Beyond the Skies- Battalia (Part 2)
As he watched the attendees who came to watch the qualifiers for the Battalia tournament leave the stands, Magus was delightfully surprised by how the first day went. Not only was the final roster for the tournament set, but there were also a few things that surprised him. Skystream Viewership for the first day alone was more than any of the other streams that would be broadcasted on a daily basis, but the amount of donations that were pouring in was beyond what he originally imagined. In his mind, Lord Kaos would definitely be pleased by how this turned out.
As he was going over the information with one of his assistants, the Drow began to hear a ringing sound from the other end of the room, causing him to press a button on the table where most of his equipment was set up. One of the screens overlooking the setup flashed for a minute, before showing an image of a bald head with familiar markings. Another button press, and Magus was able to answer the call as he looked back at the Dark Portal Master on the other end, “Good evening, Lord Kaos.”
“Magus, just the drow that I wanted to speak to,” he heard Kaos speak on the other end, “How is everything coming along?”
“Everything is going great, Lord Kaos,” Magus told him, “The amount of donations that we’ve received so far would be enough to amass two small armies. At the rate this is going, you would have more than enough funds for you to use for your nefarious deeds.”
“Excellent! That’s wonderful news!!” the Dark Portal Master replied, followed by one of his signature laughs. Though, the next thing that Kaos asked was one that surprised the drow, “What about your prisoners? Are they ready to ‘face the spotlight’ as you put it yourself?”
That had Magus grit his teeth as he looked back at the screen, “Close, but not yet. I want to make sure that any resolve or will that they have left is gone first beforehand. Hopefully, when they witness many others like them fall in defeat during Battalia, they, too, will realize how pointless it is for them to resist.”
“Really? And how exactly are you going to make sure of that?” Kaos now asked.
At that, Magus smirked as he folded his arms, “We had a newcomer fill in the last spot of the tournament, someone with no previous fighting experience that was able to somehow get the last spot,” the drow explained, “I plan to have them witness the matches that they’re in, in hopes that seeing a young newcomer like him being crushed by more experienced veterans would be the final push they need. Heck, I gave them number thirteen because I highly doubt he’s going to last long. It is an unlucky number.”
“Unlucky for who though?”
Immediately, Magus turned around to stare down the intern that said that as he glared at them. “…You got five seconds to clarify, or I swear to Lord Kaos, I will fire you-”
“ENOUGH!” the shout from Kaos was enough in order to get Magus to stop as the drow turned back to face the screen, “As long as they’re ready for the finals, then do whatever you have to do to get them ready. Until then, do not disappoint me.”
With that, the call ended as the screen went to black. As Magus let out a sigh, he still looked back at the mabu intern that was in the room, “Clarify. Now.”
“L-luck goes both ways, s-sir,” they stuttered, “T-there is a possibility that a-anyone that drow faces c-could be unlucky instead.”
“Pfft. As if,” Magus retorted as he walked over to his recliner chair in the back of the room, “Besides, it’s not like this kid will bring something that’ll turn the tables in my tournament. Such a notion from such a young drow is just too ridiculous to even think about.”
“Smoky… what were you doing in my bag?” the skyshifter asked as he helped the small fire dog out of the duffle bag where he kept his clothes. He had only just realized now that the little pup had been hiding inside of his bag the whole trip and was trying his best not to be mad. Yet, the possibility of him having to babysit the little stowaway just made things extra complicated.
“I-I’m sorry,” he replied nervously, “I-I thought it was the least likely place for Skippy to find me. Next thing I knew, I was being carried. I-I was too scared to make a move,” after saying that, Smoky looked around for a second as one question came to mind, “W-where are we? What’s going on?”
Calvin felt a bit uncertain at that point. He wanted to tell him the full story, but he was unsure as to how much he could really say, since Snap Shot could hear them. “Snap Shot, should I tell him?” he asked, holding the wristband up to his face as he spoke.
At first, it was a bit quiet. Though, after a few minutes, he heard the crocogator let out a sigh, “Well, since he’s already involved, you might as well explain to him what he’s caught up in.”
Now that he was given the go-ahead, Calvin took the time to answer each one of the numerous questions that Smoky had for him, from where exactly were they to why they were here. The Skyshifter took his time to explain everything to Smoky at a slow pace, so the fire dog could understand him. He also made sure not to miss out on the most important details as well.
Of course, once Calvin was finished speaking though, the response that he got from Smoky afterwards was one that caught him by surprise. “I-Is there any way I can help?”
That question threw the Skyshifter off guard, “You… want to help?”
“Yeah,” the lava dog replied back, “My siblings and I were saved because of you guys, and I’ve gotten some practice with my powers since then. I’d like to help, though, I’m not really sure how well I’ll do in a dangerous place like this.”
In Calvin’s mind, some extra help would make this mission a bit easier, especially since there were still a few things that they did not know at this point in time, like where Stealth Elf and Trap Shadow were being kept. Though, part of him was concerned about if he should really consider putting someone as young as Smoky in danger.
Then, he looked back to his wristband and let out a sigh, “Snap Shot, can I run something by you?”
“What is it?”
“Smoky says that he wants to help,” the Skyshifter told him, “I was thinking that maybe he could help with us trying to find where Stealth Elf and Trap Shadow are. He says that he’s gotten some practice with his powers, but he’s unsure how well he’ll do. What do you think we should do?”
“Hmm… what exactly can he do?” Snap Shot asked.
“Well, I can control any smoke I create and use it to get to places that my other siblings can’t normally reach,” Smoky himself now spoke up, “Eon said that it was kind of like… Tele… Tele… po… something? I can’t remember the word.”
