AN: Thanks for the reviews! I'd appreciate more! Just kidding, I'll take what I get.

Anyways, onto the story!

Chapter 2: Awakening

A heavy wheezing filled the room as the hooded figure sat in an armchair. Menacing flames from the roaring fire danced shadows around the room, distorting objects into grotesque horrors. The slender fingers gripped the arms tightly, the coughing spasm growing worse. Suddenly it passed away. The figure lay there, limp, breathing shallowly, a rattling sound exiting his mouth every time he breathed out.

A door opened and in entered Prayer, his leather boots clomping on the floor. The loud noise was muffled by the thick carpet covering the room. He stood in the shadows, half of his body showing in the light. He wore a simple grin, but in the dancing light it flicked from sadistic grin to sinister sneer. His eyes were hidden behind his shades.

Prayer stood for a moment, anticipating his master's next move. The robed figure lifted his head, his breathing regular again. He relaxed in his chair and breathed in deeply.

"Is the plan going smoothly?" he inquired to Prayer. Prayer stepped out of the shadows and into the dancing light. He spoke slowly, knowing that his master was hard of hearing.

"The three are ready to go my lord. Curse is giving them their assignments and also finishing up a few minor adjustments."

"Ah…good. You have taken their weapons correct? And laid out a few translators?" the figure asked.

"Yes, my lord."

"Good. Send out the three of them. Send out all of them. And please make sure to tell Curse to check the programs and functions of the robots."

"Yes, my lord."

"Good. Now get out of my sight and await further orders."

"Yes, my lord." Prayer bowed, and quietly stepped out of the room. He walked down the long hallway and stepped out onto the balcony at the end of it. Taking off his shades he scanned the forest of ruins before him. Twenty or so lights began to flicker on and off in various regions. "And now it begins."

The world was a blurry vision of strobe lights. A hand suddenly came into view, groping wildly around. A dull grating sound pounded into her head like a sledgehammer. An eye open, blinked a few times, then closed. She tried to raise her head, but grew tired and it hit the ground with a dull thud. She opened her eye again and saw a beautiful woman, her red hair flowing around her. Her orange eyes glowed as they looked at her, with pity. As far as she could tell the woman was naked, except for the flames writhing around her body. Samus closed her eyes.

Samus opened her eyes again, her vision clear, the headache in her head gone. She got into a sitting position and rubbed her temples. Briefly she glanced around, noting nothing in particular. She stood up and shivered, as she was only in her gray tank top and matching shorts. She had been in her bed the last she knew of.

Samus finally took time to look about her surroundings. She was in some sort of ancient cell, the stone old and dusty, part of the roof had given away, letting in gray light. Various debris was littered about the cell. She noticed a door and gingerly made her way to it, having no shoes upon her feet. Samus pushed on the door and found it didn't budge.

"What a surprise," she said dully. Without her suit, anything, she was trapped here. She put her head in her hands and sat there. That was when she noticed the shackle on her wrist. She raised her wrist in front of her face and a few chain links jingled almost noiselessly. Samus speedily scanned the cell and saw where she was chained up. Next to it was something familiar. And a pair of sturdy-looking leather boots. She smiled and got up off her seat.

Link awoke with a start and found his arms twisting behind his back. He gasped in pain as another explosion set off again close by. Again the pain in his arms as the explosion rocketed him forward. He screamed in pain and began pulling on the chains. They came out of the wall easily and he flung himself on the ground. Link lay there for a few seconds, fuming silently.

He picked himself up and found that the chains that had bound him were still attached to his wrists. He grabbed for his sword and found that it was gone. Shocked, he began searching for anything else that he had had before. Everything was gone. Link roughly sat on the ground and sat there for a few seconds. He looked up and saw a gaping hole in the roof. Skillfully he took the chains dangling from his wrists and hooked them onto something (something sturdy and reliable he hoped) and began slowly pulling himself up. He poked his head up and stared into the face of Ness.

Ness was the one holding the chains. Link held himself in the air, staring at Ness in disbelief. Ness just stared back with a blank stare. His backpack and baseball bat were beside him, and he was holding the chains in one hand. Link was dumbfounded.

"You could've used the door," Ness stated. Link looked in disbelief at the young boy and peeked into the room he was just in. There, in plain sight, stood an open door. Link climbed up through the hole and sat next to Ness. Ness picked up his pack and opened it up. He took out an onigiri and handed it to Link.

"Here, eat this," he said. He held out the sweet and Link took it. He wolfed it down in one bite.

"I'm guessing you were the one who made the explosion? With your psychic powers?" Link asked him. He picked off a few stray grains of rice off his face and licked them off his fingers.

"No. But I did loosen your chains," he replied as he got up. He picked up his backpack and rested his bat against his shoulder. Link got up to and the chains rattled about him. "Let me get those for you. Then we can find the others."

The burning woman looked upon Samus with pity, contempt, and lust. She wanted her so badly, yet she couldn't. Not yet, but soon. Samus blasted her way through the wall and ran off. The burning woman smiled as she ran off towards the unknown. She jumped down and inspected the cell. She noticed the unread note, though, lying where she had put the boots and her blaster. She picked it up and turned into ashes. There was no more pity in her look.

AN:I'm thinking of updating once every week so be prepared in another week for a new chapter. And if you're wondering about the other smashers, you'll see them soon.