A/N: Oh my god. Thank you all SO much for being patient with this chapter! I'm finally glad that my spring semester is over, and now I can focus on writing again! That is, when I'm not working on rotations...
Anyways, we're getting close to the end. Hidden Bravery will finish somewhere around fifty-five chapters. I have some ideas to include before I wrap things up with an epilogue. Based on how long these next chapters will be, I can't say for sure when I'm close to concluding the story until I format everything in place. Each upload will always be on Monday, but they may not be regularly posted. Regardless, we're getting there!
While I was gone, let me take some time to thank some people. Special shoutouts to Tsukimine12, Steel Fairy, Infinite's Ruby, and Tiger of Darkness for reviewing the previous chapter. Thank you to SpiderDom321 and fan no. j for adding this story as a favorite. And of course, thanks to everyone else, past or present, for reviewing, following, giving a favorite, and reading!
Previously, it was mostly calm before the storm. We saw Luigi, Tails, Sonic, and Colombo enter the Oblivion in pursuit of Myster Edge as the countdown to destruction winds down. But before we actually return to them, this chapter will solely focus on the other heroes, plus some newcomers who will make their cameos in this story. This is just to give them one last moment to be acknowledged before I heavily focus on Luigi's group and their journey inside the Oblivion. So for all you Waluigi fans out there, I hope you're happy, because he's finally making an appearance, fifty-three pages into this craziness. Other members from the Mario and Sonic universes will appear, but they will also be minor.
This page also breaks the record for the most PCNs for any chapter of a story on my profile, peaking at eight since most of them explain about the characters I added in.
Okay, that's enough rambling from me considering it's been too long since I posted something. So, here we go! Back to HB!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Mario, Sonic, or Waluigi. Myster Edge, my other OCs, and this story are the only things I take credit for.
Chapter 52: Rally the Troops
Location: Angel Island
Knuckles wasn't alone since the start of the next invasion on the floating island. Several flew to the island to help out the echidna. Those included Big the Cat, his frog friend, Froggy, and Sticks the Badger. (1) Another team of unlikely heroes arrived, that being the three members of the Babylon Rogues: Jet the Hawk, Wave the Swallow, Storm the Albatross. They all gathered near the temple where they saw Knuckles punching and destroying some Shadelings.
"Oh, boy. This looks like trouble," Big commented in his deep, yet carefree voice. Froggy ribbited in agreement.
"Hmm... Having trouble out here, Knucklehead?" Jet gawped.
"Urgh, now's not the time to make remarks. Sonic, Tails, and I had enough of your cockiness in those races back then. And besides, you lost all of them."
"It's not my fault I'm faster than him!"
"One, that's subjective. And two, that makes no sense."
"Jet, you can race him later once he gets back. We're here to aid Knuckles fend off the robots," Wave reminded him before she flew into the air and slammed into a robot with her feet. "Now come on and help!"
"What's the reward in this?"
"There is no reward, you arrogant seagull," Knuckles grunted, earning an offended look from the green bird.
Storm grabbed two more and crashed their heads together, dismantling them. "Come on, Jet. We can handle them like Eggman's robots."
Jet rolled his eyes. "This is so stupid."
"Come, Jetski," Sticks nudged his shoulder. "You never know what could happen. One second you'll be standing around minding your own business, and then WHAM!" She kicked Jet on his right leg.
"OW!" the hawk brought his leg up, holding his shin and hopping on his other foot.
"You'll fall to the ground, completely defenseless, and the aliens will abduct you! Then they'll strap you to a metal table and dissect your brains out! And they'll eat you alive with the rest of their subjects like a five-course meal!"
Everyone was staring at the orange badger like she was completely psycho. Everyone but Big and Froggy believed that.
Jet, still jumping in pain, hissed at her. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"It's either that way or the aliens' way."
"There are no aliens. It's a bunch of robots like Eggman's kind, except they're stronger and more dangerous," Wave countered as she kicked another one away.
"Oh yeah? Well, where are these 'robots' coming from?"
"The big, black hole?" Big tilted his head.
