Chapter 11: Shocker
~Mushroom Kingdom Hospital~
Medic: You two are lucky this time around. She was just exhausted from suffering a brief traumatic episode. Give it a few hours before she'll be up.
Senko: Oh, thank goodness.
Nakano: But what about "her condition"?
Medic: I'm afraid it was getting worse. Although there's nothing wrong on the outside, what's inside of her is so messed up, that we can't find the diagnosis & cure.
Senko: Oh... I see.
Medic: But don't worry. The entire medical staff is working on a super drug out of various healing items which in theory can cure every illness possible.
Nakano: How long would that take?
Medic: Give it until the end of the year. We're in the early research phase & tried to snuff out any side effects. But as long as she's on her two feet, she will be fine.
Nakano: Let's just hope it will be that.
(Meanwhile, Lo & Maya are waiting in the nearby corridor, having been shocked by her recent incident)
Maya: It is awfully quiet here. (to Lo) So what happened to both of you?
Lo: Yeah, well. (looks up) We ended up in an e-sports city, made a few friends, & tried to overthrow a nasty corporation only to be at their hands. Just a typical Friday.
Maya: Well for a world that had a rejection apocalypse & a war against the weebs, that sounded normal to me.
(The two then look at the clock as the room is greeted with a simple ticking noise, waiting for their friend to recover)
Maya: Would you protect her, Lo?
Lo: Huh?
Maya: Listen, right now she's in a vulnerable state. I would've tried to help my friend too, but I couldn't because of multiple things. So please, for a friend of your friend, would you please protect her?
(Lo thinks about it for a while. She remembers his connections with MD-5 & how important Theo is to Tari. Seeing the interesting dynamic, Lo breathes & looks at her)
Lo: I will.
(Meanwhile, Lo's screen from his arm had revealed a pink beating heart. What this means sounds to be quite obvious)
Officer: Hey there, you two.
(Lo & Maya looked behind to find Hal Monitor awaiting them. Now, he is wearing a bulletproof vest as if he's preparing for another attack)
Lo: Oh, hey there, sir.
Hal: You should be careful out there at night. Who knows what untold dangers lurk outside...
Maya: Is that why you are wearing the out-of-line vest here?
Hal: You can never be too prepared. (to Lo) Also, I wish you luck with that roommate's recovery. I'd even say she's a keeper.
Lo, blushing slightly: Come on, man. Not you too.
Hal: Sorry, her mom told me about that. I bet you have a great day.
(Hal then wanders off the halls as Zel & her parents arrive)
Zel: Thanks for waiting, you two. &... I'm sorry about what happened back there. It must be quite a shock.
Maya: Don't be. We're so glad you are alright.
Lo, blushing harder: Yeah... me too.
~Halloween 2019~
(Nothing much has been eventful for the three. Mario's got a new green friend, a lost city was found & lost again, some blocky plague had come & gone, & there's a goose hunt in the city. Regardless, nothing happened for Lo, Zel, & Maya, other than the routine checkups Zel's gotten to recently)
Maya: (breathes in a bit & sighs) I loved the smell of fresh candy in the air.
Mario: (breathes a little too far & gets some plastic spiders on his nose) I can't feel my schnoz. (gets his nose picked out by Luigi)
Lo: Are you sure you had to go out more often, Zel? That condition of yours does not get any better.
Zel: I'd be fine. Besides, I would not let you miss your first experience on Halloween.
(As the five walked through the busy sidewalk littered with kids in silly costumes, Lo takes his eye on a rather odd costume. A Boo wearing a light green sheet with paper teeth at the bottom. That was meant to represent those Metroid aliens)
Maya: Lo, you alright?
Lo: I'm fine. It's just that... this alien looks a little familiar...
(Just then, Lo felt a bite on his neck. Of course, this is mosquito season after all. But he felt something else other than an inconvenience. Memories of his past start to flicker, his arm emits warning signals, & his skin is visibly bubbling. He recoils in a fetal position as the condition worsens)
Zel: Lo, what's happening? Do you need some help?
Lo: Please... (looks to the Mario brothers in bloodshot eyes) help me...
(Suddenly, a massive sonic boom ruptured the neighborhood, tossing children, decorations, & bystanders alike. Mario & Luigi landed on nearby pumpkins as Zel & Maya wrestled their way out of an inflatable Frankenstein stand)
Maya: Zel, what is happening?
Zel: I think it's time why I ended up like this. Back at Anime Island, after one of my friend's friends had died, Lo ended up in so much despair that he changed into a revenge-seeking war machine. It had died down when I managed to calm him out. But then Francis tried to kill Meggy as she was making her sacrifice. We tried to stop him before it happened, but I can't stand to have his friends lose another.
Maya: Don't tell me...
Zel: Yes. I sacrificed myself so that enough ink was spilled to turn the tides in our favor. I cried thinking that I couldn't see my parents, my extended friends, & even Lo again as my consciousness slowly faded. But I didn't perish. Some green guy in slacker clothes picked me & Meggy up before the place could blow, & we both made massive changes on the way we looked. For every night, I kept thinking on Lo's form, pondering that something else was in play. Something sinister...
Maya: & you're telling me that this blood-stained sword-wielding freak is back for us?
Luigi: But the war is already over. What else could he be seeking vengeance for?
Lo?: (points his sword to the four) YOU...
Mario: Well... we're f*k'd!
End of Ch. 11
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Electric_Logan
Electric_Logan Short, but effective, I say so myself. This differs WAY more than my first draft. Also, I just needed to give Maya some closure on what she missed back at Chapters 6-7. Let's hope these four would be on their toes, because Lo? is not messing around this time...
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone