius with their mighty effort. Sholmes, turning away from the rooster, decides to go for the more active threat, quickly bringing Danteleon to bear. He brings down his blade upon her scythe, Renne deflecting his first couple hits but being pushed backwards. She starts to sweat a bit at Sholmes' upper hand, the vengeful detective driven to destroy her in return. Her grip slips as Sholmes forces her back, and she loses her footing, the scythe's power disappearing as Sholmes raises Danteleon.
Before he can finish the job, though, there's a loud stomp behind him. Breaking free of the vines, Cornelius still has a battle to win, and he grabs Sholmes by the back of the head, taking advantage of his focus on Renne. Cornelius slams him with the force of a train into the ground, and it's blatantly clear Sholmes is not getting up after that.
Slamming his fists together, Cornelius salutes Renne. "DOO HOO HOO! Well, that was impressive! Even without the sailor, we make a good team!"
"I'd say so. Too bad there can only be one winner, though." With a grin that belies her relief at being saved from a near-loss, Renne magnetizes her scythe back to her... and begins to walk off. "We'll settle this later. I'd rather see you succeed a little more before I have to get rid of you!" she says, waving to Cornelius. Though he could easily pursue her, he notices a much more interesting possibility out of the corner of his eye...
But one might ask, what happened to Rainbow Dash and Isabelle? The answer can be found on the other side of the mineral pool. At around the same time as Cornelius first confronted Sholmes and Bushroot, Isabelle had noticed a strange figure moving over there. In order to avoid a potential threat, she and Rainbow Dash had gone to this side of the pool, and here they came face to face with who this was. Namely... Perry, currently riding the body of the long-defeated Franziska von Karma! Making a silent come-on gesture to Isabelle, Perry leaps into the air and brings down the crowbar... only to get grabbed by Isabelle and juggled, hurled away. Isabelle prepares to leave the pool, but she hears something shuffling behind her.
"Really? That's all you've got for yourself?" Isabelle asks, as she sees Perry again, this time riding along with The Doctor instead. Moving in, she starts to juggle him again, though she gets zapped by the Sonic Screwdriver in the process. Tossing him into the air, this time Rainbow Dash bucks him hard, sending him slamming into the ground at an awkward angle. The two of them prepare to depart, only to suddenly hear a charge behind them as Perry comes running at them, using Brennanman this time! Slamming right into Isabelle, he flings her up into the air, and she lands painfully. It didn't hurt that much, and a tornado sends Perry flying, Dash coming down to help Isabelle once again.
However, Perry soon appears again, this time controlling Scottish Mario. Jumping into the air, he leaps towards Dash, and stomps her with enough force to knock her for a loop. While she's dizzy, he hurls her away, before turning to Isabelle and getting met with a powerful punch driven by sheer mirth. The costume rattles once again as Isabelle launches Perry into the distance, but she doubts he's done yet... and she's proven right as Perry shows up, this time controlling Sirius. There's a wide grin on the damaged costume's face, Isabelle not sure what he's planning.
That's when he begins to juggle. Specifically, all the artifacts he could salvage from Sirius and Acraman. Though he doesn't even know what they do, the sheer amount of Maseonic energy in one place is enough to create a disruption to other systems of magic. There's a bright flash of light, and Isabelle finds herself temporarily brought down to normal, the power of Paillassos still there, but her connection to it interrupted. Perry drops the artifacts, and Isabelle feels herself regaining her abilities.
But not fast enough to stop Perry striking her with the crowbar to take her out before her clown powers can return to her.
Meanwhile, as Ernest Fine and Ernest Clineborg high five, having driven away Cornelius, neither one of them is looking as something begins to slither towards them. Still severely damaged from successfully taking out Isabelle, Perry quickly tries to find another host, and grabs up the defeated El Presidente to shore him up. It's not the first choice he'd make, by far, but he needs to ensure that he stays in the game. Walking over to the Ernests, Perry watches them from behind a rock. If he can just make a grand first strike...
Leaping in, Perry comes in with a powerful blow! His crowbar slams into the back of Ernest Fine, and the cousin is launched forward, the world's most handsome man not looking so handsome as he slams into the ground and slides for a bit. Groaning as he stands up, between this and his other recent fights, Ernest Fine turns around to see Perry shambling forward, the ex-dictator's body a useful one here. Ernest Clineborg immediately starts to fire away, his upgrades powerful as he lays down some covering fire. Even with Perry's high agility, he's not prepared for the actual rate of fire Clineborg is capable of, and he gets his crowbar blasted right out of his hand. Another shot punches through his leg, and he stumbles. Pushing himself up, Perry aims for the cyborg, slamming him and knocking him over, but as he does so, Fine runs over and kicks him, sending him flying away.
As he gets back up, Perry can see Clineborg aiming right at him, and he quickly hurls down some smoke bombs. Even as he does so, there's a yelp when one more of those energy blasts catches him, and Clineborg begins to charge up. Scanning with his eye is enough to keep track, but Perry hadn't done the smoke bombs to catch Clineborg.
He'd done it to catch Ernest Fine. Leaping away from the body of the Presidente, Perry leaps onto Ernest Fine, trying to subvert his will so that he can use the power of a living host instead! Ernest immediately begins to grab at the hoodie, trying to keep it from taking his body, but Perry is a costume possessed and refusing to let go of this opportunity. He clings and wraps, Clineborg taking aim but unable to fire, even with his cannon overcharged. That's when he hears it. Ernest Fine's voice.
"Shoot us! Do it!"
"COUSIN. HOW CAN CLINEBORG DO THAT? THE ERNESTS ARE SUPPOSED TO REACH THE TOP TOGETHER. THERE MUST BE ANOTHER WAY."
"There's no time! He's nearly got me - but I'm not letting him win! SHOOT!"
"...CLINEBORG UNDERSTANDS. FORGIVE ME, ERNEST."
With a sorrowful look, Clineborg fires. Seeing the blast come, Perry attempts to retreat, only for Ernest Fine to grab him and hold him in place. The blast bursts through Ernest Fine and Perry both, Fine collapsing... and Perry falling limp next to him, the costume no longer having enough power to move. Clineborg finishes the job with a blast to the costume's head, before looking at Ernest Fine.
