Author's Note: While a large portion of this story will take place in SSB4, the remainder will taken place in either the world of Awakening or Classic Mega Man, so this may be moved to the crossover bin or I may split the story into two.
Special thank you to Flying Chariot for graciously agreeing to collaborate with me on this story! While I'm at it, I would also highly recommend that you check her writing out! I have not brought this idea to their attention, but I would also like to thank those Fire Emblem authors whose works I have reviewed and read for both being an inspiration and a model for my own writing. And to Youtuber mattyburrito MB for the thumbnail.
Just to get this out of the way...If you are wondering about pairings for this story, the only one that I will set is ChromxSumia. Otherwise, consider my word on pairings as nothing...for now. If any additional pairings do occur, they'll be relevant, but the story will not be dependent on them.
Oh, and the Avatar here is the default male.
Fire Emblem: Awakening and all associated characters are property of Intelligent Systems, Mega Man and its characters are property of Capcom, and Super Smash Brothers is property of Nintendo and the based Masahiro Sakurai.
Ylisstol Palace, Halidom of Ylisse
It was done. The Mad King Gangrel had fallen, and the Plegian occupiers had surrendered upon news of his defeat.
Yet the victory was a pyrrhic one. At the forefront of the casualty list on the Ylissean side was none other than the Exalt herself. Her sacrifice had been the key to victory. Mere minutes after witnessing her fall, Plegian soldiers had started to lose their resolve, and once Chrom and the Shepherds broke through Mustafa's troops without ending a single Plegian life, the soldiers had begun to desert in earnest, seeking asylum with the Ylissean forces.
In an act of mercy, Chrom's first order of business as the new Exalt had been to not only allow every last Plegian deserter to serve under him if they so desired with no background check whatsoever, but also grant them political asylum should Gangrel or any future ruler of Plegia ask for their heads. His decision had reaped massive dividends: the Ylissean army had more than doubled in size with the number of Plegians swelling its ranks. In the end, Gangrel's cruelty had been his undoing, leaving him with only a few soldiers that bowed to him only out of fear and a foe impassioned by vengeance. Even that hag Aversa had fled his side.
"A fitting end for such a vile man, though I fear the future may not have been averted yet. I stalled Emmeryn's death, but was not able to prevent it. It seems the river of time always favors its original course, and now that destiny has been altered, I am as blind as all the others to what may lie on the horizon. I should keep a close eye on Father. Whatever may come to pass, he is the key to averting Grima's resurrection."
From the base of the palace wall, at the edge of the pine forest surrounding it, the woman known as Marth to the Shepherds observed the group leading the remainder of the Ylissean army in triumph. All of Ylisstol was eagerly awaiting the victors' return, and the crowning of the new Exalt, which had been set for the same day. It seemed rather reckless to her to remain exposed for so long in one day, but she knew he had the trust of the people to regain. Even Emmeryn's sacrifice was not enough to restore all confidence in the crown; that would require a prolonged period of competent leadership. She was confident that her father was up to the task: he had been as popular, if not more, than his sister, from what she had heard. And despite being rather dull and clumsy at times, he had an intuition for knowing what those around him needed, a tool that she knew would serve him well. It had in her future, just...not when it mattered.
Abruptly a wave of longing washed over the princess. She lay back on the grass and stared up at the blue sky above, dotted with white clouds that caught the glow of the afternoon sun, and waited for it to pass. Distracting herself by marveling at the nature of this untarnished world had become a habit of hers as the temptation to reveal herself had become stronger over the months. She dearly missed both of her parents, and even if the Chrom and Sumia of this world were years away from conceiving their first child in this timeline, they were as close as she had to her parents.
But she couldn't. Her cobalt hair would instantly mark her as a member of the royal family were she to try to watch the ceremony from amongst the crowds in Ylisstol, and that would raise a lot of awkward question for her father, questions he himself didn't know the full answers to or have a cover story for. The tactician - Robin, his name was? - might be able to come up with something, but the potential backlash was not worth her selfish desire to see her parents. Besides, Chrom was surrounded by loyal citizens and the Shepherds, and the priest that was supposed to perform the crowning had done the same for both Emmeryn and the Exalt before her. There was no need to get unnecessarily close on this day.
