Chapter 1: Episode 1: Weirdos, Old and New
Chapter Text
We opened up one cool summer evening. On the island currently known as Wawanakwa. The night before the big season premiere of the new season of Total Drama season. The anticipation couldn't be higher. It had been months since the end of the previous season, Infinite 2. The season was a commercial success, so a new season was inevitable.
We take a look inside the island's main lodge. In there sat Chris, looking at some papers and other documents. He was surrounded by Chef, and his other interns, both old and a few new ones.
"Alright, I think we're all set for the big day tomorrow." Chris said confidently. "We're really gonna have a blast with this one. We've got a great cast, greater challenges, and of course, the greatest host around. Is my wonderful co-host ready?"
Chef nods. "Hear ya loud and clear."
"Good. Are the Ginyu Force ready?"
The whole force strikes their signature Super Sentai poses.
"We're prepared for anything, boss!" They shout in unison.
"Barrett, Red, how about you guys?"
Barrett cocks his arm gun. "Avalanche time, motherfuckers!" They chant.
"Awesome. Kirbo, Korone?"
Korone shouts, "Orayo!", While Kirbo simply says, "Poyo!"
"Gura? What about you?"
"A." the shark girl responds
"Awesome, awesome." Chris acknowledged. "Tomorrow's a big day for us, so I need all of you awake and alert for the big day. You guys got that?",
(The next day…)
This was it. The big premiere day. The sun was shining bright, everything was set, everyone was ready and prepared.
Well, except for one person: Our host, in simplest terms.
There he was, out on the dock…and sleeping on a lawn chair.
The host snores loudly as he catches some Z's. Chef walks up to him and lightly taps him on the shoulder.
"Psst. Wake up! It's time!" Chef grunted. "We got a show to do!"
Slowly stirring awake at first, Chris's eyes suddenly go wide. "Wait, what?! Nobody saw that, did they?!"
"Nope. Still got another minute."
"Good."
Very quickly, he checks a little mirror to see if he still looks TV ready.
"There. Perfect."
Chef walks off as Chris turns to the camera and flashes a smile.
"Welcome back, fellow viewers, to another new season of Total Drama! For those who need a recap, we had 15 returning competitors tango with 17 new ones, in an adventure around the world, and even beyond that. We had love, heartbreak, high stakes, and even a battle to decide the fate of the earth. But when that was all said and done, it was street orphan turned King of Fighters, Terry, who won against the eccentric inventor Miu, and claimed victory."
"After that, we witnessed an epic battle to save the world in the finale of Don's show, Bon Voyage! (Which is pretty good and all, but not as good as my show!) At the end of the day, Draco Malfoy emerged victorious.
"But it's been many months since then. Everyone has gone their separate ways, while a couple of them have had some life changing experiences."
"But that's enough about that. For now, it's time to focus on the present. We'll be bringing back twenty-two veterans, and they will be joined by ten new faces. We're back, baby, and they'll be playing this show differently from before. What do I mean by that? Find out right here, on Total Drama Infinite 3!"
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Dear mom and dad, I'm doing fine. You guys are on my mind
The camera pans across the island and into the water. Zeke is swimming away from a shark chasing him. Meanwhile, Pandoria and Gwen try opening a treasure chest.
You asked me what I wanted to be, and now I think the answer is plain to see.
The treasure chest is snatched by a fishing hook, which is revealed to be Waluigi in a small dinghy, laughing at claiming the treasure. Oscar, who was fishing right next to him, watches in shock as the chest opens and it's revealed to be Deadpool, nuzzling Dogpool.
Cause I wanna be famous
Geralt and Percy engage in a sword duel, with Max and the Nomad watching with some interest. Geralt knocks the cop down, and offers a hand to help her up, to which she accepts.
I wanna live close to the sun
In an outdoor lab, Mao laughs, while holding a beaker filled with a green liquid. Miu and Entrapta watch nearby, engaged in their own experiments. Suddenly, the beaker explodes in Mao's face.
Well pack your bags cause I've already won
Chie practices some martial arts moves, and accidentally kicks Cinder in the head. The maiden gets mad and ignites into flames. Lobo uses her fire to light his cigar, and then Aqua quickly puts her out with a blast of water.
Everything to prove nothing in my way, I'll get there one day
Kaiba talks and points at a chalkboard, explaining how to play Duel Monsters. Rodney and Tatsumaki taking notes. The latter of which, looking bored with the lesson.
Because I wanna be famous
Ryu and Kronk could be seen cooking in the kitchen, under Chef's supervision. They hand plates of food to Katakuri, Chuck, and Edgeworth, who all respond with positive feedback, while Chef gives them a thumbs up as Kronk and Ryu high five.
Na na nananana nananana nananana
We see Charlie singing on stage for a crowd of Takodachis. With her, Mae is rocking out on the bass, while Bernadetta jams out on a trumpet.
I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be famous
Spinel laughs as she's on a spinning dartboard, with Peacock loading bullets in her revolver for more shots at the gem. Her gang, consisting of Avery, Andy Anvil, Tommy Ten-Tons, George Bomb, and Lonesome Lenny, cheer her on.
I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be famous!
Wendy, Luz, and Ruby put their hands together, creating a small magic ball of light. It floats up into the sky as it transitions to night.
The contestants sit around the campfire, whistling the end of the theme. Ryu and Bernadetta sit together in the center holding hands. Suddenly, Mao oops up behind them wearing a scary Halloween mask. Bernie panics and runs, hiding behind a nearby tree as the show's logo lights up.
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"Welcome back, peeps." Chris said. "I hope you're all just as excited as I am. Old and New contestants will be battling it out for a million dollars yet again. But the similarities end there. For now, let's start with those who have returned, starting from Infinite 1."
The host takes out a walkie talkie and turns it on.
"Captain G, you ready?" He asked.
The voice of Ginyu could be heard on the other end. "Hear ya loud and clear, boss. We're right above you."
Indeed he was, because above him and above the water hovered a large, red helicopter with the show's logo on the side.
"As I said, let's start off with those from Infinite 1!"
The first one thrown out of the helicopter was a small, blue haired girl, clutching a white, anthropomorphic cat in her arms.
"First up, we have mini magical powerhouse, Wendy, as well as her pet, Carla!"
"I told you I'm not a pet!" Carla shouts.
"Thank goodness I'm off that helicopter." Wendy groaned as her face was green from her motion sickness.
"Next up, we have Wendy's unofficial big brother, and sweets loving tough guy, Katakuri!"
"Don't drop me in the water, you dumbass!" Katakuri yells as Ginyu literally kicks him off the helicopter. "I can't swim!"
"Demon princess with a bleeding heart, Charlie!"
"I didn't expect us to be so high uuuuuuuuup!" Charlie screams as she falls.
"Chief Prosecutor and updater of autopsy reports, Edgeworth!"
"I very much object to thiiiiiis!" Edgeworth yells as he's tossed out.
"Power hungry terrorist, Cinder!" Chris continues.
"I'm gonna barbecue you, McLean!" Cinder seethes as she plummets to the water below.
"Monster slaying geezer, Geralt!"
Geralt looks a bit miffed as he is falling.
"Geezer? Now you're just being rude. Age hasn't weakened me one bit."
Psychic sore loser, Tatsumaki!"
"Put me down, you ape!" Tatsumaki snaps as Ginyu holds her up. "I can get down myself, so let me-" She is interrupted as he chucks her down GOOOOOOOOOO!"
"Sweet and silent scarecrow, the Nomad!"
The Nomad just flails his body in a silenced panic as he drops out of the helicopter.
"Merc with a mouth, Deadpool!"
"Can't let the party start without me, Chris!" Deadpool happily said as he jumped out and did a cannonball. "CHIMICHANGA!"
"And rounding this group off, we have the goofball gem, Spinel!"
"Geronimo!" Spinel chants as she excitedly leaps out
One by one, all ten of them fall into the water. Very quickly, they all get on land, with Geralt having to pull Katakuri out of the water due to his inability to swim.
They get on the dock, and do their best to dry off. Spinel easily takes care of that by morphing her arm into the shape of a giant fan.
"Thanks, Spinel." Charlie says. "That really helps."
"No problemo!"
"Just great." Katakuri groaned as he stood up. "That's totally how I wanted to start this season: almost drowning!"
"What's up, guys?" Chris asked sarcastically. "Did you miss me?"
"Very funny, smartass." Tatsumaki scoffed. "You got some nerve doing that."
"What are you talking about? That's one of the more tame stunts he's pulled." Edgeworth says while he wrings the water out of his cravat.
"So how have you guys been since last season?" Chris says, ignoring their comments.
"Business as usual." Geralt bluntly replied. "The life of a Witcher is never dull."
"It's been kind of weird for me since." Katakuri said. "Mama went to Wano Country and never returned. Reports are claiming she's dead, but I doubt it. We even had a little run in with another rival Yonko crew attacking us while she was gone."
"Yeesh. Sounds like you've had it rough, Donuts." Deadpool said.
"I'm sure competing again will take your mind off all of that." Wendy comfortingly tells him.
"I'm so excited to see all of you again." Spinel says as she grabs everyone into a hug.
"Let me go, you!" Cinder spat. "I'm not your friend, and never will be your friend!"
"Suit yourself, sourpuss." Spinel giggled as she let them go.
"Someone's still feisty as ever." Deadpool teases Cinder. "What about DIO? He didn't want to come back?"
"Apparently not." The maiden answered. "Not after last season. Still, he wished me luck, and even gave me a few things to help out."
"Like what?"
"Like I'm gonna tell you, nosy! Besides, it's not like he gave me anything useful!"
"Tough tits. I got another movie, which was amazing."
"How could i forget?" Edgeworth mutters. "You took us to see it five times.
"There's quite a few people I'm surprised aren't here." Carla says, looking at everyone who was there.
"Well, Edward and Tari have their whole job for the SCP Foundation, Glass Joe has completely ignored my calls, and Susie threatened me with physical harm." Chris explained. "And she can be very convincing. Otherwise, I would have brought them back, too."
"I'm already not looking forward to this." Tatsumaki huffed.
"Oh, it'll be alright." Charlie kindly tells the esper.
"Yeah, right. I already expect I'll be out early again. Better that I prepare myself for that inevitability."
"Hey, don't be like that. I bet you'll last way longer."
"Hmph. I'll take you up on that offer."
Charlie grins, while the Nomad gives her a thumbs up.
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"I'm gonna call it now." Tatsumaki said. "Give it five episodes. And if I'm still here by that time, I'll admit I'm wrong, whether I like it or not."
She looks around the confessional, with a look of disgust.
"I know for sure I haven't missed this dump."
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"Well, glad to see you guys being so chummy." Chris said. "But now it's time to unveil more returning contestants, this time from Infinite 2."
Once again we see Ginyu throwing people out of the helicopter.
"First up, we have a finalist from last season. Foul mouthed inventor, Miu!"
"Fuck yooooooooooooooou!" Miu shouts as she falls out.
"The Mushroom Kingdom's purple outcast, Waluigi!"
"Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Waluigi screams as he's thrown out.
"No comments, huh? That's cool, I guess. Next, we have dissociative juvenile and self proclaimed "Trash Mammal", Mae!"
"Huh. Hope I don't die." Mae bluntly said as she fell.
"Cynical and snarky rebel, Max!"
"Bring it on, asshole!" Max warned Chris.
"And lastly, unlucky goddess, Aqua!"
"No! Please no!" Aqua cried. The goddess held onto the helicopter for dear life. "I don't wanna do this again!"
Unfortunately, Ginyu kicks her off, finally. She screams and flails around wildly, until she remembers something.
"Hey, wait a minute. I could totally win us more money!"
WHAM!
Everyone recoils in pain as Aqua painfully hits the water like it's solid ground…face first.
"Yeesh, that's gonna leave a mark." Charlie said nervously.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Spinel asked.
"She's a goddess of water." Max says as he gets out of the water. "If this is how she meets her end, that's honestly the cruelest irony I can think of."
Aqua gasps for air as she rises to the surface. Her face was red due to the impact.
"I'm okay! I'm o-ow, my face stings!"
With that, the five of them join the other veterans.
"So glad you guys could return." Chris said. "So…. how're things?"
"Pretty okay." Mae said as she dried herself off. "Things have been rather quiet since coming home."
"Waluigi's fame and popularity couldn't be much higher." Waluigi brags. "Everyone in the kingdom knows his name ever since Waluigi competed on this show. Everyone invites Waluigi to their parties!"
Max raises an eyebrow. "Is that really true?" He asks with skepticism.
"Well, no." Waluigi admits. "But he's at least had people congratulating how far Waluigi went. Isabelle told Waluigi she wishes you all best of luck. You're gonna need it against Waluigi."
"Why about you, Aqua?" Wendy asked. "How have you and Terry been?"
"Oh, just fine." Aqua assures. "He's a bit busy at the moment fighting in another one of those KOF tournaments, and I thought I'd try and win us more money. You can never have too much." As she said this, her eyes took the shape of dollar signs.
"That just leaves you two." Deadpool said as he gestured to Miu and Max. "What have you knuckleheads been up to?"
"Oh, I've just been peachy." Miu answers. "My class was super proud of me, but things have been pretty normal. My actions have even caught the eyes of some colleges that really want me to join them once I graduate, so there's that."
Max turns his head, not feeling like talking about how things have been.
"Why do you gotta be a sourpuss just like Cinder?" Spinel asked. "You're not gonna leave me to die at the hands of a jaguar too, are ya?"
"Alright, that's enough." Mae says. "I've already forgiven him for that. It was a matter of life and death, and frankly, I probably would have done the same thing if the roles were reversed. He and I are cool now."
"So let's just drop it, alright?" Max says. "I'm not here to open up about myself and whatnot. I'm here to compete, and hopefully win."
This leaves an awkward silence, until Waluigi speaks up.
"Is this everyone? Because Waluigi is ready for round two!"
"Third for us, but whatever." Deadpool remarks.
Chris shakes his head. "Everyone's not here yet. Remember Don's show? Bon Voyage? Which is totally still not as good as my show?"
"Someone sounds petty." Max snickers, to which Chris responds with a glare. "What? Can't compete with tjem saving everyone from some stupid cat chaos god?"
"Oh, yeah." Charlie remembers. "We greeted them before they departed. They even helped us in South Town."
"Are you saying they're gonna be here too?" Wendy asked excitedly. "I'm really hoping to see Erza here, if that's the case."
"Hate to be the bringer of bad news, but she's not." Chris tells her. "Besides, out of that whole group, five of them responded back with a yes. And what's more, none of them won that show, so they have a reason to say yes on the invite and compete for money."
Katakuri's eyes glow red as he peers into the future.
"Oh god…she's one of them. I better cover my ears."
He then makes mochi earplugs and inserts them into his ear.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Miu said. "Let's bring them out."
"Loud and clear." Chris responds as he turns the receiver on. "Captain? The next batch are ready to come on down."
The cast watches as more people fall out of the helicopter, whether they like it or not.
"Here's the bounty hunting Main Man, Lobo!"
"Whoooooooooooo! Let's get this party started!" Lobo hollered as he descended.
"Wizard cop, Percy!"
"Oh dear…" Percy said with an almost monotone concern as she dropped. "They weren't kidding when they said we'd be making a big splash for our entrance. What comedic timing."
"Big guy with an even bigger heart, it's Kronk!"
"Look out below!" Kronk says as he falls.
The next one was a rather interesting one. Compared to the last time, she looked quite different. Rather than the traditional Garreg Mach uniform, she wore a purple dress with gold markings, matching purple boots and gloves, a sheath of arrows on her back, and her scruffy purple hair was tied up. Well, at least in the front, keeping it out of her eyes.
"Anxious archer and walking bundle of nerves, Bernadetta!"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Bernadetta wailed as she fell, flailing around like an animal. "SOMEONE FREE POOR BERNIE FROM THIS TORMEEEEEENT!""
"Don't worry, Bernie Bear!" A voice from above said. "I'll save you!"
"Rounding out this group, we gang leader turned shaman with thè weirdest hair around, Ryu!"
"Hey! Don't disrespect the hair!" Ryu warned as he was the last one to hit the water.
"Hey hey hey! here, too!"
Everyone is shocked as they see Pete jump out of the plane. Although Chris caught him with a plunger gun.
"Hey! What's the big idea, bub?!"
"Sorry, but you're not competing again." Chris yells him.
"What?! Why?!"
"Bei needed someone to test this new and improved gadget on! So long, big guy!"
Chris presses a button on it, and Pete is sent flying towards the horizon, slike a baby.
"What an…. interesting bunch." Edgeworth said awkwardly.
The five new players get out of the water and join the others.
"I'm going to give you new guys a message." Chris told the new arrivals. "You're on my show now. Not Don's. Unlike him, I'm no pushover, so your pain and suffering will be just the same as everyone else's. Maybe even a bit worse."
"Just so you know, I've got my eye on you, Mr. McLean." Percy warns. "I'm well aware of your history of abusing your contestants, not to mention your criminal record."
"Sheesh." Chris moaned. "You turn an island into a toxic biohazard once, and the world won't let you hear the end of it."
The cop turns to everyone else and courteously bows.
"A pleasure to see you all again. I'm hoping for a good, clean game while I'm here."
"Ohhhh, why did I join this competition?" Bernadetta groaned. "I don't like the way he said "pain and suffering.'"
"Because the inn could really use the money, Bernie Bear." Ryu explained.
"Oh, so you work at an inn?" Charlie asked with interest. "Sounds exciting."
"Heh. Not quite." Ryu said dramatically with a glint in his eye. He puts a comforting arm around Bernadetta "You're actually looking at Funbari Onsen's head chef! And this little sweetheart here you refer to as Bernadetta is my lovely number two!"
As he said this, Bern hung her head low, hoping no one would look at her.
"Aww, how sweet." Wendy said. "You two are really cute together."
"It seems they have the same taste in bad hair." Max remarks. "That one over there….she looks like a turnip."
"THEY'RE ALL LOOKING AT YOU, BERNIE!" Bernadetta frantically thought. "WATCHING…..JUDGING…. WAITING TO POUNCE AND STRIKE AT YOU!"
"Wow, you've really grown, Bern!" Charlie marvels. "You're practically glowing. Looks like you got taller too."
Deadpool pulls out a tape measure and puts it near Bernadetta.
"W-what are you doing?!" Bernie asks.
"Yep. A whole 13 centimeters." Deadpool said. "That's roughly four inches for you American fucks out there. Every other country is using the metric system. Why, are you all trying to compensate for something, America? GET WITH THE PICTURE!"
"Is he always like this?" Bernadetta asks.
"You get used to it." Geralt answers. "Until he does something you don't expect."
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"Shiiiiit, her height ain't the only thing that's grown." Miu says. "Chick already had a fat ass, but now it looks like she's grown in the tits department. Still nowhere near as big as my precious sweater puppies, but I gotta appreciate the hustle! She won't freak out if I ask to cop a feel, will she?"
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Kronk puts a friendly hand on Ryu's shoulder.
"I still hope we're good and all, man. Especially considering my...actions last season."
"It's all good, pal." Ryu assures him. "You were being manipulated by that old bag. We'll always be friends. I'm sure the others forgive you, too. If I can't forgive a friend, what kind of man would I be?"
"Oh, what a relief. Because I still feel really awful about it."
"Ah, don't be, big guy." Deadpool said. "I was once manipulated by a heartless villain too. You're among friends here."
Lobo watches all of this going on and laughs, which catches Geralt's attention.
"Aw, it's nothing." Lobo answers. "I already dealt with a weird bunch last time, even though I'm one of them. I can tell you guys are gonna be a riot. Don't disappoint me."
"I sure hope we get him on our team." Deadpool tells Spinel.
The five new arrivals officially join everyone else, and chat with their new friends a little bit. (Except for you know who, who kept her head down and tried to not be noticed.)
"So, I hear this guy's show is pretty intense, yeah?" Ryu asked. "We had some crazy things happen here and there, but compared to you guys, we had it easy."
Wendy nods. "It can be. But you meet some of the most wonderful people."
"And some rather unsavory ones." Miu adds, reminiscing about the nightmare she dealt with last season that was Dr. Coyle.
"I already have a bad feeling about this." A little, green, flame-like spirit that popped up next to Ryu said cynically.
"Just gonna have to make the best of it, Tokageroh."
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"I see why you chose them to be in this story, MemeKing." Deadpool remarks. "Picking your favorites that still had a story to tell. You've already caught my interest with them."
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"Alright, is that everyone?" Tatsumaki asked impatiently. "Are we gonna get started yet?"
"Not everyone's here, yet." Chris said. "We still have returning players left to reintroduce."
"And who might they be?" Cinder questioned.
"They were contestants on this show before we got multiversal."
Charlie clapped her hands together. "Ooh, you mean some original players?! I was such a big fan of the show before we ever joined!"
"Precisely. We chose one popular fan favorite, and another entirely by a random roulette. First, let's introduce the favorite."
It was then that the Ginyu Force came by, carrying two burlap sacks that were wriggling around. Almost as if someone was in each of them.
"Got them right here, mate." Jeice says.
They opened up the first sack, and out tumbled a familiar to many, a pale skinned goth girl.
"Aw geez…" the woman said as she took in her surroundings, until she saw…him.
"Did you miss me, Gwen?" Chris teased.
"Suck an egg, McLean!" Gwen snapped. "Couldn't you have at least given me a better means to get here?!"
"We got pushed out of a helicopter, so we're not that better off, lady." Waluigi complained.
Gwen gets up, dusts herself off, and looks at everyone who was already there. Her eyes were as big as dinner plates, bewildered by the weird group of people here. From a sixteen foot tall guy in black leather, to a guy completely dressed from head to toe in red and black spandex, to even a few kids, this had to be a dream.
"Uhh….what the heck did I just stumble into?!" She exclaimed. "Who are these people?!"
"You didn't watch the last couple of seasons, did you?" Deadpool asked.
"Um, no." Gwen answered, still in shock. "After All-Stars, I pretty much wanted nothing to do with the show. If there were any future seasons, I didn't watch them."
"That explains why she's looking at us like a freak show." Edgeworth assumed. "If you wanted nothing to do with the show, then why come back at all?"
"Well…." Gwen rubs her arm awkwardly. "After all the stuff I went through, and thinking about it long and hard, I personally want to put it all behind me. And I was told that those that'd be here would be people I've never met. So I'm starting on a clean slate. No relationship drama, no Heather, no Duncan, and especially no Courtney. But I wasn't expecting…..this."
"Oh my god!" Charlie squealed like a fangirl. "I still can't believe it's really you! You're the Gwen! It's so nice to meet you! I'm such a fan!"
Charlie approaches the goth and eagerly shakes her hand.
"Right…." Gwen said awkwardly. "Are you some kind of clown, or…."
"Guess again." Chris said. "Charlie here is a demon, and princess/heir to the throne of Hell."
"Seriously?! You've gotta be pulling my leg!"
Tatsumaki uses her psychic abilities to pull Charlie back to them.
"Ease up on her." Tatsumaki told her. "She just got here, and I'm sure she still needs to get used to seeing people from other worlds."
"Sorry." Charlie said sheepishly. "Just got too excited there."
"Geez, now I feel really out of place here." Gwen mumbled as she joined them.
Edgeworth took notice of this, and offered her a bit of advice.
"Believe me, I was shocked to learn of worlds beyond my own. But you eventually get used to it."
"Besides, you have more experience with this show than any of us." Spinel said. "If anything, we have a lot to learn from you."
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"No offense to any of these guys, but I think I stumbled into the biggest freak show ever." Gwen said. "At least for the most part, most of them seem generally nice. Still, I can't help but feel like I'm dreaming all of this. This whole other world thing is still a lot to process."
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"How about we take a look at what's in sack number two, huh?!" Spinel said eagerly.
"The one that was chosen randomly by MemeKing?" Deadpool adds.
Chris sighs. "Are you going to be like this the whole season?"
"Yep. You should've known that by now."
Burter and Recoome open up the other sack, and out tumbled a hulking teen boy with red hair and freckles, wearing overalls over a plain white t-shirt.
"Ow…my head…." He groaned.
"Welcome back, Rodney." Chris says.
Miu groans. "Really? Of all the people that got randomly chosen, it was him? I'm willing to bet no fan gives a flying fuck about this guy!"
"Miu! Please be nice." Wendy tells her. "Anyone should be given a chance."
Miu quickly realizes she ran her mouth before thinking it over. "Y-you're right. Sorry about that."
She goes over to a still disoriented Rodney and offers a hand.
"Here. Let me help you up, big guy."
He grabs her hand, and upon getting a better look at Miu, the farm boy's eyes go doe-eyed.
"Um...h-hi." He says. ". Darn it, I messed it up!"
"What did he mess up?" Wendy whispered to Carla. "All he said is hi."
"Stunned in my presence? I know." Miu said proudly. "I mean, beauty and brains? I'm the whole goddamn package."
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"Wow." Miu said bluntly. "Haven't even been here ten minutes, and already someone's praising my looks. Well, didn't actually say much, but I could get the hint. But it ain't gonna happen, farm boy. Sorry. Unless you're a robot, I ain't interested in getting down to clown."
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"A pleasure to meet another veteran player." Deadpool says as he shakes Rodney's hand, snapping him out of his lovesick trance.
Rodney quickly looks at everyone here, and much like Gwen, he was a bit weirded out with what he saw.
"Whoa….. wasn't expecting any of this." He said in utter disbelief. "Am I dead?"
"No, but given this show's track record, that's not impossible." Mae said.
"I just hope I can do much better than last time." Rodney said sheepishly. "Looking back on it, I did appear rather….creepy and pathetic. But I'm always looking to improve myself."
Wendy looks at Katakuri. "You sense it too, don't you? With your Haki?"
Katakuri nods. "Yes. He seems like a nice guy. A notable weakness for women, and a bit lost, but unlike a sleaze like JFK, he seems more innocent and pure hearted. I sensed no malicious or creepy intent in his interaction with Miu."
Regardless, welcome to the club, my guy." Ryu says as Rodney joins them and high fives the shaman.
"Thanks. I'm just glad I can get another chance."
"Okay, now is that everyone?!" Tatsumaki once again asked.
"Would you hold on?" Chris told her. "We've still got some new contestants showing up."
This news piqued everyone's interest and curiosity.
"We're getting new guys, huh?!" Spinel asked excitedly.
"Yep. Ten of them."
"Well then, bring out the fresh meat." Cinder said a bit maliciously.
"Bring out the rookies." Geralt said.
"Ooh, I can't wait to meet them!" Wendy said.
"Hopefully there isn't another Coyle." Miu hopes. "Please please PLEASE, don't let there be another one."
Once again, Chris takes out the walkie talkie.
"Barrett, Red, you guys are up."
The sounds of a boat could be heard, and pretty soon, the group could see a boat coming straight for them. It was going insanely fast, and swerving a bit.
"Um…. it's not stopping." Kronk said worriedly.
Katakuri's eyes glow once again.
"EVERYBODY MOVE!"
They all move out of the way, or hit the deck as the boat flies high out of the water and lands on the beach.
"Are you fucking nuts?!" Barrett snapped to Red. "Why did you decide to take a hold of the wheel?!"
"You humans make driving look very fun." Red said, looking quite pleased with himself. "But then I saw a dolphin, and my doggy instincts took over and I just had to chase it."
Barrett looks over at Chris, who did not look pleased. The freedom fighter laughed nervously.
"Heh heh….uh, we brought them, sir."
"Yeah, and they're probably seasick as all hell!" Max quips.
"Never in Canada did I expect a dog to be behind the wheel." Percy said seriously. "Wait, is that creature a dog? Mysteries upon mysteries."
"We haven't even met any of them, and already I feel bad for them." Edgeworth adds.
"At least tell me they're still okay." Chris sighed.
Barrett looked behind himself to check. "Yeah, they're all good. A little shaken up, but they'll be fine."
The next few minutes are spent with the duo trying to get the boat back into the water. (With Barrett taking the helm this time.) Finally, they get it situated back in the water, ready to unload the passengers.
The gangplank finally lowers, and the first passenger steps off, as everyone watches with anticipation.
The one who stepped off appeared to be a young girl, no older than ten years old. She had pale white skin, bright red hair, wearing a black dress, and appeared sort of gothic and doll-like.
"Um, hi." She waved shyly. "It's nice to meet you all. I'm Ruby. Ruby Gloom."
"Aww, she's adorable." Charlie gushed. "It's nice to meet you, Ruby."
"Um…she's kinda scary." Bernadetta mumbled. "Like one of those dolls that comes to life and slits your throat in your sleep."
"You'd be surprised." Chris told her. "Despite her last name, Ruby is probably one of the nicest people you'll meet."
"Great..." Cinder groans. "Just what I wanted. Another red head named Ruby.
"So tell me, dollface." Tatsumaki said. "What's someone as small and sweet as you doing on a show like this?"
"I'm fully aware." Ruby kindly answered. "But I'm always ready for a new adventure. This is the farthest I've ever been away from Gloomsville. And I'm looking forward to making new friends and memories while I'm here."
"For someone with the last name Gloom, you seem rather…. chipper." Gwen points out. "But I've seen weirder things."
Ruby nods. "Regardless, I hope to not be a bother for any of you."
Ruby happily skips over and joins everyone.
"Alright, after one person, I have high hopes for these new rookies." Deadpool said.
"Then I hope you're ready for the next victim." Chris told them. "Our next guy is Prince Ozychlyrus Brounev Tantal."
"Oof, that name's a mouthful." Waluigi said. "Waluigi doesn't think he's gonna remember that."
"Well, he goes by another name…."
The next guy to exit was an interesting one. He appeared to be a tall and muscular man with short and spiky dark gray hair. He wore a long black coat that was open, exposing his chest, with armor over his knees and shoulders, black gloves that cover his forearms, and black/mint green boots. Lastly, he had a black eye patch over his left eye.
He was actually accompanied by a woman, with short green hair, and pointed ears. Her appearance recalls the steampunk style, with big glasses, a small hat, electric bulbs in place of shoulders and a bulb tail. She wears a striped gray waistcoat, frilled shorts and long gloves and boots.
"The money." The guy said in a southern British accent. "Hand it over."
"Excuse me?!" Chris snorts in disbelief.
"You heard me. Come on! Yield the merchandise."
"Sorry, but it doesn't work that way. You got to win the show to get it. And this sorry group is your competition."
The guy takes a good look at his competition, then dramatically points at them, the woman mimicking his movements.
"You lot really are my opponents, eh?" They then proceed to do more flashy and dramatic poses. "Behold the mighty Zeke! Von! Genbu! Bringer of Chaos! Mostly known as Zeke, and and often addressed as…..THE ZEKENATOR!"
He gestures to the woman next to him.
"Behold, my blade…..Pandoria!"
Next, he pulls out an extremely large sword that was on his back.
"And this is my sword! The Purple Lightning Dreamsmasher! If you want a taste…..come and get it!"
This left everyone in silence. A rather awkward silence, as they found Zeke rather….odd.
"Uhh…we're good." Gwen said.
Zeke was appalled. "Good?! No?! Wait, you barbarians!"
"I'm already sick and tired of this guy." Tatsumaki huffed.
"Gah! You think you all could lick the three of us?!"
"Three of you?" Ryu questions. "I only see two of you. You missing someone?"
"Huh? Oh, get a load of this." Zeke rummages through his pocket. "Our beloved mascot….Turters, reveal yourself!"
Unfortunately, he couldn't find him. He looks through his pockets, as he and Pandoria begin to panic.
"Huh?! Turters? Turters?! Turters, where are you, boy? TURTEEEEERS!"
As Zeke scours the ground, Wendy felt something walk across her foot. Looking down, she sees a tiny turtle.
"Oh!"
She picks it up, getting a better look at him.
"Well hi there, little guy. What are you doing out here all alone?"
Zeke gets up, seeing what Wendy had in her hand.
"Ah-ah-ah! Turters!"
With great speed, he runs up to Wendy and quickly snatches the turtle out of her hand.
"Handling a man's turtle!" He said as if she broke some kind of social faux pas. He then runs back to Pandoria, and the two comfort Turters.
"I think I speak for all of us when I say this guy's a fucking idiot that's trying too hard to be cool." Max snarked.
"Agh! Guh! Wh-whatever!" Zeke stuttered. "I'll show that Pandy and I are a force to be reckoned with!"
"What's with the eye patch?" Spinel asked. "Is there some fun and cool story behind that?"
"Funny you should say that." Zeke answered. "This patch houses the Eye of Shining Justice! A tool that should only be used when humanity needs it most."
"It's definitely not because he doesn't have the money for a second contact lens." Pandoria interjects.
"Pandy! Don't tell them that!"
Aqua does her best to hold back her laughter.
"Pff! This guy's a joke!"
"Hmph. Laugh it up now, but I, Zeke von Genbu, Crown Prince of Tantal, will no doubt prove his worth!"
"Yeah, yeah." Chris said. "Just shut up and join the others."
With a salute, Zeke proceeds to walk over to them, and suddenly trips over seemingly nothing, and falls flat on his face.
"My prince! Are you okay?!" Pandoria said worriedly.
"Ah…I'll live." Zeke assures. "Let me just get back up."
"Oh, no problem. I'll help you up." A voice said.
"Thanks, chum." Zeke says as pink strands stretch out from the group and pick him up. "Huh?"
Bernadetta, much like everyone, was confused. "Wait….who's helping him up?"
Unbeknownst to everyone, there was someone that none of the contestants had seen before, standing there like everybody else.
"AHHH!"
Everyone nearly falls backwards at the same time. Questions were asked and they wanted answers about this woman.
"WHO THE HELL IS SHE?!"
"WHEN DID SHE GET HERE?!"
"WHAT'S WITH THAT HAIR?!"
The woman was rather short and stocky, with her long, lilac pigtails actually moving and helping Zeke back up. She wore overalls with a white undershirt, steel toed boots, heavy gloves, and a welding mask.
She looks at everyone's shocked expressions in confusion.
"What? Is something wrong? You all look like you saw a ghost or something."
" Entrapta….." Chris groaned. "What are you doing out here?"
"What, was it not my turn yet?" Entrapta asked almost innocently. "Sorry. I just got so excited to meet all of these new people. And I have to say…"
Entrapta looks at everyone with an excited and child-like fascination. She takes out a tape recorder from her pocket….with her hair.
"Finally arrived at my destination. Subjects did not notice me for a good five minutes. All of them are super fascinating. Some appear not to be human or Etherian. Further research must be conducted. Hopefully, any of them have some unseen tech on them."
"She's…. interesting." Katakuri said awkwardly.
"That's putting it lightly." Max snorts
"Wow, you're exceptionally tall." She gushed, marveling at Katakuri's stature. "Way taller than Adora."
Zeke walks up to Entrapta to properly thank her.
"Regardless, I appreciate the help, miss."
Entrapta's attention was then drawn to Zeke's sword.
"Oh wow, your sword is enormous. Can I touch it?!"
"I'd rather you didn't."
"If I didn't know any better…" Miu said. "Judging by your attire, I take it you're a genius or tinkerer, too?"
Entrapta's eyes practically light up at the mention of her favorite pastime. "Oh, most definitely. I love technology. And robots. They're the greatest friends to have."
"Miu really likes robots, but for a different reason." Aqua snickered. "So you'd probably wanna steer clear of her."
"Shut the fuck up, Aqua!" Miu snapped. "I'm trying to make friends with a like minded individual! She doesn't wanna waste time with your walnut sized brain!"
"What are you implying, huh?!" Aqua asked angrily.
"I'm saying you're a fucking retard!"
"Those two are going at it again." Wendy sighed. "Some things never change."
Katakuri quickly slapped the both of them in the back of the head to shut them up.
"We literally just got here, and you two are at each other's throats again!" Katakuri roared. "Can you two please pipe down for five minutes?!"
Not wanting to anger the giant of a man any further, they both nod in fear.
"I think you'll fit right in with this group." Chris told Entrapta. "Just remember to wait your turn next time."
Entrapta nods and takes the tape recorder out again
"Add to log: remember to wait your turn for introductions."
As Entrapta happily joined the others, the next new arrival steps off the boat.
This time, it was a rather normal and skinny looking African American man. He wore a white shirt, and dark blue overall pants.
The guy walks over to Chris and gladly shakes his hand.
"A pleasure to meet you. My name is Oscar Proud. President of Proud Snacks, and loving father of three."
"Ah, a family man, huh?" Chris said. "And a businessman to boot."
Oscar looks at everyone, and his jaw immediately drops to the ground. Literally.
"WHAT THE HECK KINDA FREAK SHOW IS THIS?!"
"You never watched this show, did ya?" Lobo asked.
"Um…..no. My daughter, Penny, was a big fan of the show. Thought I'd enter it and prove that her old man could win, and take home that sweet moolah."
"So you don't even know how to play the game?" Miu sighed.
"Nope. But it can't be that hard. Suga Mama said I wouldn't last a week, but I'll show her."
He takes out a Tupperware container, showing an assortment of treats and snacks to the cast.
"As a way to say hello, I thought I'd let you all try some of my snacks. Courtesy of Proud Snacks. One swallow will make your taste buds holler."
"Oh wow. Thanks sir." Rodney said.
Several of them take a snack and eat it, but very quickly, they find out that the snacks taste utterly terrible.
"Blegh! This tastes like crap!" Tatsumaki cried.
"I don't feel so good….." Wendy moaned, her face looking green again.
"Are you trying to poison us?!" Carla snapped. "Your snack is making poor Wendy sick!"
"Sorry. This batch was made with new ingredients. The monkeys had the same reaction, but I thought they were being overdramatic."
"No offense, old man, but your snacks are garbage!" Ryu said.
"I personally saw no problem with it." Percy said as she finished her snack.
"I once saw you eat a lug nut slathered in honey. I think your taste buds are wired differently."
"You're all just jealous!" Oscar complained. "People love my snacks!"
I...highly doubt it." Bernadetta muttered.
The snack maker's attention was brought to Bernadetta. "What was that, missy?! I didn't hear you! And fix your hair, for pete's sake! You look like an onion!"
"Eeeeeek! I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me! If you do, make my death quick and painless! I beg of you"
Ryu quickly leaped into action. He knew a panic attack was coming from Bernadetta, and he was gonna quell it quickly.
"You better leave her alone, pal." Ryu warned. "Anyone who upsets Bernie Bear is getting a wooden sword wallop."
Tokageroh materializes in front of Oscar, smiling wickedly. "You better do as he says, amigo."
"AAAHH! A G-G-GHOST!"
The Nomad gets in front of both of them and does his best to keep the situation from erupting into a fight.
"Oscar, quit starting a fight." Chris said.
"But you guys started it!" Oscar whined.
"And I'm ending it." Chris said sternly. "Oscar, I don't care if your snacks are god awful. Just shut up."
"But I-"
"ZIP. IT."
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"Hmph. They just don't appreciate hard work when they see it." Oscar huffed. "But I'm not gonna let a rough start ruin things for me. No sirree."
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After all of that, the next newbie made her debut. It appeared to be a rather normal looking Dominican-American teenage girl. With her, she carried a staff with a small creature that's both feline and serpentine.
"Um…..hi." she said awkwardly. "I'm Luz Noceda. I'm pretty excited to be here."
"Alright, what's your gimmick?" Aqua asked.
Luz looked rather confused.
"Every new guy we've met so far has some kind of interesting quirk or gimmick." Aqua continues. "So, what have you got?"
Luz rubbed her arm nervously.
"I'm no one special, really. I did train to be a witch in the Boiling Isles, but it's in a bit of a reconstruction phase, so while that's going on, I decided to join here. Because of that, I can use a little bit of magic, but not a whole lot st the moment.
"That sounds so exciting!" Wendy gushed. "I can't wait to see your magic. I'm actually a mage myself."
Luz's interest peaked.
"Oh, really? Thank you. Most people think I'm just some weirdo."
"Have you met this group, kid?" Chris said. "You're less weird than a majority of them."
"Hey, I take being a weirdo as a compliment." Deadpool said proudly.
"Regardless, I'm really happy to meet another magic enthusiast." Wendy continued. "Weird or not, I hope we can be friends."
"What's with the staff?" Carla asked. "I do not recognize that creature"
The creature on it springs to life, her tail wagging excitedly to everyone.
"This is Stringbean." Luz explained. "She's my Palisman, and a Snake-Shifter. Care for a demonstration?"
Stringbean proceeds to transform herself into Carla, looking like a one to one copy of her.
"Incredible!" Wendy said. "I wish my guild could see this. Though Happy might try to eat her. And maybe Natsu. And Gajeel."
Her Dragonite, Icarus, pops out of his Poke Ball to join in on the fun. Stringbean then turns into a Dragonite, and the two high five.
"Looks like she and Icarus have become fast friends." Wendy said.
Despite being nervous about meeting a whole new group of people who might be judgemental and critical of her, Luz was glad to see some of these guys were fun and quirky too. And one of them already wanted to be her friend.
"Thank you. Again, I hope we can get along."
Luz joins the group, and stands next to Wendy.
"I'm Wendy, by the way. And this is Carla."
"Aww, what a cute kitty."
"Isn't it sweet?" Deadpool said to Katakuri. "Your unofficial little sister is growing up so fast. She's already made herself a new friend."
"It is what it is." Katakuri said dismissively. "She's matured quite a bit, and I can't be more proud."
"You're sure doing a good job hiding your emotions, Donuts. Come on, let it all out."
"It's fine. So just drop it. I'm not gonna get sappy over something like this."
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Katakuri was seen close up, wiping away his tears with a tissue. Until he realized something.
"What the?! Who left this bowl of onions in here?!"
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The crew was treated to another weird arrival. This time, it was an overweight man in a blue and yellow costume. The weird part comes when you see that his head was an actual sandwich, complete with goggles.
"What a rather…colorful individual." Zeke said.
"My name is Chuck." The guy declared confidently. "The Evil Sandwich Making Guy. And super awesome supervillain."
"A supervillain, huh?" Percy said. "I hope you know I'll not tolerate one bit of evil plaguing this game and ruining it for everyone."
"Is that….. actually your head?" Ruby asked.
"Um….yeah." Chuck said rather meekly. "I have a sandwich for a head. It's my favorite thing in the world. But don't worry. Unless someone upsets me, I won't commit any crimes." He then turns to the camera and waves. "Hey, mom! Look at me! I'm on TV! Hi mom!"
He then takes out a platter with little finger sandwiches, with a plastic cover to keep them from going stale.
"I even brought little sandwiches for everyone."
Offering the sandwiches, they were hesitant to try them, after downing what Oscar constituted as "snacks." But they tried his sandwiches nonetheless, and actually enjoyed them.
"Whoa, these are actually pretty yummy." Ryu praised.
"So good." Mae adds.
"Way better than those shitty snacks." Miu said, earning a dirty look from Oscar.
"You really like them?!" Chuck said excitedly. "Thank you. You know, this really makes my day!"
"Am I really supposed to take this guy seriously?" Cinder scoffed. "You, a villain? Tell me something, fatty. You ever killed a man? Do you have a body count?"
"What?!" Chuck exclaimed. "No, I haven't! I only engage in sandwich related crime! Wait, are you saying you've done those things?!"
"Don't listen to her." Spinel said. "Cinder may be mean, but she's not that big of a threat."
"I hear that." Deadpool said. "She's always playing second fiddle to some other villain. You shouldn't be worried, dude."
Hearing them speak about her like this, Cinder couldn't help but feel furious.
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"Unbelievable!" Cinder exclaimed. "They don't take me seriously! These last two seasons, I've done nothing but get duped! But this time, not again! I'll do much better than those like DIO or Coyle. I will win, and I will make them all suffer for underestimating me! That, I guarantee!"
"And who the hell left a bowl of onions in here?!"
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After this, newbie number seven steps off the boat. This time, it was another teenage girl. She had light brown hair cut into a bowl shape. Her attire consisted of a light green athletic jacket adorned with several pins, a miniskirt, and black shorts. In her hands, she held skewers of beef, which she was currently chowing down on.
"Da na's cha sata ma!" The girl said whilst talking with her mouth full.
"Could you please not speak with food in your mouth?!" Cinder snapped. "Were you raised in a barn?!"
The girl chews some more, and finally swallows.
"Sorry about that. The name's Chie Satonaka! Nice to meet you all! Now, where are the strong martial artists I heard about?!"
"If you're talking about Terry and Kiryu, I hate to break it to you." Edgeworth informs her. "They didn't return this time."
"Aww, what?!" Chie groans. "That's a bummer! I was hoping to learn from them like that skinny guy last season. Well, guess there's no going back now."
"You seem to have quite a lot of enthusiasm." Luz said.
Chie pumped her fist. "Most definitely! I never back down from a challenge. Anybody else agree?!"
Deadpool, Spinel, Charlie, and Lobo shout "YEAH!"
Chie smiles. "Then I think we're going to get along just fine. Youre in tne presence of another great Persona user! Say, is there gonna be any meat to eat? I'm starving."
"YOU'RE ALREADY HOLDING SOME!" Ryu exclaimed in disbelief?!"
"I meant for later!" Chie explains. "What kind of meat will it be? Steak?! Beef tongue?! Filet?! Filet filet filet filet mignon!~" She sings.
"We'll have lunch later." Chris answered. "For now, let's try and finish up introducing the fresh meat, shall we?"
"Was that supposed to be a pun? Because if so, it sucked." Chie told him. "I've heard better puns from Teddie, and his are trash!"
"Huh. Didn't ask for your opinion. Anyway, onto the next guy."
The next guy to show up was a rather interesting one. He appeared to be a teen boy. He had pale skin, pointy ears, scruffy white hair, and glasses. He wore a black school uniform, with a red jacket worn like a cape, white shorts, and large red shoes.
With a flip of his cape he laughs maniacally.
"Muhahahahaha! You mortal fools come face to face to face with the number one honor student at the Netherworld's Evil Academy! Son of the Overlord, with an Evil Quotient of 1.8 million! I….. am… Mao! Kneel before me!"
As for everyone's reaction, they were bewildered by Mao and his over the top monologue.
"Hi, Mao." Entrapta said, failing to read the room.
"At least one of you shows a demon like me some gratitude." Mao said.
"Kid, you've really got some nerve talking to us like that." Tatsumaki sighed. "Almost everyone today has been some off the wall freak, and I'm getting a a migraine from it all. You're no different."
Mao couldn't help but laugh maniacally.
"Muhahahahaha! I see I've already gotten under your skin! A skill that's very much for a demon honor student! This show will give me the chance to study heroes, and learn how to harness that power to defeat my dad! Muhahahahaha!"
Charlie's ears perked at the mention of him being a demon.
"Oh, so you're a demon, too? So am I. I'm actually a princess."
Mao eyes her with curiosity.
"Hmm…..how laughable. You, a demon? You can't quite compare to a demon such as moi. But you heroes will make great test subjects for my end goal!"
As he made this speech, a few items fell out of his coat pocket. It appeared to be a portable game system, a couple of superhero comics, and a manga.
"Ooh, what're these?!"
Spinel stretches out her arm to grab the items, infuriating Mao.
"Hey! Unhand my belongings, plebian!"
"Comic books?" Chie said upon inspection. "Video games? Anime? You must really like heroes, huh?"
Mao quickly and furiously snatches back his belongings.
"Don't be ridiculous! Everyone, pick the earwax out of your ears, and listen closely. I HATE… HATE….. HAAAAAAAAAAATE… HEROES!"
"Wait, I'm a bit lost." Kronk said. "If you hate heroes, then why study them?"
"That stuff is research material, you big oaf! A hero's power can triumph against anyone, and that's what'll help me beat my old man, the Overlord."
"You better shape up and quit acting like a little punk, kid." Oscar said. "Where's that behavior gonna get you later on in life?!"
"Duh, I'll be the new Overlord of the Netherworld and dean of Evil Academy, old man." Mao bragged. "Muhahahahaha!"
He walks up to him and offers a hand to Oscar.
"Regardless, it's nice to meet you."
Oscar returns the handshake.
"Now that's more like i-"
Unfortunately, he was treated to a nasty shock, as Mao had a joy buzzer on.
"Muhahahahaha! That's a demon honor student for you!"
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"This has to be a dream, right?!" Oscar said worriedly. "Demons? Pirates? Monster slayers? Superheroes?! Why the heck did I think this would be a good idea?! Penyyyyy! Trudyyyyyy! If either of you are watching this, find a way to get me home!"
"AND SOMEBODY TELL ME WHY THERE'S A BOWL OF ONIONS IN HERE!"
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The next newbie stepped off the boat. This time, it appeared to be another young girl, but that's where the similarities end.
She wore a black dress and matching top hat, and a red bow on her dress. Her arms were long and metallic, with multiple red eyes adorned on them, and cartoony white gloves. Her face had two empty sockets, and a mouth filled with small, sharp, teeth. At the moment, she was smoking a cigar, with the secondhand smoke coming out of the eye socket.
"The name's Peacock." She said, "Ready to paint the town red, if ya catch my drift."
"Hmm, another rather colorful character." Geralt states. "I assume there's more to you than meets the eye?"
"You'd be right, pal." Peacock answers. "And golly. Just look at this place, just look at this group of schmucks."
"I'm liking this girl, already." Deadpool said excitedly. "I feel we're like kindred spirits."
"I doubt that. Unless you're crazy, and love to get dangerous, then I disagree."
She pulls a small bomb out of her hat, and tosses it behind her. It lands in the boat, and the vehicle is blown up in a fairly mushroom cloud.
Almost everyone couldn't believe what they saw from this child. She just blew up a boat, with people still in it.
But Deadpool couldn't help but get hyped and excited over this new arrival.
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"I think Spinel and I found a new friend to add to our group." Deadpool said excitedly.
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"MY BOAT!" Chris cried.
"What about the people still in there?!" Zeke asked.
"Come on, I thought I'd literally start your show off with a bang." Peacock said defensively. "Could be worse. I could've used Lonesome Lenny for that one. Then we'd all be goners."
"I don't mind your cartoon antics, or explosions, but if you blow up something that belongs to me ever again, then I'll boot you off the show faster than you can say Kalamazoo!" Chris threatens Peacock. "You got that?! I didn't tolerate that crap from Duncan, and I'm not gonna tolerate it from you!"
"Sheesh, fine. Honestly, you can't take a joke. Just send the bill to Lab 8."
"Are we forgetting the part where she fucking blew people up?!" Miu reminds them.
We see Barrett and Red fall on the beach, both in a lot of pain.
"Are you guys okay?" Rodney asked with concern.
"Eh…we'll live." Barrett said weakly.
"What about the last new guy?" Mae asked. "Are they okay too?"
"Don't know. There wasn't anyone else on the boat besides Red and I."
"What?!"
"Then where the hell are they?" Lobo wonders.
It was then that their question was answered. Above them was a large, blue jet in the style and shape of a dragon.
"Seems he decided to show up in style." Chris remarks.
"Who?" Wendy asked.
The jet lands carefully on the beach. The cockpit opens and out jumps the final new contestant.
He appeared to be a young man, with well groomed brown hair. He wore a long white sleeveless coat with shoulder pads and a raised studded collar, a black shirt and pants, small belts wrapped around his arms and legs.
He approaches Chris and hands him some keys.
"Have one of your lackeys park this thing somewhere safe for me." He said with an air of smugness and arrogance. "And do be sure not to scratch it. That thing's worth more than what you make in a year."
Chris tossed Barrett the keys, and turned back to everyone.
"Everyone, our final contestant is none other than Seto Kaiba. CEO of KaibaCorp."
"You forgot to add that I'm the greatest gamer and duelist in the world." Kaiba adds.
"Wow, what a blowhard." Spinel snickered. "And after only hearing two lines from this guy."
"Oh goody, Malfoy 2.0." Ryu jokes.
Kaiba focused his attention on his competition. Though they all looked very weird to him, he was unfazed. He'd seen weirder.
"Hmph. So this is my competition? I should have no problem mopping the floor with them."
"Just what is that supposed to mean, huh?!" Zeke asked, shaking his fist at the billionaire. "It's too early to be acting like an arrogant ass!"
"It means what it means. I expected a challenge. You appear to remind me so much of Wheeler, so that's already a sign of my imminent victory. I have the skills, the money, and the drive."
"So why join this show, rich boy?" Miu asked.
"I enjoy games, competitions, and the like. And this is said to be one of the toughest games of all. The money is nothing to me. All that matters is that I win, plain and simple."
"Whoa, you really mean business, huh?" Chuck asked.
Kaiba smirks. "Of course. I just thought I'd make that clear to everyone here as soon as I arrived."
He turns to the host.
"Tell me, are there any challenges planned that involve Duel Monsters? That is where I shine best."
Chris shakes his head.
"At the moment, no, there isn't."
"Hmph. What a shame. But I'm not completely powerless."
"It's always the arrogant ones that fall the easiest." Katakuri warns Kaiba. "I hope you take that lesson to heart."
"And it's always the biggest ones that fall the hardest, giant." Kaiba retorts."
Katakuri was left stunned at his comeback. He was upset, yet unable to find the words.
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"This show really is a cesspool of both good and evil!" Mao said. He pants heavily, and his glasses fog up. "It's got me so excited for experimentation!"
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"I already know I'm not gonna like this Kaiba guy." Gwen sighed. "Anyone who's that rich and full of themselves are bad news."
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Now that everyone was finally there, Chris was taking a good look at everyone.
"I have to admit, we've got a pretty nice group this year. Not a bad one in the bunch."
"Eh, I'd say we're all pretty fucking weird." Max says.
"Regardless, it's time to get things started. For those that are new to this show, and/or haven't watched the show, I'll give you the rundown on how things go around here."
"Once you guys are settled into teams, you will all compete against the opposing team in challenges every couple of days. The winners of the challenges will be reserved, while the losing team must vote for a teammate to vote off in our elimination ceremony."
"Doesn't sound too hard." Oscar said.
"The challenges are gonna be tough, you know." Geralt informs him. "Especially the physical ones. Ever since they started letting people from other worlds compete, they've made them extremely difficult, dangerous, and taxing."
"You think I'm scared? Pff, get real!" Chie shrugs off. "I'm totally down for a challenge."
"Gotta agree with the lass here." Zeke adds. "I've had my fair share of dangerous situations."
"Either way, you're all in for a rough one yet again." Chris says, getting right back on track. "And of course, the last player standing will win a million dollars. But we do have a few changes this season compared to the last couple. First up, a familiar change."
The host pulls out a small, wooden replica of his head out of his pocket.
"We'll be bringing back the McLean Brand Chris Head. Find this immunity idol somewhere on the island, and you can save yourself from elimination, though it's a one time use. After that, the one with the next highest amount of votes gets the boot instead."
"Guess it'll be hidden pretty well, huh?" Mae asked.
"Of course."
Regardless, most of them were hoping to find the wooden carving.
"Are you going to pick our teams yet?" Kaiba asked with disinterest. "I want to know who I'm getting stuck with."
"Hey, I'm not a big fan of you either, rich boy." Aqua retorts.
"We were just getting to that part, Kaiba." Chris answered. "Alright, when I call your name, go stand over here on the left side of the dock. If you don't hear your name, then go to the right side. Mae, Katakuri, Chie, Aqua, Oscar, Tatsumaki, Rodney, Nomad, Max, Lobo, Charlie, Zeke, Peacock, Spinel, Kaiba, and Miu."
Those that heard their names do as instructed and stand together on the left side, while those who didn't went to the other side.
"That means the other team shall be Wendy, Waluigi, Luz, Percy, Cinder, Chuck, Gwen, Ryu, Entrapta, Geralt, Mao, Deadpool, Bernadetta, Edgeworth, Kronk, and Ruby will be the other team. Like them or not, these are your teams until the merge.
"WHAT?! I HAVE TO BE ON THE SAME TEAM AS HER AGAIN?!" Aqua and Miu complained at the same time.
"It's gonna be fun watching this fireworks show." Max chuckled at both ladies' whining.
Charlie looks at Katakuri. "At least we're on the same team unlike last season."
"We didn't make it far last time, so that didn't really bother me."
"Aww, I guess DP and I won't be on the same time." Spinel pouts."
"Hey, it'll be fine." Deadpool assures. "Doesn't change nothing. What's wrong with shaking things up a little bit? The author just wanted to be a little different this time."
"Besides, Springy, ya got someone like me on your team." Peacock says. "I'm so much fun in a small package, it'll make your head spin."
"This team is so exciting!" Entrapta exclaimed.
"You're already giving me a headache." Cinder groaned. She makes a fireball and aims at Entrapta.
Seeing this, Bernadetta begins to worry. "CAN I CHANGE TEAMS?! I DONT WANNA BE BARBECUED! BERNIE'S FLAMMABLE, YOU KNOW!"
Chris shakes his head. "No can do. These teams are final….for now. For the team on the left, I dub you all the Wayward Weirdos."
Their logo flashes on the screen, showing a green question mark.
"I can live with that." Rodney said.
"Why must that be the name of my team?" Kaiba muttered.
"Wear the name with pride, chum." Zeke says, giving Kaiba a pat on the back.
"And the team on the right will be known as the Multiverse Maniacs."
Another logo flashes on the screen, showing a red exclamation point.
"Sounds about right." Gwen said, looking at her team.
"They're not that bad." Wendy told her. "Most of them, at least."
"Hey, I personally got no problems with this team." Kronk said.
"As long as we can all cooperate, then I think there should be no problems." Edgeworth points out.
It was then that Gura approaches the group, carrying with her a tray with lots of glasses of lemonade.
"How's about we kick this season off in style?" She said. "I made fresh lemonade for everyone. It's my special recipe."
"Oh, well that's very nice of you." Ruby said. "Thank you."
They all take a glass, and enjoy the drink.
"Holy shit, this is actually really good." Miu said.
"Yeah, what's your secret?" Luz asked.
Gura chuckles. "It's just a secret, special ingredient i got from my friend."
"What's tha-"
Suddenly, drowsiness begins to overtake everyone. Gura's face appears distorted and twisted.
"It's called…. Watson's….. Concoction…..
…
…
…
…
…
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We see Wendy slowly open her eyes.
"Ow…..my head."
She gets up and stretches. After rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, it all finally hits her.
"Huh?! Where am I?!"
She appeared to be in some kind of cavern. Everyone else lay around her, all still asleep.
She nudges Carla awake. "Carla! Carla, wake up!"
"Huh? What's the matter?"
Just like Wendy, the Exceed also sees their predicament.
"What the heck is going on here?!"
"We were drugged!" Wendy exclaimed. "Last thing I remember, we were drinking lemonade! Guys! Wake up!"
The others begin to stir awake.
"Aww, just five more minutes." Mae groaned. "And another five after that."
"Did we get fucking roofied?!" Miu yelled. She pats herself sighs with relief. "Well, at least that's as far as they went."
"They didn't even give us time to unpack!" Zeke complained. "The nerve!"
"How can I ever trust lemonade again after this?" Percy said solemnly.
"That's what you're concerned about?!" Ryu exclaimed.
"Wait a minute…" Geralt said. "This looks rather familiar. Everyone, look."
They look where he's pointing, and see a large entrance to what appears to be a maze.
"It can't be!" Katakuri gasped. "This place again?!"
"What do you mean "again?!'" Oscar asked nervously.
A small light appears in the middle of the group. The light takes the shape of Chris.
"Ooh, a hologram!" Entrapta said excitedly. "Show me more!"
"No time for that." Chris said.
"What's the big idea, huh?!" Tatsumaki asked.
"It's simple, really. Welcome to your first challenge of the season. It lies just inside that maze…"
Chapter 2: Episode 2: The Legend Begins...Again
Summary:
Our first challenge is here, anc the cast wake up to find themselves in a weird yet familiar maze. And to make matters worse, they've all been stripped of their abilities.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Last time on Total Drama Infinite 3, several returning players came back for another shot at a million dollars. But they weren't alone, as ten new contestants joined in the hopes of making it big. And they're probably the weirdest group of newcomers we've had yet. From arrogant duelist Kaiba, to demonic trickster Mao, to cartoony cyborg Peacock, we've got our craziest season yet, with the craziest cast to boot. After forming the teams, we've thrust them into their first challenge. As for what that is, tune in to today's exciting episode of Total Drama Infinite 3!"
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"You're seriously throwing us into a challenge this quickly?!" Aqua complained. "Couldn't you have at least given us time to settle in or something?!"
The hologram of Chris ponders that for a moment.
"Let me think about that…..no. We figured you guys should have some fun as soon as possible. Besides, you'll have plenty of time to settle in after this challenge."
"What about that maze, huh?" Charlie asked. "We've been through it before. Only difference is you didn't lock us up beforehand this time."
"And to add to that, last time I didn't take away your powers and your weapons. Surprise!"
"YOU WHAT?!"
"My demonic powers!" Mao exclaimed.
"My magic!" Wendy cried.
"My Duel Disk!" Kaiba said.
"Even Stringbean is gone." Luz said.
"My Purple Lightning Dreamsmasher!" Zeke said with despair in his voice. He drops to his knees in anguish, as Pandoria comforts him. "You monster!"
"You thieving little shit!" Lobo growled.
"I can't use my Devil Fruit powers or my Haki." Katakuri said, looking at his arm. It was then that he noticed a weird bracelet on his wrist. "Is this the cause?"
"Indeed it is." Chris answered. "For some, we merely confiscated your weapons. For others, we gave you all ability inhibiting bracelets or collars. In Deadpool and Lobo's cases, we let you guys keep your healing factor and immortality. You two can take more punishment that way. As for the inhibitors, try and take them off-"
His explanation was interrupted as Zeke tried to remove the bracelet, and got fried like a sausage as he was electrocuted. He let go and collapsed to the ground.
"That will happen." Chris continues. "These bad boys aren't coming off until the challenge is over."
"But you haven't told us what the challenge even is yet." Luz said.
"I already told you. It's right inside the tunnel maze. Your goal is to go through and reach the end. The first team to have every member reach the exit wins, plain and simple."
"Am I to assume there are obstacles in our way as usual?" Geralt asked.
"Right you are." Chris said. "We've cleaned this place out of what it had last time, with new traps and obstacles. That you must get through without your powers. However…"
"However?"
"Some you will be able to get them back during the challenge."
Next to Chris, we see an object that looks like those things in Mario Kart that gives you items.
"We've hidden these cubes in there. Touch one, and you'll be back to full power. All your tools, powers, weapons, etc."
"I'm definitely not dreaming, right?!" Oscar asked worriedly. "This whole reality show with weirdos from other worlds, getting drugged, and told to go through a scary, life threatening maze?! Is this that Saw movie that I heard about?!"
"You're finally putting the pieces together, old man." Max said sarcastically. "This show will totally chew you up and spit you out."
"Getting back on topic…" Chris interrupts, "there's four entrances to the maze, and you all must split up into groups. This way, a whole team doesn't stick together for the whole time. That'd be too easy, and less fun to watch. So with that, does anyone have any questions?"
Everyone did, yet couldn't find a way to ask in a way that'd make things any easier or more understandable than it already was. Concern flowed through most of them.
"No? None at all? Then get going!"
Still, nobody moved. They were all still standing there, lacking motivation, much to Chris's confusion.
"Uh, hello? I said go! Why aren't you guys moving?!"
"Not really feeling like it, especially considering how you got us down here." Miu answered. "So you can go royally fuck yourself! With a cactus! We're officially boycotting this challenge!"
Getting irritated with a lack of results, it was time for plan B.
"Alright, I'll give you guys some motivation, but you forced my hand. Chef, release the mutant hounds!"
"Release the what now?!" Ryu exclaimed in response, not liking where this was going.
"You think we're scared of dogs?!" Deadpool mocked. "Ooh, I'm so scared!"
"I'm not stupid." Bernadetta said determinedly. "Nobody is tricking the iron heart of Bernie!"
It was then that the chasm echoed with loud, bellowing snarls and growls. This made nearly everyone's hair stand on end.
"Um….I'm not the only one hearing things, am I?!" Chuck gulped nervously.
This turned out to be wishful thinking, until Gwen turned her head.
"Uh…..guys?!" She said fearfully, pointing to a tunnel with a look of terror etched on her face.
Everyone looked where she pointed, they too gasped in horror. Emerging from the tunnel were five dogs, but that's where the pleasantries ended. They were each around seven feet tall, hairless, with unnatural purple skin. Their paws had sharp talons, they had multiple eyes, arranged like a spider, and tails that resembled scorpion stingers. From their fanged mouths, they drooled a green substance that appeared acidic in nature. The look of hunger could be seen on their deformed faces.
"OH MY GODDESS!" Bernadetta screamed, quickly taking off as fast as her legs could carry her.
"Run!" Chie added, doing the same.
Given that everyone was completely powerless against these beasts, they had no choice but to run for their lives. The beasts chased them with murderous intent, and within a matter of seconds, they all ran into one of the four entrances to the maze. Once they were all inside, the entrances sealed shut with titanium doors, blocking the mutant hounds from getting in.
The Chris hologram could only laugh as all of this happened.
"Those suckers seriously fell for it!"
Regardless, Chris's tactic proved successful, as everyone was now inside the maze, with a group inside each of the four entrances, and the only way out being the exit at the end.
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Group 1: Charlie, Oscar, Katakuri, Kaiba, Lobo, Tatsumaki, Peacock, Spinel
Now inside, the group sat down as they were catching their breath from all that running.
"Is everyone okay?" Charlie asked.
"I think so." Spinel answered, yet still not sure.
"Oh, I'm just absolutely peachy!" Tatsumaki snapped. "Exactly how I wanted the day to go!"
"That schmuck is gonna get it now!" Peacock huffed, shaking her fist. "Nobody backs Patty into a corner!"
In all honesty, who could blame them for feeling that way?
"Why the heck did he have mutts like that?!" Oscar exclaimed.
"The guy once dumped toxic waste on an island he used to own." Katakuri answered. "He still keeps plenty of mutated creatures over on Boney Island."
"I'm surprised we didn't really see any when we took those trips there." Spinel sighed.
"Regardless, looks like we got away from those freaky fidos." Lobo said. "So…..what now?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Kaiba scoffs. "We must win the challenge, simple as that. There's not really much else to do besides that."
"Kaiba's right." Charlie said. "Whether we like it or not, there's still a game to win. We'd best probably get moving."
"Don't forget that the entirety of our team has to reach the end first." Kaiba reminds her. "Since about half of us are here, I at least hope the rest of them don't blow this. I normally work alone, and get better results that way. Because let's be honest, the rest of them appear to be weak links."
"You don't know that!" Spinel told him. "Every member is important!"
"You do realize you're talking about a pervert inventor, a useless goddess, a scarecrow, a literal child, and a simple farm boy, to name a few." Tatsumaki says. "Rich boy might have a point."
"Have at least some faith in them." Katakuri said. "Alright guys, let's move out. I'll lead us."
"Hold up!" Oscar said. "Who died and made you the boss?!"
Glaring at the snack maker, Katakuri said, "I did. Even without my powers, I'm probably our best shot at not getting killed in here. I could just leave you here and-"
"Alright, alright, we'll do as you say."
"Good. Just try not to get lost. Heaven only knows what awaits us in here."
"Gulp."
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I'll be honest." Katakuri admits. "Going through all of that without my Devil Fruit powers was one thing. But not having my Haki worried me. Not being able to sense danger after being used to doing that feels like a handicap."
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Group 2: Max, Mae, Rodney, Nomad, Miu, Aqua, Zeke/Pandoria, Chie
I think we managed to outrun them." Zeke pants.
Thank goodness." Mae said.
"You think everyone else is alright?" Chie asked.
"If not, it was probably Turnip Head or the sandwich guy that got devoured." Max said bluntly. "But they're on the other team, so that's not an "us" problem."
"How can you say that so casually?!" Aqua cried.
"Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't get eaten." Miu says to Aqua. "Guess you're not as dumb as you act."
"Oh, you wanna go, sailor mouth?!"
"I can throw down any time, useless goddess!"
The two growl and glare at each other.
"I'm gonna kick your ass!"
"Alright, ladies." Zeke said diplomatically as he got in between them. "Just settle do-OOF!"
The prince was punished for getting in the way by getting an unintended punch from Miu and Aqua.
"You idiot!" They both yelled at him. "I was aiming for her!"
"Something tells me getting through this maze will be easier said than done." Chie groaned. "We're so screwed."
"We can't just give up like that." Rodney said. "Turning on each other will get us nowhere. We're a team, so we gotta work like one. Here, how about I try to lead us to the end? I'm used to taking charge back home. Rely on me this time. "
His small speech kind of helped alleviate the tension in the group, with the Nomad giving the big guy an applause.
"Sorry." Both Aqua and Miu mumbled to each other.
"Great speech." Pandoria said to Rodney. "Didn't peg you for a leader type."
"Oh, well that's because I'm used to-err…..uh…"
That confident demeanor Rodney had had quickly evaporated as soon as Pandoria spoke to him. He quietly mumbled to himself, much to her confusion.
"What's the matter, big guy?" Max asked teasingly. "Cat got your tongue?"
Zeke gives the big guy a pat on the back. "Is Pandy scaring you, chum? Don't worry, she doesn't bite."
I-it's not that…" Rodney mumbled.
"Well, hopefully whatever is bothering you won't stop us from getting the hell outta here." Chie said. "The others probably need us."
"You know what? You're right." Rodney said, regaining his confidence. "We can't let them down."
"Ex-fucking-cuse me?!" Miu gasped at the situation.
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"How the fuck could he respond to her like normal?!" Miu complained. "I've seen the show. I know how this guy can get around girls. He was a bumbling mess with me, and with Eyepatch's steampunk sidekick. What magic does that hick Chie have that I don't? Unlike her, I don't look like a boy!"
It takes Miu a moment for what she just said to click in her head.
"Ohhhh, that makes more sense. He probably thinks she's a guy. To be honest, I'd think that too. What guy would want someone like her when I'm right here? I'm the gorgeous girl genius after all!"
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"I've tried working on improving myself since the last time I competed." Rodney explained. "Now, I don't think every woman I talk to is in love with me. But now, I still just have a hard time trying to talk to them in general. I get so nervous, I don't know what to say. It's easier in my head, but... Sigh. Guess I still got a ways to go. At least I got someone in my corner. Chie is a pretty cool guy."
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"You know what?" Zeke told his teammates. "I'll lead us out of here instead. You all have nothing to worry about. Thunderbolt Zeke, protector of the weak, shall be your all's sword and shield!"
Zeke suddenly feels a tap on his shoulder, and fear begins to set in for him and everyone else.
"There's a mutant behind me, isn't there?"
They all nod.
Zeke takes a deep breath, and turns around to face the monster behind him.
Rather than an unfamiliar new mutant, it was none other than the land walking shark, Fang. With a malicious grin, he waves at them.
"A-are sharks supposed to be walking on two legs?!" Aqua nervously asked.
The Nomad quickly shakes his head.
"Very well, then." Zeke declared. "Everyone, step back. I will single handedly deal with this monster!"
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Group 3: Wendy, Luz, Ruby, Ryu, Bernadetta, Kronk, Deadpool, Gwen
"Are they gone?!" Kronk asked worriedly, while he was shaking in Ryu's arms.
"Yeah, I think we lost them." Ryu answered. "Can I put you down, now?"
"Just another minute. I'm still scared."
"Me and my big fat mouth." Deadpool said. "Shouldn't have said I wasn't scared. How the fuck was I supposed to know that'd happen?! The one time I don't read ahead of the chapter, and this is what I get?! Honestly!"
"You all mind telling me what the heck that was?!" Gwen snapped. "I didn't go through that kinda stuff the last time I was on this stupid show!"
"We're kinda used to it at this point." Wendy sighed. "As much as I don't like it. You had it easy compared to us. But at least everyone's okay…I think."
As she said this, she looked at Bernadetta, who was curled up into a ball, rocking back and forth. She had a pained smile, and one of her crying eyes was twitching.
"It's alright, Bernie." She ominously spoke to herself. "This is all just a nightmare. When you close your eyes, and open them back up, you'll be back in the warm, cozy, safety of your room. Heh heh…."
"She's got issues." Gwen said.
"Bernie, you alright?" Ryu asked worriedly. "You're doing that thing again. It's okay, I'm here"
"No, I'm not alright!" Bernadetta exclaimed. "I almost got devoured by monster dogs, and now I'm trapped in a maze with mostly strangers whom I know nothing about!"
"What does she think we're gonna do?" Luz asked Wendy.
"Beats me. It's not like we're out to get her or anything."
"Bernie, it's gonna be okay." Ryu calmly tells her as he lets go of Kronk. "We just have to put our heads together, and think of a game plan."
Bernadetta calms down and takes a deep breath. "You're right. I'll try...sorry for worrying you."
"Don't be sorry...it's gonna be okay, I promise.
"Look on the bright side." Ruby said. "At least we lost those monsters. As for the way out, I'm drawing a blank."
"Could be worse." Deadpool said. "At least it's not cesspools of Florida or Ohio. Huh, twice in one day I took a royal shit on America."
"Like I said, we need to think up a plan. Let's assume the rest of our team is safe."
"I'd hope so." Gwen said. "Chris is a sadistic psychopath, but he wouldn't let us die if he could help it. At least…I hope."
"Next, we all know it'd be pretty easy to get lost in here." Ryu continues. "We're all completely powerless, unless one of us finds one of those cubes."
"Such a shame." Tokageroh groaned. "They took your sword, and we have no way to integrate."
"Okay, what's up with the ghost?" Gwen asked.
Ryu ignores the question and keeps talking. "That's why I think the best idea would be a way to keep track of where we go. You know, leave a trail of breadcrumbs, so to speak. If anybody's carrying any food or candy on them, it'd probably be a good idea to use that to mark where we've been."
They all rummage through their pockets, until Kronk pulls out a case of Tic Tacs.
"I got some of these. Could that work?"
"Kronk, you're a lifesaver." Ruby said.
"Aw shucks." Kronk said sheepishly. "Just trying to help, is all."
"Regardless, it looks like we've got a plan in motion." Luz said. "Shall we get going?"
They all nod in agreement, and proceed through the tunnel maze, with Kronk dropping a Tic Tac every few yards to mark where they've been.
Little did they know…that they were being followed.
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Group 4: Edgeworth, Percy, Entrapta, Mao, Waluigi, Chuck, Geralt, Cinder
"Those. Creatures. Were. AMAZING!" Entrapta gushed. "I never expected this world to have such fascinating specimens! We should go back and examine them a bit more closely!"
"Are you insane, lady?!" Waluigi exclaimed. "Those mutts almost turned Waluigi into a chew toy! If you think we're turning back, you're absolutely psychotic!"
"I'm not insane." Entrapta said less enthusiastically. "My scientific curiosity was just telling me to get a better look at them, is all."
"How truly dastardly of that host to do that!" Mao said excitedly. "I must make a note of this!"
Taking out a notepad and pen, he furiously jots down notes.
"My gosh, this has got to be the worst day ever!" Chuck groans. "I should probably just call my mom and see if she'll pick me up from here."
"It doesn't work like that, pal." Geralt said seriously. "You signed up for this show, so you gotta play."
"Well, we've surely wound up in, how the youth would say, a pickle, don't you think?" Percy said.
"Quite right." Edgeworth adds.
"That's the biggest understatement Waluigi has ever heard!" Waluigi exclaimed. "Don't you realize we're stuck in here like rats!"
