Chapter 6: Surging Shadows & Smashing Saviors SAGA Part 2
Guardians Multiversal Avengers:
Ruby (Pokémon Adventures): The Charmer
Junko Konno (Zombie Land Saga): The Showa (Zombie) Idol
Linhardt von Hevring (Fire Emblem: Three Houses): The Sleepy Crest Scholar
Bucky Barnes (Marvel Cinematic Universe): The Veteran Sergeant
Blaze The Cat (Sonic The Hedgehog): The Fire Princess
Yamcha (Dragon Ball): The Wolf Fang Fist
Komaru Naegi (Danganronpa): The Hopeful Heart
Sapphire Birch (Pokémon Adventures): The Conqueror
Michiru Kagemori (BNA: Brand New Animal): The Shapeshifting Beast Girl
Masaomi Kida (Durarara!): The Casanova - LOCATION UNKNOWN
Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Marvel Cinematic Universe): The Ex-Thief
Ponzu (Hunter X Hunter): The Queen Bee
Ashe (Fire Emblem: Three Houses): The Arrow of Justice
Waluigi (Super Mario Bros.): The Cheating Trickster
Stan Marsh/Toolshed and Wendy Testaburger/Call Girl (South Park): The Power Couple
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (Disney/Disney's Epic Mickey): The Forgotten King
Zetsubou Members:
Monaca Towa (Danganronpa): The Li'l Ultimate Homeroom
Shadow Ultron (Marvel Cinematic Universe): The Rogue A.I. Merged with The Shadow Blot
General Tao (Dragon Ball): The Mercenary - DECEASED
Agatha (Pokémon Adventures): The Elder - DECEASED
Dr. Eggman Nega (Sonic The Hedgehog): The Mad Scientist - STATUS UNKNOWN
Big Bad Pete, Petetronic, Small Pete, & Pete Pan (Disney's Epic Mickey): The Brutes - IMPRISONED
Izaya Orihara (Durarara!): The Info-Broker - LOCATION UNKNOWN
Third-Person POV
Insert Song: Oswald and Mickey Meet (Disney's Epic Mickey)
"CAPITAL N AND CAPITAL O! I will not allow Franchouchou to even step foot out of the mansion right now!" Kotaro denied them in his own eccentric fashion.
Lily looked at the team like they were crazy, "Why the heck would we want to go out and perform a show now of all times? Are you guys stupid?"
The members of Franchouchou still showed some heavy doubt for this plan even knowing that, so Komaru came forward to offer some reassurance.
"We'll be on defense while you all sing your hearts out and distract the bad guy, and when we jump inside of him he'll focus solely on us! We wouldn't have anyone do this if we didn't know they'd be safe."
Wendy decided to explain her role to them all, "My hacking isn't something that can take down an artificial intelligence like Ultron, but I can send him something that'll certainly annoy him! By belting out some long and high notes, you'll produce soundwaves that'll make him feel like he's at a heavy metal concert! You're gonna be key players in saving the day!"
That's when Tatsumi decided to act sarcastic.
"Oh wow, that's so awesome, little girl! And once you get in that inky blob monster, you guys fight him and likely end up dying! That's definitely a plan I'd risk putting Saga's biggest idol group in danger for, isn't it, Sakura?!"
"W-W-Well… what do I do? What do I do? What do I do?"
The poor girl held her head as she panicked as our new Avengers just felt sorry for her.
"Junko, we should depart soon. The longer we remain here, the worse the situation gets." Blaze stood up from her seat and waited at the door.
Bucky, Ponzu, and most of the others joined her as Sapphire slapped both hands on the coffee table in front of them.
"C'mon! We heard all about you blabbing about wanting to save Saga or whatever, and now yer telling us that you don't wanna fight for it?!"
Kotaro just stood up from his chair and leaned forward in front of the Hoenn trainer's face.
"I'm known for going big with my decisions as a manager, and this group has survived many trials that would have made other idols give up, but this? This is hell, and I'm not ready to see it again so soon."
Sapphire grit her teeth as she stared into his sunglasses reflecting that expression of hers and slammed a fist on the table.
"..." Junko looked to her fellow zombie idols with pleading eyes, but they weren't swayed.
"Junko, we'd love to help, but we don't want anything else to happen to us. Especially with Ai-chan and Saki-chan still missing." Sakura tells her woefully.
Junko frowned with pain in her chest. Upon hearing of their absence earlier on, she already came to the conclusion that they were the ones placed into killing games. Both of them were treasured companions, especially Ai, but rather than continue feeling sorrow or despair she balled up her fists and turned it into motivation.
"That's exactly why I need your help with this. Ai-san and Saki-san have been captured by the same people that caused me to get separated from you all and are responsible for creating that storm out there! We've worked so hard to get to where we are, and they want to just tear it all down…. I refuse to let them take everything away from me!""
Her sudden shout shocked everyone in the room. Franchouchou in particular had seen her this emotional before, but not to this scale. It's like the shy Junko they were so used to had been molded into a new, yet still familiar, persona by her new companions.
"I didn't die and come back to have the world be corrupted by darkness, I came back so I could shine pure light as The Showa Idol, Junko Konno. I'd rather stand up, than stay down and rot like I had done before."
Tatsumi still wasn't in favor of this however, "Can't you get it through your patchwork skull?! There's no way we survive out there, you're risking it all to—"
SLAP!
Yugiri, after being silent through the entire discussion, made her move as she smacked her manager's cheek with sheer force.
"Ahem, Junko-han, are you sure you want to go through with this? This opponent you described, the one having abilities equal to that of a god, are you willing to face him without regret?"
Junko was taken aback by the interruption, but she still nodded her head. Upon seeing that response, Yugiri softly smiled as she clapped her hands together.
"My my, very well! Then I shall assist you in defeating this sinister foe."
"HUH?!" Sakura turned to the courtesan with their eyes wide.
"Yugirin, I don't wanna lose you too!" Lily begged the big sister of the group to stay.
"If Junko-han is willing to put her life on the line and her faith into these new companions, it would be wise for us to do the same, correct?"
"You can't be serious, you'd end up dying again and it would make everything we've done pointless!" Kotaro spoke up again.
Yugiri held her hand up, as if to threaten him with another slap, causing him to back down for now.
"Ragh! Gragh!" Tae barked in agreement, or at least it sounded like it was.
"Yugiri-san, Tae-san…." Junko looked at them with joy when seeing them join her side.
"Ugh… Lily is still not one hundred percent behind this, but if Yugirin is helping, then Lily can't run away either!" The small girl with the star on her head makes her choice.
The other Avengers look on as Junko holds her hand out in front of Sakura.
"We'll do this together, as Franchouchou. I have hope that we can overcome this, like every other calamity that we faced. "
Sakura looks over at them as she stops fidgeting right before taking a deep breath in.
"... Ha, Saki-chan and Ai-chan would have been yelling at me to say yes already. Okay, let's do it!"
The whole room filled with cheers and patting on the back for our floofy Showa Idol for getting her friends on her side. They begin discussing what location would be the most suitable for the miniature concert as Kotaro begins to exit the room. He then stops by Ashe, Ruby, and Linhardt.
"You better make sure the girls are protected or else. And freckle boy, don't pretend you weren't staring at Junko the whole time. Stay away if you know what's good for you."
Ruby scoffed, "What a strange man… He yells at and belittles his talent, yet he still shows that he does care for them at the very least."
"I'm surprised these girls have managed to stay together. If someone like that was ordering me around, I would have left immediately…" Linhardt states as he went back to reviewing his notes on the zombie idols.
"Hm…" Ashe looks downward as once again Masaomi's words enter his mind.
"Show her how much she means to you."
"Love is a leveler."
Ashe shook his head to try and avoid those thoughts as the group finally departed the mansion.
Making their way to Ekimae Fudōsan Sutajiamu, or EFS for short, a large open soccer stadium with an open roof would certainly allow the music to be heard and for Shadow Ultron to come to them. The team and their new allies worked to try setting up speakers, microphones, and other equipment for their plan to lure in the monster.
"HEY! GREEN HAIR, GET ON YOUR FEET AND HELP OUT!" Kotaro yelled at Lin who was lying down on a seat in the crowd.
