Character: Steve
Level: 1
Day/Time: Day Two; Noon
Location: Barrel Roll Pub
Tag: @Crosswire@DracoLunaris@Guardian Angel Haruki
Mention: NPCs

Steve nodded to Taric at the concept of buying the materials before Jack spoke up. "I have no actual currency but I do have items I can trade in bulk. While your idea of finding a couch is good, there's just one problem with it... What's a couch? Is it like a bed? Honestly, I think the easiest thing for me to do would be to find a shop that sells stuff from my homeland so I can find exactly what I'm looking for." He then turned his attention towards Shantae as she explained what she could do. "Does that mean you could enchant something?" He thought about it but any enchantments he could think of wouldn't be good for wood weaponry or leather armor. "What exactly can a genie do?"

Fox glared with critical intent at Wario as he mounted a fallible defense for his despicable actions. He was fully aware of what he did wrong and the issues taken with it; he simply didn’t care, and his given justifications and manner of expression only pointed to that. The speciesist slur didn’t bother Fox, especially weighed against the reasoning presented. If all he was out for was money and glory (the latter of which he already had, despite his choice of words), he could have very well just carried out the mission on his own rather than involving and wasting the time of actual heroes just to embellish his desired spectacle. They were soldiers, not rockstars! Did he honestly expect to gain celebrity by proxy through them, or did he perhaps get himself into more trouble than he could handle alone? It was telling of how he looked at it, yet it somehow said so very little beyond what had already been established about him.

In loudly projecting his fantasization about his glory hunt that he would have been better off going on himself, Wario further divulged mission details that could--at anyone’s risk--be used to cut him out of the equation. First the ‘who’ (Dedede), now the ‘where’ (Dream Land). It seemed he couldn’t help but unwittingly give them everything they need to send off a squad to accomplish their new mission without him if they felt like it, effectively sacrificing a third of his potential leverage without realizing it. Naturally, one should come as obvious given the other, but had he thought about it, he could have instead taken the chance to mislead them. Of course, he could still just as well be doing exactly that. Fox doubted that to be so, considering it would have required at least a slightly greater degree of intelligence than he was displaying. Not that it mattered. Wario was unreasonable, and Fox was unyielding. Despite Luigi’s well-intended, but misguided efforts at compromising, it appeared that they would be unable to reach one.

“Then we’re at an impasse,” Fox started as Wario rested his case. Even if it wasn’t going to convince him of anything, he thought to enlighten the Wario of the flaw in his thinking to apply a little more pressure. “You could have just done everything by yourself if you were simply looking to bolster your fame and fortune. Now that you’ve told us who to look for, and where to find them, you don’t have much left to stop us from going without you, because let’s face it, we both know you can’t stop all of us.”

Fox was interrupted by yet another instance of the Wario Bros.’s collective clumsiness. Reacting strongly at first to the portly crook’s sudden aggression toward a hitherto unnoticed new entrant, Fox’s aim jolted into a more deliberate position, directed now at the narrow space between Wario’s eyes, and he was dangerously close to putting a red beam or two in it until he once again collapsed disgracefully to the floor. The pilot lowered his aim and head, and shook it with a frustrated sigh.

“Case in point,” he uttered, raising his gun with one hand and moving the child back with the other. What the hell were they doing here, anyways? Whoever brought them should have known better than to do so, but if they were going to be here for whatever reason, he thought it better that they stay behind him and the other heroes. Assuming he would pay any mind, Fox continued as the two struggled to get Wario up. “So there are two ways you can still go about this peacefully: without us, in which case you get a head start, or through the Council, by explaining to them why you deserve to be one of us. Either one will get you out the door and past us unscathed. Besides, we’ve already told you, they’re who you have to talk to, not us, so that’s the most we can give you. If it was up to me, we wouldn’t be negotiating,” Fox emphasized on his own behalf as he continued to glare at Wario down his blaster’s iron sights. “You have your ultimatum; I suggest you accept it.”

Barely a second or two after Fox’s declaration, Guile and Rosalina marched into the restaurant. The displeased ambassador entombed Wario and sent him bouncing about the room like rubber immediately after he hesitated and failed to produce the stolen belongings of a dead man. Expecting now that the situation was more or less under control, Fox let off his guard for the first time since entering the building and lowered his weapon once more. Guile stopped her before she could continue to address the villains demands. It seems he picked up Fox’s transmission, and thankfully just before things could escalate. Though, he was hardly expecting that the major was so patient with him where wasn’t, or that he would actually accept his proposal, much to Rosalina’s understandable chagrin. Fair is fair, however. He said Wario should speak with the Council, and he did.

“Stand down,” he issued to the Varrock. The brothers got what they wanted… for now, so they weren’t to be harmed. Naturally, they gloated about their unexpected acceptance onto the team. Fox casually spun his blaster into its holster as he addressed the rejoicing duo once more.

“Try not to sound so happy about it,” he said before turning away to leave. “Unless you’re keen on the taking orders from me, I wouldn’t get too excited.” He peaked over his shoulder and smirked at the thought before walking out. He was mostly bluffing, of course. While he did hold a slightly higher position and have actual leadership experience under him, he was aware that there was no guarantee that he would be in charge them or anyone, but if there was any chance that his momentary mind game would visibly perturb the less than welcomed new additions to the team, it would at least be worth a look of worry on their faces. Though, it would falter should either of them have the clarity of thought to remember that Fox actually had integrity and pride as a leader and would never make a point of hazing anyone put under his command, no matter how otherwise unscrupulous they might be.

With that, he left, following loosely behind Cloud back the the castle. On his way he passed by an oddly dressed honey bear going the other way, who looked like he just finished a long run, but he paid him little mind, looking past the ursine as he walked. If they were here for the food or the action, they would find themselves disappointed on both fronts to find neither.

---

The suit Banjo had been given for the funeral was ripped from where he had to flex while running. He finished his jog to the end of the trail, slowing to a stop at the sidewalk just outside before hunching over and resting his hands on his knees to catch his breath. He glanced over briefly at the large avian anxiously waiting outside that led them there before looking back down at the pavement, still taking a minute to recover.

“*pant* *pant* This used to be nothing, *pant*” he spoke between slighly heavy breaths, refering obviously to how he used to be more athletic during their heyday.

“Feels about the same to me,” Kazooie added.

“You didn’t... *pant* have to run here. *pant*”

“Exactly,” Kazooie replied cheekily.

“*pant* You carry me next time. *pant*” He was half kidding, for she would eventually be doing her share of that anyways.

Strange that they would arrive at a restaurant in pursuit of a thief. Looking in it was hard to tell exactly what was going on, as Banjo and Kazooie had only just arrived at the end of it. The table was broken and the occupants were scattered, two of which looked particularly important. Whatever took place in there must have been chaotic, but it must have diffused by now if two recognizable heroes--who they passed on the way--were leaving. Banjo simply waited on the next person (or people) to exit so he and Kazooie could learn more from them about what was going on.

---

Mama curiously watched Naija add her foreign ingredients to the pot. A hand rested on her chin and her head was tilted to the side.

“Hmm…” she hummed thoughtfully.

The fish girl went exploring her kitchen once more and returned to add a deku nut to the pot and also share her amazement.

This place is amazing Miss Mama. I gotta come back here when those two are gone.

“Oh! Thank you! I will be happy to cook for you, Dear!” Mama said with one of her bright smiles.

Mama looked over at Samus as Naija addressed her. The armored android, cyborg, person, she didn’t know what the her/him/it was approached the pot next with a can of Metroid Meat and Radroach Eggs.

Uh, yeah…I found some stuff that looks…appetizing. Here catch. And try not to look at the labels.

Mama inspected the cans with her eyes alone and informed, “I was experimenting with those. Platform City brings by some interesting characters who often share with me some interesting items from their world.”

As the cans of the mysterious food were emptied into the soup, Mama gave it one final stir before she tapped the side of the pot with her ladle.

“There we go!” Mama happily exclaimed. She quickly closed the lid, set the ladle over into a sink, and opened a drawer to remove a clothes pin that she placed on her nose. With her nasally voice, she said with a grin, “I think this will do it! Let’s go!”

Grasping some oven mitts out of a drawer next, Mama put them on and grasped the handles of the soup pot. Lifting it, she quickly carried it toward the kitchen exit.

---

Rosalina looked over at the child as she asked if they could talk outside. Frowning back over her shoulder at Wario and Waluigi, she looked back at Frisk and nodded. “Yes. I think outside is best.”

She gave Luigi a brief concerned look before she folded her hands over her lap and turned toward the restaurant exit. As she stepped outside a bear and a bird walked in and she glanced over at the pair curiously.

“You are the musicians who were at the funeral,” she recognized. The incident must have alerted the two. Her three Lumas darted out of the restaurant to stand guard about the galactic goddess’s head with stern frowns slanting their eyes. She didn’t mind talking with the bear and bird while she waited patiently for Frisk and Luigi to join her.

