[center][img]https://www.mariowiki.com/images/thumb/b/b2/Koopa_Troop_artwork.png/658px-Koopa_Troop_artwork.png[/img] [h2][color=FD0000]The Koopa Troop[/color][/h2] [b][color=SpringGreen]wordcount:[/color][/b] 1,466 (+3) [b][color=FD0000]Bowser: Level 9 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=FD0000]////////////////////////////////////[/color]////////////////////////////////////////////////// (39/90) [b][color=SpringGreen]Bowser Jr: Level 7 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=SpringGreen]///////////////////////////////[/color]//////////////////////////////////////////////// (31/80) [b][color=DeepSkyBlue]Kamek: Level 7 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=DeepSkyBlue]//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color] (99/70) [b][color=FD0000]Location:[/color][/b] Edge of the Blue – Seaward Bay [/center] Bowser clung to the shrieking flapping bird for as long as he could as it struggled, flapped and shrieked, claws biting into its flesh and toxic tendrils wrapped around it. Despite these minor wounds dealt by the wrestling match between them, any ideas that he could have dealt with it himself in this state were firmly put to bed as he had to focus most of his attention on not getting his eyes pecked out. With a screech filled with anger and panic in equal amounts the bird rammed its beak it beak towards the king’s face, trying to stab the curved point at its end into the king’s massive eyeball. In response Bowser tossed his head to the side, causing the blow to merely graze his cheek. Unfortunately it was quite clear that while Bowser often played at being this size, the bird’s natural attunement to it’s epic scale gave it an edge in speed and agility over the inflated ego of the king, letting it come in for another beak blow quick as could be, and this one the king couldn't dodge in time. So he blinked. Boney bird mouth-part met scaly eyelid. The king’s armor prevented the soft tissue below from being punctured, but doing little for the blunt trauma the impact caused. [color=FD0000]”Gah!”[/color] the king roared in pain, loosening his grip as tendrils came up to try and guard his face rather than hold onto the bird, giving it an edge in the fight but forcing it to contend with stabbing toxic tendrils instead even as it began to slip free. Fortunately for Bowser, by that point he’d held on long enough for Geralt to get in place and so when it did rip free from his grasp it was less that he’d let it slip and more because it was reeling in absolute agony from being stabbed in the back. Down below Kamek and Jr heard the Witcher’s call to go help the others as he flew/was dragged away. At that moment, they certainly looked like they needed it and so the younger and elder Koopa’s sprung into action. The very first thing that happened was that, all at once, the power enlarging Bowser vanished, causing the king to shrink in an instant back to his usual size. [color=FD0000]”HEY WHAT THE!”[/color] he barked, before realizing his shrinking had left him standing on air. He pinwheeled his arms, the process somehow keeping him in place for a few moments before he dropped down and hit the deck, the landing jarring his knees but otherwise being uneventful. It was nothing compared to the black eye he’d gotten from his tussle with the bird, which he raised a hand to rub and grumble about. He wasn’t opening it any time soon without medical assistance. Beneath him, the ship began to turn, the less than agile craft banking in an arch to bring itself back towards Shippy. As it did, Hat Kid would get a nice sweeping view of the battlefield, before finding herself pointed back at the ship, able to snipe at the abyssals still targeting it, but also forcing her to have to contend with the risk of hitting their teammates while shooting. On deck Bowser stomped towards the entrance to the bedroom and bridge area, only for Kamek to push his way out of the door first. [color=FD0000]”What was the big idea with dropping me like that!”[/color] he complained, only for the mage to push past him. [color=DeepSkyBlue]”they’re in trouble”[/color] the mage pointed back at a much smaller but still incredibly beat up Shippy, before mounting up on his broom [color=DeepSkyBlue]”and I need to get over there. Quickly”[/color] The mage was about to take off and leave the ship behind as it turned when Bowser grabbed hold of his broomstick. [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Sire?”