Chapter 1 - The Egghead Enters the Fray
"Okay, I have to make sure I have this right…" The little Toad cleared his throat before continuing. He wore a dark blue tank top and white pants with matching shoes. He wore a white cap with pink spots. A long tuft of yellow hair dangled down in front of his eyes. He gestured towards the unkempt, dingy room before him.
"This is your locker room. You're starting in the minor league, of course, as you've just now started your career. If you don't like this dingy room, I suggest you work your way up the ranks…"
The person he was talking to, however, didn't seem to care at all with what the Toad was saying. He took a look around the room, a vacant stare in his eyes. The Toad was right, no doubt; to call the locker room messy would be an understatement. The lockers were dented, pieces of the floor and walls were missing and the benches had springs sticking out of their mattresses. Even the one bed in the room looked like it was poorly made.
The visitor grunted with disgust. Was this really how the Glitz Pit treated new fighters? He thought that even the newest fighters deserved at least a small amount of good treatment. He sighed. It was hard being an unknown; to not be noticed at all, despite all your efforts. The visitor's eyes narrowed as he started to let his mind wander…to that one man…
"Mr. Koopa? I'm over here! Please pay attention to me. I'm trying to explain the rules…"
All at once, the Koopa was brought back to reality as he noticed the Toad making gestures at him. Succeeding in his task, the Toad grumbled to himself.
"Mmm…how could Jolene do this to me…explaining rules to the newbies…her own brother, too? …Or did she forget that I'm Prince Mush…original champion of the Glitz Pit? All that fame, and this is what I'm reduced to?"
The Koopa did not seem moved by the Toad's ramblings in the slightest. He gestured towards the Toad. "The rules…?" Prince Mush cleared his throat once again.
"As I was saying, when you're ready to fight, you just log on to this computer terminal." He gestured towards a computer monitor that looked exactly like a purple Game Boy Advance console. The Koopa could not help but cock an eyebrow at this. "Ms. Jolene, my sis, will decide who you will match up against. You will have no say in this." This stifled a grunt from the Koopa. Prince Mush turned to the turtle, still gesturing towards the terminal. "Why don't you try it once?" he said, "Log on to the terminal, then pick 'Reserve a Match.'"
The Koopa clasped his hands, grinning slightly. Finally, it was time to put his fighting skills to the test. He walked up to the terminal, full of hope. Reality then hit him as he realized he had no idea how to operate the machine whatsoever. After a few seconds of confusion, he shrugged and pressed one of the buttons to the right of the screen. Instantly, the screen lit up and an automated message began to play itself:
"Welcome to the automated match-reservation system. What is your command?"
The screen blinked as two choices appeared ('Reserve a Match' and 'View Rankings') as well as the button letter corresponding to either choice. After staring at the screen for ten seconds, the Koopa's hand instinctively went to the button for 'View Rankings'. He did this out of honest curiosity. As if he expected this, Prince Mush spoke up, stopping him.
"Not that it matters right now, but you rank at the very bottom: 20th place. Please select 'Reserve a Match.'"
The Koopa grunted once more. He pressed the button corresponding to 'Reserve a Match.' The screen blinked once more, and the head of Jolene, the promoter of the Glitz Pit, appeared. Like Prince Mush, she sported a yellow bang of hair and a cap with pink spots, yet she wore small white earrings and granny glasses. As well, Jolene had a more serious and businesslike aura around her than her brother did. At once, she began to speak:
Good afternoon, sir. I suppose you're ready to begin the matches, are you? You seemed very anxious about it when we first spoke." A small silence, then: "Very well, then. Let me check the roster. Your first battle is against…Rank 19 in the Glitz Pit, the Goomba Bros. I'm sure you can handle them just fine. Now, your condition for the battle is to let your opponent damage you at least twice. I say this because we don't want the audience to get too bored with a one-sided battle, if such an issue is raised. You understand, right? …If you have any questions about the battle conditions I set for you, just ask my brother. He will gladly explain them to you. Well, good luck out there."
Following that last bit of encouragement, the screen went blank. The Koopa blinked once and turned to Prince Mush, expecting him to say something. The little Toad cleared his throat.
"All right, your battle is reserved. At this point, you just wait until Security comes to fetch you." The Koopa grunted assent. "I'm sure you know the rules, already. The last team left standing wins the match," Mush continued. "Now, as I said earlier, it's important to follow the battle conditions that Jolene sets for you, as they are the only way for you to move up in the ranks…provided you also win the match, of course."
"That seems pretty obvious," said the Koopa, coldly. Mush, briefly taken aback by his words, went on.
"…Uh, yeah. Anyway, the condition this time is pretty straightforward: Let your opponent damage you at least twice. Fairly easy. …Heh, I guess the only thing you have to lose is a bit of personal pride, huh?" He had meant that last part as a joke, but the Koopa was clearly not amused.
