Chapter 9

A/N: The fact that this story has over 1250 total views on FF and over 500 on Ao3 is amazing. Thank you all so much! This chapter deals with a lot, so if you're sensitive to homophobia or war flashbacks, you might want to skip Scout's section.

Also shout out to Cloudswift12 on Ao3 for helping me work through some ideas because holy hecc there's a lot.

One more thing, there's a Discord called Super Smash Prose which is for SSB fanfic and y'all should join. The invite code is: zeHaT2Z

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Alex Mulner had a reputation to keep up. If he was to rise up in the ranks and become popular, this party had to go great. He was already a Peripheral, so the cards were stacked against him. He didn't have any cool swords or magic powers that would catch people's attention.

This party was quickly becoming a disaster.

Someone had spilled a bottle of tequila on the floor. Haley, despite growing up in a house with hired cleaners, knew how to clean it up. "After all, I've had to hide multiple parties."

Some kid named Jeremy had locked himself inside a closet, freaking out about something incoherent. Luckily, Link and Zelda offered to help.

And then Peach nearly fucking drowned.

That killed the mood. Oh, and you know, she could have died. Thank God that one blue haired guy saved her. Peach was fine, although she did immediately vomit.

Just great.

Alex went up to his room and sat on his bed. Thank God no one had taken it over yet.

"You good?" Haley asked, appearing in the doorway.

"This is a disaster." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

She sat down next to him. "Yeah, but it's a weird time in general. At least people will talk about it." She rubbed his shoulderblade and leaned her head on his shoulder. "It's not like this is the worst thing that could happen. At least no one vomited on someone intentionally."

Alex let out a slight chuckle. "You're right. I just… ugh, I feel alone here, you know."

Haley sighed. "Trust me. I know. But hey, we can turn that around." She gave him a knowing smile. "You know those really expensive speakers I got for my birthday?"

"You brought them?"

"Hell yeah I did! Duh!" She laughed a little and jumped up, grabbing Alex's hands and pulling him up. "Come on, let's save this party!"

Yeah, this wouldn't be too bad after all.

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Scout shouldn't have been such a wreck. After all, he was at a party, right? Should'a been fun. Ping pong with some random goofy kid named Pit? Fuck yeah, sounded great! He made sure to be on the side that let him see the pool. After all, there were some real sexy chicks here, yeah? He'd give any of them a bucket a' chicken any time. Like that Peach chick. Damn. Or that blue haired girl that Terra was friends with.

Or Terra.

Fuck, now that was a problem. He used to only notice girls, right? That's what a normal boy does. They like girls, marry one, have a lot of kids, bing, bang, life is set out for you. Liking guys? Deviant. (Well, people called him a deviant for all the rights he got into, but that was different, right?)

It was all too much. The drinkin', all the talkin', all the half naked people, his meds. Too much. He needed to get outta there.

Whenever his brothers couldn't find anyone to fight, they'd often pick fights with each other. Or when his dad (well, not his real dad) was drunk, he'd beat the kids or Ma. Scout didn't wanna be a part of that, at least when he was a kid. So, he locked himself away in the hallway closet, hoping and praying no one would find him.

It was fitting that's where he ended up. This one smelled a little less like cigarettes, a little more like booze (or that was his own breath), and a little safer. He needed safe. After all, the world was spinning underneath him. The closet was comforting, like a hug. He needed a hug. He needed a lot of them. There was too much on his mind.

He'd only ever started noticing guys like he did with girls the day before.

You know Mrs. Shephard's scavenger hunt? Sounded dumb, but then he realized that it was free points for running around town and taking pictures of things. He didn't like staying at home, it was too quiet. So, he rode with Terra and planned on exploring while his friend worked at the McDonald's on 2nd Street.

Overall, the town was pretty neat. The people were weird as all hell, which was fine by Scout. His next stop was the New Leaf Bell Tower in the center of Square Park. The stairs were basically ladders, they were so steep, so he was out of breath when he got to the top.

The bell at the top didn't look like no ordinary bell. It looked like a giant jingle bell. He wondered if it actually worked. Oh well. He got out his tablet to take a selfie with it. When he looked at the picture, he noticed some dude in the background. "Hey, man, didn't see you there." He turned towards the man and had to do a double take.

The man was dressed like a hunter, with a red shirt, brown hunting vest, and a hat that almost looked like a cowboy hat. He was sitting on the wide concrete railing, back against one of the corner pillars. He had a book in one hand, and a cup of Starbeans Coffee in the other. However, his gaze, steely blue and focused as a hawk or somethin', was fixed on a building on the square. Scout had never seen this man, not in this life, but when he checked the Connections tab on his tablet, the familiar feeling became all too real.

