New Beginnings (With A Revenge)
Written by Hunter and Magnus
(It's a rather fine... day, or whatever you have in space. Our fellows Hunter and Magnus are having a visit tour all around the Marauder.)
Hunter: And here, you have the engines' section. The Joes handle it quite fine on their own.
Magnus: Woah. Any idea how it works?
Hunter: From the looks of it, I'd say its fusion reactors, but I should ask the Joes about the details. Anyway, how is it going with the other Mercs?
Magnus: Fine. But they seem to skip the subject when I mention the Fatal Five.
Hunter: ...In which ways?
Magnus: Like, when I ask about where they came from, or why they take on us.
Hunter: Well, our defeat is still fresh on our minds, so we'd rather wait before talking about it, right?
Magnus: *narrows eyes* You're all hiding something.
Hunter: H-how can you say this? There's nothing to hide!
Magnus: Please. You've been sweating bullets ever since I mentionned them.
Hunter: It's kinda hot in here, after all! How about going back to your room?!
Magnus: Yeah, fine. (There's some fishy stuff going on. And you seem very involved in this, Bossman.)
(Later, at "night", in the computer room...)Magnus: Silly Hunter, firewalls are for keeping out spam bots. So, what did that security system record? ...Is that...Joes...doing... *switches records in a hurry* Never mention it anymore, okay? *shudders*
(And finally, after a few more surprising experiences...)
Magnus: Quite a stock of blackmail in here. Too bad everyone involved could access it. Now, that seems interesting.
Hunter (on tape): And I took part in the creation of these Fatal Five.
Magnus: Holy crunchmuffins! So, he and I are as much guilty in launching those guys against us. Time for some payback! *runs away*
(Same night, other place. We're in Henry's Hideout now.)
Warpman: I'm telling you, they fled like chickens! We are the ultimate winners!
Henry: Doesn't surprise me that I didn't see them recently, then. I kinda liked them.
Riff: Still, I believe they're still active. Only recovering from the humiliation.
Staccato: Alas, it could be weeks before we see our valliant foes once more.
Magnus *barging in*: YOU DIE NOW!
Staccato: Or minutes.
Lento: Unit Hyper Storm has a new voice?
Karasū: I'd rather say it is not Stardust anymore.
Staccato: Magnus, maybe?
Magnus: Damn right! *throws a Surging Gust at Warpman*
Warpman: *teleports away, leaving the Gust to destroy part of the counter* Too slow, newbie!
Henry *takes a shotgun from behind*: Fight outside. Or you get the shotgun.
Riff: Okay, okay. *points at the door* Let's go, boys.
Warpman *out*: Now, where were we?
Magnus: I was about to snap your neck like a slim jim, Freak-bot.
Karasū: At one against five?
Magnus: *looks around to find himself surrounded, then shrugs* Please, I've had worse odds. You five rejects don't have a chance!
(We leave this scene of ultra-violence to get back to more pleasant fellows.)
Iga: So, anyone seen Magnus?
Crew Joe: Negative. He's nowhere to be found.
Naoshi: We inspected every room.
Shinobu: And he left no note behind him.
Hunter: Bad news, people. Magnus paid a visit to the control room.
Iga: He saw... that?
Kayorei: What is "that"?
Hunter: Among other things, and you don't wanna know. He went to battle the Fatal Five on his own.
Naoshi: ...He isn't that pig-headed, right?
Crew Joe: Incoming transmission from Riff, sir.
Falling Star: Guess it's "yes". He's Hyper Storm Hog after all, right?
Riff: You already guessed why I called, isn't it?
Hunter: Yep.
Riff: Good. Bring a case full of money at the quarry we first fought in, or you'll be short of a Hyper Storm. *to someone off-screen* Warpman, stop this music, now!
Warpman *off-screen*: But he likes listening The Sound Of Music! Isnt' it, my chained and gagged Merc buddy?
Magnus *Off screen*: *muffled yelling that could very well be large amounts of profanity from one seriously pissed off Merc*
Riff: Please, think of us. Come with or without cash, as long as he stops that music.
Naoshi: Hold on. What if we don't bring the money?