"If I were you, I'd mind my own business, okay? I'm not in the mood to chat with you!" he snapped. Prince Mush slowly backed off.
"Don't feel like talking, huh?" he said, nervously. "Well, that's fine. Let's just wait for Security to get here, then."
What followed was a rather awkward silence. Prince Mush stared at the newcomer with confusion. Why was he behaving all closed off and unfriendly-like? He couldn't recall ever meeting a fighter like this since he took over his sister's job as secretary for the promoter. Not even Rawk Hawk, one of the former champions of the Glitz Pit, had been behaving like this Koopa was right now. What happened to this person to make him so grouchy? He decided it best not to pursue that question.
The Koopa, meanwhile, was getting more impatient by the minute. He wanted Security to get here and escort him to the ring. He was anxious to begin his climb up the ranks and take the Champion's Belt from whichever poor fool had it currently. Surely, this couldn't be that hard. After all, he had defeated the Master several times back at the Toad Town Dojo. Certainly, this couldn't be any more different than that.
However, taking a better look around the locker room, he could see that the competition was going to be a little stiffer here than back at home. The Toad and the Koopa were not the only ones in the locker room. Sharing the room with them was also a Bob-omb, a Dull Bones, a Swooper and a Pale Piranha. The Koopa nodded to himself in understanding. These other fighters were here for the same thing he was and he deduced he would most likely have to fight each and every one of them, eventually. So he would, and he would win against them all. He would nab the Champion's Belt and return home in triumph. He wasn't sure how long this would take, but it would all be worth it in the end. This would certainly…
Suddenly, he was brought back to reality as he thought he saw one of the other fighters move towards him. Sure enough, the Bob-omb was making his way over to him. He sighed, hoping no one had heard him. 'Great,' he thought, 'more small talk.' He was clearly not in the mood for this. The Bob-omb approached the two, trying to be friendly.
"Hello, welcome to the Glitz Pit BOMB," he said to the Koopa, "My name is Master Crash BOMB. I figured I should say hello, since we will be fighting someday BOMB." The Koopa looked at him, taken aback by a Bob-omb's normal way of speaking.
"Well, thank you, but I'm not in the mood for talking," the Koopa said for what seemed like the hundredth time. "Now if you'll excuse me I'm waiting for Security to bring me to the ring so I can start busting heads."
"Ah. You are anxious BOMB to start fighting and take the champion's belt. Understandable. I was too BOMB," said Master Crash, laughing. "This was the attitude of every new fighter who joined the roster BOMB. Soon, you will know how hard that feat actually is BOMB."
"Well, thank you so much for those words," the Koopa snapped back, obviously annoyed, "try not to be too surprised when I take this stupid place by storm!"
"Heh, you say that but it really is not as easy as you think BOMB," said Master Crash. He seemed to expect the Koopa's attitude. "People who sign up on this roster are here longer than they think they will be BOMB. Myself, I have been here for five years, and in those five years I have seen many fighters come and go BOMB. You will probably not be that much different BOMB-BOMB."
This got the Koopa's full attention. Turning to face the Bob-omb, he had the look of someone ready to snap. It took him every effort to keep himself from starting a fight right in the locker room. He stepped forward menacingly until he was right in Master Crash's face.
"You…just…watch…me!" was all he said. There was a certain hint in his voice that told Master Crash that this discussion was over. If not, he might find himself in a lot of pain. Suddenly intimidated by the Koopa's presence, Master Crash quickly backed away. Once he felt he was at a safe distance, his courage returned to him.
"You know, you must be a lot of fun at parties BOMB!" he said, frowning. The Koopa, drawing close to his last nerve, was about to corner the Bob-omb once again, when the door to the locker room opened and a huge security guard walked in. He was dressed all in black, had a blue head, a small tuft of yellow hair and wore a large pair of sunglasses. He had a large walkie-talkie in his left hand.
"No fighting in here, now. You got a beef with someone, take it outside, or else I'll have to break it up, and trust me, you do NOT want me to do that." For emphasis, he cracked his knuckles and flashed a very intimidating grin. "Now, you! Eggface! Match time! Follow me, bub."
There was a painful silence in the air as everyone in the room registered the name of their newest competition. Master Crash was the first to break the silence.
"Y…your name is Eggface BOMB?!" he asked, incredulous. It took him all he had to keep from laughing. The Koopa hung his head in shame. He was obviously ashamed of his fighter's name. He didn't want to bring himself to have to correct the guard, but he had no choice.
"…technically, the name is…Egghead…" he said, emotionless.
That did it. Hearing this, Master Crash was on the ground, laughing his head off. The other fighters in the room quickly joined in. The Koopa felt like he wanted to crawl into a hole. Embarrassed, he walked over to the guard. Prince Mush decided to continue his tutorial.
