Disclaimer: Still don't own any characters mentioned from Nintendo, M.G.S, Sega, Namco, Shonnen Jump, Nippon Ichi, ATLUS, Square Enix/Soft, AKSYS Games, Sony, and any other animes/manga in the story except for my own. Also, in case you did not know, the plot is completely original, the mentioned characters so far are original, (Dark, Death, unknown woman, and the two street fighters) and expect more, but as far as I know, I'm going to introduce characters throughout; some you may recognize, others, not as likely; those characters for certain are made by the companies mentioned above.

The Dark Flame

A Super Smash Bros. Brawl Fan Fiction

Chapter 9: Meeting a Veteran

It's been three days since that encounter with Soul and Maka; over these past few days, trying to remember, my memories of old were slowly being exposed. However, many of the parts of my past were still faded; I still had no idea why I would leave Avery behind just to chase after Light Water. I know now that the woman who Balthier had described had to have been Light, there can be no other explanations for it. But if I know her enough, she would've quickly moved on and changed her methods of combat; no recorded deaths have been brought up, but there have been more frequent cases of trophifications occurring all over Brawl Central. The latest case happened to a veteran of old, who was asked to be left behind due to his combat abilities mirroring another's, but stronger yet slower.

I was currently in my room, looking out my window and down at the people walking around, while I was trying to figure out more of my past. While I did so, I did the only thing I could do, and that was to write down my experiences and describe them. The experiences I'm talking about are the times I was called Dark Fire by everyone around me, and the memories of Avery and I. I had that feeling there was more going on between her and I than what Soul and Maka described to me. Every once in a while, I'd see a vision of her and I growing close to one another, about to kiss, before another vision moves to take its place.

The more I thought about it, the more I began to thought that maybe I actually cared for her as that "one special person" that everybody has at some time in life. Haha, here I am, Death's assistant, or perhaps not even so, talking about one of life's greatest moments one can experience. I mean, Soul and Maka mentioned a Death before, but something about it told me perhaps this was someone completely different than the Death I knew. I shook my head as I then stood up, closing the new journal I had purchased with some of the currency, Smash Coins as they're called, and set the pen down next to it at the desk. I look at Soul Eater, laying against the nearby wall; to think that Soul would have the same name as this scythe here, and he was a scythe himself, I couldn't help but crack a small laugh at it.

I had never laughed in the longest time, I knew this, and as such, made me wonder why I was concealing it and my more positive emotions back. But then I remember Light, and I remember why I tend to be like this. Yet, with Avery, I was so much more… positive and outgoing, in comparison to whom I am now. I have a theory on what may have happened; upon entering Death's realm, I was either meant to be killed or to become a normal mortal, but seeing my use, Death may have influenced my mind to think I was his servant all along. Light somehow got entangled into the mix, and began to murder the individuals and took the souls, and as such, Death had me travel with him to find her. But now here I am, on the search for her not because she was Death's enemy, but my rival and opposite.

I closed my eyes, and walked towards Soul Eater, and focused into the weapon, and focused on Death. The scythe slowly began to become transparent, and inevitably, disappeared altogether, though I knew it would be back in Death's possession. But I had it to make sure that the message he got from it is that wielding it in itself would be a risk from here on out, and I figured it might, especially since that, if what Maka and Soul told me is true, then my weapon should still be here somewhere. Perhaps that is why she kept running away from me; the fact I was in possession of a weapon that was not at all her. But only she can say the answer, this I knew, and as such, I just looked out to the sky for a while, before I began to make my way towards the arena…

I stepped off the bus casually, and watched as the passenger piled in afterwards, before I walked forward and into the building. I took the long way around to get to, not the gym, but a sort of "meeting room" I guess. Just outside the door, I can already tell it was quiet, even for a busy day with fights happening and all that. I took a deep breath, and opened the door before stepping in, and looked around. It looked deserted, like nobody had stepped foot inside the room for quite some time. My eyes wandered about, spotted a cardboard box on one corner yet saw it of little importance, as I walked towards a window looking out towards the stadium.