"Exactly! Meaning, they're from space. Thus, they're aliens!" she flailed her arms everywhere.
"That's highly ridiculous," Storm looked unimpressed before he belly-flopped onto a set of three mechs.
Knuckles used his namesakes to obliterate two more. "Jet, Sticks, stop standing around and get rid of these idiots!"
By then, Big contributed by reeling in his fishing rod and surprisingly detaching a robot's cranium. Froggy hopped off the cat's shoulder so he could distract the enemies. Sticks followed by flinging her trusty boomerang. While the projectile went flying and hit a line of Shadelings, she quickly grabbed a set of fire arrows and her archery bow. Pulling an arrow back on the string, she let go to let it fling onto one of them. It caused a humongous explosion to destroy that one and a few others nearby. She caught the boomerang with her free hand as it came back to her.
Sticks drew her breath on it as if she was blowing out a candle. "Easy-peasy," she shrugged.
"Showoff," Jet muttered as he stood for a while.
"Stop standing around and do something already," Wave nagged.
Jet was about to run his mouth again before Knuckles interrupted. "Don't try to back sass her. Get moving already!"
He turned to Storm, but he also didn't help his case. "I rather live and race later than die doing nothing."
"Come on, Jet. Don't you want to live in peace and quiet? I don't like fighting, but we don't have a choice," said Big.
"Ribbit!" Froggy croaked.
Jet grunted before he ran up and delivered a couple of punches and kicks to a separate one that shot a laser at the party. The fight was expected to be everlasting, but they weren't going to surrender.
Location: Emerald Hill Zone
With Blaze and Rouge defending one part of the zone and several volunteers protecting the rest, another duo of allies swooped on by to help. They were Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel. (2) The two stopped in the middle of a grassy plain when they spotted the cat and the bat.
"Blaze! Rouge!" the black armadillo shouted.
"Mighty! Ray! Great to see you!" Blaze waved at them.
"So, what's the plan here?" the yellow squirrel asked them.
"Nothing but a big beatdown against the robots Edge is sending out," Rouge answered.
"You mean the guy you mentioned earlier on the phone call? The one who ruined your friend's birthday?"
"Mm-hmm. And the one who created that black hole that's found in every dimension, world, and piece of existence."
"Shoot. That's really big," Mighty was in awe. "And you said it's only until tomorrow morning almost everything dies?"
"Not almost everything. Everything," Blaze corrected.
"I got an update from Shadow earlier. He said that he and the others who were trapped in Mario's world are back and they're helping Amy, Cream, and Cheese in Station Square. Tails and Big Blue are staying in the Mushroom Kingdom to help Luigi confront that beast and rescue his brother," explained Rouge.
"Mario, right?"
"Correct."
"That's got to be stressful for Luigi," Mighty pondered. "I can't imagine him suffering for so long, and now he's in another tough predicament. At least Sonic and Tails are helping him. Although, I can't say that I'm not worried for them."
"Sadly, we can't help as we're tasked to defend the other worlds in case they do survive. We just have to outlast these robots so they won't cause much terror," said Blaze.
"Uh-oh. I think they're here," Ray pointed in front of him. The other three turned in that direction to see a horde of Shadelings flying down at them.
"Well, let's get to work. Can't let Emerald Hill fall apart," Mighty clenched his fists in determination.
The heroes split up in their respective groups: Rouge and Blaze on one team, Ray and Mighty on the second. One Shadeling landed near Rouge as he spewed electric orbs at her. Flying away from the attack, she hovered over his head and twirled down quickly like a drill. The heels on her boots penetrated into his noggin to ruin his mechanical circuits. She hopped off quickly and kicked another one who failed to hit her with lasers.
Blaze began to levitate and dodged the second robot's attacks. She responded quickly with her pyrokinesis, scorching multiple limbs. She later found herself surrounded by an army of six. She brandished more fire from her palms. Closing her eyes and holding her hands close to her chest, she spread out her arms to send out a circle of fire to the Shadelings. Before either of them could attack, they disintegrated from the powerful wave.
