A/N: Hey, y'all, tis time fer chapter 6! Okay, this is gonna be a huge chapter, so I'm gonna get right on it. No more History Project means more updating! Yes! Here it is!

"More wood for their fires, loud neighbors.

Flashlight reveries caught in the headlights of a truck.

Eating seeds as a pastime activity,

The toxicity of our city, of our city…" -Toxicity, System of a Down

Brother Squadron: Chapter 6: Ambush at Krakow

A few days passed as the squadron struggled to make amends from the ambush. Damage was repaired, ammunition was restocked, and dead bodies were tossed aside. But for some reason conflict was arising, and to settles the issues, the Nintendians called an assembly, gathering in the center of the caravans' circle. Link stood, tall and confident, ending all chit-chats and only the desert breezes broke the silence.

"Alright," he started, trying to be calm and constructive. "What happened… we had no control over. For some reason, our sensors didn't pick up the Frames in time, so… what happened, happened."

"Perhaps it was a system failure," Fox suggested. "The systems must be getting old."

The council nodded in agreement, and Link turned to Ness. "Think you can get to work on fixing up your systems?"

Ness nodded. "Already doing so."

"Then get back in there." He jacked a thumb back towards Ness' caravan, and the teen nodded and approached it hastily, disappearing under the covers. Link turned back to the council. "Now, despite the fact that we were caught off guard, we handled that pretty damn good. Nobody died, and only our new recruit got injured." He flashed a sly smile towards Luigi, who fidgeted, slightly nervous, and continued. "So I don't understand what's got most of you fed up."

"We gotta get moving!" Roy shouted, standing up from a rotted log. "We're sitting ducks here!"

"And we're running low on food," Kirby added heavily. "Last night's meal was too small, if you didn't notice. We only have enough food for one more meal."

"Our resources are running low," Marth explained. "We could've gotten more at Lviv…"

"But that place is probably nothing but ash and dust by now…" Link sighed. He leaned back and withdrew the drape, speaking to the being within. "Hey, Ness, any settlement close by?"

"Well, in fact, there is." His voice could be heard from outside, and the council listened carefully. "The city of Krakow. Two miles west from here."

"Right then," Link faced the council once more. "I'll take one comrade along with me to investigate. Only one, because I know most of you still have things to take care of."

The council was silent, as they knew this wasn't a volunteer activity. Link's gaze focused on each one at a time, and he slowly cycled through the circle until his gaze rested upon the new recruit, Luigi. His first thought was no, absolutely not, but his face was blank as he stared at Luigi longer than the rest. Luigi steamed in his pool of nervousness, that mysterious, angular stare making him uneasy as always. Link began to figure that the new recruit needed more hands-on experience with the enemy, to learn the ways of the gun and to face foes without fear. Plus, he had nothing better to do stuck here at camp. His mind made up, Link addressed his decision to the council.

"I'm taking Luigi," he said, sparking odd looks and groans. Luigi jumped in surprise. "And don't you people dare complain. Him and I'll investigate and bring back any food we can salvage. We'll keep up constant communications, and I expect you all to be ready to head out by the time we get back."

And with that said, the meeting was over. Hesitantly, they all began to branch off to other caravans. Link glanced over at Luigi, beckoning with a wave of his hand. "Come on, kid."

Luigi gulped down a nervous lump in his throat, then stood and followed his leader into the large caravan, its tires patched up and full of air and bullet holes covered up. Stepping inside behind him, Luigi watched as Link checked over one of the rifles, attaching on a bayonet. Satisfied, Link then flashed that sly smile he was known for towards Luigi.

"Catch." He tossed the rifle over, and Luigi caught it in his arms, giving Link a look of surprise. "I'm teaching you how to shoot on the way there. You gotta learn the ways of the gun if you wanna survive out here."

"On, I know how to shoot," he spoke up, gaining a look of surprise. "Mario taught me the basics back then. I just lost my gun when I was captured, so I haven't shot in a while…"

"Ah," Link nodded, looking over his Uzi. "Hope you haven't gotten rusty, then. Stale gun skills won't help you when you're surrounded by the enemy." He found a headset similar to Fox was wearing before and set it on his scarred pointed ears. Luigi grabbed one and copied his movements, placing it around his head.

"Alright," Link breathed an air of anticipation as he approached the outside. "Let's get moving."

