Battle Of The Luminaries 3

by Tinyhammer

Votefic. UVR Spinoff. Cross-Pasted On ArchiveOfOurOwn. After at least a decade when the second tournament was unfortunately been cancelled, the Battle of the Luminaries is finally back with its largest roster yet. Who will win? YOU DECIDE! Also, I WILL NOT TAKE MYSTERY FIGHTER REQUESTS!

31. Section Fourteen

(The Arena)

"Sooo before you get over-excited and fall off again, how about you tell me what you want?" Drake asked with a sheepish grin.

"Oh! That is easy! I want an arena full of donuts!" Homer grinned before frowning. "No, wait! I want to turn the arena into a bowling alley! No! I want to have the Krusty Burger!"

Everyone winced, not liking where this was going.

"This section is never going to start…" Lincoln frowned.

"Oh, how about the arena full of beer!" Homer grinned.

"NO!" Drake shouted, startling everyone. "There are minors in here! You want my home's version of Rex Banner to come after me!?"

Homer blinked twice. "...Who?"

Drake slapped his forehead. "Ugh, never mind. Just no beer!"

Homer grumpily crossed his arms. "Tch. Fine…"

He then put his hand to his chin as he looked around the arena, as if trying to find ideas. Suddenly, his eyes lit up when his eyes locked on one particular person as his eyes lit up.

"Ooh! Ooh! I think I know what I want to do!" Homer grinned.

"Oh?" The Millennium Star asked, raising a non-existent eyebrow.

Homer nodded his head before taking a deep breath.

"I want this next section… To have a stage from Kirby's Dream Buffet!"

Everyone's eyes widened as the crowd cheered with Kirby's eyes going sparkly.

"Of course we have to go through a glorified food fight after dealing with all of those pumpkins!" Zim roared in frustration before throwing his hands in the air. "Of course! Of course!"

Lincoln chuckled nervously. "At least they shouldn't be moving?"

"I was looking towards the fighters for inspiration of what I want and then I saw Kirby and remembered that he had his best games yet!" Homer grinned. "Where every course is tasty!"

Nine rolled her eyes. "Of course when you look at Kirby, you would be reminded of that."

The Millennium Star merely chuckled. "So which stage do you want?"

Homer paused. "...Huh?"

"S-Surely you have a particular one in mind?" The Millennium Star said.

"I mean I know I should. But I can't help it!" Homer frowned. "I want… ALL of them!"

"Woah, woah, woah! Wait a minute!"

Everyone looked up at Tumble.

"You are telling me that you have chosen WHAT stage your pick is based on, but not exactly the exact stage despite it having multiple stages!?" Tumble exclaimed.

Homer blinked twice. "Um, yes?"

For once, Homer isn't the only one confused. Everyone else wondered what Tumble meant. Except for Drake, Ashley and the Millennium Star who smiled while Tumble looked excited.

"Oh boy! I thought I would never be able to use this feature!" Tumble beamed.

With that, he got out his phone and started to push a few buttons. Everyone looked at each other wondering what Tumble was doing.

"For those who don't know, we came up with a system for any Superstars who have an idea of what they want for a stage change but can't pinpoint an exact one!" Drake grinned.

Soon, Tumble looked like he was done fiddling with his phone. Then, his top opened up and a transparent book came out. The book then grew in size before opening up, showing a long list of names.

"Alright! Roulette, GO!" Tumble shouted.

Then, the coloured line appeared on one of the names before going around the rest downwards as if it was a roulette. Soon, it slowly stopped on one final name.

"Anddddd we have a winner!" Tumble smiled before fiddling with the phone. "Millennium Star, do you mind?"

"It will be an honour!" The silver star said with an unseen smirk.

With that, he started to spin around while emitting a white light covering the entire arena. When the light cleared, the arena had a drastic change. The ground was chequered green with frosting with the ropes having white and light green frostings all over it. There were even wafer-like structures all over. There were even orange cubes with pictures of a fork and knife on all sides with a cream on top for each of them, scattered around the arena.

The most noticeable thing was a familiar tree with a face with said face looking like a cake.

"Welcome to Whispy Stage Cake!" Tumble announced.

"Even in a Kirby one-time stage, we can't seem to escape Whispy Woods." Mewtwo smirked.

"Oh, wow!" Homer said with sparkling eyes. "Never have the environment looked so good!"

"I know, right?" Tumble asked. "Now before we continue, I have an announcement to make!"

Everyone looked at Tumble.

"As Whispy Stage Cake is a Battle Royale stage, I should explain a few things." Tumble explained. "First off, inside of those crates are Copy Abilities. Break them and grab it to use one of eight abilities! Even the Race-only Hi-Jump!"

This startled everyone.

"W-Wait. When you say that, you are NOT just referring to Kirby?" Rin asked.

"Nope! EVERYONE could use it! I mean I don't see why NOT you could use it! Supergirl used Ripto's magic against him in the Tournament of Kikai and one of her few weaknesses IS magic!" Tumble reminded.

"Oh, what a lovely idea!" Ladiva smiled. "To be able to share the same excitement Kirby feels when he uses a new ability!"

"Also, there will be strawberries scattered all over the area! Especially inside of Whispy Woods!" Tumble nodded. "But be careful, there are also hazards!"

Everyone's eyes widened at this.

"H-Hazards?" Cream frowned.

"Yes, there are two. First off, there are tongs held up the giant hands that they grab home in on the nearest opponent and grab you and carry you into the air." Tumble frowned. "Fortunately, they won't take you out of the arena. However, it WOULD make you a sitting duck for your opponent. While FLOATING ducks."

"And the second?" N. Gin asked, looking excited.

"Overtime, the stage will be cut by a knife, making it smaller and thus harder to fight on." Tumble warned.

Everyone looked worried at this before looking at each other. They needed all of the space they could get so to have most of it restricted. Homer blinked twice before scoffing.

"That's all?" Homer asked.

"H-Huh?" Tumble jumped.

"Look. Being carried by tongs and constantly worried about the arena shrinking is NOT fun." Homer said, crossing his arms. "IF there aren't so many benefits to go along with it!"

"Of course you would say that…" Mewtwo muttered, rolling his eyes.

"No, no, he has a point." Isabelle pointed out. "After all, I think this is the first stage to give us a whole list of power-ups."

"And at least Tumble is actually to WARN us about the hazards." Lincoln shrugged.

With that, the fighters glared up at the Millennium Star, making him wince.

"Would it do ANY good to point out that while Mewtwo, Zim and Lincoln have every right to glare at me, the rest have no leg to stand on?" The Millennium Star muttered.

"Welcome to my world." Drake muttered, rolling his eyes.

"So yeah, hurry up and take me down!" Homer said, impatiently. "We have a sugary-sweet section to start!"

Kirby happily jumped up and down. The Millennium Star nodded before descending Homer's platform to the ground. Acting like a giddy schoolgirl, he got off and started to run off to find what he could eat along with Kirby, Lincoln and Cream & Cheese. Zim, Rin and Ladiva were more interested in the potential power-ups.

Bullet blinked twice. "Um, are they really going to eat sweets? In the middle of a fighting tournament?"

Isabelle giggled. "Kinda reminds me of MY Island Representative. He has a sweet tooth too."

(Announcer's Booth)

"As interesting as this stage is, I do hope that the research team is not too upset about Tumble stealing Olmec's thunder for this section." Ashley frowned.

"Eh. Worst case scenario, he just has to focus on the Copy abilities." Drake reassured, waving it off. "Considering that is the bulk of ALL Kirby games, it is definitely a 'quality over quantity' kinda deal."

Nine blinked twice. "Turning into a cupcake is quality?"

(The Arena)

"ROSALINA & LUMA!" (SSB)

"You know how in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, there is actually this Meta where you see only one particular combination and most of them involve Waluigi. Well, at least you could always say that he isn't in Super Smash Bros." Nine shrugged before frowning. "Unfortunately, apparently there is this new meta and Rosalina is the next top pick. So we have to deal with her in Super Smash Bros AND Mario Kart 8 Deluxe!"

"I must admit, you are on the ball with some of these roasts." Drake said, raising an eyebrow.

"Eh. I only learned that particular hint because of Kokonoe." Nine admitted, waving it off. "That is just as much her roast as mine."

(Hey, how would you)

(Like to)

(Watch the stars)

(See how they)

(Shine so brightly)

(Just for us)

(Us)

The teal-clad pale blonde goddess and her literal Star Child ignored Nine as they elegantly waved to the cheering crowd as Milky Way from the anime "Carole & Tuesday" played through the speakers. Despite this, they didn't look too happy.

"There are a lot of… Innocent fighters not only in the arena but also the Ready Room." Rosalina frowned. "It seems that we may need all of the help we could get."

Luma gave a sad noise.

"There, there, little one. I think our plan may work." Rosalina reassured. "Let's hope that HE doesn't come out too soon."

Luma nodded their heads as they slowly floated down the ramp as everyone looked in awe at her beauty and/or the song. Once in, they made their way over to Mewtwo.

"Pardon me, Mewtwo, but isn't it alright that we team up for a moment?" Rosalina asked.

"Say no more." The Pokemon said, narrowing his eyes. "Even in the Ready Room, I sensed his aura from all of the way over here."

"Even though he is actually behaving himself and not getting involved in villain plots, he is still too dangerous to be left alone." Rosalina nodded. "Good thing we have one ally here and one in the wings."

Mewtwo raised a non-existent eyebrow. "Oh, and who is this ally in the wings?"

Rosalina smiled. "It is someone that you are well-acquainted with."

"CHARMY BEE!" (StH)

"Okay, let's be generous and pretend that he ISN'T annoying. What does Charmy bring the Chaotix Detective Agency outside of being the obligatory Flight character?" Nine asked. "Vector is the leader, muscle AND the brains, Espio is the level-headed, stealth expert AND ninja. But what does Charmy bring?"

"Oh, that is easy!" The yellow young bee smirked. "I am AWESOME!"

Nine just rolled her eyes as Charmy did somersaults in the air before making his way down the ramp and into the arena. He then made his way over to Cream & Cheese.

"Hey, Cream! Hey, Cheese!" Charmy grinned, getting the two's attention.

"Oh, hey, Charmy! Isn't it wonderful that we get to fight in a wonderful arena?" Cream smiled.

"Chao chao!" Cheese beamed.

"I know, right? Literally the only thing missing is honey! And good thing that I have an endless supply of it!" Charmy nodded.

As the two youngest Sonic fighters spoke, Mewtwo looked amused.

"Huh. The only member of my old alliance from the Tournament of Kikai?" Mewtwo asked.

"Indeed. While you weren't as successful as Penny Proud's alliance, you have surprisingly done well with not only Charmy, a… Polarising character." Rosalina noted. "But also Nathan Drake, Jack Sparrow and even an obscure Canadian cartoon character."

"Yes, I think we made a name for ourselves." Mewtwo chuckled. His face then turned sour. "Maybe we would have made a bigger name if Nathan didn't bring all of us down by having the dumbest elimination in that entire tournament."

Rosalina chuckled nervously. "Now, now, Xero and Junko are arguably just as much to blame."

Before the two could continue their conversation, Charmy, Cream and Cheese made their way over.

"Hey, Mewtwo, long time no see!" Charmy beamed.

"Yes, even though I knew that we would be joining together, I didn't expect to be in the same section." Mewtwo noted.

"Well, I got Cream & Cheese like you asked, Rosalina!" Charmy beamed.

"Indeed. Charmy told me what happened and I can't say no when I am asked to help!" Cream nodded.

"Splendid. Let's stay together and not stray in case we get dragged into a fight." Rosalina said.

"Indeed. To say we need all of the energy we could get is an understatement." Mewtwo frowned.

(Ladies and gentlemen)

(Garfield and friends!)

"GARFIELD!" (NASB)

"...Okay, I know that Nickelodeon brought the rights to Garfield a few years ago, but did he ever have his own Nick-original show OUTSIDE of reruns?" Nine asked, scratching the back of her head. "Also, isn't Garfield's whole schtick that he is too lazy to do anything? Why is he in a fighting tournament? As WTF Garzooka was, at least I could see why Xero did so."

(We're…)

(We're…)

(Ready…)

(Ready…)

(To…)

(To…)

(PARTY!)

(PARTY!)

The orange heavyset housecat came out to a loud cheer and one of his themes from his "Garfield and Friends" cartoon. He just smirked before waving to the crowd with both hands. Unlike most people, not only that he didn't mind Nine's roast, but actually AGREED with it.

"It is a drag that I have to enter a fighting game where I have to put in effort." Garfield lamented. "But hey, as long as I am still seeing work, I guess I can't complain. Especially with this lovely stage!"

He then stretched his arms before making his way down the ramp. Everyone in the crowd was so busy cheering.

…That they didn't notice Penny Proud jumping up in the crowd and excitedly pointing at the cat while looking at her family. When Garfield finally entered the ring, he looked around wondering what to chow down on first.

(Ladies and gentlemen)

(Garfield and Friends)

Everyone in the arena froze before looking at the Sound Booth.

"Did someone in the Sound Booth make a blunder?" Garfield asked before rolling his eyes. "Is it almost like giving such an important job to an edgelord hedgehog, a blood-thirsty golem and a high-spirited teenager is a BAD thing?"

(Friends are there)

(Ro help rou ret rarted!)

(Ro rive rou ra rush ron rour ray!)

Everyone's pupils shrink when the other opening to "Garfield and Friends" starts to play through the speakers. However, instead of a chorus singing part of the one, it was one person singing with a very, very, VERY distinct voice.

"You've GOT to be kidding me…" Garfield said with wide eyes.

(Friends are there)

(Ro rurn rou raround!)

(Ret rour reet ron re round ror ra rand-new ray!)

Immediately, everyone started to cheer for the new singer. Except for Garfield who slapped his hand against his face while shaking his head.

(To pick you up while you are down)

(Ro help rou rallow rour ride)

(Rith romething rinside)

(Rot ro reak ron through ro re rother ride!)

"And now, Mystery Fighter… Number… TWENTY-EIGHT!"

"SCOOBY DOO!" (Scooby Doo)

(Scooby Dooby Doo)

(Where are you?)

(We got some work to do now)

The brown-furred Great Dane came out an enormous cheer while the theme to the original Scooby Doo cartoon played through the speakers. He then grinned before getting up on his hind legs and bowing to the crowd.

(Scooby Dooby Doo)

(Where are you?)

(We need some help from you now)

Once he was done showboating, he made his way on all fours towards the arena. He then stepped into the arena. Particularly towards Garfield.

"Really? REALLY?" Garfield asked in disbelief. "Did you really hijack one of my theme songs and ruin it with YOUR horrible singing?"

"Hey, my singing is not horrible! Everyone is loving it, aren't they?" Scooby scolded (while the cameraman was putting up subtitles for the screen because how hard to understand Scooby's speech pattern is.)

"Only because they were STARVING for you ever since you didn't get into Multiversus and Vel…" Garfield started.

"WE DO NOT TALK ABOUT VELMA!" Scooby roared, making Garfield jump.

"Alright, alright, low blow, even for me." The feline admitted, holding up his hands in defence. "But seriously, why did you enter a fighting tournament when cowardice is your most defining trait?"

"Said the cat who is willing to enter a platform fighter when laziness is their most defining trait." Scooby smirked.

"...Well, I am. A dog could have a smart answer once in a while." Garfield snarked. "But yeah, as long as we are here, wanna double-team? Maybe we could gang up on an easy opponent."

"Oh, that is a very good idea!" Scooby grinned. He then whimpered. "Especially since there are already a couple of dangerous people in the ring."

(Announcer's Booth)

"Aw, I get it now. Tinyhammer is a big fan of Scooby Doo and he knew that if he cast him before the resurgence era, he would have been laughed out of the tournament." Nine noted. "But seeing that Mystery Fighters have been more varied over the years, even when ignoring Penny Proud's win of course, he actually fights right in. Especially since Daphne was invited to the Tournament of Kikai."

She then looked at Drake. However, he had a big grin on his face. Blinking twice, she turned to see Ashley, smiling brightly. Nine then looked back and forth between the two.

"...And Scooby wasn't the Mystery Fighter you were referring to." Nine realised.

"Nnnnnope." Drake smirked.

"Sure, Scooby in a fighting tournament would normally make people raise an eyebrow, but if Multiversus could make VELMA and LEBRON JAMES into fighters, then it isn't too out there to make Scooby as well." Ashley noted.

"...I mean if they didn't pull out the game, I suppose that would be the case." Nine realised.

Drake and Ashley winced at this.

"But yeah, you should see soon enough. But for now." Drake said, trying to change the subject. He then spoke into the microphone.

"HAPPY CHAOS!" (GG)

Nine nodded her head before she went to grab the microphone for her roast.

Only for a hand to grab the microphone from her, startling not only her, but Drake and Ashley as well.

"Gurl, do NOT even get me started on that guy! He is SO gross! I mean have you seen his skin? Ugh, so gaudy! Like doesn't he even heard of a tan! Also, why is appealing to the DeviantArt crowd by having his feet bare? And don't even get me started on his gunplay if you could even call me that? I heard better gun poses from Erron Black from Mortal Kombat! And if you are a fan of SugarPunch's channel on Youtube, you would know that is NOT a compliment!"

Drake, Ashley and Nine blinked twice as to who was giving the roast. It was none other than Happy Chaos himself.

"Happy Chaos, what in the hell are you doing here!?" Drake asked in awe.

"I mean being roasted." Happy Chaos said, matter-of-factly. "Isn't that the rule for having Nine here?"

