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[img]https://i.postimg.cc/d1m9cwtC/Kid-s-Hat-3.png[/img] [img]https://i.postimg.cc/G2xPk9Gk/Jiggy-2.png[/img] [img]https://i.postimg.cc/vTD8rQzY/Star-Fox-Faded.png[/img]

[b]Level:[/b] [color=8258fa]5 (37 -> 39/50)[/color] | [color=fed428]4 (29 -> 31/40)[/color] | [color=darkgray]2 (9 -> 11/20)[/color]
[b]Location:[/b] Land of Adventure - Spiral Mountain
[b]Word Count:[/b] 970 (+2 EXP)
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Fox, Hat Kid, and the duo all three successfully made it onto the mountain, but two of the three had yet to breach the tower that sat atop its peak. A skewed wall run cut the child in midway up the mountainside, whereupon she miscalculated a second run up a taller wall that had her fall one or two of her heights short of the bridge. She would have to make the rest of the way up fairly, just as [s]the developer[/s] [b]’nature’[/b] intended, and keep her eyes up along the way. As she came around the mountain’s front side at the top quarter, the bowwoman above began raining down black arrows aimed for her and the duo on the bottom level directly below.

[color=8258fa]“WOAH!”[/color] she exclaimed in surprise, eyes wide, springing backwards to miss the first arrow by the brim of her hat (were she wearing it at the moment). She skipped back, flipped, jumped from the ledge, tumbled with her midair jump, and dove back to the ledge in a series of [url=https://youtu.be/oU2CzynZqmI?t=677]nimble, evasive acrobatics[/url], then hopped back to her feet to dodge one more shot and sped off up the mountainside with her Sprint Cap on. Her being a closer target and acting unintentionally as a bullet magnet bought Banjo and Kazooie a slim opening to ascend to the point where she left off, where they then ended up drawing the bulk of the bowwoman’s fire--likely none too happy about failing to tag them the first time around. Though they were looking out for it more, they didn’t match the child’s grace or luck in advancing unscathed… or at all really.

Banjo rolled out of the way of the first couple of shots, managed to spotdodge another, and sidestepped a couple more. Try as they might to escape her line, however, the shooter methodically led her shots to pin down the grounded, less agile ursine, driving him to the edge where he lost his footing. Banjo caught a hold of the ledge with one hand, but as he reached with the other, an additional discouraging shot from Imani forced him to swivel out of its way instead. From their unfavorable position, the two were almost certainly doomed. What saved them (if anything) was Bowser’s spectacular gambit followed by Mimikyu’s retaliation, both of which would provide Banjo an ample window to pull himself back onto solid ground and continue upward. The Koopa King’s move failed, sadly, and his trophy glanced off the side of the tower and over Banjo’s head.

Banjo reflexively (read [i]accidentally[/i]) reached to catch the trophy over the cliffside while moving, the weight and momentum causing him to tilt and sway dangerously. Upon regaining his footing, he might have hazarded using the trophy as a shield while carrying it with him, had he not caught it by its base. Reanimating light coalesced around the Koopa’s still form, and in a confused, unsteady panic, Banjo swung the reviving cargo overhead, the weight and loss of balance dragging him into a leaning spin over the ledge. Unsure what else to do with it, he haphazardly let go of the trophy on the upswing to let it fly/fall wherever; to let it be someone else’s problem. With his back to open air, anchored to the cliff by only his toes, he entered an imbalanced state of comical windmill arm flailing in a desperate attempt to recover, with Kazooie rapidly beating her wings trying to assist. Alas, the shock of Tora and Poppi’s forced entry through the tower walls tipped them into freefall.

[color=0aaaff]“Yuh-oh! WOOOOAA-”[/color] His familiar throe would be cut off by their second dip in the moat today, happening within moments of each other. All the while, they were left open to any unoccupied snipers that saw fit to capitalize on their momentary vulnerability, provided they could make the shot in spite of the Blade and Driver’s disruptive stunt. Whether or not the duo would still be animate by the time they hit the water would depend largely on that. Assuming their survival, however, they would swim their way back to the crossing where they started before and try again, but this time employing corner cutting Spring Jumps at the back of the mountain (where fewer shooters now were) to bypass the zombie horde that were now slowly scaling it.

Hat Kid skid to a halt at the entrance as she turned sharply to enter seconds behind Fox. He spared a momentary glance around and upward before moving for the central elevator, stopping a step short when the foundations began to tremble. He directed his attention to the source of the disturbance in time to dive out of the way of what burst through the wall. Kid more fell than jumped aside in avoidance, but avoided the crashing drill all the same. It was then that she noticed the Pokemon tagalong for the first time as Mimikyu drifted gently back onto her head.

[color=8258fa]“OoOoh…”[/color] she squeaked with curious delight, eyes aimed to the top of her sockets at the unexpected passenger, and a smile to accompany her gaze. On the other end of the room, Fox rolled to a kneel, instinctively drawing iron sights on the two abrupt entrants before realizing who they were, then lowering his aim. As soon as they regained their bearings, he motioned for Tora and Poppi to move onto the elevator before activating it. [s]The child then scrambled to her feet and lept for the rising platform to catch it on the way up, pulling herself and Mimi up onto it so they wouldn’t miss the first trip and be forced to wait. The entire way up--until reaching a point where Fire could carry him the rest of the way--[/s]Fox kept a ready eye out for whoever may see them coming.