Author's Note:
ADVANCE WARS, BABY! As I've stated in the previous author's note, I had jumped the gun and skipped ahead to writing a chapter for Advance Wars: Reboot Camp. I was that excited to do an Advance Wars chapter, and now it's finally here. The chapter turned out a bit shorter than I imagined, which is funny since I wanted this chapter to be longer than the previous one. Also didn't turn out as I imagined. It is what it is. Guest reviews:
"I think I understand how the mansion works. Link and Zelda are like Triple H, trying to control the situation near the mansion. And Master Hand is Vince McMahon. Anything he says is obligatory, and the others can't veto his decision whether they like it or not. Is that explanation clear?"
That is one way to describe the mansion's power structure. Random question has, well, a question:
"Just asking, which Fire Emblem cast do you think are more loyal (quote, obsessed) with the main lord? The Fates cast with Corrin, or the Engage cast with Alear? I've seen a lot of similarities between those two cast."
I'd say the Fates cast as of now, but that answer might change in the future. Random question also has a follow-up question:
"Which protagonist group do you like more? The three house leaders (Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude) from Three Houses, or the four crown heirs (Alfred, Diamant, Ivy, and Timerra) from Engage?"
The Three House leaders, though that may be because of Claude. None of the crown heirs have gained my favor yet. Next is Lara Update:
"Lara is still not leaving. LEAVE ALREADY."
No worries, Lara will be leaving soon. I had originally planned on her coming back for just one episode, but then kept her around for story purposes. The Reader has some constructive criticism (which I like):
"I think your main problem with Mario was, you don't exactly know what to do with him. Hopefully, with the new Mario movie release, you can study their version of Mario."
That has been the main issue for me - Mario has no distinct personality, so it's hard for me to craft the right character for him. Once the hype of the Super Mario Bros Movie dies down (this chapter will be the last one where the movie will be mentioned), I'll try and write Mario the way that the movie presented him. On to A JRPG enjoyer:
"Just asking, you'd think we see Siegbert and Forrest (Xander and Leo's sons) or Shiro and Kiragi (Ryoma and Takumi's sons) soon? Maybe have them interact with Kana? Who's their mother, I don't freaking know."
That would make for one interesting family affair, I tell you what. Who knows if it'll ever happen? Moving on:
"Speaking of Forrest (if you want to include him), when you finally get to introduce the Engage cast, could you have Forrest interact with Rosado? Maybe have them bond over their love of fashion?"
They do have similar interests (on top of looking very feminine), so I will consider it. Moving on:
"So...Nintendo just released a trailer for Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed releasing on April 25. As you can see, this is presumably a prequel to Xenoblade 3, and Shulk and Rex are returning to the fray as adults. I don't think you can age them up. That will cause a WHOLE lot of problems. Also, I don't think you can have the remaining cast members showing up, unless you want a repeat of the Torna fiasco 5 years ago, where you somehow got Addam and Lora showing up, even though they're dead. Even got Jin before he turned evil! Gotta say, that chapter is very messed up, knowing the fate of all of the characters (except Mythra) Final thing. You see Glimmer? She reminds you of someone? A certain red-haired someone? Close-to-Rex someone? You know what to do now. Fix Rex and Pyra's (and Mythra's) relationship. Should be on top of your to-do list."
Shulk and Rex will frankly stay the same. And yeah, that Torna chapter didn't make sense canonically speaking. And as for Glimmer...you're right that she does look like a certain someone. Rex and Pyra's (and Mythra's) relationship will be mended soon. Ending it off with David:
"Will we see the other Hoshidans and Nohrians in later chapters? A scene of Pit and Ryuji hearing about the WWE and UFC merger? A reference or chapter based on Fire Emblem Engage's Xenologue? Will Maximo still show up to team up or have a conversation with Arthur? And finally, with Vince back in charge of WWE, do you expect to see a lot of talent quitting and going to a bloated AEW roster? (Many are saying Tony Khan is getting the last laugh)."
Other Hoshidans and Nohrians may appear in later chapters. Pit and Ryuji might talk about the WWE-UFC merger. A reference to the Xenologue will be saved for later. Maximo may have a conversation with Arthur. And I can see some talent getting released from WWE, but not quitting. Now for the second batch of questions:
"Will any references to Battalion Wars be made for the Advance Wars chapter? Has Mythra improved on her cooking skills? If Ashley Graham appears, will she have her original or remake voice? Has Conker fully moved on from Beri's passing? And finally, do you think WWE buried Cody Rhodes after being humiliated at WrestleMania and getting a beatdown from Brock Lesnar? (Many say that Vince will force him back into his Stardust gimmick)."
No Battalion Wars references. Mythra still has yet to improve her cooking skills. Ashley Graham will have her original voice. Won't say anything about Conker. And Cody Rhodes is not buried...unless he loses to Brock Lesnar at Backlash. Only then will I be slightly concerned about his booking.
Episode 383: Rampage
It was almost customary for the buddy cops, Toon Link and Young Link, to give out tickets. The duo felt that they would do themselves a disservice if they went one day without giving a single ticket to a resident. With how packed the mansion was, Toon Link and Young Link could rest easy knowing there was always a ticket waiting to be given out.
Leaving the bathroom door open? You got a ticket. Having leftover food on your plate after dinner is finished? You got a ticket Looking at the buddy cops the wrong way? You got a ticket. Looking at the buddy cops the right way? In case you were about to answer, that was also a ticket.
With Omnis Adest in close proximity, many expect that the buddy cops would outsource a little bit and bring the shenanigans to the community. But Toon Link and Young Link weren't focused on handing out tickets in Omnis Adest, let anyone arresting anyone living there. Instead, the duo was discussing which folks don't deserve to live there, which they were doing right now in their police station.
"What do you think of these two ladies?" Toon Link asked Young Link as he showed him two pictures of two ladies - Max and Chloe, the two friends from Arcadia Bay. Young Link looked at the both, with a finger underneath his chin.
"Chloe Price bested Dimentio, so she's cool in my book," replied Young Link, one of the few folks who genuinely believed that Chloe clowned Dimentio and sent the jester crying to his mommy. Chloe's story-telling skills were that much on point.
"Greatest flex ever, in my opinion." Toon Link placed the photo of Chloe face down on the table, as Young Link's focus was now brought to the photo of Max. "What about Max, what do you think of her?"
"I mean...she's alright. Nothing spectacular - all she does is take photos with that camera of hers." Young Link struggled to think of anything else to say about Max, but Toon Link was convinced nonetheless.
"Taking photos? With a camera? Isn't that Yuri's schtick? Max needs to be booted from Omnis Adest unless she can switch it up to something more original." Toon Link placed the photo of Max on the table next to Chloe's picture, and soon there was a knock at the door.
"Toon Link and Young Link! It's us, Professor Layton and Luke," Layton called out to the buddy cops from outside the police station, as Toon Link and Young Link were suddenly ecstatic.
"Our day suddenly just got good..." Toon Link was all smiles, and so was Young Link as the buddy cops couldn't contain their excitement. "...come on in!"
Toon Link: Hutch and I like to think of Layton and Luke as our equals. We think so highly of them that we have never put their mugshots on our famous board of suspects. The only way they would get their picture on there is if they allege that they're better than us. Now, allow me to tell you about how we are all equal...
So Layton and Luke entered the police station, where they saw the buddy cops' board of suspects. It was mostly full of Omnis Adest residents - you had Zeke von Genbu as "World's Biggest Poser", Cranky Kong as "Knows Too Much", Iono as "Clout Chaser", Sigurd as "Possible Zombie", Adeleine as "Amateur Artist", Sheldon as "Not a Real Crab", Dr. Stewart as "Unlicensed Doctor", Kamek as "Merlin?", Harvey as "Tree Hugger"...and Big the Cat as "G Hunnid the Big Thang". A real throwback right there.
"G Hunnid the Big Thang..." Layton read out loud the moniker that was listed underneath Big's picture, as he couldn't help but crack a smile. "...what an interesting name you have given to Big."
"Big gave his own self that name," explained Toon Link, as Layton and Luke understandably responded with surprised faces that left the buddy cops amused. "Back when he was trying to make it as...as a rapper. It's, uh, a long story."
"And also a short story as well," added Young Link, who fancied shorter and more precise storytelling as opposed to Toon Link's long-form storytelling. "Bear in mind that we're not arresting anyone on that board - we are simply doing a process of elimination."