Meanwhile, back in the restaurant, Mama emerged from the kitchen carrying a pot of soup. Wario had managed to recover to his feet and was trying to force his suspender strap to hook onto his pants. Hunched over, the rotund villain bore his teeth as he tried to connect the hook to the side of the bulbous girth of his belly. Waluigi just shook his head watching him before he noticed Mama approaching with her pot. Frowning, he pointed a finger sharply at her.

“Hey! We beat your stupid contest, wah! What is this?” Waluigi asked.

Wario looked up with an ugly glower on his face and he scowled deeply at the pot in the little woman’s mitted hands.

“You just don’t know when to quit,” Wario growled.

Mama frowned in determination and held her pot up to Wario proudly. “I never admitted defeat. This is the last dish. I had these two fine heroes help me cook it up.”

Wario looked from the pot to Samus and Naija and snorted, “Whatever.”

Inhaling deeply, Wario’s chest inflated and then his cheeks billowed with gas. The villain expelled it loudly on a belch in Mama’s, Samus’s, and Naija’s direction. Mama cringed behind the pot for protection.

Ew! she thought.

When Wario was finished, he patted his belly with a grin. “I was just makin’ some room. Show me what you got.”

Peeking up at Wario from behind her pot, Mama smirked before grasping the lid and removing it. The rancid odor that flooded into the villain’s face made him turn green, his skin crawl, and chills race up and down his back. He shook in revulsion and held his hand out to it, pushing it away in disgust. Turning his head away, Wario exclaimed, “Blegh! What the hell is that?”

Mama closed the lid and smiled. “The contest was you would eat whatever I cook. Well, I cooked this! I call it, Mystery Soup!”

Wario roared at Mama, “I’m not eating that! You could have pulled that from a toilet for all I know!”

“I assure you that I did no such thing and everything in this pot is edible, but…I guess you’re admitting defeat.”

Wario clenched his fists and shouted, “NO!”

Mama’s eyes narrowed cleverly. “Then eat or admit defeat.”

Wario started sweating nervously as he stared at the pot. He had already witnessed the horrors stewing inside of it. Inside that pot was hell, and he had never tasted it before. Waluigi didn’t seem to share the same apprehension. Raising his chin, the slender man grinned triumphantly and slapped Wario’s fat back.

“Wario’s no chump! He’s gonna defeat you once and for all, wah!”

Wario’s shrunk eyes glared over at Waluigi as he silently raged, You son of a bitch!

Waluigi retracted his hand in fear and grinned sheepishly at him. Had Wario really been drowning in pressure? Slapping his face twice, Wario attempted to psyche himself out. Telling by the loud volume of his voice, almost to panicky levels, they could tell he was somewhat terrified.

“ALL RIGHT! JUST GIVE IT HERE! I’LL SHUT YOUR PIE HOLE ONCE AND FOR ALL!” he screamed.

Mama removed the lid and Wario snatched the pot from her. Raising it to his mouth, he held his breath as he dumped the concoction back into his mouth. As soon as the brown sludge with clumps of mysterious food flooded his mouth, his eyes nearly rolled into the back of his head. His face paled as the extreme bitter and lake-water flavor (probably from the Octorok) flooded his mouth. His hands started shaking as his grip increased on the pot. Waluigi saw Wario struggling. He hadn’t even taken his first swallow.

“Come on Wario! You can’t lose! Free meals for a year!” Waluigi cheered.

Red tenctacles unfurled from the pot then to intimately cup Wario’s cheeks. The Octorok poking its head out of the brown sludge stared at Wario, at which point, the villain’s eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. Its slimy suckers pulled at his cheeks as its round lips curled in before the Octorok fired a rock at the villain’s forehead. Wario clenched his eyes tightly closed, the rock having left a red knot on his forehead.

“NNRRRRNNN!” Wario screamed through the mouthful of gunk. He wanted to kill the thing. This stupid competition! He felt himself faltering. He was going to lose.

No Wario! You can’t let this little bitch beat you! his conscience roared. We never give up on a deal! Free food for a year! Do you know how much gold that saves?

Wario opened his eyes and his dark brows smashed together in determination. Mama’s eyes widened as she sensed a sudden change in Wario’s demeanor.

That’s right. Let’s show her who the real champs are! By the power of GOLD!

Wario leaned back and finally started chugging the soup. Brown muck rolled down his yellow shirt that was stretched over bloated man boobs and began to run down his bare round belly that hung just above the floor. Only a few drops dripped onto the floor at his feet as he gulped down the rest. The Octorok was the last stubborn food that didn’t want to go down. The octopus gripped his face until Wario pursed his lips and began strongly slurping the creature. The Octorok squealed as it slipped further and further into Wario’s mouth to vanish behind his lips. With cheeks bloated with soup and Octorok, Wario dropped the empty pot and staggered backwards. The rainbow shrooms had made his eyes dilate to sizes that even made Mama uncomfortable.

“Swallow Wario! Swallow! WAH!” Waluigi anxiously shouted.

Wario tipped his head back, raising his chin as high as it can go and swallowed the remains of the soup. With a gasp, Wario went down like a tree, collapsing on the floor, his body quivering like jello as the entire restaurant shook. Mama stood there with her mouth hanging open in shock.

“HA!” Waluigi cheered, pointing a sharp finger at her, Samus, and Naija. “WE WIN!”

Waluigi danced over to the unconscious Wario and held up his fists in victory. “WAH HAHAHAHA!”

Bowing her head, Mama removed her head-covering and sighed. “I can’t believe I lost.”

“LOSER! WAH!” Waluigi instigated.

Wario’s belly gurgled loudly, causing Waluigi to slowly stop dancing. He peered down at the jostling gut and the strange groans and squelches it made. Wario’s throat suddenly swelled before a blossom of red tentacles burst from the champion’s lips.

“WAAAH!” Waluigi cried in horror as he ran over to hide behind Samus, Naija, and Mama.

Mama stared curiously at the tentacles as the Octorok squeezed itself out from Wario’s mouth. The Octorok barked before it shook the drool from its red body and went crawling away on its numerous tentacles. Mama’s face lit up as she whirled on Waluigi and pointed over at the Octorok.

“LOOK! The Octorok lives! Wario didn’t successfully eat it, so I win! He didn’t finish the dish!” Mama exclaimed.

Waluigi stared at the Octorok. “No you didn’t, wah!”

The thin villain raced over to the octopus and snatched it up. He then ran back over to Wario and tried to cram the creature back into the villain’s mouth. “Get back in there, wah!”

The Octorok wrapped its tentacles about Waluigi’s arm before its yellow eyes frowned wickedly. Inhaling deeply, the Octorok spat its largest rock at the villain. The rock smashed into Waluigi’s face, causing him to stiffen for a few seconds before he crumpled over to join his fat associate unconscious on the floor. Still frowning as though it were thinking ‘Good riddance’ the Octorok went on its way.

Mama happily leapt in the air with her fists raised in victory. “YAY!”

She then turned to Samus and Naija with stars gleaming in her eyes. “You two saved my shop. It would have cost me millions to feed those two for free. You and anyone you invite are welcome to come by and have a meal here for a discounted price!”

GM Award
Samus Aran and Naija now receive discounts at Mama’s. Either must be present if any other heroes wish to share in the benefits.

Naija wasn’t entirely sure what was wrong with the ingredients Samus had found, but then again she used spider eggs and nautilus eyeballs in some of her recipes, so the items used weren't instantly recognisable as being vile to her. Still, Mama seemed to agree so into the pot they went.

Suffice to say the display of the contents being consumed made her stomach turn, the big blobby man taking it all before the rainbow mushrooms and other nasty ingredients took him down. It was probably fortunate that he was out cold before the shroom trip went from fun to nightmare inducing.

Naija was preparing to using energy form to make the fatman’s accomplice join him on the floor when the Octorok made its escape and took out waluigi for them. She felt a little bad that they had tried to feed it to someone considering it had just helped them and then not tried to get revenge. She let it leave in peace rather than chasing it down for ingredients in gratitude.

Naija happily joined in with Mama’s little victory cheer, adding her own ”yay!” to the mini chefs celebration. They took out the bad guys, discount food was an excellent bonus. She’d need to get money before she could take advantage of that however.

”I’d love to come eat here, the food you made befor looked great. Later though. I imagine you could use a break. Maybe I could come help out again some time as well? It’s been awhile since I could cook anything, I think it would be great to make some edible food with you in future.”

She then realized that in her cooking side quest she had forgotten about why they ended up here, she had also missed most of the wario bro’s talking and as a result was unaware of their selling of the soul. She turned to Luigi who was still with them in the room.

”Wait a second. What happened to the thief?”

Lawman LV.1

---

Jack Slate's own intrigue into the pint sized self proclaimed genie's magic was cut short as Steve's words reached him and slowly sank in. Right eye twitching every so slightly Jack's grip began to tighten around his glass, so much so he had to slid it to the other side of the table to avoid shattering it. On the floor Shadow's ears perked up and he stared with his cold blue eyes. Sensing a great deal of distress from his master but having little idea to the cause.

