CHAPTER 3-5
-The Battle of Fort Francis-
"Wow… Now that's one big castle…" Chopper gaped at the size of the large castle that was before them.
"Poyo… (Yeah, I have to agree on that…)"
"Sometimes I wonder how a huge geek like Francis could get a place like this," Chopper brought his attention back to the castle. It was a very large one, that's for sure. But, compared to the castle that he went to in Lineland Road, it wasn't as big. The castle was made up of…well, it looked pixilated, but it appeared more old than new.
"Boy… I wonder how Tippi's doing in there…" Sonic wondered as he began to think of the horrors that could be inside Fort Francis.
"Poor Tippi… I hope she's safe from all of that…nerdy stuff." Chopper shivered in fear of what it could be like.
Francis's room-
Francis's room had these pink walls that would most likely belong to a girl's room, but there was a red door with two keyholes to the left. Over by the right of the room, Francis was holding a camera, taking pictures of Tippi, who was trapped in a cage.
"Nerrrrr herrrr herrrr herrrrrr! This is so hi-technicaaaaaal!" he grinned. "I can't believe you're finally back with me, Francine! Oh, how much I've missed you… This time, I hope you stay with me!"
Francis blushed as he took another picture of her. "I still don't know what this digibutterfly is! It's so…beautiful and undiscovered! Nerr! I need to document this thing right away!"
"Chopper… Help…" Tippi muttered as Francis took one more picture of her.
"Yessss! Shake that thorax! The guys on the digibutter. nerr forums will be sooo jealous when I post these shots online! They're gonna go 'Oh, man! I can't believe you discovered this hi-technicaaaaaaal digibutterfly! You're so awesome' and all that! They'll think it's so…hi-technicaaaaaaal!"
Back outside-
"Poyo? (Hey, what's that sign over there?)" Kirby walked over to the sign at the front door and he began to read what it said.
No entry unless you are a supergenius like me or a totally hot babe. For those of you who don't fit the category… STAY OUT!
"Well, there's already three supergeniuses here, so I guess we can let ourselves in," Sonic smirked.
Chopper flipped into 3-D to find a pipe nearby. Using it, he went down into an underground room with a block and a blue ! Switch floating up.
"Good thing I have Thoreau with me," Chopper smirked as he picked up the block with Thoreau and threw it at the block. At that moment, a piece of the background flipped over to reveal a chest.
"Looks like this should be the thing to get us into that castle," Chopper stated as he kicked the chest open. He pulled the yellow key out and held it up. "Now to get into Fort Francis!"
Back at the front entrance-
"All right, now let's see what we have in store for us!" Sonic smirked as Chopper unlocked the door and headed inside of the castle. They all nearly gaped as they saw a walking…robotic cat walking toward them? It looked like it was wearing a maid's outfit as well. Other than that, the tiles are a gray color with a red rug as well. Over by the end of the room was a red door too.
"What the heck is THAT thing?" Chopper gaped as he saw the thing called a Meow Maid walking around. He decided to go over to it and poke it. "Uh… Pardon me, er…thing?"
"Welcome home, Master," the MeowMaid greeted. "How are you today, Master? I've been waiting to take care of you."
"Master? Weird…" Chopper scooted away from the MeowMaid as he and the other two walked into the door. They walked into a room with a couple of other MeowMaids and a large cat-like computer with two keyholes.
"So these robot cat things are Francis's…maids?" Sonic's ears perked as he looked down at the MeowMaids, which chanted, "Welcome home, Master," it crept him out, but he heard a voice coming from the two keyholes.
"Hey, guys! There's a voice coming from those!" he pointed to the two keyholes.
"I'm going to see what's through there," Chopper zipped over to the first keyhole and looked through it to find Francis holding a camera and taking a couple of pictures. But, who is he taking a picture of?
"Schweet… These are some of the best-looking pictures I've ever seen…" Francis drooled. "The resolution on these images is just breathtaking! It makes me want to… Nerrrrrrrrrr…"
"Oh my god… It's horrible!" Chopper gaped in horror at the flashes, but while the nerdy chameleon was saying, "Hi-technicaaaaaaal!", he checked at the other keyhole, where he saw Tippi muttering to herself.
"Tippi's in there, you guys! We have to get her out!"
"Poyo! (Of course we need to!)" Kirby nodded as he walked over to the door. "Poyo! (Come on! We don't have much time to lose!)"
The three of them walked into the next room, only to find nothing around them except for a MeowMaid. However, something felt a bit fishy in the room. Chopper grabbed both Kirby and Sonic and flipped into 3-D to find some blocks making stairs to the upper floor.
"Ah, so that's how you get up there…" he smirked as he jumped up to the upper floor. He saw a giant robotic cat-like toy that had a cannon for a mouth. The siren on this red SurpriseMeow fired a smaller, white cat toy called a MeowBomb. It ended up knocking Kirby's ability away, unfortunately.
"Poyo! (Come on! That's not fair!)" Kirby grabbed the MeowBomb and threw it into the SurpriseMeow's cannon. Luckily, it could fire and, because of that, it ended up getting blown up.
"Whoa… That was impressive!" Sonic gaped before they walked into the next room over by the door to the left. They were led into a room with two red doors hanging from the ceiling.
"Hmmmm… How do we get those doors down here?" Chopper pondered.
"Oh, that's simple!" Sonic looked over at Screwdy. "I bet we can get those things down! It shouldn't be too hard anyway!"
Screwdy nodded and before they could get to that door, some blue cat toys called PatrolMeows tried to attack, but Sonic's Spin Dash left them destroyed before going below the door.
"Here we go!" Sonic jumped and did a corkscrew, bringing the door to the ground unexpectedly. "Wow… I thought that someone's weight would be able to bring the door down… Am I…chubby?"
"You were back then, but you're not now, you know…" Chopper pointed out, reminiscing Sonic's old days of when he was short, chubby and had… Oh, let's not go there, OK (to make the fanboys shut up).
"Yeah… I was back then, but it didn't make much of a difference." Sonic opened the door, but he stopped when he saw a long path of spikes in the other room leading up to a door ahead.
"What's wrong, Sonic?" Chopper asked.
"Bad news, guys…" Sonic sighed as he turned back to the others in the other room. "There's no way we're going through there. There's a bunch of spikes blocking the way to the door!"
"Poyo? (Spikes? Couldn't I just float over there, though?)" Kirby raised an eyebrow. Chopper immediately translated what Kirby said to Sonic.
"No, Kirby… It's too far to use your Inhale to get us across. We should go to the other room." Sonic used a Spin Dash to get past the other PatrolMeows and to the door hanging above them. Using his corkscrew, he brought the door down so they could walk into the next room.
"This room looks a lot similar to the one we were in before. I think it'll be simple to get up there." Chopper threw his arms up to go into 3-D. The only flaw was that he couldn't jump up there.
"Poyo! (I can probably get up there!)" Without going into 3-D, Kirby floated up to the staircase. He used his inhaling ability to get Chopper and Sonic across, where they had to go up the stairs via 3-D.
At the top, they simply ignored the SurpriseMeow and walked to the door to go outside of the castle.
"Uh oh… There's no going across now." Chopper gulped, seeing no bridge to walk across. "How are we supposed to go up now?"
"Poyo! (Chopper! Look up there!)" Kirby pointed to the blue ! Switch that was floating up above them. It was a bit hard to reach for, though. However, they were soon interrupted by another siren sound.
"Oh, geez… WHAT NOW?!" Chopper turned to find yellow cat toys with wings called AirMeows flying over the big gap. They immediately swooped down to attack, but Chopper managed to knock one away with a simple kick.
"Poyo! (Wait, Chopper! Don't destroy them!)" Kirby shouted. "Poyo! (I can simply grab one of them and throw them at the block! I'm PRETTY sure that it'll make a bridge for us to cross.)"
