Round 6: Day 4

Luigi

Smash Mansion
Training Floor
King of Fighters Stadium stage

1130

Luigi had received the text from Terry Bogard an hour earlier. Normally talkative, the Hungry Wolf had been mum about why he had agreed to train with him. The walk downstairs had been silent, unsure. The plumber was lost in his thoughts, wondering what the odd was behavior about. His arrival on the King of Fighters Stadium stage was met with even more silence, Terry only idly spinning his hat.

"Can I ask-a why you called me down here."

Terry grinned, "Let's spar first, Got an offer for ya, wanna see if you're as good as everybody's saying these days. Okay?"

Luigi nodded, "Anything that'll vary up my training regiment going into this thing is good with me."

Terry pressed a button on the stage's console. The arcade cabinet-like machine lowered into the floor, and the sterile room became a lively football stadium.

The two charged each other as soon as the announcer gave the go-ahead. The raucous guitar of the newest version of Soy Sauce for Geese faded into the background as Luigi struck first, pelting Terry with a barrage of punches. A full-power Green Missile led to yet another barrage of running punches. A second Green Missile landed, but Terry soldiered through the pain. A Crack Shoot, followed by two kicks, and a Burn Knuckle tacked on the damage for Luigi.

"You're a firecracker boy," Terry laughed, "But I'm a bottle rocket baby1'

Luigi got into a squat, "If you think you're a bottle rocket, you ain't-a seen nothing yet."

"Telegraphing your big move like that," Terry tutted, "GET SERIOUS!"

Before Luigi could even process his folly Terry had leaped behind him. He executed a roundhouse kick, followed by two sweeps and a Rising tackle, Luigi let himself be flung into the air, gently floating down, leaving Terry open for a Luigi Tornado

Terry spun his hat, "Good move Lou. Gotta make Quinn and Sephiroth lower their guard."

A sweep and a Power Knuckle sent Luigi through the wall, costing him a stock.

"But it's not gonna be good enough," Terry said as the score flashed, three to two in Terry's favor.

Luigi was off the Revival Platform before Terry could move, another running punch flurry and two jabs to the throat sent Terry through the wall. Tied two to two.

"Gotta keep swinging then no matter what," Luigi said, "You of all people should know that.

"Fair enough," Terry shouted from the Revival Platform, "Let's keep it going greenie!"

Running punches, Green Missile. Terry staggered backward to the tried and true combo. Terry channeled his chi at the last second, blocking a second Green Missile. Terry went back into his old formula. Sweep, sweep…

Luigi spun with the Luigi Tornado before Terry could think. Terry was flung away, but he had driven a kick into Luigi's head the second he came to meet him.

"You think that's enough to cross me up," Terry shouted, "BURNING!"

Terry's knuckle, backed by the fires of Mother Earth, broke Luigi's nose on impact. A wild, instinctual roundhouse punch clocked Terry in the side of the head. Terry staggered for exactly one second, and that was enough time for Luigi to begin throwing his signature flurry of punches, along with a Green Missile. Terry bounced off the wall. A trio of uppercuts kept Terry juggling in the air.

"Damn, " Luigi wheezed as the two circled each other, " You're really hanging in there aren't ya?"

"The boys will never let me live it down if I don't," Terry said, the color suddenly flushing from his face, "Aw man, I already said too much. Let's get back to it."

"Sure," Luigi said, moving into a squatting position, "GREEN MISSILE1"

"BURN KNUCKLE!"

The two fiery attacks collided, resulting in neither blow doing any damage. The two went for the same thing at the same time again, a roundhouse kick with their right foot. Both blows connected, and both men staggered.

"POWAH WAVE!" cried Terry.

The wave of fire caused Luigi to skitter backward.

"GREEN MISSILE1'

"POWAH WAVE!"