Eyes cast towards his plate Jack quickly scarfed the remained of his sandwich, crushing entire jaws full of bread, lettuce, bacon, and tomato until there was nothing left but crumbs. Cheeks still bulging with the last bites of his meal the loose cannon cop reached out, ignoring his glass and going straight for the bottle. Pressing the lip of the whiskey bottle to his mouth Jack leaned his head back and began to empty the bottle's contents.

He breathed through his nostrils as his throat pumped, sucking down gulp after bitter auburn gulp of whiskey in a way only a man desperate for the effects of alcohol could achieve. In mere moments the mostly full bottle of high end whiskey was totally emptied and Jack knocked the butt of the bottle against the table with a loud, satisfying gasp of air. Whiping his lips on his arm and throwing down a small number of bills as a tip, Jack stood up.

Getting to his feet he hoped to be greeted by the heavy, mind numbing hands of the alcohol he had sucked into his body. Yet his years of drinking worked against him and he felt only a partial, ever strengthening buzz. As nice as it felt it wasn't nearly enough to get his mind off what had been said.

The blocky man didn't have any money. He didn't have any weapons. He didn't know where he was, what he should be doing, and he didn't even know what a couch was. Jack suddenly felt that the letter sent to him might not have been addressed to the wrong person after all. Because for all his short comings, all his inner demons and deep rooted flaws he at least had the means to make his own decisions and understand the basics of rudimentary furniture.

"Now that I think about it, I don't think the people at the castle really have anything against me being late. I can probably take you up there right now if you want. What do you say Taric, Shantae? Want to see what they have planned next?" Jack said, unable to hide the sudden stir crazy tone to this voice.

Slayer permitted himself a small, disarming laugh at the redbird’s harmless inquiry. ”Yes, actually. Quite slow. Hastiness ill becomes me.” He waited with no shortage of patience while his two new acquaintances conversed. In the end, they decided they would not join him, and to this realization he bowed his head. ”It’s no trouble, please do attend your business. I’ll look forward to meeting the both of you again.” With no cause to wait, he turned about immediately to start toward the castle’s entrance. Their logic he could not fault, but in his case, he saw no greater reward than a spot of stimulating recuperation.



The piping-hot water seeped into every pore, between every hair and across every centimeter of skin. Its warmth loosened tense muscles, and its movement carried away dirt, oils, dead skin cells, and other such detritus. Every ounce of discomfort oozed from the bathing gentleman’s body as he lay, nearly supine, in the spa’s giant Jacuzzi. It drifted away to evaporate with the gentle curls of steam that lofted toward the roof, leaving behind only comfort and gratification. Clad in a fittingly old-fashioned swimsuit, Slayer enjoyed the height of luxury, and could not help but to let out a sigh of pleasure. ”Aaaaaaah!” This was worth it. He could stroll through chilly woods and gather ceiling dust under any amount of rickety castles knowing that such a paradise awaited him when he returned. A glass of iced, sparkling lemonade, tangy with a touch of sweetness and just a dash of rum, rested inside the holder of a little pool floatie that danced among the bubbles, and every few moments the vampire helped himself to a sip of the titillating liquid. He could not, he decided, put off the addition of such a spa to his gentleman’s fight club once he returned home. Such a splendid fixture would be just the thing for the classy combatant to relax after a heated round of duels.

Speaking of, he would have liked company, but it seemed that Slayer had the entire spa all to himself. He hadn’t happened to see any employees, but finding delightful relief was easy with just a little intuition. Being alone in such a place was something of a pity; the best experiences were those shared, and this would have been an excellent opportunity for making friends, but he did not regret bathing by himself. Without anyone else with which to stir up some conversation, he allowed himself to doze off after finishing his drink. The spa’s silence, save for the soft clamor of bubbles jostling to breach the surface and disappear, was as heavy and soporific as the hazy air.

Jacks rapid drinking and eating where, in a word, impressive. The man knew how to hold his liquor, of that there was no doubt. On the other hand Taric wasn’t entirely sure what had brought on the sudden urgency or need to drown himself in alcohol that rapidly. Was it the fact that the young woman was a genie perhaps? He had to admit that was rather surprising, and just a touch worrying seeing as Genies were supposedly beings of great power sealed in bottles. At least that was what they were in the stories he had read. Generally you don’t seal thing away unless they are very dangerous. Of course those stories could be wrong or only vaguely apply to Shantae.

”Goodness me, genie magic? That sounds powerful.”

The other option was that it was in reaction to Steve's general ignorance of seemingly random concepts. Like couches. He wondered how Steve's world of architects could contain beds but not couches. It was quite peculiar. At any rate if Jack was ready to go then he wouldn’t waste his time by dawdling and so hurried to finish his own breakfast before carefully wiping his lips clean with a napkin. Taric lifted Bravado from where it sat on the floor and then stood, rested the mace against his shoulder.

”That would be of great help Jack. Lead on”

With his free hand the fabulous defender retrieved a small tin of breath mints and popped one in his mouth before offering the others one as well.

”oh and would any of you like a mint?”

Samus wondered why Mama would be experimenting with such vile-looking substances, especially with Metroid Meat, but regardless she did not question it as she watches the master chef cook it all up into a nasty-looking soup. Without her suit, more accurately her helmet, the bounty hunter would have been at a mercy of the unbearable wretch coming from the pot.

As Cooking Mama fed the diabolical Wario that nasty soup, even Samus' stomach began to turn sickeningly. She has encountered and eaten rather gross things before, but just seeing this fat man gobble it all up was a bit too much. And it was all just to have free meals for a year? Not even the bounty hunter would intake such a task. At first, it seemed like Wario somehow devoured all that soup successfully, until the octorock began crawling out of his stomach and shot a rock at Waluigi who was cowardly hiding behind her, Naija, and Cooking Mama. Samus had no remorse towards the devilish goons as they got a taste of their own medicine.

As Cooking Mama and Naija added their own victory cheer, Samus was silent, only adding in a triumphant salute. One could faintly hear the Item Acquisition Fanfare which seemed to have come from her suit. They all did it! Then Cooking Mama thanked them for helping her save her shop and even gave the two discounts on any meals in her shop.

"Anytime, Mama." she replies with a thumbs up as she takes off her helmet, steaming as the pressure locks unseal, as she reveals to Mama the face under the helmet, "It's an honor to get a discount from here, thank you. I might come by for a meal later after we solve this little situation."

Just then, Najia asked what happened to the thief, in which Samus simply scratched her head with no response. She didn't know where it went either.

---

Mama happily nodded to Naija’s offer to cook with her. “Of course! After you helped me defeat those two, I owe you one!”

Anytime, Mama came Samus. When the soldier removed his…HER? Mama’s brown eyes swelled and glimmered in awe when she saw that the soldier was actually a woman and a beautiful one at that.

“Wow,” said Mama in amazement. “I would have never guessed you to be a woman—no offense. I bet you must get that a lot.”

It’s an honor to get a discount from here, thank you. I might come by for a meal later after we solve this little situation.

Again Mama nodded enthusiastically. “Definitely! You ladies are welcome any time. Next time you come by, I’ll treat you both to some dessert for free!”

Just then, for those characters who had radio transmission (and if not please pass it along or assume Lakitu (turtle in the cloud) came by to relay, that’s his job), Guile’s voice came through to all brand new and veteran heroes:

I need everyone to report to the War Room on the 30th floor (I’m going to add the war room to it) pronto. There’s a mission brief for our green horns. I want complete accountability of every squad!

---

Out of the seven, Guile seemed to be their main commander (for now…). Through the banquet hall and into the back room where all the previous heroes had met after the food fight was Guile, leaning over the War Room table as the image of a new area hovered before him.



Guile waited for the teams to congregate and give him full accountability before he proceeded to introduce the mission.

“I didn’t get too many volunteers for this one, but hopefully some of your minds will change. This is Dream Land, home of the legendary hero Kirby. Our surveillance unit has tracked the cat burglar to this universe. At this time, he might have already made contact with King Dedede. Our intelligence cannot determine what use King Dedede has for Mario’s soul and hat, but we don’t plan on lettin’ him keep what he stole.”

Guile pointed to the center of the star-shaped continent. “The Butter Building is located there. At the very top will not only be King Dedede but several of his elite generals. They’re more than likely guardin’ him. I could make you rookies battle your way to the top, but I’m not plannin’ on giving Dedede a chance to escape. We got a nice surprise we’re gonna drop on him first. It should create the perfect distraction to allow Alpha Squad to infiltrate.”

Guile straightened and looked over all the heroes. “I bet you veterans are wonderin’ why you’re here. You’re here because the rookies are future members of your squads. You are here to offer them any advice that you can to keep them from makin’ the same mistakes you folks did, and see them off on their mission. At this time, if there are any Alpha members not currently on the Dream Land mission who wish to volunteer, please step forward.”



