SMG4 Godbox AU Chapter 1: Awakening, Overtakening
The inside of the spaceship was quiet, and the only thing that could be felt was overwhelming dread, and silent prayers that SMG4 and SMG3 were still alive.
It had been about an hour since SMG1 and SMG2 had blown up the Godbox and everything and everyone within it. It had been 20 minutes since the two of them regained consciousness and frantically got back into their damaged and dented ship, searching for any survivors. It had been 30 minutes since they had gotten a call from the Mushroom Kingdom, signaling that everyone was alright and accounted for, and that Mario had miraculously survived the blast, though the red plumber was still missing. It had been 10 minutes since they had found Melonie’s burned and unconscious body floating next to SMG0’s corpse. They had hastily pulled her into the ship and hooked her up to a convenient life-support machine, where she lay in a fitful rest, her divine magic whirring and buzzing to keep her alive.
SMG1’s eyes were laser-focused on the monitors, scanning for any signs of life. His hopes were thin, and he highly doubted that the two SMGs had survived the blast. But they were inside the Godbox when the meme-bomb hit, and the lid suddenly slamming shut could have at least shielded them from the worst of the blast. Immense guilt weighed on his heart, but he swallowed his feelings and pushed forward. He had to be strong. If they were dead, he would take full responsibility, and do whatever he could to make sure they were remembered.
SMG2 was the one piloting the ship, ever so often glancing back at his partner in concern. Guilt also weighed on his heart. He really saw SMG3 and SMG4 as his students. Being their teacher brought him so much joy. He loved that he could play a role in training the next generation of meme guardians that would protect the universe. He never wanted them to sacrifice their lives. He felt like he had failed them. If they were still alive, he hoped that they would forgive him, and that they could continue training and becoming stronger… together.
After several, long, anxiety-wracked minutes, the monitor suddenly let out a faint beep. SMG2 immediately perked up.
“They’re- THEY’RE ALIVE!” he exclaimed, his voice cracking with a happy sob.
SMG1 was stunned, and slightly smiled in disbelief. “I… I don’t believe it! But they’ve got to be hurt! We have to hurry!”
Without a second to spare, SMG2 slammed on the gas, and the ship zoomed in the direction of the life signal.
...
SMG3 groggily opened his eyes. Every cell in his body felt… strange, almost unfamiliar. He knew that this was still his body, but it was as if someone had barged inside and rearranged all the furniture, and maybe also vandalized the walls with obscenities. He felt so, so cold, but he didn’t feel the need to curl in on himself. No, he didn’t need any warmth at all.
He could hear the roar of an engine approaching. He turned his head to the side, and winced as bright lights blinded his vision. It was SMG1 and SMG2’s ship.
...
SMG2 stared in shock and confusion at the sight before him. SMG1 also looked on in shock, but his eyebrows also furrowed in suspicion.
Just outside their ship, illuminated by the ship’s headlights, were the sources of SMG3’s and SMG4’s life signals, fast asleep and adrift in the cosmos.
“...Neither of them have any visible wounds…” began SMG1, unsure of where to even start analyzing.
“...Ahah, well at least they’re in one piece…?” SMG2 quipped, trying to stay optimistic. “Aside from the, um, random redesign? I think they’re gonna make it!”
“Why are they… Asian? Actually no, that’s besides the point! How did this happen?!” SMG1 rubbed his head, growing more and more puzzled by the second.
There was no evidence that they had just been hit with a nuke. Heck, even their clothes were unharmed, and not a single hair was out of place. They had the signature overalls, gloves, caps, and rotund frame of their avatar, but that was where the similarities ended.
First of all… they were indeed Asian now. SMG4’s new face was smooth and lacked any facial hair. His face almost looked like a doll’s. SMG3 shared the same face, but a short black beard replaced his old mustache.
SMG3’s color scheme had changed. He kept his black overalls, but his shirt and cap were a dark purple now.
Their shoes now had pointed heels and toes. Their gloves were longer, and extended past their forearms and nearly reached their shoulders. And finally, each of them sported red, glowing rings that cuffed their wrists, ankles, and neck.
