After Dark: The Mansion Incident

Chapter 1: Taken

He could hear loud banging noises coming from the other side of the door. The sound of medical equipment smashing off of tile rang through his ears. Ike dropped his sword on the ground and continued to stare at the wooden plank in front of him.

She was in trouble.

He checked his pockets for the herbs, but they weren't there. Somehow, the green herbs he found in Raccoon City were gone. And the banging refused to cease. An eerie chill ran down his spine. There was wild screaming accompanying the banging now. Ike couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed the doorknob in an attempt to open it, but it refused to co-operate with him. The door was locked. Ike cursed as he slammed his fists into the wood. She was calling for him. And he couldn't do anything to stop it. Ike took a step back and rammed the door with his shoulder. The plating on his shoulder clanked off the mahogany wood, but the door remained standing. Ike stepped back farther and rammed it a second time, this time with more power. The door still stood. The crying stopped now, along with the sound of breaking glass. Ike froze on the spot. Was he too late to stop it? No, he couldn't be. Ike lifted up his heavy Ragnell and brought it down on the door. In one full swing, the door collapsed in a pile of wood scrapings on the ground. He stepped in and examined the dark room.

The hospital wing was completely drenched in blood. The beds were all torn up and scattered in pieces on the floor. Several potted plants lay tipped over and the soil was turning a crimson color. A smashed window stood idly on the other side. Ike dropped his sword again when he saw her. Zelda was standing in the middle of the room. Her entire body was painted crimson. Just from one dose of the virus, too. Ike quickly ran to her and she collapsed into his arms. He brushed her hair out of her face. Her body was frail and broken. She struggled to open her blue eyes to see her saviour. She closed her eyes the moment she recognized the swordsman.

"Ike...You came back..."

Ike held her hand. The pulse was starting to slow. She was coming close to her end. He looked about the room for anything to heal her. Unfortunately, all the medicinal vaccines had been completely destroyed and leaked onto the red tile. If only he had the herbs. If he had the herbs, he may have been able to save her. But it was too late now. He was too late. She put a bloody hand up to his face and smiled. He squeezed her hand tightly as tears entered his eyes. Zelda whispered something to him too quiet to hear. But the movement of her lips was all he needed.

"I love you..."

Zelda dropped her hand and closed her eyes. Her breathing stopped. Her heart stopped. But the blood still continued to flow out of the wound on her neck. Ike couldn't stop himself from holding her hand. He started crying as he brought his head down to hers and kissing her on the cheek. Zelda was gone. Ike sat in the bloody room for what seemed like hours. And not once did he let go of the princess' hand.

It wasn't until after a few minutes that the unthinkable happened. Zelda's hand started to move. Ike looked up and watched her hand twitch. It felt around his hand for a few seconds before grasping it gently. Was she still alive? Was there hope for her survival? The hope hidden in the bottom of Ike's heart returned when he sensed the blood circulating throughout her body again. But it disappeared when Zelda's hand felt tighter around the swordsman's.

Ike looked down to see her eyes open. But it wasn't the pure blue light he had seen once before. No, Zelda's eyes were dark. They were red. Blood red. She opened her mouth to reveal a set of dying yellowed teeth. Ike flinched when she started moaning at him. He wanted to let go of her, but something deep inside him pressed him to hold on. Zelda used her other hand to grab Ike's neck. Because of this action, Ike was completely thrown off balance and he fell to the bloody floor. Zelda lay on top of him, her putrid breath penetrating his nostrils. She brought her mouth to his neck and bit into him. Ike winced at the pain but he didn't react. He knew what was wrong with her. He really did come too late. She was a monster. Ike's blood splashed into his eyes and he closed them tight as the virus entered his body.

"I love you too..."

Suddenly, the scene was overcome by a shining white light. Ike was perfectly blinded. Zelda's infected voice started to die away. All sounds started to die away as the pain left his body. The light continued to blind him.

"Zelda...I'm sorry...I was too late...Please...Forgive me..."

Ike opened his eyes. The Smash Mansion stood before him. He was standing in the mansion parking lot. The area was empty, just like he remembered it.

