[Mr. Game & Watch]

Deep within the depths of the withered Black Market district of the Life Sphere lied a building that stood tall. A bright monument amongst shacks that were reserved for the lowest of the low that lived within the bubble. It screamed importance, as it should, within it resided the mayor of the district. Directly outside the entrance stood two guards eying those who entered the building, taking mental notes on who went in and who went out. While a couple of hammer bros were hardly the most intimidating figures, their ear pieces signified unity, who knows who or what they had on stand by for those who were looking to cause trouble.

Upon entering the governmental structure, the points of interest were very clearly presented, lying about the lobby. Plenty of citizens were crowded about the area, exchanging words with one another about various development projects and prospects of rebuilding and restoring some of the structures in the district. While it all sounded promising, those that were around the Life Sphere long enough had heard these proposals a thousand times over and they never came to fruition. Of course, crime was one of the major subjects as well, but trying to listen to every story would just confuse and swirl them together.

A hero’s ear was always easy to distract, but those minor squabbles will have to be dealt with another time! Focusing on the surroundings, there was a front desk with a rather dashing secretary behind it. Goombas were always fine specimen, and this one was blocking the only entrance to the mayor’s quarters. Nobody was waiting in line to make any appointments, so it was ripe for the taking!

At the same time though, there was a familiar figure amongst the crowd. A rather tall human gentleman with the physique of a bodybuilder. The trench coat and fedora made it difficult to distinguish and the sunglasses over his helmet’s visor softened the glow of his triangular eyes, but his identity was impossible to pinpoint. Listening in on his conversations though, he was loudly speaking about a certain bird of prey. A bizarrely energetic man in a drearily political landscape.

[KashKey]

Linne had always hated places like this. They're big, grandiose, horribly designed, gaudy, and always felt like they were overcompensating for something to make themselves feel important. It was honestly frustrating to see the sheer level of pride on display when said pride was so easily shattered most of the time. Hopefully this man simply called "The Goomba" was easily intimidated, and if this building amidst the slums was any sign, it most likely would be. Nameless alone should be enough to do the job, after all, if she brought No Name along as well, then she would have people questioning why she was carrying a sword into a government building, where as Nameless just slipped into her pocket, no problem whatsoever.

Her hood was flipped up as she slipped past the Hammer Bros, just an inconspicuous little girl. Nothing to see here... She tuned out the ramblings of the people who had gathered. Crimes, objectives that would likely never be completed... Who cared about any of it? There were far more important manners at work under the covers, but these sorts of parasites didn't care, and were much more content to simply pretend to. All the while, they acted as though they had the moral high ground... It made Linne sick. 

She noticed the energetic man, and took him to be the Chief of Police. The fact that he was screaming about Falcons, and he was so... Ludicrously energetic in this area kind of gave it away, no matter what his disguise may have hid. Then again, perhaps there were people truly fooled by it. She wouldn't know. She quickly moved up to the front desk, her small form almost comical next to it. She was practically the same height as the desk itself!

"I'm here to see your boss, the man called 'The Goomba' about something. If you could simply let me in, I'll be in and out in  no time."

[Maverick Hunter Zero]

It had been the first time in quite a while that a robot was sent into a mission, but the sounds of a motorcycle far too advanced for the modern masses was seen heading from the direction of the Lightweather hospital's mechanical rehabilitation ward to the black market.

As the motorbike neared it's destination, it slowed down and stopped outside, it's rider clambering off so the bike could vanish without a trace. The person was clearly an android make no mistake about that; but no android was designed to be the soul jar of a biblical figure.

The security guards would take one look at the mysterious newcomer to this neck of the woods, seeing nothing even remotely threatening on her person, waved her in and continued to watch for suspicious activity.

Upon entering the building, the android took notice of the trenchcoat and fedora of the one investigating the situation involving the 'Trophy-Lock' incidents. "This unit has arrived, and is ready to assist with finding the source of distress. Please note however that I will not use force unless ordered." the android said with a slight monotone in her voice, giving the disguised F-Zero racer a bow of respect.

The android would look over at Linne, and was merely curious, though she was also one of her clients along with a 'Mr. Falcon' though she had her doubts, especially since 'The Goomba' would be busy and wouldn't want visitors ruining his day with nonsense.

