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Description
Far away, in the middle of some ocean, there was a sailboat drifting alone. The single passenger of the boat, a teenage boy, was resting after weathering a storm, when two voices entered his sleep.
----

"How long have you been out at sea?" asked a young female voice
"It's been about three months since I left the last island," the boy answered.
"For how long have you been traveling from island to island?" This time, it was a young male voice.
"A little over two years."
"You must be horribly tired." The two voices were alternating.
"Nah, I'm used to it now. I stock up on food and water at every island, and when I need to, I fish for food and drink rainwater."
"You just sailed through a storm. Are you not tired at all?"
"I'll just shake it off. I'm a tough guy."
"That is good to hear. Brother, let us use him."
"I agree, sister. I am confident he will be an interesting subject..."
----

The first thing Logan noticed when he woke up was that he was in a bed instead of outside on the deck of his boat. Through sleepy eyes, he took in dust-covered walls, the dirty blankets covering him, and an old-fashioned radio next to a smashed television. He mumbled to himself, "How did I get in a tacky, rundown hospital room?". He looked next to him and saw his fishing pole leaning against the wall. Then he turned his still-sleepy eyes the other way and snapped awake abruptly. There was no wall where he looked. Instead, he saw the landscape outside, which consisted of low gray hills topped with massive heaps of random items.

"What is this place?" he asked himself, "A giant landfill...?" He gasped. "What if someone abducted me while I was asleep? I would normally wake up if I was being abducted, but I was more tired than usual because of that storm..."

"zzzz..." A faint sound suddenly entered the room. It was the sound of static coming from the radio. "zzzz...Testing, one, two, three... Can you hear me from that side?"
Logan hesitantly answered the voice coming from the radio, "Um, yes, I can hear you, although there's still some static."
"Good enough. Now, I bet you're wondering where you are, and what you're doing here."
"Yeah, I am..."

"I'll explain that now. You are in Junkyard City, a remote island where abandoned or lost items mysteriously reappear. I am the leader and manager of this island, Ratchet Jack."
"A place where abandoned or lost items reappear? I've heard myths like that. The name is fitting." Logan fiddled with his hands and noticed something on his right wrist. He pulled back the sleeve and saw a bracelet with what looked like a large pink button on it.
"This island is inhabited by organisms that have fused with junk to become mutated monsters. These monsters will try to tear you apart, or turn you into a mutant like them, but you'll be safe. You've already been given an item that will protect you."

"By any chance, is it this bracelet that wasn't on my arm before I got here?"
"Yes, that's it. That bracelet holds a screw that creates a force field repelling the monsters. Don't ask how the screw inside doesn't impale you. It's a complicated method of contracting atoms. In any case, it's time I get to the important part, and why you're here. Are you keeping up?"
Logan swung his legs over the side of the bed and leaned towards the radio. "Yeah, go on..."

"For years, I have managed this island, along with a few assistants, but lately, the island has become unstable. Sections of it move and transform randomly, and the monsters have become more restless. It has come to the point that I have decided that there needs to be a new leader, from the outside world. And so I gathered several promising individuals, and set up a fighting tournament to the decide the new leader."
"A tournament?"

"Yes, now here are the ruleszzzz... mustzzzz... hospitalzzz... fightzzz... collectzzz... collarzzz... Vidget! Baul!zzzzz... Everybody 'ttention please, I am Gos-sip-Manzzzzz..."
The static from the radio fizzled away until it was replaced by a somewhat awkward silence.

"Greetings!" A green blob with large glasses and a friendly smile entered through the door and broke the somewhat awkward silence.
"Ahh! A monster!" Logan exclaimed. Quickly, he grabbed his fishing pole, and a 9-inch-diameter hook magically appeared on the end of the line. "Take this!" he yelled as he thrust his pole towards the monster.

The blob kept smiling as the hook flew towards him. When it was only inches away from his face, the blob caught the hook between the palms of his hands, like a samurai catching a blade with his bare hands.
"It caught it?!" Logan exclaimed.
"I beg your pardon," the blob spoke. "My name is Paul, and I am one of the judges appointed by Ratchet Jack." He let go of the hook and it dragged itself back to the tip of Logan's fishing pole.
"You're a judge?" Logan asked. "But you're a gooey... mass of toxic waste..."
Paul took off his glasses and stuffed them into his squishy body. "Biologically, I am similar to the monsters on this island, but I am more intelligent and civil than my barbaric brethren, so you need not fear me. As you can see, I am even allowed to enter the force field created by your screw."
"Oh... kay..." Logan hesitantly approved.