Universe: Nintendo
World: Dream Land
Kingdom: Dream Land

Setting: Dream Land has only one main continent and it’s in the shape of a star. Various creatures of all shapes and sizes occupy this continent. There are numerous animate objects that in the usual video game society would be inanimate and unable to talk, such as trees. There is magic, mischief, and many secrets in this adorable little world.

Story: Wario sold Mario’s Hat and Soul to King Dedede. King Dedede hired Tac to go steal them for him. Tac has successfully delivered the stolen items to King Dedede, but before our heroes can arrive. King Dedede is visited by another foe…

Mission: Find out what happened to Mario’s Soul and Hat. Expect to fight a few of King Dedede’s generals, and then the king himself!

Special Abilities Available: Yes

XP Event: Yes

Special Items Available: Yes



There are no support items given for this mission. The mission is Alpha level. The difficulty does not denote support items to be necessary.

Below results determined using decidermachine.com.

Squad Leader: Frisk

Team Leaders: None

Team: Cloud, Frisk, Bartz, Banjo Kazooie, Alice Harnick.



1. XP. The GM will reward your team with XP after battles with minions, bosses, etc. The only XP you will keep track of is word count. Understand, the GM will monitor your numbers to make sure your math is correct and that you’re not giving your character too much or too little. So be sure to use a calculator and double check all calculations.
2. P.O. During missions, there will be a posting order that you all will need to follow. Each team has its own P.O., but if one team gets ahead of another team, then this rule may change to put everyone on the same P.O. Otherwise, one or two teams may be waiting on another team to catch up. So be mindful of your posting speed. Some of us have lives and work for a living.
3. Items The GM will award items and may also grant characters an opportunity to discover items and loot from secret areas and enemies.
4. Enemies. The GM will be controlling all of the enemies to include the minions. The primary enemies in this battle will be King Dedede’s soldiers and generals. They may be small and adorable, but they are experienced combatants. Don’t let their cuteness fool you.
5. Figure it Out. Because this is an Alpha mission, the mission is going to be pretty straightforward. However, if you miss a secret item opportunity, then I am sorry. I will try to make it very obvious and if no one takes the bait, welp, can’t make it anymore obvious than that without giving free chicken. The bosses are going to be a little challenging but still straightforward. They won’t be too difficult to figure out.

I will not continue this scenario until all characters have reported to the 30th floor and checked in with Guile. If you still wish to change from the Spyro mission to the Kirby mission, do so now or forever hold your peace. I will be using this accountability as an actual accountability. If I don’t get responses after seven days, then I am dropping those inactive individuals. I plan to recruit more new players now that my vacation is over. If any of you plan on going on summer vacation, please keep the GMs informed. If you do not, then I will not show you sympathy. If you’re absent, you’re absent.

Alicia had ben one of the first to show up at the war room, taking a standing position close to the central table and waiting patiently. As a Titan, and the only one there, she was responsible for representing the Vanguard as only one of the more militant members of it could. If she had to guess, James had already placed himself on someone's bad side and so it would be her job to make sure that bad taste would disappear as quickly as possible. Not that she didn't respect the Hunter greatly, the crazy bastard had gone toe to toe with Hive Knights more times than The Stalwart could remember and won, but he also had a penchant for doing the job his way, not necessarily the right way.

When the others arrived and Guile gave his briefing, Alicia wasted no time in stepping forward. "If you need another team member for the Dreamland mission, I'll volunteer, sir." She often addressed Zavala the same way, which he didn't mind as he always felt the Hunters and Warlocks weren't militant and formal enough, though it was to be expected when Hunters spent months in the wilds of the Earth and other various planets and Warlocks were essentially dedicated to their research to better understand the Light for the betterment of all. She still had her helmet free, so her blue skin, glowing blue eyes, and bright purple hair in it's strange hairdo still hanging about, the purple of her lips and white paint on her nose, cheeks and chin complementing each other surprisingly well.

Frisk saw how Wario epically lost to Mama's cooking, and how the Octorock had made its escape. Quite frankly, the sight of the octorok escaping the monstrous bowels of Wario and scuttling towards freedom filled Frisk with DETERMINATION. Frisk had gone outside and asked Rosalina about Wario's immortality, only to find that it was normal for the fat man. Frisk still had questions, but they had no time to ask as they soon received information that the heroes were to go to the War Room. Frisk agreed and made their way promptly.

By the time they reached the War Room, their tutu was gone. Frisk was now wearing the brown shorts and shoes with the sweater (As seen in the appearance picture). They took their seat quietly and waited for everyone else to come in. After everyone else came, Guile had started his lecture and Frisk listened carefully while studying the map. They didn't know why the thief would steal a SOUL? Wasn't it obvious? Well...maybe the rules regarding SOULs were different outside of the Underground. Wario's SOUL didn't take on the form of a heart after all. They also noticed something odd about the map. What was that black gap near the moon? The one that looked like a tree on a floating island. It was probably important to think about this 'surprise' that Guile has in mind. Wouldn't want to ruin his plan just because they were caught off guard. Once Guile was done, Frisk had questions of their own, and someone had volunteered to be a part of the mission.

Frisk raised their hand, as though they were in a classroom, and they asked politely, "Mr. Guile, Sir? May I ask about this surprise you have in store? And what is this black shape over here?" They weren't really afraid to ask questions. The more information one had, the better. Besides, they weren't the type to be easily intimidated.

---

Shantae was also stunned into silence by Steve's question about what a couch was. HOW DID HE NOT KNOW WHAT A COUCH WAS?! She shook her head. She noticed that Jack had practically inhaled his meal and alcohol, causing her to worry over the fact that he could choke. She answered Jack, "Yeah...Sounds good to me!" She answered Taric as she started heading out of the pub with them, "No, but thank you for the offer Taric," When they reached the outside, she was startled to see the turtle on the cloud once again. After he told them that there was going to be a meeting at the War Room, she looked to Taric and Jack, and she commented "Sounds like we should hurry there," before continuing on with Jack and Taric.

Soon they were at the War Room, and Shantae was currently listening to the briefing. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she kept her ears open for any mention of Risky Boots. She looked to Jack and Taric in order to see what they were thinking. She had to admit, Guile was a bit intimidating. She noticed one had volunteered her services (she almost looked like Risky, but she definitely wasn't a pirate), and she had noticed a child was amongst the heroes. What was that child doing here? Didn't they know that this could be dangerous?

Like all good things, Slayer's luxuriant nap in his jacuzzi had to come to an end. Eventually, he tired of the sensation of constant bubbling, and the heat became uncomfortable. At that point the gentleman could only give a sigh of absolute contentment and pull himself from the churning water. A quick stop in the changing room developed into a longer break as he coerced his hair back into its usual stylish and showy shape. It was during this preening that Guile's call to action came in the form of an odd turtle riding a cloud. Still smiling, Slayer read the message and returned to the Lakitu a nod of acknowledgment. A few final swipes of his comb later, he pulled on his suit jacket, tied his tie, and donned his scarlet cape. After a moment a consummate gentleman, refreshed, pleasant-smelling, and extraordinarily clean, stepped out of the spa and made his way to the elevator.

The ride was short, but at its end lay something worthwhile. Around the same meeting table where he and his allies had first been briefed before venturing into Erion, a platoon of fresh-faced heroes waited to receive their first orders. This bunch, Slayer felt, seemed more full of that determined vigor that so often flowed through doers of good, and he felt as though they might be more reliable than the grittier, more realistic individuals who abandoned the cause in the twilight forest. Putting together the faces he knew from his previous mission and those he'd spotted during the funeral, the vampire could more or less claim acquaintance with everyone present. He had yet to properly introduce himself to most of the newcomers, however, and looked forward to getting to know them better. There were a couple complete strangers, however, such as the pudgy short man and his lanky, purple-clad companion. One stank, literally and metaphorically, of greed and repugnance, but the other's hollow look and bent posture spoke of self-pity. Recognizing this, Slayer felt compelled to try and talk to the man, perhaps give him some attention and companionship. ”Good day to ya all. Just seeing the lot of ya rearing to go lifts an old man's heart, ya know.” He did not ramble on, however, and instead fixed his eyes on Guile to await a hearty dose of intel.

From the way the soldier described things, Slayer felt as though he'd missed out on something, no doubt linked to the hubbub earlier in the morning. All the same, his countenance betrayed nothing, and rather than quibble about 'cat burglar' this and 'King Dedede' that, he sought to glean what he could. Evidently this strangely-named monarch had gained possession of the precious items pilfered from the funeral, and awaited a stern confrontation from the ramparts of his Butter Buildings. ”How...cheery! A lighthearted change of pace from the gloom of that solemn kingdom, eh? Yet I suspect there is much more to this realm than meets the ear.” Next, Guile addressed the veterans directly. Though he wondered if a single mission warranted any sort of status as venerable instructor, Slayer commanded a vast treasure trove of knowledge when it came to helping out.