"I know! Isn't it exciting?!" Entrapta asked. "So much to see, so little time!"
"We don't have time to dawdle around." Geralt sternly said. "We need to get out of here, and as quickly and painlessly as possible."
"Without any powers, I can't truly work at my full, demonic capacity!" Mao complained.
"Preferably, I'd prefer to get through this without any evil whatsoever, young man." Percy told Mao.
"Muhahahahaha! Then you're dealing with the wrong demon, lady! Charlie may be a demon that's all sweets and niceness, but I'm far removed from being someone like that! The Weirdos are probably mutant puppy chow as we speak!"
"You got issues, kid." Waluigi groaned.
"Kid? KID?! I'll have you know in human years I'm much older than all of you! Maybe not in demon years, but I'm not to be taken lightly all the same!"
"Hey, you guys see that thing over there?" Chuck points out.
They look where he's pointing, and see one of those cubes Chris talked about. Just floating there, waiting for someone to claim it.
"Well….." Geralt begins. "That was quite eas-"
"MINE!" Mao exclaimed.
Mao leaps forward and grabs the cube, crushing it in the palm of his hands.
"I feel it…..I can feel the power flowing into me! The future Overlord of the Netherworld is reborn with power once again! Muhahahahaha!"
"Aren't you hamming it up just a little bit?" Waluigi asked. He then quickly dodges a blast of ice magic from Mao's hands.
"Not at all. I finally feel complete again."
"We'd better get moving, then." Geralt said. "Now that Mao has his powers back, that gives us some advantage."
They all nod and move out. As they do so, Edgeworth glances over at Cinder, who had been completely quiet throughout all of this.
"You're awfully quiet right now. Something wrong?"
"No. At least, nothing I'd ever tell you." Cinder coldly replied.
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"I have my own reasons for keeping to myself right now." Cinder said. "On top of laying low, I want to keep an eye on the new guys on our team. See if any of them would make for useful allies going forward. With our group, that included Mao, Chuck, and Entrapta. Each of them are frustrating in their own right, but have their merits. I can make a better squad than DIO ever could. Just need to see if they're worth it."
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Group 1
As they kept following through the winding paths, group 1 had encountered their first obstacle.
A pair of giant hawks, bigger than Katakuri even, were trying to rip this half of the Weirdos to pieces.
Lobo was on top of one of them, furiously punching it in the face repeatedly.
"I bet you'll taste good after being plucked and rotisseried!" The bounty hunter taunts as he's got it in a headlock.
The second hawk flaps its wings so hard it creates pressurized blades of air. One of them is coming from Oscar, who stands in fear like a deer in headlights.
Katakuri gets in front of him and takes the hit, getting a big cut across his chest.
"T-thanks." Oscar stuttered.
"No problem." Katakuri said. "I warned you this'd be dangerous!"
"You all right?" Charlie asked Katakuri.
"Just a big cut, but nothing that won't heal on its own."
"Guys! Look over there!" Spinel points. "There's a couple of those power cubes!"
Indeed, for behind the birds were two power cubes waiting.
"How do we get over there?" Tatsumaki asked. " Those birds are guarding them!" And who gets them?"
Spinel grapes Tatsumaki and Peacock, and holds each of them in her hands.
"I think I found my volunteers!" Spinel giggled. "Ready to fly?!"
"Put me down right now!" Tatsumaki demands. "Don't hold me like a child!"
"Wait, you're not a child?!" Oscar was shocked to find this out.
"I'm 28!"
"Fire away, pinky!" Peacock orders.
Spinel tosses both ladies' with all her might, and both fly past the birds and land on the cubes.
"Can we do that again?!" Peacock asked. "That was fun!"
"Remind me to kick her ass later." Tatsumaki growled.
Now that the two of them were fully powered again, they wasted no time in trying to dispose of the monster birds.
Tatsumaki rips a chunk of the ground out, while the eyes on Peacock's arms begin to glow.
"You might wanna get outta the way, big guy!" Peacock warns Lobo. "You're in the splash zone! Argus Agony!"
Lobo hops off the bird as it gets blasted and scorched with red lasers.
The other bird is completely crushed by the rock Tatsumaki pulled out of the ground. Both monsters fall to the ground, completely knocked out.
"Great work, you guys!" Charlie congratulated.
"See? Aren't you glad I helped?" Spinel smugly said.
Tatsumaki responds by telekinetically hitting her in the head with a rock.
"Don't ever toss me around like a sack of potatoes ever again!"
"Quite impressive." Kaiba mused. "Surprised to see there's some bite behind all that bark you all put up."
"And what the hell did you do during all of that, rich boy?!" Tatsumaki asked.
"I'm not someone who outright fights people like some of you." Kaiba coolly responds. "I'm a gamer at heart, naturally. Strategizing, wits, and careful planning are what have gotten me this far. I never became the success of a Duelist I am today through magic or luck, unlike a certain someone I personally know."
"Sorry, I don't fuck with yer nerdy card game, boy." Lobo said.
"Why not?" Kaiba said. "I figured you amd pinky over there could stand to learn it. I've always said if there's intelligent life out there, then we'll teach them how to duel."
"Regardless, we've made some progress." Katakuri said. "But I'm sure we've still got a bit to go. Let's move forward, you guys."
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Group 2
We move back to the remaining half of the Wayward Weirdos. Most of them were busy playing a game of Go Fish while Zeke was handling Fang.
And by handle, I mean getting the everlasting shit beat out of him.
"Do you need help, my prince?" Pandoria asked.
"I've got this under control, Pandy!" Zeke said as he repeatedly got punched in the face. "This beast is no match for the Zekenator-"
GULP!
After getting bored of beating him up, Fang swallows Zeke whole.
"Uh…he got eaten." Mae said with a bit of concern. "Somebody should really do something about that."
Chie sighs. "I'll handle it."
She walks over to Fang, who was preoccupied with cleaning his teeth with a toothpick.
"HI-YAH!"
Chie lands a powerful kick to the shark's stomach, and Fang coughs up a disoriented Zeke, covered in saliva.
"You done yet, eyepatch?" Chie asked.
"Thanks for the assist." Zeke said. "And yes, I think we're done dealing with him. He's a wasted effort."
"You heard him, guys!" Chie said. "Move out!"
They all get up and proceed to leave, but real quick, Zeke does something.
He grabs a rock and chucks it at one of Fang's eyes, taking it out.
"Take that, beast!"
With that, he runs to catch up with everyone.
"Heeeeeeeey! Wait for me, you guys!"
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Fang is seen putting an eyepatch over his injured eye. He looks at himself in the mirror, and angrily eats it, vowing vengeance. It was one thing when he lost a tooth in the past, but now…..heads will roll.
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"Again, I wanna thank you." Zeke told Chie. "Guess I got a bit ahead of myself."
Chie quickly brushes it off. "Pff, it was nothing."
"Hey, guys?" Max said. "Does that look fucking suspicious or what?"
Smack dab in front of them was some dark canister, just lying on the ground.
"That might be one of those things that gives you your powers back." Aqua said hopefully. "I call dibs!"
"They're cubes, dumbass!" Miu said.
"Too late for that." Mae said
Aqua didn't listen, as she grabbed the can.
"Alright, give me my godly powers back!" Aqua said, shaking the can furiously.
"Hey, dumbass!" Max called out. "That's wrong!"
Realizing this, Aqua throws it down in a huff. Unfortunately, the can breaks open, and gas pours out of it.
"What the hell?!"
They all tried to swipe the gas away, but the fumes were still rising, and was knocking them out, one by one.
"Second fucking time today…." Miu groaned.
Once they were all out cold, somebody approached them. They wore a black, sleeveless lab coat, an orange and purple striped shirt, black pants and boots, and a gas mask covering their face.
"Hee hee hee hee!" He laughed. "This is where the fun begins…"
Chris, Chef, and the interns watch from the security room in shock as the feed from what he just saw went out.
"Hey, Chef…who was that guy?" Chris asked.
The host simply shrugs it off. "You're probably right. Let's just go to commercial before checking back on them."
"I swear, if it's Ame trying to pull a prank on me, I'm gonna get her back with a prank that's even worse." Gura chimes in.
Group 3
As the group navigated their way through the maze, Wendy and Luz were sharing stories of the adventures they've had.
"Your guild sounds so cool, Wendy." Luz gushes. "Sounds like you've been on some crazy adventures!"
"We have." Wendy said. "And it sounds like you've had quite the journey on the way to become a witch. You found a place where you feel you belong, just like I did with Fairy Tail. I'd love to visit the Boiling Isles some time."
"That's gonna be a problem. It's still being rebuilt after fighting Belos. Even then, people can hardly use magic at the moment. Makes me feel a little weak at the moment, you know?",
"We all feel like that sometimes." Ryu tells her. "As long as you find you Best Place, there's no better joy in the world."
"Best...Place?"
Ryu nods. "Uh huh. A place where you can be yourself, feel at ease of Earth's worries, and relax with your friends. No greater treasure than that, I'll say."
"Hey Luz, try that one trick again!" Wendy says. "That was too funny!"
"Oh...you mean this?!"
Everyone stops to watch what trick Luz had. With ease, she flips her eyelids inside out. As for their reactions…
Wendy laughed and clapped for her. "That's funny! I wish I could do that!
"That's pretty wicked, kid." Ryu compliments.
"That's cool, but I could do even weirder." Deadpool said.
Their compliments really made Luz feel a bit proud.
"Um, I don't wanna sound rude or anything, can we not focus on party tricks right now?" Gwen reminds them.
"Sorry about that." Luz said sheepishly.
"Wait, do you hear that?" Ruby said.
The faint sounds of stomping could be getting closer, the ground shaking the closer it got.
"I don't like the sound of that!" Kronk said worriedly.
Rounding the corner, the crew saw a colossal, mutated, familiar, Venus flytrap monster.
"Larry!" Gwen gasped.
Larry roars like Godzilla as Ryu, Wendy, Kronk, Luz, and Ruby screamed in terror.
"What the hell kind of botanical abomination is that?!" Ryu cried.
"Venus flytraps are carnivores!" Ruby exclaimed. "This is bad!"
Very quietly, Bernadetta approaches Larry, much to everyone's shock.
"Is she crazy?!" Gwen cried.
"What's she doing?!" Wendy asked.
"Bernie! That thing's gonna kill you!" Ryu said. "Back away!"
"Welp, she's a goner, pal." Tokageroh said, already accepting it.
Bernadetta didn't listen, as she approached the plant.
Watching from the cameras, Chris couldn't help but get excited.
"That's it, Larry! Tear her a new one!"
The beast lowers its head down to eye level, confused as to why she showed no fear.
"Bernadetta! Get away from him!" Kronk pleads.
Bernadetta holds out her hand, and pets Larry on the top of his head like a pet.
"Aww, who's a good plant~?" Bernadetta coos. "You are! Somebody must be getting all their nutrients, because you're growing to be a big boy!~"
"WHAT?!" The contestants and Chris exclaimed.
Larry pants happily and sits down, mimicking the mannerisms of a puppy.
"What kind of trick is this?!" Luz wondered.
Bernadetta looks back at them, still not afraid. "Carnivorous plants are one of my favorite things. This big guy's no different."
"How unbelievable." Carla said. "I never would have expected that from someone like you."
"You, of all people…aren't scared of that thing?" Gwen asked.
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Ryu slaps himself, feeling stupid. "Heh, should've known. Bernie's crazy about plants. Particularly the carnivorous ones. It's honest to god adorable when she's geeking out over plants." He sighs dreamily.
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"I've always been fascinated with carnivorous plants." Bernadetta explained. "And a bit envious. What's not to love? They stay in one spot all their lives, and food just comes to them. For someone like me, living like that is pure bliss. Just you wait, Bernie has grown since last time, despite what you saw earlier. It's a process, you know?"
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"The one who was literally close to having a panic attack not even an hour ago tames a monster?!" Gwen says in disbelief. "This show sometimes, I swear."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Wow, that was amazing!" Wendy said. "Katakuri could have just used his Haki to tame him, but you did it without using anything."
Bernadetta continues to pet Larry, even scratching what I assume to be it's belly.
"What's Haki?" Luz asked.
"It's a manifestation of your willpower." Wendy said. "It can be used offensively, defensively, and more. Big bro taught it to me, but he's a master of it."
"He taught you? Can anyone learn it?"
"Yes, actually. Though-"
"Ahoy there, travelers!"
The crew was approached by some stranger, clad head to toe in a pink hazmat suit. Whoever this guy was, confusion and suspicion arose.
"Lovely weather today, isn't it?"
"Uh…we're underground, dude." Deadpool points out. "The forecast down here calls for rocky with a chance of who the fuck are you anyway?"
"The name's Frank. AND IT'S NAPTIME!"
"What are you talking abo-"
Without warning, Frank sprayed them with a weird spray can. Just like half of the Weirdos before them, they all passed out. Even Larry.
Frank takes out a walkie talkie.
"Sir they're out cold! Did I do good?!" He asked eagerly.
"That's it?!" The voice on the other side said. "Bring them back to me, you ignoramus! I already managed to snag a fair chunk of them myself!"
"Hear ya loud and clear, boss! I'll have these guys back lickety split!"
He puts the device away, and thinks to himself.
"If it weren't for the fact that these guys were basically nerfed right now, this job would've been impossible."
The camera feed cuts like it did before, and Chris started to get a tad bit concerned.
"Okay, whoever's idea of a joke this is, it's not funny! Whoever these guys are, they're interfering in the challenge! And after all that Gjira stuff, I didn't want a repeat! Ginyu!"
"What is it, boss?!" the alien asks.
"Get "tech support" on the line..."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Group 4
The remaining half of the Maniacs traverse the maze, having very few obstacles. Sure, there were giant mutant toads, but Mao quickly used his ice magic to freeze and shatter them.
"Such a shame!" Mao bragged. "I'm the only one doing the work around here!"
"That's because only you have your weapons and weapons!" Waluigi complained.
"You think you could handle me, purple guy?!" Mao goads.
"Waluigi could cheat his way to kicking your butt, with one arm tied behind his back, no le-"
Geralt puts his hand over Waluigi's mouth to silence him.
"Just don't." Geralt said. "You're only egging him on."
"To be fair, he is the only one right now who can handle any threats or obstacles." Entrapta says.
"Muhahahahaha!" Mao laughed "I knew you'd see things my way! Thank you for picking my side!"
Edgeworth sighs at his team's antics, and Percy takes notice of this.
"He's just an adolescent, even if only in demon years." She tells him. "Kids will be kids. Though I wasn't like that at that age. The team I was with last time was a rather rambunctious bunch, but they were mostly good people."
Edgeworth nods, knowing full well being with a rather eccentric yet good hearted team two times in the past. Perhaps like those times, he was judging things too early.
"Maybe you're right. You also seem to keep a rather serious demeanor despite everything going on around you."
"You very much have to be in my line of work." Percy explains. "Though my coworkers never seem to be as serious as me. Especially after last season. It's hard for me to build trust with new people. So don't take it personally if I'm not very talkative with you."
"I see..."
"Hey guys, I think I see the way out!" Chuck said.
Up ahead, there was an entrance to the right, where it appeared to lead to a large area.
"I think you might be right." Cinder said.
"Heeeey, I think that's the exit!" Another voice yelled.
Coming up from the other side of the path, right in front of the Maniacs was half of the Weirdos.
Both teams quietly stare each other down, until Lobo breaks the silence.
"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in. Where's the rest of yer posse?!"
"Don't know at the moment." Mao said with equal fervor. "What about you?"
"Same as you." Kaiba said. "Though with any luck, the rest of our group has probably made it out already."
"Dream on, pal!" Mao taunts. "Maybe the rest of our group made it out, and yours are still struggling. The one's you're missing are the weak links, after all!"
"You wanna go, brat?!" Tatsumaki warns Mao. "Because I'm game if you are!"
Mao chuckles and takes out a sword. "Most definitely, lady!"
"Can we please not do this right now?!" Charlie pleads to both sides.
"I agree with Charlie." Percy said. "There's no need for senseless violence since we might be so close to the end."
"How about this, then?" Geralt proposes. "Rather than settling this with fighting, we simply race to the exit. May the best man win."
"Can't argue with that, I suppose." Katakuri said.
With that, both groups struggle and shove each other out of the way to get through the rather narrow pathway.
"Outta my way, schmuck!"
"Ow! Don't pull my hair!"
"Hey! Watch you're shoving!"
Eventually, they all push through, and are surprised with what laid before them.
They found themselves in a large open area, outside of the maze, with no sign of the exit. There appeared to be a large wall of ice at the back wall, blocking the way forward.
Everyone stopped fighting with each other and examined the location
"Well, that answers one question." Katakuri said.
"What the hell is this place?" Charlie wondered.
The group continues to look around the large cavern, and see all kinds of machines, devices, and other assorted technological thingamajigs.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say it's somebody's lab!" Entrapta said with excitement.
"Seems about right."
"Probably belongs to Chris." Tatsumaki hypothesized. "Though he doesn't peg me as the science-y type."
"Uhh…" Oscar said with concern. "You guys might want to take a look at this."
In front of him, with a spotlight shined over them, was the rest of both teams' members. All of them were lying asleep on the ground. They all gasp at the sight.
"And another question is answered." Percy said. "How did they end up here, I wonder?"
"I think I'm starting to get really nervous about all of this." Chuck said worriedly.
"Whatever your plan is now, Chris, I'm not liking it!" Geralt said.
"Give me a break!" Chris said over the PA system. "This wasn't my doing!"
"If it wasn't you, then who-"
"Guys, wake up!" Spinel calls out to the unconscious contestants.
Spinel's yelling causes some stirring amongst the sleepy group. Miu begins to wake up, but is still barely awake.
"Mmm, morning, Kiibo." She sleepily slurs, then puckers her lips. "Come give your queen a good morning kiss."
It was then that Aqua wakes up, and watches in shock and fear as Miu comes close to kissing her. Luckily, Miu fully opens her eyes, and the two go from staring at each other in shock to anger.
"You dumb goddess, your stupid face nearly scared me half to death!" Miu snapped.
"I scared you?! What the hell do you think you were trying to pull with a stunt like that?!" Aqua said with equal fury.
"I thought you were Kiibo, give me a break! Besides, you're the last person on this planet I'd ever lez out with! Sure, you got a great ass, but that can't make up for the fact you run on only two brain cells!"
"Take that back! I'm gonna kill you, slut!"
They begin to fight once again, which luckily wakes everyone else up.
"Can you lasses pipe down?!" Zeke complained. "I was having the loveliest dream just now!"
"Ughhh….my head hurts." Wendy groaned.
"Wait…how'd we get here?" Luz wondered.
"Finally awake, sleepyheads." Cinder deadpanned. "Glad you could join us."
"Somebody mind telling me what the fuck exactly is going on?!" Max asked.
"Oh, I'd be more than happy to do that for you!" A mysterious voice said.
"Huh?!"
Another spotlight shone from above, in front of the ice wall. Underneath it was the man in the gas mask from earlier, though he took it off now. He had shoulder length purple hair, with part of it covering one of his eyes. He wore glasses, and had a long and pointy mustache and goatee combo.
His grandiose entrance was met with utter silence.
"What the?!" He sputters. "Aren't you all not impressed?!
"Um, no?" Ruby said
"I see this guy's fashion choice is also lacking oomph." Peacock jokes.
"Shut up! I go through all of this work, and this is the appreciation I get?! Frank! Hot chocolate! Now!"
The guy wearing the hazmat suit earlier comes up to him with a cup of cocoa. Honestly, compared to the other guy, Frank looked like an average joe.
"Gotta admit, this is a nice place you got here, Mr." Miu said. "Mr….uh…. what's your name?"
"And why'd you knock us out and bring us here to this lab?!" Chie angrily asked. "Start answering or I'm throwing hands!"
"One question at a time!" The guy said with glee. "And it's not a lab, it's a sanctum!"
"Ooh, he calls it a sanctum." Entrapta said. "How classy."
"DON'T ENCOURAGE HIM!" Chie snapped
"The name's Daedalus. Daedalus Sulfur. One of the greatest minds of this generation. The great scholar of cross species gene splicing and recombination! Surely you've heard of me?!"
"Sorry, I forgot to renew my subscription to Batshit Crazy Scientists Monthly." Mae quips.
"Oh, har de har har!" Daedalus snaps. "You'll cease making fun of me when you say my latest addition to nature! Chimera number 467! Do keep in mind he's still only a baby!"
Frank pulls the tarp away from a small, blob-like, amorphous green sludge, complete with a beak, butterfly wings, and Mantis arms.
"Kill…me….." the creature croaked.
The contestants we're both grossed out and horrified.
"I think I'm gonna be sick!" Gwen gagged.
"What the heck kind of abomination against God is that?!" Oscar exclaimed.
"It's one of my chimeras, of course!" Daedalus bragged. "I've always thought taking different aspects of creatures and putting them into something else is what humanity needs. Times are changing, and people are evolving! We don't need your humdrum average Steve anymore, do you?! No! Don't you see? We live in a world now where people can become the superhumans of tomorrow!"
"I'm not following." Waluigi said.
"Many of you here have powers and special abilities that prepare you for what the next stage of mankind is up against. It's survival of the fittest, and if everyone can be super, then there's no need to fear."
"HOLD IT!" Edgeworth exclaimed. "What you're implying is highly immoral and unethical!"
Daedalus's demeanor quickly switched from excitement to frustration.
"Gah! You're just like those fools at the Foundation who failed to see my potential! They said the same thing"
"Wait, Foundation?!" Charlie said. "You don't mean…"
"I do. I used to work for the SCP Foundation. I was one of their brightest minds! Until a couple years ago, that is. Apparently, they find it a problem when you try to experiment on SCPs and kidnapped civilians together. Once they caught wind of my plans, they stripped me of my job, and the 05 Council put a hit out on me! Jokes on them, as to this day, they still haven't caught me!"
"Yeah yeah, can you let us through, now?" Kaiba asked. "I could care less about your sob story. Maybe move that wall of ice out of the way while you're at it?"
"Don't you know what lies inside the ice?! Take a look!"
They look more closely at the ice wall, and see a man in there, completely frozen in suspended animation.
He was a large, muscular, tan skinned man. His long hair was half black and half white, held in a ponytail. He wore a black sleeveless vest, black pants with some tears, Japanese sandals, and a large, golden axe in his hand.
"Who's that?" Bernadetta asked.
"He's the legendary hero from ages past!" Daedalus explained. "A man by the name of Yastor!"
"Did you say….legendary hero?!" Mao said, the title piquing the demon's interest.
"Indeed, young man! Foundation files speak that this man was the first person to bond with SCP 999! They said he died in his final battle, but I refused to believe it! I searched everywhere, and my findings led me here! I knew a man this powerful couldn't perish so easily!"
"What are you planning to do with him?!" Wendy asked.
"I'm going to extract his DNA, and add it to my own! The power of the legendary hero will be mine! Once I create a world of the super and evolved, not even the Foundation's best operatives can stop me! I'll lord over that new world like a king! No….given all I've been through, I'll rule it like a god!"
"You know, you talk too much." Rodney insults.
It was his last line that really struck a nerve with a few of them.
Percy looks at Daedalus, the slight hint of anger on her usually stoic face.
"I'm afraid I cannot let you do that." She told him. "Not just because it's illegal, but I won't let another man who claims to be a god cause trouble yet again."
Ryu quickly realized what she meant, and glared at the deranged scientist.
"You must be talking about that bastard Light, Miss Percy. That guy was a despicable piece of scum that played us all like fools. I know how hard the truth hit you."
Lobo cracks his knuckles. "We already had issues with that little shit, but you'll be no different."
"Regardless, you must be stopped." Katakuri said. "We won't let you leave here in one piece."
"Oh?" Daedalus said. "And just what do you plan to do? Your host took all your powers."
"Hey, Chris!" Deadpool yelled above. "You mind getting these bracelets off of us? We need to put down a fucker interfering with the challenge!"
"One step ahead of you!" Chris said as he hit a button on his control panel. "Kick this intruder's butt!"
The bracelets all open and fall off, and those with weapons suddenly had them materialize for them.
"Oh….crap." Daedalus said worriedly.
"Where's that bravado you had a minute ago, chap?!" Zeke said as he pointed his sword at him. "Consider us re-powered, you creep."
They all slowly approach Daedalus, his back up against the wall of ice. His face contorts from fear to maniacal laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHA! Too bad I have the ultimate solution to counter you all!"
He takes out a small test tube with an orange liquid in it.
"Forget your orange juice this morning?" Spinel jokes.
"Guess again, pinky. This serum is the DNA and essence of those of you I knocked out. The DNA of you strong fighters lies here! I was planning to examine all of this later, but now I have no choice! I can add Yastor's DNA later"
Daedalus downs the whole serum in one gulp.
"Dude, you're gross in more ways than one." Mae said.
Katakuri's eyes glow as he sees what's about to happen.
"Step back, everyone!"
"Hey boss, I was about to get some Doordash." Frank said as he returned. "You want anythi-OH MY GOD!"
Daedalus's body begins to undergo a metamorphosis. He grows bigger, ripping through his clothes like the Hulk, and his skin turns orange.
Once he finishes his transformation, Daedalus is now 60 meters tall. He had a fat, protruding gut, his bulky arms had claws, and he had the head of an elephant. There were multiple trunks, almost like octopus tentacles, fish fins for the ears, and three glowing yellow eyes on his face.
"How did he get like that from stealing our DNA?!" Miu exclaimed.
"Well, you got me." Kronk said as he pulled a chart down from seemingly nowhere. "By all accounts, It doesn't make sense."
"This is the apex of humanity!" Daedalus said in a dark reverb. "Think you stand a chance now?! You all look like ants to me! I don't even need my chimeras anymore!"
Daedalus picks up tbe chimera, and swallows it whole. Everyone was shocked and appalled, with Oscar immediately passing out.
"Did...did you just eat the baby?" Max exclaimed. "That's fucked up on sooooo many levels."
"Just like old times, Donuts." Deadpool said to Katakuri. "It's no Gjira or Dragon Rick, but I love when we team up together in fights like this."
Katakuri nods. "Not that I liked any of those situations. Everyone, let's take this bastard down!"
"RIGHT!" They all agreed.
"Enough!" Daedalus roared. "Crushing you lot will be a stepping stone to my dream!"
He brings down a giant fist, but Katakuri runs fast to intercept it. He turns one of his arms into mochi, Hakis it up into a blocky shape, and it clashes with Daedalus's fist.
Everyone watches in shock as the attacks weren't directly touching each other. Black lightning crackled like crazy as Daedalus could feel the pain.
"Rrraaargh! What kind of power is that?!"
"Do you know who I am?" Katakuri smirks. "I'm the acting captain of the Big Mom Pirates! Since our fight with Gjira, I got stronger! I've taken my Armament and Conqueror's Haki to the next level!"
Katakuri gets the upper hand and finishes his contactless punch, causing the behemoth before them to stumble back a bit.
"I didn't know Katakuri got that much stronger!" Wendy said in awe. "I still have so much to learn."
"That is so awesome!" Luz tells her. "You had one heck of a teacher!"
"C'mon, let's help the big guy out!" Deadpool said as he opened fire on Daedalus.
Tatsumaki, Peacock, Miu and Spinel leap into action. The esper hits Daedalus with a boulder, while Spinel inflates her fist and throws a massive pinch in his face. Peacock grabs a large bomb out from her hat and chucks it at him. Miu makes a giant ball of scrap metal and throws it too.
"Enough of this!" Daedalus roared. He spews a blast of fire from his trunks, but Wendy takes a deep breath and counters back with a large column of wind.
"Sky Dragon's Roar!"
While he was distracted, Zeke, Percy, and Ryu sprung into action next. The leap high into the air swords raised high. Ryu's wooden sword now took the shape of a large sushi knife, Percy's sword was electrified from the small towers she made, and Zeke's oversized sword was overloaded with lightning.
"Ultra Filet Technique!"
"Ultimate Lightning Fury Slash!"
"Sorry, but I don't give my attacks names!" The three unleash their attacks, and cause Daedalus to stumble even more. The problem is…..he couldn't move his feet.
"Huh?!"
He looks down and sees his legs were encased in solid peanut butter.
Chuck twirls his condiment blaster confidently and blows the smoke.
"Hey, why don't you stick around?" Chuck jokes.
Bernadetta uses her bow, the Inexhaustible, and fires an arrow at the ground below Daedalus. Suddenly, large vines and plants sprout from the ground and wrap around his body, restraining him even more.
"Release me!"
The Nomad claps his hands, and stalagmites from above come to life and drop on the monster's head.
"Quit hogging the spotlight, all of you!" Mao says. He leaps into the air, his hand glowing blue. He unleashes it into several rays of energy that attack Daedalus from various directions. The beams seem to change directions and change in size as it goes on.
"Shine Beam!"
Still in a disoriented rage, Daedalus spews out more fire. Geralt and Cinder retaliate with flames of their own.
"Let's finish this!"
We see Lobo swinging like Tarzan on his chain, coming for his face. At the same time, Chie was curled into a ball, with Rodney holding her like a football.
"Go long, big guy!"
He throws her with all his might, both the teen and bounty hunter about to hit him simultaneously.
"Time to get fragged, ya piece of shit!"
"Eating babies is not cool! HWA-TA!"
Swinging in, they both land either a devastating kick or punch to the face.
This seems to finish the job, as Daedalus tumbles back, and falls on the ice wall, completely breaking it.
"It looks like he's down for the count." Max said with a hint of triumph.
"I…have no words…." Gwen was speechless at the spectacular fighting she saw.
"Wow, these guys are pretty darn strong!" Rodney marvels.
"Hmph. But is he really down for good?! Kaiba wonders.
"I'd say so." Deadpool said. "Unless MemeKing decides he's not over yet and Daedalus gets back up with his second wind."
Welp, that's what I'm gonna do, Deadpool. Take that.
Daedalus groans as he proceeds to get back up, much to everyone's shock.
"Aw man, you gotta be freaking kidding me!" Ryu complained.
"What's wrong?!" Daedalus taunts. "That all you got?! Now I feel bad for stealing from you all! Now, who's ready for round two?!"
Suddenly, a hand rises up from the rubble of the ice. Daedalus and everyone else notice this.
"What?! Could it be?!"
The person gets out from the ice, and it's none other than Yastor, who looks around in confusion. Especially after being cryogenically frozen for millennia. He appeared to tower over many of the cast (except Katakuri).
"What…huh….?" He slurs. "What the hell's going on? Where am I?"
"You're awake!" Daedalus said with excitement. "The legendary hero finally awakens! Now, would you be so kind as to come with me and be my test subject?! We could rule the world!"
Yastor gets a better look at Daedalus, and recoils in disgust.
"Yeesh. No thank you."
Yastor then gets a big grin on his face.
"Actually, I got a better idea, dickface!"
Yastor pulls his enormous axe out of the ground, leaps into the air, and cleaves Daedalus in two.
"I…NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
The split halves then explode into stardust, completely obliterating the mad scientist once and for all.
"Whew, looks like I still got it." Yastor said triumphantly.
"That guy….just completely wiped him out in one hit." Wendy said in amazement.
Her voice gets Yastor's attention, and he finally sees all of the contestants. With great suspicion, he points his axe at them.
"You all! You aren't with that creep, are you?! If so, I'm gonna strike you down, too!"
"This guy's a straight up gigachad." Deadpool remarks.
"Uh….we mean you no trouble, sir." Charlie kindly told him. "We're not with him. Quite the opposite, in fact. He was trying to kill us, so you were a big help"
"Oh. Alright, then." He then straps his weapon to his back. "Sorry for jumping the gun. You all just looked like the weirdest group to me. I've been in that ice for who knows how long."
"Try thousands of years, pal." Max said.
This news shocked the hero.
"Thousands?! Boy, I've really been out of it for that long! Last I remember, I was falling out of the sky after my last fight. Everything was completely dark after that!"
"I'm sure there's more to your story, Mr….Yastor." Katakuri said. "But now that we've settled all of this stuff with this Daedalus guy, I think it's best we get out of here."
It was then that they see Frank slowly tiptoe away.
"Uh…hi."
Ryu grabs Frank by his collar.
"Ahhhh! Don't kill me, man! I was just doing this for college credit! I'll give you anything you want! I don't have much money, but I'll give you all the weed I got!"
"Listen up, punk!" Ryu said. "All we want is the way out! If you don't give us that, then I'm going to kick your ass so hard it'll hurt for months!"
"Okay, okay! Anything you want!"
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Not too long after this, we see Frank finally lead the competitors and Yastor out of the maze and back to the surface, where Chris luckily awaited them.
"Well, I guess I can say that the first challenge of the season was a complete bust." Chris said with disappointment. "On the plus side, your all's fighting made for some great TV action."
"So I take it nobody won, then?" Edgeworth asked.
"Afraid so. On the plus side, that means we'll have no elimination, so consider yourselves lucky."
They all cheer for this at least. Chris then looks over at Frank.
"As for you, you're in a lot of trouble, dude. Chef's already taken the liberty of calling the cops. Enjoy prison, bro."
"And don't drop the soap." Miu adds.
Frank sighs. "Well, it could be worse."
Chris then talks to Yastor.
"Gotta admit, dude, I appreciate you helping them out."
"No problem, sir." Yastor brushed his thanks off as he looked at his surroundings. "So this is where I've been all this time? Guess I can make a little dirt shack and rough it like I used to."
"Hey! Are you even listening to me?!" Chris angrily asked.
"Piss off, pal, I've been frozen for a long time. For now, I gotta figure out where I'm gonna live, here. I'll be seeing you all around."
He then walks into the woods.
"Still, I cant shake the feeling this guy might be bad news." Carla said to herself.
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"Huh, this Yastor guy totally blew off Chris." Aqua said. "Kinda nice to see that, considering what he puts us through."
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"Something tells me this guy's gonna be quite the handful." Geralt said.
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After this, Chris leads everyone to their cabins, or in this case, cabin.
Everyone saw the regular old cabin, and right next to it, the luxurious spa hotel, only for winning teams.
"Since nobody won, nobody gets the spa hotel this time." Chris said. "So for tonight, you all have just this one cabin. It'll be a bit of a squeeze, though, and I don't think there's enough beds for everyone. That's what sleeping bags and the floor is for. Hopefully next time, we'll have a challenge that doesn't go awry and we can have a winner. Come tomorrow, we'll figure that out."
Chris leaves, and everyone is left to fit in just one, crummy cabin. The boys all take the left side, while the girls take the right.
"Counting up the beds, it looks like three people will have to do without." Edgeworth said.
"Hey, it's kinda like my bed at home." Chuck said as he put his stuff on a bottom bunk.
"It's fine, I'll bite the bullet on this one."Katakuri said as he dropped his bag on the ground. I'll just sleep up against the wall.
"I refuse to sleep on the floor!" Mao complained.
"Chill out, man." Ryu said. "I'll take the floor as well."
"Well, that leaves one more. Any people willing to make the sacrifice?"
"If it'll stop your complaining, I'll be that last guy." Zeke sighed.
"Thank you. You know how to show demons the utmost respect."
l hope Pandy and the girls aren't having this much trouble."
Over at the girls' side, things were…..rather interesting.
Aqua finished drawing a line across the entire room.
"Listen up, Miu!" Aqua said sternly. "You sleep on that side, and I'll sleep on this side! After earlier, I'm not taking any chances!"
"Shut up! I was still half asleep, you got that?!" Miu snapped. "Who gave your dumbass the authority to mark territory?!"
The two literally butt heads, growling at each other.
"Please stop fighting, you two!" Wendy pleads.
"You're not gonna get through to them, kid." Peacock said. "They're as stubborn as can be."
"I'm sure they're just stressed out from today's events." Ruby said. "I at least managed to move past it."
"You're right. It's only the first day.," Chie said. "But today has worn me the hell out. Tomorrow, it'll be different. We'll be kicking ass like it's nothing."
"Goddess, I hope tomorrow is nothing like today." Bernadetta said to herself. The shut in was currently underneath a bed, huddled in a sleeping bag like a cocoon, so nobody could see her.
"Hey, uh... are you gonna be alright down there?" Gwen asked.
"Eeeeeeeeeeee! Uh-uh, Bernie's not here right now! Please leave your message after the beep!"
Gwen shakes her head.
"Weirdo." She mumbled.
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We see the campfire where elimination ceremonies usually occur. Yastor sat in front of the fire, cooking a rotisserie turkey he hunted.
He takes a drink from his liquor gourd, which luckily was still full while he was frozen. (And aging it to perfection.)
"What a crazy group of kids." Yastor said to himself. "Guess I'm lucky they freed me. I think it'd be a fun idea to stick around here. Not like I have anywhere to go right now. Heh….meeting the…this might be one of those "fate" things Franco always talked about."
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Meanwhile, Chris was in his private quarters, impatiently waiting while his phone was busy calling someone. The caller ID merely had tbe name: Tech Support, Alibaba.
Elsewhere in the multiverse, we see the outside of a quiet house in a small urban town in Japan. We see a dark room inside, with a Bidoof eating out of a food bowl. The creature hears the phone ringing, amd scuttles out of the room. He returns a moment later, handing the phone to a silhouetted figure sat in a swivel chair, with several monitors, a couple empty cups of ramen noodles, and a large gas station fountain drink in front of them.
"Thanks, boy." a familiar voice says as she grabs the phone while still typing. "Y'ello, you have reached Alibaba."
"Hello? It's Chris. Didn't think I'd be calling you so soon, but we have a bit of a problem."
"Multiversal, I take it?" Alibaba assumes.
"Kinda. After Gjira, I'd rather we not have another incident like that. And I know you dealt with something quite similar months ago. A certain tea party."
"So, what do you need my expertise for?"
"Do you mind hooking us up with an expert on this kinda crap? Y'know, someone who can stick around, keep an eye on all this and ready to spring into action if it hits the fan?"
Alibaba nods. "You know my services don't come cheap."
"You'll be paid handsomely for this, I guarantee it." Chris assures. "I wouldn't have asked if you weren't the best at what you do. So, think you can help us out?"
"Mwehehe...yeah, I got you. Just give me a second, gonna h have to use the Dark Web for this one."
After a couple minutes of typing, Chris gets a response.
"Alright, I found someone. He should be coming your way in a day or two, give her take."
"Awesome, you've been a big help." Chris tells her.
"Just a heads up...the guy is technically a fugitive...and it says here he's associated with Rick Sanchez before."
"That's a risk willing to take." Chris says. "But thanks again. I'll have Chef deposit the money right away."
"Glad I could help. Now if you'll excuse me, i got a date in thirty minutes that nearly slipped my mind..."
Notes:
Well, I think we can say that was a fun first challenge. Pretty much everyone got to play a part here. And to give everyone more time in the story, I decided the first challenge wouldn't result in elimination. And to try and sow the seeds for some plots further down the line. Tjank you gor the assisance, Alibaba.
And now, we've been introduced to Yastor, a character that had been talked about briefly in Infinite 2. Wonder where that will lead to. I wish I could tell you all, but spoilers and junk like that prevent me from running my mouth.
Next time, we've got a fun and potentially dangerous challenge for our group. All I'm gonna say is…..it's magging time, I mean, magma time.
Well, until next time, let me know what you thought, and stay tuned for the next chapter. This is MemeKing, signing off.
Chapter 3: Episode 3: It's Magging Time
Summary:
Our cast are deep diving into a volcano today. For keys. I couldn't make this up if I tried. Shenanigans ensue.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Last time on TDI3, our first challenge began, to some….rather mixed results. Everyone was stripped of their powers and weapons, and forced to traverse the newly renovated prison maze from two seasons ago. All of that culminated when this crazy scientist and his friend, whose names I've already forgotten, tried to play God and attempted to steal the DNA from this guy named Yastor, who was found frozen underneath the island. With everyone working together, they unintentionally helped free Yastor from his frozen sleep, and the hero finished off the crazy scientist. Unfortunately, no winner could be declared, and that Yastor is crashing rent free on my island. Go figure. Today though, we're gonna turn up the heat for these guys. They all may have survived the first challenge, but this time, there will be winners and losers. As for who that'll be, find out on this exciting episode of Total Drama Infinite 3!"
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Such a peaceful morning on the island. The dawn began to show, and the wildlife began to rise and shine themselves.
As for our cast of creeps from other worlds, they were still sound asleep. The events of the previous day had really tired them out, so they were all getting plenty of rest. Until it was all interrupted.
We see everyone peacefully sleeping. Those like Katakuri, Chie, and Kronk dreamt of food, Tatsumaki dreamt of fighting monsters, Aqua dreamt of money, Edgeworth dreamed of the Steel Samurai, and Miu….yeah, I'm not going there.
Everything remained quiet…..until the sound of a huge explosion caused the island to shake a bit.
The first explosion may not have done the job, because another explosion could be heard, and shook the cabin in the process, which finally got everyone's attention.
Kaiba bolts awake, hitting his head on Geralt's bunk above him.
"Who in their right mind is making so much noise this early in the morning?!" The billionaire complained as he looked at his watch. "It's only seven in the morning!"
Another explosion caused the room to shake, and now the other guys were waking up as well, with complaints of their own.
"Can't have one normal day around here, can we?" Max complained. "Fucking wonderful."
"Are we under attack or something?" Chuck sleepily mumbled.
"It's probably Chris making all of the noise." Waluigi guessed.
"Doubt it." Edgeworth responds. "If it were him, he'd have made it known by now this was his doing."
We hear another explosion, and the cabin shakes yet again.
"Then will somebody go and figure out what that damned noise is?!" Lobo angrily asked.
"I ain't going out there!" Oscar said. "What if it's someone or something dangerous?! I ain't prepared for that!"
"Then let's settle this like men." Deadpool said as he held out a handful of colorful straws of different sizes. "Whoever draws the shortest straw has to inspect the noise."
They all decided to settle it this way, and they each grabbed a straw. As for who the unlucky one was…
"Are you freaking kidding me?!" Mao complained. "How could I have grabbed the shortest one?!"
"That's the rules, kid." Katakuri told him.
"Fine! But if I don't make it back, my comics and video games are still off limits!"
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"And I mean it!" Mao warns. "If someone even so much as touches my SlayStation, there will be hell to pay!"
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Over on the girls' side of the cabin, the ladies were also concerned about the noise.
"Good grief." Tatsumaki groaned. "Just how I wanted to start my day.
"Should somebody go out and investigate?" Mae asked.
"Count me out." Peacock said as she laid in her bed, watching a little portable TV with her cronies. "Got some cartoons to catch up on."
"Yeah, what she said." Spinel said as she joined Peacock.
"I'll go." Cinder sighed. "Only because I know most of you don't have the guts to do it."
"Way to take one for the team. For once." Spinel jokes.
Cinder growls, combusting into flames, much to everyone's shock. And yet, she begrudgingly simmers down leaves to find the source of the noise. Everyone in the room could feel the rage burning off of her.
"Is she always like that?" Luz asked Charlie.
"Trust me, you just saw Cinder at her nicest." The demon tells her.
"Next time she does that, I'm dousing her." Aqua said.
It was then that Wendy realized something. "Wait, I think someone's missing."
"It appears so." Carla tells her. "Entrapta, I think her name is. She probably went to check on the noise before anyone else."
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We now move to the underground lab that our cast encountered in the previous episode. Even after fighting Daedalus, the place was mostly still intact.
We see Entrapta, humming to herself as she typed on the giant mainframe computer in there. Behind her, explosions went off around the cavern.
"JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"
Entrapta turns around and sees a furious Mao.
"Oh, hello there, Mao."
"Don't you "hello there, Mao" me!" Mao complained. "I'm forced to find the source of the noise, and I find it coming from down here! Speaking of which, what are you doing down here?"
"Oh, well yesterday, I was really fascinated with Daedalus's lab, and I wanted to use it for myself as my personal lab." Entrapta explained. "First things first, I'm trying to disable all of the booby traps, which were mostly just land mines, which I think you guys heard. Sorry about that."
"Yes, but…could you stop?! It woke everyone else up, and I was forced to do something about it."
"I appreciate the input. I'll stop it. Besides, I think that was the last one anyway."
"Then that means I came all the way down here for nothing!" Mao seethed.
"Should've known it'd be one of you two causing all of this trouble." A new voice said.
The two turn to see a rather irritated Cinder.
"You've got it wrong, lady!" Mao said defensively. "Little Miss Twin Tails over here was trying to disable all of the explosive traps down here to use as her own personal pad! The other guys just sent me to inspect the noise!"
"You too, huh?" Cinder sighed with slight disinterest. She looks around the lab, then at her two teammates, and then an idea strikes her. "It's rather isolated down here, isn't it?"
"I'd say so." Entrapta cheerfully answered. "I figured nobody would want anything to do with this place after yesterday. One man's trash is another man's treasure. It's roomy, out of the way so it won't bother the others, and as of two minutes ago, officially quiet and booby trap free."
"I see….." Cinder's mouth curls to a rather sinister smile. "You got your own little home base down here. "
"I saw that!" Mao exclaimed. "A smirk of pure evil! You've caught my interest!"
Bingo! Looks like she found her suckers-er, I mean, allies.
"I'm willing to offer a proposal to the both of you." Cinder tells them. "Are either of you open to an alliance with me?"
"An alliance?" Entrapta was a bit puzzled. "Oh! They do that on these kinds of shows, right? People form their own friend groups and look out for each other and hopefully reach the finale together, am I right?"
Cinder felt a hint of disgust with Entrapta's enthusiasm, but was eager to exploit her naivety.
"Something like that." She answers. "You tend to perform a lot better than just flying solo. Someone of your intelligence would probably be highly coveted for an alliance."
"Oh….well then count me in!"
The maiden was rather pleased. Entrapta seemed rather eager to join. She then turns her attention to Mao.
"What about you, kid? Are you in? I hope you are, because the fact that you even know about this is-"
"So!" Mao interrupts. "You require my demonic services, eh? As long as I can have some of my own fun, I graciously accept your invitation!"
Cinder wasn't sure of what he meant by "his own fun", but at least he was on board.
"Glad we could come to an agreement quickly." Cinder tells them. "But let me go over some rules, and I say you should adhere to them very closely."
"First rule: You have to do whatever I say, whenever I say. I have two seasons of experience, so I know what I'm talking about."
Both Mao and Entrapta nod.
"Second rule: no one is to know about our alliance. Keep a low profile, I cannot stress this enough. As soon as they do, they'll undoubtedly Target us."
She quickly pulls Mao aside, and whispers something to him, with Entrapta a bit confused.
"Between you and me…I'm not the most well liked person here. I've done some things that are rather…questionable."
"Committing acts of evil, I see?" Mao said quietly. "I like it. This show truly is a cesspool of good and evil. It's a research hodgepodge!"
"Precisely. Entrapta doesn't seem to have an evil bone in her body, but she has intelligence that could be useful."
"I'm rather smart myself." Mao brags. "Not in the art of engineering and inventing, but when it comes to observation, research, and experimentation, then I'm your guy."
At the mere mention of experiments, Mao began to breath heavily, his glasses fogging up.
Cinder was slightly weirded out by that, but she had to commend this guy's attitude. He seemed a bit like Coyle, but definitely less deranged or unhinged. The perfect balance.
"Then it's settled." Cinder told them. "We'll silently take the game by storm!"
"If you want to make sure we're not found out or bothered, why don't we just meet up down here?" Entrapta suggests.
"That's exactly what I was hoping we could use this place for…"
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"It's nice when I have loyal allies that will follow my orders." Cinder said proudly. "You hear that, DIO? I can play this game better than you can. I won't make the same mistakes as you. It's almost a shame I'm going to crush those two once everyone who stands in my is gone."
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"A rite of passage for these kinds of shows." Mao said. "I'm rather looking forward to it. As the number one Demon's Honor Student, I must cause as much trouble as possible. For example, I stole somebody's panties earlier. Take a look!"
He pulled out a pair of boxer shorts, but then quickly realized something.
"Wait a minute…..THESE ARE MINE! DAMN IT! IT DOESN'T COUNT IF YOU STEAL FROM YOURSELF! IT'S NOT EVEN STEALING AT THAT POINT!"
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"This is gonna be so excitiiiiiiing!" Entrapta exclaimed. "Let the alliance social experiment commence!"
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After that was all settled, the contestants all shuffled into the dining hall for breakfast. They were all still pretty sour over being woke up from the loud noises, so it didn't help that they had to stomach the disgusting abomination that's known as Chef's food.
"Now I'm only gonna say this once, and one time only!" Chef barks. "And this one especially goes out to you newbies! You will grab a tray, get your food, and SIT DOWN!"
"Somebody must be pissed they didn't get their paycheck on time again." Max quietly jokes, to which Mae snickered.
Unfortunately, Chef could hear that.
"FORM A LINE, YOU PATHETIC LITTLE MAGGOTS! NOW!"
They all rush to form a line in a panic.
"Excuse me," Luz said at the front of the line, "but this food doesn't have any dairy in it, does it? I'm lactose intolerant."
He doles out a scoop of some gray glop onto her plate. Luz looks down at it in disgust at her "breakfast"
"I highly doubt it has any of the major food groups, kid." Tatsumaki huffed as she got her food.
"This is an outrage." Chuck said to Gwen, who rolled her eyes as she couldn't care less. "Where's the sandwiches? I refuse to eat this crud!"
"What did you say, tubby?!" Chef called out, beckoning Chuck forward with a finger. "I couldn't hear you!"
"Uh, it's nothing!" Chuck panicked, taking his food and leaving.
Not too long after, everyone got their food and teams' sat together at respective tables.
"Well, I for one do enjoy this fine man's cooking." Percy says while eating her breakfast without a care in the world. "I must give my compliments to the chef."
Chef nods. "At least police chick shows it some respect."
The last one to sit at the Weirdos' table was Kaiba, and his team gasped at the food he had on his plate. He had an actually decent breakfast, consisting of eggs, toast, orange juice, milk, and bacon.
"Hold the fuck up, rich boy!" Miu exclaimed. "How come you get the good stuff while we're stuck with this shit?!"
"That's not fair!" Chie adds. "My stomach demands meat!"
Kaiba looks over at them and gives an arrogant smirk. "When I applied for this show, I sent in a little 'donation' to ensure I have the proper nutrition, among other things."
"So you basically bribed your way to get special treatment?!" Charlie said in disbelief.
"Call it whatever you want. Just know that I don't plan to use my wealth to give me an unfair advantage in challenges. I can win those with pure skill and talent alone. I do want a challenge, after all."
"Guess it can't be helped." Katakuri sighed. "Hopefully, you're not all talk, and will prove your worth in the next challenge."
"Then let's see you put your money where your mouth is, rich boy." Oscar said sternly.
Kaiba smirks. "At least I wasn't a pansy that fainted yesterday. You're already lagging, Proud."
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"Soon enough, they'll see I'm not all talk." Kaiba bragged. "I got this far in life through my own hard work and talents. At one point, I started at the bottom, but look at me now. A CEO, and one the most renowned duelists and gamers in the world."
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"I wish I could have that much money." Aqua moans. "Terry pretty much manages his winnings, but would it kill him to splurge on me on a regular basis?"
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"Because the walruses are always on the lookout for a tight seal." Miu says, finishing a rather racy joke to lighten the mood. Those who heard it were appalled.
"Do you really think that's appropriate talk while everyone's eating, young lady?!" Oscar exclaimed in utter disgust.
"Pretty sure no one is eating, old man." Max said.
"Do you talk to your parents like that?!"
"They don't care." Max huffed. "Hell, I could probably die, and they wouldn't give a shit. They always want me out of their hair, so I say I'd be doing them a favor."
"What?"
Max quickly realized what he said, and immediately tried to change the subject, while playing it cool. "None of your business."
Over at the Maniacs' table, the team was doing some chatting of their own as they picked at their food.
"So, did you guys ever figure out what was causing all of that noise?" Geralt asked.
"It was just some bears causing a ruckus." Mao lied. "It got physical really fast. One of them was even packing heat."
"Wouldn't be the weirdest thing Waluigi has seen on this show." Waluigi mutters.
"Yeah, doesn't get crazier than an oversized lizard warmonger unleashing the most powerful demon that ever lived." Deadpool adds."
"Ugh, don't remind Waluigi."
"I don't know whose idea it was to give bears firearms, but that's an atrocity that would have no doubt led to anarchy." Percy said with her usual monotone delivery. "I'm glad it was handled with."
Gwen couldn't help but watch these guys talking and being utterly baffled.
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"Guess I really have been away for a while, huh." Gwen said. "I guess I could try and socialize with these guys, but…. where do I even start? All of them are very out there, and that's saying something."
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The goth sees Ryu come over with a cup of tea and puts it down in front of Bernadetta, who sat next to her.
"A cup of tea, for my favorite little cup of tea." He kindly told her. "Enjoy, honey."
Bernadetta couldn't help but smile at him. "Thanks, sweetie. I wish they had cake to go with it."
That would be nice." Ryu looks next to him and talks to Kronk. "The food here is just a joke. I'm sure you could whip up something great. If only Colonel Hardass over there can give you a chance."
Chef responds to Ryu's statement by throwing a meat cleaver at him. He luckily doesn't get hurt, but it slices off a huge chunk of his pompadour.
"YOU GOTTA BE FREAKING KIDDING ME! AGAIN?!"
"I would, but I really don't wanna mess with that guy." Kronk said. "I'm not the best at, uh…confrontation. You know what I mean."
As he said this, Ryu quickly fixed his hair, with it now shaped like a boomerang.
"Uh…are you okay?" Gwen asked, referring to the shaman's hair.
The three of them look at her, and then Bernadetta makes a small noise and covers her face with her tray.
"Eh, I'll live." Ryu answers. "It's not the first time that's happened. Doesn't mean I like it or anything."
"So, you're a veteran player?" Kronk said. "You must be pretty good at this."
"Well, I made it to the finale, my first go around." Gwen said. "But every season after that, things just seemed to suck more. I've…..made quite a few mistakes. Like, a lot."
"Eh, nobody's perfect."
"Maybe, but have you ever stolen someone's boyfriend? Have you ever been awful with communication in your relationships, and acted like you were in the right? No, you haven't."
"I'll do you one even better, miss." Ryu said. "I used to not be such a good person. I used to be part of a wandering gang that beat up anyone in our way. Well, until I met a guy that really changed my life around. And my best friend is a six hundred year old ghost of a bandit who was dead set on revenge."
"WHAT?!"
Gwen sees Tokageroh materialize behind Ryu, and the ghost chuckles and waves to her.
"Yeah, and….. I've done some things I'm not proud of myself." Kronk adds. "I was once a part of a whole plan to…..kill an emperor. Luckily, I never went through with it, and he's still alive and all, but you see what I mean."
"The point is," Ryu reiterates, "you're not the only one that's done some rather terrible things. But being able to admit your faults…nothing more respectable than that. Can't go anywhere but forward, miss."
Gwen kinda had to agree with him. Everyone makes mistakes. And her original reason for deciding to come back was to start on a clean slate.
"You make a good point." Gwen then looks at Bernadetta, who was still covering her face. "What about you? Have you ever done anything that you regret?"
"I've donecmany things these past months that father would never approve of." Bernadetta quickly squeaked out. "I'm frankly grateful that I'm still here."
"What?! What do you see in her?" Gwen whispered to Ryu.
"Trust me, once you get to know her, Bernie's a sweetheart. She's a lot more than what you see."
The chatter in the room fell silent as the door swung open. Everyone looked to see Yastor, who looked like he was still waking up.
He shuffles over to the Weirdos' table, and plops down in the seat next to Charlie.
He looks over at her bowl of gray slop. "You gonna eat that?"
Charlie shakes her head and slides it over to him.
"Much appreciated, miss."
Yastor lifts the food up and pours it into his mouth, practically chugging the gray goop down.
"Ugh! Could you at least use utensils?!" Tatsumaki said in disgust.
Yastor only focused on finishing his meal. Once done, he slams his bowl down and sighs with content.
"Whew! Not as bad as Vape's cooking, but it sure hits the spot!"
"Someone must've been hungry." Rodney said as he slid his food over to Yastor as well. "You want mine as well?"
"Don't mind if I do!"
As Yastor continues to chow down, Chris walks into the dining hall, and quickly takes notice of the recently thawed hero.
"Need I ask what the heck you're doing in here?" Chris asked with a hint of agitation.
Yastor finishes the bowl and gives a loud belch. "Lighten up, pal." He tells him. "I was just having a nice meal. I finished building my shack, which took all night, mind you, and I thought I'd treat myself to a meal after all of that hard work. Who here makes the grub? Another bowl, please!"
"Look, I don't care to let you live on this island." Chris said. "This is my show. And you're gonna show me some respect. I do not care if you're some hero from ages ago. My island, my show, my rules."
"Take a chill pill, pal." Yastor casually tells him. The hero gets up and limbers up with some stretches. "Doesn't mean I can't fraternize with this group of ruffians you got here."
"Ruffians?!" Aqua scoffed. "Does he even know who I am?!"
"The point is, you need to lighten up, bro. Not everything has to be super serious. You definitely give off a very controlling vibe. Am I wrong?"
A few "oohs" could be heard from the contestants. They could tell from the look on his face that Chris was really getting pissed off with Yastor and his devil may care attitude.
"What's wrong?" Yastor asked with genuine curiosity. "Do people in this age not like blunt honesty?"
"GET OUT!" Chris yelled.
"Alright, sheesh." Yastor said. "Sorry for striking a nerve, pal." Before he leaves, Yastor grabs the entire pot of breakfast Chef made from the kitchen. He tells Chef "This is some good grub, pal. I'll have to sample more of your stuff when i get the chance."
With that, the man finally leaves.
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"I already freaking like this guy." Spinel said. "Mostly because he really ticks Chris off."
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A few of them started snickering at Chris's outburst, which he quickly noticed.
"Oh, so you guys find that freeloader funny, do you?!"
"Not gonna sugarcoat this, but yeah." Mae said. "It was pretty hilarious."
"Well, you won't be laughing after today's challenge."
This made some of them nervous.
"Oh, really? You think we're scared?" Katakuri said.
"You better be. A lot of challenges this season will be more deadly, difficult, and gruesome than anything you faced in Infinite 1 or 2. These will make those ones look cute. Trust me, I had to go through soooooooo much paperwork to get these ones approved."
If what he said before didn't make all of them nervous, this just did. They all shuddered at this realization.
"Say sike right now." Zeke said.
"I'll say this instead. You've got one hour until the challenge, and right now, I'm gonna give you guys a little preview of what to expect."
Chris pulls out a remote and presses a button. Nothing happens for a moment, but then the room appears to shake violently. The shaking then affects the whole island.
"What the-?! An earthquake?!"
"I knew those explosions earlier were him!" Max yelled.
Everyone held on for dear life, while Edgeworth and Bernadetta crawled under the tables and curled into a ball. (For different reasons, of course.)
Suddenly, the rumbling stopped. They were all relieved, yet still felt uneasy.
"You alright, Edgy?" Spinel asked Edgeworth, who was starting to regain his calm demeanor.
"I'll live." Edgeworth said weakly. "I take it you remember I don't like earthquakes."
"Oh, right."
"Wait, what the hell just happened?" Charlie asked. "That was it?"
"Heh heh. Look out the window and find out." Chris said.
They all look out the window, and gasp as they see a new structure in the middle of the island. Standing there for all the world to see was a large volcano. And from the sounds of bubbling and small embers gushing out of it, it was still active.
"A VOLCANO?!" Chie exclaimed.
"Yep." Chris answered. "The maze wasn't the only thing that got renovated for this season. The whole island got, in techno terms, an update."
"That's not real lava coming out of there, right?" Deadpool asked. "It's just like Homespun, where it was actually just Jello?"
His question was answered as they saw a bird fly above the volcano. A small molten rock flies out and charred the bird into ashes.
"Whatever you meant by that, I'm gonna take that as a no." Luz said worriedly.
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"Should've known." Geralt sighed. "But I'm not letting this get to me. I'll handle whatever that host throws at me."
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"I really jinxed myself, didn't I?" Ryu says. "Ever since that challenge last season with Bowser..."
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We see Yastor heading back to his dirt shack, which luckily survived the earthquake. His shack was rather small, and looked crap, but it was sturdy.
"Ha! I knew this bad boy could survive a little rumbling!"
He goes to grab some firewood, but his sense of danger suddenly perks up. Quickly, he grabs his axe, and quickly turns around with a swing.
The clash of metal rang through the woods as his weapon collided with a sword.
"Well, now?" Yastor said with curiosity. "What's this?"
The one holding the sword was a mysterious individual. They were clad in blue and black robes, with a white porcelain mask covering their face. The mask was detailed with blue markings, and goat horns.
"Who might you be?"
"The seer of disaster." The masked individual answered. "The calm before the storm. You may call me… the Storm King."
"The Storm King, huh?" Yastor reiterates. "Quite an uninspired name. You're a weird one, though. What business do you have with me?"
The two glared at each other as their weapons still pushed against each other. The Storm King eases up and quickly sheaths his sword.
"I know all about you, Yastor." The Storm King answered. "So much it's scary. I speak to you on behalf of renowned pirate Cecil D. Pugwash."
"Never heard of him."
"That's because you've been out of the loop, being frozen and all. I'm not a member of his crew, but our goals have some alignment. You and the rest of the people on this island are in danger."
Yastor raises an eyebrow. "How so?"
"You'll come face to face with him. Real soon. You all will. He'll be here to take back what's his, and what's more…he's not afraid to kill the innocent."
"Pff, you think I'm scared of your threats?!" Yastor scoffed. "Get lost, punk!"
"I see…" The Storm King sounded a bit disappointed. "Then perhaps I shall take my leave."
They turn to leave, but they have one last thing to say.
"A new era is upon us, pal. And just so you know…. I'm much closer than you think."
The Storm King silently disappears into the woods, leaving Yastor a bit stunned.
"Heh, this is probably one of those kid's pranks, right?"
"...Right?"
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An hour later, all of the contestants were gathered together at the top of the volcano. Only the sound of gurgling lava could be heard. There were two bungee cords, and two baby carriages, each colored. (Green for the Weirdos, and red for the Maniacs.)
"Looking at all of that, I don't like the sound of where this is going." Katakuri said worriedly.
"Is it too late to back out now?!" Bernadetta panicked. "I'm flammable, you know!"
"I don't see what the big deal is here." Lobo said as he tossed a cigar he just finished into the volcano. "It's just lava."
"That's because you and Deadpool are practically unkillable." Waluigi told him. "The rest of us, not so much!"
"You better hope poor Wendy doesn't injure herself from whatever you have planned, Mr. Host!" Carla snapped at Chris.
"Relax, cat." Chris said. "If you all would let me explain, the likelihood of you guys coming out of this unscathed will go up. Not a hundred percent, but much higher. Everyone, look at what's in the crater."
Everyone carefully looks at what was in the crater down below. An array of keys, each of different sizes, shapes, and colors, laid on platforms that floated on top of the lava.
"This challenge will be reminiscent of the first one from All Stars. You guys will bungee jump into the crater, and grab a key." Chris explains. "Once you get one, you'll come back up here, and hop in the baby carriage, and one teammate will be the designated driver. That driver will wheel their ally to the spa hotel and see if the key unlocks it. If not, the driver will return up here and pick up the next guy. First team to unlock the door wins. And unlike yesterday, there will be a losing team sending someone home later.
Many of them still had a bad feeling about this, but Chris tells them one last thing.
"I'll now give you guys a couple minutes to figure out who your driver will be."
The Weirdos all huddle together like a sports team.
"Okay, so who's gonna be driving everyone back and forth?" Chie asked. "We need someone who has the stamina to pull that off."
"I'll do it." Katakuri said.
"Now hold on." Oscar said. "You're one of the strongest guys here. Wouldn't it make more sense for you to be a jumper?"
"Have you seen how big Katakuri is?!" Miu said. "I don't think he'd be able to fit in the carriage."
"And even if I could fit, I figure whoever the driver is would have a hard time moving me to and from." Katakuri adds. "So I drive. Any questions?"
They all shake their heads.
"Good, now let's win this, everyone!"
One by one, they all put their hands in, until Kaiba was left.
"C'mon, man!" Rodney said. "You're part of this team, too."
The duelist gives a defeated sigh. "Fine. But only if we manage to take the win."
"So it's settled, then?" Charlie affirms. "Then let's do this!"
Like the Weirdos, the Maniacs we're all huddled together.
"Waluigi's willing to bite the bullet on this one and drive everyone." Waluigi volunteers.
"Sounds like someone is trying to weasel their way out of jumping." Cinder said.
No!" The cheater said defensively. "Waluigi's just trying to be as helpful as possible!"
"Then you wouldn't mind risking your life by jumping? That'd be useful, too."
"We're not gonna accomplish anything by arguing." Wendy said.
"Wendy's right." Luz said. "We need a driver who's fast, and strong enough to move everyone. Sadly, I don't fit the bill. Curse my weak nerd arms."
"How about him?" Gwen said, gesturing to Kronk. "He's the biggest guy on the team."
"Wait, me?" Kronk asked.
"Well, he surely has the strength department down." Edgeworth points out. "Are you fast?"
"I don't mean to brag, but I used to run track and field." Kronk said humbly.
"Then I think we've come to a logical conclusion. Kronk, you'll be our driver."
"Wait, are we not going to reconsider?!" Waluigi complained. "Waluigi's fast too, you know!"
"It'll be fine, man." Kronk tells him. "Just go out there and do your best."
"If you're so worried, why don't you go first?" Ruby suggested. "You know, get it out of the way."
"Guess you make a fair point, kid." Waluigi said as he pondered the idea. "But Waluigi still doesn't like this."
"You'd better not let us down, oaf!" Mao warns Kronk. "I want to win and rub it in the losers' faces!"
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"Is everyone finally ready?" Chris asked.
Waluigi had the bungee cord on, and was already sweating bullets as he looked at the lava below. Next to him, the Nomad had a cord on, and looked a bit nervous himself.
"On your mark…get set….."
"...GO!"
The two jump into the volcano, and land on some rocks.
"Okay, Waluigi…..just gotta pick a key." Waluigi said to himself.
He looked around the crater, and the nearest key appeared to be about two meters away. He'd have to leap across rocks just to get it.
"Oh, COME ON!"
The Nomad was in a similar predicament, but he had a plan. He looked at the nearest key to him, and clapped his hands. The key sprung to life and leapt into his hands.
"What?!" Waluigi complained as both his legs stood on two different rocks. "Waluigi forgot he could do that!"
The Nomad gives Waluigi a salute and tugged on the cord. Lobo yanked up the rope, until the Nomad was back up top.
"That was fast!" Oscar marveled.
The Nomad quickly hops into the carriage, and Katakuri runs down the volcano, back to the hotel
"C'mon, Katakuri!" Spinel cheered. "Put the hustle in your bustle!"
"Is Waluigi okay?" Ruby asked worriedly. "He hasn't come back up yet."
"Hey, I got one!" His voice could be heard from below. "Pull me out!"
Ryu pulled Waluigi up as quickly as he could.
"Geez, that was awful!" Waluigi gasped. He hops into the basket, and Kronk wheels them off. "It's way harder than it looks!"
"My god." Edgeworth said with concern over Waluigi's warning. "Chris has gone too far this time!"
"I knew it!" Bernadetta cried. "We're all gonna die!"
"Hey, why don't you try and think positively, Bern?" Deadpool said.
After a moment of silence, Bernadetta said "We're all gonna die quickly."
"Doubt it." Percy said. "With that lava, death would be rather slow and painful. Movies and TV really get that part wrong."
"You're not making things any better!" Carla snapped.
"Yes! I feed off this arguing!" Mao exclaimed.
The whole team erupts into a panicked rambling, making it hard to distinguish what's being said.
"Good fucking grief." Geralt groaned at his team's current predicament.
As they waited for Katakuri and the Nomad to return, the Weirdos watched the Maniacs all in a panic.
"Look at them, freaking out like chickens with their heads cut off." Max chuckled. "It's priceless."
"Kinda agree with you." Mae said. "They're making absolute asses out of themselves."
"Don't you feel a little bit bad for them?" Rodney asked Max.
"Who cares?!" Aqua said. "This gives us the advantage. As long as Katakuri hurries back quickly."
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We see Katakuri as the first one to reach the hotel. The Nomad gets out and tries to see if the key will fit. Unfortunately, it didn't.
"Damn it!" Katakuri muttered as the Nomad got back in the carriage. "Well, the odds that the first one would be right were rather slim. Let's hurry back."
As he leaves, Kronk and Waluigi arrive. Much like the duo before them, the key was a dud.
"No luck, huh?" Kronk asked.
"No! And after all the work Waluigi put in to get this!" Waluigi complained.
"Don't sweat it, man. I'll try and pick up the pace. Hopefully we'll catch up."
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Katakuri returns to his team, and Spinel puts the cord around her ankle. Not too long after, Kronk returned, and Deadpool readied himself for a turn.
"You weren't kidding." Waluigi remarked. "You are fast."
"Looks like it's us this time, buddy." Spinel said to Deadpool.
"Yep. Good luck."
The two jump in, and before they attempt to grab a key, the two decide to…catch up.
"So, how's the new guys on your team?" Deadpool asked. "I'm not missing out on anything, am I?"
"They're fun." Spinel said. "Especially Peacock. She's a riot. When this challenge is over, the three of us should totally hang out."
"Ooh, that'd be perfect! We'd be chaos incarnate!"
"What the bloody hell are you two doing down there?!" Zeke asked from above.
"Just chatting." Spinel answered innocently.
"Look, I know you two are close friends, but could you focus on the challenge?!" Wendy asked.
"Alright, alright." Deadpool said as he grabbed the one key that was floating in the magma. (How it didn't melt is beyond me.) "Beam me up, Scotty!"
Spinel grabs a key, and rather than have someone pull her up, she stretches her arm up to the top and pulls herself out.
"You pull a stunt like that again, and we'll vote you off so fast your head will spin!" Kaiba threatens Spinel.
"Take it easy on her, Kaiba." Charlie pleads. "Deadpool is her closest friend."
Spinel hops in the carriage, looking a bit distraught from Kaiba's threat. Before she could say anything,
"Hmph. I'm not here to make friends." Kaiba tells Charlie. "I'm here to win. In a show like this, you have to take priorities into order. Those who are friends or even in a relationship are easy targets."
"That's not true!"
Kaiba smirks. "Oh, really? I heard that last time, you and Katakuri were some of the earliest eliminations. Am I wrong?"
Charlie attempted to say something back, but he was right. He struck a nerve with her. She wasn't too proud of her elimination last season.
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"Look, I get it's a game, but it's also a social game!" Charlie exclaimed. "Playing lone wolf won't get you as far as you think! Some of the things he says makes my blood boil!" Very quickly, she regains her composure.
"But….. I'm willing to give this guy a chance. Everyone deserves a chance."
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"You know what, Kaiba? I'll let you think whatever you want. Who am I to force my opinions on your own?"
"You handled that like a champ." Chie whispered to her. "Most guys who'd talk to me like that, I'd kick or slap them."
"Thanks."
"Another dud." Katakuri said as he returned with Spinel. "Who's next?"
"I'll go." Zeke said. He takes Turters out of his pocket and hands him to Pandoria.
"Hold onto Turters for me, Pandy. Wish me luck."
"Try not to get yourself too hurt, my prince." Pandoria warns him.
"Pff, I'm not scared. This volcano hasn't tangoed with the great Zekenator before."
"JUST GO!" Tatsumaki shouted. It was then that Kronk and Deadpool returned. "Oh look, now lunkhead is back because of your monologuing!"
"Alright, lass. I'm going."
Zeke quickly puts the cord on, but unfortunately for him, the part of the volcano he stood on crumbled, and he fell into it. Because of this, his head lands painfully on a rock. Everyone, including Chris, recoiled in pain.
"You alright there, man?" Gwen asked as she dropped down into the volcano.
"I don't want any more applesauce, mommy." Zeke said, still disoriented.
"Rrrrrright." She said as she grabbed a key and tugged the cord.
"Hey Shellhead, pull your head out of your ass, and grab a goddamn key!" Miu snapped.
This luckily made Zeke come to his senses, and he bolts up quickly.
"Ha! As if a scratch like that will stop m-"
"JUST GRAB A KEY ALREADY!"
Zeke does so, and is swiftly brought back up, and off with Katakuri.
"Man, I hope Zeke will be alright." Rodney said. "That was a rather nasty fall he took."
"Well, he shouldn't have been spending his time yammering on!" Miu said. "He doesn't have the bite to back up his bark. Wouldn't you agree?!"
Rodney began to stammer and fumble his words with Miu.
"I…..he…..as a team….united….you… AGHH, THIS IS AWKWARD! Hold on, this'll be easier if one of us turns around!"
"Oh right, I'm venting with a fucking simp! How about you think with your brain and not with your dick?!"
"Miu, I get you're angry, but could you please not use that language?" Chie asked. "There's people on the other team who probably shouldn't hear that stuff. Particularly those like Wendy and Ruby."
Miu quickly thought it over. "Alright, I'm sorry. Still trying to work on that. It ain't easy, you know."
Chie nods, and looks at Rodney. "Don't let her intimidate you, big guy. You were just concerned about our teammate. If someone gives you problems, you come talk to me, and I'll smack some sense into them."
"I will." Rodney said, feeling better. "Thanks, dude."
"Anytime."
Miu once again was slack jawed as she saw them interact like it's nothing."
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"Damn, there he goes again." Miu said. "Talking to miss tomboy over there as easily as a normal person. This confirms my theory that he thinks Chie is a guy. I wonder how he'll react when he finds out the inevitable truth."
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"I honestly wasn't sure how I'd get along with the people here." Chie explains. "So far, I at least made a friend. I was told having a good social game is just as important as being good in challenges. Rodney is a pretty cool guy. Gotta be a good sign if he's able to talk to me normally."
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"Crap, this one didn't work either." Zeke said. "Back we go!"
As Katakuri wheels him back, Gwen and Kronk arrive.
"Another wrong one, huh?" Kronk asked.
"Yep. Unfortunately." Gwen said as she got back in the basket. "Gotta admit, this was way easier than last time."
Both teams make it back to the summit, and Entrapta and Max go next.
"Well, if this is how I die, then I guess it was a life well lived." Max deadpanned."
"Geronimoooooooooooooooo!" Entrapta yelled as she dropped down.
Max goes in right after her, and comes back up after a couple of minutes, which by that time, Entrapta was already making a beeline for the hotel.
"What took you so long, kid?" Peacock asked.
Max smirks and holds out his hand, which has a handful of keys.
"Hold up!" Ryu objects. "Chris, he grabbed more than one! That shouldn't be allowed!"
"I never said you couldn't grab more than one." Chris explained. "Smart move, Max. I'm surprised nobody else thought of doing that until now."
"You snooze, you lose." Mae said to the Maniacs.
Max and Katakuri head down the mountain, leaving the Maniacs pissed, and feeling stupid for not thinking of doing that sooner.
"As much as I hate it, kid was smart." Ryu said disappointedly. "What a fool I was for not thinking of that idea."
"It's gonna be fine." Bernadetta tells him. "As long as Kronk hurries back, we can grab more. But…..please don't make me go next."