"Win this. I know you can..."
Clineborg sighs. Though this had been a victory over Perry, and though his cousin had entrusted him to carry this to a win... it still didn't feel like a win. Not with the cost it took. But he had to keep going forward, he knows it. So he turns to the arena, to face the other five still out there.
There he spots them, far off in the distance. His robot eye zooms in, watching as they all individually approach the middle of the arena. He sets forward after them, knowing that the finale is incoming.
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Part 10 (Finale)
At long last, with the numbers dwindling to a mere six remaining brawlers, figures begin to appear on the edges of the center stage. An area that had not been occupied since the very top of the Mega Brawl, it now presents itself as the final meeting point for the combatants who had survived thus far. Ernest Clineborg, his "brother" downed but his cyborg parts still fully revved up; Cornelius, the once-allianced businessman with a real-as-cereal superpunch; Rainbow Dash, the last remaining member of the Sholmes alliance, with fierce energy coursing through her body; Gangsta Mario, sticking out the conflict and smoking all the while; Candice, the quiet saboteur but boisterous girlboss; and Renne, her hand on the Shadow Gold pendant on her necklace. One by one they appear, and these six stand in opposition to each other at the edges of the stage, a flat plane of open space and stone underfoot. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
As the final six inspect each other from afar, a figure begins descending from above: our eccentric host, Corey, with microphone in floating hand! "Congratulations, your ruckus six!" he starts. "Now, I bet you are all wondering why–"
"Can it, Corey!" Renne's shout cuts through the mysterious host's echoing voice, as she points a finger in his direction. "We're not here for your lore! We're here to finish this thing!"
"Focusing on the lore during the finale of a forty-thousand word story would get you canceled in some corners of the world," Candice chimes in.
Corey remains still for a moment, the energy core in the center of his body swirling and intensifying in color… Before he merely shrugs and begins floating away again. "Fair enough! Good luck!"
As he departs, a quiet hush falls across the stage. A calm before the storm.
And then chaos ensues.
It's impossible to know who moves first, but in an instant, the combatants are colliding in the center of the space. Renne holds out her hand and summons her scythe, its purple sickle now infused with a brilliant shade of gold. The two colors intermix and glow as she slices through the energy blasts sent her direction by Ernest Clineborg, the reflected particles crashing into the stone below her. Cornelius charges into the fray, his ultra-muscular builds allowing Rainbow Dash's thrown stones to bounce off of him, barely chipping at him. Candice gears up her wand with an electro-kedavra blast, preparing to launch it forward towards the engaging crowd–
Before spotting Gangsta Mario and realizing that his barrel is pointed right towards her head.
He pulls the trigger, his shot rocketing through the opening air, just brushing by Cornelius's shoulder on its way towards Candice. Needing to quickly divert her casting attention, she opts for an electromagnetic sweep from the wand instead, one that is able to redirect the bullet in a different direction. She draws her wand to the side with a strained grunt, fighting against the force of the bullet… before rocketing it in the direction of Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash, lifting up in the air, has her eyes only on the figure of Cornelius, who is nearing her quicker. She gears up to chuck another large stone in his direction– before suddenly lurching in the sky as the bullet nails her in the wing. Cornelius skids to a halt as he turns his attention towards Candice, noticing the pure energy that is exuding from her wand's tip. As Rainbow Dash collapses down to the stage, Cornelius dives away while an electro-kedavra blast erupts towards the equine opponent.
Rainbow Dash can only watch the attack approach with bugged eyes. In the next instant, the energy sears across her front, and she goes toppling off the edge of the stage, her fur charred to match her mane. When she hits the ground below, her hope to win this competition is vanquished.
"DOO HOO HOO!" Cornelius calls out in delight at his adversary being eliminated. He turns back towards the scuffle in the middle of the stage. Renne continues deflecting the shots of energy produced from Ernest Clineborg, keeping with the necessary pace even with her arms getting tired from how much she's needed to use this technique today. Finally, Clineborg manages to land a shot on her shoulder, causing her to stumble back and momentarily lose control of her scythe. Seeing his opportunity to take on his only physically-equal contemporary in the ring, as well as demonstrate his strength against his former ally, Cornelius begins to hurry towards Renne, keeping his arms outstretched as he lets out another gleeful "DOO HOO HOO HOOOO–"
BANG!
As if in slow motion, Cornelius flies backwards off his feet, a bullet landing directly at the base of his head. In that moment of bullet time, his monocled eye lands on the culprit of his defeat: Gangsta Mario, a fresh blunt in his mouth as he lifts his gun up and away. The hotshot only gives Cornelius a middle finger before turning away in a perfect indication of disrespect. As the burly bird lands on his back, he can't help but reminisce on those old days in the cereal factory, and what victory felt like then. He would achieve victory again, one of these days. He was certain of it.
Cornelius lands with a thud, enough force from his body weight to shake the center stage's flooring.
The pressure mounts as only four competitors remain! Renne ducks as another blast from Clineborg goes overhead, her fingers wrapping tightly around her scythe once more. The blast goes flying towards Gangsta Mario, who manages to dodge the attack himself and return fire with a few bullets. They cling against the surface of Clineborg's robotic build, with enough force to disrupt his charge state but not enough to do serious harm. Clineborg grits his teeth as he lifts his focus to the gunman – but he turns again at another voice being raised.
"HEY CLINEBORE"
The other three slow their pace as Candice demands all of their attention, the red glow in her cybernetic eye becoming fiercer. Anticipating what's about to happen, Clineborg begins to charge up the power in his arm cannon.
"I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU'RE STILL KICKING BUT I CAN FIX THAT FOR YOU." Other components of Candice's body seem to power down as the energy builds behind her eye. "FORGET THE FIGHT I OUGHT TO PUT YOU UNDER FOR YOUR CRIMES AGAINST ART. COME ON FRANCHISE CROSSOVERS? HOW CAPITALIST CAN YOU BE"
Clineborg looks towards a nonexistent camera at that line, as if he were in The Office.