Mighty's expertise in fighting comes from the same moves Sonic had. He was a bit stronger but definitely not as fast as the Blue Blur. He provided some punches, kicks, and spin dashes to knock out a trio of mechs. He even managed to take one by the legs, spin him around, and throw him into a lake.
Ray's main fighting technique was the traditional Spin Jump. Along with his limited fighting experience, he was not as fast and strong as his armadillo friend. But with his flying mobility, he soared in the air for a brief period and aimed directly at a line of three. The squirrel performed a chain reaction of hits to defeat them one by one.
At a later point, Ray flew down to grab the armadillo's hands in the same way Tails grabs onto Sonic as they flew through the air. At the opportune moment, the squirrel let go his friend so he can finish off another pair of Shadelings.
"Nice going, Ray!" Mighty acclaimed.
"You too, Mighty!" Ray praised back.
"How's it going for you, Rouge?" Blaze asked her from ten feet away.
"Not too shabby," she responded while she destroyed another minion. "Just trying not to let my guard down."
"Let's keep it up, guys! We can't lose faith!" shouted Mighty.
"Right!" the other three yelled back.
Location: Chemical Plant Zone
Annoyingly for Eggman, it took him until now to finish repairing Metal Sonic due to the lack of tools he had. Metal was reprogrammed to follow his real master rather than Myster Edge, the Possessors, or anyone from the Shadow Spirit's affiliate. His red eyes glowed from the sclera, but at least they didn't seem as deadly as they once were when he fought Luigi and the girls.
"Finally! It's all over now!"
"But, Boss! The end of the world isn't over! We're still here and alive!"
Orbot put a hand to his forehead from Cubot's idiotic comment. Eggman turned to the yellow robot with an unamused look.
"Do you want me to whack you in your thick, blockheaded skull again?"
"Not unless you want to reinstall his voice chip for the third time," Orbot muttered.
Eggman grunted. "Whatever. You get a pass."
"Thank Chaos," Orbot mumbled to himself.
"So, what do we now?" Cubot scratched his head.
"Hmph," the doctor crossed his arms over his egg-shaped body. "Those two told us to watch out for robots coming out of the sky. So far, there hasn't been any here."
"Those two? You mean Rouge and Blaze?"
"No, I'm talking about Mega Man and Dr. Wily!" (3)
"Really? When did they pass by? How did I miss them?"
"Of course I was talking about those two girls, you imbecile!"
"So, you weren't referring to Dr. Wily and Mega Man?"
"No! Don't you understand the concept of sarcasm?!"
"You mean the way Sonic expresses it to increase your blood pressure and drive you crazy?"
"What else do you think that means?!"
Orbot gave a glance at Metal, who stared back at him with no facial expression (obviously). But if he could show something, he'd think this conversation was going nowhere.
Just then, Metal detected something from his robotic hearing. He rotated around to see some intruders from the black hole. Like the previous locations, a set of Shadelings were in the vicinity. He responded with a sound to get his leader's attention.
"What?" Eggman got his question answered when the robots encircled the quartet in the middle of the arena. "Oh, you got to be kidding me!"
"Was that sarcasm?" Cubot looked up to him.
"Oh, boy," Orbot rolled his eyes.
Metal wasted no time as he faced head-to-head combat. He activated a Ring Spark Field to create an electrical force around his body. He also performed some generic spin jumps and spin attacks to impede their movement and deal electrifying damage. A few robots tested him with punches of their own, but Metal suppressed them with all his strength.
"Aren't you going to do something, Boss?" Orbot asked as he stared at the action.
"Why would I do something? I don't have my Egg Mobile to attack, and you idiots hardly do anything to fight back."
"That's because you never let us fight," Cubot complained.
"Just leave it to Metal. He'll handle it."
"I mean, if you say so. You basically said the same thing every time you send him to fight Sonic, and he always loses."
Thanks to another degrading comment, Cubot earned Eggman's slammed fist to the noggin.
"Aw, come on, boss! We can take down dese idiots easily! It's like stealing candy from a baby!"
"Sigh, ladies and gentlemen, here's Mobster Cubot," Orbot shook his head. (4) "I tried to convince you not to hit him again."