“Teleportation?”
“I think that was what he said,” Smoky replied, “Why? Is that… a bad thing?”
“Actually, no,” the trap master said, much to the surprise of both Calvin and the lava puppy, “In fact, I think that’s exactly what we need for this.”
Hearing that caught the Skyshifter off guard. He was honestly expecting for Snap Shot to say the exact opposite of what he just heard. Yet, after a couple of minutes, he asked a new question, “Why’s that?”
“I think you said it yourself earlier,” Snap Shot reminded him, “We need to find Stealth Elf and Trap Shadow, and Smoky has exactly what we’re looking for, especially since it can be useful for sneaking around in places where you might not be allowed.”
As he heard that, Calvin began to process some of the information in his head as he looked back at Smoky. “That is actually a good idea,” he replied back, “Maybe he can sneak around and try to find them while I get some rest? I have a feeling that I am going to need as much rest as possible given that the real fights start tomorrow.”
“That works for me. The more information we know, the easier it’ll be to rescue them,” Snap Shot added, “So, what do you say, Smoky? Are you ready to get started?”
Smoky only had one response for that. “Y-yes, I am.”
“Alright, then here are your orders…”
In a secluded section of the MaguDome that was off limits to many who came to the arena, two figures sat inside a darkened room that had guards stationed out front. They did not know how much time had passed since they were captured and placed in this room, but for the figures that were trapped inside, it was getting harder for them to hold onto hope the longer they were trapped inside.
When they first found themselves here, they thought they could break out and find a way out of this place. Yet, for every day that passed, they felt their power weaken significantly. Not just because of the confinements of their cell, but also because of the lack of food provided. The less energy they had, the harder it was for them to concentrate and the weaker their bodies became.
The drow that ran this arena, Magus, wanted them that way, not just because he was cruel, but because he wanted to make an example out of them. He wanted to show the Skylands what would happen to them if they defied Lord Kaos. He made them fight daily, even in their malnourished states, to break their resolve piece by piece.
Stealth Elf did not want to think about what would happen to them once they had broken fully. Yet, as time passed, she was beginning to think that something like this was inevitable. The elf feared that no one was coming to save her and Trap Shadow from this mad drow, that she would meet her end here.
It was as she was thinking this that she could see the guards of her cell talking to one another. Yet, due to her fatigue, she could only hear pieces of what they were saying, “-there’s a new-...mer? …-e tournament-?”
“Ye-... a dro-... -on the-...first ever -ight… today.”
That had her confused. There was a tournament going on right now? A new fighter? She had to try and focus if she wanted to know what was going on. What they were saying might be dangerous for her and Trap Shadow, especially if they were forced to partake in it like with the other battles they had to fight.
“Is-... hat bad luc-? I-... ean, think of- … -he other fighters that wou- … -be fighting, too.”
The second guard just shrugged as he looked back at the first, “Personally, I- … on’t care. They won’t- … ast one round out ther- … gainst some-... ne like Spe-”
Stealth Elf tried to stay focused, but her fatigue was fighting back. Did the guard just say a name? The elf couldn’t tell who they were talking about just now, but she thought that she heard part of a name just now. Who was it?
As the guards continued to speak, one of them looked at their wrist before letting out a sigh, “Tim- … go back. Shif-... nded two min-... ago.”
“Really-... -bout time. Hate just-... -aiting around an-… -just doing nothing.” Their companion let out what Stealth Elf saw as a sigh of relief. The two of them began to walk away from the cell, their conversation drifting away with them as the elf could only hear distant broken murmurs.
Yet, even with there being no guards, Stealth Elf still felt uneasy. There was a time where she and Trap Shadow first tried to use their powers to break out of the cell. However, as they soon came to learn, their cell was enchanted to contain any use of their powers to inside the cell. Now, neither of them had the strength or the energy to even use the simplest of their abilities.
The room around her felt cold as the elf shivered in place. The more that she thought about their situation, the more that she began to think that no one was coming to save them, that she and Trap Shadow couldn’t leave this place. How was she supposed to be hopeful when the odds were stacked against them?
However, it was in her moment of self doubt that she heard something, a small sound like that of a creature running on all fours down the hallway. There was a hint of smoke in the air as Stealth Elf looked to the front of the cell, wondering what could be outside.
Though, when the creature came around the corner and in front of the cell, Stealth Elf couldn’t believe what she was seeing. It was a fire dog, almost like that of Hot Dog. Yet, this one was smaller and had smoke coming off of its body. At first, it appeared that he seemed lost. Though, it was as the little pup turned around that the pup noticed her.
“Hello?” they asked, looking towards the cell, “W-who’s there?”
For a moment, Stealth Elf didn’t say anything. She didn’t know if this dog was simply lost or actually trying to talk to her. Many other questions popped up in her mind too, such as ‘who was this dog?’ and ‘what were they doing here?’. Yet, she did not have the focus to try and come up with such answers.
One particular question immediately caught her attention though, “Are you a Skylander?”
Immediately, Stealth Elf turned to the dog as she tried to get herself to be as close to the front of the cell as possible. “W-who a-are y-you?” she asked, trying to sound firm, but her voice was weak and dry.
“I-I’m Smoky,” the dog answered, “A-Are you oka-... -ere?”
Stealth Elf was trying to focus on Smoky, but the fatigue from before was starting to come back. She tried her best to focus, but the lack of energy in her system made it difficult to concentrate, which was something that Smoky noticed immediately as he looked back at the elf with a concerned expression.
“Miss, w-what’s wrong?” the lava pup asked.
