The Loser's Club Part 12 - Cubix vs. ED-209

[SSJRuss]

The Loser’s Club

Part 12

Previously -

Part 5

Part 7

Part 11

 

-- Inside Henchmen Tryouts Gym, Verse City.

 

The dim, cavernous hideout that Bowser had chosen for his latest operation was a far cry from his former lair. But you couldn’t beat real estate in Verse City.

After dealing with that Ogre fellow, Bowser was able to get things back on track. His recruits—both old and new—were assembled, their faces illuminated by the harsh, flickering fluorescent lights in the gym hideout.

“Listen up!” Bowser growled, pacing back and forth. “Now that I’ve collected the best of the best, it is time to tell you why you are here.”

There were murmurs among the recruits as they sized each other up.

“We’re going to break into the Verse City Prison,” Bowser announced. “There is someone we’re busting out. Someone who can guarantee me my ultimate prize which has been denied me for so long—the Smash Championship!”

Bowser continued, “But first, I need to make sure you’re all up to the task. You’re about to become more powerful than you’ve ever been, thanks to a little deal I made.”

On cue, a figure emerged from the shadows. The man was large and the fact that he could move at all came as a surprise to most.

“This is Polpo,” Bowser said with a flourish of laughter. Polpo, the enigmatic mobster, wore an oily smile revealing rows of yellowed teeth. Polpo was an unsettling sight, a horror of a man.

“Lord Bowser, it’s a pleasure doing business with you,” Polpo said, his voice slick with insincerity.

“How is this large… gentleman… supposed to help us?” King Koopa wasn’t overly shy at speaking his mind. He may be considered a minion to Bowser right now, but where he comes from, he was a king.

Bowser met King Koopa’s wary eyes, then turned to Polpo. “Let’s not waste time, shall we?”

“Of course,” Polpo breathed heavily. “Let’s see who among your minions is worthy of the power of a Stand.”

The group before them looked around in confusion. What they could not see was Polpo’s Stand had accompanied him to this meeting. Black Sabbath. The shadowy, humanoid figure loomed behind Polpo, then moved toward the recruits. Its invisible presence sent shivers down the spines of them all.

Polpo snapped his fingers, and Black Sabbath, one by one, sized up the recruits. In moments, it decided who was worthy, then struck them with arrows.  

First up was King Koopa, Bowser’s lieutenant. An arrow ripped through his shoulder and he screamed in agony and surprise. He fell to his knees, only to feel a powerful surge rise through him in that instant. A moment later, his shoulder was unharmed and his Stand materialized—a spectral, vampiric entity that pulsed with dark energy.

King Koopa smirked with understanding, as he could now see Black Sabbath next to his own Stand, Vampire Money. A Stand that could establish a blood link with someone or something, allowing him to track them or share their powers.

Next was Hippo, who took an arrow in his massive gut. He, too, was unharmed as he manifested a Stand. Hippo’s Stand had the ability of impossible speed. If an enemy was within his range, Hippo could be in front of them or behind them in an instant. He has complete movement within the range of a circle. A Perfect Circle. No one would be able to escape his wrath now.

Erron Black and Mr. Frosty was next to follow. Erron’s Stand manifested as Paint It Black, giving him the ability to stretch his body and emit an odor not too dissimilar to black licorice. Mr. Frosty, on the other hand, had a very different Stand. His, Mariah Carey, countered inertia. Any force applied to him would be nullified instantly, allowing him to maneuver with unprecedented speed and agility. He was practically invincible now.

All that remained were three: Giran, Kamek, and the gangster Hammerhead. Black Sabbath judged Giran and Kamek unworthy of a Stand and so did not pierce them. Hammerhead, however, received an arrow to the neck. Unfortunately, his arrow was fatal. His body convulsed violently before collapsing to the ground, lifeless. The other minions made no motion of concern. Not everyone was destined for greatness.

Bowser grinned, satisfied with the results. “You see, I knew this was a good lot. Well done, Polpo.”

“I advise you to use them wisely, Lord Bowser,” Polpo responded. “Even Stand-users are not immortal. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am needed elsewhere now that our arrangement has been settled.”

“Of course, I’d hate to keep you. Tell your masters I appreciate the loan.”

The shadows in the gym grew darker as Polpo exited. Bowser turned his attention back to his newly enhanced recruits, his fist raised in anticipated victory.

“Now that you’ve got your fancy new Stands, it’s time to put them to use. We’re hitting the Verse City Prison, and we’re not leaving without our target. But before we get to that, there’s the matter of how we’re going to get in. The prison’s security is tight—no way in unless you’ve got clearance. Which is why we’re going to take down one of the Power Ranger squads that think they run the city. You jump them, take their gear, then we waltz right through the front door.”

