[center][h3]Search Mission - "The Main Man"[/h3]
[i]Starring the excellent [@Gentlemanvaultboy] as Din, [@Archmage MC] as Junkrat, [@Zoey Boey] as Roadhog, and yours truly as Mym[/i][/center]

“Oi, quit jostlin’ me around!”

Din bristled. [color=red]“You and your friend are getting a little cozy, don’t you think?”[/color] she told Junkrat, her voice suitably pointed.

“It’s damned impossible to get comfortable!” the demolitionist complained. He reached down and slapped the dragon’s red scales. “Hey! You oughta get some chairs installed! A saddle maybe!”

Affronted by the idea, Mym gave a sharp jerk, forcing all three passengers to hold on for their dear lives. “The NERVE!” she roared, her indignity absolute. “I’m not a horse! And this isn’t something I’m going to keep going! If not for my darling’s insistence, I would have never let someone else ride me. And now that it seems to have opened the floodgates so that every scoundrel can pile on, I wish I never conceded to begin with!”

Din raised her voice above the dry wind. [color=red]“Junkrat, no need to be rude. I get it, we’re all on edge, but there’s no need to rile one another up!”[/color]

Groaning, Junkrat leaned his head back, his eyes faced listlessly upward. “Oh come on, we’ve been searchin’ for hours! If this Mario bloke’s not on home turf, he’s probably halfway ‘cross the bloody continent. Anyone can wear a red hat.”

“Well, this is the lead we have, so we’re following it,” Mym huffed. “If you want to look somewhere else, by all means, jump right off!”

The long, long fall to the arid ground below occluded that possibility, so the four were stuck with one another. They maintained an uneasy -and uncomfortable- silence until the dragon’s keen eyes spotted their destination ahead. “Look, it’s…”

“There it is!” Junkrat exclaimed, his expression one of surprise, as he leaned forward off Mym’s neck with a finger extended. “I found it! Set ‘er down, Mym!” The dragon sighed, bucked just enough to hurl Junkrat backward into his portly companion, and began to descend. In front of her lay a great, four-cornered dome of hexagonal glass and rusted metal, surrounded by oil pumpjacks and parking lots. Behind it lay a veritable mountain of sandstone, topped with a metal skull of megalithic proportions that impressed the dragon no small amount. Mym landed a safe distance away and morphed into her human form without warning, allowing her passengers to hit the ground for themselves.

“Okay,” she began, flipping her hair. “We’re looking for a short man with a red hat in blue overalls, with a mustache, right?”

Din nodded. [color=red]”Right.”[/color] She said, dusting herself off and readjusting the feather in her hair as she stood up. [color=red]”Mr. Cid said he heard of someone like that making waves in some sort of derby here. We’ll slip in, find him, and convince him to come with us.”[/color]

Junkrat pounded his scrawny fists, prompting Roadhog to do the same. “Roight! Just leave the convincin’ to us, heheh!” The pair withered under Mym’s draconic glare, then fell in behind her as she lead the way down the road to the arena, avoiding her big red tail as it swung back and forth.

Din followed along behind them, much more cautiously than the trio. Unlike them she had been through the Badlands before, and had seen exactly the sort of character that lurked these roads. Then again, Junkrat and Roadhog also seemed like the sort of characters that lurked these roads so maybe they should actually be the ones taking the lead here.

[center][img]https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-wYZQ-2QfDA/maxresdefault.jpg[/img][/center]

Junkrat squinted up at the stadium as he made his way towards it. He bumped Roadhog on the shoulder. “Rusty and dusty. Reminds you of home, eh?” He said. Roadhog only grunted. “Lemme get a closer look!” He said. Limp-running forward he produced a home-made landmine from his pouch. Once he was clear of the group he tossed it down and jumped on it, prompting a startled yelp from the trailing Din. Detonating the bomb underneath his feet he sailed forward. Landing against the stadium he caught himself on one of the rusted panels. Breathless, he giggled, before squishing his face against the glass and getting a peek inside. Roadhog could only sigh at his partner’s overeagerness.

Within, beyond the sparsely-populated spectators’ stands, he beheld a fascinating display. Full-sized cars raced back and forth across the arena’s dirt floor, engaged in a frenetic game of what appeared to be supersized football. Flames streamed from their exhaust pipes as the vehicles raced around after the enormous ball, striking it back and forth between the two goals. As Junkrat watched, he was amazed to see the cars leaping off the ground, flipping through the air, and riding on the walls, pulling off a non-stop series of daredevil stunts all to try and score.

