peachybunana - Tumblr blog

peachybunana · 12 days ago

Text

Player 1 and Player 2 - Short Indie Cross Snippet

"By the Gods..." Shovel Knight huffed out, leaning on his trusty weapon and panting. He and his party had managed to duck into a crater to avoid their opponent, but it would doubtlessly track them down soon.

This wasn't going how it was supposed to at all. He was supposed to protect all of these fine, upstanding people under his care. Rather, what occurred was the opposite: He had been saved time and time again by his compatriots, and he could not return the favor. The Knight was gone, having done his job for him, saving the Drifter and Madeline. The Drifter himself had seemingly broken a rib shielding Madeline and Niko, and the aforementioned mountain climber had gotten cut across the face to save him from experiencing worse.

Given that Niko hit their head and looked to be unconscious, and Cuphead had been chipped in the process, that left the only unscathed one to be Shovel Knight himself.

Shovel Knight gripped his weapon and gritted his teeth under his helm. This was truly pathetic, a new low for him. He could never face Shield Knight again given such shame.

Not that he would live to see her at all. Not that he could save her, if he couldn't save anyone else.

"We have to make a stand right here!" Cuphead yelled out as soon as he'd caught his breath. He cracked his knuckles under his gloves, looking up out of the crater and readying himself.

"No!" Madeline yelled firmly, her hair still glowing pink from the fight. "We can't take on all the Rogues at once! Sure, only one might show up, but it'll just call its friends and we'll be back to fighting for our lives!"

"What're we supposed to do?! The nearest portal is too far, and our best guy almost got popped like a grape!" The Drifter winced. "We'll be sleeping with the fishes before we get halfway there!"

"Nrrrrgh..." Niko groaned out, stopping their argument. They sat up, rubbing their head, blinking slowly. The Drifter got up, eyes on them, gripping his stomach with a determined look on his face. Cuphead and Madeline simultaneously dashed to their respective sides. Madeline sat him back down firmly and Cuphead gently helped Niko to their feet. Yet another example to Shovel Knight of how his incompetence has forced these people to adapt and grow.

"I wanna... go home..." Niko mumbled, still clearly out of it. Shovel Knight's heart snapped. Cuphead wasn't adept at this sort of thing, but he patted them on the back and muttered an awkward "uhhh.... there, there?" to them.

Shovel Knight only ever wanted to lessen these people's suffering and then return home to find his friend, but it was becoming increasingly clear to him that he had failed on both counts. No matter, he thought, controlling his own shaking grasp. He can still be of some use.

"A direct conflict involving all of us is sure to end in failure of the highest consequence." He stated, straightening his posture and taking his shovel out of its place dug into the earth. "One of us must remain to make time for the others."

"Uh, hello, are you slow?! How can one person make enough time against even one of those things?!" Cuphead yelled out, though his voice got a little quieter when he noted Niko wincing at his volume. "If you're gonna do the stupid 'heroic sacrifice' thing, at least let me join in!"

"This is none of your concern, young cup! You MUST escape and return home, for your family! For Elder Kettle and Mug-"

"Should we even be splitting up right now?" Madeline asked, her usual mild-manners returning now that she wasn't in a shouting match with Cuphead. "I feel like that's just an easy way for us to get picked off..."

Shovel Knight sighed. They didn't have much time. He had to convince them to move, and he couldn't do that by continuing with this desperate tone. He needed finality.

He stepped forward and bowed to Madeline. "Young lady, I understand you have fought battles that even I shirk away from. You have conquered your own demons and made peace with yourself. A warrior of your caliber deserves to rest on her laurels, and you may only do so if you return home."

"I..." Madeline began, looking unsure of herself, but Shovel Knight had already moved on. Precision and quickness were key here.

He straightened his back when addressing the Drifter, even saluting to him. "You have endured much, and you will likely continue to. I understand you did not choose this path, but despite that I believe you have made it your own. Fight for the others. And when they are safe, fight for yourself."

The Drifter, despite his condition, nodded. It was not a solemn acceptance like he had reacted to his previous encouragement. He seemed determined... though sadness persisted in his expression. Shovel Knight moved on before it provoked any more emotion in himself.

Niko was still dazed, so Shovel Knight reached down and patted their head through their hat, as gently as possible. It must have been gentle enough, because despite their recent head trauma, their expression grew more content for a moment. "Thank you for everything, Niko." Everyone else seemed to move their gaze to Niko as well. He was certain they would protect them.

"Young cup...."

"This is bologna, Shovel!"

Shovel Knight sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. Cuphead squinted up at him, as if he could see right through his demeanor. It wasn't that Shovel Knight wanted to leave these people. He just knew he had to. And there was only one reason he was okay with that.

"You are virtuous despite your arrogance."

"Hey! I-"

"I am proud of you."

