A/N: Fanfiction overload! Argh! I can't stop writing! I turned this one around in a matter of days, what is wrong with me! LAST CHAPTER, FOLKS!

…and I'm worried by the number of psychic reviewers I have… am I getting too predictable! Or was it just that spoiler I posted on DA!

Recap: Roxanne and Kid made it to the wedding ceremony at last and they finally said "I do", Jaeger finally found love and Kevin had an awful headache.

Chapter 4 – The Reception

Kevin watched on dully as Mars happily stabbed a fork across the table at the contents of Kevin's plate, stuffing the food into his mouth faster than he could chew it.

"Are you sure you don't want dis, Kev?" he asked as he continued to shovel Kevin's food from his plate.

"Please, be my guest," Kevin replied with a sigh.

"What's da matter wid you?" Mars asked between munches. "Don't you never get hungry?"

"Not really," Kevin lied.

Robin Mask had always restricted Kevin's food supplies following on from his mother's death, drilling into his son's head the notion that food and hunger were weaknesses, sinful pleasures that distracted a Chojin warrior from the truer purpose of training and fighting. And during Kevin's time on the streets of London, food had been so hard to come by, he had often gone days without eating anything of consequence. The result was that Kevin only ever ate out of necessity, and he never got any pleasure out of doing so.

Mars, on the other hand, lived a life of indulgence, just as he always had. He never denied himself anything that brought him any pleasure, least of all food and women. Kevin felt his face twist involuntarily as he watched Mars's bulging cheeks as he tried to chew his way through Kevin's food, making little pleased noises in the back of his throat as he ate.

"Dis food is da best ever, Kev, you really oughta try some!" Mars added, scraping the remains of Kevin's meal from his plate.

"Yes," Kevin flatly replied, looking down at his empty plate.

Enjoying food, especially such rich food, was just a weakness, Kevin silently reminded himself. He briefly wondered why he was swallowing so frequently, his mouth seemed to be producing too much saliva, and the smell of the food around him was only aggravating the situation. Still, Kevin thought, at least it was a welcome distraction from the odd croaking noises that had been emanating from his stomach for the last hour.

"Hey, look on da bright side, Kev!" Mars said cheerfully.

"The bright side?" Kevin echoed sarcastically. "I wasn't aware that there was one."

"Sure dere is!" Mars encouraged. "You got rid of Jacqueline McMadd!"

Mars held a hand out in the direction of the table Jacqueline was sat at. Kevin recoiled in disgust as he saw that Jacqueline was not alone, and was in fact acting in a manner he deemed highly inappropriate in such a crowded room. Jacqueline was sat with her legs spread, one booted foot on the floor, the other resting on the small of Jaeger's back. Jaeger, who was on all fours on the floor directly in front of Jacqueline, was gazing up at Jacqueline dreamily as she fed him scraps from her plate as if he were a pet dog.

"What is wrong with these people?" Kevin grumbled. "I mean really? Doesn't it just make you sick to your stomach, Mars?"

Kevin waited for Mars to answer, but all he could hear was Mars's pleasured little moans and the sound of him chewing on yet more food.

"Mars?" he said sharply, turning to face Mars. "Oh for the love of…"

Kevin growled as he saw that Kiki had joined them, and was sitting astride Mars, feeding him off a fork. Kevin stood up, shaking his head as he grumbled and muttered curses under his breath. He kicked his chair back under the table behind himself before marching off. Although he had no idea where he was going next, Kevin did not particularly care. Just so long as he got away from sickening, lovesick couples, he did not care where he was.

Kevin eventually stopped by the buffet table at the back of the room, deciding that he was safe there, at least.

"You look so hot in a tux, Terry!" a voice floated up to his ears from under the table.

"And you look about good enough to eat in that there frock, Trixie."

"Why does crap like this keep on happening to me?" Kevin groaned. "Hoi!"

Kevin bent over, lifting up the tablecloth to reveal Terry Kenyon and Trixie, lying on the floor beneath the table, their bodies intertwined and their clothes and hair suitably dishevelled.

"Get a room!" Kevin yelled at them.

"Get a life!" Trixie yelled back at him, yanking the tablecloth out of his grasp.

Kevin watched the tablecloth drop back down, slowly straightening indignantly.

"He is such a loser!" he heard Trixie whisper to Terry.

"Hush Trixie, it ain't poor ol' Kevin's fault that he's got erection problems!" Terry replied.

Kevin gasped in silent horror as Trixie giggled.

"It's not funny, Trixie," Terry scolded her. "Poor Kevin won't ever get himself a girl!"

"Yeah, but that's because no girl would want him!" Trixie laughed.