"WELL I'VE GOT AN EYE FOR WHAT MEDIA SHOULD BE. AND GUESS WHAT BUB." The glow of Candice's eye is now practically blinding, heat emanating in waves off of her bare hardware. Clineborg, in turn, lifts his arm to position in alignment with his shoulders, blue energy twisting and building around its cannon components. The cyborg author holds himself firmly in place, robo-feet digging into the stone, while Candice lets out a full-force shout.
"YOU'RE NOT READY FOR THIS PLAYER ONE"
A patented deadly laser launches from Candice's eyes, a swirling omega-force of red energy. In that same moment, Clineborg finally unleashes his ultimate laser attack, a devastating beam of blue energy emitting from his arm cannon. Two beings of once-organic form, colliding head-to-head – that is, laser-to-laser, with all of the charge they have left. A blinding light show builds atop the stage, as the forces of Candice and Clineborg clash and ricochet and compete for their dominance. Renne and Gangsta Mario both cover their faces to shield from the scorching combat, sliding backwards across the smooth flooring as the pure force pushes them towards the edges of the stage. The beams build and build and build, screams echoing across the battlefield from behind these pure walls of energy, until… in a final moment of raw power, an explosion rushes forth from centerstage, causing the whole arena to be covered in blinding white.
When the energy field finally clears, smoke and heat trail up from the seared rock ground, a massive crater formed from where the beams met. Renne and Gangsta Mario cough and clear the ash from their faces, peering towards the moving debris and tarnished stage to see what the result of the collision was.
Distantly, hazy in the screen of smoke before them, a figure begins to emerge. Stumbling and clearly on their last leg, the figure finally clears the smoke, revealing themselves to be…
Ernest Clineborg.
He sways once on his feet, before falling to his knees. With his head lifted towards the sky, he closes his eyelids and utters one phrase, a serene smile on his face.
"THIS IS JUST LIKE… V FOR VENDETTA…"
With that final pop culture reference, Ernest Clineborg collapses forward, done in by the sheer intensity of the blast. Neither Candice nor himself would be winning this Brawl.
Renne and Gangsta Mario look at each other, and shrug. That was anticlimactic.
The mutual standing does not remain for long however. For there were only two brawlers left in this legendary battle, and neither of them were ready to let up yet. Their gazes meet. The grip on their weapons tightens. A breath. A heartbeat.
It all ends now.
Gangsta Mario draws his twin guns up to his sides and begins firing rapidly, bullet after bullet rocketing towards Renne. The deceptive socialite is quick to whip around her scythe, the blurring purples and golds creating sparks where the blade cuts against the incoming shots. After a full round of bullets are fired, Gangsta Mario finds himself on the defensive, ducking and weaving away from Renne's swings as he hurries to refill his mag. Renne lets out a hearty roar as she slashes and strikes at the Gangsta, managing to knick his calf but otherwise failing to subdue the seasoned fighter.
Gangsta Mario ducks beneath a particularly strong swing, his ammo finally replenished as he holds the barrel up towards Renne. Before she can hazard another swipe, he fires – landing his shot directly on her pendant! Renne reels from the impact, a strained gasp running from her throat. With the bullet lodged into her necklace, cracks begin formulating across the Shadow Crystal and the accompanying Sunset Gold scepter piece. The aura around her specially-powered blade thins and dissipates, leaving the scythe as the average metal weapon it once was.
Sensing his opportunity, Gangsta Mario gears up and fires another shot at the girl – but with an outstretched hand, Renne manages to halt the bullet in mid-flight. For the first time, Gangsta Mario is truly caught off-guard, his eyes widening as he stares towards the bullet. Renne, rage pouring out of her leer, crushes her hand, crumpling the bullet without even touching it and letting it drop to the floor. Even with her pendant destroyed, her magnet power remains.
Gangsta Mario immediately begins hurrying towards the center of the arena, but Renne's amplified anger only causes a greater sense of magnet power to rush through her body. With a scream, she launches the scythe at the retreating former-plumber, and Gangsta Mario yells out as it strikes at his leg, causing him to tumble down towards the crater. Renne marches past the downed body of Ernest Clineborg, holding her left hand down towards his arm cannon. With a magnetic pull upwards, she rips the arm cannon from his body. Gangsta Mario lifts to his back and shakily lifts his gun, but Renne is swift to respond with her right hand, magnetically yanking the gun from his hand.
The next few seconds fly by as quickly as the metal does. Not content with just finishing him by shooting him, Renne smashes the arm cannon into Gangsta Mario, then the blunt end of the gun, then the remaining fragments of Candice's body left around the crater. A battle cry unlike anything heard yet rockets from Renne's mouth as she thrusts her arms to her side, pulsing her magnet powers as powerfully as possible across the center stage– no, the whole arena! And suddenly the forgotten blades and daggers, the fallen bodies of Virovirobun, TPG2, Quickbot, and even the entire metallic mass that is GameCube's mech form, every scrap of metal her powers can find start colliding together around Gangsta Mario.
The gangster can only weakly lift his head as he spits out a tooth alongside his blunt. Surrounding him on all sides, the metal coalesces, condensing and shaping into a massive sphere. The only area not blocked by the overwhelming degree of metal is right before him, where Renne has left a hole to let him watch her in his final moments. She lets out a deranged laugh as she witnesses his pitiful expression, drawing the sphere tighter and tighter around him. Despite the tremble in her arms, she pushes forward, the physical effects a concern for after he had been crushed to death.
"I've had fun, I really have! But it's about time we wrap this thing up." Even with the strain coursing through her body, Renne manages a triumphant hair flip. "Tah-tah, you stupid–"
BANG!
A final shot rings out across the arena as Gangsta Mario fires, forcing his arm out of the small opening afforded to him. The hole practically acts as a homing reticle for the marksman, positioning a perfect shot for him to take. Renne had pulled away his first gun, but had forgotten about his second. And Renne, her magnet powers concentrated too greatly on every other bit of metal she's converged… Her abilities overloaded, there's no way for her to stop what is, by all accounts, an insignificant scrap moving directly towards her.
The bullet flies ahead, and lands true.
Renne topples backwards to the stage floor, the metal falling away as she does.
