Chapter 18 A Go-Kart Heist
Oh, the sight of Beanbean Castle Town brought Pom Pom so much joy! It was like she and her group were on a boat, and the town was the light that was emitted by a lighthouse. The first leg of their quest was more or less done. Once they got their go-karts, it would be smooth sailing (no pun intended).
The group entered the town. Pom Pom looked upon the buildings, which were so bright and colorful. They weren't as overtly themed as the Toad Houses in the Mushroom Kingdom. Those buildings were clearly designed to resemble toadstools, whereas these ones looked closer to just regular houses. Of course, as mentioned before, they were very pretty when it came to the coloring. One could make the argument that the colors were too saturated, sure, but that hardly mattered. Beanbean Castle Town was a sight for sore eyes.
"Alright," Wendy said. She pulled her phone back out. "I believe that I know the way to Derek's Double Dashers…" She frowned as she scrolled through the phone. "It's on the southern end, so… we just continue in a straight line from this point, we should be able to reach it."
Pom Pom nodded as the hammer bros voiced their approval. They made their way down the path that Wendy had suggested, weaving in between the buildings and through the various streets. As they did this, Pom Pom noticed something strange. The people who were out wandering about… didn't they look unusually stressed out? They looked to be walking extra fast, so much so that they reached the point of panting. Some people shook, and other people ran down the streets clearly trying to reach a specific goal. This confused her at first until she remembered the scene in Frostwall. Everyone in the world had received the message from the Shadow Sirens. Everyone. The Mushroom Kingdom, the Koopa Kingdom, Sarasland, Isle Delfnio… even this Beanbean Kingdom had seen what had happened. In fact, as the group passed by a shop with a TV in the window, they saw the Beanbean New Channel reporting on it.
"Reports are coming in. The dark, seemingly magical cloud that has formed in Soda Jungle has now grown to cover half of the Mushroom Kingdom, and is heading toward Beanbean. After the strange message that was sent out to the world by two strange shadowy entities, this is only making tensions grow even higher," said the female beanish news anchor.
"Authorities are advising people not panic," said the male anchor. "If at all possible, either take shelter or evacuate. We don't know what this cloud is capable of, but with any luck, it'll disappear sometime in the near future."
Pom Pom felt a pang hearing that. Oh, if they only knew what the cloud was capable of. Sure, it could be argued that not knowing that the cloud would turn people into zombies was for the best. At the same time though, it could also be argued that the unknown was much scarier than the known. This was clear as day as the group kept going through Beanbean Castle Town. The people were clearly panicking, had no idea what to do, and would probably fight tooth and nail if it meant that they would be able to survive. Oh man, this was so sad. It saddened the rookie on a deep and personal level. And, yes, she also felt anger directed toward Viv. Was it safe to say that this was her fault? She had caused trouble for Pom Pom in the past, and now her kind was causing problems for everyone in the present. It was… it was actually pretty sickening. It made her want to scream.
"We're almost there," Wendy said with the smallest iota of hope in her voice. Pom Pom clung on to the hope, telling herself that everything would be okay. Everything was going to work out in the end, she just knew it. The world might be entering a state of panic, but at the very least, Pom Pom and Wendy had the (possible) answers.
"Two feet, one foot." Wendy came to a stop. She looked up at a sign that hung in front of a shop and smiled. Pom Pom smiled to, the bright neon sign that read "Derek's Double Dasher's" filling her with relief. Nay, triumph.
"We're here," Pom Pom said.
"Yeah," said one of the hammer bros. He stepped toward the door, reaching out for the handle. "Hopefully we'll be able to…"
He stopped. He jiggled the handle, but the door wouldn't budge. Each member of the group exchanged worried glances, for they knew exactly what a development like this meant. The hammer brother tried again. When he didn't get the desired result, he knocked on the door. No one came. The only sign of movement from the shop was the flickering of the neon sign, and it could be argued that that didn't exactly count.
"What gives?" asked the other hammer bro.
"I don't know." The first hammer bro pulled away, groaning as he did. "This is not good."
