SPM: Generations

(Note from DJ: Still my father's POV)

With a tired groan, I peeled my eyes open, immediately being greeted by the familiar interior of my mask which was on my face crooked from how I slept. My hands were still bound at the wrists, but I was able to effectively move my porcelain face cover back into the proper position. I had apparently fallen asleep sitting upright, so I just had to blink rapidly to get in a glance of what could have woken me.

Trust me when I say that when I fall asleep, I am a VERY heavy sleeper. My husband claims from several failed attempts at waking me that I sleep like the dead, which I find quite humorous and also a tad ironic.

For something to have woken me up, it must have been extremely out of place.

"Dad, what in the WORLDS happened!?"

Ah, so apparently it was the sound of Count Bleck's teleportation. That sound always did put me a tad on edge... Usually, it meant that he was coming to scold me for doing something absurd.

I turned my head to see Maastor and Count Bleck, but something was wrong. VERY wrong. Even the tall boy noticed it when he saw his father. It wasn't the Count himself that was in the wrong, oh no, it was his peculiar injuries. The scuffs, burns, and scrapes all over his body made it evident that he got into a fight, but not just some normal fist-fight of a brawl.

It was clear to me that he had encountered trouble from someone who had access to magic. Perhaps some sort of Magikoopa blocked his path? Or maybe even the red plumber had done something useful for once and fought off the Count himself using his Firebrand and other mushroom magic.

"When you said that you were going to be a while, I wanted to believe that you weren't going to intentionally get yourself hurt or something!" Maastor spat, pointing an accusatory finger at his father. "What were you out doing?!"

It seems that the questions and answers that I had given him had at least given the boy enough common sense to ask questions about what Count Bleck's plan was. However, I don't wish to see what sort of fight would break out between a father and son with severe anger issues...

"Count Bleck's intention was clearly stated before he left. Count Bleck had gone in search of Timpani. SHE of all people would know where to look for the items we need," Count Bleck simply replied.

I narrowed my eyes in response, my face contorted into a glare below my mask which was directed at the Count.

"Why the need to search for the Dark Prognosticus and Chaos Heart? You already sent my son out into danger to do the dirty work!" I shouted.

Count Bleck hummed and both he and his son looked my way, the Count's visible eye giving me a tired glance.

"Did you honestly expect Count Bleck to rely on a child to do ALL of the work? Maybe find one of the items, sure, but trusting your son to accomplish all of this and then willingly GIVE them to Count Bleck is foolish," Count Bleck retorted.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes in response. Assuming my son wouldn't accept the challenge he made was ludicrous and just asking for him to hurt himself. His dad is Mr.L, for Grambi's sake. Mimi once challenged him to beat O'Chunks in a weight-lifting competition and he didn't quit until he eventually won. However, he ALSO couldn't get out of bed for an entire day because of how sore he was.

My son would take the Count's challenge to his game's end if something didn't happen to intervene soon.

"So, you went to look for your ex-fianceé in hopes of finding your dirty old book?" I questioned sarcastically. "I wouldn't be surprised if Timpani simply pushed you out the window or something and you received those injuries in the fall."