Scene 2: The Thermal Bros.
Scene 2, Chapter 7 –
Assailant
News spread all around the world that the Cult of Incognito took over the Koopa Kingdom and Mushroom Kingdom. Hey-Ho didn't really care. It was their stupid fault that let them be taken over anyway.
Hey-Ho was sitting on a rock doing nothing. He didn't know what to do now. Dark Mario was too fast, like a wind corrupting everything in its path.
As Hey-Ho was thinking, his mysterious stalker was hiding high up in the trees behind him. Hey-Ho detected something and launched his boomerang chopper back, which sliced the branches and sent the mystery man tumbling in front of Hey-Ho.
"Ugh…" moaned Chunky, the punk who picked on Hey-Ho.
Hey-Ho jumped up and pulled the bob-omb out of his backpack. "What are you doing here!?"
Chunky grimaced. "I saw you sneak out of Shroomland. I knew you were up to know good so I decided to follow you."
"What makes me think you are up to no good?"
"Nothing, but… I have a great idea. I'm gonna take you in to the Mushroom police! That's right! Yes, yes… Bring in the missing child. What a hero I'll be… just you see…" He looked insane and dangerous. His voice and accent changed too.
"That's enough, I'm not gonna take anymore of that BS from you." Hey-Ho started to light the bob-omb."
Chunky whipped out a fire pistol and pointed it at Hey-Ho. "No… That's not what's going to happen to me… What is more dangerous? A gun or the bob-omb? That's for you to decide…"
"Who are you?"
"Maybe there's more to me than it seems. Maybe I'm not the idiot punk who's terrorizing the mushroom schools. Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. Maybe… Maybe…"
"Shut up! Do I care who you are!?" Hey-Ho turned on his jetpack and tried to escape, but the crazed mushroom shot the jetpack and the runaway shy guy down.
"Maybe you should agree to my terms… Come with me to the Mushroom Kingdom… Think about it, you won't have me pointing a gun at you, would you? Would you?"
Hey-Ho raised his hands in defeat. He'd have to think of a plan later. Besides, how could they let a criminal like this loose in the Mushroom Kingdom? Hero? Nah.
Chunky placed handcuffs on Hey-Ho and directed him back the opposite direction to Mushroom Kingdom.
Dark Mario looked at himself. After feeding off so many people, his looks have changed. In fact, he didn't look anything like Mario now. He was leaner, and he was more "elfish" in appearance. His skin was a light blue, and his nose was pointed. Not a resemblance to Mario. He stilled liked the name Dark Mario though. It seemed threatening—sinister… His style.
Dark Mario was now at Wario's castle. What a rich slob. Dark Mario tried a more "dignified" approach. He rang the doorbell. The fat yellow and purple plumber answered the door. "Whaddya want!?"
"Hello."
1 second…
2 seconds…
Wario shrieked. "AHHHHHHHHHH! It's you!" He shut the door and ran all the way upstairs. Specter grinned. It should be fun to chase him…
Scene 2, Chapter 8 – The Boy
and the Toy
Cult of Incognito. Incognito
Empire. Two slightly different things. You see, the cult is the actual band of
us Koopas, Shy Guys, etc. The empire is our rule over the world. Don't mix them
up. They're both far too great for anyone to comprehend…
-Dr. Schizo (AKA Dr. Fungenstein)
All of the Koopa Kingdom and Mushroom Kingdom were enslaved and forced to do whatever the CoI wanted them to do. Dr. Schizo gave Cicle and Torch orders to supervise the construction of a super CoI castle. It will be about 22 castles large, connecting Bowser's Keep and Mushroom Castle, and Cicle and Torch are occupying Bowser's Keep and the Mushroom Castle (build much higher to be "towers") to be their "offices." The work would take an eternity… and the crazy doctor liked that.
Toad worked slowly as he dug out rocks and minerals for the castle. Stall for time was his strategy. As he grabbed a fist full of dirt, he noticed some metal contraption. To stall for more time, he "accidently" released the dirts and rocks and the metal thing. Suddenly he felt a strong kick in his behind rendering his paralyzed for a while. "OWWWWWWWWWWWW! Ahh… the pain!"
Torch stood behind Toad in the same pose. "You lazy scum. Get back to work unless you want Cicle to ice you!"
Elsewhere, Koopas and mushrooms had to work together to build the mega castle of the CoI. An occasional Mask Koopa would just kick someone to cause some trouble and havoc. Dark Mario was nowhere to be found.
As Hey-Ho and Chunky headed toward the Mushroom Kingdom, they had to pass through Toad Town first. Chunky saw this as an excuse for stretching for some time. Hey-Ho saw this as an excuse to stall for some time.
They both stopped behind a small house so Chunky could stretch and relax his lazy self. "Ahhh, it feels good to stop walking and holding you as a prisoner… Doesn't it?"
"Mmm." Hey-Ho didn't pay attention to what that psychopath had to say, he was just watching the inside of the house through the window to waste his time.
A teenager mushroom boy was holding a Shy Guy toy. It had a navy blue robe and yellow shoes—just like Hey-Ho.
"Hmmm… taken interest in little Gene, have you?"
Now the psychopath caught his
attention. "Huh?"
"That boy. His name is Gene.
Pretty interesting things this boy has gone through… Yes, the times he has had
with that toy…"
"What? What do you know about him!?"
"Oh, many things… The kid you see, yes, he's very lonely, lonely indeed… You see, he always wanted a Shy Guy friend—a partner. He always had some obsession with Shy Guys. Yet, most Shy Guys except you are little thieves and trouble-makers causing havoc wherever they go."
Hey-Ho continued to stare at Gene. His face was neutral, not a smile or frown to his toy. Maybe he outgrew it.
"Ah, but that was years ago. He has changed… changed… He's a teenager now. No need for toys, eh?"
Hey-Ho didn't move. "Was his wish ever granted?"
Chunky never got to answer. The front door slammed open and a Mask Koopa followed by two MechaKoopas and a Pyro Guy stormed the house. Hey-Ho and Chunky were watching through the window, unknown to the CoI lackeys. "As you know, the Incognito Empire, led by the great Dr. Schizo himself, has begun to take over and govern this world. But before that, the great Citadel of Incognito, which links Bowser's Keep and Mushroom Castle, must be built. As a citizen, you're required to work on the project."
In other words, slave.
Gene's mom backed away until she hit the wall. Gene just stood there and said contemptuously, "In other words, we're slaves."
"If you refuse to cooperate, yes, we'll be forced to enslave you."
"We'd be slaves nonetheless. Forget it then, we're not submitting to you. I, for one, have nothing to live for."
"Very well then, your punishment for not obeying with the new law will commence." The Mask Koopa snapped his fingers. The two MechaKoopas jumped Gene and started gnashing their metallic teeth at him.
His mom was horrified. "GENE!" She ran in, but the Pyro Guy jumped in front of her, grabbed her, and started burning her.
Hey-Ho was enraged now. He was trying to reach the house, but Chunky was holding him back with the handcuffs. "I'm afraid not, boy."
"Boy," so that means he's a lot older than I think. But who cares… I must help that family! Argh!
"Give it up, you can't save them in time…"
All Hey-Ho could do was sit there in despair and watch as Gene and his mother got murdered by that vicious Cult of Incognito. He calmed himself, even though his rage was building up. He muttered to Chunky. "If you know so much, tell me about Dr. Schizo. Who is he, what is he up to?"
Chunky paused. He stood up. "I think it's time for us to leave." He pulled on Hey-Ho's cuffs and dragged him away. As Gene was dying, he saw the navy blue Shy Guy being dragged away.
Hours later, they finally made it to the Mushroom Kingdom. It looked nothing like the happy place it should be. Everything was a mess, while cultists were running all over the place.
Wario ran all the way upstairs, bolting every door behind him on the way. Dark Mario simply walked slowly, punching a hole in every door and ripping it out of its hinges. Wario shrieked and dashed to his helicopter pad. Dark Mario grinned and said, "Helicopters? You're too rich…"
Wario smashed in the ignition key, turned it, and was hurrying up the piece of junk to go faster. The copter lifted and made a mad dash through the sky.
"Technology like this? It's not necessary… for me." Dark Mario rose into the sky, using his P-Wing cape. Wario shrieked and zoomed off. Dark Mario stayed there, smiling. Nothing could be more fun than chasing a crazy, fat yellow guy. He charged up a fireball and fired it at Wario, which brought him and his plane crashing down into the water. Wario shrieked.
"Enough fun for now. I must go back to the cult," muttered Dark Mario. He flew off, heading straight for the Ex-Mushroom Castle.
Scene 2, Chapter 9 – Blood
Sport
"We're here," said Chunky, grinning.
Hey-Ho didn't notice. He kept thinking about what he saw in that house in Toad Town.
The Mushroom Kingdom was dark now. The stores were vacant. Glasses were shattered. Places were unsanitary. It only reflected the dark and evil nature of the CoI. Something caught Hey-Ho's eye. It was that twinkle—that glint. He realized that it was the titanium copter that he saw earlier.
