Author's Notes: Whoa, there's a Part II? Yes, I know that Star's Smashing Secret Santa Contest is supposed to be for oneshots only, but Star gave me permission to make this story a twoshot, and for good reason, too.

Anyway, in addition to the points I made before, I'd like to add these points:

1. I apologize for any OOCness that might have occurred in this story. I did my best to keep the characters as accurate as possible (with the exception of a few characters).

2. Don't ask about the postal system. It doesn't make much sense, I know, but that's how I wrote it. This is a fan-fic; it's not supposed to be perfectly realistic, is it?

So, I hope you enjoy the rest of this story - especially you, SL the Pyro. I worked hard on this.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Super Smash Brothers or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Butch Ness and the Lucas Kid Part II

Later that afternoon the gang gathered together in the official headquarters: the attic. They all knew that no one ever goes up there except Master Hand, and even he rarely makes a trip up to the dark room with the storage boxes and the cobwebs. The Hole-in-the-Brawl Gang, however, took advantage of this point and claimed the attic as the hideout of the gang members. Of course, they had to do a bit of spring-cleaning, but otherwise it was perfect for their objectives.

Butch Ness and the Lucas Kid took their seats on top of some cardboard boxes marked with their names on it. The others took their seats on the floor, and all of them stared at Red and Toon Link, eagerly awaited the message that they were about to deliver. The two boys stood before the group and spoke up.

"Butch, Kid, we have some news for you," Red started. "Olimar and Diddy Kong have gathered a group of Smashers, and they have created an opposition group. Now they're out to destroy this gang and get rid of you two!"

"That can't be!" Lucas reacted. "Did you see who the Smashers were?"

"Besides the two of them, we saw eight other Smashers," Toon Link answered. "We couldn't tell exactly who they all were, but we caught glimpses of a few faces: Falco, Samus, Marth, and Lucario. Judging by the voices we heard, we also think that Zelda, Peach, Captain Falcon, and Meta Knight are involved in this as well, but we can't confirm that."

"What? Are you serious?" Ness interrogated. "How did they even find out about us? We have been working in secret most of the time."

"Apparently Olimar and Diddy Kong have been spying on us ever since the gang was first established," Red replied. "They have also been gathering information from other Smashers who apparently bore witness to some of the things that we did." Ness sighed in frustration and gathered his thoughts.

"Okay, here's what we need to do: we need to prepare ourselves with as many weapons as possible, and we also need to gather top-notch tools and important supplies and equipment. We'll cause chaos in the mansion and confront the new opposition group. While they are distracted, the Kid and I will take off to another hideout with some supplies, and we'll live in secret, plotting new ideas and objectives in the meantime. After the opposition falls apart, we'll come back and reunite the gang members to take over the mansion once again. Got it?"

"But Ness," Popo started. "What will happen if you two don't come back?" Ness was taken aback by this question.

"Don't worry about us," Lucas answered. "We'll be all right as long as no one finds us, and no one will find us." No one said anything for a moment until Nana spoke up.

"I'm going with you," she stated strongly. Ness stared at her and Lucas gasped a bit. Neither of them expected Nana to be willing to accompany them on their hiatus, and at the same time neither of them seemed to be willing to put her in a risky situation because of them.

"But—"

"No buts about it. I'll go with you, and I won't whine, and I'll sew your socks, and I'll stitch you when you're wounded, and I'll do anything you ask of me except one thing. I won't watch you die. I'll miss that scene if you don't mind." Both boys just stared at Nana without a word to say. They weren't about to argue with her at this point.

"Alright then, you can go with us," Ness finally said to her with a tone of agreement. "As for the rest of you, hold down the fort until we get back. I don't know where we'll end up or how long it will take us to return, but I assure you all that we will return. Is that clear?" The rest of the group nodded, telling Ness that they understood him.

"Right, then we'll leave tomorrow at the crack of dawn," Lucas added. "Tonight we need to prepare ourselves and then get some rest." The gang spent the rest of the day preparing for the upcoming struggle against the opposition. They reported to the armory of the mansion in order to gather weapons – things like Bob-ombs, Ray Guns, Beam Swords, and Ness' favorite: Baseball Bats. Afterwards they each returned to their rooms in order to pack their supplies or set up defenses.

