A/N: Okay, time to take a rest from the action (mostly) and explain some things! And guess what? Someone's making a cameo appearance in the SSBM section! Who, you ask? Read on and find out!

Three Renegades: Chapter 2: The Lowells' Story

"Which way, Mario?" Marth asked from behind the wheel. Roy sat between him and the blonde, sulking.

"Hmm? Ah, twenty miles west," Mario answered offhandedly, leaning in the back seat to earn himself some rest. But that wouldn't come anytime soon, as he had a curious companion beside him.

"Mario..."

Folding his hands behind his head, Mario turned at his name again to look at Peach. "Yeah?"

"Who are these agents?"

Mario sat up, smiling. "Ah, you actually care this time, eh? Well, I should start with those two."

"Marth and Roy?" She glanced towards the front as Roy decided to fiddle with the radio and Marth didn't seem too happy about it.

"Yep. You may not think of it at first glance, but they're brothers. The Lowell brothers, to be exact." He smiled as the two fought over what radio station to listen to. "They don't look like it, but they've been through a heck of a lot."

"Lowell... That name sounds familiar..."

"It should. Did anyone ever tell you about the Renegade Eliwood Lowell?"

"Oh, yes, a little bit..."

"Yeah, he was before your entry. Best damn agent we've ever had. He shut down most of the Gulan Lab networks in the East and freed thousands of test subjects from their sick experiments. He was the first recipient of the Blue Heart medal. We felt he deserved one."

The precession hall of the Blue Heart Renegade HQ was overfilled with people, officials and agents alike, gathered for the occasion. Standing up front, facing the uniformed high officials, the youth with rich red hair and clear blue eyes stood in the normal black agent attire, proud and strong. All that stood in his presence were filled with awe.

A woman of high rank stepped up in front of the young man, arms behind her back as she began to speak, and the hall went quiet.

"Eliwood Lowell, your exploits as a Renegade agent have been outstanding. Your efforts have led to the prevention of an epidemic of human mutants, and you have saved thousands of lives. None other have stepped it up like you have."

"Only for the citizens of this country, Lieutenant Colonel," he replied courtiously in a crisp voice.

"Yes, of course. But those who give it their all and then some shouldn't go unrewarded any longer."

He inclined his head in slight confusion, when she brought out a small medal, with blue ribbon and a golden heart. Eliwood seemed surprised to see such a thing.

"We award you the first Blue Heart for your hard work and what you've done for the Blue Heart Renegade. Take it with pride."

She leaned over and pinned the Blue Heart on his jacket, and from there it shone in the light. He placed his hand over it, pressing it against his own heart. A smile crossed his face as he glanced back up at her. "I will."

As an applause began, a younger Mario stood with the rest of the officials in his uniform, a proud smile on his face as he glanced upon the youth.

"I was First Lieutenant at the time, and I watched him grow stronger and wiser as the years rolled by."

"So... those two, Marth and Roy... they're his children?"

"Mmm-hmm. The mother died shortly after Roy's birth in an accident, so Eliwood was left to raise up his two kids alone. And by God, did he do it well. He managed to balance between his duties and his sons and raised them up to be fine boys... heh, most of the time, anyway."

"That's incredible, for someone with as much responsibility as him."

"Nah, it's only typical for ol' Eliwood... He started training them in weapon combat at small ages, but never once did it seem like they were being rushed."

"I suppose they inherited his abilities?"

"Yep... And all was alright for a while... until that one night, about ten years ago..." His brow furrowed as the memories came back to him in an instant.

It was a quiet evening in the Lowell household. A slightly older Eliwood watched his children play on the living room floor with various toys.

"Brrrrrmmmm, Brrrrrmmm..." An adorable little Roy drove a car model across the carpet. "Mister Rob drives his car to work..."

"...unaware that a MONSTER blocks the freeway!" A child Marth slammed a Godzilla toy in the path of the tiny car. "RARGH!"

"Oh yeah? Well, Mister Rob has backup! He grabs his cellphone and calls..." He brought out a Transformer action figure, grinning widely. "THE... um... ROBMASTER 3000!"

