(Author's note: Welcome, one and all, to the full sequel to The Greatest in the Multiverse! Of course, given its nature as a sequel you'd do best to start with the first one - every character involved originated in that story, and so starting with this one will just leave you confused (not to mention spoiled to the ending of TGitM). It would also help a lot with reading the interquel Tales of the Multiverse afterwards since events from that story will be referenced, although it's not necessary to the plot of this one. But if you've read at least the first one, then I hope you enjoyed that story and will end up liking this one too! Thanks for reading, and hope you'll have a good time!)
The Multiverse is about as vast as one could possibly imagine and then some. Countless dimensions, each with varying levels of deviations between them, all making up the collective that we call existence. And in these dimensions, all kinds of people can be found. Some inhabit extensive worlds of magic and wonder, others advance themselves through science and some have yet to grasp the concept of sentience. But despite this, almost none within this multiverse have come up with ways to traverse it. Only one megacorporation in one universe is confirmed to have invented such a method, and even then that method could only reach a total of 16 universes in total. So what did these pioneers of science do with this knowledge? Why, obviously they arranged a fighting tournament to decide the greatest warrior in what they believed to be the whole multiverse. This legendary event proved to be not only successful, but highly profitable. And what do you do when an endeavour proves to be profitable?
You do it again, of course.
"LADIES… GENTLEMEN… EVERYONE… WELCOME BACK TO THE GRANDEST EVENT IN EXISTENCE!"
The huge oval arena had stood empty ever since the first tournament had ended, but now spectators old and new filled the artificial atmosphere with non-stop roars and cheers. Some had been present for the previous clashes, some were here for the first time. And it went without saying that all of them were excited.
"FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MISSED OUT ON THE LAST SPECTACLE, MY NAME IS GOOGLORP AND I WILL BE YOUR ANNOUNCER FOR THIS EVENT! AND FOR THOSE OF YOU RETURNING FOR MORE, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO BRINGING THE ACTION DIRECTLY TO YOU ONCE AGAIN! LET'S MAKE SURE THIS TOURNAMENT MAKES AS MUCH HISTORY AS THE LAST ONE - TOGETHER!"
For not having done any dramatic narration since the last tournament, the blue Plasmoid didn't miss a beat. Especially notable given how it had been exactly one year since then. It seemed that being an announcer was just in Googlorp's metaphorical blood. No wonder the Antitjex™ Corporation had made sure to sign him up for their follow-up event. Of course, he was more than happy to oblige.
"WELL THEN, LET'S NOT WASTE ANY MORE TIME! LET'S GO OVER THE RULES OF THE COMPETITION!" Googlorp announced.
Everyone's eyes turned towards the huge viewing screen as it changed from showing the Plasmoid's visage to a set of brackets; one side in red, one side in blue. But one detail was off. The people in the crowd who'd been there before clearly remembered the 16 brackets showing each fighter, but that wasn't the case. This time there were only half as many.
"SAID RULES ARE SIMPLE - BOTH SIDES WILL FIGHT EACH OTHER UNTIL ONE OF THEM IS FULLY DEFEATED! THE ARENA IS OF COURSE EQUIPPED WITH THE SAME MARVELLOUS HEALING FIELD AS LAST TIME - EACH FIGHTER WILL NOT ONLY BE FULLY RESTORED AFTER THE BATTLE IS OVER, BUT ANY POSSIBLE DEATH SUFFERED DURING THE BOUTS WILL BE REVERSED AS WELL! THIS MEANS THAT ANYTHING IS FAIR GAME! WEAPONS, SPELLS, TACTICS, FEINTS… IF YOU HAVE A WAY TO THROW EVEN THE KITCHEN SINK AT YOUR ENEMIES, USE IT! FINALLY, TO SHAKE THINGS UP THESE PROTECTIVE CONCRETE WALLS WILL OCCASIONALLY RISE UP TO PROVIDE SOME COVER! IN SHORT, IT'S THE SAME SET OF RULES AS LAST TIME!"