Erron Black’s eyes narrowed, his fingers twitching over the grip of his revolver. “Heh, sounds like fun. I’ve always wanted to put one of those goody-two-shoes Rangers in the ground.”

The minions sounded in agreement as a panicked Koopa Troopa ran into the room. “Lord Bowser! I have bad news from the Mushroom Kingdom!”

Bowser growled, turning to the Koopa. “What is it? This better be important!”

The Koopa hesitated, then blurted out, “Bowser Jr. has been defeated by Shrek and that strange human Ernest!!! We don’t know what to do!”

Bowser’s eyes flared with anger at the Koopa. “My son, defeated? This is unexceptable!” Bowser slammed his fist into a nearby column, smashing the column completely. 

The Koopa cowered, “I’m so sorry, my Lord.”

Bowser seethed with rage, but calmed himself after a moment. He relaxed his shoulders then turned back to this minions. “No matter. Shrek and that idiot Ernest won’t make it out of there alive. There are enough monsters and traps in the Mushroom Kingdom to deal with them. We focus on my goal for now. Then… I’ll get my revenge.”

He narrowed his eyes back to the Koopa, “Which has reminded me that those fools Team Rocket are to blame for this. If they hadn’t failed to deliver the Pokémon shipment and killed Ernest, my son might still be alive. Yes… ”

Bowser then pointed toward Mr. Frosty, “You, go with a squad of my Koopa Troopa and find Team Rocket. Kill them slowly, then bring me their heads. After you’ve done that, I want you to do the same to Shrek and any friends he makes down in the Mushroom Kingdom. You have full access to my weapons and armies while you're there so use them as you will. Just, do not fail me.”

Mr. Frosty tilted his hat in acknowledgment, then followed the Koopa Troopa out the door.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

--Back in the alleyway outside the Grand Arena, Verse City.

 

Moe's heart raced as he floored the gas pedal, the Trash truck lurched forward and spun out of the alleyway. With a sickening crunch, Meat's face burst through the window, his grotesque features illuminated by the dashboard lights.

"YAHOO!" Curly shrieked, ducking down in his seat as Moe swerved the truck wildly, trying to shake the flesh creature loose from the driver’s side door.

Larry grabbed the nearest object he could find—a discarded banana peel—and hurled it at the monster’s face, hoping to distract him or make him slip. Curly saw this and started to do the same with whatever he could find.

Half of the objects hit Moe instead. “Would you two knock it off, I’m trying to drive!”

The monster’s bloody hands clawed at the interior of the truck as he snarled and growled.

Moe's mind raced as he fought to keep control of the speeding truck. Cars and other vehicles swerved around him as the truck raced through the streets of Verse City, eventually making it onto the freeway. No matter how much Moe twisted the wheel, the monster wouldn’t be shaken off.

Once the objects stopped being thrown, he hatched a plan. "Hold on tight, boys!" Moe shouted, his voice tinged with desperation as he veered the truck toward the nearest exit ramp.

The tires screeched as they hit the pavement, sending the truck careening off the freeway, narrowly avoiding collisions as they raced through the crowded streets. It was all the other two could do but scream in terror.

As they approached the alley, Moe jerked the wheel hard to the left and sent the truck into another alleyway. The sides of the truck scraped against the buildings, sending sparks flying as they squeezed through the impossibly tight space.

And then, with a final lurch, they burst out of the other side of the alley, leaving a bloody skid-mark on the walls behind. The creature grinded into a puddle.

The three stooges breathed a collective sigh of relief. “We did it!” The stooges collectively shouted, ready to breathe a sigh of relief.

“Oh boy, Moe look out!” Larry cried. Despite leaving the danger behind, the truck was still gassed, dashing into a nearby fence.

Moe pressed the break as they skidded to a stop in the Verse City Junkyard. The trash truck's abrupt stop sent the three stooges lurching forward, their heads colliding painfully in unison.

"Ow! Watch it, Moe!" Curly rubbed his forehead, wincing.

Moe shot them both a glare. "You numbskulls! Now, thanks to you, we're in a whole heap of trouble!"

The stooges peered out of the cracked windshield at the sprawling junkyard. Piles of rusted cars, discarded appliances, and forgotten things created a labyrinth of metal and debris. It was quiet, save for the sirens echoing behind them.

Larry squirmed in his seat. "Uh, Moe, I think the police might be on their way?"

"Oh, so you think now, huh! Of course they are!" Moe barked. "We gotta scram before they get here!"

