Lawman LV.1

---

Hearing Taric and Shantea's agreement Jack didn't wait to hear Steve's and quickly stepped out the door of the Barrel Roll pub. Once outside Jack silently, but graciously accepted a mint from Taric. The thick fisted cop didn't need to smell his own breath to know that it was putrid. Ignoring that he'd just downed a bottle of whiskey and a greasy BLT, he had been neglecting his oral hygiene long before he'd gotten the letter. Chances were that Shadow, who ate raw meat and regularly licked himself, had fresher breath then Jack did. He'd already shown up late to the last mission looking like a drunk, Jack figured the last thing he needed was to show up on time smelling like a drunk.

As he chewed the mint Jack did his best to lead the mismatched group through the streets of Platform City. Everything was still very unfamiliar to him. The sights, sounds, and, and residents still seemed too exotic and alien to fully grasp. However he was used to large difficult to navigate cities and unlike Grant City, where everything largely looked the same, Platform City had a lot of striking landmarks and recognizable buildings by comparison.

It wasn't long before he was making his way up the steps to Tetris Castle. Before he could fully ascend the staircase his police walkie talkie crackled to life.

"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!"

"Wow, for once I managed to be on time for something. Least I won't have to ask where to go to report in now." Jack muttered to himself, glancing skywards in an attempt to see the top of the massive castle that stretched out before him. Quickly giving up due to the strain on his neck the hard boiled cop reached the top of the stairs. A sense of relief washed over him as he saw there was no signs of a continuing ceremony.

"Thank god that funeral is over. Last thing I need is a reminder that people die needlessly even here." Jack thought, picking up the pace towards the castle entrance in an effort to quell any thoughts of the past.

Once inside he fumbled for directions until finally making it to the 30th floor and slipping into the War Room. Jack stood silently and listened to Guile speak. It was tempting to volunteer for the mission, if only to make up for his previous absence. However the setup seemed a bit over his head. Plus the idea of going to some land of smiling clouds, rainbows, and other cutesy stuff didn't seem all that appealing to the boozed up former cop.

Catching Shantae's gaze Jack simply shrugged his thick shoulders. "We should stay out of this. There will probably be another mission." Jack mouthed silently to the pint sized genie as Shadow simply sat and wagged his tail.

Around the room there was a bizarre assortment of people, more so then even the bar. A child, a talking fox, a military man with arms practically bulging with muscle, and countless others. Some seemed more experienced then others and those seemed to be the ones who began to give advice. Talk of immunization against a virus was both worrying and comforting. Though since he wasn't going to the land of sunshine and rainbows it seemed irrelevant at the moment.

"Find someone who compliments my fighting style, huh?" Jack muttered to himself and looked around the war room as mission goers began to clear out. Taric had already seemed to imply he was willing to back Jack up, but everyone else was still a mystery to him.

"Hey, anyone not going to uh-'Dreamland' why don't we have a quick Powwow to get to know each other. I'm Jack Slate, this is Shadow." Jack gestured to the large, blue eyed, black and white furred beast next to him. The dog quietly barred it's teeth as it's name was mentioned and it's cold bestial eyes swept through the room and it's occupants. "I have a gun, I can punch, and I like to think I can take a punch or two. Nothing fancy, nothing crazy, just good old fashioned violence."

As expected the Major shrugged off the child’s inquiry. It seemed like ‘need to know’ information that he just didn’t see readily fit to afford them. The duo weren’t so sure if they could trust a plan they weren’t in on, but they hadn’t time to argue about it. If worst came to worst, they would be able to find their way out; they always did. On their way to the elevator, Kazooie couldn’t help noticing the military man passing word to the stoic fox character who took himself a little too seriously. Though, he didn’t speak in a whisper, she couldn’t pick up on what he told him from where she was. Sure, it was really none of her business, but the inexplicable penchant for secrecy made her a little more wary of him than she probably needed to be. She simply held on to her suspicion and receded back into her partner’s backpack as they entered the elevator.

---

When receiving their vaccinations--something neither of them ever had to do previously--Banjo dealt better with it than Kazooie, oddly enough. Kazooie was generally the braver of the two, specifically in perilous situations, but she wasn’t exactly keen on the idea of being jabbed with a needle filled with science and all manner of unknown foreign substances she probably couldn’t pronounce. Banjo mildly restrained her during the procedure, after which her nerves calmed, and with that out of the way, they proceeded to the hangar. Needless to say, they were greeted with something nothing short of marvelous. They were provided with a ship that would take them to their mission destination via dimensional travel. In a way, it was kind of like Old King Coal’s train, Chuffy, only it flew instead of driving, could apparently take them between various worlds rather than parts of just one, and it was purportedly the fastest of its kind. Okay, so maybe they were only alike until one actually thought about it (which is to say basically not at all), but they remained similar in that they both serve as integral means of transit between where heroes needed to go.

They weren’t prepared for what awaited them when they stepped onboard. It turned out the “surprise” from before came in the form of “two new additions to the team” that some of them weren’t previously aware of, and they hardly looked to be willing participants. The given context of their involvement, however unpleasant it was to hear, hinted at a plan to use the bloated man as a (very) crude IED. It was fairly obvious that the major was being facetious when referring to them as teammates, but that did nothing to alleviate Banjo’s ethical reservations about the plan.

“Uh… are we sure this is okay? Seems kinda harsh,” objected Banjo.

“Eh. Sounds like they were asking for it.” About that, Kazooie was right. They were quite literally asking to be part of the mission no less than an hour prior, and now they were; it just wasn’t quite what they had hoped for. Still, it seemed a bit cruelly exploitative for those what called themselves heroes to do such a thing. They were supposed to have rules, principles to set them apart from their worse halves, but now wasn’t the time to delve into moral existentialism. It was time to depart. Kazooie sank back into the backpack while Banjo slowly backed away from the awkward scene he wanted nothing else to do with and waited patiently for takeoff.

---

The aftermath of a destructive occurrence was a soar, glaring standout against the world’s colorful landscape. Even the loudmouthed Kazooie was left quietly speechless by the sight. If it was the doing of this ‘King Dedede’, they were sure to have their work cut out for them. At the scene was a small, sentient pink round riding a star over the crater as it made its way inbound towards the ship. The bubbly, childlike creature barreled in unconcerned with controlling its landing, as its anatomy allowed for a soft landing regardless of caution. “He” found his way quickly into the goddess’s arms, at which point she introduced him as this world’s resident hero, Kirby. The bear and bird followed behind everyone in their introductions.

“I’m Banjo,” he offered, gesturing to himself.

“Kazooie,” she added, Banjo thumbing to her as she did.

The puffball returned salutations with a simple ”ey”, prompting the Major to impatiently inquire as to the practical extent of their linguistic faculties.

“Maybe he’s just saying ‘hey,’” Banjo suggested. That much might have been plausible until Kirby continued in monosyllabic babble.

“That’s useful,” remarked the breegull sarcastically.

“Can anyone here translate?” the bear asked aloud to anyone who might be of help. It appeared as if they would be hopeless on the information front until their child leader immediately, effortlessly formulated a solution to overcome the communication barrier. Both Banjo and Kazooie gave separate nods of agreement at the idea. Maybe having the kid accompany them on the mission (as their leader, no less) wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Maybe they did know what they were doing.

---

Many of the heroes had been doubtful of the child squad leader, but Guile was sure that at that moment when Frisk displayed their linguistics techniques with Kirby that all doubts were out the window. The pink ball smiled at Frisk’s proposition and then exuberantly exclaimed, “Ey!” in agreeance. At Frisk’s first question, Kirby answered with one Ey and then two Eys at their second question.

Guile frowned at the news, peering through the Ragnarok’s cameras at a closer examination of the crater. He wondered if King Dedede was suffering what happened to Odin. If so...why would he have wanted Mario’s soul?