Kevin decided that he had been insulted enough and turned towards the bar, dragging his feet as he made his way towards it. Kevin dropped himself onto a barstool, resting his elbows on the surface of the bar and relaxing his shoulders. He touched a hand to the side of his mask again glad that at least the pains in his head were easing off.

"I love you so much, Kid Muscle!"

"What?" Kevin grumbled, looking up.

"I love you so much more, Roxanne!" Kid drooled, inadvertently swinging his elbow back into Kevin's shoulder.

"You looked so nervous when you said "I do"," Roxanne said dreamily, as the both the bride and groom failed to even notice Kevin's presence.

"I was nervous, I didn't wanna mess it up, I love you so much!" Kid whimpered.

"It was so cute, I wanted to just…" Roxanne began. "To just kiss you!"

Roxanne grabbed Kid, pouncing towards him and kissing him hard through his mask. Kevin cleared his throat awkwardly, but both failed to respond, and so he quietly slid from his stool and walked on.

"Bloody idiots are everywhere tonight…" Kevin grumbled.

Kevin staggered back as two figures suddenly stumbled across his path. Scowling in disgust, Kevin watched as Dik Dik Van Dik and his wife swung each other around in a silly dance of fools in love, laughing as they jumped around aimlessly.

Kevin sighed, feeling suddenly very alone. He remained still for a moment, the sensation overwhelming him. He had never felt lonely before, he had always sought solitude and resisted forging relationships with anyone; but lately, just lately, Kevin had truly felt the depth of his loneliness. The desire to share his thoughts, feelings, and even his life, with someone was beginning to eat away at his sanity. Kevin knew only too well that these feelings had been brought about after Lord Flash had revealed himself to be Warsman. Kevin had trusted Lord Flash, and had forged a strong bond with him, only to have it severed in the most ungracious of manners.

Of course, Kevin was inwardly ecstatic that Mars was back in his life. Mars had always been a fun and interesting friend to have, but Mars was devoted to Kiki, and usually wherever Mars went, Kiki followed at his heels, making it difficult for Kevin to really talk to Mars one-on-one.

And the more time Kevin spent dwelling on the matter of his loneliness, the more his mind kept returning to the demons of his past, the unresolved issues that still haunted him.

Shaking his head, Kevin marched onwards, his head down, trying his best to concentrate on something else – anything else – other than the thoughts that tormented him during the long sleepless nights he often suffered from. With his head down, Kevin failed to notice someone idly backing into his path, walking square into the other person's shoulder and staggering back from the impact before he fully awoke from his reverie.

"Why don't you watch where you're…" Kevin began, his voice trailing off as he realised just who it was that he had walked into. "Going…" he finished weakly.

Kevin suddenly felt very stupid, and he suddenly realised that, despite what he may have thought just moments ago, his day could get worse than it had already been, and apparently it was about to do just that. Kevin slowly ran his eyes over the figure in front of him, standing indignantly with a tray of sandwiches in one hand, the other hand rested on a hip.

"I'm…" Kevin muttered, before clearing his throat awkwardly. "I'm sorry."

"You've done it before," came the flat reply.

Kevin felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He was again glad for his mask, which was hiding the fact that his face had gone from being the ghostly white colour it had been when he had first realised just who stood before him to a burning red of shame and embarrassment.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Kevin asked, trying his best to recover some of his dignity.

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?"

"Me?" Kevin squeaked. "I'm the Chojin Crown Champion, remember?"

"And?"

"And…"

Kevin paused as he realised that just being the reigning Chojin Crown Champion was not reason enough in itself to be invited to Kid Muscle's wedding.

"Maybe we could talk?"

Kevin's head snapped up, his eyes locking onto the figure before him. Talking sounded good to him right then. He nodded his head in agreement, taking the tray of sandwiches from the person before him.

"Have you tried them?"

Kevin frowned down at the tray curiously upon that question, the scent of the food wafting through the vents of his mask and to his nostrils. Kevin found himself fighting back excess saliva again, and again he inwardly cursed himself for such weakness.

"This sort of food is a bit too rich for me," he said decisively. "I don't really enjoy food, anyway."

"You'll offend the chef with talk like that."

"The chef?" Kevin spat. "A mere ponce in a white hat? Who cares what the chef thinks? The chef is no doubt just another Kinniku idiot!"

A soft chuckle informed Kevin that his genuinely damning statement had been taken as nothing more than a wisecrack, which angered him more than he cared to admit.

"Have you tried them?" Kevin asked, waving the tray at the person before him.

"They're actually very good."

"What?"

Kevin held the tray at his chest with both hands, his head visibly tilted to one side in confusion.