To back up the announcer's description, the battleground began to shake as several hidden hatches opened up to reveal 10 evenly distributed walls of concrete. Although their flaws from last time had been taken into account - each one was now about 1,5 metres in height, half a metre taller than last time. One metre of concrete isn't much when almost a third of the fighting roster was at least twice as tall, after all.
"BUT ENOUGH OF THAT! WITH THE RULES EXPLAINED AND THE STAGE SET, THERE IS ONLY ONE THING LEFT TO DO! PEOPLE OF THE MULTIVERSE - LET'S WELCOME OUR GLORIOUS CONTESTANTS! HERE THEY ARE - OUR RETURNING CHAMPIONS!" Googlorp shouted intensely.
As the walls went back down, the crowd's volume went up. And as the spotlights turned towards the arena's left gate and 16 silhouettes became visible, the excitement reached its peak.
One by one, the people who one year ago had fought for the title of greatest in the multiverse made their entrance. With merely one exception, every one of them were back on the battlefield in the flesh. Although unlike last time, while the spotlight shone down on each and every one of them as they entered the arena their names weren't announced. Not just yet. Eventually they were all lined up, each with varying levels of excitement and stage fright grasping their minds. But just like last time, they all shared at least one thing in common. They were here to fight, and they were going to win.
"ONE YEAR AGO, THESE WARRIORS OF THE MULTIVERSE ALL FOUGHT FOR THE SAME THING: THE TITLE OF GREATEST, AND THE POWER TO FULFIL ANY ONE OF THEIR HEARTS DESIRES! BUT IN THE END, ONLY ONE STOOD TALL ABOVE THE OTHERS! AND NOW THEY'RE ALL BACK FOR THE REMATCH; FOR THE CHANCE TO CLAIM THAT TITLE FOR THEMSELVES… OR DEFEND IT WITH EVERYTHING THEY HAVE! HOWEVER, THIS TIME THINGS WILL BE QUITE DIFFERENT! THIS TIME THERE'S A TWIST! THIS TIME… OUR CHAMPIONS WILL FIGHT SIDE BY SIDE"
"I'm sorry, we're gonna do WHAT?"
Several hours earlier, the contestants had gathered in the refurbished main lobby of the arena to properly register for the competition. The mood had been quite positive; good friends had chatted about this new contest and reunions had been abound. But when the fairy in the suit and necktie had fluttered in to alert the contestants about the registration, the mood had shifted to room-wide surprise. Some excitement, some bewilderment and some disappointment… and for the Drow mechanic known as Pulse Cadwalader, a bit of all three.
"Like I said, before the opening ceremonies begin you will need to form teams of two. You'll fight two-on-two this time - rules will be the same as before, with the only difference being that both contestants on one side will need to go down before a winner is decided. You get to decide the team compositions among yourselves, but you'll have to be done and registered in 10 hours when the opening ceremonies start" the fairy explained.
Within the following hours, the surprise had died down and the strategizing had begun. It only made sense to make this follow-up a tag team tournament after all; more of the exact same would've only been repetitive, even if almost half the audience were completely new faces. But while the teambuilding had gone mostly smoothly afterwards and the overall spirits only became higher, there were still some very notable problems. There were some less enthusiastic teams and growing worries, but Pulse noted the biggest issue. One that not only left her anxious, but also left a heavy feeling in her chest.
There had only been 15 fighters present.
"THAT'S RIGHT, PEOPLE! WHILE THE AMOUNT OF FIGHTS HAVE BEEN CUT DOWN FROM 15 TO JUST 7, EACH CLASH WILL BE DOUBLE THE FUN, DOUBLE THE SPECTACLE AND DOUBLE THE ACTION! IT'S THE TAG-TEAM MATCHES OF THE CENTURY! AND SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET'S GET TO THE PART YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR! THESE ARE OUR CONTESTANTS, ALL RETURNING FROM LAST YEAR… AND READY TO TEAM UP TO TAKE THE WIN!"