“I don’t like this,” Guile muttered his thoughts aloud. King Dedede shouldn't have been that big of a problem and the penguin was often negotiable. But again...why would he had wanted Mario’s soul?

Rosalina had been watching Guile expectantly. She had heard him muttering to himself and he was looking uneasy. Kirby was waving at all the heroes, while Rosalina tilted her head curiously at the street fighter.

“Guile is something wrong?” she asked.

Guile turned from the cams to regard Rosalina and the rest of the group.

“Everything just stinks that’s all,” Guile grumbled. “I’m starting to wonder if this is a mission that we should be sending our Alpha team to.”

Cloud frowned and leaned off the wall. “You want us to prove ourselves, right? Let us do it. We have this realm’s hero with us, so we just might have the advantage. If it goes bad, then swing in with the Ragnarok for extraction.”

Kirby waved happily at Cloud, “Eeey~!”

Cloud continued to ignore the pink ball.

Guile frowned. He was thinking hard about the decision. He honestly wanted to pull Alpha team back. He had a strong gut feeling to do so, but then he knew that if he did pull the team back, then he would be letting them all down. The Council hadn’t had the chance to test these heroes yet. They could have well exceeded everyone’s expectations.

“All right,” Guile yielded. “We’re gonna proceed with the plan. You guys better not make me regret it.”

Rosalina smiled and cheered, “Yay!”

Kirby repeated, “Yay!”

Guile pressed a few buttons on the console and pushed a handle forward that engaged the Ragnorok’s thrusters and got the ship moving again. The Ragnarok flew through the Green Greens and passed the colossal Dreamstalk. As the ship approached the Butter Building, Guile smirked at the divisions of entourage that awaited the heroes. King Dedede appeared to be addressing them all from his balcony. Guile turned to face the group with a smile, which wasn’t a usual expression the street fighter wore. It might have been slightly sadistic.

“You guys got a whole party waiting for you down there,” he informed before he flipped a switch to have a hologram projection show the massive square-like formations below. He even zoomed in on King Dedede, and it was apparent that the penguin had undergone…something. Kirby hopped up to his feet and pointed at the hologram with his beady black eyes large in startle.

“Ey!” he exclaimed and started pointing frantically at the projection.

Guile started to feel like he was understanding the pink marshmallow. “Well, Kirby seems to notice King Dedede’s makeover.”

Guile posted up a photo that The Council had of the boss so the heroes could make the noticeable comparison [Link].

“Looks like we got ourselves another virus victim,” Guile perceived.

“Kirby hasn’t had the vaccine shot. What if he gets infected?” said Rosalina out of concern.

The pink marshmallow looked at everyone cluelessly. A vaccine?

“You won’t be suckin’ anybody up today,” Guile told the pink puff. “It may be best if Kirby stays here with us. Last thing I want is for one of our heroes to get corrupted.”

So much for their trump card, Cloud mused. Kirby’s lack of participation didn’t seem to convince Guile to pull them all from the mission at least.

“All right, everyone listen up! Here’s the new plan. I’m not too keen about takin’ Kirby back to Platform City to get him his vaccinations at the expense of leavin’ you all here by yourselves. I don’t know what could happen to you all while I’m gone and I’m not willin’ to take the risk. We’re gonna proceed with our original plan. We’re droppin’ in the special forces (sarcasm) first, and then we’ll swing around, droppin’ in the calvary at the penguin’s doorstep. Your mission is not to engage King Dedede unless you have to. Your mission is to find Mario’s soul and hat, and get the heck out of there. If you got to take a hostage and smack him or her around a bit, then do so. Whatever helps you complete the mission. At this time, does anyone have any questions, comments, or criticisms that you think I’d actually care about?”

He had to add that last part in because some characters asked questions just to waste his time and piss him off. Cloud remained silent for he was eager to just get the mission over with already.

---

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

GM Note: None.


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 was glad that their idea for communicating with Kirby worked, but they were concerned when it came to Kirby's answers. They looked to Guile when he turned to look at the crater through the cameras. They heard Guile's mumble, and they could see how Guile was starting to doubt their entire team this time. Frisk looked to Cloud when he spoke up for the entire team. It was quite admirable, and they were glad to hear that Guile had agreed to let them go with the plan. They couldn't help but let out a "Yay!" along with Kirby and Rosalina.

Frisk grew serious once more when Guile showed the entire squad the massive army waiting for them. Frisk had gasped quietly at how King Dedede appeared. Their concern only grew as Kirby recognized the massive change, and when Frisk saw Dedede's original appearance, in comparison to his current makeover. So this was the effect of the Mugen Virus? Frisk wasn't sure if this was better than the possibility they were thinking of earlier or not. If anything, it looked like Dedede had a power-up equal to absorbing a human SOUL. Hopefully they won't need to actually fight Dedede, but...it may be a good idea to CHECK on Dedede's SOUL at some point.

Rosalina pointed out the possibility of Kirby getting infected and with that, Guile had immediately benched the pink puff. Thankfully that didn't seem to deter him from going with the plan. Frisk paid attention to Guile as he restated the plan and let them know not to engage unless they needed to. After Guile asked his questions, and mentioned it'd be something he'd care about, Frisk raised their hand and gave their questions "What if someone absorbed Mario's SOUL? Do you want us to bring that person back to Platform City? Also...I don't suppose you have gas masks ready for us? Just in case..."

They had realized that if Wario could be used as a stink bomb, then going in the area unprepared might prove disastrous for the Squad, just as it might be for the enemies. Frisk looked to the others, knowing that it would be best to also figure out where their teammates strength lies. They already have a pretty good idea that Cloud is an expert swordsman, while Alicia looked like a long range fighter. Banjo and Kazooie however, they had no clue...

Alicia watched Kirby answer the questions and could only frown behind her helmet as it was confirmed that Dedede had indeed turned the place into the crater they were now looking at. If he'd received a power boost that drastic, then it was a really bad time for her to be unable to use her Fists of Havoc or her Storm Grip, but it was what it was. Replacing the 4th Horseman, she drew the Doctrine of Passing in it's place and waited as Guile had some kind of debate with himself before speaking out loud when Rosalina questioned him.

The doubt about whether or not the team he had brought was going to be adequate wasn't an unfair one, since she was sure that she wasn't the only one here who had experienced a hard reset of sorts with their abilities. However, in the end, the man with the giant sword was the one who convinced him to stick to the plan, prompting the goddess, Kirby, and their child leader, Frisk , to all cheer in victory about the team already there getting to stay. As they approached where Dedede was actually at, and the army that he had gathered became more clear, Alicia was reminded of when the Hive had come charging out of Crota's Temple, Thrall, Acolytes, Knights, everything they had had come charging at her and James when they'd disturbed the zealous servants of the Darkness. The only large difference between then and now is that James had been able to summon his Golden Gun and she could use her Fists of Havoc, neither of which were possible now.

Then Dedede was brought into view, and immediately The Stalwart's warning bells went off. They called the threat the Mugen Virus, but the altered appearance and apparent increase or change in powers reminded her of fighting off the Taken when Oryx had arrived to try and exact revenge for his son's death at the hand's of Earth's Guardians. That had been a nightmare in and of itself, but they'd won and Alicia was determined that things would be no different here. Turning back to Guile after shaking her head at the obvious change in appearance, and likely temperament, the penguin had gone through, she listened as he rehashed the plan, glancing at their special forces and shaking her head. If she was honest, she almost felt pity for the pair, as they seemed to be going into the lion's den unwillingly. But it also seemed they'd done something to earn it, so she wouldn't comment. After the blonde soldier had asked for questions he cared about, Frisk shot their's off. Allowing a small space for answers to be given, Alicia spoke up next. "If we do have to engage this King Dedede, is lethal force authorized?"