"RARGH! GODZILLA FEARS NO PIECE-OF-JUNK ROBOT!" And so the two toys "engaged in combat," hitting against each other with the two children laughing and making exploding noises. Eliwood chuckled in amusement.

And then the doorbell rang.

All attention swerved towards the door, and the amused look on Eliwood's face disappeared in an instant.

"Dad! Visitors!" Roy cried out happily.

"Shh!" his father immediately shushed him, ushering the two away from the door. "Both of you, hide. Now."

"There had been rumors going around that Gulan officials were in the area, searching for Renegade agents, so you know Eliwood was cautious about it."

Marth and Roy obeyed without question, the older jumping into a low cupboard and the younger concealing himself under a covered table. Eliwood grabbed a sword of his from off the wall, never looking away from the front door.

Mario's voice lowered as he sighed ruefully. "...But he never expected what was beyond that door. He opened it..."

Grasping the hilt of his sword with white knuckles, Eliwood grabbed the doorknob and slowly pulled it open to face the barrel of a revolver.

"...then bam."

A gunshot rang out, and Eliwood gaped as the bullet split his sternum and buried itself deep in his chest.

"Bullet to the heart. He didn't even open the door fully."

"That's cowardly..."

Mario only nodded. "And guess who pulled the trigger."

Eliwood clutched his chest in pain, blood squeezing out between his fingers. He slowly looked up past the smoking gun to glance into the face of Hell itself.

Peach gasped lightly. "No way..."

"Yep. I guess Bowser decided to make it personal. After all, who wouldn't get mad at someone who blew the cover off and discovered the creep was pumping himself with multiple enhancers?"

The mutant freak of a dictator snarled at the sight of the agent's face, then swung thick knuckles across that face, and Eliwood fell to the floor from the force. From under a table, a pair of wide, damp eyes watched all this unfold.

"And poor little Roy saw the whole thing."

"DAD!" He couldn't control himself as he leaped out from underneath and rushed to his dying father's side, tiny tears rolling down his delicate cheeks. "Dad... Dad..."

"S-shh, Roy, i-i-it's okay..." Eliwood cringed deeply, but took his free hand and held his son close with the little power he had left. Roy sobbed into the uninjured side of his chest, but his messy hair soon became tainted with his father's draining blood. That is, until a large hand grabbed the child by the neck and lifted him up.

"...and then for some reason, Bowser decided to take out his anger on Roy too..."

"Oh no..."

"No...!" Eliwood cried out feebly. "Do what you want to me, but please don't hurt him!"

But the plead fell upon deaf ears as Bowser looked over the trembling boy with scorn. Shadows were cast over his grotesque face, so Roy couldn't see it clearly, but just the presence of the callous mutant was enough to scare the child senseless. The monster took his other hand and out slipped insanely sharp claws that made Roy begin to sweat and shut his eyes tightly in fear.

And then it happened. A sheering pain like nothing ever felt before broke through his upper legs, and he let out a painful scream as he felt flesh tear and bones shatter.

"ROY!" Eliwood cried out as loud as his weakened voice could get.

Roy whimpered as he felt his legs drain out blood and other fluid as Bowser dropped him callously with no evident emotion. Once he was gone, the hurt boy opened his eyes and squealed in terror at the lack of legs underneath his shorts.

"With one swipe of his claws, Bowser removed both of Roy's legs. Then he just... left."

"How could someone do that to a child...?"

"How can a dictator do anything? He probably left the two as a warning to the rest of us."

When he was sure the danger was gone, Marth slowly opened the cupboard door and peeked out into the open. When he saw his injured father and brother in a sea of crimson blood, he slammed it open and rushed over to Eliwood while Roy ignored his immense pain and crawled up to his other side.

"Dad... Dad... D-Dad..." Roy sobbed pitifully.

"Oh, God, Roy, I am so sorry..." Eliwood muttered woefully. "I'm so sorry..."

"Dad..." Marth felt his eyes begin to sting, but he didn't care. "...Are... are you gonna die? Like Mom?"

Eliwood slowly turned his head to look at his eldest son with dreary, weak eyes and a sickly pallor. "Marth, listen to me," he spoke in a breathless, yet firm voice. "Get Roy medical help immediately. You two have to live. We can't let him win."