She had already staked out a cave to reside in, and already worked out the areas that were least-guarded, both from studying the designs of the palace and firsthand experience during the attempted assassination of Emmeryn. The Captain of the Guard already knew she could be trusted, and had adjusted the positioning of guards to address those weak spots. But she could never be too careful. Lucina had already worked out a daily patrol route around the palace perimeter that would ensure as many angles as possible were covered at once. It would be hard, living within sight, maybe even earshot, of her parents and having to stay hidden...she shook her head and took a drink from a canteen at her side, hoping the water would clear her mind. Those thoughts were unusually persistent today. Maybe it was just the fact that Ylisse was finally at peace.
She didn't have much money, so doing any spying or scouting for the other gemstones of the Fire Emblem would have to wait, and besides, that might cause a political incident were she caught. It would be two years before Valm launched its invasion of the continent, so she was basically reduced to an extraordinarily-skilled palace guard for the next few years. But now that Ylisse was at peace...maybe it wouldn't be so stressful. Maybe she could afford to be a little more relaxed.
The future Exalt unsheathed Falchion and examined her reflection in the blade pensively, slowly losing herself in memories of the past. Suddenly, she saw movement reflected in the blade from within the trees behind her.
"Who goes there?" Lucina was on her feet in an instant, Falchion at the ready. "Show yourself!"
"Peace, Lucina," a deep, calming voice replied. "I mean you, nor your father, any harm."
Lucina did not budge. "Show yourself!" she repeated. "And how do you know my name?"
"As you wish." A being unlike anything Lucina had ever seen before drifted out of the forest to face her. It wasn't humanoid, or even animal-like, but, rather, a giant, white right glove. "If it makes you feel more comfortable, perhaps we could switch locations? I would hate to accidentally back you off the cliff."
The response caught her off-guard. She scrutinized the hand for a bit before cautiously taking a step to her right, keeping Falchion in front of her. The hand matched her movement so it continued to face her until they had come a half-circle.
"Well, now that that's out of the way, allow me to introduce myself. I am Master Hand, the administrator of a tournament known as the Super Smash Brothers. I presume you have not heard of it?" The princess shook her head. "Very well - " Master Hand snapped two fingers and a sealed roll of parchment appeared in front of Lucina. "- this should explain everything." But she didn't catch it, instead letting it fall to the ground, all while keeping her eyes and Falchion trained on Master Hand, eliciting a laugh from the deity. "Come now, I understand that you are suspicious of me, but I assure you I am both unarmed and incapable of inflicting direct harm to you. I couldn't push you off that cliff now if I tried."
"Do you think I am that naive?" Lucina replied testily, irritated at the hand's wasting of her time. "Many an opponent has tried to deceive or distract me to get an edge. They share one thing in common: all are dead by this blade."
Master Hand simply sighed and snapped his fingers again. The parchment lifted itself off the ground, unsealed, and unfurled in front of Lucina's face, at reading distance. Irritated, she tried to push it away, but it just returned to its position. She took a step to her right and it simply followed her. Now annoyed, she swung at it and, to her surprise, Falchion's blade abruptly stopped when it touched the parchment. Expecting it to be stuck, she yanked it away hard, but it came away cleanly, causing her to lose balance. She stumbled and her foot caught on a tree root, earning a faceful of dirt for her clumsiness.
When she pushed herself back up, the scroll was hovering in front of her face again. "Alright," she grumbled, sheathing Falchion and taking the scroll by both hands. "I'll read your damn scroll. Now will you please remove it from right in front of my face?"
Master Hand obliged instantly, though his voice carried unmistakable amusement. "It looks like clumsiness does run in your family. It would have been a whole lot less troublesome to simply trust me, Lucina. True, you may not have had reason to trust many in the past, but your father must have taught you something besides swordplay."
"Are you lecturing me?" She didn't bother asking how he knew who her parents were.
"Perhaps. Now read the letter; those scrolls are designed to burn up after ten minutes." Lucina's eyes progressively widened as she read through it.
"Th-This isn't some sort of hoax? To be able to learn from the Hero-King himself..." her expression became a little dreamy.
"Absolutely not, my dear - "
"But what of my father? Of the future?"
"Your world will be kept safe. Rest assured, Lucina, I would not invite you were I not sure that the foreseeable future would be a tranquil one. If you are ready, we may depart immediately."
"I suppose I have a few belongings to collect."
"Then we should not waste any more time. Tell me where they are, and I shall retrieve them." Lucina pointed out the cave and Master Hand disappeared and returned with her few possessions instantly, already packed into the rucksack she carried them in.