"All right, Kirby… Grab one and we'll see what we can do afterward." Chopper jumped out of the way as soon as an AirMeow came down to attack.
Kirby tossed Thoreau straight at the AirMeow and grabbed it as soon as the Pixl brought him back. With one simple toss, he was able to hit the switch and create a bridge for them to get to the other door.
"Sweet! Now we can take care of the rest of these guys!" Sonic grinned as he struck one of the AirMeows with a Spin Jump. Afterward, he ran straight to the red door and waited for the other two.
"Let's hope we find something interesting through here," Chopper hoped as he kicked the door open. Unfortunately, the only thing they found in the small room was a green cat toy dressed like a maid called a SecuriMeow.
"Poyo, (Go talk to it,)" Kirby suggested. Chopper gave him a nod before going up to the SecuriMeow.
"You have reached the door to Master's private room," the SecuriMeow informed. "For security purposes, you must confirm your identity. Answer the following security questions with either 'true' or 'false.'"
"OK, go for it!" Chopper started to twiddle his thumbs.
"Video game soundtracks are totally high-technicaaaaaaal!"
"Uhhh… True?"
"Episode 127 of 'Grodus vs Gemerl Affairs' is pretty much the schweetest thing ever."
"Err… Yeah, I guess that's true."
"One day, I will own all of the 'Starship X-Naut' Series 3 collectible action figures."
"Most likely true."
"Now you must enter the passcode."
"Uh oh…" Chopper gulped as he turned to his friends, who nearly shrugged. "Uhhhh… 1234?"
"MEEEEEEEEEOOOOOWWWW! MEEEEEEEEEOOOOOWWWW! MEEEEEEEEEOOOOOWWWW!" the SecuriMeow shouted. "You are not the master! Deploy security measures!"
"Security measures?" All three of them gaped as they saw the floor disappeared before their very eyes. They ended up falling down into a pit with a huge red button, a red block, and a Chain Chomp.
"Oh, crap! We gotta get rid of it!" Chopper fired Hommissile straight at the Chain Chomp, but even that didn't defeat it.
"Poyo! (This should take care of it!)" Kirby grabbed Chopper using Thoreau and he threw him straight at the Chain Chomp, defeating it instantly.
"Kirby! Don't throw ME at it!"
"Poyo, (Well I couldn't help it,)" Kirby giggled as he grabbed the red block and threw it at the red button. Luckily, for them, this castle has a hidden pipe if you hit the switch, making that appear to the left.
"Doesn't Francis even know that there's a way to get out of here?" Sonic questioned. "Because if he did, then that means he's TERRIBLE when it comes to stuff involving security…"
"Meh. Let's not worry about that." Chopper took the pipe up to another underground-like room, but to their left was a bunch of PatrolMeows that had their sirens going off. On the other hand, there was a platform to their right they could take if they jumped on the yellow arrow block.
"Poyo, (Yeah, we're going to the right,)" Kirby stated as he jumped up to the platform. Chopper and Sonic followed him off of the platform and over by a cage with a big blue ! Switch and a green Pixl that looks like a cross.
"Wait… I thought I saw something…" Chopper looked back at the writing that was on the wall.
FOR FRANCIS'S EYES ONLY!
Room on the right: 2323
Room on the left: 2828
"Poyo! (Chopper! Look over here! It's a Pixl trapped in a prison cell!)" Kirby cried out, making Chopper rushed back over to the cell. The Pixl that was in there appeared to be a female one.
"I thought for a second that no one would show up," the Pixl stated as she looked at the heroes. "Could this be? Are you three of the six heroes that I see? Please, help me out! I, Carrie, will do anything to be free from here!)"
"Poyo! (You gotta free her, Sonic!)" Kirby cried. "Poyo! (She's in some big trouble!)"
Sonic shrugged, but it might've meant that Kirby wanted her to be free. So, he simply hit the big blue ! Switch with Screwdy's corkscrew, freeing Carrie from being in the disgusting cell.