[Mr. Game & Watch]

The secretary at the front desk spat the pencil out of its mouth, taking a brief break from filling out paperwork to address the young woman that approached. The creature had to stand on its chair in order to get a good glimpse at her. In a scratchy smoker’s voice, he answered. “Everybody is here to see Mayor The Goomba. Only The Goomba can deem you worthy to see The Goomba though. If you’re a citizen of the Black Market though, The Goomba will make an exception, as per his motto” the secretary explained. To exemplify his statement, the goomba spun his chair around and pointed to a poster on the wall with The Goomba’s face on it. In a pristinely handwritten font it read: ‘Community rises above all. Community conquers corruption.’ It looked like a campaign poster.

The secretary looked as though he bowed his head out of respect from merely gazing at an image of his superior. He turned back around and gazed at the young girl again. “Without proof of your district citizenship or special permission from The Goomba himself, you won’t be seeing him anytime soon.”

In the meantime, the cloaked figure was laughing it up with some hobnobs from around the Life Sphere, they might have been important figures in the political atmosphere, but good luck trying to name them or remember who they are. Anyways, the man who was very clearly not the Chief of Police thrust his martini forward and announced “-And that’s when I said, that’s no falcon! That’s a hawk!” the group had a hearty chuckle, the cloaked figure especially. As it died down though, he remarked “ah, how I hate falcons” whilst wiping a tear from his eye.

After the exchange, his posse began to converse amongst themselves and a voice arose from behind him. The undercover Captain quickly twisted his head around to look upon one of the agents he hired to deal with the case. He grew his trademark grin and nodded at KOS-MOS. After that initial expression though, it turned to one of confusion. “Do I know you?” he asked in a very wooden actor type of way. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sack and placed it into KOS-MOS’s hands. “Look, if its coins you want, that’s all I’m willing to give” he said in a more confrontational manner, going face to face with the machine. Once he was in a closer vicinity though, he whispered to her “there’s a communicator in there. If things get bad, me and my boys are just a call away.” With that he turned away from her once more.

The others in the undercover Captain’s group looked at him in confusion and bizarre intrigue. The Captain became shifty eyed, looking for a reasonable explanation. “Women, am I right!?” he shrugged in an exaggerated manner and laughed. The tasteless upper class laughed along, as though it meant something.

As the group calmed again, Captain Falcon took notice of Linne approaching the front counter. He was expecting them both to meet with him before going to such lengths and knew that they would have difficulties getting in otherwise, so he had to act fast. Captain Falcon chugged back his martini, then grabbed everyone else’s martinis and did the same in a very sporadic and quick set of motions. “Would you look at that! I’ll grab us some more!” he loudly announced and rushed over to the secretary’s desk.

The goomba behind the desk’s face lit up as Captain Falcon approached. “Mr. Hawk! What can I do for you!?”

Captain Falcon’s head was still spinning a bit so, it took him a couple seconds to catch up with what was going on. “Martinis!” he loudly ordered in confusion. “Oh! And uh, this one and her friend have a scheduled meeting with The Goomba!”

The creature behind the counter looked at his papers skeptically. “The only meeting scheduled for The Goomba is with you, Mr. Hawk, and that isn’t for another several hours” he rebutted with disinterest.

“Yes! That meeting got cancelled though. There was a series of phone calls, a lot of confusion amongst the schedulers, it was a mess! I had to move it a couple weeks from now and these two got moved up because of it. I came along to verify that because this whole scheduling fiasco was really my fault and they’re really big fans of The Goomba’s work!”

The secretary nodded along, sighing and rolling his eyes at the parts that Captain Falcon mentioned the scheduling issues, as though he’d experienced such troubles before. “You’d think they’d make a better system by now! I mean c’mon, it’s hard enough that I have to write with my mouth, but they’re taking precious time out of your day, Mr. Hawk! Alright, anything for you, tender tush!” The goomba fumbled his head on top of a giant button on his desk, which opened a tiny gate next to it, allowing the two entrance to the door that led to The Goomba’s office.

