Quick Author Notes:
This particular story is actually referenced in chapter 7 of "Heart-to-S Support" with an incident concerning a 'stage hazard' of Gaur Plain. I didn't really want to place the entire scene in that chapter as it would break the overall flow of that story, but let it be known this takes place in that same timeline.
Also, there's a bunch of Xenoblade spoilers in this story. I advise caution when reading since I go into some heavy details that concern the plot and explain exactly what Metal Face is. If you would like to learn on your own, I recommend leaving this story until you're no longer concerned with the spoiler of Metal Face.
I have done all my preemptive Xenoblade warnings, and I already marked that this story is actually pretty bloody in comparison to most other things I have written thus far. I hope you enjoy ^^;
Super Smash Bros. Present: Clawing Your Way In
Today was a special day in Smash Mansion. It was finally time for the unveiling of the new versions of some of the stages. Master Hand had been working tirelessly to get all of these new things configured. He was proud of his work and it was rare to say that when it was this big of a project to fill. The last bits have been tested out and now for an official match to make sure everything is done properly.
The master of the manor is walking through the hallway to the Simulation Room. Many of the Smashers were already gathered around to check out today's official match. Most out of jealousy for not being chosen as the test subjects, others out of support for today's combatants.
Everyone falls silent as Desmond presents himself. Personal appearances only happened for these sorts of events just to make sure everyone knows what is going on. All eyes fall upon him as he raises his single gloved hand.
"As all of you may know." He begins. "Today is the showcase of the new versions of some of the stages. I wish to test these out to make sure everything work's as it should. Shulk, Pit, if you may step into the Gaur Plain stage."
The young blond seer and angel captain nod as a response. They can hear whispers of good luck from their closest companions as they make their way to the transporter. A smile is plain on the swordsman's face as he goes to step in before he stops dead in his tracks. His eyes are overtaken by a cyan light and he grabs his head in pain.
"A-a vision?" He whispers. "Now?"
Everything is blurry and moving around hectically. All that can be seen at this moment is the worried faces of Shulk's fellow fighters behind the blood stained glass of the fourth wall. Dunban is desperately slamming his fist into the glass
The blond is hanging limply with three sharp edges piercing through his abdomen. It's like something stabbed him with claws, with murder as the intention. Something was working outside the rules of Smash Brothers.
"If you've got any final words, NOW'S THE TIME!" A familiar grating voice yells as the blond is slammed against the fourth wall.
"SHULK! SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING BEFORE HE DIES!" Dunban's concerned voice shouts as he pounds against the glass even more, tears streaming down his face. "DAMN YOU!"
Shulk let's out a scream as he steps away from the machine, clutching his stomach as if he had just been stabbed. That vision concerned the Monado boy. That voice was familiar, he knows only one person with that deep scratchy voice, but it couldn't be who he thinks it is. He should be dead, he watched that man fall from the Mechonis after being impaled. Metal Face, no, Mumkhar is dead and gone. His remains were found on the Fallen Arm. Yet… he was the man in the vision… and he was going to kill Shulk if the blue-eyed teen entered that battle.
Pit looked over at his opponent and had a slight look of concern etched into his normal happy features. "Are you…?"
"I can't go in there!" The Homs teen yells. "Call off the fight!"
Robin steps into the room after Master Hand asked him to go check on the swordsman after everyone heard him screaming. Carefully he walks over to his companion and rests a hand on his shoulder.
"Shulk, what's going on?" The mage asks quietly.
The blond can feel himself shaking as he tries to keep his composure. "Don't make me go in there."
"You need to explain Shulk. Did you have a vision?"
"I did. I'm going to die if I go in there. I'm going to be killed."
Sighing quietly the tactician leans up to plant a kiss on the taller's lips. He quietly reassures him that nothing is going to happen as everything in the battles are regulated. Any injures he sustains will be healed if he's KO'd before the end of the fight. One last reassuring 'good luck' is heard from the silverette before he ushers his fianceé into the transporter.
The two fighters set foot onto the new version of Gaur Plain as the announcer does his countdown. The rules were five minutes time, three stock, no items. Even if this was a regulated match that feeling of impending doom was still causing butterflies in the Monado boy's stomach.
