.
DISCLAIMER: Exposition like a mo fo
Chapter 4
Fodder
XxXxXxXxX
"WHY STUDMUFFIN! WHYYY!?"
"Forget that, RUN!"
The two ran through the doors, the occupants blasting at the two as they ran down the path, Adder looked back and ducked when a hatchet came for his neck. Studmuffin rolled to the side as a hail of bullets peppered the ground he tread, Adder cursed as the two ran further and further down the dirt path for their destination: the plane hanger.
The two dived for the building, avoiding more fire from the chasing bruisers, bandits and fly boys', the two quickly sized up the planes all lined up for them to 'borrow'.
"Can you fly these junkers?"
"Course I can, StudMuffin, I can fly anything!" Adder replied irritated.
"Good. Fly that one."
He pointed at the last airplane, the pilot looked at him, "Why the fuck do we fly the one that has no guns?"
"Because it's faster without it."
.
"Damnit, I told you it wasn't faster!"
StudMuffin glanced at the tailing planes, each of them firing viciously at them, the plane they chose was reminiscence of a Fokker Dr. I, excepted someone decided to pull out it's armaments, leaving it naked.
Still, with the head start they had, they made good distance, unfortunately the planes were catching up quickly, must have better engines…maybe one less person on the plane. He braced himself as the plane took high level maneuvers to dodge enemy fire, if they weren't being chased, the scenery would have been quite the sight.
Islands and mountains.
The occasional majestic lobster leaping out from below them.
"So…what do you have on you?"
"Stud, you know I only carry the standard issue pistol!"
"That's enough, hand it over."
"NO! Gosh damnit, Stud why are you like this?!"
He shrugged before taking out his own and carefully aiming, he began to fire at the enemy fliers, he missed most of them but that got them to hang back, realizing they could be fired upon instead. But StudMuffin managed to get two miraculously, causing their engines to smoke. They soon fell out of sight underneath the clouds.
"I know you have a policy and all, but those guys are going to a gorge filled to the neck with man eating lobsters, you know! Shooting them in the head would have been preferable!" Adder yelled over the screaming winds.
"I think it's fair really."
"…is this about them laughing at your name?"
"No… yeah it is."
The pilot kept his thoughts to himself as they flew by the many floating land slabs, it was a weird dimension, land floating and clouds at ground level, it might as well been fog. The remaining fliers however did not heed the sharp shooting prowess of the Stud and continued to shoot at the two, Adder sighed as they dodged the blistering firepower of the planes.
"C'mon Stud, just fire back! Why are you even waiting for?"
"The right moment…there! Go past that, I'm taking them all out one time."
The pilot gulped and got the plane to maneuver to the place StudMuffin pointed, he looked at it: two land slabs with a land bridge. StudMuffin pushed himself up from the cockpit, he scowled for a moment.
IGNIS!
"HANG ON!"
The pilot immediately did a barrel roll to dodge the bullets, he glanced back at the fliers, StudMuffin nowhere to be seen,"FUCK!"
Stud looked at the clouds below, then up again, the pilot was diving for him, he looked and saw the fliers coming, ready to pepper him,
"…perfect."
Stud thrust both hands out and several fire balls spewed forth flying past the plane and smashing into the land bridge; bringing chunks and boulders down on the enemy planes, smashing them to pieces.
He felt a grin on his face before he realized he was still falling, ugh…I wonder if it's too early to have lobster today…
Stud saw the plane power dive after him, he faced the clouds and let a steady stream of fire out of his hands, slowing his descent. An ungodly yank followed and he found himself on the plane again, the pilot shaking from head to toe,
"DAMNIT! DON'T DO THAT!"
"…ah, sorry, it was safer if I was—"
"OUT OF THE PLANE!?"
He paused before apologizing, the pilot nearly had a heart attack .
"What would have done if I didn't get you!?"
"…fly?"
"Fucking smart ass…"
.
"So how's tagging along with StudMuffin?"
"IT SUCKED. WE DIDN'T EVEN FINISH THE MISSION, FUCK WE JUST GOT INTO TROUBLE."
"Ah, so the usual."
The pilot sighed before throwing his jacket to the table, "Yeah, I guess. Dude, I was this close, this close! I could tell she was digging me! The way she looked, biting her lower lip, ooh!"
"…"
"So tell me how she wanted to talk to StudMuffin, Adder."
"Hey. No one likes being used as a segway, Ringo."
"Where is StudMuffin?"
Adder jut a finger towards the back, "A kid came in here with a Rip Viper, so StudMuffin is dealing with it. You know how he is with snakes…"
.