Once opened, the duo would find the space filled with thick books, like a library, lined across the walls. Except for a few sparse shelves of fine pottery, each having its own story to tell. At the other end of the room was the muscle bound armed goomba, behind his desk and donning a tiny pair of reading glasses. His attention remained on the thick book splayed open in front of him.

[KashKey]

That was about as much as Linne was expecting to get from the secretary without talking circles around him in some manner. The only decision she really had to make was what she was going to talk circles about. But, before she could begin, she was cut off completely by one "Mr. Hawk." If this was the chief of police's idea of subtlety she wasn't impressed, but so long as it worked she was well beyond caring. On the bright side, he at least knew the intricacies of bureaucracy, and easily performed a verbal dance to get her in without issue. It was almost impressive, if she wasn't so used to dealing with this sort of mess at this point. She gave the disguised captain a discreet nod, to let him know she appreciated the assistance.

"Thank you very much. Have a good day."

She gave a light bow, playing up her childish form as best she could, before glancing at KOS-MOS. Whether or not this went well would depend on how good at being discreet she was. Linne fully anticipated that she would have to threaten The Goomba to get the information she needed, but first she would try diplomacy, using the fan of his work cover that "Mr. Hawk" provided her. It was a fairly asic cover, but it would serve her purposes. She walked into the office, making an act of being impressed all the while. She gave fake oos and ahs at every detail she could spot that would impress someone normally, exaggerating it all with wide excited eyes. She wasn't an actor, but in this case, she didn't need to try too hard.

The moment she was within distance of the Goomba, she dropped the act, no longer needing to worry too much about the secretary getting suspicious. She gave a cough to get The Goomba's attention.

"Mayor The Goomba? My name is Linne, and I was hoping to ask you a few things."

[Maverick Hunter Zero]

"Thank you, Mr. Hawk. This unit is greatful." the Android said calmly, and followed Linne through the door. The android would remain silent however, her presence was pretty much needed though intimidation was not in her coding.

"Mr. Goomba I presume, I would kindly like to know about what you think about these problems involving Trophy Locking, this unit does not work for the authorities at present because said unit is incompatible with the I.O.N. system, for now you may refer to me as Magdeline." the android would say, making a literal use of an alias since she was still new to this world.

[Mr. Game & Watch]

As the duo entered the Goomba’s office, the door behind them shut on its own, likely from its own weight. The pottery shifted a bit from the door’s slam but settled once more.

The Goomba looked up from his book, plucking the tiny spectacles off his face with one hand and closing the text with the other. The cover read ‘Marxist Theory’ with an image of the mad eyed Kirby villain right beneath it. The mayor’s brow remained furrowed, his gaze steely. He first looked to Linne. “The Goomba will listen. There is much distress in community” he spoke lowly, but with intrigue.

His eyes soon fell upon ‘Magdeline’ and his complexion was immediately perturbed. “Mr. Goomba does not exist. There is only The Goomba” he corrected as he crossed his muscly arms. As the machine woman continued to speak, The Goomba relieved his crossed expression, though his face naturally had an angered complexion. “The Goomba understands your concern. Many in the community are distressed over the matter” he answered as he hopped off his chair and scuttled around his desk.

“However, there is nothing to be distressed over” The Goomba reassured with his course voice as he waddled to the nearest bookshelf. He pulled out a book that was titled ‘Life Sphere Laws and Legislations’ and began to sift through the pages. “Trophy Locking is only inflicted on problematic citizens. It would seem that a group of vigilantes are the culprits behind it” he continued to explain as he walked back to his desk. As he did though, he placed the book flat onto his desk, open on a specific page. “And as this piece of the Life Sphere’s Law and Order subsection states ‘all citizens have the right to protect themselves and others. They may also make arrest claims and even use lethal force so long as it is seen as justified.’” The book had that exact line to reference if either of them wanted to back his claim.

“The police only see this as problematic because these vigilantes are doing their job better than they are. They fear that their corrupt Leaders will either repurpose them or shut them down. Citizens of the Black Market should not be afraid of those who are trying to protect them.” The Goomba explained as he sat back down in his seat. “So, you should reconsider your line of work, Magdeline, if you were thinking of joining the police force once you become I.O.N. compatible.”

