〈...And you are?〉
The name's Scourge, Scourge the Hedgehog. The strongest hedgehog around, and soon to once again be king of my home dimension of Moebius. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

Scourge leaps down from the roof in front of the group, approaching them.

If you're looking for my counterpart, he's off to help with a different problem. But if you wanna know more... You're gonna have to BEAT the info off of me.



Scourge's smirk only widens.

Who said I was gonna fight you alone?

Suddenly, a stick of dynamite lands in front of the group, causing everyone to jump out of the way of the explosion.

Not bad. A shame you're still not out of the blast zone yet.



It's time to build us up, and break you fellas down.



Hope you little animals have some bite to your bark, 'cause this demolition crew is gonna DEMOLISH you!

---

As Majin Sonic continues to try and attack Boyfriend, he is suddenly Paralyzed by Glitcher. Boyfriend then takes the opportunity to take Majin Sonic down with a cluster of three Overheads, knocking Majin Sonic to the floor.

〈Ha! Different, but still the same song and dance!〉
Ah, but you are near the end of the familiar... Should you survive your next challenge, you shall be doomed to face one much newer to you.
〈Bring it on! I can handle your chaotic endeavors all day!〉
...In the end, we only wish to have a little fun... Though I suppose it is at your own expense, in the end. But when you’ve learned THEIR definition of what fun is... perhaps you may find MY offer harder to decline.
If you do manage to survive, that is, I shall be waiting for you here whenever you change your mind. It is an eternity of happiness that I offer, after all.

Suddenly, a red screen of static appears behind Boyfriend. A hand comes out of it, then pulls Boyfriend into it via telekinesis, before pulling BF into the screen, which disappears along with him.

---

As Boyfriend ends up falling backwards into the scene from the red static screen, the hand that brought him here seeming to have oddly disappeared, the screen fades away.

(This place again... If memory serves me correctly, then...)

---

Wipeout Bomb - (Explode) The user lobs a stick of dynamite that creates a big explosion. Simple, but effective.

Glitcher - (Sound/Electric) Boyfriend sings a bitcrushed tune that Paralyzes the target. Based on his rap battle against a virus that infected Hex.

Well, the Titan Dweevil is down. That's what matters, right?
And how exactly did that get us any closer to stopping Trio?
I'm pretty sure taking down any of his cohorts counts towards something.
Well, now that that's done, I think it's high time to address my abandonment in the decaying Ajax unive-
I think we still have other things to worry about right now.
Oh yeah, Trio's Genesis Unit guys. Are they even still around?
If they are, keep your guard up. If nothing happens, Lydian may continue.

The group stays on-guard, looking around for any sign of the Genesis Unit...

---

Coming from the Mystic Ruins, a group of individuals approach the lab. One of them looks back.



WE WERE ASSIGNED WITH A SINGULAR TASK: PROVIDE SAFE ESCORT TO THE "TAILS' LAB" LOCATION. THE TASK HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED, SO WE ARE TO REPORT BACK TO JAZZ HQ.



The two Jazz Droids warp away.

〈So, that Ashura guy isn't coming, either?〉



〈Well, with or without him, I think it's time to talk with this "Sonic".〉

Suddenly, a voice speaks from the rooftop...

Hate to break it to ya, but the people you're looking for ain't here...
And to make matters worse... You've found ME instead.

For what felt like a very long period of time, Bass looked over the equipment displayed. He then notices something that itches his curiosity...

...Disciple of who or what now?

As Majin Sonic continues to send in clones after Boyfriend, BF fends them off with more Bopeebos, only to find that more and more clones are created with each one that dissipates.

Your resistance is admirable, but alas, it will not last you forever. Soon, I shall introduce you to an endless world of fun, even if I must alter that mindset of yours to accept it.
(I'm getting swarmed here...! Think, BF, think... how do I handle all these clones? It feels like I'm in over my head!)
(...Over... head... Wait, I've got it!)

Boyfriend suddenly fires out a barrage of bigger soundwaves... which then explode on contact, creating a blast radius that takes the clones down at a faster rate!

An interesting tactic... Perhaps it is time to step in myself.

Majin Sonic suddenly warps behind Boyfriend, who manages to just barely dodge the punch that was thrown at him, leaving Majin Sonic- and a few surrounding clones- open for a South, knocking Majin Sonic back whilst also causing a few more clones to dissipate.