The duo hiked westward for about an hour, ever alert for any more ambushers. They exchanged no words, not willing to take the risk of giving away their positions. Luigi trudged alongside Link, kicking up dirt clouds with his shuffling boots. Though he was aware of their present situation, he was growing bored, the barrel of his rifle slanted down from his lack of energy for lifting it up. His eyes tilted to his companion, whose intent look didn't fool Luigi a bit, and he figured Link was as much bored as he. He watched as the elf reached for the canteen strapped to his belt, twisted off the top, and brought it to his lips. Watching him gulp down water, Luigi realized his own thirst and reached for his own canteen. Leader and new recruit gulped in unison, bringing more monotonity to the situation.

Drawing his canteen away from his mouth, Luigi looked up ahead and spotted a small spire of grey smoke against the orange sky. Curiosity took over, and hefting his weapon, he sprinted ahead of Link. The Hylian did a double take, watching Luigi rush ahead, then grumbled under his breath and ran after him, calling out his name.

"Luigi! Luigi! Dammit, get back here!"

An "oomph" escaped his lips as he rammed in back of Luigi's frozen figure. From atop the hill, Luigi's glassy eyes glanced downwards, mouth opened in a small gape. Link looked at him in question, then glanced ahead. He too seemed entranced by the scene before him, but not so much as his partner.

The town below them seemed normal enough. The wooden structures of ransacked shacks, outside markets, and inns were unscathed, warm smoke pouring out of the inns' chimneys where fireplace embers still burned. But the dirt roads were barren, marketplaces abandoned and stalls emptied of their contents. Not a soul was in sight.

Link lowered his guard slowly, blinking in shock. "…I guess somebody beat us here…" he spoke softly. Luigi made no response as the howling, lonely breezes blew in from the ghost town and played with his sepia bangs, brushing them against his bandage.

Static rang out in their headsets, as Ness' voice piped up. "You guys there?"

Link paused before he responded. "Roger."

"Have you reached Krakow yet?"

"Yeah… The city's abandoned. I don't think we're gonna find anything."

"Keep looking. The new sensors detect protein on the north side."

Link raised his eyebrows, impressed by the sudden improvements on the sensors. "Right, then. Keep up the tight work." With that ended, he hefted the Uzi in his arms and gave Luigi a stern look. "Keep up your guard. It could've been bandits, but you never know."

Luigi nodded silently, clutching his rifle tightly, and they both stepped into the soulless town. Passing by each structure, they were all the same; a few cracked windows, poorly-lit interiors, weak wood lining vertically up the walls. Slips of paper or tumbleweed blew past their feet as the winds began to pick up. The winds were the only thing brave enough to pierce through the dead silence, a silence they had grown used to. But the usual stink of dead, rotting flesh wasn't detected.

"…What do you think drove them all away…?" Luigi asked quietly.

"Dunno. I'd say the Frames, but they would've torched the town too. Bandits would have to be my best guess." Link gazed around until his eyes caught a slip of paper stapled to a flagpole. He approached it and flattened the wind-blown paper with his hand. He grinned, beckoning Luigi with the point of his gun. "Hey, check it out! Here's your mug!"

Surprised, Luigi came over to take a closer look. There was a face in black and white ink, his swollen eyes, his furious, knotted eyebrows, his lips curled up in a snarl. Luigi remembered taking that picture; it was during his first days at the Rome Camp, when he was enraged at the world for being torn away from his brother.

"Damn, kid, what a scowl!" Link laughed. "Darker than a storm cloud!"

Luigi smiled sadly, lowering his gaze retrospectively. He used to be tough, to some extent, at least tougher than he was now. But then the prison camp did the exact opposite of the usual case to Luigi: it weakened his spirit and softened his exterior. Self-pity and woefulness replaced bitterness and hatred, and it was only luck that helped him escape. He used to consider himself tough, but those days were over.

"Well, another one for the wall." Link ripped it off, folded it up, and placed it inside an empty revolver hoister, looking back up at Luigi. "Let's keep moving."

Luigi snapped out of his trance, shaking his head back to reality, before giving his partner a nod. They moved down the hollow streets once more, until Luigi stopped in his tracks. Link paused and noticed his absence, turning back to face him.

"Something up?"

Luigi's nose was pointed up, sniffing the air carefully. "… You smell that?"

Link too began to sniff the air, the scent creeping into his nostrils. "… Meat!"

"And lots of it! Still fresh! That way!" Luigi rushed ahead, bypassing Link. The elf blinked, surprised, then followed him, excited by the turn of fortune.

"Dang, kid, your nose's sharper than mine!" he commented, but Luigi wasn't listening as he followed the trail like a bloodhound, sniffing the air the make sure he didn't lose the scent. After coasting through a few blocks, he stopped, pointing ahead like a dog pointing out prey.

