Brawl Stars Battle Linkage Episode 1: The Battle Begins
In loving memory of Billy Kametz, a true diamond in the rough.
Table of contents:
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Epilogue
Prologue: Saloon Smackdown
Ever since the beginning of the very first civilizations, humanity has been blessed with a most otherworldly power called a Linkage. What’s a Linkage, you may ask? Well, it’s certainly not something you’d find in genetics textbooks- more specifically, the way in which two separate genes which are located close to each other on a chromosome are often inherited together! Instead, it’s the power to connect with individuals from other realms and share their powers via a powerful connection with them.
The tools needed for this undertaking are a Brawl Gem or any other Collectible Item, which serves as the evidence of the Partner Character’s connection, and the Battle Compact or any other item that allows one to transform, the very key to the Multiverse itself.
The sun was just setting in the sky of a western town, with the lively chatter of people in the town and the faint call of a red tailed hawk in the sky being the only sounds that could be heard that late afternoon. As someone walked into the saloon, all went quiet. “Whatcha doin’ here, kid? Ya know brawls here result in some pretty nasty injuries,” the bartender said, pouring a glass of milk for a patron.
“Oh, I definitely am ‘ere for that, Pardner.”, the mysterious stranger replied, throwing off his hat. It was Colt, and accompanying him were Shelly and Spike. They made up the Wild West Trio, and they were looking for something very important. “Oh, it’s YOU. GET EM!!”, yelled the bartender, and the entire saloon flew into a frenzy.
As the brawl went on, the trio shot their ammo at various targets, triggering a chain reaction that sent three compact-esque items flying off of a nearby shelf, causing a bunch of hands to try and reach out to grab them, but Colt caught his mid jump, Shelly caught hers with both of her hands, and Spike snatched his out of the air.
“Got em!”, shouted Colt as he placed the compact in his pocket. “Now let’s head back to — !”, began Shelly, but the roof of the saloon was torn off by a massive monster known as a Glitchborg. And on that Glitchborg was Dr. Emmery Starr, the Brawlers’ arch nemesis. “You won’t get away with this that easily!!”, he shouted.
The Glitchborg punched where the trio was standing, only for them to dodge in the nick of time. “We’re getting out of here. Next stop… Earth.”, replied Colt as he raced through the nearby gateway towards the Brawler HQ. The mission to Earth had already just begun.
Chapter 1: Schooled In
“Devon Joseph Starling!” replied a voice that immediately made him pay attention to the classroom around him. He immediately stopped daydreaming and sat back up in his chair, with the glare of his teacher Marla Armstrong piercing the room. “Y-Yes, Miss Armstrong!” Devon replied, getting back to writing in his notebook. “It’s only the first day, you know.”, she replied.
As his classmates gave awkward looks towards him, his younger brother Puck gave him a smile. “Just ignore them, bro. They’re just interested about what you were dreaming about.”, he said as he gave his brother a drawing he made himself. “Thanks, bro.” Devon replied as he tucked it into his bag.
Besides his younger brother Puck, Devon’s homeroom class at Cosmic Shores Junior High consisted of the following folks: His best friend Mia Wilkin, supernatural believing siblings Pablo and Katya Rich, punk girl Callie Hyuga, creative Trisha Jane Postrado, techy Katie Sanders, and many others.
And even though it was the first day of the academic year, the day had flown by quicker than everyone had thought it would. After all, they had gotten so lost in their classes- Especially when it came to English for Devon himself.
Soon, after many, many, hours of waiting for the home bell to ring, it finally rang just as the afternoon sun glowed like a lightbulb in the sky. “OK, everyone! Time to go home! I’ll see you all tomorrow!” Miss Armstrong said as all of the kids immediately flew into a frenzy, shoving their backpacks full of stuff and racing towards the door.
“Come on, bro! What’s taking so long?!”, Puck asked his older brother as he began to pack stuff away. “I dunno, bro. It’s just that I had the weirdest dream a few minutes ago, and I’m probably thinking that it may or may not happen.”, Devon replied.
Chapter 2: A Long Ride to The Starlings
A few minutes later, the boys managed to get onto the bus and greet their friends. It would be their first bus ride home from school, so they had to make the most of it. Although their house was on the other side of the town in the suburbs, that meant they got to see the entire city from top to to bottom on their way back.
“Hey, Devon! Ya excited to see your mom and dad again?”, Callie replied as she tossed a baseball into the air and caught it again. “Yeah. Puck and I are gonna enjoy the ride while we can,” Devon said as he sat in his seat next to his brother, who was snacking on some gummies. As Devon tried to initiate a conversation with one of his classmates, he saw they were in the middle of doing their own things, so he left them alone.
As the last of the kids got on and the bus rolled away from the school, the Starling brothers watched what was going on outside the window- As the school they had been inside a few hours earlier left their gaze, they saw various areas in town very familiar to them: The zoo, with its menagerie of creatures and history of conservation success stories, and the workshop where their classmate Katie Sanders and her mom Zara Sanders worked.
