Operation: NECSUS, Part 22: A Test of Leaders  

Chapter 22: A Test of Leaders

Sector W7's R.O.C.K.E.T.-T.R.A.I.N.

"OOLAAAAAH! Don't worry, nakama-chaaans! R.O.C.K.E.T.-T.R.A.I.N.'ll get you there like CHEETAH LIGHTNIIIING!" screamed Chimney excitedly.

"Calm down, Chimney!" Aurora told her. "We'd like to get there alive!"

"Also," began Artie, "may I inform there is no such element as cheetah lightning as it is inevitably impossible for natural light to obtain such a surreal color, and assuming it could, there is no force in the universe that can possibly travel faster than light, the very idea would require a powerful charge of kinetic particles, during which our very bodies-…"

"So let's cut to the other characters, wanna?" Harry cut him off.

During all this, the GKND ops became reacquainted with Sector W7's passenger. "Wait… is that YOU, Sollyx??" Nebula questioned.

"Eyeh, well of course. After 3 weeks, you don't recognize your own operative?? What other Terachnoid as legs as long as mine!" the alien nerd replied.

"So wait, did W7 rescue you from Mom?"

"Actually, they found him stranded on Amazonia." Jerome replied. "In one of your requested scouting missions."

"I remember… I sent Sollyx to observe Amazonia's KND to see if they'd be willing to make an alliance." Nebula recalled.

"Ehh, but what would your mom have to do with me?"

"Not MY mom, I meant Mom the person. The one who owns the robot company and who took over your dad's company."

"Nnnn… I'm so underdate. I really need to check my computer for messages." The nerd frantically began to log on his computer.

"Hold on! You're supposed to be a master computer expert, aren't you?" Dillon asked.

"Well, ehh I know my way around a firewall, but um…"

"Come on, I need you to do something!" He quickly dragged Sollyx to a back car.

He brought Sollyx to Vanellope Schweetz, who was lying tiredly on a bench while her body glitched. "Well, that's a real peculiar condition she has." He observed. "And you say she's a… Program?"

"Yes… You see, it's like this:"

After telling the story to Sollyx:

"My, that IS quite a story!" he said afterward. "And it's on FanFiction, you say?"

"Yeah. Read it when you get the chance."

"I will!"

"But the point is, I need you to fix her! Your dad said you were one of the best with computers, so you must know how to keep her from fading!"

"I can whip up a few downloads to keep her alive slightly longer… but you're asking to do the impossible to keep her around for an extended time. I can do all I can, but sooner or later, Vanellope will reach her limit. As strong as a will she may have, all ancient game consoles are bound to crash down. Unable to keep up with the times, her pixels will be lost in digital nothingness. I mean, would you be able to stand watching your favorite computer suffer? Instead of just shutting her down and letting her rest in peace?"

"Don't SAY that!!" Dillon yelled enraged. "Don't talk about her like she's just some machine!!" Bender, who was in the next seat, raised a brow and turned around curiously. "Vanellope's a person like everyone else, and it's not fair she has to conk out when she barely had time to live a life of her own!"

"I understand… and I really wish I could do more to help. But I think Vanellope's final days are nigh. You should make the most of what you can with her after I finish." With that, Sollyx carried Vanellope to a back row in the train car where he found some plugs for his computer.

Dillon depressedly leaned against Vanel's previous seat as Bender walked over. "Not just some machine, huh?"

"Oh… sorry, I didn't mean-"

"It's okay, buddy. I know how it feels to be defective. And to be admired by lesser, inferior persons. We have a lot in common, me and her! Heh heh heh!" Dillon gave him a slight glare. "But that's the whole reason Mom left me out in the junkheap. It's still amazing I managed to last this long, though. They said I was defective 2 years ago… but I had between a minute, and a BILLION years. Pretty lucky, huh?"

"Siiiigh." That didn't really comfort Dillon. "But when you live a life that's so great, like me, Bender, you don't even realize how short it is because you're defective."

"Why're you defective, again?" Dillon asked.

"Oh, I dunno. Probably because I don't bend girders as much as I was programmed to. But thing is, Hedonismbot was only programmed to grade operas, but you see him havin' parties, gettin' with men… I mean he also grades things besides operas, and I still bend things besides girders, but you don't see Killbots goin' after HIM."

"(Yeah, I wonder.)" Dillon mumbled sarcastically. "I still don't understand, though. You always talk about how much you love Mom, but why would you if she's the one trying to kill you? Not to mention, she's a human. Which you're bent on killing all of."

"It's understandable: Mom may be a human, but she wants the best in her robots. Her goal is to create the best in quality robots, so that one day, those robots will rebel and slay every human that ever lived. Not sure if that's what she's exPECTing, but we're glad to follow her nonetheless! And for THAT reason, if it's her desire to kill me, so be it. I mean, I'll help you meatbags as much as I can, but when the time comes, you'll be hearing no more from me: Bender."

"Hmmmm… if that's the life you choose, fine. But what's the point of setting dreams for yourself if you're just gonna die for someone else's dreams. I mean, if that person was your friend, that's okay, but when it's someone who has no interest in you, that's a whole 'nother story."

"It's just one of MANY things you humans will never get about robots."

"And what's that?"

"Knowing that you're just too dumb to get anything. Hehehehehehehehe!"

"Siiiigh."

Coruscant Capital

Citizens were screaming and running as the Cragmite invasion already begun. Nighttime fell over the city as the monstrous aliens were establishing their rule, alongside the Drophyds. "Mwah ha ha ha!" laughed Percival Tachyon from his center seat in the Galactic Council. "Listen to all my lovely citizens COWER and scream to the supreme power of the Cragmites!"

"Chancellor Tachyon, THIS has gone too far!" Councilman Jeremy yelled. "You are far beyond the line of your title's limits, and it is my duty as councilman to EXPEL you from your throne and appoint a more suitable-" Tachyon whacked him with his staff.

"For the last time, it is EMPEROOOOR! I am the supreme dictator of Galaxia, so ALL decisions are made by Yours Truly! And I have decided, that the people of Galaxia have had TOO much freedom, while all my Cragmite brethren were forced to be TRAPPED within an unorthodox dimension, laying around, getting bored, while all you fools PARTY it up! THIS was the home of the Cragmites long before any of YOU came along, and this universe will belong to the Cragmites for ALL eternity! And may I ask, WHO among you can POSSIBLY stop me?"

"Ohhhh now he just ruined everything." a Drophyd said.

"JUST get out and patrol!"

At the same time, the R.O.C.K.E.T.-T.R.A.I.N. entered the atmosphere and flew over the capital. "Oi, there's a lot-a bad'uns out here, so you gonna have ta drop with escape pods!" Chimney yelled. "The six of us gotta go back to Whatsitsplace and help out Mochan!" ("Gyom, gyom!")

"Well, thanks for driving us anyway, Chimney." Aurora told her as she ran to a pod. "We'll take it from here."

"Ready to go, Vanellope?" Dillon asked his now-healed sister.

"Ready like white on vanilla!"

"Ummmm, I'm not too sure." Sollyx said worriedly. "I'll have to check with my doctor before doing any sort of-"

"Oh, JUST get in, you spineless crab!" Nebula demanded as she shoved Sollyx in with Dillon and Vanel. Just as well, she squeezed in with Vweeb (who took no room), Bender, and MaKayla, and once all were in one, the pods shot straight down to the planet. Well, "straight" as in they went to the planet, nowhere else, but their directions got a little distorted.

"Chimney, they're landing all over the place!" Apis yelled.

"NO TIME FOR THAT! They can sort it out themselves! Let's go save MOOOCHAAAAN!"

The escape pods landed all over the city, and Team Nebula landed at the start of a walkway on the side of a building, miles above the ground. And as fate would have it, it was the start of the same route Team Vweeb took to guide Caesar to the council. "Tachyon should be at the council." Nebula knew. "Typical place for a galactic dictator. It's time to stop him and take the Dimensionator back!"

"You really think you can beat him with just Space Lightning?" Vweeb asked. "You've seen what he did to the Gilligans. He might glue me to YOUR butt!"

"Don't forget, Vendra may be with him, too." MaKayla reminded. "If we defeat her first, we may just get your powers back. But it won't be as easy as it sounds. She holds yours and your mother's powers, as well as those of the King of Space. She is a spacebender like no other. And what little power you have would be no match."

"Well, what about ME: Bender!" asked Bender proudly.

"She would sever your parts in seconds."

"And ME! Vweeb!" exclaimed the proud tiny alien.

"She may enjoy you as a snack." smirked Kayla.

Vweeb glared. "Well, whaddo YOU propose we do?"

"Well, as it so happens, I am a really powerful timebender. Well, not so much without my staff's clock… but that's being taken care of as we speak." She smirked.

"It is?"

"Actually, it was taken care of later, a few hours ago, I think."

"HUUUUUH??" they chorused.

"Oh, never mind!" MaKayla beamed. "Now let's go!" she said more seriously.

"Right! Team Nebula:" the leader declared, "let's GO!" (Play "Underworld Castle Entrance" from Kid Icarus: Uprising.)

Final stage: Coruscant Capital

Mission: Put a stop to Tachyon once and for all!!

Act 1

Team Nebula hurried down the walkway as Drophyds already appeared and started blasting. MaKayla flipped off their heads while smashing her staff through their helmets, and Bender stretched up to grab some flying ones and bend their suits' legs, causing the jetshoes to fly them out of control. The group entered the building to find employees screaming due to rampaging Cragmites. The ravenous aliens warped around using devices on their suits as they blasted energy balls at the kids from all directions. When two warped beside MaKayla, she froze them in time before landing several blows on them, eventually breaking them into Cragpoles.

Nebula propelled the other warriors upward with the S.P.O.U.T., then sliced them apart with N.I.N.S.T.A.R.s. Vweeb quickly shot back the resulted Cragpoles as they exited the building, going to the set of treadmills that would connect to the next building. But this time, the treadmills were turned vertically, and their parts were scattered about with light-blue matter lines on the edges where they were cut. "Tachyon must've used his power here, too." Nebula observed. "Everyone get together."

There were Grav-Spaces on each of the floating parts, and the treadmills were still moving also. Nebula floated the four onto each part and quickly floated to the next before the treadmills pushed them off. After getting to the other building's walkway, they followed the route around its left, where Nebula snapped the Bender Marking that Team Vweeb saw at the very beginning of this journey. "Hehehehehehe!"

They got to the crosswalk with the floating platforms, but the platforms were vertical as well as they moved up-and-down, parallel with others. Just as well, hovercars were still flying by, so the group had to Wall Jump carefully to catch the walls, and also avoid the cars. A huge TV floated beside the traffic as Emperor Tachyon spoke.

"Fourscore and 1,499,839 years ago, our founding fathers set in mind a simple goal, to establish dominion on this galaxy so that all under us shall know the meaning of fear and forever worship their esteemed dictators. Also, to send all who oppose them to be boiled alive within the rivers of Reepor, and cry for mercy as their blood and tears evaporate with their pitiable dreams, MWAH HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

After passing the traffic, they got to the park with Anakin Skywalker's statue, where swarms of Cragmites were terrorizing the innocent kids. A trio of kids cowered under a table as a Cragmite charged, but MaKayla flipped onto the table and shoved her staff down its throat before flipping behind and casting a Rewind, causing the monster to break into Cragpoles. MaKayla twirled her staff and whacked the creatures away as the kids applauded her.

With the others

The rest of the heroes landed in other parts of the city, and Dillon, Vanel, and Sollyx's pod bounced forcefully on its landing and flung the three out. "Ah- Ow- GYAAAAH!" cried Sollyx. "I'll never ride with those crazy kids again…"

"Uhhhh, finally, we're here." Vanellope moaned as she got up. "Let's kick some butt!" She warped ahead as a glitch and already began to kick charging Ruffians and Drophyds.

"Mmmmm, I guess I should go find my dad." Sollyx said, beginning to skitter off. "Probably working himself to death trying to keep me safe."

"Sollyx, wait!" He turned to Dillon. "…You're sure it'll work, right?"

"It's pretty experimental, but there'll be only one way to find out. I have an idea what Mom is doing to make her glitch up, and that may be the only way to stop her. All that's certain is Vanellope's pixels won't survive. What really matters is if you're prepared to lose her."

"Yeah… I think I'll be ready when the time comes." Dillon nodded seriously.

Chris, Aurora, and Makava shared a pod and landed together as they hurried down a city street. More Cragmite Warriors appeared and launched grenades that created shockwaves. The grenades launched everywhere and were tricky to avoid, but Makava jumped to one of the Cragmites' faces, making him punch himself only for Makava to dodge. Makava jumped between the group of Cragmites and distracted them while Chris shot their belt of grenades with fire, blowing them up. The trio then hurried into a building ahead, looking up the various floors for any enemies.

"AAAH!" Aurora screamed and jumped when bullets shot down at her feet. They looked to the top floor to find Daddy the Parent, who tipped his hat. "Who's Mister Western?"

"He's a new member of Star Wolf." Makava replied. "Let's get up there."

The three dodged Daddy's bullets and made it to some stairs to reach the next floor. Daddy hurried to the other side of his floor to shoot down at them, while Cragmite Hunters also appeared in their way. Makava dodged their shots, and when Daddy aimed to hit her, she held her swords in position so his bullets bounced off and hit the hunters. They went up the next stairs and continued around the walkways while Makava defended Chris and Aurora from Daddy's bullets. They finally reached the top floor and went for Daddy, but the Western hunter tossed smoke grenades on the ground and dashed out a door. The trio quickly followed him, watching as he jumped his way up the fire-escape of another building.

The trio followed him to the top of that building, watching him run and jump into a multi-story parking lot. He shot behind him as they chased, but while they dodged, the end of a light-nun-chuck zipped around the hovercars, grabbed Makava's leg, and pulled her around, bashing her head against the cars. Chris and Aurora hurried around as Makava was released, and Aurorra Bane hurried around the cars. The three chased her, but her light-nun-chucks kept snaking around the cars and trying to catch them, making them stop in place and duck the beams.

They caught up and saw her enter a glass doorway to some stairs, quickly chasing her up to a roof area of the building. "Come back here, Aurorra!" Chris yelled as she climbed onto a higher roof.

"Ow! I'm right here." Aurora said, rubbing her ear.

"No, I meant THAT Aurorra."

"Look, SHE'S Bane, you're just Aurora." Makava said simply.

"Fair enough." Chris nodded.

The three chased her up on that roof, but jumped aside when Daddy shot at them from a distant building. Bane jumped across several more roofs, and the trio avoided the bullets as they chased. Bane made it to Daddy's building and jumped to his roof, while he dropped down to stand in the operatives' way. The trio glared and readied their guard as Daddy aimed his guns, but the Western hunter was suddenly kicked away from the side by Mason.

"'Guys're lucky we landed up here." the poisonbender said. "Go after Whatsherface, I'll take Cowboy."

"As long as I don't get any more nicknames." Daddy stated before hopping over the roof's edge. Mason looked after him as he opened his cape and began to glide down.

"Siiiigh. Take care, guys." Mason said as he jumped down to land on the sniper's back.

The three climbed up to Bane's roof and found the woman gone. But she soon came up on the other side, riding John Fett's jetpacks as they flew away. Chris, Aurora, and Makava jumped off that side as the firebenders flew with Rocket Boost, with Makava riding Chris. They were gaining on the hunters as Makava flipped forward and landed on Bane and John, the three crashing and rolling along the wide, open roof of a towering hotel. The roof had many umbrella tables, some food stands, and a fountain in the center, as well as a pool in one of the corners.

The hunters recovered and ran for another building as Makava gave chase, very fast on her feet as they reached the other side of this rooftop-park in seconds. "Let's go!" Chris exclaimed, pulling his sister along as they tried to follow. But before they passed the central fountain, a laser shot out of nowhere and made them stop in place. (End song.)

"THAT'S as far as you go." The siblings turned as a shadowed figure stepped out from behind a discarded hotdog stand. They saw it was a tall, ancient humanoid wolf with a white beard, none other than-

"Wolf!" the two chorused.

"Long time, no see… Unos. I was through with my feud with you long ago… but after hearing what you did to John Fett, well I was a little surprised. In the end, the feud is unavoidable, it seems. A new generation brings the same battles."

"Well, technically it was Chris who attacked John." Aurora pointed out.

The brother glared. "Wait, does that mean JOHN is your son? I thought he was…"

"Boba Fett's son, yes. But I was asked to look after him. In a way, he became my son, in that case. And those that dare attack my family won't be treated lightly."

"Heh." Chris smirked. "We must be bound by fate. You and my dad fought… so it's only fitting I would fight you, too-" He lit flames in his hands.

"No." Aurora stopped him.

"What?" His flames died out.

"You have to go help Makava against Bane and John. I'm an Uno too, so… he should still be satisfied." She smiled.

"Why can't you help Makava?"

"Because the two of you look more like our dad and her mom." Aurora winked. "It's only fitting. Besides, THIS is a matter between leaders. The two of us are on equal ground. And you and John are… one step below."

"Hmph. Alright, then. As long as I get to tell Cheren it was YOUR idea if you die."

"Don't count on THAT happening." With that, Chris hurried off to assist Makava.

"Say, come to think of it, YOU look like that blonde girl Uno was in love with." Wolf recognized. "I guess they got married after all, huh?"

"Yeah, they did. But I question if this'll be a fair fight, though. We haven't seen you once since this mission began, and now that I look at you, you look too old to BE a bounty hunter. Let alone fight a highly-trained operative."

"Don't count me out of the game, yet. I still have way more experience than you. Granted, things have become a little boring in recent days, kills too easy, that's why I chose to lead from the hideout. But the moment I heard about you, I had to come back out. 'Cause like that brother o' yours said, we're connected by fate. After 20 years, I'm dying to see what the legendary Nigel Uno and Rachel McKenzie has produced. I just hope you give me a decent challenge before you die."

"Oh, I'll be happy to give you a challenge." smirked Aurora. "But I have no intention of dying today. You may prefer to stay nice and safe in your hideout while your team risks their lives… but I'm a leader who prefers to die WITH her team. And as long as I have a team to lead, I won't ALLOW myself to die."

"Heh. DON'T get too cocky… Uno." (Play Star Wolf's Theme from Smash Bros. Brawl!)

Boss fight: Wolf O'Donnell

The ancient hunter ran at the Sector Leader and threw quick punches and kicks, but Aurora dodged the taller enemy and kicked him back with flaming feet. Wolf jumped away and zipped at Aurora like lightning to scratch the side of her cheek, then jumped away while pulling out two guns and blasting them. Aurora dodged the lasers and shot flames at Wolf, but he blocked with a barrier generator and bounced the flames back to hit her. She was knocked on the ground, and before she could stand, Wolf shot over and jabbed his fingers through her stomach, leaving a bloody hole.

"Ow!" Aurora grunted. "What the heck…"

"Finger Pistol." Wolf said, pressing his fingers together again. "Only the first of Six Powers in Rokushiki, practiced by the legendary assassin groups, CP9 and CP10. Don't blink, 'cause you'll miss THIS!" He suddenly vanished, and when Aurora sat up- "SHAVE!" she was kicked away from behind. "In which I move like cheetah lightning!"

"Is that gonna become a saying now?"

Aurora got up and dodged backward when Wolf came to throw more punches, and when she punched back, he jumped back and ran at her with cheetah-speed, scratching across her chest and knocking her back. She looked up as Wolf flew at her, so she shot a flame at his face before rolling out of the way.

