Echo of Shadows - Will Nine be Enough?

Travel Multiversal Episode 0

"Echo of Shadows – Will Nine be Enough?"

Part 2

An RP between Flashshadow and eshonen

*Exiting the portal, Shonnie and his team find themselves inside of a warehouse that left him with a sense of deja vu.*

Ashuro: *looks around* Creepy... *looks up at Shonnie* something wrong, friend?

Shonnie: This place... This is where "it" happened.

Ashuro: O_O Y-You don't mean...?

*Shonnie silently nods once, not even looking at Ashuro to see his expression.*

Ashuro: *nods to signal to Shonnie that he understood* Strange...why would Pyro send us here of all places?

Shonnie: To screw with my head would be my first guess... But there has to be more to it than that...

???1: It's too see how you would handle being back in the one place where you suffered your greatest loss.

*everyone stops when they hear the voice*

Jimmy: Yikes!

Aero Man: What was that?

Shonnie: Who's there?!

???2: Nyahahaha!

???3: *Muttley-like chuckle*

Shonnie: Wait, I recognize those laughs...

Cheeko: Those very annoying laughs...

*Master Williams and the Neo Force prepares themselves for battle. Jimmy and Jenny stood cautiously in placed as they mysterious laughter echoed through the warehouse. Out of the corner of her eye, Jenny spots something glowing red and getting brighter.*

Jenny: Wha-what is....

*Jenny turns around to see Damien Malice slowly approaching them. His shark like teeth snarling fiercely at them as several of his tendrils swung about behind him.*

Damien: Grrr....

Jenny: O_O Eek!

Jimmy: Wah, its Damien! O_O

Shonnie: What?! 0o0

Cheeko: How did all these guys get here?!

??? 1: "He" brought us here against our own will.

*A tall man emerges from the shadows. Judging from his large ears and facial features, Shonnie could tell that he was a Vampire Bat Verdente like Victora and Megumi.*

Shonnie: Are you... Do you know the Koco's?

Byakuru: Yes. I am Byakuru Koco, current boss of the Koco Family. I take it that you've already met my son Batou or my nieces Victora and Megumi, right?

*Before Shonnie can answer, Byakuru speedily moves behind Shonnie just as a laser shot can be heard being fired. Seconds later, Shonnie sees two burns on the ground in front of him caused by lasers and smells something burning. He touches the sides of his afro and notices that the edges of it were partly singed. Turning around he sees that Byakuru is standing there with a sword drawn and there was smoke blowing off of it; Shonnie immediately realizes that Byakuru had just protected him by slicing a laser shot in half that was aimed directly at him.*

Byakuru: ...sneaky mutt...

??? 3: *Muttley-like chuckle*

*A pair of red robotic eyes can be seen shining in the shadows from where the shot had been fired. Out of the shadows comes a blue robotic dog chuckling deviously at them. Shonnie immediately recognized the dog's identity.*

Shonnie: Wait, Shifty? What is he doing here?

Cheeko: I don't know. But he's going down! *Cheeko's ready to charge Shifty but another laser shoots him.* ARGH! >o<

Shonnie: Cheeko, no! 0o0

*Cheeko collapses to the ground in a splash-like sound. His body seems to be melting into a puddle as if he were an ice cube. Shonnie looks towards the direction of the blast to see a middle-aged man with a thick moustache and a pseudo steampunk costume.*

Screwloose: Heh, the unstoppable Cheeko D. brought down in one shot? Such a wretched waste >w<

Shonnie: Why you... >_<

Byakuru: -_- Again? *sighs* you three have no focus at all!

*Sheathing his sword, Byakuru gets into a quick draw stance. A strong breeze of wind blows through the entire area and Damien, Screwloose and Shifty immediately stops moving, falling to the ground seconds later. While everybody was looking around trying to figure out what had happened, William Flash kept his eyes on Byakuru; although he didn't see it, he knew for sure that Byakuru had done something. Taking the three dazed villains, Byakuru sits next to each other up against a wall and slams their heads together to wake them up. Their reaction was incredibly funny as they rubbed their heads trying to relieve the pain.*

Byakuru: YOU BAKAS!! >_<

*Damien, Screwloose and Shifty immediately stop what they're doing and look up at Byakuru.*

Byakuru: I TOLD YOU THREE TO FOCUS! EVERYTiME YOU LET YOURSELF GET TOO DiSTRACTED BY ANYTHiNG HE'LL TAKE THAT CHANCE TO GET iNTO YOUR MiNDS AND CONTROL YOU! WE NEED THEiR HELP TO GET OUT OF HERE AND THEY CAN'T HELP US iF WE END UP KiLLiNG THEM BEFORE WE CAN COME UP WiTH A PLAN!!

