[center][h3]Tora[/h3]
[b]Level 2[/b] – (19/20) EXP
[b]Location:[/b] Scrapyard – Left
[b]Word Count:[/b] 918[/center]

Not long after resuming his trek through the left side of the Scrapyard, rendered rather uneventful by the mysterious machine's departure, Tora found himself engrossed in something belonging to his new friend. The green-wearing rabbid bore red eyes but no undue hostility, making the Nopon wonder exactly what Galeem's influence entailed. Did it mean weaker inhibitions, greater extremes of emotion, or what? Rather than these questions, he pondered Rabbid Luigi's device: a round instrument of many moving parts always held in orbit around the center. As Tora watched, the capped creature did a number of tricks with it, sending it up and down, around himself, apart and together. When he fired it, shooting harmlessly at the surrounding slag-heap, he confirmed the orb to be a weapon, but one of singularly little damage and high 'status chance' if Tora were to have to come up a phrase for it. More often than not, the doohickey triggered a second effect when fired, a gooey purple effect that seemed liable to leech the vitality from anything it found.

Still, though interesting the Bworb did not enrapture him for too long, mechanical marvel though it was. As the terrain changed slightly, manifesting a great many angular chunks of compacted scrap, Tora's mind wandered. After clambering over a stack of salvage, he swiped sweat from his forehead and sat down. “Mehmehmeh! Short break, please!” After a moment or two of breathing deeply, he surveyed the terrain ahead. The end was in sight; in fact, if the four misfits started out again, it could be less than a minute until they exited the salvage-yard and entered the danger zone imposed by the area's two guardians. 

For the moment, however, he voiced a question he'd been thinking over. “Tora has been wondering. What kind of worlds are friends from, meh?” Passionate curiosity lit his features, and he listened eagerly to the girls' answers. Rabbid Luigi, on the other hand, couldn't do much more than shrug. When the others finished, whether asked himself or not, Tora closed his eyes and proudly spoke about his own home. “Tora come from Alrest, world of huge, endless cloud sea. All people live on titans, amazing creatures so giant they can support own ecosystems, giant cities, much more! In particular Tora live in Torigoth, biggest city on Gormott titan. Before coming here, though, traveled all over many titans with friends! Adventure of a lifetime, meh!”

By the time he wrapped up his explanation, he found himself well rested and ready to continue. The bunch proceeded out of the salvage-yard and toward the Scrapyard's terminus. From their side,  they could see a giant, gray-blue [url=http://wiki.teamfortress.com/w/images/8/8b/Carrier_tank.png]vehicle[/url] looming over a hill on the left side, but Tora at least had no intention of troubling himself with its investigation. Instead, he focused on the task at hand: the two turrets and the hardhat-wearing man atop the arch just ahead. Just as before at the hairpin, he sidled into cover. “Mehmeh,” he muttered. “Will be nice when find enemies with fewer ranged weapons. All this hiding really impede game flow.” As a game designer himself, responsible for the surprise hit Tiger-Tiger, Tora felt qualified to bring its terms to real life metaphorically.

A commotion to the right drew his gaze. A couple of rabbids, both Ziggies and a hitherto-unencountered [url=https://banner2.kisspng.com/20180508/fae/kisspng-mario-rabbids-kingdom-battle-super-mario-bros-l-5af12dd792e930.7302625415257553516018.jpg]variety[/url] sporting strange chest-mounted miniguns rushed forward to attack the emplacement. Tora wondered if their presence meant the battle in the Scrapyard's middle had ended in the rabbids' favor, but if this group possessed a spark of military genius, he did not get the chance to find out. 

With a couple beepers, the slimmer turret locked on to the incoming group. It began to fire immediately, its chainguns letting loose a torrent of fire, and at the same time it let fly a quartet of rockets that blasted the rabbids' formation apart. A moment later the heavier turret got to work, its larger chaingun spitting out a ridiculous amount of bullets that reduced the rabbids to ash one at a time. As the rabbid squad started to fall apart, Tora came to a realization. “Bunnits are distracting. This is good chance! Tora will take!” 

