Sorry for being about a whole week late on this. I've been spending a bit of my downtime with the recently-released Mario & Luigi: Dream Team on the 3DS, aside from my personal life. Also, I originally thought of getting the underwater and enemy base "missions" done in one chapter, but it'd probably be a little too long, so I am separating them into two parts for now (the latter of which I will post on the weekend).
Anyway, it's an undersea adventure beneath the surface, but when Red Falcon's goons are involved, it's anything but pleasant.
DISCLAIMER: Contra belongs to Konami, whereas Bomberman still remains a property of Hudson Soft as of March 1, 2012. WarioWare, on the other hand, is owned by Nintendo. Any songs "used" throughout the course of this fanfic are properties of their respective owners, along with any characters that aren't within the three franchises listed here, unless stated otherwise.
Chapter 5: Under the polluted sea
Meanwhile at Diamond City in the United States, it was around 1:45 AM (whereas the current time in Brazil was 6:45 AM). Blaze Bomber had worked tirelessly to help the citizens and surviving construction workers clear out the damages inflicted on the city. During the repair process (and the demolition of all the remaining statues of Magnet Bomber), some of the citizens told Blaze about the current situation that had been going on in Washington D.C. - in which the US Army had been driving Red Falcon's non-robotic soldiers out of the United States for days now, despite hundreds of casualties. It seemed that ever since the invasion in the country started, the RF soldiers hadn't even planned on spreading the invasion past Washington D.C., since they expected Magnet Bomber to have spread his "Magnet Metropolis" all over the country by now. Unfortunately for them, that plan was crushed by our efforts. And so, Blaze Bomber went back to Crygor Labs to tell Penny the news, before flying off to assist the US Army on the eastern side of the United States. With the Star energy integrated into his system, a victory over the invaders would be guaranteed. By next evening, Ami and I would be all better and back in action...
[Overworld BGM: BigOcean (Bomberman Tournament)]
Back in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, there were still plenty of vicious mermen roaming around. Mona, 9-Volt, Phoebe, and Cute Pink were too tired to continue anymore, and had to check in to a hotel to rest up. Before they walked on in, they made sure to equip some translator devices from the helicopter's storage box - especially since the majority of people living in Brazil don't speak English. At first, the locals were frightened of Pink, mistaking her for the "evil witch" behind the water pollution and the sudden appearance of an unusually high number of mermen. 9-Volt was quick to defend his Bomber-pal and guardian angel, telling them she's not who they think she is. In response, they showed lots of wanted posters, each sporting a photo that didn't completely resemble Cute Pink by the look of her helmet...or her eye color. The good Bomber-girl sighed painfully, took off her helmet, and held her hands out as if she were instructed by a security guard in a search.
"Look, guys," said 9-Volt, "she's not the evil one. There really exists an evil version of her. The one standing next to me is the good one!"
The locals took a closer look only to be stopped by Mona. "Let's not go to extreme measures. She's just a kid!"
"Yeah!" Phoebe added. "She's like 12 years old or something!"
One of the civilians spoke up, while Mona's group turned on their translator devices. "Hmm ... O mal da bruxa aos olhos são azuis, mas não vermelho. (Hmm... The evil witch's eyes are blue, but not red.)"
"No entanto, a rapariga diz parece ser um pouco diferente, e é bom ... (Yet the girl you say appears a little different, and is nice...)"
Cute Pink nodded, putting her hands down. "Mm-hmm..."
"E você realmente não transformar-se em grande polvo, então. (And you actually do not transform into big octopus, then.)"
"Not at all," said 9-Volt. "She is human, like us."
The locals eventually stood down, and allowed Pink to go into the hotel with Mona, 9-Volt, and Phoebe. Then the Bomber-girl said, "Thanks for defending my good name, guys."
"No problem, Pink," said Phoebe. "A fellow guardian angel of 9-Volt's, never lets the other one down."
9-Volt nodded happily in agreement. "Yeah. It's the least we could do, since you protected me every now and then." With that said, Pink blushed, and kissed his cheek affectionately before letting Phoebe hug him.
