[Author's Note:]
This is my first fanfiction work of (hopefully) many to come. I was a tad disappointed at the lack of C.F.-featuring pieces on here, so I started writing one. Rated M mostly because I don't know if I can change it later, and want to have my bases covered. Anticipate some language, violence, sexual content, possible substance abuse, and a strong possibility of {FalconxSamus} as the series progresses. Feel free to give feedback, review, and all that jazz. Enjoy!
[Disclaimer:]
I do not own, nor do I claim to own, any of the following characters or settings. All rights for Super Smash Brothers and subjects featured within it are the property of Nintendo.
1
Falcon gritted his teeth, his lungs pressing firmly against the back of his chest cavity. The distorted sights of various landscapes and vistas shot past his viewport, barely registering their tranquil beauty before trailing swiftly out of sight. He could barely breathe, and his heart was forced into working overtime to compensate for the intense gravitic stress exerted throughout the cockpit that surrounded him. The pain and pressure in his bodily cavities was present as usual, but it no longer bothered him; Captain Falcon had grown used to it in his racing career, even as lesser humanoids would have buckled under such stress. If anything, the intense G-forces that accompany piloting an F-Zero racing machine had become an addiction for Falcon – but not comparable to a drug addiction. Cutting across time and space was something more to him – something…intimate…and he couldn't possibly keep himself from it. It was entirely irreplaceable in his heart and his mind. No, all Falcon could do was press his helmeted head back into the headrest, and remain utterly euphoric. After a lifetime of anti-gravity racing at unholy speeds, there was nothing he had yet experienced that could get his adrenaline pumping, such as that of hurdling through air at over 400 miles per hour in his beloved Blue Falcon aero-racer.
Well, Smash! Tournaments ran a close second.
The Blue Falcon let out a primal screech as its aging aero-dampers brought it stuttering to a halt (at this, Captain Falcon made a mental note to replace his esteemed chariot's brakes), and it spun into a sideways air-strafe that was violent, but deliberate. Captain Falcon himself yanked on the ejection hatch immediately next to his left hand, causing the cockpit's entry hatch to erupt from its resting position with a start. Wind from the air outside of the sealed racer gusted into the Blue Falcon's cabin, now unobstructed by the protective casing of bulletproof glass.
The Captain boosted himself out of his seat midflight – he couldn't imagine life without its theatrics – and, the moment he had cleared the pilot seat, he dismissed his joyride via a convenient, wrist-mounted remote control. In the heat of his entrance, he barely heard Master Hand's booming count-off to the start of the match, only just arriving in time to hear the tail end of it:
"…1…GOOO!"
Captain Falcon's eyes darted across the stage – mere seconds of idle preparation would permit him to gain his bearings before attacks came flying in from his opponent. He rapidly took stock of his scenario.
The stage: Boxing Ring from Punch Out!
His opponent: Mario.
Captain Falcon was barely able to contain his excitement as the prime opportunity to 'show them his moves' had arrived once again. Per the showboating that'd come to be expected from the F-Zero playboy, Falcon postured a provocative stance, shot out his left arm with palm extended, and urged Mario into his doom with a look promising quick, unwavering humiliation.
"COME AWWWN!" Falcon cried, completely unafraid of the fidgety, slightly-overweight plumber. Mario rolled his eyes at the rude jest, and charged forward with a hardy intent to win.
Despite a valiant attempt to gain the upper hand, Mario's combat capabilities were greatly outmatched by the proficient bounty hunter. His fireballs – the only option he had at a safe approach to attack – were avoided easily by Falcon's disciplined dodging skills. Any effort to close distance in an attempt to dish out some real damage was instantly punished by Falcon's glorious combo arsenal, which chained 6 – often, 7 – moves together at once.