Damien: *snarls at Byakuru, but then shakes his head acknowledging his words* the thought of needing that damn detective's help makes me sick... but no more than being Pyro's fool. >_< I'll stay my hand for now.

Screwloose: Fine, we'll do this your way, bat... Now stand aside.

*Screwloose points his de-stabilizer at the now half-formed Cheeko and fires again. In a flash, Cheeko slowly turns back to normal.*

Cheeko: Whoa, what happened?!

Shonnie: Cheeko, you're back, buddy!

Ashuro: ...

Byakuru: *looks at Ashuro* I'm sorry, Ashuro; my hands were tied back then. What happened at MASTER HQ never should've taken place.

Ashuro: It's okay; I already know about what really happened back then. I'm not mad at any of you anymore.

Byakuru: ...thank you. Listen up, we don't have much longer; the very moment that any of the four of us get distracted, Pyro tries to hack into our minds. Not only is each attack stronger than the last, they weaken us as well; and when he finally does gain control of our minds, we won't be able to control ourselves anymore until you beat the challenge he issues you *looks at Damien, Screwloose and Shifty* we'll try to buy you some extra time to come up with a plan, so try not to do anything that'll distract us.

*Byakuru, Damien, Screwloose and Shifty sit down and meditate so that they can focus while Shonnie and his team get as far away as possible from the four so that they can come up with some sort of strategy. After the group moves away from Byakuru and co, they start trying to figure out what to do.*

Cheeko: Well, Man-Bat bought us some time.

Aero Man: Aye, so what's the plan, laddie?

Shonnie: Well, I'm not entirely sure, at the moment... I half-expected them to be the challenge, but it seems they want to escape and stop Pyro, too.

Jenny: I guess that explains why Damien got punked by Byakuru and didn't do a thing.

*Damien growls softly, clearly hearing Jenny's comment, but resumes his focus.*

Jenny: S-sorry, about that...

Ashuro: I think that they're the challenge too, Shonnie. Although they don't want to be here, Pyro's trying to hack into their minds so that he can control them. And if he succeeds...

*Pyro's influence attacks Screwloose's mind harder than before and takes over his body. He rises to his feet and just before he can fire an attack at the team, Shifty uses his strong robotic jaws to bite his arm; the incredible pain helps Screwloose break free from Pyro's control as he flails about trying to shake Shifty off of his arm. Byakuru and Damien couldn't help but chuckle at the rather entertaining scene.*

Damien: (That Screwloose may be an incompetent fool, but he is rather amusing.)

*Screwloose eventually pries Shifty off his arm. But instead of another angry rant, he rubs Shifty's head.*

Screwloose: What would I do without you my, precious pooch. ^w^

Shifty:^w^

Ashuro: That was a close one. But it also means we're running out of time. I know that you all have had some experience with Damien and Screwloose, but have any of you ever fought Byakuru just yet?

Shonnie: Not even a little...

Cheeko: I'm sure I would've remembered fighting him.

Aero Man: I've never even met any of the Koco's before today...

Ashuro: *gulps* I was afraid of that; I've never seen him fight before either. All I've got to go on are the stories that Batou told me when Byakuru was training him. The one thing that Batou always talked about was how unbelievably fast his Dad is; that he could defeat dozens of opponents and you'd never see him move.

*William Flash immediately thinks back to what had happened just earlier. He had his eyes fixed on Byakuru that entire time; although he didn't see him move, it did seem like his body had partially faded away before looking solid again.*

Williams: Byakuru is one fast cat. I haven't speed like his since my old band mate, Tobei.

Shonnie: Great... As if there weren't enough people faster than me, already...

Jimmy: I'm sure he can't solve mysteries as well as you though. ^w^ *pats Shonnie's back.*

Shonnie: *smiles*

Ashuro: ...y'know...when he attacked just a little while ago, I heard something that sounded like some sort of high-pitch echo. Seeing that he is a bat, it's also possible that he used some sort of sound attack to aid him in some way.

Shonnie: Yeah, you're right...

Jimmy: Wow, I had no idea speed was co-related with sound...0o0

Ashuro: Hmm...we won't know for sure until we truly have to fight him *looks over at Jenny who seems to be a little nervous about the entire situation* ...hold up *reaches into the stone in his right hand and pulls out a wrist watch* here, put this on Jenny *hands Jenny the watch*

Jenny: Um, sure... Okay *Jenny does as she is told and puts the wrist watch on* what's this watch supposed to do? Turn me into an alien hero?

Ashuro: Almost. Remember that time you went to that Starcruiser X convention when you were going to show off the cosplay outfits that you, Rocko, Hayama and Scooter made but they never showed up?

