The morning saw an explosion of activity. Various Jumbo Trons blared to life in the Banquet Hall of the Smash Mansion. Caterers arrived in droves with varieties of cakes and ice-cream and sandwiches and sliders. A special parking lot was designated for news vans. The backyard was crowded with bands rehearsing and performing sound checks. There were DJs unpacking and plugging in their equipment and police officers on patrol.
The Smash Mansion was preparing to welcome Master Hand home.
The Smashers behind Project Nerf were anticipated, excited and optimistic. There was no doubt that Sakurai had talked the Hand of Creation into putting those combos into the ground. They were the first ones awake, showering, dressing their best and helping themselves to a breakfast buffet before heading outside and playing the various minigames set up. From shooting hoops and playing one-on-one at the basketball court to dunking a volunteer dressed as Tingle the Elf into a tank of water to ring toss and darts to Twister, there were many ways of passing the time. In between games, they danced to the music or chattered among themselves, patiently waiting for the final proof.
When Theo and Vanessa arrived with their brood, their kids almost instantly filled up on donut holes and turned into human energy canisters, bouncing from one game to another. Crazy Hand had his volunteers set up bounce houses and obstacle courses to keep the kids occupied, along with spa and massage booths for the adults. For her help, Vanessa was rewarded with a free mani-pedi and a discounted facial.
Later that morning, the rest of the Smashers arrived on the scene, noshing on breakfast foods and carrying on conversations while listening to and sometimes jamming with the live bands, checking out the booths or searching for engaging games to play. Streets leading to the Smash Mansion were closed to traffic as crowds of people streamed in to witness MH's triumphant return.
Mario honestly didn't see what the excitement was about. In his opinion, the Hand of Creation had capitulated to these salty bullies and decided to have his brother's playstyle "fixed". And by "fixed" he meant "nerfed". He didn't know how and he didn't know when, but he knew that Luigi's combo game was doomed. Why else did he go to Sakurai and conduct those interviews? That was just for routine purposes. The ax was poised over Luigi's down throw from the word "go". Fueled by a few glasses of mimosa and a pile of French toast, the man in red decided to give the scoop-hungry reporters the God's honest truth.
"This tournament never asked for an update patch," he said, crisply and calmly, into the mike. "This tournament never wanted an update patch. I certainly haven't found anything out of place here. And the result of Master Hand's 'actions', so-called, is a huge f—ing waste of time and money. There are unscrupulous characters who despised a certain element of someone's fighting style, so they made Master Hand into a weapon and pointed it at him. And that gullible glove fell for it."
"Do you think this is a personal vendetta?" they asked him.
"I most certainly do."
"Against whom?"
"My little brother, Luigi."
They obtained a radically different view on things when they got a Project Nerf supporter in their sights.
"This is weeks, even months, of dedication, planning, teamwork and lobbying coming to fruition," he said. "MH wouldn't listen to us, so we made him listen, and finally, he delivered. What we've dealt with is a high-and-mighty plumber who thinks his stupid down throw can glide him to the top, and we've all suffered for it!"
"Do you think Luigi's going to be nerfed, as the rumors say?"
"I can feel it on the hairs along the back of my neck! Weegee had better be ready, because he's in for a rude awakening! He's hogged the victor's spoils and denied his fellow competitors their share for too long! Well, guess what! We're not gonna take this!" He raised a fist in the air. "Enough is enough! I have had it with that m—f—ing plumber and his m—f—ing combos! Stand back, folks! MH is coming, and he's about to bring the f—ing hammer down!"
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Last 30 Days
FanfictionIn September 2015, the fourth Super Smash Brothers tournament was in full swing. But all was far from quiet on the home front, as one Smashers faced fiery backlash from his down throw and the combos it engendered. According to many of his detracto...