"I'm home?..." he thought. "But how?..." The summer sun shined down on him happily in the clear sky. It was late afternoon, a few months after the tournament. Ike couldn't remember anything. He had been crowned Smash Champion when he was victorious in the tournament. After that, all the fighters were given a few months off from their training. Master Hand decided to give them an extra month due to the struggle the smashers went through in the city.

That dreaded Raccoon City.

Ike stood still and stared at the mansion for a while, pondering the previous events.

"Raccoon City...I remember. The monsters...The people...Zelda..."

Ike's memories shot back at him instantly.

"Zelda!"

Ike ran towards the building and burst through the front doors. The foyer was completely empty. None of the smashers could be seen anywhere. He sped up the large stairs and down the straight hallways.

"I can't be too late! Not again! I can't be too late!"

He ran as fast as his feet could carry him. He realized that his sword was not with him. If the room was locked, he was going to have to look for another alternative. Ike stopped in front of the mahogany doors. There was no banging or screaming. It was a completely different scene. Ike reached for the doorknob and grasped it. He froze for a few seconds. What if she was a zombie? What if he was too late?

"No. I will not allow that to happen."

Ike twisted the knob and gently pushed the door open. There was no crimson at all. Only the pure forms of clean whiteness engulfed the room. Medical supplies sat on the shelves neatly and in order. The potted plants were in their regular positions. The window was waxed and clear as the sky. All the beds were clean, except for one at the end. Ike's princess was sleeping in this one.

"Thank God..."

Ike walked over to the bedside and looked down at Zelda. She was breathing heavily. A cold, bloody cloth was on her forehead. Zelda was sweating hard, and there were some blood stains on her skin from earlier that day. Seeing the wounds reminded Ike of his mission.

"The herbs...Where are they?"

He checked his pockets to find the green plants crumpled in a bunch. He yanked them out as carefully as he could without damaging the medicines. They were all wrinkled and warm, but their potency was unchanged. He looked down at the plants in his hands and at Zelda's wounds.

He turned around and headed to the nearby sink. He pulled down a white mug from the shelf above him. He then turned on the water and let it run until it was steaming hot. Ike filled the mug with the hot water and dropped the herbs in. The plants immediately dissolved into the liquid , causing the water to turn green. He returned to Zelda's side and set the mug on the night stand. Zelda opened her eyes when she felt Ike sit down on the bed.

"Ike...You're back..." she struggled to say.

"Shh..." whispered Ike as he put a finger to cover her mouth. "You're going to be alright. Trust me."

Zelda smiled.

"Thank you...Ike..."

The swordsman grabbed the mug and gently blew on it.

"Here, this will make you feel better. Careful, it's hot."

Ike held the medicine in front of her mouth and Zelda took a small sip. She breathed deeply.

"I...I feel better already..." she said smiling.

Ike couldn't help but smile back.

"It should cure you completely if you drink it all. Here."He set the mug in her hands and let it sit on her bed. "I'm...sorry I couldn't get here sooner. I got a little tied up."

"It's okay. As long as you're here, I feel safe. Don't leave me again like that."

"Okay. I promise."

There was a small knock on the door.

"Anyone in there?" asked a muffled voice from the other side.

"It's open, Ness," replied Ike.

The door creaked open and Ness's large head poked through.

"Is she okay?" he asked.

"Nothing to be afraid of. Come on in," said Ike.

Ness walked into the room, attempting to hide a bouquet of red flowers behind his back.

"Um, I brought these for you," he said revealing his present.

"Thank you," replied Zelda.

Ness set the flowers on the table near Zelda's bed and then gave her a hug.

"You're going to be okay, aren't you?" he asked.

"Oh, I think so. Just so long as Ike keeps a watch over me."

"Oh don't worry, I will."

Zelda took another sip of the medicine.

"I think it's working. Where did you get such a thing? Everything Mario's been treating me with hasn't done a thing for me."

Ike tried to recall what happened.

He remembered finding himself back in Raccoon City, during the second outbreak. Sonic had used Chaos Control to warp them all there. Link and Samus were the ones who found the herbs in the first place. It was a good thing they gave them to Ike when they had the chance. Where did they go anyway?

