LINK TO FINAL SECTION BELOW
We now return to Drake, Ashley, Wally and Catherine still in the lobby of the Crossover Dome. However, Wally was looking dazed.
"Andddddd we are back!" Drake grinned. "And we are here… In the FINAL THIRTY!"
"We have seen so many fighters come and go, but in the end, only one will succeed!" Catherine smiled.
"Now if you could tell by the… Choices in the last section, it is basically going to be a normal round." Ashley offered.
"Thus why Xero tried ta lighten up the mood with those two choices." Wally groaned before wincing.
"Oh, don't worry. We will talk about Xero trying to lighten up the mood." Ashley said before growling. "LATER."
Drake chuckled nervously. "But yeah, let's get the beginning of the end underway. First things first, we will cover who made it into the first half of the final thirty and make our way from there."
BUBBLES
NODE: CARTOON NETWORK: PUNCH-TIME EXPLOSION/THE POWERPUFF GIRLS
ENTERED IN: Section 15; Number 306
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 11
"And we are starting strong with the current holder of the overall MVP, Bubbles!" Drake grinned. "With her impressive score of Link and Mario from Super Smash Bros, Ed and Kolin from Street Fighter V, Batman and the Martian Manhunter from DC Comics, Gulp and Gnasty Gnorc from Spyro the Dragon, her own nodal companion, Father, Sho from Battle Arena Toshinden and just now, Isa from Kingdom Hearts!"
"She may have a shot of making it to the next round, but all of that fatigue is going to heavily weigh on her." Ashley warned. "Regardless, even if this is where her journey ends, I just KNOW she will be fighting to the very end."
ISABELLE
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/ANIMAL CROSSING
ENTERED IN: Section 19; Number 387
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 4
"Of course we cannot forget the rest of her alliance. Even though they lost Ellis, the rest are still going strong!" Ashley smiled. "Like Isabelle with her impressive streak of Waluigi from Super Mario Bros, Benimaru from King of Fighters XIV, Captain K'Nuckles from Cartoon Network: Punch-Time Explosion and Bentley from Spyro the Dragon!"
"Sure, the Villager failed ta survive the section, granted barely, leaving her as the sole Animal Crossing representative!" Wally mused before smirking. "But that isn't going ta stop her. In fact, that will only make her more determined!"
BUGS BUNNY
NODE: LOONEY TUNES
ENTERED IN: Section 19; Number 390
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 6
"Ehhh, what's up, doc?" Wally asked, nibbling on an invisible carrot. "Nothing much. Just the face of Looney Tunes with his impressive array of eliminations of Big Band from Skullgirls, Donald Duck from Kingdom Hearts, Happy Child from Tokyo Mew Mew, the Panda King from Sly Cooper, Birdie from Street Fighter V and Arya Stark from Game of Thrones and possibly his future nodal companion."
"Let's save the new node speculation for AFTER the tournament." Catherine scolded. She then brightened up. "But yeah, he definitely has a chance to win this, especially since doing so would fit right up his alley."
PENNY PROUD
NODE: THE PROUD FAMILY
ENTERED IN: Section 20; Number 411
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 3
"If you're a winner, then you better go home! Because she's Penny Proud, she's cute and she's loud and she got it… GOING ON!" Catherine smirked. "No really. In the past, I would have been sceptical, but her eliminations of Kat & Dusty and Nathan Drake from Playstation All-Star Battle Royale and Urien from Street Fighter V proved otherwise!"
"She may be as experienced as literally… Everyone else, but she still has a strong chance to win." Drake grinned. "Especially since the reboot has been getting some love!"
PEACOCK
NODE: SKULLGIRLS
ENTERED IN: Section 21; Number 426
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 2
"Peacock is doing a good job representing her node in the Final Thirty!" Drake grinned. "She may have only gotten two eliminations, but considering they were of Mickey Mouse from Kingdom Hearts and her nodal companion, Double, it is a case of quality over quantity!"
"And just like Bugs, she is a wacky toon so even though Skullgirls' success has been here or there, I definitely believe Peacock has the best chance of winning out of ALL of the characters!" Ashley mused.
GARNET
NODE: STEVEN UNIVERSE
ENTERED IN: Section 21; Number 430
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 3
"Showing the world the strength of two Gem's love is Garnet!" Ashley smiled, putting his hands together. "With a solid showing against Jean Bison from Sly Cooper, Big Daddy from Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale and now, Necalli from Street Fighter V!"
"Just like Bugs, because of Multiversus, she has a strong chance of making it into the Finals!" Wally grinned. "Hell, she already got the top slot."
BISHAMON
NODE: DARKSTALKERS
ENTERED IN: Section 22; Number 433
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
"Showing the world that he still got it is Bishamon aka the runner-up of the first two Ultimate Video Rumbles!" Wally grinned. "Sure, he had some help from a certain other runner-up, but his elimination of Samurai Jack from Cartoon Network: Punch-Time Explosion is nothing ta scoff at."
"Who knows? Maybe this will finally be his day in the sun." Catherine mused. Her eyes brightened up. "However, he also has to deal with…"
MEWTWO
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/POKEMON
ENTERED IN: Section 22; Number 436
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
"...Mewtwo!" Catherine squealed. "Not only is he the runner-up of the first Battle of the Luminaries AND he took down Captain Planet from Cartoon Network: Punch-Time Explosion, he also has his own counter-alliance to Bubbles, Garnet, Isabelle and Penny!"
"I think Mewtwo has a slight edge over Bishamon. Sure, Bishamon was the ORIGINAL runner-up, but Mewtwo was the original, for lack of a better term, final boss of Pokemon." Drake smirked.
CHARMY BEE
NODE: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
ENTERED IN: Section 22; Number 437
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
"Speaking of Mewtwo's counter-alliance, Charmy managed to survive despite all odds!" Drake noted. "And with an impressive elimination of Ellis from Battle Arena Toshinden!"
"On the OTHER hand, if it wasn't for the Big Guy Blocker, he would have been eliminated!" Ashley frowned. "And there weren't that many Big Guys in that section, anyway… I am not saying that he doesn't have a chance, but I AM saying that he needs to be more serious in this round."
HARLEY QUINN
NODE: DC COMICS/BATMAN
ENTERED IN: Section 22; Number 440
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
"Here we have one of the very large hero groups entering in this round!" Ashley smiled. "Harley Quinn! She is already off to a grand start with her brutal elimination of her nodal companion and ex-boyfriend, the Joker!"