*Jenny definitely did remember that day; she had bragged to all of her Starcruiser X buddies about those cool costumes for weeks and how they would be the highlight of the event. But when the day finally came, Rocko, Hayama and Scooter never showed up and neither did the costumes. That was a very humiliating day for poor Jenny as her fellow Starcruiser X comrades mocked her and till this day wouldn't let her forget about it. The next time she saw Rocko, Hayama and Scooter she let them know how angry she was with them and demanded an explanation. They explained to her about how they had stayed up all night working on something the night before and were so tired that they ended up sleeping through the entire event and remembered waking up WAY past the ending time; needless to say that she beat the snot out of all three of them something fierce afterwards.*

Jenny: Now that you mention it, I do... But what's it got to do with the watch?

Ashuro: This is the fruit of their labor. Hayama was really proud about how the F-Gloves he made for Shonnie turned out and wanted to see if he could do the same thing with other stuff. Basically, if it's something from the world of Starcruiser X, this watch will provide it for you. Outfits, weapons, spaceships, you name; it's all within this watch. They've tested it several times already and have made it so that only you can use it. The three of them had planned on giving it to you on the day of the convention as a surprise, but as you know, they over-worked themselves and crashed when they were out of energy. So...think of this as their way of apologizing for letting you down that day.

*Jenny couldn't believe her ears. Within the watch she had on her wrist, were a collection of Starcruiser X outfits, spaceships, and weapons. Jenny almost wept in joy at the product of her close friend's tireless effort and tight bond.*

Jenny: T-this is, unbelievable! All of that is inside here? 0o0...TT^TT All this Starcruiser X, stuff...in...

*Jenny grew light-headed and nearly fainted, only to be caught by Flexi-Girl.*

Flexi-Girl: Poor Jenny; the excitement may have been much for her.

Ashuro: *reaches back into the stone in his right hand and pulls some headphones out of it* and Jimmy, these are for you *hands the headphones to Jimmy*

Jimmy: Cool! Thanks, Ashuro! Er, what do they do?

Ashuro: It one of Rocko's favorite inventions; he calls these "AccuReflex Phones" or AR Phones for short. With these you'll be able to read your opponent's movements with ease; to you it'll feel like they're in slow-motion. You'll also be able to see the weak points on their body and your attacks will gain pin-point accuracy. There are also a few neat features for spy/espionage work, but those can wait for another time.

Jimmy: Wow, this is awesome! ^o^ Thanks, Ashuro!

Ashuro: Oh, and here's something I meant to give you earlier Shonnie *takes a card that had an "N" on it out of his pocket and hands it over to Shonnie* it's an update from Hayama for your F-Gloves; he said that all you had to do was use the scan feature of your gloves to install the updates on it.

Shonnie: Really? *Shonnie's hand glows as he slowly waves his hand across the card to scan it. After a few seconds the updates are in the gloves, he then looks over the newly installed data.*

Ashuro: What did he give you?

*The screen on Shonnie's F-Glove informs him that 3 new Battle Techs and a Power Absorb feature have been added: Neo Quake, Neo Cyclone and Neo Pause. A warning message that Hayama also included states that these new Techs need to be used strategically because using one requires a full charge from the F-Gloves; that meant that he would have to wait for the gloves to recharge before he'd be able use one of the three techs again or transform into Neo Shonnie. It goes on to say that the Power Absorb feature was added to help buffer that disadvantage. He would be able to absorb a variety of incoming energy as well as suck energy from machines and even his enemies through physical contact. To use this feature, all he would have to do was think about draining the energy of his target; and as a bonus, this feature would always be active so he didn't have to worry about activating it whenever he wanted to use it.*

Shonnie: Mmm-hmm. Mmm-hmm... Hayama, you done it again ^w^

Cheeko: Got some new tricks, buddy-boy?

Shonnie: Quite a few, actually. Hopefully, these will help us stop Pyro. Somehow...

Jimmy: I'm sure we'll figure something out, bro. ^w^

???: Alright I thing I've given you all enough time; now it's time to play~

*Everybody in the room looks around*

Byakuru: That voice...it's him.

*Shonnie and his friends all get into battle positions after hearing that contemptible voice they immediately recognized. Screwloose and Shifty trembled in place but continued to maintain focus after hearing that voice. Damien angrily growls after hearing the voice he finds more infuriating than the existence of Shonnie Flash. But like before he continues to maintain focus.*

???: Heh-heh-heh; rather stubborn the four of you are.

*An illusionary Pyro Darkesis emerges from the shadows and into the light.*

Pyro: I'm actually quite amazed that you four are able to resist me that much.

