Here it is; the penultimate chapter!
On with the fic!
-The Fourth-
Abandon Ship
He was in the control room.
All five of him.
The presence of his doubles never unnerved him; he was emotionless by nature. He directed each one on their duties, keeping the ship flying as a team.
His mission was to convert as much territory as he could to Subspace.
All for Tabuu, his glorious and benevolent leader.
"Game and Watch," the ship's communicator buzzed, snapping him out of his thoughts. "The ship is within range of the next zone. You must convert the canyon to your left."
Acknowledged, my lord Tabuu, he said, heading for the service elevator.
Stepping inside, he pressed DECK. The elevator descended.
As the elevator flew downward, he phased a Subspace Cannon into his hands. As he waited for the elevator to reach its destination, he examined the weapon.
The Subspace Cannon was Tabuu's last resort; developed once the idea of bombs became an impossibility. The cannon consisted of a highly powerful laser with a Subspace core. Its properties were so complex that it took several weeks to build a working prototype. Only the prototype existed, entrusted to him, Tabuu's most faithful servant.
The elevator dinged. He walked out onto the bridge, feeling the wind blow across him.
He came to a stop near the edge, aiming the Subspace Cannon at a canyon a few miles away.
He pulled the trigger.
A flash of purple streaked into the canyon; a massive Subspace sphere emerging from where the beam had hit.
Satisfied, he stepped back into the elevator and headed back up to the bridge.
The sudden movement caught Bowser's attention. He held a claw out in front of his companions, stopping them in their tracks. "Hey, look to the left."
Ganondorf and Wario turned, looking for what Bowser wanted them to see.
The Subspace sphere rose from the ground, an easily visible landmark. The Halberd was flying over it, accompanied by a flood of red clouds.
Ganondorf's mouth curved into a smile. "Well, well. I do believe we have found the center of operations. Excellent work, Bowser."
"You're welcome," Bowser replied, grinning toothily.
"When you're done patting yourselves on the back," Wario said impatiently, "maybe you could figure out how we're supposed to get up there?"
"Leave it to me, gentlemen," Ganondorf replied, cracking his knuckles.
Without warning, he threw an arm around both Bowser and Wario. He launched into the air, dark magic propelling him through the sky.
They landed on the deck with a slight bump. Ganondorf immediately released his companions.
"Ow!" Wario complained, rubbing his neck gingerly. "Give a guy a warning before you do that, will ya?"
"Yeah, that really hurt," Bowser growled, hands massaging his own neck
"If you would get your minds off trivial aches and pains," Ganondorf said impatiently, "we have other matters to deal with."
Shadow Bugs were swarming across the deck, forming into hundreds upon hundreds of Primid, all focused upon the trio.
"I love this part," Bowser said happily, flexing his claws.
A blaring alarm attracted his attention.
Master Tabuu, he said into the communicator, we have intruders on the main deck.
"What?!" Tabuu said, shocked. "Send the Shadow Bugs immediately!"
They are already there, he responded. The intruders are tearing through them like they are nothing.
"Send every available soldier we have to the decks!" Tabuu shouted, beginning to sound frantic. "They must not be allowed to reach the bridge!"
Acknowledged, he replied, typing in the command.
"Was that it?" Wario said in disbelief, brushing dust off his sleeves. "They don't make grunts the way they used to."
Several elevators across the deck dinged, letting out swarms of Primid, Mites, Buckots, and Roaders.
Ganondorf rolled his eyes. "And still they persist? This is beginning to grow tedious."
They have destroyed the second wave, he reported. They are now heading down the elevator. I presume the bridge is their destination.
"Use the Shadow Bug reserves!" Tabuu yelled, no longer hiding his desperation. "Greaps, Armanks, whatever we have left!"
Master Tabuu, the reserves are only meant to guard vital areas such as the cargo decks and engine room, he stated patiently. They are only meant to be removed from their posts in case of an emergency.
"This IS an emergency!" Tabuu howled. "I have suffered setback after setback, slowing my invasion and denying my vision! I will not lose this ship! Do you understand me?"
Acknowledged, he said, typing in the override order.
The elevator dinged.
"I'll bet you ten to one there's more enemies right outside," Wario said, grinning.
"You're on," said Bowser.
The doors opened, revealing several Primid and Mites, along with an Armank and two Greaps.