With the hole widening from the release of the metal, Gangsta Mario lets the sphere fall apart around him, huffing and shaking his head. His body is bloodied, bruised, and worse for wear… But he still sticks his hand in his overall pocket, produces a blunt and a lighter, and sticks it in his mouth.
"That's why I'm the motherfuckin' OG," he says to no one in particular.
And he stands there in the rubble, toking on his joint, crossing his arms and leaning back, striking a pose, letting his miraculous victory wash over him.
Through it all, he remains the best of us.
And so, the first Mario Boards Mega Brawl came to its close.
Gangsta Mario was rewarded handsomely for his victory, with enough gold coins to live comfortably for many years to come. He used that gold as one would expect: blazing it up. His home turf became his own; no other gangsters dared to challenge his domain.
The rest of the brawlers were revived and restored to their full health, thanks to the enigmatic abilities of Corey. Once they were all as they should be, they were sent back their merry ways, to the home cities/planets/universes where they belonged. With the canonicity mended and maintained, there was no continuity harm when all was said and done.
The Brawl itself was broadcast far and wide, with as much universal reach as Corey could muster. Many fighters returned home to praise from their peers and loved ones for the valiant efforts they displayed.
After the tournament's conclusion, the mysterious Warp Pipe leading to the arena was once again sanctioned off by the investigative teams of New Wikisburg. More research is being conducted into what the significance of this ruined battlefield once was, but for now, it stands as a monument to great might and displays of ability.
What is the fate of the Mario Boards Mega Brawl? With the ruins dormant and Corey having since vanished, none can truly say. Though it's whispered that the mysterious benefactors in the viewers' box might have their own ideas of what the Brawl could bring…
For now, all is settled.
Thank you for reading.
At long last, with the numbers dwindling to a mere six remaining brawlers, figures begin to appear on the edges of the center stage. An area that had not been occupied since the very top of the Mega Brawl, it now presents itself as the final meeting point for the combatants who had survived thus far. Ernest Clineborg, his "brother" downed but his cyborg parts still fully revved up; Cornelius, the once-allianced businessman with a real-as-cereal superpunch; Rainbow Dash, the last remaining member of the Sholmes alliance, with fierce energy coursing through her body; Gangsta Mario, sticking out the conflict and smoking all the while; Candice, the quiet saboteur but boisterous girlboss; and Renne, her hand on the Shadow Gold pendant on her necklace. One by one they appear, and these six stand in opposition to each other at the edges of the stage, a flat plane of open space and stone underfoot. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
As the final six inspect each other from afar, a figure begins descending from above: our eccentric host, Corey, with microphone in floating hand! "Congratulations, your ruckus six!" he starts. "Now, I bet you are all wondering why–"
"Can it, Corey!" Renne's shout cuts through the mysterious host's echoing voice, as she points a finger in his direction. "We're not here for your lore! We're here to finish this thing!"
"Focusing on the lore during the finale of a forty-thousand word story would get you canceled in some corners of the world," Candice chimes in.
Corey remains still for a moment, the energy core in the center of his body swirling and intensifying in color… Before he merely shrugs and begins floating away again. "Fair enough! Good luck!"
As he departs, a quiet hush falls across the stage. A calm before the storm.
And then chaos ensues.
It's impossible to know who moves first, but in an instant, the combatants are colliding in the center of the space. Renne holds out her hand and summons her scythe, its purple sickle now infused with a brilliant shade of gold. The two colors intermix and glow as she slices through the energy blasts sent her direction by Ernest Clineborg, the reflected particles crashing into the stone below her. Cornelius charges into the fray, his ultra-muscular builds allowing Rainbow Dash's thrown stones to bounce off of him, barely chipping at him. Candice gears up her wand with an electro-kedavra blast, preparing to launch it forward towards the engaging crowd–
Before spotting Gangsta Mario and realizing that his barrel is pointed right towards her head.
He pulls the trigger, his shot rocketing through the opening air, just brushing by Cornelius's shoulder on its way towards Candice. Needing to quickly divert her casting attention, she opts for an electromagnetic sweep from the wand instead, one that is able to redirect the bullet in a different direction. She draws her wand to the side with a strained grunt, fighting against the force of the bullet… before rocketing it in the direction of Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash, lifting up in the air, has her eyes only on the figure of Cornelius, who is nearing her quicker. She gears up to chuck another large stone in his direction– before suddenly lurching in the sky as the bullet nails her in the wing. Cornelius skids to a halt as he turns his attention towards Candice, noticing the pure energy that is exuding from her wand's tip. As Rainbow Dash collapses down to the stage, Cornelius dives away while an electro-kedavra blast erupts towards the equine opponent.
Rainbow Dash can only watch the attack approach with bugged eyes. In the next instant, the energy sears across her front, and she goes toppling off the edge of the stage, her fur charred to match her mane. When she hits the ground below, her hope to win this competition is vanquished.
"DOO HOO HOO!" Cornelius calls out in delight at his adversary being eliminated. He turns back towards the scuffle in the middle of the stage. Renne continues deflecting the shots of energy produced from Ernest Clineborg, keeping with the necessary pace even with her arms getting tired from how much she's needed to use this technique today. Finally, Clineborg manages to land a shot on her shoulder, causing her to stumble back and momentarily lose control of her scythe. Seeing his opportunity to take on his only physically-equal contemporary in the ring, as well as demonstrate his strength against his former ally, Cornelius begins to hurry towards Renne, keeping his arms outstretched as he lets out another gleeful "DOO HOO HOO HOOOO–"
BANG!
As if in slow motion, Cornelius flies backwards off his feet, a bullet landing directly at the base of his head. In that moment of bullet time, his monocled eye lands on the culprit of his defeat: Gangsta Mario, a fresh blunt in his mouth as he lifts his gun up and away. The hotshot only gives Cornelius a middle finger before turning away in a perfect indication of disrespect. As the burly bird lands on his back, he can't help but reminisce on those old days in the cereal factory, and what victory felt like then. He would achieve victory again, one of these days. He was certain of it.
Cornelius lands with a thud, enough force from his body weight to shake the center stage's flooring.
