Chapter Twelve: Highs and Lows
"Ready Luigi?"
Luigi spared a quick glance at his brother, who looked more determined than he had seen in a while. He certainly couldn't blame him, as they were in quite the situation. Their rival Wario had returned stronger than ever, and the ensuing battle was even tougher. All of their attacks were shrugged off, even his own full power punch did little to the greedy man. Luckily he and his brother had some power-ups handy, but even then victory wasn't certain.
Mario was feeling a little nervous, even if he looked calm on the outside. By now he was no stranger to combat, having fought with both Bowser and Wario dozens of times... but this current brawl was different than the others. His rival was way more powerful than before, and much faster too. Not to mention being able to shoot what looked like fireballs even without a Fire Flower. It didn't look good at the moment, but he wasn't about to quit now.
Meanwhile Wario was smirking to himself. In the past he would probably be in a lot of pain, and having to run away or hide. Well those days were over, and thanks to his training nobody would ever push him around again! "So are ya gonna fight or just-a stand there?"
Without warning Mario extended his right arm, launching a fireball out of his hand. It bounced along the ground with impressive speed, heading straight for his enemy. Just when it looked like it would hit his rival leapt into the air, avoiding it entirely.
"Nice try Mario! Maybe you should work on your aim!" The portly man laughed.
Clenching his fists tight, the red and white clad man looked over at his brother. "Let's-a-go Luigi!" He then ran forward, quickly breaking out into a sprint.
Not needing to be told twice Luigi followed his brother's lead. He and his brother ran forward, ready for the next round to start. He noticed their foe was still somehow hovering in the air, but for them that wouldn't be a problem. Once close enough he and his brother jumped high in the air, quickly reaching their foe's height.
Wario let out a chuckle as his opponents reached him. He saw the fireballs coming, but for him it was if they were moving in slow motion. As such he easily dodged the oncoming projectiles, laughing as he did so. He then moved to counterattack, striking the pair with both fists.
Faster than either brother could react they were both struck with hard punches, launching them straight into the ground. Both men hit the ground hard, and their bones began aching. Despite that they both got up, not wanting to just give up.
Suddenly the portly man appeared in front of them, sporting that big grin of his. Before either could react he dashed forward, catching them off guard. A hard kick to the stomach sent his red-hatted rival flying back, which was a pleasing sight to see. His eyes drifted over to the right where he noticed the other brother preparing to attack. Using all of his power he sent his right elbow into his foe's face, launching him backward.
A cry of pain escaped Luigi's mouth as he flew back from the impact. He eventually lost momentum and began rolling across the ground, causing even more pain. After a few moments he stopped entirely; now lying on the ground on his side. The green-hatted man felt pretty bruised, and his vision was getting a bit blurry. Despite that he knew what was at stake, and as such he willed himself to stand up.
Right as he was getting up he saw another ball of light heading his way, and he ducked underneath just in the nick of time. Not a moment after he came face to face with Wario... although in this case, it was face to gut. Reacting quickly he threw a few punches to the gut, which as expected didn't do anything. He then tried sweeping his foe's leg, but it just wouldn't budge.
Snickering, Wario grabbed his opponent by the collar and lifted him up, bringing him right into his face. About a second later he rammed his head into his enemy's head, hitting him square in the nose. The sight of his foe bleeding from his busted nose made him laugh. "You're nothing but a joke, thinking you could stand up to me. Everyone knows Mario is the real hero. You're just a coward hiding in his shadow, unfit to save the Mushroom Kingdom."
Angered by those words, Luigi clenched his fists tight. Gathering his strength he brought his left hand up, intent on striking the man. Right when his fist was about to hit his opponent's chin it was caught, surprising him.
"That punch of yours may be strong, but mine's stronger." To accentuate his point he did what his foe was intending to do, except his attack actually connected. A hearty laugh escaped his mouth as his foe's pained scream filled his ears. He watched with glee as the green-hatted man went up, and then landed on the ground with a hard thud. "And he's down!"