"In any case, Jack has not yet told you the rules of the tournament, has he?"
"Oh yeah! The radio connection got cut off and some weird rapper came on."
"That was G-Dragon, a member of the Korean boy band Big Bang."
"...Huh?"
"That's not important, so let's get back to the rules. First, you will exit this hospital and engage your opponents in combat outside. When you defeat your opponent, their screw will automatically be ejected from their bracelet, or for some contestants, from their collar. Once you collect a screw from four different contestants, you will proceed to the final battle in the tower at the center of the island. You are allowed to fight on any part of the island, except for this hospital, which is neutral territory. Lastly, if you lose even one battle, you will lose all the screws you have, and thus you will have no shield against the monsters of the island. Do you need me to repeat anything, or answer any questions?"

Logan took a couple seconds to think over the rules Paul had explained. "I have to take screws from four other people and leave them defenseless against the monsters? Isn't that harsh?"
"It is indeed a rather gruesome facet of the tournament. You are not required to kill your opponents, but if you let them live, they will have to fend for themselves anyway. Not even the hospital is completely safe from monsters."

"What if I don't even want to be in this tournament? What will stop me from just taking my boat and sailing away from here?"
"Your boat has been confiscated. It's the sailboat that can transform into a small wooden figurine, is it not?"
Logan was dumbstruck. "...How do you know that?"

"Mister Logan, I understand if you bear suspicion against Ratchet Jack and us judges. But the truth of the matter is, you have been thrown into a contest for survival and power, and no one can leave this island until a new leader is chosen. Once that is settled, the new leader can send the surviving contestants to their homes, if they wish."

Logan thought to himself for a moment. "...Okay, I'll take this challenge. I'm a strong warrior. I can win this tournament."

"I'm glad to hear that," Paul said with relief. "By the way, may I ask you a quick question?"
"What is it?" Logan replied.
"If you win this tournament, what will you do as the new leader?"
"To be honest, I'm not interested in being the leader of a giant junkyard with mutated monsters. I just want to leave this place."
"But it would truly be a pity to win the tournament and just leave. Isn't there something you would like to do if you win? Anything at all?"
Logan considered the question. "Hmm..."
----

In a dark room on the top floor of the hospital, Paul and Widget were conversing with Jack through a television. Widget spoke, "I just spoke with the newcomers like you wanted. One of them wants to leave the island as soon as possible, another said he'll maybe organize the place, and another said he'll start a lost-and-found service on the internet. They're all boring."
"I see..." Jack said. "Paul, what about that boy?"
"At first, the boy said he just wanted to leave the island, but I pressed him, and he gave a rather interesting answer."
"Really...?" Jack asked with curiosity.

"Yes, he's not sure yet, but he came up with two ideas. The first idea is that he will enlist all the monsters on the island to fight in a huge war against some demon pirates, called "The Ragnarok of the Sea". The second idea is that he will transform the island into a giant amusement park, and he even drew a rough map, which I have right here."
Widget spoke, "A war or an amusement park? That guy is way more interesting than the people I spoke to."

"Yes..." Jack said, "Interesting indeed... Good job with the interviews, guys. We must make sure the new leader is someone with great plans for the island. Keep a good eye on the contestants. From now on, they'll be on the move." He gave an eager grin. "The tournament has begun."

-End of Logan's Audition
----

Bonus Intermission

Logan: Hey Paul! OverChasm didn't include this in the main story, but why is my screw hot pink?!

Paul: Actually, it's electric magenta. I think the twins chose the color for you and thought it would be humorous to see a boy wearing a screw of a girlish color.

Logan: Then here's another question! Why is my room missing a wall?!

Paul: The building is old and worn, so almost every room has a broken window, door, or furnishings. You just happened to be one of the lucky few who have a completely corroded wall. I must say, the view is quite nice from here.

Logan: Okay, one more question! Why was there a Korean rap song on the radio?!

Paul: I think Jack picked out that song. His tastes in music can be interesting at times.