The pressure mounts as only four competitors remain! Renne ducks as another blast from Clineborg goes overhead, her fingers wrapping tightly around her scythe once more. The blast goes flying towards Gangsta Mario, who manages to dodge the attack himself and return fire with a few bullets. They cling against the surface of Clineborg's robotic build, with enough force to disrupt his charge state but not enough to do serious harm. Clineborg grits his teeth as he lifts his focus to the gunman – but he turns again at another voice being raised.
"HEY CLINEBORE"
The other three slow their pace as Candice demands all of their attention, the red glow in her cybernetic eye becoming fiercer. Anticipating what's about to happen, Clineborg begins to charge up the power in his arm cannon.
"I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU'RE STILL KICKING BUT I CAN FIX THAT FOR YOU." Other components of Candice's body seem to power down as the energy builds behind her eye. "FORGET THE FIGHT I OUGHT TO PUT YOU UNDER FOR YOUR CRIMES AGAINST ART. COME ON FRANCHISE CROSSOVERS? HOW CAPITALIST CAN YOU BE"
Clineborg looks towards a nonexistent camera at that line, as if he were in The Office.
"WELL I'VE GOT AN EYE FOR WHAT MEDIA SHOULD BE. AND GUESS WHAT BUB." The glow of Candice's eye is now practically blinding, heat emanating in waves off of her bare hardware. Clineborg, in turn, lifts his arm to position in alignment with his shoulders, blue energy twisting and building around its cannon components. The cyborg author holds himself firmly in place, robo-feet digging into the stone, while Candice lets out a full-force shout.
"YOU'RE NOT READY FOR THIS PLAYER ONE"
A patented deadly laser launches from Candice's eyes, a swirling omega-force of red energy. In that same moment, Clineborg finally unleashes his ultimate laser attack, a devastating beam of blue energy emitting from his arm cannon. Two beings of once-organic form, colliding head-to-head – that is, laser-to-laser, with all of the charge they have left. A blinding light show builds atop the stage, as the forces of Candice and Clineborg clash and ricochet and compete for their dominance. Renne and Gangsta Mario both cover their faces to shield from the scorching combat, sliding backwards across the smooth flooring as the pure force pushes them towards the edges of the stage. The beams build and build and build, screams echoing across the battlefield from behind these pure walls of energy, until… in a final moment of raw power, an explosion rushes forth from centerstage, causing the whole arena to be covered in blinding white.
When the energy field finally clears, smoke and heat trail up from the seared rock ground, a massive crater formed from where the beams met. Renne and Gangsta Mario cough and clear the ash from their faces, peering towards the moving debris and tarnished stage to see what the result of the collision was.
Distantly, hazy in the screen of smoke before them, a figure begins to emerge. Stumbling and clearly on their last leg, the figure finally clears the smoke, revealing themselves to be…
Ernest Clineborg.
He sways once on his feet, before falling to his knees. With his head lifted towards the sky, he closes his eyelids and utters one phrase, a serene smile on his face.
"THIS IS JUST LIKE… V FOR VENDETTA…"
With that final pop culture reference, Ernest Clineborg collapses forward, done in by the sheer intensity of the blast. Neither Candice nor himself would be winning this Brawl.
Renne and Gangsta Mario look at each other, and shrug. That was anticlimactic.
The mutual standing does not remain for long however. For there were only two brawlers left in this legendary battle, and neither of them were ready to let up yet. Their gazes meet. The grip on their weapons tightens. A breath. A heartbeat.
It all ends now.
Gangsta Mario draws his twin guns up to his sides and begins firing rapidly, bullet after bullet rocketing towards Renne. The deceptive socialite is quick to whip around her scythe, the blurring purples and golds creating sparks where the blade cuts against the incoming shots. After a full round of bullets are fired, Gangsta Mario finds himself on the defensive, ducking and weaving away from Renne's swings as he hurries to refill his mag. Renne lets out a hearty roar as she slashes and strikes at the Gangsta, managing to knick his calf but otherwise failing to subdue the seasoned fighter.
Gangsta Mario ducks beneath a particularly strong swing, his ammo finally replenished as he holds the barrel up towards Renne. Before she can hazard another swipe, he fires – landing his shot directly on her pendant! Renne reels from the impact, a strained gasp running from her throat. With the bullet lodged into her necklace, cracks begin formulating across the Shadow Crystal and the accompanying Sunset Gold scepter piece. The aura around her specially-powered blade thins and dissipates, leaving the scythe as the average metal weapon it once was.
Sensing his opportunity, Gangsta Mario gears up and fires another shot at the girl – but with an outstretched hand, Renne manages to halt the bullet in mid-flight. For the first time, Gangsta Mario is truly caught off-guard, his eyes widening as he stares towards the bullet. Renne, rage pouring out of her leer, crushes her hand, crumpling the bullet without even touching it and letting it drop to the floor. Even with her pendant destroyed, her magnet power remains.
Gangsta Mario immediately begins hurrying towards the center of the arena, but Renne's amplified anger only causes a greater sense of magnet power to rush through her body. With a scream, she launches the scythe at the retreating former-plumber, and Gangsta Mario yells out as it strikes at his leg, causing him to tumble down towards the crater. Renne marches past the downed body of Ernest Clineborg, holding her left hand down towards his arm cannon. With a magnetic pull upwards, she rips the arm cannon from his body. Gangsta Mario lifts to his back and shakily lifts his gun, but Renne is swift to respond with her right hand, magnetically yanking the gun from his hand.
The next few seconds fly by as quickly as the metal does. Not content with just finishing him by shooting him, Renne smashes the arm cannon into Gangsta Mario, then the blunt end of the gun, then the remaining fragments of Candice's body left around the crater. A battle cry unlike anything heard yet rockets from Renne's mouth as she thrusts her arms to her side, pulsing her magnet powers as powerfully as possible across the center stage– no, the whole arena! And suddenly the forgotten blades and daggers, the fallen bodies of Virovirobun, TPG2, Quickbot, and even the entire metallic mass that is GameCube's mech form, every scrap of metal her powers can find start colliding together around Gangsta Mario.
