Authors' Notes: Welcome to our first SSB fanfic collaboration. Constructive criticism and flames are welcome!

Ok, the first few chapters may seem a little confusing at first but rest assured, we will get around to explaining them in the upcoming chapters.

Disclaimer: Us owning the characters? That would be awesome.

Prologue

It was a cloudy day as usual outside of the facility, it smelled of medication and it was just as immaculate, it had to be for the people that lived inside for 'those poor souls' would be more accurate to describe them.

Tom Nook tugged at his tiny business suit nervously, he never liked visiting, but it fascinated him and he was a benefactor when it came to funding it. Leaving it alone was like leaving a customer unhappy or without furniture, he simply could not have that.

He was greeted at the sliding doors, the concierge pleasant as always, primp and blandly-dressed as always. "Mr. Nook," she would say without ever sounding happy. She looked back at her hovering data screens with alien text on them, he'd never understand them. She nodded her face along with the words that scrolled by, her blond ponytail bouncing as she did. A blip of red text appeared and she gestured for the next entryway, an obnoxious beep and sliding of heavy metal doors saying he could proceed. He took a gulp. No matter how fascinating this place was, it was still frightening to visit much less spend extending time in.

Another staff member shuffled up from the doors, she looked relatively harmless, more peppy than the other but more childish as well.

'Nurse Joy' it said on the tag, oh the irony the raccoon would huff at himself, she looked at him with her too-big turquoise eyes framed by light blonde and pink-striped curls, "Oh hello Mr. Nook!" she practically sang rather than spoke. He shuffled along after muttering a nervous reply greeting.

The typical tour began, this time without the usual guards he noted. Not sure to be comforted or disturbed.

She pointed to one of the glass boxes, assured him that he could see in but the patients couldn't see out, "We *just* got these poor dears in, we're still looking for the instigator." He peered in, never wanting to look in, never wanting to look away. There were three huddled children there, they looked like they were sobbing. Tom Nook noticed that they each wore matching blue, green and orange outfits that matched with their respective hair colors.

"Poor kids," he uttered.

Nurse Joy gave a sigh-hum, "Well it is the FDCF's job to take in these poor guys and make them happy endings, so don't be down Mr. Nook!" She gave him a too-happy pat on the head and continued pittering down the hall.

He couldn't tear his droopy eyes away, 'so young' his thoughts echoed and continued to follow the too-bubbly nurse along. He really should have been used to it by now, and he couldn't deny that the FDCF did undeniably good work.

The tour continued as usual, or as usual as perusing a madhouse could be. Most of the inmates had shown no outward change, some were quiet, keeping themselves to a corner, but the more damaged ones raged like they could see through the glass, scratching and hitting it to no avail. The sight did little to ease Tom Nook's frail heart. This place had shaved years off his life.

After a while Nurse Joy ran into a worried staff member. Another blonde lady, one who managed to look and sound ditzier than Joy did; she even wore a small gold crown. "D-did you hear?" she managed between hard breaths. The other staff member gave her a puzzled look then her cute features darkened like an ugly secret creeping back up through the matted soil.

"Him," she gritted through her teeth, sounding nothing like her personable self from earlier. The other nurse, 'Peach,' Tom Nook had managed to read, heard a crash and ran off with more haste than expected for someone wearing such formal slippers. Nurse Joy of course followed, and Tom Nook was forgotten, but as usual, curiosity got the better of his old mind.

After travelling through hallways that were too alike for comfort they'd managed to find an utterly decimated 'quiet room' as they were called. There was some feral, rabid creature of a boy in there, whose age appeared to be in his preteens. Hissing and spitting like a wild animal, he was growling under his breath, "Where are they?"

There were orderlies there, trying to get in close and either being too cowardly or unskilled to have taken the boy down yet. He looked as though the devil had long ago possessed him.

"WHERE ARE THEY?!" He screamed again, overturning one of the tool tables but instead making it screech painfully across the floor and coming to rest at another staff member's feet. Said staff member did not seem to be much older than the crazy kid but rather looked like a technician with how he wore his blue goggles over his eyes. Next to him was some metal box decked out with strange devices.

The techie noticed the two nurses and pointed his rubber-clad finger frantically at the psychotic kid, "I don't know what set him off!"

"WHERE ARE MY FRIENDS?!" The patient screeched, this time lunging for the young teen wearing the goggles, "YOU FILTHY TRAITOR, WHERE DID YOU HIDE THEM? WHO SAID YOU COULD LET THEM GO?!" The raging one started shaking him violently, while Nurse Peach looked on in horror- she knew what to do, yet couldn't bring herself to do it do it.

The smile was completely gone from Nurse Joy's face now and was replaced a deathly expression carved into her features. She tip-toed closer, using that singsong voice that didn't match the anger blazing in her eyes, "Let go of Mr. Zio now, Red. You don't want to get put into the box do you?"

He looked at her again, the threat having no effect on him, "You." He dropped Zio who was panting with fear from where he had been pressed mercilessly into the floor.

"YOU!" The boy repeated, pointing an accusing finger at her, "You're the one I could never catch…never…" He took more dangerous steps closer, getting within arm's reach, but Nurse Joy wouldn't have it. In a smooth and brutal motion she'd jammed a needle into his unguarded neck. He howled, clutching at it but failing to pull it out. Within moments, he crumbled into a useless pile on the floor. She gave the cowering orderlies a nod to take the offending thing away.

Tom Nook stared at the boy being dragged out like a rag doll; Nurse Peach made a small noise like the entire thing had happened too fast for her brain to process. She set about helping Zio from where from where he had been crushed into the floor. Nurse Joy was busy smoothing her nurse's uniform out, the welcoming smile plastered back onto her face.

"My! That was exciting. Shall we continue, Mr. Nook?" She beamed at him, as if nothing had happened as she made her way back out of the room. Tom Nook couldn't form any words, he couldn't even stop shaking.

"Poor Mr. Nook! We should go get you something to eat!" She hummed cheerfully as she took his tiny paw into her hand and led him to the cafeteria.

Yes, this place terrified him.

A/N: Zio and 'Nurse Joy' are actual Brawl characters in disguise, but in a different form for the sake of the fic. Can you guess who they are? =D