[center][h3] Michael and Franklin [/h3]
Level 4- (0/40) EXP / Level 2- (17/20) EXP (+2 EXP) (Level Up)
Location: Peach's Castle ---> On the Road
Wordcount: 896 [/center]
[hr]
After Franklin put the strange pistol away, Ratchet interjected, explaining what he thought the weapon was. The two men turned to face him, Franklin especially interested in what he had to say. [color=39b54a]"Plasma, huh? Damn, that really is some alien shit, then."[/color] He gave the lombax a thumbs up as he moved away, grateful for the information. Linkle appeared soon afterward, questioning the fact that Michael hadn't seen a gun like the one that Franklin now had strapped to his belt. [color=00aeef]"Almost all the guns on my world are based on gunpowder. We don't have guns like that, except for in science fiction. Still, if what Ratchet said is true, using it shouldn't be too different from using a normal gun."[/color] He looked away, to the direction of the karts. [color=00aeef]"If you'll excuse me, I probably should find something to ride before I get left behind."[/color]

With that, Michael headed out to the karts, looking through them to find something that would work for him. Looking through the vehicles, what looked to be a scooter caught his attention. Hopping on it, he revved it up, and drove it in a circle for a quick test run. [color=00aeef]"Woah!"[/color] Despite its appearance, it was still quite fast. [color=00aeef][i]Well, guess I'll take this one...at least Trevor's not here, he'd never let me live this down.[/i][/color]

Franklin, meanwhile, looked over to the Wario bike, making sure that it was still available. While he was less familiar with a chopper than a traditional motorcycle, it was still a fine vehicle. Before he could ride off on it, Linkle approached him, asking for him to teach her about karts. He gave a nod, walking over to the karts. [color=39b54a]"Uh, yeah, come on, I'll tell you about it."[/color]

He walked over to the nearest kart, stopping beside it. [color=39b54a]"Now, how these things actually work is pretty complicated, and I don't have time to get into that, but anyways..."[/color] He pointed to inside the kart, towards the gas pedal, the brake, and the steering wheel. [color=39b54a]"That's the accelerator, you press that to speed up. Next to it is the brake, you hit that to slow down. And there's the steering wheel, you turn it to turn the kart. These things are pretty easy to control, so don't worry too much about it, you'll get the hand of it pretty quick. We'll be on the road for a while, so you'll have plenty of time to learn how to drive it."[/color] With a nod, he headed off towards the Wario bike, hopping on and preparing to ride off with the rest of the group. 
[hr]
After everything that had happened, Franklin felt good to be back on the road, albeit an unfamiliar one. Driving had always helped calm him down, and the bike he was sitting on was certainly fun to ride. The two bike riders were on opposite ends of the convoy, using the agile bikes to act as sentries for the less agile karts. For a while, there was nothing but the sound of engines and the dust kicked up by Bowser's vehicle as they drove across the seemingly empty land. However, once the convoy entered a more open area, someone noticed them.

Michael spotted them first- what looked like cars in the distance, approaching quickly. [color=00aeef]"Aw, shit..."[/color] He could see five vehicles, all cars that looked straight out of a post-apocalypse movie. Despite their ramshackle construction, they were actual cars, not karts, and their size compared to them would mean that the karts would be crushed if they were rammed, which it looked like they were trying to do. Plus, two had guns, while one had guns and a spiked ram. As they got closer, the sound of music could be heard. [color=00aeef][i]Like a hunting party...[/i][/color] Michael frowned. If they wanted to hunt them, they would have to get through him first. 

The other members of the party were quick to act, letting loose a variety of attacks. Bowser spat fire and his son shot out an oil slick to trip them up. The new guy shot energy blasts from above, managing to disable one of the cars. The Centurion was hit with a spell that turned him giant, and the Courier began to fire from his position on Bowser's car. Looking towards Franklin, they shared a nod, getting ready to launch an attack of their own.

The two bikes pulled up to the side where the cars were, moving erratically to avoid gunfire. Fortunately, their guns didn't seem very accurate, and the agile bikes were fast enough to keep out of their lines of fire. Michael took out his Uzi, firing bursts at any vehicle that got too close to the convoy. He tried to aim for the windshields, trying to disable the cars by killing the drivers.

Franklin, meanwhile, took out the plasma pistol, aiming it at the car with both guns and blades, which seemed to be the biggest threat. [color=39b54a][i]Alright...let's see if this thing works.[/i][/color] He pulled down the trigger, but instead of firing a shot, it began to charge, green energy accumulating on the tip of the weapon. [color=39b54a][i]Let's hope this doesn't explode in my face...[/i][/color] He continued to charge the plasma pistol until it appeared to reach a limit, at which point Franklin released the trigger, sending a bright green bolt of charged plasma at the car.