*Damien is clearly fighting his urge to attack the cocky Pyro's illusion, but maintains his focus just the same. Screwloose and Shifty try to follow suit, begrudgingly growling as they did so.*

Pyro: *notices Damien* got something to say, shades? *smirks*

Damien: ...... >_<

Pyro: Oh come now; there must be something in that shadowy mind of your's that you're just dying to say to me~ ^3^

Byakuru: (Coward; sending an illusionary copy of himself here to mess with us instead of coming here himself... )

*Damien's tendrils start to tense up ready to attack the Pyro illusion, but they stop when a blue energy sphere fly through the Pyro illusion and hit a wall.*

Shonnie: Dammit, another illusion?! And I had such a clean shot...

Cheeko: Figures Pyro doesn't have the confidence to face us himself...

*Damien chuckles to himself, from the exchange and revelation.*

Damien: (Hmph. Detective, you magnificent bastard. You knew that was Pyro's illusion the whole time. Didn't you? )

Pyro: Oh you misunderstand me. It's not that I have no confidence about facing you in battle and defeating you; it's just that I really want to focus on opening this gate. It only becomes weak like this once a decade; if I was to miss it now, it would take another 10 years of waiting before I get another chance to try again. Knowing that, you can see why I can't risk destroying you all and then not having enough energy left to open that gate now, right? But I promise you, once I get what I came for your all free to do whatever you want to me...not that it'll do you any good anyways.

*Everyone exchanges frustrated and angry glances at Pyro. But save for a few small chuckles in the room, coming from both Shonnie Flash and Damien Malice who quietly chuckles to himself.*

Cheeko: Shonnie?

Pyro: ... *shrugs his shoulders, not really caring about what Shonnie and Damien are laughing about* you want to get out of here, Fro Boy? Then you've got to defeat my helpers over there *points to Byakuru, Screwloose, Shifty and Damien*

Byakuru: We're on strike.

Shonnie: *looks over at them for a moment and back at Pyro* It doesn't look like your "helpers" are interested in fighting us. And my arch-foes are being cool for a change. So maybe you can grow a pair and fight us yourself.

Pyro: With the right motivation they'll gladly do what I ask of them. Oh, and about what I said earlier, you need to defeat these four in order to win...simultaneously, that is. *disappears in a puff of smoke*

Cheeko: What an ass...

Shonnie: Looks like we don't have much choice... Mr. Koco, any ideas on your end?

Byakuru: All--GYAH!

*Byakuru, Damien, Screwloose and Shifty all double over in pain from what looks like a serious headache.*

Byakuru: Stupid illusionist! He's going all-out in hacking our minds now! *struggles* Shonnie, remember this one thing: don't trust your eyes--GYAAAAAAAAAH!!

Shonnie: *nods his head*

*Some of Shonnie's teammates try to go over to help them, but Williams gestures for them to stop.*

Damien: Dammit! I won't lose to another mortal bastard! >_<

Screwloose: WAAAAH! My head! It feels like it's caught in a press!

Shifty: *whimpers in pain as he covers his head with his metal paws.*

*With one final surge, all four of them become silent and stare off into space. Then one by one, a glowing "N" tattoo appears on each of their foreheads; Pyro had finally taken control of their minds, stripping all remaining traces of their free will.*

Byakuru: *stares at Shonnie's group with a piercing gaze*

*Everyone exchanged worried glances as they realized that Pyro finally got to them. With clearly no other options left, they all prepared themselves for battle.*

Shonnie: Nobody takes control of my arch-foes, and Batou's father and gets away with it! >_< *his fists glow bright blue and gets in his battle stance*

Ashuro: *takes his battle stance* this'll be the first time I've had to fight Mr. Byakuru as well; I really don't know what to expect from him.

Shonnie: From what I've gathered, he has a high speed factor and skilled with a sword... Fighting him may call for a strong balance of speed and defense...

Ashuro: Right! ^o^

Byakuru: *grabs the hilt of his sheathed sword and takes a quick draw stance then back steps behind Damien, Screwloose and Shifty, disappearing into a shadowed area.*

Ashuro: O_O;; Not good...

Shonnie: Indeed... O_O;;

*Before Shonnie could use his eyes to try and see where Byakuru disappeared to, Damein fires a flurry of shadow bolts at Shonnie and his friends while Dr. Screwloose and Shifty both firing lasers at them. Most of them scattered to avoid the laser fire while Aero Man and Master Williams managed to block and repel the attacks with their weapons. Suddenly everybody's vision blurs for about two seconds; in that time, Byakuru had already attack! Thanks to the battle training, Master Williams was able to block the attack while Aero Man quickly dodges out of the way...but not fast enough to save his cape which got shredded to pieces. Looking around, neither of them saw Byakuru who had already disappeared back into the shadows.*

Ashuro & Jenny: O.O; ...

Aero Man: Begorrah! O_O;;

Master Williams: You kids better stay on your toes! This Byakuru fella'

Shonnie: ....

Flexi-Girl: Shonnie, are you alright?

