* Hey! It's Naoki again. :^) Thanks for the reviews, and for sticking with the story. I'll try to update as much as possible. So far, it's been once or twice a day. As for storyline, I promise things will pick up soon. Stay awesome, and enjoy the chapter!

The next morning, Snake woke up with a huge headache. He blinked a couple of times, rolling over, and realized suddenly that he was on a bed.

What the he - oh yeah. Brawl.

For a moment, he was almost disappointed. Then he remembered that today was his first real day. A day to show the others how Solid Snake rolled. Snake cracked his knuckles and slid into his 'Brawling' clothes. After consideration, he clipped on his utility belt with all of his gear. He may need it, after what transpired last night - who knew what sort of murderous mood Ganondorf may be in today? Snake pictured himself fighting off the hulking, evil warrior. The rest of the Brawlers would thank him on bended knee…

Grinning, he joyfully hopped out of his room and found his way to the basement-room he had been in before, which he learned was called the lounge. But surprisingly, it was empty.

Snake frowned. Where was everyone? He cautiously made his way over to the large, jagged hole that Ganondorf's powerful fist had left in the wall and touched it lightly.

That's one guy that I don't want to get on the wrong side of, he thought, shuddering.

"Snake."

Ike's voice startled him out of his thoughts. Snake whipped around.

"Oh. Hey. Where is everyone?"

"Most are in the dining room," replied Ike. "But some are in their rooms. Want to grab us a couple of seats?"

"Yeah," said Snake, his stomach grumbling in complaint. He followed Ike up to a large room with an expensive-looking chandelier and several tables set out. A doorway signaled the way to the kitchen.

"Go get something to eat from Peach," said Ike. "Her food is amazing."

Snake decided to believe him. He bullied his way through the thick flow of people to get to the kitchen, where the heady aroma of scrambled eggs, bacon, buttered bread, biscuits-and-gravy, sausage, and countless other foods greeted him. He didn't know where to start. He got just a little bit of each and returned back to Ike.

Snake dove in. Ike watched him with an amused expression.

"'Ey," Snake began with his mouth full. He swallowed painfully and said, "Hey. I kind of went to bed early, so…did Ganondorf do anything else last night?"

"No," said Ike. "He just went back to playing cards with Bowser and Lucario."

Snake shoveled eggs into his mouth. "Sucks."

"What sucks?"

"Two things - one, that nothing else happened, and two - that some people have to have their arch enemies confined in the same place with them."

Ike shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Generally enemies just stay away from each other. That's the first time Ganondorf has ever snapped like that. I wonder what triggered it?"

"I'm on his side."

Ike stopped eating to stare at him. "Why?"

"Well," Snake said, "I don't know the full story so I can't say much. But I have something common with him. Link wants me dead, too."

"What did you do to him?"

"Nothing! He just hates me. When we first met, I just got this weird feeling like he wanted to stab me before I had said two words to the guy."

Ike was quiet for a moment. "That's not like him." He turned suspiciously to look at Snake. "Are you sure that you didn't do something glaringly insulting…like…I don't know…call him an elf?"

Damn. "No. I did not call him an elf. Why would I? He's so obviously…not." Snake tried to smile, but his lips merely twitched. "Anyway…if I did…and this is totally hypothetical. But if I did happen to call him an elf, what's the big deal anyway?"

"It isn't that big of a deal," said Ike, smirking. "He wouldn't care. But it might explain why he doesn't like you. Are you sure you didn't say anything…?"

"Absolutely positively certain with every fiber of my being."

"You're so bad at lying, Snake."

"Whatever."

Speak of the devil. Link walked past Snake's table slowly, not deigning to look at him. He sat down with Samus, Zelda, and the Pokemon trainer, who was trying desperately to subdue his rampaging Charizard.

Snake's heart had stopped moments earlier. Sitting at that table and popping grapes into her mouth was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen - Samus Aran. He gazed in awe at the blonde bounty hunter. She was so perfect. Her eyes seemed hard, like pieces of flint or ice, but he could sense a great depth in them, a huge intensity. Her limber body and glowing face had a startlingly lovely, stark beauty. Snake gawked.

Samus.

"Hey, Snake, are you going to eat that?"

"Samus."

"What?"

Snake opened his mouth, realizing what he'd said, and then shut it again, embarrassed.

"No…I'm Ike, remember?" said Ike, waving a hand in front of Snake's face. He then looked at Link's table…and back. And he smirked. "Oh, please. Not you too."

"Samus," repeated Snake, his eyes clouded over.

"Oh, God."

"Samus."

"You're insane. No, wait, I take it back. You are completely and utterly normal for loving her. Every single male creature in this mansion has been in love with Samus Aran at one time or another." He made a face. "I take that back, too. Imagine Ganondorf, or Bowser…ugh! But other than them, yes, including me. Welcome to the club, mate." He clapped Snake on the back. "You gonna eat that bacon?"