---

Frisk’s questions were disturbing—and it hadn’t been their question about gas masks. If Mario’s Soul was absorbed, then their mission would have been all for naught. Poor Luigi…The All-American’s blonde brows converged in a stern frown that hardened on his face harder than stone. He looked over at the child leader and answered, “If Mario’s Soul has been absorbed…” He paused as though he were still thinking about it. King Dedede…the street fighter felt conflicted. If King Dedede did manage to absorb Mario’s Soul, then the scientists might have been able to work a miracle to extract it. But they hadn’t confirmed that yet. “We haven’t confirmed yet if Mario’s Soul was absorbed or not. For now, treat the mission as though the soul can be reclaimed. If you can’t retrieve it, I’m gonna wanna know why.”

As for gas masks, Guile’s face softened as an amused smile curled on his lips. “I may be a hard-ass, but I wouldn’t subject you grunts to that stench. Of course you will be given gas masks.”

He was actually surprised that Frisk figured out what the plan was. He might have been giving her too much credit. Most heroes knew how foul and disgusting Wario could be. Guile stepped away from the Ragnorok’s console and approached one of the wooden crates just before the door to the hangar. There was a crowbar leaning against the wall nearby. He had set it there initially when the ship was loaded for he knew he would be needing it again. Prying free the lid of the crate, Guile set down the crowbar and removed the lid to reveal a pile of gas masks of various sizes. He picked one up, holding it for the group to see.

“There are many sizes. Even for mugs like yours,” said Guile pointing at Banjo’s big nose. “You can pull the adjustment straps. If you have special air-venting headgear of your own, then by all means use what was issued to ya.”

Guile tossed the mask back into the crate and returned to the console. He then ordered, “Everyone get those masks on pronto. We’re gonna be proceeding with Operation Dumbo Drop in five minutes.”

“I heard that! Who are you callin’ a DUMBO?” Wario blared. He then panicked, “And what do ya mean drop? You can’t drop me! That’s villainous! You guys are supposed ta’ be heroes! Don’t let him drop me!”

“Yeah, don’t let him drop us!” Waluigi cried.

Kirby held up his pink nubby arms as a bright smile expanded on his face. He repeated, “Drop, drop, drop, drop!”

“SHUT UP YOU PINK PIPSQUEAK!”

Cloud approached the crate and upon grasping a gas mask, he closed his eyes and sighed as though his heart was aching in his chest. He had a feeling that something awful was about to happen. They might have been spared from smelling whatever Wario was cooking, but what if it seeped into their clothes and gear? Pressing the mask to his face and pulling the straps back across his head, Cloud muttered on a slightly ventilated voice: “What detergent is gonna get that smell out?”

The swordsman then proceeded to walk back to his wall.

Guile waited for all the heroes to get equipped before he grasped two levers on the console. He then warned over his shoulder: “All right everyone, grab onto somethin’ and hold on as though your life depended on it because it will.”

He pushed the levers forward and the Ragnorok’s thrusters erupted into action, propelling the ship in a big loop around the Butter Building. While the Ragnorok was zooming into position, below, the Evil King Dedede was still giving his speech. His Waddle-Dee and Doo Soldiers and the rest of his minions were head-bobbing. Some were already lying on their sides asleep with a snot bubble expanding and deflating from their faces. With a large toothy smile on his face, the red-eyed penguin took no notice. He was too enraptured in his boasting and self-grandeur to even realize that his speech had dragged on for nearly an hour.

“The fiftieth thing I’m gonna do as World Emperor, is I’m going to turn the Milky Way into a resort. It’ll be a Galaxy Resort where everyone can eat as many oreos as they want and dip it in the milk. Oh! Or I’ll sell bottomless Sugar Bite Cereal. With the endless milk, I’ll be rich! Well, wealthier than I’ll already be as World Emperor…”

The back hatch of the ship started to hum as it slowly opened. Wario’s eyes bulged in terror as he felt the wind begin to tug on his body.

“YOU’RE SERIOUS!? YOU’RE ACTUALLY SERIOUS!?” Wario screamed.

Guile guided the Ragnorok in an ascending 90 degrees. The crate beneath Wario lifted off the ship’s floor, tossing the massive blimp of a man into the air.

“WAAAAAAH~! YOU BITCHES!” Wario and Waluigi both screamed.

Cloud was holding onto a support strap as his legs levitated in the air, the strength of the air pressure trying desperately to rip him out of the ship. Kirby was puffed up and effortlessly flapping in the air, keeping up with the rising ship. Baring his teeth, Guile was also hovering in the air. His strong grip on the console levers was the only thing keeping him from flying out with the cargo. Rosalina was holding onto a strap and her Lumas were hugging her to keep her from being flung into the sky. Guile managed to push the levers to force the Ragnorok to barrel roll once in the air and even out. Once the ship was even, he slapped the button to close the hatch and sighed in relief.

“All right; he should be landing in thirty seconds. I’m gonna get us outta here!” Guile informed, spurring the Ragnorok to once again dart away from the Butter Building. “You ready Rosalina?”

Rosalina released the support strap and nodded her head, her gentle face stern with determination.

Meanwhile, Wario was flailing and crying. Tear drops were leaving his eyes and snot from his nose in beads.

“I’m gonna die!” he wept.

“We’re gonna die!” Waluigi joined him.

“I didn’t wanna go out this way! This must be because I sold Mario’s soul to King Dedede! Oh Heavenly Koopa forgive me! I’ll never steal again!”

“I’ll change my clothes so I’m not copying Luigi—even though I was the one who had this style before him!”

Wario stared at Waluigi with narrowed eyes.

“What?” Waluigi questioned.

“That wasn’t even an honest resolution! You’re definitely gonna die now. Don’t get your death all over me when you do!”

“WHAT? I’m not gonna die!”

Wario peered down at the land below, wondering where they were even going to land. He couldn’t see passed his bloated gut, but a building, a buttery building, was rushing toward them.

“I think we’re gonna land on the roof of that castle!”

“Maybe you’ll bounce us to safety like a ball?”

Wario frowned. “I can try...Wait...DID YOU CALL ME FAT?”

Evil King Dedede took no notice of the giant plumber descending toward him. A few of the Dees and Doos woke from their nap to gaze up at the strange object in the sky. They started pointing at it in confusion. It was headed straight for King Dedede! The soldiers started screaming, leaping, and shouting, trying to break the penguin from his monologue. King Dedede instead took it as his public celebrating his planned conquest.

“There will be statues erected in my likeness all over the globe!”

“KING DEDEDE!” his subjects shouted.

Evil King Dedede slammed his fist upon the banister and growled, “I said I’ll be called World Emperor Dedede from now on!”

A Poppy Bro Senior burst through the balcony doors. “MY LORD! LOOK OUT!”

Evil King Dedede stared blankly over his shoulder at the large Poppy Bro who attempted to dive into him. Poppy Bro Senior tackled Evil King Dedede just as a great shadow fell over them. A big purple ass landed on the two. One cheek absorbed King Dedede’s face, while the other absorbed the face of the grimacing Poppy Bro. Rosalina with her eyes closed, raised her nose with a Hmph! before she snapped her fingers.

Wario’s eyes grew larger than they ever had been before as his bowels instantly loosened and a great force escaped him.



The detonation shook the entire ship. There was a green backdrop surrounding the Ragnorok amidst a dark dome, swelling about the Butter Building. A massive mushroom cloud rose and blossomed out of it. The aftershock expanded in a ring that struck the ship and Guile did his best to hold the Ragnorok together as it near flipped out of control like a surf board on a violent tidal wave.

“HOLD ON!” Guile shouted to everyone. “WE’RE GONNA RIDE THIS OUT!”

The Ragnorok was eventually able to safely clear the blast radius. Guile pressed some buttons to cool the engines and have the Ragnorok coast for a while. The ship faced the Butter Building that still surprisingly withstood the explosion. It hadn’t been like they had dropped an actual bomb on the place. In Guile’s opinion, Evil King Dedede was probably wishing they had. The Butter Building was trapped in a miasma of rancid funk. Several of the soldiers had fainted from the stench, while others such as the Bronto Burts tumbled with ‘X’es in their eyes from the sky.

Guile rested his hands upon his hips and laughed sadistically at the aftermath. “Just as I expected!”

Cloud stared at Guile as though the street fighter had lost it. He muttered, “Remind me to never piss you off…”

“BOOM!” Kirby exclaimed, hopping in the air.

“All right; while the enemies are down, I’m gonna drop you guys directly on the roof,” Guile informed. He started the Ragnorok back up again and sent the ship blasting toward the building.

The balcony doors opened once more as two Poppy Bro Juniors hopped out with a stretcher. They danced over to King Dedede who was unconscious and foaming from the mouth. Poppy Bro Senior was pale white, having passed onto the other life. Well at least he looked that way since his Soul was dancing above his body. Wario was sprawled across the ground, deflated, and with a wide, open mouth grin of joy on his face. Waluigi was face down like the Poppy Bro Senior, a tombstone having appeared by his head. The Poppy Bro Juniors rolled Evil King Dedede onto the stretcher and hefted the penguin as they danced into the building.

The Ragnorok stopped above the Butter Building. Guile surveyed that the soldiers were still down, but Evil King Dedede was nowhere to be found.

“He must have gone inside. All right; you can jump, fly, repel, help each other, whatever gets you guys safely on that balcony. I don’t know what’s inside that building, but I expect you all to return as a group, understand?”

He gave Rosalina a look, and the two quickly donned their face masks. Kirby also put his mask on. Guile slapped the hatch button to once again open it.

“Good luck out there!”

Kirby waved the heroes off. “Eeey~!”

---

The sixth floor was wide, spacious and circular. It was also empty. There hadn’t been a single guard in sight. Strange…suddenly, rolling into the center of the room atop a beach ball was a little pink ball. The pink ball had brown shoes, a darker pink bowtie, and a two-toned jester hat. He faced the heroes with a playful smile, dancing on top of the ball as he greeted:

“Welcome, welcome! Guests of the Butter Building! I will be your host today, the great and powerful Marx!”

For a Kirby-sized shrimp who had the voice of a child, Marx talked a big game. He continued innocently, “I bet you’re wondering where World Emperor Dedede is? It’s a secret! You will have to defeat me and five other floor bosses in order to uncover it. I may be small, but I’m no pushover so you better give me a good fight!”

Marx stopped dancing on the ball and smirked at the group, his two baby vampire fangs appearing. “’Cuz if you don’t, you’ll be sorry.”

---

GM Note: From here on out, all players will be required to keep track of their word count. XP will be awarded every GM post. Be sure to check the XP hider to see how much XP your character earned. Remember to keep your CSes updated. I have seen players slack in keeping their XP up-to-date and they have lost XP points because of it. I didn't take the XP away from them, they just didn't keep track of the XP on their own. It is YOUR responsibility if you want your character to level.


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 hadn't realized how their question could have disturbed the leader when they asked, but they could see the look on his face as he started to answer their question. In their experience, there was still hope for the SOUL if it was absorbed. The SOUL could still be reached, and spoken to, and it could even interfere if the SOUL wanted to. The SOUL may vanish afterwards, but still it was better than remaining where it wouldn't want to be...

The mood seemed to lighten though when Guile mentioned the gas masks and opened the crates. Frisk listened as Guile informed them about the gas masks and how to put them on. Of course, it wasn't long before Wario piped up at the insult and panicked over being dropped. Frisk couldn't help but laugh after Kirby chanted 'Drop' and Wario reacted to the hero. The child trotted over to the crate and got a small gas mask for themselves and put it over their head as instructed. They looked to Cloud, hearing his mutter, and answered him, "I can contact Woshua and have them help with your laundry if you'd like. When we're done with this mission of course,"

As they answered, they also headed over to the wall and grabbed onto a strap that was attached to the wall. Their grip tightened as Guile warned the heroes to hang onto something as though their life depended on it. Frisk couldn't help but shout "WOAH!" as the Ragnarok turned completely vertical and flew upwards. Their whole body was lifted and was being pulled and tugged at by the wind, considering they were smaller and lighter than the rest of the crew. They held onto the strap as tight as possible. If there was a time to remain DETERMINED and to not let go, it was definitely now. Thanks to their DETERMINATION, they managed to hang on and were not sent tumbling out. They landed on their feet after the hatch closed and the ship had straightened itself out.

After they were sure they weren't going to be sucked out of the ship again, they ran over to the window to watch the impact. They looked out of the window, and sure enough, there was a huge green mushroom cloud erupting from where they dropped Wario and Waluigi. Frisk held onto another nearby strap as the ring of aftershock shook the ship. They could feel that the ship almost went out of control, but Guile was able to keep it under control. Frisk looked to Guile as he laughed at the aftermath, and Cloud had reminded him to not anger the man. Frisk nodded in agreement, and they couldn't resist making a pun, "Well, he certainly knows the...fart of war,"

It wasn't too long before the ship once again over the Butter Building. Frisk scanned the building to see that the King was nowhere to be seen. As Guile stated, he must've retreated to the interior of the castle. After Guile told them to come back as a group, Frisk gave them a Thumbs Up and answered enthusiastically, "Understood, Sir!" After they gave the answer, the hatch was opened and Guile had bid them all good luck. They waved to Kirby, before jumping out themselves. Jumping out of the ship reminded them of their first memory of jumping into the Underground. Frisk aimed to land on Wario, since there was no bed of flowers on the balcony for them to land on.

Once they landed and the rest of the group landed, Frisk turned to face them, and spoke up in a serious tone, "OK, everyone. Before we go in, I want to let you know of something important. I can CHECK on the people we encounter and see if anyone absorbed Mario's SOUL. That being said, I don't want anyone to try and cause lethal damage to anyone. If someone has absorbed Mario's SOUL, then who knows if killing that person would hurt Mario as well? Plus, we want to be able to ask them questions, in case we have trouble finding Mario's SOUL,"

Frisk then finished, "If anyone has any questions or criticisms, please say them now. If not, then let's get inside!"

---

When the group entered, Frisk looked around the spacious room of the sixth floor. They did think it was kind of strange that there were no guards here, but it could be because of the stink bomb the entire group released on them. Unfortunately, before the group could even begin their search, a small figure rolled onto the scene on a beach ball. Something about this character, Marx, reminded Frisk of both Mettaton and Flowey. Of course, Marx had just told them that they had to defeat him and the other bosses in order to learn where Dedede is. After he gave the threat, Frisk could feel their SOUL drawn out, as per the norm for a battle.

The red heart hovered in front of their chest, and Frisk did not hesitate on pressing the ACT button in front of them and then the CHECK button. They pointed at Marx and focused on his SOUL. Even if Marx hadn't absorbed Mario's SOUL, it would be wise to get as much information as they can about Marx, since he was challenging them to a battle. Maybe there was a little social quirk that Frisk could use to get Marx to back down from the fight.

Of course, they were always prepared to dodge, just in case an attack came their way. It was like being in the Underground again, except this time...Frisk was not in the battle alone.

Noting Guile's avoidance of answering her question, Alicia decided that she would aim for disabling shots over anything else, which meant she'd want to keep her shotgun holstered for the time being. If it really came down to it, she could pull the 4th Horseman out at a moment's notice and make whoever had forced her hand regret it for the rest of their very short lives. Still, as the blonde haired soldier showed those who needed the gas masks where to get them from the open crate, Alicia headed for a window she could better see out of for the remainder of the planning while thinking on the order for non-lethal tactics.

Back home in both The Last City and all across the solar system, prisoners were unheard of for the Guardians. Of course, there were plenty of older Guardians who could remember what happened to those the Hive took as prisoners and had shared the stories. Eris Morn had some of the more vivid tales, having hidden amongst the Hive on the moon for years as her friends were all slowly and painfully stripped of their Light and killed, and the thought brought a grimace to the Titan's face behind her helmet. While there didn't seem to be anything like the Hive here, if this Dedede had been infected by the Mugen virus, there was no telling what he'd do, and to that end, she swore she'd make sure no one had to face that risk, even if it cost The Stalwart her own life.

As she thought, the bulged form of Wario wailed that heroes didn't do the things that this 'Operation Dumbo' called for, but offered no comment, even as the pink puffball known as Kirby chanted 'Drop', which earned a very upset rebuke from said bulging form. Finally, the call to grab onto something like their lives depended on it, which had the Striker wrapping an arm around a strap that was connected by two points to the wall as the ship went completely vertical, dumping a wailing Wario Bros out of the back as the team of heroes and the two Council members either hung onto something or were held in place with help. Once the pair was clear of the rear door, Guile leveled out the ship with a barrel roll before closing the hatch. He informed the group that they only had thirty seconds before impact and the ship raced to put distance between itself and the approaching green cloud.

In the end, however, it wasn't enough, as the ship rattled, shook, and even seemed to be on the verge of going out of control if it weren't for the blonde haired soldier. The ship settled eventually, but the sight of the green mushroom cloud and unconscious enemies told a disturbing tale of Wario's gaseous powers, one that Alicia was glad her helmet would be filtering out all trace of in the air she breathed. There was no sign of their penguin target on the balcony he'd been on when they'd arrived before dropping Wario, and Guile said what the Titan had thought, that he'd retreated inside. Though, to her personal thought, she was certain he'd had help with that if the condition of all his soldiers was anything to say about the gas bomb. Once they were given the order to move out, Alicia did just that, jumping from the ramp and allowing her shielding to absorb the force of the landing, which forced her to wait for it to recharge in cover as the others caught up.

---

The sixth floor of the building once they moved inside was utterly and obscenely grand, the kind of thing Alicia had heard Warlocks talking about Old Earth lords and kings having in their castles, as well as wide, spacious, and oddly circular. The Striker had just begun moving out and around one of the edges of the room when a beach ball with a pink ball wearing brown shoes and a jester's hat rolled into the middle of the room. Speaking in a rather excited manner, it introduced itself as Marx as well as one of Dedede's generals, which lead into a challenge for a battle. One last wicked grin revealed rather sharp incisors and that set Alicia's mind. While she wouldn't kill the puff ball, she would make it difficult as all hell for it to move or attack and proceeded to lay down suppressive fire from the Doctrine of Passing, the rounds aimed for effect over damage, while Frisk did whatever it was they were doing. "Don't take too long, Frisk. We don't know what this little pink ball can do."

"Where am I?" The ace attorney scratched his noggin. Scanning his environment, he had no idea where he was located. Phoenix Wright gritted his teeth in nervousness. Pinching the stem of his nose, he tried clearing up the easiness in his mind. Nothing was beginning to make sense.

"Have I appeared in a book again?" Wright recollected to the time he was zapped into the medievals times. It was a strange period of his life that he never thought he would have to recall. The places surrounding him didn't look similar. Nor did his assistant, Maya Fey, tag along with him. Everything around was down right bizarre.

Everybody looked different, almost eye-catching. There was not one dull person walking around. Additionally, there was things that did not look remotely human. "Am I in a nerd convention again?" The ace attorney remembered the time when Maya Fey dragged him along to a Steel Samurai convention. It felt like the same atmosphere.

"I really need to get to the bottom this," he cried. "I just want an easy going life."

Soul absorption? There was something the duo had never heard of before, much less dealt with, and it was an idea they could have went the rest of their collective lives without knowing about. That alone was already hitting a new level of sinister for them. Well… unless one was to account for Grunty’s last plan to siphon and (literally) bath in the life essences of others to restore herself, and even then it was depicted in such a characteristically silly manner that it was unlikely to inspire in anyone a genuine sense of fear, dread, or anything resembling it, even to those at risk. If Dedede’s apparent redesign and the craterous scar in the topography from earlier--presumably left by him--were any indication, this would be a different story. Even the stern major appeared visibly troubled by the prospect, considering the possibility that it may render their efforts vain before they could even begin to make them. While they couldn’t--and wouldn’t--let that stop them from trying, it could be said that they weren’t exactly looking forward to it; especially the first phase.

As concerning as they were, the child seemed to be asking all of the right questions, and thankfully, their second one had a more definitive and favorable answer. Their overseers made sure to provide them all with filtration masks before the drop so as not to subject their own unit to the… erm… “aftermath” of the bombing. Almost immediately a few specific places from their previous adventure came to mind where such a thing might have been useful, if only for a few moments at a time: various areas of Glitter Gulch Mine, Grunty Industries “Quality Control”, the Cheese Wedge in Cloud Cuckooland, but of course, having such provisions at their leisurely disposal would have been too easy and less interesting and fun to play. Though, if there was ever a time to have it, this would be one of them, and conveniently enough, they even came in Banjo’s muzzle shape, as clarified by the major. Banjo sifted through the crate and pulled out two respirators that looked to be specifically shaped to him and Kazooie to inspect.

“These guys have thought of everything,” uttered Banjo in admiration of their company’s level of preparedness. It was a meager example of it to be sure, but it was impressive to think that they could so easily accomodate on such short notice. Before being told to, he was already fastening the straps on his mask, adjusting them by the finer points of his fingernails. With hands and digits as large as his, it was a miracle he could play a stringed instrument at all, let alone proficiently. Kazooie decided to “help” by pulling the straps back with her beak and letting go of them to slap the back of Banjo’s head, to which he exclaimed “ow” in the form of distinct classic soundbite. Kazooie giggled in similar fashion until Banjo returned the favor by bringing her head over his shoulder and slingshotting her mask to her face. She let out a muffled squawk as her head recoiled slightly from the impact. The tighter conical shape of her mask didn’t leave quite as much clearance for her to open her beak to properly speak. Given the degree of apparent forethought, this was likely by design; a practical joke at her expense to put a dampener on her usual sarcastic retorts, snide remarks, and derogatory witticisms. She cawed lowly in disappointment having realized this right away.

Once they were all set, Guile sent the Ragnorok full speed toward the Butter Building, cautioning the squad to hang on to whatever they could. The next thing they knew, everyone besides Kirby was clinging to the closest secure object within reach as the ship was flying at a perfect vertical with the cargo bay doors open to drop “Dumbo” and the frail man onto the scene of the protracted self-coronation below. The ship then leveled back out and closed its doors as they began putting distance between themselves and the impending explosion. Banjo picked himself up off the floor and paced about the ship with a hand to his head. While him and Kazooie have flown before, never were any of their flights so turbulent, so he was reeling from slight dizziness. He took the brief moment of stillness they had to regain his bear-ings (Boo!) only for them to shaken once more by the detonation that easily had to be double-digit miles away… and counting. The ursine struggled to maintain his balance as the airship hurtled out of control until Kazooie emerged and forcefully flapped her wings to assist. Soon enough, they were finally well enough out of the way to re-stabilize and reposition itself for a return trip.

They had a full view of Butter Building from where they were, or… they would if not for the massive green cloud of feculent smog that covered it. The duo weren’t sure whether to be disgusted, awestruck, or some measure of both. The major, however, was disturbingly pleased with their good work. A look of worry marked Banjo’s features while Kazooie simply shook her head in disapproval, but at the very least it would save them a lot of work dealing with grunts when they got down there. Looking around, all that could be said for certain is that none of them envied anyone who was in the midst of the blast. With their orders given, they were off. The duo descended safely onto the balcony with a well-timed Feathery Flap and rushed inside alongside the others.

---

The interior was astonishingly, surprisingly, and for sure unexpectedly immaculate and well-decorated for a building presumably made of emulsive dairy-based condiment (if its namesake was anything to go by, that is). The only one there to greet them was a small round child (or something) similar to Kirby atop a beach ball that matched their size and shape who referred to themselves as “the great and powerful.”

“They call you that ironically, right?” Kazooie casually mocked.

Their “host” continued by explaining that they would have to fight through a series of mini-bosses before making it to Dedede and enthusiastically declared himself to be their first challenger, ending with a flash of his fangs as a warning to not disappoint him.

“Actually, we were just here to-” Banjo was cut off from finishing whatever inevitably transparent compulsive lie he was about to tell by the eruption of gunfire to set things in motion. While the soldier laid down fire, Banjo hurriedly posted up in front of the child to keep them covered while they “CHECK” Marx… whatever that means. Neither him nor Kazooie were very fast right now, so they’d rather not risk having to stress covering a gap on a moment’s notice; better they remain in the middle on the defensive until they get a better look at what they’re dealing with. While they’re not accustomed to operating with a team, past experience has taught them to be patient and wait out the exposure of a boss’s fight patterns before making a direct move.

The child’s order for non-lethality wouldn’t be a hard one for them to follow since they weren’t exactly the type to “killing” per se. Usually, minions would just respawn, bosses would simply stop fighting them (or self-destruct in Targitzan’s case), or miraculously survive longer than they logically or reasonably should to be a problem for them again (in the case of Gruntilda). That being said, protecting anyone was a tall order under any set of circumstances, and an entirely different task altogether. The duo would find out today if it was one they could manage.

It was finally time to dismount. Cloud once more grasped his facemask, giving it a few final adjustments for the last thing he wanted to be hit with was a bad wind, especially one lethal enough to take out an entire kingdom of soldiers. As the Ragnorok hovered in position, the hatch was dropped, the green, funky air flooding the interior of the ship. It disturbed the ex-SOLDIER how the gas was even visible. He would have to take Frisk up on their offer to have Woshua or whoever clean his uniform. The Council members and Kirby bade their farewells, and the team started leaping out of the back of the ship like paratroopers. With a glove hand reaching behind his head to grasp the hilt of his sword, Cloud charged the hatch and leapt into the putrid air. His purple uniform rippled in the breeze as the yellow tiled floor rushed toward him. His boots thudded upon the ground, his legs buckling until the hand that wasn’t grasping his buster sword planted on the floor next to him—a feat that would have been impossible for the average human—and seemed to leave the warrior without injury.

Cloud rose to his feet and turned to Frisk as the team’s little leader began laying down the game plan. They began explaining their CHECK ability. Frisk could check and see if any of the bosses absorbed Mario’s soul, which Cloud was hoping wouldn’t be the case. It sounded like a situation that would make such a simple-sounding retrieval job incredibly tedious. They then requested that the heroes not cause any lethal damage. Behind his mask, Cloud wrinkled his nose a little at the idea. He didn’t know if he could promise that. Was their leader a pacifist? He hoped not. He kept his feelings about the matter to himself for if push came to shove, and then came to buster sword through the chest, then well…it would cause less of a commotion if he just did it.

The ex-SOLDIER followed the team inside as they would confront their first obstacle. The chamber wasn’t entirely unexpected. It was the Butter Building and not the Butter Castle or the Butter Dungeon, and it was neat, clean, and orderly for being a boss’s lair. Then again, the Shinra Building was similar. The sound of a rolling ball caught Cloud’s attention, and he looked in the sound’s direction to see a little creature with a jester hat creeping into the room. He appeared friendly like all the deceptively-cute beings of Dream Land. He gave the group a chilling and bold welcome for being a shrimp, and it was enough to compel Cloud to cautiously draw his buster sword. The massive six-foot blade was held aloft like a giant cleaver and didn’t seem to weigh on the blonde fighter’s posture.

Cloud momentarily looked away as Frisk immediately took action. A red heart left the seemingly-normal child’s body, and if it hadn’t been for the gas mask on his face, Cloud would have been frowning curiously at them. There were also some strange words that appeared before them ACT, and then CHECK. Ah, the check ability thing. Cloud was thankful to have the bear and bird around after seeing Banjo take a defensive position in front of Frisk. The mercenary didn’t know how strong Frisk was but with Banjo choosing to be the defense, it gave him less to worry about. The other soldier started laying down suppressive fire, her weapon reminding him of Barret, even though it hadn’t been the same design. Barret had always been the gunner. It was nostalgic. Cloud remained steadfast until their leader was finished.

The entire group would then receive a radio transmission that alerted them of two new arrivals in the process of dropping in. They just needed their coordinates. Cloud raised a finger to the comm in his ear since everyone else seemed preoccupied and reported up to Guile: “We just received a transmission. There are two more heroes inbound and HQ is requesting coordinates.”

---

Frisk’s landing forced the remaining gassy reserves from Wario’s gut on a loud that startled the plump villain awake. They had been able to spring off of Wario’s belly safely to the ground as the groggy conartist groaned and slowly sat upwards. His eyes were narrowed, his jagged and dastardly mustache twitching. His nostrils then abruptly flared, his eyes bulging until their red, vein-like branches were seen. His gloved hand immediately went to his big nose as he coughed and made gagging sounds.

“BLEGH!” he exclaimed, and then reaching into his purple suspender pocket, he procured a wooden clothes pin that he pinched over his nose.

The sudden slamming of the Butter Building doors as the heroes charged inside drew Wario’s brief attention before his eyes descended to the unconscious Poppy Bro Senior and Waluigi. Rising to his feet, he turned to gaze over the Butter Building balcony at the masses of soldiers wiped out as though a biological attack had happened—no kidding!

“Woah, did I do this?” Wario blinked in shock before he then smirked and flexed his muscles. “I told those losers not to underestimate my power.”

Speaking of losers, he walked passed Waluigi without a care for his existence and walked over to the Butter Building doors. Pressing on them, he noticed their resistance and scowled.

“How could they leave me? I’m their secret weapon!”

The gold coins in his brain then immediately started rolling as he grasped his chin as he thoughtfully surveyed the building’s buttery walls.

This building must cost a fortune or a hold a fortune inside it, Wario mused. Yeah, this is the boss’s lair. There’s bound to be some loot inside.

A large grin expanded on his face as his eyelids lowered with mischief. Mario’s Soul was supposed to be inside, huh? I bet it’s in the treasure vault—not that I want that stupid jar any way.

Laughing wickedly, Wario bolted off to find an alternate entrance inside.

---

Greetings! This is Dr. Light. I happened to find some lost souls wandering around. I think they’re looking for the fight. Well, any who, I just wanted to test out my new teleportation device. As soon as you send me your team’s coordinates, I can have these two gentlemen sent straight to you!

Back on the Ragnarok, Guile glanced down at the console as a radio transmission buzzed in from the ground unit.

“Already?” Guile thought aloud at first.

We just received a transmission. There are two more heroes inbound and HQ is requesting coordinates.

Behind Guile, Rosalina had Kirby in her lap and was tossing the pink marshmallow into the air like a child. She seemed to be enjoying Dream Land and its adorable appearance. It was definitely one of her favorite universes.

“I’m on it,” Guile responded to Cloud. He tapped in a series of numbers on the keyboard and jabbed a button with his finger to transmit the coordinates.

Butter Building…

Suddenly, a red and blue beam dropped down from the ceiling onto the floor next to Banjo and Alicia. As the red and blue energy fizzled out of existence, thinning into nothing, what was left behind were two new and probably lost additions to the team @ModeGone@Leaves.

Marx had fallen off his beach ball in surprise when Alicia started firing some loud weapon in his direction. He grunted with a cute, “Oof!”





