The Dragoon was hovering serenely in the gravel driveway when Link awoke the next morning, so he assumed that Kirby, Pit, and Blaze had returned home from the hospital with Sonic sometime during the night. On the other hand, Lucario's sportscar was still missing; the Hylian ran his fingers through his unkempt hair and heaved a sigh, privately admitting that if the aura guardian didn't show up before noon he would head into Mushroom Kingdom and start looking for him. Meta Knight, Falco, and Blaze were the only other residents of Brawlers Mansion gathered in the dining room for breakfast when Link wandered in, but Kirby was bustling happily about the stove like always and chattered joyously at the Hylian when he entered; Link cracked a tiny smile and dropped one gentle hand upon Kirby's head in welcome as he accepted his breakfast plate, wringing a pleased cooing sound from the little pink chef in reply.

"How's Sonic?" Link made a point of asking Blaze, glancing concernedly her way as he claimed a seat between her and Falco.

Blaze barely glanced up from her chocolate chip pancakes, the same strange mixture of displeasure and amusement coloring her normally stern face. "Enraged. The blow struck his entire right leg, the blade was so large—his femur is completely shattered, and he has a compound fracture of his tibia. He'll be in a cast for at least three months."

Falco's beak curled upward at this news and he suddenly became incredibly interested in his ketchup-smothered sausages. Blaze shot a glare his way but said nothing; Link helped the avian sidestep a nasty confrontation by asking, "Has Lucario called?"

"Sorry buddy—no news." Falco looked up, chewing idly on a bit of sausage, and fixed Link with a piteous look that made the Hylian feel worse, not better. "I'm sure he's fine, though."

"I'm heading into town to look for him if he's not here by lunchtime," Link promised coldly, glaring down at his own pancakes as though they were keeping Lucario from coming home. He abruptly found that he was no longer hungry and shoved the plate toward the middle of the table, not at all surprised when Wolf marched into the dining room and snatched up the plate without hesitation. "Morning Wolf."

Wolf nodded in Link's general direction, but his eyes were on Blaze; the cat visibly stiffened in her chair. "How's the cripple? Is he in a wheelchair? I'd keep an eye on him if I was you—I'm sure he'll start considering suicide now that he's without the ability to run around like a maniac."

Blaze's eyes, if possible, were simmering with fires of quiet rage. "You are a sad, remorseless excuse for a man."

"You bet your ass I'm remorseless—it's one of the only things that's kept me alive for this long. If I was a pansy like Lombardi I would've been torched years ago, right Lombardi?"

Falco glowered, his eyes narrowed forbiddingly over his fork. "If that's true, how do you explain why I'm still alive?"

Wolf stretched luxuriously and leaned back in his chair, shoveling a forkful of syrup-soaked pancake into his mouth and chewing in a rather superior way as he said, "Because I'm on temporary leave. Trust me—if Andross calls while I'm here and orders me back into action, you'll be the first one to go."

"This is what I have never understood," interjected Meta Knight, turning away from his customary place near the window and facing the rest of the occupants of the table. "You are members of rival mercenary squads and always have been. How is it that you can coexist somewhat peaceably here, without killing one another?"

"Oh, it's nothing personal," admitted Falco, abandoning his seat and approaching the stove so Kirby could pile a second helping of pancakes and sausages onto his plate. "Wolf and I don't naturally hate each other, to be honest—I actually enjoy his company when we're both on employment leave, while the Lylat System isn't at war. We're enemies by necessity; he works for Andross, I work for General Pepper, and they're constantly at odds with one another. I guess you could say that Wolf and I get paid to hate each other when combat flares up every few months or so."

"They're completely different during wartime," Link added, accepting a cup of steaming coffee gratefully from Midna as she entered and slid into an empty seat between Wolf and Meta Knight. "I've seen them…. Wolf, you're the most cutthroat guy I've ever met when there's a paycheck on the line."

"You do what you gotta do to survive," Wolf told them with a shrug, wiping his muzzle clean with a napkin.

Blaze was shaking her head disgustedly. "You make me sick! You have absolutely no appreciation for life! How can you stand to conduct your life in this manner?! Have you no morals, no sense of valor?"

"Valor is just another word for stupidity," said Wolf flippantly, waving one hand negligently. "Just ask Fox's father, James McCloud."

Link raised a skeptical eyebrow, considering that statement carefully before he asked uncertainly, "Isn't James McCloud dead? Killed by a turncoat to end the First Lylat War?"

Wolf's answering smirk was one of the most devious facial expressions any of them had ever seen. "Exactly."

The feathers on the back of Falco's neck stood on end at this; thankfully everyone was again spared from another violent outburst when Pit stumbled sleepily into the kitchen, waving off Kirby's offer of breakfast and practically falling over the jug of orange juice. A few people laughed, but Falco addressed Palutena's emissary rather seriously when he said, "Hey, Pit, I'm glad you're up. I finished the modifications to my bike—well, your bike, I guess. If you take it to the Mario Kart Grand Prix officials later this afternoon and get it registered you can be back on the track again in time for the race at Peach Beach next week."

Pit sat down beside Blaze, suddenly looking much more awake. "Are you serious?!"

"Serious as a heart attack. Just try not to throw this one into a pool of lava like you did the last one, okay?" Falco winked at the angel over his glass of cranberry juice. "Let me finish my breakfast and I'll take you outside so you can look it over."

There was silence for another couple of minutes, during which they all busied themselves about their breakfasts (except for Link, whose stomach was still churning rather unpleasantly at the prospect of Lucario in danger), until Wolf looked up seemingly for no reason at all and cocked an ear toward the stairs leading to the sublevel. The others glanced at him quizzically as though concerned for his sanity, but one-by-one they came to hear what he was clearly listening to—a muffled clunking noise, coming from the basement and drawing nearer all the while. They all turned in their seats to watch the basement steps, wondering what could possibly be making such a commotion, and just when Falco's hand was reaching for a pistol holstered at his hip and Meta Knight was drawing out Galaxia they discovered just what was causing the racket.

For Sonic had just reached the ground floor landing and was painstakingly making his way toward the kitchen, his crutches clunking with every other step as he slung his useless right leg forward ahead of him.

It was unnervingly quiet for almost a minute and a half as eight sets of eyes watched Sonic make his way into the dining room—Kirby was nice enough to bring him his breakfast, albeit with a tittering noise that was half-sympathetic, half-amused-; the hedgehog chose not to meet any of their gazes but sat down grudgingly, feasting at once on his stack of pancakes without acknowledging anyone. Eventually he could not stand the suspenseful quiet, though, and condescended to look up in exasperation.

Laughter exploded from every mouth, echoing off the walls like a stroke of thunder, and only intensified when Sonic growled, "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, I know, I'm in a goddamn cast. Thanks for the sympathy."

"Sympathy?!" Midna managed to choke out, wiping the mist of hysterical tears from her eyes. "You deserved what you got, in my opinion! Sprinting around, giving us all motion sickness—you're lucky all Ike did was break your leg! I considered castrating you, myself.

"I was gonna poison your next meal," added Wolf. "I'm with Midna—you got lucky."

"Enjoy the next few months while everyone's moving faster than you," spoke up Pit, making a very rare joke at someone else's expense, and a second gale of laughter followed this comment.

