Retirement, some people look forward to it as it means after so many years of hard work they can finally just kick their feet up and relax, while others find it to be a sort of expiration date of their worth meaning that the world believes them to no longer be fit for their work or any work for that matter. But then there are those who are completely blindsided by it, as they don't have any obvious reason why they should be retired, but sometimes in life things happen beyond their control and there is nothing they can do about it. This was the case for a certain man by the name of David, who at the moment was sitting in his office of the very business he started a decade ago. Now some might wonder how this applies to David seeing as how he created a career for himself, and so the only one to decide when he should retire would of course be him.
But the truth is, while the work he made for himself was great work, paid well, allowed him to meet a great deal of people, and he honestly did enjoy it, it wasn't the one thing he REALLY wanted to be doing. This is but one of the many thoughts that were dancing around in his head at this very moment, for as he sat at his desk he stared at a piece of paper held tightly in his hand that he thought he'd never get to see again.
"Ten years..." David thought to himself while he rested his chin in the palm of his free hand "Has it really been that long?..." He wondered as he closed his eyes to remember.
Ten Years Prior...
"SNAKE! SNAKE! SNAKE! SNAKE! SNAKE! SNAKE! SNAKE! SNAKE! SNAKE!" The crowd chanted with excitement and zest as they watched the fight unfold.
Though there were a great deal of things for everyone regardless of what aspect of life they came from could enjoy in Smashville, none were as exciting and as pleasing to everyone who came to the fair city than the very thing that gave it it's namesake, Super Smash Brothers. What was once just a small gathering of a few of the most powerful fighters in the universe quickly became a spectacle known anywhere there were people, and as it grew more and more popular more fighters were invited from a vast variety of worlds, each of them having their own unique abilities and powers. And while there were some that were obviously astounding to have attend such as the likes of the angel Pit, the demon king Ganon, or the ever popular blue blur Sonic the Hedgehog, one fighter seemed to be beloved, admired, and respected by both the fans and the smashers alike more than any.
His name was David, though everyone called him by his code name Snake, and while he never did get into too much detail as to why he was called that, why he wanted them to call him that, or where the name came from to begin with, this level of mystery only drew people to him as they wanted not only to see him fight but to also try and learn more about him. But admittedly his fighting was the most impressive thing about him, for while every other fighter had a certain set of moves that they'd stick to or even some arsenal of weapons they'd prefer, Snake seemed to be good at nearly everything. Not to say that he was perfect of course, but it seemed like the likelihood of someone actually surprising him or catching him off guard was next to non existent, he was always prepared for every fight he ever fought and every challenge he was tasked with overcoming, whether it was due to the obvious training he had or it was just the way he was, it was nonetheless impressive. Which is exactly why every time any of the other smashers fought against him they'd always give it their all and then some, because they wanted to be the first ones to say that they not only managed to land more than a few attacks against him, they were the first one to actually beat him.
But alas, even though most of his opponents had the advantages of magic, speed, sheer raw power, or something that he couldn't even begin to describe, he would still be quick to adapt if he hadn't already dealt with it in a previous match and then proceed to beat them efficiently and expertly. This is how in his current match despite he being a seemingly normal man was performing so well against the mighty king koopa Bowser, for while the other did have size and power it was clear Snake was well aware of these strengths as well as his opponent's weaknesses. Dodging every dropkick the massive reptile threw his way, rolling to the side whenever he tried to breath fire, and making sure to go for quick attacks when working in close proximity, it looked as though this would be Snake's first match to not get hit even a single time. Which as one could imagine, only enraged the mighty shelled king more so than he already was.
"HOLD STILL!" He roared with slight plumes of smoke coming from his maw as he swung his clawed hands at his opponent.
One would think that given how easily he was dodging these attacks and the fact he hadn't been hit even a single time yet Snake might've gotten a little cocky as he would have every right to be. But as he simply looked at his foe with unwavering focus and determination, it was clear that this would not be the day that he would allow any kind of ego he might have to get the better of him as he continued to simply dodge the other's advance.
"THAT'S IT!" Bowser huffed just before he leaped high into the air.
Leaping nearly twenty feet from the stage with seemingly no effort, he then somehow managed to stop himself completely before he came down with great speed towards Snake. But as anyone could've guessed, he simply dodged out of the way of the attack and stood at the opposite side of the stage, waiting for his opponent to recover from his failed attack.
