A Valiant Effort

A Valiant Effort is the twentieth episode of the second season of The ACS, and the thirty-eighth episode overall. In this episode, nationwide burglaries reach Nicktropolis with SSK's Castle being the target of interest.
==Plot==
The episode begins with a cold open. In Taiwan, the sun is beginning to set as people are returning home and proprietors are closing up shop. The ambience is relatively harmonious, but a hooded duo in New Taipei has potential to end this peace. Standing outside of the Atomic Energy Council HQ, the suspicious newcomers scrutinize the exterior of the building and subsequently attract the attention of three security guards. The two intentionally do not respond to any of the guard's questions, which provokes their aggressiveness. One of the hooded strangers begins to break out laughing, which intimidates the guards and prompts one of them to take out their handcuffs. When the guard attempts to detain the hysterical outsider, she grabs his wrists and lunges toward him to perform a headbutt. Meanwhile, the nonchalant stranger swiftly gets behind another guard and grabs his arm, receding it against his back, pulling it upwards and dislocating his shoulder. The last guard, trembling in fear, takes out his gun but the female accomplice slices his neck. The two proceed to enter the building but the male associate can't help but look back at the one dead guard and the two others incapacitated. The look on his face is desirous, as if he's anxious to kill the two others.
Word of the New Taipei incident had already made its way to America, with the news claiming the incident is interrelated with several other occurrences of burglary across the world but what's puzzling them, as well as professional investigators, is how these crimes are happening simultaneously. Reviewing several videos of the nationwide burglaries, the thieves all wear the same attire and hoods that obscure their faces, though it is clear one of the assailants is female. In Nicktropolis, Nozus theorizes the thieves are either clones or androids, as one incident took place during the same time as another so teleportation was out of the picture. AIA puts these allegations to rest as his advanced technology allows him to divulge that the thieves are separate people, but there are no birth records for any of the criminals, furthermore, their identities remain anonymous. When Web questions the thieves relevance in Nicktropolis (as the ACS usually isn't involved in foreign affairs), John explains that it's only a matter of time before they strike America. Nozus adds on that their consistent theme of crimes are burglary on places of high importance or locations that contain valuable information, so their HQ is a potential target.
On a hill on the outskirts of Nicktropolis, a man shrouded in shadows known as Divinity is having a discussion with his superior via earpiece. He scouts the area and delineates, surveys, and maps the geography of the city and anticipates its difficulty as a target, claiming it would be a moderate obstacle due to the presence of the ACS. He adds on that there is only three places of interest: SuperSaiyanKirby's Castle, Zhao Industries HQ, and the ACS HQ, which they don't know the precise location of yet. The man Divinity is speaking to intends to send two individuals to assail and raid the city, Nathaniel Quartz and Miss Risus, the duo responsible for the New Taipei incident.
In SSK's Castle, mayor of Nicktropolis SSK is busy signing and certifying city documents. As he completes his monotonous work, he thinks back to former days when Stelios had passed the torch to him, when the responsibility of being mayor wasn't as taxing. He takes out a photograph from those times and contemplates it, remembering Web, Collector, Nicky, Brandon, Invader Rob, MattBoo, Makoto, and Doug. SSK comes to accept that everyone has moved on, and gradually his visions of his friends dissipates into images of the ACS, a new generation of heroes composed of familiar faces. Feeling nostalgic, he decides to visit his local vigilantes but as he goes to leave his room, his door is busted open by a Waddle Dee soldier via a violent collision. The soldier is rendered unconscious by the attack, and as SSK attempts to find the person responsible he is greeted by Miss Risus and Nathaniel Quartz, and surrounding them are piles of dead Waddle Dee soldiers.
SSK is infuriated, and Nathaniel notes that they could use his blind rage as an advantage. SSK charges towards the duo, and as he gets closer Miss Risus hands Quartz a knife. Both of them evade SSK's initial attack but during Nathaniel's evasion he expeditiously created lengthy cuts on both of his forearms using the knife. SSK doesn't think much of it and, at an amazing speed, grabs Nathaniel by the neck and begins to choke him. Miss Risus deliberately stands aside and begins to laugh, but not at her partner. SSK's blind rage hinders him from discerning the blood seeping out of Nathaniel's arm, which is beginning to take shape. However, SSK's notices something is wrong when Quartz begins to smile and, looking around, SSK manages to narrowly dodge a spear — one made out of Nathaniel's blood. Unlike any enemy he's faced before, SSK scrutinizes Quartz but forgets about Risus and is subsequently shot, with the bullet penetrating his ribs. The bullets from Risus' pistols, the Bangers, are infused with toxic gases, so if SSK didn't bleed out he'd die from blood poisoning.
As SSK attempts to garner more strength, Risus discourages him and claims he'll die regardless of his decisions. Having difficulty moving, SSK begins to reminisce about his past adventures and friends, and remembers that Stelios chose him to be his successor for a reason. He's a hero, one that doesn't admit to defeat so easily.
==Soundtrack==
Imperium's ThemePlayed during the opening scene (the duo's attack on the Atomic Energy Council HQ).
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AscensionPlayed as SSK see's the corpses of all his Waddle Dee soldiers.
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A Valiant EffortPlayed during SSK's fight with the duo and continues as he reminisces.
==Quotes==
==Trivia==
*Various scenes from SSK's Adventures are shown when SSK begins to reminisce.
==Reviews==
Category:Episodes
Category:The ACS episode