Chapter 40: Meanwhile...
King Dedede surveyed the scene. Vegetable Valley had fallen without a fight. The sky was pitch black; not even the stars were showing. An incredible darkness had flooded the land. Dark Matter now controlled all living organisms in Vegetable Valley.
A strange monster flew up to the hill where King Dedede stood. Its face was dark grey and its nose and chin seemed unnaturally elongated. Its eyes flashed non-stop between white and black. Curved horns protruded from each side of its skull and a large ruby was stuck in its forehead. It wore a golden necklace that ended in another ruby and metal plates where its shoulders should have been. Below its head, a black swirling cloak hid the rest of its body, which ended in a point. Disgusting hands floated on either side of the cloak.
"Ah, Nightmare," said King Dedede, speaking Dark Matter's words. "What news do you bring?"
"Marx has stolen the phone," replied Nightmare. "His mission is complete."
"Excellent. Now, I want you to make sure Meta Knight has passage through the forest. Do not let him know of your presence. Kirby will fall easily to his plan. Gooey cannot save him now."
"Why not just attack Kirby directly? He currently had no defense against us."
"That would alert the Meta Clan to just how powerful I have become. We do not want them preparing themselves for a fight with me. I do not wish to have Dreamland destroyed. It is the greatest source of food that I have found during the many years I traveled through space."
"Ah..." agreed Nightmare. It then asked, "By the way, what about Marx?"
"He will find his way back to me," answered King Dedede. "I must fulfill my part of the deal."
"You aren't seriously going to—"
"No, I'm not. I have a better idea. I have been wishing to try out the technology used on Meta Knight. Marx may end up being a valuable ally."
"Heh, heh, heh. Dark Matter, you sure have done it this time. Kirby will be out of our way for good and Dreamland will be yours!"
"Yes." King Dedede smiled. "Do not fail again."
"Don't worry. I won't. I'm on my way."
A blue blur shot through the forest. Every tree it came near suddenly sustained a horrible slice and toppled to the ground. The blur entered a cave and stopped.
"I'm here," said Meta Knight, panting.
"Your mask!" shouted the Meta Clan almost in unison.
"Kirby sliced it off," said Meta Knight quickly. "Do you have another that I could use?"
There was no reply. Everyone was staring at Meta Knight.
"Stop that!" demanded Meta Knight.
Meta Chain was then bold enough to say something.
"I've never seen you with your mask off," he said.
"Neither have I," said everyone else in turn.
"You're not supposed to see me without my mask!" said Meta Knight angrily.
"You know," said Meta Lance, "you're kinda cute."
"Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" shouted Meta Knight. He then unfolded his huge bat-like wings and drew his sword.
"Shut up!" he yelled. "Give me another mask or die by my blade!"
"Whoa, cool it, there," said Meta Sword. "You know we don't carry extra masks."
Meta Knight sheathed his sword and folded his wings. "I know," he whimpered, "but there must be something I can do. Without my mask, I'm no longer part of the Meta Clan. I don't even have a cape." He appeared to be on the verge of crying.
"No, don't say that," said Meta Blade. "You're still one of us. You're still our leader. Hey, I know something that might cheer you up. Look what we caught."
The Meta Clan parted and Meta Knight saw what was behind them. There, bound and gagged, was Marx.
"He's from the Nova Corporation," said Meta Axe.
"How do you know that?" said Meta Knight, amazed.
"Well, he was yelling at us to untie him or the Nova Corporation would," Meta Axe then did a surprisingly good impression of Marx, "'come and blow us all up!'"
"But, the Nova Corporation hasn't been around for ages," said Meta Knight.
"That's right," said Meta Drone, "but they're back, apparently."
"Well..." considered Meta Knight. Then he said to Marx, "What post do you have at the Nova Corporation?"
Meta Sword removed the gagging substance in Marx's mouth and Marx answered Meta Knight, "My name is Marx and my post... is... uh... Bomb Planter! Yeah, and I've planted a bomb right here in this forest that will blow you all to Grape Garden if you don't untie me right now!!!"
"Why the pause?" said Meta Knight accusingly.
"I know why," said Meta Axe. "It's because you're not really from the Nova Corporation. You're just using that as a threat. If you indeed are from the Nova Corporation, then what's this?" Meta Axe shook the cell phone in front of Marx's face.
"It's a bomb! It's a bomb! It's voice activated too! All I have to do is say the activation code and this forest will be a crater in two seconds!"
"Meta Axe," said Meta Knight, "can I have that phone for a second?"
"It's no use, Meta Knight," said Meta Drone while Meta Axe handed Meta Knight the phone. "Not even I could figure out how to use it."
"You numbskulls!" said Meta Knight, "Can't you see it's already on?"
"Oh," said Meta Drone.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" said Meta Knight into the phone. Then, when no answer came, he said, "If you don't answer, I will trace this call, find out where you are, storm in and personally slaughter anyone there!"
"No!" came a voice from the phone. "My name is Gooey and—"
"Gooey?!" yelled Meta Knight in disbelief. "Hold on a minute." Meta Knight then said to Marx, "Where did you get this?"
"I brought it with me!" screamed Marx, "It's a bomb that says 'Gooey' five seconds before it explodes! You'd better untie me now so that I can disarm it!!!"
"I WANT THE TRUTH!" shouted Meta Knight, holding his sword to Marx's head. "WHERE?"
Marx's answer was barely audible. "I stole it from Kirby," he said.
"Ah, ha!" shouted Meta Knight in triumph. Then he said into the phone, "So, you've been helping Kirby, Protector."
"Don't call me that!" retorted Gooey. "It's a job, all right? And another thing, I've been listening to you this whole time and you have no right to be handling this phone. Give it back to Kirby or I'll—"
"You'll what?" said Meta Knight in his most oily tone, "If you try anything, I'll trace this call and reveal to all the world where your base of operations is. Gooey, let's have a little talk. So, you've been helping Kirby this whole time. I guess it was your warpstars that he was riding on and you who managed to tap into our communications on the Halberd."
"You evil," spat Gooey, "horrible, nasty, twisted mother f—"
"Compliments will get you nowhere, Gooey," Meta Knight interrupted. "You have to do as I say now, or you can kiss your secrecy goodbye."
Gooey did not respond.
"Good," said Meta Knight. "You learn fast. Now, I have some requests for you. First, I'd like a new mask. I know you have pictures of me and I would like you to make me a replica of my old one. It was made of titanium and you can send the new one to me on one of you warpstars. Second, after I have my mask, I need you to guide me to Kirby's current location. Maybe I'll even let you talk to him one last time. Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh."