Kristen Tang stalked through the jungle slowly. She was more at home in the concrete jungle rather than the living one/"Give me buildings and alleys any day over trees and mud and vines," she spat out her mild disgust for the environment as her machete slashed through a bunch of vines.
"You wont make much progress by cutting through the vines," A voice to her right said.
"Who the-?" She turned and faced a young woman about her age. She had a beautiful face and her smile seemed to lift Kristen's spirits.
"Now I can tell you're not from around here, and you aren't some sort of Dark Soldier," The young woman held her hand out, "My name is Yuki, you must be Kristen."
Kristen couldn't help but smirk beneath her helmet, "Yup, you are correct," She shook Yuki's hand, "Kristen Tang-Turner." Butterflies overwhelmed her stomach. It was the feeling she got every time she said her hyphenated name, acknowledging that she and Tim were... together.
Yuki's handshake died a bit and she retrieved her hand, "You are... married?"
Kristen tiled her head, "Yes."
"Lucky." Yuki moved forward through the brush easily and then beckoned for her new friend to follow.
"No," Kristen moved forward after her guide, "I'm the lucky one. Lucky enough to call Timothy Turner my husband." There was an air of pride in that statement.
Yuki laughed slightly, "Not lucky that you're married to him; lucky you're married at all." The two continued their trek through the dense forrest to the Resistance base.
Tim reclined in Shade's arial vehicle. His training was complete and now Shade, er, his father was taking him right to Victoria's doorstep.
Mr. Turner spoke, "You do realize it may take weeks or even months for you to get in as deep as we need you." It was more of a statement than an inquiry. "All contact with us will be cut off. Entirely. You will be 'deniable ops' and will have to operate solely on your wits."
Tim gave a nod of understanding. "Trixie."
"You can forget about her for now."
"Like Mom?" Tim's eyes narrowed, "I haven't seen her recently. Hell, I haven't seen her at all. You left your as well?"
There was an awkward pause.
"I did not leave her. She was killed," Beneath the grotesque headpiece, Shade's eyes narrowed and his teeth clenched tight.
"By who?" Tim's voice was quiet and saddened at the news of his mother's death.
"Dinkleburg." The growl was very familiar to Tim. How many times, in the other reality, had his father growled at the Dinkleburgs? This was identical, however under the circumstances this growl was scary.
"I'm...sorry."
"Hurm. Get ready and put on the rest of the gear. You are about to win your way into the Castle and the Program."
"How?" Tim looked quizzically at Shade.
Shade moved from the driver's cockpit to the rear of the vehicle and motioned for Tim to take over pilot duty. "We are going to give Victoria the one thing she will never say no to. A prisoner."
"What? We're going to turn in one of our own?"
"Yes."
"Who?"
Shade didn't reply. He simply looked at his son, the opaque lenses stabbing Tim's grey-blue eyes of experience.
The ride was silent the rest of the way.
"She's here," Yuki bowed to one side as Kristen, now without her helmet, strode into the midst of the Vickstralia Resistance branch.
A man well into his mid-thirties looked at her hard and she was sure he was the leader. To his left stood a younger man who could be the leader's brther. On his face was a lovely smirk and in his back pocket, a black beanie was hanging out. The younger man stuck his hand out readily, "If you haven't guessed by now, I'm the cool one."
Kristen had to laugh and shook the man's hand, "You have got to be Mario."
"My reputation precedes me!" He validated.
"More like your ego,"
"Meh," His smile didn't falter, "Close enough, Mrs. Tang-Turner."
The older man stepped forward and placed a rough hand on Kristen's shoulder, "My name is Lawrence, and we need to get down to business."
"Right-O," Kristen agreed. She pulled a tape from her belt and slid it into a slot attached to the television.
Shade's imposing outline came over the screen as the pre-recorded message began. "I will begin by telling you all the end is near. I can feel it. Victoria feels it. Crocker feels it. Things are about to change." He nodded to someone off-screne, "As you may know, Kristen here is married to the legendary Timothy Xerxes Turner and she has made quite a name for herself as well. Don't think he is here because of her husband's rather special case. She can more than hold her own. So wipe that bias off your face Lawrence, I know you will have one."
Lawrence shivered. Even through a pre-recorded message, Shade knew what was going on.
The message continued, "Despite all the years of delays, I can only pray that you are all ready for the final assault against the Vickstralia branch of Victoria's reign. The Tower and its Spires will fall. And you all will be the cause. I must warn you about new recruits and advise to not let any more people join the cause,"
Mario frowned and Yuki put a hand to her mouth. Why the heck not? She thought, We could use all the help we can get!
Recently Vicky has revealed that she is no longer above trickery and even more underhanded tactics. She has most recently hired various bounty hunters to kill some operatives in Vondon as well as here in the NAA. I have sent with Kristen a to-do list of how to take down the Tower from the floating island Manana."
As Shade continued to outline the battle plans, Kristen unfolded a sheet of paper and handed it around, allowing each member of the Vickstralia branch to read and understand the message.
Shade finished his spiel and allowed the information to sink in. "I am sorry I cannot ask you live it you are ready, but you must be by this time."
"Born ready." Even though he knew full well that the screen couldn't hear him, Mario clenched his fists in anticipation for the coming war.
The video ended abruptly. There was no good-bye, there was no good luck.
"Well, lets get prep going, yeah?" Yuki was the first to speak and flicked the lights on. "Here," She took Kristen's armored arm, "Allow me to introduce you to the rest of the branch."
Kristen smiled, "I'd like that." She followed Yuki into the common room.
Mario was about to follow, when his older brother's hand stopped him, "Where do you think you're going?"
"Outside, you know... Yuki is my girlfriend and all."
Lawrence smirked, "It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride the night before the wedding, you know. It's tradition to keep them in separate rooms." He added with a wink.
Mario grinned back, "I can survive a night apart from her loving embrace and-Hey! You know? How'd you find out?"
"Please," Chuckled Lawrence, "This is MY base. Nothing happens here that I don't know about." He put his tired arm around Mario's shoulder. "Now if this is going to be the first legal and legitimate wedding at this base then it becomes a sign of a new time. We got to do things right." He started to lead Mario to their rooms, "We gotta find you a tuxedo. But first, the ring."
Dwight was getting restless. How long had it been? Days... hours... perhaps mere moments. Bah! It was taking too long! "When do we strike?" Dwight groaned.
78 watched his pawn pacing the floor with amusement, "Not yet, we have to wait."
"For what?"
78 removed his feet from the table top and stood from his reclined position. "Wait for the best time to strike. We strike when the iron is hot and it is hot when they believe that what they are working for will be achieved. At their moment of greatest hope, we will strike."
Dwight stopped pacing and faced his ally, "I assume you have a specific time in mind?"
"I am the leader," 78 reminded his underling, "I wont tell you what it is yet, but do know this: it will make our revenge that much sweeter."
"My revenge." Dwight corrected, "When it comes down to it, Mario's life is to be taken only by me."
78 sneered beneath his helmet, "Of course." He had no intention of letting Dwight, the soldier her saved and made, kill Mario. It wasn't in the game plan. And neither was letting Dwight finish the fight alive, but that was on a need-to-know basis and Dwight... didn't need to know. "Suit up," 78 threw a gauntlet at Dwight.
"We're going?"
"No. More honing. More training."
Dwight watched as 78 passed between him and the two wall-sized mirrors. His eyes tracked every movement his new hero made. He looked passed 78 and out the windows. Outside was the entire Dark Soldier Elite legion of Vickstralia just waiting and training. "Soon."
"Ow, quit shoving!" Mario pushed his older brother back against the wall playfully. He was surprised that he fit in Lawrence's old suit. Heck, he was more surprised that Lawrence even had a suit.
"Hey, calm down, baby bro," Lawrence jested back. "At least now we know that this old thing still fits one of us!"
Mario laughed, "True true!"
"Here," Lawrence handed Mario a ring made of pure diamond mined from one of the deserted Dark Soldier supply routes. "I was saving it to become a focusing ring for an energy blade, but my little brother's life is much more important."
Mario slipped the suit jacket off and took the ring, hands shaking, "You have... no idea how... much..." He could barely talk as emotions just hit him in waves. In a few short minutes he would be proposing to the girl of his dreams: Yuki. And in less that an hour after that, if she said yes, they would be wed in holy matrimony. Following the wedding would be the best honey moon ever: The defeat of Victoria's Vickstralia Tower. "Let's get this party started!"
"...and milk just spewed everywhere!" Yuki finished her story and left Kristen in tears of laughter and fits of joy.
"Ho, boy! How long did it take for Mario's pride to revive itself?"
"Only a month or so!"
The two shared in another fit of laughter so powerful that they didn't notice Mario sneaking up from behind. "Surprise, Love." He wrapped his arms about Yuki's neck and nibbled her ear just the way she liked it. "Talkin' behind my back?"
Yuki smiled, "Of course! How else will I fill the void when you are gone?"
Mario released the young woman and shrugged, "Beats me," He pulled her a little more into the center of the Rec Room then held both her hands, "Yuki," he said after a sigh, "How long have we been together?"
Yuki's face contorted as she tried to remember when Mario first asked her out. "Officially, five... maybe six years." She leaned in and whispered, "Though I do like to count the time you saved my ass with those constellations at Ayer's Rock."
Mario looked down and blushed slightly.
"What's wrong?" Yuki asked, worried. She stooped a bit to try and look him in the eye.
"I don't know how to say this really."
Yuki frowned, "Are you... are you breaking up with me?" She felt her heart start to plummet.
Mario's head shot up quick, "Oh no! No! Heaven's no!" The look of relief washed over his girlfriend's face but the look of skepticism was still there as well. "Geez... this is harder than I thought." He looked passed Yuki at Lawrence who, unseen by Yuki, was pointing to his knee.
"Get down!" Lawrence tried to mouth, "Get down on one knee!"
Kristen slowly marched up to the leader, "What's going on here? Is Mario trying to propose?"
Lawrence didn't answer her question. Instead he snatched both her hands and got down on one knee, all the while never turning his eyes off of Mario. "Get the hell down!" He hissed.
Kristen, understanding now what he was doing, giggled, "I'm flattered, Captain. However, I'm spoken for." She removed her gauntlet and glove then pointed to the simple round band Tim had proposed to her with. Then she pulled it off and held it up for Mario to see.
"Oh!" Mario looked back at Yuki finally and had to chuckle. Her face was a cute mix of worry and confusion with a pinch of amusement, "Sorry, Yuki." He reached for his pocket, "Like I said; I ain't good at love stuff."
Yuki rolled her eyes, "Quit lying, Lover Boy." When she looked back at Mario, he was on one knee with a pure diamond ring thrust awkwardly but tenderly at her face.
"Yuki... will you marry me?"
The surprised female warrior teared up and looked around the room. By this time, all eyes were on this now famous couple. She knew already what her answer was but just couldn't speak or move. She just stood and stared. Finally an answer.
"Yes."
"Change of plans." 78 pushed past two Dark Soldiers and grabbed Dwight's hand, "We make our move now."
"Why the sudden urgency, captain?" Dwight asked with a hint of venom. He was starting to get the feeling that 78 really had no idea what he was doing. But he would play along with 78's plan. For now.
"Sources inside the base tell me they will be holding some sort of festival tonight before they attack. Something to usher in the new age of their 'freedom.'"
Dwight's eyes narrowed, "We must crush that hope."
"Precisely." He handed a map to Dwight along with instructions to be given to every squad leader in the legion. "Tonight we march."
"Tonight I kill."
Shade and Tim crawled from out of the flaming wreckage of their hovercraft. A proximity mine cut their travels short. Tim was surprised that he was even alive. "Dad? Dad!"
"I'm here, Tim." Shade replied. He stood slowly and helped his kin to his feet. "We have to keep moving on before-"
"Before what, Outlaw?" Two Dark Soldier Elites stepped out from behind a parked truck. Both of the leveled their weapons at the Turners. "Before we show up? It's a bit late for that."
"Should we call for backup?" The other soldier whispered.
The first eyed the two Turners. Shade was obviously not in the best shape of his life, his arm was cradling his side. Tim on the other hand seemed very fine if not shaken, but he was helping Shade, supporting him. Being his crutch. The Dark Soldier smiled beneath his helmet. "We got this." He opened fire.
"Lookout!" Shade pushed Tim to the side and both narrowly dodged the spray of bullets. "Got a plan?"
Tim shrugged from behind his hiding spot, "You're the leader, here! And my dad!" He pulled a low-powered pistol from him belt and returned fire. "Pretty sure you could still ground me if you wanted!"
Shade shook his head and pulled out pencil-shaped daggars. A lot of them. He threw a few at the enemy and even managed to get one injured, but his side-splitting pain was too much to bear and he had to stop retaliations. "Cover for me!" He started to run across to his son.
Tim stood and let loose a barrage of bullets. They all missed but it was just enough to get Shade across the street. Almost. A grenade split the father-son duo apart and rent a hole in the street. "We're toast..."
Shade looked to his son, "We have to split up!" He called out, "Get to the sewers, I'll set up a R-Zone for us."
Tim nodded just as another explosion veiled his father from view. "Dammit!" He ran. The hole in the street conveniently led to the sewer and he jumped down. Of course, one of the Dark Soldiers, the injured one, followed.
"C'mout, come out wherever you are," The enemy called through the dank cavern. "I know you don't like it down here anymore than I do."
Tim watched from the shadows as the Dark Soldier passed by his hiding space. As soon as the Dark Soldier was far enough away, Tim surprised him from behind, catching him in a headlock and putting the pistol to his head.
"Boo."
