[center][h3]Tora & Mario[/h3]
[b]Level 3[/b] – (8/30) EXP & [b]Level 1[/b] - (8/10)
[b]Location:[/b] Scrapyard – Endzone
[b]Word Count:[/b] 2057[/center]

Before Tora could experience the next blow from his fallen comrade, a white glove would attempt to collide with Poppi's right cheek. Mario landed his punch with a smashing thump as he sent the opponent reeling a good distance away. While he didn't send her flying - as he believed he would - it was still a solid hit on her. The plumber rose into a battle stance as he faced the armored-clad girl, covering Tora behind him. He'd glance back with a serious expression as he adjusted his cap in preparation for the fight ahead.

[b][color=ed1c24]"You ought-a not be fightin' alone against-a-her,"[/color][/b] he remarked as he rose his fists towards his opponent, [b][color=ed1c24]"Let's-a-do this together shall we?"[/color][/b]

Surprised by the sudden entrance, Tora composed himself to reply. “Ah, yes. Would be very helpful, meh.”

Poppi blinked, her features betraying a distinct lack of amusement. “Because masterpon have embarrassing lack of offensive ability. But even two on one is no problem. Poppi will just need to bother with defense.” She tilted her head to the side, looking Mario over. “Strange. While enemy have facial hair to indicate adulthood, enemy is shorter than Poppi, and already wounded.” She closed her eyes, smiling. “Poppi commend enemy bravery!”

Turning around, the artificial blade laid her hands on a massive block of compressed scrap. Her fingers dug in, her servos fired, and with remarkably little effort she lifted the whole thing above her head. She then activated her foot-rockets, ascended a short way with her giant burden still held aloft, and chucked the entire mass at her two foes.

Instead of trying to dodge, Tora ran forward, shield raised. A few brief but vital calculations ran through his mind, and after a moment the Nopon stopped short just in time for the compacted junk to hit the ground in front of him and bounce up. It clipped his tuft as it careened harmlessly overhead, though Mario remained in its path.

Quickly analyzing the junk’s trajectory, the plumber proceeded to act according as he was able to barely slide below the approaching mass. It was tantalizingly close in scrapping the tip of his comically round nose as it swiftly whizzed past him. Once it was gone, he would quickly launch back to his feet and prepared to engage the enemy.

Tora found himself without a moment alone. After boosting downward, Poppi spun forward to execute a heel drop that fell upon her master’s shield hard enough to send splinters flying. With his shield facing up to protect himself from the falling leg, Tora was powerless to stop Poppi from transitioning into a straight side kick that went underneath the shield and bashed him right in the middle. Though hearty of constitution, he gasped as the air was knocked from his lungs, and staggered backward. “Meeeh! She knows...all Tora weaknesses…” he gargled, struggling to regain his breath.

His companion was in major trouble. Mario immediately proceeded to dash towards the antagonizing Poppi from behind as he calculated his next move. With a powerful leap, he thrust himself into the air with impressive force as he looked down upon his opponent. While he nearly opted to engage with melee force, the plumber instead opted for a more ranged attack. Promptly he proceeded to charge up a large fireball and chucked it towards Poppi’s back with admirable speed.

After dealing with Tora, Poppi possessed enough time to glance around and find her next opponent, particularly since Mario spent time jumping up high instead of attacking directly. Once again her boosters fired up, and Poppi jetted up to meet him. An aileron roll took her out of the way of the fireball, though it gave Mario half a second to prepare himself, and the next moment her metal fist made contact.

The plumber crossed his fists to block most of the strength within the powerful punch, yet even he was also thrown back significantly. He descended towards the ground and skidded across the grassy floor. As he did so, his fists began to glow a furious orange, becoming imbued with this great flame that he utilized. Again, he threw himself back into the fray and bolted back to Poppi with fists ablazing, while also awaiting Poppi’s next move.

Poppi, still hovering, watched the plumber approach with a bored expression. If he wanted to land a hit, he’d need to leap up to strike her, but the difference between their air mobility was night and day. As she waited for him to attack and open himself up, Tora recovered and shouted out, “But Tora know Poppi weakness, too! Ultra defensey to hitting, but not to ether. Element is earth, so fire not terrible, but if shortypon have electricity, would be very much stronger!”

With a mildly exasperated sigh, Poppi replied, “Knowing and acting two different things, Masterpon.” As she expected, Mario kicked off the ground with his powerful legs and sailed her way. Though obviously a very good jumper, that alone did not an air-fighter make. She allowed him to get close enough to lash out with a double blazing punch, but burst upward a moment before it hit. She cut her thrusters and briefly charged a boost, then released it in an explosive blast when he passed below her. The faceful of burning force spiked him downward, and Poppi reoriented herself to boost after him. However hard his landing, she intended to punctuate it with a crushing blow.

Mario hit the ground hard, issuing a miniature crater upon crashing with the ground as he momentarily felt the life suck away from him. While he was unsuccessful in hitting Poppi, he at least was able to get some information that ought to help in beating the robo-girl - and why it came from her own mouth of course. Of course, where was he going to find electricity in a place like this?

Yet it didn’t matter as he witnessed his opponent attempting to crush him with her metallic boots. Quickly he rolled out of the way as the initial shockwave from the blast set him back on his feet. Kneeling to regain his strength, Mario would find himself conveniently next to Tora and looked at him for answers.