He jumped out from behind his wooden block, pointed his shield at the turrets, and pressed a certain button. The middle of his shield opened up and spat out a melon-sized cannonball that sailed their way and exploded against the arch. Immediately, the heavy turret reoriented his way. “...MEHMEHMEH?!” Tora dove into cover, but this machine did not operate by line-of-sight. In a stunning show of object permanence, it fired full-force into the block, shredding it to pieces. The noise of bullets chewing through wood and the sight of splinters flying everywhere spurred Tora into action, running like his pants were on fire to the next block, and the next, until he was certain the turret couldn't know where he was.

Panting, the Nopon leaned against the block with his free wing. “Meh...meh...” he wheezed. “That one...much smarter...than would be led to...believe, meh.” A bit of movement caught his eye—a little yellow [url=https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/intermediary/f/5d072155-7279-4591-a077-59e1581b86c7/daeh38f-2053fdaf-dda7-42cb-9405-399709060767.png/v1/fill/w_900,h_733,strp/ganymede__overwatch_by_brittanydawndyck_daeh38f-fullview.png]bird[/url], flying around in a circle above his position. As he watched, it landed on the block he and the others hid behind. Was it his imagination, or was it looking right at him, with those strange red eyes...?

The next instant, Baston started firing once more, his fusillade targeting the very block behind which Tora took cover. “Meh!?” the Nopon cried, too shocked to move. “How they find Tora!?”

[center][b]Location:[/b] Scrapyard - Right[/center]

Following the fight's conclusion, the hero team reunited briefly around Bowser and his trove of spirits. While the abundance of colorful spirits delighted and enraptured the eyes, even if the lion's share of them were the dimmer, more fickle spirits left behind by machines, they could not afford to [i]ooh[/i] and [i]aah[/i] over them forever. Seeing trouble back at the pit stop where the Master of Masters' entourage had remained, the Courier lined up a number of shots against the marauding Slicers. Somehow the chassis shot missed its mark -the curse of probability- but those meant for the main weapon of Michael's assailant met their mark. They staggered the Omnic long enough for Michael to land a kick and rush for his weapon, but the battle was hardly won. 6 paused only to grab two machine spirits before racing their imperiled allies' way. 

A number of his allies followed his example, a couple insofar as new equipment was concerned. Blazermate, Bowser, and Zer0 took spirits of their own, annihilating the rainbow-colored motes inside clenched fists. The prismatic vapors that surged out from between their fingers danced for a moment before taking form, their glowing lines becoming stencils for intricate shapes and then taking on solidity. Zer0, however, went a step further. The moment the robo-scout's spirit slipped inside him, an incredible energy filled him. It flowed through every circuit, pumped through every vein, and suffused every cell—not the pain of burning, or the shock of electrocution, but a pure influx of energizing vitality. To onlookers, it appeared as though his body softened, becoming malleable as liquid while maintaining its shape. A split second, his particles re-coalesced, but each with an essentially different aspect. The assassin didn't lose a part of himself, but had become something more than he had been.

Meanwhile, Bowser's attempts to connect to the Hammer Brothers bore fruit. There didn't seem to exist any set procedure for establishing as bond such as the one he desired; all that was required, it would appear, was a genuine heartfelt attempt. The glow surrounding the twin spirits intensified, brightening until they could not be seen as distinct, and after another moment the Hammer Brothers manifested. Though bearing slightly shimmering forms, they looked solid enough as their feet touched the ground, and together the pro koopas bowed to their master.