"AND she is ANOTHER Multiversus representative!" Wally added. "And one of the biggest faces of the DC Universe! She is definitely going ta have a strong chance ta win this!"
TERRY BOGARD
NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS XIV/FATAL FURY
ENTERED IN: Section 22; Number 441
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
"Is anyone surprised that the face of SNK and gateway into the world of Super Smash Bros made it into the Final Thirty!" Wally grinned. "With an impressive showing against Mondo from Battle Arena Toshinden!"
"If someone from SNK comes to win it, it could be Terry!" Catherine nodded. "Especially since the King of Fighters is finally getting love at these things."
CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW
NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS/PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
ENTERED IN: Section 22; Number 442
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
Catherine frowned. "...I know that we are supposed to hype everyone up, but after his clumsy elimination of Rock from King of Fighters XIV, how can I?"
"Hey, come on now! First off, that is more Isabelle's fault than his." Drake scolded. "Second off, it is Captain Jack Sparrow! He had far more stumbles and managed to make it out on top! Just wait and see!"
SAM & MAX
NODE: SAM & MAX
ENTERED IN: Section 22; Number 443
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
"Yeah, let's face it! We were all expecting Sam & Max to make it together when they had such a late draw!" Drake grinned. "Especially when their opponent was Sweet Juliet from Tokyo Mew Mew!"
"I do not doubt that they will make the next round." Ashley nodded. "And while this is Sam's first rodeo, it is not like Max is new here thanks to his time at the Megamix Tournaments."
BILLY & MANDY
NODE: CARTOON NETWORK: PUNCH-TIME EXPLOSION/THE GRIM ADVENTURES OF BILLY AND MANDY
ENTERED IN: Section 22; Number 445
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
"Well, credit where credit is due. Billy & Mandy do not back down that easily." Ashley sighed, shaking his head. "Poor Villager from Super Smash Bros learned that the hard way."
"However, they would also be eliminated if it wasn't fer the Big Guy Blocker." Wally noted. "Mandy may think this, but she outta pull all of the stops if she wants her and Billy ta make it to the next round."
ATOMIC BETTY
NODE: ATOMIC BETTY
ENTERED IN: Section 22; Number 448
OVERALL ELIMINATIONS: 1
"Atomic Betty, she's a fighting girl! Atomic Betty, gonna rock yer world!" Wally grinned. "No, really, despite coming from a niche cartoon, she still managed ta show off her stuff against Ranno from Rivals of Aether!"
"I can't say if she will make the Finals or not, she still surprised me here so she may continue to do so until the end." Catherine mused. She then nodded. "Well, that is everyone!"
"Yep! So let's go into the new fighters!" Drake grinned.
"Trust us… We have a LOT to say…" Ashley muttered.
WOODY
NODE: KINGDOM HEARTS/TOY STORY
"Ah still can't believe Xero used us like that…" Wally muttered.
"And you know what is the worst part!?" Ashley roared. "He did it for NO reason!"
Drake blinked twice. "But he said he did it to follow Toy Story rules?"
"What rules!?" Ashley snapped.
"Huh?" Drake asked.
"What rules!? That the humans can see the toys moving!" Ashley roared.
"Um, yes?" Catherine asked, blinking twice.
"Literally EVERYONE heard of Toy Story! THEY should know how the world works!" Ashley snapped. "How is NO ONE connecting the dots!? Did Xero use an IQ-point draining gun on everyone!"
"...If he did, then his aim sucks because it missed Ryu." Wally muttered.
"See!? See!? He can't even do it right!" Ashley roared. "And how is he going to have them at the SECOND Tournament of Kikai! Everyone will get the DVD! What is going to do? Edit it so Woody and Buzz were never in the arena! Everyone is going to find out!"
"I mean… He is not wrong." Catherine winced, scratching the back of her head. "Try as he might, Xero can't keep up the 'rules' forever."
"Also, Drake has an idea in mind for a toy Mystery Fighter and he didn't have to resort to those stupid rules and instead…" Ashley ranted.
Suddenly, Drake clasped his hand over his mouth to prevent him from ranting.
"Dude, I know you are pissed, but to spoil the surprise!" Drake scolded.
Ashley winced before looking regretful. Wally and Catherine looked at each other.
"Um, so… What about Woody's combat skills?" Wally smirked.
"What ABOUT Woody's skills?" Catherine shot back. "At least Buzz has a laser. What does Woody have? Use his pull-string as a lasso. And I strongly doubt it will fully wrap around an opponent's leg."
"Maybe. But Woody definitely has been through a lot of stuff that no toy could ever go through." Wally mused with a shrug. "Maybe he will surprise us."
"I don't know… Sure, he may surprise someone, but at least one person would realise the truth just like Ryu." Drake mused, taking his hand off of him.
"They better." Ashley muttered. "No offense to Woody, but we been used just to follow some stupid rules."
"...You better be prepared because Xero is SO going to give you an earful when we give them their voices back." Drake muttered.
Ashly grumpily crossed his arms and looked away. "You are mistaking me for someone who cares."
Drake, Wally and Catherine let out a sigh of exasperation in unison.
"First of the second half of the final thirty, ladies and gentlemen." Wally muttered.
RIPTO
NODE: SPYRO THE DRAGON
BIG GUY ALERT!
"Ooh, Ashley, look! The breakout villain of Spyro the Dragon!" Drake said, trying to cheer up Ashley.
Fortunately, this worked as the androgynous man's eyes lit up. "Ooh! Indeed, it is!"
Wally blinked twice before scratching the side of his head. "Aye, Ah been thinking about that, but how? Is it BEFORE Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon came back into the spotlight? Because if you ask ME, the Breakout Villain is now Gnasty Gnorc, of all people."
"I admit that I could see where you are coming from and the jury's out if he still holds that title." Ashley admitted. "HOWEVER, he DID appear as the Big Bad in Season of Flame, Attacks of the Rhynocs and Enter the Dragonfly. He was even the main villain for Spyro in the crossover games with Crash Bandicoot. …But as Wally says, we don't talk about those games, but still."
"Fair enough." Drake shrugged. "What about his fighting style?"
"Well, he is a mage, but he doesn't have anything too flashy." Ashley explained. "Fire, ice and electricity like mine. Though he could also create barriers that could only be destroyed by its respective element. Whether it would be cards or rideable platforms."
Catherine blinked twice. "Cards? Rideable platforms?"
"It makes sense in context." Ashley said, waving it off. "Also, he could summon a robotic version of Gulp when his back is against the wall."
Wally gave a descending whistle. "Aye, he definitely screams final boss."