"How has he not gone mad with all this power at his disposal...he has more power than Naga, and yet all he seeks to do with it is create a tournament. Mankind could learn much from his example."
Master Hand put his thumb and index finger together before drawing them apart, opening a portal to what looked like the entrance to a mansion. He moved aside and swept himself low. "Lucina, welcome to the Super Smash Brothers. Your new home awaits."
The princess took one last look at Ylisstol spread out before her before entering the portal.
Master Hand watched the portal close behind the young princess. Satisfied that everything had gone to plan, he waited until the scroll suddenly erupted into flames and brushed the ashes off the cliff before teleporting away. He'd have to be back here in a few hours, but he couldn't afford to waste that time, not when this year's tournament would have the largest group of fighters yet.
Six hours later
"Thank the Gods," Chrom sighed as the Shepherds finally entered the palace grounds. The majority of them went off towards their dedicated barracks located on the grounds, while the Exalted family, Khans of Regna Ferox, and Robin continued towards the palace itself. "I have never been one to enjoy public outreach."
"And yet, the people almost unilaterally support you, Chrom. You don't give yourself enough credit," Robin replied, swatting away a mosquito. Though the insects were not nearly as bothersome as they were in Plegia, where they congregated in impenetrable swarms near any oasis come dusk, Robin still hated them. Wait a minute, he'd only been in Plegia once in his memory and couldn't recall wandering near an oasis. So where did that come from?
"Being proficient does not equate enjoyment, Robin. And this support partly comes from our recent successes, of which you have played a bigger role in bringing about than I."
"Come now, you derive not even slight satisfaction from hearing the people so in support of your opinions? Alas, I fear I am only of use on the battlefield. I will be of little aid to you in peace as a mere tactician. And thank you for granting me residence in the palace."
"That support was mostly likely a result of me declaring this day a day of remembrance for Emmeryn above all else. The court of public opinion is a very fickle jury. One that demands without understanding what must be done to satisfy those demands. Those demands are often unreasonable, even impossible. That is where you come in, prime minister."
Robin's expression was priceless. "P-Prime minister? You're not serious, Chrom?!"
"A hundred percent, my friend. I can think of nobody better qualified for the position. And that is how you are going to pay for your lodging in the palace."
"B-But, an outsider virtually in charge of the Halidom, with authority over all the nobles! Think of what the repercussions will be!"
"It will be of overwhelming support when I reveal that he is the man behind our successes on the battlefield." Chrom slapped Robin's shoulder. "Come now, it won't be as bad as it sounds once we get the postwar affairs with Plegia over with."
"That's implying I survive the work and politics involved," Robin groaned. Chrom raised his eyebrows.
"Robin, the legendary tactician who fears no opponent no matter how long the odds, afraid of a few doting noblemen? Don't let word of that get out, you'll just make your job even harder," Chrom teased.
"Chrom, I'm being serious here! This is a dangerous move to make so soon after becoming Exalt! Patronage has caused many a strong government to crumble!"
"I shall not take that title, Robin. The last Exalt shall be Emmeryn, and I wish for it to remain as such."
"Great. Another thing to do on top of all of this reconstruction work: think of another title for you."
"You need not worry about political troubles just yet, Robin." A voice called from the dark. The pair whirled around, everyone else doing the same. Sumia promptly stumbled and would have fallen if Lissa hadn't caught her.
"Who are you and how the hell did you get into the palace?" Chrom demanded, drawing Falchion. Robin pulled out a Thoron tome from his robe and looked surprised.
"Wait a minute, this isn't the tome I had in here..."
"Where you are going, Robin, I imagined you could use a more powerful tome. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Master Hand, and I am the administrator of a tournament known as the Super Smash Brothers."
Flavia and Basilio exchanged surprised glances before clapping. "Haha! Well done, Robin!" The latter clapped him so hard on the shoulder that he would have fallen if Chrom hadn't caught him.
"Ah, yes, I almost forgot, the Khans of Regna Ferox are familiar with my little tournament. Would you kindly care to explain to Robin?"
"...Yes, please do. And take it slow; I'm still trying to process the sight of a giant floating hand that just talked to me."
"It's a tournament that makes the periodic Feroxi tournament for dominance look like child's play. Only the finest warriors from any world are allowed to enter," Flavia explained.
"...wait, multiple worlds? Gods, this headache is only getting worse..." Robin groaned.