Chunky went on, closing his eyes in his extreme pride, "Yes, I've finally brought this criminal to justice. How it pleases me. No more destruction that he will cause. No, because of me. Because of me…"
Hey-Ho saw this as his chance. He quickly popped out his copter, kicked up the titanium one, and plugged it on top of his head. Then he submerged it under his robe. Chunky was still oblivious because he was still rambling on. "…Oh well, did you hear what they did to the Arena? Yes, that arena where the infamous Specter abducted the famous Mario? Well, it's now rebuilt to hold gladiator battles. They send in waves of MechaKoopas until the gladiator smashes them all… or until they rip up the gladiator. How exciting, eh? I'll send you to there. I hope you have a fun time. I have business attend to… Important business…"
Chunky dragged Hey-Ho a couple blocks down to the Arena. There, a transfer commenced, and Hey-Ho was thrown into a gladiator cell. Unfortunately, he was the only one. In the meantime, the Arena filled up with CoI minions, and Torch and Cicle took the announcer's box. Two minutes later, two Mask Koopas came in and dragged Hey-Ho out into the Arena. The audience cheered.
Torch and Cicle were surprised. Torch spoke into the mike, "Well, look who the cat dragged out! It's that little punk that we meant earlier!"
Cicle joined in. "Payback time!"
"Well then, let the MechaKoopas out."
MechaKoopas came pouring out from the sides. About three surrounded Hey-Ho on each of his four sides. The audience booed Hey-Ho raucously. One MechaKoopa was quicker than the others and jumped at Hey-Ho. Hey-Ho switched on his titanium blades and quickly made that machine stop functioning.
I better make a break for it. They'll keep sending more, and I'll have no chance of survival down here.
He grabbed the MechaKoopa he just slaughtered and swung it around, knocking out the closest three MechaKoopas. The remaining four MechaKoopas continued charging forward. He threw the MechaKoopa in his hand at the one in front of him, charged at the Koopa to the right of him, knocking it unconscious. He picked it up, jumped on the next MechaKoopa, and switched on his copter.
"He's getting away!" screamed Cicle. In the meantime, Torch was humming the song, "'Fraid He Must Die, Cuz He's a Shy Guy."
Cicle was enraged now. He never thought of escaping through air. "That's it! Today's gladiator match is canceled!" Torch pressed a button which released an armada of Beezos in the air.
"If that can't take care of him, then he's damned good."
"Let's get out of here. This is a perfect time to work on our secret project."
"Of course. Specter should be coming here soon. We need to work as much as we can before he arrives. Then our work will be very furtive."
The Thermal Brothers dashed out of the arena and into the Mushroom Castle, future home of Torch's.
Hey-Ho was amazed at all the Beezos that were sent to attack him. There were about 12 Beezos at twelve o' clock, 27 Beezos at three o' clock, 7 at six, and 13 at nine. There was no way he can take down all of them, so he swung the malfunctioning MechaKoopa at the group of 27 Beezos. It was an accurate throw, taking out most of the 27 Beezos. This was his chance. He made a dash right through the Beezo swarm and dropped all the way down to the ground. The other Beezos were so stupefied by the MechaKoopa that they forgot about Hey-Ho.
"Billy Bob! Is he okay?"
"Ya reckon he's not?"
"I reckon…"
"Ya reckon we better get out of here?"
"I reckon…"
The Beezos sped off and rushed the unconscious Beezos to the hospital, forgetting about Hey-Ho.
Hey-Ho was now in a construction area. It was deserted because of that crazy Arena, but the slaves and cultists should be back soon. He started walking forward until he tripped over something.
Dr. Schizo and Dark Mario sat in the meeting room in Ice Tower (Bowser's Keep). Dr. Schizo muttered, "God, what's taking those two idiots so long. Sporus and I are getting impatient…"
"Just wait, master… If they come too late, then I'll find ways to deal with them.
Cicle and Torch were outside the room. They heard some of the conversation. Torch whispered, "We'll deal with you, you power-hungry maniac soon enough."
Cicle silently laughed. "Ha, I don't see why Specter has to call that old fool 'Master.' The doctor is obviously being played for a fool."
The Thermal Bros. walked into the room casually. Dr. Schizo slammed the table. "Where have you two been!? You good-for-nothing idiots!"
"Chill," said Cicle. "We've been working on our top-secret project." The two snifits took their seats.
"Ah yes. Your top-secret project… When will you reveal it to us? When will you tell us what it does? When will it be done?" said Dark Mario.
"Soon enough. It's in its final stages. It should be ready by tomorrow," said Torch.
Cicle sneered. "We've been running into trouble from a rogue Shy Guy named Hey-Ho."
Dr. Schizo spoke up and said, "What happened to him in the arena."