Ness and Lucas returned to their rooms late that night, both tired yet restless as a result of their anxiety towards tomorrow's events. As they lied in their beds, they let their brains wander. Ness continued to plot ideas and come up with a number of ways to make their latest plan work. Lucas, on the other hand, couldn't help but think of the number of ways that this could go entirely wrong. Even with Nana's help he felt that they were still doomed. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind and decided to stay optimistic about the whole thing.

"Ness," Lucas started as he turned to look at him. "Have you thought about where we're going?" Ness turned to look back at Lucas.

"You know, Lucas, I don't quite know where we're headed," he answered. "I do know that wherever we end up, the place will be nice." Lucas lied in silence, contemplating Ness' words. "Well, good night, pal."

"Good night, Ness," Lucas replied. The two boys curled up in their blankets and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning the Hole-in-the-Brawl Gang was wide-awake as the sun rose over the horizon. Ness, Lucas and Nana stood by their means of transportation – the Blue Falcon apparently – as they finished loading their supplies into it. The rest of the gang stood by them with their weapons ready if needed.

"So, are you two ready to go?" Lucas asked Ness and Nana, both of whom appeared to be eager to escape yet saddened by their departure at the same time.

"I'm ready," Nana answered quietly after giving her brother a warm hug.

"Well, we had better get out of here quickly before trouble occurs," Ness cut in. "Red, Toon Link, I'm putting you two in charge of things until we return. Got it?" They both nodded, assuring Ness and Lucas that everything would be just fine under their control. With that confirmed everyone made their final goodbyes, and Ness, Lucas and Nana took off into the distance with the Blue Falcon. As the three of them rode away, they saw the rest of the gang brandish their weapons and charge back into the mansion to start a ruckus, hopefully to attract the attention of the opposition group and keep them distracted.

They rode on for a few hours until one minor problem occurred: the Blue Falcon ran out of fuel. It slowed to a complete stop, and the passengers exited the vehicle, annoyed by this setback. They found themselves in the middle of a large field that seemed to be nearly void of inhabitants. Lucas looked around and took in the sight.

"Well, I don't know where exactly we are, but it seems like we got far enough away," Lucas thought aloud.

"That Blue Falcon is absurdly fast, and we drove it for a long time, so that sounds about right," Nana added as she also looked around. Ness stared off into the distance and pondered their points. Even though they managed to get far away from the mansion and the opposition group, he still felt a bit uneasy about their situation.

"We should still try to seek a sanctuary," Ness said to the others. "Something tells me that Olimar and Diddy Kong are going to try to hunt us down once they realize that we're gone. If that's the case, them we have to make sure that they never catch us." Lucas and Nana looked at each other and silently expressed the fact that Ness had made a good point. They all looked at the stationary Blue Falcon with a defeated expression and noted they had to find the nearest shelter on foot. They chose a random direction and took off in said direction.

After an hour the three gang members made their way into a town that looked somewhat run-down. The town wasn't exactly bustling with millions of people, but it wasn't a ghost town either. Judging by the roughly estimated size of the town and the number of buildings within it, they could guess that the population was approximately a thousand residents. They entered the nearest building in sight and noted that the place was some kind of local bar. As they made their way up to the bar itself, they were greeted by the bartender, a resident who looked like a teal-colored bird with a mustache.

"Well, howdy there!" he said to them. "Can I fix you up with some drinks?"

"Sure, that would be great, Mr. Um…Mr.—"

"The name is Brewster Garris, young lady," Brewster said, finishing Nana's sentence for her. "Go on, you three, take a seat, and I'll hook you up with my specialty." They did as they were told and pulled up three bar stools. They took in the nostalgic feel of the bar as Brewster prepared three drinks for them.

"You know, I haven't ever seen your faces 'round these parts before," Brewster said as he brought them their drinks. "Since it's your first time here, the drinks are on the house."

"Well, much obliged, sir," Lucas replied, taking a sip of his drink.

"Yep, and I figured that since the alcohol here is a bit strong and that no one orders it anyway, you guys would just settle for my trademark Brewster Cappuccino Floats."

"They certainly are delicious, Brewster," Nana pointed out as she tasted her drink.

"Well, thank you. So, you three seem to be here from a faraway place. What brings you all the way out here?"

"We're having some problems," Ness answered in an uneasy tone. "Let's just say that the people back home are hating us and want to see us dead. We had no choice but to leave our friends behind and get away from these haters. So we ended up here."

