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August 20th, 2003"Bowser, Aeris and Cloud: The Rescue"Part VII: "Reckless Resolution" August 20th, 6:00 AM The five of them were huddled around a bar table, gazing at the set of blueprints Cloud had managed to "liberate" from Bowser's den. Grease stains and spilled alcohol on the table had already smeared the plans for the airship, making them difficult to make out. A set of hands reached out to pick up the plans to inspect them further, but Cloud brushed them aside. "This is just a schematic. We know he's changed his plans for the airship since I found this, this is just to give you an overview of what he might do." Shapes drew backwards as Cloud stood up straight, drawing their attention to what he was about to say. Cloud's eyes scanned the room, looking at his quickly assembled comrades, and trying to weigh how his friends would react to what he was about to say. There were five of them there. Three men, one women, and one animal. Mario had caught up with Cloud before he had even called the meeting, eager to help out with confronting Bowser. Sonic had agreed to join up without hesitation, although the hedgehog did make sure that Cloud wasn't in the business of collecting chaos emeralds. "It's nothing personal, it's been fun and all... but I need to get that gem if I have a chance." The hedgehog had been a far more useful ally then Cloud could have anticipated... he hoped Sonic's uncanny combination of speed, skill, and luck would hold until the end. Samus wasn't paying any attention to the blueprints, she was leaning back in her chair, staring at her visor. Cloud figured she must be evaluating the blueprints and comparing them to what data she had already gathered upon the airship. Her offer of assistance had come as a surprise to him... but he needed all the assistance he could get. The last of the five of them there was the secret agent who went by the name of "Solid Snake." What Cloud knew about him couldn't fill a post-it note, but the others, Samus in particular, had convinced him that he would be an invaluable asset for any quest they wished to undertake. Mario and Sonic would most likely accompany him no matter what he said next. Samus probably would too... she had survived her match, and even repaired her suit. She was in prime fighting condition, and already experienced with the Doom Ship. The one person he really had to convince there was Solid Snake. He was talking to all of them... but he was the only one that mattered. The five of them were sitting around the same table that had been used for many a poker game, although only Snake remained out of the original players in those games. He wore a perfect poker face as usual. His gaze rested on the blueprints as he waited for Cloud to speak. Cloud Strife cleared his throat, and began to recite the words he had planned to say. He was no public speaker... but if those present were going to risk their lives for him, they at least deserved an explanation. "Thank you all for coming. As we all know, Bowser has menaced the tournament ever since it began, and especially over these last two weeks. A dozen days ago, he kidnapped my friend Aeris. The tournament officials have done nothing, and he's refused to release her. He's been keeping her aboard this flying vessel." Cloud pointed to the blueprints, trying not to lose anyone's attention. "We found out that he's been keeping her magic silenced somehow to prevent her from escaping." Mario, Sonic and Samus all nodded. They knew all of this already. Snake simply folded his arms, waiting for Cloud to get to the point. "Yesterday, I found this in front of my door." Cloud placed a second document on top of the blueprints for the airship. It was a handwritten note by Bowser. Cloud began to read it out loud.
At the bottom of the page there was a crude drawing of Bowser with his tongue sticking out, standing on a black ship. Sonic snickered a couple times when the letter was being read, but the rest of the group was oddly silent, waiting for Cloud to speak. "I think we should go after him. He's been running and hiding this whole time, this is the best chance we may get. He'd be no match for all of us together. I'd like all of you to help me out." Mario nodded agreeably, and raised two fingers in a victory salute. "Here we gooo!" Sonic duplicated Mario's pose and chuckled, but nodded in agreement. Samus was staring at the ground, shaking her head slightly. "This whole thing sounds funny, but I'll do whatever I can to help get Aeris back. Bowser shouldn't be too much of a problem." That left only one. Snake had tilted his chair backwards, and was scowling at the four of them. "This is a setup. He doesn't ask for a ransom, doesn't ask for anything. He just wants you to come aboard his ship. How could this be any more obvious? He's leading you into a trap." "I'm not worried about him." Cloud said firmly. "I'm not scared of anything he has to offer. We can take him." "Wake up, Cloud." Snake shook his head. "He has you right where he wants you. He could ask you for anything right now and you'd do it. But what he wants is you. Has it occurred to you that you have a match this afternoon?" "I know..." Cloud paused momentarily. "We can beat him and get back for it." "That's not what he thinks. He's setting you up. All he has to do is get you to forfeit the match-and you're gone. If you kill him, you're disqualified. He traps you or beats you, and you lose as well. Think about this." "I can handle myself." Cloud felt his ears begin to burn. He wanted Aeris back so badly... Cloud tried to keep himself from shaking with rage. He wouldn't let Aeris down. "You shouldn't do this. Any of you." Snake turned to Samus to deliver the last comment. "Just wait until after the match before trying to confront him. Assuming Cloud wins, Bowser will have to leave. You'll have the advantage rather than him." This wasn't going at all