BMU Archive

[Maniacal Engineer]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-spiBV2Be5A
​

To the Fun and Games and War Room communities,

What can I say? It's been a blast. These past three years have been an adventure, that's for sure. It's definitely safe to say that my time here on Bulbagarden forums would have been very different if it were not for these great sections. Throughout this time, I grew up. Though originally a troublemaker, Enzap decided to take a chance on me and promoted me to a member of the Bulbagarden staff in 2016. It has been my honor and privilege to serve these sections since.

However, all things must come to an end sooner or later. And so, like Enzap and Zexy before me, it is time. Time for me to go, and you know what? I'm okay with that. I leave this section in good hands. Not just in the capable hands of the moderators, all of whom I had the pleasure of welcoming into the F&G/TWR staff, but also in your hands.

Yes, you, the users. Each and every one of you brings something unique to the table, and each and every one of you helps make these sections what they are. For that, I thank you.

I've often been known to say that the F&G/TWR sections are the best sections on the forum, and look at the evidence. We have eight very competent staff members in F&G. Three out of the five recently promoted admins have come from the ranks of the F&G staff, including the Head Admin. And so many more of the staffers outside of Fun and Games or The War Room also stop by here.

To the Fun and Games staff members: it has been a pleasure working with you and watching you grow as staffers.

To the regular users: I'll see you around. This is not the last that the F&G section will hear from me.

Now, of course, before I leave, there are a few things left for me to do. Number one, I shall provide y'all with a comprehensive list of all of the BMU games hosted up to this point. This post and this thread shall serve as the BMU Archive, where more stories and games will be added as they are hosted.

BMU Chronology:

1. Random Messages Mafia (Aug 9 - 30 2015)
2. Fruit Bowl Mafia (Dec 30 2015 - Jan 28 2016)
3. It's All About ME Mafia (Mar 21 - Apr 4 2016)
4. MCH Multiverse Mafia (May 9 - June 16 2016)
5. TWR '16 Mafia (Aug 1 - Sep 4 2016)
6. Sockpuppet Mafia 2016 (Oct 1 - 16 2016)
7. Zexy Games Mafia (Oct 10 - Nov 14 2016)
8. Random Messages Mafia 2 (Mar 14 - May 16 2017)
9. Zexy Games Mafia II (Apr 8 - 23 2017)
10. ME vs WE Mafia (June 6 - July 30 2017)
11. Fruit Bowl Mafia II (May 30 - June 22 2017)
12. ME Movies Mafia (Aug 5 - Sep 19 2017)
13. TWR '17 Mafia (Aug 1 - Sep 26 2017)
14. It's All About ME Mafia 2 (June 25 - July 8 2018)
15. TheCapsFan Clocks Out (Oct 9 2017)
16. MCH Multiverse Mafia 2 (Oct 9 - Nov 21 2017)
17. Zexy Games Mafia III (Nov 3 - Dec 12 2017)
18. The End of All Things Parts 1 and 2 (Mar 8-9 2018)
19. It's All About MCH Mafia Parts 1 and 2 (Aug 13-16 2018)
20. Scooby Doo Mafia (Sep 23 - Oct 1 2018)
21. YOU Mafia (Sep 22 - Oct 22 2018)
22. Prank War Mafia (May 26 - June 2 2019)
23. TWR Games Bonanza (Aug 21 - Sep 27 2019)
24. MCH's Evil Tourney (Dec 18 2019 - Jan 18 2020)
25. A Perfectly Ordinary Game of Mafia (Apr 16 2020 - May 1)

But wait a second. What is "The End of All Things?" Well, as TWR's premier Flavor Text writer (at least for seasons 16 and 17), I couldn't just up and leave without writing myself out. And so, also included in this thread, is my finale. I will post the first part below, and the second part tomorrow, just to build suspense.

 

[Maniacal Engineer]