It was easy to tell this was a one-sided battle after the announcer yelled 'go'. Pit was quick to jump over the chasm in the middle of the stage and rush right into Shulk with his Upperdash Arm. The seer was reluctant to use his Arts against the other in retaliation though. He kept dodging out of the way and countered when he could.
The timer kept ticking down as the Smashers spectating watched the back and forth struggle between the combatants. It almost seemed like the seer was intentionally trying to not attack, as if he was saving his energy for something. Robin was standing right in front of the window next to Dunban. Both were the two people closest to Shulk, so naturally they were the most concerned.
The raven-haired Homs has been particularly quiet this past week ever since his confrontation with Pit's companion Magnus. He is only watching this match because he knows that the angel has been wanting a proper fight against the seer due to the war veteran's actions recently. Master Hand seemed to have been aware of the bad blood, he was always a tad bit sadistic when choosing competitors. His chocolate eyes look even more tired than usual as he glances over to the tactician.
"What did he see?" The swordsman asks as he watches his ward continue to stay on the defensive.
The tactician was hesitant to answer. "All he said was he was going to die if he went into the battle. He didn't say any more."
A disappointed sigh can be heard as the older male looks back at the fight to see the blond manage to land a KO on the angel by using the brunette's head as a jump pad to get just a little more height to reach the other platform.
"Ok you… Homs." Pit starts as he starts closing in on the swordsman again. "You've been holding off on attacking! Why aren't you fighting!?"
Shulk was about to respond as the stage finished it's shift to night time and the familiar grating laugh of Metal Face can be heard.
"Whatever you're doing it looks, smashing. Nya, ha, ha, ha!" The giant machine says as he flies in and looks at the two fighters.
The Monado points to the Face Unit and stares right at his opponent, fear ever present in his eyes. "He's why!"
"Well, if it isn't the puny boy himself! You miss me!?"
The seer was frozen in fear. He didn't know what to do at this moment. His legs all but turned to jelly and he barely had the strength to keep the Monado gripped in his hands. He had to be strong though, that vision was not going to become reality! Not while the heir to the Monado was still breathing.
If Metal Face had the ability to smirk it would be obvious as he continued talking. "If the brat's here, Dunban can't be far behind."
On the other side of the glass the aforementioned adult was more than angry. The one man in the world he could say he hated with every fiber of his being was alive again. Not just alive but also with all of his memories.
"Mumkhar." Dunban muttered, anger dripping from his words as if they were poison. "You bloody scoundrel. How dare you show up here."
Robin looked over at the other man in confusion. "That machine knows you?"
"Knows? No, no, he doesn't just know me, he was once one of my closest friends. Then, the bloody bastard turned against me and nearly killed me, my sister, Shulk, Reyn, and almost everyone in Colony 9. His mere presence is enough to make my blood boil in hatred, I can never forgive him for what he did."
Everyone that was spectating had heard the small monologue. Out of all those present, Samus knew what it was like to have that one thing show up that brings back nothing but bad memories and trauma. Most people respected Master Hand, but his ideas are usually the worst when it comes to what he thinks is a 'good idea'.
Pit was mesmerized by the Face Mechon, he had never seen anything like him before. The closest thing was the Great Sacred Treasure that Lord Dyntos made for him. He was even more surprised to see his opponent just freeze in place. The appearance of this machine just caused everything on the blond to stop functioning. The angel's blue eyes widen as he sees Metal Face reel back one of his clawed hands before going in to try and stab the Monado boy.
"G-get out of the way!" The brunette yells as he tackles Shulk to the ground just barely causing the new adversary to miss. "What is going on with you!? Stand up and fight!"
It was one thing to have an opponent that just had a simple grudge due to some poor communication. It was another to have an opponent that actually wanted to go in for the kill. The angel captain just barely managed to roll out of the way before Mumkhar managed to slice his head off with one of his claws.
"For a strange lookin' Entia you sure do move quickly! Be happy I ain't here for your blood today!" Metal Face shouts before he lands on the same platform as the two Smashers.
"Don't compare me to-! Wait…" Pit mumbles after realizing what the Face Unit just said.