"Then if that's the case, I'll go next." Chuck declared. "It'd be wrong if a supervillain like myself didn't crush the other team's hopes by snagging every key left in this crater
"You sure you're up for this?" Luz asked.
Chuck scoffed. "You dare doubt me? You know how many times my evil plans have succeeded?"
"Let me guess, none?" Cinder mocked.
"Hey, that's only because WordGirl and her hairy sidekick always ruin it for me!" Chuck said defensively. "If not for them, Ibe ruling the world right now."
"That's already a red flag." Gwen said.
"I can commit crime better than you!" Mao said. "Just earlier, I went to the bathroom, and I didn't wash my hands."
A collective "EWWWW!" could be heard from everyone.
"Even I make sure to do that." Chuck mutters.
"Don't you know how important personal hygiene is?" Percy told him. "If you worked in fast food, you would surely be fired for a gross atrocity like that."
"Ugh, you're starting to sound like Beryl." Mao groaned.
"Uh, hello?!" Chuck interrupts. "I'm pretty sure we were talking about me securing victory for us!"
"If you think you can handle it, then by all means." Geralt declared. "A man's only as good as his word."
The Witcher then gets a serious look in his eyes.
"So don't blow it."
Chuck gulped and nodded.
"I hope they get back soon." Ruby said with hope.
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As Kronk is making his way back up, he drops to the ground in pain.
"AHHHHH, IT HURTS!"
"What's wrong?!" Entrapta asked.
"My ankle!" Kronk exclaimed. "I think I sprained it!"
"Should we switch? I could try and wheel you back up."
"No way." Kronk told her. "I was chosen to be the driver, and I won't break that rule."
"But you're obviously hurt. You wouldn't be able to run in your condition. Well, unless you had hair like mine. Then the hair could do the walking for you."
"You just sit tight in there. I'm gonna work through the pain!"
Kronk attempts to get up, but the pained look on his face was very prevalent.
"We could just tell Chris you're hurt." Entrapta suggests I'm sure he'll underst-"
"No!" Kronk tells her. "I can't let my friends down! After the stuff I did last season…..I need to make it up to them!"
After he said this, Max and Katakuri passed them, heading back up the volcano.
"Man, I grabbed like ten of them, and every single one of them was a dud." Max complained.
"They're in the lead." Kronk pants. "I can't let my friends down. Even if they've forgiven me for last season…. I STILL HAVEN'T!"
He remembers those here that he competed alongside in BV. Ryu….. Bernadetta…Percy…. All of them people that he became good friends with. To him, he couldn't afford to lose. He had to try for them.
"Hang onto something, Entrapta!"
"What do you me-WHOA!"
The inventor is caught off guard as Kronk kicks it into high gear, and runs as fast as his legs could. His hurt ankle only hurt the more he ran, but he was determined to play through the pain.
As soon as Katakuri makes it back to him, so does Kronk at the same time.
"Alright, Aqua, looks like it's your turn." Charlie said.
"Try not to fuck it up." Miu warns.
"Please. Have some faith in me." Aqua tells her.
Ryu quickly noticed Kronk's injury. "Bro, are you alright?!" He asked with concern. "Your ankle! It's-"
"It'll be alright." Kronk assures. "Don't worry about me! Worry about the challenge!"
"Looks like you're up, Chucky boy!" Ryu said to the supervillain.
"I got this in the bag." Chuck said confidently as he put the cord on.
Both Aqua and Chuck hop down into the crater at the same time. They look around, but surprisingly have a hard time finding a key.
"C'mon, that can't be all of them, can it?!" Aqua panicked.
"It can't be." Chuck said. "The challenge would've been over already if there's no more."
They keep scouring out the area, until they both find it.
A single key.
The last one, even.
Just laying there, ripe for the taking.
"MINE!"
They both lunge for it, and engage in a fierce battle of tug of war, as the volcanic crater flares with intensity.
Everyone watched with intense hype, cheering their teammate to win the exchange.
"Don't give that punk a chance!" Tatsumaki said.
"C'mon, Chuck, you got this!" Waluigi said. "Your opponent is Aqua!"
"Yet I think the blue girl has the high ground on this one." Peacock cheekily adds.
"Give it up, pal!" Aqua said. "I can't screw this up!
"No way!" Chuck retorts. "This is my moment!"
"I returned this season to prove myself and make a comeback!"
"My mom is watching! I can't lose now!"
"GIVE!"
"IT!"
"TO!"
"ME!
"NOOOOOOOOOW!"
The force of all of their pulling finally gives in. They both fall flat on their backs, the key flying into the air…
…..And falls into Aqua's mouth, which she accidentally swallowed.
"Uh oh."
Everyone who watched was utterly shocked.
"She fuckin' ate it?!" Lobo said in disbelief. The bounty hunter laughs. "Oh god, that's priceless!"
"It can't end like that, can it?!" Rodney worriedly asked.
"Pull her up!" Katakuri ordered. "I have a plan!"
Oscar and Lobo pull Aqua up as quickly as they could manage.
"Get in the carriage!" Katakuri tells her.
"I'm so so so sorry!" Aqua pleads. "That was an accident!"
"Just hop in! I have an idea!"
She complies, and the pirate books it the hell out of there. Their team cheers them on.
Chuck hops in his team's carriage, and issues Kronk orders.
"After them!" Chuck tells him. "They're not ruining my chance of victory!"
Kronk nods, and chases after them.
"Do you think they have this in the bag, Miles?" Wendy asked Edgeworth.
"I'm not entirely sure." Edgeworth sighed. "But…..I would probably not get your hopes up."
"Why's that?"
"Just a hunch."
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"Hey, I see them!" Kronk said.
"Get closer!" Chuck said as he took out his condiment blaster. "We're gonna stop them in their tracks, and make her cough up the key!"
Meanwhile, Katakuri's eyes begin to glow.
"They're close!" He said. "They're gonna attack us!"
"Shouldn't we do something about that?!" Aqua asked.
Still seeing slightly into the future, Katakuri merely smirks. "Heh. I wouldn't be too worried."
"Huh?"
Both duos were side by side, and Chuck had a clear shot at them.
"I wish we could stay and ketchup, but we've got a challenge to win!" He joked.
He pulls the trigger, but nothing happened.
"What the?! Don't tell me it's jammed! Not now!"
He gives it a slap, but the device explodes, leaving him and Kronk entirely covered in ketchup.
"My eyes!" Kronk cried. "I can't see!"
The big guy starts to swerve out of control, until they roll farther to the right. Kronk accidentally ends up in the carriage, and the two keep rolling down the hill, out of sight.
We see Yastor, coming back from the bathroom, and about to take a nap in his shack. That is, until Kronk and Chuck crash into it, and keep rolling on.
"Aw crap." Yastor groaned. "Gonna be pulling another all nighter for sure."
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Katakuri and Aqua finally reach the hotel.
"Okay, whatever your plan is, you better think fast." Aqua said. "There's no telling if or when they'll be back."
Katakuri simply grabs her by the top part of her hair, much to the goddess's pain.
"OW! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! LET ME GO!"
Katakuri raises his fist and punches her hard in the gut. Luckily, he hit her so hard that she coughs up the key. The key itself flies out of her mouth, and into the keyhole.
It fit! Once in there, the key turns, and the door opens.
"Oh." Aqua said. "That's what you meant."
As he puts her down, Chris flies over on his jetpack.
"Congratulations, you two!" Chris tells them. He takes out his megaphone to give the news to everyone else.
"Due to Katakuri's quick thinking, and Chuck's incompetence, the Wayward Weirdos win the challenge!"
The Weirdos cheer in celebration. Zeke and Pandoria hug, Mae and Max fist bump, the Nomad silently applauds, and Peacock fires off a revolver joyously. Kaiba, silently, with his arms crossed, slightly smiles.
As for the Maniacs, they all looked rather disappointed.
"Damn it!" Mao stomped his feet.
"We lost?" Wendy said glumly.
"Afraid so, child." Carla sighed.
"Why am I not surprised?" Cinder adds.
"We'll get them next time." Ryu said, trying to boost morale, even if slightly.
"Maniacs, I'll be seeing all of you tonight!" Chris said. "Happy voting!"
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"I know I shouldn't have a reason to worry, as I didn't do anything to mess up the challenge." Geralt said. "But preparing for an elimination is always so nerve wracking."
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"Am I upset that we lost? Of course." Cinder said. "Am I worried? Not at all. Even though I never had the chance to jump, I've done nothing wrong today. Their lack of taking me seriously will ultimately be their downfall."
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"So, that Katakuri guy is pretty amazing, isn't he?" Luz asked. "He handled that challenge perfectly.
"He really is!" Wendy said. "He's like a brother to me. Two seasons ago, he trained me, believing I had potential to be even stronger. In fact, next chance I get, I'm gonna train with him, just like old times."
"Cool." Luz tells her. "Looks like we're both trained by cool old people."
"I'm planning to resume training with him when I have the time. Feel free to join us next time. Perhaps if you wanted, maybe he'd train you too."
"Luz ponders this idea. "I'll keep it in mind. It's not like I'm in this game extremely powerless. But i suppose it couldn't hurt. Could be fun, even."
"That is, if we survive tonight's elimination."
"Ugh, don't remind me."
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"Ah, thanks so much for helping me fix the hole, you guys." Yastor told Rodney and Kronk.
"Oh, it's no problem." Kronk assures.
"Nothing different than fixing stuff up on the farm." Rodney says.
"What a coincidence." Yastor laughed. "I was raised on a farm myself, once upon a time. This guy came from humble beginnings, believe it or not."
"Oh, really?" Kronk asked. "That's interesting to know. You've gotta tell us more about your past."
"Eh, I'll do it when I'm feeling in the mood. Anyways, how's your ankle? Heard you hurt it."
Kronk looks down at his leg, now wrapped in gauze.
"It'll be fine. Just gotta take it easy the next day or two."
"Aren't you worried about tonight's elimination?" Rodney asked.
"A little. But, no matter what happens, I played a good game. I'm fully prepared to leave with my head held high if that happens."
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The Maniacs, seated on tree stumps, under the cloudy night sky, awaited their fate.
Behind them, a tiered, high walled seating area stood. The Weirdos all sat here as their own peanut gallery.
"Hope you like that we brought this back." Chris says. "Even the winners will get to watch you lose badly! Now that that's out of the way, enjoy the show, Weirdos. Maniacs, welcome to the first elimination of the season. I only hold fifteen marshmallows. You have all voted, and one of you will be leaving the show for good. Well, unless we decide to bring someone back after the merge, but that's unlikely. The following players are safe:"
"Entrapta..."
"Geralt..."
Edgeworth..."
"Bernadetta…"
"Percy…"
"Deadpool…"
"Gwen..."
"Cinder..."
"Wendy…"
"Ruby..."
"Waluigi…"
"Luz…"
"Ryu..."
"And Kronk…"
As Kronk sighed with relief, this left only Chuck and Mao.
"What are the odds? Two of the new blood in the bottom two. Chuck, your actions today cost your team the challenge. Mao, you have quite the….personality. Not to mention you explained to everyone that you didn't wash your hands earlier. That's gross, dude."
"Who voted for me?!" Mao snapped. "I demand an answer!"
"Relax, half pint. You're safe" Chris says as he tossed the demon a marshmallow. "Chuck, it's curtains for you."
"Aw, what?!" Chuck complains. "You're all making a big mistake!"
"Great." Chris says. "Now, I will now introduce you all to this season's means of elimination. Actually, it'll be something different each time."
Chuck is led to the dock. where a submarine designed like a sandwich sat.
"Say hello to another surprise! Every elimination is personalized! Today, we have the Sub Sandwich of Sadness!"
"Is it safe?" Chuck asks nervously.
"Do you forget what show this is? Just quit being a baby and get inside."
"Well…. goodbye, everyone." Chuck said. "Hope we meet again. Who knows, maybe I might get my Crusher and get revenge on you all and this show. Well, unless my chores keep me busy. Take care."
Chuck gets in the sub, and it dives down at an insanely fast speed. The last thing that could be heard was Chuck's panicked scream.
"Don't forget to not write!" Chris says.
"Should we be concerned about that?" Waluigi asked. "Waluigi don't know what a "Crusher" is, but it sounds painful."
"Well, that's that." Chris says to the camera. "One down, and thirty one suckers left. Which of these guys will ultimately fail next? And what fresh hell can I put them through next?"
"HEY! DON'T IGNORE WALUIGI!"
"Find out next time, on Total Drama Infinite 3!"
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Later that evening, we see Chris sat down in a meeting in his office. Across tbe desk from him wa another man. He was an older, spectacled guy with dark gray hair. He wore a tan coat, a red turtleneck with a black belt that slings across his chest, black pants, and large brown boots coated in dirt.
"Glad you finally managed to show up, Dr Pines." Chris said. "Our tech support couldn't have picked a better guy for the job. It says here that you have over thirty years of experience traveling across the universe, as well as encountering and handling extradimensional weirdos and other threats."
"That'd be correct, yes." The man says seriously. "We'd be hear for the entire week if I'd recounted all the things I've experienced in that time. But I must ask...are these really the people who beat Gjira and Chubzworth?"
Chris raises a curious eyebrow. "Oh, so you do know them?"
"Not personally, no. But I've heard their names and exploits all over my travels. I'm frankly relieved to hear they've been dealt with."
"Well, technically speaking, the ones who actually beat them are not here at the moment." Chris explains. "But these guys here all played a big part of that, and are friends with the actual heroes. Heck, feel free to chat with them about it. As long as it doesn't get in the way of the competition."
"And this legendary hero..." The man brings up. "He's actually here? I read about the legends, and-"
Chris's eye visibly twitches. "Yeah, that freeloading hippie is here. And he's a real pain, just a heads up. Just remember that your job is to protect the place and make sure we don't have another Gjira incident. We already had a player die because of him. Other than all that, your free time is yours for whatever you nerdy guys get up to."
The man grins for the first time that night, and the two shake hands. "Then it's a deal. I think this is gonna be the start to a great partnership. I can't wait to meet this cast of yours."
"We'll introduce you during the next challenge. Glad to have you aboard."
Notes:
Well, that was quite the fun one. We have such a great cast, but it was ultimately hard to choose who to boot first. Especially when everyone is brimming with potential. Unfortunately, Chuck drew the short end of the stick. In the long run, he had the least plot relevance. I tried to find a way to keep him longer, but that just wasn't in the cards. That's one down
I'll keep this rather brief, but this chapter was to sprinkle a few of the plots, (Not all, but some.) and a mysterious masked figure. Who are they, and what are their goals?
Here's what's in store for next time. The teams take to the high seas, in their very own pirate ships. Their goal: To hunt and take down a legendary sea beast. Storms, trials, and tribulations await.
As usual, read and review, and let me know your thoughts. Constructive criticism is always welcome as well. Until next time, this is MemeKing, signing off.
Chapter 4: Episode 4: Come Here, Fishy Fishy
Summary:
The contestants are tasked with heading out into shady waters as rumors of a sea monster wrecking the ecosystem spread. The goal: to actually slay alleged monster.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Last time on TDI3, our group of multiversal oddballs sought to prove their worth. And by that, I mean jumping head first into a volcano for keys. Some like Zeke and Kronk, played through the pain. Others like Max, got crafty and creative to bolster their chance at victory. Ultimately, it came down to Aqua and Chuck, fighting it out for the win. Thanks to some luck, and Chuck's incompetence, the Weirdos took the win, and Chuck was unsurprisingly the first camper of the season to be eliminated."
"With one poor sap down, that leaves thirty one left. Which one of them will take the plunge, and beat it next? Find out on today's episode of Total Drama Infinite 3!"
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It had been two days since the last challenge. Things had been rather peaceful during that time.
We see several of the Weirdos around the spa hotel's dining table, enjoying breakfast.
"Ahh, now I can get used to this." Oscar said, enjoying a breakfast of pancakes and bacon. "Winning never felt so good."
"You said it, chum." Zeke said as he plopped down in the seat next to him. The prince starts hooking himself up with food. "We keep doing as well as we did the other day, we'll be living like kings all season."
"Hopefully." Kaiba said with his usual smugness. "As long as we don't have anyone on this team to screw things up like the other team did."
"Kata knows what he's doing when managing a team." Spinel explained. "I know full well to trust his intuition. Take it from someone who's been on the same as him more than once."
"Heeeeeeeey!" The voice of Aqua slurred across the room. Unsurprisingly, the goddess was drunk, barely managing to lift her head off the table. "I helped too, you know!"
"Oh my fucking god, are you drunk again?!" Miu complained. "And this early?! Terry must have a looooot of patience dealing with you."
"Shut your mouth, slut!" Aqua weakly slurs. "I'll kick your…..ass!"
"Calling me a slut, huh? That's funny, considering you go commando, walking around with your bare ass exposed."
"Tha's not true! Stop yer slander!"
"Did you seriously hear how dumb that is?!" Miu asked Chie.
Chie was a bit preoccupied with chowing down her breakfast, which was filled with nothing but a smorgasbord of ham, bacon, and sausage.
"Can't talk right now! This carnivore is in the zone!"
"Good morning, everyone~!" Charlie trills as she enters the room and sees the chaos in front of her. "Er…I'll go put on a pot of coffee." Charlie said. "That should sober her up."
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"Sweet salty christ, I just can't with Aqua." Miu said. "Even if she was sober, she still wouldn't realize how stupid that sounds. She's a trainwreck in the morning, that's for damn sure. Five o'clock somewhere in the world I suppose. Next time we lose, I won't be surprised if they boot her."
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We see Tatsumaki enter the room, and yawn as she pours herself some coffee.
"Hey there, sleepyhead." Spinel said. "You alright? You're missing all the fun."
"I was tired because I spent all night on that idol." Tatsumaki huffed. "And don't bother asking me if I found it anyway. Still got a ways to go. If I'd known my efforts last night would be fruitless, I'd have used that time to sleep. I am not a morning person."
"Didn't have to be such a sourpuss about it." Spinel pouts.
"Getting back to the meat and potatoes of it, where is the big guy?" Lobo asked. "Katakuri, I think his name was.
"I believe he said he was getting his breakfast to go." Charlie explained.
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Out in the woods, Katakuri sits peacefully on a stump, enjoying a donut that's too large for a normal person.
"Mmm, so tasty!" He said like an excited child. "Has the right amount of crunch to it as well!"
His body quickly tensed up, as his Observation Haki picked up the presence of someone. Once he realized who it was, his body relaxed.
"Ah, it's just you, Wendy." He holds the big box of donuts to her. "Would you care for one? They're a special batch I brought from home."
"No thanks." Wendy politely declined. "I'm not hungry."
"You sure? I should have one that's more your size-"
He tensed up again, sensing another presence nearby. Wendy knew what was going on, and tried to diffuse the situation.
"It's fine! She means no harm! You can come out now!"
Coming out from behind a tree was none other than Luz.
"Yo."
"Oh." Katakuri said as he relaxed again. "You're Luz, right? Sorry about that. I'm constantly steeling myself in case there's danger."
"Oh, it's fine, big guy." Luz assured. "Totally get it. Though for someone who looks so serious, you do love singing about donuts."
"So then…what brings you guys here?"
"I was hoping we could train together again." Wendy explained. "Just like old times. I can tell you've gotten a lot stronger, and I'm always up for self improvement."
"Honestly, child." Carla huffed. "You're plenty strong as it is."
"I know. But I was hoping we could just hang out together like we used to."
"That's perfectly fine." Katakuri tells her. "We didn't have a lot of time for that last season. And before this one, I was going through a lot of crap back home. If that's all you want, I can't say no to you."
He emphasized this by patting Wendy on the head.
"Thank you, big bro." Wendy said. "And if it's not too much to ask, you wouldn't mind training Luz alongside me, would you?"
Katakuri was surprised to hear that. He wasn't one hundred percent on the idea. Even though Luz and Wendy appeared to be good friends, he doesn't train just anybody. Wendy was the rare exception.
"I don't know about that, Wendy." He says hesitantly. "I don't just do that for anyone."
This answer disappointed Wendy.
"Oh…I see." Wendy said glumly.
"I totally get it." Luz said nonchalantly. "Wendy talked so much about you, and I thought I had a chance to get stronger."
Katakuri raises a curious eyebrow. "Is that so? What did she say, then?"
The young witch looks over at Wendy and quickly winks before answering. "She said you're an effective leader, great family man, and all around an inspiration to those around you. She said she couldn't have gotten this strong if not for you."
Katakuri ponders this for a moment. "You know, I know what you're trying to do, flattering me. But you've convinced me. Besides, any friend of Wendy's is a friend of mine."
Luz's eyes light up. "Wait….do you mean-"
"I do. You've got a strong head on your shoulders. So it's settled. You'll be my second student. Just be warned it's not going to be easy."
Both girls cheer and high five.
"Thanks, Katakuri!" Wendy said.
"You won't be disappointed!" Luz asks. "I'll be a master of magic and Haki!...Once I know how that works." She said sheepishly. "Wouldn't be the first time a cool old person took me on as a student."
"I'm not that old…" Katakuri mutters.
"Can she call you bro, too?" Wendy asked.
"Let's not get too ahead of things, child." Carla tells her.
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Katakuri is seen chuckling to himself.
"If she's anything like Wendy, then I shouldn't be worried."
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"Who would've thought?" Luz said. "I go from studying under an owl lady, to becoming the student to a pirate. All it takes is a little buttering up."
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Meanwhile, the rest of the Maniacs were all gathered in the cabin, having a meeting of their own, spearheaded by Geralt, Edgeworth, and Percy.
"Everyone's here, right?" Geralt asked.
"Uh…..I think we're missing a couple of people." Entrapta said as she looked around.
"Yeah, Luz and Wendy." Ruby brings up. I haven't seen them at all today. I hope they're alright."
"Then I suppose we'll have to do this without them." Edgeworth sighed. "I'd have rather had everyone here, but it can't be helped, I suppose."
"Cut the small talk, pal." Mao said. "Why'd you guys call us all here? I've got evil places to be, and evil things to do."
"The answer is simple, Mao." Edgeworth answers. "Our performance in the last challenge was rather….. lackluster, to say the least."
"That's not our fault!" Waluigi complained. "Chuck was the reason we lost! And now he's gone!"
"While that may be true, there's something we're still lacking: coordination."
"What are you getting at?" Ryu asked. "Are you saying we ain't?!"
"We have the skills necessary to win." Geralt explained. "But we lack the coordination and organization to bring out our full potential."
"In our defense, take a look at the other team." Gwen explained. "That Katakuri guy seems like a natural born leader. He seems like he knows what he's doing."
"But take a look at the rest of them." Mao counters. "The rest are either full of themselves, weaklings, or have plenty of other flaws."
"Hey, at least cut my friends some slack." Deadpool said. "Spinel and Peacock are pretty good competition too."
"Regardless, we're currently the underdogs right now." Percy tells them. "And is it not typical for the underdogs to make a comeback?"
"Fair point." Kronk said.
"If we can be better coordinated as a team, then we have the potential to be unstoppable."
"I really hope we manage to win." Gwen said, holding a bowl of breakfast. "I'd kill to get some decent food around here. The other team is probably eating like kings as we speak."
"Yeah…. breakfast this morning was…not the best." Bernadetta said awkwardly. She remembers the events of that morning as we're treated to a flashback.
Bernadetta was seen standing in line for breakfast, nervously deep in thought.
"You got this, Bernie." She thinks. "When it's your turn, just ask it: May I have some salt? May I have some salt? May I have some salt…"
She continues mentally repeating as Edgeworth, who was in front of her, received his food.
"Next!" Chef barks.
Bernadetta approaches Chef hesitantly. Despite getting somewhat better at socializing, Chef's imposing frame and the look he was giving her as he scooped food onto her tray was quite overwhelming for her.
"Well?!" Chef asked gruffly. "You gonna move, or do you want something?!"
"Um…" Bernadetta stuttered. "May I have some sa-" Suddenly, her brain kind of froze. She could only nervously stutter. "Sa…..sa….sa….sa…."
Bernadetta then quickly runs out of the building at blinding speed, leaving Chef confused.
"I'M SORRYYYYYYY!"
She keeps running without a destination in sight. She ran so fast that she even left a Bernie shaped hole through a wall in Yastor's shack.
"Dammit….not again!"
"That had literally nothing to do with the quality of the food." Mao points out.
"No….but it was still an awful experience." Bernadetta defends.
"If we manage to win challenges, then that shall be a thing of the past." Kronk says optimistically.
"Those Weirdos may have had the brief taste of victory…" Mao cackles. "But we will stomp them into utter oblivion from here on out! MUHAHAHAHA!"
"Easier said than done." Cinder muttered, giving those like Ruby and Bernadetta, who she deemed as weaklings, the stink eye. The latter shuddered as she realized she was being looked at.
"W…. what's with that look?!" Bernadetta nervously asked. "Are you plotting against me?!"
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"Not in particular." Cinder said. "People like that are the most fun to get a rise out of. A poor, anxious soul like that is fun to torment."
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"Last time I competed, my insistence on working alone was what did me in." Geralt said. "Since then, I've reflected a lot on that. We need to be united as a group if we're to succeed. I can't sit back and always do my own thing anymore."
As he finished talking, the PA system outside went off.
"Challenge time, people!" Chris announced. "Meet at the docks in ten minutes!"
"Well, guess it's time to put my lesson to the test." Geralt finished.
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Not too long after the announcement, everyone gathered together at the docks for today's challenge, where Chris, Chef, and the interns were waiting for them. Behind Chris, there sat two large objects floating on the water, covered by equally large tarps.
"Oh gee, wonder what fresh hell this is gonna be." Max said sarcastically as he looked at the tarps.
"Do you always have something to say?" Chris sighed.
"Yep. Deal with it. I'm a cynical smartass, and that ain't changing anytime soon."
"So, what have you got planned for us today?" Ryu asked.
"You guys are going to get your sea legs today." Chris explains. "You're all sailing out to undertake a rather…different kind of challenge. A challenge to slay a sea beast!"
"Okay, stop the presses!" Deadpool interjects. "That is already too fucking hype! Does that mean we get to release the Kraken?! And then we-"
"Would you please shut your annoying mouth and let the host explain, you chatty, cancer riddled lunatic?" Kaiba calmly retorts.
"Ouch. What the fuck happened to defcons 4, 3, and 2?!" Deadpool pouts.
"Did I stutter?"
Charlie quickly interrupts, hoping to prevent a fight. "SO, Chris….care to elaborate more on this "sea beast" you mentioned earlier?"
"Thank you for reminding me." Chris tells her. "This creature is a beast that's been terrorizing the Great Lakes for quite some time."
"How did that happen?" Geralt asked.
Chris nervously rubs the back of his neck. "Well, about that…. apparently it was originally a fish that got…mutated…"
"Another ramification of letting people dump chemical waste on the island in the past, I take it?" Edgeworth says, sternly glaring at the host.
"Hey, I served my sentence, so don't you or Percy give me that look! Anyway, Balzafyre was originally kept at the Fun Zone on Boney Island, but he got out months ago. His mere presence is messing with the ecosystem, so the producers insisted we deal with him as quickly as possible."
"To the surprise of absolutely nobody." Mae quips.
"Oh, his name's Balzafyre?!" Charlie asked. "Sounds like the song! You know, the one that goes "Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!'"
"Wait…" Oscar said worriedly. "You're not joking about a mutant sea monster out there, and we have to kill it?!"
"Do you not remember we were bungee jumping into a volcano literally a few days ago?" Tastumaki huffed. "Honestly, you need to adapt quickly if you wanna survive this show."
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"First and foremost, I for one would like the record to show that I, Oscar Proud, was not scared." Oscar declared. "That was just a bit of pre challenge jitters. I'll prove to them I'm more than capable of winning today, that's for sure."
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Kaiba chuckles to himself.
"Ha, Proud is totally out of his league. Total Drama is only for the best, not pathetic little babies. It'll be hilarious watching this pathetic man crash and burn."
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"If we're gonna go out and do this we're gonna need a boat." Waluigi points out.
"Exactly what I was getting to, Waluigi." Chris said. "You'll need a mode of transportation. On boat it'll take you all about a day to reach him, so….ta-da!"
Chris pulls down the tarps, revealing two rather run down looking pirate ships. While they weren't in terrible condition per se, they were vandalized to hell and back with graffiti. The cast didn't really know how to respond.
"Look, these were the best ones we could find." Chris sighs. "They work just as perfectly as any other ship."
"Really takes me back." Ryu says, feeling quite nostalgic. "Back on Bon Voyage, we were sailing all over the place."
"Yes, yes, that Don guy's show was fun and all for some of you." Chris said with disinterest. "Too bad his hosting could never compare to your's truly. Getting back on topic, both teams will take their ship to Balzafyre, slay him, and return. This challenge will take a couple of days to finish, so I made sure the staff stocked your ships with enough provisions to last you the entire challenge."
"Plenty of food is stocked up for your hungry little bellies." Ginyu assures. "If you get lost out there, no food could probably be a death sentence. However, getting lost won't be a problem. Men, please give them their maps and compasses!"
His subordinates hand each team a map and compass. Upon further inspection, the map was of the general Great Lakes area, having an X on the approximate spot of Balzafyre's location.
"Hmm….seems simple enough, I suppose." Katakuri said. "Shall we go ahead and set out?"
"One more thing before you do." Chris answers.
"Of fucking course…" Miu groans.
"In light of past events, we decided our staff needed a little "extra manpower," so to speak. Allow me to introduce the newest member of our staff. Put your hands together for scientist, paranormal investigator, and interdimensional fugitive, Stanford Pines!"
Ford appears from behind Barrett, and waves to the cast. "Greetings, competitors. It's both a pleasure and an honor to finally meet you all in person."
"Well now, a new face amongst your rat pack of a crew, McLean?" Kaiba snarks.
Ford ignores Kaiba's jab, continuing to introduce himself. "You can just call me Ford if you want. With me here, I'll make sure to keep you all protected if any outside threats try to interfere in the game, multiversal or not."
"I'd say we're pretty handy at dealing with that kinda stuff ourselves." Miu says. "But at least it's nice to have someone lighten the load….and another genius to boot."
Entrapta uses her hair to quickly approach Ford, circling him as she happily was observing him without a care in the world.
"Oh wow, another bright mind for me to convene with, that is so amazing! Ooh, do you have six fingers instead of five?! Fascinating…."
Entrapta lets out a painful shriek as Cinder stretches out her Grimm arm and yanks Entrapta by her twin tails.
"This man literally just introduced himself, and you're already getting all up in his face! That's weird!"
"Oh no, Entrapta isn't bothering me one bit." Assures Ford. "What's life without a little bit of weird thrown in? I should know."
"You already know everyone's names?" Zeke asked.
"Of course. I made sure to read up on everyone's files before formally meeting you all. Of course you won't learn as much from reading than from getting to meet the real deal in person. This show has done a beautiful thing by bringing people from so many different worlds together. I'm hoping to learn a lot from all of you."
"Well then, you're in luck." Chris tells him. "For this challenge, you get to sail with them, as will the rest of my staff, sans the Ginyu Force. I need them here to help work on the next challenge."
"Hold up, we're going, too?!" Barrett interjects.
"Yes. Not to help in the challenge, but to bond a bit with these guys…As well as maybe get your sea legs while you're at it."
"Jokes on you, I already do have them, being a shark and all." Gura says.
"Wait…..what kind of shark species are you?" Ruby wonders.
"A Gura Shark."
"Still, looking forward to getting a little break." Barrett says, with Korone and Kirbo cheering in agreement.
"Just pick a team you want to sail with, and you'll all be on your way." Chris informs.
The discussion is interrupted as Yastor runs up to them, a handmade wooden fishing pole in his hand.
"Hey, mind if I tag along too?!" Yastor asks excitedly. "I wanna catch some tasty fish!"
"Sorry, but I said the interns would be going with the players." Chris said smugly. "Not freeloading hippie warriors."
Yastor pouts, clearly a bit disappointed. Ford notices the man, and approaches the hero with a handshake.
"Yastor Vahlboom…." Ford marvels. "Legendary hero, and leader of the Star OPs. I've heard the legends, but never expected to ever put a face to the name."
Yastor was a bit taken aback, but returned the gesture. "Well now…looks like someone has already done their homework. Is my name really that well known across the multiverse?"
"Ha!" Deadpool interrupts. "Across the Multiverse, he says. Readers, go read it right now! Or change the channel, whatever medium you're consuming this show with. Static's out here busting his ass writing way more words than Meme ever could."
"Well, Ford wasn't lying about the weird part." Mae jokes.
"Some even say your existence was an urban legend." Ford continues. "That's how big you are. Is it really true that your world lies outside the Cluster?!"
"Whoa now, that's quite a loaded question." Yastor says quickly. "I'm not feeling in the mood to divulge the details of my life to these guys quite yet. When I'm feeling good and ready, I will. Man, you're starting to sound a lot like Tilly, only with less screws loose."
"Very well. I'll respect your decision." Ford tells him. "Still, I'm hoping we can get along."
"Wait, if I'm not going, then where am I supposed to fish?!" Yastor suddenly remembered.
"Uhh…..you're on an island." Chris reminds him. "Surrounded by water. Y'know, the stuff you fish from."
"Oh…..right."
"Um…is that all?" Ryu asked. "Because I'm eager to get out and get this done. Never met a fish I couldn't filet."
"You all got ten minutes to make any last minute preparations." Chris answered. "You know, bring anything else you might need, stock up on snacks….write your wills, heh heh."
"He's joking, right?!" Oscar asked. "Please tell me he's joking!"
"Oh, you poor sweet summer child…" Deadpool said.
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"What an absolute joke." Kaiba scoffed. "If you're gonna wet yourself over an oversized fish, then you clearly aren't fit to cut it in Total Drama. It'd be best to weed out the squeaky wheels on our team before it starts becoming harder for us to win."
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"HAHAHAHA! I've just come up with the perfect plan to hopefully nab us another win!" Miu said proudly. "But I've gotta keep it on the down low from my team at the moment if this is gonna work. Ooh, the look on their faces will be priceless. Orgasmic, even! Hahahaha!"
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"Next chance I get, I absolutely must have a chat with that Ford fellow." Entrapta says excitedly. "I'd love to hear about any of the creatures or tech he's seen on his travels, and maybe bend the ear for some of my research! This is gonna be exciting!"
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After a little bit of deliberation, Ford, Gura, and Kirbo decided to sail with the Weirdos. Meanwhile, Barrett, Red, and Korone sail with the Maniacs. With preparations made as best as possible, both ships sail away in similar yet different directions.
We now direct our attention to the Weirdos' ship, inside the lounge room.
STREEEEEEEEETCH
Spinel lets out a confused "Whoa…" as she feels Ford stretching out her face a bit, only to let go.
BOI-OI-OI-OI-OING
Spinel laughs and claps as her head snaps back to normal. "Ha ha, that tickles, mister!"
Fascinating…" Ford mutters as he jots some notes down in a notebook. "I've encountered some Gems on my travels, but I've never met one like you. You're quite the rarity."
Spinel stretches her neck over to Tastumaki, who was sitting nearby whilst flipping through an old comic book left on the ship.
"Did you hear him, Tornado?" Spinel said smugly. "I'm quite the rarity!"
"You're quite the something, alright." The esper mutters as she flips through the book with a bored expression on her face. "Ugh, this is so boring! If it's gonna take a day for us to reach this fish, what the hell am I supposed to do to pass the time?!"
"Sounds to me like you're quite the restless lass." Zeke says, preparing to head outside. With him, he carried some wooden fishing poles. "We've only been out on the water for a couple hours."
"I don't even like taking days off from my profession as a hero." Tatsumaki admits. "All this free time is for slackers."
"Have to disagree with you there!" Peacock says. She proceeds to pull out of seemingly hammerspace, a gigantic flat screen TV that towered over all of them. Everyone left in the room was left shocked.
"Just how did you manage to do that?!" Kaiba exclaimed. "What sort of mechanical, or dare I say it, magical means did you have to do that?!"
Peacock shrugs as she pulls out a sofa and remote the same way she did the TV. "That's just how I was fixed up. You see, I'm what they like to call an 'Anti-Skullgirl weapon.' There's a lot of things I'd like to keep up my sleeves. 'Cause let me tell ya, I hate nosy schmucks.
"Hey, I know just what will cheer you up!" Aqua says to Tatsumaki. She hands the hero an unopened bottle of liquor. "Have some of this, and you'll feel a lot more relaxed. The time will just fly right by!"
Tatsumaki lets out a tired sigh, and takes the bottle. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but why not?" She cracks it open and starts to chug some of it down. "Speaking of, where'd you get this stuff? This surely didn't come from the hotel."
"The ship has a fully stocked cellar, too!" Aqua said excitedly, pulling out three more bottles she kept in her blouse. "That Ginyu Force was extremely generous with stocking us up. Lots of food, and even more drinks!"
"If you're not gonna watch this, PIPE DOWN!" Peacock snaps. "I've got an Annie marathon coming on, and no way I'm missing it!"
"I wanted to find someone to play against in Duel Monsters, but it seems this rat pack has other plans." Kaiba sighs.
"Perhaps I could interest you in another game." Ford proposes. He pulls out a rather large game box. "How about indulging in the tabletop RPG, Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons?! It's a great way to pass the time!"
Kaiba raises a curious eyebrow, but smirks at the proposition. "Heh, sounds like something similar we've got in my world. Very well then, old man. You've piqued my interest. Anybody else care to participate?"
"Love to, chums. But I'm gonna do some fishing. Pandy's waiting for me."
"No thanks." Spinel said. "I wanna watch TV with my new friend!" The gem gestures towards Peacock, who was already laughing at her program, popcorn in hand.
Tatsumaki shrugs, and joins Ford and Kaiba. "Well, if I'm gonna sit around and drink to pass the time, I might as well indulge in your all's stupid game, too."
"Excellent, the more the merrier!" Ford beams.
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Above deck sat the bridge of the ship, where the helm sat. The Nomad looked in a good mood as he was steering the ship. Nearby sat Max, Mae, Rodney, and Chie, all sitting on the nearby railing.
"Think you'll be good handling the helm, Silent Treatment?" Mae asks.
The Nomad nods, and gives an assuring thumbs up.
"He and I agreed we'd take shifts sailing this thing." Rodney informs. "I mean, it's the nice thing to do at least."
Chie gives an annoyed grunt as she is looking over the map. "What the hell is this?! This map is so freaking confusing! I think we're going the wrong way."
Rodney takes a look at the map, and quickly flips it.
"It's actually upside down."
"Oh…" Chie said awkwardly. "Now I feel kinda stupid…"
"Hey, it's just an honest mistake."
"Looks like someone's off map duty." Max jokes. "They may not look like it, but I'd say leave the navigating to brickhouse and the scarecrow."
"Um….thanks?" Rodney awkwardly responds to the somewhat backhanded compliment.
"Hey, kids!" Oscar says as he walks up to them. "Hope you're all not getting into any trouble."
"Uh, correction. I'm the only adult here." Mae points out.
"Is there something you needed, Oscar?" Chie asked.
Oscar clears his throat, and straightens up a bit. "First off, let me inform you that unless you're a grown up, I would prefer it if you referred to me as Mr. Proud."
"Yeah, no. Fuck that." Max said bluntly. "We still kinda just met, and you want us to call you Mr. as some sign of respect."
"Excuse me?!" Oscar scoffed.
"News flash, respect is earned, old man. Not given."
Rodney quickly gets in between them, trying to deescalate the whole situation so it doesn't turn ugly.
"So, Mr. Proud…..what was it you wanted?"
"Oh, right." Oscar takes out a small Tupperware container. "Didn't get the chance to ask this morning, but how would you kids like to try a new Proud Snacks recipe I whipped up this morning?"
"I'll pass." Mae deadpans. "I ain't eating one after last time. Besides, my doctor said I need to cut toxins out of my diet."
"Oh, c'mon!" Oscar practically begs. "They're steak flavored, if that entices any of you."
Chie's ears practically perk up at the mention of her favorite food.
"Did you just say steak?! Because sign me up!"
"Uh, Chie….I don't think that's a good idea." Max said worriedly.
"Hey, I didn't get to try one before." Chie explains. "Besides, anything that tastes like steak can't possibly be a trick."
"Your funeral." Mae says.
Chie pops one of those snacks in her mouth, and after some chewing, she begins to vocally gag and choke.
"Welp, we warned you." Max said sarcastically.
Chie drops to her knees, clutching her neck as her face begins to turn blue.
"I don't think humans are supposed to turn that color." Mae says.
"This isn't the time for jokes! He needs our help!" Rodney said panickedly.
The big guy rushes into action, and performs the heimlich maneuver on Chie. After a few good pushes, she successfully coughed up the food….and proceeds to vomit a little bit on the floor.
"So, uh….." Oscar said nervously. "What'd you think? Did they light up your taste buds, or what?"
"You….son of a bitch…." Chie angrily mutters. "You taint the good name of steak….and nearly kill me with it…. THAT'S THE WORST THING I'VE EVER TASTED!"
Chie responds with a swift yet powerful kick, hitting Oscar right in his family jewels. Oscar cries out as he drops to the ground.
"OWOWOWOWWWWWW! YOU HIT ME! YOU SERIOUSLY JUST HIT ME!"
"And next time, I'll send you flying into orbit!" Chie huffed. "Literally!"
"Your palate is simply too unrefined to appreciate my culinary creations!" Oscar weakly retorts.
"Get real! I could totally cook way better than that! I'll even do it later, whaddya say to that?!"
Oscar finally manages to pick himself back up and dust himself off.
"Hate to be the bearer of bad news, Drake Bell." He says mockingly. "But you don't look like the culinary type. Or the intelligent type. Heck, can't even pull off being cute when you stand there looking like an angry bull."
Do you want the horns?!" Chie growled. She emphasizes her point by pawing at the ground with her foot like a bill ready to charge.
"Um, I'm just gonna leave now!" Oscar squeaked. "But just a heads up: One of these days, your recklessness and your kicks is gonna come back to bite you!"
"Yeah yeah, whatever you say, snack man…"
Oscar limps away, while Mae, Max, and the Nomad are left speechless.
"Well, that went from zero to a hundred real fast." Max said.
"Sorry I flew off the handle like that." Chie sighs. "He just really pissed me off with his high and mighty talk. You guys weren't kidding about them being bad."
"If you really wanna show him up, then maybe put your money where your mouth is and cook up something amazing. You can't be worse than him."
Chie determinedly pumps her fist. "Then it's settled! Dinner tonight is on me! I'll whip up a feast that'll knock everyone off their feet! Until then, time to get some training in." She looks over at Rodney. "Wanna join, big guy? Thought I'd extend the offer, considering you saved my skin there."
"Wait, seriously?" Rodney asked. "You want me to train with you? What kind of training?"
"Oh, you know, just a little bit of keeping in shape and practicing my moves. It helps having a partner to do that with. This is your first time, so let's start off with some jogging….sound good?"
"Sure, that sounds like it could be fun."
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"Last time I competed, I didn't really get the chance to bond with anybody." Rodney says regretfully. "My head was in the clouds too much getting all lovey dovey. I'm not planning on making that mistake again. And I'd say I'm bonding way more with my teammates than last time. Even if I don't win, I hope to prove myself at the very least. I may not look it, but I do have skills. Just hope I get the chance to use them."
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"Pff, what does Oscar know anyway?!" Chie huffed. "He needs to man up and quit being a baby. If you're gonna act like a big shot, at least have some bite to back up the bark. He also didn't have to go and insult my intelligence or my looks. Low blow, dude…"
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We now see Max and Mae walking together across the ship, observing the fish leaping out of the water. At least until Mae breaks the silence.
"So kid, what are you planning this time?" She asked.
Max gives her a confused look. "Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb. You're one hell of a schemer, kid. You've always got some sly and sneaky plan up your sleeve. I'm sure you've thought of a strategy to get further in the game."
Max's confused expression turns into a sly grin.
"Heh, quite observant, Mae. At the moment, I don't have anything concrete. But if you want, we could join forces, maybe get a couple of allies to tag along with us."
"Hmm…. honestly, kinda smart." Mae admits. "More allies means more coordinated voting. Any choices on who else could join?"
Max thinks this over. "Honestly, perhaps tomboy and brickhouse wouldn't be bad choices to start. They're no Nikki or Neil, but they could be useful. Plus, they seem kinda chill. Well, Rodney does, anyway."
Mae nods slowly. "Gotcha, gotcha…I don't really consider myself the strategic type, but I really wanna try to win. So I'm totally in. Only as long as you don't stab me in the back like in the Amazon."
"Hey, as long as you don't try to do the same thing, you and I are thick as thieves."
The two shake on it. No sly looks, no crossing fingers, none of that. Both were dead serious in their agreement.
"Hey, did you also notice brickhouse refer to Chie as a 'he?'" Max asked.
"You're quite observant, kid. I honestly wouldn't have noticed that. I was more focused on the fact one of our teammates almost killed another one of our teammates."
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"And I mean it this time." Max says. "Mae and I may not have started out on good terms, but we really patched things up. If it came down to it, I'd seriously take her to the final two with me."
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"I honestly believe the kid this time." Mae admits. "Yeah, he's a cynical snarky brat, but who isn't at some point? We're even, so I see no reason to backstab the kid. He's the brains of this operation, and if I had to face anyone in the finale, it'd be him."
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Oscar is seen walking towards the side of the ship, and sees Zeke quietly fishing, with Pandoria watching him very close by.
"Maybe hanging out with these two will be nowhere near as bad as those kids." Oscar thinks to himself.
"Whoooo!" Zeke said triumphantly. "Pandy! I got a bite! I think it's a big one!"
As Zeke struggles to reel his catch in, Oscar walks up to them.
"Hey there….mind if I join?"
"Not at all, chum!" Zeke grunts. "Grab a pole and pop a squat! Hurgh…..this one's a real stubborn prick…."
Oscar does as instructed. He grabs the other fishing pole and sits next to Zeke.
"At least you're kind enough to show a humble guy like me some kindness." Oscar said gratefully.
"No problem, mate." Zeke says, still trying to reel it in. "The more the merrier!"
"I think you got him now!" Pandoria says.
"Hoo boy! This one's a real tricky bugger! Just…..a bit more…..HI-YAH!" With one last mighty pull, Zeke finally reels up his catch. Although Zeke's heart practically falls into his stomach as soon as he sees what it is.
It was once again the mutant shark Fang, now sporting a snazzy eye patch.
"Pandy…" Zeke said nervously. "Is that the same shark we saw in that maze the other day?"
"I-I think it is, my prince…." Pandy responds, just as scared as her driver.
"Is that thing real?!" Oscar cried.
Fang looks at Zeke and waves evilly at him. Just as he's about to attack them, a loud yawn could be heard behind them.
"Geez, I was enjoying a little shark nap, till you boneheads ruined it." Gura groans.
As soon as Fang saw Gura, his attention immediately went to her. He quickly approaches her, with a pen and piece of paper in hand. (How the paper didn't get wet is anybody's guess)
"Hmm?" Gura inspects the shark and his belongings. "What? You want my autograph? You a fan of mine?"
Fanf nods quickly.
"Hey, it's always nice to meet a chumbud." Gura said as she happily signed the paper. "Not surprising that even sharks are fans of this shark."
Once he gets the autograph back, Fang proceeds to leave. But not before shooting Zeke an "I've got my eye on you" gesture before jumping back into the water.
"Well that was….something."
"Don't know what that was all about, but I'm gonna go look for snacks." Gura said. "Ciao!"
"Something tells me that's not the last we'll see of that punk." Zeke said grimly. He quickly switches to his more cheery self. "But if that happens, Pandy and I can handle it no problem."
"You seem to know a lot, pal." Oscar says.
"Of course! Pandy, Turters, and I have traveled far and wide. Seen many things…I may not look like it, but I've gained a lot of wisdom on my travels. Stick by us Proud, and perhaps that wisdom and experience will rub off on you as well."
"At least you're one of the few reasonable people here." Oscar says with relief. "I think this is gonna be the start of a great friendship."
Zeke casually leans on the guard rail, nodding in agreement. "They'll be telling legends of us! Proud the Powerful and the Zekenator! A dynamic duo whose name will reach even the heav-AGH!
The guard rail he was leaning on suddenly gave in, and Zeke cried out as he fell into the water.
Pandoria looks down below and inhales sharply. "Yep, that shark is after him again."
"Aren't you gonna help him?!" Oscar said worriedly.
"He'll be fine, I think." Pandoria assures. "This kinda stuff happens all the time."
Suddenly, Kirbo flies past them on his Warp Star, and quickly pulls Zeke out of the water.
"I could have handled that myself, but thanks anyway, chum."
"Poyo!" Kirbo responds, though no one could understand him.
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"And I mean it!" Zeke says. "That fish would have been mincemeat if that little pink guy hadn't saved me."
"You'd honestly be dead already if I wasn't around to keep you in check." Pandoria says cheekily. "Just last week, I had to remind you to put on pants."
"Well, I uh…..was tired that day." Zeke defends. "It just slipped my mind, Pandy!"
"Uh-huh…"
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"Alrighty, I think that takes care of the cleaning." Charlie said proudly. "The bedroom is all neat and tidy for everyone. Thanks for the help!"
"You know it's no problem." Katakuri assures her. "Even if the sleeping situation doesn't look quite…"
He looks at the room in its entirety. While it was spacious, it had no beds. Instead, a bunch of hammocks were hung up in the room.
"... unorthodox…"
"Well, beggars can't be choosers, sweetie." Charlie says optimistically. "Still, these things might be too small for you."
"It's fine, I'll just sleep on the floor. I'm sure some of the others need it more than me."
"Are you worried?" Charlie asked.
Katakuri knew Charlie could read him like a book, despite his often stoic demeanor.
"Is it that obvious?" He says.
"I know you're still trying to get used to this new team. I remember how you were struggling to handle the Wolves last season. But I think we're off to a great start. This team is shaping up to be a team of MVPs if you ask me."
Their little chat was interrupted as they heard the food slam open, revealing it to be Lobo.
"Oh, did you need something, Lobo?" Charlie asked.
"Yer gonna want to round up the rest of this rat pack and call a meeting, little lady." Lobo informs. "Because one of us is nowhere to be found."
"WHAT?!"
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Over on the Maniacs' ship inside the lounge room, we see Wendy chugging down an odd purple liquid from an ornate looking bottle.
"Hope this helps, Wendy." Geralt tells her. "I dabble in a bit of alchemy myself, so this potion should help alleviate your motion sickness for the time being."
"Are you sure it's safe for her to drink?" Carla asked skeptically.
"I'll be honest, these aren't really meant for human consumption." Geralt admits. "But I figure being a Dragon Slayer is different enough that it should be safe.
"I'm sorry again about my condition." Wendy says. "But I refuse to let myself be a burden to you guys."
Geralt smirks at her resolve. "Heh, you're quite a resilient one, kid. No wonder you've already won a season. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go take care of lookout duty. If there's trouble, I'll be the first to know."
"Thanks again!" Wendy says as Geralt leaves.
A moment later, Ruby enters the room, carrying a tea kettle and some cups.
"I just finished making some tea, if you guys want any."
Wendy claps her hands together. "Ooh, that sounds good! Thank you, Ruby!"
"Oh, it's nothing." Ruby assures. "Like Geralt, I'm doing my part in trying to help the whole team out. He did have a point this morning."
"A point about what?" Carla asked.
"Oh, right. You guys weren't there for the team meeting this morning."
"Wait, we missed a meeting?!" Luz exclaimed.
"It's alright, nobody was mad." Ruby tells them. "He just said we need a lot more coordination, that's all."
"Then it's settled!" Wendy tells them. "If that's what it takes to start winning challenges, then we're just gonna have to do better than that. And I know we can do better."
The three girls throw out a fist bump, but the moment was interrupted by another voice.
"Seafaring log, hour 3. Fellow teammates seem to be uniting in solidarity just as instructed by teammate Geralt earlier…"
"Uh…..do you mind?" Wendy kindly asked. "We were kinda in the middle of something."
"Oh, sorry." Entrapta says, exiting from underneath a table. "Just looking for something to do. There's hardly any tech aboard this vessel worth looking into. Most interesting thing I saw all day was a barrel moving on its own."
"Um….okay, then." Luz said awkwardly.
"But I can see now that you all are busy with your own stuff, so I'll gladly get out of your hair. Bye!"
As soon as Entrapta leaves, Wendy breaks the silence.
"Well, she seems….interesting. Are all great minds…. eccentric…..ooooohhh." Wendy gives out a low moan as her eyes begin to grow heavy. Her body slowly shifts from side to side.
"Wendy….are you okay?" Ruby asked, noticing something was wrong with her friend.
"Just feeling…..hot…." Wendy musters to say.
"Your forehead's burning…" Luz said grimly as she felt it. "Maybe you should sit dow-"
THUD!
Wendy suddenly collapsed, and the whole room erupted into a frenzy.
"Wendy!" Carla cried.
"Aw crud, this is bad!" Luz panicked.
"Try and gently set her on that sofa over there." Ruby ordered, trying her best to remain calm. "I'll see if I can find a first aid kit."
Carla and Luz do as instructed, lifting Wendy up and softly laying her down on the couch. Her head was still burning up, her breathing was fast and shallow. Her body felt limp yet heavy.
"Think we should alert the others about this?" Carla asked Luz. "In all honesty, I'm on the fence about this…"
"I'm….not sure." Luz says hesitantly. "I don't know if it'd be the best idea at the moment. That'll put everyone into a frenzy, and it'll probably make her condition worse, and then-"
Carla quickly slaps the witch across the face.
"Pull yourself together, child! Wendy needs us, and the last thing she needs is for us to be freaking out all over the place!"
Luz calmly collects herself, and takes a deep breath. "You're right. Sorry about that."
"Okay, I found the first aid kit!" Ruby said as she returned. "First thing's first is-"
The door creaks open, and the three of them freeze in shock as they see it was Geralt.
"Apologies, but I left one of my weapons in here. I-hmm? Did I miss something?"
He inspects the scene until his eyes fall upon a sickly looking Wendy.
"I knew giving her that potion would be risky…"
"Is she going to be okay?" Ruby asked.
Geralt walks up to the mage, and quickly feels her forehead. He looks at inside her mouth, and inspects for anything out of the ordinary.
"It's nothing life threatening, that's for sure." Geralt says with relief. "The medicine must have given her a bad fever. She should be fine as long as she gets proper rest and care."
"Then leave it to us!" Luz assures him. "Ruby and I will look after her for the trip. I mean, if that's alright with Ruby."
"It's not a problem." Ruby responds.
"I still feel awful for this happening." Geralt admits.
"Don't be, you meant well." Luz tells the Witcher.
"Very well. Still, I must take some responsibility. I'll notify the others, but let them know you two have this under control. Last thing I'd want is everyone spending the whole challenge fretting over her."
"Exactly our sentiment." Carla says.
"Then I leave her in your hands. Just keep me updated on her condition if anything changes, alright?"
Ruby gives Geralt a salute. "We promise."
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Gwen could be seen walking across the ship in a rush, her attention focused solely on her phone as she tried to get a signal.
"Dang it…nothing." She sighed. "I seriously hate this show sometimes."
Just as she turns around to find another place to get a signal, she accidentally crashes into someone else as the air is filled with a flurry of papers
"ACK! OH NO OH NO OH NO OH NO!"
Once Gwen could finally see, she saw Bernadetta, who was on her knees as she scrambled to pick up the scattered manuscripts.
"I'm sorry, let me help you pick those up." Gwen said.
"No no, I got it!" Bernadetta said, sounding a bit more anxious than usual.
Gwen still helps, picking up a piece that appeared like a cover.
"The Absurd Adventures of Noblewomen Violet: Into the Mayhem of the Multiverse." Gwen reads aloud. Suddenly, she remembered where she heard the title. "This doesn't look like a fanfiction of the story-wait…."
"Aw crap…" Bernadetta mutters.
"You're Bernice Valentine, author of the original Absurd Adventures of Noblewomen Violet, aren't you?!" Gwen said with a smug look.
"I've been found out…" Bernadetta says defeatedly. "Yes, it's me….."
"Well I'll be." Gwen admits. "I didn't think you were a talented writer. Pretty sure this was a New York Times bestseller for weeks after it came out. Didn't think I'd ever meet the author."
"Wait…. you've already read it?"
"Yep. Even did a report on it for my college English class last semester. Passed with flying colors by the way."
"I was hoping nobody else would find this out." Bernadetta admits. "Anna told me that the pseudonym I chose would give it away…"
"Why are you getting so defensive about it?" Gwen asked. "I said I liked it."
"I just don't want all that attention on me. I know the book sold really well, and I'm glad people really like it, but the last thing I'd want is to be bombarded by potential fans. I'd rather be famous yet anonymous."
"I doubt it'll get that bad." Gwen assures. "Wait….did you also do all the illustrations?"
Bernadetta nods. "I did. You have an eye for art or something?"
"Yes, actually. It's honestly the kind of career I'm working towards at the moment. So it's actually kind of refreshing to meet someone else like that."
"Well, you know, I'm self taught, nothing special…" Bernadetta says awkwardly.
"Take a lesson from someone who almost won in the past. You might be downplaying your own skills, but you'd be surprised at the type of people who've won in the past. Way before all this 'other worlds' crap."
"So Chris has really put you through a lot, huh?" Bernadetta guessed. "I already don't like him.
"You don't know the half of it." Gwen sighs. "There's more times he's put our lives at risk for views and sick kicks than I can count. And unfortunately, I seem to be one of his favorite victims. If it makes you feel any better, did you know last time I competed I made a portrait of him out of bear crap?"
Bernadetta begins to burst out laughing.
"Oh goddess….he must've been really steamed!" She wheezed.
"Got eliminated for it too." Gwen continues. "Imagine how insecure and petty you have to be to lash out like that."
"Maybe I should have you make one of my father sometime." Bernadetta jokes. "Like Chris, it'll really capture his shittiness!"
The two share a good laugh for a moment.
"What? Got some bad blood between you and your dad?" Gwen asked.
"You don't know the half of it."
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"Okay, first you tame my pet plant, and now you're laughing about the poop picture?!" Chris snapped. "Oooooh, I'm gonna have so much fun screwing with this Varley chick!"
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"If I'm being honest, I thought this girl was an eccentric weirdo." Gwen admits. "But she's alright in my book. In a group like this, it's hard to pinpoint someone as remotely normal. Total Drama really has changed since I left. Still, it's good to find common ground with some people at least."
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Elsewhere on the ship, we see what appeared to be an average barrel, just sitting there….until it wasn't.
The thing suddenly sprouted legs, as it tiptoed for a few steps before stopping again. The top of the barrel peers open as a pair of eyes scan the area.
"Good, good….no one here. Time to do my spy thing…"
The top is suddenly ripped off, revealing that the one in the barrel was none other than Miu.
"Hey! Who the fuck-gulp…."
She looks up, seeing she's surrounded. Looking down at her were Mao, Percy, Edgeworth, Kronk, Ryu, Waluigi, and Deadpool.
"Well now….looks like a rat snuck into our base…." Deadpool said ominously.
"Of freaking course, it's Miu." Waluigi groaned. "Who else would it be?!"
"Looks like Entrapta's little tip about a moving barrel wasn't a load of horse shit after all." Ryu points out. "Thought she was making that up."
"Looks we have a stowaway problem now." Edgeworth sighed.
"Actually, it's now a hostage situation." Cinder says sinisterly. "She was spying on us!"
"Miu….is this true?" Percy asked.
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"Fan-fucking-tastic!" Miu snapped. "Of course I'd be ratted out by the autistic chick! Yes, I was spying, okay?! But I did it with good intentions! I was trying to spy on them, then relay any useful info back to the team. I even brought a walkie talkie and everything! Even slipped the other one on one of my teammates! And of fucking course I get caught before I could actually accomplish something with this plan!"
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Back on the Weirdos' ship, the whole team gathered together in the lounge room.
"As you have all noticed, one of us appears to be missing." Charlie begins.
"No shit, princess. It's little miss pervert who's disappeared." Lobo retorts.
"I was wondering why things were quieter than usual." Mae adds. "Not that I'm complaining of course."
"You don't think we could have left her behind on accident, do you?" Rodney hypothesized.
"I hope that's the case…" Katakuri admits. "Sometimes that girl can be quite unpredictable. And that's coming from someone who's known Wade for a while now."
"Honestly, I don't think this is the kind of thing you just get left behind from." Tatsumaki says apathetically, still drinking a bottle of alcohol. "If you ask me, she's up to something."
"Oh come on, Miu wouldn't be up to something." Charlie assures. "Besides, if she was she would run it by us first."
She suddenly feels something vibrating in her pocket. She reaches inside and pulls out some odd looking homemade walkie talkie.
"What the…..I don't remember packing this. Where'd it come from?"
It vibrates again, this time with a low static noise buzzing.
"I think I hear someone's voice!" Aqua said.
They all listen closely as the voice becomes much clearer through the static.
"...Hello? Helloooooo?"
"Wait…" Zeke said, "Is that…?
"WOULD SOMEBODY PICK UP THE GODDAMN PHONE?!" The voice snapped.
"Miu? Miu, is that you?" Katakuri asked.
"Yes, it's me!" She responded. "About time you guys picked up!"
"Miu, where exactly are you?" Charlie asked.
Miu laughs nervously "Yeah….funny thing about that…"
We immediately cut back over to the Maniacs' ship, and see that Miu is restrained in a chair outside, with Waluigi and Ryu tying her up. Meanwhile , Mao was holding the walkie talkie up to Miu.
"I tried to gain intel on the other team, got caught, and now I'm captured." She quickly finishes.
"WHAT?!" The whole team exclaimed.
"Are you out of your mind, lass?!" Zeke cried.
"Miu, what were you thinking?!" Katakuri snapped. "You went off on your own and said nothing?!"
"Well that was because I knew you guys would say no if I did bring it up!" Miu defends. "I'd rather get no answer than get a no!"
"Tsk tsk tsk…" Aqua says, shaking her head. "I tried to warn you guys about her….I warned you…"
"Is that Aqua?! Because if so, you can tell that bitch to go get fucked!"
"Now is not the time for this!" Charlie pleads. "Just stay put, and we'll-"
She's unable to finish the message as Mao crushes Miu's only way of communicating with her team.
"Oops, did I do that?" Mao said smugly. "MUHAHAHAHA! You're completely cut off, you human scum! Sorry not sorry!"
"You little turd! I worked hard on that!"
"Exactly why it was so satisfying to destroy! MUHAHAHAHA!"
Mao walks away, still laughing dramatically.
"Okay, I think that last knot should do it." Ryu said.
"Aw, but I want the ropes just a little harder, daddy~!" Miu moans. "Just a little more, I'm almost there~!"
Ryu had to step back and do a double take. "Whoa whoa whoa, what the hell's your deal?! Are you…. getting off on this?!"
"You really shouldn't be surprised, pal." Waluigi tells the shaman. "Waluigi's rather numb to it at this point, but when it comes to dealing with Miu, you have to deal with….her Miu-ness…"
"Even Panty was nowhere near this depraved." Ryu mutters.
"If you don't wanna hear anymore, you'd best better let me go!" Miu warns. "Tell you what, pompadour. I'll shut the fuck up if you let me go. Everybody wins!"
"You seem like the kind of person that just loves to hear themselves talk." Ryu said defiantly. "I know your type! And I'm not going to cave in that easily! Now that we have you tied up, it's time to empty your pockets. Just in case you're carrying anything potentially dangerous."
"Yeah, your choice in fashion is already a health hazard!" Miu taunts. "If you're not gonna budge, I can do this all day."
Miu begins emptying the contents of her pockets on the floor. There was a taser, breath mints, condoms, a cute anime keychain, a bag of Proud Snacks, and a weird little bottle that looked like 5 Hour Energy.
"Ew, why do you have these?!" Waluigi gags as he picks up the bag of snacks. "Didn't we all agree that they suck?!"
"I didn't have them for eating, Walu-idiot!" Miu said. "I had this idea for a new kind of eco-friendly pesticide, and those snacks were going to be the main ingredient."
"And what's this?" Ryu says as he picks up the small bottle. "An energy drink? Well, might as well have some of this. You're not gonna need it, and I'm kinda thirsty."
"Don't drink that!" Waluigi snapped.
But it was too late, as Ryu was already chugging it down.
"Hm? Did you say something?" Ryu asked when he finished.
"You really shouldn't have drank that…" Waluigi said grimly.
"W-wait, what happened?!" Ryu cried, beginning to panic. "Did I drink poison?! Am I gonna die?! Tell Bernie I love her!"
"Calm down, man." Tokageroh complains. "This girl came here to spy on us, not poison us."
"Listen to your ghost, buddy. It's not poison." Miu tells him. "All you drank was a home brewed truth serum."
"A truth serum?!" Ryu said worriedly. "Does it work?!"
"I dunno." Miu admits. "It's merely a prototype. I kept it in that small bottle so it'd be easy to carry around. I'm not even 100% sure if it really works."
"Okay….then try to ask me something I normally wouldn't say to anyone." Ryu says nervously. "And please keep it something not embarrassing."
"Does Bernie ever peg you?" Miu asks right out of the gate.
"S-sometimes." Ryu said with a flushed face and a goofy grin…until he realized what he just said. "I mean, what the hell, Miu?!"
"Ha! Fucking knew it…." Miu laughs proudly. "Well, we can skip question 2 since we know you're familiar with the terms "mommy" and "good boy", you subby little bitch. It's kinda cute, honestly."
Ryu was busy sticking his fingers in his mouth so he could get that serum out of his body. He successfully does, throwing up on the ground a bit in the process.
"God….that was awful…." Ryu said weakly. "You're the worst…"
"If it makes you feel any better, telling secrets is one hell of a way to break the ice." Miu says. "I'm frankly glad we could all learn a little bit about each other. You learned I like being tied up, and I learned how much you really love your girl."
"Shut up!" Ryu snapped. "That was a low blow! You listen here, girl! I'm gonna be making sure you don't try to escape. But if you say one more thing to me like that…" he gets up real close in her face. "Then we're going to use you as our anchor! Do I make myself clear?!" He threatens.
Miu has to think this over. "Okay, picturing that, picturing that, picturing that….nope, not arousing. Your threat has been made clear."
Good!"
"Well, uh…" Waluigi awkwardly proceeds to walk away. "Waluigi's just gonna walk away before he gets dragged into this nonsense."
"Just tell Kronk and Bernie I won't be able to help them with dinner." Ryu asks. "Gotta keep an eye on her."
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"I think it was safe to say that at that point my plan was an absolute dumpster fire." Miu admits. "No way I was getting out then. They even made sure to keep anything metal away from me. Smart bastards…"
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The Weirdos listened in on Miu's message before it cut out.
"Well that's not good." Mae deadpans.
"I can't believe she went and did something so reckless." Katakuri angrily states.
"A clever idea on paper, but sloppy execution." Kaiba said smugly.
"Oh, like you could do better?!" Oscar retorts.
"Hmph…better than you at least, snack man."
"If it's any consolation, at least we know where she is." Charlie says optimistically. "She's with the other team, she's safe,-"
"More or less." Lobo adds.
"Yes. We know she's with them. For the moment, I don't think there's any need to worry."
"When we see her again, I'm going to really let her have an earful." Katakuri mutters.
Well, meeting adjourned, I suppose." Max says.
Suddenly, Ford bursts into the room, carrying a large blaster of some kind.
"Did you find who it was who abducted her?!" He asked.
"Relax, she's not abducted." Zeke assures. "At least not in the way we should worry about. At least not worth getting up in arms."
Ford understands, and lowers his weapon. "Ah, I see. Apologies for literally jumping the gun like that. Decades of dimension traveling have put me in situations where bearing arms is the go to move."
"It's alright, we all make mistakes." Charlie assures. "Now then, I think our next item on the docket is working on dinner. It's getting to be around that time."
"I'm already on it." Chie tells her.
"Oh, this'll be absolute gold." Oscar chuckles.
"Don't be so quick to dismiss her culinary skills, Proud." Kaiba scoffs. "I've already heard how awful yours is."
"You wanna talk to me like that, rich boy?!" Oscar responds.
"HEY!" Peacock shouts from across the room, still watching her show. "Trying to watch cartoons over here! Keep disturbing it, and I'm gonna give y'all a reason to scream, bubs!"
"Okay, I think it's best we do as she said and disperse." Charlie said nervously. "Chie, go ahead and get dinner started. Kaiba, please be nice to Oscar."
Oscar sticks his tongue out smugly at Kaiba, with the duelist simply rolling his eyes.
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"Oh sure, take his side, princess." Kaiba says mockingly. "That'll work out well for you in the end."
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"Judging by the map, I'd say we should be at his location tomorrow afternoon if we go at the speed we're going." Percy says while steering the ship.
"That's good." Edgeworth tells her. "Mind if I take a look at the map for a moment?"
"Of course."
Just as Percy is about to, she doesn't see Miles anymore. The person standing in his spot was none other than Light, grinning maliciously at her.
"No!" She cries, falling on her back in shock.
"Are you alright, miss?"
Edgeworth stretches out his hand to lift her up. As Percy looks back up, she still sees Light.
"What's wrong, officer?" Light asked mockingly. "Too afraid to let someone help you up?! It's okay…you can trust me…."
"Stay away from me you backstabbing demon!" Percy hissed, drawing her sword at Edgeworth.
"Backstabbing?!" Edgeworth said, almost offended. "What has gotten into you?!"
Percy blinks a few times, and sees that Light was gone now. It was just Miles, still offering to help her up.
"Y-you're right…" She says awkwardly. She sheathes her sword and takes his offer. "I deeply apologize for how I just conducted myself."
"Just what was it that got into you?!" Edgeworth asked. "Something clearly bothered you."
Percy sighed. "I suppose it wouldn't do any benefit to keep this to myself, but I guess I'll tell you. Ever since I last competed, I've been seeing….him, every so often."
"Who is this 'him?'" Edgeworth wonders.
"It's Light." Percy admits. "I thought I'd already moved past him…but he still haunts my thoughts sometimes. One moment I could be minding my own business, and the next I see him leering at me….telling me my justice is flawed…reveling in how much of a fool I was to trust him."
Edgeworth, who had been listening quietly and attentively, nods in understanding. "I see….I didn't know he had gotten to you that much. While I'd never really interacted with him, I understand fully the type of slimy individual he is. I've prosecuted many like him, who think they know better than the law."
"Ah, that's right…I forgot that prosecuting is your profession." Percy chuckles.
"Although to be honest…I at one point was someone who used my profession for less than savory means, like Yagami." Edgeworth admits.
"What?"
"Back then, all I cared about was getting a guilty verdict….no matter what it took. But one man opened my eyes, and reminded me why I became a prosecutor in the first place."
"Which is?" Percy asked.
"To find the truth. That's why I do what I do. Anytime you feel like you're losing confidence in your job, just remember that. As long you keep trying to find the truth, you're doing right by justice."
"I don't understand…why are you telling me this?"
"Because you told me something about yourself." Edgeworth says bluntly. "I felt I should return the favor to make you feel better. Does that help?"
"I….I think…" Percy says, still unsure. "I wouldn't be surprised if I still see him mocking me, even beyond the grave."
"These things take time, like a lot of things in life. I even still have things I'm still working through. But that's for another time. Even I was able to help even just a little bit, at least I helped. Even if my hands will never truly be clean of the things I did, I can assure you that I'm to be trusted. Whether you think I am not "
"Hey…." Deadpool said, suddenly right in both of their faces. "You two should kiss."
"OH MY GOODNESS!"
"WADE, COULD YOU NOT RIGHT NOW?!"
"But I'm soooooo fucking borrrrrrrrrred!" Deadpool moans. "Since my closest friend here and newest friend here are on a boat who knows how far away, I'm struggling to find something to do. I was heckling Miu there for a bit, but that got bored pretty damn quickly. So I tried shipping you two together, even if realistically you two are not the romantic types."
"Is that all you came here for?" Percy asked skeptically.
"Oh yeah, that reminds me. Dinner's ready if you two are interested. I'm still full from lunch, so let me take over for you guys.
"Said lunch was nothing but a shopping bag filled with microwave chimichangas." Edgeworth mutters as they leave.
"And it was delicious!"
As they head down, Edgeworth could be heard yelling.
"Who the hell vomited on the poop deck?!"
Then Red's voice could be heard.
"If he's mad now, wait until he sees what I left on the vomit deck."
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Katakuri walks a bit weakly, hunger overtaking all current thoughts.
"Guh…..so….hungry….how much longer is that girl going to be?!..."
He suddenly hears an explosion, and sees some fire coming from outside the kitchen.
"What the hell?! That can't be a good sign…"
He quickly makes a beeline for the kitchen. As soon as he opens the door, he's met with a plume of smoke hitting him head on.
"What's going on in here?!" He coughs.
The smoke clears, showing Chie holding a really large pot filled with…. something.
"Oh, Katakuri, it's just you." Chie said casually. "Guess the smell enticed you. I heard you're a big eater like yours truly.
"Chie…." Katakuri said nervously while pointing at the pot. "What is….that?!"
The food inside the pot had the consistency of sludge or slime, a purple, hazy miasma emanating from it.
"Oh, it's my special homemade curry, Satonaka Style!" Chie said proudly. "Care to try the first bite?!"
Katakuri looks down at the "curry", and starts to grow more concerned. "This is supposed to be curry? And….you…made this?"
Chie nods. "Yep. Just try for yourself. It tastes better than it looks. Anyone can cook….but only the fearless create."
"...Did you watch Ratatouille last night?" Katakuri asks.
"That little rat is funny."
Katakuri tries to take her world for it, and grabs a spoon. He scoops up some of the sludge, and just looks at it for a moment. Very briefly, he peers into the future, and saw…something unpleasant. He looks back at Chie, who's watching him with hope and anticipation in her eyes. He looks back at his spoon, takes a deep breath….and eats it.
The taste, the texture, it was all awful…perhaps even worse than anything he's ever eaten. Once he swallowed it, everything went black.
THUD
Katakuri dropped to the ground like a lead weight. His eyes were blank, his mouth foaming. Chie begins to panic and freak out.
"AHHHHHHH! HE COLLAPSED! WHAT DO I DO?! WHAT DO I DO?!"
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"Crap crap crap! I messed up big time!" Chie panics. "I know my cooking has been criticized in the past, but I thought I had this down now! I might have just killed one of our teammates!"
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The commotion alerted more of the team. Charlie, Oscar, Spinel, Max, Mae, the Nomad, and Lobo enter the room.
"I heard a noise! What happened?!" Charlie cried. She scans the room and sees her boyfriend unconscious and foaming at the mouth on the floor. "AHHH! What happened to you?!"
As Charlie is trying to tend to him, Oscar looks at the nervously sweating Chie…only to look at the pot of curry.
"Well well well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together." Oscar said smugly. "I think Drake Bell over there poisoned him with…. whatever that's supposed to be…"
"I-it's curry…" Chie squeaked.
"Curry?! That's a dang health hazard! And here you were criticizing my snacks earlier!"
Max looks in the pantry, and his heart sinks into his stomach.
"What happened to all the food?! There's nothing left!"