The End of All Things part 1: ME's Endgame

The F&G Administration Building echoed with the booming noises emanating from Maniacal Engineer's R&D Plant. The sound of heavy machinery combined with the sound of loud rock music created a cacophony that could be heard even outside the building. Maniacal Engineer himself had not left the plant for nearly a week. Occasionally, he would text one of his staffers: "need food," and the unfortunate staff member would have to go into the plant to provide food for the mad scientist. This evening, it was Lone_Garurumon's turn. As he walked into the plant, carrying a tray with nachos, grilled cheese, and seltzer, the mod was treated to the sound of Metallica's All Nightmare Long echoing eerily in the huge plant. The machinery had stopped, at least momentarily, though there was the sound of banging and swearing emanating from further in the plant.
"That idiot Zexy broke my Regeneration Machine," came ME's voice, "and then, if you can believe it he was promoted to admin!"
The smashing noises intensified for a moment, before a loud thud followed by Maniacal Engineer roaring in pain and a bunch of expletives. Lone found him, next to a partially built Regeneration Machine, just as he tossed his hammer against the wall in a fit of rage. Lone looked closely at his boss. ME's eye were bloodshot and twitching. He had dark bags under his eyes, and his hands and clothes were stained with motor oil. His hair, grayer than ever, and possibly thinning, was untidy and drenched in sweat. Most notably, though, was the madman's skin. He was pale. Very pale. As LG approached, ME was staunching the bleeding from where his hammer had recently come into contact with his biological right hand. The Super Mod noticed him approaching and quickly grabbed the tray, devouring its contents ravenously. LG looked around at the half built machines and gadgets and then at his boss.
"Maybe you should take a break," the moderator suggested, "whatever you're working on, you've got time."
ME exploded.
"A break?!" he shouted, "I don't have time to take a break. There's still so much left to do before..."
"Before what?" asked Lone, curiosity piqued.
The Super Mod stared into LG's eyes with an intense and manic glare for a moment before standing, causing the now empty tray to clatter on the ground.
"Get out!" he yelled, "GET OUT!!!!!"
As the moderator fled, the music intensified, and the clanging resumed. Just barely, he could hear ME repeating a mantra over and over again.
"There's no time. There's no time. There's no time. There's no time. There's no..."

The following morning, having relocated temporarily to The Situation Room to avoid the excessive noise in the F&G Administration Building, the F&G staff met for their daily meeting, including F&G's newest mod, Rainbow Cloud. ME was still not present, though this surprised nobody at this point. The section's other Super Mod, SoaringDylan, led the meeting. After they discussed the day-to-day stuff, conversation naturally turned to their absent comrade.
"I have never seen him so angry before," remarked Elementar, "when I went in there with food, I saw him punching the walls."
"When I brought him a stack of waffles, he yelled at me and asked what sort of idiot eats waffles for dinner," DarthWolf recounted, "it was 6:00am."
"He's not angry," stated Lone_Garurumon, remembering the intense and manic stare that ME had given him as well as the repeated mantra, "he's desperate. Keeps saying how there's no time."
A collective hush fell over the mods, until Rainbow Cloud voiced aloud what they had all been thinking:
"What could have ME feeling so backed into a corner?"
"Someone needs to have a talk with him," suggested Elementar.
"Yes," agreed Dylan, "but not any of us. We need someone that ME will actually listen to."

Enzap arrived outside the F&G Administration Building. True to the urgent notification he had received from Dylan, the noise level was indeed audible from the street. He walked in to the deserted building and over to the metal doors that led to ME's plant. He opened the doors and was greeting by the blasting of My Chemical Romance's Welcome to the Black Parade.
Enzap took a look around at the assembled technology, impressed by his protege's work. A loud crash and a bunch of swearing reminded the admin why he was there, and he set off across the labyrinth of half built or disassembled machines to find Maniacal Engineer.
He found the Super Mod cannibalizing the remains of a prototype engine for his Punstermobile and muttering to himself. The mad scientist grabbed an armful of the parts, and started walking away, without noticing Enzap. As the admin followed, one of the parts slipped from the precarious stack, and fell to the ground. ME swore, as he tried to reach down and grab the part without toppling the rest of the pile. Quickly, Enzap walked over and picked up the part.
"Figured you could use a hand," he said, smiling.
Though outwardly he was smiling, inwardly, he was worried.
"What's going on with you?" wondered the admin, "you've never driven yourself this hard before. You missed your last two fencing lessons."
For his part, the madman glared at Enzap for a moment, before shrugging and continuing to walk, muttering to himself the whole way.
Enzap caught the words: "administrator," "enemy," and "time."
The admin tried to engage Engie in conversation as they walked through the piles of technology.
"What are you working on?" he asked.
The Super Mod just kept muttering to himself: "interloper," "spy," "sabotage."
Suddenly, Enzap noticed what they were walking towards, a partially rebuilt Regeneration Machine.
He stopped short, shocked at what ME was doing. For his part, the maniac walked over to the machine and set down the pile of parts he was carrying.
"ME," said Enzap, taking an unconscious step backward, "dig forbade building more of these. You know that."
The insane tinkerer walked over to his former boss, grabbed the part from him, and examined it thoroughly, still muttering to himself: "condemned," "death," "revenge."
Satisfied that Enzap hadn't tampered with the part, Engie took it back to the machine, picked up his tools, and began integrating the pile of parts into the machine.
For his part, Enzap regained his senses, and stepped forward.
"ME," he said, "you need to come with me. Whatever is going on, the admins can help, but I cannot let you build that machine. They're too dangerous."
"Not yet," muttered the engineer, "no. I cannot be stopped now."
"This is your last warning," said Enzap, sternly, "I don't want to have to hurt you."
A dangerous glint appeared in ME's eyes, underlying the insanity and desperation within, and suddenly Enzap's blood chilled.
The Super Moderator finally stopped working and turned to the Administrator.
"I will not let my work be disrupted," he said, "if you continue to delay me, I will need to remove you by force."
"ME, let's talk about this," Enzap begged, "whatever problems you're having, we can fix them together."
"No time," said the mad scientist, "this is your last chance. Leave, or I will remove you myself."
Seeing the gleaming piles of technology that ME had at his disposal in the plant, Enzap decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and turned to leave.
"You know that I'll need to let the other admins know about this," he said.
The dangerous glint reappeared in ME's eyes, and he raised his robotic arm. As Enzap was leaving the plant, ME fired an energy blast at him. Fortunately, the madman's aim wasn't exactly stellar after working himself virtually non-stop for a week, and the shot went a bit wide, but it still singed Enzap's side.
As the metal doors closed behind him, the admin sighed.
"So that's how it's going to be," he said sadly.