Shonnie: I managed to get a glimpse of him before he attacked Grandpa and Ray. If I can figure out how to spot him before he strikes, we may be able to stop his sneak attacks...

Cheeko: You better hurry, chief! Only half of us are sword proof!

*As they speak, Shifty and Dr. Screwloose fire at them again. Jenny activates a force field around her and Jimmy for safety, protecting them from the blast for a moment.*

Jenny: And we still have these guys to deal with! >_<

Ashuro: We need more light in here.

Shonnie: If only I can... Wait! I got it! *Shonnie's body starts to glow bright blue. His energy aura starts to illuminate the room.* if I can...

*Before Shonnie can finish, a long black tendril wraps around his throat and pulls him away.*

Shonnie: Argh! What the hell?! >o<

*The tendril reveals to have come from Damien Malice who was ready to slash Shonnie right down the middle.* '

Damein: RAAAAH! >_<

*Before Damien can slash Shonnie with his sword, Shonnie barely manages to catch the blade in his hands. Though he's able to stop the attack, Damien was clearly overpowering Shonnie, as the tendril is slowly tightening around his neck.*

Cheeko: Hang on, Shonnie!

*Cheeko races to Shonnie's aid, not realizing the warehouse was losing its light gradually.*

Ashuro: *senses two individuals fastly approaching Cheeko* Cheeko, wait!

*Being a bit closer to Cheeko than Ashuro was at the moment, Hammer Hound charges towards Cheeko just in time to deliver a dual punch to both Screwloose and Shifty, stopping their sneak attack in full. Not stopping for one moment, Cheeko jumps up and transforms into a buzz-saw, slicing the tendril that was choking Shonnie off of Damien's body, freeing him.*

Damien: ARGH!! *Damien glides back into the shadows to recover after Cheeko's attack.*

Shonnie: *gasps for air* Thanks, guys. That was too close for comfort.

Cheeko: No problem, chief.

Hammer Hound: Anytime, Flash. *charges after Screwloose and Shifty*

Shonnie: Cheeko, I'm going to try and keep the warehouse lit for a bit. If there isn't any darkness, they can't keep sneaking up on us. Byakuru may be fast, but if we can reduce the surprise factor of his attacks, maybe we'll be able to anticipate where he'll attack from. Do you think you can cover me, while I am at it?

Cheeko: That's easier said than done, chief. But I got your back either way *turns his hands into machetes ready to defend Shonnie while he lights up the warehouse.*

*Just like before, everybody's vision suddenly blurs again. In the blink of an eye, Shonnie is face-to-face with Byakuru, who barely misses having his head sliced off thanks to Flexi-Girl using a stretching arm to pull him out of the way just in time.*

Byakuru: ... *jumps up high and disappears into the shadows once again*

Ashuro: Not only do they have the shadows in their favor, they've got this entire area that's full of hiding spots as well.

Jenny: And they're not giving Flash a chance to light this place up too.

Ashuro: I could light this place up myself but I need all of the E-nergy I have to keep this clone me here. Unless we can find another way to light this place up, we'll have to find a way to escape outside.

Jenny: *looks around then realizes the light coming from some of the holes in the walls* Flash, the moon!

Shonnie: *looks out at the moon from the windows* ...I got it! Thanks for the assist Jenny. Hey, Cheeko!

Cheeko: Yeah?

Shonnie: Ready for the "power punt"?!

Cheeko: What good will that do us right now?

Shonnie: Trust me, buddy.

*Cheeko nods then turns into a ball. This seems to confuse everyone but Dr. Screwloose who points his ray gun at Shonnie as he approaches Cheeko, only to get his legs tackled by Jimmy Flash, causing him to fall down. Shonnie begins to kick Cheeko a couple times into the air until launching a powerful kick sending him towards the ceiling. Cheeko then grows bigger and bigger with each rotation until he was the size of a mini-van. He then bursts through the roof leaving a giant hole in the roof, and then comes down right next to the hole, leaving a large tear in the roof, allowing the moonlight to shine right inside the warehouse.*

Shonnie: Let there be light!

Cheeko: Jeez, way to steal my thunder, chief.

Shonnie: Sorry, pal.

*Byakuru's wings extend out of his back. The wing membrane was jet black, the symbol of those in the Koco Family who are able to use the "Blackwing" sword arts with great ease.*

Ashuro: 0o0 his are darker than Batou's *looks closer* and look at all of those battle scars on them...just how much stronger that Batou is he?

Shonnie: I don't know. But I'm afraid we're about to find out... -_-;

*Everyone stands ready for a possible attack. Byakuru opens his mouth a little, as if he was yawning, and everybody's vision blurs again. When they're able to see again each of them see multiple Byakuru(s) in front of them.*

Ashuro: YiKES! Batou never told me about him being able to do Buunshin techniques! *delivers a flurry of rapid stretching punches to the Byakuru(s) but his attacks go right through them* What the...illusions? No, that can't be it; they're not giving off any sort of power level. Just what is this?