"From all manner of worlds and times," Basilio picked up the explanation, ignoring Robin's protest. "An invitation to the Super Smash Brothers is recognition of fighting skill at the highest order possible. I'll be honest, I'm a bit envious of you, boy."
"What, you, the biggest oaf in all Regna Ferox, make it into the Smash Brothers? Keep dreaming; you'd probably trip over your own axe before you hit anyone," Flavia scoffed. "I myself wouldn't dream of being elligible."
"As amusing as it sometimes is to see you and Basilio go at each other, Flavia, I don't think that's going to help this godsforsaken headache I'm getting..." Robin rubbed his temples. "Gods...an interdimensional fighter's league...why me? Why not Chrom, or Lon'qu, or one of the Khans?"
"There will be time to answer that question once we are on our way, Robin. But we must make haste. I have others to welcome. Will you accept?"
"No, such an honor should be bestowed upon - "
"Oh, stop being humble, boy, and just take it!" Basilio called with a laugh. "From what I've heard, they rarely pick more than one champion from each time! You might not get another shot at this, with the Radiant Hero and Hero-King as some of your competitors!"
"Robin, give yourself some credit, you're a brilliant fighter in your own right," Chrom said encouragingly. "And you have a much greater arsenal than any of us swordsmen. Sometimes a sum of proficiencies is a better judge of skill than any one talent."
It took a little more encouraging and dismissals of Robin's offer to have someone else go in his stead, but the tactician eventually accepted the offer, though he had made whispered request to Master Hand first.
"If that is all, we should be going," Chrom said with a slight bow to Master Hand. "I'm going to need some sleep; the days will only get longer from here on out."
"I'm afraid not, Chrom. You see, Robin's provision was that you be invited too."
A stunned silence, and then Basilio's hearty laughter broke it. "Har har har! By the Gods, the boy's cunning knows no limits!"
Now it was Chrom's turn to gawk, which ended up being far more amusing as Sumia had to slap him out of it. Thankfully, she remembered to do it with her palm and not her fist.
It would be another hour before the Exalt and his most trusted advisor left Ylisse for the realm of Smash. Given Chrom's limited role, Master Hand had decided a puppet ruler was not needed, and that Chrom could rule from afar under the guise of an extended political visit to form a potential alliance, while returning to Ylisse occasionally to assure the people that he was still alive. The communications device he would use while away simply looked like an ordinary tome save the fact that it was embedded in the wall and projected an image of the user on the other end rather than any magic. When Robin had asked in horror if this meant that he still had his workload as prime minister to contend with, Master Hand had simply said he had a "solution."
And so Robin departed Ylisse positively dreading however long the tournament was going to last. While Sumia was the acting ruler in Chrom's absence, that didn't guarantee his position was going to be any easier.
"I wonder if Marth was invited?" Robin mused to Chrom to take his mind off his impending death by paperwork.
"I don't know. Basilio said they rarely chose more than one champion from any given time."
"Oh, Marth is here and has been for a while," Master Hand said offhandedly. "He's a veteran of these tournaments."
"...that would explain a lot about his skill," Robin said with a sigh. "Wait, you said 'he'?"
"Yes, I did. Here you are, gentlemen, I hope it is to your liking. Your belongings are already inside." Master Hand floated away.
"I thought we ascertained that Marth was female?" Chrom asked as they shut the door.
"...We'll work it out in time. Just...not now," Robin groaned. "I would like to spend some part of this evening not numb with headache, thank you."
Unknown location
"What is this? Another time-traveler? And considerably more powerful than Marth, too? I do not understand how this does not concern you, Master Grima."
"Patience, Validar." The deep, echoing voice of the Fell Dragon echoed in the void. "He is of no threat to your destiny. Fate has given us a well-deserved break. I have not heard of this 'Super Smash Brothers' before, but if it is a tournament, then we can expect whoever leaves this world to participate to return worn-out and with their guard low. This will be the perfect opportunity to set things up: with Lucina absent, their greatest trump card, prior knowledge of fate, is gone. Not to mention that Chrom and my vessel shall be absent, too. With no brains left in the palace, Ylisse shall succumb to chaos. Even for the likes of Chrom, it was unusually foolish of him to crown that imbecile of a pegasus rider as queen, and surely even he has realized the stupidity of leaving her with any actual authority. He will be back before long, and if the time presents itself, we may be able to assassinate him."