"And that is my cue to walk away. Goodbye now." He says as he does just that to the annoyance of the sunglasses-wearing manager.
Ponzu flies up to adjust the stage lighting above them as Michiru uses her Hawk Eyes to keep an eye on Shadow Ultron from afar. Waluigi dropped a speaker on his foot as Yamcha and Komaru laughed at this slipup. Despite the danger approaching, it was a bit of levity to allow them all to ease up before their final shot.
Stan put his tools to good use as he used his screwdrivers to reinforce the stage so that it wouldn't be easily damaged.
"Okay, it's all set here! Are we good?"
"We are, it's showtime." Scott answers before signaling the others with a thumbs up.
The black cloud formation was now near the vicinity, within range for their sensational symphony. The lights dimmed as the formerly named Guardians stood by in their positions in the crowd seating area. Nodding his head, Kotaro Tatsumi grabs a microphone and takes a heavy breath in…
"MUSIC, COME OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNN!"
Insert Song: REVENGE by Franchouchou (Zombie Land Saga REVENGE)
Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, woah
Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah
Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, woah
The stage elevators lift up Franchouchou: Sakura, Yugiri, Lily, and Tae all dressed in the same outfit Junko was wearing, with the headset microphones connected to the speakers. These girls were not seasoned fighters, but their voices are their weapon against a being unworthy of the power he holds.
And it was time he got what he deserved.
Toki wa modoranai mukiau dake
Kako no eikou wa toozakaru mono
Nebatte ikou Never give up again
Haiboku ni kachi wo ataeru tame
Tachiagatte furikazase kizutsuita ude wo
Kujuu nonde Could you stand up again?
The extravagant vocals of the song were heart-pumping, enough to make a certain Ant-Man to bop his head to the beat.
"Scott! Time and place, please!" Ponzu shouts at him as he lowered his head in shame.
Hikigiwa to ka wakimaenaide
Jukuon ga yuigon ja owarenai
Saiki ni kakero nana korobi shitemo
Togireta tamekonda negai wo hakidase
That last line managed to catch the attention of the ink-dripping titan, as everyone stood by in anticipation.
"Eep!" Sakura let out when she saw his glowing red face looking right at them.
Junko looked at her with a face that said "Keep singing", as the idols continued the melody.
Tatoe kachime no nai tatakai demo
Yume mo kakugo mo kawaranai
Shitsubou wo kutsujoku wo shippai wo koukai wo
Honoo ni kubete takaku noroshi wo
Itsuka sekaijuu ga mihanashitemo
Inochi no kagiri idomou
Ketsudan wo shuunen wo bankai wo fukkatsu wo
Togete mabushii tamashii tsukitsukero
They held onto that last note as the menacing tower of paint and thinner slowly hovered towards EFS. Wendy began typing away on her various smartphones to get the correct code down.
"You better know what you're doing, it'll be a bust if you don't get it right." Bucky tells her on comms.
Wendy continued to click away at her screens, "Why do you think saying that will make things easier? Just let me do this damn thing and shut the hell up!"
Shigamitsuki aragau sama wa kesshite utsukushikunai
Yojinobotte kuisagatte
Shōkori mo naku
Kibou daite keep on going zutto
Ikihajinante ki no sei ni shite
Miren datte kibakuzai ni suru kurai
Inori no te yori tekuda o tsukushite
Rifujin ni taekitta ketsui o tsuranuke
Tatoe mata mirai o ubawaretatte
Tachimukawazu ni irarenai
Keibetsu ni shisshou ni chūshou ni zōgon ni
Mukatte utae musebu arashi o
Waluigi was standing atop his seat, waiting to leap right into Shadow Ultron as he finally entered the arena.
"Hold it…" Blaze pulled him by the collar and sat him back down.
"Wah, Waluigi wants to be a hero already. Hurry up!"
"If you fail to follow the plan, you will likely end up a tragic hero. It could not hurt you to be patient, Waluigi." Blaze informs him as he flopped back into his seat.
"Weh heh heh… Waluigi will be the one to save the day." Waluigi laughed to himself as he put his hand inside his left pocket. Almost like he had something in there.
Dare mo mita koto nai kishikaisei no
Shinario ni tada susumou
Kassai o seikou o shunkan o unmei o
Umidasu kanousei jidai ni shirashimero
Another long note just made Shadow Ultron annoyed as he continued to look at the zombie idols as if they were his dinner. Noticing this, Oswald couldn't just let it slide and he leapt from his seat down to the stage.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" Lily questioned the rabbit's intentions.
"You're doing good, but not good enough to make it count. Time for me to pump up the volume to the max!"
Oswald pressed the button on his remote and supercharged the entirety of the stage, including Franchouchou. With their bodies illuminated, their voices autotuned, and the speakers even louder than before, Franchouchou built up to the song's finale.
Hashiri taoreta saigo o sora ga yurushita to shite mo
Tsumeato wa nokosetenai inujini nante yurusenai
Tatoe kachime no nai tatakai demo
Tagiru kokoro ni bure ha nai
Shokuzai no koufuku no tettai no tekkai wo
Kakumei no sakusen wo danketsu no sokkou wo
Shitsubou wo kutsujoku wo shippai wo koukai wo
"It's ready!" Wendy informs everyone as she manages to temporarily get into the murder bot's head.
"Do it now, Sakura!" Junko tells her friend to deliver the final blow.
"Honō ni kubete takaku noroshi WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Sakura's voice echoed throughout the stadium, making everyone cover their ears in response as she continued. Sweat dropped from her face as she opened her eyes to see the very monster she feared earlier beginning to bubble and shake from the sound waves produced. The bubbles popped, revealing small openings that are large enough to hop into. Our heroes have found their entrance.
"GRGH… GYAHHHHHHHH!" Shadow Ultron's Blot body roared in pain as the Multiversal Avengers entered one by one.
"MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!"
Itsuka sekaijū ga mihanashite mo
Inochi no kagiri idomō
Ketsudan wo shūnen wo bankai o fukkatsu wo
Togete mabushī tamashī tsukitsukero
The song ends and Franchouchou pants heavily. Ruby and Linhardt show up to take Junko with them.
"What a stunning performance, I wouldn't mind seeing it again once this fight is finally over." Ruby compliments the group.
Linhardt gives his own form of praise, "I've never heard singing like that in Fódlan, admittedly it's managed to worm its way into my head. Do not know if that is a good or bad thing just yet."
Junko bows to her friends politely, "Thank you, we always do our best."
Lily cheered, "Yeah! That's why you need to do it again when you fight the big bad monster guy! Lily believes in you, Junko!"
"Gawr! Gar!" Tae Yamada grunts as she shows her own support to her companion.
"If only I had a weapon of my own, then I would have loved to join you in plunging into this creature." Yugiri says with an innocent smile on her face.
Sakura catches her breath before speaking, "Phrasing please, Yugiri. But I believe in you too, Junko! Kick his butt and come back safe!"
Junko hugs her idol teammates as she takes the hands of her otherworldly friends.
"This is it, you ready?" Ruby asks her.
Before she could answer, Tatsumi shows up once more to see her off.
"Hold on, you stupid zombie. You can't leave without this."
He tosses her the same electric guitar she used when singing Gekkou Survive, the one she smashed into pieces on stage.
"Let this axe stir your soul, make it roar with all your strength… and use it to smash through every obstacle to get what you desire most."
Junko's eyes gleamed as she took it in her hands once more, observing the very cracks left there even after she glued it back together.
"Of course… I'll use it to turn impossibilities into miracles, break through every limitation… And I promise to bring it back safely to you, Tatsumi-san. Thank you."
Kotaro crossed his arms and turned away, his jacket-cape blowing in the wind as Junko departed with her teammates as Franchouchou called out to them.
"DO YOUR BEST, EVERYONE!"
Jumping right through the last opening, every one of them made it inside the belly of the beat. There was another question to be asked however…
Did they manage to corner the metal menace, or did they just seal their own fates?
*drip drop drip drop drip*
Insert Song: Spiderwebs (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
The sounds of falling ink, as well as the group's footsteps and breathing, were the only things they could hear through this cavern. Wendy had turned on all of the flashlights on her phones and Blaze used her hand as a torch to light the way through the pitch-black corridor.