This was just enough a distraction for Mumkhar to reel back once again and stab his claws right into the Monado boy. A blood curdling yelp is heard as the razor sharp blades rip through Shulk's muscles and internal organs. Ever since this adversary showed up the seer had not voluntarily moved, and this ended up making his vision a reality.
"S-Shulk!" Robin yells as he sees his fianceé be lifted up from the ground and crimson blood slowly dripping from the claws. "We have to get them out of there!"
Desmond had not been expecting this when he allowed Mumkhar into this dimension. Maybe he had been too lenient with the Face Unit's powers and now it's coming to haunt him. If he knew anything though, if he tried to end the battle Shulk would bleed out before they could get him to the infirmary. There isn't much in the way of intervention that could be done to keep the Monado boy alive.
A maniacal laugh comes from the Mechon as he pulls his hand closer to his face. Sadistically he wiggles his claws around just to open up the wounds more so his nemesis would bleed out even more. The pain causes the seer to whine and whimper as these only made Mumkhar laugh more.
"How's it feel Dunban!?" Metal Face yells as he flies up close to the fourth wall, knowing his former comrade in arms would be watching. "What's it like to see your precious Monado boy hanging off my claws? Don't ya just want to get in here and kill me again?"
"Damn you Mumkhar!" Dunban shouts. "You should have stayed dead you bastard!"
Again the Mechon laughs as he flies back slightly and throws Shulk right at the viewing window of the fourth wall. The blood of his injuries splatters against the glass along with some bits of skin and entrails. Slowly the boy slides down before the rest of his body falls victim to gravity. The KO would probably save him but there was no way the Face Unit was going to let his victim have all his injuries healed up.
Pit continued to watch from where he was, completely dumbfounded at the brutality of the machine.
"L-Lady Palutena? Can you hear me?" The angel asks quietly.
It didn't take very long for Palutena to somehow establish communication. "I see what's going on Pit. We're trying to see if I can get the power of flight activated despite regulations. Considering if I don't… well, it would be best if we didn't think about it."
Another scream can be heard as Metal Face impales the seer again as he fell. The brunette he needed to act quickly if he had any hope getting both himself and Shulk out of this situation. Swiftly he draws his bow and shoots an arrow. While it did catch Metal Face's attention, it didn't cause him much in the way of actual damage.
"I see the flightless bird brain wants to tango too! Well, then have a taste of this!"
Pit started to panic when he saw the Mechon start to power up his cannon to fire straight at him. There wasn't much in the way of available space and the angel didn't know how big the cannon's fire was either. When he got lifted from the ground due to the Power of Flight activating he was quite relieved.
Mumkhar was less than pleased to see the brunette off the ground. He managed to slam the blond into the fourth wall yet again and placed one of his other claws against the seer's neck. He enjoyed hearing Dunban's panic on the other side of the glass while the Face Unit had absolute control of the situation. Since he had impaled the swordsman a second time, the original three wounds were bleeding out a lot faster now that nothing was stopping the blood inside the body.
"If you've got any final words, NOW'S THE TIME!" Mumkhar shouts as he prepares to end the bane of his existence's life.
"SHULK! SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING BEFORE HE DIES!" Dunban's concerned voice shouts as he pounds against the glass of the fourth wall, tears streaming down his face. "DAMN YOU MUMKHAR!"
Robin was frozen in place as he looked straight into the eyes of his lover. He was unresponsive yet his eyes were wide open. The tactician regrets his decision to let the Homs teen into the battle now that he understands what the vision was. He was just as powerless as the seer's own mentor as they are forced to watch this unfold.
Quickly Palutena guides her angel captain in close to the Mechon so he can shoot rapidly and retrieve the seer.
"Pit, I have allowed you to perform your techniques outside of Smash. Please hurry."
"Thanks Lady Palutena! Hey ugly face! You're going to get it!"
Pit's flight was way faster now as a result of Palutena's direct interference. That one arrow that had no effect originally would soon become a barrage of light arrows focused directly on the claw that impaled Shulk. Now Metal Face was feeling something more than just an itch.
"Pesky little maggot! Thought you'd go down easier than that! Now have at ya!" Mumkhar yelled as he started to swing his other clawed hand at the tiny angel.