Dylan was waiting outside for Enzap to return.
"So how'd it go?" he asked, jumping on the Admin, as soon as he exited the front doors.
"I have to go back to the admin section," said Enzap, "ME has just declared war on the admins."
It was then that Dylan noticed the burns on Enzap's side. His eyes widened.
"Anything we can do to help, of course," the Dutch Super Mod said.
"Thanks," said Enzap, "I appreciate the offer, but the admins should be able to handle this. Just make sure that regular users are evacuated from the area."
"Understood," said Dylan.
As Enzap turned to leave, the din from the F&G Administration Building got worse. In addition to the machines and the music, the alarm was now also blaring.
"Uh-oh," said Dylan, "that ain't good."
"What's that?" asked Enzap.
"ME's put the building on lockdown," explained Dylan, as metal bulkheads surrounded the building.
"...that complicates things," sighed Enzap, "things are never easy with that guy."
With that, the admin departed, going off to let the other admins know of the recent developments.

"He did what?!" asked dig, incredulously.
"He's building another Regeneration Machine," Enzap repeated, having just delivered his report.
"So he is up to something with that thing," said Zexy, as much to himself as to the others in the room.
"And he refused to listen to reason?" asked Shiny Celebi.
"This isn't like him," said Enzap, shaking his head, "there's got to be something else at play, here."
"Perhaps so," said dig, "but he did declare war on the admins, both by breaking the rules and then by shooting you. We cannot let that slide."
"What's the plan, boss?" asked the newest admin.
"You worked with ME on the upgrades to the F&G Administration Building since Enzap left," said dig, "so you're most familiar with the building's potential weaknesses."
Zexy nodded.
"Getting into the building shouldn't be a problem," he stated, "it's meant to be manned by multiple people in times of crisis, but since ME has isolated himself and, likely, locked himself in his R&D plant, the outer defenses won't be in use. We'll need to break through the bulkheads, but that's it."
"Sounds pretty easy so far," commented dig, "go on."
"ME's plant is going to be the bigger problem," said Zexy, "ever since the new F&G mods broke in there a few weeks ago, he's upgraded the security on that place. It's his own personal fortress, and, even if we do get in, he's got access to plenty of weaponry in that plant, so we'd likely be outgunned."
"I don't know," interjected Enzap, thoughtfully, "most of what I saw in that plant was disassembled or only partially built. He's been cannibalizing a lot of his machines for the Regeneration Machine."
"The key here is that he's only one man," said dig, "based on Enzap's description, he's probably in a weakened state."
"I wouldn't necessarily say that," said Hidden Mew, "yes he may be functioning on minimal sleep, minimal food consumption, and have been pushing himself to the point of exhaustion for a week, but given the state of mind he's in, he's clearly not thinking rationally, and that makes him more unpredictable and dangerous."
"So he's unpredictable, likely has access to a lot of deadly weapons, and time is not on our side," concluded dig, "so we need to go out, and go out in full force."
After drawing up rudimentary battle plans and tasks, the admins departed, destination: the F&G Administration Building.