---

Overhead - (Sound/Explode) Boyfriend generates slightly bigger soundwaves than Bopeebo that explode upon contact. Based on his rap battle against Whitty.

Automated Turn

Water Expert boosts the power of Tepid Man’s attack!
Tepid Man uses Water Shot on Beak!
Bootleg Fire Man moves 3 spaces left.

Flame Expert boosts the power of Bootleg Fire Man’s attack!
Bootleg Fire Man uses Fire Storm on Beak!A shield of fire surrounds Bootleg Fire Man! Protected from Flame and Nature core attacks!
1 Damage dealt!
The second attack missed...
The third attack missed...

---

Automated Turn

Shadow Expert boosts the power of Dark Skull Man’s attack!
Dark Skull Man uses Shadow Shot on Cut Man!
Skull Man moves 2 spaces right.

Fine, then! I’ll just go after your white-colored twin!
1 Damage dealt!
The second attack missed...
The third attack missed...

*All around me are familiar faces...*

Team Nightmare Force arrives!



...Wait, huh?
Yeaaah, this may or may not be my fault.
Explain...?
So, Darkrai approached me wanting to make a team. At first I refused him since A. I didn’t trust him, and B. He didn’t even have a partner. But then he came back with one- He apparently created it himself- and supposedly he’s just here to “alleviate boredom”.
I see... Well, I don’t think he can cause any more trouble than MKII or Missingno. did, so he might be fine... Though, perhaps it’s best we keep an eye on him for now.
My thoughts exactly... Don’t worry, I won’t mess up like I did before.

...

...Wait, since when was Jazz my pseudoreaper again? What even happened before the third CZ thread...?

---

Automated Turn

Triton Bubble and Aqua Fishtot move their maximum amount of spaces left and use Buster Charge. Ambience moves her maximum amount of spaces down and picks up the Bomb Seed.

NEW ITEM DATA!


Bomb Seed
Core: Explode
Effect: Creates an explosion when thrown, or generates an explosion in front of the user when consumed. Damages all robots in a 9-space range, allies included.
1 Damage dealt!
The second attack missed...
The third attack missed...

@Malware : Incorrect. m3gam3n is actually ch4s3man's alt.

A figure floats around a giant, orange orb of planet-sized proportions. The figure is then approached by another figure.

...And just what do you plan to do with that?



...You know, I'd be lying if I said I didn't expect this. If you must know, I'm aiming to correct a mistake that you so-called "gods" refused to.
...Referring to...?
...Death is not being treated as the consequence it is supposed to be. The afterlife is a life after death for the good, and a punishment for the bad. It is NOT some hotel to be stayed in while you are "temporarily" dead; It isn't meant to be temporary at ALL.
But now, death is being treated as nothing more than a mere distraction. Those who wish to cause nothing but harm go unpunished, escaping their fate like it's NOTHING.
And since none of you seem to be interested in the idea yourselves... I'm taking it upon myself to use the Super Dragon Balls to wish the very concept of revival away once and for all. No more cheating death. No more will the wretched escape the punishment of Hell.

...While it's true that many villains have used the gift of revival to continue their ambitions... Revival of those who are gone has brought many benefits, as well.
...So you intend to stop me?
...I am unsure. While your intention is clearly to prevent evil spirits from returning to life, I cannot help but feel that such a plan would go poorly. I will have to discuss this with Cranky.
But do know that if it is decided that your plan should not be carried out, then I will do what must be done. So if it ultimately comes down to it, I recommend ceasing your plans quietly.

Matt disappears.

...It shall be what it shall be, then.

Beta X turns to the Super Dragon Ball.

Now, then... How does one carry this thing?

Beta X pulls out his Ring of Vengeance.

...Hm... If this was created by the same entity as who created the true World Rings, then perhaps...

Beta X powers up and attempts to use the ring's power to grab the Super Dragon Ball...

...But it does nothing.

Well, that figures... This may be more complicated than I thought.

As the Titan charges, Ninja Man prepares to strike with his katana, when suddenly-

Wait wait wait, stop stop stop!

Ninja Ghost pauses time for everyone except the Beta B-Team with Flash Stopper, irritating Ninja Man.

Oh for the love of- What exactly do you want?
I just had a thought... If ol' Beta can have a super-cool finishing move of his own, why can't we?
Now is not the time to be- No no, he's right.
You guys can't be serious.
Hey, we've pretty much got this guy dead for rights, here. I think we can afford to finish the battle in style.
You're... not wrong...
And how are you going to plan this out when Flash Stopper's Weapon Energy runs out, exactly?
...

Ninja Ghost pulls out a W-Tank, consumes it, and tosses it away, all while staring at Epsilon and not breaking eye contact.

Now, here's what I'm thinking...

---

Some time later...

You guys ready?

Everyone nods.

Right... Here goes nothing.

The moment Flash Stopper ends, Ninja Man raises his katana in the air, which enlarges for a Ninja Gigaslash! This is followed by a Precise Strike from Ninja Man Z, and then the two Sergeant Men. Sargent regular unleashes a Sergeant Barrage, while Sergeant Man Z unleashes a Hyper Rocket! At the same time, Beta Man Z surrounds the Titan with a Beta Barrage β. After the resulting explosions, Epsilon charges in with an Epsilon Charge, tackling the Titan into Lydian, who attacks with a Multislash as both Bts envelop the Titan in a Shadow Inferno and a Radial Breaker. Ninja Ghost then appears above the Titan to deliver an Anomalous Spiral.

...Does this feel like overkill to you?
...Ehh, kinda.

---

Ninja Gigaslash - (Swift/Cutter) Ninja Man's Ninja Katana blade grows 10x its normal length to deliver a powerful blow with incredible length. (And yet it's still not as big as his ego.)

Precise Strike - (Shadow/Swift/Cutter) Ninja Man Z delivers a devastating blow with his Ninja Katana directly to the weakest possible point (by calculation).

Sergeant Barrage - (Missile) Sergeant Man unleashes a large barrage of Sergeant Missiles at once.

Hyper Rocket - (Missile/Explode) A larger, more powerful form of the Sergeant Rocket that creates a large explosion.

Beta Barrage - (Shadow/Explode) Beta Man Z unleashes a barrage of Beta Blasts that surround the opponent before closing in and exploding, similar to Piccolo's Hellzone Grenade.

Epsilon Charge - (Space/Impact/Swift) At incredible speed, Epsilon charges at the opponent while shrouded in an astral energy; Multi-hitting attack.

Multislash - (Cutter/Energy) Lydian unleashes a large slash that acts like 10 slashes at once.

Shadow Inferno - (Shadow/Flame) Bt Ghost Classic unleashes a large pillar of fire-like shadow that causes severe burns.

Radial Breaker - (Phantom/Laser) Bt Ghost sends out a small spark that erupts into a large dome of energy that deals immense damage to any enemy trapped within it.

Anomalous Spiral - (Empty/Cutter) Ninja Ghost dives downwards with his Phantom Katana in a spiral, creating a giant drill-like energy attack.

The communication is quickly dropped.



Fortem then scrolls through the rest of the connections.



Fortem then stops.

---

Jazz and Missingno. looks up at a monitor displaying a map.

Believe me, I know what I saw. He was there a moment ago, and now he's gone!
And how do you know it was him?
...When I was watching his fight back in Practice RP, I was also doing scans of his energy output to make a tracker that detects whenever he enters the Chaos Zone. And aside from the bug of also detecting Proteus as well, it should be working perfectly well. And just recently, I saw a red dot in the Shopping District in-



...It's fine. You need something?



...

Jazz presses a few buttons. Suddenly, the nearby monitor zooms in on Doppler Labs.

We'll be sending a few Jazz Droids your way. They should be able to teleport you as close to Tails' Lab as we can. I assume that's where you're trying to head?



No problem. Keep yourselves safe out there.



The communication is dropped.

...Back on-topic... Even if you're right about this being MKII... Do you even have any intention to stop him?
...
...I'm not sure. MKII... I'm still haunted by the things I've allowed him to do, and the fact that I looked up to him-

---

---

...And the fact that I was so naive to want to follow in his footsteps- so blind to the person I could become- for so long IRRITATES me to no end. Letting him loose was the biggest mistake I've ever made, and it's the one wrong I want to make right the most.

Jazz takes a deep breath in.

...But chances are that if I tried to do that... I'd run into the one group of individuals I want to avoid the most.
...Well, if you want my honest opinion, then consider this factor... You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

Missingno. walks out of the room, leaving Jazz at his own, who goes to stare silently at the monitor.

〈I guess nobody's home...?〉
...No. Something's not right here... I sense a disturbance in the fabric of reality behind the door. Something's happening in there...



Ashura shakes his head.

It would be way too dangerous. I'm afraid the only thing we can do is wait for the problem to sort itself out... I'm sure they'll be fine.