Marc blinked mercifully as the bag was taken off his head, the viper also had a bag taken off its head, really? Even the snake? I mean the bite is lethal but…
He glanced around seeing he was in a rather darken room, most likely a cellar smelling an earthy scent and the damp atmosphere, the viper hissed. He blinked and glanced around...where did the person that yank the bag off their heads go?
"…hello?"
"…I heard you talk to snakes."
Marc looked to the side, the snake swung it's head, "…y-yeah I can."
"…who taught you?"
Marc folded his arms, he looked around before looking above, the lightbulb hung from a lone wire, giving him only so much light. He couldn't even tell how big the room was or where the voice was coming from.
"…just innate gift, that's all."
"Bullshit. Who walks up to snake and talk to them."
Marc frowned, the viper even glanced at him.
"And if someone taught me?"
"…"
Marc stood up, he didn't even know who he was talking to, all he knew was the moment he got to the office he got snatched, he gritted his teeth. He patted his belt and pants, feeling for any of his effects, he growled finding them gone, he looked around, seeing nothing beyond the darken room.
"Why am even in here?! Is this how you treat your patrons?"
"…"
"HELLO!?"
Marc looked around, angry at being ignored when he heard loud scuffling, mostly likely in the next room, his heart hammered when yelling rang out against the walls.
"What do you mean he's not there? What do you mean 'in here'?"
"Not here! In there! It's not Tilva there!"
"WHERE?!"
"IN THERE WITH THE BOY!"
Marc felt his gut drop.
"KID THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE IN THERE WITH YOU!"
"!"
The light went out.
Marc heard something step behind him and he didn't waste a second, throwing himself at whoever was with him.
A kick to the gut sent him flying back, the snake hissed before a dull thud confirmed it was sent flying somewhere in the darkness. Marc rolled to his feet, he took a defensive stance as someone was quietly stepping closer to him in the darkness, Fuck, fuck, FUCK! How the fuck—!
Marc grunted as something collided with his leg, immediately he tried to block against a follow up but instead something hit his front and he bounced off the wall. He yelled, throwing punches and kicks any where he could, his fist making contact with the wall and he cursed outright.
"FUCK THAT HUR—!"
This time something smacked him across the face and he fell to the floor. For a brief second, he swore he suddenly had night vision instead it was the hot flashes of him landing on his nuts.
"Uurgh…fuck you."
A step towards him.
Marc angled himself before kicking hard where he assumed the asshole that he was fighting, he made solid contact and the assailant fell to the ground and he scrambled to get on top of him.
"FUCK! YOU! BAS! TARD!"
Each punch he felt something give, but he didn't care. He punched harder and harder, feeling the resistance give, before he realized something liquid and sticky was coating his fist. His opponent not moving at all.
"Oh…shit…I think I just killed someone…"
He felt something slither to across his leg and he immediately leapt up, a loud hiss made him walk back, "Sorry, sorry! It's dark! I can't see! Please don't bite me, you bit that flea bitten rogue earlier I don't want his germs more than your poison."
He panted wiping his forehead before he realized he must of smeared himself with bodily fluids of his enemy, shit…I'm about to be found covered in blood…this can't get any worse.
Suddenly light spilled into the room, Marc used his hand to block the invasive light as the rogue he spoke to stood at the doorway, he looked confused, Marc blinked before seeing the fluids covering his hands.
"Holy shit, Marc…"
"IS IT?!"
"…what?"
"IS THIS SHIT?!"
The rogue looked at him as Marc's eyes began to adjust, he looked at the room, seeing it stained with brown and the snake against the lit wall, judging him. Not seeing the dastard he was fighting earlier.
"No. That's mud."
"…"
.
Marc glared at the man sitting behind the desk: StudMuffin.
His face obscured by the porcelain skull mask, but that didn't matter to Marc, this asshole put him in a room with apparently a mud person.
"So Marc—"
"I walk into your bar. Sent to your office like a child. Snatched. Put in a room with a mud guy, who beat me every time I made a noise with a rip viper who could kill me. It better be a good fucking reason for this!"
Marc suddenly found himself pressed against the wall, the skull mask dangerously close to his face, his voice painful low, "Your discomfort is noted, Marc. However, last time a person walked in with a rip viper, I had to pry that fucker out of a friend's neck and then spent the next three days beating answers out of the 'assassin'. So, Marc, I do apologize but you should have never brought that snake here in the first place."
He froze as StudMuffin let him go and he fell to the floor, he shook from the immense killer intent rolling off the rogue. He gulped as StudMuffin sat back down again, he meekly stood in front of the desk, any of his bravado and anger evaporated. Marc became very aware that he didn't even see StudMuffin stand up, move around his desk and pinned him agains the wall.
