(The Arena)
Two weeks passed. The buildup and anticipation towards the revival of the Megamix Tournament had, as it turned out, drawn a lot of attention; more than even SSBFreak had been anticipating. He was wondering if there were enough tickets available for everyone that had made the attempt to purchase a ticket, but Sheogorath had assured him that there would be more than enough to go around. The tournament's host still wasn't very confident in putting his trust in someone as maniacally-unpredictable as Sheogorath but, at the same time, he also knew that Sheogorath had been looking forward to this night as much as anyone else; he would want to make sure things were able to go smoothly in terms of drawing attention to the tournament, right?
Sure enough, crowds had flooded the dome the night of the tournament, having sold almost all of the available tickets to a multitude of fans from across the multiverse. SSBFreak, seeing the packed stadium around the arena, felt a tad bit nostalgic at seeing such a familiar sight after so long. He sat in the Announcer's Booth near the top of the domed stadium, overlooking the crowds and arena, and caught sight of Sheogorath's private viewing booth sitting across the stadium in a similar position of the Announcer's Booth. Even from across the packed stands SSBFreak could almost see Sheogorath eagerly sitting in his throne-like seat at the huge window of his booth, looking down at the arena in anticipation.
In all actuality, the arena didn't look like it had changed at all in the downtime between tournaments. The audience bleachers still formed an octagon around the forcefield protecting the crowd from any stray projectiles or magic attacks coming from the arena, and the arena itself was a simple large, square ring surrounded with rubber ropes and corner-posts, forming what looked to be a massive wrestling ring capable of holding dozens of people at the same time. The arena was suspended in midair, by a mysterious force, over a void of nothingness. During the tournament, this void would house a multitude of portals that would warp eliminated fighters to a randomized node but during the downtime it looked like there was nothing under the arena at all except a black pit.
SSBFreak didn't know how to explain it, but Khall ended up literally dropping back in about an hour before the tournament was scheduled to begin, having been deposited directly into the Announcer's Booth by another inter-dimensional portal that the purple-clad ninja was apparently pretty familiar with. It took SSBFreak most of the hour prior to the tournament starting to run Khall through the basics of how everything worked but, knowing his OC's mind had a tendency to not be…Reliable, also knew that there was a high-likelihood that Khall would just run things by the seat of his pants, which told the host that he needed to make sure Khall didn't leave his sight for the entirety of the tournament.
The host did a quick scan of the arena, seeing that the audience was cheering in anticipation, and took a deep breath. "Okay. Let's get this show on the road..." SSBFreak said as he turned to his co-host. "Lighting?"
Khall sat in silence, blinking a few times. "Uh…"
"…Is the lighting above the arena working?"
"I dunno. How do I find out?"
"You flip the power switch!" SSBFreak groaned.
Khall continued to sit in silence. "…Uh…"
"The big, flippy thing!"
"Oh! The big, flippy thing! Why didn't you say so?" Khall said as he flipped the light switch next to his seat, turning the lights above the arena on. The audience started cheering louder, realizing that the tournament was about to begin.
"Good. Microphones?"
Khall look in front of him, at the microphone sitting on the desk, and then back at SSBFreak. "Yep. It's still there." He said casually.
SSBFreak struck the desk with his forehead. "…Is it on?" He asked.
Khall paused in silence for a few seconds, turned to the microphone, cleared his throat and started belting out "O Solo Mio" in a surprisingly-operatic voice. SSBFreak was quick to jump in, shove Khall back and press a large button near the microphone to turn the system on.
"Hey! I wanted to press the button, boss-man!"
SSBFreak stared at Khall for a few seconds before sighing and sitting back down. "What about the portal system under the ring?" He asked. "Is it on?"
Khall quickly and wordlessly pressed a few buttons and flipped a few switches. Pulling one more lever at the end, Khall looked out at the arena and watched as he saw light sparking underneath the suspended arena, showing that the portal system was operational. "Okay. All good there." He said casually.
SSBFreak stared incredulously at the purple-clad ninja, wondering how he was able to do that so easily and yet not know how to do anything else told to him. Khall seemed to notice the looks the host was giving him. "I know a thing or two about inter-dimensional portals." He responded.
