Capítulo 15: Closer
(Meanwhile, back at Zel's apartment, Zel's watching a news report about a high speed getaway that happened earlier. She's already tired onto what happened at the park, but then, the door rang)
Zel: Coming... (opens the door to find Maya) Oh Maya. What a surprise. Where have you been?
Maya: I don't want to talk about it. Sorry for making you worry.
Zel: Don't be. 'Cause after what happened, i'm now allowed to go out again.
Maya: Thank goodness. Too bad i didn't see it.
Zel: Well, at least we can be neighbor friends, right? (shakes her hand)
Maya: Right.
Maya: You're grandpa's hospitalized now?
Zel: Yeah. This puts some extra pain to my heart considering that we'll soon be doomed.
Maya: But your dad had allowed you to meet your friends, right?
Zel: It might be short-lived. (looks onto an old picture with her & her teacher) Just like back then.
Maya: Still missing them, huh? Zel, i got tired of this. By the next time, you'll tell him everything.
Zel: But what if he'd reject me? I've already done that & it really didn't do well.
Maya: There ain't be another time like that ever again. For our own sake, tell him what you feel, from your teacher, (points to her heart) & you.
Zel: Thanks, Maya. I'll try.
~November 29, Warehouse~
Meggy: Where exactly do you find this place, KP?
KP: Oh, it's my former home before deciding to be a landlord.
Mario: Well, it sure looks spacious.
Lo: Alright guys, let's go practice for Splatfest.
Luigi: (looks onto some unstable beam) Guys, are you sure this looked safe?
KP: It's fine. I've relocated just a few years ago. It'll still work fine.
Mario: Hey Meggy, watch me do this trick-shot! (fires some ink onto a loose rope) How's that for absolute precision?!
(The rope snapped & the beam starts to fall. Eventually, most of the team notices it)
Meggy: LO, ZEL, WATCH OUT!
(As Zel notices the falling beam, Lo ignored that & shoved Zel out of the way. But then, a strange light illuminates as the beam crashed)
Mario: Oi, are you dead? (gets hit by King Pipe)
KP: Lo, Zel, you ok?
Lo?: Yep, we're good.
Zel?: Where exactly are you? I want to thank you personally.
Lo?: What about you? I saved you &- (notices his? right arm's robotic now) oh no. nonono.
Zel?: This can't be happening!
(As the gang found them, all they see is a longer haired blond female with BOTH robotic arms & a ponytail)
Luigi: Are we actually dreaming, guys?
Both Lo? & Zel?: CAN IT, LUIGI!
Meggy: I need an explanation for this.
KP: Yeah, this is something too unlikely in this town.
Mario: Puhlllease. With spaghetti gods, sentient objects, & force of rejection, those stuff usually happen here.
??: But that doesn't mean why we're fused like this!
Maya: You know, i think this temporary form might look good on you. It gave me some 'hope'for what's to come.
Hope Lo (HL): That's... actually a good name here, Maya.
Hope Zel (HZ): Yeah. It doesn't sound bad, but it gave me some Hope here too.
Meggy: Ohhhkay... Hope Lo, was it?, It's time to train. Wouldn't you mind...
HL: It's ok. After all, she wanted to know what's like on the battlefield.
HZ: I never agreed on this.
~Later, post-training~
HL: How do we suppose to get back to our bodies?
Tari: I don't know. Maybe we should ask E. Gadd for the help?
HZ: I don't think so. I think this fusion thing will work its way out by tomorrow.
Meggy: This might be a bit uncomfortable. Hope you get some best luck on this.
Mario: If that doesn't work out, hope Mario can get this covered.
(One by one, their friends each entered the pipe to their respective homes)
HL: You really gotten good with this.
KP: Yeah, if i wasn't busy maintaining the tenants, i'd be the pipe conductor.
HZ: I hope you'll achieve that dream. Considering that pipes are everywhere at the Mushroom Kingdom.
KP: That's because i'm the king. See you guys later at the apartment. (pipes out of here)
~Bus Station~
HL: You sure this disguise would fool that nasty cop?
HZ: Trust me. With a get-up like this, it's impossible.