Mona giggled. "Alright, you three. Let's check in so we can go to sleep, while Bill and Lance get to the source of the water pollution."
[Interrupt BGM]
[Comfort BGM: Melody of the Lute (Final Fantasy IV)]
And so, the redhead paid for one hotel room with two Queen-size beds, and led 9-Volt, Phoebe, and Cute Pink to their assigned room. While 9-Volt and Phoebe climbed onto the bed they wished to share, Mona closed the windows so the morning sun didn't shine on the room. They all didn't mind wearing their casual clothes in bed, instead of pajamas, since it's not a vacation. Pink, on the other hand, remained awake, worried about her best friends' safety. Though she was happy to be with 9-Volt and Phoebe again, she was also afraid she might never see Cheerful White again.
"Oh, White..." whispered Pink. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you like the way you did for me occasionally. Please...don't be dead..."
Her plea did not go unheard, as 9-Volt and Phoebe woke up to stand next to her. "I don't think he and Cool Black are dead, Pink," said 9-Volt.
"9-Volt's right," agreed Phoebe. "They've been through worse - well, mostly White himself - just like in plenty of Bomberman games 9-Volt and I have ever played."
"Besides, Bill and Lance are already on their way to save them, because we believe in the Contras." But just as 9-Volt finished, his thoughts changed to that of 18-Volt, Kat, Ana, and even his mom's whereabouts. "Well...now that I think about it...I guess you were right to worry about White and Black after all."
"What to do you mean, 9-Volt?" asked Pink.
"I..." The 9-year-old boy tried to say something else, but tears started coming out of his eyes. "...I don't know if I'll ever see my other best friends again...or even my mom, for that matter... Why would Red Falcon and his followers do this to us, let alone me? What did we ever do to them? If it isn't bad enough I lost my dad during the Alien Wars..."
"What's wrong, sweetie?" came Mona's voice. 9-Volt looked back and saw his big sister figure standing next to him.
"I just wanna live in peace as a normal kid...me and Phoebe playing Nintendo games with our friends, and..."
Mona hushed him soothingly with a warm hug. "We'll get your mom back, and you can count on Aaron, Ami, Bill, Lance, and Blaze Bomber to do the job. I promise. Shhh, it's okay..."
"That goes double for 18-Volt, Kat, and Ana," said Phoebe. "Once this is all finished, we'll take you to a family-friendly bowling party."
"I'm here for you too, 9-Volt," added Pink. "I'm not too worried about White and Black anymore, because like you said, Bill and Lance are coming to their rescue."
9-Volt wiped away his tears, and walked back to bed with the others. "Th-thank you, guys..." He climbed on the bed near the window, while Mona opened up a sofa for Pink to snooze on as a bed.
"Shhh," hushed Phoebe, "no bad thoughts or nightmares, only sweet dreams."
"I wish I were brave like you," said 9-Volt. "I'm still too young to inherit my mom's summon magic..."
"9-Volt, you are brave, simply by sticking with me, Mona, and your other close friends to the very end. Maybe when you and I get older, we'll help fight the forces of evil together, but right now, we're to live the rest of our childhood while I'm protecting you. Think of it this way: you're not a burden on me, or Mona, or anybody else you know. We love you as part of a family, just like your mom does." Phoebe took a moment to give 9-Volt a motherly kiss on his cheek, despite being only a year older than him. "I know we're just as scared, but as your guardian angels, Pink and I are here to keep you safe and sound, while keeping your spirits up."
9-Volt gave a small but warm smile, and hugged Phoebe in return for the kiss. "I love you, Phoebe." With that, he yawned and went to sleep.
The 10-year-old princess of Video Game Dream gingerly removed 9-Volt's helmet, gave it to Mona for safekeeping, and got on the other side of 9-Volt's bed. "I love you too, 9-Volt. Sweet dreams..." She stayed awake for just a little longer to stroke his head soothingly.
