Professor E. Gadd couldn't suppress a chuckle as he viewed the progress outside.
"Well, I'll be!" he said to those beside him, which included L.O.G., Dr. Clash, and Ryu. "I think we've just about got this battle in the bag! They should be surrendering any second now…" He, like most of the Smash Brothers' forces, was unaware of Marcus Fenix's mandate to fight to the last man.
But such an extreme soon became unnecessary.
At that moment, a massive cloud of dark blue smoke appeared out of nowhere, swirling softly but rapidly around the entire battlefield (or battlesea, in this case). It enshrouded every gunship, every battleship, every Pokémon and Pandoran cruiser and weaponized F-Zero racer, and finally, the Ark itself.
"Gadzooks!" Gadd almost fell over with shock. "Ryu?" he yelled. "What's going on?"
Before the ninja could respond, L.O.G. spoke up, his Pong bars widening. "It is…him."
"Who?"
"The Great Moon Deity."
The blue clouds dissipated as quickly as they had appeared, depositing all of both armies right beside the coast of Reach. This gave Gadd pause until he realized why the amphibious destination was necessary.
Not only had those on the Rapturian front been teleported here, but also…well…pretty much everyone else. On both land and sea, the Microsians were grouped apart from the Sonian, Atarian, and Nintendonian armies.
On or above the water, there were the Seran battleships; the Bathyspheres; the Pandoran cruisers; the Spartan gunships; the aquatic and airborne Pokémon; the Beanish warriors mounted on their Bean Pods; the Timber's Island racers; Master Jiggywiggy and the Jinjos; all the Atarians; the Cornerian Fleet and the Great Fox; the Ark and all of its occupants; the Zoras and Enguarde the Swordfish; the fleet of Veldinians and Haven City's Freedom League; Spyro's flock of dragons; Rayman's airships from the Glade of Dreams; the paper mâché sailboats from Craftworld; the Normandy and all its passengers, crewmember and otherwise; the Seven Star Spirits; Cipher and his Strangerealean air force; Kameo and the elves of the Enchanted Kingdom; and the massive Spartan frigate.
The rest were spread across the shore in a huge throng: the Vault Hunters; Jack Wynand (who was still in his Big Daddy suit); the Megalandian Robot Soldiers and their onetime enslaver Legion; the Spartan foot soldiers and tanks; Wolf's Dragoons and the other BattleMechs; the Tediz; Toon Link; Link; Zelda; Bomberman; the Chestnut King and the Wafflites; April; Lance; the land-based Pokémon; the Delfinians; Bowser; Dedede; Kirby (who had discarded his ADAM Copy Ability and was very confused as to why his duel against Jack Wynand had been so suddenly cut off); Pit; DK; Mario; Luigi; Marth; Princess Nyna; Gotoh; Jody Summer; Gary; Mewtwo; Bottles; Jam-Jars; Humba Wumba; Mr. Game & Watch; Dixie Kong; the Ice Climbers; Red; Quentin; Banjo & Kazooie; Megaman; Princess Peach; Perry; Toadsworth; Tiny, Lanky, and Chunky Kong; Sonic and the rest of the Mobians; Bass and Treble; the Robot Masters; Ratchet and Clank; Sly Cooper and his comrades; Jak and Daxter; Crash and Crunch Bandicoot and the other Tasmanian creatures; Sackboy; Yoshi; Prince Peasley; Falco; Meta Knight; Roy; Ness; Joanna Dark.
Donkey Kong watched from the shore beside many of his fellow Smash Brothers and those of the Kong family who were present as the dark blue clouds converged at the center of the enormous congregation. He had been looking forward to their imminent victory over Microsoft, but now it seemed like things were about to get a lot worse; these clouds reminded him uncomfortably of the purple ones that had appeared shortly before Master Hand and Crazy Hand had revealed their true form as Master, then as the Behemoth, and finally as Nightmare.
But this time, as the dark mist trailed off into nothingness, a very different figure was revealed: a 30-foot caped pig whose portrait DK remembered only too well from Timber's Island. Wizpig. He appeared to be holding something small in one hand, but no one was near enough to be able to identify what it was.
A silence swept across the thousands of fighters—even Microsoft. It seemed that few, if any of them, had ever actually seen their revered Moon Deity in person. And the greed and lust for power radiating from those yellow eyes were enough to stun even the boldest of soldiers.