(As they get to the stop, Hal Monitor glares at her. He starts feeling sus about her, but quickly ignored her)
HZ: See, just like that.
(Hope then went into the bus as Hal merely thinks on the situation. As if to wonder if that girl he saw's too familiar on his target)
~???'s Lair~
???: Do you got the goods?
SMG3: Sure did. (arrives with a massive crate) & the security in this is too tight!
???: Excellent. This vessel will be the key onto their downfall.
SMG3: & i assumed you're not gonna tell me since it's the right time yet.
???: What can i say? I'm a patient malevolent mastermind after all.
SMG3: You promised that you'll pay me for building the new studio. Did you have an evil bank account or something?
???: No, this place here is RICH with gold, i double finance this to pay off the studio charges.
SMG3: Well, i'mma head to this so-called "SNITCH Studios". See ya. (leaves the lair with a heavy ambition)
???: Ok, see ya. (to secret walkie talkie) Got any signs on Lo & Zel?
(Back on the Mushroom Kingdom, Ztar acts as double surveillance hiding underneath the sewer grate)
Ztar: No, i could've sworn they only went there. (sees Hope on the bus) What in the world?
???: From what you saw, it seemed to be sus.
Ztar: Yep. Murder Drone, what's the memo on this?
Drone: That, is a long story...
(Just later, she disembaked on a familiar setting)
HL: I could've sworn we'd be at home right now. This is something familiar from your childhood & i knew it.
HZ; Heh. Clever.
~Zel's former school~
HL: What is this place?
HZ: My old school. This is where i spent most of my time with my former teacher.
HL: You mean the one back at the rooftop? Was it Lee Fisher?
(Hope then walks around the corridors, remembering the old memories she had with her teacher)
HZ: Yes. & it used to be a wonderful time. Just until she went to the teacher's convention.
HL: Did something happened to her?
HZ: Yeah. I didn't knew at first, but the bus where she's at suddenly got into a massive pileup that ended in flames.
HL: Your dad & teachers didn't told you about it for that long? (Hope then nods, assuming it's from Zel) Then how did you knew?
HZ: Just before graduating, i tried to ask my adviser if she'd be here. But when he told me about that incident, i lost it. (starts tearing up) On all these years, i still taught she's still alive, but she isn't. They kept that lie so long, i had moved to my apartment after graduating. If i could've seen her, i just, i just...
~Playground~
(Hope then unfuses out of grief. As Lo looks onto Zel, she's really devastated & full of sorrow)
Zel: If i'd see her again, i would've thanked her for staying by my side.
Lo: Oh Zel, you had been hiding it for so long? It must've been really painful if they left unnoticed.
Zel: Yeah. & i don't want to lose any of you. You, Maya, Dad, even the landlord. You each meant everything to me.
Lo: & we felt the same onto you. Having one friend's not enough anymore, because "we" will all be by your side, no matter what.
(As the glorious sun sets off the playground, Zel dries up her tears. She then looks at Lo, knowing he's the right one for her)
Zel: Thanks. Hey Lo, there's something i need to tell you.
Lo: What?
Zel: [just do it, just do it, just do it] I'd love (notices that Lo's blushing hard right now) that you'll be back at my apartment again. [Dangit]
Lo: Zel, i think it be great. (kisses her on the cheek)
Zel: (overwhelmed) help
Lo: I got it. (carries her) Whoa, you're heavy.
Zel: Yeah, i know.
(The two then went back to the apartment, all refreshed & lighter on their toes)
~Apartment~
???: What's taking so long? You know the "Big Drop"'s gonna happen by a month.
Drone: I'm trying. But they seemed to be more persistent. & i think i'm kinda grown on them.
Ztar: I'm telling you, boss. Those rats really made her soft.
???: He's right. But remember who you are. You're a cold killing machine, & a stealthy spy. Know your place, MAYA AEROTO! (hangs up)
(Maya then sighs, for she's responsible for attacking Zel's dad, & even siding with the Boss. As Lo & Zel arrives, she feels more anxious. For knowing "they" will hurt who she loved, even if it's her friends)
End of Ch. 15
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