"About that…" Chie said nervously. "I kept messing it up, so I ended up using everything…"
"That was nearly three days worth of food down the drain!" Oscar cried. "And you used all of it?! You're an absolute bonehead!"
"Now's not the time to be proving a point." Charlie said worriedly. "Guys, help me carry him."
They all carry him into the lounge room, where Peacock was still watching cartoons on the sofa.
"Mind getting up, kid?" Lobo asked. "We got a bit of an emergency here."
Peacock groans as she turns off the TV. "Awright, who's big idea was it to-oh…he's not looking very good."
"Which is why we need the couch right now." Max said. "Geez, this guy's heavy…"
They set the pirate gently on the couch. He still appeared to be breathing, but his face was looking pale. All he could do was let out groans and grunts.
"Somebody get the first aid kit, please!" Charlie orders.
Oscar looks over at Chie. "You heard the woman. Go get it!"
"What?! Why me?!" Chie said defensively.
"Because this is all your fault, young lady!"
"Has this man learned nothing from earlier?!" Max said in disbelief.
"Yeah, kinda ridiculous." Mae adds. "History repeats itself."
"Hey, I had good intentions behind it!" Chie defends.
"Get real! That crap you made is the farthest thing from good intentions!" Oscar retorts. "At least my snacks didn't incapacitate what's basically the closest thing to a leader on this team!"
"Oh, you're still moaning about those snacks?! Those things are not fit for consumption!"
"Better than your…..your Mystery Food X!"
"Guys, please!" Charlie pleads. "He needs our help!"
"You know what? I'll go get it." Mae says casually.
Unfortunately for them, Chie and Oscar were still arguing. Until Oscar is suddenly hit in the head with a frying pan.
"Would you all keep it down, for heaven's sake?!" Tatsumaki angrily slurred as she entered the room. Her face was looking a bit flushed, clearly now full blown drunk.
"That's it, I'm gonna have a little chat with Aqua later about giving her alcohol…" Charlie says as she's tending to Katakuri.
It was then that Kaiba, Zeke, Pandoria, and Aqua enter the room
"What happened?" Kaiba asked. "I thought I heard the sound of metal hitting numbskull." He looks down to see Oscar moaning in agony. "Huh…I guess I did."
"Screw you, Asian Wizard Kelly…" Oscar groans in pain.
Zeke winces at the sight of Katakuri. "Oof, looks like the big guy's not doing too hot."
"Here you go, Char." Mae says as she returns with the first aid kit.
"Ah, thanks a bunch, Mae."
"What did we miss?" Aqua asked.
"If what I saw in the kitchen is to be believed, it appears our dear Katakuri must've eaten something they disagreed with him." Kaiba said.
"Yeah, that one's actually on me." Chie said sheepishly.
"Is that so? That's hard to believe. I'd expect such a culinary catastrophe from Proud of all people."
"What do you have against me, rich boy?!" Oscar whined.
"Sorry if you're so easy to get a rise out of." Kaiba said. "It's Wheeler 2.0 over here."
Before Oscar could say something back, he grunts painfully as Chie lands a hard kick in his gut.
"That was for insulting me again!"
"How dare you…" Oscar growled. The snack maker slaps Chie across her face.
"You can't hit me, I'm a girl!" She snapped.
"Huh, could've fooled me." Oscar snarked.
"You know, you-"
Chie is interrupted as Peacock smashes a chair over her head.
"You guys ruined my Annie marathon!" The cyborg cried. "Now that warrants a beat down!"
"Stay out of this, kid!" Oscar said. "This is between me, her, and rich boy!"
"Oh, a wise guy, eh?!"
Peacock pulls out a small cannon and fires it. Oscar swiftly dodges, but the cannonball hits Zeke instead.
"Oof, driver down…" Zeke grunts as he collapsed.
"Hey! Don't you dare hurt my prince!" Pandoria snapped. She takes out something that looked like a hilt or wand. Electricity fires from it, but it ends up hitting Aqua.
"Hey! I didn't even do anything! Now you're gonna get it!"
"Oooooh, I smell a fight!" Lobo said excitedly. He cracks his knuckles with gleeful anticipation.
"Don't escalate this crud, pasty!" Kaiba warns.
Lobo responds by decking Kaiba in the face. From there, all hell broke loose as a fight suddenly broke out. Chie, Oscar, Kaiba, Aqua, Tatsumaki, Lobo, and Peacock began to fight each other.
"I've seen war! I'm not afraid to die!" Peacock cackles. "Come join me, Spinny!"
"Okay!" Spinel says.
"Don't join in." Max sighs.
"But it looks like so much fuuuuuuun!" Spinel pouts. She ignores further protests and joins into the scrap.
"Guys, please stop fighting…." Charlie says quietly. Her attempts to uphold the peace were utterly ruined. All she could do was try and treat Katakuri. The Nomad was by her side, putting her back as he tried to console her.
"Man, I'm at a complete loss of what to do, in all honesty." Max says to Mae.
"Well, at least Chie wasn't wrong." Mae jokes. "Her food did knock someone off their feet. So what do we do about these guys?"
"Eh, they'll tire themselves out." Max says assuredly. "Probably."
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Meanwhile, the Maniacs were having a lively evening around the table. A gourmet feast of everyone's favorite foods was spread out.
"This is sooooooooo good!" Luz gushes.
"You guys really outdid yourselves with this one." Percy congratulates. "I'd forgotten the comforts of a banquet such as this."
"What do I always say?" Ryu says proudly. "A home cooked meal is like a big hug from mom."
"Which is why I made sure to make you your favorite, sushi roll.~" Bernadetta says sweetly as she sets his plate down, which was loaded with hot dogs.
"Aw, you remembered." Ryu said happily. "You're the absolute best, Bernie Bear."
"You've impressed me, humans." Mao said. "Why, this probably even told the meals my butler would make me."
"And they even made tiny food!" Entrapta said as she ate.
"Yeah, that one was kind of an odd request, but I'm happy to fulfill it." Kronk said. He finishes making a plate and takes it over to the still restrained Miu, who Ryu brought in there with them.
"What are you doing?" Miu asked.
"Just because you're our prisoner doesn't mean you go hungry." Kronk tells her. "I can't untie you for obvious reasons, so open up the airplane."
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"Was I fed like a baby? Yes." Miu admits. "Was the food good?" She begins to sob. "It was the best damn shit I've ever eaten…"
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"So girls, how's poor Wendy holding up?" Barrett asked. "She looked absolutely horrible earlier."
"She's sleeping at the moment." Ruby answered. "So far, things have been going well. We've been making sure to care for her."
"Carla hasn't even left Wendy's side the whole time." Luz adds. "Her and Wendy's Dragonite are keeping an eye on her at the moment…."
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We now move back to Wendy, who was quietly sleeping at this time. Carla and her Dragonite Icarus were watching over her. Despite how peaceful she looked, they still couldn't help but worry.
Dragonite lets out a low whine.
"I'm worried about her, too." Carla sighs. "At least those girls have been trying their best to help her."
They hear a sleepy groan as Wendy shuffles a bit.
"C….Carla?" Wendy said weakly.
"Don't worry, child. I'm here." Carla assures her. "How are you feeling?"
"Still like crud…" Wendy moans. "But a little better….I think I just need some more sleep, and I think I'll break this fever."
"That's a relief." Carla said. "I know Ruby and Luz have been busting their behinds to take care of you."
"Is that so…?" Wendy asked groggily. "Today has just been a bit of a blur for me. I'm glad I have them to rely on. They're such good friends."
"Yes…. even I have no fear in trusting them." Carla adds.
"When this challenge is said and done…and when I'm feeling better…" Wendy begins. "Maybe the three of us should form an alliance of our own…"
Carla thinks this over. "Hmm…..perhaps that's not a bad idea. But for the moment, I'd suggest you get some more rest. It's already getting late, and we should be arriving at that monster's location tomorrow."
Wendy nods, and begins to doze off. But before she falls asleep, she says one last thing.
"I hope big bro is doing better than I am right now…"
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Katakuri is still lying unconscious on the couch, groaning in pain, his body feeling weak and limp. All around him, most of his team was sitting there in silence. The room was completely trashed, and nearly everyone looked bruised and battered from their fighting.
Once Charlie finishes giving him more stomach medicine, she turns around and sees the disaster before her.
"Well, it looks like everyone has….got it all out of their systems…" Charlie says awkwardly.
None of them were in a cherry mood. They were all tired, bored, in pain, and most of all….hungry.
"The TV is destroyed…" Peacock whines.
"Yeah, that's my bad." Lobo said.
"I'm so hungry…" Aqua groaned.
"And that one's my bad…" Chie says. "I'm starving…I feel like I'm gonna wither away…"
"Okay, I know everything looks bad." Charlie says.
"Understatement of the century, princess." Kaiba snarks.
"We have literally nothing to eat!" Max complained.
"That's not true!" Aqua said. "We still have a fully locked liquor cellar!"
"Some of us aren't old enough to drink! And how's that gonna fill our bellies?!"
"Things are looking rather bleak…" Zeke says defeatedly. "Maybe we should just cut our losses and return to the island."
The door slams open, and it's shown to be Rodney.
"Guys, I think I may have found a solution to our food problem!"
"You did?!" Chie asked.
"Wonder how you pulled that off." Oscar said in disbelief. "What, is there a restaurant floating out on the water?! Hahahaha!"
The whole team heads up above deck, where the interns were already looking at something in the distance.
"Huh…..what is that?" Mae said as she tried to get a better look. "Please be tacos…"
As the team gets a better look, they see a large sign showing golden arches.
"Is that a McDonald's out on the open water?!" Lobo exclaimed.
"Congrats for getting something right for once, Proud." Kaiba says.
"For once?!"
"Man, having to eat must be hard on some humans." Spinel remarks.
"Starvation is one of the most painful ways for a person to die." Ford informs. "Although my travels have shown that is far from the worst way to almost die."
"Holy crap, look!" Max points out.
As they sail further, they see the restaurant…actually floating on the water thanks to wooden rafts. It even has a functioning drive thru, or in this case, a sail thru.
"Well I'll be damned." Zeke marvels. "I mean, I think this is a good thing. We don't have places to eat like this in my world."
"It's a miracle…" Charlie said. "You really saved our skins, Rodney."
"Hallelujah, not all hope is lost, kid!" Oscar cried.
"Yeah, you're an absolute lifesaver!" Chie said as she began to drool.
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"Wow, I'm not used to being praised so much by people that aren't my family." Rodney admits. "Despite things looking bad for us, I had to help everyone out. I don't wanna sound like I'm getting a big head or anything, but I'm pretty good at leading and helping everyone back home. But to be fair, I don't think a restaurant on the water was on my bingo card…"
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"So….did everyone bring money for food?" Aqua asked hopefully.
"What, did Terry not give you enough spending money?" Max asked.
"No! I just…. already blew through what I came here with."
"Ha! Then it's my time to shine!" Kaiba said. He pulls out a credit card, and flashes it at everyone like one of his precious Duel Monsters. "Dinner is on me tonight, everyone."
(A few minutes later…)
"Hello, welcome to McDonald's. Will you be using our mobile app today?!" The voice on the other side asked in the drive thru.
"No, that won't be necessary." Kaiba responds."
"What can I get for you?"
Kaiba looks at the menu in disgust. All the food here is far from the rich and high quality food he was used to eating on a regular basis. It's just a shame that their other options for food basically boiled down to Proud Snacks or Mystery Food X. Not the time to be picky.
"Okay, can I get two McChicken sandwiches, and a Diet Coke?" Kaiba starts. "And a….." he looks back at his team. "What do you guys want?"
"NUGGETS!" Peacock cried.
"We'll get to you!" Kaiba sternly.
"Poyo!" Kirbo answers.
"Filet O' Fish!" Gura said.
"Just a black coffee for me, thank you." Ford says.
"Can I do ten Big Macs?" Chie asked.
"You are not eating ten Big Macs!" Oscar scolded.
"Hey, don't judge! I'm hungry!"
"Can I do a McDLT?" Lobo asked.
"Lobo, I already told you that they don't make those anymore." Charlie calmly explains.
"But they have all the ingredients for it already!"
"I'd love a Shamrock Shake if they still got any of those." Mae says.
"It's September, Mae!" Tatsumaki snapped.
"Are you still drinking?!" Oscar exclaimed.
"This bottle is the only thing keeping me from twisting you into a pretzel!" The esper threatens.
Before Kaiba could say anything, he heard a ship honking their horn behind them in line.
"Just hold on, alright?!" Kaiba snapped to the sailor behind them.
"Hurry your asses up!" The guy claps back.
"Well sorry, there's a lot of us! It's a big order, alright?!"
"What time do they stop serving breakfast?" Charlie asked. Katakuri could be heard audibly groaning in the background. "Better get him some apple pies while we're at it."
"It's evening time, they don't have breakfast!" Oscar whined.
"Do they have beer?" Aqua asked.
Kaiba had this look of abject disbelief as he ordered their food, even holding that expression when he watched everyone eat. Even though they hadn't eaten anything nearly all day, the whole group were eating like savages. Food was flying everywhere as everyone was pigging out. He'd never even seen people eat like this back at the orphanage.
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"This entire team is probably hopeless." Kaiba sighs. "Our most competent member is sick, and this pack of wolves eats like they've never seen food before. Weeding out all the squeaky wheels will be more difficult than I thought. Though Proud sticks out as one of the squeakiest."
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Night falls, as we see Maniacs all sleeping in their hammocks. Luz, Ruby, and Carla were all passed out in the lounge room with Wendy. Ryu had fell asleep while watching Miu, while Geralt sat in the ship's crow's nest while keeping watch. The Witcher was dozing in and out of his night watch as he struggled to stay awake.
Miu was looking around the now quiet deck. Everyone was basically asleep, and she was planning her escape.
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"This plan was a complete bust." Miu said. "Since the whole thing went to shit, I figured I should find a way off their ship and back to my teammates. I just had to be sneaky."
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After so much effort, Miu was able to successfully cut the ropes off thanks to the plastic knife she kept from dinner.
"That's step one out of the way." She tells herself. "Now I need to find myself a dinghy and find my team."
As she begins to leave, she suddenly hears the snoring of Ryu startling her. The shaman shifts a little bit, and Miu could see that Bernadetta had somehow snuck up and was snuggled up right next to her boyfriend while they slept.
"Again, I fucking knew it with those two." Miu said quietly as she tiptoed around the ship.
She keeps quietly searching until she sees a small boat for emergency exits seen dangling over the water.
"I had a dog and his name was bingo!" The inventor said triumphantly.
"Just where do you think you're going?" A voice asked. Miu nearly felt her soul leave her body as she realized she was caught. "And at this time of night, no less."
Miu shakily turns around, realizing she was caught by Cinder, Mao, and Entrapta.
"No seriously, where are you going?" Entrapta reiterated.
"Someone's trying to jump ship, it seems." Cinder answered smugly.
"Leaving so soon?" Mao asked mockingly.
"Keep your voices down!" Miu quietly hissed. "But she is right, I'm outta this shithole. Mind keeping this between us?"
"Why should we?" Mao asked. "On the one hand, letting you go would be doing something nice, which I hate. Besides…" He pulls out some tools as he begins to breathe heavily, his glasses fogging up. "I haven't done any experimentation or body modifications in a hot minute!"
"I say we let her go." Cinder decides.
"Oh, okay. I thought that's what we're already doing." Entrapta says.
"Are you out of your mind?" Mao says in disbelief. "We could snitch on this chick!"
"I know what I said." Cinder said assuredly. "Besides, think of the chaos that'll erupt when the others find out she's gone. Isn't that alternative entertaining?"
Mao thinks it over for a moment. "Hmm… perhaps you're right. Delightfully devilish, why didn't I think of that?!"
"So…..you guys are just letting me go?" Miu asked.
"That's right." Cinder tells her. "Consider it a thanks from me for taking down that pompous bitch, Coyle."
"And you won't say a thing to anyone about this?" Miu makes sure.
"Our lips our sealed. We didn't see nor hear anything. We were asleep just like everyone else. So get going before I change my mind."
"Wow….thanks…"
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"Cinder, of all people, doing me a solid…" Miu muses. "Maybe she's cleaned up her act after all. Either way, I can't believe I basically got away with it."
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"That girl's absence was sure to cause quite a storm come morning." Cinder chuckles. "Doing something nice just this once is all apart of my plan. And that plan requires multiple smaller plans for that to work."
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The next day was found to be dark and stormy compared to how bright and sunny it was the day before.
Nearly all of the Weirdos were staying dry inside the lounge room.
"We should be near Balzafyre's location!" Kaiba says as he slams the map down in front of everyone. "No matter what we encounter, I expect all of you to be ready to fight."
"Hold on, who died and put you in charge?!" Aqua asked.
"Since our unofficial leader in incapacitated, and since hardly any of you are qualified to be in any leadership position, I've taken the liberty."
"Please don't fight about it, guys." Charlie tells them. "I would, but someone needs to look after Katakuri. As for Tornado…"
Tatsumaki was passed out on the floor, deep asleep.
"I blame you for that one." Max tells Aqua.
"That's fair."
"I might need some help out here!" Rodney called from above deck. His voice was sounding a bit shaky. "This storm is kicking up something fierce!"
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"I am so, so, so sorry!" Ryu pleads. The shaman was bowing down on his hands and knees in forgiveness in front of the entire team. "I don't know how she got away!"
"That's strange." Geralt mutters. "I was on watch duty….how did that girl give me the slip?"
"Maybe she turned into a bar of soap?" Deadpool jokes. "You know, since she 'gave you the slip?'" The angry looks from some of his teammates made the message clear to the merc. "You know what, you're right. This is no time for a Sonic reference. Maybe later."
"That girl is always the crafty one." Cinder remarks. "Wouldn't surprise me if she had any tricks up her sleeve we neglected to check for."
"I knew I should have been more thorough." Ryu says bitterly. "I wasn't looking through anything else she had after the truth serum."
Wendy suddenly jolts awake, much to the team's surprise.
"Wendy! You're alright!" Ruby said with relief.
"Wait….is she?" Bernadetta asked skeptically.
"I…..I feel better, thanks to you guys." Wendy deadpans.
"Well, you surely don't sound like it." Gwen says. "Is something wrong?"
"I smell him." Wendy says grimly.
"Give me a break! This ship doesn't have any showers!" Waluigi said defensively.
"It's not you guys…I meant to say I sense him. Balzafyre"
"Really?!" Geralt exclaimed. "You can sense him?!"
"My Observation Haki is picking up something malicious."
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"I'm impressed she managed to find him before even I could." Geralt remarks. "I really should give this girl much more credit."
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"Then everyone who can fight, man your battle stations." Geralt orders. "There's no telling what we're going up against."
"Okay….here we go…" Bernadetta says as she inhales nervously. "I hope we finish this quickly."
"MUHAHAHAHA! That fish is gonna be tonight's dinner on our victory lap back home!" Mao cackles.
The Maniacs all rush outside into the rain. The ship was shaking around violently due to the rough currents. The rain was pouring down so hard it was hard to make out anything.
"Do you still smell him?!" Edgeworth asked.
"I do!" Wendy answers. "But….I smell something else, too. It's familiar….."
"Hey, guys, look over there!" Luz says. "I think that's the other team!"
As if on cue, the Weirdos' ship appeared in full view.
"Ahoy there, scallywags!" Peacock called out.
"Relinquish our teammate, or walk the plank!" Spinel adds.
"Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that girl has already jumped ship and got away." Kronk says.
"What?!" Oscar cried. "Then where did she go?!"
"Guys…?!" Rodney squeaked. "You might wanna take a look at this…"
Everyone looks ahead of them. Through the storm, they could see a red pair of eyes towering over them.
"Holy crap, that's really high up!" Tokageroh said worriedly. "How big is this guy?!"
"It's even bigger than Gjira…" Wendy mutters.
"Have confidence!" Korone tells them
As if things couldn't get worse, more pairs of red eyes open. Now there was five pairs of equally crimson red eyes glaring down at them.
"No confidence." Korone says.
"T-That can't be right…" Percy said in shock. "We were told there was only one creature…"
The rain began to clear around the creature, and nobody could believe what they were saying.
"Good god…." Ford said ominously.
Towering over everyone were five long identical necks. Each head had glowing red eyes, huge fangs that couldn't fit in their mouths, and fishy frills around their heads. The creatures gave off a high pitched roar that shook the water and the sky. Everyone was absolutely terrified. All they could do was stand there, almost paralyzed with fear.
"GIANT SEA MONSTERS!" Everyone screamed in unison.
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Katakuri's eyes suddenly open, much to Charlie's relief.
"What's going on?!" He asked.
"You're finally back up!" Charlie said tearfully. "How are you feeling?"
"Better, more or less. My Haki is sensing something bad. Really bad."
They suddenly hear the roaring outside.
"Let's go!" He tells her.
They run outside and see what everyone else is seeing.
"You're finally up! Thank God you're still alive!" Chie says. "So glad I didn't kill you!"
"What the hell?! Chris said there was only one sea monster!" Charlie exclaimed. "Not five!"
"That's weird ..I'm not sensing multiple presences." Katakuri says.
"What are you getting at?!" Kaiba asked.
"Is it the same for you, Wendy?!" Geralt asked.
Wendy nods. "There's no doubt about it. There aren't multiple creatures…."
"... They're all the same creature, just multiple heads!" Katakuri says. "Which makes me wonder how big this creature really is…"
"Seriously?!" Zeke says. "Well then, that'll make this somewhat easier. So what, we just cut off the heads or something?"
"Haven't you heard of the Hydra in Greek Mythology, Shellhead?" Kaiba explains. "You cut off one head, two more will take its place."
"But it's a fish, not a dragon!" Chie brings up.
"Mutant fish, remember?" Max reminds them. "Wouldn't surprise me if that thing could fire lasers."
One of the heads opens its mouth, as a blue ball of energy starts forming in its mouth.
"W-what's it doing?" Aqua asked nervously.
Katakuri peers into the future for a moment, but even he saw there was no way to prevent what was about to happen.
"Everyone, listen closely!" Katakuri orders. "Jump into the water, right now!"
"Are you crazy?! You remember that you can't swim, right?!"
"Just trust me!"
The energy ball begins to grow bigger in the creature's mouth.
"You heard the man!" Lobo said whilst hoisting the still asleep Tatsumaki over his shoulder. "Abandon ship!"
The Weirdos all do as instructed and jump into the water. Balzafyre fires out a massive energy beam from his mouth, completely obliterating their ship.
"Holy crap, he wasn't kidding…." Mae said. "I think I saw my life flash before my eyes."
"What was it like?" Max asked.
"Awesome."
"C'mon somebody help me get those guys out of the water!" Kronk pleads.
"Please hurry!" Charlie says she tries to keep Katakuri afloat. His body was feeling weaker and unable to move in the water. "He physically can't swim!"
Geralt and Percy Rush into action, throwing rope over the ship for the Weirdos to grab onto.
"Hurry, citizens!" Percy urges with the utmost urgency. "There's no telling when that creature will begin the second salvo!"
"I-I think he's about to fire again!" Bernadetta cried.
All five heads open their mouths and prepare to fire at the Maniacs' ship.
"Okay, I think that's the last one!" Geralt said as he helps the Nomad onto the ship.
"This is bad…" bad Wendy whimpers.
"I doubt we're gonna avoid this one…" Edgeworth said with uncertainty.
Geralt prepares to ready a magic barrier, but someone flies past him and towards the monster. It was shown to be Mao, sword in hand as he flies towards Balzafyre.
"What is that kid doing?!" Cinder angrily exclaimed.
"Is he insane?!" Gwen adds.
The heads all fire their beams at the demon honor's student, and Mao swiftly slices through them all in a single swing. Everyone was left stunned as they were witnessing what Mao did.
"Not bad….but I've seen stronger from my old man!" Mao brags as he lands on one of the heads. "But what's an oversized aquarium attraction compared to the future Overlord of the Netherworld! MUHAHAHAHA!"
He pulls out the bag of snacks Miu brought with her from his pocket.
"What's he doing up there?!" Chie said.
"What's he doing with my snacks?!" Oscar cried.
"You know, I could just vaporize you right here!" Mao states. "But Iruma did say she was experimenting to use this crap as a pest killer…so let a fellow bright mind carry out the experiment to the very end by killing this pest!" He uses his strength to pry the jaws of the beast open.
"WELCOME TO DEATH ROW! ENJOY YOUR FINAL MEAL, COURTESY OF MOI! MUHAHAHAHA!"
Mao chucks the bag into his mouth and hops off his, backflipping back into the ship with perfect poise.
"What were you thinking, kid?!" Ryu exclaimed.
"Relax, just give it a moment." Mao says assuredly. "In three….two….one…."
The creature begins to roar again, only this time it sounded more pained. Everyone watches as the creature's heads begin to sway back and forth.
"What's happening to it?" Pandoria asks.
"If my hypothesis is correct, that thing should drop in a matter of moments from being poisoned." Mao proposes.
"Poison?!" Oscar said, feeling offended. "Listen here, brat. They're just an acquired taste is all! There is no way my snacks will kill something like-"
Balzafyre let's out an agonizing final groan as all the heads drop to the water, the rest of the creature sinking below the depths as it slowly died. Everyone stood there in shock, while Oscar looked absolutely devastated. As the creature sank more, the rain began to disappear, leaving it as sunny as it was the previous day.
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"What did I tell you?! Look who just won it for their team!" Mao brags. "Another win for the Infamous Demon Honor's Student! MUHAHAHAHA!"
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"I don't know what's more lethal…" Mae begins. "Oscar's snacks or Chie's cooking. One bite, and you say goodnight. Hey, that would probably work as a catchy jingle."
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"Is….is he really done for?" Barrett wonders. "Because if so, then mission fucking accomplished!"
"My word…" Ford marvels. "Turns out I didn't give you all enough credit. The people who beat Gjira and Chubzworth shouldn't have had anything to worry about here."
"In our defense, that thing caught us off guard." Max pointed out. "Plus I don't think anybody expected that thing could capsize an entire ship with one breath!"
Zeke goes over to Oscar and gives the man a pat on the back. "Ah, don't feel bad, chum. In a way, you kinda contributed to his demise."
"Pff, you don't see people praising the people who made bullets over the one who fired the gun." Kaiba arrogantly scoffed. "As much as I hate to admit it, this was their victory, none of ours…"
"Just let me have this, rich boy!" Oscar complained.
"Perhaps I will once you enter a better profession, because this one is definitely not for you."
"Why I oughta…."
"Oooooh…" Tatsumaki groans as she finally wakes up. "My head is pounding…"
"You get used to it." Aqua tells her.
"Now that that's all over with, I'm ready to finally head back." Geralt says. "Who's with me?"
The Weirdos all vocally agree. They all looked and felt like shit after all the stuff they went through in this challenge.
"Please tell me you guys still have food." Katakuri says as his stomach audibly growls. "I'm absolutely starving."
"Heh, I think we got you guys covered…" Kronk says optimistically.
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"Well, it looks like we lost the challenge." Kaiba said perfectly. "I already know who I'm voting for, but I wish I could personally vote for three or four people.
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The return trip back to the island was a rather quiet one. Some of the Weirdos were doing their best not to interact with certain members of their team, while the Maniacs tried to be amicable and hospitable to the other team. After another day or so, the ship finally returns to the island, with Chris, Chef, and Miu waiting for them at the dock.
"Ahoy, campers! That was quite the show you all put on!" Chris congratulates.
"Yeah, a shit show." Max says cynically as they all get off.
"Miu, why are you here?!" Katakuri angrily asked. "Last we heard, you escaped! What you did was absolutely stupid!"
"Hey, I tried to find my way back to you guys!" Miu said defensively. "I don't know how, but I somehow winded up back here before ever finding you guys."
"How can we trust you then if you're going to go AWOL with reckless plans that put yourself and us in danger?!" Aqua points out.
The Weirdos all glare at Miu, and the inventor's bravado immediately turns into embarrassment.
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"Yeah, I might be fucked." Miu admits worriedly. "If what I heard is true, I'm hoping the others screwed up even worse than I did. Hopefully Chie and/or Oscar fucked up even worse. But I'm actually kinda worried…"
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"Okay, so things could've gone…better, for our team." Charlie says awkwardly. "But I think our team needs a little bit of bonding to iron out all the….kinks, so to speak."
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"I take it that my actions give our team the win?" Mao says.
"Indeed it does, Mao!" Chris announces. "The Maniacs won the challenge!"
The Maniacs all celebrate with jubilation.
"Aw yeah…. c'mon, hotel!" Deadpool said excitedly.
"Actually, your reward this time isn't a stay at the spa hotel." Chris explains.
"Aw, what?!"
"We've prepared a special reward for you guys on this one. You guys get a special getaway for the whole weekend, courtesy of a familiar face to some of you."
"Who?" Ryu asked.
"That would be me, pal."
Walking onto the scene was a familiar gnome, rocking his familiar ponytail, beret, purple outfit, and lute.
"Scanlan?!" Percy said. "It's been far too long since we last saw each other."
"Looking scrumptious as ever, Miss King." Scanlan said. "Same could be said for a couple of these new faces. But now's not the time for flirting. You guys are heading back with me to my special little getaway from the everyday. Follow me."
The Maniacs follow Scanlan elsewhere, while the Weirdos watch in jealous disappointment.
"It's a shame, I've been to his pad already." Chris tells the Weirdos. "All the booze and chicken you could ever want."
"Booze?!" Aqua cries in disappointment.
"Chicken?!" Chie says, equally devastated.
"And he's a bard, so they're probably getting a musical number or two." Chris adds.
"And musical numbers?!" Charlie cried.
"Yep. Won't be the last time I throw out a special reward like that, so try harder from here on out. I'll be seeing your butts at elimination tonight."
Katakuri then runs over to the side of the dock and throws up.
"I may not entirely be back to one hundred percent quite yet…" he groans.
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Scanlan and the rest of the Weirdos are seen entering through a bright glowing door. Once on the other side, they find themselves face to face with a large mansion. They were currently inside a spacious foyer, complete with statues, a huge fountain, and gold record tracks lined on the wall. The sound of drums could be heard as small, purple, corporeal creatures wearing sunglasses we're moving all around the place.
"Wow…" Ruby said with excitement.
"Now I know what you're thinking, the place is a little small, but I'm a big believer in humble beginnings." Scanlan says.
"Humble?!" Gwen scoffs.
"This is actually amazing!" Wendy gushed.
"Wait, where's the rest of your team?" Ryu wonders.
"We all went our separate ways some time ago." Scanlan answers. "Got some father daughter time to catch up on myself, but I thought I'd be generous and offer my abode to you guys for a bit. A party that never stops, fit for all ages!"
"Wow….I didn't know you were a wizard." Kronk says naively as he looks at everything with stars in his eyes.
"Just what exactly is this place?" Bernadetta asks.
"And where the heck is that music coming from?!" Waluigi wonders.
The purple creatures all pick up instruments as Scanlan picks up his lute.
"All your questions shall be answered…in song~!"
Chateau Shorthalt: Meme-Verse Version
Entrapta suddenly finds herself in a steampunk-esque workshop. Deadpool ends up in a fighting arena, while Bernadetta finds herself in a serene forest flowing with lots of flora. And the three liked what they saw.
Scanlan: Entrapta gets a workshop to make gadgets and gizmos, Deadpool, here's your fighting pit!
Deadpool: (As many weapons fall into his arms) Oh hell yeah! Bring it on! Nice~
Scanlan: And Bernie gets a greenhouse to tend to her flytraps, and maybe grow me some spice!
"Explain yourself, runt!” Cinder says angrily at the gnome. "This is too good to be true! What is this?!"
"We can argue how legit this all is...or, we can celebrate you winning your first challenge!" Scanlan says
(Chateau!)
Scanlan: Don't you want it?!
( Chateau !)
I know you need it!
( Chateau )
Kick back and join me at the Chateau Shorthalt!
( Chateau !)
The creatures start handing the grownups stuff to drink as the room transforms into a dance floor. The Maniacs decide they've been through a lot the past couple of days, so it's now time to party.
Scanlan: A banging nightclub!
( Chateau !)
We got a hot tub !
( Chateau !)
Come and join me at the Chateau Shorthalt!
Deadpool is seen looking longingly at a portrait as the music suddenly turns a bit somber. The picture had Spinel and Peacock on it.
Deadpool: I wonder if I'll ever get a chance...to enjoy it with them?
Kronk: Hey man, you coming?
The music begins picking back up again as we hit the final verse.
( Chateau !)
Geralt: (Holding up pints of ale) All you can drink!
( Chateau )
Ryu: (Steps into a rather shady looking room…) That's a WHOLE lotta kink…
(Chateau!)
Scanlan: A room for you and you and you and you and you and you!
(Chateau Shorthalt !)
Edgeworth: Even things I'd like?
The look on Edgeworth's face lights up like a child as the purple creatures present him a chess board, a tea set, and Steel Samurai merchandise.
Scanlan: Of Course!
( Chateau !)
Luz sees an epic portrait of her riding a horse into battle, wearing full blown witch regalia.
Luz: Guys look! I'm on a horse!
(Chateau!)
Scanlan: Come on and join me at the Chateau Shorthalt!
The Maniacs were all running towards the pool, already changed into their swim attire. They each jump in, one after the other. Ryu striking a cool pose, Mao blowing a raspberry at the screen, Bernie hiding her face while she jumps in, even Carla turning into her human form as she leapt into the air.
( Chateau, chateau, chateau, chateau, chateau... )
Scanlan: What happens in the Chateau stays in the Chateau!
Kronk jumps in last with a big cannonball, sending everybody flying as Waluigi's face slams into the camera.
SHORTHALT !
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Night falls upon the island, as a familiar bonfire burns brightly. The Weirdos all sat at elimination, most feeling nervous for one reason or another.
"Tsk tsk tsk. You all had such a great start." Chris tells them. "What happened?"
"Do I even need to spell it out?!" Kaiba said, glaring at a few of his teammates. "Just get it over with and make with the marshmallows."
"Alright, alright. No need to be so impatient. The following players are safe…"
"Charlie…"
"Tatsumaki…"
"Rodney…"
"Peacock…"
"Nomad…"
"Zeke…"
"Mae…"
"Katakuri…"
"Max…"
"Lobo…"
"Aqua…"
"Spinel…"
"And Kaiba…"
This leaves Chie, Oscar, and Miu, who have yet to receive a marshmallow.
"You three goofed up big time here." Chris explains. "Chie, you used up all the food reserves to create what's basically a biohazard. Stick to kung fu."
"I didn't mean to poison him…" Chie said meekly.
"Miu, you abandoned your team to follow on your own recon mission that went down the crapper immediately."
"I had good intentions, alright?!" Miu snapped.
"Now, time to see who lives to play another day!"
"Hey! Why am I on the chopping block?!" Oscar asked.
"Hard to say." Chris says. "I'd say it's for a multitude of reasons, such as getting on some of your team's bad side. Anyway, the next marshmallow goes to Chie."
Chie let out a big relieved sigh as she is tossed her reward. Oscar and Miu look absolutely terrified as they realize it's down to just them. Miu is crossing her fingers for luck while Oscar nervously bites his nails.
"The last marshmallow goes to…."
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
"...Oscar! Miu, you're out."
"Ha! In your face, girl!" Oscar tells Miu as he gets his marshmallow.
"Aw fuck." Miu groans. "Yeah, I kinda saw this coming. From second place to second boot…fucking unbelievable. At least I still have that internship I got after last season with a highly respected roboticist."
"You kinda saw it coming?" Mae snorts.
"Well, if I'm out of here, might as well say a couple things before I go." Miu points at Aqua. "Aqua, you already know I hate you, so I'll keep this brief. Fuck you, and I give you three episodes before these guys boot you off. And lastly, just wanted to let you all know Ryu is a little subby hubby who likes to be dominated by his meek, precious Bernie Bear…..peace out, bitches. Iruma out."
Chris follows Miu to the Dock of Shame.
"Alright, so how am I getting the fuck outta here?!" Miu asks.
"Like this." Chris says maliciously as he pulls out a small remote. "Say hello to the Iron Iruma Sayonara!"
"The wha-"
She cries out as the pieces of the Iron Man like suit she created last season attach themselves to her.
"Well, at least I have protection!" Miu jokes. "Wait….why can't I move?!"
"Ready for blast off!" Chris cackles as he presses another button.
The rocket boosters on her legs turn on as the suit flies away into the horizon…but not before flying wildly in several directions until it flew in the right direction.
"Huh…..gotta work out some of the kinks in this thing." Chris said. "Pun not intended."
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Most of the Weirdos had gone their separate ways that night. As Katakuri was heading to bed, he's suddenly pulled aside by Chie.
"Alright, what is your deal, kid?" Katakuri asked a bit impatiently.
"I really wanted to apologize to you." Chie begins. "I didn't mean to almost kill you. I was just trying to make something for the whole team to enjoy. Guess I still need lots of practice. I know I messed up, but I can try even harder to do better."
Katakuri sighs, understanding how genuine she was being about this.
"Relax, I'm not going to dwell on this. I understand you meant well. Even if I knew what was gonna happen, I didn't want to crush your dreams."
"My dreams?" Chie asked. "Being a chef isn't my dream. Wait…you saw the future….you knew what was gonna happen, and you still ate it! Were you trying to spare my feelings?"
"Perhaps." The pirate chuckles. "So then, what is your dream?"
"I'm gonna be a cop!" She answers proudly. "I wanna protect my small town back home, and the people there I care deeply about."
"A cop, huh?" Katakuri muses. "Sounds interesting. It's always admirable to have a dream."
"I love my town, and the people in it. That's why I came onto this show…to figure out how to get stronger so I can make my dream a reality."
Katakuri crosses his arms, thinking something over.
"Umm….are you okay…sir?" She asked.
"You've got guts, kid. And plenty of moxie to go with it. I too know what it's like to want to protect what's dearest to you." Katakuri tells her. "I may not be the martial artist master you were looking for like some past competitors…but if you stick with me, I'll make sure you get stronger."
Chie was still a bit confused. "W-what are you saying?"
"I'm saying I'd like for you to become my newest student."
Chie couldn't believe what she was hearing. Despite feeling like she screwed up the challenge for her team, she was absolutely ecstatic to hear Katakuri offer her a position to train her and hone her skills.
"You want me to be WHAT?!" She happily responds.
Notes:
Welp, there's our final chapter for the year. Can't wait to see what the crew gets up to in 2025. After so long, we're back. Thought I'd come back with a hearty sized chapter as my gift to you guys. A lot of stuff went down here.
Here, we say goodbye to Miu, which honestly isn't much of a shock. She at least had an excellent run last season, and even came close to winning. Meanwhile, looks like the seeds are being set for storylines here as we meet new faces and….well, try to bond with each other.
Next time, our favorite Avalanche duo of Barrett and Red are hosting a game of Family Feud. Who will answer correctly, and who will XXX? Find out in the next episode.
Until then, happy holidays, and here's to a year that's hopefully better than this last one. This is MemeKing, signing off.
Chapter 5: Episode 5: Avalanche Feud
Summary:
The cast plays Family Feud, hosted by our favorite man/talking dog best friend duo Barret and Red.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Last time on Infinite 3, our cast got their sea legs as they set out to slay a sea monster that was being a pest in the area. On top of meeting new staff member Stanford Pines, tensions flared between many members of the Wayward Weirdos. Katakuri got sick and took on more students, Miu went AWOL, and Charlie tried her best to keep the peace with her team, with little success.. Partnerships and friendships formed, as well as some potentially heated rivalries. In the end, Miu got the boot, while the Maniacs enjoyed a weekend getaway at Chateau Shorthalt. But who's got the guts to win today? Find out on Total Drama Infinite 3!"
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"Alright, now open your mouth."
"If you say so, pal."
Yastor opens up his mouth as Ford sticks a thermometer in his mouth.
"Is a physical really necessary, doc?" Yastor asks, feeling quite bored.
"Just checking to see if your body is feeling okay after your cryogenic sleep." Ford tells him. "Just to make sure you're not feeling any adverse effects after being frozen for tens of thousands of years."
"Eh, I've been through worse. Like this one time my crew and I almost got crucified by an entire town after saving it. Well sorry for causing so much collateral damage….and that bar fight…"
Ford stands up and jots something down.
"Physically, nothing appears to be wrong with you. In fact, your body is still in peak physical condition."
"Worked on an alpaca farm since I was a boy." Yastor says. "That stuff will build up muscles. As long as you make sure to drink your milk."
"...I see…." Ford says awkwardly. "Well, that's all the data I needed for now." The man looks around the room of Yastor's shack. "Er…are you comfortable living in all this? Seems kinda small."
"So what? It's familiar, it's cozy, like the house I grew up in." Yastor defends. "Never really cared about living luxuriously."
"Very well. I shall take my leave, then."
"Wait, don't step on that board!" Yastor exclaimed.
The floorboard Ford stepped on triggered a hammer coming down from the ceiling. Ford quickly pulls out a blaster and fires at it, destroying the trap…as well as part of the ceiling.
"Not again!" Yastor cried. "You guys keep breaking my shack! That's the third time now! Is this karma for all the property damage Star OPs caused…?"
"Apologies. My fight or flight kicked in." Ford says. "Guess I went straight to fight. Well, I'll get out of your hair for now. Goodbye for now."
As soon as Ford was out the door, Yastor breathed a heavy sigh.
"They think I'm the oddball here?! Geez…man, I wonder if Slimey is still around. He'd honestly lift my spirits right about now…"
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"Looks like it's finally done, pal." Lobo said proudly. "Now pay up, I don't do shit for free."
Kaiba pulls some bills out of his pocket and hands it to the bounty hunter. "A pleasure doing business with you. Just a heads up, you might want to get it exchanged. I don't know what kind of currency you use, but I doubt it's yen."
"Hey, what are you guys working on?" Oscar asks, walking up to him.
Kaiba smirks, seemingly anticipating his arrival.
"Ah, it's perfect timing you showed up, Proud." The duelist said proudly. "I commissioned the Czarnian here to build us a little motivation so we don't lose from now on."
"What is it?"
"Take a look for yourself…"
Kaiba gestures to a human dog house next to the loser's cabin, with the word "LOSER" engraved at the top.
"I have no doubt you'll probably be spending many nights here if we continue to lose!" Kaiba laughs.
"CHARLIEEEEEEE! Rich boy's being a prick to me again!" Oscar whined.
"What's going on?" Charlie asks, exiting the cabin. She sees the dog house that Lobo built. "Oh wow, it's so pretty…"
"He's gonna make me sleep in there if we lose!"
"I said probably, no need to get your panties in a twist." Kaiba interjects.
"Oh, he doesn't mean that." Charlie assures him. "Right, Kaiba?"
"I guess not, if you're going to coddle him." Kaiba says bitterly. "Our last challenge ended horribly, and I refuse to lose again."
"Then blame the one who wasted all our food!" Oscar tells him. "Why am I getting villainized for it?!"
"It would never have happened if you didn't almost kill her with your atrocious snacks, ergo she wouldn't have felt the need to cook to one up you."
"Okay, now you're just jumping through a ton of hoops to reach that conclusion. Where is that brat anyway?! Probably off poisoning someone else."
"I actually saw her and Katakuri off doing something in the woods."
"I'm glad he doesn't seem to hold a grudge over what happened in the last challenge." Charlie says. "He's probably training her like he does with Wendy."
"What is happening, losers?!" A familiar voice sneered.
The crew turn to see Mao smirking at all of them. The young demon was wearing a comically large sombrero, with facial hair drawn on his face with marker.
"Well now, look who's finally back from their weekend at Scanlan's." Lobo said bitterly. "You sure look like you had a crazy time."
"Never pass out when there's markers about, even though I learned that the hard way." Mao said bluntly.
"What do you want, brat?" Kaiba spat. "Come to rub it in?"
Mao laughs. "MUHAHAHAHA! Of course I am! The best part of winning is making the loser feel bad about losing! Especially considering our win was my doing!"
"Hey, it was my snacks that took the beast down!" Oscar complained.
"If those were snacks, then I'm not the Demon Honor's Student with an Evil Quotient of 1.8 million!" Mao retorts. "Your team were all stranded little pansies. We saved your hides, I killed the monster, and won us the best weekend getaway I've had in hundreds of years! Now you're all going to stand there and let me brag and berate you all for your mistakes and shortcomings!"
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Out in the woods, we see Katakuri standing there, eyes closed and his arms crossed. Several meters across from him stood Chie, lightly jumping from foot to foot. Nearby, Wendy and Luz were sitting on a log while watching this.
"Is she really going to fight him?" Luz asked in disbelief.
"Nothing serious." Wendy assures. "She just wants to spar with him. You know, so he can gauge and assess what she can do. Apparently this was all her idea."
"Cool…curious to see what she can do. I welcome another person joining"
"Are you sure you wanna do this, Chie?" Katakuri warns. "I don't want to seriously hurt you."
"Pff, a little pain is good for the body." Chie scoffs. "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger. C'mon, I've fought Shadows, so I'm not a pushover. So don't hold back, Master!"
"Did she seriously just call him master?" Carla asked in utter disbelief.
A grin appears on the pirate's scarred face. "If that's what you want…then I'm happy to provide. I'll even give you the first hit."
"No need to give me special treatment, but I'll gladly begin now. Prepare yourself…..HWA-TA!"
Chie begins to run fast, jumping a bit into the air and swinging back a bit for a powerful roundhouse kick. Katakuri remains standing there, but not for long. However, just as she's about to hit him, he disappears, and reappears behind Chie, still standing like he did before.
"What the hell?!" The tomboy complained. "How'd you do that?! That was too fast for me to even see!"
"Care to throw out another attack, O' Spunky Dragon?" The pirate said calmly yet confidently. His eyes begin to glow red.
"I really don't know who I should be rooting for…" Luz brings up.
"She's gonna learn how skilled he is." Wendy said while she watched with excitement.
"I'm not outta steam yet, you're on!" Chie says.
She throws out another kick, but Katakuri moves the same way as before, and appears behind her. Chie begins to grow agitated, and keeps throwing out flying kicks, while Katakuri keeps zipping around and dodging her. The more it kept going, the more tired and agitated she got."
"You're going to say, 'This is bull crap. I haven't landed a single hit on him.'" Katakuri says calmly.
"This is…total bull crap…" Chie pants. "I haven't landed a single hit on him. It's not fair, I can't see the future like you can!"
"Would you prefer I stop dodging?"
"C'mon, at least make this interesting!"
"Very well….then I'm not gonna dodge this one. Or use my Observation Haki. Edged Mochi!" Katakuri turns his arms into mochi, only compressing them to be more square shaped, then coats them in Armament Haki. "Just a heads up….this might hurt."
"Work through the pain…" Chie says tiredly. "Alright, Master…here comes Chie…EAT THIS!"
Chie jumps up high, coming down like a meteor for a really powerful kick. Katakuri slightly spreads his legs to adjust his center of gravity, and crosses his arms. As soon as her kick clashes with his arms, Wendy and Luz are blown back from the shockwave. Black lightning begins to crackle around them. Animals start running for their lives, trees begin to shake wildly as both teammates' attacks continue to shake everything around them.
Chie leaps back, grasping her leg in pain while hopping in place. "OWOWOWOWOWOWOWWWW! That hurt a lot! I thought I was gonna break my leg!"
Katakuri lowers his defenses, and dusts himself off a little bit. "Relax, you're not gonna lose a leg if I can help it. Just from all that, I've gotta say…I'm impressed."
"How?! I didn't even actually do any significant damage!" Chie protests.
"Your form is incredible, though!" Wendy brings up.
"That was some sick martial arts skills." Luz adds. "Who taught you?"
"I…kinda just imitate what I see in action films and martial arts movies." Chie says sheepishly. "Why do you think I was keen on learning from someone who's a master at that stuff….like that Terry guy?"
"While I'm not a martial artist, I am rather self taught in how I fight." Katakuri admits. "You've proven you have a lot of potential, but never forget there's always room for improvement. All three of you do."
As he was giving this speech, there was something behind the pirate….that looked nearly exactly like him. It was mimicking his every movement and mannerism as he spoke. The girls were all trying their best not to laugh.
"Aw shucks, you flatter us." Luz says cheekily.
"I've fought my fair share of Shadows, but it looks like you've got one behind you…" Chie points out.
"Huh?"
He turns around and sees the doppelganger, which transforms back into Luz's palisman, Stringbean.
"Isn't that quite humorous…" Katakuri chuckles. "You three continue to keep surprising me. Now, how about we begin and-"
Before he could finish the sentence, his and Chie's stomachs growl audibly for all of them to hear.
"You guys must be absolutely starving!" Wendy gasps.
"Not surprising at all." Luz says. "All they've probably had to eat the past few days is Chef's cooking, so I understand."
"You lucky punks got to dine on all the chicken you wanted." Chie says tearfully. "I'm freaking feigning over here."
"Before we continue, I'm gonna go get some more of the donuts I packed." Katakuri says. "It doesn't help training on an empty stomach." He looks over at Chie. "Would you care for some?"
"I appreciate the offer, Master, but I need meats, not sweets." Chie says. "Wait…do you smell that?"
"Smell what?" Luz asks.
"Huh…I smell it too…" Wendy says, sniffing the air as well.
"What are you guys, bloodhounds?" Luz asked. "No wait…I smell it too, now…"
"I think it's coming from over there." Carla says, pointing to a clearing hidden by shrubbery.
The group all peek their heads over the bushes and see Gura. She was being handed a pizza box from her friend, Ina. Ina was wearing a helmet, and riding a scooter that had tentacles instead of wheels.
"Here's your order, Goobs." Ina says sweetly. "Enjoy."
Gura takes the box and hands her some money. "Thanks, Ina. I can't wait to eat this in the bathtub."
"Well, gotta get going, Gura. Keep up the good work. See ya on Wednesday for that collab!"
"I'll be there!"
As Ina "drives" away, the group approaches Gura just as she was about to dig into a slice.
"Uh….mind telling us what that was about?" Chie asks.
Gura finally notices that they are watching her. "Oh, you mean my pizza? I just ordered off of Tako Eats."
"Tako…..Eats?" Luz said. "Is that like Doordash?"
"Better than that." Gura tells them. "They deliver anything, anywhere. And they take all types of known currency. And it's not just food they can deliver-"
"For real?!" Chie exclaimed as she took out her phone. "Say less! I'm ordering lunch as we speak. Steak skewers, beef bowls…"
"Whatever floats your boats, my dudes." Gura says as she walks off. "I've gotta bounce, there's a bathtub I have to eat this in…"
"Alright, order is placed." Chie said triumphantly. "If it's alright with you Master, I'm gonna head out for a jog while I wait for the food."
"I was going to go eat myself, so this works out." Katakuri says. "Change of plans, girls. We'll really get into it tomorrow."
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"Urghhhh….. Waluigi had too much to drink…" Waluigi groaned. The purple sneak was laying on the ground outside the hotel as he was barfing rainbows. "I partied way too hard…"
Geralt, who set on the porch, chuckled. "Never had a drink in your life, did ya, lightweight?"
"Nope….never have…"
"Man….I think I partied pretty hard as well…" Ryu groans as he cracks his back.
"Yeah, I think you hit your limit when you tried to sing karaoke last night." Gwen points out. The goth was currently sketching something down while she talked. "You came out in this ridiculous get up while completely plastered, started talking nonsense, and started to sing terribly. Then you tried to surf the crowd and landed hard on the ground."
"Huh….guess I made a total ass of myself…" Ryu said sheepishly. "I'm so glad nobody got that on film."
Gwen holds up her phone to him, a sly grin on her face. "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that….forgive me, but a little bit of fun was had at your expense."
Gwen shows him the video, and just as you'd expect, Ryu was singing horribly on stage as he slurred his words. He wore an even flashier suit with shiny studs and a bigger collar, an oversized crown on his head, and wore a large cape that read "I Love Bernie" on the back. He then sees the scene where he tries to crowd surf when his song finished, but he falls painfully to the ground.
"Aw crap….I hope Bernie didn't see any of that…"
"I don't think she was too bothered…" Gwen says.
The film then moves over to Bernadetta. She was watching the spectacle while downing a colorful drink in mere seconds, followed by her taking an extremely large hit from a bong.
"C'mooooooon, baby! Encore! Encore! One more time for your Bernie Bear~! Mister Shorthalt, another candy flavored drink over here, please! Bernie's starting to see the bottom of her glass!"
"Whoa, this chick knows how to party!" The voice of Scanlan could be heard offscreen. "She's already downed five of those!"
"Well….at least she had a good time." Ryu says. "And thank God that runt gave the youngsters a place of their own in the chateau to party. Last thing they'd need to see me acting like a drunk fool. Or, you know….the other stuff…"
"Yeah, is there a room you and her didn't desecrate in that place?" Geralt jokes. "Like, I was hearing some crazy shit going down in the hot tub, on the billiards table-"
"Up-bup-bup. What happens in the chateau, stays in the chateau."
"It's honestly quite a shame." Deadpool says a bit somberly. "While I had a good time, it would have been better if I had my closest friends there to enjoy it."
"It's understandable." Geralt laments. "This show's been keeping us quite busy this season."
"Wah-t, are we not good enough company?!" Waluigi complained.
"No no, you guys are fine and all." Deadpool says as he proceeds to walk away. "But I'm gonna go find Spinel. Nine out of ten chance Peacock is with her. Got some lost time to catch up on."
"Don't forget, they're on the other team." Geralt warns. "While you two have a history, it's best to remember not to let them throw you off."
Deadpool waves the Witcher off as he strolls off. "Yeah yeah, I hear ya. Cute coming from the guy who got eliminated because he didn't attempt to befriend anybody."
"...Touche."
"That was uncharacteristically weird." Ryu says. "The guy leaves without some witty comebacks or whatever nonsense he's usually spouting."
"He's up to something." Tokageroh hypothesized. "He just has to be."
"Could be…" Ryu guesses. "In the brief time we've interacted, he can be unpredictable."
"I wouldn't worry about it." Geralt assures. "Though the part where he didn't throw out some absurd quip, reference, or double entendre is off-
He was interrupted as Kronk burst out the front door in a panic.
"GUYS! GUYS! IT'S….IT'S HORRIBLE!"
His teammates immediately bolt into action.
"What is it?!" Geralt asks, drawing his swords. "A new threat seeking to destroy the world?!"
"Or is it an old foe returning to seek revenge?!" Ryu asks.
"It's nothing like those…" Kronk said, having calmed down a bit. "I might have been a bit over dramatic there for a moment."
"Then out with it. What's the problem?" Waluigi asks impatiently.
"The spinach puffs I made earlier when we got back…they've disappeared."
"How so?" Ryu asks. "I know I haven't had any yet."
"I left them out on the counter to cool." Kronk explains. "I come back a half hour later, and they're all gone! Every single one of them!"
"That's a shame, they taste awesome. Didn't expect you to already be cooking again after we got back."
"Well, you know….just trying to make up for my misdeeds back on Bon Voyage for you guys. I'll make whatever you want."
"Dude, I told you it's all good now." Ryu assures him. "I was even the best man at your wedding."
"It's not just you guys…" Kronk says. "I still haven't forgiven myself for it…"
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"Guy's too hard on himself, even after all these months." Ryu sighs. "But if he doesn't feel like he's forgiven himself, I'm not sure what more I could do to help him out with that."
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Ruby walks outside, carrying a plush toy with her. "What's going on out here? What's all the commotion?"
"Big guy's spinach puffs went missing, kid." Waluigi explains. "Got any clues or insight?"
"Oh, that's easy." Ruby answers. "Mr. Buns ate them. Guess he got a bit carried away, he thought they were one of the best things he's ever had."
Ryu shakes his head in confusion. "I'm sorry, but….Mr. who?!"
"My friend Mr. Buns." She showed them the plush she had. It appeared to be a black plush toy made from socks, and looked like a rabbit. "I made him myself. Sorry I haven't had the chance to introduce him to you guys yet, I just now got to unpacking him. But now is better than never."
Kronk, Ryu, and Waluigi look at the toy in horror. His stomach was looking quite bloated, fit to burst at the seams, even.
"He hopes you'll make some more again sometime." Ruby continues, blissfully unaware of their shock. "Compliments go to the chef."
We see a split screen of the three terrified faces in front of her. There's no way the toy was alive, right?
…Right?
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"I think Waluigi is now officially spooked." Waluigi squeaked. He was currently huddled up in fear in the confessional. "I'm probably gonna have a hard time sleeping tonight knowing a living toy walks amongst us! WE'VE ALL SEEN THE HORROR MOVIES, WE KNOW HOW THIS ENDS! AND IT'S ALWAYS THE BEAUTIFUL ONES THAT DIE FIRST!"
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Down in the now former underground sanctum of Dr. Sulfur, we see Cinder sitting boredly in a huge swivel chair that sat in front of an even bigger computer monitor. She sees a butterfly fly past her, and she snaps her fingers. A small flame shoots from her hand and incinerates the poor creature into a pile of dust.
"Where the hell are those two?!" She angrily asks herself.
She suddenly hears the sounds of footsteps clanking across the metal floor, and here's a familiar voice. But her look of relief turned to shock and anger as she saw Entrapta enter the room…with Ford following behind her.
"And this right here is our main hub, where all the magic happens~"
"Simply fascinating, Entrapta." Ford praised. "Who would have thought that a blacklisted Foundation scientist would have a secret lab down in a random island in Muskoka. I wouldn't believe it until now."
"He called it a sanctum, actually."
"A sanctum, huh? How classy of him."
"You won't believe this either." Entrapta brings up. "I've discovered there may be more beneath the island than this sanctum and the maze. If my hypothesis is correct, over seventy-five percent of the island itself is below the ground!"
"Entrapta…" Cinder said with a sickly faux sweetness. "Do you mind if I talk with you over there for a minute?"
"Oh, sure." She looks back over at Ford. "Would you excuse the both of us for a moment?"
"Of course."
Cinder practically drags Entrapta far away enough that Ford wouldn't be able to eavesdrop on them.
"Just what were you thinking bringing him down here?!" She snapped in a hushed whisper.
"I don't see what the problem is." Entrapta calmly responds. "He too is a man of science, I just had to show him my personal little workshop away from home. Besides, he's part of the staff. He's not allowed to get deeply involved in the game or interfere. What we're doing is totally fine."
This info helped Cinder calm down a little bit. "I suppose you're right. DIO got in serious trouble last season for doing more than what his job was. He'd get fired on the spot if he divulged our secrets to the others."
"So then he's cool, then?" Entrapta asks.
Cinder gives a long, exasperated sigh. "I suppose it's fine. But just to be safe, refrain from talking about anything gameplay related to him whatsoever." She pats the princess on the shoulder , almost hamming up her fake niceties. You're a smart girl….think you can remember all that?"
Entrapta nods eagerly. "Oh, most definitely."
She runs back over to Ford, pulling him elsewhere.
"So, anything in particular you've been working on down here?" Ford asks curiously.
"You're gonna love this next one!" Entrapta responds giddily. "I'm working on an elaborate and flashy robot right now, but the body still needs time before it's finished! I'd be happy to show you how much I've finished so far!"
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Cinder is seen rubbing her temples in frustration.
"This girl is a literal headache." She bemoans. "Her naive nature is a double edged sword, it seems. As long as she remains loyal and obedient, then she and I won't have any problems. Ugh, at least I don't have to worry as much about that Mao kid."
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Elsewhere, we see Oscar stealthily sneaking around their cabin, with Zeke, Pandoria, and Rodney following behind him, imitating him.
"Remind me what we're doing here again, chum?"
"I need you two to stand guard, of course." Oscar explains. "Rich boy's gonna mess with me, huh? So I'm gonna get him back."
"What exactly is the plan?" Pandoria asks.
Oscar points at an odd looking motorcycle parked on the side of the cabin. "See that chopper? Pretty sure it's rich boy's. I'm just gonna key a little message on it for all the world to see. Zeke, I need you and your girlfriend to stand by and keep an eye out for anyone else."
"G-G-G-GIRLFRIEND?!" Both Driver and Blade exclaimed.
"Wait….you're not?" Oscar asked. "Could've fooled me."
"D-don't just say stuff like that, mate!" Zeke sputtered, his face turning a nice shade of cherry red. "I-I mean sure, Pandy and I are pretty close, and have been for years-"
"B-but you're wrong!" Pandoria adds, her face even redder than Zeke's. "We're a Driver and Blade duo! But a….a really close one!"
Um…. okay." Oscar says awkwardly. "It's not something to get so panicky over. Usually, my philosophy is no dating till you're married, but you two seem like responsible adults at the very least."
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"Didn't expect Oscar to throw out a line like that." Zeke said, still looking incredibly shook up from it. "Don't get me wrong, I've had my fair share of hook-ups and dates with other lasses….but Pandy? She and I are close….way more than you could believe. It's kinda because of her that I'm still alive and kicking. I owe my life to her, and more. But…..how much more, I wonder? As awkward as that felt, I've had this on my mind. You don't just spring something like that on a bud!"
He suddenly realized what he just said.
Nobody else can hear these, can they? They can't? Good. Last thing I'd want to do is bother Pandy with this right now. That's why I came alone this time…"
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"In a perfect world….I would honestly love that…" Pandoria laments. "My prince and I have…been through so much together, I do love him a lot, really. I already came close to losing him once…"
She clutches the crystal shard on her chest. Her expression quickly returns to a more cheerful one. "Besides, he'd be totally lost without me, let's be honest." She says cheekily. "Somebody's gotta keep him in check before he gets himself killed."
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"W-wait, then what am I supposed to do here, Mr. Proud?" Rodney aaked.
"It's simple." Oscar explains. "Your hulking stature will obscure my presence while I do this!"
He pulls out his keys for them to see.
"I don't know if this is a good idea." Rodney says nervously. "Feels pretty scummy keying his bike."
"Don't they tell you to respect your elders, boy?" Oscar tells him. "I know what I'm doing, so just stay put right there and let me take care of the rest.
The snack maker begins etching into the bike with his key, writing out the message "I suck lemons big time."
"There, all done." Oscar says proudly. "Can't wait to see the reaction on rich boy's face when he sees his bike is trashed! Ha!"
"Alright, can we just go?!" Rodney asks, more panicked. "I got a bad feeling something bad is gonna-"
"That's my chopper you defaced, you friggin bastich!" A familiar voice booms.
Towering behind Oscar's accomplices was the even bigger frame of Lobo. He looked quite pissed, even exhaling smoke from his nose like an enraged bull. The three of them felt their hearts sink to their guts as they slowly turned around to confirm the same thought they all shared. Even Oscar's cocky attitude disappeared with a quickness.
"I-I-I-is that so?" He asked nervously. "M-my mistake, I could have sworn this belonged to Kaiba…"
"He has his parked elsewhere." Lobo growls. "That's my ride you're fucking up, you chump! You know how long that's gonna take to fix?!"
"I think it's time for us to run for it, Pandy!" Zeke says as the two of them make a break for it.
"Hey, wait for me, you guys!" Rodney says as he follows behind them.
"Hey! Don't leave me standing here, you guys!" Oscar wails as he runs to catch up to them.
"Oh no you don't, you damn bastich!" Lobo roars as he starts chasing after them. "You're so friggin' getting fragged for this!"
And this, it turned into a mad dash across the island. Oscar, Rodney, Zeke, and Pandoria were running for their lives as Lobo chased them down.
"Come back here, I just wanna taaaalk!" Lobo says sweetly. "With my fist!"
"Aw crud, he's gonna get us all at this rate!" Zeke cried
"Why'd I let you drag me into this?!" Rodney cried. "I really need to start saying no more often!"
"Keep running, he's gotta tire out eventually!" Oscar tells them.
"Fat chance, snack man!" Lobo calls out. "As soon as I get my hands on you, it's fragging time!"
Meanwhile, we see Deadpool, Spinel, and Peacock together on the beach. The merc lays out a large sheet on the ground.
"Alright, guys. First of all, I'd like to welcome Peacock to our little group of misfits. It's been far too long since we've been able to get together like this."
"The pleasure is all mine, ya schmucks."
"Is that the you know what?" Spinel asks hopefully, pointing to the paper set down.
"Right you are, Spinny." Deadpool tells her. "Weeks of planning before this season started…and you're gonna be a part of our master plan, P."
"As long as I can cause as much mayhem as I want, count me in, red!" Peacock cackles. "I've been aching to blow stuff up for days, but Chris is such a sourpuss about it!"
"Soon, my young Padawan." Deadpool tells her. "Soon…"
"Hey, uh, guys….what is that?" Spinel asked.
The other two look to see Oscar's group running away from an enraged Lobo.
"Big, tall, and pasty is looking mighty angry…" Peacock marveled.
"Looks like it's time for us to join in the chase!" Spinel says giddily.
"Let's run, guys!" Deadpool orders. "Just remember, if he gets you, play dead!"
And so, the three of them ended up joining the others in the chase, much to the shock of the latter.
"What the heck are you guys doing?!" Oscar exclaimed.
"Joining in on the fun, what's it look like?!" Spinel giggles.
"Get back here, right fucking now!" Lobo roars.
"Just don't slow us down, please!" Zeke says. "If he catches us, we're toast-"
At that exact moment, Zeke tripped over literally nothing.
"Zeke!" Pandoria cries out. She stops running to help Zeke back up, but Lobo headbutts into the both of them, sending them flying through the airacross the island as their screams get more faint.
"Yer next, Pinhead!" Lobo cackles as begins picking up speed again.
"We're dead, we're dead, we're dead, we're dead!" Oscar cried.
Meanwhile, we see Bernadetta in the forest, looking after the giant plant monster, Larry. With her, she sets down a huge platter topped with lots of chicken.
"There you go, my little plant baby." Bernadetta coos as Larry happily gobbles up the food. "Mama brought back plenty of chicken from this weekend. Eat up."
Once Larry was finished gorging itself, he licks Bernadetta's face affectionately like a puppy.
"Aw, you must've been hungry, weren't you? Such a good boy~! I got some very nutrient rich soil to help wash it dow-huh?"
Bernadetta sees the group now running towards her. She wasn't sure how or why they were running towards her, but her instincts told her to run away.
"AHHHHHHH! SORRYLARRYGOTTAGO!"
And now Bernadetta joined in the run for their lives, running a bit faster than everyone else.
"WHY DOES BERNIE KEEP ENDING UP IN THESE SITUATIONS?!" She wails.
"What the? Why's this chick running?!" Oscar wonders.
"Stay away from me! Bernadetta cries. "Bernie didn't do anything wrong! Leave me alone!"
It was then that Chie joined in, jogging so fast she was side by side with Bernie.
"Hey, glad to see you're getting in some training too!" Chie tells her. "Gotta strengthen those leg muscles, y'know?"
"WHAT IS EVEN GOING ON?!"
"I said to stop running, you punks!" Lobo snapped.
"WAH"
"Huh?! Who the hell?!"
Lobo sees Ina speeding past him on her tentacle scooter, catching up to Chie and Bernie.
"Hello miss. Your Tako Eats order is here."
"Aw sweet, come to papa!" Chie says excitedly.
"What is even going on anymore?!" Bernadetta cries.
It was then that we heard Chris's voice over the PA system.
"Challenge time is in ten minutes, campers! Meet at the amphitheatre, and bring your A-Game!"
Immediately after this, we see Oscar sent flying through the air across the island, crying out in pain.
"MAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"WOULD SOMEBODY FREE POOR BERNIE FROM THIS TORMEEEENT!" Bernadetta's voice rings out.
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Later, both teams are gathered at the outdoor amphitheatre, seated on the bleachers.
"If they got us here this time, I'm willing to bet it's something fucking stupid." Max snarks.
"Please no singing…" Ryu prays.
"Please let there be singing…" Charlie hopes.
Waluigi begins to scoot away as Ruby sits next to him. He saw she was still carrying Mr. Buns with her.
"Do you really have to bring that…that thing here?!" He cried.
"Relax, he's not out to get you or anything." Ruby assures him. "He's a friend."
"He's honestly kinda cute." Bernadetta remarks. "Did you make him yourself?"
"Uh-huh."
"Look, just relax, man." Deadpool tells him. "We've seen weirder on this show."
"Y-yeah….. you're right…" Waluigi stammers.
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"He's right." Waluigi admits. "Waluigi can't let a child's plaything get to him. If that scaredy cat pink Luigi can hunt ghosts on the regular, then this'll be a cakewalk for Waluigi."
It was then that he saw Mr. Buns again in the confessional. Waluigi runs out of the confessional screaming. It's revealed that Deadpool was behind it, having a picture of the toy attached to a fishing pole.
"Ain't I an asshole?"
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The rest of the Weirdos are shock to see Oscar show up later than them, looking a bit bruised up.
"Yikes…" Tatsumaki winced. "What the hell happened to you?!"
"Yeah, Proud, tell us…." Lobo said threateningly. "What did happen to you?"
"I, uh….I got attacked by a bear." Oscar says bitterly.
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"I heard what happened." Kaiba said smugly. "He thought he could pull a fast one on me, and still failed. Ha, that is absolutely priceless! Once a failure, always a failure."
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The curtains on stage open up, revealing a large electronic screen. Below on stage stood two tables, and a stand in the center, each fitted with red buttons and microphones.
"Is this what I think it is?" Edgeworth asked.
"Indeed it is, Miles!"
Chris appears in the center of the stage in a puff of smoke.
"Today's challenge is one of the most famous game shows out there!"
"Wheel of Fortune?!" Charlie guesses.
"Uh….no." Chris deadpans.
"Deal or No Deal?" Lobo guesses.
"It's Family Feud. Thanks for not letting me build up to surprise thanks to your stupid guesses."
"Sorry, but I'm quite unfamiliar with this game you humans call Family Feud." Mao explains. "Besides, it doesn't sound threatening enough to entice me."
"Family Feud is a game that's been around since the 70's." Chris explains. "The rules are simple. Five members from each team will come up to answer survey questions. These questions were asked in 100 people surveys, so it's up to each team to answer the most popular answers and get them to show up on the board above. If a team gets three answers wrong, the opposing team can play to answer the question and get the points. If they get it wrong, points go to the first team."
"...I guess that makes sense." Geralt says. "You guys sure come up with weird games in your worlds."
"You'll be playing three rounds, so every member of each team gets a turn." Chris continues. "But we'll be throwing in some house rules for this one. First team to hit 300 points wins immunity and the hotel."
"Wait….do we have to give out a verbal answer?" Katakuri asks. The pirate gestures to the Nomad. "No offense to him whatsoever, but we have a teammate who is incapable of talking."
"Then it looks like one of you will have to go twice."
The Nomad hangs his head in shame. He felt disappointed putting his team in a disadvantage such as this, even if it was something out of control. That is, until he feels Zeke out a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Nonsense, we have a player we can sub in." Zeke declares. "Pandy, looks like you're up."
Chris shrugs. "Eh, works for me. The walking lightbulb will sub in for the Nomad."
"Don't be too hard on yourself." Pandoria tells the Nomad. "If it makes you feel any better, you're our team's cheering squad. We'll need all the support we can."
The Nomad, now feeling a bit better about his predicament, nods and gives them a thumbs up.
"I hope so." One loss was already crushing enough for me." Kaiba says bitterly."
"What happened last time was all of our faults." Chie reminds him.
"I have literally done nothing wrong." Mae calmly retorts.
"Join the club." Katakuri adds.
"We've got one more surprise for you guys!" Chris announces. "As much as the camera can't get enough of me, I'm not hosting this challenge. I'll be sitting back and watching the chaos unfold."
"Then who's going to?" Spinel asks.
"AVALANCHE TIME, MOTHAFUCKAS!"a part of the stage floor opens up, showing Barret and Red ascending from below. The duo were rocking matching sunglasses, complete with a background filled with planes, fireworks, and mushroom cloud explosions.
"Now was that an entrance, or was that an entrance?!" Barret said proudly.
"I hope you two realize that flashy entrance is coming out of your paychecks for this week." Chris brings up.
"We can live with that." Red says.
"So let me get this straight." Tatsumaki says. "Instead of you hosting this challenge, you're leaving it in the hands of some weirdo with a gun for a hand and his even weirder talking dog creature?!"
"That's 'talking dog best friend' to you, little girl!" Barret corrects.
"I'M NOT A CHILD! I'M JUST SHORT!"
"Once you get your facts straight, so will I."
"Regardless, Barret and Red are in charge for this one." Chris continues. "Barrett will be asking the teams their questions, meanwhile Red…."
"What is that creature up to?" Max asked. "He-huh?!"
The troublemaker suddenly feels a collar put around his neck by Chef, as he stealthily collared everyone during the explanation.
Chef dusts his hands off. "Well, he's the last one."
"What sapping our powers again?!" Mao said defiantly. "That'll be pointless in a game where intelligence and problem solving will be most valuable! You're an idiot for that one, McLean, MUHAHAHAHA!"
"Oh, these collars ain't for taking your powers away." Chris says smugly. "Boys, would you care for a demonstration?"
"Certainly." Barret answers. "Welcome to what we like to personally call, AVALANCHE FEUD! You all will have no problems if you get an answer right. But if you get it wrong….Red…."
Red pulls out two buttons, each being colored either green or red for their corresponding teams. Red slams his paws on both buttons, and both teams suffer nasty electrical shocks.
"Then your whole team is getting zapped. Even the ones that aren't in the round.
Red stops pressing the buttons, as most of the cast is left smoldering and a bit smoky.
"I should have known a simple game show would seem too good to be true…" Gwen groans.
"My element is lightning, so why does this actually hurt?!" Pandoria complains.
"Trade secret, lightbulb." Chris tells her.
"I'd prefer it if you didn't refer to my blade in such a derogatory term, you arse." Zeke demands. "She may be my Blade, but she's a person with feelings too, you know?!"
"Yeesh, no need to get so bent out of shape." Chris says mockingly. "Since you seem to care so much about her."
"I…. that's…." Zeke fumbles his words, his face growing quite flushed meanwhile, his Blade watches, her face turning just as red. "MIND YOUR OWN BEESWAX, BUB! ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO MY TEAMMATES!"
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"First Oscar, and now Chris?!" Zeke complains. "I am two for two on this today. Either way, nobody busts Pandy's chops but me!"
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"Now that we've all been cooked medium rare, can we begin?" Mae huffed. "Sooner we get this done, the sooner I don't hopefully end up well done."
"You've got a couple minutes to figure out five teammates that will go first." Chris explains. "After that, it's showtime!"
A few minutes later, five players from each team were decided for the round, and took their spots on the booths on stage.
Round 1
Wayward Weirdos
Aqua
Rodney
Chie
Max
Charlie
Multiverse Maniacs
Deadpool
Kronk
Gwen
Percy
Edgeworth
"It's time to play some Family Feud, ladies and gents!" Barret announced. "I will be your acting host for this challenge, the one and only Barret Wallace! Joined by loyal number 2, Red XIII! I swear on the mighty and powerful Bahamut that you're in for one hell of a show today, folks!"
The Maniacs were all looking confident and determined. They were staring down the opposition rather confidently.
"You better be ready, Weirdos!" Deadpool warns. "Even though I know how this all ends, for the sake of it I'll still tell you this, regardless. It'd be a shame to send you to elimination twice in a row!"