Sonic clearly had no retorts to defend himself from the verbal attacks, as all he said was "Bite me."

"Where?" came Ike's voice from the sitting room, through which he and Marth were passing on their way to the kitchen, and Sonic covered his head with his arms and fumed. Falco offered his seat to Ike as he abandoned it, motioning to Pit to join him, and the angel bounded forward excitedly to shove his empty plate into the dishwasher and follow the avian through the sitting room, into the foyer, and out into the front yard.

Both of them forgot about the bike almost instantly when their eyes swept the gravel driveway, and the four people meandering companionably through the overgrown yard toward the porch.

Lucario was leading the way, free of glitter and body paint now, the sunlight glinting merrily off the platinum hoop in his ear and the colors of his tattoo so vivid they almost gleamed; he was arm-in-arm with Vick Ralis, the head bartender of The Shadow, who seemed a little less stand-offish in a pair of flared jeans and a slightly baggy Killswitch Engage t-shirt with her pale blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. Following rather closely in Lucario's wake was the slightly taller and infinitely more intimidating Mewtwo, whose face was surprisingly good-natured as he laughed jovially at some joke Lucario had just made, and bringing up the rear, seeming utterly at ease, was renown Loyalist mercenary commander Fox McCloud. Falco's eyes flitted to the overgrown driveway—parked on one side of Lucario's Mustang was a chipped and battered Lincoln Towncar, on the other side of which was a forest-green Camaro with the Star Fox emblem detailed in silver on the passenger side door.

"Hey Falco!" called Fox in greeting, waving enthusiastically at his long-time comrade-in-arms.

Good morning! tinkled Lucario's telepathic voice, releasing Vick's arm and scaling the steps to pull Falco into a warm one-armed embrace. Even without the piercing and the tattoo Falco would have taken Lucario for a changed man; the aura guardian's face was alive with contentedness and pleasure and his eyes were free of the worries they had held thirty-six hours ago.

It wasn't until Fox had raced up the porch stairs to shake Falco's hand with both of his own that the avian managed to speak, and when he did his voice trembled with terror as he addressed his former mercenary leader. "What the HELL are you doing here?!"

Fox abruptly dropped the avian's feathered hand, incredibly taken aback by this unexpected salutation. "Er, I came to visit… this a bad time or something?"

But Falco wasn't listening; seizing one of Fox's arms he shoved rudely past Pit and marched purposefully down the porch steps and back into the overgrown circle drive, attempting to cram the shorter, stockier mercenary back into his vehicle. "Yes! You've gotta get outta here! Quick, before he sees-!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Fox managed to gasp out, slowly suffocating between the car door and the frantic avian pinning him up against his vehicle. "Before who sees?"

But it was far too late, as the other residents of Brawlers Mansion were now trouping out in the yard to inspect Pit's completed racing motorcycle. Pit struggled with absolutely no success to obstruct the door so no one could pass, his eyes wild with panic, but Ike easily shouldered him out of the way and the others spilled onto the porch after him. There was a split second in which everyone gaped at Lucario's unbelievable tattooing—

-And then a shot fired from the center of the mass of people crowded together on the porch, whizzing between Lucario and Mewtwo, narrowly missing the antennae on the hood of Ike's Jeep, zipping beneath Falco's arm, and sizzling the hair off the top of Fox's bowed head. The vulpine yelped in terror and finally managed to buck his friend off of him, fanning out the tiny fires the laser bullet had ignited along his fur and cursing explicitly as he scoured the crowd for the shooter.

The group parted, trepidation bringing a stunned silence down upon them all, to reveal the victorious figure of Wolf O'Donnell standing in the center; he was holding one of Falco's own laser pistols in one hand and had Fox in his sights—the barrel of the gun was still smoking ominously.

Fox's face paled until it was as white as a sheet of paper.

The others exploded into motion.

Blaze reacted quickest, turning to face Wolf as her eyes flashed an alarming shade of ruby, but the leader of the Star Wolf mercenaries strafed so quickly to one side that the pyrokinetic attack missed him and set Marth's cape on fire instead. Ike hefted his sword off his shoulder and aimed a quick downward stroke at the off-balance lupine but missed him completely when Wolf planted one foot, pivoted, and dashed between the crutch-wielding Sonic and the cowering Pit. Midna whisked the sword Falchion out of its sheath at Marth's hip and swung—Wolf tucked into a roll and the blade sailed harmlessly over his head—as at the same time Link drew the Master Sword and lunged forward with it. Wolf skidded down the porch steps on his knees and turned just in time to fire the pistol in his hand once, his aim good enough to strike the hilt of the sword Link held and jolt the blade from its owner's hand. Meta Knight whipped Galaxia overhead and tossed it end-over-end in a desperate attempt to foil Wolf's way forward, but to no avail; Wolf adjusted his aim and fired again, taking the sword out of the air, and the bullet ricocheted off the blade at the perfect angle to force Lucario back a few steps. That left only Falco to deter him; the avian's hand dove for his other laser pistol, but by the time he unholstered it and brought it up in front of him Wolf had already sprinted the length of the circle drive and was far too near for Falco to crack off a shot. Instead of shooting the much-taller mercenary outright, Wolf opted to slam the butt of the gun down on the base of Falco's skull—the blow brought the avian down like a sack of potatoes.

Fox suddenly found himself standing face-to-face with his single greatest nemesis in the universe and realized all too late that he had not even made a move to draw a weapon in his own defense. The ghost of a triumphant grin flashed across Wolf's muzzle before the Separatist mercenary commander darted closer still, punching Fox in the stomach so hard the vulpine doubled over in agony then seizing Fox by the hackles of the back of the neck with his cruel black claws.

By the time the others realized what was happening it was all over—Wolf had Fox completely immobilized beside the Star Fox commander's vehicle, his sharp canines resting dangerously near to the vulpine's exposed neck, the barrel of Falco's laser pistol digging into Fox's left temple. They paused in various states of action upon the porch, the stairs, and the driveway, grimacing in preparation for the grisly death Fox was surely about to meet—

Wolf cackled his lowest, most condemning laugh, lifted his head up just enough to lock gazes with the terrified mercenary he held, and growled, "You never called, you bastard."

And then he was kissing Fox so roughly that all the others could do was stare in complete disbelief.

Vick was the first who could manage to break the silence, glancing uncertainly at Lucario and mumbling sheepishly, "Is it like this all the time around here?"

Lucario glanced from the dumbfounded conflagration grouped on the porch, to the crumpled and delirious Falco, to the passionately intertwined rival mercenary leaders, and answered simply, For the most part, yes.

"I don't understand," professed Marth, accepting his sword from Midna and sliding it back into its scabbard looking perplexed. "Didn't he tell us when he showed up that he wanted Fox dead?"

They all considered for a moment, scouring their memories for exactly what Wolf had said the day he had thrown a detonator into their living room and disrupted their harebrained but peaceable lives, and finally Ike had found the answer. "Actually, what he said was 'I want McCloud. I know he's here. So don't bother protecting him'."

No one knew how to respond to this—no one really believed that was what Wolf had said anyway—until Lucario finished, Yes, that's right…. He also said 'I demand to stay here until he shows up; we have business'.