Mym crossed her arms, looking up in annoyance. “We’re supposed to be laying low! If we make a scene we could attract unwanted attention!” After brushing a strand of burgundy hair from her face, she allowed her eyebrows to unfurrow. “...What do you see?” 

Junkrat’s jaw had dropped and he took a moment to respond. “...A bloody good time, that’s what!” He shouted back. “It’s some kinda road rage madhouse! It’s football soaked in irradiated gasoline and then set on fire! Forget layin’ low! There’s no way anyone could tear their eyes away from this!” He said, thunking his forehead back against the thick glass. One of the cars came particularly close on the wall and he leaned back with a laugh. 

“Oh. That sounds exciting!” For all the ire that the singed man managed to provoke from her, he painted a fun picture, albeit one with many unfamiliar words. And if he remained there until the team left, plastered like a bird on a window, so much the better. “Ahem. Alright then, as long as you stay right there, watch all you like! We’ve got a carpenter to find.” So saying, the lady dragon waltzed inside.

Roadhog followed her inside, trailing slightly. As the others went, he hesitated, taking a few steps back. Shaking his head, he casually reached out and tossed his hook upward. It wrapped around Junkrat’s narrow waist and yanked him down off the perch. “Oi!” He cried out indignantly. Roadhog set him down and Junkrat ‘dusted himself off’, though the gesture was entirely symbolic. “...I’ll get a better view inside, anyway. Thanks, mate.” Junkrat said.

[color=red]”How do you do that without hurting yourself?”[/color] Din asked Junkrat, catching up to the two of them.

    “Well, love.” He began. “It’s all in the wrist.” He replied unhelpfully, mimicking the motion of him throwing out one of his landmines. 

Din followed the motions of the man's hand dubiously. [color=red]“Right… magic.”[/color] She decided, mostly to have an explanation she could be content with.

The facility, if it could be called that, lay primarily on one side of the glass-enclosed arena, allowing there to be no chance of the sport endangering audience members. The stories and stories of bleaches reached higher than the dome itself. In addition there appeared to be veritable bazaar on ground level, with all the outhouses and food carts a sporting fan might need to the afternoon or two. That meant a lot of ground to cover, and even with the place far from packed, the task was an intimidating one. Mym groaned, her tail wrung restlessly. “Ohh, this will take simply forever. My poor darling will be all alone, wasting away in isolation…” She pictured Euden sitting in a corner somewhere in Alcamoth’s superstructure, patiently awaiting her return in forlorn silence. Quite unable to stand the thought, Mym shook her head and took off sprinting through the bazaar. “Darliiiiiiiiiiing!” she called. “Daaaaaaaaaaaaarling, where aaaaaaaaaare youuuuuu? I’m here for youuuuuu!”

Din entered just as Mym sprinted off, shouting loud enough for everyone in the stadium to hear. [color=red]“Mym, wait!”[/color] She called out to her, running to the corridor and watching the dragon’s form getting smaller and smaller as she ran ahead. She put her hands on her hips and sighed. [color=red]“Whatever happened to keeping a low profile?”[/color] None of the words Junkrat had used to describe what was happening in there had sounded very good, especially the ones Din hadn’t understood. Who knew who was in here enjoying a show like that?

    “Daaaaarllliiiiing!” Junkrat called out. “Daaarliiiing!” He cupped his hands around his mouth, hollering. Roadhog, while being one for a brawl, did agree that being quiet here would be much better, and easier, for everyone involved. It was a lot easier to hook someone who was unaware after all before they ate a face full of scrap. With that in mind, as Junkrat took a breath to let out a third ‘darling’ yell, Roadhog bopped him on the head, signaling for him to be quiet for a bit as they approached the inside of the dome.

    “Ow!” Junkrat rubbed the back of his head. “...We’re looking for Mario, aren’t we?” He mused. “Why’s she sayin’ ‘darling’? Tell you what, mate, not sure that Mym is all there in the head.” He circled his finger at his temple. Roadhog could only shrug, not knowing the girl that long. Junkrat, looking over the glorious mayhem partaking in the middle of the arena, began to think. He was renowned for his strategic genius, after all. 