[/color] the mage asked in confusion, worried that he’d made a mistake or seriously upset his king at a very poor moment, only for the king to pull the broom, with mage in tow, over his shoulder. [color=FD0000]”Fast huh? Here”[/color] the king said, before taking a running start and then hurling the broomstick like a spear, with the power and skill of an Olympic level javelin thrower, sending it soaring through the sky while bringing the mage along for the ride. Kamek cried out in alarm at the speed, but adapted quickly enough, bending down to reduce air resistance and adding his own power to the flight, allowing him to arrive far quicker than he would under his own power. The koopa banked in the air and came to a stop above the ship, his clones forming up with him in an instant when he did, just in time for things to take a turn for the better. Blazermate’s heart had already hit home by the time he arrived, refilling shippy’s (now unfortunately smaller) health reserves. And though those below deck had been unceremoniously dumped in the drink, the Azure Navy’s distancing themselves from the ship was fortuitously not the abandonment like some had feared, for Heinrich returned in full force, her fearsome semi independent sea monster ship plowing through foes near the ship, before taking on those far by ordering a bombardment of the bomber swarm, something her allies didn’t need to to be close to provide. Not to be out done the mage thrust his wand towards those that remained, his trio of red clones doing the same. Together they used Kamek’s fire materia to launch a barrage of quick homing fireballs at their foes, the quadrant of swift shots sailing true and bursting amidst the remains of the swarm. [color=DeepSkyBlue]”The Atomos is on her way, hold fast and we can push through together!”[/color] Kamek called out in encouragement before doing his part to ensure they’d live long enough to regroup. He swept a hand filled with dark power over his three red clones, causing magic circles like the ones used by cia to form before them. The circles swept back over the mimics in sync with Kamek’s hand motion, turning their hues dark as the night by giving them ashen grey scales, dark robes the color of dried blood and causing their spectacles to glow a murderous red. It wasn't a pretty look, but it came with power and that was what mattered right now. The trio took off the moment their transformation was done: faster, stronger, tougher and, most importantly, deadlier. As one they began to unleash a barrage of purple bolts on their more distant foes that hit harder and, most importantly, flew faster than their old basic magics. Then the mage did the same for his green clone, turning its robes the dark green of the deepest black forest, causing the barrier surrounding the ship to darken and harden as well, resting the incoming fire just a bit better. It also wasn't done buffing, directing its wand at Shippy’s cannons, it caused green magic to glow around their barrels and purple magic circle to form before them, boosting the shots it fired as they raced up the barrel and then enchanting them with a dark aura of power when they exited, causing them to hit harder and be able to be fired at more distant foes, should the need arise. [color=DeepSkyBlue]”and for my next trick!”[/color] A quadrant of portals opened up, like the ones Cia had used to create her shadow links. Unlike her, or the similarity transformed Sepheroth, this evil villain didn't have unrequited targets of obsession as the most important people in his life, because had a family. [color=DeepSkyBlue]”let me introduce you to my young master!”[/color] he cackled as a gang of four shadow clones of Bowser Junior emerged from the portals, complete with their own shadowy clown cars. They raced forwards, laughing or yelling with childish glee as they deployed mechanical arms ending in boxing gloves, saws, drills and more from their mechanical flying machines and met the close range abyssal that where threatening the ship’s hull or trying to swarm the dunked heroes head on in a brawl above the waves. Back on the ship, the real jr completed the wide turn necessary to bring them back towards Shippy, bringing their hat kid’ed main weapon to bare in the process, and then gunned the engines, sending the ship roaring back to the fight. They’d need to make another turn once they got there, but as far as jr’s in the moment planning was concerned, that was a problem they could deal with later. Onboard the toadies kept sniping away with their harpoon guns, while Bowser (with riding on Mimi on his head chucking elector balls) add what firepower he could at his smaller size, the slowness and limited range of his regular ranged fare meaning he was mostly bombing anything they passed over.