"FREEDOM!" Carrie cried out."Oh, finally I'm out! I didn't know what I was going to do! Thank you, thank you! I've been shut in there for a long time… You'll never catch me in there again. I must repay you! I'm at your service. I'm sure you can find a use for my talent!"
"Poyo! (We'll definitely use your help, Carrie!)" Kirby said cheerfully.
Just before Carrie could circle around Kirby, she stopped. "Wait, hold on a second. Before we get all friendly, we should see if we're on the same page. You met Francis, right? What do you think of the guy? Your first impression?"
"He looked pretty nerdy," all three of them stated.
"Ah, I see. I see. Anything else about him catch your eye?"
"He's into butterflies."
"Oh? Yes, I see how you would think that. So…sum it up. What do you think about him?"
"He's just a big tech geek."
"So you think Francis is a… Nerdy butterfly fanatic? Basically, a tech geek?" all three of them nodded to her question. "Well…imagine that! You and I feel the same way about him! We've got great harmony. Yep, I think we'll work perfectly. Together, nothing can touch us!"
Kirby held up the female Pixl as soon as she circled around him. "Poyo… (She seems to be my kind of Pixl for some reason…) he pondered as he held her up.
Carrie, the hovering-platform Pixl, has joined your party! When you are riding Carrie, characters such as Kirby will move faster and can breeze through spiked floors.
"With me, you can get places in a hurry!" Carrie said cheerfully. "Go ahead, give me a spin!"
Kirby jumped on top of her and he began to hover around. "Poyo! (Look at me, guys! I'm hovering! This sounds like so much fun!)"
"Wait, Kirby! We need to get over those spikes!" Sonic shouted.
Kirby stopped and turned around while floating above the spikes, face palming. This sounded like a lot of pain to go through.
Back over by the room with the spike hallway-
"All right… We've managed to go through a lot of hell and back, but this isn't going to stop us! Let's hover over this!" Chopper said as he jumped on top of Kirby. Sonic jumped on top of him so they could all make their way across.
"This is so…awkward," stated Sonic as they crossed the spikes. It was only for about ten seconds anyway.
They were led into another room similar to the one with the SecuriMeow. But, now that they had the passcode, they could go up to the SecuriMeow and enter the passcode 2323. It's that simple!
"You have reached the door to Master's super-secret lair," the SecuriMeow informed. "Only Master is allowed inside. You must confirm your identity for security purposes. To confirm your identity, answer "true" or "false" to the following statements:"
"Got it," Chopper nodded.
"Starship X-Naut" comics are never to be removed from their plastic sleeves!"
"True."
"Role playing should be no less than 180 hours long, not counting side-quests!"
"True."
"Fanny packs are both practical and stylish!"
"True."
"Please enter the secret passcode."
"It's simple! The passcode is 2323!" Chopper smiled.
"…Welcome home, Master! Master's fantasy fortress is safe from intruders," the SecuriMeow welcomed as a big cat face appeared on the wall, along with the walls being green.
"Mrrooow!" After a strange…or rather cute meow sound, a red door was created right before their very eyes. They immediately took the elevator up to a room filled with a lot of posters and other accessories.
"HOLY… Where did Francis get a poster of Bow on it?!" Chopper gaped as he saw a pink poster with Bow on it before his very eyes. He thought for a second that she was winking at him from the poster.
"Poyo! (Hey, there's even a Peach wig!)" Kirby picked up a wig that looked a lot like Peach's while avoiding the large BigMeow that was walking around in the room. "Poyo. (I'll hold onto it for right now.)"
Kirby made his way up to the platform above him, where he found a Fort Key. Chopper, on the other hand, found a Super Shroom in the ? Block that was all the way to the right. They all split it to recover their HP.
"Man… Seeing Bow on this poster really does bring me back to when I first saw her…" Chopper recalled. "It just brings back memories…"
"Chopper, we don't have time to be looking at posters! We've gotta get going!" Sonic shouted, walking into the elevator with Kirby. Chopper rushed over to the elevator and they began to make their way over to the other room with the SecuriMeow that thought they weren't its master.