"Uh oh..." muttered Ike.

"Ike, what's wrong?" asked Zelda.

"This is not good. Ness, I need you to keep an eye on her for me," said Ike as he ran out of the room.

Ness didn't even get a chance to reply.

Ike dashed out the mansion doors and into the parking lot again. Everything was unchanged. But the thought still lingered in the back of his mind.

"Where did they go? How am I the only one who made it back home?"

Something wasn't right. The Chaos Control should have sent them all home. But Ike was the only one here.

"Could something have gone wrong?"

He couldn't stop thinking about it. Could it have been his fault why they got lost? Ike ran back into the building. He had to tell Master Hand.

"Master Hand! Something's gone wrong!" he shouted. His voice echoed throughout the empty mansion. Where was everyone? "Somebody! Anybody!" There was no reply. Ike ran up the stairs and headed down to the hallway to Master Hand's office. The double doors were mysteriously left open. Ike peaked into the room. Master hand was not sitting at his desk. He wasn't anywhere. Ike stomped on teh floor and cursed. "What the hell is going on here!? Where is everyone!?" He ran back down the halls and headed to the hospital wing. Zelda and Ness were still there.

"Ness, where is everybody?" Ike asked.

Ness shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. They've been gone all day."

"What? How can that be? I was just talking to Mario this morning."

"I saw Mario this morning too. But, I don't know where he went at lunch time. I was fishing at the pond outside."

"You were outside?"

"Yeah."

"Was there anyone else with you?"

"Nope. Just me. Didn't catch anything though."

"Was there anyone else outside?"

"Actually...now that you mention it...everybody was inside."

The sound of chopper blades soon filled the air. Ike paused and stared out the window. A large carrier could be seen heading to the mansion from afar.

"That's not one of ours..."

Ness turned to the sound of the transport.

"Hey, what's that?"

"It's a chopper. I don't recognize it though."

"You don't think..."

"There's a chance." Ike ran to the door and stopped. "Ness, lock this door. Don't let anyone in unless you know for sure it's me, okay?"

"Okay."

Ike headed to the stairs and ran up them. The chopper blades were louder now. Ike made his way to the roof of the mansion. He had a perfect view of the great forest surrounding the building. For some reason, the clear blue sky had turned a dark grey color. Still, there were no clouds.

"What's going on here?"

Ike walked up to the edge of the mansion as the chopper touched down on the roof. Ike stood still as the wind blew his cape up behind him.

"I don't like this..."

The Umbrella insignia was imprinted on the side of the chopper. One by one, men dressed in black armour filed out of the carrier. Each of them were armed with a standard class SMG. Each of them bore the same Umbrella badge on their left arm. And each of them had their guns pointed at Ike. There must have been about fifty of them as more and more started coming out of the transport. Ike continued to stare as the dust flew into his face. The last soldier was followed by a man in a white lab coat. He too had an Umbrella badge, except it was over his heart.

The man had several wrinkles on his head and a sharp pair of silver spectacles to match. His hair was a clean white and he had his hands behind his back. Judging from his posture and the way he adjusted his glasses, he looked like a real snob. The man walked up to Ike so that they were both facing each other.

Ike's back was to the great forest in front of the mansion. The man in the lab coat waved one of his hands. At this, a large squad from the main group of soldiers headed to the door and entered the mansion. The scientist smiled at the swordsman. Ike gave the man an evil glare. No one was supposed to know about the Smash Mansion. It was too well hidden from the rest of the world to be known. Yet, these men, these Umbrella members, they somehow found out about the smashers existence. No, they didn't find out. They knew.

"What is the meaning of this?" asked Ike trying to sound as intimidating as he could.

The man was not fazed at all.

"I'm surprised that there are still some of you here. I thought the previous wave wiped all of you out," replied the man.

Ike flinched.

"Wiped us out? They were here before?"

Ike wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before continuing.

"Answer my question!" he barked.

The man chuckled.

"My my, touchy aren't we? Well, you're ignorance only proves that our operation was complete. Now, my fine sir, would you please be so kind as to board the chopper there?"

Ike glanced at the chopper and the soldiers behind the scientist.