"Ok, Security has come to get you…" He stopped short as the Koopa looked at him with a look of rage.
"NO, REALLY?! I have eyes, you know!" he snapped sarcastically. This caused the fighters to laugh even harder. Without another word, the Koopa followed the security guard out of the locker room. Prince Mush looked offended.
"Try not to get completely destroyed out there…" He was interrupted once again by the door slamming in his face. Knowing he wouldn't be heard, he added, angrily, "…jerk."
The area in the Glitz Pit where the matches actually took place was made up in a Coliseum-style setting. There was an open arena box set up in the middle of the room where the fighters would duke it out. Behind the box was a huge widescreen TV screen showing the match in all its glory and spotlights moving around everywhere. The audience were crowded in their seats; many were on the floor surrounding the stage, while others were crowed in the rows of seats, watching the fights from a higher perspective. The crowds this time were, as usual, comprised of male Toads, female Toads, Doogans and Lakitus.
The air was filled with anticipation. Jolene, the promoter was standing in the center of the box along with the team known as the Goomba Bros. The team was comprised of two Goombas, both a size larger than that of the normal, garden-variety Goomba. One of the Goombas had red skin and sported shiny purple shoes, and the other looked almost the exact same way, although his skin was blue. The crowd cheered as Jolene brought her wireless microphone to her face. She was apparently ready to introduce the next match.
"Thank you as always, everyone. Now, we've got a special treat for you: Our next battle is between the Heartless Headbonkers, the Goomba Bros." she paused for effect. "aaaaaand…a newcomer who definitely has some intense energy to spare. I introduce to you: The Persistent Egghead!"
The entire crowd actually went silent for a fraction of a second before erupting into peals of uncontrollable laughter. Even the Goomba Bros. joined in the hilarity. Blue Goomba was lying with his back on the ground laughing hard enough for tears to stream down his face. Red Goomba was also chuckling, though his laughter had an air of smugness to it. One could almost see him folding his arms in front of him, if he had them.
This reaction over the newcomer's name was to be expected, of course. Amused, Jolene smiled and held up her hand, so as to stop the noise temporarily and continue her speech.
"I know that by hearing his name, you all must have your doubts about this guy. Just watch the way he fights and you may change your minds. I listened to this guy's story earlier and while his goal is…a little questionable, it nevertheless got me interested. If this guy fights as good as he talks, then I don't think we're wasting time, here…" She coughed slightly and cleared her throat.
"But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's check in with the Goomba Bros. and see how they're doing." She walked over to Red Goomba, who was still looking smug.
"Good afternoon, Red Goomba," she said, "How are you and your brother doing today?"
"We're ready to bust some noggins wide open!" Red Goomba replied, sounding just as confident as he looked.
"That's good to hear," said Jolene. Her expression suddenly turned serious. "I have to say, though, this new guy talks a big game. From what he told me, he sounds like he doesn't mess around. Any thoughts on this?" She gestured her microphone towards Red Goomba. His smug grin went wider.
"So what? The guy talks tough. A lot of them do. But, he's small time, guaranteed. Know how I know? It's his name: Persistent Egghead. That kind of says it all, doesn't it? First, he's an egghead, which means he probably has his nose in the books all the time and exercises his brain more than his body. So he's a wimp. And second, he's persistent, and to me that means that no matter what he's done to make it here, one thing's for sure: he always LOSES. And when you bring him out onto this stage, it's guaranteed he will lose again. Right? Am I right?"
Cheers erupted from the audience as Jolene brought the mic away from Red Goomba and over to Blue Goomba. Red Goomba smiled and closed his eyes, feeling very pleased with himself.
"Blue Goomba, your thoughts?"
Blue Goomba, however, was still on the ground, laughing as if someone was tickling him.
"Can't…stop…laughing……name…too…funny…"
"Well, you heard 'em, folks," Jolene said, bringing the mic back to her lips. "These two really think they can handle our newest fighter. Now, let's have them put their money where their mouths are." She gestured towards the door on the far right side (from where she was standing.) "Bring out the challenger! The Persistent Egghead!"
The door opened and the Koopa obediently walked into the arena and onto the stage. The audience reacted to the new fighter in different ways. Some laughed out loud at his name or appearance while others chatted with each other about the same. There were cheers and hollering, but no one booed. 'All good signs so far,' the newcomer thought to himself.
Nevertheless, walking onto the stage, the Koopa was hit by several different emotions at once. He felt hopeful about the battle, confident about his skills and embarrassed and humiliated by his fighter name. Once he got onto the stage and got a good look at his opponents, he recognized them immediately, and this made him feel angry. He clenched his fists.
The Goombas also got a good look at their opponent and all at once their defiant attitude towards their new challenger faded away. Red Goomba no longer looked smug and Blue Goomba stopped laughing. The expression on their faces now indicated familiarity, shock, and worry. Red Goomba was the first to speak. He sounded like he was ready to panic.
