The Smashing Dead

Episode 2: Starved for Health

Part 6

Ike shoved the bow in another direction, sending the arrow elsewhere and nicking his ear. Ike dove for Dark Pit before he could reload. Dark Pit dodged and suddenly sprouted black wings from his back and flew into a shaded part of the barn, going out of sight. Everything was quiet. Ike gripped his hay hook tighter. Ike heard something behind him and swung his hay hook without thinking. He felt it connect with something and yanked it towards the floor, ripping to whatever it connected to into shreds. Dark Pit screamed in pain and shoved Ike to the ground. Ike saw that he nearly tore Dark Pit's wing off. The winged teenager ripped the hay hook out, leaving his wing handing by a few tendons. Dark Pit aimed his bow again to shoot Ike. The stall door burst open and Link slashed Dark Pit's chest open with another farming tool. Dark Pit staggered backwards as Link gave him one final shove, making Dark Pit step into one of the traps.

"Where's my family, asshole?!" Link demanded.

"You can't have them!" Dark Pit coughed, "We need the doctor."

"No!" Zelda's voice cried from far away.

"Zelda!" Link called, "Come on, Ike!"

"Just go." Ike glared at the trapped Dark Pit, "I won't be far behind."

Link nodded and sprinted into the rain. When the green-clad warrior disappeared, Ike grabbed a pitchfork and pointed it at Dark Pit.

"You see? You understand now don't you?" Dark Pit cackled in pain, "You can have me! It's how the world works now: Give part of yourself…so others can live!"

"Marth didn't volunteer to become food." Ike screamed, "Cannibalism is not the answer! AREN'T THE WALKERS EATING ENOUGH OF US?"

"You have to keep me alive!" Dark Pit went on, ignoring Ike, "If you kill me, the meat gets tainted. You can't eat it!"

"You're already tainted!" Ike retorted.

"You can't kill me. It's the same reason you didn't kill that lady in the woods!" Dark Pit taunted, "Fucking coward."

Ike felt his hands grip tighter around the pitchfork. He could kill that cannibal bastard right now. He could do it for Marth. Ike raised the pitchfork and threw it at Dark Pit. It connected with the hay bale next to him. Dark Pit stared at Ike, confused.

"This is NOT how the world works now!" Ike said, "You won't make me kill you!"

"What the hell, Ike?" Ash said behind him with Ness right behind him, "You and Link kill the professor but you leave this piece of shit behind? You're a fucking asshole."

"No! Don't hurt him!" Zelda pleaded from far away.

"That's Zelda!"

"Please no!"

"Ash, please keep Ness safe." Ike begged.

Ike ran outside and took cover under a small roof.

"Link!" Ike quietly called.

No answer. There was sudden rustling in the cornfield next to him. A walker slowly limped towards the fence, which wasn't on. Ike stared at it, frozen. The walker was suddenly brought down, and a blue-haired figure came into view.

"Lucina!" Ike sighed.

"Ike?"

"Ow."

Little Mac stepped into view as well.

"Shh!" Lucina hissed, "Is everyone okay? We heard screamed as we were coming up to the house!"

"Oak's dead. They chopped of Marth's legs and tried to feed him to us!" Ike explained.

"Shit!" Lucina murmured, "Is everyone else okay?"

"They still got Zelda and Toon. And I don't know where the fuck Link is!" Ike said.

"All right, we're coming in to help."

"The main gate's too dangerous. Go around and see if there's a back way in. I'll keep looking for Link. You have a weapon?"

"I don't leave anywhere without it." Lucina cocked her gun, "Mac, stay close to me. And Ike, be careful."

Ike slinked towards the house. Voices were heard from inside the house.

"No, no, NO!" Zelda cried.

"Just shut up and he'll be fine!" Palutena yelled.

"Something's up." Pit said, "I'm gonna take the kid around back."

"No, please don't take him!" Zelda begged.

"Let go, woman!" Pit said.

"Now, settle down. I don't want to hurt you." Palutena warned.

Ike slowly crept up the stairs to the house.

"Oh, Dark Pit? Is that you? What's going on out there?"

"I left Dark Pit in the barn." Ike said, "He got what he deserved."

"Oh no…" Palutena ran back out of sight, "Come here!"

"Let me go!" Zelda screamed.

Ike ran up to the door.

"Ike!" Zelda pleaded.

"Don't come in here!" Palutena threatened, "You just had to snooping around, didn't you?"

Ike swung open the screen door.

"Let her go, Palutena!"

"Ike, don't take another step!" Palutena threatened.

"Now come on, Palutena." Ike said, "You know you don't want to do this!"

"Just go away and leave us be!"

"Please…let me go…" Zelda pleaded.

"Let her go, Palutena."

