/Hello, there! To anyone who is reading this, I must truly thank you for taking the time to read my fan fiction, and also, thank you for continuing on to chapter two! I plan to work very hard on this story and I assure you that each chapter will be worth waiting for. I hope that you enjoy reading this story as much as I have fun typing it! Please stay with me through this entire journey. Enjoy! -Luxray/
/Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story. All characters belong to their respected owners./
"I can't believe this," Robin murmured for the umpteenth time, his hand above his mouth as he sat hunched over a table. The male stared forward quietly, his expression screaming the word, "Disappointment". His heart had fallen to his stomach when he'd met his partner, and there was no way it would start its climb back up any time soon. Anger had found its way into the mix of emotions that Robin was feeling, but he had learned that it would be best if he kept this fury at bay. It would only cause him harm, and so he continued to murmur the only thing that he could for the time being: "I can't believe this."
Several hours had passed since the white haired individual had met the man who would fight by his side throughout the competition. Robin had spent the first hour with the Captain, trying to create small talk with him to try and break the awkward wall that had been built between them, but like the green hero of Hyrule himself, Captain Falcon was not one to speak much. Unlike Link, he would say several words here and there, every so often, when asked a question or when he felt the need to share his thoughts, but other than that, the Captain would say nothing more and keep to himself, his personality as mysterious as his appearance.
Robin groaned.
Why couldn't he have been partnered up with Ike? The swordsman was easy to talk to, quiet when he needed to be, and a formidable friend and rival. Robin would have preferred him over anyone else, and if not Ike, then he would have partnered up with Lucina, or even the blonde male with the complicated outfit- Shulk, was it? The tactician nodded to himself slowly, commending himself for having remembered his name. Shulk was an upbeat individual, from what he could see, and he carried no aura of malevolence with him. He had the makings of a hero, and the outfit of one, too. Robin cracked a smile to his thought and rubbed his eyes wearily. If Ike favored Shulk as his teammate, then that must have meant that the blonde was a powerful and skillful ally. If there was one thing that was well known about him, it was that Ike was difficult to impress; Robin would constantly pat himself on the back for being one of those few people who managed to put Ike's skills to the test. He ultimately cast his thoughts to the side, however, for he already knew that he would have to make it through the competition with the help of Captain Falcon and no one else.
"Damn it," Robin whispered, his fingers pinching his nose. His hand rubbed his chin before he rested his head on his arm. The male sat alone in the large meeting hall, at a table in one of the many secluded corners. He watched on as teams of two made their way through the hall, walking up and down to their destinations. He then noticed a familiar face, the princess in pink, walking by with a taller woman by her side. She wore an aqua blue dress, or was it teal? Robin couldn't tell. It did not matter much to him. But what he could tell was that the princess' partner was floating several inches off the ground. He lifted his head, fascinated by this, and watched on in silence, staring at her dress as it hovered lightly above the ground. He followed them around with his gentle brown hues, all before pausing and wrinkling his brow. They had stopped walking, and their dresses were turned in his direction. He had done it again.
Slowly, his hazelnut orbs scrolled upwards to catch their eyes staring right back at him. He was not as embarrassed as much as he was apathetic about the entire ordeal, but what did surprise him was the fact that they started to approach him, the pink one lifting her dress slightly to break out into a light jog. Robin sat up straight, welcoming the newcomers with a wave of his hand.
"Hi," the pink one greeted in an airy tone, her face gracing him with a smile, "I met you before, earlier today." Once close enough, she came to a halt and stood before Robin.
"Ah, yes," he expressed, nodding his head as he stood to his feet. He did not deem it polite to remain seated while two enchanting women granted him the privilege of their company. "It is a pleasure to meet you again." He took her small hand in his and kissed it lightly, then did the same to her partner.
"Well aren't you a sweet thing," the pink one cooed, nudging her partner with her elbow. "Would you mind it if we took a seat?"
Robin shook his head and held his hand out. "Not at all. Please, be my guest." He sat back down and folded his arms onto the table as the two women sat down across from him. "So... I never caught your name," Robin started, directing his attention to the one he had met before. "My name is Robin."
"Peach," the pink one introduced herself, smiling warmly. "And this is my friend and teammate, Rosalina." She gestured to the taller lady beside her. Rosalina waved her hand in his direction, and Robin nodded his head once in greeting. "So, Robin," the princess continued, "I see you don't have your partner with you. Have you still not found him? I thought you would have by now." Her blue optics flitted left to right, curiosity picking at her.
"I have, actually," the white haired one huffed, reaching a hand up to push it through his locks. "I found him several hours back. Three hours ago, if I had to guess."
Peach's eyes lit up, her fingers knitting together as she leaned over in interest. "Well why aren't you with him, then? Why aren't you sparring, or training, or sharing battle strategies?" She watched Robin carefully.
"Don't you like him?" Rosalina chimed in, her voice smooth and gentle.
To that, Robin managed a half-assed smile and raised his brow. "That's the problem. I don't," he admitted with hesitance, rubbing the back of his neck. He noticed the look of concern upon Peach's face, and added, "Have you heard of a man named Captain Falcon?"
Raising her hand above her head, Peach drew a horizontal line in the air. "You mean the tall, handsome one in the mask?" Her question was innocent and purely out of curiosity, her eyes glinting in interest. "Why, he doesn't look all that bad."
With as much respect as Robin could muster, he scoffed and shook his head in disagreement to both her comments. The shake of his head was subtle and a smile dared graze his features. With one hand, Robin rubbed around his mouth and swallowed down the urge to vocally disagree with the princess that sat across from him. Though, despite having kept his words to himself, he did notice that, by Peach's expression, she had caught onto his complete disagreement with her words regarding Captain Falcon.
"You really don't like him, do you?" Peach ended up asking, more concerned than anything. "Are you considering dropping out?"
Shaking his head slowly, the white haired individual gazed off to the side, focusing on nothing in particular. "No, actually. That is the last thing on my mind," he answered truthfully, without hesitation. He turned his head to gaze at the princess, a seriousness in those brown hues that she had not noticed before. "I came here to win and I plan on doing just that. Dropping out is not an option." A tense air had suddenly fallen upon the three that sat at the table, for as soon as those words had left the tactician's mouth, both women came to realize just how serious Robin was about winning the tournament.
Of course, the Spellcaster was always up for sharing a conversation with anyone who had the ability to talk, but he also knew well enough not to put his trust or reveal his weaknesses to the competition. He chose not to continue on the subject of his partner, and instead made the princess and her teammate understand that he was not going to give up his flaws so easily. All they knew was that he did not favor the captain, and that he was not too familiar with him; he hoped he was not coming off as disrespectful to the two ladies across from him, but Robin was sure to keep it that way.
Keeping his eyes on Peach, the young male did not notice Rosalina's mouth open to speak.
"I don't know you," the elegant woman said gently, "but I like this side of you." She waved her wand in Robin's direction, faint sparkles falling from the tip, almost like small stars. Robin studied this, then her face. "You are timid at first. If I can guess, you complain a lot, too." The smirk that curled her lips caused Robin's eyes to squint in dismay, but she continued to speak. "But this competitive side of yours... This confidence... I want to see more of it." Retracting the thin wand, Rosalina stood from her seat and stepped – or rather, floated – away from the table. "I hope we face each other soon, Robin. But for now, you look like you've got some thinking to do. We'll leave you to your thoughts." A dainty hand touched Peach's shoulder, and to that, the princess stood to her feet as well and smiled down at the cloaked male that sat before them.