"Indeed, even though a node shouldn't depend on its villain to be its last minute hero, I think Ripto is a solid last addition." Ashley nodded. "Of course the more heroic fighters will give him a hard time, but still."
MUGGSHOT
NODE: SLY COOPER
BIG GUY ALERT!
Ashley blinked twice. "...I heard of missing leg day, but this is ridiculous."
Drake chuckled. "Even Koala Kong wishes that he would have a build like that."
"So Muggshot is actually the most recurring villain that didn't make a Heel-Face Turn?" Wally asked.
"Well, yes and no." Drake said. "He only showed up in the third game, but he also showed up in the short, Timing is Everything. So he officially has more appearances than the Panda King."
"So let me guess." Ashley said. "He is your typical gangster brute."
"Pretty much. Though he is damn good at it." Drake pointed out. "No, really, not even THE MURRAY could beat him down that easily."
"He also has two submarine guns that are as big as Sly himself so it is not like he is merely a close-range fighter." Catherine added.
"So yeah. Not really a bad choice for a final Sly rep." Drake mused. "Question is will he make the Final Twelve."
"Oh, right! Muggshot is the final Big Guy, isn't he?" Wally gasped.
"Pretty much. At least it makes things easier instead of saying 'next round'." Ashley nodded.
MONKEY
NODE: CARTOON NETWORK: PUNCH-TIME EXPLOSION/DEXTER'S LABORATORY/DIAL M FOR MONKEY
Catherine's eyes lit up. "MONKEY!"
Ashley blinked twice. "Why is there a sub… Sub-node?"
"Because while Monkey's segments may take place in the same universe as Dexter's Lab, they are still treated as different cartoons." Drake grinned.
"I suppose that is fair." Ashley nodded.
"Monkey is SUCH an adorable superhero!" Catherine beamed. "He needs his own cartoon so I could properly gush on him!"
"I do not doubt that." Wally chuckled. "In that case, let's gush about his powers!"
"Alright, Monkey has won the superpower lottery!" Catherine grinned. "Super strength, super speed, super endurance, heat vision, super sonic screams, flights and energy fields that could be used offensively AND defensively!"
"And don't forget! He is another psychic!" Drake added.
"Oh, don't worry, I didn't! He has a telepathic connection with his human girlfriend, Agent Honeydew!" Wally grinned.
Ashley blinked twice. "Wait, HUMAN girlfriend?"
"Yeah, turns out Monkey and Agent Honeydew were dating long before Elise kisses Sonic." Catherine said, rolling her eyes.
Wally winced. "T-That doesn't count!"
"Oh yeah." Catherine scoffed. "How?"
Drake rolled his eyes. "Andddddd we are wrapping this up!"
"Oh yeah, REAL mature." Catherine muttered. She then brightened up. "But yes, even though Cartoon Network: Punch-Time Explosion haven't been having trouble getting eliminations thanks to Bubbles and to a certain extent, Samurai Jack, Monkey is a good choice to end on a high note!"
Then, a familiar alarm went off for the last time. The four got excited at this.
"Ooh, speaking of ending on a high note, this is the Final Mystery Fighter!" Drake grinned.
"And the final BUNNY fighter!" Catherine beamed. "Ooh, who is it? Is it Judy Hoops?"
"Or T-Hoppy?" Wally grinned.
"Or even Alice from Bloody Roar!" Ashley nodded.
"Then, what are we waiting for!?" Drake smirked. "Let's find out!"
OSWALD THE LUCKY RABBIT
NODE: OSWALD THE LUCKY RABBIT/EPIC MICKEY
Catherine's pupils shrink when she sees this and blinks twice.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Drake, Ashley and Wally held their ears in pain at this.
"He's here! He's actually here!" Catherine squealed. "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit!"
"Lucky is right." Drake muttered, wringing his ear. "Didn't Xero say that he was originally in the previous section?"
"And yet he has a better draw." Wally noted. "That IS Lucky."
"Indeed!" Catherine beamed. Her face then fell. "Though a lot of his past isn't as lucky."
"So I heard." Drake lamented. He then brightened up. "Well, it is up to you and Wally!"
Catherine happily nodded. "Leave it to us! Contrary to popular belief, Mickey Mouse isn't the first, but Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Well, second, depending on how you look at Julius the Cat."
"It was back when Walt Disney was a nobody in the animation industry. Fer three years he tried ta make it big, but failed each time." Wally frowned. "However, it is not all gloom and doom as a bunch of cartoons starring Oswald were given the green light."
"It was Charlie Chaplin, Gertie the Dinosaur, Aesop's Film Fables, Out of the Inkwell and last, but not least, Felix the Cat!" Catherine grinned. "With putting more emphasis on personality in the animations."
"Granted, it wasn't as successful as Felix the Cat or Koko the Clown." Wally admitted.
"Koko the whonow?" Drake & Ashley piped up
"...But Oswald still managed ta become a fan-favourite. He even became the first Disney cartoon ta get his own merch!" Wally grinned. His ears then drooped. "So what happened. Well, Walt Disney and Charles Mintz from Winkler Studios got in a falling out."
"Apparently, Disney asked Mintz for a 20% budget increase, but not only was he denied, but he had to accept a 20% budget DECREASE. THEN, Mintz informed Walt that he had been secretly hiring away most of Walt's staff, along with the rights to Oswald that were owned by Universal." Catherine muttered.
Drake jumped. "What kind of bull is THAT!?"
"Ah know right? So Walt was given a choice. Take the budget cut and the loss of his staff or use Oswald." Wally frowned. "Well, considering that most people didn't hear of Oswald before Epic Mickey, ya probably knew what happened."
"Oh my Shane…" Ashley gasped.
"Yeah, so yes, that is when Walt decided to create Mickey Mouse more or less." Catherine sighed.
"Then, a lot of crazy things happened with Oswald." Wally frowned. "Oswald was taken ta Universal, but Mintz got fired because HE didn't have the right ta Oswald either. Oswald got put to ANOTHER director as the prize fer a poker game. Oswald was made more family-friendly. Things kept going back and forth…"
"Thennnnnn, Epic Mickey happened!" Catherine smirked. "It is a Wii Game developed by Junction Point! After all of the crap Oswald has been through, he became the first resident of a world that is full of forgotten or abandoned Disney properties called Wasteland, based on the ride."
"At first, things seemed fine. But Oswald's resentment of Mickey has increased." Wally frowned. "Not helping was that Mickey was stumbling into Yen Sid's tower and accidentally created a monster called the Shadow Blot."
