A/N: Okay, okay, I KNOW I used a few ideas from the Incredibles, just please stop badgering me! (sniff) Okay, I promise, no more copyrighted stuff, honest!... e-except for the song lyrics and Nintendians, but that's it, that's all! Anyways, onto the chappie!
"Believe, when you lie.
You will never need to recognize yourself
To deceive,
To remove all chance of doubt and be received
With your lie.
The deception is complete when you concede
And decide
To reject your lives, sacrificed to me..."
Brother Squadron: Chapter 15: Seductive Warlord
Master Hand sat on his resting place in content, his eager brother giggling sinisterly next to him. Even before the Frames had told him, he knew the ambushers had been taken into custody thanks to his calm head and straight orders. After much praise from his most desperate underlings, he swiftly ordered them to bring the ambushers to their chambers. Sayu stood by, ever loyal, yet uneasy. The Hands knew something, or else Master Hand wouldn't be so calm, and Crazy Hand wouldn't be so giddy. Sayu became uncertain, wondering what secret they knew.
Footsteps and grunts of protest were the first things that entered the vast hall, and in came a large group of prisoners, escorted forcefully and all chained up. Sayu's eyes widened at the strange-looking beings standing or kneeling bravely before them, and now she knew the secret the Hand Warlords knew. At last, they had their long-time prey at their feet.
Crazy Hand looked absolutely delighted, but Master Hand hid his glee under a composed outlook, glancing down at his quarry. "Well, well... you've come at last. You don't know how long I've been waiting for the rest of your filthy kind."
Many were hunched over, but everyone brought up their unstable gazes at this statement.
"That's right; you are the only Nintendians left." His voice became acidic, rigged with scorn. "You're a pretty clever bunch, to escape our camps and elude our soldiers for so very long. But I knew someday you'd be foolish enough to come for the Portal. I knew your desires to return home would bring you here..." If he could grin smugly, he would. "... But we were growing impatient, so I decided to speed up the progress with one of your own."
A wave of confusion that was expected swept through the Nintendians, all except for one traitor...
Master Hand continued on without emotion. "Release the agent."
They all turned at the snap of unlocking chains, and the traitor stood to reveal himself, dark face void of expression. Shock and rage were released as a result of the unmasking.
"YOU! I knew it!"
"You lying sack of shit!"
"How could you do this to us? To your own people? WHY?"
Bowser gazed up at the traitor, whom he had trusted for so long, in complete and utter shock. "Ganondorf..."
His ember eyes turned down to the Koopa, no feeling behind them.
The rage built up, and Bowser exploded. "You son of a bitch! You never told me you were a fucking two-sided spy!"
"I wasn't supposed to tell you, you moron."
The insult only worsened Bowser's ferocious temper. "Then why the fuck did you pick me up for?"
"It was his mission." Everyone turned their attention back to Master Hand, cool and composed as ever. "He didn't escape his camp; he was released under conditional terms. He was ordered to gather you pathetic little animals and lead you here." He chuckled sinisterly, enough to send chills down Satan's spine. "It must've been easy for him to persuade you to come. All Nintendians are drawn to the Portal, like moths are to light. All that preparation to lay siege on the Fortress, when I knew you were coming days before... It's a shame, really. It was so well planned out."
There was a thick silence as the Nintendians soaked up the mocking of Ganondorf's betrayal and Master Hand's sick words. Two Frames forcefully escorted the traitor up towards the front, forcing him to look at the scowling, angry faces of his former comrades. He stood by Sayu, who gave him a look asking, "Why betray your own kind?"
The silence lasted as Master Hand looked over his captives thoughtfully. "... Which one is the leader?"
"This one, sir." Two burly males held Link by the arms, tossing him down to the floor in scorn. The elf was hunched over, wrists and ankles chained up as if he was some sort of terrorist, breathing gruff like an agitated beast. The Nintendians witnessed in silence, afraid that their leader would snap at any given moment.
There came a rough kick to his side, and he grunted in immense pain. "Look up at His Lordship when he addresses you, disrespectful filth!" the Frame demanded acidly, taking in every bit of delight from the pained look on his face.