Description
Far away, in the middle of some ocean, there was a sailboat drifting alone. The single passenger of the boat, a teenage boy, was resting after weathering a storm, when two voices entered his sleep.
----

"How long have you been out at sea?" asked a young female voice
"It's been about three months since I left the last island," the boy answered.
"For how long have you been traveling from island to island?" This time, it was a young male voice.
"A little over two years."
"You must be horribly tired." The two voices were alternating.
"Nah, I'm used to it now. I stock up on food and water at every island, and when I need to, I fish for food and drink rainwater."
"You just sailed through a storm. Are you not tired at all?"
"I'll just shake it off. I'm a tough guy."
"That is good to hear. Brother, let us use him."
"I agree, sister. I am confident he will be an interesting subject..."
----

The first thing Logan noticed when he woke up was that he was in a bed instead of outside on the deck of his boat. Through sleepy eyes, he took in dust-covered walls, the dirty blankets covering him, and an old-fashioned radio next to a smashed television. He mumbled to himself, "How did I get in a tacky, rundown hospital room?". He looked next to him and saw his fishing pole leaning against the wall. Then he turned his still-sleepy eyes the other way and snapped awake abruptly. There was no wall where he looked. Instead, he saw the landscape outside, which consisted of low gray hills topped with massive heaps of random items.

"What is this place?" he asked himself, "A giant landfill...?" He gasped. "What if someone abducted me while I was asleep? I would normally wake up if I was being abducted, but I was more tired than usual because of that storm..."

"zzzz..." A faint sound suddenly entered the room. It was the sound of static coming from the radio. "zzzz...Testing, one, two, three... Can you hear me from that side?"
Logan hesitantly answered the voice coming from the radio, "Um, yes, I can hear you, although there's still some static."
"Good enough. Now, I bet you're wondering where you are, and what you're doing here."
"Yeah, I am..."

"I'll explain that now. You are in Junkyard City, a remote island where abandoned or lost items mysteriously reappear. I am the leader and manager of this island, Ratchet Jack."
"A place where abandoned or lost items reappear? I've heard myths like that. The name is fitting." Logan fiddled with his hands and noticed something on his right wrist. He pulled back the sleeve and saw a bracelet with what looked like a large pink button on it.
"This island is inhabited by organisms that have fused with junk to become mutated monsters. These monsters will try to tear you apart, or turn you into a mutant like them, but you'll be safe. You've already been given an item that will protect you."

"By any chance, is it this bracelet that wasn't on my arm before I got here?"
"Yes, that's it. That bracelet holds a screw that creates a force field repelling the monsters. Don't ask how the screw inside doesn't impale you. It's a complicated method of contracting atoms. In any case, it's time I get to the important part, and why you're here. Are you keeping up?"
Logan swung his legs over the side of the bed and leaned towards the radio. "Yeah, go on..."

"For years, I have managed this island, along with a few assistants, but lately, the island has become unstable. Sections of it move and transform randomly, and the monsters have become more restless. It has come to the point that I have decided that there needs to be a new leader, from the outside world. And so I gathered several promising individuals, and set up a fighting tournament to the decide the new leader."
"A tournament?"

"Yes, now here are the ruleszzzz... mustzzzz... hospitalzzz... fightzzz... collectzzz... collarzzz... Vidget! Baul!zzzzz... Everybody 'ttention please, I am Gos-sip-Manzzzzz..."
The static from the radio fizzled away until it was replaced by a somewhat awkward silence.

"Greetings!" A green blob with large glasses and a friendly smile entered through the door and broke the somewhat awkward silence.
"Ahh! A monster!" Logan exclaimed. Quickly, he grabbed his fishing pole, and a 9-inch-diameter hook magically appeared on the end of the line. "Take this!" he yelled as he thrust his pole towards the monster.

The blob kept smiling as the hook flew towards him. When it was only inches away from his face, the blob caught the hook between the palms of his hands, like a samurai catching a blade with his bare hands.
"It caught it?!" Logan exclaimed.
"I beg your pardon," the blob spoke. "My name is Paul, and I am one of the judges appointed by Ratchet Jack." He let go of the hook and it dragged itself back to the tip of Logan's fishing pole.
"You're a judge?" Logan asked. "But you're a gooey... mass of toxic waste..."
Paul took off his glasses and stuffed them into his squishy body. "Biologically, I am similar to the monsters on this island, but I am more intelligent and civil than my barbaric brethren, so you need not fear me. As you can see, I am even allowed to enter the force field created by your screw."
"Oh... kay..." Logan hesitantly approved.