*Shonnie's team was baffled as to what was happening. The multiple Byakuru(s) weren't clones OR illusions; just what was happening to them?*

Shonnie: Man, oh man... *Shonnie tries to examine them with his bionic eyes but can't seem to figure them out.* their construction is too cryptic. I can't tell what they are.

Cheeko: I say we attack all of them, until we get the right one!

Ashuro: Ah, my ears are ringing like crazy; what the heck is making that high pitch screech?!

*Everybody tries to listen for the sound but aren't able to hear it...but the high pitch noise appears to be affecting Ashuro, Cheeko and Hammer Hound the most.*

Hammer Hound: GAAAAH! Make it stop! >o< *tightly pulls on his ears.*

Cheeko: It's like somebody's taking a jackhammer to my brain! >o<

Shonnie: Wait a minute... *before his vision blurs, he saw what appeared to be Byakuru gapping at the mouth.* Guys! I think the sound is coming from Byakuru! >_<

Cheeko: WHAT?! >_<

Ashuro: ARGH! So he really WAS using echolocation to fight us. >_O

Shonnie: That sounds about right.

Ashuro: It looks like Cheeko, Hammer Hound and I are at a disadvantage here.

*Damien raises his arms upwards and uses his energy to create a black circular disk that slowly expands over the hole that Cheeko made earlier. Williams immediately realized what was going on; Damien was trying to block out ALL of the light that was shining down in the building.*

Williams: Sorry, to do this twice, young blood... *Williams's body glows for a moment as he raises his cane sword. He then appears to barely draw the blade before quickly closing it again with a loud click. The dark disk begins to dissolve and Damien begins spitting up blood before collapsing to the ground.*

Jenny: Holy crap, Master Williams! 0o0

Williams: Don't worry, he's still alive. He'll just be out for a bit. *coughs abit.*

Jimmy: Are you okay, Grandpa?

Williams: Not a problem; just not as limber as I used to.

*Ashuro goes over to Williams and begins applying pressure to multiple different spots on his body, fully rejuvenating him and making him feel much, much better.*

Williams: Phew! Much obliged kiddo. *rubs Ashuro's head.*

*Shonnie is seen pressing on one of his bionic eyeballs.*

Aero Man: Is all well, lad?

Shonnie: I'm fine, Ray; if I'm correct, I might be able to pick out the real Byakaru. Just need to get the right setting...

*Some wind blows some dust into Jimmy's eye, forcing him to rub it. With one eye closed, he noticed that there seemed to be fewer Byakuru(s) than before. Once the dust was cleared from his eye he opened it and it looked like more Byakuru(s) had appeared. After alternating between both eyes several times he realizes what's happening: Byakuru was using his echolocation to give them all Diplopia.*

Jimmy: S-Shonnie! O_O

Shonnie: What is it, Jimmy? I'm trying to--

Jimmy: Byakuru's doing something to our eyes!

Shonnie: What?

Jimmy: He didn't create any illusions, whatever his attack did is messing with our eyes! Close one of your eyes and look!

*Shonnie is initially confused at first. But he never doubted Jimmy before, so he tried it out. One of Shonnie's eyes shuts-off and he looks at Byakuru, who now appears alone again.*

Shonnie: Heh, Byakuru you magnificent bastard... Reverse sensory warfare...

*Nearly forgetting about the situation, Shonnie ducks then dodge rolls out of the way in time to avoid being hit by Screwloose and Shifty's attacks.*

Shonnie: I guess it's still too soon to celebrate...

Aero Man: Leave it to us, lad! We'll keep Screwloose and Shifty busy, you guys handle Byakaru!

*Aero Man and the Neo Force pursue Screwloose and Shifty while, Shonnie and the others deal with Byakaru.*

Shonnie: Thanks, guys!

Ashuro: *closes one of his eyes so that he can see only one Byakuru* ...darn it, it's no use; even though I can see him now, that supersonic echo will still be too much for my ears to handle.

Jenny: Well, at least we only have him to worry about--

*A dark, corrupted aura of E-nergy surrounds Damien that heals and re-energizes him completely as he rises to his feet, ready to fight again.*

Jenny: ...never mind. -_-;

Shonnie: Man, one step forward, two steps back. Story of my life...

Cheeko: You mean the life Pyro screwed up? Well, we're all going to kick his ass for what he did to you and our friends! But we need a plan, chief! >///O

Shonnie: Right, dude. But, I gotta think... *Shonnie looks around at the open space and then back at Byakuru.* ....I got it! HEY, RAY!

