[center][h3]Forest Temple[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] the Land of Adventure[/center]

Confused by its brush with an intrepid child, the parasite spider was on edge, but that didn't mean much when two men arrived with guns. It released a horrific hissing noise from its mouth as it advanced, only to be met with a torrent of small arms fire. While it took a good few shots, the carcass-spawn went down without much of a fight, oozing vile ichor from its wounds. The smell, if not the very sight of the wretched thing, drove the two men to figure out a way around the collapsed staircase and into the next room.

There, the same scene awaited them that Hat Kid beheld not long before. Within a bizarre, rather unnerving arrangement of colorfully-burning braziers, the still form of a young girl could be glimpsed. To someone with their modern sensibilities, the hazard seemed minimal, but any amount of inspection would prove the flames uncommonly difficult to breach, let al one quash. Whatever the solution might be, it lay not in this central chamber.

Without the kid's familiarity with such flames, however, the two friends were at a loss long enough for the fires to begin contorting in fascinating shapes. In a matter of moments, distinct [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/a-hat-in-time/images/c/c6/20171205211951_1.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20171205202301]creatures[/url] could be seen dancing within the blaze. They twirled and frolicked in merriment, and over the low roar of burning, eerie voices sang out one after another. 

“We want to die...! Yaaaaay! We want to burn bright, then burn out. Become a cloud of smoke...! Our bonfires needs more fuel...only the finest paintings will do...” So saying, the fox spirits laughed and whirled about their respective fires, eagerly awaiting their demise.

[hr]

The orange flame brazier pointed Hat Kid down a corridor, straight and bare of obstruction save for plant growth and cobwebs, until the hall opened up to a larger, cavelike room of dirt and stone. Well-lit by torches, it sported a single distinct furnishing: a tall hut of irregular stone bricks bearing ancient -in fact, nonsensical- machinery of rock and wood. On its side were a number of large wooden buttons, each adorned with a painted depiction of a pizza with some sort of topping, including pineapple, bell peppers, sausage, mushroom and cheese. Heat, noise, and light from inside the hut indicated the presence of an oven. Beyond the pizza hut, three [url=https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/178/628/26dac6149ae517fc0bc37673e3fdc445_original.jpg?ixlib=rb-2.1.0&w=680&fit=max&v=1422046764&auto=format&gif-q=50&q=92&s=0b5d80d6000d2af78d917edc929f2d6b]trolls[/url] could be seen languishing atop some boulders, which along with the painting hanging above, suggested some semblance of a living room.

Upon seeing Hat Kid, however, the shortest, roundest troll leaped to his stumpy feet. “Fleen!?” he exclaimed, before narrowing his eyes and getting a better look. “You're not a fleen,” he remarked, confused, before giving an exasperated shrug. “Well, whatever you are..” he knelt, wringing his hands in a desperate plea. “MAKE ME A PIZZA!” 

The others looked on, probably not hungry. Smirking, the thin one announced in a creaky, female voice, “I'd hop to it if I were you, miss. Arno gets awfully cranky without his pizza.”

Stuttering slightly, the last one piped up, “B-but he's very picky! W-well, we all are, really...” he gave a bashful grin. “He'll only likes one t-type, though he won't know it 'til he gets it. B-but you can probably figure it out. If you do, I'm sure he'll be r-really grateful.”

[center][h3]Nero[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Intersection outside fire station, Dead Zone[/center]

With the Tank primed and ready to explode, a short window had opened for someone else to get in there and show his stuff, and Gene stepped up to bat. The sight of him caused Nero to look twice in disbelief. Just what was he wearing!? His eyes widened. Had...he used the van's shower? That meant possibly infectious zombie gook in the plumbing, and more likely than not he hadn't cleansed himself of the disease, either. Gene could present quite the problem, Nero guessed, if his party ignored the chance of contamination. For now, however, he stood back to watch Gene fight. 