I watched as two individuals fought against one another, and despite being as far away from the fight as I was, I could see the contestants clearly. One of them appeared to be wearing a yellow tank top with what appeared to be a black, "X" cross from the top of the shoulders to his waist. He wore blue pants and blue shoes, and his hair was a bluish silver. In his right hand, held in an overhand fashion, was a similarly unique weapon; a sword that took on the shape of a bat wing, with a blue jewel embedded near the guard of the weapon. He was moving quite fast, avoiding the attacks which were launched towards him, which appeared to be an assortment of gunshots and magic.

I looked at his opponent, and it was a female; she wore a white top that split in between her B, possibly C cup, breasts, and a strange-looking tattoo was embedded there. She also wore what appeared to be blue short shorts underneath a half-skirt draping over her left leg. She had almost knee-high boots, yellow armbands, a strange pink hood/scarf around her neck, as well as a ponytail, or something like that, running down along her back. She had brown hair, and in her hands were two pistols, and by how she attacked, she appeared focused, but also included a certain grace to them to her movements, a sort of dance-like motion.

I had no doubt these two came from worlds all their own, and were not accommodated to the others' fighting styles. But seeing two strangers meeting and fighting… something made me look down for a moment. When I looked up, I could see that these two were having quite a bit of fun out of this as well; so perhaps this wasn't all about bragging rights and aiming for top spot, like how Laharl would picture it. The point of this is to make new friends, get to learn with one another, fight alongside them, and perhaps, in the future, even face them in battle. As I remember, nobody actually died in this tournament, only became trophies at the end when defeated. I smiled a bit, for some reason.

However, I heard the door open behind me, and when I turned, I looked at the figure standing before me. It was a figure in full body armor, but not like the medieval era's or whatever. This style of armor appeared to be from a futuristic dimension, as on the right arm, in place for a regular hand, was a cannon. The armor was mainly orange, with lighter shades, almost yellow, in the stomach, pelvic and lower chest areas, and darker shades for everything else. The helmet was red, with what appeared to be a green visor where the individual would look out of. On the left wrist was a similar bracelet, showing they were a contender as well. What's more, it was hard to determine this individual's gender, considering the armor's design, and not being able to see through the green visor clearly was another challenge to unmask this individual's identity.

I watched as they approached me, but they saw no interest in me, or so I guessed, and I stepped out of the way to let them look out at the stadium. I blinked as I looked out as well. Silent, ignorant, and… well, something else that was hard to determine as of this moment; this individual must've took care of serious matters where they come from. Huh, whoever this person was, they definitely perked my interest a little. However, I had no idea what they would talk about, and I just looked to the side.

"I've never seen you around here before…" They finally said, and the voice sounded feminine, but had a certain deepness behind it that still left me undetermined, and also because of the helmet making it sound a little restrained. They never gazed at me, even as they continued, "Must be one of the newcomers… But only a handful of those who win their respective tournaments will become well recognized by the veterans…" I heard them explain, and I nodded a little with a light, interest-filled hum of sorts.

"The powers you possess… they're unlike most I've seen, and I've seen many for my stay in this franchise…" I heard them continue, still keeping their gaze out on the fight before us, their left hand resting on their hip, while the cannon aimed at the ground. I wondered just how they knew about my power, but then I guessed perhaps the suit had a special scanner in the visor to detect the energy levels in my body or something. "If I was in the mood, I'd challenge you to see these powers first hand, but it's against the codes of veterans to become involved or learn of these newcomers' abilities before they're recognized." I heard them continue, and I knew immediately this person had to be a veteran, and no doubt why they behaved like they did.

"I can hold you to your offer if you prefer, if… I do become recognized, that is." I said, and saw them look at me, and then back out.

"You sound like you have doubts within you that you can't… At that rate, you'll never become a veteran yourself. I've known princesses that doubted their own abilities at first, and it wasn't until I became involved that they turned out to be like us… But you're a man; you should be more confident about yourself and focus on victory. You do that, you could most certainly be like the others…" I heard, and I couldn't help but wince a little; ouch. "Well, it doesn't matter anyways… There are others with varying powers themselves, so it may be hard to say for certain." They finished, before they turned and looked around the room.