"I see," responded Layton, who would've taken a seat at the desk but chose not to for he had an important offer to give to the buddy cops. "Speaking of the process of elimination...you're not busy today, are you? How would you like to be part of...an investigation?"
"Ooh...now you're speaking our language," gleamed Toon Link, rubbing his hands in anticipation; he and Young Link would love nothing more than to work with Layton and Luke, their supposed equals.
Link: We've noticed that Master Hand has a habit of adding people to Omnis Adest that don't deserve to be there. Not saying that they're bad people or anything, but they're not exactly what we're looking for. If the goal is to have these folks fight against Dimentio...then what business does Harvey have living there? What is he going to do, bust Dimentio's head in with a lava lamp?! That is why Zelda asked for more authority in regard to adding new residents, and now we have a final say. We got a few new folks today, and fortunately, they fell right into our laps...
Link and Zelda were in the foyer, waiting for the new folks that would be living at Omnis Adest to arrive. The Hylian couple wouldn't know that the new folks arrived until the doorbell rang.
"What are the odds that they come inside the mansion, Dr. Eggman style?" Link asked Zelda, striking up a conversation with his wife as he was thinking about the many possibilities in which the new residents could make their grand entrance. Provided that they were planning on doing a grand entrance.
"Leaving a hole in the roof and just passing through it without a care in the world?" inquired Zelda, who recalled the first instance of Eggman doing such a thing in episode 27. To this day, Eggman still had yet to apologize for his actions.
"Yeah, something like that! They do have a tank, so who knows what they will do. Mr. Game and Watch even boarded up all the windows, just in case."
"Anything to keep our home insurance from getting screwed," Mr. Game and Watch stated to Link and Zelda, as he was boarding up one of the windows in the foyer right now. The 2-D man looked through the window he was boarding up and saw a tank. "Here comes a tank!"
"That must be them," assumed Zelda as she got into position, before looking at Link and saying to her husband teasingly, "Be on your best behavior."
"Oh please, I'm not Bowser," Link responded with a snort, while Bowser passed through the foyer giving Link a glare after hearing what the Hylian said. Moments later, the doorbell rang.
"Look alive, you two," Mr. Game and Watch said to Link and Zelda, volunteering to open the door as he placed the wood and nails on the floor. The 2-D man answered the door, pulling it wide open, as a blonde woman wearing all purple was standing on the porch.
"Oh? Am I supposed to come in?" the blonde woman asked, seeing that there was no one standing right at the door. She was confused as to why Link and Zelda were standing so far away.
"No, you're fine - we'll just come on outside," replied Link as he and Zelda exited through the front door; the blonde gave them some space by backing away a few feet. "You must be..."
"Nell! The commander-in-chief of Orange Star," the blonde introduced herself to Link and Zelda, before cordially shaking the Hylians' hands. "It is nice to meet you both."
"It is nice to meet you; welcome to the city," responded Zelda, as Link saw a red tank in the front yard after he was done shaking Nell's hand. The Duck Hunt Dog went over to the tank and kicked up his hind leg...
"Don't pee on that, you stupid mutt!" Link shouted at the Duck Hunt Dog, spooking the dog and causing him to run off in fear. Nell saw the Duck Hung Dog making his retreat and giggled.
"I take it that your commanding officers are all in that tank?" Zelda asked Nell as she looked at the tank, making note of how small it was compared to other traditional tanks. Left her wondering how more than two people could fit in there.
"All three of them, yes," confirmed Nell, as Zelda kept herself from asking Nell about how cramped it was in the tank. Perhaps a question for another day. "Driving that tank down the streets of Seattle was a hassle."
"LOOK OUT!" shouted a voice from inside the tank, as a cannonball was fired at the mansion. Nell, Link, and Zelda preemptively ducked as the cannonball crashed through a window on the fifth floor.
"Dang it, I was just about to come back and board that window up!" Mr. Game and Watch complained from inside the mansion, somehow able to detect that the window on the fifth floor was broken. He was heard throwing a small tantrum.
Mr. Game and Watch: When Link and Zelda told me the day before about Orange Star stopping by the mansion, Dark Pit and I was up all night boarding up stuff, just in case. Because you may never know when disaster will strike, even with trained army officials. Dark Pit was responsible for boarding up the doors... *holds up hammer and nails* ...and as you can imagine, I'm left with cleaning up after his work. He's one poor job away from being demoted.
"Sorry about that, that was a misfire!" apologized the person responsible for firing the cannonball, as a young lad wearing a red mechanic's uniform appeared out from the match of the tank. The young lad crawled out of the tank and dusted himself off.
"That right there is Andy, our trusty mechanic," Nell introduced Link and Zelda to Andy, who would show off his superb mechanic ability as he used his wrench to fix something on the tank. "He is also very hyper."
"Not a problem for us," responded Zelda, as a second commanding officer exited the tank - this one was a big guy with muscles, and his muscles were spectacular.
"Look at these guns!" Max shouted to Link and Zelda, wanting to leave them with a solid first impression as he flexed his muscles. He would kiss his muscles, but he wasn't cocky enough for that.
"This is Max - as you can imagine, he's the muscle of the group. He's our combat specialist, and loves to smash things." Soon the third and final commanding officer of Orange Star exited the tan - this one being a girl with a submachine gun hanging from her back.
"Really have to do those things at a time like this..." the girl said disapprovingly to Andy and Max, annoyed with the former fixing the tank and the latter flexing his muscles for Link and Zelda. Must be the sane one in the trio.
"Well, Sami, this tank isn't gonna fix itself!" defended Andy, who did a few more turns of his trusty wrench until he was done. The mechanic stood up and wiped away the sweat from his forehead. "There, all done!"
"And that is Sami, the head of our Special Forces," Nell introduced Sami to Link and Zelda, as Sami was giving Max a judging glance for his continuous flexing. "Infantry is kind of her thing."
"You can stop flexing your muscles now," Sami said to Max, who finally put his arms down - but only because he was getting tired. Flexing muscles without stopping can really take the fight out of ya.
"I was waiting for Link or Zelda to say something," admitted Max, disappointed that neither Link nor Zelda had said a single word. The three commanding officers - Andy, Max, and Sami - banded together as he joined Nell at the front door.
"So, this is us...Orange Star," Nell said to Link and Zelda while she was flanked by her commanding officers. The only thing that was missing was a cool explosion in the background.
"You guys sure look like a close-knit...STEVE, DO NOT TOUCH THAT TANK!" Link said to Orange Star, only to shout when he caught Steve eyeing the tank. Everyone turned and looked at Steve, who was trying to look innocent.
"I was just checking it out," Steve said to Link and the others, before slowly turning his head to the tank and saying to it, quietly, "You will be mine..."
"He said don't touch that tank!" Sami shouted at Steve, showing the craftsman what she was made of as she whipped out her submachine gun and pointed it right at him. Steve ran off out of fear.
"Nice one," Andy gave his props to Sami, who exchanged high-fives with the mechanic and Max as well. Nell, due to her being a commander-in-chief, was not privy to doing high-fives.
"Shall we head on inside?" Nell asked Link and Zelda, holding out hope that the mansion residents would leave the Orange Star's tank alone. The same went out to the tower denizens.
Master Hand had plans for watching The Super Mario Bros Movie, especially after hearing the others talking up a storm about it. Yet for some reason, the giant hand had his doubts. So he consulted a good friend of his for a second opinion, and who better to consult with than the person whose likeness was featured in the movie, Mario?
"It has a scare of 56 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, Mario. Rotten Tomatoes!" Master Hand stressed to Mario, expecting a response from the plumber that was made without any rose-tinted glasses. "You want to know what other movie has 56 percent on Rotten Tomatoes? The Hobbit."
"Which-a one, though?" Mario asked Master Hand, who didn't feel like elaborating as Mario was left to ponder what movie it was in his mind. "Also, I wouldn't look-a into the critic scores too much. I've learned-a not to do that."
"Let me guess, your argument is the Cuties movie. Unpopular opinion, but Cuties was a decent movie...aside from the obviously controversial stuff."
"You know, you don't have to watch the movie in theaters. You can always wait until it comes-a out on DVD! Imagine watching it on-a Blu-Ray."
"Boo! Boo, I say! I can't afford to wait that long. I want to watch the movie NOW! I just...I just want to fit in with all the others."
"Fit in? What do you mean by that?" Mario had never foreseen the words "fit in" be uttered by Master Hand, and it caught him by surprise.
"Guess what I'm trying to say is..." Master Hand would be interrupted, as there was a knock at the door. Mario opened the door and saw Link and Zelda standing by with Orange Star.