[End BGM]
[Stage BGM: Crashed Ship Frigate Orpheon (Metroid Prime)]
Mission 2B: The polluted coast of the Atlantic Ocean
We believe the water pollution and the merman troops' sudden appearances are coming from a giant clam shell-like building underwater, identified as "PrettyBase."
Bill Rizer and Lance Bean of the "Four Contras" are now infiltrating the ocean via a hijacked submarine.
August 29, 20XX
7:00 AM
Elsewhere, far outside town, Bill and Lance had found their way to a submarine that was parked at a small camp, albeit not without stealthily taking out the merman guards along the way. They quietly sneaked inside, and Lance froze the sleeping mermen with the Ice Bombs. Then Bill took out the alarm with a Drill Shot from my Contra Rifle.
Having assessed the situation, he said, "Alright, that should keep the rest from knowing we're coming for Evil Pretty Bomber."
Lance, however, had second thoughts. "Just one problem: we don't know how to pilot a submarine."
"You never know until you try."
"Let's just hope the instructions aren't in a foreign language. By the way, did you notice something odd about Magnet Bomber the other day?"
"Well, aside from a slight change in his height unlike in some of the Bomberman games he appeared, nothing seemed too odd. Why?"
"I'm just saying. I mean, it's possible Red Falcon's DNA altered the Five Dastardly Bombers' physical bodies a bit. Assuming that were the case, it'd be no secret Magnet's almost as tall as we are." Then Lance climbed into the submarine with Bill, taking a minute to glance at the controls. "Let's see...straight-running, or unguided, torpedoes, and guided torpedoes. These are powerful stuff, alright...yup, those alien bastards are ready for World War III."
Bill nodded in agreement. "It's already World War III, but right now, stopping the pollution is our priority. Now, as long as we don't shoot, Evil Pretty Bomber's minions will think we're on their side. Just gotta make sure to watch out for sea mines..."
The twosome piloted the compact-sized submarine across the ocean, making sure to avoid the sea mines. While they could just detonate the mines with the submarine's torpedoes, doing so might raise suspicion from the other subs patrolling around PrettyBase. A few minutes later, they came across one of the patrolling subs.
"Oh it's you, the ones aboard the Victor-2MNY," said the enemy captain, via radio. "This is unit Marko-6V; how goes the patrol? I thought you were taking care of business at the shores."
The Contras paused for a moment, and reluctantly imitated the sub's crewmen to avoid getting caught. Bill merely cleared his throat so he could speak with a gruff voice. "Uh...yeah. But, we've decided to return to base. Ev-I mean, Queen Pretty ordered us to, uh, help pump out some more pollution...thingies."
Lance joined in, also with a gruff voice. "And what of the prisoners?"
The enemy captain replied, "Oh, you mean those unsuspecting brats, Shirobon and Kurobon? They're having a good time with Her Highness - of course, as her prisoners, if you know what I mean. Actually, she's still a Princess, but by the time the pollution spreads across the Atlantic Ocean, those foolish Earthlings will beg her to become their new and permanent Queen of the Seven Seas! Shiro and Kuro will have no choice but to serve her for life. They shall promise to love and obey her - and only her..."
"Or else she blows them up with her...whaddya call it...Pretty Bombs?" asked Bill.
"Naturally, of course. I mean, what else are they good for if they fail or refuse to love and obey her 24/7?"
"In other words..." Lance paused to think of something else quickly. "Uh, make the Princess happy, or she blows them to bits. Yeah, that's right. Anyways, over and out." He and Bill went on their way without detection or suspicion, changing their voices back to normal.
"Phew...that was close." Bill suddenly had one other thing on his mind. "Oh, did you hear what that captain said?"
"Yeah," answered Lance, "but who are Shirobon and Kurobon?"
"Hmm...I think they sound like Japanese names. My translation may not be exact, but it sounded like the captain was talking about White Bomber and Black Bomber..."
"In short, Cheerful White and Cool Black are being held prisoner at PrettyBase."