SSBFreak sighed. "Of course you do." He lamented. "Is the sound booth prepped?"
"Oh, the edgy hedgehog and his friends?" Khall blinked. "They…Seem to be ready. The big guy's waving at me."
SSBFreak glanced out of the booth and across the bleachers. Set up in between the Announcer's Booth and Sheogorath's private booth was a third box-like booth, housing the arena's sound system and vast collection of CDs and vinyls to play background music to. Shadow the Hedgehog stood in the booth, giving the host a knowing nod, as he was accompanied by his two regular accomplices in musical trolling for the Megamix Tournament: The huge, ogre-like Astaroth from Soul Calibur and the young, dark-haired Aila, a human archer from Suikoden 3. Astaroth, in a very unusual-looking case of out-of-character, was giving an eager wave to the hosts.
"Well, it looks like they've settled in again. May as well go with it…" SSBFreak shrugged. "Is the Ready Room filled with the first thirty fighters to enter the ring?"
"Dude, you know I can't count that high." Khall said flatly.
"Good point. I'd better check myself." SSBFreak said as he checked a small screen that showed the inside of the Ready Room, which itself was connected to an entrance ramp that led down to the floating arena. The host did a quick head count. "…Okay. Looks like they're all there…"
"So…I take it that means we're all ready to go?" Khall asked, tilting his head to the side. "Is that everything?"
"I think it is…I guess I'd better get this event started…" SSBFreak said as reached for his own microphone and flipped a switch near it, turning it and Khall's on.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you back to the Megamix Dome after a long, long hiatus. It's been a long time and I know everyone here is anxious to get started, so let me officially welcome everyone to the fourth Megamix Tournament!" SSBFreak announced as the audience erupted in cheers. "As usual, I'm your host, SSBFreak. This time I'm joined by a…Bit of a wandering traveler in a time-displaced ninja; Khall. We'll be announcing the tournament tonight and be your guides as you watch hundreds of combatants duke it out in our Megamix Arena for a chance at the championship!"
"It looks like we're still running the tournament how it's always been run with the same, usual format: Fighters will enter the fighty-turnbuckle thingy and eliminate each other by tossing them over the top rope, though I guess any way is fair game since there's really no way to get back into the fighty-turnbuckle thingy once you're out." Khall shrugged.
"You…You mean 'arena', Khall?" SSBFreak checked.
"What'd I say?"
SSBFreak sighed and threw another switch, lowering a large, four-sided screen from the ceiling. It came to life, showing the logo of the tournament for the time being.
"Once eliminated, each fighter will spend ten minutes fending for themselves in a random node, taken there by our state-of-the-art, multi-dimensional portal system. As usual, don't worry about anything terrible happening to any of them because any injuries they sustain will be healed by our crack team of doctors." SSBFreak explained. "This format will continue until only one person is left, and that person will go on to join the ranks of Kasumi Todoh and Sakura Kasunago as champion of the Megamix Tournament."
"There were a few more things we needed to say, right boss-man?" Khall asked.
"Right you are, Khall. Please pay attention to the arena for a moment." SSBFreak announced as the arena fell silent, watching as the host flipped another couple of switches, turning on some holograms in the middle of the ring. The first hologram was that of a familiar-looking orb with a cross design: A Smash Ball. "As before, all of the Smash Bros. representatives, whether they're entering as a part of the Smash Bros. node or not, will come equipped with a single-use Smash Ball that will allow them to use their Final Smash. Again, it's a one-time use, so they're all under instruction to use it either sparingly or when they think will provide the biggest show, whichever comes first."
The Smash Ball hologram fizzled out, replaced by a new one. This new hologram was that of a one-handed sword clashing with what looked to be a heavy-headed war-hammer, the two weapons locked in combat.
"Next up, we have the inclusion of the Brawlhalla warriors. In Valhalla, they need to manually pick up their weapons or else otherwise be stuck fighting hand-to-hand, something that each of the warriors fights in the same manner." SSBFreak continued. "So, to compensate for this, each of the Brawlhalla reps will have constant access to EACH of their two unique weapons, at the cost of a bit of mobility for them while using them."
"In other words: You hold a giant hammer or a rocket-powered lance? You ain't running as fast or jumping as high anymore." Khall added. "This ain't Valhalla where you have the infinite stamina to carry those bulky things around like sticks."
The hologram fizzled out, replaced by a third one, showing a series of colourful gems, spinning around a single gem in the middle, in a rainbow of colours.
"Finally, we have the Power Stone reps. At random points during each Section, we will be dropping Power Stones into the arena for anyone to collect. Once anyone is holding onto three of these Power Stones, they'll gain access to a new, powerful form for a limited time. And, unlike the last tournament, there will be more than three stones in the sections so that means that there are plenty of chances for more than one transformation in every section." SSBFreak concluded. "As for the reps from Power Stone themselves, they will each have access to their Power Stone forms once in the form of a Smash Ball-like object we've supplied to them. It'll allow them to transform into their super forms ONCE, but once that's done they'll need to hunt down the actual Power Stones like anyone else."
"You know? That actually reminds me of a funny story." Khall supplied. "One time I was tasked with entering a vampire lord's castle to retrieve the royal family's colander. Now, I don't know what use a colander would be to a vampire lord, but I'd learned to stop asking questions about that guy when the guards found him sifting through the garbage bin behind the tavern. Anyways, I entered the castle and-"
(Sound Booth)
Shadow the Hedgehog gave a smirk as he glanced around the booth, looking at all the music he and the others had been provided. "Ah, it's good to be back." He admitted. "Now that the automated music player from the Okron Tournament was unplugged after it finished, anyways."
Aila shuffled through a shelf of CDs. "Well, I mean, I can see why we were barred from this room back when that tournament was happening." She mentioned. "We have WAY too much fun trolling people here."
"You know I could have easily Chaos Controlled us into the room at any point, right?"
"Yeah, but then we'd be putting our work HERE at risk." Aila reminded.
"…Hmph. Also true, I suppose."
Shadow suddenly heard a knocking on the door to the Sound Booth. The black-and-red hedgehog walked over to the door and opened it, seeing a familiar cat-like Pokemon standing there with a CD in his hands.
"Um…Hey?" Meowth greeted. "I hope I'm not too late to suggest something?"
Shadow lifted an eyebrow. "You want to request a song for when you enter?" He asked. "Well, we can make it work, I guess. I depends on how late your draw is."
"AND if we can't find anything funnier to put on for when you DO enter." Astaroth pointed out, briefly looking up from a box of records he was sifting through.
"Uh…Well, if it's not too much trouble, I have this CD here of songs I wouldn't mind being played for…Like, the entirety of the Pokemon reps when each of them enter." Meowth replied, passing Shadow the CD and a list. "I included a list of which songs should be played for which entrant."
Shadow blinked. "Hmm…That seems like a pretty big ask." He replied.
"Want me to take his soul, Shadow?" Astaroth asked hopefully.
"No, Astaroth. We'll make it work as best as we can." Shadow said as he accepted the CD and list. "But remember that we can't make any promises."
"H-Hey, as long as SOME of the music is played for the reps as they entered, it's fine! I haven't told any of them about this, either, so if you could…I dunno, keep it a secret, that'd be great!" Meowth said as he turned tail and scampered off.
Shadow closed the door, CD in his hands. He looked at the list with an odd expression and Aila seemed to notice this. "What the heck was that all about?" She asked.
"I have a feeling we're going to find out pretty soon, Aila." Shadow mused.
(Hotel; Unknown Location)
Heihachi Mishima stepped into a room, holding an open letter. The aging man looked around suspiciously as he stepped into the room, though not before checking to make sure he hadn't been followed. Seeing a figure in the shadows across the room, Heihachi approached them suspiciously, though at the same time looking annoyed that he could potentially be wasting his time.
"I got your note." Heihachi said simply as he stepped forward and folded his arms impatiently. "What's the meaning of this?"
"The fact that you came showed that what I told you in the note at least interests you." The figure replied casually.
Heihachi narrowed his eyes. "Bison usually would offer me a cut of the power when I agreed to help him in the past." He reminded.