At first, his blows practically bounced off the monster, even in its weakened state. Once the brawler dodged out of the way and collected himself, however, he re-engaged the raging Tank with a comically-effective move aptly named the 'ball buster', compromising the rotten hulk completely. Nero snickered, unable to deny the technique's humor, if not its crassness. He kept his eyes on the visibly-glowing, beeping Exploder, however. Gene proceeded to unleash a cascade of blows, growing in strength and volume, but not in situational awareness. Seeing this, Nero furrowed his brow. “Hey...” [i]Beep. Beep. Beep.[/i] “Don't you think...?” [i]Beep-beep-beep-beep.[/i] “You oughta get outta there, pal.” [i]Beepbeepbeepbeepbeep.[/i]

He put out a hand, but the Exploder went off with theatrical aplomb, reducing the battered Tank to odious chunks and sending Gene hurtling off to the side. Waving at Blazermate to come over, Nero jogged to the fallen fighter's resting place, worry etched on his features. When Gene's first sounds were a complaint, however, the demon hunter knew he'd be fine letting the medic patch him up. “You saw me stick it on,” Nero replied, incredulous. “Plus, I thought you were a professional. If you can't avoid one bomb with a ten-second fuse, or survive being near it, you should ride back to Hammerhead.” Nero didn't exactly mean for his Exploder to serve as a test, but if worked well enough, and Gene failed it. That sort of situational awareness would make him zombie chow before nightfall.

Nico's van pulled up, and the four friends gathered near. One by one, they expressed their thanks to the heroes, while Nero slid up to the van's window to receive a new [url=https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/devilmaycry/images/b/b9/Gerbera_2.png/revision/latest?cb=20181030121058]arm[/url] from its driver. The green-colored device socketed neatly into its port, and he flexed its fingers experimentally. Once the kids' leader said his piece, Nero strolled back over. “Yeah, yeah. Look, you're good fighters, but this place is a hellhole. We're not here to save anything or be heroes, so if something looks rough, you run. Okay?” Noctis nodded. Then, after a moment's hesitation, he offered a hand. Nero shook it without a second thought.

The silence that followed proved awkward, so he pulled away, raising his voice to give instructions. “Alright, people! Let's move out. Street are stuffed, so we'll go slow and quiet, takin' out whatever gets too close.” Using his new arm, he pointed out a twisted organic spire rising into the sky not too far away, near the steeple of a large church. Though like the towering Qliphoth in appearance, it was clearly much, much smaller. “Over there. Guy I'm meeting said to meet by the closest one.” It lay on the other side of the market district, which would no doubt have more clutter, but fewer cars. Three such spires dotted the city, roughly equidistant around the unholy tree in its center. 

Visiting them, however, was not on the four boys' radar. “We'll find some other monsters to take out. Not getting sick if we can help it,” Noctis told him. After a few moments, he returned to the Regalia, and the fancy car sped off the way it came.

As everyone else packed up, Nero happened to glance at the remains of the Tank. Even in pieces, the wretched thing kept moving. A couple things had emerged from the remnants of its torso, little pods with lots of legs and a few red-fronded antennae, like those protruding from the monster's belly early. Sighing, Nero pulled out the Blue Rose and fired, turning them one after another into flesh-colored splats. “Time to get lost,” he advised before climbing into the van. Before long the noise from the Exploder would bring a horde here, but there would be no heroes left by the time it arrived.

[center][h3]The Master of Masters[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Peach's Castle, the Mushroom Kingdom[/center]

The loss of Kamek's attention led the Master of Masters to assume he'd be stepping out and warping right back to his master's side, but instead he gave the room another thorough look. From the start the Master noticed his guest's interest, not too unlike the curiosity of an apprentice upon his or her first admittance to his old study. His remarks provoked a pleased chuckle from within the black hood. “Heh, well, I'm glad you think so. From one magician to another, I know you mean it. Betcha woulda [i]blown your mind[/i] seein' my old stomping grounds.” Beyond that, however, he did not seem eager to recall it. Instead, he called upon his full focus to answer Kamek's next question.

“Darkness, huh? Ya don't know? Well, it's a subject near and dear to my heart, so pull up a chair while I bend your ear.” After standing up himself, the Master of Masters flipped his chair around and leaned forward across its back. Straightaway he began gesticulating, using his hands to punctuate every point. “Well, it's basically a universal force, opposite light. There's a whole realm of it, but it can be found anywhere. Even in here.” He prodded the koopa's shelled chest with his finger. “There's dark and light in every heart. It's natural, but that doesn't mean ya get to rest easy. It can be dangerous, ya know. Certain people might use it for power, throwin' crazy dark spells! A sure road to great power, if one's willing to lose oneself along the way. But it can be tricky for normal folks, too. Slow knife cuts deepest, and all. If people give in to darkness, they become Heartless. Then there's Nobodies, and...well, I could go on.:

Laughing, he gave shrug. “To put things short, it can be a kind of magic, influence, or place. Corridors of Darkness, through the dark realm, are a real easy way to get around, but'cha need something like this if you're gonna waltz around in there. Capiche?”