Pit took a chance to fly in between the claw to get closer to Metal Face since the goal was to get in as close as possible. If Metal Face needed to stall to kill Shulk, the angel captain would have to end it sooner.
"Take this!" Pit shouted as not only did he fire another arrow but he shot a huge arrow upward that rained many small arrows downward that was highly effective. In that small moment of getting hit by an attack that harmed his entire body, Metal Face ended up loosening his grip on the Monado boy causing the seer to fall down from the 4th wall. It was foolish of Pit to turn his back on Metal Face as he immediately swooped down to grab Shulk. "I got you, Shulk! Lady Palutena, pull us out!"
"It'll be a couple seconds Pit! Just hang on a little bit longer!" The goddess replies as she starts to work her magic.
She continued to guide the brunette as she started to pull them out of the battlefield. Just before the two disappear though Mumkhar manages to get one last swing in. He had been aiming for Shulk hoping to get one last good cut on him but Pit managed to turn right at the last second and take the hit instead on his back, a few feathers getting pulled out as well.
Landing safely in the middle of the spectator room Pit gently sets down Shulk so the others can start trying to get some sort of cover on his wounds before he fully bled out.
"Shulk!" Robin yells as he scoops up the younger in his arms. "If you're still alive do something! Please! Dunban… I… you can't go dying on us!"
There was no response from the blond as his blue eyes continued to stare off blindly. Blood was still oozing from every place he was impaled and was slowly staining his clothes, as well as the tactician's, in its burgundy color.
Everyone was quiet as Dunban knelt next to his ward. Tears were still streaming down his face as he tried to figure out what to do. He had no idea where Riki was so there was no way he could get the orange Nopon to use 'You can do it' to heal up the teen. If something didn't happen quickly the blond was surely going to die. Even the slight bit of wound packing the fighters attempted wasn't stopping the bleeding, the edges of the wounds were too jagged.
Things slipped into an uncomfortable silence as Rosalina stepped into the room. Her monotone expression was unwavering as she kneeled down next to the other's on the floor. She didn't say a word as she took Shulk into her arms. Robin nearly refused to let go of his companion, but he knew if he didn't he'd never have a chance to hold him again. The tactician has to trust the Mother of Cosmos with her job. Even if he doesn't know exactly what she is doing.
Swiftly the pale goddess leaves to get the dying teen to Palutena's room. Everyone still in the room look about each other before slowly filtering out. Soon it was just Robin, Dunban, and Pit in the room.
The war veteran was still shaking from seeing his 'adopted' child bleeding out like he was. His eyes were filled with hatred as he stared right at the angel.
"Why didn't you do anything sooner!?" The raven-haired Homs shouts.
The brunette isn't quite pleased to be snapped at like that. "Hey! I didn't even know what was going on! Don't go yelling at me because that dumb machine almost killed someone! You should be grateful I even decided to help!"
The silverette looked between the two other males in the room as they continue to shout at each other. Now is not the time to argue about their differences. He doesn't find the urge to speak though as he stares at his blood-covered clothes and hands. While the mage was used to blood being spilled on the battlefield during war, this wasn't the same. This was drawn in cold revenge against the one person he loved more than anything.
Robin felt so powerless…
It didn't take long for the argument to cease once the silverette found his voice though. He told the other two that the prime priority is to find some way to heal the seer if for some reason Palutena's magic isn't enough. Dunban and Pit look between each other and Robin before the swordsman nods and gets up to go call Sharla. This injury calls for heavy firepower, firepower only the medic's rifle can provide.
Lady Palutena was quite concerned when she saw Rosalina appear in front of the Goddess of Light with the limp body of Shulk in her arms. It was hard to tell what kind of state he was in as he was completely unresponsive yet even the slightest movement caused him to let out a pained cry.
Sighing sadly the green-haired Goddess rests a hand on the blond's abdomen to focus her magic to at least close up the wounds. She can't guarantee that she can do much more than that, especially for his internals. Rosalina also can't take her hands off the seer as her touch is just enough to slow the bleeding down. The fact that he wasn't completely human made it difficult for either Goddess to heal him properly since neither were completely familiar with how a Homs' body is structured, even if they do look like humans on the outside.
Resting her hand to the side Palutena sighs. "That should at least keep the blood in his body. But I can't fully repair the internal damage and stop the bleeding in there because I might accidentally screw something up if I tried."