"Frankly, he deserved it, and you know it."
"Actually, I don't," Orbot gave up as he returned to watching Metal Sonic defend against the enemies.
Location: Yoshi's Island
Back in Mario's world, everyone was also prepared for any incoming incursions since they haven't started in their homes. Down south of the Mushroom Kingdom was the tropical locale of Yoshi's Island, where the green dinosaur and many others in a rainbow of colors lived happily in peace. If only that peace was sustainable...
Since Yoshi returned to his island, he spread the word to the dozens of Yoshis throughout the isle. He later approached the main hub of the island. Reaching an ancient stone temple in the outskirts of Yoshi's Island, he saw the Village Leader, a green, plump Yoshi with arm bands and a feather on the back of his head. Beside him was Birdo, his pink, platonic partner who he usually paired up with in sports, kart racing, and parties. (5)
"Village Leader! Are you aware of the news?!"
The dinosaur leader was sitting nonchalantly on a stone ledge. "I did hear the news. Birdo came by when she heard it from one of the Blue Yoshis.
"As soon as I was warned about the big, black hole in the sky, I had to see for myself! And it's actually real!" Birdo pointed in the sky.
"I know!" Yoshi exclaimed.
"What's even happening?"
"It's a long story. But to cut it short, we need to gather the Yoshis to evacuate from their homes, and we need to defend the island from a swarm of robots! I told the Yoshis to prepare for the invasion, and we should do the same!"
"If they end up assaulting the temple, I better get off this stone quickly," the Village Leader hopped off. "I'm going to send some of our strongest Yoshis to prepare an egg onslaught. Yoshi, Birdo, please be careful out there." And soon, he left the temple.
"With the Village Leader defending the temple, we should team up with the other Yoshis and help with the attack," Birdo suggested.
"Good idea!"
They ran down south, whisking past a dense jungle. When they got near the shoreline, tens of Yoshis were building up tons of Yoshi Eggs as their ammunition. Keep in mind, these eggs were for offense. (No Yoshi kids were harmed in the making of this fanfic.)
A yellow Yoshi walked up to them. "Hey! We're still making progress on the ammo. But we also have a team to fight back physically if we're out of eggs."
"Great! We'll do the same as well! Right, Birdo?"
"Right, Yoshi!"
A pink Yoshi ran up to the group. "Everyone! I think the invasion is starting!"
By then, they watched the Oblivion swirl quickly as the Shadelings emerged from the darkness. Floating down to the island, everyone got into position.
"Okay, guys! Let's get 'em!" Yoshi shouted.
"YOSHI!" all the others cheered.
The Shadelings did their part to invade the locale, shooting lasers and trying to harm the citizens. One Yoshi team took cover as several of them threw their colored eggs at the foes. Some easily detonated from the impact while others received minor blows to their bodies. Another group of Yoshis went for the physical strategies, dealing ground pounds and eating them with their tongues. They went above and beyond to trap them in eggs. Before they could escape, the Yoshis whacked them as hard as they could to make them go flying, or they pushed the eggs into the ocean to destabilize them. Either way, those Shadelings were defeated as more spawned from the black hole.
Back at the temple, a score of Yoshis pushed out a wooden catapult with a gigantic, red water balloon. With the Village Leader commanding the twenty-man squad, he ordered everyone to pull back and set the launch angle.
"Okay, Yoshis. On my count. Three, two, one, RELEASE!"
They fired the water balloon into the sky. It was flying towards the Oblivion where the robots were appearing from. Although it wasn't going to reach the hole, it was about to hit several of them. The rest of the impact came from the balloon bursting as the water spewed out, drenching the Shadelings and malfunctioning their circuits. At least thirty went down immediately as they crashed into the waters.
"Let's maintain our approach! We need our village to retain its peace!"
"YOSHI!" the squadron shouted in determination.
Back with Yoshi and Birdo, they teamed up by throwing their eggs at the antagonists. More of them exploded from the hits while others became dazed. At one point, Birdo jumped out of her defensive spot to meet one Shadeling face-to-face. For some reason, the robot was entranced by the pink dinosaur.