"But Master Grima, didn't this newcomer say that he had taken precautions to ensure the world stays at peace? We should orchestrate events now so that his countermeasures cannot hinder us!"
"Validar, do not lie. You are fooling nobody, including yourself." A touch of mocking lined the Fell Dragon's voice. "I am well aware of Plegia's sorry state right now. With an army and navy that has deserted for these Ylissean scum, this country is hardly a worthy residence for my loyal Grimleal. You will need every day of this respite to rebuild Plegia. Reclaim her glory, so that when the time is ripe, you will be ready to play your part in ushering your god's return! Alas, it will not be any time soon as Valm is not ready either, but you will see Plegia restored to her proper glory in time, or suffer my...displeasure." The harsh scarlet glow of his eyes intensified at that last word.
"Yes, Master Grima." Validar bowed low. "I will not fail you."
"Good. Our time here is running short. The Plegian people are starting to cry for a leader. You know what you must do. Fear not, for the Fell Dragon shall see to it that all events turn in your favor, Prince. Or should I say, King Validar?"
Validar dropped to one knee. "You honor me, Master. I shall see the kingdom restored and replenished. We shall be poised to obey your every command, and eagerly await the day of your return."
"We shall see if your actions can mirror what your tongue promises for once. Go now." Validar faded into the void as the Fell Dragon's power whisked him back to the world of the living.
Dr. Light's Lab, Mega City, 20XX
"Hi Dad, I'm back!" Rock called as he returned, carrying an armful of groceries and various parts. Auto, Rush, Eddie, and Roll were also helping to unload Auto's truck, and even Beat had managed to chip in by flying some smaller items inside. Tango, on the other hand, remained curled up in a chair near the doctor himself. Just another ordinary day for the family of the world's greatest roboticist and most renown hero.
It had been several months since Dr. Wily had vanished from the hospital and left behind the cure to his Roboenza virus. Roll had recovered quickly, despite Dr. Wily's warnings that prolonged exposure might cause permanent damage, and the household had returned to normal. That wasn't to say Rock didn't occasionally armor up to help people in need, but by and large, they had lived a quiet life, with their archnemesis in hiding again and the celebrations long over with. While there were some minor holidays approaching, Rock was never requested to make a public appearance save New Year's Eve and during visits by important politicians.
Rock set his burden down and embraced his father, who stood up from his computer to receive and return it. "Whatcha working on?"
Dr. Light sighed and sat back in his chair. "Just some drawings."
"Of what?"
"Of my latest project, but that is not important at the moment. I have something I have been meaning to discuss with you for a long time, my son."
"What is it?"
"I've been thinking, you've grown up so much from the little lab assistant I intended you to be. Perhaps its time we give your body an upgrade, too."
"Oh? Um...what kind of upgrade?"
"Some improvements to your system and hardware that is more in line with technology nowadays. As strong as you are, it's hard to believe, but your technology is nearly twenty years prior, and your fusion core is nearing the end of its life expectancy. With all the stress you've put yourself through taking down Albert time and again, it may have even exceeded it already."
Rock's eyes darkened. "Sure."
"I thought the time we replace your power core might be a good time to do so. I've already planned out everything, so all we need is your word. It should take only a few hours at most."
"Let's do it and get it over with," Rock straightened and gently pushed the drawer he'd been putting things into shut with his foot. "I trust that it won't affect my IC chip or personality data?"
Dr. Light sighed and stood. "Of course it won't. But before we do that, I have a question to ask of you, and I want you to answer honestly. Is something troubling you?"
"No."
"My boy, I thought I had programmed you not to lie."
"There isn't anything bothering me, Dr. Light, I promise." This was, unfortunately, nothing new, though it happened last after Bass' first encounter with the Light family, when he stole the parts for the Super Adaptor.
"Perhaps he is merely getting better at hiding it," Dr. Light sighed. For all of his brilliance, this was still a realm that he struggled with. His son deserved better, but he never looked to anyone else, not even his siblings, for support in these moments.
