Author's Note:
Y'all know what it is, this time of the year... *sigh* ...another Halloween chapter. Oh, and Pikmin 3 was released on the Switch, so a few characters from the game will be making cameo appearances. I really wanted to do a Pikmin-based storyline, but sadly I couldn't think of anything. Would've potentially saved me from doing another Halloween chapter, perhaps. So yeah, enjoy this Halloween episode of Smash Life...wooo, spooky...
Episode 254: Costumes
'Twas the night before Halloween, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a...Ghastly? Or a Shuppet? How about a Yamask, or even a Mimikyu? Why not a Litwick?
No, it wasn't night just yet at the Smash Mansion, but the residents were all in the festive Halloween mood (sans Simon, of course). A Halloween party was expected to happen later, and nothing Master Hand could do was able to prevent said party from taking place.
However, Master Hand believed there was ONE thing he could do - ask Cloud and Zelda to cancel the Halloween party themselves. After speaking with Zelda, the giant hand would speak with Cloud, who was in the fitness center getting his workout in.
"Can you believe someone had the audacity to plan a Halloween party in MY mansion?!" Master Hand complained to Cloud, who did his best to tune out the giant hand while he lifted some dumbbells. "Cloud, I want you to find whoever thought this party was a good idea, and kill them!"
"So basically you want me to kill myself," responded Cloud, as Master Hand gasped at the swordsman out of shock. Master Hand fully expected Cloud to have some morals - morals that he approved of. "Since I asked the party committee to organize the party."
"How can you? Halloween is the worst holiday in existence - it makes Arbor Day look like Christmas by comparison! Why even have a Halloween party, to begin with? Nobody likes Halloween?"
"Because the residents like Halloween, perhaps? And I hardly met anyone who hated Halloween, except for Simon."
"Do not be fooled, Cloud - everyone hates Halloween. The only reason people celebrate Halloween is compliance."
"Or maybe because they enjoy the whole festivity around it. Not compliance. You're acting like everyone lives in the Soviet Union..."
"Hey Cloud! Are you dressing up for the costume contest at the Halloween party tonight?" Isaac came over to ask the swordsman, as the earth adept was eager to attend the mansion's Halloween party. "I heard some say that you're the favorite to win!"
"Well whoever said that must be delusional. If these same people want to see me in drag, they can think again..."
Cloud: Yeah, we're having a costume contest at the party - Zelda's idea. The prize is a Seattle-area $15,000 coupon book, which Researcher Zelda found one day. She'd been saving it for a while. It's a pretty modest prize if I do say so myself.
Sonic: The prize for winning a costume contest is a stinking coupon book? Are you kidding me?! Who would want to dress up in some costume, just to win a coupon book? I know I wouldn't. That's why I'm gonna make a statement, by entering the costume contest and dress up...as myself! Being your best self is the best thing you can possibly be!
Link dressing up as the Joker of Dari Knight fame was a bit of a Halloween attraction at the mansion. Every year around Halloween, the Hylian would dress up as Heath Ledger's legendary Joker, and would do typical stuff that Ledger's Joker would do while in character.
In 2016, Link caused a ruckus during a Halloween party, showing a magic trick to the residents among other things. In 2018, Link harassed Villager just because the young lad wore a Batman costume. The Hylian was much more active last year, as he maintained the Joker persona for the entire month of October - doing things like making Ann his Harley Quinn, working with Overwatch's Junkrat, singing a song about villainy, and even trying to initiate Joker. Although that didn't work.
But now, it was time for Link to retire the Joker persona once and for all. The Hylian believed that his run as the Joker had run its course, and it was time to move on. So when he hung up his Joker costume in his closet, he looked bittersweet as he stared at it.
"I should probably take that vest and those pants to the dry cleaners soon..." remarked Link as he continued to look at his Joker attire, as Midna floated her way inside the Hylian's room. "...Hylian knows the last time I washed them."
"So no Joker this year?" Midna asked Link, with a delighted look on her face; just like everyone else, Midna couldn't stand when Link went through his Joker phase for Halloween.
"No, Midna - the Joker is no more. It was fun while it lasted, but it's time to move on." Link would close the closet door, as Midna was grinning from ear to ear after Link shared with her the news. "Bet you miss it already!"
"Ha, as if...I'm so glad it's gone forever," snorted Midna as she followed Link out of the hallway. "I couldn't for the life of me understand why you were so obsessed with..."
Midna immediately trailed off, as she and Link came to a stop when they saw a man standing in the middle of the hallway with his back turned. The man had long green hair and was wearing a red suit. Link couldn't help but feel that the man's look and attire felt...recognizable.
"I used to think that my life was a tragedy, but now I realize...it's a comedy," the man said to Link and Midna, as the former recalled the line from a famous movie that came out last year. A line that was uttered by a certain DC villain.
"Champion Link, is that really you?" Link curiously asked the man, and would you know it, the man turned around revealing himself to be...yep, Champion Link. The Hylian was dressed from head to toe as Joaquin Phoenix's Joker, face paint and everything. The attention to detail in Champion Link's Joker get-up was undoubtedly impressive.
"Look at what you've done..." Midna whispered to Link, acting as if the Hylian was solely responsible for Champion Link dressing up as Arthur Fleck. Champion Link crept closer towards Link, with a menacing smile on his face.
"Have you seen what it's like out there, Link?" Champion Link would ask the Hylian in a menacing tone, as he walked in circles around him. "Do you ever actually leave the mansion? Everybody just yells and screams at each other. Nobody's civil anymore. Nobody thinks what it's like to be the other guy. You think men like Thomas Wayne ever think what it's like to be someone like me? To be somebody but themselves? They don't. They think that we'll just sit there and take it, like good little boys! That we won't werewolf and go wild!"
Makoto: Link decided to retire his Joker persona once and for all, and Champion Link, wanting to "carry the mantle", took it upon himself to portray the Arthur Fleck Joker for Halloween this year. I better not see him anywhere near Joker if he knows what's good for him...
Shulk: Champion Link unleashing his inner Arthur Fleck has its shares of ups - and downs. On the plus side, we won't have to worry about any "magic tricks" involving pencils. And there's a decreased likelihood of the mansion getting blown up! But on the other hand, Champion Link might start romanticizing mental illness, and all that jazz. If he starts posting stuff about mental health on Reddit regularly, it's all over...
"I know it seems strange, I don't mean to make you uncomfortable," Champion Link continued his spiel, although Link barely felt uncomfortable. The dude just wanted to leave already. "I don't know why everyone is so rude; I don't know why you are. I don't want anything from you. Maybe a little bit of warmth, maybe a hug? How about just a little bit of decency!"
"What exactly drove you to do this?" Link asked Champion Link, wanting to address the elephant in the room. He was hoping that Champion Link wouldn't mention him; otherwise, he'd receive even more blame from Midna.
"Comedy is subjective, Link, isn't that what they say? Everyone in this mansion, the system that knows so much: you decide what's right or wrong the same way you decide what's funny or not."
"That...didn't really answer my question, but good point." Link felt like he was at edge, as Champion Link stopped going around in circles and looked at Link. He had a sociopathic smile that any Joker incarnation would approve.
"I've got nothing left to lose. Nothing can hurt me anymore. My life is nothing but comedy. And you know, I do stand-up comedy. You should see my show later tonight, at the party."
"I'll make sure to be there..." Link gave Champion Link a thumbs up, and Champion Link nodded his head with a smile as he walked away. Link heaved a sigh as he watched his friend head down the hallway. "...why didn't I turn him down?"
"That's what you get for being a pushover," Midna told Link, knowing how much of a pushover the Hylian could be sometimes. Occasionally she used Link's pushover ways to her advantage. "So, are you gonna snap Champion Link out of that funk or what?"
"Probably not - I'm sure he's just hamming it up for tonight's costume contest. Staying in character to hone his craft. But I'll lay low, for the time being..."
Much like they did at the Isle of Armor, Mario and Luigi enjoyed their time at the Crown Tundra. They went on fun expeditions with Peony, having the opportunity to see legendary Pokemon they never would've seen anywhere else. Moreover, they even made a friend in Calyrex - a Pokemon from ancient times who went forgotten among the Galar people. It was thanks to the Mario Bros that Calryex reunited with its loyal steed, Sprectier, and helped the king Pokemon regain the power he once lost.