"Then, why are YOU doing it instead of ME!?" Nine growled.

"I don't know. I wanna see what will happen if I come in here and roast myself." Happy Chaos shrugged.

"Just get in the ring." Ashley said, jerking his thumb to the arena with a grumpy look on his face.

Happy Chaos just shrugged before summoning a portal underneath himself and falling through it, leaving the three stunned.

"Did… Did he self-roasted himself so hard that he left me speechless on what to say?" Nine asked in awe.

"Looks like it." Ashley answered.

(The Arena)

(It took me ten years to find the answers to something)

(I forget about it in two seconds)

(That's about it)

The pale blue-skinned man then reappeared in the arena with a mixed reaction (though the cheers were louder thanks to his entrance). Zim then made his way over with a raised eyebrow.

"I must confess that you made Zim jealous, Happy Chaos." Zim admitted. "Maybe I should take over the Announcer's Booth for MY entrance at the next UVR tournament."

"Yeah, I think more people should do it more often." The crazy man nodded before realising "But not TOO often or else it gets repetitive."

"By the by, how is the plan going?" Zim asked.

"I think the next phase should be happening now." Happy Chaos said, scratching the head of his head.

Zim's eyes widened at this. "THIS soon?"

"Yeah, apparently someone bugged one of us so everyone came over." Happy Chaos shrugged.

"Oh, that is glorious!" Zim grinned. "Did all of the champions come!?"

"Yes, they did!" Happy Chaos nodded.

Zim's eyes lit up.

"...Or most of them I think." Happy Chaos shrugged.

Zim's face fell.

"Like I think there was one or two missing." Happy Chaos mused. "I think one of them is Penny."

"How could you forget such a crucial plan!?" Zim roared. "Are you insane!?"

"I don't know." Happy Chaos shrugged.

"YOU'RE LYING!" Zim shouted, leaping onto Happy Chaos and shaking him like a pair of maracas.

"GUILMON!" (DRA)

"What is it with the main Digimon of anime being a fire-breathing dinosaur? I know that the anime is usually classified as shonen, but they really appeal to the standard young boy demographic." Nine muttered.

The red-scaled Virus Digimon smiled before waving to the crowd. Wagging his tail like a dog, he made his way down the ramp with an excited look on his face.

"Oh boy!" Guilmon smiled, making his way down the ramp. "It is just like Willie Wonka! Only without the mean kids!"

With that, he leapt into the ring before excitedly looking ahead. Just like the others, he was more focused on eating than fighting.

The Millennium Star gave an unseen frown. "I could understand wanting to make the most out of this stage change, but most of them aren't even fighting!"

"Now, now. Give it time." Tumble offered. "With this cast, they will start to fight!"

"Oh, I LOVE how we have gotten to the place where this is acceptable!" The Millennium Star muttered, rolling his eyes.

(Dome; Secret Path)

Diaboromon let out a deep sigh as he made his way towards Junko's hideout.

"I am glad that I managed to make a splash in the Halloween section for this tournament." Diaboromon lamented. "But I would still want to survive the section just like Beetlejuice and Maleficent did."

He then looked up to see Oume walking down the hallway. His eyes immediately brightened up.

"Ah, Oume!" Diaboromon called out, getting the ageing woman's attention. "How are we doing?"

Oume growled. "Fuck off, you rejected Battle Network NetNavi!"

Diaboromon jumped at this, while Oume stomped right past him. The Digimon blinked twice watching her leave.

"...THAT bad?" He asked himself.

Deciding to get answers for himself, he rushed towards the hideout to find out what was going on.

(Dome; Junko's Hideout)

"I passed Oume and she did NOT look happy to save the least." Diaboromon frowned, coming in. "How bad our plans backfired?"

"Um, well." Kurow frowned, pointing to the side.

Diaboromon turned his head and once he did, his eyes widened.

Standing to the side were seven people. R. Mika, Sakura, Geese, Pikachu, Kasumi, Haohmaru and Lilly. However, they didn't look like their regular selves. But rather shadowy figures on themselves with eerie yellow eyes.

Diaboromon blinked twice. "Um, wait, our plan failed because we didn't get ALL of them?"

"Um, no. The issue is that apparently, despite doing everything right, Bison doesn't care about the Goketsuji battle." Cortex muttered.

Diaboromon jumped. "Wait, you mean he was using us!?"

"Well, technically that is the case because he apparently doesn't even give a crap about us." The Shredder said, frowning behind his mask.

Diaboromon blinked twice. "H-Huh?"

"Long story short, it was FREAKING POINTLESS!" Cortex roared.

Diaboromon jumped before Cortex started to pace around.

"The plan was brilliant! Kidnap the loved ones of the six champions of the pre-resurgence era! Brainwash them and have them act in ways that scare said champions!" Cortex roared. "And when they eventually come HERE, we will have said hostages drink the most painful and suffering type of poison! Seeing that may not be enough to bring the champions completely into despair but it doesn't need to!"

He then stomped over to a machine.

"THIS! Another one of Junko's tools she brought over but kept in favour of the Skull Heart! When this thing is active, it will take what little despair in someone's heart, even if it hasn't completely manifested and take it to create a clone of that person!" Cortex roared. "Then, we will show them to Bison because we did what he didn't in the third Megamix Tournament! We not only successfully technically took over ONE champion, but we took over FIVE! Sure, we didn't get them all, but we got two extra ones! THEY would work! But no! It all went to pot!"

He then breathed in and out.

"I lost FIVE minions! FIVE because of this stupid war and while I think I could convince them to work for me in the canon games, as of right now, they are acting insubordinate!" He snapped. "I suffered the worst humiliation at these things and all because of this stupid war!"

With that, he angrily kicked the machine. Everyone winced as Cortex recoiled his foot in pain, but he still looked too furious to complain about the pain.

"S-So what now?" K. Rool frowned.

"What CAN we do?" Azrael asked. "If there is no point to this plan, there is no reason to work."

"In any case, I am out. I am getting off this loser train before it poisons me and affects my appearance in the arena." Terumi spat.

"Damn straight… There is nothing to do here…" The Shredder muttered.

The villains all grumbled in agreement. Suddenly, they all heard noises. Turning their heads, they saw in the group of shadow clones, some more had started to form.

"Hm? There are some last-minute people in near-despair?" Ridley asked.

Then, the new shadows started to take form. Once they did, everyone went wide-eyed.

"...I knew that doing this plan was a bad idea." Cortex muttered. "I just knew it…"

(Hotel; Secret Laboratory)

Otane, Moe, Tiny, Elliana and Reptile all looked in horror at the sight of their lab. Or what was left of it. It was completely destroyed. All of the other members of Otane's group and their hostages were long gone. And worst of all, the Star Extractor was completely destroyed.

Otane collapsed on her knees. "No…"

"Your crazy sister wasn't exaggerating." Elliana frowned. "They really sent both Barbatos Goetia AND Scorpion after us…"

"W-Where others?" Tiny asked.

"Y-You don't think that THEY killed them?" Reptile asked before taking a deep gulp.

"Rest assured, little Reptile."

The five's eyes went wide-eyed with Reptile looking the most shocked. Slowly turning their heads, they saw a certain yellow-clad ninja crossing his arms with a murderous glare in his eyes.

"They are merely detained by the security team." Scorpion spat, crossing his arms. "YOU on the other hand? Yeah, no, you are dead."

Reptile yelped before turning around to try to run off.

"GET OVER HERE!"

Scorpion then sent his trademark spear into Reptile's upper back before pulling him over and grabbing him in a chokehold.

"You hear that, Reptile!? THAT is how you do my line!" Scorpion roared.

"Y-You're choking me!" The Saurian pleaded, trying in vain to break free from Scorpion's grasp.

"Oh, I could assure you that a loss of air would be the least of your problems when I am done with you!"

Then, Sub-Zero and Larcen entered the destroyed lab.

"Just kill him quick and be done with it…" Sub-Zero muttered. "I just want it to be over."

"Seriously, we missed a good chunk of the tournament trying to chase that guy down." Larcen agreed, nodding his head.

Elliana narrowed her eyes. "Do you really think that we will let you kill Reptile?"

"Why not? It is not like you have anything else to do?" Scorpion retorted.

Oume, Moe, Tiny and Elliana winced at this.

"Good. As long as you fools realise this…" Scorpion muttered before looking down at Reptile who was still struggling. "And now…

Scorpion then finally stopped choking Reptile, but only to take off his mask to show off his flaming skull.

"...It is time to FINISH YOU!" Scorpion sneered.

Reptile's eyes bugged out in horror before closing his eyes and preparing for the worst. Tiny and Elliana growled before getting ready to charge after Scorpion.

"Halt!"

Everyone's eyes bugged out before turning their heads to see a small ball of light floating in the destroyed lab.

"Ooh, pretty!" Tiny said with sparkling eyes.