"It is understandable Palutena." The Mother of the Cosmos replies, concern vaguely heard through her monotone voice. "I sense that we need not wait much longer as help is on it's way. Come, let us get to the roof. We will need the space available there."
Master Hand is usually skeptical of letting non-fighters into the Mansion outside holidays. Considering the situation however, he's willing to bend his own rules if it concerns a fighter on the verge of death due to a regulated match. By the request of Dunban, Desmond has gotten into contact with the near-famous medic of Colony 6. Quickly he explains to Sharla what has happened and why she has to bring her strongest rifle for emergency healing. The raven-haired woman asks no questions as she prepares herself.
Robin feels a little concerned as he sees Pit shaking slightly a little ways away from the tactician. He hadn't noticed before, but the injury the angel sustained was just about as serious as Shulk's own. There were plenty of feathers missing and the wings were slowly getting stained red as blood leaks out from where Metal Face's claws managed to slash the brunette. If the light angel was in that much pain and distress, the tactician could just about imagine that Kuro is feeling the same since he has such a close twin connection to the older. Carefully the silverette walks to the angel captain and rests a hand on his shoulder.
"I think when Miss Sharla shows up you should tell your twin to get to where your Goddess is." The mage says quietly.
Pit looks at Robin questioningly. "H-how do you-?"
The tactician isn't given much chance to explain as he hears Dunban start frantically yelling at the other's to get a move on. It was surreal to hear the normally composed swordsman in such a state of panic. Interestingly enough it was just as surreal to see him nearly dragging Sharla behind him as he tries to get her to the roof. The silverette offers to help the angel get to the roof as well so he has a chance of getting healed as well.
Lucina was carrying Kuro on her back as he continuously whined about the pain surging through his back. He swears up and down he's bleeding even in there's nothing more than three red marks on him. The princess was very concerned for the dark angel as he is usually so calm. She wasn't quite sure what was going on, but the only coherent thing he managed to say was 'the roof'. Quickly the bluenette thought that something was up there, maybe the answer to why the raven-winged angel was in so much pain. The marks showed up very suddenly and the boy nearly screamed when he started feeling the pain.
It was a long walk from the fourth floor up to the roof, but considering what's going on, the blue-haired princess is working off adrenaline to keep Kuro on her back as she carries him. It's usually not her place to assume things, but she has managed to conclude that something might have happened to Pit if his twin is in so much agony despite not having been in any type of altercation.
"Just hold on a little bit longer Dark Pit." Lucina says as she reaches the last set of stairs. "Lady Palutena must be up here if you told me to bring you to the roof."
Opening up the door the female lord isn't quite surprised to see the Goddess of Light and Pit on the roof. She was surprised though to see Robin, Dunban, Rosalina, Shulk, and some other lady with a huge rifle resting in her arms.
"We don't have time to explain your highness." Dunban starts, worry still laced in his tone. "Just bring the angel within a decent range so he can be healed as well."
Robin decides to explain as his friend carefully walks up. "Pit and Shulk were severely injured in a fight just a little while ago. Due to the close connection between them, Kuro is also affected by Pit's injuries."
Nodding in understanding Lucina gently sets the still swearing dark angel down. He nearly collapses to his knees as he tries to stop his agony.
Sharla steps in close to the three injured fighters. "Alright everyone. Stand back."
Everyone not needing to be healed take a step back. It was mesmerizing how the medic was able to lift such a heavy looking piece of equipment without so much as hurting herself. She aimed straight up toward the sky as she prepared herself.
"CURE ROUND! CLEAR!" The raven-haired Homs woman shouts as a resounding bang is heard from her Ether rifle before a second yell. "HEAL ROUND!"
The entire group was astonished when the particles of Ether slowly drifted down from the sky after being fired at such a high velocity. Calmly the Ether disperses to heal the three injured boys. The cuts on Pit's wings close up, the marks on Dark Pit's disappear, and the remainder of Shulk's injuries heal and his bleeding fully subsides.