"In any case, Jack has not yet told you the rules of the tournament, has he?"
"Oh yeah! The radio connection got cut off and some weird rapper came on."
"That was G-Dragon, a member of the Korean boy band Big Bang."
"...Huh?"
"That's not important, so let's get back to the rules. First, you will exit this hospital and engage your opponents in combat outside. When you defeat your opponent, their screw will automatically be ejected from their bracelet, or for some contestants, from their collar. Once you collect a screw from four different contestants, you will proceed to the final battle in the tower at the center of the island. You are allowed to fight on any part of the island, except for this hospital, which is neutral territory. Lastly, if you lose even one battle, you will lose all the screws you have, and thus you will have no shield against the monsters of the island. Do you need me to repeat anything, or answer any questions?"

Logan took a couple seconds to think over the rules Paul had explained. "I have to take screws from four other people and leave them defenseless against the monsters? Isn't that harsh?"
"It is indeed a rather gruesome facet of the tournament. You are not required to kill your opponents, but if you let them live, they will have to fend for themselves anyway. Not even the hospital is completely safe from monsters."

"What if I don't even want to be in this tournament? What will stop me from just taking my boat and sailing away from here?"
"Your boat has been confiscated. It's the sailboat that can transform into a small wooden figurine, is it not?"
Logan was dumbstruck. "...How do you know that?"

"Mister Logan, I understand if you bear suspicion against Ratchet Jack and us judges. But the truth of the matter is, you have been thrown into a contest for survival and power, and no one can leave this island until a new leader is chosen. Once that is settled, the new leader can send the surviving contestants to their homes, if they wish."

Logan thought to himself for a moment. "...Okay, I'll take this challenge. I'm a strong warrior. I can win this tournament."

"I'm glad to hear that," Paul said with relief. "By the way, may I ask you a quick question?"
"What is it?" Logan replied.
"If you win this tournament, what will you do as the new leader?"
"To be honest, I'm not interested in being the leader of a giant junkyard with mutated monsters. I just want to leave this place."
"But it would truly be a pity to win the tournament and just leave. Isn't there something you would like to do if you win? Anything at all?"
Logan considered the question. "Hmm..."
----

In a dark room on the top floor of the hospital, Paul and Widget were conversing with Jack through a television. Widget spoke, "I just spoke with the newcomers like you wanted. One of them wants to leave the island as soon as possible, another said he'll maybe organize the place, and another said he'll start a lost-and-found service on the internet. They're all boring."
"I see..." Jack said. "Paul, what about that boy?"
"At first, the boy said he just wanted to leave the island, but I pressed him, and he gave a rather interesting answer."
"Really...?" Jack asked with curiosity.

"Yes, he's not sure yet, but he came up with two ideas. The first idea is that he will enlist all the monsters on the island to fight in a huge war against some demon pirates, called "The Ragnarok of the Sea". The second idea is that he will transform the island into a giant amusement park, and he even drew a rough map, which I have right here."
Widget spoke, "A war or an amusement park? That guy is way more interesting than the people I spoke to."

"Yes..." Jack said, "Interesting indeed... Good job with the interviews, guys. We must make sure the new leader is someone with great plans for the island. Keep a good eye on the contestants. From now on, they'll be on the move." He gave an eager grin. "The tournament has begun."

-End of Logan's Audition
----

Bonus Intermission

Logan: Hey Paul! OverChasm didn't include this in the main story, but why is my screw hot pink?!

Paul: Actually, it's electric magenta. I think the twins chose the color for you and thought it would be humorous to see a boy wearing a screw of a girlish color.

Logan: Then here's another question! Why is my room missing a wall?!

Paul: The building is old and worn, so almost every room has a broken window, door, or furnishings. You just happened to be one of the lucky few who have a completely corroded wall. I must say, the view is quite nice from here.

Logan: Okay, one more question! Why was there a Korean rap song on the radio?!

Paul: I think Jack picked out that song. His tastes in music can be interesting at times.