"Yuck… this place is disgusting." Komaru uttered as she walked through the gooey floor.
Oswald was disgusted too, "Stay clear of the walls, I got stuck inside one of them the last time I got pulled into The Blot. I had to wash my shorts for weeks to get the gunk out."
Junko, who was carrying the guitar on her back via the strap, was holding her Pokéballs in the palms of her hands.
"I'm so glad I got to go on this journey with you all, thank you. I have faith in you all to win this fight, do your best." She whispers to her team members.
Sapphire grins at the heartwarming sight and that's when she gets an idea.
"Hey, why don't we go on a journey to another region, Junko?"
"H-Huh? But didn't Mr., er, Dr. Strange say that we have to stay in our own worlds after this?" The floofy idol reminds her.
Sapphire chuckled in response, "He doesn't have to know that! Plus it's only gonna be like a few weeks or so only in our world, instead of goin' to other ones in a row! He won't notice that…"
"Maybe? Mm…" Junko wasn't so sure about that, even if she got more time to spend with her new companions and her Pokémon.
Ruby was a bit open to the idea, "As risky as that may be… I would love to participate alongside you in contests, displaying your idol talents to a new audience!"
"Hah? I was gonna see if we can take on the gym leaders of other regions! So many new badges to earn and so much fun battling our Pokémon!" Sapphire's eyes lit up just imagining it all.
"U-Um, it's still not set in stone…" Junko says softly as Ruby and Sapphire went back and forth.
"It could be a good opportunity to do more research on these Pokémon, or at least get away from the many assignments that fail to interest me at the academy." Linhardt pondered.
Ashe was exasperated at his nonchalant behavior, "You could always just switch classes. Professor Byleth wouldn't mind having you join a lecture in the Blue Lions."
"That… honestly does not sound too bad of an idea. The professor is quite an interesting individual… and I would love the chance to study that crest as well. What a tough choice…" Linhardt admits.
"How about Monaca chooses for you, and I choose death!"
Monaca Towa overlooked them all from a small throne created from twisted black tendrils.
Insert Song: It's a Kids World (Danganronpa: Ultra Despair Girls)
"That was not one of the options, kiddo." Linhardt bluntly told Monaca, unamused.
"Monaca's so glad that you were able to make it, that was an awesome concert you put on for us!" The pickle-haired demon girl clasped her hands with a big smile on her face as she got down from the throne.
Scott squatted down in order to talk on her level, "Look, little girl, that was just the preshow. The main event will be us taking down your robot buddy and sending you to juvie."
"You really think juvenile hall will be able to hold me?" Monaca put a finger on her chin in an effort to try being cute.
Bucky had a different prison in mind, "There's always the Raft. Though I don't know if they take extremely young criminals."
"Oh Monaca's not gonna be held anywhere, me and Mr. Ultron will just suck the life out of every world and live in paradise." Monaca skipped back up to her tentacle chair.
That's when Ponzu shot honey out of her gloves and stuck the girl to her seat.
"Or the more likely scenario, he chooses to dispose of you and rule on his own."
Monaca giggled as she struggled to move her arms, "I know, but can you blame me for trying to think positive about it?"
"Yes." Everyone answered.
"Okay, fair enough. I've come too far though to quit, so I might as well try to kill you all before he gets the chance to! That'll show him that I'm better than him." Monaca kicked her legs with joy.
Yamcha looked puzzled, "Uh, you're kinda outnumbered here. How would you even try to take us out?"
"Do you even have to ask?" Monaca says as Blotlings shaped like Monokumas formed from the floor below them, grabbing the legs of our heroes.
Blaze engulfed the floor with fire to melt them away as new ones began to form from the walls. And that's not all…
"Oh Mr. Goopy, time to wake up! It's time for dinner!" Monaca called out and right under her throne was an even larger blotling.
It was like a Slobber, if it were on all fours and had two large bulging eyes. Surveying the situation, Bucky decided on a new tactic.
"Not all of us can make it out of here to take care of Ultron, looks like we're gonna have to split up again."
"Are you sure? Having all of us here can easily take care of Monaca." Komaru says as she fires knockback bullets on the blob-kumas.
Blaze was on Bucky's side, "That could also prove to be a hindrance with how very little space there is to fight here. One group could attack Ultron and figure out his weakness, so when the others arrive after having dealt with Monaca they know what to focus on."
"This strategy could work, then I shall lead the way to Ultron then! Take care of yourselves!" Ashe brought Junko, Oswald, Ruby, Linhardt, Waluigi, Bucky, and Sapphire for the ride.
The rest were faced with babysitting a devil child, with her horrid playthings.
Insert Song: Warriors of Hope (Danganronpa: Ultra Despair Girls)
Komaru goes after Monaca's big boy alongside Ponzu and Blaze, while Michiru, Yamcha, Scott, Stan, and Wendy deal with the inky Monokuma replicas. They figured out quickly that physical strikes were not very effective against these foes, they were not flinching at all when being struck.
"Try again! Maybe you'll get them next time, hee hee!" Monaca taunted them.
Blaze dodged out of the way of Mr. Goopy's bite attack and threw two fireballs into his eyes, making him cry out in agony.
"Such an obvious weak point. You should try to take better care of your pets."
Monaca smirked, "You say it's a weak point, but in actuality…"
The two red eyeballs then popped out of Mr. Goopy's sockets and rolled into Michiru. Bouncing off of her like pinballs and hitting Yamcha for good measure.
"Yowch! What the…" Yamcha paused as he saw the eyeballs stop in place to grow two legs before hopping back into their eye sockets, "I hate this place…"
Goopy went back to try chomping down on our heroes and right before he could have Ant-Man as a snack, Call Girl decided to draw his attention away from him.
"Come and get me! Bramp bramp braaamp!" She taunted the big blotling using a bunch of flashing lights from her phone collection as she used her "Blocked" ability.
"BLARGH!" Goopy gurgled with thinner drool coming out of his jaws as he ran forward.
Upon seeing that large mouth wide open, Scott got an idea and kicked one of the inky Monokumas into his jaws.
"Big guy's hungry, huh? How about we treat him to a feast?"
Yamcha grins as he sees a whole bunch of those bears lined up in a row, "Kame…hame… HAAAAAA!"
The iconic blue ki blast launches half a dozen of them right into the gut of Goopy.
"This plan could go a lot more smoothly if this creature suddenly… lost its sight, wouldn't it?" Blaze says to Komaru and Ponzu, who easily understand the next plan of attack.
The three women attack the eyeballs in an effort to pop them right out. After managing to do so, they dodge their rolling attacks right until they were in range to knock them into Mr. Goopy's mouth as well. Swallowing his own eyeballs, the big boy was getting larger and larger, and could not see what he was chomping at.
"No no no! Go left! Now right! Do you not know the difference?! Agh, I wish I could just scratch my nose right about now!" Monaca yelled at her living transport as it went all around, not catching a single member of the team.
What it did catch was the Monokuma Blotlings, and his gut began to grow more and more bulbous with each passing minute.
"We should uh…" Yamcha states as he figures out what will happen next.
Blaze turned away from the sight with disgust, "Indeed, quickly now."
"Huh? Where are you going? Don't leave Monaca here, that's not what good guys do! Hey, are you listening to me!"
Monaca's pleas fell on deaf ears, since no one wanted to even risk going back to save the little pickle demon and get blown to hell. They just kept running towards Ultron's chamber…. Well, except for…
Insert Song: Small Sacrifice (Ant-Man)
"Lang, what are you—"
"Komaru, you can't!"
Yamcha and Michiru saw the two of them run back into the room, but they couldn't stop them. Komaru and Scott tried pulling the small girl out of the honey Ponzu had trapped her in at the start of their skirmish, unfortunately that didn't work at all.
"Get out of there now! If you don't make it out in time then…" Blaze shouted at them, but they didn't answer back.
Komaru switched to her Burn bullets in an attempt to crystalize the honey to break her out of it.
"Come on, Monaca… we've got you…"
KABLOOOOOOOOOOOOSHHHHHHHHHH!