    “Well, we know this Mario bloke is a goodie two shoes, right? Maybe we just need someone for him to save!” He rushed up to Din as she followed behind Mym. “Oi! Oi Din! You think you’d make a good damsel in distress?” He asked. 

Din thought back to her nasty encounter with General Onox and scowled. [color=red]“Unfortunately I make a great damsel in distress.”[/color] The more she thought about what Junkrat was getting at, though, the more she had to admit the idea had a certain shine to it so long as they were abandoning subtlety altogether. It certainly appealed to her inner performer. [color=red]“A beautiful girl being threatened by two rough customers? It’s classic. We’d have to get everyone's attention off the game though. Something colorful and loud.”[/color] She looked over Junkrat’s shoulder towards Mym. [color=red]“Adding a threatening dragon to the cast might do the trick.”[/color]

Junkrat grinned, turning over his shoulder. “Heheh! Just what I was thinkin’! Not that I couldn’t be a great damsel in distress myself. I’ve just been typecast. Just a poor, misunderstood soul, ya see?” He said with a laugh. 

With that he turned, laid down another landmine and exploded away. He soared over the colorful bazaar and past the titanic steel support structures that kept the stands to his right stable.

Sailing towards Mym with a maniacal laugh, Junkrat landed roughly in front of her, stumbling to a stop. He whirled around, facing the dragon lady. She appeared to be in the middle of an energetic conversation with a burly [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/villains/images/a/a9/Abobo_river_city_girls.png]spectator[/url] with a mustache. “Of course my dar...I mean Mario is here, you ridiculous man!” She was saying. “I got word he was making a name for himself in this place!”

“I meant he’s not in the [i]audience[/i],” Abobo insisted, looking irate.

“We’re gonna pretend to kidnap Din, Mym! Dinmym? Mym! Quit yellin’!” Junkrat waved his arms frantically.

“We’re gonna appeal to Mario’s instincts, yeah? Threatening dragon, two evil henchmen, and a beautiful girl! It’s perfect! Now, get in there, start flyin’ around and bein’ a scary dragon!” He said, pointing to the domed arena to their left. “I’ll pretend to tie up Din and then make our demands.” He added.

Mym switched targets in an instant, although she looked confused, “But how can I be both the threatening dragon and the beautiful girl at the same time? Mighty though I am, I cannot be in two places at once!”

Abobo threw his hands up in resignation and swaggered away, so Mym gave due consideration to the madman’s plan, quickly realizing her mistake. She thought about it for a couple long seconds and announced her conclusion, yellow eyes glowing with anticipation. “That would be the fastest way! And I can’t for the life of me think of any downsides.” She pressed herself against the glass. “Hold on, my prince. I’ll be back you soon...” A frown crossed her face as she looked either way. “Hmm...but how do I get in…?” One answer, at least, she could reach on her own. Even if the glass could withstand the weight of the rocket cars, it would be nothing to the Flamewyrm. But she hesitated to just start wrecking stuff, it being -to her knowledge of human civilization- socially unacceptable.

While Junkrat was explaining the plan to Mym, Din rolled her shoulders, clasped her hands behind her, and turned her back to Roadhog. [color=red]“Okay, chain me up. Make it look real, we have to sell this.”[/color] Roadhog wasn’t too sure about this plan, after all Junkrat’s plans tended to backfire.

Roadhog loomed behind Din. When she turned to face him he produced a smaller bit of spare chain and held it out towards her for her to put her hands in. “This is not a good plan.” He said simply, shaking his head but still clearly willing to go along with the plan until it inevitably backfired.

[color=red]“Why do you say that?”[/color] Din asked as she slipped her hands through the chains and the big man wrapped them.

“H-how do you get in?” Junkrat asked with a laugh. “How do you get in!?” He repeated. In one he held a grenade launcher, in the other, a high explosive. 

[color=red]“It’s not like we’re committing a real crime.”[/color] Din continued as she tested how hard it was to get out. 

“GET DOWN,” he shouted to everyone in the bazaar. “GET DOWN, GET DOWN, EVERYONE GET DOWN! HAHAHAHA!” He yelled, announcing his intentions as clearly as he could. Once he was in range he fired his grenades from his homemade launcher. He fired them at the ground, bouncing them towards the dome. That way they rolled to a stop and  gathered at the base of the glass. The entire weapon seemed held together with duct tape, glue, and a manic desire for destruction. The bombs detonated, causing the thick glass to crack. Closing the gap he tossed yet another landmine.  He jumped onto it and detonated it. The glass was blown inwards and Junkrat was sent spiralling through the air, over Mym’s head and back towards Din and Roadhog. There was a hole large enough for Mym’s human form to get through, and certainly large enough for her dragon form to force its way through. Blowing stuff up never got old. Through it all Mym could only watch, astonished at her comrade’s audacity.