“S-sorry,” Stealth Elf croaked, “H-hard to speak. H-haven’t had f-food in days-”
“You’re hungry?” Smoky asked, before looking back behind him, “Wait right there. I’ll get you something.”
For a moment, Stealth Elf wanted to stop the pup. Yet, before she could say anything, he was already racing down the hall. The elf was afraid that the fire dog’s eagerness to help would get him caught by anyone that was still there. Yet, she did not expect for Smoky to come back and be carrying a loaf of bread with the smoke that was around his body.
When Smoky approached the cell, he looked as if he was going to step through. However, there was a point that when he got closer, he instantly jumped back, as if something startled him. After a moment, he thought of a new approach, having the smoke around him go under the door and drop the bread inside without having to step foot inside the cell. As Stealth Elf picked up the loaf, she looked back to where Trap Shadow was sleeping before looking back to Smoky. “C-can you… break i-in h-half?”
At first, the pup was confused. Though, he soon got an idea as to what the elf meant as he had his smoke tear the loaf of bread in half for her. As she took both ends, Stealth Elf placed one of the halves near her fellow Skylander, before she started to eat the other. The elf had almost forgotten what having food was like as she ate through the bread, finishing it in a couple of minutes before looking at Smoky.
“T-thank you,” she said, feeling as if a small bit of herself had been restored. It wasn’t too much, but enough for her to focus for the time being, “N-now… why a-are you h-here?”
“Well, my friend is here and trying to save someone that’s being held captive here,” the fire dog answered, “He told me that they were a Skylander, so-”
“H-hold on a second,” Stealth Elf interjected, looking back at Smoky as she let out a breath, “W-who’s your friend?”
“Well, his name is Calvin, and…”
It took her a moment or two for her brain to process what she just heard. Yet, when she recognized that name, Stealth Elf couldn’t focus on what the fire dog was saying as tears began to form under her eyes. The thought of him being here to rescue her and Trap Shadow made her feel a tinge of pride and hope. The elf remembered when she would watch from afar as the sensei King Pen trained him.
Yet, why would they send him? Why not send a more experienced Skylander to lead a rescue attempt? Stealth Elf knew that Calvin had potential, but was he really strong enough in order to beat the fighters in Magus’ arena? The cage that she and Trap Shadow were trapped in sealed their powers and weakened them severely, so how was he supposed to go toe to toe with the strongest fighters that Magus could find?
“Uh… miss? Are you okay?”
For a moment, Stealth Elf blinked. It took a moment for her to realize that she had drifted off for a moment. Yet, as she looked back at the fire dog, a new thought came across her mind. “S-Sorry… I was just… thinking,” the elf looked back, trying to get her thoughts back in order. Though, it was during this that an idea came to mind, “Smoky, c-can you… do s-something for me?”
The fire dog tilted his head, puzzled by the elf’s question, “S-sure, what is it?”
“If your friend is h-here to rescue me,” the elf replied, “T-Then, there’s something I need for you to tell him.”
When it came time for him to fall asleep, rest was something that was very hard for Calvin to try and get while in his newfound room. The bed that he was given in this small compact room was much different from that of the bed that he was used to in Twilight’s castle. The first half hour he spent tossing and turning because laying on the bed was rather uncomfortable for him. The Skyshifter tried different approaches, but since the mattress was still, it felt less like sleeping on a soft cloud and more like sleeping on a stiff wooden board.
Any attempt to try and sleep was so uncomfortable that Calvin had to use the pillow that was provided as a cushion for his body while using the duffle bag that had his clothes as something to rest his head. It wasn’t exactly ideal, but it was enough to at least get him to fall asleep.
Yet, even though he was able to rest for a long while, how he woke up from that rest was much different, mainly because of a fire dog that had just returned back into the room and had something important to share with him.
“Calvin? C-calvin, wake up.”
Even though Smoky tried his best to get Calvin to wake up, the Skyshifter didn’t budge. The fire dog tried tapping his shoulder and saying his name, yet nothing seemed to work. Next, Smoky tried nudging his head against Calvin to try and wake him. Unfortunately, that did not seem to work either, as the only thing that the Skyshifter did was just turn his head away from the lava puppy.
Though, Smoky was not giving up just yet. This time, he decided to take a different approach and climb up on top of Calvin’s chest. Carefully, he walked across his chest and moved closer to his face. Once he was close enough, Smoky placed a paw on his cheek and began to lick the side of his face. Afterwards, the fire dog tried to speak once again, “Calvin, wake up!”
This time, Smoky was getting somewhere, as Calvin’s eyes slowly began to flicker open. Yet, how exactly he woke up was much different than what the fire dog thought was going to happen. The moment that his eyes opened and that he saw Smoky in his face, he immediately jolted upward. The Skyshifter’s reaction had Smoky fall off of his chest and onto his lap while Calvin used his elbows to prop himself up on the bed.
“S-smoky!? Y-you scared me!”
“S-Sorry,” the puppy replied back, looking a bit nervous when he looked back at Calvin.
“It’s… alright. I just… didn’t expect for you to wake me up,” the Skyshifter told him, trying to sound nicer, “So… how did it go?”
At first, Smoky was eager to tell him. Though, a thought soon crossed his mind. “Should we… wake up your friend?”
“No need,” both of them heard Snap Shot’s voice echo from Calvin’s wristband, “I’ve been awake for a while already. Now, did you find who we’re looking for, Smoky?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Well, that’s good to hear,” Calvin told him, before noticing a somber change in the expression on Smoky’s face, “Smoky… are they okay?”
The fire dog paused, taking a moment to gather his thoughts first before looking back to the Skyshifter, “I… didn’t see the feline, but I met the elf you two were talking about. When I tried to talk to her, she looked tired and dizzy. After asking her what’s wrong, she told me that she hadn’t had food in days.”
“Dear elements,” Snap Shot swore on the other end of the comline, realizing what Smoky was talking about, “That’s not good. Being forced to fight consistently is one thing, but starvation? That’s just outright cruel!”
“How… bad is it, Snap Shot?” Calvin nervously asked.
“Calvin… do you even know what starvation is?”
“I’ve only heard people talk about it back home, but no one really told me what happens,” the Skyshifter admitted, “All I know is that if someone doesn’t eat or drink for a long amount of time, it gets bad.”
“Well, you’re right there,” the crocogator replied, “However, there’s more to it then that. If what Smoky said is right, Trap and Stealth are facing the effects of prolonged starvation. Their bodies are severely weakened, and they don’t have the energy to do anything, let alone defend themselves. I don’t even want to think about what would happen if they’re forced to partake in another fight.”
Hearing that had Calvin feeling worried for Stealth Elf as he looked back at his wristband, “If it’s that bad, then can’t we-?”
“A-actually… there’s something Stealth Elf wanted me to tell you,” Smoky interjected before Calvin could finish speaking, “She said that you shouldn’t come after them yet.”
When he heard that, the Skyshifter looked back at the fire dog in disbelief, “What? Why?”
“It’s the cell they’re in,” the lava puppy said, “Stealth told me that it’s enchanted, and it prevents their powers from working properly. She also told me that there’s no clear way of being able to open it either and that they’re teleported into the arena every time they have to fight.”
“That’s just even worse,” Snap Shot said, not liking the sounds of what Smoky just said. Though, Calvin was thinking about something else.
“Wait a minute,” the Skyshifter said before he looked back at the puppy, “How exactly did Stealth tell you all of this? Wasn’t she starving?”
“Well, she was feeling a bit better after I gave her some food.”
Almost immediately, Snap Shot spoke up, “You… gave her food? How?”
Even though Smoky was caught off guard by the sudden follow up from the crocogator, the fire dog answered his question.“I used my powers to sneak it under the cell door. After she ate, that was when she started talking, and then, Stealth told me that message I needed to tell you guys.”
At first, there was a bit of silence. Yet, after about a minute, both Calvin and Smoky heard Snap Shot once again, “Smoky, I think you just gave me an idea.”
“Really? What is it?” Calvin then asked.
“If Smoky is able to sneak things under the door of their cell, then we should use that to our advantage,” the trap master explained, “While you’re fighting in the tournament, Smoky should take whatever food that he can find around the arena and sneak it into their cell. That way, we can make sure that they don’t starve and get them closer to their fighting strength.”
“Sounds simple enough,” the Skyshifter replied back as he shifted his body and sat on the edge of his bed, “Anything else?”
“Well, while you two are busy with your tasks, Sharpfin and I are going to be scoping the arena for any signs of weakness.”
“Any luck so far?”
“I’ll… get back to you on that.”
Shortly afterwards, the comline went silent as Calvin stood up and began to stretch his arms and legs. It might’ve been a bit early, but he saw it as having more time to focus and get ready for his next match.
After all, the more time that he had to prepare himself, the more focused he would be on the battlefield.
“Okay, I know that this place was made to prevent Skylanders from escaping, but all these security measures out here are just plain ridiculous.”
The comment from Sharpfin was no small exaggeration. As he circled the Hammerhead around the Magudome, Snap Shot and the dirt shark were surprised by just how much security there was. Normally, a venue like this would have a couple of different measures in place to ensure the safety of its guests. Yet, what they were seeing now was close to borderline paranoia. There were different types of aerial cannons stationed outside of the arena from blitz cannons that would be used to strike fast moving ships to heavy weapons that could penetrate vessels that had armor. On top of that, security ships would be circling around the Magudome on the lookout for suspicious activity and security personnel on the grounds outside of the arena itself.
“The drow running this place has been defeated by Skylanders before,” the crocogator replied back to him.
“Well, I get that. Yet, there’s a difference between having some protection and then being overly excessive,” Sharpfin retorted, “I mean, you would expect some of these defenses used by armies on a battlefield, not by an ego-maniac who runs a no rules fight ring. I mean… he’s even got door sensors.”
Snap Shot raised an eyebrow at that, “Door sensors?”
“You know those multi-doors that can shut down for either intruders or invasions?” the dirt shark asked as he handed the crocogator his telescope and pointed it out to him, “Well, the sensors to trigger those doors are installed not just in the main entryway from the courtyard, but also on the windows, too. If they sense anything that’s a registered Skylander, they lock up immediately and block all potential escape routes.”
“Well, that’s just problematic,” the trap master replied back, “If we get too close, then we get shot down, and if I even step foot inside, I can’t even move an inch before the whole place locks up.”
“If you try to go through the front door, yes,” Sharpfin retorted as he walked to the wheel of the ship, “Give me a second, and we’ll circle around, check and see if the rest of the arena is the same story.”
Originally, the two of them thought that the rear of the facility would not have the same kind of overwhelming security that the entrance had, perhaps even some kind of flaw that they would be able to exploit. However, as they made their way around, what Sharpfin saw was not amusing. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me.”
“What’s the matter?” Snap Shot asked.
“There’s being paranoid… and then, there’s this,” the dirt shark explained as he handed his telescope and pointed towards the arena, “Seriously, who installs security measures on sewage drains?”
That was definitely something that seemed like a stretch. The same security measures that were at the front of the Magudome were present in not just the sewer drains, but all around the backside of the venue itself. Whether it was the security measures that were installed on the perimeter of the Magudome or the security personnel that wandered the arena, the more that they looked at it, the more that the arena seemed like an impenetrable fortress.
It was as they were inspecting the security that Snap Shot had a question, “Hey, Sharpfin… Do you have any ideas about what kind of backup power this place might have? With this much security, there’s bound to be one somewhere.”
“I can agree with you on that,” the dirt shark replied back, “There should be one. Though, with how much power that this place has to use, especially for the doors, I honestly don’t know where it could be.”
That had the crocogator scratch his chin for a moment, before he thought of an idea, “How about we do another flyover real quick? Maybe there’s some signs about a power source that we haven’t seen yet.”
Sharpfin nodded as he took the wheel again and had the Hammerhead do another flyover of the entire arena. They were careful to make sure and not draw attention to themselves, despite the amount of incoming ships that were dropping off guests that were watching the tournament take place today.
Even though they were power lines that went around the stadium, that wasn’t exactly what they were looking for. Those were obvious and out in the open for any passing ship to see. What they were looking for were any other signs aside from those. Something that wasn’t so easy to spot. If Magus went through the trouble of putting all of this together, then finding something that would undo everything he put together would be difficult to find.
Yet, unfortunately, after a second flyover, he didn’t see anything that indicated an alternate power source of any source. No fans for wind currents, glass panels for solar, water pipes for a hydro based source or even exhaust pipes for coal or other potential fuels. They were sure to look around every square inch, but nothing out of the ordinary stood out at all.
“Hey, Snap Shot,” the crocogator then spoke up, “I think I noticed something.”
That had Snap Shot look back at the dirt shark with a puzzled expression on his face, “Really? What is it?”
“Haven’t you noticed that the rocks on the surface here look hardened lava?” the dirt shark told him before giving him his telescope and pointing it out to him, “If there’s signs of volcanic activity here, then the power source…”
“…is thermal,” the Trap Master finished his sentence, before looking back at Sharpfin, “Wait a minute… if they have thermal, why not just use that instead of an outer power source? Wouldn’t that be more efficient?”
“...I think I might know a reason why,” Sharpfin countered after a pause to think, “If you think about it from his perspective, what would be first thing that would go through the mind of a paranoid drow if the power of the entire stadium were to go out?”
At first, Snap Shot was confused by what the dirt shark was telling him. Yet, after a couple of moments, he began to put the pieces together, “...If it went out, it would let him know that someone was attempting to infiltrate the arena. It’s the perfect signal.”
“That’s right,” Sharpfin grinned, “They don’t exactly need the outer power lines. They’re just a decoy, a trap to signal an alert should someone attempt to cut the power to their security doors. An ingenious idea… for an egomaniac.”
At first, Snap Shot took a moment to process everything that he just learned. The power secondary source that they were looking for was thermal, and with it, the possibility of a way in. With that in mind, the trap master looked back down to his left wrist and let out a small breath, “Calvin, do you have a moment?”
It was almost ten minutes until Calvin had to step in the ring when Snap Shot contacted him, and by then, he was already trying to make sure that he was ready to go. The Skyshifter took a moment to look around, before sneaking into a secluded area as he looked to his wristband. “Snap Shot? What’s the matter?”
“Well, I have some good news and some bad news,” Snap Shot replied back, “Good news is that we might have an idea as to how Magus keeps the Magudome operation.”
“And the bad news?”
“The bad news is that we need some extra assistance to verify a few things,” he heard the trap master reply back, “Is Smoky with you right now?”
“Not at the moment. He’s busy right now,” Calvin replied back, “Why? Do you need his help?”
“Next time you see him, I need you to relay a message for me,” the crocogator told him, “I need him to verify and find the general location of the facility’s back-up thermal generator. This is urgent, so the sooner that you tell him, the better.”
“I’ll make sure to do that,” the Skyshifter acknowledged as the conversation ended. Right now, the main thing that he needed to prepare for was his upcoming battle. He had to clear his mind of distractions and make sure that he was ready for when he had to go back into the arena.
Just like yesterday, the two greeble guards from before came to escort him towards the gate that would lead into the arena. The gate was still up and prevented him from stepping forth onto the battlefield just yet. Though, one thing he was able to do was listen to the announcer’s opening remarks.
“Ladies and Gentlemen! Viewers from all around the Skylands! Welcome to Battalia, where the strongest fighters from around the Skylands compete for glory beyond their wildest dreams!! We got ourselves quite the opening round for you today, so without further ado, let’s kick things off!!”
The gate in front of him now began to drop down, allowing for the Skyshifter to slowly make his way onto the battlefield. “Now, our first competitor of the day is one that happened to catch everyone off guard during the qualifier yesterday. Despite being the textbook definition of a rookie, he was able to claim a spot in Battalia and is eager to prove himself! Give it up for Kai Chi!!”
As the Skyshifter stepped out into the arena, the audience’s response to him was… mixed to say the least. Some of the audience gave him a warm welcome and cheered, while the rest just continued to taunt him. Some went as far as to say that he should quit while he still had a chance, yet Calvin did his best to ignore it and instead focused his attention to the gate on the other side of the arena.
“And now, for his opponent,” he heard the announcer declare as the gate on the other end of the stadium was lowered, “We have a special treat for you folks, because one of our competitors is the angriest Mabu that you can find in the Skylands! He’s mean, he’s mad and he’s itching for a fight!! Get ready to make some noise for MAB LOBS!!!”
The name was one that Calvin was familiar with as he watched his opponent storm out the gate and onto the battlefield. Mab Lobs was a mabu villain of the Tech element that had armor covering his torso, shoulders, head and feet. Yet, what looked to be different this time around was a new set of gauntlets that were on the Mabu’s hands and what was strapped to his feet.
“You think you can beat me, kid!?” the mabu snapped as he banged his gauntlets together and glared at the Skyshifter, “Time to blow you up sky high!!”
“Bring it on, then!” Calvin declared.
In his mind, the Skyshifter was already thinking about what he needed to do. The first step was to observe and see what his foe was capable of this time around. Yet, as the fight got started, he began to realize that the mabu had a few new tricks up his sleeves. To start, there was the gauntlets on his hands, which would create an explosion once they made contact with an object or surface. The start of the fight had Calvin use his fire dash to avoid not just Mab Lobs’ punches, but the debris that was kicked up when his gauntlets made contact with the ground.
The other trick that Mab Lobs had was what strapped onto his feet. A pair of explosive jump boots that allowed for the mabu to quickly move at high speeds. The boots allowed for him to close in on Calvin and barely gave the Skyshifter time to react properly, which forced him to either defend himself from an incoming attack or avoid the attack altogether.
“Well, looks like Mab is already gaining an advantage and not giving his opponent any ground whatsoever! If he keeps this up, then things won’t look so good for Kai Chi!”
“Come on, think!” the Skyshifter grit his teeth as he tried to ignore the distraction. He was trying to think of a game plan as to how to fight back against his opponent, but the main thing he was unsure about was Mab’s gauntlets. For something that was very strong in terms of power, there had to be some kind of drawback. Otherwise, he was not going to last much longer in this fight.
“Stop running from me!!” Mab Lobs snapped. He was about to charge towards Calvin again and slam his gauntlet into the ground. However, after the initial swing, the mabu did something unexpected. Instead of chasing after him, Mab used his jump boots to back himself up away from the Skyshifter as his gauntlets gave off an unfamiliar red like glow.
In Calvin’s mind, there was no way that such a sudden change in his opponent’s tactics was just a mere coincidence. However, he did not have the chance to think on this, as Mab began throwing bombs towards where he was standing. At first, it was three bombs that he tossed into the air that exploded upon touching the ground. Though, after he avoided those, the mabu had another trick up his sleeve and threw out a cluster of mini-bombs that rolled towards him.
This time though, Calvin didn’t run. Instead, an idea formed in his head that he began to follow through on. He planted his feet and moved his arms behind him, waiting for the bombs to come closer. Once they were close enough, the Skyshifter swung his arms forward and had both of his hands collide with each other. The move in question was a technique that King Pen taught him called the knockout clap, where he would clap his hands together and release a powerful shockwave that would stun his foes.
Though, instead of stunning his opponent, he was utilizing the technique in a different manner. As his hands collided, the shockwave that was released had enough power behind it to send several of the bombs back towards Mab Lobs, a move that caught the mabu off guard. “What the-!?”
“Oh my! Mab Lobs definitely did not see that coming! Does Kai Chi have more tricks up his non-existent sleeves than just fire and flames!?”
This provided the perfect opportunity for Calvin to act. While the mabu was caught off guard, the Skyshifter charged forth and began to attack his opponent. He did not go for a direct frontal assault, but instead charged at him in a zig-zag pattern, to keep his opponent guessing. While Mab Lobs was trying to figure out where Calvin was, the Skyshifter would strike him from behind and the sides to keep him guessing and move before his opponent had any idea of where he was.
He was able to keep this up for almost a minute. Yet, it was only when Calvin noticed that Mab Lobs’ gauntlets weren’t glowing anymore did his opponent catch him by surprise. “Back OFF!!”
As the mabu slammed both of his fists into the ground, energy was released from his gauntlets that scattered rock and debris everywhere. Some of it barely missed Calvin’s head as he backpedaled away from his opponent. “Huh… is that how it works?”
“You’re beginning to annoy me, you little punk!” Mab Lobs snapped. Immediately, the mabu went on the offensive again, charging forward with his jet boots. This time though, Mab was faster, and Calvin didn’t have the time to just simply dodge. The Skyshifter was forced to hold his arms up in a defensive posture and endure a few powerful strikes from the mabu as he was knocked backwards.
“Oh, man! Kai Chi got knocked off his feet with that comeback from Mab Lobs just now!! How much more can this drow take!?”
Once he got back up, the Skyshifter tried to regain his focus and put more power into his dash, so he could try to counter Mab’s speed. It took a bit at first, but after a few seconds, Calvin was able to avoid the next set of strikes from Mab Lobs, something that the mabu wasn’t exactly happy with after thinking that he had driven his foe into a corner.
“You think this is a game?!” he snapped as Calvin avoided another one of his strikes. This time, his gauntlet made contact with the arena, and the resulting explosion had broken off chunks of the wall, “Stop being a coward and fight-!!”
Ironically, it was as the mabu said that and when he tried to strike again that his gauntlets began to glow once again, something that he did not take too kindly, “Oh, come on!! Again-!?”
Calvin couldn’t help but smirk as he looked back at his opponent, “What was that you were saying about being a coward now?”
“Grr… Shut UP!!” Mab snapped, backing away before he began to throw more bombs towards Calvin. Now, the Skyshifter had a good idea as to how exactly the gauntlets worked. They were able to release explosive blasts upon touching something, but he could not do it forever. Whenever they were glowing red, it meant that Mab Lobs had used them too much, and they needed to cool down before he could use them again.
This was something that he could definitely use to turn the tide. He was quick on his feet to avoid the bombs that were tossed towards him and exploded on the ground. Yet, this time around, Mab was throwing more of the standard bombs that he would detonate on contact, which forced the Skyshifter to stay on his feet and dash at the right time to avoid any explosions that went off.