"Many years later, Mickey was suddenly pulled into Wasteland, gaining the ability to create and erase things with paint and thinner with a magic paintbrush." Catherine nodded. "Now Mickey must atone for what he has done and fixed the world of Wasteland."
"Or mess it up further!" Wally said in a dark note. "Because there is a morality system where you could act like the squeaky-clean hero Mickey is nowadays or the trickster he used ta be."
"The game was a success and spawned two games." Catherine beamed. "A sequel where a second player could play as Oswald and a 3DS came that merges Epic Mickey style with the classic Castle of Illusion!"
"Of course a LOT of Oswald merchandise!" Wally grinned. He then faltered. "Also apparently there were going ta be a lot of his own cartoons, but they got scrapped."
"Well, at least people are going to know Oswald now." Catherine nodded. "Along with his usual toon physics, he could spin his ears around to glide and have a special remote that zaps enemies or deals with machinery."
Drake clapped. "That was awesome, guys! I knew that we could trust you to end this section strong!"
"Bruh, it is the final section! Do you really think we will half-ass it, let alone on the final rabbit Mystery Fighter?" Catherine laughed.
"Not going to lie, Oswald is the perfect Mystery Fighter to have as the last one." Ashley smiled.
"Indeed." Drake nodded. "He is from Disney, a node that is heavily represented in this tournament, he is a fan-favourite, he is underused. He definitely has a strong chance of winning despite being a Mystery Fighter."
HEIN
NODE: KING OF FIGHTERS XIV
Catherine blinked twice. "...It is a good thing that Terry survived the last section because then King of Fighters will have a weak ending here."
"Now, now, I know that Hein isn't the most… Stand-out King of Fighters character, but he is definitely being set-up for something bigger." Drake reminded.
"Aye. Apparently he is working with Luong to TAKE DOWN Geese Howard!" Wally added.
Ashley's eyes widened. "So him being a butler to Geese is to act like a mole?"
"He did. But Geese was already three steps ahead of him and knew that he and Yamazaki were plotting against him." Drake smirked.
"...Makes you wonder why he keeps hiring Yamazaki if THIS crap is going to happen every time." Catherine muttered.
"But now we have more questions than answers with not only Hein, but Luong." Drake mused. "He is a fitting final King of Fighters representative. Not really. But I don't think he is a bad one."
"Uh-huh. But how does he fight?" Ashley asked.
"Well, Hein is described as a jack-of-all-trades, but master of none." Drake noted. "He has an advancing spinning attack, a Flash Step, a jumping command grab and while his 'projectile# doesn't go that far, he has the power of gravity to keep his opponent where he wants to."
"Gravity?" Wally asked.
"I think so. How else do you explain his Climax super where he put his energy on the ground and made a gravitational field that focused the opponent on their knees literally?" Drake asked.
"Oh, wow." Ashley gasped. "He sounds like he is prepared for it."
"He should be. After XV, Luong is his only ally from what I've seen." Drake frowned.
YAMATO MAN
NODE: MEGAMAN
Ashley blinked twice. "Why is he speaking in Japanese when nearly everyone else is speaking in English?"
"Yamato Man doesn't LIKE speaking in English." Wally said, waving it off.
Ashley paused before shrugging. "Okay… As long as there is an in-universe reason. So Yamato Man's gameplan is straightforward, right."
"Right, Yamato Man could use his spear for mid-range AND long-range." Drake nodded.
"He could send out his spearhead for a projectile, but he has ta run over ta get it." Wally added.
Ashley blinked twice again. "But if that is the case, why use it at all?"
"What is even MORE jarring that Yamato Man could jump into the air and send THREE spearheads downwards without losing the original one." Catherine added.
"...Well, THAT'S not a design flaw." Ashley muttered.
"But on the flip-side, he could spin his Yamato Spear to deflect projectiles so it is not like he is at a disadvantage in a long-range fight." Drake shrugged.
"Hmm… Between that and a solid design, I think Yamato Man is a decent Megaman 6 rep." Ashley mused.
"He should. Nearly all of the Megaman 6 Robot Masters are fan-favourites." Catherine nodded.
"Well, except fer Plant Man." Wally piped up. Catherine elbowed him in the side.
MILES "TAILS" PROWER
NODE: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
"Tails!" Drake, Ashley, Wally and Catherine cheered happily.
"He is SO adorable!" Catherine squealed.
"And so fun ta play as!" Wally grinned. "Ah enjoy cheesing the levels with him!"
"And don't forget, he has a lot of gadgets that he could work with!" Ashley added.
"So yeah, I guess it is unanimous?" Drake asked. "Tails is a good candidate for the final Sonic character?"
"Of course!" Ashley smiled. "Tails is just as iconic as Sonic himself!"
"Now onto his skills! The core of Tails' gameplay is his power of flight." Wally nodded. "Using his twin tails, he could use them to fly!"
"He also got a lot of stuff he could use like the Magic Hand which could turn into an extendable boxing glove or an arm cannon!" Drake grinned. "Or throwing Dummy Ring Bombs! He is also a healer using a floating machine to heal himself or potential allies."
Wally blinked twice. "What is it with Fly characters being healers?"
Ashley just shrugged. "Overall, he is just as fast as his nodal companions. I mean he should. He has been running behind Sonic since the second game! This isn't his first rodeo!"
BLANKA
NODE: STREET FIGHTER V
"Blanka!" Drake, Wally and Catherine grinned.
"Eeeee! Another great candidate to win despite getting an easy draw!" Catherine squealed. "His story is SO adorable! Being separated by his mother when he was a young age before reuniting with her and trying to find his way in the world!"
"Indeed. It is not that big, but sometimes that is enough." Drake shrugged.
"Oh, and who could forget Blanka-Chan?" Catherine beamed.
Ashley blinked twice. "Um, Blanka-Chan?"
"I had a feeling that I may have to educate you sooo…" Catherine said.
With that, she reached down and picked up a box. The others looked at each other in confusion.
Then, Catherine pulled out a doll that looked like Blanka-Chan.
"Blanka-chan! At the time of Blanka's reveal in Street Fighter V, these are all of the rage!" Catherine beamed. "However, I admit that their popularity has faded over time. But now you could get a Blanka-chan to support him in the Final Thirty going into the Final Twelve!"
Drake, Ashley and Wally blinked twice.
"...THIS was what you made me carry into the helicopter?" Drake asked.
"Of course! Blanka-chan is just as iconic as Blanka, if not more so!" Catherine scolded. "It would be a crime NOT to use him."
"I guess…" Drake muttered, reaching down and pulling out another Blanka-chan doll.