[center][hider=For Bowser]
You have Acquired:
[b]Mecha Mitt[/b]
A futuristic purple gauntlet with a sleek apparatus on the back, wires extending down the fingers. It has two settings based on hand position. If the hand is closed, it creates a small orange energy shield from the back of the gauntlet that's twice the size of the hand it's on. If the hand is open, the energy extends across the fingers, creating long claws twice as long as the fingers. These claws deal heat/slash damage

New Strikers gained:
[b]The Hammer Brothers, [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/nintendo/images/0/06/MP8_Hammer_Bro.png/revision/latest?cb=20171002035748&path-prefix=en]Mallet[/url] and [url=https://i1.wp.com/www.mariowiki.com/images/b/b8/SledgebrosNSMBW.png]Sledge[/url][/b]
A two-in-one Striker spirit. Usually content to remain at a distance and throw hammers when called upon, they can be coordinated to get in close with rush attacks to knock back enemies or extend combos on fallen ones. Mallet, the smaller brother, is faster to move and throw, while Sledge, the bigger brother, is stronger and can take more attacks[/hider]

[hider=For Courier 6]
You have Acquired:
[b][url=http://media.steampowered.com/apps/440/icons/c_pickaxe_large.1dfbc4c2fa1f163676af1ca1be41161750a4c0c3.png]The Equalizer[/url][/b]
A sturdy pickaxe, small enough to hold and swing in one hand. It confers a unique effect when held, though not while put away: while it's out and the wielder is severely hurt, it somehow invigorates the muscles of its wielder, increasing the strength of melee attacks and boosting running speed

and:
[b]Eradishield Generator[/b]
A deployable purple electronic box. Once activated, it digs its 'feet' into the ground and then projects a rectangular orange barrier three feet wide and six feet high. The box must be deactivated in order to move the device, which is vulnerable to damage. The shield itself will deplete energy to completely erase incoming fire, and while it gradually refills its energy, it will shatter if too much is used[/hider]

[hider=For Blazermate]
You have Acquired:
[b][url=https://wiki.teamfortress.com/w/images/thumb/c/c3/Short_circuit.png/250px-Short_circuit.png]Short Circuit[/url][/b]
A hand attachment capable of shooting short-range jolts of energy. These jolts deal electric damage to targets. It can also fire slow-moving orbs of energy that 'jam' susceptible enemy devices, including machines, grenades, and rockets. It requires metal as a resource to use, and can unmake base metals it physically touches to absorb and use as ammunition

and:
[b][url=https://wiki.teamfortress.com/w/images/thumb/4/42/Minigun_IMG.png/250px-Minigun_IMG.png]Minigun[/url][/b]
An extremely heavy, and fairly impractical, personal minigun. It has 200 shots and fires 40 per second, with each bullet not dealing much damage but overall inflicting a great deal, particularly at closer range where all shots generally connect. It needs to spin up for a a second before it can start firing, but a secondary trigger will spin it up without making it fire if the wielder anticipates shooting in a second or two. It comes with no extra ammunition[/hider]

[hider=For Zer0]
You have Acquired:
[b]Null Sector Ammo Case[/b]
A case containing a variety of extra ammunition, including pistol, rifle, and sniper rounds. Its variety means there isn't an abundance of each type, but there's enough of each: 40 pistol, 20 rifle, and 10 sniper. All rounds in this purple Null Sector case are Null Sector rounds, which incorporate laser technology to deal heat as well as puncture damage, and also function as tracers

New Spirit Consumed:
[b]Robot Scout[/b]
The Scout's distinctive cap and earpiece are integrated with Zer0's suit, and the bottom halves of his legs bear a distinctly retro robotic look. His facial display is also light blue now instead of red. This spirit confers the Power [b]Frontrunner Hardware[/b], increasing running speed and jump height while allowing an impossible midair jump. This spirit also inflicts the Weakness [b]Robo-susceptibility[/b], making him vulnerable to EMP and other jamming attacks[/hider][/center]

Kirby, briefly fascinated by the lightshow, returned to reality after a few moments to respond to Ratchet's question as best he could. Unfortunately, his best consisted of a nod, then a gesture involving him moving his little nub-arms in every direction. While not the most clear, the bottom line of his message could be pieced together. [i]Everywhere.[/i] There seemed to be something else, though. For some reason, Kirby looked oddly interested in the Courier.

