"A'ight, you guys, tonight… I'm the Galactic Baseballer!" The Galactic Baseballer struck a dramatic pose with the iconic Galactic Baseball Bat. "Or you can call me GB, for short!" GB continued. "I'll give our enemies the heebie-jeebies, heh!" The rest of the team was not amused.
"… Seriously?! You're still trying to get that name to catch on?" March sighed and rolled her eyes. Despite himself, Dan Heng finally smirked.
You know it's bad when even March is exasperated. And it was even worse when Dan Heng agreed with her.
GB, meanwhile, was hunched over a table, filling out a form while Dr. Digs looked on. GB wrote down three other names.
"Ok, I'm thinking… Himeko, Serval, and… Herta?"
"What?!" March wasn't the only protestor, just the shrillest. Dan Heng also scoffed and shook his head while Herta looked outraged at being commanded to do any type of work. Natasha also winced and seemed ready to protest, but March beat her to it. "NO supports?!"
"What about all your Harmony characters?" Asta asked quietly, clutching her weapon tighter, almost sounding sad as she gestured to herself, Yukong, Tingyun, and Hanya.
"It's nothing personal!" GB interrupted, pleading. "I just like to play like a berserker, ya know?"
"You don't say?" March deadpanned as she eyed GB's current team lineup.
"Why not more Hunt characters at least?" Sushang pleaded, clearly itching for battle. "Why build us up and bring us all the way here?"
"I like to keep things mostly even," GB shrugged. "Mostly." Part of the reason the lineup consisted of GB, Himeko, Serval, and Herta was because they were the ones capable of hitting the most targets.
"But their health! And what about at least one single-target DPS?"
"Mmm… Good point." GB turned back to the paper and, after a moment of thought, erased Herta's name, replacing it with Qingque's. "I'm not a huge fan of how luck-based some of her attacks are, but she is a heavy hitter with excellent break…"
"Wait, what?!" Qingque shrieked. "Oh, great! Thanks a lot, guys! Why am I on the roster now?! I wanted to—! W-watch the fighters!"
"Wanted to bet on them, more like," GB snorted. "Now here! Take these relics! They'll boost you a bit. Besides, I do need at least one character to regain the skill points I'm gonna burn through…" As if suddenly reminded, GB turned to Serval and Himeko. "Serval! Guitar tuned?!"
"Ready to rock 'n roll!" she nodded back with a wicked grin, strumming the strings as hard as she dared. The fight hadn't started yet.
"Awesome! Himeko? I'm looking forward to your follow-ups!" GB winked and flashed a thumbs up excitedly.
"Of course, dear," Himeko smiled. Her eyes caught Dan Heng's, apologetic. Don't worry, I'll try to bring us back in one piece.
I guess that's the best we can hope for, Dan Heng sighed as the match began and the chosen quartet entered the cage.
ooo
"See, Qingque, this is why I need ya!" GB shouted over the chaos and thrill of battle as she slung a tile at their next enemy's head.
"I guess…!" The smaller fighter sighed in tired frustration as she shuffled her remaining tiles and hoped that Lady Lucky would be kind.
They were interrupted by a triumphant laugh from Serval as she strummed her guitar as hard as she could, electrocuting three enemies at once. Two of them broke, and Himeko's follow-up was swift and brutal. Her drone soared over the battlefield, riddling the enemy with flaming bullets.
Dan Heng watched with an impassive expression, only the intensity of his gaze betraying any of his feelings.
March, meanwhile, was far more vocal. "I mean, sure, my arrows aren't super strong, but what about my Ultimate?! Or the fact that if I'm shielding, I get to shoot extra attackers! I do more damage than GB thinks!" She pouted and crossed her arms.
"You and me both," Sushang muttered, mirroring March's expression. Asta and Yukong only shook their heads, disagreeing with GB's decision, but not necessarily disappointed. Herta and Pela seemed torn between the same emotions as Asta and Yukong, and annoyance at having to stick around the loud Fight Club when they weren't even combatants.
"Don't take it to heart," said Dan Heng flatly, eyes still glued to the cage. "GB just doesn't feel like thinking." As GB said, it was a night for brainless bashing, not intelligent setup with Harmony and Nihility. Even the two Abundance users—Natasha and Gallager—were left on the bleachers. GB was being so bold that there wasn't a single support in the Galactic Baseball Team, and that was part of March's anger.
"It's not just that I was GB's first partner! I could protect them all so easily and here they are, taking damage!"
As if jinxed by fate, GB cried out a second later. "Serval! No!"
The electric guitarist fell to her knees. "S-sorry…" she muttered. GB winced in regret. Serval always had the lowest HP of the team…
"We will avenge you!" GB raised the Galactic Baseball Bat. Himeko sighed and gave a concerned, fond smile. Qingque only winced and seemed to shrink in on herself, silently envying those still on the bleachers.
"That's what you get for not having better support!" March shouted, cupping her mouth. For the first time since the match began, Dan Heng looked at her, but only to gently push her hands away from her mouth and shoot her a disapproving look. Even if she had a point, that wasn't the way to get it across. GB, meanwhile, was still in the cage, swinging harder and harder as the desperation of the battle increased, even though swinging harder didn't necessarily increase the damage. Everyone's health was getting lower, and nobody could heal.
"Come on… c'mon, c'mon, c'mon…!" GB prayed, spinning the Galactic Baseball Bat as the battle closed in on its final few rounds. Eyes on everyone's energy, the moment all the members of the Galactic Baseball Team were ready to go, GB gave the signal.
"GRAND SLAM FOR THE GALACTIC BASEBALL TEAM!" It was time for the back-to-back Ultimate attack! And in perfect order, GB, Himeko, and Qingque attacked, setting the battlefield ablaze with their energies and Ultimates.
The enemies were finally defeated, the robots exploding and the vagabonds falling to their knees. GB jumped up and down cheering and clapping before rushing to Serval's side. Himeko sighed in relief before joining GB in helping the electric guitarist stand. With Qingque more than happy to lead the way out the cage, the quartet made a beeline for the space anchor just outside and across the street from the Boulder Town fight club. As soon as Serval was back to full health, though, GB raced them all back to the Fight Club.
"Ay, yo, Nat! Natty, girl! I could really use your help in the next fight, if you're willing! Qingque, you can take a seat!"
"Oh, thank goodness, finally!" Qingque sighed and rested a hand over her heart while Natasha gave a bemused chuckle. The others could only sigh and shake their heads, but GB was confident and proud, hands on hips and eyes ablaze.
Truly, I am a Pathstrider of Destruction! GB thought with a laugh. Nanook, are you watching again? I hope you're having as much fun as I am! Are you not entertained?! The next match was about to start.
AN: Based on my play style. I prefer to hit hard, even though it sometimes costs me health and characters that I wouldn't lose if I was smart and hardworking enough to study buffs/debuffs/other strategies, LOL!