Certainly,” he gave a nod and turned around, holding up his hands to draw attention. ”Most poignantly, I'd like ya to be aware that things around here may not 'work' as yer used to. As best I can tell, reality operates slightly differently in different worlds, so be prepared to adapt to new and strange situations. This includes yer own abilities, so don't rely on any gimmick ya might have to carry ya through a dangerous situation. If we had more time, it'd be smart to run some tests, but we don't have much to spare. Second, try and observe yer teammates and find someone who compliments yer fighting style. On yer own, ya might be strong, but pairing up is all sorts o' good. Cover weaknesses, enhance strength, combination attacks...don't be afraid to try something new. That should cover the basics, mm?” He gave a firm but encouraging smile, sure that he could convince the new heroes that things would turn out well.

Character: Steve
Level: 1
Day/Time: Day Two; Noon
Location: Barrel Roll Pub
Tag: @Crosswire@DracoLunaris@Guardian Angel Haruki
Mention: NPCs

"Couches aren't a thing where I come from," Steve explained as they left the Barrel Roll. "If it's furniture, all we have are beds. We spend a lot of time mining, hunting, building, and crafting. Hell, even chairs are pretty new to us, and those are just a block of stairs." He would've continued but there was something on a cloud that was saying something. Shantae was the first to react.

Not long after, they were in the war room. Steve was watching from the back. He didn't know what anything was or where he'd be able to go. He waited until after the meeting, as others were volunteering or asking questions, before leaving with the bulk of the group.

Alone again, Steve began wandering the town until he found a shop with a rather familiar looking emblem, a wooden sword crossed with an iron pick. Shrugging, he went inside. He met the man behind the counter, another Crafter like Steve, who was willing to trade cobblestone for the wood and leather Steve needed. Upon exiting, he had 20 cobblestone blocks, 20 wood, and 24 leather. He was quick to build a crafting table in the middle of the street to begin crafting his armor, using all 24 pieces to create a helmet, chest plate, leggings, and boots. He then began crafting his weapons, a pair of wooden swords, and his tools, a pickaxe, a shovel, a hoe, and a handaxe. Once finished, he picked up his crafting table and continued walking around.

Getting closer to the evening, Steve found the fight club, to which he promptly signed up.

”We lost him? Darn it! Where the heck did he go?”

After bidding farewell to ms Mama she returned to the castle with the others, rather upset about this until she found out about the fact that Guil had apparently located the stolen items. Unfortunately the veterans were not being sent to get them, instead that was the job of a whole host of new heros, some of whom she had seen at mama’s (like the helpful lift giving cloud) and others she was unfamiliar with.

Naija approached the child who had for some reason been put in charge of the mission. In her experience a child in positions of power was a recipe for disaster, but she did only have a sample size of one. As a result she was a little concerned with the choice but assumed the council had used a fair and logical method of deciding who was in charge. The same one that had ended up with her in charge of a squad. ok, slightly less confident in their decision making skills now.

”Tiny human child. I have one vital piece of advice for you: never split the squad. You have to all stick together like glue in order to remains safe. At the very least be in pairs like Slayer suggested. Also try to stick to a plan once you’ve made it.”

Naija’s eyes were locked with Frisks, her tone deadly serious. Some of her maternal instincts had kicked into gear regardless of the child's hero status and she wanted to make sure they made it through this ok even if she couldn’t be there herself.

”Second of all, I want you to have this. It’s a healing fruit we got on our mission. Hopefully you won’t need it but take it just in case.”

Her advice delivered she reached into her inventory and retrieved the napple, handing it over to them.

”Finally, if i could ask a favor. If you happen across a belt and matching set off boots both featuring feathered wings, would you mind acquiring them for me? The thief somehow stole them off of me while I was chasing him and I would very much appreciate you retriving them.”

She asked this last part, a little sheepishly, of the whole squad. She really enjoyed being able to fly and so was hoping that the wings would be with the thief still, or had ended up wherever the soul had gone.



Taric made his way to the War room with the others, taking his time while walking through the castle to admire its architecture.

When it came to the mission briefing room taric hoped his intrusion would not be distracting, he would talk with the organisers of these missions once they were less occupied with sending out a team and get himself involved. He intended to stick with Shantea, Steve and Jack and as none of them seemed to be on this mission at the moment he could bide his time in regards to getting out there.

As for the team itself, Taric was perhaps one of those less bemused by the child on the mission. After all Annie, one of the champions in the league of legends, was but a child herself, yet you would not want to be caught underestimating her pyromancy and giant flaming bear.

Mama's expression of what she truly looked like under the mask was no surprise to Samus. Of course, the chef basically answered herself in regards to how much she gets that.

"Oh you have no idea how many times I get that," she remarks, but then simply smiles, "But honestly, who can blame them really? I'm used to it."

Waving Mama good-bye, as she and Naija left the scene, they suddenly hear Guile's voice via radio transmission. They need to go to the War Room on Level 30 and plan out their next actions. With that she heads up to the Room for their next assignment. Once entering the room, she clearly sees that there were new members that were present as well. What's more, the new guys will be the ones heading out to find that thief in the world of Dream Land.

While Samus had never officially explored that realm, she knows that it houses the legendary "pink-marshmallow" Kirby, the mysterious Meta Knight, and the gluttonous King Dedede. Not only does she know that, she literally fought them during the Smash Competitions of ole. Kirby has been a seasoned veteran ever since the first Smash Bros tournament, but Meta Knight and Dedede were more recent, having been first seen in the third tournament "Brawl".

Each of them, while looking more on the cutesy side, are experienced fighters and are not to be trifled with. Kirby can copy his opponent by literally sucking them into his mouth, Meta Knight is extremely agile and talented with his sword (who also happens to have a personal gunship of his own known as the "Halberd"), and Dedede is a floating powerhouse with a mallet that can send you flying if you aren't careful. Oh, and they all have the ability of flight as well, so there's that.

Of course, that's what she should be saying to the new recruits, which is what she did.

Honestly, she didn't mind wanting to join in on the action, if it weren't for the restrictions kept in place keeping veterans like her from joining in.

---

When the announcement to head into the War Room was announced, Bayonetta simply scoffed as she gets up to go to the room. She was one of the last to enter the area, but arguably one of the more quieter ones. She listens about the whole mission regarding Mario's stolen soul being possibly sent to King Dedede in Dream World. Like Samus, she too has some experience with the warrior trio thanks to her experience in the most recent Smash tournament, but due to being one of the last to enter, she has very little experience with them after all. Other than Kirby, Meta Knight and Dedede were relatively unknown, other than the names. The mission otherwise sounded...

Boring.

Bayonetta wasn't interesting in going to such a cutesy-esque land just to retrieve the plumber who might drool on her clothes, or hair in her case, at just the sight of her. So when those who wanted to go in stepped up, the Umbran witch simply continued to sit on a nearby chair. Her eyes however, were fixed on another mission... one which supposably involved vicious dragons to battle against.

Gomorrah would probably love eating those scaly beasts alive...

Conveniently, Fox was already heading in the general direction of the castle when he received the call to reconvene for the new mission briefing. He already knew what it would be. They just finished dealing with the problem at large to the extent they were presently best able to, so the situation and timing made the nature of the mission obvious. This much was confirmed minutes after he made it to the war room, not long after Cloud and a clad newcomer with blue complexion. She was one among the few new faces that he saw, and so far, his favorite, if he was one for playing them. She was admirably eager to step forth and fill an empty space for the strike team--perhaps too eager, if the last mission was anything to go by. Guile was certain to remind the incumbent team members how that went, urging them to provide guidance for the incoming members “to keep them from makin’ the same mistakes.” They certainly wouldn’t want that happening.

Slayer was outspokenly more enthusiastic about the upcoming mission on account of its brighter setting, though not without the expressed concerned for potential surprises. Given his past dealings with a few Dreamland particulars, Fox shared in this much warranted concern. He knew what they--especially Dedede--were capable of, and what’s more was the fact that the child from the funeral, who no one recognized, and was probably unfamiliar with all of this themselves, was placed in charge of leading the squad. Once again, Fox couldn’t help wondering to himself if whoever was in charge of such decisions really knew what they were doing. Miyamoto forbid the m-virus just so happen to find its way there to greet the newcomers and add to the issue something they have a right to expect. And yet, it went strangely unmentioned. He would see fit to change that as soon as Slayer and Naija were done saying their pieces, seeing as he would have little else to add. He stepped forth to address all in attendance.

“You heard them. Coordinate,” he emphasized. “Stick together, cover your allies, move and act as a unit, and be prepared for anything. You’ve all been given an idea of what to expect; think beyond that. Some of you may already know about a parasitic virus that’s been infecting and empowering certain hosts of other worlds. Before our last mission, we were warned that we would encounter it; you might not, but you all deserve to have the same warning, either way. Your immunizations will be waiting for you in the medical facility on the 49th floor. Everyone will need them before they deploy. For those of you who aren’t on this mission, I’d take Slayer’s advice: use the time you have to shape up and get better acquainted with your teammates. Familiarize yourselves with the skill sets of one another, and train to sharpen your own.” He then turned and made his way toward the elevator while finishing his address. “The rest of you, make your preparations. Get inoculated, gather what you need, and be ready to depart.” He faced the group once more to see them off just before the elevator doors slid shut. “Good luck to you all.”

---

“Yes, ma’am,” Banjo answered with a nod. “We came as fast as we could. Is everything alright?”

”Who do we have to kill?” Kazooie asked in jest with a straight face and unwavering tone.

“Kazooie…” Banjo protested mildly, as if to remind a child to be mindful of appearances.

Neither of them could get much of a word in or a response out of the Nintendo Ambassador before being given a note on the end of a fishing line by a cloud-borne, bespectacled turtle. Kazooie plucked the letter away with her beak and placed it in Banjo’s hand to read. The message relayed simply a command for them to head to the castle for a mission briefing. Though, it was a little beyond them as to why. To suddenly be involved in such a presumably high-level affair was a bit unexpected, but as the pair were about to explain, they were there to help. They followed the celestial goddess to the castle to find out what they were being called for; both the interior and exterior of which were a sight to behold. Soft light gleamed off of every metallic surface that lined the grand lobby halls in this amalgam of classic, modern, and futuristic architecture with advanced technological functionality. Prior to this, the closest thing these two had ever seen to a castle were the dilapidated, dungeonic confines of Gruntilda’s Lair, so it was refreshing to step into a place so appreciably well-kept. The holoprojector in the war room alone was the second-most sophisticated technology either of them had ever seen in person, behind Grunty’s life siphoning weapon, the “Big-O-Blaster” (B.O.B.). Soon after they arrived along with everyone else, the meeting was finally underway. Directing the operation was a rugged army man who was already giving Kazooie flashbacks about their last adventure.

“Ugh! This guy reminds me too much of Goggle Boy’s brother,” she whispered to Banjo, who lightly nodded in agreement.

“Yeah… I can see that.” Though, the man wasn’t exactly the obnoxious stereotype like Jamjars, to whom Kazooie was referring, even Banjo had to admit that appearances, countenance, and initial impressions suggested a slightly overbearing military persona. When expositing mission details, he was oddly unforthcoming about the “surprise” he had in store; hence the inquiry from their unexpected child leader (which, by itself, was another question all its own). As long as it wasn’t a surprise for them, they would have no complaints.

The context of the mission alluded to the grave robbing incident from earlier that Slayer had informed them of. As it turned out, he just happened to be in attendance as well--as a returning veteran from the previous mission, apparently. It sounded like he had quite a lot of combat experience, as one might infer of him based on his given advice, which the duo would have little trouble following. Staying in pairs was… kinda their thing, after all. The caution to do so was belabored by a fish woman who had an additional favor to ask: that her boots and wings, of all things, be recovered and returned to her.

“I’ll WEAR them back if we find them,” declared Kazooie in earnest. She could usually fit any pair of footwear, and she could use a fix for her flightlessness, albeit an understandably temporary one. Banjo peered upward at her with a proud smile before giving his attention back to the nymph.

“Don’t worry, Miss. We’ll get your… erm, wings back for you. You have our word!” He paused for a moment to make sure he had that right. An odd thing it was to tell an amphibian that they would once again be enabled to fly, but he was willing to help her meet that end regardless.

“But seriously, though, can I borrow them? Mine don’t work right now.” Same as the fish girl, it was difficult for Kazooie to hide her embarrassment at the fact she currently couldn’t use her own wings, especially since she was naturally born with them (and still had them). Strange that creatures of sea and sky could sympathize with one another over something only one of them should really know anything about. She, too, enjoyed flying--as she was meant to--so she expected that the sea maiden would understand her plea.

”You’ll wear them?”

She was rather surprised and confused by the bird in the bear’s backpack’s comment as she was a bird and wasn’t flying what birds did? Then again she had really only ever seen parrots before so maybe that wasn’t the case? The situation was clarified a few moments later by the information that theirs didn't work at the moment.

”oh, then of course you can use them. Just be warned that I kind of threw up last time I put them on as they had the virus Fox mentioned in them when I got them. They might be safe now, they did change color and I never felt sick again after I put them on, but just be aware of that fact that you might feel a little off when you first use them.”

She certainly wasn’t opposed to someone using her stuff, particularly if it helped everyone survive their mission. Hopefully they didn’t grow so attached to the wings that she wouldn't get them back afterwards.

---

Guile noted that Alicia Harnick, or Blue Girl as he nicknamed her in his mind, was joining the Dream Land group. The squad leader was already full of questions, and he too, started to contemplate if making the child a squad leader was a good idea. Children liked to ask questions, and if she couldn’t formulate her own answers or answers to problems, then this group was going to have issues that were going to be no less than the last one. She pointed to a strange shadow on the map that looked very similar to the shape of a tree. Guile frowned at the silhouette. He hadn’t received any intel on it, and so he hadn’t been too worried about it.

“You should focus on the mission,” Guile told Frisk, completely avoiding her questions. But really it was to imply that there was nothing for her to worry about in regards to the “surprise” or the silhouette. It wouldn’t have been a surprise if he told everyone.

Slayer was strangely enthusiastic about sharing some advice and experience with the Alpha team. It had seemed strange because Guile didn’t expect the man (or vampire) to have a heart. Not just because vampires were normally undead but because he gave off the impression that he cared only about himself. Boy was he wrong.

Guile didn’t expect anything less from Fox. Fox was a commander-type, and he was so far the most superior hero. His skills on the battlefield were stellar enough to have him immediately moved to Delta Squad, and it could have been because of his universe and upbringing. Not everyone had similar liberties. As Guile looked over the current group of Alphas, and even his Charlie and Bravo Groups, he was eager to see who would be next to rise to Delta group. It was a privilege and a curse, and those with a good head on their shoulders were going to be the deserving.

Cloud was quiet as he stood next to a wall with his arms crossed before his chest. His Mako-green eyes were inspecting the group. He swore that when he first joined the cause that there were more heroes. Where did they all go? Did they quit? Did they perish like Mario? The Council seemed to be in need of as much help as they could get. There would be only four of them embarking on the mission to Dream Land. Well…five if one separated the bear and bird. Dream Land looked like a pushover realm, but even Cloud had gone toe-to-toe with the pink marshmallow in the Smash Arena and Kirby was no joke. Hopefully, the pink puff was going to be on their team this time.

Guile gave a final glance over the room before he decided to move everyone along.

“All right; did everyone make their tearful goodbyes? If so, it’s time for the first Alpha group to head out. Head upstairs to the 49th floor to get your booster shots and lollipops and meet me at the Hangar.”

His instructions were different from the last mission. The team wasn’t going to warp directly into Dream Land it seemed. Guile looked over at Fox.

“I’m leaving it up to you to keep the rest of these heroes busy. I don’t want them growing fat and lax just because they’re off.”

Guile followed the first Alpha group over to the elevator.

---

---

Mt. Dedede
Before the Heroes Arrive

King Dedede was slumped on his oversized throne, holding the jar that contained the red phozons of Mario. He was holding the jar up to the light while the famous red cap was on his head. Grinning wickedly, he shook the jar around to watch the glowing lights bounce about.

“These look like stupid fire flies in a jar! Are you sure this is actually his soul?” King Dedede asked the cat burglar standing at the foot of his throne.

Tac nodded rapidly while King Dedede gave him a half-lidded, I don’t believe you at all look. The doors of his throne room were then pushed open by two Waddle-Doo guards.

“Sire, you have two visitors. Meta Knight and-and-and…” the Waddle-Doo guard rubbed the side of its eye in confusion.

Meta Knight marched passed the red soldier, his blue cape swirling to his authoritative gait. “Never mind you.”

The Waddle-Doos quickly saluted and scrambled back to their posts. The figure that strode next to Meta Knight was shrouded in a black cloak. The figure was tall, about 6’4” while Meta Knight was only about 4 feet. King Dedede sat up in his chair and hopped off his throne onto a pair of armored legs with wings. The wings started flapping, lifting the lazy fat penguin into the air and carrying him over to his two new guests.

“Welcome! I suppose you’re here for the jar and hat?” King Dedede greeted. He reminded himself that he was wearing Mario’s hat and quickly removed it from his head as a momentary blush tinged his nonexistent cheeks.

The cloaked figure said nothing and instead held out a hand toward the hovering penguin. King Dedede smirked and clutched the jar against his body protectively.

“Now, now, we had a deal didn’t we? I give you Mario’s Hat and Soul, and you give me the power to rule the Dream Land universe and destroy Kirby once and for all!”

The cloaked figure dropped its hand. Meta Knight frowned as he warned, “You should mind your tone, King Dedede. A great power stands before you.”