how Cloud had intended. Luckily, Samus spoke up on his behalf before he had to force out a response. "But Snake, what if he leaves with her?" Snake rolled his eyes. "We can keep him from escaping with a ship of this size. The officials can shut down the portals. There's no reason to play right into his hands like this." "Maybe," Samus acknowledged, sighing. "But you know I've already committed to help. I'll stand by whatever decision Cloud makes." Cloud looked at her gratefully and repeated his previous statement. "We're going after him." The secret agent his head and rose from the table. "You're making a mistake. I'm not going to be a part of this." Cloud watched Snake reach the door with a mix of relief and regret. Solid Snake was independent, and a loner... like himself, and so many others here. Samus called out to him as he began to open the doors, and he halted, turning back to look at her. "Snake... I'd really appreciate your help. I think you could do a lot of good here." "Then good luck." Snake mumbled, avoiding Samus's gaze. "That's all I can do for you." Snake took a final step through the doors of the Heros's Haunt, and then he was gone. A few rays from the sunrise trickled through as the doors swung shut... the morning was already beginning. Time was running out and they had a final deadline to deal with. Cloud looked over what was left of his group, and hoped it would be enough. Samus was shaking her head sorrowfully and Mario and Sonic were looking up at him expectantly. For some reason they still respected him... he had to hope he wouldn't let them down. ---- The forest had seen better days. It had also seen chases, scuffles, and at least one construction enterprise followed by a demolition project. Bowser's hideout had stayed on the tournament grounds for less time than AiAi. Cloud could only wonder what the woods had been like before their arrival. Now, various trees were burnt away, the grass was trampled in clear lines marking the passage of various wanderers... even a man-sized crater or two. It was a stretch to say that it looked like a tornado had passed through, but in the case of Sonic, that wasn't far from the truth. The hedgehog was zipping through the trees like his life depended upon getting every ounce of speed out of his sprint. Cloud mentally counted down the minutes to 7:00. It wouldn't be long now. The tournament officials... useless as they seemed to him these days, they did a good job of repairing the arena. Cloud idly hoped they would do the same for the rest of the dimension they were hosted in. Or maybe they wouldn't. It didn't really matter at this point. Besides, you can blame Bowser and the others for most of this havoc, not me. It should be about seven o' clock by now. Cloud frowned, seeing that Samus was staring off into space. "He should be here by now." "I think he is." Samus pointed a finger off into the distance. "Look over there." At first Cloud could barely make out a tiny bird flying toward them... but his impression was quickly corrected as the shape began to grow larger and larger, until he could make out a whirling propeller in the back. Cloud called out to Sonic to come back, and the four of them bunched up together and waited for the airship to land. The airship glided down softly above them, but remained in the air, perching above the tops of the trees like a bird. They had all seen the Doom Ship before... but Cloud was still struck by its enormity. Bowser could be hiding dozens of maidens in there. It would take a while to search through... the whole thing reminded Cloud of some medieval quest. He was Aeris's knight in shining armor, having to slay a fire-breathing dragon and brave a dark dungeon to rescue her. But Cloud knew he could count on Bowser not to make it that easy. He stared up at the airship, curious as to why it hadn't landed yet. It was maintaining its altitude, simply hovering in the air. He was about to ask Samus how she thought they could all get up there, when an enormous anchor fell over the side of the ship, attached to a large steel chain. Mario cheerfully hopped onto it and began climbing the metallic rope, using the links as handholds. Sonic began following suit a little more reluctantly, being careful to get a good grip. Cloud loooked at Samus and shrugged, but began his own ascent soon enough. Hey, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Cloud reached the top of airship to find a trio of cannons staring him in the face. The deck was littered with engines of war: cannons, missile launchers, a gauntlet of destruction. Mario had struck a fighting stance, with one fist forward, and Sonic looked like he was ready to make a break for it. Past the array of firepower there was a cabin, with a pipe leading downwards into the belly of the airship. Cloud reached behind him to pull Samus up over the edge, and gestured for the attention of his companions. "All right, we'll have to make a break for it. She's got to be somewhere inside..." But before Cloud could finish his sentence, one of the cannons shot forth a spherical projectile. Cloud hit the deck, and watched it fly behind him, exploding in the air. Red and purple sparks burst out of it, filling the sky with a kaleidoscope of colors. Cloud watched in disbelief as all the cannons began firing simultaneously, shooting harmless fireworks up into the air. The three cannons directly in front of him began rapidly firing at different angles... Cloud looked behind him to see Aeris's name written out in the fireworks... followed by a heart, then Bowser's name. Cloud rolled his eyes in disgust. The fireworks gradually subsided, and Bowser himself burst forth from the pipe on the other end of the ship. "Welcome to my home away from home! Aeris regrets not being able to make it, but you see... she's a little TIED UP at the moment. Get it? Tied up? Gwa ha ha ha." Bowser squinted in the early morning sunlight at four gaping