"You don't scare us!" Aqua retorts. "We're a team of geniuses, after all! I mean, minus Miu right now, but I know they we're not going to need her to whoop your asses!"
"Just remember to have fun, you guys!" Charlie warns. "We don't want this to end in violence like the last challenge."
"If this turns out boring, I'll gladly take a fight." Max snarks. "So long as I'm not in it, just to watch."
Max looks over right next to him, and sees Rodney looking quite nervous about this. In fact, you could even see his hulking body shivering.
"Uh….a bit cold there, pal?"
Over on the farm boy's other side was Chie, who also noticed his nervous shaking.
"Yikes, you're shaking like a leaf, big guy." She remarks. "You feeling alright?"
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"No, I'm not feeling alright." Rodney admits. "This challenge is too similar to what got me eliminated last time! I made such an absolute fool of myself! The only difference is instead of a chicken shocking people, it's some weird dog thing. Ohhh, I just know I'm going to mess this up for us again! History is going to repeat itself, and it'll be all my fault!"
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"Just worried I'm gonna mess this up for the whole team like I did back on Pahkitew…" he answers.
"Puh-lease, you can't mess up as bad as I did in the last challenge." Chie assures him. "Besides, what's in the past is just that….in the past."
"That's a little reassuring, but it doesn't completely help my nerves…the consequences of getting it wrong-"
"Don't think…..just feel." She tells him. "It's a phrase I live by, and has helped me countless times."
Rodney thinks this over. Just feel, huh? Sounds a whole lot easier than overthinking it.
"Okay, that's pretty convincing. I think I can get through this now. Thanks again."
"Hey, it's no big deal. Like I said, if you're struggling, or someone is giving you trouble, you come talk to me."
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"To the surprise of probably nobody, these two are still pretty tight." Max affirms. "When this challenge is over, I'm finally gonna ask them if they'd be up for joining Mae and mine's alliance. Their level of trust could be useful. But for now, it's time to focus on the challenge itself."
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It was then that Yastor showed up, sitting by himself on the end of the bleachers, which they all noticed.
"Uh…what are you doing here, pal?" Chris asked.
"Relax, I'm just watching the game." Yastor assures. He kicks his feet up and begins to drink from his gourd. "I got to miss out on the last couple of games you guys have been playing. Figured I'd watch finally and see what the hype is all about."
"Whatever, dude. You're gonna be seeing a lot of zapping."
"Shoot, I've had to deal with that kinda crud when Tilly wanted to test new inventions…it's nothing new."
"I'm gonna need Aqua and Deadpool to come forward for the first question." Barret explains.
Both contestants approach the stand in the center, while Barret takes out some note cards. The board above them lights up with 5 slots.
"You two are gonna answer here, and whoever gets the best answer gets to choose whether their team passes or plays." Barrett continues. "Question number one, five answers are on the board. We asked a hundred people, what is something a burglar would not want to see when he breaks into a house?"
Deadpool hits the button almost instantly. He looks at the camera, wiggling his unseen eyebrows.
"Barret, everyone knows what I'm about to say. Ever since Meme said this episode would have a Family Feud challenge, the reviews were all expecting me to answer this. So now I'm here to appease the masses…NEKKID GRAMMA!"
"Naked HUH?!" Barret exclaimed.
The watching audience all begin laughing at his answer.
"Ha! Isn't that just a lark!" Yastor guffaws. "Definitely not what I would have said, but that's hilarious!"
"To be fair, I wouldn't wanna see that either." Aqua says.
Barret gets back up, trying his best to stop laughing. Once he's calmed down, he looks back at the board. "Show me naked grandma!"
Everyone watches in silent anticipation, until it shows "Stuff that Scars You for Life" as the number 2 answer, worth 32 points. Deadpool whoos loudly and triumphantly.
"Aqua, your answer?" Barrett asks.
"Oh, um…." Aqua racks her bring for an answer. "A guard dog or something?"
Barret nods, and turns back to the giant board. "Show me a guard dog!"
It shows "Angry Pet" as the number 4 answer, worth 12 points. She got it right, but Deadpool got the higher answer.
"Since you scored higher, would you like to pass or play?" Barret asks Deadpool.
"Eh, I'll pass this one." Deadpool says. "I have faith the Weirdos will fuck it up."
"Hey, fuck you too!" Max snaps back.
"Don't let him get you, Max." Rodney tells his teammate. "Don't let the red guy psyche you out."
"Oh, we're so winning this." Max said darkly. "It's on sight, you ass clowns!"
"J-just remember to have fun, you guys…" Charlie says nervously, though her words practically fell on deaf ears. "...Guys?"
"We're gonna fry these assholes like tempura." Chie growls, cracking her knuckles. "It's on like Donkey Kong!"
Aqua returns to their stand as Barret walks over towards them. He steps up to Rodney first, as Aqua had just answered.
"Alright, big guy….three answers are left. Name something that a burglar would not want to see when he breaks into a house?"
Rodney tries to think, still feeling a bit uneasy. The last thing he wanted was to get eliminated the same way he did before.
"Five more seconds to answer…" Barrett reminds him.
He looks at his teammates, each of them giving him encouraging nods. Chie even goes the extra mile to give him some thumbs up.
"Okay, I'm gonna say…a gun being pointed back at them." He answers, feeling confident in his choice.
"Show me a gun aimed back at them!" Barret calls out.
They all watch with bated breath, until it reveals itself as the number 1 answer, worth 40 points. The Weirdos all celebrate this.
"Wait, I got the number one answer?!" Rodney said in disbelief.
"Sure did, big guy! Chie tells him. "Great job!"
"Suck on that, losers!" Max taunts the other team.
"When is the shocking gonna start?!" Chris groans. "It's getting boring if everyone gets them right!"
Barrett now moves on to Chie next. "You already know the drill, top five answers on the board! Name something a burglar would not want to see when he breaks into a house."
Chie scratches her chin, pondering it over. "Hmm…..how about someone's foot in their face? If they barge into my house, it's a roundhouse kick to the head!"
"Show me a foot to the face!"
A large red X blares loudly on the screen. The Weirdos got their first strike, and Chie looked crushed.
"Ooh, too bad! You guys got your first strike!" Barret says. "Red, you know the drill!"
"With pleasure!"
Red hits his paw on the green button, sending a painful electric shock through the entire team, whether they be on stage or spectating.
"Ah, there we go." Chris says happily. "Music to my ears."
Once the shocks stopped, the Weirdos onstage groaned in agony.
"I'm sorry, guys…" Chie moans. "I deserve getting roasted well done. I think I smell bacon, actually…"
"Two more strikes, and the Maniacs get the chance to steal the points." Barrett warns as he approaches Max next. "You know the drill by now, kid. What would a burglar not want to see when they break into a house?
"I guess bright lights?" Max guesses. "If you're gonna steal, better to do it in the dark where you can't be seen."
"Show me bright lights!"
The board lights up as "Bright Lights" lights up as the number 5 answer, worth 10 points.
"C'mon guys! One more correct answer and the points are ours!" Peacock cheers.
Barrett approaches Charlie next.
"Alright, princess, I'm about to drop some Wallace Wisdom up on your ass. You get this next one right, your team gets the points. Get it wrong, and it's two strikes."
"I got this!" Charlie says confidently. "I'm gonna go with Legos! Last thing you'd want is to step on one if you're looting a house."
"Good one, nobody likes stepping on those damn things!" Barret agrees. "Show me Legos!"
Two X's show up on the board, and Red shocks the hell out of the Weirdos once again.
"Sorry, guys…" Charlie groans.
"Man, I'm having a hard time thinking up other answers for this." Max said bitterly. "This is starting to get hard."
With that, the freedom fighter returns back to Aqua. "Your team has two strikes. Get this wrong, and the other team has the chance to win the points. You already know the question."
Some of the Maniacs are all making an X with their arms to taunt the other team.
"Um….uh…." Aqua tries as hard as she can to think up an answer, but to no avail. She's thinking so hard, you'd swear you could see smoke coming from her ears.
"Five more seconds, missy. Tick tock, goes the clock!"
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking…." Aqua cries. "...Yeah, I got nothing."
Three X's show up on the board, and the Weirdos get shocked yet again.
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"Yeah, now that I think about it….I think we should have probably kept Miu around." Aqua admits. "She's definitely smart enough for stuff like this."
It was then that a small monitor came down, showing Miu on the screen.
"Ha, suck on that, Aqua! I knew you'd still need me, bitch! I told you so, and in your fucking face!" Miu bragged
"What the hell?!"
"Oh yeah, Lightning wasn't the only one to leave a pre-recorded message for someone he didn't like!" The voice of Chris announced. "Miu made sure to leave one for you if a moment like this came up!"
"Oooooh, she's good." Aqua said reluctantly.
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With that, Barret now makes his way to the Maniacs' side, and talks to Kronk.
"Alright, pal. Get this last one right, and your team gets the points. Get it wrong, and the other team gets them."
"I'm gonna have to go with booby traps." Kronk answers.
"Shit! Why didn't we think of that?!" Max angrily exclaimed. "That's some basic ass Home Alone shit right there!"
"Indeed it is!" Deadpool brags.
"Show me booby traps!" Barret calls.
The board lights up as it was the last answer needed, being number 3, worth 7 points. That gave the Maniacs a total of 101 points.
"Oof, looks like the Maniacs take an early lead with already over a hundred points!" Chris announced. "Everyone onstage will play one more game before we move on to round two! Charlie, Gwen you two step to the front now!"
Both of them walk to the stand up front, and shake hands, while Barrett gets the next question ready.
"Again, it's such an honor to be competing against a more seasoned pro." Charlie tells the goth. "I'm such a big fan of yours."
"I appreciate it." Gwen responds. "Just don't think I'm gonna go easy on you."
"Alright, ladies, once again we have the top five answers on the board." Barret announced. "We asked a hundred people, name a popular pizza topping."
Charlie quickly hits the button before Gwen, and answers, "Pineapple!"
"Okay, first off….gross." Barret says.
"There's nothing wrong with pineapple on pizza! You're just being mean!" Charlie pouts.
"Show me pineapple!"
A big X blares on the board, and Barret gives Red a nod.
"AVALANCHE TIME!" Red cries as he shocks the Weirdos again.
"What even is an avalanche time?!" Kaiba scoffs. "Are they stupid?!"
Barret looks at Kaiba, almost offended.
"Did this motherfucker…"
"He did." Red responds bluntly.
Gwen hits the button and gives her answer. "Pepperoni."
"Show me pepperoni!" Barret announced.
It shows up as the number one answer on the board, worth 45 points.
"Well Gwen, would you like to pass or play?" Barret asks.
"Oh, we're gonna play." Gwen says confidently.
She returns to her spot, as her teammates all applaud for her.
"Oh man, we're actually off to a really good start!" Kronk says in amazement.
"Don't get too cocky, Kronk." Percy warns. "The other team is not going to take the conclusion of that first game pleasantly. They're sure to be on their A-Game, as the youth would say."
With that, Barret walks up to Percy.
"Alright, miss. Top five answers on the board, name a popular pizza topping."
"I suppose I'll have to say just cheese." Percy answers. "On the rare occasion I treat myself to pizza, I never go crazy with all the fancy stuff they put on them."
"Not even stuffed crust?!" Deadpool gasps.
"Stuffed what?"
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"Oh, that poor, poor, woman…" Deadpool sobs. "She's missing out…"
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Barret shrugs, not really bothered by her answer. "Show me cheese!"
It shows up on the board as ggd number 2 answer, worth a solid 30 points.
"Hmph…simple tastes win out in the end." Percy says humbly.
"MUHAHAHAHA, our team can't be beat at this rate!" Mao cackles from the sidelines.
"Yer only gettin' lucky right now, ya little pissant!" Lobo warns.
Barret now moves over to Edgeworth, currently adjusting his cravat.
"Miles, your team is on a roll right now. Name a popular pizza topping."
Edgeworth thinks it over. "Hmm….I guess I'm going to have to go with mushrooms."
"Ah, can't go wrong with that. Show me mushrooms!"
It pops up on the board as the number 4 answer, worth 7 points.
"C'mon, somebody get a wrong answer!" Chris complains. "And somebody get me another smoothie, 'cause I'm all out."
As Ginyu gets the host a refill, Barret returns to Deadpool.
"Name a popular pizza topping, DP."
"Why, chimichangas of course." Deadpool answers proudly.
His teammates and everyone else shoot him a weird look.
"Are you serious right now?" Gwen asks.
"Hey, I've done it before." Deadpool defends. "When you get the munchies, anything can become a pizza topping. You'd be surprised how many people put fries on pizza."
"You know it's gonna be wrong."
"Either way, I do not regret it."
"Show me, uh….chimichangas…" Barret says awkwardly.
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, an X flashes on screen.
"Still don't regret it?" Gwen snarks.
"Nope."
And right on cue, Red zaps the Maniacs.
"Still don't." Deadpool says.
"Well well well, look where that stubborn pride got you." Barret says mockingly. He now moves over to Kronk. "Name a popular pizza topping."
"Uh…. sausage!" Kronk answers.
"Show me sausage!"
Luckily, it shows up as the number 3 answer on the board, worth 15 points.
Edgeworth gives a sigh of relief. "Perhaps we're not out of this yet."
"Alright, Gwen. Name a popular pizza topping." Barret asks.
Gwen has a hard time thinking of an answer, so she takes a shot in the dark. "Um….chicken?"
"Show me chicken!"
Two X's show up, and it's back to more shocking.
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"Kinda starting to rethink my decision on coming back to this show." Gwen complains.
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"Alright, Percy." Barret warns. "Your team has two strikes. Get this wrong, and the Weirdos can potentially steal your points. Answer carefully."
"I guess…. anchovies…" Percy says hesitantly.
"THAT'S NOT A POPULAR TOPPING!" Deadpool snapped.
"Says the one who said chimichangas." Edgeworth huffed.
"I'm sorry…" Percy whimpers. "I panicked…"
"We don't even need to check the board for this one." Barrett said. "Red, roast these fuckers."
Red hits their button, and fries them once again. Meanwhile, Max was laughing at their screw up.
"Wow…." The kid guffaws. "Chimichangas?! Anchovies?! You all were talking such a big game before!"
"I want to go up there and hurt that child for insulting us." Mao whispers to Cinder. "I'd like to use him as my lastest test subject."
"Just keep your cool." Cinder quietly hissed. "That kid is all talk, anyway."
"Too bad for you guys." Barret says. "The Weirdos now have the chance to make a comeback."
With that, Barret heads back over to Aqua.
"Okay, missy. You have the chance to win some points for your team." Barret tells her. "But if you get it wrong, the Maniacs get the points. And considering how rough you guys started…you're really going to need to get this right."
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"It was already looking bad for me." Aqua admits. "I already screwed up once already. If I mess this one up and we lose, then I'm basically as good as gone."
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"U-um….uh…" Aqua looks around nervously, trying to think of an answer. "U-u-u-uh-uh…."
"Five seconds left, lady." Barret rushes.
"U-uh….."
The goddess looks around the area and at the audience, looking for any answer….until she laid eyes on Bernadetta and noticed her topknot. It made her look kinda like an onion.
Wait….
Onion….
"We're gonna go with onions!" Aqua declared.
"Onions, huh?" Barret remarks. "Clever. Survey says…."
The silence in the place was so intense, you'd swear you could hear a pin drop. Everyone awaits the result nervously….
Only for it to show up as the final answer, worth 3 points. This gave the Weirdos a solid 100 points.
The Weirdos all gladly applauded, while the Nomad was swinging around pom poms as he tried to support the team in any way he could. Seeing the way they celebrated her success, Aqua couldn't help but feel extremely proud.
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"Ha! Well, what do you know?!" Aqua said triumphantly. "I actually helped us catch up with the other team. See? I'm not as dumb as everyone says I am."
She suddenly sees a dollar bill dangling beside her head.
"Ooh, a dollar!"
She lunges at it, but accidentally knocks herself out when her head hits the wall. We once again see Deadpool outside the confessional, now holding a dollar attached to a fishing rod.
"Again, ain't I an asshole?"
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"And that concludes round 1!" Chris announced. "You guys will now have a five minute break to decide who goes next and talk strategy.
We now see the Weirdos all huddled together like a sports team.
"Alright, things may have started a bit rough for us, but we're still in this." Katakuri says. "You guys really pulled through in the first round."
"I'm sorry, sweetie…" Charlie sighs. "I didn't get a single one right…"
"Don't be so hard on yourself." Chie tells her. "I didn't get any right either."
"Well, we really can't afford to make any more mistakes at this point." Tatsumaki points out.
"Heh….then send me out next." Kaiba said. "i should have no problem with this paltry game."
"If he's going out there, then so am I!" Oscar declared.
"We're trying to win, Proud. Not drop the ball horrendously." Kaiba spat.
"Hey! Don't they tell you to respect your elders?!"
"Elders? All I see is a whining baby in front of me. Act like a real man, and maybe I'll give you just a tiny modicum of respect."
"I AM NOT A BABY!"
"Guys, could you please not do this right now?" Mae asks.
"Relax, chum." Zeke says as he tries to comfort Oscar. "Tell you what, Pandy and I will go out there with you two. You've got our support."
"At least some people here aren't heartless." Oscar says.
"Okay, but that still leaves one spot." Lobo points out. "Mind if I take it? Besides…." Lobo puts his arms around Zeke and Oscar, the two shaking nervously. "I'd love to play alongside my new friends. We bonded quite a bit earlier today, didn't we…..BOYS?!"
The two men nod furiously, fearing the bounty hunter's wrath if they object.
Charlie clasps her hands together. "Great! Then it looks like we've got our team assembled! Good luck, you guys!"
"Yeah…." Kaiba says, side eyeing Oscar. "Because we're sure as hell going to need it…"
"Then we're saving the best for last!" Peacock cackles. "When it's my turn, those schmucks won't know what hit 'em!"
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"What will it take for me to finally get the respect I deserve?!" Oscar complains. "That Kaiba is just a cruel, egotistical punk! How do people put up with him?!"
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We now move towards the Maniacs, also discussing strategy together.
"Words alone cannot describe how truly sorry I am for my mistake." Percy says somberly. "I will not be surprised if you vote me off if we lose."
"Yeesh, a bit overdramatic, wouldn't you say?" Carla said.
"We did good, but we can't let up." Geralt warns the team. "I didn't expect them to catch up to us so handily."
"Send me out there then, boss!" Ryu volunteers. He pulls out a comb and slowly runs it through his hair for dramatic effect. "I'll answer the hell out of those surveys!"
"I-if he's going out there….t-then I guess I'll go out there, too…" Bernadetta stammered. "Hoo boy…I think I'm starting to feel a bit nauseous being out on stage again."
"Ooh, pick me! Pick me!" Entrapta squeals giddily. "A game that tests your knowledge and thinking skills…IT'S ABSOLUTELY BUILT FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME!"
Just tone the volume a bit, that was right in my damn ear…" Cinder spat. "But I guess I'll go out there too."
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"Besides, someone needs to keep that girl on a metaphorical leash." Cinder continues. "She's already testing my patience today…"
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"If you two are participating, then allow moi to join as well!" Mao said.
"Then I guess it's settled." Luz says. "Think you guys will be okay?"
"Pff, we'll be fine, kid!" Ryu assures. "Bernie and I make one hell of a team. We're two halves of a powerhouse."
"If you two make kissy faces or call each other any sickeningly sweet pet names out there, I'm going to vomit up my internal organs." Cinder warns.
"Well sorry if we have a healthy, functioning, loving relationship. Speaking of, how is DIO, anyway?"
"This is not the time to argue, you two." Ruby says encouragingly. "Get out there, and show everyone that you got this!"
"That's….kinda reassuring, all things considered." Bernadetta says. "Thank you."
Round 2:
Wayward Weirdos (100 Points)
Kaiba
Oscar
Zeke
Pandoria
Lobo
Multiverse Maniacs (101 Points)
Ryu
Bernadetta
Entrapta
Cinder
Mao
Round two was just beginning, the new players already taking their positions.
"Round two is ready to begin, people!" Barrett announced. "Kaiba, Ryu, get on up here!"
The two men approach the podium and shake hands.
"Good luck to you, man." Ryu said.
"I don't need luck to crush someone who looks like they dress themselves." Kaiba scoffs.
"Hey, don't you diss my duds! While we're at it, why does your outfit have so many belts?!"
"Oh, by the way, Miu told us something quite spicy about you during her elimination." Kaiba says smugly. "Care to elaborate?
Ryu's face practically went pale at this, while Bernie's face went the complete opposite, going extremely red.
"Huh? What is he talking about, Ryu?" Entrapta asks.
"NOTHING! NOTHING AT ALL!" Bernadetta said panickedly. "JUST MIU BEING SILLY, IS ALL….heh heh…uh…"
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"Miu, that gossiping bitch…" Ryu growled. "Just bust out a megaphone and blast it to the entire world, why don't you?!"
The monitor from earlier returns, and Miu is seen laughing.
"Ha! What's wrong, you subby little bitch?! Gonna cry?! Or in this case, whimper and squirm?! Want mommy to get the flogger?!"
"What the…."
Chris could be heard once again.
"Oh yeah, Aqua wasn't the only one Miu left a message for!"
"Why does it feel like the universe is out to get me, sometimes?" Ryu groans.
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"You two done arguing?" Barret asked impatiently. "Because I'd like to get back to the game, thank you very much. Anyway, welcome to round 2. Point values are doubled. The points you'll see on the board are double that. The stakes couldn't get any more high."
"Can we get much higher?!" Deadpool asked in a sing-song voice from the stands.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP, I'M SPEAKING!" Barret snapped. He cocks his gun arm to accentuate his point. "I swear on the great and powerful Bahamut that I will open fire on your unkillable ass!"
"Bahamut?!" Kaiba laughs. "Wow, you just keep proving my point."
"Don't talk shit about Bahamut, notherfucker." He quickly regains his composure. "Okay, here's the question. One hundred people survey, top seven answers on the board…if you live to be a hundred, name something you'll be doing on Saturday night."
Ryu is able to hit the button before Kaiba.
"Watching TV, of course!" The shaman answers."
"Uh-huh.…..SHOW ME WATCHING TV!"
It shows up as the number 2 answer on the board, worth 28 points.
Kaiba hits the button and gives his answer. "Sleeping."
"Show me sleeping!"
Sleeping pops up on the board as the number 1 answer, worth 38 points.
"Well rich boy, do you wanna pass or play?" Barret asks.
Kaiba smirks. "We'll play, of course."
Kaiba returns to his spot, and Barret approaches Oscar.
"Alright, Proud, if you were to live to a hundred, name what you'll be doing on Saturday night."
"Uh…. probably going to watch a wrestling match." Oscar answers proudly.
"Show me a wrestling match!"
Another big X flashes on screen.
"OH, COME ON!" Oscar cried.
"To the surprise of absolutely no one." Kaiba mutters.
"Red, you know the drill!" Barret calls.
The Weirdos are once again electrocuted for the umpteenth time that day.
"Damn it…." Katakuri groans. "This is just not our day…"
"Too bad, so sad." Barret tells them. He then moves over to Zeke. "Okay, Shellhead, you think you got this?"
"Of course!" Zeke affirms.
"Even in this world, he's answering to that name?" Pandoria snarks to the audience.
"If you were to live to a hundred, name what you'll be doing on Saturday night.".
"Why, grabbing a nice cold one, of course!" Zeke answered.
"Show me drinking!"
It shows up on the board as the number 4 answer, worth 4 points.
Zeke pumps his fist in the air. "Boo-yah, score one for the Zekenator!"
Next up, Barret goes up to Pandoria.
"Okay, little lady. Name what you'll be doing on a Saturday night if you live to a hundred."
"Hmm…..gambling?" Pandoria guesses.
"Show me gambling!"
Luckily for her, it shows up as the number 7 answer, worth 3 points.
"Damn, these guys are getting good…" Mao hissed. "C'mon, mess up…mess up…"
Next up, Barrett goes to Lobo.
"Got an answer ready, big guy?"
"You bet yer ass I do!" Lobo says eagerly. "Eating, of course!"
"Excellent, excellent…show me eating!"
Eating shows up on the board as the number 6 answer, also worth 3 points.
"Well damn, these guys might just take the round." Barret says in shock. He now returns back to Kaiba. "Whatchu gonna do on Saturday night if you live to be a hundred?"
"Why, I'd be playing games." The duelist answered smugly.
"Show me gaming!" Barret exclaimed.
Kaiba's confident face was soon wiped as he suddenly saw two X's appear on the screen.
"W-what?!" He sputtered. "That's not possible!"
Once again, the team was electrocuted.
"This is really starting to piss me off…" Zeke groans.
"Well well well…" Oscar drawls smugly. "Looks like you also got a question wrong. Not so perfect now, are you?"
"Shut up! Like you can do any better! I already predict you'll be our third strike!"
"Hmph!" Oscar huffed. "We'll see about that…"
Barret approaches Oscar, and asks him the same question.
"Maybe I can cover more bases with this anawer…" Oscar says. "I'm gonna say going am to a sporting event!"
"That's just another variation of what you said before." Kaiba brings up.
"Just you watch, I'm gonna be the one who saved our behinds!"
Well the universe said otherwise, as three X's blared on the screen.
"WHAT?!"
"The board doesn't lie, you heard it." Barret told him bluntly. "You guys lost the play. Now the other team can potentially steal them. But before we do that…"
Red electrocuted the Weirdos yet again, meanwhile Barret walks over to Bernadetta.
"This is your chance to earn a lot of points for your team. No pressure, though…"
"Oh man…" Bernadetta groans. "Feels like the complete opposite…"
"Cut your bellyaching and answer the question. If you live to a hundred, name what you'll be doing on Saturday night."
"Huh…..uh…" Bernadetta was going through all the options in her head at about a hundred miles per hour. Considering all the things said already, there weren't many options.
"Five seconds left, missy…" Barret reminds her.
But then Bernadetta had a thought. Earlier, Deadpool said a humorous answer that turned out to be correct. Maybe that's what it could be. Unfortunately, the only funny one she could think of was…..
"I have the answer…" she says nervously. "But I'd rather not…say it out loud…"
"Well alright, just whisper it to me, if it makes you feel better." Barret huffed. "I'm sure it can't be that bad."
He leans in as Bernadetta whispers her answer in his ear, looking quite embarrassed as she did so. As she tells him, Barret was seen nodding slowly.
"Okay, that explains it. Still a valid answer, but let's see what the survey says. Show me making sweet, sweet love!"
Everyone couldn't believe what they just heard. Bernadetta hung her head low…only for her to hear her answer, was the last one they needed, worth 5 points, totaling 84 points. Doubling that, it was actually 168 more points for the Maniacs.
"And that concludes round 2!" Chris announced. "Both teams may take a short break so the final players can ready themselves."
"I didn't even get to answer a single question…" Mao pouts. "At least we're closer to winning, and I can't wait to lord it over the other team again…"
Both teams huddled up again, and from the look of things, the Weirdos weren't looking too good.
"I'm gonna be honest, that round was just terrible…" Katakuri admits. "Even worse than the first one.
"To be fair, I didn't do a damn thing wrong." Lobo defends. He points to Oscar and Kaiba. "The only ones who fucked up were these two."
"I'm man enough to admit I've made a mistake." Kaiba said. "But I messed up less than some people here."
"This isn't the time to start counting how many times some of us mess up!" Tatsumaki snapped. "Either way, it looks like we're heading back to elimination yet again. Anybody else ready to just call it quits?!"
"No….we're gonna keep playing." Katakuri says sternly. "What kind of example are we setting if we're just going to give up when things aren't looking good for us?"
"He's right." Peacock says determinedly. "I'm a lot of things…..wacky, zany, crazy, hell, you could even call me dangerously violent….but if there's one thing Patty ain't, it's a quitter."
"It ain't over until it's over. We made a comeback in the first round, and we're going to do it again."
"I really hope you're right…" Tatsumaki sighs. "Because if we lose, I think it's only fair we vote for those who didn't get any answers right…"
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"If that is the case, then it may be time to cut more of the weak links off our team." Kaiba says. "As much as it'd bite to lose, sacrifices must be made so we can do better."
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"Okay, looks like we're soooo close to winning!" Deadpool cheers.
"Thank goodness it's at least over for me…." Bernadetta says with relief.
"Looks like it's our turn to shine." Wendy said earnestly. "Hopefully we'll be the ones taking home the win."
"I'm sure he's probably gonna ask a really hard question if it's the last round." Luz guesses.
"It doesn't faze me. I'm ready for whatever he's got in store." Ruby says. "I'm just hoping we don't get zapped any more than the other team did."
"Yeah, they've had it pretty rough this whole challenge…" Ryu points out.
"With Waluigi going out there, victory is assured!" Waluigi proudly proclaims.
"I hope so." Geralt warns him. "I've noticed you look a little on edge this whole time…"
"That's nothing!" Waluigi says quickly yet defensively. "That's just from all the electrocution! Definitely not from any living toys or anything that might potentially harm Waluigi in his sleep or anything! Nothing like that…heh heh…"
His team all look at him a bit weirdly.
"Well? What are you guys waiting for?!" Deadpool said. "Get out there and send the other team to the goulash!"
"It's gulag, you dolt…" Cinder sighs.
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"Perfect save!" Waluigi exclaimed.
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Round 3
Wayward Weirdos (100 Points)
Katakuri
Spinel
Peacock
Mae
Tatsumaki
Multiverse Maniacs (269 Points)
Geralt
Waluigi
Ruby
Luz
Wendy
"Welcome back to round 3, ladies and gents!" Barret exclaims. "We've now reached round 3, the big one, the big enchilada, the one that's for all the marbles. Point values in this round will be tripled this time, so the stakes couldn't be any higher. Especially with invincibility on the line!"
Remember, team…" Geralt reminds them. "No matter how far ahead we are, don't get cocky."
Waluigi shifts a bit uncomfortably in his spot. "Ugh….did you really have to bring him up here with us, kid?!"
Ruby, who stood next to him, was a little confused. Much to the cheater's chagrin, she was still holding Mr. Buns in her arms.
"You still going on about the toy?" Geralt said sternly. "Focus on the challenge."
"Easy for you to say, Mister 'I'm always so unfazed by everything!'" Waluigi snapped.
"You know, you'd probably feel a lot more comfortable if you met the rest of my friends back home." Ruby kindly tells him.
"Waluigi doesn't wanna hear about your friends!"
She begins to list them off. "One's a cyclops, another is a skeleton, there's a ghost-"
"Shutupshutupshutupshutup!" Waluigi said, his fingers in his ears as he tried to block out her voice. "Waluigi does not need to hear about any more scary folks!"
"Let us begin the final game!" Barret announced. "Katakuri, Geralt, get up here!"
Both men approach the podium and shake each other's hands as Barret gets the final question ready.
"Here is your final question. Top four answers are on the board, a hundred people survey. Name a common fear that many people have!"
Katakuri hits the button before Geralt. He was determined to get his team to win, he couldn't afford to be slow.
"Heights!" Katakuri answered.
"Show me heights!" Barret calls.
Heights showed up as the number 1 answer, worth an even 50 points.
"Well now, that's the number one answer. Would you like to pass or play?" Barrett asks.
Katakuri looked at his team, and then the other.
"We'll play."
As the pirate returns to his spot, Barret goes up to Spinel.
"Top four answers still on the board. Name a common fear many people have."
"I know this isn't one have personally, but I see a lot of people get freaked out over spiders." Spinel responds. "So I'm gonna have to go with spiders, bub."
"You're telling me, spiders are fugly little sons of bitches." Barret shudders. "Show me spiders!"
Luckily, spiders was the number 2 answer on the board, worth 25 points. Everyone applauds as it's Peacock's turn.
"What's a common fear people have, little girl?" Barret asked.
"Um…claustrophobia?" Peacock guessed.
"Show me claustrophobia!"
Suddenly, a big X appeared on screen, and Red promptly shocks the Weirdos again.
"I'm calling shenanigans!" Peacock snapped. "That's a legitimate answer, bub!"
"Your guess is as good as mine, kid." Barret said. "Even I thought that one would be up there. I guess some surveys are weird like that, even if there's obvious answers."
"Still, that really ruffles my jammies…"
Barret goes up to Mae next, and asks her the same question.
"I don't know, public speaking?" Mae deadpans. "I'm not necessarily scared of it, but it's something I'd rather not bother with."
"Show us public speaking!"
Luckily, it too was correct. It was the number 3 answer, worth 15 points.
"Looks like there's only one answer left." Barret points out. "If the Weirdos get it right, they'll win the challenge. They only have one strike, so they have two chances left to answer."
"Guess it's up to me….maybe…" Tatsumaki says.
"Feeling nervous?" Mae asked the esper.
"Pff, not at all!"
"Then answer a common fear that people have!" Barret said.
"A fear of needles."
"Show me needles."
Two X's unfortunately flashed on screen.
"Just my luck…" Tatsumaki seethed, as she and her team were electrocuted again.
"Wow, you guys aren't looking too hot!" Chris says mockingly to the Weirdos.
"I've only got one shot at this…" Katakuri says nervously.
"Just use your little future seeing power!" Spinel suggests.
"We're watching your eyes, Donuts!" Chris warns. "You do that, and your team forfeits the challenge."
"Now you tell us that?!" Peacock snapped.
"It's fine." Katakuri assures. "I'd rather win this honorably."
"You've got two strikes, and one answer left." Barret warned. "What's a common fear people have?"
Katakuri takes a deep breath, and shoots his best shot.
"...Snakes…."
This was it. This one was for their team. For their chance at victory.
"Let's see if your answer is right…" Barret says calmly. "SHOW ME SNAKES!"
Katakuri could practically feel his heart sinks to his stomach as 3 X's were on the board.
"No….." he heartbreakingly muttered.
"That was our last guess…" Spinel added.
Once again, the Weirdos took what felt like their most painful electrocution that day.
"Welp, looks like you guys are dangerously close to losing now." Barret tells them. "Your only hope of winning now is if the Maniacs get it wrong."
Barret now approaches the other team, and walks up to Waluigi. "Your team's fate is in your hands. Get this question right, and your team wins. Get it wrong, and the other team is safe from elimination."
"Um…y-yeah, of course I know that…" Waluigi says nervously. No matter how much he tried to ignore it, he couldn't get Ruby's toy out of his mind. He kept stealing glances at the thing, as his fear and anxiety kept increasing.
"Then answer one. Little. Question. What is a common fear that people have?"
Sweat begins dripping down his face, his heartbeat grows louder, it's all he can hear. His eyes nervously dart to Mr. Buns, only now, he pictures it shapeshifting into a giant monster, ready to devour him. The fear kept building and building, erupting in this very moment.
"PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF KILLER TOYS! GET THAT THING AWAY FROM WALUIGI!"
In his panicked frenzy, he slaps Mr. Buns out of Ruby's hands. The toy now flies through the air, as everyone's eyes track it. At that very same moment, we see Korone tugging a large wood chipper behind her. She looks up as she sees the toy flying towards her.
"Eh?"
Mr. Buns flies into the mouth of the wood chipper, getting shredded to bits as everyone watches in horror. The silence is broken as an X flashes on the screen.
"Oh, there's my new wood chipper." Chris says. "Just set it over there and you can call it a day, Korone!"
"Holy shit…" Yastor muttered.
The contestants all turn their heads slowly at Waluigi. He now was afflicted with a new kind of fear: the fear of regret. He looks at Ruby, who looked like she was on the verge of tears. He realized the gravity of what he just did.
"My…..m-my friend…" she sobbed. "Y-you killed my friend….I put so much love and hard work into him…what did we ever do to you?"
"Look, Waluigi's sorry, kid!" Waluigi said frantically. "He didn't mean it….oh no, please don't start crying now!"
Ruby began to break down crying. Luz tries to comfort her, and shoots a look of disgust at Waluigi.
"You know, regardless of your reasoning, that was still a scummy thing to do."
"Waluigi didn't mean to-AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Red kept hitting button over and over, shocking the Maniacs way more times than he did the Weirdos.
"Keep zapping, Red!" Barret orders. "Anyone who makes a little girl cry deserves hell! Why, if that was my little girl he made cry, I'd put him in the goddamn electric chair!"
"Man, I kinda feel bad for them." Mae said. "They're all being punished for one guy's horrible action."
Red keeps pressing the button until it finally breaks. The Maniacs are all on the ground, groaning and sparking as the pain lingers.
"I think that's our current to call the challenge!" Chris announced. "The winners are the Wayward Weirdos! Immunity is yours!"
The Weirdos all high five each other as they celebrate, with the Nomad tossing his pom poms high in the air.
"I don't know if any of you are still conscious, but I'll be seeing you Maniacs at elimination tonight." Chris continues. He doesn't get any response from them. "Eh, I'm sure they'll sleep it off.
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"That was not cool at all." Ryu said. "Yeah, Kronk and I were also a bit shook by that toy earlier today, but we understood that Ruby herself is practically harmless. She's one of the nicest people on our team. She's not gonna make or do anything with ill intention. Guy just took it too far.
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"What was Waluigi thinking?!" Waluigi said bitterly. "Once again, I was my own worst enemy! Waluigi would like to state for the record that he regrets this action. But try convincing an entire team that…."
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"I don't know what I did wrong to him…" Ruby said somberly. "I thought I was getting along fine with everybody. This is….just a lot to handle, right now…I already miss him…"
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Later that evening, the Maniacs all sat together at elimination. Meanwhile, the Weirdos all watched from the safety of the peanut gallery.
"I take it you guys have had enough shock therapy for one lifetime." Chris jokes. Too bad the flares he got from the Maniacs sent the message. "Yeah, probably the wrong time for that. Anywho, elimination time! The following players are safe…"
"Kronk…"
"Wendy…"
"Percy…"
"Cinder…
"Gwen…"
"Geralt…"
"Bernadetta…"
"Mao…"
"Luz…"
"Entrapta…"
"Edgeworth…"
"Ryu…"
"And Ruby…"
As soon as Ruby received her marshmallow, it was now down to Deadpool and Waluigi. Waluigi looked terrified, meanwhile Deadpool looked rather bored.
"You two definitely played the most…interesting games today…" Chris brings up. "Whether it was nonsensical answers or toy assault, it's curtains for one of you."
"Yeah, I already know how this is gonna go." Deadpool said. "Mind just giving me my marshmallow now and booting Waluigi?"
Chris glares at the mercenary. "Guess we're going to now, since someone decided to kill the dramatic tension.
"Yeah, well, I'm feeling kinda dickish today. Deal with it."
"Waluigi, your exit awaits."
Waluigi gets up, and gives a long winded sigh. "Yep, this is about what Waluigi expected. Guess this is goodbye for now."
He follows Chris to the dock, looking around curiously.
"Well? Where's my exit?"
His question is answered as he felt himself getting shoved into a giant sphere that was stylized to look like a tennis ball.
"Say hello to the Serve n' Soar, patent pending."
"What is-WHOA!"
The ball bounces up high in the air, and was hit by an even bigger tennis racquet held by Recoome. Waluigi's cries get fainter as the ball soars into the horizon.
"As for the rest of you, get plenty of sleep." Chris says. "You may be safe for now, but it's only gonna get harder from here on out."
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We see the group of Max, Mae, Rodney, and Chie walking back to the hotel together.
"And that's about the gist of it." Max finishes. "So? What do you say? You interested in teaming up with Mae and me?"
"Oh, count me in." Chie declares. "My first alliance! For a little kid, you're quite smart!"
Max shrugs. "I get that a lot. You'd be surprised how many adults I've outsmarted."
"Then I guess I'm in, too." Rodney says. "Never got to be part of an alliance the last time I competed. I won't let us down."
Mae yawns. "Glad that's taken care of. After everything we've been through today, I'm ready to probably marry my bed." She leaves the group, sleep heavily on her mind. "G'night, you guys."
"I'm still gonna squeeze in a little night training, if that's the case." Chie says. "I got to show Master how capable I am today, I need to be even better for tomorrow. Catch you guys later."
She runs off, leaving just Max and Rodney by themselves.
"Man, he's a pretty great guy, huh?" Rodney said. "I thought I was gonna choke on the challenge today, but he gave me the reassurance to not give up."
Max shoots the farm boy a funny look. "Excuse me? Did I hear you correctly? Him?!"
"Yeah, what's wrong with that? When I've been having trouble, he's honestly been there to help me out."
"Look, Rodney, I'm going to explain this to you in the kindest way I can. You know, since we're now an alliance and all." Max tells him. "Chie is a girl, not a guy."
"W…what?" Rodney asked. He suddenly was overcome with uncertainty. "Are you….sure…. about that?" He asked awkwardly.
"Yep. Hate to break it to you. How you feeling, big guy?"
While it looked like he was going to break down and panic, Rodney is seen blinking a couple of times, thinking the news over.
"Huh…. that's weird…"
"What's weird?" Max asked. "You hungry or something? Pretty sure we still got leftover barbecue from dinner."
"No, not that…" Rodney tells him. "Usually, I'd be feeling flustered and anxious when it comes to girls, but…I don't feel that way with her for some reason. I don't know what it is, but…I still feel comfortable talking to her…"
"Well, you might want to apologize to her for misgendering her the next chance you get." Max informs. He too finds himself yawning. "But that's just my two cents. I'm gonna follow Mae's example and get some shut eye. Later."
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Entrapta and Mao hesitantly follow behind Cinder, who was stomping ahead of them. Every step she took left burning footprints in the ground.
"We lost again…" she growled. "We were shocked to hell and back because of that purple loser! I'm so pissed I don't even feel like idol hunting tonight!"
"If I may, allow me to throw out a suggestion." Mao tells her. "Why not get the other team to turn on each other? They already appear quite volatile, if the sea monster challenge is anything to go by."
Cinder stops in her tracks. The idea was absolutely brilliant. With all she has planned, that idea never sprung itself in her head. If the other team was busy being at each other's throats, it makes her plan of victory all the more easy.
"I knew it was a good idea to seek you two out." She said confidently. "We can make the other team tear each other apart. They're basically a ticking time bomb…"
She suddenly hears some arguing nearby. She looks around, and finds Oscar and Kaiba arguing with each other yet again. Her gaze lingers on Oscar.
"And I think we found the fuse for this time bomb…"
Notes:
Electrifying, wouldn't you say? The curtain falls on another episode. We had a crazy time as we played one of the biggest game shows in the world. Now, we say goodbye to Waluigi. The man played a good game in 2….guess 3 just wasn't his to win. Amidst all that, the plot thickens…
Next time, our cast will face each other in a prank war of epic proportions. Gags and jokes abound, until a select few decide to take things way too far…will it be too late? And who'll get the last laugh?
That's all for now. Thank you for reading. Until then, this is MemeKing, signing off
Chapter 6: Episode 6: The Good, the Bad, and the Chimichanga
Summary:
A prank war is starting now, but a few contestants take things too far....
Who will get the last laugh?
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Well, fire away Chris ol' pal!" Deadpool says.
We see that he, Spinel, and Peacock were all tied together to hundreds of pounds of very illegal and highly volatile fireworks.
"Okay, after all the crap you three caused today, blowing you three stooges to kingdom come is sooooo cathartic!" Chris says with glee.
"Wait, what's his heart got's to do with it?" Peacock asked.
"That's cardiac, you loon! So long, you three!"
"Don't forget to write, you guys!" Spinel says. "Let's do this again, sometime!"
"Well guys, it's been fun!" Deadpool says. "I'll be seeing you guys again real soon! Just a heads up. In a few episodes time, better be ready for some robo aliens to-"
"Alright, that's enough talking." Chris groans as he hits the switch. "Begone with you!"
The three scream with excitement like they were on a rollercoaster as they were flying high through the sky. But all of a sudden, the screen stops, and pauses for some reason.
"Yep….. that's me." A disembodied voice sounding like Deadpool said. "You're probably wondering how me and my friends ended up in this situation. Strapped to fireworks as we're being booted from the game. Weeeell….we only have thirty minutes including commercials, so we're kinda limited on time. So to make this easier, we'll have to go back to this morning. And hey, I'll even skip the recap and intro for you all. On with the episode, baby~!"
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"Just a little bit farther…" Wendy says, leading Ruby by her hand.
The girl from Gloomsville was currently blindfolded as Wendy was leading her somewhere. Carla and Luz followed closely behind her.
"Is this some kind of surprise party?" Ruby asked curiously. "My birthday isn't for months."
"Oh, it's gonna be something better." Wendy assures.
"Subjective, of course." Luz adds. "Though a big party would be killer too."
"Okay, just a little bit further…"
The group approaches the cabin. Once outside the door, Wendy finally removes Ruby's blindfold.
"This has been a couple days in the making…"Wendy says, trying to drum up hype for her friend. "I know you were sad about what happened to Mr. Buns the other day…"
"So one of our teammates was kind enough to do something nice for you." Luz continued. "To them, they took it as a challenge and passion project."
"So we present to you…." Wendy slowly opens the door to reveal…."Mr. Buns 2.0!"
The door swings wide open, and sitting on a table in the middle of the room was none other than Mr. Buns. He was completely repaired, with every last piece completely intact down to the last detail.
Ruby looked utterly speechless. "I….I don't believe it…. he's fixed…" She quickly grabs her toy, hugging him as tightly as possible. "I don't know how to thank you two for fixing my friend."
"Again….it wasn't us…" Luz reminded her.
"Huh? Then who…"
Wendy gestures to the other side of the room, where we see Bernadetta snoozing on the floor.
"Bernadetta did this?!" Ruby asked.
"I can vouch for that." Ryu said as he entered the room. "She gathered up every piece that was shredded and patched him up bit by bit. Can't even tell he was ever damaged."
Ryu picks his girlfriend up, but not before removing her boots, then putting her gently on her bed and tucking her in.
"She was working her butt off all day and night to fix him for you." He continues. "I was even checking in on her regularly, bringing her snacks, you know how it is. Give that girl a sewing needle and she becomes almost superhuman. But for right now….Bernie Bear needs some rest."
"I even heard through the grapevine that she's also the author of my second favorite book after the Azura series." Plus says slyly. "Think you could convince her to, oh I don't know….put in a spunky witch in training character in her sequel?"
Ryu gives a small laugh. "I'll make sure to put in a good word for you."
"Well…..when she wakes up, can you tell her I said thanks?" Ruby asks. "I would ask myself, but I know she's kind of shy."
"If that's the case, then my question is why would she do that for her?" Carla asks skeptically.
"We're a team, of course." Ryu explains. "We all gotta look out for each other. A team is more than just a group of people that compete against each other. It worked out for us on Bon Voyage. Treat a team like you would a family…"
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Bernadetta was yawning, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
"Why did I do it, you ask? Well, growing up, when I'd stay in my room as my personal sanctuary, the closest thing I had to friends were the plants and plushies I had in my room. So Ruby referring to hers as her friend…I honestly could relate to that. *Yawn*... I need to eat something sweet…Bernie's not running at 100% quite yet…
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"It takes a lot for something to actually get me down." Ruby explained. "But what happened in the last episode stung in such a way I'd never really felt before. I can't even remember the last time I genuinely cried at something. I'm absolutely grateful for what Bernadetta did, but I'm not gonna let this game ever make me feel like that again. I'm not trying to toot my own horn or anything, but I think I'm a lot tougher than I look."
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Out on the open water, we see a fishing boat floating around. Inside sat Oscar, Zeke, Rodney and Max. Fishing poles in hands as a small radio was playing.
"And in conclusion, the baby hippo luckily found his mother and siblings in the end." The radio announcer said. "In other news, the information and intelligence gathering company D.Y.G is hitting record profits, despite still being in it's first year. Many high profile celebrities and political officials sing its praises-"
"God, just turn that shit off, already!" Max complained. "Who listens to this garbage?!"
"Kid, you really need to learn a thing called respect." Oscar says as he's trying to get his bait ready. "And step one is to do something about that foul mouth of yours."
Max groans angrily. "I refuse to believe a turbo weenie like you made it this far in life. Last time I checked, you're not my dad."
"C'mon, I'm just trying to help you out." Oscar tells him.
"Try to lower your voices, chums." Zeke ordered. "I think I got a bite."
Oscar sighs peacefully. "Ahh, what a nice second attempt at our little fishing trip. Peace and tranquility….just us men being men."
"You said it, mate." Zeke agrees. "Though I wouldn't say the girls wouldn't like this. Pandy's usually up for whatever I'm getting up to."
"True, but I think we just need a break from some of those women." Oscar admits. "Some of them can be pretty cutthroat."
Max raises a curious eyebrow. "Oh, this should be a good one. Mind elaborating for us?"
"Well, where do I begin? The Tornado chick is terrifying despite the fact she's a runt, Aqua is an alcoholic with a low IQ, plain and simple. Mae weirds me out because she's a walking talking cat, the pink girl and cartoon girl are absolutely insane…..and then there's her, the Drake Bell looking one."
"Oh, you talking about Chie?" Max asks. "Still pretty salty she kicked you good more than once? Shouldn't have made her mad."
"I've never even seen my daughter act like the kinda girl she is!" Oscar complained. "She's got a heated temper, an unpleasant attitude, eats like a pig, and looks like she should look in the mirror and reevaluate all her life choices. But she doesn't even grind my gears like that Kaiba does. Arrogant punk….and that fashion sense?! Do you really need that many belts?!"
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"Aaaaand gonna record all of that just in case for the future." Max said as he pulled out a voice recorder. "Keep trying to lecture me like I'm your kid and see what happens. Hello, blackmail material."
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"Hey, I think Chie is actually pretty cool." Rodney defends. "Plus, my dad always said it's not a good thing to talk about people behind their backs."
"Well your father has never met Suga Mama. I talk smack about her all the time, and it's rightfully deserved. Tough looking ol' biddy, I'll tell you that."
Max looks over at Rodney. "Speaking of Chie, did you ever get around to apologizing to her like you said?"
"Apologize?" Zeke asks. "What would he be apologizing for?"
"He thought Chie was a guy."
"Well to be frank, I'd think the same thing." Oscar admits. "Manliest girl I ever met. More beast than girl if you ask me. You'll never get boys asking you out by being like her."
"So?" Max reiterated. "Did you tell her?"
"I did this morning, actually." Rodney answered.
"And? How'd she take it?"
"Yep, buckle up folks." The disembodied Deadpool voice narrates. "We've got a flashback in the middle of my recounting. Flashback-ception, I tell you! And by the way, about that women stuff Oscar was talking about, that shit is not representative of the show or Meme. Trust me, he ain't some misogynist or bigot. Anyway, on to the flashback!""
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Switching to earlier that day, we see Katakuri and Chie returning to the hotel from the forest.
"Phew, what a crazy one that was today." Chie said happily. "Really got the blood pumpin'! Think I need a shower after that, because I feel like I need one!"
"You're coming along nicely." Katakuri says proudly. "Even though I'm starting you and Luz off on Observation Haki, you're learning quickly."
"Eh, I know I can do better. I'm getting it, but I still feel kinda sloppy trying to dodge all your moves."
"You're not going to turn into a pro overnight." Katakuri says assuredly. "It took me months before returning for me to strengthen and evolve the other two types for me."
Just as they were heading up the stairs, they stopped to see Rodney running up to them.
"Glad….I caught up to you guys…" the farm boy pants, clearly out of breath.
"What's the problem?" Katakuri asks. "Is something wrong?"
Rodney shakes his head. "No, sir. I just needed to talk to Chie about something for a minute."
"Oh, is that it?" Chie said. "Why didn't you say so? Mind giving us a minute to ourselves, Master?"
"Of course. I'll just….be inside if you need me." Katakuri says, quickly going inside to find something to eat and definitely not secretly listening in on them.
"So, what's up?" Chie asked. "Sounds like something important if you were rushing to find me."
"Yeah, actually." Rodney admits. "At least to me. I owe you an apology."
"Uh….okay?" Chie says confusedly. "Apologizing for what, now? Last time I checked, you've never done anything to upset you-"
"I THOUGHT YOU WERE A GUY AT FIRST!" He blurts out. "Oh wow, it feels so good to get that off my chest…"
Chie couldn't help but immediately bust a gut laughing. "Wait, you're actually serious?! That's what this was all about?!"
"Wait, you're….not mad?"
"Mad? You're one of the last people here I'd see myself getting pissed at." Chie tells him. "I thought you were joking but your face showed you were quite serious. I mean…. it's probably my looks, isn't it?"
"Maybe…." Rodney guesses. "I just struggle so much talking to other girls, and I had no problem when it was you, so…"
As Katakuri eavesdropped behind the door, he couldn't help but find it a little humorous himself.
"Hey, don't sweat it." Chie assures him. "Maybe I'm just special if I'm easy to talk to. I know I'm not…traditionally attractive like some of the other people here…or the smartest….or always the most approachable, or have any special powers or talents outside the TV world…"
Both Rodney and Katakuri could subtly notice her tone slightly change at what she said, and not quite sure what she meant by "TV World", but she continues to talk normally.
"But who truly cares about crap like that? Actions speak louder than words or appearances. You get what I'm sayin'?"
"I….think I do…but I still think I gotta do something to make up for it."
It was then that Chie suddenly got a cheeky grin on her face. So cheeky it almost looked downright devious.
"Weeeeeell…if you wanna make it up to me so bad…" she says. "Then buy me some steak, and I'll call it even."
"Steak…?" Rodney said.
"Yep. Those are my terms. Take it or leave it."
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"And that's pretty much it." Rodney finishes. "Next chance I get I'm gonna get her some steak."
"Hey, congrats. A girl asked you to treat her to food." Max says. "Not every guy can say that."
"Don't get ahead of yourself, boy!" Oscar warns. "Today it's demanding food, tomorrow it's demanding to hold her hand. No dating until you're married!"
"Who said anything about it being romantic?" Rodney defends. "Maybe back then I would have gotten that idea, but this is just repaying a debt. Another thing my dad always told us was to always be a man of your word and repay your debts, no matter how small.
"Look kid, just keep in mind what I said." Oscar tells him. "I've got a daughter around the same age as you, and I tell her the same thing when it comes to boys. Besides, you could do soooo much better than Chie."
"Is there any girl on our team you actually like?" Max scoffs.
"Well, that Charlie lady is much nicer to me than anyone else. In a group like this, she's an actual saint."
"She's nice to everyone, old man. Don't take it personally."
"Either way, I know she's always got my back and my best interest at heart. And the best part is, she always listens to what I have to say."
"Uhhhh…..guys…." Zeke said nervously.
The other three look at Zeke pointing out on the open water. Very briefly they could see a shark tail rise above the water.
"We need to go NOW!" Zeke panics, moving around in a frenzy for the oars.
"DON'T KNOCK ME OVER, DON'T KNOCK ME OVER!" Max says, beginning to panic. "I CAN'T SWIM, AND IF ANY OF YOU LAUGH AT THAT, I'LL KILL YOU!"
"He's getting closer…." Zeke whimpered.
The tail swims closer, and just as it's approaching the boat…
"A."
The head of Gura pops up, immediately easing the fear and panic in the boat.
Zeke sighs with relief. "Oh….it's just you…don't scare me like that "
"Pranked you real good, didn't I?" Gura said smugly.
"Mind telling us why you pulled that little stunt?" Max asked. "You nearly gave Eye Patch over there a heart attack."
Gura gives the boys a sly grin. "Just getting you shrimps ready for what's to come today.." she says cryptically.
"Wait, what do you mean by that?!" Oscar asks nervously. "Is it some kinda challenge involving sharks?!"
"I'd love to stay and chat, but I got a stream I have to do in a half hour. Ciao."
As Gura dives back into the water, they were left confused, unsure, and a little worried.
"W…..what do you think she meant by that?" Rodney asked nervously.
"Beats me." Max responds. "Chum for brains is probably just messing with us. Anyway, I think we should just call it a day. Sooner we get back on dry land, the better."
"Probably the best course of action, lad." Zeke quickly agrees.
"Aw, but we were just getting started." Oscar complained.
"Sorry mate, but a man's gotta know when to back out. Not that the mighty Zekenator is scared or anything, just taking a break, is all."
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We move to what we now refer to as Entrapta's Sanctum. Cinder was currently in there, jotting some notes down on a chalkboard that Entrapta supplied them with. She was plotting in peace and quiet, until one of her allies burst in, being loud as usual.
"MUHAHAHAHA! I HAVE ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING THAT WILL NO DOUBT GIVE US ONE HELL OF AN ADVANTAGE!" Mao said triumphantly.
His boisterous declaration startled the terrorist so much she accidentally broke the chalk she was using.
"This had better be good, brat." Cinder snarled.
"Oh ho, but is, my conflagration confidant." Mao responds proudly. The demon honor's student pulls out a small wooden box with the logo of Chris's head on it. "I was looking through the swamp when I stumbled upon this."
Cinder wasted absolutely no time as soon as she saw the logo on the box. "GIMME!"
She stretches her Grimm arm out, snatching the box and quickly rips it open. While she was expecting an immunity idol in there, she was met with disappointment. Inside sat a red ticket.
"What a cruel joke that host played!" Cinder growls, her eye beginning to flare with fire.
"Read the ticket, then!" Mao warns. "Before you jump to conclusions, read what it says!"
Cinder briefly calms down and read what's written on the ticket.
"Congratulations to the lucky finder of the Bingo Ticket. You have come face to face with a tool that can potentially shake the game. This ticket gives you four extra votes, totaling five, at an elimination ceremony of your choice. Votes can be for one person, or split between multiple targets at the user's discretion. One time use only."
"It's not an immunity item, but still something downright devious!" Mao cackles. "Shit like this is so evil it makes me love this two bit show even more!"
Cinder looks at the ticket, her look of disgust turning into a wide sinister grin.
"It's not exactly what we were looking for, but this is an excellent find, Mao." She kindly tells him before tucking the ticket away. "At least you're putting in some effort. Meanwhile Entrapta is busy working on this robot of hers to bother helping me with stuff I need."
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"Looks like I'm the favorite now!" Mao brags. "I've helped us out a lot, what Cinder doesn't know won't kill her."
He blows the audience's mind by pulling out the immunity totem.
"I also found this during my hunt, but I'd rather keep this to myself in case I need to save my own skin. At least Cinder is satisfied with the ticket I found, which should cushion the blow if and when I inevitably have to use it! We're still allies, but I gotta look out for number 1, AKA moi. MUHAHAHAHA!"
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"This kid's quite the whiz. He's found a useful tool that can surely come in handy at some point." Cinder says. "But I'm still gonna find that idol, as well as any other tools like this ticket."
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"If I may ask, what are you working on?" Mao asks.
"Remember your idea about getting the other team to turn on each other from the other day?" Cinder responded. "Well I'm mapping out the plan, and that one of them is the key to it."
"What about this team, then? Plan on sowing seeds of distrust on our side of the fence?"
"The idea did cross my mind." Cinder answered. "But the other team is far more volatile than ours. But I'm still open to the idea for this team if I see fit."
"Truly a master of the art of evil…" Mao says as he fervently writes notes down. "Must balance it out by looking into one of the heroes of research…. maybe one of them will be open to experiments…."
As he spoke, he began to breathe a bit heavily, his glasses fogging up. Cinder could only watch in abstract disbelief.
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"Scratch that, they're both still weird." Cinder said.
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In the dining hall, we see Edgeworth. Sitting super seriously in front of a chess board. Things are silent as he's contemplating his next move. After much deliberation, he finally moved one of his bishops.
"Your move, Mr. Pines." the prosecutor says calmly.
Sitting across from him was Ford, who was now contemplating his next move. Watching in front of them was Gwen and Percy.
"Which piece will he move, I wonder?" Percy says out loud.
"You're quite invested in something as simple as a game of chess."
"Chess is more than a game, young lady." Ford says as he moves one of his knights. "It teaches you critical thinking, strategic planning, and improves cognitive thinking."
"The man is correct, Gwendolyn." Percy adds. "It also has benefits you can use for everyday life."
"Patience, thinking ahead, flexibility, adaptability…" Edgeworth says as he thinks over his next move. "Even making what you deem the right move may be reckless and risky." He moves one of his knights strategically in a way Ford didn't see coming, claiming his King. "I believe that's game, set, match, doctor."
"Well now, that was quite the well fought game, Mr. Edgeworth." Ford congratulates. "Your file didn't lie when it described you as a strategic and critical thinker. That was a fun way to break the ice."
"I treat my profession like a game of chess." Edgeworth humbly responds. Slowly but surely advancing, deliberating my moves and actions until I finally find the truth.
"Faaaaascinating…." Entrapta said, observing their game quite up close all of a sudden. She pulls out a voice recorder. "Add to log. Chess is strategy and critical planning in motion. Should remember to play it more often."
"Ah, so glad you could join us, Entrapta." Ford warmly greets her. "Care to play a game against me?"
Entrapta lets out a happy, unintelligible noise, which garnered some weird stares from her teammates. "Yes, absolutely! It'd be an honor to play against a great mind like yours!"
"She's surely got energy." Gwen remarks. "In her own odd way."
"You're looking at someone who's come face to face with almost everything you could describe as odd." Ford tells the goth. He holds up his arm, showing his six fingered hand. "And being born odd as well."
Before they could continue, they were interrupted by the loud and raucous chanting from the other side of the room.
"DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!"
We see Spinel chanting as Deadpool and Peacock were engaged in a competition. Both were each holding up a bottle of syrup, trying to see who could chug down the entire bottle first.
"Do those guys ever stay quiet?" Gwen complained.
The competition ends as Deadpool was the first to finish, crushing the bottle like a beer can.
"Boo-yah! My Canadian genes have proven me victorious!"
"Aw nuts." Peacock playfully pouts. "Looks like I'm bested."
"Ready for round two?! I want a turn!" Spinel said.
"Uh…..I think we're completely out of syrup, Spinny…" Deadpool says a little guiltily.
"Hmph…..you could say that again." Geralt remarks, sitting near them. He stared blankly at his plate of poorly made pancakes, completely dry. "Chef's food is one of the few things I have a hard time stomaching, so some syrup would have helped mask the taste."
"Oooooh…..sorry, Geralt."
Next to Geralt was Kronk, who looked like he was on the verge of tears, being in the same predicament as the Witcher.
"Pancakes with no syrup….it's an absolute travesty…" He weeps.
Suddenly, his shoulder angel and demon appeared on his shoulders.
"That's it, these punks are toast for committing a cardinal sin." The shoulder demon said.
"Yeah, I'm on this guy's side on this one." The shoulder angel added. "Pancakes with no syrup is like a bird that can't fly."
"Uh, news flash." The shoulder demon retorts. "Penguins, ostriches, emus….those are flightless birds, you dunce."
"I stand by what I said."
"We really need a win soon…" Gwen groans. "Definitely need to win some decent food for a change."
"I concur. Despite our last loss being Waluigi's fault, we definitely need to do better."
It was then that Yastor burst into the room, carrying a comically huge fish that looked grilled.
"WHO'S HUNGRY, YA CRAZY LOONS?!"
They all couldn't believe their eyes. Such a big fish…and it smelled so good…
"Huh?" Yastor was confused at their lack of response. "What's with the weird look?! You're hungry, aren't ya? Caught this bad boy with my bare hands and cooked him over an open fire! Dig in!"
As they all crowd around the fish and grab some for themselves, Ford gets up and takes his leave.
"Well, I'd best be getting back to work. It was fun."
"Aww, but I didn't get to challenge you in chess." Entrapta said sadly.
"Not to worry, there'll be time for that later. That is, as long as you can make it through what's in store today.
As he leaves, Percy couldn't help but linger on that last thing Ford said.
"Huh…I do wonder what he meant by that?"
"Who cares?! Some good fucking food for a change!" Deadpool said.
"Is that Chef guy's cooking that bad? I really like it." Yastor said. "Though I never really was a picky eater. Thought I'd help you guys out."
"You're an absolute lifesaver!" Kronk said, years of Joy in his eyes.
Luckily, the rest of their team entered the dining hall, lured by the succulent smell of the legendary hero's bounty.
"Well now, something is smelling pretty good." Ryu said, taking in the scent.
"No way….is that real?!" Luz exclaimed, practically drooling at the sight of the fish.
"You could pinch yourself all you want, but it's real, alright." Yastor assures.
"Beats the crap we've been stuck with the past couple of days." Cinder muttered.
"Grab a seat and dig in!" Peacock says. "It's really good!"
"Hey, you and Spinel aren't on our team! Mao snapped. "You two get to eat stuff in the hotel! Hands off our food!"
"Relax, they're my friends." Deadpool says. "They've got my seal of approval."
"That just makes me want them gone even more!"
Regardless, the whole team (plus a couple extra faces) enjoyed dining on some sweet tasting fish.
"Thanks again for doing this, Mr. Yastor." Ruby says.
"Ah, it was nothing."
The team stops their eating when they see almost all of the Weirdos entering the room, sitting at the other table.
"Oh come on, more of you trying to mooch off our food?!" Mao snapped.
"Hey, we came here on different business." Katakuri retorts.
"Though we wouldn't say no to a little bit of that fish…" Chie said, her eyes lingering on the fish in front of her."
"Don't even think about it." Kaiba warned her.
"Relax, I was joking….kind of…"
Bernadetta yawns, still a bit sleepy. "The why are you guys here?"
"Your guess is as good as mine." Aqua said.
"The Ginyu Force told us all to come here for some reason." Mae explained. "Probably challenge related."
"Either way, get your own fish, cat." Mao reiterates.
"So just because I'm a cat, I instantly like fish? Wow, way to stereotype. Next you'll say I like balls of yarn and laser pointers."
"I'm a demon, hello?! I could care less about your feelings."
"Ha! Still trying to cope with your failure, I see." Kaiba says smugly.
"Is now really the time to be antagonizing them?" Charlie asks Kaiba.
"If we treated losers with respect and dignity, that defeats the point of winners and losers."
"Well whatever it is, they better hurry it up." Lobo complained. "I'm trying to fix up my ride after a certain bastich fucked with it. And that same loser is already running late."
The door swings open, and we see just Red XIII walking in, carrying a huge plate stacked with brownies with his mouth. He sets the plate down on the table in front of the Weirdos.
"First off, allow me to formally apologize for badly I shocked some of you in the last challenge." Red begins. "Things got quite heated last time, emotions were flaring-"
"Hearts were probably restarted multiple times too." Kaiba quips.
"So thankful it wasn't my fault this time…" Rodney sighed.
"Which is why I offer you all this plate of special brownies I made personally as a gesture of forgiveness."
"Wait, you're some kinda weird dog creature." Luz points out. "How did you manage to make them? You don't even have opposable thumbs."
"That's a good question." Red answers gleefully. "But we can ask questions about stuff like that, or we can taste my hard work."
"Well thank you, Red. That means a lot." Charlie said sweetly. She's about to grab a brownie before Katakuri stops her.
"Hold on. Something doesn't feel right."
"Don't they tell you never to look a gift horse in the mouth?" Aqua says, quickly grabbing a brownie and eating the whole thing before anybody could stop her. "See? Everything's fine."
Barret kicks down the door, looking quite distressed….as well as carrying a plate of brownies.
"Oh goddamn it! Don't tell me any of you ate those!"
"Um….yeah. Right here, pal." Aqua answered.
"You should have followed Wallace Wisdom #420!" Barret tells her.
"Which is…?"
"Never eat any of Red's snacks!" He olds out the plate he brought. "These ones were meant for you guys!"
Aqua gulps nervously. "Wait…..then what was wrong with the one I ate?!"
It was then that Oscar had finally arrived, and noticed the brownies Barret had and helps himself to one.
"Well, don't mind if I do…"
"So nice of you to finally join us." Katakuri said sternly. "Mind telling us why you're late?"
"Don't blame me, I was busy on the can!" Oscar said defensively. "When nature calls, you gotta answer-"
"Okay, okay, gross, we get it." Tatsumaki said quickly. "Ever hear of TMI?!"
"Is somebody going to answer what the hell I just ate?!" Aqua snapped. "It could be poison for all I know!"
"Oh, you'll wish it was poison." Red tells her. "My batch was made with plenty of Chocobo Greens."
"Never heard of them." Max scoffed.
"Is that like when people make desserts made with….you know…" Mae asked.
"It'll make any pot brownie you've ever eaten in the past look cute by comparison." Barret admits. "Pack your bags, lady….. because you're soon gonna be going on one hell of a trip…"
"Oh god oh god oh god…" Aqua panics. "I'm not ready for that…. I'm not ready, I'm not ready…"
"Better go lay down and let it run it's course." Red explains. "Because you're already past the point of no return."
Aqua agrees, and proceeds to run out of the room, with Chris entering as she's leaving.
"Well now, can't believe you guys already got one of them already." The host snickers.
"Alright, spill it." Cinder said impatiently. "What fresh hell is going on this time?"
"Why, just today's challenge, of course." Chris explains. "Those of you who've eaten these brownies have officially been pranked."
"Pranked?!" Many of them gasped.
"So glad none of our team was foolish to eat them." Edgeworth said gratefully.
"W-what was wrong with the one I ate?" Oscar asked nervously.
"Lots of laxatives, baby!" Barret cackled. "You talked about needing the toilet earlier. Well buckle up, because you two are about to be fucking inseparable!"
"Wha-"
Oscar immediately hunches over, grasping his gut and painful sounds erupt from his stomach.
"Time for you to start running."
"MAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Oscar cried as he speeds his way to the bathroom.
"Wow, an absolute moron!" Kaiba laughed. "The both of them!"
"C'mon, Kaiba, be nice to them." Charlie reminds him.
"As you all can see, today's challenge is about pranks and practical jokes." Chris continues. "Both teams are to prank the other in any way they see fit, until an entire team has dropped out of the prank war. Last team standing wins immunity. Oh yeah, and the staff and I will also be participating, so there's that to look out for. Nobody's safe, heh heh…"
Most of the cast responded by laughing.
"Wow, so it's basically another free day for us!" Max said.
"Sounds absolutely bonkers." Zeke protests. "I'd rather not waste my time pranking others."
Chris shrugs. "Hey, you can all go on about your day like normal. You don't have to take it seriously. Just know that as of right now, everyone is a sitting duck. If you wanna drop out, all you gotta do is say you give up. Whether you're participating or not, you will be pranked until you yield. And given what's about to happen to Aqua, I'd say she's out of the running."
"Oh, that is some bullshit!" Lobo complained.
"Eh, they can have their fun." Ryu says as he grabs the unopened can of soda near him. "The rest of us can spend our day doing something more produc-"
As he opens the can, erupts, spraying the shaman completely in soda.
"AW C'MON!"
"That one was on me, pal!" Deadpool laughed. "Better go clean up if I were you!"
"Fine!" Ryu huffed, standing up. "Throw at me everything you guys got! Do your worst, no matter how wet and sticky you make me! Until then, I'll be in the shower!"
"Is he always that touchy?" Gwen asked Tokageroh.
"Only when it comes to his hair. Which happens a lot more than you think."
Mao jumps onto the table, flipping his cape for dramatic effect.
"So, it's a prank war you filthy humans want, huh? Well be prepared….for I am the master of tricks! MUHAHAHAHA!"
As Mao laughs like the cretin he is, Deadpool discretely looks over towards Spinel and Peacock. The three give a slight nod of acknowledgement.
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"Once again, it's my time to shine!" Mao declared. "Time for me to do what I do best and be the biggest menace possible!"
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Deadpool yawns and stretches.
"Welp, time for my master plan to come to fruition. All my planning, some of my cunning….no, all of my cunning. Episodes of plotting….now our time has come."
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We Oscar leaving the bathroom, still looking quite miserable.
"...I thought I was gonna die…who would pull a trick like that?!"
"I fully agree."
The snack maker turns to Cinder leaning on the wall.
"Were you…talking to me?" Oscar asked.
"Do you see anyone else around here right now?" Cinder remarked.
"Good point."
"You know, I've been keeping a close eye on you, Proud…"
"Before you say anything else, just gonna throw it out now that I'm already married." Oscar interrupted.
"Not what I meant at all." Cinder hammers in. "Besides, I'm already with someone myself. I've noticed you don't tend to get a lot of respect from your team."
"What's it to you?"
"I've been on the same team as some of them before. And I'm not very well liked by them either."
"Well that's not true!" Oscar defends. "I'd say I'm pretty popular. The only ones who don't get the picture are already lost causes."
"Relax, I'm not trying to push my observations as facts. I'm just telling you what I see. They don't listen to you, don't take you seriously, invalidate everything you do, all while propping themselves up as the good guys."
"I'm not sure I follow…" Oscar says in confusion.
"Oh, there you are, Oscar." Charlie says as she walked up to him. "Just wanted to check on you, you know. See if you're feeling better."
"Boy, I'm feeling much better now, thanks to the concern of my friend!" Oscar says while side eyeing Cinder.
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"He's still in denial…" Cinder chuckled. "Even Charlie's kindness won't help him forever. He's still the team's resident loser…and as soon as he fully realizes how despised he his, then the fun can truly begin…"
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"What was that Cinder lady's deal?" Oscar wonders. "I'm absolutely a valuable asset to this team. And those that have a problem with me…well, that's their problem."
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Cinder peers over and sees a weird looking sign planted into the ground. It was a simple white sign that read "Maiden Powers this way", with an arrow pointing in that direction. She had to double check, making sure she read that correctly.
"There's no way that's not a trick…" she mutters.
It was then that Peacock walked past her, carrying an ice cream cone stacked insanely high.
"Yer loss, toots!" Peacock tells her. "I just followed a similar sign, and it led me to allllll this ice cream. If you'll excuse me, I'm off to watch cartoons."
Cinder was once again left all alone. Her eye darts from side to side, making sure the coast was clear. Once she knew she was safe, she quickly follows the sign.
"...Sucker…" Peacock snickered as she watched from a distance.
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The next scene was an odd one. We are on a 911 call screen, as the sound of a phone is ringing. A male voice responds to the call
Operator: "911, what is your emergency?"
Aqua: "YOU GOTTA HELP ME! I THINK MY HEART IS GONNA EXPLODE OUT OF MY CHEST!"
Operator: "Calm down, miss, that's what we're here for. Could you please explain why you think your heart's beating backwards?"
Aqua: "IT'S GONNA EXPLODE, I TELL YOU! EXPLODE!'"
Operator: "Are you having any other symptoms?"
Aqua: "I CAN SMELL THE COSMOS!
Operator: " Sigh…. have you taken any illegal or illicit substances, miss?"
Aqua: No! I just ate a brownie that was given to me by a drug addict dog creature, but that's got nothing to do with my emergency!"
Operator: "Then what is your emergency?"
Aqua: I'm so freaking hungry! Like, hungrier than I've ever been before. I'm even tempted to eat more of those brownies just sitting over the-"
…
…
…
…
Aqua: "Nevermind, I'm gonna eat some more of those, and call you back."
*Call Ends*
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Wendy and Carla were seen making their way back to the dining hall.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, child?" Carla asked skeptically.
Wendy nods. "If even the staff are going to be participating in this challenge, that leaves this place more than likely unoccupied. I just know they've got the good snacks in the back."
"You worry me sometimes." Carla sighed. "If they catch you, they'll surely have our hides."
As the two were approaching the back door, they see Chef walking outside, dragging a huge trash bag leaking some kind of red liquid.
"Oh, uh…hey, Chef." Wendy said awkwardly.