And the bus made its first stop there- dropping off the energetic Katie as her mother Zara hugged her. “Bye, Katie.”, said Puck as he watched Katie get off the bus. Soon, the long vehicle was moving once more, and it passed by even more areas of town: The local Dave And Busters, the Botanical Gardens, and more.
“Man, everyone seems to have fun this afternoon, while I don’t know what to do, to be honest.”, said Devon as he reclined back in his seat. “It’s ok, bro. Maybe mom and dad can take us to dinner there!” Puck replied, pointing to The Ice Palace- the highest rated hotel in the city.
After passing the shopping mall and heading straight into the suburban area of Cosmic Shores, the bus came to a stop at the brothers’ house. Immediately, after getting off, they were greeted by their own parents- Irene and Harold Starling.
“Hi, boys! How was your first day of school?”, asked Irene as she gathered up her sons in a bear hug. “It went great, mom!”, Devon said. “We’re glad it did, son.”; replied Harold as he pat his sons on their heads.
Chapter 3: A Brotherly Respite
Not long after the brothers had gotten home, Devon lay down in his bedroom. It was full of Brawl Stars merchandise, from t shirts in his drawers to sketchbooks filled to the brim with fan art. “Hey, bro. Do you wanna play some Brawl Stars?”, Puck said as he sat next to his older brother.
“Sure, bro!”, Devon said, his mood immediately lighting up. Devon took out his phone and Puck took out his iPad, and both of them got up their Brawl Stars games. “I’m maining Colt.”, said Devon as he booted up his account. “I’m gonna go with Spike and stuff like that.”, Puck replied as he booted up his own account.
“Mom, can I play with my big bro for a bit?”, asked Puck as he peeked his head out from the doorway. “Ok, Puck! But be sure to come down for dinner later! We’ve got enchiladas cooking!”, Irene said as she got to cooking immediately.
“Man, I’d love me some enchiladas.”, said Devon as he moved along the battlefield, with his little brother being behind him at all costs. “Yeah, spending time with you is probably the best thing to come out of today.”, said Puck as he shared a chocolate piece with his brother.
As the boys continued playing until they managed to beat the opposing team, they were just about to go downstairs- and then Devon’s phone buzzed. “Wait, who could’ve texted me?”, he replied- only to see that it was a text from Mia.
Chapter 4: Recognizable Redhead
“Whoa! Mia! What’s going on?!”, Devon texted back. “Devon! I-I-It’s urgent!”, the message read as another one was sent by Mia. “There’s this weird guy going around town or something like that. You have to come and help, ASAP!”, the message read. “Don’t worry, We’re coming!”, texted Devon before putting his phone away.
As the boys ran downstairs, they immediately decided to tell their parents where they were heading to. “Mom, Dad, we’re gonna go and meet up with Mia from School!”, Devon announced before he and Puck made their way to the door. “We’ll be back by dinner, we promise!”, Puck shouted.
“Ok, you two!”, Harold said as he watched his kids exit the house. “Your enchiladas won’t be cooking forever, you know!”, Irene replied. “We know!!”, the brothers said in unison as they exited the house and grabbed their skateboards, heading towards the area where Mia lived.
Upon arrival, the boys could see that Mia was in quite a pickle. “You guys, this guy- he looked like Rico from Brawl Stars, but in much darker colors for some reason.”, Mia replied as she drew out a picture of what the foe looked like. “So maybe it’s some sort of evil palette swap?”, asked Puck.
“Oh, you’re mostly correct, kid.”, a voice from nearby replied. Turning around, the kids saw who seemed to be a grown man with a blue shirt, a vest and pants of the matching color, and scarlet red hair. “Wait a minute. COLT?!”, replied Devon as he pinched himself hard.
“Yep- that’s me. I was asked to come to Earth in search of ya, kid.”, Colt replied as he stepped out of the shadows. “Awesome! By the way, what’s that in your hand?”, replied Devon. “Oh, this? This is what Nega-Rico was after.”, Colt replied, revealing the Battle Compact. “You’re gonna need it soon.”, he replied, giving it to Devon.
Chapter 5: Glitchborg in Vicinity
As the trio and their new friend made their way towards an open area where they could discuss more, someone, or rather some-bot, had arrived, blocking their path. “Well, well, well! Look who it is- Mr. Goody two shoes and his new friends.”, replied the figure as he stepped out from the shadows- it was Nega-Rico.
“Nega-Rico! How did you follow me all the way to Earth?!”, Colt replied, staring down the evil robot. “Oh, that’s easy. Once you made it to this boring planet of water and land, I waited for the perfect opportunity to make my mark.”, gloated the evil robot.
“You are not gonna get away with this!”, Devon said, taking a stand. “Yeah! My big bro’s gonna kick your butt to where you came from, you big bully!”, shouted Puck as he grabbed a nearby baseball bat to defend himself with. “Oh, you kids are of the brave type. Then how about you resist… THIS?!”, Nega-Rico said, preparing a dark energy blast and eyeing a recycling bin.
“Take cover!”, replied Mia as everyone immediately got into position. “With precision and malice, awaken, Glitchborg! Your mission is to dismantle hope, one ricochet at a time!”, Nega-Rico shouted as he fired a shot at the bin, turning it into a monster known as a Glitchborg. “Oh my gosh, he made that into a monster?!”, Puck shouted.
