Chapter Text
Glohm.
An artificial corruption of Connectar, twisting the energy used for Bonds into something to insure isolation and depression across Concordia.
Truthfully, Jazari had never stopped to wonder about the substance. A substance that even those who created it couldn't understand. He just planned to run headfirst into danger like he always had, pulling information out of the "brain" of the trio's nonexistent teeth with his wit until the other gets fed up and leaves. The next stage in Jazari's underground plan was deceptively simple to pull off...
Swindle the Glohm Ray out of Ten's hand.
The timing was perfect for him to strike. The blaster had been shown off, passed around the lower ranks in the troops, and was back in the aux cable's possession during Mario and Luigi's first visit to Fortress Zokket. And because the brothers were the only ones to arrive the first time they are only expecting those two for their return.
But that first visit is the exact reason Jazari had to pause. As he sat on the only ledge not fenced in at the peak of Shipshape Island the once calming salty breeze simply caused more irritation during his mental recounting of the Bros' report. Glohm Bowser was a complete abnormality to how Glohm should function. Using what was dubbed the "Glohm Quad-Ray" through corrupting the energies from the lighthouses Zokket was able to turn Bowser into an actual threat.
Anyone else would, at most, become so affected they'd be suicidal, but no the bastard gained Glohm levels so toxic it could kill with touch and the ability to levitate?!
Jazari quickly snapped out of his thoughts and gritted his teeth. He couldn’t let himself get caught up in his emotions. He knows how to think rationally and his rational thoughts tell him that Ten doesn’t have the Quad-Ray while also being frankly too stupid to even know how to use such power so he had nothing to worry about. Absolutely nothing at all.
If it truly was so worry-free why does the pit in your stomach refuse to go away?, his emotions tell him. Jazari already knew the answer.
Fear was always one of his most hated emotions for this very reason. How easily it overrid his logic, in turn his confidence, and in turn his wit. If he could not calmly deliver the verbal ass beating the plan will surely fall through leading to inevitable Glohm. What would being a Glohmed soldier even entail? He only really saw Ten order the Troops around, so that would most certainly mean...
"Hey!"
Before Jazari's cowardice could boil into something more he was instantly snapped out of his thoughts by a familar Italian accent. Turning away from his moody view of the sea Jaza's eyes laid on the sight of the red and green twins standing on the golden pipe that connects to the rest of Concordia. Luigi's eyes were lit up full of sparkles while waving excitedly at Jazari as if they hadn't seen each other just a couple hours ago, conversely, Mario was far more casual with a simple hand raise before his turn to speak.
"Me and Lu are heading off to Lottacoins for a supply run, wanna come with?"
Jazari closed his eyes as he made a dramatic "Hm" in his throat, tilting his head onto his closed fist while his other hand dug around in his hoodie pocket feeling the same ol' three 1-ups and a Boo Biscuit. He internally hoped he never needed to use his backup plan as he covered up his anxieties with snark. "Nah, don't need nothin'," Jazari opens his eyes before looking away in a faux pout, "Plus that island's no fun without the kidnapping..."
Mario shook his head with a smile meanwhile Luigi's offended look resembled more of a kicked puppy than anything actually intimidating.
"Well, you know where we're at if you need us, though I-"
"Doubt it!," Jazari finishing the all too familiar comment on his independence with newfound confidence. He didn't want to leave the two with a bitter taste so during the process of bending over to dust off his knees he blows them a kiss just before the pipe's descent, reveling in their faces overtaken by red hot flusterment.
His boyfriends reminded him on why he's taking such a risk on his life. It was for them, to make their lives easier in his own weird way. Oh how he wished he could tag along with their main mission, to always be in the center of the action with them, being side by side as they faced Fortress Zokket together.
The pit in his stomach returned at that last desire. There was another group he cared about just as much. Sure, a 3-on-3 fight would be cute, but also much too predictable and safe. No one can ever learn by playing safe. It was that purple member he was after the most. His arrogance, self-imposed superiority, disdain for everyone that drips from every syllable in his speech combined with his complete ignorance to his fate that made Jazari sick. Pure rage that a man would rather die than come to terms with his pride.
So, in a way, this mission was as much for Ten as it was for obtaining the Glohm Ray for the twins. A wake up call of sorts he rationalizes. He might require one of his own the way his legs wandered just like his mind, landing him in the seat of Shipshape's cannon.