Aero Man: Aye, lad?!

Shonnie: Throw, me your bo-staff!

*Aero Man chucks it over a few of the crates and accidently hits Shonnie on the head.*

Shonnie: OUCH! >_O

Aero Man: Sorry, lad! Couldn't see where you were.

*Shonnie took apart Aero Man's bo-staff into its two rod sticks and tosses them to Jenny. He then reaches into his afro and tosses a silver hilt to Jimmy.*

Jenny: Whoa! O_O

Jimmy: Hey, cool! Is this your old beam katana?! 0o0

Shonnie: That's right, lil' bro.

Jenny: What are we supposed to do with these?

Shonnie: Byakaru wants to screw with our minds, then we will screw him right back! No homo. Ashuro, Cheeko... You two cover your ears, it's about to get very noisy...

Ashuro: *covers his ears* (Hmm...It feels as though I'm forgetting something important about this battle...)

*Cheeko does as he is told and covers his ears (and by that Cheeko's ears sink into his head.) Shonnie himself pulls his harmonica out of his afro.*

Shonnie: Okay, everyone! Make as much noise as you can!

*Upon saying that Shonnie blows into one of the holes at the end of the harmonica causing a high pitched tune to echo into the warehouse. Jimmy begins swinging the beam katana around in circles making a constant humming sound and Jenny begins banging the hollow bo staff sticks onto a nearby crate, resulting in a loud clanging sound. This cluster of different sounds appears to be overlapping with the sound coming from Byakuru. Causing the illusions to gradually fade away and momentarily stun him. Damien realizes what they are doing and immediately tries to stop them. He charges his sword with his dark energy and flings it at Shonnie. The blade flies toward him like a homing missile, but is caught by Master Williams at the pass. Using the blade's speed and momentum he whirls it around and lets it go, causing it to crash into the ground in front of Byakuru creating an explosion.*

Byakuru: GAAAH!

*Seeing an opportunity, Ashuro attacks Byakuru with a powerful stretching kick that sends him slamming into the wall behind him, resulting in a 1-Hit K.O. victory.*

Ashuro: *keeps his eyes on Byakuru*

Shonnie: Nice shot, Ashuro!

*Damien angry that his attack was used against Byakuru charges at Shonnie and co.*

Jenny: Waaah! 0o0;;

Jimmy: Yikes! 0o0;;

*Shonnie intercepts Damien and appears to tap him in the chest with his palm.*

Shonnie: Neo... PALM! *Damien is forced backwards into the wall knocking him out* I guess that took care of him.

*They all turn back to Byakuru to see if he is surely defeated. Just like before, a dark corrupted aura of E-nergy surrounds both Damien and Byakuru that heals and re-energizes them as they rise to their feet, ready to fight again.*

Ashuro: 0o0...now I remember; we can't defeat them all one by one like this. It's just as Pyro said earlier: we have to defeat all four of them simultaneously... *thinks for a moment then gets an idea* or at least within a certain time period.

Shonnie: Got a plan, lil' buddy?

Ashuro: Something like that; ever play Legends of Zelda: Twilight Princess?

Shonnie: A little...

Cheeko: Shonnie, despite his love for role-playing games and puzzle solving, Legend of Zelda hasn't always been his thing.

Ashuro: Okay. I don't know just how far you got when you played it, but when Link is in his wolf form, you'll come across these shadow creatures that come in packs at warp locations. If you try to defeat them one at a time, the remaining ones will just revive the defeated ones over and over again. The only way to truly defeat them is by using Midna's help to attack all of them at just about the same time; the very same thing seems to be happening here. From what I've seen, it takes about 30 seconds for them to revive themselves; that's our time window. You get what I'm saying?

Shonnie: Totes, dude.

Ashuro: *senses a change in both Damien's and Byakuru's strength* now this'll be troublesome. Damien's strength seems to have doubled since the start of this battle and... O_O;; BYAKURU'S HAS TRiPLED!!

*Shonnie and his friends feel the power spike in their opponents as well, causing some worry amongst them.*

Shonnie: Man, oh, man...OnO;

Williams: This is going to be quite a challenge...

*Jimmy and Jenny start to shake in fear from Damien and Byakuru's increased power.*

Cheeko: Man, as if they weren't hard to beat before...

Ashuro: ...they must get stronger each time they get K.O.d; that would explain why Byakuru's power is higher than Damien's...and why Screwloose and Shifty's haven't changed at all. If only there was a way to get them all together in one spot and defeat them all at--

*Ashuro suddenly finds himself the target of all four of the foes as they all attack him at once. To avoid taking all four powerful attacks, Ashuro releases a huge shockwave of E-nergy that halts all four of his opponents where they stand for a few moments, allowing him to get out of range and counter attack.*

Ashuro: Space Vacuum! *increases the gravity around all four the opponents, pinning them to the ground and leaving them unable to move at all*

*Byakuru, Damien, Screwloose and Shifty all struggle fiercely to escape but to no avail.*

Master Williams: Well, that 'otta do it.^w^

Cheeko: Right. Fire away, chief!