"Bison is too narrow-minded. All he cares about is power and control. People like us know that there are things that are…A little more-pressing." The figure replied coldly. "I think you know what I'm talking about."
Heihachi stood in silence for a moment and sighed. "You have a point. Yes, what you described in your note interests me." He admitted. "But why are you approaching me about this in the first place? If you seek assistance…Well, I always thought you were confident in your own abilities to act on your own."
The shadowed figure scoffed. "That may be, but I don't have access to my army of minions here like I do back home and there are a LOT of meddlesome heroes in this dome." They mentioned. "The most I can muster now is two or three fools I can easily get to serve me, but I still need more manpower."
Heihachi lifted an eyebrow. "And where does that fit ME into things? The most I can offer is Kuma and MAYBE Bryan Fury if I pay him enough." He replied.
"Because I'm not looking for minions from you, though any added help you can bring with be appreciated." The figure shook their head. "No. For you, I offer a hand of PARTNERSHIP. That's why I mentioned what I did in the letter. I am offering this to you and ONLY you, but anyone else we can trick into working for us with promises of power."
Heihachi narrowed his eyes again. "I'll have you know that I am MORE than able to sense when someone is planning on stabbing me in the back." He cautioned. "How do I know you won't do the same?"
"Because this ISN'T about power. I'm extending partnership towards you because I know what I mentioned in the letter means as much to you as it does to me." The figure replied simply. "I know it's something you would fight tooth and nail for and it would quite frankly be foolish of me to betray someone as powerful as YOU in regards to something you desire so much."
The aging Mishima exhaled and went over his options, glancing at the letter the figure had sent to him. It was true; if this was a simple bid for power then Heihachi would no doubt expect a business partner as cunning as this one to stab him in the back to attempt to take it for himself but, then again, this wasn't a simple bid for power. He went over what was offered to him and realized that this person would likely be in very big need of help if he was actively asking for it, especially from someone like him.
Against his better judgment, Heihachi decided to give this a chance; if his partner DID decide to betray him then at least he'd be easier to take without an army like he usually had. "Very well. You have my interest." He responded. "But we're likely going to need a lot more help than what the two of us can put together on our own."
The figure stepped into the light, revealing the red-haired visage of a familiar dark-skinned tyrant. The image of a triangle lit up on the back of his hand magically as he held it up to his smirking face. "I don't think either of us will need to worry about that." Ganondorf said. "Throw enough coin at certain people and they'll do whatever you ask. Throw enough promises of power at others and they'll go to the ends of the multiverse to see the plan through."
"I hope you have the means to gather up enough manpower, though." Heihachi noted. "Like I said, I can offer two people…Probably at most if Bryan Fury isn't in attendance tonight."
Ganondorf nodded. "Zant and Ghirahim will follow me loyally and I'm sure that ring demon Wizzro would be around to ally with me again. He's done it before." He noted. "As for others…Well, I guess we'll have to see which fools are around to enlist."
"Indeed. Let me know some names on your mind and I'll see what I can do." Heihachi nodded. "But be sure to be quick about it; I got a pretty early draw in the tournament."
"Understandable. I look forward to working with you, Mr. Mishima." Ganondorf smirked. "Here's to BOTH of our health, eh?"
Heihachi scoffed. "Just remember; I'll know if you try to double-cross me." He noted.
"I'm aware of that." Ganondorf chuckled.
(The Arena)
"-beat me over the head with a stalactite!" Khall finally finished telling his story into the microphone for the arena to hear.
SSBFreak sat in silence for a few seconds. The audience had seemed to go silent as well. "…Khall, what does all that have to do with the Power Stones?" He asked.
"The what now?"
The host groaned audibly. "I apologize for that, ladies and gentlemen. I'd say we've delayed this long enough." He said as he pushed a few more buttons. "It's officially time to restart the Megamix Tournament!"
The crowd erupted into cheers again as a spotlight turned on, beaming down onto the curtain at the top of the entrance ramp. On the other side of the curtain was the Ready Room, where the first thirty fighters were preparing to come out. The audience's cheers continued for a few moments before quieting down slightly as music started playing.
For the first time in years, the first fighter of the Megamix Tournament was about to step into the arena…