"Hello, gorgeous. Would you like a taste of this?" She caught the enemy off guard by slapping him with her tail. She finished off by chucking an egg at him.
"Keep it up, Birdo! We got a long way to go!"
"Don't worry, Yoshi! We got this!"
Location: Kongo Jungle
Since Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong were notified by the Mushroom Kingdom about Edge's plan, they were getting ready for some new action since their shared fight against the Harsh Possessor and the gigantic tree monster. Fueling up with bananas for energy, they were soon greeted by the other Kongs: Dixie, Cranky, and Funky. (6) The five primates gathered around the table inside the treehouse.
"Hi, DK! Hi, Diddy!" Dixie Kong screeched.
"Hey, guys! Glad you made it here!" Diddy replied.
"We got your message about those crazy robots and the big black hole in the sky! What exactly is the big deal?" Funky Kong queried.
"Do you want the short version or the long version?" DK asked.
"Keep it short, whippersnapper. I don't have all day," Cranky scratched his back with his cane.
"So we're told that the villain is waiting for the black hole to destroy everything. As an extra distraction, his robots were going to spawn from the holes that are found throughout the kingdom and even in Sonic's world!"
"While Luigi is going after the bad guy behind this, we have to at least protect our home in case he defeats him and save the worlds!" Diddy finished his explanation.
"Do you know how long it will take?" Dixie wondered.
"At most, we have less than a day before everything could be gone. It'll be tough to hold off those buffoons for a long time as we have to wait for Luigi and his friends to stop all of this."
Cranky looked pessimistic. "How do you know that green fellow will take care of things properly?"
Diddy and DK looked at each other before the latter responded. "That's the problem. We don't know for sure. But don't underestimate him. We've seen him fight well back then!"
"Yeah! It was against a tree giant! And we helped out!"
"I was wondering where those destroyed trees came from. I was walking through the jungle, and there were tons of these burnt tree trunks piled up on top of each other," said Funky.
"At least it's all cleaned up," Dixie smiled.
Just then, a vibration shook the treehouse with everyone losing balance. They held on tightly before they exited to the platform.
Cranky Kong tapped DK on the shoulder with his stick. "I think they're here."
The Kongs all looked up to the sky to see the Oblivion swirl. Concurrently, Edge's underlings flew from the expanse and into the jungle.
"Let's get to smashing!" Donkey Kong pounded his chest and jumped down. Diddy, Dixie, Cranky, and Funky followed him to get into position.
The opposing side typically went for the main offensive: shooting beams at the heroes. Cranky and Funky teamed up with the elder ape whipping his cane to knock one of the Shadelings into another, causing them to fall into a dogpile with a few others. Funky got on his surfboard to jump on their hands. The bottom of his board shielded him from the lasers below. They continued their chain reactions as more robots flew from the Oblivion.
"Yeah! Take that, you buffoons!" Funky yelled.
"Hrrgh! You think I'm too old to fight, but that's where I'll prove you obnoxious mech-heads wrong!" Cranky grumbled.
Diddy and Dixie relied on their agility to climb the trees and sneak a surprise attack. They clambered onto their bodies and angled their guns to shoot at each other. After they got destroyed, the two chimps did the same for the remaining enemies.
"Yah! Getting tired, Diddy?"
"Ookie! Not at all, Dixie! We're doing great!"
Donkey Kong boasted his power by slamming the Shadelings into the dirt with his fists. He also revved up his arm to punch one out of the jungle. The large ape didn't show any loss of stamina or strength as he baffled the robots with his power.
"HROO! You can't beat me or any of us! Now get out of here!" DK howled before sending another minion a massive punch to the face.
Location: Bowser's Castle
By the time the airship landed in the hangar, Kamek led Bowser, Bowser Jr., and the seven Koopalings to the large infirmary in the east wing of the fortress. Prior to their return, the Magikoopa called Kammy to brew a healing potion to restore their health after the damage Luigi caused from his Thunderhand. (7)
Last time when it was just Bowser and his son being injured by Edge, Kamek preferred to let them heal slowly through time as magic was considered ineffective. But at this stage, there was no time to wait. So, he went to desperate measures, even if it negates his former statement. He also told Kammy to guide the underlings to set up a battle plan once the Shadelings enter Dark Land.