Scorpion paused. "Wait… That ball of light looks familiar. Larcen, is that…?"

"...Yes." The cat burglar answered.

Then, the ball of light started to change shape. It then became a man wearing black-and-white martial arts clothes with his exposed skin from his face and hands glowing a light blue. Everyone continued to look in awe.

"The Eternal Champion…" Sub-Zero realised.

"Boss…" Larcen said, softly.

"Larcen, forgive me for troubling you on your time off, but something urgent has come up." The Eternal Champion frowned.

He then glared at Otane.

"You! Do you know what your foolish squabble with your sister has done?" The Eternal Champion roared.

Otane blinked twice. "Wait, you are referring to what happened to my sister's hostages?"

"Indeed. However, it seems that nobody has realised the full extent of what had happened." The Eternal Champion sighed, shaking his head. "Tell me… How much do you know about the hostages of your sister?"

"Um, well, they are Dan Hibiki, Billy Kane, Pichu, Shizu, Rena and Ryuhaku Todoh." Otane explained. "However, not all of them were found in the dome. Some were actually taken from elimination nodes."

"THAT. That is the last part I want you all to focus on." The Eternal Champion pointed out. "It was bad enough when Celica A. Mercury started to go node-hopping and dragging other people with her, but not only did your sister's group bring three people from their elimination nodes, but they also KILLED them."

This took Scorpion, Sub-Zero and Larcen by surprise. The others didn't look shocked.

"That is correct." Moe nodded. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Only that the order that connects all nodes in the multiverse is in danger." The Eternal Champion said with a frown.

Everyone's eyes widened at this.

"I see THIS has gotten a reaction." The Eternal Champion muttered.

"But… How?" Tiny asked.

"Have you ever heard of the Butterfly Effect?" The Eternal Champion asked.

"Um, yeah, but I never understood what it meant." Moe said.

"Well, if a butterfly is destroyed due to an interference from another timeline or dimension, there is a chance it would heavily affect the timeline by causing a natural disaster." The Eternal Champion explained.

"W-What? Butterfliesssss control the weather!?" Moe gasped.

"How could pretty butterflies be weather mages?" Tiny asked.

The Eternal Champion's eyes widened in disbelief. "W-What…? No, that's…"

"I'll get this, EC?" Larcen sighed before turning towards Tiny and Moe. "You know my node, Eternal Champions. And how the story is about a tournament where me and several other fighters got taken from our deaths in our respective timelines to compete. Why? Because stopping our death would have stopped the apocalypse for our node."

Elliana's eyes widened. "Even the death of the caveman?"

Larcen frowned. "Even the death of the caveman."

"Having not one, not two, but three people killed before going into their elimination node is extremely catastrophic." The Eternal Champion explained. "It may even affect OUR timeline!"

"But if those three are loved ones of the three, then that gives…" Sub-Zero gasped.

The Eternal Champion grimly nodded. "It is even more chaotic than what Junko Enoshima has tried to affect."

Everyone looked in horror before looking at each other.

"Ugh, that stupid sister of mine!" Otane groaned, slapping her forehead. "Alright, I will see if I can get Oume to form a truce. Don't hold your breath, though…"

"Unfortunately, even if Oume stops her wicked plan, nothing will change because the three are still dead." The Eternal Champion lamented.

"But wait… Sure, Ryuhaku SEEMED like he died. But he came back to life!" Elliana insisted. "I know it sounds weird but still."

"Yes, he did come to life. And that makes things worse." The Eternal Champion frowned. "He, along with the other two, are in a continuous loop of life and death. Going through lethal pain through their body, only to die and then be revived immediately to go through that pain all over again."

"That'ssssss…" Moe gasped. "That's horrible!"

"I knew that my sister was twisted, but…" Otane frowned.

"So the issue isn't just sending those three back to their home nodes alive. The issue is ending that horrific cycle." The Eternal Champion explained.

"Um, don't misunderstand. Why us? I mean I could understand Larcen because he is one of your Champions and Scorpion because he is Larcen's friend. Thus so and I by extension." Sub-Zero said before glaring at Otane's group. "But why THESE guys?"

Tiny growled. "Hey!"

"...I am going to be blunt. It is less inviting them and more stopping Scorpion from wasting his time on something stupid when it is desperately needed elsewhere." The Eternal Champion muttered.

"Hey! It is NOT stupid! It is the PRINCIPLE! The principle!" Scorpion roared.

Everyone rolled their eyes at this.

"And honestly, I don't think that Otane's group will get anything done even if they wanted to." The Eternal Champion offered.

The aforementioned group winced at this.

"Um, rude?" Elliana muttered.

"Um, Mr. Eternal Champion?" Moe asked.

"Hm?" The entity asked, raising a non-existent eyebrow.

"Do you ssssssee everything from your node?" Moe asked.

The Eternal Champion asked, letting out a deep sigh. "If you are talking about the true culprit between the garlic attack and Terry Bogard's murder, I cannot say."

Moe's eyes bugged out at this. "W-What!? Why not!?"

"Because I am already risking tampering with this timeline by going out of my node to inform on all of this." The Eternal Champion frowned. "Why do you think I let several people fight in a tournament instead of fixing the world's problems myself?"

Moe hung his head. Elliana frowned before putting her tail on his shoulder.

"I sssssssee." Moe said before looking up sternly. "Then, I am sorry but I am not going to help."

The Eternal Champion's eyes widened before narrowing them. "Don't be selfish!"

"My brother issssss danger! The reason we went against Oume's group last time was to try to see if we could fix one problem in one ssssswoop." Moe frowned. "But things turned even more complicated!"

"Yeah, Shiny Man asks Tiny to forget about Dingodile and Joe and Tiny can NOT do that!" Tiny agreed.

"Besides, you said it yourself that you only appeared right now because of Scorpion wasting his time here, right?" Otane asked. "You have no need for us!"

"Speaking of which…" Elliana said before hissing at Scorpion who was still holding onto Reptile. "Drop him!"

"But…" Scorpion said with a frown (if flaming skulls could frown).

Everyone cast Scorpion a dark glare. The yellow-clad groaned before dropping Reptile and putting it back on his hood.

"Between Kronika's entire existence and now this?" Scorpion asked before crossing his arms. "Alternate timeline plots suck!"

"Well, I, for one, welcome it." Reptile said, dusting himself off. "Get YOU off of my back."

Scorpion growled, making Reptile yelp.

"Okay, how about this?" The Eternal Champion asked. "You have to go pick up Krizalid from the Elimination Seating anyway. Why don't you, Larcen, Scorpion and Sub-Zero go together seeing that they have to interview the loved ones of the victims?"

Reptile jumped. "How about no!?"

"Yeah, what is the point of Reptile joining us if I can't kill him?" Scorpion asked.

"Scorpion, don't be selfish!" Sub-Zero scolded before looking at Oume's group. "How about this? Scorpion and Reptile will go on opposite sides of this group."

"Fine!" Reptile spat.

"Don't worry, Reptile, we won't let him near you!" Elliana offered before glaring at Scorpion. "Especially since he thought that blindly joining Oume and Barbatos just to get with us!"

"Yeah, how about we get yelled at why Scorpion is worse!" Tiny roared.

Scorpion jumped. "Excuse me!?"

"Don't even try to deny it! You actively HELPED my sister, the one who got us into this butterfly effect mess!" Otane roared.

"Why you…" Scorpion growled.

Scorpion and Otane's group then started to argue with each other. Sub-Zero, Larcen and the Eternal Champion blinked twice. The latter then looked at Larcen with a blank look on his face.

"Why can't you pick someone normal to be your friend?" The Eternal Champion asked.

"THAT'S an idea." Sub-Zero snarked.

Larcen glared at Sub-Zero. "I don't need to hear that from YOU!"

(The Arena)

"CLARK STILL!" (KoFAS)

"AKA the 'cool guy' who never takes off their sunglasses. Because showing your eyes is 'uncool'. And you gotta be 'cool'." Nine said, making a mocking macho tone. She then scoffed. "Okay, real talk though. Why do people wear sunglasses, even when INDOORS AT NIGHT? That crap always pisses me off!"

For better or for worse, the blond Ikari Warrior was too busy adjusting his sunglasses in thought to even pay attention to Nine's roast. Mainly because of what Heidern had told him.

"According to Heidern and that child prodigy, whatever plot that Ralf and Whip are involved in is revolved." He mused before frowning. "I just hope that Whip will be alright…"

With that, he walked down the ramp and stepped into the ring. Once in, he decided to go over to Ladiva.

The blonde looked up and brightened up. "Oh, hey, honey!"

Clark blinked twice behind his shades. "Um, hey. I noticed that you are a grappler, but you didn't get to use much of said grapples against that Tales swordsman."

"Yes, his speed was just as dazzling as his light artes." Ladiva lamented. "While I love how he got to shine, I was a little worried that I may have disappointed my fans."