"What's with This World and evil pigs?" Kazooie remarked from somewhere behind the Kongs. "There's already Ganon from Hyrule...Pigma from Corneria…Porky from Onett…"
"Do not forget Midbus from the Mushroom Kingdom," added L.O.G., who had somehow floated over and appeared among those on shore without anyone noticing.
"Good one," Kazooie admitted. "Obscure, too…"
"Hey, Kazooie," Banjo said, trying his hand at a joke of his own. "You know all those times you've said 'when pigs fly?'…"
"Hello, worms and gents," Wizpig's voice boomed, cutting off the chatty bear and bird, reaching even the farthest members of the vast congregation. "It's time to put an end to this petty conflict. My loyal subjects…" His eyes scanned across the Microsians. "You've fought well, and you'll all be rewarded for your fealty beyond anything you can imagine. Still, your efforts come up short; those who would divide our world like slices of pizza have apparently proven beyond your ability to handle. But I, being your merciful deity, shall make up the difference where your competence is lacking."
Wizpig's eyes flashed with passion as he turned his attention to the Nintendonians, Sonians, and Atarians. "As for all you worms who thought you could break us, who thought you were fighting a just war, who thought you could kill a god, let me tell you what the Copyright Wars were really about."
DK's brain was filled with an almost inexplicable dread, with an equally strong loathing; he could see why Diddy and the other racers despised this monstrous alien so much. The fear was evident in the way all their little planes hovered so hesitantly at the front of the airborne crowd. And what was in Wizpig's hand?
"You have been lied to, Nintendo," Wizpig continued, "by an organization called RareWare. I should know; I was once one of them. We claimed to promote peace, to maintain neutrality and self-government away from the three major mainlands. Our founding mission was to build excellent worlds free from the weaknesses of other kingdoms that would hold us back from progress—free to become the best of all the worlds.
"But…" Wizpig snorted. "the other board members of RareWare failed to see my vision of the future. I foresaw the excellence of RareWare becoming the greatest business of all time—not only building up the best worlds, but creating a conglomerate network of racetracks that would allow me to rule as the greatest racer ever known. And not only on a few islands and fringe nations, but across all of Smash Planet! This was to become my legacy!
"But fools like Taj and L.O.G. and Jiggywiggy didn't have the guts to take RareWare to the next level…and so I left and set out to accomplish this vision of a united Smash Planet on my own. I gave Microsoft a taste of the marvels my powers could perform for them, and yet when most of the affiliates of RareWare rebelled against This World's destiny, they plunged the planet into war."
Both L.O.G. and Master Jiggywiggy remained surprisingly still and calm in the midst of these accusations. The same could not be said, however, of Kameo and Joanna Dark. They were the only other members of the original RareWare still present (DK had no memory of being involved with RareWare, so he inferred that Cranky had been DK Isle's representative), and they appeared rather incensed. But they said nothing, waiting to see what Wizpig's next move would be.
Wizpig's porcine smile widened. "And so, Smash Worms, and all who've sided with you, you're left with a choice." He gestured out with his arms toward the ocean. "Join me; become part of your planet's destiny as a united, unequaled world…or be destroyed!"
It was then that Professor E. Gadd sent a discreet message on the communicators of all the Smash Brothers who had one. DK felt his vibrate from within the secret pocket of his necktie and pulled it out.
DO NOT ENGAGE.
Despite his recent grievances with the professor, DK might have actually listened to him—had it not been for what Wizpig did next.
"If you're having trouble making up your mind," he said, holding up the small thing in his hand, "behold the fate of the self-proclaimed hero who rejects the future."
He let it drop from his pudgy fist. And as it fell, DK soon knew what it was. But he didn't want to believe it.
Diddy Kong's body crashed onto the shore of Reach, nearest to the Kongs and the Smashers. He appeared physically unharmed (other than from the fall), and yet there was no mistake. He was gone.
"No…" DK lumbered over and picked Diddy up in his arms. The chimp's red hat had fallen several feet away, which made him seem uncharacteristically common, like a wild animal hunted down by poachers. DK wanted to find peace in his nephew's final expression—but there was none. Only sorrow. Only pain.
"Diddy!" Dixie ran up with Tiny, Lanky, and Chunky and grabbed her dearest friend's shoulders. Her face was already wet; for her, Diddy had been more than her best friend. He had been her future.