Marx rolled forward and peeked over his beach ball to see that two new heroes had arrived. The jester frowned and hopped back on top of his ball.

“Hey! No fair! You can’t just call for reinforcements!” he protested. His eyes then lowered menacingly as a smirk cocked on his face, a single fanged tooth glimmering. “Whatever. You’re gonna need all the help you can get…”

Marx stomped once upon the beach ball, causing it to bloat and pop, launching the pink jester into the air. He flipped head over feet toward the ceiling. His face scrunched up in what appeared to be pain before two claw-like wings ripped from his back. They were gold in color with hearts at the elbows. Two claws were on them and rainbow crystals formed the webbing. Spreading his glittering wings in a spectacular fashion that would make a certain Gem Knight jealous, Marx exclaimed, “FEAR ME!”



He flapped over the heroes, hardly looking as threatening or as frightening as he had hoped. His purple cheeks puffed in anger. “My power has grown since I last fought Kirby. The energy of the entire galaxy exists within me! EN GARDE!”

Marx’s body divided down the middle and split in half. As his body separated, between the halves swirled a black hole that started to draw the heroes toward him like a vacuum. His voice echoed wickedly around them as he yelled on a crazed volume, “DON’T GET SUCKED INSIDE! YOU WON’T EVER RETURN!”

---

GM Note: From here on out, all players will be required to keep track of their word count. XP will be awarded every GM post. Be sure to check the XP hider to see how much XP your character earned. Remember to keep your CSes updated. I have seen players slack in keeping their XP up-to-date and they have lost XP points because of it. I didn't take the XP away from them, they just didn't keep track of the XP on their own. It is YOUR responsibility if you want your character to level.




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, Asgore, Phoenix Wright, Banjo & Kazooie, and Cloud.

It wasn't hard for Frisk to notice the gunfire that resounded throughout the room. Thankfully, Alicia seemed to be following Frisk's request to not kill and just simply knocked the tiny creature off of the ball. They also noticed how Banjo and Kazooie had taken the defensive position in front of them. The child was somewhat confused by the shape of Marx's SOUL, but not as much as they were when they saw Wario's SOUL. So Marx's SOUL was a spade instead of a heart. It was very close to that of a Monster's SOUL. The info they were familiar with also popped up. Of course, they were aware that that the numbers can be very misleading. The comment that Marx was not what he appeared to be also added to the slight suspicion. But if there was one thing that Frisk was certain, it was that Marx did not have Mario's SOUL.

“Everyone, He doesn’t have it!” Frisk called to the rest of the team, after Cloud spoke on the radio and before the two beams of light appeared. When the lights disappeared, Frisk saw that one was a man in a blue suit with a spiky hair-do, and the other figure was someone the child knew very well…

“Dad? What are you doing here?” Frisk couldn’t help but ask the question in shock. While they would have been happy to see any of their friends, the current situation called for more concern than joy. They couldn’t help but remember how Asgore was easily murdered by Flowey (and Frisk inadvertently helped Flowey in that endeavor, because Asgore wouldn’t accept their mercy). They had a feeling that if any of the enemies they faced had true malicious intent, then Asgore might die….

Frisk’s attention was drawn back to Marx when he spoke up and jumped back on the ball. The child watched as Marx jumped into the air and sprouted wings. Frisk couldn’t help but think of Asriel as his God of Hyperdeath self, and they muttered under their breath, “…Rip off,” They were not in the least bit afraid of Marx. It was good to know that this situation wasn’t like the situation with Asriel. The world was not in danger of being reset, and the group was not floating in some abyss.

Of course, their lack of fear did not go unnoticed and the little guy boasted about how he had the power of the entire galaxy, before he split himself in half and made a black hole appear. Frisk noticed that everyone and everything was being drawn towards the black hole. They heard Marx’s voice once more, and they couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Why would Marx warn them about his own attack? Was Marx truly a bad guy?

Frisk put the question on the back burner of their mind and called to the squad as they went over to the stairs and grabbed hold of the railings, since those appeared to be secured to the ground, “Everyone! Grab onto something! Don’t get sucked into that hole!”

After they gave that warning, they looked around. Maybe they should throw something into that hole? But what…?
There was also the fact that Marx flying around would make the fight harder for the group to deal with. They looked to Alicia and they called to her, “Alicia! Do you think you can aim for his wings and knock him to the ground?"

Alicia kept the hail of bullets on the little pink puff ball despite his best efforts to avoid, particularly by falling behind his little ball. She decided to focus fire on it and quickly discovered that the thing wasn't as destructible as it's appearance said. And after a couple of minutes, the little bastard jumped back on the ball and sprouted wings before taking to the high ceiling of the floor. Following him, the Titan opens fire on Marx. The biggest issue presented, however, was that being airborne now, the pest had a much easier time of avoiding the shots from her rifle.

After a couple of minutes of fire, and two reloads, Alicia decides that the hassle isn't worth it, nor the expenditure of ammo, and stops, following his flight path even as two new people join their group. She briefly turns her attention the pair, looking over them. One was a...lion person while the other was someone who REALLY probably shouldn't there if their suit and tie was any indication was any indicator. However, Marx's exclamation about his strength, and the subsequent splitting of himself with the appearance of the black hole caused her to grown inside her helmet. This was going to suck, literally.

At that moment, Frisk called for everyone to hold onto something and Alicia nodded, storing the Doctrine of Passing on her back before it vanished in a brief flash of light and the Bolt-Caster took it's place. She drew the sword expertly and slammed the tip into the floor, Arc energy lancing across the blade. Holding onto it with both hands, the Striker rapidly tried to come up with a solution. Her ability to shoot him was greatly diminished so long as he was able to fly, although if she could land a hit with the disc of Arc energy the Caster could throw, perhaps he would be stunned long enough to have a finishing blow delivered. Frisk seemed to have a similar idea as he asked if she could shoot his wings, and she shook her head. "Negative, he's too agile now. But if someone can slow him for just the slightest moment, I can hit him with an Arc disc that SHOULD knock him out of the air."

Phoenix Wright had been trying to understand his environment. He pondered if he was anywhere on earth. The more he stood, the weirder the characters that passed by. He attempted to pet an abnormal creature, but he believed it wasn't the safest option after all. The ace attorney wouldn't pet a dog back home. "Where am I? I need to get to the bottom of this," he muttered under his breath. Looking around, he saw some buildings attracting attention. "Guess those are the best bet. But which one should I enter?"

It was at that moment that Phoenix Wright had an internal experience. His body started tingling; he checked his skin as if it was glowing. He could not find the words to describe his situation. "What is going on?!" The defense lawyer became flustered and began panicking. The sensation was not hurting him though he was not fond of what was happening.

---

Phoenix Wright then appeared amidst the crowd of other protagonists. Sweat dripped from his forehead. He let out a lengthy yell of confusion and nervousness. "W-what just happened?" Frantically, Wright examined his face and body to make sure everything was intact.

Wright had no idea what was occurring. By impulse, he studied the room to find answers. "I-is that a bear?" Gritting his teeth, he could only assume the worst. "Ace attorney mauled by a bear. That will make the headlines," Wright thought. There were even weirder characters but the bear stood out the most. A woman in some high-tech armor was present. Wright couldn’t help, but feel this was too sci-fi for him.

A raspy voice caught his immediate attention. Wright scratched his head. "Reinforcements? I think I am in the wrong place." Eyebrows raised, he couldn't make out the monster. He assumed it had to be a butterfly of some sort. The monster dropped down and then exclaimed to fear its wrath. "Yeah, right. I know you're a weird monster, but even then I am not scared of butterflies."

Wright then bit his imaginary tongue. The monster had somehow opened a small, black portal. It began vacuuming the air and individuals around. "This is not happening!" Wright turned an immediate 180 degrees and began running. He acknowledged the warning about the black hole and hoped not to get sucked in. He heard a nearby kid in a striped sweater warn everyone to grab onto something.