Shonnie: Neo... Giga... BLAST!! >o< *charges a large energy sphere in his hands and then releases it onto the restrained adversaries in a large explosive blast.*

Ashuro: *waits for the dust to settle* Did we get them?

*When the dust finally settles, the that sight everybody sees brings great relief to all of them; their opponents are laying down on the ground, knocked out cold and defeated!*

Ashuro: ...we...WE DiD iT!! ^o^

*Shonnie sits down in both relief and exhaustion after the long battle. The rest of the gang cheer and dance in victory. Master Williams even plays the Final Fantasy victory theme on a bugle.*

Master Williams: Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Shonnie and Jimmy: Grandpa...

Cheeko: Now, maybe we can get out of this place...

Ashuro: Yes, and get back to where Pyro is so that we can give him the beat down he deserves for putting us through all of this; you'll even be able to give him the anvil treatment you promised him too, Cheeko.

Cheeko: Sweet...

*Jimmy looks back at Byakuru and co. with a somewhat worried expression.*

Jimmy: Wait, what do we do about them..? o_o\

Shonnie: Yeah, good question... At the very least, should we do something about Batou's dad?

Ashuro: I'll put them in one of the stone embedded in my hands and take them with us when we find a way out; I don't think they'll mind lending us a hand in kicking Pyro's butt, do you?

Shonnie: Trust me, if I know Damien and Screwloose they will definitely help kick his ass.

Ashuro: *smiles*

*A clicking noise can be heard by Ashuro, Cheeko and Hammer Hound.*

Ashuro: Huh? Does anybody else hear that?

Shonnie: Eh?

Cheeko: Yeah.... I heard that, too.

Jenny: Heard what?

Hammer Hound: It sounded like a click...

Ashuro: *continues listening, trying to find the source* ...it's...coming from Shifty *walks over to Shifty* Hmm...maybe that last attack knocked something loose from him...wait a second...O_O; Uh-oh...

Shonnie: *uses his Private Eyes to examine Shifty's body* Man, oh, man...O_O;;

Jimmy: W-What's wrong? O_o\ *slowly steps back*

Ashuro: Shifty is rebooting himself...and they all still have those glowing "N" tattoos on their foreheads. O_O;;

Shonnie: Oh, man! I'm good with gadgets, but I'm not experienced in deactivating robots. O_O

Jenny: Wait, hold on! *Jenny activates her watch and fires a blue beam at Shifty; the beam dosen't seem to hurt Shifty but his head gives off an electrostatic discharge and his eyes fade-out. He then slumps back down in a lifeless heap.*

Aero Man: Oy, lassie. What was that?

Jenny: It's Captain Argons computer scrambler. He used it to defeat the evil Cybron Invaders in episode 117.

Shonnie: Oh, yeah! I remember that episode. He had to assemble it with parts he got from the the Zedon Queen's bionic guards from episode 47.

Jimmy: I think we got that in the deluxe box set at home and--

Cheeko: Ahem! We're kinda in a rush, guys!

Shonnie, Jimmy and Jenny: Sorry.

Ashuro: *stares at Shifty, trying to confirm that he's completely shutdown* ...

Shonnie: *scans Shifty with his Private Eyes* Well, it looks like he's out for now...

*A bright light illuminates from Screwloose and he rises to his feet. Before anybody could wonder how he had recovered so quickly, he tosses something on the ground at Shonnie's feet. He picks it up and sees that it was a badge with Screwloose's face on it. Scanning it with his Private Eyes, Shonnie learns that it was some sort device that Screwloose had made to revitalize himself after being unconscious for a certain amount of time.*

Jenny: Copycat; this thing is just like King DeDeDe's timed badges from Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Screwloose: Said the girl who's armed with a watch powered by a TV show.

Shonnie: So, Screwy what is this thing anyway?

Cheeko: Yeah, it seems out of character for you to make something functional and practical at the same time.

Screwloose: Yes, it is a revitalizer of my own design. Since last I checked Nintendo and Hal Inc. didn't own the rights to health restoratives... *looking towards Jenny.

Jenny: XP

Ashuro: *senses an aura of corrupted energy coming from his opponents*

*Byakuru, Damien and Shifty's bodies suddenly surge with corrupted E-nergy as they get back up on their feet, even stronger than they were before. Screwloose and Shifty were at 2x strength, Damien was at 3x strength and Byakuru was at a frightening 4x strength!*

Ashuro: ...CRAP!!

To be continued...