And so the Kongs just stood there, shocked into silence or sobbing. DK's whole body trembled, heaving with rage. He looked back at the other Smashers, who appeared sympathetic but unsure how to react. Even Jumpman, Donkey Kong's oldest enemy, was a friend to him now. And now that Diddy had been taken from his family, DK knew there was only one thing left to do, whatever Gadd might say.
"Go to your racers! Now!" he bellowed, himself scrambling over to his Banana Blaster and jumping inside. After a moment, Mario nodded and followed suit, climbing into his Red Blaze. And then others: Luigi and his Poltergust 5000; Bowser and his Shell Shocker; Marth and his Reckoner; Kirby and his Hyper Star; Mewtwo and his Psywave; G.W. and his Black Buggy; the Ice Climbers and their Freezoomer; Pikachu and his Zap Cannon; Jigglypuff and her Rollout Royce. And though not all of the Smashers had access to a racer, Link found his Lightspeed Arrow conveniently available nearby, and Zelda her Fairy Flyer.
The thirteen members of the Original 25 lifted off almost simultaneously, and DK led their formation in a direct course toward Wizpig's giant, bemused figure. He felt his anger and grief channel into an adrenaline rush as they picked up speed as only F-Zero Racers could. And then, without any concept of time, they engaged the Great Moon Deity in battle.
Some vehicles peeled off in either direction, encircling Wizpig and letting loose a rainbow of projectiles: jets of fire; blasts of icy mist; waves of Psychic energy; spheres of crackling electricity; crossbow-propelled Bomb Arrows; bursts of sparkling blue magic.
The rest took a more physical approach: The Shell Shocker, Banana Blaster, Reckoner, Hyper Star, Black Buggy, and Rollout Royce charged straight toward Wizpig's face in a magnificent line of power and speed.
But Wizpig's laughter roared above everything else as the dark clouds surrounding him absorbed all the ranged attacks like a sponge. Those on a collision course were violently rejected by the same gaseous force, sending them spinning in all directions.
Wizpig followed up with a yellow energy bolt, casting it from his hand straight into the tumbling Rollout Royce.
"Pika!"
As Jigglypuff's racer exploded, her fellow Pokémon left his own racer, using Quick Attack to push both of them out of harm's way. They fell into the water and began making their way back to shore, looking up helplessly at their friends.
While this battle took place, many of the thousands of spectators considered entering the fray. But the Microsians loyal to their deity did not wish to risk inciting Wizpig's wrath by accidentally hitting him, and the allied Nintendonians, Sonians, and Atarians were likewise concerned about hitting one of the Smashers. There was one party, however, that made its approach regardless, flying down toward Wizpig in a V formation.
The racers of Timber's Island: Pipsy, Tiptup, Timber, Bumper, Krunch, and T.T., with Drumstick at the head. The rooster, who had been the first to ever defeat Wizpig in a race, narrowed his eyes, held up a wing, and brought it forward, signaling for all of them to activate the force fields they had each acquired from the magic of three yellow balloons. Jagged neon green rings danced around each of them as they dive-bombed behind Wizpig.
The Moon Deity snarled as Drumstick, followed by the rest, passed through the midnight blue mist unharmed and rammed against his head, shoulders, and torso, flying on to begin their U-turn that would bring them back for another strike.
But in spite of the powerful force fields, Wizpig snatched one of the racers as he passed by, crushing Bumper's plane together with its pilot and allowing the panda's body to follow the mechanical remains into the sea.
"Bumper!" Pipsy squeaked in terror.
Drumstick squawked with rage as he and the surviving racers banked steeply to the right, narrowly dodging a yellow bolt.
"You'll pay for that, Pighead!"
Now another group made its approach: Banjo & Kazooie, accompanied by Master Jiggywiggy and his swarm of shining Jiggies and the five sparkling Jinjos.
"Calabunga!" Kazooie screeched, proceeding to cough up a series of Grenade Eggs while activating her latest batch of Gold Feathers, which would make her and Banjo invulnerable to the blue smoke. The Jiggies and Jinjos made a direct charge, striking Wizpig as they passed by.
Suddenly, the dark clouds spread outward in a shockwave, pushing back all of Wizpig's attackers before converging back around the beast's figure, rippling like flames. Wizpig's yellow eyes were now accentuated by angry red pupils as he addressed all who opposed him.
"Now you'll all suffer for these worms' rebellion. Behold, the instrument of the Smash Brothers' destruction!"
From above, what could only be described as a purple UFO shaped like a pig's head descended toward its master, almost as large as either the WarioWare Ark or the Spartan frigate. Its yellow eyes were the malicious equivalent of its living likeness.