Luigi layed on the grassy field, feeling pretty weak. His jaw hurt the most, having nearly been broken by the attack. The rest of his body ached, both from the blows he received earlier and from falling on the ground just now. He wanted to get back up, to continue fighting, but he wasn't sure he could. To top it off the effects of the Fire Flower wore off, leaving him powerless.
From a far Wario looked at the sight with a big smile. "Hm, should I continue to beat him up or should I just end him." He paused for a few moments, just wanting to see if his opponent would return to the battle. Several moments went by and his foe hadn't moved. "Well, it-a looks like he's out, so I guess I'll-a finish him."
With his mind made up the greedy man held out a palm and aimed it at the downed man. Energy began forming in his palm, which soon coalesced into a rapidly expanding ball. After a few seconds he had created a big sphere, capable of destroying the downed man. Another snicker escaped him as he fired his projectile.
Satisfied with what was happening, Wario crossed his arms over his chest. His vision soon became obstructed by a huge cloud of smoke, which was accompanied by a loud boom. He laughed in triumph, as he knew the weakling couldn't have survived that blast. His laughter continued even as the smoke died down, but once it did his laughing ceased.
Standing in the way of the blast was Mario, who looked completely unscathed, as if he hadn't even been hit by it. There was something different about him though, as his body kept changing between colors rapidly.
"Ah I see, yes, I know what's-a goin' on here. You used a Power Star to protect yourself from my attack, and then you sprinted over here to save your brother. I must say I'm impressed, but you'll need more than that to stop me."
A scowl formed on Mario's face, as he knew what his foe said was true. While the Power Star granted invulnerability and increased speed it did have a time limit, and it was rather short. Seconds passed before the effects wore off, and now Mario stood powerless in front of his injured brother.
"Aw your Power Star ran out. Too bad, you really needed that."
The red-clad man spared a glance at his brother, and then turned back to face his rival. He continued glaring before a devious smirk came to his face. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a green hat similar to his own. Upon placing it on his head his whole body became covered in metal.
Wario noticed this and snorted. "Do you really think a Metal Cap will be enough to save you?"
"I'm-a ready if you are!"
Deep within a jungle Trunks flew, having reached the dense forest not too long ago. The planet he was on now was lush with vegetation, and full of life. He could hear the distant sounds of a waterfall, as well as the various animals making noise. The sun was shining brightly, and it was actually pretty mild out. It would certainly make for a good vacation spot, but he didn't have time for such things.
His eyes were narrowed with determination as his senses guided him to what he assumed was a village full of people. Without his scouter he had no idea where the Power Stars were, or if there were any on the planet to begin with. So he figured he would seek out civilization and ask them about it, and he only hoped they both knew what Power Stars were and where he could find them.
'There has to be someway to locate these things without a scouter.' Unfortunately he wasn't sure if there was a way, and if there was one he didn't know what it was. At some point he would try and figure this out, but for now he would stick to his plan.
His senses told him he was getting closer to his destination, and a feeling in his gut told him something was up. The half-Saiyan could feel several different energies, some higher than others, and some more evil than others. It may have just been his battle instincts talking, but he still felt the need to be ready.
A few moments later the Saiyan reached a clearing in the dense jungle, and came across a simple looking village. The buildings were all dome shaped, and seemed to be made out of basic metal. Some were larger than others, but for the most part they were the same. The only thing that stood out were the three space pods on the outskirts of the village, which didn't seem to have always been there.
Right away he knew his hunch was correct. He noticed a bunch of people wearing simple clothing, with all of them having a similar light orange skin tone. They were huddled together, as if trying to protect one another. Only one wasn't part of the huddle, and was standing in the very front.
On the opposite side were three aliens who clearly weren't residents. What gave them away were their matching sets of armor, and the scouters on their faces. They had to be soldiers of Lord Plum, which made the Saiyan wonder if they knew Plum was dead. If not then they were in for quite a surprise, but if they did then that would be more troubling. The last thing the universe needed was another tyrant, especially if they were as strong, or stronger, than Plum or Frieza.
"I'm only gonna say this one more time, hand over the Power Stars!" The big, reptilian alien commanded as he pointed his arm cannon at the scared villagers.