"Please, listen to him!"

"I'll do it!" Palutena pointed the gun at Zelda's head.

Ike took a few steps forward, making Palutena back up the stairs.

"I don't want to kill you, Ike!" Palutena pointed the gun at Ike.

"Don't make this any worse." Ike reasoned.

"Just stop!" Palutena said, pointing the gun back at Zelda.

Ike backed Palutena farther up the staircase. Palutena was grabbed by an undead Marth, making her let go of Zelda.s

"They took Toon!" Zelda panted, "Where's Link?"

"I said don't move, asshole!" Pit ordered from outside.

"Don't you fucking hurt him!" Link yelled.

Zelda bolted outside, Ike following her.

"Let him go goddammit!"

"That isn't gonna happen!" Pit was pointing a gun at Toon's head.

"Pit, don't-" Ike began.

"SHUT UP."

Link ran towards Pit, only to get shot in the stomach. Zelda ran to his side.

"Dad! No!" Toon cried.

Ike put his hands up and walked towards Pit.

"Pit, come on." Ike said,

"Who the fuck do you think you people are?" Pit shouted, "Look what you've done!"

"Shut the fuck up." Ike took a step forward.

"You think I'm playing here? All we wanted was gas! We came to you peacefully!"

Pit was suddenly shot in the jaw by Lucina. Toon moved out of the way as Ike leaped toward Pit. Ike swung this left fist into the other side of his jaw. Pit wrestled Ike to the ground and the two rolled down a hill. When they reached the bottom, Pit kicked Ike in the head before he could stand up. Pit limped towards the generator and switched it on.

"Get up. Get the fuck up." Pit grabbed Ike by his collar and dragged him towards the electric fence. The teen was surprisingly strong. Pit pushed his head towards the electric fence. Ike resisted the pushing, but Pit's strength was too great.

"Ash! Help!" Ike called to Ash, standing in the doorway with Ness.

Ash just stood there and looked away. Ike gave one last push and knocked Pit off. Just like Dark Pit, wings sprouted from Pit's back, except they were white. And Ike was prepared this time. Ike grabbed the left wing and gave it a large tug. He heard a cracking noise and Pit screamed in pain. Ike shoved Pit down and Ike kneeled on his chest. Pit quickly countered the first punch and flipped both of them over, putting Ike on the bottom. Pit swung his fists, each of them connecting with Ike's head. Ike pushed him off and the two wrestled again. Ike gave one last big heave and pushed Pit onto the electric face. Sparks flew everywhere as Pit's body fell to the ground, twitching. Ike grabbed Pit's gun and began walking away.

"Is that all you got, Ike?" Pit laughed, "You ain't shit!"

"It's over!" Ike roared.

"Fuck you!" Pit struggled to get up, "As soon as Dark Pit and Lady Palutena get here, you're all fucked!"

"I said it's over!" Ike repeated, "Just walk away!"

Ike turned around and walked to the rest of the group.

"Don't you DARE walk away from me, Ike!"

Ike ignored him and kept walking.

"Get back here and finish this!"

Ike stopped walking and looked back at Pit. He no longer saw the optimistic, outgoing and overall happy farmer, but a broken, demented soul, twisted with cruelty. It was more than pitiful. Much, much more. Ike rolled his eyes and walked back to the group.

"Get back here and fight me like a man, Ike!" Pit shrieked.

Ike kept walking.

"Ike!" Pit begged.

The generator broke down in a plume of smoke.

"They're getting in!" Ness said,

"Ike!" Pit pleaded.

"Come on, let's get out of here." Ike told everyone.

Ike led the group out, hearing one last desperate cry for death from Pit.

"Iiiiiike…"

It was the last words spoken by Pit before he collapsed in his own pool of blood.

[Later…]

The entire group walked in silence. Nobody looked at one another, nobody made a sound. Ike saw Lucina walk up to him.

"Hey, Ike." Lucina said, breaking the silence, "I'd say I'm sorry for leaving the motel unattended, but y'know."

"I'm glad you showed up when you did." Ike said, "If you hadn't taken that shot at Pit, we might not have gotten out of there."

"Were they really killing people? For food?" Lucina asked.

"Yeah. And Ness almost ate some."

"But?"

"I stopped him. I can't leave her alone, Lucina. This fucking world now. It's just hiding…unspeakable shit in every turn."

"Zelda grabbed this before we left." Lucina took out a small video camera, "She said it was with your stuff."

"I think it was when we were looking for the people who shot Marth." Ike guessed. Do you want it?"

"Why don't you keep it? It's usually help to have something you can document your thoughts on."

Lucina handed him the camcorder.

"Thanks."

Ike looked at Link, who was clutching his bullet wound. He was talking with this family.