"The Beezos were chasing him. Unfortunately, he wounded some, and the rest were distracted. He took advantage of that and got away. His whereabouts are currently unknown."
"He is definitely Slasher…"
Suddenly, Dr. Schizo's voice changed into a higher-pitched and older voice. "If that's true, then I find it astounding that he doesn't remember Gene Myco…"
Everyone stared at him.
His voice changed back to normal. "Meeting dismissed. We'll meet again in a few hours to discuss this Hey-Ho character."
Dark Mario muttered, "He's no threat to me…"
Scene 2, Chapter 10 –
Destiny
"Shy Guy, get up."
Hey-Ho pushed himself up and moaned.
A wizard who's face was concealed faced him. "Wh-who are you?"
"A wizard. Not much of a big
deal, is it? Originally, I was enslaved by those mad Thermal Bros. Now tell me,
are you a friend or foe."
"Friend. I'm not associated with any CoI Shy Guy. They make me sick."
"Very good. I believe I can trust you. Something about you says you have a good heart."
Heart? I don't have one.
"I can tell you what I've found out. Recently, Torch and Cicle created this satellite-like machine. I overheard from them that they will use it to mind control everyone in this world. If that happens, then they'll rule the world. That should never happen!"
"Those little suckups."
"Ha, far from that. You see, if that happens, Dr. Schizo and Dark Mario will also be under their control. Then the world will never be safe."
"Then I'll stop them."
"How can you? You're just an
ordinary Shy Guy."
"I'm far from ordinary."
The wizard stood there staring at Hey-Ho. "Hmmm. I see. I don't know why, but you are. Tell me stranger. What's your name?"
"Hey-Ho."
"Hey-Ho? What kind of name is
that?"
"Heiho. It's Japanese for Shy Guy.
It was just a nickname given to me when I was living in the Mushroom Kingdom. I
don't have a solid name. I also go by Slasher."
Bah.
What the!?
"Heihoo. I see… Well, the honorable thing for me to do is to help you. I don't have the potential to save the world. I don't even know if I can save myself anymore. Stand still. It's not gonna hurt." The wizard raised a staff and chanted some weird words. A flash of light jolted out of the staff and zapped Hey-Ho,
"AH!"
Don't cry now.
Shut up whoever you are.
It didn't hurt. In fact, he felt
like he had more energy—like he was stronger. "What happened?"
"You're not limited to that
frozen face anymore. I let you change your mask or expression. But you can't move
your mask, it only changes."
"Wow! Thanks a lot!" Hey-Ho smiled for the first time in his life.
"You also are a bit stronger, now that I united your body."
"United?"
"You're an android. You're body doesn't totally act as a whole. Now it does."
"Thanks again! You can't do that again?"
"Haha, no. That drained all the magic that was left inside me. I guess I'll have to walk home now instead of warping or flying. Ha. Maybe I can hitch a ride or something. Well I'm off. Please defeat Cicle and Torch and good luck. And by the way, they're striking tonight. I forgot to tell you." The wizard walked away and disappeared as mysteriously as he appeared.
"That was odd…"
It sure was.
"Who are you?"
People would look at you and think you're strange talking to yourself.
Hey-Ho turned around and saw a very small computer-chip-like thing. He picked it up and scrutinized it.
Hey, let go of me!
"Who are you?"
Should it concern you?
"It should. Now tell me." Hey-Ho pulled a spare copter out of his backpack and folded it into a knife.
Okay, maybe I should concern you. But before I tell you anything about myself, I want to know why you are calling yourself an android and Slasher.
"It's who I am."
That's BS. You see, I'm Slasher. There is no other.
Hey-Ho was shocked. "Then who am I!?"
Ha, I know perfectly well who you are.
"Tell me!"
Only if you promise to take me with you.
"Why?"
I don't want to be here—alone.
"I'm always alone. Fine. Now tell me everything you know."
Okay then. About 11 years ago, there was a mad scientist named Sporus Myco. He wanted to reach Star Road. He wanted to take over the world. So he built an android. That was me.
"I thought Dr. Schizo created you."
I don't know who you're talking about. Anyway, with my help, he gathered up seven people and fulfilled the requirements.
"Requirements?"
Two good. Two bad. One loud. One proud. A Mushroom. A Koopa. A Nimbus. Those were the requirements.
"I never knew those."
Anyway, the gate was opened and the mad doctor was free to take over the world. However, a little boy named Gene Myco amazed me. He followed me after Dr. Myco and I abducted the necessary people to open the gate to Star Road. He had a little Shy Guy toy. I could tell… that he liked Shy Guys. He said to me, "Slasher, don't do it. Please." He started to cry.