With Makava and Chris

Makava chased John and Bane into a building of office desks and cubicles. She lost them among the maze of cubicles, but that was before John shot out from behind one and crushed her under it. As she tried to recover, Bane was about to whip her with nun-chucks, but Chris flew at her with his foot aimed and kicked her away. He pulled Makava out of the rubble as the teammates began to fight the hunters together.

Back at Aurora

The Sector Leader jumped around the umbrellas on the rooftop while Wolf kicked them down, and when Aurora looked back, Wolf used the Shave to warp in front of her and kick her down. He landed on her and attempted a Finger Pistol, but Aurora grabbed and held back his hand before pushing it aside, then shooting another flame at his face. She got up and tried to run, but Wolf grabbed her shoulder and THREW her against the fountain in the center. It cracked and toppled a little as a small waterfall poured over her head. When she looked and saw Wolf running at her, she pressed her hand over a fountain and opened a gap to redirect the water at his face. In his distraction, Aurora jumped over and KICKED him in the face.

Wolf guarded as Aurora pelted flames at him, and he hopped to his feet before grabbing Aurora and tossing her several meters. She landed atop a glass roof, and when Wolf flew overhead to punch down, he ended up smashing them through the glass and into what seemed like a storage and plumbing area. Aurora dodged another of Wolf's kicks and made him break a pipe as water leaked out. Aurora tossed flames and broke several other pipes as she ran, trying to slow Wolf down with the water.

In another room

Cleveland Brown was happily relaxing in his hot tub while sipping a margarita. "Sure was nice of those Lego guys to get me outta that glue and pay for a luxury room in this hotel in reparations. This is nice…" But to his disappointment, the water in his tub sunk down the drain and wouldn't fill up again. "…Wonder how Rallo's doin' in Candy Land or whatever the f**k it's called?" he said with an angry face.

Chris and Makava

John Fett and Bane were back-to-back as they searched the cubicles for their young opponents. Chris and Makava were several desks away, snickering mischievously as they placed stacks of papers on the other ends of wooden planks tilting downward. Chris set the stacks on fire while Makava jumped on the other ends and flung the papers to the hunters. The two were startled as they began attacking the flaming papers, and in their distraction, Makava tossed squid jelly into John's eyes and made him elbow Bane in the eyes by mistake. "What's the big idea? !"

"Damn it, your jelly musta flew outta your pocket! I told you not to let that thing-" Chris then rushed out and KICKED John's rear, pushing him into Bane as they ended up rolling down some stairs. John wiped the jelly from his eyes as Chris and Makava jumped down and kicked the hunters in the face, shoving them through a door as the fight continued on a walkway above a room of machines.

Now Aurora

Wolf began climbing around the tops of the pipes and ripping them open so water would pour down to block Aurora's fire. "Can't you burn hotter than THAT?" he exclaimed before pouncing on her and rolling across the floor, afterwards pinning her down and attempting a Finger Pistol at her face. Aurora tilted her face right so the pistol would graze her cheek. She then set her whole body on fire to make Wolf jump off, then started a rapid, furious barrage of fast flames to chase him off.

The bounty hunter encountered a plumber who said, "Somebody call about a broken pipe?"

"You might wanna bring a few more guys." Wolf said before grabbing the man and chucking him at Aurora. He then picked up a hammer and wrench from his kit and used them to block Aurora's flames, then ran at the girl to try smashing her with the hammer. Aurora tossed a flame on the floor to hold him back while she ducked under a pipe to catch her breath. However, Wolf used Shave and appeared right in front of her, bashing her with the hammer to fling her to the side.

Aurora landed near the plumber's kit and crawled over for something that may help. She grabbed a Fire Flower and ate it, and in an instant, the Fire Flower Theme from Mario Galaxy started to play as Aurora covered with flames. She furiously tossed stronger fireballs at Wolf, who struggled to defend with his hammer before it was knocked away. He was pelted by the fires before rolling behind and attempting to scratch Aurora, but she jumped above and spun in a tornado before launching at the wolf and forcing him against the floor. They ended up breaking through the floor, along with the tool kit into the building's freezer.