Riff: Then we get another round of beating you senseless. Please, hurry, or I'll murder a Fatalist. Shortly after Hyper Storm. *screen goes offline*
Shinobu: We seem to have a problem with Hyper Storms.
Naoshi: We have a bigger problem: what must we do now?
Falling Star: The easy way doesn't sound that good to me.
Kayorei: That, and they're villains. Can't keep their words.
Hunter: Losing money AND a Merc? Losing only a Merc? Trying to fight? I can't choose!
Iga: If I may suggest something ...
Naoshi: Yeah?
Iga: Magnus and I designed a few stuff when he arrived, and I guess it may come in handy. Now, all we need is...
(You wouldn't like spoilers, would you? Anyways, back to the quarry.)
Riff: How's the prisonner doing?
Staccato: He has stopped swearing, milord. And I wot not some of his profanity of choice existed before now.
Riff: And the music?
Lento: Walkman crushed.
Riff: Good. And, I see our friends are coming.
Hunter *with a case*: Okay, here's the cash. Give the Merc back.
Riff *taking the case while the Fatalists gather*: Tut-tut. We prefer to check on the money first.
(And as they opened it, our villains were in for quite a shock.)
SFX: FLASH!
Iga: EMP bomb. Can't beat that.
Fatal Five: *screaming imprecations while walking around blinded*
Shinobu: *slashing Magnus' chains* You're gonna be in trouble for running wild like this, you know.
Magnus: Don't we have some Fatalists to beat up like right now?
Hunter: Good idea. Let's win this together!
Magnus: YEAH!
Hunter: But not before they recovered from the EMP.
Magnus: What?!
Naoshi: It's only fair-play.
(After a few seconds, the fight started back. The Five used their old strategy, with one minor change, though...)
Riff: They've countered every of our attacks! How can it be?
Naoshi: Know the saying, "live and learn"?
Kayorei: We studied our last defeat, and saw what went wrong.
Iga: So now we know!
Hunter: And knowing is half the battle!
Riff: ... Please tell me you repeated for that part.
(And while the fight notably goes in favor of the Mercs...)
Warpman: *escaping the battlefield* I'm gonna meet you all at the base, okay?
Magnus: *blasting Warpman's leg* Not so fast!
Warpman: Uh-oh.
Magnus: *pulling a chainsaw from Hammerspace* Payback time!
Karasū *watching from afar, beaten to a pulp*: My word. You do seem to have found a psychopath.
Riff: Still, it was the Sound Of Music.
Lento: Unit recommends discipline on Hyper Storm.
Hunter: Will do. *kicks Staccato*
(And after an afternoon filled with fun and violence, the Team returned to its base. But it wasn't the end of Magnus' troubles...)
Naoshi: Okay, so WHY did you not warn us?
Magnus: I thought it'd be quickly over.
Kayorei: A whole team against you?
Magnus: *shrugs* I've seen worse.
Falling Star: And I have a question. Why did they gag you, Magnus?
Magnus: I tried to eat Warpman's hand when he started in with the crappy music.
Other Mercs: O_O
Hunter: Okay........Anyways, I think we can go easy on him, people. After all, without his intervention, we wouldn't have been able to beat the Five, right?
Shinobu: Depends from the point of view, but yes.
Hunter: And we're somehow back to good team spirit of cooperation. All's fine!
Magnus: So, party?
Hunter: No. A week without Pocky for punishment of your insubordination.
Magnus: NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! NOT MY POCKY! *sulks in a corner for three days*
Falling Star: We're gonna have busy days with that lad.
(Meanwhile, at the Hideout...)Riff *patched up*: Another defeat. Again.
Henry: Better luck next time.
Staccato: Defeat is not an issue. Mockers are one.
Chimeraman: So, how did your losers' day went, lame-os?
Clawman: To think we have the same creator... Frankly, I'm disgusted.
Warpman: Could be worse. And you, STOP POKING ME!
Airman *hides his stick*: Oh, I heard that one bad. Do you want me to tell Ben what horrible things you think of him?
Warpman: Alright, back with the stick.
Airman *continues poking*: Awesome.
THE END