To this point, Bowser still held a grudge against the younger Mario brother. And he wasn't too thrilled on defending his castle from Edge's troops. But since he and the Koopas had no choice, unless they wanted to perish, they had to follow Luigi's advice. They had to at least try to keep the castle safe from being destroyed in the case the Oblivion goes away and Edge is defeated. That way, most of the castle would be preserved, and they wouldn't have to rebuild a whole lot.
The ten Koopas reached the facility where the purple-robed mage was adding some ingredients to a cauldron. When Kammy heard the door open, she spun around to greet them.
"Ah, Master Bowser. You have returned with Master Kamek and the children."
"Whatever. Do you have the potion ready?"
"It needs another minute until the status effects are completely dissolved."
"What did you put in it?" Iggy asked.
"A variety of Mushrooms, some white meat from the leftover drumsticks Lord Bowser had for dinner yesterday, a splash of syrup, and some Refreshing Herbs."
"It's not going to taste cough medicine, will it?" Jr. stuck out his tongue in disgust. "Bleh, I hate cough medicine."
"Oh, suck it up, Jr. You're not the one who had to drink some because someone gave me the flu for two weeks," Wendy huffed while shooting a dagger at Larry.
"Hey, I said I was sorry that I sneezed into your face! You should've kept your distance away from me!"
"You know, the kid's got a point," Roy responded, only to earn a glare from her, too. "What? You actually should've known better to stay away from sick people."
"Pfft," Wendy scoffed.
"Is almost done yet?" Lemmy was getting impatient.
"Another fifteen seconds," Kammy stirred the contents once more.
"I'll go get some cups to pour the potion in," Kamek offered.
"Thank you."
As soon as Kamek came back, Kammy took her ladle and scooped up the potion into the cups.
"Drink slowly, now. You don't want to accidentally choke."
"I'm pretty sure she's referring to you," Ludwig whispered to Morton.
"Urgh, shut up. It's not my fault I can work up an appetite."
The Koopas quenched themselves from Kammy's remedy. Most of them seemed to have their injuries cured, as if they weren't hurt from the thunder. Others took a while, so they received another cup's worth. Bowser was getting frustrated that he wasn't feeling alright, so he grabbed the pot and chugged the remaining liquid.
Kammy started panicking like she was his mother. "King Bowser! A single cup or the whole pot, I told you to drink slowly!"
"Oh, can it, Haggy! That green-hatted loser gave me a beating I want to forget! And since I'm forced to listen to him, I need to be better and stronger now!"
"Jeez, Dad. Take a chill pill," Jr. showed concern.
The slam of the infirmary doors caught everyone's attention. A Hammer Bro ran up to them.
"Lord Bowser! We caught first sight of the robots from the black hole!"
Bowser grunted. "Alright. Head back to your post." The Hammer Bro nodded and sprinted out the room. "Kamek, Kammy, and Jr., follow me to the front gate. We'll take on those idiots early on. Koopalings! Get your wands and head outside to the front."
"Yes, Dad!" the Koopalings shouted, full of vigor from the medicine. They ran to their private bedrooms to retrieve their weapons.
Meanwhile, Bowser and his son called for their Koopa Clown Cars while Kamek and Kammy hopped on their broomsticks. Flying to the front entrance, the four Koopas made it outside. They first witnessed the Koopa Klan taking part in combat. Koopas, Goombas, Koopatrols, and many others were trying to stop the Shadelings from infiltrating the castle.
Bowser made his move to let out his infamous fire breath. The burning effect caused the robots to overheat and detonate. Bowser Jr. spewed out small fireballs and released spike balls from the mouth, crushing their heads and feet. Kamek and Kammy whipped out spells from their wands to disable and hinder their movement.
The seven Koopalings all reached the front with their wands, too. Just like the Magikoopas, they used their magic against the Shadelings. Everyone had their own chant or battle cry as they released their powers. Obliterating the robots one by one, the Koopas were doing all they can to defend the stronghold.