Fighting relentlessly against Mario left Falcon with a shred of guilt in his stomach, but he knew that going easier on his opponent would be an insult to Mario's personal character. For Falcon, entering battle came with a promise to always give 150% of himself in a fight, and grant his opponent a dramatic, inspiring duel concluding in a glorious death – a death that might even require Falcon to sacrifice himself in the process. To compromise this sacred covenant for the sake of winning or compassion was to compromise one's own integrity, not to mention the dignity of his opponent.
Falcon counted himself fortunate to be among the most exceptional combatants to ever hit the Smash Roster, and he was thankful that he never had to choose between winning the match and going against his code of honor. Nevertheless, there was, and forever would be, only one way to fight for Captain Falcon: For Glory!
Falcon's thoughts distracted his assault momentarily, allowing Mario the chance to break out of his flawless combos. The F-Zero pilot cursed himself for becoming distracted and took a quick glance at the scoreboard.
He still had all 3 of his starting stock, but Mario was down to his last life. Falcon smirked with anticipation – he could feel that his triumph was near. Mario's face was caked with sweat and didn't dare break focus, lest his assailant K.O. him with his signature finish.
"CAPTAIN FALCON! CAPTAIN FALCON!" The crowd screamed with tumultuous fervor, prematurely announcing their chosen victor. Falcon couldn't help but break his focus from the battle momentarily – while sportsmanship and goodwill would forever be the core values in Smash! that Falcon held dear, he longed to embody the entertainment value of the sport, too. "Show me your moves!" He shouted with a warm salute to his fans.
Mario, although not prone to fighting dirty, saw what he could regard as his only opportunity for any sort of comeback. He dashed down Falcon, whom he believed to be completely distracted from the battle, but the bounty hunter would have anyone believe he had eyes in the back of his helmet, as he promptly broke his salute in time to counter Mario's desperate jab with his own grip.
Falcon slammed Mario into the ground with an apologetic smile, bouncing him off the floor of the boxing ring and into the air for a follow up air-pummeling. Neutral, Neutral, Up-Air, Up-Air. The captain's moves cycled fluidly through his mind as his legs struck incessantly with martial flair. He touched down rapidly at the edge of the stage, preparing his signature air finisher – the infamous 'Knee of Justice' – but he gave pause, and, with a conniving smirk, backed off as Mario struggled to regain air control.
The crowd's cheering lightened ever-so-slightly as many onlookers grew confused by Falcon's hesitance. Falcon, of course, was not surprised, and despite his persistent opinion that a good thing shouldn't be messed with, he was feeling a tad more…creative…than usual.
'Time for something new. Something…unexpected,' he whispered internally. Ambition burned brightly in his brazen brown eyes.
When the moment was right, Falcon jumped up to meet his opponent, now floating back towards the stage in a controlled descent. The look on Mario's face subtly announced his resignation in this fight, but his eyebrows curved in confusion as Falcon approached him in midair – he didn't recognize this finisher.
The captain's smirk grew even snider – though not so much as to compromise his otherwise-gentlemanly temper. He shot his arm out, pulling his hand into a clenched fist and positioning it in a winding position, and Mario knew then that he was in serious trouble.
Captain Falcon felt the raw, burning energies course deep from within him – the origin of his special power remained a mystery even to him then, and he doubted that he would ever discover its source; all that mattered in that instant was that he knew how to use it.
"FALCOOON…" he started, his voice announcing imminent doom in a half-growling, half-boasting tone.
Mario panicked, but his wits returned to him as he quickly flicked his yellow cape out, causing the F-Zero pilot to perform a 180° spin in place. The crowd gasped in shock, as their hero was now facing the entirely wrong direction to land his finishing blow! But the captain knew better, and what Mario had misfortunately failed to notice before flicking his cape out in instinct was that Falcon was already turning of his own accord. Captain Falcon completed his turn, doubling the power of his killing blow, and Mario had graciously given him all the extra momentum he needed to ensure the hit landed without fault.
Falcon looked into Mario's pale expression, watching as the plumber internally face-palmed at the horrifying mistake that would induce his demise.
"…PUUUNCH!"
