A/N: Hey, guys. Sorry, I've been way busy with homework, including the Science Fair Project. TT; And this may be the last update in a while, cause I've got an English Symbolism Project based on Lord of the Flies and another History project on WWII. Yay for me. Plus, my dad had to reset all our computer's settings in order to get the internet back online. So I lost all my pics, documents, and settings. TT; Yes, it sucks MAJOR ASS! Anyways, on a lighter note, yes, I know "D'garvit" is similar to Artemis Fowl. I started reading the series the year, and it ranks high on my favorites alongside the Discworld series. Also, Link isn't considered a bad guy. Just Badass, that's all. He's still a good guy. Anyways, I wanted to get the third chappie up before I get back to the other stuff. So here it is!

"New blood joins this earth,

And quickly he's subdued.

Through constant pained disgrace,

The young boy learns their rules.

With time the child draws in.

This whipping boy done wrong

Deprived of all his thoughts

The young man struggles on and on, he's known.

A vow onto his own, that never from this day

His will they'll take away…"

Brother Squadron: Chapter 3: Escape

In the northern parts of what used to be Poland, hills and ravines shaped the wasteland where lush, green fields used to grow. Now all that covered the land was pasty sand, and the desert breezes blew the dead tumbleweeds as the lavender moon bathed the dry ground in a ghostly light.

And here, a massive structure supported the dark heavens with its iron spires. Straight bars of steel ran vertically through most windows, blocking any way of getting in or out. Gargoyles sat below the spires, grotesque faces frozen in silent snarls, baring their fangs and twisting their tongues in contempt. Dark silhouettes of Wire Frames stood rigid on the rooftop, weapons settled on the ridges as they kept watch amidst the weak orange glow of the random firefly lanterns. These Frames were armed and ready with the following orders: shoot anything coming in or out that wasn't a fellow Frame, They were more than willing to oblige to these orders.

Great numbers of various races of Frames marched down the hallways, patrolling the prisons of the fortress with cold faces. Moaning prisoners were soon silenced by annoyed guards with a harsh threat or the raising of their weapons. Chains rattled against the stone floors as the intimidated prisoner scooted away to the back wall. The Frame regarded the human girl without emotion, continuing his patrol.

At the end of one of the dingy hallways stood a single door made of titanium and bolted hinges. The hinge-less side was lined with spots of bleeding fingertips as prisoners had clawed like cats during their escort down into the depths, only to be dragged inside with bloody fingernails. A spiral of stone steps snaked down into the shadows where the worst criminals were kept, humans and Nintendians alike.

A female Nintendian stared longingly out the barred window at the lavender moon. Her long, messy mop of golden hair framed her doll-like face as sapphire eyes gazed into the free world. But soon her longing look of depression changed to that of slyness, shuffling to her feet. She brushed her pant leg, sighed with the front of her tan tank top rising up and down heavily, and looked over toward her cellmate, his back to her and his features shielded by the gloomy darkness.

"Are you ready?" she asked, her voice shaking with nervousness. In response, the head turned and a pair of crystal blue eyes blinked slowly before he nodded. Slipping something into his inside jacket pocket, he turned away from the wall and his features became clear. Small cuts and scars of abuse blemished his light-toned skin, half of them hidden beneath a black, bushy mustache. A mop of dirty, light brown hair framed his round head, headband wrapped under his round tuff of bangs. Sterling silver rings pierced his round ears. Leather crinkling and his dog tags clinking as he dragged himself to his feet, he gave his companion an expression of determination.

"Yes," he replied, barely any fear at all detected behind his sweet voice. As he bent down towards a particular slab in the rock, he spoke heavily, "Remember the plan, Peach. Stick close behind me. I'll take care of the guards." The sound of gravel scraping was heard as he began to loosen it from the wall.

"But… what if we're caught… or shot?" she shivered.

"Don't worry," he assured, briefly standing to meet her levelly. "I'll make sure both of us get home, one way or another." The two locked eyes, then exchanged a brief kiss before he knelt back down by the slab. With a grunt, the slab popped out, leading into an underground tunnel they had worked on for months now with their bare hands. Crawling on his belly, he craned his neck up at Peach. "Let's go."

Peach followed him through the tunnel on hands and knees, her dangling dog tags scraping on the dirt below her. She cringed softly as her already worn palms scraped against the hard soil. She was uncertain in escaping, but she trusted her love to get them out.

The tunnel led to an empty corridor where children were kept in smaller prisons. The male escapee pushed the thin slab up a couple centimeters and took a cautious look across the floor. His gaze caught the sight of the back of combat boots, immediately deducting that a Frame guard, female, stood right in front of him, unaware of his presence as she glanced around, bored out of her skull. Most of the children were asleep, and she was the only scout needed at this hour. Her half-asleep condition left her wide open.

He flipped the slab over quietly, gesturing Peach to stay back as he slowly climbed up directly behind the guard, ready to strike.

And at that moment, the Frame felt a dry hand grasp her neck tightly. But before she could speak, a single snap was heard as the hand jerked to the side, and she collapsed forward, instantly dead.

He bent down and brushed the body aside idly, picking up the gun in her cold, clammy hands. He had been thoroughly annoyed when they had confiscated his sniper rifle upon his capture and given it to this godforsaken Wire Frame. But now he had it back, clutching it close in his arms as if reunited with a close friend.