"This better work or else. You better beat that purple creep, Luigi," he mumbled, actually calling him by his name.
Location: Toad Town
With the Toad army ready, Peach and Daisy were ready to direct the troops while they became prepared themselves to fight back. Toad and Toadette decided to help while Toadsworth chose to take control of defending the castle with the other Toad helpers. They also got reinforcements coming their way. Even though their relationship with the Mario Bros. and the princesses were not on friendly terms, Wario and Waluigi arrived when they were told they would receive a small reward. (8) The obese, yet muscular man and the skinny, agile partner ran to the castle grounds to meet with the royal leaders.
"Alright, where's the reward? We didn't come here for nothing," Wario greedily demanded.
"Yeah! Give us our loot now!" Waluigi sneered.
Daisy rolled her eyes. "Why did you invite these lunatics?"
"I had to, Daisy!" Peach replied. "They have a right to know what's going on. The same thing applied to Bowser, and Luigi handled it even though it was a bit rough back there."
"Ugh, fine. You'll get something later on. We're not giving you anything right now though."
"Ehh, why not?" Waluigi crossed his arms.
"Yeah, what's the big deal? We'll help you out with whatever you need," Wario insisted.
"And that's what you're going to do. Because if you don't help defend the Mushroom Kingdom, chances are we're going to perish, regardless if Luigi stops Myster Edge!"
"By the way, where is that little, green brat? And who's Myster Edge?"
"Watch what you say, Waluigi. There are plenty of reasons why I prefer him over you!"
"Oh, come on, cutie. What's not to love about me? I'm much more taller and less chubby than him and anyone else wearing the hat, shirt, and overalls combo," he tried to flirt with her. The look on her face showed that it wasn't working.
"Eh, what's that supposed to mean? You trying to make fun of my weight again?" Wario placed a finger on his chest.
"I'm just saying I'm better looking than all three of you. Even I'm more handsome than Mario, which I don't understand why Ms. Pinky admires him." Waluigi didn't notice, but Peach shot a glare at him. She wasn't the kind of person who gets mad that easily. But you wouldn't expect her to be happy and lighthearted at anyone who disrespects her and her friends.
"Waluigi, I can just take back the reward option for both of you. You don't have to fight at all either. In fact, I liked it better when you greedy bastards weren't here."
"Come on now, princess. We can handle things easily."
"Yeah, baby, come on. Let's take things slowly and seriously," Waluigi tried to place a hand on her shoulder, only for it to get slapped. "Ouch!"
"Get your filthy hands away from me, you creep!"
"Hey! Don't hit him like that!"
"I can do the same thing to you, tubby!"
"Enough!" The three turned to see Peach who was anything but calm. It was quite unnatural for her to burst out in anger. "We have a job to do here, and that's to protect our kingdom. I'm not doing this for myself. I'm doing this for everyone. And you guys are throwing tantrums like a bunch of immature kids! Can you please clean up your act and stop arguing? Edge's robots could attack at any minute, and they could easily vanquish us if we don't act properly!"
Daisy, Wario, and Waluigi all stared at each other before they decided to end this dilemma and work together just this one time.
"Sorry, Peach. And I'm sorry for what I said, you guys," Daisy grudgingly apologized.
"Eh, I'm sorry as well," Wario returned the same, unappreciative feeling.
"Same here," Waluigi grumbled.
Peach wasn't pleased with the lack of emotion, but it's for the best to take it and move on. Just then, Toadette ran up to Peach with a vital update.
"Princess Peach! I think it's our turn now!"
They all saw a group of robots exiting the Oblivion. Heading to the central part of the town, Peach was ready with the help of Daisy, the Toad guards, and their... yellow and purple acquaintances.
"Alright, everyone. We have to wait until Luigi can bring back Mario and stop Edge. Let's hold off them for as long as we can. Is that clear?"
Waluigi nodded his head, cracked his knuckles, and got into a fighting pose. "Let's get 'em!"
