Use the Synergy

HK-47 assessed his competition.

Elle Block. Contortionist. Capable of twisting her body in ways only imaginable. Female meatbag. Found highly attractive by Male meatbags. Threat Level: High

Isaac. Synergy-user. Think, Jedi. Capable of moving objects with the power of his mind. Male meatbag. Threat Level: Medium

Professor Layton. Professor. Capable of solving puzzles. Threat Level: Very Low.

He realized that his true threats were Elle and Isaac. He'd have to do everything he could if he were to beat these meatbags.

---Elle Block, 2F---

Elle found herself on the second floor wearing only a bikini.

"You must cross the floor, holding your feet in your hands." A disembodied voice told her.

So she complied. She laid on stomach, and then lifted her legs behind her, and over her head. She then grabbed her feet, and placed them on the floor. She hopped, butt in the air, towards the stairs, and up them.

"Very impressive." The disembodied voice said, as she got to the 3rd floor.

---HK-47, 2F---

"Query. How do I get to the second floor?" HK-47 asked.

"You must make it across the marketplace without killing a single meatbag." a merchant told him. "If you kill someone, the stairs will never appear."

This made HK-47 very unhappy. There were several meatbags worth killing here. A hobo begging for money at the street corner. A prostitute selling herself to whoever was pathetic enough to require her services. A guy with a strange looking hat. But he had to carry on.

Not killing anyone was harder than he thought. The mere idea that there were many meatbags here that he wouldn't get the chance to commit needless wanton violence on made him die a little inside. But what fueled him was knowing that on the third floor... plenty of meatbags to destroy would be available.

Finally, he made it to the stairs. "Statement. that wasn't TOO bad."

---Isaac, 2F---

"Isaac!" Jenna said. "Behind this rock is the staircase to the next floor. But you can't use Synergy to move it."

It was then that Jenna disappeared. Isaac wasn't sure why he wasn't supposed to use Synergy. He just knew that he couldn't. He trusted Jenna. So he began trying to push the rock. It was heavy. It weighted at least two ton. Synergy would have made it easily movable.

He continued pushing it. After a couple of minutes, it finally budged. He kept pushing with all of his strength. It would budge half an inch every now and then. He had all of his strength into it, and it was finally moved a couple of feet. Enough for Isaac to slip past, and up the stairs to the next level.

---Professor Layton, 2F---

Standing before Layton was a man who looked to be in his mid-30's.

"I have a puzzle for you." The man explained. "Rather a riddle. If you don't know the answer, you may give up."

Layton nodded. This was his specialty. There wasn't a riddle that Professor Layton couldn't solve!

"What lies in the shadow of the statue?" The man asked.

The Professor thought for a moment. It was one that he certainly hadn't heard before. The answer wasn't immediately obvious. What could lie in the shadow of the statue? Was the wording used correctly? Was it what LIES in the shadow of the statue? It was a riddle, that he'd have to give much thought to. But he wasn't ready to give up. Not by a long shot.

---Elle Block, 3F---

On the third floor, was a maze made of tetriminoes. And chasing Elle down were Square Blocks. She immediately shot two square blocks, one on each side, out of her finger. She smiled as she did so. When they connected, they all disappeared and moved out of her way.

Each turn she made, she was faced with similar Square Blocks. None of them were hard to take out. Just a couple of shots from her Tetrimino finger, and they were gone like they were never there.

She could shoot them out fast enough, to make several rows before they even got close. "A thousand points!" she said, giggling happily.

Finally she found the stairs, and made her way up them. Just what was lying in wait for her on the fourth floor.

---HK-47, 3F--

"Statement. I LOVE THIS FLOOR!" HK-47, as he saw a bunch of meatbags with blasters. He began shooting at them, cutting their legs off, and doing other needless wanton violence to them. He took his time enjoying each and every kill. Shooting them in the head. Blowing them up. And other various means that he had learned over the many years. Even some he had never used before. He looked through every nook and cranny, to find any stragglers that might have made it past him.

Finally, he found the stairs.

"Statement. That was very therapeutic."

HK-47 felt much, much better. And he was ready to go to the next level. But only because no meatbags remained on this one.