"Holy shit, you're the Sniper."

The man looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "I'm the wot?"

Oh, fuck. What if he didn't know who he was. Some people in town were aware, like that one Mettaton guy, but what if some weren't yet? Oh fuck, this guy probably thought he was some random Austrailian dude "I mean, uh, you're looking at that buildin' like you're gonna snipe someone down or somethin'." That sounded way worse, shit.

"Like I'm gonna wot now?"

Fuck fuck fuck. "I, uh, meant you looked focused." Scout was about to turn and leave when the man started laughing.

"I'm just pullin' yer leg, of course I'm the bloody Sniper!"

Scout had never been so relieved. He let out a breath. "So, uh, do you, uh…"

"Yeah, I know who you are, Scout." The man smiled faintly. "How could I forget a scamp like you?"

Scout realized that this was the perfect situation. He might finally get answers. "Mind if I sit with you for a bit? I haven't really been able to talk with anyone about, well, anything. I tried talking to Medic at school, but the ol' doc just told me to read my file."

"I don't mind, kid." Sniper moved his legs slightly so Scout could sit across from him.

"So, uh, mind if I ask what you're doing up here?" Scout asked, looking at the same building.

"Looking for our Spy."

Spy. Shit. "Really? Me too. Why, though?"

Sniper shrugged. "He's been evading us. The damn frenchman is hiding something. Why are you looking for him?"

"Cause he's my dad."

Sniper's eyebrows raised, and he tore his gaze from the building. "Well, that's a twist."

"I know, right? Like, I thought my dad was that asshole who beat Ma, but apparently it's some French asshole I've never met." Scout shrugged. He'd already processed it, so it didn't sting as much, but it was still weird. "Hey, uh, what's your name, anyway?"

"Mundy. Yours?"

"Jeremy. Though, Scout's a better name. Suits me better."

"Sniper suits me better too, I think." Sniper looked back to the building, and for a moment, they were quiet.

"Sniper?" Yeah, that sounded better than Mundy. "You said you remembered me. Do you get flashbacks too?"

His mouth pressed into a hard line. "Yeah. Ever since I found out, it's all I dream about."

"Same." At first, it was great. He could feel himself soar through the air, run faster than he ever could. But then, he remembered his deaths. Every one of them sent him to respawn, but it still hurt. He'd been shot, burned, beaten with a clone of his's baseball bat. Sure, he'd been beaten up in this life, but he'd never felt his own skull crack and puncture his brain.

And then, even worse, were the visions of killing other people. In his mind, he knew they were enemies. If he didn't act, they'd kill him first. But the ease in which his past self did it, and hell, the pleasure he took from it? It disgusted him.

"Are we killers, Sniper?" Scout didn't realize it before, but his eyes were all watery and stuff. He wiped his eyes, but when he looked back, all he could see was Sniper's brains spread across the pillar behind him. It was an all too familiar sight in his dreams.

Sniper sighed. "Maybe. I don't know."

"Like, in the other life, I killed versions of you hundreds of times." Scout pulled his knees to his chest. "But, like, I don't want to kill people. I don't think." Every dream made the thought of killing someone easier to swallow. It was disgusting.

"We can be better in this life," Sniper said, looking Scout in the eyes. Geez, Snipe's eyes were nice. "We don't have to kill anyone."

"But isn't that why we're here? To stop Grey Mann or whatever his name is?" Scout shook his head. "I dunno, I just want to be, you know?"

"I know that feeling." Sniper sighed. "I, uh, don't really have an answer for you, kid."

"That's okay. I just needed to talk about shit, and you're the only one who has any idea what I mean." Scout couldn't place it, but Sniper's presence, even after just meeting him, was comforting. Maybe because he was the only one from their universe who actually cared to let him talk. Maybe it was his honesty in the fact that he didn't know shit.

Maybe, it was because he was attractive.

The thought of a guy being attractive hadn't crossed Scout's mind, not like that. But something about Sniper's angular features and bluey-grey eyes were just… it drew Scout in.

No, no way in hell he was going for it. Nope. Sniper was a man. And not just in that he had a dick. He was, like, at least ten years older than him. Nope. Wasn't going to happen. Nuh-uh.

"Hey, uh, I'm gonna head out." Scout got up, trying not to think about anything.

"If you need to talk to someone, go to the Scottish Handshake. That's where the people from our universe tend to be." Sniper raised his coffee cup in a sort of goodbye gesture.