Robin looked up at the two. "I look forward to facing the both of you." He fell silent after that, having nothing more to say to them. Rosalina turned and started on her way, and Peach left the white haired individual with a parting wink, her heels clicking against the floor as she turned to follow her partner down the hall.
And just like that, Robin was left by his lonesome once more. Those chestnut hues were distant as they stared off into the large arcs of the hall, and his fingertips tapped against the table at a quick pace. Robin was fond of the fact that they did not overstay their welcome, even though Peach and Rosalina had only spoken to him for several minutes. He had to admit, however, that their little talk had given him more to think about. Leaning back in his seat, the young man folded his arms and closed his eyes. Several minutes passed as he sat in this pose; he listened to the occasional footsteps that passed by, and picked up their conversations. Some spoke of who they did and did not want to face, and others simply chatted away about their lives, telling short stories to their partners. It was interesting to know that some participants were more level headed than others. Some were confident while others were shaken up...
Robin fell in the middle of this spectrum.
He was confident in a sense that he trusted in himself and knew he had the ability to wipe the competition out on his own. But when he thought of the Captain, that was when doubt threatened to dominate his state of mind. Robin felt he couldn't rely on Captain Falcon, and knew for a fact that if he were to lose a battle, it would be because of his partner's lack of skill and negligence. Robin was aware of the fact that he would have to put some trust in his ally in order to get through the competition in one piece, but the idea seemed absurd to him. This was a man he had fought before in order to come to Lucina's rescue. Teaming up with a past opponent isn't exactly the smartest thing to do.
With his brown hues flitting to the side, Robin stood from his seat and turned to make his way down the hall. There was no one around. It was silent. Slowing his brisk walk to a stroll, the white haired male looked up in time to hear a familiar voice invade his eardrums.
"Team A and Team B, report to the main hall for your match immediately." Master Hand's voice filled the entire estate through the speakers that Robin could not seem to locate. He drew his head back, those warm hues glancing about in search for the source of the announcer's words. He furrowed his brow when he couldn't locate the them, and soon lowered his head in apathy, his interest fading. He instead continued on the path to his room, knowing that the very door to the left of his own led the Captain's dorm. As he continued down the hall, Robin caught a glimpse of two competitors walking together, opposite his route. They were on their way to the main hall, ready to take on whatever opponent was thrown at them. Whether they were Team A or Team B, the tactician had no idea, but what he did know was that they did not look like much of a threat: it was that dog who carried a bird on its back, and something that did not seem organic in the slightest – a tall, white and gray robot of some sort. Robin stepped to the side to let them pass, and could not resist turning his head to study the two as they made their way down the hall. Something told him they weren't going to make it far, and it wasn't the dog's clumsy walk, or the way he tripped over his own two ears. An apathetic grunt left Robin's throat as he stood in the hall, several feet away from his room. He had initially wished to enter his small abode and spend the day there, practicing his spells and planning out his own strategy, but now that he knew a battle was about to commence, he wanted in on it. He wanted to watch.
"I know there's a spectator's hall in here somewhere," the young man muttered to himself, turning his back to his door. He started down a different path, in search of the room he had suddenly set his mind to. With every corner he turned, Robin found more and more people – and creatures – exiting their rooms. It seemed they also wanted to watch whatever battle that was about to begin. At first, there were only several in the halls, about four or five at most, but as time passed, Robin had begun to feel overwhelmed with the amount of competitors that started to line the halls. He squeezed past several people, only to force himself to stop in his tracks as he stared down the spiked back of the beast that was known as Bowser. "Talk about a walking hazard-," Robin unconsciously murmured, finding his way around the Koopa King.
"You can say that again," a disembodied voice laughed. "The guy's a living obstacle course." Robin turned his head quickly, from right to left, but ultimately found no one. Jogging forward slightly, the cloaked male slipped by several more denizens, confusion floating about in his thoughts now. He had no idea who said that, and surely, whoever did say it was referring to his comment, so he knew he wasn't losing his mind. Following the crowd, Robin finally found himself in a large clearing, a room to be exact, with a large television screen taking up part of a wall. The room was more than spacious enough for everyone to move about with ease, and for that, Robin was thankful. He took several steps away from the crowd, hovering over to the least occupied corner there was. With his chestnut hues darting about, Robin soon took notice of a male in front of him, sharing his corner. He wore a grin on his face, one hand stretched out in greeting. Robin found this strange, but returned the handshake nonetheless.
"Oh- hello, I didn't see you there," Robin managed to say first, giving the strangely familiar lad a firm handshake. "I'm Robin. And you are?"
"Disembodied voice. It's a pleasure." The brown haired boy smiled back at Robin, a chuckle leaving him. "I'm just kidding. The name's Pit." It was then that Robin drew his hand back and pointed at the male across from him, wagging it in thought.
"So it was you out there, agreeing with me," the tactician marveled, tying two and two together. "You must have been flying right over my head..."
"I was!" Pit's voice was warm and welcoming, and he spoke like a child, without a care in the world. "You looked so confused. I shouldn't have done that."
Waving a hand in front of his face, Robin assured the winged individual that it was alright with a smile of his own. "All is well and good. No need to worry." Turning his head to the side, Robin's body twisted with him, his eyes fixing on the screen. The competitors had made their way to the arena, and surrounding said arena were thousands of people cheering and chanting. The tactician's eyes widened.
Though he was not the one the of the teams set for battle, he could feel the intensity of the atmosphere beyond the television screen. It was heavy, it was energetic, and it was intimidating.
"Why don't we go get a closer look?" Pit offered, hopping forward with a flap of his wings. Robin followed, his eyes on the screen, and on the screen alone. His arms folded in front of him, and before he could open his mouth to say anything else, the male cloaked in white was jerked to the side. Robin jolted in shock and looked in Pit's direction. "I'll catch you later, Robin!" the smaller one called, waving a hand. His teammate, the tall, green haired woman, had pulled him away from Robin's side. Her eyes scolded Pit when she drew him near, and they then scrolled upwards and did the same to the tactician. She seemed displeased, unamused, and overall unimpressed. Robin paid no heed to her look and refused to return any form of expression that would prove as acknowledgement towards her. He directed his attention back to the screen, and that was that.
The team going against the dog and robot contained one of the people that he had spoken to before: the male who looked exactly like Pit, except he was shrouded in black. He was with his teammate, the short boy with a red cap and a striped shirt. Robin squinted. They did not look like much of a threat. In fact, they also seemed just as weak as the team they were going to fight against. Robin's interest in the match had suddenly dispersed, and he stood there amongst the crowd with a distant expression.
The room was filled with the sounds that came from the screen, the television's volume drowning out the voices of the crowd. Everyone fell silent when the countdown began.
"Three... Two... One... GO!"