The attorney panted and huffed with every step. He did not find this to be an ideal place for a kid. Nor was this perfect for an attorney at law. Phoenix then noticed the woman decked out in armor attempt to shoot down the butterfly monster. It was no use as the enemy turned out to be too agile.

So many questions and so little answers. Wright could not believe a butterfly was committing homicide right in front of him. Usually, he is not around the crime scene as it happened. Wright continued to sprint as fast as he could. Most importantly, he needed answers. Maybe if he understood the carnage, the monster would back off.

Digging into his breast pocket, he fished out his spiritual charm. Holding it tightly, the charm began to glow a bright blue. "Why are you doing this?" Wright peered over his shoulder and examined the monster. He wondered how many psyche locks and chains would appear. The ace attorney always utilized the Magatama on humans, but never monstrous winged creatures. "If it could talk then it should work, right?" The defense attorney questioned his own actions but needed to shine some truth on this hostile situation. It was possible a beacon of honesty might save him and the others.

Marx didn’t get the chance to demonstrate to them his oh-so-fearsome power as they had expected when the armored warrior opened fire on him, knocking him from his spherical perch--more by way of surprise than anything. Somehow, the few seconds that passed proved to be ample time for the child to confirm, however they did, that Marx wasn’t in possession of Mario’s soul. For the most part, that much was obvious; this was only the first boss. None of them had any real time to make another move before apparent reinforcements were beamed in, no sooner than the swordsman was able to announce it. The battle had yet to actually start, and already they were given backup. In all honesty, it felt a little too convenient. Though, it was something of a question as to whether or not one of them was actually supposed to be there, because he certainly didn’t seem as if he wanted or meant to be. Marx understandably took issue with this regardless.

“But we didn’t call them,” Banjo attempted to correct. Not that it would matter. They still had to fight, so the more the merrier; they would purportedly need everything they could get.

Before they knew it, their “host” was undergoing some kind of spontaneous metamorphosis, which mostly just involved him sprouting gilded bat wings lined with hexagonal rainbow crystals, with hearts adorning the joints, and spades to make up the ends. He was like half a deck of cards, but with ten times the color. Sure, this new form was more imposing, but one could hardly call it intimidating. In this way, it was little different from the duo’s encounter with Mr. Patch; both had inflated self-perceptions as well as a conspicuous fondness for beach balls. The jester’s ego kicked in once more as he broadcasted a likely hyperbolic claim of possessing cosmic power. The miniaturized black hole that spawned between his divided form, however, was anything but a bluff, and he was quick to warn them of that. The jeweled chiroptera cautioned the squad not to let themselves be drawn in, to which their leader directed the same.

“Good idea! We should probably NOT do that,” Kazooie loudly belabored sarcastically, seeing the child’s command as redundant. For them (and presumably anyone else) it went without saying, really, and it had already been said by the one person in the room who had little reason to offer them any advice--helpful or not. Banjo was already beelining for the main entrance at the steady pace dictated by the singularity as he tried to pull away from it, however slowly. The smooth marble floor made gaining traction a practical impossibility, but they’ve faced a similar challenge in the past during their battle with Weldar, on top of every five square meters of floor having an electrified perimeter. That particular experience suggested that Banjo should possess adequate strength to resist just long enough to reach the door, which he would then hang on to the handles of while waiting out the vacuum. If they recalled correctly, the doors opened to the outside, so they would hopefully not have to worry about them swinging open and letting in the unfathomable foulness just on the other side of them.

It was a shame they didn’t have grenade eggs this time around, as they might have proven, in the same way, to be just as useful in their current predicament as they did back then. Unfortunately, they were presently without any other apparently reliable anti-air capabilities to bring Marx down to their level, as per the child’s command, nor were they capable of getting up there with him to do the same. For now, they would have to rely on whoever else could create such openings to do so.

The pink creature wasn’t too thrilled about being shot at. With Alicia having stalled the boss, Frisk had been able to finish their analysis. They informed the group about Marx’s absence of Mario’s soul, and Cloud thought how convenient their ability had been. With a boast of prowess that the creature had yet to prove, he jumped on his ball and sprang into the air, rainbow batwings sprouting from his sides. He flexed his glittery form before the heroes and demanded their intimidation. Cloud narrowed his eyes and arched a brow, but his expression was soon to change to one of surprise when the reinforcements arrived. It seemed like horrible timing for Marx had begun his assault on the group. Cloud felt the pull of the black hole before Marx had finished diverging. He watched the well-dressed, spiky-haired man attempt to hopelessly run from the pull of the black hole, and the ex-SOLDIER, similar to Alicia, quickly stabbed his buster sword into the floor behind Phoenix. If he ever got tired of running, then he had his great sword to post against. Cloud gripped the hilt of his sword tightly as his feet were wrenched out beneath him.

Marx was sounding overconfident as he crazily warned the group about never returning if they were sucked inside. He was like some cliché villain. Cloud bore his teeth in effort as he felt the black hole putting a strain on even his bioengineered body. He overheard Frisk and Alicia shouting back and forth. Alicia was apparently unable to get a clear shot in their current predicament.

I’ll give it a shot, Cloud thought.

The blond mercenary glared down his stretched out body passed his booted feet at the smiling bat. His free hand he clenched into a fist, the muscles of his arms flexing as the green jewel slotted in his blade started to glow. He felt the magical energy from the materia flow through the hand which gripped the sword along his arm and into his other hand, which was fisted. A bright light erupted from the floor beneath him, causing the blades of his hair to ripple. Thrusting his fist outwards in the bat’s direction, manifesting from the ceiling descended a spear of lightning aimed to strike the left half of the bat.

---

Marx laughed as the heroes struggled. They couldn’t do a thing against him! Pathetic!

“Die! Die! Die! You’ll all get sucked up!” he wickedly cackled.

Phoenix would see a single red lock appear before the bat with numerous chains jutting from him in all directions. Cloud’s bolt was a wakeup call for the creature. The right half of Marx blinked in delayed surprise when he saw his left half get electrocuted by the bolt that shot down out of nowhere. The left half of Marx’s eye near bulged out of his skull as he convulsed from the chains of electricity running up and down his form. The black hole flashed, and the left half of his body wobbled as though it had been near sucked inside. Marx’s right half now looked worried as he slowly started to draw his other half together in order to close the black hole before he would lose control.

“Hey! Don’t do that! That’s dangerous!” he exclaimed.

---

GM Note: From here on out, all players will be required to keep track of their word count. XP will be awarded every GM post. Be sure to check the XP hider to see how much XP your character earned. Remember to keep your CSes updated. I have seen players slack in keeping their XP up-to-date and they have lost XP points because of it. I didn't take the XP away from them, they just didn't keep track of the XP on their own. It is YOUR responsibility if you want your character to level.




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, Phoenix Wright, Banjo & Kazooie, and Cloud.

Frisk looked to see that the man wearing the blue suit was running away from Marx, right before asking it why he was attacking. Of course, Marx didn't answer. Looks like Frisk was going to have to let him know what the mission was after this battle. Frisk held back a cheer for Cloud after he sent a bolt of lightning to the creature. They watched as the left side of Marx was starting to be swallowed up by the black hole, and Marx himself seemed to snap out of his manic state, and he was starting to try and get rid of the black hole.

It was at this point that they remembered Alphys talking about black holes at one point during the two years after releasing the monsters from the Underground. They had a gut feeling that if they kept attacking Marx and let the black hole stay, then everything in this world may be destroyed. So, they called to two of their team mates, "Alicia! Cloud! Don't attack!"

They didn't want to explicitly say that they wanted to wait until the black hole was gone. It might make the crazy side of Marx want to keep it around and destroy everything. Frisk only hoped that they would listen to the order, at least until Marx was done pulling himself together.