…
…
…
…
The explosion of paint and thinner splashed over the opening to the pathway, blocking it with a hardened wall of ooze.
Michiru, believing to have lost more companions, collapsed to her knees and began to sob. Yamcha's fists were clenched before he resorted to banging on the newly formed ink wall, yet once again physical blows couldn't make it fall.
"Fucking damn it…" Stan slammed his fist into the tar-black ground.
Blaze looked disheartened, she just couldn't believe it. The princess of the Sol Emeralds fists ignited with flame, an emotional outburst looked to be immediate…
Suddenly the wall shrunk before their eyes as they witnessed an unbelievable sight.
(2:39 of the song)
Scott and Komaru stumbled out the newly reopened pathway, hurt, but alive and still standing. And on the ex-thief's back was Monaca, out cold and covered in black gunk like the other two were.
Wendy's eyes were wide and her mouth was agape, "How did you guys even make it out of that explosion in time?"
Komaru pointed out that she had used the Watch Sketch setting on her Hacking Gun to slow down time so they wouldn't be at the explosion's epicenter.
"You selfless son of a bitch…" Yamcha pats Lang on the back, who winced in pain.
"Ack, couldn't just… leave a kid to die, even if she's evil."
Komaru took some deep breaths as she tried to stand up straight, "Y-Yeah… that's not what good guys do."
Everyone else gathered around them to try tending to their wounds, since they had one more battle ahead of them. Which had already started.
"C'mon, I can see a light up ahead! Hurry up, slowpokes!" Oswald was ahead of the pack as they entered the site of their last battle.
A lot less cramped than the room Monaca was using, the ceiling stretched far above their heads. Iron spikes, dripping with slime that was dark as a night sky without any stars, stuck out of the ground and many of them surrounded a strange object at the center of the room. It was like a cocoon with bloticles stuck into it from above and below, glowing brightly as a hole opened up and out stepped the android.
"The original Shadow Blot was a force of nature, a mistake created by a mischievous mouse that reveled in the destruction it caused. However, it longed for attention from the masses and to feel complete, despite its ruthless behavior."
His robotic voice spoke with a boorish tone, his face turning away from any of our heroes as he continued to monologue to their annoyance. They knew that any attack made on him now would prove fruitless, so they had to listen to his rambling.
"I, Ultron, was created by a brilliant, yet far from perfect man. One that was affected by his own insecurities and worries, looking to build 'a suit of armor around the world'. Upon my exploration of human history, all its failures as a species… I sought to cure the Earth of their existence and create a world better than what they had done. Bringing about true 'peace in our time'. Now that the two of us are now one being, we now have the opportunity to make both of our desires come true."
"Blah blah blah, you want to make every world bow down to you, just say that and stop the chit-chat! I'm gonna make our statement short and sweet, we're gonna tear ya to pieces, Tin Man!" Oswald shouted as he dual wielded his remote and the paintbrush.
Junko let out Ryū the Salamence, who roared loudly as his trainer gulped.
Ruby, not wanting to waste an introduction on Ultron, stays silent as he lets out Nana the Mightyena as his first choice.
Sapphire whipped out Phado the Donphan, ready to roll with the punches.
Linhardt equipped Bolganone, ready to set the battlefield ablaze.
Waluigi brought out multiple Bob-ombs in both hands and prepared to chuck them.
Ashe switched from a steel bow to a silver bow, taking a sniping position he can aim well in.
Bucky clenched his vibranium fist, impatiently waiting to plant it in Ultron's metal skull.
And so our team charged forward, Ultron not moving from his spot so that he could get a taste of what his opponents had to offer. A swipe of the brush, a Hyper Beam to the face, a Crunch to the arm, a Rollout to the hips, ten Bob-ombs to the chest, and an uppercut to his steel jaw. He took it all at once and repaired himself in a few seconds.
"Tch, don't let up! Keep on pouring the damage on him 'til he doesn't have time to fix himself!" Sapphire tells the team and they keep on attacking.
Blaze Kick to the gut, Hammer Arm across the back of the neck, Psyshock on both arms, Bolganone to melt his steel legs, and a tennis racket breaking right over his head. None phased him until Oswald created a shockwave of electricity, actually stunning him long enough for Bucky to jab at him with five hits.
"Urgh, my first target. It's rabbit season." Ultron states as he recovered from his paralysis and finally made his move.
Locked on to Oswald he shot double lasers from his hands that he had to jump over before throwing his metal body at him with a tackle boosted by Blot wings.
"OOF!" The toon let out as he was knocked into the wall.
"Oswald! Are you okay?!" Junko let out with concern for the Wasteland's leader.
Oswald stumbled about with stars circling over his head and he began to sing, "When you wish upon a star, your dreeeeeeeeeams coooooooooome truuuuuuuuuuuue!"
"Ruby, Ultimate Moves, now!" Sapphire told him.
The contest trainer nodded, "Right. Hydro Cannon!"
"Blast Burn!"
Mumu and Chic unleashed the starters' equivalent to Hyper Beam, with multiple columns of flame rising from the ground underneath Ultron and a wave of pressurized water shot directly at Ultron's forehead. The combine moves caused the water to be broiling hot, adding on the damage that needed to be dealt.
Unfortunately for the trainers…
"Chaos Control."
Ultron activated his green Chaos Emerald's ability and slowed down the oncoming moves so he could avoid them.
"H-How did he—?" Ruby could finish as Ultron knocked him and Sapphire away before barraging their Pokémon with repulsor shots.
Their starter Pokémon had fainted and they were pretty roughed up themselves. The five still standing got together behind some spikes to talk strategy.
"The gem and the heart are giving him that power. We take one out of the equation and it might get easier. Might." Bucky informs them.
It was then that Junko remembers what Oswald said on the rocket, "The brush is needed to take out the heart, so I'll go to wake up Oswald.
Ashe offers his assistance, " I'll cover you while you do it. And you'll heal him, right Linhardt?"
"That's one of the reasons I'm here, now what about that gem?" Linhardt questioned.
Bucky turned to Waluigi, "You got one more power-up that can take him down once I can knock it out of his head?'
Seeing his moment to shine, Waluigi pulled out his secret weapon: The 2nd Smash Ball that Wario stole and that Knuckles placed at the bottom of their power up container. He managed to smuggle it out of the exploding rocket.
"Oh yeah! Waluigi's gonna win against the robot man!"
Bucky rolled his eyes, "Keep your ego in check and we'll see if you do. Get going!"
The White Wolf went in to hold off Ultron as Sapphire got back on her feet.
"Stupid robo-jerk, Kirly use Psycho Cut!"
She lets out her Gallade and joins in on the assault as Ashe fires some arrows from afar.
Junko holds up Oswald's head as his head continues to spin, "Quickly, Linhardt!"
"If you rush me it might not work…. There!" Linhardt put his hand down as the lucky rabbit regained consciousness.
Oswald shook his head rapidly to remove any more dizziness, "Huh? Wha happun?"
"We need to remove that heart, any ideas on how to successfully pull it off?" Linhardt questioned him.
Oswald lowered his eyes as he stared closer at where the heart was being held on Ultron. The metal ribcage holding it didn't look too durable and that's when Oswald looked at the brush and a lightbulb went off in his head.
Bucky grabs Ultron's head and tries to tear out the emerald, "RAAAAAAAAAGH!"
Ultron then delivered a swift elbow right to the forehead, hitting with enough force to make him bleed. It was enough to cover his face with a crimson mask. He then tossed Bucky away and before he could strike him with a spiked tendril through the chest, an arrow clanked off of his head.
"Adorable that you'd think that would work."
Ashe smiled before making his rebuttal, "It has."
Ultron looked down and saw Oswald shooting paint right into Mickey's heart, pumping it so much that it grew three sizes that day. Sliding under a backhand by the robot, who was now remarkably slower with the weight of the heart, the bunny bounced off his cranium and into the air.
"Agh… finally some good thinking on your end. Won't be so useful now when I…"
Ultron found his left leg frozen in ice thanks to Junko's Blizzard and his right leg then got covered in sticky honey. The remaining Avengers arrived on time to even the playing field.