Wario went with the flow, flexing his large muscles. "We'll pulverize those wimps."
"Lead the way, Peach!" Daisy yelled.
The five reunited with Toad and the other denizens who were already busy throwing punches, jabbing their spears, and blocking the enemies' attacks with their metal shields. Toad and Toadette stuck to physical attacks and supplying Mushrooms to anyone who needed extra health. Wario and Waluigi pulled out a large sack with their tennis rackets and a bunch of Bob-ombs that were ready to explode.
When Toad noticed this, he dropped a bead of swat. "You better be careful with those."
"Don't worry, Mushroom Top. We're not gonna throw them at you or the others," Waluigi rolled his eyes.
"I don't trust you, but I'm just going to ignore that."
Waluigi shrugged as he and Wario each threw a Bob-omb in the air and whacked them with their rackets. The bombs began to blink red from the contact. By the time it hit two of the robots, they detonated on impact. They made sure their aim was on point without injuring any of the Toads or the princesses on accident.
Peach and Daisy went with their typical strategy of combat, by using their parasols and their special magic to prevent them from causing severe damage. As Daisy whacked a foe, Peach would stall a Shadeling with her Heart Power and send him off to a far distance. They switched roles as Daisy utilized her Flower Power to throw disturbing petals and block their eyesight as her partner had her turn to brawl.
Everyone was consistent, and none of them felt tired or famished thanks to the Mushrooms that restored their energy and strength.
At one point, Peach hid behind a building to catch her breath. Daisy followed behind her to do the same. "I really hope Luigi and the others can save Mario," she said.
"Same here, Peach. We just gotta keep this up. We can't let ourselves down easily, and we can't let Luigi down either! I know I won't."
Peach had to smile at her friend's confidence. "You're right. I'm nowhere close to giving up now. It's either do or die from here on out."
"We better get back. We don't want to let the others do all the work."
"I'm with you, Daisy! Let's go!"
END OF CHAPTER
I hope this chapter wasn't too stale since all the fights against the Shadelings were generally the same. I just wanted to give everyone screen time, including the newcomers. Next time on Hidden Bravery, we will return to Luigi and the gang inside the Oblivion. They, too, will have to defeat some more robots, specifically Edge's main subordinates.
Thanks again for reading and for waiting on this chapter! If you enjoyed it, please review, follow/favorite, and I'll see you in Ch. 53! This is TGN, signing off.
Post-Chapter Notes:
(1): Sticks is mostly known in the Sonic Boom spinoff. However, she was playable in Mario & Sonic at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, so that's why I added her in with Big and the Babylon Rogues.
(2): Mighty and Ray debuted in the arcade game SegaSonic the Hedgehog in 1993. They have returned to be playable in Sonic Mania Plus, which is why I wanted to add them as guests.
(3): I made this reference because there was a crossover between Sonic and Mega Man in the Archie Comic arc known as Worlds Collide.
(4): This is another phase Cubot had where his voice chip was altered, most notably recognized in Sonic Colors. I tried my best to fit the context, even if it's just a few sentences.
(5): The Yoshi Village Leader appeared in Paper Mario, who is the leader of the Yoshi clan residing in Lavalava Island. Even though Yoshi's Island is not his main habitat, I wanted to include him for this section. Birdo debuted in Super Mario Bros. 2 and made appearances in most Mario spin-offs, such as Mario Kart, Mario Party, and various sports games. She was originally going to be part of the main cast, but I scrapped her out because I couldn't find a way to fit her into the plot.
(6): I wanted to implement Dixie and Cranky since I mentioned them way back in the story. Funky Kong was added since he was announced to be a playable character for the Nintendo Switch port of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.
(7): Like Cranky and Dixie, I mentioned Kammy earlier, but she never got an appearance until now. She was the main follower of Bowser in Paper Mario and Paper Mario: TTYD.
(8): And there's the moment some people have waited for: Waluigi Time! And also, Wario... But no one cares about him as much as the former. Just like Birdo, they aren't significant characters for the same reason, along with the fact they have a rivalry between the Mario Bros., which would have made the first several chapters hard and awkward to write.