"In there!" The structure ahead of them was a large slaughterhouse, and the stink of fresh meat was incredibly strong by now. Link approached the front doors, followed by Luigi. He tried to open the door, but then he noticed the lock that dangled by the handlebars. Annoyed, the elf shot the lock with a single bullet, wrecking its locking systems. He pulled it off with ease, then grabbed one of the handlebars and cautiously pulled the door open.

The stench was impaling now as they stepped into the shack. Upon turning away from the doors, both froze on unison, eyes enlarged as they gazed at the mountain of meat in front of them. Any kind of meat imaginable, from beef to pork, from sausage to eggs, were staked neatly against the three opposite walls, beaming like gold from the light pouring out from the cracks in the wood. The mixed smell of each meat was a little repugnant, but neither made a movement to cover their noses, letting the bittersweet smell moisten their throats.

"… Incredible…" Link breathed, eyes glassy in awe.

Luigi's mouth curled up in a smile. "Looks like whoever raided this place didn't do a very thorough job."

"You're telling me…" A smile crawled onto his face, satisfied by their bountiful find.

"Did you locate the meat?" Ness asked through the static whine.

"Yep," Link grinned. "We've got enough to fill our stomachs for a month!" A chorus of cheers erupted from behind Ness, as the rest of the Nintendians heard the announcement. "Bring the caravans here- we can't lug all this meat back."

"Roger." The fizz of static died out, and the two were met with silence once more.

"Well," Link turned towards the door. "Looks like we're watching the place 'til they get here."

Luigi nodded in agreement, and the two soon stood outside the slaughterhouse, leaning against the splinter-filled wood. Boredom once again began to arise as Luigi glanced at random things that caught his attention for a few minutes. His focus soon rested upon a piece of paper suspended in the air, curling and twisting in the wind. It blew closer and closer towards him, when it caught him off guard by planting itself on his face like a leech. Luigi grunted in surprise, then tore the paper away, glancing at its contents.

Link looked at his partner in question. "What it is?"

Luigi's orbs of sapphire widened in complete shock. "Oh my god, it's my bro! My bro escaped!"

Unbelievably, Link glanced at the paper himself. It was a wanted poster with a face that closely resembled Luigi's, eyes glowering at the camera. But the elf seemed in more shock than Luigi, eyes glued to the picture as if he was staring at a ghost. Luigi looked at him oddly.

"What's wrong…?"

"Ey, Fang, oi t'ink oi 'eard somethin'!" a dimwitted voice shouted not too far away. The blood drained from Link's face as his heart skipped at least three beats. But he kept a cool look to make sure Luigi didn't panic. The last thing he wanted was a frightened comrade to give away their position. Without warning, he shoved Luigi into the slaughterhouse and slammed the door.

"Shut up and keep still," he murmured through the thin wood. "I'll handle this, you just stay put 'til I tell you." He boots shuffled in the dust as he clamored to his hiding place. The hunt began.

"Well, whaddya want me to do?" came a screeching reply.

"Go down an' look, stoopid!"

Luigi got down on his stomach, looking out a rip in the wood as a lanky make Wire Frame stepped into his field of view. Grumbling and cursing to himself, Fang gazed around with attentive dark eyes, his Magnum moving with them. He glanced every which way, except for up on the rooftops, which was a grim mistake.

"Hmmp," he grumbled, beginning to turn to where he came. "You mus' be hearin' thi…"

Link pounced like a cat. Instantly, he had his target flat on his back and at his mercy. A dangerous glare with fiery eyes struck fear into his victim, the elf's upper lip twitching with a beastly snarl. He increased the pressure of his boot on Fang's throat as the Frame reached with clawing fingers for his gun. Link noticed this and kicked the gun away in anger. Fang stared down the barrel of his Uzi, bayonet inches away from touching his forehead. His Adam's apple bobbed in nervousness, and in a shaky voice spoke through trembling lips.

"Can't be… Th' Point-Eared Spirit…"

"That's right, cocksucker," Link grinned smugly, cocking his gun. "Any last requests? Not like I'll give you any."

"Th' kwestion is, do you got any las' requests?" Link cringed as the point of a revolver was shoved into the back of his neck. A male of dark skin grinned with crooked teeth, pushing it further on a segment of his vertebrate. "We got ouwselves a Nintendian, boys!"

Whoops and hollers sounded out as another pair of male Frames appeared over the high hills north of the slaughterhouse, cackling cruelly as they circled like a pack of wolves, blocking off any escape for Link. Though he was staring death in the face, he showed no signs of fear, glaring at his predators with a stone cold face. One of them snatched the Uzi from his hands, his dark eyes looking up and down the deadly weapon. Link's glare worsened as he practiced aiming at random things with the gun as if it now belonged to him.