This dramatic mental dilemma must have been caught by someone as he heard a gentle gasp behind him and the soft pitter-patter of footsteps thereafter.
"Mister Jazari!"
Jaza lazily followed the young Wattanist with his gaze once she came into view. Her eyes were full of worry though he didn't understand why, his posture was just as lazy as his stare reclining on the chair one leg dangling off to the side of the seat. Even so Connie's concern only seemed to increase after their eyes met.
"Your eyes... they seem colder than usual..."
He simply snorted in response, "Really? I haven't noticed." To him they were glazed over from being deeply lost in thought, to Connie his gray eyes felt like daggers stabbing her soul for simply being around him.
She stumbled over herself trying to find the words, "A-Are you alright?"
"Duh, I'm always fine." Ouch, that came out too harsh.
Connie tilted her head at Jaza's odd tone, "Is there something on your mind?"
A sigh. "A lot Connie, so many somethings on my mind..." Jazari's voice trailed off to focus at the sight before him. The current that the island was traveling always kept the Fortress within view. Going around and around just like his emotions.
The small girl's hands went up to her face as her eyes widened, "Please don't be thinking that you will-"
"Yes," he stated while sitting up, inadvertently allowing the breeze to catch his gray-streaked bangs. The sun glittering in his hair matched the shimmer of the waves punctuating his sentence, "I will be heading to Fortress Zokket."
"By yourself?!"
"Mhm..."
Rubbing her hands together as a desperate way to calm herself Connie pleaded, "Can you not wait until Technikki finds a way past the barrier?"
"...At that point it'll be too late. Red n' Green 'Stache would've already made their presence known making it impossible to save him from," Jazari sharpened his stare on the sculpted mug of the Fortress' "master", "that thing."
Jazari looked at Connie finally, relaxing his face into a smile, "'sides, I'm the only dude fit for the job!"
His sudden shift in his mood was off-putting to the Wattanist so she stepped aside to gain some distance away before asking another, "Who's 'him'?"
Clicking his tongue, "His identity don't matter, I just want to be there for him instead of turning a blind eye like the rest of the world has."
Now the gears in Connie's head were snapping into place and she understood everything perfectly! "Saving someone who's been held captive!"
The hoodie-clad man could only give a hearty laugh in response, "Yeah... I suppose you can say that." She said it so innocently yet proved his point perfectly.
"And as such...," he continued with a hushing tone that invited Connie to lean in to listen, "you'll need to keep this a secret from even Mar and Lu. If anyone asks anything tell 'em that I'm decompressing at Jellyfish before the breach, capiche?”
There was a nod in response before she contemplated on his request. "Are you sure you can't have your friends help you out? You wouldn't be selfish for asking."
That word.
That damned word.
It's cute how she assumed he was worried about appearing selfish to others for any needed assistance when rather he was avoiding thinking on the word's existence in its entirety. Jazari's eye contact was long broken as he had looked down and bit his lip. He was the selfless hero here, going about it more convoluted than Bowser's last kidnapping scheme, but an act of selflessness nonetheless. Anything that could serve to plant seeds of doubt on his intentions was enough for the pit in his stomach to start churning. No, he was not about to get lost in his head for a third time!
"I said what I said," Jazari spat with the glazed over stare returning to pierce through Connie's being once more. She whimpered and backed away shivering muttering a meaningless apology.
He knew he was coming off too harsh now and almost didn't care, "I don't have time for 20 questions and what-ifs, it's not my problem." Jaza quickly swung from his lazily seated position into proper form while aiming the cannon's shot at the Fortress' ugly face. In another time he would be able to hover his fingers over the mockingly positive "FIRE!" button, rationalizing his thoughts and compartmentalizing his emotions proper. But that girl had wasted his time and he wanted nothing more than to-!
Before Jazari could consciously register his fist had already slammed the cannon into operation and he was blasted off with Connie's desperate "Wait!" never reaching him in time.
She fixated her gaze on that stunning ball of lilac until it has disappeared to the sea of Glohm before it. Her eyes then moved downwards as she tried to consiously stop her shaking hands and the tears that fell upon them. Jazari's request was simple, but something in her heart was telling otherwise.
The grass beneath her feet was pummeled with determination, 'Don't worry Mister Jazari, I'll help you!'