"Dad... no..." A sob escaped Marth's throat. "Don't die... I don't want you to die..."

"Marth." It was quiet, not as forced, but it made the young cobalt quiet. "You two must take care of each other now. I've made you strong enough to do so. I've done my part in this world. Now it's up to you."

"...Dad..."

"Live strong...That's... all I ask..." And with his last breath spent, Eliwood shut his eyes and allowed Death to take him to the other side. Knowing he was gone forever, poor little Marth and Roy could do nothing but cry in grief over their dead father. Several minutes passed before the door opened again, and entering hastily were the First Lieutenant and several other agents. They all stood shocked at the scene before them.

"...We got word of the assassination attempt a bit too late, but we went anyway to secure the area... And when we got in... there were the two, Roy nearly bleeding to death... and Eliwood..."

"...dead."

Mario was quiet for a second before continuing. "...Marth was ten years old. Roy was seven. To say that was traumatizing would be an understatement."

Peach sighed. "What a way for such a person to go out..."

"It's not how they died that counts, it's how they lived. Eliwood was an exceptional Renegade and a great person..." Mario paused. "...And when Bowser shattered his heart with that bullet, he shattered a bit of the rest of us."

"I can only imagine..."

In that same precession hall, the aisle was cleared as a group of officials carried the casket containing the body of the departed Eliwood while a somber silence filled the hall. Up at front, Mario stood behind the two children for support if they needed it. For now, he had a hand on Roy's shoulder as the red-haired child sniffed and rubbed his nose, sitting in a wheelchair with bandaged stumps for legs. Whereas Marth was standing stiff and shedding no tears, the last words of his father echoing in his heads relentlessly.

A smile came to Mario's face. "Yep, but the boys were strong enough to pick themselves right up after the funeral. They took most of the funds left in the Lowell name and bought Roy a pair of those new Prosthetic limbs to replace his legs."

So that's where the metal came from... Peach figured. "The advanced ones that are near-real?"

Mario nodded. "The surgery's a living hell, though. They have to attach the nerve endings to the mechanisms so that they work like normal limbs, but from what I've heard, it hurts like you wouldn't believe. I saw the Colonel go through it after she lost an arm, and by the time they were done, she was bawling like a little kid..." He thought about this, then added quietly, "Don't tell her I told you that."

Peach nodded, grinned lightly. "So, how did Roy handle it?"

"See, that's the thing. Most kids his age don't even survive the surgery since they give in to the immense pain. But Roy was a tough little tyke."

Little Roy was laying on the operating table, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling and sweating like crazy. As Mario's brother Luigi, the leading mechanic of the Renegade, washed up and prepared for the operation, Marth stood beside Roy in comfort.

"Marth... I-I'm scared..."

"It's okay, Roy, I'm here." He took his sibling's hand. "Whenever it hurts, just squeeze as hard as you can, okay?"

Roy bit his lower lip and nodded.

"Alright," Luigi came over and placed his tools down beside him, giving the boys an encouraging smile. "Looks like we're all set. You ready?"

"Uh-huh," Roy answered timidly.

"Okay, take a deep breath, Roy, here we go..."

Immediately, Roy let out a scream of agony that made Marth shiver, but Luigi continued, used to this reaction by now. The child cried out several times, his arm trembling with effort of squeezing his brother's hand. Marth's hand went numb, but he ignored it as he repeated "it's okay, it's okay" over and over again.

"Sure, he screamed and cried like any kid would, but with his brother beside him, he hung in there 'til it was over."

As the operation reached its peak, Roy went from screaming to whimpering, his cheeks drenched in tears. "It hurts..." he said in a tight voice.

"It's okay, Roy, he's almost done, just hang in there!"

And then his hand went limp.

"...R-Roy?"

"...It stopped."

"What?"

"You said to squeeze when it hurts. It doesn't hurt anymore," Roy explained breathlessly. Marth grinned.

"Phew!" Luigi sat back, deflated by both the work and the shock of his patient still alive. "Well... we're all done here..."

"You did it, Roy! You made it!" Marth cried happily. "Check out your new legs!"

