A Random Meda-Short: Usual disclaimers apply.
Main Characters: Metabee, Brass, Erika and Ikki
Pairings Warning: Metabee/Brass, possibly Erika/Ikki
Explanation: Rigged carnival games suck. That's all I think really needs to be said…
~ * Hardly Fair * ~
Brass looked around in awe at the bright, colorful scenery, the whimsical and delightful sights that always filled the carnival. Everything was so exciting---! She didn't even care anymore that Erika had dragged Ikki off somewhere again, causing her to lose sight of her partner for the time being.
Besides, she still had Metabee with her, so she felt perfectly safe. What could happen as long as they stayed together…?
"Oh, Metabee, look!" she cried in delight, pointing over at a booth nearby. "Look at all the prizes you can win…!"
"Hmm?"
Metabee followed her over and studied the various items on display. Huge stuffed animals gazed back at him with bright, glassy eyes, just a little bit unnervingly. Not that it bothered Metabee, of course… nope, not at all.
Besides, he was much more interested in the fact that there were even a few meda-parts on display, prizes meant for the very best players. Most were arms with various types of weapons, but there were a few sets of legs as well.
One was particularly eye-catching, in fact: a set very obviously meant for a female medabot, as it had a long, fancy violet and blue skirt with an intricate pattern of lacy-winged butterflies on it. Very pretty, probably meant more for show purposes than an actual robattle.
Judging from the way Brass was staring at it with big, wonder-filled rose eyes, however, that mattered little to the Sailor-Multi.
Metabee noticed the man in charge of the booth eyeing Brass, and quickly made a decision.
"Yo, what do I gotta do to win that thing for her?" he asked, jerking a thumb over at the legs.
The man grinned toothily, sensing he'd managed to reel another sucker in with his attractive bait.
"Well, meda-boy, this here's a shooting gallery," he explained, waving a grimy hand toward the rows of plastic ducks behind him. "Ten yen lets you try your luck. Hit all the duckies, and it's yours."
"Fine then," Metabee handed the guy his payment, bright green eyes gleaming confidently. "Start it up."
The man's grin grew wider, and he pressed a button underneath the counter. Instantly, the ducks jerked to life, and began their jerky movement over their track, the stilted sound of fake quacking starting up.
"Kiss your beaks goodbye," taunted Metabee, as he leveled his gun at the ducks and started firing.
"…Hey, wait…!"
The man's protest came too late, as Metabee proceeded to pick off each of the plastic ducky targets with ease, in rapid succession. In almost no time, all of the targets were flat on their backs, shot down.
"Dude… I rock. Now give the lady her prize," Metabee said coolly, as behind him Brass beamed with surprised delight.
The greasy guy sweated. The legs were his most valuable lure, one of the prizes he used to bring in lots of hopefuls who never were able to claim it. To lose them to this medabot so easily was unthinkable…!
Covertly, he pressed another button under the counter, and grinned slyly as one of the shot-down ducks popped back up.
"Ooh, too bad, so close," he mocked, a cocky, self-sure smirk on his face. "Looks like it didn't take."
"What!?"
Metabee glared up at him with blazing green eyes. Too late, the man realized he'd just made a horrible mistake…
Moments later, a rather large explosion shook the entire park. Ikki and Erika immediately stopped bickering about what ride they'd go on next and ran towards where the blast had been – Erika because she wanted the story, Ikki because he knew Metabee had to be involved somehow.
Neither was surprised when they found Metabee and Brass walking away from a smoking crater. What was a little surprising to them was the fact that Brass was carrying a neatly wrapped parcel containing a certain leg meda-part.
"Miss Erika, do you like this meda-part? Metabee won it for me," Brass said shyly, a faint blush springing to her metallic cheeks.
"Metabee won that for you?" Erika cried in delight, then leveled a glare at Ikki. "Ikki, win me something!"
"…Um…"
"Consider it already done, 'Rika," Metabee soothed, pulling out a huge plush bunny rabbit and handing it to the astonished, but pleased reporter.
"…Metabee, where did you get that?" asked a sweating Ikki, gaping at the towering plushie.
"Oh, this? Consider it a bit of a bonus prize… an apology, if you want."
"…What?" Ikki stared at his medabot suspiciously.
"Ikki, will you carry this for me?" Erika insisted, shoving the plush toy into Ikki's arms before he could protest. "Thanks!"
"Mmmphh!"
The four walked away, or staggered away in Ikki's case, while behind them, the smoke cleared to reveal a very charred booth, an ash-covered and shell-shocked man, and a row of ducky targets… all of them knocked down.