And just like that, Dark Pit and Ness (from what Robin could read on the upper left corner on the screen) charged into action. Dark Pit leapt into the air with one powerful flap of his wings, and he drew one arm back as he aimed a dark purple arrow downwards at their first target, the dog. The weapon curved downwards, jabbing the creature hard enough to cause it to flinch. It was then that Ness darted forward, shooting a small flame from his hand and down onto the creature's feet. It was captured in a pillar of flames immediately, and Ness continued this motion in succession, the dog's escape proving futile. Seeing this, the robot charged forward in an attempt to save its teammate, but was cut off immediately by another one of Dark Pit's arrow, the weapon jabbing the robot hard enough to have it stagger. The moment R.O.B had touched the floor, the Pit look-alike grabbed onto the robot and slammed him backwards, then continued to ambush the vulnerable thing in the air, landing hits so quickly that his victim could not react in time to break free.
Ness was unrelenting – after what seemed to be the seventh PK Fire, as Ness called it, the small male bounded forward and grabbed onto the charred dog. He slammed him downward, causing the creature to bounce into the air, and then he took to the air, himself. Ness tackled him with a purple light, once, twice, then fell back. The dog and duck finally found time to breathe and started to make their way back to the stage, but their efforts proved ultimately useless. Ness hopped above their head with one leap, and jabbed his foot downward. The hit connected, and both the dog and duck went plummeting down, a yelp and a bright light following. At about the same time as the Duck Hunt's downfall, Dark Pit also managed to take down R.O.B once, as he slammed the robot against the lower edge of the arena, causing him to rebound off the surface with force as he lost one of his own stocks. Dark Pit found his way back to the arena, and Ness turned his back to face his teammate. He ran over to the taller male, found himself standing by his side once more, and there they stood, waiting for their opponents to return so they can take down their remaining two stocks.
Robin's eyes widened. He was in shock. He had completely misread them. "Holy shit." Those gentle, brown hues darkened, and his eyebrows furrowed. "They're good..." Though he had doubted the skills of this Team B before, he now found himself wanting to face them. They were wiping the floor with Team A, maneuvering around them on an entirely different level, their attacks coming out swiftly and landing with precision and power.
In under two and a half minutes, the match had ended, and Team A was defeated. Dark Pit and Ness stood side by side, not a scratch on them to be seen. If anything, the only noticeable thing about them was how heavily they were breathing. The camera zoomed in on the two, displaying them closely on the screen, and the crowd cheered wildly for them after having just witnessed a perfect match on Team B's part.
"The winner is: Team B!" Master Hand's voice rang through the room, from the TV and the speakers that no one seemed to locate. "They're impressive, aren't they? Pray you don't run into them in your next match." There was a trace of humor in that voice of his. Robin was sure this man was some sort of sadist. "Team C and Team D, be sure to report to the main hall within the next five minutes. That will be all for today. Good luck to the lot of you." That tone of his was anything but compassionate, and the moment he signed off, the television's screen went black, Dark Pit's smirk being the last thing Robin saw.
Robin glowered and instantly took off, deciding not to hang around to look for Ike or Shulk, or much less, his teammate. He fled before the crowd could disperse, and was the first to set foot in the halls; for a man who was slow on the battle field, he was surprisingly quick on his feet when it came to fleeing crowds. He did not wish to linger. He had more important things on his mind. Robin was sure to turn the corner before anyone could recognize him from the spectator's room, and with that quickened pace of his, the tactician led himself down the path to his room. It only took him a little under a minute to make the final turn and find his way down the corridor to his small dorm, but instead of power walking the last couple of yards, Robin found his pace slowing to an idle stroll when he lay his eyes on the man who was standing in front of the door, right next to his own.
At a leisurely pace, Robin made his way down the hall until he was finally at his door, the Captain standing at a close distance. He found himself at a loss for words, one hand placed heavily on the doorknob. What was he to say to him? He had to improvise and ended up saying the first thing that came to mind: "Did you go to watch the match?" Robin turned his head to look at the captain, making an effort to socialize with him.
"Didn't have to." Captain Falcon stood with his back against the door, his head also turning to face his teammate. He looked down at Robin, and took the time to realize just how short the tactician was to him. "Did you?"
"I did." Robin's words came out quickly, those brown eyes studying the only visible parts of the taller man's face. "Team B won – they're good. Their skills are impressive... It's best we keep an eye out for them. Dark Pit and Ness: a black haired, winged boy and a stout kid with a cap and shorts." He paused. "They sound ridiculous, but they're stronger than they look, I'll tell you that."
With his arms folded, Captain Falcon's lips pulled into a slight, semi-frown. From what Robin could piece together, he was pulling more of an impressed look than a frown of disappointment. "Let's hope we face them, then."
"Let's." Robin agreed and pressed his lips into a thin line, diverting his gaze from the spangled man and staring back at his door, then to the floor.
A dead silence fell upon them after that one word, and the tactician felt as if he were trapped in a timeless vortex, when only seconds had passed. Robin pulled his key from his pocket and jammed the small item into the keyhole, turned the knob and stopped. "Why were you standing outside of your door?" he couldn't help but ask, those light hues stuck on the floor. He waited for the captain's answer, but after a long five seconds, Robin pushed the door inwards. He figured if he wasn't going to answer his questions, then talking to him was a waste of time. But as the male moved to enter his room, Captain Falcon did in fact raise his voice to speak.
"I was waiting to talk with you. Our first match is tomorrow." He kept his pose against his door, staring straight at Robin, who stopped in his tracks and stood at the entrance of his room with a curious look upon his face. He stood still, then scrolled his eyes to the side, staring at his taller partner before he asked, "Are you implying that we discuss a battle plan, Captain?"
Captain Falcon shrugged as if the answer were obvious. "What do you think?"
Silently, Robin remained still, staring at him sideways for what seemed like forever before he finally murmured, "No," and stepped into the safety of his room before the man could respond. Locking the door behind him, Robin leaned his back against the large slab of wood and stared forward in shock – he was shocked with himself for having just turned down the only form of cooperation that his partner had to offer. Normally, Robin would have been more than happy to discuss a battle plan with his teammate, but for some strange reason, the male felt compelled to avoid Captain Falcon at all costs. The very thought of putting faith into that man appalled the tactician, and he ultimately concluded that it was something that simply could not be done.
He stepped forward and removed his hooded cloak, tossing it onto the nearest couch as he flopped onto his bed. "Damn it..." His voice was low, uncertainty gripping his mind. He sat up on the mattress and reached out for one of his books, opened it and skimmed the pages as he tried to clear his mind. "Looks like I'll have to win these matches on my own," he muttered to himself, slim fingers tracing along the lines of the book's aged leaves.
And so there he sat, studying away, making sure that he knew each and every component of the spells that his books carried. He had to be at his best if he wanted to win, and there was no way he would be able to do so if he put his faith in someone that he couldn't trust for ages to come.
"I've got this," Robin murmured to himself in feigning confidence. "I've got this..."
"Guh-!"
The quiet shout barely filled the room as Robin sat up in bed, his breaths coming quickly from him. He searched about the room with wide eyes, looking for the nearest clock all while shoving his blanket off of himself. "Time-" He was frantic, afraid that he had overslept and missed half the day, but as he looked over to his nightstand and lay his eyes upon those red numbers, a heavy sigh escaped him, his body falling back onto the bed in relief. "It's only eight..."