The gangster can only weakly lift his head as he spits out a tooth alongside his blunt. Surrounding him on all sides, the metal coalesces, condensing and shaping into a massive sphere. The only area not blocked by the overwhelming degree of metal is right before him, where Renne has left a hole to let him watch her in his final moments. She lets out a deranged laugh as she witnesses his pitiful expression, drawing the sphere tighter and tighter around him. Despite the tremble in her arms, she pushes forward, the physical effects a concern for after he had been crushed to death.
"I've had fun, I really have! But it's about time we wrap this thing up." Even with the strain coursing through her body, Renne manages a triumphant hair flip. "Tah-tah, you stupid–"
BANG!
A final shot rings out across the arena as Gangsta Mario fires, forcing his arm out of the small opening afforded to him. The hole practically acts as a homing reticle for the marksman, positioning a perfect shot for him to take. Renne had pulled away his first gun, but had forgotten about his second. And Renne, her magnet powers concentrated too greatly on every other bit of metal she's converged… Her abilities overloaded, there's no way for her to stop what is, by all accounts, an insignificant scrap moving directly towards her.
The bullet flies ahead, and lands true.
Renne topples backwards to the stage floor, the metal falling away as she does.
With the hole widening from the release of the metal, Gangsta Mario lets the sphere fall apart around him, huffing and shaking his head. His body is bloodied, bruised, and worse for wear… But he still sticks his hand in his overall pocket, produces a blunt and a lighter, and sticks it in his mouth.
"That's why I'm the motherfuckin' OG," he says to no one in particular.
And he stands there in the rubble, toking on his joint, crossing his arms and leaning back, striking a pose, letting his miraculous victory wash over him.
Through it all, he remains the best of us.
And so, the first Mario Boards Mega Brawl came to its close.
Gangsta Mario was rewarded handsomely for his victory, with enough gold coins to live comfortably for many years to come. He used that gold as one would expect: blazing it up. His home turf became his own; no other gangsters dared to challenge his domain.
The rest of the brawlers were revived and restored to their full health, thanks to the enigmatic abilities of Corey. Once they were all as they should be, they were sent back their merry ways, to the home cities/planets/universes where they belonged. With the canonicity mended and maintained, there was no continuity harm when all was said and done.
The Brawl itself was broadcast far and wide, with as much universal reach as Corey could muster. Many fighters returned home to praise from their peers and loved ones for the valiant efforts they displayed.
After the tournament's conclusion, the mysterious Warp Pipe leading to the arena was once again sanctioned off by the investigative teams of New Wikisburg. More research is being conducted into what the significance of this ruined battlefield once was, but for now, it stands as a monument to great might and displays of ability.
What is the fate of the Mario Boards Mega Brawl? With the ruins dormant and Corey having since vanished, none can truly say. Though it's whispered that the mysterious benefactors in the viewers' box might have their own ideas of what the Brawl could bring…
For now, all is settled.
Thank you for reading.
MARIO BOARDS MEGA BRAWL
END
END
- Pronouns
- He/him
- MarioWiki
- Hooded Pitohui
STATS:
41st: Franziska von Karma (Death)
Kingsbourne Sigma (The Doctor)
Shmaluigi (Surge the Tenrec)
40th: Nitros Oxide (Nobu)
39th: The Doctor (Beedle)
Kingsbourne Alpha (Gamer Cat)
38th: Surge the Tenrec (Rainbow Dash)
Kingsbourne Gamma (Wright Forde 'Shroom)
37th: Nobu (Punished Luigi)
36th: Wright Forde 'Shroom (El Presidente and El Presidente's Advisor)
Kingsbourne Oumega (Mr. Xehanort)
35th: Prince Peach and Seam (BB and Rei)
El Presidente's Advisor (Sirius and Acraman)
34th: Mister Xenahort (The Erudite Goose)
33rd: Beedle (Marge Simpson)
32nd: El Presidente (Fawful the Great)
31st: The Erudite Goose (Glitz Yoshi)
30th: Gamer Cat (Gamecube)
29th: Fawful the Great (ENA)
28th: Punished Luigi (Gangsta Mario)
27th: Death (TPG2)
26th: Shmwario (Quickbot)
25th: Marge Simpson (Honio Pitoki)
24th: BB and Rei (Sirius and Dr. Alton Acraman)
Sirius (BB)
23rd: TPG2 (Scottish Mario)
22nd: Honio Pitoki (Rimi)
21st: Dr. Alton Acraman (Grunt and Colonel Shoey O'Dell)
20th: Quickbot (Virovirobun)
19th: Glitz Yoshi (Cornelius C. Cornifer)
TVV2 (Rimi)
Quickro (Renne)
18th: Virovirobun (Toadette)
17th: Toadette (Herlock Sholmes and Dr. Reginald Bushroot)
16th: Grunt and Colonel Shoey O'Dell (Cayde)
15th: Cayde (O'Chunks)
14th: Gamecube (Renne and Brennanman)
13th: Scottish Mario (O'Chunks)
12th: Rimi (Candice ??? Candice)
11th: ENA (Ernest Fine and Ernest Clineborg)
10th: O'Chunks (Isabelle)
Brennanman (Ernest Fine and Ernest Clineborg)
Dr. Reginald Bushroot (Renne)
9th: Herlock Sholmes (Cornelius C. Cornifer)
8th: Isabelle (Perry)
7th: Perry (Ernest Clineborg)
Ernest Fine (Perry and Ernest Clineborg)
6th: Rainbow Dash (Candice ??? Candice)
5th: Cornelius C. Cornifer (Gangsta Mario)
4th: Candice ??? Candice (Ernest Clineborg)
3rd: Ernest Clineborg (Candice ??? Candice)
2nd: Renne (Gangsta Mario)
1st: Gangsta Mario (Winner!)
HAAHOHAAHO! THAT'S THE END OF THE SHOW! CONGRATULATIONS GANGSTA MARIO, THE TRUE OG, AND MAY YOU BLAZE IT FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS! UNTIL NEEEEXT TIIIIIME!