He landed in one of the stands, causing it to come crashing down Ignoring the fury of the merchant he scrambled awkwardly towards Din.

“Quick! This way!” He was planning on staging the crime on a ten foot high steel beam. It was connected to the structures of the stand above. It was about thirty feet away from the metal and glass wall of the stadium, and quite close to the hole he had just made. It was an elevated position clear of too many people.  His smile faded as he saw the look on Din’s face. “Huh? What happened?” He looked between her and Roadhog. “He didn’t tell you one of his jokes, did he?”

Din’s eyes were flickering between him and the hole he’d blown in the stadium, absolutely gobsmacked. [color=red]“You..you...savage! You brute! What did you do?! This is a real crime, you know?”[/color] She started struggling against her bonds, but they were surprisingly tight. [color=red]“Just wait till I...Just you...You get me out of these chains right now, you maniac!”[/color]

Junkrat didn’t respond, looking confused. Then his face lit up, having made a realisation. “Ooohhh, I get it! Heheh! You’re already in character! Great. Damn, you’re good! Pick ‘er up, Roadhog!” 

Huffing, Roadhog gently lifted Din up and placed her over his shoulder. Classic captured princess pose. No way Mario could resist. Realizing that it was way too late to back down now, Mym ran into the arena and transformed in a burst of flame, revealing her fearsome true form. Junkrat led Roadhog and Din back to his planned spot. It had been eight seconds, so he could produce another landmine. He used it to both announce his presence again and launch him up to his elevated spot. Roadhog was left awkwardly holding Din, so he set her down into the dirt. She wasn’t actually a hostage.

“Ladies and Gentlemen of the Badlands,” Junkrat began soaring in the air and waving to the crowd. He landed on the steel beam, now elevated. “If I may have your attention, please! I have taken this damsel hostage! If I don’t get what I want within the hour, I’ll blow her and this whole place sky high! Gahahaha!” He fired several short fused grenades into the air, causing more explosions high above. “A-and that [url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/46/de/14/46de14f075eb22f1a4857cfb8f8ed296.png]dragon[/url] will eat people, too!” He added hastily, improvising. Mym helpfully released a stream of fire into the air. He looked down and winked at Din.

[color=red]“He’s crazy!”[/color] She shrieked, kicking her feet in dirt.

“What do I want!? Well...I want…” he paused for a moment, thinking. “I...want...my toilet’s clogged! Yeah, my toilet’s clogged! I need the finest plumber in the land, or else! And, also 200 real big gold coins! Hahahahaha!” He laughed evilly. It seemed like he had a lot of practice doing this sort of thing.

His laughing came to a stop. “Um…’ello?” He quickly realised not many, if any, people were paying attention to him at all. The dragon he briefly mentioned was doing a majority of the work.

For the moment all attention lay on Mym, and that began with the cars themselves. Being an area easily surmisable as the bad part of town without there being a town, this region harbored more than its fair share of people who weren’t going to take this lying down. Angry onlookers banged on the glass, but with no way to get in save Junkrat’s own hole, they couldn’t do much. The players, however, could. The full-size vehicles swarmed the dragon’s way, boosting toward her on rocket thrusters. Mym eyed them warily. “Come not closer, ingrates!” she boomed, her fearsome maw aflame. Yet still the cars came.

The first leaped at her, flipping end over end. Overcoming her instinct to swat it out of the air, she ducked out of the way, and kept her eyes not on her assailant but those yet to come. Two more zoomed at her, one jumping to strike her body and the other trying to ram her legs from the ground. As gingerly as she could manage, Mym brushed the jumper away with a wing, then swept the cruiser aside with her tail. In the heat of the moment her tail still hit hard enough to dent the vehicle’s entire left side and send it skidding across the dust for a few hundred feet. Wincing, Mym turned her eyes to a car doing donuts. “What in the…? Oof!” With a comically loud [i]doink[/i] the football struck her in the head. It didn’t hurt -like, at all- but it was still humiliating. Mym would have reddened if she could get any redder, but in the end she simply growled. “Oh, you’re in for it now!”