Snake mutely shook his head and shoved the bacon towards Ike, who rolled his eyes. Snake was lost in thought. He knew that Samus was a hardcore, no-nonsense kind of woman, and she was also known as the Hunter across the galaxy. He had to admit that he was slightly intimidated by even the mere thought of approaching her. It took real courage to talk to Samus - every time you tried, she would put up an icy mental barrier that repelled all of your small talk, made you feel tongue-tied, and finally sent you stumbling back to where you came from in pieces. She just wasn't a sociable person. But that didn't mean she wasn't friendly. Or lonely, thought Snake optimistically.

"No, Ike," he said out loud. "No…I am not going to eat that bacon. Because I have something else in mind - I'm going to talk to her."

Ike let out a low whistle. "Good luck, mate."

"…What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," said Ike, surprised. "You know…just…good luck."

Perhaps he was too paranoid. Snake shook off the on-edge feeling that clung to him all day, pestering him, and searched the dining room for an opportunity to talk to Samus. He would have walked over and sat down, but it would be too awkward with the others at the table, especially a certain Hylian swordsman, listening to their conversation. Luckily for Snake, Samus rose fluidly from her table to re-fill her empty bottle. It was the best chance he was ever going to get.

"Hey, Samus, wait up!"

She turned, looking very unsurprised. He jogged up to her, smiled, and hoped that it didn't look like a grimace. Samus was stunning from afar…and astonishing up-close. Her eyes seemed to go on forever, pulling any innocent victim into the dizzying black holes that were her pupils before ripping them into pasta, and tossing them around like confetti. Then Snake realized with panic that he had no game plan. He had to say something, or she would think he was another dumbstruck idiot, unworthy of her time. So, predictably, what Snake said next was the lamest thing he could have brought up.

"So…you're getting water? Me too."

"Oh," said Samus, unsmiling. "Really? Where's your bottle?"

Snake could have very happily bashed his head against the nearest wall. A water bottle. Of course. He quickly blurted out, "I left it at the table by accident. I…uh…you're…Samus, right?"

"Yes," said Samus simply. "And you're Solid Snake, a new Brawler."

He could feel it now - the barrier that she put up between herself and people. Not a physical barrier, but a mental one. One that made you feel awkward and unwelcome. Well, it wasn't going to work on Solid Snake.

"That's me," he said. "This place is a bit too crowded for me. But I guess you get used to it. Anyway, Samus, I look forward to fighting you."

"Thanks. You too."

"I like your hair like that, by the way," Snake blurted out. He was desperate to keep the conversation going. She smiled and nodded; he felt the barrier waver. "It looks really good on you. Too bad your Power Suit covers it up."

Samus shrugged. Then she changed the subject. "Have you registered yet?"

"Not exactly," said Snake.

"Badass."

"I know."

"Well," said Samus, smiling openly now. "You seem like a good guy, Snake. Maybe we can talk later. I'll see you around."

With a little more spring in her step, she walked away. Snake grinned. The conversation had been short, and yet he had found the cracks in her shell. He mouthed 'Victory!' to Ike and drifted back to his table on a sea of triumph.

"New record!" shouted Ike, high-fiving him. "That conversation was almost a minute long. Mine was seventeen seconds."

Snake was about to reply, but a high-pitched adorable Pokemon's voice cut in hurriedly.

"Pika!"

Snake felt a tug on his leg. He looked down to see Pikachu, the yellow-furred Pokemon with the bright eyes, holding a letter in his mouth. Pikachu set the letter at Snake's feet and bounded off, ears twitching in a friendly manner.

"For me? I'm flattered."

Snake reached down and opened it up. It read:

SOLID SNAKE. AS A NEW BRAWLER, YOU ARE INVITED TO AN OFFICIAL INITIATION CEREMONY THIS AFTERNOON AT SIX O'CLOCK. THERE WILL BE FOOD AND FIRECRACKERS TO CELEBRATE YOUR JOINING.

- M.H.

"Who's M.H.?" asked Snake curiously.

Ike, who had been reading over his shoulder, said matter-of-factly, "Master Hand. Wow, Snake. You get your very own little party. Master Hand must really like you."

"Yeah," said Snake expressionlessly. "Well…I'm touched." He crumpled up the letter and threw it aside. "Good food and fireworks? Sounds like my kind of party."

"Maybe you can make up with Link, too," said Ike. "Nothing says friendship like lighting a dangerous explosive side by side and then running like hell."

Snake looked back over at the table which Link and Samus sat at.

"I don't want to make up with him," he said. "He'll probably just laugh at me anyway if I tried."

He looked down at his plate and murmured softly to himself, "I know from experience that it's the quiet ones you have to watch out for."