One villager, who was much bigger and bulkier than the others, cast a defiant glare at the invaders. "We will never surrender our Power Stars to you. Now leave this place before I have to hurt you!"
In response to that threat all three invaders laughed loudly, which unnerved pretty much everyone in the village. They kept on laughing for several moments, unable to help themselves. After a few more seconds they stopped.
"Since you refuse to cooperate I think I'll just take care of you right now." The lead alien aimed his weapon at the foolish man's head, ready to blast a hole in it. Right as he was about to fire a blast struck his weapon, destroying it instantly.
Everyone turned to the source, and saw a man with a sword strapped to his back.
"What the?" Having been distracted by the destruction of his weapon, his attention was taken away from the man he was about to kill. As such, he was helpless to defend himself from the punch to the face, which sent him flying back a bit.
The warrior didn't stop there, and the other two invaders were still in an off-guard state. Taking advantage he lunged forward and delivered a powerful strike to the one on the left, making them recoil in pain. Not a moment later though he was kicked in the ribs hard, bringing him to his knees.
Before the alien could make another move he was kicked right in the face, launching him deep into the jungle.
Trunks landed in front of the downed warrior and held out a hand to help him up.
"Behind you!"
The Saiyan had already been aware of oncoming sneak attack, and was already prepared to counter. Faster than anyone could see he turned around and socked the invader in the cheek, propelling him backward with a loud scream.
The leader of the assault rubbed his bruised face, and as he was doing so he noticed his men had been taken care of. Panic started settling in as the newcomer slowly approached him. Whoever he was he managed to easily beat his men, and a feeling in his gut told him he was next. "S-stay back!"
"If you surrender now I won't hurt you." Trunks promised as he stopped several feet away from the cowering soldier.
Clenching his fists tight, the alien glared up at the man. "Y-you fool! You have no idea what you're up against. I work for Lord Plum, the most powerful being in the universe! When he finds out you killed his men he'll-"
"He's dead."
"What?!"
"I fought Plum at his base and defeated him, but it seems there are still people out there who haven't realized this yet."
There was a pause as the invader just stared at the man in shock, unsure whether or not to believe his claims. On the one hand it would explain why he couldn't make contact with anyone on Frieza Planet 68, but on the other hand he knew that nobody could ever defeat Lord Plum... yet maybe the man was telling the truth.
Seeing the confusion on the alien's face, Trunks let out a sigh. "You can believe me or not, I don't really care, but what I do care about are these villagers. Now I'll say this again, leave this planet and never return."
As much as the soldier wanted to tell the man he was wrong, and to attack him for even making such a ridiculous claim, he decided against it. His survival instincts told him to get the hell out of there while he could. Besides, if Lord Plum really was dead then there would be no consequences for running away.
"...Fine, I'll leave." He slowly stood up and made his way to his pod. Before entering it though he stopped and turned to face the man. "I still don't believe you, but I guess I'll find the truth out for myself." With that done he entered the small ship and the hatch closed behind him, and a few moments later his ship took off into the atmosphere.
Once the invader was gone Trunks smiled lightly before turning back to the villagers. "Are you alright?" They looked pretty unharmed, but he just wanted to be sure.
The warrior of the tribe locked eyes with the sword-wielding man. "Yes we're fine. I might have been able to hold them off, but if you hadn't shown up we all could have died." As much as he prided himself in his strength he knew that the fight could have ended badly for him, mostly because it was three on one. Luckily he and his tribe survived, and he only suffered minor injuries.
"No problem. I couldn't just stand there and let them torment you."
"Well we all thank you for the help, and we would be honored if you would join us in a feast tonight."
Trunks saw the smile on the man's face, as well as the smiles of the rest of the tribe. While he was still looking for the Power Stars he saw no harm in joining them. Not only because they apparently knew where they were, but also because he was feeling hungry. "I'd love to."
A smile came to the man's face in response. "Wonderful." He then held out his hand. "By the way, I'm Yarzon."
"Trunks." The half-Saiyan introduced as he shook the man's hand.
"Well Trunks, come make yourself at home."