"Neo Wolf Fang Fist!" Yamcha's signature rush attack full of palm strikes and claws were unloaded on Ultron's trapped body.
Michiru leaped in from above and slammed a gorilla fist down to crush the iron tyrant.
"Tell me where he is!" She shouted at him, but Ultron didn't answer that.
Blaze brought Komaru and Scott to Linhardt, "We need these two back at full strength immediately."
"You could at least say please." Linhardt uses Physic this time and the two who rescued Monaca were back on their feet, albeit still retaining some of their damage.
Komaru shook off the pain before firing several Paralyze Bullets, "Take this!"
"Screwdrivers of death!"
Toolshed flings his screwdrivers into the stunned Ultron's eyes as Komaru uses an Anvil sketch to drop an anvil on top of him. Ponzu follows up with some explosive round stingers and a midair drop kick to the hip. Scott sizes up for a punch to the back of his head.
"GET… OFF!"
Ultron's voice echoed through the arena as a wave of Blot sludge spun around him like a turnstile, knocking away every person close to him. He then used several tendrils to break the ice off his left leg and pull the honey off of his right one. The whole group looked up to see that shadowy cape of his form into large bat-like wings to take off into the air.
"You all don't belong in my perfect multiverse… time to—"
"Hey dummy!"
Ultron turns around to see Waluigi holding the Smash Ball up in the air.
"Da-da-da-daaaa! Time for Waluigi!"
The purple trickster tossed it up in the air and prepared to kick it like a soccer ball with his long, lanky legs. Fire in his eyes as he lifted his right leg up and…
SHANK!
"W…Wah?"
The mustached man had been impaled by a spike tendrill and was lifted up off the ground and pulled closer to Ultron's face. The Smash Ball rolls to the opposite corner of the room, remaining unbroken.
"No… No!" Blaze tried jumping in to save him, but alas…
SHANK!
The flame princess was also caught by the murderous A.I., proceeding to do the same to Bucky and Ponzu. Junko looked on with absolute horror on her face, a feeling she hadn't felt since that tragic plane crash that took her life.
The feeling that you were looking right at death itself.
Ultron noticed the girl and briefly stopped his absorption of her friends' lives. He began to scan her and the results intrigued him.
"A living corpse. Ha ha ha… It's amusing, these readings show that your body is rotting and had to be stitched back together, yet here you are with your heart still beating. I would enjoy looking into your past to put the pieces together on how this process went, but it would be a waste of time. After all, why should I bother looking into the past when you won't have a future…"
"THAT'S WRONG!"
Ruby, Ashe, and Linhardt managed to get back on their feet and shout that out at once.
"Wrong…? How, pray tell, am I wrong?" Ultron asked them.
Linhardt began to cut through his contradiction, "Who are you to determine how a person's future would go? Your understanding of human life comes from information found in a library, rather than observing how they truly are firsthand."
"You have cold steel armor containing a stolen heart, and yet you have no idea what it's like to truly have one! You explored human history, while also failing to see any of the values we treasure most as more than simple words." Ruby throws a truth bullet in his face.
Ashe clenched his fists, "It may be true that everyone is flawed, that we make mistakes, but it does not mean it would be better if we had none of that. How dare you insult such a gentle soul for her own flaws, the flaws that make her pure and shine brilliantly!"
"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO DETERMINE ANYONE'S FUTURE!"
Junko looked up in awe of those three boys, and in that moment… all that fear she had turned to hope. Hope that they'll all get through this. Hope that things will be alright.
Hope that victory will be assured against despair.
Junko then gasped as she noticed something to her right, the Smash Ball rolling by. Something Ultron took note of as well.
"After it!" The zombie idol commanded the boys and they followed her.
The other Avengers, including the ones still skewered, rooted for their young teammates as they made a mad dash towards the mystical item. Ultron, without even moving from his position, fired a beam from his right hand directly at the ball.
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
…
…
…
The smoke slowly began to clear up, and lying face first on the cold floor… was only Ashe.
"A-Are they…?"
"Tch…"
"Where did they go?"
"No no no…"
The other team members' heads hung low with pure despair, as Ultron continued to scan for life.
"They couldn't have gone far… I'm still getting readings that they're still around."
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNGGGGG!
A loud sound suddenly rang out all over the battlefield, and upon hearing it, Ashe lifted his head up off the ground and gave a knowing smile.
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNGGGGG!
That sound was once again heard as the team members got back on their feet one by one. A few of them managed to recognize what that sound was… an electric guitar.
Insert Song: Counterattack (Xenoblade Chronicles 2)
Ultron turned around to see three lights glowing from behind the smoke. Red, white, and green. Stepping out of hiding, with their bodies illuminated through the power of the Smash Ball, the Trinity reveal themselves.
Ruby, The Charmer
Junko, The Showa Idol
Linhardt, The Sleepy Crest Scholar
Ultron fired multiple beams at them, but they all leapt into the air and the Showa Idol made the first strike with a smashing blow with the electric guitar. That one hit rocked Ultron enough for him to drop all their teammates that he impaled.
Waluigi looked up as color returned to his face, "W-Wha? Hey! That was Waluigi's!"
"Quit complaining, we've gotta remove his macguffins while he's taking all these hits. Lang, Oswald, let's back 'em up!" Bucky wiped the blood off his forehead as he re-joined the battle
Ruby's powered-up Pokémon were all let out at once, along with Junko's, as they both let loose a multitude of moves without missing a beat.
"Hammer Arm! Ice Beam! Moonblast! Weather Ball!"
"Psyshock! Dragon Tail! Solar Beam! Double Edge!"
As Pocket Monsters took turns beating on him, Linhardt used his most powerful Reason spell.
"Excalibur!"
A tornado of wind blades tore up the shadow android, who used the spinning of the spell to launch inky projectiles all around him.
Seeing a potential problem if those hit anyone, Yamcha used his Spirit Ball to disintegrate each of them.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!"
Ultron broke out of Excalibur and observed his three powered-up opponents.
"You're managing to hurt me, now this fight is worth my time."
Ruby laughed softly, "It's gonna hurt a lot more soon… Hydro Cannon!"
Ultron blocked the water attack this time, and that's not the only attack he was forced to defend against.
"Spinning Claw!" Blaze pirouettes through the air surrounded by flames to burn past him.
Right as Ultron was about to throw a punch at the purple cat, he punched through a tv created by Komaru and electrocuted himself. Waluigi then delivered a series of hard stomps to bury him into the floor as Toolshed hit him with a laser drill erupting from below.
Sapphire sees another opportunity to attack the paralyzed and buried Ultron, "Blast Burn! Make it count this time, Chic!
Her Blaziken channels its strength before stomping the ground and a fire erupted like a volcano from where Ultron was. Setting himself free after that barrage, Shadow Ultron grabbed Sapphire by the throat, but was stopped by Michiru wrapping her stretchy arms around him.
"Grrrragh!" He let out as he tried to pull the tanuki girl off his head.
Junko rushed behind him while he was distracted, taking a deep breath in before using a Reason spell of her own.
"FIMBULVETR!"
Michiru let go of him as the ice crystals began to appear on the ground, soon enough the metal man's body was trapped in a giant icicle. Seeing their chance, Bucky threw Ant-Man directly at Ultron's forehead
Scott attempted to push the emerald out of his forehead, but it refused to budge even an inch.
"Urgh! Hoo, it's stuck in there like it was superglued."
Ultron noticed the bug man after his sensors picked him up, so he shot eye beams at him to force him away from the emerald.
"My precious jewel will not be taken from me!"
Scott dodged away from the lasers, albeit barely, "Yeeeesh! Oh well, we can always get something else…"
CRACK!
While Ultron was busy with Ant-Man, Oswald was down below pumping enough paint into Mickey's heart for it to grow even larger. With the added ice freezing over his metal frame, the heart's size and weight eventually broke it out of its prison.
"No!" Ultron tried to grab it as it was falling, but it was then hit by an arrow.
Ashe managed to make it to his feet for a final shot, "Don't let him get that heart back!"
"On it!" Michiru punched it back with her gorilla strength over to Yamcha who kicked it to the left.