Someone pounded on the closet door. Right. He was here, at a party.

"Hey, kid, you alright?" It was the guy hosting the party. Alex? Yeah, Alex. "You seemed pretty freaked out."

Scout pushed himself further back against the wall. "Jus' leave m'lone!" Fuck, his voice was slurred. He couldn't cry, nope. Not going to. "Don' wanna come out!" He heard voices outside, asking if he was okay. No, he wasn't. How the hell could he be okay? He was attracted to a guy he'd killed a bunch in another life.

After a couple minutes, a girl spoke. "Hey, uh, Scout, are you alright?"

How did she know his name. He didn't know who she was. "No." No point in lying. Alcohol was like some truth serum or somethin'.

"Can I come in?"

He wanted to say no. He did. He wanted to stay locked up in this closet forever. But he didn't have the strength to say anything, so she came in anyway. He only saw her for a moment, but she had short blond hair and a ritzy vibe. She shut the door behind her, and then attempted to sit down on a box opposite him. She stumbled on her way down.

"Apologies. I'm a bit drunk." She giggled.

"Aren't we all?"

"So, what's got you in here?" The girl asked. "I, uh, doubt it's the decor."

"Nah, it's real classy in here." He almost laughed. Almost. "Have you ever killed someone?"

The air felt tense. Too tense. "Uh, no?"

"In m'old life, I did." Scout shrugged. "But, uh, yesterday I talked to someone from the same universe as me."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Killed a bunch'a copies of 'im in the other life." Scout pressed back even further. He couldn't get thoughts of Sniper out of his head. Whether it was killing him or kissing him, neither were good. "But, uh, that's not the main issue."

"Oh?"

"He's, uh, I dunno, I like the way he looks. Not supposed to, but I do." There were those tears again. He was a man, he shouldn't cry.

The girl put a hand on his knee. "So, I, uh… that's a weird one. Can't really help you with the first one, but, uh, so you're realizing you like guys?"

"It's so dumb. Ma always told me I needed to marry a girl, and I always liked girls. Still do. Girls are great. But, uh, now guys are too and it's weird and I don't know how to feel about it."

"Scout, it's okay to be bisexual."

"Bisexual?"

The girl laughed for a second. "Wait, you don't know what that means? It's 2019, man."

"Feels like I've been stuck in the 50s my whole life."

"It means you like guys and girls. I'm bisexual too." She rubbed his knee before removing her hand. "Oh, I'm Zelda, by the way!"

Scout sighed. "I dunno, it just feels wrong. Like, everything is changing all at once."

"It must be rough, dealing with your past and your sexuality all at once." Zelda sighed as well. "But, uh, if you need to talk to someone, I can help. Link can too. He's a good listener."

"He's that guy who protected that one chick, right?"

"Yeah, he's really brave." He swore he heard her swoon. "But yeah, if you need to talk, we're here for you. Plus, a lot of other people here are bi, so you're not alone." She hiccupped as she stood up. "You ready to come out?"

That was a loaded question. But you know, he was feeling a lot better. She offered her hand, and even though he could barely see it through the darkness, he took it.

The door opened, and the light hurt. But it was okay.

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Link wanted to spend time with Zelda. That's the only reason he wanted to come. But even though she'd said she didn't just want to hang out with Peach and Daisy, as soon as they called her over, she left to go get drunk with them by the pool.

It wasn't too bad, though. Sora, Kairi, and Namine welcomed him to drink with them. It was all of their first times, so Link felt like an awful parent giving them shots of tequila, but it was enough to deter them from alcohol for a while. He really didn't want them to end up as alcoholics. They had a life ahead of them.

Link was supposed to. He didn't feel like it.

By the time he was reunited with Zelda, she was drunk. Not plastered, but definitely uneasy on her feet. They only had a few minutes before that Scout kid locked himself in a closet, and Zelda, being the amazing person she was, insisted on helping.

Turns out, he literally came out of the closet. He figured that one out when, as soon as Scout came out, he asked, "Hey, Link, are you bisexual too?"

"Scout, you can't just ask that!" Zelda looked like she didn't know whether to die or laugh.

Link would have like to say he had a dignified answer for that question. He really, really would have.

What came out was, "Yeah, man, dicks are great."

Zelda's face was redder than a tomato. Fuck, she was so cute. He just wanted to take her face in his hands and squish it. He wanted to do a lot of things to her face, honestly. Holy shit, she was cute.

Someone turned on music. Really poppy, really annoying music, but Zelda seemed to like it.