"I think we should talk."

"So do I," Kevin agreed.

Kevin placed the tray down on a nearby table and followed on, allowing the person to lead him to a table by the back corner of the room, where they both sat down, facing each other.

"I've done you wrong, Kevin."

"You're damn right you have!" Kevin retorted, thumping a fist onto the table.

Kevin promptly regretted his action; he really was quite keen to hear the rest of the story, a story he had waited many years to hear, and he would need to keep his patience in check. He cleared his throat awkwardly, shifting his hands under the table to rest on his thighs.

"I'm sorry, please continue," he said quietly.

"I know you can't forgive me, and I know you can't forget, but maybe we could try again?"

Kevin slowly nodded his head.

"I'd like that, actually," he said slowly.

"You would?"

"Yes, I'd like it very much. I know that we have had our difficulties in the past, but I think that rather a lot has happened since then, and we are both changed people. We've grown and we've learned, and I think the bitter arguments and disagreements of the past should now be put behind us. But don't think that this in any way means that I want you in my life. This is merely a truce."

"Fine by me, shon."

Robin Mask extended a hand across the table to Kevin. Kevin hesitated to respond, glancing between his father's hand and his father's crimson eyes, glowing out from behind his mask.

"Fine," he eventually said, slapping his hand against his father's.

"All that bickering wash beneath ush, Kevin," Robin said as he shook Kevin's hand.

"I quite agree," Kevin said with a nod of his head.

"Now you really musht try the food," Robin insisted. "I'm thinking of kidnapping the chef for myshelf!"

"That good?" Kevin asked.

"That good!" Robin confirmed.

Kevin's interest was peaked; before the great Sir Robin Mask said that the food was good, and that his eldest son was actually allowed to eat it, it must be good. Kevin slowly pushed back his chair, rising to his feet. He turned around to scan the buffet table, his eyes suddenly becoming larger than his stomach as he found himself not so much struggling to decide what to eat, as struggling to fight the urge to eat every single thing that lay before him.

"Go on," Robin encouraged.

Kevin slowly walked over to the table, followed closely by Robin. As he reached the table, his hand hovered over several dishes as he tried to decide where to start.

"Ha, you gave in to temptation, huh Kev?" Mars laughed, grabbing up a giant chicken leg.

Kevin watched as Mars shamelessly tore the meat from the bone, grease dripping down from the corners of his mouth as he chewed.

"It's good, Kev!" he said, winking at Kevin.

"You say that about everything, Mars," Kevin said with a sigh. "You have an insatiable appetite. You would eat anything."

"But dis really is extra good, Kev!" Mars assured him.

"I could serve you a plate of horse shit and you would say that it tasted good, you have a lead-lined stomach with an endless capacity," Kevin shortly replied.

"Hey, dat ain't very nice, Kev!" Mars said, waving the stripped bone at Kevin.

"And don't talk with your mouth full!" Kevin added.

"Ah shut-up and eat somethin'!"

"I think I will!"

Kevin opened the catch of his mask, lifting it off of his head and placing it down on the edge of the table. Arching his eyebrows at Mars, Kevin picked up a chicken leg. Mars copied his action, smiling at him. Robin Mask removed his own mask, placing it down next to Kevin's, and helped himself to a chicken leg too.

"Here's to good times for da Muscle League!" Mars said, winking at Kevin.

Kevin nodded his agreement, and all three men bit into their food. Kevin chewed at his food slowly at first, his hunger quickly consuming his senses. Mars chuckled as he watched Kevin ravenously devour the chicken leg, before tossing down the bone and grabbing up a sandwich.

"Bloody hell!" Kevin said through a mouthful of sandwich. "This food! It's… It's…"

"Better than anything I've ever had," Robin Mask said.

"Yeah, dose Kinnikus sure know how to do food," Mars agreed. "Even da cow and rice is edible!"

"It's so good!" Kevin said, before shoving the remains of the sandwich, and most of his hand, into his mouth.

"Slow down Kev, you'll get indigestion," Mars advised.

"But this food is so good!" Kevin cried, grabbing up a slice of pizza. "I just can't get enough of it! It's orgasmically good, I could just… Explode! I never knew eating could feel this good!"

Mars slowly placed down the sandwich he had been about to eat, sweatdropping as he watched Kevin fold the slice of pizza over three times and stuff it into his mouth all at once, consequently struggling to chew it.

"Calm down Kev, it's just food," Mars flatly said.

"I love the Kinniku chef!" Kevin cried.

"Alright, but say it, don't spray it," Mars said, wiping a hand across his cheek. "You got anchovies on my face."