"'It's McCloud I'm after, not any of you,'" breathed Pit, completely taken aback as the memory of that day came flooding back to them all. "'Don't even try and chase me off, either, 'cause I'm not leaving'…"

"Huh," grunted Marth, scratching the back of his head and shrugging his shoulders. "Now that you mention it, I do remember all that happening… I guess you're right, Ike. Technically he didn't say he was hanging around so he could kill Fox. We all just sort of… assumed he wanted to kill him."

"Well it was a pretty safe assumption to make," muttered Falco, at last shoving himself into a sitting position and slumping back against Fox's Camaro, massaging the base of his skull gingerly and wincing. "It's a rare occasion when Wolf isn't trying to kill Fox, isn't it?"

Meta Knight used Galaxia to gesture in Fox and Wolf's direction, where the latter had yet to release his rival mercenary commander from their almost desperate embrace, though his eyes were upon Falco when he asked, "I do not understand. How is it possible that you did not know of this? Are you not Fox's primary confidante?"

Falco took one look at his infamous leader and rolled his eyes in disgust before wandering up the driveway to join the others. "You'd have to ask him how this happened, because I haven't got a clue. Whenever the war flares up you'll always see these two going at each other as hard as they can—it's widely accepted knowledge that if one of them kills the other, the winner will deal a devastating blow to the opposing side that will be almost impossible to recover from. Some people even think that whichever commander loses first, loses the war. Pepper and Andross depend pretty heavily upon the success of their mercenary leaders. They're like direct extensions of their respective employers… how was I supposed to know they've been boinking each other on the side?"

Wolf managed to resurface at this last snide question and turned his electric eye upon Falco, a smile that was part devious and part victorious turning up the corners of his muzzle. "Don't worry yourself over the finer points of this development, bird—it won't affect your paycheck. We're all business and no pleasure when it comes time for us to fight, as per our agreement."

"You made an agreement about when and when not to have sex?" squealed Marth, as one by one they all trouped back into the mansion. "That's a little creepy…"

The group fell into various states of relaxation around the sitting room; Fox, trapped happily at Wolf's side by one of the lupine's perfectly sculpted arms, shrugged sheepishly at Marth. "Not really. We agreed when things started that we couldn't possibly be together during wartime—it doesn't make any sense, does it, when we're paid to fight each other? But on our own time we can do whatever we want."

"So you decided you'd do each other?" snickered Ike, and most of the residents laughed along with him; Blaze wrinkled her nose as though disgusted and Sonic shook his head wearing an expression of deep discomfort, while Pit looked a little paler than usual.

"Isn't that tough on you both?" asked Vick, sitting on the floor in front of the couch, leaning comfortably back against Lucario's shins. "I know it isn't any of my business, but I know if I was seeing somebody, I wouldn't be able to take fighting them to the death when somebody else ordered me to."

It was Wolf's turn to shrug. "It sucks sometimes," he admitted, nipping at one of Fox's ears as he spoke, "but we make it work."

The others murmured impressively amongst themselves at this, but ever-observant Falco did not miss the flash of guilt that blazed fleetingly through Fox's eyes at Wolf's words. Making a mental note to talk privately with Fox at a later date, the avian prudently changed the subject.

"So, Lucario! You show up at The Shadow as a killer techno DJ one night, disappear for a day and a half, and come waltzing back in here with a piercing and a tattoo. Jekyll and Hyde much?"

Lucario laughed long and hard, seeming not at all ashamed. You can't rightfully blame me for my behavior over the last thirty-six hours…. Well, at least, not completely. I daresay I had a helping hand in all of these seemingly out-of-character decisions.

Link glared jealously in Mewtwo's direction, assuming the psychic Pokemon to be the instigator and inwardly swearing he'd exact vengeance upon the man who had influenced Lucario in such a way, but Lucario momentarily dissolved Link's anger by chuckling again as he leaned forward and ruffled Vick's silver-blonde ponytail with obvious affection. Vick laughed with him and shrugged dismissively, saying, "What was I supposed to do? The guy needed me. He was so caught up in his own negative feelings… I really hate to see good people wallowing, that's all."

Lucario's eyes flitted unconsciously in Link's direction at Vick's words to find the Hylian watching him somewhat protectively; it stung Link significantly when Lucario glanced quickly away, looking betrayed. Vick seemed to realize she had addressed a sore subject and moved for a minor subject change almost as easily as Falco had. "So you guys dig the tattoo, or what?"

"Totally loving it." Ike, standing against the wall at Lucario's end of the couch, rifled through the short but supple fur covering Lucario's right side with one hand. "Though I'm a little confused as to how a guy covered in fur managed to get a tattoo—technology these days baffles me."

Use your imagination, Lucario told Ike sternly, but he followed his response with a disarming wink that had them all laughing again. Link scowled disapprovingly at the way Mewtwo grinned almost admiringly at Lucario, feeling suddenly like the only man not invited to a grand party.

"So Vick," asked Falco good-naturedly. "You sticking around?"

The shapely bartender checked the time on her cellular phone. "Probably for a couple of hours, but I have to meet Toshi around four to restock the bar and get The Shadow ready for tonight."

Ah, I almost forgot, I have a job now, lamented Lucario with another laugh; the musical sound of it sent a spasm of agony ripping through Link's heart, and when the pain of it showed through onto the Hylian's face Falco patted his friend bracingly on the shoulder. Lucario's eyes had narrowed into slits as he turned to face Mewtwo; the psychic Pokemon's face had turned similarly serious and he glanced back without blinking. In that case, Mewtwo, I think perhaps we should get on with things. We agreed that we have a score to settle, did we not?

Link cocked an eyebrow interestedly and turned his questioning gaze Falco's way; the avian shrugged his lithe shoulders in wordless response, clearly just as out of the loop as Link. Only Vick, still leaning back against Lucario's legs, seemed in the know: a tiny grin of anticipation had curled up one corner of her full lips.

Mewtwo copied Falco and shrugged, almost as though he wasn't at all interested, but the way his violet eyes sparkled with almost manic intensity belied the way he truly felt. I wouldn't go so far as to call this a score that needs settling, my old friend; it isn't as though we hold some sort of grudge against one another, is it? Rather, we have a curiosity that needs satisfying, and if you are still willing, I would be more than happy to oblige you.

"Hold on," Ike cut in, his eyes rather wider than usual. "You two are gonna scrap?"

"I don't know if that's a very good idea," said Pit uneasily, appearing more than a little uncomfortable with the idea. "The last time there was a fight here Wolf almost killed Falco, remember?"

Fox twisted his neck to glare up at Wolf, who was snickering devilishly in his rich, low baritone. "I thought we agreed we weren't going to try to kill mercs from rival squads while we were on leave?"

"He rubbed me the wrong way," said Wolf simply, his tone dismissive. "You can't expect me to take a threat lying down, Fox—I've never been the yielding type. Besides, I never intended to kill him, despite what these fools might think."

Surprisingly, Falco came to Wolf's aid. "It's true, Fox; he had me at gunpoint and let me go. If he was really serious about killing me in the offseason, he wouldn't have passed up an opportunity like that."