King Dedede shrugged. “Yeah, well, if she or he was such a great power, then he-she wouldn’t mind sharin’ it. No power. No soul and hat.”

The cloaked figure held out its hand again, and it was clenched into a fist. When it opened its hand, in its palm was a purple and black crystal. King Dedede hovered closer to the crystal, squinting his eyes at it suspiciously. The cloaked figure then suddenly clenched the crystal and jammed it into the penguin’s throat. King Dedede gasped, rearing back in shock as blood gushed from his neck. Meta Knight quickly dove to catch the jar that fell from the penguin’s hands and rolled upright in time to catch the fallen cap too.

“SIRE!” the Waddle-Doo soldiers exclaimed as they quickly rushed the cloaked figure.

The cloaked figure had grasped King Dedede by his neck and turned to face the charging knights. Holding King Dedede aloft in its hand, through the cowl that swore they saw gleaming two feline-like eyes. The Waddle-Doo Knights froze unsure what to do as they watched the king kick and rasp.

“I…I feel it,” King Dedede wheezed to not only the Waddle-Doo’s shock but to Meta Knight’s surprise as well.

The cloaked figure lowered the king to the floor and released him. The wound on the penguin’s neck stitched itself closed as though his flesh had a mind of its own. King Dedede rubbed his throat, his blue eyes wide in awe. Holding up his arms, he flexed his biceps as an arrogant frown hardened on his face.

“I feel it! The power! It’s like a fire growing inside me. I have more energy now than I ever had before!” the king exclaimed. His eyes gleamed with a craze that made the Waddle Knights tremble. “I must test this power at once!”

The cloaked figure turned to leave, the tails of its cloak twisting. Meta Knight stared at the cloaked person nervously before he slowly followed after it, gazing back at the cackling Dedede. He couldn’t help but wonder what sort of nightmare had befallen Dream Land as they headed back to his Halberd ship.

---

---

After the heroes managed to receive their vaccinations, they joined Guile in the hangar to join him along with Rosalina on a red spacecraft known as the Ragnarok. The ship resembled a dragon, and as Guile introduced:

“This is the Ragnarok, the fastest interdimensional ship in the galaxy. Well, at least that’s what the engineers claim. This will be your home and saving grace until you all complete the mission. If anyone needs to be pulled out of the mission for any reason, then we will pick them up here. Let’s get on board.”

Cloud marveled the ship, passing beneath its wings as he followed behind Guile to the hatch. As they started up the ramp, Cloud suddenly was taken aback by the sight of a bloated and strapped down Wario. If everyone thought he had been big before, he was looking like a blimp now. Tied at his side was Waluigi who was kicking his feet rapidly and squirming desperately to free himself. Cloud’s mouth was hanging open in confusion as Guile walked over to rest his hand against Wario’s swollen side. The Street Fighter smirked and had an almost wicked gleam in his eye.

“Surprise!” he exclaimed to the group.

“Surprise? What do you mean surprise?” Wario shouted. He was sweating bullets and was apparently suffering. “What did you guys do to me? NO; what did SHE do to me?” He demanded looking over at Rosalina who was standing there calmly and with an irritated look on her face. “Please! Just let me fart, burp, anything! I’m gonna explode!”

Waluigi whined, “I don’t wanna be around when he explodes, wah!”

Rosalina raised her nose. “If you weren’t so disgusting, then you wouldn’t be in this predicament.”

“Disgusting? You act like you don’t fart! Farting is completely natural!”

“If your farts were natural, then you wouldn’t be ready to explode. You look like a bombomb.”

Guile headed toward the bridge and explained, “Our two new additions to the team will be goin’ in first. We gotta special treat for the king.”

Cloud walked around the two villains on his way to the bridge and muttered under his breath, “I don’t even wanna know.”

The trip was already getting weird.

---

---

Location: Butter Building
The King’s Address

King Dedede stood (more like sat on his new flying leg contraption) on the balcony of one of his many castles before a crowd of Waddle-Doos, Waddle-Dees, Poppy Bros Juniors, Bronto Burts, Cappies; you name it. They stood in division formations gazing upon their king who had a black, visible aura swirling about his body. His eyes were glowing red as a large grin parted his beak. Resting his flippers upon the banister, he leaned over to gaze upon his fearful subjects.

“Today is a special day. I am no longer the King Dedede you knew before. I am no longer the weak king who was always kicked out of his castle by an annoying pink marshmallow. No longer will my title be 'King.' No! I am more than a king now. You have seen my power. Mt. Dedede is no more. It is now only a crater in this pathetic gumdrop planet! I will now be called World Emperor Dedede! All of you will have nothing to fear for there will be no greater threat than me. With my new god powers, Dream Land will become the Dream Universe for I will take over every star in the cosmos!” King Dedede proclaimed.

The soldiers raised their little paws, flippers, and nubs and bellowed in approval.

Meanwhile, bursting through the Dimensional Mirror was a foreign red dragon ship. The ship did a speedy circle around the Star-shaped continent, flying through Grape Garden, over the Fountain of Dreams, and Rainbow Resort. When it passed over an enormous gorge or crater where Mt. Dedede was supposed to be on the map, the ship slowed as Guile examined it.

“What the hell happened here?” he wondered aloud.

Rosalina stepped closer to peer through the window at the vast hole in the ground. “What power…oh look!”

Hovering over the chasm on a large yellow star was a pink dot. Kirby looked up at the strange ship and quickly maneuvered his warp star up to it until he was hovering before the bridge window. The pink marshmallow looked over all the occupants before he smiled and waved.

“Eeey!” he greeted.

Rosalina smiled. “It’s Kirby! Do you think he might know what happened?”

“I’ll open the hatch,” said Guile.

As the Ragnarok hatch opened, Kirby flew around and crashed his star into the floor as it popped into mini stars and disappeared. The pink critter skipped along recognizing Wario immediately as he hopped up onto the fat man and began bouncing on his bloated stomach as though it was a trampoline. Wario’s eyes nearly bulged. He was really going to explode now.

“GET HIM OFF! THAT’S IT! I’M TAKIN’ EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU BITCHES WITH ME!” Wario yelled.

As he went red in the face, straining hard to try and release the pint-up gas, Waluigi started to panic. “Waah! He’s trying to detonate! Get me out of here!”

Rosalina quickly rushed over to Kirby, holding her hands up to him. “Kirby get down from there.”

The pink warrior stopped bouncing and leaped down into Rosalina’s arms. She held the marshmallow like a child and frowned at Wario.

“Try all you want. You won’t be able to do it.”

“DAMN IT! I’M GONNA GO INSANE!”

Rosalina carried Kirby to the bridge so she could introduce him to the new warriors. “Everyone; this is Kirby. He may be small, but he’s actually a legend. He’s the Hero of Dream Land.”

Cloud didn’t make eye-contact with it. There was one evident memory he had in his mind fighting Kirby, and it was being sucked into its mouth; to pure darkness; and then emerging from who knows where. The creature didn’t seem to have a visible asshole, but he didn’t want to imagine that was where he was ejected from when the thing copied his powers.

Kirby enthusiastically waved and greeted everyone, “Ey!”

Guile rested a hand on his head as he asked, “Does he say more than ‘ey’? I thought we were supposed to get information about the crater from this guy?”

Kirby looked at Guile and seemed to understand completely. He faced the group and threw his small nubby arms into the air. Inhaling deeply, he swelled to the size of beach ball before swallowing the air and shrinking back to his normal size.

“Ey, ey, ah!” Kirby chirped and that was the explanation.

---

XP has not yet begun. The story is still currently in its introductory phase.

GM Note: I presented the very first Delta boss, but the Delta boss’s identity is still a secret. You can try and guess who you think the boss will be, but I will not reveal it until the time comes. I stopped the GM post here because otherwise I would have carried on, forcing everyone into the main event. I stopped in case those who wanted to post in response to everything can do so. XP hasn’t started quite yet, but it will soon. Below is the posting order. Remember, if you don't want to post this round, then "mention" me in the OOC and let me know that you "Pass." You do not have to post if you don't want to. Everyone is free to try and figure out what Kirby just explained. Regardless, you'll figure it out any way.


If a player is inactive for more than 3 days without letting the GMs know of any delays, then the player can be skipped over on the 4th day. If a player does not wish to post, they can Mention the GM and let the GM know he or she "Passes" on his or her turn.

P.O.: Frisk, Alicia Harnick, Banjo & Kazooie, and Cloud.

Frisk blinked at Guile's answer to their question. He had just brushed them off. Frisk was admittedly a little bothered by that fact, but that feeling didn't linger too long as the other members stepped up to give advice. Hopefully the lack of knowledge on the silhouette won't bite them in the butt later on. Frisk's attention quickly turned to Slayer as the man enthusiastically gave them and the rest of the squad advice. Frisk listened carefully to the speech. Don't rely on gimmicks and work together with the rest of the squad. So there was a chance that Frisk might not be able to end a fight peacefully? That might be tricky. But they have no problem working with the others. Hopefully there won't be a need to kill anyone altogether during this mission.