---Isaac, 3F---

The third floor had several wild mushrooms for Isaac to fight. He managed to slash through most of them with his sword. He knew he had little time. The droid HK-47 was getting ahead of him. Elle was certainly not to be underestimated. And he wasn't sure what Layton was capable of. Or what he'd have to face.

Isaac felt stronger after pushing that boulder. No enemy was going to stand in his way -- and none were capable of putting up much of a fight doing so. Finally, he came to the stairs, and went up to the fourth floor.

---Professor Layton, 1F---

What Lies in the Shadow of the statue? It was a riddle that still vexed Professor Layton. Where in was the answer?

First he had to figure out what the riddle was asking.

Was it asking, "What lies in the shadow of the statue", as in what is it, that tells lies in the shadow of the statue? Or was it asking "What is it that lies in the shadow of the statue?"

Second, he had to figure out what statue. Layton figured that it would be any statue. After all, the riddle would be unsolvable if it meant a specific statue, without mentioning what statue it was. The riddle was certainly most perplexing. And he knew he was running out of time. But Professor Hershell Layton never gives up!

---Elle, 4F---

Elle wasn't sure what would be on the fourth floor for her. She was still in the bikini she wore for the previous two floors. She wasn't sure what Tartarus's idea was, but she liked it. Then she saw a face she hadn't saw in some time... her cousin.. Tee.

Tee was Elle's twin cousin. Like Elle she was blonde, nimble, and capable of contortions. She was also wearing a revealing Bikini.

"Come on, Cousin. Let's get down and dirty. See if you can't beat me."

Tee then pushed her Elle into the hot oil pit. And Tee jumped in after her.

"What are you, lesbian?" Elle asked.

Tee shook her head. "I go both ways, baby."

The two girls then got into a cat fight. Tee pulled Elle's hair. Elle pushed Tee down, and crawled on top of her. Tee grabbed Elle's sides and wrestled her into the oil. Every time they made contact, their hands would slip off each others oily bodies.

Both girls got on their knees, and reached around to grab whatever they could to hold on to the other. Tee pulled Elle down, but Elle laid on top of Tee, trying to grab her and pin her down. They went for each others shoulders, but Tee slipped out when Elle went down. Tee then got behind Elle, and grabbed on to her back.

Tee held on tight, trying to choke Elle, but Elle slipped out of the hold thanks to the oil. Tee then tried using her legs to pull Elle back, but Elle fell flat on her stomach. Tee crawled on top of Elle, pinning her down. Elle tried twisting and turning to get Tee off of her. She even tried lying on her back, facing Tee. But it didn't work. No matter how much she kicked her legs, Tee's legs were holding her down.

"Grr! This is why I never go to family reunions!" Elle shouted.

Elle momentarily was able to get back up, but Tee pushed her back down, facing the other way this time. Elle attempted to kick Tee, but Tee inched her way up Elle's body. Elle pushed her off, and got the upper hand. She then pushed Tee on her back, and inched her way up Tee's body the way Tee had done to her earlier.

Tee pushed Elle away by her shoulders, and then the two switched places again. Tee was back on top, trying to pin Elle's hands down. Elle kept fighting back, even with Tee on top of her. Elle managed to finally push Tee off of her, and made her way back on top. She tried holding Tee's shoulders down, while pinning her arms down. She finally managed to do so without the oil causing her to slide off.

"Say Uncle, *****!"

"Uncle, *****!" Tee said.

"Quit, or I'll... do the same thing to you I did to Aunt C."

"ALRIGHT UNCLE!" Tee called out.

And Elle let her cousin up off the ground. Elle got up as well, and slid a couple of times, before getting out of the oil pit. When she finally did, she carefully walked up to the fifth floor, trying not to slip.

---HK-47, 4F---

On the fourth floor... was a small green meatbag in Jedi robes waiting for HK-47.

"Query: Is this midget the best that the tower can do?"

"Judge me on my size, do you hmmm?" the Jedi asked. "Big mistake, I think."

"Query: Who are you?"

"Call me Yoda, they do. A Jedi, I am."

HK-47 analyzed Yoda.

Yoda. Jedi Master. Hundreds of years old. Species unknown. Threat Level: OH ****!

HK-47 shot at Yoda, hoping to get a quick kill, but the Jedi Master deflected the blaster shot with his Lightsaber. 47 shot off another blast, and this time Yoda did a back flip to avoid it. HK-47 kept firing at the Jedi master, with more and more rapid succession. But Yoda jumped over him, and behind him.