"Though I might make an exception for you, Fox," teased Wolf wickedly, tightening his arm around the slightly smaller, less-stocky vulpine still trapped at his side. "Do you have any idea how rich killing you would make me? I could live off the bounty and dodge Andross's service for the rest of my life. I could retire the youngest and most successful hired gun in the business."

The tension had been escalating ever since Lucario had taken the opportunity to remind Mewtwo of their impending feud; now, coupled with the veiled threat on Fox's life, the anxiety was almost tangible. Lucario and Mewtwo were still glaring at one another in an amused yet deadly serious way, and at Wolf's side Fox was looking unmistakably agitated.

Amazingly it was Blaze who next spoke, her arms crossed and her golden eyes upon Wolf brimming with obvious displeasure. "You cannot possibly be serious. You have just admitted that this man is your lover, for all intents and purposes—do you mean to say that you would do away with him, just like that, all for an increase in pay?"

Wolf bared his canines, so wide was his answering smile. "If I felt so inclined."

"That is utterly despicable. If you insist on engaging in a battle based on such self-centered designs, I will have no choice but to step in and dispose of you myself."

Fox cleared his throat almost timidly, earning a laugh from Ike, Midna, and Sonic all at once. "What did you say your name was—Blaze? Um, I appreciate the gesture, but I'm a paid killer, you know. I can take care of myself."

Any further protests Fox might have been planning to voice died instantly upon his tongue when Blaze turned her eyes upon him. "I am not insinuating that you are incapable of defending yourself, nor am I placing myself in this fight simply to protect you. I have been at odds with this one—" She jerked her head in Wolf's direction "—from the moment I arrived."

"You need to learn to let things go, honey," interjected Midna from the armchair near the kitchen, where she sat in a position that made the thin black shift she wore cling to her legs in a most provocative way. "Holding grudges isn't healthy. Though I'm sure that if you're dead-set on getting a piece of this action I could keep you entertained."

Blaze's eyes flashed in the Twilight princess's direction. "Is that a challenge?"

"Sure. It's about time I showed these boys that I'm not just here to sit around and look pretty."

"This is getting out of hand," Meta Knight spoke up bravely, his eyes glimmering out of the slats in his faceplate narrowed in their displeasure and uncertainty. "Three-on-three? I am not at all convinced that this is a good idea."

Lucario had yet to pry his eyes away from Mewtwo, who had yet to blink at all. We will handle it. Though if you are as deeply concerned as you say, Meta Knight, I will always welcome your added protection and support. You are a mighty foe, as I recall from recent events, but an even mightier ally, if my memory serves me correctly.

Meta Knight seemed ready to accept yet still mildly skeptical, but he was quick to share his primary concern. "And if I agree, who will cross blades with me?"

Link opened his mouth to declare that he would participate—on the sole condition that he operated on Lucario's team, if only to protect the aura guardian from Mewtwo—but he didn't voice his offer fast enough. Marth shrugged away from the wall behind Midna's chair, looking determined. "I suppose I could. God knows it's long past time for me to step up and prove that I can still swing this thing."

He ended with a sigh, his eyes and his dominant hand upon the hilt of the fine sword Falchion.

"So… four-on-four?" clarified Sonic, standing a few feet away from Wolf and Fox, balancing easily upon his crutches. "Seriously?"

Everyone turned their attentions upon Lucario and Mewtwo, by all accounts the instigators, who each nodded once in turn. It is agreed—four-on-four.

It was Vick who raised the obvious question. "How will you decide who fights with Lucario and who fights with Mewtwo?"

Lucario had already formulated an answer. It is clear that Fox wishes to battle against Wolf, Midna against Blaze, and Meta Knight against Marth. All that need be done is the process of choosing. Perhaps you would like to do the honor of picking your first teammate, Mewtwo?

Mewtwo looked surprised and haughty. You are comfortable letting your sworn opponent choose his first ally, knowing that you will be at a disadvantage in choosing second?

There is no disadvantage to be had—it matters little who you choose, for it will not affect the outcome of your battle with me. You are destined to fall by my hand, as I am certain you have already ascertained for yourself.

Mewtwo leapt gracefully from the couch and moved across the sitting room floor to stand near the other kitchen entrance, crossing his arms adamantly across his narrow chest. Lucario's eyes were sparkling with mischievous laughter in the face of his adversary's animosity. You are a fool, and I will prove it. For my first ally, I will choose the mercenary Wolf O'Donnell.

Wolf and Fox parted ways without a word, the former pausing at Falco's side to accept his belt of weapons from the avian and fasten it firmly around his waist. Lucario clapped Fox companionably upon the shoulder, seeming pleased with his first companion. As I have already made clear to you, Meta Knight, I would most certainly value your support.

"Then you shall have it," said Meta Knight solemnly, "and everything else that I have to offer you." The smallest swordsman hopped down from his place upon the fireplace mantle and joined Lucario and Fox upon the couch; Marth crossed in front of the television to lean against the wooden frame leading into the kitchen, bringing him nearer to Mewtwo and Wolf.

The psychic Pokemon sized up the two female fighters that remained, both of whom were watching him expectantly, but not for long. It seems pointless to choose you for my team, Blaze, since you have already made it clear that Wolf, more than anyone else, is your enemy. Therefore I must choose Midna.

"Suits me just fine," said Midna, rising smoothly from her armchair and moving for the kitchen doorway to congregate with the rest of her teammates. Once there she draped herself over Wolf's shoulder; Fox scowled openly while Wolf grinned somewhat victoriously.

"Can we get to the backyard?" suggested Falco, lifting himself off the loveseat. "Before they destroy the house?"

It seemed like a novel idea, so the entire group traipsed through the kitchen and out onto the back porch. Once there, the eight combatants descended the wooden porch steps into the grassy yard, while the spectators took it in turns to scramble up the low-hanging eaves and clamber into sitting positions upon the roof. While the fighters settled into various warm-ups and stretching routines, Falco turned to the rest of the residents grouped on the rooftop. "So—bets?"

"You guys lay bets on this kind of stuff?" marveled Vick, and from one of the back pockets of her jeans she drew out an ultra-thin wallet and opened it. "I'm in, but how do you want to place it? We picking one team of four to win with a last man standing kind of arrangement, or individual one-on-one fights?"

"Just lay a bet, and we'll settle up when this insanity is over," laughed Falco.

Vick shrugged. "Okay, well, in that case…. I bet twenty bucks on Mewtwo's team to win overall, but I bet another twenty on Lucario to beat Mewtwo in a single match… twenty on Wolf to beat Fox… twenty on Meta Knight over Marth… and one more twenty says Midna will take Blaze down."

She laid out five crisp twenty dollar bills on the shingles in the center of their betting circle, prompting a baffled Pit to ask, "Where do you get all this cash?!"

"I tend bar six nights a week, I wear low-cut shirts, and I have a nice rack," stated Vick, in a tone that suggested the answer was an obvious one and that she was shocked to have to explain. Pit's cheeks abruptly turned pink and he waved the bet on in Link's direction, who almost immediately passed the offer around to Ike.

"I'll agree with you on a few counts and lay twenty each on Wolf and Meta Knight, but I'll take Blaze over Midna and Mewtwo over Luca. Oh, and Mewtwo's group will win outright, no contest. Falco?"