The energy built up in Captain Falcon's fist surged forward uncontrollably, striking Mario with enough force to send him into another dimension. Fortunately, however, the stage's barriers caught Mario first.
"GAME!" shouted Master Hand, his voice charged with the slightest quiver. The crowd roared with impalpable enthusiasm as the match drew to a conclusion, and all Falcon could do to contain himself was put on his trademark smirk for the cameras as they began charging towards him, eager to frame his triumph.
"Captain Falcon, is it true that your right knee has radioactive properties that make it so powerful?!"
"Captain Falcon, do you have to announce your signature attack in order for it to work?!"
"I have a source claiming that you're the child of Zeus himself. Captain Falcon, do you have any comment on that?!"
Numerous questions swarmed at Falcon from all directions, accompanying the flashing cameras that pulsed vigorously among the enormous mob of journalists, photographers, and enthusiastic fans in front of him.
Falcon had grown used to a tremendous publicity following over the course of his Smash! career. He simply smiled and waved at the crowd, opting to remain the 'Silent-and-Brooding-yet-Flashy Enigma' in the eyes of the public. He hadn't responded to any of the media's preposterous inquisitions for years, and he wasn't about to encourage it now.
Eventually, the bodies surrounding him began to disperse, apparently realizing that his most recent success (like the many before it) would not open him up to answering any of their absurd questions.
Falcon left the stage and began his stride towards the stadium's exit. He had only just stepped out of the boxing ring when he saw Mario push through the crowd to his right. He jerked his head attentively to get a better look at his disheveled opponent, anticipating trouble, but the weary plumber's eyes reflected awe and congratulations, not vengeance.
Falcon cracked a smile at Mario (now only a few feet away from him) and touched the first two digits of his right hand to his heart, then pointed in the general direction of Mario's own.
"Well played!" He shouted with a friendly wink. With a sullen face, Mario grabbed the tip of his red "M" hat and gave it a curt tug, nodding appreciatively at the racer.
The exhausted Italian plumber then turned and set off silently in the direction of his two biggest fans – his fraternal twin brother Luigi, and the lovely Princess Peach – who had made their way down to the floor. Peach pulled Mario in for a consoling hug while Luigi answered Falcon's wide smile with a casual wave.
Sparked with curiosity, Captain Falcon turned his gaze to the stadium's stands, searching for other fellow Smash!-ers that may have been spectating the fight. His eyes sifted frantically through the hulking mobs of people as they slowly moved toward the stadium's exit and spotted Link and Marth, apparently locked in an argument over something. Falcon had no luck in isolating the faces of anyone else he knew, but his search was halted abruptly when he felt the small hand of an adolescent pat at his upper thigh, seemingly in an effort to get his attention. Looking down, he spotted the exhilarated faces of two of his own fans – Ness and Lucas. The psychokinetic teens beamed ecstatically at their hero.
"Mr. Falcon, that was astounding, I've never—"
"And the way you hit him at the end with that—"
"—Falcon PUNCH!"
The two elated boys frolicked about enthusiastically in front of the amused champion, re-enacting the final moments of his climactic duel. Falcon chuckled at the display. Eventually the two energetic boys calmed down, at which point Ness stepped forward.
"Man…That has got to be – hands down – the most amazing read I have ever seen in my life! If Mario himself hadn't done a thing, you would have missed! How on Earth did you know he was going to try and parry with his cape?" Ness asked incredulously, trying to impress Captain Falcon with his knowledge of competitive Smash! terminology. Rubbing the back of his neck, Falcon answered the red-capped boy's question with a resigned shrug, as if to mutter, 'what can I say?' His response only left the two in greater awe of the combat paragon.
Leaving the boys to their own devices, Falcon clicked his wrist-controller, signaling the Blue Falcon for pickup. Then, with business concluded, Falcon called stepped outside of the stadium, seated himself securely inside his ride's cockpit, and sped off in the direction of the Smash Mansion, his long day finally drawing to a close.