Back at that room-
"…Welcome home, Master!" the SecuriMeow welcomed as Chopper said the correct passcode. "SecuriMeow missed you!"
"Oh, crud… Hit the deck!" Chopper covered his eyes as soon as the cat face appeared on the wall and meowed before a door was drawn before their very eyes.
When they walked into the next room, they saw another room that had some interesting items. But what caught Chopper's attention was the Vivian and Berry plushie that was on the shelf.
"They've got a plushie of those two as well? Whoa… It's like Francis has been stalking all of us…" Chopper gaped, remembering the time he first saw those two.
"Uh… Chopper? Are you OK?" Sonic began waving his arm in front of Chopper's face.
"Huh? …Oh! I'm fine! Did you get the key that we need?" he asked.
Kirby held the key up. "Poyo! (I think these are the keys we need to get to the room Francis is in with Tippi!)" he shouted cheerfully.
"All right, we'll go there!"
Chopper rushed to the door and followed his friends to Francis's chamber.
MeowDoor-
"All right, Kirby! Put those keys in its place!" Chopper shouted.
"Poyo! (Got it!)" Kirby placed both keys in its keyhole before the MeowDoor meowed and accepted the keys.
"Hold on… Didn't Francis's sign on the entrance to Fort Francis say that only him and 'hot babes' could enter?" Chopper questioned
"Yeah… You're right! But we don't have any girls with us!" Sonic frowned.
"Poyo! (But I have this wig!)" Kirby held up the wig.
"But… Oh, geez… I think someone has to go in there with that wig on. I know for a fact that it WON'T be me!" Chopper shook his head.
"Actually, I think you're the only one that could get in there. I would look NOTHING like a girl if I wore that, and Kirby probably couldn't speak to Francis. I think you're the only one that can fit that. I mean, you don't have a girly voice and all, but you can TRY to."
Chopper's antennae sprung up in utter shock. "You… You're REALLY going to make ME go in there?! …Oh, fine! But I'm really freaking scared to do that!"
"Poyo! (Don't worry! We'll make sure we can come in just in time. Just say, 'Now!' and we'll bust through there!)"
"But… But…" Chopper stammered.
"Look, we won't tell anyone about this, OK?" Sonic assured.
"O-OK..."
Kirby threw the Peach wig on top of him before the MeowDoor could speak.
"Meeeoooooow! Both keys confirmed. Meow! Only Master Francis and 'totally hot babes' are allowed to enter. You may enter after I see if you're compatible with Master Francis… Please answer the following questions with 'true' or 'false'… Meow! "Video games and hot babes are totally hi-technicaaaaaaal!"
"True."
"If it's limited edition, buy it!"
"True."
"I have bought games that I never played."
"True."
"If it's got fierce giant robot on giant robot combat, it's an insta-buy!"
"True?"
"They're NOT DOLLS. They're ACTION FIGURES. WITH REAL FIRE-PUCHING ACTION."
"True."
"I have dumped a friend over an argument about 'Starship X-Naut' propulsion technology."
"True?"
"A schweet cover illustration is way more important than the story line."
"True…"
"Never pull the top copy from a pile of comics! Find the mint-condition one!"
"True."
"My first love was an anime character!"
"...True?"
"I love going on message boards and complaining about games I've never played!"
"True... Wait, people do that?"
"MRRROOOOW!"
"…Huh? I did it?" Chopper raised an eyebrow as the MeowDoor made a red door appear before him.
"Remember, Chopper… Just give us the cue and we'll be able to bust through there! …Just try to do whatever you can, OK?"
"Sniff… All right…" Chopper sighed, opening the door into Francis's room. He just hoped that he wouldn't have to be in this stupid wig forever.
Since I couldn't do anything with getting Peach to go in and do this, I thought it'd be pretty funny to make Chopper go in there with a Peach wig. So expect some hilarious stuff to come up next chapter.