Cuphead froze momentarily, but then continued to glare up at the knight. He knew that wouldn't satisfy him.

"And that is why I must ask you to run. There is a task I must complete, but I know I will not be able to fulfill it."

The cup raised an eyebrow. "Shovel, if you're talking laundry or dishes, I ain't doin' your chores for you!"

Shovel Knight chuckled. "Nay, young cup. There is a very close friend of mine, who I worry for greatly. Her name is Shield Knight. You will know her when you behold her." He said. Finally, Cuphead dropped his annoyed expression, looking a lot more receptive to his words.

"There is nothing more important to me in any world than her safety. Please, confirm it for me." He requested. Cuphead swallowed, looking between the whole party, before finally looking down. For the first time since he'd known the young one, Cuphead seemed at a loss for words. The silence hung in the air. It seemed the knight's friends had been convinced.

Like clockwork, strange warbling noises came from above them. All five of them stared up at Unithor as it held two fingers to its round head, clearly calling its allies as it gripped its hammer tightly.

"The time for discussion is over! Flee to the nearest exit to this realm!" Shovel Knight commanded, gripping his weapon and leaping into the air, smacking Unithor away.

With a quick scan of his surroundings, he confirmed that the other rogues were far away, though now were racing towards their location. Good. He could hold off Unithor for a minute or two, and that should be enough time for the others to escape, despite their injuries.

He would die. That was okay. He had done his duty.

Madeline's eyes glowed, and as the remaining four huddled together, she transported them out of the hole with a brilliant beam of light. Cuphead moved to pick up Niko, but Drifter stopped him, scooping them up himself. Despite the broken rib, he seemed determined to help, which surprised Madeline as she had been reaching out to scoop up the Drifter herself. She blinked awkwardly.

Cuphead noted something. The Drifter could still move, and Niko was taken care of. "Hey, you all heard that stuff about the dollface with the shield, right?" Cuphead asked. Drifter and Madeline both looked confused, but nodded. "'Kay. See ya around!" He called out, already halfway to Shovel Knight's position.

It was not a good one. Despite the fight having just started, Unithor on its own clearly had Shovel Knight outmatched. He heaved painfully as he stood up from a powerful attack, shooting it with his Flare Wand. It drew its bow similarly to when they first encountered each other, aiming for the same gap in his armor it had exploited last time.

Before the arrow can hit, Cuphead grabbed Shovel Knight and dashed out of the way, before returning fire with a Super Art. Unithor didn't have time to dodge and staggered backwards in midair, steam coming off of it.

"Young cup! Foolish knave, I instructed you to flee!"

"And I shoulda instructed you to not be a big goofball! I'm helpin' now!"

"But your family! Elder Kettle and Mugsie!"

Cuphead snickered, despite the seriousness of the situation. You can't keep a good cup down. "Ehhhh, I'll get back to them. And you'll get back to that broad of yours!"

"She is not a-" He realized something. "I told you to find her! Now we will both perish and nobody will-"

Cuphead slapped Shovel Knight upside the head. "The others heard ya, Shovel! She'll be in good hands!"

For perhaps the first time since he had lost her to begin with, Shovel Knight relaxed. He was technically right, and the two of them had a greater chance of holding back the enemy than just him. Cuphead had demonstrated that. But something just didn't sit right with him.

"I... I didn't want this." Shovel Knight admitted, the desperation that he had suppressed returning to his voice. "I wanted you to be safe."

Cuphead looked back at his friend, and for just a moment there's another genuine emotion on his face, a clear worry. Then, he scoffs and stuck a finger gun out at his recovering opponent. "Yeah, well. A trowel-headed goofball once told me that friends stand shoulder to shoulder. So I think I'm gonna do that. Capiche?"

Despite himself, Shovel Knight smiled under his helm. This young one absolutely refused to leave his side. He supposed it was too late to do anything about that. Their bond had been forged in battle, and Shovel Knight knew from experience that type of bond was never easily tossed aside.

When he didn't respond, Cuphead smirked, still facing Unithor as it brandished its hammer, ready to charge. "Unless you're the one that wants to turn tail. Chicken?"

Shovel Knight made up his mind. He twirled his shovel, feeling rejuvenated. "Well my compadre, as a magical talking flask once told me, "ditchin'" this "joint" is not a question on my mind!"

Cuphead didn't have time to retort to the hated nickname, as Unithor charged at the two of them. He shot his charged-up blast directly into his friend's shovel, which he twirled and used to slam the hammer away with their combined forces. Unithor reached out for the dropped weapon, but the two attacked it in complete synchronization.

This was not going to be easy. But it was going to be done as a pair.

#indie cross #LOVELY FIC EVERYONE GO READ RIGHT NEOW !!!!!!!#i sobbed for realsies /silly

30 notes · View notes