Hearing the rattling of chains, he looked up into the prison in front of him, where a small, human girl, with sunken cheeks and hollow eyes, trembling from the cold, unforgiving stone floor, gazed up at him. And for the first time, human and Nintendian met without hostility. The child's naivety detected in her gentle gaze made him hesitate.

"Good luck…" she murmured, and he responded with a gentle smile and a soft nod as she withdrew into the gloom of her cell. He made a gesture to Peach, and she swiftly followed him down the corridor.

The two slinked through the hallways like shadows. The Frames never thought twice before they were sniped by the male. He took delight in watching his captors hit the floor with a bullet to the backs of their heads. It was justified revenge for all the their torture upon him and Peach.

Climbing up one of the many lookout towers, he quickly shot the three Frames guarding the tower and made his way to an open, unbarred window, peering down and calculating the drop distance.

"Grab the twenty-foot rope," he whispered to his companion. Peach nodded and grabbed a bundle of rope hanging on the wall and tied a tight knot on a steel bar below the window. He nodded silently, approaching the window and climbing atop the ledge. With his free hand, he took a solid grip on the rope and dropped through the window backwards.

Shadows from the moon buried his figure in total darkness as he slid down the rope bit by bit, pushing off the stone walls with his boots. Peach followed overhead. He cringed as the rope thoroughly burned his hand bloody raw. Reaching the end of the rope, he let go and fell the last ten feet, landing in the dirt with a thud and a grunt. Peach's landing was just as ungraceful.

As she sat up, a smile beamed on her face as she took a deep breath of the fresh air of freedom. The air was moist and cool, refreshing from the foul atmosphere inside the camp. But her joy was caught short when her partner took her gently by the wrist, silently reminding her of their urgency.

The duo sprinted across the dunes to avoid the guards' eagle eyes. But then the haunting echo of an alarm and faraway shouting indicated that they had been spotted. The male halted briefly, heart racing like a rabbit's in his chest as the rain of gunfire rattled and the front doors opened, soldiers advancing from within.

"Run!" he screamed, taking off ahead of Peach. Gun pellets blasted rocks and pebbles around their feet. Cruel laughter came from the small group of Frames several yards behind them. Peach gawked in horror as her companion cried out in pain when a bullet pierced his left shoulder, dark blood draining from the hole in his jacket.

Then, a single bang rang out above all the rest, echoing across the desert. Peach made the fatal mistake of turning, and everything seemed to slow down as the bullet whizzed towards its intended target. Peach's body rocked and a blank look of horror crossed her face as the pellet split her breast bone and buried itself in her heart. She swayed a bit, then fell limply to the dry earth, dreary eyes facing the ebony sky. Her companion grunted in horror and rushed to her aid, kneeling beside her. Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, he caressed a hand against her pale face.

"Well…hhhhhhhhhh… at least I… took… the chance…"

"No! Peach, don't you dare die!" he nearly demanded, angry tears rolling down his cheeks. "You were so damn close! This was my fault! If I'd have sniped them out, maybe…!"

"Please don't blame yourself… They got me… but it only means my path to home… is shorter… and easier… than yours…" She smiled weakly, lacing her fingers behind his neck. "Go… You'll make it… Find Luigi… Come home… I'll… be waiting…" And with the last bit of her life left, she pulled him in and kissed him passionately. He swiftly returned it, and for a brief, blissful moment, the two were oblivious to all but their own enflamed senses.

He then felt her warm lips go limp while entangled in his own. Unwillingly, he drew back, cheeks drenched in salty tears as her flaccid arms untwined and flopped onto the ground, her eyes creased shut. He didn't have a care in the world of his masculinity as he wept above his dead companion.

"We got one!" a burly voice hollered a few yards away. The surviving fugitive stumbled to his feet, diving behind a thick shrub of tumbleweed. He peered through the thorny bramble and witnessed as a group of Frames kicked and poked the carcass with their various weapons. A burly male spat on the wound, then guffawed with wild abandon as he fired his machine gun rapidly into the heavens.

"Wahoo! An' oi tought dis was gonna be anoder boring night!" he chortled, grinning a nearly toothless grin at his partners. A masculine female, heaving the corpse over her thick shoulder, cackled and returned the grin. The silent fugitive trembled violently in rage in response to their cruelty and complete disrespect. He watched them with angry eyes as they left with their prey, then turned away in disgust. This sudden movement shot pain through his shoulder as if reminding him of his injury. Gingerly, he ripped off his headband and tied it effortlessly around his shoulder as a makeshift bandage.

He let out a sigh, placing his sniper rifle on the ground and reaching into his inside pocket, bringing out an object that rested in his hands. It was a large hat, emerald green, with a thick brim and an initial "L" etched on the front. He embraced the hat the his heart, catching the scent of its previous owner, a smell only a brother's nose could detect. He stuffed it back into the oversized inside pocket, grabbed his gun, and dragged himself to his feet.

"Don't worry, little bro… I'll find you…"

"What I've felt, what I've known,

Never shined through in what I've shown.

Never be, never see,

Won't see what might have been.

Never free, never me,

So I dub thee unforgiven…" The Unforgiven, Metallica

A/N: Yeah, I know, I killed Peach. Sue me. Yeah, this scene was from Xuchy's story (again), but with my own twists and turns as well. I'm sure she doesn't mind, though. Anyways, you all know who the mystery guy is, so I won't tell you. Just review, alright? Alright, kewl.