"The new guys staying at Omnis Adest have arrived," announced Link, as he and Zelda guided Orange Star inside Master Hand's room. "Meet Orange Star."
"Ah, you must be Master Hand!" Nell said when she saw the giant hand in question for the first time, extending her hand out for a handshake. "I'm Orange Star's commander-in-chief, Nell."
"Nice meeting you, Nell - care to watch the Mario Bros movie with me?" Master Hand offered to Nell, who was taken back by the offer given to her. Everyone was giving Master Hand weird looks. "Sorry, that...came out of nowhere."
Isabelle: I would watch The Super Mario Bros Movie with Master Hand, but I imagine him to be a horrible person to sit in the movie theater with. He would hog all the movie snacks, and laugh at stuff that isn't worth laughing at. Not to mention that with him being a giant hand that can take up a lot of seats, his heavy breathing might be a hindrance for some.
"Not interested, but thanks for asking!" Nell responded with a sheepish smile, as Master Hand felt instant regret and backed off of Nell for his own good. That question was definitely out of pocket.
"Why don't you meet Orange Star's commanding officers, Master Hand?" Link asked Master Hand, who hovered over to Andy, Max, and Sami to get a closer look at each commanding officer. Max, wanting to impress Master Hand, flexed his muscles.
"Stop flexing, you're nobody special," Master Hand said to Max, putting the combat specialist in his place as Max stopped the flexing. "I see we got the classic trio here - the brains, the beauty, and the brawn."
"Andy might have a wrench, but he's far removed from being the brains," Sami said to Master Hand, as Andy looked offended at the infantry expert with his fists clenched. "He doesn't even know all of the continents!"
"I definitely know all of the continents!" defended Andy, ready to prove Sami wrong by listing the continents of the earth while counting with his fingers. "North America, South America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and of course, Austria!"
"Austria is not a continent," stated Zelda; Max had a proud look on his face with his arms folded, only for Zelda to kill his mood. "It's a country in Europe."
"Europe? Is that something like Pangea? Does that mean it existed millions of years ago?" Clearly, Andy was not the best when it came to geography - a very bad look for him considering that he was in the military.
"You have to excuse Andy; he's still a work in progress," Nell said to Master Hand and the others, hoping that they would take it easy on Andy. But the damage was likely done.
"He needs-a to go back to school," Mario stressed to Nell, as there was a knock outside Master Hand's door. Master Hand was having a lot of company over, not that he minded too much.
"Master Hand, it is I, Professor Layton," Layton called out to the giant hand, who deemed Layton one of his favorite people in the world. "And Luke is with me as well." Luke wasn't exactly a favorite of Master Hand's, but by association with Layton, Master Hand felt some sense of impartiality towards the apprentice.
"Not now, you two, it's getting a bit crowded in here," responded Master Hand, hating the fact that Layton wouldn't be able to bless him with his presence. Layton and Luke would have to wait until Master Hand got to know Orange Star.
"But Master Hand, we have an emergency on our hands. There has been...a kidnapping!" That was all Master Hand really needed to hear, as the giant hand gasped in shock.
"A kidnapping! Where? When? How?" Master Hand was on high alert, worried that a kidnapping had taken place in the mansion under his nose and he never knew about it. "Come in, you must tell me!"
"Someone's been kidnapped?" Andy perked up, as Layton and Luke were granted permission to enter Master Hand's room. All eyes were on Layton and Luke, who had all the details.
"Yes, someone has been kidnapped, and this kidnapping took place...two weeks ago!" A kidnapping that occurred two weeks ago?! Master Hand felt ashamed that he never knew about it until now.
"Wh-Who was kidnapped? You must tell me!" Master Hand demanded from Layton and Luke, ready to backhand both detectives if they chose to be tight-lipped. This was one situation where one must never zip their lips on.
"The identity of the kidnapped person, we're still trying to figure out," replied Luke, as his answer prompted Zelda to look at him inquisitively. Made Zelda question the legitimacy of this kidnapping claim. "Also trying to find out the kidnapper's identity as well."
Zelda: I can understand not knowing who the kidnapper is. But how can you not know who the kidnapped... *pauses, then smiles after a brief moment of thought* ...ooh, I see. I know where this is going.
"Understandably, learning about this so soon may have you uneasy," Layton said to Master Hand, as he wished to carry out his investigation without any possible involvement from Master Hand. "So to keep you even-keeled, we asked some volunteers to..."
"Hey, Layton, when are we gonna help you with this investigation?" Toon Link asked the detective, as he and Young Link entered Master Hand's room. The buddy cops saw Orange Star...and saw them as fresh meat.
"They are so going on our board of suspects..." Young Link whispered to Toon Link, his eyes set on Nell the most. The Hylian hardly thought that much of her, mainly due to her professional appearance.
"Ah, there you boys are! Right on time," Layton said to the buddy cops, who were both elated as they looked forward to being Layton and Luke's (but mainly Layton's) partners in crime. "I want you both to..."
"Say no more, Layton, we have what we need," Young Link assured Layton as he pulled out a pocket knife from his pocket, and Toon Link would do the same as he pulled out his own knife. "The kidnapper will turn himself to the real police once he sees this!"
"Whoever said that you were dealing with the kidnapper? I just wanted you boys to keep Master Hand placated." Just like that, the buddy cops' day was ruined as their disappointment was immeasurable.
"But you said that we'd be part of the investigation..." said a disappointed Toon Link, as he was looking forward to using his pocket knife in action for the first time. Even though he and Young Link were still learning how to properly use the blade without cutting themselves.
"Technically, doing this will make you part of the investigation - I just won't say how, though." Mumbling under their breaths, the buddy cops were forced to put their pocket knives away, much to the relief of everyone in Master Hand's room. Orange Star included.
"We viewed you as our equals." Toon Link would express his disappointment with Layton and Luke (the latter was blamed by association) as he pointed at the detective duo with heavy contempt. Unfazed by Toon Link, Layton turned to Mario.
"Mario, I want you to stay with Toon Link and Young Link," Layton said to the plumber - not like Mario didn't have a plan for the rest of his day after he was done speaking with Master Hand. "Since they obviously can't be trusted with Master Hand themselves."
"Then why did you ask-a them in the..." Mario was about to question Layton, only to later save his breath and let out a sigh. "...fine, I'll do it." So Mario took out his phone, about to send Peach a text.
"Someone was kidnapped...what if it was someone from this mansion?" Master Hand asked while in a state of panic, as the news of this kidnapping was overwhelming him. Link and Zelda did their best to comfort the giant hand.
"There, there, Master Hand, it'll be alright," Zelda reassured the giant hand by patting him gently, with Link following the princess's lead. The Hylians had never seen Master Hand so distraught before.
All of a sudden, the very foundation of the mansion was rocked as a large object was heard striking the establishment from outside. The building shook, as everyone was on edge.
"What the heck?" frowned Max, who had to keep his cool since he was the bruiser of Orange Star. Had a strong reputation to uphold. "Andy, did you turn off the 'fire cannon' in case somebody bothered with our tank?"
"Um, oh, I didn't know our tank had that feature until now!" replied Andy, as Sami smacked her forehead in response to Andy's confession. A second strike was fired at the mansion, and the sound of a window breaking was heard.
"We're under attack!" alerted Mr. Game and Watch, poking his head inside Master Hand's room to tell everyone the news. "A blue tank is attacking us!"
"A blue tank, you say?" Andy furrowed his brow, wanting to run outside to check out the scene. He knew right from the jump who this blue tank belonged to. "You don't mean..."
The blue tank was outside the mansion next to Orange Star's red tank, firing shots at the building. Standing in the hatch of the blue tank was a man with a long orange beard and a blue coat.
"Keep firing, keep firing! Don't let up!" the bearded man shouted to whoever was in the tank with him, as the voyage of cannonballs carried on. Nothing could stop the ruthless attack - unless someone brave enough to run out of the mansion attempted to intervene.
"Hold your fire!" shouted Any as he and Link ran out of the mansion, running down the porch steps. Andy ran up to the blue tank and held his hands out, putting an end to the cannonball barrage.
"Andy? What are ya doing out here?" The bearded man recognized Andy as he stared at the mechanic, only for another cannonball to be fired at the mansion. "Andy said to hold your fire, Grit!"
"Sorry Olaf, that was a slip of my finger - won't happen again," the man operating the tank apologized, as the bearded man known as Olaf leaped down from the tank to greet Andy.