[b][color=ed1c24]"So this-a-robot is vulnerable to electricity, yeah?"[/color][/b] the plumber asked the plump creature for verification, [b][color=ed1c24]"If-a-so, do you have any on-a-board? And since-a-you know her weaknesses, what-a-other weaknesses do you know she has?"[/color][/b]

Tora nodded as best he could, which for a person without a neck looked more like him bobbing back and forth. “Um yeah, meh. Have none, shield is earth too when Poppi powering it. Already said other wea...look out!” The chance to talk about himself and Poppi distracted the Nopon for a moment, but his eyes never left his creation. Displeased by the idea of her foes fraternizing, Poppi surged forward to strike Mario down. Using his free wing, Tora grabbed Mario by the face and bowled him out of the way before moving up to take the punch. When she saw what she’d be hitting, Poppi cut the strength of the strike, leaving the shield undamaged. [i]She saving power? Oh, of course![/i] Noticing this, an idea popped into Tora’s head.

With all the strength he could must, Tora threw himself forward. The sudden burdened above Poppi’s center of gravity toppled her over backward, and Tora landed on top, pinning her down with his shield and his weight atop it. With her arms spread out to either side, she couldn’t bend them into position to grab her master or his weapon and use her strength to throw him off. Not content to sit there, Tora used his free wing to pull out his wrench and, with a mechanic’s precision, affixed it around her neck to hold her in place. “Hurry, shortypon!” he cried. “Her Ether Furnace pull in power from atmosphere. Inflict damage before enough return to send Tora flying!”

Mario groaned as he rose from the ground to heed his ally’s call to action. He kept the robot in place as he called for the plumber to damage her Ether Furnace. Mario nodded as he leapt into action. His fists continued to burn hot with raging fire as he aimed his focus upon the exposed spot. With his target in sight, he engaged as he rapidly shot a multitude of fireballs towards the Ether Furnace to cause as much damage to it as possible. 

His barrage of flame consumed the furnace, starting to melt the metal and causing her visible pain. Tora cried out in alarm as his ally misinterpreted his words. “Nonononono! Not hit furnace, Poppi need it to live!” In a panic he removed his wrench and whirled it around to smack Mario upside the head. “Just need to hurt enough for--meeeh!”

The energy from Mario’s fire had disappeared, not into the environment, but into the very mechanism he attacked. Poppi’s strength flared accordingly, and in a single, quick motion she beat her arms and legs against the ground, shifting her torso upward. Tora popped up a few feet into the air, where the flailing Nopon fumbled his weapons. Without a second’s delay Poppi jumped up and snatched the shield. Even before she landed again, energy from her furnace flowed through the weapon, turning on a few lines and lights with an orange-brown glow. For a brief instant a smile graced her face, the sort of expression one might see on someone reunited with a precious treasure, before she launched into an attack.

Earthen power radiated from her as she span with she shield extended, not just in place, but herself wheeling around in a larger circle. The untenably strong strikes pummeled Mario and Tora relentlessly, juggling the latter in the air. With his injuries, Mario couldn’t withstand the punishment and crumpled, stunned. Tora bounced, crying out with each hit, until Poppi drew to a stop and grabbed him out of the air by his overalls. She slammed him into the ground and raised the shield to bring its edge down across his throat.

[i]Pung.[/i]

Poppi looked down, curious, at Tora’s wing, its end curled into a fist now pressed against her chest. For a moment she didn’t seem to believe it, as if a punch could possibly have been that weak. She snorted, then smiled again, even as the guillotine was poised to fall. “...Masterpon. I am glad you made me laugh one last time.”

Though Bruised and bleeding, Tora cracked a smile as well. “Poppi getting ahead of self.”

Poppi jolted, dropping her shield, then looked again at Tora’s wing. When he pulled it back, she spotted the bright pink imprint of a heart fading there, and from the contact point a wave of restoration crossed her. Her ashen desaturation melted away, and the glare of her eyes faded. She slumped down like a puppet cut from its strings, practically falling on the Nopon she’d been about to kill. Tora wrapped his wings around her, and when she stirred a moment later, Poppi hugged him back. They exchanged no words, though the tears well up in Tora’s round, black eyes said a good deal.

After another handful of seconds, the two drew apart. Tora reached down to pick up his shield and replace it on his back, and after he stowed it Poppi handed him his wrench to tuck away. At about the same time the pair seemed to remember Mario, and in a hurry jogged over to Mario to help him up. They offered him one hand each, though Poppi looked more than a little sheepish, unable to look the plumber in the face. “Here, upsy-daisy!” Tora said, cheery despite his wounds.

Weakened, but undoubtedly alive, Mario weakly got up to his feet as he sobered himself back to reality. The battle seemed to have ended as quickly as it began, however it was a brutal one-sided smackdown that had rattled the plumber’s stout body. He hadn’t had taken such a beating in a very long while - perhaps not after fighting against that blasted newcomer, who had taken the form of a witch, back in the previous Smash tournament. 

[b][color=ed1c24]"D-Did-a-we win?"[/color][/b] he asked stutteringly with a cough as he glanced over to see Tora and a now newly purified Poppi helping him out.

Safe to say that they had.