"Y…you're Jr. Troopa!" he exclaimed. The Koopa smiled, despite himself.
"Well, well. I never thought I'd run into YOU guys, here. It's certainly been awhile. How are things?" he asked calmly.
"Wh…what are you doing here?" Blue Goomba stammered. Meanwhile, Jolene had walked back to her spot on the stage. She rolled her eyes.
'Oh, that's nice. They know each other. Looks like this fight is gonna take awhile, then,' the promoter thought to herself. She walked over to Jr. Troopa. "Well, Egghead," Jr. Troopa grimaced upon hearing his new name. "I don't know if you heard, but these two feel like they can take you on. Your thoughts on this?" She gestured the mic towards Jr. Troopa. The Koopa just smiled.
"I heard everything those two said," he said, sneering, "They're talking a pretty tough game for 19th place, aren't they? All mouth and no muscles. If you ask me, that's even worse than only 'exercising your brain', huh, Reddy?"
Red Goomba just gulped. "Um…" was his only response. Jr. Troopa pushed the mic away and took a step towards his opponents. He pointed towards them. The two Goombas flinched.
"You know, I still haven't forgiven you for abandoning me when you were part of my gang. Why did you do that? I thought you'd have more pride than that!" he spat at them.
"Now…now listen, man," Blue Goomba began, very slowly, "You were our leader and we were all right with that. But how do you think it looks when your leader loses to the same stupid-looking guy over and over? That kind of says something about us. If we're lackeys to you, and you keep losing…" Jr. Troopa closed his eyes, infuriated.
"Urrrgh, why did you have to bring that up?!" All at once, he thought back to the day the Goomba Bros. had resigned from the neighbourhood gang.
He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Expressions of shock and bewilderment were evident on his face, mixed in with the extreme tiredness and stinging pain in his head, arms and legs. He had just recently swam from the Toad Town harbour all the way to Lavalava Island, only to swim all the way back to Toad Town harbour again when he realized that his target had already left the island on the back of a giant whale. The fight that broke out soon after turned into his most embarrassing defeat yet, as he had wasted most of his energy swimming. And then, to hear what the Goomba Bros. had just said to him, after witnessing said embarrassing defeat. He was almost at a loss for words.
"But…but…it's not fair! How can you do this to me?!" he asked, incredulous.
"Hey, don't take it personally, man," Red Goomba said, "but word on the street is right. You are a washed-up loser. Ever since that rumour went around last week about you losing in a fight twice, your image has suffered really badly. I'm almost ashamed to call you our leader." He couldn't believe it. He was being abandoned. He got to his feet and countered Red's argument quickly.
"So…so what are you two going to do now?!" he spat, viciously. "Go back to the Goomba King? He lost to that same stupid sucker, too!"
"Yes, I'll admit he did," said Blue Goomba. "But, then again, he only lost once. This means we still have faith in his leadership. You, on the other hand, have lost…" he thought hard about this. "…what…three times, now? Four? I've lost count."
"That doesn't matter, guys," Jr. Troopa countered quickly. "Come on! I haven't given up, yet! As I was swimming back over here, I got this idea into my head about a magic course! I hear a Magikoopa teaches a magic course over at the dojo every summer. If we knew magic, we'd be unstoppable!" He got back down on his knees. He was sounding quite desperate, now. "Please, guys. You can't give up on me now!" But his 'friends' wouldn't listen.
"Sorry, man. Our minds are made up," Red Goomba said, with absolutely no emotion. The two turned to leave.
"See you later, man. It's been real," said Blue Goomba with his back turned.
Jr. Troopa just sat there, bewildered. He felt shocked, hurt and betrayed. Why would his friends do this to him? Didn't he mean more to them than that? Angered to the point of crying, he clenched his fists and turned his back to the Goombas and faced the docks, silently vowing revenge…
"Uhh…that, uh…" Red Goomba was visibly shaking now. He had no idea what was going to happen, now. Jr. Troopa started smiling smug again.
"So, you two want to give up yet? It's time I got back at you for back then," he said. All at once, Blue Goomba realized something.
"Wait a second! That happened years ago!" he almost shouted. Jr. Troopa stopped, realizing this. "Are you telling me you've held a grudge on us for that long? I mean, look at how much you've changed since then."
For the first time in a while, Jr. Troopa took note of his appearance. He wore brown shoes that were a size up from his old size. He was no longer wearing his eggshell around him. Instead, he was wearing a green Koopa shell which seemed to fit him perfectly. He was still wearing the top half of his eggshell on his head; he liked the feel of it. Now, though, the eggshell had a nasty crack on the top and was slowly making its way down towards the center of his forehead. It was unclear to him how much longer the shell would last, especially now that he had become a fighter in the Glitz Pit. He smiled again.