Back in the present, Googlorp had finally gone through the setup enough. The audience were eating it all up - they were screaming without pause as the spotlights turned to the first duo on the field. And given which fighters made up that duo, it was no surprise that they screamed in excitement right back.
"THE FULL-HEARTED FIGHTER AND THE CRACKLING MARTIAL ARTIST: CONTESTANTS AHN-001 PRIME AND GOH'JI DAARDENRIAN! LEAVE YOUR LIMITS IN THE DUST - TEAM FULL POWER!"
As the focus fell on the first team, the viewing screen shifted to showing clips of the duo's showings during the first tournament. After about 8 seconds each dedicated to them, the screen instead showed their portraits coupled with both their own stylized names along with their team name. Neither Prime nor Goh'ji paid any mind to this of course. They were too busy waving and bowing - and in Prime's case, posing - to the crowd. And given Goh'ji's wide grin as he slammed his thick tail onto the ground plus the loud metallic clang as Prime slammed his knuckles together, nobody was as excited for this event as these two.
"THE BRAWNY BRAINIAC AND THE RED ROUNCHER: CONTESTANTS ABIGAIL HARLOW AND ASHES! SHOW US YOUR COMBINED STRENGTH - TEAM STRAPPER!"
The screen again shifted to the previous greatest hits from the next pair of fighters, and this time at least Ashes took a gander at it. It seemed that the burly Tiefling couldn't leave her fascination with this futuristic invention behind. But she soon snapped out of it - Abigail nudged her side as she waved back towards the cheering masses. The two friends shared a quick fist bump before raising their closed fists straight to the sky in tandem, showing that they were ready to take on whatever the contest could throw at them.
"THE LIVING GARDEN AND THE WALKING VOLCANO: CONTESTANTS BASTION AND INFERNO! CRANK THAT FIGHTING SPIRIT UP TO ELEVEN - TEAM DOUBLE GEAR!"
As the screen and spotlights shifted focus a third time, the members of Team Double Gear maintained their determined glares. Neither construct had made it past the first round last time - their chances, even together, weren't great and they knew it. But Bastion's desire to test her mettle, coupled with Inferno's dedication to go through with their self-inflicted performance test, was clear as day. The two robots shared a determined nod as they clutched their artificial fists.
"THE TSUNAMI TAMER AND THE TIMEBENDER: CONTESTANTS GAMERON AND PROFESSOR SUSS! TIP THE SCALES IN YOUR FAVOUR: TEAM ACADEMIA!"
The cheers had been intense all evening, so when they quickly lowered and were replaced with half the crowd half-heartedly chanting, staying silent and even occasionally booing, it was extremely noticeable. And given how the team was made up of not just the Tortle that lost in the second fight of the previous tournament, but also the Kobold that had proven himself to be nothing but an arrogant prick, the reaction wasn't too surprising for anyone. Of course, Professor Suss didn't appear to have learned anything; he immediately took a step forward to start a rant about what one could only assume was the lack of due respect. At least Gameron prevented that disaster by pulling back his teammate with his flipper, giving off a dejected sigh all the while. It was enough for the shelled wizard to earn a substantial amount of pity from the audience.
"HRRMMM… THE PATROLLER OF THE DEPTHS AND THE SANCTIMONIOUS STRONGMAN: CONTESTANTS MORGAN SAURUN AND OWEN WHITLOCK! LIGHT THE WAY TO THE FINAL VICTORY: TEAM RIGHTEOUS!"
The focus shifted almost comically quickly over to the next pair of fighters - it appeared that Googlorp had acted to prevent a Kobold-related disaster. But while the reptilian duo were notably unprepared for the sudden spotlight, it did not take long for them to get over it and heartily address the once again roaring crowd. Morgan in particular let out one of his loud trademark guffaws as he crossed his flipper-adorned arms. And while his Dragonborn companion wasn't as outgoing, his content smile told that he felt the same way. Owen thrusted his enormous arms up in the air as the audience went right back to their usual volume.