"Uh, Zelda. Can you give me and Ike a second?" Link asked when Ike walked towards them.

When Zelda and Toon left, Link turned to Ike.

"There's gonna be fallout." Link muttered.

"For killing the professor, yeah I think so too." Ike sighed.

"What do you think?"

"I'm with you Link. We will do what has to be done."

"You're damn right." Link looked behind him, "Look, that RV back at the motor inn is just about ready. I've changed my mind. I want you to come with us when we leave."

"Yeah?"

"Hell yeah, man. We're a team! Me and you! By taking out Oak before he turned, you saved all of us in that meat locker. And that saved my family too. Yeah, you definitely earned it."

Link walked back his family.

"Come on, Ness. Stay close." Ike said.

"Ike…are those bad people dead?" Ness shyly asked.

"Well, we didn't kill them, so I don't know." Ike said, "They might have gotten away from the walkers, but I'm sure they won't be coming back for us."

"That's good." Ness smiled.

"Dad, what's that noise?" Toon asked.

Link took a couple steps forward.

"…Sounds like a car." Link observed.

"Oh god. Not more strangers." Little Mac groaned.

The group walked towards the sound until they came to a clearing. There was a car, lights on and door wide open.

"Don't shoot, we're here to help!" Ike called.

Ike approached the car slowly, Link following him. Ike went into the front seat.

"The gas is empty." Ike observed.

"Holy crap." Link breathed, "You gotta see this! There's loads of food and supplied back here!"

The rest of the group came out of the woods to see what Link was talking about.

"This food could save all of us!" Zelda said.

"Not all of us." Ash pointed out.

Link sighed and slightly shook his head.

"Look, we don't know if these people are dead." Little Mac said.

"If they come back, then we're monsters who came out of the woods and ruined their lived." Ash added.

"This stuff isn't ours." Ness agreed.

"Dad, who's car is it?" Toon asked.

"Don't worry about that now, Toon. It's ours now." Link said.

"It's abandoned, don't worry." Zelda said.

"What if it's not?" Ness intervened.

The entire group turned to look at the child.

"What if it's not abandoned? What if it IS someone's?" Ness repeated.

Ike thought about the situation.

"You're right. This stuff isn't ours and we shouldn't take it." Ike decided

"What?" Link said, "Did you get a meal back there that the rest of us missed out on? We have to take this stuff!"

"We've done enough damage already." Ike objected.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Come on, Link. Between this and the meat locker, you know what I mean."

"Fine. Suit yourself." Link scoffed, "The rest of us are going to take this stuff."

Ike sighed and threw Link the keys. The whole group besides Ike and Ness explored the car's contents, rambling on excitedly.

"Ike, there's a hoodie in here. I think it could fit Ness." Zelda said.

Ike looked at Ness, who quickly shook his head.

"He's fine, thanks." Ike said.

"Whatever, man. It'll get cold soon eventually." Link replied.

Was Link mad at him?

"Hey, there were some batteries in those boxes. I thought they might work on your camcorder." Lucina said, "Here, you can have some too. For your walkie-talkie."

"Batteries? You sure you can handle those?" Ike teased.

"You're never gonna let me live that down, are you?" Lucina handed both of them batteries.

Ike helped Ness put batteries in his walkie talkie.

"Oh shit." Lucina said, who was holding the camcorder, "Ike, you have to see this."

Ike looked at the camcorder.

"…What the…"

The camcorder was filming the motor inn, where the entire group was fixing the place up. It suddenly cut to the lady's camp.

"YOU ARE ALL FUCKING SICKOS." The lady screamed, "THEY CALL YOU BANDITS, BUT YOU'RE JUST A BUNCH OF RAPIST MONSTERS-"

It cut back to the motor inn, filming Ness.

"Look at you. You need a mother. Don't worry, we won't let those bandits get to you." The lady said.

"How ya doing, Ness?" Ike asked in the video.

"Okay." Ness replied.

"Where's your hat?"

"I don't know. Can you help me find it?"

"Sure. When did you lose it?"

"I had it a couple of days ago."

"You're all sitting there, thinking you're safe, like nothing has ever happened." The lady rambled on, "The dead isn't the problem. The living are the ones to be scared of. The people I used to call friends, the people who took…Don't worry, little kid. The bandits got their eye on that dairy. As long as they keep getting food from them, you'll be safe. I promise."

The video ended and Lucina turned the camcorder off. Ike couldn't move.

What have they done?

A/N: Woo hoo! Episode 2 is done! Before anyone complains, Palutena did survive because she's an immortal being. It's just that Ike and Zelda weren't there to figure that out. I didn't add that because it felt out of place (for some reason). Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and on to Episode 3: Long Level Ahead!