"Bet you're wondering why I was attacking that mansion. Well, you see, no rival of mine is going to conquer the Smash Mansion for Orange Star and not include Blue Moon in the fun!"
"Who said that Orange Star was conquering the mansion?" Andy questioned Olaf, as he made the bearded man feel like an absolute buffoon. "We were in the middle of our meeting with Link and Zelda!"
"So there isn't any conquering taking place?" Now starting to feel bad, Olaf sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Forgive me - I just needed a good reason to use our new tank!"
"Gotta admit, that tank looks pretty cool." Andy was handing out some props, only to later shake his head and reassume his angry look. "Why should I be complimenting you? You were destroying property."
"As you have done earlier with your own tank," Link said to Andy, as he made the mechanic stop speaking in a hurry. Now Andy and Olaf both had the same thing to feel bad about.
Andy: Max needs to tell me more about this on-and-off "fire cannon" feature...even as an experienced member of Orange Star, I'm still learning new stuff every day.
"Why don't I introduce you to Link?" Andy offered to Olaf, switching up the subject so that he could avoid being put on blast. "Olaf, this is Link; Link, this is Olaf. He's from Blue Moon."
"Blue Moon? What's Blue Moon?" inquired Link, as the man that was operating the blue tank appeared out from the hatch. It was a tall, slender man with a piece of wheat hanging from his mouth.
"It's a war faction somewhere in Europe," replied the man as he climbed down the blue tank, adjusting the hat on his head. Andy crinkled his nose, as the continent of Europe was still unfamiliar to him.
"Wait, so you guys are from a continent that no longer exists?" Andy asked Olaf, who pinched the crown of his nose as he felt bad for the mechanic. Meanwhile, Steve was snooping up on Orange Star's red tank, relatively unseen.
"Can you believe this, Grit?" Olaf asked the tall man, while Steve was getting closer to the red tank and was feeling it with his blocky hands. "Andy has the gall to believe that Europe is no longer a continent!"
"I mean, this is the same kid who asked what a hangar was," responded Grit, as Steve was climbing up the red tank and opened the hatch. Steve hopped inside the tank before slamming the hatch door shut.
"Did anyone hear that?" Link asked Grit and the others, as he had heard the sound of the hatch door closing. Everyone looked at the red tank, which suddenly started to move!"
"Oh no, our tank's been possessed!" panicked Anyd, worried that a ghost was occupying the tank and causing it to have a mind of its own. But that wouldn't be the case, as Steve appeared out from the hatch.
"Greetings, all - I am going to take this tank out on a joyride," Steve said to everyone outside as he waved to them, before going back inside the tank and closing the hatch door back. Steve drove the red tank away, pulling out of the front yard and running over the mansion's mailbox in the process.
"He ran over the mailbox, that's a federal offense!" screamed Olaf, as Steve pulled out into the road and was driving down the street - while also being mindful of any cars in the way.
"But it's just a mailbox," stated Andy, as Zelda and the rest of Orange Star ran out of the mansion after hearing all the commotion from inside. "How would destroying it be a federal crime?"
"Andy, where is our tank?" Sami questioned the mechanic, as she was looking at the track lines from the tank on the ground and seeing how far they extended to the road.
"One of our residents stole it when we weren't looking," explained Link, as Nell soon saw fellow commander-in-chief Olaf. Nell walked up to Olaf to greet the Blue Moon leader.
"Well, well, if it isn't Olaf," Nell smiled at Olaf, with a finger underneath her chin; Olaf couldn't help but frown. "Wouldn't be surprised if you allowed our tank to be stolen."
"Absolutely not! If anything, Andy distracted me with his stupidity," stated Olaf, putting most (or all) of the blame on Andy's shoulders. Nell wasn't buying it.
"Can we argue another time?" Zelda said to Nell and Olaf, prematurely ending the conversation between the two commanders-in-chief. The princess then turned her attention to Link. "Link, who stole the tank?"
"Steve, apparently," replied Link, as Zelda didn't have much to be fearful about since it was just Steve. "He destroyed the mailbox on his way out." But after hearing that, Zelda's fear was heightened.
"That may be a bad omen of things to come..." Zelda wanted to reach Steve before it was too late, and that's when she saw the blue tank which belonged to Blue Moon. "...may we borrow this blue tank?"
"It's gonna have to cost ya," replied Olaf as he held his hand out to Zelda, who gave the commander-in-chief a frown. Olaf immediately retracted his hand. "That was a joke. Sure, we'll let ya borrow our tank!"
"For the record, I'm not gonna drive it," stated Grit, as Olaf stared at the commanding officer until he changed his tune. Eventually, Grit sighed. "Me and my big mouth..."
Due to Blue Moon striking the mansion, many of the residents were forced to take cover. Bowser, for instance, was hiding in a closet with Fox, Falco, and Champion Link until the coast was clear.
"I think we're safe," said Bowser as he exited from the closet; the pilots and Champion Link, who was both cramped inside the closet, also exited and were also gasping for air. "C'mon guys, stop being so dramatic!"
"Your shell squashed my insides..." Champion Link said to Bowser, as he was doubling over in pain before collapsing unto the floor. Fox and Falco were both holding their stomachs, as Bowser waved off the pilots and Champion Link.
"Please, I wasn't taking up that much room. You guys are just a bunch of wimps." While Fox and company recovered from almost being crushed by Bowser, Cloud came down the hallway.
"Did you guys hear that?" Cloud asked Bowser and company, obviously asking them about Blue Moon's strike from earlier. "Whatever that was that struck the mansion had people screaming."
Cloud: Everyone in the gaming room was screaming their heads off but me. I was probably the only one keeping my cool. And yet after the whole ordeal was over and all the fear subsided, Yoshi called me out for not "caring enough". But the more I think about it, maybe Yoshi has a point. Maybe those "fire drills" of Bowser's desensitized me to actual crises.
"Yeah, we all heard it - Champion Link was even crying for his mommy," replied Bowser, while also putting Champion Link on the spot; Champion Link was still in too much to pain to defend himself.
"That was totally you doing it," Falco said to Bowser, who eyed around the hallway as he refused to acknowledge the fact. Bowser looked nervously at Cloud, hoping that the swordsman viewed Falco as a liar.
"Well, Champ was doing it too! The man was screaming his head off. You should've seen him."
"You were screaming your head off, Bowser. Quite frankly, you screamed like a grandma who spilled tea on herself."
"Alright Falco, I'm getting sick and tired of your crap!" Bowserangrily confronted Falco, threatening to sucker punch the avian pilot if he didn't stop talking. "I'm gonna leave this partnership of yours if you don't shut your mouth!"
"Partnership? What partnership?" asked Cloud, who was about to question why Fox, Falco, Bowser, and Champion Link of all people were aligned. Not often that you see those aforementioned individuals together.
"Should we tell him?" Champion Link asked the pilots and Bowser, wondering if Cloud should be privy to some confidential information. Fox and Falco exchanged looks with Bowser as they mulled their decision.
"Eh, wouldn't hurt to fill him in," Fox responded with a shrug, as he went over to Cloud while still clutching his stomach. At least he could walk off the pain, unlike Champion Link.
"Fill me in on what?" inquired Cloud, and that's when Fox started whispering stuff into the swordsman's ear. Cloud widened his eyes a bit, nodding his head while Fox was whispering away.
"That's pretty much the gist of it." Once he was done whispering, Fox pulled away from Cloud's ear. The info that Fox shared with Cloud left a profound effect on the swordsman, whose interest was piqued.
"In that case...sign me up. I want in." Cloud had expressed his desire to join the quartet of Fox, Falco, Bowser, and Champion Link - and what those three looked to accomplish, nobody knew. And now Cloud was joining their pact.
Link, Zelda, and the members of Orange Star were in Blue Moon's tank, as they were on the hunt for Steve. Steve was likely taking Orange Star's tank out on a joyride, and who knew what kinds of destruction, if any, the craftsman was doing.
"Tank looks roomier on the inside than the out," observed Zelda as she was looking around the insides of the tank, which was piloted by Grit. Since he didn't feel like driving the tank, Grit was hardly putting his heart into his current task.
"Can you drive this tank any slower?!" Olaf shouted at Grit, unnerved by how slow the tank was moving. The commander-in-chief felt that given the tank's speed, a snail could beat it in a race.
"This is as fast as it can move," stated Grit, who was already so tired of driving the tank that he was even about to fall asleep at the wheel! "Tanks don't move that fast, you know."
"I know what the problem is! You haven't put this tank into maximum...overdrive." Olaf looked at the dashboard, and saw that Grit had put the tank in maximum overdrive with the lever pulled up all the way. "Aw phooey."