"THE VOIDROAMER AND THE JOYBRINGER: CONTESTANTS JOHN AND ROOT! REACH FOR THE STARS: TEAM TREESHADE!"
Strangely, the mood wasn't what most people would've expected when the focus shifted over to the 6th team in the lineup. Not only was the previously so shady John clearly facing the audience and waving, but the otherwise so cheerful Root actually stood still in one place for once. They were both genuinely smiling and they were both eager to be here, but the more perceptive members of the audience knew that something was off. Their focus clearly wasn't in the here and now. It could've been simple stage fright or their last year could've been filled with trauma - whatever it was, the Tiefling and the Genasi clearly had something on their minds.
"THE FEROCIOUS BLAZE AND THE INDOMITABLE BEHEMOTH: CONTESTANTS MOLLY MINESHAPER AND ALVA MORRISON! LEAVE THE COMPETITION FAR BEHIND YOU: TEAM HOT STUFF!"
Team Treeshade's unexpectedly worrisome mood was quickly contrasted by the eager roars of the second to last team's fanbase. The fiery Dwarf and the gigantic Half-Orc might have both lost in the first round last time, but their performances and the latter's previous favourite status meant that said losses hadn't done much to hurt their reputations. Although the fact that they were a loving couple probably helped. So as the massive crowd of faces both old and new welcomed them, Molly and Alva responded by fiercely pumping their respective fists into the air. While using their second hand to hold the other's, of course.
"AND FINALLY, OUR FINAL TEAM! FEATURING… LAST YEAR'S ULTIMATE CHAMPION!"
"We're terribly sorry, but we haven't been able to locate contestant Vuzrak".
Pulse had been preparing herself for those words, but the words of the tournament staff still hadn't been easy to handle. Back in the lobby several hours earlier, most other teams had been formed within less than 10 minutes after the announcement. All except a couple, including for the returning champ. The likes of Prime/Goh'ji, Alva/Molly and Owen/Morgan had been expected - these folks had spent a lot of time with each other over the last year, and their relationships ranged from best friends to soulmates. And Vuzrak and Pulse, being father and daughter who got to reunite during the first tournament, were definitely included in those expected teams. So the former being nowhere to be found had definitely been a bit of a gut punch for the latter. And while she by all means held it together pretty well, her disappointment was still written all over her.
"I can assure you that we looked everywhere, but it appears he's truly back in the Universe 1 afterlife. And while we have the means to access more or less any universe, we can't reach any afterlives without the aid of whoever rules them. I'm sorry kiddo, but we couldn't recruit him this time. But I promise you that my colleagues are hard at work trying to find a replacement contestant" the fairy had answered, clearly attempting to make his condolences clear.
Great, some random bloke was gonna fill her dad's shoes. Pulse had just said it was fine and moved on, but still. There went the hopes of seeing him one more time before she herself crossed the border in about 7 or 8 centuries or so. Although it made sense; Vuzrak probably couldn't just be summoned from beyond the veil unless he had a really good reason, and given how he'd gotten closure with his beloved daughter last tournament he didn't have that sort of reason this time. Still, the undefeated multiversal champion felt like anything but right now. Then again, she wasn't exactly all alone, now was she?
"No dice, huh? I'm sorry, that's a real shame. But I'm sure he'd cheer you on, even if he couldn't come himself" John sighed as he walked up to his saddened friend.
While their respective schedules kept them from meeting that often, the spacefaring Tiefling was still someone Pulse considered a good friend. So even though her dad wasn't gonna make it she couldn't be too heartbroken.
"You know, I'd love to team up with you if you'd like. That good with you, bud?" John proposed.