"Well, in that case, how do you face a fellow grappler?" Clark asked, punching his fist into his palm. "Trust me. You will definitely show people your moves."

"Oh, how generous! In that case, I can't refuse a cute proposal" Ladiva beamed.

Suddenly, a song played through the speakers. Everyone's eyes widened in shock and horror before looking up at the Entrance Curtain. The crowd then went wild with either excitement and fear.

"He's hereeeeeeeee…" Charmy frowned.

"SEPHIROTH!" (SSB)

"Ah, yes. Sephiroth. Arguably one of the biggest villains of all time, even winning a GameFAQS popularity tournament one time." Nine said before pausing. "Um, you DO know that he took his feathered wing a little too literally and gained bones as weak as the ones of a bird? Seriously, the only people lighter than him in Ultimate are a baby Pokemon, a balloon people, the TINY turtle Pokemon, a literally flat man andddddd… A ninja and Fox McCloud. I know it is all in the name of balancing, but some of these weight placements are wack!"

There was a huge mixed reaction for the white-haired black-clad swordsman while One-Winged Angel played through the speakers. He just gave a smirk, ignoring both parts of the positive and negative reactions of the crowd. He then made his way towards the ramp while carrying his absurdly-long Masamune before stepping in. Once in, Mewtwo, Rosalina, Luma, Cream, Cheese and Charmy made their way over to him.

"Ah, Mewtwo, Rosalina, feeling brave tonight?" Sephiroth asked.

"Oh no… I did NOT ban projectiles and electromancy in the last section just for ANOTHER super-powerful villain to enter the arena." Mewtwo said, sternly.

"You are far too dangerous to be left alone and we have decided to take it upon ourselves to keep you out of trouble!" Rosalina nodded.

Sephiroth then scoffed. "I suppose it would be boring if someone just let me do what I want. But all in all, it will be the same. I will be the one to pull despair to the arena."

Then, he heard gasps from all around him. Raising an eyebrow, he turned around to see EVERYONE in the dome was giving him cold glares. Sephiroth paused for a moment, blinking his eyes. He then put his free fist to his mouth and coughed with his face turning red.

"Moderately speaking."

All of the Smashers in the arena rolled their eyes. Even Kirby gave an exasperated stare.

"And this is why we can't leave you alone with anything!" Rosalina scolded.

"F.A.N.G.!" (SFAS)

"I know Sagat left Shadaloo ages ago and has no plans of looking back, but I can't help to wonder if he is salty at Bison for replacing him." Nine mused. "I mean I would as hell be if I got replaced by a misplaced Power Instinct character and acting like he was always with Bison, Vega and Balrog!"

Normally, the purple-clad assassin would be upset over the lukewarm reception he was getting. However, he was too busy glaring up at the Announcer's Booth. But not for what you expect.

"Out of ALL nodes, did she have to name-drop THAT one?" F.A.N.G. muttered.

He then stomped down the ramp while grumbling under his breath. When he finally stepped into the ring however, Zim was immediately right in front of him.

"Oh, hey! F.A.N.G.!" Zim beamed.

The Chinese man paused. "Um… Hey…"

"How is Bison's plan coming along?" Zim asked, looking excited.

"Um, just as you expected from Master Bison if you know what he's been doing." F.A.N.G. half-lied. "In fact, being in this crowded arena unironically gives me more space to relax because I am mentally tired."

"And I am physically tired. Even Zim's stamina is not infinite." Zim frowned. He then brightened up. "Then, it is settled!"

F.A.N.G. raised an eyebrow. "What is settled?"

Suddenly, Zim grabbed onto F.A.N.G.'s sleeve and ran off, pulling on it. Despite the major size difference, F.A.N.G. ended up being dragged towards Garfield and Scooby who were collecting strawberries.

Garfield looked up and groaned. "Ugh, already?"

Scooby looked up as if and yelped. "Ruh-oh."

"Seeing that you are mentally tired and I am physically tired, let's have a low-stakes fight!" Zim grinned. "These two housepets will suffice!"

"Um, sure…" F.A.N.G. said. "...Is THIS what everyone sees when they look at me?"

"Oh, great… Come on, Scooby. Let's get this over with!" Garfield muttered.

"W-Wait, what? But those two are dangerous!" Scooby frowned.

Garfield blinked twice before looking back and forth between Zim & F.A.N.G. and Scooby. "...What?"

"One is a megalomaniac alien who wants to take over the world and the other is a literal-poisonous assassin that is the Bison's number two!" Scooby gulped. "They are the biggest threats in the arena!"

Garfield paused before looking at the nearest Lakitu. "...Odie, if you are watching this, I suggest you pay attention because I am only going to say this. I already miss you."

"YUKIKO AMAGI!" (P4A)

"People look at this girl and think that she is like a swan or a crane while wearing royal red." Nine muttered, rolling her eyes. "Then, she opens her mouth and you soon realise that she is freaking nuts. And this is coming from someone who comes from Blazblue!"

The dark-haired red-clad teenage girl frowned before looking up at the Announcer's Booth. "Oh, now that is just false information at this point! I am not nuts!"

Realising that there is no point trying to argue with Nine, she shook her head before making his way down the ramp while carrying a fan in her hand. Once in, she looked around and wondered what to do.

"Hellooooooo, nurse!"

Yukiko's eyes widened before turning to the side to Happy Chaos walking over.

"I must admit, the one thing us Guilty Gear characters have in common is how salty that we didn't get into Blazblue Cross Tag Battle!" Happy Chaos lamented. He then smirked. "Well, time to show you Persona 4 Arena players what you are missing!"

Yukiko paused.

"Do you know the definition of insanity? Well, neither do I. I DO know that we will find out if we fight together!" Happy Chaos smirked.

Then, Yukiko started to cover her mouth.

"Aww, don't cry!" Happy Chaos offered. "The party is just getting started!"

Suddenly, Yukiko burst out laughing, startling Happy Chaos.

"I am sorry, but what are you wearing!? You looked like you just woke up and realised you were entering the tournament in a couple of minutes!" Yukiko laughed. "And what is that skin supposed to be? Is that supposed to be some kind of full-body suit!"

The dark-haired girl continued to hold her sides while laughing. Happy Chaos blinked twice before looking at the nearest Lakitu with a smirk.

"Ooh, I chose a fun one to go after!" Happy Chaos sneered.

"FORSBURN!" (RoA)

"That moment when despite showing up in the original base roster from the very start. Which has a small number of SIX. The more memorable thing about this guy is that people are simping for his High School Date Sim AU appearance." Nine muttered.

The brown-furred masked hyena winced before glaring up at the Announcer's Booth with his hair glowing red from embarrassment. Trying to shake it off, he looked up at the Announcer's Booth to see his brother, Zetterburn, clapping for him. Giving a smile, he nodded before running down the ramp like a ninja before leaping in.

Once in, he decided to run down the ramp and leapt in without a second thought. He then looked around the arena and saw several people slacking off. Shaking his head in disbelief, he made his way towards the nearest person. That was Guilmon who was taking a bite out of the wafer structure.

Guilmon saw him coming over and waved. "Oh, hey! I'm Guilmon! What's your name?"

"I am Forsburn from the Fire Empire. And I must say that your attitude is disgraceful." Forsburn scolded.

Guilmon's smile vanished. "H-Huh? What do you mean?"

"Look, I get it. It is… Rare for fighting tournaments to have you literally fight on top of a dessert." Forsburn said, sheepishly. He then narrowed his eyes. "However, that is STILL a fighting tournament so you can't spend the entire section eating food."

Guilmon's wing-like ears. "Oh, you're right… I am sorry…"

Forsburn sighed. "It is more than alright. I admit that I am being rather harsh but…"

Suddenly, he raised his knife to block a pair of claws. With his eyes widening from behind his mask, he looked into Guilmon's eyes. They were slitted as they glaring into Forsburn's own. Guilmon then swung his claws, but Forsburn flipped over the attack before landing on his feet and looking back. Guilmon then got into a stance, looking like a combat creature. A major contrast to the child-like dinosaur that walked down the ramp.

Forsburn blinked twice before getting into a stance. "Serves me right for underestimating my foe, I suppose."

"REID HERSHEL!" (ToAS)

"Okay, don't misunderstand. Men could wear women's clothes just like women could wear men's clothes. But what in the hell is that man-bra!?" Nine asked in disbelief. "And apparently he not only lives in the wild with that bra but also hunts monsters with it!?"

As opposed to other people, the tan-skinned red-haired young man was too focused on the arena change while using his free hand as a visor.

"Talk about a lucky break!" Reid grinned. "A stage from one of the tastiest games of all time!"

Nodding his head, he ran down the ramp before leaping in with a second thought. He then looked around to see what he could find. Only to see Rin walking over to him.

"Excuse me but was what Nine said about you living in the wild and hunting monsters?" Rin asked.