Frisk's attention soon turned to a fish lady who addressed them with the familiar moniker "Tiny Human Child," Was she related to Undyne? Frisk didn't ask out loud. They knew the answer was 'no'. If they were, then Undyne would have mentioned her. They listened to what she had to say. Of course, her advice sounded as wise as Slayer's advice. Staying together and sticking with a plan. Got it.
They blinked when Not-Undyne handed them a fruit. They accepted it with a smile and a nod, and they answered her politely, "Thank you, Ma'am," Of course, the woman ended her speech with a question, and before Frisk could speak up, the bear and bird already did so. Frisk could only nod in agreement. Of course they would be willing to help her find her wings.

Last to speak was none other than Fox. He had agreed with the other two, but added onto the advice with thinking beyond what was expected. It sort of reminded Frisk of the fact that they defied the rule of "Kill or Be Killed" in the Underground. If they could do that, then they could handle the unexpected that would come in this mission. He had also mentioned getting immunizations for the mission as well, because of the virus that everyone had heard about. Frisk didn't make any comment or answer as Fox just cooly stepped out of the room after he gave his advice.

Frisk also noticed that Cloud Strife was sitting in the room just looking at everyone as well. Their attention was diverted to Guile when he spoke and told everyone to get to the 49th floor for vaccines and then report to the Hangar. Frisk gave a nod before hopping off of the chair and heading for the 49th floor. On their way there, they had noticed Guile speaking to Fox one last time.

---

---

Frisk walked through the halls, looking at the band-aid on their arm, their sweater sleeve still rolled up. The experience of getting a shot wasn't so great for Frisk (like every other child who has an aversion to needles), but they were determined to get it over with. Besides, it was worth it. Seeing the bandage on their arm reminded them of when they woke up in the Underground for the first time, with no memory. The bandage was their first "armor", and it was going to be their first "armor" once again for this adventure on the surface, in a completely different world....

Frisk rolled their sleeve down as they reached the hangar and they gasped before laughing in awe and amazement after Guile introduced it as the Ragnarok, "WOOOAAAAH! That is so cool!" Frisk didn't hesitate to head to the ship after Guile said so. They were next to Cloud as they walked up the ramp and caught sight of that Wario jerk...who now looked like a giant living parade balloon. Frisk had to bite down on their bottom lip just to keep themselves from laughing (of course it didn't stop a wide, amused smile from appearing on their face). Of course, Cloud with his jaw wide open in a gape was hilarious as well.

They listened to the banter between Guile, Rosalina, and Wario, and the dots immediately connected themselves in Frisk's mind. They had a pretty good idea of what's going to happen. At least they think they do. After Guile finished his last sentence and Cloud made his statement, Frisk continued towards the bridge and joked, "Well, I can already tell this mission is going to be a blast,

---

---

It wasn't long before Frisk found themselves in Dream Land, looking through the window of the bridge at the crater. Frisk had been wondering the same thing as Guile, when he asked. And as they thought about it, the more Frisk thought that the possibility that Dedede had absorbed Mario's soul was more likely. Their attention was soon diverted by Rosalina's voice and they looked up to see a pink character riding a star and waving to them. The creature seemed friendly, and Rosalina seemed to recognize it as Kirby. They waited at the bridge, knowing that they should tell about the squad about their theory-no, hypothesis. Alphys had taught them the difference between those two words.

But before they could even say anything, Rosalina came back with the cute pink puff in her arms. After Kirby waved and greeted, Frisk waved back and greeted "Hi! I'm Frisk,"

Guile had asked his question, and Kirby tried to explain. Of course, Frisk had no idea as to what Kirby just said either. But, they were determined to establish a way of communication between Kirby and the group. Frisk was not an ambassador back home for no reason after all!

Frisk spoke up to Kirby first, politely and respectfully so as to not offend the other hero, "Sorry Kirby, we're having a little trouble understanding. But, I have an idea! We'll all ask you Yes or No questions, and you can give us one 'Ey' for yes, and two 'Ey's for no. 'Ah' for you don't know. Does that sound okay?" As they had mentioned all of them asking, they had looked to Guile, Rosalina, Cloud, Banjo and Kazooie, and Alicia, in case they had any other questions they wanted to ask.

Frisk didn't hesitate to ask their first questions to Kirby, "This is just a hunch, but...Did King Dedede make that crater? If so, is he normally capable of making craters that size?"

Alicia paid attention to all the advice given given, though some of it was a standard practice amongst the Vanguard already, such as staying with the team and working together. She cast a meaningful look back towards James, who remained silent during the exchange, but even she could tell under his helmet, which he had yet to remove since coming back, that he was frustrated and angry about something. However, she returned her attention to Guile as he spoke again, dismissing the four members of the Dream Land team to go to the infirmary to receive their vaccinations against the Mugen Virus.

As she walked, James walked next to her, as she'd opted to take an elevator entrance further from the main one. "You seem angry." James didn't immediately respond, and Charger materialized between the two Guardians, his eye set in something of a frowning position.

"The mission James and I were on did not go as smoothly as had been hoped for. Many of the Heroes who had arrived ahead of us and departed with us-" James cut off his Ghost, irritating the floating spiked orb, but illiciting no argument from him right then.

"They damn well fled like Fallen Dreg who had just had their Captain slain in front of their eyes while the Vandals are trying to keep things together as we slice through them like a scalpel. From what I gathered at the debriefing, we ended with less than half the heroes we left with, and at least one casualty. It was..." Charger snagged the opportunity to speak again.

"It was, to be quite frank, a disaster. Guile and all of the veterans are hoping that this mission won't be such a mess, to put it as bluntly as possible." Alicia nodded, stopping outside the elevator and facing her compatriot as he stopped across from her.

"Any words of advice then? Something to keep the four, five if you count the bird in the back pack, of us from getting killed?" James nods, removing his helmet to reveal a rather grim countenance.

"Get to know your team, but also don't underestimate your enemy. We faced a man who could see the rounds I fired from the Imago Loop and deflect them. We're really out of our element here." Nodding her understanding, Alicia enters the portal that made the elevator as the Nightstalker went to find out if there was a target range. He needed to burn some frustration.

---

If she was being honest, the sight of the Ragnarok was something of a surprise. Back home, she knew that Dead Orbit had invested an impressive amount of time and effort into getting a fleet of capitol ships into working condition for scouting the perimeter of the Solar System, but she'd never seen them before. The sight of this dragon ship, on the other hand, was something she wasn't likely to forget anytime soon. As they walked, she took stock of her team, from the small child who had been placed in charge of the mission to the swordsman with the giant sword and eyes reminiscent of one of her fellow Awoken, though he was clearly a normal human. The bear and bird that had come together, the latter living in a backpack on the bear's back, was an interesting sight, but nothing she couldn't get used to.

She followed Guile and the others up the loading ramp to where she was introduced to the surprise they had for this King Dedede and frowned. What was wrong with the fat, ugly man that whatever was keeping him from farting was causing him to blow up like a beach ball. Of course, the unhealthily skinny man tied to him didn't escape her notice either and she questioned just how strange things would be here outside her own universe. Well, I suppose it can't be much stranger than things are back home. Or at least, I hope they can't.

---

After what seemed to be a short flight, Alicia found herself looking down on the landscape of Dream Land, a world very different from Earth, Mars, Venus, or the Moon's Sea of Storms. In many ways, it was refreshing. All the color unblemished by the ruins of Humanity's ultimately failed attempts at expanding their civilization as well as defending what had been on Earth for centuries was impressive and comforting. For The Stalwart, it meant that at least in some universes, there was an unending war being fought. She watched the landscape change as they flew through various zones, though she knew not any of their names.

However, as they came upon one point, there was only a crater, something that caused both Guile and the goddess Rosalina some concern, which had the Striker pulling The 4th Horseman off her back and watching the entrances to the Ragnarok's interior. However, while she kept her vigil, Guile opened the door to allow a pink ball with feet and tiny arms entrance. This fluff ball was introduced as Kirby, after he was allowed to torture the fat, ugly man who Alicia began to think had some vague ties to the theft of Mario's soul and hat. She watched her companions and noted that the sword wielding man had avoided eye contact with Kirby and frowned slightly. Did he know something she didn't? It wouldn't surprise her, since she'd never encountered basically everyone here before now, and she'd have to find the time to ask him later. Nodding to Kirby, she introduced herself after the child, who had named themselve's as Frisk Dreemur. "Alicia Harnick, Striker Titan with the Vanguard. Pleasure to meet you Kirby." However, she knew Guile made a good point about understanding the pink puffball. She didn't have Iron, who would have likely attempted to create a translation algorithm, but she didn't have him, so that was out.

However, the child had a solution right after she began trying to figure out some kind of solution and asked Kirby to say 'Ey once for yes and twice for no before asking two questions. She had to admit, it was a quick solution that would save them time in the long run.