Catching his breath, Roy slowly sat up on his elbows and glanced across the table to look upon sleek metal attached to the base of his legs, shaped as knees, lower legs, and feet. He moved his toes with multiple clinking noises, then smiled brightly through his tears.

"Oh, how cool! They're so shiny!"

"You did it, Roy..." Marth pulled him into a tight hug. "Dad would be so proud..."

As he washed his hands, Luigi smiled at the brothers interlocked in a warm embrace. He turned to the door to hang up his coat and faced the First Lieutenant, jumping in surprise and snapping a hand into a salute.

"Knock that off," Mario lightly slapped his brother's hand away from his brow, to which Luigi only laughed. "So, how'd it go?"

"Well..." Luigi stared off at the children. "You were right. He made it through."

"Told ya. He's Eliwood's son, of course he'd pull through."

"Yep." Luigi slung his coat over his shoulder. "When I've made someone's life better, I know I've done my job."

Mario nodded, glancing at the two boys with a smile on his face.

"And from there on out, they just kept going, inheriting all their father's weapons and gear, which was, of course, quite an extensive collection."

"Wow..." Roy's eyes bulged at the amount of swords and guns set on the walls of the basement.

"Cool, huh?" Marth had seen this before, long before Roy was old enough for all of this. "And now it's all ours."

Roy laughed in glee and roamed around the room, staring at various weapons with "oohs" and "ahs." Marth watched him quietly with a small smile, glancing every so often at his metal legs exposed by jean shorts and rolled-down socks. He couldn't help but admire his precious little brother for making the brave decision of going through such a terrifying thing. Then again, he never imagined Roy to be the one to sit still for extended periods of time, especially in a wheelchair.

"Ooh, Marthy, look at that!" He pointed up at a shiny sword, Japanese type. "That sword's cool!"

"Oh, that's Dad's Wo Dao," he explained, reaching up and removing it off the wall for his shorter brother. He put it in Roy's hands, knowing he was responsible enough. "He used it a lot for his missions."

"Oooooh..." Roy grabbed the sheath it was tied to and sheathed it. "I wanna use it! Can I use it?"

"Sure, if you wanna..."

"What about that one?" He pointed at a metal rod that was displayed above the sword. Marth grabbed it, looked it over, and adjusted the moveable segments to his own size, liking the feel of it in his hands.

"This one will be mine."

"Okay." Roy nodded, then Marth caught a glint in his eyes, and he knew what that meant. He moved the staff and blocked Roy's swing with a clang, and the two were soon engaged in real combat, the sparks from their blows reflecting off the other weapons' stainless steel. Like little warriors they were, using every technique taught to them, using all the strength and reflexes their tiny bodies contained in fighting each other.

Marth swiveled around, dodging Roy's swing and striking his leg. A resounding CLANG echoed throughout the basement, and the two froze in mid-combat.

"Oh, gosh, sorry!" Marth instantly apologized.

"That didn't hurt, Marth," Roy said quietly. "I felt it a little bit, but it didn't hurt."

The two stared at each other for a second, then went right back to combat again.

"They trained each other for the next few years until they became the appropriate age to become Renegade agents. And that's just what happened."

"And they've never been on a mission without the other, huh?"

Mario lightly chuckled. "That's right. It is pretty hard to separate the two, but when they're paired together, they nearly match their father in strength and determination."

Peach nodded. "I can tell."

She looked back up to the front, and it seemed that Roy had won the argument as he banged his head to the grungy rock-and-roll blaring in the jeep's stereo system, his wild hair flopping along with it. Marth only sat by, but Peach glanced at the driver's side mirror and spied a smile on the loving brother's face, just as she expected.

A/N: WOO! ELIWOOD:D He'll be mentioned continuously throughout the fic, but I'm not resurrecting him, because then that would be weird and he'd be a zombie trying to eat people's brains. O.o; So, yeah... XD I'm so weird... ANYWAYS, I know the Prosthetics might sound familiar to you Full Metal Alchemist fans, so I'll disclaim that even though I'm using a different name. Never can be too careful. Oh, yeah, and I know the structure of this chappie is a little strange; I was going for the movie effect where they cycle through numerous flashbacks while someone exlpains it. That make sense? If not, then...just... stab me.

Please review!