Pulse couldn't help but crack a smile. The pilot's one-sided crush on her might've been long resolved, but he still clearly cared a lot for her. And that feeling was mutual. The Drow turned around to put her organic left hand on John's shoulder and hold up the artificial right one for a fist bump; a gesture that John gladly answered.
"Yeah. That's definitely good with me!" Pulse replied.
But as the two friends just started to raise the mood a little, a sight in the corner drew Pulse's attention. A sight that was about to turn that mood around.
The Earth Genasi known only as Root was everyone's friend. Everybody cheered up when she was around, everybody appreciated her helpful nature and everybody respected her at least a bit. And yet nobody had agreed to team up with her. She was a good friend to everyone, but that's just what she was - a friend. Nobody's best friend, and nobody's number one choice. Ashes? Immediately went with her trusted brawling buddy Abigail. Bastion? Chose to go with Inferno. John? Had just chosen to team up with Pulse. And while Root had tried to put up a brave face, her sunken frame and wet eyes gave away how she really felt about it all. Which only seemed to worsen given how nobody seemed to even notice her in the corner. And deep inside, the otherwise so selfless druid couldn't help but feel taken for granted.
Pulse let out a dejected sigh. On one hand, she was happy that she'd found a good teammate after all. But on the other, she couldn't stand to see someone as good-hearted as Root be left on the sidelines. So she did what she did best - she let her genius mind form a decision. She could've offered to team up with Root herself, but then John would be left all alone instead. Out of the question. She could've waited until the replacement for Vuzrak was brought in, but even if someone was found they'd just be some stranger even to Root. Out of the question. Which meant that there was only one solution.
"John… go talk to her. She deserves a good teammate, and I can't think of a better fit than you" the Drow sighed.
In her mind, this outcome was the only logical one. Any other would either be too unlikely, too unreliable or leave somebody else disappointed. But by letting John team up with Root, the only one that'd be left alone would be Pulse herself. Not an outcome the mechanic was happy with in the slightest, but the one where nobody else would suffer. And that was the most important thing in her book.
"What? Pulse, I'm not just gonna ditch you. I mean, Root is a great friend and all, but I can't just-"
John's protest was silenced by Pulse holding up her hand towards him. She had already made up her mind, no matter how much the pilot was looking out for her.
"Bud, I've already won one of these. Besides, it's been me against the world as far back as I can remember. I can handle fighting solo if I need to - she doesn't. And I know you well enough to tell that you and Root would both enjoy teaming up. I appreciate the thought, I really do. But right now, she needs a friend a lot more than me" the Drow proclaimed.
When Pulse had set her mind to something, she wouldn't let up until she'd accomplished it; John knew her well enough to know that. And he had no excuse to not go over to Root other than choosing to back up Pulse. The Genasi was just as valued of a friend, after all - he had no real objections to help her out. Of course, that didn't mean he enjoyed leaving Pulse all alone.
"I already know I can't convince you otherwise, so fine. I'll do it. Just… are you sure you'll be fine? I'm all good with teaming up with Root, but what about you?" John asked as he shook his head.
"Don't worry, I'll come up with something. And thank you for agreeing, John. Glad we both see eye to eye on what's best here" Pulse replied, punctuating with a secure thumbs-up.
"Well, that IS what you do best. Right then; break a leg, Navine!" John added as he signed off with a quick hug.
"Careful there, Jonnxhor. Keep using my old name and I can't promise you'll walk away unhurt!" Pulse retorted with a hint of cheeky ire.
Her former name given by her adoptive folks against John's full name - an eye for an eye. And given how the last Pulse saw of John before he approached Root was an embarrassed frown, it seemed her vengeance had been delivered. Although she couldn't help but smile. Calling her that was a surefire way to exasperate her, which - given the circumstances - was a feeling she kinda needed right now. Heck, seeing Root light up like a star at the other side of the room almost dispelled the rest of Pulse's melancholic feelings. Despite her reemerging loneliness she didn't regret a thing.