True to his word, Dylan had cleared all of the regular users out of potential harm's way, though most of them had been avoiding the area due to the noise, anyway. The Super Mod met the admins as they entered the designated perimeter.
"Good luck," said the Dutch staffer.
Glancing back at the locked down building, he added: "you're going to need it."
Dylan departed, and the admins began their campaign.

A master of tunnels, the Head Administrator dug his way into the F&G Administration Building, while Zexy and Enzap started dismantling the external surveillance equipment.
Shiny Celebi and Hidden Mew used their combined psychic powers to warp the external bulkheads. True to Zexy's intuition, they were met with no resistance as they breached the building's exterior.
When dig attempted to tunnel into ME's R&D Plant, however, he was blasted backwards by a force field that extended underground. Similar attempts to warp the plant's metal doors were met with failure, as the cacophony disrupted the telepathic concentration of the two psychic admins.
Zexy and Enzap charged into the building, and stood by the door.
"The force field is powered by a generator in the plant itself, which is self-sustaining in terms of power," explained Zexy, as he and Enzap helped the dazed dig back on his feet, "no chance of us cutting off his power supply."
"I thought as much," said dig, "so we'll have to either short out the force field or find a way to disrupt it from out here."
Enzap pulled out a special fencing foil.
"I think this will do the trick," he said, "it's made out of Nth metal, because I got sick of ME grabbing my foil with his robotic arm during our fencing lessons and it evens out the match a little by increasing my own strength and healing. Nth metal protects me from the elements, so I should be able to use it to disrupt the force field."
Sure enough, Enzap was able to effectively slice through the force field and step through it holding his Nth metal sword. Walking over to the electronic panel, he stabbed it with the curious blade. Though this did successfully short out the external defenses, including turning off the force field, the feedback was too much for even the mystical metal to withstand. The blade melted, and Enzap was blasted backwards.
After quickly confirming that Enzap was dazed, but okay, the other admins filed in to the R&D Plant, with Zexy bringing up the rear.
The newest admin saw it coming, but was unable to warn the others before dig tripped a hidden wire, causing the two closest piles of machinery to topple over. Zexy dodged the avalanche, but the other three were not so lucky. They were trapped by the mishap mess that the machinery caused.
Dig noticed Zexy's hesitance.
"Go," ordered the Head Admin, "I can get us out of here, but we're running on a clock. If ME finishes that machine, all this will be for nothing."
Zexy nodded, and ran off, careful to avoid any of ME's traps.
Eventually, he heard the sound of ME muttering. Following the noise, he found the mad scientist putting the finishing touches on the new Regeneration Machine. He flicked a switch, and the dangerous device began charging.
Maniacal Engineer laughed evilly.
"It is done! I am victorious!"

 

[Lone_Garurumon]

I'm not quite sure how to put this into words...
You've been staff for as long as I can remember, and it's gonna be weird with you not being sectional staff anymore. I know you'll still probably be around, but you'll be busy with Admin stuff, so you won't be around as much, and it'll be... Weird, but it's also a good thing that you've been able to go all the way to Admin.
Anyway, a proper congratulations on the Admin position, and I hope it goes well for ya.

 

[Elieson]

I can't even feel bad about these kinds of good-byes when you leave us with such a gift that forces two reads before leaving a comment about it. You're stuck with us though, my friend, so call this more of a "see you later" than a "good-bye", right?

 

[Maniacal Engineer]

You're stuck with us though, my friend, so call this more of a "see you later" than a "good-bye", right?

Definitely. This is really just a formality to remove myself from the MoD list, and any and all day-to-day sectional activities.
I don't know if I'll go back to playing or hosting games, but I won't leave y'all derelict.

That said, if y'all need your daily ME fix, just watch Bulbacast. XD

 

[jdthebud]

ME, your love and commitment to the War Room and F&G section was (and is!) constantly on display from the moment I came here looking for a different style of mafia game. We've had some nice conversations together on Discord and here, and I will always be honored that I was with you during your last official game as mafia.

Your FT prowess is the good standard, and good luck with your admin duties!

 

[MegaPod]

ME, thanks a ton for being a fun sectional staff member, and an awesome game host and flavor text writer. This section won’t be quite the same without you.

 

[Pika_pika42]

Oh ME, it was so much fun with you being around here. I know you'll always be with us coz everyone has a part of ME in them. Will miss your games, puns and FT. All the best for your future endeavours.