His hands reached up to rub at his eyes, and afterwards he soon found himself writhing in place, an uncomfortable object poking at his back. Robin clicked his teeth and sat up, wrestling with the sheets before he unearthed one of his many tomes, buried beneath the blankets. His eyebrows furrowed, and he soon studied his own self to find that he had fallen asleep fully clothed, all except for his cloak. Had he fallen asleep while studying? At what time did he fall asleep? When he came to think of it, Robin couldn't remember. He'd been so gripped by his studies that sleep itself had snuck up on him. With a quiet groan, the male pulled off his boots, unequipped anything and everything that clung to him, and shed himself of all clothes, leaving himself bare as he started on his way to the bathroom. It was time to get ready for the day, and he intended on wasting no time with that.
His shower was quick, five minutes at most, and suiting up took about half the time. Robin was used to doing things quickly and getting them done within the designated time period. Even though he knew it was still early, and he did not have to rush, Robin found it necessary to be swift and efficient. It was the day he would have to fight his first set of opponents, after all. He had to stay on his toes and be at his best health.
The very word "health" then rang in his mind, and it was at that moment that Robin was reminded of the fact that he had gone hours on end without a meal. His lips twisted to the side for a second, and with an aching stomach, Robin snatched his key from his nightstand and exited his room, his sights set on the mess hall now.
The corridors were vacant and peaceful, something he appreciated. The last thing Robin needed was for him to have to push past another cluster of creatures and people standing in his way. He walked onward, allowing his sense of smell to guide him, and soon enough, Robin did pick up the faint scent of food. It smelled divine to him – from what he could remember, he'd locked himself up in his room for the entire day yesterday, without a morsel for him to eat. He didn't know how long he'd gone without food, but what he did know was that it had been well over fifteen hours. With heavy footsteps guiding him closer to the smell, Robin found himself standing at a wide set of double doors that led to the mess hall. He could hear clamor inside, and stepped in without further reluctance.
Many tables were sprawled out about the large room, some tables containing more seats than others. To the left of the room, there were several rows of long counters, and each one carried copious amounts of different foods. Robin exhaled silently through his nostrils, then murmured a very relieved, "Thank goodness," before making his way to the inviting buffet.
A small amount of early birds had already made their way into the mess hall before Robin, and they spoke amongst each other as they ate, one of them having been Pit. He sat across from the tall goddess that was his teammate, and stuffed his face as he rubbed one of his eyes. He looked as if he'd just woken up, what with how his eyelids dropped every so often. That, however, did not stop the small male from noticing Robin, those blue eyes locking onto him like crosshairs. The winged boy offered up a smile through swollen cheeks as a greeting, and sure enough, the woman turned her attention to the direction of Pit's gaze. She stared hard at Robin, her face as still as stone. She barely moved.
Not wishing to come off as disrespectful to Pit, Robin gave a wave of his hand to him, a faint smile curling his lips. As for the woman across from him, the tactician ignored her completely, turning his back and proceeding to serve himself as if she weren't sitting there, right in his line of sight. It was too early for Robin to grow frustrated, and the last thing he needed was some half-wit competitor eyeing him with a nasty gaze. If the green haired woman was looking to instigate, then she was surely barking up the wrong tree. Robin only had one thing on his mind, and that was to eat.
Finally having served himself, Robin nonchalantly turned around to find the first seat available to him, but what he instead laid his eyes on were two very familiar faces; Ike beckoned for his white haired friend to join him and Shulk at their table, and without much of a choice, Robin made his way to them, a quiet grin on his face. In secret, he was glad that he'd run into them. It had only been a day, but the tactician really found himself missing his long time friend, and even his partner. He took a seat, set his plate down, and smiled over at the two.
"Good morning, Ike, Shulk," Robin greeted, pushing a hand through his hair. "Haven't seen you two around lately."
"We could say the same about you," replied Shulk, a fork in his hand. "We were looking for you yesterday but you were gone. Vanished without a trace." He held his utensil so that it was pointing in Robin's direction. "Oh, and good morning to you as well."
Robin couldn't help but chortle to Shulk's words, and proceeded to stuff a forkful of food into his mouth, giving the blonde a shrug of his shoulders. He could feel Ike's eyes on him, but did not call attention to it. He knew the man would speak up soon, and he did.
"Where were you yesterday?" Ike's deep voice spoke up. "After you met up with your partner, you became impossible to find." He sat leaning forward slightly, with his arms folded on the table. He looked serious, and not his normal serious, but serious to the second degree.
Keeping his eyes down, Robin swallowed down his bite and caught more pieces of food between his fork. "You over exaggerate," he sighed, shrugging again, one shoulder this time. "I went to the foyer, sat down, got up to watch the match between Teams A and B, and then went to my room for the rest of the day."
"Are you serious?" The words came from Shulk's direction, but his attention was not on Robin. It was on the remaining food on his plate. He aimlessly picked at the toast with his fork, looking completely engrossed in whatever it was he was doing, before his eyes darted upwards – Shulk's gaze was now locked on Robin. His head remained in that same position of looking down, and the movement of his silverware slowed to a halt.
"Yes, I am...," the tactician answered slowly, his brown optics on Shulk. His own hand had stopped moving as it hung limp over his plate.
Shulk raised a brow. "What were you doing all that time?"
"Reading my books. Studying." Robin finally raised his fork to feed himself another mouthful of food, his eyes watching Shulk carefully.
To that answer, the blonde's eyes widened for a moment before he directed his attention back to his scraps, that same fork pushing the bread around again. "Holy hell, you're a wicked bookworm, Robin." The words came out as a loud murmur, loud enough for Robin to hear. The white haired male's brow knitted together in wonder, but he ultimately averted his gaze and looked back to Ike, who was now smiling to himself.
"Typical Robin," he sighed, raising a brow in the Spellcaster's direction. "Let me guess, you fell asleep before you could even realize that you were tired, and you woke up on one of your books?" He wore a subtle smirk upon his chiseled features, waiting for Robin's reaction, but after having not received one, Ike's smirk transformed into a wide grin, a chuckle leaving him. "Hit the nail on the head. It's funny- you read books so much that you've become readable yourself."
A short, disruptive laugh left Shulk as he continued to pick apart the leftovers on his platter.
Robin rolled his eyes and gulped down another bite of his food. "Are you done, Ike?" He reached out and raised a glass of water to his lips.
"Lighten up, Robin," the mercenary groaned, leaning back in his seat. "I pick on you, but you know it's all in good fun. If you keep up that attitude of yours, you're not going to make it far at all."
To those words, the white haired male snorted in laughter and raised a brow in Ike's direction. "I've everything under control. Don't lecture me." A playful glint in those chestnut hues let Ike know that he was messing with him, for the last thing he needed was another life lesson from his, often times, too serious friend. "I'm confident I'll get through today's match without difficulty."
Shulk spoke again, this time looking up. "Speaking of today's match, did you and your partner discuss a battle strategy?" Though those words were the last thing Robin wanted to hear, Shulk's accent made them sound bearable. "I mean, you had all day. You should've spoken to him at least once."