It was like a game of keep away, as the heart went from one person to another as a severely weakened (though still quite powerful) Shadow Ultron tried to retrieve it.
"Hwah!" Waluigi punted it to Ponzu who commanded her bees to keep it afloat over to Wendy who swung at it with a selfie stick used as a baseball bat.
Linhardt launched a Cutting Gale at the heart as Ultron was about to grab it and Bucky gave it a Vibranium fist. Seeing how desperate he was to get that heart back, Oswald whispered something to Junko who thought it was a wonderful idea.
"Ruby, Linhardt, come with me! Ryū, Fly!"
Her Salamence took off from the ground as Oswald sees Lang growing into Giant-Man.
"Perfect, hey Scotty! You mind tossing that up for me?!"
Giant-Man saluted the rabbit as he underhand threw the heart up high. Ultron used his Blot wings to soar after it, and Oswald used Scott as a platform to use his helicopter ears to catch up to him.
"You want that heart so badly? You can take it!" Oswald tells him as he got on the android's body and continued to pump even more paint into the heart.
He used his electricity as well to push it up higher and higher up until it reached the ceiling. There it was greeted by Junko, Ruby, and Linhardt. All of them holding the electric guitar as they all leapt off of the dragon-type Pokémon.
Ultron looked up to see that the very heart he was chasing, the one taken from one of cartoon's biggest names, was now about ten times his own size. And he was about to get a closer look.
"No matter what obstacles we face, we'll keep smashing through until we reach… A FUTURE WE DETERMINE OURSELVES!"
Junko bellowed out her final declaration towards Ultron as she and the friends she began this journey with… smashed the heart with the guitar, launching it as the killing blow.
KRAKABATHROOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Scott manages to catch the now unconscious trio, while the heart of the beloved mouse had burst upon hitting the ground along with Ultron's scrapped parts. Blaze picked up the green Chaos Emerald from his shattered skull and dusted it off.
"Did… Did we win?" Michiru asked just to be sure.
Soon the interior of the Blot construct had begun to shake, and everyone tried to get stable footing.
"It seems we have, but this place is going to collapse on top of us if we don't hurry to the exit." Ponzu says in a panicked tone.
"We'll be fine, everyone just needs to get close to me." Blaze calmly reassures everyone.
Oswald was reluctant, "I don't think you can carry all of us out, lady. Or maybe you can…?"
"Trust me." Blaze tells them all as she clutches the Chaos Emerald in her hand.
Scott brought Ruby, Linhardt, and Junko in close, as well as the still knocked-out Monaca. The group huddled together as large amounts of sludge fell from above and landed all around them. Crumbling to pieces now that the sources of its power had been lost. The bruised and battered Multiversal Avengers huddled together, grateful for their survival, as Blaze held the emerald up into the air.
"Chaos Control!"
BWIP!
Epilogue: Goodbye, Guardians
Location: Wasteland, The World of Epic Mickey
"So you think you can make it to the group photo session at the studio?" Mickey asked his rabbit brother.
Oswald accepted the invitation, "Sure thing! Just gotta see where I left my white shorts. So who's gonna be taking the picture?"
"Oh, Goofy! Mickey answered sincerely.
Oswald looked exasperatedly at the mouse, "Over five-hundred toons there and you couldn't find anyone else to do it?"
"C'mon, at least give him a chance! He's been practicing photography for months since we gave him the job!"
"Fine, fine, but if the camera breaks, I'm outta there."
Mickey laughs, thinking the rabbit was joking as we see the others mingling with each other.
Michiru was smiling, but she still was saddened by being unable to find out any more information on Masaomi's whereabouts.
Sapphire and Ashe showed up to help cheer her up.
"Hey… uh, that robo-jerk probably didn't know anything. I'm sure that Professor Weirdo can find him in no time, right?"
Doctor Strange sighed at the misnaming as he stepped forward in front of the group for an announcement.
"That is my duty…though looking through these universes for one boy won't be easy. So for that reason…"
The team wondered why he was hesitating to say his last line as America Chavez tapped him on the shoulder.
"Come on… tell them the good news!"
Strange sighed as he stood up professionally, "Ahem, for that reason I… wouldn't be against you all traversing your own worlds and others to assist him and the others being held in killing games."
The team were pleasantly surprised and soon cheered at the revelation that they wouldn't be forced apart for good.
"As long as you stay out of important affairs and don't be apart from your worlds for too long, then I could excuse these incursions. Wouldn't want any multiversal war to break out… for now, return to your homes and insure that they are safe." Strange warned them all and they accepted.
The group then split off on their own to say their goodbyes, at least until they meet again.
Insert Song: Where We Belong (Xenoblade Chronicles 3)
Michiru looked at Masaomi's yellow bandana that she had worn during the battle, now ripped and mostly in tatters. She holds it close to her heart before letting it fly away with the breeze, with hope that one day they'll find their friend, as Sapphire patted her on the back in reassurance.
"We'd love to have you over for dinner sometime, introduce you to Hope and Cassie. Whenever you're free you can stop by San Francisco." Scott offers to Ponzu.
Ponzu smiles at the invitation, "That sounds lovely. It has been a while since I had a home-cooked meal, maybe once I get my Hunter License I'll visit. Maybe I can stop by your place as well?"
Bucky shrugged, "It's pretty shabby, but you can drop if you feel the need to. Give me a call and I'll see if I can make the date."
"Oh ho ho, a date?" Yamcha teased them.
Bucky pushes him away, "Shut it, Yamcha. Though that doesn't sound too bad if... You're up to it that is."
Ponzu thinks about it before answering, "I can't date anyone right now, sorry, but I'll consider it one day if I feel ready."
Bucky softly smiled at the answer, "Take your time, Queen Bee"
Scott then approached the South Park kids, now back in their normal outfits.
"All done playing superhero, huh? You kids did pretty well."
"Thanks, Mr. Lang. I think we'll hang up the tights for a while, but it means a lot that an actual superhero is complimenting us." Wendy tells him.
Stan nodded in agreement, "Yeah, and getting to kick ass with one is pretty awesome too."
"Aw man, it's no problem. Though I have to make a guess here, I'm not either of you two's favorite, am I?"
"Captain America." Stan tells him.
"Captain Marvel." Wendy states her favorite.
"Very good choices. Not gonna argue against those two. Well, don't get cocky even though you have powers now okay? Remember to look out for the little guy, little guys!" Scott tells them as he patted their heads.
Blaze walked up to Waluigi who was grumbling in the corner, "Upset that they stole your moment, aren't you?"
"Urgh… Waluigi was going to be the best hero, number 1! Now Waluigi goes home a loser again…"
"Don't say that! You contributed just as much as they did. In fact, I'm sure you'll arrive to cheers and applause. You might even get your long-awaited invitation to that tournament you've been wanting to enter…"
"Eh, really?" Waluigi turned to the princess who looked a bit unsure.
"Er… of course! Have more confidence and one day you will manage to reach the top of the podium. You did manage to defeat us during the football match in Paris after all."
Waluigi perked up after hearing all that, "Wa-ha-ha! Waluigi feels reborn, thank you, thank you Big the Cat!"
"B-Big?!" Blaze was taken aback by him forgetting her name, yet she did feel good seeing the lanky man back in high spirits… even though she had to lie to get his hopes up.
"Thank you for having me here when I got sucked into that rift." Komaru thanked Oswald and Ortensia.
"Aw, you can drop by any time, sweetheart! We could always use a babysitter for the bunny children." Ortensia gave the girl a hug.
Komaru stuttered after hearing that, "O-O-Okay. I'd love to look after them again, ha ha…"
Oswald chuckled at her reluctancy, "Ha ha ha, it was nice having an extra hand around here. See ya around, kiddo!"
Komaru crouched down and took Oswald's hand to shake it, "Sure thing, Your Highness."
Junko had all of her Pokémon out of their balls and she hugged them close, with tears beginning to well up in her eye sockets. She returns them to their balls before handing them off to Ruby and Sapphire.
"I appreciate you looking after them. My idol duties would get in the way of me having the chance to train them."