She took to the air, unleashing a stream of brilliant flame. “Grand X-Muspelhem!” resounded across the arena as she scorched two great lines in the earth, setting most of the already-parched ground ablaze. The cars fled in panic, their attempts at fighting Mym totally disorganized, except for one. 

A unique sports car, [url=https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DX4xadeVMAAQSs8.jpg]conspicuously styled in blue and red[/url] and emblazoned with a familiar emblem, slid to a stop in front of hole in the glass. Cameras obligingly focused in, projecting the image of the vehicle onto various enormous displays for the audience to see. The door popped up, and out stepped Mario himself, his features solemn, and his eyes red. “Stop-a this! I’m-a the one you want!” He held up a clenched fist, preparing to jump. “But I’m not-a gonna let you get away with this!”

    Junkrat grinned unsettlingly as he attracted the attention of their target. Yep. He was all Galeem’d up alright! Looks like there was no talking their way outta this one. Oh well!

    Before Mario could enter through the gap and jump up at him, Junkrat tossed a comically large bear trap forward. It landed in the entryway of the hole in the glass. There was some clearance, but the bear trap was surrounded by broken glass and he couldn’t jump too high, lest he poke his eye out.

    “There he is! We got ‘em!” He said excitedly to Roadhog and Din without breaking eye contact with Mario. 

    “MARIO! You’re a man of my own heart, partaking in such wonderful mayhem! So, are you gonna unclog my toilet, or what?” He asked with a giggle. He enjoyed not really having to care too much about money in this hostage situation. They were only here for Mario. If Mario made a break to get over the gap, Junkrat would blast him with his grenades.

    Roadhog reached down and grabbed the chain around Din’s hands. He was preparing to break them, releasing Din. However, he was waiting for Mario to have to get through Junkrat’s trap. If he revealed Din wasn’t actually their hostage, Mario might just retreat and find a better position, since it was clearly a trap just for him.

 “You’d better still be with us.” He rumbled. 

‘Quiet’ wasn’t exactly the word for it, but it was low enough so only Din could hear it. The idea of Din abandoning their quest just because of some broken glass was clearly one that didn’t appeal to the massive junker very much. He hefted his scrapgun in the direction of the hole, preparing for Mario to enter.

Din had stopped her struggling as soon as the image of their target had appeared on the big screens, her attention fully arrested by his sunset red eyes. Roadhog's admonishment brought her back to the moment. Now that he had actually been drawn out, what was there to do? [color=red]”Don’t worry.”[/color] She whispered solemnly back as she started to fake struggle against the chains, a rhythmic and enticing sort of wriggle of the shoulders and hips that could be mistaken for an [i]Invigorating Dance.[/i] [color=red]”I know better than anyone it takes tough love to cure someone of what he’s got.”[/color] Suddenly, her tone shifted gears entirely as her eyes filled with fear. “HELLLLP. HELLLLL~P! Oh somebody save me!”

Whatever misgivings Mario might have harbored about the dubious situation faded when he heard Din’s desperate cries. “Don’t-a worry, I’m-a coming!” He charged toward the stands, kicking up dust in his wake. Once in range he jumped once, twice, and then thrice, the third leap sending him flying up toward where the Junkers held their captive.

Back in the stadium, Mym was forced to swat aside another car as it nearly smashed into her face. Even taking to the air wasn’t foolproof, as the annoying contraptions would ride up onto the walls and boost off for more height. Despite her awesome demonstration of power, these drivers just wouldn’t pack it in! It dawned on Mym after a moment that she’d triggered Galeem’s curse on them, preventing retreat. “Horrid carriages!” she complained, lifting a leg to avoid being rammed and then pinning the offending vehicle beneath her claw with her strength. Her talons piercing the hood found something hard, and with a yank she ripped out a complicated machine. She stared at it for a moment, baffled, then tossed it away, glad at least that the car she took it from didn’t seem to be able to move anymore. Immediately another vehicle smashed into her enormous tail, damaging her scales and nearly crushing its front in the process. Mym growled. “My temper won’t hold forever, you know! I’m not so easily trifled with!”

Junkrat was trying to maintain the high ground, but Mario could jump really high. That was a problem. Right over his beartrap. Junkrat quickly got the impression that a basic trap like that probably wasn’t gonna work. As Mario leapt his way up to his advantageous position, Junkrat tried to fire some grenades. However shooting at airborne targets with arcing projectiles was actually pretty difficult. 