"Excuse me, contestant Pulse? May I have your attention for a moment?"
The Drow quickly turned around to face the same tournament representative from earlier fluttering behind her. And judging by his pleased expression, it appeared he had some good news to share. Great. Pulse was definitely in the mood for some of those at the moment. Maybe they'd dug up some decent replacement for her dad, even though they reasonably should've had a backup ready long ago just in case? Either way, the inventor crossed her arms as she gave the fairy her full attention.
"Turns out we managed to find a working solution after all."
"THE GADGETEER CHAMPION AND THE HOLY SPIRIT: CONTESTANTS PULSE CADWALADER AND VUZRAK DEATE! SHOW US HOW IT'S DONE: TEAM OVERDARK!"
The overwhelming cheers brought Pulse back to the here and now. She had to just close her eyes for a moment to take it all in; these last few hours had been quite the ride. Not only was she back on the field where she'd gotten some much-desired personal vindication one year ago, but she had gotten what she'd ever since then thought was impossible. She got to stand side by side with her passed dad again, even if he wasn't all there.
The tournament staff had been correct - entering an afterlife was impossible unless you weren't specifically let in by whoever was in charge, and unless they had a damn good reason its inhabitants couldn't just leave whenever they felt like. And when this particular inhabitant had already settled all his mortal affairs by reconciling with his daughter, physically returning once again would be extremely unlikely. But it appeared that Lady Eilistraee had smiled upon Pulse giving up her partnership with John in order to comfort Root, and thus allowed Vuzrak to help out his beloved offspring one more time. Of course, without a material attachment sending someone down from the afterlife is quite difficult. Even more so when the destination is beyond your own reality. So the cleric had to settle for the next best thing - he might not have been able to appear physically, but he could be there in spirit. A semi-present spirit who could manifest just enough to interact with others and only communicate via brief telepathic messages, to be specific. At least Pulse was happy to see him again, and if she was happy then so was he.
"THAT'S RIGHT, FOLKS! EVERY SINGLE CONTESTANT FROM LAST YEAR'S EVENT HAS RETURNED TO THROW THEIR HAT IN THE RING AGAIN, BUT THIS TIME THEY'RE SEEING WHO'S THE BEST TEAM IN ALL OF CREATION! BUT NOW I BET YOU'RE WONDERING - WHO'S FIGHTING WHO? WELL THEN, PEOPLE, I'M HAPPY TO TELL YOU… THAT IT'S GONNA REMAIN A SURPRISE! THIS TIME WE WON'T ANNOUNCE THE MATCHUPS UNTIL THE FIGHTS BEGIN, SO WE ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO KEEP GUESSING!" Googlorp loudly continued.
Once again, the audience appeared to be split. Some cheered extra loud at this announcement, some let out disappointed and impatient boos and some just kept going like usual. It seemed that having to wait to see the matchups didn't please everyone. Of course, if the Plasmoid in the announcer's booth noticed this displeasure there was no way to tell. He moved on to the last part of the opening ceremonies without any hints of hesitation.
"THE FIRST FIGHT WILL START TOMORROW EXACTLY 12 HOURS FROM NOW, AND UNTIL THEN YOU CAN ALL GET COMFORTABLE AND MAKE YOURSELF STEADY! DON'T FORGET TO VISIT OUR GIFT SHOP, USE THE BATHROOM AND PERHAPS WATCH OUR COMPILATION OF LAST TOURNAMENT'S GREATEST HITS… AND MOST OF ALL, REMAIN HYPED UP FOR TOMORROW'S CLASHES! AND WITH THAT, THE STAGE IS SET, THE CONTESTANTS ARE READY AND THE TOURNAMENT HAS OFFICIALLY STARTED! LET'S SEE WHO WILL BE CROWNED THE GREATEST TEAM IN THE MULTIVERSE - STARTING TOMORROW! THIS IS YOUR ANNOUNCER, GOOGLORP, SIGNING OFF!"