 

[Kharixi]

ME, you've been awesome here in F&G and the War Room. Take care wherever you go.



...what? You expect me to say more? You're not leaving for good, after all. Who cares? Keep Bulbacasting so we can get our daily ME fix. See ya later.

 

[DarthWolf]

You better not leave permanently, I couldn't handle having to lose my dad a good friend.

You're a great MEntor and boss to me (no not to yourself ) and that is something that will stay with me (nopw you can include yourself). Perhaps we could MEet up irl in the future, that would be a good time.

Spoiler: This deserves a picture

 

[Elementar]

Well, I guess this is it. (In terms of you focusing on this section only, because we all know you're not gone).

Thank you for all of your help, your guidance and the laughs you provided. I can't recall how many times we talked about games, FT, the forum, life and everything in between. Your effect on this section and I is priceless, and we are sad to see you leave (but also happy you get a well deserved promotion). Good luck as admin and for everything else your life entails. We expect to be kept within the loop

 

[Maniacal Engineer]

We expect to be kept within the Loop

Elementar, if you want to be kept in the Loop, move to Chicago.

 

[Pikochu]

Hey ME,

While it's a shame that you'll no longer be mainly involved in this section, you have contributed so much to TWR and Fun and Games. While I am disappointed that you will no longer mainly be focused on this section, I am glad that you're [mostly] leaving this section in better condition than it was when you're mod. Not only that, but you were the integral part of why TWR community exists today. I am confident that your predecessors here will do very well here.

I'll see you around Bulbagarden! Good luck on your admin duties and I look forward working with you in the future!

 

[Maniacal Engineer]

The End of All Things part two: The Last Section Head

For a moment, Zexy froze, as the Regeneration Machine charged up its Muon/Electron beam. Then, he took decisive action.
Picking up a nearby wrench, he pushed aside the laughing Maniacal Engineer and approached the machine.
"No," said ME, raising his robotic arm, threateningly, "what are you doing?"
Positioning himself so that if ME fired, he'd hit the Regeneration Machine, Zexy turned to face his former boss.
"I'm ending this," he said, raising the wrench.
"NOOOO!!!!" shouted the mad scientist, attempting to charge at the admin.
Unfortunately, he tripped over the recently discarded snack tray that Lone_Garurumon had brought in.
Zexy brought the wrench down on the machine, smashing the particle emitter and causing it to overload, just as the other four admins approached.
"It's over," said Shiny Celebi, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Not yet," pointed out Hidden Mew, gesturing toward the insane Super Mod, who was getting to his feet.
"ME," said dig, "give up. You've lost."
"No," said ME, glancing from the admins to the broken machine, "No! No! No!"
He scampered over to his machine, and began picking up the pieces, but his body began to spasm, having been pushed too far. The pieces clattered on the floor.
"Enough!" commanded the Head Admin.
He signaled for Enzap and Zexy to restrain the twitching Super Mod. As the duo stepped forward, something unexpected happened. ME broke down into tears.
"Y-y-you idiots!" he shouted in fury and dismay, "you've killed me!"
"What?" blurted Zexy, dropping the wrench and saying aloud what all the admins had been thinking.
The Super Mod struggled to his feet, weakly, and stood on shaky legs.
"My robotic arm uses a nuclear power supply," he revealed, "I am suffering from radiation poisoning. The first Regeneration Machine had been keeping me alive and allowing me to purge the radiation from my system. That's why I had to create the backdoor into admin territory when the machine was brought there, but then Zexy had to go and blow it up."
The dying Super Mod glared at the Greek admin, who recoiled in horror at what he had done.
"This second Regeneration Machine was my only hope for survival," said the mad scientist, dejectedly gesturing at the now useless pile of scrap, "but now..."
Exhausted, the Super Mod collapsed, and began sobbing.
"I don't want to die," he wailed.
Hidden Mew scanned the engineer and gasped.
"He's not lying," she said, showing the results to dig, "his body is being destroyed by the radiation. It's a miracle he isn't dead already."
Meanwhile, ME was muttering to himself, trying to think of a way out of his predicament.
"Not enough time to rebuild the machine," he said, "too late to eject the arm. A full Regeneration might purge the radiation, but who knows what sort of effect that would have on the already unstable process?"
He started swearing.
Zexy looked at his former boss and fellow member of the Handsome Three, and felt a massive wave of guilt. He had destroyed both Regeneration Machines, and therefore would be responsible for his friend's death.
"No!" said the Greek admin, resolutely, "it's not over yet!"
Picking up the fallen wrench, he walked over to the Regeneration Machine and started fixing it.
"I'm not gonna let you die on me, old man," he said.
"Damn fool," muttered ME, "it's too late."
Nonetheless, the Super Mod stood up and dragged himself over to the broken Regeneration Machine. He inspected it carefully, and turned to Zexy.
"We don't need to fix everything," he said, "just need to repair the particle emitter."
His hands started to glow, and he doubled over, as though in pain.
"It's starting," he said, "not much time now."
Using his sheer determination, the mad scientist held back the Regeneration energy, as he and Zexy worked on the machine. The other admins stood by as the duo worked.