Squeezing Din’s chains, Roadhog freed the dancer from her bonds, allowing her to move free. [color=red]”Remember, don’t hurt him too much. Hold him down and I’ll free him.”[/color] She said as she began to dance away toward the hole in the glass. Roadhog took a heavy step forward and fired a ball of scrap. With a klunk, the ball arced forward and then exploded in mid air, sending shrapnel forward in a lethal cone. Like some kind of anti-air gun only with more tetanus.

The nasty projectile took Mario by surprise, but to his credit he shielded his face with his arms and took the shrapnel like a champ. Nevertheless the shot messed with his aerial momentum, and his leap fell short of the Junkers’ perch. Rather than fall back down, however, he grit his teeth and pumped his fist into the air. With a springing noise he boosted himself upward; when his hand struck the steel bar ten rapid impacts popped out as many coins before the metal shattered. 


[color=red] “Mym!”[/color] Din shouted through the hole as she approached, whipping out her Rod of Seasons. [color=red]“Mym. It worked. He’s here. Get out of there before somebody gets hurt.”[/color] She gripped the rod, pointing it inside the area and channeled the power of spring through it. Green life began to spring up from the arena floor, large twisting thickets of brambles growing wherever Din pointed the rod. She ran them back and forth across the arena floor and walls, trying to impede the cars from getting at the dragon. [color=red]“Through here. I’ll close it up once you’re out.”[/color]

The dancer’s voice reached Mym loud and clear despite all the ambient hubbub, and the dragon nodded. “Alright!” Pausing just long enough to smash another vehicle into the dirt with a colossal whack of her tail, she stomped over and transformed. Mym reappeared in her human form only a couple dozen feet from the hole, but her new legs covered distance a lot slower than her dragon ones, and two more of the rocket cars were cruising in.

Din redirected her efforts to one of the cars closing in of Mym, focusing spring in the ground in front of the oncoming vehicle. Vines sprang up out of the floor, lashing grabbing vines that snaked their way around the wheels to hold it in place. The other was far closer, so instead of trying to stop it she pointed the rod at Mym herself. Vines sprung up from under her feet, lifting her up above the other one just as it was about to plow into her. The foliage did the trick, slowing down one car to a standstill and getting her friend out of the way of the other. A moment later the car blew through the plants holding the surprised lady up, after which it zoomed up the nearby wall as Mym landed in a heap. “Oof!” She scrambled to her feet, red at the indignity of it, and pulled a creeper from her hair. “Oh, goodness…well, thank you, dear! Um, I mean, Din!” If only her darling had been the one to gallantly save her instead...

The roar of an engine from behind made both women look toward the captured car. It rocketed free from captivity with the aid of its rear thrusters, cruising in for the kill. Anger creased Mym’s features, and this time she felt like venting it. “Don’t you…” She held out her hand, and in a whirl of flame appeared a magnificent [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/dragalialost_gamepedia_en/images/4/48/305118_01_50101.png]crimson lance[/url], and hurled it with righteous strength. “DARE!” The makeshift javelin pierced the vehicle’s windshield, narrowly missing the driver, before the car veered off in panic. With it out of the way, both Mym and Din could get a good look at the blazing devastation that had befallen the stadium. Mym exhaled heartily and jogged over past her comrade toward the hole, as though she’d just been enjoying a light exercise. “Whew! Good thing we’re not committing real crimes~!”


[color=red]”Yeahhhhhh…”[/color] Din said, tapping the Rod of Seasons on the ground in front of the hole. A thick woody tree grew up into the gap, sealing the hole and hopefully keeping the cars and their drivers within until she could figure out the best way to deal with them. She set the Rod on her shoulder and threw out her hand, [i]Charm Equinox[/i] appearing in it. Hopefully the boys had finished securing Mario by now.

    Meanwhile Roadhog, seeing the plumber’s last ditch effort to get onto the metal beams, decided to give the plumber a ‘hand’. Maneuvering himself a bit so that Junkrat’s trap was between him and Mario, Roadhog, with Din no longer tangled in his chains, tossed out his hook to catch the mid air plumber and reel him to the awaiting hog. The plumber, after getting hooked, wouldn’t reach Roadhog but instead got stuck in Junkrat’s bear trap, the hook leaving a cut where it scraped past Mario as it was retrieved by Roadhog.