"And I swear if I don't see these in the gift shop, I am going to be pissed." Catherine spat.
Wally chuckled nervously. "Well, knowing how much Xero loves his memes, he should."
"Alright, alright, I know Blanka-Chan deserves it and all but let's get into his fighting style." Drake said.
"Okay…" Catherine pouted. She then brightened up. "Anyway, Blanka is one of the few that doesn't follow a particular martial artist because he fights like a… Well, animal!"
"That's right! Along with using his long fingernails as claws, he also attacks by rolling. Not only is this set the standard for rolling attacks in future fighting games, but he is the master of it!" Wally grinned.
"He could not only roll forward, but also roll after a backflip for a potential counter attack, roll UPWARDS or diagonally UP!" Drake exclaimed. "Hell, if a certain V-Trigger is activated, he could potentially stop playing Street Fighter and start playing Marvel VS Capcom!"
"Ah am going ta take ya fer a ride!" Wally sang.
"And of course, he could engulf himself in electricity!" Drake grinned.
Ashley blinked twice. "Um, how could he do that?"
"He learned it from electric eels." Catherine piped up.
"...What?" Ashley asked.
"To be fair, it is more plausible than his skin turning green because he ate too many plants." Drake shrugged.
Ashley paused. "Oh, Shane… I am scared to ask the origin behind his orange hair…"
"But yeah. Blanka is a solid character to end the Street Fighter V train on!" Drake nodded.
KAYIN AMOH
NODE: BATTLE ARENA TOSHINDEN
"And so we have our final Battle Arena Toshinden…" Drake mused.
"Even Ellis have finally fallen so it is all up ta him." Wally noted.
"Do you think he can do it?" Ashley asked.
"I don't know… Like Drake said, it is usually the heroines who do better than the male leads and like Wally said, Sofia and Ellis are long gone." Catherine frowned.
"Yeah, even being the Ken to Eiji's Ryu could only get you so far." Drake frowned.
"Ah, it is funny that ya should mention Ken, Drake." Wally piped up.
Drake raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"While a swordsman, a lot of Kayin's fighting style is dependent on kicks." Wally explained.
Drake nodded his head. "Just like Ken."
"But here is the thing. This was before Ken developed his own style and used a lot more kicks." Wally explained.
Ashley's eyes widened. "You mean?"
"That's right. It is easy ta say that Kayin took inspiration from Ken, but Kayin was literally kicking from the start." Wally said.
Drake gave a descending whistle. "That is a fun fact."
"But yeah, he is still a Shotoclone. He does have a few unique things while his… Shoryuken." Catherine said. "Trust me, Orange-Ratchet knows what I am talking about and so will you if you see it in action."
"And even if Kayin does poorly, look on the bright side." Wally offered.
"Um, what is that?" Ashley asked.
"His appearance will make people listen to the OST for Battle Arena Toshinden and in turn, probably make more people get interested with the games!" Wally grinned.
Drake and Ashley blinked twice.
Catherine just giggled. "I promise that we will tell you when the recap is over. No, really, in terms of character themes, Kayin might as well be THE face of the OST."
DANTE
NODE: PLAYSTATION ALL-STARS BATTLE ROYALE/DEVIL MAY CRY/DMC: DEVIL MAY CRY
Drake, Ashley, Wally and Catherine all paused with blank looks on their faces. Looking at Dante. Or rather the reboot version of him.
"...Does it sound weird that I don't immediately want to throw up when I see his face now?" Catherine asked.
"You felt that way too?" Drake gasped. "I thought I was the only one! I assumed that seeing his picture will make me want to rip him apart!"
"To be fair, we more or less saw this coming when he saw the fighters for the PREVIOUS section." Ashley reminded. "You all ranted off-screen."
"True…" Drake said.
"...Can we please get this over with?" Wally asked.
"Sure, Wally." Drake nodded before looking at Catherine. "Now, Cat, I know you won the Mulitversus match to AVOID you-know-what, but that is no reason to half-ass it. Especially in the Final Thirty."
"Alright, alright. I know." The pink-haired woman reassured. "Honestly, the only good thing about you-know-what is it more or less helps me get through this. So yeah, Devil May Cry. an action hack and slash video game franchise created by Hideki Kamiya, and developed and published by Capcom. It was originally going to be intended to be Resident Evil 4 apparently."
Ashley blinked twice. "I wouldn't have thought that such a… Bombardtasic game will come from Resident Evil…"
"...I mean you WOULD think that, but Resident Evil isn't above being silly, albeit in more subtle ways." Drake admitted.
"Taking place in the fantasy setting of the modern day, men could fulfill their male power fantasy of playing as a pizza-loving half-human half-demon demon hunter anti-hero." Catherine explained.
"Cat… Wally muttered.
"What? Never said it was a bad thing!" Catherine insisted. "...Yet. But yeah, this was Dante, son of Sparda. Despite being a demon, Sparda was actually cool and sealed away his fellow demons and saved the human world. However, Sparda died leaving behind his human wife and two half-demon twins, Dante and Vergil. However, Eva is soon murdered and Vergil becomes obsessed with power while Dante decides to take up demon-hunting to pay the people who killed Eva pay."
"And make people who wanted them dead pay as well. Literally." Drake snickered.
"The gameplay involves hacking and slashing, launching people in the air, ground pouncing, ground dash attacks, AIR dash attacks, double jumps and a stance system." Catherine nodded. "There is even a Super mode. All used to make the most stylish combos ever."
"But of course. Gotta keep it stylish!" Drake smirked.
"Dante is armed with his sword, Rebellion and his guns, Ebony and Ivory." Catherine explained. "So basically, Dante hits ALL of the male power fantasies. I mean it does, but the creators made sure that they avoided certain traits like tattoos, swearing and smoking. So Dante DOES have some standards. That and this is more important than you may think."
Wally sternly nodded his head.
"The series has spawned five games, with the latter three getting special re-releases, a HD collection and several other genres like light novels, comics, manga and even a board game!" Catherine said. She then paused. "And of course, the reboot…
With that, she, Drake and Ashley looked at Catherine in worry. Wally just took in a deep breath before slapping his cheeks together.
"...Well then." Wally muttered. "DmC is the reboot to the Devil May Cry series, taking place in an Alternate version of the world and it shows. Sure, the gameplay is mostly unchanged and Dante is still a gun-slinging sword-swinging demon slayer, but that is all that is the same."
"Hoo boy. Here we go." Drake smirked.