"Jackpot," Wario said gleefully.
Bowser swore.
"And that, Bowser, is why you should never bet against the house," Ganondorf stated, striding past the two.
They have gotten past the reserves, he stated calmly. They will breach this room's defensives in minutes.
Tabuu screamed in rage.
"Okay, then," he said tightly, "transform your clones into Primid. That should occupy them for a moment longer. In the meantime, set the ship to self-destruct. They will have all of thirty seconds to bask in their victory."
Acknowledged, he said, sending a signal to his clones. They dissolved into Shadow Bugs, reforming into a small squad of Primid.
He turned back to the console, initiating the self-destruct procedure.
With a loud bang, Bowser kicked the door in. "That never gets old," he chuckled, stomping into the room with Wario and Ganondorf following.
The Primid tensed, ready to spring at them.
"Oh please," Ganondorf sighed.
He leaped into the air, plowing through the Primid with a Warlock Punch. The Primid were destroyed instantly.
"Hardly worth my time," Ganondorf said scornfully, brushing off his hands.
The trio turned their attentions to Mr. Game and Watch.
You are too late, he said impassively. This ship will burn, and you along with it.
He leaped backwards through the window, spiraling down to the ground below.
"Is he crazy?" Bowser said in disbelief. "We're hundreds of feet up!"
"Never mind that," Ganondorf said, his eyes narrowing. "What did he mean, 'the ship will burn'?"
Wario scooted up to a console, looking it over. His eyes widened.
"That little snot!" he yelled, punching the console in anger. "He rigged the ship to blow! We've got less than a minute before the whole place goes up!"
"Leaving us no time to escape," Ganondorf murmured.
All three were silent as the revelation sank in.
"Well, gentlemen," Ganondorf said at last, "it seems this is the end for us. I must say, we made quite the team."
"Yeah, we weren't so bad," Bowser reflected, giving a small smile.
"I was only in it for the loot," Wario said baldly, "but you guys were alright, considering."
The Halberd detonated, erupting into a huge ball of flame.
"NO!" Meta Knight yelled, coming to a stop when he saw the explosion. "I can't believe it! We were so close!"
His companions was silent, watching him grieve.
"Hey, I think I saw something fall!" Pit said suddenly, pointing to the area just below the explosion.
The group dashed over.
Littered among debris and dead Shadow Bugs were the lifeless trophies of Bowser, Ganondorf, and Wario.
"So that's where they've been," Link said softly. "I was wondering about them."
Zelda placed a hand upon Ganondorf's trophy. "May he finally rest in peace."
"Hey, everyone!" Lucas called. "Who's this guy?"
He pointed to a trophy of a bearded man wearing a camouflage outfit.
"No idea," Sonic said, scratching his head.
"Does it matter?" Ike asked, raising an eyebrow. "He's probably just some idiot who got in the way."
The group murmured its approval.
"Wait, I think this one's alive!" Red yelled.
Everyone crowded around him, staring at the prone figure of Mr. Game and Watch.
"Let me through, excuse me, let me through!" Peach said, making her way into the center of the circle.
He stirred, standing up.
"Hello," Peach said gently. "My name is Princess Peach."
He took a step back, on his guard.
"Don't worry. You're safe now," she soothed, extending a hand.
Slowly, unsteadily, he reached out and took it.
The more things change, the more they stay the same...
Isn't it ironic how many of the events in this chapter actually happened in the original version, albiet in a different order?
Coming into the chapter with the direct purpose to kill them off, I was surprised at how much I liked writing for the Bowser-Ganondorf-Wario trio. For a group of dishonorable backstabbers, they clicked better than I thought they would. I actually had fun writing their interactions.
If Tabuu seems a little OOC here, it's because in this universe, almost nothing has been going right for him. His invasion has been agonizingly slow with just G&W, the Halberd, and the Subspace Cannon, and now he doesn't even have that.
Given that Tabuu was somehow able to make an entire battleship by himself, I presumed he could easily make a smaller, weaponized version in the form of the Subspace Cannon.
Because the Master Robot, Bowser, Ganondorf, and Wario haven't been working for Tabuu, the Smashers have joined into a larger group faster than they did otherwise. Of course, this has its disadvantages, given that Sonic is already with the group as they go to confront Tabuu...
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