[KashKey]

Linne had to resist the urge to slap herself, and KOS-MOS, in the face. Repeatedly.  How could he partner in such a delicate manner be so blunt and unsubtle about her intentions?! It was like if the In-Birth snuck up behind an assassination target that's expecting her, but then got caught half way and said "I'm not here to kill you." Oh this was going to be a pain to work around. But, she could. It would just take some effort, patience, and a good amount of leverage. She had been expecting to need to play some nasty games anyway, so she had done some digging into the past victims, one of whom stuck out. The Item Shop owner, Goomboss. He was one of the most recent, and if there was one thing in particular she found fascinating... It was that The Goomba and Goomboss did NOT get along. The connection was blatant.

"Since my friend has cut to the heart of the matter so soon, I suppose I'll do the same."

Linne kept her eyes on The Goomba at all times. She didn't trust the man, and knew if things went poorly, he was going to EXPLODE over the strings she was about to pluck at. But, she had to do what she had to do. Whilst he talked, she feigned interest in the library itself, examining one of the pots, before taking her shot.

"I'll be blunt, Mr. Mayor. I find your story that your stance on these incidents to be extremely suspicious." And with that singular sentence, the game had begun. "You are awfully intent on disparaging the police force, while praising the vigilantes for those you see as problematic, but frankly, I believe you to be biased, and motivated by personal gain, though you may deny it. You see, I did some... Digging. I'm an information broker at the moment, it is my job. Most specifically, I looked into one of the most recent victims. Goomboss, his name was. You see, he ran a rather reputable item shop, even if it did have a few shady sides, it kept those engaging in missions well stocked, as a result, helping them to protect the Life Sphere, if in their own ways." She had him somewhat cornered... Now for the killing blow.

"Personally, I would say he provided an excellent service, wouldn't you? While yes he may have dabbled with some less than savory folks, few men don't in this time. Yourself included, The Goomba. I did some looking, and it would appear the two of you had a relationship, one that went... Sour. He was desperately building towards something, and yet... You yourself seem to despise him, even though in general, he was providing a service that was keeping those fighting for the Life Sphere well stocked, and alive. And yet, now he is Trophy Locked, and the only one that had any motive to do so... Was you. So I hope you'll forgive me for believing you have some information related to the incidents, and tell us what you know, won't you?" And now... This would either go brilliantly, or horribly, depending on the Goomba's reaction to being threatened in the manner she had. She hadn't explicitly given one, of course, but the underlying threat was there of, "We wouldn't want the police involved in this otherwise easy to solve problem, would we?"

[Maverick Hunter Zero]

"I can confirm that I will attend the to ensure that update becomes viable for my use." Magdeline had said, a nod in confirmation of the situation.

It was at this point that Linne pulled out the information broker card from nowhere, allowing the android time to think about more pressing matters, which she then set aside for later. "If you find any more trophy-locked victims, I can assure The Goomba that you may contact the Lightweather hospital so that they can retrieve them in order to find a way to reverse the effects. Could you kindly give us a possible description of what the subject causing the Trophy Locking might look like?" Magdeline said in a kindly manner, not dropping the politeness in her tone.

[Mr. Game & Watch]

The Goomba listened with intrigue, seeing a fire burning within Linne that in some ways impressed him, but over time his brows began to furrow. His face continued to sour the more that the young girl spoke. “Isn’t it convenient how you can spin lies based on your own assumptions? It is disappointing that you choose to live your life with blinders impeding your views” he retorted as he crossed his arms.

“The Goomba hides nothing. The Goomba despises Goomboss and his business. Goomboss is motivated by greed, and not this misplaced sense of altruism you seem to associate him with. Those mission goers were not his only customers, Goomboss supplied both them and criminals with weapons and items so that they can continue their agenda, whomever has coins, he will sell to. This is problematic in the Black Market as there is more crime here than any other section of the Life Sphere. The Goomba is willing to excuse your mistake as The Goomba has been fooled by Goomboss’s guise as well.”

“The Goomba was not involved with the attack that took place though. If I was involved, the entire store would have been put out of business, yet it still operates with his understudy. What purpose would I have to take out Goomboss and not his store?” he questioned rhetorically as he pulled out a notepad and pen.