While Peach asked Mario about how his trip to the Crown Tundra went, Spyro and Hunter never asked, and it made Mario feel hurt inside. So Mario took it upon himself to show Spyro and Hunter some pictures he took in the Crown Tundra in the living room. Neither Spyro nor Hunter had a choice in the matter.
"...and this right-a here is called a Galarian Slowking," Mario said to Spyro and Hunter as he showed them a picture of a Galarian Slowking on his phone. "Pretty scary, wouldn't you say?"
"It's just a Slowking with a shell on his head," replied Spyro, not one bit afraid of the Galarian Slowking, before he took a closer look at the picture. "What's with his eyes...is that makeup?"
"Come to think of it, that Galarian Slowpoke looks like he's wearing eyeliner!" said Hunter as he too inspected the picture, before pointing accusingly at Mario. "Mario, you lied to me again! Saying that putting makeup on a Pokemon was unethical..."
"Hunter, I'll never understand what you want-a to put mascara and lip-a stick on a Ditto so bad. I mean, what even is the end-a goal for that?"
"It's funny! It would look Ditto look so ridiculous! It'll just sit there, and look all goofy and stuff, and everyone would laugh at it and it wouldn't even care!"
"That sounds an awful lot like bullying, the way you explain it," Spyro said to Hunter as Mario looked through the photo gallery of his phone. "I thought you were above bullying, Hunter."
"It's not bullying...it's called taking a joke. Well, Ditto won't be taking the joke in this case, but..." Soon Mario found a picture on his phone that was worth showing to Spyro and Hunter - a picture that almost made him want to laugh.
"Hehe...wait until you boys-a get a load of this," snickered Mario as he showed Spyro and Hunter the selfie he took last week - the one that had Calyrex in a possessed Luigi in the background. Spyro and Hunter looked at the picture together, which had Mario smiling and flashing the peace sign.
"Uh, why did Luigi look like that?" Spyro asked Mario, seeing how Luigi was floating in the air with his eyes closed and a blue aura emitting from him. "And what's that Pokemon? Sure got a big head."
"That would be Calyrex - used to rule-a over Galar in times long past. I can show-a you Calyrex in person if you like."
"We'd love to," replied Hunter, as Mario put his phone away and went up to his room. As Mario left, Hunter let out a slight chuckle. "A stinking Pokemon ruling over Galar...the people back then must've been weak."
Seconds later Mario returned to the living room with an Ultra Ball in hand. The plumber threw the Ultra Ball and summoned Calyrex, who was riding atop its ghostly steed Spectrier. Hunter shrieked at the sight of Calyrex and Spectrier, as he landed in Mario's arms.
"Wow, its head is ginormous!" remarked Spyro, as Hunter found himself deathly afraid of Spectrier. The fact that Sprectier was a ghost-type Pokemon didn't help matters as much. "Must have a lot of brainpower in that noggin!"
"That's actually its crown, that green mass upon-a its head," explained Mario as he placed the terrified Hunter on the floor. Spyro looked visibly disappointed. "I was disappointed myself when I found-a out the truth..."
"A Pokemon riding atop another Pokemon?" said Hunter as he continued to be afraid of Spectrier, keeping his distance from the swift horse Pokemon. "Now that's unethical right there!"
Mario: Luigi and I didn't bring-a any Poke Balls with us to the Crown Tundra, so when Calyrex expressed-a its desire to be caught, we had to ask-a Peony to pony up an Ultra Ball. It was not a good-a look...
Having something it needed to say to Mario, Calyrex would possess Hunter's body, as Hunter floated in the air while surrounded by a blue aura. Spyro looked on with his mouth agape, as he found the possession to be freaky.
"Is this a Pokemon?" Calyrex asked Mario, amazed at how a cheetah specimen like Hunter was able of human speech and thought. "Or is it some kind of alien, like an Ultra Beast?"
"Its...it's-a complicated," chuckled Mario as he scratched the back of his head. Calyrex had so many more questions, like how Hunter was capable of walking on his two hind legs. "So what's up, Calyrex?"
"I cannot thank you and Luigi enough for taking me home with you. And for allowing me to gallop on Sprectrier around your beautiful city at nighttime. Really brings me back to the days of old..."
"Uh, Princess Peach, Hunter's being possessed!" Spyro called out to the princess, unnerved by how chill Mario was acting. Clearly, Spyro had never seen that many instances of body possession in his life before.
"Still, Mario, I wish to accomplish more than just galloping around. Back when I was a king, I used to have the utmost respect from the people of Galar...and now in this new abode, I wish to start anew."
"What do you mean-a by that, Calyrex?" Mario asked the king Pokemon, who rode Spectrier over to a living room window and looked out. Calyrex was looking at the mansion, seeing a bunch of Halloween festivities taking place.
"I want nothing more to obtain the respect of those at that mansion over there. Perhaps it can give me a new start - a new beginning."
"We do have a Halloween-a party later tonight...I can let-a you attend. Would give-a you plenty of exposure!"
"You seriously think that's such a good idea?" Spyro asked Mario, fearing that Calyrex and Sprectrier might spook the living daylights out of the partygoers. "Calyrex can scare people with more than just its big head!"
"Green-a mass, Spyro...it's green mass. And Calyrex isn't that-a scary! As for its horse...now that's a different story."
"I cannot wait to be at this party, Mario," Calyrex said to the plumber, while Spyro remained skeptical. The dragon noted that Peach hadn't shown up yet, meaning that the princess obviously didn't care about Hunter's well-being. "Let's hope that it'll be an unforgettable memory."
Done speaking with Mario, Calyrex would end his possession of Hunter, restoring the cheetah back to his regular state. Hunter looked panicked as he regained his consciousness, frantically rubbing all over his body.
"Oh man, this isn't good this isn't good!" the cheetah panicked, with his hands moving all over his chest and stomach. "Where are my clothes?! I feel naked!"
"Hunter, you don't even wear any clothes," Spyro said to the cheetah, who let out a huge sigh of relief as he stobbed rubbing his body. "Except for a scuba diving suit, and some blue skateboarding pants."
"Ha, I knew wasn't wearing any clothes...I was just testing you guys. Would that legally qualify me as a nudist?"
With the mansion having a Halloween party, the tower was having a Halloween party of their own, with the de facto man of the tower Waluigi organizing the party by himself. The party took place in the tower's lounge, and Waluigi was there dressed up as Freddy Krueger, and Fox, Falco, and Krystal were in attendance...and that was pretty much it.
"You know, maybe starting a Halloween party around four wasn't such a good idea," Fox said to Waluigi, who was eagerly expecting his tower buddies to file into the lounge at any minute. "Why are we here again?"
"Serena asked me to attend the party, just to give Waluigi some 'support,'" replied Krystal, doing her best to fake her excitement in the presence of Waluigi. It was a lot harder than she expected it to be. "We'll give it another hour or two..."
"C'mon, what's taking these people so long?" questioned Waluigi as he glanced at his watch, growing impatient with each and every minute. "The food is ready, the decorations are set, the Halloween music is playing...so where are my party peeps?"
"What is up, my diggity dawgs?!" greeted Dr. Wily as he came into the lounge, wearing a basketball jersey, some baggy pants, a sideways Atlanta Braves cap, and some gold chains. The inventor was throwing up gang signs like it was nobody's business. "Young Wily in the hizzy house! Hey-o!"
"Ah, just what this party needed - an old white guy trying to be cool," said Falco, as he grabbed a cup of fruit punch and left the lounge. "You guys are on your own - good luck."
Dr. Wily: What's up fool? It's Young Wily, coming to you live from...the tower, I guess. Check out my bling! *shows off bling to the camera* Don't be hatin'! I got so much bling, I can pick any lady that I want. She ain't gonna belong to the streets, I can tell you that! *pauses* So how did I do? Pretty good rendition, huh?
"You see all this drip radiating from my body?" Dr. Wily asked Waluigi and company as he showed off his gold chains and whatnot. Fox and Krystal were the only ones who weren't impressed. "Isn't it swagalicious?"
"All I see is cringe," replied Fox, as Dr. Wily now thought of the pilot as a hater. He was sure to give Fox a sucker punch with the brass knuckle on his hand. "Why are you all dressed up for?"