Terry's signature move was extinguished by Luigi's signature move, but the charging plumber paid for it, his momentum grinding to an unceremonious halt. Luigi was to his feet as soon as he hit the ground. He attempted another Green Missile, but Terry vaulted over it with his Crack Shoot technique. Luigi briefly pondered if the Hungry Wolf's maneuver had been intentional or not, but turning to face him extinguished any errant thoughts. The air around Terry sizzled. Everyone who had ever seen Terry fight knew what that meant. His power was at max, which meant his most powerful techniques at his disposal.

"ARE YOU-" Terry began

Luigi began to spin just before Terry's fist connected. Terry executed his Power Dunk to ensure a quick trip back to the ground. Luigi charged, flailing his fists as he approached. Terry zipped towards him fist first. Luigi found himself stunned.

"ARE YOU OKAY?" Terry shouted, "BUSTER WOLF!"

Luigi flew into the air, bouncing off the wall, the angle at which he bounced sent him to the exceedingly high top Blast Zone of King of Fighters Stadium

"Ah hoo hoo hoo hoooo," Luigi cried as he fell into the background, disappearing in the blink of a star. The score was now one to two. Luigi dove for Terry from the Revival Platform, but Terry was ready.

"POWAH GEYSAH!" he cried.

Despite the massive explosion, Luigi was ready.

"GREEN MISSILE!"

A full-power Green Missile sent Terry through the wall. They were tied one to one.

The two met in the middle of the arena, trading punches. A Fireball was extinguished by a Power Wave. Luigi was the one to bridge the gap with a Green Missile. Terry kept his ground despite a grown man being launched into his chest. throwing as many punches as he could. Luigi's punches were faster, eventually overwhelming the seasoned martial artist.

"Bring it Hungry Wolf, bring it," seethed Luigi.

Electricity began to spark in Luigi's hands. Shocked, Terry staggered backward. Another running burst of punches pinned Terry to the wall.

"Neat trick," Terry grunted.

A Crack Shoot was followed by a Burn Knuckle. They were standing in the arena's center again. They both crouched down, executing a sweep as quickly as they could. Briefly slinking back from the pain of bone on bone, the two exchanged a knowing chuckle, Terry moonwalking backward while Luigi followed after him.

"POWAH WAVE!" Terry yelled.

Luigi rolled around it, not breaking from his run.

"POWAH-!"

Terry's eyes went wide before he could execute the move. He'd underestimated the lanky man's speed. He was right in striking distance, his gloves coursing with electricity. Terry felt like he was being punched by the monstrous Big Bear and electrocuted at the same time, his jaw breaking as he was launched into the air.

"GAME!" shouted the canned voice of the announcer.

The room reverted back to its usual sterile appearance, Terry headed down the elevator.

"Well my friend," he said, "You passed the test,"

"Who're these friends you want me to meet so badly."

Terry grinned as the elevator stopped, stepping off it, "Well, you know how our man Quinn is training with the Street Fighter folks right?"

Luigi nodded.

"Well, I want you to train with my friends."

"Look, I've already trained with a Mishima, I had to put with Kazuya for longer than should be allowed, I don't need more martial artists in my life, present company excluded."

"You don't understand man," Terry said, "I know samurai from at least two different eras. I also know soldiers, aliens, you name it. Ryu can't let his extra-dimensional friends on land because of that crazy squirrel king, but I can. I think it'll give you an edge against Sephiroth someone like Quinn doesn't have."

"I thought you were pretty firmly in Quinn's corner. Why are you backing me."

Terry shrugged, "The interest of fairness?"

Luigi nodded, "That works for me."

"OKAY!" Terry bellowed, "Me and the gang meet you at the Neo Geo Battle Coliseum tomorrow, noon sharp."

"I'll be there," Luigi said with a wave goodbye.

Luigi kept his composure for as long as it took to walk out of the room and close the door.

Mama Mia, he thought, That was intense. And what of tomorrow? All I'm saying is I hope Quinn is having a less stressful day than I am.

Quinn
Smash Mansion

Quinn and Rosalina's room

1200

"My legs," Quinn moaned, "Every muscle hurts."

"Same," Rosalina moaned back, "But at least I don't have a seminar to speak at my old school in 30 minutes. You do."

"Thanks for rubbing it in babe."

"Always my pleasure."

Quinn was out of bed, hurriedly changing into his gi, "So what've you got going on today?"

"Shopping with Daisy and Peach, for the baseball game three days from now."

"Yankees vs Cardinals right, in the Punch-Out section of town right?"

"Correct," Rosalina huffed, finally sitting up, "Daisy and I insisted that we could rock our old baseball jerseys from when we had teams, but no, Peach said we must fit in."

"It's baseball jerseys hun," Quinn sighed as he added the final piece of his outfit, his signature sunglasses, "How bad can it be?"

"First of all, you've never been shopping with Peach. Secondly, the Cardinals have been around for about 200 years, the Yankees only a little less than that. You can imagine how many jerseys there are to pick from."

"It's not like you can find a 1903 replica jersey right?" Quinn laughed, "Some things have to be out of budget right?"

Rosalina's face did not flinch, staring directly at him.

"And here's yet another conversation I'm entirely too poor for," Quinn sighed

Rosalina only cracked a grin.

"I'm gonna go," Quinn said, "Love ya," he said, waving as he left the suite.

"Love you too Quinn," she said, "Go blow their minds, like you've blown mine."

With an extra pep in his step, Quinn closed the door, immediately punching the code Master Hart had sent him over encrypted e-mail, stepping through the portal that resulted. He found himself on an auditorium stage, hundreds of Miis in the school's four-team colors staring at him.

"Hell of an entrance bro," said the unmistakable voice of Hart from his left, "Ladies and germs, Quinn Marmaduke."

The crowd applauded politely.

"Alright bud," Hart instructed, "Walk 'em through a kata for me."

Quinn clasped his left fist in his right palm.

"Yes sensei," he said with a bow.

Quinn went through the motions. Rapid-fire punches. Hart was his biggest cheerleader, excitedly using words like 'quick' to describe his form Hart asked him to hold his pose on a high kick, so he did, balancing on one foot through the aches of the laser tag escapade.

"The true sign of mastery," Hart said as Quinn stood like a statue, "Is if you can hold a pose. if you can use muscles at any time for as long as you need."

The audience murmured excitedly to each other, but Quinn could've sworn he heard a few snickers. Quinn continued the rest of his form demonstration. Punches, kicks, squatting strikes, jumping strikes, he motored through it all while Hart continued to sing his praises. Phone cameras clicked all over the auditorium. A jumping split kick finished the kata he was all too familiar with.

"Alright, now I think it's time for the main event," Hart explained, "Suplexes!"

The crowd cheered. The snickers and annoyed grunts persisted, from the same voices.

"Alright big guy," Hart said, sighing, "Hook me up for the suplex, but don't take me up, got it?"

"Of course sensei."

Hart extended his arms horizontally, and Quinn hooked him under the armpits as fast as he could.

"See folks, that's the trick," Hart said to the auditorium. Hook 'em high on the armpits, trap their arms, and then go up. If you're having problems with the form, go through it slow until you can get it goin' as fast as Hart."

"Excuse me?" asked a familiar voice, Riddle's girlfriend Lisa, "How did you learn how to do the other suplexes, like the ones you did against Sans?"

"Oh," Quinn said bashfully, "I watched a tape of a man called Zangief. He was nice enough to teach me how to do it."

One of the grunters laughed, "Idiocy," they said.

Hart's jovial demeanor melted, "Excuse me?"

It took a second for Quinn to realize who had stood up. It was Matt, the man he'd beaten to get here in the first place.

"You heard me Hart," spat Matt, "Idiocy. He gets one fluke win against me and how does he honor our school? By bastardizing the style, by buddying up to anyone with money he can. If it were me I would've trained and won the tournament on your style's merit. Then again, you couldn't even do that in Duel could you?"