Without another word, the three stooges tumbled out of the truck and dashed into the maze of the junkyard.

“Where are we going?” Larry asked.

“We gotta lay low, boys. Best place to do that is here,” Moe said as the lead the way.

As they ducked behind a particularly large pile of crushed cars, Curly's eyes widened as he spotted something moving in the shadows. "Hey, Moe, what’s that?"

Moe stopped and squinted through the darkness. “I don’t see anything.”

Then a terrifying robotic foot stepped behind them. The trio turned slowly to see a hulking ED-209, its weapons aimed at them. "Halt! You have ten seconds to comply."

"Oh no, we're toast!" Larry whispered in panic.

"Five seconds to comply."

“Run!” Moe yelled. The bolted, dodging between the piles of junk as the ED-209's weapons came to life, spraying bullets across the yard. They zigzagged through the debris, barely avoiding the incoming fire.

As they rounded a corner, Curly tripped over something and landed face-first into a heap of scrap. He looked up and saw the defunct-looking robot lying half-buried in the junk.

"Moe, Larry, look! Maybe this thing can help us! You know, like rock’em sock’em." Curly called out, frantically shaking the robot.

Moe and Larry skidded to a halt and stared at the robot in disbelief. "What are you, crazy? That thing’s busted!" Moe snapped.

"Can’t hurt to try, Moe," Larry argued, slapping the robot on the side in a desperate attempt to wake it up.

The ED-209’s footsteps grew louder as it closed in on their position. Moe bit his lip, then finally nodded. "Alright, you bucket of bolts, wake up already!"

Curly gave the robot another whack, and with a sputter and a flicker of lights, Cubix's eyes snapped open.

"Greetings, I’m Cubix!" the robot’s cheerful voice said, as it slowly powered up. The stooges’ faces lit up with hope.

The ED-209 rounded the corner, its weapons trained on the group. "You now have three seconds to comply."

"Okay then, Cubix, go stop that thing. That robot over there is trying to turn us into Swiss cheese!" Moe shouted, pointing at the ED-209.

Cubix’s eyes flashed as it processed the situation, then its body stood shakenly, debris falling from its body.

"Get behind me!" Cubix instructed, raising a flickering energy shield to protect them. The stooges ducked behind the robot as the ED-209 continued its relentless assault.

__________________________________________________________________

Cubix vs. A Single Ed-209.

Cubix must protect the stooges and either destroy Ed or get away successfully, to win the match.

[Callisto]

Learn More About
Cubix
Read more about Cubix at Wikipedia
Official Site: 4Kids Entertainment Links: Wikipedia Imdb TV

ED-209
Read more about ED-209 at Wikipedia
Official Site: United Artists Links: Wikipedia Robocop Archive Rotten Tomatoes

[leroypowell3]

I watched Cubix some. Out of convivence. I think something I wanted to watch came on right after. Been thinking of a way to work him into the Megastory.

If it was directed by a combat guy instead of a kid or the three stooges in this case, if might have a chance at beating the ED 209.  At best it could help them get away. So I guess that counts as a win and that pleases me.

[SSJRuss]

12 hours ago, leroypowell3 said:

I watched Cubix some. Out of convivence. I think something I wanted to watch came on right after. Been thinking of a way to work him into the Megastory.

If it was directed by a combat guy instead of a kid or the three stooges in this case, if might have a chance at beating the ED 209.  At best it could help them get away. So I guess that counts as a win and that pleases me.

Cubix feels like one of those fever-dream shows. I remember the show somewhat, but what I remember most was renting the PS2 game from Blockbuster. I played it for a minute but got bored with it. Wasn't my kind of game, I think.

I think you are right. Cubix, under the right circumstances, would beat ED 209. Cubix is much more versatile than ED 209, which I think will give him the edge to allow the Stooges to escape.

[DSkillz]

Ah, finally got to a match of yours on time, Russ.  Good chapter to this Loser's Club arc. 

I barely even knew there was a Cubix series, but I kind of remember the toys (though I was too old to want to buy them by then). After watching vid of what Cubix can do, I think he may be diverse enough to at least face off with ED long enough for the Stooges to escape. 

[SSJRuss]

9 hours ago, DSkillz said:

Ah, finally got to a match of yours on time, Russ.  Good chapter to this Loser's Club arc. 

😂 Glad you could catch it. I have had the itch lately to post more of this story, so be on the lookout.

[Callisto]

Match Final Results

Member Ratings:
4.50 - DSkillz

FPA Calculation:
1 Total Votes cast
4.50 Total Combined Score
4.50 / 1 = 4.50 Final Rating on the match

MATCH SCORE
Cubix: 3
ED-209: 0