Chef doesn't look towards her, but tosses her a knife. "Quickly kid, catch this!"
Wendy thankfully cut the handle of the long and sharp piece of silverware. It had some of the red stains on it like the ones from the bag.
"Uh…..okay….why?" Wendy asked nervously.
Chef lets go of the bag, and slowly yet eerily turns around, revealing his face had some of those red stains.
"Because I needed an accomplice to my murder!"
Wendy's face goes deathly pale. "...What?!"
"And now your fingerprints are also on the murder weapon!" Chef cackles.
Wendy realizes she was still holding it, and panickedly drops it.
"AH! OH NO, OH NO!"
"I told you coming here would be a bad idea!" Carla cries.
"You e with me!" Chef orders, dragging the bag with him again. "We've gotta dispose of the body!"
(Several minutes later…)
"Hurry up, kid!" Chef said as he was leaning on a tree. "Dig like your life depends on it!"
"BUT IT DOES!" Wendy cries as she continues to dig a grave. The poor girl could only sob as they finished digging the hole.
"Looks like it's done." Chef said proudly. "Now get in the hole!"
"G…..get in this hole?" Wendy asked nervously.
Chef pulls out a gun and aims it at her. "GET IN THE HOLE! NO WITNESSES!"
"Chef, please, no!" Wendy pleads. "There has to be another way!"
"Alright, then look at the flowers!"
"Please stop! This can't be real!" Wendy wailed. "I don't even get the reference!"
"Because it's not." Chef says casually.
Wendy stops crying, putting the pieces together. "Wait….this was all a prank?!"
"Yep. The bag's just filled with old meat."
"How could you?!" Carla snapped. "Putting us through all of this?!"
"Relax, cat." Chef assures. "This gun isn't even real, watch."
He fires empty shots, until a single bullet shoots from it into the distance.
"TURTERS! NO!" Zeke cried.
"Hold this." Chef says grimly, handing the gun to Wendy and running off.
"I'm done. I give up…" Wendy said somberly.
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"And there goes the last bandage…" Zeke says as he wrapped the bandage around Turters's tail. "Thought we were gonna lose you there for a second."
"There you go…" Pandoria coos, planting a soft kiss on their pet's head.
"And you said a bullet came out of nowhere and hit him?" Percy asks, jotting some notes down.
"That's right." Zeke answered. "Pandy and I were just minding their own business, and then BAM! The little guy takes a nasty hit out of nowhere!"
Percy nods, finishing her report. "I think I have all the information I need. No doubt this is more of that prank nonsense, but this seems absolutely overboard. I can't tell you how many times I had arrested people on the street who claimed to be 'Internet pranksters' when in reality they were really just harassing people. It's all fun and games to those heathens until they wind up in a Korean prison or try to make America great again." She shudders in absolute horror at that last part.
"At this point, all that matters is that Turters is safe." Zeke says. "C'mon Pandy, we're-HUH?!"
Zeke couldn't move. He looked down to see his feet were glued to the ground.
"What the fracklety-frick?! Who's responsible for this trick?! Pandy, please help me get unstuck!"
"Um….Zeke…"
The Driver looks to see that his Blade is also glued to the ground.
"Can this get any worse?!"
"Hold on, I'll go find something to free you two!" Percy tells them. She tries to run off, but looks down to find that…..you guessed it. She was glued to the ground as well.
"Oh dear…" She deadpans.
Mao walked past them, laughing while he ate an apple.
"How'd you mortal fools like my little trick?! MUHAHAHAHA!"
"You little bastard…." Zeke growled.
"I cannot believe you, Mao!" Percy exclaimed. "We're on the same team!"
"I don't discriminate." Mao explains. "Everyone's fair game in my eyes! Next time I'd recommend not being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'd love to stick around, but….my feet are the only ones not stuck in one spot! MUHAHAHAHA! Later, chumps!"
"Hey! Get back here, you brat!" Pandoria ordered, but it was unfortunately too late. Mao just left them there.
"Hmph, some teammate you've got there, officer." Zeke said sarcastically.
"Believe me, I'm just as disappointed as you are. A somber reminder of our failed society. I wasn't even planning on participating in this challenge."
"Turters, go for help!" Zeke ordered.
The tiny turtle walks away, but as you'd expect, the creature was in the slowest rush possible.
"How could this possibly get any worse?" Percy groans.
Her phone immediately rings, and the officer quickly answers the call.
"Hello?"
On the other line, the voice of Gura could be heard. We get a split screen of Percy and Gura, the latter being accompanied by her friend Ame, who was trying her best to hold in her laughter.
"Hello, ma'am, do you have a minute to talk about our Lord and Savior, Lightning McQueen?"
"Well, I'm currently stuck to the ground, so I have quite a bit of time on my hands." Percy responded. "Who may I be speaking to?"
"Tell her she's got a call from Joe Mama!" Ame whispered in Gura's ear.
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Wendy was sitting on her bed, slowly rocking back and forth in the fetal position.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Wendy." Ruby said, attempting to make her feel better.
"When I heard them say practical jokes, faking a murder and hiding the body was not on my bingo card…" Wendy said grimly.
"Well I'm gonna return the favor from this morning, and help you get through this." Ruby says determinedly. "Look on the bright side. None of it was actually real. It should at least make you more alert of what could be a trick and what isn't."
It was then that Geralt opened the door, only to have an empty bucket fall on his head. While it didn't hurt or faze him, he was not having it.
"Huh…. usually those things were filled with water…"
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THE HORSE BLOOD I HAD THAT THING FILLED WITH?!" The voice of Mao rants outside.
Wendy immediately snapped out of her shaken state, and slowly turned to the window.
"...Mao?" She sternly asked. "Are you trying to prank us too?"
"...Yes." Mao answers from outside. "... I'm not apologizing…"
"You're supposed to do that to the other team…" Geralt sighed.
"Well sorry having a bit too much fun with this challenge!" Mao retorts. "But that's besides the point. Somebody sabotaged my prank, and I demand answers!"
"You kids might wanna come with me." Geralt said ominously. "Wade has some sort of big announcement he wants to make to everyone."
"Oh goodie…" Carla snarked. "This should absolutely be fun if that crackpot is involved in any way."
Wendy sighs. "Let's just get this over with and see what he wants."
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Everyone was gathered outside; the contestants (minus Aqua), Chris, Chef, the interns, and Yastor were all together in one spot. Deadpool stood on some milk crates in front of them.
"Is everyone here?!" He asks. "Good."
"You're dead, Wilson!" Cinder snapped. The woman was seen with black and white face paint on her. "Your little signs ultimately led me to a Gathering of the Juggalos!"
"That was Peacock's doing, I just came up with the idea." Deadpool responds.
"Were you the one who sabotaged my prank?!" Mao asked.
"Yes."
Were you the one who put my hand in a bowl of warm water while I was taking a nap?!" Kaiba angrily asked
"Yes."
"Tied everything in my room to the window and made it all go flying outside?!" Chie adds.
"Eeyup!" Deadpool happily responds.
Dropped fire ants in all my donuts?!" Katakuri brought up.
"Guilty as charged."
"Tied me up in a barrel and sent me down a waterfall?" Rodney asked, still soaking wet.
"That was Spinel."
"Putting Icy Hot in my underwear?" Edgeworth asks.
"You bet your sweet bippy I did!"
"Playing a game of tic tac toe on my forehead when I went back to sleep?" Bernadetta squeaked, revealing a tied game of tic tac toe drawn on her forehead in a red marker.
"Peacock and I tied on that. Can't believe we couldn't get a winning game."
"You saying' you were the one who graffitied my hot rod?!" Lobo asked.
"That'd be me!"
"And I know you stole….. something important from me!" Max said a bit hesitantly.
"Relax, Mr. Honeynuts is completely safe." Deadpool says. He pulls out a slightly disheveled teddy bear and tossed it to Max.
As soon as Max caught it, a few snickers could be heard from some of them, including Chris and Chef.
"Huh….so this is the feeling that pushes serial killers over the edge." Max deadpanned. "It's only cute when Ruby and forehead over there have stuffed animals, it seems…"
"For a tough talking kid, you're surely not looking the part, brat." Chris laughs.
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"Oh, it is now personal, McLean!" Max snapped."
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"Yes yes, the three of us are responsible for a lot of shit going down today." Deadpool said proudly. "But before I get to my big announcement, I have one last thing to show you. Girls!"
Peacock and Spinel wheel in a large, flat screen TV in front of them.
"One last prank before things get crazy!" Peacock says, pulling out the remote and turning it on.
After a moment of static, the video showed someone in the shower, with some singing being heard. Everything was obscured by steam.
"...You can sing….you can shimmer…"
Ryu's face went pale as soon as he recognized the singing voice.
"A little snippet I caught earlier today." Deadpool cackled. "Who could it be, I wonder?"
The steam in the video cleared, and we now see it was Ryu in the video. Thankfully, he was filmed from the waist up, singing as he was showering, using the scrub brush as a microphone.
"... Love's on the menu and DISCO'S FOR DINNER! Disco Girl, coming through! That girl is you!"
"Oh, I absolutely love this song." Ford said.
"Oh my!" Charlie gasped, hiding her blushing face.
Wow…" Luz snickered. "No offense, but your singing sounds so much better than-Ryu?"
She sees that Ryu was slumped face first on the ground in embarrassment.
"Kill….me…..now…" The shaman croaks.
"Now we can move on-HEY! WHERE'S THE REMOTE?!" Peacock snapped.
Gwen's eyes slightly look over to Bernadetta, who had the remote in her hand. She was being discrete, but she was hitting the record button over and over.
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"Hey, don't judge me!" Bernadetta pouts. "You'd do the same thing too if your boyfriend was on video! Especially if he's…in the shower…."
She quickly wiped away a little bit of drool.
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Spinel stretched her arm, and snatched the remote back. "I'll take that, thank you."
"Get to the point." Tatsumaki said impatiently. "What's the real reason you brought us all here?!"
"The girl's right." Oscar says. "What's this all about?!"
"I'm in agreement." Chris adds. "I've gotta get back to my crib for my daily massage, then trip in the sauna."
You could almost see a glint in the eye of Deadpool's mask. "You sure about that, Chrissy poo?" The merc pulls out a remote with one big button with his face on it. "Operation Jokers 'n Jackasses is a go!"
He presses the button, and the island begins to shake like an earthquake.
"W-what's happening?!" Wendy cried.
"READY YOURSELVES, PEOPLE!" Deadpool roared dramatically. "WELCOME TO THE PRANK THUNDER DOME, MOTHERFUCKERS!"
Suddenly, cream pies begin to fall from the sky like a volley of bombs. Once they hit the ground, things go from zero to bat shit crazy. The ground explodes from the impact, with everything feeling like a war zone. Very little sound could be heard, everything is a ringing sound at the moment.
Everyone scrambles around as not just explosive pies rained down. Huge water balloons, buckets of paint, swarms of bats and many more things were unleashed. Not just upon them, but the entire island. Banana peels were on the ground, slipping many up as they tried to get away.
"THIS IS OUR DRAGON RICK MOMENT!" Deadpool said. "NOW FOR THE BIG FUNNY!"
Now explosions were erupting all over the place. We see Yastor's shack explode, along with Chris's "cottage", and several mountains.
"...FOLLOW ME!" A voice said through ringing ears.
"WE RUN THIS MADHOUSE NOW!" Peacock laughed.
…
…
…
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Operator: "911, what is your emergency?"
Aqua: "Helloooooooo~! I finished the rest of those Chocobo Greens~!"
Operator: "Oh, great…it's you again."
Aqua: "Don't worry, I seriously have a couple of emergencies going on right now."
Operator: *Sigh* "Okay, what is your emergency?"
Aqua: "There's a deranged naked woman just glaring at me in the bathroom! And the weird part is every time I shake my fist at her, she does it right back at me!"
Operator: "Could you please describe the woman?"
Aqua: "Oh, most definitely. She's got blue hair, quite the looker, even without a stitch of clothing on her…uh, she's got chocolate smeared all over her lips, and her eyes are looking a bit red. I-Hold on, she's talking to someone on the phone too like I am! She's probably calling the authorities to frame me for a crime she committed!"
Operator: "Miss, I think your brain has officially broken."
*KABOOM!*
Operator: "What was that?!"
Aqua: "Oh, it's this whole prank war we're doing. It's raining Hell from the sky as we speak. It's like a warzone out there."
Operator: "I think we're done here."
*Call Ends*
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We now move to Entrapta's Sanctum. Besides her, Chris, Chef, Ford, Korone, Kirbo, Yastor, Katakuri, Mao, Edgeworth, Kaiba, Max, Oscar, Gwen, Kronk, Luz, Ruby, Nomad, Tatsumaki, Bernadetta, and Cinder were there. They were the only ones who managed to escape the chaos.
"Okay…I think we should all be safe down here…" Entrapta says assuredly.
Luz was looking around the place with curiosity. "Nice place you got down here."
"Ah yes, my little home away from home." Entrapta beamed. "For just today, it will be our sanctuary."
"Why don't we just invite everyone down here and throw a party?!" Cinder angrily muttered.
"Eh, a bit too high tech for my taste." Max droned. "But you do you with all your nerd stuff down here."
"See? It's fine." Entrapta whispers to a steaming Cinder. "It's only for right now. And when this is all done, it'll be just us again."
"I can't believe we made it out of there when we did." Tatsumaki admits. "I'll be honest, it was all a blur."
"Those three really pulled the wool over our eyes." Geralt said bitterly. "While I wasn't keen on participating in this whole prank nonsense, I think it's safe to say this challenge was a terrible idea from the start. Right, McLean?"
He receives no response, only hearing the sobs of the host. Chris was on his hands and knees, weeping like he lost a family member.
"Don't feel too bad. You didn't know they'd take it this far." Ruby says comfortingly.
"I could care less about the challenge right now!" Chris sobs. "They got my cottage again! And my mountain that had my glorious mug chiseled on it!"
"Oh, get over yourself, you big baby." Max complained. "Actually, keep crying. It entertains me."
"Hey, my shack keeps getting destroyed by random stuff practically every other day, but you don't see me having a meltdown about it." Yastor brings up.
"But that's like comparing turds to gold!" Chris says. "Those three are in SO MUCH TROUBLE when we deal with them!"
"So, uh…how exactly do we deal with them?" Kronk asks. "Because I'm drawing a blank."
"We can't wait too long to figure out our next course of action." Katakuri brings up. "I can still feel everyone else's presences up above, thankfully. But I don't know what else Wade and them have up their sleeves."
"Or….we can just let them have their way and start a new life down here." Oscar suggests. "No use fighting a losing battle, am I right?"
Kaiba scoffs. "Look at you Proud, already throwing in the towel like the pathetic baby you are."
"I don't see you coming up with any ideas, rich boy!"
"As much as I'd desire some quiet solitude down here, we can't just leave everyone up there to suffer." Bernadetta brings up.
"Time for violence!" Korone says, pulling out a bloody, rusty, chainsaw.
"Uh, could we not?" Gwen said.
"Though not off the table." Mao interjects.
"Poyo p-poyo poyo poyo? (Perhaps some scripture will help pacify them)" Kirbo asks, pulling out a Bible.
"I highly doubt those three are feeling in a religious mood." Edgeworth groans.
"Guys, we're looking at this all wrong!" Max announced.
"Are you saying you have an idea, young man?" Ford asked.
"Something like that." Max answered. "Like Chris said, it's a prank war. Ergo, we fight fire with fire. And I'm already a master at fucking with people, especially grown adults like Dumb-pool."
"Bite your tongue, human!" Mao snapped. "I am the master of trickery and chicanery!"
"Look, Mao." Max begins. "You and I don't know each other too much, but we both know we're great at fooling others and getting under their skin. So how about you and I put our heads together and out prank these pranksters?"
Mao ponders this for a moment. "I suppose that is a decent idea, only if the alternative is staying down here for who knows how long. Very well then, human. You've got yourself a deal."
The two troublemakers seal the deal and shake on it.
Max turns to everyone else. "I'm gonna need everyone's help on this one, so I need you to do as I say. Got it?"
Many of them nod in agreement.
"Good." The kid looks over at the Nomad. "Hey, silent treatment. We're definitely gonna need your powers for what we got planned."
The Nomad nods and gives a confident salute.
By now, Chris had finally stopped crying. "I hope you two know what you're doing."
"You can bet all of your hair care products that this will work." Mao says.
"Yeah, I'd rather not risk losing anything else precious to me today."
Max claps his hands together. "Alright guys, let's look around the place and see what we can find. We got a prank to construct, people!"
"You heard the kid!" Mao ordered. "Move move move!"
"Just for today, just for today…" Cinder thinks to herself.
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"This was a huge gamble we were taking." Max admits. "I would have preferred pranking if that stupid host didn't make a whole challenge out of it. But now we're going to beat Deadpool and then at their own game. Hopefully we won't need luck."
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Deadpool was sitting on a throne constructed of the broken pieces of Chris's abode, wearing an unnecessarily huge crown on his head and a fur lined cape on his shoulders. He held a magnificent scepter in his hands, also made from the same stuff as his throne. Everything around them looked unrecognizable. Buildings were blown up, things were on fire, and everyone who couldn't escape lay before him, all unconscious.
"Ah, it's good to be the king." Deadpool said proudly. "You having fun, P?!" Deadpool asked.
Peacock was off to the side, firing a gattling gun loaded with rubber chickens.
"And I love being the chaotic jester that gets to blow everything up!" The cyborg cackled. She fired a rubber chicken into the sky, followed by a helicopter exploding and crashing into the water. "I think I hit another bird! 50 points!"
"WADE WILSON! SHOW YOURSELF!"
Deadpool was thrown off the high of his little power trip, to see everyone who got away now back, and staring him down.
"Well well, look who's back for round 2!" Deadpool says confidently. If it isn't Percival Ramdeen Gregory Nicolai Chuck Schozer Leonardo Gabriel Socrates Ming Victor Nostradamus Alastair Patisha Vladimir Stiegler Rasputin Boromir Walla Walla Shadigah Alexander Oliver Abelard Ernesto Zippy Zappy Angel Eyes."
"I….. I'm not even gonna dignify that with a response." Max said in disbelief.
"Alright, pal, this has gone on long enough!" Chris interjects. "Your little game here is over! This is my show, not yours!"
"Au contraire, Chrissy." Deadpool retorts. "I run shit now! Consider it a little bit of payback for putting me on a team away from my friends."
"That seriously can't be the only reason you're doing this!" Kaiba snaps.
"Hmmm, you're right." Deadpool admits. "Another reason is I feel my popularity has kind of…. plateaued….in a sense. I wanted to do something fun to spice my image up. So I took a page out of Rick's book, and now here we are. I'd already known about this challenge ahead of time, which gave me and my buds all the time in the world to prepare for this. Now….I am the Meme King!"
Katakuri creates multiple mochi arms and quickly stretches them out to grab everyone who was unconscious over to their side.
"They were….too crazy for us…" Mae said weakly as she regained consciousness.
"You wouldn't want to mess with us, you spandex clad buffoon!" Mao warns. "Surrender now, or face our wrath!"
Deadpool ponders it for a moment, then stands up from his throne. "Tell ya what. I like you guys a whole lot, so I'll cut you a deal. You guys leave and let us rule without opposition, and I'll give you this!" He pulls out a small, black stone with a purple aura around it.
"We don't want your rock collection!"
"This is the Continuity Gem." Deadpool explained dramatically. "With this, I can warp all of reality and even Meme's fanfiction canon. I can fix what's broken, what's lost, or even the shit that some fans won't shut up about!"
Behind him, we see potential "What Ifs?" for what he had in mind. We see all the way back in Infinite 1, where DIO framed Elena, only for it to reverse and show the truth being revealed. We see a team portrait of the Hungry Wolves from Infinite 2, where Toko is disappearing from the team shot. We see Rick dying instead of Giovanni, then see Glass Joe turn into the Hero of Happiness to fight Gjira. We then see Tifa, Bunnies, and Yang actually getting the jump on Kizaru instead of getting near fatally blasted. Then we conclude with seeing Chubzworth as part of BV's staff from the very beginning before his official on screen debut.
Before anyone could say anything, Yastor glared at the gem, and it immediately shattered to dust.
"What the hell?!" Deadpool exclaimed.
"You wouldn't believe how many tried to beat me by warping reality or erasing me from existence." Yastor coldly responds. "Even the most immortal and omniscient beings couldn't harm me! I've had everything thrown at me, so I'm not scared. But don't use it on them!"
"Rats, there goes my bargaining chip." Deadpool takes out a walkie talkie. "Spinel, it's time for Plan B!"
High in the sky, we see Spinel piloting Chris's Zeppelin. Beneath it, it was carrying a large, green, gelatinous object that was filled with all sorts of foul smelling and utterly disgusting objects. And the faint smell was even worse. This thing was even bigger than the aircraft itself. Everyone could do nothing but watch in horror at what lay above them. Even the smell was getting everyone else to finally wake up and see it.
"W-what is that?!" Charlie stuttered.
"The El Mongo Stink Bomb!" Deadpool said ominously. "Got the recipe for this from the Eds, but I put my own spin on it. The key ingredient was everyone's dirty laundry this past week."
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Operator: "911, what is your emergency?"
Aqua: "THERE'S A GIANT SMELLY BOOGER THING BLOTTING OUT THE SUN OUTSIDE!"
Operator: "Ma'am, get off this line right now, or I'm involving the authorities!"
Aqua: "Godzilla is my dad…"
*Call ends*
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The horror finally set in for everyone what they were planning to do.
"You wouldn't!" Zeke cried.
"Oh, we would." Peacock says dementedly. "You're stuck between a rock and us!"
"All I have to do is give Spinel the word and this whole island is getting stink-ified!" Deadpool warns.
"Boys, if there's any time for you to kick your plan into high gear, now would be time!" Chef said panickedly.
Max, Mao, and the Nomad all step forward.
"Now it's time for our prank." Max said. "I didn't want it to have to come to this."
"Oh, I totally wanted it to." Mao said.
"Do yer worst!" Peacock threatened. "Just be warned, your odds of being killed by a duck are low, but never zero!"
"Okay…..we warned you…" Max snaps his hands.
The Nomad readies himself, and lets out one loud clap.
"Ooh, I'm so fucking scared!" Deadpool said mockingly.
His cocky attitude was cut short as he and Peacock suddenly found themselves floating in the vacuum of space.
"Huh? What's going on?!"
"Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!" The disembodied voice of Max said. "Now have a taste of your own goddamn medicine!"
The two then were sent flying uncontrollably through space, their minds overflowing with voices upon voices.
"Holy shit, I hear and know everything!" Deadpool cried painfully.
As they were flying through space, the stars all begin transforming into heads of Deadpool. Although they grew more and more distorted.
"It's all getting louder!" Peacock wailed. "I think my mind's gonna break!"
The voices grew louder, now all turning into daughter. Louder and louder the laughter grew, even close to driving the two psychos more insane than even they can handle.
"You give up?!" Max said.
"YES! WE SURRENDER! HOLY SHIT, JUST MAKE IT ALL STOP!" they both let out.
An enormous supernova erupted in front of them, only for them to fall back on solid ground. They realized everything was back to normal.
"What the hell?!" Peacock cried. "How'd you schmucks do that?!"
"Duh, smoke and mirrors!" Max said.
We see the area surrounded by large, homemade scrap mirrors that had come to life.
"Oldest trick in the book." Mao adds.
"Well….I guess you got us…" Deadpool sighed. "You win…"
"Oh, you three are soooo out of here!" Chris snapped.
"That's fair." Deadpool said. "Though to be fair, considering all the shit the three of us have been through all our lives….we like to have fun in our own special way."
"That's not some kind of lesson we've learned, just shut the fuck up!" Max complained.
"So what are we gonna do with them?" Chef asked. "Send them to prison like Duncan?"
"Like that's gonna teach these lunatics a lesson!" Chris responds. "I've got something else in mind that'll make them pay for what they did! But before we send them out of here, you three are gonna repair all the damage you did to the WHOLE ISLAND!"
"Roger that." Deadpool takes out the walkie talkie again. "Spinel, we've officially given up. Abort the stink, buddy."
"Got it." Spinel responds carelessly. "Abort it right on top of them."
She pushed the red button, and things seemed to move in slow motion as everyone could only watch as the stink bomb was falling towards them.
"WHAT THE FU-"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
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We now saw the stinked up island later that evening. We return to where they started, at their elimination.
"You know what? Screw it!" Chris said. "I'll get the Ginyu Force to repair and fumigate the island! I want you three gone pronto!"
Everyone watches as the three were sent flying high on the fireworks they were strapped to. The trio of stooges laugh as the fireworks explode, taking the shape of their faces.
"THAT'S ALL, FOLKS!"
"Thank. Freaking. Goodness." Chris sighed. "Good riddance to them. Everyone, pack your bags! We're going on a little bit of a field trip while the island is getting fixed up."
A huge cruise liner suddenly docks behind him!"
"Wait, you mean right now?!" Tatsumaki asked."
"Uh, yeah. Everything here is a wreck, everything and everyone stink to high heaven, so I got a place in mind that we can crash at until the Ginyu Force fix it up. And luckily, it's where our next challenge will take place….heh heh…and boy is it is a real doozy…"
"Just so long as there's no pranks this time." Kaiba groaned. "Because I will make you regret it if that's the case."
"I call shotgun!" Aqua said.
"You are not getting a shotgun, young lady!" Percy said sternly.
"Oh, all right….but I'm riding up front!"
Notes:
Well that was an…. interesting episode. Pretty much more unhinged than what I usually concoct. Time to say goodbye to the trio of Deadpool, Spinel, and Peacock. They were a fun group till the very end, even if they took things too far.
As for next time, a relaxing stay at a resort island is cut short as one team must prepare a casino heist to rescue a taken teammate. A risky gamble where the winner takes all. Until next time, this is MemeKing, signing off.
Chapter 7: Episode 7: Chris-ino Royale
Summary:
Put your heist gear on, because it's time for the Weirdos to rescue one of their own, guarded in a pretty big casino
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
We see Chris standing in front of a large and luxurious resort island as he gives the recap.
"Last time on Infinite 3, all hell broke loose as I declared a prank war amongst the teams. While those like Mao had no qualms going after everyone, Deadpool and his friends took it one step further. They took over the island with their relentless assault of pranks, forcing everyone to go into hiding. Thankfully, Max and Mao were able to put their heads together to concoct a prank that would put Deadpool, Spinel, and Peacock's reign to an end. Unfortunately, their final prank caused so much damage we had to relocate for the time being. But not before sending those three jokers packing in a blaze of glory. As of now, we're basically stuck here on another island I own. A not too shabby home away from home, if I do say so myself. We've still got a couple days before our old island is back up and running, so stay tuned for what these guys get up to today!"
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Fireworks fire off in the sky as hundreds of people on the beach applauded. A rather large sporting event was taking place on the beach. A volleyball court was set up, with bleachers of cheering fans pumped up and excited.
"Welcome back to the grand finals of the Turbo Inferno 2v2 V-Ball Tournament!" an announcer jovially said in the press box. "It's your friend and favorite radio host, DJ Bubba! Bringing you the latest bit of ambrosia to your ears!"
We see the bleachers titled "VIP Section", where several of the contestants sat.
"Oooooh, I can't believe they made it to the finals!" Charlie squealed with absolute glee.
"It's gonna be fun watching that fool fail miserably." Kaiba said. "However he and that eye patch wearing mook made it to the finals, I'll never know."
"C'mon, have some faith in Oscar, Kaiba." Charlie calmly tells him.
"And my prince is in no way being dragged down by his new friend, if that's what you're insinuating." Pandoria warns the duelist.
"Who asked you?" Kaiba mutters.
"Charlie, do you mind if I ask you something?" Katakuri quietly asked. "Why do you bend over backwards so much for Proud? He's kinda been antagonizing some of our teammates, not to mention his frequent bickering with Kaiba. It was already bad enough when Miu and Aqua were doing it all the time."
"He deserves just as much of a chance as anyone else." Charlie responds. "I can tell it hasn't been easy for someone as normal as him getting used to stuff we go through on this show. He just needs some extra encouragement is all."
"Are you sure that's really the best idea?" Katakuri asks.
"Just promise me you'll try to get along with him, please? Do it for me?"
The demon princess flashes her boyfriend the biggest and cutest pair of puppy dog eyes. Fortunately for her, she knew he couldn't hold out for long when she did this.
"Alright, fine." Katakuri sighed. "I'll play nice with him. You're lucky it's you who asked."
"Aww, you can't say no to me, you big donut." Charlie says as she gently pinches his cheek.
It was then that Chie, Mae, and Rodney arrived and took a seat.
"Sorry we're late, you guys." Mae said. "We just had to grab some snacks."
"You're all seriously eating now?" Tatsumaki huffed. "We're having a big cookout after this, you know."
"Hey, it's called pre-gaming, and I'm the champ at it." Chie defends, whilst holding several skewers of meat in each hand. "Besides, this was part of a deal." She looks over at Rodney. "Thanks again, big guy. Consider us officially even."
"It was no problem…." Rodney said awkwardly. "Even if it took all the money left I had brought with me…"
"Damn, she sure hoed you out of all your cash." Max chuckled.
"How much did we miss?" Chie asked.
"Eh, you missed the first two rounds." Aqua explained. "This round, the winner takes all."
"C'mon, you guys!" You can win this odd game!" Entrapta shouted. Maybe a bit too loudly.
"That was like right in my ear!" Tatsumaki snapped.
"Oh, uh…..sorry." Entrapta said sheepishly.
"You know, I'd never take you for a sports fan, Entrapta." Geralt remarks.
"Oh, I'm not really. But I just couldn't resist the social experiment with this game you people call…volleyball. It could be valuable research down the line."
"It's a game, girl." Mao spat. "It's about winning and losing, simple as that. Not gonna be useful later whatsoever. Why not put your interest and curiosity into working on that robot you were talking about."
"It's still back in the sanctum…" Entrapta pouts. "Can't get any more work done on it until we return."
"And here comes our players for the final round!"
Walking out onto the beach was Zeke and Oscar on one side, with Ryu and Gwen on the other.
"As you all recall, the duo that wins this round will take home not just this trophy, but a thousand dollars each!"
"Payday, here we come!" Zeke says, rubbing his hands eagerly.
"Wait, aren't you a prince or something?" Oscar asks. "You should be loaded."
"Disowned, actually. And expenses for Pandy, Turter's, and I aren't cheap."
"You know, I still can't believe you actually convinced me to do this with you." Gwen remarks. "But if we're being honest, it's actually been a lot of fun."
"See? I can come up with fun ideas." Ryu says proudly. "Plus look how far we got. We're just one more round away from winning."
"Wait…has anyone seen Bernadetta?" Wendy asked. "If Ryu's out there, surely she wouldn't want to miss this."
"I've been here the whole time."
A few of them look around. They could have sworn they'd heard Bernadetta's voice.
"Right here."
They finally saw her…..or, at least they kinda did. Sitting in a nearby seat was Bernadetta, covered with a shroud of leaves, leaving only her eyes visible.
"Uh…..may I ask why you're hiding yourself like that?" Carla asks.
"There's a lot of people at this game." Bernadetta explained. "I'm still working on getting used to events like this, but I don't want all the attention on me."
"Why would they be looking at you?!" Kaiba scoffed. "They're here to see the players, not some random spectator. Heck, I doubt even that boyfriend of yours would notice you from here."
"Oh, he definitely can."
Bernadetta gets her arm out of her clever disguise and quickly waves her arm in the air, hoping Ryu could see her. Thankfully, he takes notice of the waving, only to eagerly wave back, followed by blowing her a kiss.
"Looks like someone's got quite the motivation." Oscar remarks.
Ryu sighs lovingly. "Yeah…..what can I say? I'm a slave to love."
Oscar chuckles. "Yeah, you're a slave alright."
Ryu looks over at the man , a bit confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You'll practically do anything that girl tells you to." Oscar smugly explained. "Doesn't it make you feel like…..less of a man? To be so devoted that you look like an absolute pansy? Maybe you'll bark if she asks you nicely."
Ryu was starting to feel his blood boil. Gwen quickly took notice of the darkening expression on the shaman's face.
"Uh, Ryu…. maybe you should ignore him."
"Better do what the lady says, pal." Oscar jokes. "Even in a man's game, you're used to another chick telling you what to do."
"I'm sorry, a man's game?!" Gwen growled
"Think my devotion is funny, do you?" Ryu ominously muttered. "Think it makes me less of a man? You couldn't be further from the truth."
"Chill out, bub." Oscar defends. "It's just a little bit of trash talking you see in sports. You know, I was quite the athlete back in school. Try not to cry too bad when Zeke and I mop the floor with you two."
"Do you really believe in your own hype that much?"
"I am the hype!" Oscar yelled proudly.
"Kick his butt!" Kaiba could be heard from far away.
Ryu looks over at Gwen, who was looking just as mad as he was.
"Gwen, when I give the signal, I want you to pass me the ball. But when you do, hit it really high into the air for me, alright?"
"I don't know what you have planned, but if it's gonna put this guy in his place, then I'm all for it." Gwen coldly responds.
"Yikes, I think you might have really pissed them off there, mate." Zeke says worryingly. "Maybe it wasn't the best idea to trash talk them like that."
"Relax, it's just friendly, competitive, banter at the end of the day." Oscar assures. "It's not my fault if they take it too personally. People these days are too soft, anyway."
"PLAYERS, TAKE YOUR PLACES FOR THE FINAL ROUND!"
Both parties take their positions on the field.
"Why do they look so angry?" Bernadetta asked, taking clear note of her teammates' expressions. "What did he say to them?"
"Uh-oh…." Tokageroh said. He took out a pair of binoculars and could see his friend's anger. "It's not often I see him that pissed."
"Not surprising one bit." Kaiba scoffed. "What doesn't come out of that moron's mouth that doesn't irritate people. "Hopefully pasty and pompadour will wipe that grin off of his face."
"Wait…. you're rooting against your teammates?" Bernadetta asked.
"Is everyone ready?!" DJ Bubba announced. "Let the final round commence!"
The ball falls from the sky, bouncing on the top of the net, then bouncing towards Oscar. He successfully hits it to Zeke, and the Driver goes for a spike. Luckily, Gwen was able to counter and hit it back at them.
"Gonna have to try much better than that, lady!" Oscar taunts as he hits the ball back at them.
"Pack it up, old man!" Ryu retorts as he returns the shot. "Stick to making your shitty snacks!"
"Better gear up, here comes the Proud Special!"
As the ball comes back to Oscar, he hits it in a way that puts the ball into a curving spin. The ball was coming towards Gwen, who was feeling a bit intimidated at the ball's trajectory. She looks over at Ryu, who confidently nods at her, and flashes a peace sign as the signal.
"You think she can handle that?" Luz asked.
Gwen focuses on the ball, and hits hit high into the air once it gets close.
"Really?!" Oscar said in disbelief. "That's your best shot against my power move?! Victory is as good as ours!"
Getting a close up of Ryu's face, the guy simply smirks, and readies his muscles.
"I'm gonna be putting my whole back into this one…"
Ryu leaps up high into the air, meeting the ball at the same level. He puts his all into it as he rears his upper body back, and hits the ball with all of his might. The ball comes down like a mini meteorite, even going so fast it bursts into flames from the intense friction. Oscar and Zeke could only watch in absolute horror as the ball was coming at them so dangerously.
"Aw crud…" Zeke muttered.
BOOOOOOOOM!
The ball hits their side of the court, erupting in a huge mushroom cloud of sand. Once the smoke clears, Oscar is seen with his head stuck in the sand like an ostrich. Meanwhile, all of Zeke's body sans his head was buried in the sand. The ball falls down again, and bonks on Zeke's head before finally touching the ground.
"Holy…." Gwen muttered.
Ryu falls back to the ground on his back.
"Oof, that fall really knocked the breath out of me." He groans as he gets back up. He sees the state his opponents are in, and decides to make one last triumphant jab at Oscar. "Well, would you look at that. Looks like your head is stuck in something that isn't your ass for once."
"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" The DJ announced. "IN AN EPIC DISPLAY OF SKILL, RYU HAS CLINCHED THE WIN FOR HIS TEAM!"
The crowd applauds as Ryu and Gwen high-five at their victory.
"Huh….not a bad shot." Gwen teases.
"Yeah, but….I think I'm gonna be feeling that one tomorrow." Ryu says. "I think I put a little too much 'oomph' into that shot. But I'll deal with that later. For now, let's go claim our prize and go chow down. I'm pretty sure Kronk's already got dinner ready."
Everybody begins packing up their belongings, and proceed to leave. Most of the contestants has already left, with Pandoria seen pulling Zeke out of the sand.
"Sorry I let you down, Pandy…" Zeke said somberly. "You must probably be disappointed in me."
"I could never be disappointed in you, my prince." Pandoria says sweetly. The blade gives a glare at Oscar, who's head was still stuck. "You only lost because he decided to provoke them."
"C'mon, Pandy, lay off the man. He is my friend after all. We gave it our all, but I'll still settle for second let's get going. I'm absolutely starving."
The two leave, and it's seemingly just Oscar left, still stuck in the sand. That is, until a black, monstrous looking arm stretched out to pull him out of it.
"Whew….I thought I was never getting out of there. Who…huh?"
He looks behind, and sees that it was none other than Cinder.
"Seems like nobody else was willing to offer you a hand." Cinder said bluntly.
"Thanks for that." Oscar says as he picks himself up. "Man, we were so close to winning."
"It truly is a shame. Honestly, it feels like I was one of the only people cheering you on."
"You must be absolutely crazy, lady." Oscar responds. "Besides that punk Kaiba, I know the rest of my team was cheering Zeke and I on."
"No need to be so defensive." Cinder calmly tells him. "Just pointing out what I observe. You clearly deserve more respect than you get."
"Ain't that the truth…" he mumbles under his breath. "But I don't have time to think that over. Time to go get my grub on.
"Well then, we'd better get going. But just know….. I'm always here if you need someone to talk to…."
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"CHEERS!"
The cast all celebrate the big game with a huge, outdoor banquet. There was more than enough food for everyone, there was karaoke and video games set up, and there was still plenty of beach to enjoy just to themselves.
"You know what? I kinda gotta thank Deadpool for this." Mae said as she began sinking her teeth into some pizza. "If not for him, we wouldn't have gotten a nice little vacation like this. But only kinda."
"Whoa, slow down you two." Ruby says jokingly at Katakuri and Chie. Both teacher and student were wolfing down every morsel of food in front of them that they can get their hands on. "If you're not careful, you'll choke."
"Save some for the rest of us, will ya?" Lobo complained.
"Don't worry, there's a lot more where that came from." Kronk assures as he brings more food to the table. "I'd take it as an insult if you didn't eat to your heart's content."
"You're the absolute best!" Chie said blissfully, happy tears streaming down her face. "I'm so gonna put that to the test!"
"It's nice to be a winner." Ryu sighed with content. The shaman admires the huge trophy he won. "You really sure I can keep the trophy, Gwen? I couldn't have won without your help."
"Trust me, it's fine." Gwen assures him. "I'm just fine with keeping my share of the prize money. Easiest thousand bucks I ever made."
"Commendable work, the both of you." Percy tells them. "While I'm not one who watches or participates in sporting events, I will admit you put on quite the spectacle for that finale, Ryunosuke."
"Does she carry a thesaurus around with her all the time?" Gwen whispers to Ryu. "I can't tell if she's congratulating us or not."
"Trust me, she is." Ryu assures. "Regardless of the scenario, Perce keeps it formal."
"I think this deserves another toast!" Geralt said, raising his drink. "To Gwen and Ryu, for winning it all!"
"And to no Chris." Mae says.
"Hear, hear!"
"Speaking of, where is Chris anyway?" Kronk asked.
Edgeworth gestures to a large, and I mean large, building in the distance. Bright, colorful, bustling with a large neon sign above it reading "Chris-World" in bold colors.
"You see that place up ahead? Apparently our host and his guys have been partying it up at that casino. He even said those of us who are old enough are welcome to try it out."
Percy's blood runs cold as she hears that word. "That's a….c-casino?"
"Casino?!" Kaiba scoffed. "It's so big it's also functioning as a theme park." This is exemplified by the sound of people screaming on a rollercoaster in the distance. "Of course, it's nowhere near as big or grand as my theme park.
Oscar rolls his eyes at Kaiba's bragging "When's it gonna be my win?" he groans to himself.
"Cheer up, man. We played a good game." Zeke tells him. "You can only go up from here. It can't get any worse."
"HEY, PROUD!" Ryu says dramatically. "Still think my devotion makes me less of a man?! Well guess what?! It was my motivator, and look who's a big winner, now! C'mere with your fine self, baby!" He pulls Bernadetta close to him, and proceeds to passionately make out in front of Oscar, flipping the bumbling dad off in the process as he rubbed it in.
"I stand corrected…" Zeke muttered.
The two had gotten so into it that Ryu trips back, and they both drop to the ground.
"Alright, you two. Let's keep it PG please." Charlie says half jokingly.
As everyone was laughing and having a good time at their party, we see the POV of a pair of binoculars, spying on the cast. Then it focuses on the kissing couple on the ground.
"Grrr…..I just want to strangle that punk's neck so badly." A familiar voice muttered.
"Oh, get over it." A familiar woman's voice retorts. "How about focusing on the bigger picture rather than the prettiest grudge."
We see that the two people spying on them in the distance were none other than Yzma and Grègoire.
"Aren't you still pissed at that servant of yours who ruined your plan?" Grégoire responds.
Yzma looks through her binoculars, and sees Kronk just laughing and having a good time with his friends.
"Oh trust me, I haven't forgotten." Yzma said coldly. "But my revenge is with Total Drama itself. Him being dragged down along with it is killing two birds with one stone. Must be harder for you, seeing how much fun your daughter is having."
"They will all pay…" Grégoire growled. "It's not just enough to get her back. They must be made examples of for sullying my image. In a perfect world their heads would be on pikes in front of Varley manor. Especially that Umemiya….."
"Easy there, Greggy boy." The suave voice of King Dice responded from his earpiece. "Can't let tunnel vision cloud your judgement too much.~"
"I never agreed to being called Greggy!" Grégoire snapped.
"Regardless, I need you to meet back up with me at the office. We need to discuss what our next plan for you is. Revenge will come soon enough. And as for you, Yzma…"
"Yes?" Yzma asks.
"You're doing a presentation for our new product, remember? Best to not be late for that. Tata, you two. I have a magazine shoot to attend to."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The cast continued to enjoy their party, we see a small group of people approaching the party goers. Meanwhile…
"C'mon, ya lightweights!" Yastor laughed, slamming his mug down as Zeke passes out. "None of you can drink me under the table?!"
Max nudges Mae. "Wanna give it a try?"
"I'd rather not." Mae admits. "Alcohol and me mix like oil and water."
It was then that Aqua stepped up to the plate.
"I'll take you on." The goddess says confidently.
"Feeling froggy, lady?!" Yastor jovially warns. "Better leap before you croak!" Before he could continue, he's interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. "Huh? Who's…"
He turned around, and everyone was surprised to see it was Edward, Tari, Rick, and Akechi.
"Ed?! Tari?!" Charlie gasped. "Whst are you guys doing here?!" The demon runs up to give the two a big hug.
"Uh, I'm here too, you know!" Rick snapped.
"Not mentioning you was definitely intentional." Tatsumaki snarked.
"Big talk from the little brat that nobody likes." Rick retorts.
Tatsumaki responds by using her powers to slam Rick into a wall.
"NOT TRUE AT ALL! CALL ME A BRAT AGAIN AND I'LL CRUSH YOU INTO PASTE!"
"Okay, Tornado….calm down." Charlie says nervously.
"NO! THIS OLD FART NEEDS TO LEARN HIS PLACE AROUND ME!"
"I'm quite glad these guys aren't as familiar with me and all the stuff I've done…" Akechi says with a sigh of relief.
"Wish we could stay and have some fun…" Tari laments.
"But we're here on official Foundation business." Edward adds. "We need to have a little word with him." He points over at Yastor.
Yastor was a bit taken aback. "Me?"
Akechi nods. "Yes. Particularly…away from the cameras."
"Don't worry, guys." Yastor tells the cast. "I'll have a chat with these fine folks, then we can get back to partying."
The quartet lead Yastor a more secluded and isolated spot on the beach, far from any eavesdroppers or cameras.
"Alright, what business do you all have with me?"
"First off, allow us to introduce ourselves." Akechi says. "We are part of the SCP Foundation. I'm Goro Akechi, that is Rick Sanchez, that's Tari, and…"
"Edward Elric." Ed says proudly. "Fullmetal Alchemist, and the second Hero of Happiness."
Yastor perks up at the mention of his old title. "Excuse me, did you just say Hero of Happiness? Been far too long since people started calling me that. What do you mean the second, though?"
"Well, someone has been dying to see you again after seeing your return on TV…" Tari says cryptically. She reaches into a backpack and pulls out the familiar, gooey slime creature known as SCP 999.
"SLIMEY! YOU'RE ACTUALLY STILL AROUND!"
Yastor snatches the creature, spinning around as he hugged him tightly. "IT HASN'T BEEN THAT LONG, BUT IT'S BEEN AGES!"
999 responds with happy and elated gurgles
"Told you he'd be so happy to see him again." Tari said to Edward.
Yastor stopped celebrating, remembering something Ed said. "Wait….you said the second Hero of Happiness. What happened with you and Slimey while I was frozen.
"Well, we call him Tickles now." Edward says awkwardly. "It's kind of a long story how I got involved."
Ed goes on to explain everything that had happened last season. From finding the Foundation notebook, to encountering Gjira, meeting 999, meeting Torrica, and ultimately toppling Gjira's empire.
"I see…" Yastor said. "Man, you even met Torrica as well. Sounds like you two went through some crazy shit."
"You don't know half of it." Edward muttered.
"So….what does this SCP Foundation want with me?" Yastor asked.
"Relax, we're not going to contain you." Rick drones. "They say it'd be more impossible to contain you than even the Scarlet King."
"Tickles has grown quite attached to me and Ed." Tari admits. "But we know he originally was with you for so long, even before the Foundation found him."
"That's why the Foundation has granted us the right to relinquish custody of him back to you." Edward says hesitantly. "It'd be sad to see him go, but….he belongs with you."
Yastor looks down at his gooey friend. Despite how long it'd been since they last saw each other, the creature still looked as happy as ever. In the time they spent apart, he's found new friends, and new people to call family…
"Actually, you guys should keep him."
"What?!" Edward gasped. "Aren't you going to take him back?! He's yours! He's the source of your power!"
"I'd rather not say I own him. He's a living breathing soul like you and me. He has no owner. And it seems like he's grown quite fond of you guys. I'd feel kinda selfish if I took all of that away from him. Doesn't mean I won't drop in to see him. Besides, I don't need him by my side to use his power."
"What do you mean?" Akechi asked skeptically.
"You said you two fuse to use your powers together." Yastor tells Ed. "But I don't need that. The stuff he's made of….runs through my veins."
This reveal shocked them. They had merely assumed he used him the say way Ed did.
"And it's much more powerful than combining." Yastor continues. "Like, ungodly powerful. So powerful that I wear these."
He holds up his arm, showing three orange bracelets on his forearm.
"What are those?" Ed asked.
"They're like….limiters. My power is very definition of absolute. But I got to control it so I don't do something stupid again and accidentally sneeze and destroy over one googol infinite universes."
Ed's jaw dropped to the ground.
"Is that a lot?" Tari nervously asked.
"That's a hundred zeros." Rick explained.
You'd be surprised how many tough opponents I beat on my adventures without taking off a single bracelet. Popeye, Galactus, Darkseid, Unicron, the Doom Slayer, Sun Wukong…even that Kratos guy, but he was more disappointing than them. What's even stupider is a bunch of idiots hyping him up to be way stronger than what he actually is. If that guy's multiversal, then I ain't the Hero of Happiness."
"Just how strong is this guy?!" Akechi wonders.
"Man, if only my friends could see how…..oh…."
"Is something wrong?" Ed asks.
"I just remembered my old friends." Yastor said somberly. "The Star OPs. My old friends….the closest thing I had left to a family. Slimey and I got separated from them the day we met. I've been frozen for thousands of years, so they're more than likely long gone by now…"
"That's so awful…" Tari said. "You haven't seen them in so long…"
"I owe a lot to those guys…" Yastor said, trying his best not to cry. "They were my friends and my family. They were all I had left. What good is being the Hero of Happiness if I don't have the one thing that made me the most happy? They're all as good as dead now….never knowing if we survived that ing from a world outside this thing you guys call the Cluster."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that assumption."
The group feels the air turn colder as a new face joins them. Yastor grows concerned as soon as he realizes it's the Storm King.
"You again…"
"Uh….who is this guy?" Tari awkwardly asked.
"Just call me the Storm King." The Storm King calmly answers. "I couldn't help but overhear your little conversation. I firmly believe that your friends could still be alive."
"Get real." Rick spat. "Unless his pals got immortality, those fuckers were worm food a long time ago."
"Rick! Show some tact!" Edward snapped. "The guy clearly is missing his friends!"
"Oh yeah? What makes you so sure?" Yastor asked.
"I'm something of an….expert….on studying the Cluster." Storm King explained. "Chubzworth wished to breach outside of it. But I find it's a lot easier going in than it is going out. Plus my research has shown things such as time, space, and even physics can operate differently than it does inside the Cluster. Ten thousand years could have passed, or it could even be two years. It's all merely speculation at this point."
"You're not making a lot of sense, pal!" Yastor snapped. "Who really are you?! What do you want with me?! If this is you, Ford, it's not funny!"
Before the Storm King could answer, we hear something buzzing in his robes. The masked individual pulls out a small, disc shaped communicator. "Well then, looks like he's calling right on time. One second, allow me to put it on speaker."
He hits a button on it, and a slimy and sinister voice echoes out of it.
"Hello?! Hellooooooo?! Would the legendary hero known as Yastor be there?!"
"That'd be right." Yastor said sternly. "Who's this?"
The voice on the other end gives a hearty laugh. "Well now, you're just as bold as they say. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cecil D. Pugwash, Captain of the Aegis of Anarchy."
"Never heard of ya."
"Oh, but you will, Yastor Vahlboom." Cecil chuckles. "We're quite the infamous band of pirates. All who see our flag either run for their lives or perish. I've got big plans, Mr. Legendary Champion. And you now being back in the picture makes everything so much better!"
"Aegis of Anarchy? That's sounding vaguely familiar…" Rick said.
"Probably one of your many many enemies you've made over the years." Ed quips.
"Wait….. wasn't it that group of pirates that attacked Lake Teutates in Bon Voyage?" Tari questioned.
"The very same!" Cecil exclaimed. "My crew and I have been separated for quite some time now, getting stronger. But I'm rounding everyone up, making a few quick stops…..and then we're coming for it all. Including your head."
"What do you want?!" Yastor snapped. "What are you after?! If you think you're gonna get your way here, guess again, bub! Not while I'm still kicking!"
"I'd rather not spoil the surprise…" Cecil warns. "But I'll tell you this, Yastor. You have so much reason to fear me….MANTLE BLOOD FLOWS THROUGH THESE VEINS…."
Yastor's face goes pale, dropping the device on the ground. His heartbeat accelerated, his breaths grow shorter and quicker, and everyone could see the fear and pain on his face.
"Yastor?! Are you okay?!" Ed asked.
Yastor falls back onto the sand, failing to remain calm.
Cecil laughs at Yastor's panicked noises. "Glad that got your attention! We haven't forgotten what you did….and now I'll claim what's mine, and make you pay for your crimes. It's like killing two birds with one stone!"
"N-no…..Mantle…" Yastor whimpered. "Not again…"
Tari quickly rushes to Yastor's aid. "Just take deep breaths, sir. In and out, slowly…"
"Enjoy the peace and tranquility, you, you poor, tortured, soul." Cecil says ominously. "Because my era is next. The multiverse is ready for a treat the likes of which even Gjira and Chubzworth couldn't compare to. Have a nice day…and see you soon…"
On the other end, we see Cecil sitting in his office, hanging up the device. We get a text box beneath him.
Cecil D. Pugwash, Captain of the Aegis of Anarchy.
The only other man in the room was a tall and thin man wearing a black suit with white highlights, a rapier sheathed at his hip….and a huge magic 8-ball for a head.
Hachima Volkien, Vice Captain and First Commander of the Aegis of Anarchy
"Captain….the next move is your call." Hachima says.
"Hoist the sails, Hachima!" Cecil orders. "We're getting the crew back together immediately! Wonder what those sons of bitches have been up to!"
A mouth begins to open on Hachima's head, showing a wide and creepy, with a thick, long tongue now hanging out. "My blade aches to slaughter innocents, Captain…"
"The time is near." Cecil says confidently. "Now let's go scrounge up those scallywags!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Okay, just take it easy, big guy." Tari says as she tries helping Yastor up.
"Well, I must be taking my leave myself." The Storm King says. "Until we meet again. And we will meet again, that o assure you."
Before they could say anything, he disappeared as quickly as he had shown up.
"You okay?" Edward asked.
Tickles goes up to Yastor, trying his best to comfort him. Thankfully, the creature was pretty good at that.
"Sorry about that." Yastor said roughly. "It just….brought back some pretty horrible memories. Would you all please promise to keep everything that happened here between us?"
"I'm sorry, what?" Edward said.
"Just go back to your little foundation thingy, tell them I politely refused, and we leave it at that. No mention of the Storm King, or Aegis of Anarchy or whatever the hell they're called. Got that?"
Edward groans. "Fine. Your secret is safe with us. Right, guys?"
"My lips are sealed." Tari says.
"I don't even care." Rick says.
"Well then, now that we've done what we've come here to do, I think it's time for us to make ourselves scarce." Akechi points out.
"That's probably for the best." Yastor tells them. "After all that….I think I'm calling it a night.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Yastor returns to everyone partying…but quickly walks right past them.
"Heyyyyyy, where ya *hic* going?!" Aqua slurred. "We haven't begun our game yet!"
"You're already playing it, and you're still losing it." Mae jokes.
"I'm going to bed." Yastor said bluntly. "G'night."
"Well, uh…that was weird…" Luz said.
"What did Ed and them talk to him about?" Katakuri wonders. "The look on his face was enough to tell me something was troubling him."
"You know, as strong as they hype this guy up to be, I'm kinda not entirely buying this whole "Legendary Hero" thing." Ryu says.
"I think that means it's cue for us to call it a night." Geralt said.
"Aw, what?!" Aqua drunkenly whined. "But the game isn't *hic* over yet…"
"Uh, okay, you won then." Gwen said.
Ha! I wiiiiiin…..suck on that, Miu!"
"Yeah, I agree it's probably a good call to end it here." Zeke admits.
"Ooh, can we go see the theme park together?!" Pandoria asked Zeke.
Charlie claps her hands together. "That's a great idea! Let Katakuri and I go with you guys! It'll be like a double date!"
"W-what?!" Pandoria stammered.
"I'm totally down for that, you two." Zeke says. "I'll entertain that plan.
"I don't know about the rest of ya, but I'm hitting up the casino." Lobo said proudly. "If I end up losing again, better have a backup plan and all that."
"Huh, wouldn't expect an idea like that from a reckless lummox like you." Tatsumaki said.
"That Rick guy might be onto something about ya." Lobo spat as he walked away. "Wouldn't hurt to lighten up a bit. Have some fun every once in a while. Now, if you'll excuse me, the slots are calling."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
With that, most of them returned to their hotel room to turn in for the night, some went to the theme park, but few decided to test their luck in the casino. Standing outside the entrance was none other than Tatsumaki. (So in her case, she'd be floating).
"Am I really going to do this?" She sighed. "You know what, screw it! I can have fun! I'm fun and likable, just watch me!"
The esper enters the casino, seeing plenty of people either drinking at the bar, or playing one of the many games.
"LEMON AGAIN! SON OF A BASTICH!" The voice of Lobo echoed from across the room.
"To the surprise of absolutely no one…"
Tatsumaki sits down at one of the slot machines. Just as she's about to play, she feels a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw it was just some random woman.
"Um, excuse me, but children aren't allowed in the casino." She slurred in an obnoxious valley girl accent. The "This place is only for adults."
"I am an adult, lady!" Tatsumaki snapped. "I'm just short for my age! Got a problem with that?!"
The drunken woman had already walked off, clearly distracted by something else in her stupid. Tatsumaki huffs and returns to the slot game.
"Freaking idiots in this place, the lot of them."
She puts in some money, and pulls the lever. It lands on two cherries and an orange, much to her annoyance.
"Son of a…"
Ae she gives it another try, she overhears some people talking about her.
"Isn't that that Tornado chick? The superhero that's on Total Drama?"
"Yeah, I think it is her."
"Isn't she such a spoiled little brat?"
Tatsumaki tries to ignore them, playing and constantly failing at the game while they kept on talking.
"She's never lasted long on this show, I hear. She's got quite the temper on her."
"I know. How has she not been voted off yet this time? I'm surprised her team isn't all gunning after that brat! I'd be surprised if any of them actually like her"
"Careful, she might hear you. Then you're not safe if she has one of her tantrums."
Her anger was building, both from the comments and the losing streak she was on. Just as she felt her rage was about to explode…all three slots landed on heads of Chris.
"What the…?"
She suddenly falls through a hole that opened up underneath her seat. She continues to fall further through the tube, landing in a pure white room. All that sat inside there was a flat screen TV on the wall, a reclining chair, a buffet of food and drink, and a bathroom.
"What the hell is this place?! I demand an answer right now!"
A PA system goes off, as Tatsumaki can hear the familiar laugh of Chris. "Looks like we found our lucky sucker! All in on Tatsumaki, am I right?!"
"Answers, McLean!" Tatsumaki growled. "Now!"
"Sheesh, can't even take a joke. Alright, well, to put it in simple terms, you've been selected as the key piece of your next challenge. Your team will be tasked with trying to rescue you while the other team tries to stop them."
"Well that's stupid. I could just use my powers to just myself out of here!"
"Ah ah ah, I wouldn't do that if I were you." Chris warns. "You use your powers to do that, you cost your team the entire challenge!"
"WHAT?!"
"Would kinda defeat the purpose of the challenge I have planned if you ended it that quickly. So while you're waiting, just kick back, grab a snack, something to drink, and just enjoy yourself while you wait for your team. McLean, out."
"Ugh, this is ridiculous!" Tatsumaki groaned. She decides to plop down in the chair and telekinetically grabs the remote. "My idea of having fun is killing monsters and supervillains. But if I have no choice…"
As she began flipping through channels, her mind began to wander a bit. In her mind, it hopefully shouldn't take her team too long to rescue her. They wouldn't just leave her in there, would they? They didn't really hate her that much to just leave her in there to rot, right?
…Right?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Rats! I missed it again!" Luz said bitterly.
The poor witch lamented as the dart she threw failed to hit the balloon at the carnival game.
"Oooh, tough break, kid." The sleazy looking guy running the game said. "Guess this game is just too much for ya!"
Wendy and Ruby put a comforting arm around their friend.
"Come on, just give it one more try." Wendy says.
"I'm telling you, this guy's cheating." Luz said.
"Where's your proof, kid?" The guy spat. "Maybe it's just that you're not good enough."
Luz reaches into her pocket and pulls out her last dollar. "Guess this is my last chance."
Just as she's about to put her money down, she feels a tap on her shoulder. She turns around, seeing it was the Nomad. All the guy was doing was giving her a thumbs up.
"Uh…..thanks for the support, I guess."
Luz takes a deep breath, readying her shot. The Nomad nods assuredly, only to clap his hands together. Luz aims at the balloon, and finally takes her shot. Unbeknownst to her, the dart had come to life, seemingly defying physics to fly and hit the balloon, despite some unknown force pulling it towards the guy. Luckily, it hit the balloon, shocking everyone.
"Wait….I did it?!"
"She did it?!" The guy running the game equally exclaimed. "No way, you cheated, brat! It probably had something to do with that guy with the scarf who just showed up! You pals with him or something?!"
The man's shirt begins to vibrate, then a magnet flies out from under it and latching onto the dart.
"A magnet?!" Carla gasped. "Have you no shame?!"
"U-u-u-uh-uh…"
"You were throwing out quite the accusations of us cheating…" Ruby said slyly. "It'd be a shame if the authorities were to hear you were doing the same thing…"
The man begins panicking, and hands Luz one of the prizes, a big stuffed cat. "Look, I don't want any trouble, kids! You won, just take your pride and go!"
As the group leaves the booth, they couldn't believe what just happened.
"The look on that guy's face was priceless!" Luz said. "This is gonna make a great gift for Amity when I get home!"
"Thanks for the save, Mr. Nomad." Wendy said. "I forgot how handy your magic is."
The Nomad simply responds by tipping his at her
Carla chuckles. "It's funny when you think about it. The four of you have a connection to magic."
"Huh….you actually make a good point." Luz points out. "If we properly teamed up together, we'd probably be unbeatable."
It was then that Wendy had suddenly remembered what she said to Carla. Back when she had that fever a couple challenges ago.
"You guys! I just remembered something!" Wendy exclaimed.
"What is it?" Ruby asked.
"I'd meant to ask to ask this the other day, but, y'know….all that stuff with Wade happened. I think we should form our own alliance."
"Seriously?!" Luz said. "I mean, I'm not objecting to the idea, but….what about Katakuri?!"
"He knows I can more or less handle myself, even if we're training together again just like old times. He'd probably be proud of me for coming up with this idea, since he's real big about playing fair and honorably. He'd welcome the challenge if it came down to us against him."
"Well, when you put it that way….count me in."
"What about you, Ruby?" Wendy asked. "You're our friend too, so the invitation is wide open."
Ruby nods. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. I may not be nowhere near as powerful as you two, but I'll make sure to do my best."
Carla gestures to the Nomad. "Then what about him? You do realize he just heard everything you said? And that he's on the other team?"
Wendy turns back to the Nomad, who kindly waved at her.
"Then he can join too if he wants." Wendy said. "You're not in any alliance already, are you?
"Wendy, if he was, he wouldn't -"
The Nomad nods furiously, gesturing that he was telling the truth.
"He'd have no reason to lie to us." Wendy assures. "Welcome aboard."
The two shake on it, while Carla shakes her head and sighs.
"Oh, child….I hope this whole plan of yours doesn't blow up in our faces…"
It was then that Katakuri, Charlie, Zeke, and Pandoria approach the group.
"Aww, look at how good of friends they've become." Charlie gushes.
"Nothing more powerful than comraderie." Zeke adds
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
We now move inside Percy's hotel room. The cop was asleep, tossing and turning as her mind was afflicted with quite the dream…
Percy was patrolling the streets at night, visible under the street lights as she jotted something down.
"Another day under my belt." She says proudly. "Time to get home, clean up, and get ready to do it again tomorrow."
"HELP!" A man's voice cried out. "PLEASE, HELP ME! HE'S ROBBING ME!"
Percy heard the call for help, and springs into action. She draws her sword, and runs into an alleyway.
"Sweet Jazz Police! Halt, ne'er-do-well….huh?!"
The mugger was on the ground, convulsing as if he was having a heart attack. He convulsed and flailed until his body went limp and lifeless.
"What…..has happened…?" Percy sorrowfully asks.
"Ha ha ha…."
The one who was getting mugged reveals his face, revealing it to be Light Yagami, much to the cop's horror.
"You again!"
"Look at that, officer." Light taunts. "I did what you couldn't do! I made sure this thing would never commit a crime again. Had you arrested him, he'd have probably gotten some plea deal, and would be out on probation."
"Stay away from me, you!" Percy snapped, pointing her sword at him. "You are dead, and you should stay as such!"
Light blankly stares at her for a moment, then grins. "You know, for someone with the last name of King, you sure were one hell of a pawn. All you cops are tools of the rich. You protect the 1%, while the real scum of society are given slaps on the wrist."
Something about his tone had changed. Percy could feel the danger emanating off him, and slowly backed away. Light keeps speaking, however.
"You have no right to protect in the name of justice! I ELIMINATED THE PROBLEM! ALL YOU DO IS MERELY PROLONG THE PROBLEM! JUST GIVE UP!"
"No…" Percy whimpered.
"TURN IN YOUR BADGE! CALL IT QUITS! YOU'LL BE A LOT MORE USEFUL TO SOCIETY THAT WAY!"
"Leave me alone…"
"I CHANGED THE WORLD! ALL THIS SUFFERING YOURE FACING IS YOUR FAULT AND YOURS ALONE! A GOD MAKES NO MISTAKES….."
"Stop…"
"No matter how righteous you think you are…" Light says calmly. "It's all in vain. With or without me, all you ever were was a tool…."
Percy bolts up in a cold sweat. Panting heavily, she looks around the room, and realizes it was just a nightmare.
"Third time this week…" She groaned, falling back on her bed. "When will this end?"
Percy gets dressed, and heads outside to get some fresh air. We see her walking on the beach, until a voice calls out to her.
"Hey, Perce?! You doing alright?!"
Percy looks up, seeing both Kronk and Edgeworth sitting together, enjoying some tea.
"Ah, Miles, Kronker…. it's you guys." Percy sighed. "Couldn't sleep either, I take it?"
"Not necessarily." Edgeworth answered. "After all the hard work Kronk put into making food for the party, I thought I'd treat him to some tea to relax."
"I made scones too." Kronk adds. "You can join us if you want."
"You know…. I'd actually enjoy that." Percy admits.
She sits down with them, and partakes of the treats laid out for them. Just as she's enjoying her tea, Edgeworth breaks the silence.
"Why did you have trouble sleeping, if I may ask?"
Percy immediately froze up, remembering the reason she came out here in the first place.
"It's…. it's him again. Even in my dreams…"
Edgeworth sighs sympathetically. "No need to elaborate. I know it's Light again. Talking about the casino earlier probably didn't help at all, seeing as what happened the last time you were in one."
"I feel as though it's getting worse." Percy admits. "Its conflicting when I saw what Light did…and what Giovanni had done sacrificing himself. And what's worse, I'm….even having doubts about my profession. And it's a painful thought to consider…"
"I know your job as a cop means a lot to you." Kronk says. "And I know…what it's like to be used and tricked by someone. Remember Yzma?"
"How could I forget someone with a face that's scary beyond all reason? And I understand you're still grappling with that."
"I know you guys have forgiven me, but I've still got a ways to go if I'm gonna truly forgive myself for lying to you guys about it." Kronk continues. "But it hasn't stopped me from enjoying the things I love."
"You may find it hard to believe, but I had someone that was to me what Yzma and alight were to you." Edgeworth says.
"What do you mean?" Percy asked.
Edgeworth stands up, looking up at the moon. "His name was Manfred von Karma. When I was young…." Edgeworth begins hesitating, but continues. "my father died…and he took me in. He raised me like I was his own son, and taught me everything I needed to become a prosecutor."
"Where is this going?"
Edgeworth looked back at the cop. "Remember some time ago when I told you that I pulled shady and dirty tricks to get a guilty verdict? It all comes back to him. He taught me all of it, he groomed me to be his successor….only to try and orchestrate my downfall."
"So then what happened?" Kronk asked.
"Years later, I learned a terrible truth..." Edgeworth continues. "von Karma had murdered my father in cold blood, over an infraction on his record as a prosecutor. And I was led to believe that I was responsible for my father's death for so long. His endgame was to get me arrested for murder….the final plan in his quest for revenge. Thankfully, we figured out the truth….and von Karma was sentenced to death. Even after the truth came out, I too had doubt in my career, after everything I'd learned and experienced."
"So then….what did you do?" Percy asked.
"I went on my own journey of self discovery….so I could figure myself out…and figure out what it truly meant to be a prosecutor."
Kronk was already weeping at Edgeworth's story, wiping his tears away. "I didn't know all of that happened to you!"
"That's honestly a touching story." Percy admits. "Are you saying I should do the same?"
"No." Edgeworth answered.
"No?!"
"What I'm saying is, that's what worked for me. I can't just tell you what you have to do. You have to be the one to figure that out. The ball's in your court….it all falls to you now."
"I think you for sharing this information, Miles. But…why does that feel easier said than done?" Percy bitterly wonders.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The next day, Chris had all the contestants gathered together outside the casino's entrance.
"Challenge time, campers!" Chris said. "You all have had your fun the past couple of days, but now it's back to business."
"Um, Chris? I think we're actually missing a teammate." Charlie points out.
"Now that you mention it, the small, angry, green one isn't here." Kaiba adds. "Frankly, I'm not bothered if she's not here."
"Well you better be, Kaiba." Chris said. "Your challenge involves getting her back."
"Getting her back?" Katakuri wondered. "What did you do?"
Chris raises his hands in defense. "Hey, she was the one who came to the casino last night. Tatsumaki pressed her luck here, and got selected to become….a VIP member….heh heh…"
"What did you do to her?!" Zeke asked.
"She's safe in a vault deep within the casino." Chris explains. "She's already been briefed on the challenge. The Weirdos are to pull off a heist to take her back….TONIGHT!"
"Holy frag did I dodge a bullet." Lobo said with relief.
"Wait….did you just say we're pulling off a heist?!" Chie exclaimed.
"Tonight!" Chris reiterated. "You Weirdos have the rest of the day to plan out your infiltration….for your challenge begins at midnight."
Geralt gestures to his team. "So then what exactly are we gonna do in this challenge?"
"I'm glad you asked, Geralt. Since the Weirdos are pulling off the heist, you Maniacs will be casino security, making sure the Weirdos don't succeed. If the Weirdos can make it out of the casino with Tatsumaki by 6 AM, they win immunity."
"So all we gotta do is stall them out until then, and we win." Ryu affirms. "Piece of cake."
"I've taken the literally of giving all the security personnel here the night off, so it falls on the Maniacs tonight." Chris explains. "You guys should go ahead and plan out your defense. Weirdos, if you'll go find Ford, he'll hook you up with some tech for tonight."
"Hold on, they're getting stuff to help them?!" Cinder said angrily. "How is that fair?!"
"Who said it was?" Chris said snidely. "Besides, every heist movie shows the team initiating the heist have some gadgets and gear to aid them on their job. You guys will just have to get creative. See you tonight~!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Meanwhile in the vault, Tatsumaki is still seen watching TV, and growing more impatient.
"Geez…. I can't even keep track of time in this godforsaken place!" She groans. "Where are those numbskulls?! They should have been here already!"
She looks around the room, getting a bit more nervous.
"C'mon, guys…..this isn't funny anymore…"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The Maniacs were gathered together out back behind the casino, going over their plan.
"So it's settled, then." Geralt affirms. "Let's go over our roles so everybody has it down." He looks over at Entrapta. "Entrapta, you'll be our eye in the sky. You'll be in the security office, keeping an eye on all cameras tonight."
Entrapta salutes him. "Roger dodger. I'll be the all seeing eye. Which reminds me, we need a way for everyone to communicate with each other. I'll have something ready by tonight."
Geralt nods, and continues briefing. "Wendy, Bernadetta, you two will be stationed at the entrance."
"At the entrance?!" Bernadetta moans. "Where everyone comes in and out?! Why me?!"
"Don't be a baby, lady!" Mao snaps. "Actually, continue to do so. It amuses me."
"Don't worry, we'll be fine, Bern." Wendy assures. "I've got the Color of Observation on my side. They're gonna have to be really good to get past us."
"Kronk, Gwen, Luz, you three will patrol the theme park." Geralt continues. "And please don't waste your time with all the attractions."
Kronk looked a bit sad at the news. "Is there at least time for funnel cake?"
Geralt sighs. "As long as you remain focused on the task at hand, I don't give a damn what you guys eat. Edgeworth, Cinder, Ruby, and I will be keeping an eye inside the casino itself. That leaves Mao, Percy, and Ryu to guard the room to the vault."
"Leave it to us, Chief." Ryu assures. "If all else fails, we're the last line of defense. Right, Percy?!"
The cop doesn't respond, her expression looking pained.
"Uh…helooooo? You good, Percy?"
"Go a bit easy on her, Ryu." Edgeworth said. "You should know better than me how hard it is for her, being in a location like this."
Ryu stares at him blankly for a couple seconds, until it finally dawns on him. "Ah, I got it. Don't worry, then. If it becomes too much for you to handle, then let me and Mao handle things."
"Which reminds me…." Mao begins. He walks off, returning with dozens of chickens in several cages. "I got bored earlier and stole these bad boys from the hotel kitchen. They could be useful."
"Um, not be a skeptic, but what're chickens gonna do for us?" Gwen asks.
"MUHAHAHAHA! Silly woman, chickens are one of the meanest birds out there, only beaten by geese!"
"What about cassowaries?" Ruby asked.
"Who said anything about casseroles?! The point is that I've provided a boon to our defense."
"Ohhhh, I'm soooooo scared of chickens." Ryu said sarcastically. He laughs at his own joke, only to recoil in pain. "Agh! My back!"
What's wrong?" Cinder asked condescendingly. "Throw out your back fooling around with your girlfriend again last night?"
"No!" Ryu grabs his back, slightly wincing at the touch. "I think I might have done it when I served that killer spike on Oscar."
"Well, you did say you were gonna put your whole back into that shot." Gwen teases.
This at least helped the shaman smile a bit. "Oh ha ha."
"Regardless, everyone understands their assignment, correct?" Geralt asks, followed with resounding nods. "Then let's get everything ready, people. As soon as the clock strikes midnight, it's go time."
Ruby looks up at Ryu real innocently. "What did Cinder mean when she said fooling around?"
"Ask me again when you're older." Ryu said quickly. He then looks towards Percy. "You gonna be alright tonight? If it's too much for you-"
"No, no, there's no need…." Percy assures shakily. "I'm gonna have to be alright for this…
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
We now move to a fairly sizable tool shed out on an isolated part of the beach.
Gentlemen, ladies, it has come to my attention that Chris has asked me to provide aid for you for this challenge." Ford says dramatically.
"Hmph…" Kaiba huffed. "You think you're capable of helping us, geezer?"
"Show some respect to this man, Kaiba." Katakuri said sternly. "His knowledge of the multiverse is unprecedented."
"And how is that of any help to use?!"
"You know, in all my travels, I had to get crafty to survive." Ford says ominously. "Creating tools and weapons that would ensure my survival. But since we're talking about pulling off a heist, I may have some difficulty finding less lethal tech. My brother is more well versed in pulling off stunts like this….if he was here, he would surely be of use to you."
"Wait, I just realized something." Oscar interrupts. "Don't people usually have schematics of the building in those kinds of films? How are we gonna know where to go or where the safe is?"
Kaiba chuckles. "Huh, looks like Proud is actually on to something….for once."
"For once?!" Oscar cried. "Why I oughta-"
"The point is, we have no frame of reference to the layout of this place." Katakuri said. "That'll make infiltration far more difficult."
Max scoffs, and slams something down on the table. "My time to shine. Got you guys covered."
Chie picks up the paper and inspects it.
"No way….these are the blueprints to the entire building! How'd you get this?!"
"Swiped them from a security guard when Chris was discussing the challenge." Max explained. "That was surprisingly easier to steal than David's Social Security number."
Charlie takes the blueprints and looks over them.
"Okay, according to this, the vault room is underground."