"I'm going to talk to thish chef," Robin said decisively. "I'm pretty sure I could convinsh him to come back to Wreshtle Planet with me. He could be the official chef for the Herculesh Factory."

"Bugger that!" Kevin snarled, grabbing up another chicken leg. "You can't have him, he's going to come back to Earth with me, and be the official chef for the Mask Estate!"

"Hey, dat sure sounds good to me!" Mars said, smiling brightly.

Robin smiled as he watched his son shamelessly eat his way through a large portion of the food on the buffet table.

"I'm glad we could put our problemsh behind ush, shon," he said. "There'sh nothing worsh than a having a shon who ish bitter and full of hate, looking to fight the Mushcle League all the time."

Kevin stiffened, swallowing the contents of his mouth, his hand that held the half-eaten chicken leg slowly lowering away from his face.

"A son who is bitter and full of hate, looking to fight the Muscle League?" Kevin slowly repeated.

"But not any more!" Robin said brightly.

Kevin found himself smiling as a crashing sound resounded overhead. As those within the hall screamed and ran for cover, Kevin remained perfectly calm. For some strange and inexplicable reason, it just seemed like the sort of ending that he had expected after the miserable day that he had just endured.

The glass section of the roof cracked open, giant sheets of glass falling to the ground below and shattering into millions of tiny, lethal blades of glass that flew outwards from the point of impact. Dark shapes buzzed downwards from the hole in the ceiling, crashing through tables and chairs and disappearing from sight. The lights in the hall went out, leaving only the stars outside and the half moon that hung in the night sky to light the room.

Screams rose in volume as swift feet darted around the room, dark shapes moving through the cover of darkness.

"Lights!" a voice yelled.

The lights came back on again, and everyone turned to the upturned and broken tables at the crash site expectantly.

"Good evening everyone!" a voice declared as a figure in black leapt up onto one of the tables that had remained in tact. "For the benefit of those of you who don't have the pleasure of knowing who I am, allow me to now introduce myself! My name is Edward! Edward Mask!"

The man reached up with both hands and threw back the hood of his long black robe, revealing a black mask similar in style to the masks that Kevin and Robin Mask both wore. Set behind his gleaming charcoal iron mask were a pair of glowing emerald green eyes, and short tufts of auburn hair protruded from the sides of his mask. He looked to be about as tall as Kevin Mask, but he was not so well-built as Kevin; although the robe he wore hid his true figure.

"I am the son of Robin Mask!" Edward continued, pointing a hand at the maskless Robin. "And the younger brother of Kevin Mask!"

Edward shifted his finger to point at Kevin, who was still smirking, causing people to hiss and mutter curses at him.

"And I am the undisputed leader of the DMP!"

Edward whipped open his robe, revealing his outfit which consisted of a pair of large black boots, tight and heavily worn blue jeans and a ragged and torn black DMP T-shirt. The crowd watching him gasped in awe, a ripple of whispered chatter spreading amongst them.

"And I've come here to Muscle Planet tonight because I hate my father!" Edward declared, drawing silence from the hall once more. "I thought that since this is a wedding reception, why not turn into the reception party for the new DMP! And I've also come here to challenge the Muscle League losers to a fight!"

"And why does that not surprise me?" Kevin muttered under his breath.

"Don't worry Kev, dere's only six of 'em, remember?" Mars whispered to Kevin. "Dat's Kid Muscle, Terry Kenyon, Dik Dik Van Dik, Wally Tusket, Checkmate and Jaeger against all of Da Anarchists."

"I haven't come here alone!" Edward continued. "I have come with my band of men, my fellow DMP Devil Chojins! You can call us The Anarchists! Because, unlike my worthless, miserable old father who worships the queen of England and the state of monarchy, we detest it!"

Robin sighed, shaking his head in despair; but Kevin was still smiling.

"Behold, I am the leader of The Anarchists, Edward Mask!" Edward shouted. "And by my side I have Anarchist F!"

Another black robed figure leapt up onto the table next to Edward, his features entirely hidden from view beneath his hooded black robe.

"Dat would be Fargo," Mars muttered to Kevin.

"Anarchist M!" Edward shouted, as another obscured black figure leapt up beside him.

"Dat would be–" Mars began.

"Yes, I know," Kevin interrupted him.

"Anarchist D!" Edward shouted.

"One of the new ones," Kevin sighed in a disinterested tone.

"Anarchist W!" Edward yelled.

"Anarchist Wanker, more like," Kevin grumbled.

"Anarchist S!" Edward shouted.

"Dat's all six!" Mars said.

"Not quite, scarface!" Edward snapped.

Mars started in alarm on three accounts; firstly he had not expected Edward to be able to hear him from such a distance, secondly he had not been called "scarface" for quite some time, and took exception to the deeply personal insult, and thirdly just what was Edward talking about?

"Things have changed since you last paid us a visit at HQ, scarface!" Edward snarled. "I've recruited two new Anarchists! Scarface, Muscle Leaguers, guests, say hello to the newest members of the DMP, Anarchist R and Anarchist H!"

"What da fuck?" Mars muttered.

"You may well look surprised, scarface," Edward sneered as his two newest members joined him on the table. "And now for my little party trick, since this is, after all, a party. Anarchist F and Anarchist W, show these people what we found…"

Two of the hooded figures dropped down behind the debris, resurfacing moments later with two women each, all of who were bound and gagged.

"Kiki!" Mars wailed, starting towards The Anarchists.

"Roxanne!" Kid screamed.

"Trixie!" Terry cried.

"Jack!" Jaeger wailed.

Mars, Kid Muscle, Terry Kenyon and Jaeger all started to run towards the women they loved, extremely angered by The Anarchists' choice of hostages.

"Not so fast!" Edward yelled, holding up a hand to indicate that they should stop.

The two Anarchists holding the girls flicked the sleeves of their robes up the arms, revealing that their hands bore vicious, sharp claws. The two Anarchists curled their fingers at the girls' throats, the threat being enough to cause all four approaching Justice Chojins to skid to an abrupt halt.

"You so much as touch one hair on my sweetheart's head, and I'ma kill you, you son of a bitch!" Mars roared, pointing at Edward.

"Are you calling my mother a bitch, scarface?" Edward asked slyly, shifting his eyes to Robin and Kevin Mask.

"You can't do this to Roxanne!" Kid begged. "We only just got married! How am I supposed to have my wedding night without my bride?"

"Keep your tackle in your pants, pigboy!" Edward retorted.

"Those girls didn't never do nothin' to nobody, so just let 'em be!" Terry yelled. "If it's a fight you want, then that's fine by us, we'll gladly fight y'all! But let the girls go, they're innocent!"

"No can do, you red-necked, buck-toothed yokel," Edward spat.

"Surely we can talk about thish," Robin Mask began, walking towards The Anarchists, having successfully put his mask back on.

"Talk?" Edward scoffed. "To you? I'd rather die! It's too late for talk now, father! Where were you when I was a little boy, and I needed you the most, eh? I hate you, and this is all your fault! Remember that! And if you losers ever want to see any of these bitches ever again, you're going to have to agree to our demands! We're going back to Earth, we await your response there!"

"Kiki!" Mars yelled, running at The Anarchists again.

Edward grabbed something out of the pocket of his robe, throwing it at Mars. Mars skidded to a halt, frowning as the small object landed several feet in front of him.

"Ha, you still throw like a girl, Eddie!" he laughed.

"Oh, I beg to differ. This time, the joke is on you, scarface!" Edward replied. "Until we meet again!"

The small object on the ground suddenly burst open, releasing a thick, dark smoke. Mars sniffed at the air frowning for a brief moment before collapsing to the ground in an unconscious heap. Edward laughed, striking a match and lighting a makeshift torch one of his friends had made for him from a tablecloth wrapped around a table leg. As Edward threw the torch into the bar, where it erupted into a wall of flame, fuelled on by the alcohol, Kevin turned to his father, who was running back to join him, to take refuge from the sleeping gas.

""There'sh nothing worsh than a having a shon who ish bitter and full of hate, looking to fight the Mushcle League all the time"," Kevin sneered at Robin, mocking his father's voice to perfection. "You just had to open your big mouth, didn't you? And I suppose you know what this means now, don't you? It means that I now have to participate in yet another bloody stupid and pointless tournament centred around Kid Muscle and Mars!"

The End

Suddenly, you can all see why I had to write Bad Boys! The ending of this fic came to me long before I ever thought about writing a prequel, but I decided that this ending would only work well if I gave a little background on Edward Mask.

And so ends another Lucretia D fic. I'm still wary about continuing, as the sequel to this one is, needless to say, packed with OCs. Hell, I have The Anarchists to invent for a start! Although only Edward Mask is a main character, I still feel wrong writing about so many OCs. I may just post the first three chapters of the sequel, and if reviews are bad, I'll stop. Otherwise, there will be a 30ish chapter sequel (around 120K words) which will, not surprisingly, focus around Kevin Mask – so expect a truckload of Kevin-bashing and a healthy dollop of Briticisms!

And, as always, please review. Comments, good or bad, help me greatly. TTFN.