"Hey, Link, you wanna dance?" Zelda asked, face cooling back to normal.

And Link wanted nothing more than to dance with her. He nodded and let her guide him to the floor, where people were starting to dance. Zelda wasn't exactly good, but she was drunk and cute, so it didn't matter. She had decent rhythm (yeah, cause she played multiple instruments), but she was trying to hard.

Link wasn't trying hard enough. He ended up tripping and falling, right in front of everyone. Fuck. It felt like hundreds of faceless people were laughing.

Zelda was laughing.

"Hey, uh, I think I've had enough dancing for tonight." He said as he got up. Fuck. Why was everything so unsteady?

"Come on, don't sweat it. No one cares that you fell."

But he did. "Sorry."

He stumbled away from her and collapsed on the couch. He wanted to just hide away. Maybe that closet Scout was hiding in wasn't a bad idea. Speaking of, he heard a loud whoop of joy as Scout did some… jazzercise? On the dance floor. After a few moments, he slapped his own ass with one hand (the other pointing at no one in particular) and yelled, "Wooo, butt stuff!"

Well, he was over the whole internalized homophobia thing. Or was he? Who fucking knew?

His eyes swiveled over to Zelda, and she was dancing with a tall, buff, redheaded girl with blue lipstick. Wait, he knew her! She was Urbosa, a champion from one of his old lives! Why did he have so many pasts, anyway? Why was he so many people?

He watched as Urbosa grabbed Zelda by the hips and pulled her close, and Zelda seemed to really be into it.

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.

All Link wanted was to get out of there. He was about to stand up when someone crashed on the couch and leaned on his shoulder.

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Peach was humiliated. Why wasn't she more composed? Why'd she have to wake up to Marth giving her mouth to mouth? Did she even need it? She felt a dull ache in her chest, like someone had haphazardly tried chest compressions.

"You idiot, you could have broken her ribs!" Aqua yelled.

"I was just tryin' to-"

Peach immediately sat up and vomited, luckily facing away from anyone.

"Leave it to the trained professionals next time!" She huffed.

Peach got up and muttered a small thanks to Marth. God, why'd this have to be such a mess? Before Marth could talk to her, she walked away and grabbed her stuff. She couldn't deal with him or Ike, not right now.

She went inside and ducked into the bathroom. Her reflection gazed back at her, makeup smudged and eyes bloodshot. She looked like shit. How was she supposed to face a party like this? She used a towel to try and dry off her little sundress, but it wasn't really working. Fuck.

She left the bathroom and realized she had to go somewhere. There was no way in hell she'd go dance. More alcohol? Nope. Honestly, she needed a break from everything.

So, that's how she ended up leaning on Link Everard's shoulder.

"Hey, Link, you don't seem like the kind of person to be at a party like this." Wow, Peach, great opener.

He shook his head. "Not really."

A thought bubble up through her throat, and she couldn't contain it. "You wanna ditch?"

Peach Toadstool wasn't the type to ditch a party. She also wasn't the type to fail at her advances, nearly drown, then vomit everywhere. She had to face it, leaving was her best option.

"Where would we go?" Link asked. Was Link drunk too? Nevermind, even if he wasn't, he wouldn't have a car. Daisy had driven, but she was busy having way too much fun flirting with that Demyx boy. Had they been flirting? Who knew?

"We could walk somewhere?" There was probably a fast food place somewhere close. "I can google if there's any restaurants open nearby."

"Sure."

She googled it, and the only place within a few blocks was an MTT-Brand Burger Emporium. Wait, that was the weird robot guy. Right? Yeah, yeah! Oh, that was about to be a fucking trip. "Well, shit, you wanna go get some burgers?"

Link just shrugged.

And so, the two of them wandered out the front door. This would probably be a hit to Peach's reputation if anyone noticed. After all, there wasn't a concrete social hierarchy yet. Everyone was still trying to figure out who was cool and who wasn't.

Link was cool. No one would care if he came and went as he pleased. After standing up for a near stranger on the first day, everyone would think he's the best. He was the coolest person in their school, and nothing would change that.

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A/N: Holy shit. This chapter is apparently part two of a three parter. There's already a lot happening. Next chapter will get to where I want. This isn't gonna be grammar check, so yeah, sorry.

Again, thank you for the views. 80 people have read my entire story on , and it makes me so happy. Please make sure to review if you like it, or if you don't like it, or whatever. I can't wait to hear what all of you have to say. Also, y'all should seriously join that discord. The invite code is zeHaT2Z