"He's obviously dressed up for my party, Fox," Waluigi told the pilot, grateful that Dr. Wily decided to show up. The lanky man would hate to hunt down his fellow tower denizens. "Isn't that right Dr. Wily?"
"Eh, not really - I just wanted to show off my Halloween costume," replied Dr. Wily, as Waluigi found himself glaring at the inventor with heavy contempt. "Cloud and Zelda are having a Halloween costume at the mansion, and I'm going to win! That coupon book is all mine!"
"Get out of my sight..." Waluigi commanded Dr. Wily, who did as he was told and promptly left the lounge. Waluigi then let out a sigh, as his Halloween party was not turning out the way he wanted it to. "...where did it all go wrong?"
"The very moment you were born," joked Fox, as Krystal frowned at her husband and nudged him in his side. "Oh, we're not going back that far? My bad."
It was less than half an hour until the mansion's Halloween party started, and everyone was still in the Halloween mood. Wanting to do something nice for the local children, Zelda asked Steve and Alex to craft a haunted house of sorts, next to the mansion. So Steve and Alex got to work and got the haunted house built in no time.
Of course, a haunted house would be incomplete without a few attractions. So Zelda asked a couple of residents to dress up in their Halloween costumes, and put on a show for the children. Speaking of the children, Akuma was pushing them around on a wagon, with Alph directing the fighter's path.
"Welcome children of the Smash Mansion haunted house!" Researcher Zelda said to the children at the haunted house entrance, doing a job that Zelda wanted Cloud to do. The princess looked down at a cue card in her hand. "Join your...gangsta pumpkin, Akuma, and his lovely assistant Alph, on their palette truck of doom. Don't worry about a thing. Who even wrote this drivel..."
King Dedede: I am going to scare these kids so bad...it's gonna be breathtaking.
"This is the spookiest haunted house in the world, kids," Akuma, wearing a jack-o-lantern shirt, said to the children Steve and Alex opened the doors to the haunted house. Akuma would push the wagon inside. "You don't believe me? Just take a look!"
Aside from the Creepers that were all around the haunted house, there was a sight to behold for the children - King K. Rool, dressed up as Paul Blart, using an ax to cut open Fiora, who was dressed up as Princess Fiona and lying on an operating table. Obviously, K. Rool wasn't doing any real cutting; otherwise, he'd end up in big trouble.
"Scary, huh?" Akuma asked the children as he took note of Coco and Yukari who were standing around the operating table in their costumes. "This is a surgery with an octopus and a burn victim."
"I'm a black widow..." Coco corrected Akuma, while dressed up as a spider. Akuma just saw the limbs and immediately thought of an octopus.
"And I'm Leeloo from The Fifth Element," Yukari corrected Akuma, as her costume came with an orange wig and some thermal bandages. With those bandages, Yukari could possibly constitute as being a burn victim.
"Nobody told me what people were, okay?" snapped Akuma, now feeling like the most stupid man on the planet right now. Poor guy was out of the loop. "So...label yourselves or take what you get."
"I want to drink your blood!" Yusuke said to the children, dressed up as a vampire while Akuma pushed the wagon along. Standing next to Yusuke was an actual vampire...or half-vampire, rather, in Alucard.
"That hasn't been the trend in vampires in over ten years," Alucard said to Yusuke; he mostly blamed Twilight for changing the mainstream perception of vampires forever.
"Here is a goth dude and some hair band reject," Akuma said to the children as he brought their attention to Yusuke and Alucard, before encountering Byleth who was standing in Akuma's way. "And then the old crone from Drag Me to Hell."
"I'm a hobo," Byleth said to Akuma, wearing the kind of clothes that a hobo would typically wear. Akuma felt even more stupid.
"I asked for a list..." Soon Champion Link rode into the scene on a bicycle, laughing diabolically before coming to a stop. "...and a clown."
"Arthur Fleck, idiot," Champion Link frowned at Akuma, feeling the need to go on a long-winded rant about society. "Everyone is getting stupid these days..."
"You're not as scary as Book Face over there." Akuma brought everyone's attention to Link, who was standing in the far distance with the words "Book Face" written across his face. How innovative.
"Yes, I am the popular social networking site known as Book Face," confirmed Link, as Akuma pushed the wagon along. With Link retiring his Joker costume for good, Book Face was the best Halloween costume he could come up with.
"Okay, kids. You've all been so good and unbelievably patient so I think you are gonna get some candy!" The children would cheer in excitement, eager about some Halloween candy. Who doesn't like Halloween candy?
Akuma would come to a stop when a chair fell over, causing everyone to gasp. Everyone looked up and saw King Dedede hanging from the ceiling, with a noose around his neck. The kids were all screaming, until...
"Kids, just remember - suicide is never the answer!" King Dedede woke up from his "suicide" to deliver this very important and serious message to the children down below. "It is the easy way out. You are not alone."
King Dedede: Why is Christmas the only holiday that can have a message?
"What on earth is wrong with you?" Akuma shook his head at King Dedede, sensing how terrified the children were of the suicide stunt. King Dedede sure knew how to kill a happy mood.
"How about I sing that Michael Jackson song?" King Dedede asked the children, as he completely ignored Akuma's question. "For you are not alone...and I am here with you..."
"Would you look at that...my pals have arrived!" exclaimed Alph as he checked his phone, while King Dedede continued to disturb the children with his horrid singing. Alph hopped off the wagon and left the haunted house, as Researcher Zelda approached the children.
"Who wants some candy?" Researcher Zelda asked the children, who were excited again as they cheered for some Halloween candy.
Once outside the haunted house, Alph ran to the front yard of the mansion where a rocket had just landed. The door to the rocket opened, and coming out from the rocket were Charlie and Brittany - Alph's co-workers. Also coming out from the rocket was Louie; you might remember Louie from that eating contest from episode 56.
"One small step for man..." proclaimed Charlie as he stepped foot on earth, marking this somewhat historic occasion (it was for him) in his mind before turning to Brittany. "...would it be wrong to say mankind?"
"I mean, we are people," stated Brittany as she looked around and got a sense of her surroundings. Louie was busy sniffing the air, waiting for doughnuts to rain from the sky or something. "Wouldn't be that erroneous."
"But we're not exactly humans! Not with our elf ears and big noses." Taking offense to Charlie's comments, Brittany frowned at her co-worker, causing him to shiver in fear. "Well, you don't have a big nose..."
"Hey, guys!" Alph said as he ran over to greet Charlie and Brittany. But not Louie...Alph didn't care for him as much. "So glad you guys could make it."
"Thanks for inviting us to the Halloween party, old chap!" Charlie would pat Alph's shoulder, greatly appreciative of the kind gesture. "I'd say that the trip was worth bringing Louie along..."
"Olimar really wanted Louie at the party, so we had no choice but to bring him along," Brittany stated to Alph, as Louie was now sniffing the ground for any semblance of food. "He's going to embarrass us so hard..."
"Charlie, Brittany, welcome to earth!" Olimar greeted the Koppaites, already in his Halloween costume; he was dressed up as a scuba diver. "Much appreciated for bringing Louie along."
"Don't mention it..." Louie was done sniffing the ground, salty as he couldn't find any edible mushrooms or even food crumbs. He looked up at Olimar, and instead of saying hello to his co-employee after he hadn't seen him in so long...
"Does the Halloween party have any food?" Louie asked Olimar out of pure curiosity, as Brittany facepalmed at the Hocotatian. It was any wonder as to how Olimar and Louie were able to coexist as employees for so long.
"Oh, Louie, you never fail to impress me with your greed..." chuckled Olimar, as he found Louie's obsession with food to be his most defining trait. "...but to answer your question, yes there will be food. Won't be an all-you-can-eat buffet, I'll have you know."
Charlie, Brittany, and Louie wouldn't be the only guests at the mansion, for two more guests were nearby. Sneaking around the side of the mansion was Sombra - the hacker back in Seattle one week after working with Widowmaker. With her was fellow Talon operative Reaper, also known as Gabriel Reyes. Although it was hard to tell given that he wore a skull mask, Reaper wanted no part of being in Seattle, let alone at the mansion.