"You have never been worried about your personality in the past when we had to repair you, and you should know well enough from your experience as my assistant that neither personality nor memory data is affected by a fusion core replacement if the process is done properly, as I always have. Clearly, my son, you are having doubts about your identity, otherwise you would not behave like Blues." Rock was about to reply, but his creator gently put a finger to his lips. "Just hear me out this once, my son. I can see it. Your sister can see it, and so can Auto. You don't know who to truly believe you are: the lab assistant Rock, or the hero Mega Man. My son, it is quite possible to be both at the same time. And you are both. Mega Man is the name under which you took up arms for humanity's sake. Rock is the true person underneath that. You are both of them, because they are the same person. I see the same benevolence and caring that drove Mega Man to fight for justice in you. I see the same determination to get the job done, regardless of difficulty, in you as well as in Mega Man. Your body is not possessed by two different personalities, fighting for dominance, but rather, inhabited by two sides of the same one that complement each other."
"...Thanks, Dad. I guess I'm just letting idle paranoia get to me." That wasn't the complete truth, but there was no point bothering his family with the memories of his struggles. Hopefully the fact that they had been weighing on him more lately was just temporary. Whatever lingering weight of war usually faded with peace.
"Emotional swings are a sign of uneven power supply, so it's a definite clue that your power core is in need of replacing. All your brothers' were replaced last year, but due to the whole incident with Wily framing me and Roboenza following a month afterwards, I never got around to replacing yours. That was why I had Roll install restraints to prevent you from performing actions that would stress your core, like prolonged swimming, sliding, or charge shots."
"So that's why I couldn't do those things. It was oddly refreshing to be like that again, though."
"At the expense of making things more difficult for you. I wouldn't wish that upon my son no matter how much it helped in the long run. We should get the upgrade done quickly now that we should have all the parts necessary." Dr. Light called Roll and Auto over. "Are you sure you want to be upgraded, Rock? We can just replace your power core if you say no," the doctor offered.
Rock shook his head. "No, I'm sure. Wily won't stop improving his goons until one of his schemes works, so it's only fitting that I improve as well."
"Very well, if you are sure. Would you please armor up for me? Your armor plate and Mega Buster will be upgraded too."
They were more than halfway through the process when the doorbell rang. "That's odd, nobody mentioned they were going to stop by," Dr. Light mused. "Oh well, if they have gone out of their way to find us, it isn't polite to deny them. Roll, would you please answer the door?"
A few minutes later, as Dr. Light finished the last of Rock's internal upgrades and started to piece together his new armor, Roll came back.
"Um, Dr. Light? Is it a good time to stop for a minute? He wanted me to give this to you, and he said he wanted to talk to Rock." She was carrying an envelope sealed with an unfamiliar logo.
"Who is he? Some sort of cultist?" Auto grumbled.
"Well, he's not an Emerald Spears agent for sure, otherwise he would have tried to kill me. He already knew my name and that I was a robot."
"Well that means we have a stalker then. Not sure which is worse, honestly."
"Auto, must you always see the negative side of things?" Rock sighed. "There are many things that are better to wake up to than your grumbling. And Roll, you can just let him in, if he wants to speak with me I shouldn't delay him on account of myself."
"Are you sure?" Dr. Light asked, but he already knew the answer. Roll disappeared and re-entered with Master Hand a minute later.
"Oh dear, it appears I have come at a bad time. My apologies, Mega Man."
"It's no trouble at all, I'll be done here in a little bit. Who are you?"
"My name is Master Hand. I am Master Hand, the administrator of a tournament known as the Super Smash Brothers."
"The name rings a bell..."
"So, you are no stranger to interacting with different worlds, I presume?"
"I...have vague memories of someone called...Sonic? Whatever his name was, he was definitely from another world." The Blue Bomber's eyes flickered as Dr. Light temporarily rerouted power to one of his arms. Master Hand waited until he was sure the robot was stable before replying.
"Ah, so you'll have at least one familiar face to pick out of the crowd. Anyway, the letter will explain everything."
"Erm, it's not exactly possible for me to read it - " The letter had unfurled itself and was positioned out of reach of any stray sparks of Dr. Light's welding torch as he slowly welded Rock's new armor on. While he was still rather suspicious of this newcomer, if his son was willing to trust him, then that was good enough. Rock's sense of danger probably far exceeded his own after so many years of combat.
"Gimme a minute..." the android's videoreceptors adjusted their focus and filtered out the blue glow of the torch before he started to read it, muttering the words aloud, partially out of habit, partially because he knew his family could hear. His robotic siblings were likely keeping their audioreceptors peeled. "Heheh, from what I remember of Sonic, this sounds exactly like what he would love to do. Sorry, but I must decline."