"No. Not unless you tell me what's going on here."

"Sir, I'm sorry but you don't seem to have a choice in the matter."

The soldiers clicked off the safeties of their weapons. Ike did not react.

"You guys are from Umbrella. What do you want with us?" asked Ike.

The man adjusted his glasses again, so that for a split second, they blinded Ike briefly.

"We want you," he repied.

There was another scream. Ike recognized the voice.

"Zelda!" he cried as he made an attempt to by-pass the men.

The scientist put up a hand as a sign of saying 'stop'.

"Uh uh uh. Can't do that, sir," said the scientist waving a retreated back to the edge. The screaming stopped. Ike turned to the door. A soldier entered the roof while carrying Zelda's body to the chopper. Another soldier followed with Ness' body. "They're not dead. We need them. We need you too, sir," said the man in white. Ike was getting sick of this guy. He clenched his fists in anger.

"What are you going to do to them?" he asked.

"You know, you're wasting your breath with those questions. I suggest you come quietly with us and find out. Unless, you'd rather go through the struggle of fighting these men."

Ike cursed in his mind. There was no way he would be able to take out this many soldiers at once. Especially if he was unarmed. Ike had no choice but to comply. The sound of smashing furniture came from inside the mansion. Ike relaxed himself and walked forward towards the scientist.

"Okay, I'll listen. Just please, don't hurt them. They've suffered enough pain already."

"Believe me sir, I know."

Ike raised an eyebrow at this comment.

"You do?"

"Come. I shall explain when we get on board."

The man put an arm over the swordsman's firm shoulders and lead him to the chopper. Seven other soldiers accompanied them. The rest all entered the mansion. The man shoved Ike into the transport and he sat down at a near seat. He then joined him; the soldiers taking seats wherever they could. Ike couldn't see the expressions on their faces due to the black helmets covering their faces. Ike leaned back in the leather seat as the chopper started to take flight. The last soldier slammed the door shut behind him. Zelda and Ness were no where to be seen. The scientist crossed his legs towards Ike and offered a hand.

"Ivan Anderson," said the scientist.

Ike hesitated before shaking hands.

"Ike. Call me Ike."

"Pleased to meet you."

"Wish I could say the same about you."

"Ha ha. And you have a sense of humour. I love it."

"Cut the crap. Tell me what you're doing with my friends."

"Oh, how terribly rude of me. You're right. I should have given you an explanation why I kidnapped your peers. We were sent by Umbrella."

"I know that already. That's a sure sign that you guys mean bad news."

"I'm not surprised you've heard of us. Actually, I am, but that's besides the point. I have reason to believe that you are affiliated with the outbreak that occurred in Raccoon City a few months ago."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't try to lie, it's not going to work. I know for a fact that there was a specific group of 'strange-looking people' that were associated with the events that took place in that city. You are without a doubt one of the suspects that got intertwined with the situation."

"Okay. You got me. But why now? Why wait until after the outbreak to find us? And how did you find out about us anyway?"

"We had a spy enter the city during the outbreak. She informed us of you. We all know for a fact that the people living in that mansion back there are not normal people. Look at that big headed boy for example. You can tell just by looking at him that he's not normal."

"So, you want us because we are 'not normal'."

"In a manner of speaking."

"That can only mean one thing."

"Oh really? I'm eager to see how you figure this out."

"Umbrella is the one responsible for the second outbreak in Raccoon City. My friends and I just happened to be there when it happened. Our casualties were small and only a few of us got infected. But ultimately, none of us were killed. We arrive back home safe and sound only to be abducted by the freaks who started the whole mess. We survived what could have turned out to be the Apocalypse of the world with mere scratches and dents. The only reason why you would think to unleash the T-Virus in the first place is to test it on live human subjects, like the residents of Raccoon City. This can only mean that, since we are so-called 'not normal', Umbrella wants us as test subjects for their virus."

Ivan gave a small applaud. The soldiers that had been listening in did not say anything.

"Well, your deductive skills are impressive, I'll give you that, Ike. But your analysis isn't quite 'on-the-ball' so to speak."

"Really? It makes sense to me."

