(I don’t know what leads to this, maybe they need 4 people to pull something off)
Gus: But who?
[Looks directly into the camera]
Gus: Who could possibly be the 4th member of our motley space pirate crew?
[Stella and Ace in the background look at each other, confused]
Offscreen announcer: OUR NEXT FIGHTER…
HERO PROTAGONIST!
[The crowd cheers and whistles]
[The fighter curtain raises to reveal generic anime hero man. He’s acting humble and shy, waving slightly at the audience and pretending to be blushing. He’s already kind of insufferable.]
Announcer: Folks, we’ve got a slight delay, but that means we’re lucky enough to get some time to talk with Hero. How about you Hero, are you feeling lucky today?
Hero: Gosh I sure am, listen to them!
[The crowd is still making noise, this guy is pretty well-liked]
Hero: I feel like I could do anything, so long as I have these wonderful people on my side.
[The crowd loves it]
Hero: And I’m glad to be fighting Secondary Protagonist today. He and I go way back, great friends, studied dueling together. Being able to duel with him today, it’s a dream come true.
Announcer: Right, about that.
Hero: Eh?
Announcer: Well, it seems Secondary Protagonist hasn’t shown up today.
Hero: What??
Announcer: So we’ve set you up against another opponent!
Hero: ….Who?
[Jumpcut away from Hero’s confused face to Hero’s terrified face. He’s shaking, he’s sweating, he might even start crying.]
Announcer: Folks, we’re finally ready! OUR NEXT FIGHTER, BACK FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER HIS SUSPENSION…
[The opponent curtain raises to reveal a tall, birdlike villain of a man, shirtless with a bullseye tattooed over his heart.]
SAVINIEN ROOK!
[Hero is still quivering. The crowd is silent]
[Rook looks straight at Hero]
[Then turns to look at the crowd]
[Lifts a single corner of his mouth]
[The crowd loses it. Way louder than they were cheering for Hero, they’ve completely switched sides]
Announcer: [Struggling over the volume of the crowd] Savinien, great to have you back, may I call you Savi?
Rook: [Flatly] No.
[The crowd is chanting “ROOK! ROOK! ROOK!” in such unison it’d unnerve any opponent]
Announcer: Well the crowd knows what to call you! Looks like they haven’t forgotten you during your yearlong suspension after you were suspected to be an assassin for the local crime syndicate.
Rook: [He hasn’t looked at the Announcer at all, still looking at the audience] Charges which I fought and were dropped. Water under the bridge and all that. [Finally turns to the Announcer with such a smile that could almost be interpreted as genuine] But it feels good to be back where I belong.
[This man is the face of bloodsport, and the crowd has been craving blood since his suspension]
[Rook draws his saber (eliciting a whimper out of Hero) and approaches the dueling zone. Hero draws his saber too]
Announcer: Ah! One more thing! Rook, we are loathe to ask, but we need you to wear the uniform.
[The crowd boos]
[Rook glares at the Announcer, then drops it and smiles instead]
Rook: Well, I can’t really break the rules on my first day back.
[Someone tosses him a white dueling jacket, which he pulls on]
Hero: [After finally mustering something resembling courage after having a sword in his hand] O-okay, let’s…
Rook: [Lifts a finger] Wait, wait.
[Rook grabs a black marker from his sword belt, specifically there for this purpose, uncaps it with his mouth, and draws a bullseye over his heart on the white uniform.]
Gotta see what you’re aiming at.
[He replaces the marker at his hip]
[He taps on the bullseye]
Don’t miss.
[The crowd goes wild]
Announcer: Okay, that’s more than enough wind-up, let’s duel! Fighters, get in position.
Hero: [Has slowly been building up courage] Listen villain, I don’t care what the courts say, I know you’re working for the mafia. You’re irredeemable! I’ll face you head on!! [That anime protagonist thing where he lunges forward]
[Jumpcut to Rook wiping blood off his sword as a covered body is carried away]