"My appearance may have changed, but I'm still the same old Jr. Troopa…at least for now," he pointed at his opponents, "which means you're going down!" He gestured towards Jolene. "Can we start already?!" he shouted. Jolene almost jumped at that question. She spoke into the mic and raised her opposite arm.
"Get ready to…BRAAAAAWL!"
A loud gong rang out and the battle began. Jr. Troopa jumped backwards towards his end of the arena and planted his feet firmly on the ground. He gritted his teeth as his condition for advancement in the ranks flashed in the back of his mind. He had to let his opponent damage him twice. He wouldn't outwardly admit it, but Prince Mush was right. His pride was sure to suffer after this.
"I don't know why you would hold a grudge on us for so long, but if you're really in this to kill us, then we're not holding back, either!" Red Goomba shouted at the top of his lungs. This caused some of the crowd to hoot and holler.
"Yeah, get ready, punk!" Blue Goomba shouted as well. Both of them seemed very afraid for their lives.
"Idiots…" Jr. Troopa thought, disgusted. Did they really think that he was out to kill them? If he had really wanted to settle his revenge with the Goomba Bros. he would've hunted them down a long time ago. No. Meeting them here was pure coincidence, and nothing more.
Suddenly, he was brought to attention as the Goombas began their attack. Red Goomba thundered over to his opponent, jumped into the air and head bonked him. Blue Goomba followed suit. Jr. Troopa grinned. A few seconds in and already his condition for victory was met. Now, all he had to do was win the match. Then, he winced from his newfound pain. His opponents may be Goombas, but that ultimately meant nothing. They were hard-hitters. If he underestimated them, he would end up losing, no doubt about it.
Flashing a smile, from his shell he produced an eggshell top with a very sharp and painful looking spike on it. He sneered as he switched his old eggshell hat with the new one. Then, without warning, he lowered his head down like a bull and charged forward towards Red Goomba. He struck his target before it had a chance to move away.
"Oww," he said, wincing. Jr. Troopa's attack had caused Red Goomba a lot of pain. "That hurt!" He turned to his brother. "Come on, bro! Let's show this creep the wrath of the Mighty Goomba Bros.!"
Blue Goomba sneered. "You're in for it now, old buddy!"
For a second, Jr. Troopa actually looked worried. However, instead of baffling him with their newfound courage, the Goombas just went about attacking normally. Red Goomba head bonked Jr. Troopa in the exact same spot. This proved to be a fatal mistake. As his noggin struck the spike, he jumped back, shrieking loudly.
"Aaaaaagggghhhh!!! It's like someone pounded a nail into my head!" he shouted.
Incredulously, Blue Goomba did the exact same thing. "Waaaaahhhhhh! You're right!" he wailed.
Jr. Troopa rolled his eyes. "Geez. Were these guys always this stupid?" he wondered. It was common sense, really: If someone has a spike on his head, don't jump on it! Pushing his thoughts away, he ran up to Blue Goomba and jumped on his head.
The Koopa was stunned to silence as both Goombas once again tried head bonking their opponent, with disastrous results. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He was practically laughing.
"It's not fair!" yelled Blue Goomba. Both Goombas were crying, now. It was evident that they couldn't take much more punishment. "Why do you have to have a spike on your head? Why??? You're…you're cheating!"
Jr. Troopa flashed an even wider grin. He knew very well that head bonking was pretty much a Goomba's ONLY method of attack. Except for Hyper Goombas, he had yet to meet a Goomba who attacked differently. This meant that the battle was over, no question.
"See you later, guys. It's been real," he said. The Goombas winced. Ironically, this was exactly how they had parted ways with their former gang leader. Now they knew they were in for it. Crouching down, Jr. Troopa picked up speed by running in place, then charged forward, ramming into Red Goomba again, only this time the impact was so great that Red flew backwards into his brother. Both Goombas toppled off the stage and landed in a heap on the floor. They were NOT getting back up again.
"Urrrrgggghhhh…" they both uttered, incoherently.
Jolene shook her head in disbelief. She walked over to Jr. Troopa and raised her arm up high, mic in front of her lips.
"Well, we've certainly found our winner, folks! The Perrrrrrsistent Egghead!" she shouted. Cheers erupted from the audience. They seemed to be pleased with the battle just witnessed. Jr. Troopa again winced at the sound of his fighter's name. Jolene turned to the Koopa. "Tell me, sir, what did you think of this fight?" She gestured her mic towards him.
"This fight? What a joke! I've seen normal Goombas fight better than these guys! At least they're smart enough to run away!"
"Yes, you certainly had the advantage, there. Perhaps it WAS almost unfair," Jolene thought to herself. She turned to the audience. "Well folks, the Persistent Egghead has spoken. This guy obviously knows what he's doing. I expect this kid will continue to show us all what he's made of in the coming battles and give true meaning to his name." She looked at Jr. Troopa out of the corner of her eye. "I don't think he'll disappoint us. Let's hear it for our newest rising star, folks! The Persistent Egghead!"
The whole audience cheered loudly as Jr. Troopa pumped his fists in the air, laughing and shouting. To the normal onlooker, the Koopa seemed like he was very pleased with himself.
Jr. Troopa was escorted back to his locker room. Jolene and Prince Mush were with him. Jolene had a clipboard in her hand and was writing down several things on it. Without warning, she stopped writing, looked towards him, and spoke. She sounded serious, as if she was concerned about something.
"Well Egghead, I must say, you did very good out there. But, in the future, know that you have to play to the crowd more. Make them feel like they're part of the fight, instead of being just spectators." She paused and looked at her clipboard. "Now, you met the condition I set for you and I am pleased to say that you can now challenge a higher-ranked fighter, but in the coming matches, I want you to have the crowd on the edge of their seats. We're putting on a show for them. Let's make it something they'll remember for awhile." She paused again, looking back up at Jr. Troopa. "Did you get all that?"
"Yes, ma'am!" he said, nodding. Jolene nodded as well, pleased that she was able to come to an understanding.
"Good," she said. "I suppose if that's everything, then I shall be on my way. My brother will take it from here. You have a nice day, sir."
With that, Jolene adjusted her glasses and left the room. Prince Mush closed the newly made gap.
"Well, good job, Egghead," he said. Jr. Troopa winced once again. Prince Mush held out his hand. "So, after each fight, I give you fight money. The better you do in the ranks, the more money you get. After all, we have to let the fighters know that they're not doing this for nothing."
Jr. Troopa stretched out his hands. He felt enthusiastic until he saw he was handed a measly three coins. He looked at his earnings in disbelief.
"What, that's it?!" he asked, incredulous. Prince Mush just stared at him.
"Like I just said, the higher up you are in the ranks, the more money you receive. How would it look to the higher ranking fighters if the no-names got all the benefits?"
"…………" Jr. Troopa didn't know how to respond to this. "I…I suppose. But…aww…but…ehh! That how it always goes, doesn't it? The new guy always has it rough!"
Prince Mush smirked. "Now, doesn't that give you the incentive to try harder? Wellgottagogotsomethingstodoseeya!" Hurriedly, he ran out the locker room before Jr. Troopa had the chance to respond to his question.
For a moment, the Koopa just stood there wondering what just happened. Then, he stifled a grunt. He didn't care how much money he got. He would reach his goal all the same. The battle he had just won was proof of that. And in the end, money was not what he was after, here.
He was about to leave when he heard someone clear his throat behind him. He spun around to find that Master Crash was looking right at him.
"I saw your fight BOMB," he said. "You did very good out there, I must BOMB admit, but let me tell you something. The battle you just won was more of a test than anything; a sort of BOMB initiation, if you will. Getting to Rank 19 shows that you are BOMB serious, and that's a good sign." He narrowed his eyes into slits. "Because it only gets harder from here BOMB-BOMB!"
Jr. Troopa just stared at the Bob-omb. "Thanks for the advice. Again. But, if you think that kind of talk intimidates me, you've got another thing coming."
"Fair enough BOMB!" replied Crash. He lowered his voice. "And just between you and me, the Goomba Bros. are BOMB just plain weak. Even when the old team under that BOMB name disbanded and the new team formed up, very little changed. ANYBODY can beat them BOMB-BOMB."
"Yeah, I gathered that."
Master Crash look turned as serious as he could make it. "I kid you not, friend. The fighters that BOMB await you are in for keeps. If you try to outrank one of them, they will not make it easy for you BOMB."
"That's right!" came a voice Jr. Troopa didn't recognise. Looking around, he watched as the Dull Bones he saw earlier waddled up next to Master Crash. "You fight me next, and unlike those stupid Goombas, I won't lose so easily!"
"You see, friend BOMB?" Master Crash suddenly looked quite confident. "Getting through this may be harder than you think BOMB-BOMB."
Suddenly, Jr. Troopa found himself not wanting to deal with the newfound stuffiness in the air. He turned to the door.
"Aw, leaving already BOMB? The pressure too much for you?" If he had lips, Master Crash would be smirking. Jr. Troopa shot him a dirty look.
"I'm just going to that Juice Bar I saw earlier. I'm suddenly thirsty."
Without another word, he left the locker room, his soon-to-be-opponents laughing behind him. As he stepped into the arena lobby, he could hear lots of cheering. Adoring fans of one of the fighters were crowding the room, shouting, cheering and laughing. Groaning, he tried to make his way through the crowd towards the front door. Interestingly enough, as he pushed though the excited onlookers, he found he couldn't tell for whom the crowd was cheering for. Looking around, all he could make out was a greenish mohawk, which was the source of the crowd's cheering. Also, from the loud din, he could make out that the fighter's name was 'Gonzales' or 'Gonzoogis' or something. He couldn't exactly tell, due to all the shouting.