When Link decided to look up, there was an extremely dark glare on his face. There was a fierce intensity in his eyes, a mix of bitter hatred and utter fear. Never before had anyone flex such a sneer, so sinister and bestial, or so full of extreme hate. But this scowl never wavered Master Hand's composure, as if he saw this kind of glare every day.
"Ah... So you are the Point-Eared Spirit..." he drawled, slowly hovering closer to the agitated elf. "The feared Nintendian who hunts Wire Frames for sport... The Leader of the Nintendians..." He chuckled deeply as he took a large finger and brushed the side of Link's face, obviously not affectionately. "Preposterous. You're just a child, defenseless without your weapon."
His followers expected Link to retort, but the Hylian was no longer the calm and composed person they had grown to know. The rational Link had been replaced by the bestial Link, quiet in violent rage and lips curled up on the verge of snarling. Perhaps he was biding his time, but none of them could tell. For now, he just sat there, enduring Master Hand's words like a rocky avalanche.
Crazy Hand, however, looked uneasy as he glanced down at him. "B-Big Brother... I-isn't this the one we killed in the beginning...?"
"It was," Master Hand agreed, yet calmly, facing Link again. "But it seems his younger self was more determined to stay alive."
Luigi watched in silence. The theory was right. The Link he knew was the younger incarnation, traumatized by dreaded sights burned into his young eyes. No wonder he hated the Hand Warlord with such in immense passion.
"That's right, we never forget a face," Master Hand continued, more sinister now. "Perhaps we should've have just let you go... But then again, if it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have every last Nintendian in our custody. So it's only appropriate to thank you."
Link was caught off guard for a second, but did not waver his scowl, sensing a trap. But as the warlord continued, however, his voice became different, strangely- dare he think it- soothing, as if speaking down to a young child.
"You've traveled so far, for so long. And you've worked so hard to keep your race together. And one who works so diligently should receive their just reward."
The scowl of his softened briefly, then he shook his head back to his senses. Then at last he spoke. "... And what makes you think I'll accept any reward from you?"
"Because I have the power to give you whatever you want."
Link relaxed once more. His gut told him not to trust this vile being, but something in his voice made him listen well. The Nintendians began to grow suspicious, for Master Hand's mesmerizing powers were only directed at Link, even when they could hear the voice clearly. Sayu knew what was happening and desperately wanted to snap Link out of it, but she could do nothing. She was powerless against her master.
"You want to return home. I know. All Nintendians want to return home. But you... You are different... There's something you want more than to return home... Someone you've missed dearly... A being... whom I can give back to you..."
The glove hovered extremely close, uncomfortably close, but Link made no movement, legs rooted in fear and anxiety.
"...Your brother."
Link's eyes couldn't help but widen, his hands sweating and body trembling. Most Nintendians were quietly curious, but Luigi knew who the Hand Warlord must've been talking about. He too began to sense a trap, while Mario stood next to him, confused.
"Wait, he has a brother?"
"Shh!"
Link continued to stare at Master Hand, bewildered. He wanted so badly to trust him, but something within him fiercely resisted. He shook his head vigorously once more, sitting up straight and regaining his scowl, though it was nowhere near as dark as before. "No..." he uttered at last, voice cracking. "No, you're lying. You killed him. I saw you do it."
"I did indeed. But you see, we keep our executed Nintendians in deep freeze, preserving them for circumstances like this..."
Link began to grow hopeful, shakily standing up, iron chains dangling, but the heavy weights seemed to have little or no effect on the elf. "You mean..."
"Yessss..." Master Hand hissed in delight, fingertip brushing under his chin, making sure his gaze never left the glove. "I can resurrect your brother."
"Resurrect my..." Link softly repeated, slowly losing self-control over his mind. The iron rings slipped and crashed from his sweaty hands and feet. He was free, some part of him knew that, but his body muscles made no attempt of movement. His pupils dilated as his eyelids creased closer and closer, and a dark haze covered his field of vision so that he could only see Master Hand. This same haze seemed to cover his pattern of thoughts as well, distant hopes and fears the only things left uncovered. Could Master Hand really give him back his late brother...?