"Are you sure that Samus Aran invited you to this stupid party?" Reaper asked Sombra, sounding very much annoyed already. Sombra, wanting to stay low, would shush Reaper as she crept towards the corner of the mansion.
"I heard her talking about it, and when I asked her if I could come she said yes," replied Sombra as she looked around the corner, spotting Copper and Booker standing together on the front porch.
"I don't believe you...I bet she didn't know what she said." For what it's worth, Samus was probably still on the computer when Sombra inquired about the Halloween party. Her mind must've been in another dimension.
"Eh, you'll change your tune when you meet Samus in person. Ahora apurémonos!" Sombra ran to the porch and Reaper followed her lead, as Sombra and Reaper reached the front door. Copper and Booker were the only ones standing in their way.
"Back for more, you lousy hacker?" Copper frowned at Sombra, ready to give her the business; Booker, being cowardly, just backed down. "Don't think you'll get in so easily!"
"Reaper...las pistolas." Reaper immediately took out his shotguns and pointed them at Copper and Booker, leaving both guard dogs pretty terrified.
"The Grim Reaper can carry guns now?!" panicked Booker as he fainted on the porch; Copper would faint afterward, as he too was overwhelmed by his fear. Reaper put his guns back in his holsters.
"You were right, Sombra - those dogs are wimps!" Reaper said to the hacker, who smiled in response as she opened the front door; Sombra and Reaper went on inside the mansion. "Now let's see what this Halloween party is all about..."
Reaper: Haven't even been inside the mansion for less than two minutes, and I already saw around five or six people who probably deserved to die a long time ago. Of course, I can always put them out of their misery. *points guns at camera* I'm their guy.
Sombra: Samus is such a buena amiga...didn't even tell Master Hand that I was involved with Widowmaker. Had she did, I wouldn't even be allowed to step foot anywhere near the mansion! Muy apreciada.
The Halloween party was in full swing at the gaming room, as many residents were enjoying themselves and having a great time. One resident that was enjoying themselves a little too much was Zombie, who was walking away with a bowl of punch.
"No, Zombie, that bowl of punch is for the party!" Dunban called out to the zombie, who was walking out of the gaming room with the bowl of punch in its hands. Standing near the gaming room entrance was Researcher Zelda, who was dressed up as Steve Nicks; Zelda picked out the costume for her.
"Remember, if you see anyone enter with a costume, ask them if they want to be a part of the costume contest," Zelda explained to Researcher Zelda, who was holding a clipboard with a list of names on it. "Or if they ask about the costume contest and want to register...you know."
"Alright then. I won't let you down!" responded Researcher Zelda, as Zelda left the gaming room to retrieve the bowl of punch from Zombie. Viridi would enter the gaming room with Pit, who was still in a straitjacket.
"I had to make the most of Pit's situation..." Viridi explained to Researcher Zelda, as Pit was tied up and was wearing a mask. In case you couldn't tell, the angel was dressed up as Hannibal Lecter.
"I am Hannibal Lecter!" proclaimed Pit, trying his hardest to sound like a cannibalistic sociopath. It wasn't a good attempt. "I eat people for sport!"
"Please don't say that out loud ever again..." Viridi scolded Pit, before bringing her attention back to Researcher Zelda who felt mildly concerned. "...I would like to enter Pit into the costume contest."
"Very well then - I'll just write down his name on my list," responded Researcher Zelda, writing down Pit's name as Viridi and Pit went on their way. Another couple would show up at the party - Kamui and Silas. They were dressed up as Emily and Victor Van Dort from Corpse Bride, respectively.
"I'm sorry, Kamui, but...I'm not skinny enough to pull this off," Silas apologized to Kamui. He didn't know what he despised more - the wig on his head or the fact that he had to bleach his skin pale white.
"Well, Silas, we have to go all-in if we want to win the prize," Kamui said to the cavalier, who let out a deep sigh. Wearing costumes wasn't Silas' thing. "We'd love to enter the costume contest, Researcher Zelda."
"Sure thing! Let me jot down your names here..." said Researcher Zelda as she wrote down Kamui and Silas' names on her clipboard. "...and done!"
"What is up, my diggity dawgs?!" Dr. Wily greeted Kamui and Silas as he strutted his stuff inside the gaming room, showing the couple just how "swagalicious" he was. Kamui covered her mouth, to conceal her laughter. "You're looking at the most swaggiest man on the block, fam!"
"Nice costume, Dr. Wily! Would you like to be in the costume contest? We need as many participants as we can get!"
"That's Young Wily to you, home skillet! Now put my name down there, while I show off my bling!" Dr. Wily walked away, doing some kind of pimp walk while pretending to ride his imaginary whip. Poor Kamui couldn't take it anymore.
"Excuse me for a moment..." Kamui said to Silas as she left the gaming room, just so she could have her laughing fit. Dr. Wily did his pimp walk past Cloud, who was busy chilling with Enderman.
"This Halloween party seems like you're kind of thing, huh?" Cloud asked Enderman, who took the time to mull over its answer before nodding its head. "Not much for conversation...guess that's something we have in common."
"Cloud Strife! I must ask you a very urgent question about this party," Master Hand said to the swordsman as he floated over to him. Seeing Master Hand at the party was a bit of a surprise to Cloud.
"I'm all ears." If Master Hand was asking Cloud to cancel anything pertaining to Halloween, or if he just wanted to vent about Halloween, then Cloud would ignore the giant hand for the rest of the night.
"What, in any circumstance, would cause this Halloween party to end abruptly?" Cloud wasn't expecting a question like that, but he was willing to answer.
"I dunno, someone dying, perhaps." On that note, Master Hand vanished away in less than a blink of an eye. "Why do I even speak..."
Master Hand was greatly disappointed with Bowser and Uka after he learned about their intentions to kill Mario in the last episode. The giant hand learned of the duo's plot when he interrogated Bowser, Uka, and several members of Bowser's "killer7" at the buddy cops' police station, and he was not in a very happy mood the whole time.
While three of the members (Reno, Rude, and Ada Wong) were left off the hook, thanks to not being there, the other members (Widowmaker, Christie, Anna Williams, and Vega) were all banned from the mansion indefinitely, after Bowser was forced to spill the beans. As for Bowser and Uka themselves, they were barred from leaving the mansion, as a means to suppress their desire to kill Mario. Master Hand didn't want to do anything too drastic, especially with Bowser.
Forced to stay inside the mansion for the time being, Bowser would make the most of his plight by playing some chess with Meta Knight. The Koopa King would spend more time with his family (a la the Koopalings), but he had a score to settle with a certain Star Warrior.
"Checkmate," announced Meta Knight, as he moved his queen piece towards Bowser's king piece. Bowser looked on in disbelief, his mouth agape; that was not the result he intended.
"Whaddaya mean, checkmate?" Bowser questioned Meta Knight, believing that the Star Warrior might've cheated his way to victory. "I didn't even pull off six moves yet! I think you had to wait for a few turns."
"All you did was move your pawns forward," stated Meta Knight, as Master Hand crept his way inside Meta Knight's room. Getting in through the door was a bit of a tight squeeze. "Not the best winning strategy, if you ask me."
"Well, it's one of the best! Gotta get rid of your weak links, sacrifice them to the lions. You clearly know nothing about strategy, Mr. Impatient!"
"Bowser, do you have a minute?" Master Hand asked the Koopa King, who turned around and face the giant hand. Meta Knight would clear the chessboard. "So as you know, there's a Halloween party at the gaming room..."
"Yeah, I know - they got a costume contest going on, too. I wanted to enter, but I fear that my costume might somehow offend someone."
Bowser: Got a Halloween costume I kinda wore last year, and I went to some college dressed up in it to gauge people's reactions. Apparently I "triggered" this one college student - so much, that he sent an email to the student body about how "offensive" my costume was. Next thing you know, the next day, a bunch of students were ganging up on me, yelling at me and snapping their fingers and talking about how I violated their safe space...all because I dressed up as Bob Ross. This wasn't an Ivy League school, mind you...it was a liberal arts college. But there's not that much difference, in my opinion.
"That costume contest if the least of my worries right now," Master Hand said to Bowser, as Meta Knight assembled the chess pieces ready to kick Bowser's butt in chess again. "I want that party canceled!"
