Power Drink Dilemma

Ch-10

Power Drink Dilemma

Commander Silver returns injured, still barely standing. Commander Gold greets him.

"See you've returned…Alive. Barely."

"Very funny… Those kids were just lucky. So? Where's the lord?"

"He's cooking something up." Bronze told. "In the other room. We've been waiting hours for the next orders."

"I want a go at them next. I'll tear them to shreds." Gold assured.

"Watch yourself; don't get too in over your head. Silver already underestimated our opponents. We don't want to be making the same mistake." Bronze said.

Moon arrives in the room.

"So, what's the next plan?"

Holding up a bottle, he introduces a drink. Then, holding a remote in the other hand, he turns on the crystal screen. An energy drink commercial airs on the TV.

"An energy drink?" Questioned the Second Hand.

"Oooooh, this isn't just any energy drink. IT'S D2 ENERGY!"

"D2?" The rest repeated.

"Yes! D2 Specially made by yours truly. My concocted recipe. This will kill two birds with one stone."

"How so?" Silver asked.

"Try for yourself."

Tossing the bottle to him, Silver drinks it. Nothing happens for the moment. He was feeling nothing out from the usual. Then, a burp occurs, suddenly, a struck of lightning in the veins. He went crazy with energy, swinging and spinning around like a maniac. Pumped and on fire, he barges out of the room, running a whole mile across the fortress outside. Moon and the others look out the window to see.

"Excellent! It's working like a charm." Moon nods. "Gold, you will be needed. Gleese City will be the next target. Within a few weeks, our drinks will take the world by storm. First, though, we must clear out all the competing beverages within the city. Our energy drink will be phenomenal. This will secure most of our money back for the crystal TVs and take care of Elena and that pesky Maiden."

A few weeks later… Elena's convoy took the time to rest up in Gleese City. Taking a well-deserved break, Tannen and the others booked a few rooms at a hotel. Leaving Alistor and Rena to their alone time, the rest explored the city.

"Sigh… It's boiling…." Tannen stated.

It was a hot day; Tannen was thirsty. So Katty spots a vending machine filled with energy drinks.

"What's this? Huh, D2 energy?"

"Never heard of it?" Tannen inserts a coin inside. A bottle pops out. Taking his first sip, then suddenly gulping it all down.

"So…. How is it?" Claws asked.

He immediately does a backflip and then continues to be jumpy and wild. Next, Maigashi tries one for himself. Tripping out with energy, they were both hyperactive. Everyone got into trying it while Claws became wild, running across the whole city block. Finally, Steffbird tosses his whale into space. Auroa laughs away.

"Man, this stuff is good! I never felt this alive in such a long time." Maigashi jumped.

"Let's get a case!" Katty suggested.

They purchase a whole case of D2 drinks to show to the rest of the team. All the civilians across the city were lively since they are tripping over this as well.

"Just wait till they see these," Katty said.

"Wooooo!" Claws yelled.

The party returns all energetic. Alistor gives it a try and gets excited. Ralph and Mira decide to try it along with the rest of the crowd. They all went crazy jumping around. Everyone except Rena tries the drink while she took a close inspection of the bottle.

"This doesn't sound healthy at all. Nothing labeled? Not even an active ingredient listed." She mentioned.

All out, they went to get some more. In the middle of the city, a vast commercial ad appears on a building screen. Everyone sees a poorly disguised Seneca promoting the drink.

"Hey, it's a commercial!" Katty pointed.

"D2 ENERGY! We are the city that will never sleep! D2! Energy from the future! Rock you till you all drop. D2! D2! Power Energy!"

The crowd cheers at the screen. It was starting to get ridiculous for Rena.

"And this isn't shady at all?" She questions them.

None of them bother to pay attention. Finally, Rena just sighed, no longer caring. The ad then comes to an end, transitioning to another program.

"D2 Energy! Sponsored by the MV Station. And now for our feature presentation."

Rock music starts to air on the screen. Then, Axe Winston appears on the big screen in a video.

"Hey, is that Axe?" Alistor questioned.

"About time those guys had a music video." Maigashi jumped. "I need to get my glam on!"

"Count me in!" Auroa added.