"Well-played, Outlaw." The Dark Soldier agreed, "But I'm not done yet!" He elbowed Tim in the side and then karate-flipped Tim into the sewer water. "It's over, Timothy." His boot clamped down on Tim's sternum and he held his rifle at Tim's forehead. "Any last words?"
Tim closed his eyes.
Mario watched as Yuki strode down the aisle looking as regal as a princess in her make-shift gown. He couldn't stop smiling. Best. Day. Ever. His eyes roved the attendees. There was not one person absent. Except Molly. But he knew that she would have agreed just as much as Lawrence did. Well, there was also Dwight, but Dwight was still alive. He would be rescued within the night just as the Tower would fall.
Finally Yuki was standing before Mario and Luigi, the minister, raised his old hands high. The two, for the sake of time, had opted to say their vows at a later date and skip right to the kissing. Though it was unconventional and not necessarily traditional, Luigi had said it would be fine. "Do you, Mario, take this woman, Yuki, to be your lawfully wedded wife till death do ye part?"
Mario grinned, "I do!"
"And do you, Yuki, take this man, Mario, to be your lawfully wedded husband till death do ye part?"
Yuki could barely contain her excitement, "I do! I do!"
"If there is anyone in the audience who has a reason these two should not be wed in holy matrimony, speak now for forever hold your piece."
There was a moment of silence as no one saw any reason the two would not be perfect together.
"Well then, I now pronounce you man and-"
"I do." the doors to the Rec Room blew open and in marched a familiar young man.
"Dwight!" Mario fought the urge to rush to his once-captive comrade.
Dwight's face turned from Mario to Yuki, anger steaming from out of even his ears.
"And your reason being?" Luigi was understandably confused.
Dwight narrowed his eyes and pointed at Mario, "Red Rum."
There was a moment of confusion and then the walls of the base blew down. Dark Soldiers poured in blasting anyone who tried to run. Many rebels stood and tried to fight back against the initial swarm but most were killed and many more beaten back.
Mario smashed his fist through a Ninja's faceplate and then used the Ninja's dagger to kill two more. He looked to Yuki, "We have to get out of here!"
"Ya think?" She pushed the minister away from the fighting and towards the best man, Lawrence. "Take him somewhere safe!"
Lawrence nodded and trusted Yuki and Mario to lead the Rebels in a statistic retreat. Their base was immense and there was plenty of room for a battle, but caught unawares like this severely crippled their manpower and willpower.
Mario killed one more as the rebels finally got it together and started the retreat, killing Dark Soldiers who dared to stop them. Before he disappeared behind Yuki into the secret chamber that would lead to the auxiliary armory, Mario looked back at Dwight.
Through the entire swarm, Dwight just stood there with his hand and finger outstretched, challenging Mario. Behind Dwight stood none other than 78 with his messily painted helmet hiding his face. Mario narrowed his eyes into the fiercest glare he could muster before slamming the blast door closed behind him. Worst. Day. Ever.
A Dark Soldier Elite entered the Castle of his liege Dictator Victoria. His partner had foolishly been killed earlier, but it didn't matter anyway. As he walked with his cargo, other Dark Soldiers and underlings scurried out of his way in fear. Others just stared as he walked by, he was determined.
The final door in the Castle opened and before him stood Victoria, looking over the city named after her, stoic. "What is it 451?" She asked, somehow knowing his designation without turning.
The Dark Soldier did not speak, he simply tossed part of his load to her desk. There was a soft 'plop' sound as cloth met wood.
Victoria turned around, surprised he didn't speak. Then she was even more surprised at the sight on her desk: A pink baseball cape and a torn black shirt. Both soaked in blood.
"Where... did you get these?" Victoria grabbed the two items hungrily and looked at the soldier for the first time. She was again in shock. His throat was bloodied and she realized why he was not speaking. That would take a bunch of gene therapy to heal. But what really pleased her was the prize in his other hand: A thick rope. A thick rope that led to a prisoner being dragged behind him, unconscious.
The Dark Soldier Elite turned and kicked the prisoner forward roughly.
Victoria smiled. "It's a good day today."
Before her was the unconscious and now-humbled Shade.
A/N: I HAVE UPDATED YET AGAIN! So Yes, officially I WILL be completing this story! I am really sorry for not updating sooner but life just gets in the way :/ Dragonka is also updating his story but also not regularly. As we get time we update loll... But this will be completed! So please read and review!
Recap! Mario and Yuki ar about to be married but Dwight and 78 have interrupted! Kristen (Trixie Tang) is in Vickstralia with Mario to help take down the Tower and the Dark Soldiers there once and for all! Tim is missing and Shade is now a prisoner of Victoria!
READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!