"Why didn't he tell us?" wondered dig, "the bloody idiot caused his own problems."
Enzap shook his head.
"He didn't trust us after we promoted Zexy for breaking the first machine," he guessed, "and he really didn't have a lot of time to waste arguing, if he did confront us."
"He probably decided that, it was better to build the new machine, save himself, and then deal with the consequences and explanations," agreed Hidden Mew, "he really was working on a tight schedule, and he's already on borrowed time."

As she spoke, ME's hands began glowing again.
"No!" said the Super Mod, desperately, "not yet! Not yet!"
Concentrating, the mad scientist was able to purge the energy once again, but his face revealed the tremendous effort and the pain that was still surging through his dying body.
"There!" shouted Zexy, closing a panel, "it should be ready now."
But ME had already collapsed into a glowing heap, no longer able to contain the energy.
"Go!" he ordered the admins, "it's over. I can't hold it anymore!"
"No!" said Zexy, turning the machine on. The Muon/Electron beam began charging again, "not long now, ME. Just hang on for a few more seconds."
"I can't..." said the engineer, "it's too late..."
He closed his eyes, and was engulfed by the glowing energy.
"...goodbye," he said, softly, as the glowing intensified.
Zexy glanced at his fellow admins, sparing them a brief thought.
"You might want to get out of here," suggested the Greek admin, "this isn't going to be pretty."
The admins beat a hasty retreat, leaving Zexy next to the dying ME.
Zexy grabbed his former boss, who was convulsing, but still conscious.
"What the hell are you doing here, you dumbass?" asked the mad scientist, barely opening his eyes.
"Saving your life, you idiot," retorted Zexy, dragging ME into the range of the particle beam.
ME snorted in amusement.
"Typical," he said, "you're the moron who put my life in danger in the first place."
"I didn't know," said Zexy, with tears in his eyes, "you have to believe me. I had no idea."
The engineer opened his mouth to reply, but his eyes closed, and his body went slack. The glowing intensified.
"Come on," said Zexy, staring at the charging machine, "come on!"

A blast fired from the Regeneration Machine, just as Maniacal Engineer erupted with Regeneration energy. The dying Super Mod was flooded with Muons and Electrons. Instantly, his eyes snapped open, and he walked over to the machine, staying in range of the firing particle beam. He flipped a few switches, and walked into the partially collapsed chamber within, closing the doors behind him.
Standing outside of the machine, Zexy watched apprehensively as bright lights flashed in the machine, and it teetered back and forth unsteadily. At last, the flashing and rocking stopped, and the machine settled back down, smoking slightly from the exertion. Zexy cautiously approached the doors, which opened, causing smoke and steam to pour out from the machine's interior.
"...ME?" he asked, uncertainly, as a figure, obscured by the smokescreen appeared.
"You were expecting someone else?" asked the figure, arrogantly, stepping out of the smog.
Indeed it was Maniacal Engineer, returned to normal and fully purged from the radiation. As Zexy approached, however, he doubled over in pain, a look of concentration on his face. He erupted in energy once more. His robotic arm clattered to the ground, as a new arm grew in its place.
Zexy stood in awe as Maniacal Engineer walked towards him, wiggling his new fingers. Suddenly, the engineer curled his left hand into a fist and slugged the Greek admin, who fell to the ground, still in shock.
"Yep," said the mad scientist, rotating his new shoulder joint, "I'd say this new arm works just fine."