"ARE YOU ACTUALLY GOING TO FIGHT?!" Bowser questioned as he got to his feet "OR ARE YOU JUST GOING TO RUN AROUND LIKE A COWARD?!"
However, instead of responding with words or even by attacking, all Snake did was cross his arms and close his eyes.
"ARE YOU IGNORING ME?!" Bowser asked getting even more furious.
"No." Snake spoke as he pointed to the other's right foot "Just waiting for you to notice that is all." He said.
Looking down to where he was pointing, every bit of Bowser's anger and fire to fight immediately fleeted as he saw what he was standing on. But before he could speak or react in any way whatsoever, Snake pressed the detonator held in his right hand, causing the remote explosive beneath his foe's foot to explode, sending him flying from the stage. Unfortunately for the koopa king, besides the planted trap he failed to notice he had also not realized that Snake had baited him to the side of the stage, and due to how he was standing there was no hope for him to recover. Though he did try, retreating into his shell and spinning around with such power and control he was able to come close to the edge, but sadly not close enough.
"GAME!" The Announcer who casted all of the matches shouted authoritatively the moment Bowser fell to the bottom of the arena.
"SNAKE SNAKE SNAKE SNAKE SNAKE SNAKE SNAKE SNAKE SNAKE SNAKE SNAKE!" The crowd chanted once again, along with just general applause and rejoice that their favorite had won.
Unable to keep a small smile from coming to his face as he did enjoy both the flawless victory as well as their praise, once the walkways that connected the stage to the arena came out and were fully secured, he took his leave of the stage and headed to the locker room. Listening to the crowd continuing to cheer him on even as he had disappeared from view, he still after the good deal of months that he had been there was still finding trouble believing this was all real. For while most of the fighters who had been brought to smash were heroes or villains from their worlds, Snake wasn't really either of these things. Sure he believed that everything he had done in his life was for a greater good, to protect people as well as the world should it be at stake in some capacity.
But he didn't really see himself as a hero, more so a man who was simply tasked with being the one who was called when no one else could be. And while most would say that is exactly what a hero is, he didn't really believe that's what made a hero what they were, he believed that they had to enjoy what they did and even though they faced great dangers and perils there was a certain level of pleasure they took in it. But that just wasn't his situation, it wasn't something he didn't have to do and only did it because it brought him joy, but because if he didn't do it then so much more would be lost because of his laziness and selfish decision to not act. Which is why now when he actually got a choice to partake in the fight, the choice to face against powerful foes and their weapons in order to receive both glory as well as a VERY gracious amount of pay, he was just finding it hard to really let his guard down and enjoy it to the fullest.
Sadly, this would actually come to ironically be a good thing, for it was right after this match that he had been summoned by the two beings who ran the whole operation, a pair of gloved hands by the names of Master and Crazy, who would then blindside him completely with something he would've never seen coming. He was going to have to retire.
"I'm sorry Snake." Master Hand apologized with genuine regret as the other simply stared at him and his sibling "But it seems as though there just isn't anyone who can compete with you, the only competitors who've come close in the slightest way are Samus and Link, and even then they both were only able to land a total of ten hits combined, as strange as it may sound you're just not right for Smash." He explained.
"Yeah, it really does suck." Crazy said, actually managing to also be genuine in this instance "You're such a great fighter Snake, but every time you get on the stage it's almost like we're watching them fight one of the bots, you just seem to know every move they'll make before they make it." He explained.
"But do not worry we aren't sending you home, you are still going to be living in Smashville and you will still be receiving pay from us for your involvement, be rest assured you will be taken care of." Master Hand promised.
Time itself seemed as though it was slowing down to a crawl as Snake simply stared towards the pair, for he wasn't being retired because he had done something wrong or had offended them in some way, it was because thanks to all of his training and combat preparation, he was just in a league of his own even in such a colorful roster that made up Smash. But this wasn't the first time in his life that Snake had been given some kind of news or had been faced with a dilemma which gave him an uneasy feeling in his stomach, so after but a few seconds of stunned silence he simply closed his eyes, turned around, and took his leave.
"Don't bother with the pay." He told them as he left "I'll find a way to make it by on my own, I won't need your charity."