At first it seemed as if the ship would beam Wizpig up and leave them all in peace. But that, of course, wouldn't have made much sense in conjunction with Wizpig's words, and accordingly, the ship pivoted until it faced its target: the Ark. Its "nose" began glowing with the same deadly sunshine yellow of Wizpig's energy bolts, and a few long seconds later, it fired a slow beam as thick as Wizpig's body, with the sure promise of annihilation.
"WAAAH!"
On the Ark's command bridge, Wario frantically felt around the control panels, trying to think of what he could do to save their lives, and more importantly, his money, from this apocalyptic beam. The Ark's shields were at a meager 30% from the Battle of Rapture, and he had a sinking feeling that wouldn't be enough to withstand this rather painful form of divine intervention.
He found himself being shaken violently by an irate Gadd, whose glasses had been knocked askew.
"Gadzooks, lad! Now is not the time to panic. Surely you have some last resort security measures, yes?"
Wario shook his own head rapidly, but it was not to say no; it was to clear his mind.
"Er…yes. But it will deplete all of our a-shields and shut a-down all systems that aren't keeping us in the sky."
"Well, by golly, just do it!" Dr. Clash said.
Wario turned to Waluigi, who was just staring at him with the same panicked expression.
"It's a-time to use that Hylian trinket we bought from Chet a-Rippo last a-month. Activate the Switch a-Hook." He glanced out the command bridge's window. "Target the frigate."
"Yeah."
Waluigi obeyed without argument, opening up a thick metal case on one of the panels and punching in a complicated series of codes before slamming his palm on a big, ominous black button.
"Switch Hook?" Dr. Clash said curiously. "What does that do?"
Wario's jagged mustache twitched with anticipation. "You'll a-see."
From the exterior of the Ark, a relatively small panel shifted aside to allow a spring-loaded, blue-pronged hook to shoot out. It extended itself all the way to the Magnetic Accelerator Cannon on the Spartan Frigate's roof, clamping around the coil gun's barrel.
An instant later, the Ark and the frigate switched places.
And that left the beam from Wizpig's spaceship heading toward an altogether different target.
A glowing orange Plasma Whip wrapped itself around Master Chief's Energy Sword and yanked it out of his grip just before it plunged into Solid Snake's chest. Even as the Spartan commander-in-chief turned to find the source of this interruption, Samus propelled herself straight into him with her Jet Boots, sending both of them crashing into the nearest stack of metal crates.
Still pressed against the crate, the Chief grabbed both of Samus's wrists as she attempted to bring the stolen Energy Sword full circle across his throat. He crushed the hand holding the sword with such strength that it broke the handle and the weapon itself, the sapphire blade winking out of existence as its broken pieces fell uselessly to the ground. Samus screamed as at least a few of her fingers were broken. She brought up her foot and kicked against his chest, pushing herself free and raising her Plasma Whip again.
"Falcon Kick!"
Master Chief was barreled over by Captain Falcon's fiery attack, and they rolled over each other, jabbing and kicking and reaching for each other's throats. But the Spartan's armor protected him well, and his chemically enhanced strength ultimately overpowered the Mute City native, and he finally flung the man onto the floor and brought back his fist for what would surely be a skull-crushing blow against the already-injured captain.
The Plasma Whip wrapped itself around Master Chief's neck, pulling him back as he struggled to grasp at its burning cords. But Samus pulled harder, not relenting as he sank to his knees, his only unarmored spot causing his whole body to suffer, no matter how chemically enhanced the supersoldier might have been.
She kept pulling for a very long thirty seconds until finally, Master Chief stopped struggling and relented, resigned to his fate.
"That is enough."
Snake stumbled over to stand over his Microsian nemesis, Captain Falcon joining him. They barely spared each other a glance. They could deal with each other's personal grievances later.
Samus loosened her grip just enough to stop the Chief from completely suffocating.
Snake clutched at his battered ribcage, grunting and breathing as heavily as everyone else.
"Care to do the honors, Snake?" Samus nodded toward one of the Spartan guns lying on the floor nearby. Snake winced as he bent down to pick it up, only to find it already extended toward him by Falcon, who was looking at him meaningfully. Snake took the gun without a word, cocked it, and pointed it at Master Chief.