The avian took a few moments to consider the odds carefully before laying any bets of his own; finally he said, "Luca's team wins, but Lucario loses to Mewtwo. Fox, Blaze, and Meta Knight all win."

Kirby chattered to indicate that he wasn't interested in gambling, and as an afterthought Falco leaned forward and shouted down to the porch below, "Hey, pincushion! You interested in getting in on this? You might win enough cash to cover your medical bill!"

Vick and Ike both doubled up with laughter as Sonic's enraged voice wafted up to greet them. "I'll lay a hundred bucks on Blaze—and fuck off."

The gambling and intimidating banter were all interrupted when Lucario's voice drifted melodiously through all their minds simultaneously, though he was clearly talking to Mewtwo when he said, Are you finished delaying? Are you prepared to battle us? As he finished his magnificent aura flared to life, surrounding him from head to toe with its radiance, and Blaze, Fox, and Meta Knight moved closer to the aura guardian looking suddenly serious.

It will be our pleasure defeating you, Mewtwo responded, and as Midna, Wolf, and Marth drew level with him the psychic Pokemon lifted one paw up before him and summoned a gleaming orb of pure psychic energy, veritably blinding every onlooker with its intense magenta hue. You will be sorry indeed that you accepted this challenge, my old friend.

I doubt it, growled Lucario, in a tone that set the hairs on the back of Link's neck standing on end, and all eight combatants burst into motion at once.

Wolf and Fox were the quickest of any of the opposing pairs; Wolf, a seasoned veteran with experience beyond Fox's years, was quicker on the draw and managed to fire off the first shot from a custom made laser pistol. Fox, however, was no fool; years of battling opposite the infamous Wolf O'Donnell had clearly given him the inside track where the older and more vicious mercenary commander was concerned, so instead of reaching immediately for a weapon the younger mercenary captain used one of his single greatest advantages to keep himself alive—he flung himself nimbly to one side, using his speed to get him clear of the first shot. Undaunted by this move (and quite possibly expecting it) Wolf squeezed the trigger in rapid succession and fired off three more shots—all of which Fox managed to avoid by tucking into a roll, tucking one foot beneath him, and springing up into a dash. The first bullet sizzled into the grass several inches from Fox's right leg, the second whizzed harmlessly past the vulpine's left ear, and the third wound up soaring wide when Wolf misjudged the distance Fox could close between them in a short period of time. Up flashed Fox's dominant hand, a well-sharpened combat knife glinting in the light from the early afternoon sun, a stroke that even a veteran like Wolf couldn't hope to avoid completely—

-A much larger blade intervened, the finely-polished sword Falchion, and the instant Marth thwarted the strike he turned the interception into a clever parry and flicked Fox's stroke out wide. The younger mercenary commander scowled darkly and quick-stepped ahead, taking advantage of Marth's off-balance posture to slash horizontally across with his combat knife; Marth leaned his weight back upon his trailing foot and managed to lessen the blow, earning him only a torn over-shirt instead of a torn stomach.

Meta Knight rushed in to seize the opportunity Fox had left him, lunging forward with Galaxia's sword-tip aimed for Marth's unguarded side, but he underestimated the amount of support Wolf was prepared to bring to his teammates. As Marth rearranged his feet and brought his sword around to block—far too slow to thwart Meta Knight—Wolf pivoted and fired a single shot that glanced off Galaxia's serrated golden blade. The bullet of laser energy didn't jar the sword from Meta Knight's hand, but the impact sent stinging reverberations into the smallest swordsman's fingers that easily kept the jab from striking home. Galaxia managed only to swipe at the air and tear a few seams from the trailing edge of Marth's fine cape, but nothing more, and the moment Marth had regained his balanced he turned to pursue Meta Knight in his moment of weakness.

The exiled prince might have succeeded, had he not been met by a veritable wall of flames; as it was, Marth had no choice but to strafe to one side just to avoid the inferno Blaze had summoned to shield Meta Knight from Marth's attack. Satisfied that she had kept one of her teammates from meeting an untimely end Blaze turned her head to regard Midna, who had been about to attack her flank only a fraction of a second before, only to find that the Twilight princess was no longer there.

With a laugh like a banshee Midna materialized from Blaze's own shadow, raking her left hand across Blaze's upper arm and leaving five long lines of blackened claw marks across the cat's flesh. Blaze hissed and spun to face her nemesis, fires dancing in her eyes, but not in time to keep Midna's other hand from clamping down on her wrist.

Blaze's body burst into flames.

Midna cried out and tore her hand free, but Blaze had accomplished what she had intended—the flames licked eagerly at the silken sleeve of Midna's thin black shift, gnawing their way quickly up the sleeve. Before the flames could engulf her completely Midna managed to grasp the expensive fabric at the shoulder and tear the entire sleeve off, casting it to the ground at her feet where it became little more than a pile of smoking ashes. Dissatisfied with the success of her attack Blaze waved one hand, preparing to launch a fireball that was certain to take care of the leader of the Twili—

-But she underestimated the precision with which Wolf could fire, and so took a laser bullet in the hand that seared into her palm and cut cleanly through the other side.

"That smarts," laughed Falco, unable to suppress a cringe.

Vick was shaking her head. "Jeez, when you guys fight, you really mean it. You're the real deal, huh?"

Blaze fell back, hissing angrily and nursing her mangled hand with the other, but both Midna and Marth saw her as a perfect target and pursued without hesitation. Unable to escape Blaze growled low in the back of her throat and prepared to summon another wall of fire in her defense, but she needn't have bothered; Meta Knight dashed forward to intercept Marth's downward swing and Fox let loose with a veritable hailstorm of laser bullets, so quick was his finger upon the trigger. With Fox's back turned Wolf lifted his gun with a victorious snicker and prepared to bury a barrage in his adversary's back—and could only laugh helplessly when, predictably, a brilliant blue Aura Whip lashed toward him and snapped the weapon from his hand with an effortless flick of its owner's wrist.

Lucario paid dearly for keeping Fox alive. Never one to pass up an opportunity of any kind Mewtwo willed his body to close the distance between him and Lucario, seizing the more diminutive Pokemon by the throat and lifting his free paw to strike out with an orb of psychic energy. The aura guardian reversed the whip's direction in an attempt to force his enemy back, but Mewtwo was ready for such a maneuver; through sheer force of will he propelled Lucario away from him, and as Lucario spun out-of-control into the air Mewtwo launched not one, but three globes of psychic force that all pummeled Lucario square in the chest.

Mewtwo continued to press his advantage, springing from the ground like a predator stalking prey and readying yet another psychic blast. When it seemed that Lucario couldn't possibly evade the aura guardian lashed out one last time with the Aura Whip—but it was not a strike, and it was not intended for Mewtwo.

Meta Knight broke away from the cluster of skirmishes occurring on the ground and stabbed Galaxia into the air like a lightning rod; the whip twined around the proffered blade, Lucario's true target, and with a strength that seemed beyond him Meta Knight heaved the sword downward and snapped the whip taut. Lucario smirked at Mewtwo before streaking past him and toward the ground; Mewtwo sailed past, unable to correct direction as quickly.