After a short conversation with one of the patrolling subs, and exchanging thoughts with each other, the Contras infiltrated the ocean further, still taking care not to touch the sea mines. As anyone would know, even a small bump can prove disastrous. However, within the next minute, an SOS signal went off, with some other subs headed towards the one Bill and Lance were commandeering.
[Interrupt BGM]
[Alert BGM: Space Pirates Appear (Metroid: Zero Mission)]
"Hey, wait a minute!" shouted the Marko-6V's captain. "It seems we have intruders aboard the Victor-2MNY!"
Lance gasped. "Crap! They must've found the frozen bodies on the surface!"
"Attention, hijackers! Your days are numbered! On behalf of the soon-to-be-Queen Pretty Bomber, we'll blow you to hell with our torpedoes! On second thought, I hope you bump into a sea mine!"
Bill scoffed. "Not today, alien scum! Shiro and Kuro - I mean, Cheerful White and Cool Black, are coming home with us!"
Forced into an unavoidable fight, Bill and Lance veered the submarine away from oncoming torpedoes the best they could, thus luring the enemy subs into their own destruction. From that point on, they detonated the sea mines they saw with their own torpedoes, in order to make their trek easier. During the battle, Lance took a look at the instruction manual, which, thankfully, was in English. He looked for the pages that show how to use the submarine in combat.
"Bill! This sub has a masker feature, which can prevent guided torpedoes from seeking us out! We'll have to time it right since it doesn't last long."
"Thank goodness that manual's in English. Uh-oh...more hostiles comin' at us!"
As expected, the enemy subs fired homing torpedoes, aimed at Bill and Lance. They shot out their own unguided torpedoes in return, while using the masker to save themselves from certain death. Explosion after explosion sent all subs within range veering backwards with a bubble jet effect. Luckily, it didn't damage the hull on Bill and Lance's sub. As for the enemy subs, they weren't so lucky as they were knocked into the exploding sea mines nearby. With that, most of Evil Pretty Bomber's patrolling minions were wiped out. Two of the Four Contras eventually reached PrettyBase, which looked like a giant clam shell with an embedded golden heart emblem up front, and two statues of Evil Pretty Bomber by the entrance. The observation was quickly cut short when Bill and Lance noticed heart-shaped torpedoes coming at them.
"Seriously?" Bill felt dumbfounded. "Heart-shaped torpedoes?"
"Yeah," replied Lance, "but at least they're not guided-" But before he could finish, one of the torpedoes struck the side, resulting in a klaxon going off.
Bill shouted, "Aw, crap! I think we've got a hull breach! What do we do now?"
Lance glanced over the manual, flipping the pages without delay. "In case of a hull breach, immediately pull out the proper equipment for patching breaches, and find the spot that's spraying water. Afterwards, PLUG THE ENTIRE LEAK A.S.A.P.!"
"Hurry up, Lance, or we're sunk!"
"I'm on it, buddy! Hang on!" While Lance searched for the patching equipment, Bill immediately went to the breach spot and blocked the water flow with a large metal girder. They only had so much time to patch the breach before the pressure hull became compromised, for once that happens, it would ultimately implode the entire submarine, drowning them inside. As soon as Lance found the equipment, he ran towards Bill and handed over the big metal pieces, and other useful equipment. They worked together, and eventually plugged the breach before things turned disastrous. Then they got back to moving the submarine again, and finally parked it at PrettyBase's entrance.
[End BGM]
[Victory BGM: Stage Clear (Contra 4)]
Lance sighed in relief "Oh, MAN! I'm glad we stopped that leak in one piece..."
Bill nodded in response. "I agree. A minute later and we would've drowned!"
[End BGM]
TO BE CONTINUED...
The two Contras have made it to PrettyBase safely, but what happens inside is all up to them. As a side note, I used Dictionary's translator site for the accurate English-to-Portuguese translation. In fact, I got the idea to do so after having read a Punch-Out! fanfic last month (titled "PunchOut! Second Round"), with the assumption that Dictionary's translator page was used for just that as well. But beyond that, since the majority of DCC #5 takes place all over the world, expect the translation dialogue to show up occasionally.