“Getting tired yet, rookie?!” Mab taunted at him, before he began to prepare his next attack. The mabu thought that the Skyshifter had tired himself out from dodging his earlier attacks, which was enough of a reason for him to roll out the mini bombs across the floor of the arena to hit his opponent from far away.
Yet, the mabu made one fatal mistake. He underestimated what Calvin was capable of. Even though he had been on his feet to avoid the bombs that Mab Lobs was throwing at him, the Skyshifter still had enough strength and perseverance to push forward. Just like the first time, he moved his arms back and waited for the bombs to roll close enough. Once in range, the Skyshifter slammed his hands together for a knockout clap and released a shockwave that sent Mab’s bombs back in the direction they came from.
When the bombs detonated and left Mab in temporary daze, Calvin took advantage of the opportunity. He charged at Mab and flanked him from the side, though instead of striking the mabu with his fists, he conjured his strongest flames and applied it to the mabu’s left gauntlet. As he backed away and Mab was beginning to come out of his temporary daze, smoke was beginning to rise from the gauntlet.
“H-huh? W-what’s that… smell-?” the mabu stuttered, before realizing that the smoke was coming from the gauntlet on his left hand. His eyes widened as he frantically rushed to pull it off his arm, “Oh no-!!”
In a matter of seconds, the gauntlet exploded. Pieces of it scattered around the arena as Calvin covered his eyes. When the dust settled, Mab's left arm was partially burned with some of the fur missing, something that he wasn’t too happy about.
“What a surprise! In an unexpected move, the rookie was able to destroy one of Mab’s boom gauntlets and gained the upper hand!! Will he go all the way!?”
“Oh… I’m going to make you PAY for that!!” the mabu roared, his remaining gauntlet no longer glowing anymore as he glared back at the Skyshifter. Mab Lobs quickly began to retaliate as he charged towards Calvin and began his assault. This time though, his approach to combat was different. Not only did he utilize his jet boots to get up close and personal, but also used them alongside his remaining gauntlet to try and drive Calvin into a corner, his kicks leaving behind burning trails on the ground and sending flame lashes outwards, as if using his boots to send out flame slashes as weaker projectiles.
“Oh, come on! Seriously?!” the Skyshifter thought to himself. He was having trouble trying to keep up with not just Mab’s speed, but also avoiding the additional attacks that the mabu was doing. Though, it was around this time that he got an idea, one that was risky, but if he was able to pull it off, it would give him the perfect opportunity to turn this fight around. All he needed to do was just not fight back and keep his arms up to pretend he was in a defensive posture.
“That’s right! Stop fighting back and just give up already!!” the mabu grinned as his newfound attacks pushed Calvin into a corner. “If you think you can do anything to turn this around, think again!!”
Even with Mab’s consistent combination of attacks, the Skyshifter did not fight back. If he showed any sign of resisting, his opponent would think that something was off, and then, his window of opportunity would be lost. What he was planning could only work if he fooled his opponent into thinking that they had the upper hand.
As he was knocked back, the Skyshifter was forced to his knees as Mab stood over him, acting triumphant.
“Would you look at that folks?! Mab Lobs has got the rookie on his last legs!! Can he seal the deal and move on to the Semi-finals!?”
“With pleasure,” though, it was as the mabu approached the Skyshifter that he noticed something off. Even with his opponent being weakened significantly, he still had not fallen. To make things even more puzzling was that the drow was smiling, “What’s the matter? You think losing is fun?”
It was at that moment that Calvin knew he had Mab Lobs right where he wanted him to be as he let out a small breath, “…You tell me, is it fun?”
In an instant, the Skyshifter put his plan in motion. Before the mabu even realized what was happening, Calvin began to channel his power through his arms and used another secret technique that King Pen taught him; The Wave Fist. As he threw his arms forward, a powerful energy blast was released from his hands as it struck Mab’s remaining gauntlet. The amount of power that surged through the Skyshifter technique was enough to have the gauntlet crack at the seams, breaking into pieces as Mab was forced to toss it away before it exploded.
“What’s this!? The Rookie somehow still has some fight in him and was able to destroy Mab’s other gauntlet!! Just how strong is he?!”
Now that Mab’s gauntlets have been destroyed, Calvin was able to seize the chance to turn the fight around. His opponent no longer had as much destructive power as he did earlier in the fight, but Mab Lobs wasn’t out for the count just yet. After losing his other gauntlet, the mabu immediately backed away and began to attack from range. His go-to attack was now tossing bombs towards Calvin, while also utilizing the capabilities of his jet boots to create flame trails all around the Skyshifter to entrap him in a confined space. He also had to avoid the flaming slash projectiles that were sent in his direction whenever Mab Lobs kicked with his feet, something that became rather annoying when he realized that the mabu can control the angle of the flames with his boots.
Yet, that was not going to stop him. He had friends that were counting on him to make it through this, no matter what. After avoiding some of the bombs that Mab threw at him, Calvin began to charge forward and dash through the flames that the mabu used to try and corner him. It was a move that his opponent never anticipated and was unprepared for when the Skyshifter broke through the trails of flame. “What-!?”
Calvin did not allow for the mabu to finish his sentence, for moments after he emerged from the flames, he swung forward and struck his opponent with a powerful megaton punch that sent Mab Lobs crashing to the ground and knocked the wind out of him. It was something that shocked everyone in the stadium, including Magus himself. “And it’s over, folks!! From out of nowhere, the rookie, Kai Chi, has defeated Mab Lobs and secured his spot in the semi-finals! What an upset!!”