Link: The worst-case scenario for Steve driving the tank is that he gets embroiled in a slow-moving police chase, the police pull him out of the tank, and he later gets arrested. I imagine that the charges for stealing military personnel will be hefty. As for the best-case scenario? I have yet to think of one.
"We're drawing in on Omnis Adest...seems like Steve has made his mark," announced Zelda, as she saw the front gate of Omnis Adest totaled. Parked at the destroyed front gate were two military airplanes - one yellow and one green.
"Wait a minute! That aircraft..." Nell furrowed her brow as she recognized the aircraft at the front gate, before putting her hand on Grit's shoulder. "...stop the tank, now!"
"Stopping the tank," said Grit as he brought the tank to a halt, finding a brief moment of relief. Nell opened the hatch of the tank and crawled out, before running to the two aircraft.
"Nell, wait up!" shouted Zelda, calling out to the commander-in-chief as she too crawled out of the tank. Zelda would join Nell at the front gate, where Nell was looking at the color-coded military aircraft.
"This isn't good..." deduced Nell, showing signs of worry all over her face as she turned to Zelda to relay the potentially bad news. "...Yellow Comet and Green Earth are both here."
"Opposing factions of Orange Star and Blue Moon, I assume?" Zeld asked Nell, who confirmed as such with a worrying nod of her head. The four main warring factions were all in Seattle.
"They are definitely not to be trifled with. They both love to conquer, and I fear that they might have their eyes set on this community."
"Don't tell me that blasted Yellow Comet's here!" Olaf growled as he appeared out of the tank, his worst fears confirmed when he saw what colors the military aircraft were. "And Green Comet too..."
"Olaf, you go with the others and track down Steve. Zelda and I will deal with Kanbei and Eagle and stop them before they hurt someone."
"As you wish, commander. Feels weird addressing someone else by that..." Olaf turned around as he returned to the blue tank so that he wouldn't hold the others up any longer. "...that block man will be ours, mark my words!"
"Kanbei and Eagle must be holding peaceful negotiations right now. Let's see where they are." So Nell and Zelda went up to the front gate, with Zelda taking out a card and scanning it to have the gate opened.
Layton and Luke were supposed to be doing an investigation, as there was a mystery kidnapper out on the loose. But for whatever reason, the detective duo wasn't taking any action at all. Instead of being out in the field, Layton and Luke were in the cafe enjoying coffee.
"Do you have her contact information?" Layton asked Pit, who had his phone out after Joker gave him permission to take it out. "Mind sending her a text, and see what she's doing?"
"I see you, Professor Layton, trying to get your flirt on..." Pit smiled at the detective, whose stone-faced visage made Pit drop his smile in a hurry. "...communicating through me, of course."
"So after she responds, your investigation will finally begin," Joker said to Layton and Luke, as Pit started typing up his text message. It was meant to be a brief message, but Pit was typing more than what was needed.
"More or less," replied Layton, before looking at Pit and wondering when the angel would hit the send button. Pit was close to being done. "Shouldn't take you that long, Pit."
"And...send!" exclaimed Pit after he finally hit the "send" button, as his text message was finally sent. The angel kept his phone out, waiting for a response. "Asked her to bring me some candy, if she had any."
"Was that really necessary to ask?" Joker asked Pit, and before Pit had an opportunity to defend himself, there was a ringtone...and it came from Layton's pocket.
"My goodness, it seems that I'm getting a call," smiled Layton as he took out his cell phone, which was terribly old-fashioned. The detective answered the call and held the cell phone up to his ear. "Hello?"
Pit: That isn't right! Why did Layton make me send that text if he had his own phone? Why couldn't he have... *pauses* ...silly me! It's because he has a crush. That is why he never asked for her number. I won't mention this woman by name, I might humiliate Layton.
"Yo, it's me, Fox," Fox was heard speaking from Layton's phone, as Sonic entered the cafe looking to speak with Layton. "Some good news - Cloud says that he wants in on our secret plan."
"Splendid! I had a feeling that he would stick his nose into our business," responded Layton, who took sight of Sonic and held his index finger up to the blue hedgehog as he made him wait.
"Yeah, I told him about the whole situation, and then later he said that he saw the same things. He wants to bring you-know-who to justice as much as we fellas do."
"I understand. Luke and I are happy to be a part of this whole escapade. Do you want us to meet with you in the mansion?" Anticipating Fox saying yes, Layton arose from his stool.
"Sure, just so we can get Cloud caught up to speed. How does the meeting room sound?" Although it was not encouraged, Sonic would follow Layton to the meeting room if it meant getting to speak with the man.
"Sounds perfect to me. We'll meet you there. See you soon!" Layton ended his phone call with Fox, as he placed his phone back in his pocket and turned his attention to Sonic.
"Nice phone," Sonic offered his compliments to Layton, as he had never seen the detective's phone before. For the longest time, the blue hedgehog imagined that Layton had a flip phone. "I wanted to talk if you got a minute."
"Sadly I do not have a minute - Fox needs me. We'll talk later." So Layton and Luke went out of the cafe, leaving Sonic alone. The way Sonic looked, he desired to speak with Layton right now.
"That's cool...I can always wait." Sonic took out his chili dog as he sat at the counter, sitting on the stool that Layton had previously occupied. As Sonic took a bite from his chili dog, Pit leaned in close to the blue hedgehog.
"Did you know that Professor Layton has a crush on..." Pit was about to spill the "beans" to Sonic, only for Joker to shush the angel and put his index finger over his lips. Pit immediately left Sonic alone as he went back to work.
Mario, Toon Link, and Young Link were asked to keep Master Hand contained, while the investigation of the kidnapped person was carried out. That meant wherever Master Hand went, Mario and the buddy cops followed. Even if it was a place that they did not care to be at, such as Crazy Hand's room at the tower.
"No way! I do not want to watch that AWFUL Super Mario movie!" Crazy Hand said to Master Hand after he was asked if he wanted to go to the movies. Imagine seeing a movie, and both Master Hand and Crazy Hand were in the cinema hall.
"H-How exactly is it awful?" a deeply offended Mario asked Crazy Hand out of curiosity. It was something that Crazy Hand thought so low of a movie that he hadn't even seen yet.
"It looks too BRIGHT and COLORFUL! The visuals in the trailers blinded me! What does that movie what to be, MY LITTLE PONY?! Give me a break..."
"Of course, the movie will be bright and colorful...it's a kids' movie," Master Hand stated matter-of-factly, as he killed the already minimal interest that Crazy Hand had in the movie. Said minimal interest was less than one percent.
"So that means no cursing? And no graphic violence?" As Mario and the buddy cops shook their heads no, Crazy Hand became even more disinterested in the movie he didn't even care to see. "And no scenes of Princess Peach..."
"There is none-a of that, none at all," Mario cut off Crazy Hand, preventing the giant hand from saying something about Peach that Mario would find distasteful. Crazy Hand expressed his disappointment with a groan.
"Then I'll just wait for the sequel if there is one...count me out, Master Hand." And just like that, the individual that Master Hand was counting on the most had turned him down.
"I'll be around if you ever change your mind," Master Hand said to Crazy Hand, sounding a bit discontent - if not depressed - in his tone. "Let's go, boys." Master Hand exited Crazy Hand's room...albeit through means of teleportation, while Mario and the buddy cops exited the old-fashioned way, through the door.
Toon Link: We have already seen The Super Mario Bros Movie, and on the day of the movie's premiere no less. Yet for some strange reason, most of our peers have yet to see the film.
Young Link: Until they claim that they have watched the movie, any resident who hasn't seen the movie yet will be given a police ticket until they have seen the movie - on the big screen. DVD and streaming services don't count.
Toon Link: And if they have seen the movie, but keep it to themselves... *takes out handcuffs* ...behind bars they go.
"We never asked the tower residents if they have watched The Super Mario Bros Movie," Toon Link spoke with Young Link once everyone was outside Crazy Hand's room. The Hylian had a hankering for handing out tickets today - just like any other day, essentially.
"All I want is to watch the movie with a friend..." said Master Hand, sounding depressed as he appeared a little sad. Mario had never seen Master Hand so downtrodden before and wanted to cheer him up.
"Why don't we go to the gaming room?" Mario offered to Master Hand as he and the buddy cops led the giant hand away from Crazy Hand. "Hope you're up-a for a game of pop-a-shot!"