Reid blinked twice. "Um, that is correct."

"Oh, wow. That must mean that you are really strong." Rin said in awe.

"I mean strong enough to be the main protagonist of my game I guess, but…" Reid said before scratching the back of his head.

"In that case, please!" Rin pleaded before bowing my head. "Fight me! I want to witness that strength!"

"B-But… My dessert time…" Reid frowned, feeling like there was no way out of this.

"RELIUS CLOVER!" (BB)

Bullet looked up at the Entrance Curtain in disbelief. "Are you kidding me!?"

"See? There are three big reasons why I prefer magic over science. 1. Shou Tucker. 2. Rick Sanchez and of course, 3. This guy." Nine spat. "No, really, science brings in the worst type of people."

The blond, purple-clad masked man didn't pay Nine's roast or the mixed reaction he was getting as his puppet wife, Ignis, stood behind her. He rubbed his chin in thought before making his way down the ramp with Ignis following.

"I must confess, I wished I joined either of the Goketsuji Twins' sides out of morbid curiosity." Relius admitted. "Between the two of them, surely they must have done SOMETHING interesting."

Giving a shrug, he made his way over to the fight between N. Gin and Isabelle & Bullet.

"Ah, Bullet, now going to lie, you are one of the last people from our node to get an elimination." Relius confessed.

The blonde snarled. "Well I did. What are you going to do about it!?"

"Forgive me, I didn't mean that in an insulting manner." Relius frowned before looking at N. Gin. "And I must say, N. Gin, when you aren't… Indulging yourself with your pleasures, you are surprisingly devious!"

The cyborg grinned. "But of course! Cortex may be the main scientist, but I am the robot expert!"

"And you, Isabelle, it is a pity that the Lakitu didn't actually show you dealing with the clone of Springtron." Relius noted. "You showed some deceptive strength."

The yellow-furred dog frowned, poking her fingers together. "Um, thank you?"

"As such, I decided to join your fight!" Relius smiled. "Between you three, I should have at least SOME interesting results!"

Bullet's pupils shrank. "Oh I just KNOW you didn't just say that!"

"Sure, why not?" N. Gin grinned.

Bullet glared at N. Gin. "Hey, you don't get to decide that!"

"Splendid, let the fight commence!" Relius nodded.

"Hey, don't ignore me!" Bullet roared.

Isabelle frowned. "Oh dear…"

(Dome; The Crowd)

"Are you sssssure that THOSE two are the best lead on finding out who is behind this?" Joe frowned as he wore a cloak.

"While my nodal companions have mostly… Negative opinions on them, they almost said that they are like seers." Athena shrugged.

"So? We literally have a ssssseer in the Street Fighter All-Stars node! Why not go see HER?" Joe retorted.

"Well, seers only give a glimpse of the future and the present and past is written in words." Athena explained.

Joe's eyes bugged out. "And you believe the wordsssss from THOSE two!?"

"Shh!" Athena scolded. "People with your speech patterns are not uncommon but that doesn't mean that people will not recognise your voice!"

Joe winced at this.

"Look, just stay out of sight while I'll try to get as much information as I can." Athena explained.

Joe frowned, but otherwise nodded his head. Athena returned the nod before going into the crowd. Passing the large sea of cheering people, she made her way towards a certain set of seats.

"Um, hey?" Athena asked, sheepishly.

Three people then turned their heads.

"Well, well, well, looks like we are not a one-time cameo, after all!" Psymon Stark grinned.

"Yeah, I am so looking forward to showing up again that I actually don't want to smash her head in with a mallet!" Max grinned.

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Ooh, you ARE excited for that. It is quite rare for you."

Athena chuckled nervously. "Sorry about that."

"Eh. At least you are actually TRYING to learn how the script works." Psymon reassured with a laugh.

"Yeahhhhh, about that." Athena said, scratching her cheek with her finger. "Could I have the script again?"

"Depends. What do you need?" Sam asked.

Athena took a deep breath. "Could you tell me the name and node of the opponent my fellow security member fought?"

Sam paused before getting out a script from behind his back, startling Athena.

"Wait, YOU could use the script too?" Athena asked.

"Well, when your one and true partner is Max you'll learn a few tricks from him." Sam chuckled. "So which section is your ally's fight?"

"Section Eleven." Athena explained.

"Ah." Sam said before flipping through the script for a bit.

"So how is Dingodile and Joe?" Max asked.

Athena jumped at this. "W-What do you…"

Psymon and Max just gave Athena exasperated stares. Even Sam stopped going through the script to raise an unimpressed eyebrow at her.

The yellow-clad woman slumped her arms. "Oh right… The script… Um, they are doing well. Or as fine as one person being held in an interrogation room and another person having to treat going around the dome as a stealth mission could be."

"Oof, stealth missions SUCK." Psymon winced.

"I am still stunned that KOMODO JOE of all people went from a one-note fodder villain to being more prominent." Max said in awe.

"Yeah, sure it's been a long time between the second Battle of the Luminaries and third, but to think he would change THAT much!" Psymon nodded.

"Yeah, Tinyhammer has to write a separate fanfic that at least try to explain Joe's change and expand on his relationship with Dingodile." Max admitted before getting out his notebook.

Athena's eyes lit up at this. "Ooh, can I have it?"

"Sure!" Max grinned, throwing the notepad to her.

Athena wasted no time, catching it before putting it inside of her jacket. Around this time, Sam frowned before looking down at Max.

"Say, Max, could you help translate this?" Sam asked, holding the script down.

"Looks like you are still getting used to the script, eh?" The lagomorph asked before taking the script. "Then again, I probably didn't teach you enough because Psymon and I…"

Then, he started to read it and once he did, his grin vanished.

"W-What? This can't be right!"

Psymon leaned over to Max to read the script and frown. "Now that is just nutso."

"W-What?" Athena asked.

"Your fellow security team member… His opponent's name and node… It is not here!" Max frowned.

Athena's pupils shrank. "What!? Is that even possible!?"

"Hell if I know! All I know is that no matter what fight, in OR out of the arena, the name and node is always shown!" Max exclaimed. "All he has for a name is 'Mercenary'. That seems like a placeholder name!"

Athena slumped her arms. "Ugh, of course."

Psymon frowned, scratching the back of his head. "I am sorry, Thena. You are the first person who actively tried to learn about the script and we can't do anything for you."

"It is alright… I am getting used to running into dead ends." Athena said.

Max gave a descending whistle before re-reading the script. "Damn though… 'Mercenary' sounds salty as hell! It is like Gabe was fighting a Twitter user!"

"Yeah, that is what we deduced…" Athena started.

Then, her eyes bugged out in realisation.

"Wait…" Athena said. "Max? Psymon?"

The two crazy people looked up.

"I don't suppose… You have the script to the second Battle of the Luminaries, do you?" Athena asked.

Psymon's eyes lit up. "Ooh, that is an awesome idea! Calling back to the final tournament before the resurgence era to…"

He then paused before looking down at his tattoos.

"Uh-huh? Um, yeah." Psymon said before frowning. "O-Oh, right. I forgot about that rule."

"Um, what rule did your… Tattoos remind you?" Athena asked. "...I am never going to get used to this."

"Well, Max and I didn't show up at all in the second Battle of the Luminaries. We didn't even get name-dropped." Psymon explained. "Only those who had a part in that tournament had a chance to get mentioned."

Athena groaned before slumping her arms.

"However…"

Athena looked up at Psymon.

"That doesn't mean we are not the only people to use the script." The snowboarder mused.

"R-Really?" Athena asked.

"We may be the original wielders of the script at these things, but we aren't the only ones to do so. The reason why only us can do it at the Megamix Tournament is because it just seems to fit." Max explained. "Just like Chowder and Pudding Fong-Ling from the Tournament of Kikai."

Athena blinked twice. "Wait, I could understand Chowder, but Pudding Fong-Ling? Sure, she is a Genki Girl but she is not a PINKIE PIE Genkil Girl."

"She formed a friendship with Chowder and that is really all you needed to learn about the script." Sam said before putting his hand on top of Max's head. "That is how I got to read the script."

"Surely, there is SOMEONE in this dome who has been to the second tournament." Psymon offered.

Athena paused for a moment before closing her eyes. Her eyes then opened to reveal a determined look.

"Alright, I got it." Athena said. "Sam. Max. Psymon. Thank you. I will be on my way."

"Best of luck to you!" Sam nodded, tipping his hat.

"Make sure that whoever the culprits are gets tied up just like Junko and Tsugumi!" Max nodded.

Athena nodded her head before going back into the dome.

"Huh. That actually feels nice having someone ask us for help." Psymon said.

"Yeah, I actually don't mind people not trying to misunderstand us because it is more funny." Max nodded. "But yeah, this is a nice change of pace."