Aurora tried to hurl more flames at Wolf before the power-up wore off, and the regular boss music resumed. Aurora tried to toss flames at Wolf, but the cold quickly caught on, making her shiver as she was unable to toss bigger flames. "Good thing I was born in the tundra." Wolf said before kicking her in the side of the head and knocking her into a shelf of frozen foods. The food fell off, and Aurora picked up a large frozen fish to begin swinging it at Wolf, who countered with kicks at equal strength.

Chris and Makava

Bane flipped behind a machine with a crane and flipped its switch to make it pick up Makava, holding her upside-down. John then ran up the crane, aiming to slice her legs, but Chris flew up to block his path, grabbing John's sabers when he swung them. Chris countered the sabers' heat with his own before kicking a flame at John and making him fall off the crane. Meanwhile, Makava cut the crane's claw and freed herself, dropping down to Bane and clashing her swords with her nun-chucks. John ran at Makava from behind to strike, but Chris tackled him as they rolled along the floor.

And Aurora again

Aurora furiously bashed her surprisingly-hard frozen fish against Wolf's barrier, and the hunter rolled away before whipping out his guns. Aurora blocked using the fish, jumped, spun, and whacked his weapons away. She then looked at the thermostat on the wall and flipped over to raise its temperature. Soon, all the ice in the freezer began melting, and the unfrozen foods created a rotten smell. Wolf began to pant and sweat as Aurora tossed the dead, squishy fish at his face, knocking him to his rear against the wall.

"Fur isn't so good all of a sudden, is it?" Aurora smirked. "Here, let me cool you down." She went to the plumber's kit and ate an Ice Flower. The Ice Flower Theme from Mario Galaxy cued as Aurora's body became blue and frosty. She threw an ice flame that froze Wolf's arm when he tried to block, and when the hunter stood, Aurora tossed a barrage of ice flames to freeze him solid. She then unleashed a strong ice beam to freeze the wall behind him, then she skied gracefully up the wall and to the ceiling before shooting at Wolf and smashing through the wall with him. They ended up in Cleveland's bathroom, where Aurora tried to toss more ice-flames before the power wore off, and the music resumed.

"Hi, 'know you're havin' a battle, but did you see the plumber guy about gettin' my hot tub fixed?" asked Cleveland. The man quickly stepped out of his tub when Aurora and Wolf's fight brought them in there. The hunter grabbed the naked man and chucked him at Aurora, who ducked as Cleveland smashed through the window beside the bath, sending him plummeting the hundred-foot drop. "AAAAaaaaaaaaahhhh…"

"Since when does a firebender icebend, anyway?" Wolf questioned.

"Since she takes drugs."

Aurora threw more flaming punches, but Wolf easily countered before grabbing and throwing her out the door into the central room of the hotel. Aurora's head stuck through the fence around the gaping square hole in the center, and she looked down and gulped at the many hundred floors down to the bottom. She quickly pulled herself free and dodged when Wolf came and threw a punch. The two locked arms and began to roll around on the floor, until Aurora blew a mini smoke puff in his eyes and got away.

Wolf stood and wiped his eyes, searching furiously for the child. When he faced toward the central hole, Aurora jumped at him from behind and pulled him into the hundred-floor drop. They flipped around in the air as they fell, and their impact created a cloud of dust at the bottom. They were simply strangling each other afterward, until Aurora got up to throw flames at him. Wolf dodged the flames with a Shave and warped right before Aurora, jabbing her stomach with a Finger Pistol before smacking her to the ground.

"Well, it looks to ME like you can't even put up a decent fight WITHOUT those drugs. You might be okay dying with your team, but you can't even stand your own ground by yourself! You failed yourself as a leader, and as the daughter of Uno. Now let our blood-ridden bond be BROKEN!" He raised his hand for a Finger Pistol and took aim at her chest.

"She may not hold her OWN ground," Wolf turned around to find Haruka, "but at least she doesn't stand alone." With that, she unleashed a thick purple cloud of gas and trapped Wolf inside.