"What?!" Auto demanded. "You aren't seriously thinking of turning down such an offer, Rock! You're going to be fighting the best of the best!"
"Auto, that's the thing. I don't want to fight anyone. I never did."
"Mega Man, I assure you this is not some sort of army that I am conscripting you into." Master Hand decided not to mention the fiasco with Tabuu. "It's just a bit of friendly competition, Rock. Which name would you prefer me calling you, out of curiosity?"
"Be that as it may, I hate fighting. Even if it's sparring, I'd rather avoid it. And either, really, is fine. I'm not one to care about such things."
Master Hand chuckled. "That much is quite clear. You also needn't worry about Dr. Wily. I have...persuaded him that it is in his best interests to give up for the time being and focus on creating a single winning strategy rather than throwing scatterbrained plots around. Oh, don't worry," he added quickly upon seeing the Light family's horrified reactions, "...he doesn't know who I am, I merely influenced his thoughts from afar. He will be a long way from formulating a plan, and I have him under surveillance. If something were to happen, I can assure you that you will have full knowledge of his plans long before he puts any into effect."
"This still sounds a little too good to be true. But the offer is quite tempting."
Master Hand opened his palm in a defensive gesture. "I will not force you to make a decision, Mega Man. However, my time here is running short; I have other place to be."
Master Hand didn't seem to be the type to lie, so if he said Dr. Wily was going to be out of the way for the foreseeable future, he probably had good reason to say that. If nothing else, this tournament might be a chance to make some friends and learn a trick or two. He could certainly use some training; when it came to Wily and his threats, it only got more difficult each time. Plus, some combat experience to acquaint himself with his enhanced body would be a very good thing. And if had to be completely honest with himself, while he enjoyed the quiet life the Light family lived while at peace, it also got rather tiresome to constantly break up arguments between his siblings. With Auto doing most of the supply runs and Roll doing most of the housework (not that Rock didn't chip in whenever possible), most of his time had been devoted to thinking back on the memories he carried with him. Perhaps he simply needed to talk to a few more people. After all, from the sounds of it, they were just like him. Maybe sharing his experiences would help.
Rock took at look at his family. Dr. Light had lifted his welding mask to give him an encouraging smile, Auto was practically pleading him to go, and Roll looked confused, though Rock knew she would be in full support of him either way.
"Alright. I'll do it. Just give me a bit."
"Of course. Take as long as you need." Master Hand opened up a portal. "This will be here until you cross through it. Just don't let anyone else follow you in except Elec Man, if he hasn't already gone."
"Wait, Elec Man's going too?"
"He has been selected to be an assist trophy. There's an explanation on those in the letter. Farewell, Rock, and I welcome you in advance to the Super Smash Brothers, and your new home." Master Hand swept himself low and backed through the portal.
"Well, he's quite a character," Roll remarked. "Not unlike yourself, Rock."
"Really? How so?"
"Look at everything he can do. Yet he uses it for the sake of making the best heroes even better. What a selfless person - er, hand."
"I can see where you're coming from, sis." Rock winced slightly as another piece of armor was welded on. "Wonder where Elec Man is if Master Hand hasn't talked to him yet?"
"He's probably working, then. I'll contact him." Auto made to leave.
"He's not going to like that, you know how diligent he is," Roll called after him.
"Until you appeal to his ego," Rock interjected. His sister scowled at him in response, causing him to roll his eyes. "Oh, I forgot you don't approve, sis. That whole 'it's nobility not snobishness' thing."
"What?! No! I just don't think it's nice of you to insult your siblings!"
"C'mon, sis, lighten up! He knows I'd just be teasing him if I told him!"
"He's right you know, you do need to lighten up, Roll," Auto called from the next room. "It took one poke to set you off."
"Hmph!" She crossed her arms and left the room. Dr. Light just sighed and continued his work.
"Huh? I feel...bigger, for some reason," Rock mused as he stood up, powering down from Mega Man. "Quite a bit bigger."
"Yes, I had to expand your body to accommodate an energy balancer and improve your autorepair systems. I figured you were tired of carrying the device around," Dr. Light said with a smile. "I know it seems unnecessary, but the balancer can help with more than just weapon energy. It improves your overall survivability by micromanaging energy usage. And where you're going, I don't know if they'll be able to repair you. I might as well send you off with an autorepair system that can mend more than cosmetic damage."
"Wow, I...didn't know the balancer could do all of that. And just how much more does the autorepair do now?"