Zelda and Nell were at Omnis Adest, as the commanders-in-chief for both Yellow Comet and Green Earth were present in the community. Both commanders-in-chief had to be found and reasoned with, or else all heck would start breaking loose.
"The leader for Yellow Comet, Kanbei, looks like a Japanese emperor," Nell described to Zelda, as she and the princess kept their eyes peeled for anyone associated with Yellow Comet and Green Earth. "Green Earth's leader, Eagle, is fittingly a pilot."
"Is that them over there?" asked Zelda, as she pointed at two men quarreling with each other in an open field. One looked like a Japanese emperor, and the other was a pilot. It was Kanei and Eagle, alright.
"You must be sorely mistaken - I saw this community first!" Kanbei said to Eagle, as his commanding officer was standing at his side while dressed in all green and holding a clipboard. "Sonja, do you mind proving it to him?"
"I doubt that I have any evidence that I can be used as proof," replied the commanding officer, Sonja, as she was writing away on her clipboard. Kanbei growled as he smacked the clipboard out of Sonja's hand.
You're the mistaken one; this place is ours," Eagle said to Kanbei, before turning around to look at somebody that was supposed to be at standing by his side. "Isn't that right, Drake?"
"Aye-aye, captain!" responded Eagle's overweight commanding officer, Drake, who showed up eating a doughnut. Drake frowned at his commanding officer. "What, I was hungry! Cut me some slack, Eagle!"
"Kanbei! Eagle! State your business!" Nell shouted at the fellow commanders-in-chief, demanding to know why they were at Omnis Adest of all places. Kanbei and Eagle both turned their heads at Nell and Zelda.
"Commander Nell! We are...having peaceful conversations," responded Kanbei as he looked hastily at Eagle, who was nodding his head nervously. Kanbei was nodding along with him.
"Yeah, peaceful conversations - not like we were talking about taking over the Smash Mansion!" added Drake, only to realize what he said as he covered his mouth. Eagle was angry with his commanding officer as he smacked his forehead.
Olaf: *twiddling with his finger* ...I may have told the other commanders-in-chief about Blue Moon's plan to take over the mansion. What can I say, I love a little competition!
"As the woman of the mansion, I forbid any of you to take over the mansion in any fashion," Zelda said to the head honchos of Yellow Comet and Green Earth, as she put her foot down. "Also, why are negotiating here?"
"Because we were thinking about taking over this place first," replied Drake, speaking too much yet again as he covered his mouth a second time. Eagle ought to put a leash on that mouth of Drake's.
"Can't you shut up for once?!" Eagle frowned at Drake, who nodded his head with his hands still covered. Eagle then turned to Zelda, cracking a smirk. "Look, princess, we're kind of in a conquering mood."
"It was Olaf of Blue Moon who enticed us," stated Sonja, as she was inherently calling out Olaf; Zelda was going to have a word with Olaf the next time she saw the guy.
"Olaf would be responsible for this..." Nell said to Zelda, as she wanted to have a word with Olaf as well once Yellow Comet and Green Earth were gone from the Omnis Adest premises. "...I ask that you all leave peacefully. Or we'll have to use force."
"You and what army?" Eagle asked Dell, smirking as he folded his arms; Nell frowned as she dug into her pocket and pulled out a walkie-talkie. A red walkie-talkie at that.
"Andy, Max, Sami...I'm going to need that tank," Nell spoke into her walkie-talkie, while she still kept her eye on Eagle. And Kanbei, as well.
Meanwhile, Link was in Blue Moon's tank with members of Orange Star and Blue Moon, as he had a craftsman to catch. Steve had stolen Orange Star's red tank and was taking it out on a joyride, and it was up to Link and company to catch him.
"Not the fire hydrant!" shouted one of the onlookers, Zeke, acting all dramatic as Steve rolled the red tank over a fire hydrant causing water to gush out. "That's the fourth one he ran over!"
"If he crashes into any of the utility poles, he's gonna get it!" said another onlooker, Amy Rose, while she and Zeke kept their distance. Steve was cruising down the street, being mindful of anyone in his way, only for the tank to suddenly stop.
"Oh dear - the tank must need repair," assumed Steve as he appeared out of the hatch, before taking out his diamond axe and hitting the side of the tank with it. The Blue Moon tank appeared as everyone got out.
"He's hurting our tank!" shouted Andy, who had to be held back by Max as he wanted to give Steve a piece of his mind. "Let me at him, let me at him!"
"That's the person driving the tank?" Amy asked out of disbelief, never imagining in a million years Steve riding around in a military vehicle.
"Apparently so," replied Sami, who was locked and loaded as she took her submarine gun from over her shoulder and aimed her weapon at Steve. "It's time that we take him out!"
"Hold your fire!" Link shouted at Sami just when she was about to pull the trigger, as he held his arm out in front of the commanding officer. "We don't want to hurt him."
"But he literally stole our tank from us. He has to pay for what he did!" Sami ignored Link as she went back to aiming with her gun, only for Max to take the firearm out of Sami's hands.
"Link's right!" Olaf sided with Link as he tossed the submarine gun to the side, much to Sami's chagrin. "Do you think that he deserves to be shot up?" Sami was forced to look at Steve, who was still hitting the red tank with his diamond axe.
"Only a few more strikes and you will be good as new," Steve assured the red tank, not knowing that he was causing dents in the tank's structure. Every dent ate away at Andy's soul.
"He's making it obvious that he does," said Sami as she reached for her submarine gun, picking it up and directing it right at Steve's head. "He's playing with fire right now..."
"How about I reason with this Steve fella?" suggested Grit, as Sami was forced to lower her guard; Sami sighed as Grit went over to Steve, who was done with his "repairs".
"Now you look good as new," Steve said to the red tank as he put away his diamond axe, only to look up and see Grit standing before him. "Hello, kind sir - do you like my tank?"
"It's a good tank, I will admit," replied Grit, while hating the fact that he was inherently giving props to Orange Star. He often didn't enjoy giving them props. "What are you using it for?"
"I am mining for diamonds. Haven't uncovered any yet." Steve was mining for diamonds...in Omnis Adest?! He was better off doing that in the San Francisco Valley or something.
"Mining for diamonds? In the Pacific Northwest? Do you not realize how ridiculous you sound?" Apparently, Steve did as he hopped back inside the tank and closed the hatch to continue his quest.
"He's getting away!" shouted Andy as the red tank sped away, and at the slowest speed possible. The only thing that tank could beat in a race was a snail. "We have to stop him!"
"Leave it to me," volunteered Max as he let go of Andy, before running to the tank and stopping right in front of it with his arms outstretched. Max was daring Steve to run over him.
"He thinks he's in Tiananmen Square..." Olaf furrowed his brow, lightly surprised that Steve brought the tank to a stop. Right in front of Max.
"Pardon my ignorance, but what kind of shape is a Tiananmen Square?" Andy asked Olaf, who facepalmed at the mechanic's lack of world history. You'd think that a commanding officer like Andy would be knowledgeable about that kind of stuff.
"Please move out of my way - I must mine for diamonds," Steve kindly told Max after appearing from the hatch of the tank, playing nice guy as much as he possibly could. Steve was too classy to lose his emotions.
"Want diamonds so bad? You're gonna have to go through me," Max said to Steve, who went back inside the tank and looked to run over Max. Max screamed as he ran from the tank.
"Think I hear something..." Sami said to Link and the others, as she heard some static coming from her walkie-talkie. The commanding officer took her device out and held it up to her mouth. "...yes, this is Sami speaking."
"About time someone picked up the walkie-talkie!" Nell was heard from the walkie-talkie, sounding super relieved that she finally made contact with a member of Orange Star. "I need you to direct Steve to the front gate of Omnis Adest."
"We'll work on it." Sami watched as Steve was cruising down the street in his tank, as he made chase after Max. Steve ran over a streetlight during his chase.
"No, not the streetlight - that was my favorite pee spot!" Agent 9 wailed from afar, out loud for everyone outside to hear. The monkey, fearing what the others thought of him, sheepishly walked away.
Mario and the buddy cops saw that Master Hand was feeling a little sad, so they took him to the gaming room to liven his mood up a bit. The original plan was to play a little bit of pop-a-shot, but that was already taken by Donkey Kong and Funky Kong.
"Funky Kong, you're doing it all wrong," Donkey Kong informed the gorilla, who was throwing the basketballs into the hoop at rapid speed. Donkey Kong, the traditionalist, was shooting the balls one by one.
