[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=FD0000]wordcount:[/color][/b] 1,250 (+3)
[b][color=FD0000]Bowser: Level 9 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=FD0000]//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color] (144/90)
[b][color=SpringGreen]Bowser Jr: Level 8 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=SpringGreen]////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color]///////////// (69/80)
[b][color=DeepSkyBlue]Kamek: Level 8 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=DeepSkyBlue]//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color]///////////// (66/80)
[b][color=FD0000]Location:[/color][/b] Bottomless Sea – the Maw - the Depths
Feat: Rika
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Jr ran after Nadia towards the exit, but the speedy feline proved to be considerably quicker on her feet than he as she sped ahead in a race for the exit and away from Moreau. Still, despite him being a bit behind it looked like they were going to make it to safety, only for three issues to rear their head one after the other in rapid succession.

The first, the fact that the elevator wasn't designed with children in mind, as to be expected really, and as a result the control system was up and out of reach of the tiny heroes and baddies. 

Once he noticed this Jr called [color=Aquamarine]”I can give you a boost!”[/color] after Nadia, both as an actual offer, and also out of a desire not to be left behind by her. Fortunately/unfortunately, the kitten had no patience for that, as limbs fueled by adrenaline and little else at this point launched/scrambled her up the short distance needed to reach the button, before she gave it a thorough smack.

Then arose the second problem, which was that the elevator doors don't open straight away. Well, that was the group’s second problem anyway, the third, final and far more immediate one was that Moreau smashed into the catwalk  in front of the door a mear heartbeat after Nadia landed from her jump, causing Jr and Kamek (who had been approaching from the south) to both stumble backwards and away from the pit that opened up as a result.

Nadia had no such luxury, being dragged over the edge by the wreckage and tumbling down and onto the back of the big fish. Yet despite being covered with eyes, the monster didn't seem to realize one of his targets was but a hair’s breadth away, crawling on his back like a louse. Instead, with Nadia in tow, he stumbled after the much more obvious Blazermate as she jetted down heal the cadet as Kamek had suggested, and then went above and beyond that request by hauling the boy out of the pit and up to the rest of the humans, who were all clustered on the catwalks around the stairwell leading up to the command center.

Rather than sit still or try to get off, Nadia immediately launched into trying to be a distraction, stomping and slashing at her ride’s many eyes. It certainly got his attention, but it also prompted several noble rescue attempts from the people who most needed to get moving towards the exit, using darts and magnet tosses.

The troop meanwhile, who were either already at the exit (Kamek and jr were on either side of the hole that had been smashed right in front of the exit) or had accidentally taken a less blocked route by taking the long way round, where more than happy to take advantage of her haranguing of their foe. 

Bowser and Rika finally got down to the second floor when all this was going down, herding BB and Tyrant between them while ladened with items of varying importance. Despite their late arrival to the bottom, caused by their tinkering in the workshop and circuitous route, they only had half the room to cover over the straight shot of catwalk Kamek had just trundled over. Unfortunately for them, and everyone really, Moreau was right there on one side of said catwalk, currently trying to shake off Nadia.

[color=FD0000]”That. Might be a problem”[/color] Bowser noted as he ran next to the banister to see this all go down, before growling and shifting to the side to block an attempted piggy retreat. The baby behemoths really did not want to run right by Moreau’ rampage. Kamek, pushed up against the wall and trying not to breathe as the fish bucked and roared a scant few meters away from him, entirely understood their sentiment. 

Across from him, Jr was slightly more proactive [color=Aquamarine]”Mimi! Shadow sneak him. But don't give away where we are,”[/color] he commanded his poke-minion.

“Kyu kyu” the mon replied with tired determination. Her pp was running low and Eldritch hunger gnawed at the fay-specter just as badly as it was the living but she still had a little more to give.

With a “Mimi!” she did as she was commanded, her arms pressing into her shadow, which crawled its way down Jr’s back, slipped through the catwalk to the pit below, across the waterlogged floor and then up on top of Moreau where a shadowy mirror of Mimikyu rose up from the very end of the elongated shadow, gave a little wave to Nadia, and then went absolutely buck-wild. It raised its little arms up and started stabbing them down in quick succession, clawing and slashing at the eyes, either assisting her distraction or taking over, depending on whether she bailed or not.

Not wanting to just stand idle, jr did what any kid, or inpatient person really (and he was very much both), would do when presented with an elevator that wasn’t here yet. He looped a claw through the winged key’s ring Bowser had given him, and then with little hops started jabbing away at the button with the other end of the key to try and make the elevator arrive faster.

Because that was definitely a thing that worked.

As he jabbed away Bowser and Rika approached Kamek, their jog across the south eastern catwalk uncontested thanks to Nadiea. The difficulty they were having with the pigs prompted Kamek to end his hiding and move to aid them. The magic-less mage grabbed one of the infantile beast’s horns, trying to pull it closer to the exit despite being almost the same size as it.

“Shouldn't we help her?” The ship girl asked as they reached their as of yet unopened goal

[color=FD0000]”And the others. You stay here and keep the pigs from running off though. I’ve still got Kamek’s weird can to use. Somehow”[/color] Bowse replied. He got a worried look from both Kamek and Rika, and then a confident nod from the young woman and a look that indicated he was having second thoughts about his scheme now that they where int he clearfrom the old koopa. Bowser ignored the latter and started to move to put down his hammerhead to lighten his load, which was right around the time Grealt shouted his suggestion to Nadia.

It took only a moment to spot what he was talking about, sticking out of Moreau’s wretched flesh, and it made what needed done just so obvious to Bowser.

[color=FD0000]”On second thought, hold onto this for me”[/color] Bowser said, before tossing the the can of nano-machines over to Jr (interrupting his button mashing) instead and then, with a hop, jumping from the bottom half of the south wall’s catwalk onto the one running straight through the middle of the room. Then on tiring legs he ran up the length of it till he was alongside the fish boss. 

[color=FD0000]”Get clear kitten, and make way for the king!”[/color] he commanded Nadia, if the cat-woamn wasn't out of the way already, as climbed up onto the railing and then, without a moment of hesitation, leaped off of it and towards the monster accompanied by a chorus of cries from his family. Grasping the hammerhead he had been carrying all this time by its two horns Bowser soared through the air with gravity defying ease, and then plunged downwards to slam the hammer into the nail still embedded in Moreau’s flesh.