"That's right," the Hand Warlord spoke softly as if reading his mind. "In exchange for your past services, I'll give you back the one I took away from you. That is your wish, is it not?"
Yes, it truly was. Link wanted his ever-loving brother back so bad, he'd be willing to give up anything...
Tension grew outside their tight world, as the Nintendians were beginning to wonder what Master Hand was doing to their Squadron Leader. And as the possibilities came up, some grew afraid of what would happen next.
"This is my offer to you. I can give you your brother back, and you two can return home hand in hand. However, if you are to decline, you will be killed alongside the rest of your kind."
At this, the rest of the Nintendians were thrown in a loop of shock, then anger, as desperate shouts of protest shattered the silence between them.
"What? No way!"
"You fucking bastard!"
"Link, you can't trust the creep!"
"Don't do it, Link!"
Link couldn't hear them; or, more accurately, he could hear them, but didn't listen. None of the voices fully registered into his fogged mind.
"Wake up, Link! Don't you dare leave us behind!"
He gave no effort to think, and it hurt his head to try. The iron curtain of his deepest desires shut out all other thoughts, concerns, or gut feelings. All there was to it was right there in front of him.
"Goddammit, Link, snap out of it!"
It was just so easy. All he had to do was accept Master Hand's offer, and it would all be over. All his efforts would finally pay off, and his deepest dreams would come true. It was sheer bliss at just the thought.
"Please, Link!"
His mind made up, with great mental difficulty, he spoke up at last in a voice he didn't recognize as his own, but he never gave it a second thought. "...I accept."
"Very well." Master Hand seemed quite satisfied, and he sent a message to Link's brain, promptly shutting it off for now. Link flinched as a physical reflex, then instantly lost consciousness, eyes shutting gently. Master Hand caught him by his baggy jacket to keep him from falling, head hanging back from his limp neck.
The warlord faced his brother, who was once more dementedly stimulated again. "The agreement is sealed. Imprison the rest."
A flurry of protests, swearing, and threats rocked the Nintendians as the Frames attempted to tug them back to the prison compounds. In the mists of all this madness, Ganondorf, who had remained stiffly silent, turned his gaze towards his unconscious archrival. He knew what Master Hand had done to him, and was thoroughly sickened by it, a dark scowl forming on his face. No one was allowed to take advantage of Link but him.
"You sick bastard!" he hollered, gaining the attention of the rest as he leaped at the warlord in fury, but never got there. Sayu, filled with determination, drew her Magnum and swiftly fired, unafraid. Ganondorf lost his momentum in midair as the bullet pierced his heart muscle from behind, and he fell limply to the ground. They all watched as he struggled to take in his last breaths, glancing up shakily at his assailant. She now had a look on her face that said, "This is only justice for your crime." And then he was dead.
The Nintendians gaped at his still body, then glared up at the Frame. Yes, he did betray them, but he was still one of them, and whoever killed them was the center of direct hate. She avoided their gazes, eyes glued to the floor.
Master Hand hovered still, a bit shocked, then spoke to her like he always did after an execution. "... Well done, Sayu. Very well done."
She did not respond.
"Take them away," he ordered, and the Frames dragged the Nintendians along until their screams and shouts were no longer heard. Master Hand deeply chuckled to himself as he handed an unconscious Link to another Frame to be taken elsewhere, quite satisfied by the whole situation. He had forced the Hylian into betraying his race, and there was now no one to stop him from executing his revenge on the stubborn elf for simply defying the law. It was all so perfect...
"Believe, when you lie.
You will never need to recognize the source
Of deceit,
To renew your faith in God.
You must believe, in your lie.
The redemption is complete when you conceive
And decline
To release your lives,
Sacrificed to me..." -Believe, Disturbed (Master Hand's theme)
A/N: Oh, dang, I love this chappie. I love deception, don't you? But not as much as the next one! Review, please!