"I can give you some credit, though. I'll just say that you're half-right. Umbrella does plan on using you and your friends as test subjects. But there's more than just that."

"What else is there?"

"You really think that I would tell you? You must be joking."

"It was a nice try."

"No. It wasn't."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. The only sound was that of the rotating chopper blades outside. Ike felt depressed. Things have been just going up and down for him lately.

First off, Zelda confesses to him that she loves him. This eventually results in the pair becoming boyfriend/girlfriend. Then things start going downhill from there, as soon after that, the tournament is up and running only to be delayed by the outbreak in Raccoon City. Ike then finds himself and the others running around in a city crawling with undead monsters. After surviving the outbreak, the smashers return to the mansion, where Master Hand opens a brand new tournament. Ike becomes the champion thereafter by defeating Lucario in a one on one fight. Now, he finds himself in Umbrella's chopper on a trip to God knows where. And his friends are all in danger.

"Where are we going?" asked Ike as he broke the silence.

Ivan was looking out the window but then turned to the swordsman.

"You'll soon see, sir," he replied.

"Are we going back to the city?"

"No. It's quite interesting though. By order of the US government, the city had been under construction ever since the outbreak in order to prevent another biohazard. They are going to build a wall around the city, protecting it from all outside dangers. The government believes that a tighter security around the perimeter will protect the residents from becoming infected with the virus."

"So, you're going to infect the city again?"

"No. that would be a waste of time and money."

"If the government knows who's been behind the attacks, why don't they put a stop to you guys?"

"They can never find us. We can always receive cover-up from terrorists and Tricell."

"What?"

"I'm surprised at you, Ike. I figured you to be the more heroic type, judging by your outward appearance. You didn't even try to fight my men."

"A dead man isn't worth much."

"True. But we never could have killed you anyway. You're to precious to our research."

"Am I? Then you could at least treat me with a little more respect."

"You know, I could try to interrogate you right now. But I won't. I'm more than a scientist. I am a gentleman."

Ike remembered the last time someone tried to interrogate him. It wasn't a pretty sight.

"Is Umbrella in any association with the Los Illuminados?"

"Not that I know of. The Illuminados are the ones who stole the virus in the first place. They planned to use it with the Plagas to create the ultimate bio-weapon."

"Wait. Wouldn't that make it their fault for the outbreak?"

"No. They never planned to use it on Raccoon City. The only reason why we unleashed the T-Virus was to intercept the plans of the Illuminados. It worked like a charm, too."

"Wow. You must be one of Umbrella's top researchers in order to know about this much information."

"I guess you could say I am. I did assist in the researching of the T-Virus and G-Virus."

"The G-Virus?"

"Nothing you need to worry about. Anyway, we've got a long trip ahead of us. I suggest you take a nap and save your energy. You're going to need it where we're going."

Ike didn't reply. He faced forward but averted his eyes again when he noticed he was staring at a soldier. Ike closed his eyes and began to dream.

Ike was wandering the streets of Raccoon City. The city was completely empty. The streets were painted in crimson. The buildings surrounding him had blood dripping out of the windows. The city was destroyed. The cry of one thousand dead monsters rang through his head. Ike looked up the bloody street. An army of zombies could be seen stumbling towards him. He ran the other way as the zombies homed in on his position. He was relieved when he saw another army approach him from the other end. This army composed of humans, each of them bearing the Umbrella insignia on their left arm.

"Hey! Over here!" he cried to the soldiers.

The soldiers saw the survivor but took no notice of him as they soon passed him and headed toward the undead army. Ike stood still as the people ran past him. Gun fire soon filled the air as the soldiers engaged the zombies. Ike turned around to witness the fight. The soldiers fired off their SMGs rapidly at the approaching mob, but there were too many zombies. One by one, the soldiers started falling to the power of the T-Virus. The men ran to their doom as the amount of zombies was soon doubled. Soon, the only survivor left was Ike. And the mob continued to advance on him. He ran away as quick as he could. But for some reason, he felt slow. His feet could not carry him as fast as they normally could. He stopped when another mob approached him from the front. Ike was completely surrounded. The zombies were closing in on him fast.