Ashura raises a brow.

...Yes...? How did you-



Ashura ponders for a bit.

Well... I believe the last place I know they went to is Tails' Lab in Mystic Ruins... Though, honestly, I'm not sure how you guys would be able to get there from here.

The group ponders for a moment. Suddenly, Fortem snaps his fingers.



Fortem pulls out a strange, blue orb...




Fortem scrolls through a wide selection of connections before stopping at a specific one.



〈"He" who?〉

---

Suddenly, a voice rings out in someone's head...

---

On an incredibly distant planet, a lone robot struggles to stand.

...
HOW UTTERLY FOOLISH. FOR HOW LONG HAVE YOU TRIED TO HUNT ME DOWN, ONLY TO BE MET WITH FAILURE? AND WHEN THE TIME HAS FINALLY ARRIVED FOR OUR CONFRONTATION... WAS IT WORTH IT?
...Y... you...
AETHER THE PURE. THE DUO OF A WORLD I HAVE LONG SINCE DECIMATED, WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF DESTROYING ALL DARKNESS AND EVIL IN THE MULTIVERSE... IN THE END, YOU GAMBLED YOUR LIFE, AND YOU HAVE LOST NOT ONLY THAT, BUT YOUR ARTIFICIAL SOUL.
D-damn you... E-even if... I fall here... another... will take... my place...
...AND THEY SHALL FALL ALL THE SAME. FOR IT MATTERS NOT WHO... GOOD. EVIL. JUSTICE. CHAOS. NEUTRAL. EVEN THE GODS FACE THEIR DEMISE IN TIME, FOR NOTHING IS ETERNAL EXCEPT FOR DEMISE...

The large figure pulls out a scythe, slashing through the robot and draining all energy, data, and power from it.

FOR THAT IS THE WILL OF DEATH.

---

*This is a purely headcanonical addition to how Connection Orbs are used in Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon.

Suddenly, a group of Pokemon warp into the area.

〈...You know, I just realized. That... Epsilon Stone*, you called it? Couldn't you have used that to take me and Eevtai home?〉



**



〈Yeah, how do we find this "Sonic" person, anyways?〉



〈Oh, yeah. They were the second people we asked about the Agates, right? Might as well see if they know anything.〉

---

A figure paces back and fourth at the front doorstep before stopping suddenly.

(...Alright. No more being nervous. Even if he isn't here... you should at least make the attempt to ask where he is so you could talk to him.**)
(Focus yourself, Ashura. You either do this now... Or never.)



Before Ashura knocks on the door, however...



Fortem, along with the rest of the group of Pokemon, walks up to greet Ashura.

Oh! Hey, there. What brings you guys here?



Huh, well that's a coincidence. Well, since we're all here for roughly the same reason, I guess we can go ahead and ask together.
〈Fine by me.〉

Ashura knocks on the door.

---

*Introduced during the 2K Arc (Page 103, Post #5 ), the Epsilon Stone- created by a few legendary Pokemon as thanks for defeating Dark Matter- has the ability to travel between dimensions (originally as a means of allowing Bane to travel between his home world and the Pokemon world) and allows for Bane and Fortem to change into fully evolved- and even Mega Evolved/Bond Phenomenon- forms. On the same page, it is explained that they ran into who is now known as Gamma Jewel, who randomly decided to gift them knowledge of the 4th wall "for the sake of chaos".
**RECAP: Ashura- or, rather, a version of Sonic who escaped from a collapsed Omniverse- unleashed a virus known as Temporal Leakage (introduced by Brash Buster; used with permission) upon Wood Zone (see: unused Sonic the Hedgehog 2 stages) after an incident involving Scourge the Hedgehog, which was later cleaned up by Missingno., Elephant Man (HighTower character; See: Mega Man RM concepts), and a few members of Brash Crew, one of which involved Shadow Digital, who- due to having been cursed with it himself- was somewhat traumatized from the event. After the events of the Beta Diablo Arc, Missingno.- who learned of this incident during a meeting with Ashura in the Void- urged Ashura to tell Shadow Digital about this before the information is brought out by a more sinister individual (ie. Coda and his cronies).

If you want to make a character, just use whatever comes to your mind, or (being mindful of the claimed character list) use a pre-existing character.

For portraits, you can use the assortment of robot portraits with the below code (in accordance to the databases)...