41st: Franziska von Karma (Death)
Kingsbourne Sigma (The Doctor)
Shmaluigi (Surge the Tenrec)
40th: Nitros Oxide (Nobu)
39th: The Doctor (Beedle)
Kingsbourne Alpha (Gamer Cat)
38th: Surge the Tenrec (Rainbow Dash)
Kingsbourne Gamma (Wright Forde 'Shroom)
37th: Nobu (Punished Luigi)
36th: Wright Forde 'Shroom (El Presidente and El Presidente's Advisor)
Kingsbourne Oumega (Mr. Xehanort)
35th: Prince Peach and Seam (BB and Rei)
El Presidente's Advisor (Sirius and Acraman)
34th: Mister Xenahort (The Erudite Goose)
33rd: Beedle (Marge Simpson)
32nd: El Presidente (Fawful the Great)
31st: The Erudite Goose (Glitz Yoshi)
30th: Gamer Cat (Gamecube)
29th: Fawful the Great (ENA)
28th: Punished Luigi (Gangsta Mario)
27th: Death (TPG2)
26th: Shmwario (Quickbot)
25th: Marge Simpson (Honio Pitoki)
24th: BB and Rei (Sirius and Dr. Alton Acraman)
Sirius (BB)
23rd: TPG2 (Scottish Mario)
22nd: Honio Pitoki (Rimi)
21st: Dr. Alton Acraman (Grunt and Colonel Shoey O'Dell)
20th: Quickbot (Virovirobun)
19th: Glitz Yoshi (Cornelius C. Cornifer)
TVV2 (Rimi)
Quickro (Renne)
18th: Virovirobun (Toadette)
17th: Toadette (Herlock Sholmes and Dr. Reginald Bushroot)
16th: Grunt and Colonel Shoey O'Dell (Cayde)
15th: Cayde (O'Chunks)
14th: Gamecube (Renne and Brennanman)
13th: Scottish Mario (O'Chunks)
12th: Rimi (Candice ??? Candice)
11th: ENA (Ernest Fine and Ernest Clineborg)
10th: O'Chunks (Isabelle)
Brennanman (Ernest Fine and Ernest Clineborg)
Dr. Reginald Bushroot (Renne)
9th: Herlock Sholmes (Cornelius C. Cornifer)
8th: Isabelle (Perry)
7th: Perry (Ernest Clineborg)
Ernest Fine (Perry and Ernest Clineborg)
6th: Rainbow Dash (Candice ??? Candice)
5th: Cornelius C. Cornifer (Gangsta Mario)
4th: Candice ??? Candice (Ernest Clineborg)
3rd: Ernest Clineborg (Candice ??? Candice)
2nd: Renne (Gangsta Mario)
1st: Gangsta Mario (Winner!)
HAAHOHAAHO! THAT'S THE END OF THE SHOW! CONGRATULATIONS GANGSTA MARIO, THE TRUE OG, AND MAY YOU BLAZE IT FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS! UNTIL NEEEEXT TIIIIIME!
- Pronouns
- They
- MarioWiki
- Roserade
- Thread starter
- #117
Now that this beast of *checks notes* too many words has been shared, it's time for a few closing thoughts
Thank you to my co-creators, Pitohui and Perch, for all of their efforts in making this a reality. A project like this isn't done easily, and I'm glad we could finally see it through to completion
Thank you to everyone who submitted characters to this event and/or waited patiently for like six months for us to finally pull it off. It's because of your creative spirit and attention that something like this can even exist at all. Please keep telling stories and finding new characters to play, it's one of my favorite parts of being here
We have an interest in doing some form of sequel for this next year! If we do, believe me when I say that we are learning the lessons of this year's process, and will be refining our schedule and work flow to ensure that it is a) timely and b) easier to work through. Please be on the lookout, and if late next year rolls around and we're like "yeah never mind never again", we'll make sure to let you know
Getting to celebrate this community will forever be special to me, so thank you for letting us make that happen. Happy holidays everyone!!!!
Thank you to my co-creators, Pitohui and Perch, for all of their efforts in making this a reality. A project like this isn't done easily, and I'm glad we could finally see it through to completion
Thank you to everyone who submitted characters to this event and/or waited patiently for like six months for us to finally pull it off. It's because of your creative spirit and attention that something like this can even exist at all. Please keep telling stories and finding new characters to play, it's one of my favorite parts of being here
We have an interest in doing some form of sequel for this next year! If we do, believe me when I say that we are learning the lessons of this year's process, and will be refining our schedule and work flow to ensure that it is a) timely and b) easier to work through. Please be on the lookout, and if late next year rolls around and we're like "yeah never mind never again", we'll make sure to let you know
Getting to celebrate this community will forever be special to me, so thank you for letting us make that happen. Happy holidays everyone!!!!
- Pronouns
- He/him
Epilogue: Cayde
In the stands of the Mega Brawl audience sat Zerris, the boyfriend of combatant Cayde, watching with worried eyes as she got pummeled, thrown, and dragged across the arena by several larger combatants. Still she fought as the Brawl went on, still he watched and grew more anxious.
"Come on, Cayde… you can do this…" he said, scared of what would happen should she let her guard down. The crowd jeered and hollered as Cayde ran from Sholmes' alliance, only to roar in delight as Mushroom Kingdom Smackdown champion Grunt slammed her to the ground with a mighty punch.
Zerris tensed up and gritted his teeth viewing the scuffle between Grunt and Cayde, unsure whether to be the odd one out cheering for the normal Human girl or burst into tears over the thought of losing his girlfriend to a deadly Hunger Games style sport.
Cayde managed to gain a slight upper hand when she grabbed Colonel O'Dell and threw him at the dim witted muscle Koopa. Zerris felt a brief moment of calm as she laid there catching her breath after such an intense output of strength. However, this only lasted seconds as a paper-like Scottish man leapt into the air and aimed his elbow downwards into Cayde's stomach.
The crowd went into a frenzy and cheered loudly upon Cayde's defeat, flinging snacks, drinks, and cheap Mega Brawl merchandise into the air. Zerris curled into his seat and felt sick to his stomach. There was no way Cayde, as smart and resourceful as she was, survive a heavyset Scottish paper-man launching his arm into her already weakened body.