"Great, so we can just barrel our way there." Lobo declares.
Charlie shakes her head. "I'm afraid it's gonna be a little tricky here. It's not as easy as just breaking into the room. The vault Tatsumaki is in requires three keys to open. It says each key is in the possession of one of the security guards at all times."
"That means it's gonna be more than just infiltration." Zeke points out. "If we're gonna rescue the lass, we're gonna have to swipe the keys from the other team.
Lobo gleefully cracks his knuckles. "Again, we could just barrel through all of those scrubs."
"As much as I'd love to kick some ass, we're definitely not winning if we go with your tactic, big guy." Mae said.
"So then….. who's gonna take charge?" Pandoria asks. "We need some kind of game plan."
Charlie raises her hand excitedly. "Ooh, ooh, let me take the helm for this one! I've just thought of a great plan."
"You sure you can actually pull that off, princess?" Kaiba said skeptically.
"Of course she is!" Oscar says, coming to her aid. "She'd be a lot better at leading this challenge than you."
"And everyone would be better suited to it than you, Proud." Kaiba smugly responds.
"Say that to my face again, tough guy!"
"Why waste energy repeating the truth?"
*BONK!* *BONK!*
Chie had punched both of them in the back of the head, knocking them out as they face plant to the floor.
"I thought they'd never shut up…"
"It seems there's hardly any objections, Charlie." Katakuri said. "We're at your beck and call."
Mae snorts. "Does this mean we're Charlie's Angels or something?"
"I like the sound of that, ironic title aside." Charlie responds. "Ford, go ahead and hook up us up with anything you have that'll help us, but is not lethal."
"Read you loud and clear." Ford answers.
"Um….are they gonna be okay?" Rodney asks, pointing at the still unconscious Oscar and Kaiba.
"Oh, they'll be fine." Chie assures him. "I didn't hit them that hard. Not my fault if they're a couple of babies who can't take a hit."
"Looks like there's no objections." Katakuri tells Charlie. "You're the brains of this operation. Think you're ready for it?"
Charlie nods. "Definitely. Alright, guys, here's the plan…"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Time: 11:59 PM
Out on the street, a block away from the casino, we see a somewhat inconspicuous plumbing truck. Inside, Charlie is seen sitting in front of multiple monitors, wearing a headset with a microphone. She looks at several dots blinking on different monitors, representing her teammates.
Charlie turns on her mic just as the clock strikes midnight. "It's go time, guys. Everybody ready?
We get a split screen of everyone, affirming her question. They each had small communicators on their ears that resembled hearing aids.
"We read you loud and clear, Char." Mae responds. "Let's get this shit over with.
"Awesome. It's time for phase one. Zeke, Pandoria, you're up."
The Drive and Blade were across the street from the casino. They were both incognito, disguised with new outfits and wigs.
"Looks like it's our time to shine, Pandy." Zeke says confidently. He adjusts his wig of long blonde hair, and briefly removes his eye patch. "Gotta admit, don't I look fly or what?"
Pandoria nods, admiring the slick white tuxedo he wore. "Absolutely stunning, my prince. How about me?" She tries to strike a pose for him. Zeke looks at her disguise, a long red dress and wig of curly brown hair.
Zeke couldn't help but give a low whistle. "Breathtaking….though you look so much better with what you usually wear."
Pandoria couldn't help but blush furiously at his compliment. "My prince….when did you start flattering me so much?"
Before he could say anything, Zeke and Pandoria are interrupted by Katakuri trying to communicate with them.
"I'm taking a look at the entrance, you two." He warns. "Wendy and Bernadetta are out at the entrance."
Zeke slowly peaks across the street. Sure enough, he could see the two of them and Carla standing outside the front door, keeping a close eye on everyone coming in and out.
"How much of a problem are they gonna be, mate?" Zeke asks.
"Wendy's got pretty strong senses as a Dragon Slayer." Katakuri explains. "Not to mention she's got Haki like me. As for Bernadetta, I'm well aware she's quite the accurate sharpshooter."
"Which means that you two will have to get inside without them figuring out it's you, first and foremost." Charlie adds. "Before we deal with them, you gotta get to the security room. Still got the flash drive?"
Zeke pats a pocket on his suit. "Got it right here."
Pandoria pulls out a can of body spray, showering the both of them in the spray.
"There we go….now Wendy won't be able to sniff us out. Let's go, my prince."
"Good luck, you two." Charlie says. "Everyone else, remain on standby until I give the signal."
As the two are making their way to the casino, we now move to the two contestants standing guard outside the entrance.
"It's now midnight." Wendy points out. "The other team should be starting their heist right about now."
"Remain alert, child." Carla warns. "There's no telling where they could be coming from."
"They're gonna have a lot of trouble getting past me if I can sense them out."
"Are we even sure that we're gonna stop them here?" Bernadetta cynically asks. "Wouldn't going through the front door be too obvious?"
"Again, they'd have to get past me." Wendy says. "I can sense the presence of others. Plus, I can at least somewhat see briefly into the future. They'd have to be pretty crafty to find a way past me."
Unfortunately for her, Zeke and Pandoria were able to successfully walk right past as she was talking, drawing no suspicion to themselves.
"Okay, we're in." Zeke quietly affirms.
"Great job, you guys." Charlie says proudly. "Now, for phase two. Get to the security room and put the flash drive in."
The two try to inconspicuously make their way to the security room, having remembered where it was on the schematics. As they maneuvered there way through the labyrinth of games and people, they could see that Geralt, Ruby, Edgeworth, and Cinder were periodically patrolling the room. Thankfully, they hadn't noticed them yet. The two quickly hide behind a slot machine, and quietly listen in on him.
"You guys are not seeing anything, are you?" Geralt asked, speaking into a watch on his wrist.
"Nope, nothing at all here." Ruby responds.
"Same goes for me." Edgeworth answered.
"I'd have said something if I saw them." Cinder adds.
"Good." Geralt tells them. "Thankfully, if they want to get to that safe, they'll have to get this key from me. Continue to keep a sharp eye out."
Zeke quietly speaks into his communicator. "Did you hear that, guys? That Geralt fellow has one of the keys we need. That's helpful to know."
"Remember your first task." Katakuri reminds him. "Get to the security room and put the flashdrive in before we start going after keys."
"We should be almost there…"
The duo swiftly make their way through an empty hallway. Luckily, they see a door that had "MONITORING ROOM" emblazoned on it. The door was slightly open, so Zeke slowly peeka in, seeing Entrapta watching intently across the monitors.
"Damn, how are we gonna get her out of there?" Zeke mutters.
"Leave that to me, my prince." Pandoria clears her throat, and speaks loud enough so that Entrapta could hear her. "OH WOW, THAT'S QUITE THE ROBOT YOU MADE, MISTER!"
Inside, Entrapta's ears perk up at overhearing Pandoria's lure. She looks at the door, but then back at the monitors hesitantly, heavily weighing her options.
"Okay, I'll only be gone for a minute. Just a minute. Nothing can go wrong in a minute."
She's seen quickly running out of the room, and the two fist bump at their plan working. The two go inside, and Zeke quickly pulls out the flashdrive.
"Great job, Pandy. Now we just need to pop this bad boy in here, and we hightail it out of here."
He takes the flashdrive, and sticks it in the computer. The monitors all begin to loop the same twenty seconds of what was already on the screens. They quickly head back into the hallway, and Zeke gets a hold of Charlie.
"The flashdrive is in, princess. Mission accomplished."
"Great job, you two." The demon congratulates. "Thst footage is only gonna loop for a few hours, so time is of the essence. Now, before everyone else gets the go ahead, I need you two to head back to the entrance and incapacitate Wendy and Ber-"
"HEY! WHO'S BACK THERE?!"
They both freeze in fear, having heard the familiar voice of Cinder. As the sound of her heels clinking against the floor gets closer, the two are internally freaking out.
"Crud, we're busted if she catches us!" Pandoria said. "She's coming the way we came in, we're trapped! What're we gonna do?!"
The footsteps were getting closer. Zeke was quickly racking his brain for an idea, until one finally hit him. It was risky for a multitude of reasons, but it was the only thing he had.
"I've….. I've got a plan."
"What are you-WHOA!"
Zeke pulls Pandoria in and proceeds to kiss her. Her eyes go as wide as dinner plates at what he was doing. So unexpected, so bold, and she couldn't help but just embrace it. Meanwhile, Zeke was thinking what the hell did he just do? Why was he continuing to do this? This was his Blade, his closest friend for years. Even with those thoughts, both couldn't help but enjoy this, with Zeke putting a bit more passion into it.
Cinder finally rounds the corner, dragging Entrapta by her pigtails.
"What part of stay in that room do you not understand?!"
"I'm sorry." Entrapta said sheepishly. "I'd heard of someone talking about a ro-"
"I don't want your excuses!" Cinder growled, practically shoving Entrapta back in the room. "Last thing we'd want is the other team sneaking in right under your eye!"
She slams the door, and looks at the kissing couple, still locking lips.
"And you two! Take that crap outside! No one is supposed to be back here!"
She shoves the two back onto the main floor, and storms off. Once they got their bearings, they both awkwardly looked at each other.
"So, um…." Zeke stammers. "I'm sorry about doing that to you-"
"N-no, it's fine." Pandoria anxiously assures, despite how much she wanted him to do that. "We were desperate for an escape, is all."
"Oooooh, that was quite the romantic stunt, you two~!" Charlie gushes through Zeke's communicator.
"Charlie?! Aw crud, I left it on!" Zeke inhales deeply. "How much did you hear?"
"Enough to know that you were using tongue. Regardless, congrats on getting the flashdrive
"We'll talk more about this later." Zeke promises Pandoria. "For now, incapacitate Wendy and Bernie. But for Katakuri's sake, remember not to be too rough with them."
Zeke nods, and looks over at Pandoria.
"Get the blow darts ready."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Back outside, Bernadetta and Wendy were still keeping an eye on things. That is, until Wendy's eyes briefly glow red. She'd seen something very bad.
"Carla, look out!"
"Huh?! What-"
Wendy pushes the Exceed out of the way, only to get a tranquilizing dart in her arm.
"What's happening?!" Bernadetta cried.
Wendy grows woozy and delirious dropping to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
"Wendy!" Carla gasped.
It was already too late. Before they could fully process what happened, both Carla and Bernadetta got hit with darts, promptly following Wendy on the ground.
"Smart move, aiming for the car first." Zeke praises as they finally reveal themselves. "First thing's first, let's see if they have a key."
Zeke and Pandoria quickly rummage through their pockets, only to unfortunately come up short.
"Rats, no key." Pandoria said.
They move all three of them to bushes nearby, making sure they're safe there rather than out in the open.
"They're dealt with, Charlie." Zeke reports. "The others can move in, now."
"Awesome job, you two." Charlie tells them. "Meet back with me, ASAP. Group 1, you're good to go."
Flying high above the amusement park grounds was Lobo's trusty motorcycle, the Soacehog. Lobo was looking down at everyone below, scoping out the scene.
"Everyone looks like stupid little ants up here." Lobo chuckled. He looks behind at the passenger sitting with him, which was Aqua. "Don't worry, lady, I got eyes like an eagle. Let me see if I can scope out those punks."
"How about I scope the both of you out?!"
Lobo gasps as Luz is sitting right across from them in the air, flying on her staff
"Crap, we've been found out!" Aqua cried.
"What?" Luz smugly asked. "You didn't think we weren't taking the sky into account?"
"We already know about the keys!" Aqua blurts out. "Now hand it over!"
Lobo facepalms at what she just said. "Some of a bastich…keep yer trap shut, they don't gotta know that!"
"Oh, you mean this?" Luz pulls out a red key. "You know I'm not just gonna give it to you, right?"
"You will if we say please, right?" Aqua says hopefully.
"You will EAT THIS, SUCKA!"
Luz fires a vibrant beam of purple energy from her staff at them. Lobo quickly swerves to avoid the shot.
"Watch the ride, kid! I just had her fixed up!" Lobo looks back at Aqua. "You might wanna hold on tight to me, sweet cheeks."
"What are you talking about-WAAAAA!"
Aqua screams as Lobo kicks it into high gear, flying towards Luz. Luckily for her, she zips out of the way and tries to blast them again.
"Guys, listen up!" Luz says into her wrist communicator. "They're above the park, I'm dealing with them as we speak! I repeat, they're above the park!"
"Oh, yer really pissing me off, kid!" With one hand driving, he uses the other to pull out a comically large bazooka. "Get ready, cuz I'm gonna skull-frag ya!"
It was a non-stop back and forth of magic and heavy artillery. Both would fly around and attack each other above the park, their attacks constantly missing. It was getting so intense that everyone below was beginning to watch it unfold.
"Is this some kind of performance?"
"What's that kid doing up there?"
"Holy shit, that guy's packing heat!"
"Who's the blue haired babe with him?"
Even Gwen and Kronk were left speechless as they watched the aerial attack.
"You think she's okay up there?" Gwen asked with concern.
"I hope so." Kronk answered. "Last thing we'd want is this challenge to go off the rails like the last one."
"Lobo, we can't keep wasting this much time! We're on a time limit!" Aqua reminds him.
"This is getting ridiculous!" Lobo said. "Take the wheel, lady! I'm finishing this shit!"
He stands up, and pulls out his hook chain.
"I hope you know what you're doing!" Aqua cried.
Lobo pays close attention to Luz flying all over the place, and spins his chain around a good bit. Once he's got her right where he wants her, he chucks the hook as hard as he can.
"Catch of the day!"
The chain wraps around her staff tightly, and Lobo proceeds to spin her round and round. Luz was trying her best to hang on, but it was starting to become too much for her.
"Uuuugghhh….I think I'm gonna be sick…." Luz groans, her face turning green. Still, she refused to let go.
Lobo continues to spin her around much faster, until he sees the key flies out of her grasp, up into the air. As it falls down, it's coming towards Aqua.
"CATCH IT, NOW!" Lobo orders. "AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON'T SWALLOW THIS ONE!"
"Hey, that time with the sandwich guy was an accident!"
Thankfully, Aqua caught it perfectly this time.
"See?! Like I said, it was an accident."
"Good job!" Lobo said. "Now for some catch and release!"
With one last swing, Luz is sent flying haywire, but not before firing off one last blast, hitting Lobo's motorcycle.
"WHOA WHOA WHOA, LOOK OUT!" Luz warns, as she's about to crash to the ground. Everyone in the park was making a break for it.
When she lands, she hits Kronk and Gwen, who were trying to get out of the way as well. The smoke clears, revealing the three were now knocked out cold.
Lobo, meanwhile, was trying to regain control of his bike, as Luz's last ditch attack was causing it to act out of control.
"Hold on, I think we're about to go down ourselves!"
The bike swerves out of control, until it finally gives out. The two scream as they fall through the sky, crashing through a glass ceiling above the casino. They land rather painfully, finding themselves on the main floor. Almost everyone on the casino floor was caught off guard by the two weirdos who fell through the ceiling.
Chris and Chef were seen at the bar, having a good laugh at what they just witnessed.
"Daaaaang, that's gonna be fun watching that on replay." Chris said as he took a sip of his martini.
"Aren't you worried about them trashing up the place?" Chef asks.
Chris shrugs. "Eh, it'll be okay. I'm tearing this place down in a couple months anyway to make more room for the theme park. Got a new ride in mind called "The Chris McLean Experience.'"
"Of course you do…"
"Ohhhhhh…." Aqua groans as she tries to get up. "I don't think I'm ever riding with you again."
Lobo gets up and dusts himself off. "Ehh, quit being a baby. This is just another Tuesday for me."
"Well well well…" a familiar voice said. "I knew you all couldn't hide forever."
Lobo turned around, only to be greeted by one of Geralt's swords.
"Oh shit…"
"Funny thing just happened." Geralt said coldly. For some reason, I'm unable to get a hold of some of my teammates. You guys are far craftier than I thought, but it ends here."
"Is that a fact now?!" Lobo says ominously.
Meanwhile, Aqua was hiding behind a slot machine. She was trying to get a hold of Charlie, hoping and praying that she wouldn't be seen.
"Charlie?! Charlie, are you there?! This is bad! We got the first key, but we crashed through the ceiling and now Geralt caught us! Please send someone in to help-"
Aqua suddenly cries out in pain as she feels her shoulder suddenly burning. She realizes that Cinder had her hand on her.
"Look who's hiding like a good future casualty." Cinder says sadistically.
"Y-you don't wanna mess with me!" Aqua nervously warns. "Water douses fire, remember?!"
Cinder scoffs. "Your little party tricks would be evaporated before I take my next breath." She creates a ball of fire to emphasize her point.
"You both have got nowhere to go!" Geralt warns. "Come quietly, and we won't hurt you."
"Much…" Cinder adds.
Outside, the sounds of multiple footsteps could be heard running across the pavement.
"Piss off, scuzzball!" Lobo snapped. "I'm not backing down from shit just because you're pointing your fancy fuckin' cutlery at me!"
"You're making my next move a fun one if you keep running that filthy mouth of yours." Cinder ominously tells him.
"Pff, I'm not scared of a little fire from some chick who dressed like a dommy mommy!"
"Lobo, quit antagonizing them!" Aqua pleads.
"It seems there's no negotiating with this one." Geralt sighs. "No matter….guess I'll have to make you surrender with force!"
Geralt and Cinder lunge at them, but just in the nick of time, something blocks their attacks. Something white and viscous. Katakuri stood in front of them, blocking their assault at the same time.
"So much for the stealthy approach….looks like I showed up at the right time."
"Yer in trouble now, bozos!" Lobo cackled. "The cavalry has arrived!"
"Thank goodness…." Aqua weeps.
"Everyone, move out!" Katakuri orders.
Entering the room as well were Max, Oscar, Rodney, Mae, Kaiba, Chie, and the Nomad.
"Yeah, you better watch out!" Oscar proudly warns. "The big dogs have arrived!"
"More like the small, pathetic, chihuahua." Kaiba snarks.
"Enough with the insults, you dummies!" Chie snapped. "We have a job to do!"
"But I didn't even insult him!" Oscar complains.
"Katakuri, whilst blocking Geralt and Cinder, creates another mochi hand, tossing a key to Kaiba.
"A key?!"
Geralt peerd behind him, seeing that the key Katakuri tossed was the one he was holding onto.
"How did you…"
"I'm a lot harder to get past than your whole team." Katakuri said "I nabbed it while you were distracted with me. All of you, get to the vault room now! If the last key is anywhere, it's gotta be with whoever's guarding it there! I'll hold these two off"
"You heard the man!" Max told them. "Get to the vault."
The whole group, plus Lobo and Aqua, try and make a break for the back. Cinder notices them, and directs her attention from Katakuri to them. She shoots a stream of fire at the group, which causes most the bystanders watching to run and scream out of the building. Katakuri stops focusing on Geralt momentarily, and blocks the fire by spinning his trident in front of him.
"Quickly, you guys!" Katakuri reiterates. "We don't have a whole lot of time left! I'll hold them off as long as I possibly can!"
The group pushes ahead, making a beeline for the back. As they're running, the Nomad stops when he sees Ruby and Edgeworth hiding under a table. He slowly approaches them, as the two wonder what he's up to.
"You're wasting your time going after us." Edgeworth says. "Unlike those two, we're not fighters."
"I hope it doesn't get too bad out there." Ruby says worryingly. "It's looking pretty intense."
The Nomad, feeling genuine concern for the girl, pulls out a flower he picked earlier, and hands it to Ruby?
"Huh? Is this for me?"
The Nomad nods, and proceeds to clap his hands together. The flower comes to life, smiling at Ruby.
Ruby was a bit bewildered, but graciously accepted the kind gesture. She now assumed that the Nomad was trying to look out for her amidst the chaos. The Nomad beams, patting her on the head.
"Thank you…"
This moment was cut short as Oscar grabs the Nomad by his scarf and pulls him away.
"This is no time to play around with these guys! We've got a challenge to win!"
"I'm gonna have fun hearing you scream as I burn even your soul to ashes…" Cinder said excitedly, approaching Katakuri. "Maybe now I'll learn how your Haki works, and take it for myself!"
"You? A Haki user?! Don't make me laugh, Cinder!" Katakuri responds. "On my name as an older sibling, I won't let you get to them!"
"We outnumber him, but don't let your guard down!" Geralt warns. "His powers are tricky to deal with!"
"Sky blue, says star witness…" Cinder mutters.
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Back in the security room, Entrapta continues to watch the cameras intently, whilst sipping on a fizzy drink.
"Kinda surprised that nothing's happened yet…. it's getting kinda boring…"
Just then, the flashdrive had finally stopped looping the footage. She suddenly felt a put in her stomach as soon as she saw what was now on the monitors. Wendy and Bernadetta were passed out in the bushes outside, Luz, Gwen, and Kronk were out cold in the theme park, Katakuri was fending off Geralt and Cinder. And all of this while she sees a group comprised of most of the Weirdos making their way down a long hallway that was spiraling downwards, heading towards the vault room.
"Oh no…ohnoohnoohnoohnoohno!" Frantically, Entrapta is trying to get a hold of the rest of the team. "I gotta notify those whore left! They're in serious danger!"
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Back in the vault, we see how Tatsumaki was doing….
It was not looking good for her.
She was curled up in a corner, slowly rocking back and forth. The isolation and lack of sleep were already taking its toll on her. Even the look in her sleep deprived eyes could be described as on the brink of madness.
"They…they completely forget about me…" She says in broken sentences. "They must….truly hate me, then….they really must hate me that much… GAHHHHHHHH!"
She gets on her hands and knees, punching the ground over and over.
"I'M SORRY! PLEASE LET ME OUT OF HERE! I'M SO SORRY! IF YOU GUYS GET ME OUT OF HERE, I PROMISE I'LL TRY TO DO BETTER! PLEASE!"
Outside the vault, we see a spacious room that's made with metal plates on the floor and walls. Standing outside the vault were Ryu, Mao, and Percy. All three stood guard as they could hear some of Tatsumaki's screams from within.
"Ugh, could that lady keep it down?!" Mao complained as he was flipping through a manga. "I'm unable to concentrate with her incessant whining."
"Can't be helped…" Ryu said, half paying attention, and half fiddling with his wrist communicator.
"What are you doing, shaman?" Mao asks.
"I'm trying to get a hold of Bernie, but I'm not hearing back." Ryu says with concern. "I can't help but worry something has happened to her."
"If something was wrong, I'm sure she'd say something to you." Percy said stiffly. "After all, you seemingly can't function without her around.
"Whoa, what's with the hostility?!" Ryu asked. "Youve been acting weird all day."
Percy sighs, clearly regretting how she just conducted herself. "My deepest apologies, Ryunosuke. "It's just been mentally taxing for me, being in this casino."
"Do you….wanna talk about it?" Ryu asks awkwardly.
"You would like to, wouldn't you?" Percy says stubbornly. "Because you have a knack for sticking your nose in other people's business."
"Okay, now you're really starting to worry me." Ryu sternly responds. "Look, I already know that this has to do with Light, but that gives you no right to take it out on your friends!"
"Friends, huh?" Percy scoffed. "Just like he let me believe we were friends. Like justice, it seems like even friendship is nothing more than mere words and pleasantries with no rule or order."
Ryu looks over at Mao. "Could you help me talk some sense into her?"
"Mao ignores him, continuing to read his comic. A pinup falls out, and the demon whistles.
"Now that's a katana."
"The deeper I find myself in this place, the more I find it hard to control these conflicting feelings…" Percy says painfully. "I'm racking my brain trying to figure out what I must do. How to properly follow Miles's advice. I'm…. struggling to keep my composure…."
She's interrupted as the three receive an urgent message from Entrapta.
"Guys, this is bad! This is really bad!"
"Slow down there, Miss Entrapta!" Ryu said. "What happened?!"
"The other team is on their way down there as we speak! Most of the others are already down for the count, and they've got two of the keys to the vault!"
"WHAT?!" All three gasped.
"But how?!" Ryu cried.
"Looks like they pulled a fast one on us…" Mao growled. "So they've finally revealed themselves." He checks the time, seeing as it's now 5:30. "They're really cutting this close."
Ryu takes out his wooden sword. "Better brace yourselves, guys. Percy, you still got that key? They're not getting that safe open without it."
Percy nods, clutching it tightly in her pocket."
"This is gonna be fun…" Mao says with sadistic glee. "I can't wait to strip their meager hope of victory from them just as they're close to obtaining it."
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We now see the group of Weirdos running through the halls.
"The vault room shouldn't be much farther from here!" Kaiba explains.
"How do we know the key is down here, anyway?!" Oscar asks.
"The schematics said only security holds on to them!" Max reminds him.
"So by process of elimination, it makes the most sense that whoever is down there has the last one." Kaiba finishes.
"So how much time do we have left?" Chie asks.
"About a half hour!"
"I'll be honest, I prolly shouldn't have spent so much time trying to deal with that witch kid." Lobo bitterly admits.
The crew stop in front of a large, sealed door.
"So it's behind this door, huh?" Said Aqua.
Lobo steps forward, cracking his knuckles. "Step aside, chumps. I'll bust this baby down."
The door flies off its hinges as Lobo punches it open.
"Alright, we're in!" Rodney said confidently.
"Not so fast, mortal scum!" Mao boasts. He draws a sword. "Your little streak of good luck ends here!"
Ryu puts Tokageroh into his sword. "I really don't wanna hurt you all, but we got a challenge to win."
Percy now draws her sword, her face looking quite mad and serious. "Face me, you trespassers….and I'll cut you down where you stand!"
"Okay, that lady sounds like a walking red flag." Mae points out. "And that's coming from me."
"C'mon, officer!" Chie tells her. "No need to be all edgy and serious about this. You know, I envy people like you."
Percy lowers her weapon, her face obscured as she looks down. "Envy…people like me? You must be a fool to think that…"
"Hell no! I'm working real hard to become a cop myself, just like you-"
"DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME SPOUTING SUCH NONSENSE!" Percy snapped. "YOU SAY YOU WANT TO BE ONE, THEN NEXT THING YOU KNOW YOURE BEYRAYED, AND EVEN BEYOND THE GRAVE HE'S CHALLENGING YOU AND YOUR BELIEFS!"
"Whoa, let's just chill out, okay?!" Chie exclaimed. "I was complimenting you!"
"Please excuse her, she's kinda going through some stuff right now." Ryu says.
"I did not ask for your input, Ryunosuke." Percy spat. "This has nothing to do with you."
Ryu looks away, very much hurt at her words.
"What happened to you? You're not the Percy I knew…."
"Uh…mind wrapping up this soap opera?" Kaiba asks impatiently. "We're on a bit of a time crunch here, so give us the key, step out of our way, and let us leave with our teammate."
"That's gonna be a negatory, rich boy!" Mao says. "Behold, my trump card…. THE POULTRY ARMADA!"
Right on cue, a bunch of chickens appear out of nowhere, swarming to Mao like he's they're king.
"I've liberated them from going in the dryer! That means they are now my loyal subjects! Sic 'em, girls!"
The chickens proceed to do nothing, just mindlessly looking around or pecking at the ground.
"I'm sorry, is this supposed to scare us?" Aqua asked. "Because if so, mission failed."
"Uh, guys…." Rodney said nervously. "I think one of them is looking at me funny…"
One chicken steps forward, distinguishable from the rest by wearing a collar. The collar read a single name.
Clucky Jr.
As soon as the chicken made eye contact with Rodney, her expression changed. Her eyes had that same look of a serial killer that's been pushed over the edge. The look of a bloodthirsty killer who would slaughter just for the fun of it.
Rodney had read the name tag, and his face immediately went pale. "Oh crap…"
"BWAK BWAAAAAAAAAAAK! BWAK BWAK BWAAAAAK!" Clucky Jr snapped.
Translator's Note: "It's him! Chickens, assemble!"*
The chickens all come together, combining like a Voltron mech, and tower over everyone.
"Yes, my flock of deadly killers!" Mao cackled. "Violate the chicken equivalent of the Geneva Convention and exterminate them! MUHAHAHAHA!"
Clucky Jr sits at the top as the head of this makeshift mecha. She leers down at the Weirdos, giddy to make an example of all of them, especially Rodney.
"Bwak bwak." She says coldly.
Translator's Note: "Leave no survivors, including innocent lives. Remember to show extra brutality to the one in overalls."
"Yikes, you must have really pissed her off." Max said to Rodney.
"Channel that rage!" Mao orders. "Disregard all positive emotions! Let your negative ones take control, and dispose of them!"
"The chicken mech raises one of its arms, revealing a gattling gun with their rears aimed towards them.
"RUN!" Aqua cries.
The group scatters as the mech proceeds to fire a neverending barrage of eggs.
"Bwak bwak bwak!" Clucky Jr laughed.
Translator's Note: "You and your friends will suffer a fate worse than burning in Hell for all eternity for the suffering you put my mother through! Kill them as inhumanely as possible, girls, I wanna see blood and body parts everywhere!"*
Aqua hides behind a table, plugging her ears as she tries to survive.
"IF WE GET THROUGH THIS, I'LL NEBER EAT CHICKEN AGAIN, I SWEAR!"
The mech sees Oscar, still hiding out in the open. He nervously waves at it, but Clucky Jr was not having it. She cocks her gun at him.
Oscar proceeds to call out for help as he's assaulted by an onslaught of eggs. "TRUDAYYYYY!" He's blasted until he's completely buried in eggs.
"Are we really just gonna let that thing go nuts?!" Ryu asked.
Mao is now seen sitting in a lawn chair, sipping a drink and reading his comment. "You're doing a great job, keep it up!"
Chie hides behind another table, where Max and Rodney were also hiding.
"Wow, totally not how I expected this to go down." Max admits.
"It's all my fault!" Rodney laments. "We're all gonna die, and it's completely my fault!"
"Hey, don't beat yourself up about it, big guy." Chie says comfortingly. "I don't think any of us had death by chicken on our bingo cards tonight."
"All I do is fumble my words with girls and just make things worse for everyone!" Rodney cries. "We're as good as dead, and it's all my fault! I won't blame you guys if you hate me…."
"Pff, screw that!" Chie tells him. "We could never hate you!"
"Really?"
Chie nods. "Between you and me, you're a pretty cool guy."
"To be honest, I hate a lot of people." Max says. "And you guys are surprisingly not on that list."
Their words at least helped Rodney feel a little better. "Thanks, you guys. So, what're we gonna do about that thing?"
The Nomad is running around the room as the mech tries to hit him. Lobo steps forward dramatically stomping his foot down.
"HEY, UGLY!"
The mech turns around, Clucky Jr leering down at the bounty hunter.
"You're dealing with me now, feather brain! And I've not eaten a damn thing all night! I'm feeling a little peckish if you catch my drift…"
"Bwak bwak?"
"What is that pasty oaf up to?" Kaiba asks.
Lobo quietly walks closer to the chickens, with them pointing their blasters at him for him to back off. We see everyone's shocked expressions as the sounds of chomping and chewing could be heard off screen. Once we cut back to Lobo, he's seen cleaning his teeth with a toothpick while his belly was protruding.
"Whew, that hit the spot. Either I'm not pooping tonight, or that's gonna be one painful shit later."
Ryu was speechless. "Did he just…."
"He just devoured an entire horde of live chickens, whole!" Chie said in disbelief.
Mae throws her hands in the air. "Alright, that's it. I'm not eating anything ever again for the rest of the night."
"Impossible!" Mao snapped. "My plan was flawless!"
"Well then, your plan was missing some hot sauce to go with it." Lobo says, letting out an extremely loud, ground shaking belch.
"So much for your master plan…" Ryu sighs.
"Allow me to dispose of them…" Percy said darkly. "Starting with the wannabe cop…"
As she slowly walks forward, small castle like structures begin to form on the ground, walls, and even the ceiling. All of them start sparking and crackling with electricity.
"Wait, it's me she wants?!" Chie cried.
"Come on out, miss Satonaka." Percy says ominously. "Show me your justice, show me how it's pointless like mine!"
"Percy, stop this right now!" Ryu pleads.
Mao puts his hand in from him. "No no, keep going. I'm enjoying this."
"You've got to the count of three to come out!" Percy orders. "Otherwise, I will zap indiscriminately!"
Chie sighs. "Well, I guess there's no use in fearing the inevitable. Wish me luck, guys."
"Just please end this quickly." Max tells her. "We're already cutting it so damn close as it is."
"Hey, officer!"
Chie finally reveals herself, much to Percy's satisfaction.
"You're rather gutsy, young lady." Percy admits. "Have you properly thought this out?"
Chie dramatically strikes a martial arts pose. "I don't need to think….I feel."
"Then show me what you can do!"
Chie makes a mad dash for her, and leaps up into the air. Percy raises her sword, as all the small towers shoot lightning at it. As the blade is conducting all that power, Chief's leg begins to harden and turn black.
"Time to show you what I've been learning lately!"
Her Haki'd up leg comes down, clashing with Percy's sword. The room erupts with sparks, but neither is fazed.
"C'mon, that doesn't even hurt!" Chie brags.
"It should…" Percy says darkly. "Seems like constant hurting is criteria to be an officer these days!"
Percy uses all of the strength she could muster to shove Chie away with her sword. But Chie runs up to her again, as the two proceed to clash with their attacks over and over.
"What are you talking about?!" Chie said. "I know that Light guy betrayed you, but it doesn't change who you are as a person! Same with your profession!"
"Lies!" Percy snapped. "All lies! He showed me that what I do is ineffective! How can I make the world a better place when I merely prolong the problem?! His methods were morally wrong, but what good are morals when they can't seem to do anything right?!"
It was then that Percy now was beginning to have Chie on the back foot "You're letting him….consume you! Those thoughts, those beliefs…. you're not being true to yourself! If you continue to do so…. you'll become nothing less than a Shadow!"
"What?!" Percy said.
"I know that feeling….my friends and I know what that's like. You can't keep lying to yourself. You'll hurt the people around you who care about you, you'll hurt yourself way worse than anyone else, could…..please, just listen to me. Be what you wanna be!"
"Percival, enough of this!"
Both stop fighting, and look to see Edgeworth at the entrance.
"Miles…"
"The girl is correct, Percival." Edgeworth said. "This has gone on long enough."
Percy lets her sword fall out of her hands. She drops to her knees, clutching her head as she begins sobbing.
"It's just so insurmountable!" She cries. "I want to believe that I'm doing a good enough job! Am I really making the world a better place?! Was Light truly right about everything?! Am I a disgrace to the badge I wear everyday?! Who….who am I?!"
Hey…. don't be so hard on yourself." Chie said. "I knew someone who seemed like a trusted officer of the law….boy were we wrong. The point is, this kind of stuff isn't so cut and dry as youd think."
"Whether Light was right or wrong is a moot point." Edgeworth continues. "At the end of the day, he was nothing more than a narcissist who wanted to be God. Someone who believed he was judge, jury, and executioner."
"Am I the only one finding this whole thing awkward?" Aqua whispered to Kaiba.
Kaiba shakes his head. "That makes two of us."
"Don't take that punk's word as law." Chie continues. "You already do a good job. Your job isn't to go out there and be the absolute image of justice. Your job is to protect people…to serve your community…and form meaningful relationships with people."
"Even back on Bon Voyage, you did all of those things." Ryu brings up. "Erza told you you didn't have to shoulder all of that pain alone, and he played us all like a fool. You've formed meaningful relationships with us….." He looks away, his face looking a bit regretful. "And to be honest, we should have done a better job to make sure you were doing okay…"
Percy had stopped crying by this point. She looks up at Ryu, and faintly smiles.
"To be fair, I should have probably done a better job at communicating that myself. I've never been that great at socializing like other people. Guess we both could stand to do better. Thank you, Ryu. You too, Miles."
She stands back up, and looks over to Chie. "And I'd like to thank you as well. For…. helping knock some sense back into me, in a sense. While I will try to get this whole thing with me sorted out, I promise I'll never let it make me doubt my job. So here…"
She reaches into her pocket, pulling out the last key. She hands it to Chie.
"Um….what exactly are you doing?!" Mao angrily asked.
"Repaying her kindness, that's what." Percy said.
"Wait…. you're just giving it to me?!" Chie asked in disbelief. "Just like that?!"
"That might be taking your generosity a bit too far." Edgeworth sighs.
Ryu shrugs. "That's just how Percy does things. Wouldn't have it any other way."
"WE ONLY HAVE FIVE MINUTES LEFT, SATONAKA!" Kaiba reminds them. "SO OPEN THE VAULT, NOW!"
Chie suddenly remembered what they were here for, and runs towards the vault door.
"No!" Mao yells. "I won't let you give them the win, traitor!"
He lunges towards her, but Rodney and Lobo quickly ambush him. They hold him down as Chie hurriedly puts all three keys into the door.
"Just one more, and…..GOT IT!"
The door opens up, and Tatsumaki flies out, crushing Chie with a hug.
"FREEDOM! FINALLY, FREEDOM! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I KNEW YOU GUYS DIDN'T HATE ME!"
"What the hell gave you that idea?!" Chie said. "Charlie, we got her. Commence our escape."
"Good luck getting out in time!" Mao laughed. "You fools won't make it out of the building in time!"
"Oh, we're not leaving the way we came…" Max said smugly.
"What-"
CRASH!
The ceiling breaks open, revealing a helicopter up in the air. Zeke, who was seen piloting it, waves to everyone below.
"Katakuri's already made it out of the building!" Charlie tells the team. "Make a break for it, guys! We're almost out of time!"
A long ladder promptly falls from
"You heard her!" Kaiba said. "Move out!"
The Nomad pulls Oscar out of the mountain of egg yolk, and hurries them up the ladder.
"Go go go!" Kaiba says, directing his teammates. One after the other, they each climb up the ladder. Lobo, followed by Aqua, then the Nomad, Max, and then Mae.
After Kaiba, Rodney attempts to get up, he feels something wrap around his leg.
"Huh?!"
"I'm still not letting you guys get away!" Ryu said.
Tokageroh was in Ryu's sword, using his hair tendrils to grab a hold of the farm boy.
"The one with the funny hair's got us!" Aqua cried. "Pull us up!"
"I'm….. trying…" Zeke grunts. He was giving the chopper all he's got, but Ryu's grip was pretty strong.
"MUHAHAHAHA!" Mao laughs. "Even if you break free from his grasp, I still have one of your precious allies!"
He reveals he has Chie trapped in a headlock.
"Chie!" Everyone cried.
"Let me go, you punk!" Chie demands.
"Oh, I'll let you go….when my team wins, that is!"
"My back….is close to giving out on me…" Ryu says painfully. "We're so close…"
"This room is set to blow, thanks to moi!" Mao threatened, which made Edgeworth and Percy immediately run out of the room.
"We have to save her!" Rodney said.
"There's no time!" Oscar says. "Just leave her!"
Rodney looks back at his hostage friend, and makes his choice.
"I already put us all in danger once tonight…time for me to do something right for once."
He let's go of the ladder, falling back so that he intentionally crashes into Ryu. The two tumble back together, crashing into Mao and Chie.
"Ohhhhhh, the world is spinning around me…" Ryu groans.
"Whoa… that was some crazy move…" Chie said.
She's caught off guard as Rodney picks her up by the collar of her jacket.
"Better brace yourself." He tells her.
He chucks her at the team, with Lobo swiftly catching her.
We're free!" Tatsumaki said triumphantly. "Pull us up, eye patch!"
As Rodney tries to run back to the others, Mao leaps on his shoulders, preventing his escape.
"Now that demon's got him!" Chie said. "We can't leave him behind!"
"No time!" Kaiba said. "Get us out of here, now!"
"You've foiled my plans for the last time, Weirdos! If I lose….WE ALL DO! MUHAHAHAHA!"
As Zeke is pulling them up, the room is engulfed in a fiery explosion. The force from it knocked the helicopter away. The Weirdos watched in horror as they saw their teammate get caught in Mao's last resort. The helicopter swerves off course, landing in the street, where Chris and most of the contestants already were.
"Looks like the Weirdos take the win!" Chris declares. "With just a minute to spare, no less!"
They exit the vehicle, groaning and disoriented.
"I'm too nauseous to celebrate…" Aqua groans.
"What the hell is that kid's deal, trying to blow us to kingdom come?" Lobo says.
"We won, but….at what cost?" Chie says bitterly, looking at the fire that erupted from the bombs. "Rodney sacrificed himself….to save me. I didn't even have the chance to thank him. And I think he took that Ryu guy with him"
"Oh no….." Bernadetta said worriedly. "Don't tell me he's-"
They were interrupted as the sounds of screaming could be heard from above.
"Wait….is that…?"
Ryu, Mao, and Rodney all fall from the sky. Kronk catches Ryu while Mao face plants to the ground. Tatsumaki uses her telekinesis to catch Rodney and gently set him on the ground.
Bernie lets out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank the goddess he's okay!"
"Oh no, I'm fine, thanks for asking." Mao said sarcastically. "At least I didn't give the other team the last key!"
"Is that true?" Wendy asked.
"Percy nods. "Yes, I did. And I have my reasons for doing so."
By this point, Katakuri and Charlie had showed up to the scene. The whole team gathers around Rodney as he groans weakly.
"That was crazy, man!"
"You're either really brave, or really stupid."
"Had us worried their for a second."
"Thank goodness you're safe."
"You dummy!" Chie said. "How dare you make me so worried?! But….thanks for saving me, regardless. That was a risky move you pulled, but you have my gratitude."
Rodney looks up at his team, still reeling from Mao's little trick. "Thank goodness… everyone is safe. Glad I could…do something useful, for once….I need to rest for a few minutes…"
"No time for that!" Chris says. "Just got the call from Captain Ginyu. Everything's back up to snuff on the island, so we're heading back immediately. Everyone pack up your stuff and meet me at the port in 30. And I'll be seeing the Maniacs at tonight's elimination…. again…"
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"Regardless of the circumstances, I do not regret my decision one but." Percy admits. "That girl helped me, it's the least I can do to repay such help."
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"Aw crap, what the hell do I even say to her after the stunt I pulled?!" Zeke groaned. "I'm a terrible Driver, aren't I?!"
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"What. A. Night." Chie says out of exhaustion. "I'm glad we won, all things considered. Didn't expect Rodney to pull a move like that to save me….as cool as I think he is, he continues to intrigue me…"
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"Y'all had better turn that damn thing off until I'm done!" Lobo said, quickly loosening his belt. "IT'S GONNA BE CHERNOBYL UP IN HERE!"
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We now move to later that night. Everyone was already back on the island, and settled back in, more or less. We cut to elimination, where all of the Maniacs have received a marshmallow. Everyone except for Ryu, Mao, and Percy.
"You three were the last line of defense." Chris said. "And you three all failed to win the challenge in one way or another."
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"I really hope it doesn't come down to me having to use my idol this early…" Mao hopes.
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"But out of you three, Ryu's mistakes were the least egregious, so eat up, pal." The host tosses Ryu his marshmallow, leaving Mao and Percy. "And with that, the final marshmallow goes to…"
…
…
…
…
…
"...Mao."
Percy remains unfazed as Mao jumps for joy at his reward.
"Um…isn't this the part where you cry?" Chris asked the cop. "Or get angry? Or swear revenge on anyone?"
Percy shakes her head. "Not at all. I've found a renewed love career, thanks to some of you. No matter how much Light says otherwise, I won't let myself doubt it again."
"Wait, hasn't that fucker been dead for months now?" Lobo asked.
"Regardless, I'd like to thank you guys, again."
"If it makes you feel any better, I didn't vote for you." Ryu tells her. "But I'm glad to see you're doing better."
"Just remember what I told you." Edgeworth reminds her.
"I will." Percy says. "And many thanks to you, Chie. May you become an officer one day even I can look up to and admire."
"Aw sheesh, you're making me blush…" Chie says sheepishly.
"That's enough sappy goodbyes." Chris said. "Chef?! It's time for the "Jailhouse Jettison.'"
Percy is caught off guard as Chef handcuffed her, wearing a policeman's uniform.
"You have the right to remain silent." Chef says as he walks her away. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a reality TV show, blah blah blah…"
She's led into the back of a cop car. Once she's in, the vehicle drives off at high speeds, Back to the Future style.
"Well now, this was quite the challenge you guys had to go through." Chris said. "But the upside is you're all safe….for now."
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Inside Yastor's shack, dozens of bottles of alcohol lay scattered across the floor. Yastor was laying in his bed, his eyes red and puffy from too much crying. He finished another bottle, and checked it against the wall.
After all the time he spent on this island, two things had finally dawned on him. He was never going to see his old friends ever again. They were long gone by now. And even after all that time, the one thing that still stuck with him after thousands of years was the name he wanted to never hear again. One that put him through so much suffering.
"Mantle…."
Notes:
Wow, that was quite the rollercoaster, wasn't it? Again, I apologize for the long wait. One thing happened after the other, you know how it is. Regardless, I'm hoping you had a fun time reading this. So long, Percy. Even in elimination, you left with your head held high, and Light will never take that from you. You keep doing what you love, and hopefully get some more help if you need it.
Here's what's in store for next time. The cast is invited to a Grand Prix invitational, with an old contestant hoping to get their petty revenge on the show, culminating in a literal fight to the death.
That's it from me for now. Leave a review if you like. Until next time, this is MemeKing, signing off.
Chapter 8: Episode 8: A Farewell to ARMS
Summary:
The cast go to the world of ARMS for the Grand Prix. Still, looks like some old hatred still burns for some of these guys...
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
"Last time on Infinite 3, the cast were enjoying some R & R, only for me to abduct Tatsumaki , and have her team rescue her in a casino heist. It was a hard fought challenge, but the Weirdos emerged victorious thanks to Rodney's selfless sacrifice. Meanwhile Percy, still troubled by Light's betrayal, was spiraling out of control until her friends knocked her back to her senses. Too bad she cost her team the win in the process, sealing her fate as the eliminated loser. Who's going home today? And who's gonna cry while it all happens?! Find out on today's exciting episode of Total Drama Infinite 3!
* Several months ago… *
As the sun sets, bleachers full of roaring fans are popping off as we see a giant, elevated stadium sat on top of a humongous skyscraper. The arena was boxed off from the spectators by championship belts and columns of fire. The layout of the arena was a mix between a wrestling mat and a large steel grate.
"Welcome to the finals of the ARMS Grand Prix! Brought to you by yours truly, Biff!" said an interesting individual in the press box. He was a small, yellow humanoid with spiral irises, a scarlet diamond shaped mask, blue bow tie, a clenched fist protruding out of his head. "Coming to you live from the Sky Arena, an outdoor fighting arena built on top of the super skyscraper that houses the ARMS League HQ! Here at the highest point in the world is where the Grand Prix grand finale goes down. And talk about intimidation factor—giant statues of the champ himself loom over the ring!"
Confidently stomping out onto the arena floor was a man with a very large, muscular build. His arms are made of belts, also boasting a championship belt around his waist, as well as on both of his shoulders. He wears a tight blue and gold bodysuit, a golden mask with a model of a fist atop it, armor with brass fist ornaments, and red and gold boots. As he's flexing and posing for the crowd, we get a text box underneath him.
Max Brass, the Commish
"Who's this reigning champion, you ask?" Biff said. "It's none other than ARMS League Commissioner Max Brass! With his ARM-deflecting aura and awe-inducing bulk, it's no wonder he's the champ! Multi time champion and ARMS veteran is here to defend his championship title once again!"
"Oh yeah!" Max Brass cheers, pumping the crowd up. "You all aren't ready for the spectacle! Let's have a fun fight, everyone!"
"Ah, and here comes his challenger now!" Biff announced.
Stepping out from the other side of the arena was a young man. He too had spiral irises, sporting shiny, light blue hair which is curled to resemble a spring. He wears a white athletic shirt, a pinkish red mask, blue-gray shorts, and red sneakers. He also wears a chest plate, which is the same color as his mask. He took gets a text box beneath him.
Spring Man, the Bouncer
"Coming from Spring Gym, we have Spring Man bouncing into the fray! Why do they call him 'the Bouncer'? If you're asking, you're not paying attention! He's long dreamed of hanging that championship belt on his mantle, but will he crack under pressure?"
The crowd cheers for Spring Man as he waves back.
"I finally made it…" he tells himself, "I actually made it to the finals! Here I am, facing my idol, just like I've always dreamed."
"Congrats on making it this far, sport!" Max Brass praised. "Let's see if you can handle the fight of your life!"
Spring Man smirks. "Oh, trust me! I've been preparing myself for this my whole life! Get ready, old man! This rookie here is coming for your title!"
Max Brass laughs jovially at his opponent's confidence. "That's the spirit, kid! You remind me a lot of myself at your age-huh?"
The champ was suddenly caught off guard as he was sucker punched from the side. The figure finally materialized next to him, revealing quite the familiar face…
Dr. Coyle, the Rad Scientist
"Hello there, Max." Coyle said smugly. "My, it's been years since we last chatted, has it not?"
Max gets back up, and finally sees who it was who ambushed him.
"Coyle…" the commish said somberly. "I was wondering the next time I'd see you…"
"Don't act like you've forgot what you did, Brass!" Coyle snapped. "Look at what my research produced! I've become the ARMS fighter I've always dreamed about… and now I'm going to make you pay, and take your title in one fell swoop!"
She uses an arm that looks like a smaller version of Hedlok, firing off a fireball at Max. The guy dodged it, and throws out a hand shaped like a grenade. Coyle floats into the air, intercepting the punch with one of her own. She turns invisible, reappearing behind him. The two throw more punches at each other, until Coyle socks him in the face so hard he goes flying out of the arena, crashing into a building in the distance. The audience was stunned.
"And that's that." Coyle said triumphantly.
"What?!" Spring Man cried.
"What just HAPPENED, folks?!" Biff exclaimed. "It's OK… Stay calm…stay…CALM! The commish was knocked out cold! Who would…? Wait a minute! I'd know that face anywhere.
It's "the rad scientist," Dr. Coyle!
The head of ARMS Labs and their top researcher, she's also a sponsor of this very tournament! By entering the Grand Prix herself, she's clearly made peace with the ethical quagmire this presents. Anyway, taking out Max Brass like it was nothing proves she's got what it takes to be the champ. It's on—this next fight is for the title!"
Coyle's eyes veer over towards Spring Man, the young man glaring her down.
"Winner takes all, boy." Coyle spat. "Let's see which of us deserves the title of champion…"
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*Present Day*
Edgeworth grimaces at the burnt eggs that Chef was doling out on his plate.
"We really need a win…" the prosecutor sighs as he walks away with his food.
"Until then, eat up, sucka!" Chef cackled, as Mao moves up next in line, cutting in front of Luz.
"Hey, you cut the line!"
Mao snorts. "Cry me a river, build me a bridge, and go jump off of it! Demons don't wait in your stupid lines!"
"You do in my kitchen!" Chef snaps at the demon. "Back of the line, kid!"
"MUHAHAHAHA! No chance, pal!" Mao holds up his plate. "Now give me that crap that barely passes as food. Chop chop!"
Chef fulfills his request, alright. Only he flings a ladle of eggs onto his face.
"Bon appetit!" Chef said.
Mao wipes the mess off his face and walks away, grumbling to himself. He immediately heads over to the table where Ryu, Bernadetta, Kronk, and Gwen were sitting, as the group was chatting with each other.
"You don't mind if I sit with you humans, do you? I'd like nothing more than to examine and research each of you."
The quartet stares at him blankly for a moment, only to erupt into uncontrollable laughter.
"What the—DON'T LAUGH AT ME!" Mao snapped.
"You're absolutely out of your mind if you think I'm letting you sit with us, you little turd!" Ryu said. "Not after I almost ended up an accidental casualty from your little stunt in the last challenge!"
"Hey, it's not my fault you didn't get out of the way." Mao retorts.
"I was in no position to get away! You didn't tell anyone you rigged the room to explode until the last second!"
"In my defense, that sounds like a you problem and a skill issue." Mao defends. "You should thank me."
"Thank you?!" Ryu said in disbelief.
"You're welcome. Though I'd probably skip researching a lovesick dope like you. My studies have found that around 70% of a hero's power stems from love. Frankly, I can't comprehend it…"
"Hard to comprehend love when you spend all your time being a nuisance to others." Gwen jokes.
"Hey, I've been carrying this team for a while now!" Mao defends. "Who slayed Balzafyre? Me. Who helped put an end to Deadpool's antics? Also me."
"That's not gonna cut it, after what you did to me." Ryu said. "And I'd say the next time we lose, we're voting for you."
Despite the threat, Mao was not afraid. "MUHAHAHAHA! I'd dare you to try, it won't end well for you guys if you vote me off!"
"Uh-huh…" Ryu said skeptically.
"Oh, that reminds me." Bernadetta said, ignoring Mao and his ramblings. She reaches into her bag. "I wanted to give you something I made, Gwen."
"Is she ignoring me?!"
She pulls out a picture, handing it to the goth.
Gwen looks at the paper, left speechless as she saw it was a well made drawing of herself. "Wow….you seriously made this?"
Bernadetta nods. "That's right. You said you study art, so I wanted to make something for you. You know…to celebrate new friends and all that."
Kronk peers over Gwen's shoulder and admires the handiwork as well. "And such attention to detail, too. She even got your good side."
"Wow, I don't know what to say…" Gwen said in astonishment. "Thanks, Bernie."
"Aww, look at the two little weirdos being friends while ignoring someone who matters more than them~!" Mao sarcastically coos. "It's all sunshine and cupcakes until pasty steals your man from you too!"
"Okay, you probably don't have any idea what you're talking about." Gwen sternly tells him.
Mao turns to Bernadetta. "I've watched the show in the past. You're already well aware she was a boyfriend stealer. A leopard never changes its spots…" He then turns his attention to Ryu. and we know she has a thing for bad boys."
"You do stand-up too, kid?" Ryu chuckles. "Because that's a good one."
"For your information, I already know about that stuff." Bernadetta said proudly. "And there's no way you could ever convince me Gwen would do that."
"Newsflash, the guy isn't my type." Gwen said smugly. "Too eccentric."
"I'm just gonna take that as a compliment and roll with it." Ryu said.
"Fine!" Mao snapped. "Enjoy your disgusting thing you humans call friendship then! Hmph!"
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"Don't think this is the end, pasty!" Mao warns. "You're uber finalist status makes you a prime threat for me. My plan A was worth a shot, so back to the drawing board. Though if I can't convince your friends of what a treacherous wench you are, maybe I can find other ways to screw with and antagonize you off the show!"
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"What kind of fool does he take me for?" Bernadetta huffed. "I know darn well Gwen would not do that to me. And Ryu has always been loyal to me. Honestly, it sometimes feels like I have him wrapped around my finger….but that's besides the point. That Mao guy is just trying to cause trouble like usual. Like I said on the first day here, no one is tricking the iron heart of Bernie! Not today, not ever!"
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We now move to the other team, having some well deserved R and R with the hotel's pool out back. It was quite the scorcher that day, so the team thought it'd be the best way to beat said heat.
"CANNONBALL!"
The outside deck is soaked as Lobo crashes down onto the pool.
"Watch it, you chalk skinned ape!" Kaiba snapped. He was currently sitting at a table, teaching Aqua how to play Duel Monsters.
"That's what ya get for being in the splash zone, rich boy!" Lobo says.
Kaiba shakes his head, and returns to his game. "As I was saying, after putting down that card, I end my turn. You may begin your draw phase."
Aqua nods, grabbing a card from her deck, and inspecting the cards she was working with.
"Okay, then I'll put this cute little guy face up right here." She says.
Kaiba snorts at her choice of card. "A Kuriboh? Really?!"
"What's wrong with it? It's cute."
"They're nothing more than glorified meat shields. Once my Battle Ox is through with him, you're practically giving me the win at that point."
"Hey, pirate!" Lobo calls. "Why don't ya hop in?! You must be burning up over there!"
Katakuri was sitting nearby on the grass, observing everyone peacefully.
"Sorry, but I can't do that." He says calmly. "I'm physically incapable of swimming. I'm a Devil Fruit user, remember?"
"Sheesh, didn't know you had a disability."
"It's not a disability, it's more like a curse. I literally cannot move in a body of water. What's even worse, my power itself is weak to most liquids in general."
Tatsumaki was walking past him, hearing their conversation, and decided to butt in.
"How do you even shower, then? You just walk around stinking all the time?"
Katakuri glares at her. The esper realizes how rude she just was, and quickly corrects herself.
"W-what I meant is, what do you need to do if you have to clean yourself? Just curious."
"I'd have to do it at a time where I can let my guard down, as I'll be defenseless."
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"Hey, I'm trying, alright?!" Tatsumaki said. "After that time alone in the vault last challenge, it really gave me some time to think. If I want to last longer, I need to be more of a team player. As used to it as I am, I know now I can't just focus solely on myself and what I'm doing. So just cut me some slack, alright? I'm not used to this kind of thing."
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Charlie claps her hands together, signaling for everyone's attention.
"Guys, can I have your attention please? I just want to congratulate every single one of you for your hard work in the last challenge. I know it wasn't an easy one, and we cut that really but I couldn't be more proud of you all for putting 110% into that challenge."
"Chicken mechs, cops gone rogue, and last resort explosions." Max remembers. "Honestly up there as one of the weirder challenges we've done."
"I knew it was a good idea to trust you with leading us during that." Katakuri reassures her. "You led us to victory, just like the future ruler of Hell would."
"Does anyone else feel like what he just said would sound pretty bad out of context?" Mae jokes. "But hey, what does a jerk like me know?"
"Regardless, there's a couple of people in particular I'd like to give some recognition to for their hard work and sacrifice in the last challenge."
Oscar is about to stand up, but Kaiba stops him.
"What's the big idea, rich boy?!" Oscar complained.
"You did nothing but run around like a chicken with it's head cut off during the last challenge." Kaiba smugly responds. "A hilarious coincidence, considering Lobo had to deal with real chickens."
"So first up, come up here, Lobo!" Charlie congratulated.
Lobo arrogantly struts over to the princess, flexing his muscles and making rude faces to the cameras.
"First off, I'd like to thank myself." Lobo brags. "No matter what those scuzzballs on the other team threw at me, I ate it up like chicken dinner…..and I literally did! Boy, let me tell you, the shit I had afterwards was soooooo painful-"
"Haven't you ever heard of TMI?! We do not need to hear that!" Max snapped.
"The bottom line is, I absolutely carried you guys last time." Lobo continues. "I was the sole MVP of our team. We wouldn't have won if not for me!"
"Great speech, Lobo, but we actually have one more teammate that actually helped us win." Charlie reminds him. "And if not for him, we wouldn't have succeeded."
Oscar is about to stand up, only to have the metaphorical rug pulled out from under him again.
"Come on up here, Rodney!"
"AW COME ON!" Oscar whined.
"Wait, m-me?!" Rodney gasped.
Charlie nods. "You were just as big of a help."
"Arguably…" Lobo mutters.
His fellow alliance members looked over at him.
"You heard the princess." Max said. "This is your time to shine, big guy."
"You did help us get out of the shaman guy's clutches." Mae admits. "We would have run out of time if you hadn't pulled that move."
"B-but I'm not sure I'm ready yet." Rodney said worriedly. "She may be a demon, but she has such an….. elegance, to her.
"Just remember what we practiced." Chie reassures. "We've been practicing for this."
"Well….. you haven't steered me wrong yet." Rodney says after thinking it over. "Guess I'll give it a shot. Hopefully I won't have to speak for too long. Wish me luck, guys."
As he walks up to Charlie, Max gives Chie a quizzical look.
"Uh….mind telling me how you two have been practicing?"
"Well, ever since the Family Feud challenge, I thought I'd help Rodney out with his speaking skills, especially to those of the fairer sex."
"And…?" Mae asks. "Don't leave us in suspense, how'd it go?"
"I had to get creative…"
We flash back to one of their lessons. Both her and Rodney stood across from each other.
"Let's try this again." Chie sighs. She pulls out a cutout of Zeke's face attached to a stick, and puts it to her face. "Hey there, man. Lovely weather we're having today, huh?"
Rodney nods. "Sure is. Not a cloud in the sky."
"Excellent, excellent." Chie says proudly. "Now for the real test." She switches to another cutout on a stick, this time being Aqua. "Wassup? Lovely weather we're having today, right?"
Rodney's mind was scrambling to say the right words. His mind knew what he wanted to say, but it was putting those words into a voice that was the problem.
"Guh….blue….sky….rain….ARGGH! C'mon, words! Why are you never there when I need you?!"
Chie swiftly slaps him in the face.
"Wrong again!" She shouts, sounding less like a jerk and more like a coach. "C'mon, man, you're better than this!"
"I don't know how many more slaps I can take." Rodney groans. "Maybe I'm just a lost cause."
Chie slaps him again.
"I don't wanna hear no talk about quitting, buster! You can do this! You can overcome this. You can't spell achievement without Chie!"
"You really think I can do this? You and Mae are probably the only girls here I can talk to normally. In her case, it probably helps she's more cat than human-"
"Remember, besides anatomy (at least in some cases), women are no different than guys. They're people too, just like you and me! I don't care how many times it takes, we're gonna do this until you've overcome this obstacle! Now let's take it from the top again!"
As the flashback ends, Mae and Max were left a bit stunned.
"Holy shit, how many times did you have to slap him?" Mae asked.
"Too many…." Chie said sheepishly. "So much I kinda feel guilty for hitting him that much, but sometimes you have to show tough love to your friends when they need it. I'd do the same for you two. We gotta make sure our little group here is in top top shape, physically, socially, you get the idea."
"You're out of your mind if you think I'm gonna work out as much as you do." Mae says.
As soon as Rodney is next to Charlie, he begins to feel a bit uneasy again.
"We wouldn't have won if you didn't sacrifice yourself the way you did." Charlie brings up. "What made you decide to do that? What was going through your mind?"
As she asked this, she was unknowingly and unintentionally getting right up in his face. The poor kid was sweating bullets at how forward and somewhat intrusive she was being. Once again, he knew darn well what he wanted to say, but his voice almost locked up.
"Okay…. remember the training…" he tells himself. "...and all of the slaps, too…"
He takes a deep breath, and goes for broke.
"Y-you see….uh….I wasn't entirely thinking in that moment."
"What?" Charlie gasps.
"Look, I'm not some genius thinker, alright?" Rodney continues. "My head is in the clouds a lot, I'm a hopeless romantic, and sometimes I feel I'm too nice for my own good. But I wanted to help my team out as much as possible. I was no help whatsoever to my last team, and I didn't want to make that mistake again."
His speech was getting almost everyone's attention. (Except for Lobo, who was snoring loudly)
"I don't wanna be dead weight again." he continues. "I'm not like a lot of you guys. I'm no superhero, a demon, an alien, or any of that. Heck, I didn't think that kinda stuff was real until I came back to this show. So I tried to help us in the best way I could. I have to take charge for a lot of stuff back home. It's just me, my dad, and five little brothers."
"Oh wow…" Charlie said in amazement. "What about your mom?"
Mentioning that really struck something within Rodney. Something that seemed to hit pretty close to home for him.
"She…..she died…." He said bitterly. "When I was little….it was a cattle stampede."
It was so silent out there that you could hear a pin drop.
"Awkward…" Aqua muttered to Pandoria.
"Oh my gosh…..I'm so sorry…" Charlie said guiltily. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to bring back painful memories!"
"I-it's fine." He assures, trying his best not to cry himself. "You didn't know. You asked a question, and I answered."
Lobo is seen pushing Rodney out of the way.
"That was nice 'n sappy and all, but can we get back to talking about how much ass I kicked?! The Main Man is really where it's at, ladies!"
With that seemingly done, Rodney quickly heads back over to his friends.
"Holy shit, dude…" Max says. "That explains a lot."
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"If it's any consolation, at least he had parents that seemingly gave a shit about him." Max said…..until he realized what he just let slip. "I mean, uh….
It cuts to static for a second before we see him trying and failing to rip the camera out.
"Gimme the goddamn tape! Son of a-HOW DO YOU OPEN THIS FUCKING THING?!"
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"I'm really sorry to hear that." Chie said. "I can kinda tell how much that affected you."
"I guess if there's a silver lining, I suppose I at least did a good job up there when she talked to me." Rodney says, trying to put an optimistic spin on the situation. "I definitely feel I could've done better, but not bad for a first time. Thanks again for your help, Chie."
"See? I know what I'm talking about." Chie says proudly.
"So how are you feeling after that?" Mae asks.
"Honestly….a little nauseous…"
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"Who's the man?! This guy!" Rodney says proudly, only to speak more humbly. "Was that too cocky? I'm still kinda riding the high off all of that. Still, there's plenty of work left. I'm a work in progress, y'know?"
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It was then that Oscar approached the quartet.
"Look kid, I could have done the same thing if you all had given me a chance."
"Yeah yeah…keep telling yourself that, snack man." Chie says.
"I wasn't talking to you, missy. I'm just as valuable to the team as the bumpkin over there."
"Ha! You sure are nonstop entertainment, I'll give you that." Max snarks.
"Where's Zeke?! I know he'll vouch for me!"
"Uh, Mr. Proud…." Rodney said. "We haven't really seen him the past few days…"
"What?!"
"Yeah, I think he's been locked in his room or something." Chie remembered. "Pretty sure he's been getting all of his meals sent there too. Honestly, I don't know why."
"Wait, seriously?!" Oscar exclaimed. "No wonder I haven't seen hide nor hair of him. I'm gonna go see if I can get through to him."
As Oscar walks back inside, Pandoria can be seen watching him from a distance. She gives out a heavy sigh, as Charlie walks up to the Blade.
"So, how're things since…..you know?" Charlie asks, wiggling her eyebrows a bit.
"W-what?!" Pandoria said. "Oh, right…you heard that. I forgot."
"Just by watching you two, I always had a feeling there were sparks between you two, pun not intended."
"Seemed pretty obvious, I take it?"
"To me it did, at the very least. You two would honestly be quite the cute little couple."
"You'd think so…" Pandoria said. "But right now, I'm worried about him. He hasn't come out of his room since then, and I can't but worry even more for him. Did I….did I do something wrong?"
"I already feel bad about poking into Rodney's personal life a few minutes ago, but now I really want to know something." Charlie tells her. "What is the deal with you two? You guys are always so close and in sync a lot. I'm really curious to hear your story."
Pandoria shrugs, not as bothered at it as Rodney was. "Very well then….. I'll gladly tell you…"
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"Heloooooo?!" Oscar calls out while he's walking through the halls. "Zeke! You there, man?! Geez, I think I'm lost. Which room was it again?"
Just as he passes by a door slightly open, he hears a voice behind it."
"Huh?"
The snack maker quietly peeks through the door, and finds who he was looking for. Zeke is seen pacing back and forth in his room, holding a bouquet of assorted flowers and talking to himself.
"Look, I know a bond like ours is sacred and—no, that's no good." Zeke says. "Pandy, you're my oldest and closest friend in the world, andlately I've grown quite the affection towards you—blast, I don't think that one's good either. What do you think, Turters?"
His trusty mascot was preoccupied on his dresser, absentmindedly munching on some leafy greens.
"Yeah, glad you think so too, little buddy."
Oscar was now in the room "Hey, you rehearsing for something?"
Zeke jumps back in surprise. "ACK—HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?!"
"You left your door open." Oscar says bluntly.
"Rats, I thought I kept that thing locked."
"What have you been up to, man?" Oscar asked. "I haven't seen you in days, and I think the others are starting to get worried as well."
Zeke groans. "Look, mate….I haven't been feeling so great since the last challenge."
"Hey, maybe you'll feel better if you eat something. I actually just made a new snack, and as friends, I'd like you to have first dibs on trying them."
Zeke grabs Oscar by the shoulders, and looks up at him.
"You don't get it, Oscar….I KISSED PANDY!"
Oscar's jaw literally drops to the ground.
"No way! That's what happened?! I honestly thought you were sick or something."
"She and I have known each other for years. Ever since I awakened her Core Crystal."
"I'm sorry, a what Crystal?!"
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Meanwhile, Charlie and Pandoria were still talking.
"That's where I come from as a Blade." Pandoria continues. "When a Driver with enough aptitude comes into contact with a Core Crystal, a Blade awakens from it."
"Oh, so it's like one of those Personas, or those Stand thingies like what DIO has?!" Charlie asks
Pandoria shakes her head. "Not really. The only similarity is that a Blade helps their Driver in battle. While a Blade can usually regenerate Though if a Driver dies, the Blade will return to a Core Crystal, waiting for another Driver to awaken them."
"I see…"
"Not to mention the Blade loses all memories of their past Driver in the process." Pandoria says somberly. "Not the most pleasant thing about being born a Blade. At least to me, it feels like that."
"So what does that have to do with you and Zeke?" Charlie asks. "Especially the you know what from the last challenge?"
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"I want you to take a look at something, Proud." Zeke tells him. He opens up his coat, revealing a glowing blue object embedded in his chest, real close to his heart. "I didn't think it was worth mentioning it before, but…"
"What is that? Some kind of tattoo?" Oscar asks cluelessly.
"No, mate. It's a Core Crystal. Part of Pandy's Core Crystal. This thing is currently keeping me alive as we speak."
"I'm sorry, what?!" Oscar cried.
"A while back, she and I got ambushed by some baddies during our travels." Zeke explained. "I was one foot in the grave…"
Both Blade and Driver continue to recount the story of that fateful day. Flashing back, we see the two in a forest. Zeke was on the ground, losing blood and consciousness. Pandoria was seen panicking above him.
"My prince…Zeke!" She cried, trying and failing at getting him to get back up. "Not like this! Not here! Not far now! Just a little farther! You can do it!"
"Just…..leave me…" Zeke said weakly. "Go on….. without me…."
"No! If you die, I'll turn back into a Core Crystal! I don't want to forget everything!"
"Pandy…." Zeke croaked. "I'm sorry…..I hope….your next Driver….is better…than me…"
"I don't want another Driver!" Pandoria told him. "You're….. you're good enough!"
Zeke let's go of her arm, his body growing more cold and limp. His consciousness was fading.
"Prince! Zeke!"
We now see Pandoria struggling as she carries Zeke through the woods. She too was growing weaker.
"I refuse to forget our ten years together!" She grunts. "It's not going to happen! I'm not…. letting you die….here…"
She collapsed to the ground, feeling things go dark for her. Just then, she sees a group of people approaching them.
"Uh…wha…..bandits? Sucks….I don't want to be a bandit's Blade. But…I guess I won't remember anyway….Prince….
…
…
…
…
"Prince?!" Pandoria said, bolting upright.
She finds herself now laying in a nice bed. She looks around, only to see Zeke sleeping in the bed next to her. She walks over to the bed, inspecting him. He looked much better than he did before, that's for sure.
"Fear not, he is going to be fine."
She turns around to see an odd but regal looking old man was watching them.
"You….you saved him?" Pandoria asked.
"The fact that you survived is proof of that, is it not?" The man responded.
He gestures to her chest. Pandoria looks down to see a chunk of the Core Crystal she had was removed.
"I had to transplant part of your Core Crystal into his heart. His wounds were grave. It was the only way to save you both."
She looks back at Zeke, seeing that part of her Core Crystal was in him now, keeping them both alive.
…
…
We now see Zeke and Pandoria leaving the place, until Zeke stops.
"I'm sorry." He said gruffly. "It's all my fault."
Pandoria shook her head. "Actually, I'm glad."
"What? Why?"
"Knowing that part of me is keeping you alive….I dunno, it's just nice."
Zeke was touched by her words.
"Pandy…"
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"That's about it, chum." Zeke concludes. "I'd be a dead man right now if not for her. I've always been close with her, but lately it's felt different for me than it usually is. Don't get me wrong, I've been with many a lass, and just as many notches under my belt. But Pandy…. is different…"
"Wow, that's….a lot to take in." Oscar said awkwardly. "I never expected someone as upbeat as you had it so rough."
"I've traveled far and wide, mate." Zeke explains. "I've seen many things, the good and the bad. I've seen the worst of humanity…even almost losing belief that I couldn't be a hero or save the downtrodden. Well, until I met Rex, that is."
"I'm not sure I follow all of that, but I at least get the gist of what you're saying." Oscar says. "That lady is the reason you're still here. Sounds to me like she cares about a whole lot about you."
"Still, I'm not sure how I should face her after what happened in the last challenge. And if so, how should I go about letting her know?"
"I'd say you just wing it." Oscar suggests. "Tell her how you feel. It's as simple as that. Plus, you're a grown man. It's not as bad as teenagers trying to hook up."
"Ooooookay…." Zeke said awkwardly. "Last part doesn't make a lick of sense, but I see what you mean. I'll tell her, but I wanna do it when I can find the perfect moment. The Zekenator won't settle for a mediocre confession of love. It has to be something worthy of the Bringer of Chaos! Thanks, chum! I really feel a lot better after chatting with you."
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"Pandy is absolutely the best partner a Driver could ask for." Zeke says. "Fitting, considering the other half of that amazing duo is yours truly. She's always there to go along with my antics and spectacles, and is the reason I'm still alive. If I gotta tell her, we'll do it Zekenator style!"
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"Such a heartwarming story." Charlie says tearfully. "Sounds like something out of a fairy tale."
"I just hope he's doing alright." Pandoria sighs. "He seemed just as distraught about the whole thing. Believe it or not, he's not always as chipper as he appears. Sometimes I know him better than he does himself."
"That's pretty deep." Charlie admits. "He seems a bit more complex than I expected. If he told you he'll talk about it eventually, just give it some time. Let him come to you when he's ready."
"That's fine by me." Pandoria assures. "I can be quite flexible, especially when it comes to him. Besides, it honestly takes a lot of patience with him, but I wouldn't have it any other way. He'd be so lost without me."
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We see Chris sitting in his office, preoccupied with a couple of documents he was looking over.
"Alright, looks like we've got the go ahead to do that challenge down the line."
He's interrupted as Gura drops a paper on his desk.
"Uh…. what's this?" The host asked.
"It's my resignation, remember?" Gura said. "I told you about it like a week ago. My tenure with Hololive is over, and with that I'm heading off to bluer waters. I even found a suitable replacement."
"Oh, right….forgot about that…" Chris said absentmindedly.
"Huh, I figured you'd treat it like a bigger deal." Gura said, sounding a bit bummed. "Thought we'd do something special to see me off. It's my last day, after all-"
Chris raises a hand to shush her.
"Look, this isn't your little idol company, Gawr." He explains. "We don't have any protocol in place for some farewell party for you. We do appreciate your work you've done for this show, regardless. Look, I got a challenge to do today that requires us to leave the island. And it's one I'm not entirely fond of, if we're being honest. If you and the other interns want to celebrate, by all means, go right ahead. But I've got a busy day ahead of me, and places to be."
Hearing that, Gura decided to take him up on that idea.
Chris turns on the intercom, completely ignoring the shark girl now. "CAMPERS, MEET ME AT THE MEETING AREA IN TEN MINUTES!
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Ten minutes later, everyone was gathered at the meeting area as instructed. Still, the scorching heat was taking a toll on some of them.
Charlie noticed that Zeke and Pandoria were side by side once again, but she could still feel the awkward tension as they tried to make small talk.
"Are you…. feeling any better, my prince?" Pandoria asks.