"Before I end this," he panted, "I have to know one thing. That day on Shadow Moses Island…when the All-Stars infiltrated the base…why did you kill Meryl Silverburgh? I was willing to do whatever you asked. She meant nothing to you. Why?"
Master Chief took several seconds to gather enough breath to speak. For the first time, Snake witnessed this great leader talk in a subdued tone. "If I showed you mercy," he gasped, "then Sony would have perceived it as weakness, and they would think they could resist our stewardship and succeed. If you're any less foolish now than you were that day, then you'll make the same choice. The soldier's duty. Kill me. Doom yourselves to the Great Moon Deity's wrath."
None of them realized that by now, the frigate was no longer in Vigoor; it had been teleported by Wizpig's magic to the coast of Reach, next to Nintendo's Ark. Through the trapdoor above, the Spartans on the command deck were beginning to shout in alarm, but down below, in the intensity of this moment, nothing else mattered to Snake. His body shook in violent fits, his ruddy face smeared with dirt and blood.
"First," he said," let's find out who's under that helmet. I want to look into your eyes when I kill you. Just as you looked into mine as you murdered her."
"Wait." Captain Falcon held up an arm to block Snake's approach. His own white eye slits stared into Snake's enraged face. "Give the man what little dignity he's got left."
Snake was too consumed with emotion to argue. He was about to raise his gun again when the Spartan's communicator sounded from the Chief's helmet for all to hear.
"Chief, do you copy? I repeat, the frigate has somehow been teleported by some beast to the coast of Reach. All the Nintendonians and their allies are here, as are our allies. They've been fighting the beast, but it's summoned a ship and it's attacking the Smash Brothers' Ark. We need you back on the bridge, Chief. It's—"
A massive force shook the entire frigate violently, almost knocking Snake, Falcon, and Samus off their feet. The shouts from above increased, now intermingled with screams. With the g-force of a freefalling elevator, they could all feel a huge piece of the frigate breaking off from the rest.
"Evacuate the frigate, captain. See our men to safety."
"But sir…what about—"
"I will be fine. Go now. That's an order, soldier."
Master Chief cut off transmission and looked at Snake. "You're still welcome to kill me. But I assure you that you won't get off this vessel alive without my knowledge of the escape pods."
Snake almost pulled the trigger anyway. But his better sense barely prevailed, and he lowered the barrel. "Fine. Get us out of here, earn yourself a couple extra days of life. Doesn't matter to me. In fact, I'd like to see you arraigned before our courts for a change."
After being strangled by the Plasma Whip, Master Chief was no longer a physical threat to the heroes, but they kept gun and Paralyzer trained on him from behind as he led them down the metallic green hallways and emergency stairwells. The alarms were shrilling and flashing red. No Spartans were left to cross paths with them. All of them walked with a limp, Snake trying to block out the agony of his crushed ribs, Samus cradling her broken hand. Every now and then, the floor beneath them would tilt significantly one way or the other, or jar them against the wall as pieces of the frigate came apart.
At last, they came to the large bay, where most of the escape pods had already left. But here was where they beheld the rift where the entire front half of the frigate had been blasted off by the spaceship's beam. The wind roared from the missing wall to their left, with broken metal plates and frames breaking off continually as the failing frigate quickly fell apart. The bay, open to the sky, was empty save for a single thumb-shaped escape pod the size of a large pickup truck, encased in a durable space metal.
They pushed against the billowing wind toward the pod, Samus's and Snake's hair rippling like living organisms. And then, suddenly, Master Chief came to a stop, still facing away from them.
"Get a move on," Samus said, jabbing his back with her Paralyzer.
"This thing's going down, Chief," Falcon said. "It's time to go."
Several more seconds of unexpected silence. Then, in what seemed like one sweeping motion, Master Chief pulled a small blue Plasma Pistol from within his chest plate and spun around, firing three well-aimed rounds at his captors.
It was a point blank shot, and both Samus and Captain Falcon were blasted to the ground, well on their way to unconsciousness, but for now simply incapacitated from any kind of action. Snake barely dodged the blast headed for him by dropping flat on the ground, his soldier's instinct setting off all kinds of alarms with the Master Chief's strange pause. He rolled, ignoring the pain of his crushed ribcage and narrowly avoiding several more shots, and raised the Spartan gun—this one lethal—bringing him and the Chief to a standoff.
"I never promised you anything," Master Chief reminded them. "But now, it looks like I won't have to kill you; nature will take care of that well enough."
