Chapter 3- Wily Wars
The trio—Mario, Yoshi, and Pit—pressed forward through the daunting terrain, determined to track down Bowser and the abducted princesses.
"You think that Bowser kept them at his castle?" Pit asked.
"Of course, I think that," Mario replied, "Bowser always keeps the princess within arms reach."
Before they could reach their intended destination, a disruption manifested.
"Where do you think you're going?" Bowser Jr. said, smiling. His usually mischievous grin was replaced by a malevolent sneer, and his eyes glowed with an unsettling darkness.
"So, you too?" Mario mocked, "We'll just have to bash you like we did your father."
"Uh, Mario," Yoshi said, "He wrecked u-"
"Well, we had been bashing him before he transformed into that eldritch horror," Mario replied.
The confrontation erupted swiftly against Bowser Jr. Pit hung back and fired light arrows from the Palutena Bow, as Mario mounted Yoshi. Yoshi jumped up and kicked Bowser Jr. square in the nose, as Mario jumped off of Yoshi to spike him and his Clown Car into the ground.
In a fit of rage, Bowser Jr. flung Bob-Ombs everywhere. Pit sidestepped as Mario caught one and threw one back at Bowser Jr. Yoshi swallowed one and threw it back at Bowser Jr. He moved out of the way as he fired a cannonball from his Clown Car at Pit. Before it could hit Pit, Yoshi grabbed onto the cannonball and flung it back at Bowser Jr, knocking the Clown Car out of the air.
In a last-ditch effort, Bowser Jr. started breathing shadowy fire everywhere. Pit and Yoshi were hit, but Mario reflected the shadowy fire at Bowser Jr. with his Cape.
Pit then got up and equipped his Upperdash Arm. Pit readied himself and dashed at Bowser Jr. Finally, they managed to overpower Bowser Jr., sending him reeling before he swiftly retreated through a shadowy rift.
Their intended destination, Bowser's Castle, loomed ahead. But as they arrived, it became starkly apparent that the imposing structure before them wasn't Bowser's fortress.
"Is that Bowser's Castle?" Pit asked.
"It can't be," Mario said, confused, "Usually when Bowser has a giant castle, it's made of exclusively brick and stone. It never had this much metal."
"There's also a lot of skulls on the castle," Yoshi added. Instead, they found themselves standing at the entrance of Wily's Castle, a foreboding sight in its own right.
Before they could fully grasp the situation, figures emerged from the castle's depths—Metal Man and Air Man, visibly surging with the same ominous energy that had tainted Bowser.
"Wait," Air Man said, "You're not Mega Man!"
"Yeah, and you aren't Bowser!" Yoshi replied.
"Who cares if they're what we're looking for," Metal Man said, "We can loosen our joints by getting rid of them!"
The trio braced themselves for another confrontation, engaging in a battle against the corrupted Robot Masters. Metal Man threw three Metal Blades, all targeting them. Mario and Pit jumped out of the way, and Yoshi ducked. Mario went in for a punch but Metal Man dodged. As Metal Man dodged, he threw a Metal Blade at Mario. Mario barely dodged it, but it knocked his hat off. Metal Man's swift and precise attacks, coupled with Air Man's formidable aerial assaults, posed a significant challenge to Mario, Yoshi, and Pit.
While they gave it their all, the Robot Masters' dark-charged abilities proved overwhelming. Despite their determination, the trio found themselves outmatched, beaten down by the relentless onslaught.
However, just as defeat seemed imminent, a sudden intervention shifted the tides. Out of nowhere, Mega Man emerged, swiftly eliminating both Metal Man and Air Man with precise and calculated strikes, dispelling the darkness that had consumed them.
"Woah." The trio said, marveling at Mega Man.
"The old man never quits," Mega Man said, "Always reusing his robots." Mega Man looked over at the three of them, confused. "I've never seen any of you before, who are you guys?"
"Well, it's a long story," Mario said.
"Some external force has been messing with the space-time continuum. There are also universe-hopping villains from some universes everywhere, enhanced with some dark power. We're trying to gather the universes' heroes to stop whatever's going on." Pit explained.
"I see," Mega Man replied, "Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to join you on your endeavor."
Their newly strengthened team stormed through Wily's Castle, navigating its treacherous corridors and overcoming the mechanical defenses laid out by Dr. Wily. Each room presented a new challenge, but their determination remained unwavering as they pressed on.
Finally, they reached the heart of the castle, where Dr. Wily stood, a malevolent glint in his eyes as he revealed his classic Wily Machine, a formidable construct brimming with destructive potential.
"Wily, we've done this for over 30 years," Mega Man sighed, "Give it up."
"You think you have all my plans figured out, don't you?" Wily said as his machine started to surge with dark energy.
"What?" Pit gasped, "I thought the dark power only affected life-forms, not robots!"
"A friendly scientist by the name of Dr. Ivo Robotnik has sourced a special chip that allows this massive dark power to be channeled through mechanical structures," Wily explained.
"Dr. Ivo Robotnik…" Mario said. Mario then came to a realization, "Dr. Eggman! Yoshi and I competed against him in the Olympics!" The room went silent as Mega Man and Pit awkwardly looked at Mario.
"You really have done it all, haven't you." Pit mocked.
The quartet launched into action, their coordinated efforts attempting to dismantle the monstrous machine. Mega Man repeatedly fired shots from his Mega Buster. Yoshi started throwing eggs at the Wily Machine. Pit shot light arrows, and Mario launched fireballs, all to no avail.
"I have to say," Mega Man said, "Wily might actually have us beat."
"Yeah," Yoshi said, "This thing won't budge." Wily started firing missiles at the four of them. They all started dodging before Yoshi and Pit got hit, getting launched outside of the castle. Mario and Mega Man had to find a way.
"Luckily, I always have a backup," Mario said. Mario, utilizing a Super Star, surged forward with unparalleled speed, swiftly disabling the Wily Machine's core. The machine was reduced to scrap metal as Wily got on his knees and begged.
"Wily, stop this," Mega Man sighed, "You do this little charade every time. You beg for mercy, and I give it to you, and you come back with a new scheme. Every time."
A roar echoed through the castle halls as victory seemed within reach. A rift tore open, and Ridley, the formidable space pirate, emerged with a terrifying ferocity, unleashing chaos upon the already beleaguered castle.
"What is THAT?!" Mario and Mega Man yelled. Wily face shifted from sadness to pure fear.
"Was this part of your plan?" Mega Man asked.
"NO!" Wily replied, "How could I've calculated for a space dragon coming out of a rift?!"
"Mario!" Mega Man yelled, "We need to get out of here!" Mega Man called Rush. Rush came through as Rush Jet, before shifting into Rush Space. "We need to find somewhere where we can be away from all this." Mega Man said as Mega Man and Mario rode Rush. Ridley grabbed onto Rush, with Mega Man and Mario inside.
Before Ridley could damage them, Yoshi came from out of nowhere and pulled Ridley's hand away from Rush. Pit then came in on the other side and slashed Ridley's eye, making him let go of the ship.
With heavy hearts, Mario and Mega Man fled, their path fraught with burning debris and violent destruction as Ridley pursued relentlessly. The castle crumbled around them as they raced against time, desperate to scarcely escape the violent chaos that had buried Wily's ruined fortress.