Re-up
Hey long time no see. Sorry for the long break and I'll explain that later but I'm here with another read. We start off arc two of Strikers Road Climb with The Crystal Cup.
Like always I do not own the rights to Mario or Mario Strikers Charged all rights belong to Nintendo and Next Level Games.
Summer came and went by. Mario and his teammates stayed in contact but separated to relax on their much earned time off.
Mario anxiously waited for any news about the future of strikers. It was inevitable to happen but he didn't know when.
It was a pleasant sunny day with clear skies outside. The overalls wearing man was slumped on his sofa watching mindless TV. He dully flipped through the channels.
"All these-a channels and nothing good to watch." Mario complained and turned off his television. Just as the plumber was ready to get up the phone rang. He answered the phone expecting it to be his brother.
"Hello this is-a Mario speaking," the red plumber greeted.
"Hi Mario good to hear from you again," the voice on the other line responded. Mario's eyes perked up.
"You're the-a Toad from the front desk!"
"Glad you remember me, but anyways I have something to tell you." the league employee informed. "With how wildly popular last season was, we are starting a new one and would like for you to be a part of it again!"
Mario eagerly raised a fist. "That's-a great! I'll-a be right down there." he exclaimed, hanging the phone.
The short plumber dialed his team and told them to meet up in front of strikers headquarters. He grabbed his hat off the coat rack and left his small house, hurrying to the league office.
Mario impatiently waited for his sidekicks and goalie to arrive. He was standing at a street corner near the strikers building tapping his foot. Mario looked at his wrist to read the time only to see he had no watch.
Mario was about to face palm until he heard a voice he was well associated with. "It's over here you bird looking idiot!"
Mario shifted his head to the voice to see Kingston turning the corner running with Kenny, Henry and Dean close behind. They closed the gap and reached Mario.
"Sorry we're late, we got lost." Kenny said in between breaths with his hands on his knees.
"What-a happened?"
"We let Henry give directions and he got us lost," Dean told the plumber.
"I thought the address was 213 star lane not star road." Henry adamantly defended. Dean was about to retort before getting cut off my Mario;
"It-a doesn't matter at least you guys are-a here now, come on let's-a go" Mario said ending off with one of his many popular lines and made their way in the strikers base of operations. Walking to the front entrance a doorman Koopa opened the door for the five letting them in.
Entering inside it was pure chaos. People speedily walked in all directions carrying anything from papers or a cup of coffee. The plumber and his team try to weave through trying their best not to bump or knockdown someone.
Mario almost made it past the ocean of people till he felt something collide his leg. It was a small Toad child who was dribbling a ball around on the busy floor. He wasn't fully paying attention and ran into Mario.
The portly plumber was about to apologize but something caught his eye. The little one was wearing a jersey but not any old jersey, his red number one jersey. The boy didn't flinch looking at Mario.
"Oh my god, your Mario!" He shouted unable to hold his excitement. Mario nodded affirming the obvious fact.
The kiddo shoved the ball in Mario's face in one hand while holding a pen in the other. "Can you sign my ball please?" he begged, holding the last syllable of please as long as he could.
Before Mario could say yes or no someone came their way. "Thomas! what did I tell you about running off by yourself,"
It was the front desk Toad who wasn't too pleased with the kid under his care. He looked up and saw Mario.
"Oh my bad, good to see you Mario," shaking the plumber's hand. "Sorry he's a handful, you take your eye off him for one second and he's gone."
Mario laughed under his breath. "Your son I'm-a guessing,"
"No he's my nephew, I'm looking after him for my brother." the league worker clarified.
"Come on uncle Todd I just want his signature!"
"Only if Mr. Mario is fine with it."
Mario nodded gladly willing to make the kid's day. He scribbled his cursive name on the white and black soccer ball handing it back to the youthful one.
The young Toad's smile radiated staring at his signed memorabilia. The child hugged the plumber's leg in gratitude. "Thank you thank you thank you so much Mario!"
"Alright how about you go play in one of the facilities with your new ball," the elder Toad suggested, prying his brother's son off Mario's leg. The ecstatic boy thought that was a brilliant idea and ran off to play with his now most cherished possession.
Toad watched as his nephew vanished into the distance glad to see his favorite kid glowing. He dusted off his black suit and turned to the Fireball shaking the rest of their hands.
"Same team I see,"
"If it ain't broke don't fit it." Kingston boasted.
"Well it's nice to see you all, please follow me." the mushroom man told them and walked behind him. He sat behind his desk and handed Mario a clipboard with a paper. The plumber read the text.
Crystal Cup registration and rules,
The Crystal Cup will be a six team tournament where each team plays each other twice for a total of ten games. Points will be distributed as the following, three points for a win, zero points for a loss and if forced to go to sudden death overtime the losing side will be awarded a point for a regular time draw.
The top four teams in round-robin play will move on to knockout rounds. The two teams who win their first round games will move ahead and face each other. The winner in the final of the knockouts will go on to challenge the champion in a best of three series.