"I should've figured… the meeting isn't until later today… But… We're not alone in this room; my scanners picked up another life form coming from this room, and it's still here…" I heard them explain, their left hand lightly tapping the side of their helmet like it was acting up or something. "Hmmm… Nothing seems to be out of place really… The box there is the only real difference, but…" They explained, but were still looking around. I, however, approached the box casually, and crouched down beside it. I held my breathing for just a moment, for a clearer sense of hearing, but… Not a difference.

I then did the only logical thing on my mind, and lifted the cardboard box up and out of the way, exposing… nothing. What kind of idiot would leave an empty cardboard box lying in a corner like this? But more importantly, why did I feel that I was duped into thinking someone would be hiding in such an obvious place? My eyes narrowed as a sort of appalled expression appeared on my face, as I tossed the box aside, and shook my head.

Ventilation system… Potential, but it didn't look like it'd support any heavy weights, at least anything an average-weighted, middle-aged man would provide. But other than that, I was at a loss where this individual picked up by the armored character could be.

"Might be a minor glitch, or it needs an update on who to register… Regardless, my time here is no longer necessary…" I heard them say, and watched as they walked to the door, but they stopped as they looked back.

"Upon initially seeing me, which gender did you think I was; male or female…?" I heard them ask, and I was surprised by this question; jeez, a fifty-fifty chance of getting this right, but they were asking my opinion really. There couldn't be any harm here.

"Quite honestly… I wasn't sure, but if you want my opinion… I would think you're female…?" I spoke, half-asked, and surely, it made me sound like an idiot; I never had troubles talking like this before. However, I watched as they nodded, and reached up to remove the helmet, and watched as the figure looked at me, their face now exposed. By how long their blonde hair was, and by through the eyes, I could see a minor sense of feminine quality to them.

"So you aren't like those other sexist individuals I came across… But why did you make that choice?" I heard her say, and I knew the voice was female now; who would've thought she would have been a female at first glance. As for her question, I thought about it.

"Well, I honestly don't know… I guess a typical answer would be that "women can be just as capable as men if their mind is set to it…" However, I have two reasons why I thought this, all on personal experience… One, there is an individual who considers themselves as my rival, and she happens to be female, and second… My former partner is female as well…" I spoke, though it sounded like I was in a bit of pain when I said, "former partner", but without her now, how can I still call her my full partner?

"I see… I think you miss her, your partner… Normally, I'd say to just move on and go through life alone, forget about her. But, isolating oneself away from those they're to be with, is not the best answer. Make amends in situations you find most fitting, and it's not too late to fix bonds that are left severed. You do that, and you will be working alongside her once again, or however you worked with her in your world." I heard the armored woman explain, fixing her hair into position so her helmet would be put back on without any problems.

But, before I realized we never introduced each other, she was gone. Business before introduction; she's definitely a piece of work, I'll admit that.

"Another life form in this room, hmmm? Avery, if that's you, then just know that I'm sorry… Next time we see each other, I would like us to start again where we left of…" I spoke, almost certain that it could be Avery; she seems to be spying on me and watching all of my actions one way or another. I proceeded to leave the room then, and closed the door behind me and walked away…

~POV Change~

Huh? Who was this "Avery" person that kid was talking about? Whoever they are, it would seem there is some kind of trouble happening between the two of them. I opened up the cupboard doors and crawled out, and I looked around. Perfectly empty; good. I turned a dial on my headset, and tapped a few buttons, trying to call on the person who can give me the info I need to figure out these individuals.

*BEEP BEEP*

That was when I pressed the "Select" button on the headset, and I knew I patched in to his network.

"Otacon, can you give me any information about a kid with black hair with red streaks…?" I asked the man on the other end, my voice deep and with an accent to it.

"Just one moment Snake, I can't be rushed into these things, you know? I have saved information about this type of hairstyle, but I need more specifics… How old is he?" I heard the whacked-out scientist ask on the other end, and I simply rolled my eyes.

