(Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door ost - Grodus' Lair)
"IDIOTS! ALL OF YOU!" Grodus exclaimed "The Crystal Star you brought me was nothing more of a RED HERRING?!"
"Well, to be fair, the Shadow Sirens were the one who brought the fake, not us. Also, there are plenty of ways to create a fake since we live in this day and age." The X-Naut explained.
"THAT IS NO EXCUSE!" Grodus yelled. "Mario and company have the rest of the Crystal Stars while we just have the one! It's only a matter of time before they come in and take it, then all our plans will be for naught! I might have to take some drastic measures…"
"While you take some drastic measures, there's something you oughta know." The X-Naut piped up.
"Ugh, this better be good. What is it?" Grodus asked as the X-Naut came closer and whispered something in his non-existent ear. "WHAT! Are you certain of this?!"
"No sir, it's been confirmed! I'm positive!"
"Grrr… TREASON!"
(BGM ended)
Meanwhile…
(Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door ost - Peach's Theme)
"Hmm, I wonder if TEC is done analyzing things. It's actually kind of exciting." Peach said, sitting on her bed.
"Crem?" Peach's Alcremie spoke up as the door opened up.
"Oh, here we go." Peach said, picking up her Pokeballs and having her Pokemon return to their Pokeballs as she put them in her pocket and walked into TEC's room. "Hello, TEC, I take it you're done anayzing?"
(BGM ended)
"Yes… but, the things I have uncovered is far more distressing than I realized."
"Oh? What do you mean?"
"Peach, you must escape this place as quickly as possible."
Peach sweatdropped. "Well, that would be a good idea if I knew where I was!"
"I will no longer hide any secrets from you. You are on the moon."
"The Moon?" Peach eyebrow before letting out a laugh. "Oh that' a good one!" But TEC said nothing. "Oh my word you're not joking. If I'm on the moon, then how am I supposed to escape?"
"There is a teleporter here that will take you to Rogueport. I will show you the way."
"Oh good, but I have another question. What is it that they're planning on doing with me in the first place?"
"What they are planning on doing to you is this." He began and told Peach everything that he knew as Peach's eyes widened.
"No way… that's… that's insane!"
"Indeed. That is precisely why you must escape this place as soon as possible."
"I will let Mario and the others know before I leave."
"That will be a good idea."
Peach walked over to the keyboard and began typing up a message… and then the door opened.
"Hold it right there, Princess Peach!"
Peach's eyes widened and turned around to reveal Grodus and a few X-Nauts.
"You!" Peach exclaimed.
(Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door ost - Grodus's theme)
"S-Sir Grodus, I..." TEC paused
"TEC, you traitorous machine! You were helping Princess Peach uncover my plans! In my moments of paranoia, I never expected you, my own creation would dare betray me!" Grodus growled. "Well, it is too late now. It matters not in the end. This is where it ends."
"No!" Peach growled. "I won't let you hurt him!"
"Oh please, he's just a computer. You won't miss him at all." Grodus told her. "Step away from the computer."
Peach glared at him. "No."
"Tch. Why am I not surprise. X-Nauts, get her away from the computer!"
"Sir yes sir!" The X-Nauts saluted and walked toward the princess, but then she pulled out her own golf club. "Aaah! She's got a golf club!" One of them raised his hands up.
"I don't wanna be golfed to death! I like my head, thank you very much!" The other responded in kind.
Grodus facepalmed. "I'm surrounded by idiots." He said and aimed his scepter at Peach and fired an electric bolt that knocked her straight into the keyboard and knocked her down, knocking her Pokeballs off of her, and then he froze her in time.
"Nnngh… can't… move…!"
"Peach!" TEC exclaimed
"On my command, X-Nauts! Shut him down. Shut him all down! Cut the circuits and delete all the programs and data! Including his memories of Princess Peach!" Grodus command
"Sir yes sir!" The X-Nauts saluted and went to the big red buttons as TEC had quickly sent the message to Mario before the buttons were pushed.
"Message… sent…" TEC said
"TEC! No!" Peach yelled
"P-Peach… as a friend… I… I… Lo…ve… yo….u…"
"Termination complete."
"TEEEEEEEC!" Peach yelled
"GACK ACK ACK ACK!" Grodus yelled and then picked up Peach. "Take one last look at TEC… he's no more!" Grodus said
"You Inhumane Beast! How could you!" Peach looked at him and desperately tried to reach out to him, but Grodus karate chopped the back of her neck to KO her and put her over his shoulder.
