The man currently marching through the halls suited his title well. Nightmare's second in command, he held an oppressively menacing air about him, which was only accentuated by the jagged armor he wore. The light streaming from the windows seemed to stop short at him, unable to penetrate the darkness. His footsteps echoed harshly, and malevolently glowing eyes gazed out from behind his dark visor. A multitude of wickedly sharp weapons lay hidden beneath his long coat. No bodyguards or backup accompanied him, as he was more than capable of destroying nearly any threat that could arise. He pushed open two heavy, lavish doors, his cape swirling with the energy within it.
"I believe you have a debt to pay," he intoned, voice haunting and rough. The larger man sitting in the throne before him returned the harsh gaze.
"I told ya I wasn't paying for what ya sent me!" Dedede snarled. Meta only chuckled darkly, moving even closer. Danger was reflected in his piercing eyes.
"You aren't in any position to be making demands," he hissed, every word dripping with unsaid threats. Most other demon beasts had weaknesses, and very little in the way of intelligence. Lord Meta was calculating, extraordinarily deadly, and utterly callous. There was no negotiation and no way out if he personally came for you, and even his name itself had come to hold a sort of superstitious fear among his enemies. His cape swirled turbulently around his feet, wisps of energy dissipating into the surrounding air.
"Those things you sent nearly killed me!" the king snapped. Meta crossed his arms, smirking. The metal claws adorning his gloves harshly reflected the ambient light.
"You got exactly what you payed for" he said evenly. "And what you payed for were the bottom of the barrel rejects."
"You never said anything about- "a blade composed entirely of Meta's dark energy slammed itself directly into the throne, narrowly missing Dedede. Many more stood poised to strike, flanking the man. Meta leaned closer as the first blade dissolved away.
"You are to address me with respect" he said, gritting jagged teeth. The blades inched closer to his quarry before a sudden flash of light and the object accompanying it slammed into Meta, sending him skidding across the floor and scattering shards of his energy blades. He was back on his feet within seconds, shadowy wings forming from his cape. A pink haired child stood at the opposite end of the room, clad in green and wielding a silver blade. The Warpstar returned to his side.
"You alright Dedede?" the child called out, never breaking eye contact with Meta. The king nodded and scampered behind his savior, clutching his hammer in his shaking hands. He was no match for Meta.
"You insolent whelp!" Meta snarled, flinging a multitude of blades at his foe. Kirby stood his ground, shattering the projectiles with his sword. Wisps of energy coated the floor around him as the shards melted away. "So, you wanted to lure me in did you?" he continued, the ground cracking beneath his feet. He darted towards Kirby, conjuring a large dark blade and bringing it down on him. Kirby blocked it, and Meta leapt back as it shattered and dissolved away. He glanced at Dedede. "Don't think I've forgotten about you, you spineless imbecile!" he growled. A clawed hand grasped Kirby's collar, and he was flung with great force into the king. "I'll kill you both" Meta snarled, an undercurrent of cold, determined hate coursing beneath his anger. Kirby recovered quickly, paying no mind to what was certainly a wicked bruise forming on his side.
"Yer stupid plan ain't working," Dedede hissed, pushing the child off him and standing. Kirby hopped up, determination in his wide blue eyes.
"It'll be OK. I just gotta get closer," Kirby responded, ignoring the ache in his shoulder from the impact. Meta leisurely approached the two, causing Dedede to scramble away. He held up a hand as he walked, and his fingers seemed to almost dip into and tear the air itself. The portal widened as he continued, and dark galaxies swirled within the void. He stopped and moved to the side as a large cannon-like device fell from the tear. He slammed a fist down onto a button affixed to the side of the device, and his two opponents scattered as the barrel rapidly lit up.