"We did exchange some words," Robin answered, glancing in the blonde's direction. "But no battle strategies. He... Didn't bring it up. I tried, but ultimately my efforts were useless." Falling silent, Robin's eyes locked with Shulk's for only a second before he directed his attention back to his plate, his fork piercing a small piece of meat. He could feel those green-blue hues on him, studying him for quite some time before Shulk finally looked away. Maybe it was the fact that Robin knew, himself, that he was lying, but he felt as if Shulk had seen right through his petty fib. It made him uncomfortable, but he was willing to keep his guard up.
Quietly, Shulk let out a low hum and pushed his plate to the side, looking at the tactician sideways. "Hopefully he cooperates next time." Robin nodded once to himself, trying to ignore Shulk's comment.
"Just be careful around that man," Ike sighed, rubbing his face with one hand. "You don't know him and he doesn't know you. It'll take some time for the both of you to get used to each other, and from the looks of it, it'll be difficult, too. But despite all that, I'm rooting for the both of you." The mercenary smiled at Robin, charming as always. It was that form of kindness that Robin truly appreciated.
He chuckled quietly and leaned his head on his hand. "Thank you, Ike. I don't know about the Captain, but I'll be cheering you and Shulk on as well." As much as Robin meant those words, he could not help but feel a nagging sensation at the back of his mind, poking at him as it secretly wished for Shulk and Ike's downfall, that way Robin would not have to face them later on. It was not out of ill will, nor was it out of any malicious intent – in fact, Robin was afraid of facing the two. He had seen Ike in battle before, and as for Shulk, he had no idea what he was capable of. Robin smiled weakly at his two friends before he lowered his eyes, the silverware dropping from his hand with a quiet clank. He'd suddenly lost his appetite.
Hurried footsteps carried Robin across his room as he reached out for his Levin sword and a trusted tome. Once he had gathered these things into his arms, he inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly, staring down at the floor. He refused to let the pressure get to him- it was much too soon for that. After all, his team name had just been called overhead, and not even a minute had passed since then. "Calm yourself," he muttered, frustrated with himself. "You've fought many battles before." Robin then turned on his heel and proceeded to his door, stepping out without looking back.
He had been sitting in the main hall, recalling the spells within one of his many books, when the male heard Master Hand's voice fill the entire estate. Upon hearing him say, "Time for the first match of the day: Team E and Team F, report to the main hall in five minutes," Robin had sprung to his feet to run to his room, realizing that he had not been carrying any of his weapons. He would have hated having to show up with nothing in his hands to fight with, while the captain used nothing but his hands to fight. Cowering behind his teammate... How embarrassing that would have been.
Walking briskly, Robin found his way to the very grand main hall in under a minute, his brown eyes searching the foyer for where it was that they had to stand. In the middle of the room, engraved into the floor, was a very large, light blue circle. It seemed to give off a soft light, and slowly, Robin approached it, curious brown eyes gazing upon it. He stood right outside of the circle's circumference, studying the pattern with curiosity and wonder, and he had become so interested in the very thing that he failed to notice the Captain's arrival. He stood by Robin, to his right, with his arms folded and his head held high. Soon after, Robin finally looked up, only to draw in a quick breath and stand straight, his hand gripping around the hilt of his Levin sword. What Robin also failed to notice was the fact that his opponents had shown up in front of him, and they stood across from him, their eyes serious and menacing. Robin returned their gaze as he studied them.
A light purple creature, with a long, even darker purple tail stood standing with his arms at his sides. Two horn-like features jutted from either side of his head, and it's fingers were like small balls. They were funny to look at- almost unintimidating. His partner was also something that was not human – a blue frog of sorts that stood on its two hind legs, with a smooth, pink scarf wrapped around its neck.
Robin's brow furrowed. He was not going to underestimate them any time soon, and he could tell by the look on their faces that they did not come to play nice.
As he studied his opponents, the circular pattern on the floor suddenly brightened, the blue glow growing even stronger as small orbs of light emanated from the ground. Robin directed his attention to this and raised his eyebrows, wondering what it meant. He soon concluded that it was their signal to step onto the pattern, and without the consent of anyone else, Robin set foot on the pad at the very same time as his teammate; their competition soon did the same, and once they were all on the large pad, a bright light enveloped them, and in a second, they were gone.
Robin felt as if he were floating. There was no floor for him to stand on, nor were there walls for him to lean against. He kept his eyes wide open, but was welcomed with only darkness. It felt like several minutes had passed before the male had begun to see signs of light again. He squinted, the small orbs of light focusing into something more – a man's back? Blinking, Robin's vision came into focus, and he realized that he was indeed staring at someone's back: Captain Falcon's. He stood behind him, several feet away, on a stage that stretched out long before him, his opponents across from him. Robin looked around. The stage seemed to float in mid-air, and surrounding him were rows upon rows of cheering people, clapping their hands and calling out the names of who they favored more. Listening closely, he picked up the names "Mewtwo" and "Greninja." The names sounded so ridiculous that he discarded the very idea of the titles that he felt he'd just made up.
But suddenly, as if he were confirming Robin's suspicions, Master Hand's voice rang throughout the stadium: "We have Mewtwo and Greninja of Team E, and Captain Falcon and Robin of Team F, about to face off! Are you all excited for this?" The crowd roared loudly with excitement, and Robin managed a, "You've got to be kidding me," under his breath as the announcer continued. "I feel like this match is going to be a good one. Get ready, competitors. The match is about to begin!" Robin could not pinpoint where this man's voice was coming from, but he was sure that Master Hand was somewhere in the enormous stadium, well hidden and out of sight. But, ignoring this, Robin gripped his sword in his hand and opened his book with the other, glaring forward, past the Captain's shoulders, at those creatures that he was forced to call his opponents. The Captain stood in his battle stance, with one hand in front of him, balled into a fist. It trembled with what Robin hoped was anticipation and power, for Robin's hand shook with anything but that.
Master Hand's voice filled their ears once more. Robin's eyes narrowed.
"Three... Two... One... GO!"
And it was on. Robin whipped his book out and began to charge his spell, his eyes locked on the tall, purple creature who seemed to do the same, charging a dark ball of energy at his side. After both charges had reached their capacity, Robin pulled his arm back and started forward, his eyes on the purple one. It seemed Mewtwo had his eyes on Robin as well, for every move Robin made, the creature would mimic. The white haired male grimaced and darted ahead, side stepping the Captain and running ahead to meet the creature head on.
Unlike what Robin had seen in the spectator's room, the match was anything but two-dimensional. Robin could move freely, from right to left, side to side. The moving space was limited as they had to share the same horizontal space, but given his experience, Robin knew he could make do with what little space he had. There was more to the combat system than he thought, and he was afraid he would have to find these things out the hard way.
"Do not disappoint!" Robin hollered back at his teammate, not giving him the time of day to look at him. He instead leapt forward and swung his sword at Mewtwo, only to have his attack side-stepped, just as he predicted. Robin landed hard, but rolled out of the way of one of his opponent's attacks, his long tail just grazing him as he found his way to his feet again. His opponent was fast, Robin could see this, but it wouldn't be long before the tactician found out his pattern and his weak points. He advanced again, Levin sword gripped tightly in his hand as he gave a powerful thrust of his arm to the side – the attack only grazed the taller being, and it had then found that moment as an opening for attack. Lunging forward, Mewtwo grabbed hold of Robin with a powerful force, his hand hovering over his victim's chest. The sword wielder gasped and with a forceful jerk of his body, he broke free from the binding hold, stumbling back as his opponent did the same. Robin groaned and glared forward. That was too close. He already felt out of breath, and this wasn't from running around. The energy that Mewtwo had used to keep him there affected him in a dastardly way, and though an attack was not made, the dark aura surely did take its toll on Robin's body.