    “Good job there partner!” Junkrat said, giving Roadhog a thumbs up and squealing with delight that his next grenade wasn’t going to miss. And well, the grenade didn’t really miss, in fact, it hit its target extremely well. The only problem being that Mario wasn’t going to let Junkrat hit him with an explosive and as the grenade fired from the clearly telegraphed and excited junkrat arced its way towards the plumber, Mario pulled out his cape and forced the grenade to go back towards Junkrat at speed. What Mario didn’t expect was for the grenade to hit Junkrat square in the junk and bounce off, causing the deformed man to kneel over in pain as the grenade bounced and rolled to a stop midway between the two.

Mario sucked in his breath through his teeth, feeling just a little bit of phantom pain himself. “Oof…” He could only spare so much pity for his enemy, however, given the metal maw still biting into his leg. With a strong heave he pulled free, shattering the trap in the process. In the moment he’d forgotten about the other Junker, deceptively stealthy despite his size, who could still do something.

At the same time, however, the audience had reached its boiling point. “They’re tryin’ to kill Mario!” someone yelled, horrified and enraged. From the stands rushed a [url=https://cdn.imgbin.com/4/15/15/imgbin-donkey-kong-country-2-diddy-s-kong-quest-donkey-kong-64-kremling-donkey-kong-land-donkey-kong-banana-eDwWZYBFzdETeTBU3WSab69uw.jpg]burly blue crocodile[/url] and a [url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a3/IAT_Crash_Bandicoot.png]loopy-looking bandicoot[/url], followed a moment later by a [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/borderlands/images/3/3d/GunzerkerPortrait.png]huge man with guns[/url] crashing down from the second story. Though he appeared to be wielding two light machine guns, the last man also appeared a little drunk, and hardly stuck the landing.

Roadhog narrowed his eyes underneath his mask at the encroaching horde of ‘heroic’ interlopers. Mario had fended off Junkrat’s assault but Roadhog was able to fight. If this Mario guy died instantly to a few blasts of scrap, then he wasn’t worth the effort anyway. Levelling his gun he fired high impact meatshots into the plumber. The faster they knocked him out and “convinced” him to join their team, the better. Mario took one load in the back and whirled around, cape at the ready. The next spray flew back Roadhog’s way, but Mario didn’t time the next quite as well. With a grunt he took off running, throwing fireballs at the masked mercenary before sliding into cover behind a [url=https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/1008186273623555973/6F72EB93C1331DFB193EBF16971B4D3501F61BB0/?imw=637&imh=358&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=true]hot dog stand[/url]

Meanwhile, Junkrat, regretting every decision in his life up until the point, managed to stand back on two feet. He glanced around at the encroaching heroes. “Bleehh!” He made an ugly, derisive noise and threw out a concussion mine. It landed right at the dual wielding man’s feet. Smiling a little in anticipation, he pushed the big red button on his detonator. Hopefully it would send the man flying far, far away, where he wouldn’t be able to bother them.

The well-placed mine scattered the whole incoming group, sending them off in three different directions. With a bellow of protest the Gunzerker flopped back into the bleachers, ending up upside-down. The marsupial, yelling comically, soared through the open front of the hot dog stand. Only the Kremling landed on his feet and barreled Junkrat’s way with reptilian strength. Mario, meanwhile, tried to help pull a dazed Crash free so he could help.

Din looked upon this chaos and her lower lip started to tremble. [color=red]“Mym, help Junkrat if he needs it.”[/color] She said, spreading her wings and launching herself into the air. The spectators who had gotten involved all seemed fairly dangerous in their own way, but none of the others had guns. She glided over to where the stricken man had been thrown, dropping nimble out of the air on the seat above him. Turning quickly, she jammed the keyblade towards him and pressed it against his chest. Over his heart. Light began radiating from that point as Din began to feel her strength flowing out her to purge the light Galeem had planted in this man's heart. This was normal, that was what The Master had told her. She’d asked him before they left on the chance that Mario had fallen back under the sway of Galeem’s power. It was partially the whole reason she had come.