"Why do you want that party canceled for?" questioned Bowser, as Meta Knight sat patiently behind the chessboard. "Are you against people having fun?"
"No, of course not - I'm just against them celebrating stupid holidays. So I want you to get that party canceled...by killing Mario."
"Now hold on just a minute, mister! You're telling me that you want me to kill Mario...after you punished me and Uka and my assassin accomplices for trying to do the same thing?!"
"Cloud said that the only way for the party to get canceled is by someone dying at the gaming room. One death is all I need to pull the plug on the party. Which is why I need you and Uka to kill Mario, and..."
"But how can I possibly kill him, when I can't leave the mansion? Have you forgotten about my home arrest, Master Hand?"
"There's a good chance Mario might show up at the party, so you can meet him there. If he doesn't show up, then I'll have Isabelle invite him to the party."
"So just to be clear...do you want me to actually kill Mario?" Bowser felt like Master Hand was giving him too much power.
"Well not kill him for real...just make it seem legit. To the point where Cloud and Zelda see Mario dead and be like, 'Egad! Mario got killed at our stupid Halloween party?! Party over!'"
"Not really feeling this plan, but...sure, I'll do it."
Master Hand wouldn't have to worry about bringing Mario over to the party, for the plumber had just shown up at the gaming room with Spyro, Hunter, and Calyrex. Researcher Zelda, who remained at the entrance, found herself greatly intrigued by Calryex.
"This is the legendary Pokemon I was-a telling you guys about, Calyrex," Mario said to Researcher Zelda as he introduced the king Pokemon to the princess. "For the record, the green-a mass is not its head...or its brain."
"It looks so elegant..." marveled Researcher Zelda, as Calyrex nodded its head at the princess as a sign of thanks. "...how did you and Luigi even manage to bring it home with you?"
"A lotta things...first Luigi got possessed, then we went around-a Freezington asking the villagers about Calyrex, then we spoke-a with Freezington's mayor, then the mayor told-a us that Calyrex's steed liked carrots...and so we found-a some carrots, and then the steed showed-a up and started acting crazy, and then we found some reigns-a and Calyrex tamed the Pokemon with said-a reigns and everyone lived happily ever after! The end."
"Uh huh...sounds like you two had a lot more fun than I thought you did!" Researcher Zelda partially tuned out Mario during half of the explanation, but the smile on her face made up for it. "Enjoy the party, Mario! And you too, Calyrex!"
"Excuse me princess, but is there a costume contest going on?" Hunter asked Researcher Zelda as Mario and Calyrex went on their merry way. "'Cause I wanna participate! Sign me up!"
"Who are you trying to fool, Hunter?" Spyro questioned the cheetah as he looked at him from head to toe, seeing no semblance of clothing on his body. "You're not even wearing anything!"
"Duh! That's because it's part of my costume. I have decided to dress up...as a nudist!" Hunter would strike a pose, as the buddy cops' ears perked up.
"Hunter finally admitted to being a nudist! Get him!" shouted Toon Link, as he and Young Link leaped at Hunter and dropped the cheetah to the floor. They were in no hurry in regards to putting the handcuffs on Hunter. "You're under arrest!"
"Can I still be a participant in the costume contest?" The buddy cops ignored Hunter, as he stood the handcuffed cheetah on his feet and walked him out of the gaming room. "Put my name on the list, Researcher Zelda!"
"You really don't have to," Spyro encouraged Researcher Zelda...who went ahead and wrote down Hunter's name on the list. Spyro saw this and facepalmed.
Hunter: Arrested for being a nudist, huh? Sure hope those buddy cops have the same energy for those pets, and guys like Sonic and DK. They get to be naked all the time, yet nobody bats an eye! Double standards!
Sombra and Reaper had finally shown up at the party, with the latter trying his hardest to be somewhat interested. Researcher Zelda saw Sombra, recognizing who the hacker was.
"Sombra! Welcome to our Halloween party!" the princess said to the hacker, who smiled and waved. Reaper spotted Crash cutting a rug with Joker, who was idly standing by, and wanted to leave at the earliest convenience. "I see you brought a friend."
"Si, princesa...say hello the princess, Reaper," Sombra said to the mercenary, who looked at Researcher Zelda while considering his options.
"You can't tell me what to do," Reaper said to Sombra as he walked away - oh, how much he wanted to walk out. Sombra huffed and shook her head, as she followed after Reaper. "You're not my mom."
"I'm just trying to keep a reputation around here, okay? I already have Samus' trust...imagine if I have the trust of everyone else!"
"Blegh...I could care less about building trust. What even is the end goal, to be Master Hand's best friend? Sounds like death to me..."
Speaking of Master Hand, the giant Hand returned to the gaming room curious as to how the party was coming along. Although the giant hand wasn't liking what he was seeing, a few individuals in particular made him angry upon sight...and it wasn't Sombra and Reaper.
"Rayman? Globox? Barbara?" boomed Master Hand when he saw the trio, adorned in their Halloween costumes and treating themselves to some Halloween cookies. Master Hand went over to the trio, very much ticked off. "Rayman, who said that you and your girlfriend could come here?!"
"Master Hand, for the last time...Barbara is NOT my girlfriend," Rayman clarified to the giant hand, who insisted that Rayman was still living in denial - and enjoying every second of it. "As for why we're at this party - Cloud invited us!"
"He did WHAT?!" First Cloud approved of having a Halloween party, and now he was inviting people to said party? Master Hand was starting to believe that Link giving up his man of the mansion role to Cloud was a bad idea.
"Yep! Even took the time to visit us and ask if we were interested," said Barbara, as Master Hand had a level of animosity towards Cloud that he never had for the swordsman before. "He was like, 'Hey, it's me, Cloud...come to our Halloween party. Goodbye.'"
"Barbara, that was the best Cloud impersonation that Globox has ever heard!" exclaimed Globox, who was only saying that because Barbara impersonated Cloud by speaking in a low voice. "Globox thinks you should win an Oscar!"
"CLOUD!" shouted Master Hand, as Cloud came over like an obedient schoolchild reporting to his teacher. "Did you seriously invite Rayman and friends to this stupid party?"
"Yes I did - sue me," replied Cloud, not caring how Master Hand felt about his decision. Master Hand would actually sue Cloud if he had enough support to go through with it.
"But why, though? It's bad enough that the residents are engaged in this party, and now you invited guests? Are you insane?"
"'Participation matters'. Is that not what you say about Thanksgiving dinners and Christmas celebrations?" Oh snap, Cloud used Master Hand's way of thinking for the Halloween party! Master Hand was left speechless.
"Just look around, Master Hand...there's more of us!" Rayman said to the giant hand, who looked around and saw a couple of guests in the gaming room - Charlie, Brittany, and Louie, to name a few. Master Hand fainted at the sight. "Master Hand? You serious right now? What an overreaction..."
Poor Waluigi was feeling bummed out because most of the denizens in the tower chose to be at the mansion's Halloween party over his. There was hardly anyone at the lanky man's party, although Serena gave Waluigi a confidence boost just by showing up.
"Just wanted to check in, and see how you're handling things," Serena said to Waluigi, who was in high spirits after the keeper arrived at the tower's lounge. "How are things coming along?"
"Meh...could be a whole lot better," replied Waluigi with a shrug, as Serena looked around the lounge and saw that only Ashley and Skull Kid present. "Guess some people didn't get the memo. Or they just wanted to spite me!"
"Well, at least you tried your best with this party. I might come back later, so keep up the good work!" Serena would leave the lounge, as Waluigi was starting to feel a bit confident.
"Serena thinks I'm doing a good job! How encouraging." Ashley would think otherwise, as the young witch kept to herself and looked through her spellbook. "Hey Ashley, Skull Kid, I got a good idea!"
"Is it actually a good idea?" Skull Kid questioned Waluigi, understandably having some doubts and concerns. "Every time you say you have a 'good idea', you always end up getting injured."
"That may be true, but this idea might actually work. How about we crash the mansion's Halloween party...and ruin it for everyone?!"
"Just so you could feel better about your lame, crappy party?" Ashley questioned Waluigi, knowing where the lanky man's true intentions lied. "If you're that desperate for validation, then just leave me out of it..."