Robin watches as Sharla slings her rifle back onto her back before he walked over and sat on the ground so he could gently set Shulk's head on his lap. Tenderly he brushes away the blond's bangs as he lets out a sigh of relief knowing he'll be ok now. Quietly he looks up to thank the medic but sees her hugging Dunban quickly before departing to get back to Bionis for whatever things she needs to attend to. He'll have to thank her some other time for helping his beloved.
Palutena walks over to Pit and asks him how he feels. She receives a slightly pained reply as an ache can still be felt where the claws had torn open the poor angel's flesh. It was slightly reassuring to hear the fact he was feeling a slight bit better though. After confirming her captain was all right the Goddess of Light stepped over to check on the darker twin.
Dark Pit was all huddled in himself with his wings wrapped around his shoulders. Some tears were still being shed from the intense pain he had endured. His head was resting on Lucina as she attempted to comfort the dark angel. The green-haired goddess showed a genuine look of concern as she attempted to reach out and rest a hand on the raven-haired boy's shoulder. He swatted away her hand as he continued to shake. That pain was so unbearable for him and the Ether heal only did a tiny bit for him since he and Pit have absolutely no Homs blood in them.
Lucina directs her attention from the injured angel to look at Palutena. "I think it would be best if I took him back to his room. Rest is the most important thing he needs as the pain subsides."
The goddess nods as she stands up. "I think the same can be said for Pit. Maybe even a soak in the hot springs may help the both of them since the hot water heals angels and other divine beings."
After the suggestion is made the two goddesses assist Pit, Dark Pit, and Lucina in getting off the roof to return the angels to their rooms so they can rest and let the rest of their wounds heal. This leaves Robin, Dunban, and Shulk as the latter still has not stirred from his undefined state of unconsciousness. The war veteran still had that look of angry concern as he watches the mage gently stroke the blond's hair.
"Can I trust you to watch him while I go fetch someone to take him back downstairs?" The swordsman asks, resting his hand on the hilt of his katana.
The silverette nods as he continues to pet his fianceé gently. "You may Dunban. Go on, you need to find someone."
Without another word the raven-haired Homs turns and leaves to go and find someone strong enough to carry his young ward.
Sighing quietly the tactician looks back down at Shulk's face. It was disheartening to see the boy's face so pale. Of course the seer didn't have much color to him in the first place, but right now he's pale as a ghost. It'll take a while for him to get back to fighting strength, again. Robin must be patient with the other though.
"I know you probably can't hear me." The mage starts. "But I promise you, I'll protect you from now on. This won't happen again so long as I am still alive and fighting. I will become stronger, just for you my love."
Author Notes:
1. The title of this particular Smash Bros. Present is actually a pun. Quite gruesome to think about considering what happened huh?
2. This story takes place just after "Voodoo Escapade" but within Chapter 7 of Heart-to-S Support, so that's why the characters had acted as they are towards each other.
3. The first few things I had Metal Face say are direct quotes from him in the actual WiiU version of Smash, as to keep up with consistency.
4. To be absolutely honest, the reason this story exists is because Metal Face's inclusion in Smash really bugs me. In Xenoblade, he causes so much of the turmoil that Shulk, Reyn, and Dunban have to deal with for the first part of the game. Essentially, he's the Bionis version of Ridley. And I almost say it's in bad taste to have him included as a stage hazard considering all of the context. Especially since the game shows off that even if he's canonically dead he still has a huge grudge against Shulk and Dunban.
5. I figure that Palutena can establish her whole mental connection to Pit any time but it just takes a little bit more effort when not at her Palace or outside regulated matches. The same applies to the Power of Flight and probably talking with Kuro.
6. I figure that since Homs aren't technically human, yet have very little idea of their own internal anatomy, Palutena and Rosalina would have a difficult time trying to figure out what exactly in damaged with internal injuries. Really, they were playing it safe with not healing the internals.
7. For those of you that are not at all familiar with Xenoblade, Sharla uses a gun for healing purposes, I'm not making it up, she's not much of a damage dealer. Half the time those rifles are bigger than she is, and she's Shulk's size, that's why Riki isn't doing anything in terms of healing despite having a move for it. One of her moves is "Heal Blast" which heals up a hell of a ton of HP, while another is "Cure Bullet" that cures status conditions. I kind of consider the internal damage to be under the "bleed" ailment. I used the party-heal variations.