As she attended to the gunman, Mym helped out in her own way. She ran at the Kremling and raised her right arm, shrouded in flame. In the flickering blaze a semblance of her dragon form’s arm manifested, and she struck the crocodile with enormous claws that blazed a shockingly hot pink even in the afternoon sun. He sailed away, on fire, and Mym hustled over in time to see Mario rescue Crash. The two platformers stood together against the Junkers and the dragon as Din’s technique came to an end, rendering the Gunzerker a non-threat. Yet even as he slid blearily down, free of Galeem’s touch, a new threat arose to face the fatigued dancer. A [url=https://gbf.wiki/images/f/f7/Npc_zoom_3030045000_01.png]tough-looking woman[/url] with a spear and a [url=https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/mrfz/images/8/89/Asbestos.png]tailed girl with a huge shield[/url] were header her way, the former yelling as she ran. Din jumped over the free man, thankful that there was at least one person that wouldn't be following them. She didn’t even beat her wings, just spread them and gilded downward toward where her allies were squaring off with their target.

[color=red]”We need to leave! Grab him and run.”[/color] She said as she touched down next to Roadhog. She leveled her rod at the heroes and channeled the power of summer through it. The area around them became hazy as dry heat built up around them, and the blazing light of the midday sun focused on that area to a blinding degree. 

Roadhog nodded. Junkrat reloaded and began firing grenade after grenade into the growing ensemble of heroes. He also tossed out an additional bear trap. He was making the pathway after them as hazardous as possible. Carpet bombing it with rolling, grinning grenades that exploded unpredictably. 

Roadhog held his hook out by the chain, spun it around a few times and threw it at Mario. Right as a few grenades exploded, timing it so people were off balance. It surged forward, wrapping once again wrapping around the unfortunate Italian. He yanked Mario across the grenades, blasted him in the face, struck him with a claw, and then tossed Mario high into the air. He lobbed Mario towards Mym. “Mym! Take him! I’m ready to go Whole Hog!” He bellowed. 

“Uh, okay! We’re going!’ Mym didn’t know what Whole Hog meant, and she wasn’t going to stick around to find out. She shapeshifted to her dragon form once again, grabbed Mario in one hand, and then Din in the other, who she deposited in her back.

Roadhog stomped the ground, steadying himself. Reaching into his pouch, he produced massive open topped, funnel-like modification. He slammed it into the top of his scrap gun. Grabbing a crank wheel with his right hand, he let loose a gatling-gun like volley of projectile fire. Laughing deeply, he took a few more steps forward. The damage on the volume of fire was low, but the knockback was immense. Anyone caught in his crosshairs would be sent spiralling backwards, up and away from the retreating mercenaries. 

With a wild whoop Junkrat leaped for Mym, landing and clinging to her leg as she took off. She got up to speed without a hitch thanks to Roadhog’s covering fire, then made a second pass to pluck the rotund Australian from the ground. A moment later and the motley crew was away, robbing a bewildered and wounded Mario from his adoring and enraged fans.

Mym let Roadhog clamber up onto her back again, then craned her neck around to take  a final look at the receding stadium. Even with the lasting flames of Grand X-Muspelheim dying down, the place was a whirlwind of chaos. “Hmm...it looks like we didn’t quite keep a low profile.” Her draconic face developed a fang-toothed smile. “Still, that was fun! I’ll have so much to tell my darling when we get back...but all the same, I simply must have my next adventure at his side. And no more rides!” she added, still disgruntled.

“Not without a saddle, at least,” Junkrat complained. “Mario over ‘ere is about to fall off. Who’s gonna do the friend thing? I’m not doin’ it.” 

Mym seethed as quietly as she could. “I’m busy!”

[color=red]“Let me.”[/color] Din said, awkwardly angling the keyblade from where she sat to lay it on the plumbers chest. It was rather difficult, as the girl had begun shaking as soon as the adrenaline began to wear off. This was the sort of stressful situation that had dissuaded her from adventuring in the first place. Nevertheless, she was eventually able to hold it steady enough for the keys magic to do its work.

Weary from both a day of sportsmanship and the fighting, Mario lapsed into half-consciousness with the aid of a heart set at ease. Mym sighed a great sigh and soared across the arid land, fixed on the green fields of the Land of Adventure ahead, and the floating city beyond where her own rest -and prince- awaited.

[hider=Results]
Mission Success!
[b]Mercenary Gained:[/b] Mario
[b]New Mission:[/b] Paved Wilderness Recruitment Drive - There are a number of tough fighters in this area who may be of use to the cause, with the pitstop known as Hammerhead a clear standout. Just make sure to avoid association with the mercenaries who wrecked the Rust Arena! Persuasion skills recommended[/hider]