10-14-2023, 03:40 PM
PREVIOUSLY
In the depths of a demonic realm, EDWARD faced off against the Demon King, Asmodeus. After a fierce battle, he stood victorious.
As a reward, a portal opened, offering EDWARD a passage back to his world.
But upon his arrival, it became clear that this was not the world he once knew.
As he tried to make sense of this dystopian wasteland, EDWARD was confronted by a monstrous figure with green, mutated skin, its eyes burning with rage.
The creature's brute strength and unexpected agility overwhelmed him.
With a series of powerful blows, the mutant knocked EDWARD into unconsciousness. But before darkness took him, he heard the creature's gruff voice hinting at the toxic world of Tromaville.
Now, as EDWARD grapples with the reality of this post apocalyptic nightmare, what new challenges await?
EDWARD's head throbbed as consciousness returned.
The air was filled with the distant hum of broken electronics and the smell of rust and mildew.
He found himself in a dimly lit cell, the walls stained and corroding and the bars rusted but firm.
Suddenly, the clanking of boots echoed down the corridor. The cell door swung open to reveal an unusual figure: a man dressed in bizarre looking Japanese Kabuki theater attire.
"You're awake, huh?" The figure remarked, twirling a folding fan. "Sargent Kabukiman NYPD. You've been taken in for being part of the...," he glanced at a notepad. "...Radioactive Neanderthal Renegades?"
EDWARD sat up with a world of confusion in his eyes. "THAT NOT EDWARD! EDWARD NOT KNOW THIS PLACE. EDWARD NOT KNOW... THING YOU SAY!"
Sargent Kabukiman raised an eyebrow, studying EDWARD with a mixture of suspicion and amusement. "Well, I will admit that it's odd that you aren't glowing green... But you're definitely a neanderthal."
EDWARD's eyes widened in desperation, his voice taking a pleading tone. "ME EDWARD! EDWARD NOT WITH BAD PEOPLE. EDWARD LOST. CAME THROUGH PORTAL. EDWARD NEED HELP!"
Sargent Kabukiman’s fan stopped twirling, his demeanor shifting from playful to stern. "Sorry, no can do. You're in Tromaville now, and every Neanderthal we've come across has been nothing but trouble. I've got orders to keep you locked up."
EDWARD slammed his hand against the cell bars. "NO! EDWARD MUST GET BACK! MUST DEFEAT THUNDER KNUCKLE FOR BIGGEST SHINY!"
At the mention of 'Thunder Knuckle', Sargent Kabukiman's eyes went wide and he took a sharp inhale. "Thunder Knuckle? Do you mean Thunder Knuckles? Do you know him?"
EDWARD nodded vigorously. "YES! THUNDER KNUCKLE TAKE BIGGEST SHINY FROM LITTLE MAN WHO BEAT LION CHAMPION! EDWARD MUST TAKE IT BACK FOR GOOD OF TRIBE! HELP EDWARD?"
Sargent Kabukiman looked deep into EDWARD's eyes for a long moment, seemingly weighing his options. Then, with a sigh... "Wait here." He turned on his heel and left the cell, leaving EDWARD alone once more with his racing thoughts.
The minutes felt like hours, the silence only interrupted by the occasional buzz of malfunctioning electronics.
Just as EDWARD began to lose hope, the clattering of boots returned, louder and more numerous this time.
The cell door swung open once more, revealing not just Sargent Kabukiman but also the massive green mutant that had first confronted EDWARD in this strange land: The Toxic Avenger.
EDWARD instinctively hunched down and prepared for conflict as memories of their earlier confrontation came flooding back.
To his surprise, The Toxic Avenger raised a reassuring hand. "Easy there, big guy. We're not here to fight. We just want to understand."
Sargent Kabukiman, twirling his folding fan less menacingly this time: "Your mention of Thunder Knuckle... or Thunder Knuckles, as we know him here, has us intrigued. If what you're saying is true, that he wronged you—stole from your tribe, then maybe you're not be one of the radioactive renegades causing havoc in Tromaville."
EDWARD swallowed hard, trying to find his voice. "ME SPEAK TRUTH. EDWARD NOT BAD. JUST WANT SHINY BACK."
Sargent Kabukiman leaned closer to The Toxic Avenger, lowering his voice. "Toxie, are you getting what I'm getting from Edward's story?"
Toxie frowned, thinking. "You mean about Thunder Knuckles? That he might be... a Professional Wrestler in Edward's world?"
Kabukiman's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Exactly! Can you imagine? Our menacing Thunder Knuckles, the one we know as a fearsome traitor... jumping off the top ropes and getting oiled up for a wrestling match?"
Toxie tried to hold back a chuckle, but the mental image was just too ridiculous. "Wearing those tight, glittery outfits and strutting around with a big championship belt? Oh, man!"
Kabukiman lost it first, bursting into laughter. "And maybe doing those dramatic interviews before a match, pointing fingers and shouting about how he's the best there ever was!"
The Toxic Avenger joined in imagining Thunder Knuckles flexing and posing. "Don't forget the signature wrestling moves! The 'Thunder Throw' or the 'Knuckle Slam'!"
"NO! IT FOOT DDT. HE CALL IT THUNDER STRIKE!"
Kabukiman wiped a tear from his eye, still laughing. "I'd pay to see that. Oh, the mighty Thunder Knuckles, Foot-DDTing big sweaty opponents in a ring!"
Toxie nodded, chuckling. "It's good to have a laugh, especially with everything going on. Thanks for that, Kabukiman."