"Let us go. Our plans await." Grodus said as they walked out, but then one of the X-Nauts picked up one of the Pokeballs.
"Hey Sir Grodus, what do we do with-"
"Leave them. They're nothing but worthless junk." Grodus said.
"If you say so." He said, tossing the Pokeball behind him and walking out.
(BGM ended)
Meanwhile, with Bowser…
(Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door ost - Bowser's Theme)
"Ugh, that was the worst." Bowser groaned as he trudged through Rogueport. "I don't know what was worse, being blown up by a bomb or being scolded by Mona."
"Oh being scolded me isn't far the worst thing that happened to you!" Mona cross her arm while walking toward him. "I left for you five minutes and you know what I find? YOU BLOW UP THE WHOLE TOWN BY SIRING UP A BOMB! I told you not to do anything STUPID and you did just that! You didn't force me into your Koopa Troop to scold the hell out of you! Even a Goombas know better then to stir up a bomb by integrating it! Now the Koopa Troops you brought are now injured by your foolishness! Ugh! The clinch is gonna have a business day ahead of them."
"Hey Bowser!" Roman, Neo, and Crow ran up to him. "We found something!"
"Found what?" Bowser asked as Kamek and Kammy flew in.
"The Magikoopa scounts discovered a secret pathway underneath Rogueport! It wasn't recorded on any map! It contains a Crystal Star!" Kamek piped up.
Bowser perked up. "Really! Lead the way!" He exclaimed as they took off.
"Ugh..." Mona groaned and then she ran after them.
A few minutes later…
"Huh, what's with all the sports equipment?" Roman wondered while Neo shrugged.
"Must be a secret gym or something." Bowser mused.
"Oh, look over there!" Crow pointed to a Crystal Star on a display case.
"Score!" Bowser grinned and they walked up to it. "Bwahahahaha! Finally something good happens to me! It's the Crystal Star! I finally beat Mario to it!"
Crow and Mona examine it closely.
"Hold on Big guy, I-" Crow paused
"FREEZE!"
"Hmm?" They all turned to see Rawk Hawk running in.
"Now how did you find out about my secret training facility? It was well hidden! I even level up the place!"
"Let's just say we have scouts and leave it at that." Mona said.
"Well, either way, I'm actually impressed you made it this far!"
"Pfft, like it was hard." Bowser folded his arms. "You call that a security system? We walked on through like it was nothing. So why don't you buzz off little weakling."
"WHAT! you dare call me, Rawk Hawk a weakling?! NO ONE DISSES RAWK HAWK!" Rawk Hawk yelled and ran straight for Bowser and punched him, but Bowser grabbed his fist.
"Oh please, you call that a punch? THIS is a punch!" Bowser flipped Rawk Hawk over, threw him up in the air, pulled back his fist and then punched Rawk Hawk in the gut to send him flying into a wall. "THAT is what you call a REAL punch, chump!"
"Uuurgh… pain…" Rawk Hawk groaned as he fell over… and thanks to Bowser's strength, the Crystal Star fell on the ground and shattered.
"Yipe! It shattered!" Kammy exclaimed.
"WHAT?! NOOOOO!" Bowser yelled.
"We were so close too." Roman sighed while Neo let out a silent sigh.
"Hold on everyone." Crow said, catching their attention.
"Look more carefully." Mona instructed as Kamek examine it.
"Wait a minute here." Kamek mused. "This is a fake! It's made out of glass!"
"WHAT!" Bowser yelled. "It's a fake?!"
"Nnngh… You... ow... want the real one? Gonzales and his friends grabbed the real Crystal Star…" Rawk Hawk groaned.
"Ugh, great! Now I have to go and find this Gonzales person?! The things I have to do to get a Crystal Star!" Bowser yelled, walking off in a huff.
"Think he's starting to lose it." Neo said via sign.
"Ooooh yeah." Roman agreed as they walked after the angry Koopa King.
"Question, What does this Gonzales guy look like?" Crow asked
"Uggh... He has... Red Hat... a mustache... overall." Rawk Hawk groanly answered which Crow and Mona sweatdrop.
"Yep, thought so. It's Mario." Crow said
Bowser's eye twiched. "SO MARIO THINK HE CAN JUST CHANGE HIS NAME TO PULL A FAST ONE ON ME?! I'LL GET THAT PLUMBER IF IT THE LAST THING I DO!"
Someone gotta do something and ask. Hehe, Oh, what doom awaits?