"Bro, you're really bringing down the mood, and that's not what this is about. Each Smasher experiences the tournament in their own way. Not even Ryu is so prudish to do nothing but train."

"That's the problem Hart," Matt said, "You think everything is a joke, and as a result, the Mii Brawler style is falling short of its potential. And I'm far from the only one who thinks so."

At those words, half the auditorium stood up, Riddle and Lisa included. Matt pushed his way through the crowd, his defectors following in line behind him.

"By the way," Matt sneered, raising a fist, "Hail King Conker."

As if on cue, several of ROB's camera robots launched through a portal, using strands of laser to restrain those who had defected.

"You are all under arrest for the following," droned the voice of ROB, "Treason."

"Woah woah woah," Hart said, "This is all a mistake, my cousin would never…"

"I'm afraid not, Hart," ROB's voice said, "Matt and his ilk have been conspiring for what?"

"Cuz, why?" asked Hart, his good eye wet with emerging tears.

"Because I spent my whole damn life trying to be like you," Riddle shouted, his voice dark and serious, "And what did it get me? Laughed at, a friend who abandoned me the second he got big. Matt knows I have potential, Matt will never abandon me."

"If that's how it's gonna be, then that's how it's gonna be," Hart wiped away a tear, "Take 'em to the brig ROB."

With that, the drones pulled the defectors through their many portals, all of them closing simultaneously.

"I…" Hart balked, head hung, "Dismissed, all of you are dismissed."

As the students that remained filed worriedly out of the auditorium, Quinn turned to Hart, "Sensei I gotta…"

"Please," Hart said, his voice filled with phlegm, "And tell me what happened when you get the info."

In a flash, Quinn was through a portal. Mario was already waiting for him.

"It finally happened to you too huh?" Mario planted a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"What do you mean?" Quinn asked.

"There's been an uptick in shouting the praises of King Conker recently. We've briefed every Smasher individually as it pertains to their kind, and told the news stations to keep off of it, but this one was so public and loud that I really doubt we can suppress the information. Luckily ROB's been quick about getting people to a brig in The Plains, but…"

"The Plains?" Quinn interrupted, "As in the plains on that land mass where the Subspace War happened?"

Mario nodded, "You're a quick study kid. Don't worry about it. Once we explain that all of the traitors are in an offsite location, that'll quell any worry. As a Smasher, however, you should know that, whenever this all goes down, there'll be a hell of a prison break."

"And when it does go down, you believe we can stop it."

Again, the portly man nodded, "The Smash Brothers as an organization have always succeeded off of sheer determination, and everyone has been fighting harder, training harder than ever. I believe in us."

"If you believe, I believe," Quinn said with a smile, "I assume I'll see you at the baseball game in a couple of days? You've earned yourself a few overpriced beers?"

Mario chuckled, "Indeed I have."

Quinn walked up the grand staircase. As he did, he heard Edelgard and Hubert speaking, but they sounded strange.

"Uh uh uh uh uh," Edelgard spoke emphatically in grunts.

Hubert did the same, "Unh, unh unh unh unh."

"What's with you two?" Quinn asked.

Instantly, Quinn could compute the language they were speaking into common English.

"I was fiddling with my translator, in a hope to understand every language in the universe, and in the process, I fumbled upon the language Banjo and Kazooie speak and couldn't change it."

"I, of course, in service of Lady Edelgard, got caught up in this tomfoolery," Hubert muttered.

"Did the admins set your Smash Watch to 'easy mode.'" Quinn asked.

Hubert nodded, "They did, in fact,"

"Just say, 'set to default language' and that'll do it."

Edelgard silently nodded her thanks, and Quinn left. Quickly typing out an encrypted e-mail to Master Hart, he planned to ignore the communication and watch TV, hoping that tomorrow would be a better day.