Rocket-Propelled Sledgeaxe?

Well, one thing you could definitely try, if nothing's off the table here, is finding some kind of way to make your Sledgeaxe hit harder. Quadrupling its weight probably isn't the way to go about that, since you need to still be able to lift it, so what else could you try?

To brainstorm ideas, you decide to try to draw up something. You get some blank printer paper and a pen. First you try to draw the Sledgeaxe as it is now, so that you can add little stuff onto it, but you end doing the long handle all wonky. You try again on another piece of paper. This time, the axehead is drawn way too huge, and the hammer side looks really stubby. Drat, this isn't working. You decide to just shut your eyes and just imagine something instead.

For making it hit harder, attaching rockets is your first thought! If you could put rockets on the Sledgeaxe, then activate them whenever you swung it, that would be super good. Hmmmm.... but where would the rockets go on the Sledgeaxe? If you put them on the back of the hammer side, you wouldn't be able to hit with that side anymore. You definitely can't put them on the back of the axe side! Just having them put on the side of the Sledgeaxe's head seems like the best idea. But then, which way would they face? Can you get rockets that go both directions? How would you activate one side of the rockets without activating the other? Hmmm....

You screw up your face, scrunch your eyes even more, and your nose crinkles a little bit. Thinking is hard!

"Heyo, little battler, what's the dealio?" Rhys' calm surfer voice says from the front of the room. You open your eyes back up to see him looking over at you from his desk. You wave after a brief pause. "I know that look, waverider! You've got an idea you want to try, doncha?"

You nod.

"Rad, rad. Will it work?"

You shrug.

"Even better, bro! Like, as your teacher dude, it's totally my job to make your dreams? Come true." He says in that same surfer-drawl, and with really weird intonation. But you suppose you're not against it!

You explain the basic outline of your plan so far to him, and he nods along to it with his head in his chin. He's actually really attentive to what you want, and sometimes interjects with little questions to make sure he's getting the right picture you're setting.

"Alright, dude, here's what my noggin's telling me." He stretches his hands across the desk and leans forward a bit. "A button would be better than a huge trigger bar because, like, it would be hard to swap the side you're using with a big bar in the way, you feel me?"

You feel him!

"How about you and me take a lil' tripsie to the labs and see what the eggheads can wire up for us?"

Yeah, okay, why not? You hop up from your desk and grab your schoolbag, which you throw over one shoulder, and then heft up your weighty metal suitcase of gear to bring with you. Rhys takes you over to "the labs", which is really just two specific third year students from one of his other Equipment Maintenance classes. They're on break in the Courtyard right now,{if ArenaAccess == True} and Nora's actually one of them! You have no idea who the other one is, though.{elseif BankCuddle == True} and Nora's actually one of them! Nora was that rich girl with the big apartment, who you met in the bank that one time. You have no idea who the other one is, but it's nice to see her again!{if ArenaAskNewt == True} Newton said she could help you get into the Arena, so you need to remember to ask her about that, but you'll do it after because you're totally here on business right now.{endif}{else} but you don't recognise either of them.{endif}

They both seem a bit annoyed that Rhys is taking out of their free time, as you stand around awkwardly watching him do the talking. Lucky for you, he seems to have a pretty good relationship with them, so eventually they relent and agree to take a look at your Sledgeaxe.{if ArenaAccess == True} Nora's actually down to help as soon as she realises it's for you anyway, and she gives you a nice little headpat before getting to work. It feels good, but also you're trying to be serious right now, so you make sure to not let anybody know that you enjoyed it.{elseif ArenaAccess == True} Nora gives you a nice little headpat before getting to work, which feels good, but also you're trying to be serious right now so you don't let anybody know that you enjoyed it.{endif}

It takes them most of the rest of the class, but after about forty or so minutes of work they've finished attaching and wiring everything! There's a little button on the handle of your Sledgeaxe now, which is connected to a wire that spirals all the way up the handle and into two small jet-fuelled rockets, one bolted on either side of the Sledgeaxe's head. With a bit of ****, then you can actually rotate the rockets too! They click back into place facing either direction, so both sides of it can get the super rocket help now. The fuel is expensive, but equipment is one of the things that the school actually does cover the costs of, so you may as well get the most out of it.

Before leaving, you gave the Sledgeaxe's blunt side a couple of rocket-propelled swings into the Courtyard's ground, and chunks of grass flew everywhere! It was super cool, and you felt super strong showing those dirt clumps who's boss.

The end-of-class bell rings as Rhys takes you back to the classroom, skipping with joy despite your heavy suitcase which is now heavier with two backups jugs of jet fuel. It was a pretty successful class, too! If you use this right, then every hit should be a good deal stronger, and on top of that you also have the utility of just.... having two jet-fuelled rockets on your Sledgeaxe. There's probably a ton of other uses for that!

When you reach the classroom again, and Rhys gives you a little goodbye wave as he heads to the front desk to pack up, most of your class has already left.{if Time == 7} Lexi's still just finishing up at her desk, and it looks like she's spent the class painting a little pink heart onto the middle of the chest of her leather armour. It's got a proper gradient and cartoony shine to it too, so from a certain angle it actually looks sort of 3D. It's pretty good!{endif} You go back to your desk, gather the rest of your stuff, and then head off happily into the Courtyard for the end of the day.