The Steel Specters emerge from a fog of smoke. Sparks set off with a guitar riff playing. Each member of Axe's band strikes a glamorous pose on the screen.

"Steel Specters Forever!"

Rena just stood on the side, weirded out.

"What has this world become? Are men now wearing make-up? She questioned. "These guys sound cheesy as hell."

Meanwhile, back at the Aggerona base…

"Hoo! Sales are skyrocketing." Moon excitedly announced. "In no time, we'll have twice over enough to pay for those crystal TVs."

A large sale chart rests behind them.

"It is time to push it to the next level." Second hand suggested.

Moon pulls out the following line of drinks. New flavors in their hands.

"What's this? A Nega D2 power lineup?"

The next day…

"What! SOLD OUT!" Katty cried.

Alistor was bummed out. Missing it already, Rena knew this was bound to happen. Sarcastically crying over her shoulders, she knocks him over the head.

"What's so great about it anyway? It's just a dumb drink that will just crash you over."

"Not like you any." He told back. "Ow!"

She bonks him over the head a second time. They head out of the stores to do something else. They find more vending machines all emptied. Not a single sight of any around the block.

A while later…

Katty drunkenly spots Aggerona's activity. Behind an ally, Glamours sneak by with new machines. He finds Noxer unloading a truck with new drinks alongside Commander Gold. He immediately gets grabbed from behind. He freaks for the moment. It was Maigashi checking the situation.

"Oh man…new flavors." Maigashi creepily clutches Katty's shoulders, whispering by his ears.

"Let's hurry back. These drinks might be out of stock soon." Katty said.

They couldn't care less about what was happening. Vending units with new D2 drinks stocked up. Everybody immediately goes for it, excited about the new flavors. Katty and Maigashi go to tell the rest before it was too late.

A moment not fleeting…

"Hey? Why is it so quiet all of a sudden?" Claws wondered.

"I know. It's usually rowdy down here." Steffbird couldn't agree more.

A crowd lays back hungover. Lying on the floor and too lazy to do anything. Then, ignoring the group, they went for the drinks.

Not too soon after, Alistor felt powerless. Claws wobble back, and Tannen falls asleep. Auroa and Maigashi stand with their drinks unopened.

"Well…This isn't good." Auroa said.

"You think? Great. Now we have to carry them back. We need a taxi for this!" Maigashi complained.

Rena carries Alistor away while the two took time to drag Claws, Tannen, and the rest to a taxi.

"And in we go…."

Maigashi places Katty in the taxi last. Auroa makes a tight squeeze inside before the taxi drives them off.

"Let's hope this is only temporary." Maigashi sighed.

Returning to Elena's, everyone else was hungover. Powerless and weak, they begged for more D2 energy. Suddenly the sound of airships is heard in the sky.

"Now what?" Maigashi went to take a look. "You got to be kidding me."

"What is it?" Auroa came out.

A coliseum gets airlifted into the city by a fleet of Aggerona ships. It lands on the open city grounds. The arena opens up, and Seneca's voice can be heard promoting his product. The crowd rushes to the coliseum. A whole audience filled the hall within minutes while Seneca appeared on the center screen.

"Welcome everybody hoo hoo hoo. Glad you could all join. So you all want some D2?"

The crowd cheers away as Rena watches. Then, with Alistor in her arms, Seneca went on.

"Ladies and gentlefolk I present…."

He points in the air. Everyone's jaws drop. A massive tank filled with D2 energy catches their attention.

"A year supply of D2. You like it?"

The audience cheers away.

"Argh! That tank can fit a whole whale inside." Steffbird mentioned.

"Anyone that defeats our champion can claim this lifetime supply. So? Any volunteers?

A wild number of drunken bystanders from the audience jump into the arena, ready for anything.

"Hoo well, what do ya know. We got a full house here. So very well, I present our champion."

Commander Gold steps into the arena. Noxer cheers along with a group of Glamours on the stands. A demon coated in golden armor draws two massive blades out. The drunken combatants charged at him.

"Too easy…"

The battle was pretty one-sided. Gold quickly decimated the first wave of idiots with one swing.

"Worthless piece of garbage." Gold beats down one opponent after the next.

Rena simply watches while the rest of the party takes an interest in the betting booth at the corner of the arena. Alistor rests his head over her lap in the meantime.