faces. Well, three gaping faces and one face hidden behind a helmet. "Is that all of you? Well welcome aboard, but the real fun is inside! Gwa ha ha! I never knew I was such a party animal." The turtle slid back down the pipe easily, disappearing out of view. Cloud and the others raced after him, Sonic leading the way as usual. Cloud slid down the pipe after the others had taken their turns... it was a more comfortable squeeze than usual... it had obviously been built for a giant koopa rather than a human. Cloud landed on the ground with a slight thump, Samus with a clang. The inside of the ship felt muggy and cramped... definitely not an improvement over the Highwind. Light shined through a window on one side, and Cloud could hear a scamper of footsteps far off in the distance. Cloud ran forward, only to find the path split off into two directions. He quickly pulled out his blueprints. Frowning, he looked back and forth between them and the route in front of them. The former SOLDIER sighed and put them down reluctantly. "This isn't good. She's got to be somewhere in here, Bowser has some kind of a path he knows himself... but we can't know which branch takes us after him. Both routes seem to lead on for most of the length of the airship until they come to a dead end. One of them takes us to Aeris... the other may not go anywhere we want." "What's the problem?" Sonic asked suspiciously. "Don't those blueprints say where to go?" "Yeah..." Cloud muttered. "They say to take the right path. But it looks like Bowser's changed the layout of the airship since I found these. It could be either one now." "Hmm." Mario pulled off his cap momentarily and scratched his mat of hair. "Maybe-a Bowser would want-a to trick you by-a making it the other one." "Yeah..." Cloud looked at the passageway on the left indecisively. "But if he knew Cloud knows that he redesigned the airship, wouldn't he have put made the right passage the correct one?" Sonic chimed in helpfully. "Maybe, but..." "Ah, Sonic, but if he-a knew that we-a knew that, he'd-a make it the left passage." "No offense, Mario, but if he knew that we knew that he knew that we knew..." "Listen you guys!" Cloud raised his voice, causing both Mario and Sonic to jump a few feet in the air. "We can't know for sure. We just can't. We'll just have to search both passages. We're wasting enough time as it is." "Speaking of wasting time," Samus spoke softly. "It's entirely possible that we won't have enough time to search this whole thing as one group. Your match starts in a matter of hours." "Yeah, I know." Cloud looked among his companions, trying to make a rapid decision. Despite their annoying habits, he still wished there were more of them. "Mario and Sonic... you can both have your way, take the passage you want. Samus, you and I should probably split up since each of us has a copy of the blueprints." She'll be better at mapping this thing out as she goes along. Mario would be more of a natural at getting around Bowser's dungeons, so... "All right. Mario, I'll go with you down the left. Samus and Sonic, you two take the right passage. Try to meet back here within an hour regardless of what you find." Sonic cast a sidelong look at Samus. For a moment Cloud thought the hedgehog was going to complain, but Sonic just started running forward in anticipation, momentarily leaving Samus in the dust. "Come on sis, let's go." Samus smiled briefly, then crouched and rolled into a ball, matching Sonic's pace down the narrow hallway. Cloud had to smile momentarily at the irony. Mario and himself had been rivals last year, along with Samus and Sonic. And here they were, all ganging up together against Bowser. The reptile shouldn't have a chance against them... even if they had been outmatched last time. But he had one critical advantage he didn't the last time he was up here. He had twice as many allies... and one gift from an outside force. The Triforce of Power. The magical artifact had reshaped an entire world... Cloud couldn't imagine what it would do for him, but it had chosen him for a reason. And he had accepted it for a reason. There were dark forces at work here... and any advantage that he could claim might change his fate. Cloud followed Mario at a distance down the corridor. The two of them had an ancient to rescue. ---- Bowser chuckled to himself as he finally reached his control room. The enormous turtle breathed in a deep breath, letting the air waft through his giant nostrils. "Ah, I love that new ship smell! Now let's see here..." Bowser plodded through his cabin, peering over a set of video monitors. "Gwa ha ha ha! They've barely even started! Oh this is going to be fun! Hoo huu huu... they think they have me outnumbered. But they'll see where the numbers really lie..." Bowser turned to one wall displaying a dual readout of figures, keeping tabs on his forces within the ship, and everyone else. "Current occupancy: 6. Heh. Not bad, but not enough." Bowser chuckled to himself again, admiring at the number of decimal places his minion count required. "I'd say that's roughly a hundred to on..." Bowser frowned again. The second readout had changed just as he turned back to it. It was now reading that the doom ship had seven guests. Including himself, that was one more than he had expected. Bowser quickly turned to the display showing the entrance. "Rarrgh. This isn't good at all. Unless... wait a second." Bowser smiled suddenly, as he spotted a tall figure skulking in the shadows. Bowser grinned to himself. "This couldn't be better. It's about time. Still, no need to pick up any more stragglers." Bowser flipped a lever and the whole ship began to vibrate slightly. The gargantuan reptile gripped the steering wheel firmly and began to steer the doom ship up and away from the forest. "That's more like it. Now just come on Cloud..." Bowser gave the video screen a crocodile grin. "Just come and get me." Next Entry Back |