"Gene Myco…"
Awhile later, through a bunch of mazes and tasks that would've killed us if it hadn't been for me, Dr. Myco and I reached the Wishing Star. Dr. Myco began to make his wish that would turn the world to chaos and under his control. Then I thought of Gene… I had no other choice. I killed the mad doctor with my blades, and he used the last of his energy to kill me with his gun. But with the last of my energy, I wished one wish. I wished that Gene would have a good Shy Guy buddy. The star granted my wish and then I was knocked unconscious.
"That means I'm your creation… That's why I'm based off your model."
Exactly. After that, I found myself—or at least my brain—lying down here, as dirt piled on top of me. I shut myself down until recently when I was dug up. End of story.
"Don't you know anything about Cicle, Torch, Dark Mario, and Dr. Schizo?"
No. Never heard of them. I told you, I shut myself down. They're probably some newcomers or whatever.
"What about Dr. Fungenstein?"
Dr. Fungenstein? Don't you mean Anthony "Chunky" Fungenstein? Bah. He was some loser punk who admired Dr. Myco. He wasn't smart to me.
"Well now he is for some reason. Now I also know a lot more… I don't know why they call him Dr. Schizo though."
Schizophrenic? I'm not sure.
"Also, Cicle and Torch, who are both creations of Dr. Schizo, are trying to brainwash the whole world with some device they created. They're going to strike tonight!"
Crazy fools.
"So, umm, how am I going to take you with me?"
Pop your mask open.
"WHAT!?"
Do it. You're an android. It won't hurt.
Hey-Ho popped his mask open to reveal a mix of blood vessels, wires, and machinery.
Put me in to the right of your head. There's an empty slot. It's meant for some weird connection like this.
He put Slasher's brain in his head and closed the mask.
Heh, now I can talk directly to you. Not only that, I gave you extra power with my power source, I can connect into the net with your advanced technology, and… I can control you body.
Hey-Ho, who didn't control himself, jumped into the air and smirked. Slasher gave control back to Hey-Ho.
"I'm beginning to feel a bit uneasy about this…"
Don't worry, I won't take advantage of your body. I won't use it that much anyway, unless I really need it. Trust me.
"Okay…"
Now lemme tap into your memory and learn everything about these androids you speak of.
The four CoI leaders met again in their meeting room.
"I want to know more about this Hey-Ho character," said Cicle.
"He's nothing to me. A mere worm. That's what all Shy Guys are: pawns. Little kids… They're nothing to me," said Dark Mario, totally confident.
"Ahhh, but you see, you see, I know a lot about Slasher and Hey-Ho," whispered Dr. Schizo loud enough so everyone could here.
Torch jumped to his feet and pounded the table. "Tell me who that Sporus guy is!"
Cicle muttered, "He has no tact…"
Dr. Schizo's voice changed again to that same high-pitched voice that he had before. "You see… Dr. Schizo is two people."
"The words of a schizophrenic," muttered Dark Mario.
"Dr. Fungenstein and Dr. Myco. I am Dr. Myco. I'm a lot older than Dr. Fungenstein. Let me tell you the story about Slasher and I."
"Please, do tell."
"You see, I have reached the Wishing Star already. But before that, I knew about it. I created Slasher, my first android to help me do everything I needed to reach the Wishing Star. He helped me abduct the people I needed and brought them to the Temple of Stars. However, my damn son followed Slasher and said something to him. It probably brainwashed him."
"Shy Guys are just pawns."
"After going through what would've killed me if it hadn't been for Slasher, we reached the Wishing Star. I was about to wish my great and wonderful wish until that treacherous Slasher turned on my and slashed me to death. Right before he finished me, I pulled out my gun and shot him. It was well worth it. AFTER ALL MY HARD WORK, MY PROGRESS WAS STOPPED BY THAT TREACHEROUS SHY GUY. Oh well, now I don't have treacherous Shy Guys with me now, don't I?" Dr. Schizo grinned at Dark Mario.
"So what happened to you? How come you and Dr. Fungenstein are still here today?"
"After we both killed each other, the world we were in disappeared and we were sent back to the real world. The corpse of Slasher went in one direction, the corpse of myself went in another. Anthony Fungenstein, who wanted to learn from me took control of my lab and began to study from my notes. After awhile, he found my dead body and preserved my brain so that it could live."
His voice changed back to Dr. Fungenstein. "After that, I decided to create some androids of my own. I built you two." He pointed toward Torch and Cicle. "But then I realized that me and Myco put together could create the ultimate android. I created an android and put my brain and Dr. Myco's brain in it. This is that very body I'm talking about." Fungenstein pointed to himself.
"What happened to Gene?"
Dr. Myco laughed. "I ordered the murder of him and my wife. I figured they would pose a problem."
"You killed your own family?"
"Yes."
Everyone started laughing maniacally. Torch faced Cicle and mouthed, "It's time."
Cicle nodded. "Master Fungenstein, Master Myco, and Master Dark Mario, please excuse us, but we must work on our secret project now."
Dr. Fungenstein stopped laughing. "Alright, this meeting is dismissed."
Torch and Cicle left the room.
Dark Mario muttered under his breath, "Traitors." His eyes glowed red.
"Is there something wrong, Specter?"
"Shy Guys are just pawns."
Scene 2, Chapter 11 – Future
on Fire
"You know what, I don't understand why they do this."
No reply.
"Hello?"
Shh. You'd look like your
talking to yourself. Look. That giant CoI sign above the CoI Citadel door is
moving.
The giant "CoI" sign above the door slid open to reveal a satellite behind the sign.
It's a giant satellite!
The Thermal Bros. are gonna do it now! The two castles, or towers, are probably powering energy.
I see the Mushroom Castle glowing. Let's go!
Hey-Ho dashed off to the not-far-away castle/tower.
Torch stood at the top of his tower and laughed. The countdown had begun, and once it was over, he and Cicle would be the rulers of this plagued world. There was one minute remaining. A Shy Guy ran into the room. "Master Torch! We've spotted the renegade Shy Guy, Hey-Ho!"
"What!?"
"He's heading toward this tower, sir!"
"Dispatch the air squadron on him. Don't let him get near!"
"Yes, sir!"
Hey-Ho ran until he was at the wall of the tower. A few slave Toads stared at him.
I'm hacking into the tower's computer.
Hey-Ho popped out his blades and took off and headed straight up.
0:50 remaining!
By the time Hey-Ho was a couple feet above the ground, a swarm of Beezos swooped in chased him.
"Beezos!"
Not only that! There's a Sky Guy armada! Fly! Fly!
The copter spun at full speed and Hey-Ho dashed up the tower. The Beezos chased from below as the Sky Guys aimed their slingshots.
The Beezos are too fast and the Sky Guys are going to pummel us!
"FIRE ONE!" Called the Sky Guy captain. A barrage of 7 rocks zoomed at Hey-Ho. Only one hit.
"Ow! That hurts!"
Do something! If they stop us, there'll be no future! 0:40
As the Beezos closed in, Hey-Ho was running out of ideas. He turned on his jetpack, and used up the last of its energy. The Beezos got caught in the flames and hurtled down to the ground, injured. Now that his copter wasn't needed, he launched it like a boomerang and popped all seven Sky Guys' balloons.
Wow! That was amazing! The coast's clear! Let's go! 0:35
The jetpack died for good, and Hey-Ho jettisoned it to the burned Beezos.
Ooh! Double whammy. I like it. 0:33
Hey-Ho switched back to his copter and flew up as fast as he could.
0:30.
Only a few feet more! I don't have time!
"Do you see that, brother!? The dawn of a new future is coming before us!" Torch laughed hysterically. The two were linked "telepathically" by two little devices in their heads.
"Yes, we must congratulate ourselves on such a job well done! The doc and Specter don't even know anything about it!"
0:20.
"I plan on celebrating big. How 'bout having the zombie Tayce T. cook us a huge feast!"
"Haha, yeah. No stupid Gourmet Guy to eat half of it!"
They both laughed enjoying their incoming victory.
0:10.
Cicle screamed, "Torch! Something's going on here! It seems as though I have an intruder! I'll take care of him! Don't worry, the time's coming anyway!"
"What!? Alright, it's no big deal. Even if he does stop the countdown, I still have a battery backup."
0:05.
Hey-Ho was only one foot away.
HURRY! Four seconds, Hey-Ho!
Half a foot. 0:03
Torch saw the navy blue Shy Guy at the window of the tower. "What!? Why did they have to install windows here? Oh yeah, so I could view my world! Haha, silly me!"
0:02.
Alright, enough of this! Slasher took control over Hey-Ho's body, took out his old copter, folded it up into a knife, and hurled it into the generator.
The machine started buzzing out of control and shut off. 0:00.
Nothing happened.
Torch screamed, "Noooo! Curse you! Cicle, activate the backup energy! I'll take care of them!"
Cicle, who was waiting for his intruder to come barging in, initiated the backup power. Two minutes till it's online.
Slasher returned control to Hey-Ho, and he landed inside Torch's tower. Torch ran to the center and yelled, "Why don't you come here and meet me face to face, you stupid Shy Guy!"
Hey-Ho, without any option, ran to face Torch in the middle of the top of the tower. Torch laughed, pulled out a controller, and pressed the big red button.