And with that Snake was gone, before the news even reached the other members of the roster he had gathered his things from the mansion they all shared and had just vanished. And just as anyone would've guessed there was outrage over this decision but it came from both the fans as well as the other smashers, for while the fans were angry one of their favorite fighters was just suddenly gone, the smashers were furious over the fact they hadn't been included in on such a decision and that many of them would never get a chance to have their rematch with him. For the first few weeks after he had left no one saw nor heard anything from or about him, even the hands who had checked his world to see if he had gone back didn't find him there, almost as if he was doing all he could to avoid being contacted. People started to even believe that something had actually happened to him, that the story of him being forced to retire was just to spare them from the truth of some horrible fate that had befallen him.
But this wasn't the case as all who thought this was possible would soon discover, for nearly an entire month after he had been released from the roster Smashville would be graced by the sudden appearance of a brand new business. With a simple sign over the door that read "Smasher For Hire" everyone finally learned what Snake had been up to during his disappearance. Operating out of a somewhat small building, it consisted of but a few rooms including a quaint lobby, a bathroom, a kitchen/break room, and a room that would serve as his office. As for the business itself the name "Smasher For Hire" basically meant that if anyone literally ANYONE had a task for Snake to do, he would do it for fair compensation regardless of what the task was.
Never before had a Smasher gone into business for themselves like he was doing, but then again no smasher had ever been retired before either, for while Young Link, Roy, Pichu, and Metwo had all decided to return to their worlds for the time being as fighting in Smash didn't really keep their interest, they were still allowed to come back and rejoin the roster whenever they saw fit. But seeing as how Snake was now officially retired and would not be coming back to the stage, everyone as he had hoped did come to his business to not only see him but to ask him to do things for them. And while some thought that the notion he'd do ANY task so long as he was fairly compensated might've been an exaggeration, he was very quick to prove them wrong. From home repair and picking up errands like clothes or groceries, to showing up at birthday parties and events, even something as simple as getting a cat out of a tree and only being given a thank you in return, if he got the pay he deemed appropriate for what was being asked he would certainly do it.
Though sadly this did not apply to having rematches with the other smashers which nearly all of them did request either once or many times, as any fighting that occurred between them beyond a basic fist fight or something of the latter would be considered "smashing", which would be in violation of his retirement and would cause both him and the other fighter in question to be punished by the hands to some degree. And so, this became Snake's life for the next ten years, whenever someone needed help or maybe just wanted someone to talk and hangout with he'd be their go to guy, never once coming across as sarcastic, mean, uninterested, or uncaring, he was as good at this new job as he was at his old one. Still, this didn't keep him from occasionally checking out a match every now and again to see who the newcomers were as well as how everyone was getting along without him, and while he hadn't expected their whole worlds to come crashing down due to his absence he was a little saddened to see that they seemed to be fine without his challenge.
He also just missed fighting as well, being able to let loose and not hold anything back was a euphoric feeling he had never had before, because with his life before this he always had to follow orders and of course restrain himself so he didn't use too much force or skill when it wasn't required, but here he could go all out and do what he wanted how he wanted, and he loved it. At least he did, but now he honestly did like his new career too, for while it wasn't fighting without restriction it still brought him satisfaction and even joy to help out anyone who needed it and do it for a fair and just price, all in all things were still going pretty good. But what he wouldn't give to have just one more match, one more all out no holds barred fight where he could really be himself. Yeah...if only...
Slowly opening his eyes as a sigh escaped his breath, Snake looked back down at the piece of paper he held in his hand now that his trip down memory lane was over. Staring back at him clear as day was a letter from both of the hands, and while there was a good deal of things written to the point it was surprising they managed to get it all on one page, there were but two words that grabbed his attention the most.
"Welcome Back"
Those two words alone were something he never thought he'd see again, the thought of going back to the mansion and fighting alongside all of his friends and rivals like it was back then seemed like it only existed in his most vivid dreams and hopes. But here it was on paper handwritten in ink, after ten long years of being retired they were inviting him back to the roster to become a Smasher once again, it really was a dream come true. Which is exactly why as he looked over the letter for a few seconds more, that he then wadded it up into a ball and tossed it to the floor beside his desk.
"Pass." He said bluntly as he crossed his arms while closing his eyes once more.
Wanting to just sit there in silence for a good while, the sudden ringing of his telephone would keep him from doing so. Releasing another sigh though this one a bit heavier than the last, he reached over to his phone and picked it up to answer.
"Solid Snake Smasher for hire, what can I do for you?" He asked.