The following day saw Maniacal Engineer entering the admin territory once more. This time, though, he was invited by dig. As he took an empty seat at the admin's conference table, he felt all of the admins' eyes watching him. Dig cleared his throat to begin the meeting.
"Of course you must know that, despite your reasoning, we cannot forgive the fact that you disobeyed a direct order," said the Head Administrator.
"Naturally," said the Super Mod, "but the premise behind the order was flawed."
"Explain," requested dig.
"The reason you ordered that the first Regeneration Machine be kept under admin supervision and why you prohibited the building of any other Regeneration Machines was because they were dangerous," said ME.
"They are," affirmed dig, "I've seen firsthand the chaos caused by the first one."
"Wrong," disagreed the mad scientist, "you've seen the chaos caused by Zexy's clumsiness near the Regeneration Machine. Every instance where the Regeneration Machine malfunctioned, or when it caused trouble was because of Zexy's interference or meddling."
"Hey!" exclaimed the Greek admin.
"Meanwhile," continued ME, ignoring Zexy's outburst, "I used the first machine, not once, but twice, to maintain order and to save lives. It's not the machine that's the problem, it's the Zexy."
dig thought for a moment, considering ME's words.
"You're right," the Head Admin conceded, "however, you're also making this argument too late, after you had already disobeyed my ruling."
"Until the first machine was blown up by Zexy, there was no need for me to disagree with your order, because, theoretically, by placing the machine in admin territory, you'd be keeping it away from Zexy, which was better for everyone," explained the engineer.
Enzap couldn't help but snicker, as Zexy fumed.
"Why didn't you tell us about your arm's power source?" asked Hidden Mew, tactfully changing the topic.
"Because it was no business of yours," stated ME, bluntly, "in my studies on bionics, the nuclear power supply was the only one capable of outputting enough power and being small enough to not make the arm weigh a ton. Besides, I was working on a side project to try developing a new power source for my arm, but that option became unfeasible when my timeline was unexpectedly cut short."
"And, when the first Regeneration Machine was blown up, why did you not ask us for help?" inquired Enzap.
"Or take your arm off to buy yourself more time," added Shiny Celebi.
"Because the first thing you lot did after the machine was blown up was to promote the idiot who blew it up," replied the mad scientist, "and you try functioning without an arm, to say nothing of it being your dominant arm, and trying to get stuff done."
"So you didn't tell us because you didn't trust us," repeated Enzap, "that's understandable, but couldn't you have achieved your goal less violently? I mean, you didn't trust the admins, but you could have confided in your fellow F&G staff members. From what they say, you've treated them rather roughly this past week."
"The responsibility of disobeying dig's orders was mine and mine alone," said ME defiantly, "none of my staffers were going to get dragged into the inferno with me."
"That robotic arm of yours," said dig, leaning forward in his chair, "it seems rather dangerous. Between the nuclear power supply and the weaponry and tech in it. Where is it? That's not the sort of thing to leave lying around."
"I have it," said the engineer, "I'm keeping it in an undisclosed location, to prevent anybody else from acquiring it."
"Hand it over," ordered dig, "that arm is something we should destroy."
"With all due respect," began the mad scientist, causing everyone else in the room to roll their eyes, "I'd like to keep that arm for a while longer."
"What purpose would that serve?" asked dig.
"The tech incorporated into that arm is astounding," replied the engineer, "a personal transporter, the ban button, the energy weaponry, and other features. I'd like a chance to convert some of that tech into a different medium. Something like wearable technology. Each gadget would be small enough that it wouldn't require the kind of power output by the nuclear power supply, and it could be beneficial for future staff members."
"He has a point," added Hidden Mew, turning to the Head Admin.
"Fine," said dig, conceding the point, "but we still need to decide what to do with you. Please step outside while we deliberate."
The Super Mod left the conference room.

Maniacal Engineer sat impassively, in the reception area, playing a game on his phone. The seconds ticked by, turning into minutes, turning into hours. Still the admins debated behind the closed doors. ME began to get antsy, and put away his phone. Although he had appeared confident during his meeting with the admins, in truth he was very nervous. He began tapping his foot, impulsively and staring at the door that led to the conference room.
Finally, the door opened, and Shiny Celebi beckoned him in. Looking a lot braver than he felt, the Super Moderator entered the conference room. The mood was a somber one as he took his seat. ME glanced at all of the faces, but they were all impassive.
"So," he sighed, "you're going to fire me."
"Not quite," said Zexy, smiling devilishly.
"We're going to do something much worse," Enzap added.
"No," said ME, his eyes going wide, "don't you dare!"
"Maniacal Engineer," began dig.
"Don't you fucking dare," repeated the mad scientist, more urgently.
"You are hereby being promoted to administrator of the Bulbagarden forums," continued the Head Administrator, "congratulations."
"No!" exclaimed ME, "I can't accept this. I won't accept this."
"Too late," said Zexy, smirking, "we already voted."
"You can't do this!" insisted the engineer, "there's still so much that I have to do in Fun and Games! Where will The War Room be without me? I've barely gotten anything done in my time as a moderator. I need more time."
"I know that feeling well," said Enzap, standing up and putting his hand on his successor's shoulder, "it's how I felt when I was promoted and handed things over to you."
"But you had so much more time as Section Head," ME protested, "it's hardly the same."
"On the contrary," said the former F&G Boss, "it means that, no matter how long you stay a sectional moderator, you will continue feeling like there is more for you to do in your section."
"But there is!" exclaimed the mad scientist, "more Choose Your Own Adventure games for F&G. Reviving the dead Mentor program and creating more cross community events in TWR. I've accomplished none of my goals and have done nothing in my time as Section Head."
Enzap looked at dig, who nodded, the other admins took the cue and left the conference room.
Enzap grabbed his successor's arm and hauled him up.
"Walk with me," he said.