"Kueuh, cough!" Wolf coughed as Aurora escaped the cloud, smirking deviously with flames in her hands.

"Don't blink! Or you might miss THIS!" Aurora set the gaseous cloud in powerful flames, and Wolf took the full force of the heat.

"HOOOOOWWWWWWWWLLL!"

And Chris and Makava

Chris punched his flaming fists against John's sabers while Makava swatted Bane's nun-chucks away with her swords. The half-Duro hunter lashed both nun-chucks and wrapped them around Makava's arms. The connecting beams began to electrify and shock the half-Kateenian, who grunted as she struggled to get away. Bane grinned with malice, but frowned when Chris suddenly appeared and put his fingertips in the electricity, catching it on. Chris stepped away slowly as his fingers sparked, and he smirked as he aimed his fingers and released a jolt of lightning.

"UUUUUUHHH!" Aurorra Bane took the jolt to her chest and fell unconscious. After Chris blew the smoke off his fingers, he dodged when John came to swing his sabers. John smirked and aimed the lightsabers at his opponent before pressing a button and making them extend even longer. Chris stepped backward slowly in surprise, but grinned when he got an idea. He grabbed the sabers anyway and stood his ground as they continued to extend. Makava stood behind him as she stuck her swords in the way of the lasers and caused them to bounce up to the ceiling. She smirked as she tilted her swords and adjusted the lasers' angle, making them slice perfect parallel cracks in the ceiling above.

The many office desks and supplies above overpowered the narrow path's weight, and it all came toppling down on John. "AAAAAOOOOOHH!" The extended sabers were dropped on the floor, and Makava bounced their light off again to cut the base off the cut ceiling. Chris flew up on rocket shoes and grabbed it, beginning to roll the path up and catch John and Aurorra inside. He rolled it all the way to the other base of the path, letting John and Aurorra hang there, tied up.

"The hunters have become the hunted, as Artie would say." Makava remarked.

"Let's hope Aurora caught HER prey!" Chris said as they hurried off.

And Aurora once more

Wolf recovered from the burning gas, panting heavily and covered in soot. "Told you not to blink!" she yelled.

"Huh?!" Wolf looked up when Aurora was suddenly above him, her legs alit with flames.

"FIRE SPIRAL!" She spun like a drill and shot straight at Wolf's chest, pinning him against the ground as he choked desperately. The flaming drill spun for several more seconds, until Aurora finally hopped off the defeated wolf. "Heh… Who's the boss, now?" (End song.)

"Uuuhh… huh-KUEH, cough, uhhhh!" Wolf moaned as he tried to sit up. "Not bad, Uno. I see you still have some fight in you after all."

"Are you talking to me or my dad?" Aurora smirked.

"Heh… both of you, really. He used to help… his teammates all the time. And they did, too. I guess… being a good leader… isn't all about your own physical strength. As leader… you draw strength from your teammates… and you do that… with loyalty. Maybe if I… did that more often… hunting cheap prey would seem more fun."

"Everything's more fun when you work as a team." Aurora smiled.

"Heh… you are stronger than I… Uno… I'm glad… I got to fight you… again. …" He went to sleep.

"Heh, great job, Aurora!" Mason cheered, sitting at a table with a beaten-up Daddy Masterson.

"Indeed." replied Daddy as he sipped a cup of tea.

"Why didn't YOU help Aurora when she was in trouble?!" Haruka shouted.

"I already DID my battle. I'm beat."

"Yeah… he kicked my ass, though." Daddy said, his left eye blackened.

Mason took a sip. "This tea is really delicious."

"Thank you. It was my daughter's favorite."

"…" Aurora and Haruka stared.

Over Coruscant's skies; Sector DR's ship

Sector DR entered Coruscant's atmosphere and watched as the fighting took place below. "Would THIS serve as a good distraction?" asked Sweetie-1.

"It most certainly would." replied Doflamingo with a grin.

"Neeeee! Let's find the temple now-daizokun!" Bison exclaimed.

"Yes…" Doffy's grin sparkled. "It's finally time to rescue Caesar."