"I don't have to abide by the rules!" said Funky Kong, who ultimately lost to Donkey Kong after many of the basketballs he threw like a maniac had rimmed out of the basket. "Unless I lose..."
"Now that's what I call karmic justice!" Donkey Kong celebrated his win as he pointed his fingers in the air, but he would cut his celebration short as he gave a handshake to Funky Kong. "Good game though, Funky."
"Maybe if I was shooting into a less janky net, I would've won...ha, just kidding! You're such a good friend to play against, DK."
Funky Kong: There is no rule stating that you have to shoot regularly in pop-a-shot. That is why I always rely on my tried-and-true method of throwing balls like there's no tomorrow. It has never failed me, ever! *pauses* Today notwithstanding.
"Pop-a-shot's available now," Mario said to the buddy cops, and also Master Hand...who was strangely sobbing after the Kongs left the pop-a-shot attraction. What had Master Hand so upset?
"I understand, Master Hand - what we have witnessed was an incredible performance by Donkey Kong," Toon Link said to Master Hand as he consoled the giant hand, rubbing him gently. "Funky Kong, not so much."
"Stop touching me..." Master Hand commanded Toon Link, who stopped rubbing the giant hand for his own sake. If Master Hand could snap in any other instance, imagined how he'd snap in the state that he was in.
"...let's-a go outside," Mario recommended to Master Hand, as he and the buddy cops escorted the giant hand out of the gaming room. Tom Nook saw Master Hand leave, seeing him sobbing.
Layton and Luke met up with Fox, Falco, Bowser, Champion Link, the Luminary, and the newest member of the pact, Cloud, in the meeting room. Sonic was standing outside the meeting room while the door was open, doing his best to eavesdrop as he waited to speak with Layton.
"She finally responded," Pit said to Layton and Luke as he was in the meeting room showing the duo a text message he had received. "Either that or she already sent it and I didn't see the notification until later."
"It was clearly sent a while ago," stated Luke, noting the time difference between when the text was sent and when Pit responded. "But thanks for showing us the text, Pit."
"Well, boys, this has been the most productive dilly-dallying I have ever done," Layton said to the others, as Pit put his phone back in his pocket and exited the meeting room. "So shall we show Master Hand the results of our 'investigation'?"
"Let's do it," replied the Luminary, wanting to get the whole situation over with as the meeting was adjourned. As the Luminary and others filed out of the meeting room, Sonic caught Layton just as he exited.
"Hey Layton - wanted to speak with you for a hot minute," Sonic said to the detective, not wanting to take up too much of his time. After all, Layton had some important business to take care of.
"Ah, Sonic! What is it that you wish to speak about?" Layton asked the blue hedgehog, hoping that Sonic wouldn't take up too much of his time. The detective hs ad some important business to handle, after all.
"It's nothing major, really." Based on Sonic's body language, though, what he wanted to speak about was clearly something major. "So, uh, remember what you told me, about doing the right thing..."
"Yes I remember, and how is that coming along?" Layton was interested in hearing any great strides Sonic had taken ever since that pep talk he gave to him.
"I've been trying to do that...by reviving Conker's dead girlfriend. I was gung ho on doing it, but then I attended an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting that Conker went to..."
"Sometimes, doing what you believe is the right thing isn't always necessary." Layton parted this knowledge to Sonic as he placed his hand on the blue hedgehog's shoulder. "It's best to leave things the way they are."
"You got a point there. I thought that Conker missed Berri that much, but I was probably just overexaggerating. Conker seems content now."
"I'm sure that he is. I'd focus on curtailing his alcoholism if I were you. Then, and only then, can you get the satisfaction of doing the right..."
"Professor Layton, are you done yet?" Champion Link asked the detective, as he and the others were waiting on him. So much for Layton not wanting Sonic to take up too much of his time.
"Almost!" Layton responded, before looking back at Sonic looking to finish up his conversation. "Tell me how helping Conker with his addiction goes."
"I'll keep you posted," assured Sonic as he gave a thumbs up, with Layton tipping his hat to the blue hedgehog. Layton rejoined the others, as Sonic let out a sigh of relief.
"I assume you two were talking about Conker," Cloud said to Layton, who didn't need to say a word since Cloud already knew what was up.
Cloud: Seems like Sonic's no longer committed to reviving Berri. Good - some things are just meant to stay the same. I should know.
Forced to take him out of the gaming room, Mario consoled Master Hand after the giant hand had a mini pity party. It was up to Mario and the buddy cops to cheer Master Hand up again.
"If you want, I can do poorly at pop-a-shot if it'll make you stop crying," Young Link offered to Master Hand, confident that he wouldn't make a single shot. "My shooting skills aren't good enough to make anyone..."
"Leave me alone, I don't want to be bothered!" shouted Master Hand as he turned away from the buddy cops and Mario, wishing to sob alone. Tom Nook came outside the gaming room as he saw Master Hand.
"Saw Master Hand crying, so I wanted to see what the problem was," Tom Nook said quietly to Mario; if anyone could get through Master Hand, it was Tom Nook, Master Hand's former "nemesis". "May I try and speak to him?"
"Do your best," Mario quietly responded, as Tom Nook slowly ventured over to Master Hand with his hands held behind his back. Master Hand, even while sobbing, felt Tom Nook's presence.
"Go away, whoever you are..." Master Hand commanded Tom Nook, who showed no signs of leaving as he remained standing where he was. "...can't you see that I'm depressed?"
"That's why I'm here, to see why you're depressed," replied Tom Nook, turning into Emotional Therapist Tom Nook hoping to get some answers. "What is on your mind?"
"Nothing's on my mind...I'm just thinking." Was it possible to think without anything on your mind? Tom Nook dared not to question that logic as he looked to continue pressing Master Hand.
"Thinking about what? The Super Mario Bros Movie? Did you finally watch it? Has watching it made you cry just like how the Dune movie made you cry?"
"Told you not to speak of that...and no, sadly I have not seen The Super Mario Bros Movie. Wanted to see it with Crazy Hand...for better and for worse."
"For better and for worse? You're telling that you don't want to watch the movie with your twin?" At that moment, Master Hand momentarily stopped sobbing as he faced Tom Nook.
"Let me tell you something that I have never told you before...Crazy Hand is not my twin. Or at least I think so. What his relationship is to me can't exactly be put in words."
"Okay...I believe you. Anything else that you wish to share?" Learning that Master Hand and Crazy Hand weren't twins was a nice tidbit of information, but it wasn't what Tom Nook was looking for.
"You have no idea what it's like to have Crazy Hand as your only friend. It's part of the reason why I've longed to seek out new friends, meet new people..."
"Master Hand! We have finally concluded our investigation," Layton said to the giant hand, as he and Luke appeared - right when Tom Nook's conversation with Master Hand was getting good. "Shall we share the results with you in your room?"
A standoff was taking place at Omnis Adest, with Zelda and Nell face-to-face with Yellow Comet and Green Earth. Neither side had moved a muscle, as the tension was building in the air.
"Well? Where's your army?" Eagle questioned Nell, under the assumption that the commander-in-chief was pulling his tail. He didn't believe that Nell had an actual army, and he was looking forward to being proven right.
"Was going to ask you the same question," replied Zelda, only to lean in close to Nell and whisper into the commander-in-chief's ear. "Where are they?"
"Don't know, I haven't heard back from Sami yet," Nell whispered back, as Kanbei furrowed his brow at the two ladies whispering. Kanbei believed that they were discussing war strategy.
"What are you ladies whispering about?" Kanbei asked Zelda and Nell, with his slight curiosity slowly getting the better of him. "Sonja, find out what they're discussing."
"I honestly don't feel like walking over there," responded Sonja, who was perfectly fine with standing at Kanbei's side. Kanbei groaned, resisting the urge to call Sonja useless.
"No worries, I'll have Drake peep in on them instead," Eagle said to Kanbei as he looked at Drake...who once again was absent. Much to Eagle's dismay. Eagle looked around. "Drake?"
"Bad news, commander!" shouted Drake as he ran back to his post, with Eagle looking to backhand his commanding officer for running off without permission. "Our military airplane...it's been crushed! Yellow Comet's, too!"
"WHAT?!" Kanbei and Eagle both shouted in unison, as Sonja looked shocked; Zeld and Nell looked at each other and smiled, knowing who was responsible.
Two tanks were at the destroyed Omnis Adest gate - one red and one blue. Also at the gate were two military airplanes, both of which looked like they had been run over. Which was exactly what happened.
"Nice work, Grit!" Andy commended the commanding officer, as he and everyone else in the blue tank climbed out. The hatch of the blue tank opened - and out came Steve and Max.