[robot:right]{metal-man} [robot:right]{needle-man_alt} [robot:right]{ring-man_alt3} [robot:right]{dark-man-4} [robot:right]{tackle-fire}

...Or use the [image] format to do something more custom (as long as you have a url from an image hosting website, such as imgur):


[image](https://i.imgur.com/shzMUjY.png)

And if you don't have any confidence that you could make a mugshot, worry not; You are not the only one who do not use the portraits. Just be sure you make it clear who's speaking. Here is an example of how you can do that:

Sample Man: Behold! I am Sample Man, a totally original Robot Master!
[Sample Man: Behold! I am Sample Man, a totally original Robot Master!]{neutral}

...Of course, if you want to make an actually good character, I'm afraid we're not actually qualified to teach you. :P

(The battle has once again been skipped since I've took too long to update this; I will not go into further detail about the reason due to the nature of the context, but just note that there will be some changes made going further)

A warping sound can be heard as Sonic.EXE, reverted to normal, turns towards his victims.

FAILURES, all of you! I gave you a simple, single task: Catch and KILL a blue haired midget, and deliver his soul to ME. And you have all FAILED!
To be fair, you tried to do so, too, and have already failed three times.



Sonic.EXE retorts by tearing off Eggman.EXE's arm.

Your brilliant mind is a useful tool, doctor; Perhaps you should use it to know when to keep silent.
...That being said... What's next?



...For now, we hand the task over to the others... But if that isn't enough, I'll have to arrange for the backup plan.
Backup plan...?
All will make sense in due time... But, for now...

---

Boyfriend falls into a strange realm. As he gets up, he immediately recognizes the area...

〈Let me guess. You want revenge, too?〉
Revenge? Revenge is such a silly little thing. And perhaps that could be what the other two are seeking... But I for one do not like to dwell on such petty things. I just wanted to take this opportunity to have some fun with you, one last time...
...And this time, perhaps, I could convince you to stay.



(Battle Music) ♫ Vs. Sonic.EXE - Endless 2.0 (Instrumental) ♫

Suddenly, Majin Sonic begins to multiply himself, illusions of himself surrounding Boyfriend as he orders them to charge at Boyfriend. Boyfriend avoids them and tries to smack one of them with his mic, only for the illusion to disappear and be replaced by another one!

〈Waaait a moment. Isn't there something we should address, first?〉

Pikason motions towards the two unknown Pokemon.


















〈Why did you say that so nonchalantly?〉

---

---

〈My name is Eevtai.〉
〈And my name is Pikason... The fastest 'chu around!〉






Bane, Fortem, Dusty, and Circuit head off. Eevtai goes to follow as well, but notices Pikason is staying behind.

...
〈Something wrong, Pikason?〉
〈...I didn't want to say anything, but something's up with those two. The fact that they were eavesdropping on us, and "conveniently" know what these "Chaos Emeralds" are...?〉
〈...You may be right... Maybe there's something more to them than what there appears to be.〉
〈...But surely, you don't think they're up to no good, do you?〉
〈...I don't know. But I'm going to keep an eye on them, just in case.〉

Pikason rushes off to catch up with the group.

...

Eevtai heads out as well.

〈...I think we should focus on finding a way for the two of us to get back to our world before Prof. Gio can carry out his plans.〉



〈...Unfortunately, that won't be possible. After I used the Agates to restore the world, they spread out across my world like they normally do. And we haven't quite got the chance to seek them out since then.〉






The group turns towards a pair of Pokemon who seemed to have approached them.






〈Seems to be worth a shot... But where could this "Sonic" be?〉

---

The Tornado lands near the area.

Well, this is it. This is where the most activity from Eggman's robots can be located... This HAS to be where his lair is.



(Strange... This place is so familiar to me...)
Thank you so much for your help, Mr. Sonic! I don't know why that mean ol' robot was after me**, but...



Hey, don't sweat it! No matter what that Egghead has planned, we'll always be there to scramble them!



It'd be about time we investigated this, anyways. The last time we encountered Eggman was when he tried to take the Chaos Emeralds from us while we were preparing for Regulus***... So it's clear that he is up to something.



I BELIEVE I AM UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS "REGULUS" YOU SPEAK OF.



Ah, don't worry about it; That guy's old news, anyways. Now... Let's go give that doctor a visit!

Sonic rushes ahead as the group, save for Tails, follows behind.

(...Hang on. I remember now...!)
Hey, guys! Wait up a second!

Tails proceeds to follow behind the group.