But Lucario was far from finished; even as he soared downward he twisted his body in mid-air, bringing him around to face Mewtwo and launching an Aura Sphere with his free hand. Still righting himself far above Mewtwo turned to come face-to-face with the crackling sphere; with no defense immediately available Mewtwo had no choice but to take the hit head-on.

Marth disengaged, leaving Midna to press the attack against the injured Blaze, and sprinted forward to attack the momentarily-weaponless Meta Knight.

But Meta Knight and Lucario trusted one another endlessly, knew one another unerringly in battle, and Lucario's bag of tricks knew no limits. Meta Knight extended one hand up above him , keeping a firm grip on Galaxia so that Lucario would not fly astray; dipping into the vast well of his aura Lucario summoned an Aura Sword and hurled it toward his comrade. Meta Knight caught the shining azure weapon with his free hand and whirled to face the oncoming Marth; Falchion arced in to defeat the smallest swordsman but was foiled by the Aura Sword.

Lucario landed nimbly upon his feet and tugged the Aura Whip free of Galaxia's blade before lashing it in Marth's direction; the length twined around Marth's upper body, trapping his arms at his sides, and Meta Knight brandished both swords as he advanced upon the exiled prince.

Yield, came Lucario's stern command, as the tips of both Meta Knight's weapons settled upon Marth's stomach in silent warning.

Again, it was Wolf who interfered. While Fox continued to fire on Midna the older mercenary captain squeezed off yet another extraordinary shot, this one severing the Aura Whip in the center of its length; the moment the whip dropped harmlessly to the ground Marth snapped Falchion up, effectively forcing both Galaxia and the Aura Sword away from his belly. The Aura Sword winked out of existence and Meta Knight and Marth danced ferociously around one another, the swordfight on in full now.

Lucario turned, in time to see Mewtwo alight effortlessly upon the grass, and in response his aura flared to life around him once more. Mewtwo, if possible, was grinning.

Clever, Mewtwo congratulated, soundly mildly impressed. You have learned a few new tricks since last we met, haven't you?

More than a few, Lucario corrected, as you will soon discover.

"I knew I should have gotten in on this one," lamented Ike, balancing his chin upon one fist and looking unmistakably glum. "What a show."

Pit was shaking his head. "No way, not me… they'd have killed me off in the opening thirty seconds."

"Come on, Pit, be fair," laughed Falco. "Ten seconds is definitely closer to the truth."

For the first time since any of them had arrived at Brawlers Mansion, Pit actually cursed.

Blaze chose that moment to prove that she was made of tougher stuff. Pierced hand tucked defensibly close to her body she threw her other hand out before her, scorching the ground at Midna's feet and forcing the princess of the Twili to stop several feet short of the cat. With a snarl Midna flung a ribbon of shadow in Blaze's direction; the strip of darkness wound itself around Blaze's head and slipped down over her eyes, in effect blinding her. Sensing a victory coming on Midna leapt forward, only to shrink back a second time when Blaze surrounded her entire body with flames again.

Fox made a run in the blinded cat's direction, all the while jumping, strafing, and rolling in order to avoid numerous laser bullets Wolf sent his way. Coming up behind Blaze, Fox slashed the shadow ribbon and sent it fluttering to the ground; when Midna rose up out of Fox's shadow the mercenary tripped over one of the Twilight princess's own feet and went sprawling, but Blaze caught Midna's arm by the elbow and ignited flames directly on Midna's exposed flesh. Shrieking in agony Midna twisted her arm to free herself, but to no avail; Blaze growled low in the back of her throat and dug her nails into the dark flesh, unwilling to release her enemy.

The magenta psywave struck Blaze from behind, triggering the precise part of the brain that invoked passive behavior, and as Mewtwo's massive psychic headache rolled over Blaze the cat released Midna's arm and collapsed to her knees, unable to even focus her vision.

Meta Knight bravely stepped in; while Mewtwo was busy bringing Blaze to her knees the smallest swordsman unfurled his cape to free his wings, flapped hard to rise into the air, and brought Galaxia's golden pommel smashing down on the back of Mewtwo's head. The maneuver worked; the pain of the blow broke Mewtwo's concentration, and Blaze regained her senses just in time to roll to one side. The bullets from Wolf's laser pistol left burn marks in the ground in the precise spot where Blaze had been crouching only a second before.

Lucario dipped into the reserves of his aura, bringing forth another Aura Whip, and in the instant before the stars cleared from Mewtwo's vision the aura guardian lashed the whip around one of Mewtwo's legs, up around his hips, around both arms, and around his chest. Eyes flashing an unnerving white Mewtwo sent another psywave spiraling toward Lucario, but Lucario's mental facilities were almost as keen as Mewtwo's and he managed to shrug off the influence that threatened his willpower, clinging to the whip for support.

You cannot honestly expect to keep me immobilized with such crude tactics for long, drawled Mewtwo, flexing his arms against the irksome bindings, but the Aura Whip did not strain, and Lucario did not budge. Do not make me show you the true depths of my power—your life will be forfeit.

"You certainly think a lot of yourself!" exclaimed Blaze, sounding quite annoyed, and coming up on one knee she flicked a finger in Mewtwo and Lucario's direction. Mewtwo chuckled sadistically and pushed a shield of pure psychic energy out before him, protecting himself from the pyrokinetic attack he was certain the cat had fired upon him.

But Mewtwo was not Blaze's intended target. The Aura Whip was.

A bead of flame settled upon the length of the whip that connected Mewtwo and Lucario, and using her command of all things fire Blaze managed to send the dancing flames rushing along the whip only in Mewtwo's direction. Sensing that he had made an incorrect assumption Mewtwo dismissed the psychic shield he had erected between himself and Blaze, but before he could conjure up another the flames had eaten their way along the length, curling around the psychic Pokemon's leg and shooting up his body. Fox and Meta Knight, both also considering Mewtwo to be their single greatest opponent in this group match, raised weapons and made with all speed toward their immobilized nemesis, as at practically the same instant Midna, Marth, and Wolf all turned to pursue.

But despite the fact that the Aura Whip was cutting cruelly into his skin, and the flames were inching all along his skin, Mewtwo still managed to open his now-chillingly white eyes and let loose an orb of psychic energy that rolled like a shockwave over the backyard. As strong as their wills were the sphere still drove Meta Knight, Blaze and Fox to their knees; Lucario's telepathic voice rose into a howl of agony in the minds of the spectators but he still managed to remain upright, and even Mewtwo's three allies stumbled and clutched their heads confusedly.

Mewtwo's second psywave impacted Lucario hard, so hard that the Aura Guardian actually released his hold on the azure whip he held, and the flaming weapon winked out of existence.

The battlefield exploded into motion as all at once, eight combatants moved.

Wolf strafed left to avoid the five missiles of flame that sparked from Blaze's fingertips, hefted his gun with one weakening arm, and unleashed a merciless barrage upon Fox as the vulpine struggled to rise; unable to take his feet in time Fox pivoted on one knee, swinging his own laser pistol around and launching his own assault right back at Wolf. The two mercenaries, too exhausted to run or even defend themselves, could only squeeze their respective triggers and wince away the pain as bullet after bullet of laser energy sliced through flesh.

"Fucking fall down," Wolf grunted, blood spurting from dozens of wounds. "I don't want to have to kill you."