"You should be flattered. You are being allowed to witness the power of NME before you miserably perish," Meta drawled, leaning on the cannon. A great blast of energy emerged from the cannon, narrowly missing Kirby and skirting just over Dedede's head as the man dove for cover. It blasted through the wall of the throne room, leaving a smoldering crater in its wake. A haze of dust covered the area, obscuring half of the room from view. Kirby suddenly burst from the cloud, riding atop the Warpstar. He hopped off and engaged Meta, with the latter conjuring twin blades to block the blows.
Kirby was quickly forced back on the defensive as Meta rained a flurry of blows onto him, barely blocking the rapid strikes. What Meta might have lacked in brute strength he more than made up for in blinding speed. Kirby backed up as Meta continued his onslaught, his mind becoming acutely aware of the vital vial of powder in his pocket.
"You miserable wretch," Meta snarled, backing off slightly as one of his blades shattered. Another volley of energy blades formed around him, and he sent them hurtling towards Kirby with a flick of his wrist. The Warpstar rose in front of Kirby as his ducked, and the jagged projectiles melted away as they struck its gleaming surface. Meta scowled and conjured a massive dark broadsword. He surged forward, slashing at the star with the weapon. The tip of the blade snapped off, and the rest of the weapon shortly dissipated.
"Why do you even work for Nightmare? Isn't he mean to you?" Kirby asked, emerging from behind the star with his sword poised to block any blows. Meta scowled and drew one of the blades hidden within his coat. It was long and thin, with amethysts encrusting the silver hilt in the shape of the NME logo.
"A fool such as yourself cannot comprehend my reasons for where my loyalty lies," he snapped, approaching his foe. A sudden loud crunching sound momentarily drew the man's attention away from his quarry.
"Uh…oops?" Dedede said, standing beside the now crushed cannon. His hammer still rested on the crumpled metal, and his eyes betrayed no small amount of fear. Meta's eyes turned a vibrant red.
"You insolent whelp! I will eviscerate you-ack!" Meta coughed as Kirby flung the contents of the vial into his face.
"Sorry," Kirby said, backing away. The room began to grow darker, and Meta flared his wings, dark galaxies swirling within the membranes. He arched the appendages over his head, casting a dark shadow over Kirby. He approached Kirby again, dragging the tip of his sword across the floor and sending a few sparks skittering over the stone. He whipped the sword up to point directly at Kirby's neck as several more energy blades encircled the child.
"You have just earned yourself an excruciating demise," Meta spat, whipping some of the powder off his face and visor with his free hand. He thrusted the weapon and was quickly knocked off balance as he somehow missed his target. Kirby sidestepped him as he stumbled forward, his energy blades flickering. "What is this?" Meta muttered, blinking as his vision blurred.
"Noddy dust!" Kirby responded triumphantly, dodging another clumsy swipe by the now impaired man. The energy blades fell from the air and shattered before flickering out of existence. A sudden blow sent him sprawling onto the floor as his silver sword skittered just out of reach. Dedede looked down at him as he struggled to stand, rubbing his now bruised knuckles.
"Still gonna get that debt?" he taunted. Meta looked up at him and let out an animalistic snarl. Blood was streaming from his nose and already dripping down to his chin, leaving a few scarlet drops on the floor. His eyelids felt unbearably heavy.
"Don't hurt him!" Kirby cried, putting himself between Dedede and Meta. Meta attempted to reach out and slash at the child's leg with his claws, but his arms were no longer responding to his desperate demands.
"He tried to kill me!" the king huffed, winding up to kick the fallen man. Kirby managed to push him back.
"Hey, don't do that! That's not right, he can't fight back!" Kirby admonished. Dedede rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let's get our hostage all tied up then," he sighed, moving to hoist Meta. Meta struggled to bite, to claw, or to even give his captors a vicious tongue-lashing, but his mouth felt like it was full of cotton and his limbs were totally numb. The pull of unconsciousness finally won out over the stubborn man, and he fell into a dreamless sleep.
(The re-write is finally here! And there will be a much more cohesive plot and better motivations now! Don't worry, Meta is still a dick.)