The duo walked out of the admin's conference room and down the corridor's of the admin section.
"Where are we going?" asked ME.
"You'll see," replied his predecessor.
They continued walking in silence, until they exited the admin section and entered the Fun and Games Section.
"I've used the ACP to render us invisible to all other users and staffers," explained Enzap, as the duo entered the F&G Administration Building.
Elementar and Lone_Garurumon were already hard at work fixing all of the bulkheads and floors that had been damaged the previous day, chatting amicably. Meanwhile, Rainbow Cloud sat at his desk, drawing up little graphics for the brand new CYOA game that had just been released in F&G. The Staff Artist scratched his chin with his pencil for a second, thoughtfully, and then resumed drawing.
DarthWolf, meanwhile had begun planning a Mentor game, which he would be hosting shortly in TWR.
Lastly, SoaringDylan sat in his office chair, filling out the daily paperwork for the F&G section, and consulting with the ZD moderators for when the next cross community event could be.
Everything was running smoothly, despite ME's absence.
"You see?" asked Enzap, gesturing at the productivity of the F&G staff, "the work is getting done without you."
ME stared around in wonder, as the F&G mods continued to complete their tasks, efficiently and effectively.
"But there's still so much that I want to do," said the engineer, "games to play, flavor text to write. So much is still unfinished."
"And there always will be things that you want to do, no matter how much time you've already had," reiterated Enzap, "but look around. Look at how the staff are coming up with new ideas and handling the day-to-day issues. Look at how the users contribute to the section and the community. They can function without you."
"Fun and Games is my home," said ME, stubbornly, "you can't ask me to leave my home."
"It's time for you to broaden your horizons," countered ME's predecessor, "get out of Fun and Games, and see the forums as a whole. Listen, the work you did for Fun and Games and the effort you put in will not be forgotten. I made the right choice when I chose you as my successor, but now the next generation of moderators have been trained, thanks to your watchful eyes. So now it's time to let them take over. They're good mods. You chose them yourself. You know what they're capable of. It's time to let go."
"But what if I'm not good as an admin?" asked the engineer, his confident facade shattering, "what if I don't like it?"
"In the event of either happening, you would go back to being a Super Mod," answered Enzap, "but we wouldn't be promoting you if we didn't think you were capable of doing the job, and I think that you'll enjoy being an administrator."
Maniacal Engineer remained silent, gazing out at the Fun and Games section, a sense of pride in both his staffers and in the regular users for both F&G and TWR welled up within him. His predecessor knew it was time to play the final card.
"Besides," he said, smirking, "now you'll be on equal footing with Zexy again, and won't have to take orders from him anymore."
The engineer laughed, not an evil or malicious laugh, a genuine laugh.
"Deal," he said, holding out his hand.
Enzap grasped the proffered hand.
"Deal," he said.
The two shook hands.

 

[jdthebud]

A beautiful ending, truly, ME.

See you around!

 

[ReturnofMCH]

one question, could someone else therotically write all about ME 2 since it got cancelled? I don't want hanging plot threads.
also I too have plans for the BMU.

 

[MegaPod]

I too have plans for the BMU.

Same here.

 

[ReturnofMCH]

Same here.

so maybe we should tell each other our plans so as to not contradict anything.

 

[Maniacal Engineer]

one question, could someone else therotically write all about ME 2 since it got cancelled? I don't want hanging plot threads.
also I too have plans for the BMU.

Already discussed this privately, but, due to the nature of the It's All About ME games, it is either hosted by me, or not at all. My apologies.

I hope to get around to it sometime in the future, though.

 

[MegaPod]

So it might still happen eventually? That’s good to hear! I might host an MP knockoff before then in a pitiful attempt to tide us over, though.