"THIS Dante is the embodiment of trying too hard! He swears more than a sailor, he regularly smokes, he acts like this angsty rebellious punk!" Wally roared. "Ugh, Ah just want ta punch him in the face! His quips aren't funny! They are obnoxious and mean-spirited!"
"Preach it, brother!" Catherine shouted.
"The whole thing has this political game and while that isn't a death sentence, they punch you in the face with it!" Wally snapped. "And the punk is the hero because he is the one that 'everyone is stupid ta listen ta'. Bite me!"
"Tell me about it!" Drake muttered, rolling his eyes.
"I don't get why Ninja Theory would do that to the original Dante! He was already cool! He just had ta crack a few one-liners!" Wally scoffed. He then held his face with a snicker. "Oh, and get this. Apparently, he is in Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale ta promote the game! Okay, Raiden and Fire Emblem Roy was one thing because but who would want ta play as the Virgin Dante!"
"Indeed… It only made things worse." Ashley frowned.
"This version of Dante is one of the worst redesigns Ah have ever seen! And Ah seen that dark and gritty 'Bomberman' game!" Wally spat. "And now thanks ta this shitty roster, we have ta deal with him, acting like he is Playstation All-Star Battle Royale's last hope when nobody asked him nor will they EVER want him back! Just have him as a skin just like in Marvel VS Capcom Infinite and even THAT is pushing it!"
With that, he panted heavily. Drake put his hand on Wally's shoulder.
"...You did good, Wally." Drake said, solemnly. "You did good."
The boxer just collapsed in the seat. "...Four more fighters. Four more fighters."
"So yes, Dante is an aerial-based fighter, using his sword for mighty combos. His guns are used more of a secondary long-range option." Ashley noted. "Honestly, in this haste to move the 'haters' wrong, he may go over his head despite having the potential skillset to do well."
"...He doesn't stand a chance, does he?" Drake asked.
"He never did even if it WASN'T the Final Thirty." Catherine muttered, rolling her eyes.
BANJO & KAZOOIE
NODE: SUPER SMASH BROS/BANJO-KAZOOIE
Wally's eyes lit up. "Ah, that's better!"
"Very!" Catherine smiled. "Cuddly bears and pretty birds beat edgelords any name of the week!"
"Ah, yes, you guys already talked about them a bit during Yooka-Laylee's segment, right?" Ashley asked.
"Yes, but not much. All we said is it was like Banjo-Kazooie." Catherine admitted before looking at the camera. "Banjo-Kazooie is a 3D collect-a-thon and one of the prominent ones, right next to Donkey Kong 64."
"It is about a lazy yet warm-hearted honey bear named Banjo and a snarky breegull named Kazooie, having to deal with the villainous witch, Gruntila, who is always managing to ruin their day in some way." Wally said. "However, despite their conflicting personalities, they are both ready fer anything!"
"Believe it or not, Banjo-Kazooie started as a completely different game. A RPG for the SNES called Dream that used the same graphics as the Donkey Kong Country trilogy." Catherine said. "After spending so many years and being inspired by Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie finally made its debut on Nintendo 64."
"The game gained a sequel and a midquel on the Game Boy Advance and a racing game on the latter handheld." Wally explained before smiling. "Hell, Banjo even showed up in Diddy Kong Racing."
Ashley paused. "Didn't Banjo & Kazooie have a game called Nuts…"
"Not only that, but it has gotten a re-release on not only the XBox Live Arcade, but also Nintendo Switch Online!" Wally grinned. "So yeah, even after all of this time, the bear & bird duo is still loved."
"...Should I be lucky that he didn't shout at me?" Ashley muttered.
"I think he is too tired to do so." Catherine snickered.
"So yeah, as for you see, Banjo is the strong hitter while Kazooie is the quick hitter." Drake explained. "Along with that, Banjo could use Kazooie to fire eggs, Kazooie could lay explosive eggs and of course, the dreaded Wonderwing which is a powerful invincible charge."
"Also, this isn't actually their first rodeo as they showed up in the very first Battle of the Luminaries!" Wally grinned. "And they did decently, getting three eliminations."
"Definitely a good candidate for the final Super Smash Bros fighter, even with it taking till the first DLC pack of Ultimate for them to finally get into the game!" Catherine grinned.
FUKUA
NODE: SKULLGIRLS
"A recolour. Get me my autograph book." Catherine said, rolling her eyes.
Drake looked at Catherine in disbelief. "Do you REALLY not know of the glory that is Fukua!?"
Wally blinked twice. "Um, Ah don't think so and neither do Ah."
"Alright, looks like it is my turn to educate everyone." Drake said, letting out a deep sigh. "The story with Ultra Street Fighter IV."
Catherine paused. "Um, okay."
"Basically, there was a big fuss over the fifth character to be revealed." Drake explained. "People were hyped. Then, the trailer came out…"
"At first, it looked like it was Rainbow Mika, but that was a fake-out." Ashley explained. "Next, it looked like Retsu."
"Who?" Catherine asked.
"From the first Street Fighter." Wally answered.
"Oh." Catherine said.
"And who was it? Decapre." Drake said before gritting his teeth. "Aka Cammy with a mask."
Wally and Catherine jumped at this.
"What!? They actually got people's hopes up fer characters people WANTED ta see only for a CLONE character!?" Wally asked in disbelief.
Drake sighed. "Pretty much. All that hype for nothing."
"Damn… Ah could only imagine the salt." Wally winced.
"It was competing with ABIGAIL for the most disliked video." Drake said. "Or at least before YouTube started to hide the dislikes."
"But… What does that have to do with Fukua?" Catherine asked, confused.
"Well, one April Fools' Day, the people at Lab Zero decided to pull a little prank by parodying that particular trailer, even showing potential fan-favourites." Drake nodded. "In the end, it ended with Fukua."
"Except they were SERIOUS!" Wally gasped.
"I know, right!?" Drake grinned.
Catherine blinked twice. "But… Why? Just to screw with us?"
" Well, Fukua was created when the main UI person at Skullgirls accidentally made a typo when spelling Filia's name." Drake said. "And you know what the internet is like with their memes!"
"So wait. Fukua more or less actually existed, just not canonically?" Catherine gasped.
"Yeahhhhh, about that. Other than her own Story Mode, Fukua never canonically showed up in future DLC Story Modes." Ashley noted.
Catherine jumped. "Wait, what!?"
"Even though she is still a part of the cast, she ISN'T part of the STORY if that makes sense." Drake shrugged.
Wally and Catherine looked in awe.
"Damn…" Wally said in awe.