"Yes! Keep letting it ride." Maigashi shouted.

He slams his money down, betting on Commander Gold. Gold continues mopping the floor with the challengers, swinging and pounding one wave after the next.

"IT'S TIME FOR A GOLD RUSH!"

The commander decides to end it with a bang. Gold rushes through the remaining combatants, knocking them down within a gold flash. Seneca watches over, slightly amused.

"Is that all? Is there no one out there worthy enough?" Gold mocked.

Annoyed enough, Rena steps in, dragging Alistor along. He was dazed in a weakened state, unable to put much of a fight. Maigashi and the others aren't helping with the situation.

"I had it. I don't know what's up with this stupid drink, but it ends here." She pestered back.

"Bring it!" Gold provoked.

She throws Alistor in as she charges up for power. Alistor stumbles, falling to his knees.

"Rena….what are you…."

Gold whacks Alistor to the ground. Noxer cheers across in the audience stage.

"Yeah! Ride it on!" Maigashi was shirtless at the betting booth. He rubs the winning money he got from the other people.

Alistor attempts to crawl away, but Rena kicked him back in to bide more time. He barely lifts his sword and dropping down once more leading to Gold laughing dismissively at him.

"Rena… you're terrible." Alistor moped.

"Just hold together. I'm almost done powering up!" Rena yelled.

"Ha ha ha, you're finished!"

Gold goes in for a strike, but Alistor just slumps back, causing him to miss. The next second, a bone crack was heard. Gold drops to the floor like a dead turkey.

"Oof!"

Rena kicks the commander back, sending him crashing to the walls. She looks over at the tank in the air.

"So you all want some D2?"

With a smirk on her face, she throws one of her blades at the tank of D2. Gold got up, looking in the air. A slight crack split on the container, leaving Seneca worried on screen.

"Come back!" Rena's sword returns itself to her.

Her blade exhumed from the container. A slight leak commenced, followed by a large gaping hole within seconds.

"Oh nooooo!!!" Seneca yelled on screen.

The whole container of D2 energy shatters, flooding the entire arena. Crashing down, everyone gets washed away. Then, soaking wet, Alistor was revitalized, with everyone else returning to normal.

"My money!" Maigashi cried as he was now just in underwear.

Money scatters across the arena as Gold charges forth at Rena.

"No one makes a mockery of me!"

She turns around.

"Kiyaaaaaa!"

Rena slams Gold hard with one swing. Then, desperate for anything, he tries using an innocent bystander for a meat shield though Rena got up close too fast for his eye.

"What?"

"You're an even bigger idiot than the last commander."

Rena knocks Gold back, releasing the person. Then, she starts hacking away at him with rapid speed.

"Silver Blizzard!"

Down and on his knees, she gets ready for the final strike.

Gold closed his eyes, but another force intercepts her.

"What!"

Commander Bronze intercepts her attack, holding her blade from the tip of his palms. This leaves her in shock.

"Who the heck are you?"

Rena retaliates with another strike, but Bronze pushes her back with a psychic force.

"Who is this guy?" Alistor asked.

"This guy seems like the real deal. No messing around." Tannen sensed.

"My money…wait a minute." Maigashi slowly returned to his senses.

Rena stands upfront against Bronze, but he simply backs down.

"What's the meaning of this?" She yelled.

"Who are you?" Auroa cared to ask.

Carrying Gold across his shoulders, Noxer signaled them both for escape.

"I am Bronze. Commander Bronze is the name. You've bested Silver and Gold, I see."

He turns away.

"Hey! Get back here. Fight me!" Rena yelled.

Bronze pauses for the moment. Then, Seneca presses a button on-screen, shutting the event down. The arena slowly begins to crumble apart as he casually walks off.

"Live to fight another day."

Bronze teleports away with Gold from the scene. Alistor and the rest make their escape from the arena. Fireworks set off, and they watch the building crumble away.

Later that night…..

"Hey, is this a new drink?" Katty said, spotting a new vending machine across the corner.

"No thanks…Think I had enough of this for a while." Alistor responded.

Rena slaps him from the back behind. Steffbird falls over the counter unexpectedly. Elena and the rest of the crowd laugh away at the starry night.