[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] 1,140  (+2)
[b][color=FD0000]Bowser: Level 9 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=FD0000]//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color] (149/90)
[b][color=SpringGreen]Bowser Jr: Level 8 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=SpringGreen]/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color]//////// (74/80)
[b][color=DeepSkyBlue]Kamek: Level 8 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=DeepSkyBlue]///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color]//////// (71/80)
[b][color=FD0000]Location:[/color][/b] Bottomless Sea – the Maw - the Depths
Feat: Rika and Glen
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Bowser discarded his protective plat and hopped across the gap into the elevator along with the last of the children, stumbling on tired legs in through the doors and then past the two turtle stack of Kamek and Jr who had appointed themselves keepers of the door.

[color=SpringGreen]”Go go go go! Book it!”[/color] Jr demanded from the bottom of the stack as soon as everyone was in. Kamek had at that point already jabbed the button that would take them to the only other floor on the elevator’s path, looked down at him and replied [color=DeepSkyBlue]”it’s an elevator i can’t make it go any faster than it already ”[/color] the only to get another demand of [color=SpringGreen]”Go!”[/color] from Jr. The old man in a child’s body sighed and then proceeded to jab the button repeatedly.

Whether spurred by impatient jabbing or just getting there when it got there, the doors started to close shut, prompting one last gout of pitiful words from their foe before they left him behind for good. 

[color=FD0000]”There won’t be a next time once I get my hands on that schmuck of a lady!”[/color] Bowser growled in response as they started to ascend, but as they adrenaline wore off and they rose higher it was his, and others, stomachs that did most of the growling. Bodies had been pushed to the limit to get them out of that room (though admittedly some more than others), where now demanding their due. 

The pain the hunger caused wasn't suppressed by blazeramte’s healing beam for even a second and, worse, whatever mechanism it used seemed to be failing to properly stitch things back together. Those with acid burned flesh where left with warped skin, while those with scales (mostly bowser, the rest of the troop sans tyrant where basically unharmed thanks to being at the exit when the rain came) was left with an itchy swollen latticework of pain where the acid had leaked in between his resilient scales.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”That is odd. Either some ambient magic is interfering with the beam, or the machine simply accelerates the natural healing process, which is being hampered by our lack of energy to heal with. I’m not sure which is worse”[/color] Kamek noted academically, the tiny turtle the least affected among the group due to having been among the least active among them.

[color=FD0000]”Does it matter! Urrgh, this is the worst”[/color] Bowser complained, scratching at his scales and getting no relief. He got a muttered corus of agreement from Rika and Jr, both of whom were slumped against various walls of the elevator, with the porcelain doll and tyrnet in their respective laps, hoping in vain that rest might let them recover. 

It didn't, and the time for rest was soon over as the elevator reached the top of its climb and the doors popped open to reveal the dimly lit room beyond. As much as staying seated appealed, none of the troop wanted to find out what happened if they rode back down again to the fish monster’s lair, and so with much reluctance they spilled out onto the next floor along with the others.

It didn't feel like they’d get much further than that, the long wooden corridor stretching out before them feeling almost insurmountable due to their hunger. Nadia’s black humor at the situation did not help that. 

[color=FD0000]”Bolts to that”[/color] Bowser grunted, before declaring [color=FD0000]”I am an engine of destruction, fueled by spite, and we are getting out of here”[/color] while gripping the two horns of the hammerhead and using it as a walking stick/zimmer frame to hobble forwards. He was followed by jr (still carrying a tired Mimi on his shoulder and with Tyrant trotting at his heels), Rika (who had moved the doll she had become irationaly attached too to her shoulders where it was riding her piggy back) and finally Kamek, slowly and steadily trundling on as koopas where wont to do.

They were just a bit behind Nadia when she realised what was available on the other side of the bars and its siren call struck the royals (and animals) among them hard. Bowser, his son and Tyrant all immediately diverted course to the bars, Kamek’s protests that [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Sire please! This must be a trap!”[/color] falling of deaf ears.

The King immediately jammed the horns of his hammerhead in between the bars to try and pry them apart with what little strength he had left, but it was jr who bypassed the cruel cage keeping them out (or possibly in) the best. Or rather it was Mimi, who jr held out on the palm of his hand and who used her long arms to nab food from inside. First she grabbed a fish, which she pulled under her disguise into her eldritch interior (from which was never seen again) before hauling out and distributing food to the ravenous Bowser, Jr, Tyrant and possibly anyone else foolish enough to take the bait. 

The only one Kamek managed to stop from joining in was Rika, partially because of his connection to her as the person who’s heart had freed/created her personhood made her more likely to listen to him than the self assured royals, but mostly because he grabbed her leg to stop her moving forwards long enough for her to come to her senses and, along with him and Mirage, too take in the rest of the room and realise just how very suspicious it was. Most notably the silent still children who, and this was rather key, had barely touched the food they were in the room with.

“Uhhhhhhh. Hi there?” the ship girl said, waving a gun covered hand at the closest one awkwardly. “Is the food safe? Because I am really really really hungry.”

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Who are you? Were you trapped here as well? Is there a way out?”[/color] Kamek asked them in quick succession, before glancing around himself to see if he could see one and spotting the door with the lock.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Do you know who has the keys we found?”[/color] he truend to ask Rika, who nodded in response.

“Oh? Me. And both of them. They’re in here,” Rika replied and then tried to retrieve them from her pocket only to find that the gauntlets made getting things out a lot harder than getting them in did. It took several moments of struggle to get them out but once she did she said “got them, here, look,” and then held both out for him, and anyone else, to see, or indeed take if they had the will/energy (and dexterity she lacked) to go try them out in the distant lock. Kamek himself was to busy doing as Mirage was doing, and watching the eaters for any incoming side effects (as well as awaiting answers to his questions, if any where forthcoming)