With the opening ceremonies behind them, the 16 contestants were free to prepare for tomorrow as they pleased. Of course, they still had the legion of fans both old and new to deal with. And while some, like Alva, Molly, and Ashes were more than happy to address them, most of them were grateful when the tournament's security staff had stepped in to hold off the storm of people wanting to see their idols. It took a while and a lot of effort, but eventually the contestants were all back in the same lodge they'd been staying at last time. Ready to finish catching up, train for the coming day or mentally prepare themselves. Or in at least one case, all of the above.
"I told you, I TOLD YOU! I said they'd do another tournament eventually, and here we are! Aah, I knew saving myself for this was a good idea!"
The hyperactive robot practically bounced around as he and his rival made their way to the makeshift training grounds. Ever since he'd tripped at the finish line and just barely lost the finals of the previous tournament, Prime had been spending all his free time training and hyping himself up for this day. It went without saying that among all the contestants, he was the most ready for a second shot at championship. Or rather the fights that made up the journey there.
"Yes yes, you were right. Although I'm very glad that you were! Still, the prospect of fighting side by side… that was unexpected. I'm not sure if that's my preferred set of rules, but as long as I get to fight again then I will accept that!" the reptilian fighter sighed.
Just like his rival, Goh'ji had kept honing his body and mind ever since the previous contest. Although he'd had his doubts regarding Prime's optimism that a second tournament would happen, and now that it was here he was left almost as exasperated as he was excited - the automaton could get pretty smug if proven right about something. Hopefully he'd channel that excitable energy into the upcoming fights. Oh well, Prime's correct hunch had led to this very welcome opportunity. Despite his minor reservations about the two-on-two ruleset, Goh'ji was equally ready for this chance to test his skills.
"Yeah, I'm right with you there. To be honest, I'm almost a bit disappointed! I definitely prefer when it's just my full strength against another; I could probably count the amount of times I've fought alongside someone else on one hand! But hey, I guess it's a new challenge. And that's not something to say no to, now is it?" Prime responded without lowering the volume.
Goh'ji cracked an excited smile as Prime clenched both his fists. If there was anything that could rile up the two martial artists, it was a new hurdle to overcome. And even if they would've preferred to fight solo in order to work their way up to each other again, a hurdle such as this was not something to dismiss. Team Full Power was more than ready to show just what they were made of.
However, what Prime and Goh'ji hadn't noticed was the two figures behind them that overheard most of their conversation. This despite their heavily contrasting statures, brash footsteps and a discussion of their own - Goh'ji and especially Prime were just that intense. So as the figures behind the martial artists also made their way to the training grounds, they stopped for a moment to consider. It appeared that they too had similar thoughts going through their heads.
"Wow, and here I thought I was pumped for a rematch. Guess there's no beating that corny roboman when it comes to being obsessed, huh".
If there was anyone that had looked forward to a second chance to win a multiversal tournament as much as Prime and Goh'ji had, it was the unnaturally massive Half-Orc known as Alva Morrison. The warrior hadn't trained for this moment as much as the martial artist duo; partially because she couldn't get much - if at all - stronger than she was now, partially because she'd never really expected it. But now that the moment was here, her drive to win had been reignited. And that went for her much shorter girlfriend beside her as well.
"Yeah I kinda stopped listening to him ages ago. Of course, he can keep shouting about his ultimate fighting spirit as much as he wants. 'Cause he ain't gonna win this, am I right?" Molly confidently stated as she leaned against Alva's thigh.
The smirking Alva just chuckled as she patted the Dwarf on the head. Neither of them were willing to admit it, but they wanted that final win more than arguably anyone else. After all, they both had their pride to think about. Pride which had taken a bigger hit from losing in last year's first round than they'd thought. One an undefeated champion of her home's underground fighting arena, the other a fugitive from a dark cult that she couldn't afford to lose against. Just like Pulse had declared the previous year, Alva and Molly now had something to prove to themselves.
