Chapter 3

The Thrilling Climax to 9-Volt Makes A Choice!

Author's notes: I may amend this chapter later, to add additional content, but do not hesitate to think of it as complete for the time being.

9-Volt's skateboard screeched to a halt in Jimmy's driveway, and so excited was he to be there that he abandoned it where it lay and bolted to the door. He was displeased, however, when Jimmy answered.

"Oh, hey, little man," Jimmy said, in what would seem to be his normal, funky tone, but there was a small lacing of malice this time. "What's shakin'?"

"Uh… I'm here to see Jamie… You know… she said she would teach me to dance, and all…"

"Oh, that's right! Come on in, she wants to see you!" Jimmy stepped aside and ushered 9-Volt inside.

9-Volt eagerly walked towards the disco room, but was overtaken by Jamie, who was walking the other way, putting on a jacket. "Jim, I'm leaving now! …Oh hey, little dude! What's up?"

"Nothing!" 9-Volt said, beaming. "I'm here for my dance lessons!"

Jamie frowned. "Ah, bad timing, kiddo. I have a date right now."

The words smacked into 9-Volt like Wario's meaty paw. "A… a WHAT?"

Jamie seemed genuinely confused at 9-Volt's reaction. "A date. …With my boyfriend?"

"Your… your boyfriend?"

"Yeah. His name's Kevin, I met him last year in high school. You want to come meet him when he picks me up?"

9-Volt struggled for words. "But I thought… you and I… I thought we had something… special…."

Jamie laughed, and tousled 9-Volt's hair. "Dude, you're just a kid. I'm in high school."

A car horn honked from outdoors.

"There he is! Later, little dude!" And she was gone.

9-Volt stood rooted to the ground, paralyzed. After a minute, Jimmy came in and saw the expression on 9-Volt's face.

"Didn't I try to warn you?" he said, smirking. "I tried to tell you you would get hurt. You can't let instant infatuation cloud you're here and now."

"I know…" 9-Volt said, finally speaking. "I guess I didn't realize how old she was… I guess I didn't think it through…"

"You're damn right." Jimmy agreed. "Besides, don't you have a girlfriend already?"

9-Volt looked up in alarm. "ASHLEY! Oh, Jimmy… I made a big big mistake!" He bolted out the door, seized his skateboard and took off, not really sure where he was going.

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"Ashley, hon, could you go look for some firewood in that little forest back there?"

"Very well, mother," Ashley replied. "But wouldn't you just feel so horrible if while I was back there I was attacked by wild bears and had my flesh ripped off and used for blankets for their putrid little cubs?"

Ashley's mother laughed. "Oh, you're so creative! There are no bears out here, hon, it's fine. Go on."

"Very well."

Ashley, who had changed into a somewhat tropical-themed dress, walked off the small strip of beach at the campsite and into the thinly-treed forest on the other side of the campsite. After walking for a bit and picking up a few twigs, she suddenly heard a rustling coming from a large brush patch.

"I knew it," she murmured. "Bears… they want to tear my body apart and feast on my soul…"

But it wasn't a bear that leapt from the thicket; it was a heavyset man wearing a brown, multi-pocket vest and a fishing hat. As soon as he got his feet on the ground he took off running, and it wasn't long after that a massive swarm of bees came charging after him.

As much as Ashley enjoyed watching humans suffer, her mother was allergic to bees, and they were headed towards the campsite.

"Alakatraz!" she murmured, throwing her hands forward. The bee swarm was covered in red fog, and when it cleared the entire swarm lay dead on the ground.

The man, who for some reason thought he'd be safer now by turning around and running back the way he came, reappeared.

"Hey thanks," he said, huffing and puffing. "A man wants a little honey on his garlic, and suddenly everyone is against you!"

Ashley gasped; it was Wario!

"Wario…"

"Yeah," Wario dusted off his vest, swatting at a lone bee who must have been farther back than his ilk.

"So 9-Volt's here now too?"

"Huh? Oh, the kid? No, I haven't seen him in days."

"… Oh really?"

"Yeah. I've been camping out here all week. I needed to get away from Mona for a while… She was wearing me out."

"I see. Excuse me, Mr. Wario. There's work to be done." Ashley turned on her heel and scanned the forest around her. Noticing a large downed tree branch, she whispered a magic phrase, and it began to levitate above the ground. She got on top of it, said another command, and it took off into the sky, back towards Diamond City.