Wow. A big red button. How stereotypical…
Suddenly, a whole ring of flames surrounded them. The flames shot up the ceiling and stayed burning. There was no way out. "Ha! How do you like that, Hey-Ho? While Cicle's reactivating our Slave Ray, you'll never escape!"
"You maniac! Do you realize what you're going to do to the world!?"
"Of course I do. The world will belong to the Thermal Brothers!"
1:50. Fuming with anger, Hey-Ho charged at Torch. Torch quickly countered by shooting a weak fireball at Hey-Ho.
It stung. It burned. It didn't stop the raging Hey-Ho. He smashed into Torch, knocking the android snifits into one of the flame beams. As the fire cooked him, the air above Torch was free because he was blocking the beam.
Now's your chance! Go! 1:45!
Hey-Ho jumped over the frying Snifit and exited the ring of fire. He turned around and glared at Torch.
There's no time! Forget about him! The world is in danger, and he's done.
"You're right. I'm sorry." Hey-Ho picked up the knife that was stuck in the generator and jumped onto the window that faced Cicle's Tower, which was very far away.
Dr. Schizo and Dark Mario stood in the CoI headquarters located deep within the CoI Citadel.
"So do you have all the victims necessary?" asked Schizo.
"Yes," lied Dark Mario. He had six, but the seventh would come soon enough. "When are we ready to start on our trip?"
"Soon. We just need to have a lock hold on the Mushroom Kingdom."
"I think that's already done."
"No. There are still five resistance forces. The people of Nimbus Land are angry at losing their prince and are mobilizing a pitiful military. They're very far away also."
"Who else?"
"General Guy and his Shy Guys from Shy Guy's Toy Box. Many of them don't believe in the cult and wish to stay loyal to General Guy. They're also upset at the treacherous Shy Guys that left them to join the CoI. Those larcenous Shy Guys have been running around Toad Town stealing weapons and everything from any Incognito troop. Knowing their toy-making skills, they could make something deadlier from those. They're slightly trapped in their toy box, so they shouldn't be a threat."
"Go on."
"The boos of Boo Mansion and Gusty Gulch are a bit weary of the CoI, so they've been scaring many of our troops lately. They don't really have weapons, so they should be no problem."
"Ha! I'm not scared."
"There's also the citizens of Dry Dry Outpost. Some guy named Moustafa is somehow trying to rally them up for the worst. I sent some troops into Dry Dry Desert, but I haven't heard from them since."
"They probably got lost and got attacked by the desert citizens. They're not very reliable, you know."
"Then there's the Shiver Region. The people of Shiver City are also noticing our domination of the Mushroom Kingdom. That's a big city, and they may be a slight annoyance. Starborn Valley is probably harmless."
"I see. What about Mt. Lavalava?"
"They're too far away. They don't know what's going on here. Besides, what are they gonna do? Throw sticks at us? Haha."
"Are those all the areas that are still unconquered?"
"Yeah. Goomba Village was a joke to conquer. Koopa Village fought back, but they were nothing. The Bob-ombs hurt us quite a bit, but they've been captured."
"Haha. This should be a piece of cake then. Any individual resistance?"
"Kolorado has escaped Koopa Village and is now exploring Crystal Palace. I think he's actually hiding instead of exploring. Gourmet Guy is trapped in the toy box. Anti Guy is a rogue Shy Guy, and he's been last seen beating up CoI Guys."
"Not another stupid Shy Guy. We'll get him captured. Maybe his love for lemon candy will be his defeat."
"I sure hope so. Then there's that annoying pest, Hey-Ho. He shouldn't be a bother, really. Smile, Specter, our time is coming soon."
"Your time is coming sooner than you think," muttered Dark Mario so that Dr. Schizo couldn't here.
Scene 2, Chapter 12 –
Hypothermia
Torch crawled out of the fire beam, burned to a crisp. With all the energy he had, he contacted Cicle. "Brother… Hey-Ho… coming… be prepared… I'll be… okay…"
"Torch! What happened!" Pounding could be heard in the background.
"My… circuits… are sizzled… I need the doct—" Torch was cut off as he went unconscious.
Hey-Ho was in the air, and was flying across the citadel walls.
1:30.
Spear Guys lined up on the ground and hurled spears at Hey-Ho.
Dodge them, there's a low probability they'll hit you. 1:25.
Hey-Ho continued to dash all the way to what was Bowser's Keep.
In Cicle's Tower, the door at the very top burst open. Cicle stayed his ground as he pressed a big cyan button. The temperature quickly dropped to negative fifty degrees Fahrenheit.
Hey-Ho was almost at the tower. Slaving Koopa Troopas waved from below.
0:35.