SMG2 nudged the ship closer, reaching for the airlock. “Let’s hurry up and bring them home, we have to make sure that they’re really ok!” he chirped.
SMG1 grabbed SMG2’s shoulder. “Wait, Two, something doesn’t feel right. I don’t know what it is, it’s just a gut feeling, but look at those rings-”
Before SMG1 could finish his sentence, SMG3 blinked awake and stared right at them. His eyes squinted in the bright light, and widened with recognition.
SMG2 shook himself, and smiled reassuringly. He switched on the ship’s intercom. “SMG3! Hey… you’re ok! We’re not sure why, but we’re going to get you two home, and we’ll figure it out together!”
SMG3 said nothing. He only continued to stare, his expression hardening.
...
He remembered now. His name is SMG3. He was currently floating in the Great Beyond. He had just been dead. And now he was the vessel for an eldritch god.
…Why had this happened to him? This was so… unfair. It was all because he had died. It was all because he had been killed. SMG1. SMG2. They had-
“...tried to kill us.” A dark and inhuman whisper rang out in his mind. White hot rage seized his heart. And then, he saw nothing but red.
...
“SMG3…?” SMG2 asked worriedly. “Please say something, you’re starting to freak me out-”
“2… something is horribly wrong.” SMG1 said, his throat tightening as he reached for the steering wheel.
SMG3’s eyes suddenly blazed red. The sclera lit up with the crimson, and the irises flashed white in the shape of a “0.” His lips pulled back and his mouth let out guttural roar, revealing rows of sharp red teeth. In the blink of an eye, he had rushed from his spot to the ship’s windshield, the force of his movement cracking the glass and shaking the ship. His fingers were curled into hooked black talons, digging into the window.
“Murrrrrrgh… MURDERERRRRRRRRRR!” he roared.
SMG2 screamed, and SMG1's breath caught in his throat. As he and SMG3 locked eyes, SMG1 saw Eldritch 0. The Toytoy Kingdom. Spudnick screaming in agony as a slimy blue appendage squeezed out his essence. His own body burning with indescribable agony and losing its texture. Everything, everywhere falling to pieces and becoming corrupted-
Without thinking, SMG1 immediately put the ship in reverse and blasted backwards, throwing off SMG3… no, whatever that thing was. Fueled by adrenaline, SMG1 deftly put the ship back in forwards mode, spun around and hightailed it.
The vessel tumbled backwards through space before righting itself in vacuum. It glared at the retreating spaceship, unamused. “Meme guardians… always so annoying. They always think that they can put off the inevitable.”
Through SMG3’s eyes, it inspected his new hands. “Though… I didn’t expect this one’s rage to suddenly… spur us to such an irrational and premature move.” It would have been more advantageous to remain passive, and wait for the right moment to strike. It appeared that the purple-clad man's emotional impulses had worked a little too well.
No matter. It had been doing this for a very, very long time. It would adapt. Every movement its new vessels would make would be completely calculated, whether they were in control, or not.
With no spaceship of its own, the vessel decided to use an old trick. This new body had some interesting code. The former-meme guardian had inherited it from the universe he was sent to. It was just tucked away, waiting to be used to its full potential. Red glitches flickered around its form. A familiar jingle of three uplifting 8-bit notes emitted from within itself, and a yellow cape materialized out of nowhere, wrapped neatly over the shoulders.
Nearby, the other vessel stirred to life, also gazing in the direction of the spaceship. Its eyes also blazed red with white irises. Its cold and uncompromising frown on SMG4’s face contrasted with the twisted snarl on SMG3’s, but each of them shared the same intent. It joined its partner, reached within SMG4's code, and with some more flickers of red glitches, a pair of raccoon ears sprung forth from its head, and a long, striped tail from its rear.
Their voices spoke in unison. “I won’t have complete control over these two for long. Our first order of business will be destroying those two meme guardians, like Niles should have done ALL those years ago.”
“But this time, we will do it ourselves.”
In perfect sync, without even looking at each other, the two vessels reached for and clasped each other’s hands. They shot forward in hot pursuit, heading straight for a certain computer…
To be Continued...
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Just to clarify:
SMG3 is a he/his
SMG4 is a he/his
The Entity is an it/its
Can you tell who is in control?
