CHAPTER 4: VENICE

Marth was now in Venice. Since it was warmer here than in Glasgow, he removed his jacket, thus he was now wearing only a speedo.

"I have some more info," said Wii Fit Trainer over the headset. "These thugs you're fighting are working for Master Hand. It turns out that he's hired these thugs to kill you. He is working with Sophia Leigh, the woman you saw in Greece. We'll need to go to Master Hand's Italian villa to investigate, but it's a long way off. We're going to interrogate her."

"I think I can handle it," said Marth.

Marth ran forward, then right. Two thugs appeared and attacked. Marth. Marth killed both of them. He then went right, then another right towards a ladder. He climbed the ladder At the top was a room with ammo and flares. He then went back down. Marth killed another thug and took his ammo.

Next, Marth went to a small alcove with a block and keyhole. He pulled it aside, and then pushed it to where he could reach a switch. After pulling the switch, This opened a gate far away. Marth did some trekking, picking up ammo the thugs dropped, and eventually reached the gate.

The courtyard behind the gate had two guards, both of whom Marth killed. He found another block, which he pushed towards an alcove above. This alcove contained flares, ammo, and Uzi guns. Marth took all of them and left. He then decided to explore the courtyard pool. He found a key inside.

Marth left the courtyard and returned to the area with the first block. He put the key in the keyhole and unlocked the door. Marth went in the room, which had a bookcase and some books on the floor. On the left wall was a button, which Marth pressed. This opened a small gate in the courtyard.

Marth returned to the courtyard and went through the small gate. As he went in, a thug approached. Marth killed the thug and pressed forward. He soon came to a somewhat foreboding alley. A large gate lay across the alley.

"I better keep an eye out," said Marth, "and an ear. I hear footsteps."

Marth went to the left building and pushed a button. This opened up a door. Marth went inside the building and climbed the stairs. He saw a thug on the balcony. He killed the thug with his submachine gun. He then jumped across to the balcony, grabbed it, and shimmied sideways. He then climbed up and took the thug's key.

After this, Marth went back to the gate and used the key to open it. This took him to a small canal. He jumped across the canal and went forward, then right to another courtyard. This courtyard had two thugs who attacked Marth. Marth killed both of them. He then went under a small pillared structure to take a fancy key.

"This fancy key could be useful," said Marth.

Marth returned to the canal and went back the way he came - through the alley, then the first courtyard, and back to the alleys near the beginning. He did some more exploring and found another closed gate. This gate had a keyhole next to it. Marth put the fancy key in and opened the gate.

"Ah," said Marth, "another canal..and another closed gate."

Marth jumped in the canal and looked for a key. He could not find one, but he did find a dark underwater tunnel. He lit a flare and went in the tunnel, where he found a lever. He pulled the lever, opening the gate.

After leaving the tunnel, Marth returned to the now-open gate. He went inside and took a pathway. Marth soon found himself in an open area with a boat.

"We are now going to Via Carminati," said Wii Fit Trainer. "Before going on the boat, find an underwater lever."

Marth jumped in the water and swam towards a lever. He pulled it, opening a gate. Then he surfaced and got on the boat.

"This is going to be fun," said Marth.

As soon as Marth started the boat, he drove it across the water. He explored the labyrinthine maze.

"I'm having the time of my life riding this thing!" said Marth.

"It's a good workout for the arms," said Wii Fit Trainer.

Marth soon reached a dead end. A guard was standing there, blocking a locked door. Marth got out of the boat and killed the guard. Then he climbed the adjacent ladder and took the above ledges to a switch. He pulled the switch. This opened the door. Marth jumped back in the water, then surfaced.

Marth entered the building and drew his pistols. He climbed up the steps to a small library, where a thug awaited. The thug tried to get Marth, but Marth killed the thug. Marth took some ammo, as well as a golden key. He then went back to the boat.

Once he was back in the boat, he did more exploring. He took a different path this time, first finding a button to push, and later finding another ledge. He got out of the boat and entered a building with several alcoves. Marth killed the charging thug and scoured the alcoves for flares and ammo. At the end of the hallway was a ladder, which he climbed to reach a hidden room. He took a fancy key from the room.

Marth used the golden key to open the exit, which took him to the canal. He then jumped in the water and swam around. He soon found a lever and pulled it, opening a door on the ledge above. Marth surfaced and climbed the ledge. The door had revealed a switch. Marth pulled it and opned the nearby gate. He then swam through the gate.

"Look!" said Marth. "Another boat!"

Marth climbed onto the second boat and started it. He drove it out of the room and drove right to a ledge with a switch. Marth pulled the switch and opened another gate. He then got back in the boat and drove through the second gate. He eventually reached a ledge with a guard and a button. Marth killed the guard and pressed the button, opening a third gate. He jumped into the underwater alcove under the ledge into a room with a thug. Marth killed the thug and took his golden key.

Once Marth had the third key, he drove to the third gate. At the end of this long, narrow road was a switch, plus a fourth gate. Marth got out and pulled the switch to open it. Marth got back in the boat and drove through the two gates. He soon arrived at a door with a keyhole.

Marth got out of the boat and used the second golden key to open up. He went in the building and used the switch to open a gate. This gate was on land. Marth got back in the boat and went to the very end of the maze. He got out and went through the open gate. Two guards appeared and attacked. Marth killed them both.

This was where Via Carminati stood.

"It looks so picturesque," said Marth.

"You have finished the long, narrow maze," said Wii Fit Trainer, "and here is your reward. Go on - use the key!"

Marth used the fancy key to open Via Carminati. He then ran inside. He saw that Wii Fit Trainer was waiting for him.

"You have an audience with the woman upstairs...unfortunately," she said. "Here - take this tunic so you don't look weird. Don't worry...we'll get her."

Marth put on his tunic (it was the one he wore in the original Fire Emblem game) and went up the stairs. He saw Sophia Leigh sitting in the parlor. She had, for some bizarre reason, forgotten about the first adventure, so she seemed less hostile.

"Ah, young Marth," she said. "I've heard about you. I take it you're ready to sign on."

"To what?" asked Marth.

"Well, my books," said Sophia. "You see, with your looks, your success in Super Smash Bros. and all those yaoi fangirls writing fanfiction about you, it would be great for you to be using my products."

Marth stared at her.

"I'm sorry," said Marth, "but no thanks. I know you and Master Hand..."

"Who's that?" asked Sophia, pretending to not know who Master Hand was.

"Oh yes," said Marth. "I've fought your thugs." He looked at Sophia's scepter, which held an artifact. "Let me see if that artifact knows anything..."

Sophia held her artifact away from Marth.

"Right, in your next life," she said bluntly.

"We'll see," said Marth.

Marth raised his guns at Sophia, but then she used her scepter to teleport away.

"Whoa!" he said. "She vanished!"

Wii Fit Trainer ran upstairs.

"So she doesn't want to play fair," said Wii Fit Trainer. "We need to search Master Hand's villa for clues. My tracker says that he is there."

"Okay," said Marth.

TO BE CONTINUED