Bowser walked through the halls of the ship, looking for the man in charge. It had been several weeks since he agreed to join up with the metal man, and it had been a crazy few weeks. So many things about the ship were different than what he was used to. Everything was metallic, and there were almost always robots walking around. It certainly contrasted with the grassy fields of the Mushroom Kingdom.
Luckily he seemed to be a bit of a low priority. For the most part he was left alone in his designated quarters, except for the times where he would be questioned a little more about the Power Stars. And aside from servants bringing him food they usually just ignored him, having more important things to do. It was a bit of a change being low on the pyramid so to speak, but considering who was in charge he certainly wasn't in a position to complain.
That being said, the Koopa wanted to speak to the metallic leader. He had been promised his revenge against Mario, but as far as he knew nothing was being done about that. Again, he couldn't really complain about that, but he still wanted to know what was going on.
He continued walking down the halls, with his heavy footsteps echoing as he walked. Occasionally he would see robots walking around, or working on something important. There was one to his right who appeared to be welding something, and since the Koopa still had trouble finding his way he stopped to ask the worker. "You there!"
The robot stopped and turned to face the one who addressed him. "How can I help you?"
'I don't think I'll get used to their voices.' He mused to himself. "I'm looking for the boss, where can I find him?"
"Go all the way down the hall, take a right, and then a left, and then take another right."
Bowser smirked. "Thanks." Now with a sense of direction he resumed walking.
A few minutes later and the Koopa reached his destination. Pushing a button on the wall activated the door, allowing him entry. As he walked in he saw the metallic man, the same man responsible for wiping out his army and killing his son. It was still a little frightening being in the same room, but he was beginning to overcome said fear.
He walked a few feet before getting down on one knee. "My lord." He greeted.
"What do you want Bowser?"
"I mean no disrespect, my lord... but when are we going to the Mushroom Kingdom to kill Mario?"
There was a pause before the metallic man turned to face his newer minion. "Tell me, have you been enjoying your stay aboard my ship?"
"O-of course my lord!" While it may not have been his preferred living arrangements he was still able to find comfort on the ship... plus he wasn't about to openly complain about it in front of that monster.
"And haven't my servants treated you well, and gave you what you asked for?"
"Yes."
A scowl quickly formed on the tyrant's face. "So why come here and complain to me?" He whipped his metallic tail on the ground, denting the metal underneath him.
Now feeling foolish for even entering the door, Bowser started trembling. It wasn't often his new leader became angry, but when he did bad things happened. And the last thing he wanted was to get thrown through a wall, or have any of his bones broken. "F-forgive me l-lord, b-but I just... well you agreed to help me defeat Mario, and I just wanted to-" He stopped when he heard the metal man laugh.
"Let me ask you a question. Why have you not already defeated Mario? You seem strong, and I hear you can breath fire, so why have you not killed him yet?"
"I don't know. I'm stronger, bigger, and more powerful than he is... but every time we fight he just seems to beat me." There was one edge his rival had over him, and that was speed. And sure, being slower than his rival may not have helped the Koopa, but everything else should have made up for that.
There was a pause as the metallic man stood there in contemplation. "Hm, I see..." A few more moments passed before he spoke up. "Here's how things stand. Your information on the Power and Grand Stars has been most helpful to my cause, but we haven't found any yet. My top priority are these Stars... and also beating that miserable Saiyan! Now, I said I will help you and I intend to, but your little quarrel is none of my concern at the moment. Am I clear?"
Unfortunately as much as Bowser wanted to protest he couldn't, simply because he was too weak. So all he could do was accept those terms and be grateful that he wasn't harmed in any way. "Yes my lord." Besides, the wait would be worth it when he finally stood over Mario's corpse.
"Good, now leave!"
Not needing to be told twice the Koopa bolted up and ran back the way he came.
As soon as the door shut the metal man let out a small sigh. 'That one sure is eager for revenge, much like myself. Too bad he's a total weakling; probably not even capable of beating up Guldo.' As these thoughts lingered in his mind an idea came to him, which could solve a few of his current problems. "It's still untested, but if we can get it to work then I could have an even bigger army. Of course I'll need a test subject, and I think I have the perfect candidate."