"I'm not doing this to feel better, I'm doing this because, uh..." Waluigi struggled to come up with a suitable answer, looking nervous as Ashley saw right through him. "...because Halloween parties are overrated!"
"Then why did you start your own Halloween party, then?" Waluigi now found himself stuck in a hole, and he had to dig his way out of it.
"Two words: reverse psychology. I genuinely didn't want anyone to attend this party, that was my intention. It's all about sending a message."
"Okay, you're clearly talking out of your butt right now," said Skull Kid as he left the lounge; Ashley, who had no idea where Waluigi was coming from, would follow suit. "You're on your own, buddy."
"I'll let the others know that you don't want them at your party," Ashley said to Waluigi, who realized the very mistake he had made. No one will definitely attend his party now. "If that's what you want..."
"Just tell them that's reverse psychology!" Waluigi called out to Ashley - good chance Ashley had tuned the lanky man out. Waluigi looked down at the floor and sighed, with his hand on his hip. "Looks like I'll be doing this on my own..."
The registration for the costume contest was still open, and anyone was free to enter. Sonic, who had arrived at the Halloween party, wanted to enter...
"Sonic, you can't enter in as yourself," Researcher Zelda said kindly to the hedgehog, who wanted to enter the costume contest just to make a "statement". "You need a costume! Or you can enter the contest as a nudist like Hunter did."
"A nudist? Ew, gross!" grimaced Sonic, which was quite ironic given that he was always naked a hundred percent of the time. "That just sounds downright immoral. Why don't you sign me up as a mansion resident, instead?"
"Not a costume...can you think of anything else, Sonic?" Struggling to come up with something else, Sonic held his finger underneath his chin as he let his brain juice flow.
"How about this, I'm dressed up as...a sneakerhead! Get it? Because I'm wearing sneakers?" Sonic pointed at his sneakers, and Researcher Zelda was not impressed in the slightest.
"You're gonna have to make that one work." So Sonic took off one of his sneakers and placed it on his head, just to make the sneakerhead "costume" more literal. Researcher Zelda got a good look at Sonic's grotesque-looking foot, her face full of disgust. "Sonic, please put that shoe back on!"
Sonic: Hope everyone realizes that this coupon book isn't actually worth fifteen thousand dollars. It's just a scam to get people to dress up in some silly Halloween costume. You can dress up as literally anything, and still win. Besides, anyone can find a coupon book these days, if they look hard enough. I'm not the only one who sees through this scam, right?
Tasked with putting an end to the Halloween party by "killing" Mario, Bowser entered the gaming room with his partner-in-crime, Uka. While Bowser was on-board with carrying out the mission assigned to him, Uka had his doubts.
"Master Hand sure changed his tune pretty quickly," Uka said to Bowser, who was looking around for Mario - and an accomplice or two to help him out. "Don't you think so, Bowser?"
"I'm sure he felt bad about punishing us last week," replied Bowser, before his eyes fell upon Sombra and Reaper; the two Talon operatives were seen speaking with Fox. "Jackpot..."
"So I heard that you're one of the best hackers in Mexico, if not the best," Fox said to Sombra as Bowser and Uka came over. "That means you can hack just about anything, huh?"
"I have no limits to do what I can do," replied Sombra, as she was looking at the electromagnetic energy in her hand. "Tell me why you're so curious..."
"Sombra is not open for business, don't get it twisted," Reaper said to Fox as he pointed one of his shotguns at the pilot. Fox barely looked afraid, much to Reaper's chagrin. "She works for Talon only, not some fox guy and his greedy bird friend..."
"Hey, who are ya callin' greedy?!" Falco snapped on Reaper as he was scarfing down a plate of Halloween cookies. He was gonna get the straitjacket treatment like Pit if he didn't stop.
"Falco, seriously? You even made a promise!" Fox scolded his best friend, feeling embarrassed as he had to look away. "Please excuse Falco's behavior...his sweet tooth must've kicked in."
"Move over buddy, my turn!" an impatient Bowser said to Fox as he knocked the pilot out of his chair. Bowser promptly sat in the chair, looking at Sombra and Reaper with a classic salesman smile as Uka floated over to the Koopa King. "Hello, you two, King Bowser here..."
"Yes, we already know who you are," responded Sombra, leaving Bowser beaming with pride inside. "You're the dumb tortuga that got our friend Widowmaker in trouble. She told us all the details."
"It wasn't me that got her in trouble...it was Mario! Had he stayed in Seattle and accepted death, instead of going on some stupid vacation..." Bowser would hush up real quick when Reaper pointed his shotgun at the Koopa King. "...I need your cooperation!"
"Enough..." Reaper told Bowser, who immediately shut his mouth as Reaper put his shotgun away. Bowser should be glad that he was spared by Reaper. "...we're not here to do any favors. We don't work for you, so get lost."
"Just hear me out! I wanted Widowmaker to kill Mario last week - so I need you guys to right her wrong. My wrong. So I need you to kill Mario for me, and then I'll be rid of that lousy plumber forever!"
"Are you sure this isn't for any ulterior motives you have? Like winning over Princess Peach, for instance?"
"Oh no, not at all! I just want Mario out of my life completely. Do this for me, and I'll leave you both alone!"
"If it'll make you stop begging...fine." Reaper spotted Mario in the gaming room, chilling with Calyrex, as he now made his plans to kill the plumber. "...so, Sombra, what will your role be?
"We could use a fall guy or two..." replied Sombra, tapping her chin as she looked around...and spotted Charlie and Louie. Louie was trying to eat one of the jack-o-lanterns, and Charlie was restraining him. "...aha. Those two are perfect. Hand me your gun, Reaper...you kill Mario, I handle the rest!"
"No misfiring, okay?" Reaper sternly told Sombra as he reluctantly handed her one of his shotguns, unsure if it was a good idea. "I can't afford any wasted bullets..."
"Alright then, everything is a go!" exclaimed Bowser as he excitedly clapped his hands together. "All we have to do now is wait for the right opportunity to strike..."
Krystal wanted to support Waluigi by attending his party, but after Fox left the party and went over to the mansion, the vixen decided to leave herself. Feeling bad about leaving Waluigi behind, Krystal made her way back to the party, while accompanying Serena.
"I know that Waluigi was looking forward to his party," Krystal said to Serena as she and the keeper went down the hallway. "So that's why I made Fox and Falco come with me, for a little more support."
"You were doing the right thing," replied Serena, as she and Krystal came into the tower's lounge. "Waluigi would most definitely appreciate...wait, where did Waluigi run off to?" Serena looked around and saw that Waluigi...was gone!
Waluigi was now at the mansion, having made his mind up about sabotaging the mansion's Halloween party. On his way to the gaming room, the lanky man encountered Champion Link on a staircase, recreating the infamous stairs dance scene from the Joker film. Complete with music from Gary Glitter.
"Nice Joker costume, Champion Link!" Waluigi complimented the Hylian, who had reached the bottom of the stairs and pressed the pause button on the boombox at his feet. "Really like the attention to detail."
"Answer me this, Waluigi...is your life a tragedy, or a comedy?" Champion Link asked the lanky man this very thought-provoking question, interested in hearing his response. "Which one is it?"
"It's a little bit of both - parts of it are tragic, while other parts are funny! Some funny parts being more negative than the positive ones."
"I see...you're stuck in the middle, it seems like. Almost as if you doubt your existence. For my whole life, I didn't know if I even really existed. But I do, and people are starting to notice!"
Champion Link: You don't listen, do you? I don't think you ever really listened to me. You just ask the same questions every week. "How's your job? Are you having any negative thoughts?" All I have are negative thoughts. But you don't listen. None of you ever listen...
"Wow Champion Link, you're really into your character!" said Waluigi, checking around to see if Champion Link had a knife or gun on him. "Trying to win that costume contest, huh?"
"Not necessarily - I have a much bigger goal in mind," replied Champion Link, who had his eyes set on the big prize. "I'm going to be...a comedian. When I told people I was going to be a comedian, they just laughed at me. Well, they won't be laughing now!"
"Looking kind of fresh there, Champion Link," Joker said to the Hylian as he made his way up the stairs, being extra vigilant because of who Champion Link was dressed up as. "Just...stay away from me, alright? Thanks."
"Psst, that guy's name is Joker, right?" Champion Link whispered to Waluigi as he pointed his thumb at Joker, who was going up the stairs. "I'm gonna see if I can 'initiate' him, if you will. Got a feeling he's going to that party."
"Funny coincidence - I'm going to that party too!" exclaimed Waluigi, who had sabotage and anarchy on his mind. Okay, there won't be anarchy of any kind present, but Waluigi thought otherwise. "But just to sabotage it, though."
"Interesting! I plan on sabotaging the party too, should my comedy act be panned by the others. Great minds think alike..."
Joker was at the Halloween party, mostly hanging out with his girlfriend Makoto. The couple was getting in some quality time together, enjoying all that the party had to offer.
"Oh no...here comes trouble," said Makoto as Waluigi came inside the gaming room. But it wasn't Waluigi that caught the brunette's attention...it was Champion Link. Makoto feared that the Hylian was coming for her man.
"What trouble?" Joker asked Makoto, who quickly grabbed the young man's hand and walked away to the far side of the gaming room. "Where are we going?"
"Want to enter our costume contest, Waluigi?" Researcher Zelda asked the lanky man, as Champion Link wandered off ready to make his move. "That costume of yours is awfully nice!"
"Thanks, princess! But I'm not here to win contests," replied Waluigi, as Researcher Zelda looked bummed out; Waluigi could win the whole costume contest with his Freddy Krueger get-up. "I'm here to...uh, destroy some pinatas!"
"But we don't even have any pinatas. This isn't a fiesta." Waluigi snapped his fingers, worried that Researcher Zelda might've seen through him. "But we do have some candy! If that's alright with you."
"Pardon me - can I have your attention?" someone asked, speaking into a microphone, as everyone looked at the gaming room stage and saw Champion Link standing behind a mic stand. "Can everyone hear me?"
"Great, he's fully embraced the costume!" frowned Midna, who was with Link; Midna almost knew what was coming next. "This is all your fault...Book Face."
"Just going to do a little stand-up comedy for everyone..." Champion Link started his comedy routine by laughing uncontrollably, which made everyone a little concerned. "...I hated school, as a kid; my mother would say, 'You should enjoy it. One day you'll have to work for a living.' No, I won't, ma. I'm going to be a comedian!'"
Champion Link laughed awkwardly, as the gaming room was completely silent. Only one person was smiling...but that person was Slippy Toad, so nothing to be proud of.
"Where is the part when we start laughing?" Charlie whispered to Brittany, as he was waiting for the punchline. Champion Link continued to laugh, as he looked around the gaming room.
"From a young age, I was always told that my purpose in life was to bring joy and laughter to this cold, dark world..." continued Champion Link, looking awkward as ever as he was tapping in into his character. The Hylian went into another awkward laughing fit.
"Boo! Where's the punchline?" Pit shouted at Champion Link, as several folks in the gaming room were jeering. All the while, Champion Link went on with his laughing fit.
"Champion Link is clearly off his rocker," Joker said to Makoto, as he walked away and left his girlfriend by herself. "Might have to intervene..." Joker wished to keep away from Champion Link, but he couldn't be a man of his word now.
"I used to think that my life was a tragedy, but now I realize...it's a comedy. One that I can never escape from. Oh, what a cruel fate bestowed upon me!"
"This isn't a comedy act anymore..." Rayman said to Barbara and Globox as Joker crept his way unto the stage. Joker was inching closer towards Champion Link...who detected the young man's presence as he turned around and pointed a gun at him.
"You weren't listening to a single word I said, didn't you?" Champion Link asked Joker, who cautiously backed away. Hard to tell if Champion Link was carrying a loaded gun or not. "People don't listen, do they? I don't think they ever really hear me. They do absolutely nothing but fuel my negative thoughts, and my negative feelings."
"Take it easy, Champion Link...I'm not trying to hurt you," Joker told the Hylian as he held his hands up, showing that he came in peace. "Just get off the stage, you're wasting everyone's time..."
"I should just kill you, Joker, you're awful. Everybody is awful these days. It's enough to make anyone crazy. Is it just me, or is it getting...crazier out there?"
"Look, I know you're really into the whole Arthur Fleck act, but you're taking it a little too far. Why don't you tone it down a bit?"
"Would anyone be upset if you died? If it was me dying on the sidewalk you'd walk right over me! I pass by people every day and they don't notice me. But they'll notice me now..."
"Can't afford to let anyone get shot..." Cloud said quietly as he looked towards Mario, whose eyes locked with Cloud. Immediately understanding the memo, Mario nodded his head at Cloud as he and the swordsman made their advance.
"I don't want people to notice - I just want you off the stage," Joker kindly said to Champion Link, as Reaper saw Mario making his move. "Is that so much to ask, honestly?"
"I've got nothing left to lose," replied Champion Link as he held his arms out wide, with a devious smile on his face. "Nothing can hurt me anymore. My life is nothing but comedy...hey!"
"This is for your own good, Champ..." Cloud said to Champion Link, as he came up to the Hylian from behind and put him in a full nelson hold. The swordsman dragged Champion Link away, as Mario approached the mic stand.
"Good evening, everyone! Uh, sorry about-a that...minor distraction," Mario greeted the crowd in the gaming room, with an awkward smile. With Mario standing on the stage, he was in a prime position to be killed by Reaper.
"One shot is all I need..." said Reaper, channeling his inner Widowmaker as he moved away from his spot. Calyrex saw Reaper on the move, sensing that the mercenary was about to take out Mario.
"So how about Champion-a Link's Joker costume? Wouldn't say it's better than-a Link's, but it's a close second." Mario turned around and saw Cloud restraining Champion Link, as Reaper got himself in position. "But that comedy routine-a sure was unnecessary..."
"Nice and steady, Mario...nice and steady. Stay right where you are. Not a sudden move, and..."
Reaper would fire from his shotgun, but Calyrex came to Mario's rescue by running Spectrier into Reaper while the mercenary was in the process of shooting. While the bullet was fired, it narrowly missed Mario as flew into a wall behind the plumber. Everyone gasped, as the sound of the shotgun firing was heard.
"Mama mia..." said Mario, who saw the bullet and how close it was to him, as he fainted unto the stage. Cloud released his hold on Champion Link as he, Joker, and Zelda came over to check on Mario.
"MAAARRIIIIOOOO, NOOOOO!" cried Master Hand as he came flying into the gaming room, to inspect Mario. "Who could've done this to him?!" Now was Sombra's time to shine, as she held Reaper's other shotgun.
"It was his fault!" Sombra accusingly pointed at Charlie as she tossed Reaper's shotgun to the Koopaite. Charlie saw the shotgun land in his hands the very moment everyone in the gaming room was looking at him.
"I had nothing to do with this!" Charlie pleaded his innocence, as several residents were glaring him down. "Louie, help me out!"
"Someone called my name?" asked Louie, who was too preoccupied with helping himself to some Halloween snacks. The astronaut looked over and saw Charlie getting ganged up by a few residents before he went back to his eating spree.
Master Hand: Very impressed with Bowser and Uka...their plan got Mario killed, without him getting killed for real! That said, I do hope they honor the punishment I gave them. This is only a one-time affair.
"Stupid...horse," Reaper seethed at Spectrier, as the swift horse Pokemon was standing on the mercenary with Calyrex on top. Mario would've legitimately been a dead man had Calyrex not intervened.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I regret to inform you that Mario...has died," Master Hand confirmed to the partygoers as if Mario had just flatlined. Cloud, Zelda, and Joker weren't even done checking on Mario. "For that reason, this party should be canceled!"
"The Halloween party, canceled?" said Waluigi, originally planning to sabotaging the party but was now on board with Master Hand's decision. "Yeah, I'm down with that! Cancel the party!"
"Not only should the party be canceled in Mario's honor, but it should also be canceled to avoid anyone else potentially dying. That being said, I must ask all of you to leave the gaming room at once. No pushing or shoving!"
"Master Hand, Mario's not even dead," Zelda informed the giant hand as she was able to feel Mario's pulse. "He likely fainted from the sound of the gunshot. You can't say he's dead..."
"I didn't say Mario was dead...I declared it. Big difference." Suddenly, Mario woke up, as he slowly sat up on the stage. Joker and Cloud helped him. "Mario, stay down! You're supposed to be dead!"
"I'm supposed-a to be what now?" asked Mario as he rubbed his head, with the partygoers delighted to hear Mario's voice. Those who were ganging up on Charlie walked away from the Koopaite the moment they heard Mario speaking.
"Dang it, Mario! You were supposed to die so that this party would be..." Master Hand stopped talking as Cloud and Zelda gave him dubious looks. "...okay, I didn't actually want you to die - I wanted to make it seem like you had died to make this party...uh oh."
"Were you really that desperate to have the party canned, Master Hand?" Zelda frowned at the giant hand with her hands on her hips. Master Hand had nothing to say, after being put on the spot. "Having Mario killed, really?"
"I bet he asked him to do it," said Cloud as he pointed at Reaper, who was still pinned down to the floor by Spectrier. Charlie came over to Reaper, handing the mercenary his shotgun.
"I believe this is yours..." Charlie said to Reaper as he dropped the shotgun on the floor before scurrying away. Reaper groaned, grabbing the shotgun and pulling it towards him.
"Alright peeps...Mario's not dead, which means the party can continue," Master Hand addressed the partygoers, sounding depressed, disappointed, and defeated all at the same time. "Continue your fun..." The party picked up right where it left off, as a downtrodden Master Hand floated away.
"No, Master Hand, don't leave!" Waluigi called out to the giant hand, who had left the gaming room on a sour note. "I'll get the party canceled for you! I'll even fake my own suicide! Of course, suicide isn't the answer...but it's a lesson worth learning!"
King Dedede: *eats from a container of ice cream, before looking up in realization* Hmm, don't know why...but I feel like Waluigi and I should be best friends now.
"Psst, Waluigi...wanna do me a solid?" Sonic whispered to the lanky man, who was about to chase after Master Hand. "Got some 'sabotage' on my mind." Waluigi was hooked the very moment Sonic said "sabotage".
"Heh heh...what kind of sabotage are we talking about here?" Waluigi asked Sonic with a sly grin, as he rubbed his hands together deviously.
Grateful to be alive, Mario stood in the hallway outside the gaming room, needing some time away from the party. Spyro and Calyrex were with the plumber.
"Sorry that you had to see me almost-a die, Calyrex," Mario apologized to the king Pokemon, who acknowledged the plumber's apology by nodding its head.
"Looks like we got some company," Spyro alerted Mario as he saw Cloud coming down the hallway with Sombra and Reaper. It seemed as if Cloud wanted to clear things up with Mario.
"I see you've gotten over nearly getting shot at pretty quickly," Cloud said to Mario, not expecting the plumber so have recovered so fast. "Speaking of getting shot at...these two were mostly responsible."
"Sombra, and Reaper...huh, I didn't even notice-a you two at the party! Hola, dos ustedes! Halloween Feliz!"
"This guy's Spanish is even worse than I imagined..." Reaper whispered to Sombra, surprised by how friendly Mario was despite the incident at the party.
"Reaper was the one who tried to shoot you, but it wasn't out of his own ambition. To tell you the truth, it was partially my fault..."
"How so? Is it because you wanted-a me dead? You're scared that I might kill-a you, and take back my alpha male-a status?!"
"No...that has nothing to do with that. You see, Master Hand wanted to do whatever possible to get the Halloween party canceled, and I told him that the only way canceled as if someone died."
"And let me guess, Master Hand asked-a someone to be a hit-a man..." Mario facepalmed, shaking his head at Master Hand's way of doing things. "...why did it have to be me?"
"I asked Reaper and Sombra about it and Sombra claimed that Bowser wanted you dead. So I assumed that Master Hand spoke with Bowser about canning the party through someone dying."
"But why Bowser? Should've asked King-a Dedede - he could've faked a suicide like-a he did at the haunted house thing. Would've been-a believable enough."
Uka: Mario could've died tonight...had that Pokemon not intervened. And even though we helped Master Hand, Bowser and I still aren't allowed to leave the mansion. But we were one step closer toward our goal! Pretty decent progress.
Master Hand: In spite of tonight's events, Bowser is still discouraged from killing Mario. I just wanted the party over with, not Mario or anyone to be legitimately dead. Now leave me alone, I still have a lot of salt left in me...
Sombra: Master Hand was so bummed out about the party that he went back to his room, just to sulk for the rest of the night. Muy pequeño...that said, I'm still in the clear. Master Hand probably still doesn't know that I ever stepped foot in his mansion!
Charlie: Why did that woman try to frame me? I'm not a killer! I don't throw bullets - I throw Pikmin! *pauses* Golly, given all the Pikmin I've thrown and sacrificed, maybe I am a killer...I'm a genocidal maniac!
"If I knew that killing you was a part of some plan to get some party canceled, I wouldn't have gone through with it," Reaper told Mario, who expected the plumber to have bad blood with him. Not that he minded."I should've known better..."
"Well, if it wasn't for Calyrex here, maybe you would've shot Mario!" stated Spyro, who saw Calyrex and his steed take Reaper down. He was the only one who saw it. "Isn't that right, Calyrex?"
Needing a vessel to speak, Calyrex would possess Reaper's body, making the mercenary float in the air. Cloud and Sombra took a few steps back, as Reaper's body was surrounded by a blue aura.
"Qué sucede?!" questioned Sombra, freaked out by what she was seeing...while taking a picture of a possessed Reaper with her phone.
"You are right, purple dragon...I had saved Mario's life," replied Calyrex, freaking out Cloud and Sombra with its voice coming out of Reaper's mouth. "And Mario...I must thank you for letting me attend the party. Most of the inhabitants have warmed up to me!"
"That's-a good to hear," smiled Mario, glad that Calyrex enjoyed itself at the party - even if the king Pokemon witnessed its owner's near-death. "Trust me, there's a lot more where that came-a from!"
"More gatherings, I assume? I cannot wait to see what these future events hold. I must say, tonight was only a start..." Done speaking, Calyrex un-possessed Reaper, bringing the mercenary back to his normal state of mind.
"Ugh, my head..." moaned Reaper as he clutched his head, before looking at Sombra and seeing the hacker laughing as she looked at her phone. "...Sombra, did you hack me just now? Why are you laughing?!"
"None of your concern, hombre..." Sombra replied with a chuckle, smiling at the picture of Reaper she had taken. Her chuckle only made Reaper's mood even worse.
It was now time to announce the winner of the costume contest, as Researcher Zelda was on the gaming room stage with a mic in hand. All those who registered were listening attentively, hoping to be the winner.
"Okay, everyone, I tallied all the votes," Researcher Zelda said to the crowd, looking at a list of folks that had the most votes. "In fifth place, is Dr. Wily, as Young Wily!"
"I'll take what I can get!" exclaimed Dr. Wily, ecstatic to be in the top five. Dressing up as a wannabe rapper paid off. "Much appreciated, diggity dawgs!"
"Moving right along...in fourth place is Yukari, as Leeloo. In third place, we have Kamui and Silas, as Emily and Victor Van Dort. Coming in second place, we have Champion Link as Joker."
"What?!" boomed Champion Link as he momentarily broke character, salty that he didn't win. If Champion Link didn't win the contest...then who did?
"And the winner...of the costume contest...and the Seattle coupon book...is Sonic, who dressed up as a sneakerhead." Researcher Zelda sounded defeated making the announcement, as Sonic and Waluigi exchanged a high five.
"Ha, message sent!" cheered Sonic, as Researcher Zelda left the gaming room momentarily to retrieve Sonic's prize. Many of the partygoers were befuddled by who the winner was. "Wouldn't have done it without you, Waluigi!"
Waluigi: Sadly I couldn't sabotage the party, but I did sabotage the costume contest. Sabotaged the votes at the last minute, to ensure a victory for Sonic. Surprisingly, there were two votes for Sonic before the sabotaging began.
Kamui: If I had to vote for someone, I didn't want it to be someone who can beat me and Silas. Champion Link and Yukari had good costumes, but I had to keep a victory out of their hands.
Silas: Quite frankly I had no choice in the matter when it came to voting...but on the positive side, I can finally take this wig off! *takes off black wig* Now that was the easy part. Getting this skin bleach off, on the other hand...