Kabukiman grinned. "Anytime, Toxie. Anytime."
The Toxic Avenger leaned closer to EDWARD. "Listen, we've had our misunderstandings, but if you're truly against Thunder Knuckles, then maybe we can help each other out."
EDWARD's eyes lit up with hope. "YOU HELP EDWARD?"
Sargent Kabukiman nodded slowly. "But first, we need to know your story. Start from the beginning."
Taking a deep breath, EDWARD began his tale. "IN OLD WORLD, FIGHTING WAS WAY OF LIFE. BUT IN NEW WORLD, EDWARD FOUND, FIGHTING REWARDED WITH SHINY."
His gaze went distant, reminiscing. "FIRST FIGHT... EDWARD PUT 'BOOB D' THROUGH CAR WINDOW GLASS. MANY SHOUT, MANY CHEER. EDWARD FEEL POWER, FEEL ALIVE. MANY MOONS PASS, MANY FIGHTS, MANY SHINIES. SOMETIMES WIN, SOMETIMES LOSE. BUT ALWAYS FIGHT."
"BUT, NOT ALL GOOD FOR EDWARD, ONE FIGHT, CENTURION, BIG FIGHTER, MUCH EXPERIENCE, BREAK EDWARD HAND." EDWARD showed them his hand, the scars evident from a healed injuries. "HAND NOT WORK FOR LONG TIME. EDWARD NOT ABLE TO FIGHT."
He looked down with sadness in his eyes. "THUNDER KNUCKLE SEE THIS. HIM HAVE EDWARD CARRY HIM SHINY. EDWARD GRATEFUL. NO FIGHT, BUT HIM KEEP EDWARD CLOSE TO FIGHT. EDWARD WATCH. EDWARD LEARN. MANY NEW WAYS OF FIGHT IN THIS TIME. MOST BAD, BUT..." EDWARD clenched his healed hand into a fist, showing its restored strength. "EDWARD TAKE GOOD FROM WHAT HE SEE. USE IT. MAKE EDWARD STRONGER."
The Toxic Avenger and Sargent Kabukiman listened intently, leaning in as EDWARD continued.
"ON ANARCHY, BIG PLACE OF FIGHT, EDWARD WIN SHINY. IT SPECIAL. MAKE EDWARD PROUD. TRIBE PROUD. EDWARD DEFEND SHINY WITH EVERY BEAT OF HEART, WITH EVERY BREATH. MANY COME FOR SHINY. MANY FAIL. EDWARD HAVE SHINY FOR LONG TIME."
His fists clenched, the passion and intensity of his journey evident. "THEN... THEN EDWARD HEAR OF BIGGER SHINY. SHINY WITH POWER. BIGGEST SHINY. LION'S BELT! THUNDER KNUCKLE HAVE THAT SHINY." EDWARD's voice quivered with anger. "HIM NOT GOOD. NOT ANYMORE. DO BAD THINGS. HURT MANY. TAKE THINGS NOT HIS. KILL SMALL ONES..."
His eyes, usually filled with simplicity and determination, now shimmered with a blend of anger and resolve. "FOR TRIBE, FOR ALL, EDWARD MUST STOP HIM. SHINY POWER TOO MUCH FOR ONE LIKE HIM. MUST TAKE SHINY BACK FOR GOOD OF ALL. FOR BALANCE." EDWARD looks at his captures, pleading. "YOU MUST HELP EDWARD GET HOME!"
Sargent Kabukiman exchanged a look with The Toxic Avenger, uncertainty in their eyes.
Then, Sargent Kabukiman took a deep breath and said, "EDWARD, your story, it resonates with ours. Thunder Knuckles... he was once one of us, part of the Toxic Crusaders defending Tromaville. But then... he betrayed us."
The Toxic Avenger's face contorted with anger and sadness. "He sold us out, EDWARD. Sold us out to Corey Smith, a corporate tycoon who wanted control over Tromaville. With Thunder Knuckles on his side, they launched a massive assault. Those radioactive renegades you heard about? They're the result of Smith's experiments. And with them, Smith and Thunder Knuckles tore Tromaville apart."
EDWARD blinked, trying to process the new information. "WHY HIM DO THIS?"
Sargent Kabukiman sighed. "For power, for money, for control... who knows? All we know is that with Thunder Knuckles' help, Corey Smith now rules Tromaville with an iron fist. The city we once loved is now a toxic wasteland, and its people are suffering."
Edward furrowed his brow, his deep voice echoing with confusion. "EDWARD NOT UNDERSTAND. GREEN MAN STRONG LIKE EDWARD. WHY NOT CHALLENGE THUNDER KNUCKLE TO FIGHT?"
The Toxic Avenger clenched his fists. "We've been trying to fight back, to resist, but with Thunder Knuckles and the radioactive renegades on Smith's side, it's been an uphill battle."
EDWARD stood up, determination in his eyes. "THEN WE FIGHT TOGETHER. EDWARD NEED SHINY BACK. YOU NEED CITY BACK. TOGETHER, WE STRONG."
Sargent Kabukiman smiled, a spark of hope in his eyes. "Looks like we've found ourselves a new ally. What do you say, Toxie?"
The Toxic Avenger nodded, extending a hand to EDWARD. "How would you like to be an honorary member of the Toxic Crusaders, big guy? Let's take back Tromaville and restore balance."
EDWARD shook the offered hand, sealing the newfound alliance. The battle for Tromaville had just gained a STRONG new WARRIOR.
The fight for justice had truly begun.
To... Be... Continued...