Robin scowled. "I can do that, too..." His actions void of reluctance, Robin charged forward, causing the creature to jump backwards. He continued to move, slow on his feet, until he saw that Mewtwo had taken notice of his lack of speed. Confidence shining in his eyes, the long tailed monster met Robin's charge with his own, advancing forward at a much faster pace as he levitated off the ground. The tactician held his breath. In the blink of an eye, he had stopped in his tracks, hopped back, and held his hands above his head. "Arcfire!" The fireball propelled from the red tome quick enough to have caught Mewtwo off guard, and it engulfed him in a pillar of flames. Taking this opportunity to act quickly, Robin darted forward and jumped, swinging his sword just in time to knock the creature out of the flames with his Levin sword. The electricity rattled Mewtwo, sending him flying backwards, above the battle that went on between Greninja and Captain Falcon. Using his second jump, Robin found his way above Mewtwo, and brought his sword down on his head, causing the creature to plummet down and slam against the stage.
'Good!' Robin's voice rang in his head, his momentum building as he landed on his feet, his boots skidding to a halt and his arm thrusting into the air in order to catch the disoriented opponent in yet another devastating blow. A loud groan left Mewtwo's body – it was music to Robin's ears. He stood grounded and followed Mewtwo with his brown eyes, staring at him like a predator watching its prey. Having forgotten completely about the battle going on between his partner and Mewtwo's own, Robin kept his head up and turned around to follow the falling Pokemon, only to have been met by a powerful kick to the chest, the blow knocking the wind out of him. He fell back, the impact having caused him to lose his balance and fall to the floor. He coughed, then drew in a sharp breath, his mind demanding him to get to his feet at that very instant. His body complied, and Robin stood, his head snapping up to see who had hit him. Surely enough, his brown eyes had laid upon the tall, blue frog in a crouching position.
"Tch-." Robin's brow furrowed, anger rising within him. He couldn't believe he'd just been knocked down by some amphibian. Robin straightened his back and glared at the blue creature, his gaze boring a hole into that body of his. "Take the other one!" Robin suddenly shouted as he stuck his sword out to the Captain, the order directed to him. The taller man stared at Robin from behind his black shades for several seconds before he pulled an irate face and turned his back, finding his way to Mewtwo. With his undivided attention now on Greninja, Robin frowned. "Come."
The creature bounded forward, going in for a direct attack with blades that had manifested from water. His arms swung forward, but Robin dodged in place, his body bending to the side before he reached out to grab hold of the strange monster. Being ever so swift, however, Greninja avoided this and caught Robin in a flurry of attacks, his arms moving quickly as multiple hits landed. Finally, Greninja dealt the final blow and allowed Robin to fall back, the force sending him flying once more. But before Robin could hit the floor, he caught himself, his hands pushing himself up before his back could hit the floor. Though his recovery was swift, the pain lingered, and Robin could feel a dampness to his clothing now. He hoped to the heavens that it was not blood as his hand touched at his abdomen, and to his relief, it wasn't blood at all – it was water. "Oh come on-." Robin glowered in the frog's direction, as it was now his time to act. 'He is faster than the other one...' Robin's thoughts rang loudly in his head. 'Keep up with him. Play the defensive game until you've got him off his feet.'
Standing back once more, Robin waited for Greninja to come at him, his eyes focusing. He was waiting for him, his mind piecing together a plan with each second that passed. He had the creature right where he wanted him. All he had to do was run forward-
BAM!
A bright flash came from the edge of the stage opposite of where Robin stood. The white haired male looked up, shocked, and only caught the image of Captain Falcon rising from the side of the arena in a flaming uppercut. He landed and found his footing with precision and grace. It seemed like nothing could trip this man up. The Captain directed his attention to Robin, and by the looks of it, he wasn't impressed.
Drawing in a sharp breath, Robin clenched the hilt of his sword and mentally begged the frog to come at him. He was ready to show his teammate what he was made of. He stood there, ready as ever, but to his crushing disappointment, Greninja pulled an about-face and stormed over to Captain Falcon, swift on his feet as liquid blades manifested in his hands once more. Robin stood there with a dumbfounded look upon his face as he was forced to watch the frog go for the better of the two competitors that it was up against. His hand balled into a fist so tight that his knuckles went white. In his brewing rage, Robin watched as the frog and the Captain collided.
Greninja swung his blades forward, only to have been dodged and attacked soon after – the man had short hopped into the air, and forcefully kicked downwards with both his legs, causing the creature to stagger hard. In its daze, Captain Falcon landed, grabbed hold of the amphibian, thrust his knee into its thin gut twice, and kicked him backwards, sending the poor thing flying. Robin watched carefully as his partner then took to the air with one powerful hop, kicking the Pokemon once, then twice, before letting it breath for only but a moment as he fell with him. The man aligned with the disoriented frog, but before Robin could see the final blow being dealt, he was surprised by a flashing Mewtwo, who had just happened to fall right in Robin's line of sight as he was re-spawned into the match.
Mewtwo's interruption did not keep Robin from understanding the force of the Captain's strength, however, for when he had landed the final blow, Robin felt a pulse tear through the air. The powerful wave caused Robin to stumble, and the purple creature wasted no time in taking advantage of this. One moment, the sound of Greninja's shout filled the air along with that sudden flash of light, and the next, Robin was caught up again in that forceful grab that he was anything but a fan of. Attempting to break free, the male squirmed in Mewtwo's grasp, but his actions were all for naught as he was pushed back forcefully and assaulted with many orbs of dark energy. The effect of said attack lingered on him, making it difficult for Robin to rebound or maintain his posture. As he fell back, Mewtwo jumped ahead, swiping his hand quickly to slash at Robin's body. This move hit hard, and Robin could not help but let out a cry of pain as the force of the attack sent him back even further.
'By the gods, it hurts-.' The voice in his mind was in distress. 'It hurts.'
Robin had to snap out of it. He had to swallow this pain. He knew that if he continued to dwell on it, he would ultimately prove useless in battle. Using his double jump, Robin hopped into the air, regaining control of his body. Mewtwo was coming at him with speed, readying himself for another attack, but as the creature swiped forward once more, Robin forced himself to dodge said attack mid-flight. He swung his sword forward and landed a heavy blow, the electricity once again surging through its host. Gritting his teeth, Robin watched as his opponent was knocked back, but as he drew near for another hit, the blasted monster suddenly surrounded himself with what felt to be his own form of electricity. Having been too close, Robin was caught up in this attack, the move stunning him for as long as it endured. The tactician hit the floor, groaning in distress before he rolled back, away from the edge of the arena, and found his way to his feet again. He looked up in time to see the creature charging up that shadow ball of his, and in his haste, Robin put up his defenses, shielding himself from the attack. He waited for the impact, but felt nothing. Mewtwo had decided to hold onto the attack and use it for later. Dismissing his shield, Robin found himself hissing in frustration, those brown eyes locking on his challenger. Mewtwo was harder to get a hold of, now... Was it possible that the Pokemon had found it easier to read Robin instead of the other way around?
'It's funny- you read books so much that you've become readable yourself.'
Ike's voice filled Robin's mind, and upon recalling that one sentence, his stomach sank. Robin swallowed hard. He could hear the combat behind him between Greninja and Captain Falcon. He had seen how the Captain fought, and Robin could not deny the fact that he was impressed with what little he saw. He wanted to return that feeling, and have his teammate be impressed with him. Normally, Robin would not care about anyone else's opinion on him, but this was a man that he did not like, and a man that he wanted to intimidate. Not to mention that he had shouted, "Do not disappoint!" in the beginning of the match. How could he say that, and then be the very person to do the disappointing? He sucked his teeth and readied himself, his boots pressing against the ground as Mewtwo came at him. He wasn't a disappointment and he was going to prove it.
The moment Mewtwo was in arm's length reach, Robin reached out and grabbed hold of him in a binding spell, refusing his opponent the right to attack. In his frustration, Robin found himself slamming Mewtwo downwards against the floor. He rebounded hard, remaining airborne for a second, enough time for Robin to cast another Arcfire upon the beast. It landed and hit multiple times, and as the last hit sent Mewtwo soaring, Robin once again landed a heavy blow with his sword in mid-air. The impact had even sent a shockwave through Robin, letting him know just how hard the male had hit him. He was no longer playing around. It was time he fought seriously. The male was on him, quickly now, following Mewtwo without pause. The creature barely had time to land before the tactician had sliced him once, twice with his bronze sword, only to capture him with a flurry of green blades that flew from his spell book. The ending blade landed a heavy hit, sending Mewtwo flying upwards, high above Robin's head. He looked up and jumped, intent on landing another aerial attack, but this one was dodged. This did not faze him, however, for he knew he had his opponent on the ropes.
He followed Mewtwo down and swiped his sword forward, but again, his attack missed. Robin clenched his jaw when he found that he had no time to attack in the air again, so he figured when he landed on his feet, he would catch the creature with a low swipe of his sword, knocking him off balance. Robin landed at the same time as his victim, the material on his body causing him to land heavily and with delay, something he was used to. What he was not used to, however, was the fact that Mewtwo was lighter on his feet than his opponent. Robin drew his sword back to attack, his stance strong and firm, the Pokemon right in front of him. Mewtwo was in range – but so was Robin. Before he could even think of bringing his shield up, Mewtwo's hands drew back, and the dark mass of energy manifested in his palms once more. Robin's eyes widened as he now tried to swing forward in order to intercept the ball of darkness with his weapon, but he was too slow. The blow was anything but kind to him as the attack knocked him back with astonishing power. The sensation that racked his body was unpleasantly numbing as Robin slammed against the floor, rolling a good distance away from Mewtwo, the shadow ball's after effects still lingering on his body. The numbing pain came first, and then the more intense, physical pain founds its way in soon after.
"Augh-!" Robin all but croaked the sound, the cry falling from his mouth involuntarily. He could feel his hands trembling and twitching in response to the agony that had made its home within his vessel. Robin dragged out his next word, "Sshhhhii-t-," as he attempted to pull himself up from the ground, his arms weak and feeble. They felt like jelly, as did his legs, but he stood to his feet nonetheless, and faced Mewtwo once more, his eyes catching a glimpse of another charged shadow ball before the creature had a chance to hide it. This did not seem to matter to said creature, however, for once he was done charging, he advanced forward, floating at a quickened pace, headed straight for Robin.
Remaining alert, the tactician tried to read his opponent as he drew nearer – what was he going to do? Attack? Go for a grab? Call a bluff and wait for Robin to slip up? He grit his teeth as each one of his thoughts conflicted with the other, and figured that he would dodge when Mewtwo was close enough. In seconds, the monster was upon him, and Robin side-stepped an aggressive tackle. He reacted to this with a swipe of his own sword, but was not quick enough as the weapon barely grazed Mewtwo's side. Robin swore and was then quick to jump, avoiding his challenger's tail as it failed an attempt to knock Robin off balance. While in the air, the tactician swung his sword forward in a sharp motion, then drew his hand back around, the attack forming in the shape of a lemniscate. His attempt at landing a hit on Mewtwo failed once again, however, as the taller of the two ducked out of the way, and Robin knew he would have to be quick on his feet if he wanted to avoid Mewtwo's next potential blow.
Landing with a thud on those heavy boots of his, Robin stared Mewtwo straight in the face, his legs shifting beneath him to help him sprint and attack, but before he knew it, the cloaked male found Mewtwo crouching swiftly, and then everything else went–
Black.
Everything went black. Everything went black? What had just happened? Robin felt as if his body had just been depleted of all its strength, his entire being weak as he struggled to stand. He could feel himself swaying, battling with gravity to keep his footing and hold himself up. He heard a faint groan. It was his own... The sound reverberated in his head at an unsettlingly loud volume, and the sounds of combat soon followed. The darkness persisted, impairing Robin's sight to the fullest, but despite this, he knew he was still in the match.
He was still in the match. A soft light had broken through the darkness, and figures had begun to form in front of him. 'You're still in the match!' Robin's thoughts shouted at him. 'WAKE UP! You've been stunned! Snap out of it!'
Giving it his all to obey this order, Robin's eyes widened as the picture started to clear in front of him. He could feel his body go rigid as he regained control of his actions, his head shaking once as his face carried a dopey, shocked expression. In seconds, he came to, only to feel a powerful force yank him back by the hood of his cloak. The action was so sudden that he did not even have time to make a sound. He only stared forward as he watched Mewtwo strike the floor with a powerful purple aura, the attack landing where he once stood. "Wha-" The unfinished word left Robin's mouth as he fell, the force of the pull having proven to be too much for him to recover from, but instead of feeling the hard floor against his back, an arm had been placed behind him, breaking his fall.
He was held in place by Captain Falcon for but a second before he was helped back to his feet, the man forcing Robin to regain his balance. Dumbfounded, the tactician looked over to his teammate, at a loss for words.
"Look alive," was all the Captain said before he darted ahead at a shockingly fast pace, taking the two opponents head on.
Robin stared on in silence, watching the performance unfold before him. How was it that Captain Falcon was the one keeping a cool head while Robin flopped about the field like a helpless child? This was not how he pictured his first match to go. He was embarrassed and angered – grateful that his partner had saved him from a sure to be devastating blow – but overall upset. He watched on as his teammate took on Team E with outstanding agility and strength, his hits landing every time, his body turning on a dime. He did not stumble, nor did he stagger, and with moves that were packed with power, Captain Falcon managed to send his opponents flying back with one strong thrust of his elbow. How he engulfed them with flames, Robin did not know, but what he did know was that he was not going to sit back and allow this man to get through the match on his own. Robin refused to have the role of "Weakest Link" bestowed upon him, so with this thought in mind, he was sure to pick himself up and prove to the audience, the spectators, the Captain, and himself, that he could hold his own just as well as everyone else.
As the combat went on in front of him, Robin's jaw clenched, and he swallowed his pain in order to regain his posture. His body hurt all over, his arms and legs throbbed, his heart rate had quickened and sweat rolled down the side of his face. He opened his book in hand and inhaled deeply, then shouted two words out at the top of his lungs.