"You first," Fox managed to pant, teeth gritted against the sting, as ever-so-slowly his vision began to darken.

Vick leapt to her feet looking undeniably concerned—so concerned that she appeared to be contemplating rushing out into the battlefield to stop the fighting—but Falco laid one feathered hand across her forearm and shook his head once. "It's no use. This is just what we do."

Fox and Wolf simultaneously ceased firing on one another, shoulders heaving from the effort it took just to draw breath, and stared one another down as threateningly as they could manage.

"Call it a draw?" wheezed Fox, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the grass as he finished.

"Sounds smart and healthy to me," Wolf agreed, and the pair collapsed, unconscious, upon the sun-warmed grass.

"Will they be alright?" whispered Vick, her fingers covering her mouth, her storm-gray eyes wide with horror.

"Are you kidding?" chuckled Falco, patting the female's bartender's arm reassuringly. "They'll be up, about, and drinking their aches and pains away tonight at The Shadow."

"Don't worry about them," Ike cut in. "Look around you—every single person here is one of the strongest in any world you could think of. It would take more than a few laser bullets to put one of those guys down. They're killers-for-hire. Shit like today is just standard kosher for them."

Vick nodded once, but didn't seem entirely convinced; her eyes had moved upon Lucario, who was still battling it out with Mewtwo, and Falco slung his arm around her shoulder.

Off to one side, Marth swung Falchion in a wide horizontal arc that forced Meta Knight back several steps. This left the exiled prince's weight distributed mostly upon his leading foot, and Meta Knight threw all caution to the winds in order to seize a single opportunity; Galaxia spun from his hand like a boomerang, whizzing end-over-end past Marth's planted left leg.

The sword continued on its way, a spattering of dark blood and an awful scream the only sign that the blade had found its mark and almost neatly sliced out the hamstring of Marth's right leg. Animalistic cry still tearing itself from Marth's throat the exiled prince collapsed; Vick gasped and stumbled yet another step forward, but Falco's arm tightened around her shoulders and managed to keep her in place.

It was several seconds after he had begun an uncharacteristically cocky approach that Meta Knight realized his error – the same moment Marth lifted himself up with one arm and similarly whipped Falchion into a desperate spinning throw. Meta Knight's wings, still unfurled from his skull bash against Mewtwo, were sliced almost completely from his body and he, too, fell into the grass.

"Draw," pleaded Marth, a whine apparent in his voice, blood pooling around his torn and mangled leg.

"Agreed," rasped Meta Knight, his ruined wings twitching with spasmodic agony, and they slumped into unconsciousness together.

"Pit," hissed Ike immediately. "Get down there and help them, Marth will bleed out and if you don't hurry Meta might lose the use of his wings completely."

Palutena's emissary didn't need telling twice, and with a powerful surge of his wings he swept down upon the two fallen combatants. Link and Kirby rose from the sun-baked shingles of the roof and joined Vick and Falco at the precipice, looking similarly anxious.

Blaze's eyes flitted all around, blood still seeping from her clenched and trembling hand, searching the shadows of the kneeling Pit and the fiercely-battling Lucario and Mewtwo for any sign of her wily opponent. It wasn't until several inches of Galaxia's serrated blade slipped almost easily into her back that Blaze suddenly remembered that unconscious bodies still have shadows, and Midna proved just that as she rose out of Meta Knight's barely-visible shadow and used the smallest swordsman's weapon to put Blaze down.

But it was Lucario, dazed, disoriented Lucario, who mustered the unbelievable strength to pull himself out of the most recent psychic headache and launch the Aura Sphere that sent the Twilight Princess crashing to the ground. Once there, Midna did not move.

Mewtwo's body blurred as he used his pure psychic energy to move through the air, coming up behind Lucario and driving his elbow into the sensitive spot at the base of the Pokemon's skull. The blow didn't jolt Lucario from consciousness, but it did drive him down to his knees; panting for breath he knelt there, feeling Mewtwo's hand rest ominously upon one of his slender shoulders.

I am ready to accept your unconditional surrender, drawled Mewtwo, his voice dripping with superiority. Look around you. Your team has been decimated.

Even as he finished Mewtwo sent a low-powered psychic current buzzing from his fingertips and over Lucario's skin; the Aura Guardian hissed at the pain but did not collapse. As has yours.

That is true, but you have reached the end of your strength and I could battle on for hours yet. Do not make me kill you. It would be such a waste. Mewtwo finished by sighing tragically, and Vick growled angrily as beside her, Link's eyes washed black with hatred. Submit to me.

Lucario somehow managed a laugh, turning his head ever-so-slightly to look at the man towering over him. You would enjoy that, wouldn't you?

The weakened, almost nonexistent aura that still shimmered around Lucario pulsed radiantly, so bright that the onlookers had no choice but to avert their eyes or become forever blind; it washed over every millimeter of Mewtwo's skin, pain so acute that the psychic Pokemon was certain his body had just been doused in scalding hot water. In the waning moments of his consciousness, though, Mewtwo maintained the presence of mind to deal the blow that would eliminate Lucario, a psychic current so strong that it was the exact equivalent of receiving a high-frequency electric shock.

The last thing Lucario heard was Vick's panic-stricken scream, stabbing into his heart like an arrow, and then the grass rushed up to meet him.

Though they reached the hospital in record time, Lucario, Mewtwo, Midna, and Marth were all awake when they were rushed to the emergency room. Marth's hamstring was relatively easy to reattach (or so the surgeons tried to assure the others); the stab wound to Blaze's back had been expertly administered—Midna had missed all vital organs and done little more than tear through some muscle that would heal quickly. Lucario and Mewtwo were depleted and exhausted from their efforts but otherwise mostly unhurt, and aside from some truly spectacular bruising Midna would also walk away unscathed.

In the end, it was Wolf, Fox, and Meta Knight who were in the worst physical shape. There was debate that Fox would need a blood transfusion to survive the rest of the afternoon, but when his vital signs stabilized the hospital staff agreed to hold off and keep him under surveillance. It turned out to be an unnecessary stage, as both he and Wolf awakened a few hours later, but the doctors still insisted on keeping both mercenaries overnight just to be on the safe side. There was much talk of amputating what remained of Meta Knight's wings, but the other residents of Brawlers Mansion shot that idea down at once; surgeons worked for several hours to repair the damage and had positive news to report, just before Vick and Lucario left for their shifts at The Shadow. Despite intermittent periods of numbness and a complete loss of feeling at the wingtips the wings would still be functional, though they would never return to their former strength.

Eventually the others left the hospital, confident that Wolf, Fox, Marth, and Meta Knight would be well enough to join them back at Brawlers Mansion in twenty-four hours' time; since Lucario and Vick were already at The Shadow (and the decision to ingest several alcoholic beverages was unanimous), Link, Falco, Midna, Ike, Pit, Blaze, and Mewtwo all headed into town to join them.

"I don't get it," mumbled Link gloomily, swilling his Crown and Coke with a swizzle stick and shooting another mutinous glance toward Lucario's DJ station. "What does Mewtwo have that I don't?"