There was a kick to his back from the gunman behind him, to which he grimaced, then a growl. "Let Fang up, Nintendian!"

Link made no movement at first, but another kick made him release the pressure on the Frame's throat. Fang was dragged out by the last soldier, brought to his feet. He brushed off his pant leg and tried to pull away, but the soldier didn't let go of his shoulder. He struggled to pull away, but his attempts were in vain, so he switched to words.

"Hey, wut th' hell's yer problem?" he bellowed, then froze as the Frame raised his pistol and pointed the barrel at his chest. Fang looked at him unbelievably.

"This is for your mistake."

He pulled the trigger several times, sick bangs echoing like shockwaves across the town. Fang's body hit the ground, several smoking holes peppering his chest. Link stared at the twitching body, shocked. Never had he witnessed a Frame kill his own kind. They were crueler than he had ever imagined.

The soldier turned away from the body without emotion, cocked his pistol, and pointed down at Link. "This next bullet's for you."

"Hey, oi'm callin' th' shots here!" the gunman bellowed, a smirk twisting on his face as he increased the pressure against the trigger. "So, Nintendian, you ready t' d…" But he didn't finish, and his body went stiff. He gave a weak grunt, and Link felt the pressure on his neck lessen. He moved aside, letting the body drop forward limply, a bullet to the back. He fleetingly wondered why they didn't hear a gunshot first, but didn't consider it at the moment as he picked up his gun and ducked behind an empty barrel, watching the carnage. The one who shot Fang fell with a silent bullet to the brain. The last one turned to run from the fire, and Luigi sought his chance. He poked the barrel out of the hole and aimed carefully, trying to remember what his brother taught him so long ago. A single bang, and the Frame screeched as the pellet pierced his hip. But the mysterious shooter finished him off with a shell to the head.

With the four corpses lying on the ground, Link slowly moved from behind the barrel and Luigi pushed open the creaking front door, both of them clutching their weapons cautiously. With their backs to the slaughterhouse, they looked towards the high hills to see a figure standing atop the hill, hunched over as if weak. The silhouette swayed in the wind, his weapon dropping from his hands, rolling down the hills, and stopping at their feet: a sniper rifle. Not long after, he fell forward and rolled down the hill, sliding face-down over the crumbling rocks and pebbles, halting halfway.

The duo rushed to the being's aid, kneeling by his side. Link reached over and rolled him onto his back, to which both gawked in shock. A familiar face was bruised and cut up from recent struggle, mahogany hair a stringy, damp mess from sweat. A thin strip of black fabric was wrapped around his shoulder, proving to be a useless bandage that was darkened by his blood. His jacket had the same tint where the bullet hole was, along with a blotch of brown, dried blood on both sides of his dirty, topaz tank top.

"MARIO!" Luigi cried in anguish, the astonishment replaced with distress as he begin to sweat. "Oh no, oh no, oh no…"

"D-don't freak, he ain't dead yet," Link stammered, trying to keep calm, but not quite succeeding. "We'll get him to Zelda to take care of him once they get…"

The purr of engines made both look up towards the town. The once quiet streets were filled with shouts of celebration as the group of caravans pulled in at the designated spot where the meat had been located.

"In there!" Ness pointed behind the windshield towards the slaughterhouse, and instantly Nintendians poured out of the caravans like schools of fish and flooded into the structure, beginning to carry loads of meat into Yoshi's caravan.

Fox was the only exception, approaching Link as his first priority. He glanced about the dead Frames on the ground. "Wow, what happened here?"

"Just a bit of a scuffle," Link replied coolly, kneeling beside the unconscious Nintendian. "This guy ended it before he passed out."

"Holy crap, another one?" Fox exclaimed as the Hylian picked him up and placed him in the vulpine's arms.

"Yep. He's got a shot shoulder, and it doesn't look like he's been eating much." He then plucked the weapon from the ground. "Pretty handy with a sniper rifle, though."

"Impressive," Fox commented. "I'll get him in to Zelda, then."

"Please hurry! That's my bro!" Luigi begged.

Fox heard this, paused, glanced at the limp being in his arms, then nodded and expedited his pace. Luigi watched them disappear under the caravan, his brother's pale pallor terrifying him. It had been so long since he last saw him; he couldn't die now…

"A deer dance, invitation to peace.

War staring you in the face, dressed in black.

With a helmet, fierce,

Trained and appropriate for the malcontents,

For the disproportioned malcontents…" Deer Dance, System of a Down

A/N: There. See? Told ya. Long chapter. And next one's gonna be longer. Yay. Anyways, some questions will be answered in the next one, so look out for it, k? Review, please.