As if in agreement, the frigate lurched again and a sizeable chunk of the bay's floor tore away, falling down toward the ocean some 200 feet below.
As Master Chief backed away toward the last escape pod, his gun trained on Snake at all times, Samus raised her head weakly and called after him.
"You're some hero, Chief. I'm sure Cortana would be proud."
Master Chief froze, turning his head slowly toward her, though still ready to shoot Snake at the slightest sign of movement. They way he then spoke was different from anything they'd heard from him before. Now it sounded like a man carrying an enormous burden. More personal. Human, even.
"You don't know a damn thing about Cortana."
Samus sat all the way up now. She was strangely calm, almost conversational. "That's where you're wrong. When I first learned I'd be going to Sony and Microsoft, I read up on every galactic database I could find on my ship's computer. You've had a hell of a life, saving worlds from the Covenant and the Flood. And when Cortana's entire system was torn apart by some unknown hacker, I guess I can understand putting your trust in someone willing to help you defeat your enemies. But look and see what that trust has bought you."
Strangely enough, none of the other three had really looked out the missing wall; they had been too intent on escaping with their lives. But now, Master Chief and Captain Falcon and Solid Snake turned their attention to the spectacle beyond (the two with guns still poised for a firefight).
They were high enough that most of the gathered thousands were small blurs, the majority of their view consisting of the dark browns of Reach and the deep blues of the ocean. But even from this distance, Wizpig could be distinguished at the center, his deep laugh echoing up at them as the pigface spaceship opened a hatch underneath and allowed dozens of smaller likenesses of itself to pour out. The scene erupted into war once more as the foreigners to Microsoft found themselves assaulted by many thick yellow laser bursts. Even among the Microsians, only a few Spartans actively joined the fight against Nintendo, Sony, and Atari; some, like those on the Normandy, actually took up arms against their motherland's god; but most just stood there, baffled by the unexpected presence of their Great Deity and unsure how to respond.
Master Chief turned back to Falcon, Snake, and Samus.
"Revolutions are by necessity built on blood. And peace is bought by it. My only regret is we didn't have the resources to establish the new order before Cortana's was spilt."
He said nothing more, but stepped into the escape pod's hatch and lifted up and out before any of those he'd left behind could find the strength to protest.
Captain Falcon shook his head dizzily, blinking rapidly to regain his senses after being struck by the Plasma Pistol. He stood up shakily and looked over at Snake. "Why didn't you shoot him?"
In response, Snake took out the gun's magazine, revealing that it had been out of ammunition the entire time.
"One of us at least had to keep his senses."
Samus was on her feet now, too, though leaning heavily on Falcon for support. "Doesn't matter much now, does it? We're going down with the proverbial ship."
Falcon put his arm around her. "It was a good try, Sam. But that guy's ego's as thick as his helmet. You might as well have been trying to teach Kirby table manners."
"Actually," Snake said, pulling out a flat metal disk that had been strapped to his back, "I may have a way out."
He unfolded the device and pressed a few buttons that caused it to round out like a very wide Bundt cake pan, with a propeller in the middle and a sort of tripod camera perched on top.
"Cypher," he explained. "FOXHOUND aerial surveillance. Should at least get us low enough to where the fall won't be fatal." He switched the device on, and the propeller began to spin.
"Can it support all our weight?" Samus asked, fascinated by the technology in spite of their current life-and-death situation.
Snake shrugged. "I've never used it with anyone else before. But we have to try."
It was then that a stray shot from one of Wizpig's smaller spaceships struck the roof of the evacuation bay. A huge piece of the ceiling snapped off and fell toward the frigate's three remaining occupants.
Samus felt herself being pushed forward and collapsed painfully onto the ridged metal surface. She turned back and found Snake in a similarly confused position.
They stood back up and returned to find their third team member all but crushed underneath the collapsed ceiling. Captain Falcon's lower body was hidden under a six-inch-thick sheet of metal the size of a small swimming pool. Samus swore and knelt down beside him and grabbed his hand.
"Are you all right?"
Meanwhile, Snake attempted to lift the slab, but of course to no avail. He searched around frantically for some way to cut it off, wincing from his lingering injuries.
"Don't worry, Falcon, we're getting you out of there."
"Sam…"
Though Captain Falcon twitched with suppressed pain, his muscled torso, his shoulders and neck, were strangely relaxed, his helmet slightly askew and his features revealing a mix of post-stun haziness and deep, tranquil affection. He squeezed Samus's hand and pulled her close.