"It can completely repair anything short of major structural damage, such as a broken skeletal beam, or damage to itself or the power core in rather short order. Even major structural damage can heal on its own, but, like with a broken bone, it would be best to let yourself rest to during the process. Think of it like the human body's ability to heal, only faster. As for the power core, I fear it is still beyond my ability to devise a way to contain a core breach without either overloading you or causing fusion detonation. I also took the liberty of taking that quick-charge part that Auto so cleverly designed and incorporating it into your new Mega Buster. Functionally, it's the same as always, just a little more energy-efficient and has the quick-charge part installed by default. Per your idea, the variable weapon system is now linked to your primary memory bank, so you can store more weapon and tool data than just eight."
"I really hope I won't need it, but something tells me that I will," Rock sighed and put his armor back on to examine it. "This doesn't look much different than the old armor. Guess the added defense is in the materials."
"That and the fact that the armor's energy shield is much stronger, a fact aided by your improved power core. I figured that slimming it down a bit would help your maneuverability in combat, something that will suffer because of your increased size."
Roll suddenly returned, having calmed down from a while ago, and deposited a bag in front of him.
"What's this?"
"I packed some stuff for you!" Off her brother's bewildered expression, she continued, "What? I can't do you a favor just because I looked like I was mad at you?"
Rock chuckled. "Of course you can. I appreciate the gesture, sis. I just thought it was funny that here I am getting an aging-up, and it looks like you're still the more mature of us. I didn't even think about packing anything."
"Whoa, the little kid's grown up!" Auto said with a laugh as he examined Rock's upgraded form. "You're almost as tall as Dr. Light!"
Before Rock could say anything, Elec Man entered the room. "Well, well, aren't you prepared, little bro."
"Hey, he's actually fighting, unlike you," Auto retorted.
Elec Man's eyes darkened and electricity crackled from his hands, but his tone was light. "Excuse me?"
"Nothing!"
"Elec Man, if you have to zap anyone, zap Rock for making fun of you earlier." Roll said quietly from behind them, sweeping up metal shards from under the lab table.
"I figured your generosity was too good to be true," the Blue Bomber sighed dramatically. "Why am I always the one in these situations?"
Dr. Light laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "Enough of that, boys. Rock, Elec Man, you two have a tournament to attend. Good luck to you both!" He gave his son a hug and shook Elec Man's hand. Roll hugged them both, while Auto settled for a high-five. Suddenly the letter came flying out of nowhere and pasted itself in front of Rock, to his surprise.
"Apparently I'm missing something...what's this...a moveset?" Rock examined the letter in confusion for a bit. "Dr. Light, do you still have the weapon data backups? The letter states that I'm allowed to bring these weapons and use them." The letter promptly floated over to Dr. Light.
"Of course. As a necessary precaution, like you asked me to. Are you sure you want to use them?"
"If what they say about the Smash Brothers is true, I'll take whatever help I'm allowed. Besides, it's not like I'll be genuinely harming anyone."
It took just a few minutes to download the appropriate weapon data, by which time Roll had rounded up Rush, Tango, and Beat. Eddie wanted to go too, but Dr. Light had insisted that he was needed in the lab, so the flip-top had reluctantly agreed to stay.
"Take care, both of you!" Roll dove at them for another hug. Rock returned it, while Elec Man held his arms out rather awkwardly, earning a laugh from the others.
"We should probably go," the Blue Bomber said after this continued for a while. Armoring up, he took a step towards the portal and waited for Roll to release Elec Man before the Robot Master strode past him and through the portal. Rock turned and raised a hand in farewell to his family before stepping through, only pulling his hand through once it was about to close.
Little did he imagine that this would be the last time he would see his family for two years, or the experiences he would have between that time and now.
Author's Note: So, yes, Mega Man is a bit different from any of his in-game appearances; I wasn't really a fan of SSB4's child-like rendition of him (which is more along the lines of how he was portrayed on the NES games), especially his artwork from newer games makes him look more mature than he was to start with anyway.
Think of it as how he appeared in Mega Man 8, just taller, around the lines of 5'7", and with a bulkier body. If it helps to put it this way, imagine a teenage Rock similar to the Ruby-Spears cartoon's version of him (just without the muscular armor). I wrote the upgrade in because I figured that Dr. Light might try that sort of upgrade to his first Blue Bomber to test out some of the systems he would eventually incorporate into X.