“You bet he did. But if there’s anything we need to do, it’s to stop it before any damage is done!”, Colt instructed. “You mean… I’ve gotta use this if I want to take that thing down?”, Devon said, taking out the Battle Compact. Colt nodded in response. “And you’ll need this as well,” replied Colt as he showed a Brawl Gem.
Chapter 6: A Brawler’s First Showdown
Without hesitation, Devon took the trinket. “I won’t let you down, I Promise!”, he said, a determined expression forming on his face. “Battle Linkage, Engage!”, said Devon, and a bright flash of light filled the area in mere seconds.
“No… It can’t be! The legendary warrior known as a Linker?!”, replied Nega-Rico as the light faded away. Mia and Puck gasped at Devon’s new appearance. He now wore an outfit similar to Colt’s, with the holder for the Battle Compact on his hip. “You look awesome, big bro!”, Puck shouted.
“Thanks, bro! Here goes nothing!”, replied Devon as he began to run towards the Glitchborg, which shot gunk towards our newbie hero. Thinking quickly, he leapt high into the air in the form of a somersault and landed a kick on the foe- causing Puck and Mia to cheer. “You actually pulled that off?!”, Mia replied.
“I guess I did! Hey, Colt- what can these bad boys do?”, Devon asked as he backflipped back down to the ground. “How about try using a silver bullet?”, Colt replied, loading his own ammo. “Don’t mind if I do.”, Devon said with a smile, jumping from ledge to ledge as he planted bullets into the thick hide of the foe.
“What are you just standing there for?! Get him!”, Nega-Rico replied as he commanded the foe to attack Devon. Thinking quickly, and after putting away his pistols, Devon landed a few roundhouse kicks and punches on the foe- even creating a dent in its chest followed by a bunch of six shooters.
“Ya want more where that came from?”, Devon replied as he smiled deviously. In an instant, he fired off a Bullet Storm that immobilized the enemy, causing Nega-Rico to tumble to the ground following the attack.
Chapter 7: Victory is Ours
Colt then smiled at Devon. “Kid, lets finish this!”, he shouted. “You called it, buddy!”, the latter said as he flashed a smile. “Activate Link Move!” Devon said as he and Colt aimed their pistols at the now stunned Glitchborg. “Thousand… Bullets!!”, he and Colt replied as they finished off the foe with a storm of bullets, purifying it at once.
“Programming restored…”, the foe replied as it changed back into a normal recycling bin. As the area returned to normal, Nega-Rico scowled in return. “This is only the start, foolish humans! Dr. Emmery Starr and I have more tricks up our sleeve, you know!”, he exclaimed as he vanished through a portal nearby. As Devon returned to normal, Mia clapped him on the back.
“You. Did. AMAZING!!!”, she cheered as Puck applauded his big bro. “Thanks, you two. I think this might be the start of something big!”, Devon said as a massive grin formed on his face. “Oh, you bet, kid. After all, there may be more Linkers out there- just like you.”, Colt replied as he began to head towards an empty alleyway. “See you when I have to, bud.”, he replied as Devon waved goodbye.
“Big bro, remember the enchiladas that were being made for dinner?”, Puck said, tugging on his brother’s hand. “Oh! I almost forgot! We’ve gotta get bac home, ASAP!”, Devon replied as he raced home. “Wait for me, Devon! I like enchiladas as much as you two!”, Mia replied as she headed off after the gang.
Elsewhere, in Dr. Emmery Starr’s base, Nega-Rico returned, defeated and very tired from his battle. “Sir… I failed to stop them. But we won’t let them win next time!”, he replied to his boss. “Very well, then. Next time we see them, I’m sure they won’t be able to put up a fight!”, replied Dr. Starr, his face obscured by shadow.
For Devon’s classmates and everyone else in the city of Cosmic Shores, it was a balmy afternoon like every other day- but for Devon, Mia, and Puck- it was only the beginning of something much bigger than any of them could think about.
Epilogue: Shelly’s New Mission
Back at the Brawler HQ, Colt had returned victorious- with the other Brawlers asking questions about his new Linker. Eventually, all the questioning got so hyper, that Pam had to ensure that everyone quieted down by snapping her fingers.
“Anyways, as I was saying, I think that Shelly should be the one to find her Linker next.”, Pam replied as she pulled up a database. “So, what could her Linker be like?”, Mortis replied as he slouched down in his chair, with a cup of tomato juice nearby. Shelly immediately took the laptop and began typing.
“Well, to be fair, I personally think that she might just be Mia Wilkin, Devon Starling’s best friend. She’s his classmate in school, lives a few blocks away from him, and she also is a fan of tv shows and video games.”, replied Shelly as she typed in the database.
“Well, I think that can wait until tomorrow. But for now, let’s get some rest. We’ve worked hard today, and we need all the energy we can.” Bo said as everyone made their way to their living quarters to rest up. After all, they needed the energy to not just battle a new day- but to also find the legendary Linkers to save their home.
