It was a brilliant plan, really. The cliff was no longer large enough for all the fighters to stand on level ground, so some of them needed to stand on overlooking ledges. Having the high ground like this allowed for a better view of the battlefield, and being closer to the back meant the opposition had to fight its way through everyone on the frontlines first.

From here, Bowser could let the incoming army of Master Hands exhaust themselves against the others. From there, he could either swoop in out of nowhere and finish them off with the force of a freight train, or let them come to him and defeat them at his leisure.

It was just like defending his castle against Mario - such a perfect plan that the irony was completely lost on him.

About ten each, huh? he thought smugly as the hands loomed ever closer. I've beaten Right Glove HUNDREDS of times over! This'll be a cakewalk! And once they're all dealt with, we'll take down that winged thing, too! By the time that's done, I can kidnap Peach, and everyone will be too exhausted to stop me! Heck, I might even take Daisy while I'm at it, if she's nearby! I-

In the midst of his scheming, though, the game started to change.

Before his very eyes, the Master Hands all started to crumble away. Each left behind a strange blue light, and they all started snaking through the sky toward the floating wings.

Bowser's eyes narrowed, and steam vented from his nostrils. Hey, what gives?! The hands never did that before!

However, when the blue lights converged on the whatever-it-was, and they all seemed to disappear into a black hole, his indignation disappeared, too.

Never mind his own bad experience with black holes - something was very wrong here.

So, the moment the black hole erupted into beams of light, Bowser lost no time. He looked down at a ledge below him where the Koopalings were lined up, raised above most of the other fighters but still below him.

"KOOPALINGS!" he bellowed at them, causing them all to jump to attention. "FALL BACK! I'll deal with this!"

"YES SIR!" they shouted in unison. The propellers of their Klown Kars buzzed as they all took off, flying up and away from the battlefield.

All except one.

Bowser Jr. sat where he was, glancing furtively back and forth between the Koopalings, his father, and the approaching attack behind him.

If Bowser's temper was like a firecracker on a good day, in that moment, it went completely volcanic. He immediately jumped down, landing between his son and the frontlines, fire spilling out of his mouth and nostrils. Junior jumped and screamed, his face white as a sheet.

"DANGIT JUNIOR," he roared, "IF YOU DON'T GET LOST RIGHT THIS INSTANT, I'LL MAKE LUDWIG THE NEXT KING!"

Junior's jaw dropped open in disbelief. "WHAT?! B-but dad, he's not even-!"

On second thought, Bowser was a Koopa of action. Diplomacy had never been his strong suit.

The Koopa King grabbed his son's Klown Kar in his claws, right along with its driver. With every ounce of bodily strength he could muster, he wound up and hurled them into the air toward the retreating Koopalings. He ignored the surprised scream and only watched long enough to make sure the vehicle steadied itself in midair.

Still livid, Bowser returned his attention to the battle. It wasn't just that Junior had almost disobeyed a direct order from his king. The little upstart had proven himself more than capable the last time they had come to this tournament, and when they had gotten wind of an army of Master Hands approaching, Bowser had been more than happy to let him in on the action. But this wasn't as simple as an oversized boss rush. There was something bigger going on here - something far worse than he'd anticipated.

And he'd be darned if he let his son stand between him and harm's way.

A flash of light below him caught Bowser's eye. The Pokemon Trainer had called out all three of his pets at once and was having them fire their strongest attacks at the incoming light beams.

Pathetic, Bowser thought, sneering at the orange dragon's flames. He jumped down beside them and let loose his own jet of fiery destruction. I'LL show them REAL fire breath! You'd better not let this thing get you, Mustachio! We still have a score to settle, you and me!