He was slouched at the end of the bar furthest from the dance floor, where currently the majority of The Shadow's patrons were spinning chaotically to DJ Luca's most recent techno odyssey beneath frenetically flashing lights (Midna and Ike among them); as Lucario mixed his music he seemed to be holding a conversation with Mewtwo, who looked both mysterious and dangerous lingering half within the shadows of the sound equipment surrounding the DJ station. Only Falco had been brave enough to withstand Link's foul mood and sat with the Hylian at the bar, where every so often Vick would slide Link another full drink and shoot him yet another pitying glance. Link hated her sympathy.

Watching Lucario and Mewtwo interact, Falco said, rather thoughtlessly, "Um… a mutual interest?"

Link's eyes flashed. "What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

But Falco didn't seem to be in the mood to baby Link, as he scoffed almost cruelly and snapped, "Oh, Link, don't be so dense—you're not Ike, so don't pretend you're an idiot. Since the second he walked through our door Mewtwo has been giving Lucario the one thing he wants—the time of day. You're clearly crushing on Lucario, but what have you done since you figured that out? Kept him at arm's length, wallowed in your own insecurity, and bitched at me about it?"

The Hylian could do nothing but stare back at the avian with a mildly hurt expression. "Jeez, Falco…."

"Don't WHINE at me!" growled Falco, rolling his eyes and gratefully accepting another Corona from Vick, who seemed to be going out of her way to cater to them despite The Shadow's near-to-bursting capacity. "Be honest—did you really think Lucario would put up with your angst forever? And do you really have room to complain? You strung him along and then slept with somebody else, for shit's sake! If anything, I'd applaud Lucario. He could have rolled over in misery, but he seems to be doing well for himself. I'd just about bet that the second he started oozing melancholy, Vick whipped him into shape. She doesn't seem like the type to put up with much drama."

Falco finished by casting a fleeting glance Vick's way, and Link almost did a double take—was it longing? But the slip only lasted a split second before Falco had recovered himself. "You and Mewtwo aren't that different, you know, besides the moronically obvious difference in species. You're both seriously attractive, and powerful, and undeniably capable, but the biggest difference is that you HESITATED. Mewtwo recognized his attraction for Lucario and capitalized."

By now Link was ignoring his drink and staring across the establishment at the joyous-faced Lucario as he played, obvious adoration in his eyes, and Falco sighed again despite himself and dropped a hand upon the Hylian's shoulder bracingly. Link looked back at Falco, hurt but somehow grateful. "I know that you're right about all this, but it doesn't make it any easier. It's not like I didn't want to be with Lucario, I just… didn't know how."

"I know that, buddy," agreed Falco empathetically. "But as much as I hate to admit it, I think you missed your window of opportunity."

Glancing wistfully back at Lucario, Link couldn't help but begrudgingly admit to the truth in Falco's assessment.

In the thirty seconds that elapsed between songs, Lucario and Mewtwo engaged in a rather loaded conversation.

You don't intend to stay, do you? Lucario blurted out, surprised by his own straight-forwardness.

Mewtwo shoved away from the amplifier against which he had been leaning and padded forward a step, his eyes never leaving the Aura Guardian's even for a moment. I was planning on moving on after a day or two, but my business can be postponed if need be. There is nothing so important that I must depart this very second.

Lucario's eyes-only smile was apparent even in the confusion lighting. I'm reluctant to see you go, Mewtwo. This day has been pleasant. The fight in particular was exquisite. You've tested me more than anyone else here has.

And that is why you want me to stay? asked Mewtwo, attempting to keep his voice idle but failing to extinguish the smallest trace of annoyance. That I might continue to test the limits of your battle endurance?

Lucario saw little point in lying. No.

The set of Mewtwo's brow changed from mild anger to curiosity. No?

That's what I said—no. I want you to stay, but not because I am so interested in fighting you.

Mewtwo caught on to the change in the tenor of the conversation instantly, as though a switch had been flipped in his mind—or perhaps he was already there, waiting for Lucario to catch up. I see. Then what is it you are interested in?

The response was simple and cryptic all at once. You.

Lucario started the next song then, dropping his eyes to his soundboard, but though the conversation was over neither had put it out of their minds.

Ike slouched into a stool at the bar, one that, Vick noticed with a smirk, just happened to be right in front of her section. She sidled over after a solid minutes' worth of prolonging her own approach, bringing two shots with her and sliding one into Ike's hand. "That's on me, meathead."

"You're an expert at insulting and complimenting a guy all in one fell swoop, you know that?" laughed the former mercenary, hardly contemplating the shot glass's contents as he raised it to mouth level.

She winked one storm-gray eye at him—the lights flashed, casting her face in a very flattering magenta hue—and clinked her glass against his. "I've practically made it my life's work."

Simultaneously they downed the shots. Ike's eyes flitted up and down her body in half the span of one heartbeat. As she took the glass from him and wiped it out with a rag draped over her shoulder he observed, "You seem to be warming up to me."

"Seeing you all fight each other has really changed my perspective on this bunch," Vick admitted, her face growing introspective. "Already I feel like I've known Lucario for years, for example, and he could have died today…. There's no point keeping you all at arm's length knowing I could lose one of you tomorrow."

A different bartender—another woman, though much less beautiful than Vick, Ike noticed—dropped a Jack and Coke down next to Ike's hand. The ex-mercenary instantly took a sip, but his eyes were still on Vick. "That's deep. But like we tried to tell you this afternoon, it's just what we do. Everybody in that house could wade through an army of one hundred soldiers without getting a single scratch. The only reason we whip the shit out of each other so bad is 'cause we're all on about the same combative level."

"Still," muttered Vick with a sigh, stacking several more empty glasses on a tray and handing the tray off to another passing bartender, "it's unsettling. I've never really had many friends, you know, and since I met you guys you've made me feel really welcome. I guess I'm being overprotective."

"It's different for you because you don't have the abilities we have," Ike pointed out, taking another swig of Jack and Coke—a swig which, consequently, drained half the glass. "If you could wield a sword like Meta Knight can, or melt into shadows like Midna, or if you had Lucario's Aura, you wouldn't worry so much. Don't read too much into this, but you're just a human—if you had our talents you wouldn't be so bent out of shape. We're not fragile like you are. We can take a beating and keep on ticking."

This last earned a laugh from Vick, the sound of which shocked Ike—it wasn't harsh or coarse like he'd imagined it would be, but clear, pleasant, and undeniably feminine. He found it incredibly attractive.

"You're right," agreed Vick, though her eyes still looked uncertain. "It was just so surreal, seeing them all in the hospital, surrounded by doctors…."

Ike nodded and did his best to look understanding, though privately he admitted that he had no idea was "surreal" meant. He settled for asking, "You gonna be alright?"

She bit her bottom lip, but nodded. "Just not looking forward to going back to my place alone when my shift is over."

By now Ike had finished his drink and was holding another; he glanced up interestedly at Vick's last words to find her watching him suggestively from behind the curtain of her silver-blonde hair. Deciding to press his luck he leaned a little closer and murmured huskily, "Well, you know, you only have to be alone if you wanna be."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Ike shrugged his burly shoulders. "You could stay with me."

Vick's eyes seemed almost maliciously amused. "You're serious?"

"Do I seem like the kind of guy who would dick around about something like that?"

Ike knew he had won when Vick winked at him again and said, "Interesting choice of words."