The Phantom Menace [Closed]

[koopacrusher]

Who: Bowser and Maul
When: The Second April 8th
Where: Curti Center
What: Bowser asks Maul where he was three days in the future
Warnings/Notes: Time Travel grammar is weird.

Bowser had noticed something on the first April 11, that Maul wasn’t there during the Bahamut fight. It was easy to understand why, Bowser himself might have behaved similarly once. Regardless, he was upset to know it had happened. The absence was understood, but the dishonesty it involved was unacceptable.

With the Berserker job equipped, Bowser knocked down the door to B-01. He roared after he had done so, surely getting the attention of those inside. People outside may also have noticed, but it didn’t matter. The important thing was that Bowser got answers and possibly some revenge.

Comments

[koopacrusher]

Bowser becomes more enraged. “You hit me one more time, your friend dies.” He then calms ever so slightly. “I don’t care what the hell you do. You could enslave a continent for all I care. But when you put the world on the line... I would have ignored the end of the world too, once. And if I had, Peach and Junior would be gone. And if you don’t have anyone to fight for, you have nothing. And everyone else will too, ‘cause they’ll be dead. Don’t you get that whatever shit you want done is nothing compared to what’s at stake here?”

[last_son_of_dathomir]

"Friend...?" Maul is momentarily confused, before realization sets in. "He is no friend, he's a means to an end." The Dathomirian snaps. "And as your interference has already caused my plans to fall into utter ruin as is, do as you like with him."

"Hey!" The Elezen cries indignantly, but is ignored.

The names Bowser rants off at Maul mean nothing to him and he fails to look impressed. "Are you truly suggesting that my absence will mean life or death for the rest of you?" He spits. "I am only barely trained in a single asterisk yet and you expect me to believe that if I am not there, Bahamut wins? You say you don't care what I do, yet here you are, ruining months of work with your whining about me. The only reason I have ceased trying to kill you is because I'm starting to think it won't matter; none of this will." He reaches up and removes the mask, letting it fall to the sand. "You truly weren't joking about these time loops, were you?" He asks. "It's the only way you could have known I had no intention of being at the battle. I still do not. And I won't in future loops, will I? Because I have no memory of the loops as you and apparently every other "hero" do. Unless you plan to do this every loop, which would be a waste of time I'm sure you could spend doing something more productive to actually save the world, what exactly do you hope to accomplish here?" Maul's no stranger to anger, but he's learned to use it expertly, with precision, not...unrestrained and unchecked like this oaf.

He spreads his hands in a conciliatory gesture. "Perhaps there is a way we can come to some sort of arrangement." He says finally. "One that will allow me to in future loops move forward with my plans without having to worry about your blundering." And now he actually does approach Bowser, with a sneer. "You have plans of your own, don't you? Plans the other "Heroes" would not approve of, or I suspect you would not have confronted me alone tonight. So...let us make a deal, shall we?"

[koopacrusher]

“Mogoom, get that guy out of here, make sure he doesn’t say anything about what happened here,” Bowser says to the Moogle, who obeys the command, bringing the Elezen elsewhere.

“An arrangement. I’m glad you said that. I can see you already have plans to do, whatever you’re doing, and you’re already trying to cover your tracks. Which means you don’t really care if people think what you’re doing is “right.” I need someone who can do things on the shady side, scratch that, someone who could watch the world with their only thoughts are of how you can rule the ashes. So, how would you like to be a supervillain?”

[last_son_of_dathomir]

Maul watches the Elezen be dragged away kicking and screaming impassively. The boat in the distance is already turning away, the events on the beach having been observed, and the occupants deciding to cut their losses. "I will deal with him when this is over." He replies, sheathing his sword.

"I have been known to walk on the Dark Side of things, yes." Maul replies, smiling thinly. But then his smile turns into a scowl. "A...what?" He asks, annoyed. "That sounds like a term invented by a child." After a moment however, he waves his hand dismissively. "Go on, what exactly are you proposing?"

[koopacrusher]

“Are you gonna make sure nobody on the ship talks, too? I can’t have them screwing this up.

“A supervillain. I come from a world where clouds have faces, don’t tell me what’s childish. Anyway, yeah, you act like you’re some kind of comic book villain. You go make mayhem in the cities, you do evil. Then some hero shows up to stop you, a Hero of Light, probably, and it creates conflict. People love a good story, and you help me tell one to Vaikuntha. You do this, you tell me what you did, and I sell the story to Vaikuntha. Leave that to me, just remember to do villainous acts that sell some newspapers.

“While you do all this you can keep up whatever it is you’re doing on the side. Make it seem like, whatever you want it to seem like, or don’t. I don’t care, just put on a show. Once I have what I need to get out of this, and I can start my REAL plan, all you gotta do is figure out a way to pretend to lose. Then go back to whatever you were doing in the shadows. Except when you do you’ll have some more money to do it with. Do we have a deal?

[last_son_of_dathomir]

"They knew only what our captive has told them. And he has told them little." Maul replies with a shrug. "You need not worry about them. Besides, they will remember nothing of this when time resets in a few days, correct?"

Maul folds his arms over his chest, thinking. "You need someone to commit crimes and make a spectacle of it. You hope to profit from this..." He thinks for a moment. "...Yes, this is acceptable." He says, finally. "It dovetails into my own plans more than I expected." He taps the discarded mask with his foot. "I assume I shall need a false identity and it just so happens I already have one of those set up." A pause. "Very well, I accept your terms. I shall give you the stories you want, provided you can give me a suitable..."super-hero" to face."

He puts his hand to his chin. "We shall need a way to resume this conversation and get me up to speed when these time loops are finished and Bahamut slain." He thinks for a moment, and then looks up. "When the rest of you have finished your work with Bahamut and the flow of time resumes, contact me again. Arrange a meeting; threaten to reveal my plans if you have to. I will most likely try to kill you before you can do this, BUT...tell me everything you say is true and swear it "by the shadows of Malachor"." Another thin, mirthless smile. "Malachor" is a name he has mentioned to no one here in Vaikuntha; Bowser of all people uttering it will be proof enough that Maul needs to listen to him. "And then we can...work out the details of this arrangement and make it more permanent. Agreed?"

[koopacrusher]

“You got it.” Said Bowser. “I’ll see you... whenever this thing ends.” He shouts, “Mogoom! Give this guy his friend back!” Mogoom does so. “Mogoom, remind me at the end of the loop to swear by the ‘Shadows of Malachor.’ That phrase had better work.” Bowser walks away.

Mogoom bows, “Farewell, Mr. Maul. Do enjoy the end of the world.” He follows Bowser, and they leave Maul.

[last_son_of_dathomir]

As Bowser walks away, he can hear Maul approaching the discarded Elezen.

"What the hell, Kay?! We had a fucking deal, do you not-"

"I remember." Maul says evenly. "And we still will."

"Don't tell me you actually believe that shit about time loops." The Elezen spits. "You just got played like a damn fool Kay, and so did I. I can't believe I thought trusting you was a-what the hell is that?"

Suddenly there's a noise, like energy crackling that Bowser does not recognize, followed by a constant, low humming. "What the FU-" is all the panicked Elezen has time to say before an electronic "whooshing" sound is followed by a wet-sounding death rattle. There's another crackling noise and then all is silence and darkness.