Just as he was ready to call in security, his hand moved away from the intercom button. He looked back at the two with renewed interest. “The Goomba has eyes all around the Black Market. The Goomba has kept track of every victim of Trophy-Locking, each of them had a criminal background and a file within the police force’s database, all cases being closed because of political reasons or they were just unable to catch them. Goomboss being just one of them.” As he spoke, he jotted a couple notes onto the piece of paper.

“King K Rool is a major supplier of Goomboss’s goods. If there was somebody whom would be interested in taking out Goomboss and not his shop, it would be him. A less experienced understudy would make for a better pawn for him to influence.” As he finished, The Goomba tore the piece of paper off the notepad and handed it to Linne. Upon it was a few descriptors in a list formation such as ‘short’, ‘fast’, and ‘likely to work as a group.’

“The Goomba would like to know who these people are. If they’re as good as they seem to be, The Goomba doesn’t expect you to beat them though.” he spoke rather bluntly as he leaned back in his chair.

[KashKey]

Blinders impeding her views? Linne was half tempted to tell him to not bother insulting her, however she knew this next little tirade would be the deciding factor, so she let him talk. After all, if he was anything like she suspected, being interrupted would only make things worse. And hey, at least the guy was honest. Sure, she suspected he was less than savory, but she didn't care much anyway. She was just looking to pull information out of him, whether or not Goomboss was actually guilty of anything she could care less about. Of course, he presented the same points she expected, and had even played out in her head. So far it was going according to plan, but it always had the potential... Her hand clenched in her pocket, ready to bring Nameless to bare.

He was reaching for the intercom, this was ready to head south. She took a step forward, her eyes wide as she considered whether or not she would need to try and stop him with Speed Star, but then she noticed him stop, and slid back into her previous position, un-clenching her hand. Changed his mind at the last second... That was good. She wouldn't have to engage in an unnecessary fight and waste EXS. He restated his earlier points... He definitely believed them to be the truth. In that case, this person was definitely a vigilante, one who was committing a crime that was the closest second to murder this place had. ... There's a line she never thought she would think, a close second to murder.

She watched intently as he wrote, taking interest. King K. Rool, huh? She hadn't thought of him. She'd heard of him and that he'd been involved in some gang war. She didn't know any details, but she did know that he was the least likely to have won, with such a low number of followers, before The Goomba was settled on in a peace treaty. 

"I'll have to agree with that line of thinking, K. Rool is the much more likely person to have further information. I hope you'll forgive me for my accusations, I meant nothing by them."

She placed the note in her other hoody pocket, a small smile creasing her lips.

"You're a smart man, and you must have some level of integrity, despite my initial impressions. I hope we can put my accusations aside, I simply needed to find more information, and accusing you was the most expedient option I could think of. Your information is good, and I'll pay K. Rool a visit. Odds are he'll be more of a pushover, if what little I've heard is any indication."

Linne couldn't help but be insulted at the accusation of her combat skills. She had been fighting for longer than The Goomba had been alive, what did he know?

"I'm sure I'll be able to handle them. They're good, but there's a certain skill gap the amount of experience I have with a fight creates, one that I'm sure they'll find horrendous to try and cross. At the very least..."

Suddenly she was gone, and positioned on the window behind The Goomba's desk.

"I doubt they'll be able to keep up with my EXS ability."

She jumped off of the windowsill and began walking towards the doorway.

"Hopefully we can obtain a business relationship of some sort, Mr. Mayor. I'm sure we'd work well together."

She nodded her head at 'Magdeline', then at the door, giving a clear message that it was time to go.

[Maverick Hunter Zero]

Magdeline gave The Goomba a bow, and made to leave through the door. "This unit thanks you for your time and hopes that The Goomba remains in good health." she said as she walked out the way she entered, bypassing the Hammer Bros. at the entrance and hopped aboard her Motorcycle, before she left to meet up with Linne however, she spoke softly to herself.

"Coordinates set; destination: K. Rool's Hideout

She then rode off to where said hideout might be located, picking up Linne along the way.