"So yeah, Fukua is a Palette Swap for the most part, but she is such a mindfuck that I can't help but appreciate her." Drake chuckled.
"Woah… When you put it THAT way." Catherine said in awe.
"Regardless, her moves aren't that different from Filia, right?" Wally asked.
"Well, actually, there are." Drake said. "Sure, she is still a well-rounded fighter, but also has projectiles, command grabs and even shadow clones."
"Shadow clones? So she is a ninja?" Wally asked.
"More like a shadow of a shadow." Drake shrugged.
"...Okay, I am convinced. She is a solid final Skullgirl character." Catherine admitted. "I don't think she will win though."
"Maybe. But she should still be fun to watch."
SUPERGIRL
NODE: DC COMICS/SUPERMAN
"You know that I am a Super Girl!" Catherine sang.
"Yes, I'm a funky girl!" Wally piped up.
"I never say die!" Drake sang.
"No one can stop me!" The three sang.
Ashley blinked twice. "Supergirl got her own song."
"Actually, it is Buttercup's." Drake corrected.
"Though considering the title of the song, how can we NOT sing it?" Catherine laughed.
"Um, right." Ashley said. "So yes, like Harley Quinn, Supergirl has been related to the plot since the start."
"And she is in charge of that button that should stop the bombs." Drake noted. "I hope this goes well…"
"Well, she should do well. She IS a younger Superman, after all." Wally nodded. "Super strength, flight, laser beams, ice breath, the whole she-bang."
"She IS still weak to magic though." Ashley warned. "But yes, as long as she doesn't get in over her head, she should do well."
"Indeed, I definitely prefer Supergirl to Superman so I don't mind her being the final DC Comics representative!" Catherine grinned.
"Yeah, I can't help, but love a spunky, strong girl who is eager to prove her stuff." Drake laughed. "But now we are going to the final fighter!"
ICHIGO MOMOMIYA
NODE: TOKYO MEW MEW
Drake let out a laugh. "Damn, Ashley, that was your best work yet!"
"Thank you!" The mage smiled with a bow. "I knew that stealing Xero and Maurice's chance to announce the Final fighter was the best way to get our revenge for using us like that!"
"Ah didn't even know ya could HAVE a Silence spell." Wally said.
Ashley chuckled. "Well, a lot has changed since my last EA-LEC battle."
"Anddddd I get to announce the final fighter AND Ichigo!" Catherine said before squealing.
"Hey, out of us four, we all know that you would be the most hyped to do so." Ashley chuckled.
Wally's smile vanished. "Ya know… Regardless that they deserve it or not, we will have ta face Xero and Maurice after this."
Ashley scoffed as he waved it off. "What's the big deal? After all, they already have an "unspoken announcement" in this section so what's one more?"
Drake, Wally and Catherine sighed.
"So anyway, Ichigo is based on the Iriomote Wild Cat." Catherine explained before showing a picture of said animal.
"Aww, they're cute!" Wally smiled.
"I know, right? It is a subspecies of the leopard cat that lives exclusively on the Japanese island of Iriomote." Catherine explained.
Ashley blinked twice. "Am I the only one who thinks that they thought of having Ichigo as a cat girl first THEN gave her the DNA of the Iriomote Wild Cat?"
"I am not saying you are wrong because I saw how Felicia simps could get." Catherine grunted in disgust. "But eh. As long as they remember to put emphasis on endangered species, said simps could do what they want."
This time, it was Ashley's turn to sigh.
"Anywayyyyy, Ichigo's weapon is the Strawberry Bell, a bell that could be used offensive to send light forward or defensively to use a barrier." Drake said.
"And don't forget, she is a CAT girl so she should be quick on her feet and all that jazz." Wally nodded.
"Kinda favouritism that the main character of Tokyo Mew Mew is the final fighter though…" Ashley noted.
"Eh. SSBFreak did the same with Landis so I doubt most people will complain." Wally said, waving it off.
"Besides, most likely that is how his randomiser worked and out of the last fifteen fighters, it would make the most sense for Ichigo to take centre stage." Drake shrugged.
"Well, that is everyone!" Catherine beamed. "The Final Thirty!"
"Definitely a strong line-up!" Wally nodded. He then scoffed. "Except for Dante."
"Yes, it should be interesting to see who makes it to the Final Twelve!" Ashley nodded. "Speaking of which, eighteen fighters will be eliminated seeing that Mewtwo, Ripto and Muggshot are Big Guys."
"Next onto the Side Battles. And hoo boy, I know this is the Final Section and all, but this is a doozy!" Drake said before taking a deep breath. "First off, we have Grim from Cartoon Network: Punch-Time Explosion against Marluxia from Kingdom Hearts and Eliza from Skullgirls against the Riddler from DC Comics."
"Stitch from Kingdom Hearts against the Sorceress from Spyro the Dragon." Ashley added. "Murray from Sly Cooper and Chang Koehan from King of Fighters XIV versus Ridley and King K. Rool both from Super Smash Bros!"
"Kim Kaphwan & Luong from King of Fighters XIV and King Dedede versus Ansem from Kingdom Hearts, The Grizz from Sly Cooper and Air Man from Megaman." Wally said, counting his fingers. "And Miss Decibel from Sly Cooper and Starfire from DC Comics versus Cyrille Le Paradox from Sly Cooper and Larxene from Kingdom Hearts."
"Poison Ivy and Clayface from DC Comics and Cody from Street Fighter V versus Gnasty Gnorc from Spyro the Dragon, Jean Bison from Sly Cooper and… Sheep Man from Megaman?" Catherine asked before shaking her head. "And Pai from Tokyo Mew Mew and Cole MacGrath from Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale versus Crush from Spyro the Dragon and Sir Raleigh from Sly Cooper."
"Finally, we have Dexter from Cartoon Network: Punch-Time Explosion and Ariel from The Little Mermaid versus Blue Bayou and Royal Highness, both from Tokyo Mew Mew." Drake nodded. "Vote ends July 8th so get your votes in!"
"Well, that is everything! Time to return Xero and Maurice's voices, Ashley!" Catherine offered.
"Aww, do I have to?" The wizard whined. "Sure, I can return Maurice's, but I LIKE Xero like this."
Catherine crossed her arms. "Ashley!"
"Alright, alright… Give me a moment." The androgynous man groaned before getting out his rod. He then slapped it on the ground, making the orb glow for a second.
Wally paused. "Did it work?"
Then, Ashley's phone started to ring. He then got it out before looking at it. Raising an intrigued eyebrow, he answered it.
"Hello?"