"Now, Marc, I know what you went through wasn't pleasant, but you as an apology you can have a drink at the bar on the house."
"…okay."
"You may leave."
"What about the rip viper?"
"Oh, that. Tossed it at the cactus farm, it will have mice for days."
Marc looked at him before the rogue pointed at the hallway, the moment he turned a bag was placed over his head followed by a swift cut to the neck. The rogue caught the unconscious body and carried him out to the bar.
StudMuffin sighed and took off the mask, he frowned at his reflection, "Damn…the boy has some potential, all that grit…"
He pulled open a drawer and rifled through his belongings, he pulled a folder
HISS
He caught the rip viper by the neck just before making contact with his naked hand. It flexed it's jaws, fangs coated with venom, his grip however was iron. He looked at the glass pickle jar he stuffed it in and saw that it made itself a hole.
"…thought so."
The viper wrapped around his heavily armored arm, attempting to squeeze but it was a pitiful, slowly it began to calm and he leveled with it.
"You really are tenacious…"
The viper looked at him with slitted eyes,
"This isn't over SSSSStudMuffin…the SSSSSnake…"
StudMuffin looked at it, "Getting a kid mixed up with our little affair…you are stooping to new lows."
The viper hissed, "SSSSSilence, I'll kill you! Child murderer!"
StudMuffin smirked at the accusation, "Yes, something as vile as you would be proud of your OWN children killing helpless villagers, traders, travelers and pilgrims especially when they are 30 feet long and as thick as a log."
The viper tried to twist out of his grasp, it was futile, the snake gave him a withering glare, "Death to you, SSSSStudMuffin! May your life be nothing but ssssstrife and regret!"
He nodded before the viper went limp, his hand tighten enough to crush everything within it. A second later, fire erupted and licked the viper's body, coming from his own fist, the putrid smell of flesh burning stank up his office and he calmly walked to the window and tossed the flaming corpse.
The moment it touched the ground, the flaming snake grew in size, he looked at it with contempt. The Rip Viper grew and grew before a young maiden stood in front of him, however where her legs should have been was a long olive serpentine tail.
StudMuffin looked at her for a moment, "I will never ssssstop—"
She doubled over, feeling a searing pain in her belly, StudMuffin's hand outstretched with flames dancing around his fingertips, the other hand had a dagger, the blade a blistering cherry red.
"Should have ran when you had the chance."
The maiden coughed then chuckled before she fell over, a fist size hole blown through her abdomen. Without even a backwards glance, he threw a handful of smoldering blue flames and the body was cooked to a charred carcass for the critters to feast upon.
.
Marc drank his choice of liquor, deciding if he going to get something for free it might as well be top shelf and it was coming out of StudMuffin's wallet. He looked at the questionable amber liquid,
This is the best they have…? Weak…
He blinked several times, he shook his head like it would lessen the alcohol in his system, he could already feel the numbness in his fingertips and blurry vision, fffuck…I'm already smashed.
He felt his head swivel at sudden noises around the bar, it didn't go unnoticed as the barmaid gave him a knowing smirk before she straighten up, he blinked before a blurry StudMuffin sat next to him reading a bounty before looking at him, "Ah. Kiss of Blight. Good choice."
"Fuck mannn…this shit is s-strong."
He shook his head at the kid, "Duh. That thing was made with diseased fruits, spices and grains. It'll fuck you up."
Marc looked at the glass, sloshing it around, "You killed the snake didn't you…" "It's at the cactus farm."
"B-bullssshit." Marc down the entire glass before setting it down with a loud thud, StudMuffin merely shrugged, "You should be careful about playing with snakes."
Marc grunted as he propped himself against the bar, trying to stave off his absurdly quick drunken state, "It was a good pit viper…" "Find a better one, preferably one that doesn't have evil children."
Marc didn't understand.
"…you owe meee."
"You have a drink, that's plenty." Stud was looking at the bounty again, bored.
"…from that ass beating, your mud guy gave me…you own dis bar right?"
"Co owner." he sighed.
"How about da crew? I want innn." Marc slurred.
StudMuffin shook his head still not looking at him, "I admit you're good, but you're too young to be in one. Go back to mommy and daddy."
Marc glared at him when he stood up and left, walking behind the bar, the barmaid chuckled before putting a lesser drink in front of Marc, "Tis on the house, cutie."
He blinked before grinning, two free drinks...not bad.
StudMuffin greeted his employees going in and out of the busy stations before seeing the well dressed rogue leaning against a doorway, "He's got potential."
"Everyone does. This is for the gang, if they're up to it, Rhunter."