Trunks sat around the campfire, being surrounded by all of the villagers. True to the village leader's words, there was a pretty big feast happening. In his hands currently was a bowl of rice and meat, and there was plenty for everyone, even enough to have seconds. The food was very tasty, and although he tried to eat sensibly his Saiyan nature had taken over and he practically shoved the food into his mouth.
Everyone else appeared to be having a good time as well, which may have been helped by the fact that none of them died today. Even without the earlier attack they still would have had a fun night. Nothing brought the tribe together like a good feast. Having a big meal, sharing stories, dancing, or just sitting around and enjoying the ambiance. Either way it was looking to be a good time.
Sitting next to the Saiyan was the village leader, who was busy enjoying his own bowl. He took another bite before turning toward the hero. "Enjoying the food Trunks?" He asked with a slight smirk.
The half-Saiyan looked over to the man, while the left side of his mouth was stuffed. He quickly swallowed before answering. "Yeah this is really tasty." His travels through space had been fun, but there didn't seem to be many opportunities to stop and rest. So it was nice to be able to relax and enjoy a nice hot meal.
"Yes, we have some good cooks among our tribe." He then put his chopsticks down and rotated his body slightly to be facing the warrior always. "Now you mentioned collecting Power Stars? Tell me, what are you planning to do with them?"
"Well they aren't exactly for me. See there's this girl named Rosalina who watches over the universe in her Comet Observatory, which is powered by the Power Stars. They were stolen from her and I promised to get them back for her." He explained, feeling unsure of what the man would reply.
Yarzon took that bit of information in, all the while trying to find any deceit in Trunks' words. After a few moments a smile came to his face. "That is very noble of you, and I sense no deception in your words."
"So does this mean you'll give me your Power Stars?"
"Of course, it's the least we can do for you. Besides, they aren't really much use to us, and if any more invaders show up we can just tell them to leave." Yarzon stated.
Trunks smiled at the man. He was grateful that they were willing to part with the Power Stars, and he was especially glad that they believed him. Of course was telling the truth, but for all they knew he was making up stuff to take their possessions. Luckily everything was going his way, and unless some kind of monster showed up it was looking to be an easy recovery.
The sound of heavy footsteps echoed throughout the field as Mario ran toward his opponent. Now dawning a metal cap, he was faster, stronger, and could better stand up to attacks. There was also the added benefit of being able to survive underwater, but for now he was focusing on the other aspects. He had no idea if being Metal Mario would be enough to stop Wario, but it was his best chance.
On Wario's part he was actually getting a little excited. He had never gone up against Mario with the Metal Cap on, as it had never been necessary before. Now though the greedy man was the stronger of the two, and so far had been completely dominating his rival. It wasn't much fun without his rival putting up a fight, and now he had one. Being Metal might not make a difference in the end, but it would at least make things interesting.
A few moments passed before the gap between them had been closed, and once it had Metal Mario made his move. He quickly threw a punch, hitting his rival square in his big gut. Seeing his foe hunch over made him smirk, even if his mouth was covered, as it told him that he was now strong enough to stand up to his rival.
That successful attack was followed up with a second punch to the gut, and then another, and then another. After a couple more blows the metal man switched his focus to a different area, which he did by ramming his metallic fist into his opponent's jaw. As his foe reeled back he jumped up slightly and kicked forward with both feet, sending his rival back several feet.
Metal Mario watched as his opponent hit the ground, but he only paused for a brief second before rushing back into the fight. Just because he had won that little encounter didn't mean the fight was over, and he certainly didn't want Wario recovering.
In mid-stride he stopped when he saw a ball of light heading his way. Reacting quickly Mario crossed his arms over his face, hoping it would be enough to shield himself from the blast. It struck his makeshift defense with a loud boom, shrouding him in smoke. It was quickly revealed that he was fine, thanks to his metal coated body. But just when it seemed like he was in the clear he found himself getting punched in the face.