Yoda sliced off HK-47's gun arm, and then sliced off his other arm, before jumping back over him.

"Commentary. That's not fair!"

"Fair, hmmm?" Yoda asked. "Fair, was it, when you shot at me, when Unarmed I was?"

"Mockery. Apparently, yes."

HK-47 started running towards the Jedi master. He tried tackling him, but Yoda just jumped over him.

"Too slow, is this one hmmm?"

HK-47 struggled to get back off the floor, and Yoda sliced off one of his legs with his lightsaber.

"Now, closer to my size you are hmm?" Yoda said, as he sliced off HK-47's second leg.

"Statement. The threat assessment system needs an update. Threat Level: No ****ing Chance"

---Isaac, 4F---

"Felix!" Isaac said, as he arrived on the fourth floor.

"If you want to pass, you're going to have to fight me." Felix told him.

"Alright... but I'm not going easy on you." Isaac told him.

The two clashed swords. Isaac used the power of synergy to push Felix back, and then rushed forwards, slashing at his face. Isaac parried with his blade, and then jumped back. Isaac too jumped back, and the two began to push each other back with the power of Synergy.

Neither were budging more than an inch, holding their place well. Isaac put all of his focus into it, and Felix finally started going back at a faster pace. Isaac was finally able to hold on, and push Felix over. With Felix on his back, Isaac ran up to him, and struck Felix's torso with his blade. Felix pushed Isaac back with Synergy, but only a couple of feet. Isaac slid towards Felix, and once again struck at his torso, this time hitting him.

Isaac then pushed Felix back using Synergy, and jumped to Felix's position. He placed his sword, point down, over Felix's head.

"Do it." Felix said.

"Surrender." Isaac told him.

"Never!"

Isaac brought his sword down on Felix's head. Felix lay lifeless on the floor. And the stairs appeared behind Isaac. Without looking back, he proceeded up them.

---Professor Layton, 2F---

Layton still hadn't solved his riddle. It had perplexed him more than any puzzle ever had. There had to be a solution, but he didn't see it. He looked around the room, hoping to find more information, or some inspiration. But he found nothing.

"Time is up." The man said. "I'm afraid that two have already reached the barrier."

"Pardon me," Professor Layton said. "But what =was the solution?"

"The solution was to give up." The man told him. "Without more information, you could not have solved the riddle."

Layton felt foolish. He could have went to the next level, if his pride would have let him. Giving up would have been the only way to solve the puzzle. He couldn't believe it was the one thing he didn't think of.

With that, Layton was transported back to the first floor.

---First Floor---

HK-47 found himself on the first floor. Missing his limbs still.

"Isaac and Elle will be advancing to the next round. Yamagishi. Kujikawa. Can you take HK-47 to the Infirmary?"

"Sure thing, Senpai!" Rise said, as the two carried HK-47 off to the infirmary to get fixed.

~*Post Match*~

"There, that should do it." Naomi said, affixing the last of HK-47's limbs back on his body.

"Commentary. Though I do not like meatbags, I am somewhat happy that you fixed me."

Naomi Hunter laughed. "Always have to have a tough guy image, huh?"

"Course he does!" said a voice.

It was HK-47's Roommate, Duke Nukem.

"Mockery. Oh look, it's Puke Nukem."

"Hah, Good one. So little buddy. You got your ass kicked by that big bad tower huh? Well don't worry, the king will kick that sorry tower's ass."

"Commentary. I seriously doubt that."

"Don't worry. Just cause a green midget kicked your ass, doesn't mean you should feel bad. Hell. Green midgets can be pretty scary. But not to the duke, baby! I've got this. Tell him Dr. Sexy."

"Don't call me that." Naomi said.

"Query. If he's ever put in the infirmary.. could you hurt him. Please?"

Naomi laughed. "I'll think about it.

"Oh! You like it rough, huh baby?" Duke said. "The Duke can dig it!"

"Your match is tomorrow, by the way." Naomi informed him. "I was asked to tell you if I saw you. The higher ups had trouble finding you."

"Oh crap!" Duke said. "I better go get my Beauty Rest. See ya later little buddy!"

With that, Duke ran back to his dorm, eagerly awaiting his turn to go into Tartarus.