"I don't know, probably eighteen or something…" I said, half-annoyed; the other part was also confused; Otacon had information of every one of the individuals here, from the veterans to the newcomers, from a girl named Shana to a demon named Laharl; the swordsman named Cloud to that summoner, Yuna, even in her gunslinger outfit, and even two individuals calling themselves, "GetBackers", Ginji and Ban.

"Well… I searched all my files, Snake, and only one match comes up to your description. But this kid was said to have disappeared from his world for seven months… Like, not believed he was dead, more like… Not a single trace of him remained except his belongings." Otacon explained, but he was not giving me a name.

"Do you at least have a name? Because I also need information about a character named, "Avery", possibly from the same world he came from…" I explained, and I know this wasn't the best time to be out in the open right here doing this thing. I walked over to the tossed cardboard box; it was a good thing I wasn't there or that kid would've seen me. I crouched down in the same corner had placed the box over me.

"That's the problem Snake… There was no given name to this kid, or rather, it was lost when he was found in the wreckage of his home when he was just a few months old. What I do get for a name is, "Dark Fire"… As for Avery, she comes from Japan, and is cousin to an individual named, "Tsubaki". She is a special character called, "a Weapon", and her weapon form is biased on who wields her. Dark Fire just so happens to be her Meister after her previous Meister, Zho, died due to a witch's influence. So Dark is just like Maka with Soul Eater for a weapon… Avery's special weapon form with him was twin katanas held together by a chain, at least before he quickly progressed her to her Death Scythe form." Otacon explained, so I got the idea that they came from the same world as those two.

"So their home is basically in "Death City", if what you're saying is correct. But, do you have any information between the two at all? Was there any other "accidents" that happened with them?" I asked him, my voice silent in case anyone approached.

"Well, turns out another character and Dark's opposite, "Light Water" was a Weapon Meister as well, but Dark's parents supposedly killed her parents, more specifically her mother who was a witch, so she grew a hatred for them and killed them, and any other family that was tied to Dark. However, Dark was able to surpass her on their last known encounter, but it led to the death of Avery's and Tsubaki's other cousin. Oddly, Avery didn't hold a grudge towards Dark, even when he was the one that killed the young man. She has been waiting for Dark since he had disappeared with Light. Everything else after and now is a blank of Dark's and Light's whereabouts, I would think that Dark may have succeeded in killing her, but you can never be sure, just like how some villains keep coming back even after they're defeated or killed." Otacon explained the story to me, and if you asked me, it sounded like a tragedy of sorts, which I had no particular interest in.

"Hmmm, so basically, Light may be lurking around Brawl Central is what you're saying, Otacon? But… You still didn't answer my question exactly about them…" I explained, my eyes narrowed as my left hand was rubbing my chin.

"I don't see much for a conflict between the two before Dark's disappearance… All is known is that the two were really close, and that Dark did a favor for Avery. But everything else is blank, even what that favor was; I need to do more research… Light could be here, but not a lot is known about her, despite her information being in my files. All is known is that she's quite sadistic and enjoys fighting, all because she was infected with Black Blood… Speaking of which, for the duration Dark was with Avery, he was infected a little by this "Black Blood" as well, which, by normal standards, should drive any normal human or Meister to madness, even in the smallest doses. But Dark, oddly, wasn't affected by the madness. Other than that, that is all I can provide for now, Snake." Otacon explained, before the connection was turned off, and I had to think about this.

"Hmmm… Perhaps this "Dark Fire" kid was apologizing for being gone for so long… And with Samus's input, he thought that I was her… I think maybe Avery's doing the same things I am… So she's… a Japanese Spy? But her cousin, Tsubaki, sound more like a ninja name… So much I don't know… I'll contact Otacon about this later, but for now…" I spoke, and just remained there in the box for quite some time. I wondered just how I became so fascinated by the cardboard boxes; perhaps those terrorists were just so mindless to even think that cardboard would even be an option, or that they would be duped by such a simple hiding method. Whatever…