"Ya caught me off guard there for a second, but the battle isn't over yet!" Wario grinned as he noticed his rival getting up. "You may be stronger, faster, and tougher, but I'm-a still superior to you in every way."
Undeterred by that threat, and unwilling to give up, Metal Mario once again dashed toward his enemy. As he ran he could see his rival charging at him, but he didn't falter. A few seconds later and they were right in front of one another. Getting in the first strike, the metal man threw a fist into his foe's face.
Wario recoiled slightly before delivering a punch of his own, and despite him hitting metal he still managed to do some damage. He then threw a few more blows, taking control of the battle. It was strangely satisfying hearing his fists make impact against the metal, but he figured it was because it meant he was in control. A couple more fists followed before he planted his boot in his rival's stomach, sending him back several feet.
The previous impact had sent Metal Mario flying, but he was quick to recover. He used the momentum to go into a reverse roll, and as such made it back to his feet. Once he did he barely had time to put up his guard, and only just managed to block the oncoming fist. The metal man tried to counter with a punch, but his fist was caught before it could make impact.
Grinning like a mad man, Wario pulled his opponent in closer. At the same time he socked the metal man in his cheek. He threw a few more punches before stopping. "This is just too easy."
In response to that Mario reeled his head back before slamming it straight into Wario's big nose. The grip on his hand had released, and all the while he could hear the pained screams of his enemy. Some blood landed on him, having flown out of the nose, but he didn't care. Most importantly it gave him an opportunity to counter, which he did by jumping up and ramming his fist into his foe's jaw.
As his rival staggered back Metal Mario ran forward, leapt into the air, and kicked him as hard as he could with both feet. His attack knocked the portly man off his feet and onto the ground. That was followed up by the metal man jumping up once again, but this time he landed on his foe.
"Ugh!" The portly man cried out as all of that weight came crashing down on him; he may have had a big gut to take the impact, but it still hurt. More pain would follow as he was repeatedly punched in the face. Even with his increased power and strength being hit by metal-coated fists still hurt.
After a couple more hits Wario had had enough. Calling upon his power, he unleashed a omni-directional burst of energy. A satisfied smirk came to his face as his rival was blown off of him. Had his rival not been coated in metal he would have gone further, but since the desired effect happened it didn't matter.
Metal Mario got back to his feet, and right as he did a ball of light hit his stomach. That wasn't too bad, but another one soon struck him. He quickly found himself getting hit by a barrage of blasts, with each one hitting a different part of him. He tried to ignore it and continue the fight, but it was hard to move with the blasts pushing against him.
Chuckles of delight escaped Wario's mouth as he kept on firing. It was amusing seeing his rival trying to gain some ground, only to be pushed back. Soon enough a thick cloud of smoke formed, shrouding his opponent. Despite not being able to see he kept up the onslaught, as he knew his blasts were hitting their mark.
A couple more seconds passed before Wario ceased firing, mostly because he needed to catch his breath. Several deep breathes exited his mouth as he watched the recently formed cloud start to disperse. "Hehe, let's see him-a survive that."
Not a moment later Metal Mario came out of the smoke, once again charging at his foe. If he had been effected by the blasts he certainly didn't show it, which may have been helped by his metal-covered body. Still, he had plenty of fight left in him, and he was ready to step back in.
Wario wasted no time in dashing forward, closing the gap between them in seconds. Now in range he threw a flurry of punches, hitting his rival all over the upper-body. That continued for several moments before he kicked the metal man in the face, launching him backward. A purple aura then engulfed his body as he flew to pursue.
While his rival was in mid-air Wario continued pelting him with punches and kicks, not letting up for a second. His opponent may have had a good defense, but that just meant he needed to use more power. After a while he grabbed the metal man by his neck and slammed him into the ground hard. As his opponent lay embedded within the ground he ascended higher in the air.
Floating high above his rival, the greedy man held out one of his palms. Another ball of energy formed, but this one was much bigger. It continued expanding in size, and all the while he was laughing. "This should-a finish him!" Once it was bigger than his head he launched it straight downward.