"I can't take it anymore… I can't keep in the air that much anymore!" Hey-Ho was losing it—fast!
Look! The window at the top of the tower is locked. But look, below it, there's another window right below that giant snowflake insignia.
"Alright. I have an idea." Hey-Ho grabbed his rope and lassoed it on to one of the snowflake's corners. He turned off his blades and let the rope do all the work. His feet came first as he swooped down and busted through the window.
Oooh, do you think you're all big and bad now? 0:30. Slasher laughed.
"Shut up," Hey-Ho quickly said. He was on a staircase which led up to the top. He ran up, but quickly saw a Mask Troopa walking his way.
There must be guards up there. Quick, do what Mario does.
Hey-Ho acknowledged, and jumped on the Mask Troopa. The Koopa was trapped inside the mask. "Anyone for soccer?" Hey-Ho laughed and kicked the mask up the stairs. Up there were six Spy Guys, four Mask Koopas, three Spear Guys, and two Sky Guys. The steel door was open already.
The shell came through and knocked out all the ground guards. Hey-Ho dashed through, jumped and kicked a nearby Sky Guy. He then stole his slingshot and his ammo case, and shot down the other Sky Guy.
Hurry up. There's no time to lose. 0:20. It seems that someone got here before us.
Hey-Ho ran through the door. It was freezing cold! He saw Cicle dodging some ammo. He turned and saw Geno attacking Cicle.
"Well, Slasher, it's nice meeting you again. Heh, I wouldn't have expected to see you here. I've managed to take out most of the guards. Now only this creep is left," said Geno.
"Two annoyances!? I can't deal with this." Cicle went up to Geno, who just ceased fire because his hands were frozen. Cicle picked Geno up, and hurled him down the garbage shaft. "I think his capture should happen any moment now. Hehehe… Now, who are you, you stupid Shy Guy, to think you can mess with the great Cicle!? You have some nerve! I don't even have to do anything. You see, this room is set to –30 degrees Fahrenheit! You're never gonna save your world in time. There's only fifteen seconds remaining!"
Hey-Ho's body started turning into ice. He threw the knife at the machine. Cicle quickly shot an ice ball at the knife and froze it. The iced knife lost momentum and dropped to the ground.
"Hahaha! You're doomed! Doomed I say!"
Oh no! We're doomed! Even if you do get out, there's only 13 seconds left! I guess it was nice knowing you.
Never say never! Hey-Ho started to move.
"What the!? This can't be happening! You're supposed to be frozen stiff!" cried Cicle, who ran to the temperature control. "That's it! Try negative fifty! Prepare to suffer from extreme hypothermia! Hahaha! Forget it! You're doomed!"
Hey-Ho walked a few more steps to the control panel before the temperature went down even more. "It's too cold now…"
I can't believe you could actually survive through this. C'mon buddy, you're not giving up today, or at least I'm not! Slasher took over Hey-Ho's body. Using his extra energy, he took a few more steps. Only a foot away…
"Five seconds…" muttered Slasher.
"No! This can't be happening! Damn you! Negative fifty!"
Slasher reached for the shut down button. He was only an inch away before he completely froze. The maniacal laugh of Cicle could barely be heard in the background.
No, this can't be happening, gasped Hey-Ho. Think of what would happen if this thing will power up and activate! No… I CAN'T LET IT HAPPEN!
What the!? said Slasher. 0:01. Slasher returned control back to Hey-Ho.
Hey-Ho's frozen hand moved. Using everything he could, he pressed the shut down button.
0:00. Nothing happened.
"Noooo!" screamed Cicle. "This can't be happening! We've been working on this ever since we're created! I'm afraid I'll have to KILL YOU!"
"Pfffff." The generator made a hissing noise.
"What? What's going on? Oh no! The temperature is too cold!"
More holes appeared. The generators were falling apart.
"No! Stop it! I command you!"
It was too late. The generators exploded, sending Cicle hurtling out of the tower. The air conditioner was also destroyed the by the explosion, and the room began to slowly turn back to normal.
Hey-Ho moved his feet. Then his arms. Then his body. "I did it… I DID IT! I saved the world!" He jumped up in the air and spun.
Haha! That's the spirit! Show those snifits rejects that we can't be beaten!
Hey-Ho and Slasher cheered, but the rest of the world didn't. No one knew of the Thermal Bros' maniacal plan. No one knew how close the whole world came to annihilation.
Dark Mario stood at the door and peered in. He saw Hey-Ho dancing and spinning a giant piece of scrap metal around in the air. "Traitors. Traitors must be dealt with…" he muttered. He walked away and left the tower.
END
OF SCENE 2: THE THERMAL BROS.