Pushing this out of his mind, he made his way to the door and walked outside. Outside the Glitz Pit was a plethora of sights, ranging from Mr. Hoggle's hot dog stand to the weird looking Cheep Cheep Blimp (to which many new passengers had just arrived.) The area was filled with people gawking at the sights and people purchasing souvenirs. The place had a very relaxed, casual atmosphere. One look and you knew that Glitzville was the ultimate tourist attraction.
The sun still hung in the air, but was moving very slowly towards the west. Soon enough, the day would be over and night would begin. That would be when Glitzville would spring to life. The Rogueport Tour Guide rated Glitzville one of the top places to visit on a vacation and was known for its sights and sounds at dusk.
Briefly taking in the change of scenery, Jr. Troopa made his way over to the juice shop, The Watering Hole. He was about to enter, when he stopped. He frowned. Ever since he left the Glitz Pit, he had the feeling that he was being watched. He turned around. At once, the female Toad that was following him jumped slightly and looked away. For emphasis, she turned another direction and walked away. Jr. Troopa raised an eyebrow questioningly. After a few moments, he thought nothing of it and disappeared inside.
In contrast to the loads of people present outside the juice shop, inside was almost empty. The only ones present inside were the store owner and a female Toad that, for some reason, looked strangely familiar to him. Quietly, Jr. Troopa found his way to a table and sat down. The owner made his way over to him. He had a green head with a mustache and glasses, and three little hairs poking out from the top. He wore a green vest, had white pants and brown shoes. He had a glass in one hand and a cloth in the other. He appeared to be cleaning the glass. Jr. Troopa looked at him. He looked exactly like the bar owner in Rogueport. He had made a visit to the bar before coming to Glitzville. A relative, perhaps?
"Hey there, and welcome! Our doors are always open to thirsty fight fans! My name is Podler," he said. Sure enough. The bar owner in Rogueport, his name was Podley. "Can I get you anything this afternoon?" Jr. Troopa looked indifferent.
"I'll have a Froggie Drink. Lemon-flavoured, please," he said, disinterestedly.
"Coming right up, sir," was Podler's reply. Within seconds, Jr. Troopa had the drink in his hands. It even came with a straw. He was slurping away quietly when, before he knew, the female Toad who he thought looked familiar sauntered up to him. Her cap was white with pink spots and she had a bang of golden yellow hair that seemed to curl at the tip. She wore red, rounded earrings, red shoes and a black dress. She was stunningly beautiful. Well, for a Toad, at least.
"Um, do I know you? You look familiar," the Koopa said hesitatingly.
"Egghead…I sense…a great fire in you…but does it burn brightly?" the Toad said cryptically. All at once, Jr. Troopa recognised who it was.
"Oh hey, Jolene," he said, taking a sip of his drink. "What are you doing in that getup?"
Jolene laughed softly and sweetly. "When I'm out of the ring, I like to shed my other personality."
Jr. Troopa cocked an eyebrow at her. "Are you schizophrenic?"
"That's not what I meant. I meant I like to be myself out here instead of the curt, serious woman you see in the Glitz Pit. ...And no, I'm not," she said, sounding offended.
"Whatever, what is it?" He looked away.
"I just wanted to ask…from what you told me in my office…give me a reason…why I should let you continue on in the pit at all. I have to say, your goal…does not sound altogether…honourable, Egghead…"
Jr. Troopa winced again. He looked Jolene in the eye. "Listen, what I'm doing here is none of your business. This is something I want to do. It's…a goal of mine. If you get in my way, you're making yourself a target as well, and I know you don't want that!" He paused, then added, "Oh, and I know it can't really be helped in the ring, but when I'm somewhere other than the Glitz Pit, I would appreciate it if you stopped calling me by my fighter's name. It's embarrassing!"
Jolene scoffed. "Honestly, you have no idea how much that name suits you. But, very well. If that is your wish, I'll call you by your real name outside the ring. But, know that I don't do this for a lot of people, Jr. Troopa."
The Koopa grinned upon hearing his name. "Now that's more like it!"
Jolene turned around. "Well, that's it for now. I suppose I'll leave you to your fans."
"Fans?" Jr. Troopa looked quizzical. "What fans? I don't have any fans."
As if on cue, the entrance door opened, and the female Toad that Jr. Troopa saw earlier entered. Eyes widening, he took note of her appearance. Her cap was white with light blue spots. Interestingly, the light blue color seemed to be a recurring color of her appearance. She wore a pair of pants, a pair of bracelets, and a pair of shoes that each sported the same color. Even her eyes seemed to be the exact same shade of blue. The only things differently coloured about her was the vest she was wearing and her hair colour. The vest was a dark blue colour, while her hair was a very light shade of brown that went down the sides of her face resting just under jaw level.