"We did it for NO reason!?" Xero roared. "You really stole OUR thunder just because you don't appreciate the rules of Toy Story!"
"If you bother to listen to my rant, you would know that everyone should have known about said 'rules'." Ashley scolded. "So you wasted unneeded energy! So I am just making sure that you don't run yourself out at the time!"
"...You bitch, whine and complain about my antics, but do you have ANY idea how much of a chore it is to listen to your dribble!?" Xero roared. "It is SO boring!"
"Oh, I am sorry! I didn't know that being professional is boring!" Ashley scolded.
"It's called having a personality!" Xero snapped. "Get into it!"
"So let me get this straight. Asking us ahead of time to help instead of straight up using us is lacking a personality?" Ashley muttered. "Sure, buddy, you keep telling yourself!"
"Even though I will die on that hill, all we did was use you!" Xero scolded. "You stole one of the biggest moments from us!"
"Spare me. You deserved worse. Trust me." Ashley scoffed.
"Why, you hormone-confusing killjoy!" Xero roared.
"Disgusting little hornrabbit!" Ashley snapped.
"Annoying finger-wagger!"
"Petty cringe dead meme simp!"
"How dare you!?"
"How dare YOU!"
"What's that!?
"That's that!"
With that, Ashley had an argument with Xero over the phone. Drake, Wally and Catherine blinked twice. Drake then started to fiddle with his phone before pushing a number. After a few seconds, someone answered it.
"...Hello, Drake?" Maurice asked.
"We are going on ahead, Maurice." The vampire offered.
"Alright…" The bull sighed. "Xero asked them to go into a special room so that they wouldn't be affected by the time pen. It has a 'V.I.P.' sign on it, you can't miss it.
"Thanks and no hard feelings." Drake offered.
"Tch." Maurice scoffed. "Regardless of how we handled this, that was still a low blow."
"So was yours." Drake countered.
"Alright, alright, fair." Maurice sighed. "Anyway, you might want to start seeing them."
"Aight!" Drake nodded. "See you after the tournament!"
"Yeah, hopefully." Maurice nodded.
With that, Drake hung up before looking at Wally and Catherine.
"Well, shall we?" Drake asked.
"Let's." Wally beamed.
"Not like anything exciting is happening around here." Catherine shrugged.
With that, the three walked off and left Ashley arguing with Xero.
CLICK!
Wally winced. "Damn, I never thought that Ashley would be so argumentative!"
"And the scary thing is? According to Drake, this is NOTHING compared to how he acts with Shannon!" Catherine said.
"Granted, they have a lot of history, but still." Wally winced.
"But yeah, not much here." Catherine shrugged. "Just a couple of things I wanted to go over."
Wally nodded his head. "And those are?"
"First off, I kinda knew that with the Justice League, the hero group would be TOO big, but end up having the Worf Effect?" Catherine asked in disbelief.
"Ta be fair, they DID tried ta go after Junko from the start and she had the Skull Heart." Wally muttered.
"I am still stunned that TSUGUMI of all people managed to kill Marie and Xehanort in the first place." Catherine scolded. "I call shenanigans!"
"Ta be fair, Jasper and Horace from 101 Dalmatians managed to tackle a large, armoured black knight." Wally pointed out.
Catherine winced. "I mean YEAH, but it was only for a few seconds which was what Cruella De Vil needed!"
"Also, kinda unrelated. I call shenanigans of those three managing to scale the Crossover Dome without falling." Wally continued. "BEFORE the tournament started."
Catherine sighed. "Alright, alright…"
"So what is the second thing?" Wally asked.
"Well, it is about Ichigo and Kisshu." Catherine explained with a wince. "I know Masaya sucks and all, but still, the kiss was just…"
Wally returned the wince. "It can't be helped. Orange-Ratchet is more of a Ichigo/Kisshu shipper."
"You know what? Fine! But Ichigo was still with Masaya before the tournament!" Catherine scolded. "That is… Kinda messed up."
"Ah wouldn't mind that much if Ichigo and Masaya broke up BEFORE she kissed Kisshu!" Wally nodded. "Ah know that Orange-Ratchet couldn't fit in a break-up with Masaya in the plot, but still…"
"I don't know… I am not saying that Orange-Ratchet shouldn't support Ichigo/Kisshu, I just felt like he could do so more tactfully." Catherine frowned.
"Ah am sure that Orange-Ratchet has his reasons." Wally shrugged.
Before Catherine could say anything else, her phone started to ring. Raising an eyebrow, she answered it.
"Hello?" Catherine asked. She then brightened up. "Oh, hey, Tinyhammer! How is it going?"
Her smile then vanished.
"H-Huh? You want the stats of Brawlhalla's Brynn? NOW? No, it shouldn't be an issue, but why?"
Her pupils then shrank as Wally blinked twice.
"Oh…. Oh… Well, in THAT case, I will get on that. I am sure he has his reasons, but it has been way too long. Just give me a few and I will get on it! Okay, see ya!"
With that, she hung up the phone with a smile. Wally looked confused.
"Aye, Ah'll bite. What was that?" Wally asked.
"Oh, nothing. Just Tinyhammer having a busy fortnight." Catherin smirked. "Come on, I promise that I will tell you, but I also want to do Tiny's request at the same time."
"Um, okay?" Wally asked, scratching the side of his head. "Ah don't know what is going on, but ya don't want to miss this. Stay tuned."
CLICK!
Drake, Wally and Catherine stood outside of a door that had "V.I.P." on it. They then looked on with sparkling eyes.
"...It is a pity that Ashley will miss the big meeting." Wally lamented.
"It can't be helped." Catherine said, waving it off. "We all know it would take them a while for both him and Xero to calm down."
"Yeah, I am sure he will understand." Drake reassured. "So are you ready?"
Wally just laughed. "Dude, this is YOUR big moment!"
"Yeah, I am actually happy for you to 100% take the lead here." Catherine giggled.
"Coming from you, Catherine, that means a lot." Drake chuckled.
With that, he took a deep breath before turning the knob and slowly opening the door. Inside of the door were two people.
However, they weren't 'traditional' people. The first one was a floating silver star with eyes and a distinct silver handlebar moustache. The second one was a floating die with floating white gloves and red shoes with wide eyes and a mouth. They both looked at Drake's group in awe.
"...Is one of you Drake?" The star asked, finally.
The vampire's eyes lit up with hope as he stepped forward.
"...I am. You have NO idea how ecstatic I am to have this meeting."
LINK TO FINAL SECTION: archiveofourown / works / 25531129 / chapters / 99796260