"Military airplanes are donezo!" exclaimed Max, as he helped Steve down to the ground. Once he was back on the ground, Steve checked both military airplanes for diamonds.
"No diamonds to be found," Steve confirmed after checking both airplanes, before checking to see if any diamonds had spilled unto the ground.
Max: Had to trick Steve after Sami told me about Nell's plan. Since Steve was looking for diamonds so, I convinced him that the two military airplanes parked outside the gate had diamonds in them. If I were him, I'd take the scraps of the Yellow Comet's airplane, since the aircraft is made out of gold. I think it's made out of gold.
"NOOOO, MY AIRPLANE!" shouted Eagle as he and Drake showed up at the front gate, falling down to his knees in distress. Kanbei and Sonja showed up as well, with Kanbei terribly devastated.
"How could have done this..." Kanbei seethed as he looked for a culprit, eventually finding one when his eyes fell prey to Olaf. "Olaf! I should've known!"
"He did most of the carnage," said Olaf, putting the blame squarely on Steve as he pointed at the craftsman. Letting out a scream of rage, Eagle ran towards Steve, only for Steve to strike him in the face with his diamond axe.
"That is for not carrying any diamonds," Steve said to Eagle, who was holding his face in pain after Steve struck the bridge of his nose. Eagle looked briefly at his hand to check for any signs of blood.
"How will we return to our base now?" Sonja asked Kanbei, asking since the military airplane was Yellow Comet's only mode of transportation. Eagle fell down on one knee, as Drake came over to help his commander-in-chief up to his feet.
"We'll just have to walk on foot..." replied Kanbei, starting his long trek as he took his first foot forward. Sonja followed after Kanbei, as Drake escorted Eagle away from the premises.
"This isn't over...not by a long shot!" Eagle vowed to Steve and company as Drake escorted him away. With Yellow Comet and Green Earth both gone, no hostile takeover of the mansion (or Omnis Adest) would take place.
"Good job, everyone, good job," commended Link, commending everyone's efforts, with the three commanding officers of Orange Star celebrating as they exchanged high-fives. Steve approached the trio of Andy, Sami, and Max as he held his hand up.
"I helped too," stated Steve, expecting one of the commanding officers to give him a high-five. Andy, Sami, and Max all smiled nervously as they backed off from Steve.
"So happy that they're gone," remarked Olaf, about to walk away from his tank...only to be stopped by Zelda and Nell. Both ladies were frowning at him.
"I heard that you were the one responsible for reeling in Yellow Comet and Green Earth.." Nell said to Olaf, who was looking nervous as he backed up for good measure.
"What can I say, who doesn't like a good war every now and then? Wouldn't feel right if I had little to no opposition..."
Master Hand was in his room, and he had a healthy gathering present - Mario, Tom Nook, Toon Link, Young Link, Layton, Luke, Fox, Falco, Champion Link, Bowser, and Cloud. Master Hand wondered why all those people were present, but learning the results of the investigation was his main focus.
"The person who was kidnapped has been identified," Layton said to Master Hand, as he looked out the door and beckoned to someone in the hallway. "You can bring her on in, Luminary!"
"The kidnapped person was a woman?" inquired Master Hand...only to gasp when Luminary brought in Lara Croft. "Lara Croft?!" Safe to say that Master Hand did not see that one coming.
"Yes, Master Hand, I was the kidnapped person," confirmed Lara, with Master Hand left stunned and not knowing what to think next. "It was me all along."
"Moreover, the person who kidnapped Lara in the first place...was YOU!" Layton pointed at Master Hand, pointing at him in a manner that would make Phoenix Wright proud. Master Hand gasped yet again.
"I kidnapped Lara? Me?" questioned Master Hand, hating the fact that he was being accused in front of so many witnesses. "How was that possible?"
"You don't remember?" the Luminary asked Master Hand, amazed at how a powerful entity could have such a poor memory. "When you forced Lara to stay at Omnis Adest until she made amends with me?"
"Yeah, that black eye Lara gave the Luminary...it was fake," Cloud explained to Master Hand, as the hits kept coming and coming at every corner. "You said you would reconsider Lara's residency status if she injured someone..."
"...and you decided to keep her in town against her will," Bowser would finish for Cloud, before pointing at Master Hand - but not with as much ferocity as Layton had done. "That's kidnapping!"
"No, Bowser, you got it all wrong..." Master Hand told the Koopa King, as he was finding himself in hot water. Kidnapping was a serious crime. "...I only kidnapped her with the right intentions in mind."
"Who kidnaps someone with the 'right intentions in mind?'" questioned Tom Nook, with Master Hand on the verge of another sobbing fit. And soon enough, Master Hand started to sob.
"Uh oh, Master Hand's crying!" alerted Fox, knowing how serious - and often hazardous - it was whenever Master Hand was overly emotional. "Every man for themselves."
"All I really wanted...was for Lara to be my friend," confessed Master Hand, as his confession shocked everyone in the room. "Even though I barely made any effort, that is what I wanted." Everyone from Mario to Falco, and most especially Lara.
"You wanted to be my friend?" Lara asked Master Hand, appreciating the giant hand for wanting to spark a friendship with her while at the same time curious about what he wanted so.
"Ever since you first showed up in 2017. It was a goal of mine, dare I say. When you stopped by to visit, that feelings for friendship came right back."
"So you were reliving the past, pretty much," stated Cloud, seeing that Master Hand was making a mistake that he himself had to learn. "Wanting to make Lara as a friend your goal."
"My longing for friendship is a feeling that comes and goes. Do you want to know why we have so many get-togethers? Why I invite so many people from across the world and beyond?"
"Because you want a friend?" asked Falco, saying the most obvious answer - and the answer to pretty much every big functioning that the mansion held.
"Exactly - being the creator of the Smash universe and all, I felt an obligation to have as many friends as possible. Crazy Hand could only do so much to fill the empty, lonely void that I feel."
"I'm your friend, Master Hand - am I not?" Mario asked the giant hand, who took the plumber into consideration. "We do talk a lot with each other."
"And you probably consider me your friend," added Cloud, and the swordsman could think of only a few select individuals that fell under the same umbrella. "Even though you did hate me at one point."
"You're right, Cloud, I did hate you at one point in time," said Master Hand, owning up to the disdain that he held towards Cloud not so long ago. "You know, I was a little jealous - jealous of how you easily found favor with your 'family' in Arcadia Bay. It really put me in a mood."
"You already have a family...here at the mansion," Tom Nook assured Master Hand, bringing the giant hand's attention to everyone that was standing before him. Layton, Luke, and Lara didn't count. "All the friends you could ask for!"
"Thanks, Tom Nook," Master Hand thanked the tanuki, before shaking himself off to get rid of any tears that he may or may not have shed. "It's funny - my longing for friendship was a slight motivation for me starting up Omnis Adest, aside from Dimentio."
"Would explain why so many undeserving people are living there..." Young Link whispered into Toon Link's ear, as Master Hand overhead the Hylian with his superb listening skills and laughed.
"Guess all that I'm looking for is a genuine friend. Maybe there is one out there, and I haven't been looking hard enough. I'll find them someday."
"We appreciate you letting it all out, Master Hand," Layton said to the giant hand, unable to recall a moment where Master Hand was so candid and honest. "We won't have the buddy cops charge you for your crime...wink, wink."
Cappy: Honestly I don't blame Master Hand one bit - if Crazy Hand was my best friend, let alone only friend, I'd go a little crazy too. I'd hate it if Master Hand did go legitimately crazy, though. One Crazy Hand is enough!
"Glad that this is all settled," remarked Lara, relieved that she didn't have to make amends with the Luminary to get back home. Speaking of which... "Now to get back home."
"Special delivery for Lara Croft!" Pit shouted from outside Master Hand's room, as he ran inside with a plane ticket. Pit handed the ticket to Lara.
"A plane ticket for London?" Lara looked at the ticket with much joy, as she looked up at Pit. "How did you even afford this, Pit?" This was one plane ticket that Pit wasn't keen on destroying.
"I purchased the ticket with my own money," admitted Layton as he held the tip of his hat, with Lara showing the detective her appreciation. "Put a dent in my wallet, but it was worth it."
"Thank you very much. A shame that my return trip to London was delayed for four weeks. Might as well get started with cleaning out my townhouse."
Lara Croft was going home soon...all thanks to Layton and Luke. Just like the last time. And as for Master Hand and his dire need for friendship..that was a conversation for another day.