She had a camera with her. It seemed to be rigged up in a way to take photographs for a newspaper. Jr. Troopa noticed the camera, and groaned silently. He really did not want to deal with a reporter right now, if she even was a reporter. This one seemed to be nervous and shy, a bad combination of emotions for a reporter. As soon as she saw that Jr. Troopa was looking at her, she looked away, embarrassed.
Jolene grinned and gestured towards the girl. "That fan, for one."
Jr. Troopa gawked at her. He was a cross between impressed, shocked and disturbed. "So, what are you, a psychic, now?!"
"Hmm Hmm Hmm. No I'm not," she said in a sing-song voice. "See you back in the ring." Then, without another word, she walked past the other female Toad and disappeared out the door.
Steeling her nerves, the girl slowly walked up to him, still looking away from him.
"Um, excuse me," she said nervously, "are you the Persistent Egghead?" Jr. Troopa cringed yet again. He looked away for a moment.
"Yeah, that's me," he replied, tersely. He looked back at her. "Why, who wants to know? Are you a reporter or something?"
Gulping slightly, the girl looked into his eyes. "Um, yes. I'm a reporter for the Glitzville Gazette. My name is…Lynn T. I saw your fight. You did very well. I was, uh, wondering if I could ask you a few questions."
Jr. Troopa sighed. "I'm not really in the mood for this, but then again, you probably aren't gonna go away, are you? So fine." He paused for a second, looking at her questioningly. "But before I do, I gotta ask: I know this is kind of sudden, but you look kind of timid. Isn't that a bad quality for a reporter?"
Lynn T. gasped slightly. "M…mister Egghead, I don't really think that's any of your business!" she stammered.
"Sorry," he said quickly, realizing he might have stepped over a line. "Anyway, what do you want to know?" From one of the pockets of her vest, the girl produced a small handheld tape recorder with a microphone attached to it. She hit 'Record' and brought the mic to her face.
"Well, um," the girl began, "I like to get a little background on all of the new fighters that enter the roster. I like to find out why they're here and keep track of their progress through the ranks. That way, I can post any breaking headlines in the news if anything really big happens."
"I see," said the Koopa in reply.
"Now, I had heard through a source that I won't mention," she continued, looking slightly more nervous, "that the reason why you are here is altogether questionable. For clarity's sake, just so no one gets the wrong idea, I was wondering if you could tell me why you have signed onto the Glitz Pit roster." Tentatively, she held the recording device in front of Jr. Troopa, the mic part pointed towards him.
Jr. Troopa, meanwhile, looked shocked. "Wh-what?! Where did you hear that?! Were you spying on me from somewhere? Or did Jolene set you up for this?" Lynn T. cringed at his words. He pointed at her, looking cross. "Weren't you just telling me to mind my own business?"
Lynn T. looked away, a guilty look in her pale blue eyes. "All the same, if you could just tell me…" There was a hint in her voice that seemed to say that she didn't want to go through with this. But she had to.
Jr. Troopa sighed. "Okay, if it'll make you feel better…" Lynn T.'s eyes turned towards him. The Koopa lowered his voice. "Now, I don't want to say this too loudly: I don't know much about this place. My experience lies in the Toad Town Dojo more than here, but I assume that fighters come here for their own reasons. Some come to support their families, some try to prove that they can accomplish anything they set their hearts on, and some just come because it looks like fun. Pretty harmless, right? My reason is slightly different from the others. It may shock you to hear this, but it's all on the level. I made this goal for myself and I WILL stick with it one hundred percent. Even if the chips are down, I'll get right back up again. You reading me here? The reason I'm here…"
A pause. Lynn T., caught up in the moment, bent forward expectantly. She definitely wanted to hear this. Jr. Troopa took a breath.
"…is to defeat a certain man."
For a long minute, there was nothing but silence. Lynn T. just stared at the Koopa, mouth slightly opened, dazed. She looked like she didn't know what to make of this conversation. For a moment, she almost regretted setting up an interview with this person. This was DEFINITELY not what she was expecting to hear.
"Oh..." she said, her emotions unreadable. "That's...interesting..."
Without looking away, she pressed 'Stop' on her recording device. Jr. Troopa noticed and took that as a sign to mean that the interview was over. He returned his attention to his drink.
"Was that all you wanted?" he asked, "If it was, could I ask you to go away, then? I want to be alone, now." Lynn T. snapped to attention.
"Oh, uh, yes, I think that's all I'm going to need for now." She smiled at him, despite herself. "Thank you for your time."
In response, the Koopa grunted, still not looking at her. Without waiting any longer, Lynn T. hurriedly made her way out of the juice shop. She opened the door, looking at him out of the corner of her eyes, and disappeared outside.