"No! Stay back! Stay back I tell you!"

The monsters refused to listen. They couldn't. They were people no more. Just slaves to the virus. And that is all they'll ever be. Ike cried out as a rotting hand grabbed his neck and threw him the ground.

"Ike? Hey there," said Ivan.

Ike stirred in his sleep before jumping back into reality.

"Huh? Wh-what?"

"We're nearly there now. Just a few more minutes."

Ike sat up and shook his head.

"Man, what a crazy dream..."

He looked out the window to see night. It was getting dark quickly now. He had been asleep for 3 hours. Below, he could see a dense forest rising up out of the darkness.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"We've almost reached our destination. You will find your answers there," replied Ivan.

Ike looked out the window again only to see the dark stare back at him.

"Why do I feel so relaxed? I should kill this guy! But something inside me is telling me that wouldn't be a good idea..."

"There we go! You see it down there?" asked Ivan.

Ike looked out the window again. Still nothing but darkness.

"I don't see anything," he replied.

"Look with your eyes, not with your mouth."

Ike focused on the darkness. Soon, he saw a shape form in the dark. A rectangular object the size of the Smash Mansion. The forest surrounded it completely. As the chopper neared closer to it, Ike could make out what the object was.

"A mansion?"

Indeed it was a mansion. And a very ominous mansion at that. Ike couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"You're bringing us to a mansion?" asked Ike.

"Yes," replied Ivan.

"What for?"

Ivan was quiet. He looked away from Ike and out the other window at the darkness. Ike turned away and looked out the window too. The chopper soon touched down in front of the large building. Ike was the first to stand.

"Do you mind telling me what the hell we're doing here?" he asked seriously.

The soldiers did not reply but stood up and began to file out of the room. One lone soldier walked over to Ike and stood next to him. Ivan stood up, too.

"This is you're last stop, Ike," he said.

Ike raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

Ivan gave a nod to the soldier who replied with a nod. The soldier brought his weapon up high, ready to bring it down on Ike's head. Ike anticipated this and caught the attack before it happened. He began to crush the sodlier's hand inside of his. The soldier cried.

"Ahh! It hurts! Why is he so strong!?"

Ike squeezed hard and flipped the soldier over his head. He grabbed the soldiers weapon in the process and aimed it at Ivan.

"Now do you feel like answering my questions?" said Ike.

Ivan just smiled.

"I can if you'd like."

"Okay, what are you going to do with us?"

Ivan did not reply.

"Answer me!" shouted Ike as he propped the weapon up against Ivan's head.

Ivan could only chuckle. He knew that Ike did not have any experience with fire arms. He'd be surprised if Ike knew how to use a gun at all. But it was nearly impossible to miss at point-blank range, so Ivan had no choice but to follow through.

"We have brought you here for one reason and for one reason only. To test the power of our virus."

Ike wasn't satisfied. He wrapped his finger tightly around the trigger.

"There's more. I know there's more. Now tell me!"

"No."

Ivan continued to show a stupid grin. Ike was losing his patience. Actually, he completely lost it with this man.

"If you won't tell me, then I'm going to kill you," said Ike.

"Let's see it then, Ike. Shoot me."

Ike stared into Ivan's eyes. He tried to squeeze the trigger, but something was holding him back. He was just an innocent scientist. An unarmed man. Not even all the strength in Ike's body could get him to pull the trigger.

"You can't do it can you?" pressed Ivan.

Ike tried with all his might to fire, but sadly, nothing happened.

"You are weak, Ike. You can't even kill a-"

Ivan was cut off by the sound of a gun shot. He froze and stared at Ike with white eyes. Ike smiled down at him. The two stood there for a few seconds, examining each others eyes. It wasn't until Ike's shoulder started bleeding that he realized what really happened.

A soldier holding a smoking handgun was standing behind Ike.

Ivan wiped the sweat from his head as Ike dropped the SMG and fell to his knees.

"Like I said, Ike. You can't do it."

Ike fell forward on the cold, metal flooring of the transport. He turned his head to the side to see four clean black boots come towards him. He closed his eyes as his body was dragged out of the chopper.