"Are you sure that you want to give up the schtick at the upcoming Megamix Tournament?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, as much as we had fun with the script, I think we should focus on our own individual personalities rather than acting as a dividual plot device." Max shrugged.

"Yeah, I love Max and all, but can you believe that he actually likes GIVING people pain and instead of RECEIVING pain!" Psymon exclaimed.

"What? What is wrong with people crying for mercy?" Max shrugged.

Sam chuckled. "You crack me up, little buddy?"

(Coolsville, Malt Shop)

The Mystery Inc. gang looked at the television on the ceiling, watching the tournament. Particularly Scooby and Garfield fighting against Zim and F.A.N.G.

"I hope that Scooby will be alright…" Daphne frowned.

"Don't worry, Daphne, you were in the Tournament of Kikai and you did decently for yourself." Fred offered.

"Yeah, but I have gotten martial art experience!" The purple-clad retorted. "Scooby never actually got into a direct fight before! Heck, he arguably has the least amount of fighting experience! Shaggy has his Ultra Instinct form, Velma has her skills from Multiversus, even you have your traps!"

Shaggy frowned."Yeah, like… Not helping is for better or for worse, he ironically is now seen nowadays, man."

"Jinkies, in hindsight, we should have given Scooby proper training." Velma lamented.

"Oh, I'M not worried!"

The four looked down to see a brown-furred Great Dane puppy.

"Uncle Scooby has been through so much! Heck, all of you did! You appeared in Mystery Incorporated! You managed to have a crossover with SUPERNATURAL of all shows!" The puppy reminded. "And of course, there are all of the video games! I know that Uncle Scooby will dominate the arena!"

The four paused before looking at each other.

"That's… Not wrong." Daphne admitted.

"The only good thing about those scary adventures and the constant reboots is that we all learned tricks and trades that will help us in combat." Velma agreed.

"And while not as frequent as Daphne or me, Scooby HAVE been in a couple of fights." Shaggy added.

"And worse case scenario, he has an ally in that cat. As lazy and apathetic as he is, he has at least combat experience before." Fred added.

"Exactly! No matter how he does, he will leave a mark!" Scrappy Doo grinned.

The four smiled and nodded, feeling more confident in Scooby before going to watch the screen.

"There you are!"

The five's eyes widened before turning their heads with their pupils shrinking in shock at who had called him.

Except for Shaggy who had a calm look.

"I thought that I would spend the entire ten minutes wandering around not able to find you guys!" The person said, walking over.

"Oh, Christopher Robin, so you ended up in our node?" Shaggy asked.

"Yeah, not too many nodes have the place called 'Coolsville'." The British Boy nodded.

"Ah, sorry about your loss." Shaggy lamented. "You got really screwed by Mewtwo's stage change."

"Eh. As much as I hated to admit it, but if I managed to survive because of that, I would be lucky." Christopher Robin sighed. "At least I still managed to get a second elimination…"

He then brightened up.

"But hey, at least I'm going to meet THE Mystery Inc!" Christopher Robin smiled before looking at Scrappy. "I must say, I am surprised to see YOU here in recent years."

The puppy gulped before scratching the back of his head. "Well, it is more than safe for me to be seen because everyone is too busy ranting about the Velma show."

The rest of the gang shuddered as Christopher Robin frowned.

"Oof… Well, as sad as it sounds, that means you may have a chance to reappear again!" Christopher Robin offered before smiling. "After that disaster, even you would be a huge improvement."

"...Thanks, I guess." Scrappy muttered.

"S-Sorry, that WAS a little rude of me to say." Christopher Robin frowned. "By the by, where is your uncle?"

The five promptly pointed up at the screen. Christopher Robin then looked up, unaware that everyone else was slowly making their way out of the malt shop with worried faces.

"Scooby Doo was invited? Mystery Fighters truly have become varied over the years." Christopher Robin said in awe. "Speaking of which, hey, Shaggy?"

The skinny man raised an eyebrow. "Hm?"

"Seeing that I am here for ten minutes, I would want to see your power." Christopher Robin offered.

Fred, Daphne, Velma and Scrappy frowned before looking at each other.

"Really? Right now? Scooby is in the arena!" Shaggy pointed out.

"I know, but I have always wanted to face you!" Christopher Robin frowned. "And I am only here for ten minutes?"

Shaggy frowned. "...You are not taking no for an answer."

"I am sorry, but I refuse to let this get away." Christopher Robin said, shaking his head.

Shaggy paused before sighing. "Alright, like, if I will be distracted for under ten minutes, I don't see why not, man."

Suddenly, Scrappy got up and ran over to the window before getting out a megaphone.

"ATTENTION, EVERYONE! WE HAVE A CODE RED! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!" Scrappy shouted. "I REPEAT: THIS IS NOT A DRILL!"

Suddenly, sirens and people screaming could be heard outside. Fred, Daphne, Velma and Scrappy then put on army helmets before ducking behind seats. Shaggy then finished the sandwich in his hand and got up.

"I have to warn you though. I am actually going to use more than 2% of the power." Shaggy said, sternly. "I, like, don't wanna miss a second of Scooby's time in the arena."

Christopher Robin just smiled, but his eyes were everything but innocent. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

Velma peeked from behind the seat with a grumpy face. "...Thanks, meme culture."

(The Arena)

"SHUN'EI!" (KoFAS)

"...Okay, wow. And I thought Sylvie's outfit was an eyesore. Seriously, at least with HER, it's more or less 'consistent', but HIM?" Nine asked in disgust. "I know that this is one of the most basic insults towards a character's design but it looks like the artist's seven-year-old child asked if they could have their OC in a KOF game!"

(Because I'm tacky)

(Wear my belt with suspenders)

(And sandals with my socks)

(Because I'm tacky)

(Got some new glitter uggs)

(And lovely pink sequined crocs)

The green-haired Chinese young man came out to a huge mixed reaction. The positive reaction was how his powers, personality and story is a major breath of fresh air compared to previous KoF protagonists. The negative reaction was… Because of his outfit.

(Because I'm tacky)

(Never let you forget)

(Some favour I do for you)

(Because I'm tacky)

(If you're okay with that)

(Then you might be tacky too!)

With Weird Al's Tacky playing through the speakers, Shun'Ei scratched the back of his head before going down the ramp while trying to drown out everything and leapt into the ring. Once in, he saw Yukiko fighting against Happy Chaos. Realising that the latter was dangerous, he narrowed his eyes before rushing over.

Summoning a glowing giant blue hand, he rode it like a surfboard and sent it straight into Happy Chaos, knocking him down and startling Yukiko.

Happy Chaos sat up with a grumpy look on his face. "Now what's that for?"

"I may not know all of my Guilty Gear lore, but I skimmed most of it!" Shun'Ei snapped. "You are a very dangerous man and you need more than one person to take you down!"

Happy Chaos just laughed at this. "Aww, you are such a flattener!"

Shun'Ei shook his head in disgust. "Whatever. Come on, miss. Let's double…"

Suddenly, he heard laughing. Raising an eyebrow, he turned his head to see Yukiko on the ground, rolling with laughter.

"Ah ha ha… You… You also looked like he got up before your time in the arena at the last minute!" Yukiko said between laughs.

Shun'Ei looked down at Yukiko in disbelief while Happy Chaos made his way over and pulled on one sleeve from Shun'Ei coat cape.

"I don't know. I actually unironically dig this." Happy Chaos mused, rubbing his chin with his free hand.

Shun'Ei growled before slapping Happy Chaos' hand away. "I don't need to hear that from YOU!"

The white-haired man let out a laugh. "Yeah, you really don't!"

(Ladies and gentlemen, Garfield and friends!)

"WHAT!?" Everyone, even Sephiroth and Relius, looked up with wide eyes.

They then looked at Garfield, who looked just as thunderstruck as everyone else. He then looked up at Scooby, who looked back at him.

"...You don't think?" Garfield asked.

(Who can fly a doghouse up in the bright sky)

Scooby's eyes lit up. "It IS!"

(Who can wind up his ears lift up his head and fly)

The crowd then started to go wild. Especially Penny Proud who frantically pointed to the Entrance Curtain.

For some reason, in the Elimination Seating, Dot Warner went wild while holding a pair of pom-poms.

(It's not a Rover)

(Not a Fido)

(No, no, not him)

(It's not a Lassie)

(Not a Benji)

(Not Rin-Tin-Tin)

"And now, Mystery Fighter… Number… TWENTY-NINE!"

Scooby had a big grin on his face while Garfield rolled his eyes before giving a sigh.

"SNOOPY!" (Peanuts)

(Well, it's Snoopy)

(Snoopy)

(Talking 'bout Snoopy)

(Talking 'bout Snoopy)

(He can do anything)

(Snoopy makes everyone smile)

The white-furred beagle came out wearing black sunglasses and a brown leather jacket. Holding said jacket, he gave a smirk while looking around the cheering crowd. He then started to do his iconic dance, making the crowd cheer louder. He then took his jacket and sunglasses and threw it into the crowd. Needless to say, the crowd fought over it.