It hit the area where Metal Mario was, and as a result generated a huge explosion. The ground shook violently as flames and smoke filled the air. Harsh winds blew in every direction, making the nearby trees sway. Bits and pieces of rock flew everywhere, having been loosened by the explosion. As for the area of impact it had been completely destroyed, leaving behind only a crater.
Wario watched the dust cloud dissipate, and once it was gone he noticed a glorious sight. His rival was lying deep within the recently formed crater, and by the looks of it he wasn't getting up any time soon. "Well look at that." What also stood out was that Mario had gone back to normal, having lost his power.
Landing within the crater, the portly man lightly kicked his rival. There was no kind of reaction, making him laugh loudly in triumph. "Hahahahaha! I finally defeated the Mario Brothers!" His outburst continued, even if no one was around to hear it.
All of those humiliating defeats, and the constant shame of being weak, it was all gone. How he hated getting beaten by Mario, and to a lesser extent Luigi, over and over again. Everything was different now though. Now Wario had all the power, and just using a little bit was enough to win. His rival was on the brink of death, and Luigi was fairing no better. It truly was a glorious day, and he hadn't even cleaned things up yet.
"You gave it your all, but it wasn't good enough. Hm, now what do I do with you?" He asked to no one as he inspected the body. "It doesn't look like you'll be continuing this fight, so I guess I'll just-"
A loud crash soon occurred, disturbing the natural silence of the golf course. The source was a space pod, similar to the one Wario had shown up to the planet in. A few seconds later the hatch opened up, and out walked someone. It was an alien with deep purple skin, with lots of white spots over their arms and head. Said alien wore the traditional armor of Lord Plum's armies, and judging by the look on his face he didn't seem happy.
Wario walked out of the crater, curious as to what that was. As he stepped back on solid ground he noticed who had come, and the sight made him gasp in shock.
"There you are Wario." The alien noted as he walked over to his fellow soldier.
"Uh, h-hello Gr-grape." He gave a nervous salute to his comrade.
Grape narrowed his eyes at the shorter man. "So this is where you ran off to; you know Lord Plum wasn't too happy about that."
After receiving his training, and his armor, Wario had been assigned to a team in order to take planets for Lord Plum. While that was all well and good he had only been interested in beating Mario and Luigi. So, when the opportunity arose, he took a space pod and headed straight for the Mushroom Kingdom. He planned to return to Lord Plum after getting his revenge, and he figured his new leader wouldn't have minded.
"W-well, I didn't mean t-to disobey hi-"
"Do you know what happens to those who don't follow orders?" Grape took a few steps forward, but paused when his scouter started beeping. Curious as to who was contacting him he pressed the button on the side. "Yes? No, I've been tracking... what?! You mean Lord Plum is really dead?"
As his fellow soldier was talking Wario slowly started backing away, trying to be sneaky in his exit. His power was smaller than Grape's, and while he probably could've stayed and fought he would much rather run while he had the chance. And even though he hadn't killed his rival yet he valued his own life more. Besides, once he successfully ran he could come back and finish the job.
"Alright well when you get there be sure to let me know." With the conversation over he returned his focus on the task at hand. "Now then..." His face went blank when he noticed Wario had fled the scene.
Grumbling to himself, he put his scouter to use by tracking the deserter down. He had never liked Wario, as he found him dishonest and un-trustworthy. Grape wanted that smarmy man gone, and figured one loss couldn't hurt the empire. Once he found the coward he smirked and took off. "I'm really going to enjoy this!"
I think I'll end it off here. Now I know there wasn't much Trunks in this chapter but I figured focusing on how everyone else was doing was more important. I wanted to give him an easy adventure this time, which can give me time to think of other scenarios for the planets he lands on, as well as his scouter dilemma(but I have plans for that). As far as Metal Mario is concerned, I don't think he would have won even with all he has going for him, and I removed the time limit and made the power-up last until a severe amount of damage is done to the wearer. Wario finally beat the Mario Brothers but now faces a fellow soldier with a grudge, and Bowser isn't much closer to his goal. I once again tried to keep the metal man's identity a secret, but I'm sure it's obvious. Be sure to R&R and have a wonderful day.
FutureShock