"Captain! Jump!"
As if the man were a manic machine that moved without delay, Captain Falcon reacted as soon as those words were spoken. He took to the air, jumping right off of Mewtwo's head as a means of disorienting him even more than he already was. Once airborne, Robin wasted no time in releasing the beam that he had stored within his book in the beginning of the match. He spun once, outstretched his hand and called, "Thoron!" as a bright, yellow beam propelled itself with great speed from Robin's vessel. The attack gave no time for Mewtwo or Greninja to avoid it- they were caught in the savage attack, and the two were sent flying; the damage that they had racked up proved to be too much for them to survive the attack. The both of them fell out of the range of the arena, slamming outside as their shouts were heard.
The crowd's cheering grew louder, and it was at that moment that Robin had remembered that they were fighting in front of what seemed to be thousands of people. He had completely drowned out their noise earlier on, but it was now coming back to him.
"Greninja of Team E: Eliminated!" Master Hand's voice filled the stadium as the voice of the crowd grew ever louder.
As his sword found its way back to his hand, Robin looked forward to Captain Falcon, who landed on his feet in time to catch his partner's gaze. The Captain gave a quick nod of his head in approval. Without thinking, Robin did the same. He then beckoned for his partner with one hand, his other charging another spell in his tome. The light changed from a deep yellow to an orange-red glow, and once he saw this, Robin shut his book and kept the spell where it was. By the time he was done, Captain Falcon was at his side, standing tall as he watched the hovering pad bring Mewtwo back into the match.
"When did you take out the frog's second stock?" Robin shot, his eyes locked on the lowering opponent.
"I managed to do that when you were blitzed out of your mind," the man countered, a smirk on his lips.
Robin scowled. "Very funny."
"It was. You should've seen yourself." That smirk of his did not show any signs of leaving. In fact, it only grew. It seemed the Captain's main priority was getting on Robin's last nerve.
"Let's just take this thing down," Robin grumbled, watching Mewtwo as he fell to the farthest edge of the arena to charge another shadow ball. Robin gripped his sword and waited for the purple creature to move, and sure enough, in a desperate attempt to win, it charged forward. Robin took one step, but stopped in his tracks as his partner zoomed past him, leaving the tactician in the dust. His cloak fluttered with how swiftly the man had passed him, and with that same speed of his, the Captain grabbed hold of Mewtwo with one swipe of his hand. He quickly followed this up by slamming the creature onto the floor with force, giving him no time to process the attack. The Captain then short hopped and kicked at him twice. Staggering, Mewtwo attempted to fight back, but failed miserably as the masked man all but dodged circles around him. The Pokemon was grabbed again, took a knee to the gut, and was kicked backwards in Robin's direction.
His reaction was swift. "Arcthunder!" He cast the red ball of electricity just in time for it to explode on the airborne Mewtwo. The creature was stunned in place for several seconds before he was met with a swing of Robin's Levin sword, launching him back towards Captain Falcon, who played off of Robin's movements in time to get above the creature for another forceful downward kick. The hit sent Mewtwo crashing onto the floor, bouncing up in time for Robin to catch him in his sights. Another Arcfire was cast down upon the Pokemon, and he flinched several times as the flames engulfed him. After the final hit had landed, Robin dashed forward and grabbed hold of him in his magical bind. He squeezed at him twice, then caught a glimpse of Captain Falcon jumping into the air. As if he'd known his partner's move set his whole life, Robin forcefully shoved his victim forward and watched as he flew just high enough to get caught in a devastating blow dealt by the Captain himself.
With his knee jutting out, the hit connected with Mewtwo's lower back. Robin caught a glimpse of a gleam, and then a familiar pulse of energy was once again felt through the air – it was the very same pulse that had caused him to lose his footing earlier on. A gust of wind followed the attack, his white locks whipping in the air along with his cloak as he covered his face with his arm. Robin could not believe it. The man's attack was so powerful that whenever it landed, it actually affected the surrounding area, and the people within it.
A cry left Mewtwo, and that was that. He soared out of range like a rocket, careening onward without any form of control to call his own. In a second, he was out, and Master Hand made his presence known once more:
"GAME!"
The crowd cheered wildly as the Captain landed back on his feet, void of stagger. His knees bent upon landing, and he then stood up straight seconds later, standing several feet away from Robin.
"The winner is: Team F!" That iconic voice announced their victory to the thousands of spectators.
Removing his arm from his face, Robin looked up to face Captain Falcon, then glanced around. The roar of the crowd was almost unbearable as the tactician had begun to catch his breath, suddenly realizing how exhausted he felt. He could hear the crowd cheering his name, distant voices shouting, "Robin!" repeatedly. But those voices were easily drowned out by the name of the man that had really taken the match by storm: Captain Falcon. They audience was wild for him as they chanted, "Falcon, Falcon!" without pause.
Robin raised his brow and straightened his back. "They like you." His voice was barely audible under the roar of the crowd.
"They like you, too."
"They like you, more." Robin gave a faux smile to his teammate, hiding the fact that he was trying to stomach the pain that still gripped him. Since he hadn't lost a stock, he did not have time to recover, as was promised by Master Hand. It was too late for that now, and Robin knew that he would have to deal with his physical suffering for the time being.
He reached a hand up to rub at his face, and when said hand had pulled away, Robin opened his eyes to see an outstretched hand in front of him. Quietly, the tactician looked up at his assigned partner, and his lips parted slightly, as if he were going to speak. No words came out, however. Instead, he drew in a long breath, passed his Levin sword to his left hand, and clasped the Captain's thickly gloved palm with his right. One stern shake of the hand was all Robin had to offer, chestnut optics glaring past the mask that obscured his teammate's face, before he withdrew his entire arm, allowing it to fall back at his side.
The chanting continued, but soon, the sound began to fade as both Captain Falcon and Robin were enveloped in a familiar blue light. Robin looked down at his feet, and as he had suspected, a blue circle had spawned beneath them. They were on their way back to the grand estate, where everyone was- where Ike and Shulk were. The thought of seeing them brought a strange form of relief upon Robin. Even the thought of talking to Pit, or to either of the two women he'd spoken to the day before, helped calm the tactician down. He sighed. He wanted to feel healthy again. He wanted to tend to himself. He needed to check out the damage that was dealt to his body by that menacing, purple beast. Robin felt weak, and his face showed it.
He could feel the Captain's eyes on him, and knew that he wanted to ask him things, but Robin played the fool and kept his head down, pretending that he did not notice this. However, despite the fact that Robin ignored his teammate, this did not stop Captain Falcon from speaking up.
His words were stern and straight to the point: "Take care of yourself."
Robin's brow furrowed for a moment before a completely different look had claimed his features – a blatant look of indifference was what greeted the Captain now. He looked up in time to catch the taller man's gaze with his own, stared at him long and hard, and finally, flatly uttered, "I don't need you to tell me that."
Refusing to exchange anymore words with each other, the bright, blue light had surrounded them, and in seconds, they were gone.
/I hope you enjoyed the second chapter! Reviews and creative input are always appreciated, and I will be sure to upload more chapters in the near future. Thank you so much for reading! -Luxray/