Snoopy then started to spin around like a helicopter. Despite all forms of logic, he started to fly off the ground before making his way down the ramp. He then made his way down and towards Garfield and Scooby.

"Snoopy!" Scooby grinned.

"Scooby!" Snoopy smiled as the two high-fived each other. "It's been WAY too long!"

"I know, right?" Scooby nodded. "I never thought the next time we will meet, it will be in a FIGHTING tournament!"

"Same! I even missed Garfield!" Snoopy laughed.

"I mean who doesn't…" The cat snarked.

Snoopy rolled his eyes. "Can't expect you to go wild, can I?"

"If you did, then you are somehow dumber than Odie." Garfield muttered. "Also, would it ANY good that even though Peanuts has a long array of games under its belt, none of them involves direct combat?"

"Oh, don't worry about that!" Snoopy said, waving it off. "My girl has taught me a few things!"

Scooby did his trademark giggle. "I do not doubt that. Hey, wanna triple-team with us? Those two are really scary."

"Why do you think I came to you two?" Snoopy asked.

"Well, as long as you both acknowledge that I'M the star, I guess I could let you hang with me!" Garfield shrugged.

Snoopy and Scooby rolled his eyes at this. They then put their attention on F.A.N.G. and Zim were both blinking twice.

"Umm… Is this a Nickelodeon thing or…?" F.A.N.G. asked.

"Nope, this is news to ME." Zim admitted, scratching the back of his head.

Unknown to everyone, Garfield had a small smile on his face.

"Just like the old days…"

(Announcer's Booth)

Drake and Ashley both smiled while Nine blinked twice. Drake then started to type a number on his phone.

Soon, someone answered it. "Yes, Drake?"

"Carver, I don't usually do this, but could you add an extra segment to Snoopy's section?" The vampire asked.

"Say no more! No way we will be cutting corners on a reunion like THIS!" Carver offered.

"Thanks, man!" Drake grinned.

Nine blinked twice before opening her mouth to say something. She then paused before shrugging.

"Eh, I'll let them have their moment."

(The Arena)

"DARUN MISTER!" (FEXL)

"As much as I have a lot of things to roast about the Street Fighter EX series, I could still appreciate the unique designs of most of the original characters of that cast." Nine admitted. "...Which makes things weird when you get to Darun. Unless Indian versions of the basic grappler character are your thing. If so, you have weird, specific tastes but go off, I guess."

The Indian dark-skinned wrestler proudly stood outside of the Entrance Curtain while carrying a championship belt over his shoulder. He then took it off while showing it to the crowd before putting it on his shoulder.

"Other than Alex, I seemed to be the only wrestler that ever was in a Street Fighter AND invited to this specific tournament, non-canon or not." Darun lamented, rubbing his chin. "Good thing there is a perfect chance to show off my stuff."

With that, he leapt into the ring and made his way over to the fight between Clark and Ladiva.

Clark swerved his head around a punch to see Darun coming. "Duel interruptor alert."

Ladiva turned to see Darun walking over. "Oh, it is THE Darun Mister!"

The Indian's pupil-less eyes widened at this. "Really? You heard of me!"

"Of course! You were once Zangief's tag team partner!" Ladiva grinned.

"Makes sense. They WERE both in Street Fighter EX." Clark shrugged.

"Apparently, this is in Street Fighter V's canon." Ladiva corrected.

Clark jumped at this. "Wait, what?"

"Indeed. Darun was even the one Zangief trusted with his chess piece too during the Story Mode!" Ladiva explained.

Darun scratched the back of his head. "...I am pleasantly surprised. You really have to go out of your way to research about that."

"I must admit, then that I heard THAT, I can't help, but be curious." Clark mused, rubbing his chin.

"Indeed, you know what they say: The more, the merrier!" Ladiva grinned.

Darun smirked. "Glad to make this a three-way."

"TILKIS BARONE!" (ToAS)

"Oh, right… The Tempest was a thing. Sure, it is technically a mainline Tales of game, but it was an unfinished mess! Even if it is a DS game, that is no reason for everything to look that choppy." Nine said. "I don't see why Roxas invited them to the Okron Tournament. There is a reason why Caius is the sole representative in the previous Battles of the Luminaries."

The fangirls squealed for the brown-haired prince. He nervously scratched the back of his head, seeing that he already had Arria and silently hoped that she wasn't seeing this. He then made his way down the ramp before stepping in. Lincoln raised an eyebrow before walking over.

"Wow, you are currently cool about what Nine said." Lincoln noted. "I thought she would strike a nerve."

"If the Okron Tournament didn't exist, she definitely would have." Tilkis admitted with a shrug. "But seeing that it did and we were the sole Tales representation of that tournament, I can't really complain. Heck, if I was to guess, it is BECAUSE Roxas-Raine gave us love at his tournament why Drake thought it was a good idea to invite Rubia and I."

"Ahh…" Lincoln said in awe. He then paused. "...Wait, The Tempest may be the only one to get a full node at the Okron Tournament, but was it the ONLY representation period."

Tilkis' eyes widened at this before holding his head. "I'm… Not sure. I THINK there was, but for the rest of me, I can't seem to forever. Why? Though. Even though they are from a different Tales game, they were still my nodal companion. How could I forget?"

The two then shared an awkward pause.

"...So wanna fight?" Lincoln asked.

"Sure, why not?" Tilkis shrugged, getting out his sword.

"DURAL!" (VF)

"Ooh, another Ditto fighter! Get my autograph book! Okay, really though, you could only do so much to make a Ditto fighter stand out from others! Kirby stood out because he has a personality, wants and dreams!" Nine pointed out. "Hell, ACE stood out! Granted for the worst possible reasons, but still! She is not even that interesting to look at!"

The chrome humanoid woman came out to a mixed reaction, but she didn't pay them and Nine's roast any mind. She merely walked down the ramp while making metallic footsteps. Once in, she made a beeline towards Kirby. The pink puffball licked his non-existent lips before he was about to inhale a gummi spring.

Suddenly, Dural turned upside-down and did Chun-Li's Spinning Bird Kick, sending Kirby multiple times and knocking him down. The star hero groaned before sitting up and looking up at Dural. The latter then got into a stance that looks like the Mishimas. Kirby narrowed his eyes before getting up. No one comes between him and food.

(Sound Booth)

Aila and a recently-returned Shadow looked at Astaroth fiddled with the controls with a surprising jovial tune.

"Wow, you are really in a good mood." Aila noted. "And it doesn't involve killing or roasting fighters by changing their songs."

"Well, the final fighter is one of my old friends so I intend to make it count." Astaroth said with an unseen smile.

Shadow's eyes widened. "Wait, you two are friends? I knew you two knew each other for obvious reasons, but actually met each other? How did THAT happen?"

Astaroth winced before looking at Shadow and Aila with a sheepish face.

"...I don't want to talk about it."

Shadow and Aila looked at each other in confusion.

(The Arena)

"And now… The final fighter of this section…"

"PACMAN!" (SSB)

"I WAS going to make a Crazy Ex-Husband joke, but when you really think about it, it is Ms. Pacman that got royally screwed in the 'divorce'." Nine muttered. "Man, legal issues are a bitch. To the point that they are going out of their way to act like she never existed and Pac-Mom was a thing the entire time. Spoiler alert: She wasn't."

The yellow round video game mascot came out to an enormous cheer while wearing a black suit jacket and a matching mascot with glowing blue lines on them. One further inspection, it looked like it had the classic Pacman maze on it. He then did his old victory dance to the jazzy theme from the first Pacman World game.

Once he was done, he took off of his hat and jacket and let the Millennium Star take them away with his magic. He then happily marched down the ramp before leaping when he reached the end. He then decided to start to do what he does best.

Turning into his old classic form and started to chow down on the strawberries. The crowd continued to cheer for him.

However, he was so busy eating that he didn't notice that a certain someone was doing what he was doing at the same time.

BONK!

Pacman went back in his PS1 form as he fell on his back, holding his now throbbing head. He then looked up to see Homer on his knees, grabbing his face in the ground while holding his own head (though Pacman could swear he heard Homer lick some of the ground).

Homer glared up at Pacman. "Hey, boomer! I am eating over here!"

The yellow man put his hands on his hips, not looking pleased. "Boomer? Sure, I am one of the oldest characters in gaming history, but I do not need to hear that from YOU!"

"Look, buddy, this is MY arena for the moment and there is only home for one yellow, round iconic character and that is going to be ME!" Homer said before raising his fists.

Pacman rolled his eyes before raising his fists, getting into the same stance.

So it looks like despite it being a more chaotic round, it seems that the atmosphere would be more light-hearted and colourful, even with people like Sephiroth and Relius in the ring.

Lord knows they need all they could take in comparison to what was happening OUTSIDE of the arena.