Calvin only had a little bit of time to catch his breath as the same medical team of greebles that he saw the day before rushed out onto the field to tend to the defeated mabu. As for him, he was escorted out of the arena by the two greeble guards from before. However, the only difference was that he was not taken back to his room and had to find his way back on his own.
It was as Calvin was walking over that he bumped into someone. It was another drow, but he… seemed different. His entire left arm was covered in a brown cloak, and the drow carried a sword on his back. The hair on his head was the same color as his imaginator, but it wasn’t tied in the back. Instead, it was short and spiky. His clothes weren’t the same either, and this drow was only a few inches taller than him.
“I-I’m sorry,” Calvin tried to apologize as the other drow was walking away, “I didn’t see you there.”
Much to his surprise, the drow paused, partially turning around to see the Skyshifter as he let out a sigh, “Just be careful. Unlike me, not everyone in the world would forgive you for simple mistakes.”
Before Calvin could say anything, the drow turned around and walked towards the arena entrance. The greeble guards at the gate seemed to recognize him and stood aside as the drow walked in.
“Huh… another competitor?” Calvin thought to himself. He wanted to stay behind a bit and learn more about them, though it was around this time that he remembered the message that Snap Shot wanted for him to deliver to Smoky and proceeded to go to his quarters to see if he returned yet.
When Calvin opened up the door, the Skyshifter was relieved to see that Smoky had come back and was waiting inside for him, “Hi, Calvin! How did it go? Did you kick some serious butt?”
At first, the Skyshifter nodded his head, just before changing back to his regular form, “Sure did. I’m moving onto the semi-finals,” Calvin told him as he looked back at the fire dog, “How about you? Were you able to help out our friends?”
In response, Smoky proudly nodded, “Yep! No one even noticed me!!” From that response alone, it sounded as if the pup still had a lot of leftover energy and was eager to get back at it.
“That’s great to hear,” Calvin told him, “Say… just before my fight, Snap Shot wanted me to tell you something. He’s got a task for you that’s really important. Think you’re up for it?”
“Of course!” the fire dog quickly responded.
Calvin couldn’t help but smile at Smoky’s enthusiasm as he looked back towards him, “Alright, here’s what you need to do,” the Skyshifter began to explain, “Snap Shot wants for you to verify the location of the facility’s back up thermal generator. He says that it’s urgent that you find it, so the sooner you locate it, the better.”
“Uh… I… don’t know what that is,” the pup admitted, scratching the back of his head with a paw.
“Well…” Calvin said, trying to think of something to help out the fire dog in that moment, “Um… just look for a room with a lot of hot pipes. There should be some kind of device with a lot of pipes going in and out of it somewhere. Likely… heh… lots of smoke as well.”
“Sounds like my kind of place,” Smoky smirked, “I’ll find it and come back as soon as I can!”
“How is this possible?” Magus said to himself, contemplating what he had just witnessed in his arena earlier today. A drow, who was seen as an underdog and unlikely to last in the tournament, pulled off an upset victory against a seasoned veteran he thought would defeat him. Even at an elemental disadvantage, Kai Chi was still able to overcome and claim victory.
Yet, Magus was not exactly pleased. He was hoping to crush the morale of his ‘very important prisoners’ by having them see someone like them get crushed in his arena, even going as far as setting up the matches himself to make that happen. An outcome like this was a major setback, and if Lord Kaos found out, it would be much worse.
“Sir?” he heard the voice of the mabu intern trying to speak to him, “Is something wrong?”
The drow let out a deep breath as he regained his composure. It would be unlike him to act out of character in front of those who worked for him, especially during an important event such as this one. “No, I’m fine… what is it?”
“Well, y-you asked for me to bring you the information we had on the remaining contestants,” the mabu told him as he placed a few manila folders on the table for him to look at, “Do you want for me to leave you alone while you look them over, sir?”
“Actually, I would like for you to stay,” the drow told him, “I want to hear your opinion about the remaining fighters. It’ll help me with preparing the matchups for the semifinals.”
At first, the mabu was a bit caught off guard. He didn’t think that Magus wanted for them to stick around, let alone help him, “W-what would you like to know?”
“This newcomer… Kai Chi,” the drow told the mabu, “Who would be the best opponent for him to face in the semi-finals? I want to give him more of a challenge than that of the opponent he faced today, if you understand what I mean.”
“Well…” the mabu scratched his head as he looked back at him, “We do have one particular fighter that might be of interest to you. In fact, according to what we have on him, he was once the former champion of BattleBrawl Island.”
BattleBrawl Island. That was a name that he had not heard in a while. He remembered that it used to belong to the crab named Baron Von Shellshock during Lord Kaos’ reign with the Sky Eater, a diversion for criminals whose actions were interrupted by them. Yet, ever since that plan was foiled, it became nothing more than an arena where everyone fought Skylanders, and it was being taken care of by an ice troll and a sentient broccoli. One of the reasons why he created the Magudome was to break the same old routine and go back to the roots of arena battles, before the Skylanders showed up.
“…Go on.”
“Well, he’s referred to as the ‘ultimate spell punk’ and is willing to use any means necessary to win in battle,” the mabu continued, “He’s just as strong as he is ruthless.”
Magus took a moment to think as he looked at everything that was in the folder. Not only was this spell punk a seasoned veteran, but it appeared that he wasn’t one for going easy on anyone that he faced. That was just the person that Magus was hoping for.
“Did you… want to look at the others, sir-?”
“That won’t be necessary,” Magus shook his head, “Have our newcomer be scheduled to face this… spell punk in the semi-finals. If there’s anyone that can stop this rookie in his tracks, it’ll definitely be him.”