"You're absolutely right, babe. I promise on everything we mean to each other that we'll win this. The whole damn thing!" the Half-Orc declared.
The sorcerer couldn't help but giggle - Alva was usually so fiery and imposing, but whenever their relationship came up she always turned so adorably mushy. Alva crouched down to hoist up Molly in her arm so the latter could give her girlfriend a quick smooch on the cheek, before said girlfriend started making her way towards the training ground where Prime and Goh'ji were in full swing. Team Hot Stuff was more than ready to show just what they were made of.
"Like I told you before, cradling someone like an unsupervised toddler is beneath a professor of the Harlow University of Magic and Sorcery! So move out of my way so I can tell those so-called staff members a thing or two about these ridiculous rules! Fighting alongside some two-bit wizard… I will not make a fool of myself with such a circus act!"
Of course, not everyone was spending their time preparing for the upcoming contest. Professor Suss was, seemingly like always, fuming. Just like team Hot Stuff, the Kobold's pride had been wounded by an event related to these tournaments. With the main difference being that his pride and ego were much easier to bruise. So now he was about to go and protest about these team-up rules so he could go and win this all on his own… that is, if the Tortle in front of him would let him out of the room.
"You think I wanted this arrangement? Look, teaming up with a personality like yours wasn't my first choice either. But that's the hand we've been dealt, and I for one will play it as best I can" Gameron muttered.
Out of all the people in the tournament, Professor Suss was the last one that Gameron wanted to team up with. But there hadn't been much of a choice - he barely knew anyone there at all barring some brief experiences from last time, while everyone else had at least one person they'd choose to fight with over anyone. The Tortle wasn't the most social guy in the world, and he was perfectly content with that. Of course, that also meant that he'd been stuck with the Kobold that practically nobody could stand. But if that's what he had to work with, then he'd try to make it work.
"The way I see it you have three choices: you can fight solo and ensure you'll forever be the laughingstock of the multiverse by losing twice as quickly as last time, you can leave the tournament and lose any chance of regaining some respect or you can swallow that pride of yours and fight alongside me. That's all you got, and no amount of blustering can change that. So what will it be, professor?" the shelled wizard sternly added as he leaned in as close as he could.
Professor Suss had no counterargument. How could he? Nobody believed in the Kobold as much as he himself did, but even he knew deep down that he couldn't beat team-ups of the multiverse's greatest fighters all by himself. A feeling that Gameron's rebuttal had managed to bring to the forefront. The Tortle might've actually had a valid point - if he wanted to prove his superiority, he had to share the stage with someone else. The professor mumbled some incomprehensible words as he crossed his arms, before finally relenting just a teensy bit.
"Hmph, I suppose I could let you aid me. But know this, Tortle; I will not tolerate any slack out there on the battlefield. Is that clear?" the diminutive wizard grumbled.
Gameron rolled his pitch-black eyes as he nodded. It appeared that he was the only one with the patience to manage being around the professor for more than 30 seconds, but that patience was definitely being tested. But for now he let it slide - this was probably the closest to a compromise that he'd be able to get.
"My thoughts exactly, professor. My thoughts exactly" Gameron sighed.
With his compromised pride somewhat stabilised, Professor Suss turned around with a huff to go back to his quarters. Leaving a tired Gameron behind to take a couple deep breaths to calm himself down. But as the tiny wizard headed upstairs and out of Gameron's sights, the Tortle crossed his flippers as he reaffirmed his plan. He wasn't done with the professor's attitude problem just yet.
"I promise you, professor: by the end of the tournament you WILL learn to see reason!" Gameron determinately whispered to himself before heading up to his own quarters.
The stage was set, the curtains were up and the contestants were all ready for the play to begin. Tomorrow, the first step to realise the greatest team-up in the multiverse would begin for real.