Mario signed the form and handed the clipboard to Kenny. "So-a any idea who will be playing this time around?" the red cap hero curiously asked to Todd Toad.
"Yes actually, just like last time you are the last one to sign up you slowpoke." the receptionist jokingly answered, digging through some papers. He found what he was looking for and handed it to Mario.
Mario glanced over the names and saw the list contained mostly newcomers. He was glad to see Daisy and Yoshi would be participating in the tournament this time around. They were favorites in the distant strikers days and ready to get back out there.
Bowser Jr was going at it again. For revenge or to claim a new cup after losing his? Mario did not know but he was not looking with glee to see the former Fire Cup champion again.
Only two names remained and Mario was thrilled to see them. He looked down the page and read them both in his head. His face turned to dread seeing the familiar two names.
"What's wrong red stache?" Kingston asked, wanting to know what made Mario lose all the color in his face.
Mario did not speak, head dropped and planted the paper on the standing croc's bare chest. The tan pants Kritter took the piece of paper and observed. He read the first three names, nothing too bad the orange princess and dinosaur were good friends of the short meatball and they already dealt with kiddy Bowser what was so bad Kingston thought.
The alligator went down and blinked. "Oh," passed through his lips, all of it making sense now.
"Let me see!" Henry shouted tired of the secrecy snatched the white paper and read the godforsaken names. "Wario and Waluigi?"
Henry dumbly looked at the list not sure what to think. "Is this fat guy Wario and skinny tall Waluigi this is referring to?"
"Yep the one and only," Kenny replied weary.
"I heard a rumor that Wario smells like he hasn't showered in years." Dean randomly brought up.
"Yeah and the showering part is probably true." Kingston laughed.
"So wait why is Mario so disappointed to see them again?" the befuddled Hammer Bro asked.
"Well basically Wario thinks he's Mario's number one rival because of how he constantly bugs Mario so he hates him." Kenny explained the simplest way he could. "And Waluigi is always helping Wario with his childish pranks and he relentlessly picks on Luigi."
"Aw," Henry expressed now, learning about seeds of the history of Mario and his bizarro world counter.
"Why-a them?" Mario muttered with his face in his hands.
"Sorry Mario but those two are former strikers and inviting them to participate was good business." the front desk receptionist answered trying to calm the red plumber's nerves.
The denim overalls man groaned as he slid his gloved hands down his face. He gripped but let go of the nuisance. Dean signed the paper and passed the small board back to Todd.
"Great! Now with you five we have all six teams and the Crystal Cup is ready to go." Todd Toad gleefully announced.
"So when is the tournament and how long do we have to train?" Kenny inquired, scratching the top of his head.
"Let me see," Todd said clicking away at his computer with his tongue poking out slightly. "Ah, there we go!"
The well dressed receptionist reached for an index card and scribbled on it with a pen. "Here you go, you have exactly two months to prepare." Toad said giving Mario the notecard with the date written on.
"Alright see you-a later Todd." Mario made his leave waving goodbye followed by his team.
"Goodbye Fireballs and good luck!" the Toad leaned from his office chair waving back. Mario and the Fireballs were allowed to leave walking out the stainless glass door opened by Koopa doorman.
"You going to be fine boss?" Henry calmly asked Mario now outdoors.
"Yes-a Henry I'll be-a fine." Mario sighed out still not over Wario and Waluigi inclusion.
"Don't worry Mario you got us now so you don't have to worry about them!" Dean tried cheering the deflated plumber.
Kingston's brow scrunched. "What are you trying to insinuate skeleton?" arms crossed.
Dean was startled by the keeper's low based voice. "What do you mean?"
"Were you trying to say me and noggin shell weren't capable of handling fattie and purple string bean?" Kingston angrily challenged poking an accusing finger on Dean's chest.
"W-what, no! Not at all!" the petrified Dry Bones stuttered, shaking uncontrollably bones rattling. Kingston leaned forward with a cold glare, he smirked and laughed.
"Calm down ribcage I was only joshing you." the pants wearing crocodile aggressively patted the stupefied Dry Bones on his gray shell. Henry put a hand over his mouth.
"Oh man, he got you good!" he laughed at Dean's expense.
"Knock it-a off" Mario warned, turning around. Kingston and Henry shushed while Dean appreciated the red cap man interference.
"We-a have two months to prepare and I-a want us at top shape." Mario expressed. "If we-a wanna prove we-a weren't a fluke we-a gotta practice."
His sidekicks and goalie gave a collective yeah all in with Mario. The loud yell made everyone on the busy street stop what they were doing and eyeballed the Fireballs. Mario gave a sheepish face
"Oops, my-a bad." he uncomfortably expressed regret. He and his team shuffled around the corner getting out of the view of the passer byes.
Author's Notes
Sorry once again for the long gap of time between chapters. I've busier then usual, getting your first job will do that to you! But I have no intentions of stopping this work so no need to worry. Also major thank you to all of you who have read this story as we passed the one thousand view mark and we're well on pace at passing two thousands reads.
Again thank you and remember stay out of trouble,