Zerris couldn't keep watching any longer and rushed out of the stands to recuperate.
——
The week after:
Cayde laid in a hospital bed back on Earth, having been knocked out cold since the Brawl. Her bruises stitched up, blonde hair tangled and messy, and a wrapping around her stomach, it was a miracle she had survived the Brawl. Even though Corey had fully healed her to health, she was still injured. The effects were only temporary in the Pipe Plaza on normal Human bodies.
Zerris sat next to her, hand curled around her hand, waiting for her to wake up. He had exhausted his tears through out the week worried sick for Cayde. He didn't feel like eating very much, only a bag of chips and half a sandwich on occasion. Broken by the mere thought of losing Cayde, the Brawl had changed not only the combatants, but their friends as well.
"Cayde, I-I don't know if you can hear me… but please wake up… I don't want to lose you. I love you… but I'm worried for you…" Zerris spoke in a barely audible voice. The air whooshing through his ears was the only thing he heard.
Hours passed while Zerris sat there, head placed on the railing, unable to sleep lest he missed her waking up. His eyes threatened to close, every yawn making it worse. Every time they shut, he saw the image of Cayde getting crushed by O'Chunks, the Scottish brute. Over and over again, almost like a tape rewinding and playing. Time continued to pass, continually haunted by the moment.
"Zerris?"
His eyes opened up and he frantically looked around for the source of the voice.
"Zer? What's going on? Why are you looking around like that?"
Zerris turned to face Cayde, who was finally awake. She looked at his tired, sunken eyes that were devoid of sleep and put together what was wrong.
"You waited for me to wake up?"
"Yeah… I thought- I thought you were going to die…"
Zerris felt tears flow down his cheeks as he laid his head on Cayde's chest. Cayde placed a hand on his hair and moved it back and forth, knowing full well how much it pained him to see her like this.
"Hey, it's okay. I'm alright… that Brawl really did a number to me… I'm glad you came to watch…" Cayde said, continuing to move her hand back and forth to comfort Zerris.
"I thought you weren't going to make it… you're okay now… you're okay, I was so worried… for you…"
After 18 continuous hours of staying up, Zerris fell asleep now that his girlfriend was okay. Cayde gave him a kiss on his head and continued to rub his hair while he slept. Even though the pain was still there, albeit mild, Cayde was well on the path to recovery with her boyfriend at her side.
In the stands of the Mega Brawl audience sat Zerris, the boyfriend of combatant Cayde, watching with worried eyes as she got pummeled, thrown, and dragged across the arena by several larger combatants. Still she fought as the Brawl went on, still he watched and grew more anxious.
"Come on, Cayde… you can do this…" he said, scared of what would happen should she let her guard down. The crowd jeered and hollered as Cayde ran from Sholmes' alliance, only to roar in delight as Mushroom Kingdom Smackdown champion Grunt slammed her to the ground with a mighty punch.
Zerris tensed up and gritted his teeth viewing the scuffle between Grunt and Cayde, unsure whether to be the odd one out cheering for the normal Human girl or burst into tears over the thought of losing his girlfriend to a deadly Hunger Games style sport.
Cayde managed to gain a slight upper hand when she grabbed Colonel O'Dell and threw him at the dim witted muscle Koopa. Zerris felt a brief moment of calm as she laid there catching her breath after such an intense output of strength. However, this only lasted seconds as a paper-like Scottish man leapt into the air and aimed his elbow downwards into Cayde's stomach.
The crowd went into a frenzy and cheered loudly upon Cayde's defeat, flinging snacks, drinks, and cheap Mega Brawl merchandise into the air. Zerris curled into his seat and felt sick to his stomach. There was no way Cayde, as smart and resourceful as she was, survive a heavyset Scottish paper-man launching his arm into her already weakened body.
Zerris couldn't keep watching any longer and rushed out of the stands to recuperate.
——
The week after:
Cayde laid in a hospital bed back on Earth, having been knocked out cold since the Brawl. Her bruises stitched up, blonde hair tangled and messy, and a wrapping around her stomach, it was a miracle she had survived the Brawl. Even though Corey had fully healed her to health, she was still injured. The effects were only temporary in the Pipe Plaza on normal Human bodies.
Zerris sat next to her, hand curled around her hand, waiting for her to wake up. He had exhausted his tears through out the week worried sick for Cayde. He didn't feel like eating very much, only a bag of chips and half a sandwich on occasion. Broken by the mere thought of losing Cayde, the Brawl had changed not only the combatants, but their friends as well.
"Cayde, I-I don't know if you can hear me… but please wake up… I don't want to lose you. I love you… but I'm worried for you…" Zerris spoke in a barely audible voice. The air whooshing through his ears was the only thing he heard.
Hours passed while Zerris sat there, head placed on the railing, unable to sleep lest he missed her waking up. His eyes threatened to close, every yawn making it worse. Every time they shut, he saw the image of Cayde getting crushed by O'Chunks, the Scottish brute. Over and over again, almost like a tape rewinding and playing. Time continued to pass, continually haunted by the moment.
"Zerris?"
His eyes opened up and he frantically looked around for the source of the voice.
"Zer? What's going on? Why are you looking around like that?"
Zerris turned to face Cayde, who was finally awake. She looked at his tired, sunken eyes that were devoid of sleep and put together what was wrong.
"You waited for me to wake up?"
"Yeah… I thought- I thought you were going to die…"
Zerris felt tears flow down his cheeks as he laid his head on Cayde's chest. Cayde placed a hand on his hair and moved it back and forth, knowing full well how much it pained him to see her like this.
"Hey, it's okay. I'm alright… that Brawl really did a number to me… I'm glad you came to watch…" Cayde said, continuing to move her hand back and forth to comfort Zerris.
"I thought you weren't going to make it… you're okay now… you're okay, I was so worried… for you…"
After 18 continuous hours of staying up, Zerris fell asleep now that his girlfriend was okay. Cayde gave him a kiss on his head and continued to rub his hair while he slept. Even though the pain was still there, albeit mild, Cayde was well on the path to recovery with her boyfriend at her side.
- Status