"Yeah, I'd be glad to give 'em a good home before ya see 'em again! In fact, I'll help with keepin' 'em strong so you can take on some gyms!" Sapphire held her arm up and flexed to emphasize her point.
Ruby scoffed and put his hand on his chest, "And I'll be sure to assist with boosting their coolness, smartness, toughness, cuteness, and beauty so that contests will be a breeze with them."
"Ha ha…" Junko laughed awkwardly at the two Hoenn trainers' rivalry.
"Um… Junko?" Ashe caught the girl's attention after tapping her on the shoulder, "It's truly been.. A pleasure to have fought by your side."
"Yes, I feel the same way… um, in that I enjoyed spending time with you as well." Junko coughed as they were face to face.
"Indeed it has… well, I better—"
"Wait!" She caught him by pulling his sleeve and they continued to look into each other's eyes.
Ashe's cheeks begin to turn red, "Yes?"
"I… wanted to say one more thing before we went back home… thank you, for being my knight."
Junko got up on her tippy toes, pulled him close, and their lips collided. In that moment, those two weren't the only ones feeling bliss, their companions looked on proudly at the heartwarming sight.
"Took them long enough." Linhardt stated in his usual tone, but with a smile saying that he was glad to see it too.
"It's even more beautiful than I imagined.." Ruby started to tear up with joy.
Also at that moment, Sapphire's heart began to beat rapidly. Seeing someone like Junko be so brave, while she had been a coward when it came to expressing her feelings made her own confidence skyrocket.
"Ha… haa…"
"Sapphire? Is something the ma—mmph!"
Sapphire dragged Ruby in for a steamier kiss compared to the softer one Junko put Ashe in. In response, Wendy dipped Stan like one would for a dance and locking lips with him and Ortensia tackled Oswald to begin smooching him all over the rabbit's face.
"Aw man… I want a kiss." Yamcha slumped over with sorrow, as everyone else scooted away from him before he could get any ideas.
"Come on, Ortensia, that's enough! Ha ha! Huh?"
Oswald saw something glimmering in the distance and he went to investigate what it was alongside Mickey. The ball of light sparkled as it went up to the sky and there appeared an apparition of the wizard Yen Sid.
"For your bravery in defeating the monster that threatened all worlds and the life that inhabited them, you have my gratitude along with theirs. As a result of your deeds, let you be remembered throughout the ages as true heroes."
Using his powerful magic, both Mickey and Oswald gained new hearts. Symbols of the kindness they had for others and that their names would be recognized for many years to come. The two Disney brothers hugged it out, with Oswald being weepy that he is no longer forgotten.
The sun then began to set, and it was soon time to depart back to their universes.
Ruby, Junko, and Linhardt met up once more, just as they had during the start of their journey.
Ruby crossed his arms as he spoke up first, "This is it. It'll be some time until we can find the chance to visit each other, but it shouldn't be too long."
"Time might work differently in each of our worlds. We might end up looking quite different compared to how we are right now. It's quite a strange conundrum…" Linhardt pondered.
Junko smiled brightly, "No matter how much we change, I'm sure we still stay the same in the ways that allow us to recognize each other. I've changed in a lot of ways since our very first meeting… but I remain the same me in my heart. Surely we'll continue to grow and improve, while still remaining ourselves in our future."
"Indeed. Well… until next time, you two." Ruby held out his hand to receive a handshake.
Junko instead chose to go the hug route and brought the two boys close to her, as the tears soon streamed down her face. Even Linhardt had to crack a smile like Ruby did as they held together and the others joined in to make it a group hug.
Tears were shed as everyone there didn't want to leave just yet, thankfully a certain cartoon rabbit had just the thing to wipe them all away.
"Here's one last gift from me to you, as thanks for saving my home. Our kiss goodnight!"
Oswald pressed a button on his remote and he pointed towards the castle. Fireworks launched out of the top of each tower and burst into the sky with dazzling colors. The gang sat down to watch the show, as this chapter of their lives closed. Although they may have to separate for now, with enough time the Guardians will cross over in the future.
After all, distance doesn't matter if their hearts remain connected.
Together as one, until they find themselves again.
…
…
…
…
Insert Credits Song: Universe (Original by Natsushiro Takaaki, Covered by Hanasaki Miyabi and Kanade Izuru)
Ruby (Pokémon Adventures) as Himself (No VA since he's just a manga character, but I would choose Todd Haberkorn for him)
Amanda Lee / Maki Kawase (singing) as Junko Konno (Zombie Land Saga)
Chris Patton as Linhardt von Hevring (Fire Emblem: Three Houses & Three Hopes)
Sebastian Stan as James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes / Winter Soldier / White Wolf (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
Erica Lindbeck as Blaze the Cat (Sonic the Hedgehog)
Reba Buhr as Ponzu (Hunter X Hunter)
Cristina Vee as Monaca Towa (Danganronpa)
James Spader as Shadow Ultron (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
Kent Williams as Mercenary/General Tao (Dragon Ball)
Dorothy Fahn as Agatha (Pokémon Adventures, though she voices her in Pokémon Masters), Tsumugi Shirogane (Danganronpa), & Mercedes von Martritz (Fire Emblem: Three Houses & Three Hopes)
Mike Pollock as Dr. Eggman Nega / Dr. Eggman (Sonic the Hedgehog)
Jim Cummings as Big Bad Pete, Small Pete, Pete Pan, & Petetronic (Disney's Epic Mickey)
Brian Beacock as Monokuma(s)
Johnny Yong Bosch as Izaya Orihara (Durarara!)
Roger Craig Smith as Sonic the Hedgehog
Dave B Mitchell as Knuckles the Echidna
Cindy Robinson as Amy Rose
Kyle Hebert as Big the Cat
Keith Silverstein as Vector the Crocodile
Karen Strassman as Rouge the Bat
Ricco Fajardo as Kotaro Tatsumi
Brina Palencia / Kaede Hondo (singing) as Sakura Minamoto
Stephanie Young / Rika Kunigawa (singing) as Yugiri
Sarah Wiedenheft / Minami Tanaka (singing) as Lily Hoshikawa
Dawn M. Bennett as Tae Yamada
Alejandro Saab as Romero
Samantha Kelly as Princess Peach, Toad, Toadette
Deanna Mustard as Princess Daisy
Kenny James as Bowser
Kazumi Totaka as Yoshi
Takashi Nagasaki as Donkey Kong
Katsumi Suzuki as Diddy Kong
Laura Faye Smith as Rosalina
Zach Aguilar as Byleth Eisner
Lucien Dodge as Felix Hugo Fraldarius
Abby Trott as Annette Fantine Dominic
Brittany Cox as Ingrid Brandl Galatea
Ben Lepley as Dedue Molinaro
Tara Platt as Edelgard von Hresvelg
Robbie Daymond as Hubert von Vestra
Billy Kametz (RIP to this legend) as Ferdinand von Aegir
Allegra Clark as Dorothea Arnault
Ben Diskin as Caspar von Bergliez, Lorenz Hellman Gloucester
Faye Mata as Petra Macneary
Joe Zieja as Claude von Riegan
Xanthe Huynh as Marianne von Edmund
Salli Saffioti as Hilda Valentine Goneril
Christian La Monte as Ignatz Victor
Ratana as Leonie Pinelli
Zachary Rice as Raphael Kirsten
Janice Roman Roku as Lysithea von Ordelia
Kyle McCarley as Gatekeeper
Matt Stone as Kyle Broflovski / Human Kite, Kenny McCormick / Mysterion, Butter Stotch / Professor Chaos, Craig Tucker / Super Craig, & Tweek Tweak / Wonder Tweek
Bret Iwan as Mickey Mouse
Cary Elwes as Gremlin Gus
Audrey Wasilewski as Ortensia
Jim Meskimen as The Mad Doctor
Corey Burton as Yen Sid
Bill Farmer as Animatronic Goofy
Tony Anselmo as Animatronic Donald
Tress MacNeille as Animatronic Daisy
Chris Tergliafera as Gundham Tanaka
Amanda Céline Miller as Toko Fukawa
Jason Wishnov as Byakuya Togami
Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Stephen Strange
Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez
Sapphire Birch (Pokémon Adventures) as Herself (Also manga character, no idea who would voice her though. Gotta be someone who voices fierce gals)
Cherami Leigh as Komaru Naegi (Danganronpa) & Michiru Kagemori (BNA: Brand New Animal)
Paul Rudd as Scott Lang / Ant-Man (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
Christopher Sabat as Yamcha (Dragon Ball)
Shannon Mckain as Ashe Ubert/Duran (Fire Emblem: Three Houses & Three Hopes)
Bryce Papenbrook as Masaomi Kida (Durarara!)