...Well, well. About time they got here. Here I thought they'd NEVER show!

---

*Reference: Tails' Skypatrol
**RECAP: Sometime in Part II (I think during the King II Arc?), Metal Knuckles attempted to assault Cream, only to be intervened by G-merl. After a tough battle, G-merl was almost decommissioned until Cream steps in, having Cheese help in protecting G-merl. After the bout, Cream, Cheese, and G-merl went off to ask Sonic and his friends for help. (It should be noted that the group is unaware that Metal Knuckles is working under Coda.)
***As mentioned in Part I, Page 181, Post #1.

Thanks.

The two proceed to keep walking.

---

...So why are we going around looking like this, anyways?
Well, you heard what he said: Since the new law won't let us fight anymore, we need to try and live out more peaceful, casual lives.
...But we live in a canyon.
And yet we still have lives to live. That's why Jazz sent us here to get some equipment.
Well, I suppose I can't complain. This look kinda suits me, anyways.

...Hey. Random question, but... Do you think Jazz and Prototype would ever... You know. Get along?
...
Probably not, truth be told. Not because he'd never forgive Jazz, don't get me wrong.
...But Team Prototype has their own things going on; Even if they felt the need to drop by- unlikely as that may be- they wouldn't exactly have the opportunity to do so.
...Then on the other hand, there's Jazz. And you know how he is about anything that involves confronting his past.
All-in-all, I don't think we should ever expect to cross paths with Prototype or any of his teammates. We just live out too separate lives.

...That being said, we're here.

The two make it to and enter the hardware store.

...I see. Perhaps that was poor planning on my part.

Xi draws his sword out towards his foe.

Nevertheless, I, Xi Warrior, shall be your downfall! En guarde!

Xi proceeds to slash at the foe!

---

...Is this all? Hmph. A little disappointing, but still better than what those three dimwits can do...

The figure takes the ball and tries to put it in the PC near him, but the jester-like figure intervenes.

I would advise placing that thing in a box of its own. I'm fairly certain that NT-3000 said that it was a glitch, did he not?
I fail to see what the issue is. And the last time I checked, I am the mastermind around here, am I not?
...
...Of course. How could I have forgotten?

The figure places the ball in the box as the other walks away, eyeing them for a moment.

In any case, we'll only be leaving it there for until we need it... In the meantime, NT-3000, you and the rest of those Noise Tanks keep searching for those legendary Pokemon. I expect results the next time you visit.

---

Excuse me.

Suddenly, a voice catches the two's attention. The source of the voice appears to be an individual in a scarf. Behind him appears to be a guy with a red streak in his hair and a pair of headphones.

Sorry to interrupt whatever you were talking about, but do either of you happen to know the way to the nearest hardware store? We're kinda new around these parts.

(Response to Page 20, Post #5 )

Ah, a beast of the water! A certainly foul beast indeed, but not one of hard difficulty.
Regardless, creature of the depths-

Actually, how deep are these waters?

-I hate to inform you, but you are severely outnumbered... And what more, the ally of which stands-

I do believe he has no legs. Or arms. Or... Well, anything aside from a head. (And considering it's a skull, maybe even that's a generous description.)

-by my side shall surely strike fear into your immoral soul... Should you have one. Behold!

Xi holds Scareten up above his head. For whatever reason, a flaming backdrop (and by that I mean a large poster depicting a flaming backdrop that is held up by unknown means) appears behind the two.

THE SKELETON APPEARS!

Without thinking, Xi yeets Scareten directly at the Hydrone.

...So. Did you stop them?



...I managed to stop one of them from getting away, but the Sniper Joe managed to slip away.*



*Sigh* Of course... It bothers me, truthfully. How so many people manage to cheat death. How it's treated not as the end of life, but as a break from it. It is a natural law that HAS to be followed, for the sake of balance. It is meant as a PUNISHMENT to the wicked and sinful. A CONSEQUENCE to learn from.
The fact that death is being treated as more of a hindrance than something permanent irritates me to no end. And it all started with those star-patterned ORBS!**

Suddenly, an idea pops into Beta X's mind.

...Huh. Started with those orbs, indeed... And just maybe...
...Am I missing something here?
...I'm going to be away for a while. You are in charge while I am gone.

A flame envelops Beta X as he disappears, leaving Scorpion on his own.

...?

---

*Reference: Chaos Zone Part II, Page 339, Post #12
**Referring to the Dragon Balls.