[center][h3]The Master of Masters[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Scrapyard - Start[/center]

Even while under attack, the Master of Masters kept his wits about him, and in the corners of his eyes he could see his allies getting to work. Din, having shrugged off her hesitation, unleashed a wave of cold across the ground to halt her assailants in their tracks. With a clear opening created, she put all the might she could muster into a swing of her keyblade. Its unorthodox edge slammed into the rightmost Slicer horizontally, bashing it free of its icy binds and into its ally. Though freed, they could not mount a counterattack with chilled systems, leaving Din a chance to pelt them with strike after strike. Her nimble dancer's style kept her in a constant, elegant flow of motion, preventing them from locking on. Unable to use their lasers, they attempted to lash out with claws and tails, but what Din lacked in strength she more than made up for in finesse. Already compromised, they lay at her mercy.

Nearby, the situation of the Slicer facing Michael took a turn for the worse. With the surprise help from 6, the sharpshooter stunned the machine with a kick before retrieving his uzi, flipping off the safety that flummoxed Din, and riddled it with bullets. The gunfire proved more than enough to take it out. Its destruction meant that both Michael and Din could rest easy, but neither the Master nor poor Agoston shared their success...yet.

The Master of Masters did, after all, boast a great understanding about many things. An invisible smile spread across his hidden face and with a flourish he thrust his keyblade sky-high. “Gather!” Before him, the air coalesced into a whirlpool of energy and force, sucking in all three Slicers facing him as well as yanking off the one atop the Centurion. They tumbled helplessly in the vortex. More for fun than anything, its creator took a swing at one as it wheeled by and lopped off a lower leg with the blade. “Hah!” he laughed, emphatically pumping a fist. “Check it out, this cat's got claws!” Stepping back, he leveled the point of his weapon at the bunch and called out, “Fire!” to send a fireball into their midst. When the magnet effect ended a moment later, it deposited a pile of fried, struggling bots on the ground, ripe for someone else to finish off.

[hr]
[center][b]Location:[/b] Peach's Castle, Dungeon[/center]

When struck by the laser, Kamek -ever a lightweight- flew backward with a yelp and smacked into a rickety old desk. The impact sent up a small cloud of dust and paper shreds, and the robed koopa did not rise from it. For the moment, Geno ran the shop, and he shut out all of the potential distractions lining the chamber's walls to focus on the captive at its center. Spyro's red eyes held great relief, and his face bore a look of gratitude, but as the moments slipped by and his apparent savior failed to rush to undo his bonds, Spyro's demeanor changed. A look of curiosity overcame him as Geno knelt to retrieve the fallen dagger, but incredulity replaced it soon after. The doll approached, knife in hand, his resolution told in his stiff, purposeful movements. “Hey, hey!” Spyro shouted, his voice high and desperate. “What are you doing? You're not going to just pick up where he left off, are you...? Come on...!” He tugged at his restraints harder, his hopes dashed and replaced by even greater terror. If he heard Geno's sympathetic proclamation, he didn't give any sign, but he reacted to the knife as it slid between his scales. 

“Gaaah!  Aaaahahagh!” Murky green spinal fluid seeped into the wound, carried through the bloodstream and throughout Spyro's system. The knife encountered more resistance, until the force Geno needed to apply to get it in broke the blade off in the wound. Moaning through gritted teeth, Spyro could do nothing as his eyes clouded over. Blindly, he attempted to attack with his claws and breath jets of fire, but his bindings prevented him from doing any harm.

Meanwhile, a figure stirred at the other end of the room. Rising from where he'd been dazed in the dust, Kamek shook his head to clear it. A keen eye would perceive nary a scratch on him; he'd been laid out by the force of the blast bashing him against the furniture rather than the laser itself, it being little more than pushing power against his magically-woven robe. “Intruders? In the castle?” he mumbled. Behind his glasses, he squinted. “He's...doing my test for me? Why, thank you! Still, I must inform the king immediately.” Kamek waved his wand and disappeared in a puff of smoke and magic shapes.