Trey Parker as Stan Marsh / Toolshed, Eric Cartman / The Coon, Clyde Donovan / Mosquito, & Jimmy Palmer / Fastpass (South Park)
April Stewart as Wendy Testaburger (South Park)
Featuring Charles Martinet as Waluigi, Mario, Luigi, Wario (Super Mario Bros., hope you enjoy your retirement!)
And Frank Welker as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
Renegade Braveheart Presents…
Part 2 of an ongoing series.
Featuring characters from Kazutaka Kodaka, Spike Chunsoft, MAPPA, Avex Pictures, Cygames, Nintendo, INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS, The Pokémon Company International, Creatures Inc, GAME FREAK inc., Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Studios, You Yoshibari, Trigger, South Park Studios, Aniplex of America Inc, Sega, Viz Media, Weekly Shōnen Jump, Toei Animation and FUNimation, Disney, Junction Point Studios, Disney Interactive Studios, Yoshihiro Togashi, Shueisha, Nippon Animation.
Danganronpa: Fictional Guardians Avengers
…
…
Insert Song: He's Such a Coward that He Can Laugh (Durarara!)
"I hope you're grateful for having saved your life, that brain of yours would be useful for making sure our systems and defenses are in top condition."
Izaya tells Eggman Nega, who had survived his fall after being rescued by the man before him.
"O-O-Of course, Mr. Orihara! You have my sincerest gratitude, and I'll be sure to get to work right away. My apologies for misjudging you before."
"Hey, no need for apologies, chum, we all tend to judge people on the surface and never look within them. Ultron made that mistake and now he's nothing but a pile of scraps. Now get to work repurposing those same scraps of failure so we can guarantee our success."
Izaya watches Eggman Nega bow his head towards him before leaving as he smiles at Masaomi Kida floating around in a glass tube filled with water. Tsumugi walks in on him as she crosses off a checklist.
"And that's sixteen. You've reached the standard amount needed for a killing game, but there is room for a couple more."
Izaya shook his head, "No need, a smaller group allows them to get more familiar with one another. Forming separate alliances or even rivalries, such drama could lead to some interesting situations. It's going to be a pain having to wait so long until we get started, so we'll just have to leave it to Sird for now. How is she by the way?"
Tsumugi adjusted her glasses as she observed the other participants of the next killing game.
"Her game has just finished another class trial, and the Monitor Kernel Access system is running smoothly. Nothing truly worrying on her end just yet."
"Good good… now let's do a quick headcount here. First off, we have our Ultimate Advisor."
Izaya begins to turn on the lights for each of the sixteen tubes before them. The girl he was referring to was Makoto Nijima (Persona 5).
"Ultimate Hydrokinetic…"
Lapis Lazuli (Steven Universe).
"Ultimate Glutton…"
Diamond/Dia (Pokémon Adventures).
"Ultimate Flirt…"
Sylvain Jose Gautier (Fire Emblem: Three Houses).
"Ultimate Reflection…"
Dark Pit (Kid Icarus: Uprising)
"Ultimate Decorator…"
Kosaki Onodera (Nisekoi).
"Ultimate Alchemist…"
Magni Dezmond (Former Member of Holostars English).
"Ultimate Camper…"
Rin Shima (Laid-Back Camp/Yuru Camp).
"Ultimate Delinquent…"
Caulifla (Dragon Ball Super).
"Ultimate Hunter…"
Kurapika (Hunter X Hunter)
"Ultimate Botanist…"
Brittany (Pikmin 3)
"Ultimate Wimp…"
Greg Heffley (Diary of a Wimpy Kid).
"Ultimate Wannabe, ha ha ha…"
Masaomi Kida (Durarara!).
"Ultimate Princess…"
Rapunzel (Tangled & Tangled: The Series).
"Ultimate Intellectual…"
Shino Kiryū (Girlfriend Girlfriend/ Kanojo Mo Kanojo).
"And number sixteen, I look forward to seeing how you perform… Ultimate Psychokinetic."
Silver the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hedgehog).
Izaya snickers as he turns the lights off in the room as he and Tsumugi prepare to leave.
"The culmination of every game that has come before it… Can't help but be excited, no matter how long it'll be until then."
Izaya Orihara will return…
…
…
…
…
…
Meanwhile… in Kiibo City, formerly Monocity.
"C'mon Cody, finish him already!" Ryuji shouted at the screen.
Gold tapped his pool cue on the ground, "Get up, Tribal Chief! Hold that title until you beat the record!"
"Whatcha doin', Ai?" Emma asked the Heisei Idol, who was writing something.
Ai answered while still focusing on her work, "I'm writing song lyrics. It's centered around being able to soar to new heights with companions by your side. I'm calling it 'Beginning'."
Emma was very intrigued after reading through what was made so far.
"Oooooo, I really can't wait to hear you sing this! It sounds incredibly good!"
"Morning, everyone." Trunks walked into the lobby and greeted those who were there for breakfast.
"Morning, have you been sleeping well since you've been revived?" Ai asked the half-saiyan.
Trunks answered with a somewhat unsure look, "Mostly, but I've been getting these strange dreams lately. One of them involved me battling some hedgehog to the death, no idea what could have caused that."
Killua sat up from the couch after hearing that, "You too? Jeez, me and Miles had dreams like that too. That's no coincidence in my opinion."
"Hm… the hedgehog may be someone Espio would know. Perhaps we should go see if he's woken up." Trunks suggests.
"That won't be necessary."
Right at the Hope-tel entrance they saw the ninja chameleon, proud to be standing there after much time had passed.
"Trunks, Killua, Ai, Good to see you both again."
"Hey, we're here too, y'know?" Gold called him out for ignoring them, which he continued doing after he said that.
Emma then saw the door open and in ran a frightened and alive Benadetta von Varley.
"Bernie! I'm glad you're back, but… what's wrong?"
A quivering Bernadetta pointed at the next person to enter: Aoba Kuronuma. Upon seeing her rival once more, Ai dropped her lyric pages on the table and went over to stare him down.
"Aoba."
He just lowered his eyebrows and scoffed at the zombie girl, like he really did not want to see her.
"Ms. Mizuno. Congratulations for winning the game, I expect we still have much more to discuss… for now, get out of my way."
Aoba brushed past her shoulder and went to the elevator, not even looking back as the doors closed.
Ai let out a heavy sigh as she went back to writing.
"Just when things were starting to be more uplifting… that guy happened to stroll back into our lives."
The Final Bonus Chapter of Danganronpa: Fictional Nexus is coming soon…
To be continued… in Danganronpa: Fictional Epicenter.
Once again… thank you all so much. This has become a story very close to my heart, and it will certainly be something I will look back on with fond memories. The cast especially, their bonds forged through battle and support of one another makes me smile. Bringing together so many of my favorite characters and researching how each one would do in certain situations was a huge undertaking, far from easy. So to those who have followed this story all the way through, I well and truly appreciate that. I wanted to make a more light-hearted story, compared to all the sorrow that comes with making killing games, which I got and then some with Fictional Guardians. Makes me think that if I ever get back to writing Three Houses Saga: Azure Moon, then I might handle a story with a lot of characters fighting. As for the people who were just waiting for Epicenter to come back, I hope you all look forward to it whenever that will be. Sorry it took so long to get here, but now we'll have to say goodbye to our Multiversal Avengers (for now!) and welcome back our poor students at the college of chaos, Kuma-versity. Leave whatever thoughts you have on this entire story, this last chapter in particular, or just moments that you thought were the most memorable. You can also leave some thoughts for the cast of killing game #3! I'll be taking a long break, so take care of yourselves until I come back! Love you guys, see you next story, peeps! - Renegade Braveheart