Season Beatings Part 2

In my lifestyle of near-daily partying and vices, I've experienced every high and low you can imagine. So, believe me when I say that this current hangover is one of the worst I've felt. Still, even though it felt like someone decided to play acupuncture with my brain, I was able to stumble back up despite my blurring and spinning surroundings. But, of course, I should've known that Eternus would be right as rain first.

"Morning Ricochet, glad you managed to catch up on even more beauty sleep," he said in his usual petty tone.

Remembering my elaborate "act," I fired back with my cheeky remark. Unfortunately, however, my pen was not as good.

"Well, you know what they say, Eternus, they can't; shut up," I said while still getting my bearings.

Pretty much immediately after our short spat, the other Cons started to wake up one by one, each revealing new details of our situation.

"Where the heck are we?! The Last thing I remember was eggnog, bad caroling, and some blackjack that got rigged," Gum said in a sour tone.

"Better question, who the hell stripped us down and gave us these retro prison-style outfits?" Port said in an irritable fashion

"And who put me in this weird headgear? Also, wait, my caroling was bad?" Fury said with creeping distress.

"...," said a distrubed and talkative Frag.

From there, we managed to piece together our bizarre setup. Besides Eternus' signature cape, pretty much every one of our clothes was replaced in orange jumpsuits like we were in prison. Though that statement actually might not be the most inaccurate. As for our surroundings, we were all trapped in a large white room with white titles throughout.

Stranger still Fury was equipped with an electric blue metal collar attached two long pads to her temples. However, before we ask even more questions, a theatrically computerized voice decided to make its appearance.

"All amazingly enlightening questions that I'm more than happy to answer."

Eventually, the sound managed to collect together into a shimmering white light that then started to ebb from the middle room, finally taking a definitive shape that formed our presumed captor. But, honestly, his appearance was still a lot to take in; my eyes still needed to adjust.

Physicality-wise, they were about as different as you can get from Damage, instead being almost as tall as me yet lanky like Frag while having an androgynous appearance. In addition, the figure got dressed in a large metallic grey exoskeleton that covered their limbs to add to their mystery. For the most part, though, he was clad in a skintight modified violet and black jumpsuit adorned with a white painted "N" on his chest.

However, probably the most surprising thing about their outfit was their highly responsive black mask tipped with purple "eyelids" and white "pupils." The most intimidating was their large looming dark purple cape that probably made Eternus jealous, drawing even more attention to their rather fearsome metallic belt full of gadgets and gizmos. Once it was clear he had our captive attention, the figure then decided to speak.

"Hello Cons, I've wanted to meet your acquaintance for quite some time now. Which is why I'm more than happy to introduce myself as Dr. Nef-."

Before the crackpot could even finish his sentence, Eternus struck back violently, unleashing a flying reverse spin kick to his face. However, that kick quickly fell through completely, phasing through the figure as if he was only hitting air. With his momentum far too fast to stop, Eternus landed in front of all of us in a crouched position, clearly ready to attack as we all circled him.

Realizing what had happened, the Dr looked at his hands and body, their "eyes" wide with a shivering excitement. Before their nerves could overtake them, their excitement soon condensed and vanished upon the closing of their fists. With that, their eloquent speech pattern rapidly fell away.

"My, my, my a surprise attack while in the middle of my opening speech!? How ruthless, how vulgar, haha! I knew leaving you with that gorgeous cape intact. Even with the augmented reality holographic display, I can just feel how much you want to kill me right now; it's exhilarating! Damage really didn't stand a chance, did he?" the Dr said in a maddeningly excited tone!

Our morale got cut straight in half from those last two sentences alone. Half our charm and luck came from the simple fact that we are the worst of the worst in the town filled with the worst. We had no gimmicks, no infamy, and most importantly, no names.

And while Omna and Damage have chipped away at that secrecy, this Doctor took one step farther, eviscerating rule 4 and treating it like a goddamn joke. Eternus was the most shaken person of them all, as all of his bloodlust turned into shock and awe that formed into one principle question.

"How do you know that name!?"

"I told you before Atlas, I've been waiting for this meeting for quite some time, and I am one to take every expense to know everything about my nemeses. It's the absolute bare minimum I can do for ones as great as you. Frankly, I still can't believe I managed to get you all here! Months of surveillance from self-made satellites from the scrapyard and sixty thousand cloaked nanites armed with knockout gas is one thing, but seeing you here in the flesh is another matter entirely! Once again, I, Dr. Nefario, am genuinely honored to meet your acquaintance in this forced attendance!" they said without taking a single breath.

With my mind completely thrown for a loop at the technobabble I just heard, I stuck to what I do best: hearing but not listening. So instead, I focused intensely on Eternus as his shattered visage regenerated far faster than he ever could. Ever since his fight with Damage, this darkness has awakened within him ever since he took his life.

I don't know whether it was always there or a new development, but either way, one thing was clear: it refused resistance of any kind. Instead, utter bewilderment turned to a venomous bloodthirst at the speed of a coin flip, holding all of us utterly captive as our fearless leader walked towards Dr. Nefario with his newfound creed with bloodlust blazing.

"You know what? I'm honestly flattered as well, Dr. Nefario. Normally I got to talk a big game or make up some elaborate facade, but you seem to know all about that. This means that you should damn well know better than most people that I mean it when I say that if you don't release us from this glorified hamster cage right this second. No doctor alive is going to fix what I do to you. Do you understand?"

"Oh, I understand you perfectly, Eternus, and it's exactly what I'm hoping for! But even now, I still need to prepare, and you need to get warmed up, which is why I have manufactured approximately three challenges for you to complete. Win overall, and it'll prove we got meant to be and that I'll have to go back to the drawing board for the plans to come."

"And if we don't," I said out of instinctive curiosity.

"Then you'll be dead, but I highly doubt that'll happen; you wouldn't disappoint me like that. Especially with the training you've ALL done," he said in a very matter-of-fact matter.

With that, I realized the meaning of his words and groaned as my secret also got revealed. Either way, Dr. Nefario didn't seem to mind instead theatrically clapping his hands together while stating.

"But with that, I already wasted more than enough of your time; action holds far more power than words, right. So, let's begin immediately!"

With that, the image then vanished entirely in the same way he came as the wall behind him started to open up to reveal a small door. Out of said door, six identical robots ran out in fighting positions. Each one featured a metallic skeleton similar to his costume but got wholly covered in a thick see-through grey membrane that seemed to contain human-like veins.

Honestly, the thing that left me uneasy was their Nefario style faces that hid an apparent metallic skull. But then, as the six of us readied our fighting positions, Dr. Nefario's voice rang out of the room.

"Good luck," they said in an enthusiastic tone.

With that, the robot's realistic eyes glowed a demonic royal purple as they gunned for all of us with inhuman speed!