"Oh yeah, never better." Zeke quickly assures. "Still not quite back at a hundred percent, but I'll let you know when I'm good"
"Can we hurry this up?" Luz moans. "I wanna go back to where it's air conditioned."
"I'm still trying to fix the AC in the cabin." Entrapta says. "But it's taking a lot longer than I thought. A lot of your appliances on this planet are quite archaic."
"You can stop sweating about….well, sweating." Chris says. "Our challenge today is taking us to another world."
"Hold on, wise guy!" Max interrupted. "This isn't last season! That was when we were supposed to go to other worlds. No way we're doing all of that shit again!"
"I forget how much of a mouthy little brat you are." Chris said, sounding displeased. "But those episodes brought in big ratings last season. Henceforth, we'll be doing challenges like that sometimes, but we'll be calling them Field Trip Challenges from here on out."
"Would have been nice to know at the beginning of the season." Geralt mutters.
"If you read the whole contract, it was in there." Edgeworth tells him.
"So then where exactly are we going, then?" Kaiba asks.
Chris sighs, not looking pleased. "This wasn't one I wanted to do, but the network insisted. If I do this, I've got the green light for some really juicy challenges later down the line."
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"A challenge even Chris is not fond of doing?" Wendy said. "Maybe by that logic, it'll be something more on the pleasant side."
"Honestly child, I think we both know the answer to that one."
"Hey, I can dream."
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"Ford, if you would."
Ford hands Chris a device very similar to Rick's own portal gun. He shoots it, creating a glowing white portal.
"Well? Who wants to go in first?"
"As long as where we're going is much cooler than how it's been today." Gwen said. "It's sweltering out here."
The contestants and Chris and Chef go through the portal, and find themselves now in a big, colorful metropolis. Everything seemed normal, however there were some people going about their day that looked odd. We see window washers stretching their arms out like a spring to cover more ground. A man walks his dog until it sees a cat, and runs off, the owner's arm stretching out the more the dog runs.
"Fascinating…" Katakuri marvels. "Quite a few people around here with extendable arms."
"Wait…. extendable arms?" Geralt asked. "Why does that sound familiar?"
"Ah, you guys finally made it! In the nick of time, no less!"
Walking up to the cast was Max Brass, now wearing a tan suit, but still wearing his iconic golden helmet.
"Phew, look at the muscles on that guy." Mae said. "I'm honestly kinda jealous."
"Thanks for having us, Commissioner Brass." Chris said. "Everyone, say hello to Max Brass. He's the commissioner of the ARMS League, as well as multi time champion of the ARMS Grand Prix."
"ARMS….." Cinder said, racking her brain. "Now I know that sounds familiar….but something about that word makes me feel sick to my stomach."
Katakuri's face shifts a bit uncomfortably. "She's here…"
"Who-"
"Aww, how could you forget the time we spent together, my dear Cinder?" a slimy, disembodied voice asks. "Honestly, I'm hurt."
Everyone jumps back as Coyle reveals herself, having been invisible this whole time. Cinder meanwhile had fallen on her behind in shock.
"No way….Dr. Coyle?!" Charlie said.
"I thought everything seemed so familiar." Geralt says.
"Wow, that was so amazing!" Entrapta marveled, her eyes shining like stars at Coyle's entrance. "What kinda tech was that?! I need to know!"
Coyle looks at the people before. "My, quite a few unfamiliar faces this time around. And it seems at least one of them is impressed."
"Now I see why you didn't wanna do this, Chris."Tatsumaki said.
"The only genius that's Scarlett levels of deranged." Chris sighed. "Not surprising, considering we had to escort her out of last season's finale like Hannibal Lector."
"You flatter me, McLean." Coyle sneered. "You know I'd like nothing more than to prove my worth against your has been show."
"What about Miu?" Chris asked snidely. "Aren't you more focused on getting revenge on her or something?"
Coyle proceeds to laugh maniacally. "Not anymore, actually. I've moved on from her. I've been looking at the bigger picture for a while, reflecting on my last defeat. It all comes back to your show. It was your show that damaged my reputation. Iruma was nothing more than an extension of that. Since then, I've been training…. developing stronger tech, modifying myself even further, even taking the championship title from my backstabbing former cohort over there!"
Everyone looks at Max Brass, who was looking a bit uncomfortable at the moment.
"Which is why we've invited you here today." Max Brass says. "Another Grand Prix is starting, with Coyle standing at the top now. But some of you are gonna enter the tournament, and face each other."
"Wait, what kind of sport are we playing?" Chie asks.
"ARMS of course, young lady." Coyle explains. "It's the biggest sport in our world. Using the ARMS ability to compete in a multitude of sporting events, with combat being the most exciting of all."
"As of right now, you're all standing in front of the ARMS League HQ." Max Brass explained, gesturing to the towering skyscraper in front of them. "You will compete in a best 2 out of 3 of different events in the ARMS Grand Prix against each other. Winner takes it for their team."
"And one person from the winning team will have the honor of facing me for the championship title." Coyle adds. "In a battle to see who's superior: my brains and ARMS tech, or your pitiful show's crew of riffraff."
"Excuse me, pitiful?!" Chris sputters. "Oh, it is so on, you mechanical menace!"
"The sign-ups are over there at the entrance." Max continues. "We'll need three people from each team to sign up."
"Already on it." Kaiba said, signing up at the entrance.
"Jesus, this guy is effing fast!" Mae exclaimed.
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"It's no Duel Monsters, but I won't back down from a new game." Kaiba said. "This ARMS is just another way to prove myself as a lover of games. I will win, because I never settle for mediocrity. And neither should you."
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"I'll enter this little game." Zeke declares. "That's exactly what I need before I spill my guts to Pandy. A righteous victory is the Zekenator way!"
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Count me in, mate!" Zeke says as he signs up.
"Sign me up for that, I'm so there!" Luz says excitedly as she writes her name on the registration after him.
"PLEASE LET ME PARTICIPATE, YOU GUYS!" Entrapta pleads. "ARMS and its tech sounds so amazing, I just have to see it first hand!"
"I have no problems with that." Bernadetta says. "This sport sounds kinda dangerous, so that tells me it is not rated B for Bernie. You go right ahead."
"Her tech isn't that impressive." Cinder warns Entrapta. "I'd steer clear of her."
"If she really wants to, let the girl compete, Cinder." Coyle says. "You of all people should try to be nicer to your friends."
"This is gonna be so fun!" Entrapta squealed as she signed up.
Ryu nudges Kronk. "Wanna give it a try, pal? I think this would be right up your alley."
Kronk shrugs. "Why not. If it helps my friends, then I'm gonna go for it."
"Looks like the Maniacs have their three players." Chris said. "Weirdos, you need one more player."
Just as Chie steps forward, Aqua shoves her out of the way and signs up.
"Hey, what's the big idea?!" Chie growls.
"This ARMS stuff kinda sounds like the KOF tournament Terry likes to compete in." Aqua explains. "Can't let him have all the fun! I can kick butt too in a sport like this!"
"Excuse me, but can you even fight?" Max adds. "All I've seen you use is stupid ass party tricks!"
"Hey, I go on dangerous quests all the time with my friends!" Aqua assures. "I think I know what I'm doing."
"So it's settled." Coyle says proudly. "You all will be playing in the Grand Prix, but that won't be for a few hours."
"Then what the hell are we supposed to do until then?!" Mao complains.
"Explore the city, of course." Max Brass answers. "There are plenty of sights and attractions to see. Plus those of you that are competing today have the chance to brush up on ARMS, how to play the game, you know how it is. Quite a few famous ARMS fighters are here for the festivities. We've even provided travel guides for all of you."
"Just make sure to be back in time for the games to begin." Chris says.
"Until then, I'll be preparing myself at ARMS Labs." Coyle says.
"Wait, let me go with you!" Entrapta pleads yet again. "Let me see ARMS Labs! I wanna learn everything there is to know about ARMS tech! Pretty please?!"
Coyle was quite taken aback at what this woman was asking.
"This isn't some kind of joke, right? You….. actually want to see my work?"
Entrapta nods furiously. "Uh-huh…I want you to teach me everything you know!"
"She can't be serious…" Cinder groans. "Her of all people?!"
"Don't be such a sourpuss, my dear Cinder." Coyle retorts. "This lady right here is a fellow bright mind that's eager learn new things. Curiosity is the spice of life. Entrapta, was it? You are more than welcome to join me at ARMS Labs until the Grand Prix. Why, I'll even put on a pot of tea."
Chris looks over at Chef. "So, what do you wanna do until then?"
"Maybe see a movie." Chef responds. "Just saw a billboard advertising one with this actress named Twintelle. And she's quite the looker."
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"Don't tell me that geek princess is actually wanting to play around with that walking science experiment." Cinder complained. "The same one that eliminated me last season. She's still not forgiven for that. I'll forgive her when she dies a horrible, torturous death."
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"I don't get why Cinder is so dismissive of Coyle. If anything, she's really amazing!" Entrapta gushes. "i get to learn ARMS and its technology from one of the foremost experts on it! Somebody pinch me, I must be dreaming!"
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In the meantime, we now move our attention back to the island. Gura had rounded up the other interns for a meeting in the mess hall.
"Ladies, gentlemen….Kirbo." Gura begins.
"Poyo!"
"It pains me to tell you today is my last day working with you all. And….I've taken it upon myself that we have ourselves a big party before I go. I've technically got the go-ahead from Chris, and you guys each bring your own talents to the field! So whaddya say?! Who wants to throw the most kickass party they've ever seen?!"
"A party, huh?" Barret mused. "Fuck it, I'm in. I've got nothing better to do."
"If it's a celebration you want, it's a celebration you'll get!" Ginyu says dramatically. "Parties and other get togethers is a great way to build further camaraderie. Men, we must go out and buy party supplies at once!"
The rest of the Ginyu Force salute at the order. "Aye aye, Captain!"
"Oy, do any of you still have that karaoke machine?" Jeice asked. "Now would be good time to bust it out.
"Please tell me there will be plenty of munchies to snack on." Red hoped.
"Oh, you better believe it!" Gura said. "I'm talking pizza, French fries, tacos, hamburgers, the works."
Korine nods, already making a grocery list. "I'll be back later, then! Food is on the way!"
Barret puts his arm around Ford. "Looks like you, me, and the pink puffball are in charge of decorating this shit hole up, newbie. Lucky for you, I have a bit of a knack for decor and style."
"Shouldn't be too hard, I suppose." Ford said. Looking back at Gura, he asks, "Is there anything else you'll be needing?"
Gura rubs her chin, thinking it over. "Actually…. we could really use something special to add a little oomph to this party. Games and music are a given, but we need something to spice it up. We need someone to be the special entertainment. But who…?"
The sound of a door creaking open suddenly draws her attention. We see Yastor exiting the kitchen, carrying a small mountain of mushrooms and already chowing down. He stops right in his tracks as he sees everyone staring at him, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"What?" Yastor said, his mouth full. He struggles for a moment to swallow. "I'm hungry….. mushrooms just happen to be my favorite food."
Gura claps her hands, her tail wagging excitedly. "You'll be perfect, Mr. Legendary Hero!"
Yastor looked utterly confused. "Come again?"
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We see the Weirdos walking through the city, following Kaiba's lead as he holds the guide.
"First thing's first, we're gonna need a spot so we can train without the other team bothering us." Zeke affirms.
"Don't worry, I'm scanning this thing for the right spot for us." Kaiba assures. "I won't settle for anything less than our victory."
"Is that code for we're lost?" Oscar assumes. "Why not let me take a look at that thing. I'll probably find us a good training spot, lickety-split."
Chie snorts at what he just said, and Oscar was clearly offended.
"Something funny?"
"Oh, sorry…" Chie said, trying to hold back her laughter. "It's just you'd probably get us lost so quickly. You probably couldn't find your way out of a mirror."
"Oh yeah, thunder thighs? At least my face doesn't crack them!"
Chie responds swiftly, landing a powerful kick to his gut.
"What did I do to deserve that?" Oscar groans, laying on the ground in agony.
"Ugh, quit yer bellyaching, beanpole!" Lobo complains. "It's pissing me off!"
"Find anything yet, Kaiba?" Tatsumaki asked.
Kaiba flashes his trademark smirk. "While Proud was acting like more of a moron than usual, I did manage to find us somewhere to practice. And what's more, it's not too far from here."
"Seriously, I think she cracked a rib." Oscar wheezed.
"Look old man, I feel you." Max says. "This challenge is gonna be way more painful than that. For a man of your skills, I think that place across the street is the perfect training spot."
Oscar looks at where Max was pointing, only to see…
"WEENIE HUT JR'S?!" Oscar exclaimed. "I do not deserve to train over there!"
"Sorry, my bad. I was talking about the place right next to it."
"SUPER WEENIE HUT JR'S?!"
"You can hang out over there if you want while us ARMS participants actually practice the real game." Kaiba adds.
"Like heck I would!"
"Ah, we're finally here…..the guide simply calls it the Scrapyard."
The team now sees an enormous junkyard, complete with a huge fighting arena made from scrap metal, wood, and other assorted nuts and bolts.
"Um…..are you sure this is the place, Kaiba?" Charlie asks hesitantly. "Doesn't look really professional."
"The guide says it's an official fighting spot supported by the ARMS League, so it's as legit as anywhere else on this map."
"Damn, seriously?" Mae said. "I wish I had a place like this to play around in when I was a kid."
Further in the Scrapyard, we happen upon a decently sized workshop. Inside, we see a teenage girl busy at a work table while wielding welding tools. She had brown shoulder length hair with an ahoge, and wore a blue and yellow form fitting jumpsuit, yellow goggles, and fingerless gloves. An alarm signals above her, snapping her out of her work.
"Huh? Visitors are here again?" The girl smirks as she walks over to a big yellow mech suit with long extendable arms made of coiled plates and jet thrusters on the back. "Showtime!"
As soon as she's in the cockpit of the suit, we see a text box below her.
Mechanica, the Scrapyard Scrapper
A hatch opens above the mech, and she flies out of there like a rocket.
We see the Weirdos looking around the Scrapyard, feeling a bit lost.
"I don't think there's anyone else here." Rodney points out. "How are we supposed to practice here if we don't know where to start?"
"Beats me." Zeke admits. "I'm eager to get started if you ask me. I'm so gonna kick ass out there once the challenge starts."
The conversation was interrupted as Mechanica and her mech descended from the sky and down in front of them.
Don't tell me we're under attack…" Tatsumaki says, readying herself for battle until Katakuri cuts her off.
"Stand down, Tornado. I sense she comes in peace.
"Greetings, visitors." Mechanica says as she hops out of the suit. "So you're the ones the ARMS League was talking about?"
"Uh…I think?" Pandoria answered.
Mechanica nods. "Figured as much. Also, judging by the looks of it, you guys aren't from around here. If you're going to prepare for the tourney, it's best we explain to you the basics of the game."
"The basics you say, lass?" Zeke reiterates.
"Yep. I've watched Max Brass and many of his wins on TV since I was little, so I know what I'm talking about. Rules, the many different types of ARMS weapons, etc."
"Wait, there's multiple kinds of ARMS?!" Aqua groaned. "Nobody said it'd be this complex."
"You better not be wimping out on us now, goddess." Kaiba spat. "You and Shellhead better pull your weight if you want to win, because I will not hesitate to vote you off if you screw up."
"If you'll come with me, I'll get you all set up." Mechanica assures.
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As the Maniacs were walking through the city, they were kind of drawing a blank on where to go.
"This map is far too colorful for my liking." Geralt says. "I can't make heads or tails of this."
"You think we can stop somewhere and get something to eat before we do anything else?" Luz suggests. "I'm starving, and I'd rather eat something that wasn't made by Chef."
"Kid's got a point." Kronk adds, his own stomach growling. "I don't know about you, but it's probably better not to train on an empty stomach."
Hmm…" Geralt looks at the map again. "Seems like there's a pretty popular restaurant just up ahead. A noodle shop, no less."
"Hey, I'm totally down for some ramen." Ryu said. "Sounds like good time to spend some of that prize money. Lunch is on me, you guys—HUH?!"
"What's wrong?" Ruby asked.
"My wallet!" Ryu cried. "I think somebody stole my wallet!"
He glares over at Mao.
"What?! Don't look at me!" Mao defends. "I'd have made sure to let you know I stole it if I did!"
Guys, look!" Gwen points out.
Ahead of them was a man running as fast as he could, Ryu's wallet in hand.
"There's the bastard!" Ryu said.
Just as he was about to chase after him, someone else ran ahead of them. It appeared to be a cop, but he wasn't human. He was robotic, with long arms resembling clockwork main springs and wind up keys on his shoulders. Running at his side was a robotic dog head mounted on a wheel.
Byte and Barq, the Clockwork Cops
"Halt, criminal!" Byte orders in a robotic monotone. "You are under arrest!"
"Come and catch me, pig!" The thief cackled. "I dare you!"
Byte jumps on Barq's head like a launchpad, stretches his arm out, the end shaped like a small heat seeking missile. The arm hits the robber, blowing up in his face and knocking him unconscious.
"Mission accomplished." Byte said.
Barq approaches the unconscious thief and extends a small hand out of his mouth to retrieve the wallet. Byte and Barq return to the Maniacs, and the dog gives him back his wallet.
"Hey, thanks so much."
"That was so awesome!" Wendy gushes. "He used his arms to catch the bad guy like it was nothing."
"Hmm, no doubt he's another famous ARMS fighter." Carla adds.
Byte salutes and walks off. "Enjoy the rest of your day, citizen."
Ryu gives a relieved sigh and looks back at his team. "Glad we got all of that taken care of…..now who's hungry?!"
Ten minutes later…*
The team is now seated in the Mintendo Noodle House.
"Here's your ramen. Enjoy." The server says before heading back into the kitchen.
Wendy inhales deeply at the big bowl placed in front of her. "Mm, it smells so good. This is a nice change of pace."
"No need to thank me." Ryu brags, already slurping down his noodles. "Man, this stuff hits the spot."
"Considering what we've been stuck eating, this is mana from heaven by comparison." Edgeworth adds.
"Guys, check this out." Luz says. She pulls out her phone and shows her teammates a video. "I've been looking more into how this ARMS sport works so we can be better prepared for later. They even have other events that don't involve fighting."
The video showed a fight between two ARMS fighters, known as Ribbon Girl and Misango. The two move around the arena, throwing out punches with ARMS that had different weapons and extensions attached.
"Impressive…" Edgeworth marveled. "That paints a clearer picture of what we're dealing with."
"Aren't you worried?" Bernadetta asked the fledgling witch.
"Why would I be?" Luz asks.
"This sport looks like a pretty dangerous one, especially for someone so….young."
"Pff, I'm not worried one bit. If I could handle Belos, then a sport that's basically boxing with extra steps is child's play."
"Kronk sighs. "I just hope I'm ready. We still haven't found a place to practice."
It was then that the server from earlier came back out.
"Excuse me, but I couldn't help but overhear your little conversation. You're participating in the Grand Prix, correct?"
"You'd be correct." Luz says proudly, gesturing to her and Kronk. "We've got another teammate participating, but she's preoccupied with that Coyle lady."
"And you said you are looking for somewhere to practice?" The server asks.
Before they could answer, a bell rings as another customer enters the establishment. The hulking frame of Max Brass could be seen sitting at the bar.
"Oh, commissioner!" the server gasped. "Just a moment, I'll have your usual out right away."
"Eh, don't rush yourself on my account." Max Brass assures.
As soon as the server returns with his food, she looks back over at Luz and Kronk. "Meet me out back when you two finish. I've got a couple of phone calls to make."
She leaves again, and the two follow after her once they finish. As they continue eating Mao peers over at Cinder, who hadn't touched her ramen.
"What's the matter, you're not hungry?" Mao asked. "Because I'll take it either way."
"It's that Coyle." Cinder spat. "What does Entrapta see in that female tin can?"
"The fact that both have a fascination with science and engineering is probably my best guess." Ryu answers.
"You two hang out quite a bit…." Tokageroh points out. "You're not jealous of the doc, are you?"
"Of course not!" Cinder denies. "That woman has just always been bad news. Anything involving her is always a recipe for disaster. She's probably poisoning her mind, grooming her to be her sinister henchwoman."
"Who're you telling?" Max Brass says as he was eating. "Coyle's always been a stubborn one, but it seemed to me she took a keen interest in her."
"Oh yeah, now I remember." Cinder tells the commissioner. "Earlier, didn't Coyle call you a backstabbing traitor or something?"
Max Brass stops eating, and gives a long winded sigh. "That's how she likes to remember it."
"Ooh, a bit of juicy gossip, I see." Mao says with interest. "You two have quite the crossroaded past, I take it?"
Max Brass nods. "You'd be right in that assumption. She and I go way back. We were friends, colleagues even….but her obsession with ARMS was so strong, it permanently ruined even our partnership."
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(ARMS Laboratories, [NAME REDACTED])
We see a secret laboratory underneath the building. Down here, we see an assembly line or surveillance technology, pipes and wires littering the place.
"And this is the final stop on our tour, my own little home away from home." Coyle finishes. "My scientific place of respite!"
Entrapta is moving around the room at a comically fast pace, making excited noises at all the gadgets, chemical compounds, and machinations.
"This is amazing…. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!" Entrapta happily exclaimed.
Again, Coyle was quite surprised by the girl's enthusiasm. "You're quite the excitable one, aren't you?"
"Sorry, I just can't help myself." Entrapta said. "Everything you've shown me today has blown me away! ARMS tech is such a fun and unique subject!"
"There's no need to apologize for your excitement. If you're excited about something, then be excited. Honestly, you remind me of myself, especially when I was younger."
Entrapta points to something that's covered by a large tarp. "What's under here?! Probably something reeeeeeaally important."
Coyle smirks, impressed at the princess's conversation. "You'd be right, Entrapta. Under there is something I've been working on for months. I'm saving it for…a special occasion, let's say. So I implore you to not peek any further for now."
"So you've been into ARMS all your life, huh? What got you into ARMS in the first place?"
"Oh, how much time do you have?" Coyle responds. "Ever since I was a little girl, I'd always been fascinated with ARMS…..no, obsessed with them, you could say. Unfortunately, I wasn't originally born with it."
Entrapta was confused. "Born with it? What do you mean?"
"In our world, twenty percent of people are born with the ARMS ability." Coyle explained. "My research deduced that it is not some genetic mutation, and it seems to awaken for people during puberty. As a child, I wanted to be the best ARMS fighter in the world, no matter what it took. I was considered a 'once in a lifetime genius', I have 52 doctorates, if anyone could pull it off, I could."
"So then….what did you do?" Entrapta asked.
"I was the youngest person to ever rise to the top of ARMS Labs. That was one part of my dream. In my position, I could research and work to my heart's content. It was then that I met him…. Max Brass."
"The big guy from earlier? The one you called a backstabber?"
"It wasn't like that at first, don't get me wrong. We were partners, colleagues, dare I even say it, as vulgar as it sounds….lab partners…"
"Oooooh, I see what you're getting at.." Entrapta said, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Regardless, we were always so tight knit, working on projects for ARMS Labs and the ministry itself. But it all changed the day I isolated the formula for the ARMS ability. He tried to stop me from doing it, saying the risks were far too great to test it out on myself. The utter nerve of that man, I felt betrayed by his words. To me, it was like he didn't want me to have that kind of power."
She pulls out a photograph that was ripped in half, but taped back together. It was a picture of her and Max Brass many years in the past, working together on an experiment. The two looked so happy together. Looking at that picture again was getting her agitated.
"I told him to get out of my life. That I'd accomplish my dream no matter what it took…..and surprise, it was successful. But having the ARMS ability itself wasn't enough. I needed to modify my own being to the point of being the most powerful ARMS fighter in the world. I fixed and modified any mistakes with myself, any imperfections that'd impede my victory, any failures in mys-"
Entrapta puts her finger up to the Dr's mouth. "Shush. You don't need to be so hard on yourself. There's nothing wrong with imperfections."
"Excuse me?" Coyle gasped.
"Imperfection is what makes scientific experimentation possible. It's the very foundation of science itself. Like I always tell Hordak, imperfections are beautiful, at least to me. You…. honestly remind me a lot of him."
Coyle couldn't believe what she was hearing….but at the same time, she didn't feel it was being said out of jealousy, spite, or maliciousness.
"You…. really stand by what you said?"
Entrapta nods. "Definitely. What you've done to yourself is far from failure. Just look at me, I'm one heck of a failure, but that's not a bad thing. I'm sure you and Max tried to talk it out, you could come to some kind of understanding. He probably said those things because he cared about you."
Coyle laughs haughtily at the mere mention of that. "I'm afraid that ship for us has long since sailed. However…. your stance on failure and imperfections has…I don't know, struck something within me. I've never been good at controlling my emotions, so you'll have to forgive me. When I gave myself this power, I also felt some of my own sanity begin to crumble away."
"You've created so many wonderful things here, including yourself." Entrapta tells her
"All that failure, all that trial and error, has made you and ARMS Laboratories what it is today. Take some pride in that."
Coyle was somewhat touched. Every time she thinks this woman will be like everybody else, she proves her wrong. Her sincerity, compassion, fallacy for perfection, and almost addictive love for science started to endear her to the doc. She smiles, almost looking pained whilst doing so.
"It's far too late for me to step down from the path I've chosen." Coyle admits. "Nor do I have any regrets about it, as you can't change the past. But I feel a kind of…. kinship with you. Perhaps if we had met years before, maybe things would have turned out different."
"If that's your way of trying to become my friend, that's fine by me." Entrapta assures. "Even if you feel alone, just know you have someone like me in your corner."
"Entrapta…"
"Say, can we take another tour around the facility? I really wanna get familiarized with ARMS just one last time before the challenge."
"I'd be delighted to."
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"Coyle is such a fascinating individual, and I'm glad I can see more within her than it feels like everyone else does." Entrapta admits. "My experiences have shown me science has a unique way of bringing the most unlikely people together."
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We now see Kronk and Luz follow the server out back, happening upon an arena that was shaped like a ramen bowl. There were gold trimmed walls, a large gong at the end of the arena, and signs with highly stylized Chinese writing advertising selling ramen.
"Wow, this is trippy…" Luz marvels.
"Welcome to the Ramen Bowl…."
The server once again steps out, and proceeds to transform right in front of them. Her blonde hair flows down, now wearing a beanie shaped like an upside down ramen bowl as an orange mask appears on her face. She now wears a matching orange athletic shirt and shorts, black leggings, and green sneakers. Her arms begin to grow and extend, almost looking like noodles.
Min Min, the Ramen Bomber
Wait…. you're an ARMS fighter too?!" Kronk gasped.
Min Min nods. "That's right. Some compete to test themselves, others do it to advance their careers. As for me, I do it for my family, and to promote our family's noodle shop. If you wanna be ready for this challenge, you've come to the right place."
"Great, so where do we get started?" Luz asked. "I was brushing up on ARMS through videos on our way here, so…"
"First thing's first, I'm not doing this alone. I called in a little favor to a couple of friends, and they're gonna help me train you guys. YOU CAN COME OUT NOW!"
Crashing down from the sky was another ARMS competitor. His body was big, bulky, and wrapped head to toe with bandages and linen wraps. His skin was purple, wearing a gold plated helmet with some of the linen acting like a ponytail, purple, one shoulder wrestling singlet and cyan sneakers. His extendable ARMS were that of his bandages.
Master Mummy, the Grim Creeper
Mummy lets out a monstrous roar, shaking the arena.
"Holy cow, this guy's huge…" Kronk muttered, "and that's coming from me."
The next fighter comes in very acrobatically, almost like parkour. His body was long and slender, almost serpent like. His spiraled irises were heterochromic, being green and purple respectively. He wore a helmet shaped like the head and hood of a cobra, a skintight scaly looking shirt, baggy pants with stylized snakes on them, and white sneakers. His ARMS were like snakes, long, coiled, and scaly.
Kid Cobra, the Speed Demon
"Say hello to your other teachers for the day." Min Min said. "Master Mummy and Kid Cobra, also professional ARMS fighters."
"As she has explained to us, your time is quite limited." Cobra adds. "While you seem to know the basics already, we need to test you on abilities that matter most: your reflexes and ability to think on the fly. Step on these, if you would."
He throws out a couple of objects that almost resemble skateboards. However, they were larger and more rounded, almost like a platform.
"What are these?" Luz asked.
"You see, Cobra here is a professional snakeboarder, another fairly popular sport in our world." Min Min explains. "You two are gonna ride the snakeboards and move around the arena as we try to fight you. By the time we're done, you'll be floating like a snakeboarder, and stinging like spicy ramen. Sound good?"
The two hesitantly step on the snakeboards. A little shaky at first, but they quickly figured out it moves with how their bodies move.
"BRING IT ON!"
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Back at the Scrapyard, we see Kaiba piloting a mech similar to the one Mechanica uses, albeit not as professional and high maintenance. He throws out an extending punch armed with a small attachment that was shaped like a scorpion. The arm hits Zeke, who was also in a similar mech suit. Luckily, he's able to block the shot by crossing the ARMS together, and counterattacks by stretching out to grab the duelist. He then chucks him across the arena.
"Tch, not bad, Shellhead." Kaiba says approvingly. "As for our goddess over here…"
Aqua was also in a mech, panicking as she was hitting buttons.
"Is this the one where I throw out a Power Geyser?! Or is it this one?!"
The button she hit sent out a cupholder in the cockpit. The next one summoned missiles from the back, and the one after that had turned on the radio inside it.
"Argh, this is just way too hard!" Aqua whined. "We've been at this for a while now! How are you guys so much better than me at this?!"
"Sounds like a you problem." Kaiba spat.
"Don't listen to him, lass." Zeke encouragingly tells her. "Just let yourself feel it. Treat the ARMS like just an extension of your body. No need to overthink it."
Mechanica flies down into the arena. "He's right, you know. I was never born with the ability, so I had to get creative when training myself. Focus less on the buttons and widgets inside the suit, and focus on the ARMS themselves. Treat them like they're your own
"Okay….." Aqua says shakily. "I'll give it a try…" She focuses herself, and suddenly equips ARMS that had a heated boxing glove and an electrified bird attached to them. "Wow, look at me go-"
She's interrupted as Kaiba socks her with a punch.
"That doesn't mean I'm going easy on you!
In the stands, the rest of the team was watching them practice.
"So, how are you feeling about our chances?" Charlie asked Katakuri.
Katakuri sighs. "We're surely in for a rough one, I can tell you that. Kaiba is showing the most promise, it's almost like he's a natural at this."
"I still think I should have entered instead of Aqua." Chie said, sounding bummed.
"Bo offense, but it's ARMS, not legs." Mae points out. "One is definitely more your forte."
"I know, but I'd still like to go out there and participate. I can't help but enjoy a good scrap."
"Zeke looks like he's putting so much effort out there." Pandoria noticed. "Way more than the other two."
Zeke then looks back up at her and waves, only to quickly block an attack from Aqua.
"You don't think he's trying to impress you, do you?" Charlie quietly tells the Blade. "It's adorable, honestly."
Pandoria shakes her head. "Don't be silly. He's always been a bit of a showoff. He is the most powerful Driver in Tantal, after all."
It was then that the sounds and sights of fireworks could be seen in the air.
"Looks like that's all the time we have today." Mechanica sighs. "I've done the best I can do."
"You think we're ready?" Aqua asks hopefully.
"As ready as we're going to be." Kaiba admits. "So I hope you two do not screw this up."
"Oh, like he thinks he's mister perfect and can't make any mistakes." Oscar snidely remarks.
"I heard that, Proud!"
"I hope you did, rich boy! Don't act like you're infallible!"
"Here they go again…" Rodney groans. "Can't they just get along?"
"I should've brought some popcorn for this." Max quips.
"Like you could do any better, Proud." Kaiba mocks. "Give me one good reason why you'd be any good at this challenge."
"I'll give you ten good reasons!" Oscar declares. "First of all…"
The scene immediately cuts to him sitting in Super Weenie Hut Jr's, looking bitter as every point of his had been refuted.
"Would you care for another strawberry milkshake, you weenie?!" A robot said as it strolled up to him.
"I'm not a weenie…" the bumbling dad angrily mutters.
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(Buster Beach)
The spectators were chanting in the stands of the beach resort. The Grand Prix has begun, and the excitement was almost tangible.
"Welcome back to another exciting ARMS Grand Prix!" Biff announced. "Once again, it is I, your trusty host Biff, coming to you live from Buster Beach. This year's Grand Prix is quite a different one, as the champion herself has invited individuals from other worlds for such a momentous event! Let's take a look at the first event below, shall we?"
Down below, we see a familiar sight. It appeared to be a volleyball court, with a big net set above the fighters. Zeke and Entrapta could be seen on opposing sides. Zeke wore a chest plate that extended to his arms, covering them in artificial ARMS with red boxing gloves attached. Entrapta wore something similar around her head, but used her pigtails as the ARMS, made easier due to her hair already being prehensile.
"Well, this is a bit of deja vu, isn't it?" Zeke remarks. "Time to make up for Mine and Oscar's loss in that tournament."
Meanwhile, Entrapta was marveling at the ARMS she was using, absolutely geeking out at the frozen market nunchucks attached to them.
"These feel so fun! I feel like a natural!"
Their teammates and the hosts were watching in the stands, as was Coyle.
"Zeke wasn't kidding about the deja vu." Katakuri points out. "Hopefully this'll be different."
"Something tells me this is gonna be different than your average game of volleyball." Edgeworth says.
"C'mon, Zeke! You've got this in the bag!" Charlie cheers.
"Kick her ass, Shellhead!" Chie adds.
"You can do it, my Prince!" Pandoria cheers.
Zeke could pretty easily hear his team cheering him on. "Well now, look at all of the Zekenator's adoring fans….even if he's only concerned about one in particular."
The Nomad looks over and sees Aqua furiously downing bottle after bottle of hard liquor. The goddess quickly took notice of the Nomad's shocked expression.
"What?!" She lets out a small belch. "I'm nervous, alright?! I drink when I'm nervous!"
"So are you nervous 24/7?" Kaiba asks mockingly. "You have a serious problem."
"Hey, it's only a problem if I don't have any!"
"So how did the training go?" Wendy asks Luz and Kronk.
"Honestly, much better than I thought." Luz answers. "I'm feeling really confident in my chances."
"Me too." Kronk adds. "Though I think Luz might be just a bit better than me at this."
"C'mon, don't sell yourself so short. We can win this." Ryu says reassuringly.
"Wonder if brainiac down there is ready." Mao says. "Hopefully she wasn't spending her time goofing off with the green chick."
Cinder hears him, and glares over at Coyle, who wasn't even paying attention to her. Coyle watches the competitors down below quite intently, especially Entrapta.
"I can't wait to see what you're capable of, Entrapta…"
"Our first event is a game of V-Ball." Biff explained as a drone hovers a huge, spherical balloon like ball over the net. "Inside this ball is a small, non-lethal explosive. Both fighters will use their ARMS to pass it back and forth to each other to score a point, much like regular volleyball. The explosive will go off if it hits the ground, or after a certain amount of time has passed. The first to three points wins!"
"Heh, I'm not worried." Zeke confidently declares. "Bring it on!"
"I agree! Let the fun begin!" Entrapta exclaimed.
An alarm begins to count down, the two readying themselves with their eyes on the ball.
3….
2….
1…..
"ACTION!"
Zeke immediately leaps into action, jumping up close to the ball to punch it at her. Entrapta wastes no time, not even moving from her spot as her ARMS counter the hit back at him.
"No telling when this thing's gonna go kaboom." Zeke thinks. "So I gotta wrap this up quickly."
He jumps up and tries to spike the ball by punching it with both fists.
"ULTIMATE LIGHTNING FURY SPIKE!"
Luckily, it was fast enough to fly past her. Entrapta is blown back a bit as the ball pops, and the explosion goes off.
"Looks like Zeke has scored the first point!" Biff exclaimed. "Entrapta is already off to a rough start!"
"Well, looks like we're screwed." Mao said. "Time to cut our losses already."
"You're calling it quits that quickly?" Gwen asked in disbelief.
Entrapta gets back up, not looking bothered in the slightest.
"Wow, that thing really packs a punch. And I'm not talking about the ARMS. Okay, now I think I'm truly ready."
"Come on, at least give me a challenge!" Zeke says. "Something worthy for the Bringer of Chaos! I gotta make this look good for someone!"
Entrapta shakes her head. "Sorry, but all's fair in ARMS and war!"
Another explosive filled ball is hovering above the net.
"ACTION!"
Entrapta does not move, but her hair ARMS stretch out and snatch the ball, constantly knocking it from arm to arm. She moves it back and forth like she's a pro at this.
Zeke's eyes dart back and forth, keeping them tracked on the ball, anticipating what the princess will do next.
"C'mon, quit messing around! Make a move already!"
Entrapta shrugs. "Alright."
She hits it into the air, and looks like she's about to hit it with the left arm. Zeke leaps up to intercept it, but unfortunately for him, he takes the bait. Entrapta pulls a feint, faking him out as she punches the ball as hard as she can. The ball descends quickly, ramming into Zeke and knocking them back down to the ground. Another explosion goes off, and Zeke was sadly at the epicenter of that one.
"Oof, that one's surely going to leave a mark." Biff winced. "Entrapta evens up the score!"
"Ugh….that one stung like a bitch…" Zeke groans, getting back up….
Only to get hit by another ball that hits him and explodes on impact.
"Gotta keep your eye on the ball!" Entrapta giggled.
"And that's 2-1!" Biff says.
"Aw come on!" Zeke complained. "I wasn't ready yet!" He looks back up at his team, still seeing them cheering him on.
"This next round could decide the match!" Biff warns. "Entrapta has the high ground, but can Zeke close the gap?!"
Zeke gets back up, and takes a deep breath. "Of course I can. I'm Thunderbolt Zeke….just who the hell do you think I am?!"
Another ball hovers down. Things almost take the feeling of a Wild West standoff, complete with a tumbleweed. Zeke stares intently at Entrapta, while Entrapta is focusing on shuffling through the ARMS attachments she had, settling on ones that looked like green and black scaly mittens.
"Ooh, the Slamamander. Yep, these are what I wanna finish with."
Little sparks of electricity begin to spark around Zeke.
"ACTION!"
Zeke moves at a lightning speed, leaving behind an afterimage of himself. He hits the ball before Entrapta can, but the ARMS Entrapta equipped were fast and tricky ones. She reacts swiftly, hitting it right back at him equally fast.
"I'm not giving up yet, pal!" Zeke says.
He hits the ball again, and Entrapta easily returns the hit. The two keep going back and forth, the ball going faster and faster. The ball itself had even ignited into flames from all the increasing friction through the air.
"I don't believe it!" Biff gasps. "I've never seen such speed! This is even faster than the championship bout from '97! It's gone from V-Ball to the craziest game of hot potato I've ever seen!"
The back and forth between just kept going and going. It was only a matter of time before the ball would explode, so both were trying to make sure it went off on the other's side. That is, until as soon as it hits Zeke's side, it goes off. Thankfully, he didn't get hit by the explosion this time.
"And that's the match!" Biff announced. "Entrapta wins the first game for her team!"
Zeke drops to his knees in disbelief. After all of his hard work and training, it all amounted to nothing.
"That was fun!" Entrapta said. "Looks like I win!"
She looks up to see most of her team applauding her. Coyle looks down at her, simply nodding at the girl's achievement. It was a small gesture of approval, but Entrapta gratefully accepted it.
"No…..it's not possible…this wasn't supposed to end like this…" Zeke said bitterly. "I failed…"
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"This wasn't how it was supposed to end!" Zeke cried. "We all know how the story goes! The hero wins and defeats the opposition in an epic manner, his allies celebrate his victory, and then he confesses his love to the girl! Now that weird lass went and ruined it! I'm so ashamed!"
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He somberly walks back to his team. They all could see how beaten up he looked about it all.
"Whoa, you look worse than death, dude." Chris laughed.
"My prince….are you alright?" Pandoria asked.
"Of course not, he failed." Kaiba said. "He should feel bad about it. Let that be a lesson for his mistake."
Pandoria looked over at Kaiba, and she did not look pleased.
"As stubborn and immature as he can be, Oscar is probably right about you. You talk all this big talk about how good of a game player you are, and act like such an arrogant tool! Zeke tried his best out there! Entrapta was just too good."
Kaiba scoffs. "Perhaps you and Shellhead should join him at Super Weenie Hut Jr's, then."
"Maybe we will! C'mon, Zeke!" She takes her Driver's hand and storms off.
"Let them wallow in their self pity." Kaiba huffs. "I'll go next, so that way we can at least guarantee a tiebreaker."
"Considering your attitude, you better hope you can back those words up." Katakuri said sternly.
"Please, just you wait. Do you forget who I am? I'm Seto Kaiba after all."
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"I was tempted to say, "I'm Seto 'Pure, Unadulterated Ego' Kaiba, but I'm still trying to be nicer to my team." Tatsumaki said. "Unfortunately, I came very close to letting that slip out…"
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"Heh, more like Seto 'Pure Unadulterated Ego' Kaiba." Lobo said.
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"At least someone said it." Tatsumaki chuckles.
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A little bit later, we move to another part of Buster Beach, which was now an outdoor basketball court with one hoop.
"The next event is now upon us, folks!" Biff said. "Round two is here, and it's time for our fighters to play a game of Hoops!"
Kaiba and Kronk both step out onto the court, wearing similar vests to the one Zeke wore.
"Ice that snob, Kronk!" Ryu cheers.
"You've got this!" Bernadetta adds.
The whole team starts chanting Kronk's name, really reassuring the gentle giant.
"I won't let you guys down." Kronk says determinedly.
"Sorry you oaf, but there can only be one winner." Kaiba says confidently. "And I don't lose, period."
"There he goes, running that mouth of his." Mae points out. Looking over at Max, she says, "Remind me to never act like him if I ever become rich and successful in the future."
"If he loses this, we're all in agreement his ass is going home, right?" Max asked.
"Yep." Several of his teammates agreed.
"Unlike regular basketball, Hoops is a little different." Biff explains. "While you still score points in the hoop, the ball is not a basketball….. it's you. Using your ARMS, you must grab your opponent and throw them into the hoop to score a point. Scoring up close gets you two points, while shooting from behind the arc near the back of the court will earn you three points. The first to score ten points wins!"
"Just gotta remember my training." Kronk says. "Float like a snakeboarder, sting like spicy ramen."
"Hmph, this'll be easy." Kaiba said. He shuffles his ARMS weapons until he settles on ARMS shaped like Chinese dragons. "I'll have this challenge won in under a minute, and that's a guarantee."
Kronk settles on attachments that include a big, bulky, electrified ball, and one shaped like a party popper.
"Is everyone ready?!" Biff asked. "Then ACTION!"
Kronk fires out the popper, but Kaiba quickly moves to outside the arc, charging his ARMS up in the process. Once he reached his desired spot, he threw out a dragon arm, firing a beam out of its mouth. It hits Kronk in the face, stunning him for a moment.
"AHHH! MY EYES! I CAN'T SEE!"
Kaiba wastes no time, throwing both ARMS out to grab him, and throws him towards the hoop. Despite his size, Kronk slides through the hoop very easily, scoring three points on the fly.
Kaiba smirks. "Heh, you won't even be given the chance to counterattack, you big buffoon."
Just as Kronk is about to land in the ground, Kaiba's ARMS intercept him and drop him into the hoop again, scoring another three points.
"Hey! Is he allowed to do that?!" Luz angrily asked.
Coyle gives her iconic laugh. "Of course he is, child. No rule against it, though this is the first time I've ever seen someone try that. That Kaiba is quite the crafty one."
"I knew it was a good idea to pick this guy for my show." Chris said proudly. "This guy is ratings gold!"
Everyone watches in disbelief as Kaiba does that to Kronk over and over again, scoring three point shots until he stops at twelve points.
"Through unorthodox methods, Kaiba wins the game of Hoops!" Biff announced. "He closes the gap for his team, which means we'll have to have a tiebreaker! This next event will be for all the marbles!"
Kaiba finally lets Kronk touch the ground, and proceeds to walk off the court.
"Word to the wise, Pepikrankenitz. When you come at the King…. don't."
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"How am I just now learning Kronk's last name?" Bernadetta wonders.
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Kaiba returns to his team, all of them quite shocked.
"Still think I'm all talk?" The duelist smugly asks.
"Well I'll be damned." Tatsumaki said.
"Seems like a scummy way to play, but at least it helped catch us up, there's a silver lining." Chie points out.
"Guess this means it's all up to Aqua…" Rodney says.
"Speaking of Aqua, where is she?" Charlie asked
"I think she went to the bathroom." Lobo said.
Kronk looks dejected as he returns to his team.
"Sorry guys, I just wasn't good enough."
Ryu disagrees. "Not good enough, my sexy ass! That Kaiba guy just played cheap! That was a low and dirty move!"
"Maybe after this they'll hopefully make a rule about it." Ruby says hopefully.
"Don't worry, big fella." Luz reassures. "It's up to me now. I'll avenge you!"
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In the bathroom, we see Aqua in front of the mirror, chugging down another bottle of booze.
"This sport is freaking crazy!" She exclaimed. "I'm not gonna survive this insanity! Maybe just a few more and I'll be drunk enough that the pain won't faze me! Yeah, that's it! Then I'll be able to play through the pain and win!"
She was interrupted from her freakout as Charlie entered the bathroom.
"Ah, I finally found you."
"Charlie!" Aqua cried. "I'm kinda in the middle of *up* something here!"
"I'm really sorry, but the final match is about to begin." Charlie explained. "You're about to face Luz in the finals as we speak."
Aqua quickly finishes the bottle she had, and takes a deep breath.
"Okay…..I can do this." Aqua psyches herself up. "It's just some kid….I can handle a kid. It's not like facing monsters and demons….I CAN DO THIS!"
"That's the spirit!" Charlie tells her. "C'mon, we need to head over to the HQ."
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Once again, we find ourselves back at the Sky Arena, sat atop the ARMS League HQ.
"It's time now for the final round." Biff says dramatically. "It all comes down to this. The goddess of water Aqua versus the fledgling witch in training, Luz."
Aqua stumbles out, wearing the ARMS vest her teammates wore.
"Is she alright?" Katakuri wondered.
"Nope." Mae says. "That chick is totally hammered like an SOB."
"Is it some kind of battle strategy?" Chie asks.
"Yeah, somehow I doubt that." Max says.
Luz comes out onto the arena floor, only having her Palisman with her.
"Hey Stringbean. Think you can turn into something besides animals or people?"
The snake-shifter nods, transforming into a set of ARMS nearly identical to the ones the others use. Rather than having special attachments, she opted for just big fists.
"Oh yeah, now that's what I'm talking about!" Luz exclaimed. "Someone's getting extra treats when this is over!"
"This round has no special gimmicks." Biff explains. "Simply battle your opponent until they can't fight anymore. These two are gonna slug it out with good 'ol fisticuffs until one goes down."
Aqua was staring down Luz, but her vision was getting a bit blurry.
"I'm gonna knock ya into next week, kid…" Aqua slurred.
"Uh….you feeling alright?" Luz asks.
"Winner takes all, it all comes down to this!" Biff said. "Let the match begin!"
"Heh heh *hic*...here comes my epic attack." Aqua said.
She throws out a pretty fast punch. As it's coming towards Luz, she remembers back to her training. Not just dodging Min Min and co's attacks while riding a snakeboard, but Katakuri's training as well.
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"Okay, look." Luz explains. "Chie and especially Wendy are much faster at learning that Haki stuff than I am. But I've got at least some of it down. Magic is more my specialty, but I've still got a while to go before I'll be wielding both like extensions of myself. He always says Haki blooms even further in battle. Time to test that theory out."
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She closes her eyes, focusing as she tries to properly sense where Aqua is gonna strike. Things look dark until she finally sees a glimpse of an arm coming at her. She dodged, moving her body in an almost serpent like manner.
"Whoa, what an incredible dodge!" Wendy exclaimed.
"She's floating like a snakeboarder." Kronk said in awe. "Hopefully she can sting like spicy ramen."
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"She's trying to tap into the Color of Observation." Katakuri said. "Guess my training may end up being a double edged sword for me if our team loses."
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"Hey!" Aqua cried. "How'd you move like that?! Holy crap, am I that drunk…?"
"Alright, lady." Luz says confidently. "Do your worst. I double dare you."
Aqua was beginning to get irritated. She was taking the bait Luz was throwing.
"Show me some respect! I'm no mere lady! I'm a freaking goddess, dammit!"
She begins to throw out a barrage of punches. Just as they're about to hit Luz, she focuses once again. One by one, she swiftly moves through each punch, getting closer and closer to Aqua. Once she was in a prime spot, she hits Aqua in the face with an extending punch.
"HA, THAT TICKLES!" Aqua cackled, continuing to throw out punches. Like she predicted, the pain was lessened considerably due to her drunken stupor.
"Time to improvise!" Luz said.
Aqua continues to hound down Luz with her punches, but the witch was getting a bit better and better at seeing and predicting the attacks the more she kept doing it. She strikes her with a punch, dodges her attacks, rinse and repeat.
"Stand….still…" Aqua wheezed, beginning to get out of breath. "Hold on…"
Finally, she stops punching for a moment, wanting to catch her breath. As she's panting, Luz walks up in front of her.
"Ready to call it quits?" Luz asked smugly.
Aqua looks up at her, unresponsive. After a moment of silence, she vomits rainbows all over Luz. The audience gasps at such a vulgar display.
"She didn't…" Gwen said in disbelief.
"She did." Geralt sighed.
Lobo was seen laughing his ass off.
"Wow, what an absolute dumbass!"
Luz was stunned, being soaked in Aqua's disgusting stunt.
"I can taste your vomit in my eyes."
"Oh god…. I'm so sorry…" Aqua says drunkenly.
Luz sighs and shakes the vomit off of her.
"Alright, I think we're done here." She reels a punch back, the arm turning black and hardening up with Armament Haki. "How about this for a chaser!"
She throws out the fist, hitting Aqua square in the gut. Not only does her ARMS shatter, but Aqua is sent flying into the wall.
"Booyah, I win!" Luz says proudly.
"What a turnaround!" Biff happily exclaimed. "Luz wins it all, despite the gross setback! Victory goes to the Maniacs! They win the Grand Prix!"
The Maniacs all cheer and celebrate at their victory, as the Weirdos groan at their loss.
"Well, there goes our little streak of good luck." Max says bluntly.
"Maaaaaaaan…" Chie whines.
"I don't know who was more pathetic, the goddess or Shellhead." Kaiba says. "Both were just absolutely atrocious."
"Come on, they both tried their best." Charlie said.
"She came out fucking sloshed, and vomited on on her opponent." Max points out. "If that's trying your best, then I'm president of the United States!"
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Once everyone's outside the arena, Chris congratulates the Maniacs.
"Kudos to you guys for putting up one heck of a fight. As promised, immunity and the spa hotel are yours."
"Finally!" Ryu cheered. "About freaking time!"
"But…. before we go back and eliminate a Weirdo, we have to uphold Coyle's little deal." The host says begrudgingly. "Doc, the floor is yours. Pick whichever Maniac you want to fight.
Coyle insects the team, weighing her options. "Hmm, decisions, decisions…"
"Let me fight, let me fight…" Mao says hopefully.
"Don't pick me, don't pick me…" Bernadetta said, crossing her fingers.
"I would be honored to challenge you!" Entrapta volunteered.
"Don't waste your time with this green tin can." Cinder tells her. "She's already poisoning your mind enough as it is."
Coyle stops, slowly turning her gaze onto Cinder.
"It seems all this time hasn't changed that nasty mouth of yours, Cinder." She drawls. "You're so hard on the girl. We had such a fun afternoon together."
"Yeah?" Cinder retorts. "Well, I'd rather you just stick to your experiments than trying to corrupt or once trick anyone else in this game."
Coyle chuckles. "Even after your many failures, you still think you're so big and bad. To hell with a bloody choice, I'm going to fight…..you."
Cinder snorts "Me? I'll reduce you to ash with a quickness."
"Ohohohoho! Then let's raise the stakes why don't we. Not only will you fight me, this battle will be….to the death!"
Everyone gasps.
"She's not serious, is she?!" Entrapta asks Max Brass. "I don't wanna see either of them die!"
"The champion is allowed to make rules like that." Max Brass sighs. "Very rarely does a champion issue such a fight."
"So….. we're not legally liable if Cinder bites it, right?" Chris asks.
"Always asking the important questions." Katakuri sarcastically remarks.
"The ARMS League takes full responsibility for stuff like this in the case of a death match." Max Brass answers.
"You're almost not even worth killing." Cinder keeps going. "Why should I waste my time dealing with you?"
"Tell ya what, Cinder." Chris begins. "You beat her, and you get personal immunity the next time your team loses a challenge."
Cinder raises her eye in surprise. Immunity was too good of an offer to refuse.
"And if I lose?"
"Then we'll dedicate today's episode for you. Either you win and get your immunity, or you straight up die."
Cinder looks back at Coyle, grinning maliciously.
"Alright, Coyle. I'm game. I'll fight you, so long as I'm allowed to fight the way I'm more comfortable with."
"But of course." Coyle responds. "Though I'll be using my ARMS. It'll be more fun if we both fight at our peaks. Be ready in twenty minutes, for your funeral awaits."
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"This'll be easy." Cinder affirms. "I can't stand that Coyle with every fiber of my being. I'll make an absolute example of her in front of everyone. And personal immunity to boot."
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"So Cinder is gonna fight this lady?" Mao said. "A battle between two baddies will be brilliant for my research!"
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"Ever since our first season, Coyle has always been a slippery one." Edgeworth said. "She hasn't done anything yet this season, so a small part of me hopes Coyle wins, and that
As Coyle was preparing herself in the stadium's locker room, Entrapta bursted in.
"You have to call this fight off!" The princess of Dryl pleads. "I'm sure there's some way we could work something out!"
Coyle sighs. "You're a caring soul, Entrapta. Way more than I could ever be. However, there's no going back now. I told you I'll do whatever it takes to achieve my goals."
"I don't want either of you to die!"
"Entrapta….I may be an awful person, but Cinder is a special kind of heinous. She's more like….a rabid beast that needs to be put down. A tantruming child, if you would. My goal, whether I win or lose, is to put that beast in her place. When two people agree to a duel, they fight it out to the bitter end."
"Guess there's no talking you out of it." Entrapta said somberly. "And after we had such a fun day together…"
Coyle pats her on the head.
"Don't feel too bad. Unlike her, you've done nothing wrong. You're a good girl…you've even touched my cold, metal heart just a teensy bit. Here…"
She pulls out an envelope, and hands it to Entrapta.
"What is this?"
"Take it." Coyle insists. "Just promise me you will not open it unless I lose. Got it?"
Entrapta looks at the envelope curiously. She still didn't want them to fight each other, yet she knew no amount of talking would convince her otherwise. However, she trusted the doc's judgement.
"Okay, I promise."
"Good. Something tells me my new creation will be needed….so that I may put her in her rightful place.
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Everyone was back at the Sky Arena as both Cinder and Coyle stood across the battlefield from each other, glaring the other down.
"T-this is unprecedented, folks…" Biff said in disbelief. "It's been many years since an ARMS champion issued a death match to another opponent. Even the commissioner has never done so throughout his entire career."
Max Brass was watching high up in the stands, shaking his head in disbelief.
"What are you trying to prove here…. Coyle…?"
"Nomad…." Katakuri said. "I'd like for you to take the kids elsewhere. They shouldn't have to see what's about to go down."
The Nomad nods, and tries to escort Wendy, Max, Luz, and Ruby out of the stadium. However, Max resists.
"No way in hell I'm missing this! If I had to see the Quartermaster's disgusting old people parties, then this is nothing."
The pirate sighs, not knowing what he was talking about, but relented anyway.
"Fine. But I really advise the others not to see this."
"I don't have a clue who's going to take this." Ryu said.
"Personally, I feel it's a coin flip." Geralt says. "It could go either way."
"Let me guess…. she's your all's Heather?" Gwen asked.
"You don't know the half of it…" Edgewood responds.
"You know, I will admit you do have quite the brain on you." Cinder remarks. "Salem could use a freak of your talents."
"Ohohohoho, how ironic of you to call me such a thing." Coyle said cockily. "Why work with your ilk, when I can just bring her your head instead?"
"Tch…" Cinder scoffs. "You'll be eating those words when I'm done with you. Considering you still have a mouth by the time this is over!"
"Ohohohoho, I love it when they monologue back…"
Coyle switches her ARMS to ones that look like mini Hedloks.
"Last time she fought in this arena, she sent poor Spring Man to the hospital." Biff said nervously. "He's still in there, fighting for his life to this day. These two are going to go all out. No gimmicks, no rules…. honestly, I'm scared to death right now."
We got a split screen of both glaring each other down. Bits of fire and electricity flare around them.
"It is time…." Biff said hesitantly. "LET THE BATTLE COMMENCE!"
Cinder immediately wastes no time. She puts her hands to the ground, superheating the floor as dozens of hot, bladed weapons emerge from it and float around her.
"You'll be more dead than that vampire fraud DIO manhandled!"
With a wave of her hand, the weapons all fly towards Coyle. As she's doing this, she makes two curved, obsidian swords in her hands that ignite.
"Is that really the best you got?" Coyle drawls.
She throws out a flurry of punches, shattering each blade into tiny shards of glass. She's even seen dodging one in slow motion that comes really close to stabbing her in the face.
Cinder comes down above her, swords swinging overhead as she tries to cleave her. Coyle weaves out of the way, and dodges more of her aggressive slashes.
"So sloppy, you fight like a rabid animal!" The scientist says mockingly.
"Don't you DARE mock me!" Cinder growled, getting a good cut on Coyle across the chest. "Gotcha-"
She looks to see one her ARMS aimed right at her face. The mouth on the attachment opens up, and hits her point blank with an explosive fireball. Cinder is sent flying back, but stabs one of her blades into the ground to stop herself.
"Such a good hit…." Coyle says. "Though if I'd wanted to not get hit, I would have dodged that. It was the perfect opportunity to get a clean shot."
"You bitch…." Cinder snarled.
Coyle chuckles, and promptly hides herself by turning on her invisibility.
Cinder puts her swords together, welding them into a huge bow, complete with flaming arrows.
"Where did you go, you freak?"
As she's aiming her weapon in multiple directions, all she can do is hear Coyle mocking her.
"Indeed…..where am I, Cinder? Maybe I'm here!"
Coyle reveals herself as Cinder is hit with a sucker punch, only to turn invisible again.
"Or maybe HERE?!"
She does it again, only now from a different angle.
"How about here?! Or there?! Ooh, how about over here?!"
She keeps doing this to the maiden over and over, further infuriating her opponent!
"Reveal yourself NOW!"
Cinder screams, letting a huge stream of fire shoot out of her mouth continuously. She aims it up into the sky, as Coyle reveals herself, only so she could block the attack with her arms.
"Big mistake!"
Cinder stops, and fires a couple of arrows at Coyle. The doc wasn't turned invisible again, but it was too late. The shot pierces her in the shoulder and in her flight pack, and she falls back to the ground in agony.
"That was a lucky shot!" She spat.
"Aww, is little Max Brass Jr gonna cry?" Cinder taunts, slowly approaching her. "You were talking such a big game a minute ago."
"I'm nothing like him…." Coyle said bitterly, trying to get back up. "I'M BETTER! SUPERIOR IN EVERY WAY TO ALL WHO USE ARMS!"
Her shoulder pads open, and more ARMS sprout out of them. They were armed with folded rice paper umbrellas with an electrified bauble at the end that moved around like an eye.
"You sure are one sick freak." Cinder retorts.
"Jealous, much? They're prettier than that abomination you call your left arm!"
Cinder's Grimm arm stretches out, and grabs Coyle by the neck. Unable to break free from her grip, Cinder starts carrying her over to the wall of the arena, using her other arm to blow a hole in the wall. Cinder now holds Coyle over the edge, ready to drop her to her death.
"It's time we end this little game." Cinder says triumphantly. "I'm going to dispose of you here, and conquer this game, and stand powerful at the top like I deserve!"
How does Coyle react, you ask? Does she get angry? Flatter Cinder? No, she merely laughs.
"What is this?!" Biff exclaimed. "Cinder has Coyle's very life in her hand, but the doctor is….. laughing?"
"What is she up to?" Katakuri asks suspiciously.
"Oh, of course you are!" Coyle responds. "Because that's just what you do, isn't it?! And how did that turn out?!"
"What?!" Cinder snapped.
"Your first season, you teamed up with DIO the first chance you got, hoping you would dominate the game….but you didn't. You were made a fool as he betrayed you, and got you unceremoniously eliminated."
Being reminded of her failure was getting Cinder very angry, almost erasing the confident demeanor she had only a moment ago.
"Oh, and let's not forget Infinite 2!" Coyle continues. "You teamed up with me, with the same hope as last time! And you failed. It's almost as if someone was smart enough to pull the rug out from under you again. Oh wait….I DID! But you acted as stubborn as usual, and paid the price again!"
Cinder suddenly drops to her knees, crying out in pain. Her whole body was being electrified by….some weird collar on her neck. One that had Coyle's logo on it
Coyle takes this opportunity to break free of her grip and stretch far enough to grab back onto the stage.
Cinder grabs at the collar, being zapped further as she now felt something deep inside of her taking even more pain.
"Do you like it, Cinder?" Coyle asks, walking around her. "It's my newest creation. I call it Soulok. Now, I can not only read your soul, but damage it directly!"
"Screw you—AGGGGHH!"
Cinder howls in pain, the shocks hurting her even down to her very soul.
"Feels familiar, doesn't it?" Coyle ominously asks. "Back to when you were a child?"
"H-how did you-"
"I told you….I can read your soul like a book. You don't have the willpower to break free."
Cinder's mind flashes back to specific moments from her past. Being bullied by the other orphans, and worked to death as a child slave by her wicked stepmother and stepsisters. They'd even made her always wear a shock collar, shocking her regularly.
"All you are is a scared, angry little girl." Coyle continues, for her and everyone to hear. "Who the only family she ever had was mean to her, and now wants to make it everyone else's problem. You think you're entitled to everything just because you've suffered, but suffering isn't enough!"
Cinder continues to face the shocks, and everyone sees her….
"Is she…crying?" Mae asked in disbelief.
Sure enough, she was. She was angry, she was crying, and everyone could see it.
"You can't just be smart, you have to be smart!" Coyle tells her. "You can't just be deserving, you have to be worthy…BUT ALL YOU HAVE EVER BEEN…."
She stands in front of Cinder once again, glowing yellow as she was about to unleash an ARMS Rush.
"…..IS A BLOODY MIGRAINE!"
Cinder proceeds to get pummeled way harder than ever before, getting the worst beat down she'd ever had in such a long time. With one last punch, Cinder was sent flying into the wall.
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"Well, I don't think anybody has ever hurt her ego so badly." Edgeworth says. "I almost kind of pity her."
I find it hard to take her seriously after this display."
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She slumps down, unmoving. She was on the verge of death, and it was clear.
I want to be strong…
Coyle stands above her once again, a drill arm now appearing out of her body.
"This was fun, little Salem Jr, but now let's finish this, starting by dissecting you."
I want to be feared…
"Let's start by plucking your eye out, giving you a matching set.
I WANT TO BE POWERFUL!
Just as she was about to finish her off, she's knocked back as a powerful shockwave shakes the arena. Black lightning crackles all over as Cinder lets out a loud, beast-like roar. Many more in the stands, and even Biff himself, pass out from it.
"N-no…" Katakuri said grimly. "It can't be…the Color of the Supreme King?!"
Chie immediately put the pieces together. "Wait….you don't mean…"
"She has Conqueror's Haki!"
Cinder quietly stands back up, physically exerting her willpower over everyone. Coyle was on the ground, slowly backing away in fear.
Cinder slowly walks towards her enemy, now covering her arms in large, flaming fists. Her Haki was still going haywire, as the Soulok collar burned to dust…"I had felt your soul too, doc. You only want power to be the best at a stupid sport….I want it for REAL reasons…. useless, useless, useless!"
She returns the favor, throwing out a punch barrage that would make DIO proud.
"MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA!"
"MUDA!"
With one final punch, most of Coyle's body gets burned to dust, ARMS included. All that's left is her head, rolling on the ground, yet still alive. Now it was Cinder's turn to loom above her enemy.
"Looks like…my science could only…go so far…" Coyle said bitterly.
"Answer me one last thing, doc." Cinder said ominously. "Do you believe in destiny?"
Even as her life was about to end, Coyle showed no fear here, scoffing at her question. "Of course not. It has no place in science. You may have won the battle, but today you've been burned far worse than anything you could ever inflict-"
CRUNCH!
Cinder stomps on Coyle's head with a flaming heel as blood, metal, and chunks of skull fly everywhere, only to be burned to nothing by Cinder's flames.
"Says the loser I just stepped in." Cinder said triumphantly.
The Conqueror's Haki finally dies down. People seeing Cinder right now, she appeared like a bloodstained demon.
"No…" Entrapta said tearfully.
"Holy crap…" Lobo mutters.
"Coyle…" Max Brass said somberly. "I wish it didn't have to end like this…"
It was then that Biff finally woke back up, in shock at what lay before him.
"It's unheard of…. I can't believe it…Cinder has slain Coyle. She wins…."
"Hmph…Brass can have his stupid championship title back." Cinder said. "It's pointless to me."
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"That vile woman hurt me way worse than any physical pain…so I made her hurt more." Cinder said darkly. "From here on out, no more messing around. I will win, and I will sit powerful over everyone else. And now I have this Haki I've long desired. Never in this game will anyone make me feel powerless…ever again…"
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"Cinder being born with Conqueror's Haki….this is not good…" Katakuri said worriedly.
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"I didn't like Coyle, but man….even I kinda feel bad for her here." Chris remarked. "I think that's our cue to leave."
"Cinder will surely be a tough enemy to defeat." Kaiba said. "Though now, I absolutely pity her. But I suppose I can think about that later. Can't forget to pick up Proud and the Blunder Twins before we leave…"
"Yeah, I'm frankly done with today…" Aqua said weakly. "Urp, hold on…."
The goddess runs off to throw up again.
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"TURN DOWN FOR WHAT!"
Back on the island, Gura's farewell party was currently underway, as it had been for hours. The mess hall was booming with rave music and color changing lights. The table was laden with one hell of a buffet, where Red was currently face deep in a platter of chicken nuggets. The Ginyu Force were showing off their coordinated dance moves on the dance floor.
"Men, it's now time for dance formation #41!" Ginyu orders.
"Yes, Captain!"
Ford and Barret stood by the refreshments, mostly vibing and admiring their handiwork.
"Looks like those otherworldly lights I stole from an alien civilization in another universe years ago have finally found some use." Ford said proudly. "Better than them sitting around and collecting dust."
"You said it, mothafucka." Barret responds.
Gura was on a stage, jamming out as she sang and danced to the song. Once it finishes, Yastor appears from behind a curtain, breathing a stream of fire into the air. He snaps his fingers, and the fire takes the shape of Gura, down to the last detail. It dances for a moment, only for the flames to them change shape again, spelling out, "GOODBYE, GAWR GURA'"
"How was that one?" Yastor asked. "Better than the other ones I made? Even better than the dragon."
"Definitely." Gura tells him. "Thanks for… lighting things up, so to speak."
"It was nothing. I've been feeling kinda shitty the past few days, so this helped a lot. Been a while since I partied this hard."
Gura nods. "Thank you. It's been lots of fun making my last day as enjoyable as possible….but now I think it's time for me to go…"
5 Minutes Later…*
The crew had all followed Gura to the beach. Gura looks out to the sunset, an almost somber tone filling the air.
"So this is how it ends, huh?" Barret said.
"That's right." Gura says. "My replacement will be here shortly. I've had lots of fun even since coming up here from Atlantis. Joining Hololive, working on this show…it's been fun. But now it's time for new beginnings…to start anew elsewhere…"
The Ginyu Force were all in tears, passing around a box of tissues.
She starts walking into the water. "May we see each other again someday, you knuckleheads. No matter how we grow, I'll always be the same same desu."
"Good luck out there, wherever the water takes you." Yastor says.
Gura kept walking and walking, until she was completely under the water, and on her way.
"Well, when one chapter ends, another one begins." Ford said. "Wonder where she'll go now?"
The water begins rippling a little bit.
"Is that her replacement?" Korone asked.
Emerging from the water was a short woman who was about the same height as Gura. She had long, honey blonde hair tied into twin tails, with a blue highlight in it, and cat ears popping out. She wore a casual white dress, strapped beach sandals, and had a long, blue fish tail.
"Yo-ho~!" The girl greeted. "I'm Sameko Saba, but just Saba is fine. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
Yastor was dumbfounded upon seeing her. There was just no way.
"Wait a minute, you're not fooling me! We just saw you leave!"
Saba cocks her head in confusion. "Huh? I've never met any of you before."
"Even your voice is the same!" Yastor exclaimed. "What's going on?"
"It's probably just a coincidence, Yastor." Ford explains. "I'm sure Gura isn't the only fish humanoid from Atlantis."
Yastor still wasn't buying it. He knew he was right. What was this girl's deal? He wasn't crazy, right? Right?
"I think I need another drink…"
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That evening, everyone was back on the island. The Weirdos sat at elimination, the Maniacs watching from the peanut gallery. A few of Cinder's teammates were keeping a distance from her.
"Welp, that surely was one heck of a day." Chris said gleefully. "And I got to see Coyle bite the dust. It's like Christmas for me. Anyway, elimination time! The following players are safe…"
"Mae…"
"Charlie…"
"Rodney…"
"Nomad…"
"Max…"
"Lobo…"
"Chie…"
"Kaiba…"
"Tatsumaki…"
"Katakuri…"
"And Oscar…"
It was down to just Zeke and Aqua. Aqua, having sobered up now, looked terrified. Zeke had still looked quite despondent, with Pandoria looking concerned.
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"Well, I'm fully prepared to get eliminated." Zeke said glumly. "I wanted to do something big and amazing before telling Pandy how I felt, and I goofed that up. I guess if I'm going now, I better just go for broke right here and just do it."
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"The final marshmallow goes to-"
"Wait!" Zeke immediately stood up. "There's something I need to say before you give me the 'ol heave ho! Pandy…"
"Y-yes?" Pandoria asked, not sure where he was going with this.
"Our years spent together have meant more to me than anything. Not just as my Blade, but as my closest friend. I wouldn't be here now if you hadn't given part of your Core Crystal to me. This game has given me plenty of time to think about it, and I wanted to win today to impress you before I told you. But I guess there's no better time than now, Pandy….I love you."
The entire area fell silent. Pandoria stood slack jawed, her cheeks faintly red.
"Say that again…"
"Zeke looks away bitterly. "Yes, I love you. I admit it. After today, you must think I'm a total fool. I'm probably not even fit to be your Driver-"
"Zeke…" she gently cups Zeke's face. "You are a fool. But you're my fool. I've always loved you. All your ramblings, your silly antics, I wouldn't go along with it if I didn't care about you so much. I wouldn't have it any other way."
She pulls him in and kisses him.
"Is this really happening?" Gwen said, dumbfounded.
"You know what?" Max said. "Good for them."
"So romantic…" Rodney cried, close to tearing up.
"I can't help but be happy for them, even if I've never spoken to them." Bernadetta said, getting emotional as well.
"Way to go!" Oscar cheered. "You're the man!"
Once they separate, Pandoria says, "Besides, you'd be so lost without me, my prince."
Zeke, having felt so much more relieved about the situation, turns to face Chris.
"Well then, McLean…. we're ready to go."
"Um…. you're not the one leaving." Chris said, looking bored at their PDA. "Aqua is."
"Wait, seriously?!" Zeke asked hopefully.
"Aw maaaaaaaan." Aqua whined. "Well, I guess I should have seen this coming. At least there's still the money from Terry's victory."
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"We've been given one more chance." Zeke said thankfully. "Going forward, this prince is gonna continue kicking some major arse in this game. The only difference now is, this prince has the best princess a guy could ask for."
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Chris and Aqua head out to the dock, the goodness looking around in confusion.
"So, where's my exit?"
"You're gonna swim home!" Chris tells her.
"Oh, really? Well, that's a relief. I thought it'd be something danger-"
A loud thud echoes behind her. She slowly turns around, seeing a giant, mutant toad.
"Picked him up from the Fun Zone on Boney Island." Chris said. "Let's see how fast of a swimmer you are…"
The scene changes as Aqua is swimming as fast as she can.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO! I DON'T WANNA GET EATEN BY A TOAD AGAIN!"
Unfortunately, that toad was swimming through the water, catching up to her as they swam into the horizon. With that, Chris turns to face the audience.
"And that's one quarter of this cast down! Only three fourths remain, and it's only going to get tougher from this point forward! What will happen now?! Find out next time on Total Drama Infinite 3!"
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Entrapta is in the confessional, opening up Coyle's envelope. She reads it aloud.
"Dear Entrapta, if you're reading this, that means I lost and that I am dead. I tried as hard as I could but it wasn't enough. However, I'd like to thank you. You've been the closest thing this monster has ever had to a friend. I do not regret any of the actions I've done. I chose this path, and I knew the consequences. Inside this envelope is a flash drive of all my life's work. It is your's, now. Use it as you see fit. Only you are worthy to inherit it. Keep being that curious mind that can see the good in even a freak like me. Signed, Dr. Coyle."
Entrapta pulls out the flash drive, and smiles tearfully.
"Thank you, doctor. I will."
Notes:
Hoo-wee, that episode was quite the crazy one. A LOT happened here. Cinder won the battle, but Coyle got the last laugh. Zeke may not have won the challenge, but now he's got the girl. Aqua may have screwed up badly, but…..yeah, I got nothing. Hope she has a safe swim home.
As for next episode, things are looking peaceful….only for Earth to be invaded by extraterrestrial robots, hoping to harvest mankind's despair for their God. Does the cast have what it takes to save everyone? Will we truly see Yastor in action? Tune in next time….when the Stardroids attack. This is MemeKing, signing off.
Inbreadtoast on Chapter 1 Mon 30 Sep 2024 04:29PM UTC
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MemeKingtheThird on Chapter 1 Mon 30 Sep 2024 05:15PM UTC
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Inbreadtoast on Chapter 1 Mon 30 Sep 2024 05:44PM UTC
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MemeKingtheThird on Chapter 1 Fri 04 Oct 2024 09:08PM UTC
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FlameFireZero377 on Chapter 3 Mon 07 Oct 2024 05:51AM UTC
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MemeKingtheThird on Chapter 3 Mon 07 Oct 2024 10:12PM UTC
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Inbreadtoast on Chapter 3 Tue 08 Oct 2024 06:10PM UTC
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Inbreadtoast on Chapter 4 Sun 22 Dec 2024 10:38PM UTC
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MemeKingtheThird on Chapter 4 Sun 22 Dec 2024 10:59PM UTC
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Inbreadtoast on Chapter 4 Mon 23 Dec 2024 05:23AM UTC
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Inbreadtoast on Chapter 5 Sun 09 Feb 2025 06:17PM UTC
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Inbreadtoast on Chapter 8 Fri 15 Aug 2025 06:27PM UTC
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