"Well, that's a shame to hear," Brewster replied as he was cleaning the bar glasses. "I can't solve all of your problems, but I'm sure there's something that I can do for you." Ness and Lucas looked at each other and considered his offer to help.

"Could you find us food and a place to stay for the night?" Lucas asked with a slight desperation.

"Well, certainly! It just so happens that my bar is also a mini-hotel. It's not the greatest-quality place to be, but it's comfortable enough. I'll give you three a room for the night, and I'll throw in a fine breakfast if you three agree to assist me with my errands tomorrow morning."

"I have a question," Nana interrupted. "Why is this town looking rather run-down?" Brewster stroked his chin and pondered his question for a moment.

"I'm not quite sure, but I think it's because of the overall standard of living here. The crime rate has gone up over the years, and that has put a rather large dent in the economy as a result. Some people became poorer and more fearful of their community, and so they moved out. Those who stayed managed with what they had and held their own. There are few people here who are living rather well because they're either incredibly rich or incredibly lucky, and they tend to run the town. No one really bothered to keep the community in tip-top shape, because they thought that the criminals would ruin everything anyway." The three patrons listened to Brewster as he told the tale of the condition of the town, drinking their floats as they did so. "So anyway, do we have a deal?" Ness and Lucas spoke among themselves in a whisper, considering his offer.

"We'll take it, Brewster," Ness finally answered, accepting the offer.

"Excellent!" Brewster exclaimed. "Hmph, it's already late. I suggest you three get to your rooms soon. Here is the key. You'll find the room number on it and the respective door." He handed Ness the room key and pointed in the direction of the stairs leading to the hotel rooms.

"Thanks again, sir," Ness replied as he accepted the key. "We'll see you tomorrow morning, bright and early." The three of them finished their drinks and made their way up the stairs, giving Brewster another glance before moving out of sight. They entered their room and settled in, instantly falling asleep the second they made contact with their beds.

Ness, Lucas and Nana awoke the next morning to some rather loud knocks on their door. Lucas slowly stood from his bed and sluggishly walked to the door to answer it. He opened the door and came face-to-face with Brewster.

"Good morning, you three!" he said cheerfully. "I figured that you wouldn't want to sleep your whole day away, so I took the liberty to wake you. Also, this telegram is for you."

"Gee thanks," Lucas said groggily and half-heartedly, taking the telegram from him. "Give us a moment; we'll be downstairs soon." Brewster nodded and walked away. Lucas shut the door and staggered back to the bed. He then noticed that Ness and Nana were awake and a bit more alert than he was at the moment. He then noticed the time of day and groaned at how early they woke up.

Ness eyed Lucas and took the telegram from him. He opened it and began to read it. When he finished, he had a greatly confused look on his face. He then decided to read aloud the telegram to the others:

To Butch Ness and the Lucas Kid,

The situation at Smash Mansion is not bad, but it's not good either. The bad news is that the opposition group – now known as "The Posse" – has captured some of the gang members for information. The good news is that we're slowly weakening the group; some of their members have either been heavily wounded or they have given up the fight. However, Olimar and Diddy Kong aren't finished. In fact, they have sworn to track you down if you don't return to the mansion and surrender yourselves to them. We're doing all that we can to make sure that they don't get to you. We're not sure where you are, but you're probably just fine wherever you are. Stay out of trouble; we'll let you know when it's safe to return to the mansion. Until then, take care.

Red and Toon Link

P.S. Captain Falcon found out about the stolen Blue Falcon, and he's pissed off. Don't run into him if you know what's good for you.

The three of them had mixed feelings about the information in the telegram. Lucas sighed with relief by the fact that the gang was still holding out well. Nana was absolutely mortified by the fact that some of their allies had been captured and that Olimar and Diddy Kong were after them. Ness was taking in both sides of the situation pretty well, but his uneasiness was welling up inside of him again. Meanwhile, Brewster had no idea that he was aiding 'criminals', that foolish bird.

The three of them met up with Brewster, and he treated them all to a fine breakfast. Afterwards they assisted him with some errands such as cleaning the bar area and fixing up the beds of the hotel rooms. Brewster was definitely grateful for their help, yet the three gangsters inwardly cursed themselves for doing 'honest work'. Suddenly the bar door broke open, and a man stood before them, breathing heavily.

"Violent people…heading this way!" he cried.