The rogue took it before he sighed, shaking his head, "You know this is the type of missions they hate, right?"
"When the moneys good, who cares?"
Rhunter looked at his partner before shaking his head, "I guess...nothing beats that logic."
.
Queen Moon walked through the castle, gone were her usual royal gown now she wore her combat fatigues more often than not. She was usually flanked by her advisors and council but after the recent assault to the kingdom the naggers were resting in the hospital wing, she sighed, if that was the only casualties.
The Butterfly Kingdom had been experiencing raids, mostly minor ones that the knights could handle, but the one that happened months ago really shook her and the kingdom up. Somehow a group of hooded individuals, she had to stop assuming it was monsters by now, slipped through the security detail and very much breach the castle. What struck her odd was they took Mewman hostages and fled with them in tow, despite her chase and blasting magic at them they gave her the slip in the Forest of Certain Death.
She would have leveled the forest but knew it would be folly: outcast Mewmans and monsters hid there, that would just further give reason for the other kingdoms to slander or reject any dealings with her kingdom. She went to the Ludo's Family for help, she was turned away at the doorway fearing association to her would later be targets for disgruntled parties.
Dennis however did help her, informing her that parts of the forest was under control by hateful monsters and even Mewmans that were ostracize by society and even by the bleak economic division and other more devious reasons. Still not convinced she searched the place with Dennis going incognito, however that lasted for only hours, they were quickly found out, Moon anyways. The two escaped the swarm thankfully alive and uninjured, Dennis managed to conceal his identity the entire escapade.
However, apologized to the Queen if he would decline to do it again.
Since then Moon prayed that those who were taken would still be alive, it was painful to just leave them but to go there again or send someone to find them…would put the hostages in peril. It was an awful feeling of being powerless, she felt like she was her younger self when her mother died, unable to act lest someone got hurt.
"What can I do? I can't send a Mewman agent, I can't send a monster allied to the kingdom, somehow they know who is legit or not…I don't even know where they are hiding or want with the hostages! Not a ransom or—anything! WHY?"
She tried to keep her thoughts from going morbid as she walked closer and closer to her study, with so many tutors and castle personnel hurt it fell to her to teach her daughter, Star.
Still headstrong and inexperience, Star shared some of her duties now, mostly just the minor domestic chores she used to do with her own mother. River took patrols when he could, after so many raids he was just paranoid one would sneak up on them when they least expected. Moon was glad her husband found something to do than party like he usually did before, those days were long behind them with how Mewni was.
She entered her study and saw Star on her own desk signing and writing things down, she looked up and smiled, "Mom! How are your boring cronies?"
"Alive, Star. And quit calling them that!" Moon reprimanded her daughter, "They might be 'boring' but they aren't cronies, they will surely be your advisors and council when the time comes and maybe even for your daughter. They'll outlive us all." she muttered the last part under her breath.
Star shrugged and continued to sign and do the paperwork, she looked at the papers before sighing, "Mom do we really need to find another Knight of the Wash? Why can't we just rescue Sir Lavabo and the rest that were kidnapped?"
"Star you already know the situation, you were with me the last time we went and checked: we couldn't see anything from above and it's foolish and dangerous to check on ground level. We will just have to find alternative ways to scout the forest."
"Mom, that will take forever! It's nearly been 6 months since they were taken! Who knows—!"
"Yes, Star, the bleak reality could be they are dead already and we are just going to be collecting their bones and telling their families why they are dead." Moon said quietly, Star bit back a retort, "But I rather not tally the dead with the both of us or anymore Mewmans if I can avoid it. This is not a good situation, Star, for anyone. The monsters and Mewmans are pointing fingers at each other and themselves, things will just escalate if we get hurt even covertly."
Star took a paper and shoved it forward, "And this is the solution? You've been asking Manfred to post up this all over the place, wouldn't that just draw attention?"
"I made it vague, anyone can assume anything." Moon said dismissively, "This is an age old practice, Star, this is even older than most kingdoms' existence."
Star frowned at the sight of it before she sighed and continued to work, "So when are you getting applicants?"
Moon glanced out of the window for a moment, they were triple reinforced with thick glass, something she forgot to tell Star when she attempted to smash through one, she hid the chuckle with a slight cough,
"Soon, I hope."
XxXxXxXxX
Revitalize.
Kidding, I'm pooped from studying.
Now, that I have gotten most of the exposition out of the way, we can get to the meat of this fanfic: the second helping of fodder and exposition. Kidding ◉‿◉
But in all seriousness, I think there's been enough of that already, it's time to debut where the real fun begins: fictional politics.
Ciao,
I AM NRG
END OF TRANSMISSION