"No! No, it isn't!" Wendy's voice was noticeably higher pitched. "We need those go-karts! If we don't get them, we won't be able to reach the Flower Kingdom in time!"
"I know, Princess, I know." The hammer bro seemed to consider things. "Perhaps… we need to find something else?"
Wendy looked serious, almost uncharacteristically so. "There isn't anything else." She stepped toward the store. "I'm not leaving Beanbean Castle Town without those go-karts."
Pom Pom exchanged a look with the hammer brothers before one of them sighed. "Very well, Your Majesty." He got his hammer out of his hammerspace and threw it at the shop window. The glass shattered, giving the group a way into the store. The hammer bros were the first to enter, stepping over the shards of broken glass carefully. Wendy entered next, and Pom Pom was just about to enter when she saw just how many broken glass shards were on the floor. They were as numerous as sprinkles on a birthday cake, except there was no happiness to be found with these. Only pain; pain and agony. Especially in Pom Pom's case, as she was the only member of the group who currently had bare feet.
"Uh, you guys go find the go-karts without me." Pom Pom stood straight and tall. "I'll stay out here."
"Alright." Wendy joined the hammer bros, and the three of them wandered into the shop. Pom Pom watched through the window, noticing the different go-karts and go-kart parts that were available for purchase. Even looking at them from a distance was enough to make Pom Pom feel impressed. The sparkling paint job, the engine cores that looked like they could take someone into space, and the tires in various sizes and colors were all… well, they were perfect. Supremely so.
"Looks like we've got a lot of nice options here," Wendy said. She looked at the hammer bros. "I think we'll be able to find something that each one of us can use." She said something more, but Pom Pom didn't hear her. This was mostly because she noticed something; a figure concealed in shadow creeping toward Wendy and the hammer brothers.
"WENDY, LOOK OUT!"
It was too late. The figure sprayed Wendy and her escorts with some kind of spray, causing them to black out. Pom Pom gasped, deciding to ignore the shards of glass and hop into the store. The unconscious princess and guards were being dragged into another room, a back room. Pom Pom put on a burst of speed, deciding that she needed to get to that door before it closed and locked her out. She was about to when…
"OWW!" Pom Pom lifted her right foot, wincing when she saw a glass shard sticking out. "Damn it!" She dug it out, but unfortunately for her, the door closed the second she did. Pom Pom hobbled over to the door, trying the lock. It didn't budge.
"Dammit, what do I do now?" As soon as she asked herself that question, it became apparent to her what she needed to do. Taking a deep breath, she rammed her body against the door. She put all her weight into it, all two hundred pounds of her bulky figure. Splinters flew off the door, and she could feel its place in the doorframe loosening up. Gritting her teeth, she tried harder and harder until…
WHAM! The door flew off its hinges. Pom Pom stepped forward, seeing for the first time that the door didn't lead to a back room, but a staircase. Not letting her surprise distract her from her goal, Pom Pom started making her way down. Each step was excruciating. If the cut in her foot wasn't infected, it would be in just a short amount of time. Of course, she couldn't worry about that now. She had to suck it up, for the sake of Wendy and the hammer bros.
"Come… back here!" Pom Pom finally got to the bottom of the stairs. Looking around the dark, windowless basement, it was close to impossible to see anything. Luckily, there was a light switch on her lefthand side. Switching it on, Pom Pom saw various shelves housing more kart parts. There was also a smell, one that smelled like… ramen noodles? Okay, that was a little unorthodox.
Grunting, Pom weaved in between the shelves. Ignoring her pain, she listened for any sound of movement whatsoever. She eventually did; the scraping of a shoe against the stone floor. Pom Pom followed that sound, scowling as she did. The sound led her to the far-hand wall, where Wendy and the hammer brothers were laying knocked out. Above them was the figure. It was hard to see them given how he was concealed by the shadows created by the shelves, but there was no doubt he was there. Standing in between a beanbag chair and a microwave with a ramen noodle cup resting inside.