"Crap," Ness said quietly. "Sorry, Brewster, but we have to leave now!" He and the others took off without another word to the generous bartender. Off in the distance Lucas could see the group of people riding towards them.

"Just as I feared," Lucas muttered. "Olimar and Diddy sent their group to track us down. We have to avoid them at all costs!" Ness and Nana didn't even have to say anything, since they knew exactly what to do in a situation like this: they took off sprinting like cheetahs.

The trio eventually made it to the next town, exhausted and out of breath. They couldn't exactly escape on the Blue Falcon, since it had no fuel, so traveling on foot was their only choice. They settled into the local hotel and hid there for the night. They missed the hospitality that Brewster showed them, but the service here was almost as good. However, the next morning proved to be a rather rude awakening, for the Posse's trackers followed them again. They had to take off once again to avoid capture, but this time they stole a few horses for travel.

"Ah, you're just wasting your time," Ness said after Lucas panicked from seeing the trackers again. "They can't track us over rocks."

"Tell them that," Lucas retorted. Ness looked back and noticed that the trackers didn't even slow down.

"Who are those guys?" Ness thought aloud as they rode off towards the next sanctuary. Ness, Lucas and Nana continued this cycle for several days, repeating every part of the process carefully. The concept of fleeing to different towns, seeking food and shelter, and escaping from the Posse's trackers was beginning to be rather tiresome. After a week and a half of fleeing Nana couldn't take it anymore. One night as the group settled into another hotel, she packed her belongings, wrote a note for the boys and took off into the darkness, likely to return to Smash Mansion.

Ness and Lucas awoke the next morning, wondering where Nana could have gone. They found the note that she left, but they received another telegram that morning as well. They decided to read Nana's note first.

Dear Ness and Lucas,

You're probably wondering where I went and why I left. By the time you find this note, I will have already traversed halfway back to the mansion. The reason I decided to return to the mansion is because of my frustration with the constant running and hiding that we have gone through for the past several days. I'm truly sorry for saying this, but I can't take it anymore. I told you before that I refuse to watch you die, and so I'm not going to take that chance. Should you decide to return to Smash Mansion, we might meet up again, and I will make it up to you then. Until that happens, good luck and stay safe, especially you, Lucas.

Nana

Ness looked at the note in silence, unsure of how to react to her words. Lucas then picked up the telegram and read it aloud.

To Butch Ness and the Lucas Kid

The situation at the mansion is looking better. The captured gang members have escaped from the Posse. The Posse is weakening, and we think that the group is going to give up soon. Olimar and Diddy King have even notified the trackers to cancel to mission to find you guys. That ought to be good news, right? So, our point is that it's pretty safe for you to return to the mansion. We can regroup and once again become the notorious Hole-in-the-Brawl Gang! Please come back soon; we need our leaders!

Popo

Lucas noticed something odd about this telegram: the handwriting was incredibly sloppy and messy, as if Popo was in a huge hurry to write it. It didn't make sense to him, but he decided it wasn't that big of a deal.

"So, shall we go back?" Lucas asked Ness.

"Well, if Popo says it's okay to return, then we ought to return," Ness answered with some confidence. So the two of them gathered themselves and left the hotel, setting off on their trip home.

However, the trip home was not easy at all. On the way they encountered several groups of thugs and other criminals, and so they had to fight them off in order to keep going. Most of the fights were simple, though, as they only needed to use their special PK moves to thwart the enemies. "PK Fire!" "PK Thunder!" and the like could be heard for miles.

The trip back to the mansion took almost a week, but Ness and Lucas finally returned. They were told that it was safe for them to come back, but they decided to take precautions in case something went wrong in the time it took them to return.

"Are you ready, Kid?" Ness asked his partner as they carefully approached the double doors of the entrance.

"Ready as I'll ever be, Butch," Lucas answered with a nod. They readied their weapons, kicked open the front doors, and entered the foyer.

"FIRE!" Was all they could hear, in addition to several gunshots and battle cries. Soon after that everything went black.

And so, Butch Ness and the Lucas Kid did well in outplaying the Posse, but in the end they returned to a rather misfortunate fate. However, the truth is that no one really knows what happened to the two of them in the end. Some people believe that they died where they stood. Others believe that they fended off the attackers and fled the scene. What we do know is that the second telegram from Popo was actually written by a member of the Posse, and so they were tricked. We also know – and ought to remember – that the names of Butch Ness and the Lucas Kid will live on forever in infamy.