[TartoonHand94]

Unfortunately, if Linne were to try the door, she’d notice that it would not budge anymore. This was strange for it wasn’t visibly locked. It was as if it were stuck shut. The window sill from which she recently jumped from also slammed shut, as did every window in The Goomba’s office immediately after in rampant jarring succession. The lights in the room began to flicker as if the power supply was being tampered with, until they all went dim. Even more mysteriously, several bookshelf screws failed simultaneously and collapsed under the weight of all its literature, letting the books freely slide off toward the door and barricade it with a stack of books.
As if these weren’t enough signs that something went wrong, one of The Goomba’s finest, most pristinely decorated urns on his pottery shelf began to wobble. Upon a second glance the Goomba would realize this was an urn he didn’t remember acquiring. The urn wobbled and shook evermore erratic and violently until it tipped over the edge of the shelf and fell to shatter on the floor.

Up from the shattered fragments of china stood…The Secretary? What was he doing in there? And why did he smell like a dead mouse.
“Oh dearest me, I ever so hope you don’t think you’ll be leaving so soon~?” The Secretary tisked in an uncharacteristically jovial manner. “I’m sorry but there has been yet another mix-up in your schedule Mr. The Goomba.” The Secretary tapped his clipboard as he sauntered over between Linne and the door, climbing the pile of books as if they were stairs and assembling to a makeshift podium fashioned from a stack. “This meeting is far from over~.” The Secretary then produced a gavel from his pen and with a single tap, every shards of shattered pottery transformed into a nightmarish, otherworldly bat. This sudden swarm scattered amuck across the room, blindly making their way across to the Secretary, engulfing him in a torrent of flaps which imploded and converged to reveal…

“All rise for the honorable Judge Thanatos~!”

[Mr. Game & Watch]

The Goomba looked impressed with Linne’s display, though he was in no hurry to retract his previous statement. He placed his hand on his book and was ready to bid the duo farewell until the investigation took an unexpected turn. The Goomba should have paid more attention to his antiques because clearly one was not what it was supposed to be. The mayor was kicking himself for not taking notice earlier, however, he was going to rectify that with a simple push of a button.

As The Goomba’s muscle bound arm reached for his intercom, a pokeball shot out from the shadows, striking his hand and causing him to pull back in recoil. Out from the device arose a fiery moth, the cold dead eyes of the beast falling on the intercom. The Volcarona melted the device to ensure that their enclosure wouldn’t get anymore surprise visitors. With that task complete, the Volcarona ascended, allowing more distance between her and the ground-level fighters. Her shimmering bright body almost acting as a sun contained within the room.

The Goomba’s brows furrowed greatly. He slammed both his mighty hands on the tabletop, swinging his body and stubby little legs upon it. “The Goomba is about to clean house” he grumbled as he raised his fists, ready for a rousing round of fisticuffs.

[KashKey]

The moment Linne found she couldn't open the door, she immediately jumped back, suspecting an ambush. Her theory was proven right as the windows started slamming shut. Damn, she should have seen this coming! Her hand immediately withdrew No Name from her hoody's pocket, and readied for a fight. The center of the room was the best place to keep an eye out for her foe, after all. As the windows closed and the books... Magically stacked against the door, okay, her theory was confirmed. This was an ambush, and with a powerful foe at that.

She watched as things progressively became more and more F.U.B.A.R. and became more on edge. How had she missed a being that could cause this much chaos without being directly present? Her question was quickly answered... By the attacker them-self presenting themselves. ... She was immediately displeased and intrigued at the exact same time. "Thanatos... That's the name for the Greek god of Death in my world. Considering your powers, I'd call it safe to assume you hold a similar status?" (And just where the hell were you every time my soul escaped your grasp? I wasn't exactly running on purpose you know.) "I'm sorry to say it, but I don't think Mr. The Goomba has time for you. And frankly, if you knew what you were doing as an assassin, you wouldn't have shown yourself. That's bad conduct."

... That's when she heard the sound of the Pokeball opening. It wasn't a sound she was familiar with, and though she hated to do so, it forced her to turn her attention away from Thanatos. OH. GREAT. A FIRE MOTH THING. JUST WHAT SHE WANTED. With a growl she got into her fighting stance, lacking her sword Nameless.

"As if this wasn't bad enough! Oi, can you two handle yourselves?!"

She didn't know who to target while she was down to just a knife right off. This would certainly be interesting...