Pom Pom brandished her ninja star. "Alright!" As she held her weapon, she could've sworn she saw the figure trembling. "I don't know who you are." She took a step forward. "But you are gonna give me back my party and…"
Pom Pom screamed. Sucking some air through her teeth, she had no choice but to collapse to the ground. She looked at her foot, bleeding in the most gruesome way. Tears sprung in Pom Pom's eyes. Sucking some air through her teeth, she tried not to turn into an absolute mess.
"Oh? Are you okay, sweetie? What's wrong?"
Blinking, Pom Pom looked up to see that the figure had emerged from the shadows. They were a stout beanish man, with jet-black hair and a round face. He had a furrowed brow, which given the circumstances was more than a little unusual. He stepped forward, cringing when he saw the cut.
"Looks like you cut yourself," he said. "Stay right there, sweetheart, I'll go get some medical supplies.
The figure went to the other side of the room. As she heard him rummaging around, Pom Pom's confusion multiplied. This… this was not how she would've expected this encounter to go. Nobody who hides in the shadows is EVER good. Or at least, that's what common sense would lead Pom Pom to believe. She still tried to wrap her head around everything as the man came back with a first aid kit.
"There there." He got into a kneeling position beside the cadet. "Let me see that foot." Not knowing anything better to do, Pom Pom showed him her injury. The man frowned and got out some alcohol. "Looks like that needs a little TLC." He gently held Pom Pom's foot by the heel. "This might sting a little, but I promise this is for the best."
Pom Pom just stared at him. This really was the strangest shadowy figure she had ever met. She was so caught up by he peculiarity that she almost didn't wince when the alcohol was applied. Almost.
"I'm sorry," the man said. "I know how bad it must feel. I'll try to be more careful." He slowly dabbed at the wound.
As he did that, Pom Pom managed to gather her bearings enough to speak up. "Who are you?"
"I'm Derek, of Derek's Double Dashers." Derek chuckled. "I would think that would've been obvious."
"Well… sure, I guess you got me there." Pom Pom readjusted her position as Derek got out some gauze. "Still, I don't understand why you're helping me."
"Because you need help. Duh." Derek carefully wrapped the gauze around her foot. "I mean, sure, you and your posse broke into my store, but that doesn't mean you should have to suffer."
"Oh. Right. I'm sorry, we were… we were kinda desperate."
"Everyone is desperate today, unfortunately." Derek frowned. "That worldwide vision, that cloud that's getting closer and closer to the Beanbean Mushroom border… everyone is running around like chickens with their heads cut off."
"Yeah." Pom Pom bit her lip. "Still. I really am sorry. We shouldn't have broken into the store."
"I accept your apology… Miss…?"
"Oh. Pom Pom. I'm Pom Pom." She gestured to her unconscious party members. "And those three are Matt, Barry, and Princess Wendy of the Koopa Kingdom."
"Princess?" Derek's eyes were wide. "You mean my store got broken into by a PRINCESS?" His jaw dropped. "Wow. I don't know whether to feel honored or worried."
Pom Pom chuckled. "Well… we mainly did it because we need some go-karts. Our airship ran out of fuel, and we need to get to the Flower Kingdom. There's someone there who might be able to help us stop the darkness."
"I see." Derek pulled away, putting the gauze back in the first aid kit. "Your foot should be good; just leave it on for a day or two and your cut will be gone."
"Thank you, Derek." Pom Pom rose to a standing position alongside Derek. A wave of awkwardness overcame her. "So… would you be at all willing to let us have some go-karts?"
Derek grunted. "Well… a lot of people have come to me today in order to get go-karts, actually. They all wanted to get as far away from the cloud as possible, so I'm afraid I don't have very many left."
Pom Pom stepped forward. "But… there are SOME left, right?"
"There… there are." Derek looked her right in the eye. "But I'm not willing to do business with someone who broke into my store…"
"Oh." Pom Pom's shoulder slumped and her face fell. "I'm sorry; I know it was a bit of a longshot…"
"Let me finish, Pom Pom." Derek smiled. "I'm not willing to do business with someone who broke into my store… until they do something for me first."
Pom Pom immediately perked up. "Oh! Yeah, that's pretty reasonable! What do you want me to do?"
Derek grinned. "Follow me."