"Go with Snake. We both know there's no getting out of this."
Samus, against her will, felt her tear wells filling up. "Don't be ridiculous. We've got plenty of time…"
As if begging to disagree, the floor beneath her feet began to crack. Snake had to leap out of the way as a sizeable chunk of the floor was torn away, leaving little space for them to move. And very little time to do it.
"There must be something!" Snake yelled in frustration as he tore back and forth, hoping to somehow stumble across a handheld laser cutter or something.
Falcon released his grip on Samus's hand and smiled wanly. "This is one argument you can't win, Sam. Now go."
But Samus couldn't leave his side. The whipping wind swept the moisture from her eyes as soon as it began to trickle down. A lifetime of bottled emotion, of armor that had been chipped away piece by piece by this man over the past few weeks, finally blew its top. She leaned down and kissed him.
Snake put a gentle hand on Samus's shoulder as the two parted, the whirring Cypher held in his other. He looked down on Falcon with he didn't know what kind of emotion. Gratitude? That word hardly seemed complex enough. Then Falcon met his eyes.
"Take care of each other."
Snake just nodded. His mind wasn't coherent enough to say anything in response.
Still, Samus found herself unable to get back up, her arms wrapped around the blue racing uniform. "I'm not leaving you."
Falcon laughed softly, but pushed her away into Snake's waiting arms just as the floor running up to the fallen ceiling snapped off, plunging the two of them into the open air.
"NO!" Samus screamed as she clung onto the Cypher-assisted Snake, looking over her shoulder as several more laser bursts hit the command bridge and the rear engines. The frigate's internal systems ignited, the superheated energy forcing its way out in the form of a massive explosion that consumed all that remained of the Spartan command ship. The last part to be engulfed in roiling flames was the evacuation bay, and she could have sworn Captain Falcon had raised himself up enough to watch their descent, seeing them off with a salute.
Master Chief expertly steered the evacuation pod clear of all projectiles, energy or otherwise. He maneuvered down toward the center where Wizpig gloated over his effortless battle against the Smashers, who were still coming at him with their modified racers, over and over again.
But what Master Chief found himself focused on was the immense difference in demeanor between Wizpig and his enemies. The Great Moon Deity's eyes flared with hatred and greed and sadistic pleasure. That was the rage that had saved Microsoft from countless evils. But then the Nintendonians…the way the Smash Brothers rallied around and protected each other; the way they despaired as broken pieces of the frigate fell on some of their comrades; the way they died for each other; these were things he had not expected from the murderous aliens Wizpig had always described. In fact, they reminded him uncomfortably of himself—or at least, a version of himself that no longer seemed to exist.
Sacrifices must always be made for the greater good. Cortana would have understood that. Wouldn't she?
He could picture her so clearly in his mind: the luminescent aqua blue body and silky black hair, so real that she seemed so much more than a holographic apparition. Her intense, beautiful features, her eyes filled with the depths of a galaxy's wisdom. Her wit. Her level-headedness. Her desire to do good for all people, everywhere.
He reached Wizpig's side, who glanced at him in amusement even as he grabbed another Timber's Island racer out of the air. The tiny yellow mouse piloting it squeaked with terror as Wizpig waved her around in the air, like a malicious child playing with a toy with the intention of breaking it.
"Just in time, Master Chief," the god said, ready to crush Pipsy in his pudgy hand. "These worms are all mine, but feel free to kill whoever else you'd like. This is a buffet of broken dreams, and now we feast!"
Time seemed to slow down. His mind and body parted ways as his thoughts were filled with Cortana, and with all the comrades he'd lost over the years. What their deaths had meant for his future. And what kind of future he had purchased with theirs.
His body, on the other hand, took a completely separate path. He watched it grab a particularly long Energy Sword from within the pod, opening the hemispherical glass door, and pushing himself out. It gripped the blade tightly and skewered the pig's thick, almost nonexistent neck. The dark blue clouds surrounding the beast didn't stop it; they had been focused on where they thought the real threat was. His body forced itself in an irregular run around Wizpig's head, dragging the sword in a circle until completing a perimeter and bounding back into the waiting pod. And it watched as Wizpig's head rolled off his shoulders, leaving a bloody stump in its wake, the yellow glow fading from its surprised eyes as it crashed into the water, followed a few seconds later by the rest of the body.
Then Master Chief's mind and body reconciled, and came to discover they both wanted the same thing.
Redemption.